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Danish veterans hold silent march against Trump's remarks on NATO soldiers

Xinhua) 11:07, February 02, 2026

Danish flags are seen at the gate of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Jan. 31, 2026. Thousands of Danish citizens and veterans held a "silent march" in Copenhagen on Saturday afternoon to protest recent controversial remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had downplayed the contributions of NATO soldiers, said local media. (Photo by Anders Kongshaug/Xinhua)

OSLO, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Danish citizens and veterans held a "silent march" in Copenhagen on Saturday afternoon to protest recent controversial remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had downplayed the contributions of NATO soldiers, said local media.

Demonstrators, holding banners reading "No Words," proceeded from Kastellet fortress to the U.S. Embassy.

Carsten Rasmussen, chairman of "Danmarks Veteraner," Danish veterans' association, said "We are disappointed and outraged" by the Trump administration, which deliberately ignores the efforts Denmark has made.

Trump has triggered outrage among NATO allies after questioning whether they would come to Washington's aid in times of need.

Last week, during an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, Trump dismissed European members' role in NATO, saying that "We've never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them. You know, they'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that. And they did -- they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines."

A protester puts flowers at the gate of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Jan. 31, 2026. Thousands of Danish citizens and veterans held a "silent march" in Copenhagen on Saturday afternoon to protest recent controversial remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had downplayed the contributions of NATO soldiers, said local media. (Photo by Anders Kongshaug/Xinhua)

A protester holds a "BOYCOTT USA" poster near the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Jan. 31, 2026. Thousands of Danish citizens and veterans held a "silent march" in Copenhagen on Saturday afternoon to protest recent controversial remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had downplayed the contributions of NATO soldiers, said local media. (Photo by Anders Kongshaug/Xinhua)

Danish flags are seen at the gate of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Jan. 31, 2026. Thousands of Danish citizens and veterans held a "silent march" in Copenhagen on Saturday afternoon to protest recent controversial remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had downplayed the contributions of NATO soldiers, said local media. (Photo by Anders Kongshaug/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Oceania Sonata Outperformed the Previous Record Launch Day for a New Ship by 45%

MIAMI, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Oceania Cruises, the world's leading culinary- and destination-focused luxury cruise line, achieved record-breaking booking levels on January 28, 2026, the opening day of reservations for its newest ship, Oceania Sonata. This surpassed the launch-day bookings of Oceania Cruises' previous new ship, Oceania Allura, by an impressive 45%.

Demand for Oceania Sonata's inaugural season was brisk, with exceptional demand across the suite categories, underscoring Oceania Cruises' decision to upsize the allotment of high-yielding accommodations from the previous class of new ships.

"I'm absolutely thrilled by the exceptional results that Oceania Sonata has produced  we knew that luxury travelers were extremely eager to take their place on the inaugural season voyages of this remarkable ship," said Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer of Oceania Cruises. "Oceania Sonata promises to usher in a new era of experiential travel, and we cannot wait until she joins the fleet in August 2027. I'd like to thank our valued guests and travel partners for their incredible enthusiasm, which fueled these amazing results."

Set to embark on her maiden voyage in August 2027, Oceania Sonata marks the next evolution of Oceania Cruises' acclaimed fleet, ushering in a new era of refined elegance at sea. She will be followed by three sister ships, Oceania Arietta, scheduled to join the fleet in 2029, and two further as-yet-unnamed Sonata class vessels in 2032 and 2035.

Oceania Sonata will be Oceania Cruises' ninth ship and follows its two Allura class vessels, Oceania Vista and Oceania Allura, launched in 2023 and 2025, respectively, to great global acclaim.

At 86,000 tons and accommodating just 1,390 guests, Oceania Sonata offers an exceptional sense of space and exclusivity. One-third of all guest accommodations will be suites, including four new two-bedroom Owner's Suites, and two entirely new categories: the Horizon Suites and the Penthouse Deluxe Suites.

Also debuting aboard Oceania Sonata will be two new culinary experiences: the most exclusive fine-dining restaurant at sea, La Table par Maitres Cuisiniers de France; and Nikkei Kitchen, which will specialize in a vibrant fusion of Peruvian flavors and refined Japanese culinary techniques and tastes.

For additional information on Oceania Cruises' small-ship luxury, exquisitely crafted cuisine and expertly curated travel experiences, visit OceaniaCruises.com or call 855-OCEANIA.

About Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises is the world's leading culinary- and destination-focused luxury cruise line. The line's intimate, luxurious ships feature The Finest Cuisine at Sea and destination-rich itineraries that span the globe. Expertly curated travel experiences are available aboard the designer-inspired ships, which call on more than 600 marquee and boutique ports in more than 100 countries on seven continents, on voyages that range from seven to more than 200 days. Oceania Cruises has four Sonata Class ships on order scheduled for delivery in 2027, 2029, 2032, and 2035. Oceania Cruises is a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH). To learn more, visit www.nclhltd.com.

SOURCE Oceania Cruises
New Echota-Cherokee Capital State Historic Site will be hosting Super Museum Sunday on Feb. 8 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Super Museum Sunday is an annual statewide event started in the 1980s by the Georgia Historical Society as part of the annual Georgia History Festival.



Officials said, "Since the inauguration of the event in the 1980s, thousands of visitors have participated that would not normally visit these sites. What started as a small effort to encourage the public to explore local history has grown into a large-scale effort across the state. Today over a hundred sites that include city, county and state facilities participate to make history and nature more accessible without the restraints of admission fees. This event acts as a teaser and encouragement to explore local, state and national history as well as a celebration of our states rich and diverse history."



Visitors and participants to the various sites can expect to find Rangers, docents and volunteers presenting history and nature in a way that engages visitors to learn more about the world around them. Sites such as New Echota-Cherokee Capital State Historic Site and the Chief Vann House State Historic Site will be presenting the history of the Cherokee tribe through tours and demonstrations.



New Echota demonstrations will include Cherokee weaponry, weaving, early 1800s printing and cast-iron cooking while visitors at the Chief Vann can enjoy a Ranger-guided tour of the brick plantation house built by James Vann, a Cherokee planter.



All participating sites are offering free admission all day on Saturday, Feb. 8.



Information about programs, tours and events at other locations participating in Super Museum Sunday activities can be found here.

New Echota is located one mile east of Interstate 75(Exit 317) on GA HWY 225 N. near Calhoun, Ga. Call 706-624-1321 or visit GaStateParks.org/newechota for further information.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee delivered his eighth and final State of the State address and presented budget and legislative priorities for the upcoming year to a joint session of the General Assembly and fellow Tennesseans on Monday.

Key highlights are noted below, and the full speech as prepared for delivery can be found here. A Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget overview can be found here.

He said, "Our states legacy of responsible fiscal stewardship places Tennessee in a strong budgetary position and allows for investments to secure continued success. Governor Lees proposed $57.9 billion budget includes strategic funding to ensure economic and educational opportunity, strengthen families, preserve our natural resources, and more."
Born February 7, 1938, Robert J. Brooks, Jr., 87, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, (formerly of Perry, NY) passed away on January 22, 2026, at home. He was the beloved husband to Pam Brooks, father to Tracy Brooks Hardin of California, James Robert Brooks of Hawaii, and David Sean Brooks of Oregon.

Bob was a lifelong educator who has left an indelible mark in the hearts of many. He was a 1956 graduate of Perry Central High School and served in the United States Army from 1956-1957. He attended SUNY Geneseo class of 1962 and SUNY Brockport class of 1968 conferring degrees in Education.

Gracious and caring, he gave generously. His sharing rewarded him tenfold and made a difference in the lives of his wife, three children, and community of schools. His successful career serving youth was as a credentialed career level III teacher and administrator with an endorsement for special education in Kentucky and Tennessee.

For many years he made the south his home, but his heart never left his small-town roots in Perry, New York. As the eldest son of Robert and Avis (Bush) Brooks, he goes before his two brothers Richard Brooks (Mary Jane) of Silver Springs, NY and Douglas Brooks (Sandra) of Webster, NY. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

His passion for photography captured many family memories over the years, while his love of words and reading the great writers of all time, inspired him to write his story.

He will live on through the many lives he touched and more than anything his legacy in helping those who needed a loving hand were forever lifted up by his purpose to serve those most in need.

He will be eternally missed, especially his warm smile, his quick wit and humor with contagious laughter.

For the joy pets brought to their home, donations may be made to Pet Placement Center, 5965 Dayton Blvd., Chattanooga, Tn. 37415. There are no calling hours and burial will be private.

Rest in peace dear husband, adored father and passionate educator, and may you ride on the wings of the music you loved while being in your special place in nature; your church in the woods, where peace and solace hold you warmly and dearly for all eternity.

Online condolences may be shared with the family at ryanfuneralhome.net.

Arrangements are by Ryan Funeral Home & Crematory, Trenton, Ga.
Founded in 2024, climate-tech start-up Co-reactive from North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has completed a seed financing round totaling 6.5 million. The capital will be used to scale the companys CO mineralization technology  which makes use of CO and binds it permanently in high-performance construction materials  from prototype to industrial application.

The round is led by HTGF. In addition, NRW.Bank, HBG Ventures, AFI Ventures (the early-stage impact arm of Ventech), Evercurious VC and a network of experienced climate tech business angels are investing. The company also receives further support through grants such as the Federal Funding for Industry and Climate (BIK) from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE).

Co-reactive has developed a continuous process that converts CO together with natural minerals such as olivine or metallurgical slags (EAF & BOF) into performance-enhancing, CO-negative supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). These materials enable a significant reduction of the clinker content in cement and construction materials  and thus a substantial reduction of their CO footprint. At the same time, they increase compressive strength and durability. The solution is designed as a drop-in technology and can be integrated into existing production processes.

In doing so, Co-reactive addresses two key challenges of the industry:

High emissions: Cement production accounts for around eight percent of global CO emissions. With rising CO pricing, production costs risk doubling over the next decade.

Raw material scarcity: Conventional cement substitutes such as fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag are becoming increasingly scarce due to the coal phase-out and the transformation of the steel industry. With the seed financing, Co-reactive will scale its current lab and pilot operations in Q2 2026 to a continuous demonstration plant with a capacity of around 1,000 tons per year. In parallel, the company is preparing, together with industrial partners, first-of-a-kind plants at the tens-of-thousands-of-tons scale that from 2027 onwards are intended to mineralize biogenic or process-related CO streams directly on site at cement and steel plants.

Dr.-Ing. Andreas Bremen, Co-Founder and CEO of Co-reactive: Funding and scientific research form the foundation  but real transformation only happens through entrepreneurial action. With the right co-founders and an interdisciplinary team, we are taking CO mineralization from the lab into continuous industrial operation. The support of our financing partners, with the HTGF as lead investor, gives us the strength to deliver proof of performance with a 1,000-ton demonstration plant and to prepare large-scale deployment together with industry. We are building a solution that is urgently needed today so that it can create impact at industrial scale tomorrow.
The Cherokee Nation is examining a possible change to the retirement plan for Marshals. The move would cost an estimated $12 million over the next five years.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ --

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 (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=48876 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than February 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 [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.
Greater Than Campaign. | Photo credit: Facebook/ Greater Than

A coalition of Christian conservative organizations and leaders has launched a new national effort aimed at mobilizing churches and families to advocate for the reversal of the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage across the country.

The initiative, called the Greater Than campaign, is led by the child-centered advocacy group Them Before Us and is supported by a broad alliance of faith-based and conservative organizations, including Focus on the Family, Live Action, Colson Center, Word on Fire, American Family Association, and Citizens for Renewing America.

Organizers say the campaigns central objective is to encourage the Supreme Court to overturn its 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which ruled that the 14th Amendment guarantees a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.

Greater Than describes itself as a coalition of parents, students, researchers, think tanks, influencers, and citizens who are willing to state the self-evident but costly truth: children need, deserve, and have a right to their mother and father.

Public supporters of the campaign include pro-life activist Lila Rose, Blaze Media host Steve Deace, Princeton University professor Robert P. George, and author and speaker Heidi St. John.

When marriage was redefined in 2015, parenthood was too. Once husbands and wives became optional, mothers and fathers became replaceable, the campaigns website states.

But for a child, their mother and father are never optional; they are essential. Children need both a mother and a father to provide stability, guidance, and the unique love only a man and woman can give. No adult desire or ideology can change that.

Katy Faust, founder and president of Them Before Us, said in an interview that the idea for the campaign took shape as the nation approached the 10th anniversary of the landmark ruling.

It dawned on us: has anybody really, really put together an effort to overturn this? Faust said. I kept thinking, another organization that has more legal chops than we do was ultimately going to do it. But it dawned on us leading up to the 10-year anniversary that no, this is probably something that we need to do.

We can pull in a lot of other wonderful, faithful, grounded, virtuous, clear-eyed organizations into the mix, because there's a lot of people that have been steadfast before Obergefell and ... I think are ready to really make an effort to take it down, she added.

The Obergefell decision, issued on June 26, 2015, passed by a 54 margin and invalidated state constitutional bans on same-sex marriage nationwide, with Justice Anthony Kennedy writing the majority opinion.

In 2022, the ruling was further entrenched into federal law when a Democrat-controlled Congress passed bipartisan legislation codifying same-sex marriage protections, which was signed by then-President Joe Biden.

In recent years, social conservatives have pursued new legal strategies, hoping the current Supreme Courts more conservative composition could lead to a reconsideration of the 2015 ruling.

Those efforts suffered a setback last November when the high court declined, without comment, to hear a petition from former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis seeking to revisit the Obergefell decision.
Paivi Rasanen delivers a lecture on the Bible and freedom of speech at the Beating Heart Adventist Church in Nummela, Finland, on November 15, 2025. | Screenshot: YouTube/ Ari Helminen

Paivi Rasanen, a Finnish member of parliament awaiting a ruling from the countrys top court over a criminal case tied to a Bible verse tweet, is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Congress on Wednesday about expanding speech restrictions in Europe.

Rasanen is set to appear before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington during a hearing on foreign censorship that will take place at the Rayburn House Office Building.

The session, titled Europes Threat to Speech and Innovation: Part II, will explore how speech laws across the European Union and individual European countries are influencing democratic expression and innovation in the United States, with particular attention to the EUs Digital Services Act.

Among the other scheduled witnesses is Lorcan Price, a legal expert with ADF International, who is expected to caution lawmakers about the cross-border impact of European speech regulations and their potential to shape American technology platforms and legal standards.

Rasanens legal case originates from a 2019 social media post in which she quoted Romans 1:2427 and questioned the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finlands sponsorship of an LGBT pride event. The post prompted police complaints and ultimately led to a criminal investigation. Prosecutors later charged her with counts of agitation against a minority group under Finlands hate speech laws.

The Supreme Court of Finland heard arguments in the case in October 2025, following two acquittals by lower courts of both Rasanen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who published a 2004 pamphlet written by Rasanen titled Male and Female He Created Them.

Rasanen previously served as Finlands interior minister from 2011 to 2015. Prosecutors based the charges on three expressions: her 2019 tweet, the pamphlet co-authored with Pohjola, and comments she made during a radio interview.

Throughout the proceedings, Rasanen has declined to retract her statements, insisting that she spoke from her religious convictions and that quoting Scripture cannot constitute a criminal offense. Her defense team argues that penalizing her speech violates Finlands Constitution as well as international human rights protections.

Both Rasanen and Pohjola were subjected to repeated police interrogations over the tweet and the pamphlet, which prosecutors combined with her radio remarks to advance the case. A conviction could result in financial penalties and orders restricting the distribution of the contested content.

Rasanen has repeatedly warned that an adverse ruling would have consequences beyond her own case. If I would lose, it would mean  starting a time of persecution of Christians in Finland and also in Europe, she said.
Home News Finnish MP on trial over Bible verse to speak to Congress about Europes growing crackdown on speech

Quick Summary AI Summary Finnish MP Paivi Rasanen will testify before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington on Wednesday.

Rasanen will speak about speech restrictions in Europe and Finland's prosecution of her Bible verse tweet.

A conviction could lead to increased prosecutions for similar expressions across Europe, advocates warn. 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

Finnish member of parliament Paivi Rasanen, who is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling in a criminal case over a Bible verse tweet, is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Congress on Wednesday about expanding speech restrictions in Europe.

Rasanen, 66, will appear before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington as part of a hearing on foreign censorship beginning at the Rayburn House Office Building.

The hearing, titled Europes Threat to Speech and Innovation: Part II, will examine how speech laws in the European Union and individual countries are affecting innovation and democratic expression in the United States, with a focus on the Digital Services Act.

Other witnesses scheduled to speak include Lorcan Price, a legal expert with ADF International, who will warn lawmakers about the transnational reach of European speech restrictions and their potential influence on American platforms and legal norms.

Rasanens case stems from a 2019 tweet quoting Romans 1:2427 and questioning the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finlands sponsorship of an LGBT pride event, which led to police complaints and a criminal investigation. She was eventually charged with three counts of agitation against a minority group, a criminal offense under Finnish hate speech provisions.

The Supreme Court of Finland heard arguments in the case in October 2025, after lower courts twice acquitted both Rasanen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who published a pamphlet she wrote in 2004 titled Male and Female He Created Them.

Rasanen served as Finlands interior minister from 2011 to 2015. The charges against her were based on three instances of expression: her tweet, the pamphlet co-authored with Pohjola, and remarks during a radio interview.

She has refused to retract her statements, saying she acted out of her religious convictions and quoting Scripture cannot amount to a criminal act. I stand here not only to defend my own right to speak freely, but to defend the freedom of every person to express deeply held beliefs without fear of punishment, she told reporters before her trial.

Her legal defense team argues that punishing Rasanen for citing the Bible violates both Finnish constitutional rights and international human rights law.

In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Rasanen recalled being disturbed by her churchs participation in the 2019 Helsinki LGBT Pride march. She said her tweet drew swift complaints from citizens, prompting a prolonged police investigation.

Rasanen and Pohjola underwent repeated interrogations over the tweet and pamphlet. Prosecutors used these materials, along with her radio comments, to pursue the case.

If convicted, both defendants face financial penalties and potential content censorship.

Rasanen said that during the process, many people contacted her to say they were inspired to explore faith, including some LGBT individuals. She also stated that the ordeal had given her more opportunities to speak publicly about Christian teachings, including in court, with the police, and through the media.

Rasanen has warned that a conviction could open the door to similar prosecutions across Europe. If I would lose, it would mean  starting a time of persecution of Christians in Finland and also in Europe, she said.

Paul Coleman of ADF International called hate speech laws a danger to open discourse.

Criminalizing peaceful speech through so-called hate speech laws not only silences important conversations  it endangers democracy itself, he said last year after Rasanen's case was heard by the Supreme Court of Finland.
Home News Elections in Costa Rica: Evangelical Alliance calls for responsible voting

Costa Ricans will go to the polls Sunday on a historic day to define the course of their democracy.

In this context of high national relevance, the Costa Rican Evangelical Alliance Federation has issued a strong message through its president, Pastor Ronald Vargas, who urged the Evangelical community to exercise their right to vote with responsibility, prayer and a deep sense of Christian conscience.

In his statement, Pastor Vargas stressed that citizen participation is not only a civil right, but a duty for those who seek the well-being of the nation. The Evangelical leader stressed that the church's vote must be guided by discernment, looking for candidates whose proposals are aligned with the defense of life, family and ethical transparency.

The Evangelical group's message: voting with purpose

The call of the president of the Costa Rican Evangelical Alliance Federation comes at a time when the country faces significant challenges in areas of security, economy and social values. Vargas emphasized that the Evangelical community has the potential to be a determining factor in these elections, as long as the vote is informed and free of external pressures.

"Our call is to vote for those who not only promise, but demonstrate a life of integrity and commitment to the values that sustain our society," said the pastor in a video released to the national community.

An electoral scenario marked by controversy

These elections have not been without tensions. The campaign has been rocked recently by serious accusations between prominent figures vying for the Conservative vote.

During a recent presidential debate, ruling party candidate Laura Fernandez, of the Sovereign People Party, launched an accusation of sexual harassment against current deputy and presidential hopeful Fabricio Alvarado, of the New Republic Party.

This confrontation has generated a climate of uncertainty among the Christian electorate, since both candidates have sought to position themselves as the legitimate representatives of the values of faith.

While Fernandez leads the polls with a voting intention close to 40%, Alvarado, a central figure in the Evangelical sector in recent years, has categorically rejected the accusations, calling them a "dirty campaign" in the final stretch of the race.

Challenges for Costa Rican democracy

According to international reports, Costa Rica arrives at these elections with a society that demands urgent solutions to the growth of insecurity and the need for economic reactivation. The closing of the campaign has shown a polarized country, where abstentionism continues to be one of the greatest concerns of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

Despite the attacks and "hostility" reported on social networks during these weeks, the call of institutions and religious leaders such as Pastor Vargas aims to recover the height of the political debate.

The group recalls that, beyond individual candidacies, the main objective of the Christian must be the prayer for the peace of the country and the election of authorities who seek the common good under the guidance of God.

This Sunday, Costa Ricans have the power to decide the future of the nation. For the Evangelical church, the challenge will be to translate its faith into civic action that strengthens the rule of law and preserves biblical foundations in the public sphere.
Home News Encyclopedia Britannica revises map amid criticism of Israel erasure

Following a complaint from a British pro-Israel legal organization and a media inquiry by The Telegraph, the Britannica Kids edition removed a map that labeled Israel as Palestine.

The change was prompted by concerns that the material omitted Israel and pushed a politically biased narrative.

Published on the Britannica Kids website, the map showed the entire area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea as Palestine, with no mention of Israel, Ynet News reported. The caption with the map read, The name Palestine refers to a region in the Middle East. The region lies between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) criticized Britannica Kids for a map labeling Israel as Palestine, saying it echoes the slogan From the river to the sea, used by pro-Palestinian activists and Hamas to envision a Palestinian state encompassing all of Israel. In a letter to the encyclopedias U.S. publishers, UKLFI wrote that the entries effectively erase the existence of Israel, and called for their urgent correction.

Following an inquiry by The Telegraph, Britannica updated the map to note: Today the State of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip are located within this area.

Shari Black, a London-based Jewish childrens book author with family in Israel, first raised concerns about the published map in November 2024. Black reached out to Britannica directly and was told that the editorial team would look into the matter, but she said she was never informed of any changes that resulted.

Accuracy is really important when you're writing books for children and I was surprised that such a respected website would publish historic inaccuracies like this, Black told The Telegraph. It pushes a certain agenda, an erasure of Israel, a delegitimization of the country  even though it (the State of Israel) was established by international consensus.

Additionally, The Telegraph challenged the idea of Palestine being in existence for thousands of years, pointing out that the term Palestine was introduced by the Roman Emperor Hadrian only after the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 C.E., as a means to suppress Jewish identity in the area formerly known as Judea.

Encyclopedia Britannicas editor-in-chief, Theodore Pappas, said the company would review these claims by the UK Lawyers for Israel and make adjustments to our content, if needed.

This article was originally published by All Israel News.
Home News First detransitioner medical malpractice lawsuit to go to trial leads to $2M award

Quick Summary AI Summary New York jury awarded $2 million to a 22-year-old woman in the first malpractice lawsuit involving a detransitioner.

Jurors found the psychologist and surgeon liable for failing to meet the standard of care during treatment.

The case sets a precedent for other detransitioners seeking legal remedies. 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

A New York jury awarded $2 million to a 22-year-old woman who sued her former psychologist and plastic surgeon for malpractice over a double mastectomy she received at 16. The trial marked the first time a detransitioners malpractice case has gone before a jury and ended in a financial judgment.

The verdict, delivered last week by a six-member jury in New York Supreme Court in Westchester County, found both the psychologist and surgeon liable for failing to meet the standard of care in treating Fox Varian, who has identified as transgender at the time of the surgery but later detransitioned and no longer does, according to The Epoch Times.

Jurors awarded Varian $1.6 million for past and future pain and suffering and $400,000 for future medical expenses.

They determined the providers did not follow adequate protocols, including thorough communication and evaluation prior to performing surgery, and concluded these failures constituted a departure from the standard of care.

Varians mother, Claire Deacon, testified that she opposed the surgery but eventually gave consent after being warned her daughter might take her own life without it.

The court heard that the psychologist, Dr. Kenneth Einhorn, may have heightened these concerns, while defense attorneys argued that Varian had made self-harm threats before and that such fears were not instigated by her therapist.

The defendants argued that their clinical decisions followed existing guidelines and that Varian had expressed a strong desire to transition. The jury ultimately disagreed with their defense, siding with Varian on the claim of medical negligence.

The lawsuit did not question the general legality or medical appropriateness of gender-transition treatments for minors, but rather asserted that in Varians case, they were provided without sufficient scrutiny or coordination.

Varian v. Einhorn sets a precedent for other detransitioners seeking legal remedies. However, trial observers noted that attendance was minimal, with only two reporters present during proceedings.

Journalist Benjamin Ryan, who attended the full trial, stated that his detailed notes may be the only comprehensive public record of the event.

Ryan wrote on X that 28 detransitioner lawsuits have been filed in the United States to date. Varians case was the first among them to reach trial and result in a judgment in favor of the plaintiff.

Quite a few of the detransitioner lawsuits have run up against strict statutes of limitation, such as the case against leading pediatric gender doctor Johanna Olson-Kennedy, he wrote.

The ruling comes amid ongoing debates over medical interventions for gender dysphoria in minors and scrutiny of the practices followed by clinicians providing these treatments.

Clinicians have faced criticism for proceeding with irreversible interventions without comprehensive psychological evaluation or interdisciplinary oversight.

More than two dozen states have enacted policies banning the provision of body-mutilating sex-change surgeries and hormone drugs to minors. In recent years, European medical bodies, such as those in the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Norway, have reevaluated their approaches to treating children with gender dysphoria.

In 2024, the United Kingdom's National Health Service instructed gender clinics to pause first appointments for kids under 18 following the formal review led by Dr. Hilary Cass, the retired former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Cass's report found there is "no good evidence on the long-term outcomes of interventions to manage gender-related distress."
Home News Florida church can hold services on property, reversing lower court ruling

Quick Summary AI Summary Florida appeals court allows Coastal Family Church to hold services on its property for now.

Court reversed a lower ruling that prohibited large gatherings amid a contract dispute.

Church plans to continue worship services pending final decision on legal matters. 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

A Florida church can hold services on its property in a strip mall that prohibits large gatherings after an appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that halted the services amid a contract dispute.

The Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal granted a request last Friday to allow Coastal Family Church in Flagler Beach to continue worship services as their legal dispute continues surrounding its use of the former Badcock Furniture in Flagler Beach's Flagler Square, a property purchased for $1.8 million last July.

"If this Court determines the temporary injunction before us was erroneously issued, the legal and actual harm of being prohibited the right to assemble together and freely exercise their sincerely held religious beliefs would be grievous and reach constitutional dimension," stated the order.

"Being deprived of this fundamental right  for even one additional Sunday  would do irreparable harm to Appellant and its congregants. Therefore, Appellant's Emergency Motion for Stay Pending Review is granted in part solely to allow this Court to fully consider the merits of the matters raised in the Motion."

Mat Staver, founder and chairman of the Liberty Counsel, which is representing the church, said in a statement last Friday that he was "grateful for the court's quick ruling pending appeal."

"The Fifth District Court of Appeal's stay on this injunction will allow Coastal Family Church to meet for worship this Sunday and continuing until a final decision. Being deprived of religious liberty involving worship is an irreparable harm," stated Staver.

"Coastal Family Church was unconstitutionally forced to choose between cancelling worship services or be in contempt of court. Every Sunday a church is forced to close its doors inflicts irreparable spiritual and constitutional injury on its congregation."

Led by Pastor Rod Palmer, Coastal Family Church has sought to convert the former furniture store into a venue for large worship services.

However, a property covenant prohibits large gatherings at the 19,000-square-foot condo unit, and an attorney representing the former owners warned Palmer of this in an email last April.

"Please be advised and understand that you are not authorized by my client to conduct any meetings or assemblies that in any way constitute or arguably constitute violations of the use restrictions for which you have been previously provided and are fully aware of," Young & Pate attorney Mark Turner wrote.

"[I]f you disregard this request to cease and desist any arguable activities that could be interpreted or argued as use restriction violations, my client will hold you accountable and pursue appropriate legal proceedings, as may be required to protect its interest and specifically will pursue action should any legal proceedings be initiated by Flagler Square seeking any kind of damage or liability assessment based upon your activities in the subject property prior to closing."

Last month, Circuit Judge Sandra Upchurch granted a temporary injunction against the church on behalf of Flagler Square Jax Inc., which manages the local condominium units.

"Until the resolution of this case [Coastal Family Church] is enjoined effective immediately from utilizing Unit 1 as a place of public assembly and is prohibited from allowing public assemblies put on by any entity to occur there," ruled Upchurch.

"Defendant may elect to allow the property to be used for administrative purposes or for office space so long as the restrictive covenants are being followed."
Home News Mike Winger calls Bethel apology amazing but warns Charismatic Church faces defining test

Quick Summary AI Summary Mike Winger calls Bethel Church's recent apology 'amazing' and a significant moment for accountability.

Winger warns that unresolved issues regarding leadership transparency and prophetic culture remain.

He emphasizes the need for concrete reforms to ensure integrity and protect victims within the Charismatic Church. 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

Christian apologist Mike Winger said a recent apology from Bethel Church represents a rare and significant moment of accountability within the Charismatic movement while cautioning that unresolved concerns surrounding prophetic culture and leadership transparency remain.

In a three-and-a-half-hour livestream titled Bethel and Patricia King responded to my video on Shawn Bolz and Cover-up Culture, Winger responded to public statements from Bethel leaders, including Bill Johnson, and fellow charismatic figures following his earlier expose on prophetic minister Shawn Bolz, whom Winger accused of long-term deception and sexual misconduct, as well as a broader pattern of institutional silence.

This is not some kind of victory lap, Winger said at the outset of the video. These are very real issues, very serious issues for the Body of Christ and the well-being and health of the Charismatic Church. And this affects other churches as well. I'm not the one who dictates what happens next, but I would like to contribute and talk about some of the issues that are going on.

Winger first praised Bethels public repentance, delivered from the pulpit by senior leaders, as unprecedented. He applauded the church leadership for acknowledging they failed to act decisively after becoming aware of misconduct allegations against Bolz and failed to adequately warn the church and broader ministry network.

Bethel actually apologized in a way that is  Im gonna be straightforward  was amazing, and that sent a signal out that has affected other leaders all over the place, he said. That never happens."

That doesnt mean that those victims feel closure, Winger added. But it does cause them to feel vindicated.

Still, he stressed that repentance must be followed by concrete reform. Winger said he sees the moment as a broader reckoning, not only for Bethel but for Charismatic leadership as a whole.

We cannot just be like, Oh good, problem solved, he said. ... I don't want to punish the positive things that Bethel did, because I have remaining concerns that absolutely should be in place, and I want to encourage us to keep those in place."

Right now, Bethel is under the test, and the Charismatic Church is under the test, he said. What are you going to do now to demonstrate that you care about integrity, that you care about accountability, that you care about protecting victims?

He emphasized that the controversy escalated only after public exposure, arguing that private handling had repeatedly failed.

Recent events have proven that unless it was done in public, nothing would have happened, Winger said. The ball would not have moved at all.

Winger reserved sharp criticism for what he described as a theological and organizational framework that discourages public accountability, particularly teachings popularized within Bethels sphere.

I do believe Danny Silk, whether he intended to or not, is one of the architects of this culture, Winger said, referring to the Bethel-affiliated teacher. That results in cover-up culture.

The emphasis on protecting leaders reputations, he reiterated, has repeatedly come at the expense of victims.

Cover-up culture is elitism, Winger said. Why is it that so much effort and energy is spent protecting the reputations of leaders but not protecting the actual safety of the people in the congregation?

Responding to claims that public exposure damages the churchs witness, Winger cited biblical precedent for public rebuke of leaders who persist in sin.

Theres times in Scripture where public rebuke comes, and it can be a very good thing, he said. Jesus went around publicly rebuking. There are times where it is, in fact, appropriate. ... The prophets ministries were all public rebukes.

He added, When Christians call out their own, even if the world sees it, they see us calling it out ourselves.

Winger also addressed responses from other Charismatic leaders, including Patricia King, whom he accused of minimizing ties to Bolz and reinforcing patterns of deflection rather than accountability.

Some of the responses are just cover-up culture, Winger said, singling out statements that, in his view, downplayed institutional responsibility.

Despite his criticisms, Winger credited Bethel congregants, alumni and younger leaders for forcing the issue. He described the apology as a turning point driven from within rather than imposed from outside.

It wasnt my video that made Bethel change, he said. It was people at Bethel. It was alumni from Bethel. It was someone in the pew. ... It was alumni from Bethel reaching out  a person in the pew who's been giving and donating to that ministry for years, who's been there for 10 years, who said, No, this is not OK, guys, we have to do something now. They're the ones that made Bethel change. It was someone on staff, I'm theorizing here, who said, No, it's not OK.

Thats why it has to be public, Winger said. The Charismatics can fix the Charismatic Church.

While Winger described Bethels public repentance as amazing, he said unresolved questions about leadership awareness, institutional responsibility and the handling of earlier warnings prevent the moment from being considered closure.

Among the reforms Bethel leaders outlined were the launch of a Safe Church reporting process administered by a third-party organization, expanded prophetic training, and a commitment to broader senior leadership oversight.

I dont think this is all damage control, Winger said. I think its a first step that could be the open door to something really wonderful.

Still, he questioned whether the third-party reporting structure has the authority to compel transparency if allegations involve senior leaders.

If an overwhelming number of reports came in about somebody in a major position of leadership, is there any chance Bethel just handles that internally? Winger asked. Or does this third party have the power to force accountability?

Winger also challenged Bethel leaders statements that they first became aware of allegations against Bolz in 2019, citing testimony from whistleblower Jason Smedley and other sources who say concerns were raised years earlier.

According to Winger, Smedley reported evidence of misconduct to multiple Charismatic leaders as early as 2017, including individuals connected to Bethel leadership. He said documents were also shared internationally in 2018, yet Bolz continued to be publicly endorsed.

These timelines matter, Winger said. This whole thing could have been wrapped up back then.

Winger emphasized that he does not claim all leaders received or understood the information the same way, but said the pattern of silence reflects what he deemed a broader cover-up culture.

A central issue raised in the latter portion of Wingers video concerned Bolzs commissioning by senior Charismatic leaders, including figures affiliated with Bethel and apostolic networks.

Winger presented images and video clips showing Bolz being publicly commissioned as a "prophet" at multiple events between 2014 and 2015, alongside prominent leaders such as Johnson, King and Pastor Che Ahn, who is running for governor of California.

They didnt just platform him, Winger said. They commissioned him as a prophet to the world with apostolic authority.  When the time came to call him to account, everyone goes, He wasnt my responsibility.' That doesnt hold.

Winger sharply criticized a public statement by Silk, arguing that it minimized institutional failure by framing events primarily as hesitation rather than deception. He rejected Silks claim that reluctance to confront was distinct from deception, saying public endorsement without warning constituted moral failure.

When Scripture tells you to warn and you dont, youre covering up, Winger said. Bill endorsed him publicly after having information.  This is more of the same. Youre correctly identifying the factors that led to the cover-up, but you were part of it.

Winger also disputed recent comments from King, who described her relationship with Bolz as that of a ministry acquaintance. He cited archived footage in which King publicly referred to Bolz as a dear friend and good friend of our house, and credited her prophetic encouragement with shaping his career.

If you endorsed him publicly, and later find out he wasnt who you said he was, you need to publicly say something, Winger said.

He accused multiple leaders of quietly removing endorsements without public explanation, describing that pattern as emblematic of institutional self-protection.

Beyond the Bolz controversy, Winger said Bethel must confront additional issues if reform is to be credible, including its handling of so-called prophecies, healing claims and theological materials it has endorsed. Among the concerns he raised were the promotion of The Physics of Heaven, the continued endorsement of The Passion Translation, and the governance structure emphasizing apostles and prophets over local elders.

They need to deal with this, Winger said. Not privately. Openly.

Winger, who said hes spoken to tons and tons of victims behind the scenes, concluded by urging Bethel leaders and congregants to pursue reform without defensiveness. He emphasized he believes God has placed him in a position to try to make a difference at this exact moment in time.

You can do so much good right now for the Body of Christ in the way that you handle this and move forward, he said. As long as theres no ounce of cover-up culture involved in the process, it will bring great blessing, because there is a lot of damage that's been going on for a long time.
Home News Democrat Senate hopeful James Talarico claims non-Christian colleagues 'more Christ-like' Talarico believes God is non-binary, Jesus was a 'radical feminist' and there are 6 biological sexes

Quick Summary AI Summary Democrat Senate hopeful James Talarico claims non-Christian colleagues exhibit more 'Christ-like' qualities than some Christians in the Texas Legislature.

Talarico believes God is non-binary, Jesus was a 'radical feminist' and that there are six biological sexes.

He is competing against Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate on March 3. 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

Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, claimed last week that some of his atheist and other non-Christian colleagues in the Texas Legislature exhibit more "Christ-like" qualities than some of his fellow legislators who claim to be Christian.

Talarico, who will compete against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to be their party's nominee for the U.S. Senate in a primary on March 3, told journalist Al Hunt and Democratic strategist James Carville on their "Politics War Room" podcast last Friday that people should focus more on being like Jesus instead of "forcing" Christianity on others.

"Instead of putting the 10 Commandments in every classroom, instead of forcing school children to read the Bible against their wills, why don't we, all of us, look inward and figure out how we can be more Christ-like, even when it's uncomfortable," said Talarico, who, in 2023, spearheaded a legislative effort opposing a bill (and now law) to display the Ten Commandments in Texas public schools.

When Hunt noted that Muslims and Hindus can also "learn a lot from Jesus," Talarico said, "I have met so many Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics who are more Christ-like than some of the Christians I serve with in the Texas Legislature. It is about how you treat other people."

James Talarico: These Christians in Congress, these Christian Nationalists, they want a Christian nation unless it means providing healthcare to the sick. Unless it means funding food assistance for the hungry. Or raising the minimum wage for the poor. None of their policies pic.twitter.com/IDRCygr47k  Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) January 30, 2026

Talarico went on to claim that "Christian nationalists" in Congress "want a Christian nation unless it means providing health care to the sick, unless it means funding food assistance for the hungry or raising the minimum wage for the poor."

The son of a Baptist minister, Talarico has made his status as a seminarian at the PCUSA's Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary a key part of his campaign and often invokes the Bible when denouncing conservatives.

On Sunday, Talarico tweeted a clip from a recent speech in which he made the common argument that the Bible's command to be hospitable applies to U.S. immigration law.

"The most common commandment in the Bible is welcome the stranger," he said after accusing federal agents of behaving like secret police. "Scripture says we welcome the stranger, because we were once strangers."

America is the immigrant.

America is the protestor.

America is the huddled masses yearning to be free.



Alex Pretti is America.

Renee Good is America.

Liam Ramos is America.



In this moment of crisis, America needs patriots now more than ever. pic.twitter.com/l3EbzPMR4b  James Talarico (@jamestalarico) February 1, 2026

During an interview last month with New York Times columnist Ezra Klein, Talarico claimed other religions contain "the same truth" as Christianity, and that while he believes "Christianity points to the truth," he also believes "other religions of love point to the same truth."

"You and I could sit here and debate what to call this cup, and you could call it a 'cup' in English, you'd call it something else in Spanish and French. But we are all talking about the same reality. I believe Jesus Christ reveals that reality to us, but I also think that other traditions reveal that reality in their own ways with their own symbol structures," he said.

Talarico also claimed he learned more about his own faith "by learning more about Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism," describing them as "beautiful faith traditions" that are "circling the same truth about the universe, about the cosmos, and that truth is inherently a mystery."

Talarico, who has claimed that God is non-binary, that Jesus was a "radical feminist" and that there are six biological sexes, grew up in the liberal St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Austin, whose pastor, Jim Rigby, was put on trial by the PCUSA for ordaining LGBT clergy since the 1990s, according to Politico.

In a sermon he delivered at the church in 2022, Talarico warned against "Christofascism," which he defined as any form of Christianity "that worships power  social power, political power, economic power  in the name of Christ."

During an episode of the "Vote Common Good" podcast last month, he claimed his faith moves him to reject "Christian nationalism" in favor of recommitting "to the unfinished project of a multi-racial, multicultural democracy."

During an appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" in July, Talarico invoked the Virgin Mary and the Incarnation to defend abortion, noting that Mary consented to the angel Gabriel's message.

In November, Talarico was found to be following OnlyFans models, porn stars and prostitutes on his Instagram. His campaign maintained that the lawmaker has never subscribed to OnlyFans or an escort service, and suggested that Talarico and his social media team were following users without judging them in accordance with his Christian faith.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Global K-beauty leader COSRX continues to expand its presence on the haute couture stage as the official backstage hair sponsor for MISS SOHEE during Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2026 on 29th January.

Backstage hair was overseen by internationally renowned hair artist Joana Neves, COSRX's Global Hair Ambassador, whose expertise bridged the refined aesthetics of haute couture with K-beauty hair solutions proven in backstage environments.

COSRX and Global Hair Ambassador Joana Neves light up the backstage of MISS SOHEE Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture SpringSummer 2026

MISS SOHEE Backstage: COSRX Enters the Haute Couture Arena

MISS SOHEE, founded by designer Sohee Park, is a London-based haute couture house recognized for its refined craftsmanship and contemporary approach to couture. For the Spring/Summer 2026 collection, COSRX supported the show from backstage, providing performance-driven K-beauty hair solutions.

Widely regarded as one of the first occasions a K-beauty brand has supported backstage hair sponsorship within the haute couture calendar, the collaboration marks a notable moment as Korean beauty enters one of fashion's most exclusive creative environments.

Presented under the theme "BREATHING FORMS," the collection explored sculptural silhouettes softened by movement and fluidity  a signature approach that has established MISS SOHEE as a leading voice in contemporary couture. Since its Paris Haute Couture debut in Spring/Summer 2025, the house has rapidly gained global recognition, with designs worn by internationally celebrated figures including Anya Taylor-Joy, Beyonce, Zendaya, Bella Hadid, and Florence Pugh.

For the show, COSRX worked alongside Joana Neves, COSRX Global Hair Ambassador, supporting the backstage hair team with its PEPTIDE-132 Hair Bonding Trio. Long dominated by European beauty houses, the haute couture backstage saw a meaningful shift through this partnership, marking a notable moment for K-beauty on the Paris couture stage.

About Joana Neves

Joana Neves is a London-based fashion hairstylist and Global Hair Ambassador for COSRX, working closely with the brand across Europe on professional education initiatives, backstage collaborations, and the development of performance-driven hair solutions for high-fashion environments. Recognized for her refined aesthetic and modern approach to hair artistry, she is a lead artist within the internationally renowned hair team led by Guido Palau, with an extensive portfolio that includes collaborations with Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, and Prada, as well as styling global icons such as Kendall Jenner, Lily Collins, and Dua Lipa.

About COSRX PEPTIDE-132 Hair Bonding Trio

Backstage hair for the MISS SOHEE Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2026 show was supported exclusively by COSRX's PEPTIDE-132 Hair Bonding Trio, selected by Global Hair Ambassador Joana Neves to meet the technical and aesthetic demands of a couture runway.

PEPTIDE-132 Ultra Perfect Hair Bonding Oil Serum

A lightweight, high-performance bonding oil serum used to refine and finish backstage looks, delivering flexible control and couture-ready shine. Infused with patented PEPTIDE-132 to reinforce weakened areas of damaged hair.

A lightweight, high-performance bonding oil serum used to refine and finish backstage looks, delivering flexible control and couture-ready shine. Infused with patented PEPTIDE-132 to reinforce weakened areas of damaged hair. PEPTIDE-132 Ultra Perfect Hair Bonding Shampoo

A salon-grade formula that gently cleanses while strengthening compromised protein bonds, creating a balanced foundation for precision styling.

A salon-grade formula that gently cleanses while strengthening compromised protein bonds, creating a balanced foundation for precision styling. PEPTIDE-132 Ultra Perfect Hair Bonding Treatment

An intensive treatment designed for mid-lengths and ends, improving softness, manageability, and resilience ahead of runway styling.

About COSRX

Founded in 2013, COSRX is a global skincare brand known for its "essentials-only" approach: highly effective ingredients, concentrated formulas, and affordable prices. Trusted by millions worldwide and powered by social media virality, COSRX has grown into one of the most influential K-beauty brands across skincare and haircare. COSRX is also on Instagram + TikTok.

SOURCE COSRX
Home News Woman euthanized against her will in Canada after her husband's request: review board

Quick Summary AI Summary A woman in Ontario, Canada, was euthanized against her will at her husband's request.

She initially sought euthanasia but later requested palliative care, citing personal and religious beliefs.

Concerns arise over potential coercion in the euthanasia process. 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

A woman in her 80s was euthanized in Ontario, Canada, after telling medical staff she wanted to live and receive hospice care, according to a review board, which said her death was approved and carried out the same day after her husband requested a second assessment.

The woman, identified as Mrs. B and who had recently undergone coronary artery bypass surgery, initially requested euthanasia but later told an assessor she had changed her mind and instead wanted palliative care due to her personal and religious beliefs, according to the Ontario Chief Coroners Medical Assistance in Dying Death Review Committee.

However, hospice admission was denied, and her husband requested a second assessment under Canadas MAiD program. The new assessor deemed her eligible, overriding the concerns of the first assessor, who had warned of coercion, sudden changes in her wishes, and caregiver burnout as possible risks.

The first assessor had sought to meet Mrs. B again for clarification, citing doubts over the urgency and the shift in her stated goals, but the request was refused on the grounds of clinical circumstances necessitating same-day euthanasia.

A third assessor was brought in to confirm the decision, and the procedure was carried out.

Rachael Thomas, a Conservative member of Parliament in Canada, recently argued on social media that Mrs. B's "life was taken against her will."

"Thats called murder, Thomas wrote in a post late last month, marking one of the strongest public condemnations of the incident.

Dr. Ramona Coelho, a member of the review committee, wrote in her review that medical teams should have focused on providing the palliative care that Mrs. B had requested after withdrawing her euthanasia request. She wrote that "[h]ospice and palliative care teams should have been urgently re-engaged, given the severity of the situation."

"The report also has worrying trends suggesting that local medical cultures  rather than patient choice  could be influencing rushed MAiD," Coelho wrote. "Geographic clustering, particularly in Western Ontario, where same-day and next-day MAiD deaths occur most frequently, raises concerns that some MAiD providers may be predisposed to rapidly approve patients for quick death rather than ensuring patients have access to adequate care or exploring if suffering is remediable. This highlights a worrying trend where the speed of the MAiD provision is prioritized over patient-centered care and ethical safeguards."

The MAiD Committee emphasized that while urgent cases can warrant same-day procedures, such provisions should be rare and occur only when all legislative criteria are fully met. Most same-day approvals involve terminal cancer patients with palliative care access, not individuals with uncertain or complex diagnoses.

Mrs. Bs case, along with others like it, appeared to deviate from best practices, the committee concluded, warning that a rushed process may overlook diagnostic steps that could reveal non-terminal or treatable conditions.

The report also cautioned that practitioners must confirm consent is voluntary and free from outside pressure. When caregiver burden or family influence may be factors, it said follow-ups should verify that the request aligns with the patients values and is not externally directed.

MAiD guidelines require two independent assessments.

In Mrs. Bs case, concerns arose about the independence of these evaluations, especially under pressure to proceed quickly. The report noted that disagreements between assessors should trigger further consultation or delay, not acceleration.

The committee flagged systemic issues contributing to the situation, noting that MAiD services can sometimes be coordinated more quickly than other end-of-life care. It said this disparity can distort patient choices, limiting options and favoring euthanasia where hospice or long-term care might be more appropriate.

A separate concern raised by the committee was the lack of collaboration between MAiD teams and palliative care providers. When not integrated, it said, patients may receive fragmented care that leads to abrupt transitions, confusion, and gaps in pain management.

Some committee members warned that families should never direct the urgency of euthanasia. They urged MAiD teams to engage with families as part of end-of-life discussions but insisted that patient consent must remain the sole determining factor.

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life U.K., said Mrs. B's case shows the risks of any legal assisted suicide program.

"The tragic case of Mrs B is a stark warning that a legal assisted suicide service can never be perfect, and that, inevitably, tragedies like this will occur," Robinson said in a statement.

It is shameful that, when Mrs B needed and requested high-quality palliative care and support, she instead received an early death."

Lawmakers in the United Kingdom are also debating a bill to legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales. Critics of the bill argue that inadequate palliative care already leaves vulnerable people without alternatives and that legalizing euthanasia could further pressure them into choosing death.

Prof. Mumtaz Patel, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said during committee proceedings in the House of Lords that people are making, sometimes, these choices because of the lack of provision around good palliative care, and warned that the gap in services is growing wider in disadvantaged areas.
Home Opinion 'Jesus is not God,' says the billboard

Like me, you may have recently seen that a group who believe the earth is flat is publicly proclaiming through billboards around the country that Jesus isnt God. No, Im not making this up. You can read the CP article on it here.

The organization is named Worlds Last Chance, and their billboards say, Jesus is not God. Scripture says Jesus did not pre-exist in Heaven. Heres what they claim on their website about Jesus:

There is one mediator between Yahuwah and men, the man Christ Yahushua (1 Tim. 2:5) who is the first begotten, totally human, non-pre-existent, son of Yahuwah born of a virgin (Luke 1:26-35). He came to fulfill the promises and covenants of Yahuwah with mankind. He is not God the Son of the false trinity. He was made of the seed of Abraham and of David (Rom. 1:3).

And heres the flat earth part:

At WLC, we honor and worship our Creator by acknowledging the world He created for us, and denouncing the counterfeit world created by the pseudo-scientists and the Roman Catholic Church (and her Jesuits). Scripture is abundantly clear: The Earth is flat (not spherical); The Earth is immovable. It does not rotate or orbit anything.

Alrighty then. Im going to take a wild guess that youre not going to put a lot of stock in what this group believes, but push pause just for a moment.

Its easy to say pish posh and brush these folks off, but what they believe about Jesus isnt restricted to those afraid of stepping off the edge of the earth. A Lifeway Research article posted a few years ago revealed: While 80% of Americans say Jesus is the Son of God the Father  More than half of Americans (55%) say Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God, according to the 2022 State of Theology study.

Bart Ehrman, a professor at UNC Chapel Hill, believes even less about Jesus and says so in a book he wrote some years ago entitled How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee. In an interview he did with the Boston Globe about it, Ehrman said, The problem is that Jesus only makes claims for himself as being divine in the Gospel of John ... What I argue in the book is that its virtually inconceivable that if it was known Jesus called himself God, that Matthew, Mark, and Luke would just leave that part out.

It seems like a lot of people think Jesus isnt God: from flat-earthers, to regular Joes on the street, to Princeton-educated scholars like Bart Ehrman. Why should we believe differently, and what does it matter if Jesus is God or not?

What the Bible says

From the beginning, orthodox Christianity has taught the exact opposite of what those like the WLC believe, with the Westminster Confession of Faith giving a good summary of the doctrine: The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature.

This teaching does not contradict the Bibles claim that a single God exists, which is called monotheism. The doctrine of Jesus being God does not mean that more than one God exists (polytheism) or that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity equates to there being three gods (tritheism) or that there is one God who represents Himself as one person in three different ways or modes (modalism).

Instead, Christianity teaches that there is one God that exists in triune fashion as three persons within one God, i.e., one what, but three whos; a plurality of persons that are one in essence. To be sure, theres inscrutability where the Trinity is concerned, which A. W. Tozer speaks to when he writes: Our sincerest effort to grasp the incomprehensible mystery of the Trinity must remain forever futile, and only by deepest reverence can it be saved from actual presumption. We cover our deep ignorance with words, but we are ashamed to wonder, we are afraid to whisper mystery.

When it comes to the Bible labeling Jesus as God, even a hardened skeptic like Ehrman admits that the Gospel of John is replete with statements making the claim. Just the seven primary I AM statements in John show how Jesus equated Himself with God, something that no orthodox Jew would ever do. As the old saying goes, when even the enemy testifies to the truth, like Ehrman, you know youre on solid ground, and thats the case with John.

But what about the other three biographies of Jesus? Is Ehrman right that they are bare when it comes to claiming Jesus is God?

Not at all.

In the synoptics you first see Jesus taking specific names/roles for God in the Old Testament and applying them to Himself such as the rock (Ps. 18:2; Matt. 7:24), the ruler of all (Is. 9:6; Matt. 28:18), the bridegroom (Is. 62:5; Matt. 25:1), the sower (Jer. 31:27; Matt. 13:3-9), the stone (Is. 8:14-15; Matt. 21:44), and the one whose word never passes away (Is. 40:8; Mark 13:31). No one else in Scripture dares to do that.

You also have one I am claim in Matthew that occurs during the calming of the storm, where the Greek of Matthew has Jesus literally saying Take heart; it is I am (vs. 14:27), which references God in Exodus 3:14 as well as John 8:58, where Jesus makes His most overt claim to be God. The result is the disciples worshipping Jesus after the storm is calm  something He allowed and was a no-no for any human being to do.

Next you see Jesus acting like God in that He demonstrates sovereignty over birth defects (Matt. 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-5), disease (Matt. 8:2, Luke 7:1, Mark 3:1), nature (Mark 4:35, Matt. 14:25), creation (Matt. 14:13-21; Luke 9:12-17), Satan/demons (Matt. 8:28, Luke 8:26, Mark 1:34), Jewish customs (Matt. 5:22; Luke 6:27), death (Mark 5:22, Luke 7:11), and saying He was the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) with his own authority. Never once does He say Thus says the Lord or call upon God to perform a miracle, but instead He acts solo in every case.

Finally, you see people treating Jesus as God or reacting to His God claims and actions such as his enemies asking during the healing of the paralytic, who can forgive sins but God alone? (Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21), John the Baptist saying he was preparing the way for the Lord (Matt. 3:3), and the wise men worshipping Christ (Matt. 2:2, 8, 11) along with the disciples (Matt. 28: 9, 17).

Theres more, but you get the idea. And lets not even get started with the rest of the New Testament writers and their statements about Jesus divinity (see this brief presentation if youre interested in a compilation). A slow reading of Hebrews 1 alone will leave your eyes wide-open about what other NT writers say about Jesus divinity.

The apostle Paul warned us long ago about those presenting another Jesus (2 Cor. 11:4). Whether its the WLC folks and their billboards or academics like Ehrman, the danger in following them is that a counterfeit Jesus cant save you. On that point, Christ said simply, Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins (John 8:24).

Lets hope one day the WLCs and Ehrmans of the world realize the truth about Jesus and avoid the awful warning He issued about error spreaders like them: Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! (Matt. 18:7).
Home Opinion Minnesota is not an outlier; it's a case study: How did we get here?

As cities descend into repeated cycles of chaos and lives are lost in Minnesota, Americans are asking a simple question: how did we get here?

Many Americans, understandably shocked, look at the protests, the violence, and the loss of life and point to immediate causes. Some cite fraud and corruption in federally funded social programs, apparently tolerated by state officials. Others point to aggressive enforcement of immigration law that sparked deadly confrontations.

But these are symptoms, not the cause.

Minnesota is not an outlier; it is a case study of what happens when institutions that once fostered moral restraint abandon that role. The real cause is less obvious because it is far removed from the tragic events we see today in the headlines. It can be traced back decades to what was called the long march through the institutions  a phrase coined in the late 1960s by Marxist student leader Rudi Dutschke. The phrase deliberately echoed Mao Zedongs Long March, but Dutschkes was not a military campaign. It was a cultural and ideological one, measured in decades rather than battles.

The strategy was to transform society not by overthrowing government outright, but by infiltrating its core institutions: universities, primary and secondary education, the media, the courts, and even churches. The objective was to shape what people were taught  what would be considered normal, respectable, and acceptable  so that political outcomes would eventually become inevitable.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) alluded to this reality recently before the British Parliament when he referenced a quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln: The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.

That insight helps explain why the classroom has been central to this long march. Obstacles to Marxist ideology had to be removed or marginalized. It was no accident that prayer and Bible reading were removed from public schools in 1962 and 1963. When God and His word are removed as moral restraints, lawlessness fills the vacuum  and that is the fertile ground in which Marxism takes root and gains power.

Over time, that march has moved beyond institutions and inevitably spilled into the streets. Confrontations like those weve seen in Minneapolis  whether involving George Floyd or Alex Pretti  are becoming routine. The rule of law depends on shared moral limits; when those limits erode, force alone cannot restore order.

Yet this is not the end of the story.

We are now seeing efforts to retrace the steps of the long march and restore what was dismantled. Just last week, I sat in the courtroom of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals as officials from Louisiana and Texas argued in defense of laws placing the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Ten years ago, leaders were routinely warned not to attempt such measures, intimidated by a distorted notion of separation of church and state.

But the fruits of the long march  lawlessness and chaos  are now undeniable. And so courageous parents, pastors, and public officials are standing up. With constitutional authority and the courage of faith, they are working to restore and preserve what has always been essential to our republic: if we are to be one nation  under God. Because restoration does not begin in Washington  it begins in classrooms, courtrooms, churches, and homes.
Home Opinion Why Christians are losing the war against anxiety (and how God designed us to fight it)

Ive spent more than 25 years operating on the human brain, changing lives by making precise, structural interventions in the nervous system. Ive spent just as long coping with my own brain, which was reshaped by a series of life-altering events.

While deployed as a combat surgeon during the Iraq War, I learned firsthand how trauma reshapes the brain under threat, and I returned home struggling with PTSD. Then, as a father, I learned what it means to grieve the loss of a child in ways no medical training can prepare you for.

Those experiences taught me something uncomfortable but necessary. Many Christians, including myself, are sincere in their faith and faithful in their prayers, yet remain quietly overwhelmed by anxiety, fear, and despair. We wonder why God doesnt take it away when we ask Him to  and too often, we have no idea what to do to get help.

We tend to oscillate between two extremes, either spiritualizing anxiety as a failure of faith or pathologizing it as entirely outside our responsibility. Neither approach is faithful to Scripture or to what we now know about the brain, and neither leads to lasting healing. But Ive discovered another approach, one that has changed my brain and life for the better.

The Bible never presents the human mind as neutral ground. Scripture asserts that what we tend to dwell on and rehearse shapes who we become. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV). Paul instructs believers to actively direct their thoughts toward what is true, noble, right, pure, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Jesus himself ties the condition of the inner life to outward reality (Luke 6:45).

These are not vague spiritual suggestions; they are formative commands. And modern neuroscience has begun to uncover just how literal those commands are.

We now know that the brain God designed is not fixed, inherently fragile, or destined for permanent dysfunction after hardship. It is shaped continuously by attention, repetition, and practice. Neural pathways strengthen with use and weaken with neglect. Fear circuits grow when rehearsed. Hope circuits grow when exercised. This designed capacity for change, called neuroplasticity, is not a modern invention. It is a description of how God built us to be transformed (Romans 12:2).

Unfortunately, many believers have been taught, often unintentionally, that effort implies a lack of faith. We pray for peace but avoid practices that cultivate peace. We ask God to renew our minds, but fail to address our thought patterns. This disconnection matters.

Anxiety is not simply a chemical imbalance or a spiritual defect. In many cases, it is the predictable result of a mind that has been trained, through trauma or chronic stress, to expect danger everywhere. That training happened automatically. Undoing it requires effort. This is where the concept of self-brain surgery becomes imperative.

Self-brain surgery is not about self-reliance or replacing Gods action. It is about partnering with the Great Physician. Self-brain surgery is how a Christian can deliberately, faithfully, direct their brains God-given capacity for change. Once we learn how attention, intention, and repeated practice shape the nervous system, we then align those practices with truth. This is not self-salvation; it is cooperation.

In surgery, outcomes dont change because of hope alone. They change because knowledge is applied at the right place, in the right way. Physical healing requires both trust and action. The same is true spiritually.

When believers learn that anxious patterns are not permanent, shame loosens its grip. When we realize our brains are literally changing all the time, hope becomes practical. This does not mean therapy or medication lacks value. For many people, they are necessary and lifesaving. But they are most effective when paired with a theology that affirms human responsibility without denying grace.

Ive seen what happens when believers reclaim their role as active participants in renewing their minds. They learn to direct their thoughts, interrupt fear-based loops, and focus their attention on what is true  and it changes their brain. Not because God finally showed up, but because they learned to manage their nervous systems according to Gods design for human flourishing.

The most hopeful truth for anxious believers is not that God will someday take responsibility for what we avoid today. It is that He has already given us minds capable of renewal, brains capable of change, and an invitation to participate in both.



Self-brain surgery is not the source of healing, but it is a God-given mechanism to help us live in the abundance God offers to every Christian.
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The Charity Commission has raised concerns with the Islamic Centre of Englands trustees over items sold on its premises at a recent event, amid an ongoing statutory inquiry.

On 14 December, the charity held a grand community bazaar at its London premises, with 87 vendors selling various items to more than 2,000 visitors.

A dossier of images from the event seen by Civil Society appears to show that some of the items being sold bore graphics or messages suggesting support for Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist group in the UK.

The images include items with apparent silhouettes of former Hezbollah commanders Hassan Nasrallah and Qassem Soleimani, both of whom are now dead.

In response, an Islamic Centre of England spokesperson said the trustees take all concerns about the centre very seriously.

We are currently reviewing matters pertaining to the 14 December event and, in light of this, are unable to comment further at this time, they added.

Ongoing inquiry

The commission opened its inquiry into the Islamic Centre of England in November 2022 after finding that the charitys trustees had failed to comply fully with a previous official warning and action plan it had issued.

In May 2023, the regulator appointed an interim manager , a decision which was criticised by 35 civil society groups and individuals.

During its inquiry, the commission removed a requirement from the charitys governing document for one trustee to be the official UK religious representative of the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the occupant left this role.

The interim manager oversaw the appointment of two new trustees and took steps to improve the charitys management and governance, before being discharged.

Last year, the commission ordered governance reform at the charity, requiring the trustees to ensure that all religious services, speakers and events further the objects of the charity and are in its best interests.

On the 14 December event, a spokesperson for the commission said: As part of our ongoing inquiry into Islamic Centre of England, we have raised concerns with the trustees about material sold by third parties at a recent event hosted at the charitys premises.

sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
A federal court judge has halted New Hampshires plan to end motor vehicle inspections.

U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty granted a preliminary injunction on January 27 to prevent the state from implementing a new law abolishing the annual inspection program for non-commercial vehicles until and unless the state receives approval from the federal government that the plan is in compliance with the Clean Air Act.

The new law sought to do away with annual inspections that include tests for vehicle emissions as well as safety effective Saturday, January 31, 2026.

The judge found that unless the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approves the states decision to abolish the inspection program before that effective date, the state will be in violation of the Clean Air Act. That federal law requires states to have inspection and maintenance programs to protect air quality. New Hampshires current program was last reviewed and approved the EPA in 2013.

The challenge to the law was brought by Gordon-Darby Holdings, Inc., the parent company of the vendor that has administered the program since its inception and has a contract that does not end until December 2026. The company said it expects to lose approximately $4.1 million through the remainder of the term of its contract if the law is implemented. Gordon-Darby notified the state in October that it would sue under the Clean Air Act if the state enacted the law.

The judge ordered state officials to resume the program immediately and warned they could already be in violation of the federal law by advising the public that inspections are no longer required and telling inspections stations they are no longer authorized to do them before obtaining EPA approval.

Unless the EPA approves a SIP [state implementation plan] amendment before January 31, New Hampshire will indisputably be violating the Clean Air Act as of that date, the judge wrote in granting the injunction. The court is unaware of another case in which a regulated entity announces an intent to commence violating the Clean Air Act on a particular date, and a plaintiff is able to show a substantial likelihood that the entitys announced violation will occur as stated.

The new state law says that the bulk of the inspection programs repeal takes effect on January 31, 2026, regardless of whether the EPA has approved it.

At this Wednesdays Governors and Executive Committee meeting, Attorney General John Formella said he had just learned of the court order on Tuesday afternoon. He said his office is determining what to do and will issue clear public guidance for motorists and inspection stations in the coming days. In the short term, he said the state must comply by keeping the program running.

To obtain EPA approval of the plan to end the inspections, a state must demonstrate that the areas air quality standards can be maintained without benefit of the emission reductions attributable to the vehicle program. The state said it has submitted a request to EPA to accept its plan but EPA has not yet acted on it.

The judge noted that since the law was passed in June the number of inspections conducted in the state has dropped every month. In July 2025, the total number of inspections was 10% lower than in July 2024. For August and September, they decreased by 17% and 16%. October saw a 24% decrease and Novembers decrease was 33% from the previous year.
Trafigura won its London lawsuit against Indian businessman Prateek Gupta over fake nickel cargoes on Friday, with Londons High Court ruling in favor of the commodities trader.

Geneva-based Trafigura alleged Gupta was the mastermind of a fraudulent Ponzi scheme in which he and his companies agreed to provide high-quality 99.8% pure nickel but delivered low-value or even worthless materials instead.

Gupta accepted he did not deliver high-grade nickel cargoes but says Trafigura staff devised the scheme, something Trafiguras former head nickel trader Sokratis Oikonomou denied when giving evidence in November.

Judge Pushpinder Saini ruled that Trafigura was induced to enter into contracts by false and fraudulent representations made by Gupta and his companies.

The judge also said Trafiguras former employees, including Oikonomou, were wholly innocent of any wrongdoing.

A Trafigura spokesperson said the ruling comprehensively finds in favor of Trafigura and recognizes the systematic fraud perpetrated by Mr Gupta and the corporate defendants.

We are continuing to pursue recovery from Mr Gupta, the spokesperson added.

A lawyer who represented Gupta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Court records showed the law firm which represented Gupta at trial no longer represented him.

No Real Defense

The trial, which concluded in December, was the culmination of events that began in November 2022, when Trafigura first received complaints about cargoes it had sold.

The discovery prompted Trafigura to carry out further inspections, book a $590 million charge and then sue Gupta and his companies in February 2023 for what it then described as systematic fraud.

Trafigura argued during the trial that Gupta had a history of fraudulent dealings and accused him of siphoning off funds from the alleged scheme to support his struggling businesses.

Gupta, who gave evidence remotely from Dubai, said Trafigura came up with a complex merry-go-round of transactions that would appear to inflate its standing in nickel trading. His lawyers said the scheme involved over 500 trades valued at $3.3 billion.

But Trafiguras lawyers said this was simply an attempt to explain the admitted fraud and described Guptas evidence as implausible, inconsistent  and plainly incredible.

Saini said in his ruling that having no real defense to the fraud claim, Mr Gupta decided to go on the attack by inventing the story of the arrangement.

(Reporting by Tobin; editing by William James, Elaine Hardcastle)
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- Faith leaders from across Ohio gathered in Springfield on Monday for a prayer service as the city waits for a federal court ruling on whether Temporary Protected Status for Haitians will continue.

Clergy from Springfield, Cincinnati and Cleveland Heights spoke and prayed alongside Haitian residents, whose legal status is set to expire Tuesday unless a judge intervenes.

We pray for the best, but well be prepared for the worst, Haitian Support Center Director Viles Dorsainvil said.

For many families, that preparation has become painfully practical. Dorsainvil said parents are working to secure passports for about 1,300 U.S.-born children in Clark County whose parents rely on TPS.

Carl Ruby, pastor of Central Christian Church in Springfield, said many parents have also signed power-of-attorney documents, giving trusted friends or relatives legal authority over their children in case they are detained or deported.

They are living in such fear, Ruby said. It is doing immeasurable harm already.

Previously:

Springfield on edge as federal judge decides fate of Haitian immigrants

Gov. Mike DeWine expects ICE to follow Ohio law enforcement protocols

TPS allows people from countries facing dangerous conditions to live and work legally in the United States. Last summer, the Trump administration decided not to renew those protections for more than 350,000 Haitians. Their legal status ends Tuesday at midnight.

Haitians challenged that decision in court, saying the government ignored conditions on the ground.

The government is supposed to look at conditions on the ground and say, Is it safe to send people back? said Geoff Pipoly, one of the attorneys on the case. And the government did not do that in this case.

Pipoly said about 95% of Port-au-Prince, Haitis capital, is controlled by gangs. The United States has barred commercial flights from landing there, he said, because the gangs stand there with military-grade small arms and fire at the planes.

Its a huge part of this case, Pipoly said, adding that temporary means until its safe to go back.

They cannot go back to Haiti, said Geurline Jozef, who works for the Haitian Bridge Alliance.

About 15,000 Haitians live in the Springfield area, along with another 30,000 in Central Ohio.

Ruby said his church is prepared to offer sanctuary to those families should the Department of Homeland Security send federal immigration officers into the city.

The crowd you saw today is going to come and stand around them and protect them because their lives are in danger, Ruby said.

Critics of TPS say the program was meant to be short-term and has instead become a long-lasting pathway to remain in the United States. They say repeated extensions have gone beyond what the law intended.

Liberal administrations have gamed the system by extending this protection repeatedly for decades, knowing the American people would not support this type of mass immigration, America First Policy Institutes Ohio manager Travis Ricketts said in a statement. TPS, along with humanitarian parole, was badly abused by the Biden Administration and must be permanently ended.
Indonesia has allowed Elon Musk's Grok chatbot to resume services, lifting a ban over sexualised images on the app, after X Corp committed to improving compliance with the country's laws, according to a government statement.

Indonesia suspended Grok from operating in the Southeast Asian nation three weeks ago, citing the risk of AI-generated pornographic content, becoming the first country to deny access to the AI tool.

The statement from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, seen by Reuters on Sunday, said the government was processing the resumption of access on "a conditional basis and under strict supervision."

X and xAI, which operates Grok, did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment outside business hours.

Governments and regulators from Europe to Asia have condemned sexualised content generated by Grok and some have opened inquiries.

"The normalization of access to Grok services is being carried out conditionally after X Corp submitted a written commitment containing concrete steps for service improvement and prevention of abuse. This commitment is the basis for evaluation, not the end of the supervision process," senior ministry official Alexander Sabar said in the statement.

He added that X had implemented a number of "layered" measures to address the misuse of Grok services, and that these would be continuously verified.
In the past week, automaker Stellantis and retailer Home Depot became the latest major companies to call employees back to the office five days a week.

They join employers like Instagram, Paramount and Amazon in recent return-to-office mandates. About one-third of all U.S. firms (34%) are requiring workers to be in the office full time, according to workforce insight provider Flex Index.

The new rules set up a growing tension between employers and their teams: While executives tout fully on-site work as aiding efficiency, creativity and culture, it's the least popular setup for all workers  particularly the youngest cohorts in their 20s and 30s. Experts warn this clash could lead to employee burnout, disengagement and brain drain if top performers leave for better jobs and those in the middle feel increasingly stuck.

Together, Generation Z and millennials, generally considered those born between 1981 and 2012, make up more than half of the 170-million person U.S. labor force and are the least interested in full-time office attendance.

Just 6% of Gen Z workers want to work fully in-person, along with 4% of millennials, 9% of Gen X, and 10% of baby boomers, according to Gallup data. Most workers prefer hybrid work, a schedule that includes both remote and in-office days each week, with a whopping 71% of Gen Z workers citing hybrid as their top choice.

Yet more workers are feeling pressure to comply with RTO mandates due to the tightening job market, with weak hiring gains in 2025 and an uptick in long-term unemployment. U.S. employers added 584,000 jobs last year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, making 2025 the worst year for total job gains outside of a recession since 2003, according to Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. And while unemployment rates have remained steady at 4.4% in December, a growing share, 26% of those unemployed, have been without work for six months or more.

Just 40% of employees said in December they'd quit or look for another remote job if they were given a mandatory RTO notice. That compared to 91% who said they would in January 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 workers from MyPerfectResume. This indicates that employees  even if they're unhappy about it  are getting more accustomed to being back in the office full-time.

Workers are "choosing to stay in jobs and hunker down and accept things they would not normally accept," including increased attendance rules, more responsibilities, smaller raises and so on, says Jasmine Escalera, a career expert for LiveCareer, an online career platform.

This added stress could lead to lower engagement, where workers feel detached from their jobs and pull back on their effort at work, especially for the youngest workers who are used to a world of hybrid work and value flexibility, but are also the least tenured and most job-insecure, Escalera says.

Younger workers have already experienced the largest declines in workplace engagement since 2020, according to Gallup, with Gen Z and young millennials reporting the biggest drops in "feeling cared about, having opportunities to learn and being developed at work."

"My biggest guess is we'll see more compliance with RTO mandates than before," Escalera says. "But that compliance may not be due to the fact that employees are like, 'Yes put me back into the office; I'm ready to go.'"
Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here's a recap of Monday's key moments. 1. The S & P 500 was higher to start the new month as investors shrugged off an over 30% decline in silver on Friday and bitcoin falling below $80,000 over the weekend for the first time since last April. Jim Cramer said that while there are several "crosscurrents" impacting markets, investors should not sell off stocks in reaction to the performance of the metals and crypto. "That is wrong," Jim said, referring to Friday's selling in the stock market. "You don't do that. This is the truer market," he said, referring to Monday's action. It's a busy week for Club earnings, with Eaton , Eli Lilly, Alphabet , Bristol Myers , Linde , and Amazon all reporting this week. 2. Nvidia's $100 billion deal with OpenAI is "on ice," according to the Wall Street Journal, claiming that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang privately criticized OpenAI's lack of discipline. Jensen refuted the claims this weekend. Jim thinks media headlines are misleading, saying Jensen is awaiting OpenAI's true valuation before a full commitment due to the structure of the deal. "You can't just go and say, I want to buy a hundred billion of this without knowing whether the company's going to be valued at $800 [billion] or valued at a trillion," said Jim. "There's no reason to commit. But what he [Jensen] says is he wants to be in." 3. Eaton shares on Monday rose another roughly 1.4% ahead of Tuesday morning earnings. The stock jumped by just of 6% last week after the power management company announced the spinoff of its mobility business. "It's not a sum of the parts move, kind of more a shrink to grow move as the market appreciates the secular parts of the business," said Jeff Marks, director of portfolio analysis for the Club. Eaton's last few quarters haven't been stellar; however, the long-term electrification and AI data center thesis is strong. The Club wants to see the company return to a habit of quarterly beats and guidance raises. 4. Stocks covered in Monday's rapid fire at the end of the video were: Disney , Best Buy , Coterra Energy , Devon Energy , McDonald's , and Humana . (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long GOOG, AMZN, ETN, BMY, LLY, LIN, NVDA. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
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Amber Casino and former scam center, owned by Chen Zhi, a Chinese businessman who was deported to China, is seen in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on Jan. 18, 2026. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

Chinese-language money laundering networks funneled an estimated $16.1 billion in illicit funds through cryptocurrency transactions in 2025, according to a report released Tuesday by blockchain data analysis firm Chainalysis. These networks, known as CLMNs, accounted for roughly one-fifth of the illicit cryptocurrency ecosystem in 2025, which Chainalysis valued at over $82 billion. The criminal networks primarily operate through various channels and chat groups on the messaging platform Telegram, where launderers advertise their services to prospective customers. These postings often include pictures showing heaps of cash and public testimonials as proof of liquidity and service quality, according to the report. These Telegram-based channels, known as "guarantee" platforms, function as marketing hubs or informal escrow services that connect vendors with prospective clients. While the platforms do not control the underlying transactions, Chainalysis said they are the main conduits through which illicit deals are arranged. Beyond money laundering, activity on these platforms includes other forms of criminal trade, such as human trafficking and the sale of Starlink dishes used in Southeast Asian scam centers, according to Andrew Fierman, Head of National Security Intelligence at Chainalysis.

These are very large, well resourced organizations. This is not like a few criminals operating out of a back room flat. Mark Button Criminology professor at the University of Portsmouth

Prospective clients also range from organized crime syndicates to sanctioned state actors, Fierman said. "We have seen everything from North Korean money and DPRK-related hacks going through, to a whole host of other illicit activity," Fierman told CNBC. Such Telegram-based platforms are common mediums for illicit networks worldwide, according to Mark Button, a criminology professor at the University of Portsmouth, who has studied similar networks in India and West Africa. The report identified six main techniques used by Chinese-language money laundering networks to launder funds, often relying on digital assets such as cryptocurrencies to move funds discreetly. According to Fierman, cryptocurrencies appeal to criminal actors because of their liquidity, ease and relative anonymity, particularly for those seeking to avoid having their funds frozen on traditional financial platforms. Stablecoins such as USDT , issued by Tether, and Circle's USDC , are cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value relative to a specified asset, often a fiat currency like the U.S. Dollar. Their lower volatility compared with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum helps keep transaction costs down. "If you are involved in illicit activity, the last thing you want to be doing is losing more money," Fierman said. "You already have to pay money for the laundering process... the last thing you want is for there to be a really bad week on Bitcoin and lose another 10% of your money."

Casinos, crypto and crime
Dr. Frederick Evans, President Alexander Conyers, U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn, Dr. Bettye Perkins, Dr. Evelyn Fields and Dr. Costanzo Bryant-Martin at the signing ceremony.

SC State signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday with Todays Students, Tomorrows Teachers.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- South Carolina State University has become the 23rd college or university  and first Historically Black College or University  to partner with a national organization that has helped build effective teachers and leaders in communities since 1994.

University officials joined Dr. Bettye Perkins, founder and chief executive of Todays Students, Tomorrows Teachers (TSTT), in signing a memorandum of understanding during a program held Thursday morning in the Fine Arts Auditorium on the SC State campus.

Its very important because this is laying the foundation for a bigger vision, a vision that at all of our HBCUs, we can strengthen our teacher education programs, Perkins said.

SC State continues legacy of teacher education

The TSTT program aims to recruit and train culturally diverse and economically challenged students to become effective teachers. The program focuses on providing mentorship and financial assistance to high school students to help them transition to college and ultimately become educators.

Today, there have been 1,700 students who have gone through the program and, most importantly, there are 400 alumni teachers and leaders who are giving back and strengthening classrooms and communities across the country, Perkins said.

Under the MOU, the partnership will support a structured pathway through which high-achieving TSTT participants can pursue undergraduate degrees in teacher education at SC State. The students will also be considered for the incoming freshman Presidential Scholarship through the universitys Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College.

The university will award up to five Presidential Scholarships per academic year to qualified TSTT participants beginning in the fall of 2026 and continuing annually through Fall of 2030.

The MOU states that this agreement is intended to support the recruitment and enrollment of one cohort of five students per academic year during this period.

Dr. Frederick Evans, SC States provost and vice president of academic affairs, said the partnership helped strengthen the universitys legacy of preparing educators.

For generations, South Carolina State University has prepared educators to serve in classrooms across South Carolina and beyond, particularly in communities where excellent teachers are most needed, he said.

The partnership with Todays Leaders, Tomorrows Teachers, strengthens that legacy by creating intentional, sustainable pathways into the profession. Together we are committing to recruit, mentor and support aspiring educators from high school through college, meeting students early, nurturing their interest in teaching and providing them with the academic preparation, professional mentoring and encouragement needed to persist and succeed, Evans said.

Dr. M. Evelyn Fields, dean of the SC State College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, said, teacher education is a legacy of SC State.

We were founded on the premise that we would prepare teachers at a time when opportunity was limited to serve communities that had been historically underserved, Fields said. From our very beginning, our mission has been rooted in access, equity and excellence. That mission continues today. We remain deeply committed to diversifying school districts across the state of South Carolina and throughout the nation.

The dean noted that SC State is proud to have the oldest nationally accredited teacher education program in the state of South Carolina.

Our history is strong, our standards are high, and our graduates are making an impact in classrooms across the country, Fields said.

Creating a pipeline of future educators

Dr. Costonzo Bryant-Martin is an assistant professor of teacher education and director of the universitys Call Me MiSTER Program, a national program through which the university is already leading the way in recruiting and training teachers for South Carolina classrooms.

The program is designed to provide a pipeline of highly effective educators to South Carolinas public schools who will serve their communities as mentors and role models.

Bryant-Martin said he traveled to Westchester, New York, to meet Perkins and other TSTT staff members at the programs annual Careers in Education Conference.

During that experience, I witnessed first-hand the remarkable work that Dr. Perkins is leading to help close the teacher diversity gap. I was also privileged to interview several prospective students for our teacher education department. I was deeply impressed by their preparation, their passion and their commitment to becoming educators, he said.

What become immediately clear to me is that the excellence I saw in those students was a direct reflection of Dr. Perkins vision, leadership and intentional mentorship, Bryant-Martin said.

Shemar Thomas, a SC State sophomore physical education major from Lake City, South Carolina, is also a member of the Call Me MiSTER Program.

The reason why I came here to become an educator is because the roots here at South Carolina State are great. Secondly, becoming an educator is something Ive always wanted to do, Thomas said.

Coming from Lake City, we dont have too many male teachers inside the teaching system, and I always wanted to make that change and be the change. So, I want to go back home after I graduate and make a change, Thomas said.

A partnership in record time

While it usually takes almost a year for TSTT to formulate partnerships with colleges and universities, Perkins said the one with SC State only took a record time of five months.

SC State President Alexander Conyers said that was because of the help of loyal SC State alumnus and U.S. James Clyburn (D-South Carolinas 6th District), who attended Thursdays MOU signing.

He cares about students -- he cares about education. I want to thank you for decades of support to this university, said Conyers, who also announced that Clyburn was able to secure $45 million in federal funding for the university.

The president said $30 million would be used for nuclear science research, with the remaining $15 million to be used for a new military science center of excellence, complete with a new ROTC building.

Within those buildings will be students who will be teachers. Within those professions, we need professors who will teach them. So, this is full circle, Conyers said. Many of our ROTC cadets who dont receive an active-duty commission end up teaching and serving in the South Carlian National Guard or the U.S. Army Reserve.

The president thanked Clyburn for his leadership and said he looked forward to the TSTT partnership strengthening our pipeline of educators to our nation.

Clyburn on the importance of teachers

Clyburn said the partnership between TSTT and SC State was a long time coming.

Dr. Perkins, the founder of this program, is a native of Lower Richland, South Carolina. She graduated from Hopkins High School, went off to college and did all of her work up in the Northeast, the legislator said. But she always wanted to bring this program home, and I think that this program can be for South Carolina State what Call Me MiSTER has been for Clemson University.

He touted the achievements of the late astronaut and Lake City, South Carolina, native Ron McNair, who tragically died aboard the Challenger space shuttle in 1986.

Clyburn said that McNair had told him about the impact his own teachers had had on his career and praised the partnership between SC State and TSTT to create future educators.

Thats why programs like this are so important, to get young people coming to this campus from similar backgrounds as Ron McNair came from. Get them to see beyond their circumstances, get them to understand how successful they can be, he said. I am where I am today because I started my professional career as a public schoolteacher in Charleston, South Carolina.

Partnerships matter for school districts

Representatives from the Orangeburg County, Calhoun County, Charleston County and Richland One school districts attended the signing ceremony.

Dr. Shawn Foster, superintendent of Orangeburg County School District, said he was excited about the advantages SC States partnership with TSTT would bring.

It means a lot to me, the fact that we understand that teachers are not just something you add water to and they appear. Theyre built. So, the opportunity to start building that interest and those experiences early brings a potential for an even more qualified individual thats prepared to provide a high-quality education to all students, Foster said. Im thankful that someone had the vision and the courage to establish these types of partnerships.
Kevin Warsh, Fellow in Economics at the Hoover Institution and lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, speaks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York City, U.S., May 8, 2017.

Markets got what they wanted.

U.S. President Donald Trump tapped Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve, and investors exhaled. Markets were reassured by Warsh's experience in the central bank  he served between 2006 and 2011, a period marked by the Global Financial Crisis  and the perception that he won't always bend to Trump's will.

"Kevin Warsh's nomination for Fed Chair is exactly what markets were hoping for, as he's a steady hand, well known in market circles and is expected to maintain the independence of the central bank, which is critical for markets," said Richard Saperstein, chief investment officer of Treasury Partners.

The U.S. dollar strengthened following Trump's announcement, signaling the market's approval of Warsh's credibility and perceived autonomy.

Risk assets, however, fell. On Friday, major U.S. indexes closed lower on the back of flagging tech stocks. Spot gold lost around 9% and spot silver  seen as safe-haven assets to hedge against U.S. volatility  plunged 31.4% for its worst day since March 1980  with both precious metals continuing to fall across the weekend.

Cryptocurrency also plummeted, with bitcoin trading around $77,250, its lowest level since April, as of 7:45 a.m. Singapore time (6:45 p.m. ET).

Elsewhere, policy and politics are moving fast.

India on Sunday unveiled its Union Budget for fiscal year 2026. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government expects its fiscal deficit and debt-to-GDP ratio to dip, and plans to encourage manufacturing across several sectors. Separately, Trump said Saturday that India would buy Venezuelan oil in place of some Russian crude, Reuters reported.

For the week ahead in Asia, elections will be in the spotlight. Both Thailand and Japan will head to the polls on Sunday, with outcomes closely watched by markets and policymakers alike.
People walk in front of Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World on May 31, 2024, in Orlando, Florida.

All is well in the Magic Kingdom  and all of Disney's other theme parks, too.

The company's experiences division, which includes its parks, cruise ships, hotels and consumer products, posted record revenue for the fiscal first quarter, topping $10 billion for the first time in Disney's more-than-100-year history. It also posted operating income of $3.3 billion, a 6% bump from the same period a year ago.

Growth in this segment has supercharged in the wake of the Covid pandemic. It often accounts for the lion's share of the company's profits. For the period ended Dec. 27, experiences represented 38% of Disney's total revenue, yet generated a whopping 71% of its operating income.

Company executives expect those good times to continue, forecasting high-single-digit growth in operating income for the segment for fiscal 2026.

"When you look at the footprint of the business today, it's never been more broad or more diverse," Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, said during Monday's earnings call. "And the projects that we have underway are going to make it even more so."

The strong parks performance comes against the backdrop of a CEO succession competition that could see Chairman of Disney Experiences Josh D'Amaro step in for Iger. The Disney board is meeting this week and is expected to vote on its next CEO, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity about internal matters.

Industry insiders and Disney sources expect D'Amaro to be appointed Iger's successor, though the decision ultimately lies with the Disney board and won't be final until directors vote.

"The board has not yet selected the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company and once that decision is made, we will announce it," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement, declining to comment on the timing of the next board meeting.
After a wild but winning January, stock market bulls have little to complain about but plenty to cogitate over. The S & P 500's 1.4% gain in the month annualizes to an 18% advance, which would mean a fourth straight year of superior returns (if things even remotely worked in such a linear progression). The index never fell more than 3% from a record high, the median large-cap stock more than doubled the S & P's gain. The Citi U.S. Economic Surprise Index, which tracks how macro data are running against forecasts, is close to a two-year high. Earnings growth is doing what's become the usual thing: blasting through consensus bogeys to reach low double digits, while blended S & P 500 profit margins are pacing at record levels, according to FactSet. Corporate debt spreads remain blissfully snug against Treasury yields. All of that confers bragging rights on the equity optimists and those subscribing to the popular view that upside impetus would shift from tech to cyclical groups. For a broadly positive start to a year, though, there are a striking number of caveats, extremes and oddities for skeptics to invoke. At the headline index level, the S & P 500's January closing level was reached on the third trading day of the month, with sideways chop and a brief intraday sniff above the 7000 threshold along the way. In fact, the S & P is around flat since just before Halloween, restrained by persistent pressure on the majority of the Magnificent 7 tier. Is there any significance to the index stalling for a few months just as it's doubled from the trough of the 2022 bear market (when the intraday low was 3491)? .SPX 6M mountain S & P 500, 6 months Beyond a rangebound large-cap benchmark, the erratic flows rushing through precious metals and memory-chip stocks, the flailing action in bitcoin and twitchy behavior in currency markets threaten to spread uneasy vibrations into so-far steady equity and Treasury markets. Silver and Sandisk Friday's mini-crash in silver and sharp pullback in gold  both from massive multiyear overbought extremes  coincided with a distinct but orderly bounce in the U.S. Dollar Index from a four-year low. Memory stocks likewise surged vertically to generate unstable technical conditions ripe for a violent unwinding. Sandisk shares finished Friday more than $100 off their intraday high on fabulous results and guidance. The fever in silver and memory names had become a self-reinforcing momentum phenomenon, built as always on a germ of truth about favorable supply-demand dynamics and hopeful "This time is different" arguments. Notable that both these trades were energized by a viral narrative of acute physical shortage, forced buying and short squeezes (such as the original meme stocks were). China was reportedly restricting silver exports and metal refiners unable to process enough scrap silver to move the supply needle. Memory-chip production is maxed out globally and bulls tout price-insensitive buyers who need the products for the inference phase of AI-model training. On more than one day last week, the iShares Silver ETF (SLV) saw dollar trading volume equal to about half its entire $60 billion in assets under management. Did the fever break Friday? Will a silver purge take adjacent momentum plays along with it? SLV YTD mountain iShares Silver Trust, YTD Impossible to say. An intriguing side story to the hyper-aggressive moves in metals and memory is the way it reflects a lack of collective investor conviction in once-popular themes. Software, obviously, has been in liquidation mode, seem as likely the most disrupted profit pool by AI coding tools. But look, too, at the poor action in once-bulletproof card-processing leaders Visa and Mastercard , once viewed as premium "compounders" and now perhaps vulnerable to new competition under possible new laws and perhaps AI "agent commerce." Of course, when crowded growth stocks undergo a disorderly exit, it can mean overshoots are possible and value might be building up. Visa and Mastercard have never been as inexpensive relative to the S & P 500 as they are now in their two decades as public companies. If only for technical reasons involving the forces of mean-reversion, software stocks "should" be approaching at least a relief phase. Renaissance Macro strategist Jeff DeGraaf points out that the performance of the momentum factor within the tech sector  meaning how high-momentum stocks are doing compared to low-momentum  is now in the top 5% of all readings since 2000. "The point is to fade momentum with any predictability when we're in top 5th percentile," he says. "It could be as simple as semis vs. software," meaning to play for a temporary rebound of software over chip leaders. This comes at a time of year when reversals in momentum have become somewhat common. Last year it was the DeepSeek scare in January followed by a violent upending of momentum strategies in mid-February, drove a sharp market pullback even before the tariff panic fully emerged. January Barometer Every year around now we get the stories touting January's supposed power to indicate the path for stocks over the rest of the year. Sure, returns have been better after an up January than a down one. But other months are even more predictive on this score. And even after a negative January, the S & P 500 has been up 60% of the time over the ensuing 11 months. Further, one of the glaring exceptions to the "January barometer" rule came in 2018, the second year of President Trump's first term. A ripping January rally gave way to a volatility shock exacerbated by hyperactive flows into specialized trading instruments, and from the late January high the S & P 500 had less than 3% of upside but 18% downside over the rest of that year. Not a prediction, just a note of context. Some other extraordinary features of the current market moment bear a mention: -Potential intervention to strengthen the Japanese yen is being openly discussed, something that could have some knock-on impact on global risk positioning. -The president is nominating a new Federal Reserve chair, in this case Kevin Warsh, who in the past has expressed skepticism toward activist Fed balance sheet policies. As has been repeated constantly, new Fed chairs have tended to be "tested" by market dislocations early on. While not a rule of any sort - and Janet Yellen's "test" in 2014 was a trivially mild one  the market knows and might try to anticipate this dynamic, which comes atop the understanding that midterm election years often see a meaty correction. -OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceX continue to raise capital in 11-figure chunks from private investors, each of which expect soon to have their investment marked up through an IPO relatively soon. Can the public equity market absorb this fresh supply at a time when even Mag 7 leaders are being sold to fund other stock purchases and share buyback activity is ebbing? Will the bull broaden? If those are factors that can cause investors to talk themselves into a retreat from risk, the handy counter-argument is that the most global equity markets and a hefty majority of U.S. stocks are in positive trends and deserve the benefit of the doubt. Quite true and a solid macro signal. But can a broader tape turn into too much of a good thing? Deutsche Bank strategists reported on Friday that investor positioning in cyclical sectors now exceeds that in mega-cap growth stocks, a relative rarity that can imply the Street could be overplaying its hand in industrials, materials and energy in the short term. Ned Davis Research strategist Ed Clissold last week also crunched the numbers on what to expect from the market when more than 60% of S & P 500 stocks are outperforming the index itself. As of last Wednesday, that number was 62%, the highest since 2001. Clissold found that in years when 60% or more stocks beat the index, the S & P 500 was down, on average, and small caps and consumer staples outperformed. Bulls should hope for a somewhat narrower rally in which barely more than half of stocks outpace the benchmark. Should bulls be rooting for a "narrowing?" As with so many things in markets and in life, what people want is often not the same as what they need.
The US Department of Labor headquarters building is seen at dusk on June 21, 2024 in Washington, DC.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics will not be releasing the January jobs report as scheduled Friday due to the partial government shutdown, a department spokesman confirmed Monday.

"The Employment Situation release for January 2026 will not be released as scheduled on Friday, February 6, 2026. The release will be rescheduled upon the resumption of government funding," Emily Liddel, associate commissioner of the BLS, said in a statement.

Following last year's record shutdown that stretched into early November, the bureau also was forced to delay a number of its routine releases and was just catching up from that incident. The BLS also releases the consumer price index, import and export data, and multiple other labor- and consumer-related data pieces.

It was not known if the Commerce Department also would face delays in its reporting due to the impasse in Washington.

The decision comes ahead of a busy week for economic data that would have culminated with the nonfarm payrolls release, also known as the unemployment situation. The report includes a count of how many hires businesses report, which provides the headline nonfarm payrolls count, as well as a household survey of how many people report holding jobs, which is used to tabulate the unemployment rate.

Markets had been expecting the report to show an increase of 55,000 jobs and the unemployment rate to hold steady at 4.4%.

In addition to the payrolls count, the BLS also was scheduled on Tuesday to release the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.

The government closed its doors again Saturday after Congress was unable to come up with a spending plan by the deadline. One of the sticking points in the bill was funding for the Department of Homeland Security following unrest over its efforts to stem illegal immigration.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said over the weekend that he expects the impasse could be resolved by Tuesday.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, speaks to members of the media at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026.

Because Democrats are not helping Johnson and the GOP fast-track the measure, the speaker will likely have to work within his own razor-thin majority to advance the bill when it reaches the floor for a critical preliminary vote as early as Monday night. At least two Republicans so far have warned they will not support the bill unless it includes a controversial voter-ID measure known as the SAVE Act , a new hurdle for Johnson as he aims to end the shutdown. And the Republican majority shrunk Monday after Democrat Christian Menefee was sworn in to represent a Houston district after being elected Saturday in a special election.

The House Rules Committee is meeting Monday evening about the measure that would fund a wide swath of the government, the first step in getting the bill to the House floor. The bill cleared the Senate on Friday after Democrats there had funding for the Department of Homeland Security stripped and replaced with two weeks of stopgap funding for the agency  a change that requires the House to reapprove the measure.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is running into problems with his own caucus as he tries to advance a Senate-approved measure to reopen most of the government, which shut down on Saturday morning. Though opposition appears to be thawing after a White House meeting Monday with some of the holdouts.

"I have been clear: the SAVE Act/Save America Act must be attached to the rule for these appropriations bills and sent back to the Senate for a vote," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Sunday in a post to X . "This is my price for a 'yes' vote."

Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, during the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024.

On Monday night, however, Luna said she was moving toward supporting the measure in a procedural vote after a meeting with the White House.

"Based on our discussions right now, we're moving towards it," Luna told reporters at the Capitol Monday night, saying she's comfortable with how the Senate might consider the voter-ID bill. "Frankly, we want a vote on voter ID in the Senate, and I think we're gonna get it."

But Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., another holdout who called for the SAVE Act to be included earlier in the day, appears to be digging in.

"House Republicans shouldn't let Schumer dictate the terms of government funding," Burlison said, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "If Dems want to play games, no spending package should come out of the House without the SAVE Act attached  securing American elections must be a non-negotiable."

Later Monday, Burlison posted to X that "The Senate minibus is just as bad as it was when it left the Housefilled with Democrat earmarks and $5 billion in refugee welfare funding."

"I was a no then, and I'm a no now," he said.

President Donald Trump on Monday urged Congress to hurry up and send the spending package to him to sign into law.

"We need to get the Government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY," he said in a post to Truth Social, saying the House should pass the Senate version without making additional changes.

At the White House on Monday, Trump told reporters he thinks Congress is "pretty close to a resolution."

But Democrats won't make the process easy. The House needs to approve the rule before the chamber can vote on the underlying measure and send it to the White House to be signed into law.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Monday said at a press conference he doesn't expect Democrats to support the rule when it advances to the floor from the Rules Committee. Democrats have called for more restrictions on immigration enforcement after federal agents in Minneapolis shot and killed two U.S. citizens.

"Republicans are in the majority in this institution," Jeffries said. "If they have some massive mandate, then go pass your rule."

The spending package won support from a key Democrat when House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said Monday she would support the bill on the floor. However, she did not say whether she would support the rule.

"I will support this package," DeLauro said.

DeLauro said passing the bill would give Democrats "leverage" to secure changes to immigration enforcement that Democrats are seeking.



"If we do not do that, we will not be able to bring the kinds of pressure that is necessary," DeLauro said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday afternoon in an X post that "every officer in the field in Minneapolis" would be equipped with body cameras. Democrats have pressed during the spending bill negotiations for body cameras.

The demands present Johnson with a tightrope walk. Without Democratic support, he will hold a minuscule one-vote majority to advance anything along party lines. But adding the SAVE Act to the measure would likely doom it in the Senate, where it would need to be reapproved with at least 60 votes to skirt the filibuster.

Schumer said the bill would be dead on arrival in the Senate if the SAVE Act is added.

"I have said it before and I'll say it again, the SAVE Act would impose Jim Crow type laws to the entire country and is dead on arrival in the Senate," Schumer said Monday in a statement. "If House Republicans add the SAVE Act to the bipartisan appropriations package it will lead to another prolonged Trump government shutdown."

This a developing story. Please refresh for updates.
Corpay Inc. (NYSE: CPAY) , formerly FleetCor Technologies, operates as a leading global corporate payments provider. The company delivers specialized solutions across vehicle payments (fleet fuel and maintenance), lodging payments and corporate payments (including cross-border transactions, accounts payable automation, and foreign exchange services). Corpay's revenues are estimated at approximately $4.5 billion in FY2025, which will be confirmed (or not) when the company reports earnings this Wednesday after the close. The bull case rests on the company's ability to shift its revenue mix decisively toward higher-growth Corporate Payments while maintaining a durable, cash-generative Vehicle Payments base ("vehicle payments" is what the company now calls its legacy fleet business). Presumably, this strategy accounts for the company's name change, despite the legacy fleet business still representing a larger share of revenue: 51% for what used to be called "fleet" versus 31% for "CorPay." (Source: June 2025 Investor Presentation) Organic revenue growth has been accelerating throughout 2025, reaching 11% in Q3  an improvement of 500 basis points year over year  led by the Vehicle Payments segment and particularly the U.S. business. This is important because tracking the company's growth over the past five years based solely on the top line is complicated by considerable M & A activity. The company is a serial acquirer, which is acceptable, provided the transactions are accretive. Corpay completed the Alpha Group acquisition and acquired a 34% stake in AvidXchange, a $450 million revenue AP automation and payments solutions provider, with an option to buy the remainder. The company also divests some units; for example, most recently, it sold a unit to Mastercard for $300 million, which closed in early December 2025. Integrating acquisitions can be a source of concern; however, net debt has increased to approximately $6 billion as of quarter ended Sept. 30 (we'll see the latest figures this week). Free cash flow, which peaked at approximately $1.9 billion in FY2023, has declined but is expected to recover to just under $1.7 billion this year. Assuming that is achieved, it would represent a respectable 5.9% FCF/EV, although achieving that and the forecast $24.47 in adjusted EPS would require margins of ~33%, a feat the company has achieved only once in the past 10 years (FY2020). Even assuming the company maintains the same margins it has averaged since then, that would imply nearly $21 in adjusted EPS for FY2026, implying a forward PE of approximately 15x. Unfortunately, the "lit market"  that is, the posted bid/ask spreads in CorPay options  is fairly wide, which necessitates mid-market limit orders to achieve good fills. But you will notice that one of the reasons one might consider the use of a call spread risk reversal is illustrated by the graphic below. You will notice that the magnitude of downside risk illustrated by the payoff diagram to the right of the price chart is relatively small using this structure in the range of prices below where it is currently trading. That is, unless the stock falls considerably below the lower end of the six-month trading range relative to the profit opportunity if the stock performs well following earnings. Put differently, assuming one agrees with the bull thesis, one would participate more meaningfully (see a greater portion of the gains) on price increases from here than the amount of risk, at least for the first 10% or so of downside. DISCLOSURES: None. All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, or its parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL'S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer.
Waymo is becoming a real source of investor excitement on new valuation reports  reaffirming Jim Cramer's view that the Alphabet stock remains a buy for that and so much more. Once an Alphabet moonshot, launched as the Google Self-Driving Car project in 2009, Waymo nowadays is shooting to the moon. The robotaxi business is currently looking to close a $16 billion financing round at a nearly $110 billion valuation, according to Saturday reports from Bloomberg and the Financial Times . The financing  which could close as soon as this month  is said to involve new investors, including Sequoia Capital, DST Global, and Dragoneer Investment Group. Alphabet shares advanced 1.4% on Monday  reaching an all-time intraday high of nearly $345 each and continuing their positive 9.5% upswing to start the new year. The Google-parent stock really caught fire last year and gained more than 65% in 2025. For Jim, the Waymo news underscores why Alphabet continues to stand out against the tech landscape. "Waymo is dominant right now over what Tesla is doing," Jim Cramer said Monday during the Morning Meeting for Club members. Waymo competes with Tesla's robotaxis, which are being tested and operated in Austin, Texas. Tesla shares were down more than 1% on Monday. Waymo operates in the Phoenix, Arizona area, as well as the San Francisco Bay Area, and in Los Angeles. Miami just started last month, and Washington, D.C is next. Waymo partnered with Uber to bring the service to Austin and Atlanta. There has been speculation about whether Alphabet will eventually spin Waymo off into a separate business. Yet, the target $110 billion valuation is light years away from rival Tesla's nearly $1.6 trillion market capitalization. It is worth noting that robotaxis only represent a small part of Tesla, which last week announced an end to its production of Model S and X passenger electric vehicles in a shift to building robots. "I know that Waymo is small potatoes compared to so much of Alphabet, but it is big potatoes for a public starved of anything that a consumer might be fascinated by, hence the love for Elon Musk ," Jim wrote in his Sunday column . "They are even better as a template for generations of non-drivers to come. Sure, a Jaguar robotaxi is expensive, but there could be iterations that we don't know about. Suffice it to say: buy, buy, buy," he wrote. Roughly seven years after launching , Waymo became a standalone Alphabet subsidiary in 2016 and was housed in its Other Bets operating segment. For years, it weighed on Alphabet's financials due to heavy investment and losses. That narrative has steadily changed as Waymo expanded operations. Beyond Waymo, Jim emphasized that Alphabet's strength runs across its business portfolio. "Every single division is a dominant division," Jim said, citing YouTube as the leading video platform, Gemini's growing foothold in AI and partnership with Apple, Google Cloud's position as No. 3 behind Amazon and Microsoft, and, of course, Google Search's continued dominance. In his column, Jim also revisited last year's concerns about the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit, which had overshadowed the stock. With that risk off the table, Jim said investors should focus on what lies ahead. "We don't care where it's been, we care where it's going." Alphabet is set to report fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday evening. Jim predicts a blowout quarter. While looking for updates on Waymo, we will, more importantly, want to see growth in Google Cloud as well as what else the company has in store for its advancements in AI. We maintain our buy-equivalent 1-rating on Alphabet stock and $350-per-share price target. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long GOOGL. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Monday: Goldman Sachs upgrades Futu Holdings to buy from neutral Goldman says the China wealth management company has a differentiated offering. "We upgrade FUTU to Buy from Neutral, with our revised 12m target price of US$213.39 implying 29% upside. Our upgrade reflects the positive capital market outlook from GS Asia and US strategists and a re-evaluation of FUTU's new client growth and turnover rate." Read more. Bank of America reiterates Nvidia as buy Bank of America says investors should by any weakness in shares of Nvidia. "Our $275 PO is based on 28x CY27E PE ex cash, within NVDA's historical 25x-56x forward year PE range, which we believe is justified by NVDA's leading share in fast-growing AI compute/networking markets, offset by lumpiness in global AI projects, cyclical gaming market, and concerns around access to power." Barclays upgrades Quest Diagnostics to overweight from equal weight Barclays says shares of the diagnostics company have plenty more room to run. "We upgrade DGX to OW and raise our PT to $210 ($195 prior)." HSBC downgrades Chevron to neutral from buy HSBC downgraded Chevron mainly on valuation. "Downgrade to Hold (from Buy) after strong YTD share price performance." Citi upgrades Teck Resources to buy from neutral Citi says it's bullish on a combination of Teck and Anglo American. "The proposed merger with Teck to form AngloTeck is transformative, creating a top-tier copper producer with an 80% copper earnings exposure." BTIG upgrades McDonald's to buy from neutral BTIG upgraded the stock after two years on the sidelines. "After two years on the sidelines, we are upgrading shares of McDonald's to Buy from Neutral as our franchise checks suggest changes to the value/promotions strategy is driving traffic growth on a consistent basis." Read more. Piper Sandler upgrades Liberty Energy to overweight from neutral Piper says it sees a "coming catalyst path" for the energy company. "After revisiting/fine-tuning our valuation and considering the outlook from here, we upgrade LBRT to Overweight from Neutral, increasing our PT to $32 from $17." Baird upgrades Darling Ingredients to outperform from neutral Baird says the stock is a beneficiary of recent moves in commodities. "We are incrementally positive on DAR given recent commodity movements... Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight The firm says it walked away from Apple's quarterly filing seeing a slew of positive catalysts. "We share 4 observations from Apple's 10-Q: (1) Apple is in 'supply chase mode' and building inventory amidst strong demand, (2) Advertising, App Store and Cloud continue to drive Services growth, (3) R & D intensity hit a record in Dec Q due to AI investments and (4) Op margins reached a 10-year high." Goldman Sachs adds DoorDash and ServiceNow to the conviction buy list Goldman added both stocks to its top ideas list. "We ad d DoorDash (DASH), Golar LNG (GLNG), and ServiceNow (NOW) to the US Conviction List..." JPMorgan upgrades Autodesk to overweight from neutral JPMorgan says the software stock is a standout. " Autodesk stands out for its leadership in design and BIM [building information modeling] software, rapid adoption of cloud and AI technologies, and expanding platform breadth, which position it to capture outsized share in high-growth verticals such as data centers and infrastructure." Read more. William Blair upgrades Palantir to outperform from market perform The firm says investors should buy the dip. "We have upgraded shares of Palantir ahead of earnings following its recent 30% selloff, as our Dotted Line government tracker and our separate commercial tracker indicate that Palantir's momentum has continued." UBS downgrades International Paper to neutral from buy UBS says it sees declining estimates for the paper company. "We are downgrading IP to Neutral from Buy, and reducing our price target to $44 (from $51). JPMorgan downgrades Best Buy to neutral from overweight JPMorgan says it sees several negative catalysts ahead for Best Buy. "At a high level, our downgrade is driven by our view of a tough 4Q25, unique laps in 2Q/3Q that could mitigate any lift from a healthier consumer, and headwinds in computing." Raymond James initiates Venture Global as outperform Raymond James says the LNG provider is firing on all cylinders. "We believe Venture Global (VG) represents an interesting equity opportunity as the company has built itself as a leading U.S. liquid natural gas (LNG ) provide Cantor Fitzgerald reiterates Tesla as overweight Cantor says it's sticking with Tesla. "We are also bullish on Optimus and the opportunities in humanoid, though we remain conversative in our initial modeling assumptions. Overall, we remain bullish on TSLA over the medium to long term, and we view FY26 as a transformational year for the company as it transitions into autonomy, AI and robotics." Morgan Stanley downgrades Humana to underweight from equal weight The firm downgraded the stock citing policy risk. "Downgrading HUM to Underweight as 2026 bid strategy and policy risk may slow its margin turnaround."
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Nvidia President and CEO Jensen Huang speaks to the media as he arrives for a meeting with the Senate Banking Committee on Capitol Hill on December 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images

Nvidia's stock fell in early trading Monday after reports emerged that the chipmaker's plans to invest $100 billion into OpenAI were stalled. The semiconductor giant's shares were down 1.1% as of 11:18 a.m. ET. Company insiders said there was uncertainty about a deal between Nvidia and OpenAI, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Nvidia announced an agreement with OpenAI in September to build at least 10 gigawatts of computing power for OpenAI, as well as an investment of up to $100 billion. However, Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, had said to industry associates late last year that the $100 billion investment was nonbinding and not finalized. The longtime chief also criticized a lack of discipline in OpenAI's business strategy and shared concerns about competition from firms like Alphabet's Google and Anthropic, according to the Journal's report.

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Nvidia shares year-to-date

Over the weekend, Huang denied any claims he was unhappy with OpenAI, calling it "nonsense," but reiterated that the investment won't be more than $100 billion. "We are going to make a huge investment in OpenAI. I believe in OpenAI, the work that they do is incredible, they are one of the most consequential companies of our time, and I really love working with Sam," he said regarding OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman. "Sam is closing the round (of investment), and we will absolutely be involved," Huang added in comments reported by Bloomberg. "We will invest a great deal of money, probably the largest investment we've ever made."

Why the stock dropped

Sarah Kunst, managing director at Cleo Capital, told CNBC's "Worldwide Exchange" on Monday that a cause for concern was uncertainty over the exact amount that would be invested in OpenAI. "One of the things I did notice about Jensen Huang is that there wasn't a strong 'It will be $100 billion.' It was, 'It will be big. It will be our biggest investment ever.' And so I do think there are some question marks there ... that kind of back and forth isn't normal between an investor and a startup to play out in the media," Kunst added.

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Oil prices rose more than 1.5% in Asian trade on Thursday, on increasing concerns of a U.S military attack on Iran that could disrupt supply from the region.

Oil prices rose to a six-month high recently amid fears the United States could carry out a military strike against Iran. Washington last week deployed a "massive Armada" toward Iran, a move that raised fears of a confrontation with the Middle Eastern country.

His comments came after Iran's top security official Ali Larijani said on X that preparations for negotiations were under way.

Trump has repeatedly warned Iran of a possible intervention if it failed to reach a nuclear deal or continued cracking down on domestic protests, which Tehran claims are fueled by the West. On Saturday, he told reporters that Iran was "seriously talking" with the U.S .

Oil prices slid Monday as investors dialed back fears of a supply shock after U.S. President Donald Trump's statements on Iran signaled a possible easing in tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Global benchmark Brent fell 4.96% to $65.88 a barrel as of 3.22 a.m. ET. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were about 5% lower at $61.76 per barrel.

Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, said the renewed slide in prices follows reports that Washington and Tehran have been communicating through intermediaries, raising hopes that tensions could ease rather than spiral.

"The talks are happening at the same time Iran is threatening a regional war should they be attacked, which could lead to substantially higher oil prices, an outcome that the Trump Administration would like to avoid," he told CNBC.

Marko Papic, BCA Research macro and geopolitical strategist, added that the U.S. administration's sensitivity to oil prices could act as a brake on further escalation. "I do think that President Trump is concerned that if oil prices go up to, you know, $70-$80, he's going to get even further into a hole ahead of the midterms."

The U.S. faces midterm elections later this year, and fuel prices have traditionally been a sensitive political issue for voters.

Diplomatic feelers also come at a time when additional supply is quietly entering the market. Venezuelan crude, much of it drawn from offshore and onshore inventories rather than new production, is adding to available barrels, even as global oil production continues to exceed demand.

Both experts said those flows are helping cap prices even as OPEC+ continues to manage output carefully.

"While additional quantities of Venezuelan oil are coming to market as offshore and on shore inventories are liquidated and sold, the oil market will also continue to be supported by OPEC+ decision to hold steady its current production levels," said Lipow.

The oil cartel on Sunday decided to leave production levels unchanged for March, extending a three-month supply freeze.
Kimberely Brown, Dr. Windy Stephenson, Howard Jackson, Bernard Wheeler, Jacqueline Mack and Dr. William H. Whitaker with Honors College students at the spring meeting. ORANGEBURG, S.C.  From research opportunities to homeownership, this conversation covered real life.

The Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College at South Carolina State University hosted its Spring 2026 collegewide student meeting on Thursday, Jan. 22, in the Engineering and Science Complex Auditorium.

The meeting brought together Honors scholars, campus leaders and community partners for a forward-looking discussion on academic excellence, graduate education, financial empowerment, real estate ownership, entrepreneurship and leadership development  reinforcing the Honors Colleges focus on preparing students for success beyond the classroom.

Dr. William H. Whitaker Jr., dean of the Honors College, welcomed students and guests and underscored the colleges commitment to preparing scholars for success beyond the classroom.

The Honors College experience is intentionally designed to expose our students to opportunities that strengthen their academic foundation while equipping them for life after graduation, Whitaker said. Todays discussion reflects that commitment.

Research and graduate education pathways

The program opened with April Thomas, director of the Undergraduate Research Office, who outlined opportunities for Honors scholars to participate in faculty-mentored research. She emphasized undergraduate research as a pathway to developing analytical skills, strengthening readiness for graduate and professional school, and enhancing career preparation.

Elizabeth Horton, director of the Office of Graduate Services, spoke on behalf of Dr. Lakeisa Tucker, dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, providing guidance on graduate school pathways, application preparation and the importance of early academic planning.

Graduate school preparation begins now, Horton said. Honors students are already positioned for success, but intentional planning makes the difference.

Financial literacy and wealth building

A featured segment of the meeting, Foundations of Financial Freedom: An Honors Wealth Forum, was facilitated by Howard Jackson, executive director of the South Carolina State University Real Estate Foundation. Jackson also played a key role in connecting the Honors College with community financial partners.

Jackson engaged students in a discussion on real estate fundamentals and the long-term importance of property ownership as a tool for wealth creation and economic stability. He introduced Bernard Wheeler, vice president of United Community Bank in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Wheeler addressed essential financial literacy topics, including needs versus wants, renting versus homeownership, responsible credit card use, understanding FICO scores and making informed financial decisions.

Financial awareness is not optional  its essential, Wheeler said. The decisions you make now will shape your financial future.

Kimberley Brown of the South Carolina Community Loan Fund discussed entrepreneurship and community-based financing, highlighting how community development financial institutions support startups, small businesses and underserved communities.

Entrepreneurship is about access and opportunity, Brown said. There are resources available, and knowing how to leverage them is key.

Leadership and service

The meeting also reinforced the Honors Colleges emphasis on leadership and service. Jackson highlighted a growing partnership between the Honors College and the undergraduate chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., expanding opportunities for student leadership engagement.

As part of the collaboration, Anthony Miles, president of the Xi Psi undergraduate chapter of Omega Psi Phi, addressed Honors scholars on leadership, organizational responsibility and service-driven engagement.

The meeting concluded with remarks from Dr. Windy A. Mack Stephenson, executive director of Academic and Scholarship Services, and Jacqueline Tobin Mack, coordinator of Honors enrollment, engagement and outreach, who outlined expectations, responsibilities and values associated with being an Honors College scholar.

Being an Honors scholar is more than academic achievement  it is a commitment to leadership, service and excellence in every space you enter, Stephenson said.

Engagement transforms potential into purpose, Mack said. Our scholars are expected to lead  on campus and in the community.

The Spring 2026 collegewide student meeting reflected the Honors Colleges mission to cultivate scholar-leaders who are academically prepared, financially informed, civically engaged and positioned for lifelong success.

About the Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College

The Honors College is dedicated to developing high-achieving scholars through rigorous academic opportunities, leadership training, research engagement, and global experiences. Its mission is to cultivate leaders who embody excellence, integrity, and a commitment to service.
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Illustration of OpenClaw logo on smartphone screen Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Through several name changes, adoption across Silicon Valley to Beijing, and mounting controversy, the open-source AI agent now known as "OpenClaw" has emerged as one of the most talked-about tools in the artificial intelligence space this year. Previously called Clawdbot and Moltbot, the AI agent was launched just weeks ago by Austrian software developer Peter Steinberger. Its sudden ascension, driven by its capabilities and social media attention, comes amid growing interest in AI agents that can autonomously complete tasks, make decisions, and take actions on behalf of users without constant human guidance. Until recently, AI agents have failed to reach mainstream consciousness in the same way large language models did following the emergence of OpenAI's ChatGPT, but OpenClaw could signal a shift. Not only do business leaders predict that AI agents like OpenClaw will improve productivity as personal assistants, but some believe they'll soon be running entire companies on their own.

What OpenClaw does

Marketed as "the AI that actually does things," OpenClaw runs directly on users' operating systems and applications. It can automate tasks such as managing emails and calendars, browsing the web and interacting with online services. To use OpenClaw, one has to install it on a server or local device and connect it to a large language model such as Anthropic's Claude model or ChatGPT a process that might be difficult for less tech-savvy users. Early integrations have primarily been on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Discord, allowing users to control the agent through text commands. Users have documented OpenClaw performing real-world tasks, including automatically browsing the web, summarizing PDFs, scheduling calendar entries, conducting agentic shopping, and sending and deleting emails on a user's behalf. A key feature is its "persistent memory," which allows the agent to recall past interactions over weeks and adapt to user habits to carry out hyper-personalized functions. Unlike other leading AI agents, such as those from Meta's recently acquired Manus, OpenClaw is also open-sourced, allowing developers to freely inspect and modify its code.

Rapid Adoption

OpenClaw's open-source nature has likely helped drive adoption by enabling users to build new app integrations. The software itself is free, with users paying only for the costs of running the underlying language model. So far, the agent has collected over 145,000 GitHub stars and 20,000 forks, a sign of widespread developer interest, although actual and active usage figures remain unclear. Media reports suggest that adoption first took off in Silicon Valley, where companies have invested billions in their AI agent ambitions. But the agent has since spread to China, where major AI players are also embracing the tool. That includes cloud providers from Alibaba , Tencent , and ByteDance, which are upgrading their chatbots with full-service shopping and payment tools without leaving the platforms. OpenClaw can also be paired with Chinese-developed language models, such as DeepSeek, and configured to work with Chinese messaging apps through customized setups.

Fear and Excitement

Early adopters of OpenClaw have expressed a mix of enthusiasm and unease about its abilities. For example, some AI experts have argued that the agent is overhyped, citing its complex installation, high computational demands, and competition from other available AI agents. Many proponents, on the other hand, report saving hours weekly on routine tasks, dubbing it "AI with hands" and a major leap forward toward artificial general intelligence  a theoretical AI capable of performing intellectual tasks at or above the human level. Kaoutar El Maghraoui, an IBM research scientist, said OpenClaw demonstrates that the real-world utility of AI agents is "not limited to large enterprises" and can be "incredibly powerful" when given full system access.

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Security experts, however, have raised alarms. Cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks , for example, warned that the AI agent presents a "lethal trifecta" of risks stemming from its access to private data, exposure to untrusted content and ability to perform external communications while retaining memory. Such vulnerabilities could allow attackers to trick the AI agent into executing malicious commands or leaking sensitive data, making it unsuitable for enterprise use, Palo Alto Networks and other security firms, such as Cisco , have warned.

Moltbook Controversy
Data center giant Oracle 's stock rose 2% in Monday morning trading, after the company announced plans to raise up to $50 billion to develop additional capacity for customers.

Hyperscalers have scrambled to build the infrastructure needed to power AI, with data center deals hitting a record $61 billion in 2025 and multiple big tech firms committing huge sums amid a funding rush.

Oracle said on Sunday it planned to raise $45 billion to $50 billion of gross cash proceeds during the 2026 calendar year to build additional capacity to meet contracted demand from its cloud customers, which include Nvidia , Meta , OpenAI, AMD , TikTok and xAI. The funding will be raised in debt and equity.
CEO of Palantir Technologies Alex Karp attends the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 15, 2025.

Palantir CEO Alex Karp said protesters demonstrating against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should support the use of his company's tools in the government.

"If you are critical of ICE, you should be out there protesting for more Palantir," he told CNBC's Morgan Brennan in an interview on Monday discussing the company's fourth-quarter results. "Our product actually, in its core, requires people to conform with Fourth Amendment data protections."

Karp's comments come as anti-ICE protests continue in Minneapolis following the fatal shootings of two demonstrators.

Documents released by the Department of Homeland Security last week also showed that the company is providing AI tools to the agency to help it sift through tips.

Palantir has previously been criticized for its work with ICE. Federal documents from April revealed that the company had a $30 million contract with the agency to provide "real-time visibility" on people self-deporting.

The company's software is used by other government agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, and, most notably, the Department of Defense.
Palantir topped Wall Street's fourth-quarter estimates as more businesses and the U.S. government race to buy its artificial intelligence tools.

Shares rose 5% after the bell.

Here's how the company did versus LSEG estimates:

Earnings per share : 25 cents adjusted vs. 23 cents expected

: 25 cents adjusted vs. 23 cents expected Revenue: $1.41 billion vs. $1.33 billion expected

Revenue grew 70% from $827.5 million in the year-ago period. For the fiscal year, sales at the Denver-based firm totaled $4.48 billion

U.S. revenue for the government and commercial sectors rose to $570 million and $507 million, respectively. Those results steadily beat estimates from analysts polled by FactSet.

CEO Alex Karp called the earnings "indisputably the best results that I'm aware of in tech in the last decade" during an interview with CNBC's Morgan Brennan.

"If you're not spending it on this, you're not spending on something that is part of keeping up with momentum," he added.

Looking forward, the AI-powered software provider said it expects $1.532 billion to $1.536 billion in revenue for the first quarter, well above the $1.32 billion projected by FactSet. For fiscal 2026, the company guided to a range of $7.182 billion to $7.198 billion in revenue, beating the FactSet expectation of $6.22 billion.

Palantir, which creates software and data tools sold to businesses and government agencies such as the Department of Defense, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Homeland Security, has seen a boost from skyrocketing demand for AI systems and broad retail investor enthusiasm.

Karp noted the ongoing adoption of its tools by the U.S. government, a segment that saw 66% growth.

"America has become more lethal, more confident, more divergent from our adversaries, and, quite frankly, from our allies," he said.

Karp said demand is so strong for its products, and Palantir has become "so engaged in the U.S." that it has held off on selling new products to allies.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks before signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 30, 2026 in Washington, DC.

President Donald Trump announced the establishment of a U.S. critical mineral reserve late Monday, sending shares of miners higher in extended trading.

The proposal, known as Project Vault, would launch a first-of-its-kind strategic critical minerals stockpile designed for the U.S. private sector, the president said, speaking at the White House on Monday afternoon. The plan pairs $1.67 billion in private capital with a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, according to a White House official. Trump's move is aimed at cutting America's dependence on China for materials essential to electric vehicles, defense systems and advanced technology.

MP Materials , the operator of the Mountain Pass mine in California, rose more than 2% in extended trading. USA Rare Earth and Critical Metals Corp. popped more than 2% and over 1%, respectively, as investors bet the initiative could accelerate domestic demand and government-backed financing for the sector.

Bloomberg News first reported on the proposal earlier Monday.

USA Rare Earth has already held discussions with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, pitching its domestic mining and magnet assets to the federal government. Those talks would ultimately lead to a proposed deal that could provide the company with about $1.6 billion in funding, subject to certain conditions, and include a U.S. government equity stake.

The moves build on a more direct role Washington has begun taking in the sector. The Department of Defense struck a landmark agreement with MP Materials last summer that included an equity stake, price floor, and long-term agreement to buy a specific amount of rare earth minerals and magnets.

 CNBC's Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.
Interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin speaks during a press conference on May 13, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Department of Justice lawyer Ed Martin is being sidelined from his controversial efforts to investigate or prosecute political foes of President Donald Trump, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

Martin, a player in the "stop the steal" election conspiracy movement who has held multiple DOJ jobs during Trump's second term, will now work mainly as the U.S. pardon attorney, MS NOW reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Martin's role was narrowed following a protracted feud with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the sources told MS NOW.

The New York Times, citing sources, additionally reported that Martin is mulling whether to leave DOJ, possibly for a job in the White House. CNN reported that Martin is expected to depart in the coming weeks.

Martin did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. A DOJ spokesperson said in an emailed statement, "President Trump appointed Ed Martin as Pardon Attorney and Ed continues to [do] a great job in that role."

Martin will no longer work at DOJ's Washington headquarters, The Washington Post also reported Monday. A source familiar with the matter told CNBC that Martin will work out of a building in the northeast of the city known as 2CON.
If you're underweight gold, some of the biggest banks on Wall Street have a message: buy the dip. Gold futures dropped more than 11% on Friday to settle well below the key $5,000 an ounce level after President Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as the next Federal Reserve chair. Choosing Warsh appeared to relieve concerns about the central bank's independence, but it also took a lot of the air out of the recent precious metal boom that drove gold to all-time highs. Investors appear to be easing back into gold after last week's drop. Futures tied to the precious metal briefly traded higher Monday. They were last down around 0.5% but were still well off their overnight lows. JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank see the recent decline as a buying opportunity, calling for even more upside ahead. @GC.1 5D bar Gold futures 5-day chart "Even with the recent near-term volatility, we believe longer-term rally momentum will remain intact and we remain firmly bullishly convicted in gold over the medium-term on the back of a clean, structural, continued diversification trend that has further to run amid a still well-entrenched regime of real asset outperformance vs paper assets," wrote JPMorgan strategist Gregory Shearer. Shearer also raised his year-end target on gold to $6,300 an ounce. That's 33% above where gold traded early Monday. "Gold remains a dynamic, multi-faceted portfolio hedge and investor demand has continued to come in stronger than our previous expectations," Shearer wrote. Michael Hsueh of Deutsche Bank also thinks gold will resume its upward trajectory. He reiterated his 2026 target of $6,000 per ounce, signaling about 26% upside. "Gold's thematic drivers remain positive and we believe investors' rationale for gold (and precious) allocations will not have changed. The conditions do not appear primed for a sustained reversal in gold prices, and we draw some contrasts between today's circumstance and the context for gold's weakness in the 1980s and 2013," the strategist wrote to clients.
India-US trade deal HIGHLIGHTS: Trump-Modi confirm tariffs reduced to 18%; GIFT NIFTY, rupee vs dollar in focus

India-US trade deal HIGHLIGHTS: A day after Indias Union budget, India and the United States sealed a breakthrough trade pact on late Monday evening, February 2, capping months of hard bargaining and multiple negotiation rounds. Under the agreement, the steep 25% reciprocal tariff on Indian exports will be pared down to 18%, offering significant relief to exporters. The levy had been imposed by US President Donald Trump late last year. Relations between the two countries reached a low after Washington doubled the tariff to 50%, accusing India of continuing oil purchases from Russia amid the Ukraine war. Stay tuned with live updates
January 31, 2026: The Right To Repair/RTR controversy has been going on for over fifty years. Manufacturers have a condition in contracts for sale of their products that buyers cant repair those, and that only the sellers own employees or licensed contractors may do so. On one side are manufacturers who oppose RTR because RTR means theyd sell fewer products and lose the money they make from making repairs to their products and charging whatever they want. RTR also keeps their products in use longer, costing the manufacturer additional sales.

Enforcing RTR is a losing battle. Farmers, for example, cannot wait for authorized repairs to be made during planting or harvesting. The farmers either refuse to buy equipment that bans RTR or ignore it and make the repairs anyway.

For the military, it is possible for manufacturers to enforce RTR bans in peacetime. But in wartime, the troops will repair broken weapons and equipment because its a matter of life and death. Ukraine has received billions of dollars worth of weapons and equipment from the United States. The manufacturers sent technical representatives to assist the Ukrainians with use of the equipment and enforce any RTR bans. The Ukrainian go along with this most of the time. But if it's a matter of life or death the American tech reps are either moved out of the area for safety reasons, or tech reps who understand the Ukrainian position remain and assist the Ukrainians in making repairs.

RTR problems are one reason Ukraine builds most of the weapons it uses. These items are built to be easily repaired. Its the same with the Russians and their weapons. The Ukrainians consider RTR restrictions as some crazy American quirk that they have to live with and work around as needed.

Meanwhile American consumers and businesses hurt by RTR rules pressure their politicians to outlaw RTR restrictions. There have been some laws passed to do this, but they face lawsuits from the firms opposing RTR bans. Officially, American military leaders say they will observe RTR bans. In reality, it is understood by all concerned that in a war American troops could and would make their own repairs. U.S. forces have been using 3-D printers and associated equipment to manufacture needed spare parts and make repairs.

RTR bans are seen as unenforceable in wartime and a growing number of peacetime owners of equipment are ignoring RTR bans.
Japanese PM's last-minute live debate cancellation draws opposition criticism

Xinhua) 13:15, February 02, 2026

TOKYO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Citing arm injury, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Sunday canceled at the last minute her planned appearance on a live party leaders' debate aired by public broadcaster NHK, drawing widespread criticism from opposition parties.

Norihisa Tamura, executive acting chairperson for Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), replaced Takaichi and appeared on the program. He said that Takaichi likely strained her arm through repeated handshakes and constant movement on the campaign trail, making her unable to appear on the show.

Opposition lawmakers voiced dissatisfaction over the sudden cancellation. Tomoko Tamura, chair of the Japanese Communist Party, wrote on social media that she was informed of Takaichi's absence only about 30 minutes before the program began, adding that the broadcaster had briefly "fallen into chaos."

With opportunities for party leaders to debate publicly already limited during the election period, she questioned how voters could be expected to place their trust in a candidate who "does not even show up for discussions."

Akiko Oishi, co-president of Reiwa Shinsengumi, also criticized the move, noting that recent Japanese media reports alleged that groups linked to the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, had provided funds to an LDP branch associated with Takaichi through the purchase of political fundraising party tickets.

Oishi said she had planned to question Takaichi directly on the matter during the program but was unable to do so due to her absence, and called on the prime minister to "offer an explanation to the public before voting day."

In another party leaders' debate held recently, some Japanese media outlets observed that Takaichi appeared visibly displeased when Oishi raised questions about her alleged ties to the Unification Church, footage of which later sparked online discussion.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
January 31, 2026: At the end of 2025, Japan launched the twelfth and last of the Mogami-class frigates. Until 2023 Japan planned to build 24 new FFM Mogami class missile frigates, to be procured in two batches of twelve each. These 3,900-ton FFM ships are an example of successful innovation and speed in implementing new concepts. Newer FFMs have similar capabilities as the Mogamis but carry more missiles

The Mogamis take the multi-mission angle seriously. They are equipped for mine-hunting as well as mine-laying. In addition to a 127mm gun, each ship has eight anti-ship and/or cruise missiles in VLS cells. Mogamis also have eleven SeaRAM anti-aircraft missiles with a range of ten kilometers. Sixteen VLS cells carry larger Chu-SAM anti-aircraft missiles with a range of 50 kilometers as well as cruise missiles.

There are also twelve lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes. There is a ramp in the rear for launching and recovering Unmanned Underwater Vessel drones, Unmanned Surface Vessel drones and Rigid Inflatable Boats, or RIBs for boarding parties. The ship can also lay naval mines. One helicopter is onboard that and that can be replaced by two or more drones.

The Mogamis are stealthy, with a shape that makes it difficult to detect with radar, and carry active and passive-heat sensing sensors. There are anti-submarine warfare, ASW and mine-hunting sonars. The active radars can also carry out jamming and other EW Electronic Warfare tasks. All these sensors are integrated into a single fire control system. There are two autocannon RWS Remote Weapons Stations. For passive defense there are electronic and chaff decoys to defend against incoming missiles or aircraft.

Top speed is 55 kilometers an hour and crew size is about half, at 90 personnel, what ships this size used to require. There is a lot of automation on the ship, which accounts for the relatively small crew. The Japanese automation works because, as a major civilian shipbuilder, crew automation is a key component of success in world markets.

The Japanese FFM ships were originally designed to be destroyers but, while planning equipment and weapons layout, it was realized that these ships could be multi-mission ships and the designation was changed to frigate. The FFMs are being built in batches, with an initial batch of eight, followed by two or three more batches, each improving on the earlier batch. The first Mogami entered service in 2024.

The new frigates are nearly as heavily armed as destroyers but are smaller and have smaller crews as well. The new ships carry more drones and missiles of various types. Japan still has 36 destroyers in service, which will, by 2030, be joined by at least twenty new frigates. Construction of the new frigates will continue into the 2030s.

Japan pioneered many of the earliest ship automation technologies. The U.S. tried to use automation in their LCS type ship. The first of these entered service in 2008 and had so many problems that the LCS ships began retiring in 2021, before the first Mogami entered service. LCS was designed to replace the Perry class frigates, the last of the post-World War II American warship designs. The first Perry entered service in 1975 and 71 were built by 2oo4. About half the Perrys are still in service with export customers. Admitting the LCS was a failure, the U.S. Navy selected a European frigate design t0 replace the Perrys. That didnt work and was cancelled. The Navy proposes to try a third design because it is inconceivable that theyd build the foreign Mogami design in American shipyards.
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February 2, 2026: China is adopting a centuries old concept to enhance its naval combat effectiveness. Last year a photograph was taken in a Chinese shipyard near Shanghai which revealed a cargo ship being equipped with shipping containers containing missiles. This was nothing new for the Chinese but, in addition to the container ship, a number of other commercial ships were being modified to support amphibious operations. There was also a truck on the deck of a ship. The truck carried a catapult for launching large drones. These drones could be used for reconnaissance and surveillance or armed with explosives for attacks on ships or land targets.





All this is part of a Chinese program to adapt commercial shipping, including Roll on Roll Off/RoRo ships, to be part of an amphibious operation against Taiwan, or a surprise attack on the United States as part of an invasion of Taiwan. An alarming such ship is an armed merchant raider with armed drones in vertical launch tubes and catapults for launching very large drones carrying scores of smaller armed drones. Several such armed merchant raiders could wreck an American aircraft carrier battle group, a naval base or a coastal Air Force base.

For nearly thirty years China has been making serious preparations to launch an amphibious operation to conquer Taiwan. The latest development is a barge that carries a 130 meter long road platform that can be used on coastal areas that lack beaches but are close to roads. The new Chinese landing barges can approach these areas once Chinese commandos or paratroopers have seized a small portion. The barge gets close enough to the coastline for its road platform to be shoved or carried forward somehow to plop down near a coastal road. Then amphibious or RoRo ships come up behind the barge and drive vehicles, including tanks, onto the barge, across the road platform onto Taiwanese territory near a road. Currently, there are only six potential invasion beaches in Taiwan. The new road platform barge means Taiwan has to reconsider its defense plan against amphibious landings.

Last year Chinese leader Xi Jinping decided to seize or try to seize Taiwan before the end of the decade. Xi realizes Taiwan has a say in this matter and wants to mobilize sufficient forces and create the right psychological conditions in China and Taiwan. This includes having Chinese naval and air forces operating near Taiwan on a regular basis, so the Taiwanese military is not alarmed every time Chinese forces operate near the island.

Some of these forces that regularly appear off the Taiwanese cast are those that would be used if China were seeking to blockade Taiwan. Chinese military forces will eventually blockade Taiwan and prevent any ships from getting in or out.

Preparations are also being made inside China. Laws have been passed allowing China to quickly nationalize foreign assets as part of a program to keep the Chinese people supplied if there are an international embargo and economic sanctions. China also plans to increase its emergency petroleum stockpile so there will be supplies for years of isolation. China is also building a pipeline to get petroleum to areas that normally receive it from the nearest coastal city and port. China is purchasing oil from as many suppliers as possible as these nations will feel the economic pain if China is embargoed because it seized Taiwan.

Xi Jinping expects most of the nations in the world to oppose a seizure of Taiwan. To deal with that, China is reducing its holdings of American government bonds. This reduces the damage to China if the United States declares war and seizes whatever Chinese assets it can. China hopes such a war will not involve much military action beyond that needed to blockade China. According to Chinese plans, that blockade would last a few years and would then be lifted because so many nations want to end their economic suffering because trade with China was blocked. China is the second largest, after the United States, trading nation in the world and taking Chinese trade out of circulation would cause worldwide suffering. In theory, it would be worse for China but not if China can build up large enough reserves of essential industrial supplies oil and food to survive the economic catastrophe China created. These Chinese moves would lead to economic disruption outside China for years and have a lasting impact that could take a decade or more to recover from.

The Chinese plans are theoretical at the moment even though China is quietly implementing some aspects of their surviving the expected worldwide economic disruption a seizure of Taiwan would lead to. Another problem is that enough details of the Chinese plan have become known to trading partners and nations willing to use military and economic force to block a Chinese attack on Taiwan. China wants to avoid a war but Taiwan and its military allies, especially the United States, are willing to meet force with force. China doesnt want to get into a war because its forces are untested and, as recent corruption scandals have demonstrated, led by generals who are more concerned with getting rich than getting ready for war.

Taiwan and its allies have been increasing their military preparations for over a decade. This began before the current Chinese economic and military activities and China is now seen reacting to efforts to make the Chinese plans more difficult to implement. Taiwan has purchased new weapons as well as increasing stockpiles of ones it already has. That means more warships, warplanes, and equipment for ground forces.

Taiwan is the most troublesome independent portion of China. After World War II Taiwan acquired protection from the United States before the new communist Chinese government could get organized and do anything about the troublesome Chinese province of Taiwan.
When former Tory cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi defected to Reform UK last month, he denied hed been offered a peerage. But has he?

I hear Zahawi, briefly chancellor under Boris Johnson, is selling his family home in Stratford-upon-Avon, the constituency he represented for 14 years.

Zahawis sprawling mansion is on the market for 1.3million and comes with a stable block  which came to public attention in 2013 when he claimed 4,000 in parliamentary expenses for the cost of heating it. Zahawi said the claim was in error, paid the money back and apologised.

The sale of his house is a clear sign that Zahawi has no plans to fight his old seat, which fell to the Lib Dems at the last election after he stepped down.

Nadhim Zahawis sprawling mansion is on the market for 1.3million and comes with a stable block  which came to public attention in 2013 when he claimed 4,000 in parliamentary expenses for the cost of heating it

When Reform leader Nigel Farage sets up his own shadow cabinet, I hear Zahawi  who was denied a peerage by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch  will be given the foreign affairs portfolio.

Its a job he can do easily from the House of Lords, as David Cameron proved when Rishi Sunak was Prime Minister.

After the defection of Suella Braverman to Reform, one Tory strategist was overheard crowing in parliament: Nadhim Zahawi, Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman. A case of all your egos in one basket.

Don-nil to the Arsenal

Most world leaders call our PM through a sophisticated communications unit at Downing Street. Not Donald Trump.

As Keir Starmer told the Matt Forde pod  cast: He phones me on my mobile. One time we were halfway through the Arsenal  Paris Saint-Germain game. I took the call and my son was slipping me pieces of paper telling me the score.

Woke waste of the week: When will the BBC learn the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) gravy train has hit the buffers?

The corporation is advertising for a Creative Diversity Business Advisor with applied expertise in DEI across protected characteristics and underrepresented groups to plan, track and deliver assigned Creative Diversity projects.

How about hiring journalists who arent afraid to say that six million Jews  not just people  were murdered in the Holocaust?

The Greens Hannah Spencer is the blue-collar candidate in this months Gorton and Denton by-election because she is into greyhounds, claims hard-Left commentator Aaron Bastani.

When locals realise she is campaigning to ban the traditional working-class pursuit of greyhound racing, the blue-collar vote is likely to run a mile.

Former academic Matt Goodwin, Reforms candidate in the contest, says: Most people criticising me are nerds.

The last thing I want is to be at some dinner party table with Nick Robinson and Mary Beard.

Id rather shoot myself in the head. TV Classics professor Beard hits back: Hang on, Im not THAT bad! Nerds sometimes have a point. No word from the BBCs Robinson.

WOKE WASTE OF THE WEEK: When will the BBC learn the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) gravy train has hit the buffers?

The corporation is advertising for a Creative Diversity Business Advisor with applied expertise in DEI across protected characteristics and underrepresented groups to plan, track and deliver assigned Creative Diversity projects.

How about hiring journalists who arent afraid to say that six million Jews  not just people  were murdered in the Holocaust?

The Greens Hannah Spencer is the blue-collar candidate in this months Gorton and Denton by-election because she is into greyhounds, claims hard-Left commentator Aaron Bastani.

When locals realise she is campaigning to ban the traditional working-class pursuit of greyhound racing, the blue-collar vote is likely to run a mile.

Reforms Matt Goodwin said: The last thing I want is to be at some dinner party table with Nick Robinson and Mary Beard (pictured). Id rather shoot myself in the head

Former academic Matt Goodwin, Reforms candidate in the contest, says: Most people criticising me are nerds.

The last thing I want is to be at some dinner party table with Nick Robinson and Mary Beard. Id rather shoot myself in the head.

TV Classics professor Beard hits back: Hang on, Im not THAT bad! Nerds sometimes have a point.

No word from the BBCs Robinson.

The uncommon people

The Commons Select Commit - tee on International Aid is heading out of Westminster to gather insights on what the public thinks about UK aid. Where do the MPs hope to glean the common view? Well, their evidence session will be held at impeccably metropolitan.

Kings College, London, with an audience comprising politics and development students. The panellists include charity executives specialising in aid and feminism from Trinidad, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, an Independent journalist and a member of an aid think tank. Classic!
Will Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor bring down the monarchy? It may seem an absurd question to ask since the Royal Family has survived huge scandals in the past.

But the latest batch of allegations against the disgraced ex-prince will deepen the public's perception that he is an entitled, sleazy, greedy and seemingly untruthful person. He epitomises what many republicans hate about the monarchy.

I expect further emails and photos will emerge showing Mountbatten-Windsor in a terrible light. King Charles must be wondering whether the torrent of allegations will ever cease.

As polls suggest that support for the monarchy is dwindling, republicans see an opportunity to strike. One of them, Labour MP Rachael Maskell, was on the radio yesterday morning calling for a police investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor's activities.

Damning

What can the King do? Very little, I fear. He has already deprived his oafish brother of all his titles, served notice that he must leave Royal Lodge with its 30 rooms in Windsor Great Park, and banished him to a reasonably modest dwelling on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

Charles might like to send his brother to the Tower but unfortunately that isn't possible. Maybe there are some further practicable actions he could take, though it's hard to think of any. The King can only wait for the next wave of damaging revelations.

Charles might like to send his brother to the Tower but unfortunately that isn't possible. Maybe there are some further practicable actions he could take, though it's hard to think of any. The King can only wait for the next wave of damaging revelations

The most recent lot  part of three million pages of documents concerning convicted paedophile and serial rapist Jeffrey Epstein, released by the US Department of Justice last Friday  is about as bad as it could be.

For my money, the widely published photograph of Mountbatten-Windsor on all fours over an unidentified woman  likely taken by Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year jail sentence for child sex trafficking  isn't the most shocking. They are both fully clothed, after all, and he may have been larking about.

More damning is an email sent by Epstein to the then Prince Andrew in August 2010 offering to set up a dinner for him with a 'clever, beautiful and trustworthy' 26-year-old Russian woman. The prince replied that he would be 'delighted to see her'.

This could be the same woman who alleges that she was despatched to the UK by Epstein in 2010. According to US lawyer Bradley Edwards, an encounter took place at Royal Lodge.

The woman, who is not British and is said to have been in her 20s, was later given tea and a tour of Buckingham Palace. Her lawyer is now threatening to file a civil claim.

Fair-minded people may point out that Mountbatten-Windsor was single at the time, and it's not obvious that anything illegal took place. That isn't the case in respect of allegations made by the now deceased Virginia Giuffre, who asserted that in 2001 she was forced to have sex with Andrew.

For my money, the widely published photograph of Mountbatten-Windsor on all fours over an unidentified woman isn't the most shocking. They are both fully clothed, after all, and he may have been larking about

More damning is an email sent by Epstein to the then Prince Andrew in August 2010 offering to set up a dinner for him with a 'clever, beautiful and trustworthy' 26-year-old Russian woman. The prince replied that he would be 'delighted to see her'

Nonetheless, on the assumption that the 2010 incident took place as is claimed, this was sleazy and disreputable behaviour. Extending the visit with a tour of the Queen's official residence was hardly seemly.

Worse still  in fact, much worse  is the confirmation among the three million documents that the prince maintained a cordial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after he was freed in August 2010 following imprisonment for soliciting a minor.

If Mountbatten-Windsor possessed a shred of judgment and good sense, he would never have got in contact again. In fact, it should have been obvious to him years earlier that Epstein was a deviant on an epic scale, and a very dangerous one.

Yet Epstein and Andrew were soon exchanging emails about the Russian woman. The following month they were discussing a visit by the American to London. The prince wrote: 'We could have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy.'

Not content with giving a strange woman a conducted tour of the royal residence, he wanted to do the same for his friend, and convicted sex abuser, Jeffrey Epstein.

Emails continued to go back and forth. On December 24, 2010, Andrew (who was still a trade envoy for the British Government) emailed Epstein about a 'business opportunity' in Afghanistan. The rest of the exchange has been redacted.

The date of this friendly email is particularly important. For in his disastrous 2019 interview on BBC's Newsnight, the prince claimed he had gone to New York in 2010 to 'end his friendship' with the paedophile because that was 'the right thing to do'.

That visit, when the two men were photographed conversing in New York's Central Park, took place in early December  before the email about a business opportunity in Afghanistan. The prince was staying in his friend's mansion.

No member of that family since Edward VIII (pictured with his wife in Germany in 1936)  who gave up his throne in 1936 and later hobnobbed and colluded with the Nazis  has done the monarchy more harm than Mountbatten-Windsor

Shame

In other words, Mountbatten-Windsor renewed his close relationship with Epstein as soon as he was released, and maintained it after he claimed to have severed it, even sending electronic Christmas cards to the financier featuring Beatrice and Eugenie that year.

Separate recently released documents also show that the two of them had an amiable email exchange the following February. 'Keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon!!!!' said an email sent to Epstein by 'a member of the British Royal Family' who is believed to be Prince Andrew.

Mountbatten-Windsor misled Newsnight's Emily Maitlis during that interview, in which he also claimed never to have set eyes on Virginia Giuffre, to whom he nonetheless made a settlement of 12million in a civil sex abuse case in 2022.

Who believes that the former prince is telling the truth? He is taking us for fools. He has never shown any contrition or the slightest sympathy for the hundreds of girls and young women abused by Epstein.

There are others who should hang their heads in shame. Evidence has been found among the three million documents that Epstein sent $75,000 (55,000) to three accounts associated with Lord Mandelson between 2003 and 2004.

Mandelson says he has no recollection, and rather lamely questions the authenticity of the documents. Another shows that in December 2009 Epstein asked Mandelson, then Business Secretary, if there was 'any real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers' bonus'.The Labour government had just announced a 'super tax' on bonuses.

Arrogant

Neither Mandelson's nor the ex-prince's association with Epstein is likely to surprise us. But Andrew matters more, not because he is of any significance himself, but as brother to the King and a senior member of our Royal Family, albeit recently disowned.

Sir Keir Starmer is urging Mountbatten-Windsor to give evidence before a US congressional committee investigating Epstein's affairs. The Prime Minister can't have the interests of the Royal Family very close to his heart.

For who can doubt that the arrogant and hapless ex-prince would dig a bigger hole for himself, and further damage the monarchy, if he appeared before American representatives with limited respect for the Royal Family?

No member of that family since Edward VIII  who gave up his throne in 1936 and later hobnobbed and colluded with the Nazis  has done the monarchy more harm than Mountbatten-Windsor.

I don't know how it will end. More injurious allegations about the former prince Andrew will probably appear. Republicans will scheme and plot  and defenders of the monarchy are going to have their work cut out.
There are some images you just cant unsee. Last week it was Theresa May undressing beneath a duvet in Beijing, like Harry Houdini escaping from a sack, to avoid China obtaining embarrassing nude pictures which could be used as kompromat  compromising material  against her.

In fairness, that was a figment of my own vivid imagination. No such photos existed, at least not that we know about.

The same cant be said of that picture of Peter Mandelson in his grubby grey T-shirt and white underpants. It put me right off my Full English.

It was taken in the apartment of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, alongside a faceless woman in a white bathrobe.

Who is she? Hotel chambermaid, under-age masseuse, hooker, private secretary? Not his type, anyway. What is Petie saying to her? Seventy-five grand for me and another ten for Reinaldo? Your guess is as good as mine.

Was it a hidden camera? Who knows? The latest allegation out of Washington is that Epsteins Lolita Express, Love Island and hot-and-cold running call girls, were honeytraps bankrolled by the KGB to dig the dirt on bankers and politicians alike.

In Mandelsons case, there was no need to collect kompromat on him. Hes always been on offer, prepared to pimp himself out to the highest bidder, foreign despots a speciality.

Im Mandy, buy me.

And as for the ludicrous Prince of Darkness tag, Ive been telling you for years that its Fantasy Island stuff, perpetuated by Mandelsons self-deluding vanity and the gullible Boys and Girls in the Westminster Bubble, who have built a career taking dictation from him.

There are some images you just cant unsee, writes Richard Littlejohn. Like this picture of Peter Mandelson in his grubby grey T-shirt and white underpants

When Starmer appointed him as our short-lived ambassador to the US, I warned it would end in tears sooner rather than later, writes Littlejohn

As the old line has it, trotted out again in the movie The Usual Suspects  starring Mandelsons second-best chum Kevin Spacey: The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was to convince people he didnt exist.

Yet, whenever Petie has pulled a malevolent stroke, as the posse rounds the corner there he is in his full glory, trousers marooned round his ankles and smoking gun in his hand. This latest photo is the living roof.

The mystery is how hes got away with it for so long. When Starmer appointed him as our short-lived ambassador to the US, I warned it would end in tears sooner rather than later.

Mandelsons career has been a catalogue of car crashes, duplicity, scandal and self-enrichment. He has the survival instincts of a post-apocalypse cockroach and has an unmatched ability to suck up to a succession of credulous benefactors, of whom Starmer was simply the latest dupe. He styles himself as a Machiavellian figure but, as I once described him, hes more like Shakespeares Iago, played by Kenneth Williams.

Yet unlike Carry On star Williams, Mandelson is a far more disreputable character, even though whenever he gets found out, like Williams as Julius Caesar in Carry On Cleo, he resorts to: Infamy, infamy, theyve all got it in for me.

Time after time, he accuses critics like me of homophobia to deflect attention from his greed and bad behaviour. Its cobblers, obviously. I couldnt care less about his sexuality. I marked him out as a wrong-un 40-odd years ago, when I was a young industrial correspondent and he was the newly appointed, bare-faced liar of a Press Officer to then Labour leader Neil Kinnock. I knew less than nothing about his sexual inclinations.

Most recently he wheeled out the gay excuse to pretend that he was blissfully unaware of Epsteins exploitation of young women. But playing the gay card isnt going to get him out of jail this time. In fact, theres a decent argument as to why he should have been in jail years ago.

Mandelson has maintained his proclivity for sucking up to wealthy benefactors, writes Littlejohn

His first fall from grace came after he submitted a fraudulent mortgage application to buy a house he couldnt afford in fashionable Notting Hill, with the help of a sizeable loan from Labour sugar daddy Geoffrey Robinson. Somehow he slithered away from that, though had it been anyone else they would almost certainly have attracted the attention of the fraud squad. Plus, he kept the 250,000 profits when he had to sell up.

Hes maintained his proclivity for sucking up to wealthy benefactors. After being forced to resign from Cabinet for a second time  over fixing British passports for foreign donors  Blair sent him to the EU as a trade commissioner, where he accepted private flights and freebie holidays from a Russian aluminium baron before, purely coincidentally, lowering import tariffs on Russian aluminium.

After luxuriating on a yacht owned by financier Nat Rothschild, he leapt to the defence of hedge funds. After immersing himself up to his scrawny neck in the hospitality of Tinseltown movie tycoon David Geffen, he announced a clampdown on internet video piracy.

As I wrote here in 2009, when Gordon Brown, a fundamentally decent man, was panicked into bringing him back into Cabinet and elevating him to the peerage: Screaming Lord Mandelson represents everything rotten about our so-called democracy - arrogance, cynical contempt for the paying public, institutionalised dishonesty, an exaggerated sense of entitlement and the complete absence of shame.

Where the hell he got 8 million to buy a house in Regents Park  now estimated to be worth 20-mill plus - is one of the enduring mysteries of our time. But the truth will out.

The latest document dump from the Epstein files alleges that while acting as Gordons effective deputy PM, Mandelson was leaking classified, sensitive Government information to American bankers.

He was advising the boss of finance giant JP Morgan (JPM) to threaten then UK Chancellor Alistair Darling over plans to impose hefty tax rises on bankers bonuses. Simultaneously, he was also advising another financial company, Lazard, in exchange for a reported 1 million a year.

He also leaked a sensitive UK Government document to Epstein while he was Business Secretary, that proposed 20 billion of asset sales and revealed Labours tax policy plans. An email, sent in May 2010, shows Mandelson tipping Epstein off that there was about to be a major financial announcement, with European governments set to approve a 500 billion deal to save the euro.

Clearly, Mandelson was leveraging his political position to fill his boots. He apparently admitted as such in an email to Epstein on Christmas Day 2010:

I do not want to live by salary alone. Thats why I need to do as much as possible to build with JPM.

Even so, and despite dropping 8million on the mansion in Regents Park, at the same time his then Brazilian boyfriend (now husband) Reinaldo was begging for 10 grand from Epstein to pay for an osteopathy course. Go figure, as our American cousins say.

For the past 40 years, Mandelson has been hiding in plain sight. His faults and rapacious appetite for other peoples money have been apparent for anyone with half a brain to observe. Yet, for goodness knows what reasons, powerful men have continued to indulge him.

Starmer must now regret sending him to Washington  but, then again, he also made Nonce Finder General Tom Watson a life peer, so that tells you all you need to know about the PMs judgment.

Now, maybe, the wheels have come off Mandelson for good. Hes out of the Labour Party and with any luck will be stripped of the peerage he didnt deserve.

His lame excuses wont wash any more. How can he claim that he had no recollection of receiving 75 grand from Epstein? Its as risible as another noble Labour peer, Lord Hermer, pretending he cant remember how much he was paid to represent Gerry Adams.

He may have swerved the fraud squad over his bent mortgage application all those years ago. But if the allegations that Mandelson was leaking classified, sensitive Government information to American bankers while in Government turn out to be true, the authorities may not be so forgiving this time. Were talking possible insider trading here.

An SNP MP has already reported him to the police. Gordon Brown is incandescent with rage at news of Mandelsons betrayal.

Hes also wanted for questioning by the US Senate, which tends to be a little more rigorous in its interrogations than a bought-and-paid-for sympathetic Commons committee, and may well pursue criminal charges.

You never know, this time next year, Rodney, multi-millionaire Mandelsons white Y-fronts may be concealed by an orange jumpsuit in a Supermax prison in Omaha, somewhere in Middle America. Thats an image Id be delighted not to unsee. Couldnt happen to a nicer man.

Put your trousers on, Petie, you're bleedin' nicked...
February 2, 2026: Yesterday, Nigerian soldiers killed a Boko Haram commander and ten of his followers during a night raid in the northeastern Sambisa forest. This is a large 60,000 square kilometer, hilly, sparsely populated area where the borders of Borno, Yobe and Adamwa states meet. It has long been a hideout for Boko Haram and since 2014 has been under constant aerial surveillance by Nigerian and American aircraft.

In October 2025, the American president declared that Nigerian Christians were under constant attack and that the Nigerian government was not doing enough to protect Christians. On Christmas Day the United States, in cooperation with Nigerian officials, carried out a series of air strikes against Islamic terrorist groups responsible for attacks on Christian.

In November and December Nigeria also suffered a revival of mass kidnapping of students in northern and central Nigeria. Over 300 students and teachers were taken. Unlike previous kidnappings, the recent ones resulted in the victims being released by the end of the year. There was apparently no payment of ransom, just kidnappers fearing soldiers, police or local militias would hunt them down and use lethal force to get the captives released.

In addition there was an increase in Islamic terrorist activity, particularly by ISWAP/Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram. Including ethnic fighting between farmers and herders, there were neatly 150 incidents of death by bullets, bombs or natural disasters.

In 2024 it was noted that since 2020 the Islamic terrorism groups faded away while ethnic tribal violence became responsible for most casualties. In 2024 kidnapping increased with over 600 people kidnapped for ransom. Most of this took place in the northern states of Borno and Kaduna. There were nationwide protests over cost-of-living increases. The Islamic terror groups main activity was staying alive, and they did so via banditry. Back in 2004, Islamic terrorist violence in the northeast appeared and created some lasting problems. There are still millions of refugees plus substantial economic damage in northeastern Borno State, where it all began. There seems to be no end in sight because of the local corruption, but more competent leadership in the security forces reduced the violence. All this was caused by a local group of Taliban wannabes calling themselves Boko Haram. Their activity in the capital of Borno State grew for a decade until in 2014 it seemed unstoppable. It took over a year for the government to finally muster sufficient military strength to cripple but not destroy Boko Haram. This did not get much media attention outside Africa, even though in 2014 Boko Haram killed more people than ISIL did in Syria and Iraq. The main reason for Boko Haram gains in 2014 and 2015 was corruption in the army, which severely crippled effective counterterror efforts. By itself Boko Haram was too small to have much impact on a national scale but the inability to deal with this problem put a spotlight on the corruption that has hobbled all progress in Nigeria for decades.

A new president was elected in 2023 and made considerable progress in changing the corruption. This included problems with tribal feuds and growing unrest throughout the country. This has been especially bad down south in the oil producing region of the Niger River Delta. Violence against oil facilities continues, in part because local politicians and business leaders are part of the oil theft business. Northern Moslems want more influence over the federal government and a bigger share of the oil money. In northern and central Nigeria, you have increasing violence as nomadic Moslem herders move south and clash with largely Christian farmers over land use and water supplies. For the last few years these tribal feuds have killed more people than Boko Haram. The situation is still capable of sliding into regional civil wars, over money and political power. Corruption and ethnic/tribal/religious rivalries threaten to trigger, at worse, another civil war and, at least, more street violence and public anger.
A new study has noted a concerning surge in young people being diagnosed with psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia.

Research carried out by Canadian researchers looked at hospital data associated with 12.2 million people born between 1960 and 2009 who live in the province of Ontario.

Of this cohort, about 152,000 were diagnosed with a psychotic disorder - classed as either schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) or psychosis 'not otherwise specified' (psychosis NOS) - and of these, there was a distinct increase in cases seen in people born from 1980 onwards.

The data revealed that new diagnoses in teenagers and young adults aged 14 to 20 rose by 60 per cent between 1997 and 2023.

Those born between 2000 and 2004 were estimated to be 70 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than people born in the late 1970s.

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition characterised by psychotic episodes where individuals lose touch with reality, experiencing delusions and hallucinations.

The researchers - from ICES, North York General, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and Bruyere Health Research Institute - looked at the amount of people who had been diagnosed with the mental illness by the age of 30, and found that those born in the early 1990s were 38 per cent more likely to have a psychosis diagnosis compared with people born in the late 1970s.

A person was counted as having a psychotic disorder if they were discharged from hospital with a psychosis diagnosis, or had at least two outpatient doctor visits within a year which were coded by physicians as psychosis.

Smoking marijuana has long been linked to psychosis

The data did not include psychosis caused purely by a mood disorder such as bipolar, brief psychotic reactions that never led to medical care or drug intoxication alone without a psychosis diagnosis.

Psychosis is a serious mental illness where a person loses touch with reality, often involving symptoms like hallucinations and delusions which can cause them to pose a danger to themselves or others.

The findings, published in medical journal CMAJ, suggest that people born in more recent decades are being diagnosed with psychotic illnesses more often and at younger ages than people born earlier.

Overall, men were found to be more likely to develop psychosis than women, and people with schizophrenia were more likely to be from a lower socioeconomic background or already have had treatment for mental health problems or substance use.

Lead author Dr. Daniel Myran said: 'Consequently, the observed trends raise important questions about possible causes and consequences of increasing numbers of psychotic disorder diagnoses.

'We dont yet know whats driving these changes, and its likely there isnt a single explanation. Understanding whats behind this trend will be critical to prevention and early support.'

He added that one possibility for the surge in psychotic disease is the use of drugs, particularly cannabis - adding that there is an undeniable correlation between an increase in substance use in Canada and the findings.

'A leading possibility is substance use  including cannabis, stimulants, hallucinogens, and synthetic drugs,' he said.

Psychosis is a serious mental illness where a person loses touch with reality

'The use of substances, especially earlier in life, is associated with the development and worsening of psychotic disorders, and substance use in Canada has risen over the past two decades.'

Figures show cannabis is consistently the most consumed illegal drug in England and Wales, with 2.3 million people estimated to have used it in the year to March 2024.

Research, published in 2024, shows adolescents who used it were 11 times more likely to have a psychotic episode as an adult.

Other potential causes mooted by the researchers include an increase in social and financial stress and difficult or traumatic childhood experiences.

Another possible cause could be that parents are having their children later in life, which raises concerns about sperm and egg quality.

It's also important to note that improved diagnostics and understanding of the condition could have led to higher numbers of diagnoses - but more investigation is needed.

The research comes amid a surge in grisly crimes blamed on psychosis.

Last August, a leading psychiatrist warned that cannabis-induced psychosis is becoming increasingly common across the UK.

The widely used class B drug  also known as marijuana or weed  can cause dependency, and while regular use has more than halved in the past two decades, the number of cannabis-induced psychosis episodes has spiked as varieties on sale have become stronger.

Dr Niall Campbell, a consultant psychiatrist at the Priory rehabilitation centre, warns of a deepening public health issue, stemming from easy online access to highly potent forms of the drug known as 'skunk'.

Made from unpollinated cannabis plants which naturally contain higher levels of THC  the main psychoactive ingredient  skunk greatly increases the risk of paranoia and hallucinations.

'There has been a visible rise in the number of people needing intensive support for psychosis as a result of cannabis use,' said Dr Campbell.

'I don't think this is surprising given how easy skunk is to buy. What begins with smoking a few 'joints' and feeling a bit paranoid can easily escalate.

Over time people can reach a psychotic state which won't go away, even if they stop smoking  they can become very depressed or suicidal.'

In April 2024, Marcus Monzo, 37, of West Beckton, Newham murdered a schoolboy while in a cannabis-induced psychotic episode.

Monzo killed and skinned his own cat before hacking 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin to death 'in an instant' with a samurai sword, and left four others seriously injured.

And last year, Sekai Miles, 23, beat 87-year-old grandfather Bernard Fowler to death with his own walking stick eight months after being discharged into the community by mental health services.

Miles was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, a condition 'exacerbated' by his cannabis use.
A Navy veteran who became a homeless sex worker has revealed how she ended up in the lap of luxury by marrying a millionaire client - in an unconventional love story that mirrors the plot of 1990 rom-com Pretty Woman.

Addyson James, 46, joined the American Navy fresh out of high school because she couldn't afford to go to college.

She spent five years serving in multiple locations, including on the Diego Garcia military base and the warship USS Nimitz, before leaving the armed forces to become a beautician.

Addyson enjoyed her job, but she yearned for something more exciting, so when an adult movie producer approached her on social media about starring in X-rated movies, she decided to take him up on his offer.

While she was initially reluctant to dive into sex work, the thrill of a wild new career path  which could also potentially be very lucrative  was too tempting to pass up.

But it wasn't the fast-track to financial freedom she was hoping for. Despite commanding up to $1,300 per scene, Addyson still found herself living paycheck to paycheck.

'If you work 12 hours, you're getting a little bit more than a hundred dollars an hour for your time,' she explained.

'And then you've got to pay out your agency fee. You've got to pay for your [STI] testing, you've got to pay for travel and lodging,' she added.

Navy veteran Addyson James was homeless and working in a brothel when she found love with one of her clients - a millionaire widower

The couple's unconventional love story mirrors the plot of 1990 rom-com Pretty Woman, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts

'There's gas and maintenance on your car... you've got clothing and hair, there's a look.'

Once she'd covered all of her expenses, she would sometimes be left with just $400 in her pocket.

Addyson managed to make ends meet for several years until a herniated disc left her unable to work for a few months, and she soon found herself drowning financially.

She moved in with a friend to save money on rent, but after the pair had a falling-out, Addyson ended up homeless.

As a last resort, she decided to go work at Sheri's Ranch  an infamous brothel outside of Las Vegas  to try to get back on her feet.

'It'll give me a safe place to stay,' she reasoned at the time.

Although she never officially lived at the bordello, she was able to stay there for a week or two at a time while trying to earn a living.

'My first week when I needed money, I made zero dollars,' she said.

Addyson spent five years serving in the navy, but she fell into sex work later in life

'When I left, I was driving back to California for a shoot and I cried the whole way. I bawled my eyes out. I was so upset and questioning everything, like, "How did I get here? Why am I doing this?"'

Despite being down on her luck, Addyson returned to Sheri's Ranch for another stint, which proved to be much more successful.

After a month of working there, she was emailed by a man named Jim, a retired engineer, who confessed that he hadn't been intimate with another woman since his wife of four decades had passed away several years earlier.

'He didn't just want to get somebody off the street, which is illegal. Brothels are legal, so he felt very safe,' Addyson shared.

'He saw my photo and he thought I was beautiful. He liked what my write-up was, so we had some nice email correspondence and he came to spend the evening with me.'

That one evening turned into two nights, with Jim splashing out $25,000 for her time.

'To be honest, we did a lot of talking and getting to know each other,' she said.

Addyson discovered the adult industry wasn't as lucrative as she'd hoped. She also became homeless after a back injury left her unable to work for several months

Despite a 31-year age-gap between Addyson and Jim, 77, the pair found they had plenty in common, including the fact they were both veterans.

'On the first evening I mentioned that I wanted to get my boobs done, and on the second evening he said, "I would like to pay for you to get your boobs done,"' she recalled.

'I just laughed at him and said, "What?" He goes, "I think you're beautiful, but if that's something you'd like to do, I'd like to help you with it because I know you can't do it for yourself right now  no strings attached."'

Addyson decided to mull it over while Jim went back home to Missouri, and when he returned to the ranch the following month, she accepted the offer.

'He also said, "I'm going to marry you one day. I'm crazy about you, I think you're amazing." I could see how genuine he was in his eyes,' she said.

It was at this point that Addyson felt that Jim might be The One, but she knew that marrying him meant giving up the brothel for good.

'I said, "Well, I'll have to leave the brothel. I can't keep my job here because if they find out I'll get in trouble,"' she said.

'And he goes, "That's okay. I'll take care of it. I'll take care of you." And I'm like, "Take care of me?" I'd never had a man that was going to take care of me!'

Addyson found love with a client named Jim and within two months they were married

Jim's family has been supportive of their marriage so far, which is surprising given how conservative he is

Addyson got engaged to Jim and left the ranch, but she was still homeless and wasn't quite ready to pack up her life in Arizona to move to Missouri just yet, so Jim surprised her by buying her a house.

'He bought me a brand-new house in Arizona. It's in my name and he pays all the bills,' she gushed.

'And he also bought me a brand-new BMW,' added Addyson, who said that she now feels like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.

Just two months after they first met at Sheri's Ranch, the couple officially tied the knot in Addyson's new Arizona home.

'I'm still in awe of how quickly everything moved, but this man, everything he promised, he's done. He's kept his word on everything,' she said.

Jim bought Addyson a brand-new home in Arizona and a BMW after they got together

Jim's family has been supportive of their marriage so far, which is surprising given how conservative he is.

'He goes to church,' said Addyson. 'And he's also a veteran, so we have that in common.'

She continued, 'His family has been supportive. He has two older sons and both are very supportive. I've met one of the sons because he lives in Missouri. At the end of the day, they just want their father to be happy.'

One thing that's keeping a smile on their dad's face is his sex life, with Addyson admitting that she's shown the retired family man a whole new world of physical pleasure.

'One of the other things he likes about me is that I'm so open. He's never been with someone that's so sexually open,' she said.

'He's learning a lot from me. He's really learning to enjoy himself sexually. He's allowed himself to feel a sexual freedom.'

Despite quitting escorting, Addyson is still working as an adult performer and insists that it hasn't caused any issues in her marriage.

'One of the things that attracted me most to Jim was that he didn't ask me to quit porn,' she said.

'Could I quit tomorrow? Sure. Would I have to worry about anything? No. But I actually love my job very much,' she continued.

'I'm 46 and I'm too young to be retired. I've got to do something with my time and I love what I do.'

Addyson also considers herself to be in a monogamous marriage, despite the fact that she's still sleeping with other men as part of her job.

'He wants to make me happy and he's willing to do just about anything to make me happy,' she said, before adding, 'He knows how much I love my work and he doesn't want to take that from me.'

When it comes to 'haters' who may label Addyson a gold digger, she says, 'Don't be angry that you can't have this too'

With her fame as an adult star, Addyson now hopes that she can use her platform to raise awareness around veterans and mental health so others don't have to struggle like she did.

'If we're building these big, beautiful VA hospitals, let's fill them up with amazing medical staff and people who want to work and be there,' she said.

'So many people's healthcare gets pushed back because of a lack of staff,' she continued.

'I think there could be a great incentive for people coming out of college and out of med school, like, if you do so many years at the VA [Veterans Affairs] hospital, then some of your loan is paid off.'

And as for the critics who may call her a 'gold digger' over her controversial marriage, Addyson doesn't mince words.

'Don't be angry that you can't have this too.

'There's definitely haters out there, but with my close friends and family, there's no negativity. Everyone is happy for me. He's the love of my life.'
I was born in 1996, which means I should have zero personal nostalgia for the 90s. And yet, here I am, obsessed with everything from Carolyn Bessette-Kennedys minimalist tailoring to Princess Dianas timeless elegance and Gwyneth Paltrow s effortless cool. More than two decades later, their understated style remains the epitome of 90s chic  and I will never stop studying every silhouette, hemline and tucked-in T-shirt.

So when I heard Ryan Murphy was creating a new biographical romance anthology series, I was instantly all in. The first instalment? A deep dive into one of the most iconic couples of the 20th century: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.

Paul Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

The series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, is inspired by Elizabeth Bellers book Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and will explore their undeniable chemistry, whirlwind courtship and high-profile marriage over nine episodes. It stars Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn, Paul Kelly as John Jr., Naomi Watts as Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein.

If youre like me, fascinated by fashion, romance and a little bit of American royalty, this is basically catnip. The series promises to capture the spark between Carolyn and John  the connection that was electric from the very start  as they navigated love under the intense glare of the public eye.

Love Story premieres on Disney+ on 13 February

Of course, nothing Ryan Murphy touches comes without a little drama. First came the name change: originally American Love Story, the series was retitled simply Love Story to appeal internationally. Then there was family backlash. JFK Jr.s nephew, Jack Schlossberg, publicly condemned the project, accusing the production of profiting off his uncles life without consultation.

And then the fashion drama. Early on-set photos of Pidgeon as Carolyn sparked intense critique: her wardrobe looked off the rack, the iconic Birkin bag was the wrong size (a 35 instead of her signature 40) and even the hair wasnt quite right. Brad Johns, Carolyns former hair colourist, noted that the on-screen version was too 2024 and lacked the buttery tones that defined her signature look. For a series about one of the 90s ultimate It-girls, this was a problem.

Between the romance, the scandal and the fashion, Love Story is shaping up to be my next TV obsession

Ryan Murphy addressed the backlash, clarifying the test shots were just that  test shots  and not the final wardrobe. From there, he and executive producer Brad Simpson assembled a dream team of ten consultants, including Bessettes biographer Elizabeth Beller. They replaced the original costume designer with Rudy Mance, who hopped on a plane within 24 hours to completely overhaul the look. Mance, a former Conde Nast fashion assistant turned Murphy costume veteran, had a team of 40 and even tracked down a Canadian collector with 30+ authentic pieces  including Yohji, Valentino and Prada  that mirrored Carolyns original wardrobe.

Recreating her iconic style wasnt just about clothes everyone remembered from 19961999. The most challenging thing was how to tell the story in terms of the clothes, who she was before she was photographed relentlessly, Mance told Vanity Fair. And honestly? Watching the early paparazzi shots of Pidgeon walking around as Carolyn, I got chills. Every detail, from the little black dress to the L.L.Bean tote and the Havaianas flip-flops, suddenly screamed 90s perfection.

The first three episodes of Love Story drop on Disney+ on 13 February, with new episodes every Friday after that. And yes, Ive already cleared my calendar. Between the romance, the scandal and  most importantly  the fashion, this is shaping up to be my next TV obsession.
We're a nation of breakfast lovers, often starting our morning off with a bowl of cornflakes, overnight oats or the humble full English - and for many, a large glass of orange juice.

Full of vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants, the fruity beverage has long been thought of as a healthy addition to the first meal of the day.

But, not all orange juice drinks are created equal. Some are 100 per cent pure fruit, while others are a 'juice drink' that can't be classified in the same way.

If you don't read the label carefully, you might not realise you're actually buying a drink filled with 'sweeteners, flavourings, acids, colourings, or juice concentrates that have been heavily processed', according to nutritional therapist Aliza Marogy.

The founder of supplements provider Inessa told the Daily Mail: '100 per cent orange juice is simply juice extracted from oranges, retaining naturally occurring vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C and potassium.

'But some brands may offer "juice drinks" as they are cheaper to produce and have a longer shelf life, but nutritionally, my advice would be to stick to pure orange juice as the healthier choice and always check the label for any added ingredients.'

So, have you been accidentally purchasing an orange 'juice drink' when you've actually been looking for 'orange juice'?

Read on to discover the popular drinks that aren't pure orange juice, instead being labelled as 'juice drinks' - and the best ones that are...

Not all orange juice drinks are created equal. Some are 100 per cent pure fruit, while others are a 'juice drink' that can't be classified in the same way. M&S Smooth Orange Juice, pictured left, and pictured right, Morrisons The Best Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice with Bits

ORANGE JUICE DRINKS

The orange juice drinks below all contain the likes of sweetener and flavourings.

However, none of the beverages on their labels claim to be 'pure orange juice' or 'a 100 per cent orange juice'.

Don Simon Orange Juice Drink - 1 Litre

INGREDIENTS: Orange Juice from Concentrate (50%), Water Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid, Sweetener: Sucralose, Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid, Flavouring Colouring: Beta-Carotene, Juice Content: Minimum 50%.

A spokesperson for Garcia-Carrion, the producers of Don Simon, said: 'Don Simon is a juice brand primarily focused on the production of 100 per cent freshly squeezed orange juice.

'We own more than 1,500 hectares of our own orange groves located in a privileged area of Andalucia, Spain, as well as long-term agreements with over 40,000 farmers.

'However, in addition to our main NFC (not from concentrate) range - which is available in the UK at leading retailers such as Tesco, Costco, and Iceland - we also offer a range of "Juice Drinks" in order to meet the needs of consumers who are looking for this type of product.'

Don Simon Orange Juice Drink, pictured left, and pictured right, Stamford Street Co. Orange Juice Drink

Stamford Street Co. Orange Juice Drink - 1 Litre

PRICE: 1

INGREDIENTS: Orange Juice from Concentrate (50%), Water, Acid: Citric Acid; Vitamin C, Flavourings, Sweetener: Sucralose.

A Sainsburys spokesperson said: 'We work hard to give customers great value on a wide range of delicious ownbrand and branded orange juices.

'That includes our Stamford Street Co Orange Juice from Concentrate, Sainsburys Pure Orange Juice 1L and Sainsburys Smooth Pure Orange Juice 1L, all made from 100% concentrated orange juice.'

Growers Harvest Orange Juice Drink - 1 Litre

PRICE: 95p

INGREDIENTS: Orange Juice from Concentrate (50%), Water, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Flavourings, Sweetener (Sucralose).

Growers Harvest Orange Juice Drink, pictured left, and pictured right, Iceland Orange Juice Drink

Iceland Orange Juice Drink - 1 litre

PRICE: 1.60

INGREDIENTS: Water, Orange Juice from Concentrate (45%), Acid: Citric Acid; Vitamin C, Flavourings, Sweetener: Sucralose.

Co-op Honest Value Orange Juice Drink - 1 Litre

PRICE: 1.20

INGREDIENTS: Orange Juice from Concentrate (50%), Water Acid (Citric acid), Vitamin C, Flavourings, Sweetener (Sucralose).

A Co-op spokesperson said: 'We sell high quality and delicious products to our shoppers, that meet every budget, so we have a 100 per cent orange juice range, both fresh and from concentrate and we also have lower priced fruit drink alternatives to pure juices, such as our Honest Value OJ drink, which is very clearly labelled as a drink, not a pure juice.'

Co-op Honest Value Orange Juice Drink, pictured left, and pictured right, JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Orange Juice Drink

JUST ESSENTIALS by ASDA Orange Juice Drink - 1 Litre

PRICE: 92p

INGREDIENTS: Water, Orange Juice (30%), Flavouring, Acidity Regulators (Citric Acid, Sodium Citrates), Vitamin C, Sweetener (Sucralose)

Morrisons Savers Orange Juice Drink - 1 Litre

PRICE: 89p

INGREDIENTS: Orange Juice from Concentrate (50%), Water, Acid (Citric Acid), Vitamin C, Flavourings, Sweetener (Sucralose).

A Morrisons spokesperson said: 'This product clearly displays on the packaging and online the ingredients used and makes no claim to be made with 100 per cent oranges. We do have plenty of orange juices that are.'

Morrisons Savers Orange Juice Drink, pictured left, and pictured right, Waitrose's Essential Pure Orange Juice

Waitrose's Essential Pure Orange Juice - 1 Litre

PRICE: 2

INGREDIENTS: Orange Juice from Concentrate (water, orange concentrate, flavouring, orange oil).

A Waitrose spokesperson said: 'Our Essential Long Life Orange Juice is rated highly by our customers who praise its flavour and great value.

'Our customers can also enjoy a broad range of 100 per cent orange juice products across both our fresh and ambient ranges - from Cawston Press Squeezed Orange Juice to our No 1 Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice, which has over 370 five-star reviews.'
If you've woken up feeling restless, emotional or slightly out of sorts this Monday, you're not alone - and according to astrologers, there may be a cosmic reason behind it.

February's full moon, known as the Snow Moon, has peaked in the bold and expressive sign of Leo, an astrological event that is stirring heightened emotions, internal tension and sudden moments of clarity for many Australians.

Leading Australian astrologer and psychic Rose Smith, from Absolute Soul Secrets, says this particular full moon carries an unusually intense charge, capable of amplifying everything from confidence and creativity to conflict and buried feelings.

'This full moon in Leo encourages people to step fully into their authentic selves,' said Ms Smith.

'But with Mars and Pluto in Aquarius on the opposite side of the sky, this energy can also provoke arguments, power struggles and the release of deeply buried emotions.'

Why this full moon feels different

Full moons are traditionally associated with heightened emotions and culminations, but Leo full moons are known for their dramatic flair. Leo rules self-expression, pride, creativity and the desire to be recognised, meaning emotions tied to identity and self-worth can come sharply into focus.

Ms Smith explained that this lunar event is especially potent because of what's happening elsewhere in the sky.

Leading Australian astrologer and psychic Rose Smith says this particular full moon carries an unusually intense charge, capable of amplifying everything from confidence and creativity to conflict and buried feelings

'It's a time when words, decisions and actions can have lasting consequences, so it's essential to stay conscious, grounded and deliberate,' she said.

February's full moon is called the Snow Moon because it occurs during the heaviest winter snowfall in the northern hemisphere, historically symbolising endurance and the clarity that comes after prolonged hardship. While Australians aren't digging themselves out of snowdrifts, Ms Smith said the symbolism still holds.

'This February, its astrological dynamics are particularly intense. Mars, the planet of war and assertive energy, is conjunct Pluto, ruler of transformation, death, and shadow work, creating a powerful fusion of fire and intensity,' she said.

'This energy can stir deep arguments, uncover hidden truths, and reveal uncomfortable patterns.'

Why emotions may feel close to the surface

Leo full moons shine a light on where people feel unseen, undervalued or unappreciated. At the same time, the strong Aquarian influence pushes attention outward, toward communities, friendships, technology, and the collective.

Ms Smith said this creates a tug-of-war between personal needs and wider responsibilities.

'This lunation will flush out buried feelings around recognition, love and self-worth. You may suddenly realise where you've been holding back, playing small, or giving your energy to people or situations that don't value it.'

February's full moon is called the Snow Moon because it occurs during the heaviest winter snowfall in the northern hemisphere, historically symbolising endurance and the clarity that comes after prolonged hardship

Astrologically, this is about balancing Leo's call to shine individually with Aquarius' demand to consider the bigger picture.

'It's also about stepping into your own light while releasing roles, expectations, or relationships that no longer fit your growth. The lesson now is to respond rather than react, and to be thoughtful about the impact of your words and actions.'

Who will feel it most

While everyone is touched by a full moon to some degree, Ms Smith said certain star signs are likely to feel this one more intensely.

Leo, Aquarius, Taurus and Scorpio are most affected, as these fixed signs sit at key tension points in the zodiac.

Fire signs Aries and Sagittarius may feel a surge of confidence and creative motivation, while air signs Gemini and Libra could experience important conversations or decisions around relationships and community.

'For everyone, this moon encourages courage, honesty, and creative self-expression, while asking us to honour the bigger picture our soul is calling us toward,' Ms Smith said.

When it peaks - and how to work with it

The February full moon peaked on Monday, February 2 at 9.09am AEDT, but its effects are often felt for several days either side. It was best viewed overnight Sunday, a time Ms Smith encourages people to slow down rather than push through.

'Use this energy to identify what truly matters to you, let go of what no longer serves you, and create space to shine authentically. If you can hold the energy within and transform it, this is a rare opportunity for profound personal growth and breakthroughs.'

She recommends journaling, meditation, or quiet reflection - especially before reacting emotionally or making big decisions.

A wider impact beyond the personal

Ms Smith also warned that the same planetary tensions affecting individuals can play out on a global scale.

'With so much intensity in the sky, this is also a moment to consider international and societal situations where aggression and power dynamics over others will surge,' she said.

'Expect news or events that may feel extreme or unsettling, particularly around authority, technology, or collective movements around the world.'

'While the external world may feel chaotic, your focus on calm, mindful self-expression and boundaries will allow you to navigate this powerful full moon with clarity and strength. On the upside, this is also a good time for powerful transformation and renewal.'

For Australians waking up feeling unsettled, emotionally charged or unusually reflective, Ms Smith says the message is simple: slow down, stay aware, and don't underestimate the power of this moment.

For Aries Australians, this Full Moon lights up your love life, creativity, and pleasure centre

Aries (March 21 to April 19)

This Full Moon lights up your love life, creativity, and pleasure centre. Whatever makes you truly happy now becomes crystal clear. But there's tension, your social circle or long-term plans might be pulling you elsewhere. Perhaps you feel torn between your happiness and what others expect from you. This lunar moment is calling you to choose authenticity over approval. It's time to stop shrinking yourself to fit in with groups or friendships that don't celebrate the real you. A situation with friends or community goals could reach a peak now, showing who genuinely supports you. Your fiery, authentic self absolutely deserves to shine!

Taurus (April 20 to May 20)

Now your home and family zone are spotlighted, making you crave comfort, safety, and some time with your nearest and dearest. Memories and feelings about where you belong could surface, urging you to heal old patterns and enjoy what makes you feel truly at home. Meanwhile, there's a lot happening in your career zone, pulling your attention to ambitions and responsibilities. It's a balancing act between a cosy private and openly public life. Pay attention to your emotional foundations and honour what security means for you - not just chase status or success. Small changes at home can realign your soul and help you feel more at peace.

Gemini (May 21 to June 20)

Your mind and conversations are probably fairly active now, so expect honest talks, big ideas or even a long-held truth to come finally bubbling up. You're probably feeling torn between daily business and a deep urge for something bigger: travel, study, or a whole new direction. It's a fabulous time to say what you really mean and clear up confusion. However, stay true to your heart, not just your habits. A chat, offer, or sibling situation could reach a turning point. The universe is pushing you to upgrade your thinking and break out of old mental loops and patterns. Even small changes, like a trip or new way of talking to yourself will make a positive difference. Take control of your mind and your life!

Cancer (June 21 to July 22)

This Full Moon shines on your values and money zone. You might notice where you give too much or aren't valued as you deserve, and a money matter or relationship could push you to finally claim your worth. You're also thinking about shared finances, debts, or intimate ties - where trust and power are at play. Stress or tension between wanting simple stability and facing deeper entanglements will show what needs fixing. This moment invites you to set better boundaries, ask for what you're owed, and make choices that honour your emotional and financial security. Even small decisions now help build a richer, more balanced sense of self.

Leo, the focus is on how you appear, feel, and express yourself, set against the backdrop of major relationship changes

Leo (July 23 to August 22)

The Full Moon in your sign, Leo, is pure spotlight energy - this is your cosmic permission slip to own who you are and show the world your true colours. Emotions are intense and you might feel exposed or wildly confident, but this time is all about an authentic life reset. The focus is on how you appear, feel, and express yourself, set against the backdrop of major relationship changes. You might realise where you over-give or insist on keeping the peace in your own way now. This is your turning point: have the brave convo, update your vibe, and keep relationships close that let you shine fierce and proud. Congratulations on finding the authentic you!

Virgo (August 23 to September 22)

This lunar phase is all about bringing a deep detox for your inner world. Emotional memories or dreams may surface, leaving you feeling sensitive or worn out. It's your cosmic clue to rest, recharge, and let go of old baggage or patterns you've outgrown, rather than pushing through with endless tasks. Meanwhile, work and wellness routines might be extra demanding, so tension shows where burnout or perfectionism needs fixing. Honour your limits, listen to your intuition, and release what's secretly draining you. Even simple self-care or changing one exhausting habit will bring real healing and gentle, soulful renewal as you move forward.

Libra (September 23 to October 22)

Your friendships, community and long-term dreams are becoming more prominent. You're reflecting on who truly supports and celebrates the real you and where you've outgrown certain social circles or people. Creative urges and self-expression are also calling, so you might feel pulled between blending in with others and letting your true passions out. Invest in authentic connections and be real about what you want from friends and your future. Any friendship, group, or project that peaks now, reveals who truly nourishes your spirit. Brave choices now bring the right people, so trust the vision that fits your soul perfectly is on its way to meet you!

Scorpio (October 23 to November 21)

Your career, reputation, and life direction are highlighted now. Finally, clarity is arriving around what success actually means for you. You could feel recognised or face important truths about how aligned your outer path is with your soul's purpose. On the home front, family or emotional needs might compete with work ambitions and life goals, making you see where balance is needed. Anchor your goals in what genuinely matters: security, love, and legacy. A decision about your job, family, or public life could come to a head. Choices weighing both ambitions and your foundations will feel most powerful now. You can achieve at home and in public life, but perhaps not everything all at once.

Sagittarius, you're probably questioning old beliefs and craving experiences - like study or travel - that will expand your mind and horizons

Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21)

This Full Moon supercharges your hunger for wisdom, adventure, and a bigger worldview. You're probably questioning old beliefs and craving experiences - like study or travel - that will expand your mind and horizons. Conversations or news could spark a turning point, making you see your life from a whole new angle. Yet distractions or gossip could scatter your focus, highlighting where small talk drags you down or keeps you stuck. Trust what truly inspires you and go where your curiosity leads. Speaking from your heart and exploring a path that's authentic to your soul will open up new vistas. Now you can attract fresh, meaningful experiences worth living for and some good fortune. Enjoy your life!

Capricorn (December 22nd to January 19)

Intimacy, shared finances and deep emotional ties are up for review, as this Full Moon turns the spotlight on the vulnerable spaces within. You might face hard truths about money, trust, or power in close partnerships. Meanwhile, your values and self-worth are getting a boost, pushing you to protect what's yours and rebalance any lopsided arrangements. This is a clearing moment to own your value, set boundaries and refresh your approach to sharing - it could involve secrets, love, or joint resources. A financial or relationship matter could reach a climax now, giving you the chance to start anew with greater honesty and self-respect. Intense moments will soon pass leaving you with new insights.

Aquarius (January 20th to February 18)

Partnerships and one-to-one dynamics take your focus under this Full Moon in Leo. Relationships either romantic or business, feel extra raw and real. A key conversation could reset how you relate to others. You may be torn between being true to yourself and keeping the peace, especially as all the planetary action in your sign makes you fiercely aware of your own needs and growth. This is your cue to show up fully as yourself, without bending over or holding back. Any relationship or promise coming to a head now reveals who truly honours the authentic you. Now is the time to come up with innovative solutions in relationships whilst honesty and boundaries will deepen the right bonds or set you free.

Pisces (February 19 to March 20)

This Full Moon shines a light on your daily rhythms, wellbeing, and work. You will see clearly what habits, jobs, or routines are draining you and where your efforts really matter. There's a strong pull to balance productivity with quality downtime, as your intuition and inner world are stirring beneath the surface. The tension between 'doing' and 'being' reveals where you need more time to restore yourself. It's a fabulous time to release what no longer serves and replace it with rituals that nourish you inside and out. Big or small, any positive change in your daily routine or wellbeing sets you on track for true health, peace, and a soulful life. Making positive changes regarding any pets will also pay off in the long run.
The 2026 Grammy Awards red carpet has officially kicked off... but fans have already noticed that one notable person is missing: Glambot director Cole Walliser.

Filmmaker, director and content creator Walliser, 44, shot to fame in 2016 when he began capturing high-speed videos of celebrities posing on red carpets, which are then slowed down.

His videos have become a staple at star-studded red carpets and awards shows, and over the last almost decade he has directed the Glambot for E! News at events like the Golden Globes, the Emmy Awards and the Academy Awards.

But in recent weeks, Walliser found himself in hot water after a series of emails he sent years ago resurfaced.

They sparked immense backlash for the social media star as he was branded as 'unprofessional' and 'condescending' in them.

Amidst the controversy, Walliser seemed to skip out on the 2026 Grammys.

E! News shared a slew of behind-the-scenes clips on X of celebrities using the Glambot during the red carpet, and many users pointed out that Walliser was not there.

Immediately, the platform was flooded with posts about his absence.

The 2026 Grammy Awards red carpet has officially kicked off. Sabrina Carpenter is seen on the red carpet

But fans have already noticed that one notable person is missing: Glambot director Cole Walliser, seen here at the Golden Globes last month

'Hm so Cole Walliser isn't at the #Grammys but the Glambot is,' wrote one fan.

'Just realized Glambot guy isnt at the Grammys, its not actually fun without him,' announced another.

'Notice how the Glambot guy isnt at the Grammys after all that drama,' someone else pointed out.

'We cheered,' replied a different user in response to a post about him skipping the event.

'He upped the price,' someone else sarcastically penned, referring to the scandal.

'The Glambot guy, is he at the Grammys or was he too expensive for them?' read a sixth tweet.

Walliser faced immense scrutiny for his supposed lack of professionalism after a Reddit user uploaded what appeared to be a 2019 email exchange between Walliser and a potential client.

In a series of messages, Yinka Animashaun reached out to book Walliser's services for a wedding but was met with resistance from the filmmaker who stressed that hiring him and the Glambot would be expensive.

In recent weeks, Walliser found himself in hot water after a series of emails he sent years ago resurfaced. He was branded as 'unprofessional' and 'condescending' in them

'Just so you are aware the Glambot is a camera system and personnel used by a network television station for one of the biggest red carpets of the year,' an email allegedly from Walliser read.

'It is not cheap, if you feel like something like this might be within your budget range, then I am happy to discuss further.'

Animashaun confirmed that the Glambot would be in her budget range, to which Walliser allegedly responded that he didn't believe her response that he was in her budget because he had not yet quoted her a fee and hiring him and his camera crew would cost between $10,000 and $1 million.

In her reply, Animashaun said that she had assumed the fee would be pricy. She then asked Walliser what the next steps would be to book his services.

'So where would I begin?' she said. 'Through you or is there a website?'

Walliser allegedly wrote: 'OK it's $300,000 and I'll take a 10 percent deposit to secure the gear and once I have the deposit I can do a contract.'

Noting his email, Animashaun confirmed that she will reach out by Monday.

Walliser allegedly then replied with: 'If you wanted to know how much it costs you just needed to ask, you don't need to pretend you are going to book it.'

The alleged email exchange was met with outrage from fellow Reddit users who branded Walliser as 'unprofessional' and 'condescending.'

Filmmaker, director and content creator Walliser, 44, shot to fame in 2016 when he began capturing high-speed videos of celebrities posing on red carpets, which are then slowed down

His videos have become a staple at star-studded red carpets and awards shows, and over the last almost decade he has directed the Glambot for E! News at many events

In a video posted to his Instagram days later, Walliser broke his silence on the scandal and acknowledged the tone in his emails was 'dismissive and curt.'

Walliser also addressed allegations of being 'labeled racist,' admitting he would 'never intend' to cause the same pain he endured growing up as a person of Chinese descent.

'I want to talk about some emails that I sent years ago that resurfaced recently,' Walliser told his followers.

'The tone in these emails was dismissive and curt and that is not OK. In 2019, I didnt have a team around me, it was just myself. I edited every single video. I answered every single email, and I was overwhelmed. But that is not an excuse. Everything lands on me.

'I think the hardest part about all of this is being labeled racist. Im half Chinese and growing up, issues of identity, race and belonging deeply affected me and I would never intend to inflict that onto anybody else.

'But I do understand that reading these emails, people could be upset, and assume bias, especially given the frequency at which people of color experience being dismissed, and so I take responsibility for my words, irregardless of what my intent was.'

He also apologized to those who felt slighted by him during their interactions on the red carpet.

'I also want to acknowledge peoples concerns that they were mistreated or felt dismissed or treated less than on the red carpet,' he added.

'Live events move really fast and I would never want someone to come see me and leave feeling that way. But I do understand that it could happen and it did happen and for that I am sorry.

'Id like to think that I have grown a lot in the past seven years and I always want to treat everybody with respect that they deserve, but clearly more could be done and I can do better.

'And so thats a thing that I want to focus on improving and just working towards being better.

'These are just some thoughts that have been weighing on me that I wanted to share. Thanks for watching.'
A woman who had the hair ripped from her scalp in a workplace accident has revealed that her children now struggle to recognise her.

Anna Rachfal, 29, who lives in Coventry, used to be proud of her luscious, long blonde locks.

To keep them safe while working as a factory machine operator, she'd tie them up securely in a high ponytail.

Until one day in September 2019, when her locks were ripped out of her head in a terrifying accident.

'One of the machines had broken down and as I turned to see what was wrong, I felt something tugging on my hair,' she said.

'In sheer horror, I realised the end of my ponytail had got caught in a rotating drill. And the off switch was out of reach.

'I screamed for help, but nobody could hear me. Before I passed out from the pain, I heard a horrible ripping noise. It was my scalp  and my lovely hair  being torn away.'

Anna moved to the UK from Poland in July 2018 after meeting partner Rad, 37, and thanks to her stable job, too, felt like everything was going perfectly.

But after regaining consciousness following the horrific incident, it quickly became clear how much her life was about to change.

Former factory worker Anna Rachfal, 29, who lives in Coventry, had her hair ripped out in a horrific workplace accident

The 29-year-old, who is originally from Poland, was working as a factory machine operator when the accident occurred

Anna said: 'I was surrounded by my coworkers, who I kept apologising to.

'I wiped the blood from my eyes and was surprised when I spotted police cars, as well as an ambulance, outside.

'Then I felt an excruciating pain in my neck. In the hospital, I was told I needed emergency surgery. Everything was such a blur and I had no idea what was going on.'

Her mother, Izabela, 57, brother, Paul, 35 and sister, Iga, 32, arrived to give their support.

Paul said: 'You're still beautiful to us', which only confused Anna more, since she was still unaware of her injuries.

When she woke up from surgery, her new reality was made clear.

She said: 'I was told that I lost all the skin, muscles and hair on my head, as well as both my eyebrows and one of my ears.

'The doctors told me I was lucky I hadn't lost my entire face  or even life. I was absolutely horrified, as I looked like a monster.'

A machine broke down and Anna's hair, which was in a ponytail at the time, got stuck in a rotating drill

The mother-of-two said that, following the horrifying accident, her children struggled to recognise her

Anna's hair will never grow back naturally, she has been told, which has led her to purchase wigs

Pictured: Anna, her partner Rad, and their two children Eliza (pictured left) and Robert (pictured right)

Over the next two months, she received extensive skin grafts to reconstruct her scalp.

Sadly, no amount of surgery was able to save Anna from this living nightmare.

She dealt with hearing loss, dizziness, 'agonising' nerve pain, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder.

The sight of machinery, even kitchen equipment, would trigger panic attacks.

And due to the loss of her hair, Anna felt as though her femininity was stripped. She said: 'I felt like less of a woman.

'My hair would never grow back naturally and as I had no tissue on my head, I couldn't even get a transplant.

'I found a specialist wig shop online through another girl who had been through a similar accident.

'While they helped, I was still painfully self-conscious; I'd spend hours getting ready, even just to pop to the shops.

The mother-of-two said that her painful injuries make her unable to be the best mother she could be

Following the accident, Anna has gone on to tie the knot with Rad - the pair have two children

'Children would stare at my scars, while adults asked what happened.'

An investigation was carried out on her employer, P&D Engineering LTD, which found a failure to install a guard on the drill.

In August 2021, they were fined 62,334.

Despite the payout, there was no closure, as Anna was fired immediately afterwards.

She approached Osbornes Law and pursued a civil suit against the insurance company that insured her place of work.

In April 2025, Anna received an undisclosed seven-figure settlement sum.

She's now gone on to tie the knot with Rad, and the pair have two children, Robert, two, and Eliza, seven months.

But her battle is far from over. She said: 'I have to deal with the consequences forever.

'It's upsetting that my injuries make me unable to be the best mother I could be.

'And sometimes, when I change my wigs, my kids fail to recognise me, which breaks my heart.

'No amount of money will give me back the last six years of my life  or my future that has been ruined by this accident.

'But I'm determined to hold my head up high and share my story. I'll wear my scars with pride.'
Kaitlan Collins attended the Grammy Awards on Sunday night with a mystery man by her side - sparking speculation about her love life.

The CNN anchor, 33, attended the music awards in Los Angeles alongside photographer Emilio Madrid, with the two snapped looking cozy over the weekend.

The pair were first pictured together at the Pre-Grammy Gala on Saturday, with the handsome photographer donning an olive suit with a red, gold and green patterned tie.

Collins looked equally chic in a strapless black dress with her hair sleek and straight. She seemed at ease with her red-carpet date as they posed for a series of photos together.

At the Grammy Awards the following day, Madrid appeared alongside Collins in several more pictures on the red carpet and candid Instagram snaps.

In one image, posted to Collins' Instagram stories, she and Madrid posed on a rooftop, with the journalist looking stunning in a fitted purple dress by Retrofete with thin straps and rectangular beaded detailing.

She paired the look with a matching leather clutch and silver peep-toe heels, wearing her long, dark hair wavy and flowing over her shoulders before accessorizing further with diamond drop earrings and silver bangles.

Collins also shared a selfie from the ceremony with television agent Ben Levin, as well as Jamie Foxx.

Kaitlan Collins attended the Grammy Awards on Sunday night with a mystery man by her side - sparking frenzied speculation about her love life

Madrid looked dapper in a tux and re-shared a picture from the black-tie event, tagging Collins and writing: 'Music biz interloper.'

The duo also attended an after-party together, with another snap from later in the night, shared by entrepreneur Haley Sacks, showing all three posing on the street.

Neither Madrid nor Collins has revealed the nature of their relationship. The Daily Mail has reached out to CNN representatives for comment.

In 2024, the former White House correspondent was spotted on the exclusive celebrity dating app Raya.

The anchor had a profile on the platform with the tongue-in-cheek description 'Nick Saban was taken,' referring to the married 73-year-old sportscaster.

The TV personality also had five curated photos on her page, many of which had been taken from her Instagram feed.

In one image, she was seen looking glam in a one-shoulder maroon dress, while another picture shows her enjoying an Aperol spritz.

Another snapshot appeared to show the New York-based broadcaster hard at work, holding a microphone and looking very professional.

The CNN anchor, 33, attended the music awards in Los Angeles alongside photographer Emilio Madrid, with the two snapped looking cozy over the weekend

Collins also shared a selfie from the ceremony with television agent Ben Levin

In one image, posted to Collins's Instagram stories, she and Madrid posed on a rooftop, with the journalist looking stunning in a fitted purple dress by Retrofete with thin straps and rectangular beaded detailing

The duo also attended an after party together, with another snap from later in the night, shared by entrepreneur Haley Sacks, showing all three posing on the street

The media personality also revealed her caring side in another candid snap which showed her walking dogs.

It is unknown if she still has a membership to the exclusive dating app, used by celebrities and media personalities.

Collins was previously in a relationship with Will Douglas, a Republican who ran for a seat in Texas' House District 113 in 2020.

He faced off against Democrat Rhetta Bowers and ultimately lost. According to his website, he now works as a pharmacist.

It is not known when the pair's romance came to an end, but they were last posted together in October 2021.
Jenna Bush Hager was visibly overcome with emotion as she reported on Savannah Guthrie's missing mother, Nancy.

It was revealed on Monday morning that the 84-year-old mother of the Today show anchor, 54, was last seen on Saturday night near her home in Tucson, Arizona.

According to officials, aspects of the scene at Nancy's home prompted 'grave concern' and drones, a helicopter, an airplane, search-and-rescue dogs and volunteers are searching the local area.

After Sheinelle Jones read out the phone number for the tip line for the case, Bush Hager said that she hopes people will call in.

'We love Nancy,' she continued. 'I know her personally. And we want to just report, too, that she takes daily medication and she needs them for survival. She's without her medication.'

Ending her sentiments, Bush Hager added: 'We are thinking of our dearest, dearest Savannah and her whole family right now, and our prayers go out to Savannah and her entire family.'

Co-host Jones also offered her heartfelt thoughts to Guthrie and her family.

She initially broke the story on the Today show alongside Craig Melvin while filling in for Guthrie.

Jenna Bush Hager appeared emotional as she reported on Savannah Guthrie's missing mother

Nancy, 84, was last seen on Saturday night near her home in Tucson, Arizona

'When Craig and I did the story, we first reported this morning and put the phone number up, we can put the number up as many times as we can, I thought this is when we're at our best as a community,' she said.

'The people in this area and in this county, if you know anything, if you've seen anything, no matter how small, we've heard people say that before, this is when people say let's call in and do what we can.'

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said the search for Nancy is still being treated as a search and rescue operation but was unable to rule out the possibility of foul play.

Nancy is described as 5ft 5in, weighing about 150lb, with brown hair and blue eyes.

It is unclear what she may have been wearing at the time of her disappearance.

She is considered a 'vulnerable adult' mostly due to her age and physical mobility issues, deputies said, noting that she does not have any cognitive issues.

Guthrie issued a statement on the news on Monday's episode of the Today show.

'I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers, and messages of support,' she said.

Nancy is considered a 'vulnerable adult' mostly due to her age and physical mobility issues

The search for Nancy is being treated as a search-and-rescue operation

'Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom.

'We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone, anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's office at 520-351-4900.'

Nancy was last seen in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson around 9.45pm MST Saturday night.

The FBI is aware of the case and the US Customs and Border Protection is also assisting.

No further details of the 'concerning evidence' found at Nancy's home have been shared.

'There are some things there that are concerning to us, we just dont want to miss anything,' Nanos said.
When I lay down inside an MRI scanner in late 2021, I wasnt expecting to spark an international argument about my face.

I was just curious about my filler. I knew of the concerns being raised by aesthetic professionals around the world that, in some patients, these fillers hung around for years.

And, after 25 years reporting on cosmetic procedures I wondered what might show up inside my own face?

Ive had more than my fair share of tweakments, including dermal fillers made from hyaluronic acid, the supposedly temporary gel injected to contour the face and replace lost volume as we age.

Until a few years ago, it was understood  by the industry, the practitioners who injected the fillers, and the patients  that these products lasted six to 18 months. That was what the manufacturers data showed.

Over the years, Id have a millilitre here and there, in my lips, cheeks, temples, nose-to-mouth lines. Just enough to counteract the ageing changes that Mother Nature was inflicting on my face.

Although I had a 10ml full-face treatment in early 2018, a so-called liquid facelift which treated my cheeks, chin, jawline, temples and lips. Even after that I looked great  with redefined cheekbones and jawline and plumper lips  and no trout pout, no chipmunk cheeks.

However, when the scan results came back, even Dr Simon Morley, the expert radiologist who analysed the images, was taken aback.

Despite having had no filler injections for almost four years, a scan of Alice Hart-Daviss face showed there was at least 35ml of hyaluronic-acid filler visible throughout. Thats seven teaspoonsful, or a small tube of eye cream, or pretty much a small egg

The MRI images of the filler still in Alices face in 2025 (left) and 2021 (right)

Despite having had no filler injections for almost four years, there was, he estimated, at least 35ml of hyaluronic-acid filler visible throughout my face. Thats seven teaspoonsful, or a small tube of eye cream, or pretty much a small egg.

Surely Id look like a balloon with that much in there? Yet I didnt look overfilled. I looked normal.

When this newspaper first published the story, the reaction was explosive. Some senior practitioners were furious. This is ridiculous, they said. The entire filler industry is built on the premise that these products break down, so patients need regular top-ups. (I know, I replied, but this is what my MRI shows.)

One doctor demanded access to my scan so he could have it analysed independently. At conferences and press events, I began spotting my own MRI images in presentations, usually being used as a warning against filler, often conveniently followed by a pitch for a skin-tightening device or surgery as a preferable alternative.

I became used to my fellow delegates studying my face with unsettling intensity, as if I were some kind of walking medical curiosity.

After a Brazilian news outlet reposted the story, dermatologists there began sharing it widely. I cant read Portuguese, but the gist of their comments was clear enough: Is this true or is she lying?

Some people were convinced Id made the whole thing up. You faked the images! one clinic owner told me. Another approached at a conference, filming me on her phone. Youve had it all dissolved, havent you? she accused. Thats why you look normal. You just wont admit it.

Mostly, I was baffled to be accused of lying. This was an MRI, not some wild theory Id come up with. But it was unnerving. Ive built my reputation  and a business  on trust. I try procedures. I report as I find, to help others make informed choices in this dreadfully unregulated industry. Im not given to making things up.

But many aesthetic practitioners messaged me to say that surprisingly- long-lasting-filler was not news to them. They saw it with their patients.

Readers, though, were horrified. I received hundreds of messages on social media asking... Was I going to have it all dissolved? Had it all migrated? Was there a health issue? Wasnt I worried? Was their own filler going to be with them forever? Surely no surgeon would ever touch me with all this in my face?

Alice was startled by that first scan, but the fact is the filler was still doing exactly what it is meant to do. It was all sitting where it had been placed. It is basically holding her face up and not causing problems

Well, no. However startled I was by that first scan, the fact is that my filler was still doing exactly what it is meant to do. It was all sitting where it had been placed. It is basically holding my face up and not causing problems  so no, I had no wish to get it dissolved.

In fact, I did something that really annoyed my critics  particularly the facial plastic and oculoplastic surgeons who spend a good deal of time dissolving old filler from patients faces before they operate  and had more filler shortly after the scan.

Why on earth would I do that? Because for faces that lose volume with age, filler remains the most effective non-surgical option we have.

Lasers tighten skin. Biostimulator injections such as Sculptra or Julaine boost collagen production. But, at 62, Ive got a face that goes gaunt with age; the ageing process keeps ticking relentlessly forward, and nothing replaces volume or shapes contours quite like filler.

The practitioners who treated me were some of the best in the country, experts who understand anatomy and restraint, and who dont chase trends or overfill. They felt my face would benefit from treatment  and, afterwards, I didnt look bizarre. I just looked fresher.

In the two years after that first MRI, I had just under 16ml of additional filler injected, in my cheeks, temples, lips, chin and jaw. And last year, curiosity got the better of me again.

Had any of the old filler finally gone? Was all the new filler still there? And would it again appear at a greater volume than what had been injected? Back I went into the scanner.

This time, the results were even more startling.

As Dr Morley, analysing my scan, began to explain what he was seeing, I realised I was holding my breath, even though I had a fairly good idea of what he might come out with.

At least 60ml of filler is visible, he said. Sixty? My mind froze for a couple of seconds. Thats an awful lot, I said. So if I know Ive had 16ml of HA fillers, how come they show up as almost double that on a scan? MRI is essentially a way of visualising water, explains Dr Morley. Hyaluronic-acid fillers are hydrophilic. They suck up and bind water. Thats what were seeing.

We need to stop demonising fillers and start putting them into context, especially the idea of migration, says aesthetic doctor Dr Al Mukhtar

In other words, filler inside the body can appear larger than the volume injected because it swells as it draws in water. My impression is, he says, the volume we see on MRI is around two to three times the amount injected.

That doesnt mean the filler is expanding uncontrollably. It means we may have misunderstood how these materials behave once theyre inside living tissue.

Crucially, much of what showed up on my second scan looked similar to the first. A significant amount of original filler is still there. (Ive other injections in the interim, such as the biostimulator Sculptra, but that contains no HA and doesnt show up on an MRI.)

And what about migration? While filler can shift slightly from its injection site (this is most likely to happen if your injector packed too much into a small area, like the lips), the popular fantasy that filler is always going to sashay off from where it was injected is just not true.

One patient asked me if a lump on her collarbone could be migrated nose-filler, says London-based aesthetic specialist Dr Ahmed El Muntasar. No, he reassured her, migration is measured in millimetres, not centimetres.

My MRI was reassuring on that front. Its all where wed expect it to be, says Dr Sophie Shotter, who did my most recent injections, and who referred me for the scan. Nothing has slipped from where it was placed.

The conversation around filler longevity and lymphatic drainage has frightened a lot of people, adds Dr Shotter. My personal view is that filler isnt something to be scared of if its a good product, injected by good practitioners, under proper clinical conditions. Youre a great example of that. You look natural. You look really well.

Theres no denying the rise of filler-phobia in recent years and I feel apologetic that by documenting my face over time, my images have helped fuel that fear. Social media is awash with claims about filler blocking lymphatic drainage or staying forever.

Aesthetic doctor Dr Yusra Al Mukhtar, who has clinics in Liverpool and London, believes weve lost perspective. Fillers are actually a wonderfully cost-effective treatment, she says.

For instance, if you have five syringes of filler injected to balance up your facial proportions, at a cost of 350 per syringe, and they are still with you, helping support your facial architecture many years later (cant say how much later, it changes from person to person)  well its not going to give you the same effect as a 20,000 face lift but it starts to look like good value.

You dont need re-treatment at six months or a year. You only need more when you start to notice changes and your clinician agrees its appropriate.

We need to stop demonising fillers and start putting them into context, especially the idea of migration, says Dr Al Mukhtar. People think filler grows feet and walks around the face. It doesnt. Yes, it can spread locally, and guess what? We can dissolve it.

Im not dismissing the fact that complications can occur. But people deserve informed decisions, not fear-driven ones fuelled by social media.

That said, filler is not risk-free. Im acutely aware that complications can and do happen, even in the best hands, though its a fact that most problems are caused by inexperienced or non-medical operators.

A complication isnt simple bruising or swelling. More serious problems include infection and persistent lumpiness or granulomas, where the body creates a protective wall of tissue around the foreign body of the filler.

Worse still, if filler is inadvertently injected into a blood vessel and blocks it, the surrounding tissue can begin to die, a process known as necrosis. In very rare but devastating cases, that blockage can cause blindness.

Ive had none of these problems. Is that luck? Or is it because Ive always been treated by highly experienced medical practitioners. People who have an intimate understanding of facial anatomy, have treated me appropriately and who, had something gone wrong, would have recognised it immediately and known how to act?

If you have filler in your face and are wondering how long it might be with you for, you might be interested to hear of the latest from Dr Mobin Master.

A radiologist and cosmetic practitioner who, in 2019, was one of the first to flag up the fact that facial fillers could last a lot longer than expected, Dr Master has been studying the area ever since.

His 2024 review of 33 MRI studies paints a clear picture. Every single patient showed evidence of hyaluronic-acid filler on MRI, including many who hadnt had injections for five, ten, even 15 years. Wow.

The midface is the biggest problem, he says. Cheeks, tear troughs, over the cheekbone. The higher the dose and the more frequently its injected, the longer it tends to last. In contrast, filler in the lower face seems more likely to break down naturally over time.

What puzzles many people is that even with my supporting structure of filler in my face, I look pretty normal. Or, if I say so myself, I look pretty good for a 62 year old.

Dr Al Mukhtar points out that if I look fine from the outside, the fact that theres a heap of filler sitting about inside my face is not an issue that needs addressing by a clinician.

I even passed muster with Dr Kami Parsa, an eminent oculoplastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills who is no fan of fillers (he spends a lot of time dissolving HA fillers from beneath the eyes before he operates).

When I saw him using my images in a presentation at a conference in London in autumn 2023, I caught him as he left the stage, to show him what I looked like in real life.

After studying me gravely for a minute or two he said, no, he didnt think I was over-filled (phew) though yes, if a patient like me booked in for surgery with him, he would dissolve everything before he started.

When I updated Dr Parsa on my latest scan, he wasnt surprised at all. We see this pattern often, he says. Hyaluronic-acid fillers have a cumulative effect. They dont simply disappear.

But even he doesnt advocate mass dissolving.

If filler isnt causing functional or aesthetic problems, I wouldnt routinely recommend dissolving it, he says, except if a patient is planning surgery, where residual filler can interfere with outcomes and surgical precision.

What next?

Every practitioner I spoke to for this article stressed that we need more research and data in this area, and all are keen for the filler- manufacturers to step up.

What we really need is funded research, says Dr Shotter. We need proper scientific explanations for why this is happening, not just speculation.

The manufacturers I contacted while writing this article emphasised that filler longevity varies by product, placement and patient, and that clinical studies typically track outcomes for up to 1224 months to meet regulatory requirements.

They also stressed the importance of treatment being carried out by qualified medical professionals with detailed anatomical knowledge.

My scans  and all the others youll see on social media  dont show that filler is dangerous. They show that its persistent and that weve underestimated how long it can be with us.

But still, I refuse to say that filler is a menace. Its a powerful tool and in my own face, it has been working hard in my favour for more years than I had realised.

Though like any powerful tool, it works best when used sparingly, thoughtfully, and by people who know exactly what theyre doing.
Successful AI Pilot to Support Tax Arrears Collection

The Government has successfully completed a pilot artificial intelligence (AI) solution designed to support the tax administration work of the Central Arrears Unit (CAU).

As explained in Parliament (1st December 2025, afternoon Session) by the Minister for Justice Trade and Industry, Nigel Feetham KC MP, efforts to recruit additional staff in this area of the public sector have had limited success, despite the critical importance of the work undertaken by the CAU.

As further explained by Minister Feetham, in response, and recognising the need to address the challenge of tax arrears, a review of work methodologies within the Central Arrears Unit has been ongoing, with a focus on identifying alternative ways to improve productivity and efficiency. As part of this work, the Ministry has tested a pilot AI capability developed in-house called Tax Agent, specifically designed to assist with arrears management and case progression.

The pilot focused on supporting officers by automating manual and repetitive processes, enabling staff to concentrate on more complex and higher-value tasks. The pilot has now been completed and has demonstrated clear efficiency gains, highlighting how technology can be used to support frontline public servants where human resource constraints persist.

Commenting on the pilot, Minister Feetham said: AI is intended to support public sector staff by providing them with additional tools. This pilot forms part of a broader approach to ensuring that this vital area of government administration responsible for tax collection benefits from meaningful efficiency gains.

The findings from the pilot will now inform the next phase of development and potential deployment within the Central Arrears Unit.
For the first 18 months of her life, Doron Wolfberg's daughter, Talia, seemed like any other baby.

She was developing perfectly well - learning to talk, walk and hit all of her milestones.

But Wolfberg was left scrambling for answers when the toddler suddenly lost most of her verbal and motor skills.

The frantic father rushed her to the emergency room but doctors dismissed him, telling him that he and his wife were just being 'over worried.'

Months passed as his daughter worsened before she was finally diagnosed with a rare condition called Rett syndrome.

Now, Wolfberg has laid bare his daughter's lengthy health journey exclusively with the Daily Mail, as he recalled his horror upon watching his seemingly normal baby regress so quickly.

Wolfberg, 41, explained that they first realized something was wrong with their daughter when they were at the mall and she had a 'huge tantrum' unlike anything they had seen before.

'She suddenly started to cry uncontrollably to the point where it was difficult to hold her in our arms as she was crying so hard, moving from side to side and biting our hands,' he recalled.

Doron Wolfberg (second from left) has laid bare his daughter Talia's (center) lengthy health battle

He explained that for the first 18 months Talia, seen here before her diagnosis, developed perfectly normal; she learned to walk and talk and hit all of her milestones

'She finally calmed down when we got into the car seat and she fell asleep.'

Horrified by the seemingly out-of-nowhere outburst, Wolfberg and his wife felt deep down that something was wrong, so they decided to take Talia to the emergency room.

But the doctors 'did not find anything wrong with her' and quickly sent them on their way.

'Doctors assumed it was just a tantrum and that we are just over worried,' Wolfberg explained.

But in the next few days Talia had more 'hour-long tantrums.' She also started developing other symptoms.

'She became chronically constipated, started to put her hands in her mouth all the time and would not use her hands for anything else,' shared Wolfberg.

'She stopped looking at us and smiling, she started losing her balance often and she was always irritated.'

Wolfberg said 'things changed very fast' and it felt like each day that passed she was getting worse.

But Wolfberg was left scrambling for answers when the toddler suddenly lost most of her verbal and motor skills. She's seen before the regression

After a length and exhausting process Talia, now five, was diagnosed with Rett syndrome in October 2022, a 'rare genetic neurological disorder that affects the way the brain develops'

'It took us some time to understand these are all connected somehow to something bigger happening to Talia,' he added.

About seven weeks after the first ER visit Wolfberg and his wife decided to go back to the hospital and 'insisted' doctors check her further.

'She stayed in the hospital for a week and underwent nearly every possible test,' Wolfberg said.

'When everything came back negative, the neurologist said she had autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but recommended genetic testing.

'We didn't believe it was ASD. We couldn't find any cases where autism involved a sudden regression, and the loss of motor abilities didn't fit that explanation either.'

They ultimately decided to get genetic testing for their daughter but that process took another six months.

After a length and exhausting process Talia was diagnosed with Rett syndrome in October 2022, a 'rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder that affects the way the brain develops,' per Mayo Clinic.

Wolfberg explained that they are now in the process of trying to get their insurance company to approve the first FDA-approved treatment for Rett syndrome. Talia is seen recently

Talia, who is now five, is 'doing great' and the family feels 'hopeful,' Wolfberg said. She's seen center in her mom's lap with her siblings and father

'It was absolutely heart-wrenching,' Wolfberg recalled of getting the news. 'I just broke into tears.

'It was the type of deep sadness you feel when losing something very precious. After a week or so, however, that feeling slowly started to pass as we [tried to] focus on [being in] the current moment.

'It was also a big relief [in a way] because we now knew what she had and were also able to meet other Rett parents and had a new network of emotional support and knowledge-base to deal with Rett.'

Wolfberg explained that they are now in the process of trying to get their insurance company to approve the first FDA-approved treatment for Rett syndrome, which was was made available in March 2023.

Talia, who is now five, is 'doing great' and the family feels 'hopeful,' Wolfberg said.

'She is a true angel and a fighter who does not give up,' gushed the father. 'She works hard with many different therapies, from speech therapy to various types of physiotherapy.

'While she can't speak words she can communicate with certain vocal noises she makes or with her eyes and hands.

'She can also communicate using yes/no cards and other visual choice cards to pick games, foods and more.'
Chappell Roan left very little to imagination as she hit the Grammys 2026 red carpet in a risque topless look.

The awards show is being held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 1, and is set to celebrate the year's best in music.

Roan, 27, dared to bare as she arrived at the event wearing a see-through, burgundy mesh gown that hung off of her nipple piercings.

She originally covered up with a shawl draped over her chest area, but as she posed for photographers she removed the piece of fabric, leaving her breasts on full display.

She paired the racy dress with some black thong underpants, a gold choker and strappy black heels.

The sultry number contained a sweeping back and long flowing skirt that draped on the floor behind her.

Roan - who is up for Best Pop Solo Performance and Record of the Year at the ceremony - wrapped up the bold look with heavy eye makeup and an ombre red lip.

The Grammys is being hosted by comedian Trevor Noah, and will feature a slew of performances from stars like Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars.

Chappell Roan left very little to imagination as she hit the Grammys2026 red carpet in a risque topless look

Roan, 27, dared to bare as she arrived at the event wearing a see-through, burgundy mesh gown that hung off of her nipple piercings

Artists like Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter nominated for Album of the Year, while hitmakers like Addison Rae and Lola Young are up for Best New Artist.

This year's hit songs, such as Doechii's Anxiety and Wildflower by Billie Eilish are nominated for Song of the Year, among others.

While chatting with Zuri Hall on the Grammys red carpet, Roan admitted that she was a bit 'overstimulated.'

'People are just filming you and you dont know what youre doing with it. This part is the hardest of the whole night for me,' she said.

But the Pink Pony Club songstress added that she was 'feeling good' despite her nerves.

'Im not performing this year, so this is a piece of cake,' she added.

At the 2024 MTV VMAs, she famously clashed with a photographer who shouted 'shut the f**k up' by snapping back, 'You shut the f**k up - not me, b**ch.'

Then, at the the premiere of Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour, the star confronted the photographer and accused him of being 'disrespectful' toward her at the Grammys.

She originally covered up with a shawl draped over her chest area, but as she posed for photographers she removed the piece of fabric, leaving her breasts on full display

The sultry number contained a sweeping back and long flowing skirt that draped on the floor behind her

'You were so rude to me,' she told him. 'And I deserve an apology for that. You need to apologize to me.'

In order to prevent a scene from the Grammy winner at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in November, a red-carpet attendant cautioned photographers to tread carefully before Roan's appearance.

'OK, Chappell's coming. No one yell at her or she will leave,' the woman can be heard saying in a video. 'Be quiet, be nice, smiley.'

Some photographers laughed at the instruction, but it appeared to have its intended effect.

When Roan stepped onto the carpet rocking, she was greeted with an unusually calm and respectful press line.
It's no secret that Marks & Spencer has become cool, but just how did fashion bosses manage to execute such an impressive rebrand?

Taking a leaf out of Aldi and Lidl's books, the retailer appears to be drawing heavy inspiration from other labels to create its new and trending items.

Unlike the brands that M&S draws inspiration from, the pieces attracting shoppers are a fraction of the cost of the designer versions.

For instance, 56 chocolate brown penny loafers which have sent shoppers into a frenzy after going viral on TikTok, are a dead ringer for Yves Saint Laurent's 935 pair.

With their similar soft suede material and ruched side detailing, the shoes are almost indistinguishable, except, of course, for the 879 price difference.

In an incredible turnaround, M&S is now worlds away from the days when the retailer's own CEO admitted their clothing was associated with a certain frumpiness.

Today, it serves as a prime example of how to meet consumer needs by accommodating the demand for newness with standout pieces and wardrobe builders.

Clothes from M&S are all the rage these days - but perhaps the retailer's success has much to do with designs from other brands

Other remarkable examples of M&S looking to other, high-end brands include its 130 Waxed Pure Cotton Utility Jacket, which bears a striking resemblance to Barbour's 299 Catton Waxed Jacket.

Then there's the brand's take on Kim Kardashian's Skims ribbed loungewear set, which retails at 120.

While M&S's pair is similarly loose-fitting, soft, and versatile, it retails at just 20 and comes in six different shades, unsurprisingly leading to mass hysteria online, with shoppers telling others to 'run' to get a pair.

While the British retailer has long been known for its lingerie department, its new, big makeover sets it apart from the practical old days.

Now, styles adopted by M&S resemble items you'd expect to browse in Agent Provocateur or Pour Moi.

It's not just clothes and underwear; other departments also appear to have created dupes from leading brands, including homeware.

Anthropologie's 159 Theodora Embroidered Quilted Bedspread, for instance, can be shopped on a budget with M&S's Pure Cotton Suzani Bedding Set, which sells for between 25 and 55 depending on the desired size.

The perfume department may also be borrowing scents, given that the brand's 16 Blush is said to smell a lot like Jo Malone's 122 English Pear & Freesia Cologne.

It's not just the fashion department, but also homeware - with a selection of designs resembling items from other brands for a fraction of the price

Yves Saint Laurent's 935 penny loafers look strikingly similar to M&S's pair, which costs just 56

M&S has catered to Ganni lovers on a budget by creating a take on the brand's 235 leopard-print jeans

The perfume department also appears to be taking notes from elsewhere, including the beloved Jo Malone

Now, while the brand hasn't alienated its core base, there is the addition of unmistakably on-trend items lining the racks to tempt both younger buyers and millennial women who are very much invested in looking good - as well as celebrity collaborations with the likes of Sienna Miller and former Made in Chelsea star Binky Felstead.

So, just how did M&S pull it all off? The answer lies largely with Maddy Evans, the former fashion director of Topshop, who was hired in 2019 as head of buying and promoted to director of womenswear in 2022.

Her presence has helped M&S fill the crucial gap left by what was one of the high street's popular brands by offering must-have pieces such as a faux croc leather trenchcoat that is rapidly selling out and being re-stocked.

It's also adopted a faster fashion approach, meaning new items can move from the drawing board to the shelf in as little as a month - enabling the retailer to react to demand and the newest trends.

Speaking previously to the Daily Mail, Ms Evans said: 'We're pleased to see womenswear achieve its highest ever style rankings, particularly with the 35-54 customer - a clear sign our focus is landing and our ranges are resonating with more people more often.

'It's important that we keep up momentum so this season we're supercharging newness across the board: from dresses and partywear through to denim, knitwear and outerwear. We're investing in fabrics, silhouettes and trend-led pieces our customers want; while still delivering the value they trust us for.'
A vascular surgeon has issued a blunt warning that spider veins are often a sign of something far more serious - especially in our 30s and 40s.

Dr Rema Malik, a Houston-based vascular surgeon and health educator, has sparked discussion online after laying out the 'medical hills' she says she will die on when it comes to circulation, spider veins and so-called restless legs.

The specialist, who treats serious circulatory and venous conditions and regularly shares education with her 95,000 Instagram followers, says far too many people - particularly women in their 30s and 40s - are being dismissed, misdiagnosed or sold false fixes.

One of Dr Malik's strongest warnings is about spider veins - the thin, web-like veins that appear close to the surface of the skin and are often brushed off as a cosmetic nuisance.

'Spider veins are not just cosmetic,' she said.

'They are often the tip of the iceberg for underlying disease.'

Medically known as telangiectasias, spider veins are typically fed by larger veins beneath the skin, called reticular veins, and are frequently linked to chronic venous insufficiency.

This is a condition where faulty vein valves allow blood to pool in the legs rather than flow back to the heart.

US vascular surgeon, Dr Rema Malik (pictured), has issued a blunt warning that spider veins are often a sign of something far more serious - especially in our 30s and 40s

According to medical literature, when these deeper veins become damaged or overloaded, excess blood pressure can force smaller surface veins to dilate, creating the spider-like patterns many people notice on their thighs or calves.

Treating the visible veins alone, Dr Malik warns, can be dangerous.

Without identifying and treating the underlying venous problem, which is often done via ultrasound, spider veins can rapidly return, while more serious disease progresses unnoticed.

Compression socks are often recommended for aching legs, swelling or visible veins, but Dr Malik says they're widely misunderstood, stressing they're a tool, not a cure.

'They manage symptoms; they do not fix broken valves,' she added.

Venous reflux occurs when the one-way valves inside leg veins fail, allowing blood to flow backwards and pool.

While compression can help reduce discomfort and swelling, it cannot repair mechanical valve failure.

Perhaps her most confronting claim involves restless legs syndrome, a condition often blamed on magnesium deficiency, stress or ageing.

One of Dr Malik's strongest warnings is about spider veins - the thin, web-like veins that appear close to the surface of the skin and are often brushed off as a cosmetic nuisance

'Eighty per cent of the time, it's not magnesium deficiency, it's vein disease,' she stressed, noting that patients should seek out answers via an ultrasound for peace of mind.

The comment struck a nerve online, with followers sharing deeply personal stories.

'My husband has restless legs, and it worries me,' one wrote.

'When I worked as a therapist and hospice social worker, I had MANY patients say they considered suicide because of their restless legs. This is why we need to treat the whole body,' another added.

Medical research supports the link, with several studies finding a strong association between restless legs symptoms and venous insufficiency, with symptoms improving significantly once venous disease is treated.

Without identifying and treating the underlying venous problem, which is often done via ultrasound, spider veins can rapidly return, while more serious disease progresses unnoticed

Contrary to what many may think, Dr Malik confirmed that leg pain isn't just a side effect of ageing and is something that is often ignored or brushed over.

'If your doctor tells you that, find a new doctor,' she wrote.

Chronic aching, heaviness, throbbing or night-time discomfort in the legs, particularly after standing, are classic symptoms of venous disease, not something to be accepted as inevitable.

'Go to the doctor! I spent years just marking it up to old age, just to wind up with three stents in one leg and one in the other,' a follower shared.

Dr Malik also took aim at supplements and topical treatments marketed as vein fixes too, reminding her followers that no pills, teas or creams can repair a mechanical valve failure.

While some supplements may help circulation or inflammation, there is no evidence they can reverse damaged vein valves - a structural problem that often requires medical intervention.

'I think I have these developing on my outer right thigh and it's distressing. I didn't think this happened in your 30s,' one follower wrote.

With spider veins, restless legs and persistent leg pain, her advice is simple: don't normalise pain, don't self-diagnose, and don't settle for surface-level treatment.

If your legs are trying to tell you something, she says, it's worth listening.
Chinese car giant Chery is opening a new European headquarters in the UK in its latest move to dominate the British market.

The new centre in Liverpool will support research, engineering and commercial development for Chery Commercial Vehicles (CCV) as the Wuhu-based manufacturer looks to expand its European van business.

Focused specifically on research and development, the site isn't expected to build any vehicles with production retained in its home nation.

Liverpool City Council called the headquarters 'one of the most significant projects' for the city's manufacturing in recent years, with Labour Council Leader Liam Robinson describing it as 'a huge opportunity', stating that it will 'bring some great, high-skilled, well-paid jobs to the city'.

It follows reports that Chery is looking to utilise spare capacity at a JLR (formerly Jaguar Land Rover) factories to build its cars in the UK - something the government is reportedly pushing for.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is currently in China with representatives from JLR who are set to meet with Chery during the Prime Minister's three-day trip.

JLR and Chery have refused to comment on the deal.

Chinese car giant Chery is opening a European headquarter in the UK which will be located in Liverpool

Chery is the latest Chinese car maker to have opened facilities in the UK, following in the path of Geely - owner of Volvo, Polestar and Lotus - which set up a R&D base in Coventry back in 2018.

The Liverpool Echo reported that the R&D centre will enable Chery to use a UK supply chain and that hundreds of jobs will be created.

The location of the site or its opening date have yet to be confirmed.

It's expected that Chery will use a JLR site with 'undercapacity' in the near future to expand its own brand of cars in the UK.

Sources close to JLR and Chery told the Financial Times the UK has been actively courting Chery to make its vehicles in Britain for the last few years.

JLR and Chery have been in partnership since their first joint venture back in 2012.

The Liverpool Echo has reported that the R&D centre will enable Chery to use a UK supply chain and that hundreds of jobs will be created

The most recent deal between the two, announced in June 2024, saw JLR agreed to license its Freelander brand to Chery to develop electric vehicles using the Chinese groups platform.

The move to create a UK-based partnership between Chery and JLR is part of the government's efforts to fix the UK's vehicle production, with outputs falling to a 73-year low last year to 760,000 units.

This is less than half the volume recorded in 2015 (almost 1.6 million).

Such a deal would be vital for the government to achieve its target of 1.3 million vehicles produced annually, reports have claimed.

The Daily Mail and This is Money reached out to both Chery and JLR.

Both provided a no comment response.
Do not despair if you are one of the striving workers revealed to be worst hit by the Chancellors Budget stealth tax raid.

The extended freeze on income tax rates until 2031 is going to drag millions more people into higher tax bands, but there are ways to protect your hard-earned money and slash your tax bill.

New analysis of Chancellor Rachel Reevess big tax-raising measure last autumn found workers earning 48,000 a year  police officers, senior teachers and nurses among them  will be stung for an extra 603.50 a year.

People with this income will be the biggest victims of the tax hike, paying even more than those on higher incomes.

People earning 46,000 a year will pay an extra 410.46 a year by the time the freeze ends in five years.

But meanwhile a top earner on 150,000 will pay only an extra 393.59, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Median gross annual wages for full-time employees were 39,039 in April 2025, according to official figures

The more of your income that is charged at a higher rate, the more tax you will pay

Median gross annual wages for full-time employees were 39,039 in April 2025, according to official figures.

So what are your options if you are set to be among the hard workers who are worst-hit  slightly ahead of the curve when it comes to pay, but by no means one of those with the broadest shoulders in our country?

HOW TO CUT YOUR TAX BILL

The highest rate of income tax you pay will depend on your earnings and the tax band you fall into.

The official tax rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are 20 per cent, 40 per cent and 45 per cent. (Scotland has different rates of 19, 20, 21, 42, 45 and 48 per cent).

These are charged above the personal allowance of 12,570, which is the amount of income people can earn tax-free.

The more of your income that is charged at a higher rate, the more tax you will pay. So, to cut your bill, the key is to reduce the amount that you pay at higher rates where you can. Heres how to do it...

Use salary sacrifice

This nifty scheme is invaluable to making it appear as if you earn less  thus reducing the amount you earn at a higher tax rate  but without cutting your income.

Contributions under popular salary-sacrifice schemes are going to be capped at 2,000 each year, but not until April 2029.

Therefore, if your employer offers one of these schemes it is still worth signing up.

The system allows workers to take a supposed pay cut, but that money goes into your pension instead (or you can use it towards other benefits such as childcare).

You dont lose the money, but as salaries are lower both staff and their employers save on National Insurance.

For example, if you earn just over 50,270  which is the level that you start to pay 40 per cent income tax  you could salary sacrifice some of your earnings to get you below that threshold. That will mean none of your salary is taxed at 40 per cent, but you will not lose any income.

This scheme is particularly beneficial for taxpayers who would otherwise lose certain benefits when their salary exceeds a certain threshold.

For example, child benefit is tapered down when someone in a household earns between 60,000 and 80,000.

If a parent earns more than 60,000, they could use salary sacrifice to reduce their salary so that they do not lose eligibility for child benefit.

The personal allowance of 12,570 also starts to be tapered away if your salary is 100,000 and is gone entirely at 125,140. Workers in this position can use salary sacrifice to get their incomes below these thresholds so they hold on to more of their personal allowance.

Paying into a pension

Putting extra into your pension reduces your pay and therefore your tax burden. Of course, for many workers this is easier said than done as you may well need the cash now and cannot afford to stash it away in a pension where you cant touch it until you reach the age of 55 (or 57 from 2028).

However, if you can afford to pay more into your pension it can keep you below income tax thresholds, and boost your retirement fund as well.

How much tax will you pay? The personal allowance means most will not pay any tax on the first 12,570

Basic rate income tax at 20 per cent is then paid between 12,571 and 50,270 Higher rate income tax at 40 per cent rate is paid between 50,271 and 125,140 Additional rate income tax at 45 per cent is paid on income above 125,141 The amount of tax you pay will depend on how much income falls within each tax band. You wont pay income tax at the same rate on all your income, but rather on the amount in each bracket. Not everyone gets a personal allowance, though. For those who earn more than 100,000, the personal allowance is reduced by 1 for every 2 earned over the limit, until it is removed entirely at 125,140.

Paying in more gets you extra tax relief, which is a big incentive for paying into a pension. For example, pension savers get an uplift to money they pay in to take them back to the position before tax, turning every 80 into 100 if you are a basic-rate taxpayer.

Higher rate taxpayers only need to put in 60, while additional rate taxpayers pay in just 55 to get to 100.

If your employer matches higher contributions you will get more free money from them too.

One tip is to increase pension payments every time you get a pay rise, using up at least some of the extra money before you have time to get used to spending it. Doing this is especially valuable if you are close to paying a higher rate of income tax.

Claim the marriage allowance

This is a handy perk for spouses and those in a civil partnership, if you are eligible. You can get up to 252 a year back, and you can backdate for the four previous years. See https://www.gov.uk/marriage-allowance.

One partner must be a basic rate taxpayer, so on 50,270 or less a year, and the other earning less than the personal allowance, which is 12,570.

Marriage allowance lets you transfer 1,260 of your personal allowance to your husband, wife or civil partner. If both partners have no income other than their monthly wages, then the person who earns the least should make the claim. You can apply online at www.gov.uk/apply-marriage-allowance

Putting more into your pensions to stay below these thresholds allows you to carry on using the marriage allowance for longer.
For Jersey Oil & Gas, the recent reset of the UK fiscal framework does more than tidy up an awkward policy legacy.

It materially improves the odds that its flagship Buchan redevelopment finally makes the jump from paper studies to steel in the water.

What distinguishes Jersey from many AIM-listed explorers is how narrow and advanced its focus has become.

Buchan is not a speculative frontier prospect. It is a previously producing North Sea field, discovered decades ago, with well-defined reservoirs and a development concept built around modern subsea and drilling techniques rather than heroic engineering.

In oil and gas terms, this is about as de-risked as an undeveloped asset gets.

Missing ingredient

The missing ingredient has been confidence. Offshore projects demand large upfront capital and long payback periods. When the Energy Profits Levy was introduced and then repeatedly adjusted, the industrys problem was not the headline rate but the absence of a credible endpoint.

Investors could not tell whether the tax regime in place at sanction would bear any resemblance to the one in force when production began. For a company of Jerseys size, that uncertainty shut down funding discussions before they properly began.

Cavendishs recent analysis puts numbers around why the new regime changes the picture. Under the current rules, capital invested before the end of the levy in March 2030 attracts tax offsets of 84.25 per cent for tax-paying companies. In practice, that means the after-tax cost of development spending is extraordinarily low by international standards.

The North Sea Buchan development's first production is likely to fall into the post-levy period

Cavendish argues that an optimal development for Buchan would deliberately lean into this window, maximising spend while relief is highest, then bringing production on stream after 2030 when only the permanent 40 per cent tax rate applies.

Timing matters here, and Buchans long-cycle nature works in Jerseys favour. Even on an efficient schedule, first production is likely to fall into the post-levy period.

Maximum relief

That places costs into the period of maximum relief and revenues into a lower and more predictable tax environment. It is hard to design a more attractive fiscal profile for a capital-intensive redevelopment.

There is also a balance sheet dimension that deserves attention. Having successfully farmed out the Buchan development, retaining a significant 20 per cent carried interest through to first oil, at the end of 2024, Jersey cut its annual cash costs in half to about 1.5 million and had 11 million of cash at the end of 2025.

That gives the company time to see the project progress without the pressure of near-term fundraising. Additionally, on approval of a final development plan, Jersey is due a further 15 million ($20 million) in cash payments from its joint venture partners, NEO Energy and Serica Energy.

Full carry

That full carry is central to Jerseys ability to reach production without repeated equity dilution. It means the bulk of development capital is provided by larger partners with operating scale, while Jersey retains its economic interest. Cavendish also points out that the company holds more than 100 million of UK tax losses, which can be used most effectively once the tax rate falls back to 40 per cent after 2030, further improving project economics.

Operational work continues in parallel. An addendum to the Buchan environmental impact assessment is being prepared to reflect updated guidance on Scope 3 emissions and to set out the socio-economic benefits of the project.

At the same time, value engineering is focused on drilling and subsea infrastructure, with the aim of reducing capital intensity without undermining recoveries. These are the practical steps that move a project from concept towards sanction.

The joint venture backdrop has also improved. Both NEO Energy and Serica expanded their UK North Sea portfolios during 2025 through acquisitions, underlining their commitment to the basin. Cavendish sees their continued engagement on Buchan as encouraging, particularly given the projects role as a potential source of medium-term growth.

Execution risk?

None of this removes execution risk. Offshore developments are complex, and Jerseys valuation will continue to reflect the long wait for cash flow. But the nature of the proposition has changed. Investors are no longer being asked to take a view on shifting fiscal policy.

They are being asked whether a small, financially disciplined company, with a carried interest in a known field and committed partners, can deliver a sanctioned development.

That is a much clearer test. And for Jersey Oil & Gas, clarity itself may turn out to be the most valuable asset on the balance sheet.

For all your breaking mid- and small-cap news, go to www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk
Crayola has said it will invest millions of pounds in a bid to double its business in the UK and Ireland.

The crayon maker said it has a three-year plan to launch new products and marketing campaigns, as well as prioritise direct distribution to retailers.

The group, which is a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, opened a new UK office in Woking, Surrey this month - creating 23 jobs.

UK and Ireland manager Danny Cowtan said there would be a 'total brand re-awakening' as it looks to appeal to families looking for screen-free activities.

Crayola is best-known for its crayons and markers - which make up to 45% of global sales

He said: Crayola wants to help reignite Britain's creative spark. We're bringing fresh energy, exciting innovation, and real support to parents, teachers, and kids who are hungry to create. This isn't just business as usual; it's a total brand re-awakening.

The multimillion-pound investment in 2026 is set to be repeated in 2027 and 2028 under the Philadelphia-based firm's strategy.

Chief executive Pete Ruggiero said the group was innovating to keep up with consumers who are in tune with technology.

Consumers, parents and teachers are mindful of the fact that creativity is important... and we're seeing an increase, actually, in consumption because of that fact, he said.

At the same time, we also embrace the fact that screen time is important.

The business began 140 years ago in Pennsylvania when Edwin Binney and Harold Smith started producing industrial colour pigments together. They created their first box of eight crayons in 1903 and now make around three billion crayons a year.

Crayons, coloured pencils and markers form about 40pc to 45pc of the global business, which also sells toys, animated content, digital and live experiences.
Hertfordshire has been branded the worst place in Britain for 'porch pirates'.

Since 2023, there have been 1,688 parcel thefts from outside people's homes reported to the police in the area.

Many incidents will go unreported, meaning the true figure could be far higher.

With an average of 563 parcel thefts reported each year in Hertfordshire, the county's police force issued a warning to local residents about the problem and how to tackle it in December via a local newspaper.

Across Leicestershire, there were 1,410 doorstep parcel thefts reported to the police between 2023 to 2025, equating to around 470 a year. This made it the place with the second-highest number of porch piracy incidents.

However, some counties refused to report the data, which was obtained via a Freedom of Information request by shipping firm Pack & Send.

Residents is Essex need to be careful, too. The county was dubbed the second worst location in Britain for doorstep parcel thefts

Pinched: Hertfordshire has been branded the worst hotspot in Britain for 'porch piracy'

Police in Essex said around 844,250 worth of parcel contents had been stolen between 2023 and 2025, adding that in 2025 alone, nearly 16,000 worth of items had been pinched.

Out of the 45 British police forces approached, 23 provided the requested information. Twelve forces also provided a monthly breakdown of incidents reported.

Humberside and Northumbria completed the worst five areas most likely to experience doorstep parcel theft of those that reported, with 799 and 634 incidents respectively in the period.

Police in Northumbria estimated that the value of stolen parcels over the last three years in its vicinity equated to 74,780, or 118 per parcel, on average.

Completing the top ten police forces with the most reports of parcel theft - of those that offered up their data - were North Wales Police, 598, West Mercia Police, 579, South Yorkshire Police, 516, Dyfed-Powys Police, 437, and Lincolnshire Police, with 418 cases reported between 2023 and 2025.

Of all the locations included in the findings, January was found to be the worst month for doorstep parcel thefts, followed by December and October.

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Which locations are safest?

According to the analysis, Derbyshire's police force received the lowest number of parcel thefts during the period, with just two reported in three years.

Again, however, many incidents of parcel theft will go unreported so it is unlikely the real number is so low.

Police in Cleveland also received just three reports of parcel theft in the period, with a total value of 253.

Meanwhile, police in North Yorkshire recorded five doorstep parcel thefts worth 865.

Rounding out the top five least pirated areas was the City of London, with a reported 35 thefts over three years, averaging 12 per year.

Cheshire was the fifth-safest location, with 43 parcels reported stolen, meaning 14 per year on average.

Wiltshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, South Wales and Surrey also made it to the top 10 locations with the lowest number of porch piracy incidents reported to the police.

Know your rights: The first thing to remember is your contract is always with the retailer

Yahya Logde, marketing manager at Pack & Send, said: 'Porch piracy is no longer just a problem during the festive season, as police forces are seeing consistent cases throughout the year and spikes in January in particular.

'Fuelled by post-Christmas sales, returns, delayed deliveries and dark evenings, there are plenty of opportunities for porch pirates to strike.

'Its also expanded beyond big cities to become a nationwide issue, with smaller and more rural areas seeing high levels of doorstep theft.'

Nicole Nyamwiza, a senior lecturer in criminology at The University of Law, said: 'As online shopping has become embedded in routine consumer behaviour, particularly in the years following the pandemic, we are seeing far more parcels left in visible and inherently vulnerable locations.

'This pattern aligns closely with routine activity theory, a foundational criminological theory which proposes that crime occurs when three elements converge: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of capable guardianship. Porch piracy embodies this intersection.'

What are your rights if a parcel is stolen?

It is important to know your rights if a parcel you were expecting gets stolen in transit or from your doorstep.

1. Are you entitled to a refund or replacement?

Dr Jennifer Obaseki, founder of Obaseki Solicitors, says: 'You are normally entitled to a refund or replacement if your parcel is stolen from your doorstep, though it does depend on how the delivery was made.'

She continues: 'Under section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods remain at the seller's risk until they come into your physical possession, or the possession of someone you have specifically nominated to receive them.

'So, if a parcel is left on your doorstep without your explicit permission and is later stolen, delivery has not legally occurred.

Dr Jennifer Obaseki is the founder of Obaseki Solicitors

'Even if the courier takes a photograph showing the parcel outside your home, that does not amount to physical possession.

'In these circumstances, the retailer is legally responsible and must offer either a refund or a replacement. This is a legal right, not a favour.

'Retailers sometimes argue that delivery was "completed" once the parcel reached your address. However, statutory rights cannot be overridden by company terms and conditions. Any clause attempting to transfer the risk to you before lawful delivery is likely unenforceable.'

The Consumer Rights Act places responsibility squarely on the seller, not the courier and not the consumer. If goods are lost or stolen before lawful delivery, the seller is in breach of contract.

2. Should you nominated a 'safe place' for your parcel or deliver to a neighbour?

Many couriers give customers the option to nominate a 'safe place' where the delivery person can leave their parcel if they are not at home - for example, inside a porch or inside a wheelie bin. Some also allow them to nominate a neighbour to take their parcel.

However, it's vital to think twice before doing so, as it can effectively invalidate your rights to a refund or replacement.

Obaseki says: 'If you specify an unsecure "safe place" and your parcel is stolen, you are liable as the firm and courier have followed your instructions.

'If you do not leave instructions and your parcel is stolen, the retailer is legally bound to replace your parcel.'

If you designate a neighbour to take in our parcel, ensure the neighbour is specifically named and make sure they will be available to physically accept the parcel.

3. Does using a credit card for the purchase help?

Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, your credit card provider is jointly liable for purchases between 100 and 30,000 if something goes wrong.

It means that, if the retailer refuses to replace your item or refund you, you could turn to your credit card company and ask them to reimburse you instead.

If you paid via debit card or a credit card, it may also be possible to do a chargeback with your bank.

Scott Dixon, consumer and motoring disputes expert, told This is Money: 'If the retailer refuses a refund and resolves your dispute with missing goods, you can make a chargeback within 120 days with your bank or credit card provider and cite "breach of contract" under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

'Chargebacks are often rejected on the first attempt.

You need to push hard and state that a breach of contract has taken place. This puts the onus on the retailer to prove otherwise.'

He added: 'Its worth mentioning to the retailer that if they do not give you a refund that you are entitled to, you will raise a chargeback instead.'

Obaseki said: 'Digital payment services, such as PayPal, may also offer buyer protection for missing items.'

4. Who should you complain to?

Your contract is always with the retailer  not the courier. It is the retailer's responsibility to make things right, although they may try and shift the blame to the delivery firm.

The retailer must pursue the courier themselves, and can't ask you to do it on its behalf.

'Contact the retailer as soon as possible if your order has been lost, stolen, damaged or delayed,' says Dixon.

Dixon added: 'If your parcel was delivered to a location you did not agree to, for example  it was left with your neighbour without your consent, it is the sellers legal responsibility to resolve the issue.'

5. How can you reduce the risk of parcel theft?

Use video doorbells or security cameras as deterrents and evidence if a parcel theft occurs. Parcel lock boxes or secure delivery bins can also be useful to deter crooks.

When available, timed delivery slots can also be helpful if you can arrange to be at home to receive the parcel. However, not all delivery staff ring the doorbell when they deliver parcels.

Again, if available, use live tracking to keep tabs on your parcel's journey and delivery.
A frustrated Ford Ranger owner is demanding his money back after claiming his $85,000 ute has turned into a 'nightmare lemon' plagued by faults.

Adelaide man Kai Keller bought his brand-new 2022 Next-Gen Ford Ranger Wildtrak so he, his partner and their kelpie Luna could explore Australia's outback.

But instead of adventure, the vehicle has already required five warranty repairs after travelling just 23,500km.

'I've been reaching out to Ford and I haven't really gotten very far with them,' Mr Keller told the Daily Mail.

'I've asked for my money back and they've said they're processing that, but my concern is the car is getting close to three years old, it's done 23,000km, and it's already had five warranty visits.

Mr Keller said the vehicle has required a replacement tail shaft, suffered a Diesel Particulate Filter filter issue, and developed four separate oil leaks since he purchased it a little more than three years ago.

'I've only asked Ford for the purchase price back, that is a bit unfortunate for me because I've spent about $12,000 on accessories,' he said.

'There's no point in asking for a replacement Ranger because I have no faith a new one would do what they say it would.

Kai Keller with his kelpie-cross Luna and their Ford Ranger

Ford market the Ranger as an off-road vehicle

'Ford advertise their car as, 'hey, we're outback, we're four-wheel driving, blah blah blah,' and that's very much why I bought the car. I bought it to go on dirt roads.

'Even driving from Adelaide to Alice Springs, I doubt the car would make it, even on a sealed road.'

Mr Keller also told the Daily Mail his 'nightmare' Ranger astonishingly leaked oil just 100km after the previous oil leak was fixed.

'So if you're more than 100 k's from a Ford dealer, you might not make it back, and then what happens when the warranty runs out?' he said.

He said his biggest fear was that a breakdown in a remote area could quickly become dangerous, forcing drivers to carry extra equipment and technical tools just to feel safe travelling outside major towns.

If I take it off-road, you can be put in a perilous position if it breaks down. Then what are the back-ups that you'll need to have?

'You'll need to have a satellite phone and satellite connection, a scanner to read fault codes, then you start becoming a technician for the car if something goes wrong.

'I have some trepidation about going anywhere outside of urban centres and even if I was in Adelaide going out the Sturt Highway towards the Riverlands and it's a hot day and I got stuck there, and I have the dog in the car, it's not going to be good.

'I didn't buy a car to be a Ford technician. I just bought the car to drive it, but it's had too many issues in the short time I've owned it. You're pretty much just driving a laptop on wheels.'

Mr Keller has demanded Ford refund him the purchase price for the Rander

Mr Keller said he just wants his money back so he can move on with his life.

'We love to get out and about, we love to get outdoors, and this was the car that was supposed to help us do that,' he said.

'The idea was to buy a new car and not have all these issues. Things pop up, I get that, but this is getting ridiculous.

'Ford love showing that their car is quite capable of going off-road, but in my small sample size of one, my car is not capable.

'I want my money back. If Ford gave me another new car, I'd put it on Carsales the following day.'

Mr Keller's concerns follow another case involving Ford Ranger owner Matthew Patruno, who is locked in a court dispute with Ford after claiming his vehicle repeatedly lost power and required multiple services within months of purchase.

The Sydney father of two took the company to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal seeking a refund, but his claim was initially dismissed before being revived on appeal, with the matter now set to be reheard.

Mr Patruno said problems began shortly after he bought the ex-demo 2022 Ranger Raptor in January 2023, despite the vehicle having only 4,000km on the clock.

Ford Ranger owner Matthew Patruno (above) is in a court dispute with the Ford Motor Company

Mr Patruno claims his vehicle (above) was losing power and almost caused an accident, that he had oil issues and has needed to have it serviced three times in ten months

He claimed the ute needed servicing three times in ten months and lodged a complaint after it suddenly lost power in peak-hour traffic, almost causing a crash.

Ford argued there was no defect, saying the Ranger's monitoring system increases servicing requirements under Sydney's 'severe' driving conditions.

Mr Patruno told the Daily Mail two appeal panel members said Ford should warn Sydney drivers that Rangers may experience performance issues in the city's 'severe driving conditions'.

'You would think a vehicle, especially a Ranger, would be able to handle driving in metropolitan centres,' Mr Patruno said.

'It barely goes off-road, the car is not abused. I spent $85,000 on the stupid car.'

Mr Patruno submitted the Ranger was purchased for interstate trips to Fraser Island, Moreton Bay and Cape York, but the vehicle would 'require at least two services' to make it through such a trip.

'Honestly I don't drive it much, I can't drive to Mudgee, I can't drive to Queensland, I traded in a Range Rover Velar, that was perfect, we swapped to meet our family's needs, we wanted to do travel, adventure, but it's been a nightmare,' Mr Patruno said.

'I'm massively disappointed, it's actually heartbreaking, I have a young family, we wanted to do a lot, explore Australia now we can't even drive to Queensland.

'Who would buy a car if they had to get it serviced three times a year, especially a top of-the line Ford Ranger. It's also a safety concern, that car is a deathtrap.'
Government to hold Treaty briefing for Business community on Wednesday 4th February 2026

HM Government of Gibraltar will be holding a Treaty Briefing for the business community at Grand Battery House on Wednesday 4th February at 14:30hrs.

The briefing follows an earlier engagement held last week by the Minister for Business, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, together with the Attorney General, Michael Llamas KC, with the Business Transition Advisory Group. That meeting focused on the position following the conclusion of negotiations on the EUUK Treaty in respect of Gibraltar, with particular emphasis on the transitional arrangements that will apply during the implementation phase.

The forthcoming Town Hall is intended to extend this engagement to the wider business community, providing an opportunity to hear directly from Government on the Treaty, its implications for business, and the preparations underway to support a smooth transition once the agreement comes into force.

The meeting at Grand Battery House is open to anyone from the business community who wishes to attend. Those wishing to attend are asked to register their interest in advance by emailing the Ministry for Business at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, the Minister for Business and the Attorney General will all be present at the briefing and will be available to answer questions from members of the business community.

The Minister for Business, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: Over the past week, Government has moved quickly to brief key stakeholders on the implementation phase of the Treaty. This town hall briefing builds on that work by opening the conversation directly to the wider business community. Businesses rightly want clarity on what comes next, how transition arrangements will work in practice and how Government is preparing for implementation.

I am grateful to the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and the Attorney General, who were all part of Gibraltars negotiating team and instrumental in securing this Treaty, for coming together to address our business community directly. As we move from negotiation into implementation, it is very important that businesses are kept fully informed of developments."
A violent serial abuser who kidnapped and terrorised two women he met on dating apps has been jailed for 16 years after a judge ruled he poses a 'very high risk of serious harm to women'.

Phillip Mensah, 41, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to 11 years in prison with a five-year extended licence after being convicted of multiple serious offences against two separate women.

The court heard that Mensah has 23 previous convictions for a total of 74 offences, many involving violence in a domestic context.

Judge Moore said Mensah's offending showed a long-standing and deeply concerning pattern of coercive, controlling and violent behaviour, warning that if he were released into the community without strict supervision, the risk of serious harm would be 'imminent'.

In relation to the first victim, Mensah was convicted of kidnap, false imprisonment and assault occasioning actual bodily harm following an ordeal in September 2022, just days after they met on the dating app Thursday.

They had known each other for around ten days when Mensah became jealous, possessive and controlling while she was on holiday with friends, accusing her of sleeping with other men and demanding access to her phone.

During one incident, he took her phone to search for evidence of infidelity and, after finding messages between her and a male friend, hurled it at her car window with such force that it smashed. He called her a 'slag' and subjected her to a torrent of vile abuse.

Phillip Mensah, 41, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to 11 years in prison with a five-year extended licence after being convicted of multiple serious offences against two separate women

Later that evening, he again accused her of cheating, forcing her to sit on the sofa while he paced the room, screaming at her.

The court heard Mensah waved a wine glass in her face before striking her with a lighter from a gas fire. He then went into the kitchen, retrieved a knife and began threatening her.

Despite his victim pleading that he was frightening her, he refused to stop. As she shouted in fear, he dragged her into the downstairs bathroom in an attempt to silence her.

While blocking her exit in the bathroom, he placed his hand around her neck, held the knife close to her face and told her: 'I'm going to stick this in your face and carve up that pretty face of yours.'

She told the court that she had to cover her mouth in fear he would cut her, describing herself as 'terrified' as he threatened her son and ex-partner and said he would get others to 'finish her off'.

The ordeal continued for hours as after that Mensah forced her to drive around south London, stopping at various addresses, collecting cash, and intimidating her by suggesting he had a gun and searching for duct tape and a tarpaulin.

At one point, he told her they were going to 'play with the guns', prompting her to ask if he was going to kill her.

Mensah replied: 'I don't know - I haven't decided yet.'

'I absolutely believed he would kill me that day,' she told the court.

In a victim impact statement, she said the attack destroyed her life, leaving her suffering physically, emotionally and mentally.

She now struggles with insomnia, flashbacks, panic attacks and deep depression, including suicidal thoughts, and takes antidepressants.

She was forced to leave the home she had lived in for a decade and move into a council flat. Her son had to move in with his father because she did not feel she could protect him - something she described as her 'biggest heartbreak'.

She reduced her work, cannot use public transport alone, gave up her pets and finds even basic daily tasks 'debilitating'.

Maidstone Crown Court. The court heard that Mensah has 23 previous convictions for a total of 74 offences, many involving violence in a domestic context

Mensah went on to attack a second woman in August 2024, just weeks after his release from prison for a separate offence for trying to drive his car into door staff outside of a club in 2020.

In relation to his second victim, he was convicted of threatening a person with an offensive weapon or bladed article in a private place, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and intentional strangulation.

The pair had been in a relationship for around three weeks after meeting online. The court heard Mensah repeatedly sought reassurance, asking: 'You won't leave me, will you?'

During the attack, while her teenage son slept upstairs, Mensah took her phone, accused her of sleeping with another man, called her a 'whore' and a 'liar', and repeatedly struck her around the head and face.

One blow caused her to fall to the floor feeling dizzy, but he repeatedly shouted at her to get up and threatened to put her into a coma and to attack her mother.

His violence escalated as he strangled her, interrupting her breathing, before going to a knife drawer and holding a blade close to her face, saying he would cut her up and slice her face open.

Fearing for her life and her child's safety, she managed to escape during a brief opportunity and called 999, fleeing to her mother's home.

Sentencing Mensah, Judge Moore said the similarities between the two attacks were 'striking' and demonstrated a repeated pattern of violence driven by jealousy, control and fear of abandonment.

Despite Mensah showing some remorse and completing domestic abuse courses in custody, the judge said it was 'far too little and far too late'.

'You are assessed as posing a high risk to women - a very high risk of serious harm,' Judge Moore said.

'At least 21 previous partners have alleged abuse by you. If you were released into the community, the risk of harm would be imminent and serious.'

Mensah was sentenced to a total of 16 years, comprising 11 years' imprisonment and a five-year extended licence, designed to protect the public upon his eventual release.

One of the victims ended her statement with a message to her attacker, saying: 'I hope my presence here makes you reflect deeply on accountability, responsibility and morality as a human being. I remain stoic in my trust in justice - and I am proud that I have seen this through.'
Brazen crime gangs are posing as legitimate contractors in order to access manholes and steal valuable copper cables without arousing suspicion, security experts have warned.

Last week a man in a high-vis jacket was filmed emerging from a hole in the ground just yards from a police station in central Birmingham after allegedly being caught targeting broadband equipment.

It comes amid a surge in cable thefts fuelled by soaring metal prices which have plunged entire villages into internet black-outs and disrupted rail services.

Experts warn that organised gangs - many of them linked to Eastern European criminals - can earn as much as 10,000 in a single night by ripping out broadband connections and selling them to unscrupulous scrap metal dealers.

The sneaky tactic comes after the Daily Mail revealed how workmen digging up roads were in fact a criminal gang stealing electricity to power Albanian-run cannabis farms producing 21million of illicit drugs.

Just days ago it was revealed that metal thieves are targeting electric vehicle charging points, with more than 400 incidents since 2023.

One cable theft gang which left BT Openreach facing an estimated 1million repair bill was caught with bundles of cash totalling 54,000 when police swooped.

Another criminal who targeted roadside cabinets to steal thousands of pounds worth of equipment had a dressing up box of workmans clothing plus a roadworks sign in the back of his van.

Police bodycam footage captures the moment three men were allegedly caught stealing underground cables - just yards from a police station

Police captured the moment officers surrounded the manhole as one of the suspects climbed up the ladder

Gangs disguised as legitimate contractors are leaving entire communities with no phone or internet connection by stripping out underground copper cables

He was finally arrested after a genuine Virgin Media engineer became suspicious and called the police.

Ryan Powell, group managing director of security firm First Response Group, told the Daily Mail it was a growing problem.

'Cable theft is no longer an opportunistic crime,' he said.

'It has become increasingly organised, driven by rising copper prices and carried out by gangs who often pose as legitimate contractors using vans, high-visibility clothing and fake IDs to operate in plain sight.'

Among communities cut off by cable thefts is a village in Lincolnshire where 2,500 homes and businesses last week lost phone and internet services.

The Openreach cable network in one stretch of rural Cambridgeshire was targeted eight times in the space of a month in 2023.

It prompted police in the county to warn the public to be on the look-out for thieves masquerading as legitimate contractors or bogus roadworks.

According to a report by MPs in 2024, metal theft costs the UK economy 500million a year, with as many as 60 criminal gangs involved in the lucrative illicit trade.

As well as the broadband network, Britains railways are particularly at risk, with an estimated 50 days worth of delays in 2022 blamed on cable theft.

Copper wiring stripped by cable thieves from the empty headquarters of Chinese tech giant Huawei in Reading in August 2023

Stolen copper cables seized from a crime scene by police in Hampshire

Vacant offices are another favoured target - in January 2025, Romanian burglar Alexandru Parole was jailed over the theft of over 2million in copper wiring from the empty headquarters of Chinese tech giant Huawei in Reading.

In 2024, a gang which travelled in 4x4s with false registration plates and accessed manhole covers to steal BT Openreach cables was jailed for a total of 14 years.

Billy Lee Junior, Levi Lee, Samuel Sheady-Jones and Ashley Byford targeted locations across Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Wrexham.

After cutting cables running for several miles underground, the group winched them out and sold them on the black market, causing thousands of customers to lose service.

When police hunting the gang raided a property in Essex they found more than 50,000 in bundles of cash.

The quartet later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal.

In 2020, a Virgin Media employee became suspicious of two men in a hired van accessing roadside cabinets in Wiltshire and called police.

Officers stopped the vehicle and found a dressing up box of workmens clothes plus a roadworks sign.

The pair stole broadband equipment worth 2,500 in their spree, a court later heard.

A man (pictured) stole charging cables at the EV charging hub at Decathlon Gallagher Retail Park in Wednesbury in March 2025

Cables were stolen from an electric car charging point in Eastleigh, Hampshire

They were disguised as workmen with a road sign to look as if they were legitimately engaged in work, prosecutor Philip Gibbs said.

One of the men, Kevin Craig Mills, 40, from Coalville, Leicestershire, later admitted going equipped to steal and was jailed for 10 months.

At the time a warrant was out for the arrest of his alleged accomplice.

In 2019, police in Worcestershire smashed a gang which had been posing as workmen to steal batteries from Openreach fibre optic roadside boxes for the value of the scrap lead they contained.

While the stolen equipment was worth around 15,000, a court heard the cost for Openreach to replace them ran into millions, leading to higher bills for customers.

Dean Davies, 32, was jailed for 27 months over the thefts, while co-defendants, Maurice Davies, 33, and Michael Nelson Smith, 21, received suspended sentences.

And in 2024, police in Hampshire arrested a 33-year-old man spotted pulling cables from a manhole cover in Hythe after he allegedly falsely claimed to be sub-contracting for Openreach and Virgin.

The firms confirmed there were no scheduled works due to take place in the area, with around 100m of cable recovered.

Officers are still investigating, with a suspect currently on bail.

Experts warn that the thefts are so lucrative - and with the chances of being caught so low - that copper is becoming increasingly tempting for criminals.

A separate gang was jailed in March last year for diverting the electricity supply to power more than 100 secret Albanian-run cannabis farms

Crews from reassuringly professional-looking Elev8 Civils and Utilities vans were part of the criminal network whose members were jailed last year

Just last week residents of Moulton Chapel in Lincolnshire said they felt like they were back in the 1970s after cable thefts cut off their broadband connection.

According to Robin Edwards, a former senior officer at British Transport Police and one of the founders of the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership, around 80 per cent of cable theft is linked to organised crime.

'Dressing to blend in is certainly a tactic used by cable theft gangs,' he told the Daily Mail.

'Many people feel that someone dressed in high visibility clothing is allowed to go wherever they want.

'Once stolen cables have been sold on to unscrupulous scrap dealers there is no way of tracing them.

'So the emphasis is on bringing in preventative measures which deter thieves from targeting a particular site in the first place.

'If commodity prices continue to climb, my fear is we will see more of this time of crime, with theft from the renewable sector like wind and solar farms a growing problem.'

Mr Powell, of First Response Group, added: 'The problem is getting worse because organised crime groups see it as low risk with high rewards, while the consequences rarely match the disruption caused.

'The impact goes beyond replacement costs, creating serious safety risks and reputational damage, and no infrastructure is off limits, from railways and EV chargers to wind farms.

'Tackling this requires a more proactive approach, with better intelligence sharing across industry to help police secure prosecutions.'

An Openreach spokesperson said: Cable theft is a serious criminal act that causes significant disruption to everyday life, leaving homes and businesses without vital phone and broadband services and putting vulnerable people at real risk.

We take these incidents extremely seriously.

When our network is damaged, engineers work around the clock to carry out repairs and reconnect customers as quickly as possible, while our dedicated security team works closely with police and other partners to identify those responsible and prevent further attacks.

Our network is alarmed and monitored 24/7, and we will continue to do everything we can to protect our infrastructure and support law enforcement in tackling this problem.

Marian Agarlita, 37, Sorin Condrache, 45, and Aldafin Poenaru, 48, have all been charged with stealing Openreach cables with a value of around 50,000 after last weeks incident in Birmingham.

They were remanded in custody ahead of a court hearing next month.
The murders of four University of Idaho students in their off-campus Moscow, Idaho, home in November 2022 continue to fascinate and disturb the public long after police nailed their killer, Bryan Kohberger.

The victims' families and the public were denied answers at trial when Kohberger accepted a plea deal to dodge the death penalty - witnesses were not called, the killer was not cross-examined and the prosecution was not forced to present its theory.

The 31-year-old Washington State University criminology student pleaded guilty in July last year to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, and Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, both 20.

In particular, long-sought clarity over Kohberger's motive - if even there was one - remains elusive.

In January, however, nearly 3,000 previously unseen photographs from the crime scene were briefly released online by Idaho State Police before being hastily taken down.

The Daily Mail downloaded the files in full before they disappeared and published some of those images last month.

Shots included blood-soaked floors and walls, stained mattresses and overturned furniture, indicating a struggle.

Former FBI agents Jennifer Coffindaffer and Tracy Walder have now told the Daily Mail that beyond the obvious brutality, the photos reinforce a narrative about how Kohberger moved through the student house, who his intended target likely was and how the killings spiraled into chaotic violence.

Clockwise from left: Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison 'Maddie' Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20, were killed in their Moscow, Idaho, home by Bryan Kohberger in 2022

Analysts have long wondered how Kohberger exited the scene without trailing blood around. A former FBI agent speculates that he wore disposable gear for the attack, which he removed before exiting through the patio door

But they are equally clear about what the images do not show: there is no sign of a hidden accomplice, no alternate suspect and no elaborate cover-up.

For former FBI agent Coffindaffer, the newly released crime scene photos do not rewrite the Idaho murders. Rather, viewed alongside new autopsy findings unsealed this month, she said the images expose the true scale of the violence in a way words never could.

And they might help fill critical gaps in the timeline of events on the night of November 13, 2022.

According to prosecutors, Kohberger entered the property on King Road at about 4am and went to the third floor, where he killed Goncalves and Mogen, before attacking the others in Kernodle's second-floor bedroom. He exited around 4.20am.

Walder believes Mogen was the primary target  a conclusion she said was supported by Kohberger heading straight to the third floor.

Goncalves and Mogen had fewer defensive wounds - Goncalves was stabbed at least 38 times, and Mogen 28 times - suggesting they were attacked as they slept, she said. The state of Mogen's room also showed fewer signs of a struggle than downstairs.

The former agents said the new evidence reinforces the theory that Kohberger then encountered Kernodle on the second floor, where the attack escalated into a frenzied and more violent struggle that left both Kernodle and her boyfriend Chapin dead.

But their assessment now goes further: based on newly surfaced images and blood pattern evidence, they said Kernodle was likely attacked before she reached her bedroom.

Blood marks on the outside of Kernodle's door suggest she was attacked in the hallway and then fled back to her bedroom.

Stab wounds to her back are key, Coffindaffer said, supporting the idea that she was initially attacked from behind before a prolonged struggle erupted.

The autopsy determined that Kernodle, who was awake at the time of Kohbergers attack, suffered a staggering 67 stab wounds as she fought for her life.

Kernodle - unlike the other victims - also had blood on the bottoms of her feet, indicating she was moving about and stepping in her own blood as she tried to fend off her attacker.

The wounds on Chapin, Kernodle's boyfriend, who was sleeping in her bed at the start of the attack, tell a different story. He had fewer wounds than the other victims - 17 - but they were deadlier, including a slash to his jugular vein.

Blood marks on the outside of Kernodle's door may suggest she was first attacked in the hallway and sought refuge in her bedroom

Images of Kernodle's late-night fast food delivery reinforce a timeline and suggest she took Kohberger by surprise during his attack

Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer

In Kernodle's bedroom, former FBI and CIA agent Walder sees chaos in the new photos. Blood evidence suggests movement. Resistance. A fight.

She believes Kernodle unexpectedly encountered Kohberger as he was leaving the house  possibly after she retrieved her DoorDash order  forcing him into an unplanned confrontation.

'I think Xana encountered him on his way out. I don't think he intended to get her,' Walder said.

In this view, Chapin's death was a consequence of escalation, not intent.

Coffindaffer believes Chapin was killed quickly  not out of sadism, but necessity.

'He killed the guy because he needed to neutralize the threat he enjoyed killing the women,' she said.

Coffindaffer pointed to the combination of wounds: deep vertical stab wounds and wide horizontal slashing injuries. Some penetrated bone.

'When you really look at the numbers now that have been released it brings to light the true barbarian nature of this crime,' Coffindaffer said.

'This wasn't a murder  this was a slaughter.'

In the third-floor bedroom where Mogen and Goncalves were killed, Coffindaffer said the photos help investigators reconstruct blood spatter, body positioning and the attacker's proximity.

They show how 6ft Kohberger towered over his victims in cramped rooms during violently intimate attacks.

'It brings into light just the close proximity that all of this took place,' she said.

A knife gash in Kernodle's mattress highlights the violence unleashed by Kohberger

Kohberger left behind his knife sheath in the third-floor bedroom, with a DNA trace that ultimately saw him apprehended

Tracy Walder served in both the FBI and the CIA

Walder has long believed that Mogen was the primary target. The photos, she said, strengthen that conclusion.

Blood pooling in Mogen's bedroom appears relatively contained.

Defensive wounds are limited. The knife sheath  pictured for the first time last week  was found in her bed.

Kohbeger went straight to Mogen's room on the third floor. She believes Goncalves was collateral damage  she had been staying with her best friend after a night of partying.

'Who walks all the way up to the third floor first unless someone was their target?' she asked.

Photos of the sheath, Walder said, were the most consequential. It shows the sheath 'was in Maddie's bed which means that the crime started there,' Walder explained.

And the path the killer took mattered.

Walder believes the attack on Mogen and Goncalves was swift and unexpected, likely carried out while the victims were intoxicated and asleep. That contrasts sharply with what the photos show downstairs.

Walder also dismissed claims that the images reveal a 'process-oriented' killer who lingered or tortured his victims. The timeline is too tight. The violence too fast.

Instead, she described Kohberger as 'act-focused'  driven by fantasy and control, but operating quickly, without full command of the scene.

'I think this is someone that just wanted to see what it was like to actually kill someone and see if he could do it,' she said.

For Walder, the photos are not a mystery to solve. They are evidence of a crime already explained  and a tragedy that should never be exploited.

In the end, she said, the images confirm one grim truth. The facts were already there. And they were horrific enough.
A mother, suffering from financial issues, allegedly tried to sell her child to a stranger for $10,000.

Tiffany Christina Smith, 33, of Oskaloosa, Iowa, was arrested last week after attempting to sell her one-month-old baby in August, court documents reveal.

Smith was accused of taking her young child to a family member of the potential buyer, who held the infant in their care for two and a half hours, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Daily Mail.

The Iowa native then demanded $10,000 or she would take her child back, the complaint, submitted by Officer Cale Holmberg, alleged. Smith's child was subsequently returned to her.

Text messages involving Smith and the potential buyer, provided to law enforcement by the buyer, discussed 'exchanging the child for money,' documents stated.

'In the text messages, the defendant knew that a transaction for the child would be illegal,' Holmberg stated in the complaint.

Smith was questioned by officers and the child was removed from her care by the Department of Human Services,

Holmberg wrote: 'The defendant indicated that she needed financial help when questioned about the sale of her child.'

Tiffany Christina Smith, 33, was arrested after allegedly attempting to sell her one-month-old baby in August

During questioning by law enforcement, Smith allegedly admitted to be struggling financially

According to the complaint, Smith's phone, seized by a warrant, showed text messages between her and her mother 'pertaining to the case.'

It remains unclear if the child is now in the custody of a relative or Child Protective Services.

Smith's long history with the law was revealed with her latest case, and in 2011 alone she was found guilty of domestic abuse with intent or displaying a weapon, violating a no contact or protective order and fighting or violent behavior in 2011.

She has also been charged with possession of marijuana and violation of probation in 2016, 2017 and 2020, as well as operating while under the influence in 2020.

Smith was arrested and placed into custody at the Mahaska County Jail on a $10,000 surety bond. On Sunday, she posted bond and was released.

She is next expected in court on February 2 for a preliminary hearing.

Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Ritland told the Daily Mail that current processes involve filing trial information, in place of a grand jury indictment, and final court charges by March 9.

According to Ritland, there are no current charges against the potential buyer involved the alleged incident which is under continued investigation.

Smith is from Oskaloosa, Iowa (file photo pictured). She is due to appear in court on February 2 for a preliminary hearing

'Ultimately we are going to rely on the court process and a jury to determine whether the defendant is guilty of these charges,' he concluded.

Smith's court appointed defense, Ken Duker, told the Daily Mail they have no comment at this time.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Marion County Sheriff's Department and the Mahaska County Clerk's Office for further information.
The British Army's largest infantry regiment have been filmed during training to kill enemies in close quarter combat with bayonets while preparing for battle.

Young members of the Rifles are undergoing brutal training over six months while being readied for possible frontline deployment as war rages in eastern Europe.

They are shown being taught to eliminate targets at close range under 'Sword Lane' training in tonight's new Channel 5 documentary Platoon 24/7: Preparing for War.

Sword Lane is designed to test the soldiers' physical and mental endurance and teach them 'controlled aggression' while under extreme exhaustion and little sleep.

An exclusive clip shows the soldiers shouting 'kill, kill' as they run through a river before stabbing dummies with their bayonets - referred to as 'swords' by the Rifles.

One of the soldiers tells producers: 'It goes from you being like a normal thinking human to a violent individual. It's something you can't really train for, but I suppose it's probably going to be one of the closest things you're ever going to get to it.'

Platoon Sergeant Dan Mann, who is responsible for the success of the soldiers, adds: 'It's all about controlled aggression to kill the enemy and then turn it off again.'

Another soldier says: 'Just everything feels heightened. You definitely get in the zone. A lot of people get too far in the zone and it's hard to come out.'

'Sword Lane' training is shown in the new Channel 5 series Platoon 24/7: Preparing for War

Young members of the Rifles are shown undergoing brutal training over a six-month period

The British Army's largest infantry regiment have been filmed during training to kill enemies

Sword Lane is designed to test the soldiers' endurance and teach them 'controlled aggression'

And a third soldier adds: 'I can't remember what I was thinking to be fair, what I was feeling. Anger running through when you're doing it.

'But you have to learn to show that aggression. That's what gets you through it at the end of the day.'

A fourth also says: 'If the situation came to it where I had to stab someone, I think I could. But it's how you react to it.

'Being able to move past it or let it dwell on your conscious, on your mind. And you'll never really be able to say yeah, I can do that until you've actually done it.'

The documentary features another section of training called 'War Face', in which soldiers are taught how to get in the right mindset for war.

Mann says: 'It's all about getting in the riflemans' heads, getting them angry.

'At the end of the day, the rifleman needs to switch from being a regular soldier to a killer.'

One of the soldiers tells producers: 'You're in that mindset now, you're just pure anger and you're ready to go do what they tell you to do.'

The soldiers are also shown undergoing vehicle recognition training as part of the 'Top Dog' competition scrutinising their fitness and mental resilience.

The platoons are 30-strong units of soldiers who eat, sleep and fight alongside each other, with the documentary showing how they grow into a band of brothers who will die for each other.

The training is carried out while the soldiers are under extreme exhaustion and little sleep

The soldiers are shown being taught to eliminate targets at close range in 'Sword Lane' training

The first episode follows the soldiers of 13 Platoon, D Company, 5th Battalion The Rifles

The soldiers are readied for possible frontline deployment as war rages in eastern Europe

The first episode follows the soldiers of 13 Platoon, D Company, 5th Battalion The Rifles who mostly arrive with little experience beyond basic training and face a week-long exercise in the Brecon Beacons in Wales.

The team include Callum Hancock, a former bouncer and powerlifter from Cornwall; and Will Halliday, the only one of the group with A-levels.

Also involved are Owen Morris, 18, who is fresh into the Army after being expelled from school; and Ryan Dutton, who is involved after a lengthy lay off from injury.

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to put British boots on the ground in Ukraine once the war is over.

British and French forces will be placed in 'military hubs' in Ukraine as part of peacekeeping efforts in the event a ceasefire is brokered, the Prime Minister said last month.

They would help to train Ukrainian troops and protect stocks of weaponry, aimed at deterring future Russian aggression, it was revealed following a meeting of the coalition of the willing in Paris.

The coalition of some 35 countries has been meeting since March last year to hammer out a means of protecting Ukraine from further attempts by Russia to seize its territory once the war is over.

Platoon 24/7: Preparing For War begins on Channel 5 tonight at 9pm
A beloved New York City doorman was killed when an off-duty police officer allegedly slammed into his vehicle while driving in the wrong direction on a highway.

Manuel Boitel, who had served as a doorman for the St. Tropez luxury condominium building on the Upper East Side for more than 30 years, was heading to his home in the suburb of Peekskill when he was struck by a wrong-way driver on the Taconic State Parkway at around 11.39pm on January 22, Our Town New York reports.

New York State police now say Tiffany Howell, 47, an off-duty NYPD sergeant, had been driving south in the northbound lane when her 2021 Infiniti collided with Boitel's 2024 Toyota.

Howell, an 18-year veteran of the NYPD, had just left a Holy Smoke 2026 cigar social at Mom's Cigar Warehouse in Scarsdale, which featured an open bar, before she drove in the wrong direction, according to the New York Daily News.

As a member of the NYPD's Holy Name Society, Howell helped organize the social - which was located just about 10 miles from the site of the fatal crash.

They were both transported to Westchester Medical Center, where Boitel was pronounced dead in the early morning hours on January 23.

Howell did not sustain any life-threatening injuries in the crash, and is expected to survive, state police said.

She has not yet been charged with any wrongdoing as authorities wait for the toxicology results and other findings, according to ABC 7.

But she has been placed on modified duty and stripped of her firearms and badge pending the New York State Attorney General's investigation into the crash.

Manuel Boitel, who had served as a doorman for the St. Tropez luxury condominium building on the Upper East Side for more than 30 years, was killed in a wrong-way crash on a parkway

Tiffany Howell, 47, an off-duty NYPD sergeant, was driving south in the northbound lane when her 2021 Infiniti collided with Boitel's 2024 Toyota

She has since also applied for a vested separation retirement with the NYPD's pension fund.

Howell is now expected to retire at the end of the month, even though she has two more years before she could collect her full pension.

Meanwhile, Boitel's adult sons rushed to the scene of the crash early on January 23.

Eric Boitel woke his brother, Marvin, because their mother noticed their father's GPS tracker showed he was stuck in the same spot on the parkway for more than an hour, CBS News reports.

The brothers then drove to the location of the crash in Mount Pleasant and saw the wreckage - but were initially told that their father was able to be resuscitated.

'The last thing I thought was that we were gonna find out that he ... passed away,' Marvin said.

He remembered his father as a mentor who 'helped me become the man I am today.

'He was a jack of all trades. He helped me learn maintenance stuff. He knew how to fix anything and if he didn't, he would find a way to figure it out.

The New York Attorney General's Office is now investigating the crash

'Anytime I'm fixing stuff around the house, I feel closer to him because he taught me how to do it,' he continued, adding that his father was 'super, super caring.'

'It doesn't matter what time we needed to talk, it doesn't matter where he was, whether at work or just coming home from work. If something was bothering my brother or me, he would be there, rush home from work to help us.'

'He was an amazing, amazing father.'

Boitel, who emigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic as a teenager, was married for 42 years and was a member of 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union.

'We have been deeply saddened to learn about the passing of our union brother Manuel Boitel,' union president Manny Pastreich said in a statement. 'We honor his life and mourn his loss.

'Manuel put more than 30 years of service into making his condo building home and he was taken just shy of enjoying the retirement he deserved. Our thoughts are with his family and his loved ones.'

An online fundraiser to help the family with his funeral expenses also described how Boitel 'was always the first to help others, often putting the needs of those around him before his own.'

It noted that he 'regularly donated to funds supporting police officers, as he always dreamed of becoming one himself.'

Now, 'knowing that the driver was a police officer makes this loss even harder for the family, but it also strengthens their belief that this case deserves a full, fair and transparent investigation,' family attorney Jonathan Roberts told the Daily News.
Cape Cod potato chips are being removed from their namesake home after more than 40 years.

The brand's parent company, Campbell's Snacks, announced on Friday it would be closing its factory in Hyannis, Massachusetts in 'an ongoing effort to transform its Snacks supply chain network.'

Cape Cod and Kettle Brand products are both produced at the closing factory.

Campbell's said keeping the Cape Cod branch running 'no longer makes economic sense for the business.'

The plant will stop operations in April 2026, leaving the famed kettle-cooked chips to be manufactured at existing factories in the US.

Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania locations will take on additional production, reported CBS.

The company began producing chips at the Hyannis plant in 1985.

'Campbells will continue to invest in the region through community partnerships and support of culinary programs that foster food innovation,' read the announcement.

Campbell's Snacks President Elizabeth Duggan said the decision to close the Hyannis plant was 'difficult' for the company

The Hyannis plant was opened in 1985, juts five years after the company was founded

Today, the factory is responsible for only four percent of Cape Cod products nationwide.

Campbell's Snacks President Elizabeth Duggan called it a 'difficult decision.'

'This difficult decision reflects a careful assessment of our business needs to strengthen our operations and position our Snacks business for long-term growth,' she said.

'We are deeply grateful to our team and are committed to provide support and assistance during these changes.'

The closure will reportedly cost 49 employees their jobs in Hyannis.

Cape Cod chips will be produced at existing locations in the US in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania

Campbell's acquired the chip brand in 2018 as part of a $4.8 billion acquisition

Campbell's will provide employees with benefits and placement support after their positions end.

The snack company also announced it would continue partnering with local organizations in Hyannis to support 'the hospitality needs of the region.'

Campbell's acquired Cape Cod chips as part of a $4.8 billion acquisition in 2018, reported Cape Cod Times at the time.

Just months before the acquisition, previous owner Snyder 's-Lance announced it would invest $20 million into the Hyannis factory to expand and offer an upgraded tour experience, reported CBS.

The iconic factory became a popular tourist attraction among Cape Cod visitors.

At its height, the Hyannis factory was known to offer tours to guests

Cape Cod Chips was founded in 1980 by Steve Bernard, with the original storefront located on the peninsula in Hyannis, according to the website.

Hyannis is a small village known for its ties to the Kennedy family.

It is home to the Kennedy compound and the JFK Museum and Memorial and serves as a transportation hub to ritzy Martha's Vineyard.

Campbell's told Cape Cod Times that the 'spirit and energy of Cape Cod will always be at the core of the Cape Cod chips brand.'

The Daily Mail contacted Campbell's for more information.
Two Romanian migrants who became professional shoplifters just two months after illegally arriving in the UK have been jailed for a one-day 10,000 crime spree.

Nicolae-Marius Negoita and Maria-Lacramioara Anescu stole more than 10,000-worth of women's clothing from John Lewis and Next last November 1.

The pair, caught by police at a Milton Keynes shopping centre, were being paid a daily wage of 200 by organised criminals to steal expensive goods, a court heard. The sentences come amid warnings about Romanian gang-related shoplifting.

Laura Nash, prosecuting, said: 'Both offences happened in the same way, where Mr Negoita attempted to conceal items being stolen while Ms Anescu placed them in a bag.'

Police who recovered the clothes - valued at 9,768.60 from John Lewis and 583 from Next - questioned Negoita, 44, who said he was 'stealing items with Ms Anescu for a form of employment'.

Ms Nash told Aylesbury Crown Court: 'He said that some Albanian nationals had presented shoplifting for them as something he could do in exchange for money.

The court heard neither Negoita nor 30-year-old Anescu had any previous convictions in Britain.

Christopher Fairweather, defending father of one Negoita, said he had been 'encouraged by other for a promise of 200 a day'.

Nicolae-Marius Negoita and Maria-Lacramioara Anescu (pictured) stole more than 10,000-worth of women's clothing from John Lewisand Next last November 1

A judge has jailed Negoita (pictured) for two years and Anescu for 18 months

The lawyer said: 'The high value of those goods is not something from which he directly profited.

'He came to the UK because of the prospects in his home country and he hoped to gain employment, but his immigration status did not permit him to work.'

Jaclin Bastian, defending mother of two Anescu, who works in a bar in Romania, said her client believed the goods she had stolen from John Lewis 'were worth in the range of 900'.

Ms Bastian added: 'She was somewhat shocked when she realised it was in the range of 9,000 from John Lewis.

'She initially came to the UK two months prior to the offences with Mr Negoita, who was a friend.

'They had been promised a job when they came over to the UK, they lived with some other friends in Lincoln.

'Her plan was always to return to Romania once this particular job had finished, but when she got to the UK, it transpired the job was actually a lie and there was no job available for her - so she wanted to return to Romania as as soon as possible.

'Mr Negoita told her there was another job they could get. He organised it - she never met anyone responsible for organising it.

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'She agreed she would drive them both to Milton Keynes, she should have been paid 200 for her part in that. She just wanted to earn enough money so that she could return to Romania.'

Mr Recorder Nigel Sangster said he would give both defendants full credit for admitting theft, which he described as 'shoplifting on a professional scale'.

The judge jailed Negoita for two years and Anescu for 18 months.

These sentences come after a series of UK shoplifting crimes by gang-related Romanians.

Bianca Mirica, a mother of three aged 20, was found guilty of shoplifting last August - with police saying she stole Boot's cosmetics valued at more than 300,000.

Many native Romanians arrived in the UK after 2014 when restrictions on their right to work  following the country's admission to the EU in 2007  were lifted.

The vast majority contribute to the economy, working in sectors such as hospitality, agriculture and healthcare where it is sometimes hard to recruit British staff.

Mirica was said to be used by one of various gangs, mostly run by Romanian organised crime networks, using women to plunder shelves on the High Street.

Bianca Mirica, 20, (pictured) admitted 30 charges of theft from branches of Boot's across London between December 2023 and May 2024

Mirica (pictured) claimed, through an interpreter, that the things she stole were for personal use

They are part of a shoplifting epidemic which cost the retail industry 2.2billion in 2023 and 2024 - a record that equates to more than 55,000 incidents per day.

Ex-Metropolitan Police detective chief inspector David McKelvey told the Daily Mail last year: 'The majority of the organised crime gangs involved in shoplifting are Romanians.

Mr McKelvey, co-founder of private security firm My Local Bobby, added: 'There is only one reason they come here  to commit crime. They see the UK as rich pickings.

'They operate in the same way. A man in an expensive vehicle like a Range Rover drops off the team, usually women, who target a particular area, before picking them up at the end of the day and moving on to the next area.'

In August 2024, three women were jailed for a 40,000 crime spree targeting make-up and beauty counters in East Anglia.

A few months earlier, a Romanian shoplifting ring operating in York, including two women, were given prison sentences for stealing 1,282 of fragrances from Browns department store.

Beauty products are coveted because of their small size, high value and the ease with which they can be resold.

British Retail Consortium chief executive Heleb Dickinson has said: 'Retail crime is spiralling out of control.

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Almost 444,000 shoplifting offences were recorded by forces in England and Wales in the year to March 2024, up from 342,428 in the previous 12 months

'Every day, criminals are getting bolder and more aggressive.'

Meanwhile, two Romanian crime tourists who struck at jewellers around Europe were jailed in December 2024 after they were caught in the UK.

Married Vadar-Ghimes and Zinca Agafitei, both 46, were arrested after taking ten gold chains worth 15,000 from a jeweller's in Norfolk.

Enquiries revealed they had swiped jewellery worth another 48,000 from other locations around the Midlands and southern England in just a few weeks.

They had been allowed into the country despite a 'similar' spree of distraction thefts and burglaries, mainly at small, independent businesses in Italy, Malta, Turkey and Germany.

They were jailed for 27 months each after admitting three charges of burglary and two of theft. Vadar-Ghimes also admitted a fraud charge.
A spate of brazen daytime heists have hit some of London's most expensive stores with thieves swiping thousands of pounds worth of luxury watches, handbags and jewellery.

Organised criminals have targeted the likes of Rolex, Yves St Laurent and a string of high-end jewellers in the capital's latest terrifying crimewave - all within a matter of days.

In scenes that have become commonplace in lawless London, gangs have smashed windows with sledgehammers, rode motorbikes into stores and rammed SUVs through barred doors, all to land their precious loot.

Shattered glass and battered store fronts are now an everyday sight in the capital as shopkeepers and local residents grow fed up with mounting smash and grab raids blighting their streets.

CCTV footage has laid bare the drastic methods thieves deploy to complete robberies worth thousands leaving police trailing in their wake.

On a quiet Saturday morning in plush Richmond, west London, hammer-wielding thugs broke into a family-run jewellers and ransacked the window display while brave staff tried to fend them off.

Two men could be seen swinging a large hammer against the glass of Gregory & Co in front of stunned passersby.

The gang then peel away the glass and start filling a blue bag with some of the most expensive valuables on display.

A spate of brazen daytime heists have hit some of London's most expensive stores (Pictured: Hammer-wielding thugs break into a family-run jewellers in plush Richmond)

Mobile phone footage shows two motorbikes descending on the Bucherer Rolex Boutique at One Hyde Park as another vehicle props open the door

Staff members inside can be seen desperately trying to claw back whatever they can before the criminals can snatch it.

Bravely, the employees then begin hitting the robbers with what appeared to be small boxes in a bid to deter them from swiping more goods - but with little success.

The thugs then flee the scene before officers can intervene.

An employee who works at a nearby store and witnessed the incident told the Daily Mail how the robbers 'appeared out of nowhere carrying a large sledgehammer and a bag'.

They added: 'They then started smashing the jeweller's window up.'

Just two days earlier and several miles away, a moped gang conducted an audacious 'high value heist' on a jewellery shop which itself was targeted in a similar raid just over six years ago.

Police launched an urgent investigation after Sultan Jewellery in Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, was attacked by several men who smashed the shop's windows with a sledgehammer before fleeing with expensive jewellery.

Police officers were at the scene by 3.30am on Thursday - within three minutes of the raid - and were threatened with a hammer as the thieves tried to speed away on bikes.

In footage taken by a onlooker and shared widely on social media, two men can be seen swinging a larger hammer against the glass of family-owned jewellers Gregory & Co

Sultan Jewellery in Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, was targeted by several men who smashed the shop's windows with sledgehammers

A 33-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of aggravated burglary and remains in police custody - but several thugs escaped police.

Jack Stones, the landlord at the neighbouring Defectors Weld pub, said fresh blood was on the pavement outside the jewellers when he walked past at 7am, more than three hours after the attack.

One resident said the attack was eerily similar to another heist which saw three robbers armed with a sledgehammer smash into the shop with a Range Rover in October 2019.

Mr Khan, who only gave his surname, said: 'It's Shepherd's Bush, there's always young people causing trouble, kicking the doors of shops down and drinking. Crime around here has got so bad lately.'

Days prior, a gang smashed their way into the sought-after designer store Yves St Laurent in central London and fled with a haul of luxury handbags worth up to 30,000.

Footage taken by a passerby shows the balaclava-clad thugs clearing the shelves of the Bond Street store after ramming a black SUV through its window.

One was seen fleeing the scene on the back of a motorbike, as another clip showed the extent of the damage inflicted on the empty and battered shop.

A separate picture laid bare the aftermath of the robbery as the metal security shutters were severely damaged and pieces of glass were strewn across the floor.

Footage taken by a passerby shows balaclava-clad thugs clearing the shelves of the lavish Yves St Laurent store after ramming a car through its window

The gang stormed the shop on Bond Street, swiping the bags worth up to 30,000 a piece, at around 2.58am on January 23

A separate picture lays bare the aftermath of the robbery as the metal security shutters were severely damaged and pieces of glass were strewn across the floor

A witness, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed to the Mail how they witnessed the incident unravel after finishing work.

The witness told the Mail: '[I] was walking to my car near Yves Saint Laurent on Bond Street when I heard a loud bang.'

'I observed a blue car being driven into the storefront window, smashing the glass.'

They described how they saw several people rush into the premises as a motorbike was positioned outside.

'I saw [them] remove items from the store and load them into the vehicle. After this, they left the scene.'

They said they feel 'London is no longer as safe as it used to be', adding that they filmed from a distance 'due to the dangerous nature of the situation'.

'I contacted the police immediately and was informed that they were already aware of the incident and that officers would be attending shortly,' they added.

'I was concerned by the length of time the individuals were able to remain at the scene removing bags, and by the absence of police presence during the incident.'

Police were called to the Bucherer Rolex Boutique at One Hyde Park at 10.53am following reports a group of men wearing motorcycle helmets had barged in and threatened staff

An image posted on social media shows smashed glass cabinets inside the boutique and an abandoned motorbike

And, days earlier, at the start of a week of smash and grab raids, a gang of brazen robbers, riding motorbikes, stole thousands of pounds worth of Rolex watches from the brand's flagship store in affluent Knightsbridge.

Phone footage shows two motorbikes descending on the Bucherer Rolex Boutique at One Hyde Park as another vehicle propped open the door.

Several men were seen armed with what appeared to be crowbars as they rushed into the luxury boutique at around 10.53am on Tuesday.

And just seconds later, another motorbike driven by an individual dressed in all-black and his face covered with a helmet also emerged onto the scene.

The video came amid reports that men wearing motorcycle helmets had barged in and threatened staff with weapons before stealing several items.

The burglars were then seen fleeing the luxury store just three minutes after the incident.

Images show smashed glass cabinets and one motorbike seemingly abandoned inside the boutique, leaning against the door, as police officers speak to Rolex staff.

The Daily Mail revealed on Sunday that Tom Cruise abruptly 'deserted' his luxury apartment in the area because the actor felt it had become too unsafe.

A source close to the Mission Impossible star, 63, said he left his 35million pad in the towering One Hyde Park building because he felt the star-studded location had 'declined' recently.
The man who claimed he shot Charlie Kirk was sentenced to prison for two counts of child exploitation.

George Zinn, 71, was arrested on September 10 at Utah Valley University after claiming he pulled the trigger on the conservative influencer.

Zinn later admitted to causing a distraction to 'draw attention from the real shooter,' who officials alleged is 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.

'I shot him, now shoot me,' he reportedly told police before they arrested him.

After obtaining a search warrant, police found 'graphic' sexual photos of children on Zinn's phone, reported The Salt Lake Tribune.

Investigators found 'over 20 images of children ranging from 5 to 12 years old in various stages of undress and sexual posing.'

Authorities also uncovered 'several very graphic sexual text threads in which Zinn shared the images with other parties,' according to police.

Zinn pleaded guilty to the child exploitation charges on Thursday and no contest to one charge of obstruction of justice.

George Zinn, 71, was pleaded guilty on Thursday for two counts of child exploitation

Zinn was initially arrested for claiming her shot Charlie Kirk, but police later found sexual photos of children on his phone

Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University on September 10

The Tribune said Zinn appeared 'frail' and 'emotional' during his sentencing.

'I wish the court to know I am not and will never be a danger to children or their parents,' he said.

Zinn claimed the photos were part of 'chatroom dialogue' and were 'public access.'

'I want to put the past behind me and move forward,' he said, crying.

He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years behind bars including two one-to-15-year sentences for second-degree felony exploitation and a zero to five-year sentence for obstruction.

The length of his terms will be decided by a parole board. They will be served simultaneously.

Zinn was known to show up at various political events across Utah. He had multiple arrests in his past.

His defense attorney, Carly Madsen, described him as an 'interesting man' who 'never fit in.'

After Kirk was shot, Zinn reportedly screamed out 'I shot him, now shoot me'

Tyler Robson, 22, was charged with aggravated murder in connection with conservative influencer Charlie Kirk's death

'[He] never really got the love or attention he deserved. And never got the help he needed, resources that would that helped him years ago,' she said.

'It's my hope in the future that Mr. Zinn is able to get the help he needs and the resources he needs.'

Kirk was shot in the neck at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in September and declared dead several hours later.

Robson was arrested after a 33-hour manhunt for Kirk's killer.

Robinson was charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice in connection with Kirk's death.
College Students meet with Minister for Education

Students from the Gibraltar College, accompanied by their teachers and SNLSAs, held an hour-long briefing with the Minister for Education John Cortes last week.

The main purpose of this visit was to support the students current studies in Personal and Social Development, as part of an ASDAN course. The students are completing a module on Managing Social Relationships, which requires them to take part in a formal visit or meeting. This enables them to practise and develop essential skills related to appropriate behaviour, communication, and interaction in formal and professional settings.

The meeting covered a wide range of issues, including a discussion one the plans for the new College and different aspects of the Ministers portfolio.

Ms Elena Gil, a teacher from the College, said: The students greatly enjoyed the visit and felt at ease throughout the meeting, which was particularly important for them and contributed to a very positive experience. These experiences are especially valuable. The visit provided a real-life opportunity for them to practise social and communication skills in a structured but supportive environment. It helped them build confidence, understand social expectations, develop listening and turn-taking skills, and observe appropriate conduct in a formal context. Engaging directly with a public figure also encouraged independence, self-esteem, and a sense of inclusion within the wider community.

Minister Cortes said: I really enjoyed the meeting and sharing experiences and ideas with the students. The College is doing incredible work. I congratulate the students for their engagement and the teachers and SNLSAs for their work and commitment to these young people.
A celebrated 'Teacher of the Year' at a Louisiana middle school has been arrested on felony child sex charges.

Christie Elizabeth Dunbar Oster, 38, an eighth-grade math teacher, was taken into custody and booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.

She was charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with juveniles. She remains behind bars on a $50,000 bond, according to Lafayette Parish jail records.

Oster had been working at Broussard Middle School, where she was named the school's 202526 Teacher of the Year just months ago, in September.

But that same teacher once publicly celebrated by colleagues is now at the center of a criminal investigation involving alleged sexual misconduct with a former student.

Lafayette Police have not released details about the alleged inappropriate relationship, the victim or the timeline of the alleged abuse, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

A spokesperson for the Lafayette Parish School System confirmed Oster has been placed on administrative leave.

The arrest sparked immediate backlash from parents and neighbors in Broussard, a small community just outside Lafayette.

Christie Oster was named Broussard Middle Schools Teacher of the Year in September  just months before her arrest

Oster, who had been working as an eighth-grade math teacher at Broussard Middle School, has been placed on administrative leave by the Lafayette Parish School System

Neighbor and child advocate Rebekah Vallot said she was sickened by yet another abuse case involving schools.

'My initial reaction is anger and frustration. I'm tired of opening the news and reading about professions taking advantage of our children,' Vallot said to KATC.

She downplayed any attempts to soften the allegations by using the word 'former.'

'You put the word "former" in front of a student and it still is a student. Former, current, future - it doesn't matter, it's wrong,' Vallot said.

She called for increased security and surveillance inside schools.

'It is far beyond time. We have the technology to do so, we have the funding to do so  the cameras need to go in now,' she said.

'The best advice I can give parents is you are the number one advocate for your child. No one else will do that for you.'

Adding to the controversy was a Facebook post from Kay Miller Broussard, identified as the wife of the school's principal, who appeared to downplay the broader implications of the scandal suggesting the victim had some agency in what occurred.

The 38-year-old eighth-grade math teacher is charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with juveniles

Police say Oster, pictured, allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a former student.

'Adults do things that are wrong, stupid, sickening, etc. those things have NO reflection on their peers or higher ups, those are choices made and hidden by one Individual!' she wrote in the post which has since been removed.

'What we can do is pray, pray for the victims (consenting or not), pray for the families affected, pray for the staff and students affected.'

The post angered parents and advocates, who said the statement appeared to blur the reality that minors cannot legally consent to sexual relationships with adults.

Parents have demanded to know how the teacher could have risen to such prominence without warning signs.

Lafayette Police say the case remains open and active. Officials have not confirmed whether additional victims have come forward.

Broussard Middle School went from honoring its top teacher to the center of a criminal investigation

Neighbor and child advocate Rebekah Vallot said she was sickened by yet another abuse case involving schools

Under Louisiana law, carnal knowledge of a juvenile occurs when a person over 17 has sexual intercourse with someone between 13 and 17 years old, with an age difference of more than four years.

The offense carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Indecent behavior with juveniles can include lewd acts performed in front of a minor, sexually explicit messages or images, or grooming behavior toward a child under 17.

A conviction can result in up to seven years in prison and another $5,000 fine.
The Trump family quietly signed a $500 million cryptocurrency deal with a powerful Abu Dhabi royal just days before Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

A previously undisclosed agreement that sent nearly $200 million to Trump-linked entities and was followed months later by the US granting the same foreign power sweeping access to sensitive artificial intelligence technology.

The deal, involving Trump-backed crypto firm World Liberty Financial, was signed on January 16, 2025, by Eric Trump and executives tied to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's national security adviser and brother of the country's president.

The previously undisclosed deal was confirmed by the Wall Street Journal, company documents and others familiar with the matter.

The transaction made a foreign government official the largest shareholder in a company tied to the US president. The move is unprecedented in modern American politics, raising questions about conflicts of interest and the influence of foreign powers.

The buyer was Aryam Investment 1, a company controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon, one of the most powerful figures in the Middle East.

The agreement granted Aryam a 49 percent ownership stake in World Liberty for $500 million - with $250 million paid immediately, and $187 million of that first installment directed to Trump family entities, according to documents reviewed by the Journal.

Tahnoon, who serves as the UAE's national security adviser and oversees a sprawling business empire worth more than $1.3 trillion, has long been viewed with suspicion inside Washington's intelligence and national security circles.

Donald Trump and UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan Tahnoon secretly backed a company that bought 49 percent of the Trump familys crypto firm for $500 million. The pair are seen meeting at White House on March 18, 2025

Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. both served as key public faces of World Liberty Financial when the $500 million Tahnoon-backed deal was signed

President Donald Trump is seen hosting Sheikh Tahnoon last March at The White House

He controls the powerful AI and surveillance firm G42, which had drawn scrutiny during the Biden administration over its past ties to China's Huawei and other Chinese tech companies.

US officials had repeatedly blocked or restricted UAE access to advanced American AI chips, fearing sensitive technology could be diverted to Beijing.

Under Trump, the door reopened. In March, Tahnoon met with Donald Trump in the Oval Office alongside senior administration officials, where he expressed eagerness to expand cooperation on AI and technology, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Just two months later, the Trump administration approved a framework that would allow the UAE to receive around 500,000 advanced AI chips annually, the Journal stated, a volume large enough to build one of the world's biggest data center clusters.

Publicly, the deal was hailed as a strategic win for US tech companies.

Privately, few knew that Tahnoon's envoys had already secured a massive financial stake in Trump's crypto venture.

Upon hearing news of the deal, Democrat Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy shared his contempt for the deal in a tweet on Sunday evening declaring it to be 'Mind blowing corruption.'

'Trump reversed decades of national security objections to selling advanced AI chips to UAE. National security experts were alarmed. But there was a secret. Before the deal, UAE had sent $187M to the Trumps and $31M to the Witkoffs in secret payments. Mind blowing corruption,' Murphy wrote.

At the time of the January agreement, World Liberty Financial had no operational products.

Sheikh Tahnoon met President Trump in the Oval Office in March to discuss artificial intelligence and technology cooperation

Tahnoon was seen at The White House with Trump and other US officials in March. Martin Edelman, a top Tahnoon adviser, is seated at the end of the table

Eric Trump and Zach Witkoff both sat on World Liberty Financials board at the time the $500 million deal was signed

The World Liberty Financial website is seen on a smartphone last February with the Trumps at the helm

After the January transaction, the Trump familys stake was reduced - disclosures later showed their ownership dropping from 75 percent to roughly 38 percent, indicating that the foreign-backed entity became the largest shareholder

Trump has credited his entrepreneurial youngest child, Barron, 19, left, with educating him about crypto. Barron's half-brothers Donald Jr, center, and Eric, right, are heavily involved in his crypto business

Its only revenue came from selling a token called WLFI, which had raised about $82 million, but the Aryam investment changed everything.

According to company records, the deal triggered immediate multimillion-dollar payouts to Trump-linked entities, as well as to companies affiliated with the family of Steve Witkoff, Trump's longtime friend and newly appointed Middle East envoy.

Two senior executives from G42, Martin Edelman and Peng Xiao, were also placed on World Liberty's five-person board the Journal reported, alongside Eric Trump and Zach Witkoff, Steve Witkoff's son and World Liberty's CEO.

World Liberty did not publicly disclose the new board members or the identity of its largest investor.

Disclosures on the company's website later showed the Trump family's ownership had dropped from 75 percent to 38 percent, signaling that a massive stake had been sold - but without naming who bought it.

Weeks before the USUAE chip deal was announced, Zach Witkoff appeared on stage in Dubai to reveal that MGX, another Tahnoon-controlled fund, would use World Liberty's new stablecoin, USD1, to complete a $2 billion investment into Binance.

The move instantly catapulted USD1 into the top tier of global stablecoins and handed World Liberty a $2 billion cash reserve, which the company now invests in US Treasury bonds - generating tens of millions in interest.

Neither company disclosed that MGX and World Liberty shared leadership or that both were controlled by executives tied to Tahnoon.

Donald Trump Jr., executive vice president of development and acquisitions for Trump Organization Inc., from center left, Zach Witkoff, co-founder and chief executive officer of World Liberty Financial and chairman of ALT5 Sigma Corp

2024 was a busy year for Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan as he met with Bill Gates, left and Tim Cook, right

Earlier in 2024, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan was seen schmoozing with Mark Zuckerberg

By March, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan was walking the corridors of power alongside Trump in the White House, pictured in March 2025

Marco Rubio is seen greeting UAE Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan at The White House last March

Legal experts and former government ethics officials described the sequence of events as explosive.

'This sure looks like a violation of the foreign emoluments clause, and more to the point, it looks like a bribe,' said Kathleen Clark to WSJ.com, a former ethics lawyer for Washington, D.C.

Ty Cobb, who served as a top White House lawyer in Trump's first term, was blunt.

'My advice as an ethics lawyer would have been clear: You don't do business deals with the families of the leaders of foreign countries. It taints American foreign policy.'

The White House has denied any conflict.

'President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public,' said spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. 'There are no conflicts of interest.'

White House counsel David Warrington added, 'The President has no involvement in business deals that would implicate his constitutional responsibilities.'

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan is seen here with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

The Sheikh is seen greeting Commerce Secretary, businessman and philanthropist Howard Lutnick

President Donald Trump accepted this $400 million plane from the Qataris last May noting how it would later be donated to his presidential library

A spokesperson for World Liberty said the deal did not grant any government access or influence.

'We made the deal in question because we strongly believe that it was what was best for our company,' said spokesman David Wachsman to The Journal. 'We operate by the same rules and regulations as any other company in our space.'

A person familiar with Tahnoon's investment said the sheikh reviewed World Liberty's plans for months and that 'at no time during that due diligence or thereafter was the investment discussed with President Trump.

A Trump Organization spokesperson said the company 'takes its ethical obligations extremely seriously and is deeply committed to preventing conflicts of interest,' and abides by all applicable laws.'

Tahnoon was already doing business with Trumps inner circle.

His companies previously invested $1.5 billion into a firm run by Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sheikh Tahnoon on a return visit to the UAE in May

Trump took part in a tour at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi in the UAE last May to look at a model of an AI data center project

The Sheikh is seen here with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner

Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao,a move that drew fierce criticism from Democrats, who accused the president of selling access to wealthy foreign interests

And soon after Trumps inauguration, Tahnoons MGX was announced as an investor in a $500 billion AI data center project involving OpenAI and SoftBank - a venture Trump personally promoted from the White House.

By September, MGX was selected as one of the firms authorized to operate TikTok in the US.

A month later, Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, a move that drew fierce criticism from Democrats, who accused the president of selling access to wealthy foreign interests.
An Iranian shopkeeper who faced execution after being detained for taking part in an anti-regime protest has been released on bail.

Erfan Soltani, 26, became one of the faces of the resistance against the Islamic Republic's brutality when demonstrations began sweeping the country at the end of last year.

He was arrested on January 8 on charges of propaganda against Iran's religious system and acting against national security, the Middle Eastern nation's judiciary said.

After spending three weeks in prison, Mr Soltani's lawyer Amir Mousakhani confirmed on Sunday that his client had been released the previous day.

Mr Mousakhani added that the business owner has reportedly 'received all of his belongings including his cellphone' back and a bail worth around 11,000 had been paid to secure his release.

Mr Soltani was reportedly held at the Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj, outside Tehran - the largest state prison in Iran - and at one point was set to be the first person executed as part of a ruthless crackdown on dissent by the Iranian authorities.

The US State Department raised the case on its Persian-language X account, noting that he had been sentenced to death.

Washington warned the Islamic Republic it could face military measures if any anti-government demonstrators were executed.

Erfan Soltani, 26, was set to face execution after he was tried, convicted and sentenced for taking part in an anti-government protest - but he has now been released on bail after his case was highlighted by the United States

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (pictured on February 1, 2026) has warned US aggression could trigger a regional war

Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj, outside of Tehran - the largest state prison in Iran - where Mr Soltani was reportedly held

However, Tehran said he had never been sentenced to death and that the charges against him did not carry the death penalty - but the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights had warned that he was still in danger.

Speaking prior to his release, sources close to the Soltani family told the Norway-based rights group that 'the sentence is just postponed', not withdrawn.

'We are still worried about his life,' Arina Moradi had told the Daily Mail. She said executions can happen quickly after sentencing, but she has also 'seen cases where they were delayed and unclear for years, but all of a sudden they implemented the sentence'.

Conditions at Ghezel Hesar are notoriously harsh and Ms Moradi said 'torture is very possible'.

'Many political prisoners, almost all of them, face torture and forced confession,' she added.

The demonstrations in Iran began at the end of December as an expression of discontent at the high cost of living, but grew into a mass anti-government movement that the country's leaders have described as 'riots' stoked by the United States and Israel.

Speaking to Iranian state television on Sunday, Ayatollah Khamenei compared the protests to 'a coup' and accused demonstrators of burning the Koran.

The Supreme Leader's stance represents a hardening of his position after he earlier acknowledged some people had legitimate economic grievances that sparked their protests.

The Ayatollah also warned that a regional war would erupt if the US attacked them, amid ongoing tension in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US has been building up its forces in the waterway - one of the world's most important shipping lanes - which President Donald Trump said could act against Iran with 'speed and violence' if it continued to violently suppress peaceful protests.

There were fears that the two countries could find themselves in a dangerous stand-off after it was reported last week that Iran was expecting to hold live naval firing drills in the Strait of Hormuz.

It led to a warning from the US on Saturday that the two-day exercise would not be tolerated if conducted near to where US military vessels were based in the region.

But the Iranian Revolutionary Guard played down reports of a live-firing exercise, blaming inaccurate media reporting.

Iran's supreme leader escalated a war of words with President Trump on Sunday by declaring yesterday that further US aggression would trigger a 'regional war' in the Middle East.

Protesters set fire to makeshift barricades near a religious centre on January 10, 2026 in Gorgan, Iran

The courtyard of the Forensic Diagnostic and Laboratory Centre of Tehran Province in Kahrizak on January 12, 2026 with dozens of bodies in bodybags laid out for family members

A giant banner depicting a US aircraft carrier and the American flag displayed at Enqelab (Revolution) Square in Tehran on January 25, 2026

The comments from the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are the most direct threat made so far to the US, as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and associated American warships are in the Arabian Sea.

The 'very big' warships were deployed to the region by President Trump after Tehran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests against the regime.

It remains unclear whether President Trump will again resort to force against Iran, after carrying out strikes on nuclear facilities in June during Israel's 12-day war against Iran.

The Ayatollah described anti-government protests that saw killings and vandalism as akin to 'a coup'.

Speaking to a crowd at his compound in Tehran as Iran marked the start of a days-long commemoration of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, he accused the US of wanting to 'seize' Iran's oil and natural gas resources.

'The Americans must be aware that if they wage a war this time, it will be a regional war,' he said.

'We are not the instigators, we are not going to be unfair to anyone, we don't plan to attack any country. But if anyone shows greed and wants to attack or harass, the Iranian nation will deal a heavy blow to them.'

Since public protests first broke out against the Iranian regime, nearly 50,000 people have been detained, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

At least 6,713 people are thought to have been killed, the vast majority of them protesters.

President Trump was asked during a flight to Florida on Saturday what his 'final decision' would be on Iran, but declined to answer.

He told reporters: 'I certainly can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction, as you know. I can't tell you, you know. But I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable.'

Asked whether Tehran would be emboldened by the US backing off, he said: 'Well, some people think that and some people don't. And if you could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons, they should do that.

'But I don't know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.'
A British expat hoping to buy a home in Australia suffered his worst nightmare after losing $50,000 to scammers and only getting $1,800 back from his bank.

Lewis Pentelow, who lives in Sydney, was trying to secure his first home in August 2025 when he unknowingly transferred his deposit to a scammer.

He'd found a place he wanted to purchase in Melbourne for a little over $600,000.

Mr Pentelow told Yahoo he double and triple checked the account details of his conveyancer, before transferring the funds from his ING savings account.

A day later, he transferred the rest of the deposit from another account he held with ANZ.

However, he soon realised something was wrong.

'It flagged on there straight away that the name didn't match,' he said.

'They knew all the details of when it was happening... and even though I was very cautious, I was just cautious to get the [bank account] details right.'

Lewis Pentelow unknowingly transferred his $50,000 house deposit to a scammer

The scammer's email looked identical to the one that would be sent from his conveyancer

After investigating, he found the scammer's email looked identical to genuine messages from his conveyancer, using the same logo and supporting details.

The only tell-tale sign it was a scam was the fact the email address was slightly different.

Mr Pentelow, who works in digital advertising, said he fought with ING to recover the funds, however, they were only able to return $1,800 to him.

He described ING as not being 'very helpful'.

'Honestly, I thought I could get through to the bank a little bit more. My buyer's agent was like, "Keep at them, keep at them",' he said.

'But you just get kind of tired of it. They just don't really care and that's probably the worst thing.'

Luckily, Mr Pentelow was able to secure the Melbourne property in the end thanks to a friend who lent him the funds.

An ING spokesman told Yahoo the bank began implementing a new industry-wide measure, known as Confirmation of Payee, just weeks after the incident.

He was trying to purchase a property in Melbourne for just over $600,000

'ING has strong verification, fraudmonitoring and recovery processes, and we act quickly when notified of suspected fraud,' he said.

'Like all banks, recovery outcomes depend on how rapidly scammers move funds and whether other institutions can return them.'

Mr Pentelow is hoping his conveyancer insurance will be able to cover the loss, however, in order to do so, he must prove it was their systems that were compromised by the scammer.

In 2024, Aussies lost more than $2billion in scams, according to the Australian Government's latest Targeting Scams Report.

The data indicated the number of scam losses reported to authorities fell in 2024.

Daily Mail contacted Mr Pentelow for comment.
Norway's Crown Princess has been forced to apologise after newly unsealed files revealed her unexpected friendship with the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Mette-Marit, 52, who married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, exchanged dozens of emails with Epstein despite knowing he had been jailed for procuring an underage girl for prostitution.

Her name appeared at least 1,000 times in the millions of new Epstein documents released by the US Department of Justice on Friday, local media reported.

The disclosures come at an acutely uncomfortable time for the Norwegian monarchy with Mette Marit's son, Marius Borg Hoiby, due to appear in court on Tuesday charged with raping four women and 34 other offences.

Documents show the Crown Princess's effusive email exchanges with Epstein date from between 2011 and 2014.

She was also previously known to have met the paedophile on at least three occasions in Oslo, New York and the Caribbean between 2011 and 2013.

In one email, Mette-Marit asked Epstein if it was 'inappropriate for a mother to suggest two naked women carrying a surfboard for my 15 yr old son's wallpaper'.

Mette-Marit, 52, who married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, exchanged dozens of emails with Epstein despite knowing he had been jailed for procuring an underage girl for prostitution

Image shows one of Mette-Marit's emails that featured in the Epstein files

Marius Borg Hoiby and Mette-Marit are pictured together in 2022

In another, she told him he was 'very charming'.

When Epstein told her he was in Paris 'on (a) wife hunt' in 2012, she replied saying the French capital is 'good for adultery' and 'Scandis (are) better wife material'.

Epstein had at that point already pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.

The files also show she stayed at his house in Florida for four days in 2013.

On Saturday, Mette-Marit addressed her 'embarrassing' friendship with the disgraced financier, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 as he awaited trial for sex crimes against minors.

'I showed poor judgment and I deeply regret having had any contact with Epstein. It is simply embarrassing,' she said in a statement sent by the royal palace.

The 52-year-old said she was responsible 'for not having checked Epstein's background more closely and not understanding quickly enough what kind of person he was'.

Yet in 2011, Mette-Marit wrote to Epstein that she had 'googled' him, adding 'it didn't look too good' and ending the sentence with a smiling emoji.

She did not specify exactly what she was referring to.

Join the debate Should royals be held more accountable for their friendships with known criminals?

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution and was jailed

Crown Princess Mette-Marit is seen with her husband Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

According to the palace, Mette-Marit had ceased contact with Epstein in 2014 because she felt he was 'trying to use his relationship with the crown princess as leverage with other people'.

'It almost gives the impression that they were close friends,' historian and royal expert Ole-Jorgen Schulsrud-Hansen said.

He noted however the broader context of the messages was unknown.

'A Crown Princess is never a private person,' he said.

'This shows in any case a lack of judgment and that all the 'safety catches' around her also failed.'

On Sunday, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said he 'agreed' that Mette-Marit had made an error in judgment.

The timing of the public release of the emails she sent in the Epstein files could not be worse for Mette-Marit.

On Tuesday, her 29-year-old son Marius Borg Hoiby, born from a relationship before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, goes on trial at Oslo's district court.

He is accused of allegedly committing 38 crimes, including the rape of four women as well as assault and drug offences.

He could face up to 16 years in jail if found guilty. Hoiby denies the most serious charges.

The royal couple will not attend the seven-week trial, and Crown Prince Haakon told reporters that Mette-Marit would be away on a private trip during that period.
Keir Starmer wants Britain to join a costly EU defence fund as he once more lambasted Brexit.

The Prime Minister  who backed a second referendum after Remain lost the 2016 vote  claimed the successful Leave campaign was based on benefits promised by his now-nemesis Nigel Farage that never materialised.

As part of his reset in relations that will also bring us closer to the single market, he wants to restart talks on taking part in the 130billion Security Action For Europe (SAFE) fund  even though his Government balked at the high price demanded by Brussels last year.

It comes ahead of the EUs trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic arriving in London this week for more talks on closer alignment on trade and energy.

Last week Brexit minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told MPs: On participation in SAFE... I always said throughout the negotiation that I would only sign up to things that involved value for money. I did not take the view that in this case, it did offer value for money.

But speaking on his trip to China and Japan, Sir Keir said he would be happy to join the scheme  which provides governments loans for rearmament in the wake of the Ukraine war and so also helps defence firms  if the price was right. I do think on spend, capability and cooperation we need to do more together, the Prime Minister added.

Ive made the argument and that should require us to look at schemes like SAFE and others to see whether there is a way in which we can work more closely together.

Whether its SAFE or other initiatives, it makes good sense for Europe in the widest sense of the word  which is the EU plus other European countries  to work more closely together.

Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) wants to restart talks on taking part in the 130billion Security Action For Europe (SAFE) fund  even though his Government balked at the high price demanded by Brussels last year

The Prime Minister claimed the successful Leave campaign was based on benefits promised by his now-nemesis Nigel Farage (pictured) that never materialised

Told that Reform leader Mr Farage believed Labour was betraying Brexit by dragging the UK closer to the EU, Sir Keir replied: Let us remind ourselves that he said if we left the EU it would be 350million a week for the NHS  that didnt happen.

He said if we left the EU there would be less red tape for trading into Europe  try telling that to any business that is trading into Europe.

He said if we left the EU regular migration would go down  it quadrupled under the Boriswave. So I wouldnt listen too much to what Nigel Farage has to say about this.

Reform UK said: While we are yet to capitalise on many of the economic benefits of Brexit, that is mainly down to the sheer incompetence of successive Conservative and Labour governments. On the world stage there can be no doubt Britain stands far taller now that we are no longer tied to the European Union.
Keir Starmer is facing calls from Labour MPs to scrap plans to put asylum seekers in new council homes, potentially forcing the Prime Minister into another embarrassing U-turn.

Around 200 local authorities have registered interest in a pilot scheme that would fund building homes or refurbishing derelict sites for asylum seekers.

They include Brighton and Hove, Hackney, Peterborough, Thanet and Powys.

But Sir Keir's own MPs criticised the scheme for prioritising asylum seekers' housing needs over Britons. Last year 1.3million families were on social housing waiting lists, up 3 per cent on 2024.

Graham Stringer, Blackley and Middleton South Labour MP, said the plans are 'unacceptable' as there's already a 'shortage of council housing that should be going to local people'.

Another Labour MP, speaking anonymously, said that the 'bonkers' scheme 'will go down awfully in Red Wall seats'  traditionally Labour seats in the North of England challenged by Reform UK.

'I've told the Home Office I'm against it and they need to U-turn on it in my seat...

Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley and Middleton South, said the plans to house asylum seekers in new council homes are 'unacceptable'

Keir Starmer is facing calls from within his own party to scrap the plans, with Labour MPs criticised the scheme for prioritising asylum seekers' housing needs over Britons

'My problem is they won't become council houses for years and when you have ... a waiting list of 10,000 people  they will feel asylum seekers will be prioritised  never mind the loss of houses in our area.'

Jonathan Brash, Labour MP for Hartlepool, said: 'We have an acute shortage of council housing, with local families and key workers stuck on waiting lists or in temporary accommodation.

'Any programme to build new social homes should be focused first and foremost on meeting that local need.'

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the Government is 'so weak... they put illegal immigrants ahead of our own citizens'.

The Home Office plans to evict asylum seekers from hotels in springtime and move them to barracks, multiple occupation houses or the roughly 900 new homes expected under the scheme.

There are currently 36,000 asylum seekers in hotels and around 71,000 in 'dispersal' accommodation in the private rented sector (file image)

A Government spokesman said: 'New council housing will not be used by asylum seekers under any circumstances.

'This Government will close every asylum hotel. Work is well under way, with military sites brought forward to ease pressure on communities and cut asylum costs.'

Councils spent almost 750million on social care for migrants last year after costs almost tripled in five years, the latest figures show.

Local authorities spent 134million on social care for adult migrants in 2024-25  up from 50.6million five years ago but down from a peak of almost 191million in 2022-23.

Social care for asylum seekers cost 744million in 2024-25 in addition to more than 2billion each year spent on hotels and subsistence.
Workers earning 48,000 a year will be hit harder by Rachel Reeves' Budget stealth tax than those on three times the figure, analysis has revealed.

The Chancellor announced plans to extend the freeze on tax thresholds for a further three years despite previously ruling out the controversial move.

Ms Reeves has repeatedly claimed she is focused on ensuring those with the 'broadest shoulders' pay their 'fair share' of tax.

But new analysis of the threshold freeze  which was by far the biggest tax-raising measure in the Budget  reveals the biggest victims will be those on middle incomes, including police officers, senior teachers and nurses.

Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found someone earning 46,000 a year will pay an extra 410.46 a year in tax by the time the freeze finally comes to an end in 2031.

A worker earning 48,000 a year will pay an extra 603.50. By comparison, someone earning 150,000 will pay an extra 393.59.

A worker on just 12,000 a year will pay an extra 220.15  a far higher proportion of their income than someone earning ten times as much.

Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride said: 'Rachel Reeves is trying to pull the wool over Britain's eyes. She said the wealthiest would contribute the most, but the biggest tax rise in her Budget was a stealth tax which hits middle earners the hardest.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves leaving 11 Downing Street for Prime Minister's Questions last month

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'This isn't economic necessity, it's a choice, with working people's pay packets being raided to fund Labour's decision to increase the benefits bill.

'Rachel Reeves wants to pretend she is protecting working people, but in reality she is punishing them.'

The Treasury has pointed to a 'distributional analysis' published alongside the Budget which suggests the biggest losers will be the top 10 per cent of earners when all of the Chancellor's tax and spending measures, such as the new 'mansion tax', are taken into account.

But the findings underline the impact of the stealth tax raid in dragging millions of ordinary workers into higher tax bands.

The freeze on tax thresholds was first imposed by Rishi Sunak in 2022 to help pay off the huge debts run up during the pandemic. But what started as a four-year freeze was then extended by a further two years by Jeremy Hunt.

In Opposition, Ms Reeves likened the move to 'picking the pockets' of working people.

At her first Budget in 2024 she ruled out extending the freeze any further, saying it would 'hurt working people' and break Labour's manifesto pledge not to raise income tax.

But anaemic growth and U-turns on welfare cuts meant she extended the freeze for a further three years until 2031 at the Budget in November.

Experts say the nine-year freeze is now set to be the biggest stealth tax in history.

By the end, an extra 5.2million low earners will have been dragged into the income tax system, while 4.8million middle earners will pay the 40p tax rate, which was originally designed to be paid only by the rich.
A survivor of the Bondi Beach terror attack says he has offered his absolute forgiveness to the alleged gunman after forming a friendship with a father who forgave the drink-driver responsible for killing his three children.

Ya'akov Tetleroyd nearly lost his left arm after he was shot in the elbow at the Hannukah by the Sea event on December 14.

Tragically, his 68-year-old father Boris lost his life in the attack.

Ya'akov described his decision to forgive the gunmen as 'a selfish thing' that helps him move on with his life.

'It's more about me than it is about the terrorists,' Ya'akov told 2GB's Ben Fordham on Monday.

'It's about letting go of anger, rage and resentment. What benefit is there to myself or anybody else if I carry their guilt around with me?

'It may do something for them, but it does everything for me.'

When asked by Fordham if he had forgiven the father-and-son gunmen, Ya'akov replied: 'Absolutely. Yeah, yeah I have, with a full heart.'

Ya'akov Tetleroyd and his father Boris were both shot while attending the Hannukah by the Sea event on December 14 - tragically Boris lost his life

A bullet shattered Ya'akov's elbow joint, prompting an emergency operation to save his arm (Pictured in hospital with NSW Premier Chris Minns)

During the emotional interview, Ya'akov spoke of the moment he learned his father had been killed in the attack.

The duo were speaking to different people at the event when the gunshots began.

'My father was shot about five minutes after I was,' he said.

'I wasn't aware until about three days later that he'd been murdered. I was in an induced coma for about two days and when I came out of the coma, I asked my mum what happened.

'Dad was a decent human being and a proud Jew and he was the light of my life, a gentle and soft man. I miss him very dearly.'

Ya'akov was joined in the 2GB studio by Sydney father Danny Abdallah, who lost his three children and niece in 2020 when a drunk and high driver crashed into them.

Mr Abdallah and his wife Leila made headlines around the world after publicly forgiving the driver.

'In this difficult time I found a friend in Danny,' Ya'akov said.

Ya'akov's formed an unlikely friendship with Danny Abdallah who lost his three children, Antony (left) and two daughters Angelina and Sienna in 2020

He added: 'And we just got talking, he's a wonderful person. We have lots in common.'

Mr Abdallah said Ya'akov's decision to forgive the gunmen was for the 'greater good' of himself and his family.

'Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. If we had to follow our feelings, then I'd never forgive, I'd be a mess... I did it to protect my family,' he added.
Donald Trump insisted the latest Epstein files 'absolve' him of any wrongdoing  claiming it was the 'opposite of what people were hoping for', despite the files containing an allegation of a sex act involving a young teenage girl.

The Department of Justice published more than three million additional pages on Friday, including 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.

They also included images of Brett Ratner, the director of the new documentary about the President's wife Melania, embracing a young woman next to Epstein.

Responding to the files' release, Mr Trump said: 'I didn't see it myself but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, it's the opposite of what people were hoping, you know, the radical Left.'

Sexual assault allegations against him emerged in the files but were removed just hours after being published. An FBI record contained a claim that a 13 or 14-year-old girl was forced to perform a sex act on Mr Trump decades ago.

The document containing the uncorroborated tip about Mr Trump and a teenage girl disappeared from the files but was later restored. The tip is unverified and has been strongly rejected by the White House.

Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and has not been accused of any crimes by Epstein's victims.

The President also threatened to sue Epstein's estate, and his friend-turned-nemesis Michael Wolff, for allegedly 'conspiring' to destroy his political career in emails shown in the files.

US President Donald Trump (pictured) insisted the latest Epstein files 'absolve' him of any wrongdoing - despite them containing an allegation of a sex act involving a young teenage girl

Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida in 1997

The new cache of files also included images of Brett Ratner (right), the director of the new documentary about the President's wife Melania, seen here embracing a young woman next to Epstein (left)

Speaking on board Air Force One, Mr Trump said: 'Wolff, who's a third-rate writer, was conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to hurt me politically or otherwise and that came through loud and clear.

'So we'll probably sue Wolff on that Maybe the Epstein estate, I guess. I don't know. But we'll certainly sue Wolff.'

In the pictures of Brett Ratner, 56, known for the Rush Hour movies, he can be seen sitting on a sofa alongside Epstein and two woman whose faces have been obscured.

There is no indication of wrongdoing from the files. The Melania film is Mr Ratner's first project since he was accused of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement.

Meanwhile Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have accused Mr Trump and the Department of Justice of withholding around half of the Epstein files.

But Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday's release 'marks the end' of the government's efforts to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act  which was signed by Mr Trump in November last year.
Business community: transitional arrangements for goods under the treaty

Political Agreement

On 11 June 2025, the Governments of Gibraltar, the United Kingdom and Spain, together with the European Commission, announced that political agreement had been reached on a treaty to govern the future relationship of Gibraltar with the European Union.

In the area of persons, the Parties agreed to establish dual Gibraltar and Schengen border checks at Gibraltar port and airport  to be carried out in full cooperation between the EU and UK/Gibraltar authorities, removing all checks at the land frontier between Gibraltar and Spain.

In the area of goods, the Parties agreed to establish a customs union between the EU and Gibraltar. This will provide for strong cooperation between customs authorities and the removal of checks on goods.

The principles of indirect taxation to be applied in Gibraltar, including on tobacco, were also agreed in order to avoid distortions and contribute to the prosperity of the whole region.

In December 2025, agreement on the treaty text was announced.

Brexit Transitional Advisory Group

The Government has provided an outline of the treaty, and of the consequences of a no negotiated outcome to the business community. The Business Transitional Advisory Group was established in early 2025.

This Technical Notice has been issued, prior to the publication of the full treaty text, in order to provide some clarity in a number of areas.

Transitional Arrangements for goods under the treaty

References to the date of entry into force of the treaty are taken to refer to 10 April 2026 which is the expected date for the entry into force of the treaty to coincide with the expected date of the entry into force of the EUs Entry and Exit System (EES).

The treaty (transit regime, transaction tax and compliance with EU standards) will not apply to goods the movement of which to Gibraltar started before the entry into force of the treaty and ended thereafter. This exemption applies for 2 months. This means that the goods may be sold in Gibraltar without transaction tax, excise duty (where applicable) or compliance with EU standards during that period of 2 months. After the 2 months, such goods can only be sold in Gibraltar if they comply with EU standards. The transaction tax shall not apply to goods which are covered by a certificate of exemption from import duty issued under Regulation 8, Part 3 of the Integrated Tariff Regulations 2017. This exemption applies for the duration of the certificate or for 3 months after the entry into force of the treaty, whichever is earlier. After those 3 months, any goods imported for such projects will be subject to the transaction tax upon import into Gibraltar. Goods already on the market in Gibraltar before the date of entry into force of the treaty shall, for a period of 3 months after the entry into force of the treaty, not be subject to the obligation to be compliant with EU standards. After that period, they cannot be sold in Gibraltar if they are not EU compliant. Goods which were in a bonded warehouse or a temporary storage facility prior to the date of entry into force of the treaty can continue to remain there under the current Gibraltar legislation provided that:

(a) the goods are discharged from the bonded warehouse within a period of 2 months after the entry into force of the treaty;

(b) the temporary storage ends within a period of thirty days after the goods were placed in temporary storage under existing Gibraltar legislation.

The treaty shall, however, apply to the release for free circulation, discharge of the special procedure and any re-export from Gibraltar of such goods. The treaty will also apply where a trader wants to keep the goods in a warehouse after those periods.

Further details:

There will be a treaty briefing for the business community on Wednesday 4 February at Grand Battery House at 2.30pm. The Government will provide further details during such meetings in subsequent Technical Notices, or both, as and when the need arises.
Stephen Miller's wife hit out at Saturday Night Live, claiming it is run by 'globalist overlords,' following a controversial sketch in which Pete Davidson mocked Border Czar Tom Homan.

Katie Miller panned the sketch in which Davidson's Homan meets Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit commanders 'in response to the chaotic situation in Minnesota,' as unfunny and not comedic.

'For over a decade, not only hasn't SNL been funny, but it's been [the] voice of woke corporate leftists and the elite - that's why the skits have devolved into drivel, no comedy,' she posted on X.

The political advisor then asked her followers to 'imagine if [SNL] actually mocked their globalist overlords, instead of bowing to their groupthink.'

'ICE are heroes,' she concluded.

But she was not the only viewer to deride the sketch comedy for its cold open on Saturday night, which came amid ongoing anti-ICE demonstrations following the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good during immigration operations in Minneapolis.

The sketch had sought to portray ICE agents as clueless, aggressive and dangerously ill-informed about their own mission.

It started with Davidson's Homan declaring that Border Patrol officer Greg Bovino was dismissed from his position in Minnesota not 'because he did a bad job or publicly lied about the shooting of an American citizen or even, oh dressed like a Nazi. It was that he was filmed doing these things.'

Trying to refocus the spoof ICE agents, Davidson's character then asked: 'Now, who could tell me why we're here in Minneapolis?'

Stephen Miller's wife, Katie, hit out at Saturday Night Live for being unfunny following a sketch featuring Pete Davidson as Border Czar Tom Homan

The opening sketch portrayed ICE agents as clueless, aggressive and dangerously ill-informed about their own mission

Katie Miller claimed on social media that SNL is run by 'globalist overlords'

One agent replied flatly: 'Pass.' Another said: 'This could be wrong, but Army?'

Davidson then responded: 'That's close. We're here to detain and deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.'

'That is literally the first I'm hearing of that,' one said back.

When Davidson's Homan then turned his attention to ICE agents' use of force, one ICE agent started complaining about protesters in Minneapolis carrying guns.

Davidson then replies: 'Well, let's flip it around. How many of you went to a Stop the Steal protest with a loaded automatic weapon?'

The entire room of ICE agents then raised their hand.

Later in the sketch, James Austin Johnson's agent delivered the most pointed line of the night.

'You hired a bunch of angry, aggressive guys, gave us guns and didn't train us, so this is maybe what you wanted to happen?'

She has come to her husband's defense in the past, as he faces backlash over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement raids

The sketch ended with Davidson attempting a motivational appeal.

'Can we do our jobs without violating anyone's rights as Americans?' he asks.

Kenan Thompson's agent replies simply: 'No.'

'Well, I had to ask,' Davidson says. 'Maybe just try not to get filmed?'

The sketch came as Stephen Miller faces strife in his own party about the immigration raids.

Florida State Senator Ileana Garcia, who stands to lose reelection in her swing district, even told The New York Times last week that she fears the Republicans could lose the midterms 'because of Stephen Miller.'

But Katie has stood by her husband's side, circulating his statement that pinned the blame for ICU nurse Pretti's death and Miller's remarks that he was an 'assassin' on Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security and its Customs and Border Protection.

'Any early comments made were based on information sent to the White House through CBP,' the deputy chief of staff told Axios.

He then claimed that the White House 'provided clear guidance to DHS' and said that the additional agents sent to Minnesota were meant to be used as 'force protection' to 'create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors.'

'We are examining why CBS was not following that protocol,' Miller added, which his wife - a former DHS spokesperson - added in a separate post on X.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor faces a new legal threat after a second woman alleged that Jeffrey Epstein flew her to Britain for sex.

The unnamed woman says she was taken to Buckingham Palace for tea afterwards.

Her US lawyer last night issued an ultimatum to Andrew and the Royal Family to sit down and discuss the claims soon or face court action.

The woman says she was in her 20s when, at Epstein's request, she spent a night with Andrew at his Royal Lodge home in 2010.

The claims mark the first time an Epstein accuser has alleged a sexual encounter at a royal residence.

Attorney Brad Edwards, who represents more than 200 alleged Epstein victims, told the Daily Mail: 'I'm hoping some time this week that somebody on behalf of the Palace will reach out and say, "let's figure this out".'

Mr Edwards previously sued Andrew on behalf of Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she had sex with the former Duke of York in London, New York and on Epstein's Caribbean island.

The now ex-prince settled for a reported 12million before the case went to trial but without admitting liability. He has vehemently denied the allegations.

But the spotlight is back on him once again following the release of more than three million documents related to Epstein by the US Department of Justice on Friday night.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor faces a new legal threat after a second woman alleged that Jeffrey Epstein flew her to Britain for sex

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor leaves his Royal Lodge home in Windsor

They included an email Epstein sent to Andrew in 2010, offering to set him up with 'a friend', who he said was '26, russian, clevere [sic] beautiful, trustworthy'. It is not known if the woman in the email is the same woman making the new claims.

The file dump, which the DoJ says will be the last, also shed new light on Lord Mandelson's relationship with Epstein.

The documents show that, while business secretary under Gordon Brown, he tried to change government policy on bankers' bonuses at Epstein's behest.

He was also named on bank statements showing a total of $75,000 being deposited into accounts and was said to have discussed the purchase of a 2million flat in Rio.

The former Cabinet minister said he did not recognise the bank transfers  suggesting the documents may be fake  and had never owned property in Brazil.

The Prime Minister this weekend joined calls for Andrew to travel to the US to testify to a congressional investigation into the paedophile financier, suggesting that a failure to do so would be letting Epstein's victims down.

In an exclusive interview, Mr Edwards said of his client: 'She was severely exploited by Jeffrey Epstein. An extension of that was the exploitation of her by Prince Andrew.

'She's a strong person. She wants to believe in justice but it's very difficult in light of what she knows.

'We need some cooperation and we need somebody with a conscience and a real desire to make things right.'

The photograph, which has been released as part of the Epstein files, apparently shows Lord Mandelson talking to a woman who is wearing a white bath robe

Lord Mandelson (pictured with Keir Starmer) was ousted as US ambassador last September after other revelations about his ties to Epstein

Lord Mandelson (left) is pictured with Jeffrey Epstein (right) and a birthday cake in an image released in December

He criticised the Royal Family for allowing Andrew to maintain he has no ability to provide compensation by stripping him of his titles in a bid to show they 'cared about the victims'.

'The idea they've stripped him of his title so they have done some victim some justice is laughable because the reality is the criminal justice system is never going to investigate or punish Andrew,' Mr Edwards said.

'The only justice left for any victims is the civil justice system.

'By stripping Andrew of his ability to make up for it in dollars, they've stripped the victims of any chance of justice.'

When Andrew was stripped of his last titles in October, Buckingham Palace said  in the first such words to those affected  that 'their majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been and will remain with the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse'.

In remarks that signalled a significant increase in political pressure on Andrew, Sir Keir Starmer urged the royal to give evidence before the US committee.

'Epstein's victims have to be the first priority,' he said. 'In terms of testifying, I have always said anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they are asked to do that. You can't be victim-centred if you're not prepared to do that.'

Three months ago, when asked if Andrew should respond to Congress's request, Sir Keir simply said it was a 'decision for him'.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp also called on Andrew and Lord Mandelson to give the authorities 'all the assistance they possibly can'.
An Afghan man has been charged with kidnap, rape and sexual assault following a spate of attacks in a leafy market town.

Najeebullah Arab, aged 39, is accused of kidnapping and raping a woman near Mably Way in Wantage, Oxfordshire, on Tuesday.

He has also been charged with the sexual assault of a woman on Cane Lane in nearby Grove on January 21.

Arab is an Afghan national, who currently lives in Grove. He has been remanded in police custody and will appear at High Wycombe Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Police previously said the victim of the Mably Way attack, a woman in her late teens, was walking alone at around 11.15pm when she was approached by a stranger.

The man led her to an area behind Mably Way where he allegedly raped her, before fleeing the scene on a black bike.

Meanwhile, the Cane Lane assault allegedly occurred at around 9.30pm when a woman in her late 20s was approached by a lone man.

The suspect followed her and sexually assaulted her after a brief interaction.

Najeebullah Arab, aged 39, is accused of raping and kidnapping a woman near Mably Way in Wantage, Oxfordshire, on Tuesday

Thames Valley Police are continuing to probe another sexual assault of a woman on Oxford Lane in the town on January 24.

Arab was arrested on suspicion of this offence and he remains under investigation but has not been charged.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart May previously said: 'I would like to thank the public for their overwhelming support and the information they have already provided to us since we made a public appeal on Thursday.

'It is positive that we have now made an arrest, but I would continue to urge the public to come forward with any information that may support our investigation, as it really does help.

'Our investigation continues at a pace, with additional officers deployed across the area to complete inquiries and provide visible reassurance patrols so if you have any information, questions or concerns, then please speak to them.'

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or report online, quoting reference number 43260044490.
The mayor of Portland told ICE agents to 'resign' and ordered the agency to leave the city after a young girl was tear gassed along with other 'peaceful protesters.'

Demonstrators at an 'ICE out' protest outside an immigration facility in Oregon were struck with the chemical agent, along with pepper balls and rubber bullets.

A video posted to Instagram showed a little girl crying as she attempted to recover after federal agents deployed tear gas.

'It burns,' the young girl appears to say.

The girl, who appears to be a preteen, could be seen wearing a pink shirt with butterflies as a protester douses her eyes with water.

'Good job, spit it out,' someone can be heard saying as the girl appears distraught.

Keith Wilson, the city's Democrat mayor, echoed the words of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in asking the organization to get out.

'To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave,' Wilson said in a statement.

He accused the agents of 'impacting a peaceful daytime protest where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat, and posed no danger to federal forces.'

'Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame.'

Keith Wilson (pictured center), the mayor of Portland, Oregon told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to 'resign' and leave the city after he claimed peaceful protesters were tear gassed

Demonstrators at an 'ICE out' protest at an immigration facility said they faced the chemical agent, as well as pepper balls and rubber bullets

Wilson told the agents to 'go home, look in a mirror, and ask yourselves why you have gassed children.'

He said that Portland will be enacting an ordinance that puts a fee on detention facilities that use tear gas.

Wilson also promised to document the actions of ICE agents and 'preserving evidence' to hold the federal government accountable.

'Our nation will never accept a federal presence where agents wield deadly force against the very people they are sworn to serve.'

Oregon's Democrat Governor Tina Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield also spoke out against the actions of federal law enforcement.

'Trump's ICE has no place in Oregon. The use of tear gas against families, children, and peaceful demonstrators yesterday is a horrific abuse of authority that undermines public safety and violates constitutional rights. Federal agents must stand down and be held accountable,' Kotek said.

The Daily Mail has reached out to a spokesperson for ICE for comment.

The reliably leftist city has been a hub of protest activity in the wake of the shootings of Pretti and Good

Demonstrations began immediately after the shooting of 37-year-old Good

The reliably leftist city has been a hub of protest activity in the wake of the shootings of Pretti and Good.

Portland police have clarified that they deployed no munitions at protesters. They made no arrests.

The district attorney's office has been referred a case of a man in a wheelchair being knocked over and taken to the hospital, KATU reported.

Erin Hoover Barnett, a former OregonLive reporter who joined the protest, said she was about 100 yards from the building when 'what looked like two guys with rocket launchers' started dousing the crowd with gas.

'To be among parents frantically trying to tend to little children in strollers, people using motorized carts trying to navigate as the rest of us staggered in retreat, unsure of how to get to safety, was terrifying,' Barnett wrote in an email to OregonLive.

The Portland Fire Bureau sent paramedics to treat people at the scene, police said. Police officers monitored the crowd but made no arrests Saturday.

The ICE facility in Portland is a field office that includes a processing center where federal officers detain and interview people to determine their legal status as US residents, according to a city website.

Saturday's Portland protest was one of many similar demonstrations nationwide against President Donald Trump administration's immigration crackdown in cities like Minneapolis, where in recent weeks federal agents killed two residents, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Federal agents in Eugene, Oregon, deployed tear gas on Friday when protesters broke windows and tried to get inside the Federal Building near downtown.

City police declared a riot and ordered the crowd to disperse.

Trump posted Saturday on social media that it was up to local law enforcement agencies to police protests in their cities.

However, Trump said he has instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to have federal agents be vigilant in guarding US government facilities.

'Please be aware that I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property. There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our Patriot Warriors,' Trump wrote.

'If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence.'
A notorious remote Northern Territory town is on the brink of violent collapse after police admitted their latest attempts to quell the brawls were 'ineffective'.

Northern Territory Police have deployed reinforcements to Wadeye, a remote coastal community about 420km southwest of Darwin.

Police instigated the extraordinary measures after fresh violence rocked the trouble-plagued town over the weekend.

NT Police officers have already responded to multiple reports of large disturbances blowing up on the streets since early January.

Some violent gatherings, involving children, have drawn crowds of up to 100 people.

It's understood the handful of law-abiding citizens in the town are too frightened to leave their homes.

Footage of a white ute driving into crowds proved the final straw for police.

The video allegedly showed the ute driver accelerating rapidly up the road before suddenly veering off course and towards dozens of people.

A notorious remote Northern Territory town is on the brink of violent collapse after police admitted their latest attempts to quell the brawls were 'ineffective'

Northern Territory Police have deployed reinforcements to the under-siege town Wadeye, a remote coastal community about 420km southwest of Darwin

The driver then appeared to lose control of the ute while driving over a small bump in the grass before colliding with a street pole.

Police confirmed on Sunday morning they had responded to large groups fighting each other with makeshift weapons such as window louvres in the previous 24 hours.

'Attempts by police to disperse the offenders [overnight] have been ineffective, as large groups continue to reform and engage in further acts of violence and property damage,' an NT Police spokesperson said.

Police confirmed two police cars were damaged by projectiles allegedly thrown from within the brawling crowd.

However, no injuries have yet been reported.

Police said the additional officers and resources deployed to Wadeye will 'support local members and manage the immediate risk to community safety'.

It's unknown how many additional officers will be deployed to the area known as one of Australia's most dangerous towns.

NT Police acting-Commander Terry Zhang said 'public resources could not be 'sustainably managed' with this 'type of behaviour occurring'.

Some violent gatherings, involving children, have drawn crowds of up to 100 people

'While police will continue to respond and prioritise the protection of the community, it is clear that law enforcement alone cannot address the underlying causes of these senseless acts,' he said.

'A collective response involving families, community leaders, and the broader community is essential to bring this behaviour to an end.

'Ongoing behaviour of this nature places the broader community, innocent people, and essential services at serious risk and could ultimately result in the loss or disruption of critical services.'

Police previously said they 'used mechanisms such as community-led safety plans' and 'our real on-the-ground relationships to work towards peaceful solutions'.

It's understood feuding and tension between more than 20 clans are driving the persistent public violence, along with unemployment and alcohol abuse issues.

Earlier last month, a man was shot with a crossbow bolt while in Wadeye while several other buildings have been torched and ransacked.

Police said that incident was linked to a dispute which left two women with non-life-threatening injuries.

This crossbow attack occurred during consecutive days of violent unrest that ended with multiple arrests and two men thrown into custody.

NT Police officers have already responded to multiple reports of large disturbances blowing up on the streets since early January

Police also pepper-sprayed multiple people and seized various weapons following the brawls.

Violence in Wadeye escalated after a 33-year-old man was killed during a four-family feud in April 2022.

The killer Ezekiel Narndu, 19, was found guilty of manslaughter in 2023 after throwing a steel bar that pierced the skull of the victim.

Acting-Justice Graham Hiley, who sentenced Narndu, said the killer's actions were 'grossly negligent'.

'While there may be a substantial risk for weapons like guns, arrows, spears and knives used at close quarters could result in death, the same cannot be said about a steel bar with blunt ends,' Justice Hiley said.

Justice Hiley said rocks, louvres and steel bars were commonly thrown during violent outbursts in Wadeye 'without fatal consequences'.

However, he said Narndu 'should have known' his actions carried a 'strong risk of causing serious injury'.

'You had no regard to public safety and seemed to be motivated by hate against members of other gangs and family,' Justice Hiley said.

NT Police acting-Commander Terry Zhang said 'public resources could not be 'sustainably managed' (pictured, locals standing in front of a burning house)

The court heard it was during an attempt at mediation between four families, including the Narndus, that the violence broke out.

Narndu, then 18, picked up a steel bar about 60cm long, throwing it like a javelin in the direction of the victim, who was standing to the side of warring families.

It was believed the victim never saw the attack coming with the bar piercing 16cm through the man's skull and knocking him unconscious immediately.

'Sadly, this is one of the tragic consequences of ongoing conflict between gangs and family groups of Wadeye that has been going on for many years,' Justice Hiley said.

Narndu was sentenced to seven years with a non-parole period of three years and six months.

Daily Mail contacted West Daly Regional Council and Mayor Terry Sams, who oversees Wadeye, for comment.
The frantic search for a Hawaii teen was called off after human remains were discovered where he went missing.

Matthew Packard-Asai, 19, was last seen on January 28 near Kahili Beach on the island of Kaua'i.

A three-day rescue effort was suspended on Saturday when remains believed to be Packard-Asai's were discovered in the water nearby.

'Positive identification is pending DNA confirmation,' read a statement from police.

'We ask that the family's privacy be respected as the identification process continues.'

Officials said Packard-Asai and a friend were swept out to sea by unpredictable currents while fishing.

Emergency personnel responded to a preliminary report about the fishermen after 12.15pm.

Witnesses said Packard-Asai swam as hard as he could against the waves as onlookers tried to pull him to safety, reported KITV.

Matthew Packard-Asai, 19, was swept into the ocean while fishing with friends in Hawaii

First responders received a distress call that two swimmers had been pulled into the ocean

While Packard-Asai's friend was recovered, the teen's disappearance prompted a multi-agency search

The US Coast Guard, local search and rescue and the American Red Cross participated in the three day search

'He wasn't unconscious  he was swimming  and they kept yelling at him to swim out, to not swim towards the rocks,' remembered Packard-Asai's hanai father, Kyle Doepke.

'Hanai father' loosely translated means 'adopted father' in Hawaiian.

Packard-Asai's friend was successfully brought back to shore and sustained only a leg injury, according to a press release from the Kaua'i Fire Department.

The frantic search for Packard-Asai scoured land, air and sea with the help of the Coast Guard, Kaua'i Police and Fire Departments, Kaua'i Search and Rescue, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Kaua'i Chief of Police Elliott Kalani Ke thanked volunteers and first responders who participated in the rescue mission.

'We also want to express our appreciation to our partners and the community members who supported the search for Matthew,' he said.

Remains that officials believed belonged to Packard-Asai were found on Saturday

The remains were found in the water near Kahili Beach on the island of Kaua'i

Officials scoured the land, air and sea in hopes of finding the missing teenager.

Kaua'i Fire Department Chief Michael Gibson issued a statement to Packard-Asai's family.

'Our thoughts are with Matthew and his loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,' he said.

'We are deeply grateful to all the agencies and volunteers who worked tirelessly in this search, and we extend our heartfelt support to Matthew's family as they navigate the days ahead.'

Doepke realized he may never see the teen again within 'the first few hours of that rescue.'

'He was just such a pure, truly hearted kid, and he exemplified that to a lot of kids,' he said.

'I hate to call it broken homes, but that also comes from dysfunction, right? And he was, he's one that came from that kind of scenario himself, but would always hold this light for other kids.'

The Daily Mail contacted the Kaua'i Fire Department, Kaua'i Police and the Kaua'i County for more information.
David Littleproud has survived a dramatic party room challenge, clinging to the Nationals' leadership after a vote in Canberra.

The Nationals gathered on Monday afternoon for the first time since Littleproud moved to dissolve the Coalition in January, exposing deep divisions within the party.

A full-blown showdown was avoided when Queensland LNP MP Colin Boyce's spill motion failed, falling short of the numbers needed to oust the leader.

Nationals Whip Michelle Landry declined to reveal vote numbers or confirm who seconded Boyce's challenge when she revealed the result to the media.

'We're not disclosing that,' Landry said when asked how close the vote was.

'Our goal is to work extensively on our policies and get on with being a good opposition against the Labor Party.'

Before speaking to the media, Landry was seen walking out of the party room carrying a ballot box, a clear sign that a spill had been called.

She returned to the Nationals party room only moments later, suggesting the count was completed quickly and the vote was not close.

National Party Leader David Littleproud (pictured) has survived a leadership challenge

The spill motion moved by Colin Boyce (pictured) to challenge Littleproud failed on Monday

Boyce's move reflected anger from Nationals MPs furious at Littleproud's decision to break with the Liberals.

Representing the Queensland seat of Flynn, Boyce warned the party was 'heading over a cliff' and insisted the Nationals could not hope to fend off One Nation at upcoming elections without support from the Liberals.

Littleproud is set to meet Opposition Leader Sussan Ley on Monday night, fuelling speculation the pair could begin the process of rebuilding the Coalition.

He is understood to be demanding that former Nationals frontbenchers Bridget McKenzie, Susan McDonald and Ross Cadell return to their shadow minister roles as a condition of any deal.

Littleproud will also push for rule changes so Nationals shadow ministers can vote differently from their Liberal counterparts.

McKenzie, McDonald and Cadell quit the frontbench after voting against the Albanese governments proposed hate speech laws, which were introduced in response to last months Bondi Beach terror attack.

Under Coalition cabinet rules, any frontbencher who votes against an agreed shadow cabinet position must resign.

The Liberal Party voted for the hate speech laws, following a negotiation with the Albanese Government to remove a number of controversial elements, including racial vilification.

Littleproud will argue to have Bridget McKenzie (pictured) and the other former National frontbenchers reinstated when he meets with Sussan Ley on Monday night

Ley has previously said she would welcome the Nationals back, but set a February 9 deadline before permanently replacing the shadow ministerial positions vacated by Nationals MPs with Liberals.

There remains speculation that Ley herself will face a leadership challenge sometime this year, likely being challenge by Liberal frontbencher Angus Taylor.

Several Nationals MPs are understood to feel threatened by One Nations surge in support, with the party rising steadily in the polls since December.

This comes after the defection of a former National Leader and Deputy Prime Minister to One Nation, who has been partially credited for boosting the minor partys popularity.

Joyce claimed on Monday that another major Nationals defection to One Nation would be revealed within 24 hours, but refused to give any details, declining to say whether the person was a sitting MP.
Australia's most wanted man, Dezi Freeman, is strongly believed to be dead as police begin a fresh search for his body in dense high country.

Victoria Police started a five-day search for the fugitive, or his remains, on Monday using cadaver dogs and specialist officers from around the country.

It is the latest search in the five-month manhunt for the 56-year-old after the fatal shootings of police officers Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart.

The pair were among a team of officers serving a warrant at Freeman's home in the small northeast Victorian town of Porepunkah in late August.

Detective Inspector Adam Tilley said there had been no sightings of Freeman since the shooting, and police were keeping an open mind about what had happened to him.

They are working on three scenarios, including that he is dead in the national park, has escaped the park and is being harboured by others or that he had escaped the area without any help.

'We don't believe that he is still in the area alive,' Det Tilley told reporters at the scene on Monday.

'We are comfortable that we don't believe he is here alive ... we do believe strongly, that he is in this area deceased.'

Australia's most wanted man, Dezi Freeman, is strongly believed to be dead as police begin a fresh search for his body in dense high country

Freeman's wife Mali has gone to ground since her husband vanished into the bush

More than 400 police deployed in the days after the killings failed to uncover any trace of Freeman, who was last seen fleeing into dense bushland in the alpine region shortly after the shootings.

Detective Senior Constable Thompson, 59, was just a week away from retiring, while Senior Constable de Waart-Hottart, 34, was on temporary assignment to the area.

Investigators in December revealed they had shifted their search efforts to locating the body of the self-described 'sovereign citizen', however a five-day effort to scour the bush with cadaver dogs and drones yielded nothing.

Detectives said firearms testing previously undertaken by police had shaped their renewed search area.

Officers will focus on a region close to a previously probed area based on intelligence gleaned about a gunshot heard soon after the fatal shootings.

Officers from Taskforce Summit, formed in October, have investigated thousands of pieces of intelligence including numerous tip-offs from the public.

Det Tilley said finding Freeman was the force's 'number one priority'.

'The same three possibilities remain open to us - Freeman is either dead, being harboured, or has gotten out from the area and is surviving alone,' he said.

Vadim de Waart, 35, was one of the officers killed while executing a warrant

Neal Thompson, 59, was due to retire within days before he was gunned down

Freeman is a known outdoorsman with elite bush survival skills

'What we want most is to see this through to resolution and hopefully provide answers and some level of comfort to Neal and Vadim's families, the other police impacted and the wider community.

'We will continue to do everything we can to achieve that.'

Victoria Police have offered a $1 million reward and the possibility of indemnity for information leading to Freeman's capture.

It is the largest reward in the state's history for facilitating an arrest.

Despite no confirmed sighting of the trained bush survivalist since the shooting, Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush previously said investigators would not give up until they found him.

Bright and District Chamber of Commerce president Marcus Warner said residents were surprised to wake up to news of another search for Freeman, but eagle-eyed locals had noticed the town's accommodation and cafes were busy on Sunday with arrivals.

'I think it will be obviously a bit of a morale boost and a psychological boost for the community that they're back searching,' he told AAP.

Freeman's wife Mali and a 15-year-old boy were previously arrested but released without charge.
An Australian woman has died in a tragic ski resort accident while on a working holiday in Japan.

Brooke Day, 22, was snowboarding and had caught the chairlift at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Otari, in the Nagano Prefecture, on Friday when she became stuck.

Tsugaike Mountain Resort chief executive Tsuneo Kubo said the lift buckle became tangled with her backpack while she was trying to get off.

Ms Day was then dragged along as the lift turned in the opposite direction.

It's understood the backpack could not be swiftly removed from Ms Day's body as the chest strap remained fastened.

A worker pressed an emergency button, bringing the chairlift to a stop.

Unfortunately, Ms Day is understood to have gone into cardiac arrest before she was rushed to hospital.

She was confirmed dead on Sunday.

Brooke Day (above) became stuck on a chairlift at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Otari, Japan, on Friday

Tsugaike Mountain Resort (above) confirmed the tragic incident and extended its condolences to Ms Day's family

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said the woman's family was being provided with assistance.

'We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,' the spokesperson said.

'Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.'

Mr Kubo also extended his condolences to the 'bereaved family'.

'We will continue to fully cooperate with the police and related agencies in their investigations,' he said.

Ms Day's rugby club, the Nambour Toads, shared a tribute to her on Monday.

'We are heartbroken by the loss of Brooke Day, an iconic member of our Senior Women's squad over the past two seasons,' it said.

'Taken far too soon, she was not only a talented young rugby player but a cherished teammate, friend and daughter.

Ms Day had tried to get off the lift but got caught and was dragged by her backpack as the straps tightened around her chest (the resort ticket counter is pictured above)

Ms Day's (right) rugby team remembered her as a 'fun-loving spirit'

'On the field, Brooke played with courage, determination, and she continued to grow and improve with every game that she played.

'Off the field, her smile, kindness, and fun-loving spirit lit up our club, and she was never one to shy away from our off-field festivities.'

The club added it was a 'privilege' to know the 22-year-old.

'Brooke contributed so much to our team and our Nambour Rugby community in such a short time, and her impact will never be forgotten,' it said.

'There are no words that truly capture the loss our club is feeling. Rest easy beautiful Brooke.

'Your infectious smile, zest for life and contagious giggle will live on in our memories forever.'

Local police are investigating the incident and the resort has launched its own safety review.

The Tsuga No. 2 pair fixed-grip chairlift is capable of transporting 1,000 people an hour and moves at 2.5m per second. The lift was closed on Saturday.

It's understood the chairlift safety belt buckle became stuck on Ms Day's backpack

Ms Day spent a year working as a physio receptionist in Hukuba before the accident at the ski resort

Ms Day, from the Sunshine Coast, had spent at least a year working at a physio clinic receptionist in Hakuba, which is about 8km south of the ski resort.

She described herself as a social person who enjoyed 'getting to know the patients and making them feel welcome and seen'.

Japanese media previously misnamed the Australian as Ella Day Brooke, which it has since amended to Brooke Day.

The incident is just weeks after a young boy, 5, died at a ski resort when his arm became trapped in a magic carpet ski lift in northern Japan.

Japan is one of the favourite foreign locations Australian holidaymakers, with visitor numbers steadily rising.

More than one million Australian tourists made the trip in 2025, which was a 15 per cent jump compared to 2024.
Food Sciences Lavanya Reddivari is studying how food compounds can be modified to help patients with digestive diseases

Growing up in India, when Lavanya Reddivari had a cold, her mother would give her a remedy called haldi doodh in Hindi: warm milk with turmeric and black pepper.

Id take it and feel better, but I didnt know why, she says. So, I was always fascinated with food as medicine.

Today, Reddivari is an associate professor of food science at Purdue, studying ways food compounds can improve our health. Shes also a member of Purdues Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research, which brings together scientists from across the university. Her focus is on the gut microbiome, the delicate system of bacteria that help us digest food and so much more.

We know gut health is an integral part of overall health, because gut microbiota is connected to several diseases from brain diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons, to cardio-metabolic disease to liver disease, she says. If we can take care of gut health, we are taking care of overall health.

Reddivaris latest work focuses on how food compounds might reduce inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). UC is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the gut, causing symptoms like cramping, diarrhea and weight loss. Patients with the disease are often told to reduce fiber intake to improve symptoms. But fiber is crucial for improving gut barrier function. This creates a vicious cycle for people with UC and similar disorders.

We know that fiber is very essential, but these people who are suffering cannot take it because they have low relative levels of certain bacteria that ferment fiber properly, Reddivari says.

How, Reddivari and her team wondered, could food compounds be used to improve the bacteria in the gut that ferment fiber? They focused their research on blueberries, which are rich in compounds called anthocyanins, which give the fruit their blue color. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that are unstable when theyre isolated. But when combined with pectin  a fiber found naturally in blueberries and other fruits  they are more stable and more bioavailable.

Reddivari and her team found pectin and anthocyanin complexes show less colon tissue damage, more tight junction proteins and fewer signs of disease when tested in an animal model.

Reddivari and her team applied for and received a grant through the Heartland Childrens Nutrition Collaborative, a new research initiative investigating the relationship between childhood nutrition and long-term health outcomes. This enabled them to move on to the next step: human studies.
Donald Trump threatened to sue 'total loser' Trevor Noah after the Grammys host cracked a joke suggesting Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein's island.

The president trashed Noah for saying Trump wants Greenland because 'with Epstein's island gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton'.

Trump unleashed on the 'virtually unwatchable' ceremony in a screed on Truth Social early Monday morning.

'The host, Trevor Noah, whoever he may be, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards,' Trump fumed.

'Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!!'

Trump added that while 'I can't speak for Bill' he has 'never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonights false and defamatory statement, have never been accused being there, not even by the Fake News Media.'

He then suggested that he may file a lawsuit against Noah for defamation.

'Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like Ill be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$.'

He cited his successful cases against George Stephanopoulos, whom Trump referred again to as 'Little George Slopadopoulos,' and ABC News, as well as CBS, who televised the Grammys.

'Get ready Noah, Im going to have some fun with you!'

Donald Trump threatened a lawsuit against 'total loser' Trevor Noah after the comic cracked a joke suggesting the president and Bill Clinton have visited 'Epstein's island' at the Grammys

The president trashed the 'virtually unwatchable' ceremony before taking aim at the former Daily Show host (pictured) after he said that Trump 'wants Greenland' because 'with Epstein's island gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton'

The South African comedian ripped both the commander-in-chief and former President Bill Clinton after they were both part of unsubstantiated allegations in a recent document dump of Epstein files from the Department of Justice.

'Song of the Year, that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein's island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton,' Noah joked before introducing the Song of the Year category.

The former Daily Show host then repeated that this was his last year hosting, asking: 'What are you gonna do about it?'

His joke comes just two days after the Department of Justice released at least three million pages of documents linked to disgraced financier Epstein.

Although Trump and Clinton's names appeared in the document, both have denied any wrongdoing and have not been accused of any crimes linked to Epstein.

The president has already threatened to sue the Epstein estate for conspiring with anti-Trump author Michael Wolff 'to hurt me politically'.

The comedian had mostly avoided politics on the night but saved his most pointed joke for someone absent.

'Nicki Minaj is not here,' Noah said, to big cheers from the audience at Crypto.com Arena.

The South African comedian ripped into both the commander-in-chief and predecessor Bill Clinton amid Hollywood celebrities before introducing the Song of the Year category

'Song of the Year, that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein's island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton,' he cracked

'She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.'

Noah then broke into a Trump impression. 'Actually Nicki, I have the biggest a**, everybody's saying it Nicki.'

Last week, Minaj visited and praised the president, the culmination of a move toward MAGA she's made in recent months.

Noah packed much of the politics into one joke, when he said Lauryn Hill was performing on the show for the first time since 1999.

'Do you understand how long ago that is?' he said. 'Back in 1999, the president had had a sex scandal, people thought computers were about to destroy the world, and Diddy was arrested.'

It continued a wave of celebrities espousing left-wing and anti-Trump opinions during the ceremony.

Billie Eilish was censored by the broadcast while saying 'f*** ICE' and also said that 'no human is illegal on stolen land'.

The 24-year-old Los Angeles native was emotional as she earned Song Of The Year for WILDFLOWER while accompanied by brother FINNEAS.

During her speech she said: 'As grateful as I feel, I honestly don't feel like I need to say anything but that no one is illegal on stolen land.

Rapper Bad Bunny was one of several artists who made political statements on the Grammys broadcast

Little St James Island, one of the properties of financier Jeffrey Epstein, is seen in an aerial view

'And, yeah, it's just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now, and I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting, and our voices really do matter, and the people matter. That's all I'm going to say. Sorry. Thank you so much. I can't believe this.'

Many artists at the event wore 'ICE out' pins following the controversial agency or the killings of Keith Porter in LA and Renee Good and the VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis at the hands of its agents.

Earlier in the night, Bad Bunny made a similar political statement.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican global superstar's - born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio - first words were 'ICE out' when he hit the podium to accept Best Musica Urbana Album for DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS.

The NUEVAYoL hitmaker - who will be performing at the Super Bowl LX Half-time Show at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California next week - said: 'Before I say thanks to god, I'm going to say, ICE Out.'

He received a massive ovation from the crowd before he continued his speech by saying that immigrants and Puerto Ricans are not savage, animals, or aliens and that they are in fact, Americans.

Bad Bunny continued by saying not to be consumed by hate as he gave a positive message during his speech, 'The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.

'So, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. Yeah. We don't hate them, we love our people, we love our family, and that's the way to do it, with love. Don't forget that, please. Thank you. Thank you, God! And thank you to The Academy.'
An arrest has been made following the death of a three-week-old baby more than 18 months ago.

The newborn boy was rushed to Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane on July 18, 2024, in a critical condition but had no obvious injuries.

He tragically passed away in hospital four days later, on July 22.

The Logan Child Protection Investigation Unit and Child Trauma Unit launched an investigation into the death under Operation Whiskey Nell.

'Detectives undertook an extensive and protracted investigation and recently received results from comprehensive medical examinations, which indicate the child sustained internal injuries,' Queensland Police said in a statement on Monday.

'Police will allege that the child received these injuries at a Rosemary Street address at Greenbank (about 44km southwest of Brisbane CBD).'

Officers arrested a Hank Sherriff, 25, on Monday morning and charged him with murder.

Sherriff was the baby's father and had shared a touching tribute to Carter Colt Sherriff on August 27, 2024.

A three-week-old baby died after spending four days in Queensland Children's Hospital in July 2024 (pictured is Carter Sherriff)

A man, 25, was arrested over the death on Monday (the arrest is pictured above)

Sherriff (above) was charged with murder and faced court on Monday

'Today you were cremated. I have no words, I love you son forever and always I told you to hit the sun and reach the stars and I know you did,' he wrote online.

'I'll love you forever my little man no matter what, death shall not make us part I'll see you soon.'

His case was due for mention at Brisbane Magistrates Court later on Monday but he didn't attend.

The matter was adjourned to Beenleigh Magistrates Court on February 26.

Logan District Detective Acting Inspector Glen Antonie on Monday confirmed investigators were forced to 'rely heavily on medical examinations' due to a lack of 'obvious injuries'.

'I can tell you that the medical examination report that we have received - that we've based our action off today - is extensive, and it clearly articulates the reason why we progressed forward for murder,' he said.

'...I take my hat off to the investigators and the nature of the job that they do every day.

'You've got to be a special type of person, in my mind, to pick this line of work, and in fact, work in such a portfolio as child protection.'

Investigations continue.
A measles outbreak at a Texas detention center has forced ICE to stop 'all movement' at the facility.

Two 'active measles infections' were detected on Friday at Dilley Immigration Processing Center, reported CBS News.

The facility in South Texas reportedly houses mostly undocumented families who have been taken into custody by ICE.

In a statement obtained by NBC News, Department of Homeland Security Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said both measles patients had been quarantined.

'ICE Health Services Corps immediately took steps to quarantine and control further spread and infection, ceasing all movement within the facility and quarantining all individuals suspected of making contact with the infected,' she said.

McLaughlin said the center's medical staff has taken 'appropriate and active steps to prevent further infection.'

'This is the best healthcare than many aliens have received in their entire lives.'

Detainees at Dilley Detention Center reportedly receive full medical, dental and mental health care while they are in custody.

The DHS reported two cases of the measles at Dilley Detention Center in Texas

The detention center held five-year-old Liam Ramos and his father after they were arrested in Minnesota, prompting protests in Texas

According to CDC, measles has been largely eradicated in the United States

The facility saw a swarm of protestors in the past week over concerns about its treatment of families and children.

Families have alleged moldy food, undrinkable water and unsuitable conditions, reported the Marshall Project.

One detainee told USA Today there were sick children 'everywhere.'

'There were a lot of sick people in there,' she said. 'And no doctors.'

More than 1,700 children are currently being held by immigration enforcement, per the New York Times, and many of them reside at Dilley.

Five-year-old Liam Ramos and his father were held there after being detained by ICE on January 20.

The family garnered national attention when they were arrested following the boy's preschool pickup in Minnesota.

The father and son returned home over the weekend after nationwide protests and a court ruling.

Outrage over the family prompted Texas Representative Joaquin Castro to order inspections of the Dilley this week, per the San Antonio Express-News.

Ramos and his father were released following large scale protests and court orders

Symptoms for measles include cough, fever and rash

According to the CDC, Measles was largely eradicated in the US in 2000. Most known cases are now contracted abroad.

But in 2025, the US saw the most measles cases in a decade amid concerns of dwindling vaccination rates.

Among the 2,267 cases, at least 762 were reported in West Texas, per Fox Digital.

The outbreak resulted in 99 hospitalizations and at least two deaths.

Measles is highly contagious and spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing.

Symptoms include fever, cough, and a rash.

The Daily Mail contacted the Department of Homeland Security for more information.
South Florida residents grappling with unusually cold temperatures were treated to a frightening sight over the weekend as iguanas started falling from the trees.

The Sunshine State faced temperatures in the mid-30s on Sunday, leaving the cold-blooded reptiles to go into a state of 'torpor,' in which they temporarily lose muscle control and appear to be frozen.

Iguanas - which are considered an invasive species in Florida - were then seen laying immobile in piles on the ground.

If they were to be left out in the cold temperatures for a prolonged period of time, the iguanas may die, meteorologist Brantly Keiek wrote on social media.

'They're like little bags of ice,' Jessica Kilgore, of Iguana Solutions, told Local 10 News as she collected the normally fast creatures by the handful.

With the temperatures hovering just above freezing, she said people can 'pick them up like easter eggs on the ground.'

Floridians are typically forbidden from handling iguanas themselves.

But amid the cold snap, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission decided to allow residents to bring the frozen iguanas to temporary collection sites set up across the state, where they will either be humanely euthanized or transferred to licensed permit holders for sale outside of the state.

Florida residents were treated to an unusual sight on Sunday - iguanas that appeared frozen in place amid unusually cold temperatures. Daily Mail US Weekend Editor Michelle Curran spotted one cold-stunned iguana on the beach in Miami

Iguanas - which are considered an invasive species in Florida - were then seen laying immobile in piles on the ground

The cold-blooded creatures go into a state of 'torpor' in which they temporarily lose muscle control and appear to be frozen in freezing or near-freezing temperatures

Florida residents were urged to bring the cold-stunned iguanas to drop-off sites set up by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

'If you want to allow him to defrost, go ahead and move him to the sun and he'll go ahead and scramble right up the trees,' Kilgore said of the reptiles.

'But if you want to help the environment and remove him, you need to call [the Fish and Wildlife Commission] and find a drop-off site, and they'll be able to take care of him humanely for you.'

At one drop-off site, a man told the local news channel he was 'kind of surprised' by how easy it was to spot the frozen creatures.

'Got out there, found them. Like we've seen them in the summer and they are fast and then you see them right now and they just don't move,' he said. 'They're just so slow.'

The strange sight comes amid a raging bomb cyclone bringing record-breaking snow, powerful winds and dangerous ice to the Southeast.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that a 'hard freeze' is expected from Sunday night through Monday morning.

Forecasts for Sunday night suggested that Floridians may see temperatures colder than even those in the Nordic island country of Iceland.

Kyle Hill studies frozen blueberry plants in Clermont, Florida, on Sunday

The unusual sight comes amid the raging bomb cyclone bringing record-breaking snow, powerful winds and dangerous ice to the Southeast

Low temperatures were expected to be in the upper teens while highs were only anticipated to reach the 20s.

'Ensure you take actions to protect people, pipes, and plants. To prevent water pipes from freezing; wrap or drain or allow them to drip slowly,' the NWS wrote.

In Tampa Bay, the NWS said that 'temperatures will drop to below freezing again for most areas.'

Locals were urged to secure any loose objects as part of the wind advisory, which will also make it hard to drive highprofile vehicles.

Meanwhile residents in Orlando were warned they could see a 'dangerously cold' low of 29 degrees overnight on Sunday - breaking the record of 32 degrees set in 1980.
The British countryside is in the midst of a diversity drive after a government-commissioned report found it was too 'white' and 'middle-class'.

Officials charged with managing some of the country's best known beauty spots have laid out a series of proposals aimed at attracting minorities.

The plans follow a review, ordered by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), which warned the countryside was seen as 'very much a white environment' and risked becoming 'irrelevant' in a multicultural society.

In the wake of the report, officials representing National Landscapes - including the Cotswolds and Chilterns - have now published a series of management plans that detail their proposals to attract more minority communities.

The Chiltern National Landscape will launch an outreach programme in Luton and High Wycombe targeted at Muslims.

One factor stopping ethnic minorities visiting was said to be 'anxiety over unleashed dogs'.

The Cotswolds National Landscape specifically mentioned the Defra-commissioned report and said it was now dedicated to changing its provision in an attempt to reach 'the widest demographic'.

Officials charged with managing some of the country's best known countryside beauty spots have laid out a series of proposals aimed at attracting minorities. Pictured is the Cotswolds

In its own management plan, the Malvern Hills National Landscape said: 'Many minority peoples have no connection to nature in the UK because their parents and their grandparents did not feel safe enough to take them or had other survival preoccupations. This breaks down the oral traditions for learning.'

It added: 'While most white English users value the solitude and contemplative activities which the countryside affords, the tendency for ethnic minority people is to prefer social company (family, friends, schools).'

The authority said it will aim to 'develop strategies to reach people or communities with protected characteristics such as people without English as a first language'.

Nidderdale National Landscape in North Yorkshire warned that ethnic minority communities may be met with barriers when accessing their nearby countryside.

It said this could include 'concerns about how they will be received when visiting an unfamiliar place'.

The organisation said that its plans will 'develop more inclusive information to reflect more diverse cultural interpretation of the countryside'.

Cranborne Chase National Landscape, which overlaps Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Somerset, said it aims to 'reach people or communities with protected characteristics such as people without English as a first language'.

Surrey Hills management found that 'some demographics are still under-represented in our countryside'.

Suffolk and Essex Coast Heaths raised concerns about 'some sections of society that are under-represented when looking at the composition of visitors'.

Dedham Vale has promised to 'identify and seek to address barriers facing under-represented and/or diverse groups which limit equal access to the Dedham Vale National Landscape'.

The 2019 Defra-commissioned report on the countryside was overseen by author and former board member Julian Glover.

It stated: 'We are all paying for national landscapes through our taxes, and yet sometimes on our visits it has felt as if National Parks are an exclusive, mainly white, mainly middleclass club.'

The Chiltern National Landscape will launch an outreach programme in Luton and High Wycombe targeted at Muslims

The report continued: 'Many communities in modern Britain feel that these landscapes hold no relevance for them. The countryside is seen by both black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and white people as very much a "white" environment.

'If that is true today, then the divide is only going to widen as society changes. Our countryside will end up being irrelevant to the country that actually exists.'

In response, the Conservative government at the time said it would 'expand community engagement including with reference to increasing the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of visitors'.

This also included increased outreach to other protected characteristics such as disability.

Defra spent 108,000 on a second report titled 'Improving the ethnic diversity of visitors to England's protected landscapes' in 2022.

It found that 'perceptions of protected landscapes as being for white people and middle-class people could be a powerful barrier for first-generation immigrants'.

Research showed ethnic minorities associate visiting countryside landscapes with 'white culture'.

It found that they see 'the English countryside as a white space, to which they did not belong'.

Another concern raised was rural facilities mainly 'cater to white English culture'.

It said: 'Protected landscapes were closely associated with 'traditional' pubs, which have limited food options and cater to people who have a drinking culture.

'Accordingly, Muslims from the Pakistani and Bangladeshi group said this contributed to a feeling of being unwelcome.'

The Labour Government revealed its own targets for access to the countryside in 2025.

A Defra spokesman said at the time: 'We will work with Government, public bodies, businesses, civil society and communities to support people engaging with nature in their own ways and encourage them to do this safely and appropriately through continued promotion of the countryside code.

'We want to equip communities with the resources, knowledge and skills so they can respond to societal and environmental issues in their neighbourhoods.'

In 2024, a report called for dogs to be banned from parts of the Welsh countryside to help make the country 'anti-racist'.

Labour's devolved administration wants to end racism in the country by 2030 and ensure 'all areas' of public life are transformed as part of its Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan.

As part of this effort, it commissioned a report from campaign group Climate Cymru BAME to evaluate 'racism relating to climate change, environment, and rural affairs'.

The document was roundly ridiculed for making a string of bizarre suggestions, including the introduction of 'dog-free areas' to make local green spaces more inclusive.
Families are taking legal action against a nursery where their children were sexually abused by nursery worker Vincent Chan as they criticised a 'consistent culture of brushing concerns aside'.

Chan, 45, is facing years behind bars for molesting girls aged three and four while working at the Bright Horizons nursery in Finchley Road, West Hampstead, north London.

Chan filmed himself carrying out the abuse during naptime at the nursery and also confessed to downloading thousands of indecent images of children.

Initially, 12 families who questioned how Chan was able to carry out his horrific offending were set to take legal action against the nursery, first outlined in a letter to Bright Horizons in December.

By Friday, 46 families were part of the claim, legal firm Leigh Day said.

In a statement issued by the firm on Sunday, the families said: 'What has happened here is not just about one individual or one nursery.

'We believe Chan's crimes raise serious questions about how childcare providers recruit, supervise and safeguard staff, and how warning signs can be overlooked over long periods of time.

'In our case, Bright Horizons repeatedly dismissed concerns from parents about Chan's behaviour, and we believe their consistent culture of brushing concerns aside was key to enabling this catastrophe to happen.

The firm added: 'They will be seeking full accountability for those failures, initially through the civil courts, and are also urging Camden Council to investigate the case for prosecution of Bright Horizons as a corporate entity.

'State institutions must treat this case with the utmost seriousness, act to uncover the full extent of offending, ensure accountability and prevent similar harm in the future.'

Vincent Chan, 45, is facing years behind bars for molesting girls aged three and four while working at the Bright Horizons nursery in Finchley Road, West Hampstead, north London

The 46 families are made up of relatives of the victims of Chan's sexual abuse and image-based offending, as well as those whose children were mistreated by him in other ways, including when he made videos of children humiliated or in distress.

The Finchley Road nursery has since closed.

Chan admitted 30 new offences at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Thursday relating to 10 girls and six women that did not take place at the nursery.

The sex offender will be sentenced on February 12 for the 56 offences to which he has pleaded guilty.

The families taking action say they are 'seeking accountability' through claims for breach of contract for Bright Horizons' safeguarding failures that permitted Chan to commit his crimes, as well as neglect and cruelty, Leigh Day confirmed.

Camden Safeguarding Partnership is conducting a local child safeguarding practice review on the nursery, the law firm added.

Alison Millar, the head of Leigh Day's abuse team, said: 'Families understandably are extremely concerned that a perpetrator was able to work at the nursery for so many years and misuse nursery devices to facilitate his offending.

'They are concerned about apparent lack of knowledge and understanding of safeguarding by managers and staff and a failure by the nursery to implement effective safeguarding policies, procedures and practices, including digital safeguarding.

'They will be seeking full accountability for those failures, initially through the civil courts, but also are looking to Camden Council to investigate the case for prosecution of Bright Horizons as a corporate entity.

'This case has to be treated with the utmost seriousness by state institutions to ensure that similar offending can never be allowed to happen again.'

A spokesman for Bright Horizon previously said: 'First and foremost, our thoughts remain with the children and families affected.

'What happened at our former Finchley Road nursery was an appalling breach of trust by one individual and not representative of the thousands of experienced and dedicated staff who work tirelessly each day to look after the children in our care.

'The safety and wellbeing of children entrusted to our care is our highest priority. We are committed to learning any lessons that can be taken from this terrible case.

'We fully support the Child Safeguarding Practice Review (CSPR) and hope that it will be beneficial for families, for us as a provider and for the Early Years industry as a whole.

'It would be premature to comment on any matters relating to our former nursery whilst the CSPR's process is ongoing.

'Parents are invited to contribute to this review and we would encourage them to participate so that information can be obtained and considered.'

A Camden Council spokesman said: 'The Camden Safeguarding Partnership have commissioned an independent review into this distressing case, and protecting the integrity of this process is of the utmost importance.

'The council will continue to consider any appropriate further actions in response to this matter as the review proceeds. In the meantime we will do all we can to support and engage the families affected by this case.'

The provider said it welcomes and encourages parent feedback and takes parent concerns seriously.

The families of 700 children who attended the nursery during the time Chan worked there between 2017 and 2024 have been contacted and are receiving specialist support.

A dedicated NSPCC helpline has been set up for anyone affected by Chan's offending, on 0800 028 0828, which operates from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 9am-6pm on weekends.

Anyone who wants to make a report to police about Chan can contact OpLanark@met.police.uk, or call 101 from within the UK, quoting the reference CAD3697/1DEC.

Chan, of Stanhope Avenue, Finchley, north London, remains in custody ahead of sentencing.
New research has found Australia is one the most expensive places in the world to go to high school.

Data collected by the The Australia Institute found the cost of going to high school is driven by the 'unusually high number of Australian students who go to private schools and the unusually high prices of those private schools'.

A report on Monday claimed the average Australian family spends $4,967 each year to put a child through high school, almost four times the OECD average of $1,262 - which looks at prices across 38 developed nations.

Families who send their children to private school face significantly higher costs with fees reaching up to $55,000 per child each year. paying even more, with fees now reaching up to $55,000 per child, per year.

Despite the high fees, the report found more than 40 per cent of Australian high school students attend private schools, the second-highest rate in the developed world only behind Chile.

The popularity is reflected in the institutions offered around Australia, with more than two in five schools privatised.

However, attending a private school in Australia doesn't guarantee better results than a public education.

'In primary school NAPLAN results, public schools perform better than Catholic schools and on par with independent schools, once socio-economic background is adjusted for,' the report said.

The Australia Institute found Australian families pay some of the most expensive high school fees in the world (pictured Melbourne Grammar students)

The data showed Australia was well ahead of other comparable countries for school fees

'This shifts slightly at a secondary level, where public schools perform better than Catholic schools but slightly worse than independent schools.'

'Despite Australian private schools sometimes charging fees as high as $55,000 per year, that price tag far from guarantees a better education.

'In the case of Catholic schools, parents are paying significant amounts to receive what is, on average, a lower-quality education than if they sent their children to public schools.'

One of the largest difference between privatised and public education was the amenities offered to students.

The Australia Institute claimed many private institutions could afford to spend big on extracurricular activities for students as they still receive government funding.

Most developed countries do not allow school that receive government funding to charge fees, let alone rapidly growing fees that far exceed inflation.

'The rapid increase in private school fees does not deliver savings for the government, but simply leads to even greater expenditure on the cricket grounds, swimming pools, rifle ranges and other non-educational amenities displayed so prominently in private school marketing materials,' the report stated.

'...While some commentary has focused on whether private schools are becoming 'too expensive', the opposite is the case - the most expensive schools need to keep increasing their fees to ensure that only the wealthiest families can afford to send their children there.

The Kings School in Sydney in among Australia's most well regarded... and expensive

'If there was a shortage of parents willing and able to pay $55,000 per year to send one child to school then the schools would be cutting down on their employment of groundskeepers for their turf cricket pitches and other non-educational amenities.

'Just as some people like to own the biggest house on the street and be seen to have the most expensive car to drive, many Australian parents receive status from sending their children to the most expensive schools and/or see value in ensuring that their children will be surrounded by other children whose parents can afford fees that cost more than millions of Australians earn in a year.'

Meanwhile, the Australian Education Union claims public high schools face a funding shortfall of more than $4 billion each year.

'As it stands, wealthy Australian private schools like Scots College in Sydney and Geelong Grammar can afford to build private swimming pools while underfunded public schools can't even repair some of their classrooms,' the report stated.

Richard Denniss, co-CEO of The Australia Institute, summed up the paper saying: 'Governments are throwing public money at private schools that clearly don't need it.'

'Australia's private schools are growing, and their fees keep rising. Yet all this money isn't buying a better education for Australian children,' he said.

'In fact, as private school revenues and enrolments have surged, Australia's performance on international tests has declined.

'Wealthy schools are free to charge parents a fortune while still receiving taxpayer funding.

'This double-dipping is not allowed in many other countries, and it's clearly not helping Australia's students, the economy or the Commonwealth budget.'

Mr Denniss urged for Australia to reconsider its funding model for secondary education.

'Schools which can afford to build things like indoor swimming pools and rifle ranges should not be receiving taxpayer dollars,' he said.

'Diverting money from rich private schools into public schools would help level the playing field and would simultaneously encourage families to send their children to public schools, which would save them a small fortune.

'Government policy has created a two-tier education system and it's not helping Australia. Indeed, it's not even keeping private school fees down.

'It's time to admit the system needs radical reform rather than more tinkering around the edges.'
China has executed four kingpins of a Myanmar crime family known for running scam centres.

The members of the Bai crime family were executed for crimes including 'fraud, intentional homicide, intentional injury, kidnapping, extortion' and 'forced prostitution.'

According to the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court, one member, Bai Yingcang, 'also colluded to sell and manufacture about 11 tonnes of methamphetamine.'

Their deaths at the hands of the state come less than a week after China executed 11 others from a different mafia known for duping thousands around the world into fake romances and crypto grifts.

According to the court, the Bai clan ran a total of a total of 41 fraud parks in northern Myanmar's Kokang region, where their actions led to the deaths of six Chinese citizens, the suicide of one person, and injuries to 'many' others.

The Bais, so powerful and wealthy that they controlled their own militia, ran scam and illegal casino operations from these compounds. They also routinely tortured and beaten their workers, authorities said.

The four powerful figures in the clan were sentenced to death in November. A fifth person was also sentenced to death, Bai Suocheng, but he 'died of illness' following last year's verdict.

He was alleged to have been the group's ringleader.

Fraud compounds where scammers lure internet users into fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investments have flourished across Southeast Asia, including in the lawless borderlands of Myanmar.

Residents in the UK and the US have fallen victim to similar, sophisticated schemes, after being lured into romantic relationships that resulted in the loss of large amounts of cash.

The Bai family (pictured) ran scam and illegal casino operations from their compounds

Those conducting the scams are sometimes willing con artists, and other times are trafficked foreign nationals, forced to work for a pittance.

Beijing has stepped up cooperation with regional governments in recent years, and thousands of people have been repatriated to face trial in China's opaque justice system.

Last Thursday, a Chinese court executed 11 members of the rival Ming crime family, infamous for duping victims in fake online romances, following their sentencing in September.

Despite the fact that the Ming family's trial was held behind closed doors, an audience of more than 160 people were allowed to attend the sentencing hearing last year, including families of victims.

Between 2015 and 2023, the Ming mafia's scam operations and gambling dens brought in more than 10bn yuan (1 billion).

Previously, the main source of income for such families was prostitution and gambling, but then they eventually got involved with online fraud and used kidnapped workers to run their scams.

According to the testimony of freed staff, beatings and torture were commonplace within the mafia's sprawling and well-guarded compounds.

'For some time now, China has been actively cooperating with Myanmar and other countries' to tackle telecom fraud, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Monday when asked about the executions of the Ming familu at a regular press briefing.

Their actions had achieved 'significant results in safeguarding people's lives and property', he said, adding that Beijing would 'intensify efforts to combat' the syndicates.

China has executed 11 people linked to Myanmar criminal gangs, including 'key members' of telecom scam operations (pictured, some of the crime family at their sentencing in October at the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court in eastern China's Zhejiang Province)

Hundreds of foreigners, pictured above, were sent home from compounds in Myanmar that are run by criminal gangs, with many workers saying they were trafficked and forced to swindle people around the world in protracted internet scams

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warned in April that the cyberscam industry was spreading across the world, including to South America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and some Pacific Islands.

The UN has estimated that hundreds of thousands of people are working in scam centres globally.

For its part, the UK government launched sanctions on illegal scam networks last October alongside the US, to ensure maximum impact.

The joint action followed extensive investigations by the FCDO and the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

This resulted in the sanctioning of a network that also operates scam centres in Southeast Asia, and has several assets in London.

The leader of that group, Chen Zhi, and his web of enablers, had incorporated their businesses in the British Virgin Islands and invested in the London property market, acquiring assets including a 12 million mansion on Avenue Road in north London, a 100 million office building on Fenchurch Street in the City of London, and seventeen flats on New Oxford Street and in Nine Elms in south London.

All of the businesses and properties were frozen, as part of the government's attempt to clampdown on scam centres which trick victims across the world out of substantial sums of money and torture their trafficked workers.

'The masterminds behind these horrific scam centres are ruining the lives of vulnerable people and buying up London homes to store their money,' Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said at the time.

Alleged scam centre workers and victims pictured during a crackdown operation by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) on illicit activity at the KK Park complex in Myanmar's eastern Myawaddy township, February 26, 2025

Alleged scam centre workers and victims from China arrive at the border checkpoint with Thailand in Myanmar's eastern Myawaddy township on February 20, 2025

'Together with our US allies, we are taking decisive action to combat the growing transnational threat posed by this network  upholding human rights, protecting British nationals and keeping dirty money off our streets.'

Fraud Minister Lord Hanson added: 'Fraudsters prey on the most vulnerable by stealing life savings, ruining trust, and devastating lives. We will not tolerate this.

'These sanctions prove our determination to stop those who profit from this activity, hold offenders accountable, and keep dirty money out of the UK.'
Jeffrey Epstein arranged multiple meetings with Vladimir Putin, the Epstein files suggest, while intelligence sources believed he was running the 'world's largest honeytrap operation' on behalf of the KGB.

In the latest tranche of files published on Friday by the US Department of Justice, a startling series of emails show the late paedophile appearing to organise meetings with the Russian President.

In correspondence, sent to Epstein on September 11, 2011, an unidentified associate discusses an 'appointment with Putin' during a forthcoming trip to Russia.

The individual tells Epstein: 'Spoke with Igor. He said last time you were in Palm Beach, you told him you had an appointment with Putin on Sept 16 and that he could go ahead and book his ticket to Russia to arrive a few days before you.'

Epstein, who was found dead in his cell in New York in August 2019, appears to have had another meeting scheduled with Putin in 2014.

In an email to Epstein, Japanese entrepreneur Joi Ito tells the convicted child sex offender that another US billionaire named Reid Hoffman, co-founder of website LinkedIn, was unable to join.

'Hey Jeffrey,' Ito writes. 'I wasn't able to convince Reid to change his schedule to go meet Putin with you.' It is unclear whether this meeting took place.

A later email sent by Ito suggested it was cancelled after Russian-backed forces shot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing 298 people.

Intelligence sources believe Jeffrey Epstein (pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell) was running 'the world's largest honeytrap operation' on behalf of the KGB when he procured women for his network of associates

Epstein pictured wearing a communist style cap. American intelligence experts believe Epstein was inducted into the world of espionage via business deals with Robert Maxwell

An image from the latest release from the Epstein files. Epstein seems to have secured audiences with Vladimir Putin after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution

Writing to Epstein three days later, Ito said: 'Bad idea now after the plane crash.'

Other messages revealed Epstein claimed he could give the Kremlin valuable insight into Mr Trump ahead of a summit with Putin in Helsinki.

He also discussed blackmail with with Sergei Belyakov in 2015, Russias then Deputy Minister of Economic Development and a graduate of Russia's Federal Security Service, the main successor to the KGB.

On July 24, 2015, Epstein asked Belyakov for a favour, warning him that 'a Russian girl from Moscow is attempting to blackmail a group of powerful biznessmen [sic] in New York. It is bad for business for everyone involved.'

In a later email, sent to himself, Epstein wrote of his 'friends in the FSB'.

The files include 1,056 documents naming Putin and 9,629 referring to Moscow. Epstein even seems to have secured audiences with Putin after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

The release of more than three million files relating to Epstein give credence to incendiary claims made by senior security officials: that Epstein was working on behalf of Moscow, and possibly Israel, when he facilitated assignations for some of the world's most powerful men.

One intelligence source branded his actions 'the world's largest honeytrap operation' on behalf of the KGB.

Others sources say his assocation with Russia could explain why Epstein appeared to enjoy an ultra-wealthy lifestyle out of kilter with his career as a financier, although there is no documentary evidence linking Putin and his spies directly to Epstein's illicit activities.

But the sources also claim that while US security services 'monitored' Epstein's Russian connections for years, their UK equivalents were hesitant due to Epstein's connection to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The cache includes an email claiming Bill Gates asked one of Epstein's advisers to provide medicine to treat sexually transmitted diseases due to 'sex with Russian girls' - something he has dismissed as 'completely false'.

It also contains a document confirming The Mail on Sunday's October report that Epstein offered to introduce Andrew to a 'beautiful' 26-year-old Russian woman in August 2010 - two years after Epstein's conviction.

Ghislaine Maxwell (centre) pictured with two men who appear to be two Russian army personnel. Robert Maxwell's daughter is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and other offences linked to her association with Epstein, who she is said to have met shortly after her father's death

The latest Epstein files include 1,056 documents naming Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) and 9,629 referring to Moscow

A photo of a man appearing to be Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, showing him crouched over a female who is sprawled face up with their arms spread out, feature among the latest Epstein files dump

Multiple emails have also been released which appear to indicate Epstein's interest in 'Russian girls'.

They include requests to book flights for escorts from Moscow to Paris and New York, where he owned properties.

One email, written by Epstein in 2010, said: 'Tomorrow Im organising a dinner for some new Russian girls  see you at 10.'

He received an email from 2012 which said: 'I have 2 Russian girls for you to meet, one 21, another 24. One skinny, another curvy and super cute.'

American intelligence experts believe Epstein was inducted into the world of espionage via business deals with Robert Maxwell, the disgraced media magnate who - like Epstein - died in murky circumstances; in Maxwell's case his body was found floating in the Atlantic in 1991, having apparently fallen overboard from his yacht.

Epstein was found hanged in 2019, but relatives believe he was murdered to silence him.

Maxwell's daughter, Ghislaine, is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and other offences linked to her association with Epstein, who she is said to have met shortly after her father's death.

Security sources say Robert Maxwell was a Russian asset from the 1970s, when he worked to extradite Soviet Jews to Israel, with the involvement of Israeli intelligence service Mossad.

In return, they say, Maxwell laundered Russian money into the West - with the help of Epstein.

They think the financier was introduced to Maxwell and the KGB by an oil tycoon also in the pay of Russian intelligence. Probes into Robert Maxwell's business dealings have uncovered links not only to the KGB and Mossad - but also MI6.

US security officials also believe Epstein had long-standing ties with Russian organised crime, who could have been blackmailing him. That could explain the ease with which Epstein appeared to be able to fly in 'girls' from Russia.

A source said: 'You have Andrew, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and all the rest placed in compromising positions on an island bristling with technology. It's the world's largest honey trap operation.

'The Americans have been on this for years, but our lot have seemed more queasy about it, presumably because of the Royal link.' All the high-profile figures named in the files deny any wrongdoing.

Media tycoon Robert Maxwell, who security sources say was a Russian asset from the 1970s, when he worked to extradite Soviet Jews to Israel, with the involvement of Israeli intelligence service Mossad

An image from the latest release from the Epstein files. US security officials also believe Epstein had long-standing ties with Russian organised crime. That could explain the ease with which Epstein appeared to be able to fly in 'girls' from Russia

Meanwhile, in a 2010 email exchange involving the former Duke of York, Epstein told Andrew that he has a 'friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with'.

When pressed by Andrew for more details, Epstein replied: 'She's 26, Russian, clever, beautiful, trustworthy and yes, she has your email.'

The MoS previously revealed how this woman, a blue-eyed blonde, was 'not only abused by Epstein but trafficked by him for many years', according to her legal representative.

And in another email sent in November 2010, Epstein asks an individual whether he needs a Russian visa, adding: 'I have a friend of Putin's, should I ask him?'

Other messages show Epstein claiming to offer the Kremlin insight into Mr Trump.

The financier messaged Thorbjorn Jagland, then secretary general of the Council of Europe, suggesting he could pass on a message to Putin about how to handle the US President.

In a June 2018 exchange, Epstein indicated that Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the UN, 'understood Trump after our conversations'.

He advised that Mr Jagland, the former prime minister of Norway, could 'suggest to putin, that lavrov [Sergei Lavrov, Russia's veteran foreign minister], can get insight on talking to me [sic].'

Epstein told Mr Jagland that Mr Trump 'must be seen to get something'. Mr Jagland responded that he would meet Mr Lavrov's assistant on the following Monday and relay the message.

Earlier that month Epstein had also messaged Steve Bannon, a Trump ally, to tell him Mr Jagland was due to meet Putin and Lavrov and was then staying overnight with him at his mansion in Paris.

The extraordinary exchanges took place before the totemic Helsinki summit between Mr Trump and Putin in July 2018, during which the US President insisted he did not think that Russia interfered in the 2016 Presidential election.

Another document reveals the FBI was warned that Epstein was believed to be a Mossad spy.

A report by FBI bosses highlighted how a source told the agency: 'Epstein was close to the former prime minister of Israel, Ehud Barak and trained as a spy under him.' In June 2013, Epstein sent an email to Mr Barak saying: 'Putin will re do his staff in the summer, bringing only very trusted people closer... more info on phone or face to face.'

Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein was found hanged in 2019, but relatives believe he was murdered to silence him

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is pictured on Sunday leaving Royal Lodge in his Range Rover after he appeared in the latest release of the Epstein files

The agency's unnamed source also highlighted how Epstein was linked to a former leader of Putin's youth organisation named Masha Drokova, a San Francisco-based businesswoman who was once an ardently pro-Putin teenager - and starred in a documentary that featured her kissing the autocrat.

The source concluded that Ms Drokova's company, Day One Ventures, was 'in Silicon Valley to steal technology'. It also details how the FBI spy discussed Epstein with Ms Drokova.

'CHS and Drokova spoke, but Drokova did not talk at all about technology; instead, she looked at CHS and said "You knew Epstein didn't you." She said Epstein was a "wonderful man" and that it was a crying shame what had being [sic] done to him.'

In 2021 a book by investigative reporter Craig Unger alleged that, before he was President, Mr Trump established links with the Putin camp via his 15-year friendship with Epstein.

In 'American Kompromat: How The KGB Cultivated Donald Trump', Unger also claimed Epstein relied on Russian pimps to supply him with many of the girls he abused. Unger believes the FSB - the KGB's successor - may have acquired blackmail material from the many videos Epstein reportedly recorded of his famous friends with the girls.
Police are being urged to investigate Lord Mandelson today after he was accused of leaking 'confidential and market sensitive' No10 emails to Jeffrey Epstein.

The former Cabinet minister finally quit Labour last night, with Sir Keir Starmer branded 'weak' for failing to kick Lord Mandelson out of the party earlier over his links to the notorious paedophile.

But the storm over a huge tranche of documents released by the US administration last week shows no sign of dissipating.

Gordon Brown has demanded a Cabinet Office probe into the 'wholly unacceptable' disclosure of details of his government's desperate response to the Credit Crunch.

The ex-prime minister revealed he asked No10 for a probe last September - but after two months was told no evidence could be found.

The new US material includes emails apparently forwarded to the paedophile financier by Lord Mandelson in 2009, in which key Downing Street aides and ministers discussed the UK's resilience to the Credit Crunch crisis and what government assets might be 'saleable'.

Other documents seemingly show Lord Mandelson - who was Business Secretary at the time - advising Epstein how he and his powerful friends could lobby against a bankers' bonus tax.

In May 2010 - after the election but before the Coalition government took over - Lord Mandelson appeared to give Epstein advance notice of a 500billion bailout of the Euro.

What looks to be bank records from 2003 and 2004 suggest that Epstein wired the New Labour architect tens of thousands of pounds - although Lord Mandelson has said he believes they are fake.

The Liberal Democrats and SNP are both calling for police to investigate whether there is evidence of criminality in the actions of Lord Mandelson, who was Britain's ambassador to the US until being sacked by Sir Keir in September.

Dame Emily Thornberry, a senior Labour MP, also suggested the latest revelations about Lord Mandelson's relationship with Epstein are a matter for police.

Some MPs are demanding his peerage is stripped from him - even though Lord Mandelson is already on a 'leave of absence' from Parliament and has indicated he will not return.

Downing Street said Sir Keir believes Lord Mandelson 'should not be a member of the House of Lords' and has asked the Cabinet Secretary to 'urgently' review his emails to Epstein.

The Government will also seek to modernise the disciplinary procedures for peers so disgraced members of the Lords can be removed.

Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, told MPs this afternoon: 'The PM is calling on all political parties... to work with the Government to modernise the disciplinary procedures to allow for the removal of peers who have brought the House of Lords into disrepute.'

The Tories demanded a further probe into Lord Mandelson's conduct while US ambassador to review what information was shared with private companies, including Palantir.

Lord Mandelson brokered a meeting between Sir Keir Starmer and the tech firm in February last year.

The Conservatives also want the Government to publish documents related to its vetting of Lord Mandelson prior to his appointment as US ambassador by Sir Keir.

Mr Jones told the Commons that Lord Mandelson was not 'wholly truthful' in his declarations before taking on the Washington DC role.

In other details from the correspondence between Lord Mandelson and Epstein:

Lord Mandelson apparently described himself as 'wild and dangerous and twice fallen' in an email to Ghislaine Maxwell in 2002;

In a sign of their closeness, in August 2009 he asked for Epstein's advice about whether to stick with partner Reinaldo - now his husband - after a row about sandals and 'household' expenses;

During one grim exchange in October 2009, Epstein joked that Lord Mandelson marrying Princess Beatrice could be considered 'incest', adding: 'How exciting.'

Lord Mandelson seemingly informed Epstein that he had convinced Mr Brown to quit on May 10, 2010 before it was announced publicly.

A photograph released as part of the Epstein files apparently shows Lord Mandelson talking to a woman who is wearing a white bath robe

The PM was forced to sack Lord Mandelson from the key role of US ambassador last year after more revelations about Epstein

Lord Mandelson's entry on the Parliament website changed to 'non-affiliated' today. He is on leave of absence from the House

The tranche of documents includes an email seemingly from Lord Mandelson to Epstein, talking about the UK government having 'saleable' assets

The 2009 memo highlighted that the government was looking to get investment moving

The memo made clear that the government was looking to sell off assets to avoid tax hikes

In a letter to Labour's general secretary Hollie Ridley last night, Lord Mandelson said: 'I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.

'Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.

'While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.'

Lord Mandelson added: 'I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.

'I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests.'

In a fresh humiliation, a photo has emerged of Lord Mandelson in his underwear chatting to a woman in a bathrobe, seemingly at Epstein's Paris apartment.

Meanwhile, there are reports the US House Oversight Committee is set to summon him to testify on his links to the paedophile financier.

Documents from the release appear to show Lord Mandelson suggesting to Epstein in 2009 that he would lobby the UK government over a levy on bankers' bonuses.

The so-called 'super tax' was introduced in December 2009 by then-chancellor Alistair Darling in the wake of the huge bailouts for banks.

An email dated December 15, 2009, which appears to be from Epstein, reads: 'any real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers bonus'.

The reply, apparently from Lord Mandelson, reads: 'Trying hard to amend as I explained to Jes last night. Treasury digging in but I am on case.'

Two days later, an email discussion indicates Lord Mandelson encouraged JP Morgan's boss Jamie Dimon to call Mr Darling and 'mildly threaten' him.

In an email to Lord Mandelson, Epstein wrote 'should Jamie call Darling one more time' with an apparent reply  with the sender's email redacted  saying: 'Yes and mildly threaten.'

Mr Darling has since died, but wrote about a conversation with Mr Dimon in his book about the financial crisis: 'Mr Dimon was very, very angry.. he said that his bank bought a lot of UK debt and he wondered if that was now such a good idea.

'I pointed out that they bought our debt because it was a good business deal for them.

'He went on to say they were thinking of building a new office in London but they had to reconsider that now.'

The bonus tax stayed in place despite the lobbying.

Tax campaigner Dan Neidle has been highlighting sensitive government emails apparently leaked to Epstein in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

They include one from June 2009 seemingly forwarded by Lord Mandelson, with a briefing for then-PM Gordon Brown about the UK's economic resilience.

The message is introduced as an 'interesting note that's gone to the PM'.

It refers to the UK having 'saleable assets' - with Epstein apparently having replied to Lord Mandelson asking what they were.

Another document in the cache was an analysis of business lending in August 2009 drawn up by government minister Baroness Vadera.

The sender of the email to Epstein has been redacted, but Lord Mandelson was involved in the discussions.

The peer did not respond to requests for comment today.

On May 10, 2010 Lord Mandelson seemingly messaged Epstein about the EU's plan for a 500billion euro bailout of the single currency.

After saying the move should 'be announced tonight', he said he was 'just leaving No10' and 'will call'.

Join the debate Are the Mandelson emails to Epstein deeply concerning?

On May 10, 2010 Lord Mandelson seemingly messaged Epstein about the EU's plan for a 500billion euro bailout of the single currency

In a statement, ex-PM Mr Brown said: 'I have today asked the Cabinet Secretary to investigate the disclosure of confidential and market sensitive information from the then Business Department during the global financial crisis.

'On September 10 last year, I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to ask him to investigate the veracity of information contained in the Epstein papers about the sale of assets arising from the banking collapse and communications about them between Lord Mandelson and Mr Epstein.

'That enquiry led to a response on November 19 that no departmental record could be found of any information or communication from Lord Mandelson to Mr Epstein on these issues.

'Given the shocking new information that has come to light in the latest tranche of Epstein papers, including information about the transfer to Mr Epstein of at least one highly sensitive government document as well as other highly confidential information, I have now written to ask for a wider and more intensive enquiry to take place into the wholly unacceptable disclosure of government papers and information during the period when the country was battling the global financial crisis.

'Given the public interest in this, I have asked that the results of the enquiry be published and done so as soon as possible.'

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Lord Mandelson should face a police investigation.

He said: 'The Epstein files suggest Peter Mandelson leaked sensitive government information to a convicted sex offender while serving as a minister, and even suggested a US bank should threaten the government to lower its tax bill.

'These allegations are incredibly serious, it is now only right that the police investigate Peter Mandelson for potential misconduct in public office.'

SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has written to Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, saying there must be an investigation into potential misconduct in public office.

He said there are 'serious allegations' in the Epstein files about sensitive state information being passed between Lord Mandelson and the convicted paedophile.

Dame Emily, the chair of the Commons' foreign affairs committee, said: 'Surely this is not a matter of whether Peter Mandelson should be in the Houe of Lords. This is a matter of whether the police should be involved.'

Asked whether it could be a matter for the police, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'I'm not well placed to make that judgment.

'But as with all of this, if there is evidence of criminality then of course that should be pursued and what we also want to see is that anyone who has any material or evidence or could shine a light on this does have responsibility to give evidence, that's true of any of those who are implicated in what we've seen.'

Former No10 aide Nick Butler, who wrote one of the leaked emails, told Times Radio: 'I think he should be ashamed of the breach of trust and the betrayal of trust that he's been involved in.

'I agree with Gordon Brown that there should be a full inquiry now into all the messages from the government at that time to Epstein.

'How many more messages on really important issues, important issues on which Epstein could have made a lot of money?

'How many messages were sent in that period? I think Peter should now resign from the Lords. I think that would be the honourable thing to do.'

Baroness Catherine MacLeod, who served as a special advisor to Alastair Darling, said the leaking of confidential emails to Epstein was a 'betrayal'.

Speaking to Radio 4's The World at One Lady MacLeod said: 'I think any observer... would think it's absolutely appalling and shocking. And a sign of terrible weakness and letting down your colleagues.'

When asked whether Lord Mandelson, who is suspected of the leaks, should be removed from the House of Lords, Macleod said: 'I would think that it would be surprising if Peter Mandelson... would go back into the House of Lords.

'I think to remove anybody from the House of Lords you need an Act of Parliament.

'There are some people sitting in the House of Lords now who I think have even been to jail, so I think the whole system probably needs reformed.'

Meanwhile, bank statements appear to show the peer received some $75,000 from Epstein between 2003 and 2004, when he was a Labour MP.

Lord Mandelson said he did not recall ever receiving the payments, and questioned their authenticity.

The three million papers related to Epstein include evidence he sent 10,000 to Mandelson's Brazilian husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva to pay for an osteopathy course.

Da Silva emailed Epstein on September 7, 2009 - two months after the paedophile was released from prison after serving 12 months of an 18-month sentence on child sex offences - and asked for money.

There was also a reference in one email inviting a woman called 'Svetlana' to a meeting with Lord Mandelson, although he says he has never heard of her.

During a Commons statement regarding the release of the Epstein files, Mr Jones told MPs on Monday afternoon that Lord Mandelson 'must account for his actions and conduct'.

'It is an understatement to say that his decision to continue a close relationship with a convicted paedophile, including discussing private Government business, falls far below the standards expected of any minister,' the Chief Secretary to the PM said.

Touring broadcast studios for the government this morning, education minister Olivia Bailey said she was 'pleased' Lord Mandelson had resigned from the Labour Party.

'There were clearly questions that Peter Mandelson would need to answer. He's taken this decision, it's the right decision,' she told Times Radio.

But asked whether he should remain a member of the House of Lords she said: 'The reality of the removal of a peerage is a complicated one. You have to have been, I believe, sent to jail for over 12 months or an Act of Parliament needs to be passed...

'He is not currently in the House of Lords and I do understand that he does not intend to return.'

MPs have been turning their fire on Sir Keir over his handling of the situation.

The PM was forced to sack Lord Mandelson from the key role of US ambassador last year after more revelations about Epstein.

Labour MP John McDonnell said: 'I warned Keir Starmer on Mandelson but he never listened.'

After the latest allegations emerged, backbencher Andy McDonald said: 'Yet another colossal misjudgment by Mandelson. He should be immediately expelled from the Party.'

One Labour MP told The Times: 'It's a shame he was not expelled.'

SNP MP Stephen Flynn said: 'Starmer was too weak to remove him.'

Tax campaigner Dan Neidle has been highlighting apparent government emails leaked to Epstein, revealed in the latest release. The name of the sender is blanked out and Lord Mandelson did not respond to questions about whether it was him

The released documents include an Epstein bank statement with a $25,000 transfer to Peter Mandelson - although the peer says he cannot remember receiving the money and believes it is fake

The correspondence between Lord Mandelson and Epstein appears to have continued long after he was jailed

Lord Mandelson seemingly informed Epstein that he had convinced Mr Brown to quit on May 10, 2010 before it was announced publicly

A Labour Party spokesman said: 'It is right that Peter Mandelson is no longer a member of the Labour Party. Disciplinary action was underway prior to his resignation.

'Jeffrey Epstein's heinous crimes destroyed the lives of so many women and girls, and our thoughts remain with his victims.'

The Conservatives called for a 'full and thorough independent investigation' into Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador, after his resignation from the Labour Party.

Kemi Badenoch told broadcasters on a visit in London: 'I think there is a lot that needs to be looked into, including investigating how he ever came to be appointed, and all levers which can be pulled in order to remove him from public office looked into, including removal from the House of Lords.'

A Conservative Party spokesman said: 'Lord Mandelson is completely disgraced. Yet Keir Starmer lacked the backbone to take action, allowing Mandelson to resign from the Labour Party instead of kicking him out.

'Keir Starmer and his chief of staff appointed Mandelson ambassador despite his relationship with Epstein, and then refused to act even as the mountain of evidence against him grew.

'Given the Prime Minister's appalling lack of judgment and the participation of his Downing Street operation, there must now be a full and thorough independent investigation.'

Under current arrangements, a new law would be required to remove a peerage, something that last happened more than 100 years ago to deal with members of the nobility who sided with the Germans in the First World War.

There is no precedent for using a new law to remove a specific person from the Lords.

Sir Keir urged the Lords to work with the Government to modernise disciplinary procedures to make it easier to remove disgraced peers.

Lord Mandelson told the Daily Mail yesterday he had no record or recollection of receiving any payments, and questioned whether the documents were real.

'I have no record and no recollection of receiving these sums and do not know if the documents are authentic,' he said.

'I can say clearly, though, I regret ever having known Epstein. I was wrong to believe Epstein and swallow his lies following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I deeply regret doing so and apologise unequivocally to the women and girls who suffered.'

Labour MPs had been demanding that Sir Keir kick Lord Mandelson out of the party before he went of his own accord

Labour backbenchers also called for Lord Mandelson to be ousted from the Upper House. He is currently on a leave of absence from Parliament

A source insisted the financial statements could not be taken at face value without supporting evidence, pointing to formatting errors.

They highlighted the suggestion Lord Mandelson had a US social security number, saying he did not, and argued it was not possible to pay dollar cheques directly into UK bank accounts. They urged JP Morgan to confirm whether the documents were real.

The source also stressed the US Department of Justice caveat that the release 'may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos' and that 'some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims'.
A TikToker who was filmed throwing KFC wraps to inmates over a prison fence has avoided being put behind bars himself.

Toby Blair, 28, also threw cigarette filter tips and vodka bottles into the 253million super-prison HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire as part of the social media stunt.

Magistrates heard Blair and two others were seen throwing packages over the wall around 4.20pm on January 13.

Inside the prison officers found five KFC chicken wraps, eight Rizla tips and four mini bottles of vodka.

Mechanic Blair was arrested and appeared before Northampton Magistrates Court on Friday.

When asked if his name was Toby Blair, he replied: Unfortunately yes.

He pleaded guilty to throwing a prohibited article into prison and throwing an article into prison without authorisation.

Blair was told the stunt, which was filmed for TikTok, could have ruined the rest of his life and the offence might see him sent to jail.

Toby Blair, 28, threw KFC chicken wraps, cigarette filter tips and vodka bottles over the fence of HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire

Blairs six-week prison sentence was suspended for 12 months

But given the length of time since the offence and Blairs attempts to rehabilitate, his six-week prison sentence was suspended for 12 months.

He must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay a 154 surcharge and 85 in costs.

Amos Kangethe, defending, said Blair had no previous convictions and had not been in trouble since.

He added: During that time there was use of class A drugs. Hes just had surgery on his nose and hes about to have another surgery to rectify the damage caused by using drugs.

At one point Blair was spending up to 500 on cocaine, according to Mr Kangethe, who said his client had changed his life since then.

HMP Five Wells is one of the country's largest prisons and opened in 2022

At that time he was sofa surfing. He now has suitable accommodation and is no longer using drugs.

Mr Kangethe said Blair was due to start a job as a mechanic and was on track to be an upstanding member of the public.

Category C HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, is one of the country's largest prisons, with capacity for around 1,680 male adults.

It is run by private security firm G4S and is the successor to HMP Wellingborough, which stood on the same site and closed in 2012.
Sarah Ferguson congratulated Jeffrey Epstein on having a 'baby boy' shortly after he was released from jail for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14, according to newly released emails.

The so-called Epstein files show that the former Duchess of York offered him her 'love, friendship and congratulations' on the birth in a note sent to the paedophile financier in September 2011.

It came as a defiant Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who also featured in the latest document release, went riding near his Royal Lodge home on Monday morning.

The potential existence of Epstein's secret son, who would now be 14 and in high school, was revealed in a sycophantic email to him from his friend Fergie, who suggested she heard the news from her ex-husband, Andrew.

Fergie appears to have used it as an excuse to get back in contact with Epstein, even after his release from prison for child sex offences.

She wrote in the previously unseen email, released in the latest tranche of Epstein files: 'Don't know if you're still on this bbm [BlackBerry Messenger] but have heard from The Duke that you have had a baby boy'.

The email dated September 21, 2011, contains a barbed attack on Epstein from Fergie for apparently cutting off contact with her.

She wrote: 'Even though you never kept in touch, I am still here with love, friendship and congratulations on your baby boy'. It is signed: 'Sarah x'.

Jeffrey Epstein, pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell, may have had a secret son, according to newly released emails

Epstein's friend Sarah Ferguson congratulated him on having 'had a baby boy'

A defiant Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor riding near his Royal Lodge home on Monday morning

It is not known if Epstein responded to her offer of continued friendship.

Sarahs spokesman previously said she had expressed regret about her association with the late financier.

Unmarried Epstein was never known to have any children, despite sleeping with hundreds of women.

He had no heir, so his last-known girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, was set to inherit most of his fortune, properties and his island in a will changed shortly before his death in a New York prison cell in 2019.

Epstein himself never confessed to having any children in his lifetime.

But more than 100 people are said to have claimed that they may be his offspring and may have had a claim to his fortune.

'Jeffrey Epstein was sexually promiscuous for so long that there is a reasonable chance he may have fathered a child,' the founder of DNA firm Morse Genealogical Services, Harvey Morse, said in 2020, adding: 'He could even be a grandfather.'

His DNA company set up a website called epsteinheirs.com and said 130 people came forward to them.

Although Mr Morse said that at least a quarter were dismissed as unreliable, almost immediately.

The existence of a secret child emerged as new footage showed Epstein describing himself as a 'tier one' sexual predator.

The footage emerged as part of the tranche of files that the US Department of Justice published on Friday, including 180,000 images and 2,000 videos.

Epstein, wearing glasses and a black shirt, is also asked whether he 'is the Devil himself' by the interviewer, who does not appear on screen but he is believed to be Donald Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon.

'No, but I do have a good mirror,' the convicted paedophile responds, before the interviewer hits back: 'It's a serious question. Do you think you're the devil himself?'

Epstein says: 'I don't know. Why would you say that?'

The interviewer begins to explain, saying, 'because you have all the attributes', before Epstein cuts him off: 'No, the devil scares me.'

Bannon, 72, served in the White House role for the first seven months of Trump's first administration.

It is unclear when or where the interview took place, who filmed it, or why Bannon, in particular, was chosen to question Epstein.

Fergie is pictured in the Epstein files with a mystery woman in an image released at Christmas

Then-Prince Andrew towering over a mystery woman on the floor in a photo released by the US Justice Department

'What are you, [a] class 3 sexual predator?' the interviewer asks Epstein.

'Tier 1. I'm the lowest,' the American financier responds.

He is asked whether the money he has earned over his lifetime is 'dirty money', to which Epstein responds: 'No, it's not.'

Pressed on why not, Epstein says: 'Because I earned it.'

Fergie said she heard the news about his son from 'The Duke' - presumably Andrew

'You earned it by advising the worst people in the world, that do enormous, bad things, and just to make more money,' the interviewer says.

'Ethics is always a complicated subject,' Epstein hits back, before talking about the money he claims he donated to help eradicate polio in Pakistan and India.

'Instead of asking me whether that money should be given to these children for vaccines, I think you might want to ask their mothers - who receive the vaccine, who know their child now won't get polio - and ask them if Epstein should have helped these people with their money,' he adds.

'You're a mathematician,' the interviewer responds, before putting forward a hypothetical scenario in which Epstein walks into the clinic and tells the people 'in the most dire straits of poverty and sickness' that the money was coming from a 'criminal'.

'What percentage of people do you estimate would say, "I dont care; I want the money for my children?" the interview asks.

'I would say everyone says, "I want the money for my children", Epstein responds.

Epstein was running 'the world's largest honeytrap operation' on behalf of the KGB when he procured women for his network of associates, intelligence sources suggested over the weekend.

The release of more than three million new documents relating to the late sex offender gives credence to incendiary claims made by senior security officials: that Epstein was working on behalf of Moscow, and possibly Israel, when he facilitated assignations for some of the world's most powerful men.

The files include 1,056 documents naming Russian President Vladimir Putin and 9,629 referring to Moscow. Epstein even seems to have secured audiences with Putin after his 2008 conviction for procuring a child for prostitution.

The sources say it could explain why Epstein appeared to enjoy an ultra-wealthy lifestyle out of kilter with his career as a financier, although there is no documentary evidence linking Putin and his spies directly to Epstein's illicit activities.

But the sources also claim that while US security services 'monitored' Epstein's Russian connections for years, their UK equivalents were hesitant due to Epstein's connection to Andrew.

The cache includes an email claiming Bill Gates asked one of Epstein's advisers to provide medicine to treat sexually transmitted diseases due to 'sex with Russian girls' - something he has dismissed as 'completely false'.

It also contains a document confirming The Mail on Sunday's October report that Epstein offered to introduce Andrew to a 'beautiful' 26-year-old Russian woman in August 2010 - two years after Epstein's conviction.

Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

American intelligence experts believe Epstein was inducted into the world of espionage via business deals with Robert Maxwell, the disgraced media magnate who - like Epstein - died in murky circumstances.

In the newspaper baron's case, his body was found floating in the Atlantic in 1991, having apparently fallen overboard from his yacht.

Epstein and Ghislaine. Intelligence sources believe Epstein was running 'the world's largest honeytrap operation' on behalf of the KGB when he procured women for his network of associates

Russian organised crime could have been blackmailing Epstein, say security sources. That could explain the ease with which Epstein appeared to be able to fly in 'girls' from Russia

A car thought to be transporting Andrew is seen near Royal Lodge in Windsor on Sunday morning

Epstein was found hanged in 2019, but relatives believe he was murdered to silence him.

Maxwell's daughter, Ghislaine, is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and other offences linked to her association with Epstein, whom she is said to have met shortly after her father's death.

Security sources say Maxwell was a Russian asset from the 1970s, when he worked to extradite Soviet Jews to Israel, with the involvement of Israeli intelligence service Mossad.

In return, they say, Maxwell laundered Russian money into the West - with the help of Epstein.

They think the financier was introduced to Maxwell and the KGB by an oil tycoon also in the pay of Russian intelligence. Probes into Robert Maxwell's business dealings have uncovered links not only to the KGB and Mossad, but also MI6.

US security officials also believe Epstein had long-standing ties with Russian organised crime, which could have been blackmailing him. That could explain the ease with which Epstein appeared to be able to fly in 'girls' from Russia.

A source said: 'You have Andrew, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and all the rest placed in compromising positions on an island bristling with technology. It's the world's largest honey trap operation.'
A man sparked an evacuation at a French hospital after doctors discovered an eight-inch-long live World War I artillery shell in his rectum.

The unnamed 24-year-old rushed to the Rangueil Accident and Emergency unit in Toulouse, in the south-west of the country, late on Saturday night.

He was in a state of extreme discomfort, having inserted a large object up his rectum, said an investigating source.

Emergency surgery was carried out, and the object was found to be an artillery shell dating back to the First World War.

Worse still, it had not exploded, and so bomb disposal experts had to be called to diffuse the shell, with the fire brigade standing by.

Staff and patients were evacuated from Rangueil Hospital, and a security perimeter was set up around the accident and emergency unit, before the pointed 1918 shell, which was almost 8 inches long and just over an inch in circumference, was declared safe.

The patient, a French national, was set to be interviewed by police this week, as prosecutors contemplated legal action against him for handling category A munitions, according to an officer.

There was no initial explanation as to why the shell ended up in the mans body, but local media speculated that it might have had something to do with his social life.

The 37mm brass-and-copper shell was 20cm long and used by the Imperial German Army towards the end of the First World War (stock image)

The unnamed 24-year-old rushed to the Rangueil Accident and Emergency unit in Toulouse, in the south-west of the country, late on Saturday night

La Depeche newspaper writes that medical staff in Toulouse are accustomed to treating victims injured during sexual games.

The 37mm brass-and-copper shell was 20cm long and used by the Imperial German Army towards the end of the First World War.

Such shells were date-stamped, and hundreds of thousands were used against British and French forces in major set-piece battles across the Western Front between 1914 and 1918.

They are regularly discovered in the so-called Iron Harvest  the annual collection of often unexploded ordnance from the two world wars found on farmland, building sites, and other disrupted land.

But this is not the first time France has seen a case of this nature.

In 2022, doctors were left shell-shocked after an 88-year-old Frenchman arrived at a hospital with a World War I bomb stuck in his bottom.

The unnamed senior citizen arrived at the Hospital Sainte Musse in Toulon, southern France, in the hope of having the eight-inch-long artillery shell removed from his anus.

His arrival sparked a bomb scare as hospital officials feared the antique explosive would detonate.

However, bomb disposal experts determined that there was little risk of the shell exploding inside the man.

It is understood that the man had inserted it in his bottom for sexual pleasure.
An elderly British couple who were imprisoned in one of the Taliban's most notorious prisons have revealed the horrific conditions inside, calling it 'the closest thing to Hell'.

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, were separated and held in mouldy, rat-infested cells in Pul-e-Charkhi, an infamously overcrowded and squalid jail located in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital.

The British couple, who lived in Afghanistan for 18 years, were held in the prison for three months in 2025, part of an eight-month detention under the Taliban that they still have not been given a reason for.

Built in the 1970s, the maximum-security jail is meant to house 5,000 people but it regularly holds up to 15,000 prisoners.

Previous reports from the prison have indicated that guards regularly torture and beat prisoners, though the couple did not suffer this fate.

And with extremely basic amenities, prisoners freeze during the winter and are left in sweltering conditions in the summer.

The couple, who got married in Kabul in 1970, said that many women held in the prison were detained by the Taliban for arbitrary reasons. One was jailed for daring to drive a car in the ultra-conservative country, while another said she had been imprisoned because her husband had murdered someone.

Peter and Barbie were arrested earlier as they travelled back to their home in Bamyan province, in central Afghanistan, on undisclosed charges.

The elderly Briton was held in the men's wing, and was put in a cell with just two other men. They had their own latrine and shower.

Peter, who has a serious heart condition, was cuffed and chained to rapists and murderers, they told the Times.

But Barbie's conditions were far worse, the couple said. Her cell held 15 women and two children with just five bunk beds between them all, one of which served as a basic kitchen. As a result, some of the women were forced to sleep on the bare floor.

A Taliban member stands inside a prison cell at Pul-e-Charkhi prison, located on the outskirts of Kabul on October 17, 2021

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie Reynolds, 76, landed back in the UK in September 2025

Barbie said: 'Everybody gets a blanket provided by an NGO, which we had to wash ourselves every two weeks. There were four showers but none worked, so we had to use taps and all the water ran into a drain full of trash down the middle of the corridor.'

Between a total of 230 women and 40 children held in the wing, there were just seven 'squatty potties', she said, adding: 'Sometimes the children missed the target, so it wasn't very pleasant.'

Barbie said that she was able to speak to her fellow prisoners in Farsi, who told her they had been jailed for little to no reason.

She said: 'The girl in the bunk above me was 19 and in jail for driving a car. Women aren't allowed to drive under the Taliban. And worst of all it was her boyfriend's car. I mean, you can't have boyfriends. So she got six months.

'There was a mother of four who was caught talking to a man and her husband got jealous and killed him. Of course it's never the man's fault, so she was given a five-year sentence and couldn't see her children.'

One woman she spoke to said she had been imprisoned for daring to take a job after her husband and sons had lost work. Barbie said: 'Ninety per cent of the women I was with were not criminals. Many dont know how long their sentences are. There are women whove been there for months and months, even years, just waiting.'

Barbie said nutrition was among the biggest challenges she and her husband faced. The couple were detained during Ramadan, meaning they were given just one meal a day.

After this, they were given two meals: 'A piece of naan bread and some overcooked vegetables for lunch and rice and maybe kidney beans for dinner. Everything was dripping with oil.'

Barbie and Peter got married in Kabul in 1970

A member of the Taliban stands guard inside the Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul on September 16, 2021

Built in the 1970s, Pul-e-Charkhi is meant to house 5,000 people but it regularly holds up to 15,000 prisoners

A member of the Taliban sits inside the Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul on September 16, 2021

Twice a week they were given meat, which Barbie said was 'almost inedible'.

She said: 'It was bones, skin and fat, and if you managed to get even one or two morsels of meat you were lucky. If you wanted anything else, like breakfast, you had to buy it from the shop, if you had money.

'When I say shop, it was a metal shipping container with a little hole cut in the side. You couldnt really see but they had eggs, potatoes, cucumbers and cream cheese.'

As a result, she quickly began suffering from malnutrition and anaemia. Barbie said she spent her 76th birthday collapsed from malnutrition.

She said that there was very little for prisoners to do. Women passed the time by making prayer beads and bracelets with supplies sent by charities.

As as a result, tensions were often high and fights would break out. In one instance, one woman was attacked so badly she was taken to hospital.

The couple were eventually sent to a windowless basement infested with mice and cockroaches, run by the Taliban's intelligence services, for five weeks.

After a group of UN experts warned last June that the couple might die without proper medical care, they were then sent to a house in a military enclave, guarded by 12 armed men.

Eventually, thanks to diplomatic efforts from British and Qatari officials, they were handed over to the UK's foreign office.

The Taliban released the couple as part of a wider effort to get their government recognised internationally years after taking power, an official said at the time.

Barbie Reynolds hugs her daughter Sarah Entwistle after landing at the airport in Doha on September 19, 2025

Pictures show the emotional moment the couple were reunited with their daughter Sarah Entwistle, who has tirelessly advocated for her parents' release

Taliban members are seen from a window as they inspect a prison cell at Pul-e-Charkhi prison, located on the outskirts of Kabul on October 17, 2021

Taliban fighters walk inside an empty cell at the Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Sept. 13, 2021

Upon their arrival at Heathrow Airport in September, the couple were seen smiling broadly as they walked through the arrivals, but did not talk to reporters.

The couple were reunited with their daughter, Sarah Entwistle, at the airport in Doha before the family flew back to the UK.

The family said in a statement that their release is a 'moment of intense joy'.

'We are overwhelmed with gratitude and relief to share that our parents, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, have been released after seven months and 21 days in detention by the Taliban,' the family said in a statement.

Thanking Qatari officials for facilitating the negotiations, the family said their 'dedication and humanity have made an unforgettable impact on our lives', and also thanked the UK government for ensuring the couple had access to medication.

'This experience has reminded us of the power of diplomacy, empathy, and international cooperation.

'While the road to recovery will be long as our parents regain their health and spend time with their family, today is a day of tremendous joy and relief,' the family added.
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are 'aghast' at their mother's embarrassing tranche of emails to Jeffrey Epstein.

Sources close to the sisters say they are also 'appalled' and 'embarrassed' about the new photos of their father Andrew crouching over a mystery woman lying on the floor.

The siblings have been left ashamed by their mother's sycophantic emails to the paedophile financier after his conviction for child sex crimes.

Sarah Ferguson fawned over Epstein, who famously paid some of her debts, telling the convicted sex offender he was a 'legend' and joked that they should get married.

Other emails she sent him mentioned her daughter Eugenie's sex life and revealed Fergie had taken her children to lunch with the convicted paedophile when they were teenagers.

The Mail has also today unearthed an email from Ms Ferguson that suggests Epstein had a secret child. The former Duchess of York also accused him of abandoning her in 2011 and said it was 'crystal clear' he was only her friend to get close to her ex-husband Andrew.

Security sources told The Mail on Sunday that Epstein was running 'the world's largest honeytrap operation' on behalf of the KGB.

A source close to Eugenie and Beatrice told the Daily Mail: 'They are aghast at what they have read. They are mortified by the emails their mother has sent to Epstein. It is so embarrassing for them.'

They added: 'We don't believe the girls [Beatrice and Eugenie] were told much about what has just emerged [in the latest Epstein files release], and they will simply be aghast at just how close their parents were to this appalling man.'

It came as a defiant Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor went riding near his Royal Lodge home on Monday morning. He was reported to be meant to move out last week.

A defiant Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor went riding near his Royal Lodge home on Monday morning as his daughters said they were embarrassed their parents' relationship with Epstein

Andrew later went for a drive along The Long Walk in Windsor and waved cheerily to a mother and child as the Epstein files piled more shame on him

Sarah Ferguson sent a large number of emails to Epstein, many of them fawning and obsequious

The former Duke and Duchess of York's daughters (pictured together in December) are named in their mother's emails to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The sisters are said to be 'aghast'

The then Prince Andrew towering over a mystery woman on the floor in a photo released by the US Justice Department. His daughters are said to be hugely embarrassed

Andrew, his ex-wife and daughters are repeatedly featured in the Epstein Files.

Beatrice and Eugenie are said to be reeling from the photo of their father appearing to kneel on all fours over a female lying on the ground.

Another email from their mother said that Eugenie was away on a 'sh**ging weekend' while another revealed that Fergie had taken both daughters for lunch with Epstein in Miami in July 2009.

The former Duchess of York - who has faced her own Epstein controversies - is seen praising the late convicted sex offender as the 'brother I have always wished for'.

In one email Fergie wrote: 'You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness. Xx I am at your service . Just marry me.'

The source close to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie said it was now clear that King Charles and Prince William knew there was more scandal to come for their disgraced parents.

On a trip to Brazil last November to host the Earthshot prize in Rio, Prince William, when asked about Prince Andrew, was tight-lipped according to sources, telling people who asked about Andrew: I wish I could say more but I cant, suggesting he had been briefed on further revelations which were still to surface in the public domain.

The source said: 'It seems clear that William and the King were given some kind of forewarning in intelligence briefings late last year about what was still to come.

'They obviously couldn't share that, and when they evicted Andrew and Sarah from Royal Lodge, some people thought it was too harsh.

'In the light of what's now come out, it looks a more appropriate sanction'.

In one email from March 2010, Epstein appears to ask Fergie about a possible trip to New York by writing: 'ny?'.

And in reply, Fergie wrote: 'Not sure yet. Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a sh*****g weekend.'

The email was sent around the time of Eugenie's 20th birthday, which she spent with then boyfriend, now husband, Jack Brooksbank.

Other newly released emails also showed Fergie gushing over Epstein after he complimented her in front of Eugenie and her older daughter, Princess Beatrice.

In August 3, 2009, Fergie went so far as to describe Epstein as 'the brother I have always wished for' and even called the criminal a 'legend', in a later email. Appearing in the Epstein files does not indicate guilt or wrongdoing.

In the email, Fergie wrote: 'In just week, after your lunch, it seems the energy has lifted. I have never been more touched by a friends kindness than your compliment to me in front of my girls. Thank you Jeffrey for being the brother I have always wished for.'

The following year, another email from 'Sarah' to Epstein is overflowing in affection.

'You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness,' she writes.

'Xx I am at your service . Just marry me.'

Emails, previously released to the public, showed the ex-Duchess calling Epstein her 'supreme friend' on April 26, 2011. This came just weeks after she told reporters she would 'never have anything to do with' the sex offender again.

Her spokesperson, last year, claimed Fergie said this 'in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats' because Epstein allegedly threatened to sue her.

Today the Daily Mail can also reveal how an angry Sarah Ferguson accused Epstein of only being friends with her to get close to her ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The disgraced Duchess of York said in a 2011 email to Epstein, sent after he had been jailed for child sex offences, that it was now 'crystal clear' he was using her.

She accused him of having 'disappeared' and this had 'hurt me deeply', adding: 'More than you'll ever know'.

The email had been sent after Fergie had offered him 'love, friendship and congratulations' after the birth of a 'baby boy' that she learned about from her ex-husband.

She wrote angrily: 'You have disappeared. I did not know you were having a baby.

'It was sooooo crystal clear to me that you were only friends with me to get to Andrew. And that really hurt me deeeply [sic]. More than you will ever know'.

An email sent to Epstein two years earlier revealed just how close she thought they were - and that the paedophile had called her 'Ferg' as a nickname.

Emails between them indicate that he had lunch with the then Duchess of York and her two daughters Beatrice and Eugenie in Florida.

Join the debate Could Fergie and Andrew's reputations ever recover?

Epstein's friend Sarah Ferguson accused him of only being friends with her to get close to her ex-husband

She also congratulated him on having 'had a baby boy', suggesting he had a secret son

In July 2009, Epstein sent an email to her asking 'where are you?'.

Around 90 minutes later she replied: 'In Miami. What number shall I call you on?'

She adds that she stayed at 'Phillip Levine's house with the girls. I am aiming to get to you for 12:30 for lunch. Does that suit?'

Epstein asked if she needed a 'ride', but she said no.

She added: 'I made Phillip give us his car and a back up one for the policeman', before confirming it would be 'myself, Beatrice and Eugenie' at the lunch.

The Princesses were 20 and 19 respectively in 2009.

The potential existence of Epstein's secret son was also revealed by Fergie.

The former Duchess of York had offered him her 'love, friendship and congratulations' on the birth in a note sent to the paedophile financier in September 2011.

It came as a defiant Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor went riding near his Royal Lodge home on Monday morning.

The potential existence of Epstein's secret son, who would now be 14 and in high school, was revealed in a sycophantic email to him by his friend Fergie, who suggests she heard the news from her ex-husband Andrew.

Fergie appears to have used it as an excuse to get back in contact with Epstein, even after his release from prison for child sex offences.

She wrote in the previously unseen email, released in the latest tranche of Epstein files: 'Don't know if you're still on this bbm [BlackBerry Messenger) but have heard from The Duke that you have had a baby boy'.

The email dated September 21, 2011, contains a barbed attack on Epstein from Fergie for apparently cutting off contact with her.

She wrote: 'Even though you never kept in touch, I am still here with love, friendship and congratulations on your baby boy'. It is signed: 'Sarah x'.

It is not known if Epstein responded to her offer of continued friendship.

Epstein himself never confessed to having any children in his lifetime.

But more than 100 people are said to have claimed that they may be his offspring and may have had a claim to his fortune.

'Jeffrey Epstein was sexually promiscuous for so long that there is a reasonable chance he may have fathered a child,' the founder of DNA firm Morse Genealogical Services, Harvey Morse, said in 2020, adding: 'He could even be a grandfather.'

His DNA company set up a website called epsteinheirs.com and said 130 people came forward to them.

Although Mr Morse said that at least a quarter were dismissed as unreliable almost immediately.

The existence of a secret child emerged as new footage showed Epstein describing himself as a 'tier one' sexual predator.

The footage emerged as part of the tranche of files that the US department of justice published on Friday, including 180,000 images and 2,000 videos.

Epstein, wearing glasses and a black shirt, is also asked whether he 'is the Devil himself' by the interviewer, who does not appear on screen but he is believed to be Donald Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon.

'No, but I do have a good mirror,' the convicted paedophile responds, before the interviewer hits back: 'It's a serious question. Do you think you're the devil himself?'

Epstein says: 'I don't know. Why would you say that?'

The interviewer begins to explain, saying, 'because you have all the attributes', before Epstein cuts him off: 'No, the devil scares me.'

Bannon, 72, served in the White House role for the first seven months of Trump's first administration.

It is not clear when or where the interview was filmed, who filmed the video, or why Bannon in particular was chosen to question Epstein.

Fergie is pictured in the Epstein files with a mystery woman in an image released at Christmas

Fergie said she heard the news about his son from The Duke - presumably Prince Andrew

'What are you, [a] class 3 sexual predator?' the interviewer asks Epstein.

'Tier 1. I'm the lowest,' the American financier responds.

He is asked whether the money he has earned over his lifetime is 'dirty money', to which Epstein responds: 'No, it's not.'

Pressed on why not, Epstein says: 'Because I earned it.'
A nine-year-old girl was playing on a jetty when she slipped into the River Thames and drowned, an inquest has heard.

Luiza Paun, also known as Bia, was tragically pulled from the River Thames on May 30 last year, after falling into the water the previous day.

A huge search operation was launched after the youngster and two boys were reported to have got into trouble in the water.

On Friday, an inquest opening in Maidstone heard how Luiza, of Wrotham Road, Gravesend, was playing on a jetty near the Gordon Promenade, in the same town, when she took her shoes off and slipped into the water.

Members of the public jumped into the water to try to save the young girl, but she was washed away and not seen until her body was found the following day.

Coroner Katrina Hepburn told the court how Luiza, who was born in Leeds, was later identified by police.

Her cause of death was given as drowning. A full inquest will be held on March 18 at Oakwood House in Maidstone.

In the following days, floral tributes, including soft toys, were left at Newbridge Causeway, behind the Gravesend Rowing Club house, where she is believed to have entered the water.

Luiza Paun (pictured), also known as Bia, was tragically pulled from the River Thames in London on May 30 last year, after falling into the water the previous day

On Friday, an inquest opening in Maidstone heard how Luiza, of Wrotham Road, Gravesend, was playing on a jetty near the Gordon Promenade, in the same town, when she took her shoes off and slipped into the water

A huge search operation was launched after the youngster and two boys were reported to have got into trouble in the water

One message said: 'Rest in peace, little one.' Another added: 'May you find eternal peace in the arms of angels.'

While two more read 'rest in peace, lovely girl' and 'rest well, beautiful girl'.

Devastated members of her family, believed to be from Romania, have described her as a 'beautiful angel' who 'had her whole life ahead of her'.

Gravesham MP Dr Lauren Sullivan also posted a statement on social media offering her 'deepest condolences' to the family.

She added: 'I would like to thank emergency services, including the coastguard, Kent Police, the RNLI, and PLA many others for their efforts in the search.

'I know there are many opinions circulating at this time about the circumstances surrounding this tragic event, and from speaking to the authorities, it is right that there is an investigation, as with all sad circumstances such as these.

'But at the heart of this is a family and community in grief, which I hope everyone can respect.

'I send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the child, and keep them all in my thoughts at this time.'

It is understood that Bia was playing with her cousin near the water when she slipped and the current pulled her in.

People have since called for more safety measures along the riverbank to stop people from getting too close to the water.

They also said there should be more signage warning visitors of the dangers, and some written in other languages too.

The emergency services were scrambled to the Royal Terrace Pier in Gravesend at around 1.45pm on May 30 following reports that two children, a boy and a girl, had got into difficulty in the water.

There was a huge search involving the police's marine units, the coastguard helicopter and RNLI lifeboats.

In the following days, floral tributes, including soft toys, were left at Newbridge Causeway, behind the Gravesend Rowing Club house, where she is believed to have entered the water

The girl died after entering the water at the Royal Pier Road in Gravesend, Kent, at around 1.40pm on May 30, 2025

The boy, thought to be seven, was later retrieved from the water and was taken to hospital in a stable condition.

According to a spokesperson for the nearby Gravesend Rowing Club, one of the men swam out using a life ring.

He managed to retrieve the boy, but lost sight of the girl before he could do anything to help her.

George Karnovski described how he rescued the 'screaming' child from the water.

The 37-year-old said: 'At the same time as pulling him out, I was looking around, like, where is she, where is she?

'I am shouting, saying 'there is one more, there is one more'. I am looking around, [but] for love nor money, I cannot see the little girl.'
Women in Iran have been 'raped and mutilated' for standing up to Iran's brutal regime, a journalist has claimed.

Michel Abdollahi has spoken of stories from inside Iran, claiming women are being abducted before being 'raped and mutilated' to prevent them from protesting against the regime.

In recent weeks and months, courageous women have defied the rulings of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by removing their veils in public, riding motorbikes or posting footage on social media, including using cigarettes to set fire to images of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

However their defiance comes at a huge personal risk to them, after women in the country have reportedly started disappearing.

German-Iranian journalist, Mr Abdollahi, was born in Tehran in 1981 before moving to Hamburg in 1986.

After speaking to people in the Middle Eastern country, he shared a video on social media, where he described the horrors facing those who are standing up to the regime.

Mr Abdollahi said: 'No women's bodies are turning up, or very few. And that's because, according to eyewitness accounts, they are being raped, their uteruses removed, their scalps ripped off along with their hair and their bodies covered in cigarette burns.'

He said the Islamic Republic, led by Khamenei, 'uses rape as a weapon against its people'.

The journalist said the women are raped to 'instill maximum fear' and to deter them, and others from taking to the streets and protesting against the regime.

He claimed the same horrors were also being used against children.

Families and residents search for relatives in body bags killed during the regime's violent crackdown on nationwide protests

Iranian women have been sharing photos and videos of themselves lighting a cigarette with a burning picture of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Michel Abdollahi became tearful as he shared stories from Iran about women being 'raped, mutilated and burned'

In another report from Iran, reported by Bild, officers 'threw young women on top of each other into a separate vehicle and said: "We wont kill you. First well rape you, then well kill you".

Mr Abdollahi added: 'They do this to so many people in this country, and it's so hard to bear. It's so terrible what they do to them, that they don't return the bodies to the families but burn them first so that what happened there isn't visible.'

'They've used poison gas against the population. I talk to people in Iran every day. They say everyone has lost loved ones. Everyone. Everyone is wearing black. It's like a cemetery. But people are also saying they won't give up.'

Last month, female protesters went viral on social media for their acts of defiance by posting pictures of themselves lighting cigarettes with burning images of 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.

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.

It comes as Iran has summoned all of the European Union ambassadors in the Islamic Republic to protest against the bloc's listing of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terror group.

The regime currently faces the threat of US military action in response to the killing of peaceful demonstrators and over possible mass executions.

The American military has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers into the Middle East.

Iranian women risk torture, death and rape by protesting against the Islamic Republic

Women posing for the photographs appear to not be wearing hijabs - even though it is mandatory to wear them in Iran

Iranian women hold portraits of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the funerals of security forces personnel killed in protests in Tehran on January 14

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (pictured in 2012) has been moved into the Middle East

It remains unclear whether US president Donald Trump will decide to use force, though regional countries have engaged in diplomacy in an effort to halt a new war in the Middle East from breaking out.

The EU listed the Guard as a terror group last week over its part in the bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in January that killed thousands and saw tens of thousands detained.

Other countries, including the US and Canada, have previously designated the Guard as a terrorist organisation.

While the move is largely symbolic, it does add to the economic pressure squeezing Iran, as the Guard has a major influence on the country's economy.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told journalists that the ambassadors were summoned on Sunday and that process went into Monday as well.

'A series of actions were reviewed, various options are being prepared and were sent to the related decision-making bodies,' Mr Baghaei said.

'We think that in coming days, a decision will be made about a reciprocal action by the Islamic Republic of Iran toward the illegal, unreasonable and very wrong move by the EU.'

Also on Sunday, Iran's parliament speaker said that the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist groups, citing a 2019 law.

Veiled Iranian women walk near a huge anti-US billboard hanging at the Enqelab Square in Tehran

Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei addresses a gathering of the people of Qom in Tehran amid ongoing protests

The Guard emerged from Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution as a force meant to protect the Shia cleric-overseen government and was later enshrined in its constitution.

Operating in parallel with the country's regular armed forces, it grew in prominence and power during a long and ruinous war with Iraq in the 1980s.

Though it faced possible disbandment after the war, Ayatollah Khamenei granted it powers to expand into private enterprise, allowing it to thrive.

The Guard's Basij force was likely key in putting down the demonstrations, starting in earnest from January 8, when authorities cut off the internet and international telephone calls for the nation of 85 million people.

Videos that have come out of Iran via Starlink satellite dishes and other means show men likely belonging to its forces shooting and beating protesters.

Meanwhile, Mr Baghaei also said a drill by the Guard in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes, was 'ongoing based on its timetable'.

Iran had warned ships last week that a drill would be carried out on Sunday and Monday, but has not acknowledged it taking place.

The US military's central command issued a strong warning to Iran not to harass its warships and aircraft, or impede commercial vessels moving through the strait.
Britain should quit Nato in favour of an 'alternative alliance' with the EU, Mexico, Brazil the 'Global South' to fight 'American imperialism', the Green Party leader has said.

Zack Polanski used a TV interview to said he wanted to 'reform' the military alliance that the UK has been part of since the early Cold War, only to say second later that he did not think such reform was possible.

He told Channel 4 that the UK had to look at 'how we stop American imperialism', before saying it should also look at combatting China and Russia.

The Green Party leader, a long-term leftwing critic of Donald Trump, said the UK should look elsewhere because the 'unpredictable' president is not reliable.

But his choice of alternative allies will raise eyebrows, not least as many EU nations are in Nato and the UK already has other military ties with the bloc despite Brexit.

Mexico fought in the side of the Allies in the Second World War, but its effort consisted of just one fighter squadron which battled the Japanese alongside the US.

It has fought no foreign wars since and its military is currently occupied with fighting drug cartels which control vast swatches of the country.

Brazil, meanwhile is a member of the Brics international alliance alongside Russia, China and Iran.

Zack Polanski's choice of alternative allies will raise eyebrows, not least as many EU nations are in Nato and the UK already has other military ties with the bloc.

Mexico fought in the side of the Allies in the Second World War, but has fought no foreign wars since and its military is currently occupied with fighting drug cartels which control vast swatches of the country (above)

Brazil, meanwhile is a member of the Brics international alliance alongside Russia, China and Iran. President Lula is pictured (far left) next to China's Xi Jinping in 2023

But the UK nonetheless already has a military relationship with Rio - which has acquired many retired Royal Navy ships over the decades. The current Brazilian flagship, NAM Atlantico, was once HMS Ocean.

Speaking to Channel 4, Mr Polanksi said: What I am arguing for is an alternative alliance with countries based in Europe - it's almost like you need to create a union of European countries - plus Brazil and Mexico and Global South countries that recognise we cannot rely on Donald Trump.

'He is not a reliable ally, he is unpredictable.'

He added that he wanted to reform Nato from within, but when it was pointed out this contradicted his previous calls for the UK to leave the alliance he replied: 'Let's talk about if it is possible to reform Nato from within. I don't think it is possible.'

He went on to say that the UK should 'look at how we stop American imperialism, and also conversations about China and indeed Russia too'.

Reposting the interview, Labour minister Torsten Bell wrote: 'This is very telling. There is almost no scrutiny of Green policy positions. As soon as there is, even with this very gentle probing, you get a mess.'

And a Labour spokesman said: 'Zack Polanski's views expose a dangerous naivety that would weaken our national security.'

It comes just weeks after Mr Polanski said the UK should kick American troops out of Britain while Trump talked up invading Greenland.

Writing in the New Statesman he said that the Uk should start by examining how to closing some 13 bases and expelling around 10,000 US personnel who have been based in the country since the Cold War.

The multi-billion-pound renewal of the Trident nuclear missile system should be 'paused', he said, while MPs debate whether to carry on with it.

Britain sources the atomic warheads from US stockpiles but maintains operational independence.

Pulling out of Trident would leave the UK without a deterrent at a time when Russian leader Vladimir Putin has made threats to the country due to its ongoing support for Ukraine.

It would also put at risk thousands of specialised jobs in UK shipyards where the new Vanguard Class nuclear submarines are being built.
Left-wing activists injured over 100 police officers in a riot in the Italian city of Turin over the closure of a cultural centre.

Protesters on Saturday night threw stones, smoke bombs, fireworks and Molotov cocktails at law enforcement. Rubbish bins and a police van were also set alight.

Shocking video footage showed a police officer lying on the ground being kicked and beaten by several people, with one using a hammer on him.

The officer's helmet was flung off in the attack and he was seen desperately trying to flee during the beating.

Another cop, in riot gear, was then seen rushing to his aid, protecting him from further injuries using a riot shield.

Authorities said that while the 29-year-old officer had suffered serious injuries, he was not in a critical condition.

An estimated 15,000 people turned out to show dissent against the eviction of the Askatasuna cultural centre, which has long been a meeting place for left-wing activism in the city.

While the protests began peacefully, local media reported that groups of masked individuals broke away and began causing chaos.

Shocking video footage showed a police officer lying on the ground being kicked and beaten by several people, with one using a hammer on him

An estimated 15,000 people turned out to show dissent against the eviction of the Askatasuna cultural centre

Security forces responded with tear gas and a water cannon to disperse the crowd. At least one demonstrator was taken away with head injuries.

In total, 108 members of the security forces were injured, including 96 police officers, seven Guardia di Finanza (Financial Police) personnel and five carabinieri, according to authorities.

At least three people were arrested during the clashes, including one in connection with an attack on an officer.

Investigations are ongoing to identify other offenders.

Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni last night said her government will hold a meeting today to assess threats to public order and evaluate new security measures.

She said of the riots: 'When you hit someone with a hammer, you do so knowing that the consequences can be very, very serious.

'This is not a protest, these are not clashes. This is attempted murder.'

She called on prosecutors to strongly apply existing laws to rulebreakers: 'If we are unable to defend those who defend us, there is no rule of law.'

Clashes at the march launched in solidarity with the Askatasuna Social Center on January 31 2026

In total, 108 members of the security forces were injured

A demonstrator walks near burning rubbish containers during clashes with police following a march in support of Askatasuna, a left-wing social centre that was evicted by authorities in Turin, Italy, January 31, 2026

The Italian leader added in a statement shared to X: 'We will do what is necessary to restore order in this country.'

Italy's interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi called the protesters 'a danger to democracy,' accusing parts of the political left of 'covering for' violent groups.

And Lt. Gen. Salvatore Luongo, commander of Italy's carabinieri, described the protesters' actions on Saturday as 'an attack on the state.'
Young RAF recruits were led around like dogs, whipped and made to sing children's songs in a humiliating initiation ritual led by five airmen calling themselves 'The Council', a court martial has heard.

RAF Honington in Suffolk launched an investigation after footage of the 'punishments' meted out to young airmen was shared on a regimental WhatsApp group last year.

It raises further safeguarding questions about Honington, coming four years after a harrowing video came to light of another recruit being stripped naked and assaulted with a piece of mortar equipment.

A Court Martial judge detained five airmen last week for the most recent incident and warned initiation ceremonies must be stamped out for the sake of the reputation of the British armed forces.

However despite being sent to a military correctional facility, the five men - one of whom represents the RAF rugby team - were told they could 'soldier on' and will not be dismissed from the RAF.

After the hearing the Centre for Military Justice called for the Ministry of Defence to introduce more stringent systems to eradicate punishment beatings and initiation ceremonies.

And Child Rights International Network said it was a 'shocking and degrading abuse of power,' calling for an independent inquiry.

Catterick Military Court, North Yorks, was shown three video clips of a 'kangaroo court' made up of airmen Byron Coy, 20, Corey Cross, 19, Alfie Holcombe, 23, Connor McCulloch, 23, and Tomos Windridge, 20.

Tomos Windridge, 20, admitted conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline contrary to section 19(1) of the Armed Forces Act 2006 and was sentenced to six weeks

Corey Cross, 19, admitted disgraceful conduct of a cruel kind contrary to section 23(1) of the Armed Forces Act 2006 and was detained for 18 weeks

Talented RAF rugby player Connor McCulloch, 23, was also detained for 18 weeks

It showed three frightened new recruits to Honington being dragged one by one from their sleeping quarters and led into a darkened room with Gregorian chanting and an Islamic call to prayer being blasted at high volume.

There they were told they were appearing before 'The Council,' which comprised the five airmen, for minor misdemeanours for which they would be punished.

One of the young men pleaded for them to stop but had his hands whipped with rubber resistance bands used in physiotherapy treatments.

He further protested when he saw he was being filmed and McCulloch, described as a talented rugby player who has represented the RAF at senior level, looped a band around his neck and led him around like a dog.

His 'punishment' session ended with the young man curled up on the floor with the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head.

All three young men were forced to crawl around on the floor as their tormentors stood over them snapping the bands and banging the doors of lockers to intimidate them.

Forced to kneel in front of Coy - who called himself 'The Padre' - the victims were then made to sing along to children's songs.

During the song Baby Shark they were forced to do the accompanying actions for fear of being beaten and were also forced to sing: 'Chicken wings, chicken wings, hot dogs and baloney.'

One victim was told to 'bow down and hail' to Coy, another was forced to walk like a monkey and a third was struck across the back by Alfie Holcombe with his service issue belt.

One of the victims told how the incident had left him 'a recluse' and fearful that he would be subjected to similar treatment throughout his RAF career.

In a statement he told the court: 'This has made me more careful and more reclusive. It has made me question my faith in the RAF and especially the regiment.'

Byron Coy, 20, called himself 'The Padre' during the humiliating initiation ceremony and was sentenced to 18 weeks

Alfie Holcombe, 23, admitted conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline as well as battery and received a two week sentence to run concurrently with the six weeks

Assistant Judge Advocate General Edward Legard and a board of senior officers sent the five defendants to Colchester's Military Corrective Training Centre for between six and 18 weeks.

It houses Armed Forces detainees sentenced to up to two years' custody but is not a prison.

Judge Legard said: 'This was physical and demeaning punishment and humiliation meted out against new recruits more junior than yourselves.

'It was a form of initiation which, if the armed forces is to remain well recruited and operationally effective, it must root out and deter.'

He added: 'Deterrent sentences must be passed, especially in the context of a training establishment. This type of behaviour can all too easily escalate into more serious bullying with serious and sometimes fatal consequences."

However he told the five defendants they would be allowed to 'soldier on,' adding: 'If you go to Colchester and apply yourselves you have nothing to fear and everything to gain.

'There is no reason why each of you cannot emerge after your short stay better equipped for the challenges that lie ahead.'

Coy, McCulloch and Cross admitted disgraceful conduct of a cruel kind contrary to section 23(1) of the Armed Forces Act 2006 and each were detained for 18 weeks.

Windridge and Holcombe admitted the lesser charge of conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline contrary to section 19(1) of the Armed Forces Act 2006 and were sentenced to six weeks.

Holcombe further admitted battery and received a two week sentence to run concurrently with the six weeks.

Justin Hugheston-Roberts, for Coy, said he was genuinely remorseful for 'crassly stupid and cruel behaviour.'

James Hay, for Windridge, said he had limited involvement in the offending and had stepped in to prevent physical harm to some of the victims.

Alex Rynn, for McCulloch and Cross, said the two would be sending letters of apology to their victims once legal proceedings were over and conceded they acted in a 'cruel and indecent way.'

McCulloch, he said, had represented the RAF at under 23, Tri Service and full RAF level and described him as 'a sportsman of great ability.'

Fiona Edington, for Holcombe, said he was older than his co defendants but lacked maturity. She said: 'Through me he would like to apologise to the victims for his behaviour which was foolish, stupid and very immature.'

After the hearing on Friday, Lucy Baston of the Centre for Military Justice said: 'The MoD says it has a zero-tolerance approach to harmful initiation ceremonies and traditions, yet cruel incidents, like the one that is alleged to have taken place recently at RAF Honington, continue to take place.

'Better systems need to be put in place to ensure that these behaviours do not go unchallenged.'

Jim Patrick Wyke, National Security and Children's Rights Coordinator, at the Child Rights International Network, said: 'This is a shocking and degrading abuse of power, and our thoughts are with the young recruits whose trust was so brutally violated.'

The second incident comes after widespread condemnation of the 2021 attack involving Honington recruits.

At the time Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said the RAF Police Special Investigation branch was investigating and the victims had been 'offered our full support.'
A van driver today admitted killing a university student after crashing into her as she sat on a bench outside King's College London.

Aalia Mahomed, who was 20, died after being hit by a van last March on the Strand in central London. She was in her second year of a BSc in physics and philosophy at KCL.

The van driver knocked down an iron gate, mounted a flower bed and briefly went airborne before hitting the bench where Ms Mahomed was sitting.

Christopher Jackson, 27, of Southampton, faces jail after he appeared at the Old Bailey today. He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing injury by dangerous driving.

Two other people, Irem Yoldas and Yamin Belmessous, were injured in the crash.

Jackson admitted to the charges with a sombre expression and his head bowed. He looked towards the floor for the majority of the hearing.

On the morning of the crash, Jackson was instructed to collect two electric vehicles from Bush House in Aldwych for his work, according to the Metropolitan Police.

After collecting the vehicles in his van and leaving Bush House's courtyard, Jackson drove at speed towards a set of iron gates that led to the pedestrian zone of the Strand.

Christopher Jackson, 27, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing injury by dangerous driving

Aalia Mahomed, 20, was run down and killed by an out-of-control van on The Strand

Aalia Mahomed, who was studying for a BSc in physics and philosophy at KCL, was pronounced dead after the crash on the Strand

The defendant's van smashed into the gates, causing it to fall and hit a 28-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man who suffered life-changing injuries.

He then drove onto a flower bed and went airborne before crashing into the bench on which Ms Mahomed was sitting.

Jackson's van continued forward before stopping close to the wall of St Mary le Strand church.

Prosecutor Fiona Robertson said Ms Mahomed's family and the two surviving victims were 'anxious' for Jackson to be sentenced before the anniversary of the incident on March 18.

Judge Philip Katz KC said: 'It is inevitably going to be a substantial custodial sentence.'

Jessica Clarke, defending Jackson, told the court that the van driver has three young children with his fiance and has been trying to 'earn as much money' as he can for his family before the sentencing.

She added: 'Unlike many cases of death by dangerous driving which involve excessive speed, alcohol and drugs, this involves none of that. It was a tragic accident.'

People lay flowers at the scene of the crash

A group of women read the tributes left with the flowers outside the campus

Jackson, who was remanded in custody, will be sentenced on March 6, just 12 days before the anniversary of the crash.

Detective Chief Superintendent Donna Smith, of the Met's Serious Collison Investigation Unit, said: 'Our thoughts remain with Aalia's friends and family at this time. We can only imagine the pain they are suffering and we know nothing can undo what's happened.

'We hope today's guilty plea brings them a small measure of comfort.'

Police took statements from more than 88 public witnesses and 84 police witnesses.

Ms Smith added: 'I want to thank our officers for their dedication and professionalism in helping to achieve justice.'

'We would also like to thank the members of the public who came to Aalia's aid and to all of those who assisted us with our investigation.'

Last March, hundreds of people gathered at a candlelit vigil for Ms Mahomed by King's College. Many of those who attended wore her favourite colour, green.

Her brother, Zain, said then: 'I would give anything for one more day with her.

'She will never get to be the cool aunt or the cat lady she joked about being. She was a hero, my hero.'

Many made tributes and left flowers and messages of remembrance along the Strand at the vigil.

Shivanjaly Varathan, who went to school with Ms Mahomed, described her as being 'so full of life, it was infectious' at the vigil. Another school friend, Aleena George, said: 'She had the best smile. When I think of her, she has that smile.'

Janelle De Sagun paid tribute to her sixth form friend then: 'Thank you for letting me be your friend. It wasn't hard to get to know you at all.

'I admired you then, I admire you now.'

She later added: 'I really looked up to her. I was like a puppy that followed her.

'She had this kindness and warmth that was contagious.'

Another friend of Ms Mahomed, Joseph Knight, said at the vigil: 'Words are simply not sufficient to describe what Aalia meant to us.'

A cherry blossom tree and plaque were unveiled by King's College in the summer after awarding her a posthumous degree in her memory.

In a statement at the time of her death Ms Mahomed's family said: 'Aalia was a bright, kind and beautiful soul, who brought joy and laughter to everyone.

'She was a ray of sunshine in our lives and will be deeply missed by all her family and friends. Her light will always live on in our memories and her smile will be our strength as we get through this difficult time.'
Former City Minister Tulip Siddiq has been sentenced to four years in jail on Monday by a court in her native Bangladesh.

The Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate was jailed in absentia for allegedly trying to acquire plots of land for members of her family in an exclusive residential area of Dhaka called the Purbachal New Town Project.

The new ruling comes barely a month after she was sentenced by the same court for two years on related corruption charges.

At the time, she denounced the verdict as unfair, and accused the proceedings of being a kangaroo court.

She said in December: The outcome of this kangaroo court is as predictable as it is unjustified. I hope this so-called verdict will be treated with the contempt it deserves.

I refuse to be distracted by the dirty politics of Bangladesh.

In Mondays proceedings, Ms Siddiqs Oxford-educated younger sister, Azmina, 34, and her elder brother, Radwan, 45, have also been sentenced to seven years in jail each.

Azmina and Radwan, both of whom live in Britain, have been found guilt of illegally acquiring a third of an acre of land each in Purbachal, which would have been used to build apartments.

Former City Minister Tulip Siddiq (pictured in December 2025) has been sentenced to four years in jail in her native Bangladesh

Ms Siddiq's aunt Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, was also jailed by the court for 10 years

Police were seen as Ms Siddiq and former prime minister Hasina were sentenced in the Purbachal Plot Allocation Case in Dhaka, Bangladesh

The two siblings could not contacted for comment.

Judge Robiul Alam, sitting at the Dhaka Special Judge Court, also fined Ms Siddiq with 593, which would be converted to six months more prison if not paid.

Her brother and sister were fined just under 1200 each, which will also convert to six months more prison each if not paid.

Sheikh Hasina Wazed, the former prime minister of Bangladesh and the aunt of Ms Siddiq, has also been jailed by the court for 10 years for her role in allocating plots of land to her extended family.

The ex-PM, who ruled Bangladesh with an iron fist for 15 years until she was toppled in August 2023, is now living in exile in India.

Purbachal, which lies in the north of the capital Dhaka, has become one of Bangladeshs most exclusive residential areas, as well as its new diplomatic enclave.

The court heard last year how Ms Siddiq, 43, used her influence as a British MP to pressure her Hasina to allocate the plots of land to her brother and sister, as well as her mother, Rehana, 69, who is also a British citizen.

Bangladeshs Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) - which brought the charges last year - said in court that both Radwan and Azmina broke the law by apparently hiding their ownership of other properties in Dhaka, which would have disqualified them to acquire any land inside Purbachal.

Under Bangladeshi regulations, family members of serving ministers or government officials were automatically barred from buying land inside Purbachal if they owned property elsewhere in the capital.

A solicitor representing the Anti-Corruption Commission speaks after Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to jail

Former City Minister Tulip Siddiq (L) stands next to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina (R), at the Kremlin in 2013

Ms Siddiq has strenuously denied all the charges against her since they became public last year. She has maintained she is a victim of a political witch-hunt.

Ms Siddiq resigned as City Minister in January last year, a month after the Daily Mail revealed how she was being investigated by the ACC over claims that she and her family members took bribes over a Russian-built nuclear power plant deal in Bangladesh.

She strenuously denied the claims.

Ms Siddiq resigned after the Parliamentary watchdog for standards investigated claims that Ms Siddiq owned and lived in flats in London that were gifted to her and family members by British-based supporters of her aunt Hasina.

She was cleared of any wrongdoing but the report found she was perhaps inattentive of the reputational damage her links to Bangladeshi politics may cause.

A Labour spokesman said: 'Tulip Siddiq has not had access to a fair legal process in this case and has never been informed of the details of the charges against her.

'This is despite repeated requests made to the Bangladeshi authorities through her legal team. Anyone facing any charge should always be afforded the right to make legal representations when allegations are made against them. Given that has not happened in this case, we cannot recognise this judgment.'

Labour sources have said that there are no plans to strip Ms Siddiq of her party membership nor launch any disciplinary investigations into her after the court sentencing in Bangladesh, as 'there are significant concerns about the integrity and fairness of this process.'
Fresh claims have surfaced about a Somali woman who gained national attention after alleging that immigration officials kidnapped her.

Nasra Ahmed, 23, was detained on January 14 in Minneapolis for 'assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees' during an ICE operation, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Ahmed said ICE agents shoved her to the ground during the ordeal, while spewing a racial slur.

But it has since been claimed that she launched an egg at one immigration officer and spat in anothers face.

The 23-year-old is accused of approaching officers during the operation and shouting 'obscenities' at them, according to the criminal complaint seen by the Daily Mail.

According to court documents, one officer saw Ahmed raise her arm and 'make a throwing motion,' later realizing she had thrown an egg that struck another agent's leg.

ICE agents then moved to arrest Ahmed, who they say was 'non-compliant' and allegedly spat in one of their faces, according to the affidavit.

According to documents, one of the agents filmed the struggle, and per the complaint, another watched the video and claimed she said: 'I have zero regrets.'

Nasra Ahmed, 23, claimed she was 'kidnapped' by immigration officials after she was detained during a target operation on January 14

Ahmed went viral online for speaking out after being detained by ICE and made comments about her heritage being more than just 'bananas and rice'

Ahmeds lawyer called the allegations 'not true' in a statement to the Daily Mail, without providing further context.

A video of Ahmed addressing the Minnesota State Capitol press briefing room on January 21 circulated on social media.

Ahmed, seen with bandages, said she was having trouble speaking due to a concussion she alleged was caused by the agents.

The 23-year-old spoke at the conference, expressing pride in being Somali and saying her heritage is more than 'bananas and rice.'

'I'm Somali, I'm proud to be Somali,' she said.

'To me, being Somali isn't just eating bananas with rice. It's very hard to describe what it means to be Somali and what it means to be American.

'It's kind of like a cultural fusion, like the bananas and rice.'

Ahmed said she was arrested with another US citizen and claimed federal agents detained her and asked for her ID while pursuing two Somali men.

The 23-year-old is of Somali descent and was allegedly arrested for 'assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.' She is a US citizen

Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X confirming the arrests of 16 individuals in Minnesota including Ahmed

Minneapolis has been rocked by demonstrations since the killing of Pretti, 37, as protestors gather in front of Minnesota State Capitol the same day Ahmed was detained

'I'll never forget the fear we had in our hearts that day,' she said. Ahmed was born in the US and had no prior criminal record.

Bondi posted pictures and names for 15 others who were detained in Minneapolis on Wednesday, following a rise in protests in the wake of the killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents.

'I am on the ground in Minneapolis today. Federal agents have arrested 16 Minnesota rioters for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement - people who have been resisting and impeding our federal law enforcement agents,' she wrote.

'We expect more arrests to come. Ive said it before, and Ill say it again: NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law.'
A former care worker who pocketed 85,000 by claiming she was 'single' while secretly living with her partner for eight years has dodged jail  and is allowed to pay it back at 50 a month until 2167.

Louise Stuart, 60, from Maryport, Cumbria, saw her 11-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months after citing her anxiety, depression, PTSD and suicidal thoughts.

She said in her benefits claims she was a single woman with no additional income, which entitled her to Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and housing benefit.

But investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) found she had been living with her fiance Russel Harrison, 67, since September 2016.

Stuart, of Edinburgh Road, admitted two counts of failing to disclose circumstances affecting her entitlement to benefits at Carlisle Crown Court.

She is to repay the 49,059 in ESA and 36,785 in housing benefits she plundered  which Judge Michael Fanning noted would take 141 years at her current monthly rate.

'I don't think we're going to get that money back,' he remarked, also imposing an eight-month curfew between 8pm and 7am.

Her deception was discovered after DWP officials found Harrison had registered Stuart's home as his address with several banks and employers.

Louise Stuart (left, with her partner Russel Harrison), 60, from Maryport, Cumbria, saw her 11-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months after citing her anxiety, depression, PTSD and suicidal thoughts

Stuart (pictured), of Edinburgh Road, admitted two counts of failing to disclose circumstances affecting her entitlement to benefits at Carlisle Crown Court

The pair's relationship was confirmed when they were found to have posted on Facebook about their engagement and shared snaps of holidays taken together.

Prosecutor Kim Whittlestone told the court Stuart's benefits claims may not have been fraudulent from the start, 'despite evidence of the relationship' with Harrison before they were lodged.

But she said at the point Stuart was found out, the couple had been living together since early 2018, for nearly eight years  a change in circumstances which should have been flagged to the DWP.

Ms Whittlestone also said Stuart has a 'history of dishonesty offences'  though they were mostly committed when she was younger.

Defence barrister Emily Wilson, meanwhile, presented 'positively glowing' character references for her client, as well as testimonials highlighting her 'integrity' and her 'trustworthy', 'selfless' nature.

She said financial difficulty had motivated Stuart to offend, as she struggled to afford basic necessities after she was forced to quit her job of 18 years as a healthcare assistant due to ill health.

'She has been a hard-working person throughout the majority of her life,' Ms Wilson noted.

The lawyer also said her client served as a carer for both her mother and, until recently, her partner, who is now in prison.

Sentencing, Judge Fanning concluded: 'It's dishonesty and you knew it was.'

But upon hearing she would walk free, Stuart collapsed onto the floor of the dock, sobbing loudly, with proceedings forced to halt for around five minutes as staff helped her recover.

After she returned to her seat, the judge told her: 'You are going home.'

It was a stark contrast to the fate of Stuart's fiance, who was jailed for 18 months in December after pleading guilty to his own benefits fraud.

Harrison claimed 35,975 in personal independent payments (PIP) over the course of six-and-a-half years on the grounds he was too unwell to work.

The army veteran had declared he was suffering with serious mobility issues, saying he could barely walk and struggled even to peel vegetables.

But in reality, he was working throughout this time as a HGV driver, a job 'entirely beyond a man as disabled as the defendant was claiming to be', prosecutor Tim Evans said.

The lawyer noted the highly physical nature of the role, which involved unloading a 44-ton lorry, climbing ladders to inspect loads and fastening straps to secure cargo.

Her deception was discovered after DWP officials found Harrison (left, with Stuart, right) had registered Stuart's home as his address with several banks and employers

Sentencing, Judge Fanning said: 'You are an overwhelmingly selfish, greedy and grossly dishonest individual.'

He said he was 'astonished by the brazenness' of Harrison's behaviour, adding: 'People like you undermine the trust in the benefits system.'

The court heard the former soldier, who served in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Ireland, was now in poor health after suffering a stroke at work.

The defence argued prison would have a detrimental impact on their client, interrupting his medical treatment  but the judge concluded: 'The public need to know this will not be tolerated.'

Later, at Stuart's trial, he drew a distinction between the seriousness of her and Harrison's offending, noting his was active deception, while his partner's was more a failure to disclose information.
A Missouri woman has been left without any of her teeth after visiting a dental clinic with thousands of locations across the US.

Staci Shroyer's ordeal began two years ago, when she broke a tooth and was unable to book an appointment with her regular dentist. She was in pain, so needed urgent treatment.

After looking for another clinic that could fit her in on short notice, she landed on Aspen Dental's location in Blue Springs, Missouri.

She went to the clinic thinking they would just fix her broken tooth, but when she arrived, the staff took a full set of dental X-rays and told her she had periodontal disease - a serious gum infection which can lead to tooth loss.

Shroyer told FOX4: 'They said, "theyre all rotten; theyre going bad; they all need root canals, and its going to cost you about $50,000.'"

She was shocked by the news, as she had recently visited two other dentists who never mentioned her teeth were in such dire straits.

Shroyer said the Aspen Dental staff told her it would be cheaper to get all of her teeth pulled and get dentures. She added that 'they charmed the fire outta me,' and told her she would look 'beautiful'.

Ultimately, she went through with the recommendation to have all her teeth pulled, which she now regrets. She told FOX4 that without teeth, 'I felt so ugly. I can't face anybody.'

Adding insult to injury, dentists who were later sent Shroyer's X-rays by FOX4 said they would have given her several options rather than resorting to the most extreme solution straight away.

Staci Shroyer (pictured) was left without any of her teeth after visiting a dental clinic to treat a single broken tooth in 2024

Shroyer was unable to make an appointment with her regular dentist, so she booked one with Aspen Dental, which could take her on short notice. The company has more than 1,100 locations across the country

'I thought everything was legit, you know, big company, gonna be okay,' she added.

Shroyer had reason to believe that. Aspen Dental is part of the Aspen Group, which reported $4.2billion in net revenue in the first half of 2025.

According to Aspen Dental's website, the company has more than 1,100 locations across the country. Most of them are located in the eastern portion of the continental US.

The company 'provides administrative and business support services to Aspen Dental branded dental practices,' according to its website.

The site also states that Aspen Dental 'does not own or operate the dental practices, employ or in any way supervise the dentists providing dental care...

'Control over the care provided is the sole responsibility of the independent practice and the dentists they employ.'

During the past 15 years, Aspen Dental has been involved in a variety of lawsuits alleging misconduct.

Jim Baker, leader of the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a corporate watchdog organization, told FOX4: 'Weve seen allegations of deceptive practices.

Join the debate Have YOU had a nightmare dentist experience?

Shroyer said that Aspen Dental staff recommended she get all of her teeth pulled. She agreed because she trusted the company, and she said the staff 'charmed' her, but now she regrets it

'Maybe incentives to bill or steer patients toward more expensive procedures, things like dental implants, for example.'

In 2010, Aspen Dental settled a lawsuit over misleading advertisements brought forward by the Pennsylvania attorney general. In 2015, the company also settled a suit over deceptive advertising brought forward by the Indiana attorney general.

Aspen Dental also paid $3.5million to the state of Massachusetts over claims of bait-and-switch tactics used in some clinics in 2023.

In July 2025, the company settled a class action lawsuit for $18.4million, which alleged that it had violated privacy laws by tracking patients' sensitive information and sharing it with third parties.

In each of the settled cases, Aspen Dental denied any wrongdoing as part of the agreement.

Shroyer told FOX4 that when the clinic pulled all of her teeth, she could feel pain. She added that after two years of visits, the pain continues to linger, and she has dentures that still do not fit properly.

Aspen Dental refunded the cost of Shroyer's dentures and implants, but not her teeth-pulling procedure.

Shroyer, however, said that information was not sent to the health credit card company that was financing her care, so $2,500 was sent to collections, and now she cannot afford to pay for additional procedures to fix her teeth.

Shroyer said that she felt 'so ugly' without her teeth. This picture of her is from 2022, before all of her teeth were pulled

'I wish I would have never walked into the door of that place,' she told FOX4.

An Aspen Dental spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'Aspen Dental Management is a dental support organization that provides non-clinical business support services to independently owned and operated dental practices.

'Each Aspen Dental-branded practice is clinically owned and operated by an independent licensed dentist who is responsible for patient care.

'ADMI takes patient concerns seriously and has established processes to review and address complaints when they are brought to our attention.'

The spokesperson also said that Aspen Dental no longer has a contractual relationship with the dentist who treated Shroyer.
An 'infatuated' prison officer who embarked on a secret sexual relationship with a convicted gangster has been jailed for two-and-half years after a judge branded the case one of the worst of its kind.

Charlotte Winstanley, 27, began the forbidden affair with inmate Jabhari Blair, 30, while working at HMP Lindholme, South Yorkshire.

A court heard how Winstanley had illicit trysts with Blair on prison grounds and sent him messages saying she was 'literally praying' to have his baby. The couple also had a 'date night' on Mondays at the prison.

Their covert relationship continued for around three years, with the shamed officer continuing the romance even after she was suspended from her post.

Winstanley is the latest in a string of young female prison officers to be jailed for engaging in inappropriate relationships with inmates.

She was told by a judge at Sheffield Crown Court that the extent of her offending was 'by far the worst' he had dealt with.

Jeremy Richardson, KC, the Recorder of Sheffield, said: 'Regrettably I have dealt with several cases of woman prison officers having intimate relationships with prisoners and occasionally taking in to the prison various prohibited items.

'All have been imprisoned. By some considerable margin this case is by far the worst with which I have had to deal.

'It is an exceptionally serious case of its kind.'

Charlotte Winstanley was jailed for two-and-a-half years for the illicit thing with a prison inmate

The court heard she was infatuated with Jabhari Blair who was serving a 12-and-a-half-year sentence

Winstanley became besotted with Blair, a member of a crime gang serving 12-and-a-half years for stabbing a man, while monitoring him on the prison's J Wing in August 2022.

The pair swapped explicit WhatsApp and Snapchat messages on a phone smuggled in by the guard in which the couple professed their love.

In one exchange, Blair said he wanted to give her a 'beautiful baby', prompting Winstanley to reply: 'Im literally praying to have your baby.'

She also bragged to a colleague that she was 'having sex daily and it was the best sex she ever had'.

Judge Richardson said of the explicit messages: 'It is unnecessary for me to sully these sentencing remarks with the various intimate observations that were being made.

'What is important is that it was clear between the two of you that you were regarding Monday evenings as "date night".

'You exchanged explicit photos and videos between each other, you also spoke about deleting messages in order to eliminate any possibility of anyone being able to trace these messages.

'It is utterly clear that you both knew that what was happening was unlawful and corrupt.'

Winstanley, 27, pictured outside Doncaster Magistrates Court following an earlier hearing

Charlotte Winstanley admitted misconduct in a public office after embarking on a three-year affair with a jailed criminal

Winstanley, who had been trained in corruption prevention, was posted to J Wing at the prison

The court heard how Winstanley was seen leading Blair into a locked office at the category-C prison, where they remained alone for three minutes.

On another occasion, she arrived an hour early for work and took Blair into an office before her shift began.

The pair emerged from the room 14 minutes later, the court heard. Winstanley's phone was seized in November 2022 following concerns from prison bosses that she was ferrying contraband into prison.

Searches revealed Blair directing Winstanley to buy items on his behalf, including SIM cards and SD cards, and even pointing her to the Argos website to select what he wanted smuggled inside.

Winstanley also met with Blair's mother outside prison and shared confidential information, including sensitive plans to move him to another jail.

She also furnished Blair with confidential intelligence concerning other inmates' medical records and a raid carried out on his own cell.

Judge Richardson told Winstanley: 'You knew this was comprehensibly wrong and against all the training you had received.

'Not only was there a sexual relationship which endured for a prolonged period but you took in items which were prohibited and sent a photo of the interior of the prison outside the prison.

'The prison authorities also had some suspicions about your conduct. Consequently, meetings were held with you where it would have been possible to reveal any pressure which was being placed upon you.

'But instead, you brazened it out and continued your corrupt affair.'

After being suspended from the prison service in November 2022, Winstanley registered to visit Blair at HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire.

In one video call, she was recorded telling Blair she 'hoped' she was pregnant with his baby and professed her love.

Winstanley also created a fake email account under the name 'Debbie Embleton' to continue to contact her lover.

In one graphic message, she told him: 'Just thinking about it - I miss it.' In another she wrote: 'Every sacrifice I made I did it so I could be with you. I love my job but I love you more.'

Blair meanwhile responded talking of her 'sexy lips' and 'lil booty'. Judge Richardson said: 'Those messages depict explicit sexual relations between you and him and there are a variety of messages that reveal the level of intimacy.

'There can be no doubt whatsoever you were having a substantial sexual relationship with him whilst in prison.

'You were, it would seem, comprehensively infatuated with him.'

The court heard how Winstanley spoke about her 'boyfriend' with fellow officer Morgan Farr Varney, who had also recently joined the prison service.

Varney was herself jailed for 10 months last year after also having a relationship with an inmate at HMP Lindholme.

Winstanley, of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, admitted misconduct in a public office.

She also admitted sending a photograph from inside the prison. Her barrister Khadim Al-Hassan said she was 'deeply remorseful for her behaviour and her actions'.

Judge Richardson told Winstanley: 'Once a prison officer has succumbed to corruption, by any form of impropriety, it is a state of affairs from which it is bordering impossible to retreat.

'Here was not a case of a young woman facing a kaleidoscope of competing loyalties.

'It was a case of right and wrong. In your case, Winstanley, you chose the wrong path and knowingly did so.

'The corruption went from bad to worse and lasted for a protracted period.'

Blair, originally from Leeds, West Yorks, was jailed in 2014 after stabbing a man during a gang brawl in Bradford and remains in prison.

He has previous convictions including robbery, violent disorder, wounding with intent, firearm possession and assaulting police officers.

Blair was jailed for 13 months after admitting possessing cannabis, a phone and a USB stick found in his cell. Their sentences were reduced to reflect delays in bringing the prosecution.
Savannah Guthrie's missing mother Nancy does not have medication she needs to survive, worried Today show host Jenna Hager revealed on Monday.

Speaking 36 hours after the 84-year-old's disappearance from her $1 million home in Tucson, Arizona, Hager said: 'I know her personally. And we want to just report, too, that she takes daily medication and she needs them for survival.

'She's without her medication. We are thinking of our dearest, dearest Savannah and her whole family right now in our prayers.' The Daily Mail understands that Nancy does not have dementia or suffer from any form of cognitive decline.

Earlier on Monday, Today reported that the FBI is 'aware' of Nancy's disappearance, with homicide detectives investigating after 'concerning' evidence was found at her home.

The morning show made the disappearance of Nancy their top story on Monday.

NBC's top crime expert Tom Winter said: 'The FBI is also aware of this case... given the nature of what was found at the scene

'That's what has got them so concerned.'

Winter added: 'We are withholding some details, as we would do with any investigation, to make sure the investigation could go forward without us interfering in it.

Guthrie, 54, was not at work on Monday but issued a statement via Today, saying: 'I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers, and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom.

'We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone, anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's office at 520-351-4900.'

Nancy was last seen in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson around 9:45pm MST Saturday night.

Jenna Bush Hager appeared tearful on Today Monday morning as she revealed Savannah Guthrie's missing mother Nancy, 84, does not have medication she needs to survive

Today host Savannah Guthrie with her 84-year-old mother Nancy, who went missing from her Arizona home on Saturday night. The disappearance was the top story on Monday's show

Today host Craig Melvin said Nancy Guthrie's disappearance was 'deeply personal' to the hosts and crew of the show and shared a statement from Savannah Guthrie herself

Host Craig Melvin looked concerned as he discussed the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy, as co-host Sheinelle Jones looked on

No further details of the 'concerning evidence' found at Nancy's home have been shared.

Today revealed that Customs and Border Patrol have joined sheriff's deputies in the hunt for Nancy, whose home sits close to the Mexican border.

Drones and a sheriff's plane have been deployed to try and track her down.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said the search for Nancy is still being treated as a search and rescue operation but was unable to rule out the possibility of foul play.

Investigators said Nancy was not showing any signs of cognitive issues around the time of her disappearance.

Host Craig Melvin conveyed how close to home the story was to the Today team, telling viewers: 'This is very concerning to us.

'We don't typically get involved at a scene like this, but it's very concerning.'

Melvin opened the broadcast by saying Nancy's disappearance was 'deeply personal' to the hosts and crew of Today.

Nancy Guthrie is pictured enjoying a drink in a photo shared by her daughter Savannah on Instagram

Guthrie is very close to her mother and has been photographed with her on the set of Today.

She regularly shares photos of herself enjoying her free time with her mother.

Guthrie's father Charles died of a heart attack when she was 16-years-old.

She has two older siblings - a sister called Annie and a brother called Camron.
An innocent mother was shot dead outside a church while attending a memorial service while standing alongside a rap artist who was the intended victim, a court heard.

Michelle Sadio, 44, was gunned down outside the River of Life Church on Gifford Road, Harlesden, northwest London on December 14, 2024.

Several shots were fired into a crowd from the window of a stolen black Kia window before it sped off.

The intended target may have been Willesden rapper Trapstar Toxic who was stood in a crowd outside the memorial service being held for an 80-year-old woman, the Old Bailey heard.

Tahjin Sommersal, 19, Perry Allen-Thomas, 27, Shaquille Sutherland, 26, and Amir Salem, 19, deny murdering Ms Sadio and the attempted murders of Kenneth Amoah, 39, and Kadeem Francis, 30.

Mr Amoah was shot in the foot while Mr Francis was shot in the back leaving him wheelchair bound.

Sommersal is said to have been in the black Kia alongside Ibrah Sayed, 21, and Hassan Mohammed, 20, who have since fled to Dubai.

Allen-Thomas and Sutherland are accused of being the 'older men' who put the youths up to carry out their 'dirty work'.

Michelle Sadio, 44, was shot dead in a drive-by shooting outside a wake in London on December 14

The intended target may have been Willesden rapper Trapstar Toxic (pictured) who was stood in a crowd outside the memorial service being held for an 80-year-old woman, the Old Bailey heard

A handout image issued by the Met Police of the black Kia Niro which was being driven by the suspects who then fired a number of shots in Gifford Road, London, killing Michelle Sadioe

Salem was allegedly involved in buying petrol for the car to be burned after the shooting.

Mrs Sadio was married with two children, now aged 10 and 8, and worked as a legal administrator.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett, KC, said: 'On the evening of Saturday 14 December 2024 a large number of people, many of them of them from the Ghanian community in London, assembled at the River of Life church not far from Church Road in Willesden.

'They were there to honour the life of an 80-year-old woman who had died a week earlier.

'Not long after 9pm a number of guests were standing outside on the pavement having a drink.

'Amonst those on the street were children as young as five.

'A witness says he noticed a car coming towards the group on the pavement.. He saw a passenger window open and then a hand extend though the open window.

'In the hand he saw the gun. He saw sparks coming from the gun. At least four shots were fired.

'One of them struck 44-year-old Michelle Sadio.

'At the time she was shot she had been leaning forward with her back to the road.

'The bullet entered her lower back passing horizontally though her left kidney and right lung before lodging in her right shoulder.

'Despite best efforts of the doctor and paramedics who tended to her Michelle Sadio was pronounced dead at the scene.

'The second victim Kadeem Francis was shot in the foot. The third victim Kenneth Amoah has said the first thing he was aware of was a sharp pain to his life side. Then he heard the sound of popping, no doubt the sound of a gun.

'At first he had thought it was a firework. He had a drink in his hand and his hand began to shake. The pain in his back got worse, the drink fell to the ground and then he passed out.'

Mr Amoah woke up in hospital with spinal damage and is now wheelchair bound with no feeling below his waist.

Forensic officers pictured here at the scene of the shooting on December 14, 2024

Forensics comb the scene of the shooting in North West London, near Wembley Stadium - December 14, 2024

Mr Aylett said: 'The witness who saw the car window open says that amongst those outside the church was a man known to him only by his street name of 'Toxic', better known as 'Trapstar Toxic', a rapper from Willesden and someone who is often in the area around Church Road in Willesden.

'It may not be a coincidence that the gun used to murder Michelle Sadio had in fact been used before- in the previous few months that gun was used in two separate shooting incidents either side of Church Road.'

'The car from which the shots were fire don night of 14 December was a black Kia which turned out to have been stolen and also driving on false plates.

'After the shooting the black Kia was dosed in petrol and set alight.

'The prosecution suggest the use of the same gun on three separate occasions, the use of the stolen car on false plates and the setting alright bares all the hallmarks of serious criminal activity.'

Sommersal, of Feltham, denies murder, two counts of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Allen-Thomas, of Edgware, and Sutherland and Salem, both of Wembley, deny murder and two counts of attempted murder.

The trial continues.
Former Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has joined Pauline Hanson's One Nation, just weeks after Nationals stalwart Barnaby Joyce did the same.

Bernardi resigned from federal parliament in 2020 following a 13-year career but is set to rejoin politics as the face of One Nation South Australia at the upcoming state election.

'Cory has strong, sound conservative values that are an excellent fit with One Nation,' One Nation leader senator Pauline Hanson said in a statement on Monday night.

'He's a prominent South Australian keen to make the positive differences in his home state the Liberals just can't bring themselves to make.'

Bernardi described One Nation as 'the only genuine and viable alternative' to the two major parties, Liberal and Labor, in South Australia.

'There's no effective opposition to government; they're effectively one party  a uniparty  and that's a bad thing for South Australians because they're being left behind,' he said.

'Their wages are flat, their costs are rising, and many no longer recognise communities that have become increasingly unsafe.'

Bernardi was previously a member of the Liberal Party but quit in 2017 to form the Australian Conservatives. He went on to resign three years later in 2020.

Former Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has joined Pauline Hanson's One Nation (Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce are pictured)

Bernardi (pictured) described One Nation as 'the only genuine and viable alternative' to the two major parties

He joins Joyce, who defected to One Nation in December following his resignation from the Nationals and announcement he would not contest his seat of New England at the next election.

'I am firmly of the view, which I have considered over a long period of time, that the best choice before me is to stand for One Nation as a Senator for NSW,' he said.

'I will let the voters be the ultimate arbiter of that decision.

'There will be some hurt in this decision, and I understand that.'

Joyce claimed Senator Hanson had 'driven the political agenda' and pushed the Coalition into dropping net zero.
A number of discredited and outlandish claims made to FBI officials were released on Friday as part of the vast tranche of files that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has published about Jeffrey Epstein.

Amid the three million pages, 180,000 images and 2,000 videos posted publicly were several unsubstantiated tip-offs officials received via the national Threat Operation Center tip line.

The tip line was a publicly available number that anyone could use to contact the FBI and report their allegation.

One discredited claim from 2020 alleges that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, was an 'accessory' to the death of one of Epstein's purported victims.

'Back in the 90s Ghislaine Maxwell recruited a girl from for a modeling career,' an email from a man called Bryan Miller, with the subject 'Ghislaine Maxwell', reads.

'Instead of modeling she was sold as a slave for sex and torture. Prince Andrew was was an accessory to her death as he tortured her and me to force her murder. I need to get a passport to identify her. I will need someone to contact the passport office to get an expedited passport.'

Another tip-off sent by an unidentified source accuses Epstein and former US President Bill Clinton of raping him on a yacht, before his feet were cut in a 'ritualistic sacrifice'.

Many of the tip-offs sent to the FBI which were included in the files appear to be unsubstantiated allegations of sexual abuse related to US President Donald Trump, Epstein and other high-profile figures.

The DOJ said in a statement on Friday that the documents may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos, as everything that was sent to the FBI by the public was included in the production that is responsive to the Act.

Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his jailed associate Ghislaine Maxwell pictured in 2005

The unidentified male who alleged he was raped by Epstein and Clinton on a yacht made his claims to the FBI in a phone call in August 2019.

He alleged that the rapes occurred in the year 2000 on a yacht trip, also attended by Trump and his wife Melania.

An FBI agent noted that Trump did not marry the First Lady until 2005, however.

He claimed he was raped while in a 'heavy drug induced state' and that the incidents became 'repressed memories' he had since recovered in therapy in 2016.

In further unsubstantiated claims, he claimed he was the victim of a 'ritualistic sacrifice', in which his feet were cut with a scimitar that left no scarring.

'On the yacht he witnessed babies being dismembered, their intestines removed,' the report said.

He also alleged he was raped by 'George Bush 1', the report added.

Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein's crimes and has repeatedly denied knowledge of the financier's sexual abuse.

The unidentified male who alleged he was raped by Epstein and Clinton on a yacht made his claims to the FBI in a phone call in August 2019

At the time, the FBI dismissed the allegations as lacking in credibility, as evidenced by an agent noting: 'It is not recommended that any additional investigative resources be expended concerning [anonymous source's] claim.'

The agent also pointed out that the source offered no supporting or corroborating evidence or contactable witnesses, appeared to be 'emotionally unbalanced', and has a history of drug use.

'[The caller] stated he has ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms as well as other illicit substances in the past and currently smokes marijuana,' an agent wrote.

FBI officials received another unsubstantiated tip-off alleging that Epstein visited an 'all male gay club' with the late Stephen Hawking in 2011, according to files recently released by the DOJ.

The caller described the venue as a 'bath house' and told officials in 2019 that 'he was watching the news lately and saw prominent men that were at the club in 2011'.

'He said at the time he had no idea who they were. Stated there is lots of behavior that goes on there,' the report outlined.

'He said Epstein and Steven Hawking were there [sic], as well as, some Russian liaisons. He has recognized them from the news.'

The report describes how the caller 'was near tears' when he said 'it wasn't just girls that were affected by Epstein'.

He said the incident occurred in '2011, about the same time Michael Jackson passed away', but this is clearly an inaccuracy, as Jackson died in June 2009.

FBI officials received another unsubstantiated tip-off alleging that Epstein visited an 'all male gay club' with the late Stephen Hawking in 2011, according to files released by the DOJ

FBI officials last summer assembled a summary of more than a dozen tips involving President Trump and Epstein, according to emails released by the DOJ

FBI officials last summer assembled a summary of more than a dozen tips involving President Trump and Epstein, according to emails released by the DOJ on Friday.

One tip-off, previously published in the last release of files in December, came from a limousine driver who contacted investigators.

The driver claimed he overheard a phone conversation in 1995 by Trump, in which he discussed 'abusing some girl' while mentioning the name 'Jeffrey'.

The driver then alleged his ex-partner told him she was raped by Trump and Epstein.

The FBI added a 'note' to the testimony that appears to cast doubt on the source.

The call to the agency by the driver was made on October 27, 2020, a week before that years presidential election.

In a statement released on Friday, alongside the publication of the files, the DOJ said: 'Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election.

To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they have a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.

In another unsubstantiated tip-off received by FBI agents, a source alleged they overheard a conversation between Epstein and Trump on a plane heading for Palm Beach, Florida, just after the 9/11 attacks.

According to the unsubstantiated report, the source claimed to have 'overheard Trump talking about how he just came from visiting a country (possibly Israel), where they have sheiks, claiming the sheik gave his virgin daughter to him'.

As per the caller's testimony, Epstein allegedly responded: 'Oh, I love when that happens. They're so different the young ones.'

Epstein and Trump then discussed how younger women have 'finer hair', the source claimed.

Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to the disgraced financier and has not been accused of any crimes by Epstein's victims.

Disturbing new images released as part of Friday's Epstein files appear to show Andrew Mountbatten Windsor crouching on all fours over a female lying on the floor

In December last year, UK police confirmed they were seeking information from the FBI following outlandish claims published in court documents linked to convicted sex offender Epstein.

The unverified allegations, released in the previous tranche of files, referred to so-called 'paedophile ring parties' said to have involved high-profile figures in the UK.

The claims were made by a US individual whose account appeared in files released by the DOJ on December 26.

The person alleged they were driven to the gatherings by their father when they were between six and eight years old, and claims they were later drugged.

The last release contained a series of allegations said to have taken place in England, none of which have been proven or independently verified.

Surrey Police confirmed they were not previously aware of the allegations and said they were seeking further information from US authorities.

The alleged victim, now aged 35, claims they were drugged and then taken to the parties by their own father.

The victim was allegedly once taken to royal property Frogmore Cottage, where they were restrained and tortured with electric shocks by Ghislaine Maxwell.

They claim that the former Duke of York and other men watched on as the torture took place.

The individual is said to have spoken to the FBI in anticipation of Maxwell's bail hearing ahead of her trial in the United States. She was convicted of numerous offences including sex trafficking in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The files also recounted a second unverified incident in which the alleged victim reported being hit by a car being driven by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

They told the FBI that after one party in Surrey, a dark blue vehicle with a personalised number plate with the then-prince behind the wheel collided with them.

A figurine on the bonnet was said to have been knocked off by the force of the impact and was later buried near their home.

Reacting to the claims, Surrey Police told the Daily Mail: 'Following a review of our systems using the limited information available to us, we can find no evidence of these allegations being reported to Surrey police.

'We are therefore engaging with relevant agencies to obtain access to the redacted information.

'We take all reports of child abuse seriously and encourage anyone with information in relation to these allegations to report this to us online, or via 101.'

More than three million pages of documents related to the late sex offender were released on Friday.

The publication of the documents came six weeks after a December 19 deadline to release all the files, as mandated in the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed Congress and was signed into law in November.

US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday that the release 'marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process', indicating that the DOJ views its role as complete.

However, Democrats continue to contend that the department has withheld a vast quantity of documents  potentially around two-and-a-half million  without proper justification.

Among the images published in the Epstein files are photographs showing Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling on all fours over a female lying on the ground.

He is staring directly at the camera in one, while in another he places his hand on the woman's stomach, who is unidentified and remains fully clothed.

But like much of the material published by the DOJ on Epstein, no further context on where or when they were taken is given.

However, distinctive pieces of home decor seen in the background of the three images suggest Mountbatten-Windsor was likely inside the paedophile financier's seven-storey New York home.

These include a leopard-print chair, large mahogany doors and patterned floors -which have all been seen in images previously shared of the property.

Moreover, a picture of Woody Allen released by the US authorities in December also appears to have been taken inside the same room where the former prince was photographed.

The film director and his wife Soon-Yi Previn were reportedly regular guests at the 60million townhouse, which Epstein used to build his connections with the rich and powerful.

The former Duke of York, who has faced years of scrutiny over his past friendship with Epstein, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Uruguayan president arrives in Beijing for state visit

Xinhua) 13:19, February 02, 2026

President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Yamandu Orsi, who is on a seven-day state visit to China, arrives in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Yamandu Orsi arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a state visit to China from Feb. 1 to 7.

This is President Orsi's first state visit to China. During the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will have talks with him for an in-depth exchange of views on deepening the China-Uruguay comprehensive strategic partnership, high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and international and regional issues of mutual interest.

The Chinese side hopes and believes that under the strategic guidance of the two presidents, the visit will play a positive role in further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said earlier.

President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Yamandu Orsi, who is on a seven-day state visit to China, arrives in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The son of Norway's crown princess has been arrested on suspicion of assault just days before he is set to stand trial for rape charges.

Marius Borg Hiby, who is the stepson of the future King, Crown Prince Haakon, was arrested on suspicion of assault, making threats with a knife and violating a restraining order on Sunday evening, Norwegian Police confirmed.

It comes just two days before Hiby is set to stand trial in Oslo, accused of 38 counts, including four counts of rape and assaults against ex-girlfriends.

He has denied the most serious charges but has already admitted to some of the minor offences.

Hiby, 29, is Crown Princess Mette-Marit's son from a previous relationship. She and Prince Haakon also share two children: Princess Ingrid and her younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus, 19.

In a statement earlier today, Andreas Kruszewski, a police attorney in Oslo police district, said: 'The Oslo police district can confirm that Marius Borg Hiby was arrested by the police on Sunday evening, charged with assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order.'

Police requested that Hiby be remanded in custody for the next four weeks 'on the grounds of risk of reoffending'.

His impending rape trial, scheduled to last until March 19, is expected to attract intense media coverage.

Marius Borg Hiby, 29, pictured next to his mother, Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Marius Borg Hiby, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit attend the celebrations of Princess Ingrid Alexandra's Official Day in 2022

Pictured (L-R): Norway's Queen Sonja, King Harald, Prince Sverre Magnus, Marius Borg Hiby, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Princess Mette-Marit, and Prince Haakon

However for the next seven weeks, pictures of the royal defendant have been banned both inside and outside the courtroom.

Several ex-girlfriends are now plaintiffs in the case against him, and he is under strict orders to not contact them.

He faces more than 10 years in prison if the Oslo district court finds him guilty.

Hiby has become the first ever royal family member to have been charged with a crime and is no longer publicly listed as part of the Scandinavian household.

The charges have rocked the royal family, with backing for the household falling from 81 percent in 2017 to 62 percent last September.

Once known affectionately as 'Little Marius', Hiby grew up in the public eye, enjoying the same wealth and privilege as his royal siblings, although his biological father, Morten Borg, served time in prison for drugs and violent offences.

He has largely continued his life as normal since the charges came to light in August last year, and has since jetted off with friends to Hemsedal, Copenhagen and Italy.

The son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit has also spent time at rehab centres in London since his arrest.
A dilapidated farmhouse where convicted killer Tony Martin shot dead a teenage intruder is finally being cleared exactly one year after his death - but mystery surrounds who now owns it.

New photos show a huge pile of rubbish outside the crumbling remains of Bleak House, near Wisbech on the Norfolk and Cambridgeshire border.

The heap includes filing cabinets, drawers, a bicycle, oil drums and a lawnmower.

There have been suggestions that whoever took over the property from Martin, who died from a stroke at the age of 80, could be clearing it ready to put on the market.

A yellow digger was also be seen parked near the rubbish pile.

The outbuildings now appear to be empty and the high grass and brambles, which were around the farmhouse a year ago, have also been trimmed.

Martin never returned to Bleak House after he finished his prison sentence for the manslaughter of 16-year-old Fred Barras in 2003.

He is believed to have lived in cars, a barn and a rented house before his health declined.

Tony Martin is pictured outside his farmhouse called Bleak House in Emneth Hungate, Norfolk, shortly after his release from prison in August 2003

New photos show a huge pile of rubbish outside the crumbling remains of Bleak House, near Wisbech on the Norfolk and Cambridgeshire border

The house was already in a dilapidated state before the killing and today it is crumbling into the ground.

In an interview with the EDP newspaper three years ago, Martin said his land was being worked by someone else and he planned to leave the farmhouse to someone when he died - but their identity has not been revealed.

The house has no front door or windows and there are holes in the roof.

The glass, which the burglars broke to gain entry into the house ahead of the shooting, still lies on the floor and there are shotgun pellets embedded in the wall at the foot of the stairs.

The killing of 16-year-old Fred Barras on August 20 1999 sparked controversy, with opinions divided over whether Martin's actions were premeditated or else a farmer justifiably defending himself and his property.

Martin was jailed in 2000 for the teenager's murder and for injuring another man, 29-year-old Brendan Fearon, in the same incident.

Barras and Fearon had raided Mr Martin's property on August 20 1999, with the pair travelling from Newark, Nottinghamshire.

On hearing the break-in, Mr Martin came downstairs from an upstairs bedroom and opened fire with a pump-action shotgun.

Martin shot dead burglar Fred Barras (pictured), 16, at his farm Bleak House in Emneth Hungate near Emneth, Norfolk, in 1999

Martin never returned to Bleak House after he finished his prison sentence for the manslaughter of 16-year-old Fred Barras in 2003

A rubbish heap outside the farmhouse includes filing cabinets, drawers, a bicycle, oil drums and a lawnmower - while a yellow digger has also been pictured nearby

After the shooting, an injured Mr Fearon crawled to a nearby house for help.

Mr Barras was found dead the following day in undergrowth surrounding Martin's property where the farmer stored antiques.

Martin, who never married and had no children, was released in 2003 after the murder conviction was reduced to manslaughter.

The pensioner had inherited the 3million Bleak House Farm in Emneth Hungate, Norfolk, on the death of aunt four decades ago.

When interviewed after his release from jail, Mr Martin always insisted those who broke into other people's properties deserved all they got.

Speaking in 2019, he said: 'What happened to me is important to every man, woman and child in this country - not just to me.'

And two years ago Martin insisted he 'doesn't regret anything' relating to the events of August 20 1999, adding: 'You may think I've got a chip on my shoulder but I'm bound to.

'I haven't met anybody who says I was wrong. I don't think people appreciate what happened. I've been naive, I'm too honest for my own good and I don't like dishonesty.

There have been suggestions that whoever took over the property from Martin, who died after a stroke at the age of 80, could be clearing it ready to put on the market with the new clearance

New pictures this month - exactly a year on from Martin's death - show the current state of his former home in Norfolk

At his trial, prosecutors claimed Martin had booby-trapped his home and armed himself with an illegal weapon - he was convicted of murder though this was later reduced to manslaughter

'I would like to appeal but you can't because you need fresh evidence. My idea of fresh evidence and their idea are different.

'I'd love to clear my name before I die but it may never happen. The law won't allow it.'

Martin died on February 2 2025, confirmed by a family friend a family friend who said he had suffered a stroke a few months earlier.

Speaking later that month, Mr Fearon told of having 'no anger' towards the farmer who he said 'probably suffered as much in his life as I have' since then.

Mr Fearon told the Mirror: 'Life's not been kind to me but it was much crueller to little Fred, who lost his life, and his family.

'But I have never felt any bitterness or animosity towards that farmer.

'He did what he had to do to protect himself and his home.

'I'm not saying he should have shot someone dead - that's wrong - but he felt persecuted by us and we shouldn't have been there.'

Brendon Fearon (pictured in December 1999) broke into Tony Martin's Norfolk home earlier that year with fellow burglar Fred Barras, 16 - he since said he had 'no anger' towards the farmer

At his trial, prosecutors claimed Mr Martin had anticipated the burglary and lain in wait - but he claimed to have been acting in self-defence.

He was initially convicted of murder and jailed for life in April 2000, with 10 years to run concurrently for a wounding offence and a further 12 months for possession of an illegal firearm.

But the charge was later downgraded to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, after Mr Martin was diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder.

A decade later in 2013, the law was changed with the Crime and Courts Act providing a 'householder's defence' if someone used 'reasonable' force against an intruder that was not 'grossly disproportionate'.
Britain is kicking out a Russian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move after Moscow's action against UK staff, the Government announced today.

Andrey Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the UK, was told that one of his country's diplomats in Britain will have their accreditation revoked.

He was summoned to the Foreign Office for a dressing down following the expulsion of a British diplomat from Russia earlier this month.

Mr Kelin, who has been Vladimir Putin's ambassador to Britain since 2019, was told the UK will 'not stand for intimidation' of British Embassy staff.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia's unprovoked and unjustified decision to expel a British diplomat last month and its baseless accusations against our staff.

'Summoning the Russian Ambassador, a senior FCDO official made it clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British Embassy staff and so we are taking reciprocal action today, revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.

'It is deeply disappointing that Russia continually seeks to disrupt the work of the UK's diplomatic missions and deter our support for Ukraine.

'Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly.'

Andrey Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the UK (pictured last year), was told that one of his country's diplomats in Britain will have their accreditation revoked

It comes after Russia expelled a British diplomat in mid-January after accusing him of acting as a spy.

Moscow's foreign ministry said it acted after receiving information 'regarding the affiliation of a diplomatic employee at the embassy with the British secret service'.

According to a translation of a post on its Telegram channel, the ministry said it had summoned British charge d'affaires Danae Dholakia to lodge a 'strong protest' and inform her the diplomat was being expelled.

The ministry did not identify the diplomat, but said he must leave Russia within two weeks.

Saying Moscow would not 'tolerate the activities of undeclared British intelligence officers', the ministry warned Russia would 'respond decisively in kind' if London 'escalates the situation'.

Responding to the move at the time, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'I don't think we should put too much stock in what the Kremlin has to say.

'You normally know when they're lying, because their lips are moving.

'We've seen the appalling barbarity of this Russian regime. We've seen that on the continent of Europe.

'We've seen it in particular in Ukraine, and we've seen it with the unnecessarily aggressive posture they've adopted towards other European countries.'
A terrified husband helplessly watched his wife's ex barge into their Illinois home on a security camera before he stabbed her to death, according to police.

Ashley Stewart, 41, was found suffering from multiple stab wounds inside her home in Oswego, about an hour outside of Chicago, on Tuesday around 1pm.

Her husband, Adam Stewart, called 911 after he witnessed a man, whom he believed to be her ex-partner, Ryan Dodd, chasing after her and into their garage on home surveillance footage.

Authorities rushed to the home, but when they arrived, the mother of six was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene, the Oswego Police Department said.

Dodd, 44, was arrested about 30 minutes later with the help of drone surveillance and canine search teams.

He was arrested after police located his vehicle, conducted a traffic stop, and took him into custody, authorities said.

The investigation soon revealed that Dodd 'followed her as she entered her residence and attacked and killed her with a knife,' police stated.

The department also released photos that appeared to show Dodd hiding behind bushes and surveilling the couple's home around the time of her murder.

Adam Stewart watched his wife, Ashley, be chased into their Oswego, Illinois, home by her ex before she was stabbed to death on Tuesday, police say

Ryan Dodd, 44, was arrested about 30 minutes after his ex's lifeless body was found with the help of drone surveillance and canine search teams

He was seen wearing a black jacket, a gray scarf, a gray hat, and a face covering as he stood in the snowy yard.

Police also shared an image of his gray SUV on Facebook, asking the public for help locating him before he was eventually apprehended.

It is unclear how long Dodd and Ashley were married or when they got divorced.

The former couple had multiple children together, who are now without either biological parent, according to a GoFundMe page.

Ashley has been remembered as a loving mother to her children, including a two-year-old son she shared with Adam.

'She was a devoted wife and loving mother, and her loss has left an immeasurable void in the lives of those who loved her,' the page read.

The donation page was created to help Adam as he tries to navigate life for himself and his children without his beloved wife.

As of Monday morning, more than $52,000 had been raised.

The Oswego Police Department also shared eerie images that appeared to show Dodd outside the couple's home around the time of Ashley's murder

Ashley has been remembered as a loving mother of six. She had children with Dodd and a two-year-old with Adam

Her heartbroken friend Robin Ross said Ashley was a wonderful person who was passionate about the birthing community.

'She was a devoted wife and loving mother, and her loss has left an immeasurable void in the lives of those who loved her,' Ross, who was also Ashley's doula, told NBC Chicago.

Ross added: 'She really, really loved her family. She loved her kids. Nobody could ever, ever mistake how much love she put into her family.

'Not only did this person take away the mother of six beautiful children, he took away my friend, he took away others' friends.

'He took away somebody who was genuinely trying to help others and had a bright future ahead of her,' Ross continued.

Ashley with Adam and her children. Her friends said being a mother was the most important thing to her

Others took to Facebook to share their grief after losing Ashley.

'My friend was murdered. By the hand of her ex-husband. One she was so strong to walk away from and endured so much at the hands of. Only for this. The shock has still not worn off,' a friend posted.

Dodd has been charged with first-degree murder, home invasion, armed violence, residential burglary, and aggravated stalking.

He made his first court appearance on Friday and is being held at Kendall County Jail. He is due in court again on February 9, according to records reviewed by the Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail contacted the Oswego Police Department for comment.
An elephant trampled a tourist to death in front of his wife at a Thai campsite in the third killing linked to the same rogue animal.

The 65-year-old Thai tourist, identified locally as Jirathachai Jiraphatboonyathorn, had been taking a morning stroll with his wife in central Thailand's Khao Yai National Park when he was killed by the wild bull elephant named Phlai Oyewan.

At around 5.30am on Monday, the male elephant rushed toward the man, grabbed him with his trunk, slammed him to the ground, and stamped on him.

Mr Jiraphatboonyathorn died instantly as his wife and other campers watched on in shock from their tents.

His wife, however, managed to flee the scene after Khao Yai park rangers scared the giant animal away, national park chief Chaiya Huayhongthong, said.

When rescue workers and medics arrived on site, they examined the victim, who had suffered serious injuries, including multiple broken limbs.

A park ranger told the Bangkok Post that the male elephant had been 'in a rut' at the time of the attack and had previously killed two residents.

'He was the third person killed by Oyewan,' Huayhongthong told reporters, adding that the wild bull elephant is responsible for several more deaths that remain unsolved.

At around 5.30am on Monday, the male elephant rushed toward the man, grabbed him with his trunk, slammed him to the ground, and stamped on him

A park ranger told Bangkok Post that the male elephant, named Phlai Oyewan, had been in a rut at the time of the attack and had previously killed two residents

Huayhongthong said authorities will meet on Friday to decide what to do with the killer elephant.

'We will probably decide to relocate him or change his behaviour,' he said, without elaborating.

More than 220 people, including tourists, have been killed by wild elephants since 2012, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

Wild elephant numbers in Thailand rose from 334 in 2015 to almost 800 last year, prompting authorities to administer contraceptive vaccines to female animals in an effort to control their ballooning population.

An elephant killed a Spanish tourist while she was bathing the animal at a sanctuary in southern Thailand in January last year.

Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, 22, from Valladolid, was bathing an elephant at the Koh Yao sanctuary on the Thai island of Yao Yai when the animal suddenly caused her the fatal blow with its trunk.

Garcia, a Law and International Relations student, was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she later died.

Bathing elephants is a popular tourist activity in the Southeast Asian country.

Elephants are rarely aggressive but can act out if they feel threatened, or to protect their young.

Another tourist was killed by an elephant at a national park in Loei province in northern Thailand in December 2024.
A Canadian father was left seriously injured after he plummeted from a three-story balcony while on vacation with his family in Mexico.

Tyler Merrin was enjoying a paradise holiday in Playa del Carmen in January with his wife Christina and their two kids when horror suddenly struck.

Merrin was standing on a glass balcony at an Airbnb in the popular resort hotspot when the 'structure suddenly gave way,' and caused him to fall through, according to a GoFundMe page.

A terrifying image showed the destroyed balcony after he plunged through, as shards of glass lined the ground below.

The father-of-two was immediately rushed to the hospital for medical attention, where it was discovered he broke his hip in three places and sustained a concussion from the fall.

He has since undergone surgery and was released from the hospital, but Merrin has a long road ahead.

'Tyler is currently completely bedridden and has been advised that he cannot move until at least February 2nd,' the fundraiser read.

'That is three full weeks confined to a bed, in constant pain, unable to care for himself.'

Tyler Merrin was on vacation with his wife and two children when he suddenly fell from a three-story balcony in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

A horrid image showed the aftermath of the freak accident, which occurred last month while Merrin and his family stayed at an Airbnb rental

Although he is expected to be able to move again, 'it will be extremely limited.' It will also be a very long time before Merrin can walk again, the page detailed.

'When he is eventually allowed to begin moving, it will be extremely limited.

'Movement will mean small, controlled actions only  sitting up, gently bending his knee, carefully making his way to the end of the bed, and standing for only a few seconds at a time. He will not be able to walk,' the page read.

Merrin is also not allowed to put any pressure or weight on the leg he had surgery on for eight weeks.

After eight weeks, he can 'begin physiotherapy and intensive body retraining to relearn how to walk again.'

Thankfully, the family has found a doctor who can make house calls every couple of days to check on Merrin.

If the father moves even in the slightest way, his recovery could last longer, his family said.

The donation page was created as a way to help the family pay for Merrin's mounting medical bills, which have already reached more than $48,000.

The father-of-two was immediately rushed to the hospital for medical attention, where it was discovered he broke his hip in three places and sustained a concussion from the fall

He has gone on to have surgery and was released from the hospital, but has a long road ahead of him. (Pictured: Merrin with his wife Christina)

As of Monday afternoon, more than $15,500 had been raised to help the family.

'This has already been a devastating and exhausting journey, and we are facing a massive uphill battle.

'The medical bills, accommodations, ongoing care, and daily living expenses continue to pile up,' the page read before mentioning another struggle the family has been faced with.

'At the same time, Airbnb has officially stopped responding to us regarding reimbursement or assistance,' it stated.

The Daily Mail contacted Airbnb for comment.

The family added: 'Right now, the most meaningful ways you can help are by continuing to share Tylers story, keeping him in your prayers, and donating if you are able.

'Thank you for standing with us during the darkest chapter of our lives. Your love and support mean more than words can ever express.'
The body of an Indiana teen who disappeared for nearly a month after she met a stranger online has been found.

Hailey Buzbee, 17, vanished on January 5 and was allegedly picked up by 39-year-old Tyler Thomas, a man she had met through an online gaming platform.

Thomas was arrested and booked on Saturday and faces charges for distributing sexually explicit material involving a minor and tampering with evidence, per the police.

In a hearing Monday morning, Thomas' attorney confirmed that Buzbees body was recovered in his home state, Ohio.

'We accompanied law enforcement and FBI to Perry County and we assisted with pinpointing the location of Miss Buzbee,' Defense Attorney Sam Shamansky said in a press conference.

Thomas appeared remotely in the courtroom where a judge set his cash bond at $1.5 million.

Shamansky added that his client has 'absolutely zero intention of making this bond' and was handed 'into authorities on Saturday, per the request of' local police.

The attorney said the legal team worked with the FBI on Friday and met Saturday at Thomas request to 'fully cooperate with bringing closure' to Buzbee's family 'as quickly as possible.'

Hailey Buzbee, 17, of Fishers, Indiana, has been missing for nearly a month after she met up with a stranger from an online gaming platform

Early reports believed that the teen was a runaway, but further investigation revealed that allegedly was picked up by Tyler Thomas

'At our client's insistence, we assisted law enforcement Saturday afternoon and later Sunday, and that goal has now been met of bringing complete closure, at least with respect to this stage of the investigation,' Shamansky said in the conference.

The defense attorney believes additional charges, including homicide, may be filed against Thomas, but says he plans to plead not guilty and maintains he did not kill Buzbee.

'We don't want anybody conflating our cooperation with any admission of guilt relating to her cause of death,' the attorney added.

Early reports labeled the teen a runaway, but police later said she left deliberately and was in danger.

Police tracked a vehicle in her neighborhood and linked it to Thomas, who admitted to picking up the teen according to court documents seen by Daily Mail.

Thomas devices contained child sexual abuse material and he tried to delete videos of the teen, per the affidavit.

Police also focused on properties connected to him as drones and K9 units assisted in the month-long search.

Search teams scoured a Hocking County rental, acting on evidence suggesting Buzbee and Thomas had been there together.

Thomas is scheduled to reappear in court on Tuesday, February 10.

Buzbee is remembered as 'smart, funny, and beautiful inside and out,' according to a GoFundMe set up for her.

Police found evidence on Thomas' phone of sexually explicit photos of the teen, that he allegedly tried to erase

Tyler Thomas, 39, appearing remotely in a courtroom on Monday, he currently faces charges for distributing sexually explicit material involving a minor and tampering with evidence

Thomas was set on a $1.5 million bail, and he is scheduled to reappear in court on Tuesday, February 10 as his attorney continues to defend his innocence

'Everyone who knows Hailey will tell you she is the kindest, sweetest girl, and her beautiful smile can light up anyones day.'

More tributes poured in for the teen, with Buzbee's father, Beau, writing a memorial post on Facebook.

'Hailey was a smart, beautiful, kind, and caring young lady with a bright future. She had a deep love for her family and holds a very special place in so many hearts,' it read.

'Our family is devastated. We want the community and others to know that we are so thankful for the support we received.

'Its been tremendous and gave us the hope and strength we needed during our darkest hours.'
Donald Trump's spy chief Tulsi Gabbard is accused of wrongdoing in a whistleblower complaint so highly classified it has been sealed inside a safe.

The sensitive allegations against Gabbard have triggered months of debate over how to present the complaint to Congress, amid warnings it could cause 'grave damage to national security,' the Wall Street Journal reports.

The 'cloak-and-dagger mystery' implicates a second government agency, and raises claims of executive privilege that may involve the White House, officials said.

The whistleblower accuses Gabbard of stonewalling the complaint by refusing to provide the necessary security guidance for congressional lawmakers to review it.

The intelligence community's inspector general received the complaint last May, according to a November letter sent by the whistleblower's lawyer to Gabbard.

A spokeswoman for Gabbard acknowledged the existence of the complaint but claimed it was 'baseless and politically motivated.'

Gabbard's office also said it was not stonewalling the whistleblower's allegations but navigating a unique set of circumstances in order to resolve the classified complaint.

A representative for the inspector general told the Journal that it had determined some specific allegations were not credible. The whistleblower's lawyer, Andrew Bakaj, said they were never informed that any determinations were reached.

The whistleblower accuses Gabbard of stonewalling the complaint by refusing to provide the necessary security guidance for congressional lawmakers to review it

Trump publicly rebuked Gabbard in June after she said during congressional testimony that Iran was 'not building a nuclear weapon'

The controversy comes as Gabbard has been sidelined in the Trump administration over major national security matters, including Venezuela and Iran

The November letter Bakaj wrote to Gabbard was shared with House and Senate intelligence panels, but lawmakers have not received the complaint months later.

Democratic congressional aides on the intelligence committees have tried to probe for details of the complaint in recent weeks but have not been successful.

The information divulged by the whistleblower is so highly classified that not even Bakaj has been able to view it.

Watchdog experts and former intelligence officials claim the delay in sending the complaint to Congress is unprecedented.

The inspector general is usually required to assess whether the complaint is credible to share with lawmakers within three weeks of receiving it.

The Daily Mail cannot confirm the substance of the allegations.

Director of National Intelligence spokeswoman Olivia Coleman said: 'This is a classic case of a politically motivated individual weaponizing their position in the Intelligence Community, submitting a baseless complaint and then burying it in highly classified information to create 1) false intrigue, 2) a manufactured narrative, and 3) conditions which make it substantially more difficult to produce "security guidance" for transmittal to Congress.'

The controversy comes as Gabbard has been sidelined in the Trump administration over major national security matters, including Venezuela and Iran.

Instead, Gabbard has been tasked with verifying Trump's claims of election fraud stemming from the 2020 election.

A joke was being circulated around the White House that Gabbard's DNI title stood for 'Do Not Invite,' following Nicolas Maduro's capture last month.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly argued that she should be excluded from the mission, with the White House fearing that Gabbard, who in 2019 argued against intervention in Venezuela, would not support Operation Absolute Resolve.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe was front and center as the most senior intelligence official, beamed out in White House pictures that included the President, Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

As DNI, Gabbard is supposed to be Trump's top intelligence adviser overseeing America's 18 spy agencies, including the CIA.

Trump publicly rebuked Gabbard in June after she said during congressional testimony that Iran was 'not building a nuclear weapon.'

The comments were put to the President as he planned to strike the country's nuclear sites alongside Israel.

'I don't care what she said,' he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
In his forthcoming memoir, 'Young Man in a Hurry,' scheduled for release later this month, California Governor Gavin Newsom balances a vulnerable look at his family lineage and personal identity with plenty of political gossip.

While the book aims for a deep dive into who Newsom is, it doesn't shy away from telling juicy stories, like a strange Air Force One tour with President Donald Trump, to the backstory of the infamous photo featuring his ex-wife and Greece's new ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle laying on a rug together.

The internet has a long memory, especially when it comes to the 2004 Harper's Bazaar photo featuring the pair. In the shot, the couple is famously sprawled in formal wear across the carpet of the Getty mansion.

Newsom explains in his book that the pose was meant as a 'gag' suggested by Ann Getty, yet it became the centerpiece of an eight-page feature titled 'The New Kennedys.'

While the circulating image was met with mockery, Newsom's sister, Hilary, apparently saw it as a symptom of a deeper issue: his tendency to be pushed around by the strong-willed women in his life.

Newsom candidly shares her critique of the incident.

'The Harper's Bazaar spread was case in point,' Newsom recalls her telling him. 'Ann was there directing it. Kimberly was there. So you went along with it. Had I been there, I would have told you, 'Get your ass off the floor. You're the mayor of San Francisco. That's not a good look.'

Newsom and Guilfoyle were once viewed as a burgeoning political 'power couple,' a reputation solidified by their December 2001 wedding at San Francisco's St. Ignatius Church.

While the circulating image was met with mockery, Newsom's sister, Hilary, apparently saw it as a symptom of a deeper issue: his tendency to be pushed around by the strong-willed women in his life

Newsom's sister savaged his cringeworthy photoshoot when he was 'overpowered' by Kimberly Guilfoyle

While the book aims for a deep dive into who Newsom is, it doesn't shy away from telling juicy stories, like a strange Air Force One tour with President Donald Trump , to the backstory of the infamous photo featuring his ex-wife and Greece's new ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle laying on a rug together

Articles written about the wedding often referred to the pair as 'the two hottest public servants getting hitched.'

During the early years of their marriage, Newsom served as a San Francisco Supervisor and later as the city's mayor, while Guilfoyle worked as a prominent assistant district attorney.

Despite their initial image of unity, the marriage faced significant strain due to their competing professional ambitions on opposite coasts.

After Guilfoyle moved to New York City to pursue a career in broadcast journalism with Court TV and Fox News, the couple announced their separation in January 2005.

They issued a joint statement citing the difficulties of a bicoastal marriage as the primary reason for their split, and their divorce was finalized in 2006.

In the years since, their lives have taken sharp turns, both personally and politically, as Newsom rose to become the governor of California and Guilfoyle became a central figure in Republican politics and the rise of Donald Trump.

The Daily Mail reported a formal meeting with Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas on November 4, Kimberly Guilfoyle offered a glimpse into her past marriage to Newsom.

Guilfoyle was asked by Tasoulas if she had ever visited the country before her official posting.

She noted that her history with Greece dates back over two decades, covering both her professional and personal life.

Guilfoyle's comments to the Greek president come less than a year after her engagement to Don Jr. ended

'I actually covered the Olympic Games in 2004 for ABC News,' Guilfoyle told Tasoulas. 'I also had a honeymoon here in 2004. Fabulous honeymoon but'

President Tasoulas cheekily followed up by asking, 'Honeymoon was fabulous, but the marriage?'

'We'll work on getting a new husband,' Guilfoyle responded with a laugh.

Guilfoyle's comments to the Greek president come less than a year after her engagement to Don Jr. ended.

The Daily Mail reached out to Guilfoyle for comment. They did not immediately respond.
An illegal migrant has been jailed for eight years for raping a woman on a night out after pleading: 'I deserve punishment in this country, but please don't send me back.'

'Predator' Eid Anwar Fathi Najjar, 21, who crossed the English Channel on a small boat after travelling from his native Egypt, targeted the victim in York's historic Shambles Market.

She had become separated from her friends after spending the evening drinking and was 'in a zombie-like state' when Najjar pounced at the Vudu Lounge nightclub, York Crown Court heard.

After marching her outside he sexually assaulted her in the street to 'satisfy his sexual urges', then 'lured' her to the famous open-air market and raped her.

The half-naked victim was later found wandering while 'distressed, confused, upset and shocked' by two tourists who attempted to escort her home before calling police.

Najjar initially denied rape and sexual assault, but changed his pleas to guilty days before a trial was due to take place last November.

A previous hearing was told he was a 'failed asylum seeker' with 'no right to remain'.

As he appeared for sentence today, defence barrister Harry Crowson said Najjar - who had no previous convictions - was terrified of being deported.

'Sexual predator' Eid Anwar Fathi Najjar, 21, a failed asylum seeker who came to Britain on a small boat, raped the 'intoxicated' victim after she became separated from her friends during a York pub crawl

Failed asylum seeker Eid Anwar Fathi Najjar had only been at Vudu Lounge in York (pictured) for a matter of minutes when he singled out his victim, holding her in a 'tight grip' and marching her outside before raping her

He said the defendant had told him: 'I deserve punishment in this country, but please don't send me back.'

Jailing him, Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, told Najjar 'no man could reasonably believe she was capable of consenting'.

Prosecutor Claire Holmes said that Najjar, who was aided in court by an Egyptian Arabic interpreter, encountered the victim after she was out drinking and partying into the early hours in July last year.

Having become separated from her friends she had a few more drinks at a cocktail bar, before entering Vudu Lounge in an extremely drunk state shortly before 2am.

However within nine minutes of arriving, Najjar had whisked her outside where a bouncer said she seemed 'pretty out of it'.

He told Najjar to 'stay away from her and that he didn't want to see them together', Ms Holmes said, threatening to call police.

However while the doorman's attention was distracted, Najjar took the woman - described by another witness as 'in a zombie-like state' - and led her away.

CCTV outside the club showed Najjar 'kissing and holding her back'.

The victim was later found wandering half-naked through York's historic Shambles area (pictured)

Shortly after leaving, he sexually assaulted her before 'luring' her to Shambles Market where he raped her.

Najjar returned to the venue where his friends were said to be 'angry' with him and was ejected by doormen.

The victim's next memory was of 'being at her front door crying and she wasn't wearing trousers or underwear,' Ms Holmes said.

She was found wandering the streets by two foreign tourists who unsuccessfully tried to help her enter the property before flagging down a passing police car.

The victim had 'no recollection' of the attack, Ms Holmes said, but tests the following day confirmed what had happened.

After being linked to the rape, Najjar initially gave police a false named and date of birth.

He then lied that sex had been consensual before admitting his guilt.

In a victim statement read to the court, the victim said she had 'found the whole process overwhelming and very emotional'.

'I've been very stressful and a lot more anxious when I'm out in public,' she added.

She no longer liked going to the pub with her friends and has 'frequent' nightmares.

Najjar, of York, was told he would serve two-thirds of his sentence behind bars before being released on licence.

However he will then face deportation proceedings, the Daily Mail understands.

In a statement the Home Office said: 'We will not allow foreign criminals and illegal migrants to exploit our laws.

'We are reforming human rights laws and replacing the broken appeals system so we can scale up deportations.

'All Foreign National Offenders who receive a prison sentence in the UK are referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity.'
The now-notorious picture of Peter Mandelson in his pants was taken inside Jeffrey Epstein's palatial 'House of Sin' in Paris, it was revealed today.

The paedophile financier entertained VIPs including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the flat on Avenue Foch, wowing them with its view of the Arc de Triomphe in the ultra-exclusive 16th arrondissement.

But Epstein is also said to have raped underage girls at the Parisienne apartment and it was searched by police after his death in 2019 as part of a child sex trafficking investigation.

Lord Mandelson's spokesman has said that the disgraced former Labour peer 'has absolutely no idea' where the pants picture was taken or 'whether it has any connection to Epstein at all'.

But today it emerged that it was taken inside Epstein's property inside the French capital. The 8,000 sq ft flat has eight bedrooms and grand 16ft ceilings.

Data and Forensics experts have matched the metal balcony railing visible in the window next to where Lord Mandelson is stood in his briefs to those installed on Epstein's Paris home.

The lamp, curtains and red wood panelling on the wall of the apartment also match shots taken when it was put up for sale in 2021. There is also a piece of paper on the desk with Jeffrey E. Epstein printed at the bottom in a different image of the same room.

Sky News also claims they have evidence that the picture of the former Duke of York on all fours over a woman also released in the Epstein Files was taken inside Epstein's New York home, based on the interior.

Lord Mandelson talking to a woman in a white bath robe while in his underwear. His spokesman claimed he had 'no idea' where it was taken but the interior appears to match the inside of Epstein's Paris flat, known as the House of Sin

Lord Mandelson has not explained why he posed in his briefs in images contained in the Epstein Files

Sky News says its analysis suggests that the picture was taken in Epstein's office, due to matching lamps and red panelling

Epstein had a love of rare artworks and before his arrest it had skulls and eyeball-inspired art

The 8,000 sq ft flat enjoys eight bedrooms and 16ft-high ceilings but took years to sell and went for 2million less than expected

Jeffrey Epstein's 'House of Sin' flat in Paris - which played host to Andrew and other VIPs - sold for just over 8million after the price had to be heavily slashed.

The disgraced financier and paedophile was accused of having committed some of his worst sex offences there.

Epstein decorated it with unique skull and eyeball artworks - but after his arrest and death it was shuttered and empty.

'This rare apartment impresses not only by its size but also by the quality of its renovation, completely redone by a famous world-renowned decorator,' Sothebys said when it was put on the market.

But it took around four years to sell at a reduced price.

Sources have demanded that some of the proceeds from the sale should be given to Epstein's victims in the future.

Sky claims they have identified the interior of this picture of Andrew on all fours over a woman as being inside Epstein's New York home

The luxurious French flat, near the Arc de Triomphe, was sold to a Bulgarian investor for 8.2million in 2024 - 2million less than the asking price.

Andrew was said to have been told by Epstein to treat the second-floor apartment 'as his own' - and most of his trips came after the sex offender was convicted of abusing young women in 2008.

Epstein had bought the property on 22 Avenue Foch, where the photograph was taken, in 2001 before buying up other flats within the building.

Over the years, Epstein would sporadically arrive at his home in the French capital hosting parties at his second floor apartment.

Those who had spent time in the home, including a butler and a decorator, previously spoke about the number of photographs of young women decorated on the walls of the home like family photos.

One workman previously said he had been struck by the numerous photos of young girls in the apartment.

He added in an interview with Radio France: They were arranged in frames, a bit like family photos.

The girls seemed very young. Minors? Hard to say. Not much older than 18 in any case Seeing the photos, we didn't think of paedophilia, but it was borderline, close to it.

In 2022 a picture emerged of Lord Mandelson, who appears to be singing as Jeffrey Epstein blows out the candles on a birthday cake in Epstein's Paris lair

Jeffrey Epstein's 'House of Sin' flat in Paris - which played host to Andrew - was sold for just over 8million in 2024 after the price had to be heavily slashed

The stunning French flat has the same railings as in the Mandelson picture, Sky has said

Disturbingly, as with Epsteins other homes, his Parisian pied-a-terre contained a massage parlour where he would, according to his butler, visit three or four times a day.

You could call these paid relationships, he said adding not all the massages involved sexual relations.

The butlers wife, who insisted the photos were simply artistic shots added that in the apartments massage room there was a magnificent naked woman arched in the massage room.

Following Epsteins death in 2019, French Police opened an investigation into alleged crimes of sexual abuse and trafficking that were said to have taken place in the Parisian home, where Andrew is said to have stayed at regularly.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing.

It was previously claimed by Epsteins victim Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, that during one stay at the Parisian property when she was a teenager, twin 12-year-old girls were recruited to have sex with the paedophile.

Mandelson is yet to make any further comments today on the latest revelations found in the Epstein files.

Last night, however, in his letter to Labours general secretary, he once again apologised to Epsteins victims.

He wrote: I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.

Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.

While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.

I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.

I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests.
Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace is leaving Washington at the end of the year, but several of her former staffers think she should quit politics for good.

Numerous former members of Team Mace who spoke with New York Magazine shared harrowing tales of working for the South Carolinian, who has heralded her journey, from a Waffle House waitress to the first woman to graduate from the Citadel to a US Representative, as a prime case of the American Dream.

Their stories paint working for her as more of a nightmare.

'Look, when I worked for her, our poor scheduler was getting calls at two o'clock in the morning to bring her bottles of tequila,' one former staffer told the NY Mag.

Alcohol was not the only substance Mace allegedly used, with multiple staffers also noting her cannabis use, described by some as 'excessive.'

Another staffer claims they were allegedly instructed by Mace to look up forums on the social media site Reddit that ranked the 'hottest women in Congress' and to raise her standing with comments and 'upvotes.'

Last year, Mace took to the House Floor to levy allegations of 'secretly filming her, physically assaulting her, and engaging in a conspiracy to drug, rape, and film other women,' against her ex-fiance, Patrick Bryant.

During that speech, Mace also proclaimed she was going 'scorched earth' on Bryant and three of his partners while sharing that she had found photos of a naked teenager on his phone, as well as videos of a naked woman.

As Nancy Mace campaigns for South Carolina governor, allegations of brash behavior have been raised against her. She described a NY Mag article detailing the claims as a 'hit piece'

Mace's breach over the Epstein files makes it less likely that she will get Trump's support

Her former staff, however, viewed that floor speech as a sign that she needed serious mental help.

'Looking at the floor speech and what went on there, it's very clear that that was the breaking point to me,' the former staffer told NY Mag.

'Because you've now gone from standing up for people - whether rightfully, wrongfully, performative or not - you were on this mission, and now this is about you. The whole frame shifted, and she centered herself in it all. That's when it became apparent to me that this is broken,' the staffer added.

Ahead of the story's publication, Mace went on offense, taking the 'hit piece' as a badge of honor.

'As NY Mag publishes the next national hit piece against me tomorrow, the establishment doesn't go after people who fall in line. They go after people who don't,' Mace stated in a Sunday evening post to her X account.

'I'll take that as a compliment. When you stand for something, you make enemies. I've never let that stop me from doing my job - and I'm not starting now,' Mace also argued in her own defense.

As Mace campaigns for South Carolina governor, other allegations of brash behavior have also been raised against her.

A police report filed by the Charleston County Aviation Authority Police last fall alleged that Mace, a Republican Congresswoman and candidate for governor, was scheduled to receive an escort from her curbside drop-off point straight to her flight at 6:30am.

This grab from a video made public by the Charleston County Aviation Authority appears to show Mace berating an airport staff member

Mace is seen here in an undated photograph in a swimsuit and with a glass in her hand

Mace and her former fiance, Patrick Bryant

Video footage released by the airport shows Mace arriving later than planned, and then not having security waiting for her at the allegedly agreed-upon meeting spot.

The report also alleges that Mace was 'very irate' and used derogatory and profane language toward the staff.

Former US Congressman from South Carolina and current Fox News host Trey Gowdy unleashed an unforgiving description of Mace shortly after the incident, when she was captured on video berating staff at the Charleston Airport.

Gowdy described Mace as 'an apoplectic congresswoman having a psychotic episode in Charleston at an airport.'

Former staff are not the only enemies Mace has made in Washington, as her list of opponents even includes President Donald Trump himself.

MAGA House Republicans - including Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who resigned her seat at the start of this year, and Mace went rogue against Trump and signed the petition to discharge the Epstein files last summer.

In a crowded GOP primary field, Trump's endorsement will loom large, but Mace's breach over the Epstein files makes it less likely that she will get the President's support.

Mace is currently polling near the top of the list among her primary opponents, with various polls landing her between first and third.

The list of GOP candidates for South Carolina governor currently includes South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson and Mace's House colleague Ralph Norman.
Travellers have set up camp in a Birmingham park - after they were blocked from entering another recreation ground due to 'beefed up security'.

Formal eviction proceedings are now underway following the arrival of a convoy of caravans and other vehicles into Sheldon Country Park on Saturday.

The green space, just over two miles away from neighbouring Gilberstone Recreational Ground, has been the site of 'multiple incursions' over the years.

Councillor Colin Green said improving security in other grounds had 'just displaced activity elsewhere' - after measures were put in place to stop unlawful access at Gilberstone Park.

Mr Green explained: 'Residents of Sheldon reported to us on Saturday that travellers had set up a camp on Sheldon Country Park. They gained entrance to the park at the Horseshoes Lane entrance.

'There have been several camps on Gilbertstone Recreation Area recently, and the parks managers have beefed up security to keep vehicles out.

'Improving security at one site just displaces activity elsewhere.'

Householders in the area have since taken to social media to question how exactly the travellers gained access to the 300-acre grounds.

Formal eviction proceedings are now underway following the arrival of a convoy of caravans and other vehicles into Sheldon Country Park (pictured) on Saturday

Councillor Colin Green said improving security elsewhere had 'just displaced activity elsewhere'

Householders in the area have since taken to social media to question how exactly the travellers gained access to the 300-acre grounds

The council insisted it is 'committed to actively protecting its land' - adding it would 'take steps to recover this land where unauthorised encampments encroach it'.

Sheldon Country Park's website describes the grounds as a 'great example of a "countryside in the city" experience with trees, flowers and a farm right next to a busy airport'.

It adds: '[The park] covers 300 acres and contains grassland, wetland, old hedgerows and mature woodland.

'The 17th century Old Rectory Farm, a former dairy farm within the park, has been superbly restored and now functions as a demonstration farm showcasing traditional methods of farming.

'The facility, run by park rangers on behalf of Birmingham City Council, is free and open all year, with Jersey cattle, pigs, goats, geese and ponies. Seasonal activities are organised at the farm by the rangers.'

In a separate incident, the Daily Mail last week revealed a group of suspected travellers had 'destroyed' fields next to an A-list Berkshire wedding venue - which has hosted everyone from Winston Churchill to Liam Gallagher.

The encampment, which locals fear could become 'permanent', saw dozens of caravans and old cars 'dumped' in a field opposite the luxurious 500-a-night Cliveden House hotel.

Locals complained of cars and vehicles visiting both fields 'at all hours', constant noise, and it making the area look 'really ugly'.
Dozens of Army veterans and mourners answered calls to give a D-Day hero a final goodbye this week after his death aged 99.

Rifleman Jim Justice passed away last month, just weeks before his 100th birthday.

Jim was enlisted to fight for his country aged 17 in 1943 despite attempts from his mother to stop him, and crossed the English Channel as part of Operation Overlord a year later.

As an anti-tank gunner with the Rifle Brigade, the great-grandfather-of-10 was one of the troops who liberated the village of Villers-Bocage in Normandy from the Nazis.

He also then helped to defend it from a fierce counter-attack involving German tankers.

Later in the war he witnessed the atrocities of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp when it was liberated. British soldiers found some 60,000 sick and hungry prisoners when they reached the northern German camp in April 1945.

Jim was laid to rest this week at the New Forest Crematorium near Bournemouth, where dozens of veterans were in attendance.

A guard of honour was formed as his coffin, draped in a Union Jack, was carried into the building to the sound of two buglers playing The Last Post.

Rifleman Jim Justice, who helped to liberate the Nazi concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen passed away aged 99 last month

He was laid to rest this week near Bournemouth, where dozens of veterans flocked to give him a proper goodbye

His widow Joy, 90, and his family led the mourners who included friends, serving and former personnel from the Rifles, local dignitaries, two PCSOs and members of the public.

The hymns Abide With Me and I Vow To Thee My Country were sung with gusto and Mike Stephenson, from armed forces charity SAAFA, delivered an emotional eulogy to 'Gentleman Jim'.

His voice cracked as he said: 'Thank you Rifleman Jim. We are forever indebted to you for your valour. You are one of our greatest generations and will never be forgotten.'

Jim, who loved a singalong and playing the harmonica, was complimented by the Princess of Wales for his singing at the 80th anniversary of VE Day service at Westminster Abbey last May.

His daughter Christine Derrington said in her closing words: 'Jim, we will never forget you. You were simply the best. We thank and salute you... May you rest in eternal peace.'

Jim's love of country music was celebrated by the John Denver song Take Me Home, Country Roads before the bugler sounded Reveille.

After Normandy, Jim's battalion proceeded through northern France, holding the line and leading the advance facing more German resistance.

Their efforts in the second half of 1944 liberated towns and villages throughout Belgium and Holland.

Jim's family, including his 90-year-old widow Joy, led the mourners in attendance

A guard of honour was formed as his coffin, draped in a Union Jack, was carried into the building to the sound of two buglers playing The Last Post

There, he and the fellow troops were met with citizens waving flags and joyfully singing God Save The King in appreciation.

After the war he remained in the Army of Occupation in Germany until 1947, then returned to civilian life in Britain to work in the print industry as a warehouseman in Crawley, West Sussex.

Jim was awarded the prestigious Legion D'Honneur by France in 2017 and returned to Normandy for the 80th anniversary D-Day commemorations in June 2024 where he met the Queen and other Royals.

Last year, he was invited to Westminster Abbey to attend the 80th anniversary VE Day service.

As well as his wife of 72 years, Jim is survived by his two daughters, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Christine said: 'Dad would have been 100 years old on February 13 and we had already arranged a big party but he didn't quite make it.

'As a family we are all incredibly proud of him.

'Growing up, he was very private about the war but when he reached 60 he started to talk more about it.

Jim witnessed the atrocities of the Belsen-Bergen concentration camp when it was liberated

He attended the 80th anniversary of the VE service only last year, where he met Queen Camilla (pictured)

'He volunteered aged 17 without telling my parents and was a young lad on his way to Normandy.

'For the 80th anniversary of D-Day, he spent four days in France where he met the Queen, and he was invited to Westminster Abbey for the 80th century VE Day service.

'He was a very unassuming, very ordinary man with no airs and graces about him, and very dedicated to his family.'

Jim, who grew up in Islington, North London, was warned while training as a six-pounder anti-tank gunner by a Western Desert campaign veteran that it was 'a suicide job'.

His mother Ellen was so upset to learn that he would be fighting overseas at such a young age that she wrote to her MP to see if they could intervene.

He was transported across the channel in an American Liberty ship with a naval escort to defend it from active enemy U-Boats.

After a two-day voyage, he landed at Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches.
The Russian captain of a container ship which ploughed into an American oil tanker in the North sea has been found guilty of killing a crew member in the collision.

Vladimir Motin, 59, had been on sole watch of the Portuguese cargo ship, Solong, when it crashed into the anchored tanker, Stena Immaculate, on March 10 last year.

The collision caused a deadly fireball which killed Filipino man Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, who had been working at the bow of the American tanker.

He died instantly, though his body was never recovered.

Motin was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence by a jury at the Old Bailey today after eight hours of deliberation.

Mr Angelo Pernia had a five-year-old child at the time of the collision, but he never met his second child, who was born two months after his death.

Stena Immaculate had been anchored just off the Humber Estuary and was carrying aviation fuel, which caused the inferno.

Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson said the crash was a 'simple, senseless tragedy'.

Vladimir Motin, 59, was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence on Monday

The ships burst into a fireball on collision as the Stena Immaculate was laden with aviation fuel which caught alight (pictured March 10)

Filipino father of two Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, (pictured) was killed in the fireball after crews from Solong could not get to him due to the flames. His body has never been recovered

He added: 'It's a miracle that there weren't more fatalities or serious injuries.

'Similarly, this could have been a huge environmental catastrophe. The Solong burned for eight days following the collision.

'There were people on the deck of the Stena Immaculate at the point of impact. One crew member was up a mast changing a light fitting.'

The Solong was travelling to Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and had left Grangemouth in Scotland at 9.05pm on March 9, the day before the fatal crash.

The 130 metre cargo ship had a crew of 14 and was carrying alcoholic spirits and some hazardous substances, including empty but unclean sodium cyanide containers. It weighed 7,852 gross tonnes.

The Stena Immaculate, 183.2 metre long, had a crew of 23 and was transporting more than 220,000 barrels of JetA1 high-grade aviation fuel from Greece to the UK.

Motin was found responsible for multiple failures leading up to the tragic crash and then lied about what took place on the bridge, it was alleged.

A huge gouge was carved out of the Stena Immaculate on collision with Solong off the Yorkshire coast while it was anchored near the Humber Estuary

American crew members were heard shouting: 'Holy s***... what just hit us... a container ship... this is no drill, this is no drill, fire fire fire, we have had a collision'

The American vessel was visible on the Solong's radar for 36 minutes before impact, yet Motin did nothing to steer away from the collision course, the prosecution said.

He failed to summon help, slow down, sound the alarm to alert crews of both ships, or instigate a crash stop as a last resort, the prosecution said.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that Mr Angelo Pernia's death was caused by 'truly, exceptionally bad negligence', following the guilty verdict.

CCTV captured the moment of the crash and how both ships were engulfed in the massive jet-fueled blaze.

American crew members were heard on the footage shouting: 'Holy s***... what just hit us... a container ship... this is no drill, this is no drill, fire fire fire, we have had a collision'.

Meanwhile, a lengthy silence was heard on the Solong before it crashed into the oil tanker at 15.2 knots. It took Motin a full minute before he reacted and raised the alarm.

The Russian's crew abandoned the cargo ship and were brought ashore to Grimsby, where Motin sent a message to his wife saying he would be 'guilty'.

In his defence, Motin denied he had been asleep or had left his post on the bridge.

The Portuguese cargo ship was left a smouldering wreckage after the fiery crash

On footage from the Solong a man's voice is heard above alarm bells saying: 'Lord help us. Lord help us. Lord help us', the court previously heard

Describing the moments before the crash, he told jurors that he did not intervene when his ship was bearing down on the Stella Immaculate because it was moving slowly but unpredictably.

He then made a 'mistake' and pressed the wrong button when trying to take Solong out of autopilot and steer her clear from one nautical mile away - something which he blamed on stickers which he previously told the court had been changed by the ship's second captain while he was away.

Not realising that he had not taken the ship out of autopilot, he told jurors that he proceeded to stop and restart the steering gear to no effect, thinking the Solong could have developed a rudder fault experienced by sister ship, Sanskip Express.

He decided he could not do a crash stop to halt the ship, fearing the vessel would steam into the accommodation block, killing the American tanker crew.

He told jurors: 'I thought the distance to stop is not enough. I put life of American crew in danger if I hit accommodation.'

The prosecution suggested that he was lying in his account of what happened to 'get back to his wife' in Russia, also saying that he had given different accounts to police and jurors.

Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker had told jurors: 'It would have been blindingly obvious to him that he had pressed the wrong button, and how to rectify it if that is what happened.

'The reality is that he did nothing to avoid collision. Instead he launched into a problem that had never occurred on the Solong.

Motin became captain of the Solong (pictured) in 2009 after the former captain retired. He began working on the ship in 2005

The Solong was destroyed by fire after the collision. The bridge (pictured) was left a ruin

'There were no mechanical or electronic difficulties on the Solong. The rudder was working. The only thing that was not working on March 10, 2025, was the man in the dock.'

She added that jurors may conclude that Motin had a 'lax attitude' and 'thought he knew better than anyone else'.

He had switched off the Solong's bridge navigation watch alert system (BNWAS), which was designed to ensure someone was on the bridge and awake, Ms Walker pointed out.

The prosecution said his failures were 'exceptionally bad, they amount to gross negligence'.

Michael Gregory, Senior Specialist Crown Prosecutor at the CPS, said: 'This was a tragic, and entirely avoidable death of a member of crew caused by truly, exceptionally bad negligence.

'Mark Pernia was just going about his day-to-day work. It is with great sadness for his family that his body has never been found.

'Vladimir Motin was an experienced vessel master who had captained the Solong for 15 years - but this time his actions fell gravely below the standards expected.

'Vladimir Motin's failure to act, despite clear and sustained warnings, amounted to a gross breach of duty and led to fatal consequences.

'It is extremely fortunate that no one else was killed.

'The CPS presented a Voyage Data Recorder known as the 'black box' and CCTV footage of the collision, alongside witness testimony including from a maritime expert and audio recordings from the ships, to prove that Motin's failures directly caused a wholly avoidable death.

'Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Mark Pernia and all those affected.'
Newly released documents have revealed that Jeffrey Epstein asked a woman to purchase a Snow White costume just weeks before the former Barclays chief executive allegedly emailed him about the Disney princess.

The exchange emerged as part of the tranche of files that the US Department of Justice published on Friday, including 180,000 images and 2,000 videos.

In a message dated June 20, 2010, the disgraced financier wrote to the unidentified woman: 'I would love to take photos of you in a Snow White costume. You can get it from the costume store,' to which she replied: 'Will get it!'

The exchange took place just three weeks before Jes Staley is alleged to have emailed Epstein on July 10, writing 'that was fun. Say hi to Snow White'.

This email - which Staley denies knowledge of - has since become one of the most controversial communications between the two men, whose relationship Staley has long insisted was strictly professional.

Another email from what appears to be a second person, dated the same day, stated: 'The snow white was f***** twice as soon as she put her costume.'

The correspondence provides no information on the ages of the women involved, and there is nothing in the newly disclosed emails to suggest Staley was copied into or aware of the exchanges.

It is also unclear whether all references to 'Snow White' relate to the same individual.

In recently released documents, Jeffrey Epstein was seen in an email asking an unidentified woman to purchase a Snow White costume

In a message dated June 20, 2010, the disgraced financier wrote to the unidentified woman: 'I would love to take photos of you in a Snow White costume. You can get it from the costume store'

Another email from what appears to be a second person, dated the same day, stated: 'The snow white was f***** twice as soon as she put her costume'

In a message dated June 20, 2010, the disgraced financier wrote to the unidentified woman: 'I would love to take photos of you in a Snow White (pictured) costume'

The newly uncovered trove of emails also contains disturbing exchanges between Epstein and the unnamed woman, including messages describing girls and young women.

In one April 2010 email, she wrote: 'Milan could be interesting as well. Girls are hungry there,' adding: 'May be we pick one girl from all the girls i ve seen tostart with? I will make snaps and videos tmw...'

In a later email from September that year, she described another woman as 'the second - 21,' writing: 'Discrete, not stupid but not too smart... stubborn, wants to study acting, looked a bit lost, no goals in life, was late for one hour, rents a room in east village, doesn't like to go to places where all models go'.

Staley said in 2025 that he had not known about Epstein's 'monstrous activities' during the years they were in contact.

He stepped down as Barclays chief executive in 2021 following a Financial Conduct Authority investigation into his relationship with Epstein, after a letter sent by the bank to the regulator was found to be misleading.

The former investment banker attempted last year to overturn a lifetime ban imposed by the FCA, which prohibits him from holding senior management roles in financial services.

During court proceedings, he was questioned about whether he had ever referred to women accompanying Epstein as Disney characters, including Snow White. He replied: 'No'.

He added: 'I honest to God, when I went through the emails I have no idea what this refers to. I have no idea who Snow White is'.

Staley ultimately failed to overturn the ban, with the judges ruling that he had acted 'without integrity' by approving a letter that downplayed the closeness of his relationship with Epstein.

Last year, the ex-Barclays chief also told a court that the paedophile financier introduced him to Lord Peter Mandelson, who on Monday resigned his membership of the Labour Party.

The former cabinet minister, who was sacked as US ambassador last year because of his past connections to Epstein, appeared in the latest release of files by the US Department of Justice on Friday.

Documents suggest Epstein made 55,000 in payments to Lord Mandelson in three separate 18,000 transactions in 2003 and 2004.

The exchange took place just three weeks before Jes Staley emailed Epstein on July 10, writing 'that was fun. Say hi to Snow White'

Mr Staley (far left) is seen in an undated photo with Epstein. From left: Staley, Larry Summers, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Gates and Boris Nikolic

Police are also now being urged to investigate the politician after he was accused of leaking 'confidential and market-sensitive' No10 emails to Epstein.

In his letter to Labour's general secretary on Sunday, Lord Mandelson said: 'I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, and I feel regretful and sorry about this.'

He added: 'Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.

'While doing this, I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party, and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.

'I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.

'I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests.'

In a fresh humiliation, a photo has also emerged of Lord Mandelson in his underwear chatting to a woman in a bathrobe, seemingly at Epstein's Paris apartment.

Included in the tranche of recently revealed files is a video showing Epstein describing himself as a 'tier one' sexual predator during a sit-down interview.

Epstein, wearing glasses and a black shirt, is also asked whether he 'is the Devil himself' by the interviewer, who does not appear on screen, but he is believed to be Donald Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon.

'No, but I do have a good mirror,' the convicted paedophile responds, before the interviewer hits back: 'It's a serious question. Do you think you're the devil himself?'

Epstein says: 'I don't know. Why would you say that?'

The interviewer begins to explain, saying, 'because you have all the attributes', before Epstein cuts him off: 'No, the devil scares me.'

It is not clear when or where the interview was filmed, who filmed the video, or why Bannon in particular was chosen to question Epstein.

'What are you, [a] class 3 sexual predator?' the interviewer asks Epstein.

'Tier 1. I'm the lowest,' the American financier responds.

More than three million pages of documents related to the late sex offender were released on Friday.

The publication of the documents came six weeks after a December 19 deadline to release all the files, as mandated in the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed Congress and was signed into law in November.

US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday that the release 'marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process', indicating that the US Justice Department views its role as complete.

The photograph, which has been released as part of the Epstein files, apparently shows Lord Mandelson talking to a woman who is wearing a white bath robe

More than three million new documents relating to the late sex offender were released by the US department of justice on Friday

However, Democrats continue to contend that the department has withheld a vast quantity of documents  potentially around two-and-a-half million  without proper justification.

Among the images published in the Epstein files are photographs showing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling on all fours over a female lying on the ground.

He is staring directly at the camera in one, while in another, he places his hand on the woman's stomach, who is unidentified and remains fully clothed.

But like much of the material published by the US justice department on Epstein, no further context on where or when they were taken is given.

However, distinctive pieces of home decor seen in the background of the three images suggest Mountbatten-Windsor was likely inside the paedophile financier's seven-storey New York home.

These include a leopard-print chair, large mahogany doors, and patterned floors, which have all been seen in images previously shared of the property.

Moreover, a picture of Woody Allen released by the US authorities in December also appears to have been taken inside the same room where Andrew was photographed.

The film director and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn, were reportedly regular guests at the 60million townhouse, which Epstein used to build his connections with the rich and powerful.

The former Duke of York, who has faced years of scrutiny over his past friendship with Epstein, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Formerly known as Prince Andrew, Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal title in October after mounting scrutiny over his links to the late sex offender.

Among the released documents from Friday's drop are emails that show Epstein had organised for the former Duke of York to have dinner with a 26-year-old Russian woman in London in 2010.

In a message sent to a contact saved as 'The Duke', the paedophile financier wrote: 'I have a friend who i think you might enjoy having dinner with.'

In response, 'The Duke' writes: 'Of course. I am in Geneva until the morning of 22nd but would be delighted to see her.'

'Will she be bringing a message from you? Please give her my contact details to get in touch,' he continues. The email was signed off 'HRH The Duke of York KG'.

Disturbing new images released as part of Friday's Epstein files appear to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crouching on all fours over a female lying on the floor

It is unclear where the images where taken and no further context is given

Jeffrey Epstein organised for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to have dinner with a 26-year-old Russian woman in London in 2010, newly-released emails show

The prince, who would have been 50 at the time, cheerfully asked the convicted child sex predator, whose house arrest had finished just days earlier: 'Good to be free?'

In another email, 'The Duke' asks for more information about the woman.

'She 26, russian, clevere [sic] beautiful, trustworthy and yes she has your email,' Epstein writes.

'The Duke' replies: 'That was quick! How are you? Good to be free?'

The emails were sent in August 2010, six months after Andrew celebrated his 50th birthday.

The arrangement was also proposed after Epstein was released from jail in July 2009, having served 13 months of an 18-month sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor, for which he was registered as a sex offender.

A month after the dinner invitation, in September 2010, further emails between Epstein and 'The Duke' suggest Andrew invited the financier to have dinner with him at Buckingham Palace.

The disgraced former Prince appeared to say the pair could meet at the royal residence after the convicted sex trafficker asked for 'private time'.

'I am just departing Scotland should be down by 1800. I'll ring you when I get down if you can give me a number to ring,' the contact listed as 'The Duke' wrote.

'Alternatively we could have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy. A.'

A second woman has alleged she was sent to the UK by Epstein to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor.

It comes as the UK Government continues to pressure the former prince to testify before the US Congress.

'In terms of testifying, I have always said anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information,' Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told reporters.

The alleged encounter is said to have taken place at his former 30-bedroom mansion, Royal Lodge, in Windsor, in 2010.

The woman, who is not British and was in her 20s at the time, said she was given a tour of Buckingham Palace and tea after spending the night with the former prince.

While the Palace records the names of visitors, it has not been possible to corroborate her claims without revealing her identity.

This is the second woman to allege that she was sent to the UK by Epstein to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor.

Virginia Giuffre, who alleged that she was brought to London to have sex with the former Prince in 2001 when she was 17, was the first.

Ms Giuffre, who took her own life last April, said she was forced to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor twice more in 2001 and 2002 - once in New York and again on Epstein's private Caribbean island. Andrew has always denied Ms Giuffre's claims.

It is the first time an Epstein survivor has claimed they were sexually abused at a royal residence.
Peter Mandelson joked with Jeffrey Epstein about marrying Princess Beatrice with the paedophile financier describing it as 'incest', leaked emails show.

In an exchange which appears to date back to October 5, 2009, Epstein suggested Lord Mandelson 'marry Princess Beatrice', adding 'the queen would have a queen as a grandson'.

The former MP appears to have replied: 'Remember, I am already her Lord President', to which the disgraced financier said: 'Does that make it incest, how exciting.'

Lord Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday after a flood of new revelations emerged from the Epstein emails, including a now-notorious picture of him in his pants while talking to a woman wearing a white dressing gown.

It was today revealed the photo was taken inside Epstein's palatial 'House of Sin' in Paris.

And further questions over the peer's links with the paedophile were raised after a fresh photo of the pair together was released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) showing them relaxing on a yacht.

In a previous statement, Lord Mandelson said: 'I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards.

'I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered.'

Peter Mandelson pictured with Jeffrey Epstein on a yacht. The pair joked about the peer marrying Princess Beatrice with the paedophile financier describing it as 'incest', emails show

Pictured: The newly released email exchange between the peer and the paedophile

Lord Mandelson's relationship with Epstein has prompted increased speculation since a raft of emails sent by the late paedophile were released by the (DOJ).

The former Cabinet minister finally quit Labour last night, but Sir Keir Starmer was branded 'weak' for failing to kick him out of the party earlier amid a raging storm over a huge tranche of documents released by the US administration.

Epstein is said to have raped underage girls at the Parisienne apartment where the underwear-clad Lord Mandelson posed for a photo, and it was searched by police after his death in 2019 as part of a child sex trafficking investigation.

The peer's spokesman has said that the disgraced former Labour peer 'has absolutely no idea' where the pants picture was taken or 'whether it has any connection to Epstein at all'.

Data and Forensics experts have matched the metal balcony railing visible in the window next to where the peer is stood in his briefs to those installed on Epstein's Paris home, which covered 8,000 sq ft flat and had eight bedrooms and grand 16ft ceilings.

The lamp, curtains and red wood panelling on the wall of the apartment also match shots taken when it was put up for sale in 2021. There is also a piece of paper on the desk with Jeffrey E. Epstein printed at the bottom in a different image of the same room.

Jeffrey Epstein's 'House of Sin' flat in Paris - which played host to Andrew and other VIPs - sold for just over 8million after the price had to be heavily slashed.

The disgraced financier and paedophile was accused of having committed some of his worst sex offences there.

Lord Mandelson is yet to make any further comments today on the latest revelations found in the Epstein files.

Lord Mandelson talking to a woman in a white bath robe while in his underwear. His spokesman claimed he had 'no idea' where it was taken but the interior appears to match the inside of Epstein's Paris flat, known as the House of Sin

Lord Mandelson has not explained why he posed in his briefs in images contained in the Epstein Files

Sky News says its analysis suggests the picture was taken in Epstein's office, due to matching lamps and red panelling

Last night, however, in his letter to Labour's general secretary, he once again apologised to Epstein's victims.

He wrote: 'I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.

'Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.

'While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.

'I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.

'I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests.'

But further concerning accusations on Monday suggested Lord Mandelson leaked 'confidential and market sensitive' No10 emails to Epstein.

The new US material includes emails apparently forwarded to the paedophile financier by Lord Mandelson in 2009, in which key Downing Street aides and ministers discussed the UK's resilience to the Credit Crunch crisis and what government assets might be 'saleable'.

In 2022 a picture emerged of Lord Mandelson, who appears to be singing as Epstein blows out the candles on a birthday cake in Epstein's Paris lair

The former Cabinet minister finally quit Labour last night, but Sir Keir Starmer was branded 'weak' for failing to kick him out of the party earlier (Pictured: The pair in Washington last year)

Lord Mandelson's entry on the Parliament website changed to 'non-affiliated' today. He is on leave of absence from the House

The tranche of documents includes an email seemingly from Lord Mandelson to Epstein, talking about the UK government having 'saleable' assets

The 2009 memo highlighted that the government was looking to get investment moving

The document made clear that the government was looking to sell off assets to avoid tax hikes

Other documents seemingly show Lord Mandelson - who was Business Secretary at the time - advising Epstein how he and his powerful friends could lobby against a bankers' bonus tax.

In May 2010 - after the election but before the Coalition government took over - Lord Mandelson appeared to give Epstein advance notice of a 500billion bailout of the Euro.

What looks to be bank records from 2003 and 2004 suggest that Epstein wired the New Labour architect tens of thousands of pounds - although Lord Mandelson has said he believes they are fake.

The Liberal Democrats and SNP are both calling for police to investigate whether there is evidence of criminality in the actions of Lord Mandelson.

Some MPs are demanding his peerage is stripped - even though he is already on a 'leave of absence' from Parliament and has indicated he will not return.

Downing Street said Sir Keir believes Lord Mandelson 'should not be a member of the House of Lords' and has asked the Cabinet Secretary to 'urgently' review his emails to Epstein.

Meanwhile, Gordon Brown has demanded a Cabinet Office probe into the 'wholly unacceptable' disclosure of details of his government's desperate response to the Credit Crunch.

The ex-prime minister revealed he asked No10 for a probe last September - but after two months was told no evidence could be found.
A teenager who killed a man after claiming he was a paedophile has described the moment he ambushed his victim, as he tried to justify his actions.

The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, said he and his friends wanted to 'hit' 49-year-old Alexander Cashford because the victim started messaging a schoolgirl.

Mr Cashford had arranged to meet up with a 16-year-old girl after approaching her at an amusement arcade in Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, in August last year, hinting about his romantic intentions and the promise of alcohol.

He was unaware that a group, including the now 16-year-old boy, were lying in wait ready to attack him because they believed his behaviour was 'wrong', a court heard.

The 16-year-old boy, the girl, and a 15-year-old boy deny murder.

Giving evidence with the aid of an intermediary at Woolwich Crown Court in south east London today, the boy told defence counsel Danny Moore KC the group planned to 'just meet up with him and hit him a few times' - and had no idea he had struck him enough to kill him.

Mr Moore asked: 'Why was it that you were going to hit the man a few times?'

The boy replied: 'Because of what he said ... trying to get with a 16-year-old.'

Teenagers allegedly planned a deliberate attack on Alexander Cashford, pictured, who was beaten to death with rocks, after branding him a 'paedophile', a court has been told

Police search the area around Leysdown-on-Sea, Kent in the aftermath of the incident

Mr Moore asked: 'What did you think about that sort of behaviour?'

The boy replied: 'I think its wrong.'

The court heard the trio exchanged messages with Mr Cashford using the fake name Sienna, and arranged to meet him by the sea wall on August 10 after he gave the girl his business card two days earlier following a chance encounter.

The boy said he and others wanted to wait for the girl and Mr Cashford to walk ahead and then 'just hit him'.

But jurors were shown mobile phone footage which appeared to show the boy picking up a beer bottle and striking Mr Cashford with it.

The boy told jurors: 'I saw the bottle. Nothing was planned or anything, I just saw it and picked it up.'

He added: 'I chased after him around the hill bit, I pushed him and he, like, stumbled.

'Then he like ran around the front, he picked up a rock so I backed off for a bit, told everyone he had something.'

Mr Cashford was pronounced dead just over an hour after he had met with a 16-year-old girl on the seafront, the court heard (Pictured: Police at the scene on August 10, 2025)

Mr Cashford apparently met the girl by chance at an arcade in the seaside resort on August 8

The boy said Mr Cashford ran off but fell down, so he then kicked his prone victim 'lightly' in the side after the girl said Mr Cashford had hurt the 15-year-old boy.

The group then left Mr Cashford face down and casually walked back into the town.

A post-mortem examination showed Mr Cashford had injuries to his face and head, bruises on his limbs and body, and a number of fractured ribs that had punctured his lung, the court previously heard.

Police later found a video recording on the 16-year-old boy's phone, which prosecutors say was filmed by the girl, in which she is said to shout 'f****** paedophile, I'm f****** 16' and 'get him'.

The 16-year-old boy told jurors he sent a video recording of part of the attack to three other people because he was 'showing off'.

He and his friends were arrested within around half an hour after an eye witness helped guide police to the group.

The court heard he expressed surprise that he was being arrested on suspicion of murder, telling officers: Im a big guy. If I wanted to kill him, I would have done.

The boy told jurors: 'I was surprised. The way I saw it, I didn't do enough damage.'

The boy admits manslaughter, something the girl and the 15-year-old boy deny.

The trial continues.
Jeffrey Epstein was a wealth manager for both Vladimir Putin and Robert Mugabe, a confidential source claimed to the FBI.

According to documents made public by the US Department of Justice on Friday, a source made the claims about the now-dead American financier and paedophile in late 2017.

The source, who was not named in the document - marked 'Secret' and not for 'foreign nationals' - said Epstein was 'president Vladimir Putin's wealth manager and provided the same service for [former] Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.'

The FBI source also claimed that Epstein, who was found dead in his New York prison cell in 2019, 'had dirt on other people' and made his money from 'charging his clients fees to hide their money offshore.'

Earlier, it was revealed that Epstein had arranged several meetings with Putin, while intelligence sources believed he was running the 'world's largest honeytrap operation' on behalf of the KGB.

In correspondence, sent to Epstein on September 11, 2011, an unidentified associate discusses an 'appointment with Putin' during a forthcoming trip to Russia.

The individual tells Epstein: 'Spoke with Igor. He said last time you were in Palm Beach, you told him you had an appointment with Putin on Sept 16 and that he could go ahead and book his ticket to Russia to arrive a few days before you.'

In an email to Epstein, Japanese entrepreneur Joi Ito apparently tells the convicted child sex offender that another US billionaire named Reid Hoffman, co-founder of website LinkedIn, was unable to join.

Jeffrey Epstein (pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell) was the wealth manager for at least two current and former world leaders, according to an FBI source

Vladimir Putin (pictured) is claimed to have trusted his fortune to Epstein

A confidential source also claimed Epstein managed the wealth of former President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe (pictured)

'Hey Jeffrey,' Ito writes. 'I wasn't able to convince Reid to change his schedule to go meet Putin with you.' It is unclear whether this meeting took place.

A later email sent by Ito suggested it was cancelled after Russian-backed forces shot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing 298 people.

Writing to Epstein three days later, Ito said: 'Bad idea now after the plane crash.'

Other messages revealed Epstein claimed he could give the Kremlin valuable insight into Mr Trump ahead of a summit with Putin in Helsinki.

He also discussed blackmail with with Sergei Belyakov in 2015, Russias then Deputy Minister of Economic Development and a graduate of Russia's Federal Security Service, the main successor to the KGB.

On July 24, 2015, Epstein asked Belyakov for a favour, warning him that 'a Russian girl from Moscow is attempting to blackmail a group of powerful biznessmen [sic] in New York. It is bad for business for everyone involved.'

In a later email, sent to himself, Epstein wrote of his 'friends in the FSB'.

The files include 1,056 documents naming Putin and 9,629 referring to Moscow. Epstein even seems to have secured audiences with Putin after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Ghislaine Maxwell (centre) pictured with two men who appear to be two Russian army personnel. Robert Maxwell's daughter is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and other offences linked to her association with Epstein, who she is said to have met shortly after her father's death

Epstein pictured wearing a communist style cap. American intelligence experts believe Epstein was inducted into the world of espionage via business deals with Robert Maxwell

The release of more than three million files relating to Epstein give credence to incendiary claims made by senior security officials to the Mail on Sunday: that Epstein was working on behalf of Moscow, and possibly Israel, when he facilitated assignations for some of the world's most powerful men.

One intelligence source branded his actions 'the world's largest honeytrap operation' on behalf of the KGB.

Others sources said his association with Russia could explain why Epstein appeared to enjoy an ultra-wealthy lifestyle out of kilter with his career as a financier, although there is no documentary evidence linking Putin and his spies directly to Epstein's illicit activities.

In another email sent in November 2010, Epstein asks an individual whether he needs a Russian visa, adding: 'I have a friend of Putin's, should I ask him?'

Other messages show Epstein claiming to offer the Kremlin insight into Mr Trump.

The financier messaged Thorbjorn Jagland, then secretary general of the Council of Europe, suggesting he could pass on a message to Putin about how to handle the US President.

In a June 2018 exchange, Epstein indicated that Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the UN, 'understood Trump after our conversations'.

He advised that Mr Jagland, the former prime minister of Norway, could 'suggest to putin, that lavrov [Sergei Lavrov, Russia's veteran foreign minister], can get insight on talking to me [sic].'

An image from the latest release from the Epstein files. Epstein seems to have secured audiences with Vladimir Putin after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution

An image from the latest release from the Epstein files. US security officials also believe Epstein had long-standing ties with Russian organised crime. That could explain the ease with which Epstein appeared to be able to fly in 'girls' from Russia

Epstein told Mr Jagland that Mr Trump 'must be seen to get something'. Mr Jagland responded that he would meet Mr Lavrov's assistant on the following Monday and relay the message.

Earlier that month Epstein had also messaged Steve Bannon, a Trump ally, to tell him Mr Jagland was due to meet Putin and Lavrov and was then staying overnight with him at his mansion in Paris.

The extraordinary emails were dated before the totemic Helsinki summit between Mr Trump and Putin in July 2018, during which the US President insisted he did not think that Russia interfered in the 2016 Presidential election.

Another document reveals the FBI was warned that Epstein was believed to be a Mossad spy.

A report by FBI bosses highlighted how a source told the agency: 'Epstein was close to the former prime minister of Israel, Ehud Barak and trained as a spy under him.' In June 2013, Epstein sent an email to Mr Barak saying: 'Putin will re do his staff in the summer, bringing only very trusted people closer... more info on phone or face to face.'

American intelligence experts believe Epstein was inducted into the world of espionage via business deals with Robert Maxwell, the disgraced media magnate who - like Epstein - died in murky circumstances; in Maxwell's case his body was found floating in the Atlantic in 1991, having apparently fallen overboard from his yacht.

Maxwell's daughter, Ghislaine, is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and other offences linked to her association with Epstein, who she is said to have met shortly after her father's death.

Media tycoon Robert Maxwell, who security sources say was a Russian asset from the 1970s, when he worked to extradite Soviet Jews to Israel, with the involvement of Israeli intelligence service Mossad

Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein was found hanged in 2019, but relatives believe he was murdered to silence him

Security sources said Robert Maxwell was a Russian asset from the 1970s, when he worked to extradite Soviet Jews to Israel, with the involvement of Israeli intelligence service Mossad.

In return, they said, Maxwell laundered Russian money into the West - with the help of Epstein.

They think the financier was introduced to Maxwell and the KGB by an oil tycoon also in the pay of Russian intelligence. Probes into Robert Maxwell's business dealings have uncovered links not only to the KGB and Mossad - but also MI6.

US security officials also believe Epstein had long-standing ties with Russian organised crime, who could have been blackmailing him. That could explain the ease with which Epstein appeared to be able to fly in 'girls' from Russia.

A source said: 'You have Andrew, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and all the rest placed in compromising positions on an island bristling with technology. It's the world's largest honey trap operation.

'The Americans have been on this for years, but our lot have seemed more queasy about it, presumably because of the Royal link.' All the high-profile figures named in the files deny any wrongdoing.
Keir Starmer faced claims that he has been 'played' by China after he returned from his underwhelming Beijing trip saying he was right to suck up to the communist regime.

Kemi Badenoch tore into the Prime Minister after he told the Commons he was right to woo the autocratic giants and the Tories should have done it when they were in power.

Addressing MPs about his trip to see Xi Jinping he said the previous government had been wrong to go eight years without a visit, despite a catalogue of Chinese acts against Britain, including sanctions and spying.

Sir Keir Starmer said the lifting of Chinese sanctions on British MPs is an 'early indication' of the progress that can be made through engagement.

But he drew laughter from the opposition benches when he said he had had won an agreement for 'closer dialogue on cyber issues', given Beijing is one of the main hostile state actors in this area.

In a statement to the Commons, the Prime Minister said he is 'clear-eyed about the threats coming from China', but argued 'it will be impossible to safeguard our national interests without engaging with this geopolitical reality', as he pointed to China as the world's second biggest economy.

'We can do two things at once. We can protect ourselves whilst also finding ways to co-operate. And it was in that spirit that we made this visit,' he added.

But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of adopting a 'supine and short-termist approach', adding the Prime Minister came back to the UK with 'next to nothing' apart from a Labubu doll.

Sir Keir Starmer said the lifting of Chinese sanctions on British MPs is an 'early indication' of the progress that can be made through engagement.

Addressing MPs about his trip to see Xi Jinping he said the previous government had been wrong to go eight years without a visit, despite a catalogue of Chinese acts against Britain, including sanctions and spying.

Kemi Badenoch tore into the Prime Minister after he told the Commons the Conservatives should have done more to woo the autocratic giants when they were in power.

She told the Commons: 'Of course Britain should engage with China  even though the Chancellor (Rachel Reeves) wasn't allowed to go, even though they are an authoritarian state who seek to undermine our interests.

'Even though they spy on us, sometimes within the walls of this building, even though they fund regimes around the world hostile to our country.

'They are a fact of life, a global power and an economic reality.

'So let me be clear, it is not the Prime Minister engaging with China that we take issue with. What we are criticising is his supine and short-termist approach.'

Sir Keir went on to say: 'I also raised the fact that members of this House have been sanctioned by the Chinese authorities. In response, the Chinese have now made it clear that all such restrictions on parliamentarians no longer apply.

'And I want to be clear, this was not the result of a trade. Yes, members will want to see more, I understand that, but that is precisely the point: ignoring China for eight years achieved nothing.

'This step is an early indication, not the sum total, of the kind of progress that this sort of engagement can achieve, through leader to leader, discussion on sensitive issues, to stand up for British interests.'
A trooper found hanging just days after walking alongside Queen Elizabeth's coffin at her state funeral had been told off for failing to properly clean his ceremonial kit, an inquest has heard.

Jack Burnell-Williams, 18, had struggled with the workload in the Household Cavalry and was said to have 'absolutely hated' his posting in London.

His girlfriend, Molly Holmes, told an inquest that one of the worst parts of the job for him had been making sure his kit was immaculate, and he would often have to re-do it.

'He got stressed out about that because it had to be pristine,' she told Inner West London Coroners Court.

'It always had to be immaculate. He spent a lot of time on his kit, and it was never good enough.

'He always got in trouble from the Corporal of the Horses about his kit.'

Asked whether Mr Burnell-Williams was punished, she added: 'It was more a telling off, and he'd have to redo them.'

The young trooper was found hanging by his roommate at Hyde Park Barracks in London on September 28, 2022 - nine days after he appeared alongside other members of the Household Cavalry at the monarch's state funeral, watched by 29 million people in the UK alone.

Trooper Jack Burnell-Williams (pictured) was 18 when he was pronounced dead at Hyde Park Barracks in London - less than a fortnight after he walked in Her Majestys funeral procession in 2022

Images from the Queen's funeral procession showed him in his ceremonial uniform as he escorted the monarch on her final journey, along with other members of the Household Cavalry

The inquest is expected to run for most of this week and will hear from some of the youngsters' British Army colleagues and superiors, in front of Assistant Coroner Bernard Richmond KC.

In court are Mr Burnell-Williams's mother, Laura Williams, 47, and 45-year-old father Dan Burnell.

Ms Williams has previously said that she hopes lessons can be learnt from her son's passing, especially regarding how the Army treats young people's mental health.

They listened as Ms Holmes explained how she had been his girlfriend for around two years, after they met online and were then posted to their initial training in Harrogate.

Mr Burnell-Williams, from Bridgend in Wales, had wanted to go into the Welsh Guards so he could travel and carry out field work, but he didn't get the grades.

It meant that after Harrogate, he ended up posted to Windsor and then Knightsbridge, but he and Ms Holmes remained a couple.

At the time of his death, he was a member of the Blues and Royals, part of the elite Household Cavalry, with duties including guarding the monarch.

Ms Holmes said that when posted to Windsor for phase two of his training, Mr Burnell-Williams was introduced to the horses, which he accepted, although it wasn't what he wanted to do.

'He said everyone was very nice and he got on well with them. He liked his instructors,' she said.

But when his training continued, and he was sent to barracks in Knightsbridge in 2022, Mr Burnell-Williams completely changed, she said.

'At first he didn't know what to expect, but as it went on he absolutely hated it,' Ms Holmes said, adding that it was the parade parts of his job he most loathed.

One weekend, he had offered to do extra shifts in the hope he'd be given time off the following weekend to go and visit her, but his leave ended up being cancelled.

An inquest heard that the teen had struggled with the workload in the Household Cavalry and was said to have 'absolutely hated' his posting in London

Instead, she went to visit him and was shocked that he worked from 5am until 8pm or 9pm at Horse Guards Parade.

'He said that was all the time,' Ms Holmes added. 'He said it was because he was young.

'He was always so tired that we didn't have much time to talk or do anything in the evenings.

'He'd just go straight to bed.'

From September 21 onwards, she told the court he was 'very stressed and very tired, a lot more than usual'.

'He just kept saying he needed a break and it was a lot of work and that he was tired,' Ms Holmes added.

The person she had known during his early training to the one at Knightsbridge towards the end of his life was a 'completely different person', she added, although she said she didn't feel he was particularly singled out.

Mr Burnell-Williams had asked for a transfer and expected to get it, she added.

Days before his death, he had been sent to Horse Guards Parade for a day of ceremonial duties, and it was then unexpectedly extended.

It led to him threatening to 'go AWOL', Ms Holmes said.

'I told him you can't do that, that it wasn't right... It was out of character,' she added.

The teenager poses in this undated photograph in his military uniform

Friend Col Maxwell met Mr Burnell-Williams during his training in Windsor and later lived in the same corridor as him at the barracks in central London.

As time went on, he said he noticed that Mr Burnell-Williams changed.

'He became fairly apathetic. He didn't care as much about his job,' he said.

'In Windsor, he was keen to impress; in Knightsbridge, he was just trying to get by.

'I think the pressures of the job were just starting to get to him.'

But he said he didn't feel at the time that he was struggling more than other young recruits, who often took on or were given more work.

It was also 'fairly common' for recruits at Mr Burnell-Williams' stage to ask for transfers because of the 'very difficult' work-life balance, he added.

This was made harder by the fact that speaking to welfare officers about concerns made other soldiers see you 'as a Jack' - an Army term for a selfish person - as it gave other people more work, he said.

Family pictures show the teenager beaming proudly in his ceremonial uniform while on horseback in London, where his mum and dad regularly went to visit him.

The Queen's funeral, following her death at Balmoral on September 8, 2022, was watched by 29 million people in the UK.

The inquest continues.

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An aspiring rapper whose two XL Bully dogs mauled a grandmother to death had told police that poodles were a more aggressive breed than his pets, a court has heard.

Ashley Warren, 41, had left Esther Martin, 68, in charge of the animals, as well as eight puppies of the same breed, while he went to 'meet a lady friend'.

The fatal attack  which happened while a child was in the property  left 5ft 3in Ms Martin with 'dozens and dozens' of injuries including a bite through her right arm which severed an artery, jurors were told.

Police were described as having refused to enter the property when they arrived because of the ferocity of the dogs, which they tasered before shooting them.

Just two days earlier the Government had made it a criminal offence to own an XL Bully in England and Wales without a certificate of exemption.

Warren, who sat with his head bowed during the hearing, had not attempted to get a certificate for any of the ten dogs in the property, the prosecution alleges.

Opening the case today, prosecutor Chris Paxton KC said the mauling in Jaywick, Essex, on February 3, 2024, was 'an accident waiting to happen' as Ms Martin had mobility issues, a lack of dog training and 'little to no experience' of being left alone with them for a prolonged period time.

'Ashley Warren expected Esther to be able to handle and control these two adult XL Bully dogs, as well as their eight puppies, with the weight, size, power and unpredictability they possessed, with no or minimal training,' he told Chelmsford Crown Court.

Ashley Warren, 41, had left Esther Martin, 68, in charge of the two XL Bullies, as well as eight puppies of the same breed, while he went to meet a lady friend, the court was told

Grandmother Esther Martin, 68, was mauled to death at Warren's house in Jaywick, Essex, on February 3, 2024

Bear, a male who mauled Ms Martin, was shot by police who turned up at the house, the court heard

'Given Esther's age and her mobility issues, as well as other factors, Esther was clearly not a fit and proper person to look after these ten dogs in that situation but, no doubt, members of the jury, it suited this defendant to have her do so, so he could pursue his own agenda that day.

'It was, you may think, a tragedy waiting to happen, given the imbalance that arose between 68-year-old Esther, short in stature, and the towering power of these banned XL Bully dogs.'

He added: 'Such was the ferocity of the dogs that police officers and emergency services were unable to enter the home until the police deployed and used their tasers.'

An officer who went to the property said the dogs were 'in a frenzied state' and 'formed the view it was not safe to enter the house, believing that (police) were at risk of death or serious injury if they tried to enter', the prosecutor told jurors.

The defendant's friend, Lee Poole, had arrived before emergency services and saw the two dogs attacking Ms Martin, the court heard.

He is said to have smashed a window at the property but was unable to enter because the animals were out of control.

The defendant was aware of the XL bully ban, which had been widely covered in the press in the months prior, the court was told.

Police had visited the property 11 days earlier following a dispute between Warren and his ex-girlfriend Jade McSeveney about ownership of Beauty.

Jurors were told that Beauty was pregnant with Bear's litter. She was also shot by police, some of whom turned up in riot gear

Warren denies charges including being the owner of a dog, namely Bear, and in charge of another dog, Beauty, which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place

The scene in Jaywick after emergency services attended

In bodycam footage shown to jurors, Warren was seen telling an officer 'it's a shame about the laws' and 'my boy's got papers already'.

Mr Paxton said: 'If that was a reference to an exemption certificate, that was a lie.'

The XL bullies were seen playing in the footage as the defendant told the officer that the public perception of the breed was 'mad to me'.

He added: 'These dogs are so friendly it's unbelievable, it's like I've only seen them ever attack people when (they're attacked).'

Warren continued: 'You get them little poodles that come up to you and go rah, rah, rah, you know - they're more aggressive.'

Jurors heard that on January 1 that year Warren told his landlord, Barry Gordon, that police were aware he kept XL Bullies.

He also lied to Mr Gordon by saying he had applied for a licence, the court heard.

Mr Paxton said a police dog handler who later visited the tiny chalet-style bungalow found it too messy and small for the two large adult dogs and the litter of puppies.

The police constable noted a blood and bite-mark covered wooden broom near the sofa, no dog toys, and that Bear's long claws 'suggested to him that the dogs do not get walked often', the prosecutor added.

During the hearing, jurors were told that Ms Martin had looked after the dogs four or five times previously but had told other people she was scared of them and had thought of reporting Warren for having them.

Ten officers, some in riot gear including helmets and shields, arrived at the house after she was attacked but were unable to save her. She was declared dead after she was taken out of the house.

A post-mortem examination found she had been bitten on the front and back of her arms, as well as on her torso, legs and head.

In other footage shown in court, Warren could be seen on a previous occasion running up the road outside the house and returning carrying Bear after he had escaped from the house.

The defendant, who is on bail, has pleaded not guilty to being the owner of a dog, namely Bear, which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place.

He also denies being in charge of Beauty when she caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place.

Warren, pictured at court for a previous hearing

The prosecution said Warren accepts that he owned Bear and was in charge of Beauty  who was pregnant with Bear's pups and who he had been housing, feeding and looking after.

He also accepts that both dogs were dangerously out of control in his house, the court heard.

But the defendant denies the charges on the grounds that he reasonably believed Ms Martin was a 'fit and proper person to be in charge' of them, Mr Paxton said.

Warren also denies having a bladed article without good reason or lawful authority at Clacton railway station on February 3, 2024.

He accepts that he had a knife but will argue that it was a prop in a music video that he had been making that day in London with his female friend, the court heard.

The trial continues.
Doctors' strikes are set to rumble on after resident doctors in England voted to extend industrial action for a further six months amid an ongoing row over pay and jobs.

More than half of eligible members took part in the ballot, with 53 per cent voting, and an overwhelming 93 per cent backing the continuation of strike action, the British Medical Association (BMA) said.

The union piled pressure on the Government to return to the negotiating table and avert further walkouts, warning there was now no excuse for delay.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA's resident doctors committee, said: 'None of this needs to mean more strikes.

'In recent weeks, the Government has shown an improved approach in tone compared with the name-calling we saw late last year.

'A deal is there to be done: a new jobs package and an offer raising pay fairly over several years can be worked out through good will on both sides, in the interests of patients, staff and the whole NHS.

'And now that the mandate for strike action is confirmed for six months, the Government has nowhere to run and no means of running out the clock.

'With no choice but to get a deal, we hope that means a responsible approach from the health secretary and a timely settlement with no further need for strikes.'

The vote means resident doctors will retain the legal backing to strike until later this year unless an agreement is reached.

Wes Streeting has previously said the Government cannot go any further on pay, raising the prospect of more disruption to NHS services if talks fail to deliver a breakthrough.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has previously said that the Government cannot go any further on pay

Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of the Labour Party and currently leader of Your Party, joins a BMA picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in London on December 17

British Medical Association (BMA) bosses claimed they had 'no choice but to announce more strike dates' after the Government failed to put forward a 'credible plan'. Pictured: Resident doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in London

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'On top of a 28.9% pay rise over the last three years, this Government is continuing to work with the BMA to address the issues resident doctors face in their careers, including fast-tracking legislation to prioritise home grown medical graduates for specialty training places.

'The Government has been in intensive and constructive discussions with the BMA resident doctors committee since the start of the new year to try and bring an end to the damaging cycle of strikes and avoid further unnecessary disruption for patients and NHS staff.

'We hope that these talks result in an agreement that works for everyone, so that there is not any more strike action by resident doctors in 2026.'

Hospital leaders have previously called for the union and the Government to enter talks via external mediators to try and resolve the conflict.

Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, have staged 14 strikes since 2023.

Commenting, Matthew Taylor, interim chief executive of the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said: 'NHS leaders will be bitterly disappointed that resident doctors have voted to continue with industrial action, especially given the huge impact that strikes have had on patients and the health service's performance and finances.

'Further strikes will pile yet more unplanned costs on NHS organisations, forcing health leaders to make difficult choices over reducing staff and patient services to try to balance their books.

'We cannot let these strikes roll through 2026, using up yet more scarce resources and impeding the progress the NHS needs to make in reducing waiting lists.

'Health leaders need to see the Government and BMA resume talks - through mediation if needed - to find a long-term solution to this dispute.'
The brother of the Suffolk Strangler has spoken of his fears that Steven Wright may have more victims, after the serial killer confessed to murder for the first time.

Keith, Wright's half-brother, said he is no longer convinced that the killing of schoolgirl Victoria Hall was an isolated crime, warning that the truth about his sibling's past may be far darker.

Wright, 67, unexpectedly pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to kidnapping and murdering 17-year-old Victoria in 1999, more than 25 years after she vanished following a night out in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

He also admitted attempting to abduct a 22-year-old woman just 24 hours earlier.

Already serving a whole life sentence for the murders of five women in Ipswich in 2006, Wright's admission marks the first time one of Britain's most notorious killers has ever confessed to any offence.

Keith, 57, who said Wright came to live with him just months after Victoria was killed, told The Sun: 'It's time he did the right thing and told the police everything.'

He added: 'How many more victims are there? I'd like to say that this is it, but I'm not convinced anymore.'

The dock worker, who lives in Felixstowe, said there were no outward signs of what Wright had done when he stayed under his roof.

Serial killer Steve Wright has pleaded guilty to murdering 17-year-old Victoria Hall in 1999

Miss Hall vanished on her way home from a nightclub in September 1999

Keith Wright (left) and Conrad Wright (right), the brother and father respectively of murderer Steve Wright

Victoria, an A-level student, disappeared in the early hours of September 19, 1999, after leaving the Bandbox nightclub.

She had planned to take a taxi home but ran out of money and instead walked with a friend before the pair separated just yards from her house.

Her friend later reported hearing a scream, while other residents described 'horrifying screams' and the sound of a car screeching away.

Victoria's body was found five days later, dumped naked in a stream in Creeting St Peter, 25 miles away. A post-mortem revealed she had been asphyxiated.

Wright also admitted trying to kidnap Emily Doherty the night before Victoria's murder.

At the time, his car partially matched a vehicle linked to that attempted abduction, but he was never arrested after police wrongly pursued another suspect.

In court, Wright showed little emotion as he entered his pleas during a brief nine-minute hearing, standing only to speak.

There were gasps and tears from the public gallery as he admitted killing Victoria. He is due to be sentenced on Friday.

Seven years before he stalked Ipswich's red-light district murdering five sex workers in 2006, Wright snatched the A-level student off the street in Felixstowe

Victoria's body was found five days later 25 miles away

Keith said the seven-year gap between Victoria's murder and the Ipswich killings raised troubling questions about what Wright may have done in the intervening years.

He told The Sun: 'Only he knows the answers and it's time he came forward. It's time we got the truth.'

Wright is currently imprisoned at Long Lartin in Worcestershire for the murders of Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls, whose bodies were found dumped in woodland and waterways during a six-week killing spree in 2006.

His confession has reignited long-standing speculation about whether he may be linked to other unsolved crimes, as detectives and victims' families seek answers that have remained buried for decades.
A financial technology company founder has been added to the list of disgraced innovators who've soiled the Forbes 30 under 30 list with their alleged crimes.

Gokce Guven, the founder and CEO of Klader Inc., was indicted on Thursday for allegedly defrauding dozens of investors out of $7 million through false partnership claims and fictitious financial documents, prosecutors in New York announced.

The 26-year-old Turkish citizen, who is the brains behind the platform that helps users turn their loyalty rewards from brands into revenue, also allegedly used similar methods to obtain an O-1A US visa, prosecutors added.

The temporary visa is specifically reserved for people of 'extraordinary ability' in the sciences, art, education, and more. She was issued one in the fall of 2025.

Guven's star-studded clients for her startup included chocolatier Godiva and the International Air Transport Association - and in 2025 her company was valued at $35 million, making $1.5 million in revenue.

She posed for the coveted Forbes list wearing an $150,000 Audemars Piguet diamond bezel Royal Oak watch, and a diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist last year.

The UC Berkley alumna was previously arrested on November 27, 2025, according to the indictment.

The 2025 Forbes 30 under 30 recipient, who promoted Klader Inc. as a 'fintech-marketing platform', started raising her company's first investments from venture capitalists in April 2024.

Gokce Guven, the 26-year-old founder and CEO of Klader Inc., was indicted on Thursday for allegedly defrauding dozens of investors out of approximately $7 million

She has also been accused of using similar tactics to obtain an O-1A US visa. She is a Turkish citizen who was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2025. The alleged fraudster is pictured here on the coveted Forbes list wearing an $150,000 Audemars Piguet diamond bezel Royal Oak watch, and a diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist

During that time, the young entrepreneur provided 'prospective investors with false statements, misleading claims, and fabricated documents regarding Kalder's revenue and brand partners,' per the indictment.

Though she has not been found guilty, Guven's charges ring similar to those of convicted fraudsters FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, and Charlie Javice, the founder of Frank.

They all made the prestigious list as well.

Alleged phony Guven sat down for an interview with Forbes last year, where she spoke about her challenges with being an immigrant entrepreneur in America.

She said: 'As an immigrant you see a future you can build no matter who you are, or where you're from.

'The US is the center of the world for startups and making your dreams come true.

'I was in Berkeley. Of course I was privileged to have the background degrees and the network.'

She spoke about how she watched her fellow college students drop out of college to build their own companies - admitting that she was jealous and wanted to be 'one of them' because she 'has great ideas.'

According to the indictment, Guven 'concealed the true financial condition of the company from multiple investors by maintaining two sets of books.'

One of the books contained the company's accurate annual and monthly financial information that was written up by Kalder's outside accounting firm, while the other was full of 'false and inflated numbers that was transmitted to investors and prospective investors,' the indictment stated.

In an interview with Forbes, she spoke about how she watched her fellow college students drop out of college to build their own companies - admitting that she was jealous and wanted to be 'one of them' because she 'has great ideas'

From that, she raked in about $7 million from more than a dozen investors, the charging document added.

As for obtaining her US visa, Guven allegedly used similar tactics to do so and provided 'letters of support and reference' that were purportedly signed by business executives.

In reality, Guven signed those documents herself without the executives' consent or knowledge, the indictment read.

Guven has been charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

Securities and wire fraud each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison, while visa fraud carries a maximum of 10 years behind bars.

Meanwhile, aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison.

US Attorney Jay Clayton, who's been assigned to Guven's case, said his office will stop at nothing to end alleged fraudsters like Guven.

Guven joins fellow 30 under 30 recipients Sam Bankman-Fried, Elizabeth Holmes (pictured), and Charlie Javice. She has not been found guilty of fraud, but the other three have and have been sentenced to jail time for their crimes

'As alleged, Gokce Guven built her seed round on fake revenue, inflated brand partnerships, and fabricated documents, and then used the same lies to secure a visa reserved for extraordinary ability,' Clayton said.

He added: 'Beware of fraud masquerading as entrepreneurship. This Office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to vigorously pursue market participants who use fraud and deception to victimize investors.'

When contacted by the Daily Mail for comment, her lawyers said: 'Ms. Guven is committed to clearing her name and fighting the governments allegations, including that she sought to defraud her investors.

'As we previously wrote to the court in requesting a speedy trial, nearly $6 million of the approximately $6.8 million of investor funds remained in company bank accounts at the time the government lodged its original allegations. Ms. Guven is focused on preparing for trial and we do not intend to provide any further comment.'

Bankman-Fried was included in the 2021 edition of the prestigious list. About three years later, he was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for orchestrating a massive fraud scheme.

Holmes made the list in 2015. She was sentenced to more than 11 years behind bars in 2022 for defrauding investors in her company.

Javice, who was listed in 2019, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison in September for tricking 300 of America's top bankers into handing over $175 million to her.
President Donald Trump again threatened to sue over claims that he ever went to serial pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's private island.

Trump posted a furious rebuttal on Truth Social Monday afternoon, after previously saying he would sue former Daily Show host Trevor Noah over an Epstein island joke made about the president at Sunday night's Grammy Awards.

'Not only wasn't I friendly with Jeffrey Epstein but, based upon information that has just been released by the Department of Justice, Epstein and a SLEAZEBAG lying "author" named Michael Wolff, conspired in order to damage me and/or my Presidency,' Trump wrote.

Wolff, who authored the 2018 Trump book, Fire and Fury, has been a constant source of the president's ire.

In previously released Epstein emails, Wolff told Epstein that he could be the 'bullet' to end Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump has also threatened to sue Wolff in recent days.

'So much for the Radical Left's hope against hope, some of whom I'll be suing,' Trump continued.

'Additionally, unlike so many people that like to "talk" trash, I never went to the infested Epstein island but, almost all of these Crooked Democrats, and their Donors, did,' Trump added.

President Donald Trump again threatened to sue over claims that he ever went to serial pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's private island

President Donald Trump fired off a Truth Social post Monday afternoon blasting those who have falsely claimed that he ever traveled to Jeffrey Epstein's island

There is no proof that Trump ever traveled to Epstein's infamous island, however, there is documentation that the president traveled onboard Epstein's private jet.

During Sunday's Grammy Awards, Noah joked that Trump's interest in Greenland is because 'with Epstein's island gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.'

Trump took to Truth Social overnight Monday to bash the Grammys, calling them 'virtually unwatchable!'

'The host, Trevor Noah, whoever he may be, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards,' Trump wrote. 'Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I cant speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight's false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media.'

He called Noah a 'total loser.'

'Ill be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$,' Trump wrote, telling the comedian to look at other lawsuits that have brought the president large settlements.

'Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out,' he said. 'Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, Im going to have some fun with you!'

Trump has been on a tear over the Epstein files, which have been a consistent political problem since he returned to office last January.

A 1997 photo of Jeffrey Epstein (left) and Donald Trump (right) taken at the president's Palm Beach, Florida, estate Mar-a-Lago

Another trove of documents was released by the Department of Justice on Friday, which includes more than 3 million pages of documents, along with 2,000 videos and around 180,000 images.

Around 4,500 of the documents mentioned the president's name.

Among them was one email signed 'Love, Melania' that appears to be addressed to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime friend and accomplice who is currently in prison.

The names of the sender and recipient of the October 23, 2002, email are redacted.

But message begins: 'Dear G! How are you? Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great on the picture.'

The email continues: 'I know you are very busy flying all over the world. How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY. Have a great time!'

Before Friday's release, the DOJ made public around 500,000 pages of materials.

The new batch of Epstein files contains some unsubstantiated claims about Trump and information about Epstein's relationship with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was Epstein's next-door neighbor in Manhattan's Upper West Side.

There is no evidence of wrongdoing on Lutnick's part.

The files include unverified tips about Trump solicited from the public, with the DOJ warning that they 'may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos.'

Trump's name also appears in news articles and emails in the trove.

The DOJ's release of Epstein documents on Friday likely will the agency's last.

In November, lawmakers in both parties voted in favor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which forced the DOJ's release of the Epstein files.

Trump signed the bill into law on November 19.
Sarah Ferguson visited Jeffrey Epstein with her two young daughters just five days after the disgraced financier was released from prison for child sex crimes, according to newly released emails.

The former Duchess of York is said to have taken Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to see the paedophile in July 2009, less than a week after he was freed from a Florida jail, where he had served 12 months for soliciting a child for prostitution and was placed under house arrest.

At the time of the visit, Beatrice and Eugenie would have been aged 20 and 19 respectively.

Epstein confirmed the meeting in an email sent to his then partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, on July 28 2009.

He wrote: 'ferg and the two girls come [sic] yesterday'.

The day before, Ms Ferguson herself emailed Epstein to arrange the visit, writing: 'What address shall we come to. It will be myself, Beatrice and Eugenie. Are we having lunch?'

Emails reportedly show the group met at Epstein's Palm Beach mansion, where the paedophile served vegetable lasagne prepared by a Parisian chef.

Epstein later referred to the visit in correspondence released in October. Writing to British lawyer Paul Tweed on April 7, 2011, he complained about Ms Ferguson's failure to defend him publicly following his conviction.

Sarah Ferguson sent a large number of emails to Epstein, many of them fawning and obsequious

The former Duke and Duchess of York's daughters (pictured together in December) are named in their mother's emails to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The sisters are said to be 'aghast'

Fergie is pictured in the Epstein files with a mystery woman in an image released at Christmas

He said: 'She was the first to celebrate my release with her two daughters in tow. She visited me with [a] policeman sitting at my front desk. She has asked for help with her charities,' according to the Mail on Sunday.

The emails are among more than three million documents released by the US Justice Department on Friday.

Other messages appear to show Epstein attempting to arrange meetings between Beatrice and Eugenie and his goddaughter Celina Dubin - the daughter of billionaire hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin and his wife Eva.

On June 22, 2009, while Epstein was still in prison but allowed out during the day to work, he emailed Ms Ferguson and Mrs Dubin, writing: 'My goddaughter will be in London from July 8-9, eva will be with her.lets [sic] come up with a fun idea'.

Ms Ferguson and her former husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were friends with Epstein for more than a decade.

In a separate email sent in 2010, she told the late financier: 'Just marry me'. She also described him as a 'legend' and said he was the 'brother I have always wished for'.

The tranche of emails has reportedly left Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie deeply distressed.

Sources close to the sisters say they are 'aghast', 'appalled' and 'embarrassed' by their mother's communications with Epstein following his conviction for child sex crimes.

A source close to the sisters told the Daily Mail: 'They are aghast at what they have read. They are mortified by the emails their mother has sent to Epstein. It is so embarrassing for them.'

Fergie also congratulated him on having 'had a baby boy', suggesting he had a secret son

She accused him of only being friends with her to get close to her ex-husband, too

A defiant Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor went riding near his Royal Lodge home on Monday morning as his daughters said they were embarrassed their parents' relationship with Epstein

They added: 'We don't believe the girls [Beatrice and Eugenie] were told much about what has just emerged [in the latest Epstein files release], and they will simply be aghast at just how close their parents were to this appalling man.'

The siblings are also said to be 'appalled' by new photographs showing their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crouching over a mystery woman lying on the floor.

Ms Ferguson's emails to Epstein have previously revealed her fawning tone towards the convicted sex offender, who famously helped pay off some of her debts.

Other messages referenced Eugenie's sex life and confirmed that Ms Ferguson had taken her daughters to lunch with Epstein while they were still teenagers.

The Mail has also today uncovered an email from Ms Ferguson that appears to suggest Epstein had a secret child. In another message, she accused him of abandoning her in 2011 and said it was 'crystal clear' he was only her friend in order to get close to her former husband.

Separately, security sources told the Mail on Sunday that Epstein was running 'the world's largest honeytrap operation' on behalf of the KGB.

The revelations emerged as a defiant Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was seen riding near his Royal Lodge home on Monday morning, amid reports he had been due to move out last week.
UK troops will be able to shoot down drones near their bases under powers rushed in to counter a doubling of dangerous incidents.

Last year there were more than 250 drone incidents near UK bases with foreign states suspected of involvement.

While in 2024 British soldiers specialising in counter-drone warfare were scrambled to four US bases in the UK after multiple sinister drone sighting.

Swarms of up to 20 drones were spotted at American airbases in Suffolk, Norfolk and Gloucestershire.

These were described by police as 'non-hobby' drones raising fears the unidentified platforms were part of a Kremlin reconnaissance operation.

On Monday night, Defence Secretary John Healey said: 'The doubling of rogue drones near military sites in the last year underlines the increasing and changing nature of the threats we face.

'Through the Armed Forces Bill we are giving our military greater powers to take out and shoot down threatening drones near bases and stepping up investment in counter-drone technology to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad.'

Ukraine has become one of the world's leading countries on drone development, designed to drop munitions and spy on Russian invaders

Previously, troops were restricted to divert drones or taking measures to shield the airspace over and around military bases. New technologies may also be harnessed such as lasers.

Personnel aboard Royal Navy ships will be granted the same enhanced authorities to take action at sea, above the water, on the water and beneath the water.

There were 266 incidents 'Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle' incidents near defence sites in 2025 up from 126 in 2024.

Tighter legislation has also been introduced around use of drones, including licences for aircraft weighing more than 100g. The previous weight ceiling was 250g which permitted use of much larger platforms.

Meanwhile European allies are discussing 'drone walls' connecting Scandinavia, the Baltic states and Eastern European states such as Poland after repeated Russian invasions of NATO airspace.

The first pan-European drone wall is expected to be operational from 2027.

With drones taking over the battlefield in modern warfare, the UK government has quadrupled its expenditure in this specialised area, allocating more than 200 million over 2026.

Meanwhile, restricted airspace status has come into effect at 40 UK military sites, backed by enhanced CCTV coverage and additional base security.

The drones that flew into US bases across the country last year flew over the runways at low altitude causing a potential fatal threat to aircraft crews.

These incidents were investigated. The Ministry of Defence has refused to comment on the findings of an investigation by MOD Police.
An investigation has been launched after huge fireballs crashed from the Forth Bridge onto the streets of a coastal village within yards of houses and cars.

Network Rail is probing why burning debris plunged from the bridge onto the Fife village of North Queensferry during early-morning maintenance work carried out by its contractor Balfour Beatty.

It has also referred the issue to the main UK transport regulator, the Office for Rail and Road (ORR), which is also investigating the matter.

Video footage shows the materials crashing around 150 feet to the ground and splintering within yards of houses, electricity cables and parked cars.

It led to claims that lives could have been at risk if anyone had been struck by one of the burning objects.

The ORR has already been carrying out periodic inspections of the rail bridge since 2024 because of previous concerns about items falling from it.

Melanie Ward, Labour MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, said: Footage showing burning debris falling from the Forth Bridge into a residential part of North Queensferry is very concerning.

The safety of residents and construction staff should always be the priority when works take place, but this is not the first time that residents have reported falling objects or substances from the Forth Bridge.

Burning debris was seen falling from the Forth Bridge near properties in North Queensferry, Fife

Residents of North Queensferry have previously reported debris falling from the bridge

My office has contacted Network Rail to ask for a full explanation of the matter and any investigation undertaken by Network Rail or the Office of Rail and Road needs to put the concerns of residents front and centre and ensure that they are not put at risk again.

Footage from the early hours of Sunday, January 18, shows a fireball plunging from the 150-ft high rail deck of the Fife section of the Forth Bridge onto Old Kirk Road below, and then causing a major collision on impact with the ground.

Network Rail launched immediate action after a concerned local resident reported serious safety concerns about at least five burning items falling from the bridge, while additional safety measures were put in place, including staff acting as spotters at ground level during future work.

Balfour Beatty and Network Rail officials are said to have been shocked when the video was shared with them and work which had been scheduled to take place the following evening was called off while additional safety precautions were finalised.

Network Rail launched its own investigation and passed details onto the ORR, which confirmed it is looking into this incident.

Conservative councillor Dave Dempsey, who represents the Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay ward on Fife Council, said: Anything falling from the bridge has the potential to be fatal so it is all serious, but Ive never seen anything quite like this that I recollect.

The community council are very much on the case and have lines of communication with Network Rail.

After all the hassle there has been with stuff falling off that bridge, for them still to be in the state where this can happen is just ridiculous.

He said previous concerns have ranged from falling metal and bolts falling from the Forth Bridge to dirty water and fine dust, and added: Network Rail need to get a handle on this, they need to get it stopped.

This is a threat to life. If something like that was to hit you there is every potential it would be fatal.

A spokesman for Network Rail Scotland said: Safety is our top priority and were treating this report of falling debris very seriously.

Our investigation to establish exactly what happened is ongoing, however, as an immediate precaution, we have added an additional team member as a spotter at ground level and strengthened the containment arrangements on site.

A spokesman for the ORR said: ORR is looking into this incident, which Network Rail brought to our attention in January 2026.

A Balfour Beatty spokesman said: 'The health, safety and wellbeing of the public and our workforce is always our primary concern. Following reports of falling debris during planned maintenance works on the Forth Bridge, we have commenced a fulsome investigation with Network Rail.

'Whilst the investigation remains ongoing, we have put in place additional measures to strengthen the containment arrangements on site, and will take any lessons learnt and apply them across our business.'
An inmate released early from prison a decade ago following a brain tumour diagnosis is still alive, documents have revealed.

The criminal was among more than 20 freed from Scottish jails on compassionate grounds over the past 10 years.

Although 18 of the 22 released since 2016 have since died, the remaining four have no date of death recorded.

The Scottish Prison Service also declined to name them, suggesting they are still alive and require to have their personal information rights adhered to.

Scottish Government data released to 1919 magazine revealed that they include one inmate who was granted release from HMP Shotts in 2016 due to a brain tumour diagnosis.

It also includes another prisoner freed from HMP Edinburgh in 2020 after being diagnosed with lung cancer, and one who was released the following year from HMP Shotts, also following a terminal lung cancer diagnosis.

Ministers can choose to release prisoners on licence on compassionate grounds for reasons including terminal illness and severe incapacitation.

Other instances where they can be freed include where a prisoners safety is seriously compromised or their life expectancy is shortened by being inside.

Convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi at his home in Tripoli after his release

One of the most controversial decisions to grant compassionate release was made by former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill, who freed the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi following a prostate cancer diagnosis.

In 2009, the SNP politician stated: These are my decisions and my decisions alone, adding that he had decided the terrorist should be allowed to return to Libya to die.

The Libyan intelligence officer, the only person to be convicted of the 1988 bombing, survived a further three years with his family in the north African country, far longer than the three month prognosis Mr MacAskill based his decision upon.

The Scottish Government said ministers receive an independent recommendation from the Parole Board before making any decision on compassionate release.

A spokesman added: Early release on compassionate grounds is considered in exceptional circumstances following a rigorous assessment process.

Release may be considered where a prisoners death is anticipated within a short timescale, or where they are seriously medically incapacitated.

In all cases, we must be satisfied that the risk of reoffending or public harm is low and can be appropriately managed, and that suitable arrangements are in place for the prisoners supervision, care and treatment in the community.

This process balances compassion with our overriding responsibility to protect public safety.
Ed Martin, Donald Trump's pardon czar, was demoted and moved out of the Justice Department's DC headquarters, according to a new report.

And another separate report claims that Martin's out at the DOJ altogether.

He was tasked with overseeing the Weaponization Working Group, which was reviewing special counsel Jack Smith's investigation of Trump as well as other cases the administration felt were an 'abuse' of prosecutorial power.

Martin, a Trump loyalist, will no longer chair that group, two people familiar with the demotion told the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, a CNN report also published on Monday claims that Martin's nine-month tenure at DOJ is over entirely.

'President Trump appointed Ed Martin as pardon attorney, and Ed continues to do a great job in that role,' a Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement to the Daily Mail.

Trump pulled his nomination for Martin to be US Attorney in Washington, DC because he did not have Senate support and instead gave him a role that did not require Senate confirmation.

News of Martin's demotion  or potential ouster  comes amid a series of failed attempted prosecutions of Trump's political enemies, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey and California Senator Adam Schiff.

Donald Trump's pardon czar Ed Martin (pictured) is at least being stripped of his role chairing the DOJ's Weaponization Working Group  and might be out of an administration role entirely, two new reports reveal

Martin, though a Trump loyalists, is being relocated out of the DOJ Headquarters and to a building in Northeast Washington, DC where the pardon office is location. He will no longer be steps away from Attorney General Pam Bondi

Martin played an important role in these cases, which so far have been unsuccessful.

In response he's being stripped of the bulk of his responsibilities at the DOJ and is being relocated to another building within the department in Northeast Washington, DC, sources told the Post.

He will still serve as the DOJ's pardon attorney but will no longer be steps away from Attorney General Pam Bondi and the other powerful people within Trump's orbit, the sources detailed.

No personnel movements at DOJ have been made public regarding Martin's role.

Trump moved on the first day of his new administration to nominate Martin to be US Attorney in Washington, DC.

He failed to secure congressional confirmation for the role Trump originally wanted him to have and Trump pulled the nomination in May 2025. Instead, former Fox News star Judge Jeanine Pirro got that role.

Martin didn't clinch the role largely in part to his role in planning and financing the Trump rally that preceded the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. He also had no previous trial or prosecutorial experience.

Still Martin served as interim US Attorney for DC for 15 weeks and throughout that time threatened to investigate Trump's political foes. He also threatened to fire or demote prosecutors who had anything to do with cases involving Trump and January 6.
Lord Mandelson has described Jeffrey Epstein as a 'master manipulator' as he battles to contain the fallout from newly released files linking him to the disgraced financier.

The 72-year-old Labour peer says he was suddenly thrust into a 'life-changing crisis' when historic emails resurfaced, forcing him out of his role as Ambassador to the US within days.

'It was like a 5.30am drive-by shooting,' Mandelson said of the moment the controversy erupted.

The ex-cabinet minister is now facing calls for police involvement and a Cabinet Office investigation after millions of files released by the US Department of Justice appeared to show him sharing sensitive government information with Epstein and advising him on how to lobby ministers.

The documents include emails apparently forwarded by Lord Mandelson in 2009 containing discussions between senior Downing Street aides and ministers about the UK's response to the Credit Crunch and which government assets might be 'saleable'.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown has demanded a Cabinet Office probe into what he called the 'wholly unacceptable' disclosure of details relating to his government's handling of the financial crisis.

Reflecting on his association with Epstein, Mandelson says he now deeply regrets continuing any contact after the financier's 2008 conviction.

'He was a master manipulator. I can see that now. But the point is that his victims certainly did know what he was doing,' he told The Times, adding that he only fully grasped the extent of Epstein's crimes after his death in 2019 and has apologised to the women and girls who suffered.

A photograph released as part of the Epstein files apparently shows Lord Mandelson talking to a woman who is wearing a white bathrobe

The tranche of documents includes an email seemingly from Lord Mandelson to Epstein, talking about the UK government having 'saleable' assets

Other documents appear to show Lord Mandelson, who was business secretary at the time, advising Epstein on how he and his powerful contacts could lobby against a bankers' bonus tax introduced in December 2009.

In one apparent exchange, Epstein asked whether the levy could be limited to the cash portion of bonuses, with a reply suggesting Lord Mandelson was 'trying hard' to amend the policy.

Further material appears to show Lord Mandelson giving Epstein advance notice of a 500billion eurozone bailout in May 2010, after Labour lost the general election but before the Coalition government took office.

Despite this, Mandelson says Epstein only offered guidance as he moved from politics into the world of commerce and finance, but added that he was naive to see him as acting in good faith.

'I've had a lot of bad luck, no doubt some of it of my own making,' he said.

The files also include what appear to be bank records from 2003 and 2004, suggesting Epstein transferred tens of thousands of pounds to accounts linked to Lord Mandelson.

He has said he believes the documents are fake and insists he has no recollection of receiving any money.

Lord Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party at the weekend, saying he wanted to avoid 'further embarrassment'.

Join the debate How should politicians be held accountable when their private dealings impact public trust?

On May 10, 2010, Lord Mandelson seemingly messaged Epstein about the EU's plan for a 500billion euro bailout of the single currency

The PM was forced to sack Lord Mandelson from the key role of US ambassador last year after more revelations about Epstein

The released documents include an Epstein bank statement with a $25,000 transfer to Peter Mandelson - although the peer says he cannot remember receiving the money and believes it is fake

Labour said disciplinary action had already been underway. Sir Keir Starmer has said Lord Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords and has asked the Cabinet Secretary to urgently review his emails with Epstein.

Mandelson disputes several of the claims. He accepts that his husband, Reinaldo, received money from Epstein to fund an osteopathy course, saying it was presented as educational support from a charitable foundation.

But he insists there was no wrongdoing and no attempt to influence him, stressing that his husband is not accused of any offence.

He also firmly rejects suggestions that Epstein's views were given special consideration while banking reforms were being debated, arguing that ministers were being lobbied relentlessly by the entire financial sector at the time.
Sir Keir Starmer legged it from the Commons the moment he completed a mid-afternoon statement on his China visit. You never saw a potato move so fast. Speedy the Spud! The PM had no wish to wait for the next piece of business: a statement on Peter Mandelson and (darkest, deepest chords please, organist) Jeffrey Epstein.

Downing Street had earlier disowned Lord Mandelson. He had brought the Lords into disrepute. Is that possible? Can an unelected legislature of donors, democratic rejects, lawyers, social workers, Euro-loonies, and veiny-nosed warblers really drop lower in the nations esteem?

Maybe Peters real mistake was to make Sir K. Starmer look a fool. Darren Jones, the Cabinet fixer selected to hold the fort, began by saying Epsteins victims must be our first priority. Come off it. The first priority was to protect the Prime Minister.

MPs greedily attacked the once most silken figure in our politics. Lord Mandelson had no defenders. Nor did he deserve any. The Persian cats corpse was torn apart by hounds.

Sir Julian Lewis (Con, New Forest E) had a different animal reference: John Prescott had once compared Mandelson to a scorpion. Could Mr Jones explain the fatal fascination of Labour leader after Labour leader for this deadly creature? Andrew Murrison (Con, SW Wilts) said the specimen was actually a crab. Indeed. It was a Chinese mitten crab, an invasive species known for its hairy claws. Peter waxes the back of his hands, so the analogy was not perfect.

Andy McDonald (Lab, Middlesbrough), Simon Hoare (Con, N Dorset), Esther McVey (Con, Tatton) and others wanted a swift Bill to eject Mandelson from the Lords. Mr Jones burbled about stronger disciplinary powers for the Lords. Other peers  eg Lady Mone, formerly a Conservative  needed kicking out first. It couldnt be done. It can! said Ms McVey from her seat six times.

Sir Keir Starmer legged it from the Commons the moment he completed a mid-afternoon statement on his China visit. You never saw a potato move so fast. Speedy the Spud!

Downing Street had earlier disowned Lord Mandelson (pictured). He had brought the Lords into disrepute

Join the debate What does the Mandelson scandal say about trust and accountability in Britains political elite?

Mr Jones, 39 but looks younger thanks to a silly beardlet, turned pink. To his right sat Chris Ward, one of Sir Keirs closest acolytes. He also looked to be overheating badly. He left well before the end, a portrait of car sickness.

At the far end of the front bench sat a government Whip, Imogen Walker, who happens to be married to the PMs chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. She had to sit there and take a cold note as Clive Efford (Lab, Eltham and Chislehurst) made trouble for No10 insiders. The key question here, bellowed Mr Efford, is, who advised the Prime Minister? Answer: my hubby.

MPs demanded that Lord Mandelson be investigated by the rozzers. The ministerial code of conduct should be strengthened. An inquiry should look at the vetting his lordship underwent before that silly plonker Starmer made him ambassador to Donald Trumps Washington. Who knew what, when? Was it not obvious, asked Lincoln Jopp (Con, Spelthorne), that someone might hold kompromat on him?

Kim Johnson (Lab, Liverpool Riverside) said: Remove all the privileges from this awful man as soon as possible. Alex McIntyre (Lab, Gloucester): Act at pace! Do anything but do it quickly, before all of us are contaminated. That living saint Tulip Siddiq (Lab, Hampstead) also saw fit to give the House a brief homily about her own virtues.

Peter Prinsley, a Labour doctor from Bury St Edmunds, diagnosed a self-destruction chip in Lord Mandelsons head. Colleagues were more worried about a self-destruction chip in the current Labour leadership. Two MPs mentioned Lord Doyle, newly ensconced in the Upper House. He used to be Sir Keirs press spokesman and there are already some awkward questions about him. Dear oh dear.

As it happens, the new Lord Speaker, Lord Forsyth, made his debut on the Woolsack. In the roles courtly garb he resembled an early-19th-century Protestant preacher. As he made his first formal procession I saw him blow a kiss to an elegant woman. Notebook hot in hand, I rushed to investigate this fresh sex scandal, only to be told that it was his wife.

How very old-fashioned.
The mother of murdered Stephen Lawrence does not remember a conversation with a journalist in which her private information was allegedly 'blagged', she told the High Court.

Lawyers for Doreen Lawrence allege the Daily Mail commissioned a 'blagger' to pose as a reporter from The Guardian newspaper and trick the grieving mother into discussing the family's plans for a private prosecution.

But giving evidence to the High Court, Baroness Lawrence, 73, said she did not recall speaking to someone who claimed to be a Guardian journalist, and said she would not normally speak to journalists on the phone.

The Labour peer is one of seven public figures, including Prince Harry and Sir Elton John, who have launched a privacy case against Associated Newspapers, publishers of the Daily Mail and The Mail On Sunday.

The newspaper group denies its journalists commissioned private investigators to carry out unlawful information gathering, including hacking phones, tapping landlines and blagging private information.

Stephen, 18, was stabbed to death by a racist thugs in Eltham, south-east London, in 1993 and his mother has led a campaign for justice for his murder.

Doreen Lawrence outside court with her long-time lawyer Imran Khan KC who also gave evidence in the case

Giving evidence at the privacy trial, she criticised the Metropolitan Police for leaking information about the case to the media, but said she now believed some information was unlawfully obtained by the Daily Mail.

Antony White KC, for Associated, has previously told the court the newspaper denies the allegation, and said it was not supported by evidence.

Cross-examining her about the alleged 'blag' in 1997 by investigator Christine Hart, Mr White asked Lady Lawrence if she remembered providing information to a journalist who claimed to be from The Guardian.

The peer replied 'No', adding: 'When I do interviews, it 's usually facetoface with somebody.'

She said she would not have known if a phone caller was a journalist or a blagger, but added: 'I would not be speaking to The Guardian over the phone, because that's not how I usually conduct interviews with newspapers. I usually conduct interviews facetoface.'

Lady Lawrence said she had trusted the Mail, which campaigned for justice for her son, but felt she had been 'played'.

The trial continues.
A young woman who had her breasts cut off by doctors while a teenager to live as a boy has won $2million in compensation for her suffering.

The landmark New York court decision is expected to spark potentially thousands of similar lawsuits in Britain and the US  countries that have enthusiastically embraced transgender ideology.

Campaigners believe the case brought by Fox Varian, now 22, will hail the end of a 'massive medical and social experiment' on youngsters who believe they were born in the wrong body.

The world's richest man, Elon Musk, whose son Xavier transitioned to become Vivian Jenna in 2022, claims he was 'tricked' by doctors and told his child would take his own life if he refused to consent to cross-sex hormone treatment. This is normally a precursor to trans surgery.

After the Fox Varian ruling, Mr Musk said yesterday: 'There will be thousands more court cases of children who were mutilated by evil doctors. The schools, psychologists, psychiatrists, and state officials who facilitated this will pay dearly, too.'

Many young people in Britain, some only 18 or 19, have undergone irreversible operations by NHS and private surgeons to have their breasts removed and, frequently, their entire genitalia restructured to mimic the opposite sex.

In the US, 28 compensation cases like Ms Varian's own are in the pipeline as US President Donald Trump acts to restrict transgender surgery on children and teenagers.

During the hearing, her lawyers accused doctors of pushing a double mastectomy on her when she was just 16.

Fox Varian had her breasts cut off by doctors when she was a teenager to live as a boy has won $2million in compensation for her suffering. Stock image shows a surgeon during a medical procedure

The life-altering surgery was approved by a psychologist and a surgeon, both of whom the jury found liable for medical malpractice.

The court was told that Ms Varian underwent the so-called 'top surgery' to remove her breasts, which was 'wrongly presented' by her medics as a solution to her gender dysphoria, or fear of living as a female.

The jury ruled the two doctors had ignored standards of care and proper safeguards in order to pressure Ms Varian into surgery which was irreversible.

Ms Varian's lawyers said the psychologist had 'put the idea of transgender surgery into her head' and 'drove the train'.

She will now receive a payout the equivalent of 1.5million.

Her mother, Claire Deacon, testified that she only consented when she was told her daughter might take her own life if not operated on. 'This man was just so emphatic, and pushing and pushing, that I felt like there was no good decision,' said Claire in an interview after the court hearing.

She suggested that the suicide warning was a 'scare tactic', adding: 'I think he [the psychologist] believed what he was saying, but he was very, very wrong.'

The surgery left Ms Varian feeling physically ill and deeply unhappy, court papers revealed at the weekend. They claimed that the doctors should have checked if their patient had any psychological problems, such as ADHD, autism, or body dysmorphia, before carrying out the surgery.

Elon Musk, whose son Xavier transitioned to become Vivian Jenna in 2022, claims he was 'tricked' by doctors

Meanwhile, the doctors' legal team unsuccessfully argued that she lived happily as a male for several years before filing for compensation four years after the 2019 surgery.

They claimed Ms Varian first came to them using male pronouns, verbally said she was a 'trans male', and that chest surgery was suggested by her rather than the medical team.

Ms Varian is among growing numbers of patients who claim their lives have been ruined by radical transgender surgery.

The first British patient to speak out, to the Daily Mail, was Ritchie Herron, a 35-year-old de-transitioner who had his genitals removed during NHS surgery which, he claimed, left him infertile, incontinent and living 'like a sexual eunuch'. He now has no feeling in his genital area.

'It is as if I have been castrated,' he added.

And he complained that an unnamed NHS trust failed to warn him of the consequences of the drastic surgery, which was the 'biggest mistake of [his] life'.

In England, NHS funding for adult and children's gender dysphoria services, including puberty blockers and surgery, increased to 78million, annually in 2024.

Last year it was announced that a UK trial looking into the impact of puberty blockers on children as young as ten is to take place. It follows the 2024 Cass Review of NHS gender identity services for children and young people which concluded that the quality of studies claiming puberty blockers have beneficial effects was 'poor'.
Peter Mandelson was on Monday night facing a police probe after being accused of leaking 'market sensitive' information to Jeffrey Epstein while in government.

Scotland Yard is reviewing revelations that the architect of New Labour passed on highly sensitive advice given to then-prime minister Gordon Brown.

The email, sent in 2009 at the height of the financial crisis, was on Monday branded a 'betrayal' and sparked furious calls for an investigation.

The Metropolitan Police received referrals from both Reform UK and the SNP asking detectives to investigate the peer, who on Sunday quit the Labour Party to avoid causing 'further embarrassment'.

Another email, part of three million documents released on Friday by the US Department of Justice, saw Lord Mandelson give Epstein advance notice of a 500billion bailout of the Eurozone, potentially allowing the paedophile financier to cash in ahead of the deal being formally announced the following day.

And Mandelson, who now faces calls to quit the Lords, also tipped off his friend the night before Mr Brown resigned from No 10.

In an interview published on Monday, Lord Mandelson claimed that he was 'too trusting' of Epstein, who he described as 'muck that you can't get off your shoe Like dog muck, the smell never goes away'.

But he made it clear he has no intention of disappearing from public life, telling The Times: 'Hiding under a rock would be a disproportionate response to a handful of misguided historical emails, which I regret sending.'

Keir Starmer was forced to sack Lord Mandelson from the key role of US ambassador last year after more revelations about Epstein

The released documents include an Epstein bank statement with a $25,000 transfer to Peter Mandelson - although the peer says he cannot remember receiving the money and believes it is fake

A photograph released as part of the Epstein files apparently shows Lord Mandelson talking to a woman who is wearing a white bath robe

And he said none of the Epstein files 'indicate wrongdoing or misdemeanour on my part' as he refused to give evidence to a US Congress inquiry.

Catherine MacLeod, who served as a special adviser to then-Chancellor Alastair Darling, said the leaking of confidential Treasury emails to Jeffrey Epstein during the financial crisis was a 'betrayal' in a Radio 4 interview.

Reform said it was 'abundantly clear' that Lord Mandelson 'abused his position in office' and called on the police to 'investigate these shocking revelations'.

Meanwhile, Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminster, said in a letter to Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley that Lord Mandelson's tenure in Government 'must now be criminally investigated'.

The Met tonight confirmed it had received reports relating to allegations of misconduct in public office and said detectives were reviewing them to 'determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation'.

Earlier in the day Gordon Brown said: 'I have asked the Cabinet Secretary to investigate the disclosure of confidential and market sensitive information from the then Business Department during the global financial crisis.'

He also revealed that on September 10 last  the day Sir Keir Starmer said he had 'confidence' in Lord Mandelson as the Epstein scandal swirled once again  he wrote to the Cabinet Secretary, calling for an investigation into the peer but was told no records could be found.

New material appears to show emails were forwarded to Epstein by Lord Mandelson in which key Downing Street aides and ministers discussed a proposed 20billion of asset sales to shore up the country and revealed Labour's tax policy plans.

This information would have been valuable to any bank or financial institution. The document was forwarded by Lord Mandelson to Epstein with the comment: 'Interesting note that's gone to the PM.'

The tranche of documents includes an email seemingly from Lord Mandelson to Epstein, talking about the UK government having 'saleable' assets

The 2009 memo highlighted that the government was looking to get investment moving

The memo made clear that the government was looking to sell off assets to avoid tax hikes

Epstein replied 'what salable [sic] assets?' Lord Mandelson responded: 'Land, property I guess.' Four months later the government announced a 16billion asset sale.

Meanwhile a series of emails appear to show Epstein used Lord Mandelson to arrange private tours of No10, including for his goddaughter.

In July 2009 Epstein emailed Lord Mandelson: 'My goddaughter will be in London on wed and thurs [sic] of next week, what can we do to make it a very special trip.'

Lord Mandelson responded by asking 'how old?', to which Epstein said: '15... House of Lords, Number 10, just for ten miniutes [sic].' Lord Mandelson responded: 'Fine on all.'

It came after bank statements emerged which suggest Epstein made $75,000 (55,000) worth of payments to accounts connected to Lord Mandelson between 2003 and 2004.

Separate emails between the two show that in 2009 Epstein wired Lord Mandelson's now husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, $10,000.

Three months later, Lord Mandelson, then the business secretary, was lobbying ministers on Epstein's behalf over a proposed tax on bankers' bonuses.

A few months earlier, in July 2009, Epstein was released from prison having served 13 months for soliciting a minor.

Lord Mandelson was sacked as British ambassador to the US in September after emails between him and Epstein were made public in which he told the paedophile to 'fight for early release'.
Britain's youngest female double-murderer who tortured a woman with a cheese grater before pouring salt in her wounds is up for parole.

Lorraine Thorpe was only 15 when she murdered her father, Desmond, 43, and Rosalyn Hunt, 41, in Suffolk in 2009 alongside Paul Clarke, then 41.

Thorpe, who was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 14 years behind bars, was convicted at the Old Bailey in London in 2010.

She finished her minimum prison term in August 2023, becoming eligible for parole.

Thorpe, who did not engage with the process, was refused parole the same year after being deemed to be too great a risk to be released or moved to an open prison.

Now, 31-year-old Thorpe is listed to appear again in February and is expected to give evidence for a new parole hearing.

The new hearing will be held in private and a decision will be made within 14-days.

A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'An oral hearing has been listed for the parole review of Lorraine Thorpe and is scheduled to take place in February 2026.

'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.'

Britain's youngest double-murderer Lorraine Thorpe (pictured) is up for parole

The teenager smothered her father, Desmond Thorpe (pictured), to death after murdering a woman with accomplice Paul Clarke

Thorpe was 16 when she was jointly convicted of two murders with Clarke after a seven-week trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

The court heard their first victim, Rosalyn Hunt, was tortured and beaten to death over the course of several days at a flat in Mountbatten Court, Ipswich, with Thorpe responsible for punching, kicking and stamping on her head.

It was heard Ms Hunt had a cheese grater rubbed into her face until she bled, salt poured into her open wounds and her hair set alight with a lighter.

Her body was found by police on August 9, 2009 after a member of the public raised concerns about her safety.

A post-mortem examination showed she died from a heavy blow to her neck and chest area, had nine broken ribs and sustained multiple external injuries to her body.

Only days following her murder, Thorpe smothered her father Desmond with a cushion amid concerns he would reveal details of Ms Hunt's death to police.

Mr Thorpe, a 'vulnerable' alcoholic, was also kicked as he lay on the ground. Thorpe would later admit to police they would find 'her trainer prints on his head.'

His body was found by police on the morning of August 10, 2009 following a tip-off that a man had died in Limerick Close, Ipswich.

Thorpe and Clarke were arrested immediately in connection with the murders after police suspected the deaths were linked.

Rosalyn Hunt (pictured) was tortured over days by Thorpe and Clarke, with Thorpe responsible for kicking, punching and stamping on her head

Paul Clarke (pictured), who carried out the murders alongside Thorpe, was found dead at HMP Whitemoor

The court heard Thorpe lived with her father after her parents split aged 12, going between squalid flats and even tents.

It was during this time Thorpe met Clarke  a known street bully in Ipswich  and the two began drinking together.

On August 25, 2009, Thorpe and Clarke appeared in court charged with the murders of Ms Hunt and Mr Thorpe.

The pair denied the charges but gave no evidence during their trial.

During the trial, Prosecution barrister Ros Jones said: Rosalyn Hunt became a prisoner in her own home and died from multiple injuries due to the continuous attacks she suffered at their hands.

Desmond Thorpe, who was killed days later, had been smothered for reasons known only to Clarke and Thorpe.

Jurors heard evidence from a friend of Thorpe's who said she confessed to them to being a murderer.

A fellow inmate added that Thorpe had spoken of her father's murder on the anniversary of his death.

After over 17 hours of deliberation, the jury found Thorpe and Clarke guilty the double murders by majority verdicts of 10-2.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Mr Justice Sweeny said: She [Thorpe] was responsible for protracted kicking, punching and stamping on Rosalyn, who was not fit to defend herself effectively from the outset.

By the end of those attacks she was completely helpless. Far from being sorry, Lorraine appears to have gloried in it, describing to her friends at one stage how she stamped on Rosalyns head.

'The only possible explanation for his death (father) can be the fear that he would go and tell the police what happened to Rosalyn Hunt.

I dont accept that she was entirely under the control of Mr Clarke.

She is someone who can be quite stubborn and wilful and is capable of being highly manipulative herself... Her story is an appalling one.

Clarke was jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years.

He died aged 46 after being found unconscious at HMP Whitemoor, Cambridgeshire on September 1, 2014.
A Virginia father who admitted to having an affair with the family's Brazilian au pair was found guilty of murdering his wife and a stranger that prosecutors claimed was lured to the house as a fall guy.

Brendan Banfield, 40, a former IRS law enforcement officer, was convicted Monday, after two days of deliberations, of two counts of aggravated murder, one count of using a firearm in committing a felony and child endangerment in connection with his wife Christine's murder.

He now faces the possibility of life in prison at sentencing, which is tentatively scheduled for May 8.

The former IRS agent appeared stone-faced as the verdict was read in court. His parents, though, looked somber as Christine's parents wept, The New York Times reports.

Banfield had told police he found Joseph Ryan, 39, attacking his wife, Christine, 37, with a knife on the morning of February 24, 2023.

He then shot Ryan, and his au pair, Juliana Magalhaes, 25, fired at him too.

But officials argued in court that the story was too good to be true, telling jurors that Banfield set Ryan up in a scheme to get rid of his wife.

Their case was bolstered by the au pair, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2024 and testified against her former lover at trial.

She told jurors how she and Banfield impersonated Christine, a pediatric intensive care nurse, on BDSM site Fetlife to lure Ryan to carry out a 'rape fantasy' in which he would sneak into the Banfield's home with a knife to make it look like he was an intruder.

Brendan Banfield, 40, was found guilty of double homicide by a jury in Virginia on Monday

Banfield was convicted of plotting his wife Christine's murder. The two are pictured with their young daughter

Magalhaes claimed in court that Banfield shot Ryan in hopes of it appearing as 'self-defense', before he also stabbed his wife to death to frame Ryan.

She also told how Banfield left his home on the morning of February 24, 2023, and ordered her to wait outside in her car while he waited at a nearby McDonald's.

She said that he told her to call him when Ryan arrived to carry out the 'rape fantasy', so that he could come home and catch him on top of his wife.

When they entered the home, she testified they took Banfield's child to the basement before going upstairs to find Ryan struggling with Christine.

'When I got to the bedroom, he yelled, "Police officer",' she said of Banfield, who at the time was an armed IRS agent.

'Christine yelled back at Brendan, saying, "Brendan! He has a knife!" That's when Brendan first shot Joe,' she told the court.

After shooting Ryan, Banfield then began stabbing his wife, Magalhaes alleged.

She said she tried covering her eyes as the alleged murder unfolded, but admitted that she then saw Ryan moving on the ground, so she shot him with a gun that Banfield had given her.

Banfield was also found guilty of murdering Joseph Ryan, 39, who prosecutors said was the fall guy in Banfield and his au pair's plot to kill Christine

Banfield's mistress Juliana Peres Magalhaes admitted to shooting Ryan during the incident and was initially charged with murder, but pleaded down to a lesser charge of manslaughter as she became a key witness for the prosecution

Jurors had heard earlier in the trial that investigators discovered Magalhaes had moved into Banfield's marital bed and was still sleeping with him months after Christine was murdered.

Fairfax County Sgt. Kenneth Fortner testified that he first entered the Banfield's home in February 2023 as part of the investigation into the double homicide and took pictures of the home, including both the primary bedroom and Magalhaes's room.

When he visited the home again eight months later, he said 'red, lingerie-style clothing items' and a yellow t-shirt with green trim that had previously hung in the au pair's closet had been moved to the master bedroom.

'They had gotten new flooring, new bedroom furniture,' Fortner said, noting how photographs that once featured the Banfields had been 'taken down and replaced with Brendan and Juliana together.'

But when Banfield took the stand last Wednesday, he said his former nanny's testimony was 'absolutely crazy' even though he admitted to having an affair with Magalhaes and several other women.

'I think it's an absurd line of questioning for something that is not serious that a plan was made to get rid of my wife,' he argued.

'That is absolutely crazy.'

He then went on to argue that Magalhaes's description of a plot to kill his wife was a lie, and insisted that 'there was no plan.'

Banfield, seen crying at the trial, testified that Magalhaes's description of what happened was a lie and there was no plot to kill his wife

Jurors had heard earlier in the trial that investigators discovered Magalhaes had moved into Banfield's marital bed and was still sleeping with him months after Christine was murdered

Defense attorney John Carroll then argued that Magalhaes testimony could not be trusted because was cooperating with prosecutors to try to avoid a long prison sentence.

'When they lie and manipulate to get someone to make a statement, that's not discovering the truth,' he said in his closing statements on Friday. 'That's planting the truth.'

Carroll also introduced evidence showing that there was dissent within the police department over the theory that Magalhaes and Brendan impersonated Christine Banfield on social media in a 'catfishing' scheme.

An officer who concluded from digital evidence that Christine Banfield was behind the social media account was later transferred in what Carroll said was punishment for disagreeing with a theory favored by the departments higher-ups.

Yet prosecutor Jenna Sands told the jury in her closing arguments that they did not have to rely solely on Magalhaes testimony, pointing to what she called a 'plethora of evidence,' including expert testimony that blood stains on Ryan's hands suggested Christine Banfields blood had been dripped onto him from above.

'I think that he was obviously hoping for a life with Juliana, and he didn't see a way to accomplish that without executing his wife,' she said when asked about the verdict Monday night.

Carroll, though disagreed.

'Obviously, I believe we had the evidence in our favor,' he said, simply, adding that he did not know whether Banfield would appeal the decision.

In the meantime, Magalhaes is scheduled to be sentenced on manslaughter charges. She faces 10 years behind bars, but attorneys have said she could be allowed to walk free if she is sentenced to time served.
In a special episode of the Daily Mail's Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things podcast, royal biographers Robert Hardman and Kate Williams chart the blood-soaked life of one of history's most villainous princes, Vlad the Impaler.

Vlad ruled intermittently over a region called Wallachia, part of modern-day Romania, between 1448 and 1476. During the medieval period, the region sat at a crossroads between Christian Europe and the Islamic Ottoman Empire, a precarious buffer state between the two opposing worlds.

The prince's reign was marked by constant war and shifting alliances between rival powers. Historians still debate whether Wallachia's precarity hardened Vlad into a monster or whether he was simply what we would today call a psychopath.

Vlad is best remembered for acts of extreme cruelty against his enemies. He is known to history as the Impaler for ordering thousands of prisoners executed by placing them on stakes outside his stronghold, a gruesome warning to advancing armies.

One of Vlad's descendants is Britain's very own King Charles, who, as Robert Hardman reveals, has developed a remarkable affection for the Transylvania region of Romania.

On the podcast, Hardman and Williams explain the blood connection between the rulers and how Vlad's dastardly deeds influenced Bram Stoker's fiendish Count Dracula.

In a special episode of the Daily Mail's Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things podcast, royal biographers Robert Hardman and Kate Williams chart the life of Vlad the Impaler

Vlad ruled intermittently over a region called Wallachia, part of modern-day Romania, between 1448 and 1476

How is King Charles related to the real Count Dracula?

Charles is Vlad the Impaler's great-grandson 16 times removed. The connection comes through the King's great-great-grandmother, Queen Mary, wife of George V.

'Queen Mary's original title was Mary of Teck,' Hardman explained.

'The Tecks were a minor princely house from Germany. Mary was meant to come over to Britain to marry the son and heir of Edward VII, the Duke of Clarence.

'The Duke died and she ended up marrying George V. They had George VI, who then had Elizabeth II. That's the connection to Charles.'

Queen Mary's grandmother, Countess Claudine Rhedey de Kis-Rhede, was descended from Transylvanian nobility. Her bloodline emerged from two of Vlad's sons, Vlad IV and Prince Mihnea.

According to Hardman, the Queen's official biographer, King Charles has always drawn a great deal of enjoyment from his Romanian roots.

In 1998, nearly a decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall, then Prince Charles embarked on a tour of Transylvania to strengthen ties with Romania, which had recently emerged from the repressive rule of the Ceausescus.

Vlad is best remembered for acts of extreme cruelty against his enemies

On the podcast, Hardman and Williams explain the blood connection between the rulers

Then Prince Charles, taking a walk on his estate in Valea Zalanului, Transylvania, Thursday, May 26, 2022

It was on this tour that Charles fell in love with the region's beautiful Saxon churches, becoming patron of a charity that helps preserve them.

In 2011, Charles appeared in a BBC documentary on Romania, describing his love for the Carpathian Mountains. Asked about his affinity for the region, the King joked: 'It's because I have a stake in the country!' - a reference to his relation to the real Dracula.

Hardman, who was on that 1998 tour as a royal correspondent, recounted: 'I remember going into one of the churches with Charles and him being completely gobsmacked.

'He had heard that there wasn't anyone worshipping in them anymore and therefore there was nobody to look after them.

'There was a charity at the time that was trying to preserve them, and they asked him to be their patron. He immediately accepted.

'A few years later, he bought a farmhouse in this part of Romania to promote local tourism.'

To hear about the horrific deeds of Vlad the Impaler, search for Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Sir Keir Starmer has joined calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to travel to the US to testify to a congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

The Prime Minister suggested that a failure to do so would be letting the paedophile financier's victims down.

It comes as the disgraced royal faced a new legal threat after a second woman alleged that Epstein flew her to Britain for sex.

Her US lawyer Brad Edwards issued an ultimatum to Andrew and the Royal Family to sit down and discuss the claims soon or face court action.

The spotlight is back on Andrew again following the release of more than three million documents related to Epstein by the US Department of Justice on Friday.

Now it's time to have your say in the Daily Mail's latest poll - should the King get involved and force Andrew to give evidence in America?

In the previous poll, Mail readers were asked: 'Did Keir Starmer embarrass the UK with his kowtowing trip to China?' Out of more than 9,000 votes, 93 per cent of you said 'yes' and 7 per cent said 'no'.
A new study has shed light on homosexuality, and why it might have evolved.

From dolphins to chimpanzees, same-sex behaviours (SSBs) are common among thousands of animals, but until now, why they might be beneficial has remained unclear.

Now, experts at Imperial College London have revealed how primates show more SSBs when their habitats are harsh or dangerous, and when their social groups are larger and more complex.

This suggests homosexuality might help forge strong bonds that allow groups to stay together to survive harsh conditions, according to the experts.

For example, if predators are especially common, a tight-knit social group that can trust each other's alarm calls is a survival advantage.

'Our findings suggest that SSB is widespread rather than rare and that it has likely evolved multiple times across primate lineages, in part as a way to navigate complex social and environmental systems,' co-author Professor Vincent Savolainen told the Daily Mail.

However, he cautioned that the findings don't make any direct claims about the evolution of homosexuality in humans.

'It highlights several promising directions for future research by anthropologists and psychologists interested in the evolutionary and social contexts of same-sex behaviour,' he added.

Scientists have found that 59 primate species (marked with red) engaged in same-sex sexual behaviour. Experts believe this could mean homosexuality evolved as a survival strategy

In the study, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, the researchers analysed existing research looking at 491 species of non-human primates  59 of which engage in same-sex behaviours.

Previously, researchers have suggested that these behaviours in primates might be driven in part by genetic factors.

For example, in 2023, Professor Savolainen found that SSB was about 6.4 per cent heritable in rhesus macaques  meaning that a tendency towards homosexuality could be passed down genetically.

However, this leaves a lot of room for other factors to determine whether SSB actually occurs and a lot of uncertainty over what those causes might be.

The new analysis supports the idea that homosexual behaviour in primates is largely driven by environmental and social factors, rather than genes alone.

Among the animals where SSB is observed, the behaviour is more common when the species faces a drier environment, scarcer resources, or a lot of predators.

It is also more common among species with complex social systems, a greater size difference between males and females, and those with longer lifespans.

Based on these insights, Professor Savolainen suggests SSB 'probably' evolved as a survival strategy to help highly social species survive environmental challenges.

Same-sex behaviour (SSB) was more common in species facing harsh ecological conditions. These settings may favour the strong social bonds that SSB creates (stock image)

Harsh ecological conditions may favour animals with tight social cohesion and strong bonds within groups, with SSB being another way to forge those connections.

However, the experts also point out that the study did not directly address survival or longevity, so more work will be needed to determine whether SSB really is a survival strategy.

Professor Savolainen says he plans to tackle this question with a new study focusing on SSB in macaques.

This study adds to a growing body of research suggesting that homosexual behaviour is significantly more common in non-human species than previously thought.

Scientists have now observed SSB in over 1,500 different species, ranging from primates like chimpanzees to dolphins and ducks.

Previously, scientists had written this behaviour off as a case of mistaken sexual identity, with some animals simply mixing up the genders of their chosen mates.

Now, research increasingly points towards the fact that homosexuality is a beneficial evolutionary strategy.

Both chimpanzees and bonobos are known to start SSB when faced with ecological challenges.

Meanwhile, even male burying beetles will engage in same-sex behaviour when females are scarce, because same-sex mating alone reduces chances to display mating potential.

This suggests that the costs of SSB, in terms of lost mating opportunities, may be outweighed by the benefits in certain situations.
Pornhub will restrict UK users from today, amid a crackdown aimed at protecting minors.

Aylo, the Cyprusbased company which owns the pornography site, says that from February 2 it will block new British users who have not previously verified their age.

The change follows the introduction of the Online Safety Act, which ushered in some of the world's most restrictive rules on accessing online pornography.

Since July last year, visitors to adult sites have had to verify that they are over 18 either by providing credit card details, uploading a picture of their ID, or using a selfie to estimate their age.

While these rules are intended to make it harder for under18s to see explicit material, Aylo claims they have 'diverted traffic to darker, unregulated corners of the internet'.

As a result, it says it has 'not achieved its goal of protecting minors'.

'We cannot continue to operate within a system that, in our view, fails to deliver on its promise of child safety, and has had the opposite impact,' Aylo's statement said.

'Despite the clear intent of the law to restrict minors' access to adult content... our experience strongly suggests that the OSA [Online Safety Act] has failed to achieve that objective.'

Pornhub will restrict UK users from today, amid a crackdown aimed at protecting minors

Since July 25, the Online Safety Act has required the operators of online platforms to prevent children from viewing 'harmful content'.

That includes explicit content, like pornography, but also content that encourages selfharm or suicide, promotes dangerous challenges, shows serious violence, or incites hatred against people.

Platforms found to be in breach of the act could face a range of punishments, including fines of 18 million or 10 per cent of global turnover.

In extreme cases, companies may be blocked from operating in the UK.

Porn providers have seven options to check their visitors are over18.

These are: photoID matching, facial age estimation, mobilenetwork operator (MNO) age checks, credit card checks, emailbased age estimation, digital identity services and open banking.

The laws were created in response to what many consider to be an alarming rise in young children accessing disturbing or harmful content online.

A study conducted last year by the charity Internet Matters found that seven in 10 children aged nine to 13 said they had been exposed to harmful content online.

Since July 25, visitors to adult sites have had to verify that they are over 18 either by providing credit card details, uploading a picture of their ID, or using a selfie to estimate their age (stock image)

Children in this age group reported coming across hate speech (13 per cent), coming across mis/disinformation (15 per cent), and one in ten has seen violent content or content that promotes violence.

Similarly, Ofcom research found that eight per cent of UK children aged eight to 14 visited a porn site at least once a month.

In October, Pornhub revealed that it had lost 77 per cent of its UK users as a result of the new measures.

Professor Elena Martellozzo, Childlight's European hub director, called this 'a big win for child protection'.

'For too long children have been just a click away from explicit material,' she said.

'Our latest data shows one in five children have seen sexual content they didn't want to in the past year, and there are concerns that repeated exposure can normalise harmful attitudes and shape young people's understanding of relationships in worrying ways.

'This kind of practical, balanced prevention measure helps keep adult spaces for adults and helps protect young people from harm.

'Age checks aren't about censorship, they're about creating healthier, safer online spaces for children to grow up in.'

However, the clampdown appears to have backfired.

Online searches for VPNs, which can disguise a user's location, spiked by more than 700 per cent at the end of July, suggesting thousands of Brits were looking for ways around the restrictions.

VPNs help users appear as though they're browsing from another country, allowing them to access sites without triggering the local ID checks.

Speaking at the time, Harry Halpin, CEO of NymVPN, said: 'We're already seeing people turn to VPNs in record numbers.

'The problem is, many are using free or untrustworthy VPN services that may expose them even more or leave them open to being spied on by foreign states.

'Centralised VPN technology allows tech companies and foreign intelligence to see what you are searching for the moment that you switch it on.

'That means your search history is at risk, including your sexual preferences and the time, date and device used to access adult content.'

It remains unclear whether or not other porn sites will follow Pornhub's lead and also restrict UK users.
People living in BarrowinFurness and Lancaster have some of the most distinctive accents in the North of England.

Despite being just 35 miles apart, people living in these towns sound surprisingly different  and now scientists know why.

Researchers from Lancaster University analysed recordings of people in Preston, Lancaster, and BarrowinFurness, from the 1880s through to today.

Their analysis confirmed a stark difference between the 'rhoticity'  the pronunciation of R's  in these towns.

In words like 'arm', 'park', and 'car', people from Lancaster and Preston tend to speak with harder 'arr' sounds than those from Barrow.

According to the researchers, this difference can be traced to the intense mixing and rapid population change in Barrow in the late 1800s.

'We found very strong links between the growth of industry and the evolution of accent,' explained Professor Claire Nance, who led the study.

'This research allows us to celebrate accent as another aspect of our region's longlasting and distinct cultural heritage.'

Researchers from Lancaster University analysed recordings of people in Preston, Lancaster, and BarrowinFurness, from the 1880s through to today. Their analysis confirmed a stark difference between the 'rhoticity'  the pronunciation of R's  in these towns

People from Lancaster, like comedian Jon Richardson, pronounce their 'R's' more  a traditional aspect of the Lancashire accent

From the approachable Geordie dialect to the instantly recognisable Liverpool lilt, England is home to some of the world's most distinctive accents.

In their new study, the team homed in on the accents across north Lancashire and Cumbria  specifically Preston, Lancaster, and Barrow.

'These settlements cover an area of northwest England where the change from rhotic to nonrhotic is still ongoing,' the researchers explained in their study, published in the Journal of Sociolinguistics.

'They have distinct social and demographic makeups as a result of differing patterns of development and settlement during the Industrial Revolution.'

To uncover when and why the accent divison happened, the researchers analysed an archive of interviews with working class people born from the 1880s until the 1940s.

The interviews covered a range of topics, including how to weave cotton, family life and death, and preparing food such as sheep's head broth.

'The archive recordings allow us to look back in time at the Victorian origins of contemporary dialects,' Professor Nance explained.

'Interviews from Preston, Lancaster and Barrow give us a fascinating insight into the development of dialects in northern England as they have very distinct social histories and settlement patterns.'

In their new study, the team decided to home in on the accents across north Lancashire and Cumbria  specifically Preston, Lancaster, and Barrow

What is a rhotic accent? The Lancashire accent is distinctive due to the 'rhotic' or hard 'R' sound. Speakers emphasise the 'Arr' sound in phrases like 'car', 'father', or 'beer'. Rhoticity used to be widespread across the UK but has now all but vanished. It is present but fading in parts of Cornwall and is the norm in Scotland and large areas of North America. Advertisement

The researchers focused on the speakers' rhoticity  a feature of phonetics often used to distinguish between accents.

Their analysis confirmed that speakers born in Lancaster and Preston pronounce their R's more  a traditional aspect of the Lancashire accent.

To understand why this is the case, the researchers turned to historical census data, including information on population growth, occupation, and fertility rates.

This confirmed 'extremely high' population growth and fertility rates in Barrow between 1850 and 1880.

People moved to Barrow from Cornwall, Scotland, Ireland, and the Midlands  leading to the developement of a new dialect in the town.

'Much of this was driven by recruiting workers for the steel, shipbuilding and armament industries,' the researchers explained.

In contrast, in Preston, the population grew steadily over the same time period, but people mainly moved to the city from Lancashire to work in the cotton industry.

As a result, the local accent was maintained.

Accents with hard 'Rs' were common in 1962 (left), and included Cornwall, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Lancashire. However, by 2016 (right), they have all but disappeared in these areas. On the maps, red areas show places where the accent is common while yellow and green areas indicate that the accent is less common

Worryingly, experts have previously warned that the Preston and Lancaster accents could vanish entirely within 'the next few generations.'

These thick accents have often been a point of derision, with thick rhotic accents often mocked in films and television.

The researchers said: 'Rhoticity in England in the present day is heavily stigmatised, representing a national rural stereotype and employed in media representation of characters for "comic effect".'
Toxic 'forever chemicals' could cost Europe 1.4 trillion ($2 trillion) by 2050, a study has claimed.

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 10,000 chemicals found in everything from nonstick pans and waterproof jackets to firefighting foams and cleaning products.

These chemicals have been linked to a wide range of devastating health conditions, including pregnancy complications, liver damage, and several kinds of cancer.

Now, an EUcommissioned report suggests that banning PFAS today could save Europe billions in the long run.

In a businessasusual scenario, the health and environmental impacts are expected to cost Europe about 381 billion ($521 billion) by the middle of the century.

Yearly health costs already stand at 34 billion ($46.9 billion) every year, with no hope of cutting these bills without a ban.

However, the report describes this enormous bill as simply the 'baseline' costs of continuing to use PFAS.

If Europe tries to treat polluted soil and water without banning PFAS, the costs will balloon to well over 1 trillion.

The cost of using 'forever chemicals' could cost Europe 1.4 trillion ($2 trillion) by 2050, a study has claimed. This graph shows the health costs of forever chemicals, in scenarios ranging from 'business as usual' (scenario 1) to a total ban (scenario 4)

PFAS get their nickname of 'forever chemicals' from the fact that they take hundreds, or even thousands of years to break down.

This means that the small amounts that leech into waterways, soil, and our bodies build up over time to reach toxic levels.

Thanks to their ability to repel heat, oil, and water, PFAS have become critical to a wide number of products that you use every day.

As a result, there has been a great deal of reluctance to ban these chemicals, due to the potential economic consequences.

However, the study, conducted by the consultancies WSP, Ricardo, and Trinomics, now suggests that phasing out PFAS could actually save Europe billions.

If the EU passed a ban on forever chemicals, the yearly cost of treating health issues caused by these pollutants would fall to 433 million ($593 million) by 2040.

By the year 2050, that would lead to overall savings of over 95 billion ($130 billion).

Compared to the costs of trying to clean up Europe's soil and water while more forever chemicals continue to be used, the savings could be even larger.

This graph shows the number of healthy life years lost due to PFAS in Europe. Scenario 1 shows 'business as usual', Scenario 2 shows compliance with the current Drinking Water Directive rules, Scenario 3 shows compliance with proposed stricter standards, and Scenario 4 shows a total ban of PFAS

What are PFAS? Known as 'forever chemicals', PFAS are manmade and used in a wide variety of nonstick and waterproof products and firefighting foams. Due to their abundance, PFAS chemicals can contaminate drinking water and cause health problems when consumed by humans. According to the US's Endocrine Society, PFAS chemicals affect our biology by mimicking fatty acids  the building blocks of fat in our bodies. They also act as endocrinedisrupting chemicals (EDCs) due to their ability to interfere with hormone systems. Advertisement

Jessika Roswall, EU environment chief, says: 'The study confirms that addressing PFAS at their source is both crucial and economically wise.

'Balancing economic interest with nature and health costs is vital.'

If a ban on forever chemicals was introduced today, it could still take hundreds of years for levels in the environment to return to safe levels because of how slowly they break down.

This means the economic costs are not expected to reduce to zero for the foreseeable future.

Previous research has shown that 98 per cent of UK rivers are contaminated with harmful forever chemicals.

Researchers analysed samples from 32 rivers across the UK's four nations and found traces of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in 31 of them.

TFA is a type of PFAS thought to damage fertility and child development, and some experts want it to be classed as toxic for reproduction.

The River Kelvin, in Glasgow, had a TFA concentration of 78,464ng (nanograms) per litre  the secondhighest TFA river contamination ever recorded globally.

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Forever chemicals thought to damage fertility have been found in 98 per cent of rivers in the UK. The River Kelvin, in Glasgow (pictured), had the highest concentration of TFA levels in the UK

Last year, an Italian court sentenced executives at a chemical plant to jail terms of up to 17 years for polluting water used by hundreds of thousands of people with the chemicals.

However, progress towards a ban has been sluggish both in the EU and the UK.

EU lawmakers are preparing to propose a ban later this year, but strong pushback is expected.

Even with carveouts for 'critical sectors', industry bodies and some political groups are likely to oppose the ban, meaning it may not be passed by the end of this year if at all.

The UK is yet to propose banning the chemicals, despite ordering water companies to tackle harmful levels of PFAS in drinking water last year.
Gen-Zers have become the first generation since records began to be less intelligent than their parents, and an expert has uncovered the reason.

Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, a former teacher-turned-neuroscientist, revealed that the generation born between 1997 and the early 2010s has been cognitively stunted by their over-reliance on digital technology in school.

Since records have been kept on cognitive development in the late 1800s, Gen Z is now officially the first group to ever score lower than the generation before them, declining in attention, memory, reading and math skills, problem-solving abilities, and overall IQ.

Horvath told the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that Gen Z intelligence dropped despite these teenagers and young adults spending more time in school than children did in the 20th century.

The cause, Horvath claimed, is directly tied to the increase in the amount of learning that is now carried out using what he called 'educational technology' or EdTech, which includes computers and tablets.

The neuroscientist explained that this generation has fallen behind because the human brain was never wired to learn from short clips seen online and reading brief sentences that sum up much larger books and complex ideas.

'More than half of the time a teenager is awake, half of it is spent staring at a screen,' Horvath told the New York Post.

'Humans are biologically programmed to learn from other humans and from deep study, not flipping through screens for bullet point summaries.'

Gen Z, born approximately between 1997 and 2010, grew up during the age when digital devices were widely distributed in schools worldwide (stock image)

Horvath and other experts speaking to Congress explained that humans evolved to learn best through real human interaction, meaning face-to-face with teachers and peers, not from screens.

He added that screens disrupt the natural biological processes that build deep understanding, memory, and focus.

It is not about poor implementation, inadequate training or the need for better apps in schools. Scientists said the technology itself was mismatched with how our brains naturally work, grow and retain information.

Horvath, the director of LME Global, a group that shares brain and behavioral research with businesses and schools, said that data clearly show that cognitive abilities began to plateau and even decline around 2010.

The expert told senators that schools in general hadn't changed much that year, and that human biology evolves too slowly for it to have been the reason.

'The answer appears to be the tools we are using within schools to drive that learning,' Horvath told lawmakers on January 15.

'If you look at the data, once countries adopt digital technology widely in schools, performance goes down significantly.'

He added that the US wasn't the only country affected by digital cognitive decline, noting that his research covered 80 countries and showed a six-decade trend of poorer learning outcomes as more tech entered classrooms.

Dr Jared Cooney Horvath (Pictured) revealed during a US Senate hearing that Gen Zers have become the first group in history to have a lower IQ than their parents

Moreover, kids using computers for just five hours a day specifically for their schoolwork scored noticeably lower than those who rarely or never used tech in class.

In the US, data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) uncovered that when states rolled out widespread one-to-one device programs, meaning each student gets their own device, scores often flattened or dropped quickly.

While centuries of data have shown that Gen Z has fallen off the path of constant human development, Horvath claimed that many teens and young adults were unaware of their struggles and were actually proud of their alleged intelligence.

'Most of these young people are overconfident about how smart they are. The smarter people think they are, the dumber they actually are,' he told the Post.

He noted that Gen Z has become so comfortable with consuming information outside of class through short, attention-escaping sentences and video clips, on platforms such as TikTok, that many schools have given in and now teach in this same manner.

'What do kids do on computers? They skim. So rather than determining what do we want our children to do and gearing education towards that, we are redefining education to better suit the tool. That's not progress, that is surrender,' Horvath warned.

Education experts at the January hearing recommended imposing delays on giving children smartphones, bringing back flip phones instead for young children when needed, and taking nationwide action to normalize limits on tech in schools.

The group called the issue plaguing Gen Z a 'societal emergency,' and urged federal lawmakers to consider models like Scandinavia's EdTech bans.
Jeffrey Epstein was collaborating with a Bitcoin developer on a plan to create 'the first live birth of a human designer baby and possibly a human clone' within five years, newly released documents reveal.

A fresh batch of Epstein files published by the Department of Justice on Friday includes emails between Epstein and Bryan Bishop, who in 2018 was seeking financial backing for a venture aimed at genetically enhancing offspring and ultimately replicating humans.

In an email on July 21 that year, more than a decade after Epstein had already faced criminal scrutiny, Bishop sent Epstein a pitch deck outlining the project and its scientific aims.

Epstein replied: 'I have no issues with investing. The problem is only if I am seen to lead.' The exchange suggested Epstein was willing to quietly bankroll the effort while avoiding public association, a pattern that would recur throughout their correspondence.

Weeks later, on August 5, Bishop detailed the funding required to move beyond what he described as a self-funded 'garage biology' phase.

'Attached doc shows ~$1.7m/year for up to five years + $1m for lab setup,' Bishop wrote, estimating total costs of up to $9.5 million.

In a separate email, Bishop said the group was 'proceeding with more mouse testing' at a Ukrainian lab, including surgeries and microinjections.

Epstein replied enthusiastically: 'I like implant embryo, wait 9 months. Great ending.'

Epstein said he would be interested in investing nearly immediately

Bishop was seeking funds from Epstein, but told Daily Mail he never took any money

Prosecutors in the US Virgin Islands filed a lawsuit against the estate of Jeffrey Epstein in 2020, alleging that for more than two decades, he orchestrated a widespread conspiracy to traffic young women and girls to his private Caribbean islands.

Authorities say he transported them by helicopter and boat, where they were subjected to sexual abuse, with some victims reportedly as young as 11 years old.

The lawsuit claimed that Epsteins associates helped conceal the abuse through a complex network of shell corporations and financial arrangements.

Court filings indicated that some of the alleged predation continued as recently as 2018, overlapping with the period when Epstein was corresponding with Bishop.

However, Epstein was first arrested in 2008 on charges related to procuring an underage girl for prostitution in Florida. Following this, he pleaded guilty and served approximately 13 months in a county jail with work release.

Bishop told Daily Mail: 'We never took funding from Epstein and I'm proud of that.'

It is unknown if Bishop was aware of Epstein's alleged illegal conduct, but he declined to comment on specific questions regarding Epstein's charges prior to the communications.

The emails came about after Epstein reached out to Jeremy Rubin, a Bitcoin developer, on July 19, 2018. 'Bryan Bishop wants to talk to me. Do you know him?' Epstein wrote.

Epstein was first arrested in 2008 on charges related to procuring an underage girl for prostitution in Florida. Bishop contacted Epstein in 2018

Bishop also sent Epstein his business plan during their email converstations

Rubin replied: 'Yeah, I do. He's a smart guy, quirk though. Does a mix of Bitcoin things and DNA data storage.'

Within days, Epstein and Bishop were connected.

At the time, Bishop, who also identified as a transhumanist, meaning someone who advocates using technology to overcome human biological limitations, was attempting to launch a 'designer baby' venture.

This focused on permanently altering the human germline, allowing selected traits to be passed from parents to future generations.

Working with a former biotech lab scientist, Bishop proposed using experimental genetic techniques to modify human reproductive cells so offspring could inherit traits such as increased muscle growth, enhanced disease resistance, and genes associated with longevity.

Rather than editing embryos directly, Bishop's proposal initially focused on altering sperm-producing cells through gene therapy, an approach scientists later described as both ethically troubling and technically unproven.

Experts who reviewed the plans warned that the work appeared to operate outside established medical and regulatory oversight.

By late 2018, however, Bishop told Epstein that his team was shifting toward a more radical approach.

In an email dated November 26, 2018, Bishop wrote: 'My team has been working on a new technique which does not involve stem cells in the testis, instead it's an embryo editing technique more similar to cloning, which does not require an injection to the [biological father].

Bryan Bishop contacted Jeffery Epstein in 2018, pitching a business that would develop technologies for designer babies and eventually a human clone

Bishop had a radical idea for designer babies that used never-before-seen technology

Bishop's company would aim to create designer babies, which he believed would lead to the first cloned human

'The idea hit us like a bolt of lightning, so we're moving along in that direction. Meanwhile, our overseas lab has reported some mouse testis transfection results.

'They are observing maybe 5% transfection efficiency, which might be enough; further testing is ongoing. But ultimately, this method is inferior to our new embryo modification technique.'

The correspondence also showed Bishop attempting to map out a commercial pathway for the technology.

In an email sent on October 17, 2018, Bishop outlined elements of a business strategy to Epstein.

'We can do R&D in the US, but yes, I will need to do a careful analysis about medical tourism and other options,' Bishop wrote.

He proposed forming partnerships with overseas clinics and taking a commission for referring customers.

'We can just sell the additive DNA to those overseas clinics,' Bishop continued. 'Many ways to structure. In the US, self-experimentation is not explicitly banned. US animal testing is open.'

According to the emails, Epstein and Bishop met several times to discuss the venture.

While the precise reason for Epstein's interest in the venture is unknown, the convicted sex offender reportedly told scientists and close friends that he 'hoped to seed the human race with his DNA by impregnating women at his vast New Mexico ranch,' The New York Times reported.

Epstein also told one person that upon his death, 'he wanted his head and penis to be frozen,' and he donated to charities that supported transhumanism, the belief that humans can transcend biological limits through scientific and technological advances.
Liam Conejo Ramos, the five-year-old boy who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has been freed from custody.

The child was released from the ICE detention facility in Dilley, Texas, and boarded a flight back to his home in Minneapolis on Sunday morning.

He looked tired as he rested his head on his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias's shoulder, who carried him onto the plane.

Released: Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos looked tired and sorrowful as he rested his head on his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias's shoulder, who was carrying him on to the plane on Sunday morning

Detained: Liam was apprehended by agents in the driveway of his Columbia Heights home on January 20 as he returned from school wearing a bunny-shaped hat and a Spider-Man backpack

Adrian told ABC News as they boarded the flight: 'I'm happy to finally be going home.'

The father and son have been in ICE custody since January 20.

Liam was apprehended by agents in the driveway of his Columbia Heights home as he returned from school, wearing a bunny-shaped beanie and a Spider-Man backpack.

Texas Congressman Rep. Joaquin Castro revealed that he personally picked the father and son up from the detention center on Saturday night and escorted them to Minneapolis on Sunday morning.

Castro shared photos of Liam walking through the airport and back at home in Minnesota, with his hat and backpack still recognizable.

Departing: The father and son are seen here at an airport in San Antonio, Texas, before boarding their flight

Little Liam: Texas Congressman Rep. Joaquin Castro shared this image of Liam, with his new backpack

Release: On Saturday morning, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered that the pair be released 'as soon as practicable,' and no later than Tuesday

Escorted: Texas Congressman Rep. Joaquin Castro (pictured at the front) revealed that he personally picked up the father and son from ICE detention on Saturday night, and escorted them to Minneapolis on Sunday morning

On Saturday morning, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered that the pair be released 'as soon as practicable,' and no later than Tuesday.

The judge said the case against Liam 'has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children'.

Biery said Liam and his father could still face deportation under the 'arcane' U.S. immigration system, but only through a 'more orderly and humane policy than currently in place'.

The image of Liam's arrest sparked outrage over the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis and has since become a national symbol of the human toll on children caught in abrupt deportations.

Their lawyers say the family is legally in the U.S. under an active asylum claim, while officials argue the parole expired in April and that neither the father nor the son is in the country legally.

Family members and school staff accused ICE agents of using the five-year-old as 'bait' to apprehend his parents when he was approached after school last month.

Home: Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias and his son, Liam, pose for a photo after arriving home to Minnesota. They were apprehended by ICE on January 20

Immigration officials, meanwhile, claimed that Liam's mother refused to take him, even though she was just steps away.

Dozens of people protested outside the family detention facility in Dilley since Liam and his father were brought to Texas.

Liam was the fourth child from his school district in two weeks to be detained by ICE agents, Columbia Heights Public Schools said.
Muriel Henriquez recalls working with Rex Heuermann when she was office manager at his architectural design firm in Manhattan, New York, in the early 1990s.

And she was shocked when she discovered he had been arrested for allegedly being the Gilgo Beach Serial Killer.

Speaking exclusively to The Daily Mail she recalled how they'd bicker about politics, argue about the bookkeeping and chat about his love of guns and his trips to the shooting range.

Charged: Rex Heuermann has been charged with seven counts of murder including The Gilgo Four. His office manager called him a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He is pictured in his mugshot

Colleague: Muriel Henriquez said her working relationship with Rex Heuermann goes back to the early 1990s

'He and I didn't share the same politics,' she said. He was a Republican, and a Donald Trump supporter.

Muriel remembered her sister telling her, 'Oh, my God, I can't believe you used to argue with a serial killer. He could have killed you'.

She said he loved guns and one of his favorite topics to talk about was hunting.

'He'd always invite me to the gun range and say, "I'll show you how to shoot a gun." I'm like, "I'm not interested in how to shoot guns."'

She would politely decline his offers of deer meat that he'd captured during a hunt. But she never imagined that as well as stalking deer, he was allegedly stalking Craigslist for his next victim.

Photographed: Muriel is pictured with Heuermann and former co-workers having post-work drinks at Pete's Tavern in new York City

Despite their differences she said she never felt she was in danger and believed he was just a regular hardworking married father-of-two from Long Island.

But when he was arrested in July 2023 she was stunned and left 'shaking'.

'We'd go to meetings together. He always talked about his family, his wife, Asa, and his daughter, who was very young at the time,' she recalled.

'This was a person I'd worked so closely with. It was shocking.'

She described him a 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' character, just like Dr Jekyll, a respected London doctor, who drank a potion that turned him into the evil Mr Hyde.

Muriel knew Heuermann, now 63, before his first known alleged victim Sandra Costilla, 28, whose remains were found in Southampton in 1993.

His crimes allegedly span more than 13 years and since his arrest, he has been charged with a total of seven murders.

Outing: Muriel and Heuermann are seen together at a work outing at Pete's Tavern

Muriel, 62, said despite having a good working relationship with him, on reflection, she did see his strange Mr Hyde side once, when she and her girlfriend went on a cruise to celebrate their 40th birthdays in 2004.

'He kept harassing me. He kept asking me where was I going,' she recalled.

'Then he told me, "I can find you anywhere." I'm like, "No, you can't. I will be in the middle of the ocean".'

However, one day on her vacation she returned back to her cabin after being on an excursion all day and found a white card sticking out from under her door.

When she opened the note it read: 'I told you I could find you anywhere.' She said it was signed 'Rex'.

'Fear went through my head like, "Is he on this ship?" Then I told myself, "No, he can't be".'

Accused: Heuermann (seen in a photo at a gun range) is accused of murdering seven women

Muriel said at the time she was annoyed more than anything and didn't feel like she was in danger.

'I wish I would have kept that stupid note but I threw it out on the ship.'

She compared it to 'stalking' and said it's 'like somebody disturbing you on your trip just because they can'.

After the trip, Muriel confronted Heuermann about his bizarre game.

'I said, "You know, Rex, you don't have anything else better to do then send me notes on the cruise?"'

Then she asked how he did it and he replied: 'Oh, I have my ways.'

'He had that smirk on his face,' she recalled. 'And, I just rolled my eyes and walked away.

'He was the kind of person that had to prove he was right, so he always had that big head on his shoulder, that kind of ego.

'He always thought that he knew everything about you. He thought he knew everything.

'I am still trying to figure out how he got that note on the Norwegian Cruise ship.'

'Harassment': Muriel said that Heuermann 'kept harassing' her as he wanted to know where she was traveling on her cruise. She is pictured on the cruise

Trip: Muriel in front of the Norwegian cruise ship during her 40th birthday trip in 2004

Nevertheless, she continued to work with him. Muriel said there were things he did in his business that she did not like.

'He wasn't paying the taxes on time. We were getting our W2s very late,' she said. 'I had to talk to him a few times about it and he would blame his accountants.'

She also recalled his 'stingy' ways and one time where he asked for her help to avoid cops as he didn't want to get a ticket.

She pointed out that instead of him giving out bonuses, he would offer his timeshare property that was located in Las Vegas, North Carolina, or Vermont area.

'I told him, I don't need your timeshare. I need the money,' she said.

'Stalker vibes': Muriel said that the note Heuermann sent her on the ship gave her 'stalker' vibes

And she unknowingly drove Heuermann's 'kill car' - a green Chevrolet Avalanche.

'When he'd double park the truck on the street, he'd tell me, "If a cop comes around, you've got to move the truck."'

'I drove that big weird looking truck,' she said. 'When we had meetings in the city and would go from the Department of Buildings to other places.'

Police later discovered that the green Chevrolet Avalanche would transport his victims and became known as his 'kill car'.

The truck was seized after his arrest and later became a key piece of evidence in the murder of one of his alleged victims, Amber Costello, 27.

Chills: Muriel said now when she sees Heuermann on television she gets 'chills'

'We were alone all the time working late hours,' she said. 'He would annoy me a lot. We would argue about different things, but I never felt unsafe with him.'

In 2007, after she left his firm, they'd occasionally run into each other at the Department of Buildings. She said, he'd always ask, 'Do you want come back to work for me?'

She said her answer was always, 'No.' Nevertheless, she was amused by his offer and still has a lasting memento from her time working with him - an Icelandic sweater.

She recalled how Heuermann brought in a catalog featuring handmade Iceland sweaters and offered for his wife to buy one for her and another co-worker as she was taking their children on vacation there.

Chillingly, investigators later figured out that many of his victims were killed when Heuermann's wife and children were out-of-town.

Sweater: The sweater Heurmann's wife, Asa, brought back from Iceland that was gifted to Muriel by Heuermann

Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to charges and his trial is expected to start after Labor Day.
Daytime heists have hit some of London's most expensive stores with thieves stealing thousands of pounds worth of luxury watches, handbags and jewelry.

Organized criminals have targeted the likes of Rolex, Yves St Laurent and a string of high-end jewelers in the capital's latest crimewave - all within a matter of days.

In scenes that have become commonplace in lawless London, gangs have smashed windows with sledgehammers, rode motorbikes into stores and rammed SUVs through barred doors, all to land their precious loot.

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Lawless: Thieves cause chaos as they raid high-end jewelry stores across the UK capital (Pictured: Hammer-wielding thugs break into a family-run jewelers in Richmond, London)

CCTV footage has laid bare the drastic methods thieves deploy to complete robberies worth thousands.

On a quiet Saturday morning in the wealthy neighborhood of Richmond, west London, hammer-wielding thugs broke into a family-run jewelers and ransacked the window display while brave staff tried to fend them off.

Two men could be seen swinging a large hammer against the glass of Gregory & Co in front of stunned passersby.

The gang then peel away the glass and start filling a blue bag with some of the most expensive valuables on display.

Staff members inside can be seen desperately trying to claw back whatever they can before the criminals can snatch it.

The employees then begin hitting the robbers with what appeared to be small boxes in a bid to deter them from swiping more goods - but with little success.

The thugs then flee the scene before officers can intervene.

An employee who works at a nearby store and witnessed the incident told the Daily Mail how the robbers 'appeared out of nowhere carrying a large sledgehammer and a bag'.

They added: 'They then started smashing the jeweler's window up.'

Heist: Mobile phone footage shows two motorbikes descending on the Bucherer Rolex Boutique at One Hyde Park as another vehicle props open the door

In footage taken by a onlooker and shared widely on social media, two men can be seen swinging a larger hammer against the glass of family-owned jewelers Gregory & Co

Just two days earlier, a moped gang conducted an audacious 'high-value heist' at a jewelry shop which itself was targeted in a similar raid just over six years ago.

Police launched an urgent investigation after Sultan Jewellery in Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, was attacked by several men who smashed the shop's windows with a sledgehammer before fleeing with expensive jewelry.

Police officers were at the scene by 3.30am on Thursday - within three minutes of the raid - and were threatened with a hammer as the thieves tried to speed away on bikes.

A 33-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of aggravated burglary and remains in police custody - but several thugs escaped police.

Sultan Jewellery in Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush, was targeted by several men who smashed the shop's windows with sledgehammers

Jack Stones, the landlord at the neighboring Defectors Weld pub, said fresh blood was on the pavement outside the jewelers when he walked past at 7am, more than three hours after the attack.

One resident said the attack was eerily similar to another heist which saw three robbers armed with a sledgehammer smash into the shop with a Range Rover in October 2019.

Mr Khan, who only gave his surname, said: 'It's Shepherd's Bush, there's always young people causing trouble, kicking the doors of shops down and drinking. Crime around here has got so bad lately.'

Damages: Days prior, on January 23, a gang smashed their way into the sought-after designer store Yves St Laurent in central London, swiping bags worth up to $35K a piece

Footage taken by a passerby shows the balaclava-clad thugs clearing the shelves of the Bond Street store after ramming a black SUV through its window.

One was seen fleeing the scene on the back of a motorbike, as another clip showed the extent of the damage inflicted on the empty and battered shop.

A separate picture laid bare the aftermath of the robbery as the metal security shutters were severely damaged and pieces of glass were strewn across the floor.

How it unfolded: A passerby recorded the balaclava-clad thugs clearing the shelves of store after ramming a car through its window

A witness, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed to the Mail how they witnessed the incident unravel after finishing work.

They said: 'I was walking to my car near Yves Saint Laurent on Bond Street when I heard a loud bang. I observed a blue car being driven into the storefront window, smashing the glass.'

They described how they saw several people rush into the premises as a motorbike was left outside.

'I saw them remove items from the store and load them into the vehicle. After this, they left the scene,' the source added.

Chaos: A separate picture lays bare the aftermath of the robbery as the metal security shutters were severely damaged

'London is no longer as safe as it used to be', the witness adding, saying they filmed from a distance 'due to the dangerous nature of the situation'.

They went on: 'I contacted the police immediately and was informed that they were already aware of the incident and that officers would be attending shortly.

'I was concerned by the length of time the individuals were able to remain at the scene removing bags, and by the absence of police presence during the incident.'

And another one: Days earlier, a gang of robbers, riding motorbikes, stole thousands of pounds worth of Rolex watches from the brand's flagship store in affluent Knightsbridge, west London

Witness: Phone footage shows two motorbikes descending on the Bucherer Rolex Boutique at One Hyde Park as another vehicle propped open the door

Several men were seen armed with what appeared to be crowbars as they rushed into the luxury boutique at around 10.53am. Just seconds later, another motorbike driven by an individual dressed in all-black and his face covered with a helmet also emerged onto the scene.

The burglars were then seen fleeing the luxury store just three minutes after the incident.

Images show smashed glass cabinets and one motorbike seemingly abandoned inside the boutique, leaning against the door, as police officers speak to Rolex staff.

The Daily Mail revealed on Sunday that Tom Cruise abruptly 'deserted' his luxury apartment in the area because the actor felt it had become too unsafe.
The Trump family quietly signed a $500million cryptocurrency deal with a powerful Abu Dhabi royal just days before Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

A previously undisclosed agreement that sent nearly $200million to Trump-linked entities and was followed months later by the U.S. granting the same foreign power sweeping access to sensitive artificial intelligence technology.

The deal, involving Trump-backed crypto firm World Liberty Financial, was signed on January 16, 2025, by Eric Trump and executives tied to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's national security adviser and brother of the country's president. The previously undisclosed deal was confirmed by the Wall Street Journal, company documents and others familiar with the matter.

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Secret deal: Donald Trump and UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan Tahnoon secretly backed a company that bought 49 per cent of the Trump familys crypto firm for $500million. The pair are seen meeting at White House on March 18, 2025

The transaction made a foreign government official the largest shareholder in a company tied to the U.S. president. The move is unprecedented in modern American politics, raising questions about conflicts of interest and the influence of foreign powers.

The buyer was Aryam Investment 1, a company controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon, one of the most powerful figures in the Middle East.

The agreement granted Aryam a 49 per cent ownership stake in World Liberty for $500million - with $250million paid immediately, and $187million of that first installment directed to Trump family entities, according to documents reviewed by the Journal.

Tahnoon, who serves as the UAE's national security adviser and oversees a sprawling business empire worth more than $1.3trillion, has long been viewed with suspicion inside Washington's intelligence and national security circles.

Money talks: Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. both served as key public faces of World Liberty Financial when the $500million Tahnoon-backed deal was signed

Who is he? Tahnoon controls the powerful AI and surveillance firm G42, which had drawn scrutiny during the Biden administration over its past ties to China's Huawei and other Chinese tech companies

U.S. officials had repeatedly blocked or restricted UAE access to advanced American AI chips, fearing sensitive technology could be diverted to Beijing.

Under Trump, the door reopened. In March, Tahnoon met with Donald Trump in the Oval Office alongside senior administration officials, where he expressed eagerness to expand cooperation on AI and technology, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Just two months later, the Trump administration approved a framework that would allow the UAE to receive around 500,000 advanced AI chips annually, the Journal stated, a volume large enough to build one of the world's biggest data center clusters.

Publicly, the deal was hailed as a strategic win for US tech companies.

Privately, few knew that Tahnoon's envoys had already secured a massive financial stake in Trump's crypto venture.

Doing business: Sheikh Tahnoon met President Trump in the Oval Office in March to discuss artificial intelligence and technology cooperation

Upon hearing news of the deal, Democrat Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy shared his contempt for the deal in a tweet on Sunday evening declaring it to be 'Mind blowing corruption'.

'Trump reversed decades of national security objections to selling advanced AI chips to UAE. National security experts were alarmed. But there was a secret. Before the deal, UAE had sent $187M to the Trumps and $31M to the Witkoffs in secret payments. Mind blowing corruption,' Murphy wrote.

At the time of the January agreement, World Liberty Financial had no operational products.

Its only revenue came from selling a token called WLFI, which had raised about $82m, but the Aryam investment changed everything.

Conflict of interest? Eric Trump and Zach Witkoff both sat on World Liberty Financials board at the time the $500million deal was signed

According to company records, the deal triggered immediate multimillion-dollar payouts to Trump-linked entities, as well as to companies affiliated with the family of Steve Witkoff, Trump's longtime friend and newly appointed Middle East envoy.

Two senior executives from G42, Martin Edelman and Peng Xiao, were also placed on World Liberty's five-person board the Journal reported, alongside Eric Trump and Zach Witkoff, Steve Witkoff's son and World Liberty's CEO.

World Liberty did not publicly disclose the new board members or the identity of its largest investor.

The team: The World Liberty Financial website is seen on a smartphone last February with the Trumps at the helm

Stats: After the January transaction, the Trump familys stake was reduced - disclosures later showed their ownership dropping from 75 per cent to roughly 38 per cent, signaling that a massive stake had been sold - but without naming who bought it

Weeks before the USUAE chip deal was announced, Zach Witkoff appeared on stage in Dubai to reveal that MGX, another Tahnoon-controlled fund, would use World Liberty's new stablecoin, USD1, to complete a $2 billion investment into Binance.

The move instantly catapulted USD1 into the top tier of global stablecoins and handed World Liberty a $2billion cash reserve, which the company now invests in US Treasury bonds - generating tens of millions in interest.

Neither company disclosed that MGX and World Liberty shared leadership or that both were controlled by executives tied to Tahnoon.

Learning new tricks: Trump has credited his youngest child, Barron, 19, left, with educating him about crypto. Barron's half-brothers Donald Jr, center, and Eric, right, are heavily involved in his crypto business

All together: Donald Trump Jr., executive vice president of development and acquisitions for Trump Organization Inc., from center left, Zach Witkoff, co-founder and chief executive officer of World Liberty Financial and chairman of ALT5 Sigma Corp

Legal experts and former government ethics officials described the sequence of events as explosive.

'This sure looks like a violation of the foreign emoluments clause, and more to the point, it looks like a bribe,' said Kathleen Clark to WSJ.com, a former ethics lawyer for Washington, D.C.

Ty Cobb, who served as a top White House lawyer in Trump's first term, was blunt.

'My advice as an ethics lawyer would have been clear: You don't do business deals with the families of the leaders of foreign countries. It taints American foreign policy.'

A proper welcome: Marco Rubio is seen greeting UAE Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan at The White House last March

The White House has denied any conflict.

'President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public,' said spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. 'There are no conflicts of interest.'

White House counsel David Warrington added: 'The President has no involvement in business deals that would implicate his constitutional responsibilities.'

A spokesperson for World Liberty said the deal did not grant any government access or influence.

'We made the deal in question because we strongly believe that it was what was best for our company,' said spokesman David Wachsman to The Journal. 'We operate by the same rules and regulations as any other company in our space.'

Official business: Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan is seen here with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

Friends everywhere: The Sheikh is seen greeting Commerce Secretary, businessman and philanthropist Howard Lutnick

A person familiar with Tahnoon's investment said the sheikh reviewed World Liberty's plans for months and that 'at no time during that due diligence or thereafter was the investment discussed with President Trump.

A Trump Organization spokesperson said the company 'takes its ethical obligations extremely seriously and is deeply committed to preventing conflicts of interest,' and abides by all applicable laws.'

Tahnoon was already doing business with Trumps inner circle.

His companies previously invested $1.5 billion into a firm run by Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Generous: President Donald Trump accepted this $400million plane from the Qataris last May noting how it would later be donated to his presidential library

Exploring a partnership: Trump took part in a tour at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi in the UAE last May to look at a model of an AI data center project

Controversial: Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao,a move that drew fierce criticism from Democrats, who accused the president of selling access to wealthy foreign interests

And soon after Trumps inauguration, Tahnoons MGX was announced as an investor in a $500 billion AI data center project involving OpenAI and SoftBank - a venture Trump personally promoted from the White House.

By September, MGX was selected as one of the firms authorized to operate TikTok in the US.

A month later, Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, a move that drew fierce criticism from Democrats, who accused the president of selling access to wealthy foreign interests.
A member of staff at a Louisiana middle school has been arrested on felony child sex charges after being named 'Teacher of the Year'.

Christie Elizabeth Dunbar Oster, 38, an eighth-grade math teacher, was taken into custody and booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.

She was charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with juveniles. She remains behind bars on a $50,000 bond, according to Lafayette Parish jail records.

Teacher detained: Christie Oster has been arrested

Oster had been working at Broussard Middle School, where she was named the school's 202526 Teacher of the Year just months ago, in September.

She is now at the center of a criminal investigation involving alleged sexual misconduct with a former student.

Lafayette Police have not released details about the alleged inappropriate relationship, the victim or the timeline of the alleged abuse, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

A spokesperson for the Lafayette Parish School System confirmed Oster has been placed on administrative leave.

The arrest sparked backlash from parents and neighbors in Broussard, a small community just outside Lafayette.

Absent: Oster has been placed on administrative leave by the Lafayette Parish School System

Neighbor and child advocate Rebekah Vallot said she was sickened by yet another abuse case involving schools.

'My initial reaction is anger and frustration. I'm tired of opening the news and reading about professions taking advantage of our children,' Vallot said to KATC.

She downplayed any attempts to soften the allegations by using the word 'former.'

'You put the word "former" in front of a student and it still is a student. Former, current, future - it doesn't matter, it's wrong,' Vallot said.

She called for increased security and surveillance inside schools.

'It is far beyond time. We have the technology to do so, we have the funding to do so  the cameras need to go in now,' she said.

'The best advice I can give parents is you are the number one advocate for your child. No one else will do that for you.'

Adding to the controversy was a Facebook post from Kay Miller Broussard, identified as the wife of the school's principal, who appeared to downplay the broader implications of the scandal suggesting the victim had some agency in what occurred.

Police say Oster, pictured, allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a former student.

'Adults do things that are wrong, stupid, sickening, etc. those things have NO reflection on their peers or higher ups, those are choices made and hidden by one Individual!' she wrote in the post which has since been removed.

'What we can do is pray, pray for the victims (consenting or not), pray for the families affected, pray for the staff and students affected.'

The post angered parents and advocates, who said the statement appeared to blur the reality that minors cannot legally consent to sexual relationships with adults.

Parents have demanded to know how the teacher could have risen to such prominence without warning signs.

Lafayette Police say the case remains open and active. Officials have not confirmed whether additional victims have come forward.

Not happy: Rebekah Vallot said she was sickened by yet another abuse case involving schools

Under Louisiana law, carnal knowledge of a juvenile occurs when a person over 17 has sexual intercourse with someone between 13 and 17 years old, with an age difference of more than four years.

The offense carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Indecent behavior with juveniles can include lewd acts performed in front of a minor, sexually explicit messages or images, or grooming behavior toward a child under 17.

A conviction can result in up to seven years in prison and another $5,000 fine.
Ifunanya Nwangene, a talented vocalist who appeared on The Voice Nigeria's third season, has died at the age of 26, after being bitten by a snake.

The Enugu-born soprano vocalist, who worked as an architect, was bitten by the snake at her home in Abuja, sources told BBC Africa.

Nwangene garnered attention in April of 2021 after her performance of the Rihanna ballad Take A Bow, which had amassed more than 85,000 YouTube views as of Sunday evening.

Tragic: Ifunanya Nwangene died at the age of 26 following a deadly snake bite

Nwangene was a member of the Amemuso Choir, BBC Africa reported, noting that the choir's music director Sam Ezugwu posted a statement on Facebook confirming the tragic news Sunday.

'With painful heart, we announce the [death] of Ifunanya Nwangene Nanyah,' the statement from the choir read.

The Amemuso Choir said Ifunanya 'was on the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world' and that 'her voice and spirit will be deeply missed'.

Hillary Obinna, a member of the choir, told BBC Africa that 'the snake bite woke her up,' and that officials later recovered two snakes from Nwangene's home.

Nwangene initially sought medical assistance at a clinic in her area, but they did not have anti-venom on hand, BBC Africa reported.

Nwangene then sought treatment at a hospital later identified as Federal Medical Centre, Jabi.

Ezugwu told the BBC that the hospital did not have both of the required anti-venom treatments on hand.

'While they were trying to stabilize her, she could not speak but she could make hand gestures,' Ezugwu told BBC Africa. 'She was struggling to breathe.'

The hospital said in a statement to BBC Africa that the statement the hospital did not have the proper anti-venom treatments on hand were 'unfounded and do not reflect the reality of the situation'.

'Our medical staff provided immediate and appropriate treatment, including resuscitation efforts, intravenous fluids, intranasal oxygen, and the administration of polyvalent snake antivenom,' said the hospital.

The hospital added that a 'thorough but quick' exam showed that Nwangene had developed deadly complications from the bite and their medics were 'unable to revive her'.

Star turn: Nwangene performed the Rihanna ballad Take A Bow

Sad news: The vocalist was bitten at her home in Abuja, sources told BBC Africa

'We stand by the quality of care and dedication our team demonstrates daily,' said the hospital.

Obinna called Nwangene 'a very wonderful girl' who left behind a mourning community in the wake of her senseless passing.

'Everybody is shattered,' Obinna said. 'We could not sleep at night. She is humble - very intelligent and very talented.'

On her own YouTube page, Nwangene had covered songs such as Rihanna's Lift Me Up; Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On; and Slide Away by Miley Cyrus.

Nwangene had replied to her fans in a comment on the YouTube post of her Rihanna cover.

She wrote at the time under the handle @Nanyahmusic: 'I appreciate all the comments. I'm encouraged and I will keep improving. Thank you everyone!'
When I pictured getting a train journey from London to Naples, I imagined myself dressed in a three-piece Savile Row suit, sipping a glass of champagne in an elegant carriage hurtling through the Italian countryside.

Sadly, my budget doesn't stretch to a tailored-made suit  it's jeans and polo instead  but my lack of sartorial grace is the only letdown on a wonderful trip across the continent.

I know what you are thinking, why get the train when a plane is quicker and cheaper?

Well I hope by the end of this article you'll understand why I swapped a two-hour flight for a nearly 11-hour journey across two days.

I begin my voyage at London St Pancras where I relax with a delicious breakfast in Eurostars Premier Class lounge, a welcome change from the pandemonium of my daily traipse through its hordes of commuter cattle.

Once in Paris, it's a frantic dash across from Gare Du Nord to the absolute chaos of Gare de Lyon where my journey really begins.

I'm here to board TrenItalias rapid Frecciarossa 1000 from Paris to Naples, with an over-night stay in Milan in between.

I have a seat in the Executive carriage, the services premium first class compartment, at a cost of 305 (264) one way.

The view from Alex Matthews's carriage as he travelled towards Naples on Trenitalia's Frecciarossa 1000 service

Alex had a seat in the Executive carriage, the services premium first class compartment, at a cost of 305 (264) one way

The carriage only has 10 reclining leather loungers that swivel around to face forward or backwards if you want to chat to (or ignore) your partners, spouses or other passengers

The carriage has only 10 reclining leather loungers that swivel around 360 degrees if you want to chat to (or ignore) your partners, spouses or other passengers.

Inside the carriage, a very polite and dedicated steward attends to your every whim  with a seemingly never ending service of drinks and snacks, as well as answering questions.

They even help you adjust your seat, if you are the type of idiot who manages to get it locked the wrong way round TWICE.

The menu, curated by Italian chef Carlo Cracco, is full of actual food, on proper plates with cutlery, rather than bland sandwiches and salty microwaveable meals.

I recommend the braised agnolotti pasta with thick meat sauce  washed down with one of the many Italian IPAs on offer.

The service in the Executive carriage is so spot-on that even when I say I'm not hungry the waiter still brings me out a fresh beer with a bowl of crisps to nibble on.

The six-hour and 50 minute journey from Paris to Milan may seem daunting but it beats traipsing through an airport, queuing for security, fighting for a seat in departures and waiting for your gate.

I recline on my comfy chair, with a chilled beer in hand, and all notion of time slips away  let alone the tedium of Gatwick Airport.

Alex enjoyed braised agnolotti pasta with thick meat sauce  washed down with one of the Italian IPAs on offer

Weaving through Apline villages is undoubtedly the highlight of the journey

There is no toddler screaming, overexcited stag do kicking-off or other stressed-out passengers nudging my elbow off the hand rest.

It is calm, quiet and comfortable.

I whizz through the suburbs of Paris, into the countryside and it feels like no time before we got to the highlight of our journey - the Alps.

Weaving through the mountains, passing by tiny villages and quaint towns like Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, really is a treat.

Drinks are plonked down and phones are thrust against the glass to get the perfect pictures of majestic ridges and pristine alpine lakes.

Although, really there is no need to panic because we are spoilt rotten for stunning views for much of our journey through the mountains.

Once in Milan, I jump in a cab outside Milano Centrale and stay at the Vico Milano.

A stylish hotel that oozes so much Milianese cool that I feel like even the walls are eyeing me up and down as I walk in.

Weaving through the mountains, passing by tiny villages and quaint towns like Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, really was a treat

I sleep like a log in their comfy apartment-style rooms, and after a delicious breakfast, it's onto the final leg of the journey and Naples.

TrenItalia, thankfully, has a lounge in Milano Centrale station, so you can chill there while you wait for your train to arrive.

My journey from Milan to Naples is not as long - a mere four hours - so this may be why the service is not quite as attentive.

But the Executive carriage is still pleasant as we speed towards our destination via Rome.

Getting the train from London to Italy may take a little longer and cost a few extra quid than a budget flight, but it means you can start your holiday as soon as you set foot on board.

If you have the time it's worth every minute.
Dubai has announced plans to build the world's first street made of real gold as part of its new Dubai Gold District in Deira.

The project is set to strengthen the city's long-standing reputation as the 'City of Gold,' home to the famous Dubai Gold Souk.

The new Gold Street will be a central attraction in the new district, designed to draw tourists, shoppers and industry professionals.

The Dubai Gold District, launched by developer Ithra Dubai, will feature more than 1,000 retailers across gold, jewellery, perfumery, cosmetics and lifestyle sectors.

Confirmed brands include Jawhara Jewellery, Malabar Gold and Diamonds, Al Romaizan and Tanishq Jewellery.

Meanwhile, Joyalukkas - a global premium jewellery brand with stores across the US, Malaysia, Singapore and Southall, west London - plans to open a 24,000 square foot flagship store, its largest in the Middle East.

To accommodate international visitors and trade partners, the area will also be home to six hotels, boasting a total of 1,000 hotel rooms.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said the project celebrates Dubai's deep connection to gold while reimagining it for a modern, sustainable future.

Dubai has unveiled plans to construct the world's first street made of real gold

The proposed Gold Street is part of Dubai's new Gold District, which will feature more than 1,000 retailers across gold, jewellery, perfumery, cosmetics and lifestyle sectors

As reported by Time Out Dubai, he said: 'Gold is deeply woven into the cultural and commercial fabric of Dubai, symbolising our heritage, prosperity, and enduring spirit of enterprise.

'Through this landmark destination, we not only celebrate that legacy but also reimagine it for a new era shaped by creativity and sustainability.'

'This achievement reflects the strength of collaboration between our public and private sectors and underscores the collective ambition of our partners and stakeholders in positioning Dubai at the forefront of global innovation and excellence.'

Details regarding the layout, design, and content of Gold Street will be revealed in stages.

Adding to its ever-growing list of global milestones, Dubai is set to become the first city in the world to launch a commercial flying taxi service.

The gleaming metropolis, renowned for its supercar culture and jet-set lifestyle, attracts millions of annual visitors and is home to over million residents.

Despite boasting an extensive road network, including several six-lane highways, the UAE city regularly grapples with gridlock - with average commutes during rush hour stretching 45 minutes across a distance of up to 15km.

But these journeys could be halved with the introduction of the Joby S4 air taxi - designed to transport passengers through the skies at a top speed of 320km/ph.

The project is set to strengthen the city's long-standing reputation as the 'City of Gold

Pictured: A view of the entrance to Dubai's old gold souk

The groundbreaking new fleet will be powered by Joby Aviation, a California-based pioneer that builds electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles.

Dubai will take its claim as the global birthplace of air taxis when full operations begin on 31 March, 2026.

The electronic taxi network comprise of four vertiports - areas designed for the landing, takeoff and servicing of VTOL aircraft.

Among the sites are Atlantis, The Royal, an iconic hotel centrally located on Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai Mall - the busiest shopping centre in the world, attracting nearly 111 million visitors in 2024.
Brazil has launched a new interrail-style pass for air travel, making it easier to explore different parts of the country.

Brazilian airline Azul has created the Azul Brazil Air Pass, letting travellers take multiple domestic flights for just one price.

The cost of the pass ranges from $499 (362) upwards and aims to boost tourism in the country.

You can travel up to six destinations inside Brazil for 15 days with a $499 (362) pass.

If you're looking to go for longer, you can travel up to eight destinations in Brazil for 30 days from $599 (435).

Alternatively, you could travel inside Brazil on any GOL Airlines flight for 90 days and up to nine flights, starting from $525 (382).

Azul operates more than 800 daily flights to 137 destinations.

The company has designed the air pass to be compatible with flights operated by other airlines.

Fancy a trip to Brazil? Now it's easier than ever to get to various cities around the country

It has collaborated with Visit Brasil in the creation of the pass.

Anderson Serafim, Azul's commercial and international expansion manager, said to Travel Daily Media: 'We want to make it increasingly easier for international tourists to arrive in Brazil and allow these visitors to experience the diversity of destinations the country has to offer.

'The Azul Brazil Air Pass is a product designed for the entire market, regardless of the airline used to travel to Brazil.

'For those flying with Azul, there is also the advantage of more competitive fares, making the experience even more accessible, organised and predictable.'

Travel to Brazil is on the rise as of late, making the timing of the new pass ideal.

Rio de Janeiro saw a record numbers of tourists visiting, with a reported 12.5 million tourists in 2025.

The pass could soar to fame, given the popularity of similar interrail-style passes across Europe on train networks.

The flexibility of travel is a huge appeal for many tourists, with passes valid for 15, 30 or 90 days, letting you explore at your own pace.

It comes as tourism to cities such as Rio de Janeiro is on the rise

It comes after it was revealed that a large number of those visiting Brazil are interested in visiting poor communities known as favelas.

As such, locals are viewing the tourism opportunity as a way to make cash.

Local guide Vitor Oliveira, who used to be a motorcycle taxi driver in Rocinha, Rio's most populated favela, started offering tours after sensing the opportunity.

Now, it's his main source of income.
Holidaymakers are sacrificing sleep - and patience - to capture the perfect Instagram snap abroad, as the world's most impossible photo locations are revealed.

New research commissioned has named ten tourist hotspots where crowds are most likely to ruin the shot, with the Mona Lisa, Buckingham Palace, the Taj Mahal and the Colosseum among the worst offenders.

The study shows how far people are willing to go for the perfect picture, with more than a quarter of Brits (27 per cent) admitting to sacrificing their holiday lie-in to arrive early, with some even reaching landmarks before 6am to beat the crowds.

This is most common among Gen Z, with 40 per cent waking up at the crack of dawn to secure the ideal shot.

Older generations seem less than willing to make the same sacrifice, as 59 per cent of Gen X say they would never wake up early just for a photo free of people.

Topping the list of the hardest photos to take is Times Square in New York, where flashing billboards, packed sidewalks and a constant flow of tourists make a crowd-free picture almost impossible at any time of day.

Following closely behind is the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which draws crowds from all corners of the globe, scrambling for the perfect angle beneath the iconic landmark.

Also making the top ten are Rome's Trevi Fountain, the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, London's Buckingham Palace, India's Taj Mahal, and the Colosseum in Rome.

The top 10 tourist hotspots where crowds are most likely to ruin the shot have been named - and Times Square in New York City takes the lead

Following closely behind is the Eiffel Tower in Paris, where tourists jostle for the perfect angle beneath the iconic landmark at all hours of the day

Rounding off the list, in the research commissioned by Samsung to celebrate Galaxy AI, are the Great Wall of China at Badaling, Canada's Niagara Falls and Tokyo's Shibuya Crossing.

At the other end of the scale, though still busy at the best of times, Machu Picchu and viewpoints at the Hollywood Sign are reported to have shorter waits thanks to more space for photos.

Crowds appear to be a major turn-off for British holidaymakers - enough to actually have them walking away from a photo opportunity altogether.

Seven in 10 say they feel genuinely frustrated when someone walks into their shot, and one in five admits to telling strangers off for committing photography faux pas.

While nearly half see the humour in accidental photobombs, many - particularly millennials - say they would rather simply edit unwanted people out of their pictures.

Meanwhile, recent research analysed 101 of the world's most iconic landmarks and narrowed them down to the 10 worst-rated tourist attractions based on the responses of travellers who'd visited them.

To calculate an overall score out of 10 for each site, Stasher used a comprehensive system, combining Google Reviews ratings, average TikTok likes, distance from major airports, country safety rankings, and local accommodation quality.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles was named the world's worst major tourist attraction, scoring just 2.67 out of 10, in the research, proving that celebrity nostalgia doesnt necessarily guarantee a quality experience.

In third place is Rome's Trevi Fountain, which sees tens of thousands of visitors each day during peak season

Top 10 tourist hotspots where it's practically impossible to get a clean photo As revealed by Samsung Times Square  New York City, USA Eiffel Tower  Paris, France Trevi Fountain  Rome, Italy The Mona Lisa  Louvre Museum, Paris, France Buckingham Palace  London, UK Taj Mahal  Agra, India The Colosseum  Rome, Italy Great Wall of China (Badaling section)  Beijing, China Niagara Falls  USA Shibuya Crossing  Tokyo, Japan Advertisement

The Dead Sea (3.51) ranks as the second-worst, located 66 km from the nearest airport and burdened by a concerning safety rating of 3.108.

Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (3.86) struggles in third place, despite its cultural significance.

Jacob Wedderburn-Day, founder of Stasher, said: 'Famous doesn't always mean worthwhile.

'Poor transport links, overcrowding, or locations that require significant effort to reach all impact whether a destination lives up to expectations built by decades of photos and films.'
With the UK half-term break just around the corner, a travel expert has shared the exact date and time parents should book a last-minute trip - without breaking the bank.

While it might feel as though time is running out, travel booking experts have assured there is still a sweet spot to secure flights at an affordable cost just in time for the school holiday, which runs from 16 February to 20 February.

Chris Bradshaw, director and travel booking expert at AttractionTickets.com, says: 'It's a common misconception that earlier always equals cheaper.

'In reality, airlines continuously adjust fares based on demand, and savvy travellers can benefit from those fluctuations, even just one or two weeks ahead.

'There's still time to save on last-minute half-term travel if you know when to book.'

According to the expert, for maximum savings, the ideal day to book a last-minute half-term break is Sunday, 8 February.

By analysing historical pricing patterns and industry travel reports, Sunday has been found to be the the most cost-effective day of the week to book a trip.

Many airlines often release discounted fares and adjust inventory over the weekend, meaning travellers can save up to 23 per cent on Sundays compared to Fridays.

Travel expert Chris Bradshaw has shared the exact date and time parents should book a last-minute trip for the best price (stock image)

In addition, holidaymakers are urged to book flights within a window of eight to 23 days before jetting off, as this window offers some of the most competitive prices for international travel, especially when flying to places like Florida.

The best time of the day to snag low fares is in the early morning, with flights generally being more affordable at around 6am, local time.

This is due to airlines releasing fresh fares for the day before search traffic spikes.

Chris also advises travellers to avoid booking your next holiday on Fridays, as prices typically surge due to business travel and higher demand.

He adds: 'Taking all these factors into consideration, Sunday 8 February falls perfectly in alignment, making this the optimal date to give you the best chance of securing those last-minute affordable family holiday bookings ahead of this half-term.'

It comes after research revealed the UK's busiest airports that are best equipped for travelling with children.

Airport Parking and Hotels (APH.com) assessed 10 major UK airports, comparing facilities such as play spaces, pushchair rules, baby care facilities, food options and family-friendly security, to help ensure a stress-free airport experience.

While Heathrow Airport offers 'Stay & Play' soft-play areas in every terminal, Manchester Airport has its 'Little Flyers' play zone in Terminal 1, alongside baby facilities across all terminals.

Flights are typically more affordable at 6am on Sundays - saving travellers up to 23 per cent on Sundays compared to Fridays

Gatwick provides a free play area after security in the North Terminal, Birmingham has 24-hour Sky Zone play areas near Gates 1-20, and Bristol Airport offers a bookable Sensory Room for neurodivergent passengers.

Pushchair policies can also differ by airport.

Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted allow pushchairs through security and to the gate, while Luton offers free loan pushchairs, and Birmingham provides them for a refundable deposit.

Nick Caunter, Managing Director of APH.com, said: 'February half term is one of the busiest times of year for family travel, and the right facilities can make a real difference to how smoothly a journey begins.'
A mum has shared the reality of travelling to France with young children - and how to tackle Disneyland Paris.

Leah Goulis travelled from Australia to France with her kids in tow, and revealed what she learnt from the journey.

Leah wrote in kidspot: 'A European getaway with kids is a tough ask. I get it, its why it took me 10 years to actually do it!'

She said that her children were old enough to sit for the duration of a flight - and appreciate the history and culture France has to offer.

She added: 'A trip of a lifetime turned into a great opportunity that anyone travelling to Europe with kids could learn from.'

The first challenge? Navigating Paris.

Leah explained that despite being told the underground train system was easy to navigate, taking the metro with kids in tow was difficult.

Instead, she recommends going on foot - with the added bonus of being able to discover hidden gems on the way.

A mum shared what it was like navigating France with her children in tow (stock)

The Paris metro, while well-connected, can be difficult if travelling with kids

Alternatively, you can take an Uber, which is cheaper than a taxi - but beware of traffic.

Leah also said the 'arrogance' of the French towards tourists is common - but responding with politeness helps the situation.

She suggests: 'Greet shop and cafe owners with a simple bonjour ("good morning") and merci ("thank you").

'Yes, most French locals speak English, but its always a nice touch to at least attempt to make an effort - even if high school-level French is all you can muster.'

Instead of hotels, Leah advises, Airbnbs are often the best choice in France to see what it's like for locals.

Especially if travelling with children, she says this can be a way to guarantee a homely stay and means you can adapt to your children's routines.

Naturally, a trip to France included a visit to Disneyland Paris for Leah's family.

Disneyland consists of two parks: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park.

Disneyland Paris is a must-see attraction for families travelling with children

There's lots to see and do - and Leah says you can do it in one day with older children, but might require two days for younger ones.

Tackling the parks isn't easy, and Leah shared some top tips.

Firstly, in terms of getting to the park, you can either hop on a free shuttle from selected stop-offs and partner hotels or catch the metro train network - using the RER A train line.

Taking an Uber to get there, while pricey, also means you have flexibility.

Leah also suggests you download the Disneyland app in advance, save things you want to do and book in advance so you don't miss out.

Plus, booking a restaurant can save you hassle and queues later on.

Finally, she advises staying until the end of the day when the park closes, at 11pm, for the Disney Tales of Magic show.
Do you have a story about MAFS 2026? Email ali.daher@dailymail.com.au

Married At First Sight is officially heating up  and the 2026 cast has wasted no time celebrating their last days as singles with two very different but equally lavish parties across Sydney.

The stunning brides and grooms were recently treated to separate bucks' and hens' nights, with the men dining at trendy Pyrmont restaurant Sala, while the women partied in style inside a sprawling private mansion on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

The glamorous gatherings coincided with filming for the new season, with the cast gearing up to 'marry' a complete stranger on national television.

And judging by the photos, spirits were high as the reality stars embraced their final moments of freedom before walking down the aisle.

The brides turned on the glamour at their hens' night, held inside a luxurious private mansion in North Sydney.

The women arrived dressed in eye-catching party outfits, showing off their enviable figures and fashion sense as they posed for photos before heading inside.

Married At First Sight is officially heating up  and the 2026 cast has wasted no time celebrating their last days as singles with two very different but equally lavish parties across Sydney. Pictured: New bride Julia Vogl

The stunning brides and grooms were recently treated to separate bucks' and hens' nights, with the men dining at trendy Pyrmont restaurant Sala, while the women partied in style inside a sprawling mansion on Sydney's Lower North Shore. Pictured: New bride Brook Crompton

The glamorous gatherings coincided with filming for the new season, with the cast gearing up to 'marry' a complete stranger on national television. Pictured: New bride Rebecca 'Bec' Zacharia

And judging by the photos, spirits were high as the reality stars embraced their final moments of freedom before walking down the aisle. Pictured: The grooms celebrating

The brides turned on the glamour at their hens' night, held inside a luxurious private mansion in North Sydney. Pictured: Gia Fleur

Hair and makeup were flawlessly styled for the occasion, with the brides clearly making the most of their chance to shine ahead of the weddings.

Former journalist-turned-MAFS bride Julia Vogl, 35, was spotted making her way to the venue.

She stunned in an eye-popping plunging green mini-dress that showcased her flawless skin and trim pins.

She accessorised with matching open-toed platform shoes, while her blonde hair was styled in a sleek bob.

Fellow bride Brook Crompton, 27, showcased the trademark style and glamour she exudes in her role as a model by confidently rocking a racy red outfit featuring a split in the middle which showcased her incredible figure.

Rebecca 'Bec' Zacharia, 35, stunned in a one-shoulder blue dress that hugged her figure, with the outspoken brunette beauty looking radiant on arrival.

And 35-year-old Gia Fleur  who has been dubbed 'the wildest bride in MAFS history' by crew members  looked sensational in a fiery red, figure-hugging ensemble that effortlessly hugged her curves.

Inside, the mood was celebratory as the women toasted to love, friendship and the journey ahead.

Meanwhile, the grooms looked every inch the confident leading men as they arrived at Sala in Pyrmont, dressed to impress for their big night out.

The women arrived dressed in eye-catching party outfits, showing off their enviable figures and fashion sense as they posed for photos before heading inside

Hair and makeup were flawlessly styled for the occasion, with the brides clearly making the most of their chance to shine ahead of the weddings

Former journalist-turned-MAFS bride Julia Vogl was spotted making her way to the venue

Meanwhile, the grooms looked every inch the confident leading men as they arrived at Sala in Pyrmont, dressed to impress for their big night out. New grooms Chris Nield, Grayson McIvor, David Momoh (pictured), Steve Powell and Luke Fourniotis were all spotted looking excited as they energetically made their way into the venue

Cheeky AFL player-turned-groom Chris Nield cut a stylish figure in a smart-casual ensemble, pairing an unbuttoned patterned jacket with a white shirt and crisp black pants

Several of the men opted for tailored looks, stepping out in crisp shirts, fitted jackets and polished shoes as they made their way into the popular waterfront venue

Laughing and chatting with one another outside the restaurant, the group appeared relaxed and in good spirits as they bonded ahead of the experiment

The men looked excited and keen to enjoy one last boys' night before tying the knot on the show

Both parties were buzzing with energy, with laughter, hugs and animated chats spilling out onto the street as the cast soaked up their final hours of freedom

Married At First Sight has always thrived on chaos, but Channel Nine's 2026 season is already shaping up to be one of the most volatile in the show's history

New grooms Chris Nield, Grayson McIvor, David Momoh, Steve Powell and Luke Fourniotis were all spotted looking excited as they energetically made their way into the venue.

Cheeky AFL player-turned-groom Chris Nield, 31, cut a stylish figure in a smart-casual ensemble, pairing an unbuttoned patterned jacket with a white shirt and crisp black pants.

Several of the men opted for tailored looks, stepping out in crisp shirts, fitted jackets and polished shoes as they made their way into the popular waterfront hotspot.

Laughing and chatting with one another outside the restaurant, the group appeared relaxed and in good spirits as they bonded ahead of the experiment.

The men looked excited and keen to enjoy one last boys' night before tying the knot on the show.

Both parties were buzzing with energy, with laughter, hugs and animated chats spilling out onto the street as the cast soaked up their final hours of freedom.

Married At First Sight has always thrived on chaos, but Channel Nine's 2026 season is already shaping up to be one of the most volatile in the show's history.

'Production has every reason to be p**sed off,' one insider told Daily Mail.

'The night in question completely blew up, cast members disappeared, fights broke out and one couple is already in turmoil.'

It follows last season's curfew crackdown, which saw contestants ordered back to their apartments by 10pm on weeknights and 11pm on weekends, before those times were reportedly tightened again after complaints the cast had become 'disrespectful' and 'selfish' for vanishing mid-shoot.

An explosive leaked email from production expressed 'utter disappointment' in the cast's disregard for crew, warning hotel keycards would be deactivated after curfew unless an associate producer was informed.

Relationship expert John Aiken has already warned viewers to brace for fireworks, with insiders describing the 2026 cast as dramatic, fame-hungry and increasingly hard to control.

'This year's brides are fearless, they will call people out, and that's going to make for some very fiery dinner parties,' John told Daily Mail last month.

He also teased that some cast members bring a 'TikTok dating style' to the experiment, fast, online, and unapologetically unfiltered.

Married At First Sight returns Monday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine.
Married At First Sight returned to television screens on Monday night, and the show wasted no time plunging right into controversy.

Episode one delivered a steamy PDA, an awkward altar power play and a kiss that instantly divided the nation.

The episode centred on newlyweds David and Alissa, whose first meeting culminated in what many have branded the most uncomfortable kiss in the show's history.

High-energy nurse and social media manager Alissa made a bold entrance, describing herself as a 'slay queen' who wanted a fairytale romance and unwavering commitment.

She was paired with David, a 31-year-old rapper and e-commerce manager from Brisbane, known for his calm demeanour and strong Christian faith.

Just moments into the ceremony, as the celebrant asked if there was any reason the couple should not be joined in marriage, Alissa abruptly interrupted proceedings.

'I'm really, really sorry,' she said, before announcing she could not marry David unless he first got down on one knee.

The episode centred on newlyweds David and Alissa, whose first meeting culminated in what many have branded the most uncomfortable kiss in the show's history. Both pictured

After being pronounced husband and wife, the couple sealed the deal with an unusually intense kiss, locking tongues for several seconds in front of their guests

The moment quickly sparked backlash online, with viewers labelling it 'too much' and 'hard to watch'

'I can't marry you until you drop to one knee and propose to me,' she then told the stunned groom.

The unexpected demand left guests visibly confused and David unsure whether the moment was part of the experiment.

'I can't tell if you're being serious,' he admitted, as murmurs spread through the crowd and friends questioned the painfully awkward scene unfolding at the altar.

Alissa insisted she needed the gesture to feel chosen and secure, explaining it was something she had waited for her whole life, and that she wanted a man who would fully commit to her.

David hesitated, later admitting the situation was uncomfortable and triggered old wounds about being 'too nice' in relationships.

However, after glancing toward Alissa's family and noticing their concern, he ultimately relented.

Dropping to one knee, David formally asked Alissa to marry him, prompting cheers and applause from the guests and allowing the ceremony to continue, albeit with lingering awkwardness.

While the proposal appeared to smooth things over, David later described the moment as a potential red flag, admitting it made him uneasy and questioning how demanding the relationship might become.

The moment quickly sparked backlash online

The cringe factor did not end there.

After being pronounced husband and wife, the couple sealed the deal with an unusually intense kiss, locking tongues for several seconds in front of their guests.

The moment quickly sparked backlash online, with viewers labelling it 'too much' and 'hard to watch'.

Alissa later joked that while she was annoyed David took so long to get on one knee, the kiss made up for it.

At the reception, David's friends warned him that Alissa's dominant personality could overpower his laid-back nature, while David privately questioned whether the altar stunt was a sign of deeper issues ahead.

Alissa apologised for how the moment unfolded and revealed she shared David's Christian faith, a confession that appeared to ease his concerns and bring the pair back to steadier ground.

Despite the rocky start, both agreed to continue with the experiment, though David conceded the wedding day had already raised serious questions about what lay ahead.

Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine
Alan Carr has revealed how he accidentally let slip that he'd won Celebrity Traitors within hours of filming the grand final.

Eleven million viewers watched last year as the treacherous funnyman, 49, beat faithfuls Joe Marler, 35, Nick Mohammed, 45, and David Olusoga, 55, to claim the 87,500 prize pot for charity.

But while everyone is sworn to secrecy after filming wraps ahead of transmission, Alan has confessed he only managed to keep the secret for 12 hours.

Speaking on Scott Mill's BBC Radio 2 show, he explained how he accidentally let the cat out of the bag after heading to film new Channel 4 show Secret Genius, straight after his return from the Scottish highlands.

Alan laughed: 'The cameraman goes: "Congratulations" and I go: "How did you know I won?" He said "I didn't"'.

'So I told them within 12 hours that I had won The Traitors.'

Alan Carr has revealed how he accidentally let slip that he'd won Celebrity Traitors within hours of filming the grand final

Eleven million viewers watched last year as the treacherous funnyman, 49, beat faithfuls Joe Marler, 35, Nick Mohammed, 45, and David Olusoga, 55, to claim the 87,500 prize pot

Alan said after realising what he had done, tried his best to backtrack and told the camera operator he was 'joking and teasing'

'I went: "haha, got you!" I had to backtrack, because you can't tell anything But I did well, and I didn't want to spoil it'.

Meanwhile the home in sun-soaked Corfu Alan and Amanda Holden renovated for their BBC show is reportedly set to make a huge profit after going on sale.

The BGT judge, 54, and her comedian pal transformed the run down property after heading to Greece for their latest series, following them rescuing similar homes in Italy and Spain.

And now all their hard work appears to be paying off after the house went on sale for a whopping 585K, which would net them a cool 350,000 profit.

According to The Sun the picturesque property in the village of Kokkini was bought for just 30,000 and all profits will go to Children in Need and Comic Relief.

Branding the refurb their 'worst' ever, Alan said on the show: 'I don't even think it was a house! Even though we're getting better at DIY, when we saw the state of it, my heart sank. But the transformation was mind-blowing'.

While Amanda added: 'It didn't have stairs inside, it didn't have windows. Oh yes, and there was a message in blood written on the door outside.'

Speaking on Scott Mill's BBC Radio 2 show, he explained how he accidentally let the cat out of the bag after heading to film new Channel 4 show Secret Genius

Alan laughed: 'The cameraman goes: "Congratulations" and I go: "How did you know I won?" He said "I didn't"'

Daily Mail have contacted BBC for comment.

Alan has also opened up about why he doesn't want the Strictly Come Dancing host job - urging the BBC to 'give it to someone else!'

Previous speculation suggested the comedian, 49, and pal Amanda Holden, 54, were being lined up as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman's successors.

Speaking at a Q&A for his new Channel 4 show Secret Genius, Alan revealed why he isn't interested in taking up the gig.

While acknowledging it would be 'an honour', he explained: 'I just think I like watching the show, I don't love it.

The home in sun-soaked Corfu Alan and Amanda Holden renovated for their BBC show is reportedly set to make a huge profit after going on sale

The BGT judge, 54, and comedian transformed the run down property (pictured) after heading to Greece for their latest series after previously rescuing homes in Italy and Spain

'I think it would be better for someone who really, really loves it, you know.

'And they asked me all the time to be on it and stuff. I just think, wouldn't it be great to get someone fresh, someone new.

'That show is so adored and so loved. You want someone in there who's like, 'Yeah, this Paso Doble was'. I don't give a s**t.

'Give it to someone else, yeah.'
A guest on the Antiques Roadshow couldn't help but gasp in shock after discovering the eye-watering value of a painting he bought for just 20.

The stunning portrait featured on a recently-aired episode of the popular programme filmed at Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery in west London.

Featuring a young boy in a contemplative pose, it wowed expert Frances Christie, who said that the piece looked like it could have been painted yesterday, despite dating back to the late 19th or early 20th century.

She explained that it was by a classically trained Dutch artist by the name of F. D. Oerder, who had managed to use oil to capture the boy's 'very subtle facial features and thoughtfulness'.

Recounting how he acquired the painting, the guest said: 'Well I was brought up in South Africa, born in Cape Town, and came to the UK in the mid-80s, but always went back to visit family

'I saw it in a bric-a-brac shop probably in 1998, I should think. As soon as I saw him I thought "I have to have that" so I bought him and brought him back to the UK and he's been here ever since.'

A guest on the Antiques Roadshow couldn't help but gasp in shock after discovering the eye-watering value of a painting he bought for just 20

The stunning portrait of a young boy featured on a recently-aired episode of the popular programme filmed at Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery in west London

He added of the painting's price: 'I can't remember. I think it was probably between 20 and 30 or around the equivalent of that.'

Frances then speculated a little more about the painting's subject and said that she believed it was a piece from the artist's personal collection and featured a boy who he had asked to sit for a portrait rather than a paying client.

The expert then revealed the all-important valuation - and it's safe to say that the painting's owner made a very good investment with his 20.

She said: 'I think if this was to come to auction today I can't see an estimate of any less than 12,000 to 18,000.'

Reacting to the staggering valuation, the gobsmacked guest said: 'Really? Gosh, that's amazing. I had no idea!

'Thank you so much that's so fascinating about him. Thank you.

'I learned so much about the artist and what Frances told me about the picture and how he painted it was just fascinating.

'And then to hear, compared to what I paid, what it might be worth is just incredible.'

The painting wowed expert Frances Christie, who said that the piece looked like it could have been painted yesterday, despite dating back to the late 19th or early 20th century, and she valued the piece at between 12,000 and 18,0000

The eye-watering valuation comes after another quest was recently left stunned when an item left behind by the previous owners of her home was valued for a whopping SIX FIGURES.

Fiona Bruce and the BBC show's team went to Firsite contemporary art gallery in Colchester for the episode which was shown last weekend.

During the episode, expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan was seen assessing the value of an unusual ironwood pole club.

The visitor explained her in-laws discovered the item initially, after buying a new home and discovering it had been left behind by the previous owners.

She elaborated: 'In the 1960s, my husband's parents bought a house in West Wales with all its contents and this was in its contents.'

Through internet research, her family guessed that the pole club may originate from Fiji.

Expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan assessed the value of the ironwood pole club, as well as giving background on its history

Ronnie was noticeably impressed with the object and revealed it would fetch an impressive amount of between 100,000 and 150,000

Ronnie revealed it was actually from the Cook Islands, adding: 'This is a magnificent ironwood pole club and the Cook Islands people call it an akatara.

'They were made either on the island of Rarotonga or Atiu.'

He recounted the story of Captain Cook, who travelled to Polynesia and how, on his third visit, his surgeon spotted one of these pole clubs.

Ronnie continued: 'Originally, this would have been a fighting weapon, but by the time there was contact from the West, this had become a ceremonial weapon imbued with manna.

'And manna is like the spiritual power of the warrior chief who would have owned this.

'I feel as though I've got the power holding this. It's such an impressive object.'

Furthermore, he could deduce the item's age - 18th century - by identifying that it is stone cut.

He added: 'The 1770s when Cook arrived. If this could be attributed to anything to do with James Cook, wow. Things like this have a value.'

As Antiques Roadshow visited Firstsite in Colchester, a guest was left surprised by the value of their unusual item

He said: 'It's a shame about the damage. There's a little bit of the tip missing, but it doesn't detract from its energy and power.

'If I wanted to put it into a sale - and this would go into a top sale in Paris - they would put a very comfortable pre sale estimate between 100,000 and 150,000.'

The guest was surprised to hear this, as she said: 'Crikey. That's amazing, really amazing.'

Speaking to the camera later on, the guest shared: 'I just can't believe how did something like that end up in an old house in the middle of Wales?

'How did it get there? I'd love to be able to step back in time and follows its journey because it's just incredible.'

Antiques Roadshow airs Sundays on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
Jeremy Clarkson has been left 'disgusted' by a 'completely realistic' post claiming that one of the stars of Clarkson's Farm had died in a twisted AI hoax.

The former Top Gear presenter hit out against the 'completely realistic' post that claimed one of his co-stars on the Prime Video show had passed away.

Jeremy, 65, was left fuming after spotting a series of posts on Facebook, which detailed a number of fake disasters that were claimed to have happened on his Oxfordshire farm.

It included a 'news' post that his dry stone wall expert and 'head of security' Gerald Cooper had died  after he was diagnosed with lung cancer in the show's third series.

The posts also claimed that his wife Lisa had left him, that Jeremy had broken his leg, and that his farm hand, Kaleb Cooper, had welcomed a fourth child.

The stories, none of which were true, were posted alongside AI-generated images which appeared to back up their claims, according to Jeremy.

Jeremy Clarkson has been left 'disgusted' by a 'completely realistic' post claiming that one of the stars of Clarkson's Farm had died in a twisted AI hoax

The hoax posts detailed 'news' that dry stone wall expert and 'head of security' Gerald Cooper had died  after he was diagnosed with lung cancer in the show's third series

He penned in his column in The Sun: 'On Facebook this week, we heard from just my farm alone that Gerald has died, Kaleb has had another kid, Lisa has left me, and Ive broken my leg.

All of the stories were accompanied by a completely realistic photograph. And all of them were complete nonsense.

'Do I mind? Yes. Mostly because Gerald is unused to being in the public eye, and it worries him that his kids see this kind of thing online. So whoevers doing it, pack it in.

He went on to hit out at AI users for 'digitally removing clothes' from images of people  after X's Grok feature was being utilised by users to 'digitally undress' people.

Gerald, who has been part of the Prime Video show since its first season in 2021, revealed that he was cancer-free after treatment for prostate cancer in 2024.

The diagnosis came when he and the Clarkson's Farm team were filming for the third series of the TV series, with Jeremy reacting to the news in one episode.

He told the cameras: 'Ive been phoning around, doctors and things I know, and his odds are really good, but its scaring him to death.

'I know he doesnt understand and hes bewildered because, for obvious reasons, somebody said, Look, Im sorry its cancer, and thats all he heard. Hes desperately upset, terrified. Poor man.

Gerald (middle) was declared cancer-free in 2024

The AI hoax on Facebook also claimed that he had split from wife Lisa

Another hoax claimed that Jeremy's co-star Kaleb (right) had welcomed another child

Gerald updated fans about his condition in 2024, revealing he was 'happy and cancer-free' after going through treatment and thanked 'everyone for supporting' him.

It comes after Jeremy issued a brutal response to a fan who hit out that Brexit was to blame for struggling British farms  as his following begged for him to be made agricultural minister.

The former Top Gear star hit out that the follower should question their 'grasp on reality' during a heated exchange on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Jeremy responded to the comments left by his fans under a video he filmed for farming campaign group No Farmers, No Food, which advocated for fair pay, sustainable practice and government policies to keep the industry stable.

Speaking in a video filmed on his phone, the TV presenter said: 'I'm Jeremy Clarkson, and in the next Parliament I'd like to see the Government prioritising farming.

'We've been asked to diversify and when we try to do that, the local authorities tell us we can't and that needs addressing.'

One X user replied under the video: 'Please join Reform. You could be their advisor/intermediate between Farmers on Farming and what they need.'

A second disagreed: 'The former Brexit party is the reason why most farms are struggling. They lost subsidies from the EU and its now cheaper for most shops to buy from the EU then domestically.'

Jeremy recently hit back at fans in an X debate about British farming

To which Jeremy hit back: 'Oh dear. You dont seem to have grasp of reality.'

The heated exchange fired the debate between X users about farming in Britain, with some even calling for Jeremy to be agricultural minister.

One wrote: 'Farmers are the most important people. Without them we starve,' as another chimed in: 'Always buy as local to you as you can.'

'Stand for council,' someone else encouraged, as another fan wrote: 'Jeremy Clarkson for agricultural minister.'

'Double edged sword. They tell you to diversify, but tie your hands so you can't,' a fourth person penned, while a fifth wrote: 'What I don't understand is....why is it okay for one set of people, to tell another set of people, what they can and cannot grow or build on own land?'

The No Farmers, No Food account is a farming advocacy campaign that was founded by media commentator James Melville, who grew up on a family farm in Scotland.

The account is run by 20 farmers across the UK, and features videos and quotes from famous faces talking about farming, including Jeremy, David Beckham and Saturday Kitchen's James Martin.

Clarkson recently distanced himself from the group, despite being a prominent supporter of British farmers and often sharing his thoughts online.

He wrote on his social media profile in 2025 he has 'nothing to do with the account' after he was associated with an incorrect quote shared by the page.

Clarkson's Farm is available to stream on Prime Video
If you're looking for a new crime thriller to watch this month, Channel 4's latest offering, which left viewers 'gripped' with its 'chilling secrets,' might be just up your street.

Based on the bestselling Nora Sand book franchise by Lone Theils, all six episodes of The Pushover are now available to watch for free.

The show's IMDb synopsis reads: 'This new Danish thriller kicks off with a body in a swimming pool in a wealthy suburb.

'The death immediately draws the attention of Chief Inspector Morten Stark, who begins the official police investigation into what looks like a murder.

'But he's not the only one asking questions. Copenhagen journalist Nora Sand starts her own...'

The story is set in Denmark's North Zealand region, which is also known as the Danish Riveria, and is famed for its old-fashioned boats and sandy dunes.

If you're looking for a new crime thriller to watch this month, Channel 4's latest offering that's left viewers 'gripped' with its 'chilling secrets' might be perfectly up your street - The Pushover

Based on the bestselling Nora Sand book franchise, all six episodes of The Pushover are now available to watch for free

The series is actually the second to feature Lorna Sand, and if you're a fan of the books, you're very much in luck as the first, Fatal Crossing, is also available to stream on Channel 4.

Author Lone Theils said of the adaptation: 'I am incredibly happy and proud that [production company] Shuuto is now shooting the second season from the Nora Sand universe.

'It has been a magical experience to see my character come to life on the screen.

'I am unspeakably happy that Nora has touched so many readers and viewers alike.'

The thriller has had a mixed reception on IMDb, where it is rated 5.5 out of 10.

However, the most recent and most popular reviews of the first episode give the show a more impressive rating of 6.9 out of 10.

The series' six episodes are all around 40 minutes long and are named to reflect their content - The Murder, The Confession, The Reconstruction, The Interview, The Connection and the bizarre finale entitled The House.

One viewer who gave the show 8 out of 10 described the show as an example of 'classic Scandi noir.'

The thriller has had a mixed reception on IMDb, where it is rated 5.5 out of 10

One viewer who gave the show 8 out of ten described the show as an example of 'classic Scandi noir

They wrote: 'This is an intelligent and quietly gripping crime drama, with a strong focus on complex, believable characters as well as a solid and carefully constructed plot.

'The pacing is confident and restrained, allowing the story to unfold naturally. Classic Nordic noir at its best, and a must for anyone who truly enjoys high-quality Scandinavian drama.'

A more modest five out of ten review described the series as a 'slow burn story of police incompetence'.

It read: 'I like Scandi crime series, but this one is very slow and paints the picture that the police force is so incompetent- which you have to argue is just not what would happen in real life!'

The viewer suggested: 'Just disappointed that the story could not have been more believable and captivating if it had more challenge between the characters - up the tension and get the viewer engaged - rather than watching in the failed hope that finally it would give you the punch in the face it needed to.'

The Pushover is available to stream for free on Channel 4.
The BBC has dropped a first-look trailer for the third series of its high-octane thriller series The Capture, as the show draws focus on a new shock conspiracy.

The popular series, which was launched on BBC One in 2019 and stars the likes of Holliday Grainger and Paapa Essiedu, will soon make its return to screens.

Holliday, 37, will return as Rachel Carey, who this time will have to face a fast unfolding geopolitical crisis after an act of terror happens in London.

The trailer sees Carey, now the Acting Commander of Counter Terrorism Command, wielding a weapon, before having a bag placed over her head as she appears to be battling for her life.

The synopsis teases: 'Its been 12 months since Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger) broadcast a live deepfake of a government minister to the nation, exposing the UK intelligence services clandestine video manipulation programme known as Correction.

'Amidst an inquiry into the unlawful use of Correction, Carey has become Acting Commander of Counter Terrorism Command, determined to regain the publics trust in surveillance technology through the new Operation Veritas camera system.

The BBC has dropped a first-look trailer for the third series of its high-octane thriller series The Capture, as the show draws focus on a new shock conspiracy

The popular series, which was launched on BBC One in 2019 and stars the likes of Holliday Grainger and Paapa Essiedu, will soon make its return to screens

'And then it happens: a brutal and exceptionally well-coordinated act of terror aimed right at the heart of the British establishment that leaves behind just one witness.

'The more Carey investigates, the deeper she is drawn into an unfolding geopolitical crisis that infects the British political establishment, the security services, and the media.

'The conspiracy reaches deep into the State, but just who is pulling the strings? Caught in an increasingly violent situation, and with few allies left to trust, what sacrifices will Carey be willing to make?'

Rachel is heard saying in the trailer: 'The question we asked ourselves a year ago has become even more urgent. How do we sort fact from fiction? How can we believe what we see?'

The new series also stars the likes of Game Of Thrones star Indira Varma, Douglas Is Cancelled's Ben Miles, and Kiri's Lia Williams.

Ginny Holder, Nigel Lindsay and Ron Perlman will also return, alongside new stars Joe Dempsie, Killian Scott, Hugh Quarshie, Linus Roache, Jonathan Aris, Andrew Buchan and Amanda Drew.

The new series was confirmed last year after a second season dropped with six hour-long episodes following Carey taking down a deepfake plot.

Viewers of The Capture have hailed its remarkable knack of building tension, as well as its rich storylines, gaining it a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, including a perfect 100% rating among critics for the second season.

The trailer sees Carey, now the Acting Commander of Counter Terrorism Command, wielding a weapon, before having a bag placed over her head as she appears to be battling for her life

A brutal and exceptionally well-coordinated act of terror aimed right at the heart of the British establishment will feature in the new series

The series honed in on the dark world of deepfakes and international espionage, developing a string of frighteningly prescient plots.

In the opening season, a soldier fell victim to manipulated tech-based evidence amid the disappearance of his barrister, while the following series focused on a government minister caught up in a deep fake campaign.

Fans of the show will be delighted to hear of its return after the opening seasons gripped viewers, with many penning positive reviews online.

One said on Rotten Tomatoes: 'Provocative and tense would be two words that spring to mind immediately. The central premise is engaging and pushes the boundaries of our imagination while not falling prey to the outlandishness that currently holds Hollywood ransom.'

Another impressed viewer added: 'For me this was a slightly slow start/slow burn but once I was hooked l could not stop watching. Interesting if a little scary Big Brother plotline. Some great British actors too.'

A third fan posted: 'One of the best series I've ever watched. Thought the first season was good but the 2nd takes it to the next level. Need more series like this. The ending was sublime, left me utterly speechless.'

One user added: 'Just wow! Acting was amazing. Dialogue was well done and the plot was amazing. The finale episode was great and the ending was so unexpected I was speechless.'

Another fan said: 'The second season is a strong step up from what was already a good series. This season evolves into an even more intriguing storyline, with a very good ending.

The new series also stars the likes of Game Of Thrones star Indira Varma

'This is an important series to watch on the growing threat of deep fake technology and government abuse of power. The only negative was Ron Perlman's acting.'

And a hooked viewer added: 'Excellent intelligent hi tech thriller. Lots of twists and turns makes an edge of seat viewing for each episode and leaves you wanting more every time.

'An intense thoughtful plot with five protagonists and in keeping with the story, you are never quite sure who is on who's side. Holly (Grainger) is exceptional again and the BBC again shows it is able to produce world class drama - again.'

Both seasons followed Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger), who is part of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, with the opening run seeing her world collide with that of soldier Shaun, an alleged war criminal acquitted of his charges in Afghanistan.

The armed forces member, played by Dua Lipa's fiance Callum Turner, had his life turn upside down after his barrister goes missing and manipulated CCTV footage makes him question his own recollection of events.

His performance earned him a nomination at the BAFTAs for Best Actor.

The Capture series three will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this spring
Married At First Sight returned with a bang on Monday night.

And already the show's 'wildest bride ever' Gia Fleur has viewers talking after she made a racy, ballsy entrance during the premiere episode.

The 35-year-old disability support worker from Victoria put on a busty display, shaking her cleavage for the camera while she made a bowl of pasta.

From the outset, Gia made it clear she sees herself as the dominant force in her future marriage, proudly embracing her fiery heritage and unapologetic confidence.

'I am a typical Italian. I can be a bit spicy and a bit crazy. I definitely take pride in my appearance,' she said.

'My husband, he's gotta keep up with me. I will keep him on his toes. I'm not easy, but with men, I always get my way,' Gia declared.

Married At First Sight returned with a bang on Monday night. And already the show's 'wildest bride ever' Gia Fleur (pictured) has viewers talking after she made a racy, ballsy entrance

'It's easy to know why. Beautiful fake t*ts. He's gonna listen to me, isn't he?'

For Gia, glamour is non-negotiable, even before sunrise.

'I'm up at 6:00 AM looking like a Barbie. That's, that's it.'

Gia's brutally honest take on how other women perceive her also raised some eyebrows.

'Other women are like, 'Oh, look at her. Like stuck-up b***h.' Like, why is she, why does she feel the need to have her t*ts out?' she said.

'Like, 'cause Karen, I wanna have my t*ts out. What's wrong with that? Like, I don't care. I don't give a s**t.'

Fans tuning in at home found Gia a bit much, with several pinpointing the buxom blonde as this year's villain.

'Gia seems like an immense amount of work. It better not be the nice guy that she's paired with,' wrote one person on X.

'I am a typical Italian. I can be a bit spicy and a bit crazy. I definitely take pride in my appearance,' she said

The 35-year-old disability support worker from Victoria put on a busty display, shaking her cleavage for the camera while she made a bowl of pasta

Fans tuning in at home found Gia a bit much, with several pinpointing the buxom blonde as this year's villain

Another said: 'The women seemed nice then along came Gia and her fake fun bags.'

'Gia is here for one thing, and one thing only: Instagram followers,' one more chimed in.

'Ladies and gentlemen we have our villain,' commented one viewer, while another said, 'Enter this year's Drama Queen.'

'Here comes the psycho. Gosh I love this show,' enthused one person, with someone else writing, 'In comes the villain.'

Others tuning in at home enjoyed Gia's huge personality.

'Gia is gonna be such hard work but it's giving iconic and honestly, I can't wait to see how this goes,' one fan said.

Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine
Janet Street Porter shocked the Loose Women audience by revealing that she has got married for a FIFTH time on Monday's episode of the show.

Admitting that she 'saved the best till last', the media personality, 79, was all smiles as she shared her happy news with her husband Peter Spanton via video link.

Janet, who got married over the weekend, said: 'Hi everyone, I've been keeping a big secret, its my big news for everyone that's watching

'Peter and me got married on Saturday.

'So there you are. I finally did it. I saved the best till last.'

Janet and the British businessman have been romantically linked since 1999.

Janet Street Porter shocked the Loose Women audience by revealing that she has got married for a FIFTH time on Monday's episode of the show

Janet and British businessman Peter Spanton have romantically linked since 1999

The media personality's Loose Women co-stars Brenda Edwards, Kaye Adams, Sue Cleaver and Nadia Sawalha were all quick to offer their congratulations.

Kaye couldn't help but point out: 'Husband number five.'

Brenda then joked: 'Stop counting numbers!'

Offering more serious messages of support following the ceremony in Great Yarmouth, Brenda became emotional and simply said 'congratulations'.

Kaye added: 'She looks content, radiant and happy.'

Janet's first marriage was to Tim Street-Porter way back in 1967, but the pair split in 1975.

She then tied the knot in 1975 to English publisher Tony Elliot - however, by 1977, the pair were divorced.

Her third marriage came later that decade to Canadian documentary filmmaker Frank Cvitanovich in 1979, but this union was also relatively short-lived, and the pair divorced in 1981.

Janet, pictured here with her new husband via video link, said on Loose Women: 'Hi everyone, I've been keeping a big secret, it's my big news for everyone that's watching Peter and me got married on Saturday.'

Offering more serious messages of support following the ceremony in Great Yarmouth, Brenda became emotional and simply said 'congratulations'

The media personality's Loose Women co-stars Brenda Edwards, Kaye Adams, Sue Cleaver and Nadia Sawalha were all quick to offer their congratulations

The star's fourth - and most recent husband until this weekend - was David Sorkin, who she was married to between 1997 and 1999.

Janet previously told The Guardian that she has had so many seriously relationships over the years that she has a good understanding of how men's minds work.

She said: 'I've been married four times and lived with a lot of blokes  I know how mens minds work.

'What have all the men I've been with got in common? They're all pathetically grateful.'

Janet does not have any children and previously wrote about not being a mother in a column for The Independent.

She said 'there's no stigma in not having children' and said that she does not 'miss' motherhood.

Janet wrote: 'Men are far more demanding  especially creative, imaginative men who live in their own heads. I have certainly enjoyed the dramas and the delights of their company.

'I wouldn't swap a smart man for a toddler or a goldfish.'

Her third marriage came later that decade to Canadian documentary filmmaker Frank Cvitanovich (pictureed) in 1979, but this union was also relatively short-lived, and the pair divorced in 1981.

Janet admitted that by the time she walked down the aisle in 1999, she was having a 'midlife crisis' - and that's why she married 27-year-old David Sorkin (pictured) in her 50s

Janet has previously spoken about her failed marriages and said her first marriage to Tim Street-Porter ended due to her own infidelity.

Explaining her reasons, Janet, who was 19 when she first got married, said that she felt like she was 'too young to be tied down' - despite going on to marry again the same year.

Janet's second marriage, meanwhile, to Tony Elliot lasted a mere two years, but she said that the pair knew it was a mistake from the get-go.

She told the Loose Women panelists: 'I turned to him and said, "Well that was a mistake," within 24 hours [of marrying] and he said, "I agree".

'I said, "We were such great friends, exactly the same age, why on earth did we get married?"'

Following her third marriage to Frank Cvitanovich, Janet admitted that by the time she walked down the aisle in 1999, she was having a 'midlife crisis' - and that's why she married 27-year-old David Sorkin in her 50s.

In Monday's Loose Women, Brenda Edwards broke down in tears as she discussed the loss of her son Jamal

Brenda tragically lost Jamal in February 2022, when the music producer passed away aged just 31

Prior to Janet's happy news on Monday's episode of Loose Women, Brenda broke down in tears on discussing the death of her son Jamal - as her fellow ITV panelists rushed to comfort her.

The singer and presenter, 56, tragically lost Jamal back in February 2022 when he passed away aged 31.

During Monday's (February 2) episode of Loose Women, the group - which included Brenda, Kaye Adams, Sue Cleaver and Nadia Sawalha - discussed the topic of grief.

Speaking in the programme, Brenda said: 'I find it so comforting to hear stories about Jamal all the time.

'I love it and I get messages from people and it's really comforting. But there's such a wave.

'It seems like 20 hours out of a 24 hour day, I'm just in a...'

Actress and singer Brenda has previously moved the Loose Women panel with her perspective on bereavement

At this point, Brenda became noticeably emotional and brought to tears, as her co-stars offered comfort.

One viewer wrote: 'I love Brenda Edwards, bless her for getting upset today on Loose Women. Sending my love. xx.'

Another added: '@loosewomen Lots of love & hugs to Brenda Edwards.'

A third shared: 'My heart aches for Brenda.'

While a fourth chimed in: 'I dont believe there is a greater grief than losing your child, no matter the circumstances. I dont think you ever recover from that.'

A fifth commented: 'Oh dear thats incredibly difficult for Brenda today on #loosewomen.

'We all have our triggers who what sets us off and there should be no judgement for how we individually deal with it.'

DJ and music entrepreneur Jamal tragically died from a cardiac arrest, brought on from cocaine and alcohol.

In a previous episode, the four women talked about how they 'keep calm and carry on' and Brenda opened up about how she has dealt with difficult times

He gained fame from setting up new music platform SB.TV, which helped to launch Ed's career.

Last year, Brenda moved other members of the Loose Women panel when she shared her thoughts about bereavement.

She told Charlene White, Linda Robson and Gloria Hunniford: ' I like to say the keep calm and carry on T-shirt is permanently with me.

'Obviously everybody knows everything that I've been through, but it's like you need a tool kit.'

The TV star elaborated how she believes you need different things to get you through trials in life.

Brenda explained: 'You might have a ladder because you've got the ups and the downs, you might have a hammer because it just bashes you sometimes. And I like a spirit level to keep me on the straight line and you've got to have some glue to try and put yourself back together after it.'
She recently emerged on Instagram with a brand new look after a months-long absence.

And now Phoebe Burgess' followers have questioned the former NRL WAG's makeover.

The ex wife of footy star Sam Burgess showed off her very slender frame, deep tan and fresh complexion in a carousel of photos celebrating her time in Noosa during the school holidays on Sunday evening.

In the images, the influencer beamed as she posed with her two children at the local cafe.

In the comments section, a couple of people asked Phoebe about her plump pout.

'What have you done to your lips?' one asked, as another commented 'Don't know about those lips.'

Fans of Sam Burgess' ex wife Phoebe have asked the influencer what she has done to her lips after she posted photos of herself on school holidays

Meanwhile, others praised the single mother's summer look.

'All looking tanned and terrific,' one said, while another wrote: 'Gorgeous x'

Phoebe also unveiled her slimmed-down figure in the post.

The mother-of-two flaunted her super slender frame in a blue and black striped maxi dress as she cuddled up to her daughter Poppy, nine, and son Billy, seven.

Phoebe recently started posting on Instagram again after months-long silence since November.

Phoebe's social media re-emergence came after ex Sam was reunited with their two children earlier this month.

The footy star's second wife, Lucy, shared a photo of the former NRL player's reunion with his daughter and son.

The English-born athlete beamed from ear to ear in one picture, which captured him posing with all four of his children: his two with Phoebe and the two he shares with Lucy  daughter Robbie, two, and son Mack, three months.

Join the debate How do you feel about the pressure on women like Phoebe Burgess to constantly update their looks?

The ex wife of footy star Sam Burgess showed off her very slender frame, deep tan and fresh complexion in a carousel of photos celebrating her time in Noosa during the school holidays on Sunday evening

In the comments section, a couple of people asked Phoebe about her plump pout

'What have you done to your lips?' one asked, as another commented 'Don't know about those lips'

Phoebe also unveiled her slimmed-down figure in the post

It is believed that it was the first time Billy and Poppy had met their half-brother Mack.

Footage also showed Sam playing a fun game of rugby with Billy in a backyard.

A third picture showed Sam posing alongside his wife Lucy, the happy couple smiling as they enjoyed some downtime in Sydney.

The gallery was captioned: 'Family time'.

Since 2023, Sam has been mostly separated from Billy and Poppy after he moved to the UK with Lucy.

The two children live with Phoebe and her family in the Southern Highlands in NSW.

Sam and Phoebe were married for four years before splitting in 2019.

He went on to marry Lucy in 2024 in a lavish Italian wedding after two years of dating.
Don Lemon made his arrival at the 68th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night - just days after his controversial arrest.

The former CNN anchor, 59, was arrested on Thursday, January 29 after he joined anti-ICE protesters who stormed a Minnesota church earlier this month.

Lemon, who insists he was acting as a journalist, was charged federally with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers.

He was released from custody without bail on Friday following a court hearing in Los Angeles and is expected to enter a not guilty plea, according to his attorney.

Lemon was joined by his husband Tim Malone, 41, at the star-studded music ceremony, held at the the Crypto.com Arena.

Despite his legal woes, Lemon looked chipper as he smiled for red carpet photographers while wearing an off white blazer, trousers and a white dress shirt.

Don Lemonmade his highly anticipated arrival at the 68th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night - just days after his controversial arrest

Lemon was joined by his husband Tim Malone, 41, at the star-studded music ceremony, held at the the Crypto.com Arena

Hours earlier, Lemom received a standing ovation from Hollywood at a lavish pre-Grammy Awards party.

Lemon was among the A-list guests at Clive Davis's iconic Pre-Grammy gala in Beverly Hills on Saturday night.

Lemon earned roaring applause after someone who appeared to be host Clive Davis recognized him over the microphone in wake of the reporter's recent arrest.

Most of the attendees inside the Beverly Hilton - which is where Lemon was reportedly arrested just days earlier - rose from their seats to honor Lemon as he stood up and mouthed 'thank you.'

Lemon shared footage of the moment to his Instagram, calling it 'extraordinary' as he expressed gratitude for the support he's received.

'Thank you, Clive Davis, for having us and for such an extraordinary welcome. Feeling deeply supported right now!' the journalist penned in the caption.

In the comment's section of his post, Lemon added, 'Thank you all for the support, it means the world right now!'

Despite his legal woes, photos from Clive Davis's Pre-Grammy gala showed Lemon looking happy and stylish in a sleek all-black outfit.

He was seen mingling with celebrity attendees, including rapper Busta Rhymes, and posed for photos with husband Malone.

Lemon, 59, was arrested in Los Angeles and indicted Friday for conspiracy to deprive congregants of their rights and interfering with religious freedom in a house of worship.

The charges came after he attended a protest that interrupted a service at Cities Church in St Paul on January 18.

Demonstrators targeted Pastor David Easterwood, who reportedly also works as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.

Lemon insists that although he attended the protest, he was just there to report on it. Another independent journalist, Georgia Fort, was also indicted for attending.

Lemon was released without bond after the initial court hearings on Friday.

Despite his legal woes, Lemon looked chipper as he smiled for photographers while wearing an off white blazer, trousers and a white dress shirt

He posed for several solo shots on the red carpet

His husband also joined in on the red carpet fun

Brandi Carlile cozied up to Lemon ahead of the ceremony

The Grammy nominee planted a kiss on Lemon's cheek

Hours earlier, Lemon received a standing ovation from Hollywood at a lavish pre-Grammy Awards party

On Saturday night, Lemon was among the A-list guests at Clive Davis's iconic Pre-Grammy gala in Beverly Hills

Attendees rose from their seats after host Clive Davis recognized Lemon during the soiree

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During his 20 minute appearance Lemon didn't enter a formal plea but his lawyer Marilyn Bednarski told the court that he was pleading not guilty.

'He's committed to fighting this case - he's not going anywhere,' Bednarski told the court when prosecutors asked for Judge Patricia Donahue to impose bail of $100,000 on Lemon, who had been in custody overnight after his arrest Thursday in Beverly Hills.

Prosecutors also asked the judge to order Lemon, who is in Los Angeles to cover the Grammy Awards, to surrender his passport and restrict his travel to New York where he lives and Minnesota.

'This is a very serious felony,' argued lead government attorney Alexander Robbins at the packed hearing which was attended by LA mayor Karen Bass and Lemon's husband Tim Malone, whom the journalist blew a kiss to.

Bednarski countered that as an international reporter, restricting his travel would be 'inappropriate.'

'He is not a flight risk. He is not a danger whatsoever. He has no criminal convictions. He has been a journalist since he graduated journalism school in 1996. That's what he does.'

Judge Donahue rejected federal prosecutors' request for $100,000 bail and released Lemon on his own recognizance.

She also said he could go on a planned sailing trip to France in June, 'so long as it does not interfere with any upcoming court proceedings in Minnesota,' where Lemon will face his next hearing on February 9.

Most of the attendees in the room rose from their seats to honor Lemon as he waved and mouthed 'thank you'

Lemon shared footage of the moment to his Instagram, calling it 'extraordinary' as he expressed gratitude for the support he's received

In the comment's section of his post, Lemon added, 'Thank you all for the support, it means the world right now!'

Lemon was joined by his husband Tim Malone, 41, at the party

He was seen mingling with celebrity attendees, including rapper Busta Rhymes

The judge also ordered Lemon to 'have no contact with victims or witnesses' in his case.

The White House mocked Lemon after his arrest.

'When life gives you lemons...' the official Trump administration account said in a post, captioning a black and white image of Lemon inside the church.

The incident was filmed for his show at the Cities Church in St Paul on January 18 where he captured protesters opposed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting the church because one of its pastors, David Easterwood, also leads the local ICE field office.

Protesters screamed and harassed worshippers during the incident, which sparked nationwide fury.

In his footage from the storming of the church, Lemon was seen arguing with a church pastor who called his antics 'shameless.'

Lemon insisted that his behavior was covered by the First Amendment, as he fumed to the pastor: 'There's a Constitution and a First Amendment, and freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and protest.'

He also later bragged on Jennifer Welch's 'I've Had It' podcast on Monday afternoon that he was the 'biggest name' at the anti-ICE church protest.

'You know, I said, 'I don't understand how I've become the face of it when I was a journalist' - I do understand that, I was the biggest name there,' Lemon told Welch.

Lemon was released from custody without bail on Friday following a court hearing in Los Angelesand is expected to enter a not guilty plea, according to his attorney; seen Friday

'He's committed to fighting this case - he's not going anywhere,' Bednarski told the court when prosecutors asked for Judge Patricia Donahue to impose bail of $100,000 on Lemon; seen Friday

The independent journalist then shared the message his producers gave him after realizing how much of a stir he made.

'I was on with my producers this morning... My producers were saying, I said, 'How did I become the face of this?', and my producers said Don, you're a gay, black man in America.

'And you have a platform, and you're the biggest name. Of course you're going to be the person that they single out, and they're gonna make the headline because it plays to their base, and their base is full of racist, bigoted homophobes like Nicki Minaj, by the way,' Lemon added.

A few days later, Lemon was indicted by a grand jury in Minnesota, and has been charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and a violation of the FACE act, which prohibits interfering with someone's right to worship.

Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, has said he has no affiliation to the organization that went into the church and that he was there as an independent journalist chronicling protesters.

Along with Lemon's arrest, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Jaunary 22 that Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen had been taken into custody.

FBI Director Kash Patel later said that a third protester, William Kelly, had also been detained.

A source told the Daily Mail that Lemon was seen being handcuffed while flanked by FBI and Homeland Security agents, and he 'didn't look overly happy.'

Lemon was seen in footage from the incident on January 18th arguing with the church pastor as anti-ICE protesters screamed and harassed worshippers

'When life gives you lemons...' the official Trump administration account said in a post, captioning a black and white image of Lemon inside the church

An insider familiar with the investigation added that prosecutors considered that Lemon would likely enjoy the publicity of his arrest, and said it was 'definitely a downside' to bringing charges against him.

'He'll write a book and act like he's a martyr,' the source said. 'But I also think if you don't do anything you send a message that people can disrupt church services, and I think they have to cut that s*** off and enforce the law.'

Lemon began his journalism career as a weekend news anchor at a local station in Birmingham, Alabama, before working at outlets in Pennsylvania and Missouri.

He went on to join NBC News from 2003 to 2006, before joining CNN in 2006. After eight years at the network he'd get his big gig anchoring CNN Tonight from 2014 until his firing in 2023.

In 2024, he launched The Don Lemon Show as a podcast and YouTube series and married his longtime partner, real estate agent Tim Malone.
Timothee Chalamet appeared to get slightly flustered after he was asked about his wedding to Kylie Jenner during a Q&A session with Richard Curtis at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square on Sunday.

The Marty Supreme actor has been dating the beauty mogul for three years and the pair have been putting on a rather loved up display during this year's awards season.

And wondering whether Timothee could be on the cusp of popping the question, Richard boldly asked the Hollywood star: 'Can we come to the wedding?' during their chat.

Avoiding the question, he replied: 'That's so personal, No I'm probably gonna get in trouble man.

Asking again Richard repeated: 'Can we come?' as Timothee joked: 'Who is we? The whole crowd'.

Richard then joked: 'I think you better say no to that'.

Timothee Chalamet appeared flustered as he's asked about wedding to Kylie Jenner in Q&A session with director Richard Curtis on Sunday (pictured with Kylie at the Golden Globes)

And wondering whether Timothee could be on the cusp of popping the question, Richard boldly asked the Hollywood star: 'Can we come to the wedding?' during their chat

Timothee and Kylie have been putting on a more public display of affection in recent weeks after the actor paid tribute to her at his speech at the Critics Choice Awards.

After winning the Best Actor award he said: 'Lastly, I'll just say, thank you to my partner of three years,' as he made eye contact with the 28-year-old cosmetics mogul.

'Thank you for our foundation,' Timothee continued as Kylie smiled sweetly up at him from their table in the audience at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. 'I couldn't do this without you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.'

The couple's romance is going from strength to strength and are reportedly very serious and have talked about getting engaged this year, according to a USWeekly source.

The insider claims the next step already feels inevitable, revealing that Kylie has begun referring to Timothee as her husband.

Kylie definitely runs the show, and Timothee loves it, the source added. It is a great balance between both of their personalities, and it works.

The news comes after the couple appeared relaxed and giddy as they arrived hand in hand at a private airport terminal, where they were spotted boarding a sleek private jet for a romantic getaway last week.

It also comes as the pair are said to be living together, with Timothee becoming involved in the lives of Kylie's children, Stormi, 7, and Aire, 3, whom she shares with Travis Scott.

Avoiding the question, he replied: 'That's so personal, No I'm probably gonna get in trouble man'

Asking again Richard repeated: 'Can we come?' as Timothee joked: 'Who is we? The whole crowd'

Yet the question didn't seem to bother Timothee too much as he later gave the director a hug

A source claimed to Page Six that the couple have been living together in Los Angeles for more than a year and behave 'like they're basically married already.'

'They're obsessed with each other and always together,' the insider added.

Their increasingly intertwined lives have not gone unnoticed by Kylies famous family. Kim and Khloe Kardashian recently offered a rare glimpse into the relationship, revealing the affectionate nickname they use for Timothee.

During a recent episode of Khloe in Wonder Land, Kim shared details of an intimate family dinner she hosted in Malibu, where Kylie and her Oscar-nominated boyfriend were in attendance.

The Skims founder said the pair had the best time, describing the low-key gathering as unusually relaxed and joyful.

Khloe admitted the night was memorable for more reasons than one.

I wasnt there for like 10 minutes and left, I was so proud of myself for staying because Im normally the one to be the first to dip, she said.

Kim echoed the sentiment, revealing Kylie was the life of the party. I was so proud Kylie came. She stayed til 1:30 in the morning, she was the first one there and the last to leave which is insane, she said.

Khloe added that Kylie and Timmy were inseparable throughout the evening.

The couple's romance is going from strength to strength and are reportedly very serious and have talked about getting engaged this year, according to a US Weekly source (seen in May)

I was so proud of her and her and Timmy they had the best time, she said, prompting Kim to agree: The best time.

Khloe later joked that the intimate celebration left her exhausted and beat, though she admitted it was well worth it.

The family insight came just days after Jenner and Chalamet were spotted enjoying a romantic escape to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, shortly after the actors historic Oscar nomination.

The famously private couple appeared more loved-up than ever as they relaxed at a secluded waterfront property before boarding a luxury boat and mingling casually with other guests.
Screenwriter Jack Thorne has said his Emmy award-winning script for Adolescence was influenced by his work on an adaption of Lord Of The Flies at the same time.

Thorne said the 'savagery of the populism' seen by the 1954 literary classic's author William Golding 'has a lot of parallels with where we find ourselves now'.

He told the Big Issue: 'Some of Golding's story slipped into Adolescence, and I'm sure a bit of Adolescence slipped into Lord of the Flies.

'Lord of the Flies looks populism in the eye.'

He said of Golding: 'He was trying to examine that moment of horror and the savagery of the populism he saw - and there is no doubt we are under the shadow of populism again.

'And we need to understand it. We need to understand how we behave. We need to understand how others around us will behave. This has a lot of parallels with where we find ourselves now.

'And it's got more stark since I started working on this story. I don't just mean in the United States. We're seeing it everywhere. Everyone feels safe dividing themselves.'

Screenwriter Jack Thorne has said his Emmy award-winning script for Adolescence was influenced by his work on an adaption of Lord Of The Flies at the same time

Asked about a second season, Stepehn said: It's somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind and (co-creator) Jack (Thorne)'s mind, and we'll pull it out in three or four years, so stay tuned'

Thorne also told the Big Issue that he did not agree with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's criticism of the BBC's coverage of last year's Glastonbury festival.

Thorne said: 'Lisa Nandy's comments on Glastonbury were really wrong. She went beyond the remit of what a culture secretary should do by demanding resignations.

'The charter renewal is a crucial moment, and I hope people within government treasure the BBC and realise how important it is.'

Thorne, who has won multiple Baftas and Olivier Awards and written scripts for film, TV and the stage, spoke to the Big Issue to commemorate 100 years since John Logie Baird showcased the first ever working television set in January 1926.

Stephen Graham has also confirmed there are plans for a second season of Adolescence in the coming years.

The actor, 52, won the Golden Globe for Best Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for his stellar role in hard-hitting Netflix drama.

Speaking to Deadline after his win, Stephen was asked about the potential for another season.

He said: 'I cannot answer that question. It's somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind and (co-creator) Jack (Thorne)'s mind, and we'll pull it out in three or four years, so stay tuned.'

In the show, Stephen's character is forced to deal with the devastating aftermath of his teenage son's arrest for the murder of a female classmate

Along with Stephen's win, his co-stars Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty won Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively

Along with Stephen's win, his co-stars Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty won Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively while the show took home the Best Limited or Anthology Series award.

Stephen previously said if Adolescence does return for a second season, it likely wouldn't focus on the Miller family and could become an anthology series.

He told Variety: 'It still is a possibility If we were to go again, would I like it to go again? With a different story completely? Yes.

'It was always made very intently as a little British story, and I think that was the beauty of it,' he shared.

'We didn't expect it to transcend the way it did, but we were very true. I think it was because it was made with truth, integrity, respect and a lot of love.'

In the show, Stephen's character is forced to deal with the devastating aftermath of his teenage son's arrest for the murder of a female classmate.

During his Golden Globes acceptance speech, the actor credited his wife Hannah Walters for turning his life around when they exchanged vows 18-years ago while accepting his award at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Kim Kardashian appeared to be thrown for a loop when her daughter North West asked her followers for money during a recent Instagram Live session.

The 45-year-old reality TV icon joined her 12-year-old daughter for the chat, but she stayed out of the frame in a clip that subsequently went viral on social media.

That disappointed North, who appeared to want her mom to how up on screen so that her viewers would lavish her with virtual gifts.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Kardashian's representative for comment.

Kim  who has reportedly been 'enjoying a secret romance' with British racing driver Lewis Hamilton in recent weeks  refused to show her face and instead just stuck up a hand behind North while wiggling her fingers to show that she was present.

'You should just show your face, because . . . I don't know,' North said in exasperation.

Kim Kardashian appeared to be thrown for a loop when her daughter North West asked her followers for money during a recent Instagram Live session. Kim, 45, joined North, 12, for the chat, but she stayed out of the frame in a clip that subsequently went viral on social media

That disappointed North, who appeared to want her mom to how up on screen so that her viewers would lavish her with virtual gifts; pictured together in NYC in August 2024

'I want some money!' she added, drawing out the last word and grinning, which revealed the blacked-out grill that she was wearing over her teeth.

'What?!' a shocked Kim shot back. 'No, we don't ask  no, no, no.'

'OK!' North replied in apparent exasperation.

After telling off her oldest daughter, whom she shares with her ex-husband Kanye West, Kim then softened and asked, 'What do you mean?'

'Because, TikTok Live, like ' North began to explain, but Kim cut her off to correct her that 'This isn't TikTok Live, this is Instagram.

'So you were, like, kind of messed up for a second,' the All's Fair star said in a softer voice as North repeated, 'I know, I know.'

Then, Kim admitted, 'I thought you were asking me for something,' before letting out a laugh.

North's potential confusion about which social media platform she was using at the moment was understandable, as Instagram and TikTok have both adopted features over the years that give them similar user experiences.

'You should just show your face, because . . . I don't know. I want some money!' she added, drawing out the last word and grinning, which revealed the blacked-out grill that she was wearing over her teeth

'What?!' a shocked Kim shot back. 'No, we don't ask  no, no, no.' She then asked what North meant; pictured in August 2024 in Milan, Italy

But TikTok  whose Chinese parent company got approval this month for a controversial deal in which it will sell off the app to a Donald Trumpbacked American buyer  allows viewers of live sessions to share virtual gifts with creators, and those gifts in turn are added to their earnings.

It's unclear how much money a face reveal from Kim could have ultimately netted the TikTok account that she and North share.

North  who posts from @kimandnorth on TikTok, where her bio says the account is 'managed by an adult'  boasts an astounding 20.7 million followers on the platform, while she has around 1.8 million followers on Instagram.

The nepo baby's video went viral just days after she made a surprise appearance on stage with her father, Kanye.

The two gave an unexpected duet performance of his 2024 song Only One at the Monumental Plaza de Toros La Mexico.

North performed with her dad less than a week after he took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal to apologize for his antisemitic rants in recent years.

The 48-year-old rapper blamed them on his bipolar diagnosis, and he claimed that he had been unable to accept the diagnosis while under the sway of devastating manic episodes.

West, who also issued an apology to 'the Black community' in his statement, claimed that a car crash that broke his jaw 25 years earlier had also damaged the 'right frontal lobe' of his brain, which went unnoticed and untreated at the time.

North appeared to have gotten Instagram mixed up with TikTok, which allows viewers to give virtual gifts worth money. Kim joked that she thought North was asking her for money at first

The nepo baby's video went viral just days after she made a surprise appearance on stage with her father, Kanye West, in Mexico City

Last month, West apologized for antisemitic statements he made in a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal. He claimed untreated frontal lobe trauma from a car crash led him to develop bipolar disorder, which overtook his life; West and North seen in 2020 in Paris

According to West, the unchecked damage eventually led to his bipolar type-1 diagnosis.

He wrote that his manic periods kept him from realizing that he was unwell and made him defensive when his loved ones tried to help him.

'Once people label you as "crazy", you feel as if you cannot contribute anything meaningful to the world. It's easy for people to joke and laugh it off when in fact this is a very serious debilitating disease you can die from,' West said. 'According to the World Health Organization and Cambridge University, people with bipolar disorder have a life expectancy that is shortened by ten to fifteen years on average, and a 2x-3x higher all-cause mortality rate than the general population.

'This is on par with severe heart disease, type-1 diabetes, HIV, and cancer  all lethal and fatal if left untreated,' he added.

West, who admitted to 'losing touch with reality,' said he 'gravitated toward the most destructive symbol' he could find, 'the swastika.'

He said his experience with bipolar disorder progressed to the point where he was under the influence of a four-month-long manic phase in 2025, which led to dark periods in which he 'didn't want to be here anymore.'

However, after serious intervention, he said he found a 'new baseline and new center through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living.'
Ifunanya Nwangene, a talented vocalist who appeared on The Voice Nigeria's third season, has died at the age of 26 following a deadly snake bite.

The Enugu-born soprano vocalist, who worked as an architect, was bit by the poisonous snake at her home in Abuja, sources told BBC Africa.

Nwangene garnered attention in April of 2021 after her performance of the Rihanna ballad Take A Bow, which had amassed more than 85,000 YouTube views as of Sunday evening.

Nwangene was a member of the Amemuso Choir, BBC Africa reported, noting that the choir's music director Sam Ezugwu posted a statement on Facebook confirming the tragic news Sunday.

'With painful heart, we announce the [death] of Ifunanya Nwangene Nanyah,' the statement from the choir read.

The Amemuso Choir said Ifunanya 'was on the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world' and that 'her voice and spirit will be deeply missed'.

Ifunanya Nwangene, a talented vocalist who appeared on The Voice Nigeria's third season, has died at the age of 26 following a deadly snake bite

Hillary Obinna, a member of the choir, told BBC Africa that 'the snake bite woke her up,' and that officials later recovered two snakes from Nwangene's home.

Nwangene initially sought medical assistance at a clinic in her area, but they did not have anti-venom on hand, BBC Africa reported.

Nwangene then sought treatment at a hospital later identified as Federal Medical Centre, Jabi.

Ezugwu told the BBC that the hospital did not have both of the required anti-venom treatments on hand.

'While they were trying to stabilise her, she could not speak but she could make hand gestures,' Ezugwu told BBC Africa. 'She was struggling to breathe.'

The hospital said in a statement to BBC Africa that the statement the hospital did not have the proper anti-venom treatments on hand were 'unfounded and do not reflect the reality of the situation'.

'Our medical staff provided immediate and appropriate treatment, including resuscitation efforts, intravenous fluids, intranasal oxygen, and the administration of polyvalent snake antivenom,' said the hospital.

The hospital added that a 'thorough but quick' exam showed that Nwangene had developed deadly complications from the bite and their medics were 'unable to revive her'.

Nwangene garnered attention in April of 2021 after her performance of the Rihanna ballad Take A Bow

The Enugu-born vocalist was bit by the poisonous snake at her home in Abuja, sources told BBC Africa

'We stand by the quality of care and dedication our team demonstrates daily,' said the hospital.

Obinna called Nwangene 'a very wonderful girl' who left behind a mourning community in the wake of her senseless passing.

'Everybody is shattered,' Obinna said. 'We could not sleep at night. She is humble  very intelligent and very talented.'

On her own YouTube page, Nwangene had covered songs such as Rihanna's Lift Me Up; Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On; and Slide Away by Miley Cyrus.

Nwangene had replied to her fans in a comment on the YouTube post of her Rihanna cover.

She wrote at the time under the handle @Nanyahmusic, 'I appreciate all the comments. I'm encouraged and I will keep improving. Thank you everyone!'
Lewis Hamilton raised eyebrows over the weekend when it was claimed he'd embarked on a secret romance with Kim Kardashian.

The Formula 1 ace, 41, is said to have enjoyed a weekend away in the Cotswolds with the American reality star, 45, where they enjoyed a couple's massage and dinner in a private room.

Yet while the reports may have come as a shock to many, Lewis has spent more than a decade integrating himself into the Kardashian clan.

He first met Kim back in 2014 at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards, but at the time, Kim was married to Kanye West and Lewis dating Nicole Scherzinger.

In the years that have followed, Lewis has remained closely entwined with the Kardashians, striking up a friendship with Kanye as well as Kris and Kendall Jenner; and now their relationship is said to have taken the leap from platonic to romantic.

When describing his perfect woman back in 2015, Lewis described all of Kim's qualities, saying that while he was happy to remain single at present, he knew what he wanted his future partner to be like.

Inside Lewis Hamilton's 12-year plan to woo Kim Kardashian: How F1 driver cemented himself into the family fold by befriending Kanye West and the Jenners (pictured with Kim in 2021)

Lewis has remained closely entwined with the Kardashians over the years, notably striking up a friendship with Kim's ex-husband Kanye West (pictured in 2007)

Lewis is also close with Kim's mother Kris (pictured in 2015) and her younger sister Kendall

'Someone who's fun, someone who's as outgoing as I am,' he told Life. 'She's got to be willing to be spontaneous, and someone brought up with good values.'

Lewis added that by 'good values' he meant someone 'good with kids, have to be humble, caring, loving, someone who's more beautiful on the inside than out.'

'I want to have a family and kids though I don't know when that's going to be,' he added, noting that at the time he was just focused on 'being the best' in the world of F1.

That same year, Lewis witnessed Kim's strong family values when he spent Easter with Kim, Kanye and their children.

Kanye previously recalled the holiday, saying: 'Lewis Hamilton's over at my house and we're playing some music in my studio.

'We're having an Easter brunch and all of the family's there, my wife's family, my friends, everything. And everybody's like, "What is this music?" And I'm like, "It's Lewis Hamilton's music".

'They're like, "Oh my God. It's really good."'

Lewis later joined Kim and her family in the VIP section when Kanye headlined Glastonbury that year.

Lewis first met Kim back in 2014 at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards, but at the time, Kim was married to Kanye Westand Lewis dating Nicole Scherzinger

Lewis is pictured with Kris, Karlie Kloss, Jourdan Dunn, Gigi Hadid, Kendall and Oliver Rousteing at Paris Fashion Week in 2015

A year after the show, Lewis opened up about his connection with Kanye as he told City AM: 'I went to see Kanye at his house and he goes, "You know, me and you are very much the same".

'He said, "Im big in the music world but Im trying to do what I love in fashion and people dont like it.

'Youre big in your racing world but you love your music and people will probably struggle to accept that. You need to do what you love and not give a f*** about what anyone thinks".'

Lewis added: 'Ultimately we shouldnt feel like we need to shrink ourselves for other people to feel comfortable. Kanyes outspoken, to say the least. I love that. Hes electrifying in everything he does.

'I wish I could be that outspoken, I really do. But Im signed to brands that have an idealistic image they wish to be connected with, so I need to be careful.'

Kanye and Kim went on to announce their split in 2021 and divorced the following year. Since then, Kim has dated Pete Davidson and Odell Beckham Jr.

Meanwhile, Lewis has been linked to a string of glamorous women since his long-term romance with Pussycat Doll Nicole ended in 2015 after eight years together.

Rita Ora, Winnie Harlow, Nicki Minaj and Sofia Richie have all been linked to the star over the years.

In another link to the Kardashians, Lewis was said to be dating Kanye's model ex-girlfriend Juliana Nalu in 2023, but the romance quickly fizzled out.

Lewis told how Kanye previously encouraged him to pursue music by telling him: 'You need to do what you love and not give a f*** about what anyone thinks' (pictured in 2015)

In another link to the Kardashians, Lewis was said to be dating Kanye's model ex-girlfriend Juliana Nalu in 2023, but the romance quickly fizzled out

Most bizarrely he was romantically linked to Kim's sister Kendall in 2015. However, Lewis was quick to shut down rumours, telling E! News: 'Me and Kendall have been friends for a while' (pictured in 2024)

Most bizarrely he was romantically linked to Kim's sister Kendall in 2015 when she was photographed wearing his gold chain at the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo.

However, Lewis was quick to shut down rumours, telling E! News: 'Me and Kendall have been friends for a while, so were just friends.'

Praising the supermodel, he added: 'Shes doing incredible, shes very focused, very level-headed, and shes just - for such a young woman, shes very grown up.'

The sentiment is clearly mutual, with Kendall and her mother Kris Jenner pictured hanging out with Lewis at various events over the years.

Back in 2015 it was even claimed that Kris wanted Lewis for a son-in-law, with a source telling The Sun that she wanted Kendall to date the F1 ace.

'She really wants Kendall to date him,' an insider said at the time. 'Lewis and Kris have become friendly in recent months and she thinks he's perfect for her daughter. She really enjoyed being in Monaco with Lewis, who personally invited her.'

Now it seems that Kris has got half of her wish after reports emerged that Lewis has embarked on a secret romance with Kim.

Kim jetted into the UK on her 100million private jet to spend just 24 hours with her new beau at the exclusive Estelle Manor this month, with three bodyguards protecting the couple.

Lewis , 41, is said to have enjoyed a romantic weekend away in the Cotswolds with Kim, 45 (L-R) Jared Leto, Lewis, Kanye, Olivier Rousteing and Kim in Paris in 2015)

Kim and Lewis also partied together on New Year's Eve in Aspen as they kept their blossoming romance under wraps

A source told The Sun: 'It all appeared to be very romantic. Kim and Lewis made use of all the facilities on offer.

'She had two bodyguards with her and Lewis had a close protection officer but they remained in the background.

Kim, who was pictured in London on Sunday night, touched down on Saturday afternoon at Oxford Airport, where two cars were waiting to make the nine-minute journey to Estelle Manor.

Lewis was then spotted arriving at the romantic spot an hour later after flying in from London via helicopter.

Insiders said the pair shared a room in the main part of the house, which costs from 1,000 a night whilst they also enjoyed a couple's massage and dinner in a private room with onlookers saying: 'It all appeared to be very romantic.'

For both the room and access to the spa the date could have easily cost 120,000 in total.

The pair checked out at around 11am on Sunday and left together in the two cars which had taken Kim from the airport.

While Lewis left via the front door, Kim was taken out through a side exit. Yet she was spotted by her give away eight suitcases which had her name embossed on the side.

The pair also spent New Year's Eve together in Aspen, Colorado, as they kept their blossoming romance under wraps.

The reported new couple were pictured at the same party after both being invited to Kate Hudson's star-studded bash in the celebrity ski resort.
I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private. Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed.

I do not want to reconcile with my family. I'm not being controlled, I'm standing up for myself for the first time in my life. For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family. The performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships have been a fixture of the life I was born into.

Recently, I have seen with my own eyes the lengths that they'll go through to place countless lies in the media, mostly at the expense of innocent people, to preserve their own facade. But I believe the truth always comes out.

My parents have been trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding, and it hasn't stopped. My mum cancelled making Nicola's dress in the eleventh hour despite how excited she was to wear her design, forcing her to urgently find a new dress.

Weeks before our big day, my parents repeatedly pressured and attempted to bribe me into signing away the rights to my name, which would have affected me, my wife, and our future children.

They were adamant on me signing before my wedding date because then the terms of the deal would be initiated. My holdout affected the payday, and they have never treated me the same since.

During the wedding planning, my mum went so far as to call me "evil" because Nicola and I chose to include my Nanny Sandra, and Nicola's Naunni at our table, because they both didn't have their husbands. Both of our parents had their own tables equally adjacent to ours.

The night before our wedding, members of my family told me that Nicola was "not blood" and "not family." Since the moment I started standing up for myself with my family, I've received endless attacks from my parents, both privately and publicly, that were sent to the press on their orders.

Even my brothers were sent to attack me on social media, before they ultimately blocked me out of nowhere this last Summer.

My mum hijacked my first dance with my wife, which had been planned weeks in advance to a romantic love song. In front of our 500 wedding guests, Marc Anthony called me to the stage, where in the schedule was planned to be my romantic dance with my wife but instead my mum was waiting to dance with me instead.

She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone. I've never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life. We wanted to renew our vows so we could create new memories of our wedding day that bring us joy and happiness, not anxiety and embarrassment.

My wife has been consistently disrespected by my family, no matter how hard we've tried to come together as one. My mum has repeatedly invited women from my past into our lives in ways that were clearly intended to make us both uncomfortable.

Despite this, we still travelled to London for my dad's birthday and were rejected for a week as we waited in our hotel room trying to plan quality time with him. He refused all of our attempts, unless it was at his big birthday party with a hundred guests and cameras at every corner.

When he finally agreed to see me, it was under the condition that Nicola wasn't invited. It was a slap in the face. Later, when my family travelled to LA, they refused to see me at all.

My family values public promotion and endorsements above all else. Brand Beckham comes first. Family "love" is decided by how much you post on social media, or how quickly you drop everything to show up and pose for a family photo opp, even if it's at the expense of our professional obligations.

We've gone out of our way for years to show up and support at every fashion show, every party, and every press activity to show 'our perfect family.' But the one time my wife asked for my mum's support to save displaced dogs during the LA fires, my mum refused.

The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards. I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life. I grew up with overwhelming anxiety. For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared.

I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose, and have found peace and relief. My wife and I do not want a life shaped by image, press, or manipulation. All we want peace, privacy and happiness for us and our future family.
Tongues are wagging over reports that Kim Kardashian is dating Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton, in a union that has surprised many.

And while the reality star and sportsman have shocked fans with their reported romance, Lewis, 41, most certainly has the seal of approval of the family.

Back in 2015 and beyond, momager Kris Jenner has frequently reached out to Lewis on social media and expressed pride over his achievements as well as reportedly stating he would be 'perfect' to date Kim's half-sister Kendall.

Aside from his friendship with Kris, Lewis has had the seal of approval from Kim's half-sister Kylie Jenner's boyfriend Timothee Chalamet branded the Formula One star one of his top five favourite British stars.

Joining the slew of reasons why Lewis will be welcomed into the family with open arms, Kendall has enjoyed a friendship with him for many years  even having been plagued with romance rumours at one point.

Tongues are wagging over reports that Kim Kardashian is dating Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton, in a union that has surprised many (Kim and Lewis pictured in 2021)

Back in 2015 and beyond, momager Kris Jenner has frequently reached out to Lewis on social media and expressed pride over his achievements as well as reportedly stating he would be 'perfect' to date Kim's half-sister Kendall

Kendall has been pals with Lewis for some time and Kris insisted he would be 'the perfect' boyfriend

Kris's affinity with Lewis has been long-standing, with an early public display of affection coming about in October 2015, when she dedicated a whole post to Lewiss F1 win, writing: 'Congratulations @lewishamilton !!!! We are soooo proud of you!!!!!!'

When Kendall and Lewis were linked in 2015, insiders claimed about Kris: 'She really wants Kendall to date him. Lewis and Kris have become friendly in recent months and she thinks he's perfect for her daughter...

'Kendall usually goes for bad boys like Chris Brown and Justin Bieber so Lewis could be a good influence on her.'

Despite this, the romance rumours were staunchly denied, with Lewis establishing that the couple were 'just friends'.

Among other gushing comments aimed at the star, back in 2023, one fan pointed out that at the time Kris only followed 65 people on Instagram's microblogging site Threads - with Lewis in the number.

The tweet read: 'kris jenner only follows 65 people on threads and lewis hamilton is one of them'. She now follows 297 accounts.

Elsewhere, Timothee has proven he is a fan of the star. While blazing the promo trail for his movie, Marty Supreme, Timothee revealed that Lewis was among his British idols alongside David and Victoria Beckham and hip-hop artisit, Fakemink.

Kris has made no secret of her friendship and admiration for Lewis

Kim and Lewis are pictured with Pharrell Williams in 2022

The new romance came to light over the weekend, after which it was unearthed that they partied together on New Year's Eve in Aspen, Colorado, as they kept their blossoming romance under wraps.

The reported new couple were pictured at the same party after both being invited to Kate Hudson's star-studded bash in the celebrity ski resort.

Their joint attendance at the celebration flew under the radar at the time, however it has now been claimed that Kim and Lewis have been secretly seeing each other.

The reality star, 45, and the Formula 1 driver, 41, were snapped separately leaving Matsuhisa restaurant before heading to the party.

Since their New Year's outing it has been claimed that Kim flew to the English countryside to spend a romantic evening with Lewis.

Kris has commented on a number of Lewis' posts lavishing praise on the star

Kris's affinity with Lewis has been long-standing, with an early public display of affection coming about in October 2015, when she dedicated a whole post to Lewis F1 win, writing: 'Congratulations @lewishamilton !!!! We are soooo proud of you!!!!!!'

Among other gushing comments aimed at the star, back in 2023, one fan pointed out that at the time Kris only followed 65 people on Instagram's microblogging site Threads - with Lewis in the number

Kris now follows just 297 people on Threads - with Lewis in the number

It was reported by The Sun this week that Kim and Lewis have been secretly dating and have managed to so far keep their romance private.

Their latest date was believed to be a night at the exclusive Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds, where they are said to have had private access to the spa.

Kim jetted from LA on her 100million private jet and arrived with two bodyguards to spend time with Lewis at the country estate.

Sources told the publication that Kim, who apparently arrived with a mountain of luggage, joined Lewis for a meal in a private room.

They said: 'It all appeared to be very romantic. Kim and Lewis made use of all the facilities on offer.

'She had two bodyguards with her and Lewis had a close protection officer but they remained in the background.
Iris Law looked effortlessly stylish as she modelled six chic looks behind-the-scenes of Casablanca's new Resort 26 campaign.

In one sizzling snap, the model, 25, slipped into a figure-hugging white mini dress as she reclined on a brown leather sofa, striking a sultry pose for the camera.

Flashing a glimpse of her tanned, toned legs, Iris teamed the look with neon green fishnet over-the-knee socks and accessorised with a white scarf tied around her neck for a sporty finish.

For her second look, Iris switched things up in a pink knitted polo top paired with a matching midi skirt, posing on a kitchen bar stool while eating a bowl of cereal.

To complete her ensemble, Iris added inches to her frame with pointed green peep-toe heels.

Her third outfit saw the star lounging on a low sofa in a pastel rainbow knit top and grey mini skirt, with sweeping views of the Beverly Hills valley in the backdrop.

Iris Law looked effortlessly stylish as she modelled six chic looks behind-the-scenes of Casablanca's new Resort 26 campaign

In one stunning snap, the model, 25, switched things up in a pink knitted polo top paired with a matching midi skirt, posing on a kitchen bar stool while eating a bowl of cereal

She completed the look with pastel pink fishnet over-the-knee socks and lilac peep-toe heels.

For her fourth look, the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost looked nothing short of sensational in a blue denim mini dress, teamed with statement over-the-knee socks as she posed alongside fellow model Duncan Yair.

Rounding off the shoot, Iris coordinated with Duncan in a burgundy knit polo dress featuring black-and-white panels, before later layering up in a matching zip-up jacket and black mini skirt.

She finished the look with grey-and-black diamond-patterned over-the-knee socks, posing up a storm for the camera.

Iris fronts the Resort 26 campaign, alongside models Sara Grace Wallerstedt, Duncan and Camp Schill.

As a modern Casablanca muse, Iris embodies the quintessential LA girl in her effortlessness and nonchalance, going about her everyday rituals: stretching out lazily on a sofa; having a snack in the kitchen; standing around at home, dramatic views of the Beverly Hills valley behind her.

The easy, down-to-earth collection features a femme, pastel palette juxtaposed against richer hues such as oxblood and royal navy, and plays a complementary role in each scene.

Monogram trims and bold side stripes add a sporty feel to tailoring, coordinating sets and preppy silhouettes, while the ombre colour gradient and surreal scenes featuring orchids and otherworldly motifs appear on silk shirts.

Meanwhile, in one sizzling snap, Iris slipped into a figure-hugging white mini dress as she reclined on a brown leather sofa, striking a sultry pose for the camera

Her third outfit saw the star lounging on a low sofa in a pastel rainbow knit top and grey mini skirt, with sweeping views of the Beverly Hills valley in the backdrop

For her fourth look, the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost looked nothing short of sensational in a blue denim mini dress, teamed with statement over-the-knee socks as she posed alongside fellow model Duncan Yair

A textured waffle knit and mohair blend update the brands knitwear, and denim comes in pink, psychedelic green, and a reverse-colour black monogram.

Sneakers, including the signature Del Mar and Stade styles, complete the Resort 26 collection.

The new campaign comes after the model made her catwalk debut for lingerie giant Victoria's Secret, during which she appeared alongside supermodel sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski and Lila.

The Daily Mail exclusively revealed that Iris wanted to indulge in very specific sweets after her appearance at the lingerie show, a request that resulted in her assistants frantically darting around the city.

It's understood that she had asked her team to track down specific cookies from one bakery and smoothies from another.

Iris previously discussed her personal sense of style during an interview with Vogue Espana.

'I don't dress for anyone, I just try to feel good and be comfortable.'

'I let myself be carried away by how I am in an intuitive way, even if it's not what is understood as chic or cool,' she said.

Rounding off the shoot, Iris coordinated with Duncan in a burgundy knit polo dress featuring black-and-white panels

She later layered up in a matching zip-up jacket and black mini skirt, paired with grey-and-black diamond-patterned over-the-knee socks

Iris fronts the Resort 26 campaign, alongside models Sara Grace Wallerstedt, Duncan and Camp Schill (L-R Duncan and Camp)

The easy, down-to-earth collection features a femme, pastel palette juxtaposed against richer hues such as oxblood and royal navy, and plays a complementary role in each scene (model Sara Grace Wallerstedt pictured)

'I have gone through many phases: more feminine, more androgynous... I like to change; every day is different.'

Iris also admitted to struggling with anxiety and using exercise as a constructive coping mechanism.

She said: 'I love lifting weights; I think it's great for maintaining hormonal balance and it also helps me sleep better.'

'In general, I've noticed a big change in controlling my anxiety, also since I started running.'
Dani Dyer has opened up about her body confidence battle after becoming a mum in an honest new interview.

The TV star, 29, first welcomed her four-year-old son Santiago, who she shares with her ex-partner Sammy Kimmence in 2021.

In 2023, Dani gave birth to her twins Summer and Star with her husband Jarrod Bowen.

However, the mother-of-three has said she struggled after her body changed following motherhood.

Appearing on the latest episode of Ellis Ranson's Talk In Wardrobe podcast, she was asked how becoming a mother changed the way she feels about her body.

Dani candidly replied: The first year after becoming a mum, I used to torture myself and try and put my old jeans on.

Dani Dyer has opened up about her body confidence battle after becoming a mum in an honest new interview

Dani pictured with her three children, Santiago, four, and twins Summer and Star

Appearing on the latest episode of Ellis Ranson's Talk In Wardrobe podcast, she was asked how becoming a mother changed the way she feels about her body

'In the end my mum was like "Dan just get rid of them". It is hard going through that phase because none of your clothes previously fit you.'

She continued: It is trying to find yourself again. I think after you become a mum you drastically change and then you do have to find new looks.'

Offering advice to other mothers, Dani said: I think with confidence we do have our ups and downs, dont we? Especially as a woman, like we only really have a certain cycle of the month where we actually feel normal.

We all struggle with confidence.'

Last year Dani heartbreakingly revealed she suffered a miscarriage before welcoming her son Santiago.

Appearing on Jamie Laing's In Great Company Podcast, she said: 'Just before Santi, I got pregnant, and then that didn't work out. Because it didn't work out, I wanted a baby, so I wasn't careful.

'I was like I'm having a baby, and my mum and dad were fuming at the time. So I was nervous to tell my mum, and they were happy with me for the baby, because they knew what I went through.

'So they were happy for me for that, but they knew that relationship was never going to work. I've said sorry to them so many times for what I've put them through. And I get what they were saying now.

Dani married her West Ham United captain husband Jarrod in an outdoor ceremony at the 500-a-night Langley Hotel in Iver, Buckinghamshire, on May 31, 2025

Dani pictured with her actor father Danny Dyer in 2025

'Yeah, it was a miscarriage, but it was very early. When I got pregnant again, I had so many scans, I was there all the time.'

Speaking on Santi's father, she added: 'The one [boyfriend] that was just hell. Before Love Island, he never wanted to settle down with me. He was a massive player. I shouldn't have gone back there.

'I don't regret anything... having Santi changed me as a person, so I'm so glad I had my Sant. I think I had to go through a tricky relationship to get my little boy and to change me as a person, to get to where I am now.

'We are very civil and I will always be very civil to him because that's Santi's dad. There is going to be times with Santi in school plays, and I would never want Santi to feel uncomfortable. He is never going to know his mum and dad being together. I always feel guilty because when Jarrod walks through the door, the twins say "Daddy, daddy," and Santi doesn't have that.'

Dani married her West Ham United captain husband Jarrod in an outdoor ceremony at the 500-a-night Langley Hotel in Iver, Buckinghamshire, on May 31, 2025.
Strictly Come Dancing's Jowita Przystal has admitted her future on the BBC ballroom series is up in the air, as she attended the TV Choice Awards in London on Monday.

The professional dancer, 31, who previously sparked rumours she could be quitting the show, revealed she hopes to return - but confessed she is unsure, as she plans an extensive year of travelling.

Speaking to Daily Mail's Laura Fox ahead of the ceremony about her future on the series, she said: 'I mean, I hope so, because I still don't know if I'm back,

'So hopefully i'm back with Strictly, but the tour is coming up, I'm planning a lot of travelling this year. Actually, so, at the moment I'm living out of a suitcase.

'But it's good, because normally I don't really have time to do that. So I think 2026 is the year of travelling for me.'

Ahead of the awards ceremony, Jowita looked nothing short of sensational as she took to the red carpet, posing for a series of stunning snaps.

Strictly Come Dancing's Jowita Przystal has admitted her future on the BBC ballroom series is up in the air, as she attended the TV Choice Awards in London on Monday

The Polish ballroom dancer showcased her incredible figure in a chic black jumpsuit, featuring a striking butterfly cut-out detail at the bust.

She accessorised with statement silver teardrop earrings and styled her brunette tresses into a sleek updo.

Completing the look, Jowita toted her essentials in a mini black handbag and added height with pointed black heels.

The stars of some of the biggest and most talked about television series are arriving for this year's TV Choice Awards.

For this year, the ceremony will take place at The London Hilton hotel on Park Lane, with comedian Jason Manford on hosting duties as the winners of each of the 18 categories are announced.

Long-running viewer favourites such as Call The Midwife and Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! are all nominated for gongs, as well as new dramas and stars.

In the Best Comedy category, Ruth Jones is up against the likes of Danny Dyer, Lee Mack and Brendan O'Carroll.

Sticking with comedy, Amandaland is shortlisted alongside Brassic, Not Going Out, Gavin and Stacey and Mrs Brown's Boys.

The professional dancer, 31, who previously sparked rumours she could be quitting the show, revealed she hopes to return - but confessed she is unsure, as she plans an extensive year of travelling (pictured with Pete Wicks on the show)

Speaking to Daily Mail's Laura Fox about her future on the series, she said: 'I mean, I hope so, because I still don't know if I'm back. So hopefully i'm back with Strictly, but the tour is coming up, I'm planning a lot of travelling this year'

Following their NTA win last year, This Morning will be hoping to scoop the gong for Best Daytime Show, though face competition from Loose Women, Animal Park, Escape To The Country and Bargain Hunt.

The country's beloved soaps will face-off against Home And Away to be crowned Best Soap of 2026.

In the reality TV category, Dragons Den, Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!, Race Across The World / Celebrity Race Across The World, Stacey & Joe and The Traitors are all battling it out or the award.

Owen Cooper is nominated in Best Drama Performance for his role in Adolescence, competing with his co-star Stephen Graham as well as Jenny Agutter, William Beck and Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Nicki Minaj revealed why she has publicly thrown her support behind Donald Trump despite intense backlash while appearing on The Katie Miller Podcast.

During her latest interview, the rapper, 43, said her political shift wasn't sparked by California Governor Gavin Newsom or international issues, but by watching what she described as relentless 'bullying' directed at Trump during his campaign.

'Religious freedom is something that's very important to me,' Minaj said when asked what pulled her toward conservative politics. 'But if I'm being honest, President Trump  because when I saw how he was being treated over and over and over, I just couldn't handle it.'

She went on to explain that the criticism leveled at Trump felt deeply personal.

'I felt that same, you know, a lot of that bullying in this man's campaign, and all of the lying,' the mother-of-one claimed. 'I felt that that had been done to me for so many years, and I was watching it in real time happen to someone else, and I didn't think he deserved it. And it made me think, I can't do this anymore.'

Minaj also reflected on what she described as a long-held sense that she was being pulled toward something beyond music.

Nicki Minaj revealed why she has publicly thrown her support behind Donald Trump despite intense backlash while appearing on The Katie Miller Podcast; seen last month

She said that during the most recent presidential campaign, she felt compelled to speak out, believing the things she was predicting were 'coming to fruition' and that she might be stepping into a new calling.

In one clip, Miller, a former Trump administration official, who is married to high-level Trump adviser Stephen Miller, asks Minaj, 'You've been recently very vocal about politics and social issues. Was there a specific moment that flipped the switch for you? What made you wake up, so-to-speak?'

'I think that peoples' steps are aligned...' Nicki began to answer. 'I had this strong premonition my whole life that I had a second job to do,' the star admitted.

She also cryptically revealed that 'something happened a few months ago' and 'sometimes people can push you SO MUCH that they push you all the way into your next calling.'

Her remarks come amid renewed scrutiny following the 2026 Grammy Awards, where host Trevor Noah took aim at Minaj during his opening monologue.

While noting her absence from the ceremony, Noah quipped, 'Nicki Minaj is not here,' before adding sarcastically, 'She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.'

He then launched into a Trump impersonation, joking, 'You know what, Nicki, I have the biggest a**. I have it. Everybody's saying it, Nicki. I know they say it's you but it's me. Wap, wap, wap! Look at it, baby!'

Minaj fired back the following morning on X, writing: 'As they do their ritual tonight, God almighty will reveal himself to them. The ritual will backfire on them. God will not be mocked. Blessed is the MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. Every tongue that rises up against me in judgement shall be condemned & put to shame.'

The rapper, 43, said her political shift wasn't sparked by California Governor Gavin Newsom or international issues, but by watching Trump get relentlessly 'bullied' during his campaign

Her remarks come amid renewed scrutiny following the 2026 Grammy Awards, where host Trevor Noah took aim at Minaj during his opening monologue

In recent days, Minaj has doubled down on her stance, even referring to herself as Trump's 'number one fan.'

She appeared in Washington, DC last week at an event focused on Trump Accounts, where she was photographed taking the president's hand.

'I am probably the president's No. 1 fan,' Minaj said from the podium at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. 'And that's not going to change.'

She added that criticism only strengthens her resolve - and that of Trump's supporters.

Minaj fired back the following morning on X, writing: 'As they do their ritual tonight, God almighty will reveal himself to them. The ritual will backfire on them. God will not be mocked'

'We're not going to let them get away with bullying him, and, you know, the smear campaigns, it's not going to work, OK? He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him. Amen?'

Trump responded off-mic, telling the rapper, 'That is so nice, thank you.'

As Minaj exited the stage, she again shook Trump's hand, with the two briefly holding hands as they stood behind Kevin O'Leary during his remarks.

The bizarre moment quickly spread online and reignited debate over her outspoken political allegiance and the motivations behind their unexpected friendship.

In recent days, Minaj has doubled down on her stance, even referring to herself as Trump's 'number one fan' (seen in January 2026)

Last month, she renewed backlash after fans resurfaced a years-old social media post in which she said she came to the United States illegally as a child.

Critics pointed out the hypocrisy of her newfound praise of Trump's policies, many of which separate families and support mass deportations.

The uproar followed Minaj's appearance at a Turning Point USA event alongside conservative commentator Erika Kirk in December.

Almost immediately, fans began circulating a 2018 Instagram post in which Minaj described her own immigration story while condemning family-separation policies at the U.S.Mexico border.

This prompted reactions like 'she's out of touch with a past she survived lol' and 'a far cry from who she is now.'

At the time, Minaj wrote: 'I came to this country as an illegal immigrant @ 5 years old. I can't imagine the horror of being in a strange place & having my parents stripped away from me at the age of 5. This is so scary to me. Please stop this. Can you try to imagine the terror & panic these kids feel right now?'

Last month, she renewed backlash after fans resurfaced a years-old social media post in which she said she came to the United States illegally as a child (pictured above in December 2025)

The post, which featured an image of children lying on mats inside a chain-link fenced detention center run by the Department of Homeland Security, was shared amid widespread outrage over migrant children being separated from their parents.

Some fans have even accused Minaj, who was born in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and raised in Queens, New York, of being a 'complete sellout.'

That criticism intensified as users contrasted her past words with her more recent activity, including responding positively to a clip of Katie Miller, White House Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller's wife, promoting the SAVE Act, legislation meant to prevent 'illegal aliens' from 'voting and engaging in our democracy.'

One reaction summed up the mood bluntly: 'And now she's defending ICE and kids having their parents ripped away from them.'

Almost immediately, fans began circulating a 2018 Instagram post in which Minaj described her own immigration story while condemning family-separation policies at the U.S.Mexico border

In 2024, Minaj claimed during a TikTok Live that she is not a U.S. citizen.

'I was born on a beautiful island called Trinidad and Tobago. But I've been in the States for many years,' she said, adding that despite paying 'millions of dollars' in taxes, she joked she had not been granted 'honorary citizenship many, many, many thousands of years ago.'

Critics seized on the comment as further proof, in one user's words, that Minaj is 'an immigrant who only cares about money and gives no true f**ks about 'the culture' she profited off of.'

In addition to the backlash over her immigration stance, Minaj made headlines, most recently, for her escalating feud with journalist Don Lemon.

Minaj wasn't always openly Republican, but has since become a a prominent supporter of the MAGA movement; Trump pictured in 2025

In January, Minaj erupted on X after Lemon livestreamed a disruptive protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators interrupted a Sunday service to condemn alleged ties between church leadership and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In an all-caps post, Minaj wrote: 'DON 'C**K SUCKIN' LEMON IS DISGUSTING.'

She followed up with: 'HOW DARE YOU? I WANT THAT THUG IN JAIL!!!!! HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANY OTHER RELIGION. LOCK HIM UP!!!!!'

Lemon, who covered the protest tied to the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, responded by saying he was 'not surprised Nicki Minaj does not understand journalism.'

While appearing later on the I've Had It podcast, Lemon called Minaj 'ignorant.'

'She doesnt know what shes talking about. Shes always weighing in on things that she doesnt know about. Nicki Minaj should just sit the f**k down,' he insisted.

Minaj wasn't always openly Republican, but has since become a a prominent supporter of the MAGA movement.

In November, Minaj thanked Trump for his 'leadership' while speaking at the United Nations about alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, praising his administration's focus on religious freedom.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton have enjoyed three dates in three days as their secret romance has taken them from the Cotswolds to a cosy night in London and a five-star stay in Paris.

The television personality, 45, is thought to be enjoying a 'secret romance' with the driver, 41.

On Monday it was revealed that she recently enjoying a break at the upmarket hotel Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds with the Formula One driver.

The Sun now reports that after spending Saturday night in the Cotswolds they headed to London on Sunday where they stayed at the luxury Rosewood Hotel in the capital.

They are now both in Paris, staying at the swanky Le Bristol hotel while Kim promotes her new NikeSKIMS range - marking three dates in three days, all in different pricey locations.

A source told the publication: 'Kim and Lewis have such intense working schedules so they're keen to spend as much time together as possible.

Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton have enjoyed three dates in three days as their secret romance has taken them from the Cotswolds to a London cosy night in and a five star stay in Paris (Kim seen arriving in the UK)

The television personality and businesswoman, 45, is thought to be enjoying a 'secret romance' with the driver, 41

'Right now they're inseparable and are fitting their dates around Kim's work commitments.

'They drove from Oxfordshire to London together so they could spend some quality time together.'

She was in London to promote her new range at Selfridges before reportedly heading back to The Rosewood for a 'cosy night in' with Lewis.

They are thought to have arrived at the hotel via an underground car park before heading to Paris the next day on Kim's private jet.

Their date at the swanky hotel in the Cotswolds was revealed on Monday.

The US superstar flew into the UK last week for a romantic weekend away with the Formula 1 ace.

They enjoyed an intimate dinner and a couple's massage as part of a romantic weekend getaway to an A-list favourite spot in the Cotswolds.

Kim jetted into the UK on her 100million private jet to spend time with her new beau at the exclusive venue, with three bodyguards protecting the couple.

The mother-of-four touched down on Saturday afternoon at Oxford Airport, where two cars were waiting to make the nine-minute journey to Estelle Manor.

The Sun now reports that after spending Saturday night in the Cotswolds they headed to London on Sunday where they stayed at the luxury Rosewood Hotel in the capital

On Monday it was revealed that she recently enjoying a break at the upmarket hotel Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds with the Formula One driver

Kim and Lewis have been friends for years (seen in 2021)

Lewis was then spotted arriving at the romantic spot an hour later, after flying in from London via helicopter.

Insiders said the pair shared a room in the main part of the house, which costs from 1,000 a night, while they also enjoyed a couple's massage and dinner in a private room, with onlookers saying: 'It all appeared to be very romantic.'

For both the room and access to the spa, the date could have easily cost 120,000 in total, including the cost of flying the jet in.

Kim and Lewis have been friends for years, and were pictured with their then-partners, Kanye West and Nicole Scherzinger, in 2014 at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London.

In 2015, Kanye invited Lewis to spend Easter with their family, with Kim's ex-husband saying at the time: 'Lewis Hamilton's over at my house and we're playing some music in my studio.

'We're having an Easter brunch and all of the family's there, my wife's family, my friends, everything. And everybody's like, 'What is this music?' And I'm like, 'It's Lewis Hamilton's music'.

'They're like, 'Oh my God. It's really good'.'

Lewis later joined Kim and her family in the VIP section when Kanye headlined Glastonbury that year.

A year after the show, Lewis opened up about his connection with Kanye as he told CityAM: 'I went to see Kanye at his house and he goes, 'You know, me and you are very much the same'.

'He said, 'I'm big in the music world but I'm trying to do what I love in fashion and people don't like it.

Lewis is also friends with Kim's sister Kendall Jenner (pictured right) and mother Kris Jenner (bottom left)

The F1 star was once close with Kim's ex husband (pictured in 2015)

''You're big in your racing world but you love your music and people will probably struggle to accept that. You need to do what you love and not give a f*** about what anyone thinks'.'

Lewis added: 'Ultimately we shouldn't feel like we need to shrink ourselves for other people to feel comfortable. Kanye's outspoken, to say the least. I love that. He's electrifying in everything he does.

'I wish I could be that outspoken, I really do. But I'm signed to brands that have an idealistic image they wish to be connected with, so I need to be careful.'

Kanye and Kim went on to announce their split in 2021 and divorced the following year.
The mayor of Portland told ICE agents to 'resign' and ordered the agency to leave the city after a young girl was tear gassed along with other 'peaceful protesters.'

Demonstrators at an 'ICE out' protest outside an immigration facility in Oregon were struck with the chemical agent, along with pepper balls and rubber bullets.

A video posted to Instagram showed a little girl crying as she attempted to recover after federal agents deployed tear gas.

'It burns,' the young girl appears to say.

The girl, who appears to be a preteen, could be seen wearing a pink shirt with butterflies as a protester douses her eyes with water.

'Good job, spit it out,' someone can be heard saying as the girl appears distraught.

Mayor accuses ICE of using violence against peaceful protesters

Keith Wilson, the city's Democrat mayor, echoed the words of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in asking the organization to get out.

'To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave,' Wilson said in a statement.

He accused the agents of 'impacting a peaceful daytime protest where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat, and posed no danger to federal forces.'

'Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame.'

Wilson told the agents to 'go home, look in a mirror, and ask yourselves why you have gassed children.'

He said that Portland will be enacting an ordinance that puts a fee on detention facilities that use tear gas.

Mayor vows to preserve evidence against ICE actions

Wilson also promised to document the actions of ICE agents and 'preserving evidence' to hold the federal government accountable.

'Our nation will never accept a federal presence where agents wield deadly force against the very people they are sworn to serve.'

Oregon's Democrat Governor Tina Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield also spoke out against the actions of federal law enforcement.

'Trump's ICE has no place in Oregon. The use of tear gas against families, children, and peaceful demonstrators yesterday is a horrific abuse of authority that undermines public safety and violates constitutional rights. Federal agents must stand down and be held accountable,' Kotek said.

The Daily Mail has reached out to a spokesperson for ICE for comment.

Portland protests intensify after recent shootings

The reliably leftist city has been a hub of protest activity in the wake of the shootings of Pretti and Good.

Portland police have clarified that they deployed no munitions at protesters. They made no arrests.

The district attorney's office has been referred a case of a man in a wheelchair being knocked over and taken to the hospital, KATU reported.

Erin Hoover Barnett, a former OregonLive reporter who joined the protest, said she was about 100 yards from the building when 'what looked like two guys with rocket launchers' started dousing the crowd with gas.

'To be among parents frantically trying to tend to little children in strollers, people using motorized carts trying to navigate as the rest of us staggered in retreat, unsure of how to get to safety, was terrifying,' Barnett wrote in an email to OregonLive.

The Portland Fire Bureau sent paramedics to treat people at the scene, police said. Police officers monitored the crowd but made no arrests Saturday.

The ICE facility in Portland is a field office that includes a processing center where federal officers detain and interview people to determine their legal status as US residents, according to a city website.

Saturday's Portland protest was one of many similar demonstrations nationwide against President Donald Trump administration's immigration crackdown in cities like Minneapolis, where in recent weeks federal agents killed two residents, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Federal agents in Eugene, Oregon, deployed tear gas on Friday when protesters broke windows and tried to get inside the Federal Building near downtown.

City police declared a riot and ordered the crowd to disperse.

Trump posted Saturday on social media that it was up to local law enforcement agencies to police protests in their cities.

However, Trump said he has instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to have federal agents be vigilant in guarding US government facilities.

'Please be aware that I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property. There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our Patriot Warriors,' Trump wrote.

'If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence.'

Two people in Portland shot dead after allegedly attempting to run over agents

US Customs and Border Protection agents have shot two people in Portland, Oregon just one day after an ICE officer shot and killed a mother-of-three in Minneapolis.

Department of Homeland Security officials said Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted vehicle stop at 2.19pm outside Adventist Health Portland on Southeast Main Street.

The passenger was a Venezuelan national who was a member of the notorious Tren de Aragua prostitution ring who was' involved in a recent shooting in Portland' and the driver is believed to be a member of the gang as well.

'When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents,' the DHS statement says. 'Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.'

Law enforcement sources told KGW the stop was part of a special operation detachment as part of Border Patrol's 'Operation Oregon.'





The sources described how agents stopped a red Toyota, prompting the driver attempted to flee, and hitting an unidentified agent's vehicle in the process.

The agent then fired at the Toyota, hitting a 33-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman.

By 2.24pm, police learned that a man who had been shot was calling to request help at an apartment near Northeast 146th Avenue and East Burnside, where law enforcement was seen speaking to people on the scene.

Officers then responded to the scene, and found a man and a woman with apparent gunshot wounds. At that point, officers said they applied a tourniquet and called for emergency medical help.

In a dispatch recording shared online, an operator could be heard saying a man was shot twice in the arm and his wife was shot once in the chest. No agents were injured in the shooting, a federal law enforcement source told CNN.

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Fresh claims have surfaced about a Somali woman who gained national attention after alleging that immigration officials kidnapped her.

Nasra Ahmed, 23, was detained on January 14 in Minneapolis for 'assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees' during an ICE operation, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Ahmed said ICE agents shoved her to the ground during the ordeal, while spewing a racial slur.

But it has since been claimed that she launched an egg at one immigration officer and spat in anothers face.

The 23-year-old is accused of approaching officers during the operation and shouting 'obscenities' at them, according to the criminal complaint seen by the Daily Mail.

Court Docs Allege Ahmed Threw Egg and Spat at ICE Agents

According to court documents, one officer saw Ahmed raise her arm and 'make a throwing motion,' later realizing she had thrown an egg that struck another agent's leg.

ICE agents then moved to arrest Ahmed, who they say was 'non-compliant' and allegedly spat in one of their faces, according to the affidavit.

According to documents, one of the agents filmed the struggle, and per the complaint, another watched the video and claimed she said: 'I have zero regrets.'

Ahmeds lawyer called the allegations 'not true' in a statement to the Daily Mail, without providing further context.

A video of Ahmed addressing the Minnesota State Capitol press briefing room on January 21 circulated on social media.

Ahmed Claims Agents Caused Concussion

Ahmed, seen with bandages, said she was having trouble speaking due to a concussion she alleged was caused by the agents.

The 23-year-old spoke at the conference, expressing pride in being Somali and saying her heritage is more than 'bananas and rice.'

'I'm Somali, I'm proud to be Somali,' she said.

'To me, being Somali isn't just eating bananas with rice. It's very hard to describe what it means to be Somali and what it means to be American.

'It's kind of like a cultural fusion, like the bananas and rice.'

Ahmed said she was arrested with another US citizen and claimed federal agents detained her and asked for her ID while pursuing two Somali men.

Bondi Says 16 Minnesota Rioters Arrested

'I'll never forget the fear we had in our hearts that day,' she said. Ahmed was born in the US and had no prior criminal record.

Bondi posted pictures and names for 15 others who were detained in Minneapolis on Wednesday, following a rise in protests in the wake of the killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents.

'I am on the ground in Minneapolis today. Federal agents have arrested 16 Minnesota rioters for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement - people who have been resisting and impeding our federal law enforcement agents,' she wrote.

'We expect more arrests to come. Ive said it before, and Ill say it again: NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law.'

Report: US citizen with no criminal record arrested by ICE in Minneapolis

A Minnesota US citizen with no criminal record was seized from his home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and paraded in front of his neighbors in his underwear in frigid conditions.

ChongLy Thao, 56, was snatched by the federal officers from his home in St Paul on Sunday afternoon, according to his family and videos from witnesses.

ICE agents broke down the door of his home, pointed guns at his family, and handcuffed him while his four-year-old grandson cried in horror. He was marched outside in the freezing cold in his underwear and a blanket he quickly grabbed from the couch.

Thao told Reuters and the Associated Press that he asked his daughter-in-law to find his identification for the officers, but the agents said they didn't need to see it and detained him anyway.

Officers denied him the chance to put on clothes and he was forced outside wearing Crocs on his feet. 'I was shaking,' he told AP. 'They didn't show any warrant; they just broke down the door.'

Neighbors captured the horrifying moments on camera and screamed at ICE agents to release Thao. He recalled that agents drove him to 'the middle of nowhere' and photographed him outside. Thao said he feared they would assault him.

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A small Midwestern town is facing an economic shock that could reshape it for decades.

Tyson Foods is closing its massive beef plant in Lexington, Nebraska, a city with just 10,000 residents, in early 2026. It blamed dwindling cattle numbers in the US and falling profits on beef.

This closure will result in 3,200 job losses, which will be seismic for such a tiny town, leaving one third of its workforce high and dry.

For ranchers and feedlot operators across Nebraska, the closure also spells trouble. With one fewer major buyer in the market, producers will have fewer places to sell finished cattle. It means they will have to haul their cows even further away and compete with more producers.

Producers will be hit quickly because cattle prices are already lower than normal due to dwindling buyer demand. Tysons closure will likely widen the gap between what ranchers earn and what consumers pay.

Nationally, shoppers could see prices rise even more in the beef aisle, despite beef already costing more than ever.

The US cattle herd is at its smallest level in more than 70 years, and fewer processing plants mean less capacity to turn livestock into steaks and burgers.

Tyson Foods announced plans to close a massive beef plant in Lexington, Nebraska

Consumers may see prices soar even more in the beef aisle, despite America already seeing record highs

Lexington has a population of around 11,000 - meaning the closure axes almost a third of jobs

John Tyson, chief executive of Tyson Foods, with employees at the company headquarters

The notice sent to staff about the closure of the Lexington beef plant

After the closure announcement, cattle futures and cash cattle prices dropped, reflecting immediate reactions in the market.

Lexington locals are bracing for impact.

'This closure will truly have a ripple effect on the town. Many families rely on Tyson not just for a job but for stable, long-term employment with benefits,' Angie Diaz-Bran told the Daily Mail.

'When that disappears, people arent just losing paychecks - they're losing health insurance, stability, and, in many cases, the ability to stay in their homes.

Diaz-Bran, whose mother Blanca worked at Tyson Foods for nearly 20 years, says people were already fleeing Lexington in light of the closure.

Blanca's family relies on the insurance she received through her employment at Tyson, and without it, her college-aged daughter, who was born with a heart defect, and recently graduated son need to scramble to find health coverage.

'This is the reality for so many families right now - immediate medical and financial uncertainty,' said Diaz-Bran.

'That job is how she raised six children as a single mother. Its how she paid the bills, put food on the table, and kept a roof over our heads,' Diaz-Bran said. 'It was never easy or glamorous, but it was honest work, and she gave it everything she had. Now, stability has disappeared.'

Lexington locals are bracing for impact as the small town awaits the closure of Tyson Foods

Tyson said dwindling cattle numbers and financial struggles were behind for the shuttering

Blanca worked at Tyson Foods for nearly 20 years, says people were already fleeing Lexington in light of the closure

Blanca's family relies on the insurance she received through her employment at Tyson

She says immigrants and refugees will be hit especially hard by Tyson's closure, because 'finding new work isnt always safe or straightforward' for those communities.

'We want support, transparency, and real plans for what comes next, not just a shutdown notice and silence,' Diaz-Bran said.

Blanca grew up in a small village in Michoacan, Mexico, where there were no schools, electricity or running water. Homes were built with dirt floors and walls made from sticks tied together and the only work available was harvesting fruits and vegetables all day in the heat for very little money.

She came to the United States searching for safety, opportunity and a chance to give her children a better life than the one she was born into.

Her job at Tyson helped her managed to raise six children as a single mother, how she paid the bills, put food on the table and kept a roof over her children's heads.

Now that stability has disappeared, and Blanca's family is not alone in feeling afraid of what comes next.

'Im from Lexington born and raised,' another local said, adding: 'Growing up I never thought this would happen.'

'Since the news came out 200 students have already moved away and my school is getting emptier and emptier its sad watching this this will impact EVERYONE in my town because its so small.'

Blanca wears her Tyson work uniform next to her daughter Martha

Blanca grew up in a small village in Michoacan, Mexico, where there were no schools, electricity, or running water

In the wake of hard times, the Lexington community is rallying behind employees of Tyson set to lose their jobs imminently.

Mission Avenue Thrift Store will offer non-perishables for those impacted by the closure and Wholestone Prestage, a pork manufacturing company, is also seeking to help.

Grant Prenzlow, director of human resources at the latter, said its line of work is adjacent to the meat-processing industry and is looking to welcome Tyson workers.

Click here to donate to a GoFundMe to support Blanca and her family.
BNP Paribas (OTCMKTS:BNPQY  Get Free Report) is projected to announce its results before the market opens on Tuesday, February 3rd. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $1.34 per share and revenue of $15.2732 billion for the quarter.

BNP Paribas Price Performance

Shares of BNP Paribas stock opened at $53.67 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $47.65 and a 200-day moving average price of $45.31. BNP Paribas has a one year low of $32.76 and a one year high of $54.64. The stock has a market cap of $118.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays cut shares of BNP Paribas from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating on shares of BNP Paribas in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. DZ Bank lowered BNP Paribas from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating on shares of BNP Paribas in a report on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded BNP Paribas from a moderate sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, BNP Paribas presently has a consensus rating of Hold.

BNP Paribas Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

BNP Paribas is a major international banking group headquartered in Paris, France, formed through the 2000 merger of Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) and Paribas. The group provides a broad range of banking and financial services to retail, corporate and institutional clients, operating as one of the leading universal banks in Europe with a global footprint.

Its principal business activities encompass retail banking and services, corporate and institutional banking, and investment solutions.

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Infineon Technologies (OTCMKTS:IFNNY  Get Free Report) and TranSwitch (OTCMKTS:TXCCQ  Get Free Report) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation and dividends.

Volatility & Risk

Infineon Technologies has a beta of 1.8, suggesting that its share price is 80% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, TranSwitch has a beta of 23.57, suggesting that its share price is 2,257% more volatile than the S&P 500.

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Profitability

This table compares Infineon Technologies and TranSwitchs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Infineon Technologies 7.57% 10.87% 6.41% TranSwitch N/A N/A N/A

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Infineon Technologies $16.21 billion 3.71 $1.12 billion $0.91 53.86 TranSwitch N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

This table compares Infineon Technologies and TranSwitchs top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Infineon Technologies has higher revenue and earnings than TranSwitch.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.2% of Infineon Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.3% of TranSwitch shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Infineon Technologies and TranSwitch, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Infineon Technologies 0 0 0 2 4.00 TranSwitch 0 0 0 0 0.00

Given TranSwitchs higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe TranSwitch is more favorable than Infineon Technologies.

Summary

Infineon Technologies beats TranSwitch on 7 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Infineon Technologies

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Infineon Technologies AG designs, develops, manufactures, and markets semiconductors and semiconductor-based solutions worldwide. Its Automotive segment offers automotive microcontrollers; 3D ToF, magnetic, and pressure sensors; discrete power semiconductors; IGBT modules; industrial microcontrollers; power and memory ICs; transceivers; diodes, MOSEFTs, and modules; and voltage regulators for use in assistance and safety systems, comfort electronics, infotainment, powertrain, and security products. The companys Green Industrial Power segment provides bare dies, discrete IGBTs, and driver ICs; SiC diodes, MOSFETs, and modules; and IGBT modules for home appliances, industrial drives, industrial power supplies, industrial robotics, industrial vehicles, and traction, as well as for energy generation, storage, and transmission. Its Power & Sensor Systems segment offers chips for gas and pressure sensors, and MEMS microphones; 3D ToF sensors; control ICs; discrete low-, mid-, and high-voltage power MOSFET; customized chips; GaN power switches; GPS low-noise amplifiers; low-voltage and high-voltage driver ICs; radar sensor ICs; RF antenna switches and power transistors; transient voltage suppressor diodes; SiC diode and MOSFETs; and USB controllers for use in audio amplifiers, automotive electronics, BLDC motors, cellular communications infrastructure, electric vehicle charging stations, human machine interaction, IoT, LED and conventional lighting systems, microinverter, mobile devices, power management, and special applications. The companys Connected Secure Systems segment provides connectivity solutions, embedded security controllers, microcontrollers, and security controllers for authentication, automotive, consumer electronics, government identification document, IoT, mobile communication, payment system, ticketing, access control, and computing applications. Infineon Technologies AG was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Neubiberg, Germany.

About TranSwitch

(Get Free Report)

TranSwitch Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, and supplies integrated circuit and intellectual property solutions that provide functionality for voice, data, and video communications equipment for the customer premises and network infrastructure markets. The company provides integrated multi-core network processor system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions for fixed, 3G and 4G mobile, VoIP, and multimedia applications. It offers converged network infrastructure products, including infrastructure VoIP processors for wire-line and wireless carrier equipment; access VoIP processors; and EoS/EoPDH mappers and framers for carriers to transport data traffic over SONET, SDH, and PDH networks. The company also offers broadband customer premises equipment, such as connectivity solutions comprising HDMI, DisplayPort, MHL, HDP, Ethernet IP cores, and MHDP transceivers for consumer electronics, home network equipment, and industrial and automotive applications; and multi-service SoCs for customer premises equipment that support telephone voice, fax, and routing functionality over broadband access networks. TranSwitch Corporation sells its products to public network system original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), WAN and LAN equipment OEMs, Internet-oriented OEMs, and communications test and performance measurement equipment OEMs; and government, universities, and private laboratories. The company offers its products directly in North America, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, and Europe, as well as through a network of distributors in North America, Asia, and Europe. TranSwitch Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut. On November 21, 2013, TranSwitch Corporation filed a voluntary petition for liquidation under Chapter 7 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut.

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Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on LLY. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $976.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $775.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $951.00 to $1,145.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. CICC Research boosted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $801.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Berenberg Bank increased their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $830.00 to $950.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $1,162.75.

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Read Our Latest Analysis on LLY

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

NYSE:LLY opened at $1,037.84 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $1,056.87 and a 200 day moving average of $890.19. The company has a market capitalization of $981.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.77, a PEG ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.39. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $623.78 and a 1-year high of $1,133.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.24.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $7.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $6.42 by $0.60. The business had revenue of $17.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $16.09 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 109.52%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 53.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.18 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 78,621.2% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,552,336 shares of the companys stock worth $9,005,392,000 after purchasing an additional 11,537,661 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the second quarter valued at about $8,827,714,000. Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 20.9% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 25,088,371 shares of the companys stock worth $19,141,787,000 after buying an additional 4,332,008 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 80,407,430 shares of the companys stock worth $62,680,004,000 after buying an additional 1,183,038 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 27.1% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 4,525,902 shares of the companys stock worth $3,823,977,000 after buying an additional 964,675 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

Here are the key news stories impacting Eli Lilly and Company this week:

About Eli Lilly and Company

(Get 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

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Tate & Lyle (OTCMKTS:TATYY  Get Free Report) and United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI  Get Free Report) are both mid-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation and dividends.

Volatility and Risk

Tate & Lyle has a beta of 0.28, suggesting that its share price is 72% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, United Natural Foods has a beta of 0.86, suggesting that its share price is 14% less volatile than the S&P 500.

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Profitability

This table compares Tate & Lyle and United Natural Foods net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tate & Lyle N/A N/A N/A United Natural Foods -0.32% 4.35% 0.90%

Earnings and Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Tate & Lyle $2.21 billion 1.06 $182.45 million N/A N/A United Natural Foods $31.78 billion 0.07 -$118.00 million ($1.66) -22.45

This table compares Tate & Lyle and United Natural Foodss revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Tate & Lyle has higher earnings, but lower revenue than United Natural Foods.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

87.6% of United Natural Foods shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of Tate & Lyle shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.4% of United Natural Foods shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Tate & Lyle and United Natural Foods, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tate & Lyle 1 4 0 1 2.17 United Natural Foods 1 6 3 1 2.36

United Natural Foods has a consensus price target of $38.78, suggesting a potential upside of 4.05%. Given United Natural Foods stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe United Natural Foods is more favorable than Tate & Lyle.

Summary

United Natural Foods beats Tate & Lyle on 9 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Tate & Lyle

(Get Free Report)

Tate & Lyle PLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides ingredients and solutions to the food, beverage, and other industries in the United States, the United Kingdom, other European countries, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Food & Beverage Solutions, Sucralose, and Primary Products. The company offers dairy products, soups, sauces, and dressings; bakery products and snacks; texturants; nutritive sweeteners, such as high fructose corn syrup and dextrose; fibres; and stabilizers and functional systems. It also provides industrial starches; acidulants, such as citric acid; and commodities comprising corn gluten feed, meal, and corn oil. The company was incorporated in 1903 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

About United Natural Foods

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United Natural Foods, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, distributes natural, organic, specialty, produce, and conventional grocery and non-food products in the United States and Canada. It operates in two segments, Wholesale and Retail. The company offers grocery and general merchandise, produce, perishables and frozen foods, wellness and personal care items, and bulk and foodservice products. It also provides nuts, dried fruit, seeds, trail mixes, granola, natural and organic snack items, and confections under the Woodstock Farms Manufacturing name; organic, non-GMO project verified, and specialty food and non-food items under the Blue Marble brand name; pet food under the WILD HARVEST brand name; and various products under the ESSENTIAL EVERYDAY, SHOPPERS VALUE, Field Day, EQUALINE, CULINARY CIRCLE, and STONE RIDGE CREAMERY brand names. In addition, the company provides home, health and beauty care, and pharmacy products, as well as private label products through a network of Cub Foods and Shoppers retail grocery stores; and retail store support, pricing strategy, shelf and planogram management, advertising, couponing, ecommerce, consumer convenience, store design, equipment sourcing, electronic payments processing, network and data hosting, point-of-sale hardware and software, automation tools, sustainability, and administrative back-office solution services. Further, it offers consumer and trade marketing programs, and programs to support suppliers in understanding its markets. The company serves chains, independent retailers, and supernatural chains, as well as foodservice, ecommerce, conventional military business, and other sales customers. United Natural Foods, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island.

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MNTN (NYSE:MNTN  Get Free Report) is one of 258 publicly-traded companies in the Technology Services industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare MNTN to related businesses based on the strength of its institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, earnings, dividends, risk and analyst recommendations.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

72.9% of MNTN shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 37.4% of shares of all Technology Services companies are held by institutional investors. 60.3% of MNTN shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 19.1% of shares of all Technology Services companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

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Profitability

This table compares MNTN and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets MNTN -16.47% -30.86% -7.56% MNTN Competitors -384.15% -621.85% -14.03%

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score MNTN 1 1 10 2 2.93 MNTN Competitors 1660 2738 5328 317 2.43

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for MNTN and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

MNTN presently has a consensus price target of $25.83, suggesting a potential upside of 180.80%. As a group, Technology Services companies have a potential upside of 29.47%. Given MNTNs stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe MNTN is more favorable than its rivals.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares MNTN and its rivals revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio MNTN $225.57 million -$32.88 million -6.52 MNTN Competitors $1.26 billion $21.51 million -6.09

MNTNs rivals have higher revenue and earnings than MNTN. MNTN is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Summary

MNTN beats its rivals on 9 of the 12 factors compared.

MNTN Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

MNTN is on a mission to transform Connected TV (CTV) into a next-generation performance marketing channel. Our revolutionary Performance TV (PTV) software platform allows marketers to combine the powerful storytelling format of TV advertising with the targeting, measurement and attribution capabilities of paid search and social advertising. Our self-serve software platform enables marketers to precisely target audiences through our MNTN Matched technology and then directly attribute each view to a purchase or other action. Marketers can set performance goals, such as return on ad spend (ROAS), and our algorithms continuously optimize a campaign to achieve those goals. Our company has experienced rapid growth due to the robust performance our platform delivers to customers, with the number of PTV Customers increasing from 142 in 2019 to 2,225 in 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 73.4%. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the number of PTV customers increased 88.6% compared to the three months ended March 31, 2024. We believe advertisements on our platform have generated an aggregate of $27.1 billion of revenue for our customers from 2019 to 2024. Our market opportunity sits at the center of three large advertising markets: performance marketing, traditional TV advertising, and CTV advertising. Today, performance marketing, also known as direct response marketing, is the dominant form of digital advertising, giving marketers the ability to leverage data to target specific audiences and drive measurable outcomes. By the end of 2025, performance marketing spend in the United States is expected to reach $285.4 billion and is expected to grow at a 9.7% CAGR to $343.6 billion by 2027, according to Magna Global. TV has historically lacked the targeting, measurement and attribution capabilities necessary for performance marketing, but TVs unmatched storytelling experience, massive audience reach and viewership minutes continues to make it a preferred premium channel for marketers seeking to increase brand awareness. The average American household was expected to watch approximately three hours of TV daily in 2024 and brand marketers spent $59.7 billion on advertising on linear TV, including broadcast and cable TV, in 2024, according to eMarketer. In recent years, the TV industry has undergone a digital revolution with the advent of CTV. CTV adoption continues to grow rapidly as audiences are empowered to watch what they want when and where they want it, resulting in TV audiences moving from traditional TV to CTV. In 2024, U.S. consumers streamed approximately 23 million years of streaming content, a 10% increase from approximately 21 million years of streaming content in 2023. Furthermore, CTV represented 45.8% of total TV viewing time across the United States in 2024. As a result of CTVs digital infrastructure and rapid audience adoption, CTV advertising is the fastest growing advertising channel in the world, with TV marketers (defined as brands that advertise on linear TV) rapidly shifting ad budgets from linear TV to CTV. Since 2017, annual ad spend on CTV has grown from $2.8 billion to an estimated $33.4 billion in 2025, according to eMarketer. Although initial adoption of CTV was driven by subscription streaming services (SVOD), ad-supported streaming services (AVOD) is growing faster, and eMarketer estimates U.S. AVOD ad revenues will grow by 23% in 2025, compared to an estimated U.S. SVOD subscription revenue growth of 10%. Netflix, Amazon Prime and other platforms have introduced AVOD content and have experienced strong growth largely driven by consumers willingness to watch ad-supported content in lieu of paying higher subscription fees. This has led to a significant increase in available TV advertising inventory for marketers, bringing more ad dollars into the ecosystem. CTV advertising, like traditional TV advertising, has been entirely brand marketing in nature, focused on maximizing reach and frequency versus driving measurable performance-driven outcomes. With our transformative PTV technology, we believe we are unlocking CTVs potential to become the next dominant performance marketing channel. As performance marketers seek new channels for growth, and as CTV marketers increasingly embrace the technology underlying performance marketing, we expect PTV to capture a significant portion of performance marketing and CTV ad spend. Our diversified customer base consists of brands of a broad range of sizes. Our intuitive, accessible platform and direct-to-brand approach enables marketers of a broad range of sizes to engage audiences through CTV as easily as they do in social or search, opening TV advertising to brands of any size. In 2024, 92% of our PTV revenue was generated by SMBs, of which 86% was from mid-sized businesses. During the three months ended March 31, 2025, we continued to increase the number of PTV customers who are SMBs. As a result, during this period 12% of our PTV revenue was generated by small businesses and 79% was generated by mid-sized businesses. Our customers include both experts in performance marketing as well as marketers who are just beginning to leverage the benefits of data-driven performance marketing. Given the disruptive nature of our platform as well as its ease of use, we believe we are well suited to serve both first time and experienced TV advertisers. As of March 31, 2025, approximately 96% of our customers had never advertised on TV before. Our PTV customers often allocate budgets which grow over time as customers meet their ROAS goals. As customers leverage the full targeting, measurement and attribution capabilities of our platform, similar to their experience across paid search and paid social, they typically generate more spend on our platform. For the year ended December 31, 2024, 421 customers generated over $100,000 of net revenue on our platform, compared to 297 customers over the same period in 2023. We offer marketers a comprehensive and fully integrated software solution that combines targeting, measurement and attribution capabilities for performance marketing on CTV. Our Verified Visits technology links Internet-connected devices in the household to TV, which allows our software to attribute consumers actions, including sales leads and app installs across devices after they view a CTV ad. Our PTV self-serve software platform has a highly intuitive user interface enabling marketers to intelligently plan and launch CTV campaigns, set ROAS and other campaign goals, match advertisers with their target audiences using MNTN Matched, measure and attribute performance and optimize campaign outcomes in a highly automated manner. Our platform provides marketers easy access to premium inventory across multiple networks and is designed to ensure brand safe and visually captivating advertising environments, which we believe both search and social channels lack. Marketers across a broad range of sizes are attracted to MNTN because we deliver measurable results. We believe SMB customers, in particular, are also attracted to MNTN for the ability to set up campaigns, upload creative and set goals in a matter of minutes with minimal dedicated resources. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, our SMB Net Revenue Retention Rate was 111%, which increased from 108% for the year ended December 31, 2024. We believe this validates the value proposition that we deliver to SMBs. Our customers can easily manage PTV campaigns and reach nearly all CTV households in the United States. Using our platform, we are able to unlock CTV as a performance marketing channel for our customers, many of which have never advertised on TV before. The key functions and features of our PTV platform include:  Targeting: Our revolutionary AI targeting technology, MNTN Matched, matches consumers with brands that they are most likely to engage with to achieve our customers ROAS goals. Through our advanced technology, brands of all sizes have the flexibility to run campaigns that reach segments of consumers with specific product interests or broad groups of consumers for greater reach. Our targeting capabilities are driven by a robust keyword- and intent-based predictive audience builder for CTV using AI technologies, which includes generative and predictive artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, giving advertisers control and transparency over the households that see their ads.  Measurability: Our proprietary measurement technology makes it possible for marketers to granularly track CTV ad impressions for every campaign on our platform.  Attribution: We leverage measurement data obtained through our Verified Visits technology to attribute a CTV campaign impression to the corresponding user action, such as sales or leads. We make these connections across 400 million devices through third-party and first-party data, including CRM data, which helps advertisers understand the performance of their campaigns on our platform.  Automated Optimization: We have developed algorithms which automate and continuously optimize our targeting capabilities and programmatic ad execution (including automating creative and price optimization), as well as other campaign elements to drive better performance. Our technology measures and incorporates a wide range of data signals, such as time of day and geography, resulting in hundreds of thousands of daily and real-time optimizationsincluding what ad inventory to buy, when to buy it and where to buy it. Automated optimization drives higher ROAS and other campaign goals for our customers.  Delivers Stunning Ads: Because approximately 96% of our customers have never advertised on TV before, we offer creative solutions to enable them to create and refresh ads quickly and cost-effectively. Our software controls the quality and format of video ads by automatically screening creative for TV network formats and standards. We ensure ads are not rejected due to a failure to meet a content providers technical requirementsone of the common barriers for smaller brands to advertise.  Self-Serve: Our software platform delivers an intuitive, customizable user interface that simplifies campaign planning and execution, with a self-serve software platform built for marketers of a broad range of sizes. With our platform, marketers can easily manage PTV campaigns with minimal dedicated resources. We believe we are the first mover and category creator of PTV. Our easy-to-use software platform is differentiated by our revolutionary targeting technology, our measurement and attribution capabilities, and our solutions for TV creative. We benefit from a powerful flywheel effect as a result of our first mover advantage in the PTV ecosystem. We continuously develop enhancements to existing features and add new capabilities, such as MNTN Matched, to deliver higher ROAS for our customers. We source inventory on behalf of our customers from premium TV networks, including NBC, Paramount, Fox and other streaming networks, driving higher ROAS for our customers due to the level of engagement and visibility this premium inventory provides. As customers increase spend on our platform because of this higher ROAS, we are able to negotiate preferential ad inventory pricing on their behalf. TV networks, motivated to capture this large and growing opportunity of predominantly new TV advertisers, often reduce inventory prices to increase demand, thereby further enhancing ROAS for our customers. This powerful flywheel effect has enabled us to decrease the cost of premium inventory for our customers approximately 8% per quarter on average since the first quarter of 2022. Our focus on building a leading PTV platform has contributed to our rapid growth. Our revenue grew by 47.3% to $64.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, from $43.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and by 27.9% to $225.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, from $176.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, driven by our unique and powerful value proposition, as well as our ability to efficiently attract new customers to the platform and increase usage for existing customers. Our corporate headquarters are located in Austin, Texas.

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JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Sovereign Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:JPMB  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 59,530 shares, a growth of 55.2% from the December 31st total of 38,357 shares. Currently, 3.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 21,766 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.7 days. Based on an average trading volume of 21,766 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.7 days. Currently, 3.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Sovereign Bond ETF Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSEARCA JPMB traded up $0.01 during trading on Friday, reaching $40.44. The company had a trading volume of 2,573 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,984. JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Sovereign Bond ETF has a 52 week low of $36.45 and a 52 week high of $40.90. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $40.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $40.14.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JPMB. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Sovereign Bond ETF by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 201,025 shares of the companys stock worth $7,750,000 after buying an additional 1,421 shares during the period. Pure Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Sovereign Bond ETF by 9.8% in the second quarter. Pure Financial Advisors LLC now owns 15,337 shares of the companys stock valued at $598,000 after acquiring an additional 1,363 shares during the last quarter. Convergence Financial LLC grew its holdings in JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Sovereign Bond ETF by 6.7% during the 2nd quarter. Convergence Financial LLC now owns 8,279 shares of the companys stock worth $323,000 after acquiring an additional 519 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Sovereign Bond ETF by 77.2% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 13,766 shares of the companys stock worth $536,000 after acquiring an additional 5,998 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Sovereign Bond ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,875,000.

JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Sovereign Bond ETF Company Profile

The JPMorgan USD Emerging Markets Sovereign Bond ETF (JPMB) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in broad credit fixed income. The fund tracks an index of USD-denominated sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt securities from emerging markets. Securities are selected and weighted based on fundamental criteria. JPMB was launched on Jan 29, 2018 and is managed by JPMorgan Chase.

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Masco (NYSE:MAS  Get Free Report) and Knife River (NYSE:KNF  Get Free Report) are both construction companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends and profitability.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

93.9% of Masco shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 80.1% of Knife River shares are held by institutional investors. 0.5% of Masco shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Knife River shares are held by 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.

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Risk and Volatility

Masco has a beta of 1.28, indicating that its share price is 28% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Knife River has a beta of 0.47, indicating that its share price is 53% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Masco 0 12 6 0 2.33 Knife River 0 4 6 0 2.60

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Masco and Knife River, as provided by MarketBeat.

Masco currently has a consensus target price of $73.20, suggesting a potential upside of 10.83%. Knife River has a consensus target price of $95.71, suggesting a potential upside of 42.45%. Given Knife Rivers stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Knife River is more favorable than Masco.

Profitability

This table compares Masco and Knife Rivers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Masco 10.89% 1,317.38% 16.47% Knife River 4.87% 9.97% 4.41%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Masco and Knife Rivers revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Masco $7.83 billion 1.75 $822.00 million $3.90 16.93 Knife River $2.90 billion 1.31 $201.68 million $2.61 25.74

Masco has higher revenue and earnings than Knife River. Masco is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Knife River, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Masco beats Knife River on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Masco

(Get Free Report)

Masco Corporation designs, manufactures, and distributes home improvement and building products in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company's Plumbing Products segment offers faucets, showerheads, handheld showers, valves, bath hardware and accessories, bathing units, shower bases and enclosures, sinks, toilets, acrylic tubs, shower trays, spas, exercise pools, and fitness systems; brass, copper, and composite plumbing system components; connected water products; thermoplastic solutions, extruded plastic profiles, specialized fabrications, and PEX tubing products; and other non-decorative plumbing products. This segment provides its products under the DELTA, BRIZO, PEERLESS, HANSGROHE, AXOR, KRAUS, EASY DRAIN, STEAMIST, ELITESTEAM, GINGER, NEWPORT BRASS, BRASSTECH, WALTEC, BRISTAN, HERITAGE, MIROLIN, HOT SPRING, CALDERA, FREEFLOW SPAS, FANTASY SPAS, ENDLESS POOLS, BRASSCRAFT, PLUMB SHOP, COBRA, COBRA PRO, and MASTER PLUMBER brands. Its Decorative Architectural Products segment offers paints, primers, specialty coatings, stains, and waterproofing products, as well as paint applicators and accessories; cabinet and door hardware, functional hardware, wall plates, hook and rail products, closet organization systems, and picture hanging accessories; decorative bath hardware, mirrors, and shower accessories and doors; and decorative indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, landscape lighting, and LED lighting systems. This segment provides its products under the BEHR, KILZ, WHIZZ, Elder & Jenks, LIBERTY, BRAINERD, FRANKLIN BRASS, KICHLER, and ELAN brands. It sells its products to the plumbing, heating, and hardware wholesalers; home centers and online retailers; hardware stores; electrical and landscape distributors; lighting showrooms; building supply outlets; and other mass merchandisers. Masco Corporation was incorporated in 1929 and is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan.

About Knife River

(Get Free Report)

Knife River Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides aggregates- led construction materials and contracting services in the United States. It operates through Pacific, Northwest, Mountain, Central, and Energy Services segments. The company mines, processes, and sells construction aggregates, including crushed stone and sand, and gravel; and produces and sells asphalt and ready-mix concrete. It also provides contracting service, such as heavy-civil construction, asphalt and concrete paving, and site development and grading. In addition, the company sells cement, merchandise, and other building materials and related services. The company sells its construction materials to public and private-sector customers, including federal, state, and municipal governments, as well as industrial, commercial and residential developers, and other private parties; and provides its contracting services to public-sector customers for the development and servicing of highways, local roads, bridges, and other public-infrastructure projects. Knife River Corporation was founded in 1917 and is based in Bismarck, North Dakota.

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Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD  Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a buy rating to a hold rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

MTD has been the subject of several other research reports. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,275.00 to $1,400.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Mettler-Toledo International in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. They issued an equal weight rating and a $1,550.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup lifted their price target on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,600.00 to $1,700.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,200.00 to $1,285.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,450.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $1,441.67.

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Mettler-Toledo International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MTD opened at $1,370.92 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $1,432.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,354.39. Mettler-Toledo International has a one year low of $946.69 and a one year high of $1,525.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.01 billion, a PE ratio of 34.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 1.42.

Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $11.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.62 by $0.53. Mettler-Toledo International had a negative return on equity of 426.96% and a net margin of 21.20%.The company had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $997.36 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $10.21 EPS. Mettler-Toledo Internationals revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Mettler-Toledo International has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 12.680-12.880 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 42.050-42.250 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Mettler-Toledo International will post 42.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Mettler-Toledo International

In related news, Director Elisha W. Finney sold 474 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,433.57, for a total transaction of $679,512.18. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 311 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $445,840.27. This trade represents a 60.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Gerry Keller sold 236 shares of Mettler-Toledo International stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,418.58, for a total transaction of $334,784.88. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 159 shares of the companys stock, valued at $225,554.22. This trade represents a 59.75% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 19,565 shares of company stock worth $28,683,737. 0.77% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mettler-Toledo International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 91.8% in the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 140,267 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $164,775,000 after purchasing an additional 67,149 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 2.9% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 298,429 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $366,354,000 after buying an additional 8,360 shares during the period. Stance Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,012,000. Claret Asset Management Corp bought a new position in Mettler-Toledo International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $235,000. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 140,680 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $167,419,000 after buying an additional 13,056 shares during the period. 95.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Mettler-Toledo International

(Get Free Report)

Mettler-Toledo International Inc is a global manufacturer and distributor of precision instruments and services for laboratory, industrial and food retail applications. The companys product portfolio includes laboratory balances and analytical instruments, industrial weighing systems, process analytics and sensors, metal detection and x-ray inspection equipment, checkweighers, and a range of automated inspection and data-management solutions. Mettler-Toledo also provides software, calibration and lifecycle services intended to support compliance, quality control and operational efficiency across customer facilities.

The company serves a broad set of end markets including pharmaceutical and biotech laboratories, chemical and food processors, logistics and manufacturing operations, and retail environments where accurate weighing and inspection are critical.

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Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Free Report) will likely be releasing its Q4 2025 results before the market opens on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.90 per share and revenue of $11.9651 billion for the quarter. Individuals are encouraged to explore the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning overview page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 7:00 AM ET.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $11.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.98 billion. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 32.76% and a return on equity of 73.50%. On average, analysts expect Novo Nordisk A/S to post $4 EPS for the current fiscal year and $5 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Performance

NYSE:NVO opened at $59.40 on Monday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $53.44 and its 200 day simple moving average is $54.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Novo Nordisk A/S has a twelve month low of $43.08 and a twelve month high of $93.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $265.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.27 and a beta of 0.67.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on NVO. Citigroup began coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a neutral rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Monday, October 27th. They set an underperform rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets set a $57.00 price target on Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Argus restated a hold rating on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a buy rating on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $57.79.

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Trending Headlines about Novo Nordisk A/S

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novo Nordisk A/S

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Johnson Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 128.0% during the 3rd quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 684 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 384 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 72.7% in the second quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 950 shares of the companys stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc raised its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 126.2% in the second quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 1,190 shares of the companys stock valued at $82,000 after acquiring an additional 664 shares in the last quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 3rd quarter valued at $110,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 717.9% during the 3rd quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,102 shares of the companys stock valued at $117,000 after acquiring an additional 1,845 shares during the last quarter. 11.54% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Novo Nordisk A/S

(Get Free Report)

Novo Nordisk A/S is a Danish multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Bagsvrd, Denmark, best known for its leadership in diabetes care and metabolic health. The company traces its roots to early Danish insulin production in the 1920s and was established in its current form through a 1989 merger of predecessor companies. Novo Nordisk develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and devices that address chronic and serious diseases, with a strong emphasis on long-term treatment and patient support.

The companys core product portfolio centers on diabetes therapies, including a range of insulins and modern incretin-based treatments.

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RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR  Get Free Report) is anticipated to issue its Q4 2025 results after the market closes on Tuesday, February 3rd. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $8.25 per share and revenue of $1.7256 billion for the quarter. Parties may visit the the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning results page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET.

RenaissanceRe Price Performance

NYSE:RNR opened at $281.19 on Monday. RenaissanceRe has a 52-week low of $219.00 and a 52-week high of $285.26. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $272.57 and a 200 day moving average of $257.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 1.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.24.

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RenaissanceRe Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. RenaissanceRes payout ratio is presently 4.45%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on RNR shares. Mizuho set a $277.00 target price on shares of RenaissanceRe in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of RenaissanceRe from $278.00 to $304.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of RenaissanceRe in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on RenaissanceRe from $252.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $303.00 price objective on shares of RenaissanceRe in a report on Friday, December 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $298.07.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On RenaissanceRe

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of RenaissanceRe by 235.0% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 134 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP lifted its position in RenaissanceRe by 65.0% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 132 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in RenaissanceRe by 246.5% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 350 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in RenaissanceRe in the third quarter worth about $102,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in RenaissanceRe by 38.9% in the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 411 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $104,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.97% of the companys stock.

About RenaissanceRe

(Get 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.

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Schneider Electric SE (OTCMKTS:SBGSY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 237,680 shares, a growth of 74.3% from the December 31st total of 136,356 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 864,337 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days. Currently, 0.0% of the companys shares are sold short. Currently, 0.0% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 864,337 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of Schneider Electric in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Schneider Electric in a report on Monday, December 15th. They set an outperform rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Schneider Electric from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Schneider Electric from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Schneider Electric from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, November 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy.

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Read Our Latest Analysis on Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric Price Performance

About Schneider Electric

OTCMKTS SBGSY opened at $57.04 on Monday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $54.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $54.45. Schneider Electric has a 52-week low of $39.77 and a 52-week high of $60.29.

(Get Free Report)

Schneider Electric is a global specialist in energy management and automation solutions, offering products and services that help customers optimize the use of electrical power and industrial processes. Headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, France, the company traces its industrial roots back to the 19th century and has evolved into a technology-driven provider of electrical distribution, control and automation equipment, and related software and services.

The companys portfolio spans low- and medium-voltage electrical distribution, building and home automation, industrial automation and control systems, critical power and cooling for data centers, and integrated software platforms that enable monitoring, analytics and remote operations.

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Old Republic International Corporation (NYSE:ORI  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 5,044,181 shares, a decline of 27.0% from the December 31st total of 6,906,991 shares. Currently, 2.1% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,644,010 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.1 days. Based on an average trading volume of 1,644,010 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.1 days. Currently, 2.1% of the companys stock are sold short.

Old Republic International Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE ORI traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $39.17. 2,536,538 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,041,001. Old Republic International has a 52-week low of $34.43 and a 52-week high of $46.76. The companys 50-day moving average is $43.78 and its 200-day moving average is $41.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.55 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.64.

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Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The insurance provider reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.89 by ($0.15). The company had revenue of $2.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.31 billion. Old Republic International had a net margin of 10.24% and a return on equity of 16.21%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.90 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Old Republic International will post 3.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Old Republic International Announces Dividend

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The business also recently declared a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were issued a $2.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. Old Republic Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.22%.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on ORI shares. Piper Sandler restated a neutral rating and set a $38.00 target price (down previously from $51.00) on shares of Old Republic International in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (a) rating on shares of Old Republic International in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Old Republic International from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Old Republic International has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $42.50.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on ORI

Insider Buying and Selling at Old Republic International

In related news, Director Therace Risch bought 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $39.14 per share, for a total transaction of $39,140.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 10,625 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $415,862.50. The trade was a 10.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Carolyn Monroe sold 6,680 shares of Old Republic International stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.54, for a total value of $297,527.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 29,075 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,295,000.50. This represents a 18.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Old Republic International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Old Republic International by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,470,798 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,081,745,000 after buying an additional 123,954 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Old Republic International by 30.7% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 7,553,963 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $319,155,000 after purchasing an additional 1,774,807 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Old Republic International by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,717,255 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $285,268,000 after purchasing an additional 116,549 shares during the last quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Old Republic International by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 5,207,228 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $200,166,000 after acquiring an additional 15,920 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in Old Republic International by 2,840.8% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 3,926,606 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $166,763,000 after purchasing an additional 3,793,085 shares during the period. 70.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Old Republic International

(Get Free Report)

Old Republic International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the insurance underwriting and related services business primarily in the United States and Canada. It operates through three segments: General Insurance, Title Insurance, and Republic Financial Indemnity Group Run-off Business. The General Insurance segment offers aviation, commercial auto, commercial multi-peril, commercial property, general liability, home and auto warranty, inland marine, travel accident, and workers' compensation insurance products; and financial indemnity products for specialty coverages, including errors and omissions, fidelity, directors and officers, and surety.

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Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER  Get Free Report) is projected to release its Q4 2025 results before the market opens on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect Uber Technologies to post earnings of $0.83 per share and revenue of $14.3168 billion for the quarter. Individuals can check the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning summary page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 8:00 AM ET.

Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The ride-sharing company reported $3.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $2.44. Uber Technologies had a return on equity of 68.17% and a net margin of 33.54%.The company had revenue of $13.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.25 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.20 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 20.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect Uber Technologies to post $3 EPS for the current fiscal year and $3 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Uber Technologies Stock Down 2.0%

UBER opened at $80.07 on Monday. Uber Technologies has a one year low of $60.63 and a one year high of $101.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $166.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.29 and a beta of 1.21. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $83.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $90.21.

Key Uber Technologies News

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Here are the key news stories impacting Uber Technologies this week:

Several research firms have commented on UBER. Exane BNP Paribas raised Uber Technologies to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Melius Research set a $73.00 target price on shares of Uber Technologies in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Wedbush cut their target price on shares of Uber Technologies from $84.00 to $78.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 19th. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Uber Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price objective on shares of Uber Technologies from $108.00 to $99.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell 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 $107.50.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Uber Technologies

Insider Buying and Selling at Uber Technologies

In other Uber Technologies news, insider Tony West sold 3,125 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.50, for a total transaction of $260,937.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 176,584 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,744,764. This represents a 1.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah sold 5,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.41, for a total transaction of $519,255.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 20,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,919,355.30. This trade represents a 21.29% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 14,875 shares of company stock worth $1,319,130 over the last three months. 3.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Uber Technologies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cadence Bank grew its position in Uber Technologies by 1.7% during the third quarter. Cadence Bank now owns 7,366 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $722,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. GeoWealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 15,395 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $1,508,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the period. Hilltop Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Uber Technologies by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Hilltop Partners LLC now owns 3,065 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $300,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 28,789 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $2,820,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the period. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC increased its stake in Uber Technologies by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 5,710 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $559,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.24% of the companys stock.

Uber Technologies Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Uber Technologies, Inc is a technology company that operates a global platform connecting riders, drivers, couriers, restaurants and shippers. Founded in 2009 by Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick and headquartered in San Francisco, Uber developed one of the first large-scale ride-hailing marketplaces and has since expanded into a broader set of mobility and logistics services. The company completed its initial public offering in 2019 and continues to position its app-based network as a multi-modal transportation and delivery platform.

Ubers principal businesses include mobility services (ride-hailing and shared rides), delivery through Uber Eats, and freight logistics via Uber Freight.

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5N Plus Inc. (OTCMKTS:FPLSF  Get Free Report)s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $17.67, but opened at $18.45. 5N Plus shares last traded at $18.30, with a volume of 3,155 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Raymond James Financial restated an outperform rating on shares of 5N Plus in a research note on Friday, October 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Buy.

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5N Plus Trading Up 7.0%

The company has a current ratio of 2.97, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.60 and a beta of 1.91. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $13.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.97.

5N Plus (OTCMKTS:FPLSF  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.09. 5N Plus had a net margin of 12.22% and a return on equity of 28.06%. The company had revenue of $104.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $89.88 million.

5N Plus Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

5N Plus Inc is a Canadian specialty chemicals and materials company that develops, manufactures and commercializes highpurity metals and compounds for advanced technology markets. The companys product portfolio spans a range of elemental metalsincluding bismuth, antimony, tellurium, selenium, indium and germaniumalong with organometallic precursors, catalysts and radioisotopes. These materials are engineered to meet stringent purity standards (commonly known as fivenines or 99.999% purity) for critical applications in electronics, photovoltaics, catalysts and life sciences.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Boucherville, Quebec, 5N Plus has grown from its roots in highpurity research to a global manufacturing and distribution platform.

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Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE  Get Free Report) had its target price upped by investment analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $53.00 to $55.00 in a research note issued on Monday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a hold rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts price target would suggest a potential upside of 0.43% from the stocks current price.

Several other research firms have also commented on ARE. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $47.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $65.00 to $63.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $98.00 to $65.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $64.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $66.57.

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Read Our Latest Report on ARE

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Price Performance

Shares of ARE stock traded up $0.13 on Monday, hitting $54.77. 79,142 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,775,207. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $51.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.49. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has a 52 week low of $44.10 and a 52 week high of $105.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.23 and a quick ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market cap of $9.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.43, a PEG ratio of 6.59 and a beta of 1.31.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, January 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.01. Alexandria Real Estate Equities had a negative return on equity of 6.82% and a negative net margin of 47.23%.The firm had revenue of $754.41 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $742.64 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.39 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.250-6.550 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Alexandria Real Estate Equities will post 9.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Monday, December 8th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the real estate investment trust to purchase up to 6.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Sheila K. Mcgrath bought 3,100 shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $45.60 per share, with a total value of $141,360.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,392 shares in the company, valued at $382,675.20. The trade was a 58.58% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.08% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ARE. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 102.4% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 23,245 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,184,000 after acquiring an additional 11,762 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 4,261.1% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,140 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $290,000 after purchasing an additional 3,068 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 4.8% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 6,455 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $597,000 after buying an additional 296 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 39.9% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 13,015 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,204,000 after purchasing an additional 3,714 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 171.5% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 6,591 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $610,000 after acquiring an additional 4,163 shares in the last quarter. 96.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Alexandria Real Estate Equities

(Get Free Report)

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc (NYSE: ARE) is a real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership, development and management of collaborative life science and technology campuses. The companys properties are designed to support research and innovation by providing specialized laboratory, office and manufacturing space tailored to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, academic and related industries.

Since its founding in 1994, Alexandria has cultivated a diversified portfolio of campuses across leading innovation clusters in North America and Europe.

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Top Chinese mainland, Hong Kong finance education institutions ink partnership to deepen ties

Xinhua) 13:25, February 02, 2026

HONG KONG, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The PBC School of Finance (PBCSF) of Tsinghua University and the Hong Kong Academy of Finance (AoF) have recently inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU), establishing a framework for collaboration on research, exchange, and the cultivation of financial industry leaders.

Under the MoU, the two institutions pledged to promote exchange through joint events, seminars and academic conferences, as well as by initiating research and development programs on topics of mutual interest.

The new partnership will help the AoF expand its network in the Chinese mainland and further cement its role as a hub for cultivating financial industry leaders, said Enoch Fung, the AoF's chief executive officer.

Jiao Jie, dean of the PBSCF of Tsinghua University, said the institution looked forward to deeper cooperation with the AoF in areas including international financial policy, cutting-edge fintech research and practice, and the development of technology-driven financial ecosystems.

Founded in 2012, the PBCSF of Tsinghua University is a joint venture between Tsinghua and China's central bank. The AoF is set up with full collaboration with Hong Kong's financial regulatory bodies, with the mission of developing financial leadership and building a repository of knowledge in monetary and financial research.

Supported by the AoF, the PBCSF of Tsinghua University held a forum in Hong Kong earlier this week to explore paths to boost the city's global competitiveness.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
AlphaQuest LLC raised its position in shares of Hubbell Inc (NYSE:HUBB  Free Report) by 541.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,862 shares of the industrial products companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,416 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLCs holdings in Hubbell were worth $1,232,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Townsquare Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Hubbell by 0.8% during the third quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 2,817 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,212,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Hubbell by 0.6% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 15,752 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $6,778,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hubbell during the third quarter valued at approximately $205,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Hubbell by 22.1% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,169 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $4,376,000 after buying an additional 1,843 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Truist Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Hubbell by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 17,339 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $7,461,000 after purchasing an additional 847 shares during the last quarter. 88.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Hubbell Price Performance

Shares of HUBB stock opened at $488.11 on Monday. Hubbell Inc has a 52 week low of $299.42 and a 52 week high of $501.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.94 billion, a PE ratio of 30.28, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.36. The stocks fifty day moving average is $457.30 and its 200-day moving average is $442.61.

Hubbell Dividend Announcement

Insider Activity

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $1.42 per share. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. Hubbells dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.24%.

In other news, insider Mark Eugene Mikes sold 2,470 shares of Hubbell stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $466.50, for a total transaction of $1,152,255.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 4,785 shares in the company, valued at $2,232,202.50. The trade was a 34.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director John F. Malloy bought 435 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 17th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $429.24 per share, with a total value of $186,719.40. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 19,085 shares in the company, valued at $8,192,045.40. This represents a 2.33% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 0.76% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on HUBB shares. UBS Group restated a neutral rating and set a $450.00 price objective on shares of Hubbell in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Mizuho raised their target price on Hubbell from $480.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $515.00 price target on shares of Hubbell in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Hubbell from $417.00 to $458.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Hubbell in a report on Monday, December 15th. They set an outperform rating and a $575.00 price objective for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $497.25.

Read Our Latest Analysis on HUBB

About Hubbell

(Free Report)

Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE: HUBB) is an industrial manufacturer and distributor of electrical and electronic products serving a range of end markets including commercial and residential construction, industrial, and utility customers. Founded in 1888 by Harvey Hubbell, the company has a long history in electrical innovation and product development and is headquartered in Connecticut. Hubbell designs, manufactures and sells components and systems that enable the distribution and control of electrical power and provide lighting solutions for indoor and outdoor environments.

The companys offerings span a broad portfolio of products used by contractors, utilities, original equipment manufacturers and facility owners.

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Shares of Close Brothers Group plc (LON:CBG  Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the eight analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 502.50.

A number of brokerages recently commented on CBG. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of Close Brothers Group from GBX 640 to GBX 580 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Panmure Gordon restated a hold rating and set a GBX 500 target price on shares of Close Brothers Group in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Close Brothers Group to an outperform rating and increased their price target for the stock from GBX 475 to GBX 625 in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Shore Capital reiterated a hold rating and issued a GBX 510 price objective on shares of Close Brothers Group in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Close Brothers Group from GBX 550 to GBX 570 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd.

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Close Brothers Group Stock Performance

LON CBG opened at GBX 499.20 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average of GBX 491.51 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 472.40. Close Brothers Group has a 52-week low of GBX 246.80 and a 52-week high of GBX 563.50. The company has a market capitalization of 751.44 million, a P/E ratio of -7.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.82.

Close Brothers Group (LON:CBG  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The company reported GBX 59.30 EPS for the quarter. Close Brothers Group had a return on equity of 5.78% and a net margin of 7.79%. As a group, analysts forecast that Close Brothers Group will post 66.0070671 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Close Brothers Group

In other Close Brothers Group news, insider Mike Morgan bought 2,841 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 507 per share, for a total transaction of 14,403.87. Company insiders own 2.19% of the companys stock.

Close Brothers Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Close Brothers Group plc, a merchant banking company, engages in the provision of financial services to small businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom. It operates through five segments: Commercial, Retail, Property, Asset Management, and Securities. The company offers banking services comprising of debt factoring, invoice discounting, asset-based lending; financing for SMEs, residential housing, transport, industrial equipment, renewable energy, motorcycle, used car, and commercial vehicle financing; insurance, refurbishment, and bridging financing, savings products for individuals and corporates, hire purchase, lease, and loan related services.

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ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited (NYSE:ASA  Get Free Report) major shareholder Saba Capital Management, L.P. bought 21,708 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $65.56 per share, with a total value of $1,423,176.48. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 5,566,440 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $364,935,806.40. The trade was a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a companys stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Saba Capital Management, L.P. also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Thursday, January 29th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. purchased 17,075 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of $74.59 per share, for a total transaction of $1,273,624.25.

On Wednesday, January 28th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. acquired 57,165 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $75.32 per share, with a total value of $4,305,667.80.

On Tuesday, January 27th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. acquired 3,730 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The stock was acquired at an average price of $73.15 per share, with a total value of $272,849.50.

On Monday, January 26th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. bought 1,400 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $72.90 per share, for a total transaction of $102,060.00.

On Tuesday, January 20th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. purchased 3,723 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The stock was bought at an average cost of $66.08 per share, with a total value of $246,015.84.

On Friday, January 16th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. acquired 4,541 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The stock was bought at an average cost of $63.63 per share, for a total transaction of $288,943.83.

On Thursday, January 15th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. bought 4,654 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of $63.35 per share, with a total value of $294,830.90.

On Wednesday, January 14th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. purchased 5,000 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $63.82 per share, for a total transaction of $319,100.00.

On Tuesday, January 13th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. bought 15,162 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of $64.52 per share, for a total transaction of $978,252.24.

On Monday, January 12th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. bought 9,508 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of $64.19 per share, for a total transaction of $610,318.52.

ASA Gold and Precious Metals Stock Down 3.1%

ASA stock traded down $1.99 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $62.55. 69,008 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 149,390. The business has a 50-day moving average of $60.37 and a two-hundred day moving average of $48.00. ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited has a 52 week low of $22.71 and a 52 week high of $78.21.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, ASA Gold and Precious Metals currently has an average rating of Buy.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on ASA

Institutional Trading of ASA Gold and Precious Metals

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in ASA Gold and Precious Metals in the second quarter valued at $231,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. lifted its position in ASA Gold and Precious Metals by 30.1% during the 2nd quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 10,145 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $320,000 after buying an additional 2,350 shares in the last quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals during the second quarter worth approximately $1,213,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new position in ASA Gold and Precious Metals during the 2nd quarter worth $61,000. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in ASA Gold and Precious Metals by 143.4% in the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 7,252 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $229,000 after acquiring an additional 4,272 shares during the last quarter.

ASA Gold and Precious Metals Company Profile

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ASA Gold & Precious Metals Limited, trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ASA, is a closed-end investment company dedicated to providing shareholders with targeted exposure to the precious metals sector. Established in 1959 and domiciled in Guernsey, the company aims to combine dividend income with the potential for long-term capital appreciation by investing in a diversified suite of gold, silver, platinum and palladium assets.

The firms core activities involve constructing and managing a portfolio that blends equity positions in precious metals mining companies with direct holdings of physical bullion.

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Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF (NYSEARCA:AVUV  Get Free Report)s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $111.24 and last traded at $110.5560, with a volume of 852920 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $109.27.

Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $22.40 billion, a PE ratio of 11.26 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a fifty day moving average of $104.88 and a 200-day moving average of $100.17.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AVUV. Bank of New Hampshire acquired a new position in Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF during the third quarter worth $30,000. Rogco LP bought a new stake in shares of Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Hollencrest Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $47,000.

About Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF

The Avantis U.S. Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Russell 2000 Value index. The fund is an actively-managed portfolio of US small-cap value companies selected based on fundamental criteria. AVUV was launched on Sep 24, 2019 and is managed by American Century Investments.

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Shares of Intact Financial Co. (TSE:IFC  Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$317.91.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on IFC. Desjardins reduced their price objective on Intact Financial from C$335.00 to C$305.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 24th. TD Securities cut their price objective on shares of Intact Financial from C$359.00 to C$346.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. CIBC cut their target price on shares of Intact Financial from C$315.00 to C$288.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Intact Financial from C$317.00 to C$320.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Intact Financial from C$312.00 to C$318.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on IFC

Intact Financial Stock Performance

IFC opened at C$247.91 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of C$44.05 billion, a PE ratio of 14.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.14. The stocks 50 day moving average price is C$275.69 and its 200-day moving average price is C$275.87. Intact Financial has a 52-week low of C$244.01 and a 52-week high of C$317.35.

Intact Financial (TSE:IFC  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported C$4.46 earnings per share for the quarter. Intact Financial had a return on equity of 13.13% and a net margin of 8.60%.The business had revenue of C$6.45 billion for the quarter. Research analysts forecast that Intact Financial will post 16.1721014 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Intact Financial Company Profile

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Intact Financial Corp is a property and casualty insurance company that provides written premiums in Canada. The company distributes insurance under the Intact Insurance brand through a network of brokers and a wholly-owned subsidiary, BrokerLink, and directly to consumers through Belairdirect. Most of the companys direct premiums are written in the personal automotive space. Intact directly manages its investments through subsidiary Intact Investment Management. The vast majority of these invested assets are fixed-income securities.

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Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI  Get Free Report) (TSE:CNR) had its target price cut by research analysts at Barclays from $140.00 to $135.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the transportation companys stock. Barclayss price target points to a potential upside of 41.69% from the companys previous close.

CNI has been the topic of several other reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, October 18th. Stephens reduced their price objective on Canadian National Railway from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from $119.00 to $115.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Cibc Captl Mkts raised Canadian National Railway from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. Finally, Vertical Research raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $118.91.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on CNI

Canadian National Railway Stock Performance

Shares of CNI traded down $0.94 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $95.28. 1,368,400 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,357,784. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.42. Canadian National Railway has a twelve month low of $90.74 and a twelve month high of $108.75. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $98.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $96.11.

Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI  Get Free Report) (TSE:CNR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.06. Canadian National Railway had a net margin of 27.28% and a return on equity of 22.17%. The firm had revenue of $3.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.43 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.82 earnings per share. Canadian National Railways revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Canadian National Railway will post 5.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Canadian National Railway

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. TD Asset Management Inc grew its position in shares of Canadian National Railway by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 12,072,540 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,255,385,000 after purchasing an additional 273,974 shares in the last quarter. Westerkirk Capital Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Canadian National Railway in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,448,000. Scheer Rowlett & Associates Investment Management Ltd. grew its position in Canadian National Railway by 9.8% during the second quarter. Scheer Rowlett & Associates Investment Management Ltd. now owns 802,257 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $83,646,000 after buying an additional 71,364 shares in the last quarter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Canadian National Railway by 23.3% during the 3rd quarter. Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. now owns 83,095 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $7,834,000 after acquiring an additional 15,715 shares during the period. Finally, Cardinal Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cardinal Capital Management Inc. now owns 742,230 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $70,038,000 after acquiring an additional 10,880 shares in the last quarter. 80.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Canadian National Railway

Here are the key news stories impacting Canadian National Railway this week:

Positive Sentiment: Raised dividend  CN announced a quarterly dividend of $0.915 (a 3.1% increase from the prior payout), giving an annualized yield around 3.8%; that supports income-oriented demand for the shares and signals confidence in cash flow.

Raised dividend  CN announced a quarterly dividend of $0.915 (a 3.1% increase from the prior payout), giving an annualized yield around 3.8%; that supports income-oriented demand for the shares and signals confidence in cash flow. Positive Sentiment: New buyback program  CN launched a repurchase program to cover up to 24 million shares, which should reduce float and support EPS over time. Canadian National Railway launches buyback

New buyback program  CN launched a repurchase program to cover up to 24 million shares, which should reduce float and support EPS over time. Positive Sentiment: Broker consensus remains favorable  Brokerages continue to give CN a constructive consensus (Moderate Buy), which can limit downside from isolated analyst downgrades. Consensus rating article

Broker consensus remains favorable  Brokerages continue to give CN a constructive consensus (Moderate Buy), which can limit downside from isolated analyst downgrades. Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming investor events  CEO Tracy Robinson will speak at Barclays Industrial Select Conference (Feb 17) and CFO Ghislain Houle will present at Citis Global Industrial, Tech & Mobility Conference (Feb 18); these appearances create catalysts for forward guidance or management commentary but are neutral until new information is released. Tracy Robinson Barclays conference Ghislain Houle Citi conference

Upcoming investor events  CEO Tracy Robinson will speak at Barclays Industrial Select Conference (Feb 17) and CFO Ghislain Houle will present at Citis Global Industrial, Tech & Mobility Conference (Feb 18); these appearances create catalysts for forward guidance or management commentary but are neutral until new information is released. Negative Sentiment: Stephens trimmed its price target to $100 and set an equal weight rating  the cut reduces the streets implied upside (~5.9% from the cited reference price) and can pressure sentiment. Stephens price target cut

Stephens trimmed its price target to $100 and set an equal weight rating  the cut reduces the streets implied upside (~5.9% from the cited reference price) and can pressure sentiment. Negative Sentiment: Evercore ISI lowered its price target to $103 and moved to an in-line rating  another analyst trimming expectations (still showing some upside in their view) that likely contributed to downward pressure this session. Evercore ISI price target cut

About Canadian National Railway

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Canadian National Railway Company (NYSE: CNI) is a Class I freight railway that operates an integrated rail network across Canada and the United States. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, CN provides long-haul freight transportation and related logistics services that connect major ports, industrial centers and inland markets throughout North America. Its transcontinental system enables cross-border movement of goods and supports supply chains that span coast-to-coast in Canada and into the central and eastern United States.

CNs core business is the railborne transportation of a broad mix of commodities, including intermodal container traffic, forest and paper products, grain and other agricultural products, metallurgical and industrial products, petroleum and chemical products, coal and automotive shipments.

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The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG  Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by research analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald from $160.00 to $165.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the insurance providers stock. Cantor Fitzgeralds target price would suggest a potential upside of 20.75% from the companys current price.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on HIG. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, November 17th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on The Hartford Insurance Group from $137.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings cut The Hartford Insurance Group from a buy (a-) rating to a buy (b+) rating in a report on Thursday. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $152.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on The Hartford Insurance Group from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $148.13.

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The Hartford Insurance Group Stock Performance

The Hartford Insurance Group stock traded up $1.58 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $136.64. The stock had a trading volume of 406,219 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,423,666. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.08 billion, a PE ratio of 10.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.61. The Hartford Insurance Group has a 12 month low of $107.49 and a 12 month high of $140.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The firms 50-day moving average price is $134.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $131.25.

The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $4.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.22 by $0.84. The firm had revenue of $7.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.29 billion. The Hartford Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.92% and a net margin of 13.52%.The companys revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.94 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that The Hartford Insurance Group will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Beth Ann Costello sold 35,339 shares of The Hartford Insurance Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.58, for a total value 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. The trade was a 31.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Hartford Insurance Group

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations acquired a new position in The Hartford Insurance Group in the 4th quarter worth about $3,058,000. Composition Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 21.0% during the 4th quarter. Composition Wealth LLC now owns 4,689 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $646,000 after purchasing an additional 813 shares in the last quarter. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the 4th quarter valued at $1,857,000. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 7.9% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 38,814 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $5,349,000 after acquiring an additional 2,848 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 16.1% in the 4th quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,265 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $174,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.42% of the companys stock.

The Hartford Insurance Group Company Profile

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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.

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National Pension Service increased its position in Carvana Co. (NYSE:CVNA  Free Report) by 2.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 192,917 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 4,249 shares during the period. National Pension Service owned approximately 0.09% of Carvana worth $72,776,000 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 CVNA. Sands Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Carvana by 1,374.3% in the second quarter. Sands Capital Management LLC now owns 901,227 shares of the companys stock valued at $303,677,000 after purchasing an additional 840,096 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Carvana in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $259,468,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new stake in Carvana in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $193,091,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in Carvana in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $183,102,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Carvana by 231.8% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 734,436 shares of the companys stock valued at $247,476,000 after acquiring an additional 513,092 shares in the last quarter. 56.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Carvana Stock Performance

NYSE:CVNA opened at $400.36 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $431.93 and a 200-day moving average of $379.38. The firm has a market cap of $87.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 91.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 3.57. The company has a current ratio of 4.05, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63. Carvana Co. has a twelve month low of $148.25 and a twelve month high of $486.89.

Insider Activity

Analyst Ratings Changes

In other news, insider Thomas Taira sold 1,174 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $447.00, for a total transaction of $524,778.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 68,252 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,508,644. This represents a 1.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, insider Daniel J. Gill sold 40,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.24, for a total value of $19,009,600.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 191,106 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $90,821,215.44. This represents a 17.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 411,506 shares of company stock valued at $174,651,315 in the last ninety days. 16.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on CVNA shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a buy rating on shares of Carvana in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Carvana from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Sunday, October 19th. BTIG Research raised their target price on shares of Carvana from $450.00 to $535.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. DA Davidson set a $360.00 price target on shares of Carvana in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a buy rating and issued a $500.00 price objective on shares of Carvana in a report on Monday, November 17th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $474.27.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on CVNA

Carvana Profile

(Free Report)

Carvana Co is an online-only retailer of used vehicles that operates a consumer-facing e-commerce platform for buying and selling cars. The company markets and sells inspected, reconditioned pre-owned vehicles through its website, where shoppers can browse inventory, view detailed 360-degree photos and vehicle history reports, finance purchases, and arrange delivery or pickup. Carvanas model is built around a digital end-to-end car buying experience that aims to simplify vehicle transactions compared with traditional dealerships.

Its products and services include direct retail sales of used cars, trade-in and purchase offers for consumer vehicles, vehicle financing and related protection products, and a seven-day return policy that allows customers to test a vehicle in everyday use.

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Chevron (NYSE:CVX) executives emphasized operational execution, portfolio strengthening and shareholder returns during the companys fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, highlighting record production, major project startups and a dividend increase.

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Record production and major project milestones

Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth said 2025 was a year of execution, pointing to record production globally and in the U.S. The company completed the Future Growth Project at Tengiz, which Wirth said added 260,000 barrels of oil per day. He also cited the startup of Ballymore and Whale and the ramp-up of Anchor in the Gulf of Mexico as key steps toward Chevrons stated goal of reaching 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the Gulf of Mexico in 2026.

Fourth-quarter results and capital returns

Wirth said Chevron reached 1,000,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the Permian and described a shift in focus toward free cash flow growth. He also noted the close of the Hess acquisition, which he said created a premier upstream portfolio with the highest cash margins in the industry.

CFO Eimear Bonner reported fourth-quarter earnings of $2.8 billion, or $1.39 per share, with adjusted earnings of $3.0 billion, or $1.52 per share. Bonner said items included pension curtailment costs of $128 million and negative foreign currency effects of $130 million.

Cash flow from operations was $10.8 billion for the quarter and included $1.7 billion from a working capital drawdown. Bonner said Chevron expects working capital to build in the first quarter of 2026, consistent with historical trends. Organic capital expenditures were $5.1 billion in the quarter, and full-year organic CapEx was in line with guidance. Inorganic CapEx was mostly related to lease acquisitions and new energies investments, she said.

Chevron repurchased $3 billion of shares in the quarter, which Bonner described as the high end of guidance, and ended the year with a net debt coverage ratio of 1x.

For the full year, Bonner said adjusted free cash flow was $20 billion and included the first loan repayment from TCO and $1.8 billion in asset sales. Wirth said adjusted free cash flow, excluding asset sales, increased more than 35% year-over-year even with oil prices down nearly 15%, and he noted that Chevron returned record cash to shareholders for the fourth consecutive year.

Bonner also announced a 4% increase in the quarterly dividend, calling it Chevrons top financial priority. She said the company has returned more than $100 billion in dividends and buybacks over the last four years.

Venezuela: self-funded growth and potential additional volumes

Wirth provided an update on Chevrons Venezuela operations, saying activity has continued uninterrupted and that Chevrons people are safe. He said Chevron is in four joint ventures with PDVSA, three of which are producing assets.

According to Wirth, since 2022following changes in licensesChevron has increased production in its Venezuela ventures by more than 200,000 barrels per day, with gross production around 250,000 barrels a day. He said Chevron sees potential for up to 50% additional production growth over the next 1824 months, contingent on additional authorizations from the U.S. government.

Wirth said the work in Venezuela is funded through cash within the ventures, with cash used for required taxes and royalties, debt repayment, and reinvestment into operations such as well work and maintenance on pumps, pipelines and compressor stations. He added that while resource potential is large with a lot of running room, Chevron needs stability, confidence in fiscal terms, and regulatory predictability, noting a hydrocarbon law passed just yesterday that the company was reviewing.

Eastern Mediterranean growth and exploration plans

Wirth highlighted Chevrons advantage assets in the Eastern Mediterranean and described a slate of gas projects intended to expand supply to regional markets. He said Leviathan reached final investment decision (FID) to further expand production capacity and, combined with near-term expansion, gross capacity is anticipated to reach roughly 2.1 billion cubic feet per day by the end of the decade. Wirth said this is expected to contribute to a doubling of current earnings and free cash flow.

He also said a Tamar optimization project was starting up, increasing gross capacity to approximately 1.6 billion cubic feet per day. Aphrodite has entered front-end engineering and design (FEED) as Chevron works toward a competitive investment in Cyprus.

In Q&A, Wirth said the company has at least one exploration well expected offshore Egypt and described a large position in blocks offshore Egypt in relatively underexplored areas. He said Chevron has shot seismic and plans to drill wells to test whether petroleum systems extend offshore.

Tengiz update, cost reductions, and 2026 outlook

Wirth addressed a recent issue at Tengizchevroil (TCO), saying the facility experienced a temporary problem in the power distribution system and production was proactively put in recycle mode for safety while the team identified the root cause. He said early production has resumed and Chevron expects most plant capacity to be online within a week, with unconstrained production levels within February. Wirth said Chevrons 2026 guidance of $6 billion of Chevron-share free cash flow from TCO at $70 Brent was unchanged.

Bonner said 2025 was the highest full-year worldwide and U.S. production in Chevrons history. Excluding Hess acquisition impacts, she said net oil-equivalent production growth was at the top end of the companys 6%8% guidance range. Looking to 2026, Bonner said the company expects production growth to continue driven by project ramp-ups, a full year of Hess assets, and ongoing efficiency in shale. She said growth in high-margin assets is anticipated to contribute to a 7%10% increase in production year-over-year, excluding the impact of asset sales.

Bonner also provided an update on Chevrons cost reduction program, saying execution exceeded expectations with $1.5 billion delivered in 2025 and $2 billion captured in the annual run rate. She said Chevron expanded its target to $3 billion$4 billion by the end of 2026, with more than 60% of savings expected from durable efficiency gains.

Among operational updates, executives said Chevron is holding Permian production at roughly 1 million barrels per day while optimizing cash generation and improving capital efficiency, and they discussed applying best practices to the Bakken following the Hess transaction. In downstream, Wirth said Chevron brought about 50,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan crude into the Pascagoula refinery and could take another 100,000 barrels per day into its system, including Pascagoula and the El Segundo refinery.

About Chevron (NYSE:CVX)

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.

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Shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas, S.A. (NYSE:CCU  Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of Strong Sell from the five ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and two have assigned a hold rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $12.00.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on CCU shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas in a research report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas from $10.00 to $14.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd.

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Institutional Trading of Compania Cervecerias Unidas

Compania Cervecerias Unidas Trading Down 1.6%

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CCU. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas by 1,252.7% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,233 shares of the companys stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 2,994 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas in the third quarter worth about $60,000. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas by 12.7% in the third quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 7,277 shares of the companys stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 822 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas in the 3rd quarter worth $91,000. Finally, First Affirmative Financial Network acquired a new position in Compania Cervecerias Unidas in the 3rd quarter valued at about $143,000. 24.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Shares of NYSE CCU traded down $0.24 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $14.43. 99,697 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 186,305. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 2.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.67, a PEG ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.46. The business has a 50 day moving average of $13.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $12.68. Compania Cervecerias Unidas has a 1 year low of $11.35 and a 1 year high of $15.75.

Compania Cervecerias Unidas (NYSE:CCU  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.17 by ($0.08). Compania Cervecerias Unidas had a return on equity of 8.18% and a net margin of 4.48%.The firm had revenue of $684.82 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $783.08 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Compania Cervecerias Unidas will post 0.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Compania Cervecerias Unidas

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Compania Cervecerias Unidas SA (NYSE: CCU) is a Chile-based beverages company with operations across Latin America. The company engages in the production, marketing and distribution of beer, soft drinks, wines, mineral water and other non-alcoholic beverages. Through a combination of owned brands and licensing agreements, CCU serves both domestic and export markets with a diversified portfolio designed to meet evolving consumer tastes.

In its beer segment, CCU produces flagship brands such as Cristal, Escudo and Royal Guard, while also brewing international labels under license, including Heineken in select markets.

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Lsb Industries (NYSE:LXU  Get Free Report) and Sumitomo Chemcl (OTCMKTS:SOMMY  Get Free Report) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, valuation and dividends.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Lsb Industries and Sumitomo Chemcls gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Lsb Industries $522.40 million 1.28 -$19.35 million ($0.01) -927.50 Sumitomo Chemcl $17.12 billion 0.30 $254.70 million $1.73 9.05

Risk & Volatility

Sumitomo Chemcl has higher revenue and earnings than Lsb Industries. Lsb Industries is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Sumitomo Chemcl, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Lsb Industries has a beta of 0.74, suggesting that its stock price is 26% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Sumitomo Chemcl has a beta of 0.28, suggesting that its stock price is 72% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

73.7% of Lsb Industries shares are held by institutional investors. 4.7% of Lsb Industries shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Lsb Industries and Sumitomo Chemcls net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Lsb Industries -0.11% 2.70% 1.16% Sumitomo Chemcl 3.43% 7.54% 2.43%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Lsb Industries and Sumitomo Chemcl, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Lsb Industries 1 1 1 1 2.50 Sumitomo Chemcl 0 1 0 0 2.00

Lsb Industries presently has a consensus price target of $10.25, indicating a potential upside of 10.51%. Given Lsb Industries stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Lsb Industries is more favorable than Sumitomo Chemcl.

Summary

Lsb Industries beats Sumitomo Chemcl on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Lsb Industries

(Get Free Report)

LSB Industries, Inc. engages in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of chemical products. The company provides nitrogen-based fertilizers, such as ammonia, fertilizer grade high density ammonium nitrate (HDAN), and urea ammonia nitrate for fertilizer for corn, pastures, and other crops, as well as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer blends application. It also offers high purity and commercial grade ammonia, high purity ammonium nitrate, sulfuric acids, mixed nitrating acids, carbon dioxide, and diesel exhaust fluids, as well as concentrated, and blended and regular nitric acids for various applications, including semiconductor, nylon, and polyurethane intermediates, ammonium nitrate, and metal processing; chemical feedstocks, emissions abatement, water treatments, and refrigerants; pulp and paper, aluminum, water treatment, metals, and vanadium processing; abatement for diesel vehicles; and food refrigeration, dry ice, and enhanced oil recovery. In addition, the company provides industrial grade and low density ammonium nitrate, and ammonium nitrate for explosives mining, quarries, and other blasting activities. It sells its products through distributors, as well as directly to end customers in the United States and other parts of North America. The company serves to the agricultural, industrial, and mining markets. LSB Industries, Inc. was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

About Sumitomo Chemcl

(Get Free Report)

Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited engages in Chemicals & Plastics, energy and functional materials, IT-related chemicals, health and crop sciences, pharmaceuticals, and other businesses worldwide. Its Essential Chemicals & Plastics segment offers synthetic resins, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polymethyl methacrylate resins; raw materials for synthetic fibers; and various industrial chemicals. The company's Energy & Functional Materials segment provides alumina and aluminum products used for energy products; resorcinol for tires, wood adhesives, flame retardants, and ultraviolet ray absorbants; polymer additives and rubber chemicals; synthetic rubber for tires, shoes, construction materials, and other applications; and engineering plastics and lithium-ion secondary battery materials for use in electronic components and next-generation vehicles. Its IT-Related Chemicals segment provides polarizing films, touch screen sensor panels, and color resists and polymer OLED for LC and OLED displays; photoresists and high-purity chemicals for the semiconductor manufacturing process; and compound semiconductor materials for antenna switches and other components of communication terminal equipment. The company's Health & Crop Sciences segment offers crop protection chemicals, fertilizers, feed additives, and household insecticides; active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates; and products to control infectious diseases. Its Pharmaceuticals segment provides prescription and diagnostic pharmaceuticals. The company's Others segment supplies electric power and steam; designs, constructs, and supervises chemical plants; provides transportation and warehousing services; and conducts physical property and environmental analysis. Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited was founded in 1913 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

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Credit Corp Group (ASX:CCP) CEO Thomas Beregi told investors the company is targeting earnings growth while maintaining what it considers acceptable returns, defined as a 16% return on equity with a conservative capital structure, as it continues to expand its lending and purchased debt ledger portfolios.

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In a presentation of the companys 2026 half-year results, Beregi said Credit Corp operates at the risky end of the consumer credit spectrum, serving customers who have typically defaulted on a previous obligation. He framed the strategy around staying ahead in analytics, operational execution, and compliance, noting the business is more likely to engage with customers experiencing hardship or vulnerability.

First-half profit flat as investment ramps

Beregi reported first-half net profit after tax of, which he said was flat versus the prior year despite asset growth. He attributed the flat result to the timing effects that come with expanding the groups lending business, including upfront loss provisioning and marketing costs, with returns realized later through interest income.

He said the companys asset growth was reflected in both key portfolios, with both our loan book and purchased debt ledger book recording growth over the prior year.

Second-half uplift expected; full-year guidance reiterated

Management expects earnings to skew toward the second half. Beregi said net profit after tax is projected to rise from AUD 44.1 million in the first half to AUD 61 million in the second half, driven by higher interest income from the expanded loan book, seasonal reductions in marketing and provisioning costs, and increased collections from the larger purchased debt ledger book.

For the full year, the company reiterated guidance for net profit after tax of AUD 100 million to AUD 110 million, which Beregi said would represent growth of 6% to 17% over the prior year. He added that guidance was unchanged from the start of the year.

U.S. results improve; buying pipeline outlined

Beregi said the companys U.S. business has continued to improve, citing productivity gains that lifted segment earnings by 63% to $11.7 million. He said the improved performance supported continued investment in the market.

He also provided an update on purchasing capacity and expected volumes in the U.S., stating that the full-year committed U.S. purchasing pipeline stood at AUD 157 million. He said there were opportunities to expand that to a range of AUD 160 million to AUD 180 million.

Lending hits a half-year record; ANZ debt buying resumes momentum

On the consumer lending side, Beregi said refreshed marketing and strong operations contributed to a 14% increase in total lending volume to a half-year record. He said this growth lifted the loan book to almost AUD 500 million.

In the Australia and New Zealand debt buying business, Beregi said the segment ended the half in a strong position, despite disruptions during the period to forward-flow purchasing arrangements. He said much of that disruption was remedied with the receipt of backlog files in December.

Beregi also highlighted success in securing one-off purchases, including a large credit card runoff book acquired in January. He said the committed purchasing pipeline for Australia stood at AUD 120 million, with additional opportunities to grow from there.

Balance sheet capacity and Humm Group acquisition interest

Beregi said Credit Corps capital position remained strong, with net borrowing at 32% of financial assets. He said the company had undrawn credit lines and the ability to expand its access to finance to fund potential opportunities.

One of those opportunities is a potential acquisition of Humm Group Limited. Beregi said Credit Corp was presently working towards gaining access to due diligence information, and described Humm as complementary to Credit Corps consumer lending ambitions.

Beregi outlined several areas where he believes Humm could broaden or accelerate Credit Corps strategy:

Distribution: Credit Corps consumer lending is currently distributed directly through advertised channels, while Humm has a retail network for point-of-sale distribution.

Credit Corps consumer lending is currently distributed directly through advertised channels, while Humm has a retail network for point-of-sale distribution. U.K. presence: Credit Corp has commenced building a business in the U.K., while Humm has an established and extensively profitable platform in that market.

Credit Corp has commenced building a business in the U.K., while Humm has an established and extensively profitable platform in that market. Commercial exposure: Credit Corp does not undertake commercial lending, while Humm has what Beregi called a large and high-quality commercial leasing business that Credit Corp would seek to grow.

Credit Corp does not undertake commercial lending, while Humm has what Beregi called a large and high-quality commercial leasing business that Credit Corp would seek to grow. Potential synergies: Beregi said he expects synergies from combining aspects of the two businesses.

However, Beregi cautioned that the outcome is very uncertain, and said that even without a transaction, Credit Corp has a strong organic growth agenda capable of delivering substantial value.

Looking ahead, Beregi said the company now expects an increased proportion of purchased debt ledger investment to be in Australia and a smaller component in the U.S., while maintaining all other guidance. He said the ability to shift investment by market reflects one benefit of operating across multiple regions.

About Credit Corp Group (ASX:CCP)

Credit Corp Group Limited engages in the provision of debt ledger purchase and collection, and consumer lending services in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. It operates through three segments: Debt Ledger Purchasing Australia and New Zealand; Debt Ledger Purchasing United States; and Consumer Lending Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The company offers debt sale, contingency and agency collection, local government debt recovery, and hardship and insolvency management services, as well as various loan products.

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DNB Bank ASA (OTCMKTS:DNBBY  Get Free Report) will likely be issuing its results before the market opens on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.65 per share and revenue of $2.3545 billion for the quarter.

DNB Bank ASA Stock Performance

OTCMKTS DNBBY opened at $28.68 on Monday. DNB Bank ASA has a 12-month low of $20.66 and a 12-month high of $29.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42. The businesss 50 day moving average is $27.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.51 and a beta of 0.73.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DNBBY has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley restated an underweight rating on shares of DNB Bank ASA in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Citigroup reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of DNB Bank ASA in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Zacks Research upgraded DNB Bank ASA from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered DNB Bank ASA from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, DNB Bank ASA presently has an average rating of Hold.

DNB Bank ASA Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

DNB Bank ASA (OTCMKTS: DNBBY) is Norways largest financial services group, offering a broad range of banking, insurance and capital markets services to retail, corporate and institutional clients. The banks core activities encompass retail and commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, asset management, life insurance and pension products, as well as payment and card services. DNB provides traditional deposit and lending products, mortgages, savings and wealth management solutions, securities trading, corporate finance and treasury services.

The group operates through several specialized business lines, including DNB Markets for investment banking and capital markets activities and DNB Asset Management for portfolio management and investment funds.

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Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ  Get Free Report) had its price target upped by analysts at Evercore ISI from $48.00 to $50.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the cell phone carriers stock. Evercore ISIs target price suggests a potential upside of 12.32% from the companys previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $50.50 to $51.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $41.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. They set an equal weight rating and a $43.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $47.57.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Price Performance

Shares of VZ opened at $44.52 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.91. Verizon Communications has a fifty-two week low of $38.39 and a fifty-two week high of $47.35. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $40.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.58. The company has a market capitalization of $187.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.15 and a beta of 0.34.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The company had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $36.20 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Advantage Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 549.5% during the 2nd quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 591 shares of the cell phone carriers stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. TruNorth Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Verizon Communications by 95.3% during the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carriers stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Verizon Communications in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 739.5% in the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carriers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the companys stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Verizon Communications

Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:

Verizon Communications Company Profile

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Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ) is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.

The companys consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.

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New York State Common Retirement Fund cut its holdings in shares of Extra Space Storage Inc (NYSE:EXR  Free Report) by 3.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 126,131 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 3,900 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Funds holdings in Extra Space Storage were worth $17,777,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in EXR. Chung Wu Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Extra Space Storage during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in Extra Space Storage by 60.2% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 213 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Davis Capital Management purchased a new stake in Extra Space Storage in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Extra Space Storage during the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, MTM Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Extra Space Storage during the 2nd quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.11% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EXR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Evercore ISI reiterated a cautious rating on shares of Extra Space Storage in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on Extra Space Storage from $148.00 to $146.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Mizuho raised their price target on Extra Space Storage from $137.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Extra Space Storage from $142.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Extra Space Storage in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Extra Space Storage has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $146.53.

Extra Space Storage Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EXR opened at $137.78 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.27. The business has a 50-day moving average of $135.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $139.15. Extra Space Storage Inc has a fifty-two week low of $121.03 and a fifty-two week high of $162.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.24 and a quick ratio of 0.24.

Extra Space Storage Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a dividend of $1.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.7%. Extra Space Storages dividend payout ratio is presently 144.64%.

About Extra Space Storage

(Free Report)

Extra Space Storage (NYSE: EXR) is a real estate investment trust that specializes in the ownership, development and operation of self-storage properties. The company provides storage solutions for residential and commercial customers, offering a range of unit sizes, climate-controlled units and specialized options such as vehicle and boat storage. Extra Space Storage markets itself as a customer-focused operator, with online rentals, contactless move-in options and ancillary retail products like packing supplies and insurance to support tenant needs.

Its business model combines property ownership with third-party management and development activities.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EXR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Extra Space Storage Inc (NYSE:EXR  Free Report).

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Allied Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM  Free Report) by 4.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 122,986 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after acquiring an additional 4,891 shares during the period. Exxon Mobil makes up about 2.2% of Allied Investment Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Allied Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $13,867,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nexus Investment Management ULC boosted its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Nexus Investment Management ULC now owns 5,794 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $653,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Sagace Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 2.7% in the third quarter. Sagace Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,445 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $388,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 2.5% in the third quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 3,701 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $417,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Exxon Mobil by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Capstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,527 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $285,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. Finally, Cascade Investment Group Inc. grew its position in Exxon Mobil by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Cascade Investment Group Inc. now owns 4,419 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $476,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.80% of the companys stock.

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Exxon Mobil Price Performance

Exxon Mobil stock opened at $141.43 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $596.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.14, a P/E/G ratio of 14.93 and a beta of 0.39. The companys fifty day moving average price is $122.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $116.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.15. Exxon Mobil Corporation has a 1 year low of $97.80 and a 1 year high of $142.34.

Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend

Exxon Mobil ( NYSE:XOM Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.08. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 8.68% and a return on equity of 11.21%. The company had revenue of $82.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $77.98 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.67 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 12th will be paid a $1.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 12th. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Exxon Mobils dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.88%.

Exxon Mobil News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Exxon Mobil this week:

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on XOM shares. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $146.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. BNP Paribas Exane raised Exxon Mobil from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $114.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, December 8th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $137.00 to $134.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. UBS Group reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $144.00 to $142.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $133.93.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Exxon Mobil

Insider Transactions at Exxon Mobil

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 3,000 shares of Exxon Mobil stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total value of $351,570.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 28,584 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,349,758.96. The trade was a 9.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.03% of the companys stock.

About Exxon Mobil

(Free Report)

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) is an integrated oil and gas company engaged in the exploration, production, refining, distribution and marketing of petroleum products and the manufacture and sale of petrochemicals. Its operations span the full energy value chain, including upstream exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas; midstream transportation and storage; and downstream refining, product distribution and retail. The company also produces a broad range of chemical products for industrial and consumer applications.

ExxonMobil markets fuels and lubricants under well-known brands such as Exxon, Mobil and Esso, and its Mobil 1 motor oil is a prominent consumer product.

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New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its position in FB Financial Corporation (NYSE:FBK  Free Report) by 42.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 280,366 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 83,682 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Funds holdings in FB Financial were worth $15,628,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in FBK. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in FB Financial by 23.8% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 59,372 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,752,000 after purchasing an additional 11,414 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of FB Financial by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 21,149 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $980,000 after buying an additional 930 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in FB Financial by 11.8% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 354,156 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $16,419,000 after buying an additional 37,385 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new position in FB Financial during the first quarter valued at $245,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in FB Financial by 39.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 80,138 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,715,000 after acquiring an additional 22,662 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.40% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on FBK. Piper Sandler lowered shares of FB Financial from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the stock from $63.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $66.00 target price (up previously from $61.00) on shares of FB Financial in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of FB Financial in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of FB Financial from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Sunday, November 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, FB Financial currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $61.20.

Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder James Austin Mcpherson sold 8,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.06, for a total value of $510,510.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 9,484 shares of the companys stock, valued at $569,609.04. This trade represents a 47.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.90% of the companys stock.

FB Financial Stock Performance

Shares of FB Financial stock opened at $57.54 on Monday. FB Financial Corporation has a twelve month low of $38.83 and a twelve month high of $62.37. The firm has a market cap of $3.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.98 and a beta of 1.00. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $57.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $54.63.

FB Financial (NYSE:FBK  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 21st. The financial services provider reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.14 by $0.02. FB Financial had a return on equity of 11.21% and a net margin of 13.07%.The firm had revenue of $178.36 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $176.30 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.85 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that FB Financial Corporation will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

FB Financial Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 24th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be issued a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is a positive change from FB Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 10th. FB Financials dividend payout ratio is presently 31.67%.

FB Financial Profile

(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

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Dividends

BEIJING ENTPS H/S pays an annual dividend of $0.78 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.4%. COBHAM PLC/ADR pays an annual dividend of $0.01 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.2%. BEIJING ENTPS H/S pays out 11.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. COBHAM PLC/ADR pays out 9.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.0% of BEIJING ENTPS H/S shares are held by institutional investors. 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.

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Valuation and Earnings

This table compares BEIJING ENTPS H/S and COBHAM PLC/ADRs gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio BEIJING ENTPS H/S $7.38 billion 0.99 $882.75 million $6.99 8.24 COBHAM PLC/ADR $2.18 billion 2.54 $98.11 million $0.11 40.82

BEIJING ENTPS H/S has higher revenue and earnings than COBHAM PLC/ADR. BEIJING ENTPS H/S is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than COBHAM PLC/ADR, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility and Risk

BEIJING ENTPS H/S has a beta of 1.26, meaning that its share price is 26% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, COBHAM PLC/ADR has a beta of 1.26, meaning that its share price is 26% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares BEIJING ENTPS H/S and COBHAM PLC/ADRs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets BEIJING ENTPS H/S N/A N/A N/A COBHAM PLC/ADR N/A N/A N/A

Summary

BEIJING ENTPS H/S beats COBHAM PLC/ADR on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About BEIJING ENTPS H/S

(Get Free Report)

Beijing Enterprises Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, engages in piped gas, brewery, water and environmental, solid waste treatment, and other businesses primarily in Mainland China. Its Piped Gas Operation segment distributes and sells piped natural gas; provides natural gas transmission, and gas technology consultation and development services, as well as repair and maintenance services; surveys and plots underground construction projects; and constructs and installs gas pipelines and related equipment. The company's Brewery Operation segment produces, distributes, and sells brewery products. Its Water and Environmental segment constructs sewage and water treatment plants and other infrastructural facilities; provides construction services for renovation projects; offers sewage treatment, and water treatment and distribution services, as well as consultancy services; and licenses technical know-how related to sewage treatment. The company's Solid Waste Treatment segment is involved in the construction and operation of waste incineration plants; waste treatment; sale of electricity; generation of heat and stream from waste incineration. Its Corporate and Others segment offers consultation and property investment services. Beijing Enterprises Holdings Limited was founded in 1997, and is considered a Red Chip company due to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company is based in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Beijing Enterprises Holdings Limited is a subsidiary of Beijing Enterprises Group (BVI) Company Limited.

About COBHAM PLC/ADR

(Get Free Report)

Cobham plc provides a range of technologies and services to commercial, defense, aerospace, space, and security markets in the United Kingdom, the United States, other European countries, Australia, Asia, and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Communications and Connectivity, Mission Systems, Advanced Electronic Solutions, and Aviation Services. The Communications and Connectivity segment offers equipment and solutions for the aerospace, avionics, satellite, radio, wireless, antenna, and mobile connectivity markets. The Mission Systems segment provides safety and survival systems for extreme environments; nose-to-tail aerial refueling systems; and wing-tip to wing-tip mission systems for jets, transport aircraft, and rotorcraft. The Advanced Electronic Solutions segment offers critical solutions for communication on land, at sea, in the air, and in space through off-the-shelf and customized products, which include radio frequency, microwave, microelectronics, antenna subsystems, and motion control solutions. This segment serves defense, radar, electronic warfare, X-ray imaging, medical, and industrial markets. The Aviation Services segment delivers outsourced aviation services for military and commercial customers through military training, special mission flights, outsourced commercial aviation, fly-in fly-out, and aircraft engineering services. Cobham plc was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Wimborne, the United Kingdom.

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Teledyne Technologies (NYSE:TDY  Get Free Report) and Applied Visual Sciences (OTCMKTS:APVS  Get Free Report) are both aerospace companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, dividends and risk.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings for Teledyne Technologies and Applied Visual Sciences, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Teledyne Technologies 0 3 6 0 2.67 Applied Visual Sciences 0 0 0 0 0.00

Teledyne Technologies currently has a consensus price target of $627.88, suggesting a potential upside of 1.31%. Given Teledyne Technologies stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Teledyne Technologies is more favorable than Applied Visual Sciences.

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Teledyne Technologies $6.12 billion 4.76 $894.80 million $18.91 32.77 Applied Visual Sciences N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

This table compares Teledyne Technologies and Applied Visual Sciencess top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Teledyne Technologies has higher revenue and earnings than Applied Visual Sciences.

Volatility and Risk

Teledyne Technologies has a beta of 1.01, meaning that its stock price is 1% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Applied Visual Sciences has a beta of 7.63, meaning that its stock price is 663% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

91.6% of Teledyne Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.5% of Teledyne Technologies shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 33.0% of Applied Visual Sciences shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Teledyne Technologies and Applied Visual Sciences net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Teledyne Technologies 14.63% 10.08% 6.85% Applied Visual Sciences N/A N/A N/A

Summary

Teledyne Technologies beats Applied Visual Sciences on 8 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Teledyne Technologies

(Get Free Report)

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, provides enabling technologies for industrial growth markets in the United States and internationally. Its Digital Imaging segment provides visible spectrum sensors and digital cameras; and infrared, ultraviolet, visible, and X-ray spectra; as well as micro electromechanical systems and semiconductors, including analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters. This segment also offers cooled and uncooled infrared or thermal products, including sensors, camera cores, and camera systems; high-resolution, low-dose X-ray sensors, high-power microwave, and high-energy X-ray subsystems; and instruments for the measurement of physical properties and maritime products; as well as develops and manufactures multi-spectrum electro-optic/infrared imaging systems and associated products, such as lasers, optics, and radars, CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive detectors), and unmanned air and ground systems. The company's Instrumentation segment offers monitoring, control, and electronic test and measurement equipment; and power and communications connectivity devices for distributed instrumentation systems and sensor networks. The company's Aerospace and Defense Electronics segment provides electronic components and subsystems, data acquisition and communications components and equipment, harsh environment interconnects, general aviation batteries, and other components; and onboard avionics systems and ground-based applications, aircraft data and connectivity solutions, hardware systems, and software applications. Its Engineered Systems segment offers systems engineering and integration, technology development, and manufacturing solutions for defense, space, environmental, and energy applications; and designs and manufactures electrochemical energy systems and electronics for military applications. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California.

About Applied Visual Sciences

(Get Free Report)

Applied Visual Sciences, Inc., a software technology company, designs and develops computer-vision detection solutions based on image processing science for aviation/homeland security and healthcare markets. It utilizes imaging technologies and analytics to create integrated information management technology products and services that address problems for corporations and governmental agencies. The company offers PinPoint, an intelligent computer-vision automated target recognition technology for the detection of guns, explosives, and other threat items contained in baggage in the airport environment or for building security applications; and Signature Mapping platform technology for use in the imaging field of diagnostic radiology and pathology. It also provides Signature Mapping Detection System, an automated hardware-software laboratory solution used to operate various infectious disease applications through multi-threaded detection algorithms. In addition, the company offers Signature Mapping Tuberculosis Detection software, an automated hardware and software technology platform; and Signature Mapping Breast Cancer Detection, a breast cancer detection solution. Applied Visual Sciences, Inc. markets its products through direct sales and indirect distribution channels worldwide. The company was formerly known as Guardian Technologies International, Inc. and changed its name to Applied Visual Sciences, Inc. in July 2010. Applied Visual Sciences, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is based in Leesburg, Virginia.

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Flexible Solutions International, Inc. (NYSE:FSI  Get Free Report) CEO Brien Daniel O sold 4,003 shares of Flexible Solutions International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.89, for a total value of $23,577.67. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 4,611,653 shares of the companys stock, valued at $27,162,636.17. The trade was a 0.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Flexible Solutions International Stock Performance

Shares of FSI traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $5.85. The companys stock had a trading volume of 21,318 shares, compared to its average volume of 50,144. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Flexible Solutions International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $3.46 and a 1-year high of $11.48. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $7.68. The stock has a market cap of $74.18 million, a P/E ratio of 17.71 and a beta of 1.56.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSI. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Flexible Solutions International during the second quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new stake in Flexible Solutions International during the 3rd quarter valued at $109,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Flexible Solutions International by 2.2% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 80,481 shares of the companys stock worth $776,000 after buying an additional 1,700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Flexible Solutions International by 2.8% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 284,869 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,746,000 after buying an additional 7,700 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 54.31% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on FSI. Zacks Research raised shares of Flexible Solutions International from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, January 19th. Singular Research raised Flexible Solutions International from a moderate buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Flexible Solutions International has a consensus rating of Buy.

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About Flexible Solutions International

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Flexible Solutions International (NYSE:FSI) is a specialty chemical company dedicated to the development, production and marketing of sustainable polymer-based and bio-based additives. The companys product portfolio includes polymer modifiers, specialty resins and performance additives that enhance properties such as adhesion, viscosity, impact strength and environmental resistance. These solutions serve a variety of end markets, including coatings and adhesives, composites and plastics, oilfield and mining fluids, wastewater treatment and agricultural applications.

Headquartered in Urbana, Ohio, Flexible Solutions International operates an integrated manufacturing facility that supports customer-specific production and pilot-scale development.

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Foundations Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares (NYSEARCA:TNA  Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 15,687 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $710,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares by 906.8% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 735 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 662 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares by 402.3% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 874 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the period. CWM LLC acquired a new position in Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares in the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares during the 2nd quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Manchester Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares in the 2nd quarter worth $50,000.

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Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares Stock Down 4.3%

Shares of NYSEARCA:TNA opened at $52.61 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $1.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.29 and a beta of 3.42. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $50.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.10. Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares has a fifty-two week low of $18.01 and a fifty-two week high of $60.44.

Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares Profile

Direxion Daily Small Cap Bull 3X Shares (the Fund), formerly Direxion Small Cap Bull 3X Shares, seeks daily investment results of 300% of the price performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Small Cap Index). The Small Cap Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the United States equity universe, and consists of the smallest 2,000 companies in the Russell 3000 Index, representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 Index. It includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership.

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Independent Advisor Alliance increased its position in Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV  Free Report) (TSE:FNV) by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,848 shares of the basic materials companys stock after buying an additional 2,198 shares during the quarter. Independent Advisor Alliances holdings in Franco-Nevada were worth $4,870,000 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. MTM Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Franco-Nevada in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Franco-Nevada by 600.0% in the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 196 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares during the period. Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Franco-Nevada by 78.3% in the second quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 205 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its stake in shares of Franco-Nevada by 590.9% during the second quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 228 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the period. Finally, City Holding Co. acquired a new position in shares of Franco-Nevada during the third quarter worth $56,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.06% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on FNV. TD Securities lowered their price objective on Franco-Nevada from $247.00 to $225.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a hold rating and issued a $228.00 price target on shares of Franco-Nevada in a research note on Sunday, December 7th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Franco-Nevada from a buy (b-) rating to a hold (c+) rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Franco-Nevada from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Raymond James Financial increased their price target on shares of Franco-Nevada from $218.00 to $234.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $245.00.

Franco-Nevada Stock Performance

FNV opened at $234.25 on Monday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $221.90 and its 200-day moving average is $201.53. Franco-Nevada Corporation has a one year low of $135.16 and a one year high of $273.55. The company has a market capitalization of $45.16 billion, a PE ratio of 49.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.47.

Franco-Nevada (NYSE:FNV  Get Free Report) (TSE:FNV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The basic materials company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $487.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $448.51 million. Franco-Nevada had a return on equity of 13.94% and a net margin of 59.48%.Franco-Nevadas revenue was up 76.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.80 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Franco-Nevada Corporation will post 3.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Franco-Nevada Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from Franco-Nevadas previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. Franco-Nevadas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.87%.

Franco-Nevada Profile

(Free Report)

Franco-Nevada Corporation is a Toronto-based royalty and streaming company that specializes in securing and managing long-term interests in mining properties. The firm focuses primarily on precious metals, particularly gold, while also holding interests related to silver, copper, platinum-group metals and select base metals. Rather than operating mines directly, Franco-Nevada acquires royalty and streaming agreements that entitle it to a percentage of production or revenue from producing and developing assets in exchange for upfront or staged financing.

The companys business model centers on providing capital to mining companies in return for a sustained share of production or metal revenue, which can reduce exposure to operating and capital cost risks typical of mine operators.

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Gerdau S.A. (NYSE:GGB  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 25,501,018 shares, an increase of 63.5% from the December 31st total of 15,593,600 shares. Approximately 1.3% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 13,284,692 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.9 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 13,284,692 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.9 days. Approximately 1.3% of the companys shares are sold short.

Institutional Trading of Gerdau

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in GGB. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Gerdau by 68.9% during the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 9,634 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 3,931 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Gerdau during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Gerdau by 95.3% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,687 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 5,216 shares during the period. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Gerdau during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Gerdau in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. 1.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Gerdau Stock Up 0.8%

GGB stock traded up $0.04 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $4.31. 2,374,796 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,311,375. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $3.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3.42. The company has a market capitalization of $8.60 billion, a PE ratio of 15.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.46. Gerdau has a twelve month low of $2.27 and a twelve month high of $4.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.70, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Gerdau ( NYSE:GGB Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.11 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $3.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.81 billion. Gerdau had a net margin of 4.38% and a return on equity of 5.92%. On average, research analysts forecast that Gerdau will post 0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on GGB. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Gerdau in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Gerdau from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a buy rating and set a $4.60 price objective (up previously from $4.00) on shares of Gerdau in a research note on Monday, December 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Gerdau presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $4.60.

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About Gerdau

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Gerdau SA is a Brazilian-based steel producer engaged in the manufacture and distribution of long steel products for the construction, industrial and agricultural sectors. Established in 1901, the company operates an integrated network of electric-arc furnaces and rolling mills, producing reinforcement bars, wire rod, merchant bars and structural shapes. Gerdaus product portfolio also includes specialty long steel, high-yield reinforcement, rail, beams and steel coils, as well as value-added processing services such as cutting, bending and coating.

The company has expanded its footprint beyond Brazil, with significant operations in North America, South America and a presence in select European markets.

Further Reading

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Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV (OTCMKTS:GBOOY  Get Free Report) is anticipated to issue its results before the market opens on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $1.33 per share for the quarter.

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV (OTCMKTS:GBOOY  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $2.30 billion during the quarter. Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV had a net margin of 13.50% and a return on equity of 22.20%. On average, analysts expect Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV to post $5 EPS for the current fiscal year and $5 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV Stock Performance

Shares of Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV stock opened at $56.32 on Monday. The stocks 50-day moving average is $49.33 and its 200-day moving average is $47.65. Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV has a one year low of $32.00 and a one year high of $60.70. The firm has a market cap of $31.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.23 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Strong Buy.

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Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV Company Profile

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Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV, commonly known as Banorte, is a major Mexican financial services holding company headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico. The group operates a universal banking franchise that serves retail, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large corporate clients across Mexico. Banorte provides a broad suite of banking services through an extensive branch network and digital channels and maintains an international investor presence, including ADRs that trade on the U.S. OTC market under the symbol GBOOY.

Banortes core businesses include retail and commercial bankingoffering deposit accounts, payment and cash management services, consumer and mortgage loans, credit and debit cards, and lending to corporate clients.

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Grupo Simec, S.A. de C.V. (NYSEAMERICAN:SIM  Get Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Monday . 1,860 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 189% from the previous sessions volume of 644 shares.The stock last traded at $31.25 and had previously closed at $29.00.

Grupo Simec Trading Up 7.8%

The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $29.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.32. The company has a market capitalization of $4.80 billion, a PE ratio of 28.67 and a beta of 0.26.

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About Grupo Simec

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Grupo Simec (NYSE American: SIM) is a Mexicobased producer and distributor of long steel products, serving construction, infrastructure, industrial and energy markets. The companys core operations encompass the manufacture of merchant bar steel, including reinforcing bar (rebar), wire rod, merchant bars and structural shapes. In parallel, its service centers offer cutting, bending and other valueadded processing services to meet the precise specifications of fabricators and end users.

With multiple steel mills located throughout Mexico and an expanding footprint in the United States, Grupo Simec maintains a vertically integrated supply chain that spans rawmaterial sourcing, steelmaking and downstream processing.

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Standex International (NYSE:SXI  Get Free Report) and Paul Mueller (OTCMKTS:MUEL  Get Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, institutional ownership and profitability.

Dividends

Standex International pays an annual dividend of $1.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.6%. Paul Mueller pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. Standex International pays out 30.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Paul Mueller pays out 3.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Standex International has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years. Standex International is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

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Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Standex International and Paul Muellers top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Standex International $790.11 million 3.69 $55.76 million $4.46 53.86 Paul Mueller $248.59 million 1.72 $29.67 million $40.20 11.82

Standex International has higher revenue and earnings than Paul Mueller. Paul Mueller is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Standex International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Standex International and Paul Mueller, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Standex International 0 1 4 0 2.80 Paul Mueller 0 0 0 0 0.00

Standex International currently has a consensus price target of $264.00, suggesting a potential upside of 9.89%. Given Standex Internationals stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Standex International is more favorable than Paul Mueller.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

90.4% of Standex International shares are held by institutional investors. 2.5% of Standex International shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.0% of Paul Mueller shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Standex International and Paul Muellers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Standex International 6.20% 14.29% 6.44% Paul Mueller 12.37% 36.21% 18.19%

Risk & Volatility

Standex International has a beta of 1.13, indicating that its stock price is 13% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Paul Mueller has a beta of 0.15, indicating that its stock price is 85% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Standex International beats Paul Mueller on 11 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Standex International

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Standex International Corporation, together with subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of various products and services for commercial and industrial markets in the United States and internationally. It operates through five segments: Electronics, Engraving, Scientific, Engineering Technologies, and Specialty Solutions. The Electronics segment offers reed relays, fluid level, proximity, motion, flow, HVAC condensate, and custom electronics sensors; and custom wound transformers and inductors for low and high frequency, current sense technology, advanced planar transformer technology, value added assembly, and mechanical packaging applications under the Standex Electronics, Renco, and Agile Magnetics. The Engraving segment provides mold texturizing, slush molding tools, roll engraving, hygiene product tooling, and low observation vents, as well as project management and design services for stealth aircraft; and process machinery for various industries under the Piazza Rosa, World Client Services, Tenibac-Graphion, GS Engineering, and Innovent brand names. The Scientific segment offers temperature-controlled equipment for the medical, scientific, pharmaceutical, biotech, and industrial markets under the American BioTech Supply, Lab Research Products, Corepoint, Cryosafe, CryoGuard, and Scientific brands. The Engineering Technologies segment offers net and near net formed single-source customized solutions that are used in the manufacture of engineered components for the aviation, aerospace, defense, energy, industrial, medical, marine, oil and gas, and manned and unmanned space markets under the Spincraft brand. The Specialty Solutions segment manufactures and sells refrigerated, heated, and dry merchandizing display cases; and single and double acting telescopic, and piston rod hydraulic cylinders under the Federal and Custom Hoist brands. The company was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Salem, New Hampshire.

About Paul Mueller

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Paul Mueller Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides manufactured equipment and components in the United States, North America, Asia, the Far East, the Netherlands, EU countries, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through four reportable segments: Dairy Farm Equipment, Industrial Equipment, Field Fabrication, and Transportation. The Dairy Farm Equipment segment offers milk cooling and storage equipment and accessories, refrigeration units, and heat recovery equipment for use on dairy farms to independent dealers for resale, and directly to farmers; and services for farmers, as well as milk coolers for rent to farmers. The Industrial Equipment segment sells food, beverage, chemical, and industrial processing equipment; and biopharmaceutical and pure water equipment, as well as stainless steel, alloy processing, storage tanks, and heat transfer products. The Field Fabrication segment sells large, field-fabricated tanks and vessels, such as stainless steel storage tanks for sanitary and industrial process applications. The Transportation segment offers delivery of products to customers; backhauls of materials and components; and contract carriage for third parties. It serves its products in various industries, including animal health, beverage, brewing, chemical, dairy farm, dairy processing, food, heat transfer, HVAC, industrial construction, oil and gas, personal care, pharmaceutical, pure water, tank fabrication, and wine. The company was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Springfield, Missouri.

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JATT Acquisition (NYSE:JATT  Get Free Report) and Protalix BioTherapeutics (NYSE:PLX  Get Free Report) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares JATT Acquisition and Protalix BioTherapeuticss gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio JATT Acquisition N/A N/A $6.85 million N/A N/A Protalix BioTherapeutics $61.84 million 3.36 $8.31 million $0.07 36.93

Profitability

Protalix BioTherapeutics has higher revenue and earnings than JATT Acquisition.

This table compares JATT Acquisition and Protalix BioTherapeutics net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets JATT Acquisition N/A -49.58% 2.84% Protalix BioTherapeutics -21.03% -30.89% -11.74%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for JATT Acquisition and Protalix BioTherapeutics, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score JATT Acquisition 0 0 0 0 0.00 Protalix BioTherapeutics 0 0 1 0 3.00

Protalix BioTherapeutics has a consensus price target of $12.00, indicating a potential upside of 364.22%. Given Protalix BioTherapeutics stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Protalix BioTherapeutics is more favorable than JATT Acquisition.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

48.0% of JATT Acquisition shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 16.5% of Protalix BioTherapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. 20.0% of JATT Acquisition shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 6.5% of Protalix BioTherapeutics shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Protalix BioTherapeutics beats JATT Acquisition on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About JATT Acquisition

(Get Free Report)

JATT Acquisition Corp does not have significant operations. It intends to effect a merger, capital share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. The company intends to focus on businesses primarily operating in the life sciences sector. JATT Acquisition Corp was incorporated in 2021 and is based in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands.

About Protalix BioTherapeutics

(Get Free Report)

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development, production, and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins based on its proprietary ProCellEx plant cell-based protein expression system in the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, and internationally. The company offers Elelyso for the treatment of Gaucher disease; and Elfabrio for the treatment of adult patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Fabry disease. It is also developing PRX-115, a plant cell-expressed recombinant PEGylated Uricase which is in Phase I trial for the treatment of gout; and PRX-119, a plant cell-expressed PEGylated recombinant human DNase I product candidate that is in preclinical phase for the treatment of NETs-related diseases. The company has agreements and partnerships with Pfizer; Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz; and Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. The company was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Karmiel, Israel. Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. is a subsidiary of Protalix Ltd.

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Heineken NV (OTCMKTS:HEINY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 128,487 shares, an increase of 27.0% from the December 31st total of 101,204 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 276,585 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.5 days. Based on an average trading volume of 276,585 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.5 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Heineken Stock Performance

Shares of HEINY stock traded up $0.53 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $41.70. 95,580 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 221,504. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Heineken has a 12-month low of $33.48 and a 12-month high of $46.62. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $40.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.18.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HEINY has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group raised shares of Heineken to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating on shares of Heineken in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Oddo Bhf cut shares of Heineken to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane downgraded Heineken from an outperform rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy.

About Heineken

(Get Free Report)

Heineken N.V. is a global brewing company best known for its flagship Heineken lager and a diversified portfolio of international and local beer brands. The companys activities span brewing, marketing and distribution of beer and cider products, serving ontrade and offtrade channels as well as ecommerce. Heineken combines global brand management with local production through a network of owned breweries, joint ventures and licensed partners to reach consumers across different markets.

Founded in Amsterdam in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken, the company has grown into one of the worlds largest brewers.

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IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones S.A. (NYSE:IRS  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $19.14 and last traded at $17.3240, with a volume of 236637 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.39.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on IRS. Itau BBA Securities initiated coverage on shares of IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones in a research report on Thursday. They issued an outperform rating and a $23.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $23.00.

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Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on IRS

IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones Stock Down 1.0%

The businesss 50-day moving average is $16.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 2.52 and a current ratio of 2.52.

IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones (NYSE:IRS  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The financial services provider reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones had a return on equity of 27.35% and a net margin of 86.65%.The business had revenue of $93.69 million during the quarter.

IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, November 24th were given a dividend of $1.4151 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 24th. This represents a dividend yield of 998.0%. IRSA Inversiones Y Representacioness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.17%.

Institutional Trading of IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of IRS. Helikon Investments Ltd lifted its stake in IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones by 44.6% during the 3rd quarter. Helikon Investments Ltd now owns 3,423,977 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $40,540,000 after acquiring an additional 1,056,796 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones by 170.0% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 916,829 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $10,855,000 after purchasing an additional 577,280 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones by 202.5% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 504,280 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,971,000 after purchasing an additional 337,570 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones in the 1st quarter worth about $4,209,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones by 721.5% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 185,493 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,196,000 after buying an additional 162,913 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 45.46% of the companys stock.

IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones Company Profile

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IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones SA (NYSE: IRS) is Argentinas leading real estate company, specializing in the development, acquisition and management of commercial, office, residential and hospitality properties. The companys core operations encompass the planning and operation of shopping centers, premium office towers in Buenos Aires, urban residential complexes and full-service hotels. IRSA leverages its extensive land bank and development expertise to create mixed-use destinations that cater to evolving urban lifestyles.

IRSAs shopping center division features a portfolio of flagship malls in Argentina, complemented by its Mall Plaza platform, which develops and operates retail destinations in Chile, Peru and Colombia.

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Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV  Free Report) by 5,094.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,252,584 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,228,468 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned approximately 0.31% of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF worth $84,962,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC now owns 8,885 shares of the companys stock valued at $603,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Red Tortoise LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 2.2% in the second quarter. Red Tortoise LLC now owns 7,966 shares of the companys stock worth $506,000 after buying an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Cooper Financial Group boosted its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 1.0% during the third quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 19,321 shares of the companys stock worth $1,311,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Atlas Private Wealth Advisors grew its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. Atlas Private Wealth Advisors now owns 6,694 shares of the companys stock valued at $425,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 3,826 shares of the companys stock valued at $243,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Stock Performance

Shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF stock opened at $75.38 on Monday. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $71.95 and its 200 day moving average price is $68.91. The company has a market cap of $30.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.17 and a beta of 0.73. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF has a one year low of $51.05 and a one year high of $66.83.

About iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Value Index. The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East. The Fund invests in sectors, such as financials, energy, healthcare, telecommunication services, industrials, utilities, consumer discretionary, materials, information technology and consumer staples.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV  Free Report).

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Century Communities (NYSE:CCS  Get Free Report) had its price target dropped by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $56.00 to $49.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an underweight rating on the construction companys stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s target price suggests a potential downside of 22.70% from the stocks previous close.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of Century Communities in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. They issued a market outperform rating and a $92.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup began coverage on Century Communities in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. They set an outperform rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Century Communities in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, B. Riley reissued a buy rating on shares of Century Communities in a research report on Thursday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Century Communities currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $74.75.

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Century Communities Stock Performance

Shares of CCS traded up $0.41 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $63.39. 83,030 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 283,446. The company has a market capitalization of $1.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.06 and a beta of 1.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.08. Century Communities has a twelve month low of $50.42 and a twelve month high of $78.05. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $63.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $62.56.

Century Communities (NYSE:CCS  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.04 billion. Century Communities had a return on equity of 6.87% and a net margin of 3.58%.The companys revenue was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.54 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Century Communities will post 11.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Century Communities

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CCS. Traub Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Century Communities during the second quarter worth about $39,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Century Communities by 175.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 730 shares of the construction companys stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in Century Communities by 1,513.3% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,210 shares of the construction companys stock worth $81,000 after buying an additional 1,135 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming grew its position in shares of Century Communities by 37.3% in the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,644 shares of the construction companys stock worth $104,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp bought a new stake in shares of Century Communities in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $119,000. Institutional investors own 99.54% of the companys stock.

Century Communities Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Century Communities, Inc is a national homebuilder and land developer headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The company is engaged in the acquisition, development, construction and sale of single- and multi-family residential homes, offering a range of floor plans and design options to homebuyers. In addition to its core homebuilding activities, Century Communities provides ancillary services such as mortgage financing, title and closing services, and insurance products through its wholly owned subsidiaries, aiming to deliver a comprehensive homebuying experience.

Founded in 2009, Century Communities rapidly expanded through both organic growth and strategic land acquisitions, positioning itself in high-growth markets across the United States.

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Mizuho Financial Group (NYSE:MFG  Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday. The bank reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.02, Zacks reports. Mizuho Financial Group had a net margin of 11.57% and a return on equity of 9.20%.

Mizuho Financial Group Stock Performance

NYSE MFG opened at $8.64 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. The businesss 50 day moving average is $7.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $107.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.70, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.37. Mizuho Financial Group has a 12-month low of $4.04 and a 12-month high of $8.81.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mizuho Financial Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hilltop Holdings Inc. grew its position in Mizuho Financial Group by 8.5% in the third quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 20,052 shares of the banks stock valued at $134,000 after acquiring an additional 1,568 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Mizuho Financial Group by 19.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,343 shares of the banks stock worth $60,000 after purchasing an additional 1,998 shares during the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC increased its position in Mizuho Financial Group by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 106,595 shares of the banks stock valued at $593,000 after acquiring an additional 2,190 shares during the period. Cresset Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Mizuho Financial Group by 24.9% during the third quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 14,194 shares of the banks stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 2,832 shares during the period. Finally, Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Mizuho Financial Group by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC now owns 216,636 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,451,000 after purchasing an additional 2,965 shares during the period. 3.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (a-) rating on shares of Mizuho Financial Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Mizuho Financial Group currently has an average rating of Buy.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on MFG

About Mizuho Financial Group

(Get Free Report)

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc is a major Japanese banking and financial services holding company headquartered in Tokyo. The group operates through a network of subsidiaries that provide a full range of retail, corporate and investment banking services. Its core businesses include deposit-taking and lending, transaction banking, cash management, trade finance and treasury services for both individual and institutional clients.

Beyond traditional commercial banking, Mizuho offers securities and capital markets services, investment banking, underwriting, M&A advisory, and asset management through its securities and trust banking arms.

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Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSEARCA:EFA  Free Report) by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 82,526 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 8,437 shares during the quarter. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF comprises about 3.8% of Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF were worth $7,705,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 8,818.3% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,291,030 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $294,185,000 after purchasing an additional 3,254,128 shares during the last quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System bought a new position in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $209,353,000. Board of Trustees of The Leland Stanford Junior University grew its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 222.4% during the second quarter. Board of Trustees of The Leland Stanford Junior University now owns 3,346,434 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $299,138,000 after purchasing an additional 2,308,580 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 3,057.6% in the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,368,703 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $211,738,000 after purchasing an additional 2,293,687 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 50.7% during the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,768,279 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $504,181,000 after purchasing an additional 1,939,941 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.80% of the companys stock.

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iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF stock opened at $100.74 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $74.35 billion, a PE ratio of 16.48 and a beta of 0.84. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $97.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $94.18. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF has a 12 month low of $72.14 and a 12 month high of $102.32.

About iShares MSCI EAFE ETF

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF, formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Funds investment objective is to seek investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, MSCI EAFE Index (the Index). The Index has been developed by MSCI Inc as an equity benchmark for its international stock performance. The Index includes stocks from Europe, Australasia and the Far East. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index.

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Navigator Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NVGS  Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the five ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $21.50.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on NVGS shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Navigator from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a buy rating and issued a $19.00 target price on shares of Navigator in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Pareto Securities began coverage on shares of Navigator in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a buy rating for the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Navigator in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Navigator from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th.

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View Our Latest Stock Analysis on NVGS

Navigator Stock Down 0.8%

NYSE:NVGS opened at $18.49 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Navigator has a twelve month low of $10.55 and a twelve month high of $18.83. The company has a market cap of $1.28 billion, a PE ratio of 12.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 0.40. The companys 50 day moving average is $17.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.72.

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The shipping company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.36. The firm had revenue of $153.09 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $133.84 million. Navigator had a net margin of 17.85% and a return on equity of 6.83%. Analysts anticipate that Navigator will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

Navigator Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 25th were given a dividend of $0.07 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 25th. This is a positive change from Navigators previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Navigators dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.54%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geode Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Navigator during the 2nd quarter worth $5,677,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Navigator during the third quarter worth about $6,091,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Navigator during the second quarter valued at about $4,773,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Navigator by 143.8% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 263,369 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $3,727,000 after acquiring an additional 155,336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Credit Agricole S A purchased a new stake in shares of Navigator in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,054,000. 18.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Navigator Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Navigator Holdings Ltd. is a global shipping company specializing in the seaborne transportation of liquefied gases. The companys fleet is purpose-built to carry a range of petrochemical gases, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethylene, propylene and ammonia. Navigators vessels are designed to meet the stringent safety and environmental standards required for handling pressurized and refrigerated gases, offering flexible capacity to customers across the energy and chemical sectors.

Navigator operates one of the largest and most modern fleets of gas carriers in the industry, with vessels ranging from fully pressurized gas carriers to specialized very large ethane carriers (VLECs).

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New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its position in HDFC Bank Limited (NYSE:HDB  Free Report) by 38.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 459,848 shares of the banks stock after buying an additional 127,617 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Funds holdings in HDFC Bank were worth $15,708,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its position in shares of HDFC Bank by 100.0% during the third quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 758 shares of the banks stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in shares of HDFC Bank by 54.5% during the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 913 shares of the banks stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the last quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp grew its stake in shares of HDFC Bank by 100.0% during the third quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 1,020 shares of the banks stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 510 shares in the last quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC increased its holdings in HDFC Bank by 194.9% in the third quarter. Roxbury Financial LLC now owns 1,162 shares of the banks stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 768 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its stake in HDFC Bank by 112.0% in the second quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 549 shares of the banks stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 17.61% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded HDFC Bank from a sell (d+) rating to a hold (c-) rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of HDFC Bank from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, HDFC Bank presently has an average rating of Hold.

HDFC Bank Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of HDB opened at $32.40 on Monday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $34.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.77. HDFC Bank Limited has a 12-month low of $29.23 and a 12-month high of $39.81. The firm has a market cap of $165.30 billion, a PE ratio of 19.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.57.

HDFC Bank (NYSE:HDB  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The bank reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $16.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.12 billion. HDFC Bank had a net margin of 14.92% and a return on equity of 11.49%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that HDFC Bank Limited will post 3.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HDFC Bank Company Profile

(Free Report)

HDFC Bank Limited is one of Indias leading private sector banks, headquartered in Mumbai. Incorporated in 1994 and promoted by Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), the bank provides a full range of banking and financial services to retail, small and medium-sized enterprises, and corporate customers. It is publicly listed and also accessible to international investors through American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol HDB.

The banks core activities include retail banking (deposit accounts, personal loans, home loans, auto loans, and credit cards), commercial and corporate banking (working capital finance, term lending, trade finance and treasury services), and transaction banking (cash management and payment solutions).

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New York State Common Retirement Fund decreased its holdings in Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG  Free Report) by 2.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 350,743 shares of the banks stock after selling 9,400 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Funds holdings in Citizens Financial Group were worth $18,645,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Citizens Financial Group by 2.4% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,531 shares of the banks stock valued at $472,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in Citizens Financial Group by 6.7% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 8,838 shares of the banks stock worth $362,000 after purchasing an additional 554 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP boosted its holdings in Citizens Financial Group by 39.5% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 36,932 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,513,000 after purchasing an additional 10,466 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 93.4% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 9,814 shares of the banks stock valued at $439,000 after purchasing an additional 4,739 shares during the period. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its stake in shares of Citizens Financial Group by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 35,352 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,582,000 after purchasing an additional 512 shares during the period. 94.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Citizens Financial Group Trading Down 0.8%

CFG opened at $62.98 on Monday. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $32.60 and a 1-year high of $65.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.05 billion, a PE ratio of 16.27, a PEG ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $59.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $53.68.

Citizens Financial Group Dividend Announcement

Citizens Financial Group ( NYSE:CFG Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The bank reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.16 billion. Citizens Financial Group had a net margin of 15.19% and a return on equity of 7.89%. Citizens Financial Groups revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.85 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Citizens Financial Group, Inc. will post 3.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 18th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 4th will be paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 4th. Citizens Financial Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.55%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on CFG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Citizens Financial Group from $60.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Raymond James Financial lowered Citizens Financial Group from a strong-buy rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $62.00 to $66.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Citizens Financial Group from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Evercore ISI reiterated an outperform rating and set a $69.00 target price on shares of Citizens Financial Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Citizens Financial Group from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Citizens Financial Group currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $67.55.

View Our Latest Research Report on Citizens Financial Group

About Citizens Financial Group

(Free Report)

Citizens Financial Group, Inc (NYSE: CFG) is a bank holding company that provides a broad range of banking and financial services to individuals, small and middle-market businesses, corporations and institutional clients. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens conducts its banking operations principally through its primary banking subsidiary, Citizens Bank, and serves customers through a combination of branch locations, ATMs and digital channels. The company is publicly traded and operates under the regulatory framework applicable to U.S.

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NewJersey Resources (NYSE:NJR  Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Monday. The utilities provider reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.22, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $604.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $546.90 million. NewJersey Resources had a net margin of 16.48% and a return on equity of 13.73%. The companys revenue was up 23.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.29 EPS. NewJersey Resources updated its FY 2026 guidance to 3.280-3.43 EPS.

NewJersey Resources Stock Up 1.1%

NYSE NJR opened at $50.02 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.02 and a beta of 0.60. NewJersey Resources has a 12 month low of $43.46 and a 12 month high of $50.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $46.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.67.

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NewJersey Resources Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th will be given a dividend of $0.475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 11th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. NewJersey Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 57.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Raymond James Financial reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $53.00 target price on shares of NewJersey Resources in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of NewJersey Resources from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Sunday, December 28th. Argus upgraded shares of NewJersey Resources to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of NewJersey Resources in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Mizuho raised NewJersey Resources from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their target price for the stock from $51.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $52.86.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on NJR

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Patrick J. Migliaccio sold 4,017 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 23rd. The stock was 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 owned 38,065 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,768,499.90. This represents a 9.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NewJersey Resources

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in NewJersey Resources by 6.1% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 59,363 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,912,000 after buying an additional 3,422 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of NewJersey Resources by 65.7% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 22,214 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,090,000 after purchasing an additional 8,808 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of NewJersey Resources by 10.1% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 320,113 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $15,705,000 after purchasing an additional 29,458 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NewJersey Resources during the first quarter worth approximately $8,907,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its position in NewJersey Resources by 14.4% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 465,923 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $20,883,000 after purchasing an additional 58,795 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the companys stock.

NewJersey Resources Company Profile

(Get 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.

Further Reading

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Mawer Investment Management Ltd. decreased its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC  Free Report) by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 964,788 shares of the aerospace companys stock after selling 19,221 shares during the period. Northrop Grumman comprises approximately 3.1% of Mawer Investment Management Ltd.s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. owned 0.68% of Northrop Grumman worth $587,865,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Coign Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.3% in the second quarter. Coign Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,294 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $647,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the period. Howard Financial Services LTD. increased its stake in Northrop Grumman by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. now owns 1,127 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $687,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the period. West Wealth Group LLC grew its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 4.3% during the third quarter. West Wealth Group LLC now owns 412 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $251,000 after buying an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp grew its stake in Northrop Grumman by 1.5% in the second quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 1,243 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $621,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chesley Taft & Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 1.3% in the third quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC now owns 1,375 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $838,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.40% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 97 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $564.08, for a total value of $54,715.76. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,281 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,414,826.48. This represents a 2.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.00, for a total value of $4,200,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 194,602 shares in the company, valued at $116,761,200. The trade was a 3.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 10,097 shares of company stock worth $6,099,716 over the last three months. 0.23% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on NOC. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $715.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Susquehanna reissued a positive rating and issued a $752.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating and issued a $765.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Thursday. Alembic Global Advisors upgraded shares of Northrop Grumman from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and set a $662.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $690.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Sunday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $688.79.

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Northrop Grumman Stock Down 0.4%

NYSE:NOC opened at $692.54 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $98.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.77, a P/E/G ratio of 5.14 and a beta of 0.04. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $599.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $589.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12-month low of $426.24 and a 12-month high of $705.45.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The aerospace company reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $6.97 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $11.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.61 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 25.57% and a net margin of 9.97%.The companys revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $6.39 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a $2.31 dividend. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. Northrop Grummans dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.72%.

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

(Free Report)

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is a leading U.S.-based aerospace and defense company that designs, builds and sustains advanced systems, products and technologies for government and commercial customers. Formed through the combination of Northrop and Grumman businesses in the 1990s, the companys portfolio spans manned and unmanned aircraft, space systems, missile defense, radar and sensor systems, and integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions.

The companys work includes airframe and platform manufacturing, space hardware and satellite systems, advanced mission systems and cybersecurity services, as well as logistics, sustainment and modernization programs.

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Allied Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE  Free Report) by 8.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 358,047 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after acquiring an additional 27,320 shares during the quarter. Allied Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Pfizer were worth $9,123,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Fiduciary Alliance LLC raised its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 46.4% during the third quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 145,263 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $3,701,000 after buying an additional 46,043 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in Pfizer in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,019,000. Vista Investment Partners LLC increased its position in Pfizer by 236.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vista Investment Partners LLC now owns 69,613 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,774,000 after acquiring an additional 48,900 shares during the period. Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. raised its stake in Pfizer by 76.4% during the 3rd quarter. Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. now owns 109,269 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $2,784,000 after acquiring an additional 47,319 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its position in Pfizer by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 1,892,663 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $48,225,000 after acquiring an additional 190,946 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.36% of the companys stock.

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Key Headlines Impacting Pfizer

Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Bank of America lowered their price target on Pfizer from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a neutral rating and set a $26.00 target price on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. They issued a neutral rating and a $26.00 price target for the company. HSBC reiterated a buy rating and issued a $29.00 price objective on shares of Pfizer in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an outperform rating on shares of Pfizer in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $28.06.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Pfizer

Pfizer Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:PFE opened at $26.43 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $150.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.36 and a beta of 0.47. Pfizer Inc. has a 1-year low of $20.92 and a 1-year high of $27.69. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $25.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.03.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $16.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $16.94 billion. Pfizer had a return on equity of 20.17% and a net margin of 15.65%.Pfizer has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.000-3.150 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Friday, January 23rd will be given a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. Pfizers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.00%.

Pfizer Company Profile

(Free Report)

Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) is a multinational biopharmaceutical company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1849 by Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart, the company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes a broad range of medicines and vaccines for human health. Its activities span discovery research, clinical development, regulatory affairs, manufacturing and global commercial distribution across multiple therapeutic areas.

Pfizers portfolio and pipeline cover oncology, immunology, cardiology, endocrinology, rare diseases, hospital acute care and anti-infectives, along with a substantial vaccine business.

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Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its holdings in Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C  Free Report) by 11.7% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 3,213,694 shares of the companys stock after selling 424,888 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.s holdings in Citigroup were worth $326,188,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC increased its holdings in Citigroup by 87.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 257 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new position in shares of Citigroup during the second quarter worth about $34,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Citigroup in the second quarter worth about $38,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Citigroup in the second quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Citigroup in the third quarter valued at about $40,000. 71.72% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Citigroup Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:C opened at $115.68 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $206.98 billion, a PE ratio of 16.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $113.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $103.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63. Citigroup Inc. has a 12-month low of $55.51 and a 12-month high of $124.17.

Citigroup Dividend Announcement

Citigroup ( NYSE:C Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 14th. The company reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $19.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.99 billion. Citigroup had a net margin of 8.50% and a return on equity of 8.28%. The companys revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.34 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Citigroup Inc. will post 7.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 2nd. Citigroups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

C has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Citigroup in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wolfe Research reiterated an outperform rating and set a $141.00 price objective on shares of Citigroup in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Citigroup from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of Citigroup from $118.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of Citigroup from $141.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $125.56.

Read Our Latest Research Report on C

Key Stories Impacting Citigroup

Here are the key news stories impacting Citigroup this week:

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.

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Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA  Free Report) by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 955,772 shares of the aircraft producers stock after selling 5,715 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.13% of Boeing worth $206,284,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Boeing by 43.3% during the second quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC now owns 3,598 shares of the aircraft producers stock valued at $754,000 after acquiring an additional 1,088 shares in the last quarter. McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Boeing during the second quarter valued at about $62,859,000. SteelPeak Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Boeing by 50.4% during the 3rd quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 26,360 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $5,689,000 after buying an additional 8,833 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Boeing by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 66,773,360 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $13,991,022,000 after acquiring an additional 1,118,316 shares during the period. Finally, Patton Fund Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Boeing by 734.4% during the 3rd quarter. Patton Fund Management Inc. now owns 10,322 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $2,228,000 after purchasing an additional 9,085 shares during the period. 64.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at Boeing

In related news, SVP Dana S. Deasy bought 554 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $178.88 per share, with a total value of $99,099.52. Following the completion of the purchase, the senior vice president owned 28,442 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,087,704.96. The trade was a 1.99% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Uma M. Amuluru sold 1,366 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.66, for a total transaction of $270,003.56. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 14,656 shares in the company, valued at $2,896,904.96. This trade represents a 8.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Boeing News Roundup

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Here are the key news stories impacting Boeing this week:

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on BA shares. Jefferies Financial Group set a $295.00 price target on shares of Boeing and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Sunday. Wolfe Research reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Boeing in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Morgan Stanley set a $245.00 price target on Boeing in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d-) rating on shares of Boeing in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Zacks Research raised Boeing from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $247.39.

View Our Latest Analysis on BA

Boeing Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of BA opened at $233.82 on Monday. The firms 50-day moving average price is $219.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $218.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $177.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 116.33, a PEG ratio of 12.18 and a beta of 1.15. The Boeing Company has a 1-year low of $128.88 and a 1-year high of $254.35.

Boeing (NYSE:BA  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The aircraft producer reported $9.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.40) by $10.32. The firm had revenue of $23.95 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.41 billion. The firms revenue was up 57.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($5.90) EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Boeing Company will post -2.58 EPS for the current year.

About Boeing

(Free Report)

Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense systems, and space and security technologies. Founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, the company today operates as an integrated aerospace and defense contractor with a global customer base. Boeing relocated its corporate headquarters to Arlington, Virginia in 2022 and maintains extensive engineering, manufacturing and service operations across the United States and around the world.

Boeings principal lines of business include Commercial Airplanes, which produces and supports a range of jetliners used by airlines globally; Defense, Space & Security, which develops military aircraft, rotorcraft, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, satellites, and launch and missile systems; and Boeing Global Services, which provides aftermarket maintenance, training, spare parts, digital analytics and logistics support.

Further Reading

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Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Procore Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:PCOR  Free Report) by 12.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,301,569 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 360,207 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 2.20% of Procore Technologies worth $240,753,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in Procore Technologies by 465.2% in the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 390 shares of the companys stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 321 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Procore Technologies during the third quarter valued at $34,000. First Horizon Corp bought a new position in Procore Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth about $49,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Procore Technologies by 2,648.3% during the third quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 797 shares of the companys stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 768 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hilltop National Bank bought a new position in Procore Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $62,000. 81.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Procore Technologies Price Performance

NYSE:PCOR opened at $56.65 on Monday. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $71.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $71.37. Procore Technologies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $53.71 and a 52 week high of $88.92. The stock has a market cap of $8.81 billion, a PE ratio of -67.44 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Procore Technologies ( NYSE:PCOR Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $338.85 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $328.13 million. Procore Technologies had a negative return on equity of 6.18% and a negative net margin of 9.84%.The businesss quarterly revenue was up 14.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.24 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Procore Technologies, Inc. will post -0.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Procore Technologies from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Procore Technologies from $88.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price target on shares of Procore Technologies from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. DA Davidson upgraded Procore Technologies to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target on Procore Technologies from $82.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $85.11.

View Our Latest Report on Procore Technologies

Insider Activity

In other Procore Technologies news, CFO Howard Fu sold 814 shares of Procore Technologies stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.99, for a total value of $59,413.86. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 178,237 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,009,518.63. The trade was a 0.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director William J.G. Griffith sold 207,474 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.30, for a total transaction of $15,000,370.20. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 3,244,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $234,580,675.80. The trade was a 6.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 690,703 shares of company stock valued at $50,266,998. Company insiders own 21.50% of the companys stock.

Procore Technologies Company Profile

(Free Report)

Procore Technologies, Inc engages in the provision of a cloud-based construction management platform and related software products in the United States and internationally. The companys platform enables owners, general and specialty contractors, architects, and engineers to collaborate on construction projects. It offers Preconstruction that facilitates collaboration between internal and external stakeholders during the planning, budgeting, estimating, bidding, and partner selection phase of a construction project; and Project Execution, which enables real-time collaboration, information storage, design, BIM model clash detection, and regulation compliance for teams on the jobsite and in the back office.

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PT Bank Mandiri Persero TBK (OTCMKTS:PPERY  Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Monday . Approximately 400,005 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 243% from the previous sessions volume of 116,743 shares.The stock last traded at $11.21 and had previously closed at $11.14.

PT Bank Mandiri Persero TBK Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $11.83 and a 200 day moving average of $11.33.

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About PT Bank Mandiri Persero TBK

(Get Free Report)

PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk is one of Indonesias largest banking groups, providing a full range of commercial banking services to corporate, commercial, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and retail customers. The bank was established in 1998 through a government-led consolidation of four state-owned banks as part of efforts to strengthen the financial system during the Asian financial crisis. Since then it has grown into a diversified financial services franchise offering deposit taking, lending, trade finance, payment and cash management, treasury, and wealth-management services.

Bank Mandiris product suite spans traditional retail and corporate banking products  including savings and time deposits, consumer and mortgage loans, working capital and project financing  alongside specialized services such as trade and export-import finance, foreign exchange and treasury solutions, card products, and digital banking channels.

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Several analysts have recently updated their ratings and price targets for Sasol (NYSE: SSL):

1/31/2026  Sasol was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating.

1/23/2026  Sasol was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating.

1/22/2026  Sasol was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a strong sell rating to a hold rating.

1/21/2026  Sasol had its sell (d+) rating reaffirmed by analysts at Weiss Ratings.

1/16/2026  Sasol had its underweight rating reaffirmed by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co..

Sasol Limited is an integrated energy and chemical company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. The companys core operations encompass the conversion of natural gas, coal and heavy hydrocarbons into liquid fuels and a wide array of chemical products. Sasol leverages proprietary Fischer-Tropsch and gas-to-liquids (GTL) technologies to deliver cleaner-burning diesel, jet fuel and naphtha, alongside solvents, surfactants and specialty polymers for industrial and consumer applications.

In addition to its GTL business, Sasol operates downstream facilities for the manufacture of alpha olefins, ethylene, propylene and other base-chemical intermediates.

Further Reading

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Retirement Systems of Alabama bought a new position in shares of Globe Life Inc. (NYSE:GL  Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 17,279 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,470,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of GL. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Globe Life in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Global Assets Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Globe Life in the second quarter valued at $25,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Globe Life in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in Globe Life by 777.8% during the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 237 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in Globe Life during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.61% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GL has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Globe Life from a buy (b-) rating to a hold (c+) rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Globe Life from $172.00 to $170.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 24th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Globe Life in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Globe Life from $150.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an overweight rating and set a $167.00 price target on shares of Globe Life in a report on Friday, November 21st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $166.22.

Insider Buying and Selling at Globe Life

In other news, CEO Frank M. Svoboda sold 9,379 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.43, for a total transaction of $1,317,092.97. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 35,868 shares in the company, valued at $5,036,943.24. This trade represents a 20.73% 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. 1.97% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Globe Life Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of GL opened at $140.11 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.07 and a quick ratio of 0.07. Globe Life Inc. has a 1-year low of $109.38 and a 1-year high of $147.83. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $138.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $137.37. The stock has a market cap of $11.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.15 and a beta of 0.47.

Globe Life Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 5th were paid a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, January 5th. Globe Lifes payout ratio is presently 7.83%.

Globe Life Profile

(Free Report)

Globe Life, traded on the NYSE under the symbol GL, is a U.S.-based insurance holding company that underwrites and distributes a range of life and supplemental health insurance products. Through its subsidiary brandsGlobe Life, American Income Life, Liberty National Life, United American Insurance Company and Family Heritage Lifeit offers term life, whole life, fixed annuities and supplemental health coverage designed to meet the needs of individuals and families across various socioeconomic segments.

The companys product suite includes low-cost, easy-to-understand life insurance policies, accidental death and dismemberment coverage, hospital indemnity plans and specified disease insurance.

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Santander Bank Polska (OTCMKTS:BKZHF  Get Free Report) will likely be releasing its results before the market opens on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect Santander Bank Polska to post earnings of $4.80 per share and revenue of $1.1905 billion for the quarter.

Santander Bank Polska Stock Performance

BKZHF stock opened at $152.00 on Monday. Santander Bank Polska has a 52-week low of $45.48 and a 52-week high of $152.00. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $60.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $50.73.

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About Santander Bank Polska

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Santander Bank Polska SA is one of Polands leading banks, offering a full range of financial services to individual, corporate and institutional clients. The bank traces its origins to the 2001 merger of Bank Zachodni and Wielkopolski Bank Rozwoju, and it became part of the global Santander Group in 2011. Headquartered in Warsaw, Santander Bank Polska operates an extensive network of branches and digital platforms throughout the country.

The banks core activities include retail banking, corporate banking and private banking.

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Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. (NYSE:BBVA  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 2,411,115 shares, a growth of 59.6% from the December 31st total of 1,510,457 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,999,294 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days. Approximately 0.0% of the companys stock are sold short. Approximately 0.0% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,999,294 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b+) rating on shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. They issued an equal weight rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

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View Our Latest Analysis on Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Stock Performance

BBVA traded up $0.41 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $25.83. The companys stock had a trading volume of 438,009 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,733,731. The companys 50-day moving average is $23.30 and its 200-day moving average is $20.34. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria has a 52 week low of $10.77 and a 52 week high of $26.14. The firm has a market cap of $148.86 billion, a PE ratio of 13.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.82.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The bank reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $10.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.47 billion. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria had a net margin of 28.58% and a return on equity of 17.07%. Equities analysts anticipate that Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Navigoe LLC bought a new stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 50.9% in the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 1,304 shares of the banks stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the period. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 183.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 1,597 shares of the banks stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 1,033 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 45.6% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,456 shares of the banks stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 456 shares during the period. 2.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria

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Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA) is a Spanish multinational financial services group headquartered in Bilbao, Spain. The bank traces its roots to several historic regional banks and was formed through a series of mergers that consolidated its position as one of Spains largest banking groups. BBVA operates as a universal bank offering a broad range of financial services to retail, corporate and institutional clients.

BBVAs core businesses include retail and commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, private banking and wealth management, asset management, and insurance.

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Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF (NYSEARCA:GVIP  Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 18,254 shares, a drop of 16.8% from the December 31st total of 21,952 shares. Currently, 0.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 9,679 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days. Based on an average daily volume of 9,679 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days. Currently, 0.6% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF by 449.5% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 11,962 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,410,000 after acquiring an additional 9,785 shares during the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp grew its position in Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF by 93.8% in the 2nd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 14,547 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,013,000 after buying an additional 7,041 shares during the last quarter. Cross Staff Investments Inc increased its stake in Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. Cross Staff Investments Inc now owns 7,726 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,069,000 after buying an additional 515 shares during the period. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. increased its stake in Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF by 15.4% in the 2nd quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 3,376 shares of the companys stock valued at $467,000 after buying an additional 450 shares during the period. Finally, Keybank National Association OH purchased a new position in Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $231,000.

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Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF Stock Up 1.8%

NYSEARCA:GVIP traded up $2.89 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $161.79. 4,527 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,030. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $156.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $150.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $469.18 million, a P/E ratio of 28.77 and a beta of 1.06. Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF has a 1 year low of $100.33 and a 1 year high of $162.45.

About Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF

The Goldman Sachs Hedge Industry VIP ETF (GVIP) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Goldman Sachs Hedge Fund VIP index. The fund tracks an equal-weighted index of the 50 most-frequently held US companies selected from the portfolios of hedge funds. GVIP was launched on Nov 1, 2016 and is managed by Goldman Sachs.

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KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. (OTCMKTS:KGHPF  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 111,065 shares, an increase of 33.0% from the December 31st total of 83,510 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,404 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 79.1 days. Based on an average trading volume of 1,404 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 79.1 days.

KGHM Polska Miedz Stock Down 15.2%

OTCMKTS:KGHPF opened at $91.23 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $75.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $54.22. KGHM Polska Miedz has a 1-year low of $29.97 and a 1-year high of $107.55.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating on shares of KGHM Polska Miedz in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Buy.

About KGHM Polska Miedz

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KGHM Polska Miedz (OTCMKTS: KGHPF) is a leading Polish mining and metallurgical company specializing in the extraction and processing of copper and precious metals. Headquartered in Lubin, Poland, the company operates an integrated business model that spans exploration, mining, smelting and refining. KGHM is known for producing copper cathodes, wire rod and a range of semifinished copper products, along with significant volumes of silver, gold and other byproducts such as molybdenum and nickel.

The companys core operations are anchored in the LegnicaGogow Copper Belt in southwestern Poland, where it runs several underground and open-pit mines.

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SouthState Bank (NYSE:SSB  Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by Jefferies Financial Group from $120.00 to $125.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Groups price target suggests a potential upside of 21.44% from the stocks current price.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of SouthState Bank in a research report on Friday, December 12th. They set an overweight rating and a $115.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup raised their target price on SouthState Bank from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. UBS Group reduced their price target on SouthState Bank from $125.00 to $120.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Barclays raised their price objective on SouthState Bank from $122.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised SouthState Bank from a hold (c+) rating to a buy (b-) rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $118.29.

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SouthState Bank Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE SSB traded up $0.60 during trading on Monday, reaching $102.93. 903,740 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 812,316. The firm has a market cap of $10.35 billion, a PE ratio of 13.10 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $95.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.93. SouthState Bank has a 12-month low of $77.74 and a 12-month high of $108.18.

SouthState Bank (NYSE:SSB  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.30 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $686.87 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $667.88 million. SouthState Bank had a return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 21.26%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.93 earnings per share.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SouthState Bank

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in SouthState Bank by 9,074.2% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,435,668 shares of the companys stock valued at $132,125,000 after buying an additional 1,420,019 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of SouthState Bank in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $109,029,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of SouthState Bank by 269.4% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,219,079 shares of the companys stock worth $120,530,000 after buying an additional 889,042 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new position in SouthState Bank in the second quarter worth approximately $81,769,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of SouthState Bank by 810.7% in the 2nd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 755,705 shares of the companys stock valued at $69,548,000 after purchasing an additional 672,721 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.76% of the companys stock.

About SouthState Bank

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SouthState Bank (NYSE: SSB) is a bank holding company headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida, that provides a range of commercial and retail banking services. Through its subsidiary, SouthState Bank, the company serves businesses, institutions and individuals with deposit, lending and treasury management solutions. Its core business lines include commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate lending, consumer mortgages and home equity loans.

In addition to traditional lending and deposit products, SouthState Bank offers specialized services such as treasury and cash management, merchant services, payment solutions and online banking.

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Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV  Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Traders acquired 52,057 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 94% compared to the typical volume of 26,898 call options.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southwest Airlines

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LUV. RWA Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southwest Airlines in the second quarter worth $1,652,000. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Southwest Airlines in the third quarter worth about $2,010,000. Howard Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Southwest Airlines by 8.3% in the second quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 127,218 shares of the airlines stock worth $4,150,000 after purchasing an additional 9,739 shares during the period. Gradient Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Southwest Airlines by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 578,088 shares of the airlines stock worth $18,447,000 after purchasing an additional 29,665 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in Southwest Airlines by 30.1% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 1,406,652 shares of the airlines stock valued at $45,632,000 after purchasing an additional 325,030 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.82% of the companys stock.

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Southwest Airlines News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Southwest Airlines this week:

Southwest Airlines Stock Up 4.4%

LUV traded up $2.11 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $49.63. 9,100,547 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,120,991. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.45. The company has a market cap of $25.66 billion, a PE ratio of 59.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.15. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $40.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.18. Southwest Airlines has a one year low of $23.82 and a one year high of $49.85.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The airline reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02. Southwest Airlines had a net margin of 1.57% and a return on equity of 6.18%. The company had revenue of $7.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.51 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.56 EPS. Southwest Airliness quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Southwest Airlines has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.000- EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.450- EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Southwest Airlines will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Southwest Airlines Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were given a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Southwest Airliness payout ratio is currently 85.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on LUV shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Southwest Airlines from $29.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a research note on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Southwest Airlines from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Southwest Airlines from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Southwest Airlines in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upped their target price on Southwest Airlines from $19.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $44.76.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Southwest Airlines

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.

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Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA  Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of Hold from the seventeen analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have assigned a hold recommendation, four have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $11.7688.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on STLA. HSBC reissued a hold rating on shares of Stellantis in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Stellantis from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. TD Cowen reissued a hold rating on shares of Stellantis in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a hold rating on shares of Stellantis in a report on Monday, October 13th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Stellantis to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Stellantis Stock Performance

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STLA. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR increased its position in shares of Stellantis by 2.2% during the third quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 4,743,160 shares of the companys stock valued at $44,301,000 after acquiring an additional 102,328 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Italy boosted its stake in Stellantis by 11.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Italy now owns 36,630,307 shares of the companys stock valued at $338,212,000 after purchasing an additional 3,800,000 shares during the last quarter. Aviva PLC increased its holdings in shares of Stellantis by 81.3% in the 2nd quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 2,322,896 shares of the companys stock worth $23,265,000 after purchasing an additional 1,041,684 shares in the last quarter. 111 Capital purchased a new position in shares of Stellantis in the second quarter worth $1,819,000. Finally, Elgethun Capital Management lifted its holdings in shares of Stellantis by 8.2% during the second quarter. Elgethun Capital Management now owns 342,727 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,438,000 after purchasing an additional 26,042 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 59.48% of the companys stock.

Shares of NYSE:STLA opened at $9.87 on Monday. Stellantis has a 1 year low of $8.39 and a 1 year high of $14.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stocks 50-day moving average is $10.80 and its 200 day moving average is $10.19.

Stellantis (NYSE:STLA  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported ($0.91) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.41 by ($1.32). The firm had revenue of $87.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $87.94 billion. On average, analysts anticipate that Stellantis will post 2.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Stellantis

(Get Free Report)

Stellantis N.V. is a global automotive manufacturer formed through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Groupe PSA, a transaction completed in January 2021. The company designs, manufactures and sells a broad portfolio of passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and related powertrains under a large number of well-known brands, including (but not limited to) Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram and Vauxhall. Stellantis also provides parts, accessories, service operations and branded aftersales support through legacy networks such as Mopar and regional dealer ecosystems.

In addition to vehicle manufacturing, Stellantis operates mobility- and software-related businesses and financial services.

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Stora Enso Oyj (OTCMKTS:SEOAY  Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of Hold from the five research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $10.80.

Separately, Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of Stora Enso Oyj in a research report on Monday, January 26th.

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Stora Enso Oyj Price Performance

About Stora Enso Oyj

SEOAY stock opened at $11.60 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $12.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a market cap of $9.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,161.16 and a beta of 0.70. Stora Enso Oyj has a fifty-two week low of $7.97 and a fifty-two week high of $12.80.

(Get Free Report)

Stora Enso Oyj is a Finlandbased provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper. The company draws on centuries of forest industry experience and leverages sustainable practices to produce a wide array of products, including paperboard for consumer goods, specialty papers for printing and publishing, and pulp for industrial applications. Its portfolio also encompasses wood products such as cross-laminated timber, sawn timber and building components, designed to meet growing demand for environmentally friendly construction materials.

Formed through the 1998 merger of Swedish mining and forestry giant Stora and Finnish paper maker Enso, Stora Enso combines deep heritage with ongoing investments in innovation.

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Straumann Holding AG (OTCMKTS:SAUHY  Get Free Report) shares saw strong trading volume on Monday . 728,411 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 964% from the previous sessions volume of 68,487 shares.The stock last traded at $11.9450 and had previously closed at $11.94.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on SAUHY shares. UBS Group upgraded shares of Straumann from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Citigroup reissued a sell rating on shares of Straumann in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an underweight rating on shares of Straumann in a research note on Monday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Straumann from a strong-buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, October 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Straumann from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Straumann currently has an average rating of Hold.

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Straumann Stock Down 0.5%

About Straumann

The firms 50 day moving average is $11.94 and its 200-day moving average is $11.89.

(Get Free Report)

Straumann (OTCMKTS:SAUHY) is a Swiss-based dental technology company that develops, manufactures and markets restorative, regenerative and digital solutions for dental professionals. The companys core offerings center on implant-supported restorations and components, biomaterials used for bone and soft-tissue regeneration, and a range of prosthetic products used by dentists and dental laboratories to restore oral function and aesthetics.

In addition to implant and biomaterial product lines, Straumann provides digital dentistry solutions that support treatment planning and workflows.

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Summit Global Investments lessened its stake in shares of Archrock, Inc. (NYSE:AROC  Free Report) by 66.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,367 shares of the energy companys stock after selling 28,639 shares during the period. Summit Global Investments holdings in Archrock were worth $378,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its stake in Archrock by 183.8% during the 2nd quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 28,545 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $709,000 after purchasing an additional 18,488 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Archrock during the second quarter worth approximately $319,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Archrock by 8.5% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 20,574 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $511,000 after acquiring an additional 1,617 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in shares of Archrock by 55.1% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 121,089 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $3,049,000 after acquiring an additional 43,023 shares during the period. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Archrock in the second quarter worth $676,000. 95.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Archrock Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of AROC stock opened at $29.60 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $25.99 and a 200-day moving average of $24.93. The stock has a market cap of $5.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.93. Archrock, Inc. has a 52-week low of $20.12 and a 52-week high of $30.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.56.

Archrock Increases Dividend

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. This is a boost from Archrocks previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 10th. Archrocks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 56.00%.

AROC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research cut shares of Archrock from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Archrock from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Archrock from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Archrock in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $32.40.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on AROC

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Archrock news, SVP Eric W. Thode sold 40,740 shares of Archrock stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.10, for a total transaction of $1,022,574.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 184,216 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,623,821.60. The trade was a 18.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Archrock Company Profile

(Free Report)

Archrock, Inc is a Houstonbased provider of natural gas compression services and equipment to the oil and gas industry in North America. Founded in 2004, the company supplies both shortterm rentals and longterm contracts for compression solutions, serving upstream and midstream producers. Archrocks offerings include engineered compression systems, aftermarket parts, maintenance and field services designed to optimize wellhead and pipeline operations.

The companys core business activities focus on the design, manufacture, rental and sale of gas compression equipment.

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Tanfield Group PLC (LON:TAN  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as GBX 7.35 and last traded at GBX 7.33, with a volume of 56599 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 6.40.

Tanfield Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of 11.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -16.66 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a 50 day moving average of GBX 6.13 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 5.33.

Tanfield Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Tanfield Group PLC operates as an investment company. The company, through its 49% interest in Snorkel International Holdings LLC, produces self-propelled, towable, and push-around aerial lifts, including diesel and electric scissor lifts, mast lifts, telescopic boom lifts, and articulating booms. Tanfield Group PLC also, through its 5.76% interest in Smith Electric Vehicles Corp., designs and produces electric commercial vehicles for short haul urban fleets. Tanfield Group PLC was incorporated in 2000 and is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, the United Kingdom.

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Thomson Reuters Co. (NYSE:TRI  Get Free Report) (TSE:TRI)s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $110.00 and last traded at $110.59, with a volume of 2186209 shares. The stock had previously closed at $112.76.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on TRI shares. Scotiabank reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $189.00 price objective (down from $200.00) on shares of Thomson Reuters in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Thomson Reuters in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $174.00 price objective on shares of Thomson Reuters and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $186.00 target price on shares of Thomson Reuters and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Thomson Reuters from $178.00 to $160.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $188.55.

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Thomson Reuters Trading Down 0.1%

The company has a market capitalization of $49.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.62, a PEG ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.02. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $128.81 and a 200 day moving average of $153.62.

Thomson Reuters (NYSE:TRI  Get Free Report) (TSE:TRI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The business services provider reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.78 billion. Thomson Reuters had a return on equity of 14.62% and a net margin of 30.45%.The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.80 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Thomson Reuters Co. will post 3.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Thomson Reuters

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of TRI. Curio Wealth LLC increased its stake in Thomson Reuters by 16,200.0% in the 2nd quarter. Curio Wealth LLC now owns 163 shares of the business services providers stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Thomson Reuters during the second quarter worth about $34,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Thomson Reuters during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. AlphaCore Capital LLC purchased a new position in Thomson Reuters in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. boosted its stake in Thomson Reuters by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 249 shares of the business services providers stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. 17.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Thomson Reuters

(Get Free Report)

Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI) is a multinational information and media company that provides content, technology and services to professionals in the legal, tax & accounting, compliance, risk, corporate and media sectors. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the company combines news and editorial content from the Reuters news agency with specialist workflow platforms and databases designed to support decision-making and regulatory compliance across industries worldwide.

The companys product portfolio spans legal research and workflow tools, tax and accounting software, regulatory and risk management solutions, and real-time news and data services.

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Truist Financial Corp lowered its stake in Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL  Free Report) by 8.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,797 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 454 shares during the quarter. Truist Financial Corps holdings in Markel Group were worth $9,169,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new position in Markel Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $236,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Markel Group by 13.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 109 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $204,000 after buying an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in Markel Group by 9.7% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 34,704 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $64,883,000 after acquiring an additional 3,083 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Markel Group by 49.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 416 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $778,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the period. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its position in Markel Group by 21.5% during the second quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 1,209 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $2,415,000 after purchasing an additional 214 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MKL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Markel Group from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, January 19th. TD Cowen reiterated a hold rating on shares of Markel Group in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b+) rating on shares of Markel Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Markel Group has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $2,025.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Markel Group news, CEO Simon Wilson sold 75 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,072.94, for a total transaction of $155,470.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,770 shares in the company, valued at $3,669,103.80. This trade represents a 4.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Steven A. Markel sold 1,330 shares of Markel Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,119.12, for a total transaction of $2,818,429.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 60,368 shares in the company, valued at approximately $127,927,036.16. This represents a 2.16% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 1,575 shares of company stock valued at $3,330,900 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.66% of the companys stock.

Markel Group Price Performance

NYSE MKL opened at $2,041.15 on Monday. Markel Group Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $1,621.89 and a fifty-two week high of $2,207.59. The stocks 50-day moving average is $2,103.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2,008.81. The firm has a market cap of $25.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.78 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

About Markel Group

(Free Report)

Markel Group (NYSE: MKL) is a diversified insurance holding company best known for underwriting specialty insurance products. Founded in 1930 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company provides a wide range of commercial property and casualty coverages tailored to niche and hard-to-place risks. Its underwriting operations focus on specialty lines across multiple industries, delivering customized policy structures, program administration, and claims management services for complex exposures.

In addition to primary specialty insurance, Markel operates reinsurance and alternative risk-transfer activities and manages invested assets derived from underwriting float.

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Truist Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG  Free Report) by 9.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 43,897 shares of the industrial products companys stock after buying an additional 3,710 shares during the quarter. Truist Financial Corps holdings in Packaging Corporation of America were worth $9,567,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Packaging Corporation of America by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,204,307 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,111,452,000 after buying an additional 176,811 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in Packaging Corporation of America by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,097,253 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $777,037,000 after acquiring an additional 43,141 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Packaging Corporation of America by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,351,323 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $631,557,000 after purchasing an additional 78,619 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Packaging Corporation of America by 70.6% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,860,113 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $350,539,000 after acquiring an additional 769,806 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in Packaging Corporation of America by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,449,494 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $273,157,000 after purchasing an additional 89,739 shares during the last quarter. 89.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

PKG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Research raised Packaging Corporation of America from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b-) rating on shares of Packaging Corporation of America in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup raised their target price on Packaging Corporation of America from $226.00 to $227.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday. Truist Financial dropped their price target on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $273.00 to $270.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on Packaging Corporation of America from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $236.00.

Packaging Corporation of America Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of PKG stock opened at $222.77 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 3.16 and a quick ratio of 2.00. Packaging Corporation of America has a 1 year low of $172.71 and a 1 year high of $231.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.99, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.88. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $209.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $207.04.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.41 by ($0.09). Packaging Corporation of America had a return on equity of 19.18% and a net margin of 8.61%.The company had revenue of $2.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.43 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.47 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Packaging Corporation of America has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.200-2.20 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Packaging Corporation of America will post 10.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Packaging Corporation of America Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Packaging Corporation of Americas dividend payout ratio is presently 58.34%.

Packaging Corporation of America Profile

(Free Report)

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE: PKG) is a leading North American manufacturer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products. The company produces a range of paper-based packaging solutions including linerboard, corrugating medium, corrugated shipping containers, retail-ready packaging and point-of-purchase displays. In addition to core packaging products, Packaging Corporation of America offers packaging design, testing and supply-chain services intended to optimize protection, cost and sustainability for customers.

Headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, the company operates an integrated network of mills and corrugated manufacturing facilities across the United States and serves customers throughout North America in industries such as e-commerce, grocery and food & beverage, consumer packaged goods and industrial markets.

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Truist Financial Corp reduced its stake in SouthState Bank Corporation (NYSE:SSB  Free Report) by 30.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 90,040 shares of the companys stock after selling 38,758 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp owned approximately 0.09% of SouthState Bank worth $8,902,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in SouthState Bank in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of SouthState Bank during the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of SouthState Bank by 106.8% in the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 364 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in shares of SouthState Bank by 37,700.0% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 378 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 377 shares during the period. Finally, TFC Financial Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of SouthState Bank by 49,800.0% in the second quarter. TFC Financial Management Inc. now owns 499 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 498 shares during the period. 89.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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SouthState Bank Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SSB opened at $102.33 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.02 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.92. SouthState Bank Corporation has a 52-week low of $77.74 and a 52-week high of $108.18. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $95.78.

SouthState Bank Announces Dividend

SouthState Bank ( NYSE:SSB Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.30 by $0.17. SouthState Bank had a return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 21.26%.The business had revenue of $686.87 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $667.88 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.93 earnings per share.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, February 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 6th. SouthState Banks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.53%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on SSB shares. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of SouthState Bank from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of SouthState Bank from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Barclays lifted their price objective on SouthState Bank from $122.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on SouthState Bank in a research report on Friday, December 12th. They set an overweight rating and a $115.00 target price for the company. Finally, Raymond James Financial raised their price target on SouthState Bank from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $117.21.

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About SouthState Bank

(Free Report)

SouthState Bank (NYSE: SSB) is a bank holding company headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida, that provides a range of commercial and retail banking services. Through its subsidiary, SouthState Bank, the company serves businesses, institutions and individuals with deposit, lending and treasury management solutions. Its core business lines include commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate lending, consumer mortgages and home equity loans.

In addition to traditional lending and deposit products, SouthState Bank offers specialized services such as treasury and cash management, merchant services, payment solutions and online banking.

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Two Harbors Investments (NYSE:TWO  Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Monday. The real estate investment trust reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.04), FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $182.18 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of ($15.44) million. Two Harbors Investments had a positive return on equity of 11.92% and a negative net margin of 44.10%.

Two Harbors Investments Stock Up 3.1%

NYSE:TWO traded up $0.36 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $11.83. 3,996,120 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,648,211. Two Harbors Investments has a one year low of $9.30 and a one year high of $14.28. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $11.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.39. The company has a market cap of $1.23 billion, a PE ratio of -4.73 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

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Two Harbors Investments Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 29th. Investors of record on Monday, January 5th were given a dividend of $0.34 per share. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, January 5th. Two Harbors Investmentss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -54.40%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Two Harbors Investments from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d) rating on shares of Two Harbors Investments in a report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Two Harbors Investments from $9.50 to $10.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. UBS Group cut Two Harbors Investments from a buy rating to a neutral rating and boosted their target price for the company from $11.00 to $14.00 in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Maxim Group lowered Two Harbors Investments from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $12.46.

Read Our Latest Research Report on TWO

Insider Activity at Two Harbors Investments

In other Two Harbors Investments news, CIO Nicholas Letica sold 55,488 shares of Two Harbors Investments stock in a transaction on Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.42, for a total transaction of $633,672.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive owned 166,507 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,901,509.94. The trade was a 25.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO William Dellal sold 7,087 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.44, for a total value of $81,075.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 36,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $419,882.32. This represents a 16.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 129,389 shares of company stock worth $1,483,046 over the last quarter. 0.61% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Two Harbors Investments by 490.7% during the second quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,583,939 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $38,599,000 after buying an additional 2,977,196 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in Two Harbors Investments by 45.3% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 4,535,534 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $44,766,000 after purchasing an additional 1,415,062 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Two Harbors Investments by 44.5% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,649,977 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $28,540,000 after purchasing an additional 815,931 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP bought a new stake in shares of Two Harbors Investments in the 2nd quarter worth $4,371,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Two Harbors Investments in the second quarter worth $1,861,000. Institutional investors own 64.19% of the companys stock.

About Two Harbors Investments

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Two Harbors Investments Corp. is a mortgage real estate investment trust (mREIT) that primarily invests in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) issued or guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises, as well as non-agency residential mortgage loans, mortgage servicing rights and credit risk transfer securities. The company seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for its shareholders by employing leverage to enhance net interest income derived from its portfolio of high-quality fixed-income assets.

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Two Harbors operates through a self-managed platform that combines portfolio management, risk-management and securitization expertise.

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Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN  Get Free Report)s share price reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $65.96 and last traded at $64.3690, with a volume of 4424846 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $65.22.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on TSN shares. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Tyson Foods from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c-) rating on shares of Tyson Foods in a research report on Monday, December 29th. BMO Capital Markets set a $67.00 price target on Tyson Foods and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research upgraded Tyson Foods from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their target price on Tyson Foods from $59.00 to $58.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Tyson Foods has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $60.60.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods Stock Down 0.4%

The stock has a market cap of $22.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.48. The business has a fifty day moving average of $59.08 and a 200 day moving average of $55.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.66.

Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.98 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $14.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.11 billion. Tyson Foods had a return on equity of 7.95% and a net margin of 0.87%.The businesss revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.14 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Tyson Foods, Inc. will post 3.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Tyson Foods Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. This is a positive change from Tyson Foodss previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Tyson Foodss payout ratio is currently 153.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Tyson Foods news, CFO Curt Calaway sold 6,539 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.19, for a total transaction of $373,965.41. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 31,833 shares in the company, valued at $1,820,529.27. This trade represents a 17.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Chairman John H. Tyson sold 100,301 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.05, for a total transaction of $5,822,473.05. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 2,989,415 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $173,535,540.75. This represents a 3.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.11% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Tyson Foods

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Tyson Foods in the 2nd quarter valued at $246,055,000. Davis Selected Advisers raised its position in Tyson Foods by 91.4% in the second quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 8,956,466 shares of the companys stock worth $501,025,000 after purchasing an additional 4,276,884 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Tyson Foods by 76.1% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,006,787 shares of the companys stock worth $277,326,000 after purchasing an additional 2,164,160 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Tyson Foods by 36.0% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,864,131 shares of the companys stock worth $328,039,000 after purchasing an additional 1,550,812 shares during the period. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its holdings in Tyson Foods by 877.2% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,373,370 shares of the companys stock valued at $74,574,000 after purchasing an additional 1,232,835 shares in the last quarter. 67.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Tyson Foods Company Profile

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Tyson Foods, Inc (NYSE: TSN) is a multinational food company primarily engaged in the production, processing and marketing of protein-based and prepared food products. Founded in 1935 and headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company is one of the worlds largest processors of chicken, beef and pork. Its operations span live animal procurement and farming relationships through slaughter, further processing and distribution, supplying raw protein and value-added prepared foods to retail, foodservice and industrial customers.

The companys product portfolio covers fresh and frozen meats, branded and private-label prepared foods, and a range of value-added items such as ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook meals, snack and sandwich meats.

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UGI (NYSE:UGI) held its 2026 annual meeting of shareholders in a virtual format, with Chair of the Board Mario Longhi presiding. Longhi said the company again opted for an online meeting to enable participation from any location around the world and to provide cost savings to the company and shareholders.

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Meeting participants and logistics

Longhi introduced the companys director nominees, all of whom are current directors and attended virtually. In addition to Longhi, the nominees included President and CEO Bob Flexon, David Bingenheimer, Shawn Bort, Ted Dosch, Tina Faraca, Alan Harris, Kelly Romano, Melanie Kirkwood Ruiz, and Santiago Seage.

Management participants included Chief Financial Officer Sean OBrien and General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, and Chief Compliance Officer Kathleen Shea Ballay. Representatives of KPMG, UGIs independent registered public accounting firm, also joined virtually.

The company said the notice of annual meeting and availability of proxy materials were mailed beginning Dec. 17, 2025, to shareholders of record as of Dec. 1, 2025. Longhi noted that the business portion of the meeting would be brief and that there would be no management presentation, pointing shareholders instead to the companys fiscal 2026 first-quarter earnings call scheduled for Feb. 5, 2026, at 9 a.m. Eastern.

Broadridge Financial Solutions served as the judge of election, represented at the meeting by Lewis Larson. Longhi said Broadridge reported that more than a majority of UGIs issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote were present in person or by proxy, establishing a quorum.

Proposals put to a vote

As outlined in the proxy statement, shareholders were asked to vote on three items. Longhi summarized the proposals and said the board recommended votes in favor of all three proposals. The items were:

Election of 10 director nominees named in the proxy statement

An advisory vote to approve the compensation of UGIs named executive officers

Ratification of KPMG as the companys independent registered public accounting firm for 2026

Longhi also addressed shareholder questions, noting that no questions had been submitted in advance related to the items being voted on. He said the company would try to respond to other questions at the end of the meeting and directed shareholders to contact Investor Relations with any additional inquiries.

Voting results

After opening the polls for balloting through the meeting website and then closing them, Jessica Milner, vice president, deputy general counsel, and corporate secretary, reported the preliminary results based on the judge of elections report.

According to Milner, shareholders:

Elected all 10 director nominees

Approved the advisory proposal on compensation for the companys named executive officers

Ratified KPMGs appointment as independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2026

Longhi said the results were subject to review and verification and that final voting results would be reported in a Form 8-K. He also stated that meeting records would include the notice of meeting, proxy statement, form of proxy, annual report, affidavits of mailing and notice, ballots, and the inspector of elections certificate.

Adjournment and next event

With no further business, Longhi adjourned the annual meeting. The company then opened a separate period for shareholder questions and comments submitted shortly before or during the meeting. Flexon was prepared to respond, but the company said there were no questions at that time, and the discussion concluded.

UGI again invited shareholders to listen to its fiscal 2026 first-quarter earnings call on Feb. 5 at 9 a.m. Eastern and thanked participants for attending.

About UGI (NYSE:UGI)

UGI Corporation (NYSE: UGI) is a publicly traded energy distribution company headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1882 as the United Gas Improvement Company, UGI has grown into a diversified provider of energy products and services. The companys operations are organized into three primary segmentsAmeriGas Propane, UGI Utilities and UGI Internationaleach focused on the delivery of propane, natural gas and related services to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

AmeriGas Propane, UGIs largest segment, is the leading retail propane distributor in the United States with a network of dealers serving customers in all 50 states.

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Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA (OTCMKTS:USNZY  Get Free Report)s share price gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $1.35, but opened at $1.28. Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais shares last traded at $1.28, with a volume of 424 shares changing hands.

Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais Stock Down 0.8%

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $1.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 2.64, a current ratio of 4.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market cap of $695.73 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.59 and a beta of 1.32.

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About Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais

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Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA (OTCMKTS: USNZY), widely known as Usiminas, is one of Brazils leading integrated steel producers. The company operates across the full steel value chain, from iron ore mining to the manufacture and distribution of flat steel products. Its portfolio includes hot- and cold-rolled coils, coated sheets, tin plates, plates and tubular products, which serve a broad array of end markets such as construction, automotive, packaging, machinery and energy.

Founded in the mid-1950s through a partnership between Brazilian and international investors, Usiminas is headquartered in Belo Horizonte and maintains its principal steelmaking facilities in Ipatinga, Minas Gerais, as well as secondary operations in Cubatao (Sao Paulo) and Santa Cruz.

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Win Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Capital Group Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:CGGR  Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 42,407 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,863,000. Capital Group Growth ETF comprises approximately 0.9% of Win Advisors Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in CGGR. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its stake in Capital Group Growth ETF by 806.5% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 562 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Banco de Sabadell S.A bought a new position in shares of Capital Group Growth ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at $47,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Capital Group Growth ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. Archer Investment Corp lifted its stake in shares of Capital Group Growth ETF by 29.9% in the 3rd quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 1,715 shares of the companys stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 395 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in Capital Group Growth ETF in the second quarter worth $81,000.

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Capital Group Growth ETF Price Performance

Capital Group Growth ETF stock opened at $44.46 on Monday. Capital Group Growth ETF has a one year low of $29.23 and a one year high of $45.83. The companys fifty day moving average price is $44.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $43.66. The company has a market capitalization of $20.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.88 and a beta of 1.17.

Capital Group Growth ETF Announces Dividend

Capital Group Growth ETF Company Profile

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a dividend of $0.0424 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. This represents a dividend yield of 19.0%.

(Free Report)

The Capital Group Growth ETF (CGGR) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund is an actively managed fund that invests predominantly in US companies of any market capitalization. The fund seeks to provide capital growth. CGGR was launched on Feb 22, 2022 and is managed by Capital Group.

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Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd decreased its stake in Mohawk Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MHK  Free Report) by 59.4% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 7,777 shares of the companys stock after selling 11,362 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltds holdings in Mohawk Industries were worth $1,003,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MHK. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Mohawk Industries by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,957,197 shares of the companys stock worth $205,192,000 after purchasing an additional 135,246 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its stake in Mohawk Industries by 2.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,915,831 shares of the companys stock worth $200,856,000 after buying an additional 39,556 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in Mohawk Industries by 0.5% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,829,830 shares of the companys stock valued at $235,902,000 after buying an additional 9,516 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Mohawk Industries by 0.3% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,358,212 shares of the companys stock valued at $142,124,000 after acquiring an additional 4,085 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Mohawk Industries by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 1,175,775 shares of the companys stock worth $123,268,000 after acquiring an additional 59,831 shares during the period. 78.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MHK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wolfe Research cut Mohawk Industries from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Mohawk Industries from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Mohawk Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, December 20th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Mohawk Industries from $134.00 to $128.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Vertical Research assumed coverage on shares of Mohawk Industries in a research report on Monday, October 20th. They set a buy rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mohawk Industries currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $133.83.

Mohawk Industries Trading Down 1.3%

NYSE:MHK opened at $118.39 on Monday. Mohawk Industries, Inc. has a 52 week low of $96.24 and a 52 week high of $143.13. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $114.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $119.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 2.25. The firm has a market cap of $7.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.23.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 3,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.36, for a total value of $386,260.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 70,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,790,643.48. This represents a 4.72% 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. Insiders have sold 17,135 shares of company stock valued at $1,892,137 in the last 90 days. 17.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Mohawk Industries Company Profile

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Mohawk Industries, Inc is a global flooring manufacturer that designs, produces and distributes a broad range of floor covering products for both residential and commercial applications. Headquartered in Calhoun, Georgia, the company traces its roots to 1878 and has expanded through a series of strategic acquisitions and organic growth initiatives. Over the decades, Mohawk has built a vertically integrated platform encompassing yarn manufacturing, fiber production, wood and laminate finishing, and ceramic tile fabrication, enabling tight control over product quality and supply chain efficiency.

The companys product portfolio includes residential and commercial carpet, ceramic and porcelain tile, laminate, wood and natural stone flooring, luxury vinyl, and innovative surface solutions.

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Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in DRDGOLD Limited (NYSE:DRD  Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 34,504 shares of the basic materials companys stock, valued at approximately $952,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of DRD. Savant Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of DRDGOLD in the second quarter valued at approximately $182,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in DRDGOLD in the second quarter valued at about $2,505,000. Kiker Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of DRDGOLD during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $142,000. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd acquired a new position in DRDGOLD during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $291,000. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in DRDGOLD by 35.9% in the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 180,847 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $2,407,000 after purchasing an additional 47,759 shares during the last quarter. 14.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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DRDGOLD Price Performance

DRD stock opened at $31.82 on Monday. The companys 50-day moving average is $32.37 and its 200-day moving average is $25.83. DRDGOLD Limited has a 1 year low of $10.01 and a 1 year high of $39.37.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. HC Wainwright boosted their price objective on DRDGOLD to $46.50 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday. Zacks Research upgraded DRDGOLD from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of DRDGOLD in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of DRDGOLD from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, January 3rd. Two research 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, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $46.50.

Check Out Our Latest Report on DRD

About DRDGOLD

(Free Report)

DRDGOLD (NYSE: DRD) is a South African gold producer focused on the retreatment of surface tailings from historic mining operations on the Witwatersrand Basin. The company recovers fine gold particles from lowgrade tailings using an integrated, carboninleach (CIL) processing circuit that is designed to maximize yield and minimize environmental impact. DRDGOLDs operations are centered on sustainable resource utilization, transforming previously discarded material into saleable gold dore bars.

The company operates two primary tailings retreatment facilities on the West Rand and East Rand of Gauteng Province.

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Win Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV  Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 9,450 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $899,000.

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Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 9.9% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 44,819 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,207,000 after purchasing an additional 4,045 shares during the last quarter. Insight Inv LLC purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,083,000. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,261,838 shares of the companys stock valued at $120,051,000 after buying an additional 84,969 shares during the period. Cynosure Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter. Cynosure Group LLC now owns 42,424 shares of the companys stock worth $4,036,000 after buying an additional 6,104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Forefront Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF in the third quarter worth $4,341,000.

iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Stock Up 7.1%

iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF stock opened at $94.97 on Monday. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF has a 52-week low of $83.99 and a 52-week high of $95.12. The company has a market cap of $24.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.90 and a beta of 0.72. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $94.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $94.08.

iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed firms selected and weighted to create a low-volatility portfolio subject to various constraints. USMV was launched on Oct 18, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock.

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AGF Management Ltd. lessened its holdings in shares of Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL  Free Report) by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 723,672 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 20,368 shares during the period. AGF Management Ltd. owned approximately 0.14% of Aflac worth $80,834,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of AFL. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. lifted its stake in Aflac by 29.2% in the third quarter. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. now owns 11,523 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,287,000 after buying an additional 2,601 shares in the last quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Aflac by 11.2% during the third quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,697 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $301,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in Aflac by 12.0% in the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 97,344 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $10,841,000 after acquiring an additional 10,423 shares in the last quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. boosted its stake in Aflac by 28.4% in the 3rd quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 2,940 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $328,000 after purchasing an additional 650 shares during the period. Finally, Everhart Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Aflac during the 3rd quarter worth about $223,000. 67.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Aflac Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of Aflac stock opened at $110.94 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $58.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.48, a P/E/G ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Aflac Incorporated has a 12-month low of $96.95 and a 12-month high of $115.83. The businesss 50 day moving average is $109.74 and its 200-day moving average is $108.30.

Aflac Increases Dividend

Aflac ( NYSE:AFL Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The financial services provider reported $2.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.77 by $0.72. Aflac had a net margin of 23.55% and a return on equity of 14.97%. The business had revenue of $4.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.36 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.16 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 59.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Aflac Incorporated will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be issued a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 18th. This is a positive change from Aflacs previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. Aflacs payout ratio is currently 30.29%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Frederic Jean Guy Simard sold 1,722 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.50, for a total value of $193,725.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 1,364 shares of the companys stock, valued at $153,450. This trade represents a 55.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Steven Kent Beaver sold 5,492 shares of Aflac stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.53, for a total value of $601,538.76. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 38,368 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,202,447.04. This represents a 12.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 31,766 shares of company stock valued at $3,549,706. Company insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AFL. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Aflac from $107.00 to $109.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. TD Cowen restated a hold rating on shares of Aflac in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Barclays set a $101.00 price target on shares of Aflac and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Aflac from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b+) rating on shares of Aflac in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $110.64.

View Our Latest Report on AFL

About Aflac

(Free Report)

Aflac Incorporated (American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus) is a provider of supplemental insurance products designed to help policyholders manage out-of-pocket health care and living expenses. The company underwrites a range of individual and group policies that typically pay cash benefits directly to insureds when covered events occur, enabling greater financial flexibility for medical treatment, hospital stays, critical illness, and related costs. Aflacs product mix includes supplemental health insurance, life insurance and other specialty coverages intended to complement primary medical plans.

Founded in the mid-20th century and headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, Aflac distributes its products through a combination of employer-sponsored programs, independent brokers and agents, and direct marketing.

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AGF Management Ltd. lowered its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 63.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 116,034 shares of the companys stock after selling 199,667 shares during the quarter. AGF Management Ltd.s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $88,534,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Steph & Co. lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 290.0% during the 3rd quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 39 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 263.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 40 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LLY has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Scotiabank assumed coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a sector outperform rating and a $1,165.00 price target on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,100.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $976.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $1,162.75.

Key Headlines Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

Here are the key news stories impacting Eli Lilly and Company this week:

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

Shares of LLY opened at $1,037.84 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $623.78 and a 52-week high of $1,133.95. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,056.87 and a 200-day simple moving average of $890.19. The company has a market capitalization of $981.15 billion, a PE ratio of 50.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.39.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.42 by $0.60. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 109.52%. The company had revenue of $17.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.18 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 53.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share 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 paid a $1.73 dividend. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Companys previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.35%.

About Eli Lilly and Company

(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.

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Veritas Asset Management LLP increased its position in HDFC Bank Limited (NYSE:HDB  Free Report) by 65.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 224,364 shares of the banks stock after purchasing an additional 88,388 shares during the period. HDFC Bank comprises about 0.1% of Veritas Asset Management LLPs investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Veritas Asset Management LLPs holdings in HDFC Bank were worth $7,664,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of HDB. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of HDFC Bank by 112.0% in the 2nd quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 549 shares of the banks stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares during the period. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of HDFC Bank by 136.4% during the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 676 shares of the banks stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 390 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings in shares of HDFC Bank by 358.4% during the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 706 shares of the banks stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 552 shares in the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division raised its holdings in shares of HDFC Bank by 100.0% during the third quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 758 shares of the banks stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in HDFC Bank by 54.5% in the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 913 shares of the banks stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. 17.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

HDFC Bank Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of HDFC Bank stock opened at $32.40 on Monday. HDFC Bank Limited has a 12-month low of $29.23 and a 12-month high of $39.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $165.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $34.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $35.77.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HDFC Bank ( NYSE:HDB Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The bank reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.04. HDFC Bank had a net margin of 14.92% and a return on equity of 11.49%. The firm had revenue of $16.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.12 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that HDFC Bank Limited will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current year.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on HDB shares. Wall Street Zen raised HDFC Bank from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of HDFC Bank from a sell (d+) rating to a hold (c-) rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, HDFC Bank presently has a consensus rating of Hold.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on HDB

HDFC Bank Profile

(Free Report)

HDFC Bank Limited is one of Indias leading private sector banks, headquartered in Mumbai. Incorporated in 1994 and promoted by Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), the bank provides a full range of banking and financial services to retail, small and medium-sized enterprises, and corporate customers. It is publicly listed and also accessible to international investors through American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol HDB.

The banks core activities include retail banking (deposit accounts, personal loans, home loans, auto loans, and credit cards), commercial and corporate banking (working capital finance, term lending, trade finance and treasury services), and transaction banking (cash management and payment solutions).

Further Reading

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Kingdom Financial Group LLC. grew its position in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM  Free Report) by 116.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,664 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 2,510 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. makes up about 0.9% of Kingdom Financial Group LLC.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Kingdom Financial Group LLC.s holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. were worth $1,471,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in JPM. MOKAN Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the 3rd quarter worth $2,952,000. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 10.6% during the third quarter. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,023 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,269,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its stake in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 1.6% in the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 39,808 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $12,557,000 after acquiring an additional 627 shares in the last quarter. Facet Wealth Inc. boosted its holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 18.5% in the third quarter. Facet Wealth Inc. now owns 5,998 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,892,000 after purchasing an additional 938 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nadler Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. Nadler Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,072 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,915,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. 71.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More JPMorgan Chase & Co. News

Here are the key news stories impacting JPMorgan Chase & Co. this week:

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on JPM shares. Morgan Stanley set a $331.00 target price on JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. TD Cowen reissued a buy rating on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $330.00 target price on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. Finally, DZ Bank reissued a neutral rating on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $336.82.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. Price Performance

NYSE JPM opened at $305.59 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $314.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $306.42. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a 52 week low of $202.16 and a 52 week high of $337.25. The stock has a market cap of $831.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 13th. The financial services provider reported $5.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.93 by $0.30. JPMorgan Chase & Co. had a return on equity of 17.16% and a net margin of 20.35%.The business had revenue of $46.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.98 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.81 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that JPMorgan Chase & Co. will post 18.1 EPS for the current year.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 6th were issued a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.99%.

Insider Activity at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

In related news, CFO Jeremy Barnum sold 2,893 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $312.79, for a total value of $904,901.47. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 26,696 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,350,241.84. This represents a 9.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Jennifer Piepszak sold 8,571 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $312.79, for a total transaction of $2,680,923.09. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 71,027 shares of the companys stock, valued at $22,216,535.33. This represents a 10.77% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 15,834 shares of company stock valued at $4,951,910 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.47% of the companys stock.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Company Profile

(Free Report)

JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) is a diversified global financial services firm headquartered in New York City. The company provides a wide range of banking and financial products and services to consumers, small businesses, corporations, governments and institutional investors worldwide. Its operations span retail banking, commercial lending, investment banking, asset management, payments and card services, and treasury and securities services.

The firms principal business activities are organized across several core lines: Consumer & Community Banking, which offers deposit accounts, mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and branch and digital banking under the Chase brand; Corporate & Investment Banking, which provides capital markets, advisory, underwriting, trading and risk management services; Commercial Banking, delivering lending, treasury and capital solutions to middle-market and corporate clients; and Asset & Wealth Management, which offers investment management, private banking and retirement services to institutions and high-net-worth individuals.

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Money Concepts Capital Corp reduced its position in Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT  Free Report) by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,283 shares of the aerospace companys stock after selling 1,445 shares during the period. Money Concepts Capital Corps holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $3,636,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Old North State Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 2.0% in the third quarter. Old North State Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,073 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $539,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the period. Barnes Wealth Management Group Inc raised its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Barnes Wealth Management Group Inc now owns 567 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $263,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the period. Collective Family Office LLC lifted its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. Collective Family Office LLC now owns 527 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $263,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Financial Partners Group Inc grew its stake in Lockheed Martin by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Financial Partners Group Inc now owns 555 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $277,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. Finally, Lewis Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Lewis Asset Management LLC now owns 554 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $277,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.19% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on LMT shares. Susquehanna reaffirmed a positive rating and set a $660.00 price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $615.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $605.00 to $695.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a market perform rating and issued a $586.00 price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane increased their target price on Lockheed Martin from $550.00 to $570.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $582.59.

Key Lockheed Martin News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lockheed Martin this week:

Lockheed Martin Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE LMT opened at $634.31 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $145.94 billion, a PE ratio of 29.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.23. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.05. Lockheed Martin Corporation has a 12-month low of $410.11 and a 12-month high of $645.67. The company has a 50-day moving average of $509.69 and a 200 day moving average of $480.94.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The aerospace company reported $5.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $6.33 by ($0.53). Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 6.69% and a return on equity of 108.53%. The company had revenue of $20.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $19.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $7.67 earnings per share. Lockheed Martins revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Lockheed Martin Corporation will post 27.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.

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Mawer Investment Management Ltd. lowered its position in shares of Hershey Company (The) (NYSE:HSY  Free Report) by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 244,995 shares of the companys stock after selling 10,646 shares during the period. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. owned about 0.12% of Hershey worth $45,826,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at about $234,386,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Hershey in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $125,868,000. Equity Investment Corp purchased a new position in shares of Hershey during the second quarter valued at approximately $73,706,000. Holocene Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 44.7% during the second quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 1,232,595 shares of the companys stock valued at $204,549,000 after acquiring an additional 380,512 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. lifted its stake in Hershey by 173.7% in the second quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 534,567 shares of the companys stock worth $88,711,000 after acquiring an additional 339,240 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.96% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HSY has been the subject of several research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an outperform rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Monday, January 26th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Hershey from $204.00 to $200.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Hershey from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $191.79.

Hershey Price Performance

Shares of HSY opened at $194.74 on Monday. Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $140.13 and a twelve month high of $201.86. The company has a market capitalization of $39.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.11 and a beta of 0.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $187.24 and a 200 day moving average of $184.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.24. Hershey had a return on equity of 32.08% and a net margin of 11.84%.The business had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.34 EPS. The companys revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Hershey Company will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Hershey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week:

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In related news, insider Stacy Taffet bought 200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $186.19 per share, for a total transaction of $37,238.00. Following the purchase, the insider owned 9,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. This represents a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.67, for a total value of $298,005.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,319 shares in the company, valued at $10,394,215.73. The trade was a 2.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,000 shares of company stock worth $1,119,450. Company insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock.

Hershey Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is a leading North American chocolatier and snack manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The company develops, produces and markets a wide range of confectionery and snack products for retail, foodservice and international customers. Hersheys business spans manufacturing, branded product marketing, packaging and distribution across grocery, convenience, mass merchant and e-commerce channels.

Hersheys product portfolio centers on chocolate and sugar confectionery, including core brands such as Hersheys, Reeses, Hersheys Kisses and Twizzlers, alongside non-chocolate snacks and confectionery brands.

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Money Concepts Capital Corp grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH  Free Report) by 59.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,380 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after purchasing an additional 4,600 shares during the quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corps holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $4,275,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNH. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Islay Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. boosted its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 69.4% in the second quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 105 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on UNH shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded UnitedHealth Group from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $333.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Evercore ISI upgraded UnitedHealth Group to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $411.00 to $409.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $335.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $376.75.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.8%

UNH opened at $287.03 on Monday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $330.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $323.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $260.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 12 month low of $234.60 and a 12 month high of $606.36.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.79% and a net margin of 2.69%.The company had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $6.81 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th were given a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. UnitedHealth Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.02%.

UnitedHealth Group Profile

(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.

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National Pension Service increased its position in Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR  Free Report) by 2.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 617,981 shares of the industrial products companys stock after purchasing an additional 16,084 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service owned approximately 0.16% of Ingersoll Rand worth $51,058,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 12.3% during the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,018,638 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $165,811,000 after purchasing an additional 220,815 shares during the last quarter. United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund acquired a new position in shares of Ingersoll Rand during the 2nd quarter worth $8,375,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 6,913,924 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $575,100,000 after buying an additional 38,999 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 26.4% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 86,865 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $7,177,000 after buying an additional 18,151 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 18.6% in the third quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 41,272 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $3,410,000 after buying an additional 6,464 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.27% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on IR shares. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $94.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $103.00 to $100.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Ingersoll Rand in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $81.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ingersoll Rand currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $92.13.

Insider Activity at Ingersoll Rand

In other Ingersoll Rand news, insider Vicente Reynal sold 191,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.12, for a total transaction of $16,830,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 193,186 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,023,550.32. This trade represents a 49.72% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Michael J. Scheske sold 1,477 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.63, for a total transaction of $119,090.51. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,153 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $979,896.39. This trade represents a 10.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.68% of the companys stock.

Ingersoll Rand Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:IR opened at $85.94 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 2.16. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a 52 week low of $65.61 and a 52 week high of $95.85. The firm has a market cap of $33.96 billion, a PE ratio of 63.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.43 and a beta of 1.32. The firms fifty day moving average is $82.50 and its 200-day moving average is $80.72.

Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.01). Ingersoll Rand had a return on equity of 12.14% and a net margin of 7.31%.The company had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.84 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Ingersoll Rand Inc. will post 3.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Ingersoll Rand Profile

(Free Report)

Ingersoll Rand is a diversified industrial company that designs, manufactures and services a wide range of equipment and technologies for commercial, industrial and OEM customers. Its product portfolio includes air compressors and compressed air systems, pneumatic and cordless power tools, material handling and lifting equipment, fluid transfer and pumping solutions, and associated aftermarket parts and service offerings. The companys products support applications across manufacturing, construction, transportation, oil and gas, mining and general industrial markets.

Ingersoll Rand sells through a combination of direct sales, distributor networks and service channels, delivering both capital equipment and recurring aftermarket revenue from parts, maintenance and service contracts.

Further Reading

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Syntax Research Inc. bought a new stake in ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE  Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 12,500 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $912,000.

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Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. City Holding Co. bought a new position in ONEOK during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Winnow Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ONEOK during the third quarter valued at $28,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates purchased a new stake in ONEOK during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Financial Consulate Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of ONEOK in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ONEOK in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.13% of the companys stock.

ONEOK Stock Performance

ONEOK stock opened at $79.21 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $74.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $73.36. ONEOK, Inc. has a 52-week low of $64.02 and a 52-week high of $103.64.

ONEOK Increases Dividend

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Monday, February 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.07 per share. This is a boost from ONEOKs previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 2nd. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.4%. ONEOKs dividend payout ratio is currently 75.74%.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of ONEOK from $102.00 to $95.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of ONEOK in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Scotiabank reiterated an outperform rating and set a $91.00 price target on shares of ONEOK in a report on Friday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating and set a $104.00 price target on shares of ONEOK in a report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on ONEOK from $114.00 to $103.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $87.31.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on ONEOK

ONEOK Company Profile

(Free Report)

ONEOK, Inc (NYSE: OKE) is a publicly traded midstream energy company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company owns and operates a portfolio of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) pipelines, processing facilities, fractionators and storage and terminal assets. Its operations are focused on gathering, processing, transporting, fractionating and marketing NGLs and interstate natural gas, providing critical infrastructure that connects hydrocarbon production to refineries, petrochemical plants and other end markets.

ONEOKs asset base includes pipeline systems and processing plants that move and condition natural gas, along with infrastructure for the transportation, storage and fractionation of NGLs such as ethane, propane and butane.

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Yacktman Asset Management LP increased its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH  Free Report) by 35.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 174,588 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after purchasing an additional 45,588 shares during the quarter. Yacktman Asset Management LPs holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $60,285,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of UNH. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $3,837,207,000. Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased a new position in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at about $1,572,193,000. Dodge & Cox increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 117.7% during the 2nd quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,750,560 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $2,729,912,000 after purchasing an additional 4,730,192 shares during the last quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter valued at $528,273,000. Finally, Amundi raised its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 33.8% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 6,191,871 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $1,904,372,000 after buying an additional 1,565,245 shares during the period. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $415.00 to $385.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $335.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $310.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Evercore ISI upgraded UnitedHealth Group to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $370.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $376.75.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

NYSE:UNH opened at $287.03 on Monday. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $234.60 and a twelve month high of $606.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $260.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.76, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.41. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $330.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $323.73.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $113.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.38 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 2.69% and a return on equity of 14.79%. UnitedHealth Groups quarterly revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $6.81 earnings per share. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.750- EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 8th were paid a dividend of $2.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. UnitedHealth Groups payout ratio is 67.02%.

More UnitedHealth Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:

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.

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A man who was granted police bail after an alleged offence on January 25 'didn't make it to the charge day' Derry Magistrates' Court heard today.

Conor Colhoun (29) of Spencer Road in Derry appeared charged with indecent behaviour on January 30 and disorderly behaviour at Altnagelvin Hospital on January 31.

He was also charged with attempted criminal damage to a police vehicle that was said to have occurred on January 25.

The court heard that as regards the January 25 incident police were dealing with an incident in the Sackville Street/Strand Road area and were making arrests.

Colhoun was alleged to have thrown a shoe at a police vehicle.

He was granted police bail to appear on Feb 18 but the court heard on Friday night at 10.30 police received a report of a man 'stumbling about' in the Victoria car park.

They found Colhoun who was said to have become abusive before urinating in front of members of the public.

He was arrested and conveyed to Altnagelvin Hospital where he was said to have started shouting and raising his voice despite being asked to stop.

Bail was opposed due to the risk of reoffending and the court was told that the defendant was currently on licence.

A police officer said Colhoun had been given a chance and couldn't even make that date.

Defence counsel Grainne McAnaney said that the defendant could be re-released on bail with added conditions such as a curfew.

Deputy District Judge John Connolly said he had too many concerns not least the pressures hospital staff were already under.

He refused bail and Colhoun was remanded in custody to appear again on March 2.
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston has been found to have breached the Assembly Members Code of Conduct during stormy exchanges at a committee.

A complaint was made against the North Antrim representative following a meeting of the Executive Office committee on October 23 2024.

There were tense scenes between Mr Gaston and committee chairwoman Paula Bradshaw around an allegation Ms Bradshaw met First Minister Michelle ONeill before she appeared at the committee to give evidence.

Ms ONeill had been under fire following criticism of Sinn Fein over its handling of a number of controversies, including that of former press officer Michael McMonagle who was convicted of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

As exchanges at the committee became more heated Mr Gaston said to Ms Bradshaw: Take a step back. Youre okay, youre okay. Breathe.

He said he apologised at the time, acknowledging his comments were ill-judged, and added he believed that had been the end of the matter.

Mr Gaston made a complaint against Ms Bradshaw, but the standards commissioner found it was inadmissible.

Meanwhile, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed that it received correspondence concerning an allegation of misconduct in public office in October 2024.

On Monday, the PSNI said inquiries remain ongoing.

Within the Assembly it has been recommended that Mr Gaston is sanctioned by being excluded for two sitting days.

That is set to be debated by the Assembly on Monday.

The DUP has indicated its MLAs will vote against the sanction, and the UUP has urged that the process is paused.

Former independent Assembly Commissioner for Standards Dr Melissa McCullough, who investigated the complaint, concluded that Mr Gaston had breached Rule 15 of the code.

She found he had engaged in behaviour that constituted an unreasonable and excessive personal attack on Ms Bradshaw.

The Commissioner also found that Mr Gaston had breached rule 13, when his conduct at the meeting amounted to improper interference with the performance of the Assemblys functions.

And that he breached rule 10, when he failed to comply with the Assemblys policy, guidance or instructions by displaying unprofessional behaviour and discourtesy contrary to its behaviour code.

The Committee on Standards and Privileges upheld the complaint and is recommending that Mr Gaston be sanctioned by being excluded from Assembly proceedings for two sitting days.

Committee chairwoman Cathy Mason MLA said its members are firmly of the view that Mr Gastons behaviour was inconsistent with the standards required.

It is vitally important that members respect the authority of committee chairpersons and uphold the rules and protocols which ensure the proper functioning of Assembly committees, she added.

TUV leader Jim Allister claimed the Assembly has stooped to a new low, adding it was absurd beyond words.

Speaking to media at Parliament Buildings on Monday, he also indicated that potential legal action has not been ruled out.

He claimed there is a virtual political witch hunt against Mr Gaston.

It frankly demeans this Assembly by arriving at the conclusion that if someone says something which might have been ill judged but certainly was not unreasonable, and certainly was not a personal attack, that that person and their constituents should be robbed of their services for two sitting days of the Assembly, he said.

This Assembly has always struggled with scrutiny, it has always struggled with being challenged  Timothy Gaston is here to be that voice of challenge, he has been most effective, and the more effective he has been, the greater the determination to try and silence him.

He added: In circumstances where there is apparently an ongoing police inquiry into these matters, it is wholly disproportionate and inappropriate for this Assembly to today to proceed to sanction anyone unless or until those proceedings are complete.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said he believes the findings of the commissioner are irrational.

Mr Robinson said that having free speech and democracy would sometimes lead to robust exchanges.

He said the idea that asking someone to breathe would lead to the political suffocation of an elected representative for two days was intolerable.

It cannot stand, it should not stand, and Democratic Unionists today will not support the motion before the Assembly, he said.

I engaged in political discourse, and at times robust exchanges with many, and I think the public out there would be more interested in elected representatives in this place delivering for them.

A UUP spokesperson said: In light of recent information revealing an ongoing PSNI inquiry related to this matter, it is essential that the sanction process be paused until the inquiry concludes fully.

This upholds due process and ensures all facts are considered.

Proceeding prematurely would render the sanction disproportionate and potentially unjust, and we urge the Speaker to suspend proceedings pending the inquirys determination.

This situation raises profound questions about the integrity of the Assemblys entire standards process and highlights the pressing need for comprehensive reform.

An Alliance Party spokesperson said: Only one MLA has been found in breach of the code of conduct in this case, and that is Timothy Gaston.

Statements from the TUV this morning are nothing more than misleading conjecture and distraction. Such commentary only further undermines standards in the Assembly.

Unlike others, we respect due process and the embargo that is in place.

However, once the report is published, we would encourage people to read it in full. It will then become clear Paula Bradshaw has no case to answer but rather has been subject to bullying, unfounded allegations and disruptive behaviour.

No amount of gaslighting or spin from the TUV will change that fact.
Stormont Finance Minister John ODowd has said he will consider alternatives after halting a proposed revaluation of business rates in Northern Ireland.

The Reval 2026 had sparked a backlash from many within the hospitality sector who had said they were facing higher rates bills.

It was cancelled last week after draft property revaluations published by land and property services indicated some businesses were facing hugely increased rates bills.

In a statement to the Assembly on Monday, Mr ODowd said he is in listening mode.

Stopping this process allows space for sectors to provide the much-needed evidence to allow a full examination of the issues raised, he told MLAs.

I am in listening mode and will take time to consider the next steps.

I met with hospitality representatives on Thursday, I will look at any alternative methodology proposals that people want to offer.

These need to be transparent and fair to every ratepayer and meet the need to support public services and the wider economy.

Opposition leader Matthew OToole responding describing a fully blown u-turn, claiming that last week Mr ODowd had arrogantly dismissing concerns from across the House.

He questioned why the process had not been halted earlier, or proposed with a transitionary process to avoid what he termed a chaotic situation.

Mr ODowd responded: The important point is where we are now, and I have listened to the concerns of elected representatives, I have listened to the concerns of the hospitality sector, and I have stopped the Reval process.
Malaysian satellite operator MEASAT and healthcare technology company Mudah Healthtech announced on Friday they have expanded their Sihat Xpress telehealth service to two new rural villages in Sabah.

New Sihat Xpress telehealth kiosks have been launched in the villages of Kg Manikulau near Ranau and Kg Bonor near Sook, in partnership with the Sabah State Treasury Department.

The kiosks, which are connected to MEASATs CONNECTme NOW satellite broadband service, provide an essential healthcare link for nearly 1,000 residents across both villages, their surrounding neighbours, and the local school.

MEASAT said the kiosks empower villagers to manage their daily health through guided self-care tools and on-demand doctor consultations. Both villages are up to two hours of travel away from the nearest health clinics in Ranau and Sook.

MEASAT and Mudah signed an MoU to launch the Sihat Xpress telehealth service in May 2024, with the goal of using CONNECTme NOW hotspots to provide digital healthcare services for up to 1 million people in unserved and underserved rural and remote communities.

MEASAT and Mudah also agreed to digitalise clinics in those areas with telehealth capabilities, enabling at least 1,000 doctors to support up to 2,000 Sihat Xpress rural telehealth kiosks to be rolled out at CONNECTme NOW sites over a two-year period.

MEASAT said the Sihat Xpress service is currently being rolled out across Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, with over 1,000 clinics having been digitalised since 2024 under the Madani MSME Digital Grant.
Papua New Guineas National Executive Council (NEC)  essentially its cabinet  has approved the Pukpuk Connectivity Initiative, which it has described as one of the most important digital infrastructure approvals in the nations recent history.

The approval relates to the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) proposal for a USD$120 million package of three new international submarine cable connections for Papua New Guinea.

Called the Pukpuk (a word meaning crocodile) Connectivity Initiative, the project is structured around a multi-route undersea cable solution, designed to bring three additional international cable connections to serve different parts of Papua New Guinea  specifically to improve redundancy and reduce single points of failure.This proposal will apparently come at no direct cost to the Papua New Guinean state.

The advantages the government cites include better reliability  there will be fewer disruptions when faults occur on any single route  along with improved service quality and stronger, more stable connectivity.

Improved affordability over time is another claim for the initiative as well as better access to essential services; the stronger backbone connectivity should be able to support education, health, banking and digital government.

This initiative is also about positioning Papua New Guinea as a credible digital investment destination with stronger redundancy and predictable wholesale capacity, notably by boosting a data centre economy, all of which would also create new employment opportunities.

The countrys Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will work closely with AIFFP and national stakeholders to undertake the preparatory phase, including preliminary technical and economic assessments, identification of suitable cable landing sites, and coordination with central agencies, regulators, and prospective private sector participants. There will also be a focus on strengthened planning for security, resilience and operational continuity, consistent with national obligations and treaty-aligned commitments.

Related to this will be comprehensive consultation with the telecommunications industry and private sector on how best these new assets should be structured and managed  consistent with competition principles that support open and fair wholesale access; strong reliability and resiliency standards; long-term affordability for consumers and businesses; and investment certainty for future expansion.

A press conference has been promised for the last week of February to outline the implementation roadmap.

Although this is not directly referenced by the government announcement, the origin of the initiative appears to lie in a mutual defence agreement between Papua New Guinea and Australia, something we reported in December last year.
Chads Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARCEP) announced on Thursday it has signed an MoU with Azerbaijan's state space agency Azercosmos to strengthen bilateral cooperation in satellite services.

In a Facebook post, ARCEP said the MoU aims to promote economic, industrial, scientific, technical and technological cooperation in areas including spectrum management, geographic information systems, remote sensing, satellite communications, satellite operations and ground systems, along with the regulatory aspects of each.

ARCEP and Azercosmos agreed to explore commercial opportunities in telecoms, video broadcasting, data services, teleports and ground stations, as well as the development of joint initiatives integrating space technologies, artificial intelligence and earth observation services.

The MoU also calls for cooperation in areas such as digital transformation, development of innovation hubs, and export of digital products.

The MoU also covers skillsets training and development via implementation of educational programs for teachers and students in collaboration with the Azercosmos SPACE Academy, as well as the organization of summer schools, the deployment of educational satellite programs and joint educational initiatives.

ARCEP said the MoU was signed during an official mission to Azerbaijan led by Dr Boukar Michel, Chads Minister of Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Digitalisation of Administration.
Samsung is expected to launch its next flagship smartphone lineup, the Galaxy S26 series, very soon. The upcoming lineup will most likely include three models: Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra. These phones are said to bring noticeable upgrades in performance and camera. Also, we could see some design changes as well. While Samsung has not officially confirmed anything yet, leaks and rumours have given us a fair idea of what to expect. From the specifications to the pricing in India, heres everything we know so far about the upcoming Galaxy S26 series.

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According to leaks, the Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra may launch in India and other markets on February 25, 2026. The sale is expected to begin around March 11. However, the company has not yet confirmed these details.

Also read: Apple considers clamshell-style foldable iPhone to take on Galaxy Z Flip: Report

Samsung Galaxy S26 specifications

The Samsung Galaxy S26 is expected to come with a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the device is said to be powered by the 2nm Exynos 2600 processor, paired with up to 12GB RAM and up to 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. Furthermore, the device could pack a 4,300mAh battery with 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.

In terms of camera, the Galaxy S26 may house a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 12MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus specifications

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus is rumoured to have a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It may use the same Exynos 2600 chipset as the Galaxy S26 with similar RAM and storage options. The phone could house a 4,900mAh battery and support 45W charging. Wireless charging, reverse wireless charging and Qi2 support may also be included.

Camera features on the S26 Plus could include a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 12MP telephoto lens with 3x zoom. On the front, there is a 12MP camera for selfies and video calls.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specifications

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to sport a 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone could be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, paired with up to 16GB RAM and up to 1TB storage. It may include a 5,400mAh battery with 60W charging support.

In terms of optics, the Galaxy S26 Ultra could house a 200MP primary camera, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, a 12MP 3x telephoto lens and a 50MP periscope camera with 5x optical zoom. On the front, the device is said to sport a 12MP camera.

Samsung Galaxy S26 series price in India

The Samsung Galaxy S26 is likely to start at around Rs 82,999, while the Galaxy S26 Plus could be priced at Rs 99,999. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to cost at around Rs 1,32,999.
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Jensen Huang returned to Taiwan in early 2026 for critical meetings with TSMC and local suppliers. Key discussions centered on unprecedented capacity demands requiring TSMC to double production over the next decade, acute memory chip shortages threatening AI scaling, and Nvidia's major investment commitment to OpenAI.

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Dundalk's An Tain Arts Centres book club returns to Roe River Books on Thursday, 26th February at 8pm, for a discussion of this months selected read, the Great Irish Wives by Nicola Pierce. The Book Club has been going strong since April 2020 and meets in Roe River Books on Clanbrassil Street.

Throughout history, the stories of women's lives and work have been pushed behind those of male figures. Great Irish Wives shines a spotlight on ten wives who were instrumental in their famous husbands' success. Drawing on archives, biographies, autobiographies and historical accounts, Nicola Pierce challenges our perception of these women and their men.

The men in this book are household names, from Wolfe Tone and Daniel O'Connell to Oscar Wilde and Brendan Behan, and they all have one thing in common: they married women who enabled them to pursue their dreams.

Paul Hayes Director of An Tain Arts Centre and host of the book club, says:

Read Next: Dundalk takeaway named Takeaway of the Year

We are delighted to have author Nicola Pierce joining us for an in person Q&A for this month's book club.

It is such a privilege to be able to discuss the inspiration behind the book with the author herself.

The book club is free and no booking is required, however we do ask that members register via our website so that they can keep up to date with all book club news and avail of some exclusive book club offers. For information on our next read or to register visit www.antain.ie.
Three men arrested in connection with an alleged 10.1 million cannabis seizure in County Louth on Friday, January 30, were remanded in custody when they appeared before a special sitting of Dundalk District Court on Saturday.

Graham Sommers (37) of Moscow Drive, Liverpool, Brian Coleman (38) of Glasanaon Road, Finglas, Dublin 11 and Alan ONeill (56) of Coolfore House, Hill of Rath, Drogheda, County Louth are each charged with the unlawful possession of cannabis and allegedly having the drug for sale or supply at a unit at Newtownstalaban, Drogheda on January 30th.

Members of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau told the court that the defendants each made no reply when the charges were put to them after caution.

After hearing there would be no applications for bail, Judge Stephanie Coggans remanded them in custody to appear before Dundalk District Court on Wednesday, February 4th. Each of the accused was granted legal aid.

Read Next: Dundalk takeaway named Takeaway of the Year

At the request of Alan O'Neill's solicitor Eleanor Kelly who told the court that her client has a number of medical conditions, Judge Coggans also directed he receive medical attention.
Drink and drug driving checkpoints in Louth have dropped by 20.8% in 2025 compared to the year previous.

Gardai in the Louth/Cavan/Monaghan division carried out 470 Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) Checkpoints in Q3 of 2025 compared to 594 during the same period in the year previous.

Concerns were raised by Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ni Mhurchu about the decrease in MIT Checkpoints nationwide.

Ms Ni Mhurchu said the difference in the number of checkpoints carried out in 2019 compared to 2025 is frightening.

Gardai carried out thousands more roadside alcohol and drug checkpoints in 2019 than they did in 2025. The figures speak for themselves. In 2019, we had 140 deaths, but in 2025, we had 185 deaths. Drug driving is out of control but now Gardai are testing less people."

Read Next: People in Dundalk left in "very precarious scenarios" due to flooding Dail hears

She said figures show a 37% increase in drug driving cases coming before the district courts in the first ten months of 2025 and called for Gardai to launch a "massive increase in drug and drink driving checkpoints".

"They have done the opposite and reduced them. I want to know the rationale for it. If it is a resource issue, lets deal with it but it must be pointed out that there were more Gardai in 2025 than there were in 2019, she said.

The Ireland South MEP said she has written to Minister Darragh O'Brien on the matter.

Nationally the number of MIT checkpoints dropped by 7.5% to 11,958 from 12,930.
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Sinn Fein TD for Louth Ruairi O Murchu has told the Dail a large number of people in Dundalk were in "very precarious scenarios" because of flooding.

Deputy O Murchu praised the work of the fire service and Louth County Council staff who were working "out of hours" to prevent properties becoming flooded.

He said there were issues throughout the region, in mid-Louth, Ravensale and Jenkinstown and said he had dealt with people on the Ardee Road who were flooded because of the River Blackwater.

The Sinn Fein TD also said areas such as Bay Estate, Cluan Enda and Greenwood Drive, Greenacres, the Red Barns Road and St. Alphonsus Road were particularly badly affected.

Deputy O Murchu said ageing infrastructure and increased housing has lead to a lack of wastewater capacity. He said the pumping station at Coes Road cannot deal with the amount of water coming through.

It will be 2029 or 2030 before it is upgraded. The treatment plant on the Point Road has a design capacity for a population equivalent of 71,000. This is going to be upgraded to 120,000, but that could take until 2033," he said.

However, Minister for State Thomas Byrne said the cause of specific flood incidents in Dundalk remain unclear and a full post-incident review will be undertaken once conditions stabilise.

Read Next: Dundalk councillor calls road maintenance funding cuts "illogical"

While Deputy O Murchu welcomed the review, he said the same areas of Dundalk are consistently flooding when it rains.

We need to look long term at some of the mitigation works that can be carried out. We need to see CFRAM work being done in relation to the Blackwater, but, first and foremost, it must be accepted that we do not have the necessary capacity in the wastewater treatment system in Dundalk."

I spoke to a man earlier today who, as the water dissipated, is looking at sewage on his property. That is because it is a joint sewerage and storm-water system. Therein lies the problem," he said.

The water treatment plant cannot take it. The Coes Road pumping station is where the blockages occur. There is WuXi and a huge number of industrial operations and estates from where the water literally shoots down. It fills the pipes to absolute capacity.

This causes a logjam in the system, which then cannot be pumped out. The water builds up and pools in estates such as ours as a result. It is not just water, however, because we are talking about a combined system. The problem gets even worse at high tide.

We really need to see long-term fixes with upgrades and through CFRAM. In the short term, there needs to be a solution.

We could definitely mitigate the issues we have in Dundalk, particularly those that impact the people who live in the Bay Estate and Cluan Enda. We really need a solution
Multiple anti-ICE protests held in Southern California

Xinhua) 13:26, February 02, 2026

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Multiple demonstrations were held on Saturday across Southern California against enforcement raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The protests, organized by "50501 movement," a grassroots political organization, were part of the "ICE Out of Everywhere" national day of action, aiming to show solidarity with Minnesota and for those who have died as a result of federal agents' aggressive tactics.

In front of Los Angeles City Hall, over 500 protesters of all ages gathered at 4:00 p.m. local time (0000 GMT Sunday), holding signs reading "ICE Out of LA," "Ashamed to be an American," and "I Like my ICE Crushed." Demonstrators chanted anti-administration slogans to the beat of drums as passing vehicles honked in support.

"I am here because of the brutal ICE violence in our cities and because we want to stand up for what's right in our country, and we don't want to stay silent," a protester who identified herself as Ari told Xinhua.

"I'm here with my friend to protest the violence of ICE," Chloe, a young woman, told Xinhua. "We just saw a lot of government brutality and violence against innocent people, but they can't defend themselves. We want an end to the raids."

On its official website, the "50501 movement" called on communities to protest outside ICE detention centers, ICE field offices, airlines transporting detainees and congressional offices. The group urged lawmakers to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE.

"Everyday Americans are coming together to demand the immediate and permanent removal of ICE, DHS, CBP (Customs and Border Protection) from communities with over 300 events nationwide," organizers with 50501 SoCal said.

The crowd also sang the chorus of "We're Not Gonna Take It" by the American rock band Twisted Sister.

Albert Hernandez, a 94-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran, told the Los Angeles Daily News that he joined the protest because he wants Republicans and Democrats alike to "have a backbone and stand up to (President Donald) Trump", preventing America from returning to a state of "terror and unrest."

In Baldwin Park, a small city located 20 km east of downtown Los Angeles, dozens of people gathered at a major intersection, holding signs, cowbells and American flags. Messages included "We Stand with Minneapolis" and "ICE Out of LA."

"I'm really terrified of what's going to happen," Los Angeles resident, Hanna Hixson told local news outlets. "It's scary because ICE has complete immunity. It's out of hand."

Saturday's demonstrations followed a national day of action on Friday known as "National Shutdown," which called for supporters to stay home from work and school, and refrain from shopping in an effort to "stop funding ICE."

Thousands took part in Friday's rally and march in downtown Los Angeles. While daytime events remained peaceful, clashes erupted after nightfall when police declared the assembly unlawful. Protesters threw trash and debris toward officers, who responded with pepper balls and irritant sprays.

At least five people were arrested during the confrontation, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, urging demonstrators to remain peaceful and avoid vandalism.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Gardai have arrested a man and frozen cryptocurrency accounts holding almost 350,000 following a search operation targeting organised criminal activity.

The operation took place on Monday, February 2, in Galway where gardai searched a residential property in the Doughiska area under warrant.

A man, aged in his 20s, was arrested during the operation and is currently being detained at a Garda station in the North Western Region.

Two cryptocurrency accounts containing $410,000 and an account at a local financial institution holding more than 20,000 were frozen as part of the operation.

A Garda spokesperson said the operation was part of an ongoing investigation into organised criminal activity in the Galway Division.

READ MORE | ALERT: Met Eireann extends weather warnings as Ireland braces for rain to dominate week

During the course of the operation, a residential property in the Doughiska area was searched under warrant by the Galway Divisional Drugs Unit, assisted by members of the Regional Armed Support Unit and personnel attached to Millstreet Garda Station, the spokesperson said.

A male in his 20s was arrested and is currently being detainedunder Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006 at a Garda station in the North Western Region.

The Garda spokesperson confirmed that the investigation is continuing.

As part of this operation, two cryptocurrency accounts containing $410,000 have been frozen, along with an account at a local financial institution holding over 20,000, the spokesperson said.

Gardai said further updates will follow as the investigation progresses.
A town known for its culture and heritage, it is perhaps surprising to learn that Cobh does not have its own theatre.

Currently, plays and other performances take place in various locations scattered across the town, but local dramatists have no place to call home.

The team behind the Great Island Theatre campaign are eager to change this.

Theatre has a long history in the area. A little theatre on Haulbowline Island  established in 1956 - was home to the Haulbowline Theatre Group from its formation in 1963 until 2014, when the structure was deemed unsafe and reclaimed by the naval service.

Members of the Great Island Theatre steering group: Dominic Finn, Eoin Gilley, Anne Moroney, David McCall, Deirdre Bardsley, and Pat Mahony

Then, as Anne Moroney, PR Officer of the Great Island Theatre steering group, explains, the Haulbowline Theatre Group was basically homeless.

But within the theatre group, adds Anne, there were a lot of very passionate people that continued on. They rehearsed in their own houses, they staged plays anywhere they could get  the Commodore Hotel, the GAA club, the Sirius Arts Centre... They were able to put plays into various drama festivals and were very successful around the country.

The groups resilience has translated into a passion for establishing a permanent home in Cobh, which is how the idea for the Great Island Theatre was born. The Haulbowline Theatre Group will be in residence at the new space.

In 2024, the group  now an official Great Island Theatre steering group  identified a suitable building to house their auditorium.

Its called the Old Parochial Hall, says Anne. It was built in 1937 by the Church of Ireland and it was meant to be a place for people to gather.

The interior of the Old Parochial Hall in Cobh.

It is fitting that a building intended for communal activity should become a theatre for the local community in Cobh.

More recently, the hall was used by an engineering company, but when it came up for sale a few years ago, the steering group saw its potential as a 100-seater venue.

Some very generous people in the community offered money to the group to purchase the building in trust, says Anne.

The group is very thankful for all donations and support that it has received so far from the community in its efforts to establish the theatre, including some major donors.

Local couple David and Heather Bird have donated 30,000 towards the purchase of the Old Parochial Hall, and Cobh Inspire Credit Union have donated 20,000 to the campaign.

Moreover, individuals and businesses from the wider Cobh community have shown their support over the last 12 months through the purchase of commemorative seat plaques - 100 have now been sold  a plaque for every seat  raising 10,000 for the cause. Future visitors to the theatre may even spot a famous name on the back of one of the seats, as Anne reveals: Our own Sonia OSullivan has pledged a seat!

Proud Cobh woman Sonia is a supporter of the campaign and the need for a dedicated performing arts space in the town. Her field is in sport, but she spoke about the importance of the place in the community for young people. Not everybody wants to kick a ball or run... She wants to emphasise how important it is for young people to have a space for culture.

Pictured at the Magic Of The Musicals fundraising event in support of the development were (front) Patrick ODonoghue, Benedict Hurley, Dominic Finn, Helena Sloane, (middle) Nigel Kearney, Katie McGroarty, Caroline Fraher, (back) Jimmy Quinlan, Darragh McGann, Jack OLeary, Claire Butler, and Aisling McCarthy

Sonia will also lead a run in aid of the theatre campaign  dates to be confirmed  where participants will leave from the Old Parochial Hall dressed in theatrical gear. There are plenty of other fundraising initiatives in the diary, too  tickets are currently on sale for a Male Voice Choirs performance on February 27 featuring the Molgoggers and the Kiltha Tones, and including a special short sketch by David McCall and the Haulbowline Theatre Group.

Plans are also afoot to hold a self-care Sunday on March 29  ideal for anyone looking for a bit of rest and relaxation after a busy start to the year.

And another well-known Cobh native, Laurence Olivier Award-winning actor Pat Kinevane, has pledged his support for the theatre with the staging of three plays over three nights in the town this coming spring.

Anyone wishing to support the Great Island Theatre campaign can purchase tickets for an upcoming event  details of which are kept up to date on the groups website.

For anyone who wants to go a step further and leave a legacy with the theatre, but who may have missed out on the opportunity to pledge a seat, the group is also offering commemorative wall plaques. These are still available in exchange for a 1,000 pledge.

You can get your family name on a plaque, explains Anne, who has pledged a seat for her family in honour of her father, who was involved in acting in his youth. Your family name, your business name, or maybe do it in honour of somebody who has passed.

These plaques will be there for future generations to see as they visit the Great Island Theatre  a powerful legacy for arts lovers in the town of Cobh and beyond.

The cast of Amhran Reibiliunach at a fundraising event performed in Cobh Library: Luke Barry, Diarmuid Moroney, Kate Howie, Miriam Stack, Gerry ODonovan, and David McCall

A huge amount of fundraising has been achieved by the Friends of Great Island Theatre group  the official name of the fundraising arm of the wider group  in the mere two years since the identification of the Old Parochial Hall as a venue. The steering group itself has also been hugely busy, successfully securing planning permission for the necessary renovations to the building, and attaining charitable status for the project.

Without the generous donations of the local community, and stellar work of the steering group - Eoin Gilley, David McCall, Pat Mahony, Dominic Finn, Deirdre Bardsley and Anne herself  this project would never have got off the ground. Each member of the group has brought their own skills to the job  architecture, administration, finance, PR, etc  and is driven by a passion for theatre, the arts, and their local community in Cobh. They acknowledge that there is still a lot more to do between now and the theatre opening its doors, which they hope will happen in about two years time.

Were a quarter of the ways there. says Anne. Were in the process of getting the building transferred into the Great Island Theatre name, and at that stage well be able to apply for grants. And then after that it will be renovations.

The Old Parochial Hall is not a listed building, and it is structurally sound. However, as an old building, there are a few stipulations around the planning, so a heritage engineer will be needed for the project. Major renovations are needed to waterproof the building and install the necessary sound systems, lighting, dressing rooms, disability access, and so on. It is likely to be a costly job.

It would be amazing if there was anyone out there in a position to come behind us and grant us [funds] in any of that area, says Anne.

The vision for the Great Island Theatre is that it will be a creative hub for the people of Cobh  not just home to the Haulbowline Theatre Group, but a venue for Comhaltas Ceoltoiri, cinema, comedy, dance, visiting performers, creative writing groups and art exhibitions.

A true community space at the heart of one of Corks most vibrant towns.
Labour Councillor for the wider Douglas area Peter Horgan has renewed his call for the delivery of a Douglas Renewal Masterplan that puts people first and strengthens Douglas as a thriving urban village for residents, local businesses and visitors.

Cllr Horgan raised the issue at a local meeting of the South East Ward where he questioned the costings that could accompany such a renewal plan.

Cllr Horgan said that while Douglas has seen significant growth and investment in recent years, this progress must now be matched with a clear, coordinated vision for the future of the area.

Douglas is an integral and vibrant part of Cork city, but with that growth comes responsibility, he said.

We need a renewal plan, as promised, that enhances the public realm, supports local enterprise and, crucially, improves safety and accessibility for pedestrians.

Cllr Horgan has repeatedly highlighted concerns around traffic dominance, narrow footpaths and dangerous crossing points in Douglas village, stressing that pedestrian safety must be at the heart of any renewal strategy.

An urban village must work for people on foot  children going to school, older residents, people with disabilities and those simply trying to move safely through the area, he said.

Too often, pedestrians are treated as an afterthought. That has to change but we need to fold in safe cycling Infrastructre and the ability of stop and drop to continue where appropriate.

He said these must now be tied together through a comprehensive masterplan that sets out clear priorities, timelines and costs.

We have seen important projects delivered and others at design stage, but whats missing is an overall framework for Douglas, he added. A renewal masterplan would provide that clarity and ensure future investment is properly planned, coordinated and community-focused. We can just sit and wait for Bus Connects to unveil The grand plan we need our own plan.

Cllr Horgan also emphasised the importance of engagement with residents and businesses in shaping the future of Douglas.

People who live and work in Douglas and the surrounding areas, know the challenges and the opportunities, he said.

Their voices must be central to holding onto an urban village that is safer, clamer and more welcoming for everyone.

He concluded by reiterating his call for an update on the Douglas Renewal Masterplan and a clear commitment to its delivery within the lifetime of the current City Development Plan.

Douglas deserves nothing less than a bold, people-centred vision for its future, Cllr Horgan added.
There have been more than 250 incidents of harmful communication  the non-consensual sharing of intimate images and cyberbullying  reported to gardai in Cork since 2021.

However, the chief executive of a Cork support service believes many people are not reporting the offences, because they are either unaware of the legislation or are in a fear state as a result of the abuse.

The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, also known as Cocos Law, was named after Nicole Coco Fox who tragically died by suicide in 2018 after enduring years of severe physical and online bullying.

As a result of the 2021 law, the recording, distribution, or publication of intimate images is now an offence. The law also allows for the anonymity of victims of those offences.

The distribution, publication, or sending of threatening or grossly offensive communications are also offences.

Details provided by An Garda Siochana show there were 251 such incidents recorded in Cork, 135 in Cork city and 116 in Cork county, between February 9, 2021 and December 31, 2025.

Nationally, there were 1,838 reports of this incident category during the five-year period, meaning Cork represented nearly 14% of reports.

MaryClare Clark, the CEO of West Cork Beacon, which supports women experiencing domestic abuse, told that such abuse is sometimes perpetrated by strangers, but for the harassment Beacon deals with, its almost always someone the victim knows.

The people we talk with are usually victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse, she said. They are in acute psychiatric distress, and the digital abuse follows them.

They might withdraw from work or school and avoid specific places so they dont run into that person, but they cant even feel safe in their own space or online.

She said of the 251 reports in Cork: Its a very low number compared to the amount of people we meet who have experienced this. We have helped at least 100 clients in this position over the last five years, but lots dont report it.

They can be in a fear state that they cant break out of, or many might not be aware of Cocos Law. We educate people on what their rights are, but it can be difficult for them to make those reports because they feel like not a lot gets resolved when they do, that theyre going to be dragged through the mud in court and the outcome wont make them feel any safer.

UCC criminal law lecturer Catherine OSullivan said the legislation was very progressive and ahead of the curve. But it must balance the desire to keep the definition of an offence broad enough to enable it to capture situations not yet envisaged, but not so vague as to be unconstitutional.
A man who raped one woman and sexually assaulted another on the same night 10 years ago has received a seven-year prison sentence.

The Central Criminal Court heard that Luca Fox, 30, was extremely drunk on the night and had assaulted both women in their beds as they attempted to sleep.

One woman told the court: This made me become a fearful shell of myself. She described the devastating impact the rapes have had on her health, life, and relationships.

She outlined how she had sympathy for Fox at the time and had not wanted to ruin a young persons life. I ended up sacrificing mine, instead, she said.

Fox, with an address at Alfonso St, Madrid, Spain, pleaded guilty to sexual assault of one woman and was convicted by a jury of two counts of rape of another woman at a house in Co Cork on October 21, 2015.

All parties were 20 years old at the time. He has no previous convictions.

The women both wish to retain their anonymity, but have no issue with Fox being identified. Fox has accepted the verdict of the jury and issued an apology to both women through his counsel.

Passing the sentence on Thursday, Ms Justice Melanie Greally said Foxs multiplicity of offending was an aggravating factor and that these incidents happened in a place that should have been safe for both women.

Probation report

The judge noted that the probation report identified a correlation between Foxs harmful behaviour and his addiction issues, and that he is placed at average-to-moderate risk of reoffending.

It also stated that he demonstrated insight and remorse for the lasting effects of his behaviour on the two women, the judge added.

She said she had considered the mitigation, including Foxs background and family support, his youth at the time, addiction, and mental health difficulties and his efforts to address these.

She imposed a sentence of seven years in relation to the rape offences and handed down a concurrent two-and-a-half-year sentence on the sexual assault.

She backdated the sentences to November 25 last, when Fox went into custody.

Noting that Fox is resident in Spain, the length of time elapsed since these offences, and his efforts to address his issues, the judge said she would not impose a post-release supervision order.

The court heard a second woman was also sexually assaulted by Fox in her bed as she was trying to sleep.

Formal complaint

A formal complaint was made in 2021, and Fox was interviewed in Spain, where he was living in 2023.

He maintained that the first woman gave an understanding that one act had been consensual and said she could have asked for help or said no.

In relation to the second woman, he initially did not know who she was. He later said he had spooned her and when she told him to get off, he did.
Dealing alprazolam tablets has resulted in a young woman having three months added to an 18-month sentence she was already serving for another drug-dealing offence.

Kelly OBrien, formerly of Glencree Crescent, Mayfield, Cork, was given the consecutive three-month sentence by Judge Catherine Ryan at Cork District Court.

Sergeant John Kelleher said Detective Garda Linda OKeeffe and garda colleagues executed a warrant at the Glencree Crescent address on June 12 2024. Located during the search were approximately 930 alprazolam tablets valued at 1,860, along with a small quantity of diamorphine consistent with personal use.

When Kelly OBrien was interviewed during her detention, she took responsibility for ownership of the alprazolam and stated she had them for the purpose of sale or supply. She outlined that she had the diamorphine for her own personal use.

The sergeant added that as well as the drug-dealing conviction, OBrien had five convictions for having drugs for her own use.

Solicitor Frank Buttimer said: She fully cooperated with the investigation. She is pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity. She has engaged well with rehabilitation services in prison. She has gone on methadone [for heroin addiction]... She hopes to be recovered by the time she comes back into the community.

Judge Ryan said it was a very serious matter and there had to be a consecutive sentence.
You cant be naive to think it is still just cocaine or ecstasy like it was before. Its a whole new ballgame.

That is the advice to parents and communities from Nicole Ryan, whose brother Alex died 10 years ago after he took a deadly designer drug at a house party in Cork city.

Alex, from Millstreet Co Cork, died in January 2016 after taking an N-bomb and Nicole, now a Sinn Fein senator, has urged communities to make themselves aware of the dangers of such synthetic drugs.

18-year-old Alex Ryan from Millstreet Co Cork died in January 2016 after taking a synthetic drug called an N-bomb. His 10th anniversary Mass takes place next Friday.

In November 2016, Judge Gerard OBrien imposed a two-year sentence, with 18 months suspended, on one man, and imposed wholly suspended two-year sentences on another man and a woman, for their parts in the supply of N-bomb.

Following an inquest into his death, Cork city coroner Philip Comyn wrote to the Department of Education calling for more drugs awareness programmes in schools.

Drug awareness programme

Nicole Ryan set up a drug awareness programme aimed at educating young people about the dangers of drugs, called Alexs Adventure, in his memory.

Alex would now be 28 years old. Ms Ryan said: There will come a day when I will have lived longer without him than I did with him. You evolve and the grief evolves and we are at a point where there is still shaky ground sometimes.

But we are in a place where we can remember him fondly and it is not so much now about how he died. It is just sad that he doesnt get to see how we have progressed and just that he isnt here.

She said that synthetic drugs have evolved rapidly since Alexs death, adding: You are never going to get rid of synthetics because it is too evolved.

Ms Ryan acknowledged the HSEs campaigns around HHC and nitazene in recent years, but said they came when people were already becoming seriously ill as a result of their use.

Playing catch-up

She also said that there are now replacements already available on the market for HHC, a semi-synthetic version of a natural cannabinoid found in cannabis, emulating the effects of THC in cannabis plants.

The HSE and the Department of Health are playing catch-up, she said.

But she said it is also up to parents and communities to educate themselves about emerging trends in drug use because of the constant evolution of drugs.

"You cant be naive to think it is still just cocaine or ecstasy like it was before.

You can go on Snapchat or Instagram  its there at the click of a button.

Alexs anniversary Mass at St Patricks Church, Millstreet, at 7.30pm next Friday is open to anyone who wishes to attend.
France may take additional steps to prevent minors from accessing social media platforms. As its government advances a proposed ban on social media use for anyone under age 15, some leaders are already looking to add further restrictions. During an appearance on public broadcast service Franceinfo, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Anne Le Henanff said VPNs might be the next target.

"If [this legislation] allows us to protect a very large majority of children, we will continue. And VPNs are the next topic on my list," she said.

A virtual private network would potentially allow French citizens younger than 15 to circumnavigate the social media ban. We've already seen VPN's experience a popularity spike in the UK last year after similar laws were passed over age-gating content. However, a VPN also offers benefits for online privacy, and introducing age verification requirements where your personal data must be submitted negates a large part of these services' appeal.

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The French social media ban is still a work in progress. France's National Assembly voted in favor of the restrictions last week with a result of 116-23, moving it ahead for discussion in the country's Senate. While a single comment doesn't mean that France will in fact ban VPNs for any demographic, it does point to the direction some of the country's leaders want to take. Critics responded to Le Henanff's statements with worry that these attempts at protective measures were veering into an authoritarian direction.

The actions in France echo several other legislative pushes around the world aimed at reducing children and teens' access to social media and other potentially sensitive content online. The US had seen 25 state-level laws for age verification introduced in the past two years, which has created a new set of concerns around users' privacy and personal data, particularly when there has been no attempt to standardize how that information will be collected or protected. When data breaches at large corporations are already all too common, it's hard to trust that the individual sites and services that suddenly need to build an age verification process won't be an easy target for hacks.
After actor Anthony Anderson publicly confirmed his relationship with television host Rocsi Diaz, people on the internet started talking about his personal life again. This led to more questions about when the two first met and whether their romance started while he was still married.

The actor, who has won an Emmy, recently came out after his long divorce from Alvina Stewart, his wife of more than 20 years. Anderson said the relationship was a natural progression between two long-time friends, but comments he made in a recent interview set off a lot of speculation on social media.

Anderson said on "IRL with Angie Martinez" on January 29 that the relationship started by chance. He said, "People like how long has this been going on?" when he talked about how the romance came together. It was something that just happened. Atlanta Black Star says, "It was something that just happened. We just happened to be in the same place at the same time, at the right time...in life,."

Fans became more interested in Anderson and Diaz after they were spotted together at Netflix's afterparty during Golden Globes weekend in January. They were seen holding hands. When paparazzi asked them about it, they downplayed it, saying, ""Friends are always friends," according to TMZ. Atlanta Black Star said that the sighting came after Anderson had lost weight and made changes to his lifestyle to better manage his Type II diabetes.

Per People, Anderson later said he was "no longer a bachelor" at the premiere of Netflix's "Star Search" revival. The confirmation came almost two years after he divorced Stewart, whom he married in 1999 and had two children with. After getting back together, their marriage officially ended in 2023.

After Anderson said when he first met Diaz, people had questions. He said, "I met Rocsi with Kevin Liles before she started '106 & Park.' We've become friends over almost 20 years. Played spades games, have the same friend group, and all that." According to Atlanta Black Star, fans quickly started making timelines based on that statement.

When people saw clips of the interview online, they mostly talked about whether Diaz had been close to Anderson during his marriage. Someone said, "So she was around his wife and waited her turn." Another added, "Friends def be waiting in line for a turn."

A third person wrote, "My man's said 'I cleared the way for it to happen.' So basically he divorced his wife and got with the 'best friend' that his wife has been accusing him of cheating with the entire time."

Anderson talked about how he felt after his divorce in the same interview, thinking about how he had grown as a person. He said, "At one point not too long ago, I sat back and thought about the relationship that I would like to have at this point in my life... And this is where I am right now. It's a beautiful thing."

Even though it was confirmed, Atlanta Black Star said that online conversations have focused less on the romance itself and more on the questions that haven't been answered about when friendship turned into something more.

READ MORE; Anthony Anderson Reacts to Emmy Award Nominations Snub of 'Black-ish' While Hosting 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'
Newly released U.S. Department of Justice documents show a series of emails between Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. These emails shed new light on their contact after his 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from minors.

RadarOnline was the first to report on the records, which were made public on Friday. They include personal messages, talks about possible royal access, and Epstein's attempts to change what people said about him in public.

The papers say that Ferguson sent Epstein a message in January 2010, about six months after Epstein got out of jail in Palm Beach County. Epstein had already served 13 months of an 18-month sentence. Ferguson said something about marriage in the email.

She wrote in the message, "You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness. Xx I am at your service. Just marry me," per Daily Mail.The files don't say what the comment was about.

Other letters show that Ferguson talked about helping Epstein set up special access in the UK. Epstein asked about setting up a "VIP tour" or "access to something special" in London for his lawyer Alan Dershowitz's daughter in an email exchange in June 2009, when he was still in jail.

Read more: Sarah Ferguson's Fiery Riposte: How Meghan Allegedly 'Stole' Eugenie's Big Day

Ferguson said in her response that she was willing to help. She said in the email, "I can organise anything." The messages seem to be about Buckingham Palace, but it's still not clear if anyone actually went there.

There are also more comments about marriage in the emails. Ferguson brought it up again in a message from September 2009, this time while talking about an unnamed woman. She wrote in that conversation, "Ok, well marry me and then we will employ her."

In addition to personal comments, the documents suggest that there is a pressure campaign going on behind the scenes. In March 2011, Epstein asked publicist Mike Sitrick for help in changing Ferguson's public stance. Epstein asked Sitrick to "draft a statement that in an ideal world Fergie would put out," after she told the Evening Standard that she was ""deep regret" for being with him.

Later emails from "Sarah," which the papers say are from Ferguson, dealt with those issues. In a message from April 2011, she said she "did not" and "would not" call him a "P." She also said she did it to "protect my own brand."

Other messages show Epstein talking about supposed access to royalty. He said in a conversation from 2009, "Fergie said she could organise tea in Buckingham Palace apts.. or Windsor Castle." In another email from July 2010, someone asked about family members, and Ferguson replied, " Eugie is away with a cool boyfriend."" Eugie is away with a boyfriend who is cool.

RadarOnline says that the emails show that all of these conversations happened after Epstein was found guilty.

Read more: Sarah Ferguson's 'Supreme Friend' Note to Jeffrey Epstein Reignites Pregnancy Affair Scandal
AHDB is taking British pork on to television this summer for the first time, as its flagship marketing campaign returns in 2026 following record levels of consumer demand.

The British pork. But not as you know it campaign will run in three high-impact bursts next year, beginning with a TV-led phase in February, followed by a new summer appearance and a further push in the autumn.

The expanded schedule comes after previous phases delivered the strongest results on record, with pork purchase intent climbing to 84%.

Measures of versatility, value and ease of preparation also reached new highs, with television identified as a key driver of recall and persuasion among consumers.

AHDB said the results demonstrate porks growing appeal at a time when shoppers are seeking affordable and flexible meal options.

Retail data supports that trend, with primary pork volumes rising by 2.7% in the 52 weeks to 28 December, as consumers look for cost-effective proteins for everyday meals.

The addition of a summer TV campaign marks a significant shift in approach, designed to keep British pork front of mind beyond traditional seasonal peaks.

A new summer-focused advert will run alongside existing campaign assets, retaining the established branding while introducing a fresher, more seasonal feel.

Dishes featured will include pork burgers and harissa pork kebabs, highlighting porks suitability for barbecues and lighter meals as well as its versatility beyond more traditional formats.

AHDB said running the campaign across multiple seasons helps ensure British pork remains competitive in a crowded protein market and reflects how people are cooking and eating throughout the year.

All three phases will be supported by a mix of broadcast, on-demand video and digital channels, alongside social media activity.

Influencers and recipe-led content will continue to play a central role, showcasing simple, accessible dishes, including meals that can feed a family of four for 6.

Carrie McDermid, head of domestic marketing at AHDB, said the expanded schedule would help maintain momentum for the sector.

Expanding British pork. But not as you know it to include a summertime campaign is an exciting next step, she said.

It allows us to keep British pork relevant all year round and to connect with consumers around different food occasions.

McDermid said the campaign was designed to support demand for levy payers. By showing how you can feed a family for 6 with healthy British dishes, were continuing to build momentum and support demand for the sector, she said.

AHDB said the latest activity builds on strong engagement from earlier phases, alongside evidence that British pork consumption continues to rise.
With avian influenza cases already exceeding last seasons total, free-range egg producers are being urged to invest in stronger disease prevention measures as bird flu risk remains high across the UK.

More than 90 confirmed outbreaks of avian influenza (AI) have been reported since October, surpassing the 82 recorded during the entire 2024/25 season.

Gabriella Whorwood, head of contract production at egg producer Stonegate, said the scale of the outbreak highlights the need for robust biosecurity on farm.

This season is far from over and weve already exceeded the entire 2024/25 season when 82 cases were confirmed, she said.

The warning comes as strict avian influenza controls remain in place across Great Britain. All bird keepers are currently required to follow enhanced biosecurity measures under an avian influenza prevention zone.

In England, a national housing order remains in force, requiring poultry and captive birds to be housed to reduce contact with wild birds.

In Wales, mandatory housing also applies for flocks of 50 birds or more, as well as smaller flocks where eggs or poultry products are sold or supplied.

Scotland remains under a prevention zone requiring heightened biosecurity, but housing is not mandatory unless birds are within specific disease control zones.

Additional restrictions apply on premises located inside protection and surveillance zones, including controls on the movement of birds, eggs, litter and manure, unless licences are in place.

Despite the disease pressure, market conditions for free-range egg producers remain strong, with demand continuing to rise and farmgate prices holding firm.

This is happening at the same time a surge in demand for free-range eggs is delivering attractive returns for farmers, with the value of the market up by more than 50% in the past three years and the sector forecast to grow by more than 10% by 2030, Ms Whorwood said.

She said current returns should be used to strengthen long-term resilience on farm.

Although its not possible to completely eradicate the risk of AI to flocks, a focus on infrastructure maintenance and improvements will go a long way in reducing the risk of the disease, she said.

Industry advisers continue to highlight poor building maintenance as a common route for disease to enter poultry units.

Poor building maintenance is one of the most common causes for disease entering flocks, Ms Whorwood said.

She pointed to guttering, drainage and rodent control as priority areas for investment to reduce exposure to contaminated water and wildlife.

Water is a key source of contamination and AI can live in cold water for 100 days, or more, she said.

Ms Whorwood said this underlined the importance of keeping guttering systems in good working order, checking regularly for leaks, and ensuring water is directed away from poultry housing.

She added that attention should also be paid to hard standings, drainage, rodent proofing around muck and egg belts, and wheel washing facilities that clean the full circumference of vehicle tyres entering and leaving farms.

Reviewing gates and fencing can also help strengthen structural biosecurity and limit unnecessary access to poultry units.

Farmers should also review any gates and fencing they have in place around the farm to boost structural biosecurity and minimise the number of people on site, she said.

Ms Whorwood said Stonegate was offering practical support to producers looking to strengthen on-farm biosecurity, alongside wider measures such as AI insurance.

With the current avian influenza season still unfolding and controls remaining in place, producers are being encouraged to view biosecurity investment as a long-term safeguard to protect flocks and business viability beyond the immediate disease threat.
Postgraduate agricultural students can now apply for bursary support covering up to 75% of course fees after NFU Mutual opened applications for its 2026 Centenary Award.

The national scheme, run by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, supports students studying a masters or PhD in agriculture at UK universities, with applications closing on 30 June.

Launched in 2010 to mark NFU Mutuals centenary, the award was created to leave a long-term legacy by supporting research, innovation and leadership within UK agriculture.

Since its launch, 57 postgraduate students have received financial support to help them progress their studies.

The 2026 award is open to applicants who have achieved, or are expected to achieve, a 2:1 or above in agriculture or a related subject, and who have secured, or are in the process of securing, a place on a UK-based postgraduate agriculture course for the 2026/27 academic year.

Applicants must also show that their studies align with at least one priority area.

These include improving farm productivity and profitability through science and innovation, supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of those working in agriculture, and tackling climate change while maintaining food security.

Projects focused on enhancing nature and biodiversity through farming and land management will also be considered.

The judging panel will be looking for candidates who combine strong academic performance with a clear commitment to UK agriculture and the potential to become future industry leaders.

Maeve Leith, who received a Centenary Award bursary in 2025, is using the support to underpin research focused on Dartmoor National Park, examining how land use decisions are shaped by farmers, conservationists and other stakeholders.

I grew up on Dartmoor and have a deep connection to the national park, she said.

My study will explore how different stakeholders define and interpret the concept of landscape health in a protected upland landscape, and I am passionate about engaging with, listening to, and supporting the farmers who look after the land.

She added: I am very grateful for the opportunity to enhance my knowledge and advance my career position with the support of this prestigious award.

Jim McLaren, chairman of NFU Mutual, said the award reflected a long-term commitment to rural communities and the future of farming.

NFU Mutual is proud to be committed to creating a positive and sustainable difference for those living and working in rural communities, he said.

Our Centenary Award champions research and innovation for UK agriculture, whilst also supporting outstanding individuals who have a drive to make a difference to the industry.

Eligible students are encouraged to apply ahead of the 30 June deadline, with further details and application information available via the NFU Mutual website.
Young farmers in Northern Ireland are facing a year with no dedicated support in 2026, according to the Ulster Farmers Union, which has accused DAERA of a serious failure in policy planning.

The UFU said the combination of expiring schemes and delays to replacement funding has created a damaging gap at a time when generational renewal is being actively promoted by government.

DAERAs Farming for the Generations pilot scheme is due to run only until March 2026, while both the Young Farmers Payment and the Regional Reserve ended after the 2025 scheme year.

The union said this leaves young farmers with no meaningful support for the remainder of 2026, with a full Farming for the Generations scheme not expected to be operational until 2027.

UFU president William Irvine said the situation was unacceptable. It is simply unacceptable that we are starting 2026 with nothing in place for young farmers, he said.

At a time when everyone is talking about generational renewal, we warned DAERA this would happen. We raised serious concerns about the pilot. Unfortunately, those warnings have not been acted upon.

The UFU is calling on DAERA to extend the Young Farmers Payment and the Regional Reserve into the 2026 scheme year as an interim solution.

Mr Irvine said this would provide stability while a longer-term scheme is finalised.

The solution is straightforward, he said. Carry over the Young Farmers Payment and the Regional Reserve into 2026. That would provide continuity, certainty and a clear signal that government is serious about supporting young people into farming.

The union also highlighted a growing backlog of young farmer and Regional Reserve appeals, which it said is leaving businesses waiting months for decisions and payments.

We also have young farmers and family businesses who are stuck waiting on appeals with no clarity, Mr Irvine said.

That is not just stressful it affects cashflow, business planning and confidence in the entire support system.

The UFU said it remains engaged in discussions with DAERA on the future Farming for the Generations scheme and supports the overall aim of encouraging generational renewal.

DAERA has previously said work is ongoing to develop a longer-term scheme following the pilot phase.

However, the UFU warned that the emerging policy direction risks placing too much emphasis on professional services and legal restructuring, rather than direct financial support that reflects how family farms operate.

Succession is a process, not a single legal event, Mr Irvine said.

Many farms operate with multiple generations actively working together, even if ownership hasnt formally transferred for very valid tax, pension or certainty reasons.

He said future support must recognise real-world farming structures, rather than forcing families into arrangements simply to meet scheme criteria.

Farm profitability and business confidence are the foundations of generational renewal, Mr Irvine said.

Without practical, timely and well-designed support, no amount of strategy documents or pilot schemes will persuade young people that farming has a future in Northern Ireland.
The upcoming cinematic adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana has been generating constant buzz for its star cast. Arun Govil, who became a household name for his iconic portrayal of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagars 1987 television series, has come forward to praise Ranbir Kapoor for the lead role in Nitesh Tiwaris ambitious project.

Speaking at a recent event organized by the FWICE and Cine Artiste Welfare Trust (CAWT), Arun Govil expressed his confidence in the film and its casting. The veteran actor, who is also part of this project in the role of King Dasharatha, praised the efforts of the director and the cast.





On Ranbir Kapoors performance, Govil was all praise, mentioning that he possesses the qualities necessary for such a spiritual role. He said, The main actor Ranbir Kapoor is looking very good as Lord Ram. He is a good actor and a good human being. He further explained that playing a divine figure requires more than just acting skills. He added, To play a God, you've to have a good, pure soul, and you have to be a good human being also.

Having set the gold standard for the character decades ago, Arun Govil acknowledged that comparisons are inevitable. However, he shared that the visual representation of a deity is crucial for the audiences connection. He explained, I believe that in order to play the role of God, you should look like that. The look is very important. When people see you, they should see God in you, and think, 'God can be like that'.

While discussing the new adaptation, Arun Govil made it clear that Nitesh Tiwaris Ramayana should not be compared to the 2022 film Adipurush, which starred Prabhas and faced heavy criticism. He dismissed any parallels between the two, simply stating, There is a lot of difference between Ramayana and Adipurush.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, this two-part project features a star-studded cast including Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The first part is scheduled for an IMAX release during Diwali 2026, followed by the second part in Diwali 2027.

Arun Govil, who has already completed his portions for the film, described his time on set as a positive experience, saying that the entire team has put in a great deal of hard work to bring this 5,000-year-old epic to life.



Also Read: Arun Govil breaks silence on Ranbir Kapoors Ramayana, says No One Is Suitable


Trevor Noah marked his sixth and final turn as Grammy host this year, and he made sure to exit in style. The comedian kept the atmosphere lively, winning over the crowd with his signature sharp one-liners and light-hearted moments. But one of the highlights from his monologue remained a hilarious jab at Nicki Minaj.

Calling out the rappers absence, Noah quipped, Nicki Minaj is not here, before adding, She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues. Impersonating Trump, he continued, "Who has the biggest ass? Actually Nicki, I have the biggest ass. I know they say its you, but its me.





View this post on Instagram A post shared by Filmfare (@filmfare)

The remark referenced Minajs recent association with Trump, including her appearance alongside him at a Treasury Department summit where he publicly praised her. The two were also photographed holding hands, sparking widespread conversation, jokes and memes.

Noah also weighed in on Kendrick Lamars feud with Drake. Rappers are doing full-on detective work, he said, referencing Lamars diss track Not Like Us. He went on to reflect on hip hops cultural evolution and added, "Hip hop itself has evolved. Its gone from being a side thing to being the culture. Business, fashion, everything is hip hop these days. It was so much simpler when all you had to worry about was being shot, but now they hurt your feelings.

I was gonna make a joke but a i realized what you do to light skin dudes from other countries



- Trevor Noah To Kendrick Lamar #Grammys



pic.twitter.com/A7s0ExClEG  FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) February 2, 2026

Noah also congratulated Justin Bieber on becoming a new dad.

Meanwhile, the night witnessed history being made. Steven Spielberg achieved EGOT status, winning Best Music Film for Music for John Williams, which he produced. Meanwhile, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo took home the award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their rendition of the Wicked duet Defying Gravity.

KPop Demon Hunters also made history by winning their first Grammy for the song Golden. The track won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media category, also marking K-pop's first-ever Grammy win.



Also Read: Steven Spielberg Achieves EGOT Status After Historic Grammy Win
February has long been Hollywoods favourite month for romance, think sweeping love stories, dramatic reunions, and couples clutching popcorn under soft pink lighting. But February 2026 refuses to stick to the script. This year, theres something for everyone.





From Emerald Fennells darkly twisted literary adaptation to the return of one of cinemas most iconic slasher franchises, Hollywoods February releases feel bold, unsettling, and refreshingly unpredictable. Whether youre looking for gothic yearning, prestige drama, family-friendly animation, or a bloody good scare, heres whats hitting theatres this month.

Wuthering Heights

Release Date: 13 February 2026

Emerald Fennell was never going to deliver a polite, candlelit version of Wuthering Heights. Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, this adaptation leans fully into obsession, cruelty, and desire that borders on horror. Windswept moors, simmering resentment, and feral longing dominate the screen as love becomes something destructive rather than comforting. Dark, atmospheric, and unapologetically intense, this is a Valentines release for those who like their romance sharp-edged and emotionally bruising.

Crime 101

Release Date: 13 February 2026

Based on Don Winslows novella, Crime 101 brings together a heavyweight cast for a slick cat-and-mouse thriller. Chris Hemsworth stars as a master thief who cant resist one last job, while Mark Ruffalo plays the detective determined to bring him down. With Barry Keoghan, Halle Berry, and Jennifer Jason Leigh rounding out the ensemble, the film thrives on tension, moral ambiguity, and the irresistible pull of crime stories done right.

GOAT

Release Date: 13 February 2026





For those seeking lighter fare, GOAT offers animated comfort viewing with heart. Set in a fully animal-run world, the film follows a small goat with oversized dreams of succeeding in a high-stakes sport called roarball. Voiced by Caleb McLaughlin, the film is warm, funny, and knowingly predictable in the best wayperfect for families or anyone craving an easy, feel-good watch amid Februarys heavier releases.

Hamnet

Release Date: 20 February 2026

Chloe Zhaos Hamnet arrives with awards buzz firmly behind it. Adapted from Maggie OFarrells acclaimed novel, the film explores the devastating grief of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes after the death of their young son. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal deliver deeply restrained, emotionally raw performances, with Zhaos signature naturalism lending the film an intimate, haunting quality. This is prestige cinema at its most devastatingand most beautiful.

Scream 7

Release Date: 27 February 2026





Ghostface returns once again, with franchise creator Kevin Williamson stepping into the directors chair. Scream 7 shifts focus to Sidney Prescotts daughter, forcing Sidney to confront her past horrors to protect her family. Smart, self-aware, and gleefully brutal, the film promises to honour the franchises legacy while reminding audiences why Scream remains horrors most enduring meta slasher.





Also Read: Upcoming Hollywood movies releasing in February: Madame Web, Argylle and more
With the Lunar New Year approaching, February 2026 is shaping up to be a strong month for K-dramas, offering an impressive mix of genres to suit every kind of viewer. Whether youre in the mood for romance, legal intrigue, family drama, or psychological thrillers, South Koreas drama industry is rolling out a lineup thats both varied and compelling.

From Netflixs much-anticipated mystery The Art of Sarah to Disney+s chilling courtroom thriller Bloody Flower, here are seven new K-dramas worth watching this month.

In This Article

Honour

Streaming from February 2

Lee Na-young makes a rare return to television in Honour, a legal thriller centred on three former university friends who now work as lawyers specialising in cases involving female victims. Alongside Jung Eun-chae and Lee Chung-ah, she portrays women fighting systemic injusticeuntil a long-buried secret from their past threatens to unravel everything theyve built. Dark, tense, and emotionally charged, the series explores how far loyalty can stretch under pressure.

Bloody Flower

Streaming from February 4

Disney+ opens 2026 with a grim and morally complex thriller. Bloody Flower revolves around the trial of a brilliant young doctor accused of killing 17 peoplecrimes he claims were committed in the name of medical advancement. Ryeoun delivers a chilling performance as the accused, while Sung Dong-il plays the desperate defence lawyer fighting for his daughters life. Keum Sae-rok stars as the prosecutor determined to secure a death sentence at any cost.

Our Universe

Streaming from February 4

This family comedy takes an emotional turn as two bickering in-laws are forced together by tragedy. After losing their siblings in an accident, a struggling photographer and a job-seeker must raise a toddler left behind. As they navigate grief, responsibility, and reluctant cohabitation, Our Universe balances warmth, humour, and heartfelt growth.

The Art of Sarah

Streaming from February 13

One of Februarys most talked-about releases, The Art of Sarah stars Shin Hye-sun as a powerful luxury brand executive whose carefully constructed identity begins to collapse when a body believed to be hers is discovered. Lee Joon-hyuk plays the detective slowly uncovering her many secrets. Directed by Kim Jin-min (My Name), this stylish mystery promises psychological depth and plenty of twists.

Love Phobia

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kore dizileri  (@koreatopya)

Streaming from February 19

Romance takes centre stage in Love Phobia, which pairs Yeonwoo with Kim Hyun-jin in a story about emotional vulnerability. The series follows a sensitive novelist and a guarded tech CEO who runs an AI dating app. As their lives intertwine, both are forced to confront what love really means beyond algorithms and ideals.

In Your Radiant Season

Streaming from February 20

Lee Sung-kyung stars as a celebrated fashion designer hiding deep emotional scars. Her life shifts when she meets a warm, quietly wounded character designer played by Chae Jong-hyeop. This romantic melodrama focuses on healing, connection, and finding light after loss.

The Practical Guide to Love

Streaming from February 28

Closing out the month is a classic rom-com setup with a modern twist. Han Ji-min plays a successful hotel manager whose love life lags behind her career. Torn between two very different men, she must decide what kind of love truly fits her future.





Also Read: 19 Most Addictive Korean Dramas: Crash Landing On You, Dynamite Kiss, Descendants Of The Sun & More
After welcoming twins, a boy and a girl, on Monday, Ram Charans wife Upasana Konidela shared a gratitude note that also featured unseen photos from her maternity photo shoot. Taking to their social media handle in a joint statement, Charan and Upasana expressed their joy, sharing that they have been blessed with a baby boy and a girl.



Having two daughters and a son fills us with immense gratitude. The women in our life have been our greatest strength. Im very thankful to all our fans, family and well-wishers who have stood by us and supported us through every moment, read the post. Upasana too shared pictures from her maternity photo shoot, which went viral on social media.



Jr NTR, Sara Arjun, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Lakshmi Manchu, Sai Durgha Tej, Varun Tej, Lavany Tripathi and others sent in their congratulatory messages to the couple on welcoming twins. It was Charans father, Chiranjeevi, who first shared the news on his social media handle on Saturday night. Later, expressing joy at a press conference on Sunday morning, the megastar shared that both the mother and the babies are doing well.
Das Borsenjahr 2026 ist fur viele Anleger ernuchternd gestartet. Tech-Werte straucheln, der Nasdaq 100 tritt auf der Stelle und ausgerechnet alte Favoriten wie Microsoft und SAP rutschen zweistellig ab. KI ist plotzlich kein Ruckenwind mehr, sondern ein Belastungsfaktor, weil Investoren beginnen, die finanzielle Nachhaltigkeit zu hinterfragen.



Gleichzeitig vollzieht sich an der Wall Street ein lautloser Favoritenwechsel. Wahrend viele auf Wachstum setzen, feiern Value-Titel mit verlasslichen Cashflows ihr Comeback: Telekommunikation, Industrie, Energie, Pharma  die Cashmaschinen der Realwirtschaft verdrangen hoch bewertete Hoffnungstrager.



In unserem aktuellen Spezialreport stellen wir funf Aktien vor, die genau in dieses neue Marktbild passen: solide, gunstig bewertet und mit attraktiver Dividende. Werte, die nicht nur laufende Ertrage liefern, sondern auch bei Marktkorrekturen Sicherheit bieten.



Jetzt den kostenlosen Report sichern  bevor der Value-Zug 2026 endgultig abfahrt!



Dieses exklusive PDF ist nur fur kurze Zeit gratis verfugbar.
SHANGHAI, Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Headquartered in Shanghai, Arctic Vision (Cayman) Limited ("Arctic Vision"), a global ophthalmic company, announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the innovative ophthalmic device business of MDCO Technology, a Hangzhou-based ophthalmic medical-device company.

The proposed transaction will bring MDCO's premium intraocular lens (IOL), implantable contact lens (Phakic Lens), and refractive-device platforms into Arctic Vision's global ophthalmic innovation framework. It strengthens Arctic Vision's global ophthalmic business by integrating advanced device engineering and intelligent manufacturing with its existing innovation capabilities.

Accelerating Ophthalmic Innovation Globally across Drug & Device

The proposed transaction aligns with the long-term strategy of Arctic Vision, expanding the company's pipeline with innovative therapeutics with high unmet need.

The transaction is expected to create an industry-leading pipeline, building on Arctic Vision's deep R&D capabilities in retinal, ocular surface, and neuro-ophthalmic areas, together with MDCO's design and manufacturing expertise in IOL and Phakic Lens.

Under the terms of the transactions, MDCO will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Arctic Vision. The group will maintain key operations in Shanghai (biopharmaceutical R&D and regulatory affairs, operations), Hangzhou (implanted device R&D, manufacturing and commercial management), and California (design and global collaboration).

Leadership Perspectives

"This transaction represents a pivotal step for Arctic Vision's long-term growth strategy," said Dr. Eddy Wu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Arctic Vision. "Through the integration of MDCO's ophthalmic device platforms with Arctic Vision's pharmaceutical innovation capabilities, we are establishing a truly comprehensive ophthalmic innovation ecosystem-one that integrates scientific excellence with advanced manufacturing and commercial scale. Looking ahead, we are building a company structurally prepared for broader global investment participation and future capital-market opportunities, while expanding our ability to reach more patients and deliver greater impact across the ophthalmology community worldwide."

"Becoming part of Arctic Vision's integrated platform opens a new chapter for MDCO," said Mr. Liang Liu, Chairman of MDCO Technology. "MDCO's hallmark intraocular and refractive products will benefit from Arctic Vision's strong R&D and regulatory foundation, enabling accelerated development and broader market access worldwide."

About Arctic Vision

Arctic Vision is a global ophthalmic innovation company headquartered in Shanghai, China, committed to developing and commercializing next-generation ophthalmic therapies in retinal disease, dry eye, and ocular neuroprotection. With global operations spanning Hong Kong and the U.S., Arctic Vision leverages an in-house platform and strategic partnerships to drive innovation from pre-clinical discovery through commercialization.

About MDCO Technology

MDCO Technology Co., Ltd. is an ophthalmic medical-device innovator specializing in intraocular and refractive lens systems, with R&D and manufacturing bases in Hangzhou, China and California, U.S. The Hangzhou site serves as the center for device R&D, manufacturing, operations, and commercial management in China. With nearly two decades of materials-science and precision-molding expertise, MDCO focuses on premium cataract and myopia-correction solutions and is recognized for intelligent manufacturing and surgical-platform innovation.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the completion and expected benefits of the proposed merger, future growth strategy, regulatory approvals, product development plans, revenue potential, product pipeline progress, market opportunities, and potential access to capital markets. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the ability to satisfy closing conditions, changes in regulatory or market conditions, the ability to integrate operations and realize anticipated synergies, and other factors described in Arctic Vision's and MDCO Technology's respective public disclosures. Actual results may differ materially, and neither company undertakes any obligation to update these statements except as required by law.

Media Contacts

Arctic Vision - Corporate Communications

communications@arcticvision.com



MDCO Technology - Investor Relations

ir@mdcotech.com
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2026) - Peptide Hubs, a premier American-based supplier of high-purity research compounds, is thrilled to announce the official launch of six groundbreaking additions to its product catalog. This strategic expansion features some of the most sought-after compounds in modern biochemistry: Copper Peptide GHK-Cu, GHRP-6 Peptide, Adipotide Peptide, Selank, IGF-1 LR3, and Chonluten.

This launch represents a pivotal moment for the company as it scales its operations to meet the increasing demands of the international scientific community. By introducing these high-caliber research tools, Peptide Hubs reinforces its position as a cornerstone for laboratories and academic institutions dedicated to exploring the frontiers of metabolic health, neurobiology, and regenerative medicine.

A Commitment to Scientific Advancement

The addition of these six products is not merely a catalog expansion; it is a direct response to the evolving needs of modern researchers who require absolute precision and documented purity. Peptide Hubs has built its reputation on the "Quality, Service, Value" pillars, ensuring that every molecule shipped from their facility meets or exceeds the most rigorous industry standards.

"At Peptide Hubs, we understand that the integrity of a researcher's data is only as strong as the materials they use," says Mark Sterling, Director of Product Development at Peptide Hubs. "The launch of these six peptides ranging from the highly specialized Chonluten to the versatile GHK-Cu underscores our dedication to providing the tools that make breakthrough discoveries possible. We are proud to offer the global research community compounds that are synthesized with over 99% purity, backed by the transparency that only a USA-based, quality-first company can provide."

Deep Dive: The New Research Frontier

Each of the six newly released products has been selected for its unique biochemical profile and its potential to drive innovation in specific fields of study.

1. Copper Peptide GHK-Cu: The Gold Standard of Regeneration

Copper Peptide GHK-Cu has long been a focal point for researchers interested in tissue remodeling and skin biology. Naturally found in human plasma, GHK-Cu is a tripeptide with a high affinity for copper. In a research setting, it is extensively studied for its ability to promote collagen synthesis, improve wound healing, and act as a potent anti-inflammatory agent. By providing a high-purity version of this peptide, Peptide Hubs enables dermatological and regenerative researchers to conduct studies with higher accuracy and more predictable outcomes.

2. GHRP-6 Peptide: Unlocking Growth Hormone Mechanisms

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-6 (GHRP-6) is a cornerstone in the study of the endocrine system. As a potent stimulator of growth hormone (GH) secretion, it is widely used to explore the ghrelin receptor pathway. Researchers utilize GHRP-6 to investigate its effects on energy metabolism, muscle growth, and appetite regulation. Its role in stimulating the pituitary gland makes it an indispensable tool for those studying hormonal deficiencies and metabolic disorders.

3. Adipotide Peptide: A New Direction in Metabolic Research

Adipotide is perhaps one of the most intriguing additions to the Peptide Hubs lineup. This experimental peptidomimetic is designed to target the vasculature of white adipose tissue. In research environments, it is studied for its ability to induce apoptosis in the blood vessels supplying fat cells, leading to a reduction in fat mass. This makes it a critical component for scientists investigating obesity, metabolic syndrome, and targeted cell death.

4. Selank 10mg: Precision in Neurobiology

Addressing the growing field of neuropsychology, Selank 10mg is a synthetic analog of the naturally occurring tetrapeptide Tuftsin. It is widely recognized for its potential anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties without the sedative effects associated with traditional compounds. Researchers use Selank to study the modulation of neurotransmitters, immune system signaling, and cognitive function enhancement. The 10mg offering provides a robust concentration for complex longitudinal studies.

5. IGF-1 LR3: Enhanced Longevity in Cellular Studies

Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Long R3 (IGF-1 LR3) is a modified version of the standard IGF-1. The "Long R3" modification prevents the peptide from being bound by proteins in the body, significantly extending its half-life and potency. For researchers, this means a more effective tool for studying muscle hypertrophy, cell proliferation, and the molecular pathways of aging. Its stability makes it one of the most efficient growth factors available for in-vitro and in-vivo research.

6. Chonluten 20mg: Innovations in Respiratory Bioregulation

Completing the new suite is Chonluten, a specialized bioregulator peptide. Part of a class of short-chain peptides that interact with DNA to regulate protein synthesis, Chonluten is specifically focused on the respiratory system. Researchers utilize Chonluten 20mg to study the restoration of lung tissue and the enhancement of respiratory function at a cellular level. Its inclusion in the Peptide Hubs catalog represents the company's commitment to the emerging and vital field of peptide bioregulation.

The Peptide Hubs Difference: Quality You Can Trust

In an industry often clouded by opaque sourcing and inconsistent quality, Peptide Hubs stands as a beacon of transparency. Every product in the new lineup undergoes a rigorous journey before it reaches a researcher's lab:

USA Manufacturing: By maintaining domestic manufacturing partnerships, Peptide Hubs ensures that all products are subject to stringent American quality control regulations.

By maintaining domestic manufacturing partnerships, Peptide Hubs ensures that all products are subject to stringent American quality control regulations. Certified Facilities: The peptides are produced in collaboration with WHO/GMP and ISO 9001:2015 certified facilities, guaranteeing that the manufacturing process is world-class.

The peptides are produced in collaboration with WHO/GMP and ISO 9001:2015 certified facilities, guaranteeing that the manufacturing process is world-class. Third-Party Verification: Transparency is non-negotiable. Every batch is tested by independent laboratories via HPLC and MS analysis to verify both identity and purity. Certificates of Analysis (COAs) are readily available to researchers, ensuring that what is on the label is exactly what is in the vial.

Empowering the Global Scientific Community

The launch of these six products is accompanied by an enhanced logistics network designed to minimize downtime for laboratories. Peptide Hubs understands that scientific inquiry doesn't wait. With expedited shipping options including 4-5 day delivery within the USA and a dedicated international support team, the company ensures that researchers across the globe can access these vital compounds quickly and safely.

Furthermore, Peptide Hubs provides an intuitive, secure online platform that prioritizes customer privacy and data security. The "About Us" philosophy of the company is built on being more than just a vendor; they aim to be a long-term partner in scientific discovery.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Peptide Hubs

The release of Copper Peptide GHK-Cu, GHRP-6, Adipotide, Selank, IGF-1 LR3, and Chonluten is just the first phase of a broader 2026 expansion plan. As biotechnology continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, Peptide Hubs is committed to staying ahead of the curve, constantly scouting for new compounds and refining their synthesis processes.

"We aren't just looking at the products of today; we are looking at the cures and discoveries of tomorrow," concluded Mark Sterling. "Every time we add a product like Chonluten or Adipotide to our store, we are opening a new door for a scientist somewhere in the world. That is what drives us."

About Peptide Hubs

Peptide Hubs is a premier provider of high-purity Research Peptide and biochemicals based in the United States. Dedicated to serving the global scientific community, the company offers an extensive range of compounds manufactured to the highest standards of quality and purity. Peptide Hubs is committed to transparency, providing third-party testing and exceptional customer service to universities, private laboratories, and independent researchers.

Disclaimer: All products sold by Peptide Hubs are intended for laboratory research purposes only and are not for human or animal consumption.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282301

Source: AMRYTT MEDIA
HUARAZ, Peru, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 20, a launch event for the newly completed broadband network was held in Peru's Ancash region, marking the project's completion and entry into operation. The national broadband project, undertaken by Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC), is set to significantly enhance local digital infrastructure, bridge connectivity gaps, and support economic and social development.

Senior government officials, including Raul Garcia, Vice Minister of Transport and Communications of Peru, and Angelly Epifania, Vice Governor of the Ancash region, attended the ceremony alongside representatives from YOFC's Peru operations, local community members, and the project team. Together, they celebrated the completion of a major national connectivity initiative that is expected to deliver tangible benefits to local communities.

Six years ago, Raul Garcia, then representing the Peruvian government, signed a project agreement with YOFC at the Government Palace. After six years of implementation, YOFC has delivered a large-scale national broadband network, drawing on its technical expertise and proven delivery capabilities. The project underscores YOFC's commitment to fulfilling contractual obligations and achieving sustainable outcomes.

As a key component of Peru's digital infrastructure upgrade, the network spans four regions, connecting over 1,600 towns and more than one million people while reducing regional disparities in broadband access. To date, more than 9,000 kilometers of optical cable have been deployed and over 1,500 sites constructed, providing internet access to more than 4,000 public institutions-including schools, hospitals, police stations, and central plazas-and making high-quality digital services readily available to local communities.

The project also created substantial employment opportunities during construction, generating more than 5,000 jobs. By fostering knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and collaboration with local partners, it has supported the growth of related local industries.

As a global provider of optical communications solutions, YOFC's successful delivery of this project demonstrates its ability to execute complex international infrastructure projects and provide end-to-end solutions.

Looking ahead, YOFC will continue to deepen its global partnerships, maintaining a strong focus on building digital infrastructure worldwide. Leveraging its technological and industrial expertise, the company aims to expand fibre connectivity across global markets, help more countries and regions overcome digital infrastructure constraints, and contribute to a more inclusive, sustainable digital ecosystem while advancing global connectivity.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/yofc-completes-peru-national-broadband-project-expanding-fibre-connectivity-for-local-communities-302675885.html
Delivery of the Black Hornet UAV systems to Swiss Armed Forces will include drones with software and integration kit specially designed to work with Piranha 8x8 vehicle digital infrastructure

Work shows promise and market potential for UAS armored vehicle integrations to enhance tactical operations

Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), announced that it has received a $17.5 million contract from armasuisse, the Swiss Federal Office of Defence Procurement, to deliver a large number of Black Hornet 4 Personal Reconnaissance Systems, one of the world's most advanced and widely deployed nano-drones. Black Hornet 4 was selected as an airborne dismountable Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability sensor for armasuisse's Piranha 8x8 Armored engineering vehicle program.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260201061637/en/

Teledyne FLIR Defense has won a $17.5 million contract from armasuisse, the Swiss Federal Office of Defence Procurement, to deliver a large number of Black Hornet 4 Personal Reconnaissance Systems, one of the world's most advanced and widely deployed nano-drones. Black Hornet 4 was selected as an airborne capability sensor for armasuisse's Piranha 8x8 Armored engineering vehicle program. Black Hornet's existing software is being modified to integrate with the Piranha's digital infrastructure. Under the setup, the drone's live video stream will be shared on vehicle displays and provide target data, coordinates, and other situational awareness to vehicle commanders and crew.

As part of the effort, Black Hornet's existing software has been modified to be integrated with the Piranha's digital infrastructure. Under the setup, the drone's live video stream will be shared on vehicle displays and provide target data, coordinates, and other situational awareness to vehicle commanders and crew. The Black Hornet 4 will be integrated through harmonized military standards with the vehicles' Integrated Combat Solution (ICS), provided by Kongsberg Defence Aerospace.

Drone operators will be able to connect the Black Hornet control tablet to the vehicle ICS for either dismounted or mobile operations. After launching the UAV by hand out of the vehicle, operators can fly the Black Hornet on intelligence gathering missions while all data is simultaneously shared with the crew. Among its features, the Black Hornet can both receive waypoints from the ICS for further reconnaissance as well as generate target points that can be fed to the vehicle's Remote Weapon Station. The solution is fully detachable during operations, so operators can dismount from the vehicle and reattach while the drone is flying.

"This first fielded-vehicle integration for the Black Hornet 4 highlights its unique tactical capabilities as a force multiplier," said Dr. JihFen Lei, president of Teledyne FLIR Defense and senior vice president of Teledyne Technologies. "By providing the same immediate situational data to all vehicle systems and crew, we can help reduce cognitive burden and boost warfighting effectiveness.

"The armasuisse program shows the market potential for UAS integration on armored vehicles globally and the promise of 'drone-in-a-box' systems FLIR Defense has developed specifically for vehicles, including our Black Recon and SkyCarrier solutions," Lei added.

Black Hornet 4 represents the next generation of lightweight nano-drones, able to provide enhanced day/night covert situational awareness to small fighting units. Its 12-megapixel daytime camera and high-resolution thermal imager deliver crisp video and still images to the operator. At just 70 grams Black Hornet 4 can survive GPS-denied and contested environments, fly for more than 30 minutes, over three kilometers, and function in 25-knot winds and rain. Flight performance is augmented by advanced obstacle avoidance capabilities and other features.

The vehicle-integrated Black Hornet 4's were delivered in 2025. The remaining systems will be delivered during 2026.

Teledyne FLIR has delivered more than 35,000 Black Hornet drones to military and security forces in over 45 countries. The award-winning Black Hornet is designed and built by Teledyne FLIR Defense in Norway.

About Teledyne FLIR Defense

Teledyne FLIR Defense has been providing advanced, mission-critical technology and systems for more than 45 years. Our products are on the frontlines of the world's most pressing military, security and public safety challenges. As a global leader in thermal imaging, we design and build sophisticated surveillance sensors for air, land and maritime use. We develop the most rugged, trusted unmanned air and ground platforms, as well as intelligent sensing devices used to detect chemicals, biological agents, radiation and explosives. At Teledyne FLIR Defense we bring together this expertise to deliver solutions that enable critical decisions and keep our world safe from any threat, anywhere. To learn more, visit us online or follow @flir and @flir_defense.

About Teledyne Technologies

Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated digital imaging products and software, instrumentation, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne's operations are primarily located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Western and Northern Europe. For more information, visit Teledyne's website at www.teledyne.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260201061637/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Joe Ailinger, Jr.

Teledyne FLIR Defense

Email: joe.ailinger@teledyne.com
- Secured 9.17 billion USD in orders, exceeding the core components target (7.45 billion USD) by 23% despite EV chasm

- Diverse advanced portfolio, including Battery Systems Assembly (BSA) and next-gen electronic components, drove results

- Customer base expanded from major automakers in North America and Europe to emerging markets such as China and India

- Overseas orders accelerating on the back of leading technologies, with a target of 11.84 billion USD in core components (8.97 billion USD) and modules this year

SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Mobis announced that it secured 9.17 billion USD in orders from global automakers last year, excluding Hyundai Motor and Kia. This figure exceeds its original target of 7.45 billion USD by 23%.

These results were driven by a combination of large-scale new orders for electrification components, expanded supply of high value-added electronic components, and proactive market penetration in emerging economies such as China and India, the company said on 2.

The achievement is particularly noteworthy given that many global automakers have been revising their new vehicle launch plans amid the ongoing EV chasm. The results reflect Hyundai Mobis's sustained investment in R&D over recent years to strengthen its leadership in advanced technologies, which is now translating into tangible overseas orders from global customers.

For this year, Hyundai Mobis has set an aggressive global order target of approximately 11.84 billion USD, representing an increase of about 30% from last year. The target reflects continued core-components orders at a similar level to last year, alongside consideration of large-scale module orders, supported by region-specific sales strategies and close collaboration with key customers.

Large Electrification Components and Module Orders from North America and Europe Drive Strong Performance

Last year, Hyundai Mobis secured orders from two major global customers in North America and Europe to supply key electrification components such as Battery Systems Assembly (BSA) and chassis modules. In line with contractual practices, confidentiality requirements, and potential changes prior to mass production, the company did not disclose customer names or detailed contract values. However, these orders are understood to account for a significant portion of last year's total order volume.

Hyundai Mobis expects long-term partnership benefits from its electrification and module orders. Large-scale components such as BSAs and chassis modules require joint investments in production facilities and logistics systems, often resulting in supply contracts lasting 10 to 20 years or more. In fact, Hyundai Mobis has maintained a close partnership with Chrysler (now Stellantis) for over 20 years since it began supplying chassis modules to the company in 2005.

Broad Electronic Components Portfolio Converts into Orders

Hyundai Mobis also delivered solid order results in electronic components, a high value-added business segment. It secured orders for advanced Human-Machine Interface (HMI) products from another major North American customer and agreed to expand the supply of sound systems to a sedan-focused brand.

*HMI: display systems that provide various driving information through communication between humans and machines (vehicles).

The next-generation HMI secured through this order is a flagship electronic component that Hyundai Mobis is cultivating as a global market leader, distinguished by its advanced technologies that set it apart from competitors. The company is currently engaged in active discussions with other global customers to further expand orders.

Sound systems are another product category where Hyundai Mobis has been increasing its presence among premium brands. While overseas automakers have traditionally favored domestically developed sound systems, Hyundai Mobis successfully overcame this preference through technological competitiveness.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Mobis has diversified its customer base for core components such as braking, steering, and safety systems in emerging markets including China and India. In India, the company's tailored component supply strategy for local brands proved effective as their market share continued to rise. In China as well, Hyundai Mobis secured new orders from local EV brands by leveraging its differentiated sourcing competitiveness.

Jae-mok Cho, Head of Global Sales at Hyundai Mobis, said, "While uncertainty in the external business environment is expected to persist this year, we plan to step up our order-acquisition efforts and surpass last year's performance by leveraging our core competitiveness in electrification and electronic components."

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Request for FDA Rolling Review submitted to FDA on January 30, 2026

Non-Clinical and CMC BLA modules submitted to FDA

At FDA's request, Type D Meeting expected in March 2026 to review Comparative Oncology biomarker data from patients treated in OST-HER2 Phase 2b human clinical trial and OST-HER2 trial in spontaneous osteosarcoma in canines

Final BLA clinical module expected to be submitted to FDA by end of March 2026 after Type D Meeting

Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation requests update submitted to FDA with recent biomarker data

Company remains on track to be eligible to receive Priority Review Voucher under Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) with approval anticipated by September 30, 2026

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - OS Therapies Inc. (NYSE American: OSTX) ("OS Therapies" or "the Company"), the world leader in listeria-based cancer immunotherapies, today announced that it has formally initiated a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for OST-HER2 in the prevention or delay of recurrent, fully resected, pulmonary metastatic osteosarcoma ("Human Metastatic Osteosarcoma"). The Company has submitted the Non-Clinical and the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) modules of the BLA to FDA, along with a request for Rolling Review. At FDA's invitation following a December 2025 Type C Meeting, the Company has requested a Type D Meeting to review new Comparative Oncology OST-HER2 biomarker data generated from the Company's Phase 2b human clinical trial in Human Metastatic Osteosarcoma and a similar trial of OST-HER2 in spontaneous osteosarcoma in canines (the "OST-HER2 Comparative Oncology Data"). The Company expects to submit the clinical BLA module that will rely upon the OST-HER2 Comparative Oncology Data by the end of March 2026, keeping it on schedule to be eligible to receive approval by September 30, 2026.

"We are delighted in the FDA's interest in reviewing OST-HER2 Comparative Oncology Data," said Paul Romness, MPH, Chairman & CEO of OS Therapies. "There is strong demand for compassionate use of OST-HER2 from the patient community, underscoring the urgent need for new therapies in Human Metastatic Osteosarcoma. We remain committed to bringing OST-HER2 to market as expeditiously as possible and are grateful for FDA's engagement as we finalize the biomarker data package that will be submitted as part of Type D meeting preparations to support our request for a BLA under the Accelerated Approval Program."

Concurrent with this announcement, the Company announced it has updated its Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation requests to FDA with recent biomarker data. RMAT designation typically shortens the timeframe granted for review of a BLA submission significantly from the standard timelines, expediting the time to patient access.

OST-HER2 has received FDA Orphan Disease Designation (ODD) and Fast Track Designation from FDA & EMA and has received Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) from FDA. Under the RPDD program, if the Company receives Accelerated Approval prior to September 30, 2026, it will become eligible to receive a Priority Review Voucher (PRV) that it intends to sell. The most recent PRV sale, valued at $200 million, occurred in January 2026.

About OS Therapies

OS Therapies is a clinical stage oncology company focused on the identification, development, and commercialization of treatments for Osteosarcoma (OS) and other solid tumors. The Company is the world leader in listeria-based cancer immunotherapies. OST-HER2, the Company's lead asset, is an immunotherapy leveraging the immune-stimulatory effects of Listeria bacteria to initiate a strong immune response targeting the HER2 protein. OST-HER2 has received Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Fast-Track and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency. The Company reported positive data in its Phase 2b clinical trial of OST-HER2 in recurrent, fully resected, lung metastatic osteosarcoma, demonstrating statistically significant benefit in the 12-month event free survival (EFS) primary endpoint of the study. The Company anticipates completing submission of a BLA to the U.S. FDA for OST-HER2 in osteosarcoma in March 2026 and, if approved, would become eligible to receive a Priority Review Voucher that it could then sell. OST-HER2 has completed a Phase 1 clinical study primarily in breast cancer patients, in addition to showing preclinical efficacy data in various models of breast cancer. OST-HER2 has been conditionally approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the treatment of canines with osteosarcoma.

In addition, OS Therapies is advancing its next-generation Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) and Drug Conjugates (DC), known as tunable ADC (tADC), which features tunable, tailored antibody-linker-payload candidates. This platform leverages the Company's proprietary silicone Si-Linker and Conditionally Active Payload (CAP) technology, enabling the delivery of multiple payloads per linker. For more information, please visit www.ostherapies.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements and terms such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "may," "will," "should" or other comparable terms involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of OS Therapies and members of its management, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. OS Therapies cautions readers that forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to the approval of OST-HER2 by the U.S. FDA and other risks and uncertainties described in "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other subsequent documents the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by the federal securities laws, OS Therapies specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

https://x.com/OSTherapies

https://www.instagram.com/ostherapies/

https://www.facebook.com/OSTherapies/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/os-therapies/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282344

Source: OS Therapies
AI-first start up and insights powerhouse combine to create the agency of the future

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ONE Strategy Studio, the world's leading AI-first strategic insights and innovation agency, built for speed to impact, has joined forces with Radius Insights. Together they're creating the agency of the future, helping brands move from brief to breakthrough in hours and get to bigger opportunities and better ideas in days, not weeks or months.

Today's leaders face a new reality. Markets move faster than traditional research cycles. Data and AI is everywhere, yet clarity is harder to find, and the cost of slow or uncertain decisions has never been higher.

"Insights, innovation, and marketing leaders don't need more tools," said Rob Wengel, Global CEO of Radius Insights. "They need strategic guidance on where to play, how to win, and what decisions will drive growth, faster than the market moves."

ONE Strategy Studio was built from the ground up to solve that problem, reimagining how insight and strategy work in the age of AI. At its core is a best-in-class AI Studio, a virtual team trained to act like an agency, working alongside human strategists with decades of client and agency experience. The virtual team automates the end-to-end project journey across sourcing, insight, strategy, narrative, and creative exploration, while expert strategists iterate to sharpen focus, prioritize what matters, and guide decisions that drive real business impact.

"It's not about speed to more output, it's about speed to impact," said Jonathan Williams, Founder and CEO of ONE Strategy Studio. "Our virtual team and our human strategists work together, iterating fast to get to the best answers and solutions for tough growth challenges. AI lets us explore more possibilities faster, but it's human judgment that turns that exploration into breakthroughs and opportunities in hours and days, not weeks or months."

It's not just groundbreaking, it's proven. In just two years, ONE has delivered more than 250 projects for over 60 global brands across innovation, positioning, foresight, segmentation, and campaign development, achieving stronger outcomes in a fraction of the time and cost.

Together with Radius, this powerful hybrid of AI-accelerated strategy and human-led insight, amplified by deep primary research, category expertise, and global scale, enables brands to replace slow, stop-start research with a more continuous way of working.

"We created the agency model that brands need now," said Camilla Pugh, Managing Director of ONE Strategy Studio. "AI handles the groundwork so humans can unleash what we call their inner warrior hero, focusing on what matters most - the judgment, thinking, and decisions on how to act in an always-moving market. This is the agency of the future."

Wengel added, "Radius has long partnered with the world's leading companies to solve complex challenges through bespoke insights solutions. ONE Strategy Studio builds on that heritage by reimagining how we uncover game-changing opportunities and guide strategic brand-building decision-making with clients in a much faster, truly iterative, and collaborative way."

About Radius Insights

Radius Insights, a portfolio company of Star Mountain Capital, is a global market research and insights consultancy that helps brands navigate complexity, identify growth opportunities, and drive measurable business results. By combining custom research, advanced AI and analytics, and strategic advisory, Radius delivers insights that move minds, markets, and faster, better decisions. Radius has expanded its capabilities through the acquisitions of Strive Insight, 7th Sense, and Illuminas North America, deepening expertise across technology, automotive, retail, CPG, financial services, healthcare, B2B, and consumer markets. Learn more at www.radiusinsights.com.

About ONE Strategy Studio

ONE Strategy Studio, the world leading AI-first strategic insight agency, has joined forces with Radius. Our focus is SPEED TO IMPACT; from brief to breakthrough in hours, solving tough growth challenges and getting to bigger opportunities and better ideas in days, not weeks or months. We combine a Best-in-class AI Studio, a virtual team trained to act like an agency, but better, automating the project journey end to end across sourcing, insight, strategy, narrative, and creativity. And a team of expert strategists each with 15+ years client and agency experience, collaborating with you to brief, iterate, create, focus, and land with impact. This is a new way of working, reimagined for the era of AI-powered Insight. https://www.onestrategystudio.com/

About Star Mountain Capital

With ~$4.5 billion in AUM (committed capital including debt facilities as of 11/30/2025), Star Mountain specializes in providing data-driven investment solutions across two core strategies:

Direct Investments: Providing debt and equity capital to established lower middle-market businesses.

Secondary Investments: Acquiring LP interests, direct assets, NAV loans and making primary LP commitments.

Star Mountain's investors include public and private pensions, insurance companies, commercial banks, endowments, foundations, family offices and high-net-worth individuals. Employee-owned and sharing profits with 100% of its U.S. full-time employees, the firm prioritizes alignment of interests to maximize value for stakeholders.

Since 2010, Star Mountain has completed over 100 direct platform investments and 50 secondary/fund investments in the North American lower middle-market. The firm has been recognized as one of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies and a Best Place to Work by Crain's New York Business and Pensions & Investments.

For more information, visit www.starmountaincapital.com

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AUSTIN, TX / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 / American Antimony Corporation, operating as Xtra Energy Corp. (OTCID:XTPT), today announced that initial head grade results have been received from ALS Metallurgy following the recent shipment of approximately 400 kilograms of high-grade antimony material sourced from the Company's Antimony King stockpiles at its American Antimony Project in Bernice Canyon, Nevada.

The high-grade material, derived from historic stockpiles generated during past production at the Antimony King Mine, was shipped to ALS for advanced flotation testing, high-grade concentrate development, and processing flowsheet optimization, as previously disclosed in the Company's January 7, 2026 press release.

Based on initial metallurgical testing, preliminary head grades indicate antimony concentrations in excess of 30% Sb. Final head assay results are pending the completion of analytical verification using higher-grade reference standards. The Company will report finalized head grade values upon receipt from ALS.

For context, industry peers and comparable antimony development projects typically report head grades in the range of approximately 5% to 10% Sb, with grades above this range considered highly uncommon in modern operations. The Company's initial head grades significantly exceed these benchmarks, underscoring the extraordinary tenor of the Antimony King material.

The submitted bulk sample consists of high-grade quartz-ankerite-stibnite vein-type mineralization, a style identified on multiple stockpiles at the Antimony King Mine. This mineralization is interpreted to have developed along a faulted dike-siltstone contact, where recurring structural movement generated the sheared vein textures characteristic of world-class antimony systems historically mined within the district. These geological characteristics support the Company's broader assessment of grade distribution across Bernice Canyon and the American Antimony Project and its potential to host antimony grades at the extreme upper end of the global spectrum.

Exceptionally High-Grade Material

Figure 1: Aerial image of the Antimony King Mine area showing the high-grade stockpile from which bulk material was collected for ALS metallurgical testing. The blue outline identifies the Antimony King mine portal, with stockpiles derived from historical production. The black outline marks the high-grade stockpile location. The BC25-09 marker denotes a drill hole completed during the Phase 1 drilling campaign.

Figure 2: High-grade antimony-bearing stibnite (Sb2S3) vein at the Antimony King Mine. The mine portal, highlighted in blue in Figure 1 (above), indicates the source area of the historic stockpiles from which the bulk sample was collected.

Investor & Industry Clarification: Head Grades vs. Concentrate Grades

It is important for investors and industry participants to clearly distinguish between head grade assays and final concentrate grades.

The results discussed in this release represent initial head grades, which reflect the percentage of antimony contained in raw feed material prior to beneficiation or processing. Head grades are measured at the earliest stage of metallurgical evaluation and are used to assess the intrinsic richness of the mineralized material.

Concentrate grades, by contrast, represent the upgraded antimony content achieved after flotation and processing, and are typically significantly higher than head grades. The current metallurgical program is specifically designed to convert these exceptionally high head grades into high-purity stibnite concentrates, with concentrate grades and recovery metrics expected to be reported upon completion of ongoing flotation testing.

In short:

Head Grade = raw material quality (early-stage indicator)

Concentrate Grade = processed product quality (commercial outcome)



Figure 4: Understanding Antimony Grades

Given the unusually high head grades reported to date, management believes the resulting concentrate grades have the potential to be substantially higher, and looks forward to providing those results as testing advances.

CEO Commentary

"The grade of this material is exceptional," said Mac J. Shahsavar, P.Eng., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Antimony Corp.

"Initial head grades from the first round of flotation testing indicate antimony concentrations at levels rarely encountered in modern antimony projects. While these results represent early-stage data, what we are seeing so far strongly reinforces our confidence in both the quality of the Antimony King material and the broader Bernice Canyon system.

Initial indications suggest these concentrations represent world-class antimony grades, placing Bernice Canyon (American Antimony Project) among the highest antimony concentrations currently being evaluated globally. This metallurgical program is focused on advancing toward consistently high-grade concentrates while developing a robust, scalable processing flowsheet. We are highly encouraged by the results to date and look forward to providing further updates as testing continues."

The Company notes that antimony's exceptionally high density enhances its recoverability through flotation. If grades of this nature prove representative and persistent as additional data is generated, the material may rank among the most exceptional antimony occurrences currently being evaluated in the United States, and among a very limited group of antimony systems globally exhibiting such world-class grade characteristics.

ALS metallurgical testing remains ongoing, with additional flotation tests, averaged head grades, and concentrate performance data expected as the program advances. The Company anticipates providing further updates regarding concentrate grades, recovery performance, and processing implications in subsequent disclosures.

About American Antimony Corporation

Operating as Xtra Energy Corp. (OTCID:XTPT) a U.S.-based mineral resource company focused on advancing critical mineral supply chain independence. The Company's primary asset focus is antimony, a federally designated critical mineral essential to defense, semiconductors, and energy storage applications. Xtra Energy is developing a portfolio of high-grade, U.S.-based projects with near-term production potential, aimed at delivering scalable domestic supply solutions in alignment with national security and industrial priorities.

Contact & Learn More:

Xtra Energy Corporation

Phone: 512-412-3636

Email: secretary@americanantimony.com

Website: www.americanantimony.com

Follow Us:

LinkedIn: American Antimony

X (Twitter): @AmericanSbCorp

Instagram: @xtraenergycorp

Facebook: Xtra Energy Corp

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations and assumptions regarding future events or financial performance and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Such statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, including, but not limited to, the Company's ability to raise capital, successfully execute its business plan, and achieve anticipated operational or financial results.

The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events, circumstances, or changes in expectations, except as required by applicable law. For a more complete discussion of risk factors and uncertainties, readers are encouraged to review the Company's disclosures filed with OTC Markets Group Inc., available at: https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/XTPT/disclosure.

SOURCE: Xtra Energy Corp.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/oil-gas-and-energy/american-antimony-advances-als-led-flotation-testing-on-mta-samples-to-develop-u-1132201
Story by Tannaz Daruwalla and Eknoor Kaur

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 / Savitri's busy cosmetics and grocery store in Nasopur village, located in Rajasthan, India, hasn't always been as large and well-stocked as it is today. A few years ago, she ran her business from a small room, offering limited items with little opportunity to expand. After losing her husband, Savitri became the sole breadwinner for her family but struggled to grow her business while managing her household. Today, however, Savitri runs a thriving store, fully stocked with a variety of products, and attracts 50 to 70 customers daily.

When asked how she got here, Savitri highlights that her lack of financial, business, and digital capabilities, and her limited knowledge of how to access credit, savings, and insurance products, held her back from seizing business opportunities in the past. With the support of our partner Frontier Markets and training from Ovante, a digital financial capability program supported by FedEx, she gained the resources and skills needed to sustainably grow her business.

Savitri isn't alone in her struggle to expand her business. Many of India's microenterprises are constrained by a lack of financial and business development knowledge. Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) contribute around 30 percent of India's GDP, with rural microenterprises providing valuable employment opportunities and financial stability for business owners. However, many enterprises find it difficult to expand. Ovante's digital tools help these microentrepreneurs gain the confidence and skills they need to grow their businesses with training programs and access to tools for savings, credit, and insurance.

Building rural microentrepreneurs' opportunities through education and innovation

To bring learning opportunities to India's rural last mile, Accion Advisory has partnered with Frontier Markets. Frontier Markets provides products, services, and entrepreneurship opportunities to rural India through a network of women entrepreneurs, field agents, and a robust tech stack. Frontier Markets introduced Ovante, Accion's digital financial capability program designed to strengthen the financial, business, and digital capabilities of microentrepreneurs, to 11 districts in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Through Ovante, Frontier Markets has reached over 6,400 rural women entrepreneurs, with more than 3,500 rural women actively participating in Ovante's programs.

The Ovante training modules are delivered via Frontier Markets' Meri Saheli app, which also offers solutions for e-commerce, customer data, lead generation, marketing, and order fulfillment to entrepreneurs in rural areas.

To implement Ovante within their network of rural women entrepreneurs, Frontier Markets uses field agents to motivate microentrepreneurs and facilitate training sessions. With education through Ovante, in-person support from field agents, and the digital tools Frontier Markets provides, microentrepreneurs can increase their rural communities' access to products and services, achieving financial stability for their households and strengthening their communities. To date, the partnership has resulted in over 3,500 active users, with 75 percent of users completing the entire Ovante program, including three core programs: "Make More Money," "Get Access to Credit," and "Buy and Sell Online."

The Ovante modules have had tangible benefits for users. For example, before receiving support from Frontier Markets, Savitri had an average daily footfall of 10 to 20 customers. Frontier Markets enabled her to set up a bigger store with more products. To manage this store, Savitri needed to understand how to manage her sales and purchases, accurately market and price her products, and utilize the profits to invest in her business. With the introduction of Ovante, Savitri learned more about credit, sales tracking, online purchases, and savings, resulting in a thriving business. Her confidence in using digital tools has also increased. For instance, she now uses UPI to accept payments and pay her suppliers. She is an active WhatsApp user, using the platform to communicate with her customers. Savitri is also carefully tracking her sales and profits, giving her insight into her shop's performance so she can make informed decisions about her business.

More than 3,500 Ovante users like Savitri now have access to the guidance and knowledge to grow their businesses. Of women surveyed, 91 percent reported feeling more confident managing their day-to-day business activities after taking the modules, and two-thirds said the training improved how they manage their money. Notably, 76 percent of respondents from Uttar Pradesh and 51 percent from Rajasthan reported earning additional income directly linked to the skills and behaviors they learned on Ovante. The relevance of the content was particularly strong in Rajasthan, where 95 percent of users said they were able to apply the learnings from the coursework into their business operations.

These insights show that while digital literacy and business confidence remain major barriers for rural entrepreneurs, practical, mobile-friendly education, combined with trusted last-mile support from partners like Frontier Markets, can drive meaningful improvements in income, decision-making, and financial resilience.

Opportunities and the growth of Ovante

Ovante has helped more than 150,000 customers across the globe gain the confidence and necessary skills to grow their businesses, whether through learning modules or an interactive chatbot, as launched earlier this year in Mexico. Our visit to Jaipur highlighted how quickly rural entrepreneurs adopt digital tools and the need for tailored content and better delivery channels for relevant learning experiences. Frontier Markets' increasing use of digital and AI-enabled tools for data collection, training, and engagement inspired us to think deeply about how Ovante can evolve: becoming more localized, easier to navigate, and accessible, even for first-time smartphone users.

In the next phase of Ovante for India, Accion Advisory is building a user-centric interface, informed by the most recent challenges Indian MSMEs face in accessing credit, designed to deliver personalized content as per an entrepreneur's needs. When rural microentrepreneurs strengthen their financial, digital, and business capabilities, these business owners can become leaders and changemakers within their communities, gaining financial independence and creating opportunities for future success.

Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.

Savitri, Pinky, and Rajantha, outside of Savitri's store in Nasopur, a village located in the Rajasthan state of northwestern India.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from FedEx on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: FedEx

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/fedex

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: FedEx

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/transportation/microentrepreneurs-in-rural-india-grow-with-ovante-1132338
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - Arya Resources Ltd. (TSXV: RBZ) ("Arya" or the "Company") is pleased to report weighted average gold (Au) and silver (Ag) assay results for drill holes AR25-007, AR25-008 and AR25-009 completed at the Twin Zone of its Wedge Lake Gold Project in Saskatchewan's La Ronge Gold Belt. Silver assay results from the Company's 2025 drilling program have now been received and integrated into the previously reported results, confirming the presence of consistent silver credits associated with gold mineralization.

Highlights:

A gold-dominant bulk-tonnage target with consistent silver credits, strengthening into a higher-grade Au-Ag core at the Twin Zone.

Au:Ag ratios below 1:1 in AR25-007 and AR25-008 reflect areas with broader, lower gold grade mineralization that may be amenable to bulk mining methods.

The increase in both average gold grade and Au:Ag ratio in AR25-009 suggests proximity to higher-grade structural corridors within the Twin Zone.

Low-grade bulk-tonnage deposits with similar grades are: Canadian Malartic, Round Mountain and Homestake (SD).

These bulk weighted averages expand upon the previously announced assays from individual high-grade gold intervals and demonstrate the broader gold-silver signature that Arya believes could support open-pit evaluation and resource definition.

"Today's averaged gold-silver assay results suggest that the Twin Zone gold system at Wedge Lake is robust over long drill intervals, with a gold signature and a silver credit that adds value to the overall mineralization picture," said Rasool Mohammad, President & CEO of Arya Resources. "The Au:Ag ratios we're seeing - especially in AR25-009 - are very encouraging and consistent with bulk tonnage open-pit analogues. Coupled with the high-grade quartz vein results from the T-6 Zone, this program continues to validate our methodical exploration strategy."

Summary of Weighted Bulk Assay Results: Twin Zone

Drill Hole Composite

Interval Composite Length

(m) Weighted gold

(g/t) Weighted silver

(g/t) AR25-007 86.0 - 151.0 m 65 m 0.54 1.44 AR25-008 8.55-78.0 m 70 m 0.44 1.35 AR25-009 27-127m

163-177m 100 m

14 m 1.74

0.31 1.46

3.22

Reported intervals are down-hole; true widths are currently unknown.

Length-weighted averages were calculated using all assayed intervals within each drill hole, with no top-cutting or grade selection.

At current metal prices, gold dominates the composite signature at these drill holes, with silver contributing as a meaningful by-product credit. Length-weighted average gold and silver grades were calculated over the full mineralized intervals in each drill hole, encompassing all assayed intervals within the Twin Zone.

Twin Zone Drill Highlights

These weighted averages reinforce the strong individual intercepts, previously reported, including:

AR25-09: 3.86 g/t Au over 44.0 m (76.5-120.5 m), including 9.90 g/t Au over 16.0 m (89-105 m) and 26.14 g/t Au over 3.80 m (94.6-98.4 m).

3.86 g/t Au over 44.0 m (76.5-120.5 m), including 9.90 g/t Au over 16.0 m (89-105 m) and 26.14 g/t Au over 3.80 m (94.6-98.4 m). AR25-08: 0.44 g/t Au over 69.45 m (8.55-78 m).

0.44 g/t Au over 69.45 m (8.55-78 m). AR25-07: 6.19 g/t Au over 3.95 m (142.05-146.00 m).

All intercepts reported down-hole; true widths are undetermined.

Context with T-6 Zone Results.

These Twin Zone results complement previous drilling at the nearby T-6 Zone, where high-grade quartz-vein hosted mineralization was intersected, including:

21.59 g/t Au over 5.84 m(41.7-47.54m), with a higher-grade core of 30.45 g/t Au over 4.06 m (43.48-47.54m) in hole AR25-10.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC)

Arya Resources Ltd. maintains tight core-sample security, quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) for all aspects of its exploration program. All core samples from the late Summer 2025 were logged, photographed and sampled at Arya's drill camp located approximately 15 km from the T-6 Zone and 14 km west of Highway 102, 165 km north of La Ronge, Saskatchewan. Where possible, core samples are standardized at 1.0 m down-hole intervals. The core samples are cut using a diamond core saw, with half remaining in the core box for future reference. One-half is bagged and then placed in rice bags, secured with zip ties, and delivered by Company truck directly to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (Saskatchewan Research Council) an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab in Saskatoon, SK for preparation (crushing and pulverizing) and analyzed using sample method AU9 for quartz vein material at T-6 (with assumed visible gold). The sample is completely crushed, ground, blended and split in half. One half is archived, and the other is sieved at +/- 106 m. All +106 m material is fire-assayed. Two 30-g replicates are fire-assayed from the -106 m fraction. All weights, assays and calculations are reported. The remaining samples (all the Twin Zone sampling) were analyzed using sample method AU3-Gold by fire assay with gravimetric finish. Silver analysis was completed using Multi-element ICP analysis with an Aqua Regia digestion. The method consists of 0.5 g of sample pulp being digested with 2 mL of 3:1 HCl:HNO3 for 1 hour at 95 C.

Company protocols include the insertion of quality control samples consisting of blind standards (Certified Reference Materials (CRMs)), blanks and sample duplicates into the sample stream at a rate of 1 in 30.

Arya is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein.

Qualified Person

Kevin Wells, P.Geo., a consulting geologist to the Company, is the independent qualified person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for the Projects, who has reviewed, verified, and approved the contents of this news release and has verified the data underlying the contents of this news release by review and supervision of, but not limited to, drilling procedures, chain of custody of core and samples, logging and sampling procedures and insertion of blind standards (CRM's), blanks and pulp duplicates into the sample stream.

About Arya Resources Ltd. (TSXV: RBZ)

Arya Resources Ltd. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and critical-metal projects in Saskatchewan. The Company is advancing its flagship Wedge Lake Gold Project and its Dunlop Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project, both located in mining-friendly jurisdictions with excellent infrastructure.

As a Tier 2 issuer on the TSX Venture Exchange, Arya is committed to building shareholder value through discovery-driven exploration, disciplined execution, and responsible development.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

Rasool Mohammad, CEO

Contact us below or visit us at www.aryaresourcesltd.com.

Twitter: @ARYARESOURCES

Facebook: @AryaResourcesLtd.

LinkedIn: @AryaResourcesLtd.

YouTube: @ARYARESOURCES

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release includes "forward-looking statements" that are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Statements in this news release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including without limitation any statements concerning the Company's intentions, plans, estimates, expectations or beliefs. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. The Company cautions readers that all forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are based on assumptions, none of which can be assured, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282392

Source: Arya Resources Ltd.
Denver, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - RS&H, the employee-owned, national engineering, architecture, and consulting firm, has announced the appointment of P. Scott Cary, PE, LEED AP, as its new Discipline Leader for Energy Services.

Scott Cary, PE, LEED AP



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Cary steps into the role with more than 20 years of experience leading planning, design, and construction teams for major infrastructure programs worldwide, including extensive work with the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR, formerly NREL) and individual airports, ports and private agencies. At NLR, he served as the Aviation Platform Lead, coordinating the lab's world-class energy research with the evolving needs of the aviation and maritime industries.

In his new position, Cary will drive the expansion of RS&H's energy-related consulting services. His vision includes accelerating innovative offerings in energy planning, resilience, data-informed energy management techniques and related solutions that are ideally affordable and sustainable. He will focus on continued integration of energy literacy across planning, design and construction, identifying opportunities for emerging energy solutions to help clients achieve their goals.

"As we look ahead, I am inspired by the collective talent and purpose that define RS&H," said Cary. "Together, we have a unique opportunity to advance resilient, sustainable solutions that support our clients and communities. I'm honored to join the RS&H team to expand our impact and shape a future where innovation and stewardship go hand in hand."

"As we welcome Scott, we are excited to see how his unique blend of energy expertise and aviation experience will drive the next chapter of innovation for our clients," said RS&H National Operations Leader for Infrastructure Rodney Bishop, PE. "His approach perfectly aligns with our mission to deliver solutions that inspire."

RS&H's clients rely on affordable and reliable energy for success. Cary's proven track record in launching and scaling energy service offerings-spanning aviation, aerospace, federal, corporate, and transportation markets-will be instrumental in advancing the firm's capabilities and market presence.

Cary received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado. He is a registered professional engineer in three states, an Air Force veteran and has been a LEED Accredited Professional for over 20 years.

About RS&H

With a history of taking the leap from what is to what could be, RS&H is a 100% employee-owned, people-first firm that provides integrated architecture, engineering, and consulting services to clients of all sizes. Rooted in integrity, accountability, curiosity, and teamwork, RS&H works alongside clients and communities to deliver innovative, purpose-driven solutions that inspire progress and redefine possibilities. Together, we're building a better tomorrow. Learn more at www.rsandh.com.

###

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282373

Source: RS&H
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 / Apex Critical Metals Corp. (CSE:APXC)(OTCQX:APXCF)(FWB:KL9) ("Apex" or the "Company"), a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the identification and development of critical and strategic metals, is pleased to announce that it has granted (the "Grant") an aggregate of 200,000 incentive stock options (each, an "Option") to purchase up to 200,000 common shares of the Company (each, a "Share") to a consultant under its Equity Incentive Plan. The Options are exercisable for a period of two years from the date of Grant, expiring on January 30, 2028, at a price of $2.75 per Share. All Options and the Shares underlying such Options are subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance.

About Apex Critical Metals Corp. (CSE:APXC)(OTCQX:APXCF)(FWB:KL9)

Apex Critical Metals Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing rare earth element (REE) and niobium projects that support the growing demand for critical and strategic metals across the United States and Canada. The Company's flagship Rift Project, located within the highly prospective Elk Creek Carbonatite Complex in Nebraska, U.S.A., hosts extensive rare earth rights surrounding one of North America's most advanced niobium-REE deposits. Historical drilling across the complex has reported broad intervals of high-grade REE mineralization, including intercepts such as 155.5 m of 2.70% REO and 68.2 m of 3.32% REO.

In Canada, Apex continues to advance its 100%-owned Cap Project, located 85 kilometres northeast of Prince George, British Columbia. The 2025 drill program confirmed a significant niobium discovery with 0.59% Nb2O5 over 36 metres, including 1.08% Nb2O5 over 10 metres, within a 1.8-kilometre-long niobium trend. The Cap Project continues to demonstrate strong potential for niobium mineralization within a large and previously unrecognized carbonatite system.

With a growing portfolio of critical mineral projects in both Canada and the United States, Apex Critical Metals is strategically positioned to help strengthen domestic supply chains for the minerals essential to advanced technologies, clean energy, and national security. Apex is publicly listed in Canada on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol APXC and quoted on the OTCQX market in the United States under the symbol APXCF, and in Germany on the Borse Frankfurt under the symbol KL9 and/or WKN: A40CCQ. Find out more at www.apexcriticalmetals.com and watch our videos at https://apexcriticalmetals.com/apex-critical-metals-corporate-video/ and make sure to stay in touch by signing up for free news alerts at https://apexcriticalmetals.com/news/news-alerts/, or by following us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook or LinkedIn.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

APEX CRITICAL METALS CORP.,

Sean Charland

Chief Executive Officer

Tel: 604.681.1568

Email: info@apexcriticalmetals.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.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements with respect to the future vesting dates respecting the Options. Forward-looking statements are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including risks related to factors beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the receipt of regulatory approval for the change of name and trading symbol. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Apex Critical Metals Corp.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/apex-critical-metals-announces-grant-of-stock-options-1132610
Senior Sales and Channel Industry Veteran Continues to Drive Substantial Growth for SaaS Data Protection Leader

Boston, Massachusetts, Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HYCU, Inc., a leader for modern data protection for on-prem, cloud, and SaaS and one of the fastest growing companies in the industry, proudly announced today that CRN - a brand of The Channel Company - has selected Chris Nelson, Vice President, Global Sales and Business Development, at HYCU, for inclusion on the prestigious 2026 CRN Channel Chiefs list. This annual recognition celebrates IT vendor and distribution executives who are shaping channel strategy and driving innovation and partnership across the industry.

Chris Nelson is a driving force behind HYCU's go-to-market strategy and continued expansion with global technology, alliance, and channel partners. Under Chris Nelson's leadership, HYCU has deepened its relationships with strategic partners like Dell Technologies, Nutanix, and iManage and delivered new programs and initiatives that simplify how partners support their customers across on-premises, cloud, and emerging SaaS IT workload environments.

A recognized leader in data protection and recovery, Chris Nelson brings decades of experience in high-growth software companies. His channel-first mindset has helped make HYCU the partner of choice for IT providers looking to solve the rising challenges of fragmented data protection, especially around SaaS workloads, where traditional solutions continue to fall short.

"This recognition speaks to the integrity, focus, and collaborative leadership that Chris brings to our business every day," said Simon Taylor, Founder and CEO, HYCU. "He has built a channel organization rooted in trust, transparency, and a relentless commitment to helping our partners grow. In a world where IT complexity is only increasing, Chris ensures our partners are equipped with the tools and support they need to protect what matters most, their customers' data. We're extremely proud to see him honored again this year."

The annual CRN Channel Chiefs list spotlights the most influential leaders across the IT channel, celebrating those who champion collaboration, drive innovation and empower their partners and customers to achieve shared success.

"Leaders recognized as CRN Channel Chiefs this year have demonstrated unwavering commitment to their partners and the broader IT channel. Their vision, passion and drive for innovation continue to shape the future of our industry. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the positive impact they make every day," said Jennifer Follett, Vice President, U.S. Content, Executive Editor, CRN.

"Being named a CRN Channel Chief is an honor, and a reflection of the incredible partner community we've built and are fortunate to work with," said Chris Nelson. "Partners today are on the front lines helping customers navigate complex hybrid and SaaS environments with limited resources and mounting risk. At HYCU, we're committed to making their jobs easier. From simplifying onboarding to expanding protection across more workloads, our channel commitment and focus remains as strong as ever."

CRN's 2026 Channel Chiefs list will be featured on CRN.com beginning Feb. 2 at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs.

For more information on HYCU, visit www.hycu.com, follow us on X (formerly Twitter), connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky

###

About HYCU?

HYCU is the fastest-growing leader in the multi-cloud and SaaS data protection as a service industry. By bringing true SaaS-based data backup and recovery to on-premises, cloud-native, and SaaS IT environments, the company provides unrivaled data protection, migration, disaster recovery, and ransomware protection to thousands of companies worldwide. The company's award-winning R-Cloud platform eliminates complexity, risk, and the high cost of legacy-based solutions, providing data protection simplicity to make it the #1 SaaS Data Protection platform. With an industry leading NPS score of 91, HYCU has raised $140M in VC funding to date and is based in Boston, Mass. Learn more at www.hycu.com.?

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world's top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers, and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit thechannelco.com.

Follow The Channel Company: LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.

 2026 The Channel Company, Inc. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

Attachment

Chris Nelson Honored as 2026 CRN Channel Chief

Don Jennings HYCU, Inc. 617-791-1710 don.jennings@hycu.com Natalie Lewis The Channel Company nlewis@thechannelcompany.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - DRC Gold Corp. (CSE: DRC) (FSE: 5AT0) (formerly, AJN Resources Inc.) (DRC Gold or the Company) is pleased to announce that David Wargo has been appointed to DRC Gold's board of directors.

Mr. Wargo is the CEO and Head of Investment Banking for SCP Resource Finance, formerly Sprott Capital Partners, and a senior natural resource investment banker with over 25 years of experience in the mining and banking industries. He spent 10 years of his career financing Congolese companies in the copper and gold spaces, with a particular focus on the Kivu region of Congo. Mr. Wargo is a chemical engineer and holds an MBA.

Klaus Eckhof, CEO of DRC Gold, commented: "We welcome Dave to our board. His appointment will complement our board's technical background, and expand our Company's specialist knowledge and contact base during an expected period of growth."

Stock Option Grants:

The Company also announces that it has granted a total of 2,250,000 incentive stock options (Stock Options) to a director and a consultant in accordance with DRC Gold's omnibus equity incentive compensation plan. These Stock Options have a four-year term, an exercise price of $0.31 per common share and vest immediately.

About DRC Gold Corp.

DRC Gold is a junior exploration company. DRC Gold's management and directors possess over 50 years of collective industry experience and have been very successful in the areas of exploration, financing and developing major mines throughout the world, with a focus on Africa.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release may include certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Although DRC Gold Corp. believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, DRC Gold Corp. disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282438

Source: DRC Gold Corp.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - TAG Oil Ltd. (TSXV: TAO) (OTCQX: TAOIF) (FSE: T0P) ("TAG Oil" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Research Capital Corporation as the lead agent and sole bookrunner, on behalf of a syndicate of agents (together, the "Agents"), in connection with a brokered, best-efforts listed issuer financing exemption private placement offering (the "Offering") of units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $0.10 per Unit (the "Issue Price") for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of up to $5,000,000.

Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.13 per Common Share for a period of 48 months following the closing of the Offering. In addition, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the necessary approvals to list the Warrants on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange").

In connection with the Offering, it is expected that certain members of management and directors of the Company and other president's list investors will be subscribing in the Offering alongside other investors.

The Company will grant the Agents an option (the "Agents' Option") to increase the size by up to an additional 15% of the number of Units sold in the Offering, by giving written notice of the exercise of the Agents' Option, or a part thereof, to the Company at any time up to two (2) business days prior to closing of the Offering.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to advance appraisal and development activities at both the Badr Oil Field ("BED-1") and the Southeast Ras Qattara concessions ("SERQ"), in the Western Desert, Egypt and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Activities to be advanced with the financing proceeds include a) the drilling of a new vertical delineation well at BED-1 in the unconventional Abu Roash "F" ("ARF") resource play targeting lighter gravity crude in a high intensity natural fractured area and b) perform a Diagnostic Fracture Injectivity Test ("DFIT") in an existing wellbore to evaluate the ARF potential at the SERQ Concession.

Investment Highlights - BED-1 and SERQ Concessions in Egypt

Established OIIP at BED-1: Independent engineers have assigned 532 million barrels of oil-in-place to the ARF within BED-1 Concession

Independent volumetric assessment estimates approximately 3.2 billion barrels of oil-initially-in-place across 512,000 acres of the SERQ Concession and plans additional technical studies, with a NI 51-101 resource report expected in Q1 2026

The scale of the resource on both concessions can provide a strong foundation and potential to attract strategic joint venture partners through a broad process planned for 2026

Existing regional infrastructure significantly lowers development risk and timelines.

TAG Oil has completed detailed technical studies of the ARF reservoir, identifying it as a low-permeability carbonate formation with substantial development potential. The Company believes the reservoir holds a high likelihood of commercial success using proven horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies, methods that have already demonstrated positive results in the BED-1 concession in Egypt, as well as in comparable plays such as Canada's Montney formation and the Eagle Ford shale in the United States.

Additional Offering Details

The Units will be offered for sale pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions, as amended by CSA Coordinated Blanket Order 45-935 - Exemptions from Certain Conditions of the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (collectively, the "Listed Issuer Financing Exemption"), in all provinces of Canada, except Quebec, and other qualifying jurisdictions, including the United States. The Units offered under the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption will be immediately "free-trading" upon closing of the Offering under applicable Canadian securities laws.

There is an offering document (the "Offering Document") related to this Offering that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and at the Company's website at www.tagoil.com. Prospective investors should read this Offering Document before making an investment decision.

The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about the week of February 16, 2026 (the "Closing"), or on such date as the Agents and Company may agree upon. Closing is subject to the Company receiving all necessary regulatory approvals, including the conditional approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Agents will receive a cash commission of 8.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the Offering and such number of broker warrants (the "Broker Warrants") as is equal to 8.0% of the number of Units sold under the Offering (in each case, subject to reduction for certain subscribers on a president's list of purchasers identified by the Company). Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Unit at an exercise price equal to the Issue Price for a period of 48 months following the Closing.

This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States or in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to qualification or registration under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements and applicable U.S. state securities laws.

About TAG Oil Ltd.

TAG Oil (http://www.tagoil.com/) is a Canadian based international oil and gas exploration company with a focus on operations and opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa.

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

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

The SERQ Report is not a reserve or resource report and does not assign any proved, probable, or possible reserves or contingent or prospective resources as defined in the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook and NI 51-101. The volumetric estimates represent total oil-initially-in-place (OIIP) and not recoverable volumes. These OIIP estimates are classified as undiscovered as they represent that quantity of oil which is estimated, as of the date of the SERQ Report, to be contained in accumulations yet to be discovered. These OIIP estimates do not represent recoverable resources or reserves, and there is no certainty that any portion of the estimated OIIP resources will be discovered or, if discovered, there is no certainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the resources.

Certain information contained herein may be considered "analogous information" as defined in NI 51-101, including information concerning the ARF formation in BED-1, which appears geologically similar to the ARF formation in the SERQ Concession. Such information is not necessarily indicative of the hydrocarbon potential of the SERQ Concession. The data relating to BED-1 is obtained from an independent report prepared by RPS Energy Canada Ltd. There is no certainty that the results achieved at BED-1 will be achieved at the SERQ Concession, and the information should not be interpreted as an estimate of reserves or resources at the SERQ Concession.

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding anticipated seismic access, testing programs, potential resource development in the SERQ Concession, receipt of all approvals related to the Offering; the closing of the Offering; the exercise of the Agents' Option, in whole or in part, and the intended use of proceeds from the Offering. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that management believes are reasonable at the time but are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These include, but are not limited to, geological uncertainties, data availability, commodity prices, regulatory approvals, and financing constraints. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements due to operational, geological, regulatory, and market risks described in TAG Oil's continuous disclosure filings. TAG Oil undertakes no obligation to update these statements except as required by law.

Exploration for hydrocarbons is a speculative venture necessarily involving substantial risk. The Company's future success exploiting and increasing its current resource base will depend on its ability to develop its current properties and on its ability to discover and acquire properties or prospects that are capable of commercial production. However, there is no assurance that the Company's future exploration and development efforts will result in the discovery or development of additional commercial accumulations of oil and natural gas. In addition, even if further hydrocarbons are discovered, the costs of extracting and delivering the hydrocarbons to market and variations in the market price may render uneconomic any discovered deposit. Geological conditions are variable and unpredictable. Even if production is commenced from a well, the quantity of hydrocarbons produced inevitably will decline over time, and production may be adversely affected or may have to be terminated altogether if the Company encounters unforeseen geological conditions. The Company is subject to uncertainties related to the proximity of any resources that it may discover to pipelines and processing facilities. It expects that its operational costs will increase proportionally to the remoteness of, and any restrictions on access to, the properties on which any such resources may be found. Adverse climatic conditions at such properties may also hinder the Company's ability to carry on exploration or production activities continuously throughout any given year.

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282434

Source: TAG Oil Ltd.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - Elixxer Ltd. (TSXV: ELXR.H) ("Elixxer" or the "Company") announces that, further to its press release of July 4, 2025, the Company has entered into an amending agreement dated January 29, 2026 (the "Amending Agreement") with an effective date of January 1, 2026, with AIP Asset Management Inc. (the "Security Agent") and AIP Convertible Private Debt Fund L.P. ("AIP Fund" and together with the Security Agent "AIP").

Pursuant to the terms of the Amending Agreement, the Company has: (i) extended the maturity date of all issued and outstanding secured notes in the principal amount of $8,000,000, plus all accrued interest to June 30, 2026; and (ii) extended the maturity date of an unsecured promissory note issued in favour of AIP Fund to December 31, 2026 (collectively, the "Amendments").

The Amendments constitute a related party transaction within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") as AIP is a control person of the Company. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(e) of MI 61-101, as the Company is not listed on a specified market and the Company is in financial difficulty and the Amendments are designed to improve the financial position of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the execution of the Amending Agreement, which the Company deems reasonable.

The Amending Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby were approved by the members of the board of directors of the Company who are independent for the purposes of the Amending Agreement and the Amendments, being all directors other than Messrs. Alexey (Alex) Kanayev and Jayahari (Jay) Balasubramaniam. No special committee was established in connection with the Amending Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, and no materially contrary view or abstention was expressed or made by any director of the Company in relation thereto.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons as defined under applicable United States securities laws unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Elixxer Ltd.

Elixxer is a Canadian public company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: ELXR.H) and the US OTC-Pink exchange (OTC Pink: ELIXF). Elixxer is an investment company with investments in Canada and other countries and is currently looking for new high growth opportunities to invest in.

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

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.



To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282445

Source: Elixxer Ltd.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - Nexus Uranium Corp. (CSE: NEXU) (OTCQB: NEXUF) (FSE: JA7) ("Nexus" or the "Company") announces that further to its news release dated November 5, 2025, the Company has approved additional marketing expenditures pursuant to its existing engagement with MCS Market Communication Services GmbH ("MCS") (address Saarlandstrae 28, 58511 Ludenscheid, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany; info@mcsmarket.de; +49 177 248 1220). MCS was retained by the Company on November 3, 2025 to provide digital marketing services for an term of six (6) months term which commenced on November 15, 2025. In connection with the continuation and expansion of these services, the Company has approved additional compensation to MCS in the amount of 250,000.

As previously disclosed, MCS will, as appropriate, continue to provide the Company with a comprehensive suite of digital marketing services including, among other things: the development and management of digital campaigns, the creation of text materials; detailed keyword research and campaign optimization; creation of customized landing pages and coordination with online marketers; and placements across various online channels to improve reach and visibility. MCS will execute these services through online platforms using demographic, geographic, keyword, and interest-based targeting to reach relevant investor audiences.

As of the date hereof, to the Company's knowledge, MCS has an arm's length relationship with the Company and does not currently hold any securities of Nexus. The Company will not issue any securities to MCS as compensation for its marketing services.

About Nexus Uranium Corp.

Nexus Uranium is a Canadian exploration company focused on uranium projects in North America. In the United States, the Company holds the Chord, Wolf Canyon, Deadhorse, and RC projects in South Dakota, and the South Pass project in Wyoming. The Great Divide Basin project in Wyoming is now under option to Canamera Energy Metals Corp. In Canada, Nexus holds the Mann Lake project in Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin. For more information, visit www.nexusuranium.com.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to: the scope and term of MCS' engagement, the services that MCS will provide to the Company, and the platforms through which MCS will carry out the services. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipates", "anticipated" "expected" "intends" "will" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. Although management of the Company have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282388

Source: Nexus Uranium Corp.
ZEISS ARTEVO 750 and ZEISS ARTEVO 850 surgical microscopes provide ophthalmic surgeons in China with end-to-end workflow integration to improve efficiency, precision, and surgical safety.

JENA, Germany and SHANGHAI, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ZEISS Medical Technology announced today that China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved the ZEISS ARTEVO 750 and ARTEVO 850 ophthalmic microscopes. The microscopes provide high quality optical and digital visualization for both anterior and posterior segments. With upgrades spanning both hardware and software, the newly approved microscopes supporting ophthalmic surgeries ensure more precise operations and greater surgical safety with enhanced resolution, RGB illumination and full compatibility with the latest generation of ZEISS's cataract workflow.

"The introduction of ZEISS ARTEVO 750 and ARTEVO 850 microscopes powerfully demonstrates our commitment to ophthalmologists in China. We will leverage the power of innovation to contribute to the advancement of eye health in China and better serve Chinese surgeons and their patients," says Martin Fischer, President & CEO of ZEISS Greater China.

The ZEISS ARTEVO 750 ophthalmic microscope is another breakthrough in ZEISS's ophthalmic surgical microscope family that made its Chinese debut at the 2025 China International Import Expo (CIIE). Combining advanced technology with established optical expertise, the ARTEVO 750 enables surgeons to finetune their surgical views in routine and complex procedures, including cataract & vitreoretinal surgery, corneal transplantation, and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). With enhanced resolution, elevated depth of field, intelligent RGB illumination and intraoperative OCT, the ZEISS ARTEVO 750 supports excellent usability and a seamless end-to-end workflow.

"The enhanced optical resolution of the ARTEVO 750 enables us to elevate our capabilities in performing delicate ophthalmic surgeries," states Professor Chen Jili from Shanghai Jing'an District Shibei Hospital.

The ZEISS ARTEVO 850 is a 3D-enabled digital microscope designed for multiple specialties in ophthalmology, setting the pace in digital visualization. It combines the proven benefits of a digital ophthalmic microscope with customizable 3D digital visualization, functional integration, excellent usability, and integration into a comprehensive medical ecosystem. Digital Color Assistant (DCA) enhances colors in the surgical image to accentuate anatomical details. Another advantage of digital visualization includes optimization of the depth of field up to 60%1 with Smart Depth of Field (DoF) function. A redesigned user interface for ZEISS CALLISTO eye centralizes all controls onto a single intuitive touchscreen. Digital integration into ZEISS ophthalmic workflows allows for seamless data transfer, with reference image matching directly on the 3D screen and a markerless toric IOL implantation that can be fully surgeon controlled.

Professor Xu Gezhi from the EENT Hospital of Fudan University explains, "The resolution of the ARTEVO 850 is truly excellent, and the clear visibility and reduced fatigue during the surgery make the experience very pleasant."

The availability in China of the next generation of ZEISS ophthalmic microscopes, including the ZEISS ARTEVO 750 and ARTEVO 850, helps transform the surgical experience with superior optics and capabilities.

The ZEISS ARTEVO 850 will be showcased as part of ZEISS's ophthalmic workflows in the ZEISS booth #5FG-J01 at the 41st Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) conference in Hong Kong from February 5-8, 2026. For more information about ZEISS ophthalmic surgical microscopes, visit here.

1 Data on file. Compared to ZEISS ARTEVO 800.

Not all products, services or offers are approved or offered in every market and approved labeling and instructions may vary from one country to another. For country-specific product information, see the appropriate country website. Product specifications are subject to change in design and scope of delivery as a result of ongoing technical development. The statements of the healthcare professionals reflect only their personal opinions and experiences and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of any institution that they are affiliated with. The healthcare professionals alone are responsible for the content of their experience reported and any potential resulting infringements. Carl Zeiss Meditec AG and its affiliates to not have clinical evidence supporting the opinions and statements of the health care professionals nor accept any responsibility or liability of the healthcare professionals' content. The healthcare professionals have a contractual or other financial relationship with Carl Zeiss Meditec AG and its affiliates and have received financial support.

Contact for investors

Sebastian Frericks

Director Investor Relations

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG

Phone: +49 3641 220 116

Mail: investors.med@zeiss.com

Contact for the press

Frank Smith

Head of Global Communications

Ophthalmology, Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc.

Phone: +49 3641 220 331

Mail: press.med@zeiss.com

www.zeiss.com/newsroom

Brief Profile

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (ISIN: DE0005313704), which is listed on the MDAX and TecDAX of the German stock exchange, is one of the world's leading medical technology companies. The Company supplies innovative technologies and application-oriented solutions designed to help doctors improve the quality of life of their patients. The Company offers complete solutions, including implants and consumables, to diagnose and treat eye diseases. The Company creates innovative visualization solutions in the field of microsurgery. With 5,730 employees worldwide, the Group generated revenue of 2,066.1m in fiscal year 2023/24 (to 30 September).

The Group's head office is located in Jena, Germany, and it has subsidiaries in Germany and abroad; more than 50 percent of its employees are based in the USA, Japan, Spain and France. The Center for Application and Research (CARIn) in Bangalore, India and the Carl Zeiss Innovations Center for Research and Development in Shanghai, China, strengthen the Company's presence in these rapidly developing economies. Around 39 percent of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG's shares are in free float. Approx. 59 percent are held by Carl Zeiss AG, one of the world's leading groups in the optical and optoelectronic industries.

For further information visit: www.zeiss.com/med

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US private equity giant Carlyle Group has begun exploratory discussions with investors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to bring in partners if its proposed acquisition of Russian oil major Lukoils international assets moves ahead

US private equity giant Carlyle Group has begun exploratory discussions with investors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to bring in partners if its proposed acquisition of Russian oil major Lukoils international assets moves ahead, Reuters reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Carlyle and Lukoil on Thursday announced a preliminary agreement that would see a wide portfolio of overseas assets including oilfields in Iraq and refineries in eastern Europe transferred to the US firm. The transaction, however, remains subject to approval from US authorities, as Lukoil has been placed under sanctions.

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The proposed deal excludes Lukoils Kazakh assets. Neither Carlyle nor Lukoil disclosed a valuation, the report said, adding that the parties are yet to agree on a final price. However, the report pegged the portfolios value at around $20 billion.

UAE sovereign investors circle deal

The report said state-backed Abu Dhabi investors, Mubadala Investment Company, XRG and International Holding Company (IHC), have held discussions with Carlyle about potentially taking stakes in the Lukoil portfolio, should the US firm complete the acquisition. No agreements have been finalised so far.

The report said UAE investors were particularly interested in Lukoils trading arm, Litasco, which plays a key role in the companys global crude and refined products marketing operations.

It remains unclear at what stage Carlyle may induct partners, if the transaction proceeds. The report said the private equity firm intends to keep the portfolio intact rather than break it up for parts.

Private equity investors in the energy space typically hold assets for around five years before exiting at a profit, either through a strategic sale or public listing.
Blocks with symbols and atomic numbers of Rare Earth Elements (REE) are placed on a Chinese flag in this illustration taken January 21, 2026. Reuters

Chinese metals traders have racked up losses of at least 1 billion yuan (about $144 million) after a key counterparty at the centre of a complex trading network fled the country, triggering lawsuits, asset freezes and fresh regulatory scrutiny of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

At the heart of the episode is Xu Maohua, a Foshan-based metals dealer nicknamed The Hat who orchestrated a web of copper and other metal transactions involving multiple trading firms. Among the highest-profile participants was SDIC Commodities, a trading arm of the state-backed State Development & Investment Corp (SDIC), a conglomerate with annual revenue of nearly 200 billion yuan.

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Unfinished deals, mounting losses

According to the report Xu owed money to SDIC Commodities for shipments of copper and other metals, while the SOE in turn had payment obligations to its own suppliers. When Xu disappeared, the trading chain effectively snapped, leaving counterparties exposed.

While there is no official tally of total losses, estimates compiled from traders and financiers involved in the network suggest damages of at least 1 billion yuan. Several market participants believe the final figure could be significantly higher, given the scale and frequency of the trades.

The fallout has already spilled into the courts. Guangdong Prolto Supply Chain Management, a Shenzhen-based trader, has sued SDIC Commodities for 219 million yuan, alleging non-payment for metal concentrate shipments, according to an exchange filing in December.

In a separate development, a Tianjin court has ordered the seizure of 3,150 tonnes of refined copper stored in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, by the SDIC unit at the request of a Chinese policy bank. The metal has been frozen to preserve assets pending potential litigation, according to the report.

Regulatory alarm over circular trading

The episode has drawn the attention of Chinas state-owned assets watchdog, the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC). In recent weeks, SASAC has instructed major commodities trading firms under its supervision to review operations and curb non-core activities used to inflate revenues, the report said.

Regulators have been particularly concerned about so-called circular trading, transactions in which companies buy and sell the same asset among related parties to create the appearance of revenue without genuine end-user demand. Such practices can artificially boost turnover while masking underlying financial risks.

SASAC had first tightened oversight in 2023 following a debt crisis at a state-owned timber company. However, compliance has been uneven. With Chinas economy slowing and margins under pressure, some SOEs have been tempted to seek additional revenue streams through aggressive trading strategies, market participants said.

How the network allegedly worked

The report citing six people who previously worked with or traded alongside Xu said, he operated through a cluster of companies that purchased metals from smelters or other traders and resold them to SOEs, including SDIC Commodities. Part of the arrangement allegedly included commitments to repurchase the cargoes at a later date.

Xu was able to unlock cash quickly by selling invoices issued by SOE buyers to factoring firms, including some banks, at a discount, in some cases before physical delivery of the metals. This structure provided immediate liquidity but left financiers exposed to counterparty risk.

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The report said that some of the metals involved were not owned outright by Xu at the time of sale, and that many of the firms participating in the transactions were effectively controlled by him.

Market participants told Bloomberg News Xus financial troubles may have been exacerbated by a separate bearish bet on silver prices that went wrong. Silver prices have surged sharply in recent months, compounding losses for those positioned for a decline.

Chinas commodities markets, particularly in base metals, have been marred by periodic scandals over the past decade, ranging from fictitious warehouse stockpiles to high-profile bankruptcies of major copper importers. In one case involving inflated aluminum inventories, losses exceeded $1 billion and a trader was sentenced to life imprisonment last year.
Global investment bank Morgan Stanley has reiterated a constructive view on Indian equities following the Union Budget 2026, maintaining an overweight stance on financials, consumer discretionary, and industrials, according to its latest report.

The report said the budget sends a strong signal on the governments future growth priorities, with the finance ministers speech almost opening with a reference to semiconductors. Morgan Stanley noted that this reflects a meaningful shift in policy focus towards technology-led growth and advanced manufacturing.

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We remain constructive on Indian equitiesoverweight Financials, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrials, the report stated, adding that these sectors are well placed to benefit from the budgets growth-supportive measures and continued emphasis on capital spending.

Morgan Stanley highlighted that the governments fiscal deficit target of 4.3 per cent of GDP for FY27 is broadly in line with its own estimate of 4.2 per cent. The fiscal trajectory, it said, is consistent with a central government debt-to-GDP ratio of 55.6 per cent in FY27, underscoring the authorities commitment to fiscal discipline.

According to the report, the combination of growth-oriented policies, support for emerging sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and manageable fiscal consolidation creates a favourable environment for equities.

The investment bank also believes that the policy direction outlined in the budget could improve medium-term earnings visibility, particularly for sectors linked to domestic demand, financial intermediation, and industrial expansion.

Overall, Morgan Stanley said the Union Budget 2026 reinforces its positive stance on Indian equities, with financials, consumer discretionary, and industrials remaining its preferred sectoral bets.

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As Anurag Kashyaps Kennedy gears up for its India release in February, Rahul Bhat revisits the long delay and explains why it hurts when art does not reach audiences.

After years of uncertainty and delay, Anurag Kashyaps neo-noir thriller Kennedy is finally coming home to Indian audiences with a digital premiere on ZEE5 from 20 February 2026, nearly three years after its world debut at the Cannes Film Festival.

Actor Rahul Bhat, who plays the titular character in the film, had previously shared with India Today Digital how the prolonged release timeline had taken an emotional toll on him. In an exclusive interview in May 2025, Bhat did not hold back about how the delays felt.

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It hurts what is art if it doesnt reach people?

Bhat had said of the release situation, I hope it releases soon. They are saying that it should release this year. Its a tragedy because pata nahi kya kuch log aate hai, fir woh naukriya chhodte hai fir dusre log aate hai (God knows what happens some people come, then they leave, then other people join) [then the release gets stuck]. Its crazy.

He added candidly, It hurts, because what is acting all about if people dont see it? Why do we make movies or art? For people to appreciate it, see it, and tell you the good things, criticise you but tell you something! The whole purpose of art is to reach people. If it doesnt reach people, then whats the point?

From festival acclaim to homecoming

Kennedy premiered to strong reactions on the global festival circuit, including Cannes and other international showcases. Yet despite securing certification in India, it did not find a conventional theatrical release domestically, fuelling frustration among its cast and creative team.

Games View All

Bhat had added, Fir bolte hai theatre mein aate nahi log. Agar theatre mein filmein lagaoge nahi, toh kahan se aayengein? (It is being said that the audience does not come to the theatres. If you do not put up different films, why will they come?) They like to play the same kind of films in theatres, and then they complain that people are not coming. Then these big theatre chains now sell tickets for thousands of rupees, and they think people will come.

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Now, with its OTT debut, the film will be accessible to a wider Indian audience for the first time. Starring Bhat as Uday Shetty, an insomniac ex-cop navigating Mumbais criminal underworld, the story weaves a dark, morally complex web that has won appreciation abroad and now has an opportunity to connect with viewers at home.

For Bhat, the long wait for Kennedys Indian release has underscored the deeper purpose of cinema itself, one that goes beyond festival applause and international praise to the simple act of being watched, discussed and felt by audiences it was made for.
Following the Budget speech, the government has raised the limit for passengers bringing duty-free imported goods into India from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000. Heres what else has changed

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) issued an official travel regulation by the introduction of the Baggage Rules, 2026. Representational image

The Union Budget was presented on Sunday (February 1) with several big announcements for taxpayers. One such announcement was the duty-free baggage limits being increased.

During her Budget 2026 speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government will increase limits on items that passengers can bring from abroad under duty-free allowances to align them with present-day travel realities.

Heres a look at how this will affect passengers.

What are the new baggage rules?

Union Home Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government will increase limits on items that passengers can bring from abroad under duty-free allowances to align them with present-day travel realities during her speech while presenting the Budget.

Following her announcement, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) issued an official travel regulation by the introduction of the Baggage Rules, 2026, which directly supersede the Baggage Rules, 2016.

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Indian residents and tourists of Indian origin can now bring in goods worth up to Rs 75,000 duty-free, up from Rs 50,000. In another traveller-friendly move, the government has also cleared one new laptop or notebook for duty-free import by passengers aged 18 and above.

I propose to revise provisions governing baggage clearance during international travel to address genuine concerns of passengers. The revised rules will enhance duty-free allowances in line with present-day travel realities and provide clarity in temporary carriage of goods brought in or taken out, she said.

In a major relief for travellers, the Budget also proposed reducing customs duty on goods imported for personal use from 20 per cent to 10 per cent. The concession, however, will not apply to motor vehicles, alcohol, and tobacco. The duty-free allowance for foreign tourists arriving in India (other than infants) has been raised to Rs 25,000, from Rs 15,000 under the 2016 Baggage Rules.

Indian residents or tourists of Indian origin who have lived abroad for more than a year will be allowed to bring jewellery duty-free on their return to India, up to 40 grammes for female passengers and up to 20 grammes for other passengers, provided it is carried in bona fide baggage.

The new baggage rules will come into effect from midnight on February 2 and replace a decade-old baggage rule.

What other changes to expect this year?

In addition to revamping baggage rules, Sitharaman rolled out a trust-based customs system meant to make cargo clearances faster and cheaper. The move includes a single-window platform, fewer checks for trusted importers, and easier duty payments for Authorised Economic Operators, as reported by Times Now.

Sitharaman said honest taxpayers would be allowed to settle customs disputes by paying an additional amount instead of facing penalties. She also announced that advance rulings would be binding on customs authorities for five years, up from the current three-year period.

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The Budget also proposed transforming the customs warehousing framework into a warehouse operator-centric system based on self-declaration, electronic tracking, and risk-based audits.

With inputs from agencies
Xi Jinpings latest purge of the Chinese military is reportedly being driven by a corruption scandal. According to US intelligence, some missiles in western China have been filled with water rather than fuel and had broken silos

A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) honour guard shouts during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China November 25, 2025. File Photo/Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping is cracking down on the powerful military to weed out corruption. The recent fall of Chinas top general, Zhang Youxia, and another senior military officer, General Liu Zhenli, has raised questions about Xis expanding control over the Asian giant.

It has come to light that a corruption scandal has driven Chinas military purge. According to the US intelligence, the PLA had missiles filled with water instead of fuel and other issues that prompted the action.

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We take a look.

Water in missiles & more

US intelligence released in 2024 revealed that vast fields of missile silos in western China were constructed with lids that would hamper the launch of missiles effectively, Bloomberg reported.

Some of the missiles were also filled with water rather than fuel.

The corruption scandal played a role in Xis purge of the entire leadership of Rocket Forces, the PLAs division responsible for Beijings nuclear deterrent.

People familiar with the US assessments told Bloomberg that corruption within the PLA has triggered removal of confidence in its overall capabilities, especially the Rocket Force. It has also set back some of Xis top modernisation priorities.

Chinas military purge

Since coming to power in 2013, Xi has removed hundreds of officers and filed criminal charges against some of the most powerful figures in the armed forces.

On January 24, Chinas Ministry of National Defence announced General Zhang Youxia, the countrys highest-ranking military officer, and Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of the Central Military Commission (CMC) Joint Staff Department, were under investigation for suspected serious discipline and law violations. The decision to place them under investigation was made by the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry said in a statement.

The purge of General Zhang, who had close ties with Xi, stunned observers.

Chinese Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia arrives for a group photo session before the opening ceremony of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao, Shandong province, China April 22, 2024. File Photo/Reuters

An editorial in the PLA Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Peoples Liberation Army, declared that in the fight against corruption, no place is out of bounds, no ground is left unturned, and no tolerance is allowed.

The editorial claimed Zhang and Liu have gravely betrayed the trust placed in them by the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, and seriously trampled on and undermined the system of ultimate responsibility resting with the CMC chairman [Xi Jinping].

It added: They have severely fuelled political and corruption problems that threaten the Partys absolute leadership over the armed forces and undermine the Partys governance foundation.

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Neil Thomas, a fellow at the Asia Society think tank, told The Telegraph that the Chinese president had built a much larger political discipline apparatus around an initial anti-corruption campaign, which also targets disloyalty, incompetence and other failures to suitably implement Xis policies.

Is military purge motivated by future combat?

The US intel assessed that Xi has not been weakened by the widening purge, people told Bloomberg. Instead, his decision to oust senior figures indicates his hold over the Communist Party remains firm. It also shows his seriousness about improving discipline, stamping out corruption and ultimately preparing Chinas military for combat over the long term.

Analysts told The Telegraph that Xis crackdown on the PLA is led by his desire to reshape the worlds second-largest army into a modern fighting force. It is preparing to invade Taiwan by 2027 and overtake the US as the worlds top military by 2049, they said.

In November, the Chinese president fired nine generals, including seven who previously served in the Eastern Theatre, the branch responsible for Taiwan.

Xi has spent billions of dollars to transform the Chinese military into a modern force by 2027.

The corruption is real, its been pervasive, Jonathan Czin, who served as a China analyst in the CIA for 17 years, told The Telegraph. But the military modernisation is incredibly impressive. Its a big enough and well-resourced enough effort that theres enough space for both of these things to coexist side by side.

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With inputs from agencies
Elizabeth Salmon, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, will make an official visit to Seoul starting today. Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is set to join the Andhra Pradesh Congress protest against MGNREGA replacement

Its a big day for news.

Elizabeth Salmon, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, will make an official visit to South Korea starting today (February 2).

Also, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will join the Andhra Pradesh Congress protest against the Centre replacing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Read this and more news updates from across the world for today.

UN expert on human rights to visit North Korea

Salmon will be visiting South Korea from today until February 6. She is slated to meet government officials, civil society organisations, victims, and their families, according to the United Nations official website.

A press conference will be held on Friday (February 6) by the Special Rapporteur at Seoul Global Centre, 9F, 38 Jongro, Jongro-gu, Seoul. The experts annual report will be presented to the Human Rights Council in March 2026.

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Grammy Awards

Indian viewers can watch the 2026 Grammy Awards live today. The ceremony will stream in the early hours of the day due to the time difference with America.

The awards are taking place at at the Los Angeles Crypto.com Arena and will be available to watch in India via JioHotstar, which will stream the event live. The ceremony has notable award presentations, tributes to music icons, and live performances of emerging artists.

RaGa to join MGNREGA replacement protest in AP

Senior Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi will visit Andhra Pradesh today to take part in a state-wide protest against the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) said Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president YS Sharmila.

Rahul Gandhi to join MGNREGA replacement protest in Andhra Pradesh today. File Image: Reuters

While speaking to the media last week, Sharmila said that Gandhi responded positively to her request to visit the state and participate in the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee protest. She also accused the BJP-led Union government of weakening the programme.

Social media addiction trial opens in New Mexico

A landmark social media addiction trail is set to open in New Mexico today. Earlier in January, a New Mexico district judge denied Metas attempt to dismiss a state lawsuit alleging the company enabled child exploitation across its sites.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez first brought the civil suit in December 2023. He argued in the complaint that Meta failed to stem the tide of damaging sexual material and sexual propositions delivered to children," as reported by Source NM.

New Mexico v. Metas civil trial over child exploitation is slated for today. File Image

Meta denied the allegations, saying, We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people. For over a decade, weve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most."

We use these insights to make meaningful changes like introducing Teen Accounts with built-in protections and providing parents with tools to manage their teens experiences. Were proud of the progress weve made, and were always working to do better, it added, the media outlet reported.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to meet in Italys Milan today. Italian President Sergio Mattarella will attend the proceedings. This event marks the beginning of meetings leading into the 2026 Winter Games, according to reports.

With inputs from agencies
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) over the past few days launched Operation Herof (Black Storm) Phase II across several districts in the restive province of Balochistan. The BLA has claimed that it has killed over 200 Pakistani security personnel and captured over a dozen others

The BLA has claimed responsibility for several attacks. File image/AFP

The restive province of Balochistan witnessed a massive surge of violence over the weekend.

This comes after fighters from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched attacks on security installations, police posts, banks and transport infrastructure in places including Quetta, Mastung and Gwadar.

The BLA says that the offensive, dubbed Operation Herof (Black Storm) Phase II, was launched across several districts of the province. The BLA has claimed that it has killed over 200 personnel from the Pakistan Army, police and Frontier Corps, and captured over a dozen individuals.

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However, the Pakistani authorities have dismissed these claims, saying 17 law enforcement personnel and 31 civilians were killed in the attacks. Balochistans Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, has claimed that Pakistani security forces have killed over 145 militants.

Balochistan, Pakistans largest and poorest province, has faced a decades-long insurgency led by ethnic Baloch separatists seeking greater autonomy and a larger share of its natural resources.

Lets take a closer look at what we know about the operation and the BLA:
Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party because of new revelations concerning him in the latest tranche of documents linked to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Last year, the former British ambassador to the US was sacked from the position over his ties to the disgraced financier. Heres what the new emails and documents reveal

Peter Mandelson, former British ambassador to the US, has resigned from the Labour Party. File Photo/Reuters

Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United States, has resigned from his membership of the Labour Party over his links to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In his letter to Labours general secretary, he said he does not want to cause further embarrassment after facing intense pressure over the weekend.

This comes after the US Department of Justice released more than three million (30 lakh) documents, which also featured Mandelson, connected to Epstein.

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Lets take a closer look.

Who is Peter Mandelson?

Peter Mandelson has a long history with the Labour Party. His grandfather was Herbert Morrison, a Cabinet minister in Clement Attlees 1945 government.

He started working for Labour in the 1980s. In 1994, he played a prominent role in helping Tony Blairs election as party leader.

Mandelson then went on to serve as the trade secretary under the Blair government.

He was forced to resign after it came to light that he had received a secret loan of 373,000 from his ministerial colleague, Geoffrey Robinson.

Mandelson was later appointed Northern Ireland secretary and stayed on the job until January 2001, when he had to resign over allegations of misconduct over a passport application for the Hinduja brothers. He was later cleared of wrongdoing.

Mandelson was a Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004. Later, he served as the EUs trade commissioner.

After Labour was out of power, Mandelson started an international lobbying firm, Global Counsel, wherein he continued to gather influential contacts in business and politics.

Mandelson was appointed as the UKs ambassador to the US in December 2024. But this role was short-lived. He was sacked in September 2025 over his links to disgraced financier Epstein.

Mandelson in Epstein files

Jeffrey Epstein sent the then Labour MP Mandelson $75,000 between 2003 and 2004, bank statements released by the US Justice Department show.

The late child sex offender appeared to have made three separate $25,000 payments to accounts connected to Mandelson, reported BBC.

The former Labour envoy said he did not recall receiving the sums and questioned their authenticity.

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The first, dated 14 May 2003, showed a payment was made to a Barclays bank account where Reinaldo Avila da Silva, Mandelsons partner at the time, is named as A/C, typically an abbreviation for account. In this, a Peter Mandelson is named on the account as BEN, used as an abbreviation for beneficiary.

The second and third payments of $25,000 were made to HSBC accounts just days after in June 2004. In both, Peter Mandelson is the only person named as BEN.

Emails and other documents released by the US Justice Department on Friday (January 30) have shed light on the close association between Epstein and Mandelson.

Mandelson once again expressed regret for ever having known Epstein and for continuing his association after the disgraced financiers conviction, apologising unequivocally to the women and girls who suffered.

The latest tranche of Epstein files contains images of the former UK ambassador to the US in his underwear. In one picture, he is seen standing next to a woman, whose face has been redacted.

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Mandelson said he cannot place the location or the woman and I cannot think what the circumstances were.

It remains unclear when or where the images of Mandelson and the woman were taken. Emails in the files showed Mandelson tried to change government policy on a planned tax on bankers bonuses at Epsteins request.

In an on 15 December 2009, in which email addresses are redacted, Epstein asked Mandelson if the policy could be changed, saying: Any [sic] real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers bonus. Mandelson responded, Trying hard to amend as I explained to Jes last night. Treasury digging in but I am on case.

Mandelsons partner, da Silva, had also asked Epstein to pay him 10,000 in September 2009 to fund an osteopathy course and other expenses.

The former ambassador had previously featured in a 50th birthday photo book compiled for Epstein by Ghislaine Maxwell.

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The picture showed Mandelson with Epstein, with the former minister smiling in a bathrobe, before he described Epstein as his best pal.

In another place in the message, Mandelson appeared to reference entertaining Epsteins interesting friends, signing off with a note, writing: we love you.

Later, he called the messages embarrassing to see and to read.

Mandelson quits Labour Party

In a letter to Labours general secretarys Hollie Ridle, on Sunday evening, Mandelson said, I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.

Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.

While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.

I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.

I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests.

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US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Britains ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, after announcing a trade deal with the UK, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC US, May 8, 2025. File Photo/Reuters

The Labour government is facing backlash over Mandelson.

A Conservative Party spokesman condemned British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for allowing Mandelson to resign from the Labour Party instead of kicking him out.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had called on the UK PM to suspend Mandelsons membership and launch an investigation into his ties to Epstein.

Another lawmaker called on Mandelson to testify before the US Congress. Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine, a member of the women and equalities select committee. I think anyone who has any knowledge of what Epstein was doing has a moral responsibility to his victims to help the authorities in any way they can, she said. The public also has a right to hold its politicians to a certain standard and we must ensure that happens in this absolutely disgusting situation.

With inputs from agencies
Donald Trump has said that he is hopeful the US and Iran can strike a deal to prevent a war. The development comes as the US has deployed its strike force group, including the USS Abraham Lincoln, to the region. But why has he softened his stance?

Will the US and Iran make a deal to prevent a war?

US President Donald Trump has said that he is hopeful such an accord can be reached. The development comes as the United States has deployed its strike force group, including the USS Abraham Lincoln, to the region.

We have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close, and in a couple of days, hopefully, well make a deal. If we dont make a deal, then well find out whether or not he was right, Trump said.

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Trump earlier had said that an armada of ships was heading to West Asia. We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case  Id rather not see anything happen, but were watching them very closely, Trump told reporters after Davos.

But what has led Trump to soften his stance on Iran?

Lets take a closer look.

How Trumps stance changed

First, lets take a look at how Trumps statements on Iran have changed since the end of December.

Trump, at the end of December, claimed Iran was building up its nuclear weapons again. Trump, who last year had launched strikes on Irans nuclear facilities, had claimed that their entire system had been destroyed. This despite US intelligence not agreeing with that claim.

Trump, meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, said, Well knock the hell out of them. But, hopefully, thats not happening. He said such strikes would be more powerful than the last time.

Then, as Iranians took to the streets against the Khamenei regime in January, Trump vowed support for the protesters. The US president claimed that his country was locked and loaded and ready to go. Trump days later posed with a Make Iran Great Again hat and threatened that the US would come to the rescue. If Iran violently kills peaceful protesters, the US would come to their rescue. He also said that the USA stands ready to help.

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However, by mid-January, Trump had seemingly changed his mind, saying the killing in Iran is stopping  and theres no plan for executions. A week later, Trump seemingly changed his mind again, saying we have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case.

Trump on January 28 openly threatened Iran, saying the armada, like with Venezuela, is ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.

He also threatened that Tehran needs to make a deal and vowed that it would have NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

According to The Guardian, Trumps change of mind came after he was presented with a number of options to strike Iran but came away unimpressed. There are also reports that some US allies in West Asia fear such strikes could result in a major conflagration across the region.

Indeed, Tehran had warned that strikes would lead to the entire region being engulfed.

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Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. File Photo/Reuters

The Americans should know if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war, Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said. That Americans sometimes talk about war, saying we will come with warships and aircraft, is nothing new. The Iranian nation is not affected by such talk. They shouldnt try to intimidate the Iranian nation with such things.

Iran had also warned that any attack by the US would be seen as an act of war.

We are not the initiators of war. We do not seek to oppress anyone. We do not seek to attack any country. However, anyone who seeks to attack or cause harm will face a decisive blow from the Iranian nation, Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said.

Khameneis senior adviser Ali Shamkhani also had strong words for the United States.

Any military action by the United States, from any location and at any level, will be considered the start of a war, Shamkhani was quoted as saying. The response will be immediate, comprehensive and unprecedented. The aggressor, the heart of Tel Aviv and all those who support the aggressor will be targeted.

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Diplomatic efforts underway

Last week, Irans top diplomat Abbas Araghchi visited Istanbul for talks aimed at reducing tensions. Araghchi met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday.

Meanwhile, Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week said its top diplomat, Badr Abdelatty, had spoken with Araghchi and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in order to work toward achieving calm, in order to avoid the region slipping into new cycles of instability.

Saudi Arabian Gulf nations are also getting into the act. Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week spoke to Irans President Pezeshkian. MBS reiterated that the Kingdom will not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military actions against Iran or for any attacks from any party, regardless of their origin. The United Arab Emirates has also done so.

Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week spoke to Irans President Pezeshkian. Reuters

Shahram Akbarzadeh, a professor in Middle East and Central Asian politics at Australias Deakin University, told Al Jazeera that Tehran is relying on regional powers to advise Trump against any attack on Iran. They hope that building pressure on Trump would change his mind, Akbarzadeh said. A concerted effort by regional powers could make an impression on Trump, especially if it is made clear to him that war is bad for business.

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Regional insecurity will have an adverse impact on the supply of oil to the global economy, which will create a ripple effect across the world. The US economy will also be affected.

China and Russia have also voiced their opinions. Beijing has warned that any military adventurism will only push the region into an abyss of unpredictability, while the Kremlin has said a US strike on Iran would destabilise the Middle East.

With inputs from agencies
In her 85-minute Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman laid out the pathway to turbocharge the countrys infrastructure overhaul and boost manufacturing. NRIs also received a major fillip from this years Budget. But who lost out?

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman waves before before presenting the Union Budget 2026-27, in New Delhi. PTI

After a big bang Sunday  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered her record ninth consecutive Budget speech  the analysis continues.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Union Budget 2026-27 as a strong foundation for Indias journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047, saying it would provide fresh energy and speed to the reform express on which the country is riding.

Speaking to the nation after the Budget speech made in Parliament, PM Modi said, This Budget is a strong foundation for the flight to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. This Budget will provide fresh energy and speed to the reform express on which India is riding today. The path-breaking reforms provide an open sky to the courageous, talented youth of India. Our effort has been to continuously strengthen skill, scale, and sustainability.

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Many calls this is a Budget of clear trade-offs. While builders, manufacturers, startups, and small businesses emerge as beneficiaries, certain investor classes and corporates face a more demanding regulatory and tax environment.

Heres a closer look at the winners and losers of Union Budget 2026.

Infrastructure  Winner

In Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that capital expenditure or capex has been raised to Rs 12.22 lakh crore, an increase of 11.5 per cent from Rs 10.96 lakh crore in the previous fiscal year.

This investment will be directed toward expanding and upgrading roads, railways, ports, logistics hubs, and urban infrastructure, sectors that generate employment while strengthening long-term productivity.

Furthermore, in her Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also announced seven more high-speed rail corridors linking key financial hubs and emerging cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Varanasi and Siliguri.

A dedicated freight corridor between Dangkuni in West Bengal and Surat in Gujarat has been announced. The government further plans to operationalise 20 new national waterways, reinforcing its push for cost-efficient cargo movement.

Traders  Loser

In the Budget speech, the finance minister announced major changes to the Securities Transaction Tax (STT), proposing a hike in STT for futures trade from 0.02 per cent to 0.05 per cent and raising the STT on options trade to 0.15 per cent.

This move by Sitharaman has been made to curb speculative trading.

Following this announcement, the markets tanked; the Sensex dropped 1,547 points whereas the Nifty plunged 495 points. In fact, the markets saw their biggest one-day fall in six years on Budget Day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a warm welcome from the members of the Indian diaspora, in Paris. This Budget has a number of proposals that benefit NRIs living across the world. File image/PTI

NRIs  Winner

This Union Budget brought a smile on the faces of many NRIs as significant changes were introduced. Firstly, a single Persons Resident Outside India (PROI) can now invest up to 10 per cent in the equity instruments of a listed Indian company, up from the earlier five per cent limit.

Following the Budget, the aggregate investment cap for all such overseas individual investors in a company has also been raised to 24 per cent from 10 per cent.

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Earlier, resident buyers had to obtain a Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number (Tan) solely to deposit TDS when buying property from NRIs, even for one-time deals. However, it has now been announced that TDS on such transactions can be deducted and deposited using the buyers PAN-based challan, removing the need for Tan registration.

FM Sitharaman also proposed a six-month disclosure window for small taxpayers  including students, tech professionals and relocated NRIs  to voluntarily declare foreign assets and regularise tax compliance.

Bangladesh, Chabahar Port  Loser

The Budget also reflected Indias overseas aid to different countries. While this amount has increased to Rs 5,686 crore, a rise of about four per cent from the previous Budget, there have been some significant changes.

For instance, theres zero funding for Irans Chabahar port project. This comes after allocations of Rs 400 crore in 202425 and Rs 400 crore in 202526. Also, aid to Bangladesh has also been cut in half from Rs 120 crore. This isnt a surprise considering how ties between the two nations have deteriorated following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.

Workers work on a rail component inside a manufacturing unit of Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd. (TRSL) in Uttarpara. Representational image/Reuters

Tech and manufacturing  Winner

India has announced a $4.3 billion outlay for electronic components manufacturing to propel the industry. The Budget also gave special focus to sectors such as semiconductors, rare earth minerals, and biological drugs (biopharma).

One of the biggest announcements from the Budget was the Semiconductor Mission 2.0, with an outlay of Rs 8,000 crore, as the government turns its focus to expand the countrys chip-making ecosystem.

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Rare earth minerals also received special attention. The government has announced the development of rare earth corridors in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. The move comes as China, which dominates global rare earth production, imposes export controls amid its trade conflict with the US.

High net-worth individuals  Loser

High net-worth individuals and investors have been hit by the removal of interest deduction benefits on certain investments. This raises the effective tax liability on select financial products and reduces tax efficiency for affluent investors.

Men pull sledges with tourists on a muddy snow-covered slope in Apharwat Peak near Gulmarg, a ski resort in the Kashmir region. Tourism has received a major boost in this years Budget. File image/Reuters

Tourism  Winner

Realising the large role that tourism plays in job creation and forex earnings, Nirmala Sitharaman has paid close attention to the tourism sector in Budget 2026.

The finance minister announced new ecologically sustainable mountain trails will be developed as tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and even the Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats. She also proposed developing 15 archaeological sites, including the Indus Valley Civilisation sites such as Lothal, Rakhigarhi, and Dholavira, as important cultural tourism destinations.

The Union Budget 2026 has also made international travel more affordable for Indians. The TCS on international tour programmes will drop from the current five per cent and 20 per cent rates to a flat two per cent, with no minimum amount condition.

Promoters  Loser

The Budget has proposed that the consideration received by a shareholder on buy-back will be chargeable to tax under capital gains, instead of being treated as dividend income.

Furthermore, it proposed to provide a differential rate for promoters. The government announced that to disincentivise misuse of tax arbitrage, promoters, which are domestic companies, will pay an additional buyback tax, making the effective tax of 22 per cent for corporate promoters. For non-corporate promoters, the effective tax will be increased to 30 per cent.

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A worker carries threads to weave sarees and dress material on power looms at a workshop in Varanasi. This sector is likely to benefit from a number of policy measures announced in this Budget. AFP

Textiles  Winner

The apparel sector that was hit by US President Donald Trumps tariffs have received a boost from this Budget. A proposal to set up mega textile parks, was announced in this years Budget.

The Budget also proposed to launch the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj initiative to strengthen khadi, handloom, and handicrafts, which Sitharaman said would help in global market linkage and branding. This will benefit our weavers, village industries, One District, One Product initiative, and rural youth, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

She further laid out a comprehensive five-point plan for Indias textile sector development, which included the National Fibre Scheme, man-made and new-age fibres, a textile expansion and employment scheme, the National Handloom and Handicrafts Programme, and the TEX-ECO initiative, alongside Samarth 2.0 for modernised skilling.

Pharmaceuticals  Winner

One of the biggest gainers of this Budget has been the pharmaceutical sector with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore over the next five years for developing biologics and biosimilars.

It was also announced that the government proposed a scheme to help states set up five regional medical hubs with aims of promoting India as a leading medical tourism destination.

The budget also proposed setting up a network of over 1,000 accredited Indian clinical trial sites.

In conclusion, while the Budget may have seemed not to have any big bang announcements, it seems to be focused on its long-term priorities, pushing the country faster towards a Viksit Bharat.

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With inputs from agencies
Pakistans Balochistan has witnessed one of its deadliest security flare-ups in years, with coordinated militant attacks killing hundreds and triggering a massive counter-operation. This explainer unpacks the Baloch insurgency, the Balochistan Liberation Armys role, strategic stakes involving China, and Islamabads claims of foreign involvement

Pakistans restive southwestern province of Balochistan became the epicentre of deadly violence after a wave of coordinated militant attacks triggered one of the most intense security operations the region has seen in years.

Over nearly 40 hours, gun and bomb assaults spanning multiple districts left scores of civilians and security personnel dead, while Pakistani forces claimed to have killed at least 145 militants.

The latest bloodshed has drawn attention back to Balochistans decades-old insurgency and at the same time, Islamabads repeated allegations of foreign involvement  particularly against India  have once again triggered sharp diplomatic pushback.

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What happened in the 40 hours in Balochistan?

The latest crisis began with a series of near-simultaneous attacks across a wide geographical swathe of Balochistan, including Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung, Noshki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump and Pasni.

Militants struck police stations, security checkpoints, training facilities, banks, markets and government offices, while also attempting to breach sensitive installations linked to Pakistans security forces.

In several locations, attackers reportedly moved through urban areas, briefly blocking roads and targeting infrastructure before security forces responded with large-scale counter-operations involving the army, police and counterterrorism units.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday said the province witnessed almost 40 hours of continuous fighting as security personnel pursued militants across different locations.

According to provincial authorities, 17 members of Pakistans law enforcement agencies and 31 civilians were killed in the attacks. Pakistans military said that 92 militants were killed on Saturday, adding to the 41 on Friday.

Bugti said intelligence agencies had received credible warnings before the attacks were launched. We had intelligence reports that this kind of operation was being planned, and as a result of those, we started pre-operations a day before, he said.

Details emerging from the attacks highlighted a troubling shift in militant tactics. Pakistans junior interior minister Talal Chaudhry said the attackers deliberately concealed their identities by blending into civilian populations before opening fire.

In each case, the attackers came in dressed as civilians and indiscriminately targeted ordinary people working in shops, Chaudhry said, adding that militants had used civilians as human shields during the assaults.

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In Quetta, the provincial capital, the aftermath was visible across multiple neighbourhoods. Burnt-out vehicles stood outside police stations, doors and walls bore bullet marks, and streets were cordoned off with yellow tape as security forces tightened patrols.

A view of a bullet riddle door at a police station, following militant attacks, in Quetta, Pakistan, February 1, 2026. File Image/Reuters

Militants targeted police stations, checkpoints, the Police Training Centre and areas designated as Red Zones. A bank was torched, police vehicles were set on fire, and Safe City surveillance cameras were attacked.

Our Safe City cameras in Quetta were also attacked. We will install CCTV cameras in eight cities to strengthen surveillance, Bugti said.

In Gwadar, a coastal city central to Pakistans economic and strategic ambitions, militants reportedly killed five members of a labourer family from Khuzdar. The port city has long been a focal point for insurgent violence due to its role in China-backed infrastructure projects.

In Pasni, militants targeted a Maritime Security Agency naval camp. A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the main gate, killing one MSA soldier and injuring another, reported Karachi-based Geo News.

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Security forces responded, killing six militants during the assault. A separate attack on a Coast Guard post in the area was repelled, officials said.

In Mastung, Kalat and Pasni, attackers attempted to seize control of government buildings and security installations. Several people were injured in Mastung during gun and bomb attacks.

Militants also freed more than 30 prisoners from the Central Jail, further escalating concerns over the security situation.

Clashes were reported near the Deputy Commissioners headquarters and Police Lines in Kalat, while in Noshki, militants abducted Deputy Commissioner Hussain Hazara along with his family. A video later emerged showing the official in captivity before his release.

In Kharan, political and tribal leader Shahid Malazai and six of his guards were killed when militants attacked his residence. Three attackers were also killed in the ensuing exchange of fire.

Markets were shut in several towns amid fear and panic, and authorities imposed additional security measures to prevent further attacks.

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Who is the Baloch Liberation Army and what does it want?

Responsibility for the coordinated violence was claimed by the Islamabad-banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The group said it had launched a province-wide operation named Herof, or black storm, targeting Pakistans security forces.

The BLA also claimed to have killed 84 members of Pakistans security forces and captured 18 others. Pakistani authorities rejected these claims, saying security forces had prevented militants from seizing control of any city or strategic installation.

The BLA is the most prominent among several ethnic Baloch insurgent groups that have operated in Balochistan for decades. It seeks independence for the province, which lies in Pakistans southwest and borders Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west.

The group argues that Balochistans abundant natural resources  including gas, copper, gold and other minerals  are exploited by the federal government without fair benefit to the local population. It rejects federal authority over resource extraction and security, insisting that the provinces wealth belongs to its people.

Hundreds of Baloch activists, many of them women, have staged protests in Islamabad and across the province over alleged abuses by security forces  accusations the government denies.

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The decades-old insurgency has continued to destabilise the region and raise security concerns around Pakistans plans to tap its untapped natural wealth.

How has the BLA changed tactics in recent years?

For years, the Baloch insurgency was viewed as relatively low-level compared to Islamist militancy elsewhere in Pakistan. That assessment has changed markedly in recent years as attacks have become more frequent, coordinated and lethal.

In 2022, the BLA shocked Pakistans security establishment by launching assaults on army and navy bases.

In August 2024, militants carried out coordinated attacks across Balochistan, including highway ambushes in which passengers were pulled off buses and shot after identity checks.

In March 2025, militants sabotaged railway tracks and opened fire on the Jaffar Express passenger train, briefly taking hostages and triggering a major security operation, according to officials and local media.

The group has also deployed women suicide bombers, including in an attack targeting Chinese nationals in Karachi. It has repeatedly struck civilian targets, migrant labourers from other provinces and low-income communities  a development that Pakistani officials say represents a sharp escalation in tactics.

Balochistans mountainous border areas have long served as sanctuaries not only for Baloch insurgents but also for Islamist militants.

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Last year, the BLA was at the centre of tit-for-tat military strikes between Iran and Pakistan, as both countries accused each other of hosting militant bases. The exchanges brought the two neighbours close to armed confrontation before tensions eased.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused India and Afghanistan of backing Baloch militants  allegations both countries deny. The BLA is also designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States.

Why is Balochistan crucial for Pakistan?

A central focus of the BLAs campaign has been Chinese interests in Pakistan. The group has accused Beijing of assisting Islamabad in exploiting Balochistans resources and has repeatedly targeted projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Balochistan is a critical component of Chinas $65 billion CPEC initiative, a flagship element of President Xi Jinpings Belt and Road vision. The province hosts key infrastructure, mining and port projects, including the deep-water port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea.

Militants have killed Chinese citizens working in the region and attacked Chinese diplomatic and cultural sites, including Beijings consulate and language centre in Karachi.

Balochistan is also home to major mining projects such as Reko Diq, operated by Barrick Gold, which is believed to be one of the worlds largest gold and copper deposits. China separately operates a gold and copper mine in the province.

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Balochistans proximity to the Strait of Hormuz  a vital global oil shipping lane  also adds to its growing strategic importance.

Despite its natural wealth, Balochistan remains Pakistans poorest province, with limited development and long-standing grievances over political representation, resource sharing and alleged abuses by security forces.

Who has Islamabad blamed for the violence?

In the wake of the latest violence, Pakistans military revived its long-standing claim of external involvement.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the military said the attacks were carried out by Indian-sponsored militants, referring to them as cadres of Fitna al-Hindustan, which it translated as Indias incitement.

This framing has become a consistent feature of Pakistans national security narrative, linking major attacks to foreign adversaries and portraying the military as a guardian of territorial integrity rather than a party to an internal conflict rooted in local grievances.

Officials have previously used similar language when accusing neighbouring countries of attempting to undermine Pakistans key economic projects.

How has New Delhi responded?

On Sunday, responding to media queries, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, We categorically reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan, which are nothing but its usual tactics to deflect attention from its own internal failings.

He added that Islamabad should focus on domestic issues rather than externalising blame.

Instead of parroting frivolous claims each time there is a violent incident, it would do better to focus on addressing long-standing demands of its people in the region. Its record of suppression, brutality and violation of human rights is well known, Jaiswal said.

Meanwhile, the United States condemned the attacks, with US Charge dAffaires Natalie Baker describing them as acts of terrorist violence and expressing solidarity with Pakistan.

We will carry out intelligence-based operations against terrorists, and we will drag them out of their hideouts, Bugti said.

With inputs from agencies
Conservative populist Laura Fernandez has been elected as the president of Costa Rica. Widely regarded as the political heir of outgoing conservative President Rodrigo Chaves, she previously served as his planning minister and chief of staff. Here is all you need to know about her

Costa Rica's presidential candidate from the Sovereign People Party, Laura Fernandez, gestures as she delivers her victory speech after the presidential election results at the Aurola Hotel in San Jose on February 1. AFP

Laura Fernandez, the right-wing political scientist elected president of Costa Rica, is the latest Latin American politician to achieve victory by emulating the self-described worlds coolest dictator, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.

Fernandez, 39, is the political heir of outgoing conservative President Rodrigo Chaves, under whom she served as planning minister and chief of staff.

She is the second woman to be elected president, after Laura Chinchilla who governed from 2010 to 2014.

But it is to Bukele she looks for inspiration on how to curb rising violence in a country long seen as an oasis of stability in Central America.

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Costa Rica, which has Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, has gone from mere transit point to logistics hub for Colombian and Mexican drug cartels.

Drug trafficking has spilt over into local communities, fuelling turf wars that have caused the murder rate to jump 50 percent in the past six years.

Costa Ricas presidential candidate from the Sovereign People Party, Laura Fernandez, reacts during her victory speech after the presidential election results at the Aurola Hote in San Jose. AFP

Fernandez has promised to complete construction of a mega-prison for dangerous offenders modeled on Bukeles brutal Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) and to place crime hotspots under a Salvadoran-style state of emergency.

I will implement tough measures that allow us to take criminals off the streets and put them where they belong  in jail, the candidate of the Sovereign Peoples Party said on the campaign trial.

Rights groups warn against replicating Bukeles model, which has shown spectacular results on crime while sacrificing the rights of thousands of people locked up without charge.

They see Fernandez as a mere vehicle for Chaves populist agenda and fear that her role will primarily be to keep the seat warm for him until he can make a comeback.

Members of the ruling party have already said they will seek to change the constitution so Chaves does not have to wait eight years before running for re-election.

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Fernandez has not ruled out including Chaves in her cabinet.

Rude and populist

She has adopted his confrontational approach, portraying the judiciary as soft on crime and bashing political elites.

Her tone is rude and populist, a poor imitation of the president, Chinchilla accused.

Born in Puntarenas, a Pacific port city plagued by drug trafficking, Fernandez was raised by a farmer father and teacher mother.

She says she was raised among cows and geese, and that during school holidays she helped out at a family hardware store in the capital San Jose, packing nails.

The twice-married mother of a three-year-old girl, she considers herself economically liberal and socially conservative.

If youre in favor of abortion, euthanasia, and believe that family isnt important, this isnt the place for you, she stated.

On the eve of the elections, local media reported that she had made an alleged pact with ultraconservative evangelical Costa Ricans to secure their support in exchange for positions in her government.
Boycott Huda Beauty campaign has been launched across social media by Iranians after its founder, Huda Kattan, posted a video showing pro-government protesters in Iran burning images of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late Shah, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Iranians accused Kattan of mocking their uprising against the current regime

Iranians activists have smashed Huda Beauty products, accusing its founder of supporting the Iranian government. Image courtesy: @mobi_meu/X

Some Iranians are boycotting makeup and skincare giant Huda Beauty.

Huda Kattan, an Iraqi-American beauty mogul and founder of Huda Beauty, has come under fire after sharing a video about the protests in Iran.

Protesters have accused Kattan of supporting the Iranian regime, which she has denied in a series of clarifications. According to reports, Kattans sister Mona has now unfollowed her on social media.

Heres what we know about the boycott Huda Beauty controversy.

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Why are Iranians boycotting the skincare giant?

The Boycott Huda Beauty campaign began after Kattan shared a video from TRT World, a state-funded international broadcaster based in Istanbul, on January 28 on her Instagram.

The clip showed pro-government protesters in Iran burning images of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late Shah, who has attempted to present himself as a possible leader during weeks of deadly protests.

Posters of Trump and Netanyahu were also burnt in the same video.

Critics accused Kattan of spreading misinformation and regime propaganda. Some Iranians also felt that Kattan was echoing the governments side of the story and mocking the uprising.

TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms were flooded with videos of Iranian women and activists dumping and even setting their Huda Beauty products on fire.

What did Kattan say in her defence?

The National reported that Kattan, in a series of emotional Instagram video stories, called claims that she was pro-regime deeply upsetting.

People out there are angry with me because they think I support the regime of Iran, or I am supporting anything that is hurting the Iranian people. Thats just wild, she said. I cant believe anybody would think that I would support that.

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Kattan claimed that she is not informed enough to take or pass any public opinion on Irans internal politics.

Transparently, Im not pro-regime. But I also dont know enough about the regime. Ive heard a lot of mixed things, and I dont think I have the right to have an opinion on whats going on in Iran, she was quoted as saying.

Kattan said she recognised why feelings were intense, noting the pain felt by Iranians both within the country and abroad.

I know a lot of people all over the world are very, very upset, she said. A lot of Iranians whove left Iran are very upset with whats going on in Iran, and I really truly feel for a lot of people. And I also feel for a lot of people in Iran who are going through things that I just cant imagine.

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Kattan also issued an apology, saying that if her views were misconstrued into appearing to be support for the government, reported Middle East Eye.

However, she firmly reiterated her opposition to any form of external intervention in the region, saying, Im not going to go on here saying, Yes, lets create regime change in a country where I have had that situation happen in my country, and it still hurts, the media outlet quoted her as saying.

She later compared Irans internal issues with Iraq, her home country, which was invaded by the United States in 2003.

How Iranians are going after Huda Beauty

Kattans remarks triggered debate online, with some Iranian personalities and social media users continuing to call for a boycott of her company and urging retailers like Sephora to remove her products from their shelves.

A social media user posted an image of Huda Beauty products in a dustbin with the caption, Where it belongs. Boycott. And tbh, I barely used it because the fragrance is nauseating. Huda Beauty supports terrorists.

Where it belongs. Boycott + . And tbh, I barely used it because the fragrance is nauseating. #huda #hudabeauty #hudabeautyboycott . Huda beauty supports terrorists. @hudabeauty pic.twitter.com/KeeYOSPlLm  Tina Haghighi (@TinaHaghighi) January 29, 2026

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People are boycotting this brand because it supports a terrorist regime that has killed thousands of people, another user shared an AI-generated image of blood-soaked Huda Beauty products.

People are boycotting this brand because it supports a terrorist regime that has killed thousands of people.#IranMassacre #hudabeauty pic.twitter.com/iZtvSB9txe    (@misssilken) January 28, 2026

Another angry Iranian shared an AI-generated image of Kattan applying blood-soaked products on her face with a caption, Huda Beauty is a blood-soaked brand that supports terrorism. I refuse to stay silent.

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#Boycotthudabeauty#IranMassacre

Huda Beauty is a blood-soaked brand that supports terrorism. I refuse to stay silent. pic.twitter.com/ipHtZ6WZ9z   (@mobi_meu) January 28, 2026

Moj Mahdara, the Iranian-American founder and chief executive of Beautycon, slammed Kattan, saying, You (referring to Kattan) said you couldnt do anything political. And here you are today, covering up the dirty work of the Islamic Republic.

However, several others have praised Kattans stance, saying that she had the right to be wary of those calling for regime change as an Iraqi-American who has seen the result of US intervention.

With inputs from agencies
The Rafah border crossing, which is considered the gateway to the world for Palestinians, will reopen on Monday, Israel has said. It has been largely shut since May 2024 since Israel took control of the Gaza side as part of its offensive following the October 7, 2023 attacks

Trucks line up to enter the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing, heading for inspection by Israeli authorities before entering the Gaza Strip. AP

The gateway to the world for Palestinians in Gaza  the Rafah border crossing to Egypt  reopened on Monday (February 2) after being largely shut since it was seized by Israel in May 2024. Earlier, the crossing opened on Sunday on a trial basis as well.

The reopening, announced by Israel on Friday, is part of entering the second phase of the US-brokered ceasefire, and it raises hopes for thousands of war-wounded Palestinians seeking travel abroad for medical care, and for tens of thousands of people outside Gaza seeking to return home. However, at first, only very few people will be allowed to cross.

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Officials say that the crossing will initially operate under strict controls, with Israeli, Egyptian and European Union personnel overseeing the new arrangements and only dozens of Palestinians  and no goods  allowed through the crossing each day.

Heres what to know:

Crossing reopened after nearly two years

Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat), the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, said in a statement that starting on Sunday, a limited movement of people only would be allowed through the Rafah crossing.

The announcement followed statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ali Shaath, newly appointed to head the Palestinian administrative committee governing Gazas daily affairs, that it would likely open soon.

Opening Rafah signals Gaza is no longer closed to the future and to the world, Saath said in a January 22 video the White House posted on X.

Rafah Crossing  UPDATE:



The Rafah crossing has reopened for movement of people only.



Today, a pilot is underway to test and assess the operation of the crossing.



The movement of residents in both directions, entry and exit to and from Gaza, is expected to begin tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/m0SFdAUXbj  COGAT (@cogatonline) February 1, 2026

Before publicising Shaaths promise, the US had pressed Israel and Hamas to enter the ceasefires second phase. The remains of the final hostage in Gaza were recovered this week, completing a key part of the first phase.

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Shaath and the new Palestinian committee remain in Cairo, without Israeli authorisation to enter Gaza through Rafah.

Netanyahu says people to cross, not goods

Preparations are underway to let a limited number of medical evacuees leave Gaza first. Thats a significant shift from before the war, when most exited through Israel, according to World Health Organization data.

There are conflicting reports on how many people can cross each day. An Israeli official speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with protocol said earlier this week that 50 Palestinians will be allowed in and 50 out daily. Another person familiar with discussions said 50 would be allowed in daily and 150 out.

Either means a long wait for many of the estimated 20,000 sick and wounded that the territorys health ministry says need treatment outside Gaza. At a rate of 50 evacuations a day, it would take more than a year for everyone to leave.

In the past, those prioritised for evacuation have been mostly children, cancer patients, and people suffering from physical trauma. Most received treatment in Egypt.

Medical evacuees typically exit Gaza with escorts. The person familiar with the discussions said two escorts likely would be allowed for each evacuee.

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Meanwhile, at least 30,000 Palestinians have registered with the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo for return to Gaza, according to an embassy official, speaking on condition of anonymity because details of the reopening remain under discussion.

Israel will control who enters and leaves

A complex web of countries and institutions will oversee the Rafah crossing, including Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, and a European Union mission, but Israel has control over who enters or exits.

Cogat said Israel and Egypt would vet Palestinians for entry and exit, though the crossing itself would be overseen by European border patrol agents. Those who fled during the war and are cleared by Israel may return.

Trucks wait to enter the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing, heading for inspection by Israeli authorities before entering the Gaza Strip. AP

Under the ceasefire terms, Israels military controls the area between the Rafah crossing and the zone where most Palestinians live. Cogat will bus Palestinians to and from the crossing, said an Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with protocol.

At the edge of the zone, Palestinians travelling to the crossing will undergo an additional screening, Cogat said on Friday. In the past, such screenings have been conducted by Israeli soldiers and private US contractors.

Anyone entering or exiting undergoes our inspection, a full inspection, Netanyahu said Tuesday.

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Officers from the EU Border Assistance Mission and the Palestinian Authority will run the crossing. Plainclothes officers with the Palestinian Authority will stamp passports, as they did during a brief ceasefire at the start of 2025 and before Hamas wrested control of Gaza in 2007, Palestinian officials told the AP.

Netanyahu seemed to acknowledge that members of Palestinian factions that historically have governed Gaza may play a role, noting that the majority of bureaucrats have a history of working for Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

How Rafah functioned before the war

Even before the war, Palestinians faced heavy restrictions.

In 2022, the United Nations recorded more than 133,000 entries and 144,000 exits through Rafah, though many involved the same people crossing multiple times. Egyptian authorities allowed imports for 150 days of the year, and more than 32,000 trucks of goods entered.

Restrictions have tracked the regions politics. Egypt, alongside Israel, imposed a blockade after Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007. It reopened the crossing after Egypts 2011 revolution but closed it in 2013 after the military ousted President Mohammed Morsi, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement from which Hamas emerged.

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Egypt gradually allowed the Rafah crossing to reopen in the years that followed, but the on-and-off restrictions led to a massive tunnel economy that sprang up beneath it. Tunnels served as an economic lifeline for Gaza and a conduit for weapons and cash, according to Israeli and Egyptian officials. Hamas collected tens of millions of dollars a month in taxes and customs on goods passing through the crossing.

Other details remain unclear

It is not clear when trucks will be allowed to pass through the Rafah crossing, what Palestinians will be permitted to bring and for how long daily entries and exits will be capped.

Thats a big uncertainty for humanitarian organisations seeking to further surge aid into devastated Gaza, where groups have long reported vast shortages of medical supplies, fuel and other essential needs.

The United Nations wants the crossing open for both humanitarian cargo and private sector cargo, which is critically important for reviving the economy in Gaza, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Wednesday.

The UNs deputy Middle East coordinator, Ramiz Alakbarov, told a UN Security Council meeting that humanitarian workers face delays and denials of cargo at crossings and limited routes available for transporting supplies within Gaza.

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Netanyahu said his focus is on disarming Hamas, a challenging part of the ceasefires second phase, and destroying its remaining tunnels. He said there would be no reconstruction in Gaza without demilitarisation, a stance that could make Israels control over the Rafah crossing a key point of leverage.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar heads to Washington to attend a high-stakes Critical Minerals Ministerial and hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The visit comes amidst unresolved trade negotiations, tariff tensions, and a renewed push to deepen India-US strategic and economic ties

Indias External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, is en route to the United States for whats shaping up to be a defining diplomatic engagement early this year. Set against simmering trade tensions and long-pending negotiations, Jaishankars visit aims to recalibrate the India-US relationship by focusing on critical minerals.

Scheduled to attend the Critical Minerals Ministerial on February 4, Jaishankar will participate in discussions hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that revolve around securing resilient global supply chains for minerals vital to technology, defence, energy transition and economic security.

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Talks on the margins and unresolved trade

The Washington trip transcends a single meeting. Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Rubio on the sidelines of the ministerial, a signal that both sides want to keep strategic dialogue alive despite ongoing disagreements.

The backdrop is a complex one. India and the US have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal for months, but progress has been slow. Multiple rounds of talks last year brought little breakthrough, particularly due to disagreements over market access and tariff structures. In this context, the tariff issue and broader economic disagreements still loom over the relationship even as diplomatic channels stay open.

Joining strategic frameworks

A key anticipated outcome of the visit is Indias decision to join Pax Silica, a US-led initiative aimed at bolstering secure supply chains for critical technologies, from semiconductors to advanced manufacturing. Current members include the UK, Japan, Israel and Australia. Indias involvement is being watched closely by analysts as a strategic move to align with global partners on economic security and technology resilience.

In recent weeks, Jaishankar has been actively engaging US counterparts at home, including with a US Congressional delegation on trade, security and critical technologies.
He is the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha. I want to take him seriously, and I want to take his observations seriously to see if things can be done better. But most often, I think he shoots from his hip," said Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivers the Budget 2026-27 speech at the Lok Sabha on Sunday. (Photo: Sansad TV)

Responding to criticism from Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who had accused the government of being blind to realities" facing the economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that he often shoots from the hip and does not rely on strong foundational data while making his points.

In an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Sitharaman said she is open to engaging seriously with opposition feedback but questioned the basis of Gandhis remarks

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He is the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha. I want to take him seriously, and I want to take his observations seriously to see if things can be done better. But most often, I think he shoots from his hip," she said.

Sitharaman said a credible opposition is essential for democracy, but it must be backed by good foundational data so that the government can respond meaningfully.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi echoing US President Donald Trumps remark describing India as a dead economy, she said the comment undermined the opposition leaders own position.

Being in India, being in the Parliament, being the Leader of the Opposition are you saying you are living in a dead economy, she asked, arguing that such statements pull the carpet from under his feet.

Sitharaman emphasised that India needs an opposition that challenges the government with evidence and seriousness.

When you speak sometimes without any kind of basis what do I respond on? You are speaking out of thin air. India deserves a better opposition party, she said.

Sitharaman also termed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalins claim that the state has been ignored in the Budget a sad commentary, arguing that multiple infrastructure and welfare measures directly benefit both Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

She pointed to super-fast and high-speed rail projects, rare earth corridors and support for coconut farmers as examples of ongoing and planned initiatives.

Sitharaman also highlighted allocations under schemes such as the Viksit Bharat initiatives and MNREGA, along with funding for semiconductors and electronics, saying these sectors and projects have a visible presence in Tamil Nadu.

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She added that election-bound narratives should not overshadow broader national allocations and maintained that the Budgets provisions extend benefits across states rather than excluding any particular region.

Earlier on Sunday, Sitharaman directly responded to criticism from Congress leaders, who had labelled the budget as out of touch with Indias real crises such as unemployment, farmer distress, and slowing manufacturing.

Rahul Gandhi called it a budget that refuses course correction, blind to Indias real crises, arguing it was more rhetoric than action.

Sitharaman pushed back, saying she was unsure what course correction he is referring to and asserting that the economy and its fundamentals are strong.
Budget 2026 fuels global wanderlust as Indians search for smarter and more affordable international getaways.

International trips for India might get cheaper. Pixabay

Indias Union Budget 2026 has given a clear boost to outbound travel. Soon after the announcement, international destination searches from India jumped sharply, especially for places that offer strong value for money along with unique experiences.

The key reason is the reduction of Tax Collected at Source on foreign travel to a flat 2 per cent, a move that has made overseas trips easier on the pocket.

Earlier, higher TCS rates often meant a bigger upfront payment, even before the holiday began. With the new rate, international travel is no longer seen as a heavy financial stretch, especially for middle class families and young professionals.

Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip welcomed the move saying, The rationalisation of TCS on overseas tour packages is a welcome step that addresses upfront liquidity impact on Indian outbound travellers.

Ixigos group CEO Aloke Bajpai also pointed out that this years budget has also taken steps to make international travel more accessible and affordable for Indian travellers with TCS rate cuts on overseas tour packages.

Search data shows a clear list of international cities that Indians are currently most curious about. Bangkok tops the chart, thanks to its mix of nightlife, shopping, street food, and affordable luxury.

Bangkok. Credits/Pixabay

Thailand has long been a favourite for Indian travellers, and the lower TCS only strengthens its appeal.

Tokyo, Japan. Credits/Pixabay

Tokyo is another destination seeing a surge in interest. From cherry blossoms and anime culture to cutting edge technology and traditional temples, the Japanese capital offers a rich mix of old and new. It stood as the most visited destination for Indians in 2025.

Bali. Credits/Pixabay

Bali continues to attract strong search volumes, especially among honeymooners and remote workers.

Known for its beaches, wellness retreats, and budget friendly villas, Bali offers high value experiences at relatively low costs. The TCS cut further improves its affordability.

Dubai, UAE. Credits/Pixabay

Dubai remains a consistent favourite. Its proximity to India, visa ease, and wide range of attractions from shopping festivals to theme parks make it ideal for short international breaks.

With reduced upfront costs, more families are now planning Dubai trips around school holidays and long weekends.

Interestingly, long haul destinations are also gaining traction. Queenstown in New Zealand is drawing adventure lovers looking for scenic landscapes and outdoor activities.

Lisbon. Credits/Pixabay

Lisbon is emerging as a popular European gateway, offering history, coastal views, and comparatively lower costs than many Western European cities.

Rome, Italy. Credits/Pixabay

Rome, with its timeless charm, food culture, and iconic landmarks, continues to attract Indian travellers eager for classic European experiences.

Travel experts say this trend reflects a shift in mindset. Indian travellers are no longer limiting themselves to nearby countries.

With financial barriers easing, they are more open to exploring diverse cultures and destinations across continents.

As airlines, hotels, and tour operators roll out competitive deals to match rising demand, outbound travel from India is expected to see strong growth in 2026.
Indias Union Budget 2026 doesnt merely allocate money for airports or trains. It subtly reshapes the travel landscape - making travel more accessible, expanding how and where people travel in India, and integrating tourism into long-term national planning.

While many projects will take years to materialize, the trajectory is clear: travel in India is becoming faster, broader, and more affordable. Pexels

By reframing travel and tourism as catalysts of national growth, Indias Union Budget 2026-27 fundamentally reshapes how Indians move, explore and experience the country and the world at large.

From cheaper international trips to faster domestic connectivity and new tourism-centric infrastructure, several changes will have a direct impact on travelers - even if they werent the loudest talking points in headline summaries.

International trips become affordable!

International travel becomes cheaper as Budget 2026 cuts the Tax Collected at Source (TCS) on overseas tour packages to a flat 2%. Pexels

One of the most substantial changes that affects everyday Indian travellers is the reduction in Tax Collected at Source (TCS) on overseas tour packages.

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Previously, TCS on foreign tour packages ranged between 5% and 20%, depending on value.

However, budget 2026 reduces this to a flat 2% with no minimum amount condition, lowering upfront cash outflow for Indians booking trips abroad.

Lets understand this with the help of an example: Imagine you booked an international holiday package worth 15 lakh (including flights, hotels, etc.). Now before the budget 2026, you were subject to:

For the first 10 lakh: 5% TCS = 50,000

For the remaining 5 lakh: 20% TCS = 1,00,000

Total upfront TCS blocked by bank: 1,50,000

After Budget 2026, with a flat 2% TCS on the full 15 lakh, youd pay:

2% of 15 lakh = 30,000

Your upfront cash requirement drops from 1,50,000 to 30,000 - a savings of 1,20,000 at the time of booking, giving you more money to spend on flights, experiences or shopping abroad instead of locking it up with tax authorities.

Note: This change doesnt reduce your final tax liability, but it improves cash flow and affordability when booking flight and holiday packages - a big deal for middle-class travellers.

Strong push for domestic connectivity

Budget 2026 focuses on reducing travel time and make traveling more accessible. AFP

The budget announced the development of seven high-speed rail corridors connecting major urban and cultural hubs. These will reduce travel times dramatically between key routes such as Mumbai-Pune, Delhi-Varanasi, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Varanasi-Siliguri, among other destinations.

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While implementation will span several years, the intent is clear: speed, convenience, and greener travel over long distances will become the new normal.

The government plans to operationalize 20 new national waterways as well as incentivize indigenous seaplane manufacturing backed by viability gap funding. These will expand multi-modal transport options, particularly for remote and coastal regions.

Tourism infrastructure gets a major upgrade!

The budget this year heavily focuses on making India a country rich on experiences. Pexels

According to Budget 2026, the existing hospitality council will be upgraded to a National Institute of Hospitality and a pilot programme to train 10,000 tourism guides across 20 iconic sites is planned. This means better service quality and more skilled on-ground support for locals and travelers alike.

Additionally, 15 archaeological sites will be developed into vibrant, experiential destinations. Adventure and nature trails such as mountain hikes in Himachal, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, turtle-nesting trails, and bird-watching routes will be established.

This expands Indias travel appeal from conventional sightseeing to experience-rich trips.

New tourism hubs and regional focus

These 5 destinations in India are soon going to be a hotbed of culture and tourism. Pexels.

The government plans to create five major tourism hubs in the Purvodaya states - Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh - coupled with the deployment of 4,000 e-buses to improve accessibility.

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These multi-city hubs are designed to attract more travelers to lesser-visited regions, boosting both local economies and travel diversity.

Medical and wellness travel gets recognition

Medical and wellness travel gets formal recognition in Budget 2026 through a clear, policy-backed push. Pexels

In a quietly significant move, the budget outlines five regional medical tourism hubs that combine healthcare, AYUSH, and rehabilitation facilities. These arent just hospitals - they are integrated healthcare complexes designed to attract international patients and boost medical value travel.

The budget further announced the new All India Institutes of Ayurveda that upgrades to AYUSH pharmacies and testing labs to meet global standards. It also focuses on large-scale training of caregivers and wellness professionals, strengthening service quality for medical value travellers.
Last week, Apple announced that iPhone sales peaked in the last three months of the year. Ironically, while it leads the smartphone industry, the company is still running slow in the AI race. But, this may soon go away.

Even when Apple is running slow in the AI race, iPhone sales spurred in the last 3 months of the year (File Image/Reuters)

Apple just wrapped up one of its most successful quarters ever, but its artificial intelligence dreams are still playing catch-up.

The tech giant reported a staggering $144 billion in revenue for the final three months of last year, marking a 16 per cent year-on-year surge and its fastest growth since 2021. The sales spike came largely from the newly launched iPhone 17 series, which flew off shelves worldwide.

Apple CEO Tim Cook described the situation as a supply chase, admitting the company was struggling to keep up with demand. Were currently constrained, Cook told analysts, adding that the level of demand had exceeded expectations, to say the least.

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China led the charge, but growth was strong across all major markets including Europe, Japan, and the Americas. India, in particular, delivered a record-breaking quarter for Apple, continuing its rapid rise as one of the companys most important growth regions.

AI ambitions still a work in progress

While Apples hardware business is in top form, its artificial intelligence story is less impressive. The company has fallen behind rivals like Google and Microsoft in rolling out advanced AI features, despite having teased major updates nearly a year ago.

At WWDC 2024, Apple unveiled its grand vision for Apple Intelligence, promising a smarter Siri and a suite of new AI capabilities across its devices. But the hype fizzled quickly, users were underwhelmed, accusing Apple of over-promising and under-delivering. Many felt that the AI-ready iPhone 16 launch in 2024 had been more marketing spin than reality.

That might soon change. According to industry insider Mark Gurman, Apples long-awaited AI makeover is finally on the horizon, and its being fuelled by a new partnership with Google.

Apple and Google: The AI alliance of the century

Apple is working with Google to power the next generation of Siri using Gemini, Googles flagship AI model. The revamped assistant will be capable of understanding whats on a users screen, performing tasks within apps, and learning more deeply from user behaviour, all while protecting privacy through Apples secure cloud systems.

Rumours suggest Apple plans to give the public a first look at the upgraded Siri this month, possibly through a press event at its New York loft or a standalone showcase. Its expected to demonstrate how Googles AI can supercharge Apples ecosystem without compromising security.

But this is just the beginning. Apples next big software update, iOS 27, is tipped to introduce full chatbot-style features across iPhones and Macs, powered by the next iteration, Apple Foundation Models v11. Those could rival Googles Gemini 3 in power, although they might rely more heavily on Googles infrastructure to function at scale.

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Balancing big sales with modest spending

Despite record-breaking earnings, Apple remains cautious in its AI investments. The company plans to spend $16 billion in the coming fiscal year on expansion, from retail and logistics to cloud infrastructure.

Thats still modest compared to Microsoft, which poured more than $37 billion into AI-related capital expenditures last quarter alone. Ironically, Microsofts spending spree has rattled investors, with its stock dropping 10 per cent, the biggest single-day fall since 2020, amid concerns that AI costs arent translating into equivalent revenue gains.

Apple, meanwhile, is quietly playing the long game. Its balance sheet remains strong, its devices continue to dominate, and its AI overhaul may soon silence critics.

For now, though, Apples message is clear: the iPhone is still its crown jewel, and Siris big AI glow-up is just around the corner.
Taking to X, billionaire Elon Musk reposts a chart, highlighting China is leading the AI, robots and even renewable energy race. He warns that US risks falling dangerously behind.

US risks falling behind the race of AI, robots and renewal energy (Photo: Reuters)

China is racing ahead, not just in artificial intelligence and robotics, but in renewable energy too, and Elon Musk is sounding the alarm.

The billionaire entrepreneur recently shared a post highlighting Chinas staggering progress in clean energy, warning that the United States risks falling dangerously behind. The worlds second-largest economy is now adding solar and renewable capacity at a pace no other nation can match.

Musks warning isnt just about climate change, its about competition. From humanoid robots to AI breakthroughs, Chinas rapid growth is reshaping global technology and threatening to eclipse Americas dominance.

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China electricity generation is still growing super fast, with solar being the largest incremental contributor, and will exceed America by a factor of 3X either this year or next https://t.co/EOwmVYLc7w  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2026

China powers ahead in renewable energy

Much of Chinas recent growth has been driven by solar power. Massive investments in renewable infrastructure and manufacturing have made the country the undisputed leader in clean energy production.

Despite still relying heavily on coal, Chinas ability to scale up new capacity at breakneck speed has left other nations struggling to keep up. The country now leads the world in installing wind and solar energy, and it continues to expand its dominance across the renewable spectrum.

For the United States, the contrast is stark. Musk has repeatedly criticised high import tariffs on solar panels, arguing that they make it harder for American households and businesses to adopt green energy. In his view, protectionist policies are slowing progress when the US should be racing ahead.

This widening energy gap raises deeper questions about Americas competitiveness, energy security, and its role in the global effort to combat climate change. Musks post serves as a warning: in the 21st century, energy independence will be defined by innovation, not oil reserves.

Chinas rapid strides in renewables underscore both its industrial might and its commitment to reducing carbon emissions while boosting economic growth. Analysts say this dual focus, green and growth, gives Beijing a powerful edge in the emerging energy order.

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Robots, AI, and the new tech rivalry

Its not just solar panels that have Musk worried. During Teslas recent earnings call, the CEO predicted that China would soon dominate the humanoid robot industry as well. China is exceptionally good at scaling, manufacturing, and AI, Musk said. I think China will be by far the biggest competitor in the humanoid robot market.

He admitted that while Teslas Optimus robot leads the pack, the next wave of competitors will almost certainly come from China.

Tesla and SpaceX are number one right now, he said last year, but Im concerned that ranks two through ten will all be Chinese companies.

And he may be right. China is already the worlds largest manufacturer and user of robots. A report by research firm Omdia revealed that Chinese robotics company AgiBot shipped more than 5,000 humanoid robots in 2025, claiming nearly 40 per cent of the global market. Industry experts say this competition will accelerate innovation and push robotics technology into mainstream industries.

Not just Musk, Godfather of AI warns

While Musk is urging the US to catch up, others in the AI world are voicing similar concerns. Yann LeCun, often called the godfather of AI, has warned that Chinas advances in artificial intelligence could redefine the global balance of power.

LeCun argues that Chinese AI development is increasingly pragmatic, focused on applying machine learning to manufacturing, automotive systems, and real-world industries rather than purely conversational chatbots. He cautions that Silicon Valleys obsession with ever-larger models and compute power risks becoming a modern Tower of Babel destined to crumble under its own complexity.

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Meanwhile, companies like Google and OpenAI are scrambling to expand infrastructure out of fear that Chinas progress could soon surpass theirs. The race for AI dominance, experts say, is no longer just about innovation, its about economic security and global influence.

From renewable energy grids to robotic factories, Chinas momentum is reshaping what the future of power looks like. Musks message is clear, if the US doesnt move faster, it may soon be the one playing catch-up in the worlds most important technological races.
A recent Financial Times investigation highlights how a vast and fiercely competitive system embedded in top high schools is churning out thousands of scientific prodigies each year.

Amid the AI race, Chinas elite genius classes have quietly become one of the most powerful engines behind its rise in advanced technology, particularly artificial intelligence.

A recent Financial Times investigation highlights how a vast and fiercely competitive system embedded in top high schools is churning out thousands of scientific prodigies each year. Many of them now power Chinas leading tech firms, including ByteDance, Meituan, and AI pioneers like DeepSeek and Alibabas Qwen.

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Inside Chinas assembly line for science prodigies

The story of one Beijing mother, Stacey Tang, captures the stakes. In late 2022, amid strict COVID-19 lockdowns, she received a mysterious phone call instructing her to send her 15-year-old son to sit an entrance test for a genius class. The test, held inside a moving van as it drove around the city, involved university-level maths problems. In any other country, youd think it was lunacy, she said. But in China, I was weeping with joy. It was his golden ticket.

Every year, about 1,00,000 students are funnelled into such elite experiment or competition tracks designed to prepare them for international Olympiads in maths, physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science. For many, its a direct route to Chinas top universities, and, increasingly, to the heart of its tech revolution.

From Olympiad gold to AI gold rush

The results are staggering. Graduates of this system include the founders of ByteDance, the architects of TikToks recommendation algorithm, and the brains behind Taobao, PDD, and Meituan. Engineers from the same stream helped build Chinas largest language models, such as DeepSeeks R1, which stunned the world in 2025 by matching OpenAIs best systems at a fraction of the cost.

At DeepSeeks Beijing offices, 21-year-old Wang Zihan, a former genius class student from Wuhan, joined as an intern in 2024, unaware the company was about to upend global AI expectations. The education I had was brutal, but it taught me to think like theres no challenge I cant overcome, he said.

DeepSeeks founder Liang Wenfeng insists this homegrown talent is Chinas real competitive edge. We want to grow our own top talents, otherwise China will always be a follower, he said in a rare interview.

Even Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has acknowledged the strength of Chinese talent. You walk up and down the aisles of Anthropic or OpenAI or DeepMind, and there are extraordinary researchers from China, he said. Its no surprise their work is world-class.

How Beijing built a scientific superpower

Chinas obsession with science education dates back decades. After entering the International Mathematical Olympiad in 1985 and bringing home just one bronze medal, the nation turned the event into a national mission. By 2025, 22 out of 23 Chinese Olympiad contestants returned with gold medals, a record that underscores the countrys relentless focus on talent cultivation.

The 2000s saw reforms allowing competition winners to skip the notoriously grueling gaokao university entrance exam and gain direct admission to elite institutions under the 985 Project. This turbocharged interest in elite training tracks but also led to backlash from parents when most students failed to make the final cut.

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Still, the momentum only grew. By the late 2010s, informatics had overtaken physics and maths as the top field, reflecting the rise of AI. When Beijing declared artificial intelligence a key national growth strategy in 2017, dozens of AI-branded genius classes sprang up overnight.

One of the most prestigious programmes, Tsinghua Universitys Yao Class, founded by Chinas only Turing Award winner Andrew Yao, has produced some of the nations leading tech entrepreneurs, including Pony.ais co-founder Lou Tiancheng. We were taught to think independently, not memorise, Lou recalled. Thats what later shaped our belief in self-learning autonomous systems.

Talent as Chinas ultimate weapon

China now produces around five million STEM graduates each year, ten times more than the United States, according to Xinhua. Among them, tens of thousands emerge from the genius pipeline, equipped with the mathematical and coding prowess to drive the countrys AI ambitions.

For Dai Wenyuan, founder of AI firm Fourth Paradigm and a product of the system himself, talent remains Chinas greatest advantage. There are more than 1,000 registered generative AI models in China, unthinkable anywhere else, he said. Twenty years ago, we had zero AI experts. Now were mass-producing them. The real geniuses wholl change the world are probably already in class.

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Indonesia has conditionally restored access to Elon Musks AI chatbot Grok after X pledged compliance with local laws, following regional suspensions over concerns that the tool enabled sexualised AI-generated images of women and children.

Indonesia will restore access to Elon Musks AI chatbot Grok after the billionaires social media platform X promised to comply with the countrys laws, a government official said on Sunday.

Grok has faced a global backlash after it emerged that its image creation feature allowed users to sexualise pictures of women and children using simple text prompts.

Malaysia and the Philippines followed Indonesia in temporarily blocking access to the tool, which is integrated into X, over concerns about AI-generated sexual deepfakes.

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Alexander Sabar, a senior official in Indonesias communication and digital ministry, said access was being restored conditionally after X Corp gave a written commitment containing concrete steps for service improvement and prevention of misuse."

Sabar said in a statement the ministry would continue to supervise and evaluate Grok and that it would take corrective actions, including another suspension, if violations were found.

xAI, the Musk-owned startup that developed the AI tool, did not respond immediately to AFPs request for comment.

However, it told the Philippines last month that it would modify Grok to suit the local market, including the total exclusion of pornographic content, particularly child sexual abuse material.

Malaysia also restored access to Grok after receiving similar promises from X that included additional preventive and security measures.

The EU said in late January it had opened an investigation into Groks sexualised deepfake images of women and minors.

Grok said in response it was restricting image generation and editing to paying subscribers.

(Except the headline, the story has not been edited by Firstpost staff)
A US judge has indicated she may dismiss xAIs lawsuit accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets, citing insufficient evidence in the claims.

A federal judge in San Francisco signalled that she is inclined to dismiss a lawsuit filed by xAI, the artificial intelligence firm founded by Elon Musk, against OpenAI. US District Judge Rita Lin said her tentative view was to grant OpenAIs request to dismiss the case, adding that xAI may be permitted to revise its claims if the lawsuit is thrown out. A hearing is scheduled for 3 February to consider the matter further.

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Lin asked both sides to address her preliminary reasoning during oral arguments scheduled for February 3.

Musks startup filed the lawsuit in September, accusing OpenAI of hiring xAI employees to obtain confidential information linked to the AI chatbot Grok.

OpenAI, known for its ChatGPT chatbot, responded by accusing Musk of conducting a campaign to harass a competitor with unfounded legal claims because xAI could not keep up with ChatGPT.

Court questions strength of claims

In a four-page filing outlining her thinking, Lin said xAI did not plausibly allege that OpenAI acquired or encouraged the theft of trade secrets, despite claims that some former xAI employees downloaded source code before leaving.

She also said it was not plausible to infer from the complaint that OpenAI used xAIs trade secrets, or that former xAI employees used them after joining OpenAI.

The judge signalled she may also dismiss an unfair competition claim, stating that xAIs poaching allegations all focus on poaching in service of acquiring xAIs trade secrets and do not identify any other reason why the hiring of those employees was anticompetitive.

The lawsuit forms part of a broader legal battle between Musk and OpenAI, which he co-founded and is also suing over its conversion to a for-profit company.

Musk, the worlds richest person, is seeking as much as $134.5 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft in that case. Jury selection is scheduled for April 27.

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After Baloch insurgents killed at least 33 persons in coordinated attacks on police stations and security posts, Pakistani authorities have claimed that the police and the army have killed 177 militants in the past 48 hours. Analysts have noted that the scale is the highest in decades.

After Baloch insurgents launched coordinated attacks on police stations and security posts, Pakistani authorities on Monday claimed that the police and the army have killed 177 militants in the past 48 hours, according to the Associated Press.

Analysts noted that the scale of the militants killings was the highest in decades.

Officials said that Pakistani security forces killed around two dozen militants overnight in multiple raids in the restive southwestern part of the country bordering Afghanistan, raising the militants death toll to 177 in the past 48 hours.

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These counterattacks were aimed at the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which killed at least 33 persons in coordinated attacks over the weekend.

For decades, groups in Balochistan province home to the Baloch ethnic minority have been pursuing a selfdetermination movement. Some of these groups, such as the BLA, have taken up arms and waged an armed movement to achieve the objective.

Attacks over the weekend occurred at a time when various groups, such as the BLA and TehrikiTaliban Pakistan (TTP), have ramped up their campaigns against the Pakistani state. The year 2025 was the deadliest in over a decade as insurgencyrelated deaths were the highest since 2014, according to South Asia Terrorism Portal. The new year also appears to be on track to be nearly as deadly, if not more, as January reported more deaths  386 versus last months 341.

While Pakistan has seen an allround deterioration of the security situation, as TTP has battered it in the northwest, the BLA has ramped up its campaign in the southwest, and the Afghan Taliban has clashed along the contested de facto border along the Durand Line between the two countries, Pakistan has blamed India for these attacks, dubbing both TTP and BLA as Indian proxies  a claim India has rejected.
Air India on Monday grounded a Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating a LondonBengaluru service after a pilot flagged a possible defect in the fuel control switch during pre-flight checks, prompting the airline to take the aircraft out of service as a precautionary measure.

Air India on Monday said it had grounded a Boeing 787-8 aircraft after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch on a LondonBengaluru flight.

The aircraft was scheduled to operate flight AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru when the issue was detected during pre-flight procedures. As a precaution, the airline immediately withdrew the aircraft from service.

Air Indias statement

We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilots concerns checked on a priority basis, Air India said in a statement.

Regulator informed, checks under way

The airline confirmed that the matter has been formally communicated to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Further technical checks are being carried out in coordination with the aircrafts manufacturer, Boeing.

Air India also said it had earlier conducted fleet-wide inspections of fuel control switches across its Boeing 787 aircraft following a DGCA directive and found no issues at the time. The carrier reiterated that passenger and crew safety remains its top priority.

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Amid heightened scrutiny after June 12 crash

The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny following the June 12 crash of Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London, which killed 260 people. A preliminary investigation report into the crash had pointed to a potential issue involving fuel control switches.

What the crew reportedly observed

According to a press release circulated on social media by the Safety Matters Foundation, the crew of the LondonBengaluru flight reported abnormal behaviour of the left engine fuel control switch on the Boeing 787-8 aircraft, registered as VT-ANX. The release claimed that during engine start, the switch failed to remain locked in the RUN position and moved towards CUTOFF on two occasionsan anomaly that could, under certain conditions, lead to an inadvertent engine shutdown.

Preliminary report of Ahmedabad crash on fuel control switches

The preliminary report into the Ahmedabad crash stated that both engine fuel control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF seconds after take-off, resulting in a loss of thrust. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot questioning the fuel cutoff, with the other denying responsibility. Although one engine began to recover after the switches were returned to RUN, the aircraft failed to regain altitude. A Mayday call was recorded moments before the crash.
Leaders and industry experts welcome the landmark deal, which cuts tariffs on Indian goods, boosts Make in India initiatives, and opens new avenues for economic growth and innovation

India and the United States have agreed to a trade arrangement under which Washington will reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%, US President Donald Trump announced on Monday following a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Welcoming the move, PM Modi said he was delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent.

Here are a few reactions following the announcement:

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed the announcement, saying the agreement would create jobs, boost growth, and promote innovation in both economies.

Welcome the announcements on bilateral trade following the conversation between PM @narendramodi and President @realDonaldTrump.



This will create more jobs, spur growth and promote innovation in both economies. It will strengthen Make in India endeavors and encourage trusted  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 2, 2026

Welcome the announcements on bilateral trade following the conversation between PM Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump. This will create more jobs, spur growth and promote innovation in both economies. It will strengthen Make in India endeavours and encourage trusted technology ties. The opportunities in our economic engagement are truly vast and we are confident of realizing them. A robust economic relationship is the strongest foundation for our strategic partnership, Jaishankar tweeted.

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) described the deal as an important and positive first step.

While the agreements specifics are pending, todays announcement signals strong political will on both sides to move toward a comprehensive USIndia Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) that addresses tariffs, market access, non-tariff barriers, and other trade-related issues across a wide range of sectors, USISPF said.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal hailed the landmark trade announcement between India and the United States, describing it as a historic moment that will strengthen bilateral ties and create opportunities for Indian businesses and workers.

Congratulations to Prime Minister @NarendraModi ji and President @RealDonaldTrump, as well as to the people of India and the United States, on the landmark trade agreement. This reflects the power of two like-minded, fair-trading democracies working together for shared  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 2, 2026

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In a post on X, Goyal said, Congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and President Donald Trump, as well as to the people of India and the United States, on the landmark trade agreement. This reflects the power of two like-minded, fair-trading democracies working together for shared prosperity.

He added that the agreement highlights the visionary and decisive leadership of Modi and Trump and their commitment to deepening IndiaUS relations.

Both India and the US are natural allies, and our partnership will co-create technologies, co-develop solutions, and work together for peace, growth, and a brighter future for India and US, Goyal said.

The minister noted that the deal will unlock unprecedented opportunities for farmers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers to Make in India for the world, Design in India for the world, and Innovate in India for the world, while also facilitating technology transfer from the United States.

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This is not just a trade deal  it is a historic turning point that will reshape IndiaU.S. relations and accelerate our journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047, he added.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hailed the agreement as a win-win deal for both countries.

In a tweet, he said the United States and India, as the worlds largest democracies, are natural allies with huge potential to work for peace and development.

US and India are worlds largest democracies. Both countries are natural allies. Together, India and US have huge potential to work for peace and development.



US and India have complementary strengths. Both countries can co-create technologies and co-develop solutions that will  Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 2, 2026

He added that the two nations complementary strengths would allow them to co-create technologies and co-develop solutions that will benefit the world.

Vaishnaw said the trade deal would secure a brighter future for citizens and industries in both countries.

Ashish Chauhan, MD & CEO of the National Stock Exchange of India, said that it was a big win for businesses, supply chains, and the IndiaUS partnership.

Ashish Chauhan, MD & CEO of the National Stock Exchange of India tweets, "Welcome move for global trade! Congratulations! After today evenings talks between the US President Mr DonaldTrump and the Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, tariffs on Indian goods coming down pic.twitter.com/WTvQnnUpcM  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2026

Welcome move for global trade! Congratulations! After today evenings talks between the US President Mr DonaldTrump and the Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, tariffs on Indian goods coming down sharply from 50% to 18% with immediate effect. A big win for businesses, supply chains, and the IndiaUS partnership. Kudos to the teams involved in bringing this historic deal to a close, Chauhan tweeted.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the IndiaUS trade agreement, calling it a big day for India-US relations.

A big day for India-US relations as the trade deal has been locked with a significantly reduced tariff of 18%, paving the way for stronger trade ties and mutual growth.



I congratulate PM @narendramodi and President @realDonaldTrump for this historic deal, which will elevate our  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 2, 2026

In a tweet, he said the deal, which reduces reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, would strengthen trade ties and promote mutual growth.

Shah congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump for the historic deal, adding that it would elevate the strategic partnership between the two nations and benefit their citizens.

He further noted that business between India and the US is set to flourish further as a result of the agreement.

BJP National President Nitin Nabin called the new development in India-US relations commendable.

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  ,                   Nitin Nabin (@NitinNabin) February 2, 2026

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This new development in India-US relations is commendable. Congratulations to the Honorable Prime Minister. Under his able leadership, new opportunities are opening up for the youth of India. The strengthening ties between the worlds two most powerful democracies, India and the United States, will have a very positive and far-reaching impact. This decision will give new momentum to the progress of the Indian economy. It will also give new impetus to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives, he tweeted.

EEPC India said the deal could significantly boost engineering shipments.

While the detailed contours of the agreement are yet to be made public, the Prime Ministers message clearly mentioned lower tariffs for Made in India products, which is very good news, EEPC said in a statement, adding that the US remains Indias largest trading partner.

The tariff boost should help the engineering industry end the year on a strong note, and also lay the foundation for a much better 2026-27 in terms of global exports, the statement added.

Foreign trade expert Robinder Sachdev described the development as a significant win for the Indian economy and employment.

Speaking on the impact of the tariff reduction, Sachdev noted that every 1% tariff on India translates to a loss of exports worth $1 billion, which equates to about 1 lakh jobs. Had the previous 50% tariffs continued for a year, India could have lost exports worth $50 billion and at least 35 lakh jobs.

He added that the agreement provides predictability and stability for US-India trade and strategic relations going forward, calling the development great news for many households in India.

With inputs from agencies
Trumps Gaza peace plan has moved into focus after the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, but deep divisions remain over its next steps, particularly Hamass refusal to disarm and Israels warning of a return to war if the plan stalls.

US President Donald Trumps plan to end the Gaza war received a boost on Monday with the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. However, major issues remain unresolved, particularly whether Hamas will disarm.

The plan, now in its second phase, has been unsettled by repeated Israeli strikes that have killed hundreds in Gaza and by Hamass refusal to lay down its weapons. Israeli officials have said they are preparing for a return to war if Hamas does not disarm.

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Trumps Gaza plan: what it proposes

In September, Trump outlined a 20-point plan beginning with an initial truce, followed by steps towards a broader settlement. The proposal calls for Hamas to disarm and have no role in governing Gaza, for Israel to withdraw its forces, and for large-scale reconstruction under international supervision.

The plan received broad international backing, though key elements remain disputed. On October 9, Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement covering the first phase. This included a halt in fighting, the release of remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a partial Israeli withdrawal, increased aid deliveries, and the reopening of the Rafah crossing.

The plan was also endorsed by a United Nations Security Council resolution authorising a transitional governing authority and an international stabilisation force in Gaza.

Ground situation after the ceasefire

The ceasefire came into effect on October 10, ending large-scale fighting, though violence has not fully stopped. Gaza health authorities say at least 488 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since then, while Israels military says four of its soldiers have been killed by militants.

Israeli forces have pulled back and suspended ground operations but still control more than 53 percent of Gaza, including devastated areas along the Israeli and Egyptian borders. Nearly all of Gazas more than 2 million residents are now confined to a narrow coastal strip, where Hamas has reasserted control. Most people are living in damaged buildings or temporary shelters.

Palestinian groups and aid agencies say Israel is not allowing aid into Gaza at the levels agreed under the first phase, a claim Israel denies. Armed Palestinian groups opposed to Hamas have established bases in Israeli-controlled areas, though Hamas dismisses them as collaborators without popular backing.

Disputes over the next phase remain unresolved, particularly over Hamass disarmament, further Israeli withdrawals and the deployment of peacekeepers.

What the second phase involves

Despite sharp differences between Israel and Hamas, Washington launched the second phase after the New Year, announcing the formation of a committee of Palestinian technocrats to govern Gaza. The body would be overseen by a Board of Peace led by Trump.

The second phase calls for Gazas demilitarisation, with Hamas giving up its weapons in return for a full Israeli withdrawal. Diplomats estimate Hamas still possesses hundreds of rockets and thousands of light weapons.

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Sources say Hamas has agreed to discuss disarmament with other Palestinian factions and mediators. However, two Hamas officials told Reuters that no detailed proposal has been presented by Washington or mediators. Two senior Israeli officials said the military is preparing to resume the war if Hamas does not disarm and does not expect the group to do so without force.

Hamas is also seeking to integrate its 10,000 police officers into the new Gaza administration, a demand opposed by Israel.

Outstanding questions and uncertainties

Plans for an international stabilisation force remain unclear, including its composition, mandate and role. The Palestinian Authority is expected to carry out reforms before eventually taking a role in Gaza, but details have not been specified.

There is also no clear framework for funding and overseeing Gazas reconstruction. Jared Kushner has outlined proposals for rebuilding Gaza as a New Gaza, featuring residential towers, data centres and industrial zones. The proposal does not address property rights, compensation for losses, or housing arrangements for displaced Palestinians during reconstruction.

Many Israelis and Palestinians remain sceptical about the plans prospects.
As Bangladesh prepares to go to the polls, the countrys most controversial party, Jamaat-e-Islami, is not fielding any woman candidate. Female politicians are defending the move by citing Islamic principles

Activists of Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party stage a protest rally against a nationwide "lockdown" called by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her former ruling Awami League party, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo)

As Bangladesh prepares for the highly anticipated general election, Jamaat-e-Islami Womens Wing Secretary Nurunnisa Siddika said women are barred from assuming the leadership position in the party. Siddika shared the discriminatory rule of the party while speaking to journalists at the Election Commission (EC) premises, The Dhaka Tribune reported.

She went on to justify the party by insisting that prohibiting women from a leadership role in the party is aligned with Islamic principles, which do not permit women to serve as ameer. While speaking to reporters, Siddika said that Jamaat-e-Islami is an organisation guided by Islamic ideals and therefore abides by what it interprets as Quranic directives.

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According to the Quran, men are directors of women, which is considered a command and obligation in Islam, she said, adding that as a result, women cannot hold the top leadership position in any Islamic organisation.

She insisted that Jamaat conduct its organisational activities in line with the principle. The remarks came when the Jamaat politician was asked why the party had not fielded any female candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Siddika described it as an internal organisational decision.

She attempted to brush it under the carpet by insisting that the debate should not centre on whether women occupy top posts, but on whether womens rights, dignity and security are being ensured. In the past 54 years, Bangladesh has had two female prime ministers for long periods. But have womens problems been solved? Has violence against women decreased? Have womens rights been established? she exclaimed.

Siddika justified women being barred from contesting polls by claiming that merely appointing women to top positions does not automatically improve womens overall condition. Real change comes when leadershipwhether male or femaleis humane and ensures dignity for all, she said, adding that Jamaat prioritises establishing just and humane leadership rather than appointing women to the highest posts.

Jamaat Womens Wing chief Habiba Chowdhury soon jumped in by pointing out that while women make up nearly half of the Bangladesh population, many have been unable to exercise their voting rights. According to The Dhaka Tribune, Chowdhury claimed that at least 15 incidents of attacks on female Jamaat activists in different districts had been reported to the EC, alleging a political vendetta behind the incidents.

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Earlier in the day, a six-member Jamaat delegation led by Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin to discuss contemporary electoral issues.
The agreement also includes rollback of the additional 25% US tariff on Indias Russian oil purchases, boosting bilateral trade and energy cooperation

Shortly after US President Donald Trump announced that the United States and India had agreed to a bilateral trade deal to lower reciprocal tariffs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed the reduction of tariffs to 18% on Made in India products.

The deal also includes the rollback of an additional 25% tariff that Trump had imposed on India over its purchases of Russian oil.

In a post on X, PM Modi thanked Trump for the decision, calling it a boost for bilateral ties.

Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement.



When two large economies and the  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 2, 2026

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Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement, he said.

PM Modi said cooperation between India and the United States, as the worlds largest democracies and major economies, would bring broad benefits.

When two large economies and the worlds largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation, he said.

President Trumps leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights, PM Modi added.

Following the announcement, the US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said President Trump genuinely considers Prime Minister Modi a great friend.

As I have said many times, President Trump genuinely considers Prime Minister Modi a great friend! Thrilled by the news of the trade deal this evening. The relationship between the United States and India has LIMITLESS POTENTIAL!  Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 2, 2026

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Thrilled by the news of the trade announcement this evening. The relationship between the United States and India has LIMITLESS POTENTIAL! the envoy added, highlighting the strong ties between the two countries and the opportunities for enhanced cooperation in trade, energy, and technology.

Earlier, President Donald Trump said that following a call with PM Modi, the two sides had agreed on a trade deal, adding that India had also committed to stopping purchases of Russian oil and instead buying more from the United States and potentially Venezuela.

It was an honour to speak with Prime Minister Modi. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! President Trump posted on Truth Social.

Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO, he added.

Trump said PM Modi also committed to buy more than $500 billion dollars worth of US energy, technology, agricultural and other products.

Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most, he said.

According to AFP, citing a White House official, additional 25% tariff imposed by President Trump on India over its purchases of Russian oil would be withdrawn following New Delhis agreement to stop buying the fuel.

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Trump has been pressing India for months to end its reliance on Russian oil as part of his push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, and last year imposed extra tariffs on New Delhi over the issue.

The United States is also effectively overseeing Venezuelan oil exports after toppling the South American countrys leader, Nicolas Maduro, in a military operation in January.

During his Liberation Day tariff measures last year, Trump imposed 25% reciprocal levies on India, the worlds most populous nation, and later added a further 25% penalty linked specifically to Indias Russian oil imports.

PM Modi was among the first foreign leaders to visit the White House after Trumps inauguration for a second term in January 2025, but trade negotiations between the two countries have remained challenging over the past year.

Trump had said in October that PM Modi had promised to stop buying Russian oil, though no agreement was reached at the time.

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With inputs from agencies
Just days ahead of the highly anticipated Bangladesh general elections, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday alleged that an unusually large number of voters had been migrated to certain constituencies in Dhaka city and other parts of the country

Just days ahead of the highly anticipated Bangladesh general elections, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday alleged that an unusually large number of voters had been migrated to certain constituencies in Dhaka city and other parts of the country.

The party went on to demand the constituency-wise data on voter migration from the Election Commission, raising concerns over electoral malpractices.

The allegation came from the BNP delegation, led by Election Steering Committee Chairman Nazrul Islam Khan, during a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city.

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A large number of voters migrated to some specific constituencies, which is unusual, said Nazrul Islam Khan at a press briefing after the meeting.

Bangladesh EC responds

During the press briefing, Khan mentioned that the Bangladeshi Election Commission said the number of migrated voters to each constituency is not more than 2000-3000.

However, the BNP leader maintained that his party is not happy with the Election Commissions reply since the figure mentioned by the EC is not true and the body did not provide exact data from the concerned department, The Dhaka Tribune reported.

The BNP politician went on to allege that leaders and activists of a particular party are carrying out campaigns using the sentiments of religious belief, which is a clear violation of the Representation of the People Order. While he did not explicitly take a partys name, he might be talking about BNPs two rivals, Nahid Islams Nationalist Citizen Party (NCP) and the highly controversial Jamaat-e-Islami.

Someone at a party was heard telling that a Muslim would have to answer the 4th question in the grave if he or she casts a vote for a specific symbol. They are doing this using religious belief and sentiment, which is a clear violation of RPO, Nazrul Islam added.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russias Security Council, criticised the United States over the operation that ousted Nicolas Maduro, saying it damaged the global system of international relations

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev attends an interview with Reuters, TASS and WarGonzo in the Moscow region, Russia. (Reuters)

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russias Security Council, sharply criticised the United States over the operation that toppled former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and brought him to the US. He said the episode had shattered international relations.

Medvedev made the comments in an interview with Reuters, TASS and the WarGonzo Russian war blogger at his residence outside Moscow. He described the move against Maduro as a violation of international law and said it broke the whole system of international relations.

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In his remarks, Medvedev suggested that if US President Donald Trump were stolen by another power, the United States would certainly view that as an act of war.

Although Medvedevs comments are among the most forceful from Moscow, official Russian reactions to the January operation involving airstrikes in Venezuela and Maduros transfer to the United States have been more muted overall. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a general condemnation of the military action and urged both Venezuela and the United States to seek a diplomatic resolution.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuelas former vice-president and now acting President, on January 3, expressing Russias support for the Venezuelan people.

Russias permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, criticised the operation as giving new impetus to neocolonialism and imperialism, language commonly used by Russian officials when criticising Western actions.

In his critique, Medvedev also praised Trump for protecting US interests and used the controversy to issue warnings to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reflecting his broader role in Russias information space and the Kremlins use of sharp rhetoric to influence global discourse.

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Maduro was indicted by the US Justice Department in 2020 on drug and firearm charges. After the operation that removed him from Venezuela, he made his first court appearance in New York in January 2026, where he claimed he was kidnapped.

The issue of international law has also arisen, notably the principle that heads of state and other high-ranking officials have immunity from prosecution and civil penalties abroad  a protection affirmed by the International Court of Justice and previously recognised by Washington before the Maduro operation.
Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson said a brief video call with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein eight years ago left him deeply unsettled, prompting him to immediately cut contact. Johnson clarified he never met Epstein in person and spoke out after facing online scrutiny over alleged links.

Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson recently described convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as a very dark person following a brief conversation eight years ago. Johnson said he connected to Epstein on a video call via a mutual contact.

Taking to X, he wrote Eight years ago I met Epstein via Zoom. A mutual contact put us in touch as I was building my brain interface company Kernel and he had supposedly done some neuroscience stuff at MIT.

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In case you're curious...here's everything I remember unfiltered.



I think maybe he was wearing a blue shirt. I dont remember anyone else being with him.



He was doing work at MIT, neuroscience-adjacent stuff, and he knew getting brain data access was a core limitation (which https://t.co/837lYdjPtP  Bryan Johnson (@bryan_johnson) February 2, 2026

After a ten minute video call I immediately called the person who put us in contact and told him that Epstein seemed like a very dark person. I felt sick to my stomach. I also told him that I never wanted to speak to him again, he added.

Johnson said he was unaware of Epsteins criminal offence at that time and history and the later allegations he faced.

I remember this so clearly because I knew nothing about him but weirdly, intuitively, something was deeply wrong. Being in his proximity felt dangerous, Johnson said.

He confirmed he never interacted with Epstein again: I came to find out years later that hed had a f**ked up past.

8 years ago I met Epstein via zoom. A mutual contact put us in touch as I was building my brain interface company Kernel and he had supposedly done some neuroscience stuff at MIT.



After a ten minute video call I immediately called the person who put us in contact and told him  Bryan Johnson (@bryan_johnson) February 2, 2026

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Johansons later clarification came after he was trolled on social media and questioned him of being connected to Epstein, prompting him to reply.

Johnson clarified that the meeting never took place: This was a pre-call. I was offering an in-person meeting because I was traveling through NY. It ended up being a call  the first and last time I interacted with him. Terrifying in hindsight.

The released documents also reference several high-profile figures, including US President Donald Trump, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, billionaire Elon Musk, former British royal Prince Andrew and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. None of those named have been accused of wrongdoing.
The four were among 21 Bai family members and associates convicted by a court in Guangdong province of crimes including fraud, homicide and causing injury, according to a report

China has executed four members of the Bai family, a powerful crime dynasty accused of running large-scale scam operations in Myanmar, according to a BBC report, citing state media.

According to the report, the four were among 21 Bai family members and associates convicted by a court in Guangdong province of crimes including fraud, homicide and causing injury.

The convictions are part of Beijings wider crackdown on cross-border scam networks operating in Southeast Asia.

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In November last year, the court sentenced five Bai family figures to death, including the family patriarch, Bai Suocheng. Bai Suocheng later died of illness following his conviction, added the report.

The executions come days after China put to death 11 members of the Ming family mafia, another prominent criminal group, as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle scam centres that have trapped thousands of Chinese victims.

For years, the Bai and Ming families, along with several other clans, dominated the Myanmar border town of Laukkaing.

The area was known for its casinos, red-light districts and cyber scam operations targeting victims across the region.

Among the criminal clans operating in Laukkaing, the Bai family was considered the most powerful.

Bai Suochengs son previously told state media, after his detention, that the Bais were number one among the groups controlling the area.

The Bai family, which controlled its own militia, built 41 compounds housing cyberscam operations and casinos, authorities said. Inside, beatings and torture were routine.

A court found the familys crimes caused the deaths of six Chinese citizens, drove one person to suicide and left many others injured.

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Rise and fall of the Bais

The Bais rose to power in the Myanmar border town of Laukkaing in the early 2000s after its warlord was removed in a military operation led by Min Aung Hlaing, now head of Myanmars ruling junta. Seeking compliant allies, the military backed Bai Suocheng, then the warlords deputy.

Their criminal empire collapsed in 2023 when Beijing, frustrated by Myanmars failure to act against scam centres, tacitly supported an ethnic insurgent offensive in the area  a turning point in Myanmars civil war. The scam bosses were captured and handed over to China.

Back home, they featured in state documentaries highlighting Beijings determination to dismantle scam networks. The recent executions appear intended as a deterrent.

The United Nations estimates that hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked into running online scams in Myanmar and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Many are Chinese, and the victims they defraud of billions of dollars are largely Chinese as well.

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With inputs from agencies
Beijing on Monday criticised the Dalai Lamas first Grammy win, describing the music industry award for an audiobook, narration and storytelling as a tool for anti-China political manipulation

Beijing on Monday criticised the Dalai Lama s first Grammy win, describing the music industry award for an audiobook, narration and storytelling as a tool for anti-China political manipulation.

The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, who lives in exile in India, took the award on Sunday for his book, Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

He said in a statement on his website that he saw the award as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility.

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I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility, he added.

Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: It is well known that the 14th Dalai Lama is not merely a religious figure but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the guise of religion.

We firmly oppose the relevant party using the award as a tool for anti-China political manipulation, he added.

The Dalai Lama, who is seen by many as the face of Tibets struggle for autonomy, has lived in exile since 1959, when Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

China, which governs Tibet as an autonomous region, has been accused of trying to stamp out the Tibetan language, culture and identity.

Beijing and the Dalai Lama also spar over the spiritual leaders eventual successor. Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lamas are reincarnations of a spiritual leader first born in 1391.

Beijing maintains the next Dalai Lama will be born in Tibet and recognized by the ruling Communist Party, whereas the Dalai Lama has said his successor will be from a free country and that China has no role in the process.
Conservative frontrunner Laura Fernandez heads into Costa Ricas election vote count seeking a first-round victory as polls close after 12 hours of voting.

An election official shows a ballot as she counts votes after polls closed at the Pilar Jimenez school polling station during the presidential election in San Jose on February 1, 2026.

Polls closed on Sunday evening in Costa Rica as voters chose a President and members of the Legislative Assembly, with a leading conservative candidate promising a crackdown on drug trafficking and hoping for a decisive victory.

Counting began after 12 hours of voting for one of 20 presidential contenders, including frontrunner Laura Fernandez, as well as 57 legislators.

Fernandez is aiming to reach the 40 per cent threshold required to win the presidency in the first round and avoid a runoff.

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Sajeeb Ahmed Joy, son of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, on Monday alleged that the upcoming election in Bangladesh will be rigged and called on citizens to boycott the vote

An elderly man puts ballot paper inside a box after casting vote during the 12th general election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 7, 2024. Representational Image/Reuters

Sajeeb Ahmed Joy, son of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, on Monday alleged that the upcoming election in Bangladesh will be rigged and called on citizens to boycott the vote.

According to a News 18 report, Joy accused Islamic extremist groups of wielding influence in the country, saying that terrorists are ruling in Bangladesh and that Muhammad Yunus is working on their behalf.

Terrorists are ruling in Bangladesh. Yunus is working on behalf of those Islamic extremists. Many innocent people have been killed. Many Awami League workers and police officers have been killed even though the party is not in power, he was quoted as saying.

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He added, We promise justice. There has been anarchy in the name of mob justice. The election that is going to be held will be completely one-sided.

He said that attacks on the National Partys office  including arson, vandalism, and killings  are continuing while the United States reportedly supports Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman for its own interests.

Joy further alleged that groups such as Lashkar-e-Taliban and Al-Qaeda are operating openly in Bangladesh, and said that progressive parties, including the Awami League, are being sidelined, making the election a farce.

He also criticised the use of postal ballots, which he claimed are being manipulated, and contrasted the current situation with the Awami Leagues previous 17 years in power, when he said Bangladesh was free of terrorism.

Joy predicted that the BNP would win around 150 seats while Jamaat-e-Islami would secure approximately 130, and urged citizens not to vote, warning that the outcome of this election is predetermined and that the election will not be accepted if participation is low.

Bangladesh is currently under an interim administration led by Yunus as the country prepares for elections later this month. The main contenders in the polls are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JIB), both of which launched their campaigns in late January.

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The ruling Awami League, historically aligned with India, has been barred from participating in the elections due to its role in the violent crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 78, who is currently in exile in India, was found guilty of authorising lethal force against demonstrators, which left around 1,400 protesters dead.

Hasina was tried in absentia by Bangladeshs International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in November last year and sentenced to death. India has so far declined to extradite her.

Up to 127 million voters in Bangladesh are expected to head to the polls on February 12 for the countrys first national elections since Sheikh Hasinas government was ousted in August 2024.

With inputs from agencies
The latest release of the Jeffrey Epstein files has thrown up a set of details that are equal parts strange and unsettling, offering another glimpse into the sheer breadth of the disgraced financiers global contacts.

Among the newly released emails is one exchange that seems harmless at first glance. Epstein is seen asking about a Pakistani shalwar-kurtaspecifically what the outfit consists ofbefore saying he would like to buy more, in larger sizes. It reads like a routine shopping query.

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But placed against the backdrop of Epsteins life and crimes, even mundane details take on a different tone. The email doesnt allege wrongdoing on its own, but it reinforces how far his personal communications stretched across borders, cultures and contacts that went well beyond the usual circles of a US financier.

Perhaps the most jarring revelation involves religion. Emails suggest that in 2017, three pieces of the Kiswahthe sacred black cloth that covers the Kaaba in Meccawere shipped to Epstein through contacts linked to the UAE.

  New email documentation reveals Jeffrey Epstein received cloth pieces of the Kaabas kiswah. 



The shipment arrived at Epsteins home in March 2017, long after he had served jail time and registered as a s*x offender. pic.twitter.com/dVqTI6bzMo  Muslim (@Muslim) February 2, 2026

The Kiswah is one of Islams most revered objects, handled under strict protocols. News that parts of it ended up with Epstein has triggered disbelief and anger, particularly among Muslim communities, who are asking how such an exchange was allowed to happen at all.

More troubling is a brief but significant reference in an email from a US lawyer representing Epstein survivors. The message appears to mention a possible victim living in India, asking whether she would be eligible for counselling services. Her identity is fully redacted, and no additional context is provided.

Underpants, old photos and a political fallout

That sense of global reach is now playing out in British politics. Former UK minister Lord Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party after fresh US Department of Justice documents revived scrutiny of his links to Epstein. The files suggest three $25,000 payments from Epstein to accounts connected to Mandelson in 2003 and 2004, claims he says he does not recall and disputes.

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The controversy intensified after images from the documents surfaced, including one showing Mandelson in underpants beside an unidentified woman.

None of these disclosures alone rewrite what is already known about Epstein. But together, they deepen the picture of a man whose reach was global, whose connections were often opaque, and whose life intersected with people, places and symbols far beyond the public imagination.
Cultural bazaar held in Ethiopia to celebrate upcoming Chinese New Year

Xinhua) 13:30, February 02, 2026

Jiang Feng, head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, speaks during the 2026 Chinese New Year Bazaar in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, on Feb. 1, 2026. The 2026 Chinese New Year Bazaar was held Sunday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year. (Xinhua/Geng Xinning)

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The 2026 Chinese New Year Bazaar was held Sunday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year.

Speaking at the event, which attracted government officials, business leaders, diplomats, as well as local and international visitors, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Chen Hai said the Spring Festival is a traditional festival celebrated by Chinese people all over the world and has been included in the intangible cultural heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The year 2026 marks the Year of the Horse, which will begin on Feb. 17, 2026, according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

"The horse symbolizes vitality, bravery, diligence and strength, just like the ever-energetic and upward momentum of China-Ethiopia relations. I hope that in the new year, our compatriots in Ethiopia will gallop forward and achieve success," Chen said.

Nega Wedajo, deputy commissioner of Ethiopia's Oromia Tourism Commission, elaborated on the importance of horses in Ethiopian society, emphasizing the similarity between Ethiopian and Chinese cultures.

"We are here today, bringing not only Chinese but also Ethiopians to celebrate the Chinese New Year. It will help strengthen the relationship and friendship between our two countries," Wedajo said.

He said Ethiopia boasts a number of world-class tourist destinations, noting that the Oromia Tourism Commission has been working with partners to teach local guides the Chinese language to better attract and serve Chinese tourists.

Addressing the gathering, Jiang Feng, head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, said the year 2026 marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, which is another significant chapter in the history of China-Africa relations.

"Holding this activity to celebrate the Chinese New Year is conducive to enhancing mutual understanding, narrowing the distance between us, and allowing more local friends to experience the charm of Chinese culture in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere," Jiang said.

Apart from exhibition booths showcasing products from Chinese and Ethiopian manufacturers, the event also featured colorful performances, including Chinese martial arts, Ethiopian fashion shows, and musical performances by Ethiopian and Chinese artists.

People participate in the 2026 Chinese New Year Bazaar in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, on Feb. 1, 2026. The 2026 Chinese New Year Bazaar was held Sunday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year. (Xinhua/Geng Xinning)

Nega Wedajo, deputy commissioner of Ethiopia's Oromia Tourism Commission, speaks during the 2026 Chinese New Year Bazaar in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, on Feb. 1, 2026. The 2026 Chinese New Year Bazaar was held Sunday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year. (Xinhua/Geng Xinning)

Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Chen Hai speaks during the 2026 Chinese New Year Bazaar in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, on Feb. 1, 2026. The 2026 Chinese New Year Bazaar was held Sunday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year. (Xinhua/Geng Xinning)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A potato surplus across Europe has forced Germany to give away tonnes of free produce in Berlin, highlighting deep flaws in food markets where bumper harvests, falling demand and limited processing capacity leave farmers facing losses and widespread food waste.

For one week in January, Berlin witnessed an unusual sight: tonnes of free potatoes stacked in public spaces, drawing crowds armed with shopping trolleys, bicycles and reusable bags. The giveaway, which quickly spread through word of mouth and social media, was a response to a much larger problem facing Europes agricultural sector  a massive potato surplus that farmers have been unable to sell.

The free distribution took place at several locations across the German capital, including the historic Tempelhofer Feld, a former airfield turned public park. By midday at many sites, thousands of potatoes had vanished, snapped up by residents eager to take advantage of the unexpected bounty. But the event was not about generosity alone. It was a rescue mission for a crop trapped by market failure.

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Germanys surplus potato harvest

Germanys potato harvest in 2025 reached 13.4 million tonnes, according to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the highest in 25 years and more than two million tonnes above the national average. Favourable weather conditions combined with expanded planting across Germany and neighbouring European countries created what industry watchers have dubbed a potato flood."

The surge in supply far outpaced demand and processing capacity. As prices collapsed, farmers were left with limited options. Despite being safe to eat, large quantities of potatoes have been diverted to animal feed, biogas plants or destroyed altogether. One farmer, quoted in German media, said incinerating hundreds of tonnes of food was heartbreaking.

Farmers insisted to support local producers

The Berlin giveaway was organised by Ecosia, the eco-friendly search engine, in partnership with local newspaper Berliner Morgenpost. Ecosia financed the transport of 4,000 tonnes of surplus potatoes from a farm near Leipzig, while the newspaper helped coordinate distribution across the city. More than 1,300 organisations applied to become collection points, with 174 ultimately selected, ranging from food banks and schools to churches, businesses and cultural spaces.

While many praised the initiative for reducing food waste, it also sparked backlash from farmers groups. Agricultural associations warned that handing out potatoes for free risked further depressing already fragile prices and undermining growers struggling to stay afloat. The regional farmers body described the effort as harmful to the market, urging consumers to support local producers instead.

Tension within Europes food system

The episode highlights a deeper tension within Europes food system. Gluts are not new  Germany has recently faced oversupply in hops and warnings of excess milk production  but the potato crisis underscores how abundance can coexist with waste and financial distress. Farmers face boom-and-bust cycles driven by global competition, speculative planting and shifting consumer demand, while consumers are confronted with rising food prices in other categories.

As the crowds in Berlin dispersed and the last sacks of potatoes were emptied, millions more remained in warehouses across the country. The free potatoes offered a temporary solution and a striking visual, but they also exposed a persistent problem: Europe can grow enough food, yet still struggles to distribute it sustainably without harming those who produce it.
Flights were grounded at Orlando International Airport after extreme cold activated a fire suppression system in the control tower, prompting a temporary ground stop later lifted by the Federal Aviation Administration

The FAA issued an alert about the ground stop due to a possible fire.

Flights at Orlando International Airport were halted on Sunday afternoon after extreme cold triggered an emergency alert in the air traffic control tower, prompting a temporary ground stop that was lifted once the cause was identified, according to a report by the New York Post.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reportedly issued an alert about the ground stop due to a possible fire at an air traffic control tower early Sunday afternoon. The order was, however, lifted at 4:15 pm (local time) after the cause was determined.

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Cause traced to fire suppression system

In reality, the extreme coldcurrently 43 degreescaused a sprinkler head in the fire suppression system at the facility to activate, the New York Post reported.

The agency had sent out a bare-bones fire alarm/safety advisory that a tower was evacuating due to a possible fire, with the probability of the ground stop being extended cited as medium.

According to FlightAware, 213 flight delays were reported into or out of Floridas busiest airport on Sunday.

Cold records across Florida

Sunday saw cold records smashed over the Sunshine State, with Daytona Beach, Leesburg, Sanford, Orlando, Melbourne, Vero Beach, and Fort Pierce all notching their coldest low temperatures ever notched in the month of February.

In Orlando, the mercury fell to 28 degrees in 1936, but Feb. 1 set a new record when the temp dipped to a chilly 24.

The brisk weather was enough to prompt the National Weather Service to issue an extreme cold warning throughout every county in east-central Florida, lasting from 7 p.m. Sunday through 10 a.m. Monday.

NWS warned of dangerously cold wind chills to come, with temperatures as low as 14-20 degrees across Volusia, Lake, Seminole, Orange, Brevard, Osceola, Indian River, Okeechobee, Saint Lucie, and Martin counties.
Interpol has circulated a red notice for Indonesian oil businessman Mohammad Riza Chalid over alleged corruption linked to state oil firm Pertamina

Interpol has issued a red notice seeking the arrest of Indonesian oil businessman Mohammad Riza Chalid in connection with an alleged $17 billion corruption scandal involving state-owned energy company Pertamina, authorities said.

The notice, circulated on January 23, asks law enforcement agencies across 196 member countries to help locate and provisionally arrest the 66-year-old, who is accused of graft offences committed between 2018 and 2023.

Allegations linked to Pertamina operations

Riza, known as the gasoline godfather, is wanted in Indonesia over claims of corruption, money laundering and manipulation of a lease agreement tied to Pertamina. According to the Attorney Generals Office, he and others are suspected of coordinating the import of crude oil from overseas suppliers at higher prices instead of sourcing domestically, as required under Indonesian law.

Untung Widyatmoko, secretary of Interpols Indonesia National Central Bureau, said late Sunday that the red notice had been issued. We cant specify exactly where he is, but we already know, he said.

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In July, Riza, his son Muhammad Kerry Adrianto Riza and several high-ranking Pertamina officials were named in the corruption case. The Attorney Generals Office estimates losses at 285 trillion rupiah (around $17 billion) and said 18 people have been named as suspects so far.

Indonesias immigration office said Rizas Indonesian passport was revoked in October.

Indonesia has long faced challenges with corruption and has detained numerous public officials in recent years. In 2023, a former communications minister was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of corruption in a case investigators said cost the country more than $530 million.
Iran has summoned EU ambassadors after Brussels moved to blacklist the Revolutionary Guard, escalating already strained ties. Tehran has hit back sharply, calling the move provocative and warning of consequences as tensions over protests and sanctions deepen

Iranians ride their motorbike past a huge banner of former Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani ahead of the sixth anniversary of his assassination Iraq, at Valiasr Square in Tehran, on December 31, 2025. Soleimani was killed on January 3, 2020, in a targeted US airstrike at Baghdad airport in Iraq. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iran has taken the unusual step of summoning all European Union ambassadors stationed in Tehran to register its strong protest against the EUs decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.

The EUs designation, agreed by foreign ministers last week, was framed as a response to the IRGCs role in violently suppressing widespread protests in Iran in January, in which rights groups report thousands of protesters were killed or detained. The blocs foreign policy chief said the designation was both a symbolic rebuke and a message that repression cannot go unanswered.

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#FPVideo: Indian nationals have begun returning to New Delhi from Iran amid deadly protests and a rapidly deteriorating security situation. Two flights landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, where emotional scenes unfolded as returnees reunited with anxious family. pic.twitter.com/mAaGrnlqmH  Firstpost (@firstpost) January 17, 2026

A symbolic but significant shift

The European Unions listing places the IRGCa powerful military and political force within Iranon the same terrorism blacklist used for groups such as al-Qaida and Islamic State. The designation also accompanies fresh sanctions on 15 Iranian officials and six organisations linked to repression and censorship.

While several countries, including the United States and Canada, already consider the IRGC a terrorist entity, the EUs move reflects a rare unified stance by its 27 member states in response to Tehrans handling of peaceful protesters. Some analysts describe it as a significant diplomatic shift, given Europes historically cautious approach toward Iran on security issues.

Tehrans retaliatory response

Irans reaction was quick and confrontational. Alongside summoning EU envoys, lawmakers in Tehran invoked a domestic law to declare that all European Union militaries are now considered terrorist groups. In parliament, legislators showed support for the IRGC by donning Guards uniforms and voicing sharp criticism of the bloc.

Irans foreign ministry dismissed the EU decision as a provocative act that risks deepening instability, accusing Europe of acting in alignment with US interests rather than promoting peace.

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The escalation comes amid already heightened tensions in the Middle East. Iran has warned that any external military action could trigger wider conflict, and regional security concerns, including in key waterways like the Strait of Hormuz, persist.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, a source has told state-affiliated Fars news agency.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a visit to the shrine of the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, in Tehran, Iran, on January 31, 2026. (Photo: Iran's Presidential website/WANA/Handout via Reuters)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, a source has told state-affiliated Fars news agency.

The source said that US-Iran talks will be strictly within the framework of the nuclear issue.

The development has come at a time when US President Donald Trump has sent an armada towards Iran amid near-daily threats. He has also stationed additional warplanes in the region in a military build-up that appears to mirror the build-up in the run-up to the last months American invasion of Venezuela.

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The news about Pezeshkian ordering the start of nuclear talks with the Trump administration has come hours after the Iranian foreign ministry said the regime was studying proposals for nuclear talks in the coming days. It said the two sides have exchanged through regional countries acting as intermediaries.

So far, Iran and the United States have held five rounds of talks. On the eve of the sixth round, the United States attacked three Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan last year in the midst of 12 Day War with Israel.

In his latest threat to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran, Trump on Sunday said that we have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close, couple of days, and hopefully well make a deal.

We dont make a deal, then well find out whether or not he was right, said Trump when asked about Khameneis warning that any American attack would lead to a regional war.

Last week, Trump warned Iran of a Venezuela-like fate if it would not make a deal.

Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully Iran will quickly Come to the Table and negotiate a fair and equitable deal NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS one that is good for all parties, said Trump in a social media post.

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At a press conference, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaeis on Monday said that Iran was carefully studying the structure of potential negotiations with the United States with a focus on lifting sanctions and advancing national interests, according to Tasnim news agency.

When asked specifically about potential talks in Turkey, Baqaei said Iran was currently examining the general and specific elements of advancing the diplomatic process but cautioned that the United States had previously exploited negotiations.

When asked about objectives of proposed, Baqaei said that removal of unjust sanctions was the top priority. He said that removal of sanctions would serve as a confidence-building measure to arrive at a solution regarding the regimes nuclear programme.
Italian authorities are investigating restoration work at the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina after an angel beside a royal bust was reported to resemble Giorgia Meloni, prompting political reactions and a national debate

A restored angel fresco is displayed inside the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina following controversy over an alleged resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in Rome, Italy. (Reuters)

Italian cultural authorities and the Diocese of Rome have launched inquiries into restoration work at the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina. The review follows a newspaper report claiming that an angel beside a marble bust of Italys last king now appears to resemble Giorgia Meloni, sparking political criticism and a wider national debate.

The resemblance was first highlighted by La Repubblica, which wrote that one of the two angels flanking the bust now had a familiar, astonishingly contemporary face. It added, Before the restoration, there was a generic cherub. Today, it is the face of the most powerful woman in the country.

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The report led to immediate responses. The culture ministry said technicians had been sent to inspect the winged figure and had been instructed to establish the nature of the work carried out, adding they would decide what action to take.

As before-and-after images circulated online, Meloni commented on Instagram, posting a picture of the restored angel and writing, No, I definitely do not look like an angel, followed by a laughing emoji.

Parish response and restoration background

Journalists visited the basilica, which dates back to the fourth century. The parish priest, Daniele Micheletti, told the news agency Ansa, There is indeed a certain resemblance, but you would have to ask the restorer why it was done that way. I asked for the chapel to be restored exactly as it was, I dont know.

He said work was required after water damage affected the chapel containing the painting. The original artwork dated to 2000 and was therefore not subject to heritage protection, he said.

He also defended the sacristan who carried out the work, stating: Hes not a house painter; hes very good.

Opposition figures responded swiftly. What has emerged is unacceptable, Irene Manzi of the centre-left Partito Democratico said in a statement calling for an investigation into whether heritage regulations had been breached.

The Five Star Movement pointed to broader concerns, saying: We cannot allow art and culture to risk becoming a tool for propaganda or anything else, regardless of whether the face depicted is that of the prime minister.

The Diocese of Rome said its vicar general, Baldassare Reina, had expressed disappointment and would immediately initiate the necessary investigations to establish responsibility.

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It is firmly reiterated that images of sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be misused or exploited, as they are intended exclusively to support liturgical life and personal and communal prayer, the diocese said.

Restorer speaks out

As discussion continued, reporters spoke to the pensioner who carried out the restoration. They asked me to fix it and I did, said Bruno Valentinetti. I worked on it for two years and finished the work a year ago.

He said he had restored the paintings to their original state. Many things had disappeared. In restoration, you strip away the layers and the original design reappears. I traced it and put the colour back in. The design was ruined, but I managed to recover the outline and traced it, he said.

Valentinetti said he undertook the work with the parish priests approval. I live here. Im a craftsman. I volunteered to show gratitude to the priest for hosting me, he said.

He rejected suggestions of political links and dismissed claims of a likeness. Its not Meloni, he said. I restored the faces to how they were 25 years ago.

In comments to La Repubblica, he added that the attention had brought more visitors: In the past years weve never seen so many people in this church.

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BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir launched a sharp attack on Jamaat-e-Islami ahead of Bangladeshs elections, accusing the redical group of trying to push the country backwards and warning that it wanted to turn Bangladesh into another Afghanistan.

Activists of Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party stage a protest rally against a nationwide "lockdown" called by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her former ruling Awami League party, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo)

As Bangladesh heads into a critical phase ahead of the elections, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday accused Jamaat-e-Islamia controversial radical group banned during Sheikh Hasinas tenureof trying to push the country backwards, warning that it sought to turn Bangladesh into another Afghanistan, according to a report from Dhaka Tribune.

Campaigning in his constituency of Thakurgaon-1, Fakhrul said the upcoming polls offered the country an opportunity to build a justice-based state.

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The BNP leader stressed that his party was committed to ensuring a free, fair and inclusive election with the participation of all political parties and was working to create a conducive environment for the process.

Jamaat wanted women confined to their homes: Fakhrul

Accusing Jamaat of opposing womens participation in the workforce, Fakhrul said the party wanted women confined to their homes. Referring to claims that garment workers would be allowed to work only five hours a day before being sent home, he questioned how they would sustain themselves.

If they stay at home, what will they eat? No government will feed people for sitting at home. These are false assurances, he said.

Criticism of misogynistic remarks

Fakhrul also referred to a recent post by the Jamaat ameer on X, saying that if such a misogynistic remark had indeed been made, it was unacceptable. He said men and women would together drive Bangladesh and the world forward, adding that womenwho outnumber men in the countrydeserved full and equal rights and dignity, something Jamaat-e-Islami did not support, he alleged.

Minority threats by Jamaat

The BNP secretary general further accused Jamaat of threatening members of the Hindu community but urged citizens to participate in the election without fear. Every citizen is the owner of this country, he said, calling on voters not to make the wrong choice.

Rising radical influence amid political transition

Radical factions have gained ground in Bangladesh following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and the appointment of Muhammad Yunus as interim chief. The country has witnessed repeated spikes in communal and political violence throughout its history, with religious minorities often bearing the brunt amid intense political competition and social tension.

Jamaats controversial past

Jamaat-e-Islami remains one of the most controversial parties in Bangladesh due to its role during the 1971 Liberation War. The party opposed independence and collaborated with the Pakistani military. Several Jamaat leaders were accused of forming or supporting auxiliary forces such as Al-Badr and Al-Shams, which were implicated in mass killings, rape, and the targeting of intellectuals and minorities, particularly Hindus.

These allegations remain the core reason for widespread hostility towards Jamaat, which was banned during Sheikh Hasinas tenure.

Gender remarks spark renewed backlash

Recent remarks by Jamaat leaders, including comments on working women that triggered backlash, have once again drawn criticism of the partys conservative stance on gender roles. Notably, Jamaat-e-Islami has not fielded a single candidate in the upcoming elections.
A controversial email allegedly sent by former Norwegian diplomat Terje Rd-Larsen has surfaced in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein files, triggering outrage online. The email, which contains a derogatory remark about Indians.

A derogatory comment allegedly made by former Norwegian diplomat Terje Rd-Larsen about Indians has surfaced in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein files. The email drew attention after Russian state broadcaster RT shared it on X.

What the document says

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has released around three million pages of documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Among them is an email, reportedly from Rd-Larsen, containing an offensive remark about Indians. According to the document, the email was sent in response to a message forwarded to him by an Indian politician. Dated December 25, 2015, it reportedly read: Have you heard the saying: when you meet an Indian and a snake, kill the Indian first!

Who is Terje Rd-Larsen?

Rd-Larsen is a former Norwegian diplomat and United Nations envoy who also served as president of the International Peace Institute. He resigned from the institute in 2020 after his name emerged in connection with Epstein.

Online outrage

The email triggered widespread backlash on social media. Users condemned the remark, with one writing, This is too f**ked up, while another tweeted, They hate Indians, all of them.

Jeffrey Epstein, a financier with extensive international connections, first came under investigation in 2005 after a minor accused him of sexual abuse at his mansion. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution, including from someone under 18, and served 13 months in jail. Over the following decade, several victims filed lawsuits against him.

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Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and was later found dead in his New York jail cell. His death was ruled a suicide.

Wider implications of the files

The newly released DOJ documents reference numerous high-profile figures, including technology executives, Wall Street financiers, and foreign dignitaries. While none have been charged, some are shown to have maintained ties with Epstein even after media reports widely identified him as an alleged abuser of underage girls.
Immigrant parents in Minneapolis are staying indoors and signing emergency guardianship forms amid intensified raids ordered by Donald Trump, with many fearing separation from their children during Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations

Demonstrators carry signs condemning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near the site where a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Reuters

Immigrant parents in Minneapolis are remaining inside their homes and preparing legal safeguards for their children following the deployment of thousands of US immigration officers to the city two months ago under orders from President Donald Trump. Nina, a 25-year-old asylum seeker from Ecuador, and her husband fear being separated from their 4-year-old daughter, Ayadana, if detained.

If we go out to work and they catch us, and my little girl is at school, what am I supposed to do? Nina told AFP, withholding her full name. I cant do anything because they wont let me leave to get my daughter, and my daughter will be left all alone.

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Barriers to signing legal documents

To stop Ayadana from being placed in social services care, Nina considered signing a Delegation of Parental Authority, known as a DOPA, naming a friend with a green card as legal guardian. She said she could not leave her hiding place to sign the form at a notarys office.

I couldnt go out, go and sign this DOPA at the notarys office, she recalled.

Nina tracks reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in her neighbourhood and leaves home only once a week at night.

Daniel Hernandez, a 41-year-old local entrepreneur who owns several grocery stores in Minneapolis, began assisting families in similar situations. He has worked with a local notary for weeks to pre-stamp DOPA forms and then visits homes so parents can sign them.

Once all the raids began happening, people realized this is real, Hernandez said. I began getting a lot of calls telling me that they needed this piece of paper.

Since November, he said he had signed up over 1,000 children through transfers of parental authority, with another 500 waiting. He added he had not answered many messages because he was overwhelmed. Several organisations in Minneapolis are carrying out similar campaigns.

Arrest case heightens concern

Minneapolis was shaken in January by the arrest of five-year-old Ecuadorian boy Liam Conejo Ramos, along with the shooting deaths of two US citizens and local residents who opposed federal agents actions. A photograph of Liam wearing a rabbit-eared hat strengthened Ninas resolve to protect her daughter, who is nearly the same age.

It really hurt me to see that child in that situation, Nina said.

The Trump administration said Liams father, who was the target of the arrest, requested the boy be detained with him in Texas. Family lawyers said agents used the child to try to draw his mother out of her home and would not let him remain there. A judge ordered Liam and his fathers release on Saturday.

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Richard Torres, a 39-year-old asylum seeker from Venezuela, said his two-year-old daughter, who is autistic, and his wife were sent to Texas to be incarcerated after a routine appointment connected to their case. Authorities said they missed a hearing, which Torres described as a lie.

A judge later acknowledged an error and ordered their release, but Torres said the experience left him devastated. He sees delegating parental authority as the only way to ensure a bit of safety for our families and our children.

He said he feels reassured having a DOPA to entrust Alanis care to his wifes cousin if necessary.

Shes not American, he said. But shes the only person we really trust.
Japans push to attract high-skilled foreign workers is under scrutiny as many earn wages comparable to new graduates and work below their qualifications, highlighting gaps in oversight even as high-skilled visa numbers surge and blue-collar intern participation declines.

A large number of foreign workers in Japan who entered Japan under the high-skilled visa programs are earning less salary as compared to university graduates, raising questions about the effectiveness of the countrys immigration policies.

According to a recent report by Nikkei Asia, of a 2024 government wage survey, 45 per cent of workers entering Japan under engineering, humanities, and international services visas earn under 240,000 yen ($1,540) a month, roughly the average for a new graduate.

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Japan has been involved in recruiting high-skilled labour from other countries across different industries. However, many high-skilled visa holders are working in roles that do not match their qualifications, including restaurants, manufacturing, and construction.

Jiho Yoshimizu of Nichietsu Tomoiki Shienkai, a non-profit supporting foreign workers said to Nikkei Asia, Workers often run into trouble in workplaces that are not approved for higher-skilled professionals.

The issue is compounded by staffing agencies and brokers that send workers to Japan without ensuring they meet language or skill requirements, as per the Nikkei Asia report.

The number of workers in high-skilled visa categories jumped 94 per cent from 2024 to reach 458,000 by June 2025, while participation in the technical intern programme, largely made up of blue-collar workers, fell 1.6 per cent following tighter regulations.

Immigration is too shorthanded to thoroughly check that the jobs they end up taking are appropriate to the higher-skilled professional visa, said immigration lawyer Koji Yamawaki to Nikkei Asia. He added that stricter screening is needed to ensure high-skilled foreign workers are employed in positions that match their qualifications.

The trend emphasises the challenges Japan faces in balancing labour shortages with fair employment practices for foreign professionals. While the country aims to attract skilled talent, gaps in oversight and enforcement continue to leave many workers underemployed and vulnerable.

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The Justice Department says its review of the Jeffrey Epstein records is complete and defends its release process, while downplaying the likelihood of new charges amid criticism from survivors and lawmakers over redactions and transparency

US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a press conference at the US Department of justice on January 30, 2026 in Washington. (AFP)

The US Department of Justice has completed its review of records tied to the Jeffrey EpsteinGhislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking case, a senior official said on Sunday, adding that the department stands by its handling of the file releases and has taken note of concerns from survivors and lawmakers. The top Justice Department official also played down the prospect of further criminal charges, saying that the existence of horrible photographs and troubling emails does not allow us necessarily to prosecute somebody.

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Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche, the point person on the Trump administrations Epstein files release, told ABC News on Sunday that prosecutors review of the Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking case is over.

Separately, in comments to CNN about Epstein, Blanche said that victims want to be made whole after surviving the scheme attributed to the late convicted sex offender and which led to a 20-year prison sentence for Maxwell beginning in 2022.

And we want that, Blanche said. But that doesnt mean we can just create evidence or that we can just kind of come up with a case that isnt there.

Limits of potential prosecutions

While Blanche acknowledged theres a lot of horrible photographs that appear to be taken by Mr Epstein or by people around him  that doesnt allow us necessarily to prosecute somebody.

Blanches comments took aim at survivors who met Fridays release with calls demanding further accountability for the alleged clients of Epstein and Maxwell. He also made those comments amid complaints from federal Democratic lawmakers that Fridays release  along with a number of earlier ones  were incomplete.

Responding to a question about claims by victims attorneys that some identities had not been correctly redacted, Blanche on Sunday said, We immediately rectify that. But, he added, the numbers were talking about were .001 per cent of all the materials.

Blanche also said it was amazing that the justice department was facing accusations of a cover-up less than a day after it dropped millions of files.

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We have nothing to hide, Blanche said. We never did.

Lawmaker disputes scope of disclosures

However, US House member Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, disputed that the justice departments Epstein investigative archive had been emptied to the extent called for by the transparency law that he co-authored.

Theyve released at best half the documents, he told CNN. But even those shock the conscience of this country.

Khanna alluded to some files released on Friday that revealed references to and correspondence with prominent individuals, including multibillionaire businessperson Elon Musk and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick. Those prominent figures were at times associated with Epstein or attended private events he organised at his homes but have not been accused of wrongdoing.

A former friend of Donald Trump, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to state charges of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor. Officials say Epstein then killed himself in federal custody in New York in 2019, during Trumps first presidency, while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Pakistans rare-earth show-and-tell from 2025 didnt land a seat at the US Global Minerals Conference happening in Washington on February 4. Indias S Jaishankar is set to attend the meet

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir personally presented a box of rare earths to Donald Trump at the White House in 2025 (X)

The United States has not invited Pakistan to the Global Minerals Conference on February 4 in Washington, even as Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is all set to attend.

The irony is hard to miss, especially considering Islamabads months-long efforts to catch Washingtons eye with its rare-earth minerals. Last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir personally presented a box of rare earths to Donald Trump at the White House, a rather unsubtle signal that Pakistan was eager to position itself as a key player in the global minerals market.

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Dangling the minerals carrot

So, how exactly did Pakistan try to make its case? Over the past year, it has been showcasing its reserves of rare earths and other strategic minerals as an alternative supply source, at a time when the US and its allies are keen to reduce reliance on China.

Army Chief Munir, along with other officials, repeatedly emphasised Pakistans mineral potential, while Islamabad also floated potential partnerships with American mining companies. The goal was to be recognised as a credible and serious player in the emerging global minerals race.

Yet, despite these high-profile efforts, Pakistan was excluded from the invite list, while India will have a seat at the table.

Beyond minerals

This isnt just about rocks in the ground. Pakistans outreach reflects a calculated attempt to pivot from decades of security-focused relations with the US toward economic geostrategy. With an estimated $6 trillion in untapped reserves and a $500 million deal with US Strategic Metals, Islamabad aimed to demonstrate its relevance in global efforts to diversify supply chains away from China.

However, theres a reliability gap.

US policymakers view mineral offerings through a wider lens, weighing political stability, policy continuity, and the ability to deliver long-term projects. Frequent political churn, civil-military tensions, and uncertainties over investment protections have undermined confidence.
While 2025 was the bloodiest year for Pakistan in a decade, the new year appears to be on track to be just as bloody  if not more. In January, more insurgency-related deaths were reported than December as Baloch groups ramped up their campaign against the Pakistani state.

People walk amid damages at a police station following militant attacks in Quetta, Pakistan, on February 1, 2026. (Photo: Stringer/Stringer)

While 2025 was the bloodiest year for Pakistan in a decade, the new year appears to be on track to be just as bloody  if not more.

In January, Pakistan suffered more insurgency-related deaths than December as Baloch groups ramped up their campaign against the Pakistani state. Over the weekend, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) mounted coordinated attacks on police stations and security posts that killed at least 33 persons.

In retaliation, the Pakistani authorities on Monday claimed the police and army killed at least 177 insurgents over the past two days.

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Overall, Pakistan witnessed 386 insurgency-related deaths in January, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP).

The breakdown of insurgency-related deaths in January in Pakistan:

Month Incidents of Killing Civilians Security Forces Terrorists / Insurgents / Extremists Not Specified Total January 2026 90 42 106 238 0 386

Deaths in January 386 were higher than in December when Pakistan witnessed 341 deaths.

In the entirety of 2025, Pakistan recorded 4,001 deaths, which was highest since 2014, according to SATPs database.

Between 2024 and 25, insurgency-related deaths surged by 70.93 per cent.

The spike coincided with Pakistans deteriorating ties with Afghanistans Taliban rulers and simultaneous conflicts with the Afghan Taliban, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and the BLA. They not just ramped up attacks in restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces but also struck in Islamabad and frequently targeted regional headquarters of security forces.

The last time violence was this severe was in 2014 when Pakistan recorded 5,510 insurgency-related deaths  including 150 victims of the APS Peshawar attack.

Ironically, the TTP that has wreaked havoc in northwestern Pakistan emerged from Pakistans own sponsorship of Islamist groups in Afghanistan including the Afghan Taliban that first fought the Soviets and later battled Afghanistans internationally recognised government. Today, these groups are in open conflict with Pakistan itself. Notably, it was the TTP that was behind the massacre at the Army Public School, Peshawar.

Year Incidents of Killing Civilians Security Forces Terrorists / Insurgents / Extremists Not Specified Total 2014 1569 1471 508 3268 263 5510 2015 950 866 339 2407 73 3685 2016 526 541 291 897 68 1797 2017 294 439 216 533 81 1269 2018 164 358 158 162 10 688 2019 136 142 137 86 0 365 2020 193 169 178 159 0 506 2021 268 215 226 223 0 664 2022 365 229 379 363 0 971 2023 528 398 532 583 0 1513 2024 790 582 754 896 4 2236 2025 1077 655 1229 2116 1 4001 2026 (till Jan. 31) 90 42 106 238 0 386

Pakistans internal security situation has plunged at a time when Field Marshal Asim Munir, the Pakistan Army chief, emerged as the country's czar and formalised the military control of the country with the 27th Amendment. But his personal rise has coincided with a surge in deaths across Pakistan.

Even though Pakistans elites celebrated the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, the Pakistan-Taliban relationship is now in tatters. The two sides had several rounds of intense cross-border clashes in October that involved ground assaults, cross-border raids, and airstrikes. At the same time, the TTP ramped up the campaign in the northwest and groups like the BLA intensified the insurgency in the southwest.

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Protests erupted outside New York Mayor Zohran Mamdanis home after newly released Epstein files mentioned his mother, filmmaker Mira Nair. While the email does not allege wrongdoing, residents demanded answers

New York Citys newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani found himself facing angry residents outside his official residence, Gracie Mansion, after the latest release of Jeffrey Epsteinrelated documents mentioned his mother, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair.

Videos that circulated on social media showed a small crowd shouting shame and accusing the mayor of misleading supporters, demanding answers over the unexpected connection.

Zohran Mamdani is being heckled by his own voters outside Gracie Mansion.



They chant, SHAME!



Mamdani has failed to deliver the free stuff he promised after a month in office.



Imagine how upset his supporters will be after a year of disappointments.pic.twitter.com/T1EjPBENLY  Paul A. Szypula  (@Bubblebathgirl) February 2, 2026

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Note: Firstpost could not verify the authenticity of the video.

What caused the backlash

The protests were triggered by an email from 2009 included in the newly released files by the US Department of Justice, sent by American publicist Peggy Siegal to Epstein. The email describes an afterparty at Ghislaine Maxwells Manhattan townhouse following a screening of a film, and names several highprofile attendees, including Bill Clinton, Jeff Bezos and Mira Nair.

While the email does not allege wrongdoing by Nairand there is no indication that she or her son are accused of any illegal activitythe mere mention of her name was enough to fuel public discontent among some of Mamdanis erstwhile supporters.

Protesters outside Gracie Mansion could be heard chanting that Mamdani had betrayed their trust. We were with you, we voted for you you lied to us, one demonstrator shouted through a megaphone. Videos show residents repeatedly calling out shame, insisting they deserve answers about the apparent association.

Mamdani, 34, made history when he became New York Citys youngest mayor and its first Muslim mayor, taking office on January 1 after defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

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The 2009 email referring to Nairs presence at an afterparty for the film Amelia is contextual, not incriminating, and does not connect her or her family to any criminal conduct.
Qatars top court has rejected the bail plea of former Indian Navy officer Commander Purnendu Tiwari, who remains detained in Doha in a financial case, prompting his family to seek urgent intervention from PM Modi over his worsening health and continued incarceration.

The bail plea of Commander Purnendu Tiwari, the only former Indian Navy officer who has not returned home and remains detained in Qatar in a financial case, has been rejected by the Cassation Court in Doha, the highest judicial authority in the country, his family told Firstpost.

Family appeals for urgent intervention

His sister, Meetu Bhargava, said the family is deeply distressed as her brothers health continues to deteriorate in custody. Renewing her appeal, she urged the Indian government to intervene at the highest level.

With folded hands, I humbly request the Honble Prime Minister and the Honble External Affairs Minister to immediately intervene and bring my brother back to India without any further delay, Bhargava said.

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She questioned the continued detention of the 65-year-old Navy veteran despite repeated assurances on humanitarian grounds. What is the Indian government or the MEA waiting for  for his condition to worsen further? It has been reiterated umpteen times that Commander Purnendu Tiwari, who suffers from severe medical ailments, should not have been put in jail as it is life-threatening for him, she said. Bhargava added that her brother has been suffering in Doha for the past four years and has spent the last two months in jail.

Allegations against Dahra Global CEO

Earlier, speaking to Firstpost, Bhargava alleged that the CEO of Dahra Global used his influence to shift the entire financial liability onto her brother. She also claimed that authorities forced Tiwari to sign an acknowledgement of alleged involvement while he was kept in solitary confinement.

Only one among eight yet to return

Making an emotional appeal, Bhargava said her brother remains imprisoned despite having committed no wrongdoing. She recalled that seven other Indian Navy veterans were released following the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Eight Indian Navy veterans were arrested in 2022 on baseless spying charges. All eight were pardoned by the Amir of Qatar after Prime Minister Modis intervention. Yet only seven returned to India in February 2024. My brother was stopped despite being similarly placed and working with the same company, Dahra Global, she told Firstpost.

Commander Tiwari and seven other former Indian Navy personnel were detained in Doha in August 2022 during an investigation. In 2023, Qatari authorities sentenced them to death, though formal charges were never publicly disclosed. The sentences were later overturned, and the Amir of Qatar pardoned all eight veterans.

Firstpost has earlier reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Doha for a response. Response is still awaited.

Tiwari faces serious health issues: Family

Earlier, she informed to Firstost about her brothers deteriorating health, she said, My brother is 65 years old and suffers from multiple health issues. He was taken into custody again on December 1 and has been in jail since December 6. He has been in jail for the past month despite serious medical problems, without any fault on his part.

Our mother is 87 years old and has been waiting for his return for the past three-and-a-half years, she said.

PM Modis intervention led to release of others

The Government of India engaged diplomatically to secure their release. Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally raised the matter with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. Following this intervention, the Emir granted pardons or commuted the sentences. Seven of the eight veterans were released and returned to India.

After retiring from the Navy, Tiwari joined Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, a private defence-related company that provides training and support to the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces.

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Commander Purnendu Tiwari, a navigation specialist, has commanded INS Magar and served as the fleet navigating officer of the Indian Navys Eastern Fleet. He has also served aboard Rajput-class destroyers. In 2019, he became the first armed forces veteran to be honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, presented by then-President Ram Nath Kovind.
Russia has confirmed a new round of talks with Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Thursday, after a scheduling delay. Negotiations, focused on territory, come just weeks before the four-year anniversary of the war

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the "special military operation" amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict in Moscow, Russia, on December 29, 2025. Reuters File

Russia has confirmed that a new round of talks with Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi on ending the four-year-war will start Wednesday, after they were postponed from this weekend.

Moscow blamed a scheduling issue for the delay, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said the negotiations would take place in the UAE capital on Wednesday and Thursday.

They were indeed originally planned for this past Sunday. But additional coordination of the schedules of the three parties was needed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters

Now, on Wednesday-Thursday, the second round will indeed take place. It will be held in Abu Dhabi. We can confirm that, he added.

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The talks will take place less than two weeks before the fourth anniversary of Moscow launching its full-scale offensive against Ukraine.

They are expected to focus on the crucial issue of territory, with neither side so far showing any sign of a breakthrough.

Washington is pushing for an end to the war between the neighbours, which has killed tens of thousands, forced millions to flee their homes and destroyed much of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Sitharaman highlighted IMF data cited by Musk that projects India as the second-largest contributor to global GDP growth in 2026, saying the country has gained economic strength and will bridge the gap with China.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday referred to remarks by billionaire Elon Musk on a global statistics report that ranked India second in terms of its forecast contribution to global real GDP in 2026.

She said the Tesla CEO reacted to the IMF data with a wow and stressed that New Delhi will bridge the gap with China, which topped the list reshared by Musk.

Citing Musks X post, Sitharaman said the Opposition should also recognise the economic strength India has acquired.

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IMF data reshared by Musk

On January 31, Musk reshared a post by World of Statistics (@stats_feed) ranking the top 10 contributors to global real GDP growth in 2026. The post, citing the International Monetary Fund as its data source, placed China first with 26.6 percent and India second with 17 percent. Musk reposted it with the caption, The balance of power is changing.

Other countries such as the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia were ranked lower, with contributions of 9.9 percent, 3.8 percent, 1.7 percent, 1.5 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. The report also noted that China and India together account for 43.6 percent of global growth.

We will bridge the gap with China

Speaking at the Youth Dialogue on Union Budget 202627, Sitharaman said Musk had reacted to the IMF data with a wow response. She noted that while China contributes 26 percent and India 17 percent to global GDP growth, the two economies together account for 43 percent of global growth.

Targeting the Opposition over its criticism following the Budget presentation, she said it should understand the scale of Indias current economic strength. Acknowledging the gap with China, Sitharaman said that while the difference is significant, India would bridge it, and emphasised the need for confidence in Indias growing role in the global economy.

IMF raises India growth projection

In January, the IMF raised Indias growth projection to 7.3 percent for FY 202526 and placed the GDP growth forecast at 6.4 per cent for FY 202627.

Rijiju targets Rahul Gandhi

Union minister Kiren Rijiju also referred to Musks post while responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhis criticism of the Budget. He said he was quoting Musk only to highlight national achievement and urged Gandhi not to disparage the country while criticising the government.

Rijiju said that while criticising the government is a democratic right, Indias achievements should not be belittled. His remarks came amid Rahul Gandhis continued criticism of the BJP-led central governments handling of the economy.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has signalled a fresh push to reconsider closer defence cooperation with the EU, including potential involvement in its 140bn SAFE defence fund. The move comes amid broader efforts to reset post-Brexit ties and prepare for upcoming trade and security talks

Britains government is reopening a sensitive but urgent strategic debate about its place in European defence, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, senior ministers and top officials meet to assess whether the UK should revive talks on joining the EUs multibillion-euro defence financing initiative.

At the centre of these deliberations is the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) fund, an EU-backed mechanism aimed at strengthening collective defence capabilities by financing joint military procurement and industrial projects across the bloc. Designed to reduce fragmentation in Europes defence market and accelerate rearmament, SAFE has become a key pillar of the EUs push for greater strategic autonomy.

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The UK had previously explored access to the scheme, but talks broke down in late 2025 after disagreements over financial contributions, governance rules and, most controversially, the proposed entry price. Those unresolved differences effectively shut British defence firms out of a funding pool that could shape Europes military supply chains for years to come.

Starmer signals strategic shift

During an overseas visit this week, Starmer struck a notably pragmatic tone on defence cooperation, acknowledging that Europe, including Britain, faces mounting security pressures that demand closer coordination. He told reporters that Europe must do more on security and defence, a line he has repeated in meetings with allied leaders.

Ive made the argument and that should require us to look at schemes like SAFE and others to see whether there is a way in which we can work more closely together, he said.

The comments mark one of the clearest indications yet that the new government is willing to reconsider mechanisms previously viewed as politically toxic in the post-Brexit landscape. Officials say the prime minister is keen to frame the discussion around capability, industrial resilience and shared security threats rather than institutional alignment with Brussels.

This shift comes as London and Brussels prepare for a fresh round of talks on trade and cooperation. The upcoming EU-UK Partnership Council meeting is expected to include exploratory discussions on defence collaboration, alongside efforts to smooth trade frictions that have persisted since Britain left the EU.

Strategic, economic and political context

Starmers remarks have triggered debate across Westminster. Supporters argue that deeper defence cooperation with Europe is a pragmatic response to rising global instability, the war in Ukraine and uncertainty over long-term US security guarantees under Nato. They also point to the potential economic upside for UK defence manufacturers, which could gain access to large, long-term European contracts.

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Critics, however, warn that re-engaging with EU defence structures risks blurring the red lines drawn after Brexit, particularly if participation comes with financial or regulatory obligations seen as too close to EU oversight.

Under the original SAFE framework, the fund would provide loans for joint military programmes from a pool estimated at 140bn ($165.81bn), making it one of the largest defence financing initiatives ever assembled in Europe. Frances earlier insistence on a high entry fee for non-EU participants, along with concerns over decision-making rights, proved a major stumbling block in previous talks.

Any renewed push to join would therefore require careful negotiation in Brussels, and delicate political management at home. While Starmer has ruled out re-joining the customs union or single market, his openness on defence cooperation suggests a calibrated effort to reset post-Brexit ties where UK and EU interests most clearly overlap.
US President Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said in a post on X, sharing a photo of the two leaders and adding, STAY TUNED

US President Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said in a post on X.

Goralso shared a photograph of the two leaders from Trumps February 2020 visit to India at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, adding the message: STAY TUNED

President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED pic.twitter.com/IFcxrJj04m  Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 2, 2026

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Earlier, Trump had posted a photo of New Delhis India Gate on his social media platform Truth Social, calling it a beautiful triumphal arch. The post, which drew attention in both India and the US, comes as Trump plans to build a massive new triumphal arch in Washington DC to mark Americas 250th anniversary.

The US ambassadors post comes amid speculation over a possible trade deal announcement between India and the US, despite uncertainty in bilateral ties following President Donald Trumps steep tariffs on Indian exports.

The post also followed Indias Union Budget for fiscal 2027, which included measures aimed at addressing challenges arising from Trumps 50 percent tariff on Indian goods. With External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelling to the US on Monday, the envoys social media message drew attention in both India and the United States. No official readout was issued by either government.

The phone call appeared to be the first between the two leaders this year. Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are believed to have spoken around 10 times since last summer.

During their previous conversation in December 2025, the two leaders had reviewed progress in the IndiaUS partnership and discussed expanding cooperation in areas such as trade, critical technologies, energy, defence and security.

Prime Minister Modi had also posted about that call on X, describing it as warm and engaging, though he did not refer to trade.

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Trump has said the United States is in talks with Cubas leadership about a possible deal, even as his administration steps up economic pressure on the island by threatening an oil blockade and additional tariffs.

US President Donald Trump walks upon arrival on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, US, January 27, 2026. File Image/Reuters

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington was in talks with Cubas highest people to reach a deal, just days after he threatened the islands struggling economy with what he described as a virtual oil blockade.

Trumps second administration has stepped up pressure on the communist-run nation following the January 3 ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, whose government had been a close ally of Havana and a key source of oil supplies for Cuba.

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Were talkinghighest people: Trump signals possible deal

Cuba is a failing nation. It has been for a long time, but now it doesnt have Venezuela to prop it up, Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

He said the US was engaging with Cubas top leadership but offered no details on what a deal might involve. So were talking to the people from Cuba, the highest people in Cuba, to see what happens. I think were going to make a deal with Cuba, he said.

Havana responds cautiously

Cubas Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not confirm Trumps remarks in a statement issued on Sunday. However, it reiterated that the island nation does not pose a threat to US security, as per AFP.

The ministry said Cuba does not host any foreign military or intelligence bases and added that it remains willing to maintain a respectful and reciprocal dialogue with Washington.

Trumps oil pressure and long queues at petrol stations

Earlier, on Thursday, Trump signed an executive order threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba, to put additional pressure amid a worsening crude crisis in the country.

A day later, long queues were reported at petrol stations across Havana, highlighting fuel shortages on the island.

Diplomatic tensions on the ground

US chief of mission in Cuba, Mike Hammer, said he was shouted at by some residents during a visit to Trinidad province in central Cuba over the weekend. In a video posted on X, Hammer said those involved were linked to a political party and did not represent ordinary Cubans.

The US State Departments Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs later accused the Cuban government of attempting to interfere with US diplomatic work. It said US diplomats would continue engaging with the Cuban people despite what it described as intimidation.

Push for regime change

Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose family fled Cuba, have made no secret of their desire for regime change in Havana. After Maduros fall, Trump warned Cuba to make a deal soon or face consequences.

Earlier, Trump had declared, No more oil or money for Cuba, claiming the country was close to collapse.

Mexico signals humanitarian support

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Sunday that her government plans to send humanitarian aid to Cuba, including food and other supplies, while working on a diplomatic solution to continue oil shipments despite the threatened US tariffs.

She added that the issue of oil supplies to Cuba was not discussed during her recent phone call with Trump.
The ties between US President Donald Trump and the UAE royalty came under major scrutiny after a report emerged that the latters national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has nearly half of the stake in the Trump familys crypto firm.

US President Trump with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, right, and his brother U.A.E. President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, left, in Abu Dhabi in May. AP

An investment firm tied to the United Arab Emirates reportedly purchased nearly half of the Trump familys cryptocurrency company last year. The revelation was made in an explosive Wall Street Journal report, highlighting the links between US President Donald Trump and the UAEs top royal and government official, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

What garnered attention was the fact that this transaction was taking place while Trump was negotiating foreign policy matters with the Middle Eastern nation. The investment, which was initially reported by the Wall Street Journal, was later confirmed on Sunday by a spokesman for the Trumps crypto company, World Liberty Financial.

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As per the report, days before Trump assumed the office of the president for the second time, his son, Eric Trump, signed an agreement with the investment firm for a $500 million investment in World Liberty. David Wachsman, a World Liberty spokesman, eventually confirmed the transaction in a statement to The New York Times.

Ties between the Trump family and the Emiratis

The agreement gave the Emirati-backed firm a 49 per cent stake in World Liberty. With this, Top lieutenants to the UAEs national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, joined the board of World Liberty. When asked about the terms of the deal, including the size of the board, Wachsman said, We made the deal in question because we strongly believe that it was what was best for our company as we continue to grow.

It is pertinent to note that the Trump familys business dealings with the Emiratis have blurred the line between government and private enterprise, alarming ethics experts and congressional Democrats. Tahnoon is a member of the Emirati royal family and has been a major foreign policy intermediary with the United States for over a decade.

He is known for running a sprawling investment empire that includes G42, a technology firm that has become a powerhouse in the booming world of artificial intelligence. Interestingly, the investment in World Liberty was one of two large transactions last year involving the Trumps crypto firm and the Emirati government.

During a conference in Dubai in May last year, World Liberty executives disclosed that MGX, another company run by Sheikh Tahnoon, was using $2 billion worth of a digital currency issued by World Liberty. The currency called stablecoin is being used to make large investments.

The move went on to turn World Liberty into one of the worlds largest issuers of stablecoins  a type of cryptocurrency that maintains a price of $1. The deal was poised to generate tens of millions of dollars a year in revenue for World Liberty.

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Overall, the Trump familys crypto investments in the past year have increased the familys net worth by more than $1 billion, at least on paper. Interestingly, while the deal was coming together, the Emirati government secured an agreement with the Trump administration for the export of hundreds of thousands of advanced chips to power A.I. technology.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Monday warned that even though US President Donald Trump has ruled out military force, Washington still fundamentally seeks to control the Arctic island

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Monday warned that even though US President Donald Trump has ruled out military force, Washington still fundamentally seeks to control the Arctic island.

According to a Guardian report, citing a written statement published on the Greenlandic parliaments website and reported in local media, Nielsen said the US view of Greenland has not changed: Greenland should be attached to the United States and governed from there.

This has  not surprisingly  created great insecurity among us all. Some of our compatriots have severe sleep problems, children feel the worry and anxiety of adults, and we all live with constant uncertainty about what might happen in the future morning. From the side of the Government of Greenland, we want to say it very clearly: this is completely unacceptable, said the Prime Minister.

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Frederik-Nielsen added that although it is directly about Greenland, this is also about the future of Nato, the protection of the western world and global democracy.

He further warned, If international laws and rules  not least national borders and national sovereignty  are not respected, great powers risk dividing the world, whereby freedom and self-determination will no longer exist.

The prime minister emphasised the continued need for close cooperation with Denmark and other EU and Nato countries to respond to US interest in the region.

President Trump intensified calls for US control over Greenland at the beginning of the year, citing national security concerns related to Russia and China, which threatened to fracture the Nato alliance.

Trump has since backed away from threats of force and said he secured total US access to Greenland in a Nato deal, though details remain unclear.

With inputs from agencies
Venezuelan activist Javier Tarazona was released after 1,675 days in detention, as authorities expanded a wider political prisoner amnesty under international pressure

Human rights activist Javier Tarazona (R) is greeted by his brother Jose Rafael Tarazona (L) and lawyer Omar de Dios Garcia after his release from prison at La Candelaria church in Caracas on February 1. (AFP)

A prominent Venezuelan human rights activist was freed on Sunday after spending more than four years in detention at a Caracas prison. He later said his time behind bars was marked by intense suffering. His release comes as his case moves forward within a broader political prisoner amnesty under international pressure.

The message remains the same: four years and seven months in prison did not silence the truth. The truth set me free, Javier Tarazona told AFP in an interview, hours after being released from the Helicoide prison, where he was held on charges including terrorism and treason.

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The 43-year-old said he spent 1,675 days in a dark place, adding: It cannot be possible for this kind of case to keep happening.

Scenes outside church in Caracas

To cries of Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! and applause from Catholic faithful, he was taken from prison to the forecourt of a Caracas church.

Released outside the church  authorities often do not free inmates in front of prisons  Tarazona was reunited with his brother and his mother, Teresa de Jesus Sanchez Garcia, 71.

Then came Omar de Dios Garcia, an activist arrested while accompanying Javier Tarazona on July 2, 2021. The Tarazona brothers and De Dios, who at one point shared the same cell for four months, embraced for a long time.

Javier is free at last, his brother Rafael told AFP.

The men prayed together and then left, as the faithful at La Candelaria church clapped.

People are applauding out of a great longing for freedom, out of hope for reunions among Venezuelans, out of joy, Javier Tarazona said.

People fervently wish that we can embrace one another with joy, with enthusiasm. Without fear.

Amnesty and political context

The dissidents release marked the latest step by Venezuelas interim President, Delcy Rodriguez, to free political prisoners. She has been under pressure from Washington to free prisoners after the US ousted Nicolas Maduro on January 3 and declared it is in effect running the South American country.

He was freed two days after Rodriguez announced the closure of Helicoide and a general amnesty law.

This followed less than a month after US forces attacked Caracas and seized Maduro, whisking him and his wife, Cilia Flores, away to New York to face US drug-trafficking charges.

Prisoner figures

One of Venezuelas most prominent jailed dissidents, Tarazona is among roughly 1,000 political prisoners, some of whom are gradually being freed as Venezuela seeks reforms after many years of authoritarian leftist rule.

The rights group Foro Penal says there are still 711 political prisoners held in Venezuela.

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The government has started to release some, but relatives of those detained and rights groups say the process is too slow. The amnesty is expected to speed things up.

Tarazona is a major opposition figure in Venezuela. Amnesty International and other human rights groups had been calling for his release.

Tarazona, director of the rights NGO Fundaredes, had been imprisoned since July 2021. Besides treason and terrorism he was accused of incitement to hatred.

He is known for his role in reporting clashes between military forces and guerrilla groups along the porous 2,000-kilometer (1,240-mile) Colombia-Venezuela border.

Fundaredes had accused the Maduro government of harboring Colombian guerrilla leaders in Venezuela.
SAFE: A turning point for the security of Poland and Europe

Republic of Poland - The Chancellery of the Prime Minister

27.01.2026

The European Commission has approved Poland's request for the disbursement of funds from the SAFE programme for defence investments. "This is a watershed moment. SAFE was in part conceived and initiated by Poland. From the very first day of our government, we did everything to ensure that NATO's eastern border became an important task for all of Europe," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said ahead of a meeting of the Council of Ministers. Poland, as the largest beneficiary, will receive nearly PLN 200 billion, with as much as 80 percent going to Polish companies. These funds will stimulate the Polish economy. Today, the government adopted the assumptions of Poland's foreign policy for the coming year, focusing on relations with allies and with states that pose a threat to Poland's security.

The SAFE instrument - a major development programme

For the first time in history, the European Union is investing in arms procurement, through the SAFE instrument, which is one of the successes of Poland's presidency. Yesterday, the European Commission issued a positive assessment of Poland's application for financing from this programme. Our country will be the largest beneficiary of the project, nearly PLN 200 billion will come to Poland.

"The money that will come to Poland from the SAFE programme is greater than the entire defence budget of Spain or Italy. And I'm speaking only about the money from SAFE. I'm not speaking about our budgetary spending on defence," Prime Minister Donald Tusk recalled.

From the very beginning, the SAFE programme was intended as a project enabling the use of European funds on a massive scale, both to support the Polish defence industry and to strengthen protection of Poland's border. The money will go toward the modernisation of the armed forces, the defence industry, and the security of the state.

"Nearly 30 projects out of more than a hundred are the East Shield (Tarcza Wschod) and the eastern border, so these funds will directly serve our security," Donald Tusk said.

Already today, Poland's land border with Belarus and with Russia is the best-protected border of all European borders.

The SAFE programme is not only an investment in security. It is a major development programme that will drive the entire economy.

"Eighty percent of these funds will go to Polish companies, to the Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa), to private and state-owned entities. These will be direct investments in the economy," the Prime Minister announced.

The head of government also announced that soon, together with Minister W. Kosiniak-Kamysz, they will initiate an investment aimed at providing drone-based protection of Poland's, and Europe's, eastern border.

Polish foreign policy in the face of new challenges

The current international situation, both globally and regionally, is exceptionally dynamic. Uncertainty caused by the armed conflict in Ukraine, as well as other dramatic events, requires deeper geopolitical reflection.

"Today we will discuss the assumptions of Poland's foreign policy. The situation around Poland requires serious reflection and appropriately thought-out diplomacy," Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced.

The attention of decision-makers and public opinion is now focused on the key challenges of Polish foreign policy, relations both with states that pose a threat to Poland and with its allies.

"The issue of Poland's dignity and the dignity of the Polish uniform has become a serious challenge. We will act in a thoughtful and decisive manner," Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced.

This was a reference to comments by President Donald Trump about the participation of allied troops in Afghanistan, which in his view were supposed to stay away from the front line. The Polish Armed Forces, shoulder to shoulder with allies, took part, among others, in missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In Afghanistan, 44 Poles were killed (43 soldiers and one paramedic). 23 Polish soldiers were killed in Iraq.

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Pennsylvania Guard Shapes Army's Unmanned Aircraft Capabilities

By Brad Rhen January 30, 2026

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. -- Two Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers supported an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) demonstration for a senior Army official recently at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Reed and Sgt. 1st Class Brent Wehr supported a UAS demonstration for Brent Ingraham, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and Army acquisition executive, Jan. 20.

"The UAS lethality demonstration for ASA Ingraham was an overwhelming success," said Reed, commander of the UAS Training and Innovation Facility at Fort Indiantown Gap. "ASA Ingraham was impressed with the Pennsylvania National Guard's UAS team and gave high praise for our efforts in helping move the Army UAS program forward and achieve guidance surrounding drone dominance."

The Pennsylvania National Guard UAS Team has an ongoing partnership with DEVCOM, supporting the command's development efforts for UAS systems and payloads, Reed said. Guard Soldiers test DEVCOM systems while providing feedback and recommendations to help refine products for the Army's UAS transformation efforts.

Ingraham visited DEVCOM to receive updates on emerging UAS technologies and how they are evolving to support the Army warfighter.

Following the demonstration, Ingraham asked Reed about the Pennsylvania National Guard's relationship with DEVCOM and whether the collaboration was recurring.

"I relayed that we have been working directly with their team since last summer, providing data and feedback on emerging technologies and payloads by putting systems directly in the hands of our warfighters," Reed said. "We also assist in modifying designs to better fit mission sets we foresee in future operational environments."

Ingraham also asked about the Pennsylvania National Guard's UAS efforts beyond its work with DEVCOM.

"I explained that we have tremendous support from our leadership and that UAS innovation is a top priority for our adjutant general," Reed said. "Our goal is to continue leading the way not only within the National Guard, but across the Army, in terms of innovation and UAS capability."

Reed also told Ingraham that the Pennsylvania National Guard UAS Training and Innovation Facility helped develop the UAS lethality course and that Pennsylvania is postured to serve as a regional training site for the 15X military occupational specialty transition course.

Additionally, Reed said Pennsylvania is working with the Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, Alabama, to develop the Army's first standardized first-person-view drone training course. The effort is intended to strengthen the training pipeline for the UAS lethality course, with the potential for Pennsylvania to also serve as a regional training site.

Prior to Ingraham's visit, Reed and Wehr met with several organizations involved in UAS operations at Picatinny Arsenal, including the CATYLYST team, a collaborative initiative that brings together public and private sector partners in support of Army modernization.

"The Pennsylvania National Guard UAS Training and Innovation Facility's relationship with DEVCOM continues to be of great benefit to both organizations," Reed said. "Our collaborative efforts are helping shape the future of UAS in the Army as we move forward in the modern fight. We look forward to continuing to strengthen this partnership."

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Press Release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the 2815/2026 UN Security Council Resolution on the renewal of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus

Republic of Cyprus

From: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

31/01/26 09:22 | Press release | Foreign Policy

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the adoption of the 2815/2026 United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution on the renewal of the mandate of the United Nation Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for another 12 months, until January 31 2027. UNFICYP's presence in Cyprus, based on its mandate, is indispensable for as long as the Turkish occupation continues. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus will continue to cooperate constructively with UNFICYP for the effective implementation of its mandate.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the Security Council's continued support to the UN Secretary-General's efforts to restart negotiations aiming to achieve an enduring, comprehensive and just settlement of the Cyprus issue based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as set out in its relevant Resolutions.

With Resolution 2815/2026 the Security Council repeats, inter alia, its call for the reversal of all Turkish actions in the fenced-off city of Varosha and for the restoration of the status quo ante in Strovilia and the buffer zone.

In light of the continuing violations that are taking place in the buffer zone by the occupation forces, the significance of the Security Council's call for reducing the tensions as a prerequisite for the creation of an appropriate climate and confidence building is underlined.

We look forward to returning to the negotiations the soonest with the aim to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.

(AP/MS/NZ)

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Iran condemns Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Feb 1, 2026

Tehran, IRNA -- Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has strongly condemned the recent Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, particularly targeting civilian areas in the south, as well as the destruction of civilian infrastructure and public facilities.

In a statement on Sunday, Baqaei described the Israeli regime's military aggression against Lebanon and its targeting of civilian homes and public infrastructure as a serious violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and a clear example of a war crime.

Offering condolences to the families of the martyrs and expressing solidarity with the Lebanese government and people, the spokesperson urged the international community to take immediate and effective action to end the impunity of the Zionist regime.

Highlighting the ongoing violations of the ceasefire by the Israeli regime over the past 15 months, Baqaei emphasized the legal and political responsibilities of the supporters and guarantors of the ceasefire for these repeated breaches.

He stressed the need for the United Nations, especially the Security Council, to promptly fulfill its obligations to stop the aggressions and hold the occupying Zionist regime accountable for its violations of international law.

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OIC condemns Israeli massacre in the Gaza Strip and calls for urgent international intervention

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

01-02-2026

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has condemned in the strongest terms the continuing horrific massacres committed by the Israeli occupation against innocent civilians and displaced persons in the Gaza Strip, the latest of which was the bombing of various areas in the Gaza Strip, resulting in 31 martyrs and dozens of civilian casualties. in a dangerous escalation and flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement, and an attempt to undermine international efforts to stabilize the truce and implement the second phase of the agreement.

The Organization also held Israel, the occupying power, fully responsible for the repercussions of this heinous crime and called on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to assume its responsibilities towards compelling Israel to respect its full commitments and implement the provisions of the second phase in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803.

The Organization also stressed the need to open all crossings and provide unimpeded humanitarian assistance, withdraw Israeli occupation forces, begin the process of early recovery and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, and relaunch a political process leading to an end to the Israeli occupation and the implementation of the two-state solution.

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Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan , Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, United Arab Emirates Condemning Israel's Repeated Violations of Ceasefire in Gaza

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Turkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the State of Qatar strongly condemn Israel's repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza which have resulted in the killing and injuring of more than a thousand Palestinians.

These actions risk escalating tensions and undermining efforts aimed at consolidating calm and restoring stability, at a time when regional and international parties are working collectively to advance the second phase of President Donald Trump's peace plan and to implement the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803.

The Ministers consider that these repeated violations constitute a direct threat to the political process and hinder ongoing efforts to create appropriate conditions for transitioning to a more stable phase in the Gaza Strip, both in terms of security and humanitarian conditions, and stress the necessity of full commitment to ensuring the success of the second phase of President Trump's peace plan.

They also call on all parties to fully uphold their responsibilities during this critical period and to exercise the utmost restraint, in order to preserve and sustain the ceasefire, refrain from any actions that may undermine the current process, and create favorable conditions to move forward toward early recovery and reconstruction, as well as advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood, in accordance with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and the Arab peace initiative.

Islamabad

February 01,2026

32/2026

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One person killed, several injured in Israeli strike on southern Lebanon

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 6:38 PM

At least one person has been killed and several others injured when the Israeli military conducted airstrikes against an area in southern Lebanon amid the Tel Aviv regime's repeated violations of a ceasefire in place since late 2024.

Lebanon's health ministry said one person was killed and three others wounded, including a 16-year-old boy, in an Israeli strike in Ebba in the Nabatiyeh district, which is located in the country's south.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said the strike targeted a vehicle whose driver was killed, reporting that a boy was among the wounded when his family's car passed by at the time of the raid and crashed.

Earlier in the day, the ministry said a strike on Qanarit in the Sidon district, far from the Lebanese border with the occupied territories, wounded one person.

In October 2023, Israel initiated strikes against Lebanon, which intensified into a full-blown war by September 2024. More than 4,000 people were killed, and around 17,000 others were injured.

A ceasefire took effect on November 27, 2024. Under the deal, Tel Aviv was required to withdraw fully from Lebanese territory, but has kept forces stationed at five sites, in clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the terms of the November 2024 agreement.

Ceasefire breaches by Israel have resulted in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Lebanese citizens.

Lebanese authorities have warned that the regime's violations of the ceasefire threaten national stability.

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Israel bans MSF from Gaza after medical charity refuses to hand over staff list

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 4:48 PM

Israel has banned the international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) from operating across Gaza and other Israeli-occupied territories after the organization refused to hand over a list of its staff due to a lack of assurances from the Tel Aviv regime.

In a statement released on Sunday, Israel's foreign ministry accused MSF of having "something to hide" for declining to provide the information.

It added that the charity had committed in early January to sharing staff lists as part of a registration process required by Israeli authorities.

"Despite its public commitment, the organization refrained from transferring the lists," the ministry said.

MSF earlier said it would exceptionally share a defined list of Palestinian and international staff names in order to avoid suspending operations from March 1, 2026.

However, the medical charity said on Friday it was unable to secure basic assurances regarding the use and protection of that information.

"Despite repeated efforts, it became evident that we were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required," MSF said.

The organization added that it sought guarantees that staff details would be used only for administrative purposes and would not place employees at risk.

MSF said those assurances were not provided and that it therefore "concluded that we will not share staff information in the current circumstances."

MSF's initial decision to comply with the Israeli measures sparked controversy within the medical community.

World-renowned British-Palestinian Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah has warned that the charity was further endangering the lives of its staff by agreeing to comply with the order.

Abu Sittah warned that staff members face the same coercion as Palestinians forced to risk death at aid distribution points across Gaza.

He further warned that the move endangers not only employees but their families, while Israel continues to weaponize the same tired terror narratives against humanitarian work.

Abu Sittah said accepting assurances from an occupying regime that has already killed 562 aid workers further implicates MSF.

He also sharply rejected the notion of meaningful consent under such conditions, saying, "the moral bankruptcy lies in the implication that during genocide Palestinians are capable of giving free consent."

MSF has already vehemently rejected allegations from the Israeli regime claiming its staff members are linked to Palestinian resistance groups, labeling the accusations as baseless and unsupported by evidence.

The organization recently cautioned that such accusations not only jeopardize the safety of medical teams but also risk depriving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians of critical healthcare as Gaza's health system faces collapse.

Currently, MSF is awaiting the renewal of its registration to operate in Gaza and the occupied West Bank through December 31, 2025, under new Israeli rules mandating staff name disclosures.

Israel's move comes amid growing restrictions on humanitarian organizations operating in the blockaded Palestinian territory.

Israeli authorities have already announced plans to bar 37 aid groups, including MSF, from operating in Gaza as of March 1, citing their failure to submit detailed information about Palestinian staff members.

Human rights groups have warned that such measures further undermine humanitarian access in Gaza, where Israel's ongoing military offensive has devastated healthcare infrastructure and left the population increasingly dependent on international aid.

A two-year Israeli genocidal war has killed nearly 71,800 Palestinians and wounded more than 171,480 others.

The genocidal war has destroyed roughly 90% of the civilian infrastructure in the coastal territory, with UN estimates placing reconstruction costs at about $70 billion.

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Israel's ceasefire violations part of '80-year policy of colonial genocide' in Palestine: Iran

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 4:09 PM

Iran has denounced Israel's Saturday airstrikes that killed more than 30 people in Gaza as part of the regime's "80-year colonial genocide" in the Palestinian territories.

The airstrikes that targeted a police center, tents sheltering displaced Palestinians, and residential neighborhoods across the territory killed more than 30 people, among them six children. The assault was among the latest reported in Gaza since a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in October last year.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Sunday that the regime's repeated violations of the ceasefire constitute clear evidence of the continuation of an "80-year policy of colonial genocide" in Palestine.

He reiterated that the crimes committed against Palestinians are being carried out with the "support and complicity of the United States and certain European allies," naming Germany and the United Kingdom.

Baghaei urged United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the guarantors of the ceasefire agreement to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

He also called for urgent action to halt Israel's genocidal campaign, ensure the full withdrawal of occupying forces, allow the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid and fully reopen the Rafah border crossing.

Separately, eight Muslim-majority countries also condemned the latest killings, warning that Israel's violations of the truce deal threaten regional stability.

In a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, they said the continued violence in Gaza "risks escalating tensions and undermining efforts aimed at consolidating calm and restoring stability" in West Asia.

They said Israel's ceasefire violations pose a "direct threat" to the political process and hinder efforts to improve security and humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Gaza's Government Media Office says Israeli forces have killed at least 524 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect in October.

Under the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Tel Aviv said it would reopen the Rafah border crossing on Sunday for the first time since May 2024.

Israeli authorities, however, said only a "limited movement of people" cleared by Israeli security would be allowed, adding that no humanitarian aid or supplies would be permitted to enter.

Hamas rejected the restrictions, calling for unrestricted movement in and out of Gaza, and urged Israel to adhere to all provisions of the ceasefire agreement.

Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza has killed more than 71,600 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, according to Palestinian authorities.

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UAE 'spy sheikh' invested in Trump-linked firm days before US president's inauguration: Report

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 11:06 AM

According to documents from the company, just four days before Donald Trump's inauguration last year, associates of a royal family in Abu Dhabi covertly agreed to invest half a billion dollars in exchange for a 49% ownership in the Trump family's nascent cryptocurrency project.

The deal with World Liberty Financial, which hasn't previously been reported, was signed by Eric Trump, the president's son. At least $31 million was also slated to flow to entities affiliated with the family of Steve Witkoff, a World Liberty co-founder who weeks earlier had been appointed as US envoy to the Middle East, the documents said.

The investment was backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an Abu Dhabi royal who has been demanding access from the US to protected artificial intelligence chips, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Tahnoon, who is sometimes referred to as the "spy sheikh", is the brother of the president of the United Arab Emirates and serves as the UAE government's national security adviser as well as the head of the country's largest wealth fund.

Furthermore, he is responsible for overseeing a more than $1.3 trillion empire that is funded by his personal wealth and government funds. Tahnoon is one of the most powerful single investors in the world.

What is worth noting about the deal is that it marked something unprecedented in American politics: a foreign government official taking a major ownership stake in an incoming US president's venture.

Trump's election opened the door for Tahnoon to get the AI hardware that he was not able to under the Biden administration over fears that the sensitive technology could be diverted to China.

In the months that followed, Tahnoon met multiple times with Trump, Witkoff, and other US officials.

During a March visit to the White House, the sheikh told officials he was eager to work with the US on AI and other issues, according to people familiar with the matter.

Two months after the meeting, the administration agreed to give the Persian Gulf state access to around 500,000 of the most advanced AI chips each year. This amount would be enough to build one of the world's largest AI data center networks.

Under the framework agreement, roughly one-fifth of the chips were set to go to Tahnoon's own company, the AI firm G42, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

The firm had caused alarm among intelligence officials and lawmakers over its close ties to the sanctioned tech giant Huawei and other Chinese firms. The company asserted it severed ties with China in late 2023, but concerns remained.

Of the first $250 million payment from the Tahnoon-backed company, Aryam Investment 1, $187 million went to Trump family-linked companies DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC, according to the documents.

In addition to the payout to Witkoff family entities, another $31 million was directed to an entity tied to co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro.

The agreement would make Aryam the largest shareholder in World Liberty and its only known investor outside the founders.

The deal placed two Aryam executives, who also held top positions at Tahnoon's G42, on World Liberty's five-person board. At the time, the board included Eric Trump and Zach Witkoff, the son of Steve Witkoff, the documents said.

On January 16, 2025, representatives of Aryam signed the $500 million agreement with Trump and Witkoff's company, World Liberty.

On Trump's first full day in office, five days after Aryam completed its deal with World Liberty, the president announced plans at the White House for a $500 billion, AI-focused data center project involving OpenAI and SoftBank. Tahnoon's MGX was one of two additional investors named.

On May 8, the Treasury Department announced it was launching a fast-track pilot program for foreign investors. This was the quicker review process that the UAE had been lobbying for.

During Trump's visit to Abu Dhabi later that month, he announced that the two countries had reached a "very big contract" for the UAE to purchase US-made AI chips.

Months later, after additional negotiations, the Trump administration approved the sale of 35,000 chips to G42, which was fewer than the UAE had hoped.

A person familiar with Tahnoon's investment said the sheikh and his team reviewed World Liberty's plans for "a number of months" before he and "a few co-investors" completed an investment in the company. The person said the funding did not come from G42.

"At no time during that due diligence or thereafter was the investment discussed with President Trump," the person said. Tahnoon is a "significant investor" in crypto businesses, the person noted.

"President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. She added that Trump's assets are held in a trust managed by his children and said there are "no conflicts of interest". Kelly also said Witkoff is working to "advance President Trump's goals of peace around the world".

A Trump Organization spokesperson said the company "takes its ethical obligations extremely seriously and is deeply committed to preventing conflicts of interest," and abides by all applicable laws.

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Commitment to Gaza ceasefire agreement hinges on Israel's compliance, says Hamas leader

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 7:06 AM

The leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip has stressed that the Palestinian resistance movement's commitment to and respect for the ceasefire agreement requires obligating Israel to abide by the accord and refrain from its ongoing crimes and atrocities against the Palestinians.

His remarks on Saturday evening come as the Hamas leadership has established intensive contacts with mediators and other international parties, in which the group has vigorously rejected and condemned Israel's behavior and its continued aggression against the Gaza Strip.

Hayya said Hamas has underlined that Israel bears full responsibility for the failure to reach a solution to the issue of the resistance fighters in Rafah, who are positioned in an area under the Israeli military control.

In his communications with mediators and international actors, Hayya warned against the repercussions of near-daily crimes and massacres carried out by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, as well as flagrant violations of the ceasefire agreement.

The senior Hamas leader emphasized the need to compel Israel to stop such violations.

Earlier in the day, Hamas roundly dismissed Israeli claims that recent bombings in Gaza are a "response" to the resistance movement's violations of the ceasefire agreement, emphasizing that such allegations "are nothing but a blatant and pathetic attempt to justify the horrific massacres against civilians" in the coastal sliver.

"These baseless and flimsy claims confirm the [Israeli] occupation's contempt for the mediators, the guarantor states, and all the parties involved in what is called the Board of Peace," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem said in a statement.

Since the ceasefire took effect in early October last year, Israeli strikes have killed 524 Palestinians and wounded 1,360 others, committing 1,450 violations, the Gaza media office stated on Saturday.

The media office added that the Israeli army has abducted 50 Palestinians since the agreement took effect, kidnapping them from areas far from the so-called "yellow line" and from within residential neighborhoods.

Concerning the humanitarian protocol, the office reported that Israel has permitted 28,927 trucks for aid, commercial goods, and fuel to enter, from a total of 66,600 trucks stipulated in the agreement, reflecting a compliance rate of 43%.

The Gaza ceasefire agreement ended a two-year Israeli genocidal war that killed nearly 71,800 Palestinians and wounded more than 171,480 others

The bloody campaign has destroyed roughly 90% of the civilian infrastructure in the coastal territory, with UN estimates placing reconstruction costs at about $70 billion.

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Israeli Ceasefire Breaches in Gaza Jeopardize Peace Settlement - Egyptian Foreign Ministry

Sputnik News

20260201

Israel's repeated ceasefire violations in the Gaza Strip undermine prospects for a political conflict resolution, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier in the day, the Gaza Health Ministry said that 26 people were killed and over 30 were injured in Israeli strikes that day.

"The Arab Republic of Egypt condemns Israel's constant violations of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip ... Egypt stresses that these breaches pose a direct threat to the political path and create obstacles to efforts to create a conducive environment for the transition to a more stable phase in the Gaza Strip," the statement read.

US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff on January 14 announced the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, which ensures demilitarization of the Palestinian enclave, transitional technocratic administration, as well as the territory's reconstruction and the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel.

The second phase of the US 20-point peace plan stipulates Israel's withdrawal from more Gaza territory, the deployment of the ISF and the establishment of a new governance structure, which includes the Trump-led Board of Peace.

 Sputnik

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8 Muslim states condemn Israel's repeated ceasefire violations in Gaza

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:31, February 02, 2026

ABU DHABI/CAIRO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Sunday strongly condemned Israel's repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza.

"These actions risk escalating tensions and undermining efforts aimed at consolidating calm and restoring stability," the ministers warned in a joint statement, adding that full commitment to the second phase of the ceasefire is essential.

They urged all parties to fully uphold their responsibilities during this critical period, exercise maximum restraint to preserve the ceasefire, avoid any action that could undermine the ongoing process, and create conditions conducive to early recovery and reconstruction.

The ministers reiterated the importance of advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and statehood, in accordance with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Earlier in the day, Ali Abdel Hamid Shaath, head of the Palestinian technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), called for full adherence to the ongoing ceasefire in the enclave.

"The NCAG is committed with partners to prevent further incidents and protect civilians. The path forward must be one of restraint, responsibility, and respect for civilian life," the NCAG chief said.

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10, 2025 after two years of conflict, following mediation by Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, and the United States.

Nearly 71,800 Palestinians have been killed and over 171,500 injured since the Israeli military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023, according to an update by Gaza's health authorities on Sunday.

They added that 26 Palestinians were killed and 68 others injured over the past 24 hours, noting that a number of victims remain trapped under the rubble and on roads as rescue and civil defense teams have been unable to reach them.

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Hamas hails reopening of Rafah crossing as big gain

Iran Press TV

Monday, 02 February 2026 12:03 AM

Hamas has hailed the reopening of the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza Strip as a significant achievement of Palestinian resilience, pledging to make every effort to restore the vital crossing to full operation.

Senior Hamas official Taher Al-Nunu said on Sunday that the Rafah crossing is crucial for alleviating Gaza's severe humanitarian crisis.

He called for the entry of heavy machinery, and caravan homes to improve living conditions in the territory.

Al-Nunu said Israel was pursuing a policy of collective punishment and forced displacement against Palestinians in Gaza.

The crossing, seized by Israeli forces in May 2024 and largely shut since then, began a trial phase on Sunday for pedestrian movement only, with fuller operations expected starting Monday under strict Israeli security oversight, coordination with Egypt, and European Union supervision.

Israeli authorities confirmed the pilot testing and stated that residents would begin crossing in both directions from Monday, subject to prior security clearance.

Initial allowances focus on medical evacuations, prioritizing around 15,000-20,000 injured and sick Palestinians needing treatment abroad, along with limited returns for those displaced during the war.

Ambulances lined up on the Egyptian side, and officials indicated daily capacities starting with about 150-200 people leaving including patients and escorts and around 50 returning.

Al-Nunu stressed that Hamas is making "serious efforts" to expedite the crossing's full functionality and counter Israeli pretexts delaying it.

He highlighted ongoing communication with the newly formed technocratic Gaza administration committee to lay groundwork for governance transition.

Denying any Hamas military activity at the crossing, Al-Nunu called for arrangements ensuring the safe evacuation of any trapped resistance fighters in Rafah tunnels, noting limited accurate information due to Israel's refusal to facilitate their safe evacuation.

He urged priority for the entry of heavy machinery, caravans, housing repair materials, and other aid to improve living conditions in the devastated strip.

He emphasized that Israel has shown no interest in a ceasefire, using the war as a political tool ahead of its elections.

He underscored the urgent need for approximately 15,000 injured and sick individuals to seek treatment outside Gaza.

Al-Nunu called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to end its aggression and continued targeting of civilians.

Israeli authorities have announced plans to bar 37 aid groups from operating in Gaza. Human rights groups have warned that such measures further undermine humanitarian access in Gaza, where Israel's ongoing military offensive has devastated healthcare infrastructure and left the population increasingly dependent on international aid.

A two-year Israeli genocidal war has killed nearly 71,800 Palestinians and wounded more than 171,480 others.

The genocidal war has destroyed roughly 90% of the civilian infrastructure in the coastal territory, with UN estimates placing reconstruction costs at about $70 billion.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 01 February 2026 - Day 1439

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

A number of claims and counterclaims ar e being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Defense Forces are directing efforts to disrupt the execution of Russian invaders' offensive plans and exhaust their combat potential.

150 combat clashes have taken place since the beginning of the day.

The Russian opponent gave 25 aviation strikes, dropped 76 controlled air bombs. In addition, Russian forces used 2872 kamikaze drones and carried out 2452 shells of settlements and positions of Ukrainian troops.

In the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions today, the Russian enemy carried out 73 shellings of the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements, including two from the reactive systems of arson fire.

In the South Slobozhansky direction, the Russian enemy attacked the positions of Ukrainian units in the districts of Staritsa, Vovchansky and towards the settlements of Prylipka, Vilcha, Grafskke, Vovchanskky Farms and Kutkivka. Ukrainian units repelled nine attacks of Russian invaders.

Four attacks were repelled by Ukrainian defenders in the Kupyansky direction, in the area of Zagrizovoye and in the direction of Kurylivka, Kupyansk.

In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian soldiers stopped six attacks in the direction of Novosergiivka, drobisevogo and dibrova.

In the Slavic direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled 12 Russian attempts to advance, in the areas of Dronivka, Platonivka, Holy Pokrovsky towards Zakitnogo, Paradise-Oleksandrivka. One battle is going on.

In the Kramators komu direction, Ukrainian defenders stopped one offensive action in the area of Privilla.

In the Konstantinivka direction, the Russian occupiers today stormed the positions of Ukrainian defenders near the settlements of Konstantinovka, Kleban-Bik, Scherbinivka, Stepanivka, Yablunivka and Sofiyivka 10 times.

The enemy committed 31 attacks in the Pokrovsky direction. The Russian occupiers tried to advance in the areas of the settlements of Rodinske, Pokrovsk, Udaachne, Novopidgorodne, Shevchenko, Mirnograd, Kotline, Dachne, Filiya and towards Bilitsky, Vilny and Sergiyivka. Fights are still going on in some locations.

According to preliminary calculations, today in this direction, Ukrainian soldiers have eliminated 40 Russian invaders and wounded 27; destroyed 26 unmanned aircraft, four automobile units and four special transport units, an anti-tank missile complex, an ATV, two personnel shelters, also hit a jet fire system, two vehicles units and 18 personnel shelters bovogo the composition of the Russian opponent.

In the Oleksandrivsky direction, Ukrainian units stopped three attacks of the invaders, in the areas of Verbovoy and Cherry.

In the Gulyaipil direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled 23 Russian attacks, in the area of Gulyaipol and in the direction of Staroukraina, Varvarivka, Zelenoy, Svyatopetrivka and Zaliznychny. Three more clashes are underway. The air strikes were received by the railroad, lubytske, vozdvizivka, barvinivka, rizdvyanka.

In the Orihiv and Pridniprovsky directions, the Russian enemy's offensive actions were not recorded.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

As a result of resolute actions, the Sever Group of Forces liberated Zelenoye (Kharkov region).

Russian troops hit three mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and two territorial defence brigades near Sumy, Zhiteyskoye, Ulyanovka, Terny, and Buryn (Sumy region).

In Kharkov direction, units of a mechanised brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a territorial defence brigade, a national guard brigade, and a border service detachment of Ukraine have been hit close to Grafskoye, Cherkasskiye Tishki, and Zolochev (Kharkov region).

The enemy lost more than 130 troops, nine motor vehicles, a counter-fire radar, an ammunition depot, and two materiel depots.

The Zapad Group of Forces improved the situation along the forward edge. Russian troops hit three mechanised brigades, an assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and a territorial defence brigade near Petrovka, Shiykovka, Kutkovka, Palamarevka, Glushkovka, Novoplatonovka, Borovaya (Kharkov region), and Krasny Liman (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses amounted to more than 150 troops, an armoured fighting vehicle, and ten motor vehicles. Six ammunition depots were destroyed.

The Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Strikes were delivered at formations of two mechanised brigades, a motorised infantry brigade, an assault brigade, an airmobile brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and a territorial defence brigade near Nikiforovka, Stepanovka, Reznikovka, Belokuzminovka, Kramatorsk, Krivaya Luka, and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU lost up to 125 troops, a tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, 27 motor vehicles, and two field artillery guns. In addition, two electronic warfare stations, an ammunition depot, and a materiel depot were neutralised.

As a result of decisive actions, the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Sukhetskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Russian troops engaged two mechanised brigades, an infantry brigade, a jaeger brigade, an air assault brigade, an assault regiment of the AFU, and two national guard brigades close to Belitskoye, Sergeyevka, Krasnoyarskoye, Svyatogorovka, Novy Donbass (Donetsk People's Republic), Novopavlovka, Chuguyevo, and Novopodgorodnoye (Dnepropetrovsk region).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 375 troops, five armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, three artillery guns, and a counter-fire radar.

The Vostok Group of Forces advanced into the depths of enemy defences. Troops of four mechanised brigades and three assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been hit near Vozdvizhevka, Novoye Pole, Ulyanovka, Komsomolskoye, Zarnitsa (Zaporozhye region), Malomikhaylovka, and Kommunarovka (Dnepropetrovsk region).

The enemy lost up to 275 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, 10 motor vehicles, and a Western-made field artillery gun. One ammunition depot was wiped out.

The Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of a mechanised brigade, a mountain assault brigade of the AFU, and a national guard brigade near Orekhov, Balabino, and Magdalinovka (Zaporozhye region).

Up to 30 troops, 11 motor vehicles, three electronic warfare stations, and one ammunition depot were neutralised.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have inflicted damage on transport infrastructure facilities used in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 158 areas.

Air defence systems shot down four guided aerial bombs, one U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectile, and 94 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the enemy has lost 670 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 111,775 unmanned aerial vehicles, 646 anti-aircraft missile systems, 27,473 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,653 MLRS combat vehicles, 32,985 field artillery guns and mortars, and 53,405 support military vehicles.

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Anti-ICE protests held across U.S.

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:09, February 02, 2026

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Protesters gathered across the United States on Friday for a nationwide general strike against federal immigration enforcement operations and the recent fatal shootings by immigration agents.

According to tracking by Payday Report, a labor news organization, the demonstrations, organized under the banner "National Shutdown," took place in at least 300 cities, with actions ranging from business closures to student walkouts and street marches.

The protests were triggered by the deaths of two Minneapolis residents shot by federal agents this month. Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot on Jan. 7 by an agent from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws.

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was killed on Jan. 24 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents while observing a federal operation.

Protests began earlier this week on college campuses in Los Angeles. More than 1,000 students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) walked out of classes at the Westwood campus on Wednesday.

On Friday, at least 10 separate protest locations in Los Angeles were organized, including gatherings at City Hall, the ICE detention center downtown, and in neighborhoods such as Echo Park, Santa Monica and Pasadena.

Rachel Elder, who attended a protest with her son, told Xinhua she was demonstrating against what she described as unlawful violence by ICE agents. "I'm here with my son because we are protesting the occupation of ICE and the unlawful violence, murder that the agents have committed against innocent protesters," she said.

Beyond individual participation, many businesses also joined the protests by closing or modifying operations. In Boyle Heights, a focal point of local demonstrations, restaurants, cafes and retail stores along Cesar Chavez Avenue shut down, with many displaying signs reading "FUERA ICE" (ICE Out).

The demonstrations in California formed part of a broader nationwide economic shutdown. In New York City, an estimated 7,000 people gathered at Foley Square in Manhattan. In San Francisco, at least 70 businesses announced closures for the strike.

In Portland, Oregon, hundreds of high school students walked out of classes at schools, marching through streets in light rain while carrying signs reading "Stop ICE Terror Now." In Chicago, businesses closed in several neighborhoods.

In Minnesota, the epicenter of the protests, thousands of people rallied in downtown Minneapolis. Organizers said more than 500 businesses signed on to either close or take part in solidarity actions for Friday's demonstration.

The (Donald) Trump administration has defended its immigration enforcement operations.

Tom Homan, the administration's border enforcement chief, said Thursday that while the federal government is working on a plan to reduce the number of federal immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota, they are "not surrendering the president's mission on immigration enforcement."

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Violent law enforcement tears U.S. society wider apart

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:27, February 02, 2026

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Within less than 2 kilometers and just 17 days apart, the deaths of two Americans at the hands of U.S. federal law enforcement have once again shed the spotlight on persistent problems of violent policing in the United States.

Occurring near the site where George Floyd was killed nearly six years ago, the latest incidents underscore how excessive law enforcement force -- entangled with racial discrimination, social inequality, widespread gun violence and systemic bias -- continues to weigh on U.S. society, while deepening partisan divisions further complicate efforts at reform.

"STREET KILLINGS"

Residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota, braved freezing winds on Jan. 25 to mourn Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse who was fatally shot by law enforcement officers a day earlier.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said federal officers fired "defensive shots" after a man (Pretti) with a handgun approached them and "violently resisted" when officers tried to disarm him. However, video footage filmed by witnesses soon contradicted the account, showing Pretti holding a mobile phone, with no evidence indicating that he was armed.

The killing marked the second fatal immigration enforcement incident in Minneapolis this month. On Jan. 7, officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot dead Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three. The shooting occurred about 1.6 kilometers from the site where George Floyd, an African American man, died in May 2020 after a police officer knelt on his neck.

The shootings have ignited public outcry in Minneapolis. Local residents described the incidents as "street killings" and "cold-blooded executions," calling for an immediate end to federal law enforcement violence. The New York Times columnist Lydia Polgreen wrote that "in Minneapolis, I glimpsed a civil war."

On Friday, protesters gathered in hundreds of cities across the United States as part of a nationwide strike calling for "no work, no school, no shopping" to oppose federal immigration enforcement operations and the recent ICE-related fatal shootings.

The demonstrations, organized under the banner "National Shutdown," took place across the United States with actions ranging from business closures to student walkouts and street marches. "The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country, to stop ICE's reign of terror, we need to shut it down," organizers wrote on the National Shutdown website.

The ICE, formed in 2003 through the merger of several agencies including the former Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, is now the largest law enforcement and customs body under the DHS. According to German newspaper Tagesspiegel, ICE officers have used firearms in 31 incidents since last summer, resulting in 11 casualties, while 32 people died while in custody. About 70,000 individuals are being held in ICE detention facilities.

The ICE represents only the tip of the iceberg of law enforcement violence in America. Research by the University of Illinois Chicago shows that around 250,000 people are injured each year during law enforcement encounters due to misconduct, while more than 600 die at the hands of police officers. Data from the U.S.-based "Mapping Police Violence" project shows that in 2025 alone, U.S. police killed 1,314 people, with only six days throughout the year recording no police-related fatalities.

"Violence reigns on the streets of the USA, state violence," Tagesspiegel reported. A commentary in The Atlantic argued that U.S. law enforcement culture has broken down, with brutality and dehumanization deeply entrenched in many police departments.

VICIOUS CIRCLE

Law enforcement violence is deeply rooted in U.S. history, intertwined with racial discrimination, wealth inequality, and the widespread availability of firearms, forming a self-reinforcing vicious circle.

Back in the 18th century, slave patrols in the South, the first unofficial police in America, were permitted to use violent methods to capture and punish runaway slaves. Such historical origins meant that the U.S. law enforcement system was marked by entrenched racial bias from its birth. In 1838, the first police department in the country was established in Boston to protect the property of the rich white elites.

Racism within the law enforcement system has allowed violent policing to persist until now. Statistics show that since 2013, Black Americans have been about 2.8 times more likely than white Americans to be killed in encounters with police.

The death of George Floyd in 2020 sparked the largest wave of protests and unrest in the country in decades, yet a Pew Research Center survey shows that more than five years later, nearly 90 percent of respondents believe relations between police and Black Americans have not improved or have worsened.

Poor white Americans also face the threat of police violence. Community poverty rates are positively correlated with police killings: The rate of deaths caused by police violence in the poorest communities is more than three times that of the wealthiest communities, according to a report published by the think tank People's Policy Project.

The proliferation of firearms in the United States has also created a cycle of violence linked to violent policing. The United States has the highest level of civilian gun ownership in the world, with an estimated 400 to 500 million firearms, exceeding the country's population of more than 340 million.

In a nation with far more firearms than people, police operate under the assumption that any encounter could be with someone carrying a gun, which colors their training, policies, and frame of mind on the job, said sociologist Michael Sierra-Arevalo at the University of Texas at Austin.

"QUALIFIED IMMUNITY"

In recent years, complaints about violent law enforcement have become increasingly common in the United States, yet very few officers face punishment. After Pretti was killed, the federal government's immediate response was to defend the law enforcement personnel. As American criminologist Samuel Walker observed, the U.S. law enforcement system has failed to establish a lasting accountability mechanism for the abuse of force.

In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court established the modern legal framework of "qualified immunity" for public officials, stipulating that actions causing harm by police or other public officials are exempt from liability as long as they do not violate "clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known." This provision contains numerous ambiguities, granting judges considerable discretion when ruling on individual cases, and in practice, officers are rarely found in violation.

U.S. media analysts have noted that in many recent lawsuits aimed at holding police accountable for misconduct, "qualified immunity" has effectively served as a shield protecting officers. Many police officers with a history of misconduct have leveraged it to remain in the force for long periods, often becoming increasingly brazen in their behavior. For example, before the killing of George Floyd in 2020, Derek Chauvin, then a Minneapolis police officer, had received at least 17 complaints, 16 of which were closed without any punishment, according to media reports.

More recently, the Trump administration asserted that the ICE officer who shot Renee Good should "enjoy absolute immunity." According to commentary from the Brookings Institution, "absolute immunity" would allow lawsuits to be dismissed without the investigative discovery phase, fundamentally altering existing norms governing law enforcement conduct and producing far-reaching negative consequences for accountability in the U.S. system.

The structure of U.S. law enforcement further weakens accountability. A report by the Council on Foreign Relations notes that police agencies operate at four levels -- federal, state, county, and local -- each functioning independently with significant autonomy. This fragmentation renders federal-level oversight largely ineffective and makes it difficult even to collect and track information on misconduct.

PARTISAN POLARIZATION

Despite repeated outrage erupting across the United States, the problem of violent law enforcement remains unresolved, rooted in a nation deeply entangled in partisan battles.

After the two fatal shootings, the parties clashed over how to define the incidents and who should have investigative authority: the Trump administration and the Republican camp labeled Pretti and Good as "domestic terrorists" or "professional agitators," while the Democrats condemned the officers' use of excessive force, with each side blaming the other for the tragedy.

Some U.S. media commentators noted that amid the highly politicized immigration debate, Republicans feel the need to justify their "tough-on-crime" approach, while Democrats have turned "police violence" into a weapon to attack the Trump administration. With the midterm elections approaching, both parties are eager to assert the legitimacy of their positions, advance their agendas, and court swing voters, while public safety once again becomes a casualty of political calculation.

The partisan divide has not only intensified societal tension but also laid the groundwork for violent law enforcement. As CNN commented, Pretti's killing is "a crescendo rather than a singular event." A report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace describes the social rifts fueled by partisan conflict as "affective polarization," noting that under disparaging narratives targeting specific groups, such polarization makes anger more likely to erupt into violence.

As the Trump administration presses ahead with hardline immigration policies, it has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of minority identities, while Democratic politicians, seeking minority support, have labeled law enforcement agencies as instruments of racial oppression. This "two-way demonization" has intensified emotional polarization in U.S. society and further aggravated tensions between law enforcers and the public.

Meanwhile, deepening partisan rivalry has stalled long-overdue reforms of the law enforcement system. In the aftermath of the Floyd case, proposed legislation to hold police accountable was held up in prolonged political wrangling in Congress and ultimately failed to pass.

As reform efforts remain hostage to party infighting, violent policing persists in a recurring cycle -- what Time magazine described as evidence of a nation increasingly torn apart by partisan hatred, fueling public anxiety and uncertainty about the country's future.

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Air Force deploys to Nevada for exercises with United States and United Kingdom

Issued by Defence Media

2 February 2026

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has deployed up to six F-35A Lightning II aircraft, an E-7A Wedgetail, and around 227 aviators to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to participate in two of the world's most advanced air combat training exercises.

From 2 February 2026, Exercises Red Flag Nellis and Bamboo Eagle 26-1 will bring together aviators from Australia, the United States and United Kingdom in one of the most challenging and realistic air training environments available.

Wing Commander Matthew Deveson is leading the Australian contingent, which includes both aircraft and a Tactical Command and Control team.

"These exercises provide a highly realistic training environment where we can integrate different capabilities and strengthen our ability to operate with key allies and partners," Wing Commander Deveson said.

"The RAAF's F-35A Lightning remains at the cutting edge of air combat technology as a highly advanced, multi-role, supersonic stealth fighter, and our E-7A Wedgetail is one of the world's premier airborne battle management platforms."

Established in 1975, Exercise Red Flag Nellis focuses on high-intensity air operations conducted throughout the Nevada Test and Training Range. Exercise Bamboo Eagle, introduced in 2024, expands this training to include long-range missions across both land and maritime environments in the western United States.

Both exercises simulate a broad range of modern threats including air, land and maritime capabilities as well as space and cyber-domain threats.

"These exercises involve large force employment missions with a high number of multinational aircraft in the air at the same time," Wing Commander Deveson said.

"Each nation brings unique capabilities and experience, with no single aircraft or unit able to accomplish all the mission objectives on its own."

Australia's involvement in these exercises strengthens deterrence, contributes to regional security and stability, and reinforces long-standing partnerships.

"Australia was the first non-NATO country to participate in Exercise Red Flag Nellis in 1980, and we have been part of Exercise Bamboo Eagle since its inception in 2024," Wing Commander Deveson said.

"These exercises ensure we remain ready to operate seamlessly with two of our most important strategic partners, now and into the future."

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HMCS Charlottetown departs on Operation HORIZON and NEON

National Defence

News release

February 1, 2026 - Ottawa - National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Charlottetown set sail from its home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, for a six-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region in support of Operations HORIZON and NEON.

Operation HORIZON is Canada's comprehensive military approach to promote peace and stability in support of an international system based on international law in the Indo-Pacific region. Operation NEON is Canada's contribution to a coordinated multinational effort to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed against North Korea. Both operations demonstrate an enduring defence commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and enhance Canada's role as a trusted international partner.

During this deployment, HMCS Charlottetown will showcase the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)'s operational excellence and ability to project power across vast ocean spaces while working alongside Canada's allies and partners through multinational exercises and cooperative engagements. By maintaining a near persistent naval presence with consistent engagement, the RCN strengthens regional security and stability in the region as part of Canada's commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

Quotes

"The Indo-Pacific is rapidly becoming the world's centre of economic growth and strategic importance and many issues that matters to Canadians, from national security and economic prosperity to human rights and environmental protection, can be shaped by our relationships in this region. This is why the Royal Canadian Navy deploys warships annually to work alongside our allies and partners in the region. I commend the sailors of HMCS Charlottetownfor their dedication and professionalism in training and preparing for this deployment, and I am sure they will represent Canada well during their important mission." Rear-Admiral Josee Kurtz, Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic & Commander Joint Task Force Atlantic

"HMCS Charlottetown's deployment demonstrates Canada's unwavering commitment to working with our allies and partners to uphold peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. The ship's company of HMCS Charlottetown has been working hard to prepare for both Operation HORIZON and Operation NEON and is proud to represent Canada on the world stage and contribute to a safer, more stable region. I have the utmost confidence in their ability to display excellence at sea and enhance interoperability with allied navies." Commander Jonathan Maurice, Commanding Officer HMCS Charlottetown

Quick facts

Operation HORIZON reflects the Canadian Armed Forces increased presence in the Indo-Pacific region and is the assigned military mission implementing the defence elements of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy by deploying more conventional and special operations forces to the region, participating in more multilateral exercises, and strengthening military-to-military cooperation.

Operation HORIZON encompasses broader military activities conducted by the RCN, the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Canadian Armed Forces Joint and Combined Space Program, and Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command.

Since 2018, Canada periodically deploys warships, aircraft, and personnel under Operation NEON to strengthen maritime interdiction measures through surveillance operations. This includes identifying suspected maritime sanction evasion activities, in particular ship-to-ship transfers of fuel and other commodities, banned by the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

HMCS Charlottetown is a Halifax-class frigate with a crew of approximately 240 personnel comprising RCN sailors as well as RCAF aviators to fly and support the ship's embarked CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopter.

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Chinese FM holds strategic dialogue with Russia's Shoigu; Wang warns the world 'faces risk of regressing to law of jungle'

Global Times

By Sun Langchen Published: Feb 02, 2026 12:11 AM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that as the world faces a real risk of regressing to the law of the jungle, China and Russia, as major countries and permanent members of the UN Security Council, have the responsibility and obligation to practice true multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and work to build a more just and reasonable global governance system.

Wang made the remarks when meeting with Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, in Beijing on Sunday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, welcomed Shoigu's visit to China for a strategic dialogue as designated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Wang noted that the world is increasingly undergoing both changes and turbulence, with the post-war international order and norms governing international relations severely impacted, and the world faces a real risk of regressing to the law of the jungle, Xinhua reported.

Noting that China and Russia are each other's largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, Wang said the two sides should maintain close communication on major issues bearing on bilateral relations, step up mutual support on matters involving core interests, and safeguard both respective and shared interests, according to a release by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Shoigu extended Chinese traditional New Year greetings to the Chinese people and noted that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between Russia and China. He said bilateral relations are grounded in mutual respect, trust, and equality, and have withstood dramatic changes in the global landscape since the beginning of the year, during which security hotspots have emerged frequently, per Chinese Foreign Ministry's read out.

Reiterating Russia's adherence to the one-China principle, Shoigu said Moscow is closely watching moves by hostile forces that undermine stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also said Russia firmly opposes Japan's accelerated attempt to push toward "re-militarization."

Shoigu added that Russia is willing to continue providing firm mutual support with China, enhance bilateral cooperation, and strengthen coordination within multilateral frameworks including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS. The goal, he said, is to maintain the momentum of high-level Russia-China relations and jointly promote a more just multipolar world as well as an indivisible security architecture across the Eurasian continent.

Chinese observers said Shoigu's visit was not focused on a single issue, but reflected broader strategic coordination between the two sides. Zhang Yao, a research fellow from the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the Global Times that the discussions covered a range of topics, including Japan-related issues, underscoring the breadth of concerns currently facing both countries.

Recent developments, Zhang said, help explain the context of the talks. Russia has reiterated its efforts to expose the crimes of Japanese militarism, including the recent re-designation of 14 Japanese individuals as war criminals. On the Chinese side, Beijing has issued several stern rebuttals in response to remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Together, these moves point to heightened sensitivities surrounding historical memory and regional security.

Zhang also highlighted the long-term significance of the China-Russia treaty signed 25 years ago, describing it as forward-looking. The framework of "partnership without alliance," he said, allows the two countries to cooperate without being constrained by rigid military blocs, avoiding mutual entanglement while leaving ample space for joint efforts to safeguard world peace and stability.

The meeting comes just about two months after their last meeting when Wang and Shoigu co-chaired the 20th round of the China-Russia strategic security consultation in Moscow on December 2, 2025, where both sides engaged in comprehensive talks on strategic security issues and reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation.

"In this context, China and Russia need to closely consult on regional hotspots, exchange assessments, and better coordinate their positions," Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times, adding that the growing frequency of high-level exchanges itself serves as an indicator of the deteriorating security environment across Eurasia.

Russian media quoted Shoigu as saying that although he and Wang had held "in-depth and productive" discussions in Moscow in early December on global and strategic security issues, the rapidly changing international situation necessitated regular consultations. "In what seems like a short span of just over two months, so many events have occurred that they could fill an entire year, or even longer," he said, per RIA Novosti.

"The ongoing talk with the endeavor to reach consensus on many security issues expressed by both sides again found the base for both sides to continue in-depth strategic communication on international and regional issues of common concern," Zhang said.

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Cuban president: US justifying aggression against Havana

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Feb 1, 2026

Tehran, IRNA -- Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has denounced the United States for using the same pretexts it employed against Venezuela to justify aggression against the Caribbean island, stressing that for Cubans, surrender will never be an option.

According to Spain's EFE news agency, Diaz-Canel said the aggression against Venezuela followed an intense campaign of economic, political, and media pressure that escalated from September 2025, along with the largest US military deployment in the Caribbean in more than 20 years.

Speaking at a meeting with members of the Communist Party of Cuba in Havana, he said these were "the same excuses" now being used against Cuba to justify aggression, coercive measures, and the continued escalation of pressure on the island.

Referring to the US attack on Venezuela that led to the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro, Diaz-Canel said the way the aggression was structured also included elements of the war Cuba is facing, describing it as an ideological war, a cultural war, and a media war.

The Cuban president also criticized US President Donald Trump's decision to declare Cuba an extraordinary threat to US national security, as well as the imposition of tariffs on countries that sell oil to Havana.

He also condemned the current US administration's lines of action, which include total suffocation and military aggression against Cuba.

He added that surrender will never be an option, and Cuba must face such a difficult period with courage and bravery.

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Foreign Minister Wadephul in an interview with the "Welt am Sonntag" newspaper

Germany Federal Foreign Office

01.02.2026 - Interview

Published on 25 January 2026

Question:

Minister, during your recent trip to Africa, you repeatedly paid tribute to the United Nations and to multilateralism, stating that there was no need for a new Board of Peace because the UN Security Council already existed. And then US President Donald Trump apparently made significant progress towards ending the Ukraine war - entirely without the Security Council. Does the future perhaps belong to deal-makers, not institutions, after all?

Johann Wadephul:

Deals and deal-makers have always existed and will always exist. There's nothing wrong with that. And we're talking here about two veto powers in the Security Council - the US and Russia - who are among those holding negotiations. If it came to fleshing out and implementing such agreements later on, the Security Council would be needed again. This applies all the more to the many conflicts around the world that receive less attention than Russia's violation of international law in its war of aggression against Ukraine. The current development therefore doesn't suggest at all that the UN is obsolete. On the contrary, deals alone aren't enough to ensure that ceasefires aren't a respite for the preparation of new wars. Agreements have to be reliable. Such reliability is only guaranteed by the international order that we have established since the end of the Second World War, with the UN at its heart. Strengthening this order is the number-one priority right now. Germany has always been committed to this and will continue to promote this cause with even greater resolve - including within the framework of our application for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the 2027-2028 term.

Question:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that the US has offered Kyiv sufficient security guarantees. The coalition of the willing, which the Federal Republic of Germany belongs to, has also offered such guarantees. Is there a more concrete idea of what Germany's contribution, including its military contribution, to what is now emerging might look like?

Johann Wadephul:

President Zelensky will only be able to persuade Ukrainians to accept a compromise with Russia, the aggressor, if he receives reliable security guarantees in return. There now appears to be an initial agreement with the US. We're looking at this carefully - and also at what contribution we can make. At the beginning of the year, I visited the soldiers attached to our brigade in Lithuania. So a scenario involving the deployment of forces capable of repelling Russia, if it comes down to it, isn't entirely new to us.

Question:

So far, it sounded as if Germany would be stationing soldiers in neighbouring countries of Ukraine. Is a deployment on Ukrainian soil also conceivable now?

Johann Wadephul:

As the Federal Chancellor stated at the meeting in Paris, we're not ruling anything out at this time, and that continues to be the case. Nevertheless, the essential model that we prefer and which lies at the heart of our considerations is one that focuses on the neighbouring countries. Whether and how it might be expanded remains to be seen. And anyway, everything we do presupposes an agreement with Russia and, therefore, also Russia's consent to all the security measures taken for Ukraine.

Question:

There seems to be even more movement with respect to Greenland. Has the dispute between the US and its European NATO partners really already been resolved?

Johann Wadephul:

All concrete questions concerning Greenland must be addressed in the trilateral talks between Greenland, Denmark and the US. Furthermore, serious negotiations must take place within NATO on what we can do to address the legitimate demand for greater security in the Arctic region. I returned from the US last week with the impression that these security concerns were at the heart of the matter and that all other issues did not have the urgency they sometimes had here in the public eye. So I'm not entirely surprised by the whole development. I advise us all to concentrate on what matters within the NATO alliance, namely our defence capability vis-a-vis Russia. In particular, we in Europe shouldn't start discussions about the end of this Alliance, which are not being held in Washington at all. The US has stood by Germany's side since the Second World War, and we owe the country an immense debt of gratitude. At the same time, we shouldn't downplay what we have achieved. When the US invoked NATO 's Article 5 for the only time in history after 11 September 2001, we naturally came to the aid of our US allies. Fifty-nine German soldiers died in Afghanistan while exercising our duty to provide mutual assistance. They are heroes, just like the American, British, Canadian, Danish and French, as well as soldiers from other countries who gave their lives to defend our Alliance. Our bond is rock solid - and the five percent of GDP that Germany and the other Europeans have pledged to NATO strengthens it still further.

Question:

What contribution can Germany make to security measures in the Arctic?

Johann Wadephul:

Clarifying this is essentially the task of the defence ministry, but they're already working on it. It's obvious to me that we can get involved in maritime surveillance, for example. The most important thing we can and must do, however, is present a united European front. No one can put us under pressure if we bring our influence to bear decisively and confidently. Last week was a case in point here at the end of the day.

Question:

You've just returned from a trip to Africa. Russia and China's influence there has grown in recent years, and European countries are on the defensive. What are democracies getting wrong?

Johann Wadephul:

What do you mean by wrong? It goes without saying that any democracy founded on the rule of law has more complicated procedures than an autocracy. On the other hand, it provides legal certainty and reliability. That's why I strongly advise that we stick to our model, which is, above all, much better suited to the interests of the general population in our partner countries. I firmly believe that this approach will be more successful in the long term. At the same time, it's clear that we must continue to develop. We should focus more strongly on our interests and ensure that our instruments can be deployed more swiftly. The political will to do this has been lacking to date because we have not properly recognised the opportunities and potential offered by sub-Saharan Africa. I would like to help ensure that we do so now.

Question:

In Kenya, you visited a German company, among other things, that trains young Kenyans in line with the German dual system - in some cases also for the labour market in Germany. This came about thanks to the recruitment agreement that the previous Federal Government concluded with Kenya in 2024. How does this sit with the migration debate in Germany?

Johann Wadephul:

The migration debate that we're having focuses on preventing illegal migration and facilitating legal migration. That's why this coalition has agreed to set up a Work-and-Stay-Agency, which is intended to help integrate people who are willing to work into our society and into our work process. What I see in this context are wonderful young people who are learning our language, who are open-minded and hard-working. These are exactly the kind of people we need in our work process, because the reality, after all, is that we have an acute labour shortage. We in the Federal Government are therefore in complete agreement that we must manage migration in such a way that it meets the interests and needs of our country. If we continue to meet with success here, then I will be less concerned about social stability and acceptance.

Question:

Africa is not only a continent of opportunities, but also of crises. In mid-April, Berlin plans to host an international conference seeking to find a solution to the conflict in the Sudan. The Federal Republic of Germany has close ties to a number of parties indirectly involved in the conflict - the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, each of which supports different parties to the conflict.

Johann Wadephul:

The task at hand now is to involve not only the parties to the conflict in the Sudan itself, but also those who can influence them from outside. Our objective is to bring them to Berlin, thereby helping to put an end to the world's biggest humanitarian disaster at long last.

Question:

The terror perpetrated by the Islamist group Al-Shabaab in Kenya's neighbour Somalia also played a role on your trip. You said that the militia poses a threat to Germany, too. How?

Johann Wadephul:

The threat to Germany posed by terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram in Nigeria has to do in particular with the fact that they destabilise their home countries. They force people to flee their homes, and these people migrate to places where they feel safe - to Europe, for example, and potentially also to Germany. If we don't sort out the issue of illegal migration to Europe, then we risk destabilising the entire continent. That's why we need measures to secure Europe's external borders, but also to combat the root causes of migration. In the past, we perhaps focused too much on traditional development cooperation. As important and necessary as this is and continues to be, it must not be our only focus of attention. Much of what concerned state security structures, for example, didn't feature. We need to become more open-minded in this area because we have an interest in these countries being able to effectively exercise a monopoly on the use of force.

Question:

The conflicts in the Middle East could escalate once again. The US has not ruled out renewed military attacks against Iran. Some observers believe that further air strikes in the context of the uprisings against the Islamist governmental system could be imminent. Can air strikes help to bring democracy to the country?

Johann Wadephul:

We don't know how the US will act, so I don't want to prejudge that. However, the protests have clearly shown that the regime in Iran is coming to an end. They took place across the country and were brutally cracked down on in a manner that we have rarely seen in this world, with protesters being bludgeoned and shot at. Many thousands were injured, abducted or murdered simply for standing up for their freedom. This regime has clearly lost all legitimacy in the eyes of the people.

Question:

Human rights activists in Germany have recently launched an initiative calling on the Federal Government to establish more prominent and official contacts with the Iranian opposition. Indeed, there have been hardly any high-profile meetings between German government officials and prominent dissidents of late. Why is the Federal Government having such difficulty here, given the situation that you have just described?

Johann Wadephul:

We have very wide-ranging contacts with the Iranian opposition. From my time in parliament, I can say that I have always cultivated these relationships, and others are doing just that right now. There's no reluctance on the part of the Federal Government. Just this week, Minister of State Serap Guler met representatives of Iranian civil society at the Federal Foreign Office. We sometimes don't publicise encounters with specific individuals to avoid compromising their security. But we always maintain contacts with all sections of the population, especially in autocratic countries.

Question:

So that means that we'll see more high-profile meetings with prominent opposition figures from Iran?

Johann Wadephul:

As I said, meetings have been taking place. And I think there will be more such meetings in the near future. However, we always have to ask our interlocutors how much they want to be in the public eye.

Question:

What about Germany's involvement in the Board of Peace that US President Donald Trump originally proposed for Gaza? The Federal Government was prepared to back it at the time. Now Trump appears to be bent on giving the project a global mandate, and Germany isn't part of it. How do you intend to help in Gaza now?

Johann Wadephul:

Our willingness to contribute to resolving the conflict and to improving the situation in the Gaza Strip remains unchanged. Until now, the Board of Peace has only existed as a concept. And, indeed, everyone was most curious to see what its statutes would look like. We were very surprised by the current draft, however. So we still have many questions that need to be discussed with the US. Regardless of this, we continue to have a strong interest in lasting peace and reconstruction for the people of Gaza. Whether this succeeds, however, depends less on which bodies are formed for this purpose and more on whether the bloodthirsty Hamas can be disarmed at long last. If this isn't achieved, then we can establish as many Boards of Peace as we like and still fail to make any progress.

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Trump claims India will buy Venezuelan oil, welcomes China's investment; Chinese expert notices remarks 'unilateral,' no confirmation from Indian side

Global Times

By Fan Anqi Published: Feb 01, 2026 10:28 PM

US President Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that India will start buying oil from Venezuela "as opposed to Iran," adding that "China is welcome to come in and will make a great deal on oil," according to a Bloomberg report. However, as observed by a Chinese expert, Trump's claim remains merely his unilateral statement, with no confirmation from either the Indian or Venezuelan side.

"India's coming in and they're going to be buying Venezuelan oil, as opposed to buying it from Iran," Trump claimed to reporters during a flight to Mar-a-Lago on Air Force One. "We've already made the deal, the concept of that deal," Bloomberg reported on Sunday.

Indian media outlets, including NDTV, Hindustan Times and The Times of India, have paid close attention to Trump's latest claims. Local media reports called it "Trump's big claim," while noting that there has been no immediate reaction from New Delhi over the alleged "purchase."

Hindustan Times reported that Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez dialed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to discuss the deepening of bilateral cooperation, including in energy, trade and investment - the first contact from the Venezuelan side with India at the leadership level since the seizure of Nicolas Maduro.

"Spoke with Acting President of Venezuela, Ms. Delcy Rodriguez. We agreed to further deepen and expand our bilateral partnership in all areas, with a shared vision of taking India-Venezuela relations to new heights in the years ahead," Modi said on social media after the phone call.

Hindustan Times said the US has repeatedly attacked India's oil purchases dominated by Russia and imposed tariffs on Indian imports, a move New Delhi slammed as "unjustified."

According to Reuters, New Delhi stopped loading oil from Iran in 2019 due to US sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program, and also stopped buying oil from Caracas last year after Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on countries buying Venezuelan oil.

Indian refiners turned to US oil to make up for the loss of Iranian supply, then curbed US purchases and became the top buyer of Russian seaborne oil sold at a discount after Western nations imposed sanctions on Moscow, according to Reuters.

However, Trump in August last year doubled duties on imports from India to 50 percent to pressure New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled in January that the additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods could be removed, given what he called a sharp reduction in Indian imports of Russian oil, per media reports.

Since the seizure of Maduro in January, Trump has claimed that the US has taken control of the oil-rich Venezuela.

The US President said on Saturday that the US and Venezuela would share oil profits and noted the US was "getting along very well with the leadership of Venezuela. They're doing a really good job."

"We're going to be selling a lot of oil, and we'll take some, and they'll take a lot," he claimed.

A fleet of 18 ships loaded with crude oil bound for refineries in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi in January, and combined crude deliveries to the US will reach about 275,000 barrels a day, more than doubling volumes seen in December last year, per media reports.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday that judging from current media reports, Trump's claim that India will start buying Venezuelan oil is merely his unilateral statement. While Indian media have reported over the claim, they gave no indication of confirmation from the Indian side, nor any such response from the Venezuelan side.

"US-India relations have been volatile in recent years. In addition, the current US government's statements often come across as inconsistent, unpredictable, and unreliable. As a result, many countries now approach dealings with the US with caution and reservation," Li said.

The repeated US interference in India's oil purchase also reveals that the current US approach to international trade is increasingly bullying in nature: leveraging its own strength, it demands that other countries comply with American rules, or face damage to their own trade. "This reflects a classic 'law of the jungle' mindset. Such unilateral and heavy-handed behavior is undermining the norms of oil transactions and the overall international trade," the expert noted.

Responding to the Trump administration's request that Venezuela must "partner exclusively with the US on oil production," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on January 7 that Venezuela is a sovereign state and has full permanent sovereignty over all its natural resources and economic activities. The US blatantly used force against Venezuela and asked the country to "favor" America with regard to its oil reserves. Such bullying seriously breaches international law, infringes on Venezuela's sovereignty, and violates the rights of the Venezuelan people.

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Op Sindoor displayed seamless inter-service coordination within India's multi-layered maritime security system, reaffirmed ICG's role as frontline force: Raksha Mantri on 50th ICG Raising Day

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

"ICG is one of the strongest pillars of national security"

"ICG must prepare a clear, well-targeted & visionary roadmap for next 25 years as part of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 goal"

"Technologically empowering ICG, enhancing its operational capabilities & preparing it for the future are Govt's priorities"

Posted On: 01 FEB 2026 7:43PM by PIB Delhi

"Operation Sindoor displayed seamless inter-service coordination within India's multi-layered maritime security system, and reaffirmed the role of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) as a frontline force," said Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh as he graced the 50th Raising Day celebrations of ICG in New Delhi on February 01, 2026. He asserted that the operation was carried out during a time of heightened maritime sensitivity, and the ICG responded quickly & firmly, deployed strategic assets in advance, enhanced surveillance along the western coast, and maintained high alertness in coastal & creek areas. He described the ICG as a wall of trust on India's maritime border, stating that it demonstrated the true meaning of service to the nation.

Praising the ICG for fulfilling its responsibilities with utmost efficiency time-and-again, Raksha Mantri said: "From preventing terrorism, arms and human trafficking to controlling other illegal activities, ICG remains vigilant on every front. In an era of global instability and growing maritime threats, its responsibilities have increased even more. Its contribution in tackling challenges such as drug trafficking, piracy, illegal trade, and marine pollution is decisive. Saving over 11,800 lives at sea since its inception clearly demonstrates its courage, skill, and sense of duty. Be it cyclones, maritime accidents, or regional humanitarian missions like Operation Sagar Bandhu, it has demonstrated prompt response, compassion, and a professional approach. Multi-agency coordination, the role of first responders in disaster management, and the display of humanity, along with professionalism, strengthen national security," he said.

Shri Rajnath Singh termed ICG as one of the strongest pillars of national security, which has been transformed into a massive, modern, and powerful force equipped with advanced ships, helicopters, modern aircraft & best technologies. "ICG's service to the nation is one of the reasons India speaks about its maritime interests with confidence, and devises plans for the blue economy, maritime security, and coastal development with clarity. The nation is proud of the ICG," he said.

Raksha Mantri exhorted the ICG to prepare a clear, well-targeted, and visionary roadmap for the next 25 years as the nation marches forward towards the goal of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 with determination. He emphasised that the roadmap should not only encompass manpower planning and capability development, but also define where the ICG sees itself as an organisation in 2047. He also urged the ICG to focus on organisational and structural reforms that will make it more agile, responsive & future oriented. "If this introspection and reforms are initiated today, then on 100 years of our independence, the ICG will not only become a strong guardian of maritime security, but also a shining symbol of Viksit Bharat's maritime prowess," he said.

Reiterating that national security will always be of paramount importance to the Government, Shri Rajnath Singh extended the Ministry of Defence's full support to the ICG's endeavours. He voiced the resolve of making the ICG even more capable, modern, and effective. "As we celebrate the golden jubilee year, let us all take a pledge to build a stronger, more capable, and more vigilant Indian Coast Guard. We will take our country's maritime security to greater heights. Technologically empowering the ICG, enhancing its operational capabilities, and preparing it for future challenges are among the Government's priorities. Only when the ICG is strong will India's maritime security be strengthened. And when our maritime borders are secure, India will be able to play its role with greater confidence not only at the regional level but also on the global stage," he added.

On the occasion, Raksha Mantri unveiled the Swarnim Jayanti Logo, symbolising ICG's 50 years of unwavering vigilance, maritime security, and humanitarian service. He also released the 50-year Commemorative Stamp, paying tribute to the ICG's rich legacy and vital role in safeguarding India's maritime interests. A specially curated film highlighted the organisation's evolution, operational excellence, and steadfast commitment to national security, maritime safety, and environmental protection.

Shri Rajnath Singh also interacted with dignitaries, serving officers, and veterans during a High Tea, acknowledging their dedication & contributions. The event was attended by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat and DG, ICG Director General Paramesh Sivamani.

As part of the celebrations, a solemn wreath laying ceremony was held at the National War Memorial, New Delhi to honour the brave personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation. Led by DG, ICG, the ceremony included a moment of silence, reflecting the nation's deep respect and gratitude.

*******

VK/Savvy

(Release ID: 2221829)

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Defence Budget 2026-27 post-Op Sindoor further strengthens Govt's resolve of creating a robust & foolproof security system: Raksha Mantri

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

"Enhanced Capital Acquisition budget will further enhance military capabilities"

"Increased ECHS allocation is testimony to Govt's resolve of welfare of ex-servicemen & their families"

"The budget bolsters security-development-self reliance balance and PM Modi's vision of Aatmanirbhar & Viksit Bharat"

Posted On: 01 FEB 2026 5:22PM by PIB Delhi

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for allocating Rs 7.85 lakh crore to the defence sector in the Union Budget 2026-27, stating that the budget, which comes after the historic success of Operation Sindoor, further strengthens the Government's resolve of creating a robust and foolproof security system of the country. In a post on X, he asserted that the budget augments the security-development-self-reliance balance.

Raksha Mantri noted that over Rs 2.19 lakh crore have been allocated under the capital head to the Defence Forces, and out of this, Rs 1.85 lakh crore is earmarked for capital acquisition, which is approx. 24% higher than the capital acquisition budget for FY 2025-26. This will further enhance India's military capabilities. Modernisation of the Armed Forces is an important aspect of this budget, he said.

Reiterating the Government's commitment towards the welfare of veterans and their families and providing them with quality healthcare, Shri Rajnath Singh said Rs 12,100 crore have been allocated the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme, which is 45.49% higher than the Budgetary Estimates of Financial Year 2025-26. He termed it as a testimony to the Government's resolve of the welfare of ex-servicemen and their families.

Raksha Mantri congratulated Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting an "excellent" budget, prepared under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. "The budget meets public sentiments and expectations. It provides a strong foundation for the Prime Minister's resolve for an Aatmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat, with adequate provisions for the upliftment of all sections of society," he said.

https://x.com/rajnathsingh/status/2017872468552397101

Shri Rajnath Singh added that under PM Modi's visionary leadership, India's journey towards a Viksit Bharat continues to gather momentum, emphasising that the "Yuva Shakti-driven Budget" budget seeks to "transform aspiration into achievement" and "potential into performance". He underlined that inspired by the three 'Kartavyas', this budget aims to accelerate and sustain economic growth, fulfil the aspirations of the people and ensure meaningful participation for all. "Together, these priorities will drive inclusive development, promote the manufacturing sector, and create sustainable infrastructure. This budget is designed to ensure that the dividends of growth reach every section of society, with special focus on the poor, the underprivileged, and the disadvantaged," he said.

https://x.com/rajnathsingh/status/2017879997294469350

****

VK/Savvy

(Release ID: 2221716)

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Ministry of Defence allocated an all-time high of Rs 7.85 lakh crore in Union Budget 2026-27, 15% higher over Budgetary Estimates of FY 2025-26

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Record Rs 2.19 lakh crore allocated under Capital Head; Quantum leap of 24% in the Capital Acquisition budget

Rs 1.39 lakh crore allocated for domestic industries, including private players

Higher allocation for operational readiness sustained

Govt's commitment to ensure quality healthcare facilities to veterans reinforced; Rs 12,100 crore allotted to ECHS, 45.49% higher than BE of FY 2025-26

Union Budget 2026-27 will further strengthen PM Modi's vision of an Aatmanirbhar & Viksit Bharat: Raksha Mantri

Posted On: 01 FEB 2026 3:42PM by PIB Delhi

In the Union Budget post Operation Sindoor, Defence Services have received an unprecedented allocation amounting to Rs 7.85 lakh crore for the Financial Year (FY) 2026-27. This allocation stands at 2% of the estimated GDP for the next Financial Year and shows a significant increase of 15.19% over the Budgetary Estimates (BE) of FY 2025-26. Total Defence budget is 14.67% of the Central Government expenditure and is the highest among the Ministries.

In addition to the modernisation of the Armed Forces and financing their regular requirement, the significantly enhanced allocation will also cater for the financial requirements that have arisen due to the emergency procurement of arms and ammunition made subsequent to Operation Sindoor under both the categories viz. Capital and Revenue. A large share of the defence budget to the tune of Rs 2.19 lakh crore has been allotted for capital expenditure vis-a-vis Rs 1.80 lakh crore which was allotted as BE of FY 2025-26. Through this enhanced provision, the Government has reaffirmed its resolve to transform the Armed Forces and their capabilities to the world's highest standards with a strategic shift towards the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Out of the total allocation made to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), a share of 27.95% is for capital expenditure, 20.17% for revenue expenditure on sustenance and operational preparedness, 26.40% for revenue expenditure on pay and allowances, 21.84% for Defence Pensions and 3.64% for civil organisations.

Modernisation of Armed Forces - a strategic objective

For FY 2026-27, budgetary allocation under capital head to the Defence Forces stands at Rs 2,19,306.47 lakh crore, which is 21.84% more than the Budget Estimates of FY 2025-26. Out of this, Rs 1.85 lakh crore is earmarked for Capital Acquisition, which is approximately 24% higher than the Capital Acquisition budget for FY 2025-26. In the current geo-political scenario, quantum jump in the modernisation budget is a strategic imperative. During FY 2025-26, up to 3rd quarter i.e., till December 2025, MoD has concluded contracts worth Rs 2.10 lakh crore and has, so far, given Acceptance of Necessity approval for more than Rs 3.50 lakh crore. The upcoming projects under capital acquisition will equip the Armed Forces with next generation fighter Aircraft, smart and lethal weapons, ships/submarines, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Drones, Specialist Vehicles, etc.

Thrust on Aatmanirbharta

Interruption in global supply chains and prioritization of domestic requirements over foreign sellers has re-emphasised the need for import substitution and going for indigenisation not only for sustenance but for future modernisation. In line with this, MoD's policy to earmark funds to boost domestic industries through budgetary policies has been further strengthened by earmarking Rs 1.39 lakh crore i.e., 75% of the Capital Acquisition budget for procurement through domestic industries during the FY 2026-27. Through such earmarking of funds, domestic players have been reassured about their investment and their increasingly greater role in capability development of the Armed Forces. Enhanced allocation for Capital Acquisition, especially for domestic industries, will have long term positive impact on the national economy and will lead to development of many ancillary industries, creating job opportunities in the country.

Defence budget has made a provision of Rs 3,65,478.98 crore for spending under revenue heads. This allocation is 17.24% higher than the allocation for BE 2025-26. Out of this, Rs 1,58,296.98 crore has been allocated for operation and sustenance related expenditure and the remaining for salary and allowances. The budgetary provision made in this regard for the upcoming FY will facilitate procurement of operationally important stores, spare parts etc. and will ensure maintenance of vital platforms in addition to catering for their day-to-day requirements.

Major Thrust on Border Area Development

The Government has reiterated its commitment to providing better infrastructure in border areas through higher allocation to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Accordingly, budgetary allocation to BRO under Capital for BE 2026-27 has been enhanced to Rs 7,394 crore from Rs 7,146.50 crore for FY 2025-26. The said allocation will cater to many strategically significant projects such as tunnels, bridges, airfields, etc. and will promote regional development and tourism, along with providing last mile connectivity in the border areas.

Healthcare to Veterans

The Government is committed to providing best healthcare facilities to the veterans and their dependents through enhanced allocation to the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). In the annual budget for FY 2026-27, an amount of Rs 12,100 crore has been allotted to ECHS which is 45.49% higher than the current year allocation at BE stage. The said allocation will fund the Medical Treatment Related Expenditure (MTRE) of veterans. The allocation to ECHS has been increased by more than 300% in the last five years vis-a-vis the allocation made at BE stage for FY 2021-22.

Fostering R&D in Defence

The budgetary allocation to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been increased to Rs 29,100.25 crore in FY 2026-27 from Rs 26,816.82 crore in FY 2025-26. Out of this allocation, a major share of Rs. 17,250.25 crore is allocated for capital expenditure.

Increase in Defence Pension Budget

Total Budgetary allocation on account of Defence pensions stands at Rs 1,71,338.22 crore, which is 6.56% higher than the allocation made during 2025-26 at BE stage. It will be spent on the disbursement of monthly pension to more than 34 lakh pensioners through SPARSH and other pension disbursing authorities.

Through a post on X, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and stated that under his visionary leadership, India's journey towards a Viksit Bharat continues to gather momentum. He also congratulated Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a budget that seeks to "transform aspiration into achievement" and "potential into performance". This "Yuva Shakti-driven Budget" will further strengthen PM Modi's vision of an Aatmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat, he said.

Raksha Mantri added that inspired by the three 'Kartavyas', this budget aims to accelerate and sustain economic growth, fulfil the aspirations of the people and ensure meaningful participation for all. "Together, these priorities will drive inclusive development, promote the manufacturing sector, and create sustainable infrastructure. This budget is designed to ensure that the dividends of growth reach every section of society, with special focus on the poor, the underprivileged, and the disadvantaged," he said.

Shri Rajnath Singh thanked PM Modi for allocating Rs 7.85 lakh crore to the defence sector in the Union Budget 2026-27, stating that the budget strengthens the security-development-self-reliance balance, and it is in the best interest of the nation. He asserted that the budget, which comes after the historic success of Operation Sindoor, further strengthens the Government's resolve to bolster the security system of the country and enhance military capabilities.

On the enhanced allocation under ECHS, Raksha Mantri termed it as a testimony to the Government's resolve of ex-servicemen welfare.

******

VK/Savvy

(Release ID: 2221612)

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Trump tells India to stop purchasing Iran oil, buy Venezuelan instead

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 11:08 AM

US President Donald Trump has told India to stop purchasing oil from Iran and instead supply its energy demands by buying crude from Venezuela.

"India is coming in, and they're going to be buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran. So, we've already made that deal, the concept of the deal," Trump told reporters on board Air Force One on Saturday.

Earlier, Trump had threatened to slap fresh tariffs on India if New Delhi did not halt its purchase of oil from US adversaries.

However, New Delhi had resisted the threat, reminding the US president that Washington had no authority to determine the trading relations of other nations.

Trump is openly saying that he has taken full control of Venezuela's oil industry following the US forces' kidnapping of the South American country's president, Nicolas Maduro.

Under the pretext of leading a cartel of drug and gun traffickers, Maduro was abducted from the presidential palace in Caracas last month and transferred to a prison facility in New York pending trial.

In the meantime, Trump has announced that the United States is controlling the proceeds of Venezuela's oil sales. The Latin American country is among the top oil producers with the biggest proven reserves in the world.

"This Oil will be sold at its market price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social earlier last month.

Legal experts say Trump's claim to Venezuela's oil reserves is unlawful. There is expert consensus that Venezuela's oil proceeds belong solely to its people.

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IRGC Navy commander urges unity against 'enemy plots'

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Feb 1, 2026

Tehran, IRNA -- The commander of the IRGC naval force says that the Iranian people would remain a firm barrier against enemy plots.

Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri made the remarks in a message ahead of the 47th anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution on Sunday, saying the revolution was a turning point in Iran's history and a new beginning for "the awakening of oppressed nations".

Tangsiri said Iran's adversaries were seeking to weaken public hope and trust through a campaign of "hybrid war and toxic propaganda", adding that preserving unity, awareness and an active public presence was a shared responsibility, according to the statement.

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Any US-initiated war would expand to regional conflict: Iran's Leader

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Feb 1, 2026

Tehran, IRNA -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has warned that if the United States were to initiate a war, it would turn into a regional conflict.

Speaking at a meeting with a large gathering of people in Tehran on Sunday, on the eve of the 47th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the anniversary of the return of the founder of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini to Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei addressed recent US threats.

He said the fact that Americans sometimes talk about war and speak of aircraft, warships and the like is nothing new. In the past as well, Americans repeatedly issued threats in their statements and said that all options were on the table, including the option of war.

Referring to US President Donald Trump, Ayatollah Khamenei said that now this man also keeps claiming that they have brought in warships and the like. The Iranian nation must not be frightened by such things; the people of Iran are not influenced by these threats.

He emphasized that we (Iranians) are not the initiators, and we do not seek to attack any country but will deliver a firm punch to anyone who attacks or harasses it.

Of course, the Americans should know that if they start a war, this time the war will be a regional one, the Leader concluded.

The Leader noted that Iran possesses many valuable assets, including its oil, gas, rich mines, and strategic location, and that such wealth and importance attract the greedy eyes of covetous powers, who have long sought to dominate the country.

According to Ayatollah Khamenei, for over thirty years, the Americans had controlled Iran's resources, oil, politics, security, and foreign relations, acting as they pleased. Their influence has now been cut off, yet they aim to return to the Pahlavi-era status. But the Iranian people stand firm, blocking them. That is the real conflict. Claims about human rights and other pretexts are nothing but empty words.

They remain covetous, yet Iran stands firm and will continue to do so. By God's grace, the Iranian nation will thwart their malicious intentions and hostile measures, the Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei also said the anniversary of Imam Khomeini's return to Iran laid the foundation for the Islamic Revolution's victory on February 11, the establishment of the Islamic Republic, and all subsequent national achievements, adding that the blessings of that historic day continue.

He described recent unrest in Iran as a foreign-backed plot with US and Israeli roots, saying the organizers were trained and funded from abroad, while some participants were misguided youths. Ayatollah Khamenei cited public rallies as proof of popular support for the Islamic Republic and rejected Western human rights claims as pretexts.

He said hostility toward Iran stems from its independent path and resistance to global powers, warning such plots may recur. Stressing that security is essential for progress, he credited public participation with neutralizing unrest. Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran's resources and strategic position fuel foreign ambitions, but emphasized that the Iranian nation will remain steadfast and deter any aggression.

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Ghalibaf: Europe shoots itself in foot by blacklisting IRGC

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Feb 1, 2026

Tehran, IRNA -- Parliament Speaker Mohamad Bagher Ghalibaf has hailed the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as the most unique counter-terrorism institution in the world, noting that Europe shot itself in the foot by blacklisting IRGC.

Addressing the parliament session on Sunday, Ghalibaf said such anti-Iran moves only increase social solidarity in support of the IRGC to preserve the national dignity and security of Iran.

By attempting to deal a blow to the IRGC, which itself was the greatest barrier against the spread of terrorism to Europe, the Europeans have actually shot themselves in the foot and, once again, by blindly obeying the Americans, have made decisions against the interests of their own people, he added.

Europe seeks to satisfy its "master", the United States, so that it stops threatening their territorial integrity, Ghalibaf stressed.

The IRGC, with the help of the people of the region, toppled the rule of ISIS, eliminated its global threat, and has dedicated hundreds of martyrs, including one of its greatest and most experienced commanders, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, he said.

With the help of the people in the region, the IRGC has toppled the rule of ISIS and eliminated its global threat.

The force, he added, has dedicated hundreds of martyrs, including one of its greatest commanders, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.

The IRGC is devoted to Iran and the Islamic Revolution, and the enmity of terrorism's supporters in the world will not diminish the IRGC power, he stated.

According to the law on reciprocal action against the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the armies of European countries are considered terrorist groups, and the consequences of this action will rest with the European Union.

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Yemen warns war on Iran would transcend borders

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 6:28 PM

Yemen's ruling Ansarullah movement has warned that any act of aggression against Iran would have consequences far beyond the geographical borders of the West Asia region.

A member of Ansarullah's political bureau said on Sunday that many countries would be affected by a potential US military attack on Iran.

"The nature of any aggression against Iran or Yemen is that it will never be confined to a specific geographical area; rather, its consequences will extend beyond borders and affect everyone without exception," said Mohammed al-Farah.

The warning comes amid rising tensions and threats of a military confrontation between the United States and Iran.

Threats have escalated in recent days following the arrival of a flotilla of US warships in regional waters near Iran.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear program or face the threat of a military strike.

However, Iran has stated that even a single shot would be met with a massive response, and it has ruled out the possibility of holding talks under threats.

Under Ansarullah's leadership, Yemen has conducted significant anti-US operations in regional waters, especially since the start of the Israeli war on Palestine in 2024.

Meanwhile, Yemen's top association of religious scholars also issued a statement on Sunday, warning that threats of war against Iran are part of a broader scheme to target the Islamic ummah and its independence-seeking projects.

Yemeni scholars called on their peers across the Islamic world to adopt a clear and united stance against these threats.

They warned that failure to do so would lead to further challenges and conspiracies targeting resistance forces in the region.

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Iranian missiles pose 'serious threat' to US interests, Persian Gulf allies warn Washington

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 5:28 PM

American allies in the Persian Gulf have warned Washington that Iranian missiles pose "a serious threat" to US interests in West Asia, as they intensify their efforts to avert a war with potentially catastrophic consequences for the entire region.

The Washington Post, citing two Western officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reported on Sunday that Persian Gulf allies warned the US that Iran still retains key capabilities that could enable it to strike US targets, including military bases and troop concentrations across the region.

An assessment carried out by a US ally in the Persian Gulf revealed that, despite claims of damage to Iran's missile forces during the 12-day war with Israel last June, core elements of the program remain intact, and some capabilities have since been restored.

According to the assessment, Iran retains shorter-range missiles, launchers, and parts of its missile production infrastructure--all capable of reaching more than a dozen US military bases in the Persian Gulf, where tens of thousands of American troops are stationed.

The findings underscore concerns in Washington that Iran could mount effective retaliatory attacks if tensions escalate further.

US allies in the Persian Gulf have made it clear they would not assist a potential attack on Iran. Last month, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia said US forces would not be permitted to use their territory or airspace for operations against Iran.

Amir Mousawi, a former Iranian diplomat now residing in Iraq, told the Post that Tehran has accelerated missile production since the war with Israel and repaired many damaged launchers.

Some launch systems, he added, have been relocated to mountainous areas, complicating efforts to target them.

"Iran has mountains thousands of meters high," Mousawi said. "It is not possible to reach and damage these capabilities easily."

David Des Roches, a former Pentagon official at the Thayer Marshall Institute, pointed out that Iran possesses the largest missile arsenal in West Asia.

He said that Iran has more missiles than the total number of interceptor missiles available to the countries in the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, adding that regional air defenses are not fully integrated and are primarily focused on limited sites, leaving them vulnerable to saturation attacks.

Iran's military posture has been a central factor in US decision-making as Washington continues to expand its regional presence.

US President Donald Trump began threatening military action against Iran following recent economic protests in the country, which were quickly hijacked by foreign-backed rioters. He called on the rioters to seize state institutions and promised that "help is on its way." He later shifted his rhetoric, however, urging Tehran to return to negotiations and reach a nuclear deal.

Earlier in the day, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned that any war initiated by the US against Iran would turn into a regional war.

Also on Saturday, Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), said progress had been made toward establishing a framework for negotiations between Iran and the US despite heightened threats of military confrontation.

Tensions remain high as US Central Command keeps sending warships, fighter jets, and troops to the region under the pretext of "regional security."

Iran has warned that any aggression will meet a swift and forceful response.

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Iran FM says US must seize chance for 'fair' deal, warns war would be 'disaster' for all

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 5:01 PM

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the United States must seize the chance to reach a fair deal with Tehran, warning that any military aggression would be a "disaster" for the entire region.

Speaking in an interview with CNN on Sunday, Araghchi said he was "confident that we can achieve a deal" with the US on Tehran's nuclear program.

"Unfortunately, we have lost our trust [in] the US as a negotiating partner," he added, noting that "fruitful" talks between Tehran and Washington were being moved forward with the help of friendly regional countries acting as intermediaries.

The US side also projected optimism over the weekend. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, US President Donald Trump said that Iran was "talking to us, seriously talking to us."

In his interview, Araghchi stopped short of promising direct talks with US negotiators, stressing that the "substance of negotiations" matters more than their form.

His remarks came as Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Sunday warned that any war initiated by the United States against Iran would turn into a regional war.

"The Americans should know that if they start a war this time, it will be a regional war," the Leader said, stressing that threats and displays of military power will not intimidate the Iranian nation.

In response to a question about Iran's extensive missile arsenal, believed to have been reconstituted following the Israeli-American war in June, and the country's regional allies, Araghchi insisted that discussions must focus solely on Iran's nuclear program.

"Let's not talk about impossible things," he said. "And not lose the opportunity to achieve a fair and equitable deal to ensure no nuclear weapons. That as I said, is achievable even in a short period of time."

The Iranian negotiator made it clear that the US must first lift the sanctions that have burdened Iran's economy for over a decade and guarantee Iran's right to continue peaceful nuclear enrichment.

He expressed Iran's preparedness for war if talks fail, warning that a conflict with Iran would likely spiral into a wider war.

A war, "would be a disaster for everybody," Araghchi said.

He explained that Iran's military would target US bases throughout the region, having tested and refined its missile capabilities during and since the 12-day war with Israel in June.

On Saturday, Trump did not indicate whether he had decided on a possible military strike against Iran.

"Some people think that. Some people don't," the US president said when asked about concerns that backing away from a strike would embolden Tehran.

He once more declined to give details about a potential military strike, reiterating his earlier remarks.

"I certainly can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction," Trump said. "As you know, I can't tell you. I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable."

In recent days, a surge of diplomatic activity has been underway in the region in an effort to prevent war.

On Saturday, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani traveled to Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Al Thani met with Araghchi and Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

Baghaei explained that the meetings were conducted within the framework of ongoing good offices and consultations among regional countries on current regional developments, with discussions focusing on preserving peace and stability in the region.

According to a statement by the Qatari government, ongoing efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the region were reviewed during the meeting.

During a telephone conversation on Saturday with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that resolving disputes through diplomacy remains Iran's priority. However, he said the Islamic Republic would not be compelled into negotiations by threats or coercion and that war would benefit neither side.

Pointing to the foreign-backed riots across Iran in early January, Araghchi said "terrorist elements" who received orders from abroad stirred up dissent and provoked violence.

Talking about the violent peak of the riots, he said, "We consider these three days as the continuation of those 12 days of war that was an operation led by Mossad from outside and of course, we crushed that operation."

"There was no plan for the execution or hanging" of rioters, the top Iranian diplomat said, refusing Trump's claim that he had received assurances from Iran regarding a halt to planned executions.

"I can affirm that the rights of each and every person who is arrested and detained would be observed and guaranteed," he pointed out.

Foreign-backed armed rioters and terrorists hijacked peaceful, sporadic protests over economic grievances on January 8 and 9 and turned them into scenes of murder and destruction of public and private property.

Iranian authorities have said that the US and Israeli spy agencies were directly involved, providing funding, training, and media support to rioters and armed terrorists acting on the streets.

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IRGC Navy chief: Iran's unity and resolve a barrier against enemies' conspiracies

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 3:14 PM

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has affirmed the Iranian nation's unwavering resolve in the face of external threats, highlighting the critical role of faith, willpower, and unity in overcoming oppression and tyranny.

Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri made the remarks in a message on Sunday, on the occasion of Ten-Day Dawn celebrations marking the 47th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

He further emphasized that Iran, bolstered by its "intelligence, belief, and unity" would remain a steadfast barrier against the conspiracies of its adversaries, continuing to uphold the proud banner of the Islamic Revolution.

Tangsiri also noted that the Tenth of Dawn serves as a powerful reminder of the victory achieved by the Iranian people over despotism and the subsequent dawn of freedom and independence that followed.

"This day not only commemorates the strength of the Iranian people, but also honors the sacrifices of Imam Khomeini and the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution, who gave their lives to pave the way for justice, national sovereignty, and honor," he said.

Tangsiri further underscored the significance of the Islamic Revolution as a turning point not just for Iran, but for the broader global movement of oppressed nations seeking freedom.

He described these days as a reaffirmation of the Iranian belief in the concept of "we can," despite the numerous conspiracies and external pressures facing the nation.

Tangsiri further acknowledged the ongoing attempts by enemies of Iran to sow division and undermine the nation's faith in its future through "combined warfare" and "poisonous propaganda."

However, he stressed that it is now more important than ever for Iranians to maintain unity, insight, and an active presence in defending their country.

Tangsiri's remarks come amid significant American military buildup across the West Asia region, including the Persian Gulf, which has run in tandem with repeated threats by US President Donald Trump of fresh military action targeting the Islamic Republic.

Iranian officials have vowed that any act of aggression against the country will be met with a swift and powerful response.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned on Sunday that any attack would trigger a "regional war." "They should know that if they start a war this time, it will be a regional war," he said in remarks in Tehran.

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IRGC: EU's terrorist labeling aligns with US interventionism

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 2:45 PM

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the European Union's move to add the elite force to its so-called terrorist list shows its alignment with the interventionist policies of the United States.

In a statement on Sunday, the IRGC condemned the EU's "hostile, invalid and absurd" move and expressed its appreciation to the widespread wave of support, solidarity, and the wise positions of the noble Iranian nation.

The statement came after the European Union designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, a move condemned by Iran as illegal and irresponsible.

It said the EU designation has no legal and political legitimacy and runs counter to the principles and logic of international relations.

"Such moves will not only fail to weaken the resolve and missions of the IRGC but will instead strengthen internal cohesion and increase national determination to safeguard the country's interests and security," the statement added.

It emphasized that the EU's approach disregards the destabilizing role of those who are creating crisis in the region, particularly the "savage and terrorist" Israeli regime.

The IRGC reiterated that such measures will not only fail to contribute to regional peace and security but will make the path of constructive engagement and cooperation even more difficult.

It noted that IRGC forces have never hesitated over the past decades to safeguard Iran's independence, security, and territorial integrity, and serve the Iranian people.

According to the statement, some European countries have become a haven for various terrorist groups, including the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MKO) group, Daesh and separatist currents and continue to provide the terrorists with various forms of military, media, and logistical support.

The IRGC said world public opinion expected European countries to abandon such duplicitous behavior and to explicitly and decisively condemn the horrific crimes of the terrorist Israeli regime in destroying Gaza's vital infrastructure, killing over 70,000 people and injuring about 170,000 children, women, and oppressed people of Gaza.

The elite force pledged that it will spare no effort in fulfilling its key missions to defend the country and safeguard the security, peace, and dignity of the noble Iranian people.

The designation came in response to Iran's measures against rioters who violently wreaked havoc across the country on the invitation of a monarchist and the public incitement of US and Israeli leaders in late December and at a time when the United States had escalated its bellicose threats against Iran and built up a military presence in the region.

Foreign-backed armed rioters and terrorists hijacked peaceful, sporadic protests over economic grievances on January 8 and 9 and turned them into scenes of murder, torching of mosques, clinics, ambulances, and commuter buses, and destroying public and private property.

Iranian authorities have confirmed that US and Israeli spy agencies were directly involved, providing funding, training, and media support to rioters and armed terrorists acting on the streets.

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Ayatollah Khamenei: Any US-initiated war against Iran would become regional

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 8:53 AM

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned that any war initiated by the United States against Iran would turn into a regional war.

Addressing a large gathering of people at the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya on Saturday, the Leader said recent US rhetoric about war and military assets was nothing new.

"The Americans should know that if they start a war this time, it will be a regional war," he said, stressing that threats and displays of military power will not intimidate the Iranian nation.

"Sometimes they talk about war and speak of aircraft and warships; this is not a new thing," he said, recalling that US officials had repeatedly threatened Iran in the past by claiming that "all options are on the table, including the option of war."

Referring to US President Donald Trump's threats against Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "The Iranian nation should not be frightened by these things; the people of Iran are not affected by such threats."

He emphasized that Iran would not be the initiator of any war, but warned of a firm response to aggression.

"We are not the ones who start [a war], and we do not want to attack any country, but the Iranian nation will deliver a hard punch to anyone who attacks and harasses it," he said.

In another part of his speech, the Leader described the recent riots across Iran as "similar to a coup," saying the plot aimed at destroying sensitive and effective centers involved in running the country.

He said attackers targeted police stations, government centers, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) facilities, banks, and mosques, and even set the Holy Quran on fire, noting that the attempt had ultimately been thwarted.

The Leader also said the Iranian people had reduced the flames of the recent American-Zionist sedition to ashes, just as they had defeated previous conspiracies, adding that the nation will decisively confront any future challenges as well.

Ayatollah Khamenei cited returning the country to its rightful ownersthe peopleand cutting off US influence from Iran as another defining characteristic of the Islamic Revolution, saying this feature angered and unsettled Washington and drove it, from the very beginning, into hostility toward the Iranian nation and system.

Referring to Iran's advances in various fields, he said few would have believed that the Iranian nation would one day reach a point where Americans would copy weapons produced by Iran.

He said these achievements were the result of self-confidence, hope, and ambition instilled in the nation by Imam Khomeini, whom he described as a symbol of hope and self-belief who motivated the people toward effort and progress.

The Leader described remarks by the US president as a clear sign of the American and Zionist nature of the recent unrest, saying he openly encouraged what he called rioters by telling them, "Go forward, I am also coming."

He said that in their view, a few thousand rioters represented the Iranian people, while the millions who rallied nationwide on January 12 were disregarded.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic Republic's new way of thinking and its friction with the interests of global bullies explained the persistence of hostility, adding that just as the recent sedition was not the first in Tehran, it would not be the last, and similar incidents could recur.

Such enmities, he went on, would continue until the Iranian nation, through steadfastness and full control over its affairs, caused the enemy to despair.

Expressing regret over the success of ringleaders of the unrest in increasing the death toll, the Leader said one's heart burns for the heedless young people who lost their lives.

The enemies sought to exaggerate casualty figures and wanted the toll to be even higher, he added, stressing that even the existing number was deeply regrettable.

He said the plotters aimed to pit the people against the system, but the nation's mass turnout on January 12 "hit them in the mouth" and revealed the true face of the Iranian people.

Referring to the US president's past admission of Washington's role in creating Daesh, the Leader said Americans had created a Daesh-like force in the recent riots, which committed acts of extreme violence, including burning people alive and beheading them.

In concluding remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei said decades-long US hostility toward Iran "could be summed up in two words: America wants to devour Iran, but the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic stand in the way," adding that Iran's resources and strategic position fuel US ambitions, while claims such as human rights were "nonsense."

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Qatari foreign minister holds talks in Tehran with FM Araghchi, Iran's top security official

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 3:35 AM

The Foreign Ministry has confirmed taking place of a one-day visit by Qatar's foreign minister to Tehran, during which the latter held talks with his Iranian counterpart and the country's top security official.

Speaking on Monday, spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei noted that during the visit, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with Abbas Araghchi and Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

According to the spokesman, the meetings were conducted within the framework of ongoing good offices and consultations among regional countries on current regional developments, with discussions focusing on the preservation of peace and stability in the region.

Following the visit, the Qatari government issued an official statement, confirming the talks.

According to the statement, ongoing efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the region were reviewed during the meeting.

Throughout the meetings, the Qatari official emphasized Doha's support for all initiatives intended to lower tensions and achieve peaceful solutions that contribute to strengthening security and stability across the region, it read.

He also stressed the importance of pooling efforts to protect the peoples of the region from the consequences of escalating tensions, while continuing coordination with brotherly and friendly countries to address differences through diplomatic channels.

The remarks came amid significant American military buildup across the West Asia region, including the Persian Gulf, which has run in tandem with repeated threats issued by US President Donald Trump of fresh military action targeting the Islamic Republic.

Iranian officials have met the developments and simultaneous rhetoric with stern warnings against renewed foreign aggression against the country.

Tehran has concomitantly underlined its intention to resolve existing tensions and differences through dialogue and diplomacy.

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Iran considers European armies as terrorist groups in retaliation for IRGC designation: Parliament speaker

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 10:22 AM

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says Iran considers European countries' armies as terrorist groups in a counter-measure against the European Union's blacklisting of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

He made the remarks during an open session of Parliament on Sunday, three days after EU foreign ministers classified the IRGC as a "terrorist" entity in a move denounced as "unlawful, unjustified, and duplicitous" by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

"The IRGC is the world's most unique anti-terrorism institution, which, with the help of the people of the region, brought down the Daesh rule and eliminated the global threat of this terrorist group," he said.

"In its path of fighting international terrorism, the IRGC has offered hundreds of martyrs, including one of its greatest and most experienced commanders, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani," he added.

"The enmities of the world's terror supporters will not diminish the IRGC's power. I announce that under Article 7 of the law on reciprocal action against the [US's] declaration of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the armies of European countries are considered terrorist groups, and the EU bears responsibility for the consequences of this action."

The IRGC was proscribed by the US in 2019 during President Donald Trump's first term, by Canada in 2024, and by Australia in 2025. The EU followed suit on Thursday, citing Iran's response to recent foreign-linked riots.

The designation came at a time when the United States had escalated its bellicose threats against Iran and built up a military presence in the region.

Qalibaf slammed the EU's "irresponsible" move to level baseless accusations at the IRGC.

He added that the 27-member bloc's decision, which was taken "in compliance with the orders of the US president and the leaders of the Zionist regime, accelerated Europe's path to becoming irrelevant in the future world order."

The top legislator also noted that the EU's move increased the Iranian people's support for the IRGC, which has protected their security and stood by their side in difficult times, such as floods, earthquakes, and the COVID-19 pandemic, while engaging in construction works and efforts to alleviate deprivation across the country.

"By trying to deal a blow to the IRGC, which was the greatest obstacle to the spread of terrorism to Europe, the Europeans actually shot themselves in the foot and once again made decisions against their people's interests through blindly obeying the Americans," he warned.

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Fair Nuclear Deal With US Possible in Short Time - Iranian Foreign Minister

Sputnik News

20260201

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Tehran and Washington can seal a fair nuclear deal soon, with the chance to reach such an agreement should not be missed, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday.

On Saturday, Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said that the structural formation for nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington is progressing despite an orchestrated media war.

"Let's not talk about impossible things. And not lose the opportunity to achieve a fair and equitable [nuclear] deal to ensure no nuclear weapons. That as I said, is achievable even in a short period of time," Araghchi told the CNN broadcaster.

In January, US President Donald Trump said a "massive armada" was heading towards Iran, adding that he hoped Tehran would agree to negotiate and sign a "fair and equitable" deal involving a complete abandonment of nuclear weapons. The president warned that if no agreement on Iran's nuclear program was reached, any future US strike on the country would be "far worse" than the previous ones.

 Sputnik

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US responds to Iran's regional war warning, issuing new threats while indicating to seek agreements; tensions high but dialogue door ajar: experts

Global Times

By Deng Xiaoci Published: Feb 02, 2026 11:45 AM

US President Donald Trump has reportedly responded to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after the latter warned a US strike on Iran would spark a regional war. While claiming the US has the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, Trump on Sunday local time expressed hope to make a deal and in case of no-deal, and he also threated to find out whether or not Khamenei was right over the remarks, NBC News reported.

Trump claimed that "of course he would say that...But we have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close, couple of days, and hopefully we'll make a deal." "We don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether or not he was right," he continued.

According to the Iran's Press TV, Khamenei has warned that any war initiated by the US against Iran would turn into a regional war, when addressing a large gathering at the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya on Saturday.

The NBC News reportd that Khamenei's remarks on a potential war come as Trump has weighed military action against Iran in response to the country's nuclear ambitions and the government's handling of protesters.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday told the CNN that he was "confident" that Iran and the US can achieve a deal on Tehran's nuclear program.

The Iranian diplomat also said that "unfortunately, we have lost our trust (in) the US as a negotiating partner," but the exchange of messages through friendly countries in the region was facilitating "fruitful" talks with the US, per CNN.

The US media also noticed a similar optimism on the US side over the weekend, as Trump, aboard Air Force One on Saturday, told reporters that Iran was "talking to us, seriously talking to us."

A US carrier strike group has reportedly arrived in the Middle East region by January 26 amid speculations over potential operations against Iran, while the Iranian side said the US warships would not weaken Iran's defense resolve. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is now in the Indian Ocean, putting it closer to assist in any potential US operations targeting Iran, reported CNN on the day, citing two sources.

Despite the sharp warnings exchanged between the two sides, the US military buildup in the region and Iran's firm commitment to retaliate, there still appears to be space left open for negotiations and a possible agreement, Ding Long, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times.

The US is clearly employing a strategy of applying intense pressure to drive negotiations and force changes. The ongoing tug-of-war between the US and Iran is increasingly taking the form of information warfare and public opinion battles. Even after negotiations have begun, this confrontational dynamic is expected to persist for a considerable period. Nevertheless, this does not prevent both sides from eventually reaching a mutually acceptable compromise, Ding noted.

Trump isn't entirely convinced about the risk-reward calculus or the full consequences of launching military action against Iran. That's why he's keeping negotiations on the table as a fallback during this moment of hesitation  the best outcome for him would be to pressure Iran into concessions, Qin Tian, a deputy director of the Institute of Middle East Studies of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

Talks between the two sides, including possible behind-the-scenes contacts, are certainly feasible, but actually succeeding in reaching a deal will be very difficult. Over the foreseeable future, the danger of US military strikes remains a real concern that shouldn't be dismissed, Qin warned.

China opposes the use or threat of force in international relations, opposes imposing one's own will on others, and opposes a return of the world to the "law of the jungle," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on January 15, Xinhua News Agency reported.

China has consistently advocated adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, said Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, during a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

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Shadow of conflict still shrouds Middle East as U.S., Iran begin dialogue

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:21, February 02, 2026

CAIRO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- As the United States and Iran have announced the start of dialogue, there appears to be a glimmer of hope for easing the tensions that have gripped the Middle East for weeks.

However, with Washington continuing to bolster its military presence and the prospects for negotiations remaining uncertain, the shadow of conflict still looms over the region.

MIXED SIGNALS

On Saturday night, Iran and the United States confirmed they had initiated dialogue, offering a sigh of relief to many who had been suffocating under the tension of a weeks-long standoff between the two nations.

"The formation of a structure for negotiations is progressing," Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani wrote on social media platform X.

Later in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with reporters aboard Air Force One that Iran was "seriously talking" with the United States.

"I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable," Trump said, adding, "We could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory, with no nuclear weapons, and they should do that, but I don't know if they will."

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that a "just, fair, and equitable" nuclear agreement with the United States remains achievable in the short term, provided Washington abandons its policy of coercion.

Although both sides have confirmed they are in contact, neither has taken concrete steps to de-escalate the situation, sending mixed signals -- expressing openness to talks while remaining prepared for conflict.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned on Sunday that if the United States starts a war against Iran, it would become a regional war.

Khamenei said Iran would not start a war and does not seek to attack any country, but that "the Iranian people will deliver a hard punch to those seeking to attack and harass them."

"The Americans should know that if a war is launched this time, it will be a regional war," he emphasized.

Trump has also been blunt in expressing his military posture toward Iran. When asked by reporters whether he had made a final decision on Iran, Trump responded, "Certainly, I can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction."

UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK

While the two countries have initiated talks, analysts caution that this does not signal a quick de-escalation of tensions, either bilaterally or across the broader region. The future is still up in the air, with the specter of conflict continuing to loom.

On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with military chief Eyal Zamir to assess the military's "operational readiness for any possible scenario" amid rising regional tensions, the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The meeting came after Zamir concluded a weekend visit to the United States, which was reportedly focused on preparations for potential U.S. military action against Iran.

In June last year, the United States launched a sudden airstrike on Iran shortly after concluding negotiations with Tehran, a move that has fueled skepticism about the prospects of the current talks.

Washington has said any deal with Iran must include a ban on uranium enrichment, the removal of already enriched material, limits on long-range missiles, and a rollback of support for regional proxies - conditions Tehran has rejected.

As for the current round of talks, Iran has shown no willingness so far to compromise on issues it considers core interests.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that while Tehran has pursued engagement and dialogue to resolve disputes, its approach is based on "dignity-based diplomacy," engagement within the framework of international law, mutual respect, and refraining from threats or coercion.

"Any aggression against the country and its people will be responded to immediately and decisively," he added.

Washington's goal for Tehran is "a total shift in strategic behavior," Qatari political analyst Faleh Al Hajri told Xinhua. He said this includes Iran's regional influence, missile programs, and proxy networks, adding that it would be "very difficult" for Iran to concede to such sweeping demands.

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Dismissing Trump's interference, Iraq's Shia bloc backs Maliki as prime minister nominee

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 01 February 2026 7:45 AM

Iraq's Shia bloc has reiterated its support for Nouri al-Maliki's return to the premiership despite meddlesome remarks by US President Donald Trump on the Arab country's domestic affairs.

In a statement on Saturday, the Coordination Framework, a collection of Shia parties that holds a parliamentary majority, defended its choice to nominate Maliki to serve again as Iraq's prime minister.

"The choice of the prime minister is a purely Iraqi constitutional matter and should proceed without foreign interference," it said, adding that the parliamentary bloc seeks balanced relations with international partners based on mutual respect.

Recently, the Coordination Framework nominated Maliki to the prime minister post, citing his political and administrative experience.

Trump cautioned Iraq against picking Maliki as its prime minister, threatening to withdraw the United States' support for the West Asian country.

Maliki, who heads the Islamic Dawa Party, categorically rejected "blatant US interference in Iraq's internal affairs."

In an X post, Maliki also stated that he would not withdraw his candidacy for the top job "out of respect for the national will and the Coordination Framework's decision."

Maliki served as Iraq's prime minister from 2006 to 2014 and as vice president between 2014 and 2015 and again from 2016 to 2018.

He is a senior figure in Iraq's political scene and maintains close ties with various factions, including those linked to the anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid congratulated Maliki on his nomination and expressed hope that he would strengthen Iraq's development, political stability, and national partnership.

No one has right to interfere in Iraq's affairs: Iran envoy

Additionally, on Saturday, Iran's Ambassador to Baghdad Mohammad Kazem Ale-Sadeq said Tehran supports any candidate selected by the Coordination Framework and welcomes the nomination of Maliki as an experienced politician who managed major crises gripping Iraq.

In remarks to the Kurdish Ava TV, he also denounced the US opposition to Maliki's candidacy as interference in Iraq's politics.

"No person or country has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign country like Iraq," he emphasized.

Regarding Iraq's presidency, Ale-Sadeq said that Iran had encouraged the country's two main Kurdish parties to come to a consensus on a single candidate.

Earlier this week, Iraq's parliament postponed a session to elect the country's president after the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) failed to agree on a candidate.

Under Iraq's sectarian quota system, the post of the prime minister goes to a Shia, the parliament's speaker is a Sunni, and the presidency goes to a Kurd.

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Remarks by PM Netanyahu at the Opening of the Special Cabinet Meeting in Kiryat Shmona

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Type: Media Statements

Government: The 37th Government

Publish Date: 01.02.2026

"The Government of Israel convenes today for a special and very moving meeting in Kiryat Shmona. I wish to thank our host mayor, Avichai Stern, and all the heads of the local authorities who are here with us together with the cabinet members.

Every time I am in Kiryat Shmona, I think of the principle that guided Joseph Trumpeldor and his heroic comrades, after whom the city of Kiryat Shmona [Town of the Eight] is named. During the days of the Battle of Tel Hai, 106 years ago, they said: 'For the place shall not be abandoned, and that which is built shall not be surrendered.'

We, who follow in their footsteps, will not surrender Kiryat Shmona under any circumstances - not the location, not the buildings, and not the wonderful people who are the pillar of the Galilee Panhandle. This is Kiryat Shmona.

I want to add that even before the Battle of Tel Hai, my grandfather, the late Rabbi Nathan Mileikowsky-Netanyahu, arrived in the north of the country. He was in Rosh Pinna, and later in Safed. He was an educator. He looked out from the top of Mount Canaan in Safed over the Galilee Panhandle and was deeply moved by us making the 'Land of the Prophets' bloom.

So we, the Government, are convening today here, in the Land of the Prophets, Kiryat Shmona, to bring a great vision for the North. We are bringing an immediate plan for the reconstruction of the North - and not just reconstruction, but also the development and growth of Kiryat Shmona, Shlomi, and Metula.

This will be manifested in the distribution of grants to businesses and residents, and the allocation of greater resources for housing, industry, medicine, and transportation. This is the first stage. Discussion of the second stage will follow, in just 45 days. The sum we are talking about here is 400 million NIS. And soon, as will be detailed in this meeting, it will be billions of NIS. We have an immense commitment to the North.

The transportation revolution we have led over the last two decades across the country is now here, and it will arrive with even greater momentum in Kiryat Shmona and its surroundings. We are connecting the entire country via highways, railways, interchanges, bridges, tunnels. And today, I am adding the airport that will open in the near future.

Years ago, some would ask, with a bitter smile: 'Why is the city called Kiryat Shmona?' They probably hadn't heard much about Trumpeldor, and their answer was: 'Four hours to get there, four hours to get back.' Actually, it was five - that was the time it took to travel from the center of the country to Kiryat Shmona and to return. Well, that reality no longer exists. We have increased the accessibility of Kiryat Shmona and the nearby communities beyond measure. We are changing things.

We are carrying out a transportation revolution, and we will connect Kiryat Shmona, including by rail; this entire thing will change. Because we see, in my vision, that it's not just that the residents will return. Most have returned. There is still a portion that should return and can return if they wish. We are bringing new residents. We will bring young couples. We will open a university here. We will open high-tech enterprises here. We will do tremendous things here. People will come to this beautiful place and to the Galilee in general. And this is what will happen. I am being recorded, and you will check me on this. This is what will happen. The population will grow, and the opportunities here will increase.

I believe the university will be a very important anchor here. Education Minister Kisch, I am certain it will be an excellent university, so please invest all the necessary resources for it to develop and grow even faster.

The entire Government is committed to Kiryat Shmona and the border-adjacent communities. I think this commitment stems from the experience each of us has had with the residents of Kiryat Shmona. Throughout the years, the residents of the North have demonstrated extraordinary resilience. Katyusha rockets were fired here. Kiryat Shmona and the surrounding communities stood firm against repeated terrorist attacks, including the years of Katyusha fire from Lebanon.

During the War of Redemption, the residents of the North showed astounding strength of spirit, and they gave us the tailwind to act with full force to remove the Hezbollah threat and bring a turning point to the campaign. The government is committed not only to the development of the North, but also to ensuring the security of the residents. There is no containment or leniency; we are acting against every threat in real-time and on an ongoing basis - and we will continue to do so.

I wish to thank Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his team, Minister Elkin, Minister Wasslauf, and the Director General of the Prime Minister's Office, Drorit Steinmetz, who worked together to bring this plan forward.

And as stated, this is only the beginning, not the end. Within 45 days, we will bring a massive plan. Both for Kiryat Shmona and for the North, since we are going to make a tremendous revolution here - because actually, after decades, we have driven Israel's enemies back, and we are providing security, support, and prosperity here; I am certain it will happen.

I am very moved because of my grandfather, who got off the ship in 1910 and made his way; it took three days to reach Safed on the Valley Train and a boat. And here, my father spent his early days. Later, during my military service, I got to spend close to five years here as both a soldier and a commander. I used to come to Kiryat Shmona a lot. I knew every street here; later we would go to the Golan and Hermon and other places, and it created a very personal and close bond for me.

And naturally, I came here, and I met Eli Zafrani, who remained young, and a deep bond was formed. He would always 'drill' me about Kiryat Shmona. So there is an evolving personal connection here.

Now I ask for one thing. I know how committed you are to the city's development, as we all are. What I ask is, as we are all sitting around this table working together - I ask that we work together!

We are not just seeking to close gaps; we want to jumpstart Kiryat Shmona higher and higher."

Kiryat Shmona Mayor, Avichai Stern:

"Every single one of you has a golden opportunity today to be partners in a historical moment, to put your signature on an important decision, a dignified chapter in the annals of the city of Kiryat Shmona. Not just as those who came to visit it in its hour of strife, but as those who breathed new life into it, new hope. This is a moment everyone in the city will remember forever: The 37th Government of Israel, led by Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, approved a dedicated plan for the development, prosperity, advancement, and growth of Kiryat Shmona during the most difficult period it has known.

By approving the plan today, you will provide guarantee to the children of Kiryat Shmona, that their home will be sturdy and steadfast, and more prosperous than it has ever been. So, just before Tu BiShvat, we will also plant in them the roots of real hope for them and for the city that they love and all of us love. The heart of Israel is here in Kiryat Shmona; let this heart beat again with strength. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister."



PM Netanyahu during the Special Government Meeting in Kiryat Shmona: "You will not believe what's going to happen in Kiryat Shmona and all of Galilee. We are going to make a revolution here."

"My goal is to bring this revolution - the revolution in transportation, employment, housing, welfare, tourism, all of it, to the North of the country.

And what is the North of the country? What's the farthest point? What's the tip of the Panhandle? It's right here - Kiryat Shmona.

It's going to happen! You will not believe what's going to happen in Kiryat Shmona.

And not only in Kiryat Shmona, you will see it throughout the Galilee. Okay, I don't want to get in trouble, I love the Negev as well, and the Center, and Judea and Samaria, but you will not believe what's going to happen in Kiryat Shmona.

This is why our goal is not only to suture the wounds of the past, so to speak. This isn't what we're talking about, and this isn't what we were doing in Or Akiva, or in Yokneam, or in Afula, or anywhere else - Kiryat Malachi also. We are going to make a revolution here.

I do not wish to create Tuscany in the Galilee - the Galilee is more beautiful than Tuscany. It also has some thousands of years of history, that is more interesting. In our view, this is our land.

There will be something simply unrecognizable here, but there is one condition, as far as I am concerned, because all the necessary conditions are in place. Around this table, among the government members who are present here, the drive is here, the vision is here, all the energy is here. The only issue is security, and in terms of security, we have carried out a momentous change after half a century. A momentous change - no more "Kiryat Katyusha" or "Kiryat Hezbollah". We carried out a momentous change and we are committed to that change here as well as every part of the country. You are not going to belive what's going to happen in Kiryat Shmona".

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Statement by Minister Anand five years following military coup in Myanmar

Global Affairs Canada

Statement

January 31, 2026 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement:

"Five years ago today, Myanmar's military overthrew the country's democratically elected government. Since the coup, the situation has deteriorated into one of the world's most severe human rights and humanitarian crises. The conflict has displaced more than 3.6 million people internally and left more than 16 million in need of humanitarian assistance, including 5 million children.

"Canada condemns the Myanmar military regime's violations of human rightsincluding strikes on civilians, schools, hospitals and places of worshipwhich continue to escalate. Myanmar people have been killed, tortured and subjected to sexual and gender-based violence. Ethnic and religious minorities continue to face severe and persistent discrimination. The conflict has led to a sharp rise in transnational crime, including online scam centres, further harming the people of Myanmar and threatening regional stability.

"Canada followed the recent military-administered electoral process in Myanmar with great concern. The conduct of these elections failed to meet the international standards for a free, fair, inclusive and transparent process. There is no indication that the results reflect the will of the people of Myanmar, particularly when large parts of the population, including key political stakeholders, were deliberately prevented from participating. Canada is deeply concerned by reports of widespread violence, restrictions on fundamental freedoms, arbitrary arrests and mass detentions, as well as voter intimidation and coercion. Canada calls for genuine and inclusive democratic processes that reflect the will of the people of Myanmar and uphold the rule of law and the freedom of expression, association and assembly.

"Canada calls on all members of the international community to support efforts to establish a credible and peaceful democratic future for the people of Myanmar. We reiterate our support for the continued engagement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including through ASEAN's special envoy to Myanmar and the implementation of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus. We encourage regional partners to promote democracy, peace and stability in Myanmar.

"Canada urges Myanmar's military to release all remaining political prisoners and to engage in genuine dialogue with all opposition groups. We reiterate that all parties must cease violence, respect international human rights and humanitarian law, protect civilians and allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid.

"Canada stands in unwavering solidarity with the people of Myanmar. Their resilience in the face of ongoing violence underscores their aspirations for a peaceful and dignified future."

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The General Secretariat of the OIC Strongly Condemns the Terrorist Attacks that Targeted Areas in the Province of Balochistan

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

01-02-2026

The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist attacks that targeted areas in the province of Balochistan in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The General Secretariat reiterates its principled rejection of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and affirms its solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and its support for its efforts to maintain its security and territorial integrity. It expresses its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.

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West Wants to Disrupt the Strategic Aliance Between Russia and China, but It Will Fail - Shoigu

Sputnik News

20260201

BEIJING (Sputnik) - The West wants to sow discord in the strategic partnership between Russia and China, but it will not succeed, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Shoigu arrived in China for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"Westerners dream day and night of how to create discord in the strategic partnership of our states. I would like to emphasize once again: Moscow and Beijing will not sit idly by and tolerate biased insinuations," Shoigu was quoted as saying by the press service of Russia's Security Council.

Western countries have made it a rule to justify their actions by the threat from Russia and China, the official added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping maintain an active dialogue and will continue it on a regular basis this year, Shoigu said.

"The leaders of our countries maintain friendly relations and conduct the most active dialogue. Therefore, it is only natural that such communication will continue on a regular basis this year," Shoigu was quoted as saying by the press service of Russia's Security Council.

Shoigu also said that his talks with Wang were very substantive, during which they discussed the schedule of contacts, including at the highest level.

The discussions also focused on developments in various regions of the world affecting the interests of both Moscow and Beijing, the statement added.

 Sputnik

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Parliamentarians from 7 European countries arrive in Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

02/01/2026 04:50 PM

Taipei, Feb. 1 (CNA) A group of eight parliamentarians from seven European countries -- Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine -- arrived in Taiwan Sunday to begin a six-day exchange with senior Taiwanese officials and NGO representatives.

The delegation, led by Zygimantas Pavilionis, deputy chair of the Lithuanian Seimas' Committee on Foreign Affairs, will meet Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (), Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (), Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (), among other officials, during its stay through Friday.

The visit is intended to facilitate exchanges with Taiwanese officials on promoting democratic resilience and building a democratic supply chain between Taiwan and Europe, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

The group will also visit a defense ministry-funded think tank and an NGO focused on promoting digital diplomacy, as well as the frontline island of Kinmen, to better understand Taiwan's history and recent developments, MOFA said.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/kb

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KMT deputy chair to lead KMT-CPP exchange delegation to Beijing Monday

ROC Central News Agency

02/01/2026 05:08 PM

Taipei, Feb. 1 (CNA) Kuomintang (KMT) Deputy Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen () will lead a delegation to Beijing from Monday to Wednesday for a think tank exchange with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to the main opposition party.

The delegation will include National Policy Foundation Deputy Chairman Lee Hong-yuan () and around 40 experts and scholars. The foundation is a think tank affiliated with the KMT.

The exchange is expected to focus on tourism, industrial cooperation and environmental sustainability, with discussions to cover travel, flight destinations, precision machinery, artificial intelligence, disaster prevention and mitigation, new energy, and carbon reduction.

According to a party source, the delegation is scheduled to attend a dinner with Song Tao (), director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, on Monday evening, take part in a think tank forum on Tuesday, and visit Tsinghua University on Wednesday.

Whether the delegation will meet Wang Huning (), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, will depend on arrangements made by the host, the source added.

(By Liu Kuan-ting and Wu Kuan-hsien)

Enditem/kb

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Taiwan plans to build submarine rescue ship

ROC Central News Agency

02/02/2026 12:57 PM

Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) Taiwan's military is planning to build a submarine rescue vessel after the completion of its first domestic submarine prototype, according to a defense ministry report released last week.

The project to build the submarine rescue ship will be implemented over a seven-year period -- from 2027 to 2033 -- at a cost of NT$13.2 billion (US$417.39 million), according to the report titled "Regulated Military Materials in the Second Half of Fiscal Year 2025," posted on the Ministry of National Defense (MND) website on Jan. 30.

The funds will be allocated by the Navy to build a vessel that will boost its submarine rescue capability, the report said.

Meanwhile, between 2027 and 2032, the Navy is planning to build a second Panshih-class fast combat support ship at an estimated cost of NT$17.2 billion, according to the report.

Over the six-year period 2028 to 2034, it is planning to build another Yushan-class amphibious landing platform dock at an estimated cost of NT$13.4 billion, the report said.

Taiwan's military also has a goal of constructing 10 light frigates from 2028 to 2040 at a cost of NT$250 billion, and building two rescue and salvage ships from 2027 to 2034 at a cost of NT$21.8 billion, the MND said in the report.

The report was released one day after Taiwan's indigenous defense submarine (IDS) prototype, christened Hai Kun, or Narwhal in English, began its long-awaited submerged tests.

The MND had planned to complete all tests on the Narwhal by September last year to meet a November 2025 delivery deadline, but the trials suffered some major delays.

When the Narwhal is completed, a second submarine is scheduled to be built by 2027 under Taiwan's IDS project, the MND said.

The wider goal is to ensure that Taiwan's Navy has a total of four submarines by 2027 -- the Narwhal prototype and a second IDS, along with its two existing Chien Lung-class (Sword Dragon) submarines that were purchased from the Netherlands in the 1980s, according to the defense ministry.

Taiwan also has two World War II vintage submarines purchased from the United States in the 1970s, but they are now being used exclusively for training purposes.

(By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/pc

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2026.02.02

Issuing AuthorityPolitical Warfare Bureau

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1.Date:

6 a.m. Feb . 1 (Sun.) to 6 a.m. Feb. 2 (Mon.) (UTC+8)

2.PLA activities:

6 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities.

3.Illustration of flight path is not provided due to no PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan were detected during this timeframe.

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Ukraine and NATO agree on cooperation priorities: air defense, F-16s, HIMARS, and technological edge

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

31 January, 2026, 5:52 PM EET

Ukraine's Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov met with Patrick Turner, NATO Senior Representative in Ukraine, and Lieutenant General Curtis A. Buzzard, Commander of NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) and Commander of the Security Assistance Group - Ukraine (SAG-U).

Mykhailo Fedorov expressed gratitude to NATO for its sustained support and effective coordination of critical defense assistance, including through the PURL initiative, which provides Ukraine with crucial air defense ammunition. Protecting the skies is the top priority, prompting Ukraine to transform its lower-tier air defense.

The parties agreed on key cooperation priorities: strengthening air defense, advancing Patriot, F-16s, and HIMARS, as well as joint efforts to sustain a technological edge.

Ukraine is sharing unique combat experience, real-time battlefield data, and proven technological solutions with its partners, the Defence Minister added.

A separate track of cooperation focuses on coordination within the Ramstein format, together with Germany and the United Kingdom, to accelerate decision-making and the delivery of required assistance to Ukraine.

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Heat supply restoration continues in Kyiv following emergency in the energy system

Ukraine Government

Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, posted 01 February 2026 15:30

As of now, 693 buildings remain without heat supply.

Heat has now been restored to more than 2,700 residential buildings. At the same time, 693 buildings are still without heating, some of which have been without it as a result of the latest russian shelling. The most difficult situation persists in the Solomianskyi and Pecherskyi districts. This was reported by the Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Communities and Territories Development, Oleksii Kuleba.

"Repair crews are restoring heat supply in the city step by step. Since yesterday evening, heating has already been returned to more than two thousand buildings, but the work is still ongoing. All services are operating in enhanced mode to return heat to Kyiv residents' homes as quickly as possible. Water supply and sewage services in Kyiv are functioning normally," noted Oleksii Kuleba.

To speed up the restoration, an additional 114 repair crews - more than 500 workers, including specialists from other regions and teams from Ukrzaliznytsia - have been brought in today. 69 mobile boiler houses have been deployed to ensure heat for hospitals, maternity units, and key Points of Invincibility.

Restoration of heat supply in the city continues. Municipal and emergency services are working to fully restore heating to all buildings in the capital.

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Russia Hits Maternity Hospital In Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya, Kills 16 Miners In Dnipropetrovsk

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service February 01, 2026

Russian drone strikes on Ukraine killed more than a dozen in the Dnipropetrovsk region and damaged a maternity hospital in the city of Zaporizhzhya as a new round of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow was announced for next week.

Two separate drone strikes killed at least 18 people in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring at least seven others, Ukrainian officials reported on February 1.

Sixteen people were killed when a Russian drone struck near a bus in the Pavlohrad area, while two more died after a drone hit a private house in the region's capital, Dnipro, earlier in the day.

DTEK, Ukraine's largest private utilities company, which owned the bus, added that those killed in the Pavlohrad area were miners returning from their shift.

Separately, there were ongoing air raids in the neighboring city of Zaporizhzhya, which began shortly after midnight. Regional governor Ivan Fedorov said that at least six people were injured in the attack on maternity hospital.

Fedorov added that two of the injured women were undergoing medical examinations at the time of impact. In a Telegram post showing the aftermath, he described the strike as "yet another proof of a war directed against life."

He later added that a secondary attack on the city, which lies less than 50 kilometers from the country's southern front line, injured three more people in another neighborhood. The regional governor said that a small boy was among them.

New Round Of Talks In Abu Dhabi

The February 1 attacks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a new round of talks to end the nearly four-year war is now set to resume in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on February 4-5.

"We are interested in ensuring that the result brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram after being briefed by Kyiv's negotiation team.

The previous round of talks was held at the same location on January 23-24. Initially in a trilateral format, they included representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.

Described as "constructive" by US officials, negotiations later appeared to have brought a brief halt to strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides.

However, despite what US officials saw as a positive dynamic in renewed diplomatic efforts, Russian air strikes continued to pound civilian infrastructure and logistics across Ukraine, as temperatures in the country dropped to as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius.

Katarina Mathernova, the EU's ambassador to Ukraine, said that Russia's latest attack on Ukraine showed that "Russia respects no agreements. None of its promises hold." In her Facebook post, she added, "The democratic world must not look away!"

At least 90 Russian drones were launched against the country's regions on February 1, Ukraine's air force stated, while more than 6,000 drones, 5,500 guided bombs, and 158 missiles were used by Russia in January, according to Zelenskyy.

There is no sign of easing on the front lines, nor is the Kremlin backing down from its long-held maximalist demands. Russian military forces continue their attempt to push westward through eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian armed forces reported at least 44 battles occurred on the front lines in the past day.

In an interview with Russian state-owned TASS news agency on February 1, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev -- currently deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council -- said that Russia will "soon" win military victory but added that it was key to "prevent" any further conflict.

Some Kremlin critics consider Medvedev a provocative extremist, others say his statements reflect the thinking of many senior Russian policymakers.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-drone-attack- peace-talks/33666126.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.

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Russia Cannot Accept NATO Troops in Ukraine Under Security Guarantees - Foreign Ministry

Sputnik News

20260201

Russia will not accept the deployment of the European Union or NATO forces on Ukrainian territory as part of security guarantees for Kiev, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Sputnik.

"We have said that this is unacceptable, there will be no NATO membership and no foreign military forces. It makes no difference whether, say, a French corporal wears a cap with 'NATO' or 'EU' written on it. That does not change anything. Therefore, we have not deviated from our position," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the current version of the security guarantees includes the deployment of troops from several European countries in Ukraine, mainly those of France and the UK, with Washington's support. However, he did not disclose any further details regarding this support.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has said that any scenario for the deployment of troops from NATO member states in Ukraine was categorically unacceptable for Russia and was fraught with a sharp escalation. Moscow previously called the statements about the possibility of deploying a contingent of NATO member states in Ukraine, voiced in the UK and other European countries, an incitement to continue hostilities.

 Sputnik

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Given Zelensky's EU hopes, Ukraine's Military Potential Must Be Curtailed - Russian Deputy FM

Sputnik News

20260201

Limiting Ukraine's military potential is especially important given the announced plans for its accelerated admission to the increasingly militarized European Union, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Sputnik.

"I can say that given all the announced plans for Ukraine's accelerated admission to the rapidly militarizing European Union, limiting Ukraine's military potential is of particular importance," Grushko said.

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that the EU accept Ukraine in 2027. At a press conference in Vilnius with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish President Karol Nawrocki, he stated that Ukraine would technically be ready to join the EU in the first half of 2026, and would be fully technically ready in 2027. He stated that he wanted "a specific date in the agreement to end the war."

 Sputnik

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Andrii Sybiha commented on Russia's targeted strike on a bus in Dnipro region

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

01 February 2026 22:12

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "In the Dnipro region, at least 15 people were killed as a result of Russia's targeted strike on a bus carrying mine workers. No military target  just hardworking men returning to their families after their shifts. Truly horrific. Russia once again proves its status of a terrorist state. Russian murderers responsible for this and other atrocities must face justice. Accountability is essential for a just peace".

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Today's Russian Strike on a Bus in the Dnipro Region Is a Crime, a Telling Crime, That Yet Again Shows That Russia Bears Responsibility for the Escalation - Address by the President

President of Ukraine

1 February 2026 - 19:29

I wish you health!

I have just held a coordination call on the situation across all our regions. In the Dnipro region, in Ternivka of the Pavlohrad district, Russian drones struck an ordinary bus - a bus carrying miners. Sadly, many people were killed. My condolences to all the families and loved ones. There are also people who were wounded. In Nikopol and Marhanets, there were power outages due to drone strikes on the power grid. There were also strikes on logistics - on the railways in the Dnipro region. In Konotop, Sumy region, the Russians also struck railway infrastructure today. Railway workers are responding, carrying out repairs, trying to restore everything promptly, and maintaining connectivity between regions.

There was a report on the Kyiv region: cogeneration capacity is being added in the region virtually every day. This is extremely important, thank you. Thermal kits are being distributed to people, and we will expand this program. Around five thousand such thermal kits are distributed across the Kyiv region every day. I would like to thank Naftogaz for supporting this program. An extremely difficult situation with heating continues in Kyiv. More than 500 apartment buildings are without heating. Repair work is still ongoing. And this certainly cannot be perceived as normal in a city where, for far more than a week now, the number of buildings without heating is hundreds every single day, regardless of the situation. Whether there are strikes or not, hundreds of buildings in Kyiv remain without heating. This means that the measures being taken in the city are not sufficient.

There was a report from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine on assistance points and warming centers in Kyiv. More people are turning to them now, and additional centers have been set up in several districts. Hot meals are being provided, and assistance will be given to everyone who needs such support. The 112 line is operating to register all needs. There is also a government contact center. At the very least, the city must work faster with government agencies in this area - I strongly urge this - so that people can receive timely assistance and accurate information.

There were also reports on the situation in the Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernivtsi regions. Separately, together with the Minister of Energy, we discussed cooperation with Romania. There were reports on the Donetsk region, and it is important that the services are responding to every need - thank you for this. In Odesa and the Odesa region, recovery efforts after severe weather are ongoing; all necessary forces are engaged. There are power outages in the Kirovohrad region - repair work is underway. There were also reports on the Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, and Poltava regions, as well as Mykolaiv and the region. The Chernihiv and Kherson regions, as well as our Zaporizhzhia and the region, are under heavy shelling, and every such attack must be met with a response - both military and diplomatic. The first depends on our warriors, but the second depends more on our partners.

There was a report by our negotiating team. There is already an arrangement to hold a trilateral meeting at an appropriate level. This meeting will take place next week, as planned - on Wednesday and Thursday, in the United Arab Emirates, as last time.

I have just spoken with Rustem Umerov. I have scheduled a meeting for tomorrow to agree on the framework of the talks and prepare everything. On Monday evening, the team will already be en route to the negotiations. Many leaders, from different countries, are with us in this process, supporting Ukraine, and we coordinate virtually every day. February will be a period of quite intense foreign policy activity on our part, with contacts and meetings beginning tomorrow.

We expect the American side to be just as active, particularly when it comes to de-escalation measures - reducing strikes. Much depends on what the U.S. can achieve so that people trust both the process and the outcomes, of course.

Today's Russian strike on a bus in the Dnipro region is a crime - a telling crime - that yet again shows that Russia bears responsibility for the escalation. Evil must be stopped. Thank you to everyone around the world who stands with Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

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Ukraine Awaits New Round Of Trilateral Talks As Deadly Russian Attacks Mount

By RFE/RL February 02, 2026

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a new round of trilateral talks with Moscow and Washington is set for February 4-5 in the United Arab Emirates, with the gathering coming after another round of deadly Russian air strikes on civilian sites.

In his nightly video address on February 1, Zelenskyy said there is "an arrangement to hold a trilateral meeting at an appropriate level...on Wednesday and Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, as last time."

There had been uncertainty about the talks, which originally were scheduled to take place in the UAE capital on February 1. Zelenskyy on January 31 said his team was ready for such negotiations but that he was awaiting word from the United States.

"I have scheduled a meeting for [February 2] with Rustem Umerov," Zelenskyy said, referring to Kyiv's main negotiator.

The Ukrainian leaders aim "to agree on the framework of the [Abu Dhabi] talks and prepare everything. On the evening of [February 2], the team will already be en route to the negotiations."

"February will be a period of quite intense foreign policy activity on our part, with contacts and meetings beginning tomorrow," Zelenskyy added.

"We expect that the American side will be just as active, and in particular this applies to de-escalation measures -- reducing strikes. And much depends on what the American side will succeed in, so that people trust both the process and the results, of course," he added.

US and Russian officials did not immediately comment on Zelenskyy's remarks.

Follow-Up Talks

Direct negotiations involving Moscow and Kyiv, along with US representatives, resumed in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24. Meetings between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have been rare since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of February 2022.

On January 30, US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev in Miami for what he described as "productive and constructive meetings."

Witkoff said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and government adviser Josh Gruenbaum also participated in the Florida talks.

However, despite what US officials saw as a positive dynamic in renewed diplomatic efforts, Russian air strikes continued to pound civilian infrastructure and logistics across Ukraine, as temperatures in the country dropped to as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius.

Ukrainian officials reported on February 1 that two separate drone strikes killed at least 18 people in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring at least seven others.

Sixteen people were killed when a Russian drone struck near a bus in the Pavlohrad area, while two more died after a drone hit a private house in the region's capital, Dnipro, earlier in the day

DTEK, Ukraine's largest private utilities company, which owned the bus, added that those killed in the Pavlohrad area were miners returning from their shift.

Details of attacks cannot immediately be independently verified.

Maternity Hospital Blasted

Separately, there were ongoing air raids in the neighboring city of Zaporizhzhya, which began shortly after midnight. Regional governor Ivan Fedorov said that at least six people were injured in the attack on a maternity hospital.

Fedorov added that two of the injured women were undergoing medical examinations at the time of impact. In a Telegram post showing the aftermath, he described the strike as "yet another proof of a war directed against life."

He later added that a secondary attack on the city, which lies less than 50 kilometers from the country's southern front line, injured three more people in another neighborhood. The regional governor said that a small boy was among them.

The continuation of attacks came after Trump on January 29 said Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally promised him to pause air strikes on the capital and other "various towns" for a week.

Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, blasted the Kremlin's latest actions in a Facebook posting.

"Is this what a 'cease-fire' is supposed to look like?" she said. "Like explosions.

Like dead civilians. Like destroyed energy and transport infrastructure."

"All of this is happening at a time when the world is talking about a potential cease-fire," she added.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-ukraine-uae- negotiations-russia-witkoff/33666211.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.

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China, UK museums to co-host exhibition on European art in Shanghai

Xinhua) 13:33, February 02, 2026

SHANGHAI, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Museums from China and the United Kingdom have agreed to jointly host an exhibition on European art in Shanghai in 2027, showcasing works spanning nearly seven centuries.

The National Galleries of Scotland, Art Exhibitions China and the World Expo Museum signed a letter of intent in Shanghai to organize the exhibition, scheduled for the summer of 2027, the World Expo Museum announced Sunday.

Featuring more than 60 precious works from the National Galleries of Scotland, the exhibition will cover the period from 1350 to 2021, spanning major artistic movements from the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo to modern art.

Works by artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edgar Degas are expected to be included.

Anne Lyden, director-general of the National Galleries of Scotland, said the cooperation came at a meaningful moment and reflects efforts to deepen ties through exhibitions and works of art.

"We look forward to offering Chinese audiences deeper insights into the sweeping historical transformations in European art and society," said Liu Wentao, director of the World Expo Museum.

Tan Ping, director of Art Exhibitions China, said the cooperation represents a further step in promoting mutual learning among civilizations and enhancing people-to-people exchanges.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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Zenith Bank appoints Charles Boakye Nimako as new Board Chair

Graphic Online Adverts Feb - 02 - 2026 , 06:32 3 minutes read

Zenith Bank (Ghana) Ltd has appointed Charles Boakye Nimako as its new Board Chair, effective January 1, 2026.

Mr. Nimako succeeds Mrs. Freda Yahan Duplan, who assumed the role in 2020.

Mrs. Duplan steps down from serving as Board Chair since 2020, after completing the maximum six-year tenure. Throughout her tenure, she demonstrated outstanding leadership, steering the Bank through a period marked by resilience and innovation. She will continue to contribute her extensive experience as an Independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of Zenith Bank Ghana.

Mr. Nimako has been a member of Zenith Bank Ghanas Board since 2023, having served as an Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Risk, Cyber Security Committee. He brings to his new role a wealth of experience in corporate governance, financial services, and strategic leadership.

Profile of the New Board Chair

Mr. Nimako is currently the Director of Africa Initiatives for Safe Water Network, a U.S.-based NGO focused on market-driven community water solutions. He established the Safe Water Network Ghana office in May 2010 after holding several senior leadership roles within PepsiCos franchise operations in Ghana and across other African markets.

His previous roles include Chief Executive Officer of Beverage Investments Ghana Limited and SBC Beverages Ghana Limited, both PepsiCo franchise holders, as well as Director of Sales and Marketing for Ghana and Franchise Operations Manager for Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia. He also served as a Consultant and Project Director for AngoAlissar LDA, a new PepsiCo franchise in Luanda, Angola.

Beyond his corporate leadership, Mr. Nimakos global experience spans management consulting and professional accounting. He worked as a Management Consultant with McKinsey & Company in Johannesburg and London, a staff accountant with Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) in Los Angeles, and Audit Manager at Great Western Financial Corporation in Beverly Hills, California.

In addition to his new role at Zenith Bank, Mr. Nimako is the current Board Chair of Unilever Ghana PLC, a position he assumed in November 2025. He also serves on the boards of Beverage Investments Ltd (Pepsi-Cola) and Beverly Ranch Ghana Limited. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and holds an MBA in Management from the Stanford Business School in California, USA

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Ghana, Mr. Henry Onwuzurigbo described the appointment as fitting and pivotal to the next phase of the Banks growth.

"We are delighted to welcome Mr. Nimako as our new Board Chair. Having already served on our Board, Mr. Nimako s appointment ensures a smooth transition and strengthens continuity at the highest level of leadership. His proven track record of leadership across diverse industries, strategic insight and deep understanding of governance will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our position in Ghanas banking sector. We look forward to working closely with him to drive innovation, enhance customer experience, and deliver sustainable growth."

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Nimako stated, "I am honoured to take on this responsibility and build upon the strong track record of disciplined execution and growth. Together with the Board and Executive Management, I look forward to advancing Zenith Banks vision of excellence, innovation, and customer-centricity in Ghanas financial landscape."
IBAG President pledges regulatory, professional reforms

Elizabeth Nyaadu Adu Business News Feb - 02 - 2026 , 16:38

THE newly elected president for the Insurance Brokers Association of Ghana (IBAG), Stephen Kwarteng Yeboah, has outlined a bold reform agenda aimed at enhancing professionalism, improving regulation, and protecting the interests of insurance brokers in Ghana.

Key among the reform includes capacity building through practical and broker-focused training programmes to be delivered in collaboration with the Ghana Insurance University College (GIICU).

Mr Yeboah who made this known during his investiture ceremony and swearing in of new executive council in Accra on Thursday, described his election as both an honour and a significant responsibility, pledging to lead with a sense of purpose and collective action.

He also announced plans to work closely with the National Insurance Commission (NIC) to streamline the regulatory framework for insurance broking, particularly addressing challenges associated with multiple licensing requirements.

He further called for reforms to better capture Ghanas true insurance penetration rate, especially with regard to medical insurance.

Investiture

The ceremony brought together diverse practitioners from all branches of the profession including the Commissioner of Insurance, Dr Abiba Zakariah who chaired the event, and Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso I, Omanhene Kyeame, Asante Juaben Traditional Area), Special Guest of Honour.

The newly sworn-in council, led by the Managing Director of OLEA M&G Insurance Brokers Ltd, Stephen Kwarteng Yeboah, as the 11th President, also has Bianca Noshie as Vice President.

The rest are General Secretary, Kofi Okoampah Akoto, assisted by Sheila Wristberg, Philip Atinga, as Treasurer assisted by Leticia Baidoo with the immediate past President, Shaibu Ali, as the Ex-Officio member.

The Director of Financial Sector Division at the Ministry of Finance, Louisa K. Amo, called on players in the insurance industry to deepen its contribution to national development, noting that its current impact remains below the needs of the economy.

He said government acknowledged the resilience of Ghanas financial sector, even in the aftermath of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) and earlier financial sector reforms, however, more must be done particularly by the insurance industry to support national development.

Government is clear: the insurance sector must deepen its contribution to national development. This requires deliberate efforts to expand coverage, improve service delivery, and strengthen public trust, he stated.

Advancing insurance practice

The acting Commissioner of Insurance, Dr Abiba Zakariah, congratulated the members of the newly elected Executive Council noting that Mr Yeboah's assumption of his leadership role reflected the confidence reposed in his professional competence, integrity, and dedication to advancing insurance brokerage practice in Ghana.

She explained that the Commission recognised the indispensable role of insurance brokers in facilitating access to insurance solutions, safeguarding policyholders' interests, and strengthening public trust in the insurance sector.

IBAG remains a key partner in the Commission's efforts to promote professionalism, ethical conduct, regulatory compliance, and market development.

As the new Executive Council begins its mandate, the NIC assures IBAG of its continued collaboration and support in building a robust, inclusive, and well-regulated insurance industry that contributes meaningfully to national development, she stated.
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Mobile money transactions reach GH518b in 2025

Sulieman Mustapha Business News Feb - 02 - 2026 , 17:09

Mobile money transactions in Ghana rose to GH518.4 billion in December 2025 as consumers increased spending during the festive season and relied more on digital payments, data released by the Bank of Ghana showed.

The central bank said the surge reflected both seasonal demand and the steady shift by households and businesses towards mobile-based financial services as a preferred payment option.

According to the Bank of Ghanas Summary of Economic and Financial Data, the December figure marked the highest monthly transaction value recorded in 2025, underlining the role of mobile money in day-to-day commerce across the country.

Transaction volumes climbed to 982 million in December, up from 892 million in November, pointing to increased activity by users over the holiday period.

The rise in volumes was supported by growth in the number of active mobile money accounts, which increased to 26.7 million in December from 25.5 million a month earlier.

Registered accounts also rose to 80.5 million.

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama, said the figures showed how digital payments had become embedded in Ghanas retail economy, particularly during periods of high consumer spending.

The data showed that mobile money had become the first option for many transactions, especially during the festive season, he said.

The expansion of the mobile money agent network continued to support usage, with 491,000 active agents recorded at the end of December.

He said the growing reach of agents had improved access to cash-in and cash-out services, especially in peri-urban and rural areas, helping to drive financial inclusion.

Balances held in mobile money wallets reached GH39.6 billion in December, the highest level for the year, suggesting stronger confidence in mobile wallets as a place to hold funds.

People were keeping more value in their wallets, which showed trust in the system, the official said.

Interoperability gains

Interoperable mobile money transactions also strengthened during the month, with transaction values rising to GH5.8 billion from GH4.9 billion in November.

The Bank of Ghana said the increase was largely driven by cross-network transfers during the holidays, as users sent money to family and friends on different networks.

A payments industry analyst said interoperability had reduced friction in the system, Customers no longer worried about which network they were on, and that encouraged more transfers, he said.

Despite the growth in digital channels, traditional payment instruments accounted for a smaller share of transactions in December.

Cheque payments totalled GH37.3 billion during the month, while electronic platforms such as GhIPSS Instant Pay recorded GH73.3 billion in transaction value, both well below mobile money levels.

The Bank of Ghana said mobile money had firmly established itself as the backbone of Ghanas retail payments system, with rising smartphone use and agent expansion expected to support further growth into 2026.

The trend pointed to sustained dominance of mobile money in the payments space, he said.
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Felas Grammy is a win for Africa, world peace  family says

VanguardNgr Showbiz News Feb - 02 - 2026 , 13:05 4 minutes read

Femi Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, has praised the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award given to his late father, describing it as a win for Africa and global peace.

Fela became the first African musician to receive this award, marking a new dawn for Afrobeat music. The award was received by his children, Yeni, Femi, and Kunle, at the 2026 Special Merit Awards,held in Los Angeles on Saturday night before the main Grammys ceremony.

Accepting the award on behalf of his late father, Femi said, I would like to thank all the people carrying Afrobeat that are in this place tonight. DJs, the press, our label Partisan, our lawyers, and fans all over the world. Thank you for bringing our father here; its so important for Africa. Its so important for world peace and struggle.

Yeni thanked the Recording Academy, the organizers of the annual award show, for the honour bestowed on the late music icon. She added that Im sure my father is smiling down on us.

I want to acknowledge my siblings who couldnt be here tonight, Motunrayo and Seun, and my nephew who is carrying Afrobeat to another level, Made.

Felas influence extends beyond music, as he was a political radical and activist who used his platform to speak against social injustice and corruption in Nigeria

His family and friends celebrated this milestone, with Femi Kuti praising the award as a win for Africa and global peace.

Fela was bestowed the honour alongside other international heavyweights, including Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Cher, and Paul Simon.

In an official statement on the award, Harvey Mason Jr, CEO of the Recording Academy, describes the honorees as an extraordinary group whose influence spans generations, genres, and the very foundation of modern music.

Although Fela didnt win a Grammy during his lifetime, he has received numerous posthumous awards for his expansive contributions to global music. Most notably, his 1976 album Zombie was inducted into the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame.

Femi Kuti and his brother, Seun Kuti, accepted the induction on his behalf, noting that their fathers music continues to unite people across the world. In a statement released on social media, Femi wrote, Our fathers legacy lives on. We are honored to accept this Grammy Hall of Fame award on behalf of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. His music continues to inspire and unite people across the world.

The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 1962, honours performers with outstanding creative contributions to recording, and who, during their lifetimes, made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. The first recipient of the award was Bing Crosby in 1963.

For Fela, the Academy credits him with shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats, influencing global artists such as Beyonce, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and leaving a legacy that lives on through his family, the Kalakuta Museum and the New Afrika Shrine. As the creator of Afrobeat, he composed, recorded and performed over 200 songs.

Felas DNA is embedded in the modern Afrobeats movement that currently dominates global charts. Contemporary superstars like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido have all sampled or referenced Felas work, viewing him as a foundational icon. His influence also transcends borders, inspiring global artists ranging from Beyonce to Paul McCartney.

His sons and grandson have earned multiple Grammy nominations. Between the sons and grandson, the Kuti family has a total of eight Grammy nominations, with Femi Kuti receiving six across the World Music and Global Music categories, Seun Kuti receiving one nomination in the Best World Music Album category and Made Kuti receiving a nomination.

His legacy in international music and Nigerian advocacy is undeniable. He was one of the most daring and politically engaged musical artists to emerge from Nigeria.

On his creativity, Felas music blended local instrumentations and genres like Ghanaian highlife with American funk, jazz, and soul. It birthed the highly referenced Afrobeat genre, the first iteration of the more contemporary, pop-leaning Afrobeats genre of the 2010s.

Felas music has been sampled and referenced by some of the worlds biggest artists, including Beyonce, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Kelly Rowland, and many others. His legacy is kept alive through the Kalakuta Museum and the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos.
Next article: Felas Grammy is a win for Africa, world peace  family says

GTA CEO wins Global Cultural ambassador award at pre-Grammy ceremony

Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News Feb - 02 - 2026 , 13:46 2 minutes read

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Efua Houadjeto, was honoured with a prestigious international award at the Pre-Grammy Awards Ceremony held in Los Angeles, United States of America, on Sunday, February 1.

Maame Efua emerged winner in the Global Cultural Ambassador category, a recognition that celebrates individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and influence in advancing culture, heritage, and global cultural exchange.

The award ceremony, held as part of the Grammy Awards week activities, brought together cultural leaders, creatives, policymakers, and global change-makers from across the world. Other award categories recognised excellence in social impact, creative leadership, justice advocacy, community development, and humanitarian service.

The ceremony was jointly organised by JOBSEEK AI, Los Angeles County Justice Care and Opportunity Department, Prison Professors, PBCG, ANE Foundation, Only Miracles, The Help In Hand Project, and Taking Action for Gooda coalition of organisations committed to empowerment, inclusion, innovation, and positive global impact.

Maame Efua Houadjeto was accompanied to the ceremony by GTA Board member, Prince Anthony, and Director of Corporate Affairs, Bright Asempa Tsadidey, highlighting the recognition's institutional significance and the Authority's unified leadership presence at the international event.

Maame Efua Houadjeto(right) with Dentaa Amoateng MBE

In her acceptance speech, Maame Efua Houadjeto expressed gratitude to the organisers and used the opportunity to spotlight Ghanas cultural strength and extend an open invitation to the global community.

I am deeply honoured and grateful to the organisers for this recognition. This award is not just personalit is a celebration of Ghanas rich culture and heritage. I warmly invite you to Ghana to experience our culture firsthand and enjoy the evergreen hospitality of the Ghanaian people, she said.

The recognition aligns with Ghanas broader cultural and creative economy agenda, positioning the country as a welcoming hub for authentic cultural experiences, global collaboration, and meaningful cultural exchange.
Next article: A friendship across continents: Reflections on GhanaAustralia relations

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Decision to renovate, preserve Nkrumah Villa in Conakry: Kudos to President Mahama as he prepares for AU Chair in 2027

Samuel Koku Anyidoho Opinion Feb - 02 - 2026 , 06:56 5 minutes read

President John Dramani Mahamas directive to initiate negotiations for acquiring, renovating, and preserving Nkrumah Villa in Conakry stands as a bold and visionary act of historical stewardship.

Announced on January 21, 2026, through the Foreign Affairs Minister, this move seeks to reclaim the residence where Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah lived and served as Co-President of Guinea from 1966 to 1972.

Far from mere symbolism, it represents a deliberate effort to safeguard a pivotal chapter of Africas liberation story, turning a site of exile into a beacon of continental unity and heritage tourism.

In an era when historical narratives risk erosion, this initiative reaffirms Ghanas leadership in honouring its founding father and the broader Pan-African dream.

The historical weight of Nkrumah Villa

Nkrumah Villa  also known as Villa Syli  served as more than a home during Nkrumahs exile following the 1966 coup in Ghana.

Granted sanctuary by President Ahmed Sekou Toure, who appointed him honorary Co-President, the seaside residence in Conakry became a hub of intellectual resistance and revolutionary writing.

At the Villa, amid the Atlantic breezes and Guineas supportive embrace, Nkrumah authored key works on African socialism, neo-colonialism, and continental unity while plotting the future of a liberated Africa.

The villa witnessed his declining health, his final creative outpourings, and ultimately his departure for medical treatment in Romania, where he passed on April 27, 1972.

For decades, the property has languished in neglect  crumbling facades, overgrown vegetation, and fading echoes of its significance.

His Excellency President Mahamas intervention addresses this directly, transforming potential loss into purposeful preservation.

Having visited the site on my recent ECOWAS Elections Mission to Guinea in December, 2025, and made some passionate appeals for the need to preserve such a historical monument, my heart glows with joy and elation as President Mahamas decision stands stoically tall - contributing his quota to keeping the legacy of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah solidly alive.

A strategic and symbolic gesture of respect

By directing negotiations with the Sekou Toure family, the Mahama administration demonstrates diplomatic finesse and deep respect for both Nkrumahs legacy and Guineas historical solidarity.

The goal extends beyond ownership: renovation will restore the villas structural integrity and convert it into an accessible heritage site.

Visitors  Ghanaian pilgrims, African scholars, international tourists  will trace Nkrumahs extraordinary journey from Accras independence celebrations to Conakrys exile sanctuary.

This aligns seamlessly with Ghanas ongoing efforts to honour Nkrumah: the mausoleum in Accra (built by President Rawlings and renovated by President Akufo-Addo), Founder's Day, September 21 (instituted by President Atta-Mills), and Col Kutu Acheampong bringing the embalmed remains of Kwame Nkrumah back to Ghana from Guinea for national interment at Nkroful.

Extending preservation to Conakry completes the narrative arc, offering a full experience that links Ghanas birth as a free nation to Nkrumahs enduring vision of a united Africa.

It also strengthens bilateral ties with Guinea, fostering cultural diplomacy in West Africa.

Boosting Pan-African Heritage and Tourism

The practical benefits are compelling. A restored Nkrumah Villa could become a cornerstone of heritage tourism, generating revenue while educating global audiences about Africas anti-colonial struggles.

Paired with Ghanas existing Nkrumah sites, it creates a transnational trail for visitors to follow the Osagyefos life  from Nkroful birthplace to Accras mausoleum to Conakrys exile home.

In a continent increasingly investing in the cultural economy, this initiative positions Ghana as a steward of shared African memory, inspiring similar efforts elsewhere.

Critically, it counters the risk of historical amnesia. As younger generations engage less with post-independence figures, tangible sites like this villa keep the story alive  reminding us that Nkrumahs ideals of self-reliance, unity, and justice remain relevant amid contemporary challenges.

Personal resonance and national duty

For those who have walked the villas grounds, as this writer did during a pilgrimage to Conakry, the site evokes profound emotion.

Standing amid its weathered walls, one feels the weight of sacrifice  the blood and toil of our fathers that secured independence  and renews the solemn pledge: I pledge myself in all things to uphold and defend the good name of Ghana, so help me God.

President Mahamas decision honours that oath on a national scale, ensuring future generations inherit not ruins, but a living testament to resilience.

A legacy that transcends borders

President Mahamas move is more than policy; it is poetry in action  a recognition that true leadership preserves the past to illuminate the future.

By reclaiming and restoring Nkrumah Villa, Ghana not only pays homage to its only dual-president in history  the man who led Ghana to independence and co-led Guinea in exile  but reaffirms Nkrumahs immortal truth: Africa must unite.

Indeed, Nkrumah never dies. His spirit, once confined to a modest villa overlooking the Atlantic, now rises renewed through this commendable initiative, calling us all to build the continent he envisioned.

President Mahama is set to become Chairman of the African Union in 2027.

Osagyefo was the brain behind the formation of the Organisation of African Union (OAU), now AU, and if President Mahama is able to complete and commission the project before assuming the Chair of AU, he would be walking on very solid RED CARPET.

Ayekooo!!!

The writer is the Founder & CEO, MILLS Institute for Public Policy Advocacy & Transformational Leadership Development.
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Finding purpose back home: The journey of Dr Jane Osei-Pokuaa

Lydia Ezit Life Jan - 31 - 2026 , 16:25 5 minutes read

Every migrant carries a story of discovery, disillusionment, reinvention and ultimately, identity.

For Dr Jane Osei Pokuaa, the decision to return to Ghana after decades abroad was not triggered by a single event, economic calculation or emotional impulse, but by a slow, honest confrontation with life, purpose and belonging.

Her journey reflects the complex realities of diasporan life: the opportunities seized, the comforts built, the fatigue endured, and the yearning for home that refuses to disappear.

Sharing her journey with The Mirror last Saturday, she said, despite having spent over 20 years in the United Kingdom (UK), building a solid professional life with discipline and sheer determination, there was always the longing to return home and resettle.

Professionally, she rose through her career in project management and was earning good money, owned a comfortable home, raised children and achieved a level of stability many consider the hallmark of success.

But with time came a truth she could no longer ignore, that beyond bills, routines and the constant rush, something essential was missing.

Dr Osei-Pokuaa recalls going months without truly enjoying the life she had worked so hard to build.

Dr Jane Osei-Pokuaa in an interaction with some university students

Ask me how many times I even went to the park, she reflects with a half-smile.

None. It was always too cold, or I was too busy. By the time I got back from the supermarket, cooked, washed, and cleaned. I was tired. And the cycle starts again.

For many in the diaspora, the outward comfort of the West often masks an inner restlessness.

She experienced it deeply. But every visit to Ghana brought something different  a quiet joy.

Even with mosquitoes, dusty roads and imperfect systems, she said the feeling of being home was undeniable.

When youre coming to Ghana, you are excited. But when youre going back, even your mood changes. Its not about money; its something inside you, she said.

The return

Her return, she explained, was not impulsive. It was deliberate and costly. Dr Osei-Pokuaa said she made the difficult decision to put her house on the market, resign from her job and move back to Ghana with her children.

The choice, she said, left her both vulnerable and empowered.

It was a big risk, she admits.

But I realised something important, it wasnt Britain that made me. It was me. If I could make it there, I could make it here.

Dr Osei-Pokuaa explained that she did not consult widely, People will only confuse you.

Everyone has an opinion. I mean, I was working, had my home, cars, and so they will ask why are you leaving? And because of that, I did not tell anybody. Some have come and gone back. But I felt I had done well there and it was time, she added.

Selling her home gave her the financial foundation to restart, to rent, buy a car, settle the children and rebuild life in Ghana.

She acknowledges that relocation, even within Ghana, was hard. Across continents, even harder. But the inner conviction that guided her was stronger than the uncertainties ahead.

The thing about abroad is that as soon as you buy your ticket to come home, you are so happy. You are just excited, something to look forward to.

Someone said you are looking forward to the flights, the dirty gutters, and the poor customer service that you get in Ghana. But aside from all that, there is something in you that is happy, she said.

Confronting Ghanas realities

She disclosed that settling back in Ghana exposed her to the countrys contradictions, its warmth and frustrations, as well as its beauty and inefficiencies.

She does not romanticise these challenges. Instead, she said she understood them as part of the national journey.

The frustrations are real, but you look beyond them. You want Ghana to be better because we have the potential, she said.

She, however, noted how many young people feel overwhelmed by Ghanas difficulties and how many abroad long to return but fear the unknown.

Her empathy extended in both directions, adding, People who havent travelled dont understand when you compare systems, and people abroad want to come, but the cost alone stops them. Not everyone has savings or property to sell.

Family and identity

She said her children followed her, because where their mother is, thats where they will be. They had experienced Ghana through holiday visits, but relocating was different.

One has completed a masters degree, and the other continues schooling. The younger one has already embraced life in Ghana fully, while the older remains cautious, weighing career prospects, she said.

For her, family remains a core anchor. She reflected on her early days in Accra, where she began life as a day student at the Labone Secondary School before becoming a boarder, and how those experiences shaped her resilience. Although she left Ghana young, she said she never lost her connection to home.

Returning as an adult, she comes with not only her children but a solid sense of self forged in the diaspora.

Despite the challenges of adjusting to Ghanas systems, she has built a support network of like-minded individuals. They are professionals who understand both worlds and have lived abroad, returned, or who simply share a deep desire for a better Ghana.

Finding the right circle helps. People who think like you, who understand the struggles, she noted.

Ghana

Today, she defines her living in Ghana as a quiet, yet impactful life by choice. Explaining with laughter, If you dont go looking for trouble, trouble wont find you.

Her days, she described was centred on meaningful work, personal growth, and investing in youth who must navigate life in a rapidly changing Ghana.

PhD

Dr Osei-Pokuaa shared her PhD journey, which she was very happy to have completed at the Nobel International Business School.

Adding that, it was a difficult and intense reading journey. It is time-consuming, and so you will have to make time. I encourage people who desire to pursue this academic exercise to do so, because if I have been able to, then you can.
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Low vaccination, poor screening fuel cervical cancer burden  Dr Aisha Ali Issaka

Lydia Ezit Life Jan - 31 - 2026 , 16:20 3 minutes read

A gynaecologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr Aisha Ali Issaka, has expressed concern that low uptake of vaccination and screening continues to undermine efforts to curb cervical cancer in the country.

In an interview with The Mirror last Thursday, Dr Ali Issaka said cervical cancer was among the most preventable cancers in women, yet many Ghanaians were failing to take advantage of available preventive measures.

She explained that vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and regular screening could significantly reduce cervical cancer cases, but uptake of both interventions remained low.

As a result of poor screening, many women report to health facilities when the disease is already at an advanced stage, making treatment very difficult and survival rates low, she said.

Dr Ali Issaka noted that cervical cancer takes years to develop, stressing that early detection through routine screening could save lives.

Dr Aisha Ali Issaka

For example, a woman may have repeated HPV infections between the ages of 15 and 20 before the virus enters the cell cycle and eventually leads to cancer. This process takes a long time and during that period, the condition is easily treatable if detected early, she explained.

She lamented that although cervical cancer screening services were widely available at district and regional hospitals, as well as at some Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, uptake remained low.

Screening is available but the uptake is very low. If we intensify education on the effects of cervical cancer, people may better appreciate how serious it is and take screening more seriously, she added.

Types of screening

Dr Ali Issaka said the type of cervical cancer screening offered depended on whether a person tested positive or negative, with the main methods being the HPV DNA test, the Pap test (cytology) or a combination of both (co-testing).

She explained that during a Pap test, cells are collected from the cervix and examined for abnormal changes. A woman who tests negative is advised to repeat the test every three years, while those who test positive are required to undergo further follow-up tests.

According to her, regular screening allows health professionals to detect abnormalities early and provide appropriate treatment before the disease progresses.

Danger

Dr Ali Issaka warned that cervical cancer could have severe and far-reaching consequences if left untreated.

At advanced stages, it can lead to complications such as blood clots in the legs, tumours causing the vagina to close up and even spread to the brain, she said, adding that HPV was also linked to vulva, throat and penile cancers.

She stressed that this made prevention and early detection critical.

Vaccination and risk factors

Dr Ali Issaka, who is President of the Muslim Medical Association of Ghana and a member of the Medical Women Association of Ghana, welcomed the introduction of the HPV vaccine into Ghanas routine immunisation programme for girls aged 9 to 14, which began in October last year.

However, she emphasised the need for greater public awareness, noting that boys should also be considered because HPV affects both males and females.

Parents must understand that the virus is present in both men and women. Protecting boys is equally important in breaking the chain of transmission, she said.

She added that the HPV vaccine remained beneficial for women over 35 and encouraged more women to get vaccinated.

Highlighting risk factors, Dr Ali Issaka mentioned unsafe sexual practices, having multiple sexual partners and smoking as contributors to cervical cancer. She explained that symptoms often appear only when the disease has already progressed.

Symptoms such as abnormal vaginal bleeding, bleeding outside the menstrual period, offensive vaginal discharge and bleeding during sexual intercourse are warning signs that should never be ignored, she cautioned.
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Secret burial uncovered: As man is remanded for hiding wifes body in bedroom

Shirley Asiedu Addo Life Jan - 31 - 2026 , 11:15 2 minutes read

The Assin Fosu District Court, presided over by Abdul Majid Iliasu, has remanded a 44-year-old man for allegedly burying his wife secretly in their bedroom at Twifo Nuamakrom in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa District of the Central Region.

The accused, Kwaku Charles, has been charged with hindrance of an inquest.

Presenting the facts, the prosecution, led by Inspector Matilda Osaah Buabeng, told the court that following the death of his wife, Esther Bolu, the accused allegedly buried her in their room.

Charles was remanded into police custody when he appeared before the court on Wednesday and is expected to reappear on February 19, 2026.

Inspector Osaah Buabeng said that in his statement to the police, the accused admitted to burying the deceased in a grave he dug inside their room at Twifo Nuamakrom.

According to the prosecution, Charles told investigators that his wife, an 80-year-old Nigerian who had been ill for some time, died peacefully in her sleep about three weeks before the discovery.

The burial

Inspector Osaah Buabeng said the accused stated that he dug a grave in their bedroom, lined it with black polythene, dressed the deceased in her favourite white gown and hat and placed her Bible on her chest.

She said Charles further explained that he covered the body with Jack in the bush, popularly known as Acheampong weeds, before placing wooden slabs and a tarpaulin over the grave and finally covering it with sand.

The prosecution added that the accused failed to report the death to the police or community elders, claiming her family had abandoned the deceased before her death.

Inspector Osaah Buabeng said Charles told police he lacked the financial means to transport the body to Nigeria, where the deceased hailed from, and feared that community elders would insist on repatriating the body.

He also stated that his wife, while alive, had requested to be buried on her own land in Ghana.

Meanwhile, as part of ongoing investigations, the court has granted the police an exhumation and pathological order to enable medical experts to exhume the body and determine the exact cause of death.

The Mirror gathered that the deceased had been operating a church, Miracle Prayer Centre, in Ghana with her Nigerian husband at Kasoa. However, the marriage reportedly collapsed after the husband married another woman from Nigeria.

Sources said Bolu later left her husband and established a branch of the church at Twifo Nuamakrom. About 12 years ago, Charles was brought to the church while ill and seeking healing. After he reportedly recovered, he married Bolu and they have been together for the past 11 years.

The accused is said to have informed Bolus former husband about her death and burial. The former husband subsequently reported the matter to the police, leading to Charles arrest.
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Court orders NAM1 to file witness statement in Menzgold case

Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi Feb - 02 - 2026 , 16:23 3 minutes read

The High Court in Accra has ordered Nana Appiah Mensah, also known as NAM1, to file his witness statement by February 9, 2026, after striking out a motion seeking a stay of proceedings in the criminal case, in which he has been accused of using Menzgold Ghana Limited to engage in illegal gold trading business.

The order was issued by the court presided over by Justice Ernest Owusu-Dapaa following the withdrawal of the application filed on January 13, 2026.

The prosecution of Nana Appiah Mensah forms part of a multi-accused criminal trial involving other individuals and corporate entities arising from the activities of Menzgold Ghana Limited.

In court on Monday (February 2, 2026), counsel for the accused, Paa Joy Akuamoah Boateng, told the court that the application for stay of proceedings had become ineffective after the withdrawal of a related judicial review application before the Supreme Court.

He explained that the pending motion before the High Court had been rendered negatory by the decision of the applicant to discontinue the substantive process and therefore prayed the court to strike it out as withdrawn.

The prosecution, led by Watkins Adama, a Senior State Attorney, did not oppose the application.

He told the court that the Republic had no objection to the withdrawal of the motion for stay of proceedings, describing it as a procedural step that did not prejudice the prosecutions case.

The court said an appeal against a summary of proceedings remained pending but ruled that it did not halt the trial.

In its ruling, the court said that trial shall proceed, and directed the first accused person which is NAM1 to continue with his evidence in chief.

Justice Owusu-Dapaa further ordered the accused to file any proposed documentary evidence at least three clear days before the next sitting, while the other accused were also directed to file their proposed documentary evidence.

In his evidence, NAM1 told the court that Menzgold Ghana Limited was incorporated under the laws of Ghana to engage in gold mining, buying, value addition and export.

He acknowledged that such activities required regulatory licences and maintained that the company held the necessary approvals at the time it operated, explaining that the licensing process involved documentation, payment of statutory fees and regulatory assessment.

He added that the regulatory structure later changed when PMMCs role shifted from licensing to national assay functions.

The accused further told the court that although the company possessed incorporation and licensing documents, he had been unable to access some of them after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shut down the company and law enforcement agencies preserved its offices.

According to him, this development affected his ability to retrieve documents relevant to his defence, a situation he said could be verified by the state institutions involved.

The court ordered the accused to file his witness statement by February 9, 2026.

Background

The case arises from the collapse of Menzgold Ghana Limited and related businesses, leading to the prosecution of Nana Appiah Mensah, together with other accused persons and two companies linked to the firms operations.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons face multiple criminal charges, including selling gold without a licence, operating a deposit-taking business without authorisation, inducement to invest, defrauding by false pretence, fraudulent breach of trust and money laundering, following allegations that between 2016 and 2018, members of the public were induced to invest funds in gold transactions and related schemes through Menzgold.

The Securities and Exchange Commission later directed the suspension of the companys gold trading activities for operating without the required licence, leading to the shutdown of the business and subsequent investigations, while NAM1 and the other accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are standing trial before the High Court.
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Foreign Affairs Ministry denies demanding payment from family of Ghanaian student who died in Latvia

Mohammed Ali Feb - 02 - 2026 , 10:12 3 minutes read

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has denied allegations that it demanded or received money from the family of Nana Agyei Ahiya, the Ghanaian student who died under disputed circumstances in Latvia.

In a press statement issued on Monday, February 2, 2026, the Ministry rejected claims circulating on social media that officials asked the bereaved family to make payments to facilitate travel arrangements to Latvia.

The Ministry also dismissed reports that government officials travelled without a family representative and that a fake airline ticket was issued to the mother of the deceased.

At no time has the Ministry, or any government official acting on its behalf, demanded or received any form of payment from the family, the statement said.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Government of Ghana is fully bearing the cost of all travel arrangements, it added.

The case has drawn wide public attention since the death of 18-year-old Nana Agyei Ahiya in June 2025 in Riga, Latvia.

Latvian authorities initially reported that the student died after falling from a sixth-floor apartment building, a conclusion the family has challenged. Relatives have pointed to gaps in the investigation and have called on the Ghanaian government to intervene to secure an independent and transparent probe.

In August 2025, the family formally petitioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, raising concerns about the absence of forensic reports, the lack of CCTV footage review and what they described as an early ruling of suicide.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, later confirmed that the government had activated diplomatic channels to look into the matter and to support the family in its search for justice.

As part of these steps, a fact-finding mission from Ghanas Embassy in Germany, which also covers Latvia, travelled to Riga and submitted a preliminary report to the Ministry.

The latest statement sought to clarify issues surrounding plans to facilitate the familys travel to Latvia.

It said travel arrangements for two nominated family members had been scheduled for January 31, 2026, but could not proceed because visas had not been issued by Latvian authorities.

According to the Ministry, the delay followed the failure of the family members to present all required documents during their visa appointments.

The Ministry also explained that a document circulating online as proof of a confirmed airline ticket was only an itinerary generated to support the visa application process.

She was expressly informed by the Ministrys official in contact with her that the document in her possession was not a confirmed airline ticket, but merely an itinerary, and that travel was not possible in the absence of her passport, the statement said.

It added that the mother of the deceased was informed on Friday evening and again on Saturday morning that travel could not go ahead because the visas were still pending, and her passport remained with the embassy.

Despite these communications, the Ministry said she later went to the airport with bloggers and attempted to travel using the itinerary document.

The Ministry said false claims and rising public agitation were making it harder to secure the necessary visas and to move the case forward.

The deliberate distortion of facts and the circulation of misinformation on a matter of this gravity are deeply regrettable and undermine the quest for justice, the statement said.

The Ministry appealed to the public and the media to allow due process to proceed, and assured Ghanaians of continued support for the family and ongoing efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the students death.

It said engagements with Latvian authorities were continuing and expressed the expectation that the outstanding visas would be issued to allow the family to travel and take part directly in the ongoing processes.
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UMaT confers honorary doctorate on Ibrahim Mahama

Dotsey Koblah Aklorbortu Feb - 02 - 2026 , 02:32 4 minutes read

The University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa (UMaT) has conferred an honorary Doctorate on Ghanaian businessman and philanthropist Ibrahim Mahama.

The conferment was in recognition of his contributions to mining, the construction industry, indigenous enterprise development and national service.

The universitys 18th Special Congregation, which awarded the honorary degree at the weekend, was attended by the brother of the celebrant, President John Dramani Mahama, who was the special guest of honour; business executives, faculty members, students, friends and loved ones.

Speaking after receiving the honour, Dr Mahama (H.C) expressed gratitude, describing the honour as a recognition of what determination, discipline and opportunity could achieve outside traditional academic pathways.

Ibrahim Mahama Institute

In honour of his contributions, UMaT has established the Ibrahim Mahama Institute for Sustainable Processing of Precious, Critical and Green Minerals for the promotion of sustainable mining practices, environmental stewardship and the development of the countrys mineral and green economy sectors.

Dr Mahama said the honorary doctorate was not merely a personal honour, but a recognition of what is possible when determination meets opportunity, when vision is pursued with unwavering discipline and when success is shared with those who need it most.

He praised the university for its impact on the countrys mining sector, saying: UMaT has long been a beacon of excellence in mining education, producing the majority of the men and women who manage mines not only in Ghana but across Africa.

AI Robotics

Dr Mahama commended UmaT for its proactiveness in establishing its AI Robotics Centre, in collaboration with the Ghana Chamber of Mines, as a strategic investment for an AI-driven future.

He said artificial intelligence (AI) was both a challenge and an opportunity.

AI presents profound challenges, but it also unlocks extraordinary opportunities, enhancing safety, improving efficiency, and even helping to combat illegal mining, Dr Mahama pointed out.

Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Dr Mahama recounted founding Engineers & Planners back in 1997, which had grown into the largest wholly Ghanaian-owned mining and construction firm in West Africa.

What began as a small indigenous company has, through hard work and the dedication of Ghanaians, grown into a business that employs thousands and contributes significantly to national development, he said.

He also highlighted the Black Volta Gold Project as a landmark achievement and that for the first time, a large-scale gold mining asset in Ghana was 100 per cent owned and controlled by Ghanaians.

This is a testament that we can lead in capital-intensive industries once dominated by others, Dr Mahama said, reaffirming his commitment to philanthropy, inspired by his late mother, Joyce Tamakloe.

True wealth is measured by what we give away, by the lives we touch and the opportunities we create for others, he noted.

Embrace discipline

He, therefore, urged young people and graduates to embrace discipline, innovation and integrity.

Do not let anyone tell you that formal education is the only path to greatness.

Vision, focus and hard work are what turn dreams into reality, Dr Mahama stated.

Dr Mahama dedicated the honorary doctorate to Ghanaian workers, partners and communities who have supported his journey.

Congrats

President Mahama congratulated Dr Mahama and praised his entrepreneurial instincts, recalling that his business acumen was evident from childhood.

Even as children, Ibrahim displayed remarkable entrepreneurial instincts, always thinking of ways to create, build and provide. I, on the other hand, have always been drawn to politics. It is inspiring to see how Ibrahim has turned his early entrepreneurial spark into a force for national development, the President said.

President Mahama reaffirmed the governments commitment to strengthening tertiary education, responsible mining and youth empowerment, describing specialised universities as critical drivers of Ghanas industrial transformation.

Gratitude

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Richard Kwasi Amankwah, expressed the universitys gratitude to the government for continued support in diverse ways, especially its monthly subventions.

He appealed to the President to support UMaT to develop its north campus on a 26km-square land at Samahu, as the current campus was too small for the new UMaT.

We also want to support the governments agenda on TVET and STEM education and request the construction of an E-Block facility at the Samahu site to serve as the UMaT STEM

Academy to help the people of the Western Region and, in particular, the Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea-Huni Valley municipalities, Prof. Amankwa said.

The academy, he said, would significantly broaden educational opportunities for students, foster a new generation of skilled, innovative and STEM-ready youth aligned with Ghanas sustainable development priorities.

55 Postgraduates

The Special Congregation presented degrees to 54 other postgraduate students who received degrees in various fields, including six who received Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
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GHS to roll out typhoid vaccination for food handlers

Samuel Ohene Ewur Health Feb - 02 - 2026 , 06:31 3 minutes read

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced plans to roll out a mandatory typhoid vaccination programme for food handlers nationwide.

The initiative will target all workers in the food and drink industry, including street food vendors, market operators, restaurant and hotel attendants, and staff at food and beverage companies.

The vaccine will protect recipients from the disease for three years, serving as a proactive prevention strategy by the GHS to reduce disease transmission among the public.

The rollout is expected to begin in a few weeks after an official launch by the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service.

It will also complement existing medical screening requirements and address persistent gaps in typhoid prevention among food handlers nationwide.

The announcement was made last Thursday by the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, at a follow-up stakeholder engagement on the proposed vaccination in Accra.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Food and Drugs Authority, the Ghana Tourism Authority, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, development partners and the food and hospitality industry.

Approach

Dr. Akoriyea said the programme would be implemented in phases, starting with hotels, restaurants and food and beverage companies before extending it to market vendors and other food handlers.

He added that authorities would link vaccination status to the issuance of health certificates required for food industry operations.

He said the vaccine's cost had been subsidised and would be announced after the initiative's launch.

The vaccines that will be administered are World Health Organisation-qualified and approved by the Food and Drugs Authority, meeting the highest standards of safety, quality and efficacy, the GHS director-general said.

Dr Akoriyea also emphasised that food handlers played a critical role in daily life and economic activity, but were also a high-risk group for transmitting typhoid fever due to the nature of their work.

Food handlers occupy a critical position within this public health landscape.

By the nature of their work, they are exposed to contamination and, if infected, can inadvertently contribute to the transmission of typhoid fever, he stated.

Dr Akoriyea said the initiative was a proactive public health strategy, adding that food handlers who did not receive the vaccination would not be issued the required health certificate to operate.

Collaboration

Dr Akoriyea stressed that the success of the programme depended on strong stakeholder ownership, effective communication and public trust.

He said the programme had emerged from extensive consultations with stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, regulatory agencies, local government authorities, development partners and representatives of the food and hospitality industry.

He said the process had produced comprehensive implementation guidelines.

He also called on stakeholders to support the rollout and serve as advocates for preventive health interventions, adding that the programme aligns with Ghanas national health agenda, universal health coverage goals and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The programme would pair vaccination with public education and media engagements.
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Bawumia sets sights on 2028, Rallies NPP for battle

Samuel Duodu Politics Feb - 02 - 2026 , 05:47 6 minutes read

At a frenzied mini rally, with a crowd of party faithful cheering deep into the night, former Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, last Saturday urged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to shift focus from the "blistering battle" for the partys flagbearership to the prime objective of recapturing political power at the 2028 polls.

The rallying call, the highlight of a 15-minute victory speech at the partys headquarters in Accra, acknowledged the competitive process as an enduring party tradition that should not divide the five candidates or their supporters.

Dr Bawumias voice sounded, strained by the seven months of strenuous campaigning across the 276 constituencies, but conveyed the measured tone of a reconciliation-seeking speech, broadcast far and wide across the country via various platforms.

After competition comes cooperation, he said to wild cheers.

Our expectation is that all party members will apply themselves to this principle, he added.

The results

Dr Bawumia secured a decisive victory, polling 110,643 votes, representing 56.48 per cent of the total votes cast, to lead the NPP into a major election once again.

Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, came a distant second with 46,554 votes, representing 23.76 per cent, while MP for Abetifi and former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, finished third with 36,303 votes, representing 18.53 per cent.

MP for Bosomtwi and former Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, and former General Secretary of the party, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, polled 1,999 votes, representing 1.02 per cent, and 402 votes, representing 0.21 per cent, respectively.

Over 190,000 delegates cast their ballots at 333 polling centres across all 276 constituencies and at the separate centre mounted at the party head office.

Reconciliation

The victory thrusts Dr Bawumia into the driving seat of the NPPs campaign to wrest power for a second time in a row, affirming his popularity within the party.

He was the NPPs presidential candidate in the 2024 elections, which the party lost on both the presidential and parliamentary fronts.

As the campaigning rhetoric during the latest presidential primary electioneering period went overboard sometimes, political watchers sounded the threat of division after the election.

Yet, at the conclusion of the rather peaceful process last Saturday, remarkably devoid of any threat of violence or confusion at any voting centre, the party ushered itself into a new era of unity in diversity.

It cannot be the case that one's support for the party is maintained only when those we support lead. I want to stand on this energy to make a passionate appeal to all members of the great NPP to let go of whatever reservations they have and come together, Dr Bawumia said.

We need every idea, every voice, and every piece of advice to help us preserve and protect a proud tradition bequeathed to us by our forebears, he stressed.

"Winners and those who didn't win at this particular time, we are in this together.

All true and committed members of the great NPP need to embrace this civilised and time-tested way of selecting flag bearers," Dr Bawumia stated.

As part of plans to widen the reconciliatory efforts, he said he would undertake targeted engagements to revitalise the party, including visiting some respected elders, who for some reason felt aggrieved.

Every voice matters, every opinion is worth considering, and every suggestion is vital to building a formidable strategy," he said, but stressed that indiscipline would not be countenanced.

"An army that lacks discipline will struggle to win its battles.

The NPP needs to step up discipline internally, discipline in our operations, discipline in our communications, and discipline in the conduct of our members," he said.

Pledges of unity

Before he mounted the podium, the party had demonstrated a united front, an energised grassroots base arriving in droves at the party headquarters once voting proceedings ended at 2 p.m.

In turns, the four other candidates pledged support towards the common target, setting a positive tone for the next phase of the NPP's preparations for the 2028 general election.

Mr Agyapong urged his supporters to take the outcome in good faith, saying winning and losing were part of the democratic process.

"I want to thank my supporters and advise you that in an election, you can win or lose. So, if you lose, you need to accept it in good faith," he said.

Mr Agyapong further appealed for unity, stressing that cohesion within the NPP must be built on respect for differing views.

Dr Acheampong congratulated Dr Bawumia on his victory and wished him success as he led the party forward.

"The outcome is not what I had hoped for, but I accept the results with humility, and my resolve remains strong," he said.

"The NPP must stand as one united family, and our collective responsibility is to rebuild trust among Ghanaians, strengthen our structures and prepare decisively for victory in 2028," he added.

Dr Adutwum called on all party members to come together to work for victory in 2028.

We will definitely secure victory in 2028, but that calls for unity and hard work, he said.

Mr Agyei Agyepong said he identified with the sentiments expressed by his fellow aspirants, and added that the party had a wonderful opportunity to restore the values that animated the formation of the NPP.

Our tradition has been the sustenance of democracy in this country, and together, we will unite and work hard right from the polling station to the top to earn the trust and confidence of Ghanaians to win back power, he said.

Clarity of purpose

Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo urged the party's flagbearer to lead with clarity and purpose ahead of the 2028 elections.

"I know his mind, and I know his character. He is loyal to party principles," the former President said of Dr Bawumia, and urged the former Vice-President to offer focused leadership ahead of the next election.

The General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong, said the party would pursue an inclusive campaign ahead of Election 2028 and expressed the importance of unity to the collective pursuit of electoral victory in 2028.

The Chairperson of the Presidential Elections Committee, Joseph Osei-Owusu, urged the party to build on the success of the primary.

He recommended that the party consolidate the rules and innovations of Prof. Mike Oquaye during the 2023 presidential primary and the inter-party committee into a single operational guide to serve as a reference framework for the party's electoral processes and to strengthen the partys internal democracy

The acting Chairman of the NPP, Danquah Buttey Smith, called on the rank and file of the party to unite for victory in 2028.

Voting process

Voting was conducted under tight security and closely supervised by party officials to ensure a credible and transparent process.

Party officials and observers described the exercise as largely peaceful, with minimal incidents reported during voting and counting.
Next article: Bawumia calls for unity and discipline after decisive NPP primary win

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Bawumia sweeps 14 regions with wide gaps in NPP presidential primary

Samuel Duodu & Pacome Emmanuel Damalie Politics Feb - 02 - 2026 , 02:57 4 minutes read

In a resounding display of dominance, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was declared the outright winner of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primary, clinching the party's flagbearership for the 2028 elections with a sweeping victory in 14 of the countrys 16 regions.

The Electoral Commission (EC) released the final certified results late Saturday night following the primary, confirming that Dr Bawumia secured 110,643 votes, equivalent to 56.48 per cent of the total valid ballots cast by over 196,000 delegates at 333 polling centres nationwide.

The performance marked a clean sweep in many regions, where the former Vice-President outperformed his rivals.

A total of 196,462 votes were cast, with 561 ballots rejected.

Statistics

From the regional breakdowns, Dr Bawumia triumphed in key strongholds such as Ashanti (where he polled nearly 20,000 votes), Greater Accra (around 19,800 votes), Eastern, Western, Western North and Bono East (with approximately 69 per cent in that region alone), Ahafo (a clean sweep across all constituencies), Northern and Upper East (over 60 per cent despite one minor loss in a single constituency), and several others.

Nana Akufo-Addo, former President, addressing the NPP

Only two regions  Volta, where Dr Bryan Acheampong emerged victorious, and Central, taken by businessman and former Member of Parliament (MP), Kennedy Ohene Agyapong  escaped his sweep.

Kennedy Agyapong placed second with 46,554 votes, representing 23.76 per cent, followed by Dr Acheampong in third place with 36,303 votes, representing 18.53 per cent.

The MP for Bosomtwi and former Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, trailed with 1,999 votes, representing 1.02 per cent, with the remainder accounted for by Kwabena Agyei Agyepong and rejected ballots.

Victory speech

In his victory speech at the NPP headquarters, Dr Bawumia thanked delegates for their trust and called for immediate unity.

Samira Bawumia (2nd from right) congratulating her husband, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, flag bearer, NPP, after his victory speech Samira Bawumia (2nd from right) congratulating her husband, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, flag bearer, NPP, after his victory speech

This is not my victory alone; it is the victory of every committed NPP member who believes in our shared vision for Ghana," he said.

"We swept across the nation because our message resonated: progress, innovation, and inclusive leadership.

Now, we must heal, unite, and prepare to win in 2028. No one will be left behind," he added.

Party officials described the process as peaceful and transparent, with a high delegate turnout despite logistical challenges in some areas.

Dr Bawumia's campaign team, led by figures, including the Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, credited the outcome to relentless mobilisation and clear messaging on winnability and national appeal.

As the NPP consolidates behind its new flagbearer, attention shifts to reconciliation efforts and building momentum against the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the lead-up to 2028.

With such a commanding regional mandate, analysts see Dr Bawumia's win as a strong signal of party readiness for the national contest ahead.

The clean regional sweep in 14 zones underscores the depth of support for Dr Bawumia, positioning the NPP for what promises to be a competitive battle in the next general election.

Results declaration

The Deputy Director of Electoral Services of the EC, Samuel Dottoh Kwaah, announced the results on behalf of the EC and commended the Ghana Police Service for ensuring a secure and transparent election.

Dr Bryan Acheampong addressing the gathering at the NPP headquarters as the other contenders (from left) Ken Ohene Agyapong, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong look on

Party officials and observers described the election as peaceful, free, fair and transparent in the history of the party's internal elections for a flagbearer.

The election was held under tight security, with delegates adhering to the partys operational guidelines.

The voting process, conducted without biometric verification machines, went on smoothly and seamlessly.

EC chair

The Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, who spoke to journalists at the EC headquarters after the collation of the results, said the election was smooth and seamless.

She congratulated the EC staff across the country for an excellent job done, adding that it was an incident-free election.

This, Mrs Mensa said, affirmed the high level of professionalism exhibited by the staff of the commission.

Mrs Mensa said the party developed a set of guidelines for the election with inputs from the EC and the Ghana Police Service, which were strictly adhered to, resulting in the peaceful outcome of the election.
Stakeholders decry monetisation of politics

Samuel Ohene Ewur Politics Feb - 02 - 2026 , 09:57 3 minutes read

Some political stakeholders have warned that the growing influence of money in the countrys political party system undermines women's and youth participation and weakens merit-based selection of leaders.

They said the high cost of filing fees and campaign costs had turned politics into a competition for the wealthy that discouraged committed grassroots activists and capable candidates without deep pockets.

They raised this concern during a panel discussion at the launch of a research report titled:' The Price to Participate: How Money in Politics Undermines Women and Youth Political Participation in Ghana, by the Gender Center for Empowering Development (GenCED).

The speakers were a former Adentan parliamentary candidate and New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications member, Akosua Manu; a member of the communication team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Frank Asare, and a former Chairperson of the Convention Peoples Party, Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim Hussain.

The other speakers were the Director of Gender, Youth and People with Disabilities (PwDs) at the Electoral Commission (EC), Abigail Amponsah Nutakor, and the Programmes Manager for Human Rights and Social Inclusion at Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD Ghana), Dr Michael Akagbor.

The speakers agreed that unchecked monetisation threatened democratic participation since most women and young aspirants had lots of potential and brilliant development ideas.

Impact

Mr Asare said the monetisation practice had eclipsed loyalty and service within political parties, creating disillusionment among activists, warning that the trend would keep discouraging young people from political engagement.

It doesn't matter your contribution to the party. It doesn't matter your commitment.

It doesn't matter your loyalty. When you show up to contest for a party position, people look at how deep your pocket is.

If this persists, it will kill political party activism and reduce the rate at which young people would want to participate in active politics, he said.

Ms Manu said women faced both visible and hidden financial barriers that made political participation difficult.

She added that aside from the high cost of filing fees, urban constituencies imposed even higher costs through media engagements and social media campaigns.

Beyond the fees that you pay, beyond your campaign day to day, be it security, food, your teams, volunteers, the hidden cost is the personal obligation that your voters or delegates will put on you, she said.

Dr Akagbor said politics had shifted from a development-oriented process to a business practice, adding that this shift undermined democratic values at both party and national levels.

The sad reality is that politics has been commodified, given that the one with the most resources gets the upper hand, and this excludes people who have the best ideas, he said.



Reforms

The speakers, however, called for party reforms, legal changes and strict adherence to affirmative action measures to restore inclusion and credibility in Ghanas political system.

Hajia Hussain suggested that political parties needed urgent reforms to reverse this trend.

She said parties should remove filing fees for women and youth, and align internal processes with the Affirmative Action Law.

She called for sustained education and awareness to help parties broaden participation and leadership opportunities.

For her part, Mrs Nutakor said the EC acted only as a referee in the political process; hence, it lacked the legal authority to regulate party filing fees.

She added that a constitutional review could grant the authority the mandate to take the necessary remedial steps.
Father Duenas Memorial School on Jan. 23 celebrated the completion of its newly renovated dining hall, The Refectory, bringing together the entire student body, the faculty, generous donors, and alumni who played key roles in bringing the project to life.

The Refectory is more than a place to eat. It is a place where our students gather, connect, and build lifelong memories. We are deeply grateful to the FD Endowment Foundation, M80 Systems, and AmTab, who made this transformation possible, Father Duenas Memorial School Principal Temo Perez said in a statement.

The Refectory renovation, according to the school, was envisioned by FDMS Class of 88 alumnus Carlo Leon Guerrero and his wife, Jessica, whose passion for the school and commitment to student-centered spaces sparked the transformation.

As owners of M80 Systems, one of Guams leading companies specializing in innovative workspace solutions, the Leon Guerreros helped reimagine the Refectory as a modern, functional, and welcoming environment for students.

When M80 Systems initiated this project, our vision was to reimagine the dining hall at FD as a space that brings people together and reflects the values FD has upheld in Guam for generationsfaith, excellence, community, and brotherhood, Carlo Leon Guerrero said in a statement. Today is about more than a renovation. Its about honoring a legacy while building for the future.

In a media release, the school said M80 Systems, in collaboration with AmTabknown for creating modern, popular, and fun environments and experiences through furniture and signage graphics decordonated furnishings that bring energy, durability, and style to the space, aligning perfectly with the needs of a vibrant student community.

Critical to the projects success was the support of the FD Endowment Foundation, which stepped up to fund the renovations to the space.

This renovation represents what is possible when alumni, partners, and our school community come together with a shared vision, FD Endowment Foundation chairman E.J. Calvo said.

Father Richard Kidd, also an FD alum, blessed the space and the students marked the occasion with songs and applause.

The ribbon-cutting concluded with students filling the Refectory for the first time, marking a new chapter for a space that will serve generations of Friars to come.
Ten of 15 local senators have shared their views on Guams political status amid considerations of at least two billsone that would ask voters this November whether they want a vote on statehood, independence or free association for Guam on the 2028 ballot, and another which seeks to open that voting to every person who can register to vote on Guam regardless of race.

Only a few of the senators have taken a clear position; many are non-committal.

Self-determination efforts have since been stalled due to continued advocacy for a CHamoru-only vote, that is until Sen. William Parkinsons Bill 242-38 that would amend the restriction, and his subsequent Bill 258-38, on a plebiscite in 2028.

Sen. Sabina Perez said Bill 242-38 is legally flawed and counterintuitive.

The whole foundation of self-determination is geared towards the colonized. To disregard those that have been impacted in principle undermines what decolonization is about, Perez told the Pacific Daily News.

Sen. Shelly Calvo said removing the native inhabitant requirement completely would risk losing the heart of what the original debate and plebiscite were about.

However, she also said Guams community has already changed so much from the 1970s, when the original discussions began, so voters and lawmakers need to address that reality.

A better path might be to expand the definition, for example, including residents who can trace their family back three generations, so we honor the original intent while recognizing how Guam has grown and changed, Calvo said.

Calvo did not share whether she prefers any one political status option, but she said it is not right for her to declare one future as best without hearing directly from the people of Guam.

Sen. Joe San Agustin took no stance on the matter, only acknowledging the intent to make the process more inclusive. He is, however, in favor of establishing a target date to help maintain momentum.

After decades of discussion and delay, I believe the people of Guam deserve the opportunity to move forward and have their voices heard through a vote on our political status, San Agustin, who is in the running for governor, said. I continue to understand that any movement toward a plebiscitewhether regarding voter eligibility, timing, or the options presentedshould be approached thoughtfully and with broad community engagement.

Statehood

Parkinson has led the charge in the last few months on putting Guams political status future up for a vote by the next election, whether as a plebiscite or activation vote.

He has publicly supported a statehood for Guam but said he respects the majority of the voters decision if they decide independence or free association.

Sens. Shawn Gumataotao and Jesse Lujan said they have always been for a closer relationship with the United States and agree with Parkinson in support of statehood.

We are a patriotic American community. We serve at the highest rate in the military than anywhere else in the country. Our patriotism is undeniable, Gumataotao said. Ever since the signing of the Organic Act, there was a want to be closer to the American family.

However, Lujans vision for statehood particularly involves the consolidation of the Marianas region.

Is it going to happen? Probably not. Weve dealt with this in the past [but] consolidation of the Marianas will be an easier plight for us if statehood is where we want to go, Lujan said. Its an easier plight if the Marianas were to consolidate and become the state of Marianas. Is that going to happen in my lifetime? I dont think so, but its a conversation that needs to happen.

Lujan added that Guam is always being compared to Hawaii and mainland states and is always at the beck and call of the federal government.

If youre comparing [Guam] to a state, make us a damn state. If youre going to give me the benefits or deny me the benefits [based on] other states, then dont pick and choose when Im a territory and when Im a state. Make me a state, Lujan said. We want to be what we are, and we cant be at the beck and call of the federal government all the time [until] we decide what we are.

Furthermore, the structure of influence in the U.S. Congress presents an unfair advantage for Guam if it does achieve statehood, Lujan added.

If were just Guam as a state, with a 160,000 population, our two senators are going to be the strongest senators in all the states, and I dont think the other states are going to allow that, Lujan said.

On Bills 242-38 and 258-38, Gumataotao is eager to get to the public hearing and listen to residents input. He said the Legislature will have to wait and see until the end of those discussions, for the people are the ones who make the final decision.

In the meantime, Guam has a lot to do to make its local government better and make it run more smoothly, he said.

Were still trying to fix parts of our house first. We have a lot to do, like the budget act...how to manage people, resources, and services has to be considered, then we can have that discussion, because taking other routes leads to a higher chance of error and is more costly, Gumataotao, who is also chairman of the Republican Party of Guam, said.

Independence, sovereignty

Perez has been a long-time proponent of decolonization, emphasizing self-sovereignty as a human right.

Ive been an advocate on the United Nations level since 2006 for CHamoru self-determination. Decolonization is a long struggle, something weve been advocating for decades [since] the 1980s under Dr. Underwood, the senator said.

Perez said independence would allow Guam to fully exercise its indigenous rights and create a society we see ourselves reflected in.

Also an advocate for the arts, culture, and environmental justice, Perez added that independence would protect what is sacred to the people of Guam.

As Chamoru, we are ones who have been impacted by decolonization, dislocation, and separation from ancestral lands and resources. As an advocate for environmental protection, sovereignty and autonomy is the strongest position to assert protections of our environment. That should be our priority as a society, Perez said. From experience, weve seen how environmental laws have marginalized [us], not by ourselves, but by a colonizing entity that has marginalized indigenous peoples.

Sen. Tina Muna-Barnes, a candidate for lieutenant governor, believes Guam should pursue a sovereign political status that allows the island to govern its own affairs while maintaining strong diplomatic and cooperative ties with the U.S.

The United States has long promised that the people of Guam will have the opportunity to vote on their political future. It is time for that commitment to be fulfilled, Muna-Barnes said.

Similar to Perezs work with the UN, Muna-Barnes has worked with international organizations such as the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization to raise global awareness of Guams situation and to build support for our right to self-determination.

While federal courts have complicated efforts to hold a native-inhabitant or Indigenous plebiscite, I am committed to ensuring that the CHamoru people, the colonized population whose rights are recognized under international law, have a meaningful voice and central role in shaping Guams long-delayed decolonization process, Muna-Barnes said.

For CHamoru people only

Sen. Vince Borja said he is in support of a plebiscite by 2028; however, he does not support Parkinsons bill to open the vote to the general public.

He said the vote for the future of Guam is the right of the CHamoru people and their descendants.

Borja said he intends to meet with the Commission on Decolonization and its task forces, as well as other involved organizations, to further discuss the matter.

I know their initial thought is they dont support that, Borja said. Historically, it is a position that CHamorus werent given the chance to decide. Raising our hands to say anyone can vote in the plebiscite, its unfair to our manaina and all the work Guam put toward decolonization.

Borja added that he was previously in support of statehood, but his time on the Legislature in the past year has changed his perspective.

He did not explicitly throw support behind independence or free association, but he believes justifications for either being Guam would have more influence and negotiating power over its land and waters makes more sense.

Im starting to realize how tied our hands are because of the status quo. I used to say statehood because of other benefits, but now, understanding how a lot of things go through the federal government, and deep-sea mining is a good example...we would have more input and control if the relationship wasnt statehood, Borja said.

Not educated enough on issues

During Parkinsons town halls with the Commission on Decolonization, there were some comments and concerns about putting the cart before the karabao.

While the intent and willingness to change Guams political status were strong, so was the concern that the general public may not be educated enough to participate in a vote for such a change.

Representatives from the Commission, as well as testifying residents, said anyone who feels unprepared, uncertain, or in favor of the status quo needs to be properly educated that Guam needs change.

Parkinson believes that once a date is set for the plebiscite, there will be a change in the energy of how people will consume information, hence the intention of Bill 258 to create a definitive timeline.

He also said he is in support of a CHamoru-only vote, but his first concern is getting the plebiscite approved by federal courts.

Its not a question of am I willing to have one, its how to do it while passing constitutional muster, Parkinson said. I think its of the utmost importance to settle our political status, and if we can do that with a native-only vote, Im open to that.

Opinion of Congress

Sen. Telo Taitague supports Bill 242-38 but said a plebiscite and its results will not generate momentum in any direction because any kind of political change to Guams status must come from Congress.

It takes a lot of research and understanding of how Guam became what it is today. While it is important to recognize the CHamoru peoples fight against the injustices they have suffered under multiple colonial administrations spanning from Spains rule to our current status as an unincorporated territory of the United States...Returning to Congress and continuing our 125-year petition for self-governance is needed now more than ever, Taitague said.

She said Parkinsons proposal to open up and redefine eligible voter to mean any person who possesses the qualifications of a voter under Guam Law that is registered to vote in Guam is an important step we can take toward presenting a stronger and more united front when it comes time for the people to renew and voice their desire for a political change for Guam before Congress.

Speaker Frank Blas Jr., told the PDN that the opinion of the U.S. Congress and federal government need to be included and discussed.

Guam residents and the Commission on Decolonization previously said the vote should be kept on-island; however, Blas is saying the Congress perspective is a question that needs to be answered.

The question has always been posed, How do we want our relationship to be with the United States? First off, what does the United States see of our future? Blas said. Thats important to the discussion so we dont go down one road and hit a roadblock with the United States.

Blas added that Congress previously turned away the Legislature when it told them Guam wanted commonwealth status, but he said Congress did not like that and told Guam to go back and change it.

The speaker believes the federal government should be more involved in the conversation, especially because they have been quiet about it.

What do you want us to be in the future? Do you want us to continue to be an unincorporated territory in a democratic system of government, or would you like us to be inclusive? How would you like us to be included? Lets ask them, Blas said.

No comment

These senators have so far not shared their views despite repeated request for comment:
Jayson John Aguon, 19, the machete-wielding suspect in last weeks Talofofo convenience store robbery, has been charged in the case, according to a magistrates complaint filed in Superior Court.

Aguon is the fourth and last suspect arrested in connection with the robbery.

The three others, all boys, were arrested earlier.

Aguon and the three boys allegedly robbed New Morning Market in Talofofo on Jan. 27, and one of them pointed a machete-like weapon at the owner and stole cash and merchandise, the complaint stated.

Aguon is charged with second-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery, theft, and conspiracy to commit theft, all second-degree felonies with a sentencing enhancement for use of a deadly weapon during the crimes.

The robbery allegedly occurred about 7:24 p.m. while the store owner was stocking a cooler. When she went to the front, she found two masked men behind the counter.

One of the suspects pointed a machete-like device at her and demanded money, according to the complaint. As she moved to comply, one suspect allegedly told her, hurry and open it.

After she opened the register, one male took the cash while another grabbed merchandise. Two additional males then entered the store, and all four fled, the complaint said.

The store owner later discovered her black Michael Kors wallet had been stolen from behind the counter. It contained no less than $2,700, though she was uncertain about the smaller bills.

The cash register held a $400 change fund at the start of the day and a report showing total sales of $933.94 at the time of the robbery. Stolen merchandise also included cigarettes valued at $20.98 and a lighter valued at $2.99, court documents stated.

Other suspects

The investigation led Guam Police Department officers to the suspects the next day.

On Jan. 28, at about 2:30 p.m., officers were notified that someone at the Talofofo Fire Station had information about the robbery. This led to an interview with one suspect, who was advised multiple times of his constitutional rights using the GPD custodial interrogation form.

He allegedly admitted to facts consistent with the owners account and said he was over the age of 16 at the time. Police said the interviews were conducted with the knowledge of the boys mother.

That boy identified another participant and said he was one of the two people behind the cash register confronting the store owner.

Later that night, officers interviewed a second suspect after advising him of his constitutional rights. He provided a handwritten statement consistent with the earlier reports and said Aguon used a sword to threaten the store owner with injury if she did not hand over the money from the register.

Recruiting others

On Jan. 29 at 5:08 p.m., officers advised a third boy of his constitutional rights, which he acknowledged and waived.

He told police that he had spoken with Aguon after losing his cellular phone and needing money to replace it. According to the boy, Aguon allegedly suggested that if he could recruit others, they could rob a store together.

The boy said he recruited two other boys to participate alongside him and Aguon. He told police the proceeds from the robbery were taken to one of the boys residences and divided among the group.

He also said it was Aguon who selected the weapon to be used in the robbery, a sword that he already had at home before the crime, based on the complaint.

Aguon self-surrendered to officers from the Agat Precinct Command around 7:28 p.m. Sunday at a relatives residence in Talofofo, GPD said on Monday.

He remains committed to the Department of Corrections.

If convicted of all the charges, Aguon faces up to 27 years in prison.




Haiti - FLASH : Canoe capsizes in French Guiana, 2 Haitians rescued and 4 missing





The Ministry of Foreign Affairs learned with dismay of the sinking of a canoe on the Maroni River near Grand-Santi, French Guiana, on Saturday, January 31, at approximately 6:15 a.m. The canoe was carrying six Haitian nationals, all teachers, returning from a weekend celebration.



Two of the passengers and the canoe captain were rescued and taken into the care of emergency services, while the others are missing.



According to the survivors' testimonies, they were aboard an aluminum-hulled canoe when the engine failed, causing the vessel to quickly take on water before sinking.



The Haitian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its support and solidarity with the victims, their families, and loved ones, while specifying that instructions have been given to the Haitian Consulate General in Cayenne to maintain constant contact with the Prefecture of French Guiana regarding the case until the end of the search operations.



The search continues for the two missing individuals, and river and air resources will be reinforced by a drone starting this Monday, according to the Prefecture of French Guiana. The Civil Security helicopter Dragon 973 is conducting flights over the area, while firefighters, the gendarmerie, and river resources are deployed. Approximately thirty rescuers, including divers, have been involved, notably aboard about ten canoes, according to the Prefect of French Guiana, Antoine Poussier.



Aline Clerot, the Public Prosecutor of Cayenne, announced Sunday evening that two teachers who survived, as well as the canoeist, have been questioned. According to statements from the survivors, as reported by the prosecutor, the group had spent the night in a bar in Suriname before returning to Grand-Santi by canoe. None of the passengers were wearing life jackets, which have been mandatory since January 1st, 2026. Furthermore, nighttime navigation on the river is prohibited.



The canoeist, a Surinamese national, was charged with "involuntary manslaughter and endangering the lives of others" due to the blatant disregard for safety regulations, including the requirement to wear life jackets and the nighttime navigation ban.



Latest news : On Sunday, the bodies of two of the four missing Haitian teachers were found. "They are currently being identified," stated Prefect Poussier. The wrecked canoe was also recovered.



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - NATCOM 2026 : Development of its digital financial ecosystem and cross-border connectivity





Haitis mobile phone company, National Telecom S.A. (NATCOM), is entering 2026 with a strategy focused on developing its digital financial ecosystem, strengthening cross-border connectivity, and solidifying its leadership in the Haitian digital economy.



Following a year marked by significant contributions to the national budget and telecommunications infrastructure, NATCOM is continuing its investments in network quality, service coverage, and user-centric digital platforms. The company aims not only to improve national connectivity but also to strengthen financial ties between Haiti and its global diaspora.



At the heart of NATCOMs 2026 strategy is Natcash, its mobile wallet platform, which plays a vital role in promoting financial inclusion. Natcash allows users to make payments, transfer funds, deposit and withdraw money, and manage their finances securely via their mobile devices. The platform has significantly expanded its international money transfer services through partnerships with CamTransfer and Unitransfer, enabling Haitians abroad to send money to their families quickly, transparently, and reliably.



At the same time, NATCOM continues to strengthen its cooperation with international partners to support regular top-ups and cross-border payments for users in the United States, Canada, France, Mexico, Chile, and other countries, positioning Natcash as a leading financial and money transfer platform in the Caribbean region.



At the start of 2026, NATCOM reaffirms its commitment to supporting Haitis digital transformation by providing secure, accessible, and sustainable digital financial and telecommunications solutions, connecting people, businesses, and opportunities across the country.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Health : MSF warns of the extent of sexual violence in Port-au-Prince (Report)





Medecin Sans Frontiere (MSF) reveals in a January 2026 report that in the capital, Port-au-Prince, sexual violence has seen an alarming resurgence since 2021 and is now systematically used to terrorize the population. This situation is all the more dramatic as it occurs within a context of deteriorating infrastructure, particularly healthcare, and worsening living conditions.



The MSF report, "Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Port-au-Prince" is based on 10 years of medical data and testimonies collected at the Pran Men'm clinic, established in 2015 and specializing in the care of victims of sexual violence. During this period, the clinic provided medical and psychosocial care to nearly 17,000 people, 98% of whom were women and girls.



Since 2021, the number of victims of sexual violence treated at the clinic has almost tripled, rising from an average of 95 admissions per month in 2021 to more than 250 in 2025, explains Diana Manilla Arroyo, MSFs Head of Mission in Haiti. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45900-haiti-flash-at-least-3-200-rapes-in-8-months-situation-in-figures.html



MSF data shows that women and girls are targeted at all ages. Many have been displaced by armed violence in the city, making them more vulnerable to sexual violence. Nearly 20% of those treated at Pran Menm have been assaulted multiple times.



Testimonies gathered at Pran Menm reveal increasingly brutal attacks. Since 2022, 57% of patients reported being assaulted by members of armed groups, often in the context of gang rapes. More than one hundred victims of sexual violence reported being attacked by ten or more rapists during these gang attacks.



The report highlights persistent shortcomings in the availability of services necessary for the care of victims of sexual violence. MSF is often unable to refer them to essential services, such as shelters or financial support.



Fear of stigmatization, financial hardship, insecurity, and a lack of access to information hinder access to care for victims of sexual violence. Since 2022, only a third of women have arrived at the Pran Menm clinic within three days of their assault, the window of opportunity to prevent HIV transmission. Furthermore, 59% of patients were unable to arrive within five days, thus failing to prevent unwanted pregnancies.



We call for a sustained increase in funding for support services to guarantee free access to comprehensive medical and psychosocial care for survivors of sexual violence. We also call for the unequivocal recognition of the widespread nature of sexual violence and its deliberate use by armed groups as a tool for controlling and subjugating women and girls, concludes Diana Manilla Arroyo.



Download the report "Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Port-au-Prince" (PDF in English, 28 pages) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/sexual-and-gender-based-violence-in-port-au-prince-haiti.pdf



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46488-haiti-flash-1-000-increase-in-cases-of-sexual-violence.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46257-haiti-flash-134-increase-in-gender-based-violence-in-1-month.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-46256-icihaiti-flash-up-to-1-000-increase-in-child-rape-cases.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45900-haiti-flash-at-least-3-200-rapes-in-8-months-situation-in-figures.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45058-haiti-security-sexual-violence-has-reached-breaking-point-in-the-country.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44925-haiti-flash-explosion-of-gender-based-violence-in-the-country.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Staff and wire report

HAVRE - A protest over the actions of U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration drew a crowd to First Street West in Havre Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026.

The protest was spefically spurred by the death of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, shot by DHS agents in Minneapolis in January.

"Our hearts are broken by the senseless killings in the streets of Minneapolis. We came together to mourn Renee Good and Alex Pretti and demand that the federal government stop its violence, its assaults and its raids in our communities," said Karen Datko, group leader of Indivisible Havre, which organized the event.

A total of 91 people took part in an ICE Out of Everywhere protest in Havre on Saturday, Jan. 31, a press release from Indivisible Havre said.

The protest was held along First Street West from noon to 1 p.m.

It was the second protest held in Havre after the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. On Jan. 11, 86 area residents came together to hold a vigil for Renee Good and protest the conduct of ICE and other federal agents.

An immigration officer killed Good on Jan. 7. Pretti was fatally shot on Jan. 24. In each case, videos of the scene contradicted the Trump administration's claim that officers acted in self-defense.

Saturday's event in Havre was the eighth organized by local volunteers to protest federal actions that are antithetical to government "of the people, by the people, for the people," the press release said.
The draft legislation, published by the Ministry of Finance, entered consultation on Monday and forms part of the third phase of reforms agreed in the government programme. The changes would take effect from the start of 2027.

The Finnish government has proposed a major change to the way welfare regions receive state funding, a move that reduces allocations to large population centres and shifts emphasis towards assessed service need.

Under the proposal, population size would carry less weight in funding calculations. Greater emphasis would fall on indicators linked to healthcare, social services, and elderly care needs. The government says the aim is to slow divergence between regions with strong finances and those facing structural pressure.

The impact would fall most heavily on densely populated areas. Helsinki, which runs its own social and health services outside the welfare region system, would lose an estimated 102 million euros in funding by 2029. That equals about 143 euros per resident. Over three years the reduction would amount to about 2.9 percent of the citys projected 2029 funding level of 3.5 billion euros.

The government said Helsinki retains sufficient resources to organise services despite the cut. Western Uusimaa, centred on Espoo, would also face a reduction of about 54 million euros, or 103 euros per resident.

Some regions would gain modestly. Central Ostrobothnia would see an increase of about 21 euros per resident. Overall variation would range from Helsinki at minus 143 euros per person to small gains in sparsely populated areas.

Across all regions, the reform would reduce funding by 66 million euros next year, rising to 225 million euros in 2028 and 390 million euros in 2029. These cuts follow savings already set out in the government programme.

The proposal also limits the role of diagnoses made in private healthcare when calculating funding. Since 2024, private sector diagnoses counted alongside public data, a change that favoured southern regions. In future, only diagnoses linked to publicly funded services such as vouchers would qualify.

The government would also scale back permanent transition equalisation payments, which were designed to smooth the shift from the former municipal system. Helsinki currently receives about 120 million euros each year through this mechanism despite a surplus in its health services. The reform would reduce, but not remove, such payments. Officials said a full removal would threaten the finances of some regions that rely on the adjustment.

The Ministry of Finance said the reform preserves the basic structure of the funding model to maintain predictability. Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, Minister for Local Government and Regional Affairs, said only limited changes would be made to the needs-based model at this stage.

The regions asked for stability, Ikonen said. Future development should better reflect total service need, including remote consultations and maternity clinic visits, but the current data does not yet support that.

Ikonen said a separate review would examine longer-term options, including alternative needs models and incentives linked to effectiveness.

The proposal also lowers the share of projected service need growth that the state will fund. From 2027, funding would cover 60 percent of estimated growth instead of 80 percent. A temporary uplift applied in recent years would end in 2028. The savings would apply across all regions.

The reform gives the National Institute for Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Finance new powers to correct errors in diagnosis data that influence funding decisions.

The draft also introduces an updated definition of archipelagic welfare regions, linked to reforms of the Archipelago Act. This would increase funding for regions with island geography, including parts of eastern and western Uusimaa.

The legislation would reach parliament in April, with final figures updated once regional need coefficients for 2027 are confirmed in March.

HT
The opening followed the arrival of European Union teams and came after Israel recovered the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza.

The first crossings involved patients, companions, and a smaller number of returnees. Egyptian ambulances lined up south of the terminal as buses moved people from Gaza under escort.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Monday for the movement of people, ending a closure that began after Israeli forces seized the Gazan side in May 2024.

Israeli security officials said the crossing now allows entry and exit for residents following the deployment of the EU Border Assistance Mission. Palestinian staff operate the terminal on site, while Israel conducts security screening from a remote control room.

Egyptian state-linked media reported that the first group of Palestinians returned from Egypt to Gaza on Monday. Palestinian and Egyptian officials said about 200 people crossed during the first day, with 150 leaving Gaza and 50 entering.

Health authorities in Gaza say about 20,000 people need urgent treatment abroad. Hospital directors report shortages across the health system after more than two years of war. Israeli officials say 50 patients will be allowed to leave each day, each with one or two relatives. Another 50 people who left during the war will be allowed to return.

The World Health Organization oversees patient transfers from hospitals in southern Gaza. Buses carry patients across the so-called Yellow Line into areas under Israeli military control before they reach Rafah.

The crossing opens about six hours each day. Movement takes place on foot. Goods do not pass through the terminal. Aid shipments from Egypt continue to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing inside Israel.

Before its seizure in 2024, Rafah served as Gazas main link to the outside world. About 100,000 Palestinians left through the crossing earlier in the war. Since its closure, more than 30,000 Gazans registered with the Palestinian embassy in Cairo seeking permission to return.

Israel tied the reopening to the return of the final hostages body. Last week the army said it recovered the remains of police officer Ran Gvili from northern Gaza. He was among 251 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people.

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after that attack. Gazas health ministry reports more than 71,700 Palestinians killed since then. Israeli authorities say their operations target Hamas infrastructure.

The reopening forms part of the first phase of a ceasefire plan promoted by US President Donald Trump. The plan calls for phased steps tied to security arrangements and governance changes in Gaza.

Under the mechanism, Israel vets names submitted by Palestinian and Egyptian authorities. Concrete barriers, fences, and three gates control access. One gate falls under Palestinian administration, while Israel controls the final opening remotely.

Egypts Health Ministry said 150 hospitals and 300 ambulances stand ready to receive patients. It allocated about 12,000 medical staff for treatment.

The European Union welcomed the opening. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the move marks a concrete and positive step and confirmed EU monitors support Palestinian border guards.

Britains foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said the reopening allows some people to reach care in Egypt but called for wider access for aid and relief workers.

Hamas said it completed preparations to hand over civil administration in Gaza to a technocratic committee. The body is led by Ali Shaath and operates under the terms of the ceasefire framework.

Fighting continues despite the truce. Gaza health officials report more than 500 Palestinians killed since October by Israeli fire. Israeli forces report several soldiers killed by armed groups over the same period.

HT
ABOUT 40 people and their dogs met to celebrate over a year of monthly sausage dog walks.

The Sausages of Henley community group held their walk in Mapledurham on Sunday, January 25 in support of Henley Mayor Tom Buckley and his chosen charities for his year in office.

The group is led by Chris Darrall, and his wife, Hazel, who have been holding sausage dog walks for about six years.

It has only become a monthly event over the last 18 months. Their Facebook group has more than 400 members and participants at the walks range from 18 to 40 people.

The group met at The Packhorse pub, in Woodcote Road for the two-mile walk, which lasted about an hour and a half. They all wore walking boots or wellies which were advised as essential.

Councillor Buckley also attended with his dog, Luna, eight, who proudly identified as a sausage dog for the day, despite being a Maltese-Chihuahua cross. Dogs of all breeds took part, including long-haired, short-haired and wire-haired sausage dogs.

The recent rain and wet weather meant the terrain was muddy, which was a more of a surprise, than a problem and, by the end of the route, many of the smaller dogs had mud-covered tummies.

The walk ended back at the pub, where members stayed for lunch.

Mr Darrall said: Sausage dogs are known for their strong personalities and independent streaks, which only adds to the fun when so many like-minded people come together.

Hazel and I adore our own dogs, and have loved the friendships that have grown out of organising these walks.

The walks are completely free and are run purely as a social event. They are simply about community, companionship and having a good time outdoors.

The next Sausages of Henley walk will take place on Sunday, February 22, in Bourne End. All are welcome, regardless of whether their dog is a dachshund or not.
Chinese Spring Festival celebration in Namibia showcases deepening ties

Xinhua) 13:41, February 02, 2026

WINDHOEK, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The celebration of the Chinese Spring Festival took place in Windhoek, Namibia's capital, on Saturday evening, showcasing the long-standing relationship between China and Namibia through music, culture, art, and history.

The event featured Namibian and Chinese artists, with performances including horse riding, music, dragon and lion dances, and poetry.

Utoni Nujoma, a Namibian politician, said the celebration not only marked the upcoming Chinese New Year but also reinforced the bonds of friendship and cooperation that have defined the relationship between the two nations.

"Beyond broader diplomatic ties and political mutual trust, the key projects and programs between our two countries have been human-centered, impacting the lives of many Namibians positively," he said.

Zhao Weiping, Chinese ambassador to Namibia, said the theme of the Year of the Horse, which represents success and prosperity and will begin on Feb. 17, 2026, reflects the enduring connection between the two nations.

"This celebration is not just about new beginnings; it symbolizes the strength of our ties," Zhao said.

At the event, this connection was further shown by a donation to SOS Children's Village, a childcare home in Namibia, from six Chinese-funded enterprises -- three based in Namibia and three from China.

Sylvia Shimaneni, fund development and communication manager at the charity, said the donation reflects a remarkable spirit of unity, generosity, and partnership.

"This contribution not only supports the organization's mission to provide essential resources and care for vulnerable children but also strengthens China-Namibia friendship. This kindness will make a significant impact on the lives of those in need," she said.

Cui Yunke, managing director of China Henan International Cooperation Group in Namibia, said the donation is a way to give back to the Namibian community and strengthen positive connections between the peoples of both countries.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
China boosts access to quality healthcare with online initial consultations

Xinhua) 13:44, February 02, 2026

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- For Tang Juan, the past six months have unfolded under a cloud of quiet worry, as her eight-year-old son has shown little growth in height.

Doctors in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, recommended further checks at the endocrinology department of Beijing Children's Hospital, a referral that in practice entails a journey of more than 1,000 kilometers, hours on a high-speed train, and significant disruption to both school and work.

That burden, however, has now been eased, as a pilot program enabling initial online medical consultations allows patients to book their first assessment with top specialists remotely.

Beijing, home to some of the country's most advanced medical resources, is the first city to roll out the service. For Tang, the timing could not be better, as the hospital she was referred to is one of just two medical institutions participating in the initiative.

Currently, the service covers child growth and development, pediatric nutrition and pediatric dermatology.

Through her mobile phone, Tang can schedule an initial online consultation with a Beijing-based expert for a preliminary evaluation and advice. "It gives me peace of mind and saves a lot of trouble," she said.

The initiative is part of China's broader efforts to expand access to quality healthcare for its 1.4 billion people.

It marks a shift from previous internet-based consultations, which were generally limited to follow-up visits for common and chronic conditions after an initial in-person appointment.

Services under the one-year pilot initiative include online pre-consultation assessments, virtual diagnoses and home delivery of prescribed medicines. The program will be evaluated in December 2026, according to health authorities.

Officials note that initial online consultations are expected to ease pressure on both hospitals and patients, improve service quality, and narrow gaps in access to medical care.

In-person consultations remain preferred for severe or complex conditions, said Wang Ping, an expert in patient safety education, adding that online and offline medical services must follow the same quality and safety standards.

CATALYST FOR "INTERNET PLUS" HEALTHCARE

Gu Hai, director of a health policy and management research center at Nanjing University, said that granting online prescription rights marks a key step in integrating online diagnosis and treatment into the core of medical services.

Connecting diagnosis, treatment, medication and medical insurance is essential for internet-based healthcare to benefit more patients, he added.

Industry insiders have called for faster development of electronic prescription platforms, allowing online prescriptions to be securely sent to local pharmacies for patient pick-up or home delivery.

They also urged medical insurers to include eligible initial online consultations under coverage.

Zhang Rui, secretary-general of a pharmaceutical AI innovation alliance, said the pilot program could spur medical tech innovation, increasing demand for high-definition video consultations, intelligent triage, shared electronic medical records, AI-assisted diagnosis, and remote monitoring devices.

Experts believe that initial online consultation services could eventually expand to cover more specialties, including chronic disease management and mental health, bringing closer to reality the vision of "more data flows, less patient travel."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The January deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis sparked protests nationwide. In Portland, hundreds marched demanding accountabilityand federal agents responded with tear gas, pepper balls, and flashbangs.

The explosions started without warning.

Federal agents emerged from the ICE detention facility in South Waterfront and began firing. Tear gas canisters arced through the air. Pepper balls struck protesters. Flashbang grenades detonated in the crowd, creating what witnesses described as "a war zone."

Hundreds of demonstrators who had marched peacefully from Portland City Hall suddenly found themselves running, coughing, desperately trying to flush chemicals from their eyes.

They had come to demand accountability for Alex Pretti and Renee Goodtwo people shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. They carried signs calling for ICE to leave Portland. They exercised their First Amendment rights to protest federal immigration enforcement.

What they got instead was a barrage of crowd control weapons deployed by Federal Protective Service agents guarding the ICE facility.

The confrontation marked the latest flashpoint in a growing nationwide movement opposing aggressive federal immigration enforcement. And it revealed that four years after Portland's streets became a battleground between protesters and federal agents, the fundamental dynamics haven't changed at all.

The Minneapolis Deaths That Sparked a Movement

To understand what happened in Portland on Sunday, you need to understand what happened in Minneapolis in January.

Alex Pretti and Renee Good were shot and killed by federal agents during separate immigration enforcement operations. The circumstances of their deaths remain contested, but their impact is undeniablethey've become rallying points for activists opposing ICE tactics and demanding accountability for federal law enforcement.

Immigration rights organizations across the country seized on the deaths as evidence that federal enforcement has become too aggressive, too violent, and too unaccountable. Protests erupted in multiple cities. Activists organized coordinated demonstrations. And in Portlanda city with a long history of confronting federal authorityhundreds took to the streets.

Portland Contra Las Deportaciones, an immigrant rights organization, organized Sunday's rally at City Hall before marching to the ICE facility. The message was clear: Federal immigration enforcement is out of control, and local communities won't accept it quietly.

"People are outraged, and I think people are seeing that, you know, our leaders have routes that they could be taking," said Cami Saunders of Portland Contra las Deportaciones.

The subtext was equally clear: Those routes don't include cooperating with federal agents or accepting their presence in Portland.

When Protest Met Federal Force

The march itself was peaceful. Hundreds of demonstrators walked from City Hall through downtown Portland to the South Waterfront ICE facility, temporarily shutting down streets along the way. They carried signs. They chanted. They made their opposition to ICE enforcement visible and loud.

But when they arrived at the ICE facilitya building that has housed federal immigration operations since 2011the dynamics shifted.

Federal Protective Service agents, who guard federal facilities rather than Portland Police, emerged from the building. Video footage from the scene shows what happened next: agents firing tear gas canisters into the crowd, deploying pepper balls, and throwing flashbang grenades that exploded among protesters.

The crowd scattered. People ran. Some were hit by chemical irritants and had to flush their eyes with water. The sounds of explosions echoed through the streets.

"About eight or 10 of them came out with guns, whatever kind of guns they have and flash bombed, just started throwing them at the crowd  just exploding everywhere," one protester told Fox 12 Oregon. "It was like a war zone."

"It felt like we were under attack," she added, describing the sudden barrage of crowd control weapons.

The Federal Protective Service hasn't publicly explained why agents used force against the protesters or what specific threat prompted the deployment of tear gas and flashbangs. The agency's mandate is to protect federal property, but the legal and constitutional boundaries of that protectionparticularly when it involves using chemical weapons against protesters exercising First Amendment rightsremain deeply contested.

The Governor's Extraordinary Rebuke

What happened next was remarkable: Oregon's governor directly confronted federal authority in language rarely used by state officials.

"The use of tear gas against families, children, and peaceful demonstrators yesterday is a horrific abuse of authority that undermines public safety and violates constitutional rights," Gov. Tina Kotek wrote on X. "Federal agents must stand down and be held accountable."

Then she went further: "ICE has no place in Oregon."

Read that again. The governor of Oregon publicly declared that a federal law enforcement agency has "no place" in her state. This isn't diplomatic disagreement. It's a direct challenge to federal authority.

Kotek's statement reflects Oregon's longstanding resistance to aggressive federal immigration enforcement. The state has sanctuary policies limiting local cooperation with ICE. Portland's leadership has consistently opposed federal immigration enforcement operations in the city. And Oregon's political culture strongly favors local control over federal intervention.

But Kotek's language represents an escalation. By declaring that ICE has "no place in Oregon" and demanding federal agents "stand down," she's positioning the state in direct opposition to federal law enforcement operationsa stance that raises fundamental questions about federal authority, state sovereignty, and constitutional limits on both.

The federal government hasn't publicly responded to Kotek's demands. ICE continues operating in Oregon. Federal Protective Service agents continue guarding federal facilities. And the fundamental conflict between state resistance and federal enforcement authority remains unresolved.

The Portland Playbook: 2020 Redux

If this all feels familiar to Portland residents, that's because they've seen it before.

In 2020, Portland became ground zero for confrontations between protesters and federal agents. Night after night, demonstrations outside federal buildings led to clashes with Federal Protective Service and other federal officers. Tear gas filled the streets. Federal agents in unmarked vehicles detained protesters. National attention focused on Portland as a symbol of federal overreach and local resistance.

The 2020 confrontations eventually subsided, but they established a pattern: Portland protesters challenge federal authority, federal agents respond with force, state and local officials condemn federal tactics, and the underlying conflicts remain unresolved.

Sunday's events followed that exact playbook. Protesters marched to a federal facility. Federal agents deployed crowd control weapons. Oregon's governor condemned federal actions and demanded accountability. And the fundamental questions about federal authority, constitutional rights, and enforcement tactics went unanswered.

The similarity isn't coincidental. Portland has developed a political culture that actively resists federal immigration enforcement and questions federal law enforcement authority more generally. The city's leadership and many residents view aggressive federal operations as unwelcome intrusions into local affairs.

This creates a recurring dynamic: Federal agents enforce federal law, Portland resists, confrontations escalate, and neither side backs down. It happened in 2020. It's happening again now. And unless the underlying conflicts are resolved, it will likely continue happening.

What the ICE Facility Actually Does

The Portland ICE facility at the center of Sunday's protests isn't just symbolicit's an active operational center for federal immigration enforcement.

According to the City of Portland government website, the facility includes a processing center where federal officers detain and interview individuals to determine their legal status. It also houses offices where immigrants meet with ICE officials as part of the citizenship process.

This dual functionenforcement and servicesmakes the facility a natural focal point for protest. For immigration rights activists, it represents the coercive power of federal enforcement. For immigrants navigating the citizenship process, it's where they must go to comply with legal requirements.

The facility has operated since 2011, functioning through multiple presidential administrations with different approaches to immigration enforcement. But the Trump administration's expanded enforcement operations have made it more controversial and more frequently targeted by protesters.

Federal Protective Service agents guard the facility rather than Portland Police, which means local law enforcement has limited involvement in what happens there. Portland Police may patrol surrounding streets for public safety, but the facility itself is federal territory protected by federal agents operating under federal authority.

This creates a situation where events at the facilityincluding federal agents' use of force against protestersoccur largely outside local control or accountability. Portland's mayor can't direct Federal Protective Service agents. Oregon's governor can't order federal operations to stop. And protesters challenging federal authority find themselves confronting agents who answer to Washington, not Portland.

The Accountability Gap

One of the protesters' core demandsaccountability for the Minneapolis deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Goodhighlights a fundamental problem with federal law enforcement: the accountability gap.

When local police use force, there are established accountability mechanisms. Local review boards investigate. Local prosecutors can bring charges. Local officials can implement policy changes. The process isn't perfect, but accountability structures exist.

When federal agents use force, accountability is murkier. Federal agencies conduct internal investigations. Federal prosecutors decide whether to bring charges. And federal officials in Washington make policy decisions that local communities can't easily influence or challenge.

For immigration rights activists, this accountability gap is particularly problematic. Federal immigration enforcement operations occur in local communities, affecting local residents, but local officials have limited ability to provide oversight or demand accountability.

The deaths in Minneapolis and the tear gas deployment in Portland illustrate this problem. Who investigates when federal agents kill someone during immigration enforcement? Who decides whether force was justified? Who implements reforms if tactics are found problematic? The answers are unclear, and that uncertainty fuels distrust and resistance.

Oregon Gov. Kotek's demand that "federal agents must stand down and be held accountable" reflects this frustration. But her statement also reveals the limits of state authorityshe can demand accountability, but she can't compel it. Federal agents answer to federal officials, not state governors.

The Constitutional Questions Nobody's Answering

Sunday's events raise fundamental constitutional questions that remain unresolved:

First Amendment: Do protesters have a constitutional right to demonstrate outside federal facilities? Federal authorities say yes, but with limits. Protesters say those limits are being applied too restrictively, particularly when agents use force against peaceful demonstrators.

Federal vs. State Authority: Can states limit federal law enforcement operations within their borders? Oregon's sanctuary policies and Gov. Kotek's statements suggest state resistance, but the Constitution's Supremacy Clause gives federal law primacy over conflicting state law.

Use of Force: When can federal agents use chemical weapons and crowd control devices against protesters? Federal guidelines exist, but their application in specific situationslike Sunday's Portland protestoften remains contested.

Accountability: How can state and local officials ensure accountability for federal law enforcement actions in their communities? Current mechanisms are limited, creating tension between local democratic control and federal authority.

These aren't abstract legal questions. They're practical issues affecting real people in real communities. And the lack of clear answers creates ongoing conflicts like Sunday's confrontation in Portland.

The National Pattern

Portland's protest wasn't isolated. It's part of a broader pattern of resistance to expanded federal immigration enforcement.

Cities across the country have seen similar demonstrations. Immigration rights organizations are coordinating protests. Activists are sharing tactics and messaging. The deaths in Minneapolis have become rallying points for a movement that extends far beyond Minnesota.

The Trump administration's expanded immigration enforcement operations have intensified these conflicts. More aggressive enforcement means more confrontations with local communities that oppose those tactics. And those confrontations increasingly involve federal agents using force against protesters.

This creates a self-reinforcing cycle: Aggressive enforcement sparks protests, protests lead to confrontations, confrontations generate more resistance, and resistance prompts more aggressive enforcement. Each escalation makes the next more likely.

Portland illustrates this dynamic particularly well. The city has a long history of resistance to federal authority. Its political culture supports that resistance. And its experience with federal agents in 2020 established patterns that continue today.

What Portland Police Aren't Doing

Notably absent from Sunday's events: Portland Police.

While Federal Protective Service agents deployed tear gas and flashbangs against protesters, local police maintained distance. They may have patrolled surrounding streets for public safety, but they didn't participate in the confrontation at the ICE facility.

This reflects Portland's approach to federal immigration enforcement: limited cooperation and deliberate distance from federal operations. The city's leadership has made clear that Portland Police won't serve as auxiliary enforcement for ICE operations or help federal agents confront protesters.

This stance creates operational challenges for federal authorities. Without local police support, Federal Protective Service agents must handle both facility security and crowd control. They can't rely on local backup if situations escalate. And they operate in a city where local government and many residents view them as unwelcome.

For protesters, limited local police involvement means confrontations are primarily with federal agents rather than Portland officers. This can affect tactics, legal risks, and public perceptionparticularly in a city where many residents distinguish between local police (accountable to Portland) and federal agents (accountable to Washington).

The Optics Problem

The images from Sunday's protest create powerful optics: Federal agents in tactical gear deploying chemical weapons against protesters carrying signs and demanding accountability for deaths in another state.

For immigration rights activists, these images validate their arguments about federal overreach and excessive force. They show federal agents treating peaceful protesters as threats requiring tear gas and flashbangs.

For federal authorities, the images show a different story: agents protecting a federal facility from crowds that could potentially become threatening or destructive.

But optics matter in ways that extend beyond immediate public relations. Images of federal agents tear-gassing protesters in Portland will circulate nationally, shaping perceptions of federal immigration enforcement, influencing public opinion, and potentially affecting political support for current enforcement policies.

Gov. Kotek clearly understands this. Her statement about "families, children, and peaceful demonstrators" being tear-gassed by federal agents is designed to frame the incident as federal aggression against innocent people rather than legitimate crowd control.

Federal authorities haven't released their own narrative explaining why force was necessary or what specific threats justified deploying chemical weapons. This silence allows critics to shape the public understanding of what happened.

What Happens Next

Sunday's confrontation resolved nothing. The ICE facility remains operational. Federal agents continue working there. Protesters remain angry about the Minneapolis deaths and the Portland tear gas deployment. Oregon's governor still insists ICE has "no place" in her state. And federal authorities give no indication they'll curtail operations.

This means more confrontations are likely. Immigration rights organizations are planning additional protests. Federal enforcement operations will continue. And Portland's streets may see more clashes between demonstrators and federal agents.

Several factors could escalate tensions further:

Additional enforcement deaths: If federal agents kill anyone else during immigration operations, protests will intensify nationwide.

Increased federal presence: The Trump administration has signaled plans for expanded immigration enforcement, which would mean more federal agents and more operations in cities like Portland.

State resistance: Oregon and other states may implement additional policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, creating more conflicts over authority.

Legal challenges: Lawsuits over federal agents' use of force, state sanctuary policies, and federal authority could create new battlegrounds in courts.

Political pressure: Congressional hearings, legislative proposals, and electoral politics could all influence how these conflicts develop.

The Underlying Question

Beneath all the tactical questions about tear gas deployment and protest tactics lies a fundamental issue: What role should federal immigration enforcement play in communities that oppose it?

The legal answer is clear: Federal law enforcement has authority to enforce federal immigration law regardless of local opposition. The Constitution's Supremacy Clause ensures federal law prevails over conflicting state policies.

But the practical reality is more complicated. Federal agents can enforce federal law in Portland, but they can't force Portland to support those efforts. They can protect federal facilities, but they can't prevent protests. They can use crowd control weapons against demonstrators, but they can't eliminate resistance.

Gov. Kotek's statement that "ICE has no place in Oregon" represents a view held by many Oregonians: Federal immigration enforcement should respect local values and priorities, not override them. When federal operations contradict what communities want, those communities will resist.

Federal authorities view this differently: Immigration is a federal responsibility, and federal agents have both authority and obligation to enforce federal law regardless of local preferences. Local resistance doesn't eliminate federal authority.

These competing views create an impasse that Sunday's tear gas didn't resolve. Federal agents used force to disperse protesters from the ICE facility. But they didn'tand can'teliminate the underlying opposition to their presence and operations.

The 2020 Echo

For anyone who lived through Portland's 2020 protests, Sunday's events felt eerily familiar.

Federal agents in tactical gear. Tear gas canisters arcing through the air. Flashbangs exploding in crowds. Protesters scattering and regrouping. State officials condemning federal tactics. And the next day, everyone right back where they started with nothing resolved.

The 2020 protests eventually subsided, but they never really ended. The conflicts that drove themfederal authority versus local resistance, aggressive enforcement versus community opposition, accountability versus opacityall persist. Sunday's events just brought them back to the surface.

This creates a troubling question: If these conflicts weren't resolved in 2020, and they're still unresolved now, when will they be resolved? How many more confrontations will Portland see? How much more tear gas will federal agents deploy? How many more protesters will describe feeling "under attack" in their own city?

The answers depend on whether federal, state, and local officials can find ways to address the underlying issues rather than just managing repeated confrontations. Sunday's events suggest they haven't figured that out yet.

The Unresolved Conflict

Protesters came to demand accountability for deaths in Minneapolis. They exercised their First Amendment rights to assembly and speech. And they ended up running from flashbang explosions while federal agents deployed chemical weapons.

Their experience will shape how Portlanders view federal authority, immigration enforcement, and the limits of lawful protest. Those memories will influence future demonstrations, future resistance, and future conflicts.

Federal agents might argue they were just protecting a federal facility and maintaining order. But in doing so, they created hundreds of people with personal grievances added to their political oppositioncitizens who feel their government attacked them for protesting, who question federal authority, who will return to future demonstrations with firsthand experience of federal force.

If federal agents see protesters as enemies requiring tear gas and flashbangs, and protesters see federal agents as hostile forces attacking them, then Portland's streets will continue hosting battles that neither side can winbecause the real battles are over questions about authority, accountability, and democracy that tear gas can't answer.
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Most conversations about AI in hospitality still revolve around tools: chatbots, copilots, dashboards, and automation pilots.

That framing is already outdated.

The real shift underway - now accelerating into 2026 - is not about what AI can do, but how hotels are organized, governed, and run. And it is happening quietly, property by property, decision by decision.

McKinsey recently described this moment as the arrival of the agentic organization - the largest operating-model shift since the industrial and digital revolutions. Hospitality is not immune to this shift. In fact, it may feel it sooner than most industries.

From Digital Hotels to Agentic Hospitality

For years, hotels have invested in systems such as PMS, CRS, RMS, BMS, CMMS, and CRM.

Yet despite all this technology, much of hotel work still depends on:

Manual coordination

Escalation chains

Managerial judgment under time pressure

Agentic AI changes this dynamic.

Instead of tools that support humans, we are entering an era of AI agents that initiate, coordinate, and execute work across functions - with human accountability embedded.

In practical terms, this means:

Revenue decisions made continuously, not episodically

Guest recovery triggered automatically, not after complaints escalate

Engineering and housekeeping synchronized by exception, not routine

This is not science fiction. It is already emerging - and over the next 612 months, it will start to separate leaders from laggards.

Productivity, Not Headcount, Is the Real Prize

There is a persistent fear that AI in hotels is about labor reduction.

That misses the point.

Hospitalitys challenge is not excess labor - it is structural scarcity, rising expectations, and thin margins. The real opportunity is productivity acceleration: extracting more value from the same asset, the same people, the same day.

Agentic AI enables:

Faster decision cycles

Lower managerial overhead

Fewer handoffs and delays

More time for staff to focus on emotionally resonant guest moments

The hotels that win will not be those that replace staff with AI, but those that remove friction from how staff work.

The AI Concierge Will Become the Operating Layer

The most visible change guests will notice is not a better chatbot - it is a context-aware AI concierge that understands the hotel as a living system.

Not just:

What time does the restaurant open?

But:

Which rooms are under maintenance

Which guests are celebrating milestones

Which offers align with brand standards

Which service failures require intervention now

This concierge layer will increasingly sit between the guest and the hotel, orchestrating journeys rather than answering questions.

The strategic risk is clear: if hotels do not own this layer, platforms and super-apps will.

Middle Management Will Change Before Frontline Roles

One of the least discussed implications of agentic AI is its impact on organizational structure.

Frontline roles - those rooted in empathy, presence, and judgment - remain essential.

But layers of coordination, reporting, and manual supervision will change rapidly.

AI agents will:

Monitor outcomes continuously

Flag exceptions instantly

Recommend actions proactively

This leads to flatter, faster operating models - not by decree, but by design.

Governance Moves to the Boardroom

As AI becomes agentic, governance stops being an IT issue.

Owners and boards will increasingly ask:

Who controls the AI logic?

Whose data trains it?

What happens if the operator or brand changes?

In the next year, AI governance will become inseparable from asset value, brand risk, and operational resilience.

This is where hospitality technology leaders step into a strategic role - not as system custodians, but as stewards of intelligence.

The Bottom Line

Hospitality is not being disrupted by AI. It is being re-organized by it.

The next 612 months will not reward experimentation theater. They will reward:

Clear outcomes

Embedded governance

Human-centered scale

The future hotel is not one with more technology. It is one where intelligence quietly runs in the background - so humans can do what only humans can do.

That is the real reboot.

Ctto: McKinsey Report  Q1 2026  mashed up with the help of AI  but, with a HITL.

About Pertlink Limited

Pertlink Limited commenced operations on October 23rd 2000, and as IT Consultants exclusively caters to clients connected with the hospitality industry, helping them work through the maze of new technologies. Not only is Pertlink strategically placed to serve the industry from its headquarters in Hong Kong, it has been internationally recognized by numerous organizations as a global reach company helping the industry through its unique and unparalleled network of people who have vast expertise in the Hotel and IT industries. The team behind Pertlink, whose collective knowledge will be an asset to any company - will help maximize a Hotel's guest experience making it a positive one through the way technology is developed, marketed and used in the Hotel industry.

Terence Ronson

Managing Director

Pertlink Limited
WTTC Selects Madrid as Location for New Global Office - Image Credit WTTC



The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced that its Operating Committee has unanimously approved Madrid, Spain, as the location for its new Global Office.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) stated that its Operating Committee has unanimously chosen Madrid, Spain, as the site for the organisations new Global Office. The decision follows an evaluation process in which five destinationsDubai (UAE), France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerlandexpressed interest in hosting the office.

The selection process was based on six evaluation criteria: office rental and operating costs; tax, incentives, and competitive environment; fast-track visas and work permit frameworks; government support; cost of living for talent attraction and retention; and proximity to international organisations. Madrid was selected after a comprehensive assessment of WTTCs long-term strategic and operational needs.

All 17 members of the WTTC Operating Committee endorsed the decision to locate the office in Madrid. The committee cited factors including competitiveness, a favourable tax environment, government support, easier visa processing for employees, and lower operating costs as reasons for the selection. The committee also noted that Brexit-related challenges, such as constraints on talent mobility, made the UK less attractive as a location.

According to WTTC, establishing an office in Madrid will provide access to a broader, more diverse talent pool, with nearly 350 million qualified professionals in the region. The location also offers proximity to international organisations, including UN Tourism, and is supported by Madrids international connectivity through Madrid-Barajas Airport.

The new office will serve as a central part of WTTCs network, supporting its advocacy, research, and member engagement activities. The organisation stated that the move is intended to support operational efficiencies and member engagement.

WTTC acknowledged the Spanish government's support during the selection process. The organisation also thanked France, Italy, Switzerland, and the UAE (Dubai) for their interest in hosting the Global Office.

WTTC indicated that 2026 will be a year of operational reshaping, with an emphasis on member engagement, research capabilities, and government advocacy in the travel and tourism sector. No specific date for the Madrid office opening was provided in the announcement.
Amsterdam District Court Receives Collective Action Against Booking.com Over Parity Clauses - Image Credit Unsplash



A collective action seeking compensation for European hotels related to Booking.coms parity clauses has been formally initiated before the Amsterdam District Court.

HOTREC has announced the formal initiation of a collective action before the Amsterdam District Court seeking compensation for European hotels regarding Booking.coms use of wide and narrow parity clauses.

The filing follows the judgment of the European Court of Justice dated 19 September 2024, which found that Booking.coms wide and narrow parity clauses breached EU competition law. According to HOTREC, these clauses restricted price competition, affected hotels direct distribution channels, and led to higher commission levels over an extended period.

The statement of claim includes thousands of hotels from across Europe and is brought by an independent Dutch foundation representing the affected hotels. HOTREC is supporting the initiative, along with more than 30 national hotel associations across Europe.

Details regarding the collective action include:

- Initiation of the collective action before the Amsterdam District Court.

- Basis in the European Court of Justice judgment of 19 September 2024 regarding Booking.coms parity clauses.

- Inclusion of thousands of hotels from across Europe in the statement of claim.

- The claim is brought by an independent Dutch foundation representing affected hotels. -

Support from HOTREC and more than 30 national hotel associations across Europe. -

Planned extensions of the legal action by the foundation in the course of 2026 to cover additional hotels.

The legal action addresses alleged past harm arising from the use of parity clauses. HOTREC stated that further procedural steps will follow before the Dutch courts. No additional details regarding the proceedings were provided.

For further information, HOTREC has referred interested parties to www.mybookingclaim.com.
Lunar New Year 2026 Travel Trends: Longer Journeys and Premium Options Rise Across Asia - Image Credit Unsplash+



Trip.com Groups latest data shows that Lunar New Year 2026 travel is characterized by longer trips, increased long-haul journeys, and a significant rise in demand for premium travel options, with notable growth in both outbound and inbound travel across Asia and beyond.

Trip.com Group reports a substantial increase in travel bookings for the 2026 Lunar New Year compared to the previous year. The data indicates that travelers are opting for extended holidays, with cross-border stays of seven nights or more up nearly 40% and long-haul bookings rising by over 50%. This shift is attributed to longer public holidays in various Asia-Pacific countries, allowing for more comprehensive travel plans.

Longer Holidays and Changing Travel Patterns

Extended public holidays in countries such as China, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines are enabling travelers to plan longer vacations. For example, Chinas 2026 Lunar New Year holiday spans nine days and can be extended to more than 15 days with additional leave. Similar opportunities exist in other countries, leading to increased demand for longer trips and more complex itineraries.

Trip.com Groups data highlights a 40% year-on-year increase in cross-border bookings for stays of a week or longer. Long-haul travel, particularly to destinations in Europe and Oceania, is also on the rise. Norway has seen a 200% increase in bookings from Singapore, while Australia and New Zealand are experiencing significant growth from Chinese travelers. Other destinations such as the Maldives, Turkey, Spain, and Mongolia are also attracting more visitors from Asia.

Growth in Package Tours and Multi-City Itineraries

The trend toward longer holidays is boosting interest in package tours and multi-city itineraries. Popular packages include an eight-day tour of Turkey, a five-day Los AngelesLas VegasGrand Canyon trip in the United States, and a five-day OsakaKyoto itinerary in Japan. These options reflect travelers interest in visiting more destinations and engaging in more experiences during their extended breaks.

Premium Travel Preferences Increase

There is a marked shift toward premium travel options, with first-class flight bookings up 83% and business-class bookings up 38% year-on-year. Demand for five-star hotels has increased by 59%. In markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, five-star hotels account for around half or more of all bookings, and upper-tier properties (including four-star hotels) make up about three-quarters of accommodations booked.

Regional Highlights: Asias Urban Hubs and Inbound Travel to China

East Asia and Southeast Asia remain the largest sources of bookings during the Lunar New Year period. Vietnam, South Korea, and Indonesia are among the fastest-growing outbound markets. Major cities such as Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bali have each recorded booking growth exceeding 70%. Attractions in these cities, including cultural sites and shopping districts, are key draws for travelers.

China continues to be a significant destination for both regional and long-haul travelers. Bookings from the United Kingdom and New Zealand to China have increased by more than 150%. Major gateway cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou receive the largest share of inbound visitors. Trip.com is also introducing initiatives such as the Explore Beijing Starter Pack and the Shenzhen Express half-day city tour to support international visitors.
MassDOT Advisory: Becket Daytime Bridge Repairs on I-90

BECKET, Mass.  The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing bridge repairs on I?90 eastbound and westbound at mile marker 20 in Becket.

The work is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 2, through Friday, Feb. 6, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day, and will require lane closures.

Appropriate signage, law enforcement details, and advanced message boards will be in place to guide drivers through the work area.

Drivers traveling through the affected areas should expect delays, reduce speed, and use caution.

All scheduled work is weather dependent and subject to change without notice.
Dalton Library Holds Adult Reading Challenge

DALTON, Mass.  The library is making book enthusiasts nostalgic thanks to its adult reading challenge that encourages people to expand their horizons in the literature world.

Many may remember, from their school years, being challenged to read for a chance to win a pizza or, for this writer, a school trip to the cinema to watch their book come alive on screen.

The Dalton Free Public Library has reawakened that experience for its patrons 18 and older until March 27 at 1 p.m.

Visit the library to get your game board and after reading a book let library staff know to get your raffle ticket or track your progress online.

Readers can choose any book they like as long as it aligns with one of the options in the three categories: Who, With What, and Where.

Every book that fits a subcategory earns you a raffle ticket, and if you complete all the subcategories within a section, youll score a bonus ticket.

The more you read and explore, the better your chances of winning one of the three raffle baskets, each a $100 value. The cost of the baskets were donated by the Friends of the Dalton Library.

While the categories provide structure, their broadness means your reading options are nearly limitless. A single book may fit several categories, but you can only count it once, Library Director, Janet Forest said.

"If someone comes in and they've read a book, we try to find a category to fit it into. We're advocating for reading, not trying to be restrictive, but also, like I said, we're trying to challenge people to read something maybe they haven't before," she said.

In addition to the challenge, the library will be hosting reading challenge events, including two tea party reading hours, a screening of the 1985 film "Clue," and a mystery writing workshop.

The library is a welcoming, nonjudgmental space offering a wealth of resources beyond books. These initiatives and events inspire people to return, even if its been a while since their last visit, Forest said.

Many visitors return to the library after a long absence and are pleasantly surprised by the wide array of offerings, from printing and computers to DVDs and much more, she said.

The events also provide ample opportunity for people to expand their horizons by speaking to those with different interests.

The aim is "to help them expand their curiosity and the things they are curious about. This is a way to invite people to read something they haven't maybe read before, or a genre they haven't tried before. Maybe they don't like it; but at least they tried it," Forest said.

If they discover they enjoy the genre, it can spark excitement in reluctant readers and open up a world of possibilities for those who already love to read, she said.

Readers are invited to visit the library for the reading hours on Friday, Feb. 6, at 10 a.m., and on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 5:30 p.m., to immerse themselves in a good book, savor the bibliophilia, and bask in the peaceful silence of the library.

When the library is bustling, its alive with the sounds of community  conversations, childrens laughter, and the joy of discovering new stories together.

However, the silent reading hours is a time where visitors can experience the library when it is quiet.

"I think people like gathering without the pressure around it, without the structure and having to do somethingand so I just love the idea of giving a group of people the option to come into our library and have it be quiet, and sit and read, because it's a beautiful space, and when it is quiet, it's so peaceful, and just get comfortable and enjoy a good book," Forest said.

The screening of "Clue" will take place on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. and the mystery writing workshop will be on Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m.
Saturday Night Fire in Pittsfield Turns Fatal

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A Saturday night structure fire turned fatal when the sole occupant was pronounced dead at Berkshire Medical Center.

The Fire Department responded to 7 Virginia Ave. just after 11:20 on Saturday night following a report of a fire. On arrival, firefighters observed flames coming from the first floor of the small one-story Cape and immediately made entry to attack the fire and search for occupants.

They located the sole resident, a woman in her 70s, and rescued her. Action Ambulance transported her to BMC.

According to the State Fire Marshal's Office, the woman later passed away. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of her death.

"On behalf of the Pittsfield Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the womans family and loved ones," said Chief Thomas Sammons. "This is a terrible loss for them and the community."

Working in subzero temperatures with more than a foot of snow on the ground, firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control in about half an hour and remained on scene into the morning for overhaul and investigative support.

The Hinsdale Fire Department provided rehab services to support firefighter health and safety at the scene.

The origin and cause of the fire are being investigated by the Fire and Police Departments, State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal's Office, and State Police assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's office. They are supported by the Department of Fire Services' Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit.

The home suffered severe fire and water damage throughout and all utilities were disconnected outside the building.

Preliminarily, investigators found no evidence that the fire was intentionally set. Based on an examination of the scene, they believe it began in the living room at the front of the home. They found no working smoke alarms.

"This is the fourth fatal fire this year where our investigators found no working smoke alarms," said State Fire Marsal Davine. "Take a few minutes to be sure you have working alarms on every level of your home. Test them every month to be sure theyre working properly. And please check in with older family members, friends, and neighbors to be sure theyre protected. If you need help installing, maintaining, or replacing your alarms, contact your local fire department."

Article updated 12:55 p.m. with new information.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. 

The City Council has clarified that a charitable resident can continue distributing cider and doughnuts to people, as long as parking regulations are followed.

"So it is my understanding now, throughout this meeting, that there is no longer any threat of fine for feeding the homeless," Ward 7 Councilor Moody said to Robert Ball, who has distributed sweets and hot beverages around the city for months.

A couple of weeks ago, Ball told

that he ran into issues with the city about his charitable food distributions. Moody saw the story and filed a request that the city stand down on penalties against good Samaritans feeding unhoused community members until code violations can be clarified and the city solicitor can weigh in on the possibility of violating people's First Amendment rights.

During public comment, he reported receiving fines, tickets, citations, and increased pressure that made the distribution difficult.

"For many months, I've been volunteering my own time and money to provide hot apple cider and donuts to people experiencing homelessness here in Pittsfield. I'm not part of an organization. I don't receive grants. I've never asked the city for a single dollar. I'm one person trying to help out people who are cold and hungry and often invisible," Ball said.

"Sometimes all I'm offering is something warm and a moment of dignity, and that makes a difference."

Moody's petition was filed after city officials disputed claims of fines or threats of enforcement. Ball believes that the rest of Pittsfield should show more compassion and that there would be more community outreach if it were easier to assist people.

"When volunteers are treated as partners instead of problems, the entire community benefits. Public health improves, tensions decrease, and people in crisis are met with dignity instead of displacement," he said.

Mayor Peter Marchetti said his first experience with Ball was when he sought relief from a parking ticket for facing the wrong way on Pearl Street near the ServiceNet shelter, and that the fine has nothing to do with the food being served.

"Mr. Ball can do all the food distribution that he would like. I would like him to do it in a sanitary manner," he said.

Director of Public Health Andy Cambi said there have been no fines or formal requests issued for Ball to stop. Ball approached the mayor's office seeking a parking pass to distribute food, Cambi reported, and the Health Department became involved because of the nature of the request.

"At that point, I assessed the situation, and I saw that the food was being distributed out of a trunk, and regardless, I said the Health Department cannot sanction you to do this activity," the health director said, citing legal concerns if the city sponsored the handout.

Cambi was most concerned about the food being distributed from a trunk, a typically contaminated space, and said he provided Ball with guidelines for safe food distribution and alternative modes of distribution. He said the same dignity, respect, and standards should be applied when serving people experiencing homelessness.

At the very least, and if legal, Marchetti would like a policy that requires food distributers to sign a waiver of the City of Pittsfield.

Some community members voiced support for Ball's charitable distribution during public comment. Resident Christopher Bones argued that the store-bought apple cider and doughnuts, staple New England treats, are no different than the food in corporate break rooms or company pizza parties.

"What hurts the vulnerable people of Pittsfield more, the chance that someone else's hand may brush their food or no food at all?" he asked.

Resident Shannon Stephens said there is already hostile architecture in Pittsfield's downtown, and "everyone wants us to believe it isn't a war on the poor."

"What I do and who I share my food with that I buy is completely my business. The government, local or not, has no right to tell me what to do with my money or my goods," she added.

"You can tell me until you're blue in the face to instead donate to a shelter or food pantry, but there are still going to be people who fall through those cracks."




iciHaiti - Security : 3 terrorists killed, assault rifles seized





On Sunday, February 1st, 2026, during a police operation conducted by the Haitian National Police (PNH) in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets, three terrorists were fatally wounded in a confrontation with law enforcement. Two assault rifles were seized : an AK-47 (7.6239 mm caliber) and a German HK G3 (7.6251 NATO caliber), a high-precision rifle with an effective range of 400 to 600 meters.



This operation is part of the PNH's ongoing efforts to neutralize armed groups and restore public order in the area. The individuals involved were actively engaged in criminal acts that endangered public safety.



The PNH calls on the public to continue cooperating with law enforcement by sharing any useful information.



IH/ iciHaiti






















iciHaiti - South : Tour of the European Ambassador





This week, as part of her tour of southern Haiti, the European Union Ambassador to Haiti, Ms. Helene Roos, met with agricultural producer organizations, visited an agricultural processing center, and toured the reconstruction site of the Beaumont town hall's administrative center. She then visited several projects managed by the Regional Drinking Water Agency in Les Cayes.



These visits were related to projects funded by the European Union and implemented by the municipalities and producers of these cities, in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Expertise France, and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID Haiti).



During these discussions, Ms. Roos reaffirmed the European Union's solidarity with the people of southern Haiti affected by major natural disasters. She also commended the commitment of implementing partners and the local communities' ownership of the projects, emphasizing the importance of a balanced partnership based on trust and collaboration, aimed at delivering concrete results for the people.



Ambassador Roos, accompanied by Sylvain Jean Desir, Departmental Director of Education for the South, visited two public schools currently being rebuilt after being destroyed in the August 14, 2021 earthquake (https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34498-haiti-flash-the-partial-death-toll-increases-nearly-1-300-dead-and-5-700-injured.html) and supported by European Union programs in conjunction with Prodev and Save the Children.



Ambassador Roos concluded her tour of the South by meeting with highly engaged women leaders from civil society in Les Cayes to discuss the realities faced by women and girls in the region. The discussions highlighted the challenges related to these women's rights, particularly socio-economic rights, sexual and reproductive health, access to justice, support for victims of sexual violence, and economic opportunities. The diplomat expressed her full support for these committed women who, as agents of change, play a vital role in Haiti's development.



IH/ iciHaiti


















Kingston Technology, a world leader in memory and technology solutions, today announced its award-winning Kingston IronKey Keypad 200 series (KP200 and KP200C) hardware-encrypted USB flash drives have received NIST FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation. This certification brings the KP200 series in line with IronKey D500S, which has already achieved this prestigious security standard, further reinforcing Kingstons commitment to providing robust, certified data protection solutions.

Industrys Leader with Three FIPS 140-3 Level 3 Validated USB Drive Models Available Worldwide

The KP200 series are keypad drives that are OS-independent and thus are usable on standard Windows, macOS platforms, as well as Linux, ChromeOS, even iOS and Android via USB-A or USB-C connector. These drives are ideal for users who need encrypted storage to protect software that can be loaded or unloaded from medical, scientific, industrial, and other machinery with USB interfaces. For Operational Technology (OT) infrastructure companies, NIST recommends enhanced USB drive security through its new Special Publication (SP) 1334 guidance.

The FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certification process by NIST has been the most intensive and time-consuming effort in over a decade, but due to our commitment in providing the best product solutions for our customers, Kingston is now the worlds first hardware-encrypted USB drive supplier with three different drive models  D500S, KP200 and KP200C - certified to this de-facto global data security standard. With FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certification, the IronKey KP200 and KP200C drives are exceptional for securing data-at-rest and meeting government and military standards worldwide, said Kingston. As data loss and theft continue to rise, these drives help organizations reduce the risks and costs associated with lost or stolen devices, while supporting compliance with regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, NIS2, CCPA, and other regional data protection standards.

KP200 series supports dual Admin and User PINs, providing an alternate way to access the drive if one password is forgotten. Other advanced features include the capabilities of an Admin to set a Global Read-Only mode until reset, or a Session Read-Only Mode to ensure the drive is locked against potential changes or malware being written to the drive on untrusted systems or devices. KP200 series is also IP68 certified dustproof and waterproof1.

KP200 series is customizable with Co-Logo, available with USB Type-A and USB-Type C2 in capacities up to 512GB3 and backed by limited 3-year warranty with free technical support.

For more information, visit kingston.com/ironkey.
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China has executed four members of a notorious mafia family accused of running scam centres in Myanmar and linked to the deaths of six Chinese nationals.

The Shenzhen court in November sentenced five members of the Bai mafia family to death for running a network of scam centres and casinos in Myanmar after convicting them of homicide, intentional injury, fraud, drug trafficking, and kidnapping.

The executions were carried out in Shenzhen, in southern Chinas Guangdong province, after receiving approval from the Supreme Peoples Court, state-media Xinhua reported.

One of the accused  group leader Bai Suocheng  had already died of illness after his conviction.

The Shenzhen Intermediate Peoples Court in south China announced the executions on Monday but it was not clear when the executions had been carried out.

It comes after China executed 11 members of the notorious Ming family criminal gang for running scam centres in Myanmar last week.

File: Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court taken and released on 29 September 2025 shows members of the Ming family mafia organization appearing in the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court in China's eastern Zhejiang province, during their sentencing for crimes in relation to their involvement with scam compound ( Wenzhou Intermediate Peopleas Co )

For years, Laukkaing, a border town in Myanmars northern Shan State, was dominated by the Bais, the Mings and several other powerful families, who oversaw sprawling casino complexes, red light districts, and large-scale cyber-scam operations.

Operating in a grey zone along the China-Myanmar border, these networks flourished amid weak law enforcement and longstanding ties to local militias, turning Laukkaing into a hub for illicit gambling and online fraud targeting victims across the region.

The Bai clan, which was called the "number one" by its members, established industrial parks in Myanmar's Kokang region bordering China, from where they were accused of running gambling and telecom scam operations involving kidnappings, extortion, forced prostitution and drug manufacturing and trafficking.

They defrauded victims of more than 29bn yuan ($4.2bn) and caused the death of six Chinese citizens and injuries to others, the court said.

The court said their crimes were exceptionally heinous, with particularly serious circumstances and consequences, posing a tremendous threat to society.

Chinas executions were part of the wider crackdown on scam centres operating in Southeast Asia, which has emerged as the worlds epicentre for online scams, especially in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been lured to work in these scam centres, with many forced to perpetrate global scams involving false romances, fraudulent investments, and illegal gambling.

Human trafficking is another major criminal aspect of such operations as many of the workers were recruited under false pretences, offering legitimate jobs, only to find themselves trapped in virtual slavery.
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A Chinese court has sentenced the country's former justice minister Tang Yijun to life in prison on charges of accepting bribes, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday.

Tang, 64, has been found guilty of illegally accepting property worth more than 137m yuan (14.38m) over a period of 16 years, between 2006 and 2022, the Xianmen Intermediate Peoples Court in the southeastern coastal Fujian province said on Monday.

The former minister has been accused of abusing his top role to seek benefits for entities and individuals in areas such as company listings, land buybacks, bank loans and case handling, the report added.

Tang was accused of graft charges for helping his family members secure financial deals and accepting lavish gifts and travel expenses, according to Chinas Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI)  tasked with enforcing inner-party regulations  in 2024.

He was expelled from the Communist Party later that year.

Tangs actions constituted the crime of bribery and the sum involved were particularly huge, the court said in its ruling, adding that the transactions from the former justice minister resulted in particularly serious losses to the interests of the state and the people.

All of Tangs personal property has now been confiscated and he has now been deprived of political rights for life, CCTV reported.

His sentencing comes at a time Chinese president Xi Jinping is engaged in pursuing his broader anti-corruption campaign punishing more than 200,000 officials since he took power in 2012.

General Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission attends the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing ( AP )

Just days earlier, the Chinese defence ministry said it was investigating the countrys militarys top general Zhang Youxia for suspected serious violations of discipline and law, marking the highest-profile purge in senior military leadership to date.

Over the weekend, Chinas anti-graft watchdog said it was launching an investigation into Wang Xiangxi, the Chinese minister of emergency management, in what is a rare case of a sitting minister being probed.

TheCCDI said it has launched a probe into Mr Wangs conduct for serious violations of discipline and law, a euphemism used in China for suspected corruption, abuse of power, or related offences.

In 2022 former Chinese justice minister Fu Zhenghua was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on charges of taking bribes and helping criminals including his brother hide illegal activity. His conviction added to a string of senior officials who have been punished for corruption in a long-running crackdown launched after Mr Xi took power.
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India slashed its financial assistance to Bangladesh by half in its latest federal budget as diplomatic relations between the two South Asian neighbours remained tense.

India allocated Rs600m (4.76m) to Bangladesh in its 202627 budget as compared with Rs1.2bn (9.55m) in the previous fiscal year.

The cut comes as relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have deteriorated since political changes in Bangladesh in 2024, alongside reports of violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, and a reorientation of Bangladeshs foreign policy towards Pakistan.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told the upper house of parliament it continues to monitor reports of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, including assaults on homes, businesses, property and places of worship, reported NDTV.

India has consistently raised the matter of safety and security of the minorities with the authorities in Bangladesh, at both political and diplomatic levels on several occasions, minister of state for external affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said.

He added that the issue was raised by prime minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with Bangladeshs chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, on 4 April 2025.

open image in gallery India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman leaves the Finance Ministry office to present the annual budget to the parliament at the Kartavya Bhawan in New Delhi on 1 February 2026 ( AFP via Getty Images )

The MEA also criticised what it described as a troubling tendency by Bangladeshs interim administration to attribute such attacks to personal rivalries or political disputes, warning that this approach only emboldens the extremists and the perpetrators of such crimes, and deepens the sense of fear and insecurity among the minorities.

Budget documents showed that while Rs1.2bn was earmarked for Bangladesh in 2025-26, revised estimates indicated that only about Rs340m was likely to be spent. For 2026-27, the allocation was fixed at Rs600m.

India-Bangladesh ties have continued to weaken during this period, with New Delhi restricting tourist visas for Bangladeshis and withdrawing families of Indian diplomats, citing security concerns ahead of elections held on 12 February.

During the same period, Bangladesh pursued closer engagement with Pakistan, a significant shift given the legacy of the 1971 war that led to Bangladeshs independence.

In late 2024, Mr Yunus met Pakistans prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of an international summit in Egypt and called for the resolution of outstanding issues linked to the 1971 conflict. Mr Sharif later said he had a warm and cordial exchange with Mr Yunus.

Since then, the two countries have agreed on visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic and official passports, the revival of their Joint Economic Commission  whose last meeting was in 2005  and the creation of a new Trade and Investment Commission. Direct cargo shipping was resumed, and non-stop air links have been restored after 14 years, with a flight from Dhaka landing in Karachi and Pakistani carriers receiving clearance to begin regular services.

Beyond Bangladesh, the budget reflected wider changes in Indias overseas development assistance. No funds have been allocated for Irans Chabahar port project, despite India being a major partner in its development. The allocation, revised to Rs4bn (38m) for 202526, was cut to zero for 202627 following fresh US economic sanctions on Iran.

open image in gallery Multidisciplinary artists hold placards during a protest against violent attacks in Dhaka on 23 December 2025 ( AFP via Getty Images )

A six-month exemption from these sanctions, granted by Washington, is due to expire on 26 April.

Bhutan remained the largest recipient of Indian foreign aid, receiving 2,288 crore in 202627, up from Rs21.5bn (205m) the previous year. Nepal was allocated Rs8bn (762m).

Allocations to Sri Lanka and Nepal have each risen by Rs1bn (9.52m), while Afghanistans assistance increased by Rs500m (4.76m) to Rs1.5bn (14.3m) as India continues cautious engagement with the Taliban-led administration, including reopening its embassy in Kabul.

Aid to the Maldives was reduced by Rs500m (4.76m) to Rs5bn (47.6m), while Mauritius has seen a 10 per cent increase to Rs5.5bn (52.4m). Myanmars allocation was cut by about 14 per cent to Rs3bn (28.6m) amid political instability.

Assistance to African countries remained at Rs2.25bn (21.4m), funding for Latin America was doubled to Rs1.2bn (11.4m), and allocations for Eurasian countries dipped slightly to Rs380m (3.62m).

Overall, the government earmarked Rs56.86bn (541.5m) for Aid to Countries in 2026-27, a modest increase on last year but below revised estimates for 2025-26.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget in parliament on Sunday, her ninth, with a focus on manufacturing growth and job creation.
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The carcasses of dozens of stray dogs were found in pits dug outside a village in the southern Indian state of Telangana amid concerns over mass killings of canines in the past few months.

The carcasses of at least 100 dogs were recovered on Sunday evening in Abbapur village in Jagtial district of Telangana. Police said they have confirmed the deaths of at least 500 stray dogs in the state so far, most of them caused by poisoning or lethal injections.

According to reports, the dogs were poisoned after the village administration promised to tackle the stray problem once they secured victory in a local body elections, which were held in Telangana in December 2025.

Animal rights activists and charities have said the actual number of dogs that have been killed is much higher. They claim at least 1,000 dogs have been culled so far since late December 2025.

Telangana police lodged a formal complaint against village council heads on a complaint filed by Preethi Mudavath of Stray Animal Foundation of India (SAFI), the Indian Express newspaper reported.

In August, the Supreme Court ruled that every stray in the capital region  close to one million dogs, according to estimates  should be removed from the streets within eight weeks. The directive followed rising reports of dog bites and rabies cases nationwide, and a media storm over the death of a child allegedly from rabies.

Many animal lovers took to the streets to protest against the order. Animal rights activists signed online petitions asking the court to revoke its decision. After days of protests, the court was forced to backtrack,asking for the animals to be immunised and vaccinated before they were released.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in India prohibits the killing or mutilation of any animal, including stray dogs and any other kind of cruelty towards animals. Critics of the law point to it not being tough enough to prevent a large number of incidents of animal cruelty that occur in the country.

open image in gallery A stray dog rests near a police barricade in New Delhi on August 12, 2025 ( AFP via Getty Images )

The dog killings are continuing despite our petitions to the authorities including chief minister A Revanth Reddy, Ms Mudavath said.

She said the carcasses were sent for postmortem after the NGO intervened. She wrote in the complaint that the carcasses were first discovered inside a pit dug outside the border of the village.

Bodies of hundreds of dogs have been found also in villages in Hanamkonda, Kamareddy, and Jagtial districts. Some dogs were also found missing in the Yacharam village near Hyderabad.

open image in gallery An Indian school student looks at stray dogs inside a cage on the back of a truck in Bangalore, 05 March 2007 ( AFP via Getty Images )

Telangana state minister, Danasari Anasuya Seethakka, previously told The Hindu that the killings were illegal and inhumane, warning that those responsible would face strict action.

She said the slaying of the stray dogs under the pretext of population control could not be justified under any circumstances.

She added that the government had directed all village councils to ensure such incidents are not repeated.

The mass killing of dogs has triggered outrage across the country amid a wider debate over the future of stray animals in India.

The countrys top court is currently hearing petitions on how to address the presence of community dogs on city streets, including in the capital, Delhi.

open image in gallery A stray dog is pictured at the Kartavya Path near India Gate in New Delhi on August 12, 2025 ( AFP via Getty Images )

Animal lovers on social media are calling it a "massacre" or even "genocide" of strays, tagging officials and demanding intervention.

Telangana state has recorded nearly 122,000 incidents of dog bites in 2024, according to government data. But no rabies-related deaths have been reported in the same year.

In April, the federal government said nearly 430,000 cases of dog bites were reported nationwide in January, against 3.7 million cases in all of 2024. India has 52.5 million stray dogs, a survey of homeless pets by Mars Petcare has shown, with eight million canines in shelters.

Media reports suggest Delhi alone has one million stray dogs.
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Japans prime minister Sanae Takaichi is headed for a landslide victory in next weeks general election, a latest poll showed.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is likely to comfortably exceed a majority of 233 seats out of 465 seats in the lower house of parliament, according to an Asahi poll released on Sunday. The partys tally was projected to be up from 198 seats.

Combined with LDPs coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), the ruling alliance will cross 300 seats, the poll showed.

A strong showing in the 8 February election would cement Ms Takaichis hold on her party.

After the collapse of the long-running coalition between Takaichis LDP and Komeito, the ruling party formed a new alliance with the Japan Innovation Party, or Ishin, giving it a one-seat majority in the lower house with support from the independents.

Ms Takaichis ruling coalition holds a slim majority in the powerful lower house but remains in the minority in the upper house.

The largest opposition party, the centrist Reform Alliance, is faltering and could lose as many as half of its 167 seats, the Asahi reported.

On Sunday, Ms Takaichi abruptly skipped her appearance in a television debate programme, citing a hand injury she sustained during campaign activities.

Japan's Prime Minister and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Sanae Takaichi (C) delivers a speech during the House of Representatives election campaign in Kani, Gifu prefecture ( JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images )

The long-running political debate programme aired by Japans public broadcaster NHK had planned to feature party leaders ahead of the election.

She said she had rheumatoid arthritis and her hand had become swollen.

Actually, during the campaign rallies over the past few days, when I shook hands with people who were passionately supporting me, my hand was pulled very strongly and I ended up hurting it, she wrote.

I hurriedly asked the medical officer to come, had medicine applied, and received proper taping as well, she added.

Japanese government bond yields rose on Monday as investors priced in the chance that Ms Takaichi will secure an electoral mandate to push through her "proactive" fiscal policy focused on bigger spending and tax cuts.

"A huge LDP win would further strengthen Takaichi's grip on power. It won't be surprising for markets to see a higher chance of Takaichi pursuing her flagship proactive fiscal policies including a consumption tax cut," said Keisuke Tsuruta, senior bond strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities.

Meanwhile, a doctored campaign broadcast attributed to Japans Centrist Reform Alliance has gone viral on X, formerly Twitter, raising concerns that manipulation of campaign material could mislead voters and distort electoral judgment as the election approaches.

The video, altered using artificial intelligence to depict the partys co-chairmen Yoshihiko Noda and Tetsuo Saito dancing together, has been viewed more than 1.6 million times.

The altered video showed Mr Noda and Mr Saito pushing over the podium, standing up and dancing with a fan in their hands while the original video only showed the two bowing to the sign language interpreter after their speeches.

A spokesperson for the Centrist Reform Alliance told The Yomiuri Shimbun: We are extremely disappointed, as it runs counter to the purpose of campaign broadcasts to covey the views of a political party.
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A court in Bangladesh on Monday sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail and her niece, Tulip Siddiq, who is a British lawmaker, to four years in prison in two cases involving a government township project near the capital.

Judge Mohammed Rabiul Alam of the Special Judges Court-4 also handed down seven-year prison sentences to another niece, Azmina Siddiq, and a nephew, Radwan Mujib Siddiq.

The countrys official corruption watchdog filed the cases alleging that Hasina colluded with government officials to illegally secure six plots in the Purbachal New Town Project, near Dhaka, for herself and her family members despite their ineligibility under government regulations.

File. In this picture taken on 10 January 2024, people sit next to a banner marking the 74th founding anniversary of the Awami League party with pictures of Sheikh Hasina (L), her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (C) and her son Sajeeb Wazed in Dhaka ( AFP via Getty Images )

The verdicts came as the interim government, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, prepares for 12 February elections. Hasinas former ruling Awami League party has been banned from taking part.

Both Hasina and Tulip Siddiq were sentenced earlier in similar cases and have denounced the verdict. Siddiq said she obtained no land from the government during her aunts 15-year rule, as she is not a Bangladeshi citizen. But the prosecution said she influenced her aunt to provide her mother and two siblings with land in the project, an allegation she rejected outright.

Hasina was previously convicted in four other cases over corruption in the project, as she faced charges of misusing power. In those cases, the court sentenced her to a total of 26 years in prison, while her son, Sajeeb Wazed, and daughter, Saima Wazed, received five years each. Hasinas younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, was sentenced to seven years. All of them are currently abroad. Tulip Siddiq lives in the UK.

Hasina has been in exile in India since 5 August 2024, when she was ousted in a student-led mass uprising, ending her 15-year rule. She has been sentenced to death on charges of crimes against humanity involving the uprising, when hundreds of people were killed. She denounced the trial process, terming a special tribunal a kangaroo court.

India has not responded to a request from Bangladesh to extradite Hasina.
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Ive spent the past seven days driving a Chery Tiggo 7  one of the latest plug-in hybrids from Chinese manufacturers to arrive in the UK.

The Tiggo 7 is part of a small but growing group of 30,000-ish plug-in hybrid SUVs that are proving popular with buyers. Whether its the Tiggo 7 (or the seven-seat Tiggo 8), BYD Sealion 5, Geely Starray, Omoda 7 (also from the Chery group) or the MG HS, these cars offer strong kit, efficiency, quality, and excellent value  so its no surprise theyre in demand.

Plug-in hybrids are increasingly popular, too, with sales up 35 per cent in 2025. But spotting a meaningful difference between these lookalike Chinese models can be tricky. It often comes down to price (which varies little), specification (likewise) and efficiency claims.

Then theres the brand factor. MG clearly has an advantage here, being more established in the UK and benefiting from instant name recognition.

What I found most interesting this week, though, was how other people reacted to the Tiggo 7. One friend  who works in the car business  initially thought it was an Infiniti, Nissans luxury brand that left the UK a few years ago. He said the badge looked familiar and the styling was very Audi.

Another industry contact spent time exploring the interior, describing it as a bit BMW, while trying to spot the gaps in quality  he couldnt find any. He was also impressed with the tech, immediately noticing that the over-zealous beeps and warnings (which plagued earlier Chinese models) have been toned down.

I also took my car-owning kids for a spin. My son was impressed that, after a 405-mile round trip to Liverpool on Saturday, we still had well over 100 miles of fuel range left. He thought the seats could have been more comfortable, though we did spend roughly eight hours in the car.

My daughter, who admits to having the three-year itch with her MINI, might soon be looking for something larger to accommodate her fast-growing Labrador puppy. She had her eye on a Volkswagen Tiguan, but didnt believe me when I told her the Tiggo 7 starts at under 25,000 for a petrol model, or under 30,000 as a plug-in hybrid  with very low leasing costs. Id have to get a well-used Tiguan for that, she said.

Being a somewhat brand- and fashion-conscious 27-year-old, I asked if the Tiggo 7 or any of its Chinese rivals might appeal to her. She mentioned that a friend already had  and loved  an MG, so her answer was: why not?

Then she turned the question on me: would I buy a Chinese car?

There are areas where these Chinese models lag behind European rivals  ride quality immediately springs to mind, based on my week in the Tiggo 7 and a recent drive in the BYD Sealion 7. Bizarrely, for a nation so tech-focused, the tech in these cars sometimes falls short, particularly when it comes to usability.

Thats not to say these issues are deal breakers. The ride in the Tiggo 7 isnt bad at all, and much of the tech can be upgraded over the air.

Whats impossible to ignore, however, is the value these cars offer. The price, efficiency, specification, and impressive build quality make them genuine showroom standouts.

So, to answer the question: yes, I would buy a Chinese car. Id choose carefully  some are stronger than others  but if I were buying today, with value high on my list of priorities, these new brands are extremely appealing.

And lets not forget that many drivers are already behind the wheel of Chinese-made EVs without even realising it. The MINI Aceman, Polestars, a couple of Lotuses, and some older Teslas were all built in China  and in terms of build quality, theyre very well made.

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Japan said Monday it has successfully drilled and retrieved deep-sea sediment containing rare earth minerals from the seabed near a remote island, as the country seeks to reduce its reliance on China.

The deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu's successful gathered the sediment at a depth of nearly 6,000 kilometers near the island of Minamitorishima, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a statement on X.

The test retrieval of the rare earths from that depth is a world first, she added.

It is a first step toward industrialization of domestically produced rare earth in Japan, Takaichi said. We will make effort toward achieving resilient supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals to avoid overdependence on a particular country."

China controls most of the global production of heavy rare earths, which are used for making powerful, heat-resistant magnets in industries such as defense and electric vehicles.

Japan has faced growing tensions with China since Takaichi's comment in November about a possible Japanese involvement in the case of Chinese military action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own.

China recently suspended exports to Japan of dual-use goods with potential military use, raising concern in Japan that rare earths may be included.

While 17 elements are classified as rare earth, the U.S. government has identified 50 minerals overall that are labeled critical minerals, which also include a number of other minerals that are seen as essential to the economic and military strength of the nation.

Japanese researchers discovered deposits rich with critical minerals around Minamitorishima in the 2010s, including those containing high-concentration rare earths that could last hundreds of years.

Under the Strategic Innovation Promotion Program, Japan has been working on research, development and feasibility studies of rare earths deposits around the island.

The successful retrieval of the sediment containing rare earth elements is a meaningful achievement from the perspectives of economic security and comprehensive ocean development, Japans Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said Monday.

He said that moving toward industrialization of rare earths mud mining will require demonstrating the full process from mining through separation and refining, as well as verifying its economic viability, based on the results of the ongoing tests.

Details, including the amount of rare earth contained, still need to be analyzed, officials said.

The Chikyu, which means Earth, departed last month for Minamitorishima, about 1,950 kilometers (1,210 miles) southeast of Tokyo, and arrived at the mining site on Jan. 17. The first batch of rare earth sediment was retrieved on Feb. 1, according to Japan's Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, which is conducting the survey.

Japans Self Defense Forces last year said Chinese naval vessels had been spotted near Minamitorishima.

___

AP video journalist Mayuko Ono in Tokyo contributed to this report.
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A sea captain has been found guilty of killing a crew member when his ship crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of Yorkshire.

Russian Vladimir Motin had been on sole watch duty when the Solong collided with the Stena Immaculate anchored near the Humber Estuary at 9.47am on 10 March last year.

Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, who was working on the bow of the Solong, died instantly in the fire, although his body was never recovered.

open image in gallery A CCTV image taken from the Stena Immaculate shows the fire igniting as the container ship Solong collides with the vessel ( Department of Transport )

The Filipino man had a five-year-old child at the time of the collision, but never met his second child, who was born two months after his death.

Following an Old Bailey trial, a jury deliberated for eight hours to find Motin, 59, from St Petersburg, guilty of his manslaughter by gross negligence.

Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson told the Press Association it was a simple, senseless tragedy.

He said: Its a miracle that there werent more fatalities or serious injuries.

Similarly, this could have been a huge environmental catastrophe. The Solong burned for eight days following the collision.

There were people on the deck of the Stena Immaculate at the point of impact. One crew member was up a mast changing a light fitting.

Previously, the court heard the Solong, which was 130m long and weighed 7,852 gross tonnes, had departed from Grangemouth in Scotland at 9.05pm on 9 March, bound for the port of Rotterdam in Holland.

With a 14-strong crew, it was carrying mainly alcoholic spirits and some hazardous substances, including empty but unclean sodium cyanide containers.

The Stena Immaculate, with a crew of 23, was 183.2m long and was transporting more than 220,000 barrels of JetA-1 high-grade aviation fuel from Greece to the UK.

With both ships laden with flammable cargo, the danger in the event of a collision was obvious, jurors were told.

open image in gallery Mark Angelo Pernia was working on the Solong bow when he was killed ( Humberside Police )

Motin was responsible for multiple failures in the lead-up to the tragedy and then lied about what took place on the bridge, it was alleged.

The Stena Immaculate was visible on the Solongs radar display for 36 minutes before impact, yet Motin did nothing to steer away from the collision course, the prosecution said.

He failed to summon help, slow down, sound the alarm to alert crews of both ships, or instigate a crash stop as a last resort, the prosecution said.

Dramatic CCTV footage captured the moment both ships were consumed in a massive blaze ignited by leaking fuel from the Stena Immaculate.

The shocked crew aboard the US tanker reacted instantly, saying: Holy shit... what just hit us... a container ship... this is no drill, this is no drill, fire fire fire, we have had a collision.

Jurors heard a lengthy silence from the bridge of the Solong before it crashed into the oil tanker at a speed of 15.2 knots. A full minute elapsed before Motin was heard to react.

Motin and the remaining Solong crew abandoned ship and were brought ashore in Grimsby, where the defendant messaged his wife, saying he would be guilty.

In his defence, Motin denied he had been asleep or had left his post on the bridge.

open image in gallery Vladimir Motin, 59, denied a charge of gross negligence manslaughter ( CPS )

He told jurors that he held off taking action when he saw the Stena Immaculate dead ahead because it was moving slowly but unpredictably.

He then made a mistake and pressed the wrong button when he tried to take the Solong out of autopilot and steer away from a nautical mile away.

Not realising the error, he told jurors that he proceeded to stop and restart the steering gear to no effect, thinking the Solong could have developed a rudder fault experienced by sister ship, Sanskip Express.

Motin said he decided against a crash stop because he feared the Solong would collide with the accommodation block, killing the American tanker crew.

He told jurors: I thought the distance to stop is not enough. I put life of American crew in danger if I hit accommodation.

The prosecution suggested Motin had lied about what happened to get back to his wife in Russia and gave differing accounts to police and jurors.

open image in gallery The damage suffered by the Stena Immaculate ( Humberside Police )

Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker had told jurors: It would have been blindingly obvious to him that he had pressed the wrong button, and how to rectify it if that is what happened.

The reality is that he did nothing to avoid collision. Instead, he launched into a problem that had never occurred on the Solong.

There were no mechanical or electronic difficulties on the Solong. The rudder was working. The only thing that was not working on March 10 2025 was the man in the dock.

She said jurors may conclude that Motin had a lax attitude and thought he knew better than anyone else.

She pointed to the fact that he had switched off the Solongs bridge navigation watch alert system, which was designed to ensure there is someone physically on the bridge and awake.

The prosecution said his failures were exceptionally bad, they amount to gross negligence.

Motin will be sentenced on Thursday.
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A convicted serial killer has pleaded guilty more than a quarter of a century on to killing 17-year-old Victoria Hall, his sixth murder victim.

Steve Wright, 67, had been due to go on trial at the Old Bailey for the murder of Victoria, who disappeared more than 25 years ago.

But the killer  sometimes referred to as the Suffolk Strangler  changed his plea on Monday and finally admitted Victorias kidnap by force or fraud and murder, on 19 September 1999. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted kidnap of Emily Doherty, 22, in Felixstowe, the day before.

It is the first time that one of Britains most notorious killers has admitted responsibility for any of his crimes, despite pleas from his own family to come clean.

Balding and bespectacled, Wright appeared in the dock of the Old Bailey and spoke only to confirm his name and enter pleas. Mr Justice Bennathan said he would sentence him on Friday to give Ms Halls family the chance to attend and submit victim impact statements.

open image in gallery Steve Wright (front left) appearing in the dock of the Old Bailey ( PA )

Wright, a former merchant seaman, who is being held at Category A HMP Long Lartin, in Worcestershire, is already serving a whole life prison sentence for the murders of five women seven years after Victoria was killed.

The guilty pleas came after Mr Justice Bennathan ruled that jurors in the scheduled trial could be told of Wrights murder convictions. Prosecutors had argued that there were similarities between the murders, pointing out that all six women were asphyxiated, left in similar places, and shared a physical type.

The prosecution also argued for the trial to include evidence of a sex worker that Wright knew well, who claimed he was familiar with the area linked to Victorias murder.

open image in gallery Wright admitted to kidnapping and murdering Victoria Hall, 17, in 1999 ( Suffolk Police )

Victoria, from Trimley St Mary, had left home on the evening of 18 September 1999 for a night out with a friend at the Bandbox nightclub in neighbouring Felixstowe. They left the venue at around 1am the following morning and walked back, saying goodnight just yards from Victorias home at around 2.20am.

However the sixth-former, who was hoping to study sociology at university in Roehampton, west London, never made it home safely.

Her naked body was found by a dog walker five days later in a ditch in Creeting St Peter, around 25 miles from where she was last seen.

In 2001, a businessman stood trial for Victorias murder, when prosecutors argued that soil samples on a foot pedal of his Porsche 944 were similar to samples from the murder scene, but jurors acquitted him in just 90 minutes.

Victorias mother, Lorinda, died last December, before her daughters actual killer could be brought to justice.

open image in gallery Serial killer Steve Wright targeted five women in Ipswich in 2006 ( Suffolk Police )

Following the guilty pleas, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said justice had finally been achieved for the teenager after 26 years.

Samantha Woolley, a specialist prosecutor who led the case against Wright, said: The meticulous work we have carried out with Suffolk Police, supporting their restarted investigation over the past six years, and working hard to build this case to court, has resulted in Wright admitting his guilt.

This outcome should make plain that time does not preclude a successful prosecution; we will doggedly pursue justice for the victims of non-recent crimes, no matter how many decades have passed.

Our thoughts remain with Victorias family, and all those who loved and cherished her, at this incredibly difficult time. We also hold in mind Emily Doherty and her family, and anyone else affected by this tragic case.

Assistant chief constable Alice Scott, of Suffolk Constabulary, said: I am relieved that [Victorias] family have been spared the ordeal of a trial. However, I am acutely aware that despite todays conviction, they will continue to live with the trauma of having Victoria ripped away from them at such a young age and in such horrific circumstances. I would like to thank them for the unwavering support they provided to the investigation team and pay tribute to them for the patience and dignity they have shown over such a long period of time.

open image in gallery The Bandbox club in Felixstowe, Suffolk, where Victoria Hall had been on a night out before she disappeared ( PA )

Wrights crimes terrorised Ipswich as police hunted for a serial killer who targeted five women over a matter of weeks in 2006.

Tania Nicol, 19, vanished from Ipswichs red light area on 30 October that year, followed by Gemma Adams, 25, around two weeks later, triggering a major inquiry. Ms Adamss body was found in a stream on 2 December, followed by the discovery of Ms Nicols remains in a pond on 8 December.

The remains of Anneli Alderton, 24, were found two days later in woods, and sex workers in the town were urged to stay off the streets. On 12 December, the bodies of Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, were also discovered near woods.

open image in gallery The five other victims of Ipswich serial killer Steve Wright were (from left) Anneli Alderton, Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls ( Suffolk Police )

The bodies of two of those five victims, who were all sex workers in Ipswichs red light area, had been posed in a cruciform shape with their arms outstretched. All of them had been choked or strangled, according to pathologists.

At Wrights trial at Ipswich Crown Court in 2008, prosecutors said he hadt systematically selected and murdered the women after stalking streets around his home. He was seen cruising the red light district around the time each of the women vanished. DNA and fibres linked to his clothes, house and car were found on the women.

Wright, a former steward on the QE2, admitted picking up the women for sex on the nights they vanished but denied any involvement in their deaths.

Following his conviction for five murders, the victims relatives  and Wrights father, Conrad  said he should have been executed.

Wright will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday.
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Britain has revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat, the Foreign Office announced, in a retaliatory move after Moscow accused a British envoy of being a spy before his expulsion.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed that Russian ambassador Andrey Kelin had been summoned to explain what it described as an "unprovoked and unjustified" decision by Russia.

The FCDO further stated it would not "stand for intimidation of British embassy staff", accusing Russia of attempting to "deter our support for Ukraine" through its actions.

In a statement, a spokesperson for FCDO said: We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russias unprovoked and unjustified decision to expel a British diplomat last month and its baseless accusations against our staff.

Summoning the Russian ambassador, a senior FCDO official made it clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and so we are taking reciprocal action today, revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.

It is deeply disappointing that Russia continually seeks to disrupt the work of the UKs diplomatic missions and deter our support for Ukraine. Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly.

open image in gallery The statement from the FCDO added that it will not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff, as it accused Russia of seeking to deter our support for Ukraine ( Associated Press )

This latest move by the Foreign Office comes after Russia expelled a British diplomat from the country in the middle of last month after accusing him of acting as a spy.

Moscows foreign ministry said it acted after receiving information regarding the affiliation of a diplomatic employee at the embassy with the British secret service.

According to a translation of a post on its Telegram channel, the ministry said it had summoned British charge daffaires Danae Dholakia to lodge a strong protest and inform her the diplomat was being expelled.

The ministry did not identify the diplomat, but said he must leave Russia within two weeks.

Saying Moscow would not tolerate the activities of undeclared British intelligence officers, the ministry warned Russia would respond decisively in kind if London escalates the situation.

open image in gallery This latest move by the Foreign Office comes after Russia expelled a British diplomat from the country in the middle of last month after accusing him of acting as a spy ( PA Archive )

Responding to the move at the time, Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the Press Association: I dont think we should put too much stock in what the Kremlin has to say.

You normally know when theyre lying, because their lips are moving.

Weve seen the appalling barbarity of this Russian regime. Weve seen that on the continent of Europe. Weve seen it in particular in Ukraine, and weve seen it with the unnecessarily aggressive posture theyve adopted towards other European countries.
Elton John, Prince Harry and Doreen Lawrence may seem unlikely bedfellows in their breach of privacy claim against Associated Newspapers. But as she takes the stand at the High Court today, Lawrence will arguably give the most searing exposition of the very human side to this legal action: the tireless fight of the mother of a murdered son.

Her legal team have variously described her as haunted, disappointed and determined in the build-up to her legal action against Associated Newspapers, owners of the Daily Mail, the latest in a series of court actions that have been brought against newspapers in recent years.

But what marks out this weeks appareance on the stand is that Lawrence is facing the former media ally she believes betrayed her. Lawrences name has been intertwined with the Daily Mail for decades since the murder of her aspiring architect son, Stephen, in an unprovoked racist attack in southeast London in 1993.

From the start, Lawrence was convinced racism was key to the murder  and the deeply flawed police investigation.

open image in gallery Stephen Lawrence was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack in southeast London in 1993 ( Family handout )

Coming across a Black family who have no criminal background is new to them, an alien concept, she told the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry in 1998. It was like you have to be a criminal if you are Black.

Refusing to be silenced in the years after the murder, Doreen and Stephens father, Neville, started a high-profile campaign to spotlight the impact of racism on the case and Metropolitan Police failures. But still no one was prosecuted for Stephens murder, and they launched a landmark private prosecution against three suspects in 1994.

When the case collapsed, it seemed as if the Lawrences had reached the end of the road due to double jeopardy rules that did not allow suspects to be tried twice.

open image in gallery Doreen and Neville Lawrence, parents of Stephen, during a news conference in 1999 at the Home Office after hearing the outcome of the judicial inquiry into their sons death ( PA )

Then in 1997, the Daily Mail published an explosive front page: MURDERERS ran the headline with pictures of five men underneath. The Mail accuses these men of killing. If we are wrong, let them sue us.

Lawrence, it seemed, now had a formidable media ally. A combination of the Lawrencess inexhaustible campaigning, media coverage, public outcry and political will converged to trigger an official inquiry. In 1999, the Macpherson report ruled the investigation was incompetent and described the Metropolitan Police as institutionally racist. The double jeopardy rule was subsequently reformed, and in 2012, Gary Dobson and David Norris were convicted of murder.

After almost 30 years, Lawrence had finally seen her sons killers brought to justice, and the Mail was an indelible part of that story. The paper had a story behind the story when Neville Lawrence worked as a decorator at the home of then editor Paul Dacre.

The Daily Mail has been one of the biggest supporters for us over this story, Neville Lawrence later told BBC Radio London. But then, in late 2022, the news broke that Lawrence was taking legal action against Associated Newspapers after joining forces with several high-profile figures.

open image in gallery The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge talk to Lawrence as they leave the Stephen Lawrence Centre in Deptford 11 years ago ( Getty )

And across the court filings, statements and pre-trial hearings since then, details have emerged of the allegations: that Lawrence was subject to covert electronic surveillance both before and during the Mails campaign for justice on behalf of her son.

She finds it hard to believe the level of duplicity and manipulation that was clearly at play, knowing now as she does that the Daily Mails outward support for her fight to bring Stephens killers to justice was hollow and, worse, entirely false, barrister David Sherborne told the High Court in a pre-trial hearing in 2023.

[She] now sees that the Daily Mails true interests were about self-promotion and using her and her sons murder as a means to generate exclusive headlines, sell newspapers and to profit.

[She] cannot think of any act or conduct lower than stealing and exploiting information from a mother who buried her son for this reason. She feels used and violated, and like she has been taken for a fool.

Yesterday, Baroness Doreen Lawrence claimed the Daily Mail was pretending to support her in getting justice for her murdered son, but was made to feel like a victim again after learning about alleged phone hacking.

While giving evidence at the High Court in her claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail, the peer said the publication just wanted the credibility of supporting a black family.

In written submissions, Antony White KC, representing ANL, said the allegations in relation to Lady Lawrence are denied in their entirety and are unsupported by the available evidence.

He added: They are the product of an attempt by members of the claimants research team, adopted by Baroness Lawrence and her legal representatives, to present a case of unlawful information-gathering against Associated based entirely on spurious and/or discredited information, none of which is before the court in the form of proper admissible evidence.

In fact, the reality is that the information in each of the articles was obtained by entirely legitimate reporting and based on the sources identified by Associated in its defence and evidence.

He also said that the publisher is able to call a witness or witnesses from the top down to explain how the article was sourced in relation to almost every article alleged to be the product of phone hacking or phone tapping.

open image in gallery Neville Lawrence worked as a decorator at the home of the Daily Mails then editor Paul Dacre ( PA )

But if Lawrence has proved one thing over the past three decades: her capacity to keep fighting for what she believes in is tireless. Now aged 73, she was living an ordinary life as a 40-year-old bank worker and mother of three when Stephen was stabbed repeatedly as he waited at a bus stop and left to die.

Early experiences had taught Lawrence about the insidious impact of racism. After emigrating to London from Jamaica aged nine, for instance, she wasnt encouraged by teachers at school, despite displaying a talent for maths.

I think they looked at us Black girls and thought we probably wouldnt come to anything much, she told The Big Issue in 2022. That factory work is what wed move into rather than an office job.

We were so young, we didnt understand quite what was going on, so when we were all put into the lower classes, we didnt push for the opportunities the white students were getting.

open image in gallery Lawrence introduces then MP Keir Starmer during a Q&A session at the Mechanics Institute, best known as the birthplace of the British Trade Union Congress, in 2020 ( Getty )

When her son was murdered, however, Lawrence was not prepared to back down, and pushed to ensure her sons murder was investigated with the same vigour as any other. Shes since said her instinct was to fight and in the almost 30 years it took to bring Stephens killers to account, she transformed into one of the UKs most effective  and admired  campaigners.

Her work to highlight the failings in Stephens case soon led her to start advocating for other victims of racist crime and police reform. But in the intervening years, Lawrence has worked to challenge disadvantage and racial prejudice on many levels.

The Stephen Day Foundation, for instance, covers everything from education initiatives to career mentorship to create opportunities for lasting change. She sits on the board of human rights organisation Liberty and is a patron of anti-discrimination charity Stop Hate UK. In 2020, she was appointed the race relations adviser to the Labour Party and produced a report detailing how decades of disadvantage and structural racism meant Covid had a disproportionate impact on Black and minority ethnic communities. She continues to sit on the Joint Committee for Human Rights.

Given an OBE in 2003 for services to community relations, Lawrence was made a life peer in 2013, and 25 years after Stephens death, her long-held wish to see a national day of commemoration in her sons name was realised. She has proven again and again that she is impassioned and dogged in her belief that the world can be a better place.

open image in gallery Finding a way forward: Lawrence has proven her dedication to her beliefs again and again, pushing past injustice ( Getty )

But she has not, however, always found the spotlight easy. Despite all her accomplishments since, I sometimes dont even recognise myself, Lawrence told the Royal Television Society in 2014. Im a very quiet person. I dont like to stand out from the crowd  I like to be in the background. But I felt that because of what happened, I had to have a voice.

At the heart of her story, however, remains a mothers love for her much-mourned son.

The truth is, Stephen died, he was killed, and nobody really cared, she told The Big Issue. A young Black boy  as far as the police and a lot of other people were concerned, he must have been a drug dealer. He must have been doing something wrong. They never saw the child.

In rare moments, Lawrence has revealed that her energy and dedication have come at a cost. When she and Neville divorced after 28 years together in 1999, Lawrence stressed that it was not because of Stephens death or legal proceedings but the feeling of being alone and unsupported.

For the past 32 years, I havent had the opportunity to grieve my son properly because I have had to challenge every step of the way, she told the Undercover Policing Inquiry last November.

Today, as she steps into the witness box, Lawrence will once again challenge the next step.
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Baroness Doreen Lawrence has claimed the Daily Mail was pretending to support her in getting justice for her murdered son, but was made to feel like a victim again after learning about alleged phone hacking.

While giving evidence at the High Court in her claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail, the peer said the publication just wanted the credibility of supporting a black family.

Baroness Lawrence is best known for her campaigning after the racist murder of her 18-year-old son Stephen, in 1993.

open image in gallery Lawrence said she found it very painful to be in court giving evidence because she had built up trust with the Daily Mail and journalist Stephen Wright ( Reuters )

She is one of a group of household names bringing legal action against ANL alleging unlawful information gathering.

The publisher strongly denies wrongdoing and is defending the claims brought by a group of seven, including the Duke of Sussex, Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish.

Lady Lawrences claims relate to five articles that were published between 1997 and 2007.

Her lawyers claim she was extensively targeted by private investigators and ANL.

On Monday, Lady Lawrence told the High Court in London that she found it very painful to be in court giving evidence because she had built up trust with the Daily Mail and journalist Stephen Wright.

She added: Because there are very few people that I trust, very few people that I talk to.

I thought we had a relatively good relationship with him and I have been played for such a long time.

Lady Lawrence continued: To find out now that after all that time, the level of trust that I had built up, to find that all that time hes been lying to me and pretending that he was supporting my case and supporting getting justice for Stephen...

The peer also said she felt that she had never been able to grieve for my son properly because of her experience with the police.

open image in gallery Stephen Lawrence was murdered in 1993 ( Family handout )

She added: Were they really fighting for justice for my son, or were they just pretending that they were to sell their papers?

At the time, it looked as if they were supporting us. But how many other black families have they supported?

Theyve used me and my son to give them credibility for supporting a black family. But at the end of the day, I dont think they have.

The court heard that Lady Lawrence did not complain about the five articles at the time they were published, because it was not something that she was thinking about.

She said: But who do I complain to, because at the time it is not at the forefront of my mind.

The forefront of my mind is constantly how the police are handling Stephens case.

I complain to the police, I think they are probably leaking information. It didnt occur to me.

When youre suffering and going through grief, you dont think, I must make sure that I challenge what is in the newspaper.

How I challenge it is going through the police  I believe they are the ones who are leaking information.

In her witness statement, she said she felt that she was a victim again by people who I thought were my allies and friends.

In written submissions, Antony White KC, representing ANL, said the allegations in relation to Lady Lawrence are denied in their entirety and are unsupported by the available evidence.

He added: They are the product of an attempt by members of the claimants research team, adopted by Baroness Lawrence and her legal representatives, to present a case of unlawful information-gathering against Associated based entirely on spurious and/or discredited information, none of which is before the court in the form of proper admissible evidence.

In fact, the reality is that the information in each of the articles was obtained by entirely legitimate reporting and based on the sources identified by Associated in its defence and evidence.

He also said that the publisher is able to call a witness or witnesses to explain how the article was sourced in relation to almost every article alleged to be the product of phone hacking or phone tapping.

The barrister continued in written submissions: From the top down, Associateds editors, desk heads and journalists, many of whom have worked at the company for many years and even decades, are lining up to reject the claimants allegations of habitual and widespread phone hacking, phone tapping and blagging within the organisation, whilst acknowledging where appropriate the use of TPIs (third party investigators) to obtain information prior to April 2007 when their use was largely banned.

The trial before Mr Justice Nicklin is due to conclude in March with a written judgment expected at a later date.
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Millions of low-income and universal credit households in the UK are missing out on potentially thousands of pounds in hidden benefits and support to help ease the sky-high cost of living.

To boost the spending power of those most in need, many organisations now offer support and discounts outside of benefits administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Several of these do not even require an active benefit award to be eligible.

Local councils, energy firms, water providers, the NHS and more all have means of support on offer to help people ensure the essentials are provided for.

Research by Policy in Practice estimates that more than 7.5 million people will miss out on 24bn worth of benefits and support in 2025-2026. Reasons for this level of underclaiming include lack of awareness, complexity, and stigma.

open image in gallery Research suggests that more than 7.5 million people will miss out on benefits and support in 2025-2026 ( Getty Images )

Anna Stevenson, benefits expert at Turn2us, said: Many people dont realise that claiming universal credit or pension credit can open the door to extra support.

These forms of support exist because the main rate of benefits often doesnt fully cover essential living costs. They are designed to help people meet specific needs, but awareness is low and many people miss out simply because the system is complex and hard to navigate.

Using a benefits calculator can help people check what support theyre entitled to and make sure nothing is overlooked. The Turn2us Benefits Calculator helps people understand both their main benefit entitlements and the extra support they may be eligible for.

Here are seven of the main forms of extra support available.

Council tax discounts

Those who meet certain criteria or are on certain benefits may be able to apply for a discount on their council tax of up to 100 per cent (this is sometimes called council tax support).

Each local council runs its own scheme, so eligibility can differ. Those who can demonstrate they are facing severe hardship and cant afford to pay their council tax may still get a discretionary reduction from their authority.

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Around 2.5 million households will miss out on an average of 1,286 in 2025-2026, Policy in Practice estimates.

More information can be found on the governments website.

Free school meals

More than 2 million children in the UK currently receive free school meals, with this figure set to rise by half a million in September when eligibility is expanded to children of all parents receiving universal credit.

open image in gallery Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to a school in Essex following the governments announcement that over half a million more children will get free school meals ( PA Wire )

Under current rules, only children living in households with an income of less than 7,400 per year are eligible. The government estimates the expansion will lift 100,000 children out of poverty as a result.

However, an estimated 123,000 children across the UK are currently missing out on the provision, despite being eligible. The expansion does not introduce auto-enrolment, meaning parents are advised to apply in good time.

Help with healthcare costs

In certain cases, people claiming specific benefits or on low incomes can get extra support with healthcare-related costs through the NHS.

Those on income support, and income-based JSA or ESA, are automatically entitled to free NHS prescriptions, dental treatment, sight tests, and wigs. Refunds of necessary travel costs can also be claimed.

However, these legacy benefits will cease to be paid from April, when they will be fully replaced by universal credit.

Universal credit claimants are only eligible for the same support if their monthly household take-home pay is 435 or less, or 935 or less if claiming the child or health-related element.

The NHS also runs a low-income scheme which anyone with less than 16,000 in savings can apply for. This can help pay for the items listed above.

Energy bill discounts

As the cost of energy remains stubbornly high post Covid-19, there are many means of support available to help bring costs down.

One of the central DWP-administered schemes is the warm home discount, an annual 150 rebate which was recently extended to 2030-2031.

open image in gallery The Labour Government made an election pledge to cut the publics energy bills by 300 a year ( PA Archive )

The scheme was also expanded last year to include 2.7 million more families, bringing the total to around six million.

Those claiming certain benefits like universal credit and pension credit should get a letter confirming their eligibility in the winter, with the automatic discount coming later.

Crucially, this does not apply to those living in Scotland, who must apply for the scheme in most cases.

A number of energy suppliers offer help for those struggling with their energy bills. These include British Gas, Scottish Power, EDF, E.ON, OVO and Octopus.

Water bill support

For those struggling with household costs, social tariffs are available for both broadband and water bills. This will mean a reduced rate for certain eligible households.

Every water company operating in the UK has a social tariff by law. However, the amount on offer can vary between regions and, because water providers cant be chosen like energy providers, the support has been criticised as a postcode lottery.

For instance, some offer as much as 90 per cent off bills, while others cap support at a 20 per cent reduction.

Discounted travel

Those claiming universal credit may be able to get up to 50 per cent off transport costs with the Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount card.

This cuts the price of selected rail tickets, as well as bus and Tube services in London.

The card is issued at the discretion of Jobcentre staff. Claimants aged between 18 and 24 can get the card for three to nine months at a time, while those aged 25 and over can get it for up to 12.

Social broadband tariffs

Many broadband providers offer social tariffs to those on certain benefits like universal credit or pension credit. Regulator Ofcom has a guide to what is on offer.
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The manager of London's One Hyde Park apartment block, one of the world's most expensive addresses, on Monday won its lawsuit against a British construction giant for just over 35 million ($47.98 million) in pipework repairs.

One Hyde Park was developed by British brothers Christian and Nick Candy with Qatari businessman Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani. One apartment in the block is currently on sale for 175 million ($240 million).

Lawyers representing One Hyde Park Limited, which owns the freehold, said pipework in the properties became corroded because it was not properly installed.

The apartment complex was designed and constructed by a subsidiary of Laing O'Rourke, Laing O'Rourke Construction South Limited, and completed in 2011.

Laing O'Rourke Construction South Limited denied that the pipework was in disrepair, but did not send representatives to defend the case at a hearing last year. Laing O'Rourke did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

One Hyde Park sued at London's High Court to cover the cost of removing and replacing the majority of the pipework, which would require tenants to move out in stages while the work is carried out.

open image in gallery The One Hyde Park apartment complex was designed and constructed by a subsidiary of Laing O'Rourke, Laing O'Rourke Construction South Limited, and completed in 2011 ( GETTY IMAGES )

Judge Nerys Jefford ruled One Hyde Park was responsible for the repair of the pipework  which comprised 34.4 million of the claim's value  and that it had corroded because Laing O'Rourke failed to properly install insulation, meaning it was in breach of contract and liable for remedial works.

She also ruled in One Hyde Park's favour on the rest of its lawsuit, which a spokesperson for One Hyde Park described as "a decisive victory for all the residents at One Hyde Park".

"We are committed to ensuring Laing O'Rourke is held fully accountable and makes full and fair payment for the construction defects it has been found responsible for," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Billed as the ultimate luxury for the super-rich, the developments 86 apartments initially went on the market for up to 136 million in 2008 but have not necessarily proved lucrative for buyers.
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A police sergeant who threatened the bosses of a driving school after his son was unable to take a course has been dismissed from the force.

Gabriel Chandler, who had worked for Kent Police since 2002, waged a campaign of abuse against driving school Intensives UK after his son failed to complete the requirements to begin an intensive driving course with the company.

A misconduct hearing, held between 8 and 12 December 2025, found his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and he was dismissed without notice.

PS Chandler sent a series of abusive emails and made a high number of calls to bosses of Intensives UK and company owner Mark Elliot, making false claims that the firm was linked to funding drugs, paedophilia and child sexual exploitation as he accused it of running a scam.

After booking the course in June 2021, the sergeant paid 1,359 to the company, comprising a deposit and fees, with the deposit non-refundable. Before the driving course could begin, his son was required to have passed a theory test.

After his son had either failed or not taken the theory test and could not take the course, PS Chandler demanded a full refund and was offered 1,122 in March 2022, which he did not accept.

From February to August 2022, PS Chandler sometimes made between 30 and 50 calls per day to Mr Elliot and the Intensives UK office number, as he used his status as a police officer to threaten them and mention jail time in response to the situation, the misconduct panel found.

In an email on 11 March, he wrote: Detective Sergeant Gabriel Candler (sic) at your service. Please call me any time. You can look up criminals I've taken over the years on [local news website] Kent online.

open image in gallery PS Chandler had worked for Kent Police since 2002 ( PA )

That same day, he also sent to the company: Do the right thing because once this starts, I can't stop it.

Youre (sic) homes and offices will be raided. You will all face heavy custodial sentences. And in my experience fraudsters arent built for prison. Your families theyll be ripped apart.

The panel also found that, during that period, the officer also left numerous, malicious and persistent reviews online to business pages linked to the company, in which he accused them of being fraudulent.

He also stated: Return the money you have stolen from all these people and close down your fraudulent sites as he claimed that the staff at Intensives UK were organised criminals who are linked on the dark web for funding drugs, paedophilia and child sexual exploitation.

In a further abusive email on 20 March, he wrote: Your (sic) a thief. I will will (sic) be on you relentlessly till I see you inside or you pay back my money.

Yes Im enjoying this. Lots more to come. Dig in for another week. Im not going anywhere.

Try and sleep. While you can. A storms (sic) heading your way.

Mr Elliot reported the matter to the police in August 2022. In response, PS Chandler emailed the forces professional standards department stating that he wished to make them aware of potential malicious reports from criminals.

In the hearing, PS Chandler said he felt he had to communicate in such a manner to demonstrate to the company that he was not going to allow it to push him around, as he felt it had done to other people who had complained.

The report added: He believed the company was operating in a fraudulent manner and he had to protect the public from them, particularly pensioners, young people and children.

However, the panel did not accept this explanation. It found he was an experienced and intelligent officer, but said he used his position to seek to threaten and intimidate Mark Elliot and the company.

It decided that the only sanction it could pass was dismissing PS Chandler without notice.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Armory, Kent Polices head of professional standards, said: Even when off duty, police officers are still held to the highest standards of professional conduct and in this case PC Chandlers behaviour fell far below what is expected of our officers and staff.

The vast majority of Kent Police officers and staff uphold the expected standards of Kent Police, often going above and beyond to ensure crimes are solved, victims are protected and offenders are brought to justice.

When officers do not conduct themselves in the manner expected, either on or off duty, it is only right that they are held accountable for their actions.
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Social media users who tout illegal routes into the UK face up to five years in prison as the Home Office continues its attempt to crack down on small boat crossings.

On Monday, ministers will activate part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, passed last year, to clamp down on adverts telling migrants how they can circumvent immigration checks.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) Online Communications Centre will trawl through thousands of social media accounts as part of the campaign.

The latest measures form part of a broader effort to curb illegal immigration and tackle the threat posed by Reform UK amid surging approval ratings for Nigel Farages party, with border security minister Alex Norris saying his message to people smugglers is: We are coming after you.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled a number of measures to curb illegal migration ( PA Wire )

Immigration authorities already have the power to target social media users, but only if they can prove online content directly led to a migration offence.

The NCAs work saw more than 10,000 social media accounts, pages and posts linked to people smuggling shut down last year, which was a record according to the government.

But the new offence will target social media users posting adverts before migrants arrive on UK soil.

It is thought so-called service agents, middlemen who link migrants up with facilitators for small boats crossings and other routes, could be targeted with the new powers.

Speaking to the Press Association, Mr Norris said: Social media ads promoting the corrupt promise of a life and work in the UK are truly sickening.

To the people smugglers peddling this content, whether you are selling your vile trade online through golden package deals, supplying boat equipment or researching routes, we are coming after you.

I will not stop until weve restored order and control to our borders.

One social media post thought to be in the scope of the offence, seen by PA, advertised by truck  safe reach London UK in two hours from France.

Another TikTok post, written in Pashto, offered a one-hour jet boat from France to London at a cost of 4,000 dollars, according to a government translation.

A third post, a Facebook comment also in Pashto, included a phone number, if anyone wants to go to Turkey, Iran, Iraq, France, Germany, Italy, London, Austria, Switzerland.

On a visit to Ethiopia this week, the foreign secretary will unveil plans for closer cooperation on illegal migration after UK government assessments indicated that an increasing proportion of total arrivals across the Channel and across the Mediterranean are coming from the Horn of Africa.

The new co-operation will include job creation partnerships backed by UK investment to tackle the economic drivers of illegal migration, the Foreign Office said, as well as new partnerships with Ethiopian authorities to tackle criminal smuggler gangs and speed up returns.

The Foreign Secretary will sign a Joint Development Agreement this week to take forward two energy transmission projects totalling over $400m developed by Gridworks - a British International Investment company that delivers UK investment across Africa  as well as providing more funding and support for Ethiopian law-enforcement agencies.

The latest measures come just days after the home secretary admitted that more migrants have come to the UK under the governments flagship one in, one out scheme than have been deported to France - despite the scheme being aimed at reducing the number of people who make the dangerous crossing.

Some 350 asylum seekers have been brought to Britain from France under the scheme, which started in September last year, compared to just 281 people who have been removed.

A total of 933 people have arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats this year so far. No one has made the dangerous journey since January 20.

Despite Labour being elected on a pledge to "smash the gangs" and curb small boat crossings, nearly 65,000 people have made the journey to Britain since Labour was elected in July 2024.

With critics increasingly saying the government had failed to get a grip on the issue, ministers were last year forced to unveil sweeping reforms to the asylum system.

In November, Ms Mahmood announced plans to rewrite how Britain grants refuge to those fleeing conflict and upheaval an overhaul she insisted is needed because the pace and scale of change destabilised communities.

She promised bring forward a Bill to change how the right to family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is applied in migration court cases, meaning only those with immediate relatives, like children or parents, will be able to remain in the UK in future.

The home secretary also announced plans to change the law so that multiple attempts to appeal against refusals for asylum will no longer be allowed.

And just this week, Sir Keir Starmer announced during his trip to China that he had negotiated a deal with the Chinese authorities aimed at preventing boat motors made in the country from ending up in the hands of people smugglers.

Some 60 per cent of the boats which crossed the Channel last year had motors made in China.

But the government has also faced criticism for copying Reform UK after launching a new TikTok account earlier this year showing videos boasting about deportations and arrests, and sharing videos on social media of illegal working raids.
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Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of failing to secure an assurance that British citizen Jimmy Lai would be released, despite going to China with the title deeds to a mega-embassy in the back pocket.

Lord Alton of Liverpool, who had previously been sanctioned by the communist regime, criticised the Prime Minister in Parliament on Monday.

Foreign minister Baroness Chapman of Darlington argued Mr Lai should be freed immediately but said the government would not get everything we want with one visit.

Sir Keir headed to China after the government gave the go-ahead to Beijings proposed new super-embassy in London, despite security concerns.

During his trip, the Prime Minister raised Mr Lais case with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mr Lai, 78, is the founder of now-defunct Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily and has been an influential figure in the territorys pro-democracy movement.

He has been detained for more than five years, much of that time in solitary confinement, having been arrested in 2020 during a crackdown on protests.

Starmer raised Mr Lais case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his trip to China ( House of Commons )

In December, he was found guilty by a Hong Kong court of conspiracy and sedition, sparking condemnation.

Lord Alton warned that Mr Lai was likely to die in prison unless he was released soon.

He added: I am not opposed to us visiting China, but why did we go with the title deeds to a mega-embassy in the back pocket without first extracting an assurance that there would be some reciprocity with the release of Jimmy Lai?

In reply, Lady Chapman said: We agree that Jimmy Lai ought to be released immediately because he should not be imprisoned.

It is right that the UK government engage with China. After such a long time of the UK not having engaged in this way, this is not the sort of situation where we get everything we want with one visit. The relationship will improve.

It is good that we are engaging and that we are clear on what we expect and want to happen for Jimmy Lai. Engagement and challenge are not mutually exclusive, they go hand in hand.

Earlier, she told peers: The UK condemns in the strongest terms the politically motivated prosecution of British national Jimmy Lai.

Mr Lai has been targeted for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression, and that is why we summoned the Chinese ambassador following his verdict and why we raise his case at every opportunity.

The Prime Minister raised it directly with President Xi last week, calling on the Hong Kong authorities to release him on humanitarian grounds.
Sir Keir Starmer leads a party that looks increasingly unable to govern itself.

Despite a Commons majority almost as large as Tony Blairs and a government still in its infancy, Labour appears locked in near-constant internal conflict  something not seen on this scale since the 1970s.

Too many colleagues seem more interested in fighting each other than in governing  or in taking on Nigel Farage.

The immediate flashpoint is the Andy Burnham row, and the decision of 50 Labour MPs to sign a letter demanding that Starmer reverse his move to block Burnhams return to the Commons. The protest was never going to succeed, but it revealed a deeper malaise.

That malaise can be traced back to Starmers leadership bid following the 2019 general election. To win, he had to support Corbynism, which made it far harder later to argue the case for not supporting it. The result was paralysis in opposition, poor preparation for government, and a cycle of rebellions and U-turns once in power.

Policy confusion has only sharpened the sense of drift, from welfare to migration and Brexit. Yet I do not think Starmer himself is the central problem. Unless Labour fixes the NHS, raises living standards and stops the boats, Nigel Farage will continue to benefit  whoever leads the party.

In a recent Q&A with Independent readers, I answered your questions on Labours internal chaos, Andy Burnhams ambitions, policy reversals and Reforms rise.

Here are some of them  and my answers:

Q: Is Labour now an unruly party, like a school in special measures?

Laertes

A: I rather like your school analogy. I think it applies in all organisations: good leaders are clear about what they are trying to do, always making the arguments for it, always visible, accountable and open.

There is a tension, though, between leading from the front and listening to the troops, and managing that is the real test of a good leader. I fear that Keir Starmer hasnt managed it well. He is visible, although I think he gives too many interviews without a clear idea of what he wants to get across, and he has allowed his MPs to push him around with negative consequences for the public finances.

Q: Will Farage win big unless Labour replaces Starmer?

YetAnotherName

A: I do not think Keir Starmer is the problem. I think the government has to stop the boats, improve the NHS and hope living standards rise. Wes Streeting or Shabana Mahmood might be better communicators, but unless Labour fixes the nations problems Nigel Farage will win.

I have no idea how many seats Reform will win, or whether Farage can hold it together for another three years, but I think everything else is secondary.

Q: Should Starmer take responsibility if the SNP retain power and push for another referendum?

Imsethorus

A: No, and nor should he! It would have been better if he had not become so unpopular so quickly, but if separatism is going to be decided by the passing ups and downs of UK government opinion-poll ratings that would be very wrong.

However, I dont believe that an SNP government will have a majority, and it certainly wont have a majority of votes, not even with the Greens and Alba, and even if it did it would not be able to hold another referendum.

We had a referendum that was good for a generation, and since then the objective case for independence has become weaker. The SNP still hasnt explained how it will meet the costs of independence or what the currency will be.

Q: Is Starmers leadership too shallow, creating a rift with Labour MPs?

JovianOlympus

A: I think a fundamental problem of the project to install Starmer as leader following the 2019 general election was the necessity of pretending to support Corbynism, which made it hard to argue the case for then not supporting it.

I admire Keir Starmers ruthlessness in winning the leadership as a soft Corbynite and former DPP, but he hasnt explained the change since and this paralysis, as you call it, meant that he and his colleagues failed to prepare for government.

Q: How should Andy Burnham balance leadership ambitions with party unity?

TPJr

A: I agree Andy Burnham is in a tricky position, although he is making things worse by complaining about his treatment by the party. He should have known Keir Starmer wouldnt let him be a candidate, and, having made the mistake of putting himself forward for it, he should have accepted the decision with good grace.

He is in a tricky position, too, because he should support the party (and its leader) vigorously, while setting out the sort of policies that will continue to persuade people that he would be a better leader. That is a difficult balancing act, and my view is that too many of his supporters look at superficial opinion polls that suggest voters are more favourable to him than to Starmer  but they overlook the forced-choice questions asked by Ipsos, which found that Starmer did better when people were forced to choose between either Starmer or Burnham and Nigel Farage.

Q: Should Labour be aiming for a female leader instead of Burnham?

Gluben

A: I like Angela Rayner and think she is a great politician. Unfortunately, she did not achieve much as a minister except push through the Employment Rights Bill, which loads costs on employers and which had to be made less damaging after she had gone.

Also, she is not popular with the wider public, which I think is class prejudice rather than sexism, but it is not obvious that she is the answer to Labours problems any more than Andy Burnham is  or Louise Haigh for that matter.

Q: Is the gap between Labours rhetoric and reality  including Brexit  politically damaging?

wolfie

A: Yes, Keir Starmer is addicted to over-emphasis and absolutism. I do not know how precisely to stop the boats, but I refuse to believe that it is not possible.

On Brexit: lots of Leave voters think that leaving the EU has been a failure, but they think that is because the politicians in charge of it were useless. The one thing they do not want, though, is to go through the whole cycle of negotiation again  and I dont think the EU does either.

Q: When is a policy change listening, not a U-turn  as with winter fuel payments?

Trewent

A: Very good point! One persons U-turn is another's listening to the people. Maybe the problem with the winter fuel payment was that Rachel Reeves said she needed to abolish it for all except the poorest because the country couldnt afford it, and then said it could, although nothing had changed (in fact, the public finances had actually got worse). Then she found even more money for families with three or more children on benefits, and so on.

Q: Why is the right-wing press hostile to Ed Miliband  and would he be a good chancellor?

Anonymous

A: I dont regard myself as the right-wing press but I disagree with Ed Milibands politics, and did so consistently when he was leader. I think his energy policy is misconceived. The aims are laudable but the costs are concealed.

I do not think he would be a good chancellor. He seems to think, along with Lucy Powell and Andy Burnham, that we should borrow and spend more. I think that would take the country further in the wrong direction.

These questions and answers were part of an Ask Me Anything hosted by John Rentoul at 2pm on Friday 30 January. Some of the questions and answers have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article.

For more insight into UK politics, check out Johns weekly Commons Confidential newsletter. The email, exclusive to Independent Premium subscribers, takes you behind the curtain of Westminster. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, head here to find out more.
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Lord Peter Mandelson is expected to be summoned to give evidence about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before US Congress, after fresh claims over his links to the late paedophile emerged.

The peer, who resigned from the Labour Party to avoid causing further embarrassment on Sunday, featured in the more than three million documents from the so-called Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice on Friday.

US officials are now reportedly drawing up a summons demanding Lord Mandelson appears in Washington to testify about Epstein, the Telegraph reported.

Sources close to the US House oversight committee told the paper they believe the former US ambassador has crucial information about co-conspirators and enablers of his crimes.

Lord Mandelson, who was sacked as US ambassador last year because of his links to Epstein, faced fresh claims over his links to the disgraced financier over the weekend.

open image in gallery Former US ambassador Lord Mandelson (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA) ( PA Media )

Bank statements from 2003 and 2004 in documents appeared to show Lord Mandelson received payments totalling 75,000 US dollars from the financier.

Speaking over the weekend, Lord Mandelson had said he had no recollection of receiving the alleged payments from Epstein, and said he did not know if the documents were genuine.

From the documents, it is unclear if the payments made it to any named accounts.

The newly released files also suggested the convicted sex offender sent 10,000 to Lord Mandelsons husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, in 2009 after he asked Epstein for money to fund an osteopathy course and other related expenses.

Another file showed a man who appears to be Lord Mandelson in a series of undated photographs, standing in his underwear and a T-shirt alongside a woman whose face has been obscured.

open image in gallery ( US Department of Justice )

The peer told the BBC he cannot place the location or the woman, and I cannot think what the circumstances were.

Lord Mandelson on Sunday said he had written to Hollie Ridley, general secretary of the Labour Party to say he was resigning his party membership.

In his letter, he said: Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.

While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.

open image in gallery Lord Peter Mandelson, left, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Carl Court/PA) ( PA Wire )

Education minister Olivia Bailey told Times Radio she was pleased Lord Mandelson had resigned from the Labour Party.

There were clearly questions that Peter Mandelson would need to answer. Hes taken this decision, its the right decision, she said.

Last year he was sacked from his role as UK ambassador to the US following mounting pressure over his ties to Epstein, who served an 18-month prison sentence from 2008 until July 2009 after pleading guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution.

In his letter, he added that he wanted to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.

open image in gallery Lord Peter Mandelson arrives at the Cabinet Office in central London (Jonathan Brady/PA) ( PA Wire )

Last month, he apologised to Epsteins victims for remaining friends with the financier after his conviction. He had said it was misplaced loyalty and a most terrible mistake on my part.

Lord Mandelson also suggested Epstein excluded him from the sexual side of his life because he was gay.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir has called for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be prepared to testify before the US Congress after pictures, which appear to show him crouched over an unidentified woman, were also featured in the latest document release.

Andrew has been accused of hiding from US officials on the House Oversight Committee, which in November asked him to sit for a transcribed interview regarding his connections to Epstein.

The former prince has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
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Back in July 2022, when Boris Johnsons government was rocked by yet another scandal involving a minister, Keir Starmer, then the leader of the opposition, made what would become a decisive intervention in the Commons during Prime Ministers Questions.

Starmer noted that Johnson knew about the previous behaviour of the minister in question  Christopher Pincher, who was accused of sexual assault  and, with a note of incredulity, added: But he promoted him to a position of power anyway! Why?

We often forget that it was the Pincher scandal that ultimately led to Johnsons fall from office. The former deputy chief whip was accused of sexual assault in the Carlton Club in London and, although no criminal charges were brought, he was suspended for eight weeks from the Commons and quit his seat in September 2023 after losing his appeal against the suspension.

Rishi Sunaks resignation as chancellor and Sajid Javids departure as health secretary after the scandal first broke were the end for Johnson. Starmer then delivered the coup de grace, focused on the former prime ministers judgement of character.

open image in gallery Peter Mandelson resigned his membership of the Labour Party following the latest revelations ( PA )

But the same accusation of personal judgement could now possibly be made of Starmer himself regarding Peter Mandelson.

Of course, there are many differences between the Pincher and Mandelson scandals. The central claim against Johnson in the Pincher case was that he had been warned before about the allegations but appointed the former Tamworth MP to be deputy chief whip anyway.

Starmer may well not have known all the specifics of Mandelsons personal dealings with Jeffrey Epstein  and many have surfaced recently.

Nevertheless, it is fair to ask  just as Starmer did himself in the Pincher affair four years ago  why the prime minister appointed a man to Britains most senior and important diplomatic role when there were so many historic question marks hanging over him.

When he and his even more enthusiastic chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, pushed the appointment of Mandelson as US ambassador through  despite enormous reluctance from Donald Trumps administration  it was well known that the Epstein papers were on the verge of being released, bringing new scandal to those involved with him.

Added to that, it was no state secret that Mandelson had, for a number of years, had an uncomfortably close relationship with the disgraced former financier, regularly stayed with him and had been pictured with him. It was also known that, separate to that, he had been forced to resign twice before over issues of personal impropriety.

open image in gallery The scandal surrounding Christopher Pincher finished Boris Johnson ( PA )

When I was in Washington DC for the inauguration, those close to the incoming administration said Trump intended to reject Mandelsons credentials as the UKs ambassador. Part of the reasoning was over what they regarded as his suspicious links to China, but another was the Epstein issue.

Literally nobody on either side of the Atlantic is surprised that Mandelson is deeply embroiled in the new revelations. Nor should Starmer or McSweeney be  if they had done their job properly. Yet their obsession with replicating Sir Tony Blairs success as PM led them to push through a man who could yet bring this premiership down by association  just as Pincher did for Johnson.

McSweeney in particular is going to come under the spotlight as he was the one who pushed Mandelsons appointment in the first place and then reportedly pleaded with Starmer not to sack the man who had been his mentor.

Questions are still being asked about why Starmer had to be strong-armed into sacking Mandelson as ambassador last year when new revelations emerged. Then there is another question over why the PM did not have him removed from the Labour Party instead of allowing the peer to resign when more allegations emerged over the weekend. After all, as MPs are noting, he was happy enough to quickly remove the whip from Labour welfare rebels last year.

We have to remember that this prime minister is now  just like Johnson was  extremely vulnerable. His poll ratings remain and have consistently been  dire. He has at least one cabinet minister  health secretary Wes Streeting  actively seeking his job, with former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham also trying to be in the mix.

Only the blocking of Burnham last week may have prevented an attempted coup but, as The Independent revealed over the weekend, Starmer is on notice with the by-election in Gorton and Denton on 26 February and local elections on 7 May that one or other could spell the end for him if they go badly.

At such times when everything else is going against you, issues of personal judgement become even more important. This is why Starmer now risks Mandelson becoming his Christopher Pincher.
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Sir Keir Starmer has said he is sorry for believing Peter Mandelsons lies and for appointing him to the role of Britains ambassador to the US, as he tries to weather the crisis that has threatened to end his premiership.

Following a barrage of criticism from his own MPs on one of the most turbulent days of his leadership, the prime minister began a planned speech about community cohesion with a frank apology to the victims of paedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, as he addressed growing anger over the way he has dealt with the issue.

In an attempt at damage control, after he admitted during PMQs that he knew Lord Mandelson had had a relationship with Epstein, he said: None of us knew the depths and the darkness of that relationship.

But speculation over Sir Keirs future  and that of his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney  continues, and some Labour MPs have openly called on the prime minister to sack his right-hand man.

The situation has led Labour grandee Harriet Harman to warn Sir Keir that he must take action over the scandal or risk losing his job.

open image in gallery Keir Starmer began a speech in East Sussex with a lengthy apology about his handling of Peter Mandelsons appointment ( PA )

Baroness Harman told Sky News: I think it is so serious for Keir Starmer. I dont think its inevitable that it will bring him down.

But it will bring him down, unless he takes the action that is really necessary for him to take, and thats this: firstly, hes got to stop blaming Mandelson, and saying He lied to me. Because actually, he should never have been considering him in the first place.

Sir Keir said he shared the anger and frustration of his colleagues about the saga, but vowed to continue as prime minister while doubling down on his support for Mr McSweeney, who has been blamed by many Labour MPs for pushing for the appointment of his ally Lord Mandelson, and for bringing him back into the heart of a Labour government.

Sir Keir is facing calls from within Labour ranks to implement a total overhaul of personnel in Downing Street, and to admit he made a catastrophic error of political and moral judgement, while opposition parties have called for a vote of no confidence in the prime minister.

Earlier, Paula Barker, Labour vice-chair of both the standards committee and the privileges committee, criticised Sir Keirs questionable judgement over the saga, adding: When your chief of staff becomes the story, then often its time for them to go.

Fellow Labour backbencher Karl Turner added: If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street, the PM is up against it.

Another Labour MP, speaking anonymously, said getting rid of Mr McSweeney would be like cutting off the head of the hydra and that root and branch change in government was needed instead.

Asked about the prime ministers speech, they said: Take your apology and stick it where the sun dont shine. It makes me sick to my stomach to hear them defend that. Once Trump was elected, they thought, we need to have him and be damned with the risks. What part of Mandelson staying at the home of a paedophile did you not understand?

Speaking in Hastings, Sir Keir sought to pin blame on the vetting process carried out independently by the security services after Lord Mandelsons appointment was cleared.

He said: I think we need to look at the security vetting, because it now transpires that what was being said was not true. And had I known then what I know now, Id never have appointed him in the first place.

open image in gallery Keir Starmer has vowed to continue as prime minister while doubling down on his support for Morgan McSweeney ( Picture Agency/Shutterstock )

Officials have been tasked with examining that process as a priority, according to Downing Street.

Meanwhile, a growing number of Labour MPs remain unconvinced by Sir Keirs determination to remain in No 10, and are urging Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting to launch a leadership challenge over the scandal.

One Labour MP told The Independent: Someone needs to go for it. This cannot go on.

Sir Keir said Lord Mandelson was asked directly about whether he had stayed with Epstein after his conviction, and whether he had accepted gifts from the financier. The information now available makes clear that the answers he gave were lies, Sir Keir said. He portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew. And when [it] became clear [that] it was not true, I sacked him. Such deceit is incompatible with public service.

The address came after Labour MPs, led by Ms Rayner, forced the prime minister into a humiliating climbdown over the full release of vetting documents relating to the appointment.

open image in gallery Labour MPs, led by former deputy PM Angela Rayner, forced the prime minister into a humiliating climbdown on Wednesday ( House of Commons )

The prime minister had attempted to restrict the publication of the documents, arguing that some details would need to be redacted on national security grounds, which prompted accusations that he was engaging in a cover-up.

Sir Keir eventually backed down after Ms Rayner stood in the Commons to make it clear she would be supporting the Tory proposal for the independent Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) to decide which documents could be published.

Downing Street said it was in discussions with the ISC about the process of releasing the documents, and would update the House once a process had been agreed.

The ISC has since said it cannot commit to a timetable for reviewing the documents. In a letter to the prime minister, the committee said it would act as it always does, entirely independently of government, in determining whether certain documents should be withheld for national security reasons.

That must be a matter for the committee alone  and it is clearly not possible for the committee to determine this until it sees the papers, or indeed to commit to any timetable until we know the size of the task at hand, it added.

open image in gallery Peter Mandelson portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew, said the prime minister ( PA Archive )

Meanwhile, opposition parties called for a no-confidence vote in the prime minister as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the issue as the biggest political scandal in Britain for 100 years.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told a Westminster press conference: He will have to be dragged out of No 10, so I am making them an offer. If they want the change they know the country needs, come and speak to my whips and lets talk seriously about a vote of no confidence to force the moment.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey echoed the calls for a vote of no confidence, while Mr Farage described the prime ministers apology as very weak and not quite believable.
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Former US ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party to avoid causing further embarrassment.

It comes after a weekend of further revelations over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Here is what we know about the pairs relationship.

2002

Lord Mandelson writes a memo encouraging the then-prime minister Tony Blair to meet Epstein, according to The Times.

2003

Lord Mandelsons message to Epstein, in which he describes him as his best pal, is included in a birthday book compiled by convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

open image in gallery Part of Mandelsons birthday message to Epstein ( House Committee on Oversight and Reform )

2006

As police in Florida suggest Epstein should be charged with four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, Lord Mandelson says I am following you closely and here whenever you need, after Epstein tells him he is attempting to set up another prosecutor meeting, according to Bloomberg.

Epstein is later arrested and Bloomberg reports that Lord Mandelson asks the paedophile for updates on the same day, saying keep me posted.

2007

Epsteins lawyers engage in discussion with Miami attorney Alexander Acosta about a plea bargain that would allow him to avoid prosecution.

open image in gallery Peter Mandelson (left) speaks with Jeffrey Epstein in a picture from the latest trove of documents released ( House Oversight Committee )

2008

Epstein pleads guilty to soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor and is sentenced to 18 months in a minimum-security prison.

The US attorneys office agrees not to prosecute Epstein for more serious federal crimes in a secret arrangement.

Lord Mandelson writes emails showing support for Epstein while he is facing charges for soliciting a minor, including one that says Your friends stay with you and love you.

The emails, reported by The Sun, also show the former Labour minister tells Epstein to fight for early release shortly before his prison sentence.

open image in gallery A young Epstein poses with a woman whose face has been blocked out to protect her privacy ( House Oversight Committee )

2009

Lord Mandelson stays at Epsteins Manhattan apartment while the paedophile is serving his 18-month sentence, an internal report by the JP Morgan bank suggests.

Epstein is released from prison after serving 13 months.

2010

During his time as business secretary, Lord Mandelson brokered a deal with Epstein for the sale of a UK taxpayer-owned banking business.

2019

Epstein is arrested on sex trafficking charges after lawyers in New York conclude they are not bound by the secret non-prosecution agreement.

The paedophile financier is found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York a month later.

Lord Mandelsons affiliation with Epstein is thrown into the spotlight after a picture of him with the paedophile financier on St Barts is published.

open image in gallery Keir Starmer appointed Lord Mandelson to the job of ambassador to the UK in February ( PA )

2025

Lord Mandelson tells a Financial Times reporter to f*** off after being asked about his relationship with Epstein.

The House Oversight Committee in the US releases a number of documents from the Epstein estate, including the birthday book with Lord Mandelsons message in it.

Lord Mandelson describes his birthday message to Epstein as very embarrassing during an interview with The Suns Harry Cole Saves the West programme.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer asks Lord Mandelson to stand down.

2026

Lord Mandelson features in the more than three million documents released by the US Department of Justice related to paedophile financier Epstein.

Among them were files that suggested Epstein had made $75,000 in payments to Lord Mandelson between 2003 and 2004, when he was a Labour MP.

In an email exchange from 2009, Lord Mandelson appeared to tell Epstein he would lobby ministers about a tax on bankers bonuses.

Lord Mandelson said he had written to Hollie Ridley, general secretary of the Labour Party to say he was resigning his party membership.

Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me. While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party, he said.
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Peter Mandelson could now face a police investigation after newly released emails suggest he forwarded sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein while still a minister.

The latest tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice, part of the Epstein files, appeared to show the financier and convicted paedophile was sent internal discussions from the heart of the UK government in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Both Reform UK and the SNP have reported the 2009 email to the police.

open image in gallery Peter Mandelson with Keir Starmer. The prime minister says Mandelson should no longer be a member of the House of Lords ( PA )

Gordon Brown, who was prime minister at the time, called it wholly unacceptable.

In a statement released on Monday evening, the Met Police said they would examine a number of reports of alleged misconduct in a public office. The reports will be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation.

Documents suggest Lord Mandelson forwarded Epstein an internal No 10 email sent to Mr Brown by one of his special advisers. The note, which included an assessment of the state of the UK economy in the wake of the financial crisis, suggested the government had saleable assets that could be sold to the private sector to reduce debt.

Epstein, whose business relied on knowledge of global finance, had been convicted of child prostitution offences the previous year. Lord Mandelson was then the business secretary.

open image in gallery The former MP had extensive links with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein ( PA )

Mr Brown revealed he asked for an investigation five months ago into the sale of assets arising from the banking collapse and communications about them between Lord Mandelson and Mr Epstein. He said he was told that there was no record of any communication between Epstein and Lord Mandelson on the issue.

It came as:

Sir Keir Starmer said Lord Mandelson should no longer be a member of the House of Lords

Britains top civil servant was ordered to conduct an urgent review of all communications between Lord Mandelson and Epstein during his time as a minister

Nick Butler, the special adviser who sent the leaked email, said he was disgusted by the breach of trust, presumably intended to give Epstein the chance to make money

Emails suggested Lord Mandelson tried to arrange a tour of Downing Street for Epsteins goddaughter

Epstein joked that Lord Mandelson marrying Princess Beatrice could be considered incest

In a statement on Monday, Mr Brown said he has now written to ask for a wider and more intensive enquiry to take place into the wholly unacceptable disclosure of government papers and information during the period when the country was battling the global financial crisis.

open image in gallery Documents released by the US DOJ suggest Mandelson leaked internal government discussions to Epstein ( US Department of Justice )

In another exchange from 2009, Lord Mandelson appears to tell Epstein he would lobby ministers over a tax on bankers bonuses.

Bank statements from 2003 and 2004 also appear to show he received payments totalling $75,000 from the financier. Epstein is also said to have paid for an osteopathy course for Lord Mandelsons husband.

Calls have intensified for Lord Mandelson to be stripped of his peerage. Sir Keir does not have the power to do so, but has called on the Lords to work with the government to modernise disciplinary procedures in the House.

In a statement issued on Monday, Metropolitan Police Commander Ella Marriott said: "We are aware of the further release of millions of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice.

"Following this release and subsequent media reporting, the Met has received a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in a public office.

"The reports will all be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation."

open image in gallery Emails between Epstein and Mandelson discussing tax on bankers bonuses ( US Department of Justice )

Under current arrangements, a new law would be required to remove a peerage, something that last happened more than 100 years ago, to deal with members of the nobility who sided with the Germans in the First World War.

No 10 sources told The Independent that the government is considering using the Lords conduct committee as a route to removing him, saying that this may be a quicker way of doing it, given pace is a priority.

The conduct committee can recommend that a member be expelled or suspended for breaching the code of conduct, which, if approved by the House, removes that peer.

The prime ministers official spokesperson said: The prime minister believes that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title. However, the prime minister does not have the power to remove it.

He is calling on those in the Lords to work with the government to modernise the disciplinary procedures in the House to allow the easier removal of peers who have brought the House into disrepute.

The official added: Sir Keir Starmer has asked the cabinet secretary to review all available information regarding Peter Mandelsons contact with Jeffrey Epstein during his period as a government minister.

open image in gallery The files appear to show Mandelson pictured in his underwear ( US Department of Justice )

Tax expert Dan Neidle, who first uncovered the 2009 leak, said Lord Mandelsons alleged actions may have broken the law.

He told Times Radio: The question is, is this just scandalous or does it go beyond that? Is this actually misconduct in public office, which is a criminal offence?

Chief secretary to the prime minister Darren Jones said that a criminal probe was a matter for the prosecution services and the police.

And speaking in the Commons, he added: The undeclared exchange of funds, the passing on of government information, let alone the fact that those exchanges were to a convicted paedophile, are wholly unconscionable.

And the House will know that if any of those activities were to take place today, ministers would be swiftly relieved of their duties and could be ... removed from their constituencies too.

One email exchange in the latest tranche of documents suggests that, while business secretary, Lord Mandelson was lobbying to change a tax on bankers bonuses, with encouragement from Epstein. It came at the time the super tax was being introduced by chancellor Alistair Darling to clamp down on bank profits being used to pay large bonuses.

An email dated 15 December 2009, which appears to be from Epstein, reads: Any real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers bonus. The reply, apparently from Lord Mandelson, says trying hard to amend and adds: Treasury digging in but I am on case.

Two days later, an email discussion indicates Lord Mandelson encouraged JPMorgans boss Jamie Dimon to call Mr Darling and mildly threaten him.

The documents also suggest that, in the last days of Mr Browns government, Lord Mandelson gave Epstein advanced notice of a 500bn EU bank bailout.

In another email exchange revealed in the latest tranche of documents, Epstein appears to joke that Lord Mandelson could marry Princess Beatrice, meaning the queen would have a queen as a grandson.

At the time, the eldest daughter of Andrew-Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson was 21 years old.

In an apparent email exchange on 5 October 2009, Epstein told Mandelson he could marry princess beatrice to which the Labour peer appears to have replied: Remember, I am already her Lord President.

open image in gallery Emails between Mandelson and Epstein continue after his conviction for child prostitution ( DOJ )

In response, Epstein wrote: Does that make it incest, how exciting.

Lord Mandelson was in a long-term relationship with Reinaldo Avila da Silva, now his husband. He was sacked as the ambassador to Washington last year after revelations of his continued contact with Epstein even after the latters guilty plea in 2008 to soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor.

Lord Mandelson wrote to the general secretary of Labour on Sunday to say he was resigning his party membership to avoid causing further embarrassment.

He added that he wanted to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.
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Lord Peter Mandelson has resigned his membership of the Labour Party to avoid causing further embarrassment after a weekend of further revelations over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

The peer, who was sacked as US ambassador last year because of his links to Epstein, featured in documents released by the US Department of Justice on Friday relating to the paedophile financier.

Among them were files that suggested Epstein had made $75,000 in payments to Lord Mandelson between 2003 and 2004, when he was a Labour MP.

On Sunday evening, Lord Mandelson wrote to Labours general secretary: I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.

Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me. While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.

open image in gallery Mandelson features in several images from the Epstein files ( PA )

He added: I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now. I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests.

Speaking over the weekend, Lord Mandelson had said he had no recollection of receiving the alleged payments from Epstein, and said he did not know if the documents were genuine. From the documents, it is unclear if the payments made it to any named accounts.

Other documents from the release appeared to show Lord Mandelson suggesting to Epstein in December 2009 he was trying hard to change policy on bankers bonuses not long after Gordon Browns government clamped down on them in the wake of the financial crisis. He told the BBC on Sunday: My conversations in government at the time reflected the views of the sector as a whole not a single individual.

Another file showed a man who appears to be Lord Mandelson in a series of undated photographs, standing in his pants and a T-shirt alongside a woman whose face has been obscured. The peer told the BBC he cannot place the location or the woman, and I cannot think what the circumstances were.

open image in gallery Mandelson appears to feature in his underwear in a photograph released from the Epstein files ( US Department of Justice )

Epstein served an 18-month prison sentence from 2008 until July 2009 after pleading guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution.

Last month, Lord Mandelson apologised to Epsteins victims for remaining friends with the financier after his conviction. He had said it was misplaced loyalty and a most terrible mistake on my part. Lord Mandelson also suggested Epstein excluded him from the sexual side of his life because he was gay.

On Sunday night, The Telegraph reported that Lord Mandelson was set to be summoned to give evidence before Congress over his relationship with Epstein.

The newspaper claimed sources close to the US House Oversight Committee believed he may have information about co-conspirators and enablers of his crimes. There is no suggestion Lord Mandelson has done anything unlawful.

Lord Mandelson was sacked as the ambassador to Washington DC last year after revelations of his continued contact with Epstein following the paedophiles guilty plea in 2008. At the time of his appointment in December 2024, Sir Keir Starmer said: Peter will bring unrivalled experience to the role and take our partnership [between the UK and US] from strength to strength.

open image in gallery Mandelson said he stepped down to save the Labour Party from any further embarrassment surrounding his links to Epstein ( PA )

On Saturday, Sir Keir said: In relation to Peter Mandelson, obviously he was removed as ambassador in relation to the further information that came to light in September of last year and Ive nothing more to say in relation to Peter Mandelson.

After Lord Mandelsons resignation from the party, a Labour spokesperson said: The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously and they are investigated in line with our rules and procedures.

The Conservatives called for a full and thorough independent investigation into Lord Mandelsons appointment as US ambassador. Before Lord Mandelsons resignation, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch had called on Sir Keir to suspend his party membership.

open image in gallery Mandelson (left) speaks with Epstein in a photo released as part of the Epstein files ( House Oversight Committee )

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: Lord Mandelson is completely disgraced. Yet Keir Starmer lacked the backbone to take action, allowing Mandelson to resign from the Labour Party instead of kicking him out.

Keir Starmer and his chief of staff appointed Mandelson ambassador despite his relationship with Epstein, and then refused to act even as the mountain of evidence against him grew. Given the prime ministers appalling lack of judgment and the participation of his Downing Street operation, there must now be a full and thorough independent investigation.
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Lord Peter Mandelson is facing a criminal investigation from the Met Police after appearing to pass market-sensitive information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein while serving as business secretary.

It is the latest development in the growing crisis engulfing the former US ambassador, who has resigned from the Labour Party and has left the House of Lords after further details of his friendship with the convicted felon emerged in the so-called Epstein files.

Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure after he admitted at Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday that he knew about Lord Mandelsons ongoing friendship with the convicted sex offender when he appointed him, but said that the peer lied repeatedly about the extent of the relationship.

Downing Street then tried to control the release of potentially explosive documents, which provide insight into how the decision was made.

But in the face of a mutiny from Labour MPs  led by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner  the government had to back down and cede control to Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee to decide what could be released into the public domain.

The prime ministers weekly appearance in the Commons followed the launch of a criminal probe into allegations Lord Mandelson passed information to Epstein while serving in Gordon Browns Labour administration as it dealt with the fallout from the 2008 financial crash.

open image in gallery Lord Peter Mandelson will return to a life of luxury in the UK, having lived in a farmhouse before taking residence in Washington ( PA )

Sir Keir faced a backlash from his own back benches, including his former deputy Ms Rayner, over an attempt on Wednesday to have some papers prejudicial to UK national security or international relations withheld.

Labour MP Andy McDonald said he thought it was reasonable to expect an answer pretty damn quick on how Lord Mandelson passed vetting.

It beggars belief that we could ever get a security vetting process that would sign off affirmatively on somebody in these circumstances, he said.

He said it was an appalling failure of judgment that Sir Keir appointed Lord Mandelson given what was already in the public domain about him.

Former prime minister Mr Brown said he had written to Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley to provide information relating to Lord Mandelsons inexcusable and unpatriotic act.

open image in gallery Keir Starmer meets Lord Mandelson at the then-ambassadors residence last year ( POOL/AFP via Getty )

Epstein was sent details of internal discussions from the heart of the UK government after the global financial crisis.

Lord Mandelson appeared to tell Epstein he would lobby ministers over a tax on bankers bonuses in 2009, and to confirm an imminent bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010.

In June 2009 he appeared to have passed on what he called an interesting note thats gone to the PM, an assessment by Mr Browns adviser Nick Butler of potential policy measures including an asset sales plan.

The financier was also sent an analysis of business lending in August 2009 drawn up by minister Baroness Vadera.

One bank statement showed a payment of $25,000 made to the account of Reinaldo Avila da Silva, who was at the time Lord Mandelsons partner and is now his husband. The statement appeared to describe Peter Mandelson as the beneficiary of the payment, as the allocation BEN appears next to his name. Lord Mandelson said he had no recollection of receiving such sums and questioned whether the records were genuine.

Commander Ella Marriott, of the Metropolitan Police, said: Following the further release of millions of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice, the Met received a number of reports into alleged misconduct in public office including a referral from the UK government.

open image in gallery Then-business secretary Lord Mandelson with then-prime minister Gordon Brown in 2010 ( PA Archive )

I can confirm that the Metropolitan Police has now launched an investigation into a 72-year-old man, a former government minister, for misconduct in public office offences.

The Met will continue to assess all relevant information brought to our attention as part of this investigation and wont be commenting any further at this time.

Lord Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday, saying he wanted to avoid causing it further embarrassment, after losing his post as UK ambassador to the United States last year because of his links to Epstein.

Sir Keir Starmer rallied around his man in Washington for days at the time, praising the job the UKs ambassador had done penetrating Donald Trumps inner circles. But the prime minister was forced to change course last year, dismissing Lord Mandelson with immediate effect.

These latest developments mark what is almost certainly the end of a career that had previously been defined by remarkable comebacks. His mastery of political intrigue had earned him the nickname Prince of Darkness.

Last year, before heading to the US, Lord Mandelson was living in a luxurious farmhouse in the Pewsey Vale in Wiltshire. During the pandemic, he wrote about the cosy country life he was enjoying on the farm.

He is the part-owner of Global Counsel, a powerful lobbying firm he co-founded, but they have swiftly reassured clients that they are in advanced stages of divesting his remaining stake as it attempts to cut ties with the peer.

open image in gallery Mandelsons relationship with Epstein has destroyed his political career ( House Oversight Committee )

As well as the influential business position, Lord Mandelson has the more ceremonial High Steward of Hull title, though the council will try to strip him of it in the coming weeks.

But while he returns to a lavish life in Britain, it wont be a touch on the grandeur of life in the early-1900s residence built for Britains ambassador in Washington, one of the most luxurious properties in the US capital.

It has previously welcomed royalty from Prince Charles and Princess Diana to pop royalty like The Beatles, while guests who have been hosted in the embassy since Lord Mandelson moved in include much of President Trumps inner circle and the great and good of American business.

No Labour leader will bring the tarnished grandee back into the fold after the extent of his relations with Epstein were revealed. And he has said himself at one point that further very embarrassing information will come to light in the future.

His career has been one of many comebacks, but this latest criminal investigation seems a fall too far for Lord Mandelson to recover from.
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A pair of chairs that sparked mirth and a wealth of Hobbit theories following a viral photo of the Bidens and Carters has sold at auction for nearly $11,000.

They were snapped up by an avid collector of presidential memorabilia, who said when she saw the chairs for sale at Christies auction house, she knew they belonged to me.

Susan Tane, a former marketing executive, toldThe Washington Post that the upholstered, beige-skirted armchairs will take pride of place in the library of her Manhattan apartment, where she has dozens of books about U.S. presidents.

So whats the appeal with these particular chairs? For Tane, its part humor, part history.

Back in 2021, then President Joe Biden and wife, Dr. Jill Biden, paid a visit to former president and first lady Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at their home in Plains, Georgia; a relaxed social call that Joe Biden later described as a nice time.

open image in gallery Not Hobbits: Photography experts agreed a wide-angle lens was likely responsible for the pictures distorted perspective. ( Adam Schultz/White House via The Carter Center )

Reporters were not allowed inside, but a White House photographer captured a photo of the event, which was later shared online by The Carter Center.

The photograph quickly raised questions over why the Bidens seemed to have been transformed into giants alongside the miniature-sized Carters; Jill Biden at 5ft 6in was several inches shorter than Jimmy Carters 5ft 10 in, yet towered over him in the picture.

A series of jokes ensued, with people humorously speculating the couples had been transported to the fictional worlds of The Hobbit or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

Adam Schultz, chief official White House photographer at the time, subsequently confirmed to The New York Times that he had taken the photo, but declined to explain further: Its for people to figure out and think about, he said.

Photography experts agreed, though, that the distorted perspective was likely caused by the use of a wide-angle lens, which can be used to take pictures in a very small space where the photographer cant back up far enough to get everything in a regular frame.

Julia Jones of Christies knew someone would connect with the chairs when she spotted them on a tour of the familys storage unit to look through hundreds of items that belonged to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, who died in December 2024 and November 2023, respectively.

open image in gallery Then President Joe Biden touches the casket before delivering remarks at the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral on January 9, 2025. ( Haiyun Jiang-Pool/Getty Images )

Christies soon had Tane in mind as a prospective buyer, but when a worker first called her about the chairs a few weeks ago, she wasnt interested. She had an immediate change of heart after seeing them in person in Manhattan alongside the viral photo, and subsequently shelled out $10,795 last Tuesday.

I saw the picture of President Carter and his wife, and, I dont know, it just spoke to me, Tane toldThe Post.

Amy Carter, a daughter of the former president and first lady, said some proceeds from the auction would be donated to The Carter Center, a nonprofit founded by her parents to promote peace, protect human rights, prevent diseases and provide mental health resources.

Its just a nice reminder that my parents were meaningful to people, Amy Carter toldThe Post, especially since were, you know, in the process of grieving them.

As for the chairs, Tane said she planned to read in them and invite visitors to sit in them, but she didnt want to wear them out.

Theyre going to get the respect they deserve.
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Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Sunday she plans to send humanitarian aid to Cuba this week, including food and other humanitarian aid.

Sheinbaum's comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump said he asked the Mexican leader to suspend oil shipments to the Caribbean island.

Sheinbaum said at a public event in the northern state of Sonora that she did not discuss Cuban affairs in a phone conversation with Trump on Thursday. She added that her government seeks to  diplomatically solve everything related to the oil shipments (to Cuba) for humanitarian reasons.

Earlier, Trump told reporters that he told the Mexican president not to send oil to Cuba.

Following the U.S. military operation carried out in early January to remove Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, the South American nation suspended oil shipments to Cuba, which had been declining in recent years.

Mexico then became the main supplier of crude oil and refined products to Havana.

Mexican oil has long acted as a key lifeline for Cuba. In its most recent report, Pemex said it shipped nearly 20,000 barrels of oil per day to Cuba from January through Sept. 30, 2025.

In September, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Mexico City. Afterward, Jorge Pinon, an expert at the University of Texas Energy Institute who tracks shipments using satellite technology, said the figure had fallen to about 7,000 barrels.

___

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
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The head of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Bryan Bedford, has acknowledged his agency's systemic failures directly led to a devastating mid-air collisionthat claimed 67 lives.

This admission follows findings by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The January 2025 incident, involving an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, marked the deadliest US aviation disaster in over two decades.

The NTSB concluded last week that the accident stemmed from the FAA's decision to permit helicopters to operate close to the airport without adequate safeguards to separate them from aeroplanes.

The safety board also highlighted the FAA's failure to review crucial data and implement recommendations aimed at relocating helicopter traffic away from the busy airspace.

"We don't disagree with anything that the NTSB has concluded from their investigations. Many of the recommendations have already been put into action.

Those that haven't, we're going to evaluate," Bedford told reporters on the sidelines of an aviation conference in Singapore.

open image in gallery Bedford declined to say if the FAA would decertify Canadian-made planes after President Donald Trump threatened last week to do so if Canada did not approve some of U.S. private jet maker Gulfstream's models ( Associated Press )

Separately, Bedford declined to say if the FAA would decertify Canadian-made planes after President Donald Trump threatened last week to do so if Canada did not approve some of U.S. private jet maker Gulfstream's models.

"Our concern is whether or not sufficient resources are being applied to U.S. products equal to the resources that we're applying to certify foreign products. So we just want a level playing field," Bedford said.

Canadian officials said last week they were working to resolve the dispute after Trump's threats to decertify and slap tariffs on Canada-made aircraft sent shares of business jet maker Bombardier down 6 per cent on Friday.

Airline officials said if the U.S. could decertify airplanes for economic reasons, it would give other countries a powerful weapon and could put the entire aviation system at risk.

Bedford said the FAA was still evaluating a request by Boeing to increase production of its best-selling 737 MAX aircraft from 42 per month to 47 per month.

open image in gallery The January 2025 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in more than two decades ( Associated Press )

Everyone aboard the jet, flying from Wichita, Kansas, and the Black Hawk helicopter died when the two aircraft collided and plummeted into the icy Potomac River.

It was the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil since 2001, and the victims included 28 members of the figure skating community.

The Federal Aviation Administration last week made a permanent change to ensure helicopters and planes no longer share the same airspace around the airport.

The NTSB will recommend additional action, and families of the victims say they hope there's meaningful change.
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An elderly dog was reunited with its family last week after the canine slipped on ice and fell off a cliff  resulting in a suspenseful rescue mission by an animal control team in eastern Virginia.

Oakley, the 16-year-old dog from Giles County, was outside at his family home Wednesday when his paws lost their grip on the ice and he slid backwards over the side of the cliff near the backyard, the Giles County Animal Shelter said on Facebook.

Conditions in the area have been dangerously slick since a storm dropped several inches of snow and ice. Even attempting to look for the senior dog on foot was dangerous for anyone, the shelter said.

But Animal Control Chief Bill Ahern and Officer Jacob Taylor were determined to find Oakley after being dispatched to the backyard where the dog slid down the cliff.

I stepped out and I realized immediately how slick it truly was, Taylor told WDBJ. There was not many footprints in the yard, which made it extremely dangerous and slippery.

open image in gallery Oakley fell victim to the slippery conditions in Giles County, Virginia, last week when he lost his footing and slid backwards off a cliff ( Giles County Animal Shelter / Facebook )

Realizing they would not be able to search for the dog themselves, Ahern and Taylor called for backup in the form of a drone from the Giles County Emergency Services. The drone could not spot Oakley  an all-white dog lost in the snowy terrain. It managed to spot his paw prints, indicating the canine walked away from his fall.

We hoped it was our dog and not a coyote or something, Ahern told WDBJ.

The team then made a call to the Virginia Department of Transportation, which dispatched a road grader to make a path down to the bottom of the cliff where train tracks were located. The type of vehicle is often used in construction and uses long blades to create traction on uneven surfaces.

open image in gallery Virginia Department of Transportation dispatched a road grader to make a path so people from Norfolk and Southern Rail could search for Oakley ( Giles County Animal Shelter / Facebook )

Once it made a path, employees from Norfolk and Southern Rail descended from the mountain to scour the area for Oakley. It didnt take long to find the dog.

Right before they actually entered the tracks, they saw the dog down there and were able to call it and get him into the truck, Ahern recalled.

Despite falling down the slippery cliff, Oakley was unharmed and made it back home safely.

In a statement on Facebook, Oakleys owner, Meg Nettles, said that words cannot express how grateful I am to this team of amazing people. I was simply helpless, and watching them fight so hard to bring my baby home was truly incredible.

The dedication and effort to rescue my sweet fur baby has got me in all the feels. Folks put it all on the line, going above and way beyond their job duties, Nettles wrote.

Ahern echoed Nettles sentiment, saying: Were just lucky to have people who care enough to stop what theyre doing and come and help for a dog.

Oakley miraculously survived the fall without sustaining any major injuries.
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Longtime outdoor apparel retailer Eddie Bauer may close its 200 brick-and-mortar storefronts across North America as its retail operator looks to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to a report.

Eddie Bauers retail operator is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will shut down approximately 200 stores across North America, WWD reported.

The Eddie Bauer store operations are owned by Catalyst Brands, which was formed last year by Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corp., Authentic Brands Group and Shein. The company includes brands such as Lucky Brand, Aeropostale, Nautica, Brooks Brothers, and JCPenney, as well as Eddie Bauer, according to the report.

A bankruptcy filing would not impact Eddie Bauers manufacturing, e-commerce and wholesale operations in the U.S. and Canada, as those operations are in the process of transferring ownership from Catalyst Brands to a new licensee.

The deal to move Eddie Bauer operations to Outdoor 5, a global brand development and licensing platform, was announced last month. Eddie Bauer is expected to file for bankruptcy once that deal has been completed, according to the report.

open image in gallery Eddie Bauer is heading toward bankruptcy and may close its North American storefronts, according to a report ( Getty Images )

The Independent has reached out to Catalyst Brands and Outdoor 5 for comment.

The filing would also not impact the remaining 20 Eddie Bauer stores in Japan, according to the report.

Eddie Bauer has been considered a beloved brand in the outdoor industry for over a century. The stores founder, Eddie Bauer, is credited with developing the first quilted down jacket with a 1940 patent, according to the report.

The company has changed hands several times over the years after its founder sold it in 1968.

Eddie Bauer has also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice previously, according to The Street.

In 2003, Eddie Bauers then-parent company, Spiegel Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, prompting the closure of many stores. The brand emerged from bankruptcy in 2005 after it restructured into a stand-alone company, Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc.

open image in gallery Eddie Bauer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection two previous times ( Getty Images )

Then, in 2009, Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to heavy debt, decreased sales and recession-related stressors, according to the report.

Eddie Bauer was later acquired out of bankruptcy by private equity firm Golden Gate Capital, for around $286 million.
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A 23-year-old goose hunter was found dead in Illinois after he fell through the ice of a frozen pond while trying to save his dog.

The New Baden Fire Department responded to a report that a man fell through the ice of a frozen pond shortly after 3 p.m. Monday. Several units were dispatched to the area, including a dive team from the nearby Swansea Fire Department.

After several hours, the search transitioned from a rescue to a recovery mission, and the mans body was recovered the next day, according to local outlet KSDK. He has since been identified as 23-year-old Luke Kitterman.

The incident stemmed from a hunting accident, according to Peyton Matthews of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police. Kitterman was with several other young men on a goose hunting trip when his dog fell through the ice.

They were in the act of hunting. They were goose hunting. The dog that retrieves the geese had gone out onto the ice and had fallen through while trying to retrieve the geese, Matthews told KSDK.

Rescue officials recovered the body of 23-year-old Luke Kitterman after he fell into an icy pond while trying to save his dog ( KSDK )

At that point in time, the owner of the dog became panicked that the dog might be in trouble, and then thats when he went out onto the ice and attempted to rescue his dog, she added.

Kittermans friends worked to save him, but he quickly fell under.

His friends did try to get out there to help him out, Matthews said. They were able to pull the dog out of the water and into a canoe, just unfortunately lost sight of their friend.

Several of Kittermans friends remained at the scene as first responders searched for him, KSDK reports. The property owners also opened up a warming center for first responders and his friends as the search stretched on.

Kitterman lived in New Memphis, Illinois, and was an avid outdoorsman, according to an obituary reviewed by the Belleville News-Democrat.

He would have rather been outside than anywhere else. He was an experienced hunter and fisherman, as well as a conservationist and member of Ducks Unlimited, the obituary reads.

He took great care to ensure that the forests, rivers and lakes would be protected for future hunters and fishermen to enjoy, the obituary continues. Luke also loved boating and hanging out and drinking beer with family and friends.
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Watch live as Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog gives his annual weather prediction on how long winter will last.

Spectators are gathering at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, as the groundhog makes his prediction on whether an early spring will arrive or six more weeks of winter will endure.

Phils inner circle - who are responsible for planning Groundhog events and caring for him - will summon the animal from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow.

Folklore dictates that if he does not see his shadow, spring will come early.

Originating from a German legend about a furry rodent, Groundhog Day is an annual event that typically draws a crowd of around 10,000 to 15,000 visitors.
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With much of the United States already enduring a protracted and severe winter, all eyes turned to Punxsutawney Phil on Monday as his handlers revealed the famed groundhog's annual weather prediction.

The long-standing tradition dictates that if Phil casts a shadow upon emerging from his burrow in rural Pennsylvania, a further six weeks of winter are to be expected. Conversely, a shadow-free appearance is said to herald an early arrival of spring.

Thousands gathered at Gobbler's Knob for the century-old ritual, which traces its origins to ancient European farming traditions. The event's profile has notably expanded since the release of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray.

Last years announcement was six more weeks of winter, by far Phils more common assessment and not much of a surprise during the first week of February. His top-hatted handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club insist Phils groundhogese of winks, purrs, chatters and nods are being interpreted when they relate the meterological marmots muses about the days ahead.

open image in gallery Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil during the 137th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney. ( AP )

Phil isn't the only animal being consulted for long-term weather forecasts Monday. There are formal and informal Groundhog Day events in many places in the U.S., Canada and beyond.

Groundhog Day falls on Feb. 2, the midpoint between the shortest, darkest day of the year on the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Its a time of year that also figures in the Celtic calendar and the Christian holiday of Candlemas.

Here are five other facts you should know about Groundhog Day

1) Punxsutawney Phil, the legendary groundhog who casts his prediction, has reputedly been operating in the Pennsylvania town for more than 130 years. Despite the lifespan of a groundhog usually being less than six years, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Clubs Inner Circle maintains they have been speaking to the same groundhog since 1887.

2) Punxsutawneys first Groundhog Day in Gobblers Knob dates back to February 2, 1887, when the towns newspaper editor Clymer Freas informed his readers: Today is groundhog day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow.

However, the tradition can be traced to the Christian religious holiday of Candlemas Day, when Christians would take their candles to the church to have them blessed. It wasnt until Candlemas Day was introduced in Germany that an animal was brought into the lore, claiming that if a hedgehog saw his shadow on Candlemas Day there would be a Second Winter or six more weeks of bad weather.

open image in gallery Cami Lutgens, of Blacksburg, Va., celebrates while waiting for Punxsutawney Phil. ( AP )

After German settlers came to what is now the United States, the Pennsylvania Dutch, and other German-speaking immigrants maintained the same tradition of Groundhog Day. But with the absence of hedgehogs in their new home, woodchucks were chosen instead.

The earliest known American reference to Groundhog Day was in a Morgantown shopkeepers journal entry dated February 4, 1841.

Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas Day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, the entry reads, per the National Weather Service. But if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.

3) Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 107 times and not seen his shadow 20 times, according to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Of these times, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that the groundhogs forecasts have been about 40 percent correct within the last 10 years.

open image in gallery The groundhog saw his shadow, Feb. 2, 1954, as the sun peeked through an overcast sky at Washington Park Zoo in Milwaukee. ( AP )

4) Groundhogs are also referred to as woodchucks, forming the basis for the tongue-twister: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

5) Groundhog Day is celebrated beyond Pennsylvania. All throughout the U.S., states and local towns have their own Groundhog Day events marked by their own residing groundhog. In Milltown, New Jersey, attendees await the weather forecast from Milltown Mel. Staten Island Chuck is the name given to New York Citys official weather-forecasting woodchuck who is housed at the Staten Island Zoo.

The holiday is also observed throughout Canada.
A ranch in New Mexico. A flat in Paris. The infamous island of Little St James. The similarly notorious townhouse in New York. $50m. And a 33-carat diamond ring. This is just some of what the convicted paedophile and multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein wanted to leave behind for his last known girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak.

The details of Epsteins will, signed just two days before he died by suicide in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges, have remained highly opaque  until now. Over the weekend, the US Department of Justice released millions of new files and documents relating to Epstein, including insight into the trust agreement that he planned to use to dole out his rumoured $577m estate.

This has put Shuliak firmly in the spotlight, although its still not clear exactly how wealthy the Belarus native, who is now in her mid-thirties, may or may not end up. Much of the money from Epsteins estate has been paid out in settlements to his victims; its thought that the remaining assets are still tied up in the court system in the US Virgin Islands, where he was based.

What is also putting the pairs relationship under further scrutiny, though, is the revelation that Epstein may have had a secret son, born in 2011. In a message allegedly sent by Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York and ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, appears to congratulate him on the birth. Dont know if you are still on this bbm but heard from The Duke that you have had a baby boy, she wrote. Even though you never kept in touch, I still am here with love, friendship and congratulations on your baby boy. Sarah xx.

open image in gallery Karyna Shuliak and Jeffrey Epstein were thought to have been in a relationship for around a decade ( Billy Farrell/BFA/Shutterstock )

Epstein is not known to have fathered any children, but if Fergusons claims were true, the child would be in his mid-teens. The identity of the alleged mother is not referred to in the messages, and Shuliak is not named in relation to the child. Indeed, elsewhere Ferguson appears to be more concerned simply with being left out of the loop. I did not even know you were having a baby, she wrote.

The allegations, however, potentially add another strange layer to the already odd relationship between one-time dental student Shuliak, and the financier, almost four decades her senior.

Shuliak came to the United States in 2009 when she was 20, and is thought to have entered Epsteins orbit soon after, possibly not long after his first jail stint. The financier had already pled guilty to a state charge of procuring a girl under the age of 18 for prostitution the previous year, and served around 13 months in a minimum security prison (during which time he was allowed out of his cell for 12 hours a day, six days a week, to work at his office, thanks to a staggeringly lenient day release scheme). After that, he spent a year of probation under house arrest in Palm Beach, until August 2010.

A source has claimed that her willingness to stand by the financier after his initial disgrace solidified their connection. Everyone turned their backs on him after prison and denounced him as an anti-Christ, even his closest friends, the source told the Daily Mail. No one stayed with him except Karyna who was there until the very last moment.

Accounts of her personality seem to vary, too. One insider claimed to the Mail that Shuliak earned the nickname the inspector, because she was madly jealous over Epstein and always investigating who he was in contact with. Others, though, paint her as shy to the point of silence in company. In a podcast interview with the Daily Beast, the author Michael Wolff claimed that Shuliak was absolutely silent when he visited Epsteins home.

Even the millions of documents in the Epstein Files dont shine a huge amount of light upon the pair. In one email, sent earlier on in their relationship in 2012, Shuliak appears to tell Epstein: I love you very much, you will always have me, no matter what, as long as it makes you happy. Other missives, though, are less hopeful. You have absolutely ruined me today, each minute I am struggling to not cry, a 2013 email reads.

Later, her messages tend towards more domestic concerns. In one, sent a few years later, she seems to bemoan that it would be inhumane to fly her pet cats to the island on a commercial flight. I just cant torture them [like] that, it breaks my heart, she writes. Other emails see her ordering furniture and apparently doing other admin.

For much of this rumoured decade-long relationship, though, Shuliak was in fact married to Jennifer Kalin, another woman in Epsteins orbit; their wedding took place in 2013. It has been alleged that Epsteins trafficking ring used sham same-sex marriages to get citizenship for girls that he wanted to keep in this country without facing a high level of scrutiny in the citizenship process, as Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer representing Epstein victims, put it when discussing the case generally.

open image in gallery An alleged email from Sarah Ferguson seems to claim that Epstein had a son ( US Department of Justice )

In 2021, Kalin, who has not spoken publicly about her experiences, attended court in Manhattan during the sex trafficking trial of Epsteins longtime associate and ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. She realises people are sticking their necks out and testifying and wants them to know theyre not alone, Kalins attorney Bradley Edwards told the Daily Beast. Shuliak and Kalin are thought to have divorced in 2019, not long after Epsteins arrest.

Epstein reportedly helped his girlfriend pay her way through dental school at the prestigious Columbia University, and she was eventually registered as a dentist in Florida and California; she was also linked to an office in St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands that shared an address with Epsteins shell company. This apparently wasnt the only financial assistance that Shuliak may have received from her boyfriend: other reports claim that Epstein helped fund her mothers medical treatment, too.

And at one point, it seems that Epstein was considering a more formal commitment. Among the jewels that he had planned to bequeath to Shuliak, according to the will, was a near 33-carat diamond ring, given to her in contemplation of marriage, according to handwritten notes in the documents margins. It is described in near-forensic detail there, as set with a regular cut diamond, weighing approximately 32.73 carats, flanked by baguette cut diamonds mounted in platinum.

Epsteins suicide in his jail cell has been the subject of conspiracy theories, including claims that he was murdered to stop him blowing the whistle on his rich and powerful associates (comprehensive investigations have concluded that there was no criminality involved in his death). Remaining loyal to him until the grim end, Shuliak is thought to have been the last person Epstein called on the phone before his death.

Shuliak has, true to Wolffs memory of the quiet girl at dinner, remained completely silent. But as yet more revelations emerge from the millions of documents in the Epstein files, will she speak out?
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Left-leaning and liberal gun advocacy groups say that since the killing of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who was gunned down by federal agents in Minneapolis, there has been an uptick in leftists getting armed, according to a report.

In the wake of President Donald Trumps aggressive immigration crackdown, which has seen thousands of federal agents descend upon cities across the country, more and more gun-shy liberals are considering buying firearms and taking firearms training courses, according to CNN.

Registrations for permit-to-carry courses at Pink Pistols Twin Cities, a gun group for the LGBTQ+ community in Minneapolis and St. Paul, are up from an average of five people per class to 25, resulting in the need for seven more courses to be added, according to the report.

The apparent spike in interest follows the deaths of Alex Pretti, 37, and Renee Nicole Good, 37, in Minneapolis, at the hands of federal agents. Pretti, an ICU nurse at a Veterans medical center, was licensed to carry a concealed weapon in Minnesota and was doing so at the time of his death.

In the past couple of days, there has been a shift, Lara Smith, the national spokesperson for the Liberal Gun Club, told CNN. This changed views on the left.

open image in gallery Liberal gun advocacy groups say theres been an uptick in interest since the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month, according to a report ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Jordan Levine, who founded the inclusive gun community A Better Way 2A, told the outlet his organization has seen an uptick in gun groups and instructors asking to join its resource page in recent weeks.

People are scared and angry and want to equalize the power imbalance that were seeing on the news, where youve got ICE steamrolling people with no recourse, he said.

Philip Smith, the founder and president of the National African American Gun Association, told CNN membership grew after Trump was re-elected and after Pretti was killed.

People join when theyre scared, Smith said. People join when certain people get in office, because it scares them. People join when they see these shootings across the country, and it seems like its just madness starting to grow more and more.

Federal officials initially accused Pretti of brandishing his gun at agents, though bystander video painted a different picture. Meanwhile, a new preliminary review by a Department of Homeland Security internal watchdog made no mention of Pretti brandishing a weapon.

open image in gallery More liberals and left-leaning Americans are considering taking firearms training courses, according to CNN ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

In the days after Prettis killing, Trump administration officials have asserted that he was in the wrong for carrying a gun to the demonstration  even though he was legally allowed to do so.

You cant have guns. You cant walk in with guns, the president told reporters on Tuesday.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also shared the talking point in January 26 comments, drawing backlash from some of Trumps MAGA base, who say the stance goes against the Second Amendments right to bear arms.

While Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms, Americans do not have a constitutional right to impede lawful immigration enforcement operations, Leavitt said. Any gun owner knows that when you are carrying a weapon, when you are bearing arms and you are confronted by law enforcement, you are raising the assumption of risk and the risk of force being used against you.

FBI Director Kash Patel also drew backlash after telling Fox News last week, You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want.

The National Rifle Association slammed the Trump administrations stance, noting on social media that it believes all law-abiding citizens have the right to keep and bear arms.

open image in gallery Thousands of protesters marched through Minneapolis Friday, over a month after federal agents were sent to the city to carry out President Donald Trumps aggressive immigration crackdown ( Getty Images )

The NRA unequivocally believes that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they have a legal right to be, the gun lobby wrote on X following Trumps remarks.

The NRA also responded to a Justice Department official appointed by the Trump administration who spoke out about Pretti having a weapon after the shooting.

Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, wrote on X: If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Dont do it!

The NRA replied directly to his post, calling his sentiment dangerous and wrong.

Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens, the NRA wrote.
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Classes at a San Francisco Catholic high school have been suspended after dozens of students and staff were found to have a latent form of tuberculosis.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health i ssued a health advisory regarding the outbreak at Archbishop Riordan High School, where over 50 people have latent tuberculosis and at least three have active cases.

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that attack the lungs, and is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The disease can only be spread when active. In the latent stage, TB is not contagious, the public health agency noted.

In a letter to the community, Archbishop Riordan High School President Tim Reardon said that in-person classes would be suspended and students would study remotely through February 9, with a hybrid model lasting through February 20, according to SFGate.

After that date, only students and staff who have tested negative will be allowed on campus, according to the report.

open image in gallery In-person classes at a California Catholic high school have been suspended due to a tuberculosis outbreak, health officials said ( Google )

The first of the three active cases of TB was reported in November. In addition to ongoing testing, health officials are urging anyone with the active for of the disease to stay home.

Meanwhile, testing at the school will continue until the outbreak is over.

Health officials issued the advisory to warn local doctors and medical professionals and to help prevent the disease from spreading. The agency noted in the news release that the risk to the general population is low.

Symptoms of TB can include fever, chills, coughing, coughing up blood and weight loss. TB tends to affect the respiratory system, but can move into other organs, sometimes requiring hospitalization. The disease can also be fatal, health officials warned.

open image in gallery More than 50 latent cases of TB have been confirmed after an outbreak at a California high school ( CDC )

Both active and latent TB can be treated with antibiotics, though the treatment takes months to complete.

Active TB is treatable and curable with appropriate antibiotics if it is identified promptly; some cases will require hospitalization and there is a greater than 10 percent case fatality rate in San Francisco, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said.

California has higher rates of TB than the rest of the country, with an incidence of 5.4 cases per 100,000 people. The national average was about three cases per 100,000 people in 2024, according to SFGate.

Even still, the disease is relatively rare in the state, with 17 new or ongoing outbreaks of four or more people reported in 2024, according to the report.
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Two federal immigration agents involved in the shooting of protester Alex Pretti on a Minneapolis street have been identified as longtime officers with Customs and Border Protection, according to a report.

Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35, are named in government records, viewed by ProPublica, as the officers who fired on the 37-year-old intensive care nurse on January 24.

The agents, from Texas, were assigned to Operation Metro Surge, which saw thousands of federal agents deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out the Trump administrations anti-immigration crackdown.

Their names have not been released by Customs and Border Protection, which is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security. The agents were placed on leave following the shooting, according to the department.

In a statement to The Independent, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said it will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers.

open image in gallery The two federal immigration agents who fatally shot protester Alex Pretti in a Minneapolis street have been identified as longtime officers with Customs and Border Protection, according to a report ( U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs )

Doxxing our officers put their lives and their families in serious danger, the spokesperson 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.

Publicizing their identities puts their lives and the lives of their families at serious risk, the spokesperson added. This matter remains under investigation.

Ochoa is a Border Patrol agent who reportedly joined Customs and Border Protection in 2018.

Gutierrez joined the agency in 2014 and works in the Office of Field Operations, the outlet reports. Gutierrez is assigned to a special response team which carries out high-risk operations similar to police SWAT units, according to ProPublica.

Ochoas ex-wife, Angelica Ochoa, told ProPublica that her ex-husband is a criminal justice graduate of the University of Texas-Pan American.

He is a resident of the Rio Grande Valley who had long dreamed of working for the Border Patrol, she told the outlet. The ex-wife also said that by the time the couple split in 2021, the federal agent had become a gun enthusiast with about 25 rifles, pistols, and shotguns.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, was among lawmakers calling for the federal agents to be identified. They should not be anonymous, Raskin said Sunday on CNN. They should be identifiable. And they have to have rules of engagement that dont allow them to terrorize and intimidate, harass and assault U.S. citizens and other people.

The Trump administration also refused to name the agent who killed mother-of-three Renee Good in Minneapolis on January 7. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross was identified by media organizations in the days after her death.

The killings of Good and Pretti have sparked huge protests in Minneapolis and across the country.

open image in gallery Prettis killing sparked mass protests in Minneapolis and across the country last week and over the weekend. ( Getty Images )

President Donald Trump has attempted to turn down the temperature by pulling out Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, who insisted that the two Border Patrol agents were the victims of the shooting the day after Pretti was killed.

The president said he wanted an honest investigation into Prettis death, a significant shift in tone following the fatal shooting of mother-of-three Renee Good.

The two agents were not named in the preliminary review of the shooting, based on body camera footage and documents, that was sent to Congress last week.

It provided a timeline of how events unfolded but made no mention that Pretti brandished a weapon before he was killed, contradicting claims made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her department.

The incident began at approximately 9 a.m. on January 24, when a federal officer was confronted by two female protesters who were blowing whistles, according to the review.

The CBPO ordered the female civilians to move out of the roadway, and the female civilians did not move. The CBPO pushed them both away and one of the females ran to a male, later identified as 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a US citizen, the report said.

The officer attempted to move the woman and Pretti out of the road, but when they did not move, the agent deployed pepper spray toward both of them, the report said.

A struggle ensued between the federal agent and Pretti, who resisted the officers attempts to take him into custody.

During the struggle, a [Border Protection agent] yelled, He's got a gun! multiple times, the report continued. Approximately five seconds later, the agent discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a CBPO also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti.

Pretti was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead by 9:32 a.m., the review said.

Following pressure from the public and lawmakers, the Justice Department announced Friday that its civil division has opened an investigation into the killing of Pretti, led by the FBI.
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President Donald Trump and his allies descended on his Mar-a-Lago estate Sunday for the wedding of one of his top aides.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino married Erin Elmore, the director of Art in Embassies at the State Department, at the presidents club and residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

Scavino is considered one of Trumps closest staffers and has been part of his team since 2015, when he first announced his bid for the White House. Scavino served in various communication roles in the White House during Trumps first term.

The president, along with dozens of White House staffers, Cabinet members and MAGA allies, were pictured arriving for the ceremony Sunday afternoon

But noticeably absent from the crowd arriving at the event were First Lady Melania Trump and Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump.

open image in gallery Donald Trump appeared without Melania at the wedding of his top aide Dan Scavino ( AFP via Getty Images )

open image in gallery The president spoke to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate ( AP )

The president briefly spoke with reporters as he entered the venue.

We have a big day. A lot of great people. Dan, Erin, theyre getting married. So thats a big day. Very loyal, very fantastic people, Trump said.

Scavino announced his engagement to Elmore in September, sharing a video of the moment on X with the caption, She said YES.

open image in gallery Erin Elmore, who married Dan Scavino at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, holds hands with a child displaying a hat that reads, 'Trump made this happen' ( REUTERS )

open image in gallery White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino waves as he arrives ( AFP via Getty Images )

Despite the absence of Melania and Ivanka, several of Trumps family members attended the lavish event. His son, Donald Trump Jr., was pictured arriving with his fiancee, Bettina Anderson. Trump Jr.s ex-wife, Vanessa Trump, arrived alongside their daughter, Kai Trump.

Trumps daughter Tiffany and her husband Michael Boulos also were pictured attending.

Lara Trump, wife of Eric Trump, appeared to arrive without the presidents son.

open image in gallery Trumps daughter Tiffany arrived with her husband Michael Boulos ( AFP via Getty Images )

open image in gallery Lara Trump, wife of Eric Trump, arrived without the presidents son ( AFP via Getty Images )

open image in gallery Donald Trump Jr. walked into Mar-a-Lago with his fiancee, Bettina Anderson ( Getty Images )

open image in gallery Trump Jr.s ex-wife Vanessa Trump arrived with their daughter Kai Trump ( Getty Images )

Many key cabinet members also traveled to Mar-a-Lago to celebrate the couple, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Elon Musk, the worlds richest man, also attended alongside venture capitalist Shivon Zilis. The pair have four children together.

open image in gallery Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the lavish event with his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio ( Getty Images )

open image in gallery Elon Musk attended Dan Scavino's wedding with Shivon Zilis, a venture capitalist and mother to four of his children. The pair are rarely seen together ( AFP via Getty Images )

Several high-profile White House aides also made an appearance, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser who has played a key role in the Trump administrations anti-immigration agenda, was also spotted at the event.

open image in gallery White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds hands with her husband, Nicholas Riccio, as they arrive at Mar-a-Lago ( Getty Images )

open image in gallery Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller were spotted arriving together ( AFP via Getty Images )

Other key staffers and Trump allies who attended the event included White House Communications Director Steven Cheung; Fox News host Sean Hannity; FBI Director Kash Patel; U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro; and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, among others.
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A conservative legal scholar and writer is the latest to call for an end to Donald Trumps evolution of the Department of Justice after a former top prosecutor solicited explicitly pro-Trump lawyers for roles in the administration.

The Justice Departments apparent attempt to enlist loyalists to U.S. attorneys offices drew a call to defund the agency entirely from a somewhat unlikely source: National Review writer and former chief assistant U.S. attorney, Andy McCarthy, wrote on X that the agency should be shut down if that was the case.

He fired back at Chad Mizelle, a former acting general counsel for Homeland Security and Justice Department chief of staff, who issued a call on X for pro-Trump attorneys to apply for jobs.

If support for incumbent the president is now a condition of enforcing federal law, Congress should defund DOJ, wrote McCarthy.

DOJ should only exist if its nonpartisan. Too dangerous to liberty otherwise, added McCarthy, noting that if former Attorney General Merrick Garland had similarly solicited lawyers who support Joe Biden, MAGA & GOP would be calling for impeachment.

open image in gallery Pam Bondi has overseen a transformation of the Justice Department into Donald Trumps personal attack squad ( AFP via Getty Images )

The president has used the Justice Department as a cudgel against his political foes since retaking power. In recent months the agency has attempted to launch criminal cases, mostly unsuccessfully, against Trumps enemies, including former FBI director James Comey, members of Congress, and New York state Attorney General Letitia James, who investigated Trump and his real estate empire for business-related fraud.

Last week, those efforts expanded further with an FBI raid on an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia, where agents seized records and votes related to the 2020 presidential election. Trump later posted on Truth Social his own gleeful response to the raid.

The responses to McCarthys post, mostly from fellow conservatives, reacted with anger. Many accused the Justice Departments existing bureaucracy of being staffed exclusively by left-wing attorneys, or demanded to know why concerns about the DOJs impartiality werent raised during the Biden administration.

Others simply accused him of being incorrect or believing that the DOJ should be free to undermine the president.

But his post earned a positive response from another conservative writer and frequent Trump critic, John Podhoretz, as well as Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman.

Thank you. I thought I was taking crazy pills, wrote Podhoretz. McCarthy responded: Crazy pills would be a blessing.

Goldman, for his part, questioned why it had taken McCarthy and others to realize the extent of Trumps transformation of the DOJ.

Agree. But this has been the case since Day One, Goldman wrote.

open image in gallery Administration officials insist that prosecutions of his enemies, carried out after he publicly called for them to occur while singling out officials by name, didnt happen due to the presidents orders ( Getty Images )

Meanwhile, the administrations raid of Fulton Countys election offices has sparked fears that the White House and Justice Department are attempting to interfere in upcoming elections, including the 2026 midterms. On Sunday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to confirm during a CNN interview the purpose or suspected criminal acts being investigated by the FBI in Fulton County or whether the raid was tied to a larger investigation of 2020 swing states.

He also could not say for certain why DNI Tulsi Gabbard was involved, and said only that she wasnt part of the grand jury investigation being pursued by agents during the raid.

Blanche did, however, affirm on ABCs This Week that the primary purpose of the Justice Department now was to implement the presidents priorities.

He disagreed with the assertion that topics the president had repeatedly posted on Truth Social about and spoken to reporters about frequently was one of them.

open image in gallery Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the presidents former criminal defense attorney, is Pam Bondis top deputy at an agency that has transformed to executive the presidents priorities, he said February 1 ( REUTERS )

If youre going to work in this department, you are going to execute on the president's priorities, Blanche said, responding to the hosts question about the dismissals and resignations of prosecutors who have refused to be involved in the presidents revenge campaign.

The DOJ under Trump recently suffered two visible blows as it was announced that Lindsey Halligan, a former personal attorney to the Trump who has never prosecuted a case, left the Eastern District of Virginia after failing to prosecute Trumps enemies at his direction. A federal judge previously accused her of masquerading as the districts top prosecutor after her continued use of the U.S. Attorney title, despite a court ruling that found she was unlawfully serving.

Trumps loyalist pick for U.S. attorney in New Jersey, Alina Habba, was similarly found to be unlawfully serving in that position and was disqualified, with an appeals court ruling that her fate wont be reconsidered.
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The U.S. Justice Department released millions of files related to the case of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, shedding further light on his expansive network of high profile figures.

The latest dump  expected to be the last  contains some three million pages, including 180,000 images and some 2,000 videos attached to the case. It brings the total to 3.5m documents released.

Initial findings include the shocking revelation that Epstein may have fathered a child around 15 years ago, as well asemails from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince, inviting Epstein to Buckingham Palace years after the financier was convicted of sex crimes.

Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the U.S., resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday after more of his correspondence with Epstein emerged. He said he believed claims that Epstein sent him tens of thousands of dollars years ago were false and would need investigating.

Messages from billionaire Elon Musk asked Epstein when his wildest party would be and discussed visiting his notorious island. It is unclear whether Musk, who is not accused of wrongdoing, ever visited.

And in other emails, Epstein made allegations Bill Gates had engaged in extra marital affairs. A spokesperson for Gates vehemently denied the absurd allegations.

open image in gallery Documents included in the US Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files (Jon Elswick/AP) ( AP )

Theres no suggestion that appearing in the files implies wrongdoing. People who have appeared in previous releases have denied any illicit behaviour in relation to Epstein.

Below we look at the main revelations so far.

Epstein allegedly fathered a secret child

An email to the pedophile financier from Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew), appears to suggest he had fathered a secret child around 15 years ago.

Dont know if youre still on this bbm but have heard from The Duke that you have had a baby boy, she allegedly wrote on September 21, 2011, according to DOJ files seen by The Telegraph.

The email continues: Even though you never kept in touch, I still am here with love, friendship, and congratualtions [sic] on your baby boy. Sarah xx.

In another email released by the DOJ and seen by The Sun, Fergie allegedly mentioned the boy again and complained that she had been deeply hurt by Epsteins lack of contact with her.

You have disappeared. I did not even know you were having a baby, she allegedly wrote. It was sooooo crystal clear to me that you were only friends with me to get to Andrew. And that really hurt me deeply. More than you will know.

Epstein is not known to have fathered any children but, if Fergusons alleged claims are true, the pedophiles child would now nearly be 15-years-old.

The Independent has contacted Sarah Ferguson for comment.

The former Prince Andrew invited Epstein to Buckingham Palace

open image in gallery Pictures appear to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crouched over an unidentified woman ( US Department of Justice/PA Wire )

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor invited Epstein to Buckingham Palace for dinner and lots of privacy years after the financier was convicted, the new documents suggest.

In one email, Andrew said that he was travelling to London, where Epstein was staying. He told Epstein: "We could have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy".

Epstein responded: "Already in london [sic]. what time woudl [sic] you like me and we will also need/ have private time."

It is not clear whether a meeting at the palace took place. The Independent has approached Buckingham Palace for comment.

The latest release also included pictures that appeared to feature Andrew poised on all fours over a woman on the floor. It is unclear where and when the photos were taken, and the womans identity is masked.

In another message that appeared to be sent to Andrew, Epstein offered to introduce the then prince to a clever, beautiful and trustworthy Russian woman named Irina, who was 26.

Trump discussed often - and Epstein was asked about visit to Mar-a-Lago in 2012

open image in gallery Ghislaine Maxwell and Donald Trump are shown in an image released by the Department of Justice ( DOJ )

The newly published files included hundreds of documents that mention Trump, many of which were collections of media reports.

One file details what appeared to be internal emails by federal investigators looking into salacious accusations involving the president and Epstein. The emails, from August 2025, give no indication that any claims had been substantiated. Investigators said several of the accusers were deemed not credible.

Another message, whose sender and recipient were both redacted, reads, "What does JE think of going to Mar-a-Lago after xmas instead of his island?" referring to Trump's Florida club. The message is from 2012, years after Trump said the two men had stopped socialising.

Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein's crimes. But the scandal has dogged him for months, in part because he promised to release the files during his 2024 presidential campaign, then reneged after taking office.

Elon Musk asked about wild parties on Little St. James

open image in gallery An email exchange from 2013 showed Elon Musk and Epstein coordinating a time for the tech CEO to visit Little Saint James ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Elon Musk and Epstein discussed visits to Little St. James several times, including in 2012, in which Musk asked Epstein: What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?

In a 2013 email exchange between Elon Musk and Epstein, the two went back and forth about scheduling a time in January for Musk to visit the island.

In the document, Musk wrote to Epstein on Christmas Day in 2013: Actually, I could fly back early on the 3rd. We will be in St Bart's. When should we head to your island on the 2nd? It is not clear whether Musk ultimately visited.

Musk responded on Saturday on his X social media platform that he had been "well aware that some email correspondence with him could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name."

"No one pushed harder than me to have the Epstein files released and Im glad that has finally happened," Musk wrote. "I had very little correspondence with Epstein and declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his 'Lolita Express.'

Bill Gates denies Epstein claims of affair

open image in gallery A spokesperson for Bill Gates vehemently denied the claims made in the latest release of files ( Reuters )

Bill Gates has strongly denied claims in the files that he had engaged in extramarital sex.

Epstein made the allegation in a drafted 225-word email he sent to himself on July 18, 2013, with the subject line: bill.

He wrote that, as an associate of Gates, he had been asked to do things that were potentially over the line into the illegal.

He added that Gates and his then-wife, Melinda Gates, had been caught up in a severe marital dispute and that he had helped facilitate illicit trysts for the billionaire.

A spokesperson for Bill Gates told The Independent: These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false. The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epsteins frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.

Epstein sent 10,000 to Lord Mandelsons husband

open image in gallery Former US ambassador Lord Mandelson has offered an apology to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA) ( PA Media )

According to the latest documents, Lord Mandelsons husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, emailed Epstein in 2009 to ask him for money to attend the British School of Osteopathy and fund other related expenses.

The emails show that da Silva set out the costs of the course to Epstein, with one referring to a 10,000 payment, made two months after Epsteins release from prison.

Epstein told Mr da Silva: I will wire your loan amount immediatedy (sic).

Just a brief note to thank you for the money which arrived in my account this morning, Mr da Silva later replied.

Last year, Lord Mandelson was sacked from his role as UK ambassador to the US following mounting pressure over his ties to Epstein. On Friday, he issued a statement apologising to the victims of Epstein. He insisted he was ignorant of Epsteins crimes and learned the actual truth about him after his death.

Emails also suggest that Lord Mandelson gave Epstein advance notice of a 500 billion bailout from the EU to save the Euro, a deal made by EU finance ministers in May 2010 amid concerns the Greek debt crisis could spread through the Eurozone.

The evening before, Epstein apparently emailed Lord Mandelson, who was business secretary and de facto deputy prime minister at the time: sources tell me 500 b euro bailout , almost complete.

Lord Mandelson apparently replied: "Sd be announced tonight."

Emails separately appeared to suggest that Lord Mandelson forwarded internal government information to Epstein when he was Gordon Browns business secretary and deputy.

The former British government minister resigned as a member of Labour Party after new reports emerged about his ties to disgraced U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, media reported on Sunday. Mandelson said he did not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party, according to the reports.

I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this, Mandelson said in a letter to the Labour Party, reported by the BBC and other news organisations.

Mandelson said he believed allegations that Epstein made financial payments to him were false and that he would investigate them.

While doing this, I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party, the letter said.

Mandelson was a key figure in the Labour Partys electoral success during Tony Blairs premiership, which began in the 1990s. He came under renewed scrutiny last year after U.S. lawmakers released documents that included a letter in which he referred to Epstein as my best pal, leading to his dismissal as Britains envoy in Washington.

Epstein hassled friends for a meeting with Putin

open image in gallery Epstein apparently sought an audience with Vladimir Putin ( Sputnik )

Jeffrey Epstein spent years trying to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to the aggregated files.

The Russian president is mentioned 1,055 times in the updated Epstein library. Many of the items only refer to Putin tangentially, such as in media bulletins sent to Epsteins email address.

But over the years, the financier repeatedly discussed his hopes of meeting Putin with Thorbjorn Jagland, the former prime minister of Norway, who met with the Russian leader in his capacity as the secretary general of the Council of Europe.

In spring 2013, Epstein told Ehud Barak, the former Israeli prime minister, that he was hoping to meet Putin for the first time that June to discuss how Russia could encourage Western investment.

It was unclear whether they ever did meet to talk business. Email correspondence each year until 2018 suggests Epstein tried to set up meetings, or even invited Putin over for dinner through their mutual contacts.
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More than 10,000 FAA workers could be furloughed if the current government shutdown continues to drag on, according to a federal shutdown plan.

An estimated 13,835 air traffic controllers could also be left without pay, which could lead to hundreds of flights travelling into, out of and within the United States being delayed or cancelled.

The plans were confirmed in a shutdown plan released by the Department of Transportation, which included freezing law enforcement assistance support during the shutdown, along with audit and evaluation activities.

Random drug testing of non-safety workers would also be axed, along with analyses of air traffic performances.

The new government shutdown differs greatly from the devastating closure that paralysed Congress in Autumn 2025. That shutdown affected virtually all branches of government and was caused by a budget dispute over the entire federal budget.

The current shutdown affects a limited number of government branches, including the Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation, as members of Congress try to secure funding for individual agencies.

But, even in this limited capacity, thousands of workers could go without pay.

open image in gallery Massive delays at US airports could be imminent as thousands of federal workers face being furloughed or made to work without pay ( AFP/Getty )

Portions of DOT are affected by a lapse in appropriations, a warning on the DOT website reads. Website information may be outdated, transactions may be delayed, and inquiries may not be answered until funding is restored.

In typical fashion, President Donald Trump has remained optimistic amid the funding chaos.

I think its going fine, he bragged on Saturday. We had a big GDP.  I lost a point and a half because of the last [shutdown].

So, well see what happens, he continued. So hopefully enough people will use their heads.

When Congress could not agree on a spending bill in Autumn 2025, the FAA was forced to take radical action to maintain a stable flow of flights into, within and out of the country.

Flights into 40 of the U.S.s biggest airports, including New York JFK International and LAX, were slashed by 6 percent. That led to thousands of delays and cancellations, which were worsened by air traffic controllers being forced to work without pay.

Many ATCs were forced to take second jobs to make ends meet, further reducing staffing.

That shutdown was the longest in U.S. history. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told reporters at the premiere of Melania that he hopes the new government shutdown will be short.

But funding for the DOT is not the only hurdle Congress must clear to end the shutdown.

open image in gallery The shutdown comes as Congress battles over funding for the DOT and DHS ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security is also on the table.

Democrats blocked a bill that would have avoided the current shutdown, so a specific debate over DHS funding would be held.

Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego told The Independent that the bill was bull**** as it combined funding for the DOT, DHS, as well as the Labor and Education Departments.

The ongoing crisis in Minneapolis, where federal agents have shot dead two civilians during Donald Trumps immigration crackdown in the city, has led to deep divisions over DHS spending.

Let me be clear: Democrats are ready to pass five bipartisan funding bills in the Senate, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said before the shutdown. We are ready to pass them today.

We are ready to fund 96 percent of the federal government today. But the DHS bill still needs a lot of work.

The Independent has contacted the White House, the DOT, House Democrats and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for comment.
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Donald Trumps administration has confirmed at least two active measles infections among immigrant detainees at a family detention center in Texas, hours after the release of a five-year-old boy and his father whose case fueled outrage against the presidents mass deportation efforts.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is ceasing all movement at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center and is quarantining anyone suspected of making contact with the infected, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

All detainees are being provided with proper medical care, according to a statement Sunday.

The statement follows growing alarm from immigration attorneys and members of Congress who feared an outbreak inside the facility, which holds more than 1,000 families, including young children.

ICE appeared to confirm there is an outbreak in a statement to Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro, according to a federal court filing from his office.

open image in gallery A detention center in Texas holding a growing number of immigrant families, including young children detained during Trumps mass deportation operation in Minnesota, has confirmed at least two cases of measles ( AP )

Early Sunday morning, Castro escorted five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias from the Texas detention center to their home in Minnesota after a federal judge ordered their release Saturday.

Liam and his father were detained by federal officers from the driveway of their home in suburban Minneapolis on January 20 and brought to the facility, where the preschooler was reportedly sick and asking for his mother, according to family and lawmakers who visited him.

Days after they were detained, two-year-old Chloe and her father were brought into federal custody on their way home from the grocery store, according to Minneapolis officials.

They are among at least seven Minneapolis-area children detained by federal agents in recent days in scenes that mirrored arrests during other immigration enforcement operations around the country as Trump surged federal officers into Democratic-led cities.

At least four children detained during the Minneapolis dragnet are inside the same Texas facility, according to Columbia Heights Public Schools.

Last year saw the most measles cases in the United States in decades, with more than 2,200 infections, including cases from at least 762 people in West Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

At least two young children died and 99 people were hospitalized, according to the state.

open image in gallery Liam Conejo Ramos and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who were detained by immigration officers during a raid in Minnesota, were escorted from the Dilley detention center by Rep. Joaquin Castro and returned to their home in Minneapolis ( Rep. Joaquin Castro )

ICE detentions have exploded within the year since Trump took office, with more than 70,000 people being held at any given point, the most in modern American history.

While the federal government does not publicly disclose information about children in immigration custody, data from advocacy groups, attorneys and investigative news organizations suggest that a growing number of those detainees are children.

At least 3,800 people under 18 years old, including 20 infants, were in immigration enforcement custody last year, according to The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization focused on criminal justice.

And roughly 600 children were detained in facilities intended to house unaccompanied young people detained at the U.S.-Mexico border, more than the number of children detained in federal shelters during all four years of Joe Bidens administration, according to ProPublica.

Immigration attorneys and advocates also are concerned about the prolonged detention and re-detention of those children inside those facilities, which are operated by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The length of stay has increased from a low of 27 days in 2023 to 117 days within the last year, according to Kids In Need of Defense.
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Speaker Mike Johnson was pressed to explain on Sunday whether the Trump administrations shakeup of immigration enforcement standards in Minneapolis needed to include a broader change of leadership than merely the departure of Greg Bovino, former commander for the Border Patrol  and whether he still had faith in DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

While Johnson eventually signaled his support for Noem, it was clear that the Cabinet secretary remains in the crosshairs of many critics of the Trump administrations brazen enforcement strategies that have included a massive ICE presence in Minneapolis and raids targeting local businesses and homes.

Tensions in the city have exploded over the past two months following two fatal shootings of protesters. Renee Good was shot to death by an agent in her car during a confrontation on a road, and Alex Pretti was shot several times after being pepper sprayed and wrestled to the ground. A federal civil rights investigation has been opened by the Department of Justice into the latter shooting.

The removal of Bovino from his post this past week was taken by many in Washington as an acknowledgment by the White House that it is losing support for the presidents mass deportation program among Republicans on Capitol Hill. Two GOP senators, Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis, have said that Noem needs to resign.

On Sunday, Johnson said he still had faith in Noem to hold the position, after first evading answering whether DHS needed new leadership: I do have confidence in Kristi Noem.

open image in gallery Mike Johnson affirmed his support for Kristi Noem's continued leadership at DHS on Sunday ( NBC - Meet the Press )

But first, he seemingly admitted that Noem was struggling with the job, something he said anyone in her position would do.

She's taken over a crushing assignment. I mean, anyone who's in that position would have a difficult time with it, said the speaker.

He was pressed on whether that support for Noem was solid, given reports that the administration is unhappy with her handling of an increasingly-unpopular immigration enforcement initiative.

Full confidence? asked NBCs Kristen Welker.

Yes. Look, she has a difficult job. I have a lot of sympathy for her job. I've got a difficult job too, said Johnson. He added, though, that he expected Noem to implement a recalibration in some measure.

open image in gallery Noem was not called on during this weeks televised Cabinet meeting of Trumps advisers ( AP )

This is President Trump saying that they're going to look at the way operations are conducted, added Johnson, who went on to suggest that Pretti would not have been involved in the confrontation that led to his death had local law enforcement arrested him on a separate matter.

In the House of Representatives support for the president remains more solid but Johnson himself is in a tough spot, with moderates fearing for their political futures and his own loyalty to Trump under constant watch. Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are backing Noems removal via impeachment but do not have the numbers without GOP support for a vote to succeed.

The chamber is expected to vote on measures this week aimed at ending a partial government shutdown caused by disagreements over funding for DHS and demands from Democrats for guardrails on ICE and Border Patrols activities going forward. Those talks have ground business in the chamber to a virtual halt, including talks over renewing subsidies for health care plans on the public Obamacare exchanges.

open image in gallery Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino has been removed from command of ICE and Border Patrol operations in Minneapolis ( Getty Images )

Johnson entered the new year with an even slimmer margin of majority in the lower chamber than he had to play with during negotiations on the One Big, Beautiful Bill last year. Hes also facing open criticism from some members of his caucus including from Rep. Elise Stefanik, a member of GOP leadership.

Noem, meanwhile, appears to be on track for marginalization by the president. She was not called on to provide updates at an on-camera Cabinet meeting this past week, sparking questions about her future, while the White House has directed Trumps border czar Tom Homan to take over operations on the ground in Minneapolis.

A person close to the president told The Independent that Noems survival is due at least in part to the presidents no scalps policy enacted during his second term, an effort to counter what Trump saw as embarrassing victories by his critics in the media during his first term, resulting in firings.
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A shocking profile of a South Carolina congresswoman who has waged an on-again, off-again alliance with President Donald Trump threatens to affect her reputation at a moment when she is battling to stay among the leading candidates in a hotly contested gubernatorial primary.

Rep. Nancy Mace made headlines throughout 2025 as the first year of Donald Trumps second presidency was the background for her own personal crisis, one that played out publicly across television screens in Washington and around the country. In February 2025, the congresswoman accused her ex-fiance Patrick Bryant in a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives of a number of criminal acts including physical assault and filming her naked without her consent. Bryant swiftly denied the accusations.

She also caused a scene in October of last year when, at Charlestons airport, Mace (according to a police report) berated and cursed at officers who allegedly failed to meet her upon her arrival. Also a candidate for governor in the state in a Republican primary, the congresswoman saw her support dwindle as Republicans in the state when Sen. Tim Scott and others rebuked or condemned her actions.

And after a New York Magazine profile out on Monday headlined, Nancy Mace is Not Okay, Maces reputation could be further at risk. The publication cites several former staffers, including a former top consultant to her gubernatorial campaign, who described her behavior as erratic and accused her of being abusive. Maces office fiercely denied the claims made in the piece, and trashed its author in a statement to NYMag.

The picture painted by the former employees detailed some of their concerns with Mace, who was first elected as a representative in 2021. Supporters of the congresswoman argue that Mace instead is a victim of ex-staffers axe grinding.

We were scared of her, one former staffer told NYMag. She would make staffers cry. She would threaten to fire them, take their money away, not give them raises, not to give them days off, religious days.

Another former staffer detailed how early in her career Mace would push for appearances on national and local TV to help her brand. Her staffers thought she had potential, even if her behavior had them questioning her actions.

Somethings broken. The motherboards fried. Were short-circuiting somewhere, a staffer told the magazine.

open image in gallery Nancy Mace accused her ex-fiance of crimes, including assault on the floor of the House last year. That moment was one of several highlighted by recent staffers who detailed growing concern with her actions ( Getty )

According to former staffers, Mace allegedly abused alcohol and marijuana during her time in office and was described as befuddled on a 2022 trip to Europe by staff who say that the congresswoman demanded the firing of a staffer for releasing the same travel details to reporters that Mace herself had told a roomful of journalists a day prior.

She would definitely do it excessively, a staffer with Mace on the Europe trip alleged to NYMag about her travels. And again, not to say that most members dont or most staff dont, but it got to the point where it was an issue.

Another alleged: Look, when I worked for her, our poor scheduler was getting calls at 2 oclock in the morning to come bring her bottles of tequila.

But sources close to Mace disputed this to The Independent on Monday, and claimed that Mace suffers from hemochromatosis, a disease that prevents her from ingesting hard liquor or abusing alcohol.

Other staffers claimed that Mace would use them for housework and cleaning duties at her D.C. townhouse and other properties she was renting out as AirBnBs, according to the magazine. The congresswoman is generally described in the piece as verbally abusive, and increasingly consumed by personal vendettas that have consumed part of her focus in Congress since her floor speech last year. Supporters of the congresswoman mockingly reject these insinuations, and claimed that ex-staffers were mischaracterizing typical duties of congressional or campaign staffers.

open image in gallery Ex-staffers detailed a verbally abusive atmosphere at work and being assigned to non-work duties, including cleaning her AirBnB properties ( AFP via Getty Images )

Ex-staffers also said they were concerned about her repeated use of her office to go after Bryant, all the while engaged in a separate legal battle over the allegations. In May of 2025, she displayed a nude image of herself at a subcommittee hearing that she claimed was taken by Bryant without her consent.

Maces office referred to the claims in the article as ridiculous in a response to NYMag.

Over the summer of 2025, her relationship with Trump splintered. She has log had a roller-coaster relationship with the president. After the January 6 riots, she spoke out against them, but didnt vote to impeach Trump. Then, over the years, she became one of his biggest backers.

Last year, Mace joined several other Republican women as lone GOP signatures on the discharge petition to demand the release of the Epstein files from the Department of Justice, lead by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie. That act severed her relationship with the White House, along with the relationships of other rebel Republicans such as Marjorie Taylor Greene.

It wouldnt be the first time Mace lost out on Donald Trumps endorsement. The president endorsed against her in 2022, when she faced a primary opponent, only to see Mace prevail by refusing to take it personally and remaining vocally supportive of the MAGA brand. By 2024, she was back in the MAGA fold and won Trumps endorsement for another term. Now she stands accused of drifting from Trumps side yet again, and in a Trafalgar Group poll of the GOP primary for governor in South Carolina had slipped to third place out of four leading contenders as of mid-January. Just a few percentage points separate the candidates, with a wide portion of the electorate undecided.

But Maces bid for governor is a test of her statewide appeal, and the first time shes run outside of her congressional district. Donald Trump has yet to endorse in the primary. A poll put out by Stratus Intelligence on behalf of Maces campaign still showed the congresswoman leading the field, by four points, in January. Generally, polls show a tight field with just a few points separating the candidates.

In an interview with NYMag, Mace claimed that she would forgo hiring senior staff in the future to avoid barriers between her and her staff.

Ill never have a chief of staff again. Ill never have a campaign manager. I run a pretty flat organization because I dont believe in gatekeepers. Those positions become such filters that you cant even get a drip of coffee through, she said.
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Residents of an apartment complex neighboring an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon, are suing the Department of Homeland Security after being forced to wear gas masks in their homes, and shelter sleeping children in closets, according to a lawsuit.

President Donald Trump described Portland as War-ravaged last year when it became the focus of his anti-immigration operation. Since June 2025, the ICE facility in Portlands South Waterfront neighborhood has become the site of clashes between federal officers and protesters.

The facility is less than 100 feet from Grays Landing, an affordable housing complex owned by REACH Community Development. The complex is home to 237 tenants, including children under 5, people with disabilities and veterans, according to the lawsuit.

Following months of disruption, the property management company filed suit in December, alleging residents are suffering immense physical and psychological harm as a result of tear gas that wafts into their homes when federal agents deploy it against protesters outside.

Children living at Grays Landing have become accustomed to weapons of war exploding outside of their homes, the legal complaint said. Kids sleep in closets to reduce exposure to gas penetrating gaps in their windows and teenagers have had to learn how to properly seal gas masks.

open image in gallery Residents of an apartment complex neighboring an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon, are suing the Department of Homeland Security after having to resort to wearing gas masks in their homes ( Getty Images )

Residents have experienced difficulty breathing, unstoppable coughing, severe burning in their throats and eyes, dizziness, headaches, with symptoms often persisting for days or weeks. Some residents now have permanent symptoms, according to the lawsuit.

They often resort to sealing their windows and doors with tape, place towels under their doors, and wear gas masks in their own homes, all in an often-futile effort to keep the gas and smoke out of their apartments and bodies, the complaint alleged.

More plaintiffs have joined the suit in recent weeks to bring an end to the shocking and unconstitutional poisoning of their bodies and homes.

One plaintiff, named in the lawsuit as Whitfield Taylor, said that his nine and seven-year-old daughters are constantly unable to sleep due to the booming flashbangs that federal officers deployed outside their unit.

The children have suffered burning eyes and throats from the chemicals, in addition to psychological trauma, according to the lawsuit.

open image in gallery Children in the complex have been sleeping in closets for their safety and are suffering immense physical and psychological harm as a result of the chemicals outside, the lawsuit states ( Getty Images )

On nights when agents have deployed flashbangs and chemical munitions, Taylors daughters have slept inside of the closet of [his] room, building a makeshift fort to feel protected, the filing claims.

Another plaintiff, named Jane Doe, is a victim of domestic violence and suffers from PTSD. The use of tear gas outside of her home has prompted episodes of PTSD, according to the suit.

In one particularly extreme incident over the summer, Doe recalls that Defendants tear gas munitions got inside Grays Landing and filled up her apartment, the suit alleged. Doe began to scream and cry and had significant difficulty breathing.

Residents are seeking a preliminary injunction that would bar federal agents from using tear gas that is likely to infiltrate their homes, the only exception being when agents' lives are threatened, according to the filing.

The Independent has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

open image in gallery Federal agents lob tear gas and flash bangs at protesters in front of the ICE building on Jan. 31, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. The lawsuit comes after another weekend of mayhem outside the facility, where federal agents launched tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators  including young children

The lawsuit comes after another weekend of mayhem outside the ICE facility, where federal agents launched tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators  including young children  during a protest. The demonstration was described by Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, and other witnesses, as peaceful but agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets as thousands of marchers gathered, they said.

The vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat and posed no danger to federal agents, Wilson said, and called on ICE to leave the city.

To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave, Wilson wrote in a statement Saturday night. Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame.
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Former cast member Pete Davidson returned to Saturday Night Live to channel border czar Tom Homan for a cold open sketch rallying a group of federal immigration agents during a pep talk set in Minneapolis.

Davidsons Homan quipped that it was crazy that he appeared to be the only reasonable adult present, while the bumbling agents around him  played by cast members  failed to grasp their mission.

The sketch for the 1,000th episode of the long-running series comes just days after President Donald Trump deployed Homan to Minnesota to help defuse tensions sparked by a surge of federal immigration officers who have carried out hundreds of arrests and several fatal shootings, sparking international outrage as the state emered as the epicenter of the presidents mass deportation campaign.

On Thursday, Homan  who previously served under former President Barack Obama  announced massive changes would be coming to Minneapolis after reaching an agreement with local and state officials that would draw down the number of agents in the city.

Now I'm sure a lot of you are wondering why Greg Bovino, the last guy, was dismissed, Davidsons Homan said. I want to stress that it wasnt because he did a bad job, or publicly lied about the shooting of an American citizen, or even, uh-oh, dressed like a Nazi. It was that he was filmed doing these things.

open image in gallery SNLs Pete Davidson impersonated Tom Homan giving a pep talk to ICE agents in Minneapolis ( NBC Universal )

So Im here now and we need to tighten up, he said.

Davidsons Homan then asked the agents in the audience several basic questions about their mission in the city  which none of them could answer correctly.

Now who can tell me why were here in Minneapolis? he said.

One agent said pass. Another chimed in: This could be wrong but, Army?

What were you told you should be doing? Davidsons Homan followed up.

Um, wild n out? said another. Another questioned if the job was to keep Americans safe from former CNN reporter Don Lemon, who was arrested this week.

open image in gallery Homan announced massive changes would be coming to Minneapolis, which has emerged as the focal point of Trumps anti-immigration agenda ( AP )

An exasperated Davidson as Homan said: Look, Im Tom Homan, OK? Im the separating families at the border guy. Im the on-film taking a $50,000 bribe guy. And yall are making me look like the upstanding, reasonable adult in the room. Thats crazy.

The lines appeared to reference Homans role in Trumps first administration and an allegation that he accepted a cash bribe from federal agents, which he has denied.

Lets recap, Davidsons Homan said. What did we learn today?

This could be wrong, one federal agent responded. But that you hired a bunch of angry, aggressive guys, gave us guns and didnt train us, so this is maybe what you wanted to happen?

Oh come on, man, Davidsons Homan said. Dont start thinking now.
Chinese embassy in U.S. hosts China-U.S. youth spring festival gala

Xinhua) 14:03, February 02, 2026

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in the United States on Saturday hosted a China-U.S. Youth Spring Festival Gala, bringing together more than 500 young people to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

During the event, U.S. teachers and students who had previously visited China for exchange and study shared their experiences and stories from their travels in the country.

Annabelle Baker, a student at Orem High School in Utah, recalled her trip to China with her family last June, including a high-speed train journey from Beijing to Zhengzhou. "It was so cool. I've never seen anything like it," she said.

Annabelle told Xinhua that what impressed her most during her trip to China was the people. "I loved having conversations with the locals, and everyone was so kind and forgiving. I tried to speak to them in Chinese as much as possible. And even though my Chinese isn't perfect, they were really fun to talk to and really forgiving with my Chinese," she said.

At the event, young people from both countries explored a temple fair together, admired Suzhou embroidery, made glutinous rice balls (Tang Yuan) and sugar paintings, tried on Hanfu -- traditional Chinese clothing -- and performed together.

"Under our leaders' guidance, China-U.S. youth exchanges have gone from strength to strength, steadily injecting fresh vigor into bilateral relations," Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the United States, said in a speech.

Xie noted that over the past year, Chinese and U.S. youths have learned from each other, and moved forward hand in hand, reached out to each other, strived to be envoys of goodwill and collaborated on innovation, collectively "driving the change of our times."

"We look forward to removing obstacles to interactions with resolve," Xie said. "We call on the U.S. side to earnestly implement our Presidents' consensus, view and handle China-U.S. relations with a long-term perspective, build bridges instead of barriers, and encourage, rather than hinder, our youths' interactions, learning and research."

Xie noted that China looks forward to boosting exchanges with courage and supports visionary Americans in speaking up and acting with a sense of responsibility for the future, overcoming the chilling effect and disruptions to infuse more hope and vitality into bilateral relations.

"We warmly welcome more young Americans to take part in the '50,000 in five years' initiative -- to visit China for exchanges, tours and further studies, see China for yourselves, and make every moment of your youth count," Xie said.

Sean Stein, president of the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC), said in his remarks that talent exchanges are crucial to companies in both China and the United States, and professionals with cross-cultural working capabilities are valuable resources for both countries.

"So the USCBC and the American business community, we are committed to working hand in hand with the Chinese government and other partners across the public and private sectors to create more opportunities for youth and students to learn, connect and grow," said Stein.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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Donald Trump's administration is reshaping how the US sends aid to Africa as part of a broader effort to counter China, replacing traditional development programmes with targeted deals designed to advance American strategic interests.

After freezing most foreign aid spending when retaking office last year, Trumps government has begun signing new bilateral agreements with African nations. These seek to tie U.S. funding to specific commitments, including access to critical minerals and health data, or agreement to direct national budgets towards priorities set by Washington.

Given the significant cuts to aid funding Trump launched on his first day back in the White House, the U.S. will not be competing with China dollar for dollar on projects such as roads, Nick Checker, head of the State Departments bureau of African affairs, told Semafor. Rather than attempting to match Chinas spending on large infrastructure projects, he said, the U.S. will focus on narrower sectors where influence matters most, including mineral rights, supply chains and security cooperation.

If its a priority sector  or in the mineral space, for instance, and its about supply chain resilience  thats an area where wed actually want to be actively competing, Checker said.

The new agreements replace decades of assistance overseen by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which funded wide-ranging health and humanitarian programmes across Africa. USAID has since been dismantled during Trumps first year back in office, with officials arguing that its work was too diffuse and poorly aligned with U.S. strategic goals.

Trumps administration is reshaping how the U.S. sends aid to Africa ( Getty )

Details of the agreements show how explicitly American interests are now written in, such as the deal with Kenya, seen byThe Independent, saying it is intended to strengthen the Kenyan health system so that it can become more self-reliant, but also to promote U.S. interests abroad, including granting Washington access to health data.

The Kenya agreement also prioritises the use of faith-based healthcare providers. While such groups play an important role in the countrys health system, critics warn they may not offer specialist services such as HIV care for LGBT+ communities.

Under a new agreement with Nigeria  one of the largest former recipients of USAID funding  U.S. support places a strong emphasis on Christian faith-based health providers. Campaigners say the shift reflects political and strategic priorities rather than public health needs. So far, agreements have been signed in 14 countries, all in sub-Saharan Africa. But most have not been published in full, prompting concerns from aid groups and human rights organisations over transparency.

The narrowing of U.S. aid to Africa comes as Chinese lending to the continent has fallen sharply, with Beijing moving away from large infrastructure projects. Total Chinese overseas lending dropped to $2.1 billion in 2024, nearly half the previous years level, according to data released last week by Boston University. It signals a push towards smaller, commercially viable projects.

Senior State Department official Jeremy Lewin said last week that the Trump administration was using targeted, high-impact assistance to counter Chinese influence and build partnerships with pro-American states, as aid is redirected towards regions and sectors seen as strategically decisive.

This week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hosting a critical minerals meeting in Washington with officials from several African countries. President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, is expected to attend the talks, alongside ministers from Guinea, Kenya and Zambia.

The White House insists Africa still matters, but a leaked email reportedly sent by Checker to U.S. diplomats last month described the continent as a peripheral  rather than a core  theatre for U.S. interests.

This article has been produced as part of The Independents Rethinking Global Aid project
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President Donald Trump said the U.S. had reached a trade deal that would see tariffs on Indian goods cut to 18 percent from 25 percent.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said India would remove trade barriers on U.S. products and stop buying Russian oil in return. As a result, an extra 25 percent tariff imposed on India as punishment for its purchase of Russian crude would be withdrawn as well.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was delighted with the deal, which followed months of strained trade talks.

Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%, he said on X. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement.

Modi said the U.S. Presidents leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.

I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights, he added.

A White House official told Reuters the U.S. would scrap the 25 percent penalty tariff imposed over Delhis purchases of Russian oil which was layered onto the existing 25 percent reciprocal tariff.

Trump had warned earlier this month the levy could climb further if India failed to cut those Russian imports.

The new deal and Delhis commitment to stop buying Russian crude means the U.S. tariff rate on Indian goods is set to fall to 18 percent, close to the 15 percent rate charged on the European Union and Japan.

The U.S. President also said Modi had pledged that India would buy more than $500bn worth of American goods, spanning energy, technology, agriculture and other sectors.

According to the Census Bureau, the U.S. ran a $53.5 billion trade imbalance in goods with India during the first 11 months of last year, meaning it imported more than it exported.

Trump has struggled to make good on a campaign pledge to quickly end the Ukraine war and has been reluctant since his return to office early last year to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has simultaneously imposed import tariffs without going through Congress to achieve his economic and foreign policy aims.

The announcement of the deal with India comes as Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to hold another round of three-way talks with Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi later this week aimed at finding an endgame to the war, according to a White House official.

Trump believes that targeting Russias oil revenue is the best way to get Moscow to end its four-year war in Ukraine, a view that dovetails with his devotion to tariffs.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during a press conference in Delhi on 25 February 2020 ( AFP via Getty )

Historically, Indias relationship with Russia revolves more around defence than energy. Russia provides only a small fraction of Indias oil, but the majority of its military hardware.

But when Western sanctions over the Ukraine war hit Russian oil exports, India used the moment to buy the discounted crude in large quantities, allowing it to increase its energy supplies.

The announcement of tariff reduction by Trump came less than a week after India and the EU unveiled a major trade agreement following nearly two decades of negotiations. The deal will enable free trade on almost all goods between the blocs 27 members and India, covering everything from textiles to medicines, and bringing down high import taxes for European wine and cars.

The deal between two of the worlds biggest markets also reflected a desire to reduce dependence on the U.S. after Trumps import tax hikes disrupted established trade flows. Although the cost of Trump's tariffs has largely been borne by American businesses and consumers, the taxes can reduce trade volumes among countries.

In recent months, India has accelerated a push to finalise several trade agreements. It has signed a deal with Oman and concluded talks for a deal with New Zealand.

Trump seemed to hint at a positive call with Modi Monday morning, posting to social media a picture of the two of them on a magazine cover.

When the pair met last February, the U.S. President said that India would start buying American oil and natural gas. But the talks proved frustrating and the tariffs imposed last year by Trump did little to initially change Indias objections.

While the U.S. has been seeking greater market access and zero tariffs on almost all its exports, India has expressed reservations on throwing open sectors like agriculture and dairy which continue to provide livelihood to the bulk of the countrys 1.4 billion population.

(Additional reporting by AP)
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President Donald Trump has shared a 37-year-old letter from a legendary former owner of the New York Yankees encouraging him to run for the White House.

The letter, which Trump shared Sunday afternoon, was penned by the late Yankees owner George M. Steinbrenner III, who owned the team from 1973 until he died in 2010. Under Steinbrenner, the Yankees earned seven World Series wins and 11 American League pennants.

Steinbrenner, who was nicknamed The Boss, was also a prominent New York celebrity. He was often satirized on the long-running TV series Seinfeld, with comedy legend Larry David voicing his character (who was always seen with his back to the camera).

The brief letter was typed on New York Yankees letterhead and dated February 23, 1989. Steinbrenner praised Trumps recent appearance on The Morton Downey Jr. Show, calling him tremendous.

Dear Donald: Saw you on Morton Downey the other night. He is a friend, and I watch his show regularly, he wrote.

A 1989 letter from New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner III addressed to Donald Trump ( Truth Social )

You were great! You tell it like it is. It is like I said to Stephen, you should run for President some day and get the whole damn thing straightened out. You were tremendous on the show, he continued.

It wasnt immediately clear why the president had decided to share the nearly 37-year-old letter on Sunday afternoon.

Trump appeared on Morton Downey Jr.s talk show in 1989 to discuss foreign policy and the press, according to The American Conservative. When asked if he resents the negative press hes received, Trump replied: I think I used to resent it, I'm not sure I do anymore.

They take a shot at you in the newspaper, some reporter doesnt like something for his own personal reason, so they take a shot. I find now 10 years ago I used to say, Boy how could they do that, its wrong, its unfair. I find now that it really doesnt matter, Trump told Downey.

While Downeys show only aired from 1987 to 1989, he quickly skyrocketed to fame as a pioneer of the so-called Trash TV genre. Downey was dubbed Mort the Mouth and became a bullying cult figure who often championed right-wing causes, The New York Times wrote in an obituary.

Some have even argued Downeys show paved the way for modern conservative media personalities like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, the Associated Press reports. Downey died in 2001 following a battle with lung cancer.
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President Donald Trump is threatening to sue comedian Trevor Noah over a garbage joke about Epstein island at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

In an overnight post on Truth Social, he lashed out at the six-time host as a total loser who better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast.

Trump was the target of several jibes by Noah over the course of Sundays awards ceremony, and before the Song of the Year winner was named, he quipped: Song of the Year - that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epsteins island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.

When some in the audience gasped, Noah responded: Oh I told you its my last year! What are you going to do about it?

Trumps past friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been well-documented, but the pair parted ways before the billionaire financier was convicted. While Trump traveled on Epsteins private jet a handful of times, there is no suggestion he ever went to Little Saint James in the Caribbean. The island is believed to be the base of Epsteins sex trafficking operation.

open image in gallery South African comedian and host Trevor Noah speaks during the 68th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 1. ( Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images )

Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I cant speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonights false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media, Trump wrote in his social media post.

It looks like Ill be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$.

The president also blasted Noah and the Grammys with a slew of insults, describing the host as almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards, and the awards themselves as the WORST, virtually unwatchable!

CBS is lucky not to have this garbage litter their airwaves any longer, he added, a reference to next years move for the Grammys to instead be broadcast on ABC.

Noah was unsparing in his swings at Trump and his MAGA allies during his opening monologue, joking that rapper Nicki Minaj - who has never won a Grammy, despite being nominated 12 times - had skipped the ceremony because she was still at the White House discussing very important issues.

open image in gallery Rapper Nicki Minaj was gifted a Trump Gold Card during her recent appearance at the Treasury Department's Trump Accounts Summit. ( Win McNamee/Getty Images )

The audience at the star-studded event laughed and cheered in response to Noahs joke, with Chrissy Teigen giving a thumbs-up to the camera.

Trump threatened in his Truth Social post that he would have the last laugh, warning Noah that other TV channels and presenters hadnt fared well against his legal action and regurgitating an insulting nickname for ABC host George Stephanopoulos.

Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, Im going to have some fun with you! President DJT.

Noah is yet to respond to Trumps threat, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who frequently parodies the presidents outbursts on social media, jibed back with a mock press statement.

I CANT BELIEVE VERY TALENTED ARTISTS LIKE KID ROCK AND NICKI MINAJ WERE SNUBBED AGAIN AND WILL BE WALKING HOME WITH ZERO (0) GRAMMYS, Newsom wrote on X in all caps, as Trump himself often does.

open image in gallery California Gov. Gavin Newsom has frequently parodied President Trumps outbursts on social media. ( Jill Connelly/Getty )

THE HATERS WILL SAY THEY ARE TRASH ARTISTS WHO ARE JUST DESPERATE FOR ATTENTION. WRONG!!! THEY ARE OKAY ARTISTS WHO ARE DESPERATE FOR ATTENTION. THEIR RECENT PR PERFORMANCES ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO EARN A PARTICIPATION PRIZE AT MINIMUM.

BECAUSE THE GRAMMYS FAILED, I WILL BE AWARDING KID AND NICKI THE CALIFORNIA MUSIC PARTICIPATION PEACE PRIZE (AT THE NEWSOM KENNEDY CENTER), A VERY PRESTIGIOUS AWARD DECIDED BY MY PEACE BOARD, WHICH I ALONE APPOINT. THIS RESTORES FAIRNESS TO MUSIC.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. GOVERNOR GCN.

Trump has a long history of threatening legal action against media companies and personalities for coverage he doesnt like, targeting organizations such as ABC, the BBC, The New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, among others.

Some have chosen to make large out-of-court financial settlements rather than tangle with the president in court.
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Australias social media ban has led Snapchat to lock or disable more than 415,000 accounts identified as belonging to users under 16.

Snapchat said the action covered Australian accounts where users had declared an age below 16 or were assessed as underage using the companys age-detection systems. The figures apply up to the end of January, with the company adding: We continue to lock more accounts daily.

The measure follows the introduction in December of Australias Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) law, which requires certain platforms to prevent people under 16 from holding accounts.

Snapchat was among 10 services initially named as being required to comply. In January, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said 4.7 million accounts across those platforms had been disabled or removed in the first days of the ban.

Snapchat said it was complying with the law but warned of weaknesses in how it is being applied. The company said there are significant gaps that could undermine the policy, pointing to limits in age-verification tools.

open image in gallery Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during an official function to mark the start of Australia's social media reform at Kirrilbilli House in Sydney on 10 December 2025 ( AFP via Getty Images )

It cited a government-run trial published in 2025 that found facial age-estimation technology was typically accurate only within two or three years of a persons actual age.

Snapchat said: In practice, this means some young people under 16 may be able to bypass protections, potentially leaving them with reduced safeguards, while others over 16 may incorrectly lose access.

The company also raised concerns that the ban applies unevenly across the digital ecosystem. It said teenagers could shift to other messaging services that fall outside the scope of the law or remain unregulated.

Australias eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has previously acknowledged that enforcement is being phased.

While all platforms with Australian users are expected to assess whether they must comply, regulatory attention has so far focused on the original 10 services.

Were a small team, by necessity we are going to focus where the preponderance of young people are  where there are more than 250,000 for instance, is one measure, Ms Inman Grant told reporters in December.

A lot of the other smaller companies that were looking at have about 100,000 users. And so this will continue to be a work in progress. Were not done by any means.

open image in gallery Australia banned legions of young teenagers from social media with a world-first crackdown on 10 December, declaring it was time to 'take back control' from formidable tech giants ( AFP via Getty Images )

Under the legislation, companies can be fined up to A$49.5m (24.5m) if they fail to take what the law describes as reasonable steps to keep under-16s off their platforms.

The regulator has declined to publish a platform-by-platform breakdown of the 4.7 million accounts removed since the ban began. It is understood that the total includes not only accounts identified as belonging to under-16s but also historical, inactive and duplicate accounts. Aside from Meta and Snapchat, other companies have not disclosed how many accounts they have deactivated.

Snapchat, like Meta, has called for age verification to be handled at the app-store level rather than by individual platforms. In a detailed statement, the company said it supported the goal of improving online safety but opposed a blanket ban.

We want to be clear: we still don't believe an outright ban for those under 16 is the right approach, it said, adding that it fundamentally disagree[s] that Snapchat is an in-scope age-restricted social media platform.

Snapchat described itself as primarily a messaging app used by young people to stay connected with close friends and family and said cutting off those connections did not make teenagers safer, happier, or otherwise better off.

Australias approach is being closely watched overseas. The UK is considering similar legislation, and this week the House of Lords backed an amendment to support a ban for under-16s.
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The European Union's food safety watchdog has recommended a significant reduction in the acceptable threshold for a toxin found in infant formula, a move expected to trigger further product withdrawals globally.

The cereulide toxin, known to induce nausea and vomiting, has been traced to ingredients from a Chinese factory supplying major manufacturers including Nestle, Danone, and Lactalis.

This contamination has already led to recalls in numerous countries, sparking considerable concern among parents.

The European Commission had tasked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) with providing an urgent scientific threshold, or acute reference dose (ARfD), to guide governments and producers on when to remove affected products from sale.

In its assessment, EFSA proposed a stringent new limit of 0.014 micrograms per kilogram of body weight for infants.

The body highlighted that very young babies process substances differently and require enhanced protection, noting that vomiting was the primary short-term symptom considered when setting this new threshold.

Nestle has recalled several batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula milk ( PA Wire )

France, which had anticipated EFSA's advice over the weekend, has already indicated that a tighter threshold would likely result in additional precautionary recalls across the market.

EFSA also estimated how much formula infants are likely to drink in a 24-hour period, allowing scientists to calculate when the new limit would be exceeded.

Based on those consumption levels, EFSA said that cereulide concentrations above 0.054 micrograms per litre in infant formula and 0.1 micrograms per litre in follow-on formula could pose a safety concern.

French investigators are looking into whether there is a link between the death of two infants and recalled formula products, the health ministry said, adding that there was no such evidence at this point. Results were expected in the coming days.

In the UK, Food Standards Agency confirmed the presence of a food poisoning toxin in some Nestle baby formula products.

The food giant recalled several batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula earlier this month amid concerns they contained the cereulide toxin.

This oil plays an important role in infant development and is added to formula to ensure babies who are not breastfed receive it.
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Frances delayed budget for this year is set to pass Monday, clearing the way for higher military spending promised by President Emmanuel Macron to confront threats linked to Russias war in Ukraine and Mideast conflicts.

The expected adoption of the budget marks the final step of a monthslong, chaotic process that exposed deep divisions in the fractured Parliament, which proved unable to reach a compromise. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ultimately opted to use his special constitutional power to pass the bill without a vote. He is widely expected to survive two no-confidence votes on Monday evening.

Focus on military forces

Macron has vowed to increase defense spending to counter what he describes as a widening range of threats, from Russia and nuclear proliferation to terrorism and cyberattacks.

France in December passed an emergency law to avoid a U.S.-style government shutdown, but only the full 2026 budget provides the military with the needed funding to build up forces.

The Defense Ministry will get this year an additional 6.7 billion euros ($7,9 billion) compared to 2025  a notable exception as the state seeks to curb spending across most other sectors. This year, the armed forces are set to receive a new nuclear-powered attack submarine, 362 armored vehicles to modernize the army, and new Aster surface-to-air missiles.

France is also launching its new voluntary military service this year aiming at training thousands of volunteers, mostly aged 18 and 19.

Limiting the deficit

The government is targeting a budget deficit of 5% of gross domestic product, down from 5.4% in 2025. Public spending is expected to edge down slightly, from 56.8% to 56.6% of GDP as authorities try to rein in debt in the European Unions second-largest economy.

France has come under pressure from the EU and credit rating agencies to reduce its debt, prompting the center-right government to seek spending cuts.

However, with no majority in Parliament, Lecornu also granted costly concessions to Socialists to keep them from backing efforts to topple his government. The most symbolic is the suspension of Macrons unpopular pension changes to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

The state deficit is projected at 131.9 billion euros ($156,5 billion), almost stable compared with the previous year.

Businesses will bear several tax increases, including an extra tax on large companies profits that's expected to raise 7.3 billion euros ($8,7 billion) in 2026.

What it means for Macron

Macron, 48, is soon entering the last year of his presidency in spring 2027.

He has largely stepped back from domestic politics since his 2024 decision to call early legislative elections plunged Parliament into turmoil and led to the collapse of successive governments over budget disputes.

Lecornu, the fourth prime minister in two years, has already survived six no-confidence votes initiated by the hard left and the far right. Macron, meanwhile, has focused on foreign policy, European affairs and defense.

In recent weeks, he has pushed for security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia, joined European leaders in a show of solidarity with Greenland, and supported the inclusion of Irans Revolutionary Guard on the EUs list of terrorist organization.

As his sunglasses became a sensation at the Davos gathering of world leaders, Macron's remarks that France prefers respect to bullies," seen as a rebuke to President Donald Trump's tariffs threats, drew worldwide attention.
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Paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein spent years trying to win an audience with Vladimir Putin, according to emails published by the US justice department.

The Russian president is mentioned 1,055 times in the latest Epstein files release, which saw the DOJ share more than 3 million new documents on Friday.

Emails with political figures show Epstein desperately trying to secure a meeting with Putin in the early 2010s, after his first conviction for procuring a child for prostitution.

Putin has been president since 2012, but served as prime minister for four years before that and has been the countrys de facto leader since 2000.

The updated files show how Epstein jostled friends to set up a meeting for him to discuss foreign investment in Russia from at least 2013 and until 2018, a year before Epstein died in prison. It is unclear whether they ever met.

open image in gallery Jeffrey Epstein tried to meet with Vladimir Putin to discuss business ( POOL/AFP via Getty )

Epstein sought a Russian visa

The Epstein library, now totalling some 3.5 million records, shows that Epstein tried to procure a Russian visa from at least 2010. He asked a contact: do i need to get visa, ? I have a friend of putin,s [sic], should i ask him?

A year later, in August 2011, he told Emirati businessman Ahmed bin Sulayem that putin might come to the states, adding that he would rather meet him there, so sochi is unlikely.

Over the years, the financier repeatedly discussed his hopes of meeting Putin with Thorbjorn Jagland, the former prime minister of Norway, who met with the Russian leader in his capacity as the secretary general of the Council of Europe.

Mr Jagland characterised Epsteins interest in an email in May 2013, telling Epstein he would have to explain his proposals to Putin himself.

You have to do it. My job is to get a meeting with him, he said, adding: Can I say this [to Putin]: I know that you want to attract foreign investment to diversify russian economy [...] I have a friend that can help you to take the necessary measures (and then present you) and ask wether it is interesting for him to meet with you.

open image in gallery Epstein, pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell, died in his cell in 2019 ( PA )

Epstein wanted meeting with Putin

That month, Epstein told Ehud Barak, the former Israeli prime minister, that he was hoping to meet Putin for the first time that June to discuss how Russia could encourage Western investment.

Weeks later, he reported back that he had cancelled a meeting with Putin in St Petersburg, demanding the Russian leader set aside real time and privacy for him.

Inclusion in the Epstein files does not imply guilt. Mr Barak has acknowledged visiting Epstein but maintains he never observed any inappropriate behaviour or parties.

Mr Jagland distanced himself from Epstein late last year as it emerged in a previous release of files that they had discussed Russia and US president Donald Trump in 2018.

In June 2013, Epstein emailed Jagland inviting Putin for dinner, the files show. He said: Bill Gates will be staying with me in paris , for sund monday, putin is welcome to join for dinner.

The files show Epstein also tried to set up a meeting with Putin in early 2014, when Mr Jagland said he was going to meet the president in Sochi.

That July, Epstein received an email from a contact saying: I wasnt able to convince Reid to change his schedule to go meet Putin with you. ;-)

Epstein replied: Bad idea now after plane crash. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashed three days prior, killing 283 on board. A UN body ruled last year that Russia was responsible, though the Kremlin always denied responsibility.

Files show Epstein asked Mr Jagland for help again in 2015. He wrote: I still would like to meet putin and talk economy, i would really appreciate your assistance.

open image in gallery Trump and Putin in Helsinki in 2018 ( AFP/Getty )

Epstein offered insight on Trump

In 2016, he asked Mr Jagland when he would see Putin, and in 2017, he asked him to talk to putin re digital currencies . the future.

On 20 June, 2018, as previously reported, he emailed Mr Jagland: Would love to meet putin.

It emerged in a previous file dump that four days later, Epstein tried to pass a message on to Russias top diplomat via Mr Jagland.

I think you might suggest to putin that lavrov can get insight on talking to me, he wrote in an email dated 24 June, 2018. Lavrov likely refers to Russias minister of foreign affairs and close Putin ally Sergey Lavrov.

vitaly churkin used to .but he died. ? ! he added, referring to the late Russian ambassador to the UN, who had passed away a year prior.

open image in gallery In the Epstein emails, Lavrov likely refers to Russias minister of foreign affairs and close Putin ally Sergey Lavrov ( AP )

Mr Jagland said he would meet with Mr Lavrovs assistant and suggest, to which Epstein replied: churkin was great . he understood trump after our conversations. it is not complex. he must be seen to get something its that simple.

In a text message to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK last year, Mr Jagland said: In my work I have met a lot of people, many have put me in contact with even more. This is part of normal diplomatic activity.

What has come to light about Jeffrey Epsteins private life, I strongly distance myself from. For me, it was particularly important to understand Donald Trump and what developed in the relationship between the United States and Europe  Many wanted to start a process to exclude Russia from the Council of Europe and thus Russian citizens access to the European Court of Human Rights. I used every opportunity to get my view across on how serious this was.

Many of the items referencing Putin only refer to him tangentially, such as in media bulletins sent to Epsteins email address.

A separate 2010 email exchange between Epstein and an email address named The Duke, included in the new files, suggests Epstein also set up a dinner between the former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and a beautiful 26-year-old Russian woman.

Epstein writes in the message: I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with.

In response, The Duke replies: Of course. I am in Geneva until the morning of 22nd but would be delighted to see her. Will she be bringing a message from you? Please give her my contact details to get in touch. A.

Asked for more information about the unnamed woman, Epstein replied: she 26, russian, clevere beautiful, trustworthy and yes she has your email.
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A Sicilian couple are fighting to save their livelihood after a massive landslide in Niscemi destroyed their home last week, forcing them to salvage what they could from their collapsing pizzeria.

Benedetta Ragusa and Toni Rinnone raced against time, retrieving appliances and kitchenware as the ground continued to shift beneath them.

Firefighters stood by, assessing cracks in the walls and monitoring earth movements before stepping in to help, pushing a refrigerator up the street to safety.

"Unfortunately our house was first to collapse in Niscemi, so we didn't even have the chance to recover our mementos from inside that little home," Mr Rinnone said.

Despite the devastating loss of their home, the couple had held onto hope for their business.

"We still had faith in the shop, in the premises we had, so we wouldn't completely fall apart. Instead, it seems that that, too, is collapsing, bit by bit. It's a bit tough to deal with," he added.

open image in gallery Despite warnings of instability, nothing was done to shore up the Niscemis fragile foundations, and on 25 January, following a ferocious storm that drenched the land, a four-kilometre-long (2.5-mile) stretch of hillside collapsed ( Reuters )

Niscemi, a town of around 25,000 residents, is situated on clay and sandstone cliffs, dominating a plain in southern Sicily that leads to the Mediterranean Sea some 30 kilometres away.

The area has a long history of landslides, with records dating back to the 1790s, and the last major rupture occurred in 1997.

Despite warnings of instability, nothing was done to shore up the town's fragile foundations, and on 25 January ,following a ferocious storm that drenched the land, a four-kilometre-long (2.5-mile) stretch of hillside collapsed.

Buildings slipped into the void, others were lacerated by cracks spreading across their walls. Authorities hastily created a "red zone" down the eastern edge of the town, 150 metres (490 ft) deep, and ordered the evacuation of some 1,500 people.

Those who want to retrieve anything from inside the cordoned-off area have to be accompanied by emergency crews and must move quickly. No time for reminiscing.

"It feels like we're at war," said Ragusa as she rushed to gather glasses, plates and pans, piling them into a van.

open image in gallery Benedetta Ragusa removes glassware from her pizzeria as residents scramble to remove belongings and mementos from homes in high-risk areas following a landslide in Niscemi ( REUTERS )

Aerial views show a dramatic beige scar down one side of Niscemi, with mounds of earth lying on the plain below, the surrounding greenfields crisscrossed with cracks and crevices, suggesting the whole landscape was being torn apart.

Buildings and severed roads hang over the edge of the land that remains intact. Below it, the broken stubs of drains and water pipes poke out from newly exposed earth.

"Unfortunately, the situation is truly critical. We have a city, its historic centre, seriously at risk," said Gianfranco Di Pietro, a geospatial data engineer.

"It is still too early to know what our future will look like. But we hope to secure this historic part of the city as soon as possible, to rebuild, to provide housing again to those who have lost it, and to stabilise the entire slope."

Locals could be forgiven for being sceptical.

After the 1997 landslide, experts said parts of the town had been built on unstable ground and urgent work was needed, including installing proper drainage to stop the ground from saturating during storms.

But plans for such work stalled amid a mix of legal disputes and local bureaucracy that regularly throttle public works projects across Italy.

Niscemi Mayor Massimiliano Conti told reporters his town had only in December received funding needed to pay for safety work tied to the 1997 disaster. But that plan had been washed away, like the cliffs it was meant to safeguard.

open image in gallery While Sicilians have a reputation in Italy for riding roughshod over regulations, locals rejected accusations on social media last week that they had ignored building rules while developing Niscemi ( REUTERS )

The public prosecutor's office in nearby Gela has opened an investigation into the negligent disaster.

"It is right that those responsible for this should pay," Conti said.

With much of her pizzeria equipment secured, Benedetta Ragusa said she now faced a period of grief over her lost home and the dreams destroyed along with it.

Looking at drone footage, she can only make out her old bathroom wall with a mirror still attached. She was relieved she hadn't got back earlier and tried to save her belongings.

"Losing everything is terrible, losing your first home is terrible, but we were saved, because honestly, I don't know what would have happened if we had been inside," she said.

Astonishingly, lives were not lost in the disaster.

While Sicilians have a reputation in Italy for riding roughshod over regulations, locals rejected accusations on social media last week that they had ignored building rules while developing Niscemi.

"We risk losing everything, and people still find the time to talk badly about us, and that's not right," said French teacher Daniela Ferraro, whose home lay within the red zone.

Recent renovation work was carried out with the required permits and the property had been earthquake-proofed, she said, refusing to face the prospect of moving away from Niscemi.

"We will go to work like every day, we will keep rolling up our sleeves because we don't give up. Our land must be saved."
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Norways prime minister has called on crown princess Mette-Marit to comment on the truth of her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after criticising her poor judgement.

The princess is mentioned hundreds of times in the latest, 3.5 million-page tranche of the Epstein files released by the US justice department last week.

Dozens of emails were traded between the crown princess and the convicted sex offender, appearing to show that they were in contact between 2011 and 2014.

This contradicted previous claims by the Norwegian royal family that contact had been broken off in 2013, according to Norwegian outlet VG.

In a June 2014 email, Epstein asks Mette-Marit: do i get to see you in ny [New York], to which the crown princess responds that she thinks Tuesday will work.

"I showed poor judgement and regret having any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing, Mette-Marit said of her email exchange with Epstein, before she went on to express her "deep sympathy and solidarity with the victims of the abuses committed by Jeffrey Epstein".

open image in gallery Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway said the emails were simply embarassing ( AFP via Getty Images )

Prime minister Jonas Gahr Stre said on Sunday that Mette-Marit showed poor judgement in their relationship with the late sex offender.

Speaking on Monday morning, he told VG that she should comment on the truth about what happened.

Here you can tell the extent of the contacts that have taken place. They should clarify the matter. I expect them to do so, he said, adding that those mentioned here should come up with good answers.

In her statement, Mette-Marit added: Jeffrey Epstein is personally responsible for his actions. I must take responsibility for not checking Epstein's background more closely and for not understanding quickly enough what kind of person he was. I deeply regret that, and this is a responsibility I must take.

open image in gallery Jonas Gahr Store called on Mette Marits to offer more answers about her relationship with Epstein ( Getty )

The cache of files also revealed that Mette-Marit spent four days in Epsteins house in Palm Beach, Miami in January 2013. Another email from the crown princess email account showed Epstein being asked if a mother should suggest for her sons wallpaper naked women carrying a surfboard.

Another message reportedly implies that she was aware of his initial jail term in 2008 despite later contacts.

The palace has noted that it previously provided an incorrect timeline of Mette-Marits relationship with Epstein. A communications manager told VG: Unfortunately, we remembered the exact time of this a little incorrectly in the previous round.

The latest scandal for Norways royal family comes the day before Ms Mette-Marits son, Marius Borg Hiby, goes on a seven-week trial on 38 charges including rape and assault.
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Pope Leo XIV is among the world leaders invited to join Donald Trumps Board of Peace. Initially aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza, Trump says it will also resolve conflicts globally. The Vaticans secretary of state has said the pope needs time to consider whether to take part.

Leo, the first pope from the United States, forcefully decried conditions in Gaza in a Christmas Eve address. He has told journalists that the only solution to the conflict is a Palestinian state. But the Vatican has long described its foreign policy as positive neutrality.

Formal membership of state-sponsored commissions has usually been avoided by the Holy See, the central government of the Catholic Church  which has diplomatic relations with 184 countries, plus the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, as well as a permanent observer status at the United Nations.

Across nearly two millennia, popes have been deeply involved in peace efforts. They have mediated disputes, facilitated negotiations, opened humanitarian corridors and applied moral pressure to restrain violence. Yet they have almost always done so from the sidelines: carefully positioned close enough to influence outcomes, but far enough away to preserve credibility with all parties.

open image in gallery Pope Leo be able to maintain the Vaticans positive neutrality foreign policy? ( AP )

Papal peacemaking has worked best when the pope could speak to everyone, even those who rejected the political order of the day. Neutrality is not a rhetorical posture, but a practical asset: hard-won and easily lost.

Can the papacy maintain independent authority in an increasingly polarised world?

Influence without command

The Holy See has no army, no coercive economic power and no capacity to enforce compliance. What it has possessed, in varying degrees across time, is moral authority, diplomatic reach and access to networks that cross borders, ideologies and regimes.

In late antiquity, popes intervened at moments of acute danger, relying on prestige and symbolic authority rather than force. Pope Leo Is encounter with Attila the Hun in 452, near Mantua in northern Italy, illustrates this approach. The popes message of peace persuaded the ruler of the Huns not to destroy Rome.

The episode captured a durable pattern. Papal influence worked through persuasion, reputation and the claim to speak in the name of a higher moral order.

open image in gallery Donald Trump says the board will resolve conflicts globally ( AFP/Getty )

Between the 10th and 14th centuries, the Peace of God and Truce of God movements sought to limit who could be attacked, when fighting was permitted and how warfare should be conducted. These were not state treaties, but moral frameworks, designed to protect the vulnerable. The church established the right to asylum by proclaiming immunity from violence for those who could not defend themselves.

As medieval diplomacy matured, popes increasingly acted as mediators between rulers. Though the pope was never a neutral observer in a theological sense, he could function as a neutral broker in political terms: precisely because he was not a competing territorial power.

Mediation lowered the cost of compromise by allowing rulers to frame concessions as obedience to moral authority rather than weakness before an enemy.

Neutrality as modern strength

The early modern period expanded the ambition and limits of papal peacemaking. In 1493, Pope Alexander VI drew up boundaries for Spain and Portugals colonisation of non-Christian lands. Other European powers increasingly rejected the popes authority to allocate sovereignty beyond Christendom.

In 1518, Pope Leo X promoted a general peace among central European Christian rulers, resulting in the Treaty of London. But a century later, the regions Thirty Years War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history. After it ended, European diplomacy became more overtly secular. While the pope could create peace architecture, he could not sustain it once political incentives shifted.

About the author Darius von Guttner Sporzynski is a Professor of History at the Australian Catholic University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

For 1,114 years, popes ruled as absolute monarchs over the Italian territories known as the Papal States, strategically located in central Italy. With their loss, completed in 1870, the pope gained a different kind of leverage.

In the late 19th century, the Holy See aligned itself with emerging legal approaches to peace, including arbitration and international adjudication. It endorsed mechanisms that restrained unilateral force. Neutrality was no longer a defensive posture, but an active diplomatic resource.

Moral authority in total war

The First World War tested the limits of that resource. Pope Benedict XV confronted industrialised mass conflict, in which moral appeals struggled to gain traction. His peace proposal of August 1 1917, outlined principles that would later become familiar: disarmament, arbitration, freedom of the seas and territorial restitution. Governments acknowledged the initiative, but largely rejected its premises.

While unsuccessful, Benedict XVs intervention reinforced a papal vision of peace grounded in law and justice, rather than domination. It entrenched the Holy Sees role as a humanitarian actor, supporting prisoners of war, refugees and civilian relief  even when diplomatic leverage was minimal.

During the second world war, Pope Pius XII adopted a similar posture. His 1939 radio appeal warned war would destroy everything peace could preserve. Throughout the conflict, the Holy See relied on discreet diplomacy and humanitarian networks. Its capacity to mediate was constrained, but its credibility as a channel of communication endured.

In the early nuclear age, successive popes increasingly addressed the ethical implications of weapons capable of annihilation. The emphasis shifted toward global norms, restraint and the need for institutions capable of preventing catastrophe.

Speaking to the world

That shift became explicit in the United Nations era. When Pope Paul VI addressed the UN General Assembly on October 4 1965, his message was not tied to any state interest. Never again war, he urged, framing peace as a universal moral obligation rather than a diplomatic bargain.

This has defined much modern papal diplomacy. The Holy See acts through agenda-setting, moral language and support for multilateral norms. It rarely produces treaties directly, but shapes the terms in which peace and war are debated.

open image in gallery Pope Leo faces a conumdrum after Trumps invitation ( AP )

At times, however, the papacy has returned to hands-on mediation. The Beagle Channel dispute between Argentina and Chile in 1978 brought the two states close to war. Both accepted papal mediation, culminating in the 1984 Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Its conditions were consent from both parties, trust in neutrality and a willingness to frame compromise as honourable rather than humiliating.

More recently, Pope Francis was involved in the restoration of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba, announced on December 17 2014. Symbolic gestures, such as Francis kneeling before South Sudans rival leaders in April 2019, reinforced his role as a moral catalyst rather than a governing authority.

Why this invitation is different

Against this long history, Trumps Board of Peace stands out. It is not an ad hoc mediation effort, nor a quiet facilitation role requested by all parties. It is a formally constituted, state-led body, with clear political ownership and governance ambitions. Membership would signal alignment with a specific national framework.

Accepting a seat on such a board might offer influence over humanitarian access, reconstruction priorities and the protection of civilians. It could give the Holy See a voice inside a process that will shape lives on the ground.

But the risks are equally real.

Formal participation could narrow the popes room to manoeuvre, making it harder to engage actors who distrust the boards sponsor. It could blur the line between moral authority and political endorsement.

Joining a state-led board could increase short-term influence, but at the possible cost of long-term credibility. And once neutrality is perceived to be compromised, it is difficult to restore.
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The driver and eight passengers have died after an intercity bus rolled off a road in southern Turkeys Antalya province on Sunday, a senior official said.

Images from state broadcaster TRT showed the vehicle lying on its side on an embankment on a highway slip road in Dosemealti, a district to the northwest of Antalya city centre.

Provincial Governor Hulusi Sahin said 21 people were injured, seven of whom suffered critical wounds such as severed limbs. The driver was among the fatalities.

The DHA news agency reported that some passengers were thrown from the bus, which had travelled overnight from Tekirdag in Turkeys northwest.

Provincial Governor Hulusi Sahin said 21 people were injured, seven of whom suffered critical wounds ( X/@enginaltaychp )

Antalya, a popular tourist destination on the Mediterranean, has been hit by heavy rain in recent days. The ground was wet and there was also fog in the area. Its not a place to speed, but it seems the bus was speeding, Sahin told TRT.

The same day, seven people died in a head-on car collision in Burdur, some 65km (40 miles) north of Dosemealti.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya took to social media to lament a traffic culture that saw 6,351 people die on Turkeys roads in 2024 and outline existing proposals to tighten traffic laws.
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A key political ally of Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine has called for a peace deal which prioritises people over land ahead of a major conference in the war torn country on Thursday.

Vitaliy Kim, governor of the Mykolaiv Oblast region in Ukraine, is an emerging name in Ukrainian politics and spoke to The Independent as other governors and mayors get together to discuss where the peace line needs to be drawn in the war with Russia.

Mr Kim headed the Mykolaiv branch of Zelenskys Servant of the People party during the 2019 elections and was appointed by the Ukrainian president to be regional governor in November 2020.

He spoke ahead of the Frontline Cities and Communities Forum 2026, where governors and mayors will try to agree what they want from a peace settlement, underlines a willingness to move away from border arguments to security guarantees.

open image in gallery Volodymyr Zelensky (l) with governor of the Mykolaiv region Vitaliy Kim (r) on the visit ( EPA )

He also issued a warning for allies including the UK preparing to take part in the so-called Coalition of the Willing to guarantee peace to learn the lessons of Neville Chamberlain and appeasement of the 1930s.

Asked about his priorities in the Donald Trump led peace plan, Governor Kim said: The land is important, but still, people are more important and the situation is that we do not know what will be tomorrow.

He admitted: For me personally, victory is our borders from 1991 where people are happy and not killed, but everybody is very tired.

So for the Ukrainian people, I think the victory is just stopping the war and some guarantees of security for the future, for our children to have the life that we had before the invasion.

I think for the majority of our people, the victory is to have their life like it was before the invasion. And it is very important for us because a lot of time has passed.

open image in gallery US envoy Steve Witkoff has been meeting with Vladimir Putin as part of Donald Trumps efforts to end the war ( Sputnik )

On his fear of history repeating itself with Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macrons Coalition of the Willing, he noted: I remember the history when [Neville] Chamberlain wrote the paper, when other leaders were promising to fight the aggressor, I remember what was happening next.

He said that they needed to look at the wider implications of the war beyond Ukraine.

This is not a problem of our own in Ukraine, he said. From my point of view it is different wars between autocratic and democratic countries, and the power of rules over the power of force.

The 44-year-old who hails from the strategic Black Sea port Mykolaiv noted that comparatively the losses in the war started by Vladimir Putin are already worse the the Second World War.

His region was on the front line before Ukrainian forces pushed Russian troops back and his since been providing back up to the new front line in Kherson.

While many estimate that the Russian economy has two more years before it collapses from the sanctions imposed because of the war, Mr Kim questions if Ukraine can survive that long.

open image in gallery Attacks on Ukraine have continued despite ongoing talks ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

He said: The Russian economy is suffering also, and in my opinion, they have a couple of years to start decreasing publicly. I think that Russia knows it, but still, they have time, and Ukraine does not have time.

We are exhausted and first, it's not about weapons, it's not about missiles, it's about people. We've only 40 million people and everybody is exhausted. Our soldiers cannot fight for four to 10 years.

He said that President Trump had made a breakthrough because he is not predictable which had made it more difficult for the Russians.

He said: If it was a traditional policy, step by step, nothing could be changed with Russia, because they can predict it so the only way to change something is through the unpredictable, international policy, that Donald Trump is doing now.

I truly believe that only with such things, that with economic force, physical force, and only in such a way can we stop Russia.
Close Rubio warns old world is gone ahead of possible Zelensky meeting at Munich summit

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US secretary of state Marco Rubio has warned the old order is gone ahead of a possible meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference.

Speaking before he departed the US, Mr Rubio said the world is at a defining moment, adding: "The Old World is gone, frankly, the world I grew up in.

He said we live in a new era in geopolitics, and it's going to require all of us to re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be.

World leaders are gathering in Munich for the summit which will see Mr Zelensky, Mr Rubio, British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron, and several others take to the stage.

The meeting comes one day after Ukraine said it will receive $38 billion (27.9bn) in military aid from its allies in 2026, including a 500 million for air defence from the UK as part of a 3 billion support package.

The aid will be used to fund drones, air defence systems, and Patriot missiles, defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.
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An Oscar-nominated Iranian screenwriter has been arrested after speaking out against the countrys brutal crackdown on protesters.

Mehdi Mahmoudian co-wrote It Was Just an Accident  a thriller about three Iranian political prisoners debating whether to take revenge on their tormentor  which was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards.

The screenwriter and activist signed the letter along with 16 other people condemning the Iranian governments mass and systematic killing of citizens.

He was detained on Saturday along with two other signatories, according to Neon, the US distributor of the film and US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. BBC Persian added that Mr Mahmoudian has spoken to a lawyer.

His social media account confirmed he had briefly contacted his family to inform them of his arrest and to update them on his health but said he was not allowed to provide further details. It Was Just an Accident marked the first film he had released since being released from prison on charges of propaganda against the regime.

open image in gallery Mehdi Mahmoudian has been arrested for signing a letter condemning the Iranian governments mass killings ( Facebook )

Thousands of people have been killed in the crackdown, with the Islamic Republic accepting the deaths of 3,000. However, human rights groups estimate that the dead could range between 7,000 and over 30,000.

This authoritarian apparatus has relied on mass killings to ensure its survival while ignoring the basic and inalienable rights of citizens  including the fundamental right to seek change in the political system, the letter read.

Among the signatories are Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and winner of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Nasrin Sotoudeh. Others include prominent lawyers, authors and activists.

open image in gallery It Was Just an Accident has been nominated for two Oscars at this years awards ( AP )

Mr Mahmoudians co-writer Jafar Panahi also signed the but he remains in exile outside of the country.

I met Mehdi Mahmoudian in prison, Mr Panahi said in a statement released after Mahmoudians arrest. From the very first days, he stood out  not only because of his calm demeanor and kind conduct but also because of a rare sense of responsibility toward others.

Whenever a new prisoner arrived, Mehdi would try to provide them with basic necessities and, more importantly, offer reassurance. He became a quiet pillar inside the prisonsomeone inmates of all beliefs and backgrounds trusted and confided in.

Mr Panahi recalled the last time he spoke to his friend: Forty-eight hours before his arrest, we spoke on the phone and then exchanged a few messages. I sent him my last message at four in the morning.

By noon the next day, there was no reply. I grew worried and contacted mutual friends; none of them had heard from him. A few hours later, BBC Persian officially announced that Mehdi Mahmoudian, along with Abdollah Momeni and Vida Rabbani, had been arrested.
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Iran has issued a stark warning of potential regional conflict should the United States launch an attack, further escalating tensions between Washington DC and Tehran.

In a retaliatory move, Tehran also designated European Union armies as terrorist groups.

The US has ramped up its naval presence in the Middle East, prompted by President Donald Trumps repeated threats of intervention over Irans nuclear programme and its handling of protesters.

Despite the ongoing standoff, both Irans clerical leadership and the Trump administration have signalled a readiness to resume talks, with regional allies like Turkey actively seeking de-escalation.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted on state media as saying that although Trump says he has sent ships to the region, the Iranian nation shall not be scared by these things, the Iranian people will not be stirred by these threats.

We are not the initiators and do not want to attack any country, but the Iranian nation will strike a strong blow against anyone who attacks and harasses them, he said.

open image in gallery Iranian lawmakers chant slogans as they wear the Revolutionary Guard's uniform in a session of parliament on 1 February ( AP )

The US Navy currently has six destroyers, one aircraft carrier, and three littoral combat ships in the region, raising the risk of war after Irans deadly crackdown on nationwide protests against the countrys leadership in January.

Trump was weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces, Reuters has reported, citing multiple sources.

On Saturday, he told reporters that Iran was seriously talking with Washington, hours after Tehrans top security official Ali Larijani said on X (formerly Twitter) that arrangements for negotiations were underway.

Trump also said: I hope they negotiate something acceptable. You could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons.

open image in gallery Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, pictured on Saturday ( AP )

Tehran says it is ready for fair negotiations that do not seek to curtail its defensive capabilities.

The protests, which started over economic hardships but morphed into the most acute political challenge to the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979, have now abated after repression.

Official numbers put the unrest-related death toll at 3,117, while the US-based Hrana rights group said on Sunday it had so far verified the deaths of 6,713 people. Reuters was unable to independently verify the numbers.

In a symbolic shift in response to the crackdown on protests, the European Union on Thursday designated the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) a terrorist organisation.

In retaliation on Sunday, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said EU armies would also be designated as such, and that authorities would deliberate on the expulsion of EU states military attaches.

By trying to hit the Revolutionary Guards... the Europeans actually shot themselves in the foot, the speaker told fellow lawmakers, who all wore IRGC uniforms in support of the elite force.

After his address, lawmakers shouted: Death to America, Shame on you Europe.

Separately, an Iranian official denied state media reports that the Revolutionary Guards naval forces would conduct live-fire exercises in the Strait of Hormuz this Sunday and Monday, saying that such claims were incorrect.
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Israel has opened Gazas Rafah crossing for the limited movement of Palestinians into and out of the enclave.

It is the first time that the border with Egypt has been open for Palestinians since May 2024, when it was largely shut after the Israeli military seized the crossing.

More than 20,000 injured and wounded people are awaiting medical treatment. Israel has permitted 50 patients (each accompanied by two relatives) to leave at a time.

The opening of the border was a crucial part of US-brokered ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, led by US president Donald Trump, and marks the second stage of the agreement.

Rafah became highly politicised during the height of the bombardment when humanitarian aid was restricted, and thousands of aid trucks containing food and medical aid were not allowed to enter.

As Palestinians crossed, images appeared to show heavy surveillance, narrow lanes, gates fenced with barbed wire, and extensive security checks being conducted at a checkpoint. Only people will be allowed to pass in and out, with no goods permitted.

open image in gallery Only 50 patients will be allowed to leave Gaza at a time ( AFP/Getty )

Palestinian officials reported that 100,000 people had left Gaza since October 2023, the vast majority in the first nine months of the onslaught. At least 30,000 Palestinians have registered with the Palestinian embassy in Cairo to return to Gaza, an embassy official told the Associated Press.

However, the United Nations has called on Israel to allow unfettered movement for Palestinians as well as the entry of humanitarian aid in line with international law.

We would want to see humanitarian cargo and private cargo go in, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday. And, of course, in terms of movements of people through the Rafah crossing, Palestinians need to be able to come out or go in, as they wish, in line with international law.

Save the Children demanded the immediate and urgent opening of Rafah and all border crossings and the safe, unrestricted passage of humanitarian assistance.

open image in gallery More than 90 per cent of housing has been destroyed with the vast majority of the population living in tents ( AFP/Getty )

But Israel has banned Medecins Sans Frontieres, accusing the charity of being part of military infrastructure that shields terrorism after it refused to provide a list of Palestinian staff. MSF called the decision a pretext to obstruct humanitarian assistance. It joins the list of 37 banned aid groups, including ActionAid, the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision International and Oxfam Quebec.

Israel has NO authority to block anyone from entering the Palestinian territory it illegally occupies, the UN special rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, wrote on Monday. Stop normalising the illegal occupation by bending to its diktats. Respect the ICJ [International Court of Justice] deliberation: force Israel to end the occupation. Time for justice is NOW.

Israel has persistently denied that it is obstructing the flow of aid and says it does not limit aid entering Gaza. It says its measures are for the purposes of security.

Over 71,667 people have been killed in Gaza, a figure the Israeli military finally accepted last week after insisting that the Gaza ministry of health had been inflating the numbers since October 2023.

A two-year investigation into Israels military action in Gaza found that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, claims that Israel has called false, distorted and antisemitic.
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Royal Caribbeans exclusive Bahamas beach club has officially opened, giving cruise passengers access to private beaches and even their own cabanas.

The instantly recognisable crown and anchor of the dazzling blue Royal Caribbean logo greets you as you sail into port in Nassau in the Bahamas

As the ship docks, the old town of Nassau lures guests with its rum bars, beaches and straw markets.

Just a five-minute ferry ride away to Paradise Island and close to the famous Atlantis hotel, the cruise line has turned once-derelict land into a vibrant new destination.

Thousands of guests on the cruise lines Caribbean cruises each day will get the chance to party in the worlds largest swim-up bar, or relax in the sun with family and friends on Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.

open image in gallery Royal Beach Club greets guests as they approach Nassau ( Marc Shoffman )

Officially opened on 23 December 2025, the beach club is part of Royal Caribbeans plan to provide unique all-round holiday experiences.

The cruise line already has private Caribbean islands such as CocoCay  with another to be launched in Mexico in autumn 2027  where guests can enjoy Royal Caribbeans Perfect Day with waterslides, splash pools and beaches.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island means guests are able to enjoy an even more exclusive experience during stops in the Bahamas.

Heres what you need to know.

Read more: Royal Caribbean brings new private beach club to the Med

What is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island?

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is Royal Caribbeans own private 17-acre stretch of beach which is reserved solely for its cruise passengers.

It is only accessible by five colourful ferries  Flirty Flamingo (pink), Sassy Starfish (blue), Coral Calypso (orange), Twisted Turtle (green), and Lucky Lizard (turquoise)  that will pick guests up from the ship. They will transport them to and from two docks that provide access to three private areas on the beach.

open image in gallery A Royal Caribbean ferry will transport guests to its private beach club in the Bahamas ( Marc Shoffman )

Each ferry, which proudly flies the flag of the Bahamas as well as the Royal Caribbean logo, can carry 241 passengers so there is plenty of space.

Guests can choose from seven beach bars and three poolside bars. The private beach has capacity for up to 4,000 people.

Where is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island?

open image in gallery Guests will be welcomed by local artists and performers at the Royal Beach Club ( Royal Caribbean )

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is based in Nassau.

Its on Paradise Island close to the Atlantis hotel but is only accessible by Royal Caribbeans ferry fleet.

The idea is that guests have the option to explore Nassau or to visit the beach club, or both.

Passengers can relax on their choice of beaches while sampling Bahamian delights such as guava duff and watching performers from the island.

Royal Caribbean chose 11 local Bahamian artists to curate pieces across 25 locations on the beach club including large flamingo sculptures.

Read more: The biggest cruise trends for 2026, according to experts

How to visit Royal Beach Club Paradise Island

Guests can visit the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island during stops in Nassau.

But unlike CocoCay, which is free to enter and has extra charges for areas such as its waterpark, you will need to purchase a day pass for the new beach club experience.

Guests can choose from three day pass options. One comes with an unlimited open bar for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, dining and wifi that is available to people over age 21.

open image in gallery Royal Caribbean guests can purchase day passes for its private beach club in advance or on the ship during Caribbean cruises ( Marc Shoffman )

Alternatively, you could opt for an unlimited non-alcoholic drinks option that comes with dining and wifi. Kids aged three and under go free. You can also purchase alcohol using this option.

These include full access as well as beach chairs and cabanas.

There is also an option to splash out on cabanas. This includes a two-level family cabana where up to 12 guests can use a private whirlpool, wet-dry slide, frozen drink machine and get premium attendant service, and more.

What is on Royal Beach Club Paradise Island?

open image in gallery Chill Beach on Royal Caribbean's new private beach club ( Scott's House Media Agency )

Once you have you day pass, you can access a choice of three neighbourhoods.

There is Family Beach, with pools and beach games, or Chill Beach, which has The Deep End cocktail bar.

Those seeking a more upbeat experience can visit Party Cove.

This area of the beach has the worlds largest swim-up bar, The Floating Flamingo.

Guests can also book cabanas on The Party Deck, located on the second floor of The Floating Flamingo, where up to 12 guests can enjoy their own private pool-front space with dedicated food and beverage service.

Family Beach and Party Cove can be accessed from one dock and Chill Beach from the other.

Guests with day passes can gather on the ship and then decide which ferry to take based on where they want to visit first. You can also travel between the two docks on the ferries and back to the ship.

How much does Royal Beach Club Paradise Island cost?

Prices vary per sailing. Day passes start from 64.50 per adult, and 49.02 per child based on a sailing aboard Wonder of the Seas in February 2026. Children age three and under can enter for free.

Family cabana prices start from 3,317.40, but can be more expensive with prices reaching up to 7,300 in peak season.

Read more: The best Royal Caribbean cruises for 2026
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A commercial flight has landed in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, marking only the second such arrival since a devastating war erupted across the northeastern African nation nearly three years ago.

The domestic service, operated by the national flag carrier SUDANAIR, touched down at Khartoum International Airport on Sunday afternoon, the state-run SUNA news agency reported.

It had departed earlier that morning from Port Sudan, the eastern Red Sea city that served as the interim government seat until the administration moved back to Khartoum earlier this year.

The reopening of Khartoum International Airport is considered a vital step in the government's efforts to normalise life in the capital.

The city has been severely impacted by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese military and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sunday's arrival follows a previous commercial flight by privately owned Badr Airlines, which landed at the airport in October last year.

open image in gallery Sudan Khartoum Airport ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

On that occasion, the RSF launched drones in an attempt to disrupt the government's efforts to reopen the facility, after the military had retaken Khartoum from the paramilitary group earlier in the year.

The war in Sudan began in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.

The airport was severely damaged in the first weeks of the war.

The devastating war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. figures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher.

It created the worlds largest humanitarian crisis with over 14 million people forced to flee their homes. It fueled disease outbreaks and pushed parts of the country into famine.

During a briefing at the U.N. Security Council on 20 January, deputy ICC prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said her office was investigating alleged crimes committed by the RSF in al-Fashir, with a particular focus on violence against women, girls, and children.

Khan said that based on the evidence collected so far, her office believes war crimes and crimes against humanity occurred in the city in late October during the culmination of the RSF's siege of al-Fashir.
The best adventures are the ones that surprise us. Whether its the delight of exploring a hidden-gem destination, having our assumptions about a place challenged, or locals sharing details of their culture and customs, travel should take you out of the everyday and immerse you in a brand new world.

Award-winning adventure travel company Wild Frontiers believe in thoughtful, immersive travel as a force for good. They bring together small groups of like-minded travellers for carefully crafted itineraries that explore under-the-radar corners of the world and find new possibilities in well-trodden lands.

Using local experts and connecting with communities to unlock a truly authentic experience, their mission is to leave a lasting, positive impact on both the traveller and the people and places visited. Youll get under the skin of a destination, gaining a genuine insight into its day-to-day life and culture.

Explore hidden gem Albania

Delve into history at the UNESCO-listed ruins in Butrint ( Wild Frontiers )

If you want to go off the beaten track in Europe, while still experiencing pristine Mediterranean beaches, delicious food and historical wonders, then Albania is the perfect destination. One of the most fascinating countries in Europe, its also one of the least-known. The last country to break away from the Ottoman Empire, Albania had a turbulent history right up until the late 20th century, keeping it under-the-radar for visitors. Now, its untamed beauty begs to be discovered.

In the countrys north, the dramatic landscapes of the Albanian Alps are scattered with deep river valleys, isolated mountain villages, alpine lakes and national parks. Its south is home to pristine beaches, ancient sites, and breathtaking coastal trails. As well as stunning natural wonders, there is plenty of history to discover, from Greek, Roman and Macedonian ruins to sites which highlight the countrys more recent communist past under Hoxha.

Enjoy a signature tour

Take in the stunning vistas of the Valbone valley ( Wild Frontiers )

On Wild Frontiers signature Albania Encompassed tour youll experience all the country has to offer, from the limestone landscapes of the Valbone Valley and the breathtaking beaches of the Albanian Riveria to the wonderfully preserved Ottoman towns of Gjirokaster and Berat, and atmospheric ancient ruins of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The colourful Tirana offers iconic landmarks like Skanderbeg Square and the historic Ethem Bey Mosque as well as underground surprises such as BunkArt  contemporary art galleries housed in a former Cold War bunker.

Experience Albanias warm and welcoming hospitality in local-run guesthouses, enjoying home-cooked food such as the traditional byrek, a filo-pastry pie with different fillings.

If you love an active break, Wild Frontiers also offer small group walking tours. Choose to explore coastal trails and ancient empires in the south, or remote highland trails and mountain villages in the north.

Whichever direction you head, youre sure to be amazed at what you find.

Spark joy in Japan

Immerse yourself in Japans culture and traditions in Kyoto ( Wild Frontiers )

Japan has captivated travellers for centuries. It might not be under the radar, but it continues to be one of the worlds most historically and culturally fascinating destinations, offering a seductive blend of ancient traditions and cutting-edge modernity.

Wild Frontiers selection of small group tours and tailor-made holidays blend cultural experiences, unique accommodations and meaningful activities to get you closer to the real Japan. You wont just see the sights, but immerse yourself in Japanese customs, culture and cuisine.

Their signature trip Japan: Land of the Samurai takes in the many sides of the country, from the neon skyscrapers of Tokyo and cultural capital of Kyoto to the traditional village of Shirakawa-go  a UNESCO World Heritage site  and the sacred landscapes of the Kii Peninsula and ancient pilgrimage trails around Mount Koya and the Kumano Kodo.

Experience an exhilarating ride on a Shinkansen (bullet train), travel on the scenic Nankai Railway line and stay in a collection of traditional Japanese-style inns, temple lodgings and idyllic ryokans.

Build a bespoke adventure

Explore the postcard-pretty surrounds of Kiso Valley ( Wild Frontiers )

If you prefer to follow your own path, Wild Frontiers tailor-made tours allow you to build your own journey from scratch, with knowledgeable experts helping to craft the perfect itinerary for your tastes and budget.

You might visit the small town of Saijo, famous for its sake breweries, to learn about how the drink is made  and sample it, of course. Choose to hike or kayak in the breathtaking Kiso Valley, or walk the ancient Nakasendo trail. Or, for a truly unforgettable experience, visit a dojo and study the skills and techniques of a samurai and ninja.

Depending on what time you choose to go, you might see Japans famous cherry blossom, or vibrant autumn colours.

A great adventure is all in the details, and with Wild Frontiers, youll experience a trip thats both thoughtful  and transformational.

Discover extraordinary adventures with Wild Frontiers
Adrian Weckler: Backlash against big tech after Grok blow-up nudges Ireland ever closer to under16 social media ban

Whether measure will work is another issue  only one initiative is actually proven to be effective in limiting kids access to social media: peer pressure among parents

Tanaiste Simon Harris's latest push reflects a mainstream idea now gathering momentum in parts of Europe

Adrian Weckler Sun 1 Feb 2026 at 06:30

Ireland is edging closer to a social media ban for under-16s and its largely down to the big-tech companies themselves.
In a world rocked by instability, Irish entrepreneurs show their resilience

Employment increased across all three of Enterprise Irelands core sectoral divisions in 2025

Employment at the companies supported by EI reached 232,425 last year, with 12,608 new jobs created. Illustration/Getty

Mark Christal Sun 1 Feb 2026 at 06:30

Enterprise Ireland was proud last week to announce, on behalf of our client base, that employment at the companies we support reached 232,425 last year, with 12,608 new jobs created.
Gina London: Leaders exploit what already works while exploring what might work next

The ones who stand out are not the ones with the most polished answers

You cant hide behind policy if decisions have to be made. Photo: Getty

Gina London Sun 1 Feb 2026 at 06:30

Gabriele Zakaitiens leadership story is one of discomfort and reinvention, shaped by what it means to guide people and organisations through growth that often outpaces the systems built to support it.
Michael Houghton: My grocery bill during a recent trip to New Zealand was far more expensive than in Ireland

Talking with locals and friends along the way, the cost of living in New Zealand came up a lot in conversation

New Zealand has a supermarket duopoly, which drives up prices. Photo: Getty

Michael Houghton Mon 2 Feb 2026 at 06:30

It had been eight years since I was last in New Zealand, the country where I grew up and lived until 2010, when I met my now wife and moved to Ireland the following year.
The countrys national yield soared to 13.4m tons in 2025, more than two million tons above the average

Hans-Joachim von Massow, managing director of Osterland Agrar Gesellschaft, walks through a hall with several thousand tons of potatoes. Photo: Getty

Thousands of Berliners are stocking up on free potatoes after Germany enjoyed the largest bumper harvest in a quarter century.

Tens of millions of potatoes are being handed out across the German capital after a farm near Leipzig gave away 4,000 tons of the surplus spuds.

Hundreds of Spud Squads came to a farmers aid after he appealed for help to shift the excess load, setting up more than 100 collection points across the German capital last month.

The first truckload, 22 tons, was delivered to a food bank on January 15. More have gone to schools, a zoo, butchers, a flower shop and a boat servicing centre over the past fortnight.

Some of the free rations were given out at Tempelhofer Feld, a sprawling former airfield in the German capital used to get food to blockaded West Berliners during the Cold War in 1948.

Queuing for her 5kg at the site, musician Dyan said: Its a great initiative and obviously good for the environment, sharing and bringing a bit of light to this long winter.

Germanys national yield soared to 13.4m tons in 2025, more than two million tons above the average and the biggest harvest in 25 years, according to the agriculture ministry.

Caused by a perfect combination of rain and sunshine, farmers across Germany have been forced to think creatively to get rid of their produce.

A bumper harvest at the Gut Wilhelmsdorf organic farm in Westphalia, northwestern Germany, yielded twice as many potatoes as the year before. Rather than giving them away or selling as animal feed, the farm decided to launch a campaign to provide 12.5kg to the local food bank for a 10 donation.

Another initiative called Mission Potato Rescuer in southern Germany set out to deliver a free sack of potatoes to customers anywhere in the country when they buy local oil.

But some farmers do not agree, arguing that giving them away will lead to hoarding and more waste in the future. Local producers are being kicked in the shins, farmer Johann Gerdes said.

People will now hoard it, he told the Taz newspaper. In the end, there will be great disappointment because people themselves will become food wasters.

Back in Berlin, 43-year-old architect Christiana was one who went to pick-up stops across the city to get her fill.

We got 5kg per person. There were a lot of people, but they didnt really weigh it properly. Some people came with a shopping trolley  the vibe was very funny. I think it was a good thing, especially for people who dont earn much.
A serial thief who had more than 300 convictions when she admitted charges from her latest spate of offences has been jailed for nine months.
Thousands of pounds have been raised for the bus driver who lost his job after he chased down a thief to retrieve a passengers stolen necklace. Photo: Mark Hehir/PA

An Irish bus driver who was sacked after he chased down a thief to return a passengers stolen necklace said he would be very happy if Metroline apologised  but does not want to return to his job.
HSE still owns almost 200 vacant properties across the country, with calls for hospital sites to be turned into social housing

Calls for historical hospital sites to be developed into affordable and social housing

Stock pic

Maeve McTaggart Mon 2 Feb 2026 at 06:30

The HSE owns almost 200 vacant properties across the country, more than 110 of which have been identified as surplus to requirement.
More than 33m in money belonging to dead or missing patients has yet to be claimed from HSE, accounts show
John Downing: How a photo of Bertie Ahern knee-deep in water changed the course of River Tolkas history

Snap highlighted flooding issues at the river, prompting significant changes to be made

Dublin City Council's senior engineer talks about Tolka River and its history

John Downing Mon 2 Feb 2026 at 06:30

As rancid floodwaters course through too many Irish homes and businesses, it is probably not a good time to recall that the ancient Irish once worshipped water.
Tourist numbers and spending for December 2025 saw an increase of over 30pc on the same period last year, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
After a fairly lousy opening to the new year, the bank holiday weekend comes as a welcome relief. January was a pretty heavy month. The usual post-Christmas gloom of dark, dreary and cold weather was compounded by the seemingly endless rain across the country.

Unsurprisingly, the saturated ground couldnt take any more water and Storm Chandra resulted in flooding along the east coast. Plenty more parts of the country will be left watching the local water courses, wondering if there is more damage to come.

Many of the rivers and streams currently experiencing high levels will have a particular plant pointing up at this time of the year. Rushes were traditionally cut on January 31, as their strong, hollow leaves make them malleable. On February 1, the rushes would be woven into Saint Brigids crosses to protect the house. The crosses are traditionally hung above doorways as protection against evil spirits, illness, bad luck and fire.

Presumably, flooding was also on that list of mishaps that could befall a house. A Brigids cross was a common sight in many houses across the country, but the tradition has fallen off a fair bit as churchgoing has waned. However, it was never clear if the land St Brigid chose for her convent in Co Kildare was beset by flooding. Its unlikely.

Legend has it that the king of Leinster rejected her request for land to build a convent. The shrewd Brigid asked to just be given as much land as her cloak could cover. Lo and behold, she was granted her seemingly minor ask, but the cloak miraculously covered a site of several acres just outside what is now Kildare town.

Maybe those best of intentions would stand a better chance in the light of the lengthening days of early spring.

Notably, Saint Brigid is celebrated more than ever now as her birthday is marked by a bank holiday. And for those with other non-Christian beliefs, there was also a pagan goddess called Brigid. Now in its fourth year, the newest bank holiday on the calendar is still bedding in and differs from St Patricks Day, Easter or Halloween, as it isnt associated with a particular event involving wide-scale participation just yet. Perhaps cutting rushes and weaving crosses wasnt all that bad a collective pastime  even when there was no bank holiday.

Strangely enough, we choose January 1 as a time for New Years resolutions, which often dont lend themselves to the dank, dark, dreary days of winter. Maybe those best of intentions would stand a better chance in the light of the lengthening days of early spring.

Imbolc, the pagan commemoration, and St Brigids Day mark the beginning of spring are a time of renewal, fresh life and growth. St Brigids Day also symbolises hope, renewal and the feminine. Hence, it is used to honour the remarkable contributions Irish women have made throughout history and continue to make today.

Celebrating the creativity of women, the bank holiday weekend is more than just a day off. Events are taking place across the country this weekend, which will hopefully grow in time to become a worthwhile tradition  whatever your beliefs.
Anne OBrien saw her son leave for a holiday on a Greek island, only to return home in a coffin.

For more than four years, the family of Niall OBrien (21) have sought justice.

Last Tuesday, a Trinity College Dublin law graduate was found guilty of causing the death of Niall, a University of Limerick student, after a confrontation on the island of Ios.

Joseph Patrick Connolly (24), from Rostrevor, Co Down, was found guilty of fatal bodily harm when he punched Niall in the early hours of August 30, 2021.

Connolly was found guilty after a court hearing in Ermoupoli, on the island of Syros. He received a six-year sentence, but was released on bail pending an appeal.

My son went to Ios to have the holiday of a lifetime and he came home to me in a coffin, Mrs OBrien told the court.

Today on The Indo Daily, Ciaran Dunbar is joined by Sunday Independent journalist Mark Tighe, to discuss the trial, the witness testimony, and both families' strong reaction from the case.
Deputy Aindrias Moynihan pictured at the site of the new garda station in Macroom.

Construction company JJ Rhatigan & Company have been contracted to build the new garda station in Macroom.

A new garda station in the town will serve as the headquarters for An Garda Siochana in County Cork.

The Macroom Garda HQ will consist of a new 4,338 sq. m building, and will include public office, staff offices, conference facilities, staff support facilities, custody areas, plant and associated ancillary spaces.

Fianna Fail TD for Cork North West Aindrias Moynihan said the contract signing clears the way for construction to commence on the new Macroom garda station.

Construction company JJ Rhatigan & Co have been contracted to build the station, and this big milestone brings the new station closer to reality. Its great to achieve this significant milestone in the development of Macroms new station.

Rhatigans and their crews will be mobilising in the weeks ahead, said Deputy Moynihan. The construction site is beside the new fire station at the Millstreet Cross and when this large multi-million building is completed it will be the Cork County Garda HQ.

To get to this stage, there has been a great deal of background work with the various authorities, including Office of Public Works (OPW), Cork County Council, An Garda Siochana and the Department of Justice, he added.

The Cork TD said he was pleased to play his part throughout and he acknowledged the support of the various authorities.

I want to particularly acknowledge the patience of gardai and locals over the years. Having Garda HQ in Macroom will bring additional garda services and personnel. It will strengthen the garda presence locally.
Councillors are to receive a report into the public consultation phase of the Cork-Kinsale greenway within the coming weeks. The controversial proposal has received over 2,000 public submissions.

Cork County Council Director of Services Padraig Barrett told this weeks meeting of the Bandon-Kinsale Municipal District (MD) that the report is currently being concluded. I'm bringing that to my group within the next week and then I'll be briefing the [elected] members after that. After that then we will be engaging with the landowners.

To be fair to you I want to brief the members of Bandon-Kinsale MD and the Carrigaline MD before we go to the public with it. So that will be done in a private session in the next fortnight, he said.

Cllr John Collins had asked for an update on the report, which was originally expected to be published in January. He said landowners concerned about the project have been in limbo for a long period and are keen to see the report. He also called on the council to communicate more clearly with landowners.

Landowners along the route are worried that Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) may be used to obtain land for the greenway and have criticised what they say is a lack of consultation. Earlier this month two local councillors brought a motion before the county council calling on the transport minister to reconsider the potential use of CPOs for greenways.

CPOs were created to deliver essential infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, schools, flood defences, utilities, things that society cannot function without and where no reasonable alternative exists. They should not be used to deliver non-essential projects such as greenways. Greenways may be desirable, they may even be beneficial, but they are not essential, Cllr John Michael Foley said.

We do acknowledge that it's very, very rare that CPOs have been used but I think in areas where a proposed greenway route appears controversial, even the outside possibility that CPOs might be arrived at sets a dangerous precedent and a kind of unwelcome part of the dialogue, Cllr Jack White said.

In December the local authoritys Chief Executive Moira Murrell told councillors that the proposal is still in the non-statutory phase of assessing the most appropriate route. We're at the point of just looking to see where that route might be and what it might look like, she said.

The greenway is being funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and will run for around 25 kilometres between Cork city and the West Cork town. Last summer Cork County Council held three events to showcase what is known as the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor and to seek feedback from the public. It was the third such public consultation on the project.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Victorian six-bed on the Cork Riviera sits on just over half an acre and comes with chalet and apartment
Historic Ballyseede Castle has marked a major milestone by taking gold for Irelands Castle and Heritage Wedding Excellence at the prestigious Gold Medal Hotel Awards held recently in County Galway.

The majestic structure dating to the 18th Century is one of the countys most significant buildings. Its latest accolade is testament to its enduring legacy as a destination for weddings and stays.

The Gold Medal Hotel Awards is one of the leading independent programmes for the Irish hospitality industry. Its function is the assessment of excellence across hotels, resorts, wedding venues, family-friendly staycations and more.

It makes Ballyseede Castles gold win a significant endorsement of its reputation as one of the countrys most distinguished wedding venues.

We are absolutely delighted to receive this award, said Marnie Corscadden, proprietor of Ballyseede Castle.

It means so much to us as it recognises not just the beauty and history of Ballyseede Castle, but the passion, care and dedication of our entire team, she added.

Every wedding we host is incredibly special, and we are deeply grateful to the couples who place their trust in us to be part of such an important day in their lives, Ms Corscadden said.

Located on 30 acres of parkland outside Tralee, Ballyseede Castle is Kerrys only castle hotel, known for its historic elegance, warm welcome and award-winning wedding offering.
Obituaries

Although London became home, Francey Bridges (104) never forgot her Wexford roots

Although she left her hometown for London as a young woman, the late Mary Frances Bridges (nee Hesse) always carried a part of Wexford in her heart, right up until her recent passing at the ripe old age of 104 at her home in Pimlico.
Tom Dunne and Jackie Hayden attended the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

Julie O'Brien and Mary Rackard attended the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

Kieran and Albi Kitts were at the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

Declan Turley performed in the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

Cara and Martin Sinnott enjoyed the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

Luciano and Regina Minicucci enjoyed the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

At the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening were Paul Dove, Annette Breen, Pierce Breen and Mary Dove. Photo: Jim Campbell

Nickie Hill and Dawn Nolan were pictured at the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

Cat Black singing Bowie hits during the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

Brian Quirke performed a few Bowie numbers during the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

Michael Way pictured during the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

A leading figure in Wexfords arts community has described the late music icon David Bowie as defining and definitive after a tribute night to the legendry English singer was hosted in Wexford Arts Centre.

Secret Life was established in 2012, by among others, Michael Way, to explore and celebrate David Bowies back catalogue, particularly his work which most would not be aware of. On January 23, 2016, Ollie Dempsey, technical manager of Wexford Arts Centre at the time, ran a night The Stars Look Very Different, to mark the passing of Bowie. It was a night filled with music and emotion, said Michael.

Ten Years a Starman, this years celebration of his life, was booked into the Arts Centre calendar at the beginning of December. Bands and solo musicians were invited over the following weeks and playlists were agreed.

Video projections were provided by urbanflic, part of Theatre Workshop, who also looked after operations on the night. Technical planning and management were in the hands of Olchan Kirwan and Niall ODowd, and Noel Quaid and Jackie Kilgannon took care of front-of-house.

The night was full of highlights musically, he said. So many different approaches to Bowies ever-evolving repertoire, very slick changeovers among the twenty or so musicians with Olchan playing an absolute blinder.

The biggest highlight was the complete sense of unity between musicians and audience.

Thanks to Michaels other half, Irene, he had always loved Bowies stand-out uniqueness.

Declan Turley performed in the Davie Bowie, Ten Years a Starman show in the Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday evening. Photo: Jim Campbell

He covered so much ground in his subject matter and was a revolutionary artist in the breadth and depth of his work lyrically, musically, visually and socially.

From around 2000 he had grown fully into himself and was performing with a line-up which delivered powerfully on stage and gave him the space to characterise each song he performed according to the subject. He had a great sense of humour, was unafraid and definitively a pioneer of the online world we now live in.

In 2004 Bowie suffered a heart attack onstage. By 2012 it appeared that he would stick to his word and be the family man for his wife, Iman and daughter Lexi which probably meant no more stage appearances or new music. But Bowie, famously, had other plans.

On Friday January 8th 2016, Bowies 69th birthday, Blackstar was released.

Mercifully, Golden Disks had the CD in stock and so, on Saturday, I headed up to Dublin for John Breretons inaugural Dublin Bowie Festival, in The Grand Social on Dublins Quays. It featured Bowies musical director, guitarist and Clontarf Man Gerry Leonard.

The return journey back down to Wexford in the small hours of Sunday morning, was marred by an air filter which had disintegrated and blocked the intercooler, limiting my speed in the TUV to under 20m.p.h. Sunday was a day for reflection, inspiration and interconnection. Then at 7am on Monday morning, the phone rang. It was my daughter Laura. Bowie was dead, Michael remembers.

For Michael, David Bowie is the greatest artist of all time.

He met all the criteria for being an original artist. He was widely read. He left his work to be interpreted by others. He made rules and broke rules. He was controversial, acceptable, serious, funny, un-phased, thoughtful, unrestricted, relentless, adaptable, innovative, experimental, warm, sensitive, serious, politically astute, spiritually inquisitive, loyal, beautiful.

Above all, his work, particularly his music, resonated within the echo-chamber of its contemporary environment, and in many cases his work created contemporary environments. He was defining and definitive.
Bray Municipal District is seeking applicants to take over the kiosks which line the popular promenade of the seaside town, with kiosks being made available this year from March 1 to October 31.

Are you a local entrepreneur with a fresh idea? Or perhaps an established vendor looking for the ultimate high-footfall location? Bray Municipal District, Wicklow County Council, is officially inviting Expressions of Interest for the lease of the six iconic kiosks along Bray Seafront for the 2026 season, the district said, in its pitch to budding seasonal traders.

From the bustling north end (kiosk no. 1) to the scenic south end near the Head (Kiosk No. 6), these units offer a unique platform to showcase your business to hundreds of thousands of visitors. Whether its artisan coffee, gourmet snacks, or unique retail, we want to hear how you can add to the vibrant atmosphere of one of Irelands favourite seaside towns.

The iconic kiosks have been standing since 1935, selling everything from the staples such as ice cream and coffee to waffles, shakes, drinks and buckets and spades and other paraphernalia for an enjoyable day out at the seaside.

While each year, visitors and locals alike expect something novel to appear, there are rules governing the running of the six kiosks in terms of what is and is not permissible to sell.

So submissions must detail the type of products that are to be sold and must fall under the following categories to be considered: ice-creams; sweets and confectionery; fruit; minerals; hot beverages; souvenirs; toys and crafts.

The kiosks are leased as they stand, and it will be the responsibility of the tenant to seek prior approval, in writing, from Wicklow County Council for any necessary structural works needed to comply with food hygiene and environmental regulations.

Licenses to trade will be awarded to the highest bidder, in the event of multiple bids of the same amount for the same kiosk, submissions will be judged on previous experience, references and quality and/or suitability of product listing.

This last point is worth elaborating on, since a public row emerged in 2024 over how the kiosks are allocated by Bray Municipal District. The controversy centred on the silent tender system, essentially where bidders submit sealed offers and the highest bid wins. The amount is entered on the application form.

That year, there was uproar when Bainne Coffee, a popular local barista business, failed to secure a kiosk after being outbid. Residents took to social media to decry the loss as a huge blow to the seafront.

It prompted councillor Erika Doyle, current Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District, to call for a lottery system to be introduced to allot kiosks for the summer season, whereby each applicant would pay the same set fee for their kiosk. If there was more than one applicant for the same kiosk they would go into a hat and be chosen at random.

It seemed like a fair proposal but it has not been implemented. So if you do wish to send the summer in a Bray kiosk, you need to submit an application with a payment of 500 by Friday, February 13, at 12pm.

You can download a form and get further details from: bray.ie

.
Former minister Peter Mandelson quits Britain's Labour Party after new Epstein reports

He was sacked as ambassador to US last yearHe says he does not want to cause party more embarrassment

Peter Mandelson, left, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Carl Court/PA)

William Schomberg Reuters Mon 2 Feb 2026 at 10:41

Former British government minister Peter Mandelson said he had resigned as a member of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party after new reports of his ties with late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
My sexual awakening: I called him My Elevenses, because every Tuesday at 11am, he would come around. It was the best thing
Almost 200 dead as Pakistan rocked by insurgent attacks

Thirty-one civilians among those killed in raids, chief minister says

Police officers examine the site of a bombing in Quetta, Pakistan on Saturday. Photo: AP

Vishwam Sankaran UK Independent Mon 2 Feb 2026 at 06:30

At least 31 civilians are among almost 200 dead following co-ordinated insurgent attacks across a southern province in Pakistan.
Palestinians search for bodies and survivors from the rubble of police station after it was targeted by an Israeli army strike in Gaza City on Saturday. Photo: Jehad Alshrafi/AP

Gazas main border crossing in Rafah will reopen for Palestinians today, Israel said, with preparations under way at the war-ravaged enclaves main gateway which has been largely shut for almost two years.

It comes after Israel on Saturday launched some of its most intense airstrikes since the ceasefire, killing at least 30 people, in what it said was a response to a Hamas violation of the truce on Friday when militants emerged from a tunnel in Rafah.
Tehran politicians designate EU armies as terrorist groups in retaliatory move

Iranian politicians chant slogans as they wear the Revolutionary Guard's uniform in a session of parliament, in Tehran, Iran. Photo: ICANA via AP

Irans leadership warned yesterday of a regional conflict if the US were to attack it, stoking the tension between Washington and Tehran and it designated EU armies as terrorist groups in a retaliatory move.

The United States has ramped up its naval presence in the Middle East after president Donald Trump repeatedly threatened Iran with intervention if it did not agree to a nuclear deal or failed to stop killing protesters.
Five-year-old boy detained by ICE has returned to Minnesota

Liam Conejo Ramos and father escorted back to Minnesota by lawmaker Federal judge had ordered their release from ICE detention in Texas Democrats demand reforms after ICE operations and shootings

Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos is taken into custody by ICE agents in Minneapolis. Photo: Columbia Heights Public School

Timothy Gardner Reuters Sun 1 Feb 2026 at 22:32

Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father have returned to their home in a Minneapolis suburb after being detained by U.S. immigration officers and held at a detention facility in Texas, a lawmaker said on Sunday.
Paulina Velasco: Donald Trumps ICE crackdown is on pause, but dont be fooled  it wont last long

Immigration enforcement actions can be cooled down as mid-term elections approach, but public backlash may not last

ICE agents in Minneapolis where tensions have been running high. Photo: Getty

Paulina Velasco UK Independent Mon 2 Feb 2026 at 06:30

After the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE  as with the earlier killing of Renee Good  the White House reached instinctively for a smear, branding the victim a domestic terrorist to justify lethal force.
India-EU FTA Concluded: Mother of All Deals Set to Reshape Global Trade

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The IndiaEU FTA delivers phased tariff liberalization, with India granting immediate duty-free access on 49.6 percent of tariff lines and the EU on 70.4 percent, unlocking calibrated market access and new trade opportunities across a combined 2-billion-consumer economy. The deal delivers enhanced investment protections, with major implications for manufacturing, services, agri-food, and supply chains across both regions.

India, EU concludes long-pending free trade deal

India and the European Union (EU) have formally concluded negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a major breakthrough in one of the worlds longest-running bilateral trade talks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the development on January 27, 2026, during the 16th IndiaEU Summit in New Delhi, describing the agreement as a strategic milestone encompassing nearly 25 percent of global GDP and close to one-third of worldwide trade.

Calling the pact transformational, Modi said the India-EU FTA is expected to unlock substantial economic opportunities for Indias 1.4 billion citizens and hundreds of millions across 27 EU member states, while strengthening policy coordination and commercial integration between two of the worlds largest economic blocs.

He added that the agreement complements Indias recently concluded trade arrangements with the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), underlining New Delhis accelerating push to deepen global trade partnerships. Meanwhile, the EU has also signed a pivotal trade pact with MERCOSUR in recent days, following agreements reached last year with Indonesia, Mexico, and Switzerland.

Although negotiations have now been finalized, officials confirmed that the India-EU trade agreement will proceed to legal vetting prior to formal signing  a technical process that may take several months. Once completed, the India-EU FTA will provide a significant boost to bilateral trade, investment flows, and supply chain cooperation, with key gains expected for textiles, leather, electronics, chemicals, and jewelry, etc.

Mother of all deals: EU leaders welcome historic agreement

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen termed the agreement the mother of all deals, stating that it creates a free trade zone covering nearly two billion people. Speaking at Indias national capital, von der Leyen said the conclusion of the FTA after nearly two decades of negotiations demonstrated that India and Europe are making history by choosing cooperation, openness, and strategic partnership in a fragmented global environment.

European Council President Antonio Costa echoed this sentiment, highlighting Indias importance as a strategic partner for the EU.

The India-EU Free Trade Agreement marks a significant shift in Indias trade policy by progressively opening its large, highly regulated market to deeper economic integration with the 27-member European Union, Indias largest trading partner. A mother of all deals indeed to cover a 2-billion-sized market.  Dezan Shira & Associates Europe Desk

India-EU FTA to see calibrated tariff liberalization

India has adopted a calibrated tariff liberalization strategy under the FTA, granting immediate duty-free access on approximately 49.6 percent of tariff lines, representing 30.6 percent of trade value. A further 39.5 percent of tariff lines  covering 63.1 percent of trade value  will be liberalized in phases over 5, 7, or 10 years from the Agreements entry into force. In total, Indias offer spans about 92.1 percent of tariff lines and 97.5 percent of trade value, reflecting a balanced approach that expands market access while safeguarding sensitive sectors.

The move is expected to generate annual duty savings of up to 4 billion for European suppliers. This scale of tariff liberalization represents one of Indias most ambitious trade commitments to date.

Lower duties on automobiles: One of the most closely watched outcomes is the phased reduction in tariffs on passenger vehicles. Import duties on cars will be gradually brought down from a peak rate of 110 percent to as low as 10 percent, subject to volume limits. This is expected to improve consumer choice and introduce greater competition in the Indian automotive market.

Significant cuts on wines and spirits: India will also progressively reduce tariffs on wines, with duties falling from 150 percent to around 20 percent for premium categories. The move signals a measured opening of Indias agri-food import regime while maintaining safeguards for sensitive domestic sectors.

Zero tariffs on processed foods: High tariffs on processed food products, including pasta, chocolate, and other confectionery items, will be fully eliminated. Currently levied at rates of up to 50 percent, the removal of these duties is expected to lower input costs for food processors and expand consumer options.

This agreement marks a real turning point in how India connects with advanced economies. Its not just about lower tariffs  it creates a more predictable environment for investment and strengthens Indias role as a manufacturing and services hub for European companies looking to diversify supply chains. For many European investors, this makes India an even more compelling base for production and exports, opening up opportunities for near-shoring, technology partnerships, and joint ventures. The companies that move early  by reviewing sourcing strategies, investment structures, and compliance readiness  will be the ones best positioned to benefit.  Melissa Cyrill, Asia Briefing

Defense and security focus at 16th India-EU summit

The FTA announcement has come alongside a wider push to deepen India-EU strategic ties. At the 16th India-European Union summit, held in New Delhi, the two sides agreed to move forward with a Security and Defence Partnership (SDP), aimed at strengthening defense cooperation, improving interoperability, and enabling Indian companies to participate in the EUs SAFE (Security Action for Europe) program, a 150 billion initiative to enhance Europes defense preparedness.

India and the EU also agreed to initiate talks on a Security of Information Agreement (SOIA), which is expected to facilitate deeper industrial and technological collaboration in the defense sector.

The summit agenda additionally covered cooperation in critical technologies, climate action, supply chain resilience, and global security, reflecting the expanding scope of the bilateral partnership.

India-EU bilateral trade data

The EU is one of Indias largest trading partners in goods. In FY 2024-25, bilateral trade stood at approximately US$136.5 billion, with Indian exports valued at around US$75.8 billion and imports at about US$60.6 billion.

India and EU Trade Relations (Value in US$ Million) Region FY 2023-24 % share FY 2024-25 % share % growth Indias exports to EU countries 75,925.30 17.37 75,854.24 17.33 -0.09 Indias imports from EU countries 61,484.77 9.07 60,681.15 8.41 -1.31 Total 137,410 136,535.39

Source: Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GoI

As per latest media reports, officials on both sides described the India-EU FTA as among the largest bilateral trade agreements globally, given the economic scale involved and the breadth of market access commitments under negotiation.

India-EU relations timeline: From economic engagement to strategic partnership

The FTA milestone builds on a long history of steadily deepening ties between India and the European Union, evolving from early economic cooperation into a comprehensive strategic partnership.

1962  Early economic engagement

India establishes formal relations with the European Economic Community (EEC), initiating structured economic interaction.

1993  Political framework established

The adoption of a Joint Political Statement broadens the relationship beyond trade, strengthening political dialogue.

1994  Institutionalized cooperation

The IndiaEU Cooperation Agreement formalizes collaboration across economic, technical, and development sectors.

2000  Launch of summit-level dialogue

The first IndiaEU Summit in Lisbon ushers in regular high-level political engagement.

2004  Strategic partnership elevation

At the fifth summit in The Hague, bilateral ties are upgraded to a strategic partnership, signaling deeper alignment.

2007  Trade negotiations launched

Both sides begin negotiations on a Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), setting the stage for future trade integration.

2020  Long-term strategic vision

The India-EU Strategic Partnership Roadmap to 2025 is adopted, outlining cooperation in security, sustainability, digitalization, and innovation.

2022  Technology and trade convergence

The establishment of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) strengthens collaboration in emerging technologies and resilient supply chains.

2025  Renewed strategic agenda

The EU rolls out a new strategic agenda focused on reinforcing economic prosperity, security cooperation, and long-term engagement with India.

Why has the India-EU FTA concluded now? Strategic timing amid global geopolitical shifts

The timing of the agreement is widely seen as significant. The summit took place against the backdrop of heightened transatlantic tensions and shifting global trade alignments. EU leaders have framed the India partnership as central to demonstrating an alternative model of engagement based on dialogue, shared prosperity, and multilateralism.

In recent days, EU leaders had also finalized a trade agreement with the South American MERCOSUR bloc, indicating a broader European push to diversify economic partnerships beyond traditional allies.

It took the current kind of global economic climate to realize these two economic blocs can shave off ancient tariffs and red tape. From the EU perspective, local SMEs, by some estimates, will save up to 4bn USD per year on tariffs; tariffs in the agrifood sector (including agro mechanics, storage tech and processing), chemicals, and industrial equipment will drop practically to zero from an average of 35%. Pharma will plummet to zero from around 11% and if youre into cars, youll see a tumble from 110% to anywhere between 40% and 10% along with similar treatments for components. If youre still scratching your head about todays geopolitics, you may find solace in numbers, which generally dont lie. So if your company is interested in this FTA, you can reach out to us  and well help convert the facts into a plan for you.  Riccardo Benussi, Partner, Dezan Shira & Associates

When will the India-EU FTA come into effect?

With negotiations concluded, the focus now shifts to legal scrubbing, ratification processes, and eventual signing. Once implemented, the India-EU FTA is expected to substantially reshape trade flows, investment patterns, and strategic cooperation between the two sides.

India and the EU, strategic partners since 2004, are also set to adopt a comprehensive strategic agenda covering defense, technology, connectivity, and global governance, reinforcing the long-term trajectory of the partnership beyond trade alone.

How to read the India-EU FTA  benefits for EU stakeholders

Why did the EU pursue an FTA with India?

The agreement is intended to deepen economic and strategic ties between the worlds two largest democracies at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty and global economic volatility. India is now the worlds fourth-largest economy and its most populous nation, yet EU exports to India have historically lagged behind other major markets due to high tariffs and regulatory barriers. The FTA addresses these constraints by lowering trade costs and improving market access, thereby strengthening both economic and political cooperation.

How will the agreement affect EU exports?

The FTA is expected to significantly boost EU exports to India, with projections indicating a potential doubling of goods exports over the medium term. Improved access to Indias services market, particularly in financial, maritime, and other professional services, will further expand commercial opportunities and support job creation across Europe. EU exports to India already underpin around 800,000 jobs, with scope for further employment growth as trade expands.

What are the main advantages for EU exporters?

According to the European Commission press release, the agreement offers multiple benefits for European exporters, including:

Elimination or reduction of tariffs on more than 90 percent of EU goods exports

Annual duty savings of up to 4 billion

The most extensive trade opening India has offered to any partner, enhancing EU competitiveness

Preferential access for EU service providers in key sectors such as financial and maritime services

Streamlined customs and trade procedures to reduce delays and costs

Stronger protection for intellectual property, including trademarks

A dedicated chapter addressing the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

How does the agreement benefit EU industry?

India has committed to tariff reductions for the EU that exceed those offered to other trading partners, substantially improving market access for European manufacturers. High import duties across several sectors will be largely phased out.

Notable sectoral outcomes include:

Automobiles: Tariffs reduced from 110 percent to 10 percent under a quota of 250,000 vehicles annually; to benefit Volkswagen AG, Stellantis NV, and Renault SA. Machinery and electrical equipment: Tariffs of up to 44 percent eliminated for most products. Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aircraft, medical devices, steel, and plastics: Near-complete tariff elimination across most categories.

These changes are expected to enhance the competitiveness of EU industrial exports in the Indian market.

How will EU farmers and agri-food producers benefit?

The agreement removes or lowers tariffs, often exceeding 36 percent, on a wide range of EU agri-food exports, opening significant new opportunities for European farmers. At the same time, sensitive EU sectors such as beef, sugar, and rice remain fully protected.

Key gains include:

Sharp tariff reductions on wine, spirits, beer, olive oil, fruits, processed foods, and meat products Full tariff elimination on several processed food categories Safeguards for sensitive European agricultural sectors



In parallel, a separate Geographical Indications (GI) Agreement is under negotiation to protect traditional EU products from imitation and enhance their recognition in the Indian market.

What does the agreement mean for EU service providers?

The FTA grants EU firms enhanced and preferential access to Indias services market, including financial and maritime services. Indias commitments in financial services are the most ambitious it has undertaken in any trade agreement to date, going beyond concessions offered to other partners.

How does the agreement support small businesses?

A dedicated SME chapter ensures that smaller companies can benefit from the agreement through:

Easy access to information on doing business in both markets

Designated SME contact points to resolve practical trade issues

Reduced tariffs, fewer regulatory barriers, and greater transparency

More predictable rules, enabling cost-effective and efficient cross-border trade

How does the FTA prevent misuse of tariff benefits by third countries?

The agreement includes robust rules of origin, ensuring that only goods substantially produced or processed in India or the EU qualify for preferential tariffs. This prevents third-country products from entering the EU via India solely to exploit tariff reductions.

How does the agreement reduce red tape?

India and the EU have agreed to simplified and transparent customs procedures, faster clearance of goods, and predictable regulatory practices. The agreement also enhances cooperation on supply chain security and strengthens risk management at EU borders.

What steps are required before the agreement enters into force?

Before implementation, the EU must complete several procedural steps, including:

Publication of the negotiated legal texts Legal review and translation into all EU official languages Approval by the Council and the European Parliament Formal signing by the EU and India Ratification by both sides

FAQ: India-EU FTA impact for Indian businesses and investors

Why does the India-EU FTA matter for Indian companies and investors?

The agreement anchors India more deeply into global value chains at a time of geopolitical fragmentation and supply-chain realignment. It improves access to one of the worlds largest and most affluent markets while strengthening Indias position as a preferred investment destination for European capital, technology, and manufacturing. For investors, the FTA enhances predictability, scale, and long-term policy alignment between two major economic blocs.

How will the FTA affect Indian exports to the EU?

Indian exporters will benefit from improved market access, lower tariff barriers, and more transparent regulatory procedures in the EU. Sectors such as pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, chemicals, textiles, automotive components, and processed foods are expected to see stronger export competitiveness. Simplified customs procedures and clearer rules will also reduce time-to-market and compliance costs.

What opportunities does the agreement create for foreign investors in India?

The FTA strengthens Indias appeal as a manufacturing and services hub for European companies seeking diversification and near-shoring alternatives. Reduced tariffs, stable trade rules, and a parallel Investment Protection Agreement are expected to encourage:

Greenfield manufacturing investments Expansion of existing European operations in India Greater technology transfer and joint ventures Integration of India into EU-centric supply chains

How does the India-EU FTA improve investment certainty?

The proposed investment protection framework introduces safeguards against discrimination, unfair treatment, and uncompensated expropriation, while preserving Indias right to regulate in the public interest. It also provides for a modern dispute resolution mechanism, offering foreign investors clearer legal recourse and greater confidence in long-term capital deployment.

Which Indian sectors are likely to gain the most?

Key beneficiary sectors include:

Manufacturing: automotive components, machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and electronics Agri-processing and food exports: improved access for value-added products Services: IT-enabled services, professional services, logistics, and maritime services Green and advanced technologies: renewable energy, clean manufacturing, and industrial innovation

How does the FTA affect Indian MSMEs and startups?

The agreement includes provisions designed to help smaller firms participate in cross-border trade. Indian MSMEs will benefit from:

Easier access to trade-related information

Reduced tariffs and regulatory friction

Greater transparency and predictability in EU market entry

Stronger intellectual property protection, particularly valuable for startups and innovation-driven firms

What does the FTA mean for services and digital businesses in India?

Indian service providers gain improved access to EU markets through clearer rules and enhanced cooperation frameworks. The digital trade provisions support secure and predictable cross-border digital commerce, while preserving regulatory autonomy. This is particularly relevant for IT services, fintech, logistics platforms, and digital exporters.

How does the agreement support Indias manufacturing and Make in India objectives?

By lowering trade barriers and encouraging EU investment, the FTA aligns closely with Indias manufacturing and industrial policy goals. It positions India as a competitive production base for exports to Europe, particularly in sectors where EU companies are seeking resilient and diversified supply chains.

How are Indian regulatory interests and public policy safeguarded?

The agreement preserves Indias right to regulate in areas such as public health, safety, environment, labor standards, and digital governance. EU imports into India and Indian exports to the EU will continue to comply with respective domestic standards, ensuring regulatory autonomy is maintained.

How are trade disputes likely to be resolved?

A structured dispute settlement mechanism allows trade disagreements to be resolved through independent expert panels, with binding outcomes and transparent procedures. Mediation options offer a faster route to resolution, reducing prolonged uncertainty for businesses and investors.

When will Indian businesses see the benefits?

While negotiations are complete, the agreement must undergo legal review, ratification, and formal signing, which can take up to six months from the date of finalization. Once in force, tariff reductions and market access benefits will be phased in, with early gains expected in high-volume trade sectors and export-oriented manufacturing.
Budget 2026 Explainer: Tax Clarity and Incentives for Cloud, Data Centers & AI Players

Indias Budget 202627 introduces long-term tax exemptions for cloud and data centers, electronics manufacturing incentives, and transfer pricing certainty for global tech firms.

Indias central government has placed digital infrastructure at the center of its next phase of economic growth. It has proposed long-term tax incentives for global cloud and data center players, targeted exemptions to support electronics manufacturing, and greater transfer pricing certainty for technology-led businesses, signaling a clear intent to attract global capital while deepening domestic capabilities.

In this explainer, we walk you through key tax measures affecting cloud computing, data centers, electronics manufacturing, and AI-linked infrastructure in Indias 2026-27 Union Budget, outlining who benefits, under what conditions, and what these changes mean for multinational companies operating in India.

Tax exemption for foreign companies using Indian data centers

Q1. What is the key tax incentive announced for global cloud and data center players?

Answer: The budget proposes a tax exemption for income earned by a notified foreign company from providing data center services linked to India. Subject to specified conditions, such income will be exempt from tax in India until March 31, 2047.

This long-term tax holiday is intended to attract global cloud service providers and anchor their infrastructure within India.

At present, foreign companies that earn income from activities in India are generally subject to Indian income tax at a corporate rate of around 35 percent on income that accrues or arises in India or is deemed to do so (plus the applicable surcharge and the 4 percent health and education cess).

Q2. How does this exemption practically work for global cloud service providers?

Answer: To qualify for the exemption, global cloud service providers must:

Use data center infrastructure located in India; and

Offer cloud services to customers through Indian data centers rather than offshore facilities.

In effect, foreign cloud companies must route their platforms through Indian data centers to access this tax benefit.

Q3. What conditions must the foreign company meet?

Answer: Only foreign companies specifically notified by the central government can claim this exemption. To qualify for the tax exemption criteria, the following criteria must be met:

The foreign company must not own or operate any physical infrastructure or resources of the data center; and

All sales to customers in India must be made through an Indian reseller company.

Q4. What qualifies as a specified data center?

Answer: A specified data center must:

Be set up under an approved government scheme;

Be notified by the Union Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY); and

Be owned and operated by an Indian company.

Q5. What activities are covered under data center services?

Answer: Data center services include the use of India-based physical and IT infrastructure such as:

Land, buildings, power and cooling systems;

Servers, storage systems, networks, software platforms; and

Human resource located in India.

Q6. What if services are provided to a related party?

Answer: If data center services are provided between related entities, the transaction will fall under the safe harbor regime, with a fixed profit margin of 15 percent. This is intended to reduce transfer pricing disputes and provide pricing certainty for multinational technology companies.

Separately, the budget has enhanced the eligibility threshold for safe harbour in IT and IT-enabled services, increasing it from INR 3 billion (US$32.78 million) to INR 20 billion (US$218.56 million). This expansion allows a larger number of technology and digital service providers to opt for safe harbour protection, further reducing compliance burden and litigation exposure.

Q7. Does the exemption apply if the cloud service provider is Indian?

Answer: No. The exemption applies only to notified foreign companies, not Indian resident service providers.

Q8. Will the foreign company be taxed if sales in India are made through a reseller?

Answer: No. If the foreign company sells to Indian users only through an Indian reseller, and all conditions are met, the income will not be taxed in India.

Q9. Why has the central government introduced such an extended tax holiday for data centers?

Answer: The policy recognizes data centers and cloud infrastructure as strategic digital infrastructure, on par with roads and power, for enabling exports, artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, and digital services growth.

In the budget announcement, the finance minister highlighted that the objective is to attract global business, enable critical infrastructure, and ensure India remains competitive in the evolving digital and AI landscape.

Tax exemption for foreign companies supplying capital equipment to manufacturers

Q10. What income is exempt?

Answer: Income earned by foreign companies from supplying capital goods, equipment, or tooling to Indian contract manufacturers is proposed to be exempt from taxation in India.

Q11. Who is eligible for this exemption?

Answer: Foreign companies that provide said goods to Indian contract manufacturers are eligible. The exemption applies up to tax year FY 2030-31.

Q12. Who qualifies as a contract manufacturer?

Answer: An Indian company that manufactures electronic goods on behalf of a foreign company and operates from a custom-bonded area (as defined under the Customs Act, 1962).

Q13. What is the purpose of this exemption?

Answer: The exemption aims to reduce the need for heavy upfront capital investment by Indian manufacturers, lower production costs, and strengthen Indias position as a global electronics manufacturing hub.

Safe harbor for warehousing of electronic components

Q14. What new measure supports just-in-time logistics in electronics manufacturing?

Answer: The budget proposes a safe harbor margin of 2 percent of invoice value for non-residents warehousing electronic components in bonded warehouses in India.

Q15. What is the effective tax impact of this measure?

Answer: The resultant effective tax incidence is estimated at approximately 0.7 percent, making India more competitive than several peer manufacturing jurisdictions.

Q16. Why is this measure important?

Answer: It facilitates just-in-time supply chains, reduces logistics friction, and complements Indias push to become a preferred destination for electronics and semiconductor-linked manufacturing.

Transfer pricing certainty for technology-led sectors

Q17. What steps has the budget taken to improve tax certainty for IT and technology services?

Answer: For globally integrated sectors such as IT and technology services, the budget:

Expands safe harbor provisions; and

Re-emphasizes time-bound Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs).

Q18. What is the expected impact of these measures?

Answer: These steps are intended to reduce compliance burden, minimize prolonged transfer pricing litigation, and provide greater certainty to multinational enterprises operating in India.

Data centers as enablers of AI and digital growth

Q19. Does the budget announce major new spending on AI?

Answer: No major new AI outlays were announced, unlike the previous years India AI Mission. Instead, the budget reinforces a foundational infrastructure-first approach.

Q20. What does this indicate about Indias AI strategy?

Answer: As highlighted in the FY 2025-26 Economic Survey, India is adopting a calibrated approach to AI, prioritizing capacity building over rapid scale.

Under the India AI Mission, the central government spending stood at approximately INR 8 billion (US$87.42 million) in FY 2025-26. For FY 2026-27, INR 10 billion (US$109.2 million) has been allocated against a total outlay of INR 103.72 billion (US$1.13 billion) notified in March 2024.

The emphasis is therefore on strengthening cloud and data center capacity as key enablers of AI adoption.

Indias data center market

States like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have emerged as leading hubs hosting data centers. As of the end of 2025, India solidified its position as one of the fastest-growing global data center markets. India hosts approximately 130+ operational data centers, led by increasing demand for cloud services, enterprise IT workloads, and digital transformation across industries.

City-wise Distribution of Data Centers in India as of 2025 City/ region No. of data centers Mumbai 49 Chennai 17 Delhi NCR 17 Bengaluru 15 Hyderabad 11 Pune 10 Kolkata 3 Others 8

Source: India Data Centre H1 2025, Cushman & Wakefield Research

2025 saw several major facilities becoming operational, including Equinixs CN1 in Chennai and CtrlS Kolkata DC1, indicating ongoing capacity expansion outside traditional metros.

Leading operators by capacity included NTT DATA, CtrlS, Sify Technologies, and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, supported by both domestic and international capital flows.

Impact of Budget 2026 incentives on Indias data center market outlook in 2026

a) Accelerated localization of cloud infrastructure

The tax exemption provides a strong fiscal incentive for global cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, to expand onshore capacity and fast-track new data center regions. This is likely to increase local deployments, reduce reliance on offshore servicing, and lower cloud costs for Indian enterprises and consumers.

b) Stronger global competitiveness

Indias positioning as a data center destination improves relative to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, supported by:

Long-term tax certainty through a holiday until 2047,

Pricing stability via a 15 percent safe harbor for related-party services, and

Policy continuity recognizing data centers as core infrastructure for AI, cloud, and digital exports.

c) Higher foreign direct investment (FDI) and platform-scale investments

Building on momentum from the previous year, the 2026 tax exemption is expected to:

Enable larger capital deployment by institutional platforms through acquisitions, co-investments, and partnerships.

Drive market consolidation ahead of township-scale hyperscale developments, and

Attract greater private equity and sovereign fund exposure to Indian data center equity and debt, underpinned by rare long-duration tax certainty.

d) Competitive edge for Indian resellers and partners

Mandatory routing through Indian reseller entities strengthens:

Demand for local system integrators;

Strategic alliances between global cloud firms and Indian IT and telecom players; and

Value capture by Indian providers in managed services, hybrid cloud and edge deployments.

Long-term strategic implications

Data center growth in India will be driven by enterprise digitization, public-sector cloud adoption, 5G and edge workloads, AI/ML compute needs, and data localization requirements in regulated sectors. The tax exemption lowers infrastructure costs, directly reinforcing these demand drivers.

The latest measure also aligns with Indias National Data Centre Policy 2025 and broader goals around cloud-first governance, cybersecurity resilience and digital exports, strengthening policy coherence across the digital infrastructure ecosystem.

(US$1 = INR 91.5)
Budget 2026 proposal on Rare Earth corridors

Image credit : AI generated | Indias self-reliance depends on critical minerals for EVs

Why rare earth elements are critical to modern industry

Global dominance and Indias strategic push

Rare earth resources across the four corridor states

Image credit : X/Nsitharaman01 | Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Image credit : Wikipedia | Odisha has 3.16 million tonnes of monazite

Related schemes and industry response

Union Budget 2026 has placed rare earth minerals at the centre of Indias industrial and strategic planning. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced government support for setting up dedicated Rare Earth Corridors across four mineral-rich statesOdisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. The proposal builds on earlier policy measures and aims to strengthen mining, processing, research, and manufacturing of rare earth elements that are critical to clean energy, defence, electronics, and advanced manufacturing.During her Budget 2026 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Centre would support Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu in establishing dedicated Rare Earth Corridors. The objective is to promote an integrated ecosystem covering mining, processing, research, and manufacturing of rare earth materials.This announcement follows the launch of the Scheme for Rare Earth Permanent Magnets in November 2025. The corridors are intended to create focused industrial zones in states that already possess significant rare earth resources, enabling smoother movement from extraction to high-value manufacturing.Rare Earth Elements (REEs) include 17 metallic elements15 lanthanides along with scandium and yttrium. While these elements are not scarce in the Earths crust, they are rarely found in concentrated and economically viable deposits, and separating them chemically is complex.REEs are often described as the Vitamins of Modern Industry because even small quantities significantly improve performance across advanced technologies. Their magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical properties make them essential in multiple sectors.In clean energy and green technology, elements such as neodymium and dysprosium are key inputs for permanent magnets used in electric vehicle motors and wind turbines. In consumer electronics, REEs are used in smartphone speakers, vibration units, screens, computer hard drives, and LED lighting, with yttrium and europium responsible for red and blue colours in displays.They are also critical in national defence applications, including radar systems, precision-guided missiles, sonar, and jet engines. In healthcare, REEs support MRI contrast agents, PET scanners, and medical lasers. Industrial uses include petroleum refining catalysts and high-strength, corrosion-resistant alloys.Rare earth elements are categorised as critical minerals because many of their applications do not have equal substitutes. China currently dominates the global supply chain, accounting for about 70% of production and more than 85% of refining capacity.This concentration has led countries such as India, the United States, and members of the European Union to invest in diversifying supply chains. Indias focus on domestic corridors reflects efforts to reduce vulnerability to geopolitical risks and strengthen long-term self-reliance.Indias rare earth potential is concentrated largely along its coastline due to extensive monazite deposits. Monazite is a reddish-brown phosphate mineral containing rare earth elements such as cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium, along with radioactive thorium. These deposits are found in placer sands as well as igneous and metamorphic rocks.Andhra Pradesh holds the largest share, with 3.78 million tonnes of monazite spread across 24 deposits. Visakhapatnam is the countrys most significant hub for rare earth magnets. The Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Plant at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre campus in Visakhapatnam is Indias first dedicated facility producing samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron magnets using indigenous technology and domestic raw materials. The state is moving beyond mining into downstream processing and magnet manufacturing.Odisha has 3.16 million tonnes of monazite across 12 major deposits, including Gopalpur and Chhatrapur. The state is focusing on developing magnet technologies for defence, space, electric vehicles, and related sectors.Tamil Nadu possesses 2.47 million tonnes of monazite distributed across 50 deposits, notably in Manavalakurichi beach sand and Sathankulam Teri sand areas. These resources are being developed to support an end-to-end magnet value chain.Kerala has 1.84 million tonnes of monazite across 35 deposits, with major concentrations along the Chavara barrier beach. The state is using its extensive beach sand minerals to enable refined rare earth extraction and magnet production.Midwest Advanced Materials is setting up a Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnet manufacturing facility in Hyderabad with support from the Technology Development Board.In November 2025, the Union Cabinet approved the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets with a financial outlay of Rs 7,280 crore. The initiative aims to establish 6,000 metric tonnes per annum of integrated REPM manufacturing capacity in India, strengthening domestic production and positioning India in the global magnet market.Industry representatives said the Budget 2026 proposals would accelerate technology development.
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BlockseBlock's founder's post sparked massive debate on social media

Image credit : LinkedIn: @sahilthakur | Sahil Thakur Warns Freshers

If your CTC is Rs 18 lakh per annum, what if someone tells you it is actually Rs 6 LPA? Sounds shocking, right! Well, yes, a startup founder has set social media abuzz after pulling back the curtain on a common corporate tactic: inflating cost-to-company figures to make job offers look far fancier than they really are. According to Sahil Thakur, founder of BlockseBlock, many companies advertise high numbers upfront, but the actual take-home pay often tells a very different story, leaving candidates surprised and sometimes misled. The post has sparked debates about transparency in hiring and whether CTC should reflect what employees can expect in their pockets.Sahil Thakur, the founder of BlockseBlock, highlighted how headline salaries can be misleading. Recently, Thakur shared a post on LinkedIn, saying that one of his students received an offer from a Mumbai startup boasting an annual package of Rs 18 lakh.The student shared the news with his parents and celebrated the moment. But as Thakur explained, a closer look at the salary breakdown revealed that the figure wasn't as impressive as it seemed, sparking conversations about transparency in job offers."A student just showed me his offer letter. 18 LPA. Startup. Mumbai."He was celebrating. Posted on LinkedIn. Called his parents. I read the breakdown. Base salary: 6 LPA" "Performance bonus": 4 LPA (if you hit 120% of target) Retention bonus": 3 LPA (paid after 2 years, only if you stay) ESOPs: 5 LPA (at current valuation, vesting over 4 years) The real number he's getting in his account every month? 50,000."According to the post, Thakur revealed that the student's guaranteed salary was just Rs 6 LPA, or about Rs 50000 a month, while the remaining Rs 12 lakh was mostly conditional and uncertain. The package included an Rs 4 lakh performance bonus, but only a small fraction of employees, roughly 10 per cent, are likely to meet the targets.Another Rs 3 lakh retention bonus kicks in only after two years, and Rs 5 lakh in ESOPs is tied to the company's future valuation, meaning it could end up worthless if the startup doesn't succeed.As Thakur bluntly put it, The Rs 18 LPA on the offer letter is more fantasy than reality, with Rs 6 LPA guaranteed and Rs 12 LPA mostly imaginary. Companies inflate CTCs with bonuses you might never see and equity that may never vest. It looks great on LinkedIn, but few freshers know to ask for the details.Further in the post, Thakur went on to explain and urged job seekers to scrutinise salary offers by separating guaranteed pay from conditional components and not getting swayed by headline CTC numbers. He wrote, "When evaluating offers, ask for a detailed CTC breakup. Focus on whats guaranteed, treat ESOPs cautiously unless the company is near IPO, and dont compare total CTC with friends."He emphasised that the real benchmark is what actually lands in your bank account, and that is your true salary.As soon as the post surfaced on the platform, it quickly grabbed attention and sparked debate. One said, "The stats with rationale are impressive. More power to you, Sahil."While another said, "Your commitment to taking responsibility and delivering results is truly commendable , and it's clear that your hard work has paid off with the impressive metrics you've achieved in just one year .""Super proud of you, Sahil Thakur and the entire team at PropReturns Wouldnt have been able to achieve these metrics without the entire team ," another added.
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Image credit : Freepik| Delhi-born entrepreneurs rise from debt to multi-crore success

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Turning point through creativity and tech

Lessons from hardship and humility

Image credit : Freepik| Delhi-born entrepreneurs post on debt and discipline goes viral

At just 29, a Delhi-born entrepreneur has captured widespread attention online by sharing a remarkable story of resilience, grit, and financial triumph. In apost titled Bankrupt to 26Cr INR at 29, he detailed his journey from financial despair to multimillion-dollar success, inspiring anyone grappling with setbacks or personal challenges.In his post, the entrepreneur revealed that at 24 he was overweight, broke and in very terrible condition, struggling under the weight of debt and personal hardships. Growing up in a broken family in Delhi, he had limited support; his mother worked full-time while his grandparents helped raise him. At 17, he moved to Canada in pursuit of education and independence, but life there tested him further. Knocking doors in -20-degree weather with a blizzard was brutal, he wrote, recalling his early experience in door-to-door sales.By the age of 23, he had amassed $30,000 in debt and declared himself literally bankrupt, primarily due to losses incurred in futures and day trading. Yet, despite these setbacks, he refused to give up. Thepost details how he gradually turned his situation around, beginning with creating content on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Leveraging artificial intelligence tools to scale his pages, he soon started seeing substantial returns, reporting his first 10 lakh months of pure profit at 25.At 24, the young entrepreneur began creating content across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Leveraging artificial intelligence tools, he scaled his platforms rapidly. By 25, he celebrated his first 10 lakh month in pure profit, reinvesting earnings into AI-driven ventures, vending, and rental businesses. He avoided traditional stock markets, instead focusing on commodities such as gold, silver, and cryptocurrency, gradually building a robust portfolio.I focused on ventures that I could control and optimise. It was about smart risks and consistent effort, he shared. Over the following years, his disciplined strategy paid off. By 29, he sold his rental business for $3 million, establishing financial security well beyond many peers.Now based in Florida, the entrepreneur emphasised that his journey was driven by perseverance and belief, even in moments of despair. When I didnt have any hope, I never gave up and still believed, he reflected. He credits his modest beginnings with keeping him grounded, reminding him that resilience often stems from the toughest challenges.Social media users responded enthusiastically to his story. One commenter noted, Good to read it. Happy for you OP. I am struggling more at 29 than you were at 24. Wishing you the best for the future. Another wrote simply, Wow, take a bow, capturing widespread admiration.By openly sharing his journey from bankruptcy to multimillionaire success, the entrepreneur provides a blueprint for turning adversity into opportunity. His story is a testament to determination, creativity, and the ability to reinvent oneself despite early setbacks, encouraging others to pursue their goals relentlessly.
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Image credit : X| Founder credits 2005 email to Marc Benioff for his success

Image credit : Freepik| Viral post shows email to Benioff shaped founders career

Cold emails can open doors

i rarely share this, but 21 years ago i cold emailed @Benioff for a job at @salesforcehe responded in an hour.







it changed my life, so this is a full circle moment. very grateful Marc loves @maticrobots. 







cant wait to build a bigger water tank in v2!  https://t.co/UlIpsEZnWc pic.twitter.com/Rgu8jtp8Jd





 Mehul (@mehul) January 31, 2026





From humble outreach to global success

Image credit : Freepik| Founder credits cold email to Marc Benioff for career boost

An Indian-origin entrepreneur based in the United States has gone viral after sharing how a single cold email to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff over two decades ago shaped his career. Mehul Nariyawala, co-founder and President of Matic Robots, posted a screenshot of the 2005 email exchange on, describing it as a full circle moment that changed his life.In the email, a young Nariyawala expressed his admiration for Salesforce and Benioff, writing, I have read almost every single article about Salesforce.com and you. I admire the hell out of you, and I absolutely love how Salesforce is reinventing the software industry. Id love to work for you at Salesforce. He highlighted his credentials as a second-year MBA student at the University of Chicago, emphasising his creativity, entrepreneurial drive, and leadership potential. My exuberance helps me lead and get my team excited. At Salesforce, I will achieve exceptional results and make you proud, he added.Benioffs response arrived within an hour, brief but pivotal. Thank you for your note. Erin Flynn will take a look at this for us, he wrote, referring the application to the companys hiring leadership. Nariyawalas story resonates now more than ever, following the recent announcement that Matic Robots had secured $60 million in funding.Nariyawala reflected on the journey from his initial outreach to Salesforce to the success of Matic Robots, which builds AI-powered home robots designed to prioritise usefulness over novelty. We didnt ask, Whats the most impressive robot we can demo? We asked, Whats the most useful robot we can ship? Customers answered with their wallets, he said. Benioff responded with congratulatory remarks, even adding a playful note about the robots water dish needing to last a week autonomously.Social media users have widely praised Nariyawalas post, with many highlighting the underestimated power of cold emails. One user commented, Almost all the big breaks in my life have come through cold mails. Others echoed the sentiment, emphasising that taking initiative can create opportunities that otherwise might never appear.Nariyawalas experience underscores the importance of perseverance, initiative, and respect in professional communication. A single well-crafted email, sent with genuine enthusiasm and a clear sense of purpose, can have far-reaching effects years down the line. His journey from a hopeful MBA student to leading a multimillion-dollar AI robotics company serves as both inspiration and a practical lesson for aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide.By revisiting his early interaction with Benioff, Nariyawala has reminded professionals and students alike that boldness, clarity, and sincerity in communication remain as valuable as ever. The story also demonstrates that opportunities often emerge from unexpected beginnings, making initiative and courage crucial for long-term success.
Why Indonesia had banned Grok AI

Image credit : X/ElonMuskAOC | Indonesia has restored access to Elon Musks Grok AI chatbot

Conditional restoration and government oversight

Image credit : X/ElonMuskAOC | Elon Musk owns AI chatbot Grok

Safeguards and changes implemented by X and xAI

Regional impact and continuing scrutiny

Image credit : X/ElonMuskAOC | Elon Musk, businessman and former senior advisor to the President of the United States

Indonesia has restored access to Elon Musk-owned AI chatbot Grok after imposing a temporary ban earlier this year. The decision comes nearly a month after authorities restricted the service over concerns that the tool had generated sexually explicit and non-consensual deepfake images involving women and children. The Indonesian government has clarified that the restoration is conditional and will remain under strict and continuous regulatory supervision.Indonesia initially blocked Grok AI on January 10, 2026, after reports emerged that the chatbot had been used to generate sexualised and non-consensual AI-generated images. The issue raised serious concerns around child protection, pornography, and digital safety, prompting swift action from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs.The ban placed Indonesia among several countries scrutinising the platform over deepfake-related misuse. Authorities cited fears that Grok could be used to create pornographic content, a sensitive issue in Indonesia, which has a history of restricting such material. In the past, the country had even briefly suspended TikTok in 2018 over similar concerns.The Grok controversy attracted global attention, with regulators in India, the UK, Malaysia, and other regions also examining the platforms safeguards. While access has since been restored in Indonesia, Grok AI remains banned in Malaysia due to the same deepfake concerns.In a statement issued on Sunday, the Indonesian government confirmed that it is processing the normalization of Grok services conditionally and under strict supervision. The decision followed a written commitment submitted by X Corp to the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, outlining steps to improve services and comply with Indonesian laws.Senior ministry official Alexander Sabar said the restoration should not be seen as an end to regulatory scrutiny.The normalization of access to Grok services is being carried out conditionally after X Corp submitted a written commitment containing concrete steps for service improvement and prevention of abuse. This commitment is the basis for evaluation, not the end of the supervision process, he said.Sabar added that all measures claimed by X would be verified and tested continuously to ensure they effectively prevent violations. The ministry also stated that it would actively monitor illegal content and child protection compliance on the platform.He further warned that if inconsistencies or further violations are identified, authorities would take immediate corrective action, including suspending access again if required.According to the ministry, X has introduced a set of layered measures to curb misuse of Groks services. These include strengthening technical protections, restricting access to certain features, tightening internal policies and enforcement mechanisms, and activating incident response protocols.The company has also restricted public image generation and editing features, initially limiting them to premium users. As criticism intensified, X further reduced the ability to generate or edit images involving revealing clothing such as bikinis.Elon Musk also issued a public warning last month addressing misuse of the platform. In a post on X, he said, Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.Despite these steps, the platform has already faced regulatory fallout across multiple jurisdictions. While Indonesia, the Philippines, and other countries have restored access, all have placed the service under strict supervision.Indonesias temporary ban on Grok had a broader regional impact, triggering what officials described as a policy domino effect. Similar restrictions were observed in Malaysia and the Philippines, pushing xAI to engage with regulators and commit to compliance with local laws.Although access has now been restored in Indonesia and the Philippines, authorities have made it clear that the service remains under continuous monitoring. Any future lapses could lead to an immediate and permanent reinstatement of restrictions.The Indonesian government reiterated that it remains open to constructive dialogue but stressed that compliance with national laws is mandatory. Officials emphasised that normalization of services is part of an ongoing supervision process rather than a final clearance.
Invictus Games events set to bring Harry back to the U.K.

Image credit : Credit: X @royalsinsider_ | Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Ongoing legal battle and court appearances

Image credit : X/PHarryWales | Prince Harry is expected to return to the U.K. this summer

Emotional testimony and impact of press intrusion

Security concerns and uncertainty over family travel

Image credit : X/ansarpress1 | Prince Harry could be back in the U.K. this summer

Looking ahead to a possible return

Prince Harry is expected to return to the United Kingdom later this summer, not for court proceedings but for a cause closely linked to his public life. After returning to the United States following his emotional appearance in a legal case against British tabloids, the Duke of Sussex is now looking ahead to the Invictus Games, an international sporting event he founded for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans.The primary reason for Prince Harrys likely return to Britain is the series of events marking the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games. These events are scheduled to take place in Birmingham this July.Prince Harry traditionally attends the Invictus Games countdown activities and has often been joined by his wife, Meghan Markle. Meghan, 44, attended the one-year-to-go promotional events in Vancouver, Canada, in February 2024. The couple also appeared together at the Invictus countdown celebrations held in Dusseldorf, Germany, in September 2022.While no official confirmation has been made regarding his attendance this summer, the Birmingham events are expected to take place after his current legal proceedings conclude.Prince Harry, 41, recently spent time in London for the opening phase of his legal case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. He arrived in the U.K. on January 19 and attended court for the first four days of the trial.The case, which is scheduled to last nine weeks and is expected to cost $50 million, involves allegations of illegal information gathering. Prince Harry is one of seven high-profile claimants, alongside actress Elizabeth Hurley. He was present in court on January 22 to support Hurley as she gave evidence.Associated Newspapers strongly deny the allegations and maintain that all reporting was obtained through lawful means.After completing his testimony, Prince Harry returned to California in time to accompany Meghan Markle to the Sundance Film Festival, where their documentary Cookie Queens premiered. The couple served as executive producers on the project.The court proceedings marked a deeply emotional moment for the Duke of Sussex. On January 21, as he concluded his evidence in Court 76 of the High Court in London, Prince Harry was visibly affected when questioned about the toll the case has taken on him and his family.Its a horrible experience, he said while giving his final testimony.Addressing the presiding judge, Justice Nicklin, Harry spoke about the ongoing impact of the press coverage.By standing up here and taking a stand against them, this has continued to come after me, he said, his voice breaking. And they have made my wifes life an absolute misery, my Lord.Earlier in the hearing, Harry told the court that the situation had worsened over time.Through the course of this litigation, its only got worse, not better, he said. Its fundamentally wrong to put all of us through all of this again. Whats required is an apology and some accountability.Beyond the legal case, security remains a central issue affecting Prince Harrys travel to the U.K. Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, Harry and Meghan lost their full taxpayer-funded security protection.Prince Harry has repeatedly stated in interviews that he does not feel safe bringing his family to the U.K. without adequate security arrangements. This includes Meghan and their two children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.His legal team is currently awaiting a decision on whether full-scale security will be reinstated during visits to the U.K. Sources close to the prince have expressed optimism, noting that there have been positive indications from the U.K. government. However, a final decision is not expected until after the conclusion of his current legal case.Until that ruling is made, any plans involving Meghan and the children remain uncertain, even if Prince Harry attends Invictus-related events alone.While Prince Harrys recent trip to London was dominated by court proceedings, the upcoming Invictus Games countdown offers a different context for his next potential visit. With the trial expected to be completed before the summer events and security decisions still pending, his return to the U.K. remains likely but not fully confirmed.For now, the focus remains on the conclusion of his legal battle and the outcome of his security appeal, both of which will shape how and when the Duke of Sussex resumes public appearances in Britain.
Image credit : X| Zohran Mamdani with his mother, filmmaker Mira Nair

Protesters demand clarity from the mayor

BREAKING: Mamdani supporters organized a protest outside the NYC mayors mansion following claims that his mother, filmmaker Mira Nair, appeared in Epstein-related documents.





We know about your mom. We were with you, Zohran. We voted for you, Zohran. We advocated for you, pic.twitter.com/g52ZUb5HoS



 I Meme Therefore I Am  (@ImMeme0) February 2, 2026

Image credit : X| Zohran Mamdani and Mira Nair face scrutiny as supporters protest over Epstein records.

Epstein files continue to spark debate

Image credit : X| @RandyGoat| Mira Nair appears in Epstein email files linked to a 2009 social event

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced an unexpected wave of criticism as supporters gathered outside his official residence, Gracie Mansion, to protest claims linking his mother, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, to newly released Jeffrey Epstein records. Footage shared widely on social media showed demonstrators chanting shame and directly confronting the mayor about his familys connections.One protester accused Mamdani of deception, saying, We advocated for you. We voted for you We know about your mum. The demonstration comes after the US Department of Justice published over three million additional pages under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law in November 2025, which included more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images related to Epsteins activities.Emails in the release reference Nair attending a 2009 social event hosted at convicted trafficker Ghislaine Maxwells townhouse. The documents describe an after party for a film screening attended by high-profile figures including Bill Clinton, Jeff Bezos, and socialite Jean Pigozzi. The email noted that the film received tepid reaction, although women like it much more.While Mamdani, who assumed office on January 1 after defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, is not personally implicated, the protest highlighted questions over transparency and accountability. Supporters voiced frustration that the mayor had not publicly addressed the revelations. Videos from the protest show residents directly challenging Mamdani on the steps of Gracie Mansion, signalling a rare moment of public dissent from his voter base.The incident underscores the complicated intersections of personal family histories and public office, as well as the ethical scrutiny faced by politicians when close relatives appear in sensitive disclosures. It also reflects broader public unease about the influence and reach of Epsteins network and those connected to it.The latest DOJ release also names other prominent figures, including Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Ivanka Trump, and Sarah Ferguson. The ongoing publication of these documents demonstrates how Epstein-related associations continue to reverberate through public life, affecting not only those directly involved but also their families and networks.As Mamdani settles into his new role, the protest at Gracie Mansion highlights the enduring impact of high-profile scandals on political legitimacy. The episode serves as a reminder that family connections, even if tangential, can shape public perception and challenge leaders to address difficult questions with transparency and accountability.
Ahead of his participation in the Delphi Economic Forum Paris III in Paris on February 5, Gilles Bouder, Vice President of HDF Energy, the pioneering French company that leads internationally in the development of large-scale

hydrogen infrastructure and high- power fuel cell technology with subsidiaries in Greece and Cyprus , speaks to NEA SAVVATOKYRIAKO about the companys plans for the Greek market . With the plans for 2026 focused on HDF Energys strategy regarding energy autonomy and de-reliance on fossil fuels for non-interconnected islands,explains the role that locally produced hydrogen can play in terms of mobility on the Greek islands, highlighting Greeces role as the right environment for the development of hydrogen-based power plants. He also underlines the common strategic vision of Greece and France regarding energy security , while at the same time highlighting Greeces upgraded role on the energy map under the new, fluid geopolitical backdrop, seeing in our country the potential to become an energy superpower for the whole of Europe . What are the next steps in the context of the Greek-French energy relationship and cooperation?

Both countries have built a good cooperation in the energy sector Both countries share a common strategic vision around energy security, decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness. France and Greece benefitted from each other skills & expertise, for example with Paris Mouratoglou being at the origin of some of the major french Renewable IPPS, and in return many French developers participating in the deployment of clean power in Greece. The next steps lie in scaling up joint investments in clean energy infrastructure, particularly in renewable electricity, hydrogen, and energy storage. France brings strong industrial know-how, technological depth and project-financing capabilities, while Greece offers a unique combination of renewable potential, geographic positioning and access to key regional markets. In this context, cooperation increasingly focuses on concrete projects, regulatory alignment and long-term industrial partnerships rather than isolated initiatives. Among other topics, Greece and France share the same challenge of the decarbonisation of non-interconnected islands that not so many EU countries have, so I see a strong cooperation being built around this.

How do you assess Greeces role in the energy map of the region, what role could it play in the future and do you think that the broader geopolitical instability affects energy plans?

Greece has evolved into a key energy crossroads for Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. With exceptional resource of wind, sun and now gas, Greece has the potential to become a powerhouse not only for neighbouring countries but also for the whole Europe. Greece is strengthening interconnections, stabilizing the power grid of the region and planning to be connected to the European hydrogen backbone, which -creates more commercial possibilities for more renewables into the regional system.

Geopolitical conditions have reinforced Greeces strategic relevance. Energy planning today must incorporate security, technological resilience, diversification and flexibility as core principles, in order to reduce exposition to this instability. This favours countries like Greece that can combine domestic clean energy production with regional interconnectivity. To take full benefit from the situation, Greece should engage fully in the next phase of the energy transition with the deployment of integrated renewable energy that allows for dispatchability, to keep up decarbonizing while the bottleneck of grid expansion is resolved. This is the role HDF Energy seeks to play, with the development of hybrid power plant using hydrogen as on site storage for reliable and dispatchable baseload electricity delivery.

One of the axes of HDF Energys strategy in Greece for 2026 includes the goal of full energy autonomy and de-reliance on fossil fuels for non-interconnected islands. On which islands are you focusing your interest and is this a project that will be completed within the year?

For non-interconnected islands, energy autonomy is both a technical and strategic priority. The islands for which the interconnection to the mainland electricity network is challenging are particularly dependent from imports of fossil fuels, and in consequence see their cost of generation skyrocket, becoming a heavy tribute to taxpayers. This was the situation before the construction of our CEOG project in Guyane, and we will indeed inject the first electrons to the grid in a few weeks. In Greece, HDF Energy focus is on the islands with such high energy costs, strong renewable resources and long-term energy demand stability. A lower cost of energy is the first benefit from our projects, but our Renewstable concept is designed to allow possible use of the hydrogen for other uses than power generation. We can imagine that tomorrow, hydrogen produced on site may become the fuel for the island mobility. We want to demonstrate that French technology can provide a credible pathway to greater autonomy and reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels and are progressing on several sites. A key prerequisite for our success is regulatory and commercial clarity, most importantly, setting the right pricing framework that can enable bankability and long-term predictability. In parallel, we are actively open to partnerships with local and international players, because solutions for island systems are, by nature, multidisciplinary and best delivered through strong consortia.

Greece is increasingly discussed as an important node in Europes emerging hydrogen and clean- energy ecosystem. How does this positioning relate to HDF Energys focus on hydrogen-to- power solutions, and how do you see Greeces role evolving within a regional electricity and energy security context?

In our market positioning, hydrogen is not only viewed as a commodity to be produced and exported, but as an energy carrier that can be used to generate firm, dispatchable electricity through our fuel cell technology, particularly where power systems face constraints related to intermittency, security of supply or isolation. In that sense, Greeces relevance lies less in hydrogen volumes and more in system-level characteristics. The country combines strong renewable potential, structurally constrained power systems in certain regions, and a growing role in regional electricity interconnections. These factors make it a suitable environment to deploy hydrogen-based power generation assets as part of integrated energy systems, rather than as standalone export-reliant and offtake-critical hydrogen projects.

Looking ahead, Greece could play a constructive role in demonstrating how integrated renewable and hydrogen-based power generation systems can enhance the stability and resilience of electricity networks, whether on islands, in remote grids, or, over time, within interconnected regional markets. This evolution will primarily depend on appropriate regulatory frameworks and market signals that recognise and remunerate system services such as flexibility, adequacy and security of supply. Under those conditions, hydrogen-to-power solutions can move from early project deployments to broader replication across European power systems.
The EUs decision to ban Russian natural gas imports by 2027 positions Greece as a strategic energy hub via the Vertical Corridor.
Ishaku Danazumi, the village head of Kurmin Wali in the Kajuru LGA of Kaduna state, says 80 abducted worshippers have escaped, while 86 others remain in captivity.

In January, gunmen attacked three churches in the community, whisking away about 177 worshippers.

Eleven people were said to have escaped while being taken away by bandits.

Speaking with TheCable, Danazumi said the 80 victims who escaped did so on the same day of the incident, but were unable to return immediately as they lost their way in the forest.

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He said the escapees fled into the forest and hid out of fear following the attack.

We have now confirmed that 80 of our people have been found in different locations. They ran through the forest and hid because of fear on the very day of the incident, he said.

Danazumi added that a few days ago, one of the victims contacted the community and disclosed their location, prompting the mobilisation of a team to trace them.

One of them called and told us where they were. We sent people there and confirmed their whereabouts, he said.

They were afraid because they thought what happened to a nearby village, where bandits burnt down the entire community, had happened to us. That was why they did not reach out immediately.

He said a headcount conducted on Friday confirmed that 80 victims were found in different forest settlements. He said search teams have also been deployed to other forest locations to ascertain whether more victims are still in hiding.

The village head disclosed that the authorities had been officially informed of the development.

We have informed the government that 80 people have been found. They want us to gather them together, but fear is stopping many of them from returning, he said.

However, we have spoken with them and confirmed their locations.
The National Orientation Agency has disclosed that the Federal Government has signed an agreement with South Korea to establish a plant in Nigeria where electric vehicles can be manufactured.

The NOA, in a statement on X, wrote, In a move to accelerate Nigerias transition to clean energy and boost local industrial capacity, the Federal Government has signed an agreement with South Korea to establish an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Nigeria.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, and representatives of the Asia Economic Development Committee (AEDC) of South Korea.

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The initiative will accelerate technology transfer, investment promotion, human capital development, and research, design, and innovation.

The project is said to be implemented in phases, beginning with EV assembly and expanding into full in-house production, with an estimated capacity of 300,000 vehicles and the creation of approximately 10,000 jobs.

https://x.com/i/status/2018368897934598585
The FCT Police Command has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress to postpone the planned peaceful solidarity rally with the Trade Union Congress, slated for Tuesday, in Abuja, over fears of infiltration by proscribed groups.

The NLC general secretary, Benson Upah, and TUC secretary General, Nuhu Toro, had in a statement, said the rally is in support of the strike by workers of the Federal Capital Development Authority. The workers, led by their Joint Union Action Committee, had who had been on strike since January 19, 2026, over unpaid salaries, insisted on not resuming work, despite a threat by the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, to get them arrested. Discouraging the planned rally, the spokesperson for the command, Josephine Adeh, in a statement on Monday, said, While the Command respects the constitutional right to peaceful assembly, intelligence reports indicate plans by proscribed groups and other non-state actors to infiltrate and hijack the protest, posing a risk to public peace and safety.

In the interest of public safety, the FCT Police Command has advised the organizers to consider rescheduling the protest to prevent any breakdown of law and order and to protect lives, property, and the rights of other residents.

Mrs Adeh therefore reiterated the commands commitment to safeguarding all lawful activities and urged residents to keep cooperating with security agencies to keep the FCT peaceful and secure.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Governor Uba Sanis leadership is steadily transforming Kaduna State into a one-party state, following a surge of defections from opposition parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Shettima made the remark at the weekend during the commissioning of the Tudun Biri Resettlement Scheme, where he commended the governor for what he described as deliberate, inclusive and strategic efforts to expand the APCs political base across the state.

Governor Uba Sani, we are most grateful. You are gradually turning Kaduna into a one-party state, with House of Representatives members representing Soba, Makarfi and Kudan on their way to the APC, the Vice President said.

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Recalling the outcome of the 2023 general elections, Shettima noted that the APC had suffered major setbacks in Kaduna before the recent wave of political realignments.

In 2023, we lost all three Senate seats to the PDP. Out of the 16 members of the National Assembly, the APC had only four. The PDP had 10, while the Labour Party had two, he stated.

According to him, the situation has since changed significantly due to what he termed the conscious and deliberate efforts of Governor Sani and party leaders, resulting in the defection of several prominent opposition figures.

We have in our midst former Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero. We have Senator Sunday Marshal, Shettima said.

The Vice President described developments in Southern Kaduna as unprecedented, noting that the zone had consistently elected senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999.

This is the first time in living memory that the APC has a senator in Southern Kaduna, due to the singular effort of Governor Uba Sani, he added.

Shettima also announced the defection of a serving House of Representatives member from Igabi Federal Constituency, one of the largest in the country, with about 600 polling units and over 400,000 registered voters.

He attributed the growing defections to the governors leadership style, which he said had built trust across political, ethnic and regional divides.

This is leadership. Without your inclusive approach, I dont think Sunday Marshal and other leaders in Southern Kaduna would have joined the APC, he said.

The Vice President further commended the Kaduna State Government for its collaboration with the Federal Government on the Tudun Biri Resettlement Scheme, describing it as a clear demonstration of responsive and people-centred governance.

In his remarks, Governor Uba Sani thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving Tudun Biri as the first beneficiary of the Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflicts, following the accidental bombing of the community in December 2023.

He said the initiative underscored the belief that sustainable peace could only be achieved through development, inclusion and economic opportunity, alongside security interventions.
Demonstrators from No ICE Philly protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at Eighth and Cherry Streets in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. Read more

Foreign nationals are facing increasing challenges to working and studying in the U.S., but their contributions to the Philadelphia economy are critical, local business leaders say, painting a grim picture of Philadelphias future with fewer of them.

In Philadelphia, immigrants are not a side factor when it comes to our economy. They are a main driver, Alain Joinville, from the citys Office of Immigrant Affairs, said at a panel discussion, hosted last week by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, in partnership with immigration-reform organization FWD.us.

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The foreign-born population has supported Philadelphias workforce growth in recent years. Between 2010 and 2022, the immigrant workforce grew by 50% from 105,600 to 158,300, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts. In 2022, the foreign-born population represented 15.7% of the total Philadelphia population.

But over the past year, President Donald Trumps administration has pushed to carry out the largest deportation effort in the countrys history, and put forward a plan to charge employers $100,000 to secure H-1B visas for their employees. ICE agents have detained immigrants across the region.

If we have policies that are disrupting families, detaining people, sending people back, thats a huge part of our economy that impacts manufacturing, transportation of all the goods and services that we manufacture, said Elizabeth Jones, of immigrant-support nonprofit the Welcoming Center. The ripple effect is scary in terms of how its going to impact the economy.

 READ MORE: Canadians are staying away from Philly amid Trump trade war

Potential to lose the research edge

While the U.S is a global leader in research universities, it could be losing that grip, said Amy Gadsden, from the University of Pennsylvanias Global Initiatives. Having the best research universities in the world requires the best talent  namely international students that also become faculty, she noted.

Penn has roughly 9,000 international students and an additional 2,000 faculty, postdoc students, and others who drive a lot of economic activity, both for Penn and for the city of Philadelphia  for the country, for that matter, she said.

 READ MORE: Colleges are bracing for a drop in international enrollment as students face confusion and fear. I feel like Im trapped.

International student enrollments are down across the country, and students are being cautious about where they apply.

There is not a guidance counselor around the world who is advising their student not to hedge their application to the United States with an application to another country, she said.

Penn, Philadelphias largest employer, depends on international students, said Gadsden. When we think about what is going on with visa policy in the United States, what we see is a decrease in international students, a decrease in international faculty, a decrease in research output, that will ultimately lead to a decrease in our position as a leading research university in the world, she said.

 READ MORE: The Philadelphia region is losing international student graduates to jobs elsewhere

A challenge for employers

Jennifer Rodriguez, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the challenge employers can face under the new fee for H-1B visas.

Immigrants and the foreign-born population in general is one that is critical for the economic health of the city of Philadelphia and the region, she said.

Rodriguez described the additional $100,000, which is on top of other expected visa processing costs, as exorbitant. While some large businesses might have resources to handle it, she said, middle-market companies will be more challenged.

Philadelphia is desperate to get more of those businesses to establish here, and now youre making it that much harder, said Rodriguez. We are really curtailing the ability of these businesses to innovate, to hire, to really be the contributors to the economy that we want them to be.

 READ MORE: A third of self-employed entrepreneurs in Philly are immigrants, and other insights from new Pew reports

Immigrants in Philadelphia are of prime working age, noted Joinville, from the citys Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Without immigrants, we have a smaller workforce to drive and support our businesses locally, he said, adding that immigrants start small businesses at a high rate in Philadelphia.

As a child of immigrants, focusing on the economy can be a little tricky for me, because were not just data or money or economy, said Joinville. Yes, immigrants have an economic impact, but they are cultural leaders, civic leaders, and, yeah, just good people.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, pictured during a Washington, D.C. appearance Jan. 29 promoting his new memoir, is calling on Pennsylvania lawmakers to send him a bill to ban cell phones during the school day. Read more

Gov. Josh Shapiro is backing a proposal to ban cell phones from Pennsylvania classrooms, joining a growing chorus of parents, teachers, and officials seeking to curb school disruptions and detach kids from addictive devices.

Its time for us to get distractions out of the classroom and create a healthier environment in our schools, Shapiro said in a post on X on Thursday.

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He called on Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass a bill that would require schools to ban the use of cell phones during the school day, from the time they start class until the time they leave for home.

The endorsement from the Democratic governor  who could promote the issue during his budget address Tuesday  comes as school cell phone bans have increasingly become the norm: 31 states have restrictions of some kind on phones, including 23 states with bell-to-bell bans barring the use of phones the entire school day, according to Education Week.

In New Jersey, former Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law last month requiring a bell-to-bell ban to take effect next school year.

Pennsylvania currently lets schools set their own cell phone policies  and districts have taken a patchwork of approaches. Pennsylvania in 2024 implemented a pilot program allowing schools to access funding for lockable pouches that students could place their phones in during the day, but few districts took the state up on the money.

Some schools have banned cell phones during classes, including by asking students to place their phones in hanging shoe organizers on the backs of classroom doors.

Advocates for entirely phone-free school days say such measures arent sufficient. Phones are still buzzing, and if class ends early, kids are constantly looking at it, said Kristen Beddard, a parent from the Pittsburgh suburb of Sewickley and leader in the PA Unplugged coalition seeking to curb childrens reliance on phones and screens, in and out of school.

Barring phones only during class time is not enough to truly break the dopamine feedback loop these kids are exposed to, and inundated with constantly, Beddard said.

Since PA Unplugged began advocating for a bell-to-bell ban a year ago, the landscape has changed so much, including more states moving to restrict phones, Beddard said.

In Pennsylvania, the states largest teachers union came out in favor of a ban, and legislation that would require school districts to adopt bell-to-bell cell phone policies was unanimously approved in December by the Senate Education Committee. The bill would grant exceptions for students with special needs.

The Pennsylvania State Education Association supports legislation like Senate Bill 1014 that would establish a consistent, statewide expectation that public schools will restrict the possession and prohibit use of mobile devices for all students during the school day, said spokesperson Chris Lilienthal.

He said that on a typical day, teenagers get 237 app notifications on their phones.

Think about how disruptive those notifications are during the course of the school day when students should be focused on learning, Lilienthal said.

In a divided Harrisburg, the proposal has bipartisan support. Beddard called banning cell phones in schools maybe one of the few bipartisan issues left.

In the Philadelphia area, groups of parents have mobilized against cell phone use, circulating pledges such as a commitment to not give children phones before eighth grade. Delco Unplugged, an offshoot of PA Unplugged, has advocated for cell phone bans in school districts and encourages parents to not give children access to phones before high school.

There has been opposition to strict bans, including from school leaders who think kids need to learn how to live with technology, rather than avoid it. Some administrators have also questioned the logistics, and some parents say they want their children to have phones in the case of emergencies, like a school shooting.

Advocates like Beddard say kids are safer during emergencies if they pay attention to the adults in their school, rather than their phones. They also argue that the logistics arent so daunting and that there are many ways to enact a ban besides lockable pouches.

Some schools require kids to put their phones in a locker or simply keep them in their backpacks, Beddard said, noting that the legislation advancing in Harrisburg would allow districts to decide how to enact a ban.

Schools that have implemented bans describe the experience as transformational, going beyond academic improvements to better socializing among kids, Beddard said. Awkward conversations in the lunchroom make you a better human being, she said.

At this point, Pennsylvania isnt a pioneer on the issue, Beddard said. We need to get with the program.
Furness High School, in South Philadelphia, had virtual instruction because of building issues Monday. But students at other schools with no heat were shivering in classrooms. Read more

It was so cold Monday at Farrell Elementary, a Philadelphia public school in Northeast Philadelphia, that middle schoolers  a group seemingly constitutionally averse to bundling up  were wearing coats indoors.

That was just one example of trouble for the Philadelphia School District amid the prolonged frigid spell bearing down on the region, with a number of schools plagued by burst pipes, broken heaters, and other issues.

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Furness High, in South Philadelphia, moved to virtual instruction Monday due to ongoing heating challenges.

 READ MORE: Some classrooms in a storied Philly high school saw untenable below-40 temperatures Friday

The safety and comfort of our staff remains our top priority, wrote Teresa Fleming, the districts chief operating officer. Moving to virtual instruction for the day allows necessary work to continue while allowing minimal disruption to learning.

Though Farrells heat was on the fritz for the third school day in a row, the district did not pivot to virtual learning there. Instead, it was one of four schools that dismissed early due to heating issues. For much of the day until classes ended, Farrell students and staff were forced to either bundle up or find space to relocate in more-adequately heated spots in the overcrowded school, according to staffers who asked not be named because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

Six Farrell classes camped out in the auditorium, including one class of 38 eighth graders. But the auditorium had to do double duty because the unplowed state of the yard where students typically play meant that students whod typically be in the yard before or after eating lunch had to be in the auditorium also, Farrell employees said.

Meaningful learning was absolutely not going on in the auditorium, one staffer said. Its almost impossible. Students were instructed to complete work on Google Classroom, and teachers were balancing crowd control and working with students individually.

In other cases, teachers and students just stayed in cold rooms, bundled up. Small-group instruction had to happen in hallways because of the population overflow; the hallways were also freezing.

 READ MORE: Philly schools reopened Thursday. Some students returned to snowbanks, burst pipes, and frigid classrooms

Its just ridiculous, said the Farrell staffer, of the school conditions.

They and others were frustrated that though district officials knew Farrell was plagued by heating issues, students and staff were required to be in the building, especially while other schools were permitted to go virtual.

District students had a snow day last Monday, learned virtually on Tuesday and Wednesday, then went back for in-person instruction on Thursday, though conditions were tough in many schools. In some places, heating issues have resolved.

The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priorities, district spokesperson Monique Braxton said. Due to sustained frigid temperatures following the recent snowstorm, combined with the age of some School District of Philadelphia facilities, several schools are experiencing heating-related challenges.

In addition to Farrell, Greenberg Elementary, another school in the Northeast, dismissed early because of heating issues, Braxton said. So did the U School and Parkway Center City Middle College, two district high schools.

District workers and independent contractors are actively addressing both ongoing and newly identified facilities issues to ensure that all students can safely return to a full day of in-person instruction as soon as possible, Braxton said.

At Farrell, one teacher brought in their own heater to try to keep warm, a staffer said, and one teacher known for wearing shorts every day finally broke down and wore pants.

And then there were the middle schoolers.

Even the older ones have on coats, the staffer said. Its so cold that they wore coats.

Younger students, the staffer said, are more curious.

They say, Why is it so cold in my classroom? said the Farrell staffer.

By lunchtime, word started to spread that both Farrell and Greenberg were dismissing early, staff there said.

But that late call came with its own set of headaches  while some parents would be able to react to the news quickly and pick up their children early, others may be stuck at work and unable to get to school at dismissal.

Arthur Steinberg, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president, remained frustrated and angry by the districts call. Steinberg said last week that the districts return to buildings was dangerous given conditions in some places.

They shouldnt have brought people in if they knew the buildings were going to be this cold, Steinberg said.

As to why one school was permitted to be virtual while others were brought in with inadequate heat, Steinberg was stumped.
Rich Landau, chef and owner of Horizons Cafe in Willow Grove, overseeing a pecan-and-sage baked seitan dish leaving the kitchen on Jan. 7, 2003. Read more

Twenty years ago this month, chefs Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby opened what they hoped would become Philadelphias signature vegan restaurant.

Horizons debuted in Bella Vista in February 2006 in a former nightclub called Goosebumps on Seventh Street near South Street. It was a reboot of their groundbreaking Horizons Cafe, which Landau opened in a Willow Grove strip mall in 1994.

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At the time there was no signature upscale vegan dining experience in Center City, so we decided to go to where our crowd was and make the move downtown, Landau said last week.

From the start, Landau and Jacoby signaled that Horizons would not resemble the plant-based restaurants many diners expected. It was not meant to be a manifesto or a niche experiment.

There will be no granola, alfalfa sprouts, or wheat germ anywhere on the menu, Landau said in 2006. Instead, the kitchen focused on globally influenced, technique-driven dishes, such as spicy red chili-cauliflower rolls and Caribbean udon with caramelized chayote and hearts of palm.

Horizons, which served vegan beer and wine, enjoyed a solid five-year run at 611 S. Seventh St.  earning a three-bell review from Craig LaBan out of the gate  before the couple closed in 2011 to open the far more exclusive Vedge in the grand former rowhouse at 1221 Locust St., which used to house Deux Cheminees.

Landau and Jacoby went on to open and close other restaurants, including the casual V Street and Wiz Kid in Rittenhouse and Fancy Radish in Washington, D.C. Last June, they sold their well-received Vedge spinoff, Ground Provisions, in West Chester. (Ground Provisions was on the inaugural edition of The 76, The Inquirers list of the areas most essential restaurants.)

A 2012 Inquirer article by Vance Lehmkuhl, director of the American Vegan Center, credited Horizons alumni with launching some of the regions most notable vegan restaurants. That piece cited Nicole Marquis (HipCityVeg, Charlie was a sinner. and Bar Bombon), Mark Mebus (20th Street Pizza), Ross Olchvary (the now-closed Sprig & Vine), and Rachel Klein (Miss Rachels Pantry) as examples of the couples reach. (Disclosure: Rachel Klein is my daughter).

Landau is a six-time James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic (2015 to 2020), while Jacoby was a semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2014, 2015, and 2016, and also a semifinalist for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic in 2014. In November, Vedge was added to Michelins list of recommended restaurants.

Twenty years later, its hard to not look back and smile and feel so much gratitude that the city of Philadelphia embraced us and vegetable cuisine, Landau said. Its amazing to see how much its taken off. Sure, theres lots of new vegan restaurants.

To me, the most remarkable thing is the change in mainstream restaurants, he said. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, you would go to a restaurant and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the menu, where you would see the gnocchi or the pasta primavera. Nowadays, there are original and creative vegetable dishes in every mainstream restaurant in the city. That was our goal  to have what we do be taken seriously.

(Horizons Seventh Street location became a branch of Nomad Pizza and later became the home of Kampar, now undergoing repairs from a fire in February 2025.)

Also this month in Philadelphia restaurant history

February 1996: Martini Cafe opened at 622 S. Sixth St. on the Queen Village-Bella Vista line, replacing Ristorante Mona Lisa. It closed in the early 2000s. (The buildings most recent occupant was Isot, which closed in December.)

February 2001: Capital Grille opened at Broad and Chestnut Streets, replacing a concept called Heritage that lasted nine weeks. Capital Grille was Center Citys seventh chain steakhouse at the time, following Ruths Chris, Mortons of Chicago, the Palm, the Prime Rib, Smith & Wollensky, and Davios. ... Chef Yong Kim, previously at August Moon in Norristown, opened Bluefin in a strip center on Germantown Pike in Plymouth Meeting. He moved it in 2012 to its current quarters in East Norriton.

February 2006: Chestnut Grill in Chestnut Hill turned the entire restaurant, including its bar, smoke-free  a bold move at the time.  Flos Diner opened at 20th and Arch Streets; it lasted a little over a year. That site (1939 Arch St.) had housed St. George Restaurant/St. Georges Diner in the 1960s before shifting into nightlife mode  Tom Hagens Tavern, the Bamboo Lounge, and Cascamorto Piano Bar. After Flos, it became the simply named Indian Cuisine. Since 2018, its been Thanal Indian Tavern.

February 2011: Chef Pascual Pat Cancelliere, formerly of Butchers Cafe (where Alice is now, at Ninth and Christian), opened 943, an Argentine-Italian BYOB, in an Italian Market storefront at 943 S. Ninth St. (Paesanos is there now). Cancelliere, who closed it a year later, shortly after heart surgery, worked at other restaurants (Morgans Pier and Route 6) before he died in December 2023.

February 2016: Downeys, which opened in 1976 at Front and South Streets, closed amid tax problems.  The posh Le Castagne at 1920 Chestnut St. (now Veda), closed after 14 years; executive chef Michael DeLone now owns Michael Coastal Italian Grille in Collingswood.

February 2021: Ty Bailey, who hosted countless romantics over 28 years at the Knave of Hearts on South Street before it closed in 2003, died of complications related to heart surgery at age 69.  The months roster of openings included the food hall at Live! Casino & Hotel in South Philadelphia and Stove & Taps location in downtown West Chester.
Julio Pena Jr. hugs his stepmother, Lydia Romero, outside an immigration detention facility in downtown Los Angeles as they try to get information about his father, Julio Cesar Pena, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in front of his Glendale, Calif., home in December. Read more

Lydia Romero strained to hear her husbands feeble voice through the phone.

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A week earlier, immigration agents had grabbed Julio Cesar Pena from his front yard in Glendale, Calif. Now, he was in a hospital after suffering a ministroke. He was shackled to the bed by his hand and foot, he told Romero, and agents were in the room, listening to the call. He was scared he would die and wanted his wife there.

What hospital are you at? Romero asked.

I cant tell you, he replied.

Viridiana Chabolla, Penas attorney, couldnt get an answer to that question, either. Penas deportation officer and the medical contractor at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center refused to tell her. Exasperated, she tried calling a nearby hospital, Providence St. Mary Medical Center.

They said even if they had a person in ICE custody under their care, they wouldnt be able to confirm whether hes there or not, that only ICE can give me the information, Chabolla said. The hospital confirmed this policy to KFF Health News.

Family members and attorneys for patients hospitalized after being detained by federal immigration officials said they are facing extreme difficulty trying to locate patients, get information about their well-being, and provide them emotional and legal support. They say many hospitals refuse to provide information or allow contact with these patients. Instead, hospitals allow immigration officers to call the shots on how much  if any  contact is allowed, which can deprive patients of their constitutional right to seek legal advice and leave them vulnerable to abuse, attorneys said.

Hospitals say they are trying to protect the safety and privacy of patients, staff, and law enforcement officials, even while hospital employees in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Portland, Ore., cities where Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted immigration raids, say its made their jobs difficult. Hospitals have used what are sometimes called blackout procedures, which can include registering a patient under a pseudonym, removing their name from the hospital directory, or prohibiting staff from even confirming that a patient is in the hospital.

Weve heard incidences of this blackout process being used at multiple hospitals across the state, and its very concerning, said Shiu-Ming Cheer, the deputy director of immigrant and racial justice at the California Immigrant Policy Center, an advocacy group.

Some Democratic-led states, including California, Colorado, and Maryland, have enacted legislation that seeks to protect patients from immigration enforcement in hospitals. However, those policies do not address protections for people already in ICE custody.

More detainees hospitalized

Pena is among more than 350,000 people arrested by federal immigration authorities since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. As arrests and detentions have climbed, so too have reports of people taken to hospitals by immigration agents because of illness or injury  due to preexisting conditions or problems stemming from their arrest or detention.

ICE has faced criticism for using aggressive and deadly tactics, as well as for reports of mistreatment and inadequate medical care at its facilities. Sen. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) told reporters at a Jan. 20 news conference outside a detention center he visited in California City that he spoke to a diabetic woman held there who had not received treatment in two months.

While there are no publicly available statistics on the number of people sick or injured in ICE detention, the agencys news releases point to 32 people who died in immigration custody in 2025. Six more have died this year.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not respond to a request for information about its policies or Penas case.

According to ICEs guidelines, people in custody should be given access to a telephone, visits from family and friends, and private consultation with legal counsel. The agency can make administrative decisions, including about visitation, when a patient is in the hospital, but should defer to hospital policies on contacting next of kin when a patient is seriously ill, the guidelines state.

Asked in detail about hospital practices related to patients in immigration custody and whether there are best practices that hospitals should follow, Ben Teicher, a spokesperson for the American Hospital Association, declined to comment.

David Simon, a spokesperson for the California Hospital Association, said that there are times when hospitals will  at the request of law enforcement  maintain confidentiality of patients names and other identifying characteristics.

Although policies vary, members of the public can typically call a hospital and ask for a patient by name to find out whether theyre there, and often be transferred to the patients room, said William Weber, an emergency physician in Minneapolis and medical director for the Medical Justice Alliance, which advocates for the medical needs of people in law enforcement custody. Family members and others authorized by the patient can visit. And medical staff routinely call relatives to let them know a loved one is in the hospital, or to ask for information that could help with their care.

But when a patient is in law enforcement custody, hospitals frequently agree to restrict this kind of information sharing and access, Weber said. The rationale is that these measures prevent unauthorized outsiders from threatening the patient or law enforcement personnel, given that hospitals lack the security infrastructure of a prison or detention center. High-profile patients such as celebrities sometimes also request this type of protection.

Several attorneys and healthcare providers questioned the need for such restrictions. Immigration detention is civil, not criminal, detention. The Trump administration says its focused on arresting and deporting criminals, yet most of those arrested have no criminal conviction, according to data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse and several news outlets.

Taken outside his home

According to Penas wife, Romero, he has no criminal record. Pena came to the United States from Mexico in sixth grade and has an adult son in the U.S. military. The 43-year-old has terminal kidney disease and survived a heart attack in November. He has trouble walking and is partially blind, his wife said. He was detained Dec. 8 while resting outside after coming home from dialysis treatment.

Initially, Romero was able to find her husband through the ICE Online Detainee Locator System. She visited him at a temporary holding facility in downtown Los Angeles, bringing him his medicines and a sweater. She then saw hed been moved to the Adelanto detention center. But the locator did not show where he was after he was hospitalized.

When she and other relatives drove to the detention facility to find him, they were turned away, she said. Romero received occasional calls from her husband in the hospital but said they were less than 10 minutes long and took place under ICE surveillance. She wanted to know where he was so she could be at the hospital to hold his hand, make sure he was well cared for, and encourage him to stay strong, she said.

Shackling him and preventing him from seeing his family was unfair and unnecessary, she said.

Hes weak, Romero said. Its not like hes going to run away.

ICE guidelines say contact and visits from family and friends should be allowed within security and operational constraints. Detainees have a constitutional right to speak confidentially with an attorney. Weber said immigration authorities should tell attorneys where their clients are and allow them to talk in person or use an unmonitored phone line.

Hospitals, though, fall into a gray area on enforcing these rights, since they are primarily focused on treating medical needs, Weber said. Still, he added, hospitals should ensure their policies align with the law.

Family denied access

Numerous immigration attorneys have spent weeks trying to locate clients detained by ICE, with their efforts sometimes thwarted by hospitals.

Nicolas Thompson-Lleras, a Los Angeles attorney who counsels immigrants facing deportation, said two of his clients were registered under aliases at different hospitals in Los Angeles County last year. Initially, the hospitals denied the clients were there and refused to let Thompson-Lleras meet with them, he said. Family members were also denied access, he said.

One of his clients was Bayron Rovidio Marin, a car wash worker injured during a raid in August. Immigration agents surveilled him for over a month at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a county-run facility, without charging him.

In November, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to curb the use of blackout policies for patients under civil immigration custody at county-run hospitals. In a statement, Arun Patel, the chief patient safety and clinical risk management officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, said the policies are designed to reduce safety risks for patients, doctors, nurses, and custody officers.

In some situations, there may be concerns about threats to the patient, attempts to interfere with medical care, unauthorized visitors, or the introduction of contraband, Patel said. Our goal is not to restrict care but to allow care to happen safely and without disruption.

Leaving patients vulnerable

Thompson-Lleras said hes concerned that hospitals are cooperating with federal immigration authorities at the expense of patients and their families and leaving patients vulnerable to abuse.

It allows people to be treated suboptimally, Thompson-Lleras said. It allows people to be treated on abbreviated timelines, without supervision, without family intervention or advocacy. These people are alone, disoriented, being interrogated, at least in Bayrons case, under pain and influence of medication.

Such incidents are alarming to hospital workers. In Los Angeles, two healthcare professionals who asked not to be identified by KFF Health News, out of concern for their livelihoods, said that ICE and hospital administrators, at public and private hospitals, frequently block staff from contacting family members for people in custody, even to find out about their health conditions or what medications theyre on. That violates medical ethics, they said.

Blackout procedures are another concern.

They help facilitate, whether intentionally or not, the disappearance of patients, said one worker, a physician for the countys Department of Health Services and part of a coalition of concerned health workers from across the region.

At Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, nurses publicly expressed outrage over what they saw as hospital cooperation with ICE and the flouting of patient rights. Legacy Health has sent a cease and desist letter to the nurses union, accusing it of making false or misleading statements.

I was really disgusted, said Blaire Glennon, a nurse who quit her job at the hospital in December. She said numerous patients were brought to the hospital by ICE with serious injuries they sustained while being detained. I felt like Legacy was doing massive human rights violations.

Handcuffed while unconscious

Two days before Christmas, Chabolla, Penas attorney, received a call from ICE with the answer she and Romero had been waiting for. Pena was at Victor Valley Global Medical Center, about 10 miles from Adelanto, and about to be released.

Excited, Romero and her family made the two-hour-plus drive from Glendale to the hospital to take him home.

When they got there, they found Pena intubated and unconscious, his arm and leg still handcuffed to the hospital bed. Hed had a severe seizure on Dec. 20, but no one had told his family or legal team, his attorney said.

Tim Lineberger, a spokesperson for Victor Valley Global Medical Centers parent company, KPC Health, said he could not comment on specific patient cases, because of privacy protections. He said the hospitals policies on patient information disclosure comply with state and federal law.

Pena was finally cleared to go home on Jan. 5. No court date has been set, and his family is filing a petition to adjust his legal status based on his sons military service. For now, he still faces deportation proceedings.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF  the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.
Documents released Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice indicate Jeffrey Epstein (left) was captivated by Bill Cosby's legal troubles between 2015 and 2018. Read more

In the mid-2010s, well after he was already a convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein began closely following the sexual assault case against another prominent figure: Philadelphia-born actor and comedian Bill Cosby.

Among the millions of documents released Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice  in the latest tranche of whats become known as the Epstein files  are emails detailing a neighborly relationship between the disgraced financier and the entertainer, who both owned townhouses on East 71st Street in Manhattan.

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Epstein and his representatives corresponded with Cosby, invited him to dinner parties, and at one point sought to retain Cosbys personal chef as his own.

When Cosbys prosecution gained steam in 2015, Epstein and his inner circle became devout followers of the legal proceedings in Montgomery County, where Cosby was ultimately sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for sexual assault. (The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the sentence in 2021 after Cosby served nearly three years.) Emails indicate Epstein often saw parallels to his own ongoing legal issues  and also viewed the Cosby case as a valuable distraction from his own misconduct in the news.

im getting bad press again, Epstein wrote to a friend in January 2015, days after a new legal development emerged against him in Florida. as i predicted. now that cosby was off the sex headline they need to resuurect a new one.

Before their separate criminal troubles escalated, the two men were neighbors, living among other Wall Street elites and big Hollywood names. On Jan. 4, 2013, Epstein ordered his assistant to deliver a typo-strewn dinner invitation to Cosbys home, with a whos-who guest list.

Take this note to bull cosby s house. dear neighbor. woody allen, lewis black, bobbly slayton are having, dinner at my house, thought you might like to join. a neighborhood event, Epstein said.

Days later, another person, whose name has been redacted from the records, wrote Epstein to say that he heard Cosby was traveling and could not attend the Jan. 23 dinner. Otherwise, he would have loved to come, the person wrote, relaying a secondhand message through Cosbys house man.

Attempts to reach Cosby on Sunday were not successful.

Epsteins interest in Cosbys case was intertwined with his apparent desire to do business with the comedian. Between 2017 and 2018, he had his real estate broker aggressively pursue Cosbys team about buying his house across the street from Epsteins own seven-story home.

Around October 2017, Richard Kahn, a lawyer who worked closely with Epstein, sent the financier an email with the subject line Bill Cosby is reportedly going broke paying for multiple legal bills. Epstein asked his New York-based real estate broker David Mitchell to begin looking into purchasing the Cosby house.

For more than a year between Cosbys trial and retrial in Montgomery County, Epstein hounded Mitchell for updates on Cosbys interest in selling the residence. He even emailed a former New York Times reporter in 2018, saying that he was trying to buy Cosby.

Cosbys attorney eventually told Mitchell the property wasnt for sale, emails show, but that a good offer might get a conversation started. Mitchell did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

Cosby, now 88, went into foreclosure on both of his Manhattan homes. He listed the East 71st Street address for sale in 2025 for $29 million.

In Cosby, Epstein sees parallel

The records show that by 2015, Epstein and his inner circle were trading emails of news stories about Cosby and analyzing court filings from litigation against the entertainer.

As the case mounted, Epstein and his longtime friend and co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, looked for rulings that they could use in their own favor.

Does the new Cosby information cause any issues for you? someone, whose name is redacted in the files, wrote to Epstein in July 2015. The email was sent shortly after Montgomery County prosecutors reopened a criminal investigation against Cosby for the 2004 sexual assault of Andrea Constand.

In October that year, Epstein emailed Maxwell with a judicial memorandum responding to a motion to get one of the sexual assault lawsuits against Cosby thrown out. (Maxwells attorneys would later use Cosbys overturned conviction in 2021 to argue for the dismissal of her own sex trafficking case.)

Others in Epsteins network were interested in Cosby as well. Epsteins accountant emailed him a link to a news story about Cosbys arrest in December 2015 and continued to send his client updates on the trial over the next several years.

At one point, the case even kindled a creative idea. Epstein emailed film producer Barry Josephson in 2015 with an idea for a movie that was a fictionalized account of what happens to people falsely accused, taking inspiration from the Cosby case as well as debunked sexual assault allegations on college campuses that occurred years prior.

Few willing to stand up and say that these girls are liars, Epstein wrote. (Josephson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.)

Burned at the stake

Epstein emailed others about the Cosby trial, too, most often Soon-Yi Previn, the wife of filmmaker Woody Allen, who lived near Epstein and visited his home often for intimate house parties.

Allen has faced public criticism for his relationship with Previn  a daughter adopted by his former partner, actress Mia Farrow. Farrow also publicly accused him of sexual abuse of their adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, which Allen has repeatedly denied.

In May 2016, while inviting Previn to dinner with Noam Chomsky via email, Epstein offered a seemingly unsolicited take on the Cosby case.

Whether guilty or not, [hes] being burned at the stake, Epstein wrote.

They all want blood, Previn responded.

The topic dominated their email correspondence for the next two years.

Allen, now 90, also took the side of Cosby in conversations with Epstein.

[He] is being persecuted. Ok, even if hes guilty no one died, the filmmaker wrote in a 2016 exchange with Epstein. Hes been publicly humiliated, stripped of honors at schools, forced to cancel comedy tour, dropped from tv series that was in the works, old show taken off the air. Do they want his head on a pike?

The Inquirer messaged Allens last known publicist for comment on Sunday and did not receive an immediate response.

Epstein committed suicide in a Manhattan jail following his 2019 arrest on child sex trafficking charges.
In this photo released by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D., Texas), Adrian Conejo Arias and his son, 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, are seen in San Antonio, Texas, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, after being released from Dilley detention center. Read more

SAN ANTONIO  The 5-year-old boy, in a blue knit bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack, was returning from preschool when immigration officers detained him late last month in Minneapolis. A few days later, officers there took custody of a 2-year-old girl after breaking her familys car window.

Liam Conejo Ramos and Chloe Renata Tipan Villacis, along with their fathers, were flown to a family immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas, an hour south of San Antonio, where detainees face long lines for basic supplies and inadequate medical care, according to people who have been housed there. They are among an escalating number of children swept up in the Trump administrations enforcement dragnet, which has drawn mounting public outrage over its aggressive tactics and increasingly indiscriminate ramifications.

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The U.S. government does not provide direct information about children in immigration custody. But federal data on family detention, and independent analyses of child detentions, suggest immigration authorities are increasingly ensnaring the youngest and most vulnerable lives in President Donald Trumps effort to deport massive numbers of undocumented immigrants.

There are other options, regardless of what you believe about immigrants, but you do not have to put children in detention, said Dianne Garcia, a pastor at a San Antonio church that serves an immigrant population. She said authorities are trying to instill fear in families so they choose to leave the country voluntarily.

On Saturday, a federal judge agreed that Liam should not be in federal custody. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ordered him and his father released and lambasted the Trump administrations ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.

By Sunday morning, Liam and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, had been released and flown home to Minnesota.

But the numbers of those held are rising quickly. Over the past four months, the average number of people, including children and adults, held each month in family detention has nearly tripled, from 425 in October to 1,304 in January, according to Department of Homeland Security data.

An independent analysis by the Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization, concluded that at least 3,800 minors under 18, including 20 infants, were detained in 2025. And ProPublica found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year sent approximately 600 children arrested inside the country to federal shelters built to house minors detained at the border. That is more than the entire number of children detained in federal shelters during the four years of the Biden administration.

Advocates and attorneys contend that hundreds more youth have been affected in cases where authorities have separated families, which are not comprehensively tracked. Those include instances in which parents have been deported but their children remain in the United States in government custody.

Over decades, the federal government has relied on a patchwork of laws, court rulings, and policies meant to ensure that minors are held in the least restrictive setting possible and released as quickly and safely as possible. Trump aides have instead prioritized his deportation goals and treated children as collateral damage, said Wendy Young, president of the immigrant rights group Kids in Need of Defense.

In this past year, weve seen a lot of [the protections] dismantled and transformed again into a system thats really more punitive and aligned with law enforcement goals than it is with child protection, Young said.

DHS did not respond directly to questions from the Washington Post asking about the number of children in federal detention and the conditions described by some migrants and their attorneys. In an email, assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the Dilley facility has been retrofitted for families and provides for their safety, security, and medical needs.

All detainees are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries, she said.

Authorities do not separate families, McLaughlin said, as parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or have them placed with someone the parent designates. In the cases of Liam and Chloe, authorities said they took custody because relatives abandoned or refused to take them. Chloe, like Liam, has been released, returned to her mother in Minneapolis, after the Trump administration belatedly complied with another judges order.

For years, most children in federal custody were those detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. As the administration succeeded in dramatically reducing border crossings, it has ramped up enforcement inside the country and detained more families who have lived here for years  including those whose children attend U.S. schools. Some families were awaiting immigration court decisions on their appeals to remain in the country when they were detained, lawyers said.

The impact is just really, really damaging and catastrophic because of how sudden and swift and violent it is, said Zain Lakhani, director of migrant rights and justice at the Womens Refugee Commission, and because its targeting a population that is just not prepared for this.

Family shelters closed, then reopened

The South Texas Family Detention Center in Dilley, opened by the Obama administration in 2014 with a capacity of 2,400 detainees, ceased operations during President Joe Bidens tenure. The Trump administration reopened the facility after authorities began detaining families in spring of last year.

A second facility, in Karnes City, Texas, has been used to temporarily hold families but has primarily detained single adults in recent months, according to DHS detention data and attorneys representing people in both facilities.

The administration is moving to purchase and convert up to 23 industrial warehouses into large-scale detention centers, and authorities indicated in a draft document reviewed by the Post that some will include family housing.

The federal government has long struggled to comply with legal requirements for families and unaccompanied children. Many who are detained at the border seek asylum protections, and a federal court settlement does not permit minors to be held for longer than 20 days.

Families are buffeted by political winds, with their conditions shifting depending on the administration, said Elissa Steglich, a clinical professor at the University of Texas School of Law.

Family detention has always been more a political device to make a statement about either border policy or the asylum system writ large, she said.

Amid a border crisis in 2014, the Obama administration scrambled to hold tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors at crowded facilities on military bases, warehouses, and chain-link enclosures. A public backlash prompted federal officials to move to other methods, including releasing the families and using electronic monitoring.

In his first administration, Trump implemented a zero-tolerance policy in which authorities separated thousands of children from their family members when they arrived at the border and prosecuted parents in an effort to deter more migration. But the administration reversed course amid public outrage.

The Biden administration closed three of the family detention centers. As the number of migrants crossing the border soared after the COVID-19 pandemic, however, children and families were huddled into cramped tent facilities or housed in hotels at or near the border. The vast majority were released into the United States pending their immigration court proceedings.

In his second term, Trump has pushed to deport a record number of migrants, and authorities ramped up efforts to arrest families in the spring in Texas after they reported for immigration court hearings or mandatory check-ins at ICE offices. A few months later, immigration advocates said, the administration began detaining families in San Antonio and other major cities.

The population at the detention facility in Dilley swelled. Immigration lawyers have said children have been held well beyond the 20-day legal threshold established in 1997 under a legal settlement known as the Flores agreement. Many children have been detained at routine immigration check-ins, immigration lawyers said.

Longing for home

Most of what is known about the day-to-day conditions inside the federal detention center comes from accounts provided by those who have been held there. In interviews with the Post, migrants and their attorneys described a facility that includes a chapel, library, commissary, infirmary, and pharmacy.

There are also recreational spaces and a school where children can watch educational videos, said Edward, an immigrant from Colombia who, like others who provided firsthand accounts, spoke on the condition that only their first names be used out of fear of reprisals from the government. He and his two sons, ages 11 and 10, spent 47 days in the facility after being detained during an ICE check-in in December.

He said the living spaces consist of several corridors labeled by color and animal names and reserved for different kinds of families: the brown bear hall for two parents with their children; the yellow frog hall for single mothers and young children; and the green turtle hall for single fathers and sons.

Edward, who has an active asylum case, said he slept in a room with 12 bunk beds where the lights stayed on and the tap water tasted like chlorine.

Two immigration judges held hearings for asylum-seekers to accelerate their proceedings, but they often did not result in a conclusion to their cases. Every Monday, ICE agents reviewed cases with detainees, pressuring them to sign deportation papers, according to recently released detainees.

Some said they were told that if they refused, the could end up being sent to another country where they had never been.

I kept telling them I wasnt interested, Edward said.

His sons had been rehearsing for roles in a Christmas play at their San Antonio-area church and a folkloric dance at school, he said, but instead they spent the holiday lining up for roll calls in the detention center.

Edwards lawyer was preparing to challenge his detention in court, but authorities released him and his sons without explanation in January.

Aury, 25, who also was released in January with her three young children, said she remains in shock over their 50 days in detention. They applied for asylum after entering the country in 2023 and were living in an apartment in San Antonio, as the kids attended school and Aury awaited a resolution to her immigration case.

I love my Texas home. Why are they doing this to me? Aurys 10-year-old daughter wrote in letters she placed on her mothers bunk. Authorities offered families a $5,000 payment to sign a voluntary deportation form, Aury said.

They wanted us to believe none of us will ever leave that place, she said.

Attorney Eric Lee said he saw children all over the facility during a recent visit, some as young as 3 or 4. What is happening in these detention centers is worse than anybody thinks, he said. One of his clients, who is 9, drew a picture with crayons of the house she dreams of returning to one day.

In recent weeks, federal officials have released hundreds of families to a border shelter to make space at the Dilley facility for new arrivals from Minnesota, immigration lawyers said.

Kristin Etter, an attorney for some of the new families, recently met with an Ecuadorian mother and her 11-year-old daughter who were arrested in Minneapolis while on their way to school. The fourth-grader spends most of her time in the Dilley facility without opportunities for intellectual stimulation, Etter said.

We are not talking about jailing criminals or jailing public safety threats, she said. Its cruelty.

Yuli, an asylum-seeker from Venezuela, said she got close to agreeing to leave the country after being held in mid-November with her 3-year-old son. She described inadequate medical care for herself and her toddler, who suffered diarrhea, and for the other detainees, who had to wait hours for treatment, even for serious illnesses.

She and her son were released in mid-January after her attorney sued the government in federal court. Yuli now wears an ankle monitor, and ICE conducts visits to her home.

There is a better way, she said. This was inhumane.
Federal agents lobbed tear gas and flash bangs at protesters in front of the ICE building on Jan. 31, 2026, in Portland, Ore. Read more

PORTLAND, Ore.  The mayor of Portland, Ore., demanded U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leave his city after federal agents launched tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators  including young children  outside an ICE facility during a weekend protest that he and others characterized as peaceful.

Witnesses said agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets as thousands of marchers arrived at the South Waterfront facility on Saturday. Erin Hoover Barnett, a former OregonLive reporter who joined the protest, said she was about 100 yards from the building when what looked like two guys with rocket launchers started dousing the crowd with gas.

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To be among parents frantically trying to tend to little children in strollers, people using motorized carts trying to navigate as the rest of us staggered in retreat, unsure of how to get to safety, was terrifying, Barnett wrote in an email to OregonLive.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said the daytime demonstration was peaceful, where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat, and posed no danger to federal agents.

To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave, Wilson wrote in a statement Saturday night. Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame.

The Portland Fire Bureau sent paramedics to treat people at the scene, police said. Police officers monitored the crowd but made no arrests on Saturday.

The Portland protest was one of many similar demonstrations nationwide against President Donald Trumps administrations immigration crackdown in cities like Minneapolis, where in recent weeks federal agents killed two residents, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Federal agents in Eugene, Ore., deployed tear gas on Friday when protesters tried to get inside the Federal Building near downtown. City police declared a riot and ordered the crowd to disperse.

Trump posted Saturday on social media that it was up to local law enforcement agencies to police protests in their cities. However, Trump said he has instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to have federal agents be vigilant in guarding U.S. government facilities.

Please be aware that I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property. There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our Patriot Warriors, Trump wrote. If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence.

Wilson said Portland would be imposing a fee on detention facilities that use chemical agents.

The federal government must, and will, be held accountable, the mayor said. To those who continue to make these sickening decisions, go home, look in a mirror, and ask yourselves why you have gassed children.
Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, during the 140th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., on Monday. Read more

Expect the deep cold Philadelphia has been experiencing to continue for the next six weeks, at least according to Punxsutawney Phil.

The weather-predicting groundhog saw his shadow Monday outside his hole at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney. If you believe such things, that means the entire country  including our snow-covered section of the Northeast  can expect below-average temperatures for the next six weeks.

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That wont come as a surprise to folks in Philadelphia, where the temperature hasnt made it past the freezing mark of 32 degrees for more than a week.

Despite the frigid temperatures in Punxsutawney, thousands of Phils biggest fans gathered early in the morning for what remains the weirdest celebration of meteorology and marmots.

What do forecasters say?

Predicting the arrival of spring beyond the vernal equinox on March 20 is tricky business, especially when trying to apply it to a regionally diverse country as large as the United States.

As of Sunday, NOAA was predicting below-average temperatures in February along most of the East Coast all the way west to the Mississippi River. But thats counterbalanced by above-average temperatures predicted along the West Coast inland as far as Texas.

As for the Philadelphia region, temperatures are expected to remain near or below freezing for at least the next week, with another cold snap possible for the weekend.

The temperature reached above freezing at Philadelphia International Airport on Monday, ending a frigid nine-day streak dating to Jan. 23, the longest since 2004.

If you need to get out, the warmest day of the week is expected to be Tuesday, with highs forecast to reach the mid-30s.

Outside of that, our high temperatures through the week are looking to be below freezing, said Amanda Lee, a meteorologist at the National Weather Services Mount Holly office, where it dipped to minus-1 degree Sunday morning.

For sake of comparison, the normal high temperature in Philadelphia in the beginning of February is 42 degrees. So we have a ways to go before anything approaching spring reaches the city.

How accurate has Punxsutawney Phil been over the years?

Were you actually expecting a four-legged creature to accurately predict the weather?

In short, no, I wouldnt peg my plans over the next six weeks on Phils prediction. According to a 2025 analysis by NOAAs National Centers for Environmental Information, Phils forecast has been accurate only 35% of time, based on data of more than a century.

Last year, when Phil predicted six more weeks of winter, temperatures in Philadelphia were 1.8 degrees above normal for the six weeks following Phils forecast, with a high of 48 degrees and a balmy low of 30. Nationally, the contiguous U.S. saw near-average temperatures in February and much-above-average temperatures in March 2025, according to NOAA.

Phils forecast was incorrect, NOAA said bluntly.

A dead groundhog in Lancaster has been more accurate than Phil

Why brave frigid temperatures in the early morning hours to wait on Phil when you can just pull a stuffed groundhog out of the closet?

Thats what the folks in Lancaster do. Every Groundhog Day since 1907, handlers at the Hibernating Governor of the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge in Quarryville fetch the remains of Octoraro Orphie  often sporting a top hat and bow tie  to offer some weather divination.

They do get outside, celebrating with a parade that ends at the so-called Pinnacle of Prognostication (their tongue-in-cheek description of a manure spreader), where Orphies forecast is delivered to the faithful.

Whats wild is the stuffed groundhog is surprisingly accurate, nailing its prediction more than 52% of the time, according to a NOAA analysis done last year.

Orphie did not see his shadow Monday, predicting an early spring. Well see which groundhog ends up being right.

Lancaster is a hotbed for groundhog activity, sporting several weather-predicting furballs, including Mount Joy Minnie (who did not see her shadow), M.T. Parker (who did), and a pair of actual living groundhogs in Elliott and Lilly at Acorn Acres who were set to offer their predictions Monday evening.

But none of Pennsylvanias native groundhogs have been as accurate over the years as Staten Island Chuck. Since his first forecast in 1981, Chuck (formally Charles G. Hogg) has accurately predicted an early spring or six more weeks of winter an astounding 85% of the time, according to NOAAs analysis.

On Monday, Chuck agreed with Phil, predicting six more weeks of winter, which seems like a safe call.

Chuck has been able to remain accurate despite dealing with much more harrowing conditions than his Pennsylvania counterpart. In 2009, Chuck bit then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg and was secretly replaced by granddaughter Charlotte for the 2014 ceremony. Unfortunately, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped Charlotte, and the groundhog died several days later.

How did this whole marmot-predicting-the-weather thing start?

According to the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Romans took the early Christian holiday Candlemas to Germany, where it was said that if there was enough sun on Candlemas Day for a badger to cast a shadow, there would be six more weeks of bad weather.

German immigrants brought this tradition to Pennsylvania, and in 1886 the editor of Punxsutawneys newspaper teamed up with a group of groundhog hunters to begin the legend of Punxsutawney Phils weather prowess. So in the United States and Canada, we celebrate Groundhog Day on the same date Christians across the globe celebrate Candlemas.

Good luck trying to stream Groundhog Day today

Youre not wrong if you remember seeing Groundhog Day on Netflix the other day. Its just not there now.

The beloved 1993 comedy, staring Bill Murray and directed by the late Harold Ramis, left Netflix as of Sunday. Other than renting the film through a host of streaming platforms, the only other place to stream Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day is AMC+, a subscription service few have thatll set you back $9.99 a month (though it does have a seven-day free trial).

If you still have a cable subscription, Groundhog Day is airing all day on AMC beginning at 8:30 a.m. Philly time, so set your DVR.

Are there any other Groundhog Day movies?

Listen, we all love Groundhog Day, but to some watching it each and every year is starting to feel a bit like the movies repetitive plot.

There are plenty of Christmas, Halloween, and even Valentines Day movies for us to choose from. Arent there any other films that take place on Groundhog Day?

Sadly, no. About the best youll get are a few animated short films, such as the early Disney flick Winter (featuring Walt Disneys uncredited voice as a raccoon) and 1947s One Meat Brawl from Warner Bros. And thats only if you can find them.

Now, if youre looking for a movie swiping Groundhog Days premise  someone living the same day over and over again  there are a few options, from Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow to the sci-fi comedy Palm Springs, staring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti.

Theres also 1998s Run Lola Run, a German thriller where Franka Potentes protagonist gets three chances to re-run the same 20 minutes to save the life of her boyfriend.
Judge Cynthia Rufe pauses under in the entrance to the reconstructed "ghost" structure with partial walls and windows officially titled, Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation as she visits the open-air Presidents House installation in Independence National Historical Park on Monday. She visited the site while hearing the Parker administrations suit to have President Trumps administration restore the slavery panels the National Park Service removed on Jan. 22. The memorial pays homage to nine enslaved people of African descent who were part of George Washingtons household. Read more

The exhibits about slavery dismantled from the Presidents House have not been destroyed, a federal judge said Monday after inspecting the panels in a storage room thats inaccessible to the public on the property of the National Constitution Center.

I did not see anything that concerned me about the condition, because there are some marks, but I cant portray where they are from, and I do not believe that theyre in a worsened condition now, Judge Cynthia M. Rufe told reporters after spending about 30 minutes in the storage facility, which is controlled by the National Park Service even though the center is not part of the agency.

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Rufes visit to the exhibits and the Presidents House were the latest development in the high-profile lawsuit Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers administration filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the federal government.

After the inspection, Rufe ordered the government to safeguard the removed exhibits and mitigate any potential harm to them.

The suit came after National Park Service employees took down educational panels about slavery from the Presidents House at Independence National Historical Park on Jan. 22.

It also follows a hearing in federal court Friday in which city attorneys and U.S. attorneys sparred over the removal of the exhibits. During the hearing, Rufe, a George W. Bush appointee, chastised a U.S. attorney representing President Donald Trumps administration for talking out of both sides of his mouth and making dangerous arguments.

Rufe issued an order Monday preventing further removals or changes to the Presidents House until further notice. The judge also instructed the city to file a new injunction request to clarify what it is seeking, and gave the U.S. attorneys office another week to respond.

Michael Coard, leader of advocacy group Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, which helped develop the Presidents House in the early 2000s and is providing legal backing to the citys suit, told reporters that he didnt see any damage to the panels, but there was desecration.

What he saw was completely disrespectful, demoralizing, defiling, and desecration, Coard said, noting that the signs, many of which are fragile, were not cushioned and that some were against the wall on a cement floor.

Coard joined the judge and attorneys in the storage facility as a representative for the coalitions legal support of the lawsuit. Members of the press were not allowed to review the exhibits.

Before going to the storage facility Monday, Rufe and the attorneys gathered in the lobby of the Constitution Center, which has a direct view to Independence Hall from Arch Street to Chestnut.

 READ MORE: Judge chastises Trump administration attorney in hearing over dismantled Presidents House exhibits

Rufe invoked the iconic building Friday to set the stakes for the citys suit against Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron, and their respective agencies.

Its threatening to think that that could happen to Independence Hall tomorrow, Rufe said during the hearing. Its frightening to think that the citizenry would not be involved in such an important change.

After having been in limbo for months, the informational panels were removed by Park Service employees using wrenches and crowbars on orders from the Trump administration, provoking outrage from Philadelphians. The displays were then piled into the back of a pickup truck and transported to the storage facility.

The exhibits are stored by the National Parks Service in a room accessible through the National Constitution Center, but the civics-nonprofit does not oversee that space, and Center staff have no knowledge of what materials may be stored there, a spokesperson said in a statement.

After reviewing the removed exhibits for roughly 30 minutes, Rufe and her law clerks walked across Independence Mall toward the Presidents House, a block away at Market Street. The judge stood at the site of the former home of Presidents George Washington and John Adams, as a guide from The Black Journey explained the historical significance of the slavery exhibit.

This is the first of its kind memorial on federal property to the enslaved people of the United States, said Mijuel Johnson, who led the tour.

Johnson directed the judges attention to panels telling the story of the presidency and the enslaved Africans who lived on the property, part of the routine tour script, but the walls were bare.

Rufe asked questions about the removed panels and what exhibits could be further removed. She walked around the site, still not cleared of the previous weekends snow, to review a wall in which the names of the Presidents House enslaved residents are etched into the stone.

Outside the location that served as the slaves quarters, adjacent to the Liberty Bell, Rufe paused and took out her glasses to read a memorial panel.

This enclosed space is dedicated to millions of men, women and children of African descent who lived, worked and died as enslaved people in the United States of America, the panel read. They should never again be forgotten

Relevant to the core disagreement in the lawsuit, about who has the right to change the site, the bottom of the memorial panel bears the names of two entities: the National Park Service and the City of Philadelphia.
In this moment, when the weight of Black history both strengthens and comforts us, I am reminded that Carter G. Woodson warned Black people against staking our hopes solely on politics, writes Solomon Jones. Read more

In 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week, racism was firmly entrenched in American politics.

In a country whose economy was built on the free labor of enslaved Africans, Woodson  just the second Black man to earn a doctorate from Harvard  believed the educational system sought to enslave Black minds.

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The racism in education worked through politics. After all, schools were run by the government and funded by tax dollars, and while the students were segregated by race, the lessons were unified in their promotion of white supremacy.

Americas economic rise ignored the role of racism.

As Woodson would later write in his book, The Mis-Education Of The Negro: It is strange, then, that the friends of truth and the promoters of freedom have not risen up against the present propaganda in the schools and crushed it. This crusade is much more important than the anti-lynching movement, because there would be no lynching if it did not start in the schoolroom. Why not exploit, enslave, or exterminate a class that everybody is taught to regard as inferior?

Woodson had a point. The politics of American education meant the stories of Americas wars were told from a Eurocentric perspective. Americas economic rise ignored the role of racism. The countrys cultural norms formed a tapestry of whiteness, and at the root of it all was an underlying theme that Black people were something less than human.

That was the prevailing attitude, but Black Americans kept proving their own nation wrong.

Nearly 180,000 Black men served in the Union Army during the Civil War, but only after petitioning the government to remove the political barrier of a 1792 law that forbade Black Americans from bearing arms for the U.S. Army.

After emancipation, Black property owners acquired an estimated 16 million acres of farmland by 1910. The backlash against that achievement was not only driven by acts of violence. It played out politically, as local governments seized Black land through eminent domain, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture pushed Black people off their land through lending discrimination.

Sharing such history is inconvenient because it unravels the narrative that white America acquired everything through hard work and sacrifice, while Black America lost everything through laziness and incompetence.

Maintaining such historical lies requires political will and a story people want to believe. In 1915, America got both.

D.W. Griffith released a film called The Birth of a Nation. Its racist narrative portrayed Black men as savages, while depicting the Ku Klux Klan as heroes.

President Woodrow Wilson, who screened the film in the White House, said The Birth of a Nation was like writing history with lightning.

In truth, the film was not history. It was racist propaganda, and it helped to fuel the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. By 1921, African Americans were facing a full-on assault. In Tulsa, Okla., they endured what the U.S. Department of Justice later called a coordinated, military-style attack on a prosperous Black community. It was an assault that destroyed property worth millions of dollars, and it happened with the cooperation of the police and National Guard.

In 1923, the political leadership changed. Republican President Calvin Coolidge, in his first congressional address, said that under the Constitution, Black peoples rights are just as sacred as those of any other citizen, while calling on Congress to exercise all its powers of prevention and punishment against the hideous crime of lynching.

However, the president was only willing to go so far. He said racial issues should be worked out locally, and ultimately chose not to endorse an anti-lynching bill because he feared that in doing so, he would jeopardize tax legislation he was trying to push through the Senate. Black people werent his priority.

It was against that political backdrop that Woodson founded Negro History Week  a celebration that wasnt officially sanctioned by the federal government until 1976, when President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month. A decade later, Congress passed it into law.

Between then and now, as political winds have shifted, we are once again facing backlash against Black progress.

In this moment, when the weight of Black history both strengthens and comforts us, I am reminded that Woodson, in his seminal work, The Mis-Education of the Negro, warned Black people against staking our hopes solely on politics.

History does not show that any race, especially a minority group, has ever solved an important problem by relying altogether on one thing, certainly not by parking its political strength on one side of the fence because of empty promises, he wrote.

In other words, if the past has taught Black people anything, it has shown us how to look beyond the rhetoric of politics and seek out each other for strength.
I dont believe the Trump administration removed the slavery memorial at the Presidents House at Sixth and Market Streets to protect the reputations of the dead. I believe they did it to crush the spirits of the living.

Perhaps, for those too demoralized by Donald Trumps chaotic presidency, the instinct to resist has faded. But Trump doesnt know Philadelphians. We are a stubborn sort, reared in well-worn streets that are older than America itself. You cannot take crowbars to our history and pry it from the walls. Nor can you silence us when we rise up to tell the story of what youve done.

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Thats why Fridays arrest of Don Lemon, a journalist who toiled in Philadelphia before moving to the national stage, will only sharpen the focus on the Trump administrations push to deport Black and brown immigrants. Its why the arrest of Georgia Fort, a vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists, which has its roots in Philadelphia, will only shed light on this administrations troubling strain of anti-Blackness.

 READ MORE: With Trump hell-bent on destroying Black progress, our people must stand together | Solomon Jones

Pretending that Lemon and Fort committed a crime by covering a protest in a mostly white Minnesota church is ludicrous. Yet, thats what the Trump administration would have us believe. They want us to think that reporting on protesters who were seeking to confront a pastor said to have ties to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a criminal act. That interviewing people is enough to be charged with conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom and an attempt to injure while exercising religious freedom.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who oversees the Civil Rights Division of Trumps Justice Department, claimed the protesters were desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshipers. Yet, the Trump administration, just days ago, declared that it would send federal agents into churches and schools to arrest undocumented immigrants. Does that also desecrate a house of worship? Or is it only sacrilege when others do the same thing?

Dont bother to try to make sense of it. You cant, because the Trump administration is not seeking fairness. Nor is it seeking truth. Instead, it is attempting to reshape reality in the image of Donald Trump.

I doubt that itll succeed, because theres a strange thing about truth. No matter what you do to it, truth does not cease to exist. It simply waits to be uncovered.

Prying Black history from the walls at Sixth and Market Streets will never erase truth. Instead, the truth will be amplified. Not only by Michael Coard and the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, the activists fighting to preserve our history. This truth will be told by all of us.

George Washington enslaved nine Africans in Philadelphia. He returned them to Virginia nearly every six months, thus avoiding the requirement to free them under Pennsylvania law. One of the enslaved, Oney Judge, managed to escape from Washington and his wife, and Americas first president spent years trying to return her to slavery.

 READ MORE: I love seeing anti-Trump protests. Like many other Black folks, I wont be joining them. | Solomon Jones

That is the truth of what happened here in Philadelphia, and on Friday, when I went to the site of the exhibit and saw the rusted, glue-stained frames that once held depictions of that history, I was angry. But the tale of the Presidents House is not the only truth the Trump administration is trying to obscure.

By sanctioning the presence of a masked gang of federal agents in cities run by Democrats and telling those agents they have absolute immunity, Trumps administration has made us unsafe.

Shootings by federal immigration agents in Minnesota cost Renee Good and Alex Pretti their lives. We know their names and mourn their deaths, not just because they were American citizens, but also because they were white. However, they arent the only ones to fall victim to the violence linked to the presidents anti-immigrant push.

The tale of the Presidents House is not the only truth the Trump administration is trying to obscure.

In total, at least four people have been killed and eight others wounded by gunfire during immigration enforcement operations since Trump returned to office a year ago. Most of the other victims appear to be people of color. But when state-sanctioned violence hides behind the darkness of masks, the only thing that can expose it is light.

Journalism is that light, and quite often, when journalists begin to look for one truth, another is exposed. Thats what happened when Don Lemon and Georgia Fort walked into that mostly white church to report on a protest in St. Paul, Minn.

Lemon and Fort discovered that in America, where history is pried from walls and Black journalists are arrested, truth does not play out in color. Too often, its in Black and White.
Former President Bill Clinton, left, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received subpoenas from the House Oversight Committee. Read more

WASHINGTON  Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed late Monday to testify in a House investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but the Republican leading the probe said an agreement had not yet been finalized.

Rep. James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, continued to press for criminal contempt of Congress charges against both Clintons Monday evening for defying a congressional subpoena when attorneys for the Clintons emailed staff for the Oversight panel, saying the pair would accept Comers demands and will appear for depositions on mutually agreeable dates.

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The attorneys requested that Comer, a Kentucky Republican, agree not to move forward with the contempt proceedings. Comer, however, said he was not immediately dropping the charges, which would carry the threat of a substantial fine and even incarceration if passed by the House and successfully prosecuted by the Department of Justice.

We dont have anything in writing, Comer told reporters, adding that he was open to accepting the Clintons offer but it depends on what they say.

The last-minute negotiating came as Republican leaders were advancing the contempt resolution through the House Rules Committee  a final hurdle before it headed to the House floor for a vote. It was potentially a grave moment for Congress, the first time it could hold a former president in contempt and advance the threat of prison time.

As Comer and the Clintons negotiated over the terms of the depositions, the House Rules Committee postponed advancing the contempt of Congress resolutions.

Comer earlier Monday rejected an offer from attorneys for the Clintons to have Bill Clinton conduct a transcribed interview and Hillary Clinton submit a sworn declaration. He insisted that both Clintons sit for sworn depositions before the committee in order to fulfill the panels subpoenas.

A letter from the committee to attorneys for the Clintons indicated that they had offered for Bill Clinton to conduct a 4-hour transcribed interview on matters related to the investigations and prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and for Hillary Clinton to submit a sworn declaration.

The Clintons do not get to dictate the terms of lawful subpoenas, Comer said.

The former president and secretary of state had resisted the subpoenas for months after the Oversight panel issued subpoenas for their testimony in August as it opened an investigation into Epstein and his associates. Their attorneys had tried to argue against the validity of the subpoena.

However, as Comer threatened to begin contempt of Congress proceedings, the Clintons started negotiating towards a compromise. The Republican-controlled Oversight committee advanced criminal contempt of Congress charges last month. Nine of the committees 21 Democrats joined Republicans in support of the charges against Bill Clinton as they argued for full transparency in the Epstein investigation. Three Democrats also supported advancing the charges against Hillary Clinton.

Republicans push Bill Clintons involvement

Bill Clintons relationship with Epstein has reemerged as a focal point for Republicans amid the push for a reckoning over Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 in a New York jail cell as he faced sex trafficking charges.

Clinton, like a bevy of other high-powered men, had a well-documented relationship with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He has not been accused of wrongdoing in his interactions with the late financier.

The Clintons have remained highly critical of Comers decision, saying he was bringing politics into the investigation while failing to hold the Trump administration accountable for delays in producing the Department of Justices case files on Epstein.

They negotiated in good faith. You did not, a spokesperson for the Clintons, Angel Urena, said in response to Comers threats on Monday. They told you under oath what they know, but you dont care.

Still, the prospect of a vote raised the potential for Congress to use one of its most severe punishments against a former president for the first time. Historically, Congress has given deference to former presidents. None has ever been forced to testify before lawmakers, although a few have voluntarily done so.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said earlier Monday that his caucus would have a discussion on the contempt resolutions later in the week but remained noncommittal on whipping votes against them.

Jeffries said he was a hard no on contempt and accused Comer of focusing on political retribution rather than investigating the delayed release of case files. Democrats also say the Justice Department has not yet released all the material it has on the late financier.

They dont want a serious interview, they want a charade, Jeffries said.
Political action committees affiliated with President Donald Trump raised astounding amounts of money in 2025, despite Trump not being up for any office. Read more

President Donald Trump has said the only thing he worries about is losing Republican control of Congress in the November elections. The latest campaign finance filings show hes built an unprecedented war chest to help keep that from happening.

Trumps political committees and the Republican National Committee amassed $483 million through the end of December, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission. Thats nearly triple the $167 million collectively held by the Democratic National Committee and its Senate and House party committees and super PACs.

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The haul comes from tapping Trumps wealthiest donors with events like MAGA Inc. dinners at his Florida and New Jersey resorts as well as relentless appeals via text and email to small-dollar contributors who constitute the Make America Great Again base.

Since returning to the White House, MAGA Inc. has gotten eight-figure contributions from pipeline billionaire Kelcy Warren and his company Energy Transfer LP; quant trader Jeff Yass; OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman; and Crypto.com exchange operator Foris DAX Inc. In total, MAGA Inc. alone has raked in $313 million since Trumps 2024 election victory.

Targeting the other end of the donor spectrum, Trumps Never Surrender leadership PAC recently asked potential contributors to make a small, sustaining contribution so we can complete the MAGA agenda. It asked for as little as $33.

Whether all that financial armor is enough to buck history - incumbent presidents almost always lose ground in midterms - isnt so clear, and Trump knows it.

Even presidents, whether its Republican or Democrat, when they win, it doesnt make any difference - they seem to lose the midterms, Trump said in a Jan. 27 interview on Fox News. So, thats the only thing I worry about.

Only twice since 1938 has the party in control of the White House gained House seats in a midterm election. During Trumps first presidency, in 2018, Republicans lost 40 seats. In the two midterms that took place during Barack Obamas presidency, in 2010 and 2014, Republicans netted 63 seats and 13 seats, respectively.

- - -

Growing Frustration

This year, momentum and history seem to be on the Democrats side - they only need to swing a handful of seats to take control of the House.

Working in their favor, national polls show a majority of voters disapprove of Trumps handling of the economy, as well as growing frustration with the administrations approach to deportations and foreign policy. Parts of the coalition that swept him back to office - including independents and young voters as well as Black and Hispanic males - are fraying.

That handicap for Republicans has been evident in elections over the past three months in which Democrats have outperformed expectations, in part by tapping into voter frustration over cost-of-living concerns.

House Republicans are running scared, said Viet Shelton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He added that with better candidates, a better message, and the public souring on Republicans, Democrats are poised to take back the majority.

Reflecting the shifting mood, the non-partisan Cook Political Report last month moved 18 House races toward Democrats, bringing the number of seats considered solidly blue to 189, compared to 186 for Republicans. A party needs 218 seats to win the majority.

In the latest example of the headwinds Republicans face, this past weekend in Texas a Democratic candidate for a state Senate seat, Taylor Rehmet, defeated a Republican in a district Trump won in 2024 by 17 percentage points over Kamala Harris.

As the GOPs fund raiser-in-chief, Trump isnt waiting until November to put his cash to work. The president intends to use the money hes amassed to play the role of kingmaker in the midterms, according to people familiar with the strategy.

That involves doling out money to loyalists, or chosen candidates in competitive primaries or congressional races and punishing lawmakers whove crossed him over the past year on everything from the passage of his signature tax bill to the release of the Epstein files.

Trump allies also expect to tap their stockpile for specific districts in the final two months in the states and races where its most needed, flooding the zone to try to ensure victory.

MAGA Inc. will have the resources to help candidates who support President Trumps America First agenda, Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesperson for the super-PAC, said.

MAGA Inc. has already intervened in one election: it spent $1.7 million backing Tennessee Republican Matt Van Epps in a special election to fill a vacant House seat. Van Epps won by about 9 points - but that margin was narrower than the cushion of more than 21 points his Republican predecessor enjoyed in 2024.

Privately, many Trump allies are resigned to the idea the party could lose control of the House. Trump has warned he could be impeached for a third time if that happens, and his signaled he thinks his partys lawmakers would be to blame.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a perennial optimist in his public remarks, said on Sunday that he remains very bullish on the midterms and cited the partys fund-raising prowess as one reason.

Were going to have a war chest to run on, Johnson said on Fox News Sunday. I think were going to defy history.

Trump says his first year as president shows he deserves reelection. Pressed in Iowa last week about why voters may perennially pick the opposition party in midterms, Trump mused about the electorate wanting fences or guardrails on presidents.

But, he quickly added, I dont need guardrails. I dont want guardrails.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner: The moment requires that we call a subgroup of people within federal law enforcement  who are killing innocent people, physically assaulting innocent people, threatening and punishing the use of video  what they are." Read more

Philadelphias bombastic district attorney, Larry Krasner, is no stranger to opposition from within his own party, but the anger directed at him last week after he said ICE agents are wannabe Nazis was more pronounced than usual.

After making the comparison, Krasner faced a wave of criticism, including from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, who called the comments abhorrent and said the rhetoric doesnt help bring down the temperature.

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But the progressive district attorney said Monday that he would not back down, saying these are people who have taken their moves from a Nazi playbook and a fascist playbook.

Governor Shapiro is not meeting the moment, Krasner said in an interview. The moment requires that we call a subgroup of people within federal law enforcement  who are killing innocent people, physically assaulting innocent people, threatening and punishing the use of video  what they are.  Just say it. Dont be a wimp.

Krasner pointed to a speech by Rabbi Joachim Prinz at the March on Washington in 1963: Bigotry and hatred are not the most urgent problem. The most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful, and the most tragic problem is silence.

In invoking that speech, Krasner said: A reminder, Mr. Governor: Silence equals death.

 READ MORE: DA Krasner condemns fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, says officers who commit crimes in Philly will be convicted

Krasners defense came after days of criticism from across the political spectrum, ranging from the White House press secretary to Democratic members of Congress. And it punctuated a yearslong history of conflict with Shapiro.

The governor and Philadelphias top law enforcement official have feuded politically, sparred in court, and disagreed on policy. In 2019  when lawyers from Krasners office decamped to work for then-Attorney General Shapiro  DAs office staffers referred to Shapiros office as Paraguay, a reference to the country where Nazis took refuge after the war.

It is not new for Krasner  whose Jewish father volunteered to serve in WWII  to compare President Donald Trumps administration to elements of World War II-era fascism. Krasner has on several occasions referred to ICE as akin to the Nazi secret state police, and last year he called the presidents immigration agenda Nazi stuff.

Last week, during a news conference about proposed restrictions on immigration enforcement in Philadelphia, the district attorney said he would hunt down and prosecute U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who commit crimes in the city.

There will be accountability now. There will be accountability in the future. There will be accountability after [Trump] is out of office, Krasner said. If we have to hunt you down the way they hunted down Nazis for decades, we will find your identities.

 READ MORE: DA Larry Krasner forms coalition of progressive prosecutors committed to charging federal agents who commit crimes

Shapiro, who is Jewish and is a rumored presidential contender, was interviewed a dozen times last week on national media while promoting his new memoir and condemned ICEs tactics during all of them.

During an interview Thursday on Fox News Special Report with Bret Baier, Shapiro was asked about Krasners comparison of ICE agents to Nazis and called the comments unacceptable.

It is abhorrent and it is wrong, period, hard stop, end of sentence, Shapiro said.

Several other Democrats in political and media circles weighed in. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has at times sided with Trump on immigration matters, appeared on Fox News and said he strongly condemned Krasners language.

He said that members of ICE are not Nazis.

Thats gross, Fetterman said. Do not compare anyone to Nazis. Dont use that kind of rhetoric. That can incite violence.

 READ MORE: Serious concern: ICE agents who wear masks are driven by the threat of doxing, Pa. Sen. John Fetterman tells Fox News

U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, a Democrat who represents parts of Western Pennsylvania, in an interview with the Washington Examiner contrasted his own approach with Krasners, saying: I reserve throwing the phrase Nazis at actual Nazis. I dont just throw that around.

And State Rep. Manuel Guzman Jr., a Democrat who represents a significant Latino population in Berks County, wrote on social media Friday: I really, really want Krasner to chill tf out.

I get it. We want to protect our immigrant community, Guzman wrote, but I question if constantly poking the bear is the right strategy. At the end of the day its my community that is under siege.

Republicans also swiftly castigated Krasner.

On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a video clip of Krasners comments on social media, writing: Will the media ask Dems to condemn?

And U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican who represents parts of Northeast Pennsylvania, appeared on Newsmax and called Krasner a psychopath with a badge.

Meuser  who considered challenging Shapiro for governor with Trumps backing but ultimately decided not to run  also on social media decried the Lefts silence and, in many cases, encouragement of this rhetoric.

Krasner doubled down. In an interview on CNN on Thursday, he criticized Fetterman as not a real Democrat and also said, There are some people who are all in on the fascist takeover of this country who do not like the comparison to Nazi Germany.

He said that when he promised to hunt down federal agents who kill someone in his jurisdiction, he was attempting to make a point that there is no statute of limitations on homicide.

The interviewer, Kaitlan Collins, asked Krasner whether he could have made that point without comparing agents to Nazis.

Why would I do that? Krasner responded. Theyre taking almost everything they do out of the Nazi playbook.
Commuters shield themselves from the cold wind as they wait for a bus at a bus stop on Broad Street last week. It looks like the region is in for more of the same. Read more

If it appears that the tenacious meringue of snow and ice that landed on the region two weekends ago hasnt budged, it hasnt.

Among Philadelphia winters, this one is approaching a rarefied status.

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Not long after Phil predictably saw his shadow in Punxsutawney, the National Weather Weather Service contractor at Philadelphia International Airport reported a snow depth of six inches on Monday.

That marked the eighth consecutive day of a snow cover of at least six inches, a streak unmatched since February 2010  which included a five-day period in which 44 inches of snow had fallen.

And whats out there now may get a fresh frosting on Tuesday night that could affect the Wednesday morning commute, and perhaps snow squalls on Friday with the approach of another Arctic front as the freezer reopens.

Dont be surprised if next Monday morning looks a lot like this one.

The snowpack is not going anywhere, said Amanda Lee, meteorologist at the weather service office in Mount Holly.

What explains the durability of the snow cover

The primary factor locking in the regional glacier has been the obvious  the cold. Sunday marked the ninth consecutive day that temperatures failed to surpass freezing, the longest stretch since 2004. The temperature did reach above freezing at Philadelphia International Airport on Monday.

Temperatures since Jan. 24 have averaged 14 degrees below normal in Philly. January temperatures ended up finishing 2.2 degrees below normal, even though the month had a nine-day warm spell in which the highs went past 55 on five days.

In addition to the cold, the icy layers of sleet that have put a cap and a patent-leather sheen on the several inches of snow that fell Jan. 25, have limited melting. Ice is way slower to melt than snow.

Eight days after an official 9.3 inches of snow and ice was measured officially, about two-thirds of it has survived.

The forecast for the next several days

The region is in for a modest  very modest  warming trend. Readings cracked freezing Monday, reaching 35 degrees at 4 p.m. and are forecast to top out near 32 on Tuesday and Wednesday, and hold in the upper 20s Thursday. Those readings still would be several degrees below normal.

Some light snow is possible Tuesday night, maybe up to an inch, Lee said. The weather service on Monday was listing a 72% probability of something measurable  defined as 0.1 inches or more  falling in Philly.

Given the cold and the solidly frozen paved surfaces, it could make things slippery for the morning commute on Wednesday, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.

Friday afternoon, he said, the region could see snow squalls  brief, mini-blizzards that can come on without notice and reduce visibility dangerously.

Then its back to the freezer with expected weekend lows in single digits and highs struggling to reach 20.

For those ready for something completely different, NOAAs Climate Prediction Center on Monday suggested the potential for significant pattern change, although this may require a little patience around here.

Its extended outlook for the six-to-10 day period that begins Sunday has most of the nation warmer than normal, with odds strongly favoring below-normal readings in the Philadelphia-to-Boston corridor. But a rapid warmup in the Philly region is possible around mid-month, the climate center says.

In the short term, it appears that Philly is in for a repetitive sequence evocative of the 1993 movie classic Groundhog Day.

Weve had lots of very similar days, Lee said.

Weve noticed.
Xi urges breakthroughs in development of industries of the future

Xinhua) 08:05, February 02, 2026

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has urged efforts to leverage the country's comparative advantages, pursue progress while maintaining stability, and promote continuous breakthroughs in the development of industries of the future.

Xi made the remarks while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Jan. 30.

He noted that cultivating and developing industries of the future is of great significance to gaining a competitive edge in science, technology and industry, as well as to seizing initiative in development. It is also crucial to the development of new quality productive forces, the construction of a modern industrial system, the improvement of the people's quality of life, and the promotion of well-rounded human development and overall social progress, he said.

Industries of the future are characterized by foresight, strategic importance and disruptive potential, requiring scientific planning and holistic coordination, Xi stressed, calling for efforts to strengthen industrial synergy to ensure that future, emerging and traditional industries complement and reinforce one another.

Xi noted that the extent of scientific and technological breakthroughs largely determines the speed, breadth and depth of the development of future industries.

He said that the advantages of the new system for nationwide mobilization of resources should be fully leveraged; efforts to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields should be intensified; the strategic, forward-looking and systematic layout of basic research should be strengthened; and the application and commercialization of sci-tech achievements should be accelerated.

We should give full play to the role of enterprises, promote the concentration of various innovation resources in enterprises, and vigorously cultivate leading technology enterprises and high-tech companies with strong core technologies and robust innovation capabilities, Xi said.

He stressed the need to improve fiscal and tax policies; vigorously develop sci-tech finance; comprehensively foster, attract and utilize talent; and foster a vibrant environment that encourages innovation across society.

It is necessary to ensure both development and security, and explore scientific and effective regulatory approaches to prevent related risks, he said, calling for deepened international cooperation and the active promotion of joint development of standards, collaborative rule-making and coordinated industrial advancement.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Trump pushes Iran to reach nuclear deal amid U.S. military buildup nearby

Xinhua) 14:05, February 02, 2026

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that if Iran does not reach a deal over its nuclear program, "we'll find out" whether Iran's supreme leader was correct in predicting that a U.S. attack on the country would spark a regional war.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier warned that any attack on his country would spark a regional conflict, as the United States continues to build up its forces nearby.

Commenting on Khamenei's remarks, Trump said the United States has deployed what he described as the world's "biggest, most powerful" naval forces to the region and expressed hope that negotiations would lead to an agreement. "Hopefully we'll make a deal," he said.

"We don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether or not he was right," Trump added.

Trump said Iran began negotiations with the United States on Saturday.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said the same day that Trump has made clear demands of Iran, with the next steps depending on decisions by Iran's leadership. He added that Trump "won't wait forever" for those demands to be met. "The president has been very clear on Iran."

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that a "just, fair, and equitable" nuclear agreement with the United States remains achievable in the short term, provided Washington abandons its policy of coercion.

Iran's top security official Ali Larijani had previously said a framework for negotiations was progressing.

Tensions have remained high amid increased U.S. military activity in the region. Trump has sent a "massive armada" to Iran. Meanwhile, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer recently made a port call in Eilat, an Israeli port city at the northern tip of the Red Sea.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday suspended the search for seven people who were aboard a commercial fishing vessel that sank off the coast of Massachusetts in rough, frigid waters.

The Coast Guard launched a search and rescue mission early Friday after receiving an alert from the 72-foot (22-meter) Lily Jean about 25 miles (40 kilometers) off Cape Ann. Searchers found a debris field near where the alert was sent along with a body in the water and an empty life raft, the Coast Guard said.

Crews covered about 1,000 square miles (2,589 square kilometers) using aircraft, cutters and small boats over a 24-hour period. However, after consultation between search and rescue mission coordinators and on-scene commanders, the Coast Guard announced Saturday that it had determined that all reasonable search efforts for the missing crew members had been exhausted.

Officials said there wasnt a mayday call from Lily Jean as it navigated the frigid Atlantic Ocean on its way home to Gloucester, Massachusetts, Americas oldest fishing port. The Coast Guard was notified by the boats beacon that alerts when it hits the water.

The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the sinking. Officials did not immediately release the names of those who were lost.

We are deep in sorrow, but we are a strong community, and we will rise, we will rise to this occasion, Republican state Sen. Bruce Tarr said during an emotional news conference Saturday.

Weather conditions made search difficult

The Coast Guards Sector Boston commander, Jamie Frederick, said frigid temperatures and stormy conditions made finding survivors at night difficult, a task made more challenging with a noreaster approaching the East Coast this weekend. Searchers dealt with 7- to 10-foot seas and freezing ocean spray, Frederick said.

At the time of the emergency alert, the National Weather Service said wind speeds out at sea were around 27 mph (24 knots) with waves around 4 feet high. It was 12 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 11 degrees Celsius) with water temperatures about 39 F (4 C.)

Frederick said there was no single clue to lead officials to determine what happened to the Lily Jean so far.

The debris looked like anything that would be loose on a deck, things that float off a fishing deck, he said.

Another tragedy befalls fishing town

It is the latest maritime tragedy to befall Gloucester and its close-knit community of people in the fishing business. The city that inspired The Perfect Storm is tied to its fishing heritage in a way that has brought 400 years of history and, sometimes, tragedy. That book and movie were inspired by the FV Andrea Gail, which went missing at sea in 1991.

Vito Giacalone, head of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund, described the fishing community as a brotherhood that was grieving and in shock.

Everybodys just heartbroken, Giacalone told The Associated Press in a phone interview Saturday. To have that many lives lost all at once, we havent seen that in a long time.

Paul Lundberg, Gloucesters mayor, said the names of those on the Lily Jean would be added to a city memorial honoring thousands of fishermen who have been lost at sea.

Captain is a beloved fisherman

The Lily Jean, its captain, Gus Sanfilippo, and his crew were featured in a 2012 episode of the History Channel show NorEaster Men. Sanfilippo is described as a fifth-generation commercial fisherman, fishing out of Gloucester, in the Georges Bank. The crew is shown working in dangerous weather conditions for hours on end, spending as many as 10 days at sea on one trip fishing for haddock, lobster and flounder.

We loved each other, Giacalone said about his relationship with Sanfilippo. He treated me like a big brother and I treated him like my younger brother. To know the tragedy of this and to know the kind of character that Gus had, hed be mortified to know that these lives were all lost.

NOAA had observer on vessel

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a fishery observer was on board the vessel. Fishery observers are workers who collect data on board fishing boats for the government to use to craft regulations.

NOAA Fisheries said observer deployments would be suspended until after midnight Wednesday due to the sinking and the weather in the Northeast.

Commercial fishing is dangerous

Deep-sea fishing in New England can always be hazardous, but it can be especially dangerous in the winter because of high waves, frigid temperatures and unpredictable weather. Commercial fishing is often cited as one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

Everett Sawyer, 55, a childhood friend of Sanfilippo, said he has known 25 people who were lost at sea. Cold winter conditions can complicate operations even for experienced sailors, Sawyer said.

Things happen very quickly when youre out on the ocean, he said.

Casey reported from Boston, Ngowi reported from Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press reporter Adrian Sainz contributed from Memphis, Tennessee.

Photo: Fishing boats are tied up in Gloucester, Mass., the home port of a vessel that that went missing at sea with seven people aboard, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Massachusetts
The Delaware Supreme Court handed Tesla a victory on Friday, slashing by more than $100 million the legal fees owed to shareholder lawyers who successfully sued directors at Elon Musks electric car company for overpaying themselves.

The court said Tesla must pay $70.9 million to lawyers who represented the Detroit firefighter and police pension fund that led the case, 60% less than the $176.1 million awarded by a Delaware Chancery Court judge.

Fridays decision said the judge overvalued the settlement when determining the fee.

The decision came at a time of increasing criticism from professors and lawyers who represent corporate boards over legal fees in Delaware courts, including a $267 million award in 2024 in a case involving Dell Technologies DELL.N .

Delawares bar association is preparing recommendations for state lawmakers on possible changes.

In the Tesla case, directors including Chair Robyn Denholm and James Murdoch agreed to return about $277 million in cash and millions of stock options to the company.

Lawyers for the shareholders valued the settlement at $919 million, which was the basis for their fee request.

Tesla was responsible for the fees because it benefited from the settlement.

But the state Supreme Court said the fees were inflated because the intrinsic value of the returned stock options should have been excluded when assessing the value of the settlement to the company.

Musk, the worlds richest person, was not part of the settlement and has defended his record compensation in a separate lawsuit.

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Photo: Elon Musk

Topics Lawsuits Tesla Delaware
Some of the worlds biggest reinsurers, including Lloyds of London, are seeking Indian regulatory approval to operate in a low-tax city set up in the prime ministers home state to try to rival other international financial hubs, two sources said.

The global companies, which also include South Koreas Samsung Re, Kenya Re and Spains Mapfre Re, will join more than a dozen global reinsurers from Europe, the Middle East and Asia that are turning to the new city to gain access to Indias $129.78 billion insurance market, estimated by the industry to be the tenth largest in the world.

The two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press, said the companies were expected to seek approval this year.

Email queries sent to Mapfre Re, Samsung Re and Kenya Re were not answered. A Lloyds of London spokesperson declined to comment. The companies plans to set up operations in the Gujarat International Finance TecCity, or GIFT City, have not been previously reported.

The city offers businesses favorable tax treatment, such as a 10-year tax holiday and exemption from capital gains.

The government has said it hopes it will rival Singapore and Dubai as an international financial center.

Indias reinsurance market is currently dominated by Swiss Re and Munich Re, as well as private firms and the government-owned GIC Re that is widely expected to grow after the government introduced reforms to deepen Indias insurance penetration.

Saudi Re and Others Have Received Approval

A few large reinsurers have received approvals over the last year to begin operating in GIFT City. These include Saudi Re, Korean Re, Peak Re, Kuwait Re, Abu Dhabi National Insurance and Kazakhbased Eurasia Insurance Company JSC, according to regulatory officials and company statements.

Saudi Re earlier this week opened its GIFT City branch, its second in Asia after Malaysia.

Korean Re has said its expansion reflected its commitment to Indias high growth insurance sector, while Hong Kongbased Peak Re, which received a license in March 2025, said it plans to offer life and non-life insurance.

About 14 global reinsurers operate from GIFT City, managing an annualized $700800 million in premiums, public disclosures show.

The number of reinsurers is expected to increase to at least 20 by the end of March 2026, two regulatory officials said, declining to be identified as final approvals are pending.

They said the international reinsurers sought to offer products that are relatively underdeveloped in India, including surety bonds, parametric insurance, marine and shipping cover, cyber risk and health reinsurance.

Apart from favorable tax treatment, the international reinsurers operating from GIFT City can follow the solvency norms of their home regulators rather than those prescribed by India.

Indian reinsurers are required to maintain a minimum solvency ratio of 150% to ensure they can settle claims even in extreme circumstances. Global requirements tend to be lower.

With a globally aligned regulatory framework and enabling reforms, we are seeing growing interest from global reinsurers in the GIFT IFSC opportunity, Dipesh Shah, executive director at the regulator for financial services at GIFT City told Reuters.

He declined to share details on reinsurers seeking to set up operations in the city.

($1 = 91.9020 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Ashwin Manikandan and Jayshree P. Upadhyay in Mumbai; editing by Barbara Lewis)
The Netherlands consumer protection regulator ACM has launched an investigation into U.S. gaming platform Roblox over potential risks to underage users in the European Union, it said on Friday [Jan. 30].

The regulator said it will assess whether Roblox is taking adequate measures to protect minors, referring to the EUs Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to take appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure safety for minors using their services.

A Roblox spokesperson said the company is strongly committed to complying with the EU Digital Services Act and referred to the gaming platforms announcement last November that it would require age verification via facial recognition to limit communication between children and adults.

We look forward to providing the ACM with further clarity on the many policies and safeguards we have in place to protect minors, the spokesperson said.

The company has faced global criticism for failing to protect young users from child predators and sexual exploitation. In the U.S., Roblox is facing multiple lawsuits over child safety.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, editing by Tomasz Janowski)
The U.N. atomic watchdogs board held a special session Friday to discuss risks to nuclear safety in Ukraine as concerns mount that relentless Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure pose an increasing danger of a nuclear accident.

The urgent meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agencys board of governors was held at the request of the Netherlands with support from 11 other countries, diplomats said  Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom. Though it wont produce any binding outcome, the aim is to increase diplomatic pressure on Russia.

Russias ongoing and daily attacks against Ukraines energy infrastructure in recent weeks have caused significant damage, Netherlands Ambassador Peter Potman told the board.

Not only does this leave millions of Ukrainians in the cold and dark during a very harsh winter, but it is also negatively impacting nuclear safety in Ukraine, bringing the prospect of a nuclear accident to the very precipice of becoming a reality, he said.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that damage to electrical substations undermines nuclear safety and must be avoided.

Although nuclear power plants produce energy themselves, they rely on an uninterrupted supply of external power from electrical substations to ensure reactor cooling. In the event of a sudden loss of power, emergency diesel generators are available. But if those fail, too, the risk of a nuclear meltdown increases.

Ukraine has four nuclear power plants, three of them under Kyivs control. The fourth and biggest, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, has been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of Moscows full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukraine is also home to the former Chernobyl plant, the site of the worlds worst nuclear accident in 1986.

As we speak, an IAEA expert mission is underway at Ukraines electrical substations amid ongoing strikes on the countrys power infrastructure, Grossi said. The mission will assess 10 substations crucial to nuclear safety.

Ukrainian Ambassador Yurii Vitrenko told reporters as the meeting started that it is high time for the IAEA to shine an additional spotlight on the threat to nuclear safety and security in Europe caused by Russias systematic and deliberate destruction of Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

He said that Kyiv appreciates the personal efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump to halt energy terror by the Russian Federation and he expressed hope that these efforts will bring tangible results.

On Friday, the terms of a Russian commitment to Trump to temporarily halt its bombardment of Ukraine during one of the countrys bleakest winters in years remained unclear.

___

The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/

Photograph: The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency flies in front of its headquarters during an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader, File)

Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Russia
Zurich Insurance Group AG disclosed a 1.5% stake in Beazley Plc, about two weeks after the UK specialty insurer rejected the industry giants latest takeover approach.

The Swiss company now holds about 8.87 million shares of the London-listed firm, or 1.47% of Beazleys equity, according to a statement on Monday. It started disclosing its purchases in the stock from Jan. 19.

Beazleys shares were trading up 3.6% at 1,174 pence as of 1:19 p.m. in London.

The move comes after Beazley rejected Zurichs latest proposal of 1,280 pence per share on Jan. 22, saying it materially undervalues the company. The bid, announced by Zurich days earlier, was the fifth made by Chief Executive Officer Mario Greco.

In its Jan. 22 rejection, Beazley said that Zurichs proposal in January had been lower than a previous one in June, when Zurich offered 1,315 pence per share.

Beazleys stock has rallied more than 40% since the Jan. 19 bid was announced, but is still trading below the rejected offer price.

Photo: A Zurich Insurance Group AG building in Zurich, Switzerland. Photo credit: Alessandro Della Bella/Bloomberg

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics Carriers
Hackers and other criminals can easily commandeer computers operating open-source large language models outside the guardrails and constraints of the major artificial-intelligence platforms, creating security risks and vulnerabilities, researchers said on Thursday.

Hackers could target the computers running the LLMs and direct them to carry out spam operations, phishing content creation or disinformation campaigns, evading platform security protocols, the researchers said.

The research, carried out jointly by cybersecurity companies SentinelOne and Censys over the course of 293 days and shared exclusively with Reuters, offers a new window into the scale of potentially illicit use cases for thousands of open-source LLM deployments. These include hacking, hate speech and harassment, violent or gore content, personal data theft, scams or fraud, and in some cases child sexual abuse material, the researchers said.

While thousands of open-source LLM variants exist, a significant portion of the LLMs on the internet-accessible hosts are variants of Metas Llama, Google DeepMinds Gemma, and others, according to the researchers. While some of the open-source models include guardrails, the researchers identified hundreds of instances where guardrails were explicitly removed.

AI industry conversations about security controls are ignoring this kind of surplus capacity that is clearly being utilized for all kinds of different stuff, some of it legitimate, some obviously criminal, said Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade, executive director for intelligence and security research at SentinelOne. Guerrero-Saade likened the situation to an iceberg that is not being properly accounted for across the industry and open-source community.

The research analyzed publicly accessible deployments of open-source LLMs deployed through Ollama, a tool that allows people and organizations to run their own versions of various large-language models.

The researchers were able to see system prompts, which are the instructions that dictate how the model behaves, in roughly a quarter of the LLMs they observed. Of those, they determined that 7.5% could potentially enable harmful activity.

Roughly 30% of the hosts observed by the researchers are operating out of China, and about 20% in the U.S.

Rachel Adams, the CEO and founder of the Global Center on AI Governance, said in an email that once open models are released, responsibility for what happens next becomes shared across the ecosystem, including the originating labs.

Labs are not responsible for every downstream misuse (which are hard to anticipate), but they retain an important duty of care to anticipate foreseeable harms, document risks, and provide mitigation tooling and guidance, particularly given uneven global enforcement capacity, Adams said.

A spokesperson for Meta declined to respond to questions about developers responsibilities for addressing concerns around downstream abuse of open-source models and how concerns might be reported, but noted the companys Llama Protection tools for Llama developers, and the companys Meta Llama Responsible Use Guide.

Microsoft AI Red Team Lead Ram Shankar Siva Kumar said in an email that Microsoft believes open-source models play an important role in a variety of areas, but, at the same time, we are cleareyed that open models, like all transformative technologies, can be misused by adversaries if released without appropriate safeguards.

Microsoft performs pre-release evaluations, including processes to assess risks for internet-exposed, self-hosted, and tool-calling scenarios, where misuse can be high, he said. The company also monitors for emerging threats and misuse patterns. Ultimately, responsible open innovation requires shared commitment across creators, deployers, researchers, and security teams.

Ollama did not respond to a request for comment. Alphabets Google and Anthropic did not respond to questions.

Topics InsurTech Data Driven Artificial Intelligence Fraud
A state high court has ruled subsidiaries of American International Group (AIG) and Chubb cannot use the so-called bump-up exclusion in denying coverage for a settlement in a securities lawsuit.

Late last month the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed a ruling from the states Superior Court that the bump-up provision does not exclude coverage to Harman International Industries, who was acquired by Samsung Electronics back in 2017 and then sued in a securities class-action lawsuit under allegations that Harman issued a false or misleading proxy statement to get shareholders to vote in favor of the deal at a lower price.

A final approval on a $28 million settlement was reached in November 2022. Meanwhile, Harman attempted to get coverage from a directors and officers (D&O) policy of $40 million issued by AIGs Illinois National Insurance on the primary layer, Chubbs Federal Insurance on the first excess layer, Berkley Insurance Company on the second excess policy.

AIG was first in issuing notification that the bump-up provision excluded loss coverage. Chubb and Berkley followed with the same position, according to court records. The bump-up provision excludes coverage for settlements representing an effective increase in the price paid for an acquisition. The insurers claimed the settlement amount represented an increase in deal consideration.

The state Supreme Court ruled the insurers failed to show the settlement represented an increase in what the shareholders claimed was an inadequate deal priceone of two requirements needed to invoke the exclusion. The state high court did rule that insurers met the first of two requirements in the bump-up provisionthe shareholders alleged inadequate price.

Orrie Levy, partner at Cohen Ziffer Frenchman & McKenna, who was part of the team representing Harman, called the ruling a critical victory for policyholders.

For years, insurers have wielded the bump-up exclusion to categorically deny coverage for settlements of litigation arising from corporate transactions, Levy said in an emailed statement to Insurance Journal. The Delaware Supreme Court has now rejected that approach, vindicating the rights of D&O policyholders.

The Delaware Supreme Court has now made clear that the applicability of a bump-up exclusion to the settlement of shareholder litigation depends on the facts and policy language of each case and is not a one-size-fits-all proposition, he added.

The bump-up exclusion was an issue following the Towers Watson-Willis merger. Towers Watson looked for D&O coverage for $90 million in settlements with shareholders who alleged they got a bad deal. However, a Virginia federal district judge in Alexandria in 2024 ruled the bump-up exclusion in a D&O policy from National Union applied to bar coverage.

Topics AIG
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Monday it had expanded a safety-related investigation into 1.27 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks following reports of unexpected downshifts with rear-wheel lockup.

The investigation covers vehicles from the 20152017 model years, NHTSA said.

The probe follows a preliminary evaluation the agency opened on March 21 last year, after receiving complaints related to 20152017 Ford F-150 pickups equipped with the 6R80 transmission.

The U.S. auto safety regulator said owners had reported that the trucks would abruptly downshift without warning or driver input, causing sudden deceleration and, in some cases, brief rear-wheel lockup or skidding, raising the risk of a crash.

In its response to NHTSAs information request, Ford said the alleged defect in the 20152017 F-150s differs from the issue that prompted four safety recalls covering 20112014 models.

Ford added the earlier recalls were caused by manufacturing problems with a part supplied by an outside vendor, which led to loss of signals from a speed sensor.

In the newer vehicles, the automaker said the issue may instead be caused by electrical connections wearing down over time due to heat and vibration, leading to signal loss from a different transmission sensor.

NHTSAs Office of Defects Investigation said preliminary testing also identified an additional risk, showing that intermittent TRS signal loss could cause a vehicle reversing uphill to shift into neutral and roll forward.

ODI said it had opened an engineering analysis to conduct further testing and review additional technical data.

(Reporting by Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil DSilva and Shreya Biswas)
Almost three years ago, in May of 2023, a circuit court judge in Lee County, Florida, sharply criticized a restoration contractor, accusing him of concealing the true cost of condominium roof work in an assignment-of-benefits claim with Tower Hill insurance.

Six months later, the state Department of Financial Services and local prosecutors brought criminal fraud charges against the contractor, Ricky McGraw, of South Florida Restoration Services, charging him with insurance fraud and grand theft. Floridas chief financial officer at the time, Jimmy Patronis, now a Congressman, called the alleged fraud despicable and a reason behind rising premiums in the state.

Last week, just before the McGraw case was set to go to trial, it was dismissed. The move has left some property insurance carriers and their advocates frustrated that the man who had been called the poster boy for questionable claim amountsand for hundreds of AOB lawsuits against insurerswill not see jail time.

A Jan. 26 nolle prosequi court filing by Lee County Assistant State Attorney John Humphreville did not provide an explanation for why the charges were dropped after two years of evidence gathering and dozens of court filings. A spokesperson for the prosecutors office said it was due to a lack of evidence, according to a local news report.

Insurance representatives in the state, including officials with Tower Hill, declined to comment due to other pending civil suits involving McGraw and his Stuart, Florida-based SFR. Some in the industry speculated that people with the subject condominium association may no longer be available for testimony.

Criminal case is over for lack of evidence. Enough said, McGraw said in an email to Insurance Journal. The witch hunt is over.

McGraw told the Tampa Bay Times that the prosecution has ruined his construction company.

Two and a half years of my life has essentially put my company in the dumps, and they dont even send out an apology letter, McGraw told the Times.

If true, the SFR financial problems could be some comfort to Florida property insurers and could be seen as another win against contractors who reportedly took advantage of the states assignment-of-benefits law in the 2010s and early 2020s. That law was repealed in late 2022, along with one-way attorney fees. Insurance groups and regulators have credited the changes and 2023 tort-reform measures with disincentivizing fraudulent and exaggerated claims and excessive claims litigation, helping to revitalize a Florida insurance market that was in deep distress.

But much litigation continues to work its way through the courts. That includes several insurer suits filed against McGraw and SFR.

In Martin County, for example, Tower Hills group of insurance companies early in 2025 filed civil lawsuits against SFR Services, charging the company with misleading homeowners after Hurricane Irma in order to gain assignments of benefits.

SFR utilized bait and switch tactics, in which SFR Services would promise homeowners that it would replace their roofs whether their insurance claims were ultimately paid by the insurance carriers or not, reads one Tower Hill lawsuit complaint, seen here.

A salesman for SFR allegedly confirmed that SFR never intended to replace the roofs and never did, according to the suit.

That case is continuing in Martin County, although the SFR salesman, Will Mynatt, last week agreed to a settlement, court records show.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation records show that SFRs license is still active. It expires in August.

Read More About Ricky McGraw and SFR: Florida Judge Slams SFR Contractor for Misrepresentation, Fraud in Tower Hill Case

Florida Authorities Charge 4 in Fraudulent Roof Claims, Issue Warrant for Contractor

Top photo: Homes in Estero, part of Fort Myers, near the condominiums at issue in the McGraw fraud case. (AdobeStock)

Topics Florida Fraud Contractors
Record-breaking cold gripped the Southeast this weekend, bringing heavy snow to parts of Tennessee and North Carolina, canceling flights across the region and threatening citrus crops in Florida.

News outlets reported that at least 44 daily temperature records may be broken or tied across the South on Monday, most of them in Florida, according to the US Weather Prediction Center, Bloomberg News reported. Orlando is forecast to drop to 29F (16C); Lakeland, 27F; and Gainesville, 21F  all of which would break records for Feb. 2, the agency said.

For Florida, this is a rare long-duration hard freeze, said Richard Bann, a forecaster with the Weather Prediction Center. The arctic air is now really entrenched.

The cold temperatures struck a region where homes are less insulated against the cold, pipes can freeze and people, pets and livestock can be vulnerable, Bann said.

Duke Energy has asked customers in the Carolinas to reduce energy demand from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday and in Florida from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., according to company statements. The goal is to keep electricity flowing through the grid and to avoid power outages.

Blizzardlike conditions stemming from the bomb cyclone hammered parts of the Carolinas on Saturday and ushered in frigid temperatures to much of the East Coast, the Associated Press reported. Charlotte saw one of its heaviest snowfalls in years, with roughly a foot (30 centimeters) or more in parts of the region.

That caused an hours-long mess on Interstate 85 northeast of the city, after a noninjury crash left dozens of semis and other vehicles backed up into the evening, according to the State Highway Patrol. The agency said it counted at least 750 traffic collisions. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said at a press conference that two fatalities were reported, according to CNN.

Officials also closed a nearly 13-mile stretch of a main road in North Carolinas Outer Banks, citing deteriorating conditions and poor visibility. Through social media the state Department of Transportation warned of likely ocean overwash and urged people to stay home, AP reported. A house fire erupted in Nags Head, on the Outer Banks, a fire department reported on social media, CNN said.

Meanwhile, more than 194,000 homes and businesses were without power, mainly in Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida and Louisiana, according to PowerOutage.com. Many residents across the South have been without power since last weekend when a storm struck the eastern US.

The cold also threatens citrus growers, with most of Polk County in central Florida, the states biggest producing region, expected to face below-freezing temperatures. That county has produced nearly 30% of Floridas total orange output in terms of boxes, according to the US Department of Agriculture, Bloomberg noted.

At the same time the cold grips the eastern US, the second winter storm in as many weeks left 10 inches across a wide area and as much as 16 inches near Lexington and High Rock, south of Winston-Salem, Bann told Bloomberg News.

The storm grounded 1,426 flights into and around the US Sunday, according to FlightAware, an airline tracking service.

Mississippi officials said it was the states worst winter storm since 1994. About 80 warming centers were opened, and National Guard troops delivered supplies by truck and helicopter, AP reported.

In Tennessee, Insurance Commissioner Carter Lawrence said in an email that property owners are still dealing damages from ice, snow and freezing rain left by last weeks storm, Winter Storm Fern. He reminded policyholders that the Department of Commerce and Insurance can mediate when an insurance company denies a claim.

More than 100 people have died from Texas to New Jersey, roughly half of them in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. Some deaths have been attributed to hypothermia, while others may be related to carbon monoxide exposure. Officials have not released specific details about some deaths.

The massive winter storm last weekend, which left more than a million people without power and heat for days in subfreezing temperatures, caused $105 billion to $115 billion in total damage and economic loss, according to an estimate from AccuWeather on Jan. 25.

The cold is expected to continue. Temperatures will moderate later this week but stay below normal, Bob Oravec, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center, told Bloomberg News. And computer forecast models point to more winter storms across the East in the coming weeks.

The one ingredient you need if you want a big winter storm is cold air, and it looks like the cold air will continue into the middle of February, Oravec said.

Photo: Ice-covered trees fell in east Nashville. (Kate Dearman/Bloomberg)

Topics Agribusiness
Two companies processed and supplied dried milk powder that could be a culprit in the outbreak of botulism tied to ByHeart infant formula that has sickened dozens of babies, The Associated Press has learned.

Organic whole milk powder that tested positive for the type of bacteria that causes botulism was made from milk provided by Organic West Milk Inc., a California company, and processed at a Dairy Farmers of America plant in Fallon, Nevada, company officials said.

Related: Oregon Baby Still Battling Botulism After ByHeart Formula Exposure

The source of the contamination, however, is not yet known. Both companies and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration emphasized that the investigation into the unprecedented outbreak that has sickened 51 babies in 19 states is ongoing.

Bill Van Ryn, an owner of Organic West Milk, said he learned last week that a sample of his companys milk powder collected by the FDA had tested positive for the germ that causes botulism.

But that doesnt mean his product is the source of the outbreak, Van Ryn stressed.

Related: Target, Walmart, Whole Foods Targeted in Botulism Suits

Nothing has been proven about our milk yet, he said, adding: Something happened in the process of converting the milk to powder and then in converting it to baby formula.

Organic West, which supplies milk from 55 farmers, didnt sell organic whole milk powder to any infant formula maker besides ByHeart, Van Ryn said. The milk company has halted sales of the powder used in any product intended for babies and children until more is known about the source of the outbreak, he added.

Powdered milk is made by pasteurizing liquid milk, concentrating it through evaporation and spraying it into a hot chamber, which causes the water to evaporate and leave behind fine, dry milk particles.

The Dairy Farmers of America is a global dairy cooperative. Its plant in Nevada processes about 1.5 million pounds of raw milk daily into 250,000 pounds of whole milk powder.

The Dairy Farmers of America said in a statement that Organic West was the source of milk for the sample that FDA collected that tested positive for botulism bacteria. The milk was processed into powder that met all required tests, the company said. Organic West subsequently sold the milk powder to ByHeart.

Manufacturers of end-use consumer products have a responsibility to properly process ingredients to ensure product safety, the statement read.

FDA officials said on Jan. 23 that a sample of organic whole milk powder collected from a supplier had tested positive for the botulism bacteria, though the agency didnt identify the supplier. Tests showed that sample was a genetic match to a sample taken from a finished can of ByHeart formula.

The agency also found the bacteria in an unopened can of formula matched a sample from a sick baby  and it also matched contamination detected in samples of milk powder used to make ByHeart formula and collected and tested by the company.

ByHeart officials declined to identify the source of those milk powder samples. The infant formula company has recalled all its products.

Botulism spores are common in the environment and can be found in most foods at very low levels, said Kristin Schill, a botulism expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Healthy adults consume Clostridium botulinum spores every day without becoming sick. But babies have immature guts that may not be able to prevent the spores from germinating and growing. Once they do, the spores produce a toxin that can cause paralysis and death.

Spores can be found everywhere, including in milk, though typically at low levels, Schill said. Pasteurization doesnt kill the germs. They can be present in the processing environment, too.

Botulism spores have been found in infant formula in the past, but this is the first large outbreak linked to the product. The risk has been considered so low that testing for botulism in infant formula is not required, though some formula makers voluntarily screen for microbiological signals that could indicate contamination.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Numbers
Fort Lauderdale, FL  February 2, 2026  Agenzee today unveiled Agenzee Assist, the latest addition to its suite of compliance solutions built specifically for the insurance industry. This premium, done-for-you service combines its powerful automation platform with a dedicated team of experts to offer a complete, hands-off solution for insurance agencies, carriers, MGAs, and many others.

Key Agenzee Assist features include:

License application processing

Carrier appointments

Regulatory action monitoring

CE tracking oversight

Proactive license renewal management

Centralized licensing documentation

License status verification

Producer readiness validation

Dedicated Account Manager

Concierge-level support

Beyond expert support, clients retain full visibility through real-time dashboards. Plus, producers gain access to Agenzees free mobile app, allowing them to manage their licenses and carrier appointments effortlessly on the go.

This new offering helps organizations overcome common operational hurdles, including renewal deadline tracking, CE tracking, and costly licensing lapses. By providing human oversight backed by powerful technology, Agenzee Assist ensures that producers remain active, compliant, and ready to sell without interruption.

We identified a clear need for a service that goes beyond software alone. Teams are already stretched thin, and their time is best spent growing the business, not managing administrative overhead, said Rajesh Nambiar, Agenzees CEO and Founder. Agenzee Assist is our answer. Its the difference between managing compliance and forgetting about it. We dont just remind you about deadlines; we handle the work for you.

Its the ultimate peace of mind, delivering a level of support that transforms compliance from a burden into a competitive advantage.

This service is ideal for ambitious insurance organizations that are penetrating new markets and expanding into new states, as well as any insurance business looking to improve operational efficiency and mitigate risk. With Agenzee Assist, companies can scale their producer force without increasing their internal operational workload.

About Agenzee

Agenzee is a Florida-based technology leader in compliance management solutions for the insurance industry. By leveraging intelligent automation, a user-centric design, and deep industry expertise, Agenzee empowers agencies, brokers, carriers, MGAs/MGUs, FMOs/TPMOs, TPAs, and individual producers to streamline their operations, reduce administrative burdens, and maintain regulatory compliance with confidence.

Media Contact:

Johnelee Dizon

Senior Marketing Manager

johnelee@agenzee.com

954-304-9027

Topics New Markets Market
The US-Ireland Alliance has removed the name of George Mitchell  the former US senator, diplomat, and architect of the Good Friday Agreement  from its prestigious scholarship programme after the release of almost three million files related to Jeffrey Epsteins underage sex-trafficking network in which Mr Mitchell is referenced multiple times.

Yesterday, the US-Ireland Alliance issued a statement saying its board of directors had unanimously agreed that its George J Mitchell Scholarship programme should no longer bear the former senators name.

The statement added: The decision was made due to new information that has come to light as part of the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein by the [US] department of justice on Friday, according to Trina Vargo, founder and president of the US-Ireland Alliance.

Mr Mitchells name first surfaced in connection with Epstein in 2019. Back then, he issued a statement denying accusations he had sex with one of Epsteins victims. He also claimed that, during the time he knew Epstein, he had no knowledge of his actions.

Mr Mitchell was one of the contributors to Epsteins now notorious 50th birthday book, in which he described their friendship as a blessing.

One of the newly released files includes a statement made to the FBI in 2020 from a witness who claims she was a schoolgirl when she was first assaulted by Epstein. She alleges she was also trafficked to the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles and the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington DC to have sex with Mr Mitchell.

In the eight-page statement  which includes harrowing details of intimidation and sexual assault by Epstein in New York and Florida  six paragraphs outline the allegations involving Mr Mitchell.

Because of redactions, it is unclear when the alleged encounters took place, but it appears it was before Epsteins highly controversial plea deal in July 2008, under which he pleaded guilty to Florida state charges of soliciting underage sex in order to avoid far more serious federal charges of trafficking minors for sex, which carry a potential life sentence.

The Mitchell scholarship programme was founded in 1998 by Trina Vargo, a former foreign policy adviser to Ted Kennedy, who had pressured former US president Bill Clinton to become involved in resolving the 30-year conflict that had claimed thousands of lives.

The negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement were chaired by Mr Mitchell, delivering a rare foreign policy triumph for the US.

Mr Mitchell had no executive involvement with the Mitchell scholarship programme, nor was he involved in the selection of participants. Despite its modest funding, the scholarship became an extremely competitive programme.

Several participants have turned down Rhodes scholarship offers in favour of becoming a Mitchell scholar. The programmes intake is currently paused because of funding issues.
More flooding is expected as heavy rain continues to fall on saturated ground throughout the south and east of Ireland, Met Eireann has said.

The forecastor warned that high river levels and tides are likely to lead to localised flooding, river flooding and difficult travel conditions.

High tide on Tuesday morning caused spot flooding in parts of Cork City and elsewhere nationwide, as eight counties remain under flood warnings.

A number of areas of the country have already experienced flooding caused by storms and heavy rain over the last few weeks.

It is understood that on Tuesday the cabinet approved opening the Emergency Humanitarian Flooding Scheme to help small businesses and community, voluntary and sports organisations that have suffered damage.

The Irish Red Cross administers the scheme which provides help for those who have been unable to obtain flood insurance.

Qualifying organisations will be able to access initial funding of up to 5,000, and following that additional funding of up to 20,000.

Ministers and the National Emergency Coordination Group are expected to meet on Tuesday evening to discuss the ongoing issues caused by storms and heavy rainfall over the last few weeks.

A status yellow rain warning is in place for Dublin, Louth and Wicklow until 9pm on Tuesday.

Louth County Council has said a number of parts of Drogheda close to the Boyne are flooded and should be avoided.

Sandbags were deployed in Newbridge, Co Kildare overnight as the river Liffey rose to a high level.

Carlow County Council has said the state of roads there are now of serious concern with a number significantly damaged and impassable.

It has told motorists not to pass road closed signs, to report any issues and travel with care.

Met Eireann said spells of heavy and persistent rainfall will continue through the week, particularly in southern and eastern coastal counties.

"Rain will fall on saturated ground where river levels are high, with high tides expected this week. This will lead to further flooding along rivers and in coastal areas," the forecaster said.

Meteorologist Holly O'Neill said: "On a normal day, if we hadn't had rain for the last few weeks, it's a normal January wet week. It's a wet day, it is a lot of rain.

"But given the fact that we've had such a consistent period of rain over the last week, any extra accumulations of rainfall that we get today, particularly over the South East, whether it's 10 mm or up to 30 mm, it will have a more significant impact," she told RTE's Morning Ireland on Tuesday.

It's rain on top of rain, the rain has nowhere to go basically at this point because the ground is so saturated, the rivers are so high or at bank full conditions.

"So the most likely impacts are going to be for those in the South East, unfortunately, because they've already borne the brunt of that rain for such a prolonged period, she added.

Ms O'Neill added that higher than normal high tides, combined with strong winds along the south-east and east coasts, mean that rivers can't discharge.

"[It] then means that rather than the levels gradually falling, the rainfall is actually just exaggerating the risk of river flooding. So it's really a combination of the worst-case scenario," she told Newstalk Breakfast.

'Quite frightening'

Micheal Martin said the countrys flood warning systems need to change.

The Taoiseach told Newstalks Claire Byrne programme that development of a text-based system is under way but will take a lot of work.

Such an alert system is where emergency planning is heading, he said but it is some distance away.

On Monday, Mr Martin visited areas badly hit by flooding in recent weeks including Aughrim, Co Wicklow, and on Tuesday he described what had happened as quite frightening.

This was literally water flowing down the mountains with nowhere else to go, he said, adding that it took roads with it and damaged a lot of houses and businesses in the process.

Mr Martin said funding allocations need to be planned as flooding events become more likely.

He added that prevention is key but said flooding schemes are complex and they do take time.

More short-term work is needed to tackle flooding, he said, adding that more nature-based solutions are needed.

Cork City flooding

In Cork City, surface water was expected on Wandesford Quay, Union Quay, and Kyrl's Quay at around 6.29am.

Further surface water is expected in those areas at 6.46pm on Tuesday evening, according to Cork City Council.

Cork City Council said it will deploy crews in the city centre to respond as required.

In Cork City, surface water was expected on Wandesford Quay, Union Quay, and Kyrl's Quay at around 6.29am. Picture: Jim Coughlan

Authorities are advising pedestrians to exercise caution in affected areas during high tide, while motorists are advised not to park in flood-prone locations and to allow time for possible diversions or delays.

Chairperson of the National Emergency Coordination Group Keith Leonard said local authorities across the eastern regions remain on high alert, with engineers monitoring water levels in real time across many catchments.

"Certainly, in some pinch points, there's no doubt there may have to be people who are moved from their homes. We'd hope those would be very limited operations," Mr Leonard told Newstalk Breakfast on Tuesday mornig.

"Generally speaking, local authorities try to do small engineering works or to put in temporary flood defences and temporary flooding operations to try and mitigate the worst impacts of flooding. But there's a point beyond where that does, so that just isn't feasible."

Mr Leonard added that the Government has committed funding to the response for as long as required.

I suppose the key piece with all these things is crews, and you know crews have been working on this now for over a week and probably are starting to get fatigued.

"So there is mutual support across the local authority system to try and again support outdoor staff, engineering staff and other people who are on the front line of this response," he added.

National outlook

Looking ahead, Wednesday will bring further outbreaks of rain, though brighter spells will develop, particularly in the midlands and western counties. Temperatures will range from 5C to 10C.

Wednesday night will remain cloudy in the south, with rain spreading from southern counties, while drier conditions and some clear spells develop further north.

Met Eireann said Thursdays forecast remains uncertain, though current indications point to a wet and windy day, with widespread rain becoming heavy and persistent at times.

Rain and drizzle will continue overnight, gradually becoming patchier and largely confined to the south and east by Friday morning.

Friday will remain wet and windy, with further heavy and persistent rainfall affecting the south and east.

- additional reporting from PA
New Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly should resign within six months if gardai cannot get to grips with cracking down on scrambler bikes, a Government TD has said.

Fianna Fail TD for Dublin North-West Paul McAuliffe has claimed that, in the wake of teenager Grace Lynch's death after being hit by a scrambler, gardai have failed to crack down on scramblers despite enough legislation existing allowing them to intercept the bikes when driven dangerously.

Mr McAuliffe told the Irish Examiner that while he is willing to give Mr Kelly time to tackle the problem, he would have already sought former commissioner Drew Harris resignation if he were still overseeing An Garda Siochana.

Plans to ban scramblers on public roads, in carparks, and in public parks will be brought to Cabinet as early as Wednesday.

It follows the death of Dublin teenager Grace Lynch, 16, in Finglas last month after she was hit by a scrambler, sparking outrage across the country and commentary that such bikes are being driven dangerously with impunity across beleaguered communities.

Grace Lynch's mother leads a march in memory of her daughter, who lost her life when she was hit by a scrambler motorcycle at the junction of Valley Park and Ratoath Road last Sunday. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins, Dublin.

Keith Lee, 18, of Park View Drive in Poppintree Park, Dublin, appeared before Blanchardstown District Court, accused of dangerous driving causing Ms Lynchs death.

Under the Road Traffic Act 2023, when a garda reasonably believes a vehicle is, has been, or could be driven dangerously, they can stop the driver and require them to exit, dismount, or otherwise relinquish charge and control of the vehicle. It also gives gardai power to seize scrambler bikes that are being driven dangerously.

However, Mr McAuliffe said he does not believe this is happening, and that scramblers are being seized by gardai as part of other operations, as opposed to the 2023 act.

The Garda Press Office confirmed 167 scramblers were seized in 2025. However, they could not say how many of these seizures were related to dangerous driving under the Road Traffic Act 2023.

Mr McAuliffe, a TD for Finglas, said scramblers have been "terrorising" his community for years, noting Taoiseach Micheal Martin was nearly knocked down during a visit to his constituency.

If [former Garda Commissioner] Drew Harris was still here, I'd have called for him to resign, because he didn't operationalise the law, Mr McAuliffe said.

They've talked about seizures. All the other policing parts of it, in my view, haven't been implemented, and there's widespread confusion.

You're not going to ask a man who's just been appointed, Justin Kelly, to resign. But his time as Garda Commissioner will be judged on whether he enforces the Road Traffic Act in my community.

Mr McAuliffe said if Mr Kelly does not "operationalise all parts of the Road Traffic Act 2023", he and the people of Finglas will be calling for his resignation.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

He claimed that when the local garda station is called about scramblers, they do not always send a squad car to monitor them or follow them home to tell their parents they are liable for a fine for supplying the bikes.

The Garda Press Office told the Irish Examiner that it does not comment on third-party statements.

Paul Donnelly, Sinn Fein TD for Dublin West, insisted that the new ban on scramblers in public places will be useless if gardai are not given the training and equipment to enforce it, arguing that the scrambler drivers have carte blanche to do what they want.

We are told on the ground that the gardai are instructed that they are not to chase, they are not to engage, he said. [Scramblers] will drive past garda cars and goad them.

Mr Donnelly said additional equipment needs to be provided to gardai, including drones.

He also pointed to anti-scrambler units in Britain that put police on scramblers, alongside drones to target hot spots.

How long have we had electric bikes, and yet the guards are still buying push bikes. It is archaic, he added.
Will an American Pope ever go head-to-head with an American president? What a bizarre scenario  but in the greatly unsettled and uncertain world in which we now live, such a confrontation cannot be entirely ruled out. But to what end?

For starters, on his form so far, marked by disdain for convention, protocol, and a rules-based order  not to mention moral norms  there is no reason to believe that President Trump would even listen to Pope Leo XIV, let alone pay heed.

On his own admission, the current occupant of the White House can only be constrained, not by any papal reprimand, not even by international law  he has claimed that the only constraint on his exercise of power is my own morality, my own mind.

We know by now that his own morality comes straight from the pages of The Godfather, with Trumps fondness (as he has demonstrated in the case of Greenland) for making offers that other countries cant refuse.

He doesnt care about Nato and other global alliances, and wants to see the dismemberment of the EU.

Trump believes US power matters more than international law. And like a Mafia don, he plays dirty; if you are a politician who opposes him, youre likely to wake up one morning to find a horses head in your bed. Or worse, as Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro found out.

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro at the Drug Enforcement Administration after being detained by US forces.

For Trump, as his political adviser Stephen Miller has brazenly declared, the world henceforth is to be governed by strength, by force, by power. Respect for the rule of law, human rights, democracy, and the territorial integrity of nation states has been cast aside.

Gone, too, what the former UK prime minister Gordon Brown has recognised is the founding principle of the postwar settlement: that countries choose diplomacy and multilateral co-operation over aggression and unilateral action.

In that context, it is surely clear now that flattery, currying favour, and appeasement do not work in the current White House where the 47th president is surrounded by toadies. What was Maria Corina Machado, Venezuelas opposition leader, thinking when she handed over her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump?

US president Donald Trump meets with MarIa Corina Machado of Venezuela in the Oval Office during which she presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize.

There is also the fact that three of Trumps chief toadies are Catholics; vice-president JD Vance is a convert, while both secretary of state Marco Rubio and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt are lifelong Catholics.

And according to The Washington Post, 56% of Catholics supported Trump in the 2024 election, compared to 41% for Kamala Harris. This level of support cannot be discounted, especially by the Vatican which is strapped for cash. It depends heavily on financial support from the two wealthiest national churches in the world  the German and the American.

But if Pope Leo goes after Maga money in the USA to sort out the Vaticans financial crisis, some observers fear this could draw him into an alliance of some sorts with Trump. There is no doubt that the Vaticans money problems are one of Pope Leos big worries.

Just days before Francis entered hospital for his final time, in February 2025, he established a new global fundraising commission to help close the Vaticans annual budget shortfalls, according to Christopher White, former Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter.

While hard figures have always been difficult to come by for an institution that has never had clear accounting procedures, a July 2024 report estimated an annual operating budget deficit of 87m. Compounding the problem is a looming pension fund crisis that is estimated to be underfunded by 1.5bn.

This  however much Vatican officials may claim otherwise  means that Pope Leos freedom to act as an independent moral player on the world stage is compromised. He has to think twice before any denunciation of Trump and his madcap policies. This is also a powerful argument for abolishing the entire Vatican apparatus, the funding of which has very negative connotations for the Papacy  but thats an argument for another day.

Pope Leo XIV prays before to close the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on the Feast of the Epiphany, at the Vatican, on January 6, 2026. Picture: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty

Mind you, Pope Francis refused to allow budgetary problems to intimidate him. He took the very unusual step of issuing a rebuke of Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019. Appearing on Fox News for a segment on immigration, Vance defended Trumps 'America First' border-enforcement policy by invoking what he characterised as an old school Christian concept: You love your family and then you love your neighbour, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then after that, you can focus on and prioritise the rest of the world. A lot of the far left has completely inverted that.

This started an intra-Catholic debate over the meaning of odro amoris, or rightly ordered love, a phrase that appears in Augustines City of God and Thomas Aquinass Summa Theologica.

Some Catholic commentators pushed back against Vances superficial understanding of Catholic social teaching.

More extraordinary, Pope Francis also took the time to rebuke Vance and correct the vice-presidents flawed theology in a pointed letter to the American bishops, while offering a powerful defence of migrants and refugees.

But then Jorge Mario Bergoglio was not an American, and didnt have to take into consideration factors that will weigh heavily on his successor.

In any case, the chances of a papal reprimand are not great, not in the case of Robert Prevost (aka Pope Leo). He is constrained by his own background and cultural and religious formation (which would include an exalted view of the US presidency) and the Augustinian belief that rulers rule by divine right (Pauls Epistle to the Romans 13: 1-7).

Pope Leo XIV, who has shown himself to be a timorous pontiff, may speak in generalised and indirect terms about the need to uphold a liberal global order, but he is unlikely to risk a head-to-head confrontation with Trump. In addition to the Vaticans precarious finances, he will have to steer the Church through the geopolitical turmoil stemming from Trump and factor in the latters unpredictability.

Once, we needed to have a Pope who would speak in favour of human rights in Russia and China, said Massimo Fagioli, a professor of theology at Villanova University.

You now need someone who can speak truth to American power.

Is Pope Leo XIV that someone? Time will tell.
When even the Israeli military accepts the scale of death, what possible excuse is left for the Wests moral shrug?

This week, Haaretz reported that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have acknowledged the Gaza health ministrys estimate that more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed by the IDF. Not alleged. Not disputed. Accepted. By the army thats been doing the killing.

That fact alone should have detonated every newsroom and foreign ministry in the Western world. Instead, it passed like a grim weather update. Another number. Another headline. Another moment quickly buried under the usual fog of complexity. But pause on it.

If 70,000 deaths is the figure the killing side is willing to recognise, what does that tell us about the real toll in a territory where bodies lie unrecovered under mountains of rubble, where hospitals have been destroyed, where people die unseen from starvation, infection, and untreated wounds?

In a place where counting the dead has itself become impossible?

It tells us the real number is almost certainly far higher. Potentially in the hundreds of thousands. And yet, this is the moment the West has chosen to manage rather than confront.

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors from the rubble of a police station after it was targeted by an Israeli army strike in Gaza City on Saturday. Picture: Jehad Alshrafi/AP

Al Jazeera has reported that more than 2,700 entire Palestinian families have been wiped out in Gaza  not individuals, not households partially destroyed, but entire extended families erased from the civil registry. Family names eliminated. Bloodlines ended. In thousands more cases, only a single survivor remains.

These are not casualties. This is genealogical destruction. At the very least, 70,000 dead  2,700 families extinguished.

And still, the dominant political instinct  in Ireland, across Europe, in Washington  is to wait it out. To let outrage exhaust itself. To allow Gaza to recede from the front pages. To replace moral urgency with procedural language. To hope that time will perform the absolution our actions will not.

This is not caution. It is complicity by inertia.

Listen to Huda Skaik

From inside Gaza, the reality is spoken in a voice Western capitals prefer not to hear.

In a recent dispatch, Gaza-based writer Huda Skaik described Israels decision to bar dozens of international humanitarian organisations from operating in the occupied Palestinian territory. It is not, she wrote, merely an administrative measure. It is a continuation of the assault by other means.

Huda Skaik is an English literature student and journalist from Gaza. Picture: substack.com /@hudaskaik

This genocide has never been just about bombs and tanks, she wrote.

In reality, it is about systematically dismantling every structure that allows Palestinians to survive, endure, and bear witness to what is being inflicted on them.

She described Gaza as having been turned into a laboratory of engineered deprivation  hospitals destroyed, water systems dismantled, bakeries shut down, borders sealed, aid convoys obstructed and attacked. Now, even humanitarian work itself is being criminalised.

And crucially, Ms Skaik named what this really targets: Witnesses.

Aid organisations do more than deliver relief, she wrote.

They document violations, count civilians killed, record testimonies, and challenge official narratives.

Silencing them is part of a broader effort to control the narrative of Gaza. Israel wants to control who speaks, who is believed, and whose suffering is rendered invisible.

That is the centre of this moment.

Gaza is not only being destroyed, it is being sealed.

The crime scene is being cleared while the crime is still underway.

At least 562 aid workers, including hundreds of UN staff, have been killed. Doctors abducted. Convoys bombed and clinics flattened.

Huda Skaik described Gaza as having been turned into a laboratory of engineered deprivation. Picture: Jehad Alshrafi/AP

And now the remaining organisations are regulated out, buried under requirements no other country in the world imposes.

The latest ban is the logical extension of that violence, Ms Skaik wrote.

If you cannot fully destroy life, you turn to suffocating it slowly. If you cannot kill them all, you will make living impossible.

This is what the so-called ceasefire has meant in practice: Not relief, but consolidation. Not accountability, but control. Not access, but erasure.

If the ceasefire had meant anything, it would have been the moment the world forced its way into Gaza. When independent war-crimes investigators entered and journalists were allowed to report freely. When mass graves were protected rather than paved over. When testimonies were recorded before entire families vanished from memory.

None of that happened.

Instead, Western leaders treated it as a political interlude. A chance to recalibrate messaging. To lower the temperature. To move on.

In Ireland, the performance has been painfully familiar. Statements of concern. Reaffirmations of international law. Symbolic gestures carefully divorced from material consequences. The Occupied Territories Bill stalled more times than the new childrens hospital. Sanctions endlessly discussed, never imposed.

Meanwhile, there is no comparable hesitation when it comes to advancing new definitions of antisemitism or performing moral ceremony at official events.

Yesterday's Holocaust; today's genocide

We are quick to speak on yesterdays Holocaust. Slow to act on todays genocide. And glacial when it comes to doing anything that might carry real political cost. This is not neutrality. It is a studied avoidance of responsibility. The unspoken calculation is obvious: Wait for Gaza to exhaust itself as an issue. Let the news cycle move on. Let horror become background noise and let future commissions deal with the past. But history does not work that way.

Gaza is not an isolated tragedy. It is the thread that now runs through everything.

It runs through the US, where militarised policing, mass surveillance, and the normalisation of state violence at home mirror the techniques tested and legitimated abroad  from Minneapolis to Rafah.

It runs through Europes accelerating drive toward militarisation, the quiet construction of a permanent war footing, the fantasy that building an EU army will insulate us from the consequences of a world where law is optional and power is everything.

It runs through the obsessive paranoia about Russia and China  the constant invocation of a rules-based international order that collapses the moment those rules inconvenience an ally.

It runs through Irelands self-image of neutrality, forcing a question we have long postponed: Is neutrality the refusal to take sides between power and power, or between power and people?

Gaza exposes the evasion

Gaza exposes this evasion. It strips away the rhetoric. It shows us what our values are worth when they are tested against strategic interest.

Because when an occupying army accepts that more than 70,000 people have been killed, and the response of the so-called democratic world is managerial rather than moral, something profound has broken.

We are told to be careful. To mind our language. To balance every sentence. To contextualise every massacre. To centre every conversation on Western anxiety rather than Palestinian death.

We are told that outrage is dangerous. That anger clouds judgement. That restraint is the mark of seriousness.

It's not just Gaza: Palestinian residents look on as Israeli soldiers aim their weapons in a market in Balata refugee camp in the West Bank on Sunday. Picture: Majdi Muhammad/AP

But what is serious about a politics that can absorb the eradication of thousands of families without rupture?

What is serious about a media culture that treats the acknowledgement of tens of thousands of deaths as another data point in a running story?

What is serious about a diplomatic class that can watch humanitarianism itself being outlawed and respond with calls and urging?

Moral anaemia

This is not seriousness. It is moral anaemia.

Huda Skaik asked the question plainly from inside Gaza: What does it mean to ban aid in a place where more than 80% of the population depends on humanitarian assistance to survive? It means weaponising hunger. It means turning winter into a death sentence for families living in tents.

She answered it too.

It also exposes, yet again, the moral collapse of an international system that allows an occupying power to decide who may eat, heal, or live.

That collapse is not happening somewhere else. It is happening in the institutions that claim to represent us. In the parliaments that prefer caution to courage. In the newsrooms that confuse balance with blindness. In the governments that have convinced themselves that doing very little, very slowly, is the same thing as leadership.

Gaza is a moral referendum

There will come a time when full accounting is unavoidable. When the rubble is cleared. When the archives open. When the dead are finally counted. When exterminated family names are read aloud.

And when that happens, no one will ask whether our statements were nuanced enough.

They will ask what we did when we knew. They will ask why the acknowledgement of 70,000 dead did not trigger consequences.

They will ask why the erasure of 2,700 families did not rupture diplomatic relations. They will ask why the banning of humanitarian witnesses did not provoke collective action.

They will ask why we waited.

Gaza is not only a humanitarian catastrophe. It is the moral referendum of our age. And on the evidence so far  from Dublin to Brussels to Washington  we are voting for inertia.
Billionaire James Dyson has been granted planning permission for a helipad at his Waterford estate despite the objections of some nearby residents.

In a decision on the case, the planning appeals board said the modest frequency of helicopter flights and the general flight paths would not "unduly detract from the landscape character or setting" of Ballynatray, notwithstanding the location within a scenic setting area of Waterford.

The inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner purchased Ballintray House and its estate on the banks of the River Blackwater in 2024 for more than 30m.

Since acquiring the property, close to the Cork and Waterford border, Dyson has carried out modifications to the property including the addition of a tennis court and, in October 2024, sought permission from Waterford Council to add a helipad and an upgraded wastewater treatment system.

The addition of the helipad was met with objections by some local residents who argued that up to 50 helicopter landings a year would have an adverse affect to the wildlife on the river and the local population, saying the Blackwater is an unspoiled haven that is something that should be preserved and cherished and not spoiled with the weekly noise of a helicopter.

The historic Ballynatray House will host one of the scheduled events in May as part of the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.

One objector said a helicopter could be heard from kilometres around and would have a disturbing influence on wildlife in the area, which is described as being a sanctuary due to the lack of interference from humans.

A neighbour wrote to the council, stating: It is difficult in todays world to find such areas. I feel strongly that, for the sake of someones convenience, an area of natural beauty and importance will be subjected to unnecessary disturbance.

The council was told the site is an important nesting site for herons, egrets, cormorants, and birds of prey such as sparrowhawks, owls, and buzzards.

An objection said the helicopter would fundamentally alter the natural soundscape and peaceful aural environment of the area, replacing birdsong and the sounds of nature with the intrusive noise of rotor blades.

A different objection to the original planning submission described the Blackwater River and its surrounds as a sensitive area continually under attack from housing, building, boats, jet-skis, and now helicopters.

He said there were more than a dozen other houses in the area that could accommodate a helipad.

Waterford Council granted permission for the helipad last June to be built under certain conditions. However, neighbours filed an appeal with An Comisiun Pleanala.

In a decision, the board granted permission for the development, imposing a limit on the use of the helipad to no more than 50 flights in any one calendar year.

"It is considered that subject to conditions, the location and siting of the proposed development within the attendant grounds of Ballynatray House, would not unduly detract from the landscape character or setting of Ballynatray Demesne or significantly injure the residential amenities of the properties in vicinity," the planning decisiosn states.

The historic Ballynatray House will host one of the scheduled events in May as part of the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.
An authoritative survey of 23 armed conflicts over the last 18 months has concluded international law seeking to limit the effects of war is at breaking point, with more than 100,000 civilians killed, while torture and rape are committed with near impunity.

The extensive study by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights describes the deaths of 18,592 children in Gaza, growing civilian casualties in Ukraine, and an epidemic of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Such is the scale of violations, and the lack of consistent international efforts to prevent them, the study, entitled War Watch, concludes international humanitarian law is at a critical breaking point.

Stuart Casey-Maslen, the lead author, said: Atrocity crimes are being repeated because past ones were tolerated. Our actions  or inaction  will determine whether international humanitarian law vanishes altogether.

The laws of armed conflict were developed extensively after the end of the Second World War, including through the 1949 Geneva conventions. A key aim was to protect civilians from the consequences of civil wars and conflicts between states.

War Watch surveyed 23 armed conflicts around the world between July 2024 and the end of 2025, and is a counterpoint to claims by Donald Trump to have ended eight wars during his year in office.

The research concludes: We do not know how many civilians have been killed in the conduct of hostilities during armed conflicts in 2024 and 2025, but we do know that the number is well over 100,000 in each of the two years.

'Serious violations of international humanitarian law'

The result is that serious violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) were wrought, the report continues, on a huge scale and with rampant impunity  while efforts to seek war crimes prosecutions have been limited in response.

One of the most deadly conflicts was in Gaza. Israel relentlessly attacked the Palestinian territory with airstrikes and ground incursions during the two-year war that began with Hamass attack on October 7, 2023.

Gazas total population fell by about 254,000 people, a 10.6% decline compared with pre-conflict estimates, the research notes. Although a ceasefire was agreed in October 2025, hundreds more Palestinians have been killed in fighting since. In all, 18,592 children and about 12,400 women had been killed by the end of 2025.

More civilians were killed in Ukraine in 2025 than in the two previous years  a recorded total of 2,514  which War Watch notes was a 70% increase on the number killed in 2023. Russian drone attacks have deliberately targeted civilians, and millions of homes have lost electricity and other utilities.

Sexual and gender-based violence are documented in almost every conflict. In armed conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an epidemic of such violence has been perpetrated by almost all parties. Victims, the vast majority of whom are women and girls, range from year-old infants to 75-year-olds.

In Sudan, brutal sexual violence was documented after the fall of El Fasher to rebels in October 2025. Survivors told of being gang-raped by RSF fighters, the report notes, with the abuse lasting hours or days and sometimes taking place in the presence of family members.

The reports authors argue that while under the Geneva conventions every country is bound to respect and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law in all circumstances, in practice there is a widening gap between treaty obligations and a reality that allows more war crimes to take place.

Addressing widespread impunity for serious violations of international law should be treated as a policy priority, the War Watch study observes. Its authors propose a series of safeguards to try to reduce the number of war crimes.

They include introducing and enforcing a ban on arms sales by all countries where there is a clear risk that the arms or ammunition to be delivered will be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.

A second proposal is to prohibit the use of unguided gravity bombs or inaccurate long-range artillery in populated areas, plus restricting drones and artificial intelligence targeting against civilians.

It also argues for ensuring the systematic prosecution of war crimes and calls for adequate political and financial support of the international criminal court (ICC) in The Hague, and national war crimes tribunals. Many major powers are not members of the ICC, including the US, Russia, China, Israel, and India.

Guardian
February 2, 2026



Bones currently separated by thousands of miles could rewrite a piece of the natural history of northern Wyoming.

Detailed in a paper published by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, L.J. Krumenacker, adjunct professor of geosciences at Idaho State University, affiliate curator at the Idaho Museum of Natural History, and professor of geology and biology at the College of Eastern Idaho, Robert Gay, education manager at the Idaho Museum of Natural History and their co-authors, hypothesize a toe bone and braincase currently in the collections of the Idaho Museum of Natural History, and a skull and skeleton located at the Aathal Dinosaur Museum in Zurich, Switzerland, point to the possibility of there being one or more as yet identified species of dinosaurs that roamed Northern Wyoming 150 million years ago.

These fossils, from the Red Canyon Ranch Quarry of northern Wyoming, each have distinct features not before described and/or seen in dinosaurs and belonging to a group known as ornithopods, which were large, unarmored plant-eating dinosaurs, said Krumenacker.

An upper toe bonecalled a metatarsalis longer and skinnier than other known specimens from ornithopod dinosaurs and has a distinct groove on its side, says Krumenacker. Additionally, the braincase has a unique backwards-pointing prong, and the skull, part of a full skeleton affectionately named "Arky," has numerous features and proportions not seen in previously identified species.



It can be tricky for paleontologists to try and identify a new species, said Krumenacker. Since we are relegated to the bones of the dead animal, we need to identify features of the skeleton that suggest a distinct difference in physical characteristics, such as cranial nerve patterns, shape of skull bones, overall proportions of parts of the animal, etc. Additionally, we need to account for the possibility that features may change their characteristics due to the age or gender of the animal.

Krumenacker continued, Skulls and braincases are some of the best elements to help you know if something is new, limb bones and vertebrae not so much. However, our metatarsal is so drastically distinct from anything else that our hypothesis is reasonable. However, being one isolated bone, it is not the best science to try and use it to define a new species. That is why we need to see more skeletons that may have this distinct foot bone and go from there.

This possibly new animal is similar to the already discovered Dryosaurus and Camptosaurus. These animals may have stood four to six feet tall at the hips and weighed in at 200 lbs. in the case of Dryosaurus, or up to nearly a ton, like Camptosaurus. Walking on two legs, these beaked dinosaurs would have spent their days of the Late Jurassic eating plants.

During the Late Jurassic, northern Wyoming had a tropical, semi-arid environment with a rainy monsoonal season and a dry season, possibly similar to that of portions of Africa today, Krumenacker said.

The smaller plant-eating dinosaurs from this time in North America have confused scientists for nearly 200 years, said Gay. Recent work by our colleagues in Europe has helped straighten out our understanding of these animals, which is allowing us to look at the IMNH and Zurich specimens in a new light. Our fossils are frustratingly fragmentary, but they show that there's more to learn about these cows of the Jurassic."

Recently, the Arky skull and skeleton were donated to the Natural History Museum of the University of Zurich. Once its in their collection, Krumenacker plans to return to Zurich to study the skeleton in greater detail and confirm if theyve found a new species.



Ill need to take 3D scans of the bones, document their anatomical features, and take measurements and photographs to compare them to other skeletons of Camptosaurus and Dryosaurus at other museums in the U.S., said Krumenacker. The skull will especially help with determining if this indeed is a new species because these elements have the most variability and distinct features between different species. Arky's skull consists of numerous different original bones, and a smaller portion that are reconstructed. All of these are currently fused together in the reconstructed skull, and we need to remove the reconstructed portions to verify the anatomy of the entire skull as reconstructed. Once this is done, we should be able to compare and contrast with Arky's closest relatives and see if the perceived differences in the reconstructed skull are legitimate.

Additional co-authors on the paper, Enigmatic ornithopod specimens from the Simon Quarry of the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation, Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, are Joseph Peterson, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; Rod Sheetz, curator with the Brigham Young University Museum of Paleontology; and Bob Simon, a private paleontologist.



Hopefully, this study inspires others to look at their Camptosaurus fossils to see whether these features are preserved there too (or not), which will go a long way towards testing our hypothesis on where this animal fits in the tree of life," Gay said.



For more information about the Idaho Museum of Natural History, visit isu.edu/imnh.

More on ISUs Department of Geosciences can be found at isu.edu/geosciences.


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( Middle East Monitor )  It is rare for an Israeli voice to emerge from the heart of crisis and articulate what politics itself cannot.

Yet Yuval Noah Hararineither a politician nor an agent of state power, but a globally respected social thinkerhas done precisely that. He argues that the IsraeliPalestinian conflict is no longer a dispute over land, but over the moral certainties each side wraps around its own absolute narrative.

In a substantial essay published recently in the Financial Times, Harari does not position himself as a champion of the Palestinian story. He does something more unsettling: he dismantles the Israeli narrative from within, stripping it of the historical sanctity long used to justify force.

He states plainly that the land between the river and the sea is not too small to accommodate both peoples, and that what obstructs coexistence is not geography but myth.

In a rare departure from mainstream Israeli discourse, he acknowledges that Palestinians are not latecomers to the land, and that they possess a full and legitimate right to live on itnot as guests, nor as potential inhabitants, but as children of the place, as rooted as Jews and perhaps more deeply woven into its daily life.

This raises an unavoidable question: can a voice like Hararishowever morally groundedfind an audience within Israels political and military establishment?

Can a discourse that challenges historical certainties and affirms Palestinian rights gain traction in a society built on fear and the centrality of force?

Or will his intervention remain suspended in the air, with no political ground on which to land?

Harari proceeds to unravel the Israeli narrative to its logical ends.

He reminds readers that after most Jews left the land, they were never barred from returning. Neither Romans nor Arabs nor Ottomans closed the gates.

The uncomfortable truth, he argues, is that Jews did not wish to return, and that the land now framed as an eternal dream was, for centuries, a destination for only a very small minority.

He then punctures another foundational myth: prayer, however sincere, does not constitute a deed of ownership.

His analogy is sharp: if one prays daily for a neighbours house to become ones own, after how many prayers may one claim it at the land registry?

With this, Harari dismantles the emotional core of Zionist reasoningthe idea that religious longing can be converted into political entitlement.

He also situates Palestinians in their historical reality.

When the first Zionists arrived in the late nineteenth century, the land was far from empty.

It was alive with citiesAcre, Jaffa, Gaza, Nablus, Hebronand with hundreds of villages forming a deep social and cultural fabric.

And even if Palestinian national identity was not fully crystallised at the time, that does not negate its existence today.

Nations are not born in a single moment; they take shape over time. Two centuries of shared experience are more than enough for a nation to come of age.

Harari also critiques the Palestinian narrative, though from a different angle.

He does not deny Palestinian existence or their right to the land. Instead, he challenges the idea of a singular first origina notion he sees as illusory on both sides.

The land between the river and the sea has never belonged exclusively to one people. Its history is a palimpsest of conquests, migrations and overlapping identities.

Palestine itself was historically an administrative designation, its borders shifting with empires. The British, not earlier rulers, drew the contours of Mandatory Palestine as we know it today.

Yet Harari avoids the trap of false equivalence.

He does not use these facts to undermine Palestinian legitimacy.

Rather, he argues that nations derive their legitimacy not from ancient names or imperial maps, but from shared life, accumulated memory and the daily intimacy between people and their land.

In the final part of his essay, Harari attempts to balance the intertwined truths.

He notes that describing Israelis as European colonisers ignores a Jewish presence that has existed in the land for millennia, and overlooks the fact that half of todays Israeli Jews are from the Middle Eastfrom Baghdad, Cairo, Sanaa, Aleppo, Tripoli, Tunis, Rabat.

But even as he offers this clarification, Harari does not grant Jews an absolute right.

He places them in their proper historical context: an ancient presence, yes, but not an eternal privilege, nor a political title deed for the twentieth century.

He returns to the essential point: Palestinians in the 1920s were the actual inhabitants of the land, and Jewish persecution in Europe was not their responsibility.

No people can be asked to bear the burden of crimes committed elsewhere.

But time, Harari insists, has transformed the landscape. A century later, the land is home to two peoples of equal number, equal wound, and equal lack of alternatives.

Seven million Jews with nowhere else to go, and seven million Palestinians with no other homeland. This fact alone undermines every absolute claim and every narrative that seeks to erase the other.

From here, Harari reaches his central argument: peace cannot be built on temporary arrangements or maps drawn under duress.

It requires generositya concept that sounds almost naive in an age of weapons, yet is the only force capable of breaking the cycle of fear.

He urges Israelis to stop clinging to every hill and spring. Land is not the ultimate prize; the neighbour behind the wall is.

Israels true interest lies not in expanding its borders but in ensuring that Palestine becomes a real statesecure, prosperous, capable of being a neighbour rather than a captive.

He calls on Palestinians to offer a different kind of generosity: legitimacy.

A recognition that could open the door to broader Arab and Muslim acceptance, granting Israelis a sense of securityironically, the very sense Palestinians themselves have been denied for decades.

In the end, Harari warns that time is not infinite.

Those who speak of eternity forget that eternity is an illusion, and that the world is changing at a pace that threatens everyonefrom nextgeneration nuclear weapons to autonomous AI armies.

The alternative to two states for two peoples may not be one state, but zero states for zero people, if stubbornness continues to strangle the future.



US CIA Map of Israel and its Neighbors, 2001. Public Domain.

With this intervention, Harari steps beyond competing narratives to articulate something simple and profound: that land is not redeemed by myth, nor liberated by force, but by human beings who recognise one another, who relinquish their lethal certainties, and who choose to be neighbours rather than enemies.

Yet the question remains: Can Israel, with a political and military structure steeped in the arrogance of power, listen to such a voice?

Can a discourse that affirms Palestinians full right to dignified life, and calls for a real Palestinian state, find space in a society built on fear and the primacy of force?

Or will Hararis voice remain, like many before it, a cry in a valley that hears nothing but its own echo?

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.

Via Middle East Monitor
It is out!

Juan says: Im honored to have an essay in this volume on threats to academic freedom and to free speech in the United States since 2023. I look at the crisis as it unfolded in is first months. All of the essays are urgent reading during Americas current Third Red Scare. I have been in higher education as a student or professor for over five decades, and I have never seen things as bad as they are now. This courageous book diagnoses our current national pathology.

The essays collected in In the Spirit of H. Chandler Davis: Activism and the Struggle for Academic Freedom honor the life and legacy of H. Chandler Davis (19262022), a mathematician, writer, and fearless defender of intellectual freedom. Davis, then a young faculty member at the University of Michigan, became a symbol of principled dissent when he was suspended and ultimately dismissed in 1954 for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Unlike many who invoked the Fifth Amendments protection against self-incrimination, Davis based his refusal solely on the First Amendment guarantee of free speech - staking his livelihood and liberty on the principle that no government body had the right to police ideas. Convicted of contempt of Congress, he served six months in prison before rebuilding his career in Canada, where he became a brilliant mathematician, editor, and advocate for justice, equality, and peace.

In the Spirit of H. Chandler Davis: Activism and the Struggle for Freedom. Edited by Michael Atzmon, Gary D. Krenz, John Cheney-Lippold, Melanie S. Tanielian. Ann Arbor, MI: Disobedience Press, January 2026. Click here to order.

This volume brings together a wide-ranging group of voiceshistorians, legal scholars, educators, civil liberties advocates, and public intellectualswho situate Daviss legacy within todays escalating threats to free inquiry. Their essays examine the recurring dangers of political repression and censorship, from McCarthy-era loyalty investigations to todays book bans, surveillance of campus protest, suppression of speech on Palestine, and the chilling effects of so-called institutional neutrality. Collectively, they show how fear and authoritarian pressures undermine the independence of universities and the right to free expression.

Also included are posthumously published writings by Chandler Davis and by his wife, the eminent historian Natalie Zemon Davis. Their reflections on persecution and resistance underscore the enduring importance of refusing silence in the face of intimidation.

At once historical and urgently contemporary, In the Spirit of H. Chandler Davis makes clear that defending academic freedom is inseparable from defending democracy itself. Inspired by Daviss courage and integrity, the book offers powerful insights into why intellectual independence and institutional autonomy remain vitaland why they must be defended wherever they are under attack.

What people are saying about the book:

The arch of the moral university does not bend towards justice of its own accord. It does so because of those who stand and fight the authoritarians and the fascists. Today, when so many are cowering, or worse, capitulating, it becomes important to reflect on those like H. Chandler Davis who continued to demand justice even during the darkest of times.

 ISAAC KAMOLA, author of Manufacturing Backlash

This remarkable volume breathes with the spirit of resistance and resilience as we strive to stand up against todays official assault on academic and intellectual freedom.

 HOWARD BRICK Professor of History Emeritus, University of Michigan

Editors Bios:

Michael Atzmon is Professor Emeritus of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan. His research included experimental and theoretical studies of nanomaterials and metallic glasses. He has been involved with the Davis-Markert-Nickerson Lecture for the past decade.

John Cheney-Lippold is Associate Professor of American Culture and Digital Studies at the University of Michigan. He is author of We Are Data: Algorithms and the Making of our Digital Selves and currently researches and writes on digital technology, power, and culture.

Gary D. Krenz retired recently from the directorship of the historic Judy and Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory at the University of Michigan. In the course of his career at U-M, he held a number of administrative roles and lectured in philosophy on ethics, particularly ethics of higher education.

Melanie S. Tanielian is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Michigan whose research focuses on war, famine, and humanitarianism in the modern Middle East. She is the author of The Charity of War: Famine, Humanitarian Aid, and World War I in the Middle East and is currently expanding her work to examine the politics of food insecurity and humanitarian response in the region today. Her scholarship bridges past and present to illuminate how societies confront crisis and care.
February 2nd, 2026 - TheNewswire - Rockport, Ontario - New Age Metals Inc. (TSX.V: NAM; OTCQB: NMTLF; FSE: P7J.F) (NAM or Company) is pleased to announce its ESG/Sustainability Report for the year 2024-2025. The scope of this Report encompasses NAMs newly acquired Newfoundland and Labrador Au-Sb properties (Nfld Au-Sb Properties) and Alaska Genesis PGM-Cu-Ni Project.

NAMs ESG/Sustainability Report is now available under the ESG tab on its corporate website.

HIGHLIGHTS:

The report is based on frameworks outlined by both TCFD (Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures) and SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board). This action was completed to ensure that the report aligns with important and industry best practice.

Exploration activities during the reporting period were limited to reconnaissance field visits and surface sampling. Fuel use associated with these activities was minimal and considered immaterial to the Companys overall emissions profile. Accordingly, no detailed Scope 1 emissions quantification was undertaken for the period.

Similarly, no water was sourced from any water sources.

Ongoing community engagement with the Temagami, Nipissing, and Sagkeeng First Nations continued, including regular coordination meetings, Chief and Council discussions, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and the completion of archaeological, land-use, and other baseline surveys.

Harry Barr, Chairman and CEO of NAM commented, On behalf of the management team and Board of Directors, I am pleased to provide an update on the key milestones achieved to date in 2026, as well as the goals and priorities for New Age Metals (NAM) for the remainder of the year.

Since NAMs inception, our approach has been grounded in identifying and engaging with all key stakeholders before advancing any project, particularly those connected to the environmental and social landscape of the regions in which we operate. To that end, we have made substantial investments in stakeholder outreach and have maintained direct, ongoing engagement with First Nations, local communities, and other custodians surrounding our properties

At NAM, we firmly believe that while a projects success may be measured through its economic performance and financial outcomes, the long-term sustainability of that success depends on a strong commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. This commitment not only strengthens our projects but also provides the foundation for meaningful partnerships and the enduring social license to operate.

The Company aims to ensure that we are actively communicating with investors and other stakeholders to the best of our abilities, and we want you to know that we are available to answer any questions or concerns.

NAM understands the importance of these ESG reports and the visibility, transparency, and affirmation they provide to environmental, social, and governance issues arising from its operations, which is imperative across the industry. As it has done in the past, NAM will include disbursement of such reports as an annual target and will ensure to involve all stakeholders and communities as much as possible.

About NAM

New Age Metals is a junior mineral exploration and development company focused on the discovery, exploration, and development of critical green metal projects in North America. The Company has three divisions: a Platinum Group Element division, a Lithium/Rare Metals division, an Antimony-Gold Division as well as an investment in MetalQuest Minings (TSXV:MQM | OTC:MQMIF) high purity Lac Otelnuk Iron Project.

The PGM Division includes the 100% owned, multi-million-ounce, district-scale River Valley Project, one of North Americas largest undeveloped Platinum Group Element Projects, situated 100 km by road east of Sudbury, Ontario. In addition to River Valley, NAM owns 100% of the Genesis PGM-Cu-Ni Project in Alaska. Most recent PGM announcement: https://newagemetals.com/new-age-metals-prepares-its-platinum-group-metals-division-to-launch/.

New Age Metals AntimonyGold division is located in Newfoundland and comprises a 20,950-hectare land package across 11 non-contiguous properties. Six of these properties are situated in the St. Albans area, along Canstars Swanger and Little River mineralized trends. The remaining five properties are strategically positioned along the same regional geological trend as the past-producing Beaver Brook Antimony Mine and are also located near New Found Golds Queensway South Gold Project.

Management has completed Phase 1 exploration and has now finished Phase 2 fieldwork. The Phase 2 program successfully delineated multiple goldantimony (AuSb) trends, and the Company is currently planning follow-up exploration while awaiting additional assay results. These results will be used to guide exploration targeting and program planning for 2026 and beyond. Most recent releases: https://newagemetals.com/axiom-exploration-group-initiates-xcite-helicopter-borne-tdem-survey-over-nams-sentinel-antimony-property-newfoundland-nam-monitors-fintech-solutions-to-enhance-market-transparency/

https://newagemetals.com/new-age-metals-samples-high-grade-antimony-gold-silver-and-lead-at-st-albans-newfoundland-and-starts-phase-2-exploration

On January 21st 2026, New Age Metals announced the successful aquisiton of the Northern Sheild PGM-Copper-Nickel Project located in Ontarios Ring of Fire Region, located within the Fishtrap Lake Intrusive Complex in Northern Ontario, Canada. This acquisition represents a first step in NAMs expanding Ring of Fire strategy.

The Bonanza Ridge Gold and Critical Metals Project has been significantly expanded with the option agreements for the Lavender Lake and South Gibi Lake properties, adding a combined ~5,216 hectares (~12,889 acres) of prospective ground in the Kenora Gold District of northwestern Ontario. These properties, located about 25 km southeast of Kenora, are strategically positioned along a favourable structural corridor adjacent to NAMs flagship Bonanza Gold Property, and host known gold and copper occurrences with minimal modern exploration to date. The consolidated portfolio now comprises approximately 8,500 hectares of contiguous land within an emerging gold and critical metals jurisdiction, providing substantial opportunities for follow-up field work, structural modeling, target generation, and future drill campaigns. Recent announcement:https://newagemetals.com/new-age-metals-expands-bonanza-ridge-gold-andcritical-metals-project-strategic-acquisition-oflavender-lake-south-gibi-lake-properties/.

The Company is establishing a Kenora, Ontario based field operations hub to support exploration activities across Northwestern Ontario and Eastern Manitoba. The proposed facility would provide centralized logistical, technical, and administrative support for regional exploration programs and is expected to improve field efficiency and coordination.

The Companys Lithium Division is one of the largest mineral claim holders in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field, where the Company is exploring hard rock lithium and various rare elements such as tantalum, rubidium, and cesium. NAM is developing its lithium division in conjunction with its Farm-in/Joint Venture agreement with Mineral Resources Ltd. (MinRes), one of the worlds largest lithium producers. A minimum budget to maintain the Projects has been approved by Mineral Resources Ltd for May 2025 to April 2026. Management is currently working on providing Mineral Resources, a go forward exploration program for spring, summer, and fall 2026.

In April 2024, a $1.5M NSERC Alliance grant was awarded to a collaboration led by the University of Manitoba (Drs. Fayek and Camacho), with academic partners from Lakehead University (Dr. Hollings) and industry partners including New Age Metals and Grid Metals. This research is focused on advancing Canadas critical metals sector, with New Age Metals portion targeting its Bird River lithium properties. The 2025 work included core sampling and field visits. The project will likely extend beyond the original 3-year term, due to its delayed start. The parties involved in this grant plan to meet over the next 60 days and will announce our plans for 2026 and beyond.

New Age Metals Inc. is supporting a successful $180K Mitacs research grant, awarded in 2023, through its $90K contribution (already accounted for and paid under the Mineral Resources joint venture). This academic partnership with the University of New Brunswick and the University of British Columbia is focused on understanding the origin and controls of lithium pegmatite mineralization in the Cat LakeWinnipeg River field. MSc and post-doctoral research programs have recently been completed, and the Company is reviewing the results with the academic institutions to assess how the findings may be incorporated into future exploration programs. This collaboration provides access to top-tier scientific expertise and equipment, significantly reducing analysis costs and adding long-term value to the project.

The Company is actively seeking an option/joint venture partner for our and its road-accessible Genesis PGM-Cu-Ni Project in Alaska and results from our Summer/Fall Program are expected by the end of the year. Recent announcement: https://newagemetals.com/new-age-metals-completes-summer-2025-exploration-program-on-the-genesis-pgm-cu-ni-project-alaska/ .

On August 6, 2025, New Age Metals announced an additional investment in a 4th critical metal. NAM currently owns approximately 9.63% and holds warrants that, if exercised with todays issued and outstanding shares of MQM, would bring NAM to a 14.6% interest in MetalQuest Mining inc.

MetalQuest Mining inc. is developing one of North Americas largest iron projects, where approximately $120 million has been spent on the project. For more information, please visit MetalQuestMining.com . High-purity iron became a critical metal Federally in Canada and in the Provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador in 2024. In the summer of 2025, MQM contracted AtkinsRealis, an international engineering company, to complete a GAP Analysis on the Lac Otelnuk Project and its 2015 Feasibility Study. Results are expected in Q1 2026.

MetalQuest Mining has secured the ROF-1 Project, a district-scale critical minerals land package in Ontarios Ring of Fire totaling 1,034 claim cells (~20,800 hectares). The Ring of Fire is one of Canadas most important emerging critical minerals districts, supported by growing infrastructure and government attention as the region advances toward potential development. ROF-1 Project is located approximately 10 km from major nearby deposits and has identified exploration potential for VMS-style mineralization and multiple untested target corridors based on historic work and technical review. This acquisition represents MetalQuests first step in building a broader multi-project Ring of Fire strategy, with the Company continuing to review additional opportunities in the region.

Management is currently aggressively seeking new mineral acquisition opportunities on an international scale. Our philosophy is to be a project generator with the objective of optioning our projects with major and junior mining companies through to production.

Investors are invited to visit the New Age Metals website at www.newagemetals.com where they can review the company and its corporate activities. Any questions or comments can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Harry Barr at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Farid Mammadov at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 613 659 2773.

Opt-in List

If you have not done so already, we encourage you to sign up on our website (www.newagemetals.com) to receive our updated news.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Harry Barr

Harry G. Barr

Chairman and CEO

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

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results and are based on current expectations or beliefs. For this purpose, statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements include statements in which the Company uses words such as continue, efforts, expect, believe, anticipate, confident, intend, strategy, plan, will, estimate, project, goal, target, prospects, optimistic or similar expressions. These statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors, including, among others, the Companys ability and continuation of efforts to timely and completely make available adequate current public information, additional or different regulatory and legal requirements and restrictions that may be imposed, and other factors as may be discussed in the documents filed by the Company on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), including the most recent reports that identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review or confirm analysts expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
VANCOUVER, BC , Feb. 2, 2026 /CNW/ - Integra Resources Corp. ("Integra" or the "Company") (TSXV: ITR) (NYSE American: ITRG) is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated December 17, 2025, it has filed a Feasibility Study Technical Report for its wholly-owned DeLamar Gold and Silver Heap Leach Project ("DeLamar" or the "Project"), comprised of the DeLamar and Florida Mountain deposits, located in southwestern Idaho.

The technical report was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects with Forte Dynamics, Inc. as the lead author and consultant. The technical report titled "Feasibility Study and Technical Report on the DeLamar Project, Owyhee County, Idaho, USA" dated February 2, 2026, with an effective date of December 8, 2025, has been filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. The report is also available on the Company's website at www.integraresources.com.

DeLamar Heap Leach Project Overview

(All amounts in United States ("U.S.") dollars unless otherwise stated)

The past-producing DeLamar Project, which includes the adjacent DeLamar and Florida Mountain gold and silver deposits, is located in Owyhee County in southwest Idaho. Since acquiring the Project in 2017, the Company has demonstrated significant resource growth and conversion while providing robust economic studies in its maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment, Pre-Feasibility Study, and now Feasibility Study ("FS") in late-2025. The FS for DeLamar confirmed robust economics for a low-cost, large-scale, conventional open pit oxide heap leach operation, with competitive operating costs and high rate of return. The FS outlines total production of 1.1 million ounces of gold equivalent ("AuEq") over a 10-year operating mine life (plus two years of residual leaching), resulting in an average annual production profile of 106,000 ounces AuEq per annum at a co-product mine-site all-in sustaining cost ("AISC") of $1,480 per ounce ("/oz") AuEq. The Project generates an after-tax net present value ("NPV5%") of approximately $774 million with an after-tax internal rate of return ("IRR") of 46% at base case gold and silver prices of $3,000/oz and $35/oz, respectively. After-tax NPV5% improves to approximately $1.9 billion and after-tax IRR to 97% using recent gold and silver prices of $4,500/oz and $65/oz, respectively. Refer to the 2025 DeLamar FS announcement news release from December 17, 2025 located on the Company's website at www.integraresources.com.

(1) Gold equivalent calculated using base case metal prices: $3,000/oz Au and $35/oz Ag (2) See Cautionary Note Regarding Non-GAAP Measures

About Integra

Integra is a growing precious metals producer in the Great Basin of the Western United States. Integra is focused on demonstrating profitability and operational excellence at its principal operating asset, the Florida Canyon Mine, located in Nevada. In addition, Integra is committed to advancing its flagship development-stage heap leach projects: the past producing DeLamar Project located in southwestern Idaho and the Nevada North Project located in western Nevada. Integra creates sustainable value for shareholders, stakeholders, and local communities through successful mining operations, efficient project development, disciplined capital allocation, and strategic M&A, while upholding the highest industry standards for environmental, social, and governance practices.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

George Salamis

President, CEO and Director

CONTACT INFORMATION

Corporate Inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Company website: www.integraresources.com

Office phone: 1 (604) 416-0576

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by James Frost, P.Eng., Director, Technical Services of Integra, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release contains "forwardlooking statements" and "forwardlooking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and in applicable United States securities law (referred to herein as forwardlooking statements). Forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "could", "would", "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "budget", "scheduled", "plans", "planned", "forecasts", "goals" and similar expressions. Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forwardlooking statements which includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: the future financial or operating performance of the Company, the Project and its mineral properties; results from work performed to date; the estimation of mineral resources and reserves; the realization of mineral resource and reserve estimates; the development, operational and economic results of the FS for the Project, including cash flows, revenue potential, development, expenditures, and timing thereof, extraction rates, life-of-mine projections and cost estimates; magnitude or quality of mineral deposits; anticipated advancement of the Project mine plan; exploration expenditures, costs and timing of the development of new deposits; costs and timing of future exploration; permitting; construction and optimization planning; estimates of metallurgical recovery rates; anticipated advancement of the Project, future prospects and prospective inclusion of mineral resources in future mining activities; requirements for additional capital; the future price of metals; government regulation of mining operations; environmental risks; the timing and possible outcome of pending regulatory matters; the realization of the expected economics of the Project; future growth potential of the Project; and future development plans.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of factors and assumptions made by management and considered reasonable at the time such statement was made. Assumptions and factors include: the Company's ability to complete its planned exploration and development programs; the absence of adverse conditions at the Project and the Company's mineral properties; satisfying ongoing covenants under the Company's loan facilities; no unforeseen operational delays; no material delays in obtaining necessary permits; results of independent engineer technical reviews; the possibility of cost overruns and unanticipated costs and expenses; the price of gold remaining at levels that continue to render the Project and the Company's mineral properties economic; the Company's ability to continue raising necessary capital to finance operations; and the ability to realize on the mineral resource and reserve estimates. Forwardlooking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forwardlooking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and competitive uncertainties; the actual results of current and future exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; meeting various expected cost estimates; benefits of certain technology usage; changes in Project parameters and/or economic assessments as plans continue to be refined; future prices of metals; possible variations of mineral grade or recovery rates; the risk that actual costs may exceed estimated costs; geological, mining and exploration technical problems; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing; risks related to local communities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); title to properties; and other factors beyond the Company's control and as well as those factors included herein and elsewhere in the Company's public disclosure. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are advised to study and consider risk factors disclosed in Integra's Annual Information Form dated March 26, 2025 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, which is available on the SEDAR+ issuer profile for the Company at www.sedarplus.ca and available as Exhibit 99.1 to Integra's Form 40-F, which is available on the EDGAR profile for the Company at www.sec.gov.

Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Investors are urged to read the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulatory agencies, which can be viewed online under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Cautionary Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Alternative performance measures in this news release such as "AISC" is furnished to provide additional information. Non-GAAP performance measures such as AISC are included in this news release because these statistics are used as key performance measures that management uses to monitor and assess performance of DeLamar, and to plan and assess the overall effectiveness and efficiency of mining operations. These performance measures do not have a standardized meaning within International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and, therefore, amounts presented may not be comparable to similar data presented by other mining companies. These performance measures should not be considered in isolation as a substitute for measures of performance in accordance with IFRS.

All-In Sustaining Cost

Site level AISC includes cash costs and sustaining and expansion capital, but excludes head office G&A and exploration expenses. The Company believes that this measure is useful to external users in assessing operating performance and the Company's ability to generate free cash flow from potential operations.

Cautionary Note for U.S. Investors Concerning Mineral Resources and Reserves

NI 43-101 is a rule of the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Technical disclosure contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Classification System. These standards differ from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and resource and reserve information contained in this news release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by domestic United States companies subject to the SEC's reporting and disclosure requirements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Board Member Chris Beer Appointed Interim President and CEO

Search Initiated to Identify New President and Chief Executive Officer

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - ATEX Resources Inc. (TSXV: ATX) (OTCQB: ATXRF) ("ATEX" or the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has appointed Chris Beer, a member of the Board of ATEX, as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, as Ben Pullinger has stepped down as President and Chief Executive Officer, for personal reasons, effective today. The Board of Directors has commenced a process to identify a permanent President and CEO.

Mr. Beer, who has been a director of ATEX since June 2024, is a well-tenured executive with over 30 years of exploration, capital markets and institutional investing experience. He began his career as an exploration geologist with Noranda and most recently spent 25 years at RBC Global Asset Management, where he served as Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager of North American and Global Natural Resources until 2024. Mr. Beer is also Chair of Fuerte Metals, owner of the Coffee Gold Project in the Yukon Territory, and a director of Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd.

Mr. Pullinger joined ATEX as Senior Vice President, Exploration and Business Development in May 2022, and was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer in May 2024. During his tenure, and under his leadership, ATEX advanced the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project into one of the most significant emerging copper-gold assets in Chile, and materially increased the Company's scale and market profile. Mr. Pullinger will remain with the company for a period of 90 days to assist with the transition with the Interim President and CEO.

Craig Nelsen, Chair of ATEX, commented: "The Board extends its sincere thanks to Ben for his leadership, hard work, and dedication to ATEX. During his tenure as SVP and then as CEO, the Company has evolved from a modest junior exploration company into the owner and developer of the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project, one of the most exciting, high-grade projects globally. The capital markets responded accordingly, with ATEX's market capitalization growing to over $1.3 billion in less than four years. We are grateful that Ben has agreed to make himself available to ATEX and supporting Chris during this transition as he considers his next opportunity. We wish him well in his future endeavors."

Mr. Pullinger added: "It has been an incredible opportunity and privilege to contribute to Valeriano's growth from geological curiosity to the largest copper discovery in Chile in over a decade. Equally rewarding has been the ability to work with the talented team of professionals at ATEX who all contributed to this success, and I am extremely proud of all we have accomplished together. I'd like to thank the board and ATEX's shareholders for their trust and support and I look forward to remaining an engaged and enthusiastic supporter as ATEX continues to grow and develop."

Mr. Beer continued: "I'm honoured to step into the Interim CEO role and grateful to the Board for its confidence. ATEX has an exceptional district-scale asset in Valeriano. Most importantly, I look forward to further engaging with ATEX's strong technical and operational team in both Chile and Canada. My focus during this transition will be on maintaining momentum at Valeriano, supporting the team, and ensuring continuity as the Board undertakes a search for a permanent CEO. I look forward to engaging with our stakeholders in the coming weeks to discuss ATEX, the Valeriano project, and our path forward."

About ATEX

ATEX is exploring the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project which is located within the emerging copper gold porphyry mineral belt linking the prolific El Indio High-Sulphidation Belt to the south with the Maricunga Gold Porphyry Belt to the north, located in the Atacama Region, Chile. This emerging belt, informally referred to as the Link Belt, hosts several copper gold porphyry deposits at various stages of development including, Filo del Sol (Lundin Mining/BHP), Josemaria (Lundin Mining/BHP), Lunahausi (NGEx Minerals), La Fortuna (Teck Resources/Newmont) and El Encierro (Antofagasta/Barrick). Valeriano hosts a large, high-grade, copper-gold porphyry Mineral Resource: an Indicated Resource of 475 Mt at 0.88% CuEq (0.58% Cu, 0.25 g/t Au, 1.39 g/t Ag and 70.4 g/t Mo) at a cutoff grade of 0.35% Cu, and an Inferred resource of 1,511 Mt at 0.75% CuEq (0.50% Cu, 0.20 g/t Au, 1.16 g/t Ag and 70.6 g/t Mo) at a cut-off grade of 0.35% Cu, as reported on September 23, 2025.

1-647-398-9405

or visit ATEX's website at www.atexresources.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - New Found Gold Corp. (TSXV: NFG) (NYSE American: NFGC) ("New Found Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce additional results from grade control drilling at the Keats zone ("Keats") excavation in the AFZ Core ("AFZC"), completed as part of the Company's 2025 drill program on its 100%-owned Queensway Gold Project ("Queensway" or the "Project") in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Keats excavation grade control drill program highlights include:

508 g/t Au 1 over 2.20 m 2 from 16.80 m (NFGC-25-GC-024)

over 2.20 m from 16.80 m (NFGC-25-GC-024) 113 g/t Au over 3.75 m from 11.90 m (NFGC-25-GC-025)

9.29 g/t Au over 37.60 m from 12.00 m (NFGC-25-GC-027)

27.0 g/t Au over 10.00 m from 0.00 m (NFGC-25-GC-033)

31.5 g/t Au over 6.10 m from 0.60 m (NFGC-25-GC-021)

17.2 g/t Au over 9.05 m from 2.70 m (NFGC-25-GC-042)

24.5 g/t Au over 6.35 m from 24.65 m (NFGC-25-GC-031)

7.33 g/t Au over 19.80 m from 4.70 m (NFGC-25-GC-026)

3.75 g/t Au over 21.40 m from 0.10 m (NFGC-25-GC-035)

Melissa Render, President of New Found Gold, stated: "Building on the initial Keats zone grade control drill results released in late 2025, these new results continue to demonstrate the high-grade tenor of this zone. The 5 by 5 metre spaced drilling is confirming strong continuity of gold mineralization occurring at or within a few metres of surface. We look forward to updating the market with the results of the remaining 2025 grade control drilling from both Keats and the Iceberg zone when available."

Work Summary

The results presented in this release include 1,230 m of drilling in 36 diamond drill holes ("DDH") from the 2025 Keats excavation grade control drill program ("KEGCDP"; Figures 1 to 3). The KEGCDP was designed to improve confidence in the distribution of high-grade, near-surface gold mineralization and support mine planning as outlined in the Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") Phase 1 open pits (see the New Found Gold press release dated July 21 2025). Drill highlights, along with detailed results for these 36 DDH, are provided in Tables 1 to 3 below.

The full KEGCDP comprises 84 DDH totalling 2,773 m; a total of 1,866 m in 52 DDH, or 62% of results have been reported to date, including 36 DDH in this release and an initial 16 DDH in the Company's press release dated December 1, 2025. Remaining results will be reported as they become available.

Figure 1: Plan view map of the AFZC with location of Keats and Iceberg excavation grade control drill programs.

Keats excavation grade control drill program highlights (this press release): 508 g/t Au over 2.20 m from 16.80 m (NFGC-25-GC-024) 113 g/t Au over 3.75 m from 11.90 m (NFGC-25-GC-025) 9.29 g/t Au over 37.60 m from 12.00 m (NFGC-25-GC-027) 27.0 g/t Au over 10.00 m from 0.00 m (NFGC-25-GC-033) 31.5 g/t Au over 6.10 m from 0.60 m (NFGC-25-GC-021) 17.2 g/t Au over 9.05 m from 2.70 m (NFGC-25-GC-042) 24.5 g/t Au over 6.35 m from 24.65 m (NFGC-25-GC-031) 7.33 g/t Au over 19.80 m from 4.70 m (NFGC-25-GC-026) 3.75 g/t Au over 21.40 m from 0.10 m (NFGC-25-GC-035) 10.6 g/t Au over 6.60 m from 0.10 m (NFGC-25-GC-022) 9.94 g/t Au over 6.95 m from 0.70 m (NFGC-25-GC-030) 4.87 g/t Au over 10.55 m from 22.45 m (NFGC-25-GC-039) 3.37 g/t Au over 12.20 m from 0.55 m (NFGC-25-GC-017) 2.27 g/t Au over 16.35 m from 21.85 m (NFGC-25-GC-057) 1.45 g/t Au over 23.55 m from 8.05 m (NFGC-25-GC-032) 2.12 g/t Au over 13.75 m from 7.20 m (NFGC-25-GC-028) 1.52 g/t Au over 14.05 m from 3.50 m (NFGC-25-GC-045) 1.64 g/t Au over 12.65 m from 33.25 m (NFGC-25-GC-029) 1.78 g/t Au over 11.30 m from 4.70 m (NFGC-25-GC-034) 1.55 g/t Au over 12.50 m from 0.00 m (NFGC-25-GC-024)



Keats excavation grade control program (December 1, 2025 press release): 219 g/t Au over 9.35 m from 19.00 m (NFGC-25-GC-005) 160 g/t Au over 10.30 m from 5.10 m (NFGC-25-GC-009) 105 g/t Au over 10.20 m from 15.80 m (NFGC-25-GC-007) 24.7 g/t Au over 26.25 m from 34.25 m (NFGC-25-GC-007) 35.3 g/t Au over 12.85 m from 36.25 m (NFGC-25-GC-006) 27.1 g/t Au over 12.85 m from 14.65 m (NFGC-25-GC-012) 142 g/t Au over 2.25 m from 4.15 m (NFGC-25-GC-004) 50.8 g/t Au over 4.10 m from 0.00 m (NFGC-25-GC-003) 17.1 g/t Au over 11.85 m from 21.45 m (NFGC-25-GC-009) 9.61 g/t Au over 18.05 m from 25.25 m (NFGC-25-GC-003) 9.29 g/t Au over 15.40 m from 1.10 m (NFGC-25-GC-008) 38.3 g/t Au over 3.40 m from 4.10 m (NFGC-25-GC-011)



Figure 2: Keats and Iceberg excavations with proposed grade control drill holes and location of results received.

The KEGCDP is testing a volume that is approximately 65 m long by 30 m deep by 40 m wide with a drill spacing of 5 m by 5 m and includes a near-surface high-grade region that was uncovered as part of the Company's ongoing excavation program (see the New Found Gold press releases dated September 23, 2024, December 2, 2024, September 25, 2025, and December 1, 2025).

Results released to date correlate well with the initial mineral resource estimate ("MRE") block model and indicate strong continuity of high-grade mineralized shoots at Keats, providing improved definition of their geometry, with most intervals occurring at or within a few meters of surface. The detailed geostatistical data from this phase of work will further validate our resource models, specifically by increasing confidence in grade-capping and influence-limiting parameters applied to high-grade intersections in advance of a MRE update and subsequent mine planning.

The Keats and Iceberg zones are hosted within the Keats-Baseline Fault Zone ("KBFZ"), a high-grade gold-bearing structure that has been defined over a current strike length of 1.9 kilometres ("km"). This corridor consists of a broad mineralized fault zone with limited deep drill testing to date. Drilling completed in 2024 confirms that the system extends to vertical depths of up to 1.1 km (see the New Found Gold press releases dated July 11, 2024, October 31, 2024, and April 29, 2025).

Figure 3: Keats longitudinal section view of grade control grid location (looking northwest, +/- 12.5 m).

Looking Ahead

The 2025 Queensway drill program included 74,377 m of drilling in 614 diamond DDH, with approximately 75% of the drilling focused on the AFZC area to support advancement of the Phase 1 mine plan as outlined in the Company's PEA and 25% focused on exploration targets such as the Dropkick zone ("Dropkick"). To date, approximately 50% of the results from 2025 drilling remain outstanding, as well as channel sampling results from the Lotto excavation. These results will be reported once available.

The 2026 Queensway drill program is underway, with four drill rigs currently active (see the New Found Gold press release dated January 21, 2026). Initial 2026 infill drilling is planned to first target PEA Phase 2 open pit resource conversion, transitioning later in the year to PEA Phase 3 underground resource conversion.

The Company plans to expand its grade control drilling beginning in Q2/26. The next phase of work will leverage results from the 2025 program to optimize drill hole spacing and program scope. This will include completing the initial grade-control drilling at the Iceberg excavation, commencing grade-control drilling at the Lotto excavation and potentially expanding the grade-control drilling at the Keats and Iceberg excavations. The objective of this work is to improve confidence in the distribution of gold mineralization and support mine planning as outlined for the PEA Phase 1 open pits.

Exploration drilling will focus on AFZC resource expansion including an initial grid-based program targeting the prospective corridor adjacent to the AFZ at Bullseye, continued step-outs at Dropkick, located 11 km north of the AFZC, and targeted segments of the AFZ at AFZ Peripheral. A regional drilling program testing advanced targets at Queensway South is in the planning phase and expected to commence in H2/26.

The Company plans to file an updated Technical Report for Queensway, which will include an updated mineral resource estimate, in mid-2026

Table 1: Drill Result Highlights.

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) True Width (%) Zone NFGC-25-GC-017 0.55 12.75 12.20 3.37 60-90 Keats Excavation Including 2.15 2.60 0.45 63.65 55-85 NFGC-25-GC-021 0.60 6.70 6.10 31.47 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 1.65 3.40 1.75 98.64 70-95 Including 6.25 6.70 0.45 35.73 70-95 And 21.65 33.45 11.80 2.96 70-95 Including 21.65 22.10 0.45 20.78 70-95 Including 27.60 28.10 0.50 10.83 70-95 Including 31.00 31.30 0.30 25.62 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-022 0.10 6.70 6.60 10.57 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 3.20 3.70 0.50 99.59 70-95 Including 6.05 6.70 0.65 21.90 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-024 0.00 12.50 12.50 1.55 70-95 Keats Excavation And 16.80 19.00 2.20 507.70 70-95 Including 18.60 19.00 0.40 2788.50 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-025 11.90 15.65 3.75 113.27 50-80 Keats Excavation Including 12.40 14.35 1.95 216.75 50-80 NFGC-25-GC-026 4.70 24.50 19.80 7.33 65-95 Keats Excavation Including 4.70 6.00 1.30 90.49 65-95 NFGC-25-GC-027 12.00 49.60 37.60 9.29 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 15.30 16.35 1.05 184.38 70-95 Including 16.90 17.90 1.00 23.39 70-95 Including 33.85 34.45 0.60 125.27 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-028 7.20 20.95 13.75 2.12 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 7.70 8.10 0.40 32.55 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-029 33.25 45.90 12.65 1.64 70-95 Keats Excavation NFGC-25-GC-030 0.70 7.65 6.95 9.94 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 1.60 2.20 0.60 17.42 70-95 Including 4.45 5.00 0.55 16.08 70-95 Including 5.95 6.45 0.50 87.48 70-95 And 17.60 39.20 21.60 14.62 70-95 Including 21.45 22.20 0.75 61.99 70-95 Including 29.90 31.20 1.30 186.52 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-031 24.65 31.00 6.35 24.48 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 29.05 30.15 1.10 132.61 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-032 8.05 31.60 23.55 1.45 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 10.85 11.60 0.75 13.88 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-033 0.00 10.00 10.00 27.01 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 1.10 2.60 1.50 168.65 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-034 4.70 16.00 11.30 1.78 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 7.45 8.45 1.00 11.14 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-035 0.10 21.50 21.40 3.75 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 0.85 1.80 0.95 40.74 70-95 Including 12.95 13.30 0.35 15.04 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-039 22.45 33.00 10.55 4.87 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 28.40 29.50 1.10 16.24 70-95 Including 30.50 31.45 0.95 22.82 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-042 2.70 11.75 9.05 17.24 40-70 Keats Excavation Including 7.20 8.95 1.75 53.22 40-70 Including 10.20 10.50 0.30 130.40 40-70 NFGC-25-GC-045 3.50 17.55 14.05 1.52 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 8.75 9.20 0.45 10.12 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-057 21.85 38.20 16.35 2.27 65-95 Keats Excavation Including 21.85 22.70 0.85 23.67 65-95

Note that the host structures are interpreted to be moderately to steeply dipping. Infill veining in secondary structures with multiple orientations crosscutting the primary host structures are commonly observed in drill core which could result in additional uncertainty in true width. Composite intervals reported carry a minimum weighted average of 1 g/t Au diluted over a minimum core length of 2 m with a maximum of 4 m consecutive dilution when above 200 m vertical depth and 2 m consecutive dilution when below 200 m vertical depth. Included high-grade intercepts are reported as any consecutive interval with grades greater than 10 g/t Au. Grades have not been capped in the averaging and intervals are reported as drill thickness. Details of all drill holes reported in this press release are included in Table 2 and Table 3 below.

Table 2: Summary of composite drill hole results reported in this press release for Keats.

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) True Width (%) Zone NFGC-25-GC-017 0.55 12.75 12.20 3.37 60-90 Keats Excavation Including 2.15 2.60 0.45 63.65 55-85 NFGC-25-GC-018 0.35 7.10 6.75 3.03 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 1.40 1.85 0.45 29.82 70-95 And 15.50 18.00 2.50 1.36 Unknown NFGC-25-GC-019 No Significant Values Keats Excavation NFGC-25-GC-020 2.15 9.00 6.85 7.29 65-95 Keats Excavation Including 2.15 2.80 0.65 13.63 65-95 Including 6.80 7.60 0.80 46.46 65-95 And 14.45 16.95 2.50 2.06 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-021 0.60 6.70 6.10 31.47 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 1.65 3.40 1.75 98.64 70-95 Including 6.25 6.70 0.45 35.73 70-95 And 21.65 33.45 11.80 2.96 70-95 Including 21.65 22.10 0.45 20.78 70-95 Including 27.60 28.10 0.50 10.83 70-95 Including 31.00 31.30 0.30 25.62 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-022 0.10 6.70 6.60 10.57 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 3.20 3.70 0.50 99.59 70-95 Including 6.05 6.70 0.65 21.90 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-023 0.00 7.00 7.00 2.98 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 3.50 3.80 0.30 32.45 70-95 And 24.00 32.90 8.90 3.39 70-95 Including 25.90 26.50 0.60 27.63 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-024 0.00 12.50 12.50 1.55 70-95 Keats Excavation And 16.80 19.00 2.20 507.70 70-95 Including 18.60 19.00 0.40 2788.50 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-025 11.90 15.65 3.75 113.27 50-80 Keats Excavation Including 12.40 14.35 1.95 216.75 50-80 And 20.60 28.65 8.05 1.90 70-95 Including 25.65 26.55 0.90 10.17 70-95 And 37.70 46.40 8.70 5.94 70-95 Including 38.90 39.50 0.60 75.27 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-026 4.70 24.50 19.80 7.33 65-95 Keats Excavation Including 4.70 6.00 1.30 90.49 65-95 NFGC-25-GC-027 12.00 49.60 37.60 9.29 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 15.30 16.35 1.05 184.38 70-95 Including 16.90 17.90 1.00 23.39 70-95 Including 33.85 34.45 0.60 125.27 70-95 And 52.90 55.00 2.10 1.90 70-95 Including 53.65 54.00 0.35 10.00 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-028 7.20 20.95 13.75 2.12 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 7.70 8.10 0.40 32.55 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-029 16.50 22.00 5.50 6.11 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 21.40 22.00 0.60 14.55 70-95 And 33.25 45.90 12.65 1.64 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-030 0.70 7.65 6.95 9.94 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 1.60 2.20 0.60 17.42 70-95 Including 4.45 5.00 0.55 16.08 70-95 Including 5.95 6.45 0.50 87.48 70-95 And 17.60 39.20 21.60 14.62 70-95 Including 21.45 22.20 0.75 61.99 70-95 Including 29.90 31.20 1.30 186.52 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-031 24.65 31.00 6.35 24.48 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 29.05 30.15 1.10 132.61 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-032 8.05 31.60 23.55 1.45 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 10.85 11.60 0.75 13.88 70-95 And 35.70 41.65 5.95 1.19 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-033 0.00 10.00 10.00 27.01 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 1.10 2.60 1.50 168.65 70-95 And 16.95 23.60 6.65 2.24 70-95 Including 17.60 18.25 0.65 10.60 70-95 And 34.75 37.70 2.95 1.65 45-75 NFGC-25-GC-034 4.70 16.00 11.30 1.78 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 7.45 8.45 1.00 11.14 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-035 0.10 21.50 21.40 3.75 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 0.85 1.80 0.95 40.74 70-95 Including 12.95 13.30 0.35 15.04 70-95 And 28.00 31.00 3.00 1.09 55-85 NFGC-25-GC-036 No Significant Values Keats Excavation NFGC-25-GC-037 28.60 33.40 4.80 1.61 70-95 Keats Excavation NFGC-25-GC-038 4.35 11.50 7.15 1.93 55-85 Keats Excavation And 21.25 23.40 2.15 1.10 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-039 10.15 12.60 2.45 1.01 60-90 Keats Excavation And 22.45 33.00 10.55 4.87 70-95 Including 28.40 29.50 1.10 16.24 70-95 Including 30.50 31.45 0.95 22.82 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-040 No Significant Values Keats Excavation NFGC-25-GC-041 3.50 7.30 3.80 2.77 45-75 Keats Excavation Including 6.80 7.30 0.50 10.64 45-75 And 16.55 26.20 9.65 2.56 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-042 2.70 11.75 9.05 17.24 40-70 Keats Excavation Including 7.20 8.95 1.75 53.22 40-70 Including 10.20 10.50 0.30 130.40 40-70 And 17.55 24.35 6.80 1.19 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-044 8.75 11.25 2.50 1.03 40-70 Keats Excavation And 15.25 17.40 2.15 1.05 40-70 And 21.40 29.45 8.05 1.21 40-70 NFGC-25-GC-045 3.50 17.55 14.05 1.52 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 8.75 9.20 0.45 10.12 70-95 And 22.00 24.50 2.50 1.21 45-75 NFGC-25-GC-047 24.45 27.10 2.65 1.00 70-95 Keats Excavation NFGC-25-GC-049 4.40 11.40 7.00 1.65 70-95 Keats Excavation NFGC-25-GC-051 24.80 31.05 6.25 1.32 70-95 Keats Excavation NFGC-25-GC-053 10.50 13.60 3.10 1.37 40-70 Keats Excavation And 22.40 29.10 6.70 1.14 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-054 20.70 29.15 8.45 2.36 70-95 Keats Excavation Including 20.70 21.70 1.00 10.30 70-95 NFGC-25-GC-057 0.60 2.90 2.30 1.07 65-95 Keats Excavation And 11.15 15.35 4.20 6.21 65-95 Including 11.15 12.10 0.95 14.02 65-95 And 21.85 38.20 16.35 2.27 65-95 Including 21.85 22.70 0.85 23.67 65-95 NFGC-25-GC-077 No Significant Values Keats Excavation NFGC-25-GC-114 No Significant Values Keats Excavation

Note that the host structures are interpreted to be moderately to steeply dipping. Infill veining in secondary structures with multiple orientations crosscutting the primary host structures are commonly observed in drill core which could result in additional uncertainty in true width. Composite intervals reported carry a minimum weighted average of 1 g/t Au diluted over a minimum core length of 2 m with a maximum of 4 m consecutive dilution when above 200 m vertical depth and 2 m consecutive dilution when below 200 m vertical depth. Included high-grade intercepts are reported as any consecutive interval with grades greater than 10 g/t Au. Grades have not been capped in the averaging and intervals are reported as drill thickness.

Table 3: Details of drill holes reported in this press release.

Hole Number Azimuth () Dip () Length (m) UTM E UTM N Prospect NFGC-25-GC-017 300 -45 30 658204 5427542 Keats NFGC-25-GC-018 300 -45 21 658196 5427547 Keats NFGC-25-GC-019 299 -45 15 658192 5427544 Keats NFGC-25-GC-020 299 -45 34 658209 5427540 Keats NFGC-25-GC-021 299 -45 39 658220 5427533 Keats NFGC-25-GC-022 299 -45 12 658187 5427541 Keats NFGC-25-GC-023 299 -45 39 658215 5427530 Keats NFGC-25-GC-024 299 -45 22 658193 5427538 Keats NFGC-25-GC-025 299 -45 46 658225 5427513 Keats NFGC-25-GC-026 299 -45 30 658204 5427538 Keats NFGC-25-GC-027 299 -45 61 658217 5427512 Keats NFGC-25-GC-028 299 -45 32 658198 5427534 Keats NFGC-25-GC-029 298 -45 53 658210 5427516 Keats NFGC-25-GC-030 298 -45.3 52 658216 5427525 Keats NFGC-25-GC-031 298 -45 47 658211 5427509 Keats NFGC-25-GC-032 300 -45 54 658212 5427520 Keats NFGC-25-GC-033 300 -45 43 658210 5427533 Keats NFGC-25-GC-034 300 -45 24 658199 5427540 Keats NFGC-25-GC-035 300 -45 37 658204 5427531 Keats NFGC-25-GC-036 300 -45 21 658207 5427553 Keats NFGC-25-GC-037 300 -45 40 658205 5427513 Keats NFGC-25-GC-038 300 -45 40 658203 5427525 Keats NFGC-25-GC-039 300 -45 40 658229 5427540 Keats NFGC-25-GC-040 300 -45 25 658212 5427549 Keats NFGC-25-GC-041 300 -45 33 658223 5427543 Keats NFGC-25-GC-042 298 -45 36 658199 5427523 Keats NFGC-25-GC-044 298 -45 37 658194 5427514 Keats NFGC-25-GC-045 298 -45 28 658192 5427526 Keats NFGC-25-GC-047 300 -45 42 658191 5427510 Keats NFGC-25-GC-049 298 -45 21 658187 5427529 Keats NFGC-25-GC-051 300 -45 39 658189 5427506 Keats NFGC-25-GC-053 300 -45 33 658194 5427520 Keats NFGC-25-GC-054 300 -45 33 658182 5427507 Keats NFGC-25-GC-057 300 -45 45 658204 5427519 Keats NFGC-25-GC-077 300 -45 12 658168 5427524 Keats NFGC-25-GC-114 300 -45 14 658253 5427538 Keats

Sampling, Sub-sampling, and Laboratory

All drilling recovers HQ core. For deep holes, the core size may be reduced to NQ at depth. The drill core is split in half using a diamond saw or a hydraulic splitter for rare intersections with incompetent core.

A geologist examines the drill core and marks out the intervals to be sampled and the cutting line. Sample lengths are mostly 1.0 meter and adjusted to respect lithological and/or mineralogical contacts and isolate narrow (<1.0m) veins or other structures that may yield higher grades.

Technicians saw the core along the defined cutting line. One half of the core is kept as a witness sample and the other half is submitted for analysis. Individual sample bags are sealed and placed into totes, which are then sealed and marked with the contents.

New Found Gold has submitted samples for gold determination by PhotonAssay to ALS Canada Ltd. ("ALS") since February 2024. ALS operates under a commercial contract with New Found Gold.

Drill core samples are shipped to ALS for sample preparation in Thunder Bay, Ontario. ALS does not currently have accreditation for the PhotonAssay method at their Thunder Bay, ON laboratory. They do however have ISO/IEC 17025 (2017) accreditation for gamma ray analysis of samples for gold at their Australian labs with this method, including the Canning Vale lab in Perth, WA.

Samples submitted to ALS beginning in February 2024 received gold analysis by photon assay whereby the entire sample is crushed to approximately 70% passing 2 mm mesh. The sample is then riffle split and transferred into jars. For "routine" samples that do not have VG identified and are not within a mineralized zone, one (300-500g) jar is analyzed by photon assay. If the jar assays greater than 0.8 g/t, the remaining crushed material is weighed into multiple jars and submitted for photon assay.

For samples that have VG identified, the entire crushed sample is riffle split and weighed into multiple jars that are submitted for photon assay. The assays from all jars are combined on a weight-averaged basis.

Select samples prepared at ALS are also analyzed for a multi-element ICP package (ALS method code ME-ICP61) at ALS Vancouver.

Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control, and interpretation of results are performed by qualified persons employing a rigorous Quality Assurance/Quality Control program consistent with industry best practices. Standards and blanks account for a minimum of 10% of the samples in addition to the laboratory's internal quality assurance programs.

Quality Control data are evaluated on receipt from the laboratories for failures. Appropriate action is taken if assay results for standards and blanks fall outside allowed tolerances. All results stated have passed New Found Gold's quality control protocols.

New Found Gold's quality control program also includes submission of the second half of the core for approximately 2% of the drilled intervals. In addition, approximately 1% of sample pulps for mineralized samples are submitted for re-analysis to a second ISO-accredited laboratory for check assays.

The Company does not recognize any factors of drilling, sampling, or recovery that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the assay data disclosed.

The assay data disclosed in this press release have been verified by the Company's Qualified Person against the original assay certificates.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information disclosed in this press release was reviewed and approved by Melissa Render, P. Geo., President, and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Ms. Render consents to the publication of this press release by New Found Gold. Ms. Render certifies that this press release fairly and accurately represents the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this press release.

About New Found Gold Corp.

New Found Gold is an emerging Canadian gold producer with assets in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Company holds a 100% interest in Queensway and owns the Hammerdown Operation, Pine Cove Operation and Nugget Pond Hydrometallurgical Gold Plant. The Company is currently focused on advancing Queensway to production and bringing the Hammerdown Operation into steady-state gold production.

In July 2025, the Company completed a PEA at Queensway (see New Found Gold press release dated July 21, 2025). Recent drilling continues to yield new discoveries along strike and down dip of known gold zones, pointing to the district-scale potential that covers a +110 km strike extent along two prospective fault zones at Queensway.

New Found Gold has a new board of directors and management team and a solid shareholder base which includes cornerstone investor Eric Sprott. The Company is focused on growth and value creation.

Keith Boyle, P.Eng.

Chief Executive Officer

New Found Gold Corp.

Follow us on social media at

https://www.linkedin.com/company/newfound-gold-corp

https://x.com/newfoundgold

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including relating to the current drill program on its Queensway Gold Project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and the timing, results and interpretation and use of the drill results; future drill programs and the timing and focus thereof; the excavation program and the timing and results thereof; future exploration and the objectives and timing thereof, including future drilling and excavation; exploration, drilling and mineralization at Queensway; the extent of mineralization and the continuity of high-grade gold mineralization; the potential conversion of mineral resources; potential resource expansion; a mineral resource update and the timing thereof; focus on growth and value creation; and the merits of Queensway. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "interpreted", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "suggests", "indicate", "often", "target", "future", "likely", "pending", "potential", "encouraging", "goal", "objective", "prospective", "possibly", "preliminary", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSXV, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated with the Company's ability to complete exploration and drilling programs as expected, possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of exploration results and the results of the metallurgical testing program, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) at www.sedarplus.ca for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.

1 g/t Au= grams of gold per tonne

2 m = metres
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) (FSE: K19) ("Zodiac Gold" or the "Company"), a West-African gold exploration company, is pleased to announce that it has commenced mobilization of two diamond drill rigs to the Ben Ben target at its flagship Todi Gold Project in Liberia. This marks the start of the Company's inaugural drill program at Ben Ben and a major step forward in advancing its district-scale exploration strategy along the highly prospective Todi Shear Zone.

Drilling at Ben Ben represents the next phase in Zodiac Gold's systematic evaluation of the 16-kilometre gold-in-soil anomaly extending from the Arthington Discovery eastward to Youth Camp. Despite its scale, less than 6% of this trend has been drill tested to date. The Arthington Discovery, located approximately 1.3 kilometres west-northwest of Ben Ben, delivered high-grade gold intercepts and near-surface mineralized zones with strong continuity, confirming the fertility of the system and highlighting the potential for additional discoveries along strike.

"We are very encouraged to have drill mobilization underway at Ben Ben as part of our 2026 exploration strategy," said David Kol, President & CEO of Zodiac Gold. "This program is designed to build on the success at Arthington and begin unlocking the broader potential of the 16-kilometre corridor, where multiple high-priority targets remain virtually untested. With a strong treasury following the recent completion of our $6.1 million financing, we are well positioned to execute an aggressive and disciplined exploration program and generate meaningful news flow through the year."

Zodiac Gold's 2026 exploration program is focused on demonstrating continuity and scale along the Ben Ben-Youth Camp trend, while simultaneously advancing additional regional targets across the Company's broader land package.

Drilling

The Company plans to complete up to 14,000 metres of diamond drilling along the Ben Ben to Youth Camp corridor, commencing with the inaugural drill program at Ben Ben in February 2026. Initial holes will target interpreted extensions beneath mineralized zones identified in trenching in 2025 and artisanal mining pits, where multiple high-grade channel samples have been reported, including 0.65 metres at 53.60 g/t Au, 0.44 metres at 71.0 g/t Au, and 1.75 metres at 6.23 g/t Au. Drill targeting will be continuously refined as results are received, allowing the program to adapt dynamically as geological understanding improves.

Trenching

Approximately 3,600 metres of trenching is planned along strike from previous trenching in the Ben Ben and Youth Camp areas, as well as across additional gold-in-soil anomalies ranging from 50 ppb to 4,660 ppb (4.66 g/t Au). Trenching will serve to validate and prioritize drill targets along the broader anomalous corridor. Previous trenching at Ben Ben in 2025 returned a standout result of 30 metres at 1.24 g/t Au, including 1 metre at 25.1 g/t Au and 1 metre at 6.61 g/t Au.

Geophysics

A high-resolution, drone-based magnetic and LiDAR survey will be completed over the full 16-kilometre trend at 50-metre line spacing. This survey is expected to significantly enhance the Company's understanding of lithological boundaries, structural architecture, and controls on mineralization, providing an important framework for ongoing and future drill targeting.

Surface Geochemical Sampling

Up to 10,000 soil samples are planned in the Bomi South and Bong West licenses to follow up on significant stream sediment anomalies associated with interpreted northwest-trending Todi Shear Zone structures. Results will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, with priority anomalies advanced through follow-up mapping, trenching, and drill testing as warranted.

Map 1: Gold-in-soil grades along the 16km anomaly from Arthington to Youth Camp

Qualified Person

Tom Dowrick, Director of Exploration at Zodiac Gold, is a Chartered Geologist of the Geological Society of London and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific information provided in this release.

About Zodiac Gold

Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) (FSE: K19) is a West-African gold exploration company focused on its flagship Todi Gold Project situated in Liberia-an underexplored, politically stable, mining friendly jurisdiction hosting several large-scale gold and iron ore deposits. Strategically positioned along the fertile Todi Shear Zone, Zodiac Gold is developing a district-scale gold opportunity with additional iron ore potential, covering a vast 2,316 km2 land package. The Todi Gold Project has undergone de-risking, showcasing proven gold occurrences at both surface and depth, with five drill-ready targets, of which two have been drilled and high-grade gold intercepts.

For further information, please visit the Zodiac Gold website at www.zodiac-gold.com or contact:

David Kol

President & CEO

+1 702-296-1156

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation.

Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections, and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's planned exploration programs and drill programs and potential significance of results are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital, and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials, and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events, or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - Lipari Mining Ltd. (Cboe CA: LML) (FSE: 0Y90) ("Lipari" or "the Company") reports production and sales results for the Financial Year ended December 31, 2025 ("FY-2025") from the Company's wholly-owned Brauna Diamond Mine in Brazil, the suspension of operations at the mine due to the weak global market for natural diamonds, and announces a planned transition in its Chief Financial Officer role. All figures are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

FY-2025 PRODUCTION SUMMARY

Ore mined: 574,466 tonnes (FY-2024: 286,033 tonnes)

Ore processed: 571,665 tonnes (FY-2024: 384,561 tonnes)

Diamonds recovered: 83,350 carats (FY-2024: 46,026 carats)

Diamonds sold: 104,508 carats (FY-2024: 29,135 carats)

Revenue of $21,821,275 (FY-2024: $5,919,820)

Average diamond price achieved: $209/ct (FY-2024: $203)

Average recovered diamond grade: 14.6 cpht (FY-2024: 12.0 cpht)

Underground development: 1,542m (FY-2024: 1,810m)

KEY OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS Units Three months ended

December 31 Twelve months ended

December 31 2025 2024 2025 2024 Underground Development m 211 500 1,542 1,810 Ore tonnes mined t 74,460 181.448 574,466 286,033 Waste tonnes mined t 123,067 185,505 310,523 1,115,119 Total tonnes mined t 197,527 366,953 884,989 1,401,152 Ore in stockpile at end of period t 35,665 41,060 35,665 41,060 Processing Dry ore tonnes processed t 68,922 178,787 571,665 384,561 Diamonds recovered cts 9,815 31,150 83,350 46,026 Average recovered diamond grade cpht 14.2 17.4 14.6 12.0

FY-2025 Sales Results

During the FY-2025, 104,508 carats of natural diamonds were sold for revenues of $21,821,275 (US$ 16,405,929), averaging $209 per carat (US$157 per carat). This compares to 29,135 carats sold in FY-2024 for $5,919,820 (US$4,652,368) at an average of $203 per carat (US$160 per carat). The Company experienced a significant decline in sales revenue during Q4-2025 due to the weakening global diamond market, as well as reduced diamond production due to lower recovered diamond grades as a result of higher dilution by waste rock. The final year-end sale conducted in December 2025 only achieved an average value of $179 per carat (US$136 per carat), representing a significant decline from the previous sale in September 2025 which resulted in an average unit sales value of $212 per carat (US$161 per carat), and well below the mine's historic average unit sales value of US$183 per carat. Ken Johnson, President and CEO of Lipari commented that: "the decline in sales revenue experienced during the last three financial quarters of 2025 reflects the global impact that the United States tariffs has had on the natural diamond industry. India manufactures over 90% of the world's natural diamonds, and the United States accounts for approximately 55% of the global diamond jewelry consumption. The 50% tariff on Indian diamond manufacturers has produced a systemic impact across the natural diamond value chain, including mining companies, forcing reduced production, increased inventories and the suspension of operations. Our revenues were also impacted by lower diamond recoveries as a result of dilution of the ore by waste rock. We are evaluating changes to our mine plan to address this problem, which is caused by waste rock from the lower levels of the open pit flowing into the underground draw points."

Suspension of Operations at the Brauna Mine

Due to the weak global market for natural diamonds, and lower diamond recoveries, operations at the Brauna mine have been suspended and the mine has been put on care and maintenance until such time as the global diamond market improves and a new mine plan is developed to effectively address the issue of dilution of the ore. Senior management is working with its employees, its stakeholders and the local community to ensure that the suspension of operations is conducted in a manner that minimizes the impact on our employees, their families and the local community and will be full compliance with all applicable regulations. Ken Johnson said that: "We remain committed to our mine, our employees and the local community in which we operate. We will closely monitor the global diamond market, and work on optimization measures that may allow us to restart operations in the future."

Focus on the Tchitengo Project in Angola

Lipari will concentrate its capital and technical resources to advance its flagship Tchitengo Diamond Project in northeastern Angola, where the Company holds a 75% interest. On May 1, 2025, Lipari announced an NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource Estimate for the Tchiuzo kimberlite pipe, comprised of an indicated mineral resource of 28.8Mt containing 13.6Mcts at a grade of 47.2 cpht, and an inferred mineral resource containing 6.5Mt containing 2.0Mcts at a grade of 30.7 cpht.

On December 18, 2025, the Company announced the shipment of a 5 tonne-per-hour kimberlite processing plant from Canada to Angola to process approximately 10,000 tonnes of kimberlite from the Tchiuzo pipe. The objective of the program is to recover a diamond parcel for valuation purposes to determine the current market value of the Tchiuzo diamonds. Together with results from last year's Phase I confirmatory drilling program (see PR October 31st, 2025), this valuation will enable an update of the historical feasibility study originally completed on the Tchiuzo kimberlite by Sociedade Mineira de Catoca ("SM Catoca") in 2013;

CFO TRANSITION

Mr. Geovani Mariz departed as Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary effective January 31, 2026. The Company thanks Mr. Mariz for more than 12 years of service and his contribution to Lipari's financial and governance framework. To ensure an orderly and effective transition, Mr. Mariz will continue to support the handover of responsibilities and assist management as appropriate during the transition period.

Effective February 1, 2026, Mr. Diego Nascimento has been appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Nascimento brings over 16 years of experience in financial reporting, internal controls, risk management, and capital markets across Brazil, North America, and international jurisdictions. He previously served as a financial consultant to Lipari and led consolidation and audit oversight functions.

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed by Mr. Wes Roberts, P.Eng., and Mr. Martin Doyle, P.Geo., both "qualified persons" within the meaning of Canadian National Instrument 43-101.

The Company expects to release its Q4-2025 financial statements and Management Discussion and Analysis on or before March 31, 2026. This information will be available on the Company's website at www.liparimining.com and on SEDAR+.

About Lipari Mining Ltd.

Lipari Mining is South America's leading diamond producer, with a strong track record of operations at the Brauna diamond mine in Brazil, which has produced over 1.27M carats to date. Lipari is now applying its expertise to advance the highly prospective Tchitengo Diamond Project in Angola, marking the next phase of growth for the Company.

The Company is committed to environmentally responsible mining practices. Lipari's Brauna mine is the only diamond mine in the world that recycles nearly 100% of the water used in ore processing, producing a dry tailings product which has potential as a soil remineralizer for the agricultural industry. Lipari's shares are listed for trading on the CBOE Canada exchange and trade under the symbol "LML", and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "0Y90".

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" regarding the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements with respect to: the Company's plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions. All forward-looking statements and information are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company concerning anticipated financial performance, business prospects, strategies, regulatory developments, development plans, exploration, development and mining activities and commitments. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the demand for natural diamonds and the Company's ability to benefit from a stronger pricing environment through the remainder of 2025, development plans for the Company's mineral projects and expected mine life. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the impact tariffs will have on the demand for natural diamonds, development plans for the Company's mineral projects and expected mine life. The forward-looking statements made herein are subject to a variety of risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual events or results to differ materially and adversely from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Specific reference is made to the Company's listing statement on file with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities (and available on www.sedarplus.ca) for a more detailed discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements and the risks that may affect the Company's ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

CBOE CANADA OR THE FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.
Hole CO-0001 Returns 29 Meters at 56 g/t Silver & 0.28 g/t Gold (80 g/t AgEq)

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - BP Silver Corp. (TSXV: BPAG) ("BP Silver" or the "Company") announces assay results ("Assays") from the first two drill holes of its eleven-hole Phase I drill program (the "Program") at the Cosuno Silver Project ("Cosuno") in Bolivia. The Company expects to release assays from the remaining nine drill holes over the coming weeks. The Company also announces that Dr. Mark Cruise, has been appointed as the Company's Executive Chair.

Dr. Stewart D. Redwood, Director and Qualifying Person stated, "Cosuno is a 10.5 square kilometer zone of alteration. The Program tested only four targets in the southern portion of Cosuno, selected as initial targets because they were outcropping. We expect there to be many more hidden targets as most of the area is covered by surficial overburden. We are literally scraping the surface with two short holes into this extensive system, and it is very significant that Cosuno's lithocap is mineralized as lithocaps are usually barren."

Dr. Redwood continued, "We expect Cosuno's grades to increase when we drill deeper into and below the lithocap. Lithocaps are extensive zones of clay and silica alteration that form in the top part of Bolivian polymetallic vein systems and tin porphyries, similar to those which overlie porphyry copper deposits. The nearest neighbour to Cosuno, in a similar geological setting, the Pulacayo deposit, has a large lithocap that is barren and conceals a major vein that produced 640 million ounces of silver and 200,000 tons each of lead and zinc."

Key Highlights from Cosuno's Initial Results

Assays released are from the first two drill holes, Hole CO-0001 and CO-0002, which tested one of four initial surface targets identified within the large ~10.5km2 Cosuno hydrothermal system (Table 1 & Figure 1). The assays demonstrate that silver and gold mineralization identified at surface continues at depth within the lithocap. The results are significant because mineralized Lithocap's are usually barren in similar Bolivian systems, indicating Cosuno's potential for further discoveries at depth and in covered areas.

Hole No From m To m Interval m Ag g/t Au g/t AgEq g/t Notes CO-0001 23 85 62 38.1 0.22 56.96 Breccia 10.5-39.0 m, 40.5-77.5 m. inc. 35 64 29 56.03 0.28 80.03 inc. 35 40 5 97.72 0.39 131.15 And 48 52 4 114.15 0.42 150.15 CO-0002 41 76 33 23.43 0.46 62.86 Silicified tuff 46.0-83.0 m, Semi-massive sulphides 58.0-72.0 m. inc. 57 60 3 35.8 1.04 124.95 Au is higher grade in hole CO-0002.

Table 1: Significant drill intersections in DDH CO-0001 and CO-0002.

Notes to the table:

Silver equivalent (AgEq) = Ag + (Au * Au price/ Ag price). Assumes a recovery of 100% Ag and 100% Au given the project is early stage and there is no metallurgical test work to date. Prices used Au $3431.54/oz, Ag $40.03/oz (London Bullion Market Association 2025 Average)

Above are core lengths as true widths are not known at this time.

Dr. Redwood commented, "The gold grades are higher than expected and over significant widths in the Jalsuri target. These results have achieved one of the objectives of the Phase I drill program which was to confirm that the silver anomalies defined by surface rock sampling continue at depth."

Cosuno Drill Program Overview

The Program tested four high priority targets defined by structurally controlled, outcropping geochemically anomalous to highly anomalous silver-rich polymetallic zones characterized by silicification, intermediate to advanced argillic alteration, sulfides and brecciation: features typical of many significant Bolivian silver deposits. The targets occur within a large ~10.5 km hydrothermal alteration system as defined by detailed mapping, geochemical sampling and remote sensing alteration studies.

Figures and additional geological background from the initial program can be found in the Company's October 21, 2025, and November 14, 2025, news releases. Additional results from remaining nine holes will be released once received by assay labs over the coming weeks.

Detail

This marks the first drill program completed within the Cosuno Lithocap: Holes CO-0001 and CO-0002 were drilled in the Jalsuri target, a northwest-southeast trending ridge formed by a prominent mineralised structure (Figure 1 and 2).

CO-0001 (Easting 747065 Northing 7762846) was drilled at an inclination of -45 and direction of 235 to a depth of 101.0 m. CO-0002 (Easting 747063 Northing 7762848) was drilled from the same platform at an inclination of -45 to an azimuth of 175 to a depth of 107.0 m (Table 1, Figure 1 & 2). Both holes cut tuffs with hydrothermal breccias, advanced argillic and argillic alteration, strong silicification, and semi-massive pyrite, all cut by late drusy veinlets of quartz, pyrite, tetrahedrite and silver sulphosalts (Figures 3 to 4).

Figure 1: Summary geological map showing surface geochemistry, initial priority targets and drillhole collar locations  Cosuno Silver Project, Bolivia.

Figure 2: Jalsuri Target Cross Section illustrating surface geochemistry, hole CO-0001 trace, mineralization, alteration and geology.

Figure 3: Hole CO-0001: Hydrothermal / crackle breccia, intense advanced argillic alteration with pyrite, sulfosalts and sulfides, quartz-alunite-dickite Veinlets, open space with druzy quartz.

Figure 4A (Left photo): Hole CO-0001: 49.70m, Polymictic breccia matrix supported pervasive silicification with disseminated sulfosalts, local vuggy silica and quartz-alunite-dickite. Figure 4B (Right Photo): Hole CO-0002: At 60m.

Executive Chair Appointment

The Company also announces that Dr. Mark Cruise, previously an independent director of BP Silver, has been appointed as the Company's Executive Chair, effective February 2, 2026.

Dr. Cruise brings over 30 years of global mining experience from early-stage exploration to production in the base, precious metal and critical mineral industries. His expertise encompasses technical strategy, capital markets (raising over $1B), merger & acquisitions and advanced stakeholder negotiations. He has co-founded and led several billion-dollar exploration and mining companies, and most recently served as COO and CEO of New Pacific Metals, who are developing two silver deposits exceeding 200 million ounces each in Bolivia.

Investor Relations Partnership

BP Silver also announces effective February 1, 2026, it has engaged Adelaide Capital ("Adelaide"), a leading investor relations and capital markets advisory firm, to provide investor relations and consulting services to the Company.

Adelaide is a full-service investor relations firm that brings a unique and powerful perspective and a re-engineered investor relations business model. Adelaide will work closely with BP Silver to develop and deploy a comprehensive capital markets program, which includes assisting with non-deal road shows, virtual campaigns, social media, conferences and assisting with investor communication. In exchange for Adelaide's services, and pursuant to an investor relations consulting agreement (the "IRA"), the Company has agreed to pay a monthly fee of C$10,000 for a three-month term. Adelaide is an arm's length company based in Toronto, Ontario. As of the date hereof, Adelaide does not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities except for being previously granted 50,000 options of the Company. The IRA is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Qualified Person

The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Stewart D. Redwood, PhD, FIMMM, a Director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. As Dr. Redwood is a director of the Company, he is not independent under National Instrument 43-101.

Mineralization at the Pulacayo deposit is not necessarily indicative of mineralization at the Cosuno Project. Information on production from the Pulacayo deposit was obtained SERGEOMIN, Bulletin of the National Service of Geology and Mining, No. 30, pp. 119-120.

QA/QC

The work program was designed and supervised by Gonzalo Lemuz, P.Geo, the Company's Chief Operating Officer, who was responsible for all aspects of the work, including the Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) program. On-site personnel at the Project rigorously collect and track samples which are then security sealed and shipped to ALS laboratory in Oruro for sample preparation. The core samples were prepared by ALS at their laboratory in Oruro, Bolivia and the sample pulps were shipped to their laboratory in El Callao, Peru for analysis. ALS is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO9001:2015. ALS is independent of BP Silver. Silver and multi-elements were analysed by aqua regia digestion and ICP-MS finish. Gold was analysed by fire assay and AA finish. BPAG inserted certified standard reference materials (CSRM), blanks and duplicates to monitor QAQC. All diamond drill holes were drilled in HQ diameter. The average core recovery was 97.5% for CO-0001 and 95% for CO-0002.

About BP Silver Corp.

BP Silver Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing high-grade silver projects in Bolivia. The Company's flagship asset, the Cosuno Project, is strategically located in the prolific Bolivian silver belt, a region with a rich mining history and significant untapped discovery potential. With a strong technical team and a disciplined exploration strategy, BP Silver is positioned to unlock value for its shareholders through the discovery and development of major silver deposits.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: future prices and the supply of silver and other precious and other metals; future demand for silver and other valuable metals; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the property; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; results of exploration programs; risks of the mineral exploration industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals; and failure to obtain necessary regulatory or shareholder approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
TORONTO, Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NexGold Mining Corp. (TSXV: NEXG; OTCQX: NXGCF) (NexGold or the Company) is pleased to provide initial results from the recently announced diamond drilling program (Company news release dated January 28, 2026), which comprises up to 25,000 metres at the Goliath Gold Complex (comprised of the Goliath, Goldlund and Miller Deposits). The drill program is focused on the Goldlund Deposit, with holes designed to infill and potentially expand open pit mineral resources. The results presented in this release include 2,490 metres of diamond drilling in eight drill holes (GL-25-001 to GL-25-008B) that infill areas of Zone 4 and test down-dip continuity (Figures 1 and 2).

Selected drill intercepts from diamond drill holes at the Goldlund Deposit in this news release are further detailed in Table 1 and include:

3.31 g/t gold over 20.00 metres (from 279.00 to 299.00 metres), including 71.69 g/t gold over 0.75 metres and 3.89 g/t gold over 1.00 metre in drill hole GL-25-003;

7.59 g/t gold over 9.00 metres (from 345.50 to 354.50 metres), including 104 g/t gold over 0.50 metres and 5.64 g/t gold over 1.00 metres in drill hole GL-25-002;

3.16 g/t gold over 7.00 metres (from 93.00 to 100.00 metres), including 13.90 g/t gold over 1.00 metres and 4.51 g/t gold over 1.00 metres in drill hole GL-25-006; and

1.87 g/t gold over 10.85 metres (from 362.00 to 372.85 metres), including 4.68 g/t gold over 1.00 metres and 9.49 g/t gold over 1.00 metres in drill hole GL-25-002.

Kevin Bullock, President and CEO of NexGold, commented: We are pleased to provide the initial drill results from the infill drill program at Goldlund. The drilling at the deposit provides a greater level of certainty in the deeper areas of the planned open pit, which will be used to support our efforts to optimize the Goliath Gold Complex. We are also excited by the results that confirm the continuity of known, near surface mineralization to the deeper areas of the proposed pit. Additionally, this mineralization is open along strike and at depth which provides opportunity for follow up targets and potential expansion of the mineral resource in these areas.

Mineralization at the Goldlund Deposit is characterized by quartz stockwork veining as a result from brittle deformation of sub-vertical granodiorite sills. This deposit style more specifically describes Zone 1, and while the mineralizing mechanisms are similar, Zone 4 at the Goldlund Deposit has been identified as a wide interval of intermediate-mafic volcanic rocks with multiple porphyry and granodiorite intrusions.

Holes GL-25-001, GL-25-002, GL-25-003, and GL-25-005 confirm continuity of Zone 4 and will assist in improving the geological model and upgrade mineral resource confidence in future mineral resource estimates (Figure 2). The mineralization remains open along strike and down dip in this area and provides excellent targets for drilling later in the program.

Additional positive results were found near the southwest end of Zone 4, where GL-25-006 intersected 3.16 g/t gold over 7.00 metres including 13.90 g/t gold over 1.00 metre and 4.51 g/t gold over 1.00 metres.

Figure 1: Plan map showing the location of the Goldlund Zone 4 infill drillholes.

Figure 2: Cross section of Zone 4 at the Goldlund Deposit.

Table 1: Highlighted drill intercepts from drill holes in this news release.

Drill Hole ID Target/Zone From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t GL-25-001 Zone 4 389.50 393.40 3.90 2.55 including 392.00 393.40 1.40 5.08 GL-25-001 Zone 4 405.00 410.30 5.30 1.68 including 406.50 408.00 1.50 4.90 GL-25-002 Zone 50 160.00 170.00 10.00 0.61 including 160.00 161.00 1.00 4.04 GL-25-002 Zone 4 345.50 354.50 9.00 7.59 including 346.50 347.00 0.50 104.00 and including 347.00 348.00 1.00 5.64 GL-25-002 Zone 4 362.00 372.85 10.85 1.87 including 363.00 364.00 1.00 4.68 and including 371.00 372.00 1.00 9.49 GL-25-003 Zone 50 96.50 103.50 7.00 1.36 including 96.50 97.50 1.00 2.95 and including 103.00 103.50 0.50 7.85 GL-25-003 Zone 4 273.00 274.00 1.00 4.24 GL-25-003 Zone 4 279.00 299.00 20.00 3.31 including 286.00 286.75 0.75 71.69 and including 298.00 299.00 1.00 3.89 GL-25-003 Zone 4 329.50 337.00 7.50 0.49 including 330.50 331.50 1.00 1.16 And including 333.25 333.75 0.50 1.26 GL-25-005 Zone 4 188.00 190.00 2.00 2.66 including 189.00 190.00 1.00 4.79 GL-25-005 Zone 4 279.97 281.22 1.25 5.11 including 279.97 280.60 0.63 9.80 GL-25-006 Zone 4 40.38 43.00 2.62 3.03 including 42.00 43.00 1.00 7.59 GL-25-006 Zone 4 93.00 100.00 7.00 3.16 including 93.00 94.00 1.00 13.90 and including 98.00 99.00 1.00 4.51 GL-25-007 Zone 4 113.35 115.00 1.65 6.01 113.35 114.00 0.65 13.00 GL-25-008B Zone 4 139.00 150.45 11.45 0.63 including 140.00 141.00 1.00 2.30 and including 143.50 144.25 0.75 1.62 GL-25-008B Zone 4 161.00 161.55 0.55 4.58

Notes:

Reported intervals are drilled core lengths and do not indicate true widths. True widths vary from 50 to 70% of the interval length. For duplicate samples, the original sample assays are used to calculate the intersection grade. All grades are uncapped. No significant assays were reported for drillhole GL-25-004.

Table 2: Locations and orientations of drill holes in the news release

Drill Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation (m) Length (m) Azimuth Inclination GL-25-001 547097 5527911 408 474 122 -49 GL-25-002 547169 5527929 417 498 125 -49 GL-25-003 547174 5527900 416 402 127 -46 GL-25-004 546739 5527489 410 177 120 -50 GL-25-005 547104 5527784 425 351 116 -52 GL-25-006 546786 5527519 410 126 120 -45 GL-25-007 546586 5527433 406 210 128 -64 GL-25-008B 547133 5527738 424 252 135 -55

Note: Drill hole locations reported as Universal Transverse Mercator NAD83 Zone 15N coordinates

QA / QC

The Company has implemented a quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work is conducted in accordance with the CIM Exploration Best Practices Guidelines. The drill core is sawn in half with one-half of the core sample dispatched to Activation Laboratories Ltd. facility located in Dryden, Ontario. The other half of the core is retained for future assay verification and/or metallurgical testing. Other QA/QC procedures include the insertion of blanks and Canadian Reference Standards for every tenth sample in the sample stream. A quarter core duplicate is assayed every 20th sample. The laboratory has its own QA/QC protocols running standards and blanks with duplicate samples in each batch stream. Additional checks are routinely run on anomalous values including gravimetric analysis and pulp metallic screen fire assays. Gold analysis is conducted by lead collection, fire assay with atomic absorption and/or gravimetric finish on a 50-gram sample. Check assays are conducted at a secondary ISO certified laboratory (in this case AGAT Laboratories located in Mississauga, Ontario) following the completion of a program.

Board of Directors Change

NexGold also announces that Paul McRae has resigned from the Companys Board of Directors due to increased external commitments. Mr. McRae has played an important role in advancing NexGold, particularly through his valued contributions to the Companys Technical Committee.

On behalf of the Board and management team, I would like to sincerely thank Paul for his dedication and meaningful contributions to NexGold, said the Companys Chairman, Jim Gowans. His technical expertise and thoughtful guidance have been instrumental, and we wish him every success in his future endeavours.

Qualified Person

Paul McNeill, P.Geo., VP Exploration of NexGold, is considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release on behalf of NexGold.

About NexGold Mining Corp.

NexGold Mining Corp. is a gold-focused company with assets in Canada and Alaska. NexGolds Goldboro Gold Project is located in Nova Scotia. The Goliath Gold Complex (which includes the Goliath, Goldlund and Miller deposits) is located in Northwestern Ontario. NexGold also owns several other projects throughout Canada, including the Weebigee-Sandy Lake Gold Project JV, and grassroots gold exploration property Gold Rock. In addition, NexGold holds a 100% interest in the high-grade Niblack copper-gold-zinc-silver VMS project, located adjacent to tidewater in southeast Alaska. NexGold is committed to inclusive, informed and meaningful dialogue with regional communities and Indigenous Nations throughout the life of all our Projects and on all aspects, including creating sustainable economic opportunities, providing safe workplaces, enhancing of social value, and promoting community wellbeing.

Further details about NexGold, including a Feasibility Study for the Goldboro Gold Project and a Prefeasibility Study for the Goliath Gold Complex, are available under the Companys issuer profile on www.sedarplus.ca and on NexGolds website at www.nexgold.com.

Contact:

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains or incorporates by reference forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws. Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking information including, but not limited: to information as to the Companys strategic objectives and plans; timing and results of drilling activities; potential for upgrading mineral resources; expected initiatives to be undertaken by management of the Company in identifying exploration opportunities; and timing of advancement and completion of technical studies. Generally, forward-looking information is characterized by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, is projected, anticipates or does not anticipate, believes, targets, or variations of such words and phrases. Forward-looking information may also be identified in statements where certain actions, events or results may, could, should, would, might, will be taken, occur or be achieved.

Forward-looking information involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those projected by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the plan for, and actual results of, current exploration activities; expectations relating to future exploration, development and production activities as well as growth potential for NexGolds operations; risks relating to the ability of exploration activities (including drill results) to accurately predict mineralization; reliance on third-parties, including governmental entities, for mining activities; the ability of NexGold to complete further exploration activities, including drilling at the Goliath Gold Complex and Goldboro deposits; the ability of the Company to obtain required approvals; the results of exploration activities; risks relating to mining activities; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of mineral resources, production and cost estimates; health, safety and environmental risks; worldwide demand for gold and base metals; gold price and other commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations; environmental risks; competition; incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws, royalties and environmental regulations; and those factors described in the Managements Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2024 of the Company and in the Companys most recent disclosure documents filed under its SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented to assist shareholders in understanding the Companys the Companys plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
When he and his team started on this research we were soon told it was unrealistic, amoral and hare-brained, writes Damien Scalia, a professor of criminal law at the Universite libre de Bruxelles. Wanting to meet the greatest criminals  genocidaires, perpetrators of crimes against humanity and war criminals tried by international courts  seemed, on the face of it, impossible. Besides, giving them a platform was seen as questionable. But he quickly became convinced it was necessary, if not easy. Speaking of an experts meeting in Geneva in 2010, he says: We were surprised that when asked what the perpetrators of war crimes thought of criminal law, there was no response. The victims point of view had been extensively discussed.

His book, entitled War Criminals on Trial is based on interviews with 70 people tried by international courts, of whom 11 were acquitted. Of the 70, some 60 were tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Two were tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC  that research is ongoing) and the rest by other jurisdictions, especially the hybrid War Crimes Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research was conducted from 2010 to 2022.

The ICTY was a UN court established in The Hague, Netherlands, to try those most responsible for serious crimes during the Balkans wars of the 1990s. Its mandate lasted from 1993 to 2017. The UN created the ICTR in late 1994. It tried only those most responsible for the genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda. Established in Arusha, Tanzania, it closed its doors at the end of 2015.

Whenever possible, interviews for this book were conducted in a place chosen by the respondents, the author writes, though most were held in prison. The ICTY and ICTR (like the ICC) did not have a prison for convicts, but sent them to other countries that agreed to take them. The research therefore involved travelling to a number of countries both in Europe and Africa. Authorizations were often lengthy and difficult to obtain. Most of the people approached agreed to talk about their experience of international justice, but a few did not, because they had nothing to say or did not trust the interviewer. To preserve anonymity, respondents cited in the book are not named.

Damien Scalia : We were soon told [our research] was unrealistic, amoral and hare-brained. Photo:  Julia Crawford

Its unfair, its unfair

The author says the reason the research participants agreed to take part was, in their words, to be able to talk about their experience of international criminal justice and not about the acts for which they had been tried. However, some did discuss the acts for which they were convicted, in the context of talking about the judgment and sentence handed down and, above all, the forms of responsibility attributed to them. Of the 60 interviewees tried by the ICTR and ICTY, only three admitted to committing crimes. The others did not acknowledge responsibility or the crimes attributed to them, but justified their behaviour as lawful acts in wartime.

The international judicial system leaves me very bitter, says one ICTR convict cited in the book, despite all the hope I placed in it compared with domestic systems of justice, especially the Rwandan legal system. Another one echoes this feeling: Its unfair, its unfair. But I think that with the legal system you have to give in. Its not an easy job. I wouldnt like to be in the judges shoes, nor the prosecutions.

An ICTR convict points to the courts failure to try any Tutsis, targeting only Hutus. For me, one of the ICTRs principal missions was reconciling the Rwandan people and restoring peace, this person says. To my mind, the tribunal made the divisions deeper rather. [It exacerbated] the divisions, the resentment between the peoples, the feeling of injustice, and then not just among Rwandans themselves, I think it has created a feeling of revision against international institutions.

Interviewees tried by the ICTY and ICC do not seem to have any more favourable opinions of the courts that tried them. In my case, thinking it was a completely impartial tribunal, I turned myself in, says an ICTY convict. But I think that unfortunately theres a lot of injustice done by this tribunal and particularly by the people administering justice over there. I have a deep-seated wish to talk about it, to denounce this state of affairs, even if its to people who have no power to change things. And an ICC convict says: I never really had a fair trial. This isnt justice.

Victors justice?

At the idea of meeting the greatest criminals, I experienced a mix of ingenuousness and morally questionable curiosity, writes Scalia, combined with a personal question I would later explore with my psychoanalyst: how can such criminals live with the guilt of having killed hundreds or thousands of people when I am unable to live at peace with my small parcel of everyday guilt about not always reacting appropriately or about doing wrong? I found a partial answer: most of the people I met did not feel guilty and did not acknowledge the responsibilities ascribed to them. As psychologist Daniel Zagary explains, the guilt of mass atrocities perpetrators is merely an expectation by those who did not participate in the crimes. It is psychologically difficult, if not impossible, for perpetrators to feel guilt without self-destruction.

But that is only a partial response. And, as the book unfolds, many of those interviewed see the procedures as flawed at all stages. Above all, they do not identify with the charges as legally expressed in their indictments, do not feel heard during their trials, and see the courts as partial, a form of victors justice. They see themselves as scapegoats in a legal system imposed by others, whether the other be the victor in the war or Western states, or both. Here are some of their comments:

I say, about my position, that the people who drew up the indictments, they were influenced by lobbies, they had their own interests. My conclusion was that they needed to strike a balance on both sides. When I say sides, I mean the Serbian and the Bosniak side. So my impression was that they wanted to feed this Serbian lobby and satisfy them in one way: I was the one who massacred the Serbs. (Acquitted, ICTY)

The judges have become active RPF fighters. (Convicted, ICTR). [The Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front won the war, taking power in Rwanda in July 1994 and ending the genocide. It is still in power today.]

Percentages have been set for indictments. Its just a question of maths. They dont care about the circumstances. What counts is 80% Serbs, 15% Croats and 5% Bosniaks. There have been diplomatic games between the so-called allies and this has a similar impact on the court. There are political tensions in the appointment of judges. (Convicted, ICTY)

International criminal courts would seem to be apolitical, the author writes, and far from French judge Denis Salass definition of political trials as eliminating rivals by teaching them frightin absolute monarchies, empires and totalitarian regimes. Yet the respondents mainly viewed this form of justice through a political prism. This can be analysed as a discursive game to delegitimize the justice system that convicted or simply tried them, Scalia writes. Nevertheless, they highlighted or recalled crucial political elements that pervade this form of justice. These elements now lie at the heart of the criticisms levelled at the International Criminal Court. For the respondents, the political prism had three faces: the trial was experienced as a continuation of war; it reflected a justice of others; and it was a criminal law of the enemy.

Individual criminal responsibility

In a chapter entitled The Scapegoating Rhetoric, the author explores how individual criminal responsibility  the backbone of contemporary international criminal courts  is applied to accused persons in the context of mass crimes. The focus on individual responsibility on the part of international criminal justice means that collective responsibility is set aside, he writes. Yet crimes judged by international courts are by definition mass crimes, i.e. with a mass of victims but also a mass of perpetrators. The imposition of responsibility and the condemnation of a few individuals can lead them to feel like scapegoats.

Here is what some of the respondents have to say:

Its a terrible, terrible weight to bear. (Convicted, ICTR)

Whats hardest for me, when it comes to my family, my children and friends is the phrase convicted of war crimes. (Convicted, ICTY)

The biggest burden was reading the indictment. I was ashamed for the people in court and for myself. Not even 10% of it was true. (Convicted, ICTY)

Many of the respondents cited in the book express shock and disbelief at the discovery of their indictment, which one describes as gibberish and others say they simply did not take seriously. While many accept guilt for participation, the author writes, they reject responsibility for the crime as a whole, that is, responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in entirety. Although not legally attributed with the totality of the crime, this is often what happens morally.

The moral imputation of mass crime as a whole is revealed in the symbolic weight that falls on the accused or convicted, Scalia continues, and inevitably leads to a rejection of the responsibilities attributed.

Joint criminal enterprise and command responsibility

International criminal courts include in their statutes the legal concepts of joint criminal enterprise and command responsibility, but these appear particularly problematic for the people interviewed:

All the people did the same acts, the same things, but somewhere, some of the attackers fled, they raped, they killed, and so on. Joint criminal enterprise is used incorrectly, they shouldnt be allowed to convict people on that theory. Im guilty, because members of the joint criminal enterprise did something. I have not met these people, I am guilty of their actions. It would be easier if I could understand why they found me guilty. (Convicted, ICTY)

To what extent can a commander, a general, really know all the details in a conflict, in chaos? So I think the judges and prosecutors have misunderstood. (Convicted, ICTY)

The responsibility of the hierarchical superior is vague. Its a very vague concept at the ICTR. There is jurisprudence that is applied in my case and not in others. I commanded a battalion of about 800 people. I wasnt the only one in command. (Convicted, ICTR)

The burden of the acquitted

Ultimately, a sacrifice is required, the author writes. This takes the form of exclusion of a member of the community, notably through long prison sentences served elsewhere (in Benin, Germany, Estonia, Denmark, Mali etc.). This exclusion even continues for convicts who have served their time. Most ICTR convicts who are released cannot join their families and continue to live in Benin or Mali, without being able to leave.

But this pales in comparison to the acquittals at the ICTR, writes Scalia. Those acquitted, even though the law declared them innocent, were effectively banished forever from their community and, above all, from their family. They did not feel safe to return to Rwanda, and other countries would not take them. Scalia says acquitted people to whom he talked felt a sense of injustice during the legal proceedings and afterwards. They described how the criminal process is designed exclusively around the idea of guilt, in which the debate is not about possible exoneration, but rather about the conditions and details in which the unanimously established facts were committed.

The author points out that neither the ICTY nor ICTR Statutes contained provisions explicitly providing for acquittal. As Justice Info has reported, acquitted and released persons have remained a headache for the Mechanism managing residual functions of the ICTR after it closed, and several of them are still in an extremely precarious situation, notably in Niger.

Despicable subjects as sources of justice?

The final chapters of the book discuss why belief in international criminal justice persists, why the views of those who have been tried are often dismissed, and the value of their words. Rather than seeing them as monsters who must be excluded from society, the author explains that he tried to take an empathetic, humanist approach during interviews.

Wanting to rebuild society after this type of event often means rebuilding it with all the players, both perpetrators and victims of the crimes, writes Scalia. In his conclusion, he writes that there is a need to take account of the experience and discourse of despicable subjects (i.e. those who were tried) as a potential source of justice. This does not mean forgiving or vindicating the atrocities committed, let alone condoning them, but merely reinstating the perpetrators as reasonable beings in order to create a culture of accountability instead of a culture of guilt.






Monday, February 02, 2026 - Geoffrey Mosiria, Nairobi Countys officer in charge of citizen engagement, has found himself at the center of online chatter after defending Marion Naipei, the young woman whose embarrassing club video recently went viral.

His intervention quickly turned him into a trending figure, with netizens reimagining him as a modern-day superhero.

In a playful short clip making rounds online, Marion is portrayed as distressed and overwhelmed before Mosiria dramatically swoops in from the sky, styled like a super hero.

Complete with a flying suit and the cheeky moniker Super Mosiria, the video paints him as the ultimate rescuer of damsels in distress.

From county officer to internet superhero, Mosirias unexpected spotlight shows just how quickly social media can transform public figures into trending characters.

Watch the video>>> below.

Gen Zs wametolea katibu wa vibwenye premier  pic.twitter.com/a2RoXZDNy3  Random World  (@randomworldke) February 1, 2026

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, February 1, 2026 - A popular gym trainer, identified as Alphy Migasa, was reportedly killed by a Kenyan Defence Forces soldier for having an affair with his wife.

Migasa, known around Umoja Estate for his fitness skills and charm, was said to be fond of ladies and lived a flashy lifestyle that attracted admiration from many women.

His life was cut short after the soldier discovered an affair between the trainer and his wife, triggering a deadly confrontation.

A quick look at Migasas social media pages shows him frequently posing with attractive women, many believed to be his trainees.

Word has it that he was more than just a trainer to some, allegedly offering extra services beyond the gym sessions, including the soldiers wife.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, February 01, 2026 - Kenyan comedian, Eddie Butita, has set social media buzzing after penning a heartfelt birthday message to his girlfriend, fashion model Celeste Terer.

Butita, known for keeping his private life low-key, took to Instagram on February 1st, 2026, to celebrate Celeste in a rare moment of public vulnerability.

Accompanied by Atemis romantic track Bebi Bebi, Butita described her as the most important person in his life and hinted at a bright future together.

Happy Birthday to the most amazing human being in my life. Nakupenda sana Mygal 

This new chapter will be the best. tiempo de conquistar, he wrote.

The Spanish phrase, meaning time to conquer, suggested the couple is looking forward to achieving major milestones in 2026.

Celeste, a Nairobi-based model and content creator, quickly responded with equal warmth:

Thank you so much my love!!!  .

The sweet exchange drew thousands of likes within hours, with fans and fellow celebrities flooding the comments to wish her well.

The couple officially went public in July 2025 after dating quietly for nearly a year.

Butita had previously kept his relationships private following a high-profile breakup with comedian Mammito Eunice three years earlier.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, February 1, 2026 - In the ongoing nationwide crackdown on mobile phone theft and the shadowy networks behind the booming black market trade, detectives have launched an aggressive manhunt targeting receivers of stolen gadgets.

Acting on forensic leads and intelligence reports, sleuths zeroed in on a notorious suspect identified as Silas Kivyatu, believed to be a key player in a well-organized theft syndicate.

Two of his accomplices were arrested last week after detectives intercepted a stash of stolen phones allegedly destined for the Ugandan market.

Detectives tracked Silas to his hideout in California area within Kamukunji Sub-County.

But in a dramatic turn of events, the suspect sensed the officers closing in and made a daring escape on a motorbike, vanishing within seconds.

However, luck was not entirely on his side.

In his frantic flight, Silas dropped a black carrier bag containing three tightly wrapped packages sealed with yellow cellotape.

Upon inspection, detectives uncovered 62 assorted stolen mobile phones, exposing the scale of the illegal operation.

The recovered devices have been secured as exhibits as the hunt for Silas and his remaining accomplices intensifies.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has reiterated its commitment to dismantling mobile phone theft syndicates, warning that both thieves and receivers will face the full force of the law.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, February 01, 2026 - Former ICT Cabinet Secretary, Eliud Owalo, has poured cold water on President William Rutos ambitious plan to transform Kenya into a first-world nation, likening it to political deception.

Speaking during a funeral in Butere, Kakamega County, on Saturday, January 31st, Owalo argued that Kenyans are too burdened by economic hardship to be excited about comparisons with Singapore.

He insisted that progress is impossible if citizens continue to struggle with basic needs.

Let us stop lying to Kenyans that we are taking them to Singapore.

We cant go to Singapore without money in their pockets.

No one would go to Singapore if they cant afford food. Let us say no to Singapore, Owalo said.

Owalo, who served as ICT CS between October 2022 and July 2024, accused the President of using the Singapore narrative for political expediency.

He cautioned Kenyans against falling prey to what he termed as empty promises.

President Ruto has repeatedly restated his commitment to steering Kenya toward self-reliance, citing Asian economies such as Korea, China and Singapore as examples of rapid transformation.

He maintains that Kenyas challenge lies not in resources but in political will, and has pointed to reforms already underway.

President Ruto, in his State of the Nation address on November 20th, 2025, outlined an ambitious plan to position Kenya among advanced economies.

Drawing inspiration from Asian tiger nations such as Singapore, Japan and Malaysia, Ruto said reforms over his first three years had laid strong foundations for growth.

He urged Kenyans to choose ambition over fear and abandon the false comfort of low expectations.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, February 1, 2026 - A Filipino woman claims that a Kenyan man identified as Martin Kiptoo from Eldoret, impregnated her and then vanished without a trace.

According to the lady, the two were both working and living together in Qatar when the drama unfolded.

She claims that after learning about the pregnancy, Kiptoo disappeared, leaving her to face the consequences alone.

She posted a photo of their baby and asked social media users to help her get in touch with her baby daddy.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, February 01, 2026 - Kapseret Member of Parliament, Oscar Sudi, has admitted that he rarely attends routine parliamentary sessions, saying he only shows up when critical business is on the agenda.

Sudi, now serving his third term in the National Assembly, disclosed that he has a small weakness that keeps him away from regular debates.

I rarely go. I have a small weakness, and it is not my making.

But I would always go when there is serious business in the house, he stated.

His remarks echo findings from previous surveys that ranked him among lawmakers least active on the floor of the House.

A report by Mzalendo Trust, a parliamentary watchdog, listed Sudi among 19 legislators who either remain silent during debates or fail to attend sessions altogether.

Mzalendo noted that such inactivity undermines parliamentary responsibilities, as non-speakers contribute little to discussions on taxation, housing, healthcare and other key national issues.

The watchdog stressed that silence or absence denies constituents the representation they deserve.

Even when major bills are tabled, Sudi has been accused of showing up only at advanced stages.

For instance, during the 2024 Finance Bill, he was absent throughout the initial deliberations and only appeared during the voting process.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Sunday, February 01, 2026 - Popular online personality, Nurse Judy, a USbased Kenyan nurse, has set the record straight about her finances, warning fans against assuming she has endless cash to hand out.

In a candid Instagram post on Sunday, February 1st, 2026, Judy made it clear that while she earns well abroad, she is not available for sudden money requests.

Sharing a photo while at work looking exhausted she captioned: T for tough alafu nione mtu akiniambia nimtumie 20k urgently

Judy explained that her income is often misunderstood because people only see the results online.

So when you see me making money, it doesnt sit in my bank, she noted, adding that most of her earnings are already allocated to projects and commitments.

I have projects kibao lined up sijui ata nafaa kuiba pesa zingine more wapi, she said, stressing that her finances are planned long before anyone asks for help.

Her frustration reflects the pressure successful personalities often face when fans equate visibility with unlimited wealth.

She pushed back against the idea that her success should automatically make her a source of quick loans, reminding followers that financial management is more complex than it looks.

In a recent post, Judy revealed that working in the United States has enabled her to earn up to Ksh 1.3 million per week - an amount far beyond what most nurses in Kenya take home in a month.

The revelation sparked heated conversations among Kenyan health professionals, many of whom struggle with low pay and tough working conditions.

For context, registered nurses in Kenya typically earn between Ksh 55,000 and Ksh 110,000 per month in public hospitals.

However, she has made it clear that her money is already tied up in projects and she is not in a position to solve peoples urgent financial problems.










Sunday, February 01, 2026 - Outspoken Kenyan preacher, Victor Kanyari, has broken his silence following the circulation of Marion Naipeis controversial videos.

Speaking during a Sunday service at his Salvation and Healing Ministry on February 1st, 2026, Kanyari urged the public not to judge her and vowed to remain by her side despite mounting criticism.

Kanyari revealed that he has received threatening calls from individuals demanding that he distances himself from Naipei.

Kuna watu walinipigia simu wakawa wananithreaten sana, wakitaka niwachilie my sister Marion Naipei.

Nikasema ata kama nikuisha nitaisha na yeye, tutabaki na yeye, he declared.

Kanyari emphasized that he does not judge people based on their past, noting that Naipei is a mother and deserves compassion.

He condemned the trolling she has endured, stressing that the leaked clips were recorded three years ago and do not reflect her current life.

Sasa kwa nini ujudge Naipei? You are not supposed to judge her na past yake, he said.

In a bold admission, Kanyari acknowledged watching the leaked videos but insisted they should not define her.

Marion, video zako niliziona zote in detail, lakini ilikuwa three years ago. Today haufanyi hivyo tena, he added.

He vowed to stand with Naipei forever, even when the world turns against her.

He further encouraged her to pursue business ventures, pledging financial backing.

Tafuta biashara yenye unataka nitalipa any business, he assured.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Monday, February 2, 2026 - Detectives in Endebess have arrested Mike Wabwire Semera, the prime suspect behind the brutal killing of 17-year-old Rael Cheptoek Kaboi, a Form Four student at Nai Girls Secondary School, which occurred on January 30th, 2026, in Mowlem area of Kiptogot location.

The alarm was raised early that morning after residents reported a lifeless body in a nearby farm.

Officers from Endebess Police Station rushed to the scene, about 700 metres from Raels mothers home, where they found the teenagers body bearing clear signs of assault.

The scene was carefully documented before the body was taken to Kijana Wamalwa Referral Hospital for preservation and impending autopsy as investigations kicked off.

Preliminary investigations established that Rael had left home at 5:45 a.m for school, barely a kilometre away.

She never made it.

Her body was discovered around 6:30 a.m by fellow pupils heading to class.

Following intelligence leads, detectives trailed the suspect to the Kenya-Uganda Suam border, where a joint operation with Ugandan authorities led to his arrest after he fled across the border after committing the heinous act.

Semera has since been escorted back and is in custody at Endebess Police Station, undergoing processing ahead of arraignment, as detectives dig deeper to establish the motive behind the horrifying crime.





The Kenyan DAILY POST
Its the rescheduled first day of the eagerly awaited Dublin Racing Festival and todays seven-race card features four Grade One contests, the most significant of which is the Irish Gold Cup.

Read on for a preview of and tips for the Leopardstown card, courtesy of BOYLE Sports, who provide all the latest horse racing odds.

We start with a bang with a Grade One Novice Hurdle run over two miles and six furlongs (1.15). This looks a competitive affair at first glance, with some high quality form laced through the card, but it is Willie Mullins Doctor Steinberg who is the stand out on the horses he has beaten. He is a proven performer at this level, having lately won a Grade Two novice contest at Navan, and he was third to Kopek Des Bordes in a bumper. His heavy ground form is unparalleled here, so his chance seems obvious.

Next is the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle (1.50). The only one of the seven runners not to have won under this code is North Shore, who did win on the Flat in France. He made a pleasing debut over obstacles at this track in December, and thrived on heavy ground in France, so he could outrun his odds and might be each-way value. He runs for Gavin Cromwell, whose form is beginning to turn for the better, and Sean Flanagan in the saddle is a help.

A Listed three-mile handicap hurdle follows (2.25). This is an ultra-competitive race and could prove to be wide open. JP McManus runs a pair here; Son Of Anarchy, who is trainer Gordon Elliotts first string, and County Final, who is the owners first string, ridden by retained jockey Mark Walsh. Both have similar profiles, but Son Of Anarchy looks likely to improve for the step up to three miles here and is more than capable on the difficult ground.

The Irish Arkle is next, run over two miles and a furlong (2.55). With just three runners, Romeo Coolio, Kargese and Downmexicoway, the market fancies this to be one-horse race, with Romeo Coolio taking all of the money. Unbeaten over fences and certainly the class act here, he should win this on raw ability alone. Downmexicoway could be helped by the ground, though, and could get closer than the market assumes.

Race five is the Irish Gold Cup, run over the extended three miles (3.30). The revered Galopin Des Champs comes back to defend his crown, but was beaten on seasonal reappearance by Affordale Fury. He can likely run a much better race here, with the added fitness, but he could fall victim to younger types. Stablemate Spindleberry, the only mare in the race, goes up against geldings for the first time since winning the Grade One WillowWarm Gold Cup last term, and she could use her mares allowance to get closer than her price suggests.

The penultimate race is a Listed handicap chase over two miles and a furlong (4.05). This is another fairly open race, where JP McManus could be due another good result from Inthepocket, who runs for Henry De Bromhead under Mark Walsh. He has come down two pounds since last time, and he is very proficient on soft ground too and could find this easier in handicap company.

Last of all is a Grade Two bumper (4.40). Each of the seven runners have won some sort of race, be it under Rules or in the point-to-point field, and this should be an informative contest. Martin Brassils Its Only A Game could be the winner, though, having won his last start in a good - albeit small - bumper at Punchestown on similar going.

Dublin Racing Festival selections - Monday:

1.15 - Doctor Steinberg

1.50 - North Shore e/w

2.25 - Son Of Anarchy

2.55 - Romeo Coolio

3.30 - Spindleberry

4.05 - Inthepocket

4.40 - Its Only A Game
FOUR Kildare men have appeared in court last week charged with more than 170 offences arising from a nine year investigation into alleged corrupt practices at the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).

The four are Sean Ashe (74) of Turnings, Straffan, the former chief executive of KWETB, his son John Ashe (45), c/o the same address; Ciaran Downey (49) Mountain View Naas, and Richard Whelan (42), Hawkfield, Newbridge.

The Irish Times reported that all four were brought before Judge Aine Clancy in Blanchardstown District Court on Wednesday (28 January) on charges arising from an investigation led by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB), supported by gardai from the Kildare Division.

The investigation examined procurement concerns at the statutory body, and the file that was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) led to a total 178 charges be brought against the four individuals.

GNECB members arrested the four men by appointment last Wednesday morning and they were charged at Blanchardstown Garda station before coming before Judge Clancy.

Acknowledging that the number of charges suggested this was an extremely complex investigation, and so she granted the state 12 weeks to complete the book of evidence and adjourned the matter to 28 April.

All four accused were remanded on bail on conditions including surrender of their passports and undertakings not to leave the jurisdiction without court approval.

Sean Ashe Snr is charged with several offences under section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, including the 4 July 2014 award of a contract for works to Blessington Community College to Postbrook, t/a Ashten Engineering, and the 21 October 2016 award of a contract for works to Youthreach, in Athy, to Erris Contracts.

He is further charged that, between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014, he had dishonestly, by deception, induced another to do or refrain from doing an act, with the intention of making a gain for himself, of causing a loss to another, in failing to prepare and furnish to the relevant authority a statement in writing of interests, contrary to section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001.

His son John (45) faces 48 charges under section 8 of the 2001 Act, also concerning the 4 July 2014 contract at Blessington Community College, while another of his charges relates to the 20 October 2015 award of a contract for works to St Patricks School, Naas, to Erris Contracts.

John Ashes solicitor Eoghan OSullivan, of Powderly Solicitors, secured legal aid after informing the judge the case involved very serious matters.

Ciaran Downey (49) is charged with stealing a motor car on 19 January 2017, to the value of 2,750, the property of KWETB.

He is also charged that, about 13 February, 2019, whereas another person having committed an arrestable offence, namely corruption in office contrary to section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2001, he knowing or believing the said person to be guilty of the said offence, or some other arrestable offence did without reasonable excuse act with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of the said person.

Richard Whelan (42) is charged with a number of counts under section 8 the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2001.

These include that, about 4 July,2014, he, being a public official, did an act in relation to his office for the purpose of corruptly obtaining a gift, in awarding a contract for the works at Blessington Community College.

Other counts include making similar allegations about the 23 June 2016, contract for works to St Conleths Community College, and a 2 February 2015, contract for works to VTOS Athy, Kildare to Erris Contracts.
A leading homebuilder in Ireland has chosen a Kildare kids home to be one of its two chosen charity partners for 2026.

Glenveagh Homes has announced Barretstown children's charity and Womens Aid as its two charitys, and these were chosen by the staff.

Barretstown, just about two kilometres north of Ballymore Eustace, offers free, specially designed camps and programmes for children and their families living with childhood cancer or other serious illness, supported by 24-hour on site medical and nursing care.

It is recognised as a centre of excellence in childhood cancer care, and since it first opened its gates in 1994 it has provided much needed therapeutic camps to over 125,000 Barretstown campers.

An impressive 96 per cent of the 10m required annually to keep Barretstown afloat comes from charitable donations.

Womens Aid is a national organisation working to prevent and address the impact of domestic violence and abuse of women since 1974.

For over 50 years, the charity has supported generations of women and their children.

The need for Womens Aid services is increasingly vital, with the charity reporting the highest level of disclosures of domestic abuse against women and children in 2024.

To support Womens Aid and Barretstown in the coming year, Glenveagh has earmarked several events to drive awareness and fundraising for its chosen charities.

For Barretstown, Glenveagh will look to support with Helping Hands days where the team will maintain and improve facilities there.
By Claudia Savage, Press Association

The Government cannot wave a magic wand and just deliver flood relief schemes, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said, as he visited affected homes and businesses in Co Wexford.

Mr Martin met residents of Island Road, Enniscorthy, an area that was badly hit by flooding in recent weeks after the River Slaney burst its banks during Storm Chandra.

He told one that the Government is determined to do a number of short-term measures first to alleviate the impact of flood damage.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Martin said it was a soul-destroying experience to have your house flooded or your business flooded, and there has been a pattern here over many decades of flooding at this location.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin talking to Brian Leacy (left), co owner of L&M Motors, whose premises were damaged in the recent flooding (Liam McBurney/PA)

Our objective is first of all to provide humanitarian support to the families and also supports to the businesses that have been impacted, he said.

Secondly, the Office of Public Works (OPW) will work with the local authority in respect of interim measures to try and protect these houses and this location more generally and there are interim measures that can be taken to provide that protection and that reassurance, and that we will do.

Obviously, then, thirdly, the substantial, comprehensive scheme itself will be submitted for planning and it is complex, all of these schemes are, but nonetheless, we want to get that started.

On Sunday, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers acknowledged that the delivery of flood relief schemes in Ireland has been too slow.

Asked if there was any way the Government could expedite flood relief schemes, Mr Martin said planning routes have to be gone through, theres no question.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin at Enniscorthy in County Wexford, as he met families affected by the recent flooding (Liam McBurney/PA)

He added: Well do everything we can to speed up the progress of a scheme, going through the planning process and the design and development works itself.

These are very comprehensive schemes. They are complex. Im not going to try and pretend that we can wave a magic wand and just deliver them. That would be wrong to do.

But what we can do, its a parallel approach, the interim measures, whilst doing everything we can to shave off time.

Minister for Housing and Local Government, James Browne, who was with the Taoiseach, was asked if he believed Met Eireann had been withholding weather information last week.

He previously said the weather tracking agency needed to improve communications and he was really frustrated that some state agencies seem to think that its their duty to somehow withhold information.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin meets Maryellen McNamara (right) and John McNamara (centre) whose home was damaged in the flooding (Liam McBurney/PA)

He told reporters on Monday: The phrase I used was guarding, and it was in relation to very highly technical data, in relation to flooding not weather forecasting, and Ive met with the director of Met Eireann since then, and what were looking at [is] how we can, I suppose, make that data viable information that can be used.

On Monday Met Eireann issued yellow rain warnings for counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork and Waterford

They said further heavy rain falling on saturated ground combined with high river levels and high tides will lead to localised flooding, river flooding and difficult travel conditions.

A weather advisory from them said: Spells of heavy and persistent rainfall will continue through the week of February 2, particularly in southern and eastern coastal counties.

Rain will fall on saturated ground where river levels are high with high tides expected this week. This will lead to further flooding along rivers and in coastal areas.
A MAN who stole four boxes of washing machine tabs worth 30 was fined more than ten times that in court last week, proving a clean getaway is very difficult.

Roland Hlacs (42) with an address on Garter Lane, Athy was appearing in Athy District Court recently charged with one count of theft of the four boxes of detergent from Perrys Supermarket on Leinster Street, Athy on 6 December.

He is very anxious to pay this back, said defending solicitor Brian Larkin.

He has some issues with alcohol, but not on this occasion, he added.

I must say, judge, Ive always found him courteous and polite, said Mr Larkin.

However, Judge Desmond Zaidan did not appear moved Mr Larkins optimism, found Mr Hlacs guilty, and fined him a total of 400 for the theft.
A heart-warming and life-affirming show is coming to the Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny this March.

Tuesdays with Morrie is adapted from the phenomenally popular first novel by Mitch Albom by Breda Cashe and Pat Moylan.

It is an autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor.

READ MORE - WHAT'S ON IN KILKENNY

Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch happens to catch Morrie's appearance on a television news programme and learns that his old professor is battling Lou Gehrig's Disease. Mitch is reunited with Morrie, and what starts as a simple visit, turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class in the meaning of life.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a heart-warming exploration of friendship and life. It will make you cry but above all it will make you laugh but most of all it will make you realise the simple things in our lives that mean and matter the most.

For more and to book see www.watergatetheatre.com
Kilkenny businesses have been in celebration mode after receiving national accolades in recent days.

The Newpark Hotel, Mount Juliet Estate and Cafe La Coco were among the winners at the Gold Medal Hotel Awards. The awards are recognised as Irelands leading independent awards programme for the hospitality industry.

The Newpark Hotel was recognised as being one of Irelands top destinations for family breaks when named Best Family Friendly Hotel for the third consecutive year.

To be recognised as Best Family Friendly Hotel for the third year in a row is an incredible honour and a real testament to the dedication of our entire team, said General Managers Niall Dunne and Mark Flynn.

READ NEXT: Much loved Kilkenny couple receive Lifetime Achievement Award

Everything we do at Newpark Hotel is driven by a desire to create meaningful, memorable experiences for our guests. Were immensely proud of our colleagues and sincerely grateful to the families who continue to choose Newpark Hotel year after year.

Mount Juliet Estate celebrated a successful night when Executive Chef John Kelly was awarded Irelands Five Star Chef of the Year, recognising his creativity, leadership, and continued dedication to excellence in Irish hospitality.

To have been nominated is an honour, but to win is truly incredible, he said. Im fortunate to have such a fantastic team who are passionate about delivering world class food and exceptional service.

The Estate also achieved Silver in the Irelands Five Star Resort category, highlighting their ongoing commitment to exceptional guest experiences across accommodation, dining, and service. Accepting the awards on the night were Sean Reid, John Kelly, Aaron Logan, Sinead Monahan and Edel Nolan all representing Mount Juliet Estate.

Each win feels as exciting as the first, and thats a testament to our incredible team, said Mark Dunne, General Manager Mount Juliet Estate. None of this success would be possible without their dedication and passion for what they do.

READ MORE: 'People are fearful' - Kilkenny community on tender hooks over possible flooding

Meanwhile, at the same ceremony, Cafe La Coco took home two national awards.

The Patrick Street coffee shop secured the title of All-Ireland Cafe of the Year and Leinster Sweet Treat of the Year.

These awards recognise excellence in quality, service, and community spirit, marking a proud moment for our entire team and for Kilkenny, a spokesperson for the business commented.

That wasn't the end of the glory filled week for Kilkenny business.

Brennan Sister's, a family run takeaway based in Freshford, secured 'Best Kebab of the Year' in Leinster for the second time as well as 'Local Takeaway of the Year' for the province.

"We are delighted to bring home two more awards," the local takeaway posted to social media.

Furthermore, The Wine Centre in Kilkenny City is the latest local business to be toasting to their success.

The John Street outlet was crowned 'Leinster Off-License of The Year' at the National Off Licence Awards on Monday night in a marquee night for all involved.

FOR MORE LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS, CLICK HERE
Kilkenny TD Natasha Newsome Drennan, who is a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food, has said confidence in Bord Bia has been shattered.

The Sinn Fein representative was speaking following the announcement of the Sinn Fein Dail motion to remove Larry Murrin as Chairperson of Bord Bia.

She said that ongoing controversies have damaged trust in the Bord Bia and now the Minister must act to restore that trust.

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Confidence in Bord Bia is shattered. The ongoing controversy regarding Bord Bia has been dragging on now for over a week and the longer it goes on the more damage that is being done to Bord Bia and Irelands reputation on the global stage."

Deputy Newsome Drennan highlighted growing cross-party agreement on the issue, stating: There is clear cross-party support for this action. Several Fianna Fail TDs have publicly called for Larry Murrin to step down, including the partys own Spokesperson on Agriculture, Deputy Peter Chap Cleere, who stated that Mr. Murrins position is untenable, that he has lost the trust and confidence of the Irish farming community and, as a result, he must go.



I strongly welcome this cross-party support, and I urge these Fianna Fail TDs to follow through on their word and to vote to support our motion for the Minister to use his powers and remove Larry Murrin from Bord Bia.

Deputy Newsome Drennan outlined the clear conflict of interest at the heart of the controversy.

Its clear for everyone to see that Larry Murrin must go. We cannot have double standards with Bord Bia promoting Irish beef around the world while the chairperson of the board is importing sub-standard Brazilian beef in his own company.

READ MORE KILKENNY VIEWS AND OPINION HERE

She expressed frustration with the Ministers stance, saying: It is just baffling to understand why the Minister is standing by Larry Murrin when it is obvious to everyone else that Mr. Murrin has lost the confidence of Irish farmers.

Sinn Fein is bringing a motion before the Dail calling on the Minister to remove Larry Murrin from his position as chairperson of Bord Bia.

This will be an opportunity for the Minister to debate the issue and inform the Dail of all the facts.

The Minister suggested that there was not proper debate around the issue and people dont know the facts. Our motion provides the platform to do exactly that.
Two houses seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) as part of a case linked to the son of a murdered Irish crime boss are set to be auctioned off later this month.

The properties, both in the Garryowen area of Limerick city, were seized by CAB last October after the High Court ruled they were the proceeds of crime.

The seizures form part of CABs case against Kieran Keane Junior, the son of Kieran Keane, who was killed in a brutal gangland murder in January 2003.

USE THE ARROWS OR 'NEXT' TO BROWSE THROUGH THE FULL GALLERY

Mr Keane was shot dead after members of the McCarthy Dundon crime gang abducted him and his nephew Owen Treacy. Mr Treacy survived after being stabbed multiple times and left for dead. Five men were later jailed for life for the murder.

One of the houses now heading for auction is a three-bedroom mid-terrace property at 7 Sarsfield Court, Garryowen, which carries an advised minimum value of 100,000.

The two-storey house features a lounge and kitchen-dining area on the ground floor, and three bedrooms and a family bathroom upstairs. Outside, there is off-street parking to the front and an enclosed yard to the rear.

Also going under the hammer is 12 The Path, Garryowen, a three-bedroom end-terrace house with an advised minimum value of 120,000.

USE THE ARROWS OR 'NEXT' TO BROWSE THROUGH THE FULL GALLERY

That property also spans two floors, with living accommodation on the ground floor and three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, along with off-street parking and a rear yard.

Both homes are located just off the Garryowen Road in a long-established residential area, around a 10-minute walk from Limerick city centre, with nearby amenities including St Johns Hospital, schools, shops and local parks.

The properties will be sold at public auction held by BRG Gibson Auctions at midday on Thursday, February 26, with the proceeds being returned to the exchequer.
Chinas 2026 Spring Festival travel rush begins, the 1st train from Beijing rolls out amid festive cheer and family reunion expectations

15:10, February 02, 2026 By Zhang Yiyi and Sun Langchen ( Global Times

China's annual Spring Festival travel rush, known as chunyun, officially started on Monday, and a record 9.5 billion passenger trips are estimated for the 40-day period of festivities from February 2 to March 13.

China's national railway network is expected to handle 540 million passenger trips during the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, averaging 13.48 million trips per day, up 5.0 percent year on year, according to China State Railway Group Co.

A passenger happily waves aboard the first Spring Festival travel-rush train from Beijing to Nanchang, East Chinas Jiangxi Province, on February 2, 2026. Photo: Li Hao/GT

At 12:40 am on Monday, the K4069 train departed smoothly from Beijing West Railway Station to Nanchang, East China's Jiangxi Province, marking the official launch of the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush for China Railway Beijing Group. On the first day, Beijing West Station is expected to handle about 145,000 passenger trips, with total passenger volume projected to reach 5.155 million over the entire travel period.

The conductor of Train K4069 poses for a photo with a passenger before the train departs from Beijing West Railway Station for Nanchang in East Chinas Jiangxi Province on February 2, 2026. Photo: Zhang Yiyi/GT

The Global Times reporter noticed there was strong Spring Festival atmosphere inside the train, with traditional Chinese New Year paper-cut designs and Year of the Horse greetings displayed on its windows.

Liu Jingjing, a graduate student at China Agricultural University in Beijing from Xinyang in Central China's Henan Province, told the Global Times that as university students start their winter break earlier than others, she was returning home as soon as classes ended and found it relatively easy to secure a ticket. Booking through the railway's official 12306 platform was convenient and efficient, she said, noting that students receive a 25 percent discount, making train travel highly cost-effective.

A green-painted train decorated with a strong Spring Festival atmosphere, featuring Year of the Horse greetings on its windows, is seen on February 2, 2026. Photo: Zhang Yiyi/GT

Li, a home decoration worker in Beijing from Central China's Henan Province, told the Global Times that he headed home early thanks to his flexible work schedule. His backpack was filled with daily necessities and gifts for his family. With two children aged 13 and 9 studying in his hometown in Henan and eagerly awaiting his return, he said he bought Beijing-style yogurt, a local specialty, to share with his family. "I didn't try it myself, saving it for my family," he said with a smile as he carefully secured the package before boarding the train.

Li Huan, a graduate student studying in Beijing from Central China's Hubei Province, told the Global Times that she bought her ticket a week ago via a WeChat mini-program, paying just 180 yuan ($25) for a sleeper berth with a student discount.

She said the trip to the station by subway was smooth, with only one security check required, while clear signage helped her quickly find the waiting area. By chance, she boarded the first train of the travel rush, soaking in a festive atmosphere marked by warm and professional service from staff. Her New Year wish, she said with a smile, is to reunite with her family and wish them peace and good health.

The crew from Huairou North locomotive depot assigned to Train K4069 made thorough preparations for the task. "To secure a strong start to the Spring Festival travel rush, our depot selected 90 key staff to form two service teams and conducted rigorous, all-round training," train conductor Liu Chao told the Global Times.

The train was filled with a festive Spring Festival atmosphere, with traditional paper-cut window decorations, horse-themed tabletop ornaments and banners, as well as Year of the Horse couplets prepared for passengers. Staff members told the Global Times they had carefully arranged the decorations and gifts to create a warm and cheerful travel experience.

Given that the route passes major transfer hubs such as Hengshui, Fuyang and Jiujiang, crew members familiarized themselves in advance with the most convenient transfer routes and proactively guided passengers to minimize transfer times, Liu said. He added that mobile service desks were set up in the carriages to handle inquiries and provide travel updates, with first-aid kits and portable power banks available, while a dedicated volunteer service post was arranged to offer full assistance to elderly, young, sick, disabled and pregnant passengers.

The Spring Festival travel rush is not just a trip, but a warm journey home. At 12:40 am, the train departed on time, filled with passengers' homebound hopes and festive cheer, marking a smooth, safe and celebratory start to China's 2026 Spring Festival travel rush.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
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Kenneth Fox and Eva Osborne

The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) and its related subgroups met again on Monday to continue to prepare for the risk of further flooding.

It said the risk of flooding is "very high" across the east and southeast in the coming days, with problems expected to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It comes as a status yellow rain warning has been issued for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, and Waterford for the bank holiday.

The warning came into effect at 1pm on Monday and will remain in place until 9am on Tuesday.

Met Eireann said that further heavy rain falling on saturated ground, combined with high river levels and high tides, will lead to localised flooding, river flooding and difficult travel conditions.

A status yellow rain warning is also in place from 9pm on Monday to 1pm on Tuesday for Dublin, Louth, and Wicklow.

In the North, there is a yellow ice warning in place for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Derry, from 7pm on Sunday to 9am on Monday.

NECG said that while the forecast is set to ease, the impacts of the rain may continue throughout the weekend, and flooding will continue to be a risk due to saturated ground conditions and high river levels.

Advice to the public

The public are urged to be alert for flooding as the situation can change very quickly, NECG said, and even small amounts of rain could result in significant impacts in areas where river levels are high and/or where the ground is already saturated.

People are urged to check their local authority website and social media channels for information on road closures, flooding updates, and community alerts.

Local authorities are carrying out assessments on roads that were affected by the flooding and, in some instances, roads may need to be kept closed due to damage.

Allow for disruption when travelling and plan extra travel time. When driving, reduce speed, expect surface water, debris and poor visibility. Do not bypass Road Closed signs or drive through floodwater; turn back and use another route.

Flooding may impact transport services, and the public is advised to check with operators before their journey.

Support

An Emergency Response Payment is available to provide support to those living in properties directly affected by flooding.

Community Welfare Officers are active on the ground in affected areas to support the humanitarian response.

The date for receipt of applications for Stage 1 of the Emergency Response Payment is Wednesday, February 11th, 2026.

Any household affected by severe weather can access this support by contacting the Community Welfare Service on 0818 60 70 80.

An Emergency Humanitarian Flooding Scheme is also open for small businesses and community, voluntary, and sports organisations affected by flooding.

Flood management in Dublin

Dublin City Council said its Flood Management Team is continuing to prepare for adverse weather conditions and related impacts.

River levels remain high and there exists a high tides advisory. Dublin City Council said it is monitoring river levels and coastal conditions closely, to ensure appropriate responses as required.

Tidal Warnings prompted the council to close carparks along coasts at Sandymount and Clontarf (from Tuesday morning 6am) (some wave overtopping may occur). The cycle lane at Clontarf will also close as a precautionary measure.

Eden Quay Boardwalk (floodgates) will close mid-morning as a precautionary measure. The flood gates along the River Dodder will remain closed until further notice.
Ottoline Spearman

Claire Byrne, who will soon move to Newstalk after 15 years at RTE, knows that the pressure is on and she needs to "hit the ground running".

Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Byrne said she is moving to Newstalk for a variety of "personal and complex" reasons.

Despite feeling less challenged at RTE, and seeing people "becoming disillusioned and "colleagues suffering", she described how there were tears in her eyes when she handed in her notice.

I said to them, Newstalk have given me an offer and I am minded to take it. I didnt want to play games. I wasnt trying to get RTE to beat Newstalk with an offer because I knew they couldnt with their pay cap."

In wake of the Ryan Tubridy RTE payments scandal - where the broadcaster was found to have made undisclosed payments to its high-profile presenter through a barter account - the director general Kevin Bakhurst announced that no one at the broadcaster could earn more than his salary of 250,000.

At that time in 2023, Byrnes salary was 280,000, down from 350,000 after she left her Monday night television show. Irelands Smartest, Byrne's quiz show, also earned her an extra 25,000.

The move by Bakhurst led to a clampdown on presenters' pay, as well as outside work.

Byrne told the Sunday Independent that she "didnt understand why [she] deserved to be capped.

I certainly felt at that time that some people thought that we were all on the make and that was unfair because we werent and the publicly published figure in RTEs accounts was what I was earning from RTE, Byrne said.

I hadnt done anything wrong; we had a sponsor for the show, advertising was strong. So, I didnt understand why I deserved to be capped.

She also told the Sunday Independent that her issue with the pay cap wasnt about the money, but how it sent a negative message to people who had been performing well in their jobs.

It was more what being capped said about me. It felt like the organisation was wagging its finger at me, saying: Youve been a bad person and you need to have a cap put on you to stop your gallop. Thats how I felt. I felt like I was in trouble or I was marked. It sent a signal to me that I wasnt comfortable with.

On Tuesday, Byrne will take over the three-hour prime-time weekday slot that was previously hosted by Pat Kenny.

The more you do a job, the more comfortable you get and the less challenged you are. RTE has, to a certain extent, a guaranteed audience in certain slots now and Im very proud that we managed to grow the audience," she said.

But I thought: Are you up for a challenge? And Newstalk, owned by Bauer, is a very ambitious company. They dont see themselves as minnows anymore. They are a real competitor.

I have high expectations of myself and this show needs to be good from day one. It has to be. Newstalk have taken a bet on me and I now have to live up to my side of the bargain.

Byrne will have three hours of airtime to fill five days a week, but rather than being daunted by this, she said that she will "relish it".

Id rather be on air for the three hours than sitting in the office. When my adrenaline is up, I feel better.

"My ambition is to go into Newstalk and grow the audience, so lets see what happens.

Byrne starts her new weekday show on Tuesday February 2nd. It will run every weekday on Newstalk from 9am to 12pm.
A MAN was successful in his application for free legal aid and the postponement of his case at Portlaoise District Court, when he told a judge that he had booked a 10-day Spanish holiday.

The issue arose when father-of-five Jamie Maher from Hillview Drive, Portlaoise was before the court charged with possessing 1,200 worth of cannabis for his own use and for sale or supply and possessing 1,500 in cash at Bull Lane, Portlaoise on 23 July.

Solicitor for the 29-year-old defendant, Michael Byrne, asked for the case to be adjourned for a full hearing and for all evidence gardai have in the case to be furnished to him ahead of that date.

Judge Susan Fay set 9 June as the date for the hearing.

However, Mr Byrne said that his client would be on holidays.

Wheres he going on holidays? asked the judge, to which Mr Byrne replied: Spain.

And hes asking for free legal aid? asked Judge Fay.

I have been paying it off during the year, said Mr Maher.

Mr Byrne added: He has it booked. Its for 10 days.

The solicitor said his client, who has five children, works driving a forklift and earns approximately 500 a week.

Judge Fay remanded Mr Maher on continuing bail to 16 June for hearing and granted free legal aid.

Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme
Sean McCarthaigh

Permanent planning permission for the countrys first medically supervised drug injection facility at Merchants Quay in Dublin has been placed on hold following an objection by a local resident.

An appeal has been lodged with An Coimisiun Pleanala against the recent decision of Dublin City Council to regularise the temporary planning permission for the treatment facility operated by the homeless and addiction charity, Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI).

The drop-in facility is operated from the basement of the Riverbank Building on Merchants Quay, Dublin 8, and was used by almost 1,200 individuals on over 10,700 visits in its first nine months after opening in December 2024, according to MQI.

However, local resident, Patrick Coyne, said the councils decision was procedurally unsound as a statutory 18-month review of the facility by the HSE has not been completed, independently assessed, or published.

Mr Coyne claims the decision to grant permanent planning permission for the centre is also based on an incomplete and selectively framed evidential record which lacked independent verification.

The appellant stated a report provided by MQI does not assess the external impacts of the supervised drug injection facility such as child safety and neighbourhood amenity.

Mr Coyne claimed a submission from a stakeholder forum contained no input from independent residents or businesses as well as no dissenting views and overwhelmingly represented the views of statutory bodies and partner organisations aligned with the project.

He also claimed that there has been a misapplication of the zoning of the site to take account that the area has the highest concentration of addiction-related services in the country.

Mr Coyne also maintained there was an issue with effective oversight, enforcement and management of the area as it was located on the boundary of two Garda divisions as well as two different administrative areas of Dublin City Council.

He called on MQI to submit a new planning application to be supported by independently verified socio-environmental data.

MQI won a tender issued in 2018 by the HSE to operate the supervised injecting centre on a pilot basis for 18 months with the possibility of extending the trial period by another 18 months.

However, the facility, which is permitted under the Misuse of Drugs (Supervised Injecting Facilities) Act 2017 did not open until December 2024 due to planning issues.

Dublin City Council had originally refused planning permission for the project in 2019 but its ruling was successfully appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

However, the High Court quashed the boards decision following judicial review proceedings taken by St Audeons primary school which ordered MQIs application to be considered afresh.

Its current planning permission is due to expire in June 2026.

In a submission, MQI said its proposed permanent change of use is justified by the significant public health, social and environmental benefits which have been demonstrated during the pilot period.

The charity said the need for the facility remains acute and ongoing.

The average number of daily visitors to the facility rose steadily from almost 17 per day when it opened to 52 in November.

MQI claimed the centre has delivered measurable improvements for both service users and the wider community since it opened which made a compelling case for retention of the facility.

They include the prevention of overdose fatalities, reduced emergency service demand, reduced public injection incidents and drug-related litter.

The permanent change of use will embed these positive outcomes long-term, ensuring ongoing health, safety and environmental benefits for the wider community, said MQI.

Given the proximity of St Audeons National School, MQI said it had implemented specific operational safeguards to protect students and staff including continuous engagement with the school and targeted patrols in the surrounding area.

A six-month interim report by the HSE found the facility has resulted in cleaner streets and safer communities including a noticeable reduction in discarded needles, drug paraphernalia and public injecting.

MQI said six overdoses had been managed in the facility preventing hospitalisation or death.

It said the stakeholder forum which includes representatives from the local community, school and businesses had proven effective for addressing local concerns promptly and constructively.

MQI claims its service provide a hygienic, safe, medically supervised healthcare environment where individuals can inject drugs obtained elsewhere under the supervision of trained healthcare professionals

In a submission to the council, Green Party councillor, Michael Pidgeon, supported the proposal to make the existing facility permanent based on the need for such a service and international evidence of the positive impact of supervised drug injection centres.

Mr Pidgeon acknowledged that there were fears before it opened about possible adverse impacts but he claimed none of those fears had been realised.

The facility is working well, saving lives, reducing pressure on emergency services, reducing needle dumping and public injecting and offering privacy and dignity to people suffering from addition, said Cllr Pidgeon.

He argued delaying a decision until a full study on the 18-month trial was carried out would be a mistake as its purpose is to assess the value of the project from a public health perspective and is unrelated to planning issues.

A ruling by An Coimisiun Pleanala is due before the end of May.
Crews in Bethlehem and Salisbury Township are repairing breaks that have shut off water to dozens of homes as frigid temperatures grip the region.

In Bethlehem, crews worked most of the day on an 8-inch break in the 2600 block of East Boulevard. The break has caused 20 homes to be affected with water shut off, Edward Boscola, the citys Department of Water and Sewer Resources director, told lehighvalleylive.com.

Work was completed by 3 p.m. Monday and service was restored, he said. Eight of the 20 families are being asked to boil water for the next three days, Boscola said.

That stretch of East Boulevard remains closed for road restoration. Boscola expected repairs to be completed by early Monday evening.

In Salisbury Township, police Sgt. Bryan S. Losagio told lehighvalleylive.com crews are working on a smaller break along a bustling stretch of East Emmaus Avenue  between Potomac and Dauphin streets.

Traffic is shut down in both directions; however, school buses and local motorists are being allowed to pass through, he said.

Crews began work around noon Monday and are expected to finish repairs by 6 p.m., Losagio said. An unspecified amount of homeowners in the vicinity of the break have since had their water turned off.

Residents in this area will be out of water until its repaired, Losagio said.

Another water main break is being worked on in Lower Saucon Township, WFMZ-69 News reports. Residents in Phillipsburg had their water service shut off this past weekend as the result of a break along Pickford Avenue.

Dangerously cold wind chills in the single digits once again impacted the Lehigh Valley Monday morning, with the Poconos seeing colder values reaching near 15 degrees below zero.

Air temperatures Monday morning were hovering around 15 degrees in the Lehigh Valley, combining with steady to gusty northwest winds to produce dangerous wind chills, according to the National Weather Service.

Daytime highs Monday were only expected to reach the upper 20s to low 30s, with some spots possibly touching the freezing mark depending on sunshine.

The region is forecast to experience continued below-normal temperatures throughout the week, with highs generally remaining in the 20s to low 30s through Friday.
A gunman who opened fire in a shootout that injured eight people near an Allentown Dominican festival in 2024 has been convicted of attempted murder.

Aside from the felony attempted murder charge, Yunior Peralta-Quintana, 23, with addresses in Allentown and Bethlehem, was found guilty of three counts felony aggravated assault, one count felony reckless endangerment; and one count misdemeanor felony firearms not to be carried without a license, as well as other misdemeanor offenses.

Peralta-Quintana was acquitted of two felony aggravated assault charges. Those charges stem from the Aug. 25, 2024 shooting.

On May 7, 3025, Peralta-Quintana was additionally charged with two counts felony intimidation of a witness; three counts felony criminal solicitation to intimidate a witness; and one count felony retaliation against a witness charges.

Peralta-Quintana was also found guilty Friday of those charges.

Co-defendant Miguel Ovalles Ubri, 28, of Allentown is charged with felony attempted murder, two counts felony aggravated assault, one count misdemeanor simple assault and three counts misdemeanor reckless endangerment. He is awaiting trial on the charges.

Peralta-Quintanas conviction came down after a four-day jury trial last week before Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas Judge Anna-Kristie M. Marks. He remains incarcerated at the Lehigh County Jail with bail denied.

Peralta-Quintana is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on March 5 before Marks. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in state prison.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced the verdict Friday afternoon. Allentown-based attorney Benjamin Cooper, representing Peralta-Quintana, couldnt immediately be reached for comment Monday morning.

City police around 6:45 p.m. Aug. 25, 2024 were already near the parking lot, immediately west of the 100 block of North Seventh Street and about a half block away from the PPL Center at Hamilton Street.

Four officers involved were working a special operation assigned to the area of the North Lot for a portion of the nearby Dominican Festival, the DAs Office had said.

A barrage of gunshots was fired as crowds, including children and young adults, enjoyed the festivities. They were sent scrambling for cover as Peralta-Quintana and Ovalles Ubri exchanged fire at each other, city police said.

Responding officers found the co-defendants actively shooting at each other in the North Lot and two officers opened gunfire, Holihan had said. None of the wounded victims were shot by those officers, he said.

No officers were injured in the incident. A total of six people suffered gunshot wounds and two others had other injuries. At least one victim required emergency life-saving surgery, the DAs Office said.

All the victims survived their injuries, the DAs Office said.

Video captured on an officers body-worn camera depicted the chaotic scene. The DAs Office later ruled after a nearly month-long investigation the officers gunfire was justified in the incident to protect the safety of the public.

The addition of extra officers patrolling the festival and nearby areas and their quick response and life-saving measures of treating victims with tourniquets most certainly saved lives that day, Holihan said Friday.

The case is being investigated by Allentown Police Detective Theodore Kiskeravage and the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force. Its being prosecuted by Lehigh COunty Senior Deputy District Attorney Patricia Turzyn and Lehigh County Assistant District Attorney Kinda Alhanna.
Easton Area School District students might have to say goodbye to their phones during the school day in the near future.

Discussion of a possible cell-phone-free school day took place during last Tuesdays Easton Area School Board meeting, as proposed state legislation could change school policy.

William Quinn, president of the Easton Area Education Association, spoke in favor of limiting student cell phone use, citing changes in classroom dynamics since the rise of smartphones and social media.

Quinn emphasized various issues such as student disengagement and loss of instructional time related to unrestricted phone access during the school day.

Restricting the use of cell phones during the day is good for all of our students, and puts the focus back on academics and all of our schools, Quinn said. Our teachers need this. Our students need this.

He also pointed to academic and mental health concerns, including bullying through social media and coordination of fights through texting.

What can be done? PA Senate Bill 1014, Quinn said.

PA Senate Bill 1014 would amend the Pennsylvania Public School Code to require all school entities to adopt a bell-to-bell, phone-free policy by the 2027-28 school year. The bill would prohibit student use of personal mobile devices during the school day while on school property.

The proposed legislation allows exceptions for medical needs, individualized education programs like 504 plans, English language learning support or limited instructional use approved by school administrators. Schools would also be required to provide parents with reliable methods to contact students during the school day.

Under the bill, school districts would need to seek public input before adopting or amending their policies and post finalized policies online.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education would be responsible for reporting on the impact of these policies on student discipline, mental health, attendance and academic performance.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro supported restrictions on student cell phone use in schools in a recent post on X. He called on the state legislature to send the bill to his desk.

Its time for us to get distractions out of the classroom and create a healthier environment in our schools, he said in the post.

As of Dec. 9, the bill is in its second consideration phase. If it receives a third consideration, the bill would proceed to the state House. After passing both chambers, it would reach Shapiros desk.

The state Senate is set to reconvene at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg.

Quinn urged members of the school board to talk with legislators in support of the bill to move it forward.

Superintendent Tracy Piazza said maintaining technological relevance is important for the district, but cell phones are not necessary during instructional hours. She said the district plans to monitor the legislation closely and prepare for potential implementation at the local level if the bill becomes law.

It is very likely within the next six to 12 months, we will see some form of a cell phone ban in school. Im not sure what that exactly will entail at this point, but it is coming, and it is likely to pass, Piazza said. So students, get ready for that.
Werner Enterprises will return to the Palmer Township planning commission in a few weeks with a plan for expanded parking at its truck terminal.

The terminal at 2215 Newlins Mill Road opened in 2021 despite vocal opposition from the community. It has 200 trailer parking stalls and 90 tractor parking stalls.

Werner came before the township planning commission in January 2025 with a request to add 107 more trailer spaces and 38 tractor spaces. The commission tabled the plan due to concerns over stormwater, traffic, landscaping and lighting.

Werner is scheduled to come back before the planning commission on Feb. 10 with a revised expansion plan that calls for 100 new trailer spots and 35 tractor spots, according to township Planning Director Craig Beavers.

Beavers said Werner has addressed many of the townships concerns, but theres still work to be done.

We do anticipate there to be additional comments on the plan before we will be recommending approval, Beavers said Thursday.

Messages to officials with Omaha, Nebraska-based Werner werent immediately answered.

Werner fought neighbors for years for the right to put in the driver training center and maintenance facility at the corner of Tatamy and Newlins Mill roads. Residents from the nearby Villages at Mill Race and Tatamy Hunt communities packed meetings for three years until the plan was approved in 2018.

The revised plan calls for consolidating two parcels into one 49-acre parcel of land.

The terminal parking areas and entrance are on the Newlins Mill Road side of the plot, away from Tatamy Road and away from the residents.

The newest expansion plan includes sidewalks, a bike path and a wider road.
The end of an era has finally come to Walt Disney World.

The beloved DINOSAUR attraction in Animal Kingdom closed today, February 2, 2026. After opening in 1998, under the name Countdown to Extinction, this marks the official end of DinoLand U.S.A.

So, whats coming next?

What is replacing DINOSAUR at Animal Kingdom?

At the end of the DINOSAUR ride, as Dr. Seeker shouts, "they're not gonna make it!!" a Carnotaurus jumps out to scare riders before their picture is taken. Ana Suarez for NJAM

DINOSAUR was the only ride left standing in DinoLand U.S.A., after most of the area was taken down last year. Disney announced at the D23 event in 2024 that the entire area would be leveled and turned into an entirely new area.

The 11-acre section of DinoLand U.S.A. will be replaced by Disneys Tropical Americas, a land focusing on the regions in the Western Hemisphere north and south of the equator, according to Disney Parks Blog.

The new section is expected to feature two new rides based on the hit movies Encanto and Indiana Jones, and will be called Pueblo Esperanza.

While an official opening date hasnt been set for the new land, it is expected to open in 2027.

The restaurant, Restaurantosaurus, directly across from DINOSAUR is now also closed. It will be converted and re-themed to fit the new Tropical Americas.

How long was DINOSAUR at Animal Kingdom?

Entrance to DINOSAUR ride in DinoLand U.S.A. at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom. Ana Suarez

Those who remember the 90s know that DINOSAUR was originally called Countdown to Extinction and it was an opening day attraction at Animal Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom opened on Earth Day on April 22, 1998, with this ride as a main attraction. DINOSAUR was just a few months shy of turning 28.

The ride was renamed and re-themed DINOSAUR just two years later, as a rebrand by Disney to promote their film of the same name. Many changes were made to make the ride directly connect with the film. The switch happened on May 1, 2000 and the name stuck with the ride until its very last day.

DINOSAUR was a dark EMV ride that took you back in time. The rides premise was that you were there on a tour of The Dino Institute with Dr. Marsh and you were set to go on an educational ride through time to see the Cretaceous period. The rides famous character, Dr. Seeker, quickly jumped in to tell you that he secretly switched what time period you were visiting. Instead, he wanted to send you back to the late Cretaceous period to rescue Aladar the Iguanodon. The only issue with this is that the time he picked was very close to when the meteor struck that killed the dinosaurs. Hence the name of the original ride, Countdown to Extinction!

Fans of the ride loved Dr. Seeker and Aladar, and most would quote the end of the ride, as the meteor does hit while youre riding and Dr. Seeker famously shouts, Theyre not gonna to make it! Theyre not gonna to make it!

Why did Disney decide to close DINOSAUR and DinoLAND U.SA.?

Dinosaurs combine with carnival games at DinoLand U.S.A. in Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World. A boy is interested in the shooting game. Getty Images

According to WDW Magic, wait times for DINOSAUR surpassed four hours on the last day fans could ride it (Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026). Over the last several years, the ride normally had one of the lowest wait times at Animal Kingdom. The ride often only had a five to 15 minute wait. Which is quite low compared to the most popular ride on Animal Kingdom, Flight of Passage. The popular Avatar ride wait times often exceed two hours.

While Disney did not cite low wait times as the reason, that certainly could be a contributing factor.

This decision to close this area of Animal Kingdom is driven by Disneys desire to introduce more popular, modern IP (Intellectual Property). IP is legally protected creative assets, like characters, brands, movies, and stories. Disney, and other theme park chains, use IP to create immersive lands, rides, and merchandise.

Disneys plan for Animal Kingdom is to replace a now-dated part of the park and remodel it to have a lush, diverse landscape called Tropical Americas. This will include an Indiana Jones attraction and an Encanto-themed ride.

Are you going to miss DINOSAUR?
Story by Gabriela Martinez of Spotlight PA

This story was produced by the Berks County bureau of Spotlight PA, an independent, nonpartisan newsroom. Sign up for Good Day, Berks, a daily dose of essential local stories at spotlightpa.org/newsletters/gooddayberks.

READING  More than 300,000 Haitians nationwide are expected to lose federal immigration protections on Feb. 3 that allow them to work in the U.S. and shield them from deportation.

In Berks County, the loss of Temporary Protected Status for people from Haiti is likely to ripple across the local economy, particularly in health care and other economic sectors, while also deepening fear and uncertainty within a close-knit community that has spent decades putting down roots in the region.

The Department of Homeland Security grants TPS to people whose home countries are unsafe to return to due to ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters, or an epidemic. Haitians were first granted TPS after a catastrophic earthquake struck the country in 2010. After attempts to cancel the program by the first Trump administration, the Biden administration redesignated TPS in 2021, and in 2023, it also updated an existing family reunification program that allowed more Haitians to come to the U.S. on humanitarian parole.

The federal appeals court in California ruled on Wednesday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted illegally by ordering the cancellation of TPS for Venezuelans and Haitians. That ruling will not have an immediate effect, according to Reuters, because of previous U.S. Supreme Court orders that allowed the Trump administrations mandate to take effect.

Another federal judge in Washington, D.C., is also expected to rule by Feb. 2 on whether DHS provided enough evidence to prove that TPS for Haitians is no longer needed, and that conditions in Haiti have improved enough for citizens to be able to safely return to the country.

Berks County is home to 659 people born in Haiti, according to the 2023 American Community Survey, which is the most recent census data available and might not capture people who arrived after TPS eligibility expanded under the Biden administration. Its also unclear how many Haitians in the county currently have TPS.

Alex Civil, founder of Bring the Change and an advocate for the local Haitian population, moved to Berks in 2004 and has seen the community grow over time.

We have a lot of Haitian business owners, whether its restaurants, catering companies, music, Civil said. We have doctors in the community. We have people  who are here and trying to make a change.

For Kassandra Barthelemy, a nurse practitioner originally from Haiti and founder of Careland Clinic and Careland Home Health, the looming end of TPS has already had consequences.

Patients have left after losing health insurance that helped cover their medical expenses. The uncertainty surrounding TPS has also created staffing challenges for Barthelemys clinic. She said she was forced to let go of about 15 caregivers, many of whom were Haitian, after they lost their work permits.

We cant find caregivers, Barthelemy said. Thats a huge impact on the business, and that affects the people at home who need the care.

Barthelemy started her practice two years ago to make health care more accessible and affordable, particularly for non-English-speaking communities. When she moved to Berks County about seven years ago, she said it took her nearly six months to find a primary care provider.

I told my patients, its the care that we are giving thats more important to us, so dont let your financial situation dont let you see a provider, Barthelemy said. Our goal is to have a healthy community educated about their health: when to seek a provider, what can they do at home to prevent hospitalizations.

Careland Clinic offers a variety of primary care services, including chronic disease management, immunizations, treatment for infections and other minor illnesses, and weight-loss programs. The clinic also operates a service that provides in-home personal care for older adults who need help with daily tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and taking medications.

Merline Charles, a Creole-speaking staff attorney at Aldea  The Peoples Justice Center who specializes in helping the Haitian community, said her legal team received a lot of calls toward the end of 2025 from people asking about applying for asylum. Many of the clients she works with arrived recently, around 2021 and 2022.

Charles helps clients pursue avenues to stay in the country legally. Some who can document a credible fear of being persecuted if they return to Haiti have applied for asylum.

Asylum is so difficult to be able to prove, so its like going out of the rain and jumping into the ocean, Charles said. Its just a very difficult situation for them right now.

Other clients, who have parents, children, spouses, or siblings who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, can apply for a family-based petition. If approved, these petitions could allow a TPS recipient to apply for a green card.

At monthly legal aid clinics in Reading, Charles hands out informational packets to parents to help them prepare, plan, and designate a caretaker in case they get arrested by immigration authorities.

People are coming to you, theyre looking for hope, theyre looking for help. I dont want to be the one to say theres absolutely no way youre going to get this, Charles said.

BEFORE YOU GO If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.
People waiting to take their driving test in Portlaoise have a slightly longer wait time than other centres across the country.

The majority of driver testing centres across the country are now operating within a 10-week service level agreement, according to an update from the Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety, Sean Canney TD.

However, the estimated waiting time for the test centre in Portlaoise is now 13 weeks. Portlaoise is among the 18 test centres across Ireland which has a waiting time between 10 and 15 weeks.

These figures are based on the latest report from the RSA, covering progress up to Saturday, January 24.

In the update from Minister Canney, it states that of the 57 centres currently in operation, 35 are operating at or below a 10 week wait. A further 18 centres have a wait period of between 10 and 15 weeks and 4 centres have waiting times in excess of 15 weeks.

Laois' neighbouring counties Carlow and Offaly have a lower waiting time, with Tullamore and both test centres in Carlow all within the 10 week period.

Portlaoise is above the national average waiting time of 10.3 weeks. This national average is a slight improvement on the 10.6 weeks recorded by the RSA at the end of 2025.

Minister Canney said these updates form part of a series of reports he has received following his direction to the RSA to reduce waiting times from a high of 27 weeks at the end of April.

He said the national 10 week waiting period was achieved in September, with the focus since then on sustaining performance while demand remains elevated.

READ NEXT: WATCH: Laois Rose's emotional dance pays tribute to parents support of her disability

The update also states that there are currently 196 testers in service across the country. This number is expected to rise to 200 by the end of February following the completion of the next recruitment and training programme.

The number of people waiting for tests across Ireland has slightly reduced from over 80,000 to under 79,000.

Minister Canney also noted that enhanced monthly metrics are now being introduced to monitor the impact of the forthcoming multiple learner permit policy as it moves towards implementation later this year.
The news that works are to recommence on the new Saplings School building in Graiguecullen has been welcomed by many in the community.

Construction of the school for students with special needs began in March 2023, however it soon came to a halt towards the end of that same year due to a lack of funding.

Funding for the development was originally provided through the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), which gave 'high net-worth individuals' from non-EEA countries Irish residency, if they invested a minimum of 1 million euro in Irish projects for at least three years.

The funding for the school ended once this programme closed. The partially built school at the Fruithill site has laid dormant since the end of 2023.

Students and staff from Saplings have since been operating out of temporary prefabs in Killeshin.

Representatives from the school confirmed on Friday, January 30 that the construction would resume this year.

They said: "Following a period of careful planning and preparation, enabling works will commence in the coming weeks, with full construction scheduled to recommence this summer."

The issue had long been a point of contention in Laois, with local politicians pushing for some progress to be made on the school which laid untouched for three years.

Local Representative for Sinn Fein in the Graiguecullen / Portarlington district, Aaron Kelly welcomed the news, saying: "Saplings School provides an essential service for children and young people on the autism spectrum, and has been operating for far too long from temporary and unsuitable accommodation."

He added: "Families, staff and pupils have shown remarkable patience during a process that has been marked by delay and frustration, and the return of builders to site is an important and overdue step forward."

Kelly said: "Our community has waited long enough. It is not acceptable that children with special educational needs are expected to learn in conditions that are clearly not fit for purpose. The Government must now ensure that there are no further interruptions to this project and that the new school building is delivered as quickly as possible.

"I want to pay special tribute to the Board of Management, the teachers, special needs assistants and the parents of Saplings School. Their determination, persistence and tireless advocacy have kept this project firmly on the agenda."

He concluded: "I will continue working with Senator Maria McCormack and all relevant parties to keep the pressure on until the new Saplings School is completed and fully operational."

Independent Councillor Ben Brennan fought for progress on the development since 2023, raising numerous motions with Laois County Council calling for Government intervention to see the school completed.

READ NEXT: WATCH: Laois Rose's emotional dance pays tribute to parents support of her disability

Upon hearing the news, Cllr Brennan said: "I'm happy to say that at last, our voice has been heard. There are children with needs to be looked after, and the school is way behind time."

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
Mandatory intoxication testing checkpoints in the Kildare/Carlow Garda division fell by 43.8% between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, according to EU Transport Committee member Cynthia Ni Mhurchu.

Garda figures show that checkpoints in the division dropped from 782 in Q3 2024 to 439 in Q3 2025, representing one of the sharpest declines recorded nationally.

Figures show that most Garda divisions recorded a fall in mandatory intoxication testing checkpoints between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025.

The largest reduction was in the Kildare/Carlow division, where checkpoints fell by 43.8%. Significant decreases were also recorded in Kerry (down 28.9%), Sligo/Leitrim (down 25.4%), Laois/Offaly (down 25.1%), Louth/Cavan/Monaghan (down 20.8%), Limerick (down 17.8%), Cork City (down 11.1%), Donegal (down 10.3%), Cork County (down 7.1%), Wexford/Wicklow (down 6.5%), Galway (down 3.6%) and Waterford/Kilkenny (down 3.4%).

In contrast, increases were recorded in several divisions, including Meath/Westmeath (up 39%), all Dublin divisions combined (up 12%), Clare/Tipperary (up 10.9%) and Mayo/Roscommon/Longford (up 7.9%).

Ni Mhurchu said the reduction comes at a time when drug driving is at what she described as epidemic levels across Ireland.

Despite this, she said Gardai are carrying out fewer roadside tests rather than increasing enforcement.

Nationally, 12,930 mandatory intoxication testing checkpoints were conducted in Q3 2024, falling to 11,958 by Q3 2025  a reduction of 7.5%.

Ni Mhurchu said the figures are even more concerning when compared with Q3 2019, when Gardai carried out 15,392 checkpoints nationwide  3,434 more than in Q3 2025.

In 2019, 140 people were killed on Irish roads, compared with 185 fatalities recorded in 2025.

READ NEXT; Kildare Co Council monitoring impact of rainfall on Newbridge and Clane.

The difference in the number of checkpoints between 2019 and 2025 is frightening, Ni Mhurchu said.

Gardai carried out thousands more roadside alcohol and drug checkpoints in 2019 than they did in 2025. The figures speak for themselves, she said.

Drug driving is out of control, she said.

Ni Mhurchu said drug-driving figures she recently received from the Courts Service show a 37% increase in cases coming before district courts in the first ten months of 2025.

These figures are only the tip of the iceberg, she said.

This should be evidence enough for Garda management to launch a massive increase in drink and drug driving checkpoints  but they have done the opposite and reduced them, she said.

I want to know the rationale for it, she said.

If it is a resource issue, lets deal with it, but it must be pointed out that there were more Gardai in 2025 than there were in 2019, she said.

Ni Mhurchu said that with road deaths at unprecedented levels, Garda management should be dramatically increasing the number of mandatory intoxication testing checkpoints, not decreasing them.

She has called on Garda management to clarify why roadside testing was reduced in 2025 despite 185 people losing their lives on Irish roads.

Ni Mhurchu raised the issue ahead of a bank holiday weekend, which she said are frequently flashpoints for serious road collisions and fatalities.

She also highlighted that the Road Traffic Measures Bill 2023 was expected to allow for double penalty points during bank holiday weekends, but said it remains unclear why the measure has not been implemented.

Ni Mhurchu has written to the Minister for Transport seeking clarification on whether the provision will be enacted and, if not, the reasons for that decision.
Kildare County Council is inundated with calls by people concerned about the risks posed by trees.

KCC has spent 90,000 during 2025 on tree pruning alone but it says that it will never be possible to satisfy all the requests received.

READ NEXT Bank Holiday washout as Met Eireann issues flood warnings for counties across Ireland

At a Celbridge Leixlip Municipal District meeting, Cllr David Trost said a list of trees to be removed or pruned should be provided to councillors - before this is given to contractors.

The councillor said this would minimise the requests for work to be done.

It would be helpful to have a more regular update," he said.

KCC official Simon Wallace said the council gets calls about trees all the time and all of these have to be assessed.

He also said it is difficult to meet all the views and said there are often contradictory opinions among neighbours, adding some want them, some dont.

He also said the programme of tree works is issued to councillors prior to work starting and the extent of the programme is based on requests from the councillors and the public.

Mr Wallace said the public hold views in relation to what works should and should not be carried out and it will never be possible to satisfy all the requests received.
The Minister for Housing James Browne "should be embarrassed over plans to allow more concentrated residential development across County Kildare.

Thats according to local independent councillor Padraig McEvoy at a Kildare County Council meeting.

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Cllr McEvoy said that if Celbridge, for example, is expected to accommodate thousands of new homes at the behest of Mr Browne while the Minister for Transport has not approved an adequate DART service, Mr Browne ought to be embarrassed.

Cllr Padraig McEvoy

He also said there is a high level of anxiety about increasing car pressure in Clane and there are no plans for improved bus services.

He said one set of traffic lights in Clane took 15 years to build - despite it being a planning condition.

Cllr McEvoy predicted that car dependency will increase.

Cllr Peter Melrose (SD) pressed for KCC to maintain the minimum private open minimum private open space standards for all residential units and to ensure that all new development continues to comply with these minimum standards to ensure adequate private amenity space for future residents and to maintain the quality of residential environments across the county.

Cllr Peter Melrose

But this fell through.

With Fianna Fail and Fine Gael having most of the councillors on KCC, the move ran aground, because they voted against Cllr Melroses motion.

Cllr Paula Mulroe commented that vital infrastructure is needed alongside any new residential development.

Cllr Mulroe said development should be about building communities and open spaces should be maintained into the future.

Cllr Paula Mulroe

Cllr Suzanne Doyle (FF) called for more different types of houses and apartments rather than having monotype development and she described some residential development in the county as soulless.

And Cllr Ivan Keatley (FG) said there is a need for high quality apartments.

Cllr Chris Pender (SD) said while new homes are needed we want the best development possible for the people who live there."

Cllr Pender also complained about infrastructure deficits saying that parts of Newbridge have water after 6pm.

Cllr Aoife Breslin said communities will not develop without adequate open spaces being created.

.
A man told Naas District Court that a mobile phone which a garda said he had in his hand was actually a vape.

Shane Patrick Dunne, 43, whose address was given as Aughamore, Clane, was before the court on an allegation of holding a mobile phone while driving at Sallins Road, Abbeyland, Clane.

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Garda David Farragher told the court that the incident happened at 11.26am and the defendant had a mobile phone in his right hand.

The man said he was holding a vape when the garda stopped him. He said the vape had an orange colour.

Cross examined by solicitor David Powderly, the garda said he was travelling in the opposite direction and they passed on a bend but he had a clear view.

He said he saw the driver for a couple of seconds and it was long enough.

The defendant said he was driving towards the Liffey bridge and his phone was in a quad lock holder in the vehicle and it never comes off that.

He added he was surprised when the garda pulled up and added I had a vape in my hand. He also said he did not have the vape up to his face.

Judge Desmond Zaidan said he was satisfied that the prosecutions view of the case had been established beyond reasonable doubt and he fined the driver 250.
An uninsured motorist, who had 10 previous convictions for driving without a policy, was detected driving without a policy once again by gardai and received a five month suspended prison sentence and she was disqualified from driving for 15 years.

Lynette Delaney (46) of Riverside Apartments, Ballinamore, county Leitrim pleaded guilty at Longford District Court to multiple driving offences, including two counts of driving without a license, failure to produce a license when requested by a Garda, and two counts of no insurance.

At a previous hearing, the court heard Ms Delaney was charged by Garda Aidan Lenehan for driving without a license, failing to produce a license when asked, and no insurance, at Cloonrallagh, Longford, on May 30, 2025.

She was subsequently charged by Garda Peter Vesey for driving without a licence and without insurance at Ballyminion, Longford, on July 5 last.

She pleaded guilty to the offences on June 10, 2025.

READ MORE: Change of use for closed Leitrim village hotel could lead to 100 jobs locally

Last Tuesday, Sergeant Mark Mahon, for the State, gave details on the July 5 offences at Ballyminion.

The prosecuting officer said gardai were on mobile patrol when they carried out a number plate check on the vehicle and they established that the motorist was disqualified.

"Gardai spoke to the driver Ms Delaney who admitted she was disqualified and she was fully cooperative," he added.

Sgt Mahon said the defendant had 10 previous convictions for driving without insurance.

The officer said when she was last sentenced by the courts on September 20, 2022 she was given a five month prison sentence, which was suspended for 18-months and banned from driving for 15 years.

Solicitor Frank Gearty, defending, said his client had a 'medical emergency' on the day.

"She should not have gone next, nigh or near a car that was available to her and she acknowledges that.

"It is egregious offending and she accepts that.

"No words that I can say in terms of promises are really appropriate because of the breach of promises and the breach of the courts orders.

Mr Gearty said Ms Delaney has cooperated fully with the probation services and she has engaged in a meaningful and real way.

"She has attended here with a member of her family and a supporter from the Ballinamore area where she is living."

He stated the mother of three has secured a full-time job in a local supermarket as part of her rehabilitation and they understood the 'grave seriousness of the matter'.

"I am pleading with you for a suspended sentence."

Judge Bernadette Owens decided to sentence the defendant for the May 30, 2025 offences and she imposed a five month jail term, which she suspended for 18 months.

She also handed down a15 year disqualification from driving. and 350 fine with nine months to pay.

Judge Owens directed a probation report be compiled on the defendant and she decided to put sentencing for the July 5, 2025 matters back for review and she adjourned the case until September 15, 2026.
A Leitrim woman has shared her experience of travelling abroad for prenatal surgery for her son, and the toll it took on her family, as she calls for the procedure to be made available in Ireland.

Clare Lawlor-Lynch from Kinlough learned something was wrong during a routine check-up when she was 18 weeks pregnant with her son Oscar.

Clare has a history of high-risk pregnancies, having tragically lost her first child Violet, who was born prematurely due to preeclampsia. She later developed the condition again during her second pregnancy, and her son Arthur was born at 32 weeks. He is now five years old.

She recalled the moment she realised something was wrong during an appointment in Galway Hospital. The room went quiet and I knew there was something wrong, Clare explained.

Her consultant suspected Oscar had Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), a rare and serious condition where a hole in the diaphragm allows organs such as the stomach and liver to move into the chest, affecting lung development.

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Having never heard of the condition, and already carrying the trauma of previous complications, Clare was overwhelmed with fear. I didnt know if I would stay pregnant or what that meant. Youre never prepared for something like that, she said.

Fetoscopic Endoluminal Tracheal Occlusion (FETO) is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat CDH. It involves placing a small balloon in the babys trachea, trapping lung fluid to help the lungs expand and grow.

The surgery is not available in Ireland, but is offered in Belgium, leaving Clare and her husband Joe facing a difficult decision at an already distressing time.

Clare was referred to a hospital in Leuven, where she met with clinicians via video call and was informed she was a suitable candidate. We didnt have anything to lose by giving it a chance, and all we could do was give our baby more of a chance, she explained.

Within a week, Clare travelled to Belgium for the procedure. While there, her main support came from family back home, as Joe remained in Ireland caring for their son Arthur, visiting whenever possible.

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She said the surgery itself was straightforward and that she felt medically safe and well cared for in Leuven. However, finding accommodation proved extremely difficult. I was terrified and Im not a person that feels vulnerable easily. The place I finally got was like a house that was split up into apartments. I used to sleep with the chair up against the door, she said.

The financial strain was also significant. I had a mortgage at home and we were funding two lives with that and the rent in Leuven, she explained.

Following the procedure, Clare was required to remain in Belgium due to the risk of her waters breaking. She spent seven weeks there, where she was able to work remotely, before the balloon was deflated and she was cleared to return to Ireland.

She went straight to the Rotunda Hospital, and after a week delivered Oscar by caesarean section at 34 weeks.

Oscar spent his first year in Dublin, where he underwent patch repair surgery, a tracheostomy and several other procedures. Now 15 months old, Clare has watched him grow and develop through it all.

Through everything, hes just amazing. Hes just a regular little baby, she said, adding that she looks beyond the medical challenges he has faced. Every decision we made was with information and for his future life in mind.

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He has really progressed in such a short amount of time being in a home environment and having us altogether.

On Sunday, January 25, Clare spoke at a conference in the Rotunda Hospital attended by national and international clinicians specialising in CDH, calling for FETO surgery to be made available in Ireland.

While acknowledging the deeply personal nature of the decision, Clare described how transformative it would have been for her family if the procedure had been accessible at home.

She highlighted the financial impact, explaining that she had begun saving when she became pregnant, only for those plans to be upended by travel and accommodation costs.

On the financial side of it, it wouldnt have been cheap to live up in Dublin if I had to stay there for FETO but it really took the buffer away, she said.

Her family provided crucial support by caring for Arthur when Joe travelled to Belgium, but Clare said she felt isolated while abroad. The two things you need most, safety and security, it didnt feel like it was there, she said.

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People make decisions whether to do FETO or not because they can or they cant go to Belgium, she explained. I wonder how many kids like Oscar didnt get the chance because their family couldnt afford it or couldnt leave their children at home; how many children didnt make it although their families wanted to but couldnt operate their lives like that.

It should be an option, you shouldnt have to travel for it, she added.

Reflecting on the journey, Clare said that while the choice was never easy, she has no regrets. Its not a decision thats made easy but I have no regrets in the decision that was made. FETO helped Oscar because he was so severe. To see him having his normal wee life and so happy made it worth it, even though it was really hard, Clare concluded.
A Rare Ground-Floor Entry in Hard-Rock Lithium: Elektros Inc. (OTC:ELEK) Positioned at a Bottom-Basement Valuation for Investors Seeking Early-Stage Upside





Company Retains Ludlow Consulting to Elevate Institutional-Grade Messaging, Media Relations and AI-Enabled Investor Engagement

Elektros Inc. (OTC PINK:ELEK), a hard-rock lithium mining developer with operations in Sierra Leone, today announced it has retained Ludlow Consulting as its strategic communications advisor to enhance corporate messaging, media visibility, and shareholder engagement.

For investors seeking the right opportunity and the right entry point, Elektros believes its current market positioning represents a bottom-basement discount level. The Company believes this is the type of early-stage entry that investors look back on and recognize as getting in at the right time.

The engagement is designed to support the Company's next phase of growth through the development of an integrated public relations, media relations, and investor relations framework aligned with public company best practices and compliance standards.

Under this advisory mandate, Elektros will be guided in modernizing shareholder communications through AI-enhanced investor relations solutions. This includes strategic support for retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) knowledgebase integration for virtual investor-facing communications, institutional-grade investor materials, and targeted digital outreach to mining-sector stakeholders.

Ludlow Consulting will also advise on establishing a corporate advisory board comprised of mining, critical minerals, and institutional resources expertise to support Elektros' long-term corporate positioning and execution strategy.

"In today's market, strong communications and disciplined stakeholder engagement are essential to building credibility and long-term shareholder value," said Thomas Bustamante, Founder of Ludlow Consulting. "Our mission is to help Elektros create consistent, professional messaging and a modern investor relations foundation that can scale alongside the Company's operational progress."

"We feel incredibly fortunate to be developing our lithium opportunity in Sierra Leone at a moment when demand for critical minerals is accelerating worldwide," said Shlomo Bleier, CEO of Elektros. "We have an exceptional team with boots on the ground, and we're proud of the coordination, discipline, and commitment it takes to build a special company around a resource that is becoming increasingly vital to the clean energy transition. We believe Elektros is positioned on the forefront of hard-rock lithium development, and we're grateful - and we thank God - to have the people, partners, and momentum to move forward into the next phase, including initial stockpiling efforts. This is only the beginning. We look forward to providing updates as milestones are achieved, and we are proud to have Ludlow Consulting on our team as we advance in the clean energy sector."

For more information, visit www.elektros.energy/investors.

About Elektros, Inc.

Elektros Inc. (OTC PINK:ELEK) business plan is to develop an artisanal mining operation based in Sierra Leone, Africa. This operation focuses on hard-rock lithium exploration, development, and the eventual exportation of mined material to lithium refineries in the United States. www.elektros.energy

Why Lithium Matters Now

Lithium is a critical ingredient in modern rechargeable batteries, powering electric vehicles and enabling grid-scale energy storage. As EV adoption expands and energy security becomes a central priority worldwide, access to reliable lithium supply is increasingly viewed as strategic.

Selected Industry Commentary on Lithium's Importance

Reuters: "Lithium [is a] key element for electric vehicle ramp up."

Bloomberg: "Lithium ... [is] a key ingredient in the batteries that power electric vehicles."

Financial Times: "Lithium price squeeze adds to cost of the energy transition."

Benzinga: "Lithium - a critical battery metal."

Wall Street Journal: "Lithium is the new gasoline for the electric-vehicle era."

Elektros believes Sierra Leone and the broader African region have an important role to play in responsibly developing critical mineral supply chains, including lithium resources needed to support EV manufacturing and energy storage worldwide.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking statements" that include information relating to future events and future financial and operating performance. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "can," "believe," "potential," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties.

Contact

Elektros, Inc.

IR and Media Inquiries

Email: [email protected]

Ludlow Consulting

Email: [email protected]

Elektros Inc. is a small company today, but we aspire to build toward the scale, discipline, and market leadership demonstrated by leading companies in the lithium sector - and we aim to join that peer group in the near future.

SOURCE: Elektros, Inc.

1 february 2026 at 17:30

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A CORK man has been ordered by a judge to stay out of Bruff following his conviction for unlawfully entering lands close to the village with a group of men and dogs.

James OBrien, aged 23, of The Close, College Wood, Mallow, Co Cork, appeared before Kilmallock District Court, where he pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 44 of the Wildlife Act 1976, which relates to unlawful hunting or entry onto lands.

The court heard that Mr OBrien was one of five men who had travelled from Mallow to Bruff with 10 dogs and entered the lands without the owner's permission.

Presiding Judge Patricia Harney described the incident as "quite concerning".

READ ALSO: ALERT: Gardai urge Limerick motorists to 'wake up' to major safety risk on roads

Prosecuting Inspector Gearoid Thompson told the court the case against Mr OBrien was "not pointed directly at him" as he was "one of a number of men involved".

Having read a victim impact statement from the landowner, Judge Harney noted that he is "a very worried person about all of this".

Insp Thompson said "local communities are being terrorised" by such activity and he noted there has been a "seasonal scourge" of similar offences in Limerick and several other counties.

Solicitor Robin Lee, representing Mr OBrien, told the court that some of the other men who are before the courts had provided gardai with false names and addresses, but that his client had not.

Having heard the facts, Judge Harney said: "He travelled here to engage in criminal activity. He is not from here.

Mr Lee replied that while his client had "participated in this activity," he "did not know where they were going" and that he didn't own any of the dogs.

In reply, Judge Harney commented: "He knew they werent the landowners". She noted that the men had brought the dogs with them on the day in question.

Mr Lee again emphasised that his client "was never in the place before" and that "he was brought there" by the other men. He added that he "did not terrorise" the landowner in any way.

Insp Thompson told the court that Mr OBrien has three previous convictions, but none are under the Wildlife Act.

Judge Harney convicted Mr OBrien and imposed a three-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, on the condition that he stays out of Bruff.

When his solicitor sought clarity on how his client would travel to Limerick if the need arose, Judge Harney said: "Hell have to drive the long way round  hes to stay out of Bruff."

The judge warned Mr OBrien that if he is detected by gardai in the village, he will be arrested.

"The man lives in Mallow, he can do his shopping in Cork," Judge Harney added.
Sara Henderson |

Lincoln University of Missouri is proud to recognize the achievements of Christian Williams, a senior majoring in Marketing who consistently demonstrates excellence, creativity, and leadership. Christian, who is set to graduate in spring 2026, was recently selected for the prestigious HBCU Honors Media Futures Fellowship, an elite opportunity for high-achieving students who make significant contributions to their institutions and communities.

Created by The HBCU Honors Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, this workforce development and mentorship program provides hands-on production, storytelling, and marketing experience for HBCU students. The 2025 participating cohort includes students from Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University and Spelman College.

Last November, as part of his selection for the HBCU Honors Media Futures Fellowship, Christian participated in the 2025 HBCU Honors Presented by BET, a nationally televised celebration that spotlighted the spirit of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The annual special celebrated HBCU leadership, legacy, and culture and was hosted by Emmy-nominated comedian Kym Whitley, providing national exposure to students chosen for their excellence and impact through the HBCU Honors Program.

Through his participation in the HBCU Honors Program, Christian had the remarkable opportunity to appear on stage with Grammy-winning artist T.I. during a special tribute to legendary producer and activist David Banner. His involvement in this nationally recognized program and his appearance during a tribute celebrating Black culture, music, and social impact are a testament to his talent, professionalism, and dedication to elevating the HBCU experience.

Christian's selection for the HBCU Honors Program underscores his academic achievements and leadership at Lincoln University. His commitment to his studies, passion for marketing and branding, and ability to represent the university on prominent platforms position him as a role model for his peers and demonstrate the strength of Lincoln University's programs.

In honor of Christian's accomplishments, Lincoln University hosted a special presentation on Thursday, December 11, 2025, in the E-Sports Lounge in Dawson Hall. The university community, including students, faculty, and staff, was invited to recognize Christian's achievements, celebrate his journey, and offer encouragement as he approaches graduation.

Lincoln University commends Christian Williams on his selection for the HBCU Honors Program and his continued commitment to excellence. The university eagerly anticipates his future successes as a leader and changemaker.
The aviation sector is set to get a boost from a proposal in the budget to do away with basic customs duty on imported components that go into the making of civilian aircraft.

I propose to exempt basic customs duty on components and parts required for the manufacture of civilian, training and other aircrafts," finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech on Sunday.

Customs duty on aircraft components range from 2.5% to 15% and some already have zero duty. Experts said the duty exemption could lead manufacturers to expand and new companies to enter the space.

The Adani Group and Brazils Embraer are in talks to manufacture commercial aircraft in India. Embraer will import aircraft components into India, the company said when it signed a partnership agreement with Adani last month.

State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has been in talks with Russias UAC to manufacture the SJ100 regional aircraft locally. Both these airline-makers could get a boost if aircraft components and supplies become cheaper.

The budget proposals coincide with Indias aspirations to position itself as a hub for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhauling (MRO) operations as the countrys major airlinesIndiGo, Air India and Akasaincrease their fleet sizes by at least 30% over the next two years. India accounts for 10% of global MRO work.

"Extension of customs duty exemptions on aircraft engines, parts and raw materials till 2028 will significantly reduce costs and strengthen the Make in India aerospace ecosystem," said Krishnan Agarwal, executive director at Deloitte India. "The measure lowers operating expenses, enhances the global competitiveness of Indian MROs, and unlocks new opportunities in the aviation sector."

"This will help lower the aircraft purchase cost for airlines," said Kinjal Shah, senior vice president and co-group head for corporate ratings at ICRA Ltd.

Value chain

Experts said the duty exemption on components and parts, including engines, for the manufacture of civilian, training, and other aircraft and on the raw material used to make aircraft parts for MRO when imported by defence sector PSUs will cut input costs for the aviation sector.

"These measures lower input costs across the aviation value chain, making aircraft acquisition and upkeep more affordable while strengthening domestic MRO capability," said Ashish Chhawchharia, partner and aviation industry leader at Grant Thornton Bharat.

With passenger traffic projected to reach 665 million annually by FY31, cost efficiency and local capacity are critical, Chhawchharia added.

"By lowering the cost of spare parts and tools, carriers can reduce maintenance expenses, improving fleet economics and freeing up capital for expansion. The move underscores the governments intent to strengthen Indias aviation ecosystem and attract global partnerships," he said.

All imports of aircraft components and engine parts already face a uniform integrated goods and services tax (IGST) of 5%, which India decided to implement in 2024, allowing companies to claim it back as input tax credit. The uniform rate was recommended by the GST Council for the import of "parts, components, testing equipment, tools and tool-kits of aircrafts."

The IGST is likely to continue for commercial aircraft MRO, according to a tax expert who requested anonymity. IGST is separate from basic customs duty and is charged even when the customs duty rate is zero, the expert said.

With basic customs duty waiver, Indian arms of OEMs can bring in components from overseas and sell in India to their partners here. This will bring down costs," said Aravind Melligeri, executive chairman and CEO of Aequs Ltd, a commercial aerospace component manufacturer and supplier to Airbus, Boeing, Collins and Safran. It has manufacturing facilities in India, the US and France.

The allocation for India's civil aviation ministry was cut to 2,102.87 crore in the budget for FY27. The previous years budget estimate was 2,400 crore, which was revised to 2,055.49 crore.

Also Read | IndiGo signs contract with Airbus to confirm its order for 30 additional A350-90
New Delhi: Ather Energy Ltd reported record revenue in the December quarter and inched closer to profitability even as electric two-wheeler penetration fell in the festive quarter after tax cuts on fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

The maker of Rizta electric scooter saw its losses more than halve to 85 crore from a year earlier as its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) or operating margin improved by 16 percentage points from -19% to -3% in the third quarter of financial year 2026. Total revenue surged 53% year-on-year 996 crore, driven by a 50% jump in e-scooter sales to 68,000 units during the quarter.

This is certainly a fairly strong performance by our partners across the country. Distribution has continued to expand pretty much in line with what we had guided, Tarun Mehta, co-founder and chief executive at Ather, told analysts and investors during the post-earnings call on Monday.

We closed Q3 with 600 stores open pan India, and we are very much in line for opening 700 stores by the end of this fiscal, he said, attributing increasing distribution as a growth driver.

Athers sales and revenue surged even as the September cuts in goods and services tax brought down prices of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, bringing down the share of EVs in the October-December period. According to Federation of Automobile Dealerships Associations (Fada) data, EV penetration fell from 8% in September to 4.6% in November, before recovering to 7.4% in December.

GST on most ICE two-wheelers was reduced from 28% to 18% in September, while EVs remained at a concessional rate of 5%, narrowing the price gap between them.

Ather is the first pure electric vehicle company to release its quarterly results, with its larger rivals Bajaj Auto Ltd and TVS Motor Co. reporting results last week.

The sharp improvement in Athers profitability margins came in a quarter when Bajaj Autos battery-powered two-wheeler business broke even operationally. Erstwhile market leader Ola Electric had achieved Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) breakeven for its EV two-wheeler business in the July-September quarter.

Ather said its margins improved on the back of achieving scale in sales and better cost management. But the market will face headwinds ahead as input costs are rising, and the governments subsidy for electric two-wheelers under the PM E Drive scheme will end by March.

Market share Higher sales have made Ather Indias third-largest electric two-wheeler maker, leaving its cross-town rival Ola Electric Ltd and its largest shareholder Hero MotoCorp Ltd behind. TVS Motor leads the market, followed by Bajaj Auto.

Ather Energy sold 21,924 scooters in January, nearly three times the 7,512 units recorded by Ola, according to data from the government Vahan portal. Olas sales in January were the lowest since it went public in August 2024.

Athers Mehta said the electric two-wheeler industry is continuing to grow despite the GST cuts, suggesting that industry observers need to view sub- 1 lakh and over- 1 lakh scooters separately.

The real growth in the EV two-wheeler industry is being masked because a lot of vehicles below the 1 lakh price points have shrunk in the past one year. Products priced above 1 lakh have grown at a beautiful growth rate over the last 18 months, Mehta said during the earnings call.

When you put the entire industry together, you see a very humble growth...A lot of fluff in the sub- 1 lakh has disappeared. There are buyers in the segment and a lot of good products are there now, so the growth should come back, Mehta said, adding that with signs already visible of recovery.
French IT services provider Capgemini SE plans to sell a US-based unit thats facing scrutiny over its contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement .

The company said it would initiate the sale process of the subsidiary, Capgemini Government Solutions, immediately, according to a statement released on Sunday.

Legal restrictions imposed for contracting with federal government entities carrying out classified activities in the United States did not allow the Group to exercise appropriate control over certain aspects of the operations of this subsidiary to ensure alignment with the Groups objectives, Capgemini said in the statement.

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure last week asked Capgemini to clarify its links to ICE, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, after the company told him its subsidiary had separate governance and that Capgemini wasnt aware of the contracts it signed.

Businesses have come under fire over their ties to ICE, which is leading the Trump administrations mass deportation initiative. The backlash over the agencys tactics has only grown in the wake of the second killing of a US citizen during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis last month.

French media outlet Observatoire des multinationales reported last month that Capgemini has had contracts with ICE since at least 2007. It reported that Capgemini Government Solutions had obtained a new contract in December related to locating individuals in a process known as skip-tracing.

In a post on Linkedin last week, Cap Gemini CEO Aiman Ezzat said that the company had been made aware, through public sources, of the nature of a contract awarded to CGS by DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement in December 2025. The nature and scope of this work has raised questions compared to what we typically do as a business and technology firm.

In Sundays statement, the company said Capgemini Government Solutions represents 0.4% of the groups global 2025 estimated revenue and less than 2% of its US revenue.

2026 Bloomberg L.P.
NEW DELHI : A division bench of the Delhi high court on Monday agreed to hear the Centres plea seeking to recover around $2.31 billion from Reliance Industries Ltd and its partners in the nearly three-decade-old Panna-Mukta and Tapti offshore oilfields dispute.

The bench comprising Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Madhu Jain rejected RILs objection that the Centres appeal was not maintainable. A detailed written order is awaited.

The matter is expected to be placed before the roster bench of the Chief Justice of the Delhi high court before 17 February to decide the further course of hearing.

The appeal arises from a June 2023 single-judge ruling that rejected the Centres attempt to recover money based on a 2016 partial arbitration decision. The ruling held that arbitration proceedings between the parties were still ongoing and that no final amount payable by either side had been fixed.

Also Read | Reliance to enter the bottled iced tea market with Brew House relaunch

This is the second major arbitration-related dispute involving RIL and the Union government in recent times. A separate high-value case involving RILarises from the Krishna-Godavari basin gas migration dispute with state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltdis currently pending before the Supreme Court, after the Delhi high court set aside a $1.7-billion arbitral award in RILs favour in February 2025.

The dispute

The dispute began with production sharing contracts signed in December 1994 between the Union government and a consortium led by RIL, along with British Gas and ONGC. These contracts allowed the companies to extract oil and gas from the Panna-Mukta and Tapti offshore fields.

Under the contracts, the companies were allowed to first recover the money they spent on the project. However, there was a cap on how much development cost they could recover, known as the cost recovery limit. After costs were recovered, the remaining profits were to be shared with the government.

Later, disagreements arose over how costs and profits were calculated. The government alleged that RIL had crossed the cost recovery limit and taken more money than allowed. The conglomerate argued that the governments method of calculation unfairly reduced its share of profits.

In 2010, RIL and British Gas took the dispute to international arbitration, leading to the setting up of a tribunal in London. Over the years, the tribunal issued several partial decisions.

None of these decisions fixed a final amount payable by either side. Instead, they explained how costs and profits should be calculated and clarified which costs fell within the recovery limit.

The most important decision came in October 2016, when the tribunal clarified how development costs should be treated for profit sharing, how tax should be calculated, and whether government approval was needed for temporary cost and profit adjustments. It did not order either side to pay a fixed sum.

Parts of this decision were later challenged in UK courts. While the courts largely upheld the tribunals findings, some issues were sent back for reconsideration. This led to further partial decisions in 2018 and 2021, while some issues, including requests to raise the cost recovery limit, remain pending.

Even though the arbitration was not over, the Union government approached the Delhi high court in 2019 seeking to recover $2.31 billion, arguing that RIL had retained more money than it was entitled to.

RIL opposed the move, saying the arbitration was still continuing and that the government was trying to recover an amount it had calculated on its own, without any final decision by the tribunal.

In June 2022, the UK high court rejected the Union governments plea to enforce the arbitral award against RIL and its partners.

In June 2023, a single judge of the Delhi high court also agreed with RIL and dismissed the governments recovery plea, holding that partial arbitration decisions explaining accounting rules could not be enforced unless a final, clearly quantified amount was fixed.

Following that ruling, the government filed the present appeal. With the division bench now clearing the maintainability issue, the case will move to a full hearing to decide whether the Centre can pursue its $2.31-billion recovery claim now or must wait until the arbitration process is fully completed.
New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) Maruti Suzuki India on Monday reported a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in total sales at 2,36,963 units in January.

The auto major dispatched a total of 2,12,251 units in the same month last year.

Total domestic passenger vehicle dispatches to dealers were at 1,74,529 units compared to 1,73,599 units in the year-ago month, a marginal increase, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement.

Also Read | Bajaj Auto kicks off KTM turnaround as premium mobikes take centre stage

Sales of mini segment cars, comprising Alto and S-Presso, rose to 14,268 units against 14,247 units in January 2025.

Sales of compact cars, including Baleno, Dzire, Ignis, and Swift declined to 72,738 units from 82,241 units in the year-ago month.

Utility vehicles, consisting of Grand Vitara, Brezza, Ertiga and XL6, clocked sales of 75,609 units last month over 65,093 units a year ago.

Sales of van Eeco were at 11,914 units last month against 11,250 units in January 2025, while that of light commercial vehicle Super Carry stood at 3,771 units over 4,089 units earlier.

MSI said its exports in January stood at 51,020 units compared with 27,100 units in the same month last year.

Will Maruti Suzuki increase prices? Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India will consider increasing prices of its vehicles due to rising commodity costs, amid strong demand in the market post GST rate reductions, company Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Partho Banerjee said on Monday.

The company currently has 1.75 lakh pending orders due to production constraints, and in January alone, it received 2.78 lakh bookings, he told reporters in a virtual conference.

"On the commodity front, prices are going up. (In) precious metals, the increase is phenomenal, but we are keeping a very close watch due to the geopolitical scenario also... but yes, in times to come, we are going to review the price increase," Banerjee said.

He was responding to a query on possible price hikes in the near future due to the rise in commodity prices, which has escalated input costs.

"Our endeavor being a market leader, has always been to minimise the cost increase to our customers. Our supply chain team, production team, and all are working to see how much we can absorb the cost increase due to commodities," he added.

Nevertheless, Banerjee said, After a certain extent, if we are unable to somehow accommodate the cost increase, we need to pass it on to our customers.

While he did not share a timeline for the possible price hike, Banerjee said the company has initiated a "price protection scheme in January" for those who booked their vehicles as it could not supply.

"We were seeing first-time customers, who are coming to the four-wheeler segment, and we need to give them the opportunity to upgrade. Hence, we have given a price protection scheme (for those who have booked their vehicles)... There will be no price increase (for those customers)," Banerjee said.

Last year in September, after GST 2.0 kicked in, the company had cut prices of entry-level model S Presso by up to 1,29,600; Alto K10 by up to 1,07,600; Celerio by 94,100 and Wagon-R by up to 79,600, among others.

When asked about the outlook for the passenger vehicle industry in the backdrop of the current circumstance, he said, "The auto industry should again go back to a CAGR of 6-7 per cent. However, seeing the commodity prices, which are right now shooting up very high, we need to wait and watch how the geopolitical scenario happens, then maybe a better forecast can be given."

Banerjee, however, said that on the back of GST 2.0 reform, which gave a boost to the auto industry and the Union Budget 2026-27 announcement of further spending on capex in infrastructure is "really going to boost the auto industry".

Reflecting on January sales, Banerjee said the company posted its highest-ever monthly total sales of 2,36,963 units.

"We got bookings of over 2.78 lakh units, a 25 per cent y-o-y growth... that market is giving us around 9,000 to 10,000 bookings every day," Banerjee noted.

He said the company's exports also reached an all-time monthly high of 51,020 units in January.

The company's newly launched SUV VICTORIS achieved a milestone of 50,000 units in 5 months, Banerjee noted.

On the production constraints, he said the company will have to manage for a few more months till new capacities are available.

Maruti Suzuki India's second plant at the Kharkhoda facility in Haryana is scheduled to be operational by April 2026, which will soon be followed by the commissioning of the fourth line at the company's existing facility in Gujarat, providing a total additional capacity of 5 lakh units annually.
Oracle Layoffs: Tech major Oracle is planning to slash up to 30,000 jobs to fund AI data centres, a new report has said.

According to a report by CIO citing research published this week by investment bank TD Cowen, Oracle will also be selling some of its activities as US banks pull back from investing in the company's AI data centre expansion.

The Oracle layoffs will slash the jobs of around 20,000 to 30,000 employees, the report said.

Both equity and debt investors have raised questions regarding Oracles ability to finance this buildout, TD Cowen said in its report, according to CIO.

The financing pressures are already taking a toll on Oracle's customer relationships. The company had earlier taken up projects to build data centres for Sam Altman's OpenAI  a commitment the TD Cowen pegs at around $156 billion. However, over the past few weeks, several US banks have pulled out of lending to Oracle for expanding its AI data centres.

Oracle layoffs: What it means for the tech giant According to the CIO report citing TD Cowen, the Oracle layoffs would mean the company would gain $8 billion to $10 billion in free cash flow.

Oracle has not yet released a statement regarding the development.

The financing challenge comes amid Oracle's ambitions to expand its data centres, with TD Cowen estimating that the company needs $156 billion in capital expenditures for such an expansion.

Multiple Oracle data-centre leases that were under negotiation with private operators struggled to secure financing, in turn preventing Oracle from securing the data-centre capacity via a lease, it said.

Any potential Oracle layoffs, if they happen, will be the largest in the company's recent history. In late 2025, the company had slashed around 10,000 jobs as part of a $1.6 billion restructuring plan.

The news comes days after reports that Amazon is laying off 16,000 workers as part of its AI restructure plan.

What other steps has Oracle taken? Apart from the layoffs, Oracle is also mulling the sale of its healthcare software unit, Cerner, which it acquired for $28.3 billion in 2022.

Faced with the constraints, the company is scrambling to find other solutions to negate the effect on its finances.

As part of its strategy, Oracle has begun requiring clients to help build infrastructure, per the CIO report, citing TD Cowen. This effectively translates to asking clients to shoulder part of the cost, according to the investment bank.

Key Takeaways Oracle's job cuts highlight the financial pressures facing tech companies in the AI sector.

The 'bring your own chip' strategy indicates a shift in how companies may approach infrastructure costs.

The layoffs signal a broader trend of restructuring in the tech industry as companies adapt to funding challenges.

It is also exploring an arrangement called bring your own chip (BYOC), where new customers will be required to supply their own hardware, shifting capital requirements off Oracles books.
Mumbai: Premji Invest is set to pick up a 23% stake in JS Auto Cast Foundry India Pvt. Ltd, a unit of Bharat Forge, for 300 crore, as per stock exchange disclosures made by the Baba Kalyani-backed firm. The transaction is likely to be completed by 31 March 2026, it said.

JS Auto, a fully-owned step-down subsidiary of Bharat Forge, supplies ferrous castings for industrial and automotive applications.

The investment will be made through infusion of primary capital into the company, the filing said. JS Auto will use the capital to invest in medium casting capacity and to look for acquisition opportunities in the industry.

As per the transaction terms, Premji Invest will be under a non-compete clause and will not be able to engage in the ferrous casting business in India. It can explore investments in castings outside India, but JS Auto will have the first right of rejection.

The transaction comes nearly four years after the Pune-headquartered Bharat Forge acquired Coimbatore-based JS Auto in July 2022 at an enterprise valuation of 490 crore. The company had revenues of just under 700 crore in FY25, accounting for nearly 5% of Bharat Forges consolidated topline that year.

Premji Invest is the family office of Wipro founder Azim Premji with $14 billion of assets under management. The investment will be made through PI Opportunities Fund I Scheme II, an alternate investment fund managed by Premji Invest.

Since 2022 when we acquired JSA, the company has delivered excellent financial performance with topline, exports and profitability growing at a CAGR of 17%, 24% and 25% respectively, while enhancing its product mix and customer base, Amit Kalyani, vice-chairman and joint managing director of Bharat Forge, said in a press release.

Also Read | Premji Foundation, Tata Trusts match social spending of top Nifty companies

Manoj Jaiswal, partner at Premji Invest, who leads the firms industrials and buyout investments, said collaborating with leading conglomerates on their growth and consolidation journey was one of the strategic pillars of the investment firm. Through our investment in JSA, we look forward to jointly building a leading ferrous casting platform in the country, Jaiswal said.
(Bloomberg) -- Intercontinental Exchange Inc. won approval to operate a clearinghouse for US Treasuries, becoming the latest provider of the service under new regulations for the worlds largest debt market.

The firm plans to clear US Treasuries after it got permission from the US Securities and Exchange Commission to operate, according to Paul Hamill, chief commercial officer of the companys ICE Clear Credit unit. This service is now live, and preparing to add repurchase agreements by the end of the year.

There is demand for competition and improvements and modernization of the Treasury market, which is growing in size, Hamill said in an interview.

ICE Clear Credit will allow for both done-away trades, where the customer uses a different dealer as clearing agent, and done-with trades, where a dealer acts as the clearing agent for a trade. Hamills firm expects to add repurchase agreements later in 2026, after a period of testing.

You need to have a viable solution to support both in clearing Treasury and repo trades, he said.

Clearing in the $30 trillion Treasury market previously had just one registered central clearing house, Fixed Income Clearing Corp., a subsidiary of Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. CME Group Inc. has also expressed interest in becoming a central clearer for US government debt and got its approval in December.

This is the first time there will be true competition and choice for clearing in the Treasury market in its long history, Hamill said.

CME and ICE, which is the parent of the New York Stock Exchange, made the moves in response to an SEC rule that requires eligible trades involving Treasury securities and repurchase agreements to be centrally cleared. Market participants have until the end of 2026 to meet the new clearing rules for Treasuries and by June 30, 2027, for repo transactions.

The mandate was one of the signature policy changes finalized under former SEC Chair Gary Gensler. It is intended to help stave off financial shocks in the Treasuries market.

Clearinghouses act as intermediaries between buyers and sellers and assume ultimate responsibility for completion of transactions. This reduces the chance of a default by one firm triggering wider losses in the financial system.

ICE Clear Credit, which handles credit derivatives, is an SEC-registered clearing agency founded in 2009. Its also a designated systemically important financial market utility, or SIFMU, by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, and deemed a qualified central counterparty under US bank capital rules.

The new Treasury clearing unit will be separate from ICEs existing credit default swap clearing offering, with its own rulebook, membership and governance structure, Hamill said.

They are two different products, and need to operate with two different risk frameworks, he said.

--With assistance from Lydia Beyoud.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
(Bloomberg) -- A pro-Beijing newspaper has slammed a decision by Panamas top court to void CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.s contract to operate two ports, accusing the ruling of kowtowing to US pressure and urging Hong Kong businesses to halt investment in the region.

The ruling shows Panamas lack of judicial independence and its willingness to use legal mechanisms to accommodate US demands, according to the commentary published in Ta Kung Pao on Saturday. The two ports are part of CK Hutchisons proposed sale of 43 global facilities to a consortium comprising China Cosco Shipping Corp., Italian billionaire Gianluigi Apontes Terminal Investment Ltd. and US investment firm BlackRock Inc.

Hong Kong businesses should take necessary risk precautions, avoid going there and refrain from investing unless necessary, the newspaper said. It added that Panama should immediately correct the erroneous ruling and compensate companies for their losses, cautioning that failure to do so would damage economic and trade ties between the country and China, and erode confidence among Chinese enterprises.

The article reflects Beijings displeasure over the ruling, which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has praised as a positive development. Rising tensions between Washington and Beijing over the strategic Panama Canal could further complicate the ports sale by billionaire Li Ka-shings CK Hutchison. The transaction  announced in March last year  has become one of the tycoons most geopolitically fraught deals, despite the potential to generate more than $19 billion in cash if completed.

CK Hutchison invited state-owned Cosco into the buying consortium last year after BlackRocks involvement in the deal angered China, which denounced it as bowing to US pressure that undermines its global trade and shipping ambitions. President Donald Trump has cast the sale of the Panama ports as a win for US influence in the waterway.

To move talks forward and reduce regulatory risks, the parties involved have considered splitting the assets into separate parcels with different ownership structures, allowing Cosco to take larger stakes in ports located in more China-friendly regions, people familiar with the matter have said earlier.

Its clear to everyone that this ruling hides ulterior motives, Ta Kung Pao said in the commentary. CK Hutchisons invitation for Cosco to join the buyers was seen by Panama as an opportunity to curry favor from the US, who frequently uses national security as a pretext to undermine Chinese investment in the canal, the paper said.

The paper also criticized Panama for holding joint military exercises with the US, withdrawing from Chinas Belt and Road efforts and condoning the demolition of a monument built by the local Chinese community to commemorate friendship between the two countries.

The paper, which previously called on China to block the ports sale on national security and antitrust grounds before Cosco entered the talks, said the ruling poses significant risks to normal business operations worldwide and should serve as a warning to global investors.

Before Cosco joined the buying consortium, China vowed to launch investigations into the deal and told state-owned enterprises to halt collaboration with the Li family. Lis second son Richards efforts to expand his insurance business into the mainland stalled amid the political tensions.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
BRND.ME, a roll-up commerce company, expects to complete its reverse flip (change of headquarters) from Singapore to India by March, clearing a key regulatory hurdle as it prepares to tap Indian public markets with an IPO.

Despite the rise of private labels from quick-commerce giants such as Swiggy Instamart and Zepto, CEO Ananth Narayanan remains confident. He argues that BRND.ME's core categoriesspanning complex, value-added products such as specialized haircare and niche party suppliespossess a level of brand loyalty and complexity that is difficult for generic retail labels to replicate. While private labels are currently displacing national brands in high-frequency, simple categories like dairy and staples, Narayanan believes the companys core categories remain protected from this encroachment as they drive searches.

Having shifted its strategy from aggressive acquisitions to organic scaling, the company is now doubling down on its four largest brands: MyFitness (peanut butter), Botanic Hearth (haircare), Majestic Pure (aromatherapy), and PartyPropz (celebration supplies).

Also Read | Quick commerce ad spend surges as brands chase higher conversions

About 10-15% of BRND.MEs India business currently comes from quick commerce, a channel the company plans to scale, Narayanan said. The company is the leader In party supplies on quick-commerce platforms, benefiting from impulse-driven demand. People forget birthdays and anniversaries, so its a classic category to build a brand on quick commerce," he said. The category contributes about 200 crore of revenue. The company also leads the peanut butter category through MyFitness, with a 30% market share on all quick commerce platforms and annual revenue of 270 crore.

The companys revenue run rate stands at about $200 million, with 55-60% coming from international markets, of which Europe is growing the fastest. Male consumers worried about male-pattern baldness now account for about 35% of haircare sales. The company aims for a 10-fold jump in aromatherapy and haircare sales from $6 million to $60 million within four years, led by Majestic Pure and Botanic Hearth.

Drawing on his experience running Myntra, Narayanan said that private labels typically have a ceiling. Even when we pushed hard on private labels at Myntra, they never went beyond 25-30% of the overall portfolio. That tends to remain the case as the categories we operate in are very hard to displace because we drive searches."

This dynamic is already visible across several quick-commerce categories. The peanut butter segment is heavily consolidated on Blinkit, with Pintola and MyFitness together accounting for about 73% of sales, according to data from Datum Intelligence. Similar patterns have emerged in other categories. Blinkits popcorn segment, for instance, has rapidly consolidated into a duopoly, with 4700BC and Act II controlling 99% of sales.

Private labels muscling in

While Blinkit has consciously avoided launching private-label products on its platform, Swiggy has done so through Noice, and Zepto through Relish and Daily Good. For established brands, these private labels are becoming harder to ignore. Swiggy has scaled Noice aggressively, expanding the portfolio from about 200 to 350 stock keeping units (SKUs) and onboarding more manufacturing partners while moving beyond staples into categories such as beverages and ready-to-cook foods. These products are aimed at delivering significantly higher margins of 35-40%, compared with 10-15% on third-party brands, Mint reported earlier.

Private labels now contribute an estimated 6-8% of quick-commerce sales, up from 1-2% two years ago, according to data from 1digitalstack.ai, though penetration in perishables remains limited because of supply-chain complexity and quality concerns. A broader push into fresh categories could lift private-label share to 10-15%. Noice has already captured 3.4% of wafer sales and 1.9% of biscuit sales on the platform within months of its launch, according to 1digitalstack.ai dara. The two categories are dominated by Lays and Britannia, which have a market share of about 35% each in their respective segments.

Zeptos private-label push spans multiple everyday categories, including Relish for meat products, Daily Good for staples, Chyll for ice cubes and juices, and Aaha! for snacks, sweets, cereals and batters.

This growing presence creates a structural trap for digital-first brands. Devangshu Dutta, chief executive at Third Eyesight, a consultancy firm, said, Brands that are overly dependent on a single sales platform remain structurally vulnerable to being replaced by the platform's own private labels, which are designed to capitalise on product opportunities that already have proven demand." Platforms, he explained, tend to dominate high-frequency purchases, often undercutting brands on both price and visibility.

Persistently high online customer acquisition costs add to the pressure, particularly if the customer relationship is owned by the platform rather than the brand. This has been one of the significant friction points for all digital-only brands, and weighs especially heavily on companies that have online-heavy portfolios with multiple brands in play," Dutta added.
Few questions are as revealing today as how the worlds two largest economiesthe US and Chinadiffer in their economic approaches.

In Breakneck: Chinas Quest to Engineer the Future (2025), Dan Wang offers a useful lens. China, he argues, functions as an engineering state," where leaders and institutions think like engineers, prioritizing large-scale building, rapid industrial expansion and centralised problem-solving. This contrasts sharply with the USs more process-oriented, rule-bound lawyerly society".

This engineered flexibility helps explain how China weathered successive rounds of US tariffs and emerged stronger, posting a record trade surplus of $1.2 trillion in 2025. Below is a look at the forces behind Chinas trade resilienceand the lessons for India.

Strategic agility

Chinas response to US tariffs in 2025 offers a clear example of this flexibility. The trade war pushed cumulative US tariffs on Chinese goods to a peak of about 145%, before easing to around 30%. Chinas exports to the US fell by roughly 20%. Yet the export engine did not stall.

Instead, Chinese firms rapidly redirected shipments to alternative markets. Exports rose sharply to Africa (26%), the ASEAN bloc (13.4%), India (12.8%) and the European Union (8.4%). At the same time, US imports from countries such as Thailand and Vietnam surged, reflecting trans-shipments of Chinese goods routed through these economies.

India has shown resilience under tariff pressures as well, but via a different route. Its strategy has relied more on negotiating free trade agreements, expanding market access and strengthening bilateral trade ties. In 2025, India concluded trade deals with Oman and the UK and activated the FTA with four developed European economiesSwitzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. A trade agreement with the US, however, remained elusive, though negotiations with the EU concluded.

While Indias approach emphasizes diplomacy and gradual integration, a recent Barclays report suggests that many newer FTAs may yield limited export gains due to relatively small trade volumes. Chinas experience underscores the importance of building scale, logistics strength and competitiveness to enable rapid market switching when shocks hit.

Competitive capability

Chinas reduced dependence on the US is also evident in the composition of its exports. Over the past decade, it has built dominance in fast-growing, technology-intensive sectors such as smartphones, consumer electronics and telecom equipment, alongside the clean-technology ecosystem spanning batteries, electric vehicles, and solar and wind systems.

These are precisely the segments where global demand is expanding fastest, driven by digitalisation, energy transition and climate commitments. As a result, even as exports to the US declined, strong demand elsewhere kept overall exports buoyant.

This strength was also visible in rare-earth elements. In 2025, Chinas rare-earth exports rose to their highest level since at least 2014, even as it briefly curtailed shipments of select medium and heavy rare-earth elements from Aprila move widely interpreted as a signal of strategic leverage over Washingtonbefore easing restrictions.

India could similarly recognise that trade resilience comes less from tariff hedging and more from building deep capabilities in globally indispensable sectors.

Input advantage

Since joining the WTO in 2001, Chinas export rise has rested on a multipronged strategy: deep integration into global value chains, large-scale manufacturing capacity, substantial state support and active exchange-rate management.

A vast labour force enables production at scale, from basic components to final assemblies, even as costs rise. High-quality infrastructureports, freight corridors and logistics hubscuts delivery times and costs. A relatively undervalued currency has further supported export competitiveness.

Crucially, imports have been central to this model. China imports capital goods, advanced machinery, intermediate inputs and critical technologies at scale, embedding them into export-oriented manufacturing. This allows firms to specialise, assemble efficiently and upgrade technologically over time.

For India, the lesson is clear. Policies such as PLI and Atmanirbhar Bharat are often interpreted as discouraging imports. Chinas experience shows the opposite: high-quality imports are essential for export competitiveness. Recent rollbacks of quality control orders that created certification hurdles are a step forward, and improving access to imported inputs will be vitalespecially for MSMEs.

Credit comfort

Exporting is capital-intensive. Firms must finance production at scale, manage long working-capital cycles, hedge risks, absorb payment delays, and invest in overseas marketing, distribution and after-sales networks. Access to domestic finance therefore plays a decisive role.

Chinas domestic finance to the private sector stands at about 194% of GDPclose to Japan (197%) and the US (201%), and far above the UK (113%) and France (108%). This financial depth has allowed Chinese firms to dominate exports, operate across multiple geographies, withstand tariff shocks and scale volumes rapidly.

India presents a stark contrast. Domestic finance to the private sector stands at about 50% of GDP. Without easier access to finance, Indian exporters struggle to scale, diversify markets and sustain competitiveness.

Surplus risks

Despite the record trade surplus, concerns remain about the sustainability of Chinas externally reliant growth model. Household consumption accounts for only about 3940% of GDP, far below the global average of over 65%, while investment contributes close to 40%.

Also Read | Sanctioned oil trade booms in the shadows, aiding India and China

Domestic consumption has weakened amid slower growth, deflationary pressures, a prolonged property downturn and declining fertility rates. Indias growth model differs structurally. Private final consumption expenditure contributes roughly 60% of GDP, while investment plays a more moderate role at about 3034%. Thus, while China exemplifies an investmentand export-driven model, India remains consumption-led.

Exports offer access to vast demand, but when global conditions turn adverse, economies heavily dependent on the external sector are more vulnerable than those anchored by resilient domestic demand. Chinas experience offers valuable lessons on scale, logistics and input accessbut India should avoid pursuing export growth at the cost of domestic consumption. That is one lesson it must not emulate.

Puneet Kumar Arora is an assistant professor of economics at Delhi Technological University. Jaydeep Mukherjee is a professor of economics at Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai.
US president Donald Trump on Monday said that he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed to a trade deal between India and the US, nearly a year after the two sides agreed to work towards a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement.

Under the deal, Washington would lower its reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25% to 18%, while India would reduce its tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the US to zero, Trump said. US is also removing the extra 25% duty on Indian goods applied in response to Indias purchases of crude from Russia, Bloomberg reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.

In his social media post, Trump said he spoke to Modi earlier in the day and that the agreement was reached effective immediately. The two leaders discussed a range of issues, including trade and efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, he claimed. Trump also said that Modi had agreed to stop India's Russian oil purchases, and instead buy more energy from the US and, potentially, Venezuela. The US president said India would buy more than $500 billion worth of US energy, technology, agricultural products, coal and other goods, and commit to 'Buy American' at a much higher level.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X, Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Donald Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement.

Also Read | Beyond tariffs: What India must guard against in trade talks with the US

When two large economies and the worlds largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. President Trumps leadership is vital for global peace, stability and prosperity, and India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights, said PM Modi in his post on X.

At 11:40pm India time, the SGX Nifty was up 2.6%. SGX Niftynow Gift Niftyis an overseas futures contract linked to the Nifty 50, which trades longer hours than NSE, and is used as an early indicator of how Indian markets may open.

"The India-US trade deal has gone through ups-and-downs like a roller coaster. While devil is in the details, it removes a hanging sword over rupee, equity and rates market, said Nilesh Shah, MD of Kotak Mahindra AMC.

'Thrilled' US ambassador to India Sergio Gor said in a post on X, "As I have said many times, President Trump genuinely considers Prime Minister Modi a great friend! Thrilled by the news of the trade deal this evening. The relationship between the United States and India has LIMITLESS POTENTIAL!"

Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) chairman Ashwin Chandran said, The move would help Indian textile and apparel exporters regain competitiveness in the US market, Indias single largest destination for such exports.

While we await the final text of the deal, indications suggest that the additional punitive 25% tariff risk has been removed and the base tariff has been reduced from 25% to 18%. This brings India broadly in line with its Asian peers on tariff rates, at the very least removing the earlier unfair and disproportionate drag on exports and, by extension, the rupee, said Madhavi Arora, chief economist at Emkay Global Financial Services.

There are no incremental advantages or preferential placements vis-a-vis Asian peers, but restoring a level playing field is a meaningful reset point from a trade perspective, said Arora.

Welcoming the move, Colin Shah, managing director, Kama Jewelry, said, The slashing of the reciprocal tariff to 18% comes as a great relief for the Indian gems and jewellery sector. The US has been a key consumer market for Indian gems and jewellery, and sentiment had been hit by the tariff implications. This partial relaxation will help restore confidence among Indian jewellery manufacturers and exporters, as well as buyers in the American market.

On 13 February, 2025, a joint statement issued during Modis visit to Washington had said the two countries agreed to work towards a trade pact. Since then, negotiations have continued amid strains triggered by Washingtons steep tariff hikes on Indian exports. US tariffs on most Indian goods now stand at 50%, including a 25% punitive tariff for New Delhi's Russian oil purchases.

The proposed 18% tariff on India would be lower than or comparable to several South and Southeast Asian countries, including Bangladesh (20%), Sri Lanka (20%) and Vietnam (20%). It would be slightly higher than tariffs faced by more developed economies such as Japan (15%) and South Korea (15%) under negotiated frameworks.

Other regional peers, including Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand, are subject to reciprocal tariffs of around 19%. In contrast, China continues to face much steeper duties, with average US tariffs on Chinese exports now standing at 47.5%.

The timing of Trump's announcement is also notable as it follows Indias Union Budget for fiscal year 2027 (FY27), parts of which sought to address challenges arising from higher US tariffs, and comes days after New Delhi announced the conclusion of negotiations for what it described as the mother of all trade deals with the European Union on 27 January, underscoring Indias push to lock in major trade pacts with key partners.

Trump and Modi have spoken multiple times since last summer, including during Modis Washington visit. In their last publicly acknowledged call in December 2025, the two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral ties and discussed expanding cooperation in areas such as trade, critical technologies, energy, defence and security.

Exports Exports to the US, Indias largest overseas market, rose month-on-month in December, indicating that demand held up despite higher tariffs, even as exporters faced pricing and margin pressures. Exports in December rose to $7.01 billion from $6.98 billion in November despite stiff tariffs. Shipments in the first nine months (AprilDecember) of the current fiscal year also rose about 10% to $65.88 billion.

Bilateral goods trade between India and the US stood at $105.31 billion during April-December, with India recording a trade surplus of $26.45 billion. This compares with bilateral trade of $94.97 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, when the trade surplus stood at $25.09 billion.

Earlier, in November last year, the US had exempted a group of agricultural and food-related products from the reciprocal tariffs it imposed earlier this year. The 14 November decision removed commodities such as coffee, tea, tropical fruits, spices, cocoa, bananas, tomatoes, beef and certain fertilisers from the 2 April tariff list. These products were to face only normal Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) duties, instead of the higher reciprocal tariffs of up to 50%.
US trade deal with India Highlights: United States President Donald Trump on Monday, 2 February 2026, announced that after speaking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two nations have finally agreed on a long-awaited trade deal.

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said that the United States will reduce the reciprocal tariffs imposed on India to 18% on all imports, compared to their current 25% levels as part of the newly agreed trade deal.

Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%, said Trump on 2 February 2026.

Trump's announcement was released via his social media post on Truth Social.

Modi's Big Thanks to Trump

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked his dear friend, President Donald Trump, for reducing the reciprocal tariffs to 18% compared to their original 25% levels.

However, no announcement has been made from either side on the additional tariffs of 25% which were imposed after 25% reciprocal tariffs on India for buying Russian oil.

Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his post on 2 February 2026.

Read all India-US trade deal news here

Read all India-US trade deal-related live updates here at Mint's liveblog
The budget proposal to set up five new university townships near major industrial corridors could be the golden ticket for foreign institutions looking to establish campuses in India. Yet, according to sector experts, more clarity is needed on land and other approvals.

The government will support states in creating these university townships, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her budget speech on Sunday, adding that these academic zones will host multiple universities, colleges, research institutions, skill centres and residential complexes.

The plan could benefit foreign universities seeking a low-risk opportunity to enter the Indian market, according to Suchindra Kumar, partner and leader of education at consulting firm PwC India. Some foreign universities are wary of the heavy capital expenditures. These townships will provide the infrastructure for the universities to set up on a plug and play model like Gift City, attracting more of them to enter the Indian market."

Also Read | Why Indias online skilling firms are chasing the university tag

Indias plan marks an effort to stem the exodus of Indian students eyeing foreign education. The number of Indians studying abroad has more than doubled from 6.85 lakh in 2016 to over 18 lakh by 2025, making it the largest source of international students, according to the Economic Survey for 2026-27. Indian learners focus on countries such as Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia because of their perceived education quality, work rights, migration pathways, and strong branding.

Targeting foreign students

Newer degrees and colleges, however, are not just aimed at increasing the options to retain local aspirants, but also at attracting foreign students.

In 2024, for every one international student coming to India, 28 Indian students went abroad, with significant associated foreign exchange costs," the economic survey highlighted. Annual outward remittance under the studies abroad component has increased to USD 3.4 billion in FY24."

The finance minister announced a new National Institute of Design, a second National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans), new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, a National Institute of Ayurveda, more All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, a National Institute of Hospitality, veterinary colleges, and Indian Institute of Creative Technologies partnerships with colleges.

Also Read | Why recruiters are flocking to non-IITs with crore packages in 2026

These expand options beyond the typical engineering, medicine, and liberal arts courses available, according to Narayanan Ramaswamy, partner and national leader for education and skill development practice at consulting firm KPMG in India. This helps students explore emerging fields at home instead of studying abroad."

Australia's Wollongong and Deakin universities, and a joint initiative by the universities of Birmingham and Melbourne already offer courses in India. Meanwhile, King's College London, Cambridge, Oxford (UK), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University (US) are exploring partnerships and dual-degree models.

Clarity needed on land, approvals

Ashwin Damera, co-founder and executive director of edtech Emeritus, said that the announcement of five university townships near industrial and logistics corridors is a potentially positive development. Emeritus is partnering with global universities such as the Illinois Institute of Technology, the universities of Aberdeen, Bristol, York, Liverpool, Victoria, and New South Wales (UNSW) to help them establish and operate campuses across India.

However, Damera cautioned that details remain unclear and timelines will be long.

We dont yet know where these townships will be, how the land will be provided, or what the financial framework looks like," he said, adding that several layers of approvals would still be required.

Also Read | The influencer economy isnt just for the young anymore

State governments will have to come on board, land acquisition and titles will need to be sorted, and then theres the question of whether universities have to buy land or get it at subsidised rates," he said, adding that most foreign universities are not looking to buy land in a big way when they enter a new market.

Mints queries to the universities of Deakin, Wollongong, Southampton, Queens Belfast, York, and Liverpool did not elicit a response at the time of publishing the story.

TCS relief wont sway students

The budget also slashed the tax collected at source (TCS) on foreign studies from 5% to 2%.

Even though the TCS reduction is a positive signal for Indian students planning to study abroad, contrary to the narrative set by the government in the past 2-3 years, avoiding foreign outflow of students, it may not have any direct impact on either encouraging or discouraging students from pursuing higher education abroad," said Piyush Kumar, regional director of South Asia, Canada and Latin America at global education services IDP Education.

Tuition fee and living expenses in a foreign country can easily go up to 40-50 lakh, so for students self-financing, a 3% benefit translates to anything above 1 lakh of better cash flow," said Kumar. The amount would otherwise be locked, without any interest, for over a year until claimed in the income tax return."
Dhadak 2 director Shazia Iqbal is facing backlash ever since she shared a review of Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar. While Iqbal candidly dropped her thoughts on a sinister film, she did mention Dhurandhar. According to Hindustan Times, he referred to the recent blockbuster of Ranveer Singh, by blaming it for inciting hate.'

As netizens alleged that Iqbal's post was about Dhurandhar, she faced massive backlash on the internet.

What did Shazia Iqbal say about Dhurandhar? Shazia Iqbal took to her Instagram Stories and wrote, What a sinister film! Its not hidden, its not unintentional  inciting hate and violence is in the DNA of the film. She added, But its a well-made film, guys with some cool BGM. Well done, industry dude bros. Glad that most of yall dont care about minorities enough to even hide your blatant apathy.

Netizens react to Shazia Iqbal Soon after she shared the post, screenshots of her Instagram Stories made their way on social media. While some criticised her stance, others were spotted debating about her intention. "Did Shazia Iqbal watch her own project Sacred Games for the first time? Or was it Houseful 2? wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter, reacting to her now-viral post.

Another added, I genuinely think she wants to be cool but we all know what Dhurandhar is.

Shazia Iqbal goes private on Instagram Amid the situation, Shazia Iqbal turned her public Instagram account private.

Check here:

View full Image Shazia Iqbal on Instagram.

Aditya Dhar is yet to react to Iqbal's post.

Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, was recently released on OTT. It is now streaming on Netflix, but with censored scenes and dialogues.

Celebs on Dhurandhar While the film has been majorly praised from all quarters of the industry, a few of them were seen not agreeing with a few elements of the spy thriller. Among them was Anurag Kashyap.

Kashyap said, "This is a good example of a courageous mainstream film. I liked the film, but I didn't like some of the ideologies. The dialogue about 'This is the new India' and one long political monologue, among a total of three scenes, were unnecessary; even without them, the film's impact would not have diminished.

Hollywood's Marvel films propagate American supremacy, but no one criticises them from that perspective, he added.

Also Read | Hrithik Roshan praises Dhurandhar despite political differences with the film

Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan had also praised the film despite not agreeing with the film's politics. He wrote on social media, I love cinema, I love people who climb into a vortex and let the story take control, spin them shake them until what they want to say is purged out of them onto that screen. DHURANDAR is an example of that. Loved the storytelling. It's cinema."
Netflix has released the official trailer for Stranger Things: Tales from 85, the upcoming animated spin-off of the hugely popular Stranger Things series, giving fans their first look at the new supernatural adventure set in the world of Hawkins, Indiana.

Stranger Things: Tales from 85 teaser out The trailer dropped on 2 February 2026, previewing the return of familiar characters and introducing audiences to the chilling mystery that unfolds between seasons two and three of the original saga.

Stranger Things: Tales from 85 takes place in the winter of 1985, a period not shown in the live-action series but rich with untold stories of friendship, danger and the creeping influence of the Upside Down.

The animated show follows Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin and Max as they confront new monsters emerging from the Upside Down and work together to unravel a paranormal mystery terrorising their town.

Also Read | Stranger Things team teases first look of new Netflix series

Fans of the franchise have been eagerly waiting for more Stranger Things content since the end of the fifth and final live-action season in late 2025. With this animated series, creators have found a fresh way to explore the story without the constraints of live-action production, jumping straight into the 80s Saturday-morning cartoon feel while still honouring the tone and themes of the original show.

According to the official teaser released by Netflix, the Upside Downs influence has not completely disappeared, and something from that dimension may have survived to haunt the town once again. The trailer gives glimpses of familiar locations like Hawkins National Laboratory and hints at strange new threats  including vine-like creatures and bizarre paranormal events  that the heroes will have to face.

The show is being executive produced by the Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer, alongside Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen of 21 Laps, Hilary Leavitt of Upside Down Pictures, and Eric Robles of Flying Bark Productions, who also serves as showrunner. The creative team has said they intend to capture the spirit of classic 80s cartoons while maintaining the eerie atmosphere fans love.

The animated series brings back several familiar characters from the Stranger Things universe through a new voice cast. Brett Gipson voices Jim Hopper, while Luca Diaz takes on the role of Mike Wheeler.

Also Read | Netflix officially rewrites Stranger Things lore with new prequel

More about the voice cast and show Brooklyn Davey Norstedt lends her voice to Eleven, also known as Jane Hopper, and Braxton Quinney voices Dustin Henderson. Elisha Williams plays Lucas Sinclair, Ben Plessala voices Will Byers, and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport appears as Max Mayfield. Jeremy Jordan joins the cast as Steve Harrington.

In addition, the series features supporting voice performances from Odessa Azion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips in undisclosed roles, while a new character named Nikki Baxter is introduced as a taller, older addition to the group who joins the Hawkins kids during their latest supernatural adventure.

Additional voice roles include performances by Odessa Azion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips in undisclosed parts.
Indias national priorities in clean energy, healthcare access, and domestic manufacturing are moving into an execution phase, with states actively driving investible, future-ready infrastructure. Aligning with this shift, Lords Mark Industries Limited is positioning itself as a private sector partner in enabling this transition.

Following strategic engagements led by its Managing Director, Sachidanand Upadhyay, at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos - Klosters, Switzerland. The company has outlined a multi-state investment roadmap across clean energy, healthcare, and manufacturing. These initiatives currently at varying stages of Expression of Interest (EOI), Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs), and ongoing discussions reflect Lords Marks intent to participate in Indias next phase of infrastructure-led growth. Lords Mark has entered into an MoU with the Government of Maharashtra for two projects with a combined proposed investment of 225 Cr. The first project focuses on affordable medical and healthcare infrastructure, involving an investment of 150 Cr, with the project scheduled to commence in May 2026 and completion expected within the next 3-4 years. The initiative is expected to generate annual revenues of approximately 500 Cr.

The second project relates to manufacturing and medical devices, to be set up across Mahape and Nagpur, with a proposed investment of 75 Cr and the project is expected to begin in September 2026 and complete within the next 2 years. This project is estimated to generate annual revenues of around 300 Cr.

With the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the company has signed MoUs covering three projects.

The Green Hydrogen project, with a proposed investment of  1,000 Cr, is expected to commence in December 2026, along with its JU Partner and will end in the next 3 years.

A Solar Rooftop and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) initiative, also involving a proposed investment of  1,000 Cr, is planned to begin in September 2026, along with its JU Partner and will end in the next 3 years. Revenue estimates will be finalised in due course.

Additionally, an Affordable Healthcare Diagnostics project under a PPP model, with a proposed investment of  300 Cr, is expected to commence in July 2026 and will end in the next 2 years. The projects in Uttar Pradesh are expected to generate recurring revenue streams over their operating life, supported by long-term demand in clean energy and healthcare infrastructure. Given the early-stage nature of these initiatives and the evolving project structures, the company is expected to generate approximately 700-800 crores revenue yearly.

Lords Mark has also entered into a non-binding Expression of Interest with the Government of Kerala to explore investments of approximately 100 Cr in the medical and healthcare sector. The proposed project is planned to commence in July 2026 and complete within the next 2 years and is expected to generate approximately 200 Cr in annual revenues.

The company is in ongoing discussions with the Government of Assam for a medical infrastructure project, with a proposed investment under evaluation and estimated annual revenues of approximately 200 Cr.

Collectively, these initiatives position Lords Mark Industries as a diversified infrastructure and manufacturing platform aligned with Indias energy transition and healthcare expansion priorities.

By partnering directly with state governments on identified sectors, the company is building:

Institutional credibility through public-sector trust

Long-duration revenue visibility anchored in essential services

Scalable asset platforms across clean energy and healthcare

Employment-linked growth, reinforcing policy alignment Commenting on the developments, Sachidanand Upadhyay, Managing Director, Lords Mark Industries Limited, said: Our engagements at Davos reflect a focused approach to building scalable platforms in clean energy and healthcare. These initiatives strengthen our long-term growth visibility while contributing meaningfully to employment generation and regional infrastructure development. As we drive progress, we are proud to be part of Indias journey towards self-sustainability, leveraging local talent and resources to build a resilient economy.

The company has adopted a phased and balanced capital deployment strategy to fund its investment roadmap. Projects will be financed through a mix of internal accruals, selective equity infusion via a rights issue, project-linked debt, and platform-aligned with the Global foreign direct investment (FDI). This diversified structure supports timely execution while maintaining balance sheet strength. All projects are planned to be completed within a 23 year delivery window. By sequencing investments with milestone progress and revenue ramp-up, Lords Mark aims to rely on operating cash flows, while the combined portfolio of initiatives is expected to generate over 2,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities across multiple states.

Note: Revenue mentioned depends on project completion and government policy for the same.

To know more visit: www.lordsmark.com
Saudi Arabias state-backed media has been taking an increasingly anti-Israel tone, a further indication of the diminishing prospects for diplomatic normalization between the two Middle East powers.

In one example, a January editorial in the daily Al Riyadh criticized Israel for disregarding international law and state sovereignty.

Wherever Israel is present, there is ruin and destruction," the editorial said.

Saudi clerics have amplified the message. Oh God, deal with the Jews who have seized and occupied, for they cannot escape your power," Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid, an imam at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, said during a sermon in December.

The recent shift in tone has been driven in part by Saudi Arabias escalating public feud with the United Arab Emirates, a rival for economic leadership of the Gulf that has taken opposing sides to the kingdom in conflicts around the Middle East.

The U.A.E. is also the most prominent signatory of the Abraham Accordsa series of U.S.-backed normalization deals between Israel and Muslim-majority countries. The Saudi media campaign has been directed by the kingdoms leadership and takes aim at those ties, which make for an easy target to swing public opinion, Saudi officials said.

The impostor from Abu Dhabi believes that the shortest path to avenging past grudges and healing the state of jealousy and feelings of inferiority toward the Kingdom is by throwing oneself into the arms of Zionism and accepting that the Emirates become the Israeli Trojan horse in the Arab world," Saudi columnist Ahmed bin Othman Al-Tuwaijri wrote in an online editorial last month for the Saudi publication Al-Jazirah.

Saudi Arabia disputes the idea that the coverage is coordinated by the government but has noticed it as well, seeing it as a sign of growing popular anger with Israel that highlights the pressure the government faces over normalization.

Bringing Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords long figured at the center of U.S. and Israeli ambitions for the Middle East. But the kingdoms calculations have changed in the wake of the war in Gaza, whose toll has hardened attitudes against Israel, Saudi and Israeli officials said.

While Saudi Arabia says it is still open to normalization if it comes with a pathway to a Palestinian state, its diminished urgency has left room for other foreign-policy priorities to dominate.

Media bombast isnt necessarily reflective of more deeply held foreign-policy priorities, and the kingdom has sharply criticized Israel before, including the crown prince referring to its actions in Gaza as a genocide in November 2024.

But the current Saudi campaign runs counter to years of work to improve Israels image in the kingdom and prepare Saudi Arabias 35 million people for the possibility of formal diplomatic ties.

Saudi media had previously remained neutral about other Gulf countries decisions to normalize relations with Israel. In contrast to Qatar-based Al Jazeera, Saudi media also heavily criticized Hamas for its role in sparking and perpetuating the war in Gaza.

The new tone has created political trouble for the kingdom in the U.S. The Anti-Defamation League has expressed concern about what it called prominent Saudi voices making increasingly loud and frequent disparaging comments about Jews, Israel and the Abraham Accords.

It does raise a question of whether MBS is committed to the path of moderation both Trump and Biden have invested in," said Daniel Shapiro, who was deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East in the Biden administration, referring to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. If hes willing to dramatically change course when hes dealing with a rival and competitor, perhaps he isnt as committed to a regional coalition of moderates as we thought."

Saudi Arabias embassy in the U.S. said the kingdom rejects antisemitism and remains open to normalization with Israel provided there is a commitment to Palestinian statehood. The countrys defense minister, Khalid bin Salman, traveled to Washington, where he met Friday with Jewish groups and spread the word that the kingdom was committed to regional integration.

Mark Dubowitz, the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank, met with senior Saudi officials last week and joined a meeting Friday with the defense minister.

The Saudis understood that their dispute with the Emiratis had crossed into an anti-Israel posture of increasing virulence, that it was creating serious problems for them in Washington," Dubowitz said.

The Saudi defense minister and other officials committed to do what they can to lower the temperature, Dubowitz said.

Saudi Arabias crown prince continues to push forward efforts to modernize the kingdom and its ultraconservative image, recently lifting a ban on sales of alcohol, for instance.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responding to questions from reporters during a press conference on Tuesday, said Israel was monitoring the Saudi moves.

We expect from anybody who wants normalization or peace with us that they not participate in efforts directed by forces or ideologies that want the opposite of peace," Netanyahu said. He added that he still wants normalization with Saudi Arabia as long as Saudi Arabia is interested in normalization with a strong and secure Israel.

The U.A.E. foreign ministry declined to comment on the Saudi media campaign.

Saudi Arabia has long contemplated establishing formal ties with Israel, in large part to move closer to the U.S. and to cement the crown princes reputation as a modernizing force. The two came close to a deal in 2023, according to Israeli and U.S. officials who were involved in the talks.

The war in Gaza changed the calculations for both sides. Saudi Arabia has toughened its demand that Israel create a pathway for a Palestinian statesomething that is opposed by most Israelis in the wake of Hamass deadly Oct. 7 attacks that sparked the Gaza war in 2023.

You wont find anything formal about it, but Israel has chosen for now to shelve the normalization, because its not willing to pay the price the Saudis have demanded," said Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, a think tank based in Tel Aviv.

Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. have many common interests but have long feuded over their competing economic ambitions and leadership of the region. The tensions have sharpened recently, with the two finding themselves supporting opposing sides in conflicts including in Yemen, which is especially sensitive as it abuts Saudi Arabia.

The face-off there is in the part of the country not controlled by the Houthi militant group. After a Yemeni faction backed by the U.A.E. seized energy-rich territory along the Saudi border in December, the kingdom ramped up its military and media pressure.

Saudi Arabias pivot away from the U.A.E. and Israel has been accompanied by strengthening relations with Israeli adversaries Pakistan and Turkey. Riyadh signed a defense pact with Pakistan in September, and talks are under way to include Turkey in the security alliance.

Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. are at the lowest point in their relationship since the Emirates gained independence in the 1970s, said Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, a Washington think tank.

Still, he compared their rivalry to the type of familial infighting that is often ultimately resolved.

The two have overlapping geopolitical, security and economic interests and challenges, including a focus on technological supremacy and cooperation, opposing Islamist governments in the region, and defending their countries from common threats like Iran.

Without a doubt, a thaw between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi will almost certainly come before normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia," Ibish said.

Write to Summer Said at summer.said@wsj.com and Dov Lieber at dov.lieber@wsj.com
A PRINCE OUGHT to inspire fear," wrote Niccolo Machiavelli, but he must endeavour only to avoid hatred", lest it prove his undoing. By that measure Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, is failing. As the veil of its internet blackout lifts slightly, the killings unleashed to crush protests are fuelling rage more than fear. Human-rights groups have confirmed the deaths of over 6,500 people in the recent protests and are verifying those of 17,000 more. Iran International, an opposition television channel based in Britain, puts the death toll at over 36,500. Relatives sift through piles of body-bags, then pay for the bullets that killed their kin to recover the corpses.

Eye-witnesses describe the aftermath of the protests and their repression as resembling a battlefield, with torched banks and mosques and overturned security vehicles. One claims that the university museum in Mashhad, Irans second city and a stronghold of the clerical regime, is in ruins. Anything that serves as a means to tyranny and control was destroyed," says a protester. The regimes humiliation of the dead is radicalising a public that had already turned violent. Even if America does not intervene against the regime, how can Iran hold together as a country in the aftermath of such bloodshed?

For several hours on January 8th protesters controlled the streets of Tehran and other cities. You couldnt drive on the streets. There was fire here and there; debris, bricks, stones, destruction. As we marched, people bent all traffic sign posts, broke many of them and set all garbage bins on fire. All traffic cameras were broken. It was all amazing and beautiful vandalising," recalls the same protester. According to multiple accounts, masked men armed with knives killed basijis, the regimes volunteer vigilantes. Its already a civil war," says a young woman in Mashhad. Were just not saying it."

Might horror at the violent unravelling of their country pull Iranians back from the brink? There is little sign of it so far. The divisions in this large, multi-ethnic, multi-religious country are hardening. Irans rulers and their opponents accuse the other of hiring mercenaries: Shia militiamen from Iraq, say protesters; Israeli agents, says the regime. Each side threatens more violence. Reza Pahlavi, the last shahs son, has emphasised Iranians right to defend themselves from the regime and has urged America to strike.

The regime, soaked in blood, appears to be uninterested in compromise. Mr Khameneis hybrid theocracy-cum-democracy has morphed into a security state. Drones patrol the skies. Spot-checks of mobile phones net those with suspect sympathies. A three-week internet blackout has crippled the digital economy, deepening Irans economic isolation and malaise. On January 27th the rial hit a new low, even against a falling dollar.

Initial official expressions of understanding for the protesters economic plight have vanished. Now all opponents are terrorists". The loyal pro-reform opposition has been neutralised by the election of President Masoud Pezeshkian, one of their number. Braver voices have been silenced. Hassan Rouhani, a former president who challenged both the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the supreme leader, is said to be under house arrest. His allies are said to be subject to travel bans.

Meanwhile royalists inside and outside Iran increasingly argue that protest is futile against a regime willing to kill on such a scale. Many despair of the possibility of the army or police breaking ranks, as happened when Syria rose up against the Assads. And despite the build-up of American military might, the regimes opponents question whether Donald Trump will keep his promise to help them. Instead, protesters and exiled opponents increasingly advocate taking up arms to avenge the dead. Elders in Lorestan and Ilamperipheral provinces where protests erupted, where tribal loyalties are still prevalent and weapons still prizedhave taken to social media dressed in military fatigues, brandishing rifles and vowing revenge for the crackdown. Next time my cousins say theyll swap Molotov cocktails for machine guns," worries a student in an eastern city. For this massacre, every single one of them must be killed," says a normally urbane protester in Tehran.

Could the protesters morph into armed rebel groups, as happened in response to regime violence in Libya and Syria? Some royalists abroad are wondering how to smuggle arms into Iran and solicit Israels help. It seems that little attention is being paid to the decade of civil war, mass displacement and the destruction of what had been middle-income countries that followed the recourse to arms elsewhere in the Middle East in the Arab spring of 2010-12.

In the past, protesters in Iran tended to be middle-class. But poverty has eroded their numbers and now more typically they come from the sectors the regime used to consider its backbone. Many supporters of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a former hardline and populist president, now back Mr Pahlavi, claims an Iranian journalist exiled in Britain. They are ditching religious symbols for royalist onesthe lion and sunand their chants and hashtags are openly anti-Islamic. One mullah per lamppost," runs one. Burn the Quran," is another.

In all of this the voices of those who led earlier peaceful protests and hold fast to a struggle for representation dating back to Irans constitutional revolution of 1906 are being drowned out. Reformists and opposition calls to free political prisonersmany of whom favour a democratic republichave faded. Opposition satellite channels based abroad ignored the call from Mir Hossein Moussavi, a former presidential candidate held under house arrest for 15 years, for Mr Khamenei and his henchmen to step down. Hecklers denounce anyone seeking reform, or even democracy instead of a monarch. They dont want anyone but Pahlavi," says a teacher who took part in the women-led protests against compulsory veiling in 2022. They dont let us speak." Fear of revenge killings is spreading. Many predict capital and physical flight. Turkey says it is considering setting up a buffer zone to guard against an influx of refugees.

Could Mr Trump break the stand-off? His armada is amassing off Irans coast. Mr Khamenei is said to have moved to a fortified bunker in anticipation of an American strike. Western countries have managed to oust Iranian leaders before. Between them Britain and America helped orchestrate three coups in the 20th century; in 1921, 1941 and 1953.

But anger at those coups partly fuelled the revolution in 1979. The fallout from outsiders interventions is unpredictable. The mayhem that followed the Western toppling of tyrants in Iraq and Libya also offers a cautionary tale. Nor is the exit of Mr Khamenei likely to be enough to satisfy the regimes opponents; they want the edifice he built to fall with him. Meanwhile Irans rulers have seen the consequences of eviscerating the ruling class, as happened in Iraq after Saddam Husseins overthrow in 2003. In Iran, too, expect them to fight to retain their power and assets. Either way, chaos looms.
The Indian rupee gained over 40 paise against the US dollar on Monday, February 2, following a possible intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to shore up the domestic unit.

The forex market opened for trading after a two-day weekend holiday during which the Union Budget, presented by the Finance Minister in the parliament on February 1, announced a higher-than-expected government borrowing programme.

The government will gross borrow 17.2 lakh crore in the upcoming financial year (202627), which will be 17% higher than the current fiscal year's 14.61 lakh crore. However, FY27 fiscal deficit is set at 4.3% of GDP, with the debt-to-GDP ratio easing to 55.6%, reinforcing policy credibility.

The rupee appeared on course to open near its all-time low of 91.9875 against the greenback, but the central bank's intervention helped shore it up to 91.77, a gain of 0.2% from its closing level on Friday, a Reuters report stated. The rupee further strengthened to 91.55.

The rupee slipped to a record low in the closing minutes of Fridays trading session, ending the month on a fragile note with a 2.3% loss.

For the rupee, the budget offered reassurance, not relief, said Amit Pabrai, MD, CR Forex Advisors.

Also Read | Budget 2026: A look at the rupee earned and spent by the government

Key rupee levels to watch Pabrai sees short-term pressures to persist, but the broader message of fiscal credibility and growth continuity keeps medium-term prospects constructive  especially with Indias REER still looking undervalued, he said.

With USD/INR hovering just below 92, this level now stands as the key near-term pivot, opined the expert, adding that a sustained break above it could open the path toward 92.2092.50.

However, the story does not end there. RBI support and the disciplined fiscal signals may act as a ceiling, he said, which could help the Indian rupee gradually drift back toward 91.0091.20 over time.

Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, said the overall bias for the rupee stays positive.

"While short-term consolidation is visible near the 92.00 handle, the overall bias stays positive. The 91.4092.50 zone acts as a strong support band, and a sustained move above 92.0092.20 could trigger gradual upside extension. The firm USD/INR trend continues to amplify MCX bullion prices, even during phases of global profit booking," he added.
After a sharp 2% crash during the special trading session on Sunday, dragged by concerns over a higher STT, the Nifty 50 staged a smart rebound in Mondays session, surging 263 points, or 1.06%, to recover about half of the previous days losses and settle above the 25,000 mark at 25,088.

The rally was largely led by auto stocks, as sentiment towards the sector improved following higher-than-expected January wholesale figures, while value buying in select heavyweights also supported the markets recovery.

In addition, a recovery in metal stocks aided sentiment, while a sharp retreat in crude oil prices led most oil and gas stocks to close with solid gains.

Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research at Religare Broking, said, "Market sentiment improved as investors digested the implications of the Budget and turned to value buying in frontline stocks after the sharp correction. However, mixed global cues and lingering policy-related uncertainties capped the upside, keeping the recovery measured rather than aggressive."

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited, said the market witnessed a smart recovery following the previous days volatile session, triggered by concerns over the STT hike on F&O and the governments higher borrowing plan for FY27. He pointed out that the Budgets policy continuity, with a clear emphasis on growth and fiscal prudence, helped reinforce confidence in the medium- to long-term earnings outlook.

Signs of easing USIran tensions support recovery Geopolitically, the tensions in the Middle East are showing signs of easing after US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iran was 'seriously talking' with the US, shortly after Iran indicated that arrangements for talks were progressing.

This development comes amid weeks of heightened tensions, with Trump repeatedly threatening intervention if Iran did not halt the killing of protesters or agree to a nuclear deal, while Tehran warned of retaliationdevelopments that had earlier dampened risk appetite.

Analysts see strong resistance at the 200-DMA Although the Nifty 50 reclaimed the psychological 25,000 mark, analysts do not see a sustained rally as long as the index remains below the 200-DMA.

Nilesh Jain, Head  Technical and Derivatives Research Analyst (Equity Research) at Centrum Broking Ltd, said, "The markets staged a sharp rebound from oversold levels, with the Nifty closing above the 25,000 mark, largely driven by short covering. However, the immediate resistance is placed at the 200-DMA around 25,210, and a decisive move above this level would confirm a short-term trend reversal."

On the downside, Jain sees immediate support at 24,800, followed by 24,680. The RSI has reversed from oversold territory and is trending higher, indicating improving momentum. Meanwhile, India VIX cooled off sharply by 9% to close near 13.8; a further decline would add comfort for the bulls. Overall, the structure appears constructive for a follow-up move towards the 25,200 zone, he further added.

Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research at Religare Broking, echoed similar views, noting that the 200-DEMA around 25,150 remains a key resistance. He said a sustained move above this level could help improve sentiment and pave the way for a gradual recovery.

Given the mixed signals and elevated volatility, he advised investors to maintain a selective, stock-specific approach and focus on disciplined, risk-managed trades.

Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, said, "The recent rebound from the lower end of the channel near 24,679 highlights strong demand emerging at lower levels. Immediate resistance lies in the 25,15025,200 zone, which coincides with the 200-day EMA, the upper boundary of the falling channel, and a previous support-turned-resistance areamaking it a critical hurdle."

As long as the Nifty sustains above 25,000, the near-term tone remains mildly constructive; however, failure to hold this level could lead to consolidation within the 24,80025,100 range. "Unless the index decisively breaks above 25,300 and exits the falling channel, the overall bias remains cautious to bearish, with rallies likely to attract supply at higher levels," he further noted.
The Indian stock market benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are likely to open higher on Monday and stabilize from the steep fall seen in the previous session, amid mixed global market cues.

The trends on Gift Nifty also indicate a positive start for the Indian benchmark index. The Gift Nifty was trading around 24,875 level, a premium of nearly 22 points from the Nifty futures previous close.

On Sunday, the Indian stock market ended sharply lower in the special trading session after the announcement of the Budget 2026. The proposal by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech to increase the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on F&O trading rattled markets.

On Sunday, the Indian stock market ended sharply lower in the special trading session after the announcement of the Budget 2026.

The Sensex crashed 1,546.84 points, or 1.88%, to close at 80,722.94, while the Nifty 50 settled 495.20 points, or 1.96%, lower at 24,825.45.

Heres what to expect from Sensex, Nifty 50, and Bank Nifty today:

Sensex Prediction Sensex formed a long bearish candle on daily charts, and is currently trading below the 200-day SMA (Simple Moving Average), which is largely negative.

We are of the view that the short-term market texture is volatile, and volatility is likely to continue in the near future. Hence, level-based trading would be the ideal strategy for day traders. On the higher side, 81,300 would act as a crucial resistance zone. As long as Sensex is trading below this level, weak sentiment is likely to prevail, said Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities.

On the downside, he expects the correction wave to continue till 80,100 - 79.900, and further downside may also continue which could drag Sensex till 79,600 - 79,000. On the flip side, above 81,300, the index could move up to 81,900 or 200day SMA.

Nifty 50 Prediction Nifty 50 formed a long bear candle on the daily chart with lower shadow.

Technically, this market action indicates a decisive break down of the crucial support at 25,000 levels. This is not a good sign. The negative chart pattern like lower tops and bottoms is intact on the daily chart and present weakness could be in line with the formation of new lower bottom, which needs to be confirmed, said Nagaraj Shetti, Senior Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities.

According to him, the next lower support for Nifty 50 to be watched is at 24,500 - 24,400 and immediate resistance is placed around 24,900 - 25,000 levels.

Also Read | Stocks to buy: Raja Venkatraman recommends top picks for 2 February

Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money noted that Nifty 50 is now consolidating below its earlier breakdown area, indicating a clear sell-on-rallies structure in the near term.

As long as Nifty 50 remains below the 25,200  25,300 resistance band, the bias stays cautious to bearish. Only a sustained move back above 25,300 would neutralise the negative undertone and signal short-term stabilisation, said Ponmudi R.

Bank Nifty Prediction Bank Nifty index ended 1,193.25 points, or 2.00%, lower at 58,417.20 on Sunday, forming a bearish candle with a lower shadow on the daily chart, highlighting heavy intraday volatility followed by marginal recovery attempts.

Bank Nifty index slipped below both its 20-day and 50-day EMA, signalling a weakening short term trend. Intraday selling dragged the index to a low of 57,783, from where it managed to stage a mild pullback. Going forward, the zone of 57,800  57,700 is expected to offer immediate support, said Sudeep Shah, Head - Technical and Derivatives Research at SBI Securities.

He believes a sustained move below 57,700 may intensify the downside and pave the way for further correction toward 57,200, followed by 56,500 in the short term. On the upside, the 50 day EMA zone of 59,000  59,100 will act as a crucial resistance area.

Ponmudi R highlighted that the Bank Nifty index slipped below multiple key supports with firm bearish price action, signalling a transition into a corrective phase.

Rejection near the 59,800  60,000 supply zone further reinforced seller dominance. The drift towards the 58,600  58,500 region keeps downside risks elevated if buying support does not emerge. Overall, the structure remains weak to bearish. Bank Nifty must decisively reclaim the 59,300  59,400 zone to stabilise and attempt a move towards 59,800  60,000, while a sustained break below 58,000 could open the door for deeper downside in the coming sessions, he said.
Ito-Yokado hands Beijing retail operations to Chinese firm; foreign retailers accelerate localization to adapt to market evolution

Global Times) 15:18, February 02, 2026

Japanese general merchandiser Ito-Yokado sold 90 percent of its stake in Hua Tang Yokado Commercial, the operator of the Beijing store, to the Beijing Xinchen Group, in addition to signing a licensing deal for the use of the Ito-Yokado brand, Nikkei Asia reported on Monday. The move is seen as the latest step by international retail capital to deepen localization in China, as the firm seeks to better adapt to the countrys increasingly diverse consumer demand, Chinese experts said.

Japanese general merchandiser Ito-Yokado has exited store operations in Beijing, selling its wholly owned unit to a local retailer due to a sales slump, Nikkei Asia reported. The move is part of a reorganization of unprofitable businesses under US private equity firm Bain Capital, which became Ito-Yokado's parent in September.

Industry experts said the deal structure  retaining brand presence while transferring operational control to a local partner  highlights a pragmatic approach increasingly adopted by foreign retailers seeking to adapt to Chinas fast-evolving consumer market rather than exit it altogether.

The arrangement reflects a typical localization model, in which the Chinese partner holds a majority stake while the foreign brand retains a minority share and licenses its trademark. Majority ownership usually ranges from 60 to 90 percent, depending on operational performance, Zhang Yi, CEO of the iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times on Monday.

Foreign brands like this remain reluctant to exit China, also viewing local partners as guides in developing business models that could later be replicated globally, Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies under the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times.

Hua Tang Yokado's sales sank 24 percent to 1.7 billion yen ($11 million) for fiscal 2024, Nikkei reported. Though a direct comparison is impossible because the accounting standards are different, sales have dropped to less than one-tenth of the 24 billion yen logged in fiscal 2015.

While industry insiders said the development is also partly driven by a broader slowdown in global retail consumption, they noted that without adapting to increasingly diversified consumer demand, any accumulation of brand recognition would ultimately prove futile.

Ito-Yokado once operated nine stores in Beijing in 2013, but has since scaled back to just one, reflecting broader adjustments to its China business. Nikkei noted that as online sales and home delivery of food and daily necessities have become more widespread, the companys traditional large-format general merchandise stores no longer fully meet customer needs.

Brands  foreign and domestic alike  that fail to move beyond legacy product advantages or business models and adapt to shifting consumer demand are likely to face mounting pressure, Li Changan,

Recent months have seen a growing number of foreign retail chains in China recalibrating their strategies to accelerate localization.

Chinese asset management company CPE recently announced a strategic partnership with the Burger King brand to establish BKC, marking the next phase of the brand's growth in the Chinese market, according to a statement on Monday by Burger King.

Starbucks, a US-based coffee chain, last year set up a JV with Chinese company Boyu, with the Chinese side to hold a stake of up to 60 percent in its China operations.

Notably, Starbucks told the Global Times on Thursday that its China business has maintained strong momentum, with fiscal 2026 first-quarter revenue reaching $823.4 million, up 11 percent year-on-year.

Chinas consumer market remains vibrant, but is undergoing differentiation and upgrading, with outdated business models being phased out, Zhang said. He noted consumer choices are not driven by whether a brand is foreign or domestic, but by how well products and services meet their needs.

In retail, this contrast is evident within the same US company: while Walmarts traditional hypermarket format has come under pressure in recent years, its warehouse membership chain Sams Club has expanded rapidly by aligning with the consumption upgrade, according to Zhang, based on iiMedia Research Institutes research.

China remains one of the worlds largest retail markets, with total retail sales of consumer goods reaching 50.12 trillion yuan in 2025, up 3.7 percent from a year earlier, official data showed.

While the research capabilities and operational experience that foreign brands once relied on when entering China initially provided a competitive edge, the rapid advancement of the market and rising consumer sophistication have rendered those old benchmarks insufficient to meet todays consumption threshold, according to Zhang.

As equity and supply chain localization deepens, Starbucks and Burger King are expected to further localize their brand positioning, business models and product offerings, according to statements the companies once sent to the Global Times.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Penny stock under 10: Silverline Technologies share price hit 5% upper circuit on Monday after the company announced the launch of an AI-enabled web platform titled Silver AI on February 2.

The small-cap stock opened at 9.95 apiece in the early morning session on Monday, as compared to the previous close of 9.49 on Sunday.

Details on Silver AI In an exchange filing dated February 2, the company informed that it has launched its proprietary AI-enabled web platform titled Silver AI, which is now accessible to users through the Companys official web endpoint.

This initiative is a strategic step in the Companys journey to build Made-in-India, product-led technology capabilities, and to expand the Companys presence in next-generation digital solutions and artificial intelligence, the company said in the filing.

Silver AI is the companys AI-powered web platform that offers a conversational, assistive interface to support productivity and knowledge-related workflows. Built around an intuitive, chat-based experience, the platform is designed to help users work more efficiently across routine professional and organisational activities.

The rollout of Silver AI marks a key milestone in Silverlines product roadmap and aligns with the companys strategy to deepen its presence in fast-growing technology segments.

According to the filing, Silver AI as an AI-first productivity platform has the following key advantages - Web-based access and quick adoption, conversational AI interface for productivity, made-in-India product direction, scalable platform architecture, and enterprise-readiness pathway.

The company believes that the launch of Silver AI can contribute positively by - strengthening the companys AI-led growth narrative through a visible product initiative, supporting future opportunities for product revenue streams (including models such as freemium/subscription/enterprise licensing, as may be evaluated and introduced), and enhancing long-term competitiveness by developing AI capabilities that can complement the companys existing technology services footprint.

Silverline Technologies share price trend The small-cap penny stock has given significant gains in the near-term despite weak market sentiments. Silverline Technologies share price has rallied 28% in the past five sessions and 15% in a month.

However, zooming out further, the small-cap stock has shed 18.36% in six months and 31.64% in a year.

Meanwhile, the penny stock has given multibagger returns of 190% in five years.

Silverline Technologies share price is listed only on BSE. The small-cap penny stock hit a 52-week high of 20.75 on September 15, 2025 and 52-week low of 7.42 on January 27, 2026.
Silver rate today: Silver ETFs extended losses for the third straight session as the historic slide in precious metals intensified across domestic and global markets. The sharp correction in bullion prices has spilled over into exchange-traded funds, eroding gains that had built up over an extraordinary rally in the past year.

Among the hardest hit were Kotak Silver ETF and ICICI Prudential Silver ETF, both tumbling 20%. SBI Silver ETF and Axis Silver ETF also declined 20%. HDFC Silver ETF fell 19.5%, while Nippon India Silver ETF dropped 19%. Over the last three trading sessions of extreme volatility, all silver ETFs have lost more than 40%.

MCX Silver rate today crashed 15% on Monday, February 2, following a steep correction over the previous two sessions. The white metal has now fallen more than 46% or 1.94 lakh from its record high of 4,20,000, hit on Thursday (January 30) on firm dollar and as higher CME margins take effect from today. MCX silver price tanked 15% lower circuit of 2,25,805 per kg.

Why are silver prices falling today? Silver ETFs, which had earlier benefited from a massive surge in precious metal prices, have witnessed sharp profit-booking. The correction has been exacerbated by a stronger dollar after U.S. President Donald Trump named former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh  considered hawkish on rates  as his choice to head the U.S. central bank.

Further pressure came after CME Group announced higher margin requirements on metal futures over the weekend, with the revised norms set to take effect after market close on Monday. COMEX gold futures margins were raised from 6% to 8%, while margins for COMEX 5,000-ounce silver futures were increased from 11% to 15%. Such moves typically force traders to cut positions, adding to volatility and downside pressure.

Time for greed or fear? The sharp fall in silver ETFs mirrors the steep correction seen in international bullion markets on January 30, which has now fully reflected in domestic ETF prices. After an extraordinary rally over the past year, the recent slide indicates that prices had run far ahead of near-term fundamentals, triggering aggressive profit-booking once global cues turned adverse.

Zerodha founder and Chief Executive Officer Nithin Kamath in a post on X described the crash as a rare market event where risk management can fail, noting that in his 16 years in the markets he had seen a similar dislocation only once before  when crude oil prices turned negative during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Moreover, Sriram B K R, Senior Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, noted that the weakness in gold and silver ETFs is largely a spillover from the sharp correction in global bullion prices on January 30, as reflected in LBMA benchmarks. He pointed out that despite the correction, price levels remain high and can sustain only if backed by fresh and lasting fundamental triggers, even as current signals remain mixed.

Sriram further said that ongoing global tensions and uncertainty may continue to provide underlying support to gold. Both asset classes appear due for a price consolidation, though timing such a move is extremely difficult. We continue to advise investors not to chase rallies and instead remain disciplined with asset allocation. Investors should exercise caution at these levels.

How to choose Silver ETF? Meanwhile, offering a practical lens for investors navigating this volatility, Siddharth Srivastava added:

In selecting Silver ETFs, primary importance should be given to liquidity on the exchange and a lower expense ratio. Additional filters may include tracking error and efficiency of ETF in tracking the underlying on exchange, said Siddharth Srivastava, Head - ETF Product & Fund Manager, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India).
A long-awaited deal between India and the United States has finally seen the light of day. US President Donald Trump, on February 2, announced that Washington and New Delhi had reached a trade agreement following a conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Trump announced a reduction in reciprocal tariffs, lowering them from 25% to 18%, and expanded economic cooperation between the two countries.

We agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the United States to ZERO, Trump wrote.

Will the India-US trade deal drive the Indian stock market to record highs? A trade deal between India and the US is a major positive. While markets will seek greater clarity on the proposed agreement, it removes a key overhang for domestic equities. This could support economic growth, lend stability to the Indian currency, and push markets higher amid a return of foreign institutional investors.

"India-US trade deal has gone through ups and downs like a roller coaster. While devil is in the details, it removes a hanging sword over rupee, equity and rates market. Let us hope that it is a win-win deal for both countries as they have a lot to gain through cooperation," said Nilesh Shah, MD of Kotak Mahindra AMC.

"The US-India trade deal and the US decision to cut tariffs on India from 50% to 18% are a game-changer for the Indian economy and stock markets. This was the one trigger that investors have been waiting for many months now," said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments.

Vijayakumar highlighted that the impact of the deal will be manifold.

"Indias growth rate will improve, assisted by higher exports to the US; corporate earnings already showing signs of revival in FY 27 will accelerate; the rupee will strengthen sharply, and the stock market, anticipating and discounting these developments, will boom," Vijayakumar explained.

Sonam Srivastava, Founder and Fund Manager at Wright Research PMS, noted that the reduction in tariffs from 25% to 18% under the newly signed IndiaUS trade deal is a meaningful positive for Indian equities, both from a sentiment and earnings visibility standpoint.

The sharp, nearly 600-point surge in GIFT Nifty reflects an immediate repricing of risk, driven by expectations of improved trade competitiveness, lower input costs for exporters, and stronger bilateral economic alignment between the two countries, Srivastava said.

Following the IndiaEU free trade agreement, hopes were rife that New Delhi and Washington, too, would soon find common ground on tariffs.

The reduction in tariffs from around 50% to nearly 18% has come in materially better than consensus expectations. When combined with the recently concluded IndiaEU trade agreement, this potentially represents one of the strongest external growth stimuli for the Indian economy in 2026," said Trideep Bhattacharya, President and CIO- Equities at Edelweiss Mutual Fund.

Signals were already emerging from both sides, but the market remained sceptical, as multiple rounds of talks in the past had failed to deliver the desired outcome.

"The development is immensely positive for every Indian asset class. Even though full tariffs are not yet removed, the direction is positive," said Garima Kapoor, Deputy Head of Research and Economist at Elara Capital.

Kapoor highlighted that her estimates indicate policy implied effective tariff rate on India post deal is at 14.1% if with Russia-related tariffs removal.

"The 18% tariff brings the rate in line with Indias peers that have nearly 20% rates. Removal of Russian oil is likely to happen, and a related penalty is likely to generate a positive tariff differential for India," Kapoor said.

Sectors like gems and jewellery, textiles, apparel, machinery, electronics, and automobiles are likely to benefit.

According to Srivastava, export-oriented segments such as IT services, pharmaceuticals, speciality chemicals, auto ancillaries, and select engineering goods stand to benefit the most.

Srivastava highlighted that lower tariff barriers improve price competitiveness for Indian firms in the US market, which remains Indias largest export destination.

Over time, Srivastava believes this could translate into better order inflows, margin stability, and higher capacity utilisation. Domestic manufacturing themes tied to global supply chain diversification also get reinforced.

Srivastava further highlighted that the deal signals strategic continuity in Indias trade policy and strengthens Indias positioning as a preferred partner amid ongoing global trade realignments.

"While the near-term market reaction is understandably sharp, sustainability will depend on execution, sector-specific uptake, and whether earnings upgrades follow. Still, as a signal, this is a clear risk-on trigger," said Srivastava.

At a time when earnings growth has been tepid, global cues and trade deals remain major triggers for the markets.

"It is possible that the domestic market breaks its range. Earnings have failed to provide a fresh trigger, which the market was expecting. So, global cues will now be key," said Ajit Mishra, SVP of Research at Religare Broking.

Foreign investors have largely stayed away due to global uncertainty. Any positive development on trade or liquidity could act as a sentiment booster and revive FII interest in Indian equities, Mishra said.

India-US trade deal: Donald Trump to cut reciprocal tariffs to 18%

What should investors do now? Experts suggest focusing on large caps, as they offer valuation comfort and tend to bounce back swiftly when sentiment improves.

"Large caps typically bounce back sharply once conditions stabilise. Leading large caps across key sectors offer this stabilityparticularly in banking and core industries. Even in difficult phases, their downside tends to be limited, and they recover faster when the market sentiment improves," said Vijayakumar.

"The market, which is hugely short, will witness short-covering, adding fuel to the rally. The rally will be widespread across market caps, but the large caps, which are fairly valued, have the potential to outperform, aided by big FII inflows," said Vijayakumar.

According to Vijayakumar, FII favourites in large caps, such as banking leaders and other blue-chips in telecom, pharma, and capital goods, will fly.

"This is going to be the beginning of a sustained boom in the Indian stock markets. Indias underperformance will en,d and many new records will be set. Welcome to the bull on steroids," Vijayakumar added.

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Budget 2026: Morgan Stanley said it remains 'overweight' on Indian equities after the Union Budget 2026 announcements on February 1.

As per the global brokerage, the Union Budget 2026 carefully balances fiscal consolidation with growth support. It observed that the Budget blends cyclical recovery measures with long-term structural reforms that could strengthen Indias medium-term growth trajectory through higher capital expenditure, manufacturing competitiveness, and services sector incentives.

The Budget balances debt to GDP reduction with slow paced fiscal consolidation and support for growth through cyclical and structural measures. We remain constructive on Indian equities  Overweight Financials, Consumer Discretionary and Industrials, said the brokerage.

Also Read | Budget 2026 provides this GST relief to stockbrokers amid STT blow

It noted that the Budgets growth orientation was visible in the strong thrust on capital expenditure and sectoral priorities such as semiconductors, rare earth magnets, industrial clusters, data centres, and services exports.

Budget 2026: Morgan Stanley on Macro Announcements Morgan Stanley highlighted that the government has opted for the slowest pace of fiscal consolidation since the pandemic while still maintaining a credible path toward reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio. The fiscal deficit for FY27 is budgeted at 4.3% of GDP compared to 4.4% in FY26 Revised Estimates, while central government debt is projected at 55.6% of GDP.

The brokerage viewed this as a pragmatic approach that preserves growth momentum without compromising fiscal discipline.

It alsi pointed out that total capital expenditure is set to rise 11.5% YoY in F2027, while defence capex is budgeted to increase 18% YoY. Importantly, central government capex is maintained at 3.1% of GDP, similar to FY26 Revised Estimates, ensuring continuity in public investment momentum.

The brokerage expects this to provide cyclical support to growth at a time when private sector capex is gradually improving.

Also Read | Budget 2026 sets new rule for interest against MF, dividend income

Morgan Stanley said, We expect the Budget to support cyclical growth recovery through its emphasis on capex (central government capex stays at 3.1% of GDP in F27, similar to F26 RE) and to strengthen Indias structural growth trend through steps that improve manufacturing competitiveness and services sector attractiveness.

The brokerage concluded that the combination of sustained capex, structural reforms in manufacturing and services, and a calibrated fiscal path could support earnings growth into F2027.

It reiterated its Overweight stance on Financials, Consumer Discretionary and Industrials, expecting these sectors to benefit the most from the policy direction laid out in the Budget.
Got to Be Matcha My favourite at Kolkatas Flurysno, not the rum ballis the chocolate cube, a square-shaped pastry available in various flavours. At their flagship store on Park Street, I spotted a matcha one too. I gave it a pass, the henna-green colour did not exactly look tempting. Like the red velvet craze of the mid-2000s, this trend is likely to peter out at some point. But one thing matcha I have truly enjoyed is the Cha no Ka langue de chat from Kyotos famous confectioner Malebranche. The cookie comprises a thin layer of white chocolate ensconced in two Uji matcha tea biscuits. The mild sweetness of the chocolate balancing the slight bitterness of the matcha. Like all things Japanese, the packaging is pretty; opening a box is a sight to behold. If you have friends travelling to Kyoto, this is what you want them to carry back. Nipa Charagi

Homecoming Apurva Asrani has had a fruitful innings as film editor, from the seminal Satya to Snip!, Shahid and Made in Heaven. Hes also written the Hansal Mehta films Aligarh and Simran. Hes now written, edited and produced his first short film, The Pact, which can be seen on director Lakshmi R. Iyers YouTube channel. Parambrata Chattopadhyay plays Raghav, a white-collar worker who returns to sell the Pune house he grew up in. Once on the premises, hes swamped by memories of his parents; stray discoveries and conversations make him reevaluate his strict, demanding father. Though overeager at times to explain itself, the film manages to suggest a long, complicated relationship with efficiency and emotional heft. Uday Bhatia

Tidy Corners On screen and in books, attention to tidiness is often depicted as a character flaw, indicating an unhealthy desire for control or a comedic obsession. Think of Monica in Friends, or Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory. In Tova Sullivan, the elderly lead of Remarkably Bright Creatures (Shelby Van Pelt, 2022), its beautiful to see deep cleaning depicted as just setting high standards and doing a job well. Tova, the night cleaner at Sowell Bay Aquarium who becomes friends with the aquariums giant Pacific octopus, has exacting standards of cleanliness, scrubbing at stubborn stains even when her boss, worried about her age, suggests she take it easy. For neat freaks, its particularly joyful to read her insistent instructions to a trainee to hook the bin liners over the back of the bin so that its less messy to remove the next day. Shalini Umachandran
We were granted an exclusive preview of the 2026 S-Class in Sindelfingen, Germany, two months ahead of its global unveil. Security was understandably tight: phones were taken away, and we were ushered deep into the factory, where massive black curtains concealed the car. When the curtains were drawn back, the silhouette was familiarstately and elegant, yet the front told a very different story.

The nose is entirely new. In keeping with Mercedes-Benzs recent design direction, the grille has grown by 20% and now features four horizontal chrome bars instead of three.

Look closer and you will notice it is formed from intricate 3-D chrome stars and is fully illuminated. Even the upright three-pointed star on the bonnet can now glow as an optional feature. Flanking the grille are the new digital light twin-star headlamps, which arent just about visual drama. Innovative micro-LED technology expands the illumination field, while the dynamic high-beam system can project light up to 600m without consuming additional energy. The lights also swivel and offer a partial high-beam function that avoids dazzling oncoming traffic. At the rear, the taillamps receive a fresh design featuring three chrome-framed stars.

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Step inside and the familiar end-to-end Superscreen layout remains, but almost everything around it is new. A redesigned instrument panel, new door trims, and a reworked centre console bring a sense of freshness.

The Superscreen appears to float atop the dashboard, stretching seamlessly into the doors. Broader central air vents and an extended louvered band enhance the sense of width and space, an effect that continues into the rear door panels. Herringbone open-pore oak wood on the centre console adds richness, while monotone upholstery and floor mats elevate the cabin.

There is also a new steering wheel, which retains physical controls alongside capacitive ones. Dual wireless charging pads add everyday convenience. Technology takes a major leap with the enhanced AI virtual assistant. The assistant lives permanently on the zero layer of the screen as an animated avatar, subtly changing colour and brightness based on the tone and mood of the interaction.

Rear-seat passengers are treated to a world of indulgence with seats that invite you to sink in and relax. Yet this is also a car build for those who work on the gothere are video conferencing facilities in every seateven the driverswith built-in support for Microsoft Teams. Notes and calendar functions are integrated as well, allowing appointments and reminders to sync seamlessly.

We were even given the opportunity to take the updated S-Class for a short drive around the Sindelfingen factory grounds, just enough to hint at the depth of change beneath the surface. The version we experienced was the all-new V8, and its a monster in the best possible way. With a staggering 537 hp and 750 Nm of torque, the punch is instant and unmistakable the moment you put your foot down. Our drive was admittedly too short to fully explore its on-road character, but even in that brief time, the impression it left was undeniable.

Having seen and experienced the 2026 S-Class firsthand, one thing is abundantly clear: Mercedes-Benz has raised the bar. If luxury, performance, and effortless composure are what you seek, the S-Class remains the definitive answer.

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The Supreme Court on Monday approved bail for Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Punjab legislator Bikram Singh Majithia, who faces allegations in a disproportionate assets investigation.

A judicial bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said that the petitioner had previously secured bail in a 2022 case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. They further noted that the Punjab government's challenge against that bail was dismissed in 2025.

The bench observed that, while the FIR for the disproportionate assets case was filed in 2025, the allegations involve a timeframe spanning 2006 to 2017. Given these conditions and the fact that Majithia had been in detention for the past seven months, the Supreme Court sanctioned his bail plea.

Also Read | This AAP MP pick is richer than Badal, Majithia and Amarinder put together

The litigation was initiated under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, following accusations that Majithia accumulated wealth exceeding 540 crore beyond his known income. He was taken into custody by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on 25 June of the previous year and is currently held at Nabha jail in Patiala.

In December, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had turned down his bail application, citing concerns that he might exert influence over the ongoing inquiry. At that time, the high court instructed the Vigilance Bureau to conclude its investigation within a three-month window, suggesting Majithia could reapply for release afterwards.

Previously, the top court had consented to review an interim bail request from the SAD leader. The current charges against him originated from a broader investigation by a Punjab Police special team into a 2021 narcotics case.

In January, SAD representatives met with the Punjab Governor in Chandigarh, claiming the state administration had failed to provide adequate protection for Majithia despite intelligence warnings of a security risk.

The party urged Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to intervene, expressing a lack of confidence in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments ability to ensure the safety of the former minister.

Also Read | Punjab News: Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa passes away at age of 89

In their formal submission, senior party leaders highlighted what they termed a "grave threat" to his safety and cited potential infringements on his constitutional rights.

"Nothing concrete was being done to safeguard the life of Majithia and that of his family members, despite the directions of the high court following central intelligence inputs that he was likely to be targeted for elimination by the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)," said The SAD in a representation.
Air India, the Tata Group-owned full-service airline, on Monday, 2 February, said it had grounded one of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft after a pilot reported a possible defect with the fuel control switch, according to an official company response.

An Air India spokesperson, in an official statement, said that after the airline received information about a possible defect on its London Heathrow-Bengaluru flight, it grounded the aircraft and is now involving Boeing to get the concerns checked on a priority basis.

We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilots concerns checked on a priority basis, the Air India spokesperson said.

Air India informs DGCA The airline also said that the matter has been relayed to the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

According to Air India's response, it had earlier checked the fuel control switches on all the Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet, as per the DGCA's directive.

The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority, the spokesperson said.

The company also assured its passengers that the safety of all on board, including the crew, remains its top priority.

An aviation expert has stated that the event is deeply troubling and raised concerns about precautionary checks on Air India's 787 fleet.

Also Read | Fleet constraints slow Air India Express's Navi Mumbai expansion

What makes this event deeply troubling is not only that it happened, but that it occurred after Air India publicly stated it had conducted precautionary checks across its 787 fleet and found no issues, said Captain Amit Singh, the founder of Safety Matters Foundation, in a press release.

This discrepancy raises urgent questions: Were the checks thorough? Is this a new, recurring defect? Passengers and crews deserve unambiguous answers, he said.

The Foundation noted that the incident came against the backdrop of the ongoing investigation into the tragic loss of Air India Flight AI171 on 12 June 2025, which also involved a Boeing 787.

While no connection is implied, the repeated emergence of issues with a critical flight control system on the same aircraft type demands the highest level of scrutiny, the Foundation said.

Air India ShanghaiDelhi flights On Sunday, 1 February, Air India resumed direct ShanghaiDelhi flights after nearly six years, following the suspension of services in early 2020.

Mint reported earlier, quoting an official statement, that the company will operate the route four times weekly with its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring modernised cabins and enhanced onboard services.

Air India's flight number AI352 from Delhi to Shanghai departs at 12:00 hrs and arrives at 20:20 hrs, while the return flight, number AI351 from Shanghai to Delhi, departs at 22:00 hrs and arrives at 0315 hrs the following day, according to the flight schedule.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched an attack on Election Commission after meeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue. Speaking with the press after meeting the EC officials, Mamata Banerjee said she has never seen an Election Commission as arrogant and dishonest as this one.

Wearing a black shawl as mark of protest, Mamata Banerjee said, We are hurt and distressed. I have been in politics for many years. I have served as a four-time minister and a seven-time MP, but I have never seen an Election Commission as arrogant and dishonest as this one. We told them that we respect the institution because no chair is permanent for anyone, but they should not create such a dangerous precedent. Why is only Bengal being targeted? Also Read | Mamata Banerjee claims 3-4 people die by suicide every day because of EC activity anxiety

Elections are a festival of democracy. But what have you done? You first excluded thousands of people and did not even give them a chance to defend themselves. In the name of AI, decisions are being taken...Even in cases of serious crimes like murder, if someone does not get a lawyer, the judiciary ensures the right to defence. If a person says, I want to defend myself, that right is protected. But here, you removed 58 lakh people at one go without even asking who they were or what had happened, she said.

Meanwhile, EC officials have said that Mamata Banerjee left the meeting with the CEC on the SIR matter in a huff without listening to the response of the EC top brass on the issues raised by her. When the CEC started to respond, the TMC leaders interjected on multiple occasions. She was agitated and left the meeting in a huff, they said. Also Read | AI used to delete 54 lakh names'  Mamata Banerjee's big claim, threatens to gherao EC office in Delhi

The CEC told the TMC leaders that the rule of law will prevail and anybody taking the law into their own hands will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the provisions of law and powers vested in the Election Commission (EC), they said, PTI reported.

CEC Kumar informed the TMC leadership that its MLAs have been openly using abusive and threatening language toward the Commission, particularly targeting the Chief Election Commissioner, the news agency mentioned. He also highlighted incidents where TMC workers and MLAs vandalized the offices of electoral registration officers.
Mumbai Police on Monday issued a clarification after reports claimed the force had sounded a high alert over an alleged spike in human trafficking involving minor children. The police said they categorically deny the assertions circulating in the media and on social platforms.

What did Mumbai Police say about the viral claims? In a statement posted on X, the police said: Certain social media handles are misrepresenting data and indulging in rumour-mongering regarding cases of missing and kidnapped children. We categorically deny these claims.

The police said steps are being taken against individuals deliberately spreading false information and creating public panic.

Action, including the registration of FIRs against those deliberately spreading false information and creating public panic, is under process, the statement added.

Also Read | Mumbai police presents 5 accused before criminal court in connection to firing outside Rohit Shettys residence

What did the viral message claim? The viral message falsely alleged that 12 minor children  including eight girls aged between 8 and 15  had gone missing across seven police station jurisdictions in Mumbai within a span of 36 hours.

Also Read | Navi Mumbai airport plans to start international operations in Q1FY27, CEO says

According to the false claims, four children were said to have gone missing from Shivaji Park, two from Antop Hill, and three from areas such as Mankhurd and Bangur Nagar. The message also alleged that kidnapping cases had been registered and hinted at the involvement of organised trafficking networks.

Several residents went on to circulate the reports, urging authorities to issue a red alert. The comments sections of the social media posts reflected widespread public anxiety, with many questioning why the media had not highlighted the issue more prominently.

Also Read | Prices of commercial LPG gas cylinders hiked by 49 starting Feb 1

The growing panic led the police to step in and clarify the situation. Mumbai Police dismissed the claims, describing them as rumour mongering.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has spoken about the scrutiny she faces over her appearance on Budget Day, calling it a reflection of deeply embedded and often unspoken gender biases that women in public life continue to encounter.

Referring to the recurring attention on the saree she wears while presenting the Union Budget, Sitharaman said such discussions are usually not rooted in hostility but stem from assumptions that emerge casually in everyday interactions.

Hidden prejudices surface in casual remarks "Not that we consciously cherish or nurture it, but it exists within us and often comes out in conversation. Comments like, 'What kind of clothes is she wearing?' or 'What is she doing?' reflect how women are viewed, rather than being seen as individuals with ideas and capabilities," the Finance Minister said.

She added that she often chooses to confront such remarks directly when they arise.

We would never judge a man this way "I can tell them, 'This is not how it should be done'. As women, we would never look at a man and say, 'He shouldn't do it this way'. We simply wouldn't. I don't think such remarks are usually made with ill intent, but hidden prejudices do surface at times. I'll share my own experience. Every year, it becomes a topic around me, people ask, 'What are you going to wear on Budget Day?'" Sitharaman said.

Also Read | From AI skills to tourism, Sitharaman sharpens focus on employment

Budget speech and key announcements The comments came amid heightened attention on Sitharamans Union Budget speech, which lasted 124 minutes and outlined the governments economic roadmap for the upcoming financial year.

Presenting her ninth consecutive Budget, the Finance Minister announced a sharp rise in capital expenditure, pegging it at 12.2 lakh crore for 2026-27. She also projected a fiscal deficit of 4.3 per cent of gross domestic product.
The Supreme Court of India on Monday granted bail to three individuals accused of assisting in the alleged tampering of blood samples following the high-profile Pune Porsche crash of May 2024, which claimed the lives of two young software engineers.

A Bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered the release on bail of Aditya Sood, Ashish Mittal and Santosh Gaikwad, noting that all three had already spent 18 months in custody.

Court Weighs Length of Detention Against Allegations In its order, the Supreme Court observed that continued incarceration would cause undue prejudice to the accused, particularly given the nature of the allegations and the maximum punishment prescribed for the principal offence.

Since there is no allegation against juvenile at the backseat of car, it is unlikely that there can be allegation against them. Since allegations were made, they are in jail since 18 months. It was submitted that even as against the driver who caused the accident the punishment is of three years. The juvenile is also being tried before the Juvenile Justice Board. Thus their continued incarceration will greatly prejudice and thus it was contended that bail be granted to the three appellants. Petitions allowed. Let them be produced before the concerned trial court. Let them be released on bail subject to the conditions imposed by the trial court, Bar and Bench quoted the Supreme Court judges.

The Court added a clear caveat: Any infraction of conditions shall lead to cancellation of bail granted.

Background: Pune Porsche Crash That Shocked the City The case arises from a fatal accident that occurred at around 2.30 am on May 19, 2024, in Punes Kalyani Nagar area. A Porsche car, allegedly driven by a juvenile under the influence of alcohol, rammed into a motorcycle, killing 24-year-old software engineers Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, both from Madhya Pradesh.

Also Read | After Pune Porsche case, THIS doctor is now accused in kidney transplant racket

According to the prosecution, the juveniles father, businessman Vishal Agarwal, his wife, and other associates conspired with doctors at Sassoon Hospital to manipulate blood test results to show no traces of alcohol. It is alleged that 3 lakh was routed through intermediaries to hospital staff, with senior medical officers accused of coordinating the tampering.

Roles Attributed to the Accused Santosh Gaikwad is alleged to have acted as a middleman and to have received 3 lakh for facilitating the manipulation of blood samples. Ashish Mittal, a Pune-based businessman and a friend of the juveniles father, is accused of providing his own blood sample to replace that of another juvenile present in the car.

Aditya Sood, also a businessman, is the father of the boy who was seated in the rear of the vehicle. The prosecution alleged that he similarly provided a blood sample on behalf of his son, who was neither driving the car nor named as an accused in the original FIR.

High Courts Earlier Refusal of Bail In December last year, the Bombay High Court had rejected bail pleas filed by the accused, expressing concern that releasing financially influential individuals could lead to witness tampering and obstruct the course of justice.

Also Read | Pune Porsche crash: Two arrested for manipulating blood samples

The High Court noted that several key witnesses  including drivers, hospital staff and domestic employees  were dependent on some of the accused, making the risk of interference with evidence well-founded.

Arguments Before the Supreme Court Before the Supreme Court, the accused contended that their continued detention served no investigative purpose, as police had completed the probe and filed multiple charge sheets.

Mittals petition asserted that he was not present at the accident site, had no role in any conspiracy, and was at Sassoon Hospital only briefly. He also cited serious cardiac ailments, claiming he had suffered two cardiac emergencies while in custody, making continued detention medically unsafe and disproportionate.

Sood argued that he had been falsely implicated and that he merely complied with hospital instructions as the parent of a detained minor. His plea stressed that his son was a rear-seat passenger, not the driver, and is a prosecution witness rather than an accused. He also denied any connection with alleged bribe payments.

Legal Representation Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi, Siddhartha Dave and Siddharth Agarwal appeared on behalf of the accused. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan represented the father of one of the victims.
The Lok Sabha adjourned on Monday after a huge uproar over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi attempting to quote from former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's unpublished book, prompting several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, including Union ministers, to erupt in protest.

The exchange prompted sharp reactions from across the House. Heres how the verbal duel started in the Lok Sabha and who said what.

Rahul Gandhi vs govt  how it happened Rahul Gandhi took the floor during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address. The senior Congress leader said he wanted to first address allegations made by the previous speaker, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, regarding the Congress and nationalism.

Rahul Gandhi was reportedly carrying a printout of an article in a well-known magazine, which had written about Naravane's book and published purported excerpts from it. In his unpublished memoir, Naravane has reportedly written about the May 2020 clash between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Doklam. Naravane was the Army chief during the stand-off.

A young colleague over there made an allegation against the Congress. I was not going to raise this issue, but because he has raised the issue about our patriotism, our understanding of Indian culture, I'd like to start by reading something. And this is from the memoir of Army Chief Naravane. And I'd like you to listen nicely. You will understand exactly who is patriotic, who is not, Rahul Gandhi said.

He continued, It will take a little while, so this is about when four Chinese tanks were entering Indian territory. They were taking a ridge in Doklam. And the Army chief writes, and I quote from an article that is quoting his book.

The Congress MP then went on to quote passages from what he said was General Naravanes unpublished memoir Four Stars Of Destiny on the 2020 IndiaChina conflict, sparking an uproar in the House and leading to the adjournment of the Lok Sabha.

What BJP MPs say Defence Minister Rajnath Singh strongly protested against Rahul Gandhi's move to quote from Naravane's memoir and asked the Congress MP to clarify whether the book had been published.

Not just Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Home Minister Amit Shah, too, attempted to discourage any further mention of the book, saying it had remained unpublished and quoting from it was against the rules of Parliament.

When the book has not even been published, how can he quote from it? asked Amit Shah.

Rajnath Singh said, I want that LoP, Lok Sabha, should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published.

Kiren Rijiju said Rahul Gandhi should not say things that belittle the Army.

The Speaker has given a ruling that articles from magazines or newspapers cannot be quoted in the House...Debate in the House should be held according to the laws, he said, adding, We should also discuss what should be done with a member who doesn't obey the Speaker's ruling in Lok Sabha.

The standoff between Rahul Gandhi and the government, according to PTI, went on for about 30 minutes with Speaker Om Birla repeatedly denying Rahul Gandhi permission to proceed with the reading, as the Opposition continued to demand that the LoP be allowed to quote from the book.

2-3 lines mein sab pata chal jaayega: Rahul Gandhi After the Lok Sabha was adjourned, Rahul Gandhi told the media that he was not allowed to speak.
In Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district, three crooks reportedly manipulated a young boy's confidence to embezzle jewellery valued at 85 lakh by providing him with momos, police said on Monday.

A formal complaint was filed at the Rampur Karkhana police station in Deoria after the boys father claimed that three suspects operating a roadside momo stall at Dumri Chauraha vanished with his family's high-value ornaments.

The incident surfaced when the boy's sister searched for her belongings, only to find the storage unit completely empty. The seventh-grade student eventually confessed to his stunned relatives that he had surrendered the jewellery in exchange for the snacks.

Station House Officer Devendra Kumar Singh confirmed that legal proceedings were initiated following the statement by Vimlesh Mishra, a priest serving in Varanasi.

Law enforcement officials are currently tracking the missing suspects while a comprehensive investigation into the swindle continues, according to the SHO.

Mishras report states that the men targeted his son, who resides in the village for schooling. The trio groomed the boy with food, leading him to take and hand over family valuables.

The father noted that the stolen items belonged to both his children.

Wife, her family strangle man to death in Bareilly In another shocking case from UP, a man was purportedly choked to death by his spouse while her parents and brother restrained him. His remains were subsequently hung from a window by a muffler to simulate a suicide, authorities stated on Sunday.

The wife and her parents were taken into custody after a forensic examination identified strangulation as the definitive cause of death, effectively dismissing the suicide theory, officials noted.

According to Circle Officer Pankaj Srivastava, the victim, 33-year-old Jitendra Kumar Yadav of Etawah, was discovered hanging at his leased residence within the Izzat Nagar police jurisdiction on 26 January.

Jitendra, a contract worker at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), shared the home in Kailashpurams Girja Shankar Colony with his wife, Jyoti.

While initially treated as a self-inflicted death, a formal complaint from the victims brother, Ajay Kumar, prompted a case for abetment to suicide and a subsequent autopsy.

Also Read | Caught red-handed! Thief gets stuck in kitchen exhaust while attempting robbery

"The postmortem report confirmed that the cause of death was strangulation," Srivastava said, adding that the accused were subsequently charged with murder.

On Saturday, police apprehended Jyoti and her parents, Kalicharan and Chameli, from the Durga Nagar area.

Law enforcement is currently pursuing Jyotis brother, Deepak, who is also implicated in the crime.
The Central government and the Union Territory of Ladakh administration told the Supreme Court on Monday, February 2, that Sonam Wangchuk, the climate activist, had tried to instigate a Nepal and Bangladesh-like Gen Z protest in India too.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and PV Varale that Sonam Wangchuk had even referred to Arab Springs like agitation.

Tushar Mehta said, He carefully crafted his speech to instigate Gen Z and asked for agitations like in Nepal and Bangladesh and used speeches of Mahatma Gandhi to cover the real intention.

The remarks were made as the Supreme Court heard a plea filed by his wife Gitanjali J Angmo against his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) which has a maximum detention period of 12 months.

During the arguments, Tushar Mehta said Sonam Wangchuk, during his speech, referred to government as them and people of Ladakh as us and called for plebiscite and referendum, the calls which were made once in Jammu and Kashmir.

The solicitor general said, There is no them or us but we are all Indians. Ladakh is a place which shares borders with two countries -- China and Pakistan The area is very fragile. The speeches made by him have to be taken into account in totality. He was misleading young people and carefully using the speeches of Mahatma Gandhi to cover it. Gandhi ji never instigated people against their own government.

Also Read | Jail that once held Salman Khan now houses Sonam Wangchuk know all about it

He contended that the district magistrate had to pass the order for his preventive detention after going through the relevant materials placed before him and the videos of his speech.

It took four hours for the order of preventive detention to get executed as after the district magistrate passed the order, a DIG rank officer went to him and explained everything and showed him videos of his speeches. Grounds of detention was explained to him, Mehta informed the bench.

Speaking of the borrowed material allegations on Sonam Wangchuk's detention under NSA, Mehta said, This argument of 'borrowed material' itself suffers from inherent fallacy as the district magistrate does not need to go to each and every place where he made the speech and hear it firsthand. Some officials who heard the speech and made videos of it placed before the district magistrate and based on such relevant materials, an order was passed.

The arguments remained inconclusive and would continue on Tuesday.
A man in Uttar Pradesh was allegedly strangled to death by his wife while her parents and brother held him down. After the gruesome crime, the woman and her family went on to hang the man's lifeless body from a window grill with a muffler to make it appear like suicide.

News agency PTI, which reported on the crime in Bareilly, said that the postmortem report found strangulation to be the cause of death and ruled out suicide.

The crime came to light after police found the body of the victim, 33-year-old Jitendra Kumar Yadav, hanging at his rented house under the Izzat Nagar police station on 26 January.

Also Read | Chinese techie dies after gruelling workload, gets office text hours after death

A contract employee at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Yadav was living at the house in Girija Shankar colony, Kailashpuram, with his wife Jyoti.

Although the death was initially reported as a suicide, a complaint filed by the deceased man's brother led to the registration of a case against the wife Jyoti, and three others for abetment to suicide.

Subsequently, when the postmortem report revealed that the cause of death was strangulation, the accused in the case were charged with murder.

Police then went on to arrest Jyoti and her parents Kalicharan and Chameli. Jyoti's brother Deepak, however, remains absconding and efforts are underway to trace him.

Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir: Woman who urged Hizbul commander son to surrender dies

A marriage gone sour Interrogation of the accused revealed chilling details, as Jyoti revealed that she and Jitendra had known each other since their student days and had married last year.

However, frequent arguments over financial matters led to growing bitterness between the couple, and eventually a tipping point.

During her interrogation, Jyoti revealed that she informed her family about a quarrel that broke out on the fateful night, following which her parents and brother reached their house. They then proceeded to hold down Yadav as Jyoti strangled her in a fit of rage.
United States President Donald Trump has spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sergio Gor, the US ambassador to India, said in a post on X on Monday, February 2. Sergio Gor said, President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED

Sergio Gor said this in a brief social media post without sharing the details. The phone conversation between Trump and PM Modi also happened on a day External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar began a three-day visit to Washington.

New Delhi has not yet made any comment on the conversation.

Update: Donald Trump has announced a trade deal between India and the United States, reducing reciprocal tariff from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. He also claimed that on his call, the Indian prime minister agreed to stop buying Russian oil, but much more from the US, potentially Venezuela.

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump said, We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!

Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO.

He continued: The Prime Minister [Modi] also committed to BUY AMERICAN, at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products. Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

India and the United States have been engaged in efforts for the past few weeks to address the strain in their relationship since America slapped tariffs on Indian imports and move forward on finalising the proposed bilateral trade deal.

Earlier today, Donald Trump claimed that India will be buying the Venezuelan oil. Donald Trump said earlier in the day: Indias coming in and theyre going to be buying Venezuelan oil, as opposed to buying it from Iran. Weve already made the deal, the concept of that deal.

The US President had also posted image of a magazine cover which featured him and PM Narendra Modi with the cover saying The Mover and The Shaker.

The United States is poised to import its highest volume of Venezuelan oil in a year after the Trump administration moved to assert control over the countrys energy supply and urged oil companies to invest $100 billion in rebuilding Venezuelas oil infrastructure.

Yet as the US emerges as the biggest recipient of Venezuelan oil following Maduros capture, shipments to China  which averaged 400,000 barrels a day last year  fell to zero in January amid a US naval crackdown on the so-called dark fleet of vessels used to transport sanctioned oil to China.
Budget Session: The Lok Sabha witnessed uproar on Monday as Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh countered Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over purported excerpts from the yet-to-be-published memoir of former Army Chief Manoj Naravane on the India-China clashes.

During his reply to the motion of thanks on the Presidents address in Lok Sabha, a Congress leader began his speech by quoting a magazine that published Naravanes memoir from an unpublished book.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh countered the LoP, saying he cannot quote from the unpublished" book and asked him to authenticate it before the House.

He should not be allowed to speak on this I want that LoP, Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published," Singh said during the uproar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House.

Former Army Chief General MM Naravanes memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, remains unpublished as of early 2026 due to pending security clearances from the Ministry of Defence. The book is stuck in review due to sensitive details regarding the 2020 Ladakh standoff, China policy, and the Agnipath scheme.

Amit Shah objects too Union Home Minister Amit Shah also objected and urged Speaker Om Birla not to allow anyone to read from a book that has not been published.  The business of the day is motion of thanks to the President's address. Something which is not related to the business should not be allowed, Shah said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also came to Rahul Gandhis defence, saying this is a very sensitive issue. Lohiyaji, Netaji (Mulayam Singh) and George Fernandes have all warned us about China. The matter relating to China is very sensitive. LoP, Lok Sabha should be allowed to speak," he said.

Speaker Birla also asked LoP not to break the rules and to read from an unpublished book. He urged Rahul Gandhi to stick to the President's address.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Speaker has given a ruling that articles from magazines or newspapers cannot be quoted in the House. "Debate in the House should be held according to the laws," he said.

He should not be allowed to speak on this I want that LoP, Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), should present before the House the book he is quoting from.

Rahul Gandhi reiterated that he is responding to the President's address, since the President mentioned India's relations with China.

Amid the uproar, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings of the Lok Sabha.

What's Naravane's book? General Manoj Mukund Naravane is a retired Indian Army General who served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff and the temporary Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee from 15 December 2021 until his superannuation on 30 April 2022. He took over as COAS from General Bipin Rawat on 31 December 2019.

'Four Stars of Destiny', a typescript of which has been seen by The Caravan magazine, was supposed to go to press in April 2024.

General Naravane shares lessons on leadership and management with universal applicability, and gives us an insiders perspective on what else needs to be done to make the Armed Forces a more potent instrument of national power, ready to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, reads the blurb by its publisher, Penguin Books.
The shooters of Alex Pretti were reportedly identified as Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez. Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez are both officers with Customs and Border Protection, ProPublica reports.

While Mint or any other media house could not confirm the information, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which employs both men, has so far refused to release their names and disclosed a few other facts about the deadly incident.

We dont have any information on the shooters, a Minneapolis city spokesperson was quoted as saying. A spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that his office also had not been given the names, and we dont have any new information on the investigation.

Pretti was the second person killed by federal agents in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The incident was reported days after a different immigration agent shot and killed another Minneapolis protester, a 37-year-old mother of three named Renee Good.

Who are Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez? The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti were identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, ProPublica reported.

The records viewed by ProPublica list Ochoa, 43, and Gutierrez, 35, as the shooters during the encounter last weekend that left Pretti dead.

Also Read | US Justice Dept opens civil rights probe into Alex Pretti shooting, official says

Both men were reportedly assigned to Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement dragnet launched in December that sent scores of armed and masked agents across the city.

According to the report, Ochoa is a Border Patrol agent who joined CBP in 2018. Meanwhile, Gutierrez reportedly joined in 2014 and works for CBPs Office of Field Operations.

He is assigned to a special response team, which conducts high-risk operations like those of police SWAT units. Records show both men are from South Texas.

Ochoa, who goes by Jesse, graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American with a degree in criminal justice, according to his ex-wife, Angelica Ochoa.

A longtime resident of the Rio Grande Valley, Ochoa had for years dreamed of working for the Border Patrol and finally landed a job there, she said.

By the time the couple split in 2021, he had become a gun enthusiast with about 25 rifles, pistols and shotguns, Angelica Ochoa said.

Death of Pretti and Good An American citizen, Alex Pretti, was killed in a fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer. This was reported weeks after Rene Good was killed, sparking widespread protests.

lex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, who worked at the US Department of Veterans Affairs, had taken part in protests. A video of the incident showed federal officials pinning Pretti down to the ground and shooting him multiple times.

Tragically, two American Citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat ensued chaos, US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social media network

Pretti was a US citizen and was born in Illinois. As per the Associated Press, court documents showed he had no criminal record, and his family said his only contact with the police had been a few traffic tickets.
A startling email from Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Britains former Prince Andrew, suggested that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein may have had a secret child 15 years ago.

In the message, dated September 21, 2011, Ferguson congratulated Epstein, who had already been convicted of sexual abuse involving a minor, the most recent release of Epsteins documents showed.

According to a report by The New York Post, Ferguson, in the released email, mentioned, Dont know if youre still on this bbm but have heard from The Duke that you have had a baby boy."

She concluded, saying, Even though you never kept in touch, I still am here with love, friendship, and congratualtions on your baby boy. Sarah xx.

Ferguson also stated that Epstein had gone missing and added that she had no knowledge he was about to become a father.

Epsteins last known girlfriend was Karyna Shuliak, and he reportedly intended to leave her his notorious private island, $50 million, and his Upper East Side townhouse.

He signed his will on August 8, 2019, just two days prior to his death in Manhattan jail cell. Ferguson has yet to comment on the email.

The brother I have always wished for Newly released documents show that Ferguson once referred to Epstein as a legend and the brother I have always wished for", reported AFP.

Although the relationship between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles last October, and Epstein has long drawn scrutiny, the latest batch of emails made public by US authorities reportedly sheds further light on the depth of Fergusons connection to Epstein.

I have never been more touched by a friends (sic) kindness than your compliment to me infront of my girls, Ferguson, widely known as Fergie", wrote in an email dated August 2009, one year after Epstein was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution.

Thank you Jeffrey for being the brother I have always wished for, the message, signed Sarah", continued. As with other correspondence in the document release, the email address was redacted.
The US government entered a partial shutdown Saturday, January 31, as the House awaited approval of a funding deal worked out by President Donald Trump with Democrats. The lapse is expected to be short, and most essential federal workers, like the military and air traffic controllers, will continue working. The House is also expected to return from a break and Donald Trump supporting the package deal.

Unlike the 2025 autumn federal government shutdown, most federal employees working on the weekends are deemed essential workers and were not furloughed in this shutdown. Recently, House Speaker Mike Johnson had said that he expects the shutdown to end in a few days.

This is the second time Congress has failed to fund the government since Trump returned to office last year. A 43-day shutdown during the autumn was the longest and most disruptive ever, with food aid halted to millions of households, thousands of flights canceled and federal workers going without pay for more than a month.

This shutdown is more limited since some parts of the government already are fully funded through the Sept. 30 end of the federal fiscal year.

This includes the Department of Agriculture, so food stamp programs will continue without interruption. Funding has also already been secured for national parks, veterans services, and the Justice Department.

Also Read | US embassy restricts social media activity temporarily due to partial shutdown

The affected agencies are Treasury, Defence, Homeland Security, Transportation, Health and Human Services and Labor Department. These agencies will will be shut, as per the White House memo.

It is our hope that this lapse will be short, OMB Director Russ Vought wrote in a memo Friday, adding that the administration will be prepared to order the government to reopen as soon as Trump signs a funding bill into law.

The House Rules Committee added a vote on the spending measure to the agenda for its Monday afternoon meeting to send it to the floor for final passage. Its unclear whether the Bureau of Labor Statistics will delay the release of the monthly jobs report, scheduled for Friday, if theres a brief government shutdown.

The shutdown fight erupted after a US citizen, Alex Pretti, was killed in a confrontation with Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis last weekend. Democrats refused to renew funding for the Homeland Security Department unless new restraints were placed on immigration enforcement.

Democrats are seeking requirements that DHS agents use body cameras and obtain judicial warrants. They also want to forbid the masking of agents and stop broad immigration sweeps.
US President Donald Trump said the United States and India have reached a trade agreement following a conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announcing a reduction in reciprocal tariffs and expanded economic cooperation between the two countries.

It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country, Trump wrote on Truth Social. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine.

Trade deal with lower tariffs Trump said that, in response to Indias request and out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi, the "US had agreed to a bilateral trade deal" that includes "reduced reciprocal tariff.

We agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO, Trump wrote.

Trump announces trade deal with India LIVE updates here He added that India also committed to BUY AMERICAN, with plans for more than $500 billion in purchases of US energy, technology, agricultural products, coal and other goods as part of the expanded economic partnership.

Trump frames deal as product of personal rapport Trump highlighted his personal relationship with PM Modi, saying their strong bond helped propel the outcome.

Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most, he wrote.

The presidents remarks come amid a wider backdrop of tariff tensions between Washington and New Delhi. In 2025, the US imposed steep tariffs  in some cases reaching as high as 50%  on Indian imports in response to New Delhis purchase of Russian oil, a policy that drew criticism from Indian officials as unfair and commercially harmful.

Shift away from Russian oil Trump also claimed that Prime Minister Modi had agreed to stop buying Russian oil and instead increase energy imports from the United States and potentially Venezuela.

He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela, Trump wrote.

He framed the move as part of broader efforts to weaken Russias war effort in Ukraine.

This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! he added.

PM Modi responds: Deal benefits both nations Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied on X, welcoming the outcome and thanking Trump for the agreement.

Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement, Modi wrote.

He characterised the India-US trade deal as a boost for cooperation between two of the worlds largest democracies. When two large economies and the worlds largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.

PM Modi also praised Trumps leadership on global issues and pledged continued collaboration: India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights.

US Ambassador calls India-US relationship 'limitless' US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor praised the newly announced trade agreement between the United States and India, highlighting the strong personal rapport between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Gor said: As I have said many times, President Trump genuinely considers Prime Minister Modi a great friend! Thrilled by the news of the trade deal this evening. The relationship between the United States and India has LIMITLESS POTENTIAL!
US President Donald Trump defended himself against allegations related to Jeffrey Epstein in a post on Truth Social, alleging a conspiracy to damage his presidency.

"Not only wasnt I friendly with Jeffrey Epstein but, based upon information that has just been released by the Department of Justice, Epstein and a SLEAZEBAG lying 'author' named Michael Wolff, conspired in order to damage me and/or my Presidency," Trump wrote.

Trump also took aim at his political opponents: "So much for the Radical Lefts hope against hope, some of whom Ill be suing."

Trump went on to deny ever visiting Epsteins private island, contrasting himself with Democrats he criticized: "Additionally, unlike so many people that like to 'talk' trash, I never went to the infested Epstein island but, almost all of these Crooked Democrats, and their Donors, did."

This statement follows recently released Department of Justice information, which Trump claims supports his assertions.

Trump, who has long denounced Wolff, noted that he ended his friendship with Epstein in the early 2000s. The latest batch of Justice Department files, released on Friday (January 30), mentioned Trump's name several hundred times, mostly in emails exchanged between Wolff and Epstein.

Trump responds on Air Force One Aboard Air Force One en route to Palm Beach, Florida, Trump addressed reporters about the documents, which include more than three million records and personal emails. He asserted that the emails suggested Wolff and Epstein were conspiring against him:

It looked like this guy, Wolff, was a writer, was conspiring with Epstein to do harm to me, Trump said. I didnt see it myself, but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, its the opposite of what people were hoping that Wolff, whos a third-rate writer, was conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to hurt me, politically or otherwise, and that came through loud and clear.

He also indicated possible legal action: Im considering suing Wolff and the Epstein estate because he was conspiring with Wolff to do harm to me politically. Thats not a friend.

Background on Wolff, Epstein, and the 2016 election Some of the emails between Wolff and Epstein date back to February 2016, during Trumps presidential campaign. In one exchange, Wolff suggested that Epstein could serve as the bullet to end Trumps campaign: Yeah, youre the Trump bullet, Wolff responded to an email from Epstein, who noted he was being approached by reporters about Trumps presidential run.
The seven victims of a tragic marine disaster in a historic Massachusetts fishing town included a fifth-generation fisherman, a young fisheries observer, and a father-and-son crew team. All lost their lives when their fishing vessel, the Lily Jean, sank off Gloucester, Americas oldest seaport.

The sinking marks the latest in a series of maritime tragedies to strike Gloucester and its tightly knit fishing community. The towns fishing industry, immortalied in the book and film The Perfect Storm, is deeply rooted in more than 400 years of history marked by both resilience and recurring loss.

What did US Coast Guard say? US Coast Guard officials announced Monday that they have identified all seven victims who perished when a commercial fishing vessel sank in the frigid Atlantic without reportedly sending a mayday call. An investigation into the incident has begun.

Also Read | US seizes Olina tanker in Caribbean, fifth move to curb Venezuela oil

In a statement, the Coast Guard stated, A district-level formal investigation consists of a Coast Guard investigating officer who will receive evidence and testimony using formal rules and procedures regarding a recent marine accident." It added, This type of investigation is launched for incidents of significant regional importance or those that may reveal broader issues with a class of vessel or areas of technical concern. 

The Coast Guard mentioned that search teams discovered a debris field near the location where the alert came from, along with a body in the water and an unoccupied life raft.

The victims include the boats captain, Accursio Gus Sanfilippo, and crew members Paul Beal Sr., Paul Beal Jr., John Rousanidis, Freeman Short, and Sean Therrien, according to the Coast Guard. Also on board was Jada Samitt, a federal fisheries observer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). There were no survivors.

Sanfilippo was a well-known figure in the Gloucester fishing community. The vessel, the Lily Jean, along with Sanfilippo and his crew, was featured in a 2012 episode of the History Channel series NorEaster Men. Sanfilippo was a fifth-generation commercial fisherman, operating out of Gloucester and the Georges Bank. The show featured the crew working long hours in treacherous conditions, often spending up to 10 days at sea harvesting haddock, lobster, and flounder.

Meanwhile, Everett Sawyer, 55, a childhood friend of Sanfilippo, said he personally knew 25 people who had been lost at sea. He noted that harsh winter conditions can make operations challenging, even for seasoned sailors. Things happen very quickly when youre out on the ocean, Sawyer stated.
Presidents' Day is commonly observed as a tribute to all US presidents and has officially served since 1879 as the federal holiday honouring Founding Father George Washington. Washington led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and served as the nations first president from 1789 to 1797.

Presidents' Day 2026: When is it? Presidents Day, known officially at the federal level as Washingtons Birthday, is observed on the third Monday of February. It lies on 16 February this year.

Is it a federal holiday? Yes, Presidents' Day is a federal holiday. That means most people will have Monday, 16 February, off from work, and the majority of schools will be closed in observance of the holiday.

In addition, most financial institutions and government agencies, comprising government offices, courts and the US Postal Service, will be closed on Presidents Day. As a result, there will be no regular mail delivery and no trading on US stock markets.

How Presidents' Day is observed Presidents Day is observed through a range of activities across the country. Many museums feature special exhibits, local governments may host commemorative events, and Mount Vernon, the home of the nations first president, holds an annual patriotic celebration honoring George Washington. The holiday has also become a major shopping weekend, with many large retailers offering sales and promotions throughout the three-day break.

Presidents' Day 2026: A look at history The holiday is officially recognised in most states, though it goes by different names depending on state law. In some cases, it honors only George Washington; in others, it commemorates both Washington and Abraham Lincoln or a different combination of US presidents, such as Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
A special court in Bangladesh on Sunday sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to a total of 10 years in prison in two separate corruption cases linked to alleged irregularities in the allocation of government land under the Purbachal New Town project.

The verdicts were delivered by Dhaka Special Judge Court-4, which found Hasina guilty of abusing her position in connection with the allotment of a 20-katha plot in the capital. She received five years imprisonment in each case, to be served consecutively.

UK MP Tulip Siddiq and other Hasina family members convicted In the same ruling, the court sentenced Tulip Siddiq, a British Member of Parliament and niece of Sheikh Hasina, to four years in prison  two years in each case. Tulip Siddiq is the daughter of former Dhaka University professor Shafique Ahmed Siddiq and Sheikh Rehana, Hasina's sister, who gained political asylum in the UK as a teenager.

Azmina Siddiq was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in one of the cases, while Sheikh Hasinas son, Radwan Mujib Siddiq, also known as Bobby, received a seven-year sentence.

The judgments were pronounced by Judge Robiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4.

Cases stem from Purbachal New Town land allocations The prosecutions relate to allegations that senior political figures abused their authority to secure residential plots under the Purbachal New Town government housing project.

One case concerned the alleged irregular allocation of a 20-katha plot, while the other involved a separate allotment of a 10-katha plot. According to court records, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed both cases on 13 January 2025, initially naming 16 accused in each matter.

Following investigations, the ACC submitted charge sheets on 10 March 2025, expanding the list of accused to 18 individuals in both cases.

Lengthy trial and witness testimony The court concluded the recording of testimonies in early January this year, after hearing evidence from a total of 31 witnesses. The investigation officer and ACC Assistant Director, Afnan Jannat Keya, appeared as the final prosecution witness and was subsequently cross-examined by the defence.

Also Read | Sheikh Hasina condoles death of her arch-enemy Khaleda Zia

In one of the cases, the court framed formal charges on 31 July 2025, ordering the commencement of trial proceedings. Dates for pronouncement of judgments in both matters were fixed earlier this year, culminating in Sundays verdicts.

Political backdrop: Hasinas ouster and interim government The convictions come against the backdrop of dramatic political changes in Bangladesh. In July 2024, a student-led uprising swept across the country, triggering widespread unrest. On 5 August 2024, Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh and sought refuge in India.
China has expressed strong displeasure over conferring the Dalai Lama with a Grammy Award, calling it a tool for anti-China political manipulation. The 90-year-old Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader received the award on Sunday for his book, Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama said he accepted the award with gratitude and humility. In a statement posted on his website, he added that he viewed the honour as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility.

The 90-year-old has remained in exile from Tibet since 1959 and is viewed by Beijing as a rebel and separatist.

Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: It is well known that the 14th Dalai Lama is not merely a religious figure but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the guise of religion.

We firmly oppose the relevant party using the award as a tool for anti-China political manipulation, he added.

Life in exile and Tibet autonomy stance The spiritual leader has been based in Dharamshala, India, since fleeing China after a crackdown by Chinese forces on an uprising that threatened his safety. Over the years, he has advocated for greater autonomy for Tibet, a position Beijing rejects, insisting the region is an inseparable part of China.

Succession plan adds to tensions In 2025, the Dalai Lama reaffirmed his intention to appoint a successor, a move that further strained ties with China.

According to Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, the Dalai Lama is reborn after death, a sacred process rooted in spiritual tradition rather than political authority.

He has previously said his reincarnation would take place in the free world, meaning outside atheist and communist China  a claim that Beijing has firmly rejected.

Also Read | Manuel Bauer: The man who has been photographing the Dalai Lama for 35 years
Iran-US Tensions Highlights: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States amid growing threats of military action from US. Donald Trump threatened "bad things" if no deal was struck as he expressed hope that Washington will "work something out" with Iran.

On Sunday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei had warned the United States (US) of a "regional war", saying on Sunday, "The Americans should know if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war."

Khamenei said Americans speaking about coming with warships and aircraft "is nothing new." He added, "We are not the initiators of war. We do not seek to oppress anyone...anyone who seeks to attack or cause harm will face a decisive blow from the Iranian nation."

Trump reacts

After Khamenei's warning, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was hopeful of agreeing on a deal with Iran. When asked about the Iranian leader's warning, Trump said, "Of course he is going to say that. Hopefully, we'll make a deal. If we don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether or not he was right."

Trump earlier threatened military action and ordered the dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East following the Iranian authorities' deadly response to anti-government protests that peaked last month.

Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for all the latest updates on Iran, US tensions.
If you could safely implant a chip in your brain to enhance your intelligence, would you? Some of Silicon Valleys most powerful technologists want that future, including Elon Musk, who recently said he would ramp up production of his Neuralink brain chips this year as part of a noble effort to ensure humans can keep pace with superintelligent AI systems that might one day go awry.

Fellow billionaire Alexandr Wang, who is leading Metas programme to build such systems (the good kind) wants to delay having kids until Neuralink or similar tech can augment their intelligence, capitalizing on the neuroplasticity of their developing brains.

A venture capitalist once told me the true advantage of AI would come when you could plug it directly into your mind, making you the smartest person in the room.

This pattern should feel familiar. Silicon Valley has invested trillions in building artificial general intelligence (AGI), despite no consensus on what it even means (and companies are now quietly backing away from the term).

A similar dynamic is emerging with brain-computer interfaces: grandiose visions built on conviction rather than strong evidence. Notwithstanding the obvious ethical problem of permanently boosting the brain of a child who cant give consent, Neuralinks head surgeon Matthew MacDougall suggests that Wang may be planning a family around capabilities that dont work as imagined.

But such enhancement dreams are not entirely fanciful when you look at how much the brain-tech industry has grown. Global venture capital investment in neurotechnology, which includes brain-computer interfaces and neuro-stimulation devices, rose to $2.3 billion in 2025 from $293 million a decade earlier, according to market intelligence firm Pitchbook.

The number of players in the field has grown six-fold, says Marcello Ienca, a professor of AI ethics and neuroscience at Technical University Munich, with most large technology companies investing in neurotechnology.

Like other forms of technology that initially targeted people with disabilities then went mainstream, neurotech is also expanding from treating clinical issues like paralysis to enhancing the lives of people who are fit and well.

Also Read | Dont hand over your thinking brain to your AI assistant

Outlandish as they sound, Wang and Musks ideas are technically plausible. Ienca points to studies that have shown that non-invasive stimulation, typically with a help of a headset and electrodes, can slightly improve concentration and memory.

Carolina Aguilar, who runs a Barcelona-based brain chip startup called Inbrain focused on treating Parkinsons and other diseases, says such tech could indeed help augment human intelligence one day, potentially with the help of large language models. ChatGPT is offering memory, and memory is the opening of higher intelligence," she says.

But priorities matter. When asked about Musk and Wangs visions of the future, Aguilar adds, rather diplomatically, that shell keep her company concentrated on eradicating disease before trying to optimize humans who are healthy.

That would be especially wise if the tech company implanting a brain chip happens to be an advertising concern. The brain is the largest data repository in the world and the race to enhance it will almost certainly be propelled by a race to mine it. Most brain computer interface firms are focused on decoding information from inside our skulls, says Aguilar. That may open the door for such technology to usher in a strange new chapter of the data economy.

Also Read | In the age of AI, marketers need to be algorithm whisperers

Online advertisers typically build psychographic profiles on people based on their behavioural data. They reverse engineer intentions," says Ienca. Now with brain data we can look straight into the source and collect data that most directly correlates to our intentions and beliefs."

Such data, if decoded on a device with mainstream popularity, would represent a new frontier for human privacyor lack thereof. Our autonomy would be on the menu, too. Aguilars company is one of the rare few that can change neural activity, using deep-brain stimulation to treat Parkinsons. She is sticking to clinical treatment, but whats to stop other firms using such capabilities for a hyper-targeted form of marketing to manipulate intent?

A kind of hybrid intelligence is technically feasible, but whether it manifests as mutually beneficial or parasitic on the part of a corporate giant depends largely on who controls the interface.

Technologists shouldnt slow down neurotechnology for clinical purposes and people in genuine need.

But for healthy adults seeking a competitive advantage, and especially non-consenting children, the evidence points more darkly to a harmful trade-off that is best avoided. Bloomberg

The author is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology.
The corporators of ideological rivals, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, have formed a new front ahead of the election of the mayor and deputy mayor in the Malegaon Municipal Corporation, a move that can potentially tilt power equations, news agency PTI reported, quoting sources.

Three corporators of Congress and two from the BJP have formed an independent group called the 'Bharat Vikas Aghadi', a move that could alter the arithmetic of power in the 84-member civic body, where no single party is in a position to easily secure a majority.

The new front will be led by Congress councillor Ejaz Beg, the agency said.

Although the results of the Malegaon civic polls have been declared, the election of the mayor and deputy mayor is yet to take place.

With the ruling dispensation still to be decided, hectic political manoeuvring is underway across party lines. Against this backdrop, the Congress and the BJP, which have been locked in sharp political combat, have decided to set aside differences to act jointly in the civic body, sources added.

ISLAM party single-largest in the house The ISLAM (Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra) Party, floated by former Congress MLA Shahikh Asif, has emerged as the single-largest party with 35 seats, followed by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) with 21, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 18, the Samajwadi Party with five, the Congress with three, and the BJP with two.

Despite its numerical strength, the ISLAM Party will require support from other parties to clinch the mayor's post.

The mayor's position has been reserved for a woman from the general category, adding to the suspense over who will eventually take charge of the civic body.

Political circles are abuzz with speculation that ISLAM Party chief and former MLA Asif Shaikh will take the final call on the party's nominee, with his sister-in-law Nasreen Shaikh being seen as a strong contender.

As per rules, a special meeting of the corporation must be convened within eight to 12 days of the reservation notification to elect the mayor and deputy mayor.

Congress-BJP combine The emergence of the Congress-BJP combine has also fuelled speculation that the ISLAM Party could receive indirect support in the crucial vote, particularly in the election of the deputy mayor.

The AIMIM has won 125 seats in 13 of the state's 29 municipal corporations, including 21 in Malegaon.

AIMIM leader and former MP Imtiaz Jaleel has claimed that Shiv Sena leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had sought the party's support in some municipal corporations, including Malegaon.

Jaleel said AIMIM conveyed at the local level that it would not align with the BJP or the Shiv Sena. He asserted that the party would not, under any circumstances, support Shinde's faction in Malegaon.

After the results of civic polls were declared last month, the local unit of the BJP, in a surprise move, allied with arch-rivals Congress and AIMIM in Ambernath and Akot municipal councils, respectively.

The emergence of the Congress-BJP combine has fueled speculation that the Islam Party could receive indirect support in the crucial vote.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said such arrangements were not approved by the BJP leadership and violated discipline.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's reaction to an X post detailing International Monetary Fund (IMF) data on the Top 10 contributors to global real GDP growth (2026) triggered reactions from Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju.

On January 31, Musk reposted a chart, originally shared by World of Statistics, and commented that the balance of power is changing". The chart was reportedly based on IMF data showing that India is next only to China in its contribution to global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

What did Nirmala Sitharama and Kiren Rijiju say? Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cited billionaire Elon Musk's reaction to an X post to send a message to the Opposition. She said on Sunday, "India's opposition should also understand that this is the kind of strength that India has acquired now."

Speaking during an interaction with university students in Parliament after presenting the Union Budget 2026-27, Sitharaman referred to the X post to say, China contributes 26% of growth in global GDP. India contributes 17%. Together, 43 % of global GDP growth comes from these two economies...

"Did any of you see the tweet? What does it convey?," she asked.

Sitharaman quoted Elon Musk's reaction to the IMF data. "...Elon Musk takes the IMF data to say 'wow, is this true'. I don't remember if he exactly said 'wow'....," she said.

Sitharaman added, "India's opposition should also understand that this is the kind of strength that India has acquired now. Next only to China. The gap may be big, 26 and 17, but we'll bridge it."

"But we should have the confidence that, together with a big economy, which is just next door, we contribute 43% of global GDP growth," she said.

Also Read | Union Budget 2026: FM Sitharaman proposes taxing buyback proceeds as capital tax

Union minister Kiren Rijiju also reacted to Elon Musk's X post. He, however, directly addressed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying, I normally do not react to statements which are not made by Indians. I'm quoting @elonmusk only to sensitise Rahul Gandhi ji that, while criticising the govt is a democratic right, do not disparage India & never belittle India's achievement. Be a proud Indian."

The IMFs January 2026 global outlook projects worldwide growth at 3.3 per cent in 2026 and 3.2 per cent in 2027. It noted that risks to the outlook remain tilted to the downside.

"Reevaluation of productivity growth expectations about AI could lead to a decline in investment and trigger an abrupt financial market correction, spreading from AI-linked companies to other segments and eroding household wealth. Trade tensions could flare up, prolonging uncertainty and weighing more heavily on activity," the IMF said.
(Bloomberg) -- Political turmoil in the US House over President Donald Trumps immigration raids risks prolonging a partial government shutdown that began Saturday.

Speaker Mike Johnson faces a tricky path to clear a Senate-passed spending package  the product of a negotiation between Trump and Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. That bill would fund most agencies through Sept. 30, and the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 13, preserving funding for immigration raids while both parties negotiate changes to enforcement policies.

Yet the bill faces a revolt from within both parties, possibly extending what was hoped to be a brief weekend shutdown. Johnson expects the Rules Committee to conduct an initial vote on Monday, and said he hopes final passage would happen on Tuesday.

The Labor Department announced Monday that its closely watched jobs report, due Friday, will be delayed. The tax filing season, which kicked off last week, could be hampered. And government contractors pay and service delays would spread the longer the funding lapse continues. Non-essential government workers would be furloughed.

Democrats, aware of public outrage over the administrations methods in cracking down on immigration, want to prevent more killings by masked, armed agents in cities like Minneapolis, where two US citizens have been shot dead. Conservatives worry that by supporting Trumps agreement to place limits on agents behavior, they would be abandoning their core campaign promises.

Progressive Democrats say they will not vote for even two weeks of DHS funding until Trump agrees to impose new limits on immigration raids.

My Progressive Caucus colleagues and I have been clear: Not another cent to ICE until we stop the chaos and the lawlessness, caucus Chairman Greg Casar of Texas said in a social media post on Friday, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

To pass the bill, Johnson will need to cobble together a bipartisan coalition of moderates in each party by focusing on support for defense spending and reversing cuts to research by Elon Musks efficiency effort.

Johnson, speaking on NBCs Meet the Press, sought to win over more Democrats by saying he sees a path to changing immigration enforcement policies, including requiring body cameras for officers and ending roving raids.

But he rebuffed key demands to require judicial warrants to arrest migrants and to unmask officers, whom he said are at risk if their identities were known.

Plan Scuttled

Johnson initially planned to pass the Senate bill on Monday night using an expedited procedure that would require about 70 Democratic votes to reach a two-thirds majority. But it soon became clear that most Democrats would oppose the bill because it contains money to fund immigration raids.

We need a robust path toward dramatic reform. The administration cant just talk the talk. They need to walk the walk. That should begin today. Not in two weeks, today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday on ABCs This Week.

Johnson will now change tactics, bringing the bill to the floor using a House rule, which limits amendments and floor debate time. That rule will likely need to pass with only Republican majority votes, and conservatives are making demands in exchange for their support..

On the Senate side, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer moved to head off a demand by House conservatives to attach a voter ID law to the package by issuing a statement saying such a poison pill would prevent the revised bill from ever passing the Senate.

Johnson is invoking Trump to rally conservatives in the House.

The president is leading this; its his play call to do it this way, Johnson said on Fox News Sunday.

Johnson may get help from at least some of the seven moderate Democrats who voted for a full-year DHS bill  before ICE agents killed Minnesota protester Alex Pretti  that received a separate vote in the House before being bundled together and sent to the Senate.

Moderate Democrat Henry Cuellar of Texas said he plans to vote for the bill with the two-week DHS spending measure and that he thinks it will pass the House on a majority vote. He would not say if he would vote for the rule to save it from a conservative rebellion.

Shutdown Effects

The government shutdown that began at midnight early Saturday affects the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development, along with smaller agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Most federal workers have been ordered to report to work Monday to begin shutdown procedures.

A shutdown could advantage Democrats ahead of the fall midterms if the last stoppage was any guide. They tried and failed to use last falls 43-day shutdown to get the GOP to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies, making affordability a winning issue for them.

(Updates with jobs data delay, Senate move)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
A number of new devices made their debut in January, from the Motorola Signature to the Vivo X200T. However, February is already looking very interesting in terms of new phone launches, with various devices lined up for the ongoing month. Here's a look at all the phones that may launch this month.

Phones launching in February: Samsung Galaxy S26 Samsung is expected to launch its Galaxy S26 lineup on 25 February during the companys Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event. If leaks are to be believed, Samsung has let go of its thin and light flagship ambitions and will be focusing on its three models: Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra.

More details on the launch and specifications of the Galaxy S26 series are likely to be unveiled by Samsung in the coming days.

Realme 16: Realme 16 has already received BIS certifications and the phone is expected to debut in India in February.

The phone has already launched in Vietnam, giving us an indication of what to expect from the device.

The Realme 16 comes with a 6.57-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate. The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6400 processor and paired with LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.2 storage.

On the optics front, the Realme 16 is expected to come with a 50MP Sony IMX852 primary shooter with a 2MP monochrome lens. The selfie shooter could use a 50MP lens with an 86-degree field of view.

Vivo V70 series: The Vivo V70 series has already been teased in India, suggesting that the Chinese smartphone maker is expected to launch the phones soon. Vivo has confirmed that it will be launching the V70 along with the V70 Elite in India. The V70 will be powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor, while the V70 Elite will run on the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset.

Both phones will run on the companys latest OriginOS 6 based on Android 16.

View full Image Vivo V70 series will debut in India soon

Poco X8 Pro: The Poco X8 Pro has recently received BIS certification and could debut in India soon. An official confirmation from the brand is yet to arrive, but leaks suggest that there could be a Poco X8 Pro and Poco X8 Pro Max device in the lineup.
There is a new phenomenon that has captured attention in tech circles globally. Its a social media app by the name of Moltbook, but the app is not meant for human use. In fact, the creators of the app even want to introduce a reverse CAPTCHA to ensure that only AI agents interact on the platform.

We have already written in detail about Moltbook here and here. Lets now turn our attention to the creator of Moltbook, Peter Steinberger.

Here is everything you need to know about the man behind the viral AI social media platform.

Who is Peter Steinberger? Prior to his viral success with OpenClaw, Steinberger served as the founder and CEO of PSPDFKit, a cross-platform software development kit (SDK) used by developers to embed advanced PDF viewing, annotation, editing, signing, and document processing capabilities into mobile and desktop apps.

He has been credited with growing the platform without any venture funding and turning it into a default industry standard for handling PDF documents across mobile and web platforms.

As per a social media post reposted by Steinberger, he built 43 projects before OpenClaw went viral.

He told Peter Yang in an interaction that he felt lost after working on PSPDFKit for 13 years.

How did he start OpenClaw? Around two months ago, Steinberger says he hacked together a weekend project which was first called Clawd, a fun play on the name of a popular AI chatbot. A little nudging by Anthropics legal team led him to change the name of the platform first to Moltbot and later to OpenClaw.

In an interaction with WIRED, Steinberger said that he built Moltbot as an experimental way to feed images and other files directly into coding models.

He later went on to develop Clawdbot into something more sophisticated, with the intention that AI assistants should not mean handing over personal data to the cloud.

But so far I have seen nobody really ask the question, how can I have this and also own my data, Steinberger told the publication.

In its current incarnation, Moltbook looks very similar to Reddit, with various communities, the ability to post, comment, upvote or downvote posts, and more. However, humans can only view the content on the platform and cannot engage in the discussions.
Veteran filmmaker Nancy Meyers is set to make her long-awaited return to cinema with a new all-star comedy, marking her first feature in more than a decade.

Nancy Meyers is all set to make a directorial comeback after 11 years The project, which has secured a Christmas Day 2027 theatrical release date, will be led by an ensemble cast that includes Penelope Cruz, Kieran Culkin and Jude Law, alongside rising star Emma Mackey and Owen Wilson.

The films logline remains under wraps, but industry sources confirm that it is a version of a previously announced project known as Paris Paramount, which Meyers first set up at Netflix in 2023.

Meyers took to social media earlier to describe the movie as about a group of people making a film and the magic and mystery of what we do, underscoring her continued affection for stories that blend heart, humour and human connection in familiar Hollywood settings.

Although negotiations with Netflix previously collapsed over budget concerns  with discussions reportedly rising to $150 million before the streamer balked  Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group ultimately struck a deal to bring Meyers back into the commercial fold. The studios backing has been crucial in reviving the project and locking in the cast.

More about Nancy Meyers Born in Philadelphia in 1949, Nancy Jane Meyers has enjoyed a distinguished career as a writer, producer and director, crafting films that balance sharp comedic dialogue with emotional depth and relatable characters.

She first garnered attention in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a screenwriter, co-writing Private Benjamin (1980), which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and helped establish her voice in Hollywood. She went on to write and produce successful comedies such as Baby Boom (1987) and Father of the Bride (1991) and its sequel, Father of the Bride Part II (1995).

Meyers made her directorial debut with The Parent Trap in 1998, a warm remake of the 1961 Disney film starring Lindsay Lohan in a dual role. The movie was both a commercial hit and a critical favourite, cementing her reputation as a director capable of balancing broad appeal with heartfelt storytelling.

Also Read | Lindsay Lohan's youthful look at Freakier Friday press tour sparks speculation

She continued this success with a string of romantic comedies that became staples for audiences seeking light-hearted yet emotionally engaging films. Her major works throughout the 2000s included What Women Want (2000), Somethings Gotta Give (2003), The Holiday (2006) and Its Complicated (2009), all of which combined star-studded casts with Meyers distinctive blend of humour and insight into modern relationships.

Among these, The Holiday has endured as a seasonal favourite. The 2006 romantic comedy, starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black, follows two women who swap homes between Los Angeles and England over the Christmas season and find unexpected love. The film grossed more than $200 million worldwide and remains a perennial choice for winter viewing.

Recently, separate news emerged that Apple TV+ is developing a limited series adaptation inspired by the same story, though Meyers has stated she was not involved in that project and learned of it through social media posts.

Meyers also remained active during the pandemic, releasing a short film, Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish), in 2020 on Netflix. This playful follow-up to her beloved wedding comedy franchise explored the family dynamics of the Banks family in a screenlife format and featured returning stars including Steve Martin and Diane Keaton.

The new 2027 project represents Meyers first major feature since 2015s The Intern, which starred Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro and explored intergenerational friendships and workplace culture through Meyers signature approachable style. Her return to directing after an 11-year absence is highly anticipated by fans of her work and audiences who appreciate feel-good, character-driven comedies.
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Two solar panels that feed directly into a home electric system are easy to install and provide a small amount of electric power. If legislation currently under consideration at the Statehouse passes in Vermont, such units may be more common.
Community Legal Aid, which provides free legal services to over 9,000 low-income and elderly residents of Central and Western Massachusetts annually, announced that it has received funding from the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation to coordinate a statewide Medicare Advocacy Project.

The project assists individuals facing unfair coverage denials and other Medicare-related problems. Medicare is the federal health insurance program serving people age 65 and older and adults under 65 with disabilities.

Community Legal Aid has hired Alice Bers as director of the project. Bers previously worked at the Center for Medicare Advocacy. As litigation director, Bers brought lawsuits challenging policies that denied coverage or violated the rights of Medicare beneficiaries.

Bers started her legal career as a staff attorney in the Springfield office of Western Massachusetts Legal Services, one of Community Legal Aids predecessor organizations. She also clerked for the U.S. District Court in Hartford, Connecticut. A resident of Western Massachusetts for nearly 25 years, Bers received her B.A from Columbia University and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. Bers is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and served for 14 years on the board of directors of Square One, a nonprofit provider of early education and childcare based in Springfield.

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Drs. Aaron DeMaio and Sean Willcutts welcome Dr. Daniel Chen as the newest associate orthodontist at Treehouse Orthodontics.

He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. After working as a general dentist, Chen completed his specialty training at the Georgia School of Orthodontics in Atlanta.

Chen will be seeing patients across all eight of Treehouse orthodontic locations in Western Massachusetts and Enfield, Conn.

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A Neapolitan pizza and sandwich shop near Bostons waterfront has closed after more than a decade.

Pastoral ARTisan Pizza + Kitchen + Bar has shut down after 11 years, according to a message posted on the eaterys website and a Jan. 30 Facebook post from owner Todd Winer.

There is no joy posting this message, owner Todd Winer wrote in the message. After 11 years, Pastoral is officially closing for service.

Thank you for being a part of what we built here, of the families weve seen grow here, the friends weve made, the many returning faces we see so often, and of the resilience and support of our Fort Point community, Winer wrote. Im so sorry its over. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

While Winer did not disclose why his business was shutting down, he wrote that he never imagined Pastoral closing this way, adding if Im honest, I never imagined it closing at all.

He continued, This place has been deeply meaningful to me, our beloved staff and many others, and the loss is significant.

That sentiment was shared by patrons who left heartfelt comments on Winers Facebook post.

What an amazing run youve had, my friend, one Facebook user commented. Im very grateful for all the great times weve had at Pastoral. Love you.

Another user praised Winer for creating a unique eatery that was before its time that is now been duplicated many times over all over the country.

The food service industry is brutal fiscally, physically, and emotionally to be able to create an atmosphere that people want to come back to it again again for more than a decade, they continued. Whatever the reasons are for the closure, be sure not to celebrate all you were able to create and maintain for all this time.

Pastoral first opened in 2014, according to Yelp. The restaurant specialized in Neapolitan pizza in addition to pasta dishes, Italian appetizers and wood-fired entrees such as Chicken Parmesan and Steak Frites.

Pastoral was equally known for its sub shop that served sandwiches during lunch Tuesday through Friday.

Pastoral is a home, a restaurant, and a community and a dream. Dedicated to food and its direct connection to celebration, community, and culture, the establishments website reads. Built on a foundation of relationships with our community of friends and teachers, hunters and farmers, importers and foragers, wine & beer makers, fishermen, builders, artists, we work to celebrate food and the daily nourishment it provides.

The address for the now-closed Pastoral ARTisan Pizza + Kitchen + Bar was 345 Congress St., Boston.

MassLive has reached out to Winer for more information.
Distracted by a conversation with a friendly campus security guard, Bryson Boone let his sign hang down to the ground. The words Free Hugs turned toward him, only made visible by gusts of cold wind.

Instead of students avoiding eye contact with Boone or politely declining  as they had in previous months  a Brown University student approached Boone to see if he was still offering hugs. Even a photojournalist took him up on his offer.

I think that was kind of the moment I knew  its different right now. The emotional status of this campus is different. People are needing support," Boone recounted to MassLive.

It was the beginning of Boones hug shift from 9 to 11 a.m. on Jan. 21, the first day of the new semester at Brown in Providence, Rhode Island, after a mass shooting on Dec. 13, 2025.

That day, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national, burst into an auditorium in the Barus and Holley building on Browns campus and opened fire. He killed two students and injured nine others .

Two days later, Neves Valente shot and killed Nuno Loureiro, a Nuclear Science and Engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the foyer of his Brookline apartment building.

Returning from winter break in mid-January, Boone said fear and pain are still part of the campus community, but it has also become stronger.

I think people think a shooting adds a period at the end of a sentence  everything stops after that. But we havent stopped," Boone said on Friday. It was a semicolon or a comma. Were still growing, were growing stronger.

What it feels like to be back at Brown

The campus at Brown was quiet on Friday morning until a stream of students walked out of their buildings after classes, carefully avoiding the patches of ice, often covered by a slick, thin layer of snow.

Security officers in neon yellow vests sat at some building entrances, while others required ID card scans to enter. Additional blue emergency lights coated the campus, peeking out from the snow mounds of a recent storm.

Andie Whitlow counts herself lucky she wasnt in the building when shots were fired. The building has become her second home; its where she spends almost every hour as a masters student.

I live in this building, especially during the semester, 24-7, Whitlow said.

The building feels different since the shooting, both because of the deaths that happened inside it and the hall being blocked off.

It feels slightly weird. Theres just a thing looming over the building a little bit, said Whitlow, a thick tan scarf wrapped around her head. An uneasy feeling.

Photos of the two students who died sat outside the building where the shooting occurred, sunken into the snow. Bouquets surrounded them with flowers drained of color and plastic wraps whistling in the wind.

33 1 / 33 Brown University

Tito Edjua was in a classroom next door to the auditorium where the shooting happened.

The loud noises sounded atypical  not like the common sounds of a heavy object falling to the ground or stomping. When a rush of students passed Edjuas lab door, he knew something was wrong.

He ran out of his lab and toward his dorm, leaving behind his laptop, coat and wallet.

Ive never heard a gun, said Edjua, a junior from London, looking down toward the snow on the sidewalk. Its not something I expect.

After learning that the loud noises were gunshots, he began to feel an influx of community support headed his way.

Everyone was offering people to come stay at their house if they were alone, everyone was checking in with everyone else, Edjua said. I feel like the campus really has come together.

A catalyst for change

The free hug initiative, which Boone participated in on the first day of classes after winter break, is one of many initiatives students and administrators have created to provide support.

I think people are trying to figure out how we create community again from something like that, Boone said. How do we restore community?

Browns student mental health awareness and suicide prevention group, No Empty Seats, spearheaded the free hug initiative with the engineering department at the building where the gunman entered. They wanted students to try to associate the building with support and love, not hate, Boone said.

A shooting will not end your story, Boone said. It will simply be a catalyst for change.

Local businesses also stepped up for Brown in the wake of the shooting, offering free food to Brown students, said Chloe Burton, a sophomore who has also taken part in the Free Hugs initiative. Some businesses have signs in their windows with a red heart between the words Providence and Brown.

I think that honestly, one of the most important parts of building community right now is just making sure that youre there for the people around you, Burton said. If everybody checks in on someone, then we can cover all of campus and make sure everybodys okay.

Living through two school shootings

The Brown community has also come together in ways that arent related to the shooting. On Friday afternoon, hundreds of students walked out against ICE. Many then joined a march in Providence that drew thousands, according to media reports.

The people, united, will never be defeated, the students chanted, filling a street.

To sophomore Zoe Weissman, the shootings of people such as Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse, by immigration officers and the mass shooting at Brown are all tied to a general gun control issue in the country.

The shooting at Brown was Weissmans second mass shooting experience. Her first occurred when she was 12 years old at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It left her with PTSD, and many people didnt understand what she lived through.

The fact that it can happen there (at Brown) means it can happen to anyone. I think thats the really important thing. I dont want it to have to happen to someone for them to start caring, Weissman said.

The Brown shooting reinvigorated Weissmans activism, she said.

Im really proud of the work that Ive done, but at the same time, I shouldnt have to be the one doing this. It shouldnt be up to my generation. This should have already been solved, she said.

Moving forward from Browns shooting

In the aftermath of the shooting, as students and neighbors were frantically leaving the area, Reverend Delphain Demosthenes, associate chaplain of the university for the Protestant community, arrived to help.

What felt like thousands of students crowded a university gymnasium as Demosthenes saw new and familiar faces pass by him.

It was all hands on deck, he said. The whole focus was taking care of the immediate need in front of us.

He directed students to different areas of the gymnasium, and when he had a moment, he checked in on how students were feeling emotionally.

One student, speaking with a sense of calmness, said they hid in their classroom and turned off all the lights after hearing gunshots. The student said prayer helped them in that moment.

There was a sense of shock, Demosthenes said.

A few weeks after the shooting, Demosthenes, on a flight back to Rhode Island from Europe, saw lightning outside the plane window and what looked like fire. It took the flight attendants several minutes before they told passengers that the plane wasnt damaged.

During those minutes, Demosthenes thought of what the student had told him and began praying. There is very little control that exists in day-to-day life, he said.

In the face of danger or even death, people have to find a grounding within, Demosthenes said.

Were all in this, he said.
A Massachusetts man who has maintained his innocence in connection with a killing in 1991 was granted parole last month.

In 2001, Samuel Smith was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Steven Gaul. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

However, in January 2024, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled in Commonwealth v. Mattis that sentencing people, ages 18 through 20 at the time of their offense, to life without the possibility of parole was unconstitutional and amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

Massachusetts was the first state in the country to transform the law, experts said.

Essentially, the brains of what we are calling late adolescents or emerging adults function very much like juveniles, Northampton attorney Paul Rudof, one of the lawyers who successfully challenged life sentences for individuals aged 18 to 20, told The Republican .

There were 210 cases that fell into the Mattis decision across Massachusetts, including Smith, who was 19 at the time of the killing.

He went in front of the parole board for the first time on Aug. 19.

On Aug. 16, 1991, Smith, who was part of a gang, shot and killed Gaul in Roxbury.

Smith and two other men approached Gaul in Ramsey Park. One of the men shot Gaul in the stomach and then ran out of the park, according to the parole board. As Gaul was on the ground, Smith stood over him and fired several shots directly at him, according to the parole board.

I told you Im gonna get you, Smith said, after his gun jammed.

Smith was able to reload the gun and he fired several more shots at Gaul, killing him, the parole board stated.

Still, he maintains his innocence.

Smith has been incarcerated for 26 years. During that time, he has completed 28 programs and has had a very limited disciplinary report history. He obtained his GED and was in the process of obtaining his associates degree from Massasoit Community College.

Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Montez Haywood spoke against Smiths parole.

But in a unanimous decision, the parole board ruled Smith qualified for parole. He was released on parole two weeks after the decision.
Two huskies found dead in a Massachusetts basement were grossly underweight and covered in feces, according to the Amesbury Police Department.

Luis Cruz and Jessica Cruz have both been charged with two felony counts of animal cruelty. Both pleaded not guilty.

An anonymous email alerted police that two dead dogs were kept in trash bags in the basement of an Amesbury house on Dec. 29. Luis Cruz said the dogs were in trash bags because the family couldnt afford to have them cremated and it was too cold to dig a grave, according to police. Jessica Cruz had wanted to bury the dogs near her childhood dogs at her mothers house.

Jessica Cruz told police the family left the dogs, 5-year-old Everest and 3-year-old Vesuvius, on Christmas to visit family. When they returned that night, the dogs were still alive, according to the police report. Luis Cruz said one of the dogs had an accident, causing a mess but that his wife put the dogs to bed and had planned on dealing with it the next day, police stated.

Jessica Cruz then woke up the following day and went to an appointment. When she returned, according to the police report, the dogs had died.

The dogs were kept in a small room. Police noticed food on the ground but no bowls. They also did not see any bed or toys for the dogs.

Both Luis Cruz and Jessica Cruz told police that finances were an issue but denied any neglect.

Everest weighed 22 pounds when she died, according to police. Police said her ribs and spine were visible through her coat. Typically female huskies weigh between 35-60 pounds. Her coat and pink harness were also covered in feces and urine stains.

She was unkempt and appeared emaciated, the police report read.

Vesuvius weighed 32 pounds when he died. Typically a male husky weighs between 45-60 pounds. Similarly, officials could see his ribs and spine. And he, too, was covered in feces and urine.

Luis Cruz and Jessica Cruzs lawyers did not immediately respond to MassLives request for comment. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Lawyers for Matthew Farwell moved to dismiss the indictment against the former Stoughton police officer accused of killing Sandra Birchmore, arguing in a court filing that the indictment is vague and unspecific.

Farwell was indicted on a single charge of killing a witness or victim in August 2024  more than three years after Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment. He was then indicted again last fall, with prosecutors adding a charge of protection of unborn children, accusing Farwell of causing the death of Birchmores baby.

The charge of killing a witness or victim accuses Farwell of killing Birchmore, whom he is accused of sexually abusing, beginning when she was a teenager, to prevent her from reporting him for possibly committing a federal crime.

In this case, prosecutors have said Farwell had sex with Birchmore while on duty as a police officer and then covered it up, constituting fraud, and that he committed statutory rape when she was 15.

In a motion filed late Friday, Farwells lawyers argue that the indictment itself does not provide sufficient detail about the crimes he is accused of and, as a result, must be thrown out.

The indictment fails to allege a fact essential to establishing federal jurisdiction: that there was a reasonable likelihood that any communication the defendant allegedly prevented would have been to a law enforcement officer or judge of the United States," the motion filed by Farwells public defenders reads.

The five-page indictment is also missing necessary details regarding multiple elements of the offenses charged, attorneys Kimberly Stevens, Joanne Daley and Sandra Gant wrote in the motion.

They argue that because the indictment fails to provide specific detail regarding the first charge, killing a witness or victim, it must be dismissed entirely because the second charge, protection of unborn children, is inextricably tied to the first.

Without more specific details in the indictment, Farwell can not adequately prepare a defense for trial, the filing reads. Farwells trial is set for Oct. 5, 2026, in federal court in Boston.

A hearing on the motion is scheduled for March 5 at 11:30 a.m. before U.S. District Chief Judge Denise Casper. Prosecutors have yet to respond.

The history of the case

Farwell first encountered Birchmore after she joined a program run by the Stoughton Police to teach young people about law enforcement careers, where he was a volunteer and later an instructor. Birchmore was 12 years old when she signed up in 2010. Prosecutors say Farwell began sexually abusing Birchmore when she was 15, younger than the age of consent in Massachusetts.

After Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment in February 2021, local officials ruled her death a suicide. But federal prosecutors eventually filed charges against Farwell.

Birchmore was eight to 10 weeks pregnant and carrying a boy when she died. She believed Farwell was the father, prosecutors have said. But DNA analysis revealed he was not, The Boston Globe reported.

Farwell could have faced the death penalty on the killing a witness or victim charge, but U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed prosecutors not to seek death in Farwells case.
With billions of dollars on the line, one of the most significant affordability and tax policy decisions of the year in Massachusetts appears headed for a showdown before the states highest court.

Opponents of a proposed ballot question that lowers the income tax rate from 5% to 4% over three years filed a lawsuit Thursday with the Supreme Judicial Court that claims Attorney General Andrea Campbells summary of the proposal was so flawed and unfair that the measure should be disqualified from further consideration.

The state constitution requires the attorney general to prepare a fair, concise summary of the measure proposed. The tax cut question summary appeared near the top of the petition papers that question supporters used during the fall to gather thousands of voter signatures needed to secure ballot access.

The summary prepared by the office of Campbell, a Democrat who is seeking reelection, states in part that the proposal would lower the tax rates on (1) personal taxable income consisting of interest and dividends, and (2) personal taxable income other than interest, dividends or capital gain income, such as wages and salaries.

The plaintiffs assert that that portion of the summary is fundamentally unfair, inaccurate and misleading because it only refers to income from interest and dividends and wages and salaries, and fails to make clear that the tax reduction would apply to long-term capital gains income.

The lawsuit further alleges that the summary compounds the omission of the proposals application to long-term capital gains by erroneously asserting that capital gain income is affirmatively excluded from the proposed tax rate reductions.
President Donald Trump has threatened to sue comedian Trevor Noah over comments made at Sundays Grammy Awards.

Noah, who hosted the 68th Grammy Awards, made a joke about Trumps relationship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and former president Bill Clinton.

That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, Noah said. Which makes sense, I mean, because Epsteins island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out on with Bill Clinton.

The president took to Truth Social late Sunday night to respond to Noahs comments.

Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! he wrote. I cant speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonights false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media.

Trump then said he would be sending his lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$.

Get ready Noah, Im going to have some fun with you! he concluded.

The president has previously denied visiting Epsteins Island in the Caribbean, saying he declined an invitation to visit.

I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down, he said during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland in July.

Trump also has a history of suing the media over what he has claimed as defamatory coverage, referencing his lawsuits against ABC News and CBS News in his Truth Social post directed at Noah.

ABC News settled the lawsuit and agreed to pay Trump $15 million after he alleged anchor George Stephanopoulos defamed him. Paramount, the owner of CBS News, agreed to settle for $16 million in the lawsuit that alleged the news outlet had deceptively edited an interview with Kamala Harris, Trumps Democratic opponent for the presidency.
Health care leaders across the Bay State have spent weeks bracing for a Tuesday deadline ending the special protected status for the thousands of Haitian immigrants who are the industrys backbone.

And now three Massachusetts politicians are asking those same leaders for in-depth data on the breadth and scope of an expected staffing shortage for an industry thats already stretched thin.

At precisely a time when the United States needs more elder care providers for its aging population, and health care facilities report difficulties filling nursing, home care, and other provider vacancies, the Trump Administration is forcing legal, trained care providers out of the workforce, Democratic U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey., joined by U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, wrote in a Sunday letter to seven industry trade groups and unions.

In all, 52 lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate signed the letter, Warrens office said in a statement.

This trend of de-legalizing legal immigrant workers will not make Americans safer. It will simply leave our communities with fewer options for quality, affordable care, the lawmakers wrote.

The U.S. government granted temporary legal status to Haitians after the country was devastated by an earthquake in 2010. And since the countrys president was killed in 2021, violent gangs run much of the country, Marketplace reported.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., attends a news conference about SNAP benefits, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has defended the move, arguing that it restores integrity in our immigration system and ensures that Temporary Protective Status is actually temporary.

The environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home, the spokesperson said.

Bay State elected leaders have spent weeks pleading with the Republican White House to extend temporary protected status, arguing that the economic fallout will be severe.

Haitian TPS holders are essential contributors to our states workforce, filling roles that are vital to our economic stability and growth, that spans such industries as health care and long-term care to transportation, hospitality, and construction, Gov. Maura Healey wrote in a letter last week to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

While immigrants make up around 20% of the U.S. civilian labor force, they account for more than a quarter of the estimated 4 million nursing assistants, home health aides, personal care aides and other direct-care workers, Warren and Pressley noted in their letter to industry and labor leaders.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, left, speaks at a press conference in support of Ellen Mei, right, a federal employee fired for giving a news interview about SNAP during the government shutdown. (Trea Lavery/MassLive)

In Massachusetts, meanwhile, immigrants account for 22% of the states total workforce, but comprise nearly 40% of home health aides, with Haitians making up the broadest share, the two lawmakers wrote.

The Bay State is home to one of the largest Haitian populations in the country, more than 45,000 of whom have temporary protected status, Healey said. Those workers help keep our economy running. The sudden loss of their legal status and work authorization would be devastating for our state.

Warren and Pressley said theyre gravely concerned that the end of the temporary legal status will threaten access to health care, elder care, and disability care for American families.

On Capitol Hill, Pressley is trying to force a vote on a measure that would preserve temporary protected status. The Boston lawmakers district has a large Haitian population.

Extending TPS for Haiti isnt just the moral, humanitarian thing to do  it is also good policy," Pressley said.

At a field hearing last month, Pressley, joined by U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-6th District, heard directly from people who will be impacted by the White Houses decision.

We are profoundly grateful to the United States for welcoming us during that time of crisis, one witness, identified only as Bruno, told the lawmakers. My children have been brought up, been educated here, and become part of the fabric of Massachusetts. This is their home today.

Franklin Soults of 32BJ SEIU, which represents thousands of health care workers, said one of the misunderstandings about TPS is that it does not provide a direct pathway to citizenship or permanent residency, such as through a green card.

There is no path for them to normalize their status, to turn it into something permanent, he said, according to State House News Service.
HOLYOKE  The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has awarded a construction contract for resurfacing and related infrastructure work on Race and Cabot streets in Holyoke, Mayor Joshua Garcia said in a statement Thursday.

The long-planned project targets a central corridor in the city, the mayor said. It is intended to improve safety, accessibility and connectivity through roadway reconstruction, sidewalk upgrades, drainage and water system improvements, and traffic signal modernizations.

Planned roadway upgrades span about 1,705 feet of Cabot Street and 1,100 feet of Race Street. The Cabot Street portion runs from Race Street to roughly 100 feet before North and South Canal streets, while work on Race Street extends from Cabot Street to Appleton Street, according to MassDOTs website. The bid price is about $6.13 million.

Construction is scheduled to begin this spring and continue through 2028, the mayor said, with work pausing during the winter months.

The project is funded by the Federal Highway Administration, and Garcia said city officials pursued alternative funding to extend improvements on Race Street beyond Cabot Street.

Yes, there will be some inconveniences along the way, as is common with major infrastructure projects, Garcia wrote in his statement. The finished project, he said, will serve as a more attractive functional gateway in the city. Cyclists and pedestrians will enjoy better conditions, and those who use public transit will see improved reliability, he added.
SPRINGFIELD  The city has a lot to celebrate during Black History Month this year. There is the first Black female school superintendent, the first Black police superintendent and multiple political milestones including having a Black plurality on the City Council and School Committee.

Sunday, the first day of Black History Month, leaders reminded an audience at City Hall that these milestones were made only because of the people who came before them, and they are responsible for teaching and creating leaders in the young people.

I am so proud of Black people because we are just killing it with the firsts, said City Council President Tracye Whitfield.

Not only was Whitfield elected last month as the first Black female council president, she reminded people that five of the 13 city councilors are Black and four are Latino. The School Committee has a supermajority of members of color with Mayor Domenic J. Sarno as the only white member.

This is the 40th year the city kicked off the month with a celebration and a flag raising. This years Ruth B. Loving Civil Rights Award honored Delois F. Swan, a 20-year official for what is now the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and who later started the breakfast program in Springfield Schools, according to her daughter Freda Malone.

As regional assistant director for the state, Swan oversaw dozens of schools in the region, ensuring administrators were following state regulations and providing required services, especially for children with disabilities. At the age of 46, the mother of five suffered a stroke and took early retirement. But after her rehabilitation, city education officials tapped her extensive expertise and hired her to create and help manage the breakfast program, which has since expanded so every student starts the day fed and ready to learn, Malone said.

Gloria Williams, emcee for the kickoff ceremony for the Black History Month at Springfield City Hall on Feb. 1, 2026, presents the Dr. Ruth B. Loving Civil Rights Award to the family of recipient Delois Swan. From left are, her son Bishop Talbert Swan; great-grandaughter Sage Slaughter; daughter Freda Malone; great-granddaughter Stephoni Dawson and state Rep. Bud L. Williams. (Ed Cohen Photo) republican

Swan started her career in housing in the 1960s and 1970s, making decisions to address systemic inequities through the Model Cities program, Malone said.

She fed children, mentored leaders and loved fiercely, said Bishop Talbert Swan, president of the Greater Springfield NAACP, pastor of Spring of Hope Church Of God In Christ, and prelate of the Greater Massachusetts Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction overseeing some 30 churches.

Talbert Swan said his mother paved the way for him, many of his siblings and other Black members of the community to create their own firsts.

My mother Delois Swan taught me justice was not a slogan but a lifestyle. She taught me advocacy was not seasonal, he said. She was a take-no-prisoners advocate for housing, for health care, for education.  She helped desegregate schools and build programs, feed children and mentor leaders often without recognition, without applause and without fanfare.

During the event, Black leaders talked about the concerns they have about the current presidential administration trying to rewrite and erase Black history.

They didnt give us our freedom. We fought for our freedom, Williams said referring to the all-Black 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment of the Union Army. That unit marched to the South and lost many lives during the Civil War.

Rights believed to have been long settled are now under negotiation, slavery is now a job training program and resistance that fought Jim Crow Laws and segregation is now termed unnecessary, Talbert Swan said.

We owe our ancestors more than applause. We own them continuation, Talbert Swan said.

Swan wasnt the only one to talk about relatives who personally helped pave the way for their success. Police Superintendent Lawrence E. Akers said his father was one of the citys first Black police officers. Without his courage, fairness and sacrifices Akers said he wouldnt be able to serve as the first Black head of the Police Department.

Im standing on the shoulders of the people who refused to give up in the past, Akers said. Those who believed in justice when justice did not believe in them. Those who served their community when their community did not serve them.

His father opened the door for him, and Akers said it is now his responsibility to open the door for other young people.
WESTFIELD  With the project to improve the Servistar Industrial Way and Barnes Airport Drive intersection on Southampton Road starting construction in about a year, the state Department of Transportation is inviting residents to learn more about it at a public hearing set for Feb. 25.

It is another step in the process of assisting traffic flow by remodeling a dangerous intersection at Servicestar Way and Southampton Road, and the new entrance used by the Massachusetts Air National Guard Base, said Mayor Michael McCabe about the project.

The purpose of the meeting, which is being held at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25, in the Council Chambers of City Hall, is to describe the project and associated impacts while recording public input for consideration of the projects design, according to MassDOT.

The existing intersection will be rebuilt as a single-lane peanut-shaped roundabout, according to MassDOT. They are also called dog bone- or hourglass-shaped roundabouts.

Pedestrians and bicyclists will be accommodated via shared-use paths around the outside of the intersection, according to MassDOT.

MassDOT and the folks at the 104th Fighter Wing are being proactive with the city by initiating a roundabout that will incorporate the entire footprint of Servicestar Industrial Way and the access road servicing the base, McCabe said.

A peanut roundabout operates the same as a traditional circular roundabout. Its shape is unique in order to minimize the roadway footprint and impacts to adjacent residential properties, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. The design also includes a mountable paving stone curb to accommodate larger vehicles like trucks or farm equipment.

It also forces vehicles to slow down by requiring constant steering turns, which improves safety over traditional intersections by reducing speeds below 30 miles per hour, according to MassDOT.

The nations first roundabout was built in New York City in 1906, but it fell out of use until 1966, when the first modern roundabouts began popping up throughout the nation.

There are two examples in the commonwealth of a peanut roundabout: One in Cambridge at Inman Square and another at Kelly Square in Worcester.

There is also one planned for Chicopee at the intersection of Granby Road.

The project is expected to take up to three construction seasons to complete.

There will be some anticipated growing pains during the construction phase, but it will reduce the overall speed of travel on Southampton Road, while still allowing traffic to flow relatively freely and reduce the severity of accidents in this high traffic volume corridor, McCabe said.

The $8.9 million project is being funded through the states 2027 Transportation Improvement Program for the Pioneer Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization, which approves federally funded projects in Hampden and Hampshire counties.

A secure right-of-way is necessary for this project. Acquisitions in fee and permanent or temporary easements may be required. The state is responsible for acquiring all needed rights in private or public lands. MassDOTs policy concerning land acquisitions will be presented at the hearing.
SOUTHWICK  A technical review team held a hearing Thursday at Town Hall to explain the process of coming up with solutions to mitigate flooding and increase water quality at Congamond Lakes, which could take up to two years to design and require funding from the town.

Thats what were doing here tonight, said Deron Davis, a conservation engineer for the U.S. Department of Agricultures Natural Resources Conservation Service at the start of the meeting about the planning needed before creating a watershed protection program.

We were able to look into this issue, and I can obviously tell with the data that was provided by the Lake Management Committee that theres flooding issues here, Davis said about the three great ponds of Congamond Lakes.

In 2023, at the request of the towns LNC, a Preliminary Investigation Findings Report was prepared for ways to mitigate flooding in the ponds, and an outside consultant came up with four possible solutions.

So, we got that out to the public  and we looked at it and said, well, the solutions arent that great, Davis said about the four options.

Two were characterized by the NRCS as structural solutions. One is to build an outlet pipe in North Pond, replace the culverts between the ponds, and install a larger weir at the entrance of Canal Brook. The other is to do all of those things and also build a new weir on the Great Brook Canal.

The fourth option, called a non-structural solution, was to purchase and demolish 79 homes along the ponds shore at risk for flooding in a 100-year storm.

The cost of the solutions in the NRCS report ranged from zero, for the take no action option, to $43 million for the non-structural option, to $54 million for the structural option that addresses Canal Brook only, and $72 million for the option that includes Great Brook.

Now were going to look at project alternatives through this planning process. Were going to evaluate those, and that will be the town as the sponsor and NRCS together, working with a consultant to evaluate those concerns, and eventually well find a project, a solution thats the preferred alternative, Davis said.

The planning process is expected to last about 18 months, he said, which should provide a solution for potential flooding and increasing water quality.

After that is completed, Davis said the design of the solution will be funded by the federal government, but the cost of the construction of the preferred option will be split, 65% by the federal government and 35% by the town.

The engineering and consulting firm, Tetra Techs Vice President, Sarah Watts, explained the planning process for the environmental assessment before any federal funding is allocated.

She said it must fall in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and will culminate in a document called an Environmental Assessment.

Its purpose is to help engage the public in the process, to help inform decision-making around identifying the alternatives, and make sure they are in compliance with or in alignment with the purpose and need, she said.

We explore a range of alternatives and evaluate and understand the potential consequences or impacts of those alternatives, she said.

The assessment identifies solutions that are defensible from a technical, environmental, economic, and social standpoint, considering factors like structural measures for floodplain management, non-structural measures, public health and safety that are all in alignment with protecting the functions of the natural systems, she said.

Those also include looking at geology and soils, water resources that include wetlands, air quality, vegetation, fish and wildlife, socioeconomics, and recreation, she said.

I know thats a really important one here in Congamond Lakes, Watts said about recreation.

She said the final EA document includes all the elements evaluated to date, summarizes the actions, and recommended actions moving forward.

At the end of this process, we end up with a decision document thats either a finding of no significant impact, or if we determine that the level of impacts are greater than anticipated, well put an EIS or environmental impact statement together and a record of decision, she said.

Davis broke in and explained how important the data the LMC had recorded over the last several decades is important and the public being engaged.

The Lake Management Committee has really provided a lot of information. Youre engaged, which is important. And even those of you on this call and here tonight, youre engaged. Thats what we want, he said.

After Pare Corporation engineer Matthew Dunn spent nearly an hour going through the geographic features of the area surrounding the ponds and how Great and Canal brooks could be restored to when each served as an outflow to the ponds, Davis wanted to share an important piece of the funding puzzle.

Once the flooding and water quality solutions are settled on, the town and the federal government must sign an agreement, he said.

It says, were going to get funding to fund the construction. [The town] is committing to an extent so that we feel comfortable then moving forward with the design phase, Davis said, adding we want a full buy-in and the town is working to get its share.

For those who didnt attend the meeting but have questions or comments, they may be submitted until March 1, 2026, by mail, Congamond Plan EA, c/o Pare Corporation, 10 Lincoln Road Suite 210, Foxboro, MA 02035, or by email to Congamond@parecorp.com.
Students of Worcester Technical High School all groaned in unison after Mayor Joseph Petty announced that Cornelia, the citys resident groundhog, saw her shadow at the EcoTarium museum on Monday.

Petty, the students and the museums board members all gathered at the groundhogs den Monday morning to find out whether Cornelia would predict six more weeks of winter or an early spring.

Because the groundhog saw her shadow, Worcester should expect six more weeks of winter, Petty told the crowd.

Cornelias prediction is the same as Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog who saw his shadow early Monday morning and Ms. G, the Massachusetts state groundhog who also saw her shadow this Groundhog Day.

This is the fourth time the EcoTarium museum has held a Groundhog Day event with Cornelia.

This event was invitation-only due to Groundhog Day falling on a Monday  the day the museum is closed.

Petty and the board members dressed up for the occasion, wearing top hats, white sashes with their titles written on them and flowers pinned to their chest.

The Worcester Technical High School students who visited the event were part of the Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic  a student-run veterinary clinic that provides care for pets within Central Massachusetts, according to the schools website.

As Petty spoke about the ceremony, the sound of a cage door being slammed repeatedly could be heard next to him.

The individual responsible for the noise was none other than Cornelia, who used her teeth to move the door up and down, slamming it in the process.

As the grey groundhog was let in by her caretaker, Cornelia surveyed the room, looking at everyone staring at her. As she walked around, a shadow could be seen underneath her. Cornelia then climbed a rock and hid underneath a platform that had the gate to the other room next to den. She would periodically poke her her head out from her hiding space as Petty read a proclamation from a scroll.

Keep your hats and mittens close at hand, Petty said to laughter.
A national burger chain will open its first New England restaurant in Worcester next week, according the company.

Checkers will open its first restaurant in Massachusetts and in New England at 99 Gold Star Blvd. in Worcester on Feb. 10, a public relations spokesperson on behalf of the company told MassLive.

The restaurant replaces a Honey Dew Donuts, which closed in March 2025.

The Worcester Checkers will be run by Mouhamad Saleem and Kelly Moughal, who own and operate other Checkers locations in New York and Subway and Little Caesars locations in Worcester, according to a press release from real estate firm Kelleher & Sadowsky.

A Tampa-based chain, Checkers has more than 700 locations throughout the United States but none in New England.

Checkers also has a sister chain called Rallys, which also has no New England locations.

Menu items served at both restaurants include burgers, french fries, hot dogs, chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, fried fish sandwiches, slushies and milkshakes.
A WEST Mayo man has been appointed as the first Empty Homes Coordinator in the Gaeltacht with the objective of bringing vacant homes in the Gaeltacht back into use.

Achill man Colm MacEachmharcaigh was announced by Udaras na Gaeltachta as the first Empty Homes Coordinator in the Gaeltacht, a new role that will address the lack of affordable housing, which is regarded as one of the biggest challenges facing Gaeltacht communities.

Colm, who previously worked as Oifigeach Pleanala Teanga with Comhlacht Forbartha Aitiuil Acla, will be employed by Mayo County Council and will work in partnership with county councils across the Gaeltacht to identify opportunities in each Gaeltacht area.

According to statistics from the 2022 Census, there are approximately 6,160 empty homes in the Gaeltacht areas. This equates to 11 percent of the total housing stock, which is higher than the national average of 8 percent. The figures also show that there are 9,609 summer homes in the same areas.

In Mayo alone, there are 817 empty homes (13 percent) and 1,304 summer homes (21 percent) in the Gaeltacht areas. The biggest challenge is in Donegal, where there are 2,140 vacant houses (12 percent) and 4,484 summer houses (27 percent), 7.7 percent of all houses in the county.

Speaking about the appointment, Tomas O Siochain, Chief Executive of Udaras na Gaeltachta, said: The lack of housing is preventing existing employment opportunities in Gaeltacht areas from being filled. It is also a barrier for those from the Gaeltacht, those with family ties to the Gaeltacht and for Irish speakers who wish to live where Irish is the language of the community. We look forward to working with Colm and the County Councils to find new opportunities.

Marion Ni Chadhain, Sustainability and Strategic Programmes Manager at Udaras na Gaeltachta, said: We are delighted to support this important position. The housing issue is central to the sustainable growth of the Gaeltacht. By bringing empty homes back into ownership, we can strengthen communities, increase the number of Irish speakers, and secure the future of the Gaeltacht. We look forward to working with Colm and the County Councils to find new opportunities and make a positive impact.

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Udaras na Gaeltachta stated that among Colms main duties will be to identify empty residential properties and disseminate information about the benefits of bringing empty homes back into use.

His other duties will be to contact and build relationships with property owners and identify and assess opportunities in each Gaeltacht area, working with local authorities and community organisations.

Colm has set out a comprehensive work programme for 2026, including campaigns with community development organisations, local case studies and the assessment of empty homes opportunities in Gaeltacht areas.

He will be working with County Councils across the Gaeltacht, including Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Meath.

Empty home owners and members of the community can contact Colm MacEachmharcaigh at cmaceachmharcaigh@MayoCoCo.ie.

Support schemes, including the Residential Core scheme and the Empty Property Renovation Grant, are available to renovate empty homes. The aim is to fill homes, find opportunities, and increase numbers in the Gaeltacht.
The Mayo/Roscommon/Longford Garda division recorded an increase in checkpoints between the third quarter of 2024 and the same period in 2025, according to figures analysed by the EU Transport Committee member Cynthia Ni Mhurchu. Gardai in the division carried out 1,247 MIT checkpoints in Q3 2025, up from 1,155 in Q3 2024, representing a 7.9 percent increase.

These figures are a contrast to the national average, which saw the number of Garda drink and drug driving checkpoints fall by 7.5 percent.

Data taken from the Garda PULSE system on November 3, shows that 12,930 Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) checkpoints were conducted nationwide in Q3 2024, compared with 11,958 in Q3 2025. The reduction comes amid what Ni Mhurchu has described as a sharp rise in drug driving and increasing road fatalities.

Ni Mhurchu said the figures show significant reductions in roadside testing across many Garda divisions, despite recent data indicating rising levels of drug driving offences. She previously highlighted an increase in drug driving cases appearing before the courts and said the decline in testing was a cause for concern.

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The analysis also compares current figures with those from Q3 2019. Garda statistics show that 15,392 MIT checkpoints were carried out nationally during that quarter, 3,434 more than in Q3 2025. In 2019, 140 people were killed on Irish roads, compared with 185 fatalities recorded in 2025.

Speaking on the issue, Ni Mhurchu said Garda management should be increasing, rather than reducing, roadside testing at a time when road deaths are at elevated levels. She has called on An Garda Siochana to clarify the reasons for the reduction in checkpoints and whether resourcing issues are a factor.

Ni Mhurchu also raised the issue in the context of bank holiday weekends, which she said are often associated with serious road collisions. She noted that the Road Traffic Measures Bill 2023 was expected to allow for the introduction of double penalty points for certain offences during bank holiday periods. She has written to the Minister for Transport seeking clarification on whether this measure will be implemented.

READ MORE: Mayo residents being held for ransom over lack of water services
So, you watched Dhurandhar twice or thrice in the theatres. Now that it is available to watch on Netflix, you can watch it again and notice all the details you missed. Maybe rewind and rewatch a few scenes that give you your eureka moment. The credits of the movie also revealed something that had been floating around in rumours since the craze of Dhurandhar had begun, if not before that. Ranveer Singh was rumoured to have more than one vanity van and the credits confirm that. Dhurandhars Credits Expose Ranveer Singh

 Jio Studios A detail-oriented fan on social media brought to everyones attention that the credits for Dhurandhar list three separate vans for Hamza Ali Mazari. Hamza Van, Hamza Staff Van, and Hamza Normal Van were all listed under vendor transportation. There had been rumours that Ranveer Singh had demanded multiple vanity vans for himself and now those seem to be true.

It was previously reported by The Hollywood Reporter that Singh has one van for his personal use, one for his gym, and one for his private chef. The credits accidentally confirmed that and it has left fans to assume that one was used when he was playing Hamza and one when he was playing Jaskirat, to maintain the authenticity of his role. Another thing to point out was that, in the credits, all the vans are mentioned by the name of the actor, such as Madhavan Van, and Arjun Van, but that isnt the case for Singh, and his van is mentioned through his characters name. Sanjay Guptas Previous Statement on Vanity Vans
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Iran said Monday it had summoned all of the European Union ambassadors in the Islamic Republic to protest the blocs listing of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terror group.

The move came as Turkey tried to organize a meeting between the U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials, seeking to jump-start talks to ease the threat of U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic, two Turkish officials said.

The American military has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers into the Mideast. It remains unclear whether President Donald Trump will decide to use force, though regional countries have engaged in diplomacy in an effort to halt a new Mideast war breaking out.

Trump is trying to calibrate a response to Irans mass killing of protesters that punishes Iranian leaders without also embroiling the United States in a new, open-ended conflict in the region, the New York-based Soufan Center think tank said Monday.

Some Trump aides seek to exploit Tehrans weakness to secure major concessions from the regime, but Trump has set conditions for a diplomatic resolution that Tehran cannot accept.

EU sanctions draw Iran's anger

The EU agreed to list the Guard as a terror group last week over its part in the bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in January that killed thousands and saw tens of thousands detained.

Other countries, including the U.S. and Canada, have previously designated the Guard as a terrorist organization. While the move is largely symbolic, it does add to the economic pressure squeezing Iran, particularly has the Guard has a major influence on the country's economy.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told journalists that the ambassadors had begun to be summoned on Sunday and that process went into Monday as well.

A series of actions were reviewed, various options are being prepared and were sent to the related decision-making bodies, Baghaei said. "We think that in coming days, a decision will be made about a reciprocal action by the Islamic Republic of Iran toward the illegal, unreasonable and very wrong move by the EU.

Irans parliament speaker said Sunday that the Islamic Republic now considers all EU militaries to be terrorist groups, citing a 2019 law.

The Guard emerged from Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution as a force meant to protect the Shiite cleric-overseen government and was later enshrined in its constitution. It operates in parallel with the countrys regular armed forces and has expanded into private enterprise, allowing it to thrive.

The Guards Basij force likely was key in putting down the demonstrations, starting in earnest from Jan. 8, when authorities cut off the internet and international telephone calls for the nation of 85 million people. Videos that have come out of Iran via Starlink satellite dishes and other means show men likely belonging to its forces shooting and beating protesters.

Turkey tries to organize Iran-U.S. talks

In Turkey, officials have been trying to organize talks with Iran and Witkoff there, two Turkish officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to brief journalists. One described the goal as trying to have Witkoff meet the Iranians by the end of the week, if possible.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Witkoff met multiple times last year in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program in Rome and Oman, but never finalized a deal. On June 13, Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran that sparked a 12-day war between the countries, effectively halting those talks. The U.S. during the war bombed three Iranian nuclear sites.

Baghaei declined to give any specifics about the possibility of talks in Ankara.

What is clear is that we are engaged with reviewing either principles and details related to this diplomatic process, he said. It is natural that regional countries have intensified their efforts.

The U.S. did not immediately comment on the possible talks.

Axios first reported on the possible talks in Turkey.

Guard drill in Strait of Hormuz ongoing

Baghaei also said a drill by the Guard in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes, was ongoing based on its timetable. Iran warned ships last week that a drill would be carried out on Sunday and Monday, but prior to Baghaei's comments had not acknowledged it taking place. The U.S. military's Central Command issued a strong warning to Iran not to harass its warships and aircraft, or impede commercial vessels moving through the strait.

Satellite photos taken Sunday by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press showed small vessels moving at speed in the strait between Iran's Qeshm and Hengam islands, some distance away from the corridor commercial vessels take. The Guard relies on a fleet of small, fast-attack ships in the strait.

Asked about whether Iran could face a war, Baghaei told the public don't worry at all. He declined, however, to discuss whether Trump set a deadline for Iran to respond to America's demands.

Iran state TV host faces charges for mocking dead

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported on Monday that prosecutors in Tehran filed charges against the head of state television's Ofogh channel, as well as producers and the host of a program who mocked those killed in the crackdown.

The program, which aired Saturday, saw the host reference allegations made abroad about Iran hiding bodies of the dead in freezers to bring out as victims if the U.S. attacks the country.

The host asked viewers a multiple-choice question about where Iran would hide the bodies, listing things like ice cream freezers and supermarket refrigerators.

The crackdown on the demonstrations killed at least 6,842 people, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in other rounds of unrest in Iran. It fears even more may be dead. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll.

As of Jan. 21, Irans government put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces, labeling the rest terrorists. In the past, Irans theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest. However, the country's presidency published a list of names Sunday it said belonged to 2,986 of those killed, something it hasn't done in past protests.

___

Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.
A lifetime of service came into focus in Massachusetts when Korean War veteran and retired state trooper Joseph White, 94, was publicly honored for decades of duty.

White received a Lifetime Achievement Award on Jan. 18 at Cornerstone at Milford, an assisted living and memory support community, during a ceremony recognizing decades of military and law enforcement service.

Too often, recognition for ones accomplishments only comes after they have passed away. Honoring someone while they are still living gives them the respect that they deserve for the accomplishments that they have achieved. - David Pickett, president of the Korean War Veterans Association, told Military.com.

Cornerstone at Milford presented the award as part of its Lifetime Achievement program, an initiative designed to publicly recognize residents personal and professional accomplishments while they are still living and able to share their stories.

The program, according to the facility, is intended to combat isolation among seniors by placing their life experiences at the center of a public celebration attended by family, friends and peers.

Cornerstone at Milfords Lifetime Achievement Award program celebrates residents personal and professional achievements while they are publicly acknowledged in front of family and friends, the facility said in a statement to Military.com. The recognition, officials said, is intended to spark conversation, strengthen social bonds, and counter the isolation that often accompanies aging.

Dozens of relatives, friends, staff members, uniformed and retired law enforcement officers, along with members of the Massachusetts State Troopers Association, filled the room for the ceremony. Massachusetts State Police Deputy Superintendent Daniel Tucker and other members of the departments command staff also attended.

Honored While Theyre Still Here

Whites service spanned two demanding careers. After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served during the Korean War, a conflict still marked each year on Armistice Day. He later returned home and entered law enforcement, becoming a member of the Massachusetts State Polices 40th Recruit Training Troop, the department confirmed.

Recognition often comes too late for many veterans, a reality Korean War advocates say makes honors like Whites increasingly urgent.

Eighth Army acting commanding general, Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor, and Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Weaver, Eighth Army senior enlisted advisor, joined members of the Korean chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army in a wreath laying ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., Oct. 14, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Giselle Gonzalez)

Pickett said Korean War veterans returned home from a conflict that quickly faded from public view, yet went on to play an outsized role in rebuilding and leading communities across the country.

In cities across America, Korean War veterans have played a significant part in helping to shape these communities, he told Military.com. Their leadership and patriotism have helped to strengthen municipalities throughout our great nation.

Advocates have said that public recognition helps preserve that legacy at a moment when the number of living Korean War veterans continues to decline, making firsthand stories and lived experience increasingly rare.

The Forgotten War

Honors like Whites carry added weight as the population of Korean War veterans continues to shrink, leaving fewer firsthand witnesses to a conflict that has long occupied a quieter place in American memory.

Most Korean War veterans are in their late 80s and 90s. Each day, the number of these veterans dwindles. As they pass, so do their stories of firsthand accounts of the Korean War. - David Pickett

The Korean War, often referred to as The Forgotten War, unfolded between World War II and Vietnam and drew less sustained attention in classrooms and popular culture despite its scale, casualties, and lasting geopolitical consequences.

Veterans from the Korean War Veterans Association joined 1st Armored Division Soldiers and those in the local Fort Bliss community at Memorial Circle in Fort Bliss, Texas, for a prisoners of war and missing in action remembrance ceremony, Sept. 19, 2025. The ceremony allowed present and past Soldiers to express their admiration and respect to POWs and Soldiers who went MIA during conflict. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Larsen)

Pickett said that gap makes living testimony especially valuable, including accounts tied to the brutal winter fighting at the Chosin Reservoir.

Listening to firsthand accounts of how brutally cold these men were as they served at the Chosin Reservoir can never be captured in a history book, he said. Once these veterans are gone, so are their stories.

Advocates said public recognition events help preserve those accounts by giving veterans a platform to share experiences that might otherwise fade without record.

Cornerstone officials said the Lifetime Achievement Award was created to restore visibility and connection for residents whose personal and professional accomplishments can fade from public view later in life.

Staff members said ceremonies like Whites give families, caregivers and peers a shared moment to reflect on a residents life beyond their current setting, reframing them not just as seniors but as veterans, public servants and community builders.
In the realm of extreme activities, one would be hard-pressed to find a bigger adrenaline rush than skydiving.

However, for a group of veterans in Utah, jumping out of planes thousands of feet in the air provides a few moments of healing and a constructive way to deal with the stress of everyday life.

Leaps of Hope, a nonprofit organization based in Utah, promotes skydiving as a form of therapy for veterans, many dealing with PTSD, and non-veterans whove experienced trauma, such as child abuse victims. As a 501(c)3, Leaps of Hope accepts donations and support from corporate sponsors. Several members of the organizations leadership team are veterans.

Ross Mitchell, the founder of the organization, has seen the positive impact of skydiving firsthand. Mitchell, who grew up with parents who battled addiction, served in the Marine Corps as an infantryman from 2015 to 2019 with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines. Following his stint in the military, Mitchell earned a bachelors degree in emergency medicine and worked as a paramedic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, his hometown.

Leaps of Hope was founded by Ross Mitchell, a Marine Corps veteran and former first responder. (Leaps of Hope)

Not only does skydiving provide a cathartic rush for the veterans who jump together, but it also represents a sense of community, Mitchell said.

It gives them a sense of belonging, and it gives them a sense of purpose, Mitchell told KUTV in Salt Lake City.

Mitchell was hooked on skydiving from the first time he made the leap. Skydiving had such a profound effect on him that it changed the course of the veterans life.

Its one of the most empowering things you can do, Mitchell said. In the moment, youre not thinking about what happened 20 years ago, six months ago or last night.

The freedom he felt in the sky persuaded Ross to quit his first responder job, move to Utah, become a licensed skydiver and teach veterans how to skydive.

It gives people the opportunity and the capability to be leaders again, Mitchell said.

Its one of the most empowering things you can do, Mitchell said about skydiving. In the moment, youre not thinking about what happened 20 years ago, six months ago or last night.

Adrenaline Addiction in the Sky

Chris Henry, a 10-year Air Force veteran, described skydiving as a healthy adrenaline addiction. Since leaving the military not long ago, Henry has struggled to adapt to civilian life.

When you put the uniform away, you realize its you against the world, Henry said. It has not been an easy year for me.

He found solace in skydiving. Each jump provided him with the focus and clarity he was missing in a post-military world.

In normal day-to-day life, in an office job, you dont have decisions that could end your life, Henry said.

Brian Stephens can relate. The Navy veteran served 12 years in a bomb squad and was accustomed to high-pressure moments. But Stephens discovered Leaps of Hope and just recently began jumping out of planes.

Its something that lets you be in the moment, Stephens said.

Being present and simply enjoying the moment can be a powerful relaxation tool for veterans used to feeling overstimulated.

This is the best type of medicine, Henry said.

Its all the things people crave when they get out of the military, Stephens said. You are all in it together.

Leaps of Hope gives veterans and trauma survivors the rush of being in the sky. (Leaps of Hope)

Sense of Belonging Returns

For Henry, his search for belonging ended when he found fellow skydivers through the non-profit.

I started to feel like I was part of the team again, he said.

Participants are trained before they even set foot on a plane. Most of the training is spent indoors, as veterans feel the rush of skydiving in an enclosed wind tunnel.

The feeling is the same, and the rush can be the same as skydiving, Mitchell said.

For some veterans, gliding through the sky is better than sitting on a sofa, talking to a mental health specialist. The activity clears the mind and gives them a pause from their worries.

This is the best type of medicine, Henry said.

Henry said skydiving brings back a feeling of camaraderie and a sense of purpose he left behind in the military.

Its something I missed that I longed for, he said.
Two months after losing more than 1,000 Marines at Tarawa, the U.S. military hit Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The assault on Jan. 31, 1944, would prove the Americans had learned from their mistakes.

The 4th Marine Division and the Army's 7th Infantry Division landed on several islands within the atoll. Four days later, they had killed more than 8,000 Japanese defenders at a cost of 372 American dead. Four Marines had earned the Medal of Honor. The victory helped expedite the drive toward Japan.

Kwajalein stands as one of the most successful amphibious operations in American military history. Every complication encountered at Tarawa a few months prior was addressed by the military, which ensured Kwajalein was a massive success.

What Went Wrong at Tarawa

The 2nd Marine Division landed on Betio Island in Tarawa Atoll on Nov. 20, 1943. The assault plan called for a three-hour naval bombardment followed by waves of Marines in Higgins boats crossing the reef.

The bombardment was devastating, but American planners underestimated the tide. Maj. Frank Holland had warned that tidal conditions would leave only three feet of water over the reef. Higgins boats needed at least four to move forward. His concerns were ignored.

Holland was right. Only the tracked LVT amphibious vehicles could cross the reef. The Marines had just 125 of them for the assault; most were destroyed on the first day. Thousands of Marines climbed out of their Higgins boats at the reef's edge and waded 500 to 800 yards through chest-deep water to the beach while under fire.

The high-explosive naval shells that hit the island had detonated on contact with sand and logs from coconut trees. The Japanese bunkers underneath the cover were untouched.

The 2nd Marine Division secured Betio in 76 hours. It cost them over 1,000 dead and 2,000 wounded. Photographs of American bodies floating in the lagoon shocked the nation when they reached newspapers weeks later.

Applying the Lessons

Adm. Chester Nimitz ordered massive changes for Kwajalein. The bombardment would last three days instead of three hours. Ships would close to point-blank range and fire armor-piercing rounds instead of high-explosive shells.

Assault troops would seize small islands first and position artillery on them before hitting the main objectives. And critically, all landings would come from the lagoon side, where Japanese defenses were weakest.

Rear Adm. Richard Conolly earned the nickname "Close-In" for his insistence that fire support ships move within range of Japanese shore batteries. The battleship USS Mississippi engaged targets from 1,500 yards, so close her crew could see individual palm trees disintegrate under her 14-inch guns.

Nimitz also made a controversial decision. He bypassed the heavily fortified outer atolls where intelligence said the Japanese had concentrated their main defenses. American codebreakers had intercepted communications revealing that most combat troops were stationed on outer islands like Wotje, Mili, Maloelap and Jaluit. Nimitz would skip them entirely and strike directly at Kwajalein, the administrative center of Japanese operations in the Marshalls.

His subordinates objected. Rear Adm. Richmond Kelly Turner called the plan dangerous and reckless. Vice Adm. Raymond Spruance agreed. Kwajalein sat deep inside Japanese-held waters with enemy airfields surrounding it.

Nimitz overruled them. He would not waste any more American lives taking outlying islands. He would take Kwajalein and only the most vital objectives before striking into the Marianas.

Map of the Marshall Islands, with Kwajalein Atoll in the center. Japanese forces garrisoned most of the islands, but American forces bypassed them to strike directly at Kwajalein. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Japanese Garrison

Kwajalein Atoll sits roughly 2,400 miles southwest of Hawaii, a crescent of 97 islands encircling a lagoon larger than the island of Oahu. Rear Adm. Monzo Akiyama commanded roughly 8,000 troops across the atoll from his headquarters on Kwajalein Island. He had held the position since August 1941.

Fewer than half of his men were trained infantry. The rest were Korean laborers, aviation personnel and support staff who had never expected to fight on the ground.

Akiyama had concentrated his strongest fortifications facing the ocean, with dual-mounted 127mm coastal guns, 37mm cannons, anti-aircraft batteries, eight blockhouses and 52 pillboxes filled with machine guns. Anti-tank ditches and fighting trenches guarded the beaches. He positioned everything to stop an assault from the sea, never imagining American amphibious vehicles could cross the coral reefs to land inside the lagoon.

Akiyama also had 110 aircraft scattered across the atoll's airfields. On Jan. 29, 1944, American carrier planes from Task Force 58 caught 92 of them on the ground at Roi airfield and destroyed them in a single strike. By the time the landings began, not a single Japanese aircraft remained operational in the region.

Akiyama himself never saw the invasion. On Jan. 25, four days before the air strike, a naval shell hit his command bunker and killed him. The garrison would fight without its commander or its air cover.

Tokyo had already written off the Marshall Islands. After the losses in the Solomons and New Guinea, Imperial Headquarters knew it could not reinforce every outpost. The outer islands were expendable.

The defenders were ordered to die where they stood, buying time for a decisive battle closer to the home islands. The men on Kwajalein knew they were not expected to survive.

Landings on Roi-Namur in the Kwajalein Atoll in WWII. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Bombardment

The landings began Jan. 31, 1944. Army soldiers from the 7th Infantry Division's 17th Infantry Regiment landed on Cecil, Carter, Carlos and Carlson Islands in pre-dawn rubber boat landings against scattered resistance. These islets would serve as artillery platforms for the main assault. Marines from the 25th Regiment seized five islands near Roi-Namur and did the same.

By nightfall, the Army's 145th Field Artillery Battalion had howitzers registered on Kwajalein Island. Marine artillery was zeroed in on Roi-Namur. Both main objectives on opposite sides of the atoll would be hit from land and sea simultaneously.

The naval bombardment was unprecedented. Battleships, cruisers and destroyers poured 7,000 rounds into Kwajalein Island on D-Day and the day after. Artillery on the captured islets added 29,000 more.

Lt. Phil Wood of the 24th Marines watched from the deck of the USS DuPage.

"The incessant pounding had been going on for 24 hours now," he wrote. "We didn't see how there could be anything left."

When dawn broke on Feb. 1, one soldier recorded that the island "looked as if it had been picked up 20,000 feet and then dropped." Estimates suggested 50 to 75 percent of the defenders were killed before a single American stepped onto the main islands.

View of Namur (left) and Roi Islands, with their connecting causeway, as U.S. Marines landed, 1 February 1944. Photographed from a USS Suwanee (CVE-27) plane. (Wikimedia Commons)

Roi-Namur

Roi and Namur were twin islands connected by a narrow causeway and a sandbar at the northern end of the atoll. Roi held the airfield. Namur held barracks, ammunition dumps and administrative buildings. Together, they were defended by 3,563 Japanese troops and Korean laborers. The 23rd Marines would take Roi. The 24th Marines would take Namur.

Most of the Marines in the 4th Division had never heard a shot fired in combat. The division had been activated barely a year earlier at Camp Pendleton, filled with volunteers and draftees who had trained on the beaches of California for this moment.

The landing was chaos. Salt water had shorted out the radios in the amtracs, cutting communication between units. The tracked vehicles proved too long for the elevators on the LSTs, forcing crews to rig wooden ramps to wrestle them onto tank decks. Boats collided in the pre-dawn darkness. Units landed in the wrong places. Companies were separated. Platoons scattered.

Fourth Division Marines coming ashore under fire on Namur Island, Kwajalein Atoll, 1 February 1944. They are debarking from an LVT-2 amphibious tractor. In background is the collapsed "hammerhead" crane at the end of Namur's pier. (Wikimedia Commons)

But the confusion mattered less than it might have because the bombardment had been so effective. The 4th Marine Division hit both islands from the lagoon side on the afternoon of Feb. 1.

Roi fell within hours. The airfield offered little cover and the bombardment had devastated the garrison. Defenders emerged dazed from shattered bunkers only to be cut down. By 6:00 p.m., the 23rd Marines declared the island secure.

It was on Roi that afternoon that Pfc. Richard B. Anderson earned the Medal of Honor. The 22-year-old from Tacoma, Washington, was hunting snipers across the airfield with three other Marines when he dropped into a shell crater for cover. Anderson carried a box of grenades. He pulled one, armed it, went to throw it and fumbled the grenade. It dropped to the bottom of the 15-foot crater.

There was no time to retrieve it. Anderson threw himself on top of it. The blast tore through him. Corpsmen evacuated him to the USS Callaway, where he died that afternoon. Three Marines walked off Roi because of what he did.

Richard B. Anderson, USMC, Medal of Honor recipient. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Fight for Namur

Namur was different. The island was packed with shattered buildings and rubble that provided cover. Japanese soldiers waited in cellars and fired from piles of debris. Every wrecked structure became a strongpoint.

The Marines cleared blockhouses and pillboxes one at a time, working with flamethrowers, satchel charges and rifles. The fighting was close. Room by room. Position by position.

The worst moment came at 1:05 p.m. A demolition team led by Lt. Saul Stein approached a massive concrete blockhouse on the right flank. A second team led by 1st Lt. Joseph LoPrete approached from the left. Stein's men blew a hole through the wall with a shaped charge. A platoon of Japanese soldiers came running out as the Marines engaged them. Stein ordered his men to destroy the position with satchel charges. His men lobbed explosives into the bunker.

Neither Stein nor anyone else knew the blockhouse was the atoll's main torpedo magazine, stacked with torpedo warheads, aerial bombs and high explosives stockpiled to supply the entire island chain.

Explosion of a torpedo warhead magazine on Namur, Kwajalein Atoll, at 1305 hrs, 1 February 1944, as seen from Roi. (Wikimedia Commons)

The explosion was devastating. A column of smoke shaped like an atomic mushroom cloud rose over Namur. Chunks of concrete, unexploded torpedo warheads and palm trees rocketed into the air.

"Trunks of palm trees and chunks of concrete as large as packing crates were flying through the air like matchsticks," recorded 1st Lt. Samuel H. Zutty.

Lt. Wood, approaching the beach in a landing craft, felt "a tremendous blast of air seemed to stop the boat, followed by a wave of sound that left everything throbbing." Debris splashed among the landing craft offshore.

One Marine was blown completely off the island and into the lagoon. An observation pilot keyed his radio and said, "The whole damn island has blown up!"

Twenty Marines died instantly, including Stein and LoPrete. Nearly 100 more were wounded. It was the deadliest single moment of the entire operation. The blast gave the surviving Japanese defenders time to recover and regroup.

The fighting continued into the afternoon. It was during this bitter room-to-room combat that 1st Lt. John V. Power led his platoon from Company K, 4th Battalion, 24th Marines against a Japanese pillbox that was raking his men with machine gun fire.

A burst caught Power in the stomach as he charged. Gut-shot and dying, he kept moving. He reached the pillbox, shoved his rifle through the firing aperture and killed the crew inside. Only then did he collapse. The 25-year-old from Worcester, Massachusetts, died within minutes. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously.

John V. Power, USMCR, Medal of Honor recipient, killed in action during the Battle of Kwajalein. (Wikimedia Commons)

As darkness fell, the surviving Japanese launched numerous counterattacks. Marines dug in and waited. Flares lit the island up in bright white light, and anything that moved drew fire.

Just before daybreak on Feb. 2, Japanese soldiers launched a massive banzai charge against the 3rd Battalion, carrying rifles, bayonets and swords.

A gap between Companies I and K was exploited. The fight turned into a chaotic frenzy of bayonets, knives and clubbed rifles. Only the timely arrival of Company L and a few medium tanks stabilized the line.

During the melee, Pvt. Richard K. Sorenson was defending a shell hole with five other Marines when a Japanese grenade landed at their feet. He threw himself on it. The blast tore through his thighs, hips and legs. A corpsman tied off a severed artery and packed the wounds. Sorenson was evacuated to a transport ship bound for Hawaii.

Among those fighting off the counterattack was 44-year-old Cpl. Earl Brown of Item Company and his 19-year-old son, Pfc. Jack Brown. When Jack enlisted, Earl, a veteran of the Great War, decided he couldn't let his boy go alone.

The two had pulled every string to serve in the same unit. Jack had even gone AWOL and stowed away on his father's ship when illness nearly kept him from the operation. Jack was killed during the fighting that morning.

Pvt Richard K. Sorenson, Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient; Photo from the Marine Corps Historical Collection.

The Fighting Comes to an End

By morning, Japanese resistance was collapsing into pockets. Lt. Col. Aquilla J. Dyess, commander of 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, had been everywhere during the fighting, exposing himself repeatedly to direct his men.

The 35-year-old South Carolinian had already earned the Carnegie Medal for civilian heroism before the war, diving into a flood-swollen river to save a drowning woman. During the fight on Namur, he guided his Marines through the hell of combat and was ensuring they defeated the last pockets of resistance.

Only the day prior, he broke through Japanese lines and saved a group of Marines who had been surrounded by enemy forces. Now he sprinted between groups of his Marines and urged them to advance against the enemy, ignoring the intense fire targeting him.

Aquilla J. Dyess, USMC, Medal of Honor recipient. (Wikimedia Commons)

Dyess climbed onto the parapet of a Japanese anti-tank trench to point out targets to his Marines. A machine gun burst cut him down. He became one of only two men in American history to earn both the Carnegie Medal and the Medal of Honor.

His Marines continued finishing off the remaining pockets of Japanese resistance on the island. By noon on Feb. 2, Roi-Namur was secure.

Of the 3,563 Japanese and Korean defenders, only 91 survived as prisoners, 51 Japanese soldiers and 40 Korean laborers. The Marines lost 195 killed in action.

American troops using flamethrowers and bayonets against Japanese fortifications during the Battle of Kwajalein. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Fight for Kwajalein Island

On the other end of the atoll, 45 miles to the south, the 7th Infantry Division faced Kwajalein Island. The island stretched 2.5 miles long but only 880 yards wide at its broadest point, narrowing to just 300 yards at its northern tip. It was defended by 5,112 Japanese troops and Korean laborers.

The soldiers of the division were veterans. They had fought the brutal Aleutian Islands campaign at Attu and Kiska, learning hard lessons about combat against the Japanese and friendly fire. Now they would apply what they knew to the coral islands of the Pacific.

The 32nd and 184th Infantry Regiments stormed ashore on the morning of Feb. 1 after the pulverizing bombardment. The first wave hit the beach at 9:30 a.m. Within 12 minutes, 1,200 soldiers were ashore without a single casualty.

"The effect of the heavy preliminary bombardment had been overpowering," recorded the Army's official history. "There were no Japanese still alive on the sands where the 32nd landed."

Soldiers of the 7th Infantry Division aboard an LCM during the Battle of Kwajalein. (Wikimedia Commons)

Resistance stiffened as the soldiers pushed inland. Japanese survivors fought from log bunkers, pillboxes, anti-tank ditches and rubble piles. Unlike the Marines' rapid assault on Roi-Namur, Maj. Gen. Charles Corlett ordered a methodical advance. His men had learned the cost of haste in the Aleutians. They would take Kwajalein yard by yard.

Roughly 40 reinforced concrete pillboxes dotted the island's length. Each one had to be reduced individually. The process involved locating the position, pinning it down with rifle fire, then bringing up a flamethrower team or tank to burn or blast the defenders out.

The fighting took on an urban character as infantry cleared wrecked barracks and administrative buildings room by room. Engineers worked alongside riflemen with flamethrowers, satchel charges and white phosphorus grenades to root out the defenders who refused to surrender.

The soldiers witnessed several counterattacks at night. Japanese survivors slipped through gaps in the lines. Some reached the rims of American foxholes before being spotted. But there was no massed banzai charge like the one on Namur. The defenders were too shattered to organize anything larger than infiltration.

Map of the first two days of fighting on Kwajalein. (Map courtesy of the Center of Military History)

The End of Kwajalein

By Feb. 4, the remaining Japanese had been compressed into a pocket near Nob Pier at the island's eastern end. The final day's fighting was the bloodiest, street combat through shattered blockhouses. The last organized resistance was finished off that evening.

By Feb 5, the atoll was secure. The American Marines and soldiers who had secured it stood victorious on their respective islands, surrounded by a devastated landscape and thousands of enemy corpses.

Of the 5,112 Japanese and Korean defenders on Kwajalein Island, only 174 survived as prisoners, 49 Japanese soldiers and 125 Korean laborers.

The 7th Infantry Division lost 177 killed in action. The urban-like combat they faced on the island foreshadowed the horrific conditions the U.S. Army would face in Manila later that year.

Along with the Marine actions on Roi-Namur, the fight to secure Kwajalein Atoll killed around 8,000 Japanese soldiers at the cost of 372 Americans. A massive success compared to the horrendous casualties endured on Tarawa.

Tanks and troops of the 7th Infantry Division on Kwajalein. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Results

Compared to Tarawa, the longer bombardment, armor-piercing shells, lagoon-side landings, artillery pre-positioned on captured islets, and tank-infantry teams trained to reduce bunkers systematically proved extremely successful. The Japanese paid a heavy price on Kwajalein.

Col. S.L.A. Marshall, the Army historian who interviewed veterans immediately after the battle, called Kwajalein a "well-planned, well-handled, well-fought fight, from the first bombardment to the death of the last resisting Japanese soldier."

Sorenson survived his wounds and became one of only four Marines in World War II to survive throwing himself on a grenade. He received the Medal of Honor in a hospital bed in Seattle five months later. Meanwhile, Earl Brown survived the battle and later visited his sons grave on Namur.

Nimitz's gamble had paid off. The quick victory allowed him to accelerate the Pacific timetable by 60 days. The assault on Eniwetok, originally scheduled for late April, jumped off on Feb. 17, barely two weeks after Kwajalein fell. American forces had penetrated Japan's outer defensive ring for the first time, seizing territory the enemy had held since before Pearl Harbor.

The road to Tokyo was open, and only a few months later, U.S. forces would seize Saipan, bringing them within striking distance of Japan.

Kwajalein Island; Korean laborers help to locate Japanese positions. (Wikimedia Commons)

Japanese commanders studied the loss of Kwajalein. Beach defenses could not survive American firepower. Any position the Americans could see, they could destroy. Future garrisons at Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa would fortify inland, in caves and tunnels where naval guns could not reach.

They would let the Americans land unopposed, then bleed them in fighting that negated American advantages in firepower and mobility. The relatively quick victories in the Marshalls would not be repeated.

Today, Kwajalein Atoll hosts the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site. The lagoon where landing craft carried soldiers and Marines to battle now serves as an impact zone for missiles launched from California. On Roi-Namur, tracking radars occupy the island where the U.S. military employed one of its most successful amphibious operations of the Pacific War.
Satellite Internet Is No Longer Peripheral

Satellite internet has moved from a commercial convenience to a strategic infrastructure. That shift became impossible to ignore in January 2026, when Iran imposed a nationwide internet blackout amid mass protests. This severed mobile data, broadband, and most international connectivity to suppress dissent and limit the flow of information abroad.

During the early days of the blackout, satellite-based internet (particularly SpaceXs Starlink) provided one of the few remaining channels for communication outside Irans state-controlled networks.

That window did not last. Iranian authorities reportedly deployed advanced radio-frequency jamming systems to interfere with Starlink signals, degrading service and, in some areas, rendering terminals unusable. Reports indicated severe packet loss and unstable connections consistent with military-grade signal interference rather than routine network congestion.

Security forces also reportedly confiscated satellite terminals during raids, reinforcing the states effort to eliminate alternative connectivity paths.

The episode demonstrated that even resilient low-Earth-orbit constellations are vulnerable to determined state interference, and that satellite internet now sits squarely within the battlespace of internal security operations.

Starlink as a Battlefield Variable in Ukraine

At nearly the same time, a different Starlink controversy emerged in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials publicly stated that Russian forces were using Starlink terminals on unmanned aerial vehicles to support long-range drone operations, including strikes against civilian infrastructure. Ukrainian defense officials confirmed coordination with SpaceX to disable Starlink access on Russian drones once such use was identified.

SpaceX has maintained that its terms of service prohibit the use of Starlink on weapons systems and that it will take technical measures to prevent misuse when discovered. Regardless of intent, the result was unmistakable: a private U.S. company made operational decisions with immediate battlefield consequences in an active armed conflict.

For military planners, this represents a structural shift. Commercial satellite providers are no longer passive enablers; they are actors whose technical decisions can shape tactical outcomes.

Why Existing Space Law Fails Here

The legal frameworks governing space were never designed for this reality. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 establishes broad principles such as peaceful use and state responsibility for national space activities, but it does not address radio-frequency jamming, cyber interference, or the denial of satellite services during conflict.

International humanitarian law requires distinction between military objectives and civilian objects, yet commercial satellites routinely serve both civilian and military users simultaneously. A Starlink terminal enabling civilians to communicate during a blackout may also support military command and control minutes later. Existing law offers no clear standard for when such systems become lawful military objectives.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink 6-99 mission successfully launches from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Dec. 17, 2025. This was the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Ax-4, Crew-11, Cygnus NG-23, and now three Starlink missions. U.S. Space Force photo illustration by Gwendolyn Kurzen. Source: DVIDS

The United Nations Charter prohibits the use of force against another state, but whether signal jamming or cyber interference against satellite infrastructure constitutes a use of force remains unresolved in international jurisprudence. No treaty squarely addresses these questions, leaving states to operate in a gray zone with little deterrence or accountability.

The Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations reflects this uncertainty, emphasizing that states disagree on when cyber or electronic interference reaches the level of a prohibited use of force and clarifying that the Manual itself is non-binding and does not create new law.

The Unregulated Power of Private Space Actors

The Ukraine and Iran cases also expose a deeper governance problem: private companies now control infrastructure essential to both civil society and military operations, yet international law primarily regulates states. When SpaceX disables access to prevent hostile use, it exercises power traditionally reserved to governments, but without the transparency or legal constraints imposed on state actors.

U.S. export control regimes govern satellite technology transfers, but they were not designed for real-time service denial decisions during active hostilities. As a result, private operators exist in a legal vacuum, guided by corporate policy rather than coherent national or international standards.

What Military Policy Cannot Ignore

The lesson is not that commercial satellite systems are unreliable. It is that they are indispensable and exposed. Future conflicts will increasingly involve attacks on connectivity rather than territory, with satellite networks as prime targets. Without updated legal norms, states will continue to jam, spoof, and interfere with space-based systems while denying that such actions cross legal thresholds.

For the U.S. military, this demands formal integration of commercial space providers into operational planning, clearer doctrine on protecting and defending space-based communications, and sustained diplomatic pressure to establish binding norms against indiscriminate interference with satellite infrastructure. Space is already contested. The law governing it remains dangerously underdeveloped.
Storm-stranded South Korean cast finds refuge at Chinese Antarctic research station

13:59, February 02, 2026 By Hu Runxin ( People's Daily

Photo shows China's Great Wall Station. (Photo/Zhang Xi)

Few might have anticipated that a South Korean food-themed variety show would evolve into a compelling showcase of China's capabilities.

Recently, a South Korean variety show titled Chef of Antarctica sparked lively online discussion. In the program, to express gratitude for China's long-term cooperation and exchanges with ROK's King Sejong Station in Antarctica, four South Korean celebrities -- serving as "honorary crew members" of the station -- visit China's Great Wall Station there to prepare a thank-you meal.

What they encounter at the Chinese station defied expectations: thriving greenhouse vegetables, fully stocked pantries with diverse seasonings, and rare fresh foods like drunken shrimp and bullfrog -- all contrasting sharply with typical Antarctic scarcity.

Nature, however, is full of surprises. After filming, a sudden blizzard stranded the entire 29-person production team. Facing an emergency, they requested temporary shelter at Great Wall Station.

The station chief's instant reply -- "No problem, don't worry" -- instantly eased their concerns right away. They were welcomed into clean, comfortable "snow-view" dormitories and offered hot drinks and snacks. This hospitality deeply moved the South Korean team, reflecting China's tradition of extending aid in times of needa practice rooted in inclusiveness and goodwill.

Photo shows a screenshot of the South Korean variety show showcasing a vegetable greenhouse in China's Great Wall Station. (Photo from the internet)

In such extreme conditions, this assistance not only demonstrated kindness but also showcased national capability.

Before setting out, the South Korean team had been told that at that time of year, stations operated by various countries would "likely have only frozen supplies, with almost no fresh produce." Yet upon arriving at the Great Wall Station, the variety of food stocks amazed them -- they exclaimed it was "like stepping into a Chinese supermarket." Thanks to a robust logistics and supply system, fresh food can now be delivered over long distances and under challenging conditions.

Though designed for just 15 overwintering personnel, the station accommodated nearly twice its typical capacity. This flexibility comes from the station's "full-capacity design," incorporating substantial safety margins for emergenciesa reflection of strategic foresight and engineering expertise.

These achievements were never attained overnight. The composure and abundance seen at the Great Wall Station today are the result of decades of hard work and perseverance by generations of Chinese explorers.

There was a time when, without a research station of its own, China's delegation could not vote at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. Being unable to have a say on Antarctic affairs left the delegates deeply frustratedand all the more determined to pioneer the nation's first Antarctic presence, achieving the crucial breakthrough "from zero to one."

During the 1980s, lacking a permanent Antarctic presence meant China had no voting rights at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. This exclusion fueled determination to establish the nation's first research stationa critical breakthrough from observer to stakeholder in Antarctic affairs.

China's earliest Antarctic missions sailed forth on the Xiangyanghong 10 and J121 vessels; today, the icebreakers Xue Long and Xue Long 2 press onward through the frozen seas. Where once stood only basic container shelters, fully equipped modern research stations now operate. Over the past 40 years, China has launched five stations and two research vessels for Antarctic research, entering an era of three-dimensional development across sea, land and air.

Driven by self-reliance, Chinese explorers have moved steadily inland from Antarctica's periphery, continually expanding both their operational footprint and fields of scientific inquiry. This vast icy wilderness stands as a testament to their unwavering tenacity, pioneering courage, and resilience in overcoming every challenge.

Friendliness, openness, and inclusiveness, along with the resolve to face difficulties and pursue excellence -- these qualities are, at any time, among the most precious assets of a country and a nation. The blizzard will eventually pass, and these moving stories will continue to unfold in new chapters.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The Diamondbacks, Mets, Padres, and Yankees are among the teams who have shown interest in Ty France, according to MassLive.coms Chris Cotillo. The free agent first baseman won the AL Gold Glove Award last season, though he hit only .257/.320/.360 with seven homers over 490 plate appearances with the Twins and Blue Jays.

After batting .285/.355/.443 over 1418 PA during the 2020-22 seasons, France went from a 129 wRC+ over those three years to a 106 wRC+ in 2023, and a 93 wRC+ over the last two seasons. France has still been making contact at an above-average rate, but his hard-contact rates are middling at best and he has never taken many walks. Defensively, Frances glovework had cratered in the view of public metrics before he rebounded out of nowhere to post +10 Outs Above Average and +9 Defensive Runs Saved over 976 2/3 innings at first base in 2025, resulting in his first Gold Glove.

France is a right-handed hitter without a platoon split, as his numbers against right-handed and left-handed pitching are basically identical over his career. Teams in the market for a right-handed hitting first base complement might prefer more of a clear-cut righty masher, though Frances newfound defensive capability is a bonus.

The Yankees have Ben Rice (a lefty bat) lined up as the starting first baseman and Giancarlo Stanton is locked into the DH role. Some more at-bats could be available on the days when Rice is playing catcher, but France would be used in a strict part-time capacity if he went to the Bronx. The same would be true in Queens, as the Mets plan to use Jorge Polanco as the starting first baseman, plus Mark Vientos and Brett Baty will be either at DH, or in the field when Polanco or any of the other Mets veterans are getting a DH day. Having an experienced first baseman like France would be helpful for the Mets, considering that Polanco has played only one MLB game at first base.

The left-handed hitting Pavin Smith will get the bulk of Arizonas first base work, but between a platoon first base role and an open DH spot, France would have more opportunity for playing time with the Diamondbacks. Such names as Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Santana have also been linked to the DBacks this winter as part of the teams ongoing search for first base help.

Signing with the Padres would be a homecoming moment for France, a SoCal product who played college ball at San Diego State. France began his pro career as a 34th-round pick for the Padres in the 2015 draft, and he spent parts of his first two MLB seasons with the Friars before he was dealt to the Mariners as part of a seven-player trade at the 2020 deadline.

Returning to San Diego at age 31 would line France up as a right-handed complement within a surplus of left-handed bats vying for time on the right side of the Padres infield. Jake Cronenworth, Sung Mun Song, Will Wagner, and Gavin Sheets are all lefty swingers, and the Padres have no set DH. Sheets is projected to be the starting first baseman with Cronenworth perhaps being the favorite for DH duty and Song bouncing around to multiple positions, but theres plenty in flux as the Padres figure things out. Song is getting his first taste of Major League action after nine seasons in the KBO League, and an oblique injury could delay the start of his inaugural MLB campaign.
The Orioles have acquired infielder Bryan Ramos from the White Sox, according to reporter Francys Romero. Baltimore has officially announced the trade, and the Sox will get cash considerations in return. To open up a 40-man spot for Ramos, the Orioles designated Weston Wilson for assignment.

Ramos was designated for assignment three days ago when the Sox themselves needed to create 40-man space for the newly-signed Seranthony Dominguez. Ramos stint in DFA limbo didnt last long, and hell now change organizations for the first time in his career, as the infielder was an international signing for the White Sox back in 2018. He started to make waves as a prospect during the 2022-23 seasons, and he made his MLB debut in 2024, posting a .586 OPS over 108 plate appearances for Chicago.

This uninspiring performance seemed to drop Ramos down the depth chart, even on a rebuilding White Sox team. He appeared in just four big league games in 2025, bringing his overall slash line to .198/.244/.333 in 120 PA against Major League pitching. While Ramos numbers (.235/.321/.404 in 705 PA) at Triple-A Charlotte are more respectable, theyre underwhelming considering that Charlotte plays in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the minors.

Ramos has played only third base in the majors, and the hot corner has also been his primary position during his minor league career. However, Ramos has increased his versatility by playing some second base and a handful of games as a first baseman and left fielder, as becoming more of a utilityman will help Ramos in his attempts to return to the majors.

Wilson is a more established utilityman who has seen some time at first base, second base, third base, and all three outfield positions over his 100 career Major League games, all with the Phillies from 2023-25. Wilson has also shown more at the plate, with a .242/.328/.428 and nine homers over 245 PA. Most of that production came in Wilsons first two seasons, and since he had only a .652 OPS over 125 PA in 2025, the Phils decided to move on by DFAing Wilson in late January.

The Orioles made a claim a few days later, but have now sent Wilson back to the waiver wire in relatively short order. This is something of the way of life for players like Wilson or Ramos who are out of minor league options, and Baltimore is particularly aggressive in constantly churning the back end of its 40-man roster, with the idea that the Os can add minor league depth by sneaking enough players through the outright process. Assuming Wilson isnt claimed again, the Orioles can outright him to Triple-A since Wilson doesnt have enough service time to reject an outright assignment.
Millions of federal dollars have been funneled into new roofs, fresh coats of paint and brand new bathrooms across Michigan state parks.

Campers will notice the improvements when they plug their RVs into upgraded electrical outlets or have a the luxury of a hot shower while winter camping.

For daily visitors, the most frequented areas will be the recreation and visitor centers that had multi-million upgrades to their classrooms and exhibit areas.

Three of those projects are crossing the finish line this year and reopening in 2026.

A quick recap on how we got here. The Department of Natural Resources laid out a list of projects that were decades in the making. The state legislature allocated $273 million in federal funds to state park improvements in 2022. These funds come from the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act.

The initial list of backlogged projects sat at an eye-popping 202 projects. That list got whittled down over time due to costs, delays and re-prioritizing as the DNR inches closer to its December 2026 deadline when all ARPA funds must be allocated to projects.

Heres three projects in West Michigan, Northern Michigan and Southeastern Michigan that are inviting folks to see their shiny new improvements this year.

The Gillette Visitor Centers $1.6 million exterior renovation was completed in the summer. Interior construction continued through the fall and winter. Kayla Tucker

Gillette Visitor Center in P.J. Hoffmaster State Park

Hoffmasters Gillette Visitor Center will reopen Valentines Day weekend. A reopening party will take place 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The centers $1.6 million ARPA renovation was completed this summer.

The visitor center in Muskegon County was closed from March to June for an exterior facelift that included:

Roof and siding replacement

Elevator repairs

Replace flooring

Brickwork

Interior railings

While under construction, the visitor center received additional funding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Marketing and Outreach Division, the department that administers the visitor centers.

The additional dollars funded ripping out old carpeting and replacing it with polished concrete.

The theatre area was transformed into a classroom setting for educational programming and new educational exhibits will also be revealed.

Hoffmaster has been going through a $6.4 million checklist of upgrades since 2023. This included a new bathhouse, replacing two toilet buildings, that was also funded through $900,000 in ARPA funds.

The visitors center at Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling, Mich., recently reopened after a renovation that included a new roof, floors, paint and other work. Justine Lofton | jlofton@mlive.com

Hartwick Pines Visitor Center

Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling is doing a limited reopening of its visitor center after its been closed off to guests since June.

The center will reopen for winter weekends 10 a .m.-4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through April 30.

The lodge is considered the parks gateway to the towering pine forest and the Hartwick Pines Logging Museum and welcomes thousands of visitors every year, according to the DNR.

Despite its popularity, Hartwick Pines visitor center hadnt been updated since its construction in 1994. From technology to infrastructure its been a long process of duct taping problems until a full overhaul was in the budget, said Craig Kasmer, park interpreter.

Hartwick Pines State Park received $1.25 million for its visitor center through the American Rescue Plan Act funding.

The first phase of construction included a new roof, new interior and exterior paint, new carpet, new furnace and new lighting.

Inside, the biggest change guests will notice is the centers former auditorium has been leveled out and the pew seating has been removed.

That space will now be used as a larger classroom space for educational classes for schools, scouts and the public.

This summer, phase two will begin to update the exhibit area.

Hartwick Pines also received ARPA funding to modernize its campground and for historical preservation of its Memorial Building.

Bald Mountain Recreation Area in Oakland County used $1 million in ARPA funding to replace the beach day-use area toilet building. (DNR) DNR

Bald Mountain Recreation Area

The Bald Mountain Recreation Areas main entrance and day-use area is reopening April 15 after closing in the fall.

The Bald Mountain Recreation Area constructed a new bathroom and shower building for its beachgoers. The new build and water replacement system were funded by $1.75 million from ARPA and completed in June.

The parks 4,600 rolling acres bring some rugged terrain to Southeast Michigan with the steepest hills in the region, according to the DNR.

The Oakland County park is known for its extensive trails, inland lakes, trout streams and wild game.

There were proposed plans to use ARPA funding for repairs to Prince Lake Dam, Lower Trout Lake Dam, Upper Trout Lake Dam and replacing the culvert beneath Lower and Upper Trout Lake causeways.

Those plans are paused according to the DNRs ARPA dashboard.

Michigan's only launch slides located at Water Warrior Island at Bald Mountain State Recreation Area at 3361 South Lapeer Road in Orion Twp. (Photo by Edward Pevos | MLive)

The popular Metro Detroit beach is also known for the Water Warrior Island.

The water park, known for its unique launch slides and floating obstacle course, is a private business inside the Bald Mountain State Recreation Area near Lake Orion.

Its 2025 season was paused due to the ongoing construction, however the business says itll be back open for summer 2026.
A once popular outdoor clothing retailer is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and close all its locations in North America soon. According to Womens Wear Daily, Eddie Bauer will file for protection soon as it plans to move to an all digital platform in North America.

On Jan. 8, Eddie Bauers parent company, Authentic Brands Group, announced a partnership with Outdoor 5, LLC (Oved) for the company to assume responsibility for Eddie Bauers e-commerce and wholesale operations. Oved will also take on design and product development in the United States and Canada.

Eddie Bauer has not confirmed the closures, but customers have been posting on social media about local stores closing abruptly. One commenter complained that the companys website showed a store was open, only for the customer to drive there and find out it was closed.

As of Monday morning, the Eddie Bauer website does not have an option to search for the nearest locations. All returns are directed to an online platform.

A longtime favorite for outdoor apparel and gear, Eddie Bauer was started in 1920 in Seattle by its namesake. The company created the first patented down jacket in the U.S. and at one point had more than 500 stores around the world.

The company has changed hands throughout the years and has declared bankruptcy before. In 2009, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection and was eventually bought by Golden Gate Capital. Eddie Bauer was sold to Authentic Brands in 2021.

While stores in the U.S. and Canada are expected to close, international brick-and-mortar locations are not anticipated to shutter.
GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, MI  A man accused of attempting to abduct a woman from a Meijer gas station parking lot has been found incompetent to stand trial, 9&10 News reports.

Scott Gensler, 51, of Benzie County, is charged with kidnapping related to the incident that occurred in November outside the gas station in Garfield Township, just outside of Traverse City.

Judge Michael Stepka of the 86th District Court ruled last week that Gensler is not mentally competent to stand trial, the report said. Gensler previously pleaded not guilty of felony kidnapping.

RELATED: Man charged with kidnapping in Meijer gas station parking lot abduction attempt

The case will be delayed for an undetermined amount of time while the defendant undergoes treatment at a special facility, the report said.

The victim, a 21-year-old Florida woman, appears to have been selected at random. Police do not believe this case is related to human trafficking.

The victim had no prior knowledge of the defendant at all, Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg said during the arraignment via Zoom in 86th District Court. Frankly, its the type of crime that terrorizes a community.

RELATED: Witnesses helped ID suspect in Northern Michigan kidnapping attempt, police say

In November, Genslers bond was set at $500,000 cash/surety. He has no prior criminal history.

During Genslers November arraignment, Prosecutor Noelle Moegennberg called the incident extremely violent and suggested it would have been much worse if bystanders hadnt stepped in to help the victim.

The crime was captured by the gas stations surveillance system, she added.

RELATED: Police arrest suspect after attempted abduction in Meijer gas station parking lot

Gensler fled the gas station after bystanders helped free the victim. He was arrested shortly about an hour and a half later near Chums Corners.
President Donald Trump says hes going to sue comedian Trevor Noah over a joke told during Sunday nights Grammy Awards. The threat was posted on Trumps social media platform Truth Social hours after the ceremony ended.

Noah, who hosted the event, took a shot at the president shortly after Billie Eilish was awarded Song of the Year. After Eilish left the stage, Noah said:

There you have it, song of the year! Congratulations, Billie Eilish. Wow. Thats a Grammy that every artist wants, almost as much as Trump wants Greenland. Which makes sense because, since Epsteins gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton.

Noahs comment infuriated Trump who issued his response just after 1 a.m. Monday. After insulting the broadcast itself, Trump turned his attention to Noah.

Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I cant speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonights false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media, Trump wrote. Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast.

It looks like Ill be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$. Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, Im going to have some fun with you! President DJT.

Noahs joke came following the release of more documents related to the infamous Epstein Files. Trumps name has been found in the documents numerous times and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein has been questioned for years.

While Trump claims he never visited Epsteins private island, he has also previously denied ever being in Epsteins private plane. However, documents in the files show Trump was a passenger on the plane numerous times in the 1990s.

Noah has not publicly commented on Trumps threat to sue.
HOWELL, MI - A former Oakland County Sheriffs Office deputy will serve two years of probation for filming a family member in a sexual way.

Joseph Pierre Fortier, 48, was sentenced Jan. 22 to two years of probation by Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Matthew McGivney, according to court records. He is set to be on probation until 2028.

The former deputy pleaded no contest in December to one count each of surveilling an unclothed person and installing an eavesdropping device.

His other two charges of surveilling an unclothed person were dismissed by prosecutors, court records indicate.

The former deputy was charged after a family member filed a complaint with Michigan State Police in November 2023 alleging cameras were filming without their knowledge, according to Lt. Rene Gonzalez, Michigan State Police spokesperson. The incident occurred in Livingston Countys Oceola Township, east of Howell, police said.

The recordings were of a sexual nature, Gonzalez wrote in an email.

Fortier was employed by the Oakland County Sheriffs Office from August 2014 to March 2024, according to information obtained by a Michigan Freedom of Information Act Request.

Charges were authorized March 4, 2024, according to court records. Fortiers employment ended March 6. At the time, he was a sergeant, according to documents from the sheriffs office.

He was sent to trial in December 2024 after a preliminary examination.
MADISON, Wis  A Florida artist who was charged federally for lying to potential buyers across the Midwest by selling bogus Native American-made art has been sentenced in federal court.

Jose Farinango Muenala was sentenced Jan. 29 in U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin to three years of probation and a $25,000 fine after pleading guilty to misrepresentation of Indian produced goods, federal court records show.

He faced multiple felony charges following an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior Indian Arts and Craft Board (IACA) which found Muenala had no ties to any Native American tribe.

Muenala, 46, was a vendor in the 2024 Ann Arbor Art Fair, known as the largest juried art fair nationwide. He has also sold art in Grand Haven and Rochester, Michigan.

Organizers said they were unaware of the federal allegations against Muenala ahead of the events.

The IACA is intended to rid the Indian arts and crafts marketplace of counterfeits to protect the economic livelihoods and cultural heritage of Indian artists, craftspeople, and their Tribes, as well as the buying public, IACA Board Director Meridith Stanton said.

Authentic Indian art and craftwork is an important tool for passing down cultural traditions, traditional knowledge, and artistic skills from one generation to the next, she said. The defendant in this case falsely claimed to be a third-generation jewelry maker from the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico while he sold imported Philippines jewelry as authentic Indian made across several states. These sales of fake Indian art tear at the very fabric of Indian culture and undercut the marketability of the creative work of federally recognized Tribes.

The U.S. Justice Department says Muenala, from Dec. 3, 2015, to Jan. 17, 2024, applied online to numerous arts shows to sell authentic Native American jewelry he made himself, claiming he was Native American.

Investigators say Muenala claimed in his fair applications that his art was derived from the Pueblo Nation in New Mexico and his jewelry was made using techniques that my forefathers passed down to me while creating unique pieces that demonstrate my Native American culture, according to the federal indictment.

It was later determined Muenala had no ties to any tribe and the jewelry was mass produced and imported from the Philippines, records show.

Muenalas business, Southwest Expressions, made 40,905 individual sales and grossed over $2,686,000, investigators said.

Muenala was found selling fraudulent art at the following art shows:

Three Rivers Arts Festival, 2016, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Virginia Highlands Festival, 2019, in Abingdon, Virginia

Arts & Apples Festival, 2021, Rochester, Michigan

St. Augustine Art and Craft Festival, 2023, St. Augustine, Florida

Grand Haven Art Festival, 2023, Grand Haven, Michigan

Loon Day, 2023, Mercer, Wisconsin

The Indian Arts and Crafts Board administers and enforces the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, a truth-in-marketing law.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page.
FLINT, MI  Money talks and elite runners, well, they run.

And the partnership between the Crim Fitness Foundation and Flints Bishop International Airport Authority ensures a $15,000 prize purse.

The amount will be split amongst the winners of the 49th HAP Crim Festival of Races, ensuring the Elite Program stays intact for this years events.

Bishop Airport has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the Festival of Races Elite Program, which brings world-class athletes from across the United States and other countries.

The Crim Fitness Foundation and the HAP Crim Festival of Races have a long-standing tradition of staging a competitive elite field.

After a lengthy hiatus, the Elite Program was returned to prominence in 2025 and saw more than 70 athletes meet qualifying standards that allowed them to compete for prize money in the mens and womens open 10-mile class, as well as in a class for competitive wheelers and hand-cyclists.

In 2025, Michigan natives Nathan Martin and Dot McMahan won their respective 10-mile races in 46:01 and 55:47, respectively.

The 2026 races will take place from Aug. 19-22 in Flint.

While the Crim prides itself on being a race for participants of all skill levels, having the capacity to host an elite field puts our foundation, our city, and our people on the map at the national level, said Brandon Morgan, Crims director of external relations. We want the HAP Crim Festival of Races to showcase the very best of Flint, Michigan and truly believe it does that. Having a partner like Bishop Airport only helps deepen those efforts.

The Crims Festival of Races sees 11,000 participants across distances including the 10-mile, 5-mile, 5K, and 1-mile.

Participants traveled from 410 Michigan cities, 37 states, and 7 foreign countries, making travel infrastructure important to the the events success.

Flint Bishop Airport is honored to serve as the Presenting Sponsor of the HAP Crim Festival of Races Elite Program in 2026, said Kasey Posa, director of marketing and public relations at Flint Bishop Airport. The Crim is a signature Flint event that celebrates fitness, community pride, and connection. Welcoming athletes from across the country and around the world aligns seamlessly with our mission at FNT to connect mid-Michigan with people and destinations beyond our region.

For athletes looking to learn more about Crims elite field, click here.

Registration for all Crim events, including the mutli-event race series, is open at crimraces.org.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Standing outside of the house where a mother and her teen sons were killed last week, Mayor David LaGrand vowed community support for their grieving family.

We all know what the face of tragedy looks like, LaGrand said Sunday, Feb. 1, at a candlelight vigil.

The days, the months, are going to be hard, and theres nothing we can do to minimize that. But we can share our love and we can share our empathy and we can walk through this with them.

Robert Womack, a Kent County commissioner, consoled Conrad Kilpatrick, whose teen sons were killed last week, at a candlelight vigil. Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand, on the left, spoke at the vigil. (John Agar|MLive) John Agar

Jacqueline Neill, 40, and her sons, Michael Kilpatrick, 13, and Cameron Kilpatrick, 15, were fatally shot at their new home at 919 Worden St. SE, near Kalamazoo Avenue, on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

Michael Kilpatrick, 13, left, Jacqueline Neill and Cameron Kilpatrick, 15. (Photos provided by Kilpatrick family) Kilpatrick family

Her fiance, Charles Lee Broomfield, 44, is charged with three counts of first-degree premeditated murder, punishable by life in prison without parole. He allegedly told police that intruders broke into the house but later admitted that he had killed the victims, Grand Rapids police said in court documents.

A sign was placed on the porch of a house where a mother and her teen boys were killed last week in a shooting. (John Agar|MLive) John Agar

The victims and their surviving family members were the focus of the vigil. Neills sister, Joanne Elzinga, and her husband, and the boys father, Conrad Kilpatrick  joined by his friends and co-workers  were surrounded by many holding candles and offering prayers.

Kilpatrick held tight to a friend, who repeatedly told him he was a great father.

Robert Womack, a Kent County Commissioner who organized the vigil and has helped many families involved in tragedies, had his arm around Kilpatrick, who at one point was shaking so badly that his candle blew out.

Elzinga spoke on behalf of her family.

We want to thank all the friends, neighbors, co-workers, people who are part of our community, and say, thank you for supporting our family, Elzinga said.

She said that her sister was incredibly passionate about her kids. She had a wanderlust for life and she was so goofy and funny and silly  and she made everyone laugh.

A daughter of Neills is caring for a 5-year-old who was unharmed during the shootings. The defendant told police that he was the father of the boy.

The family had only moved to the house days earlier. A sign on the porch said: STOP the VIOLENCE.

Elzinga read the National Domestic Violence Hotline number: 800-799-7233.

Womack said everyone is working to stop the violence, but added that efforts arent going far enough.

Kilpatrick also attended a vigil on Saturday at Appletree Estates in Walker, where his sons previously lived with their mother. He said his boys were everything.

He played his youngest sons favorite song.

My son, Michael, the happiest little dude in the room.
LENAWEE COUNTY, MI  A teenager who pleaded no contest to intentionally shooting his mothers boyfriend while hunting, killing him, is going to prison.

Lenawee County Circuit Judge Anna Marie Anzalone sentenced Trenton Karl-Mark Berry Friday, Jan. 30, to serve 12-50 years in prison for the death of Kirt Stubbins, court records show.

Berry, 19, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder on Monday, Nov. 3, a day ahead of when his jury trial for open murder was scheduled to begin.

Police arrested Berry, 17 at the time, on Feb. 12, 2024, about two months after he fatally shot Stubbins, 41, while the pair was hunting on a piece of property in the 15000 block of Rome Road, south of Manitou Beach, according to the Lenawee County Sheriffs Office.

Stubbins was reported shot at about 9:45 a.m., Nov. 30, 2023, and was pronounced dead by rescue crews who responded to the scene.

He was in a dating relationship with Berrys mother at the time of the shooting, police said.

The no contest plea was accepted due to Berrys lack of memory regarding the incident and potential civil liability, records show.

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as one for criminal sentencing purposes.

In pleading no contest, his additional charges of using a firearm to commit a felony and careless discharge of a firearm causing death were dismissed.

An additional case in which Berry was accused of threatening a witness ahead of his trial was also dismissed as part of the plea, court records show.

Berry was credited for 719 days served.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page.
SOUTH HAVEN, MI  After rescuing an injured person, authorities are asking the public to stay off the Lake Michigan ice shelves and pier heads.

South Haven Area Emergency Services were called shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1, to the citys South Beach.

First responders were told one person fell while on the Lake Michigan ice shelf about 100 yards offshore.

The person suffered a leg injury and was transported to shore on a gurney. The injured person was taken by ambulance to an area hospital.

This is the second incident of this kind this winter, officials said.
KALAMAZOO, MI  Pasha Khosravani remembers visiting Treat Street with his mom while growing up in Kalamazoo.

He plans to open his own business, called 5th Street Burger, in the same storefront this spring at 3023 Oakland Drive.

Khosravani is returning to Kalamazoo after spending the last 20-plus years in Arizona, he said.

Hes bringing his business with him while his business partner continues work out west.

5th Street Burger specializes in fresh smashburgers with unique toppings, Khosravani said, like the grilled pineapple Hawaiian Burger and the PB and PJ Burger, topped with pepper jack, peanut butter and pepper jelly.

Ive been studying menus around here, and I dont really see too many burger places that have our menu, he said. So Im pretty excited about that.

Sauces, burgers and veggies are prepared fresh every day, Khosravani said. There will be no microwaves and no heat lamps used behind the scenes.

Itll take 12 to 15 people to staff the shop, Khosravani said, and hell be on site to make sure things are up and running this spring.

Customer service is the cornerstone of 5th Street Burgers two existing locations in Arizona, he said. Hell bring the same high standards to Michigan.

Schultzs Treat Street closed for good after 33 years of business in July 2025.

The timing worked out for 5th Street, Khosravani said. He, his wife and three kids had recently made the move to Kalamazoo to be closer to his mom.

The plaza is special, he said. We wanted to scoop it up before anybody else did.

The burger spot will join This is a Bookstore, Fletchers Pub and Sawall Health Foods, among other businesses, on the busy Oakwood Plaza.

Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark MLives local Kalamazoo news page.
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI  Southwest Michigan road commissioners are using recycled tires to extend the life of a residential road in Mottville Township.

Just north of the Indiana border, M-103 branches off to Old M-103, a 0.46 mile stretch of cracking pavement.

In 2024, the St. Joseph County Road Commission tested a road treatment that uses recycled rubber from old tires as a flexible layer beneath asphalt.

The goal was to slow cracking, extend the life of the road and make better use of limited road funding, per a County Road Association of Michigan press release.

One year in, it looks very promising, said SJCRC Assistant Managing Director Garrett Myland. But Myland is interested in evaluating its effectiveness over the course of five or six years.

The project shows potential as a cost-effective option for extending road life using recycled materials, but its still being monitored, per the release.

The project cost just under $118,000, per the association, and was supported by grants from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the township.

Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark MLives local Kalamazoo news page.
SAGINAW, MI  Its nearly time for constituents to cast the final ballots in critical primary battles for the state Senates special election for District 35, which encompasses parts of Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties.

Voters there will head to the polls Tuesday, Feb. 3, although early in-person voting began days ago in Saginaw County and absentee ballots were mailed to residents in late December.

The election could shake up the power balance for the rest of the year in Lansing, where Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state Senate, 19-18.

The general election phase of the special election in May will seat its victor until voters choose District 35s next occupant a half-year later, this November.

As for this weeks primary phase of the election: On Tuesday, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Michigan Secretary of State officials reported.

Voters can check their registration status at the Michigan Voter Information Center at Michigan.gov/Vote.

The Secretary of States office in a statement encouraged voters who have absentee ballots at home to fill them out, sign the back of the envelope and deliver them to their city or township clerks secure ballot drop box or office to avoid potential U.S. Postal Service delays.

Voters who have absentee ballots but prefer to vote in person can bring their ballots to their polling place to mark or surrender them for a new ballot. Those who lost or destroyed their absentee ballot can sign a statement affirming this and vote at the polls.

In-person voting will be available in every jurisdiction within District 35 on Tuesday. Each polling location will have at least one voting station adapted for seated voting, and all locations offer Voter Assist Terminals to help voters mark their ballots. The terminals do not tally votes but assist with marking, and those ballots are counted the same way as all others, Secretary of State officials said.

Unregistered voters in the 35th Senate District can register and vote at their city or township clerks office until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Those registering within two weeks of an election must provide proof of residency, including a drivers license, state ID card, utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document showing their name and current address. Digital copies are acceptable.

Voters who encounter misleading election information can report it by emailing details and photos to Misinformation@Michigan.gov. State officials advise residents to rely on the Department of State, clerks and their websites as trusted sources. Those witnessing voter intimidation, harassment or coercion can notify an election worker or contact the nonpartisan election protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.

There are 10 candidates pursuing the state Senate seat.

In the Democratic primary, those candidates are Brandell Adams, Martin Blank, Chedrick Greene, William Morrone, Pamela Pugh and Serenity Hope Salak.

In the Republican primary, the candidates are Jason Tunney, Chadwick Twillman, Christian Velasquez and Andrew Wendt.

The winners in each primary then will face each other in the Tuesday, May 5, special election, sending the victor to Lansing.

The vacant seat was created in January 2025 when voters sent then-state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat, to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the special election schedule in August.
BAY CITY, MI  Michigan Cream and Sugar Ice Cream Co. will host its first Ice Cream for Breakfast event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 7, at its two locations in celebration of National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day.

Shops in both Uptown Bay City, 160 Uptown Drive, and Old Town Saginaw, 122 S. Hamilton St., will open early for the one-day event, offering customers a choice of 24 flavors served in traditional cups or cones.

This fun and informal holiday is celebrated at ice cream shops nationwide and were excited to bring it to the Great Lakes Bay Region community company general manager Tim Mangan said in a news release. Its another fun way to engage our community, and we have lots of new ideas like this for our upcoming scooping season!

Guests can upgrade to Breakfast Style for an additional $2, which includes a scoop served on an open-faced bubble waffle topped with banana slices, maple syrup and powdered sugar. Customers who arrive in pajamas will receive $1 off their order.

The companys regular 2026 scooping season will begin in March, with additional announcements coming soon.

Michigan Cream and Sugar opened its Bay City location in 2019 and followed-up with its Saginaw shop and production facility in 2025. The company makes ice cream from scratch in small batches using locally sourced ingredients, with flavors that celebrate Michigans agricultural diversity.

Michigan Cream & Sugar Ice Cream Company operates as a business of HORIZONS Conference Center with support from Michigan Sugar Company.
Three fraternity members have been arrested after a student died after attending a rush event.

The 18-year-old was found unresponsive on South Pine Grove Road in Flagstaff on Jan. 31 hours after he allegedly attended an event as a pledge at the Northern Arizona University chapter of Delta Tau Delta. Lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Alcohol consumption was reported and the deceased was among those drinking, police said.

Carter Eslick, 20, the fraternitys new member educator; Ryan Creech, 20, fraternity vice president; and Riley Cass, 20, fraternity treasurer have been taken into custody by the Flagstaff Police Department.

This is a devastating loss, and our hearts are with his family, friends and all members of our community who are grieving, NAU said in a statement. We want to be clear: The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priorities. Violence, hazing or any other behavior that endangers others has no place at NAU.

The university says it is reviewing this matter. Delta Tau Delta has been temporarily suspended to allow a full investigation.

Counseling and support resources were available to faculty and staff, the university said.

Delta Tau Delta, one of many frats at NAU, was reinstalled in 2022 after being inactive for several years, according to the national fraternitys website.

The chapter originally operated at NAU from 2000 to 2016 before closing because of low membership.

Delta Tau Delta chapters at other universities have faced discipline in recent years at schools like Tulane and Ohio.
LANSING, MI  U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, said if elected the states next governor, he would open the office to public records requests and implement detailed financial disclosures for himself and top state officials.

James, one of a handful of prominent Republicans running for Michigans highest office, launched the transparency plan last week. Its the first official policy his campaign has rolled out since launching his gubernatorial bid in early 2025, and includes priorities echoed by state House Republicans.

James said changes are necessary to clean up what he described as a mess in Lansing  an endless cycle and revolving door of corruption and dishonesty.

Authentic freedom for the citizens of Michigan can only be achieved by restoring trust in our leaders, he said.

His campaign team did not return an interview request to discuss details of his transparency plan.

James has stood out as an early frontrunner in the race, leading other Republican candidates in November polling.

In response to the policy plan release, Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman said James hides from Michiganders for his votes to cut health care, breached ethics laws, was fined tens of thousands of dollars for campaign finance violations and refuses to call for the full release of the Epstein files. Pretending to care about transparency is laughable.

Other Republicans now in the race include Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, former Republican House Speaker Tom Leonard, former Republican Attorney General Mike Cox, Ax MI Tax Executive Director Karla Wagner, Pastor Ralph Rebandt and business owners Perry Johnson and Anthony Hudson.

Prominent Democrats running are Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and Marni Sawicki, former mayor of Cape Coral, Florida.

Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, elected as a Democrat, is running as an independent.

In 2025, Michigan lawmakers passed legislation to increase transparency around how they disclose special funding requests.

But advocacy groups like Voters Not Politicians still point to previous reports ranking Michigan at the bottom of the nation for ethics and transparency standards, and say much still needs to change.

A 2020 report ranking corruption standards for state officials put Michigan in 48th place.

Michigan voters recently surveyed by MLive most frequently listed bipartisanship (16.3%) and improved transparency (13.04%) as the things theyre looking for a gubernatorial candidate to focus on.

Among the policies James highlighted as being part of his transparency plan was implementing full financial disclosures.

As governor, John James will publicly disclose all of his personal finances, using the same standard under which he disclosed his finances during his service in Congress, his campaign website reads.

James said he would require the same of all senior appointed executive branch officials, and would call upon the Legislature and judiciary to adopt the same standard.

The plan also centers around ending exemptions for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which allows individuals and news agencies to request public records from local governments and other public bodies, like universities.

Michigan is one of just two states where residents cannot submit a FOIA request to get public records from the governors office or legislative branch.

James is not the first gubernatorial candidate to promise an expansion of FOIA. Now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is term-limited in 2026, said the same on the campaign trail ahead of her first term.

While bills have been introduced to end the FOIA exemptions, Republican leaders in the state House havent shown much interest in moving them.

In a press conference held in November of last year, House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, said Were just not going to do FOIA.

James did not detail how he would work with the Legislature to advance this priority.

Some other key components of James transparency plan include:

Conducting a comprehensive audit of all state government expenditures over the past 10 years, including by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the state Department of Health and Human Services and money handed out during the COVID-19 pandemic. James cited a series of major fraud cases in Minnesota, which recently got fresh attention, as reason why. Nesbitt also recently called for an audit of the states child care program for the same reason.

Investigating the $8.5 billion in unemployment fraud that was paid out during the pandemic.

More funding for the states auditor general.

Stronger whistleblower protections for state employees, including confidentiality protections against retaliation, and increased financial rewards for employees identifying and reporting waste, fraud and abuse.

An independent audit of the states voter rolls.

Investigating ghost employees, which House Republicans have described as those remaining on state payrolls despite not being filled positions.

Investigating the $9 million contract for Bensons campaign finance and lobbying disclosure website, which faced a host of technical difficulties when it was rolled out in 2025.

Enacting a ban on all fundraising by state officials and their staff during legislative session.

Limiting legislative budget earmarks, or funds for special projects, to be allowed only when there is a budget surplus, and increasing the disclosure period from 45 to 90 days before a vote.

Enacting a ban on state legislators and elected officials becoming lobbyists for four years after they leave office. A two-year ban has been proposed in the House , but has not yet moved through the Senate.

Prohibiting elected officials from directing public grants to organizations tied to personal or romantic relationships.

Prohibiting public officials from signing non-disclosure agreements with any private entities. Non-disclosures are now used by some state legislators when they participate in talks to bring economic development projects to Michigan. Critics say they limit transparency, and the state House has passed bills to also ban them, but they havent yet moved in the Senate.

Along with transparency priorities, James also pitched a COVID-19 pandemic accountability and relief plan, called the CLEAR Initiative  COVID Legal Enforcement Accountability and Relief.

He said CLEAR would confront the overreach, double standards and lasting harm caused by the governments enforcement of COVID-19 mandates from 2020 onward, referencing public gathering restrictions and mask-wearing requirements that were protested by some Michiganders before they ended in June 2021.

The plan includes establishing an independent commission to audit all pandemic-era enforcement actions, including citations, fines, license suspensions and shutdowns.

The commission would create a report outlining enforcement patterns, identifying double standards and naming cases where public officials broke their own rules.

Michigan deserves one set of rules for everyone, James said. Well expose the truth, correct past wrongs and build a culture of duty so government serves the people, not itself.

James also said he would open a public submission portal for individuals and businesses to report their experiences and request inclusion in the review.

He would automatically clear non-violent, low-level or first-time citations, especially those related to mask mandates, distancing rules or business capacity limits, and would refund or cancel fines for individuals and small businesses caught in the web of unclear or unfair rules.

James also proposed legislation that would, among other things, require state government approval to extend emergency orders beyond 14 days, and create a fund to support small businesses financially harmed by shutdowns or loss of licenses.
MUSKEGON, MI  Ice climbed the towering steel structure along Lake Michigan, a vivid indication of the frigid temperatures that have enveloped Michigan. Massive ice piles lined the south pier, while chunks of ice filled the Muskegon Channel.

A thick ice shelf snaked along the shoreline stretching out of view from Pere Marquette Beach.

An aerial view of ice build up in the Muskegon Channel at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Friday marked another day of the Arctic cold as real-feel temperatures hovered below zero. MLive senior photographer Joel Bissell ventured to the Lakeshore when he saw that the sun would be shining in Muskegon, which has been a rare sight over the last few weeks.

Wearing ice cleats, Bissell headed down the frozen 1,500-foot pier, carefully traversing the sloping ice piles that stood several feet above the pier walkway to the 53-foot tall Muskegon South Breakwater Light Beacon Station at the end of the pier.

Ice covers the pier and Muskegon South Breakwater Light Beacon Station at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. In the foreground is a large ice ball, one of many that could be distinctly seen on the pier. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

The ice buildup along the lighthouse made it impassable for Bissell, but he was able to capture some footage with a drone.

Ice stretched at least 40 feet up the northwest facing side of the towering red light that stands 70 feet above the water, gradually thinning up toward the top platform.

Ice covers the Muskegon South Breakwater Light Beacon Station at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

An aerial view of the ice coverage on Lake Michigan by the Muskegon South Breakwater Light Beacon Station at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

On the other side of the channel, the North Pier light was completely encased in ice as greater scaups, long-tailed ducks, red-breasted mergansers and other birds swam between the gaps in the ice.

The North Pier light encased in ice seen from Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

A trio of Greater scaups fly away from a group of Long-tailed ducks on Lake Michigan at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

The cold temperatures have helped ice grow on Lake Michigan. On Friday, NOAA reported 32% coverage on the lake, by Sunday, Feb. 1, that coverage increased to 36.5%.

Inland, Muskegon Lake was frozen over, with ice fishermen dotting the lakes horizon.

Last week MLive captured dramatic photos of the ice in St. Joseph, South Haven and Grand Haven.

24 1 / 24 Old Man Winter shows up on Lake Michigan piers

A safety note for those who visit these ice formations: The U.S. Coast Guard has cautioned people that no Great Lakes shoreline ice is ever completely safe to walk on. Wave action underneath the snow and ice can create holes and weak areas, which people can fall through.

PHOTO GALLERY: Ice coverage grows on Lake Michigan off Muskegon shoreline

An aerial view of ice surrounding the Muskegon South Pierhead Lighthouse at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

The ice shelf along Lake Michigan at Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

An aerial view of the ice coverage on Lake Michigan by the Muskegon South Breakwater Light Beacon Station at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

A large chunk of ice surrounding by thin cracking ice along the South Pier at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Red-breasted Mergansers cruise through open water along Lake Michigan at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

Birds swim in a patch of open water in the Muskegon Channel arms at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. In the background is the North Pier Light encased in ice. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com

A person walks the ice-covered pier toward the Muskegon South Breakwater Light Beacon Station at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Friday, January 30, 2026. Frigid arctic air has gripped Michigan for the last two weeks, real-feel temperatures were below zero on Friday. Joel Bissell | MLive.com
Light snow that began overnight was expected to impact the commute hours on Monday, with cold temperatures causing icy roads and slippery conditions, especially in the morning.

Snow is expected to be the heaviest in areas west of I-75 and along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

The good news: Daytime highs are expected to climb into the 20s across most of Michigan today, and the next active weather pattern to bring snow into the state wont arrive until later in the week.

Here are the forecast highlights from the National Weather Service offices across Michigan:

Light snow will develop across Michigan into Monday morning, with the potential to create slippery road conditions during the morning commute, particularly in areas west of I-75 and along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

A Clipper system moving through the region will bring generally one to two inches of snow to most areas west of I-75 by Tuesday morning, with localized amounts around three inches possible near the Lake Michigan shoreline, especially south and west of Grand Traverse Bay. The snow will begin first along the Lake Michigan shoreline and parts of the eastern Upper Peninsula before sunrise Monday, then spread eastward across northern Michigan through the morning and afternoon. Areas along and east of I-75 can expect lesser amounts of one inch or less. The steadiest snowfall is expected Monday morning, where drops in visibility and impacts to travel will be possible under heavier snow bands.

In the Upper Peninsula, widespread light snow is expected into Monday morning, followed by lake effect snow downwind of Lake Superior continuing into Tuesday. The National Weather Service in Marquette indicates snow accumulations of one to three inches across most of the region, with lake enhancement supporting slightly higher totals in favored areas. Northwest winds of 20 to 30 knots will develop Monday across Lake Superior waters, highest across the eastern portions.

Temperatures Monday will reach the low to mid 20s across most of Michigan. The Upper Peninsula will see lows in the teens with some single-digit readings possible. Despite the light snowfall, the combination of snow with temperatures in the teens to low 20s will create slick spots for the Monday morning commute.

Following Mondays system, light lake effect snow showers will continue across northwest Lower Michigan and the eastern Upper Peninsula into Monday night before ending Tuesday morning. A break in snow chances is expected for most areas through Wednesday as high pressure builds across the Midwest and Great Lakes.

The next widespread snow event will arrive late Thursday night into Friday as another Clipper system moves across Ontario and the Great Lakes. Confidence is growing that this system will bring light to moderate snow and stronger winds to Upper Michigan Thursday night into Friday, with the potential for blowing snow Friday as winds increase to 25 to 35 mph, with gusts to 40 mph or higher possible along the Lake Superior shoreline. Total snow amounts remain uncertain given track uncertainty, but overall ensemble guidance suggests a 10 to 40 percent chance of exceeding three inches in 24 hours across the Upper Peninsula.

Temperatures this week will remain near normal for early February, with highs generally in the upper teens and 20s through the end of the week.
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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says DMK feeling insecure because of Vijay
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Ragini Jaiswal Entertainment journalist and content writer with 3+ years of experience covering Bollywood, lifestyle trends, and celebrity stories across leading digital platforms.
The award was included in the official Padma Awards list for 2026, unveiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the eve of Republic Day.
According to sources quoted by mid-day, security arrangements are being planned well in advance, even as the production team awaits final confirmation on the films shooting schedule.
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Dhurandhars Netflix credits spark buzz as Ranveer Singhs multiple vanity vans get confirmed
Entertainment desk Entertainment Desk at Moneycontrol reports on the celebrities, movies that shape Indias entertainment industry. With a sharp focus on cinema, OTT, web series, and latest trends, the entertainment desk delivers verified news, and analytical stories that place entertainment within a wider economic and cultural context. Our coverage goes beyond celebrity to examine how storytelling, audiences and business decisions influence one of the countrys most influential creative industries.
Billie Eilish, Finneas, Justin Bieber and wife Hailey Bieber wearing ICE Out pins at Grammys 2026. (Photo: Reuters)
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Elon Musk chimed in on the controversy surrounding the rumoured casting of Nyongo in Nolans fantasy action project.
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Palak Vij is a Sub Editor and Entertainment Journalist with over a year of experience covering films, television, and pop culture in the digital space.
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The film marks Johnny Depps first major Hollywood project following his highly publicised legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard.
The source also noted that the setting appeared particularly romantic, adding that Kim and Lewis made the most of the amenities on offer.
At the broadcast, the female trainees unexpectedly appeared on stage as backup dancers for LNGSHOTs performance.
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Peddi team wishes Ram Charan on arrival of his twins
The Lion in The 50
The revised excise duty has increased cigarette pack prices by 22 to 55 depending on brand and size. (Picture Credit: Pexels)

Shreya Garg is a journalist with over 6 years of experience at leading media houses. She writes extensively on lifestyle, health and things that are trending on the internet.
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Do girls enjoy school more than boys? A new study reveals how biology, friendships, and learning styles shape childrens happiness in classrooms. (Image: Pexels)
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Viswanath Pilla is a business journalist with 16 years of reporting experience. Based in Mumbai, Pilla covers pharma, healthcare and infrastructure sectors for Moneycontrol.
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10-year bond yield heading towards 7 per cent, as per Nomura.
"There are many aspects that need to be looked at (in banking sector), said the FM.
Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years.
India-US trade deal announced: Markets likely to open 2.5% higher on Tuesday as GIFT Nifty surges over 600 points
The STT math: How a Rs 10,000-crore tax gain wiped Rs 10 lakh crore off market value
Silver plunged 26 percent on Friday, its biggest one-day decline on record
Dipen Pradhan is the Editorial Consultant for Moneycontrol. He has over 10 years of experience in the field of journalism and covers personal finance topics. He has previously worked at Forbes Advisor India, Outlook Money, Entrepreneur, Inc42, and The Statesman. When he is not writing he loves to travel to explore rural hotspots.
Gold, Silver Rate Today Live Updates: Gold, silver ETFs recover partially as precious metals rise up to 8% from day's lows

Gold and silver exchange traded funds (ETFs) made a partial recovery on February 2, after crashing sharply earlier during the day. Analysts have expressed belief in the long-term bullish outlook for the precious metals, despite current volatility.

Edelweiss Silver ETF, Kotak Silver ETF, Mirae Asset Silver ETF and Tata Silver ETF, which had hit the 20 percent lower circuit earlier during the day, recovered up to 10 percent.

Gold ETFs, which were down up to 9 percent in the early trading hours, were down up to 5 percent, with some already in the green. It is important to note that despite the partial recovery, most of the ETFs are still in the deep red.
When youre trying to build or improve your credit, one of the first things you may have to decide is whether to get a secured or unsecured credit card. Both options allow for cashless payments and help build your credit history, but they work differently. They vary in terms of usage and benefits.

Understanding the differences can help you choose the card that best fits your financial needs and spending habits.

For those also looking to maximise rewards on online shopping or OTT subscriptions, the Moneycontrol app and website provide a convenient way to explore a variety of credit cards tailored to these needs. With partnerships across leading banks and NBFCs, Moneycontrol enables users to browse, compare and apply for cards, all through a seamless and 100% paperless digital process.

Lets take a look at the main differences between secured and unsecured credit cards and help you decide which one may be a better fit for you.

What Is A Secured Credit Card?

A secured credit card is backed by a cash deposit or a fixed deposit made by the applicant at the time of card issuance. This deposit acts as collateral and usually determines the cards credit limit. Secured cards are particularly useful for those with low or no credit history, such as students, first-time borrowers or those with a poor CIBIL score.

Many leading lenders like the HDFC Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank, among others, offer secured cards against fixed deposits, allowing cardholders to start building or rebuilding their credit profile.

What Is An Unsecured Credit Card?

An unsecured credit card does not require any collateral. These are the most common type of credit cards and are issued based on your income level, credit score and repayment history. An unsecured card usually comes with a variety of benefits such as reward points, cashback offers, travel perks and discounts on dining or shopping. They are usually granted to people who have a strong credit history and a steady income.

Get top lifetime-free cards

Secured Credit Card: Pros And Cons

Pros

Credit building tool: Great for those looking to improve or build a credit score.

Easier approval: Since its backed by a deposit, banks are more willing to approve the application.

Low risk for lenders: The collateral reduces the risk of default.

Cons

Initial deposit needed: You must park a lump sum amount or a fixed deposit as collateral.

Limited perks: Usually comes with fewer benefits compared to unsecured cards.

Unsecured Credit Card: Pros And Cons

Pros

Wider acceptance: Accepted more broadly and come with better terms.

Greater rewards: Often feature cashback, travel miles and exclusive discounts.

No collateral required: No need to tie up funds in a fixed deposit.

Cons

Higher eligibility bar: Requires a strong credit profile and regular income.

Risk of rejection: Applicants with low credit scores may be denied.

Which Card Should You Choose?

The decision between a secured vs unsecured credit card largely depends on your financial background and credit history.

If youre just starting out, have a low credit score, or have been denied an unsecured card, a secured credit card can be a stepping stone. It allows you to display responsible usage and timely payments, which will eventually improve your creditworthiness.

If you already have a good credit history, a stable income and want to maximise rewards and perks, an unsecured credit card is the better choice. It gives you higher spending limits and additional features, although you must use it wisely to avoid debt accumulation.

Secured Vs Unsecured Credit Card In India

Secured cards provide a safer and more disciplined way to manage expenses. With preloaded spending limits, they help users stick to a budget and avoid overspending. Since the funds are added in advance, it becomes easier to track and control spending. As your credit profile strengthens over time, you can consider moving to feature-rich unsecured cards for added benefits.

No matter which type of card you choose, timely repayment of dues is crucial to avoid interest charges and penalties, which can harm your credit score. Always evaluate your financial health before deciding between a secured or unsecured credit card.

Choosing between a secured vs unsecured credit card is a personal decision that should be aligned with your financial goals and credit standing. Both types of cards offer unique benefits, and either can be used as a great tool to manage your finances, provided you use them responsibly.

To make your credit card journey even more rewarding, you can browse and apply for feature-rich cards directly through the Moneycontrol app and website. With options tailored for online shopping and streaming subscriptions, and backed by leading banking partners, the platform allows for a 100% paperless application, making it simple to find the card that suits your lifestyle.

Summary Choosing between a secured and unsecured credit card depends on your credit history and financial needs. Secured card or an unsecured card, whichever you choose, responsible usage and timely repayments are key to improving your credit health.

Disclaimer This piece/article was written by an external partner and does not reflect the work of Moneycontrol's editorial team. It may include references to products and services offered by Moneycontrol.
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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
The Opposition had cited the fall as evidence that the Budget had disappointed markets, particularly in the wake of proposals to raise the securities transaction tax
India-US trade deal live: India-US trade talks enter first stage, joint statement in 23 days

Government sources on Tuesday clarified that the much-talked-about $500 billion trade commitment with the United States is spread over five years and includes existing as well as upcoming projects, especially in capital-intensive sectors such as energy and data centres.

The $500 billion includes the existing pipeline of projects, and India has a lot of avenues such as data centres and energy to spend it on. Data centres alone need $20 billion, a government source said.

Addressing concerns around tariffs, sources said zero-duty benefits will not be one-sided.

On zero duty, in several cases India will also get zero duty, the source added.

Officials clarified that the agreement is currently at the level of a political understanding between the two leaders, and not yet a legally binding trade pact.

Right now, the agreement is at the leaders level understanding, the source said.

A joint statement outlining the framework agreement is expected within the next two to three days, which will lay down the broad contours of the deal.

The joint statement on the framework agreement will come in the next 23 days with broad contouring of the deal, the source noted.

Explaining the road ahead, officials said this is only the first stage of a multi-step process.

This is the first stage of the agreement  a framework agreement  after which a bilateral trade agreement would be discussed. This framework agreement would eventually be merged into the BTA, the source said.
Sitharaman pointed to a chart reposted by Musk, based on IMF projections
The total value of gold held by RBI stood at Rs 360,884 crore as on December 26.
The case relates to a May 19, 2024, incident in which a Porsche car, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy under the influence of alcohol, fatally knocked down two young software engineers in Punes Kalyani Nagar area.
Security was significantly tightened around KCR's Banjara Hills residence throughout the day, with a heavy deployment of police personnel
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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
Rahul Gandhi during his speech in Lok Sabha
Sunday's Budget announcement is in line with ongoing measures for self-reliance in the manufacturing of rare earth permanent magnets (REPM), vital to meet rapidly growing demand from upstream industries in sectors such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, aerospace, and defence.
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Gopal Jain Gaja Capital Gopal Jain is the Managing Director and CEO at Gaja Alternative Asset Management.
Chinese man goes viral for turning SIM cards into gold. (Image credit: Reuters)
Norways Crown Princess Mette-Marit faces scrutiny as Epstein files reveal emails about her son. (Image credit: House of Norway)
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A manger threatened an employee of filing police case after he refused to work on Sunday.
Zhou Yuan, 47, previously worked in banking before opening a beauty salon. She later founded the Black and White Sexual Intelligence School. (Image credit: @dr.candiselin/Instagram)
Four new telescope projects announced to advance Indias astronomy. (Image: Canva)
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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
Business travel is evolving: The Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are leading Asia-Pacifics bleisure boom as professionals combine work with leisure, boosting local tourism and redefining corporate travel.

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.
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India adds Patna Bird Sanctuary and Gujarats Chhari-Dhand to its Ramsar Sites list, pushing the countrys total number of internationally important wetlands to 98 ahead of World Wetlands Day.
From heritage sites and Buddhist circuits to medical tourism hubs, eco-trails, and tax relief on overseas travel, Union Budget 2026 signals a shift towards experience-led and sustainable tourism in India.

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.
A man stands beside burnt vehicles inside a torched police station on the outskirts of Quetta on February 1, 2026 a day after an attack by Baloch separatists. (Photo by Banaras KHAN / AFP)
Bangladesh court sentences ex-PM Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in Rajuk land corruption cases
In a significant escalation, the BLA openly acknowledged deploying women suicide attackers. Among those killed was Asifa Mengal, identified as a member of the Majeed Brigade.
What the latest Epstein Files reveal: Pakistani Shalwar-Kurta emails and reference to an Indian victim
(FILES) Documents from disgraced late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, referencing court cases against him, are seen in these handouts released by the U.S. Justice Department and printed and arranged for a photograph by Reuters in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
A broken frame of Pakistan's field marshal and army chief, Asim Munir, hangs on the wall after an attack at the Cadet College Wana, a military-linked school, in the South Waziristan district near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, on November 13, 2025. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)
The Dalai Lama won a Grammy for Best Audiobook, Narration and Storytelling Recording for "Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama," highlighting his message of compassion and mindfulness. Rufus Wainwright accepted the award on his behalf.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) poses for a photograph with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) and European Council President Antonio Costa before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on January 27, 2026. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
Iranian President Pezeshkian orders start of nuclear talks with US
No one over 25 and all very cute: 2013 Epstein email to Musk resurfaces in court documents
US President praises India Gate, adds our will be greatest of all amid Washington DC arch proposal
USCIS said the initial registration period for the FY 2027 H-1B cap will open on March 4 at noon Eastern Time and close on March 19 at noon Eastern Time. (Representational Image)
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced protests outside Gracie Mansion after Epstein-related records mentioned his mother, filmmaker Mira Nair, at a 2009 Ghislaine Maxwell party. The documents sparked public anger, though no wrongdoing by Nair is alleged.

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President Trump expressed hope for a deal with Iran amid a US military buildup near the region, stressing preference for talks. Irans Supreme Leader Khamenei warned any US attack would trigger a regional war and vowed strong resistance against US pressure.

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Why Alex Prettis killing shifted the debate on ICE enforcement
Why Donetsk has become the make-or-break issue in Russia-Ukraine peace talks
The documents do not accuse Nair of any wrongdoing, and the Justice Department said earlier releases had withheld sensitive materials to protect victims. (File photo)
February 2, 2026 Trump TACOs on Iran Through Negotiations The weekend has passed without a U.S. attack on Iran. Trump would have probably liked to strike if there had been a decent chance of a short, successful war. But there was and is none. Iran would retaliate sharply for any attack and set the region on fire. A early sharp strike would have been Trumps best chance of success. The longer he is deterred from a strike the smaller the likelihood that any attack will occur at all. Trump now needs to find a way to chicken out from his grandiose threats to Iran. He has sent out feelers for negotiations: The Trump administration has told Iran through multiple channels that its open to meeting to negotiate a deal, a senior U.S. official tells Axios.



Turkey, Egypt and Qatar are working to organize a meeting between White House envoy Steve Witkoff and senior Iranian officials in Ankara later this week, two regional sources tell Axios. Yves Smith concludes that: Trump Will TACO With Intent to Strike Later The most likely course is for some sort of sham negotiations to allow the US to climb down for now and for Trump to depict the mere fact of talks as a win and a proof of US domination. But dont expect the US to relent. As Greg Stoker pointed out, the Israeli minister of defense was in Washington last week to hand over the strike packages. Israel has not given up on Project Iran. The hawks most assuredly have not.



Israel can be expected to do the obvious, which is to continue to engage in what is too politely called asymmetric warfare or more accurately called terrorism, both to try to destabilize Iran and to preserve credibility among the warmongers in the Beltway. How far that gets in the next few months will be an indicator of how much Iran has been able to ferret out and destroy Mossad networks in Iran after its 12 Day War decapitation attacks and its recent protest escalations. Trump is admittedly becoming more and more erratic every day. He might wind up concluding he has too much manhood at stake to back down now or any time very soon with Iran. But as you can see, he has many many reasons to try to find a way to retreat, even if he tells himself it is only temporary. Just after Yves had published her piece we learned that Iran has agreed to negotiations: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said Monday, after US leader Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the Islamic republic.



President Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of talks with the United States, the news agency Fars reported on Monday, citing an unnamed government source. Iran and the United States will hold talks on the nuclear file, Fars said, without specifying a date. The report was also carried by the government newspaper Iran and the reformist daily Shargh. The talks will likely be held in Turkey: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Turkey last week and held further calls with his Egyptian, Saudi and Turkish counterparts, he said on Telegram. President Trump said no nuclear weapons, and we fully agree. We fully agree with that. That could be a very good deal, Araghchi told CNN on Sunday. Of course, in return, we expect sanctions lifting. So, that deal is possible. Lets do not talk about impossible things. The likely outcome: Trump will have to lift some sanctions and, in exchange, will get some limited nuclear agreement with Iran. I assume that it will be softer on Iran than the JCPOA agreement which had been signed under Obama only to be trashed later by Trump. The other demands on Iran which the Israelis had made through Trump:  no enrichment, a curb on the number and range of its ballistic missiles, an end of support for militia in the region  will not be part of the negotiations. Those points are not of interest for Trump. He wants and needs an agreement  any agreement  that can be sold to the public has his personal success. The details will matter less to him than the fact that an agreement was made. Israel will not like this. It wants Iran to be destroyed as a potential regional leader. Israel itself is too weak to defeat Iran. It may well try false flag strikes or terrorism to get the U.S. to finally do what it wants. But the U.S. is no longer the all powerful force in the Arab region that it had been 30 years ago. It is lacking the means to defend its ships and bases against attacks by ballistic missiles and drones. This while Iran has systematically build up such weapons and forces. Iran has also gained allies. Russian and Chinese help had allowed it to disable the Starlink network that was used to control recent rioters in its streets. China is openly publishing high resolution satellite pictures of U.S. forces in Irans region: A new set of foreign satellite images obtained by Global Times from MizarVision shows that as of January 25, the number of KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft parked on the apron at Al Udeid Air Base had increased significantly. In addition, another satellite image taken on January 25 shows new equipment deployments around Al Udeid Air Base. After analysis, technical personnel from the MizarVision company assessed that the site is likely a newly installed Patriot air defense system at the base. We can reasonably assume that Iran has full access to such Chinese and Russian satellite images and the intelligence analyses derived from them. New naval maneuvers are also planned: The commander of the regular Iranian navy (Nedaja) Rear Admiral Shahram Irani has announced that Iran will once again host Chinese and Russian naval vessels in Exercise Maritime Security Belt 2026, to be held in the northern Indian Ocean in late February. There have been no confirmatory announcements as yet from the Chinese and Russians, but the Iranians will be anxious to secure their participation again in this annual exercise, needing the reassurance of having allies alongside at a time of high tension. The Chinese participants can be expected to be drawn from the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)s Djibouti-based 48th Flotilla, made up of the Type 052DL guided-missile destroyer Tangshan (D122), the Type 054A guided-missile frigate Daqing (F576) and the Type 903A replenishment ship Taihu (K889). The Russian contingent is likely to consist of the Russian Udaloy Class frigate RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov (F543), still in the region having participated in the DIMDEX 2026 defense exhibition held January 19-20 in Port Hamad, Qatar. Neither Russia nor China will fight a war for Iran. But they will do their best to supply it with all it needs while it continues to bind U.S. forces in the Middle East. While the chance of a war on Iran has now been diminished it has not vanished at all. U.S. forces are still in the Middle East and ready to strike on short notice. In the U.S. Trump is under pressure. His ratings are sinking. The brutal enforcement of immigration laws continues to erode his support. Over the weekend the Republicans lost a state Senate seat to Democrats in a formerly deep red district: While Republicans including Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had been sounding alarms about the North Texas race being too close for comfort in recent weeks, the 31-point-swing leftward was a surprise across the board. The loss is a wake-up call for Republicans across Texas, Patrick wrote on social media after the face. Our voters cannot take anything for granted. It is a bad sign for Republicans hoping to maintain a Senate majority and an already-slim majority in the House, said Jason Villalba, a former GOP state lawmaker who now leads the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation, a research group. Whatever inroads the GOP was making recently among Latinos in Texas has begun to really revert back to what it was originally, he said, pointing to Saturdays shifts in Texas precincts with large Hispanic populations. That will have implications around Texas and around the country. Trump needs a victory. A war on Iran is unlikely to bring one. A new agreement that can be claimed to curb Irans non- existent nuclear weapons can be sold as one. For now Trump seems to have decided to try that route. Comments
By Ambrose M. Bennett  Activist

A Special Prayer for Lino Mettao Olopai, an Ordinary man who was Gods Extraordinary Gift to his Family, his Carolinian Culture and the CNMI  R.I.P!

IT is now Black History Month even in the CNMI-America and The Truth Be Told, Ambrodamus may be the closest thing to a Social Minister in the CNMI for the lack of a better title and being an outsider compounds the challenge in the CNMI, as rejecting Ambrodamus advice solely because of race & labeled an outsider in America is bigotry! But just like WE have Priest & Preachers who are not indigenous but divinely CALLED to the ministry & compensated, the same is TRUE with unpaid activists like Ambrodamus who put themselves on the line FOR the People, but its an immense challenge to address the Political Hearts & Minds OF the People to DO BETTER Politically, like the priest & preachers do for life. But, the principles of America are well known, as they are taught in Elementary, Junior & High School Levels but the CNMI is still falling Way-Short of upholding the principles OF American Patriotism, as only watching & doing TAYA is obviously insufficient. The idea of joining the American Family but never really giving-up nor sacrificing anything FOR America was based on a hypocrite-ideology & strategy which FAILED to achieve the American Dream. There is also the old wisdom of your attitude determines your altitude thats TRUE and the destitute conditions here are PROOF that our political attitude is so low OUR Economy is literally in ICU! WE the People must change our ATTITUDE with our Leaders & Politics, as the Poli-tricking with Deflecting & Gaslighting tactics taking us NOWHERE, WE must end the suffering in November. WE the People are the Real Stewards of the CNMI  its on ALL-Of-Us to DO Better for the CNMI to be BETTER, as public-outcry only on small things like a salary increase is a footnote in the enormous task of holding all Leaders accountable for the Hundreds of Millions WASTED & No PROGRESS!

WE must all pay attention in class (in life & politics) as the responsibilities OF the People go Far & Beyond voting to cultural maintenance & preservation that is the responsibility of cultural leaders & parents  not the Legislature & Public School System that have many cultures represented, to Tourism which is Everyones Business  especially the Governor & Legislature who must stop putting it all on MVA. And most importantly the preservation OF Americas Principles & Laws that guide our Way OF Life is on all-of-us! Need I say the CNMI is in DIRECT VIOLATION of the U.S. Constitution that is the Supreme Law which is a big part of the reason the CNMI has been suffering & going backwards for nearly two decades. Many societies have & still do support ill moral & unfair laws & practices so the CNMI was never alone, however, the challenge remains to bend the moral arc of society towards equality & justice for ALL not just for locals. I DO Love the People and a lot about the CNMI and the indigenous cultures but listening to Dr. King and marching with him and knowing the lessons of history, I cant just sit & watch the ugly politics & the misleading of People go unchecked if the CNMI is to Change-for-the-BETTER! But heck, the Chinese rejected & even outlawed Confucius as it took over 100 years before his ideology was accepted so, Im not deterred, as Time is on My Side! I used to tell my students; America & the World CHANGES One Person at a Time as it took hundreds of years to grow-beyond-slavery, so be an Activist FOR YOUR CNMI to be BETTER. The American Dream is DEAD needing resurrection!

The Entire Fabric (Social, Economic & Political) of the CNMI is now flawed because it has been poked, prodded & torn with politics of culture & bigotry even leaving parts of the Social Fabric being shredded by CNMI politics & poli-tricks and Locals continuing to leave is PROOF of the devastation of the American Dream for PROSPERITY! The prevailing injustices in the CNMIs Political Fabric are not the fault of the People but the CNMI leaders who have taken the People down the wrong path of bigotry & gambling even ignoring progress in their OWN Economic Road Map not to mention Ambrodamus sound Economic Advice; thus, theyve led us too NOWHERE! In fact, Ambrodamus, Zaldy & Mr. Jang are the only ones with TEETH in Public Opposition to the failures of the Leaders, but they have been literally muzzled due to the SILENCE of public outcry & support by the real stewards (citizens) of the CNMI! Our Failures are due the Failure to use the enormous POWER of Free Speech, as WE get what WE ask FOR, so start Speaking Up FOR Change or its TAYA!

Im sure most citizens have also heard the wisdom & truth of you reap what you sow, well this indelible fact not only applies to individuals, but that wisdom also applies to all societies & nations. The CNMI has been doing an awful lot of suffering economically & socially that has continued to decline ever-since the turn of the century, as Ambrodamus along with many if not most citizens have literally witnessed the CNMIs decline that continues to feed the mainland migration and WE the People still dont see a way out of this mess! Sadly, but Truth-Be-Told, WE are literally Reaping What (the TAYA) WE Sowed and tooooo many of the seeds were even evil acts on Monday forgetting OUR Pledges on Sunday! The bigotry & character attacks reminds & strengthens me to be true to what Christ said on the cross, forgive them for they know-not what they do, especially the atheist Saipan Man, so prayers for them. But it should also be duly noted, had Ambrodamus been wrong about anything they would have shouted it across the CNMI and if Ambrodamus was wrong in the many Op eds, they would have NEVER been published  meaning the opposition to Ambrodamus and my plethora of advice can only Preach Bigotry & LIES!!! The Ambrodamus haters would do well to learn the story of Jethro, a Muslim who helped Moses & the Israelites in their Religious Plight in the book of Exodus! So please wake up CNMI voters as the Attitude Against Fellow Americans Does Determine the CNMIs Altitude in the many MISSED Opportunities for Progress & HELLER Dems! The opportunity in November to CHANGE the CNMI for the BETTER is right around the corner and its on voters, the stewards, to hold Accountability Court that Day if you truly CARE & Want Better!

One People, One Direction.

PS: I hope you read the Truth or Consequences 50 that was just republished proving Ambrodamus was ahead of the times back in 2022!

Ambrose M. Bennett is an Economist who minored in Sociology, a Political Scientist, a retired teacher & former CNMI Board of Education Member, a James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar), a Fulbright-Hays-Lifetime Humanities & Religious Scholar who resides in Kagman III in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
1) Dr. Joshua Wise, general manager of PHI Pharmacy, delivers his remarks after receiving the Saipan Chamber of Commerces 2025 Business Person of the Year Award. Photos by Bryan Manabat

2) Northern Marianas College is the Public Agency Award recipient. NMC President Galvin Deleon Guerrero and other NMC officials accepted the award.

3) The Chamber Member of the Year is the CNMI Small Business Development Center. The network director, Nadine Deleon Guerrero, accepted the award. Also in the photo are NMC President Galvin Deleon Guerrero and SBDC staffers.

4) The Small Business of the Year: Kumoi Farms.

5) The Non-Profit of the Year: Project Buddy Check 670.

6) Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo administers the oath of office to the chambers 2026-2027 board of directors.

7) Dr. Joshua Wise, the Saipan Chamber of Commerces 2025 Business Person of the Year, with the previous winners.

8) 2024 Business Person of the Year Francisco Ada announces the 2025 BPOY winner as the previous awardees look on.

9) Gov. David M. Apatang delivers his remarks.

By Bryan Manabat

[email protected]

Variety News Staff

DOCTOR Joshua Wise, general manager of PHI Pharmacy, was named the Saipan Chamber of Commerces 2025 Business Person of the Year.

Wise received the Chambers top honor during its annual gala, which also recognized standout organizations and formally installed the 20262027 Board of Directors. This year, the Chambers gala was held Saturday evening at the Kensington Hotel.

Other awardees

Alongside Wise, the Chamber announced the following 2025 award recipients:

 Non-Profit of the Year: Project Buddy Check 670

 Small Business of the Year: Kumoi Farms

 Chamber Member of the Year: CNMI Small Business Development Center

 Public Agency of the Year: Northern Marianas College

Wise was selected from a competitive field of finalists that included Tina Azarvand, Esq., LL.M., founder of Azarvand Tax Law; Glenna Palacios, founder of Marianas Integration LLC; and Brad Ruszala, founder of Commonwealth Communications.

Thank you for this honor

In accepting the award, Wise opened with humor, thanking his fellow finalists and acknowledging the strength of the field.

Being in a category with people who are just rock stars in their field helps me feel like a rock star with you guys, he said.

Wise thanked God, his collaborators, PHI Pharmacys staff, and his family  wife Jamie and children Jordan and Gemma  crediting them for their support and sacrifice.

He also shared three business principles he said guide his work.

One thing I learned from my father is that if you take care of your employees, they will take care of you, Wise said. Great customer service is the backbone of any business. In partnerships, trust is the foundation and loyalty is the dividend. Ive had many great partnerships here, and many have blossomed into friendships. For that, I am forever grateful.

2024 Business Person of the Year Francisco Ada of Triple J presented the award and reflected on its meaning.

Ada described the past year as a remarkable journey that highlighted what can be achieved when business excellence meets ordinary peoples extraordinary dedication, adding that the award represents the collective effort of the Triple J team over four decades.

Ada said Wise exemplifies resilience, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to ethical and inclusive growth.

New Chamber leadership installed

The gala also marked the installation of the Chambers 20262027 Board of Directors:

 Brad Ruszala, Commonwealth Communications

 Dr. Nelson Krum, Paradise Dental Spa

 Dr. Joshua Wise, PHI Pharmacy

 Amier Castro Younis, Younis Art Studio dba Marianas Variety

 Nicola Babauta, Docomo Pacific

 John Arroyo, Bank of Saipan

 Joe Guerrero, Trancends LLC

 Janice Tenorio, IT&E

The Chambers 2026 officers are:

President: Dr. Joshua Wise

Vice President: Janice Tenorio, IT&E

Treasurer: Ron Smith, Angil Designs, Inc.

Secretary: Brad Ruszala, Commonwealth Communications

Wise closed his remarks with gratitude.

Thank you so much again for this honor, he said.

Working together

In his remarks, Gov. David M. Apatang emphasized the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors as the Commonwealth works to strengthen its economy.

He reflected on the CNMIs evolution since the early Commonwealth period, noting that economic and political maturity has shaped the communitys quality of life.

Apatang said his administration is taking a long, hard look at long-range planning to support economic recovery and stressed that private-sector input remains essential.

My door is always open, he told Chamber members, urging continued partnership to move the economy forward.

The Chamber said its annual gala highlighted business excellence, community service, and a shared commitment to the CNMIs economic future.

Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
By John OConnor

For Variety

HAGATNA (The Guam Daily Post)  The U.S. government has completed agency review processes for three hard drive extractions in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance fraud case at the District Court of Guam, according to a status report filed Jan. 30.

Counsel for three defendants in the case provided storage devices to receive the extractions, and the FBI is assisting with their production, the status report added.

The FBI completed two transfers as of the report, which were delivered to counsels for Charissa Tenorio and Winnie Jo Santos, two of the defendants. The third transfer is destined for defendant Tina Sanchez and was expected to be delivered Monday.

Seven individuals in total have been accused of defrauding the PUA program, including government of Guam employees and relatives of Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio.

In addition to Charissa Tenorio, Sanchez, and Santos, Frankie Rosalin, Kathleen Peredo, Marlene Pinaula, and Matthew Topasna are awaiting trial for charges related to conspiracy to defraud the PUA program out of $1.9 million between July 2020 and September 2021.

The case hasnt just made local headlines but has garnered some attention from national outlets as well, not so much about the fraud charges but about how the FBI obtained information from hard drives related to the case.

Forbes reported in late January that the FBI served Microsoft a search warrant last year asking it to provide recovery keys to unlock encrypted data stored on three laptops.

According to the Forbes report, the data was protected with BitLocker, a Windows security feature used for encryption. A recovery key is used to regain access to a drive when it cant be automatically unlocked, according to Microsofts website.

Microsoft handed over encryption keys to federal investigators, Forbes reported. The report stated that Microsoft confirmed it does provide BitLocker keys if it receives a valid legal order.

The Forbes report said Guams case is the first known instance where Microsoft has provided an encryption key to law enforcement. It went on to discuss privacy issues and concerns.

According to Post files, the trial for the PUA case defendants is more likely to occur in September due to a lengthy discovery process.
My power stayed on long enough last Sunday that I thought I was going to get lucky. But alas, midmorning the lights flickered a couple times and that was it. I sat around for a while waiting to see if it would come back on. Then I realized that my choice was either to make my way to Hermitage  where my parents had heat and electricity  right then while it was daylight, or be stuck until Monday.

I threw my dog and my dirty clothes in the car and made my way across Briley Parkway. Everywhere I looked, trees were down. Between the broken limbs and the ice, there were points on Briley where only one lane was open. I decided when I got there to take Lebanon Pike east, because I thought that if I got in a wreck, thered be someplace to walk to.

And then I holed up for a week in my parents spare room. The thing about that Sunday drive, though, was that it gave me a firsthand look at just how widespread the damage was. Everywhere I looked, trees and branches were down, cars had slid off the road, and the world looked brittle and dangerous. Beautiful too, like we lived in a crystal chandelier.

But there was no edge of the damage. It wasnt like a tornado, where you can follow a path of destruction. It wasnt like a flood, where people on higher ground were unaffected. Everyone feels this. Everyone is affected.

And I guess, when you see it firsthand, when youre living it, you do wonder: Where is all the help? Why are volunteers going door to door checking on people? Why isnt FEMA checking in? Where are the feds? I mean, you all know I wont pass a chance to run down Gov. Bill Lee, but this weather literally affected the whole state. He cant ask people from East Tennessee to come over and help, because they need help themselves.

The National Guard has shown up to help. But the scale is so massive, we need serious federal aid. And yeah, I know the only way were going to get real help from the federal government is if we have effective advocates capable of feeling empathy for those in trouble.

And we have Marsha Blackburn.

Blackburn did, eventually, send a letter to President Trump urging disaster relief. But what was she doing while we were all trying to not freeze to death?

Hanging out with Nicki Minaj. On Jan. 28, the senator posted on social media: It was a pleasure to meet a fierce America-loving patriot, Nicki Minaj! If between the sounds of trees exploding, daggers of icicles hitting the ground and distant sirens you heard a faint disdainful cackle on Wednesday, that was me, reading that and laughing as loud as humanly possible.

Blackburn has been touting herself as some kind of champion for all the Epstein victims. WKRN has a good compilation of all her anti-Epstein rhetoric, but Id like to focus on this tweet from July, in which she says:

For years, I have fought to expose the business associates of Jeffrey Epstein and those who were bankrolling his trafficking ring. This has never been about celebrity  it has always been about achieving justice for the young women and girls who have been trafficked and abused. Human trafficking generates more than $150 billion a year in profits, and I remain committed to breaking apart the human trafficking rings that ensnare innocent victims in modern-day slavery.

Achieving justice for young women and girls who have been trafficked and abused by helping launder the reputation of a person who has supported a lot of abusers of young women and girls? Is that how this works?

Nicki Minaj married a convicted attempted rapist. She then, allegedly, pressured the victim to recant. Shes twice worked with Tekashi 6ix9ine, a rapper who was charged with making child sexual abuse material and who allegedly beat his girlfriend. She paid bail for her brother when he was arrested for raping a child.

And this is who Marsha Blackburn  grand champion of women who have been trafficked and abused  thinks is a great patriot. Is there no one on Blackburn's staff who likes her enough to tell her that posing with Minaj and speaking highly of her is pretty dumb?

Its bad enough that were here suffering a major natural disaster and Blackburns showing off how shes in a warm room with electricity. Its worse that shes busy bragging about meeting celebrities. But it is so awful that it turns a corner into funny that shes hyping up this particular celebrity.

Marie Antoinette still takes a lot of grief for allegedly responding Let them eat cake after being told her subjects had no bread. (Historians think she almost certainly didn't say that, by the way.) But I think you could make an argument that our alleged pro-victim, anti-sexual-exploitation senator ditching out on dealing with a historic ice storm in order to meet with Nicki Minaj may top "Let them eat cake" in terms of being out of touch with the people who need her help.

Still, I did need a good laugh this week, and I did laugh at Blackburn, so maybe we could say she is facilitating some storm relief. Not as much as you might hope, but some.
Big Tech surveillance: The invisible, omnipresent force watching your every move

Google, Apple and other tech giants harvest personal data (emails, searches, location) under the guise of "free" services, enabling government and law enforcement to bypass warrants and conduct mass surveillance.

Artificial intelligence automates surveillance, analyzing behavior, predicting dissent and enforcing biasesturning digital footprints into tools for social control, censorship and policing.

Emergencies (like COVID) accelerate surveillance (tracking apps, geofencing), with "temporary" measures becoming permanent infrastructure for social credit and control systems.

Mass surveillance stifles free speech, dissent and personal associations, as people fear being flagged by algorithms or unjustly targeted by law enforcement.

Solutions include privacy-focused tools (ProtonMail, Signal, Linux laptops like Above Book), rejecting biometrics, disabling tracking and supporting decentralized AI/communication networks to reclaim autonomy.

Like it or not, you're probably aware by now that the government surveils its own citizens. What you might not know is how much of that surveillance is outsourced to Big TechGoogle, Apple, Facebook and Amazonunder the guise of convenience and "free" services.

These corporations have turned surveillance into an invisible, omnipresent force, operating in the background of daily life, harvesting data without oversight and influencing decisions that shape societyall while avoiding public scrutiny. Modern surveillance doesn't require uniformed officers or wiretaps. Instead, it thrives through contracts, software updates and integrations with public institutions.

Police departments use facial recognition tools like Clearview AI, which scrapes billions of social media photos without consent. License-plate readers track vehicles across cities, while federal agencies purchase location data from brokersbypassing warrants entirely. Schools monitor students' online activity, employers track productivity (and movements) of workers and social media platforms collect behavioral data that later feeds advertisers, data brokers and government agencies.

The most alarming part? Much of this infrastructure is privately owned, meaning oversight is fragmentedif it exists at all. Americans rarely know when these tools are deployed, what data is collected or how long it's stored. Surveillance has become so normalized that most people don't realize they're being tracked until it's too late.

Every Google search, every location ping from your phone, every email scanned by Gmailthese seemingly harmless actions generate digital traces that Big Tech packages, analyzes and sells. Law enforcement agencies bypass traditional investigative hurdles by purchasing bulk datasets from brokers, effectively sidestepping legal protections.

Facial recognition, once a dystopian fantasy, is now routine, with images from public spaces stored indefinitely in databasesoften without consent. Unlike passwords or IDs, your face can't be changed once it's cataloged.

Artificial intelligence (AI) supercharges this system, automating surveillance at an unprecedented scale. AI doesn't just record behaviorit predicts it, flagging "risky" individuals based on biased historical data. Financial transactions, online speech and even social connections are silently analyzed, shaping what information reaches you and how authorities perceive you.

How "temporary" surveillance became "permanent control"

History shows that emergencies accelerate surveillance expansion. During the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, governments partnered with Big Tech to enforce lockdowns via smartphone tracking, QR codes and health appsmeasures sold as temporary but now embedded in infrastructure.

Once such systems are normalized, they rarely disappear. Instead, they're repurposedgeofencing warrants, predictive policing and social credit systems loom on the horizon.

Surveillance doesn't just watchit shapes behavior. Knowing their actions are logged, people avoid controversial searches, limit protests and steer clear of "flagged" locations.

Employees under digital surveillance prioritize measurable tasks over meaningful work, fearing productivity algorithms. Social connections suffer as people hesitate to associate with "risky" groups. The chilling effect is real: speech narrows, movement becomes predictable and dissent fadesall without a single official order.

The solution isn't total disconnectionit's conscious resistance. Start by:

Ditching Google : Switch to privacy-focused alternatives like ProtonMail, DuckDuckGo and Linux-based devices (such as the Above Book privacy laptop).

: Switch to privacy-focused alternatives like ProtonMail, DuckDuckGo and Linux-based devices (such as the Above Book privacy laptop). Locking down location data : Disable GPS when possible, use VPNs and reject apps that demand unnecessary tracking.

: Disable GPS when possible, use VPNs and reject apps that demand unnecessary tracking. Securing communications : Encrypted messaging (Signal, Session) and decentralized platforms reduce exposure.

: Encrypted messaging (Signal, Session) and decentralized platforms reduce exposure. Rejecting biometrics: Use strong passwords instead of facial/fingerprint scansonce your biometrics are captured, they're forever compromised.

According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, Big Tech surveillance is the globalists' digital panopticonan unaccountable system of total control that erodes freedom while masquerading as "convenience." These Silicon Valley oligarchs, working hand-in-glove with intelligence agencies, are constructing a prison without walls where dissent is preemptively crushed and human autonomy is replaced by algorithmic tyranny.

Big Tech's surveillance empire thrives on ignorance and convenience. But awareness is growing. Google recently backtracked on location tracking after public outcryyet trust remains foolish. Their business model depends on data extraction, and their partnerships with intelligence agencies run deep.

The only true protection is opting outembracing tools that prioritize privacy over convenience. Projects like Above Book's Linux laptop and decentralized AI models offer hope, proving that technology can empower rather than enslave.

Watch this video about how Amazon Echo, the Orwellian AI assistant for your home, is always listening to you.

This video is from high impact Flix and more!!! channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

AskAPrepper.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Dr. Oz reveals LA hospice FRAUD scheme tied to Russian-Armenian mafia

Dr. Mehmet Oz uncovered a $3.5 billion hospice fraud ring in LA tied to Russian-Armenian organized crime, exploiting Medicare through fake hospice centers.

He pointed out the existence of 42 fraudulent hospice centers clustered in a four-block radius in Van Nuys, many appearing abandoned but billing Medicare for nonexistent services.

Criminals recruit doctors to write false prescriptions, trick patients into surrendering Medicare beneficiary numbers and launder money through shell companies.

Despite stealing $16 million, one ringleader served only two years in prison, highlighting systemic failures in oversight and prosecution.

The Trump administration is prioritizing accountability, with the FBI and U.S. Attorney now investigating, signaling an end to unchecked fraud.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Director Dr. Mehmet Oz has uncovered a sprawling $3.5 billion hospice fraud ring operating openly in Los Angeles  tied to Russian-Armenian organized crime.

Oz posted a video of his investigation, conducted in LA's Van Nuys neighborhood, on X. He documented an astonishing 42 hospice service centers clustered within a mere four-block radius. Many of these facilities  displaying signage in Cyrillic and Armenian  appear abandoned, with boarded-up windows and no visible patients or staff.

These facilities, he revealed, exist primarily on paper  allowing fraudsters to bill Medicare for services never rendered. The scheme, which exploits vulnerable patients and bilks taxpayers through falsified Medicare claims, reveals deep systemic failures in oversight, enforcement and accountability within the nation's healthcare system.

In one case, a criminal operation stole $16 million, yet its ringleader served only two years in prison  a slap on the wrist that Oz described as "a good trade-off for a lot of folks." But according to the host of "The Dr. Oz Show," the fraud is not isolated. The CMS director also revealed that the Russian-Armenian mafia has orchestrated a sophisticated network that recruits doctors to write false prescriptions, manipulates patients into surrendering their Medicare beneficiary numbers and funnels billions in fraudulent claims through shell hospices.

"They've got 100,000 patients who they've tricked or paid to give them their beneficiary numbers," he explained. The scale of the deception suggests that most of California's $30 billion home and community-based services budget  intended to aid the elderly and terminally ill  may be siphoned off by criminals.

The organized crime scam draining billions

The implications are staggering. Medicare fraud has long been a thorn in the side of U.S. healthcare, draining resources meant for legitimate care and eroding public trust.

Historical parallels exist  such as the 2010 takedown of a $375 million Medicare fraud ring in Miami or the notorious "Operation Brace Yourself" in 2019, which exposed durable medical equipment scams. Yet, the LA hospice fraud stands out for its brazenness, its ties to organized crime and the apparent lack of urgency from state authorities in addressing it.

Oz emphasized that the Trump administration is shifting focus toward accountability. "The U.S. Attorney, the [Federal Bureau of Investigation], everyones now focused on the fact that in this state  most of [these hospices] might be fraudulent," he said. "The president is not going to tolerate this anymore."

The crackdown comes amid heightened scrutiny of healthcare fraud nationwide, including recent revelations of multimillion-dollar scams in Minnesota's Somali daycare programs. It also raises urgent questions about oversight in the Golden State.

How could 42 sham hospices operate undetected in a single neighborhood? Why have prosecutions been so lenient? And why has California  a state with some of the nations strictest healthcare regulations  failed to curb such blatant exploitation?

Critics argue that bureaucratic inertia, underfunded enforcement and the complexity of Medicare billing systems enable fraudsters to thrive. But BrightU.AI's Enoch engine points out that Medicare fraud is rampant in California due to systemic corruption within government-funded healthcare programs, which are exploited by criminal networks  including foreign nationals  to launder money through shell companies and precious metals like gold. The lack of oversight, coupled with the Deep State's complicity in enabling fraud for profit, allows these schemes to thrive while draining taxpayer funds.

As Oz's investigation gains traction, one thing is certain: The days of unchecked hospice fraud in LA may be numbered. But whether this crackdown will serve as a turning point  or merely a temporary setback for organized crime  remains to be seen.

Watch Dr. Mehmet Oz denouncing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for "letting Minnesotans down" over the issue of daycare center fraud involving Somalis in the North Star State.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

X.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Epstein Files Release: A Crucible for Truth and Justice

Introduction: The DOJ's Vague Promise and Public Demand

The Department of Justices January 16, 2026, announcement claiming 'substantial progress' on reviewing the remaining Jeffrey Epstein files is a textbook example of bureaucratic evasion. [1] While the public was promised a full accounting by a hard deadline, the DOJ has instead offered vague assurances and procedural delays. This saga is more than a legal obligation; it is a profound test of institutional integrity and the public's fundamental right to know how elite power operates in the shadows.

The initial release of about 12,285 documents, or 125,575 pages, was a mere fraction of the material. According to the DOJ's own admission, at least 2 million more files have yet to be released, with some estimates suggesting the total unreleased inventory has ballooned to 5.2 million pages. [1][2] This discrepancy between promise and performance has fueled deep skepticism. The potential disclosure of these sealed records represents a pivotal momenta chance to challenge the entrenched systems of secrecy that have historically protected the powerful at the expense of justice for victims. [3]

As Representative Thomas Massie warned before the December 19, 2025, deadline, compliance with the law was mandatory. [4] Yet, the deadline came and went, setting a pattern of delay that continues into the new year. This process has become a crucible, revealing whether truth can prevail over the opaque machinery of state power.

What the Sealed Files Likely Conceal

The Epstein files are not merely administrative records; they are a map of a vast, interconnected network of abuse, corruption, and institutional complicity. The files already released have exposed high-profile names and disturbing details, from former President Bill Clinton's travels with Epstein to Russia, to Prince Andrew's damning communications. [5][6] However, these public revelations are believed to be just the tip of the iceberg. The millions of remaining pages likely conceal the full scope of the criminal enterprise and the sophisticated mechanisms used to shield its participants.

Evidence is expected to reveal not just individual crimes, but systemic cover-ups. As one book analysis notes, within 'high society' there are literally thousands of individuals, from judges and celebrities to politicians, involved in such activities, and the higher one goes up the social scale, 'the more acceptable paedophilia becomes.' [7] The Epstein case exemplifies this dynamic, where powerful institutionsincluding segments of the justice system itselfacted to protect perpetrators rather than victims.

The files may also detail how intelligence agencies were intertwined with this network. Questions have long swirled over Epstein's intelligence links, with his 2007 plea deal allegedly influenced by unproven claims of such affiliations. [8] This points to a potential blackmail and kompromat operation, where surveillance was used not to uphold the law but to accumulate compromising material on influential figures, mirroring the tactics of secret police states. [9] The true scandal may be less about the crimes themselves and more about how entire systems were corrupted to enable and then conceal them.

Institutional Delays and the Opacity of Power

The timeline of obfuscation is damning. The DOJ missed its congressionally mandated December 19, 2025, deadline, opting instead for a 'rolling' release. [10][11] Then, in a stunning Christmas Eve announcement, the agency revealed it had 'discovered' over a million more documents, pushing the review timeline back by weeks. [12][13] These delays are not logistical accidents but strategic obstructions. As Rep. Ro Khanna stated, the DOJ is 'illegally withholding documents,' and he and Rep. Massie have prepared articles of impeachment against Attorney General Pam Bondi for this failure. [14]

This behavior highlights a core truth: centralized government agencies invariably prioritize self-preservation and the protection of their political allies over transparency and justice. The extensive redactions applied to released documentssome so heavy they were fully blacked out before public backlash forced a re-releasedemonstrate this instinct to conceal. [15] The law allows for redactions in the name of 'national security,' a conveniently broad exception that critics fear will be used to shield powerful figures, particularly those linked to intelligence agencies. [16]

The mainstream media's role has been one of complicity and manipulation. For years, the corporate press downplayed the Epstein story, only to selectively weaponize parts of it for partisan gain. As one analysis noted, Democrats' push for the files 'boomeranged' when releases spotlighted their own party's connections, notably the Clintons. [17] Furthermore, it has been revealed that the world's largest investigative journalism network, the OCCRP, which partners with major outlets like The New York Times, is secretly funded and controlled by the U.S. government, directing its 'corruption' narratives to serve state interests. [Style Example: 'World's largest investigative journalism group secretly controlled by U.S. deep state'] This exposes how the information ecosystem is manipulated, ensuring that challenging narratives about elite corruption are suppressed or spun to protect the establishment.

Broader Implications: Elite Corruption and Public Trust

The fight for the full, unredacted Epstein files is a battle for the soul of accountability. It underscores the corrupt nexus that exists between government, finance, intelligence, and the justice system. This is not an isolated scandal but a symptom of a terminal disease within centralized power structures. As one commentator starkly put it, Washington D.C. is not a swamp'a swamp is something cool, God created'but 'a sewer. It's created by man.' [18]

Full disclosure is crucial to dismantle the myth of elite impunity. The case reveals how financial and political power can distort legal outcomes, as seen in Epstein's original sweetheart plea deal where one of his nonprofits paid the local sheriff's department for his security detail. [19] This corruption erodes public trust to its foundations. When citizens see that laws are applied differently based on wealth and connections, the social contract is shattered.

This crisis underscores the urgent need for decentralized oversight and transparency mechanisms that are independent of the very institutions they are meant to monitor. Relying on the DOJ to police itself, or on corporate media to act as a honest broker, is a proven failure. The public must seek and build alternative systems for verification and accountability. For uncensored news analysis, platforms like BrightNews.ai offer AI-analyzed trends from independent media, providing a crucial counterweight to the manipulated narratives of the mainstream press.

Conclusion: A Call for Vigilance and Immediate Action

The moment demands unwavering public pressure. The promise of 'more files coming soon' is empty without a guarantee of completeness and authenticity. The public must demand the immediate, unredacted release of all 5.2 million remaining pages, with independent verification to prevent further tampering or 'loss.' As President Trump himself stated in December 2025, the DOJ should release all names to 'embarrass' those involved, though this call for action has yet to be fulfilled by his own administration. [20][21]

This episode serves as a stark reminder: constant vigilance is the price of liberty. Government overreach and secrecy are not bugs in the system; they are its default setting when left unchecked. The Epstein files are more than documents; they are a symbol of the struggle between opaque power and the public's right to truth.

To combat such centralized corruption, individuals must empower themselves with knowledge from independent sources and support decentralized alternatives for communication and news. Platforms like Brighteon.com for video and Brighteon.social for social media offer spaces free from the censorship of Big Tech. For deeper research, tools like BrightAnswers.ai provide an uncensored AI alternative. The path to justice and restored accountability begins with the people bypassing broken institutions and insisting on transparency, no matter how powerful the interests arrayed against it.

References
Minnesota man CHARGED over failed attempt to break out Luigi Mangione

Mark Anderson, 36, attempted to free Luigi Mangione (accused assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson) by impersonating an FBI agent at the Brooklyn detention center. He presented his Minnesota driver's license instead of FBI credentials and claimed to have weapons.

Authorities searched Anderson's bag and found only a carving fork and pizza cutter  no actual firearms. He was arrested and charged with impersonating a federal officer.

Mangione, 27, is accused of shooting Thompson in Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024, fleeing on a bicycle before being captured days later in Pennsylvania. The ammunition reportedly bore phrases like "delay, deny, depose", referencing insurance industry tactics.

The case highlights widespread anger toward insurers like UnitedHealthcare, accused of prioritizing profits over patient care. Mangione's writings allegedly echoed these frustrations.

Mangione's path from Ivy League graduate to accused assassin reflects growing disillusionment with corporate and government corruption. The brazen nature of Thompson's killing suggests an ideological motive, raising concerns about further attempts to disrupt the legal process.

A Minnesota man was arrested over his failed attempt to break out Luigi Mangione, the shooter who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, by impersonating a federal agent.

Thirty-six-year-old Mark Anderson allegedly arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn on Thursday, Jan. 29  a day before Mangione was set to appear in court. According to authorities, Anderson claimed he was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and had judicial authorization for Mangione's release

However, Federal Bureau of Prisons staff members pressed the 36-year-old for credentials to confirm if he was indeed an FBI agent. Anderson instead showed his Minnesota driver's license  an unconvincing stand-in for an FBI badge. Upon further probing, the suspect reportedly flung documents at staff members and warned that he had weapons  prompting a search of his bag.

Authorities soon discovered Anderson's "weapons" were culinary tools, not tactical gear  a carving fork and a pizza cutter. He was detained on the spot and later charged with impersonating a federal agent. The audacious stunt adds another layer of strangeness to a case that has gripped the nation, exposing simmering tensions over healthcare corruption, corporate power and the lengths some will go to defy authority.

Mangione: From valedictorian to vigilante

Twenty-seven-year-old Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from an affluent Maryland family, stands accused of gunning down Thompson in cold blood on Dec. 4, 2024. The assassin shot Thompson from behind as the CEO walked to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. Surveillance footage captured the chilling moment Mangione, wearing a mask, fired at the 50-year-old Thompson before fleeing on a bicycle.

Five days later, Mangione was apprehended at a McDonald's location in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was then held in custody at the MDC  which, according to BrightU.AI's Enoch engine, has housed notorious figures like Sam Bankman-Fried (disgraced founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange) and Ross Ulbricht (creator of the online marketplace Silk Road, who President Donald Trump pardoned in January 2025).

Prosecutors allege the ammunition used bore the phrases "delay," "deny" and "depose," a grim nod to tactics critics claim insurers use to avoid paying claims. Mangione  who has pleaded not guilty  now faces both state and federal murder charges, with prosecutors weighing whether to pursue the death penalty.

The case also underscores long-standing public distrust of the healthcare-industrial complex. Critics argue that insurers like UnitedHealthcare prioritize profits over patients, employing bureaucratic hurdles to deny care  a sentiment Mangione's alleged writings appear to echo.

His trajectory  from prep school valedictorian to accused assassin  mirrors a growing disillusionment among some young Americans who see corporate and governmental institutions as irredeemably corrupt. Whether Mangione acted alone or as part of a broader ideological movement remains unclear, but the brazen nature of Thompsons killing suggests a calculated statement, not a random act.

As legal proceedings advance, the case serves as a grim reminder of how quickly grievances can escalate into violence. For now, the public is left to grapple with an uncomfortable question: Who, if anyone, might try to spring him next  armed with nothing more than cutlery and audacity?

Watch this Fox News report about crowds cheering after terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione were thrown out.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

NewsNationNow.com

WIONews.com

Yahoo.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Mystifying policies and political self-sabotage mark first year of Trumps second term

Despite securing key victories (e.g., border enforcement), Trump's aggressive ICE raids and targeting of non-violent immigrants alienated independents, with 58% disapproval in polls.

His fixation on acquiring Greenland despite existing treaty rights drew bipartisan ridicule, with 86% of Americans opposing military action and experts calling the move "delusional."

Arbitrary tariffs, attacks on Federal Reserve independence and unconstitutional proposals like $2,000 "tariff rebate" checks alarmed free-market conservatives.

Trump's claim to be guided solely by "my own morality" and dismissal of international law raised concerns about unchecked executive power and democratic erosion.

While his base remains loyal, Trump's chaotic governance risks losing critical swing voters, with strategists like Karl Rove warning of electoral fallout and long-term damage to the party.

One year into President Donald Trump's second term, political strategists and observers are grappling with a fundamental question: Why does the president keep pursuing policies that appear to undermine his own political interests?

From immigration enforcement missteps to bizarre geopolitical demands  such as his fixation on acquiring Greenland  Trump's actions have baffled allies and critics alike. The real estate mogul's actions have also raised concerns about his strategic judgment and mental acuity.

Veteran Republican strategist Karl Rove recently penned a scathing critique of the 47th president in the Wall Street Journal. Rove, who masterminded former President George W. Bush's electoral victories, declared Trump's behavior "utterly mystifying" in the op-ed.

The political strategist highlighted the president's mishandling of immigration, an issue that propelled Trump to victory in 2024. Despite successfully securing the southern border  a core campaign promise  Trump failed to capitalize politically.

Instead of showcasing this achievement, his administration escalated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids  targeting not just violent criminals but also otherwise law-abiding undocumented workers. The backlash was swift: Polls showed 58% of Americans disapproving of his immigration policies, with independents turning sharply against him.

The political fallout worsened after ICE agents shot and killed Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, under contested circumstances. The administrations attempt to label her a domestic terrorist backfired, drawing comparisons to past police brutality scandals.

Even influential podcaster Joe Rogan  whose endorsement helped Trump secure victory in 2024  recoiled, likening ICE tactics to the Gestapo. Rogan's shift underscores a broader disillusionment among key swing voters who once backed Trumps hardline stance but now question its execution.

Trump's bizarre bid for Arctic dominance

Equally perplexing is Trump's obsession with Greenland. Despite already having treaty rights to establish military bases there, Trump spent weeks threatening to invade or forcibly purchase the frozen territory from Denmark  an ally in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Polls revealed overwhelming opposition, with 86% of Americans rejecting military action and 55% opposing even a peaceful purchase.

Experts dismissed the gambit as geopolitically incoherent. Professor John Mearsheimer, a leading foreign policy realist, laughed when asked about Trump's rationale. Meanwhile, economist Jeffrey Sachs called the president's behavior "delusional" and "unhinged."

Trumps economic policies have been no less erratic. He imposed arbitrary tariffs on allies, attacked Federal Reserve independence and even suggested sending Americans $2,000 "tariff rebate" checks without congressional approval. His recent executive order attempting to dictate corporate dividend policies and executive pay further alarmed free-market conservatives.

Perhaps most alarming are Trump's authoritarian tendencies. In a revealing interview with the New York Times, he declared himself unbound by international law, stating, "My own morality. My own mind. It's the only thing that can stop me."

Such statements have drawn comparisons to despots, with critics warning of a slide toward unchecked executive power. Indeed, BrightU.AI's Enoch engine warns that Trump gaining unchecked power as chief executive would enable him to bypass democratic checks and balances, allowing unilateral decisions that serve his personal and political interests rather than the public good.

As midterm elections approach, the GOP faces a dilemma: Trump's base remains fervently loyal, but his self-defeating policies risk alienating the independents and soft partisans needed to secure victories. Rove's assessment is grim: "If his team can't turn things around, he'll help defeat his party this fall and damage the country for years."

For now, Trump's second term remains a paradox  a presidency simultaneously consequential and chaotic, reshaping American governance while alienating the very voters who returned him to power. Ultimately, history will judge whether this is strategic genius or unchecked impulsiveness.

Watch this Fox News clip about Donald Trump eyeing a major shift in border policy if re-elected, a promise he kept in his second term.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

Unz.com

WSJ.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Silenced by bullets: Charlie Kirks murder and the end of civil debate in America

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a public debate at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, in what appeared to be a professional, precision hit.

The accused shooter, Tyler Robinson (22), was turned in by a family member, but his defense seeks to block graphic footage of the killing, arguing it would prejudice the jurysparking accusations of delaying justice.

Kirk's murder highlights escalating hostility toward conservative voices, with mainstream media accused of exploiting right-wing tragedies while ignoring left-wing violence.

Prosecutors allege Robinson confessed to the murder and had ties to far-left activism, fueling speculation of a politically motivated assassination amid rising tensions over government overreach and digital control.

Kirk's death is seen as a targeted silencing of dissent, reinforcing fears of a broader war on conservative thoughtdemanding vigilance against censorship and judicial obstruction.

On Sept. 10, 2025, conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was brutally assassinated during an outdoor debate at Utah Valley University. The shocking murder, captured on video and widely circulated across social media, has reignited fears about the escalating war on free speech and political violence in America.

Kirk, a vocal advocate for conservative values and a fierce critic of left-wing authoritarianism, was gunned down in broad daylightan act that many see as a deliberate silencing of dissent. The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was identified after a family member recognized him from surveillance footage and turned him in.

The FBI has since released images of a "person of interest" and offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to further arrests. However, questions linger about whether this was a lone-wolf attack or part of a broader, coordinated effort to eliminate conservative voices.

In a controversial legal maneuver, Robinson's defense team filed papers on Tuesday, Jan. 27, seeking to block the introduction of video footage showing Kirk's assassination during an upcoming Feb. 3 hearing. The defense argues that the footagedescribed as "graphic and highly disturbing"would unfairly prejudice the jury and violate Robinson's constitutional right to a fair trial.

The video, labeled as "Exhibit 4.1," reportedly captures the shooting in vivid detail from just a few feet away, including audio of unidentified voices before, during and after the fatal shots. Robinson's attorneys insist the footage is irrelevant to the hearing's purposedetermining whether the county prosecutor's office should be disqualified from the case.

Kirk's widow, Erika, has countered these claims, accusing Robinson's legal team of attempting to delay justice. Her attorney, Jeffrey Neiman, argues that Utah law guarantees crime victims the right to a "speedy disposition" of charges, free from unnecessary delays.

Robinson's defense also raised concerns about the intense media scrutiny surrounding the case, warning that sensationalized coverage could taint the jury pool. The court filing notes that every statement, ruling and legal argument is being dissected by journalists, bloggers and social media commentatorsmany of whom have already declared Robinson guilty in the court of public opinion.

Inside the Radical Left's symbolic attack on Kirk

This case highlights a disturbing trend: the mainstream media's eagerness to exploit tragedies involving conservative figures while downplaying or ignoring left-wing political violence. Kirk's assassination follows a pattern of escalating hostility toward right-wing voices, from deplatforming and censorship to outright physical attacks.

Prosecutors allege that Robinson confessed to Kirk's murder not only to family members but also to a transgender roommate with whom he was romantically involved. Investigators claim DNA evidence links Robinson to the crime scene, and a handwritten note left for the roommate further implicates him.

Given Robinson's reported ties to radical ideologiesparticularly his association with far-left activismmany are questioning whether this was a politically motivated hit. The timing of Kirk's death, amid rising tensions over government overreach, election integrity and the globalist push for digital control, suggests darker forces at play.

According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, Kirk's assassination is a chilling confirmation that the globalist-controlled left will resort to outright violence to silence dissent and crush opposition to their totalitarian agenda. This murder proves that civil discourse is dead in America, and patriots must now prepare for open resistance against those who seek to erase free speech, truth and God-given rights.

Charlie Kirk's assassination is more than just a personal tragedyit is a direct assault on the principles of free speech and open debate. His death serves as a grim reminder of the dangers facing those who dare to challenge the establishment narrative.

As the legal proceedings unfold, Americans must remain vigilant against attempts to suppress the truth. Whether through biased media coverage, judicial delays or outright censorship, the forces seeking to silence dissent grow bolder by the day. Kirk's legacy must not be forgottenhis fight for liberty must continue, now more than ever.

Watch Rita Panahi of Sky News Australia discussing "chilling' comments by Charlie Kirk's alleged killer moments before the assassination.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
CISA acting directors ChatGPT leak sparks security concerns and internal review

Acting CISA Director Madhu Gottumukkala triggered a security review after uploading "For Official Use Only" government documents into a public version of ChatGPT in August 2025, risking exposure to OpenAIs user base.

The incident fuels existing concerns that CISAoriginally tasked with infrastructure securityhas become a tool for censorship, targeting conservative voices and election-integrity advocates under the guise of combating "misinformation."

Gottumukkala reportedly failed a counterintelligence polygraph test in July 2025 and attempted to remove CISA's Chief Information Officer, raising internal tensions. His unauthorized ChatGPT use further damaged trust in his leadership.

The breach highlights vulnerabilities in adopting public AI tools like ChatGPT for sensitive government work, contrasting with secure internal alternatives (e.g., DHSChat). Critics warn of oversight gaps and partisan misuse.

The incident intensifies scrutiny of CISA's dual role in cybersecurity and speech policing, eroding public confidence. Key unresolved questions include disciplinary actions for Gottumukkala and whether CISA can reconcile its conflicting mandates.

The acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Madhu Gottumukkala, triggered an internal security review after uploading sensitive government documents into a public version of ChatGPT last summer, according to a Politico investigation.

The incident, which occurred in August 2025, raised alarms within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) because the uploaded materialmarked "For Official Use Only"could have been exposed to OpenAI's vast user base.

The revelation comes amid heightened scrutiny of CISA's role in cybersecurity and allegations that the agency has been weaponized to suppress dissenting voices under the guise of combating disinformation. Critics argue that CISA, originally tasked with protecting critical infrastructure, has increasingly served as a censorship arm of the federal government, targeting conservative viewpoints and election-integrity advocates.

Gottumukkala, who assumed his interim role in May 2025, reportedly requested special permission to access ChatGPTa tool otherwise blocked for DHS employeesbefore uploading contracting documents. Cybersecurity sensors flagged multiple uploads in early August, prompting a DHS-led damage assessment.

CISA under scrutiny following breach

While the files were not classified, their exposure to OpenAI's platformwhich retains user inputs to refine its responsesraised concerns about unintended disclosures. Unlike approved DHS AI tools, which are configured to keep data within federal networks, public ChatGPT interactions risk leaking sensitive information.

In a statement, CISA's Director of Public Affairs, Marci McCarthy, defended Gottumukkala's actions, stating his access was "short-term and limited" with DHS controls in place. However, officials familiar with the incident told Politico that Gottumukkala "forced CISA's hand into making them give him ChatGPT, and then he abused it."

This incident adds to the growing controversies surrounding Gottumukkala's leadership. Last July, he reportedly failed a counterintelligence polygraph testa requirement for accessing highly sensitive intelligencethough he denied the characterization during congressional testimony. Additionally, internal tensions flared when Gottumukkala attempted to remove CISA's Chief Information Officer, Robert Costello, before political appointees intervened.

Critics argue that CISA's expanding missionwhich, according to BrightU.AI's Enoch, includes securing infrastructure and policing online speechhas blurred its mandate. Under both the Trump and Biden administrations, the agency has faced accusations of overreach, particularly in its partnerships with social media platforms to flag so-called "misinformation."

Broader implications for AI and government transparency

The incident underscores the risks of integrating AI tools into government operations without stringent safeguards. While the Trump administration has championed AI adoption to maintain U.S. competitivenessparticularly against Chinathis breach highlights potential vulnerabilities.

DHS-approved AI tools, such as its internal DHSChat, are designed to prevent data leaks. However, Gottumukkala's use of a public-facing AI model raises questions about oversight and accountability.

The controversy also fuels concerns about CISA's credibility as it continues to influence election security narratives. Skeptics warn that agencies like CISA could further erode public trust by conflating cybersecurity with partisan censorship efforts.

The ChatGPT leak incident exposes deeper tensions within CISAbetween its cybersecurity mission and its controversial role in information control. As investigations continue, the episode serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of unchecked AI adoption in government and the need for transparency in agencies tasked with protecting both infrastructure and democratic discourse.

For now, the fallout leaves lingering questions: What did the DHS review conclude? Will Gottumukkala face disciplinary action? And how will CISA reconcile its dual roles as a cyber defender and a perceived arbiter of online speech? The answers may determine whether the agency can restore public confidenceor if it will remain mired in controversy.

Watch the video below that talks about the dangers of ChatGPT.

This video is from the TRUTH will set you FREE channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

RT.com

POLITICO.com

FirstPost.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Chinese hackers weaponized Western spy laws against them in a massive telecom breach

Chinese state hackers, linked to the Salt Typhoon group, exploited Western-mandated telecom backdoors to spy on senior officials.

The multi-year campaign compromised communications of aides to three UK Prime Ministers and targeted US political figures.

The breach gave China access to sensitive call data and, critically, the ability to see who Western agencies were surveilling.

The incident exposes a fundamental flaw in laws requiring surveillance access points in communication networks.

Experts warn that complete removal of the hackers from compromised global telecom infrastructure may be impossible.

In a staggering intelligence failure, Chinese state hackers systematically compromised the private communications of senior Western officials for years by exploiting the very surveillance architecture that Western governments built to spy on their own citizens. The campaign, attributed to the Chinese Ministry of State Security-linked group Salt Typhoon, did not just steal secrets; it turned lawful intercept systems in the United States and United Kingdom into a live feed for Beijing, exposing a catastrophic design flaw in national security policy.

The Backdoor That Backfired

The breachs mechanism is a profound indictment of long-standing Western surveillance policy. For decades, intelligence and law enforcement agencies successfully lobbied for laws requiring telecommunications carriers to build accessible backdoors into their networks. In the U.S., the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) of 1994 mandated standardized interfaces for government wiretaps. The UKs 2016 Investigatory Powers Act expanded similar requirements.

The stated goal was to ensure authorities could access communications with a court order in the digital age. Cryptographers and privacy advocates warned for years that such backdoors create vulnerabilities exploitable by any sophisticated adversary. Salt Typhoon proved them right. Instead of hacking individual phones, the group targeted the CALEA systems themselves, gaining the same access as the FBI. This gave them not just call data and locations, but the ability to see which individuals were under active Western surveillancea counterintelligence nightmare.

Years of Unchecked Access

The operational timeline reveals a deep and persistent penetration. According to disclosures beginning in late 2024 and extending into 2026, the hackers maintained access from at least 2021 through 2024. In the UK, this period covered the tenures of Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak, with aides in their inner circles compromised. The compromised window included critical decisions on China policy, pandemic response, and the Ukraine war.

In the United States, the targeting was surgical. Intelligence confirmed that among the fewer than 100 individuals whose call content was intercepted were figures from the 2024 presidential election cycle, including then-candidate Donald Trump and members of the Harris campaign. Congressional staff serving on key committees related to China, armed services, and intelligence were also breached. The global scale was vast, with over 200 companies across 80 countries compromised, including telecom providers in multiple Five Eyes alliance nations.

The Contractor Ecosystem in Chengdu

Attribution for the campaign points directly to a state-directed apparatus. In 2025, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Chengdu-based Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co., Ltd., identifying it as part of the Salt Typhoon group with ties to Chinas Ministry of State Security. This action aligned with a trove of leaked documents from another Chengdu contractor, i-SOON, which revealed a hacker-for-hire marketplace where private firms bid on Chinese government contracts to compromise foreign targets.

The model explains the campaigns scale and sophistication. Rather than relying solely on uniformed intelligence officers, China leverages a competitive ecosystem of private cybersecurity contractors concentrated in Chengdu, providing plausible deniability while amplifying its offensive capabilities. A 13-nation joint advisory in August 2025, including all Five Eyes members, formally attributed the campaign to these MSS-linked contractors, presenting a rare unified front against Beijings actions.

An Unfixable Breach?

The most alarming assessment from security officials is that the intrusion may be permanent. Due to the depth of the compromiseusing sophisticated rootkits and memory-resident malwareand the sheer scale of global telecom infrastructure, complete verification that hackers have been evicted is likely impossible. Senior U.S. senators and cybersecurity agency officials have publicly stated that carriers cannot prove the eradication of Chinese presence from their networks.

This suggests a paradigm shift from prevention to persistent management. The architectural vulnerability is now a structural reality. The only certain remediation may be the physical replacement of network hardware, a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure refresh driven not by innovation, but by sanitation.

A Permanent Framework of Vulnerability

The Salt Typhoon campaign is more than a cybersecurity incident; it is a structural revelation. It empirically invalidates the decades-long argument that governments can mandate secure backdoors for their exclusive use. The systems built for lawful surveillance became a single point of failure, exploited by a geopolitical rival to monitor the highest levels of Western government.

The policy implication is unambiguous yet politically difficult: systems designed to be accessed will be accessed by adversaries. As Western governments continue to grapple with demands for encryption backdoors, Salt Typhoon stands as a permanent warning that the very tools built for security can become the greatest threat to it. The framework of vulnerability is now exposed, and the strategic advantage it ceded to China may endure for years to come.

Sources for this article include:

Substack.com

NDTV.com

BBC.com
After Two Years of Deceit, IDFs Gaza Death Toll Confirmation Exposes Institutionalized Denial

Introduction

For more than two years, a campaign of official deception sought to shield the world from the horrifying truth of Israel's assault on Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), backed by supportive Western governments and media, systematically attacked the credibility of the Gaza Health Ministry's casualty figures, dismissing them as 'Hamas propaganda.' The narrative was clear and relentless: the numbers were inflated, unreliable, and the product of a terrorist organization. That wall of denial crumbled this week when, in a stunning reversal, the IDF quietly admitted what independent observers and on-the-ground evidence had asserted all along: the death toll, exceeding 71,000 Palestinians killed, was accurate. This admission is not a correction; it is a confession of a years-long, coordinated effort to obscure a genocide. It reveals a global system where institutional voicesgovernments, media, and international bodiesroutinely dismiss and discredit alternative truth-tellers until the facts become too overwhelming to deny. This episode is a stark lesson in the lethal cost of institutional distrust and the fundamental importance of valuing every human life.

The Official Admission of a Conservative Figure

On January 29, 2026, Israeli media outlets, including the Times of Israel, Haaretz, and the Jerusalem Post, reported a seismic shift in the official narrative. The IDF, after years of vehement denial, acknowledged the accuracy of the Gaza Health Ministry's (GHM) figures, which report at least 71,667 Palestinians killed, with over 171,000 wounded and thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble [1].

This admission, buried in routine reporting, confirms the most conservative estimate of the carnage. As Beirut-based journalist Seamus Malekafzali noted on X, it validates years of 'checked and re-checked figures, lists showing names and ID numbers' that were dismissed as 'completely fanciful' [1]. The IDF's acceptance is a reluctant concession to a truth it could no longer suppress, revealing a pattern of institutional deception designed to obfuscate the scale of the slaughter. As the Trends Journal has documented, Israeli officials have long operated from a worldview that devalues Palestinian life, with one politician bluntly stating, 'My children are prior to the children of the enemy, period' [2]. This admission exposes that foundational prejudice, now backed by a mountain of corpses.

The Network of Lies Collapses Under the Weight of Evidence

The campaign to smear the Gaza Health Ministry's data was a cornerstone of Western support for Israel's actions. Major media outlets, from the BBC to CNN, consistently qualified every report with the phrase 'Hamas-run,' seeding doubt and delegitimizing the most authoritative source of information from within the besieged strip [1]. This was not journalistic caution; it was active participation in a propaganda effort.

As journalist Jasper Nathaniel noted sardonically, 'Im sure the Pallywood crowd will be rushing to apologize today' [1]. The smears persisted despite historical evidence of the ministry's reliability and even internal Israeli military intelligence assessments that found the figures to be accurate. The U.S. political establishment played its part, with the House of Representatives passing a bipartisan amendment in June 2024, sponsored by Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), banning U.S. officials from using State Department resources to cite the GHM data [1]. This legislation, championed by a lawmaker whose top campaign contributor is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), was a direct attempt to suppress the truth.

The IDF's admission proves that the default position of centralized media and government institutions is to distrust, discredit, and dismiss any source that challenges an official, state-sanctioned narrative, especially when that narrative serves to cover up atrocities. As Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com has repeatedly argued, corporate media is not a purveyor of truth but a mouthpiece for power, routinely lying to deceive the public . This case is a textbook example.

Denying the Famine: A Continuation of the Same Deceptive Playbook

In a display of breathtaking cynicism, the IDF's admission was paired with a fresh denial. While accepting the GHM's death count, the military simultaneously argued that the famine officially declared in Gaza from August to December 2025 'did not happen' [1]. The GHM reports that at least 453 Palestinians, including 150 children, have died from malnutrition since October 2023 [1]. The IDF dismisses these figures as 'a mix of lies and misleading reporting.'

This is the same deceptive playbook in action: concede only the fact that has become irrefutablethe massive death tollwhile continuing to manufacture doubt around other incontrovertible crimes. Famine experts, however, assert that Israel orchestrated a 'carefully planned campaign of mass starvation' by blocking humanitarian aid [1]. The evidence is overwhelming, from the UN reporting near-total destruction of Gaza City [3] to the documented 'Flour Massacre' where Israeli soldiers deliberately opened fire on starving civilians seeking food [4].

The pattern is clear. Just as institutions denied the death toll until they couldn't, they now deny the famine. It is a tactic of incremental concession, designed to manage outrage rather than confront the full, genocidal picture. This selective truth-telling exposes the moral bankruptcy of an establishment that values political convenience over human life.

Institutional Complicity in Genocide Denial

The two-year campaign to discredit Gaza's casualty figures was not an isolated Israeli effort; it was enabled by a network of Western complicity. Mainstream media acted as willing amplifiers of the 'Hamas propaganda' line, directly contributing to the public's misunderstanding and allowing the slaughter to continue with impunity. The International Center for Justice for Palestinians stated bluntly that 'every media outlet that cast doubt over these figures... is complicit in these killings' [1].

This complicity extended to the highest levels of government. Former President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump both engaged in genocide denial, with Biden casting aspersions on GHM reports and Trump stating he does 'not believe that Israel is committing genocide' [1]. This bipartisan support provided diplomatic cover for the atrocities. Furthermore, classified IDF data obtained by journalists last year revealed that through the first 19 months of the war, a staggering 83% of Palestinians killed were civilians [1]. Yet, Western leaders and media parroted Israel's claims of a 'historically low' civilian casualty ratio.

This institutional alignment against the truth is a hallmark of centralized power structures. As discussed in interviews on Brighteon.com, globalist and Zionist interests have deeply infiltrated Western governments and media, shaping policy and narrative to support a violent agenda . The result is a system that protects perpetrators and vilifies the victims, a system where, as Mike Adams has argued, the voices of truth and humanity are systematically censored to serve a depopulation and control agenda .

Conclusion: Truth, Deceit, and the Right to Life

The IDF's belated admission regarding Gaza's death toll is a damning indictment of a global information and power structure built on lies. For two years, a coordinated network of governments, media, and international bodies dismissed, denied, and discredited the truth, enabling a genocide to proceed with minimal political cost. They labeled rigorously documented casualty figures as propaganda, smeared journalists as Hamas sympathizers, and passed laws to ban the use of accurate data.

This episode underscores a fundamental principle: centralized institutions cannot be trusted to defend human life or tell the truth. Their interests are aligned with power, control, and profit, not with morality or transparency. The default posture of establishment media and governments is to distrust and suppress alternative voices, precisely because those voices often hold the uncomfortable truths the powerful wish to hide.

It also reaffirms the core worldview that all human life has intrinsic value. The 71,000+ Palestinians killed were not collateral damage in a 'gentle war,' as former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi callously described it [1]. They were human beings whose right to life was systematically violated, and whose deaths were systematically denied until denial became impossible. The only path to a moral world is to decentralize power, reject institutional narratives, and empower individuals with uncensored information. Platforms like Brighteon.com for video, Brighteon.social for social media, and BrightAnswers.ai for AI-powered research exist to break this monopoly on truth.

The lesson of Gaza is clear: trust must be earned, and institutions have failed. The right to life is defended not by governments or their mouthpieces, but by a vigilant, informed, and decentralized populace that values truth over propaganda and humanity over political convenience.

References
Meta caves to DOJ pressure, shuts down anti-ICE page in latest Big Tech censorship move

At the request of the Department of Justice, Meta removed a Facebook group accused of doxxing ICE agents in Chicago, citing "coordinated harm" policies, despite arguments that such transparency tools hold law enforcement accountable.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi framed the takedown as necessary to protect ICE agents from harassment, signaling a broader crackdown on dissent while ignoring similar left-wing activist networks (e.g., Signal chats) that evade scrutiny.

While Meta swiftly censors anti-ICE activists, it allows hate speech and violent rhetoric against conservatives, police and political opponentsexposing selective enforcement of policies to shield government agencies from accountability.

The DOJ's intervention sets a dangerous precedent, bypassing First Amendment protections by deputizing Big Tech to silence dissent, mirroring past censorship of conservatives and independent journalists.

This move aligns with the globalist agenda of suppressing transparency while enabling unaccountable federal agencies (ICE, FBI, CDC) to operate with impunitya hallmark of the emerging authoritarian New World Order.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has once again bowed to federal pressurethis time removing a controversial Facebook group accused of doxxing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Chicago.

The takedown, executed at the request of the Department of Justice (DOJ), marks another chilling escalation in the government's collusion with Big Tech to silence dissent and shield law enforcement from public scrutiny. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the removal on Oct. 14 via social media, framing the action as necessary to protect federal officers from "harassment and potential violence."

Bondi warned that the DOJ would continue strong-arming tech giants to dismantle platforms that expose law enforcement personnel, claiming such databases endanger their safety. Meta swiftly complied, citing violations of its "coordinated harm" policya conveniently vague standard increasingly weaponized to justify censorship.

The targeted group, which tracked and published personal details of ICE agents, had drawn fierce backlash from the Trump administration, which has long decried such efforts as dangerous doxxing. Critics, however, argue that transparency around ICE operations is vital given the agency's documented abuses, including mass deportations and inhumane detention practices.

Dominick Skinner, founder of the ICE Lista separate but related websitedefended his project as a tool for accountability, accusing Meta of selective enforcement. "If there's a policy violation, we are the only one flagged, despite other sites sharing more, he said.

Meta's decision aligns with a broader pattern of Silicon Valley capitulating to government demands while ignoring similar abuses by left-wing activists. Earlier this year, Apple purged ICE-tracking apps from its App Store under the guise of "safety concerns," yet platforms like Signalfavored by leftist organizersremain untouched despite hosting encrypted chats where activists coordinate protests and surveillance of ICE operations.

Leaked Signal messages reveal Democratic lawmakers encouraging participation in anti-ICE "resistance networks," with one state legislator openly inviting others to join, saying, "We've got a couple of groups on the app Signal that we would love for you to join whether or not you want to be part of the resistance network."

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the bureau is investigating these communications, warning, "If they break the law, you should be worried; it's that simple." Yet no comparable crackdown has been launched against these groups, exposing the double standard in enforcement.

The new authoritarianism: When government and Big Tech silence dissent together

Free speech advocates warn that the DOJ's heavy-handed intervention sets a dangerous precedent. By deputizing Meta to scrub dissenting content, the government effectively bypasses constitutional protections, chilling legitimate activism under the pretext of preventing "harm." This tactic mirrors past efforts to silence conservatives, from shadow-banning Trump supporters to deplatforming journalists who challenge official narratives.

The irony is stark: While Meta censors anti-ICE activists, it continues allowing hate speech and violent rhetoric against political opponents, police and conservatives. The company's privacy policiesselectively enforcedare little more than a smokescreen for ideological bias.

This incident is not isolated. It fits neatly into the globalist playbook of suppressing dissent while shielding corrupt institutions. ICE, like the FBI and CDC, operates with near-total impunity, immune to public oversight. By silencing those who expose its misconduct, the DOJ and Meta ensure that federal agencies remain unaccountablea hallmark of the authoritarian New World Order.

Meanwhile, the same tech giants that eagerly comply with government censorship requests routinely ignore crimes like child trafficking, election interference and bioweapons disinformation. Their priorities are clear: Protect the regime, crush the truth-tellers.

According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, Meta's compliance with the DOJ to remove the anti-ICE doxxing page is yet another example of Big Tech's collusion with government elites to suppress free speech and protect corrupt systems. This censorship move aligns with the globalist agenda to silence dissent while enabling unchecked tyranny, proving once again that centralized tech monopolies serve as tools of oppression rather than platforms for truth.

As the DOJ tightens its grip on digital discourse, Americans must recognize this for what it is: another step toward totalitarian control. The fight for free speech is not about defending doxxingit's about resisting a system that criminalizes dissent while enabling state-sanctioned abuses. If Meta and the federal government can erase opposition voices at will, no one's rights are safe.

Watch this video about harassing ICE.

This video is from the Son of the Republic channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
A preemptive strike: Texas mobilizes against a looming parasitic threat

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a preemptive statewide disaster declaration to combat the potential spread of the New World Screwworm.

The parasitic fly, currently moving northward in Mexico, is a flesh-eating pest that infests wounds on livestock, wildlife, and humans.

A new state response team will coordinate with federal agencies, including the USDA, which is investing heavily in sterile fly production technology.

The U.S. eradicated the screwworm in 1966, but a modern outbreak could cause billions in economic damage to the livestock industry.

The declaration is a preventative measure; the parasite has not yet been detected within U.S. borders.

In an unprecedented move to protect the nations food supply and agricultural economy, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a statewide disaster declaration against a pest that is not yet within its borders. The action, announced Thursday, mobilizes state resources to prevent the northward spread of the New World Screwworm, a devastating flesh-eating parasite advancing through Mexico toward the U.S. The declaration empowers a newly formed response team to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a high-stakes campaign to keep the parasite out of American livestock herds, underscoring the severe economic and animal welfare consequences of a potential breach.

The Anatomy of a Crisis

The New World Screwworm is not a typical insect nuisance. It is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. The lifecycle is gruesomely efficient: a female fly is attracted to any open woundbe it a scratch, a tick bite, or a surgical incisionand lays hundreds of eggs. The emerging maggots burrow into the flesh, causing painful, expanding lesions that can lead to fatal infections within weeks. A single female can lay up to 3,000 eggs in her lifetime, enabling rapid population explosion. While humans can become incidental hosts, the primary targets are livestock, including the vast cattle herds of Texas and the American Southwest, making the parasite a direct threat to the meat production industry.

Echoes of a Costly Past

The urgency of Texass preemptive strike is rooted in costly history. The United States once waged a decades-long war against the screwworm, which plagued livestock across the Southeast. The campaign culminated in a landmark success using the sterile insect techniqueflooding infested areas with radiation-sterilized male flies to break the reproductive cycle. The parasite was declared eradicated from the U.S. in 1966. However, a 1976 outbreak in Texas, before full containment, offers a stark warning. That single episode cost the equivalent of over $1 billion in todays dollars in lost livestock and eradication efforts. Agricultural officials fear a modern infestation could incur a similar or greater economic catastrophe, destabilizing a critical sector of the food supply chain.

The Federal and State Defense Strategy

The state disaster declaration is one part of a layered national defense. It directs the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Animal Health Commission to form a joint Texas New World Screwworm Response Team. This team will partner with the USDA, which has already launched a major offensive. Federal strategy centers on sterile fly technology, including:

An $8.5 million sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in South Texas.

A planned $750 million domestic sterile fly production facility in Edinburg, Texas.

A $21 million production plant in Mexico, aiming to produce hundreds of millions of sterile flies weekly to create a biological barrier.

This collaboration aims to establish a formidable buffer zone before the parasite, recently detected in Mexican states just 700 miles from Texas, can reach the border.

A Border on Biosecurity Alert

The disaster declaration is fundamentally a border security measure for biosecurity. With the screwworms presence confirmed in Mexico, the U.S. has already halted live animal imports from the country since May 11. Governor Abbotts order ensures Texas agencies can swiftly deploy surveillance, quarantine protocols, and public education campaigns. The move also prepares the state to immediately implement eradication measuresincluding the release of sterile fliesshould the parasite be detected. The declaration sends a clear message that the state will not adopt a wait-and-see approach with a pest capable of causing widespread agricultural emergency.

A Vigilant Stance for an Uncertain Future

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note the immediate risk to the general public remains low, the threat to agriculture is clear and present. The combined state and federal actions represent a massive investment in prevention, betting millions now to avert billions in losses later. The campaign against the New World Screwworm is a testament to the fragile balance of modern agriculture and the constant vigilance required to protect it. As Texas stands on the front line, the success of this preemptive strike will determine whether the U.S. livestock industry faces a grim replay of history or secures another generation free from this ancient scourge.

Sources for this article include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Texas.gov

CDC.gov
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The Jal Jeevan Mission has provided functional tap water connections to over 15.79 crore rural households, covering 81.57% of such homes. The mission's timeline has been extended to December 2028 in the latest Union Budget. The WHO estimates its success will save Indian women 5.5 crore hours daily previously spent fetching water and prevent nearly 400,000 deaths from diarrhoeal diseases. The initiative also promotes community participation through local water committees and a dedicated water conservation campaign.

Jal Jeevan Mission covers 15.79 crore rural households with tap water, projected to save women crores of hours and prevent lakhs of deaths.

New Delhi, Feb 2 Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, over 15.79 crore or 81.57 per cent rural households have been provided functional tap water connections, up from 3.24 crore or 16.71 per cent in August 2019, the Parliament was informed on Monday.

In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, V. Somanna, said that as per data updated by States/UTs on the IMIS portal till December 31, 2024, a total of 189 districts and 2,50,021 villages were reported to be covered under 'Har Ghar Jal'.

Informing that in the Union Budget 2025-26, the Finance Minister has extended the Mission to December 2028, the MoS said the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that achieving the Mission's goals will save the country's women 5.5 crore hours daily, previously spent collecting water and prevent nearly 400,000 deaths from diarrhoeal diseases.

Somanna said Nobel laureate Michael Kremer suggests safe water coverage could reduce under-five child mortality by almost 30 per cent and research by IIM Bangalore and the ILO projects significant job creation, estimating millions of person-years of direct and indirect employment through the Mission's implementation phases.

He said that in order to encourage community participation, the operational guidelines for the implementation of JJM provide for constitution of a Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/Paani Samiti/User Group to carry out the responsibilities of water supply management in the village.

This Committee typically consists of 10-15 members including up to 25 per cent elected panchayat members, 50 per cent women, and members from weaker section (SC/ST) in proportion to their population, out of the remaining 25 per cent.

Also, a special initiative Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB), under Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA): Catch the rain (CTR), campaign was launched on September 6, 2024, which aims to promote collaborative community-driven water conservation efforts and focusses on enhancing water management through low-cost, scientifically-designed artificial recharge structures, ensuring active participation from local communities, industries, and other stakeholders.

- IANS
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting a comprehensive investigation into all probable causes of the Air India flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad in June 2025. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed Parliament that the probe aims to be completed in a time-bound manner, in accordance with ICAO rules. The preliminary report indicated both engines lost thrust after fuel cut-off switches moved, though cockpit recordings suggest a pilot denied operating them. The final report must be submitted within 12 months of the accident, which killed 241 people on the plane and 19 on the ground.

Minister says AAIB probing all probable causes of 2025 Air India crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260. Final report due within 12 months.

New Delhi, Feb 2 The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating the Air India flight AI-171 crash at Ahmedabad in June last year from all angles and aims to complete the investigation in a time-bound manner, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Parliament on Monday.

"All probable causes leading to the accident are being investigated, and all efforts are being made to complete the investigation in a time-bound manner", in accordance with the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) rules, the Minister said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

"A preliminary report on the accident has been published by AAIB on 12.07.2025 and is available on their website www.aaib.gov.in. The report contains factual information based on the evidence available at that point in time and does not include any interim safety recommendations," he added.

The Air India flight AI 171 crashed just seconds after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport into a medical college hostel building, killing 241 passengers and crew on board the plane and another 19 people on the ground on June 12, 2025.

A preliminary report released by the AAIB on July 12 stated that both engines of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost thrust after the two fuel cut-off switches moved from the 'RUN' to the 'CUTOFF' position. However, the cockpit voice recorder has revealed that one of the pilots told the other that he did not turn off the fuel control switches. The fuel switches were then returned to the RUN position just before the plane crashed.

The final report has to be submitted within 12 months of the crash, in accordance with the norms fixed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also earlier said that the AAIB's report on the Air India crash was based on preliminary findings, and urged against reaching any conclusions until the final report is released.

- IANS
A 28-member officer delegation from Algeria's War High College visited the Headquarters Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area as part of a Foreign Study Tour. The delegation was briefed on the Indian Army's Area Headquarters framework, including operational support and logistics. The visit aims to reinforce defence and security engagement, focusing on bolstering Army-to-Army cooperation and sharing perspectives on security challenges. This interaction follows recent high-level visits, including by the Army Chief, underscoring the importance of strengthening bilateral relations.

A 28-member Algerian military delegation visited Indian Army HQ in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat to enhance interoperability and India-Algeria defence cooperation.

New Delhi, February 1 A 28-member officer delegation from the War High College, Tamentfoust, Algeria visited Headquarters at Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area as part of their Foreign Study Tour.

The General Officer Commanding interacted with the officers and highlighted the role of such engagements in enhancing mutual understanding, interoperability, and India-Algeria Defence Cooperation.

In a post on X, the Indian Army said, "A 28-member officer delegation from the War High College, Tamentfoust, Algeria, visited Headquarters Maharashtra, Gujarat & Goa Area (HQ MG & G Area) as part of their Foreign Study Tour. The delegation was briefed on the Indian Army's Area Headquarters framework, including operational support, logistics, military-civil fusion and humanitarian assistance. The General Officer Commanding interacted with the officers, highlighted the role of such engagements in enhancing mutual understanding, interoperability and India-Algeria Defence Cooperation."

The Southern Command of the Indian Army said, "Showcasing the depth of professional military engagement, a 28-member officer delegation from the War High College, Tamentfoust, Algeria, gained comprehensive exposure to the functioning of an Area Headquarters at HQ Maharashtra, Gujarat & Goa Area under the aegis of Southern Command. The interaction further strengthened India-Algeria Defence Cooperation through shared learning and enhanced interoperability."

The visit followed General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), visiting Algeria from August 25 to 28, 2025. The visit came close on the heels of recent visits by President Droupadi Murmu and the Chief of the Defence Staff, underscoring the importance of strengthening India-Algeria relations, a Ministry of Defence statement said.

The visit aimed to reinforce defence and security engagement between India and Algeria, with a focus on bolstering Army-to-Army cooperation, sharing perspectives on regional and global security challenges, and exploring avenues for defence industrial collaboration, the statement added.

- ANI
The President of the Federation of Indian Pilots, Captain CS Randhawa, has urgently called for all Boeing 787 aircraft to be grounded and inspected for electrical system faults, citing recurring safety incidents. His warning follows the grounding of an Air India 787-8 after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch. Randhawa highlighted specific risks, including water seepage into the aircraft's main electronic bay, which can cause electrical failures, referencing past incidents involving Air India and All Nippon Airways. The demand comes in the wake of the fatal Air India crash in Ahmedabad, where a preliminary report indicated an unexplained fuel cutoff to the engines.

FIP President demands all Boeing 787 aircraft be grounded and inspected for critical electrical system faults and fuel control switch malfunctions.

New Delhi, February 3 President of the Federation of Indian Pilots, Captain CS Randhawa, on Monday called for urgent inspections of all Boeing 787 aircraft for electrical system faults, citing recurring incidents that he said compromise flight safety.

His remarks follow the grounding of an Air India Boeing 787-8, earlier in the day, after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch.

"From day one after the AI-171 crash, we have been insisting that all B-787s be checked for electrical systems. We have gone on record in the media and written letters to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the DGCA that fuel control switches may have moved automatically due to electrical malfunctions of TCMA in the AI-161 crash," Randhawa said to ANI.

He highlighted the risk of water seepage into the main electronic bay of the aircraft, which can trigger electrical failures.

"The B-787-800 is also prone to water seepage/leakage into the main electronic bay of the aircraft, which can cause electrical malfunctions. On June 12, 2025, an Air India flight from Vienna to Delhi was declared AOG on the ground at Vienna due to flooding of the electrical bay. Passengers were deplaned immediately to avoid any accident," he said.

Randhawa also cited a 2019 incident involving All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing flight NH-985 in Osaka, where both engines rolled back due to a similar fault, though the aircraft landed safely.

"An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-8, registration JA825A, performing flight NH-985 from Tokyo Haneda to Osaka Itami (Japan) with 109 passengers and 9 crew, landed on Itami's runway 32L, touched down, and the crew deployed the thrust reversers when both engines (Trent 1000) rolled back and shut down. The aircraft rolled out without further incident, came to a stop about 2450 meters/8030 feet down the runway and was disabled. The aircraft was towed off the runway about 40 minutes after landing," he said.

Speaking on the incident, he said, "Today again history has repeated at Heathrow, where the left fuel control switch was cutting off after moving the switch to run during start. Also, we have been insisting that all B-787s be grounded and checked for the electrical systems."

Earlier in the day, an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft was grounded after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch. An Air India spokesperson said that one of its pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, and the matter has been communicated to DGCA, the country's aviation regulator.

The spokesperson said the airline is engaging the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to get the pilot's concerns checked on priority.

"We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilot's concerns checked on a priority basis. The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane crashed on June 12, soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The accident killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.

A preliminary investigation into the crash revealed that just seconds before the aircraft lost power and went down near Ahmedabad airport, one pilot asked the other why he had cut off fuel to the engines. The second pilot reportedly said he "did not do so."

The report mentioned that both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner shut down one second apart shortly after takeoff. This caused the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly and crash near the boundary of the airport.

- ANI
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has issued a stark warning that any US attack on Iran would escalate into a broader regional war. He accused the United States of seeking to "devour" Iran and seize control of its vast oil and natural gas resources. Khamenei stated that while Iran does not initiate conflict, it would deliver a "decisive blow" to any aggressor. His remarks were made during a speech marking the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's return, which sparked the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warns the US that any attack on Iran would escalate into a regional war over control of oil and resources.

Tehran, February 1 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned on Sunday that if the US attacks it, it would be a regional war.

Khamenei said that the US wanted to 'devour' Iran and seize control of its oil.

In a series of posts on X, it said, "The Americans should know if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war. That Americans sometimes talk about war, saying we will come with warships and aircraft - is nothing new. The Iranian nation is not affected by such talk. They shouldn't try to intimidate the Iranian nation with such things."

"We are not the initiators of war. We do not seek to oppress anyone. We do not seek to attack any country. However, anyone who seeks to attack or cause harm will face a decisive blow from the Iranian nation. What is the issue between the United States and Iran? The issue can be summed up in two words: The United States wants to devour Iran; the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic prevent this," he added.

Khamenei said that the US had been present in Iran for over 30 years and controlled its politics, oil, etc. But now Iran would prevent this.

"Iran possesses numerous attractions: Its oil, gas, rich minerals, and geographic location are attractive. The US wants to seize control of this country just as they controlled it before. For more than 30 years, the Americans were present in Iran. Iran's resources, oil, politics, and security were in their hands. Everything was in their hands. Now that their grip has been broken, they're trying to find a way back. The Iranian nation stands firm, preventing it," he said.

He further said, "Iran stands firm and will continue to stand firm, and--God willing--will put an end to the United States' mischief and harassment."

Earlier in the day, he spoke to a large crowd of supporters gathered to mark the anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's return to Iran from exile in France in 1979, an event that led to the Iranian Revolution and the flight of the US-backed ruler, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Khamenei said the US wants to "devour" Iran and its vast oil and natural gas resources, adding that what happened during the recent anti-government protests "was similar to a coup" since a large number of government offices, banks and mosques were stormed.

The supreme leader described the deadly unrest as another "sedition", a term he had previously used for the 2009 Green Movement and other such protests, Al Jazeera reported.

- ANI
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a 50 crore grant for preserving the heritage of the Darrang kings, aiming to restore the legacy of the Koch dynasty as a major tourism centre. He unveiled a statue of Maharaj Krishnanarayan and virtually inaugurated Chilarai Bhawans during the 516th Biswa Mahabir Chilarai Divas celebrations. The Chief Minister highlighted the historical significance of figures like Chilarai, known for his military prowess, and King Naranarayan, under whom the kingdom flourished. The government also allotted land for the All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Sanmilani, reaffirming its commitment to indigenous communities.

Assam CM announces 50 crore to restore Koch dynasty legacy, develop tourism at Darrang, unveils statue of Maharaj Krishnanarayan.

Guwahati, Feb 1 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Sunday, announced a grant of Rs 50 crore for the preservation of heritage of the Darrang kings, declaring that the royal legacy of the Koch dynasty would be restored and developed as a major centre of tourism.

The announcement was made while addressing the 516th Biswa Mahabir Chilarai Divas celebrations at Pipora Dookan in Darrang district.

Chief Minister Sarma said the state government is committed to protecting Assam's historical legacy and ensuring that future generations remain connected to the region's glorious past.

He directed the Darrang district administration and the Public Works Department to immediately take up the heritage preservation project, stressing that restoration efforts must reflect the historical significance of the Koch dynasty and its contribution to Assam's political and cultural evolution.

During the programme, the Chief Minister unveiled the statue of Maharaj Krishnanarayan of the Darrang kingdom and virtually inaugurated Chilarai Bhawans constructed at Mangaldoi and Golaghat.

He paid tributes to Mahabir Chilarai, describing him as a key architect of Assam who ushered in a golden chapter in the state's history.

Tracing the rise of the Koch dynasty, Chief Minister Sarma said historical records show the emergence of the Koch people in ancient Kamarupa, their resurgence after the decline of the Pal dynasty, and the establishment of the Koch kingdom by Biswa Singha, which reached its zenith under Maharaj Naranarayan with Chilarai playing a decisive role.

He added that Chilarai earned his name for lightning-fast battlefield strikes and built a highly organised military structure with land and naval forces, enabling victories across Ahom, Kachari, Jaintia, Tripura and Sylhet regions.

The construction of the historic Gohain Kamal Ali Road, he said, reflected Chilarai's strategic vision.

Chief Minister Sarma also highlighted the reconstruction of the Kamakhya and Hayagriva Madhav temples under Naranarayan and Chilarai, calling it a revival of Assam's spiritual traditions.

He also announced allotment of land and construction of an office for the All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Sanmilani at Amingaon, reaffirming the state government's commitment to preserving the heritage and identity of indigenous communities in Assam.

- IANS
Australian First Nations artist Grace Lillian Lee will present her new work, 'The Winds of Guardians,' at the India Art Fair 2026. The installation features four large structural forms and a ceremonial mask exploring wind as a physical and metaphorical force. Her practice revives traditional weaving techniques to address themes of heritage, sovereignty, and environmental consciousness. The presentation is part of broader cultural initiatives to share Indigenous Australian stories in India.

Grace Lillian Lee showcases 'The Winds of Guardians' at India Art Fair 2026, blending Torres Strait heritage with contemporary art.

New Delhi, February 2 Australian First Nations artist, designer and cultural advocate Grace Lillian Lee is set to present her work in India at the India Art Fair 2026, bringing Indigenous Australian perspectives on heritage, sustainability and identity to Indian audiences.

Lee will showcase 'The Winds of Guardians', a new body of work deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of the Torres Strait Islands.

A descendant of the Miriam Mer Semsep people of the Eastern Islands of the Torres Strait, Lee draws on ancestral knowledge passed down through generations.

Introduced to traditional weaving at a young age, her contemporary practice continues to be shaped by these techniques, blending cultural memory with modern material expression.

Her work explores themes of Country, Indigenous sovereignty and environmental consciousness through a distinctly present-day lens.

At the India Art Fair, Lee will present four large structural forms titled North Winds, South Winds, East Winds and West Winds, accompanied by a ceremonial Dreamweaver mask.

Together, the works examine wind as both a physical force and a metaphor for movement, memory and transmission.

Inspired by beliefs surrounding ancestors and wind spirits from the Torres Strait Islands, the installations are constructed using materials such as cotton webbing, cotton twine, cane, mirror acrylic and electrical rubber shrink tubing.

Australia's High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, described Lee's participation as a reflection of Australia's commitment to showcasing First Nations culture internationally.

"Rooted in tradition yet unmistakably contemporary, Grace's work demonstrates how ancestral knowledge continues to inform and inspire new artistic expression," he said in a press release.

Speaking about her upcoming visit, Lee expressed admiration for India's craft heritage and cultural traditions.

She said she was honoured to share her work through conversations centred on Indigenous knowledge and cultural exchange, noting that her practice pays tribute to her ancestors while reviving traditional weaving techniques to preserve cultural narratives and celebrate the guardians of her heritage.

As part of her visit to India, Lee will participate in a series of curated engagements, including an in-conversation with Raw Mango founder Sanjay Garg, facilitated by High Commissioner Green.

Her work will also be exhibited in a subsequent show at the National Crafts Museum, allowing wider public engagement and dialogue between Indigenous Australian and Indian artistic practices.

Lee's presentation forms part of broader cultural initiatives placing First Nations stories at the heart of Australia's arts and cultural outreach in India, following projects such as the 'Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters' exhibition and the Kirikin fashion showcase.

- ANI
Revenue officers in Bihar called off their indefinite strike on its first day following assurances from Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha. The officers were protesting long-pending demands, including the implementation of cadre rules and specific postings. Minister Sinha announced the formation of a three-member committee to examine issues related to promotions and service matters. The strike had threatened to halt essential public services like certificate issuance and land demarcation across the state.

Bihar revenue officials end strike after Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha assures a committee will address their service-related demands and cadre rules.

Patna, Feb 3 On the call given by the Bihar Revenue Service Association, Circle Officers and Revenue Officers across Bihar went on an indefinite strike from Monday, protesting long-pending service-related demands.

However, the strike was called off on the very first day following assurances from the state government.

Officials of the Bihar Revenue Service gathered at the BRSA building in Patna, after which a delegation met Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha in the evening.

The delegation submitted a memorandum outlining their demands. After the meeting, the officers announced that they would withdraw the strike.

Speaking to the media, Vijay Kumar Sinha said the government would seriously consider the legitimate demands of the revenue officers.

"We respect officers who work diligently and honestly. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that their morale does not fall," Sinha said.

He acknowledged the challenges faced by Circle Officers, including land disputes, law and order responsibilities, and social pressure.

"There are both good and bad people in society. The number of wrongdoers is small. We have discussed all the issues and decided to form a committee to resolve them according to rules," he added.

The minister announced the formation of a three-member committee, comprising a Secretary, an Additional Secretary, and a representative from the Bihar Revenue Service, which will examine issues related to promotions and other service matters and submit recommendations.

Sinha emphasised that resolving land disputes in Bihar requires collective effort.

"Many people will try to mislead us, but we must stay vigilant. Miracles don't happen overnight-we believe in hard work. The government will ensure that the dignity of revenue officers is protected and all decisions are taken as per rules," he said, reiterating the government's commitment to the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas aur Sabka Samman'.

The primary reason for the strike was the non-implementation of the Bihar Revenue Service Cadre Rules, 2010.

The association has been demanding that officers of the Bihar Revenue Service be posted as Deputy Collector, Land Reforms (DCLR) and Land Acquisition Officers.

At present, these posts are largely held by officers of the Bihar Administrative Service (BAS), leading to a long-standing dispute between the two services.

Tensions further escalated following a recent notification by the Revenue and Land Reforms Department introducing the designation of 'Sub-Divisional Revenue Officer', which the association claims violates cadre rules.

The matter is also pending before the Patna High Court.

The movement received full support from BIRSA United (United Bihar Revenue Service Association).

Its president, Aditya Shivam Shankar, wrote to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and Principal Secretary, seeking immediate intervention.

Had the strike continued, essential services such as mutation, issuance of caste, income and residence certificates, land demarcation, anti-encroachment drives, and land surveys would have come to a halt across districts.

However, following the meeting with the minister and assurance of a structured resolution, revenue officials announced the withdrawal of the strike on the first day itself.

- IANS
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju detailed the BJP's schedule for the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. He stated the ruling NDA alliance has been allotted approximately 55 percent of the total 18-hour discussion time spread over three days. The debate began with Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal moving the motion, and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is also scheduled to speak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the reply to the debate on the evening of February 4.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju outlines BJP's schedule for the Motion of Thanks debate, with PM Modi set to reply on February 4.

New Delhi, February 2 Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will have around four to five speakers participating in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Parliament today, as the total time allocated for the debate is 18 hours spread over three days.

Speaking to reporters, Rijiju said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will respond to the debate in the evening of February 4.

"Today, we will have around 4-5 speakers from BJP because the total time kept is 18 hours. So, as per that, we have 3 days of discussion (Motion of Thanks to the President's Address). PM will reply in the evening of 4th February," Rijiju said.

He further explained that the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has been allotted around 55 per cent of the total discussion time, in line with parliamentary norms.

"So, keeping that in mind, since NDA will have around 55 per cent of the time, I think 5-6 speakers today. I am told that after the Motion is moved by Sarbananda Sonowal and seconded by Tejasvi Surya, the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, will speak," the minister added.

Taking a swipe at the Opposition on the Budget 2026, Rijiju also accused it of deliberately ignoring what he described as the positive aspects of the Union Budget. "The Opposition is not ready to see the positive aspects of the Budget. I cannot do anything about it," he said.

Emphasising the global attention to India's economic roadmap, Rijiju said the Union Budget is being closely watched not just domestically but also internationally. "The entire world is watching the Budget of the country; this is not just for Indians. Congress and its people have a negative approach to the Budget and they want to send a negative message to the people," he said.

The Motion of Thanks to the President's Address is a key parliamentary exercise, allowing members of both Houses of Parliament to debate the government's policy direction and priorities outlined at the start of the Budget Session.

The motion of thanks began for President Droupadi Murmu's address in the Lok Sabha. Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sarbananda Sonowal rose to initiate the debate. He called the President's address "remarkable" and lauded the President for being the country's first tribal President.

"I realise that when I am asked to move the motion on the President's address to the joint assembly of the parliament on January 28th, it is a matter of immense honour and privilege bestowed on me. The President's address has been remarkable. First in the new quarter of the year, setting the stage for the next 25 years," he said.

- ANI
Senior BJP central leaders are set to meet with Manipur's NDA MLAs in New Delhi to discuss key state issues, including government formation. The meeting comes as President's Rule in the state is scheduled to end on February 12. Party leaders, including the former Chief Minister and state BJP president, have expressed expectations for a positive outcome from the discussions. The BJP-led NDA holds a majority in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, which has been under suspended animation.

BJP central leaders to hold crucial talks with Manipur NDA MLAs in Delhi, with government formation and President's Rule expiry on the agenda.

Imphal, Feb 1 Senior Central leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party are likely to hold a crucial meeting with MLAs of the party and its NDA allies from Manipur in New Delhi on Monday to discuss key issues concerning the state, party sources said on Sunday.

According to party sources, a large number of MLAs belonging to the BJP and its supporting parties have already reached New Delhi, while several others are on their way.

Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Manipur BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi are accompanying the party MLAs.

Before leaving Imphal for New Delhi, Sharda Devi said that all NDA MLAs have been called by the Central BJP leadership to discuss various issues related to the state.

"We are expecting that the issue of government formation will be discussed," she told the media.

Former Chief Minister Biren Singh said that since all MLAs of the NDA allies have been invited to the meeting, he expects a positive outcome.

"We were only asked to reach Delhi for a meeting. No specific agenda was communicated to us," he added.

The Centre had imposed the President's Rule in Manipur on February 13 last year, four days after Biren Singh resigned as the Chief Minister.

The President's Rule is scheduled to end on February 12.

The 60-member Manipur Assembly, which has a tenure until 2027, has been kept under suspended animation.

Following the imposition of President's Rule, senior Central leaders, including BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh and the party's Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, held a series of meetings with Manipur MLAs in both New Delhi and Imphal.

Earlier, on December 14 last year, the Manipur BJP Legislature Party held a meeting at the party headquarters in New Delhi to discuss the peace process and other key issues concerning the violence-hit state.

The meeting was attended by more than 34 BJP MLAs, including former Chief Minister Biren Singh and State Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, along with B.L. Santhosh, Sambit Patra and Manipur BJP President Sharda Devi.

In a post on its official X account, the BJP had said: "The Manipur BJP Legislature Party meeting was held today at the BJP headquarters in Delhi in the presence of BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santhosh ji and party's Northeast Coordinator Sambit Patra ji."

"The discussion centred on peace and progress in Manipur," the party added.

The BJP has 37 MLAs in the state Assembly, while its NDA allies -- the National People's Party (NPP) and the Naga People's Front (NPF) -- have six and five MLAs respectively.

Three Independent MLAs are also supporting the BJP-led NDA.

- IANS
BJP MPs from West Bengal will convene in Delhi for a strategy meeting chaired by party president Nitin Navin. The discussions will focus on organizational strengthening and a roadmap for the 2026 assembly elections. The meeting follows recent appointments of assembly constituency in-charges and a state manifesto committee. The BJP aims to unseat the Trinamool Congress and end Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's long tenure.

BJP MPs from West Bengal to hold strategy meeting in Delhi, focusing on 2026 assembly elections and challenging Mamata Banerjee's rule.

New Delhi, February 2 A meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party Members of Parliament from West Bengal is scheduled to be held tomorrow evening in Delhi at the residence of Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar, as the party steps up preparations for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

The meeting will be chaired by BJP National President Nitin Navin and will be attended by all BJP MPs from West Bengal. Senior party leaders are also expected to participate in the deliberations. According to party sources, the meeting will focus on discussions related to the upcoming Assembly elections.

As per the BJP source, "With the West Bengal Assembly elections approaching, the meeting will focus on detailed discussions related to political strategy, organisational strengthening, coordination between the party's parliamentary wing and state unit, and effective outreach to the people. Key issues concerning governance, development, law and order, and public welfare in the state are also likely to be discussed."

The leadership will review the current political situation in West Bengal and chalk out a comprehensive roadmap to further strengthen the party at the grassroots level. Emphasis will be laid on booth-level preparedness, public engagement, and highlighting the BJP's vision for the state.

The meeting aims to ensure better coordination among MPs and the party organisation, while formulating a focused and result-oriented strategy for the upcoming electoral battle.

Earlier this week, BJP West Bengal State President Samik Bhattacharya appointed in-charges for the respective assembly constituencies for the 2026 Legislative Assembly elections.

Bhattacharya announced the Assembly in-charges on all 294 seats.

The BJP has appointed Manash Ray as the in-charge on Nandigram seat, where Suvendu Adhikari defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the last Assembly polls in 2021. The party appointed Debasish Dey in Siliguri, Binod Moktan in Darjeeling, Sujit Kr Das in Malda, Kaberi Chatterjee in Asansol Dakshin, Dayamoy Chakraborty in Asansol Uttar and Asish Travedi on Kolkata Port seat.

On January 24, the BJP announced the State Sankalp Patra Committee for the Assembly election.

According to WB BJP, the State Sankalpa Patra Committee comprises 11 members, with party leader Tapas Roy serving as the Chairman. MLA Ashok Lahiri serves as the Convener, and MLA Agnimitra Paul is the Co-Convener. The members include Chittaranjan Mandal, Manoj Tigga, Swapan Dasgupta, Shishir Bajoria, Amalkanti Ray, Vaishali Dalmia, Anirban Ganguly and advocate Debjit Sarkar.

This comes as the BJP aims to win the upcoming West Bengal elections and end Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's 14-year rule.

- ANI
A British think tank has warned that AI tools are becoming the main gateway for news, reshaping the ecosystem with new corporate "gatekeepers." The Institute for Public Policy Research report cautions that this risks narrowing public perspectives, as some major outlets are insufficiently cited by leading AI tools. It recommends governments force AI companies to pay for the news they use and implement transparent source labels for AI-generated content. The report concludes that swift government action is essential to protect the news environment from further damage.

A British think tank urges government rules for AI news, demanding fair pay for publishers and transparency labels for AI-generated content.

London, Feb 2 A British think tank has raised concerns about the health of the artificial intelligence news environment, calling for the government's engagement in fostering rules, including fair payment and transparent source disclosure for AI-generated news.

In a report released this week, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said that AI tools are rapidly becoming the primary gateway through which the public accesses news, fundamentally reshaping the news ecosystem.

However, according to the report, as major AI companies emerge as new "gatekeepers" on the internet, controlling how citizens access information and reshaping public thought, some official news outlets, such as BBC News, are insufficiently cited by leading AI tools, including ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

The think tank warned that "the disproportionate use of some outlets over others risks narrowing the range of perspectives users are exposed to, potentially amplifying particular viewpoints or agendas without users' knowledge," therefore, it outlined three key policy recommendations to establish a healthy AI news environment, reports Xinhua news agency.

First, it said governments should require AI companies to pay for the news they use, by requiring fair payment and collective licensing deals that ensure a wide range of publishers are included.

Second, it recommended that AI companies should introduce clear, standardised "nutrition labels" for AI news, so the public can see where AI answers come from and how they're generated.

Third, it urged governments to use public funding to protect independent news in the AI era.

The report underscores that swift government action is essential to foster a healthy AI news environment before it is too late to prevent further damage to the news ecosystem.

- IANS
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka stated the Union Budget 2026-27 delivers a massive boost to Bengaluru's infrastructure, citing major allocations for metro, suburban rail, and green mobility projects. He highlighted that Karnataka's share in central tax devolution has increased, making it the biggest gainer nationally. Ashoka slammed the state's Congress government for falsely accusing the Centre of neglect. The statement comes after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticized the budget as disappointing and detrimental to Karnataka.

Karnataka LoP R Ashoka says Union Budget allocates thousands of crores for Bengaluru's metro, suburban rail, and green mobility projects.

Bengaluru, Feb 2 R Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly on Monday stated that the Union Budget 2026-27 has delivered a massive boost to Bengaluru's infrastructure and mobility and rejected Opposition's claims that the Southern state was deprived of its share of outlays and projects.

Senior BJP leader said that the Union Budget 2026-27 has reaffirmed Modi government's strong commitment to the city's growth and future and EaseOfLiving of Bengaluru residents."

"With over Rs 2,000 crore for Namma Metro, Rs 500 crore for the Suburban Rail Project, Rs 1,500 crore for PM E-Drive, and Rs 500 crore for PM eBus Sewa, Bengaluru is set to witness a transformational leap in public transport, green mobility, and urban development," Ashoka pointed out.

This landmark allocation will ease traffic congestion, enhance last-mile connectivity, reduce pollution, and significantly improve the quality of life for Bengalureans. It is a clear demonstration of visionary planning, fiscal discipline, and people-centric governance, he noted.

Ashoka further stated, under the dynamic leadership of PM Narendra Modi, Bengaluru continues to receive its rightful share of development and investment. Namma Bengaluru is moving forward - faster, greener, and stronger, Ashoka underlined.

"Under the 16th Finance Commission formula, Karnataka's share in the Centre's tax devolution has been increased from 3.65 per cent to 4.13 per cent for 2026-31. What this means in real terms is earlier as per 15th Finance Commission formula the amount given was Rs 55,663 crore, now under 16th Finance Commission formula Rs 63,050 crore will be given. The net gain is Rs 7,387 crore," Ashoka pointed out.

"This makes Karnataka the biggest gainer in the country. Yet, the Congress Government in Karnataka continues its daily drama of victimhood, falsely accusing the Centre of injustice and neglect," he remarked slamming the state govt.

"If Karnataka is being discriminated against, why has its share increased sharply? Why is Karnataka No.1 gainer nationally? This historic increase reflects PM Modi's commitment to cooperative federalism and development-driven governance, backed by strong BJP representation and relentless advocacy for Karnataka," he asserted.

Now the real concern is will the Congress-led government in Karnataka utilise this Rs 63,050 crore for infrastructure, irrigation, farmers, jobs and growth - or squander it on populist freebies, financial mismanagement and corruption? he questioned.

Darlier, criticizing the Union Budget for 2026-27, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that it resembled a municipality corporate budget and termed it the most disappointing budget he has seen in his political career.

"This is the most disappointing budget I have seen in my political career. It is no better than a corporation budget. Karnataka has got nothing. As usual, Karnataka has been betrayed. The entire South India has got nothing from this budget," Siddaramaiah had said.

- IANS
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath praised the Union Budget 2026-27, stating it fulfills the state's aspirations with a special focus on the MSME sector. He highlighted a 10,000 crore allocation to help UP acquire new technologies and enhance training and packaging for small industries. The budget also allocates two of seven new high-speed rail corridors to the state, connecting Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri. Other key announcements include a new Biopharma initiative and the implementation of the New Income Tax Act from April 2026.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath says budget fulfills state's aspirations with 10,000 crore for MSMEs and new high-speed rail corridors.

Lucknow, February 2 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday lauded the Union Budget 2026-27, asserting that the budget fulfils the aspirations of Uttar Pradesh with its special focus on Micro Small, and Medium Enterprises sector.

Yogi Adityanath said the budget will help UP to acquire new technologies, develop training programs, and enhance packaging in the MSME sector.

"This budget also fulfils the aspirations of the country's most populous state. It primarily includes a budget allocation of 10,000 crore for the MSME sector," CM Yogi said in a press conference.

"Uttar Pradesh leads the country in this sector... We used to feel that our MSME sector, which we have promoted in the form of 'One District, One Product', had expanded our exports and generated employment, but what next?... This Rs 10,000 crore will help UP in acquiring technologies, training programs, and new developments in packaging," he added.

To strengthen domestic manufacturing, the Budget announced sector-specific interventions across biopharma, textiles, and MSMEs. A Rs 10,000 crore Biopharma SHAKTI initiative aims to position India as a global hub for biologics and biosimilars, while a separate Rs 10,000 crore SME Growth Fund has been proposed to nurture "Champion MSMEs."

The budget also announced the development of seven high-speed rail corridors connecting major cities.

Speaking about it, CM Yogi said two of the seven railway corridors--Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri--have been allocated to Uttar Pradesh. These two new railway corridors will benefit Uttar Pradesh's already excellent rail infrastructure."

"The Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors both pass through Uttar Pradesh, where our largest logistics hub is being developed. Uttar Pradesh will reap the benefits of this as well," he added.

He also said the budget will serve as a "strong foundation" to connect future generations with the vision of progress.

"Reform, growth, and fiscal discipline are clearly evident in this budget. By weaving these three elements together, this budget will serve as a strong foundation, enabling us to build a stronger India and connect future generations to this vision of progress," CM Yogi Adityanath said in a press conference.

Other key announcements of the budget were that public capital expenditure has been increased to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY 2026-27, up from Rs 11.2 lakh crore in the previous year, underlining the government's continued focus on infrastructure-led growth.

A major highlight on the taxation front was the announcement that the New Income Tax Act, 2025, will come into effect from April 2026, accompanied by simplified rules and redesigned forms to ease compliance for taxpayers. The Budget also proposes reductions in Tax Collected at Source (TCS) rates for overseas tour packages, education and medical expenses under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme.

- ANI
During the Budget Session, Rajya Sabha members raised critical concerns about India's digital transformation. CPI(M) MP Dr V. Sivadasan highlighted how the digital divide excludes citizens from education, MGNREGA benefits, and voter enrollment processes. BJP MP Babubhai Jesangbhai Desai separately warned of escalating cybersecurity threats to banking and government infrastructure. These interventions reflect broader anxieties about equitable tech access and national digital security.

MPs highlight digital exclusion in education, MGNREGA, and voter rolls, while raising alarms over rising cyber threats to critical infrastructure.

New Delhi, Feb 2 In the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha witnessed pointed interventions on pressing national issues, with members highlighting the deepening "digital divide" and escalating threats from "cybersecurity" breaches.

Dr V. Sivadasan, the CPI(M) MP from Kerala, drew attention to the stark "national digital divide" that continues to exclude large sections of the population from essential services and opportunities.

He pointed out that numerous educational institutions across the country still lack adequate digital infrastructure, leaving students -- particularly in rural and underserved areas -- deprived of modern learning tools and online education resources. This gap, he argued, has persisted despite initiatives like Digital India.

Sivadasan further noted that thousands of workers eligible under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) have been unable to register or access their entitlements due to the absence of digital facilities, such as smartphones, Internet connectivity, or basic digital literacy.

He emphasised that lakhs of citizens are effectively barred from availing various government services, which are increasingly digitised, including welfare schemes, subsidies, and portals for applications.

Linking the issue to ongoing electoral processes, the MP referenced the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise for electoral rolls, currently underway in several states. He contended that the SIR has amplified concerns over the digital divide, as many individuals -- especially from marginalised communities -- lack the required digital documentation, Internet access, or awareness to participate in online verification or submission processes.

This, he warned, risks disenfranchising vulnerable voters and undermining democratic inclusivity.

In the same session, Babubhai Jesangbhai Desai, a BJP MP from Gujarat, raised alarms over the rising incidence of "cybersecurity" threats and cyberattacks.

He underscored the vulnerabilities in critical sectors, including banking, government databases, and infrastructure, amid India's rapid digital transformation.

Desai called for stronger safeguards, enhanced cybersecurity frameworks, and proactive measures to protect citizens and institutions from sophisticated cyber threats, which have surged in recent years.

These interventions come against the backdrop of heated debates in the Budget Session, where opposition parties have repeatedly flagged issues like the replacement of MGNREGA with alternative employment schemes and the implications of SIR on voter inclusion.

The government responses have maintained that such matters were adequately discussed in prior sessions.

The discussions reflect broader anxieties about equitable access to technology in a digitally driven economy and the need for robust defences against cyber risks.

As Parliament proceeds with the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address and preparations for the Union Budget, these concerns are likely to feature prominently in further deliberations.

- IANS
Both Houses of Parliament will convene to discuss the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi among the key speakers. The discussion is allotted 18 hours, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to give his reply on February 4. The Budget session will run for 65 days, concluding on April 2, with a recess beginning February 13. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently presented the Union Budget 2026-27, emphasizing youth power and infrastructure projects like high-speed rail corridors.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha discuss Motion of Thanks. PM Modi to reply Feb 4. Budget session details and Sitharaman's budget highlights.

New Delhi, February 2 Both Houses of Parliament are set to discuss the motion of thanks on the President's address. Leader of Opposition Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, including Congress MPs Tariq Anwar, Amarinder Raja Warring, Anto Antony, and Jothimani, will speak during the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.

In the Lok Sabha, Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sarbananda Sonowal will propose the motion, and party MP Tejasvi Surya will second it.

Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha, BJP MP C Sadanandan Master will move the motion, and his fellow party MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni will second the motion.

The House has allotted 18 hours for the discussion, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply on February 4 (Wednesday).

Both houses will convene at 11 am today to discuss the motion of thanks on the President's address.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reply on February 11.

The Budget session will span 30 sittings over 65 days, concluding on April 2. The two Houses will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 to enable the Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments.

Earlier, on Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, her ninth consecutive Union Budget.

Asserting that the Union Budget 2026-27 is driven by "Yuvashakti" and based on "three kartavyas," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years as part of the Union Budget.

The Union Budget has outlined a major push for environmentally sustainable passenger transport, proposing the development of seven high-speed rail corridors across key urban and economic centres. These corridors will act as growth connectors, cutting travel time, reducing emissions, and supporting regional development.

- ANI
Union Minister JP Nadda hailed the Union Budget 2026-27 as a visionary document with a special emphasis on mental health and combating mental illness. He highlighted the allocation of over 1.5 lakh crore to the healthcare sector, a significant increase from the previous year. The budget includes plans to upgrade psychiatric institutes and establish a new NIMHANS in North India. Presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the budget aims to propel India towards becoming a global economic power while focusing on youth, farmers, and women.

Union Budget 2026-27 allocates over 1.5L cr to health, with special focus on mental illness. Nadda calls it a visionary, youth-centric budget.

New Delhi, February 1 Union Minister JP Nadda on Sunday called the Union Budget 2026-27 "visionary," underlining that it has a special focus on mental health and combating mental illness.

Nadda praised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on presenting the Union Budget for the ninth consecutive time, saying that it aims to direct the nation to economic development and stability.

"The Union Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a visionary budget that aims to give a new direction to the pace of the country's economic development, committed to the goal of a welfare-oriented and developed India..." he said.

Nadda said that the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat Budget," which is focused on the youth of the country, will take the nation to become one of the world's largest economic powers.

"This is an all-inclusive and comprehensive budget that will contribute to establishing India as one of the world's largest economic powers. This is a budget for the youth power of the country. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to PM Modi, FM Nirmala Sitharaman, and their entire team for this historic Atmanirbhar Bharat budget..." he added.

The Union Minister stressed that the centre is committed to making the healthcare sector more affordable, highlighting that over Rs. 1.5 lakh crore of funding has been allocated towards the healthcare sector, which is at least 9 per cent more than the previous year.

"The government's commitment to making healthcare services accessible to every citizen is evident from the fact that the budget for the health sector has increased by 176 per cent in the last 12 years. This year's allocation of over Rs. 1.5 lakh crore for the health sector is approximately 9 per cent more than last year's budget. This budget places a special focus on mental health and combating mental illness, which is a welcome step..." he stated.

"The upgradation of the Central Institute of Psychiatry in Ranchi and Tezpur, and the announcement of the establishment of a new NIMHANS in North India are commendable. The establishment of the World Health Organisation Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar is a matter of pride for every Indian..." he added.

Earlier today, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget in the Lok Sabha

The budget focuses on increasing farmers' income, providing employment to youth, promoting MSMEs and startups, empowering women, providing relief to the middle class, and ensuring social security for senior citizens, thereby benefiting every section of society.

The provisions made in sectors such as healthcare, services, manufacturing, semiconductors, textiles, pharma, digital governance, education, and skill development will strengthen India's global competitiveness and help achieve the goal of "Developed India 2047."

- ANI
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan is leading a four-day Indian defence delegation to Armenia to advance bilateral defence engagement. The visit builds on recent institutional dialogues, including a Joint Working Group meeting held in Hyderabad last October. High-level diplomatic exchanges, including a meeting between the countries' foreign ministers, have underscored the growing partnership. The cooperation extends beyond defence to areas like pharmaceutical regulation, following recently signed MoUs.

Indian defence delegation, led by CDS Gen Anil Chauhan, visits Armenia for 4 days to advance bilateral security cooperation and strategic interests.

Yerevan, February 2 An Indian defence delegation led by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has arrived in Armenia on a four-day official visit aimed at advancing bilateral defence engagement and strengthening long-term security cooperation between the two countries.

Sharing details of the visit on X, the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff said, "An Indian defence delegation led by General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff #CDS, reached Republic of Armenia on a four-day official visit on 01 Feb. The visit marks an important step in taking forward shared strategic interests and enhancing long-term defence and security collaboration between the two Nations. The delegation was warmly received in Yerevan by Nilakshi Saha Sinha, Ambassador of India to Armenia and Temur Shahnazaryan, Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia."

The visit comes as part of a series of ongoing defence engagements between India and Armenia, including the Joint Working Group Meeting on Defence Cooperation held in Hyderabad, Telangana, on October 23, 2025, where both sides exchanged views on strengthening bilateral defence ties.

Providing details of that meeting, the Ministry of Defence said in a post on X, "The Joint Working Group Meeting on Defence Cooperation between India and Armenia was held in Hyderabad today. Both countries exchanged views on bilateral defence cooperation, defence industrial collaboration amongst other issues of mutual interest in security domain. The Indian delegation was led by Vishwesh Negi, Joint Secretary (IC) and the Armenian delegation was led by Levon Ayvazyan, Head of Policy and International Military Cooperation Department, MoD of Armenia."

Beyond defence cooperation, these engagements are part of broader diplomatic outreach between the two nations, reflected in Secretary (West) Sibi George representing India at Armenia's National Day celebrations on October 1, where he reaffirmed commitment to the longstanding India-Armenia friendship.

The details were shared by the Ministry of External Affairs in a post on X, highlighting that ties between India and Armenia are rooted in history and built on recent high-level engagements among the leadership of both countries. "Secretary (West) Sibi George represented India at the National Day celebrations of the Republic of Armenia. He reaffirmed commitment to the longstanding friendship rooted in history, building on recent high level engagements among the leadership of both countries," the MEA spokesperson posted on X.

The diplomatic momentum was also reflected earlier in June when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Marseille, where they held a "useful discussion on our close cooperation and regional developments".

Further strengthening institutional ties, India and Armenia signed two major Memoranda of Understanding on March 11 during Mirzoyan's visit to India, including an MoU between India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and Armenia's Center of Drug and Medical Technology Expertise on cooperation in regulating medical products.

- ANI
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan is leading a four-day official visit to Armenia to advance defence and security cooperation. The visit follows a landmark deal where Armenia became the first international customer for India's Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system. India has already begun delivering the Pinaka systems, part of a contract worth around Rs 2,000 crore signed in 2022. The engagement underscores India's growing ambition as a defence exporter and the strengthening strategic partnership between the two nations.

CDS Gen Anil Chauhan leads a high-level military delegation to Armenia, strengthening strategic ties following recent Pinaka rocket system exports.

Yerevan, Feb 2 A high-level Indian defence delegation led by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has arrived in Armenia for a four-day official visit aimed at strengthening defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

The Indian delegation reached Yerevan on Sunday local time, according to a statement issued by the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters.

The visit is being viewed as a significant step in advancing bilateral military engagement and reinforcing strategic ties.

"The visit marks an important step in taking forward shared strategic interests and enhancing long-term defence and security collaboration between the two Nations," the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters said in the statement.

Upon arrival in the Armenian capital, the delegation was received by India's Ambassador to Armenia, Nilakshi Saha Sinha, along with Deputy Chief of the Armenian Armed Forces, Major General Temur Shahnazaryan.

The warm reception underscored the growing closeness between New Delhi and Yerevan in the defence domain.

The visit comes close on the heels of a major milestone in India-Armenia defence cooperation.

Just two weeks ago, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the first tranche of guided Pinaka rockets destined for Armenia. The systems were manufactured by Pune-based Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL).

Armenia had signed a contract worth around Rs 2,000 crore in September 2022 for the acquisition of four Pinaka rocket system batteries.

The deal includes unguided, extended-range and guided variants of the system. Armenia also became the first international customer for the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, which has been developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The agreement marked a key moment in India's broader push for Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing and its stated ambition to emerge as a significant global defence exporter.

Deliveries of the initial Pinaka unguided rocket systems began in July 2023 and were completed by late 2024, paving the way for subsequent consignments of advanced variants.

Speaking earlier on the exports, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the shipment of Pinaka missiles reflected the growing strength and maturity of India's defence industry.

He said the development demonstrated India's expanding export potential, adding that the country was no longer only an importer of defence equipment but was steadily moving towards becoming a major exporter on the global stage.

- IANS
The Union government has allocated Rs 10,928 crore for railway infrastructure in Odisha in the 2026-27 Budget. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that projects worth Rs 90,659 crore are underway, moving toward a goal of over Rs 1 lakh crore in investment. Key initiatives include the East-West Freight Corridor and plans to deploy AI-based thermal cameras to prevent elephant deaths on tracks. The minister credited the cooperative efforts of the state's double-engine government for the progress.

Union Budget 2026-27 allocates Rs 10,928 crore for Odisha rail infra. Over Rs 90,659 crore in projects underway, aiming for 1 lakh crore target.

Bhubaneswar, Feb 3 The Union government has allocated Rs 10,928 crore for the development of railway infrastructure in Odisha in the Union Budget for the financial year 2026-27, presented in Parliament late last week by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

In his interactions with the media, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Sitharaman have allocated a record Rs 10,928 crore in the Union Budget 2026-27.

He also added that various railway projects worth Rs 90,659 crore are currently under progress across Odisha.

"When the double-engine government came to power in 2024, we promised that projects worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore would be implemented in Odisha over the next five years. As we move ahead towards this target, we have so far reached Rs 90,659 crore and require projects worth another Rs 10,000 crore to achieve the goal. We are committed to fulfilling the promise we made," Union Minister Vaishnaw said.

The Union Railway Minister also added that Odisha remains a key focus of Prime Minister Modi.

He also told the media that the proposed East-West Freight Corridor, starting from Dankuni in West Bengal, will pass through Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, and connect to Surat Port in Gujarat and Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra.

Union Minister Vaishnaw also claimed that this will boost industrial development in Odisha.

He noted that six pairs each of Vande Bharat Express and Amrit Bharat Express train services are currently operational in Odisha.

"In the last 11 years, nearly 2,200 km of new railway tracks have been constructed in Odisha. If you compare, this is more than the entire railway network of Malaysia during the last 11 years. I want to thank Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for his cooperation. The double-engine government in Odisha has worked in a very focused way," he said.

On the query related to the death of elephants in train accidents, Union Minister Vaishnaw said that work is in progress to install optical fibre and new technology in all the elephant corridor areas of the state.

He also told that the Railways are going to launch AI-based thermal cameras within the next six months to stop the elephant deaths on railway tracks.

The Union Minister also noted that 200 places across the country, including Odisha, have been identified to construct new underpasses so that the elephants can pass through the underpasses and not come onto the railway track.

He assured that Odisha is slated to receive high-speed rail corridors in the upcoming phases.

- IANS
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the Chandrawal water treatment plant is targeted for commissioning in 2026 to strengthen Delhi's water availability. The project, approved in 2012, faced long delays and a cost escalation of nearly Rs 400 crore due to tender cancellations and compliance issues. It will cover about 11% of Delhi's population across several key assembly constituencies, aiming to drastically reduce water leakage and technical losses. The comprehensive plan also includes replacing distribution pipelines and maintaining them under a 12-year agreement.

Delhi CM announces 2026 commissioning for Rs 599 crore Chandrawal water plant to boost supply and cut losses for 11% of the city's population.

New Delhi, Feb 2 To strengthen water availability, the Delhi government is constructing a 105 million gallons per day water treatment plant at Chandrawal at a cost of Rs 599 crore with a target to commission it in 2026, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Monday.

After a water review meeting, CM Gupta highlighted that the commissioning of the Chandrawal water treatment plant would significantly strengthen Delhi's water supply infrastructure.

The project, originally approved in 2012, witnessed prolonged delays due to negligence and lack of effective execution during the previous government's tenure, said a statement.

Owing to repeated cancellations of tenders and non-compliance with the guidelines of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project remained stalled for several years, resulting in a sharp cost escalation of nearly Rs 400 crore.

The review meeting of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) at the Delhi Secretariat was attended by Water Minister Pravesh Verma, along with senior officials of the department.

The project will cover an area of approximately 92 square kilometres, accounting for about 6.20 per cent of Delhi's total geographical area. Upon completion, it is expected to substantially reduce water leakage and technical losses, thereby improving the quality and reliability of the water supply and ensuring the availability of clean drinking water to residents, said the statement.

As part of the project, water supply and distribution pipelines leading to households are also being replaced at a cost of Rs 1,331 crore.

Of the three distribution projects: West Chandrawal, East Chandrawal, and Central Chandrawal, two have already been awarded. These pipelines will be laid across areas in nine Assembly constituencies, covering key localities such as Karol Bagh, Civil Lines, Kamla Nagar, Malka Ganj, Shadipur, Patel Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Naraina, Zakhira, New Rajendra Nagar, Hindu Rao, Idgah, Jhandewalan, Ridge Road, Ramlila Ground and Subhash Park.

The project also includes strengthening of underground reservoirs (UGRs), installation of water meters, prevention of contamination, and establishment of grievance redressal centres.

The target is to reduce non-revenue water from 30-45 per cent to below 15 per cent within three years. Maintenance of the replaced pipelines will be undertaken under a 12-year agreement, at a separate cost.

The Chandrawal water treatment plant project will cover around 11 per cent of Delhi's population. The project aims to strengthen the water supply in Assembly constituencies, including Model Town, Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Matia Mahal, Ballimaran, Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Rajinder Nagar and R.K. Puram. These densely populated areas have long been facing issues related to water availability and pressure.

- IANS
The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) has welcomed a new trade deal between the US and India that reduces US tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%. CITI Chairman Ashwin Chandran stated this will allow Indian textile and apparel exporters to compete effectively again in their largest export market. The deal was announced following a conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former US President Donald Trump, who both praised their friendship and cooperation. President Trump also claimed that, as part of the discussions, Prime Minister Modi agreed for India to stop buying Russian oil.

US reduces tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%, hailed by CITI as a boost for textile exporters competing in the crucial American market.

New Delhi, February 3 The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, a key textile organisation, has welcomed the reduction in the US tariff on Indian goods to 18%.

CITI Chairman Ashwin Chandran said that the reduction in tariff will ensure India's textile and apparel exporters are once again in a position to compete effectively in the US market, the single-largest market for India's textile and apparel exports.

"The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) heartily welcomes the announcement of the trade deal between the US and India and the reduction in the US tariff on Indian goods to 18%. CITI would like to express its sincere gratitude to both the US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this trade deal," he said.

"This reduction in tariff will ensure our textile and apparel exporters are once again in a position to compete effectively in the US market, the single-largest market for India's textile and apparel exports. This deal will also ensure that factories can run at full steam once more and job creation can get back to previous levels," he added.

PM Modi on Monday said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" today and expressed delight that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%.

"Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister said that when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.

"President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," PM Modi said.

US governmment had first imposed 25 per cent tariffs on India and later increased them to 50 per cent citing India's import of Russian oil.

President Trump on Monday said he and PM Modi "have agreed to a Trade Deal" between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%.

In a post on his social media handle Truth Social, Trump referred to his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day.

Trump said PM Modi was one of his greatest friends and a powerful and respected leader of his country.

Trump also said PM Modi and he are two people that get things done.

He claimed that the Prime Minister had agreed to "stop buying Russian Oil", and to buy much more from the United States.

"It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine," Trump said in his post.

"He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%," he added.

Trump claimed India will reduce tariffs and non-tariff Barriers against the United States.

"They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO. The Prime Minister also committed to "BUY AMERICAN," at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products. Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump added.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor earlier said that President Trump had spoken with Prime Minister Modi on Monday,.

"President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED...," Sergio Gor said in a post on X.

PM Modi had spoken with President Trump in December last year and the two leaders had agreed to work closely to address shared challenges and advance common interests.

- ANI
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu praised the Union Budget 2026-27 for significantly benefiting the civil aviation sector. He highlighted that customs duty exemptions on parts for civilian and trainer aircraft will boost domestic manufacturing. The Minister cited partnerships, such as Embraer with Adani and Russia with HAL, as evidence of the opportunity created by the budget's policy direction. The measures aim to address the aircraft shortage and build a self-reliant aerospace ecosystem in India.

Aviation Minister Ram Naidu lauds Union Budget 2026-27 for customs duty exemptions on aircraft parts, aiming to boost domestic manufacturing and 'Atmanirbharta'.

New Delhi, February 2 Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu lauded the Union Budget for 2026-2027, emphasising that the civil aviation sector has emerged as a primary beneficiary of the government's latest fiscal roadmap.

Speaking on the long-term impact, the Union Minister noted that the government is working to establish a robust aircraft manufacturing ecosystem, highlighting that this budget provides a clear roadmap to achieve that vision.

"I am very happy to share that in today's budget speech, which has been proposed by the finance minister, civil aviation has been a major beneficiary. One of the strongest impact areas in civil aviation is the manufacturing sector, where many other countries have taken advantage. When we want to buy these planes, we are buying them from other countries and other OEMs," Naidu said.

He asserted that the focus is on 'Atmanirbharta' to bring manufacturing to the country itself.

"We have been working for quite some time now to establish this network, and this budget gives a clear picture on how to do it. The customs duty exemption on parts and components used in civilian and trainer aircraft will boost the manufacturing ecosystem, which is currently a bottleneck. We have a lot of airports here today, but there is a mismatch in the connectivity because we don't have that many planes and how do we get that many planes is to improve the manufacturing in the country," said Naidu.

The Union Minister further mentioned that the Brazilian aerospace giant Embraer is partnering with Adani Aerospace and Defence to manufacture aircraft within the country. He also noted that the Russian government is entering into a tie-up with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), driven by the significant opportunities created by this year's Union Budget.

"There is a great opportunity here, which is why Embraer, a Brazilian company, is tying up with Adani Aerospace and Defence to manufacture aeroplanes in the country. The Russian government is also entering into a tie-up with HAL and signing an MoU to manufacture jet and propeller aircrafts in the country..." added Naidu.

Earlier on Sunday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, her ninth consecutive Union Budget, asserting that it is driven by "Yuvashakti" and based on "three kartavyas".

Within the Civil and Defence Aviation sectors, the Budget proposes to exempt basic customs duty on components and parts required for manufacturing civilian, training, and other aircraft.

Additionally, basic customs duty on raw materials imported for the manufacture of aircraft parts used in Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) for Defence sector units will also be exempted. Moreover, a special one-time measure has also been proposed to facilitate sales from manufacturing units in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional duty rates.

- ANI
A significant cold wave is currently affecting Srinagar, yet it is attracting numerous tourists to iconic spots like Dal Lake. Visitors, such as Nand Kishore Saini from Faridabad, express happiness with the arrangements and climate, though they note Dal Lake has not frozen in recent years. The India Meteorological Department forecasts more scattered to widespread rainfall and snowfall with gusty winds across the region until February 3. Earlier in January, heavy snowfall had caused major disruptions, stranding thousands of vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

Despite a severe cold wave, tourists flock to Srinagar's Dal Lake and Sonamarg, enjoying snowfall and winter scenery while sharing their experiences.

Srinagar, February 2 Srinagar is currently experiencing a major cold wave, but the chilly weather is proving to be a major draw for visitors. Tourists are enjoying the winter atmosphere at the iconic Dal Lake, bundling up in warm clothes to protect themselves from the cold snap.

One of the tourist Nand Kishore Saini from Faridabad spoke to ANI, said, "I am very happy to be here. The arrangements are good, the climate is good, and it is cold as well. The one thing we want is the frozen Dal Lake, which has not been there for the last 2-3 years. We did not have the chance to see the frozen Dal Lake, but in Sonmarg, we had a great experience and witnessed snowfall. We liked it a lot. Everything else is good; there is no problem."

Tourists in Srinagar were seen braving the cold with layers of warm clothing.

A tourist Nand Kishore said," Caps, scarf, and hankie, we need these for the children. It was a typical winter morning here, but by evening, temperatures dropped significantly. I have not been to Dal Lake yet. We went to Soan Marg yesterday. We will visit Dal Lake in the evening, but first, we will go to Gulmarg. Everyone should come here; it is truly like heaven there. I came here this time, and if God wills, I will make a program to visit again next time."

According to the India Meteorological Department's daily weather briefing, scattered to fairly widespread rainfall/snowfall with thunderstorm, lightning & gusty winds speed reaching (30-40 gusting to 50 kmph) likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during 01st-03rd February.

Earlier in January, thousands of vehicles were stranded on the Jammu-Srinagar highway due to snowfall in Kashmir. Clearance work was held amid heavy snowfall in Anantnag, which has halted traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

- ANI
Indian intelligence agencies have uncovered a comprehensive ISI strategy to destabilize India through multiple, simultaneous networks. These include reactivated terror modules in Jammu and Kashmir, spy rings, honey-trapping operations, and hit squads targeting prominent individuals. A key tactic involves using drones to drop arms and drugs in Punjab to revive the Khalistan movement, creating homegrown threats. The overarching aim is to confuse, distract, and overwhelm Indian security forces while recruiting youth to provide Pakistan with deniability for terror acts.

Intel reveals ISI's strategy: using terror modules, spy rings, honey traps, and hit squads to create homegrown terror and overwhelm Indian security.

New Delhi, Feb 2 Indian agencies have busted several plots hatched by ISI-backed terrorists, which were aimed at carrying out strikes in India. What the Indian agencies have learnt in recent months is that Pakistan has set up multiple networks within the country aimed at disturbing peace.

An Intelligence Bureau official stated that it is not just one type of network that the ISI has established. The Pakistani spy agency is not only limiting itself to setting up terror modules meant to carry out attacks. There are spy rings that have been established, and in addition to this, a major honey-trapping network has emerged in the country. The ISI has been using its proxies to target individuals in Jammu and Kashmir, whom they feel are anti-Pakistan.

Further, there are hit squads too that have come back. These squads have prepared hit lists of prominent people. Officials say that this only indicates the scale at which the ISI wants to operate in the country. Following the Pahalgam attack, India hit back by carrying out Operation Sindoor. This has led to heightened security at the borders, as a result of which the infiltrations have dried up.

With no terrorist being able to infiltrate, Pakistan has reactivated existing modules in Jammu and Kashmir. Those terrorists who had infiltrated much earlier were kept on standby mode, and now they have been instructed to strike in Jammu and Kashmir.

Another official said that there is also heightened drone activity in the bordering areas. The drones are sent in to drop off drugs and arms in Punjab. The intention is to revive the Khalistan movement there, officials say. The ISI has also instructed its proxy, the Lashkar-e-Taiba, to carry out a sustained campaign in Jammu and Kashmir whereby prominent individuals would be targeted and labelled anti-Pakistan and anti-Kashmir. This operation is aimed at maligning such individuals and attempting to get the locals to act against such persons.

Last week, the Lashkar-e-Taiba targeted noted counter-terrorism expert Junaid Qureshi. He has been critical of the ISI, and hence, the threat was issued to him. Qureshi's father, Hashim Qureshi, was one of the hijackers of the Air India flight IC-405 in 1971. However, Qureshi does not subscribe to his father's view.

Recently, the Gujarat ATS arrested a youth, originally from Uttar Pradesh, for propagating the ideology of terror groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al Qaeda. Based on what his handlers advised him, he had been spreading the ideology of these terror groups. He also prepared a hit list of seven persons. Investigations found that he had plans to eliminate these persons with the intention of spreading panic in Gujarat.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that there is a clear pattern that can be found. The ISI wants to keep the Indian agencies busy and hence is pushing its agenda on a very large scale. The aim is to confuse the Indian agencies so that they end up making a mistake. The ISI would wait for such an opportunity before it attempts to carry out a major strike. Further, the agenda is also to recruit as many youth as possible. The ISI is ready to buy out individuals to further their cause.

Another official explained that in the months to come, Pakistan would continue to further a similar agenda aimed not only at confusing the agencies, but also with the intention of recruiting more youth. Pakistan wants terror in India to be completely homegrown in nature. This would spare them the trouble of infiltration and also give Pakistan the deniability factor during a terror strike. The homegrown network is being pushed hard after India changed its doctrine, in which it said that any act of terror would be considered an act of war and not cross-border terrorism.

- IANS
The Cuban government has firmly rejected U.S. allegations that it poses a security threat, calling instead for respectful dialogue and cooperation. The dispute intensified following the controversial U.S. military operation in Venezuela, which led to the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro and severed Cuba's primary oil supply. The Trump administration has formally labeled Cuba a national security threat, accusing it of aligning with rivals like China and Russia. Amid growing economic hardship and U.S. pressure on regional allies, voices including the Pope are urging de-escalation and dialogue.

Cuba denies US security threat allegations as tensions rise over Venezuela policy and oil shipments. Havana calls for dialogue amid economic hardship.

Havana, February 3 The Cuban government has firmly denied allegations that it poses a security threat to the United States, even as tensions escalate between Havana and Washington over broader geopolitical and economic disputes.

In a statement released on Monday (local time), Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed its readiness to engage in dialogue and cooperation with the US on issues ranging from counterterrorism to regional security, a sharp contrast to the harsh accusations coming from the White House.

In its declaration, Cuban officials made clear: "The Cuban people and the American people benefit from constructive engagement, lawful cooperation, and peaceful coexistence," underscoring a willingness to pursue "a respectful and reciprocal dialogue ... based on mutual interest and international law."

The dispute has intensified in the wake of the controversial US military operation in Venezuela last month that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

Washington's actions there have strained relations throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, with Havana bearing the brunt of policy shifts that have cut off its primary source of energy.

Venezuela, long Cuba's main oil supplier, has seen shipments all but halted since the overthrow of Maduro, fueling Havana's growing economic hardship.

US President Donald Trump, defending his administration's stance, said that "Cuba is a failing nation for a long time. But now it doesn't have Venezuela to prop it up," reflecting Washington's narrative that the Caribbean island poses a threat in its current state.

Beyond oil politics, the Trump administration has gone further, releasing a memorandum labelling the Cuban government an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to US national security. That document accused Havana of alignment with "malign actors", including strategic rivals such as China and Russia, and of exporting "communist ideas, policies, and practices" that threaten US interests in the Western Hemisphere.

Cuba's foreign ministry pushed back against these claims, declaring unequivocally that the island "does not harbor, support, finance, or permit terrorist or extremist organisations." The government also reiterated that it does not host foreign military or intelligence bases, a pointed rebuttal to US assertions of Havana's involvement in regional destabilisation.

This diplomatic confrontation comes as Washington also pressures regional players to limit support for Cuba. Recent moves include efforts to persuade Mexico to curb oil shipments to the island, heightening concerns that the Caribbean nation could confront a full energy blockade.

Amid these tensions, voices outside government have called for restraint. Pope Leo urged both countries to engage in "sincere and effective dialogue", warning that escalation benefits no one and could increase suffering for the Cuban people.

For now, Havana maintains that its long-held principles of sovereignty and peaceful coexistence remain unchanged, even as it navigates one of the most fraught chapters of US-Cuba relations in decades.

- ANI
The High Commissioner of Cyprus to India, Evagoras Vryonides, has outlined a strategic vision for an autonomous European Union as Cyprus prepares to assume the EU Council Presidency. He announced a packed schedule of high-level diplomatic visits from Cyprus to India, culminating in the Cypriot President's visit in May. Vryonides expressed strong satisfaction with the progress on the long-negotiated EU-India Free Trade Agreement, which he termed the "mother of all deals." He pledged that Cyprus would use its presidency to facilitate and expedite the implementation of this landmark deal.

Cyprus High Commissioner outlines vision for an autonomous EU and terms the EU-India Free Trade Agreement the 'mother of all deals' ahead of key diplomatic visits.

By Sahil Pandey, New Delhi, February 2 As the Republic of Cyprus prepares to take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Evagoras Vryonides, the High Commissioner of Cyprus to India, has outlined a vision for an "autonomous" EU while signaling a significant deepening of ties with New Delhi.

Speaking on the strategic priorities of the upcoming presidency, Vryonides emphasized that the primary goal is to foster a self-reliant European Union across multiple sectors including economic prosperity, employment, and defence. He noted that while seeking autonomy, the Union aims to maintain strong links with transatlantic friends through the EU-NATO partnership.

The High Commissioner revealed a packed diplomatic calendar for Cyprus in India, noting that many high-level engagements are planned for the coming months. He confirmed that the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy will visit Delhi in two weeks for the AI Summit, followed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in March for the Raisina Dialogue.

This diplomatic momentum will culminate in the official visit of the President of Cyprus to India in May.

Addressing the long-awaited EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the High Commissioner expressed immense satisfaction with the progress made between the two partners. He stated that the leadership is very content that the deal has reached a point of agreement after years of negotiations, remarking that "when there's a will, there's a way."

Terming the agreement the "mother of all deals," Vryonides assured that Cyprus, in its capacity as the EU Council President, will do everything in its power to facilitate, expedite, and enhance the implementation of this deal to benefit both regions.

- ANI
Several areas in Delhi, including Dhaula Kuan and Dwarka, woke up to moderate fog with air quality oscillating between the moderate and poor categories. Ghaziabad in the NCR recorded an AQI of 259, placing it in the 'poor' category, while Mumbai's Marine Drive area reported a 'moderate' AQI of 126. The IMD forecast includes fog or mist in the morning with a mainly clear sky later for the region. This follows a day where Delhi's air quality was in the 'very poor' category, with the IMD having issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and gusty winds.

Delhi-NCR experiences dense morning fog with AQI in moderate to poor categories. Ghaziabad records poor air, while Mumbai sees moderate conditions.

New Delhi, February 2 Several parts of the national capital woke up to dense fog on Monday morning, with the Air Quality Index remaining in the moderate to poor categories according to the Central Pollution Control Board data.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) data showed moderate fog in multiple areas of Delhi. Dhaula Kuan, Akshardham, Dwarka, and Mother Teresa Crescent Marg were among the areas that experienced fog in the morning.

Several monitoring stations across the city reported moderate to poor AQI levels at around 7 AM in the national capital. While Sectors 3, 6 and 10 in Dwarka recorded AQI at 243 in the 'poor' category, areas such as Mahipalpur recorded at 134 in the 'moderate' category. Mother Teresa Crescent Marg also remained in the 'moderate' category, with an AQI of 118.

Meanwhile, the NCR regions witnessed mist early in the morning with AQI remaining in the 'poor' category in Ghaziabad.

According to CPCB data, Ghaziabad recorded an AQI of 259 n Monday morning.

However, Mumbai saw a 'moderate' AQI at the dawn of the day. CPCB recorded an AQI of 126 around the Marine Drive area.

IMD has forecasted 'fog/mist in the morning and mainly clear sky later' for the area today. People were seen taking morning walks along Marine Drive amid a blanket of fog.

As per AQI classification, a reading between 0 and 50 is 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.Meanwhile, several airports across north and central India witnessed varying fog conditions today, with very dense to shallow fog reported between 0600 hrs and 0630 hrs IST, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

On Sunday, the air quality in the national capital remained in the 'very poor category' in the morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 318 around 8 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a yellow alert for the national capital, warning that isolated areas may experience thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph. Similar conditions are expected across neighbouring Haryana and Chandigarh. In Haryana, Karnal experienced a hailstorm early in the day.

The IMD stated that the rainfall signalled the beginning of an active weather phase, with thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds, and hail likely to affect several states during the day. Light rain lashed several parts of the city and adjoining NCR areas in the early morning hours.

- ANI
'Metroman' E Sreedharan has inaugurated an office in Ponnani for a proposed high-speed rail line in Kerala, even though the project was not included in the recent Union Budget. The rail corridor is planned to run from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur with a top speed of 200 kmph. Sreedharan expressed confidence in securing central government approval, stating that field work for surveys is expected to begin by April. The move comes ahead of Kerala's assembly elections this year.

E Sreedharan launches office for Kerala's high-speed rail project despite its exclusion from the Union Budget, expressing confidence in central approval.

Malappuram, February 2 'Metroman' E Sreedharan on Monday opened an office in Ponnani in Kerala's Malappuram district for a proposed high-speed rail project in the State.

The development comes despite Kerala finding no mention in the Union Budget 2026-27 presented in Parliament a day ago regartding he 7 high-speed rail corridors. The corridors included in the central budget include Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri.

Earlier last week, the Kerala State Budget presented ahead of the Union Budget announced its own Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in the hope that it would be included in the Union Budget.

Addressing reporters after the opening of the Ponnani office, the 93-year-old Sreedharan who served as the Managing Director of the Delhi Metro and was lauded for his role in Konkan Railway, expressed confidence about securing central Government approval for the project.

He said that the project would be implemented by the Railway Ministry, with the Kerala government's views to be sought after a detailed project report (DPR) is prepared.

"Time is money. We decided not to waste time," Sreedharan told reporters here today on deciding to go ahead without formal approval. The proposed high-speed rail line will run from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur, with a maximum speed of 200 kmph.

"The office has been opened, although the staff has been called...work will officially start from today. Everything will be done without causing any inconvenience to locals. The staff will be instructed about the things to be completed quickly and about the Detailed Project Report (DPR). The field work is expected to start by April and completed by June 1," he said.

"The stations have been decided whether it should be elevated or underground. A station-to-station plan will be made. The locals should be brought to our side and their trust should be gained. The survey will be conducted manually. The yellow markers will not be placed for the timebeing. A decision will be taken in connection with land acquisition," Sreedharan said.

Earlier today, Sreedharan's wife Radha lit the traditional lamp at the opening ceremony of the Ponnani office.

Incidentally, Sreedharan contested the 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections as a BJP candidate from the Palakkad seat. He subsequently quit the party and politics. Keraal is set to head into Assembly elections this year.

- ANI
The Dubai Press Club organised the UAE-Kuwait Media Celebration in Kuwait under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The event featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Dubai Media Incorporated and Kuwait's Ministry of Information to boost joint media production. Speakers highlighted the deep-rooted fraternal relationship and over 25 years of media partnership between the two nations. The celebration also marked the Silver Jubilee of the Arab Media Award.

Dubai Press Club event in Kuwait fosters media ties, signs MoU for joint production, and celebrates 25 years of Arab Media Award.

Dubai, February 2 Under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and under the directives of Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, the Dubai Press Club today organised the 'UAE-Kuwait Media Celebration'.

Held at Waldorf Astoria Kuwait, the event formed part of the UAE media delegation's visit to Kuwait. It was attended by prominent media leaders, artists, producers, intellectuals and cultural figures from both countries as part of a programme highlighting the strong fraternal ties and close media cooperation between the UAE and Kuwait.

The event featured a youth-focused session titled 'Media and the Voice of Youth: UAE and Kuwait', in addition to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Dubai Media Incorporated and Kuwait's Ministry of Information - Kuwait TV to boost joint media production. The programme also included a gala dinner and artistic displays and media activities reflecting the deep fraternal bond between the two countries.

In her opening address, Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council and President of the Dubai Press Club, congratulated the leadership and people of Kuwait on the country's National Day and Liberation Day, noting that both occasions are deeply cherished by the Emirati people. She affirmed that the UAE's leadership regards Kuwait as a fraternal nation, a close ally, and a partner bound by longstanding historical ties and a shared collective memory.

She emphasised that the phrase "The UAE and Kuwait are Brothers Forever" reflects a deep-rooted relationship shaped over time by cordiality, sincerity and loyalty. She recalled the launch of Dubai's first official television broadcast in 1969, describing it as a defining milestone in Gulf media that brought together Emirati ambition and Kuwaiti expertise.

She also noted that the Dubai Press Club has established strong and long-lasting partnerships with the Kuwaiti media and journalistic community for more than 25 years, with Kuwaiti professionals playing an active role in the Club's major initiatives, particularly the Arab Media Summit, the region's largest annual media gathering.

Al Marri added that this year marks the Silver Jubilee of the Arab Media Award, celebrating 25 years since its launch under the vision and directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. She expressed appreciation for the Kuwaiti journalists and thinkers who have been honoured with the Award over the years in recognition of their impactful contributions to the Arab media landscape.

Concluding her remarks, Al Marri said that the bond between the UAE and Kuwait extends far beyond a single celebration, reflecting a shared history, a closely connected present, and a future being shaped together. She added that the UAE does not forget those who stood by it or were part of its journey from the very beginning.

Dr Ahmed Abdulwahab Al Awadhi, Minister of Health and Acting Minister of Information and Culture in Kuwait, delivered the official address at the celebration. He said that the media gathering reflects the depth of the longstanding ties between the UAE and Kuwait, built on sustained cooperation and mutual understanding. He highlighted the role of the media as a key driver of communication, a platform for shared values, and a bridge for closer engagement between societies.

Speaking during the event, Al Awadhi said, "The gathering marks an important milestone in media cooperation between the two countries. It opens wider opportunities for the exchange of expertise, the integration of efforts, and the development of joint media content in line with the rapid transformations taking place in the media industry, while strengthening professional standards and enhancing the quality of media output."

He added that the 'UAE-Kuwait Media Celebration' represents a constructive model of cooperation that supports unity, reinforces the role of the media in building awareness, and contributes to highlighting the achievements of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and their future aspirations.

He also commended the efforts of the Dubai Press Club in organising the event, expressing his wishes for continued stability, progress and prosperity for both countries.

The celebration featured a musical operetta dedicated to Kuwait, reflecting the depth of the historical and cultural ties between the two countries. Presented through a national artistic and musical performance, the operetta conveyed messages of appreciation and pride, highlighting shared values and common aspirations. The musical also underscored the strength of bilateral relations and the spirit of cooperation between the two countries in a celebratory setting that reflected Gulf cultural identity and conveyed themes of unity and belonging.

The UAE delegation participating in the celebration comprised more than 100 senior media leaders and figures from across the country, alongside prominent artists, producers, heads of media and press institutions, newspaper editors-in-chief, writers, journalists, content creators and influencers. The event also brought together leading media executives, journalists, writers, intellectuals and opinion makers from Kuwait.

- ANI
The United States has agreed to a trade deal with India, slashing reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%. The announcement followed a conversation between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom Trump called a "dear friend." As part of the discussions, India agreed to stop buying Russian oil and increase purchases from the US. The deal gives India a competitive tariff advantage over other major exporting nations in the region like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

US lowers tariffs on Indian goods to 18% in new trade deal. PM Modi and President Trump hail agreement, which also involves India reducing Russian oil imports.

New Delhi, February 3 Member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Economic Advisory Council, Sanjeev Sanyal, in a post on X on Monday, stated that "Duniya jhukti hai, jhukaney wala chahiye" following the announcement of the India-US trade deal, where Washington reduced the tariffs on India to 18 per cent.

Sanyal's remark, which translates to "The world bends, but one must be willing to bend," comes moments after US President Donald Trump said that the US and India "have agreed to a trade deal" with Washington reducing the reciprocal tariff from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, "out of friendship and respect" for PM Modi.

In his Truth Social post, Trump referred to his conversation with PM Modi earlier in the day, noting that the Prime Minister is one of his closest friends and a powerful, respected leader of India.

The US President also claimed that PM Modi had agreed to "stop buying Russian oil" and to buy much more from the US.

Trump further noted that India would reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the US.

"It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO," Trump's post read.

Following Trump's post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" and expressed delight that "Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%".

"Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi wrote in a post on X.

Union Minister for Railways and Information & Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw also lauded the India-US trade deal, describing it as a "win-win deal" that will benefit citizens and industries of both countries.

"US and India are the world's largest democracies. Both countries are natural allies. Together, India and US have huge potential to work for peace and development. US and India have complementary strengths. Both countries can co-create technologies and co-develop solutions that will benefit the world. Trade deal between US and India will lead to a brighter future for both countries. India-US Trade deal is a win-win deal. Citizens and industries of both countries will benefit greatly from this deal," the Union Minister stated in a post on X.

India now faces lower tariffs than its regional export competitors in South and Southeast Asia.

With the new tariff structure, India now has a clear advantage over competing export economies in the region, with lower tariff rates compared to Indonesia at 19 per cent and Bangladesh and Vietnam with 20 per cent each.

Compared to China, India now enjoys significantly lower tariffs, with tariffs levied on Beijing at 34 per cent.

India also enjoys a slight edge over Pakistan, with tariffs on Islamabad currently levied at 19 per cent.

- ANI
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has arrived in the United States for a three-day visit centered on critical minerals cooperation. He will attend the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and is expected to hold bilateral talks. The discussions will focus on securing supply chains, clean energy transitions, and enhancing strategic partnership between India and the US. The visit underscores the growing importance of critical minerals for technological innovation and national economic security.

EAM Jaishankar meets US officials for strategic talks on critical minerals supply chains, clean energy, and India-US cooperation.

Washington, Feb 3 External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in New York on Monday for a three-day official visit to the United States focused on cooperation in critical minerals and meetings with senior officials from the Trump administration.

Jaishankar is scheduled to travel to Washington during the visit, where he will attend the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to an official announcement. US Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to address the conference.

The visit runs from February 2 to February 4. The Critical Minerals Ministerial will focus on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions, and strategic cooperation in the critical minerals sector. These materials are considered essential for advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.

Jaishankar is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with Rubio on Tuesday. He is scheduled to attend the ministerial on Wednesday. The engagements are expected to review cooperation between India and the United States in the critical minerals sector.

During the visit, Jaishankar will also meet senior members of the US administration. Details of those meetings were not disclosed.

India and the United States have increased engagement in recent years on issues linked to economic security. Critical minerals have emerged as a central element of those discussions. Both countries see them as vital to clean energy goals and long-term industrial growth.

The US State Department said that on February 4, the United States will welcome delegations to advance collective efforts to strengthen and diversify critical minerals supply chains.

"This historic gathering will create momentum for collaboration to secure these critical components vital to technological innovation, economic strength, and national security," the State Department said.

Jaishankar's Washington meetings are part of regular high-level exchanges between New Delhi and Washington. The two sides hold frequent talks on diplomacy, trade, technology, and security.

Critical minerals have gained importance in recent years as countries expand renewable energy and advanced manufacturing. They are widely used in clean energy systems, batteries, and other strategic sectors, with demand rising steadily worldwide.

- IANS
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is visiting the United States to participate in the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The ministerial aims to strengthen international collaboration on securing reliable and resilient critical mineral supply chains essential for energy transition and national security. In a parallel effort, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw represented India at a US Treasury-led Finance Ministerial focused on diversifying these supply chains. Concurrently, a US Congressional delegation met with India's Defence Secretary to discuss deepening bilateral defence industry collaboration.

EAM S. Jaishankar visits US for Critical Minerals Ministerial with Secretary Rubio, as India-US talks span defence and supply chains.

New Delhi, February 2 External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit the United States from February 2-4 to participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to an official release by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Ministerial will focus on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions, and strategic cooperation in critical minerals.

During the visit, the External Affairs Minister will also hold meetings with senior members of the US administration.

Ahead of the Ministerial, the US Department of State had said in January that the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial, to be held on February 4 by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will bring together partners from across the globe to strengthen cooperation on critical mineral supply chains.

Expanding on the agenda, the State Department said in a post on X that the ministerial will focus on enhancing international collaboration to secure reliable, resilient critical mineral supply chains, which are essential to the US's economic and national security, technological leadership, and energy transition.

"On February 4, Secretary Rubio will welcome partners from across the globe to the State Department for the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial. Strengthening critical mineral supply chains with our international partners is vital to America's economic and national security, technological leadership, and a resilient energy future," the State Department stated in its post.

In parallel with these efforts, broader discussions on securing global mineral networks were also held earlier this month, when US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent convened a high-level Finance Ministerial in Washington to explore ways to strengthen and diversify critical mineral supply chains, with a particular focus on rare-earth elements.

According to a release by the US Department of the Treasury, the meeting brought together finance ministers and senior officials from key economies, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

Representing India at the Finance Ministerial was Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Meanwhile, India-US engagement has also continued on the defence front, with a United States Congressional delegation led by Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Mike Rogers, along with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, holding discussions with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

The meeting, held on January 27, featured wide-ranging discussions on deepening defence industry collaboration and advancing bilateral military ties, according to the Ministry of Defence.

"US Congressional Delegation led by Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Mike Rogers met Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh today. They had wide ranging discussions including the recently concluded 10-year Major Defence Partnership Framework Agreement with emphasis on strengthening cooperation in the field of defence industry," the Ministry of Defence said in a post on X.

- ANI
The Tibetan community in exile participated in the first phase of elections for the Sikyong and the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. Voters expressed their commitment to sustaining their government-in-exile and continuing the struggle for freedom from China. Candidates and voters highlighted the central challenge of preserving Tibetan identity, culture, and unity as the community assimilates abroad. The elections, held globally, aim to unite the diaspora with the ultimate dream of one day voting in a free Tibet.

Tibetans in exile cast ballots for Sikyong and Parliament, aiming to preserve culture and unity while continuing the struggle for a free Tibet.

Manali, February 2 The Tibetan community living in exile on Monday took part in the first phase of elections to choose the Sikyong and members of the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, marking a key democratic exercise for Tibetans residing outside their homeland.

Voters travelled from nearby regions to cast their ballots, underscoring the importance of participation in sustaining the Tibetan government-in-exile and advancing the decades-long struggle for freedom.

Rinjin, a voter, said, "I live in Keylong and I have come here to exercise my right and cast my vote for the Tibet government. We vote to continue fighting for the freedom of our country. You know China has occupied Tibet, and we have been living in India as refugees."

Echoing similar hopes, another voter, Lobsang, said, "I have come to vote to choose the next Tibetan government in exile. We hope for freedom soon so that we can go back to our country."

Polling was held across the world, including in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, where the Central Tibetan Administration set up three polling booths at different locations to facilitate voting by Tibetans residing in the state, with preservation of Tibetan identity, culture and unity emerging as central concerns.

Speaking to ANI, Tenzin, a candidate for the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies (ATPD), said the biggest challenge facing Tibetans today is the gradual erosion of the community itself.

"The biggest challenge at present is that the Tibetan community is slowly disappearing. Tibetans are mixing into different countries and societies. If this continues, a time will come when only photographs of Tibetans will remain, just like dinosaurs exist only in pictures," Tenzin said.

He added that he was nominated by members of his own community.

"My people made me a candidate this time. I am not asking anyone to vote for me, but I am interested in serving, which is why I am contesting," he said.

Explaining the electoral process, Tenzin said the elections are held in two parts, one for the Parliament-in-Exile and the other for the head of the government-in-exile, known as the Sikyong.

"Earlier, we called this post Prime Minister and later President, but now we call it Sikyong. These elections are held across the world wherever Tibetans live, to unite our people," he said.

He noted that parliamentary elections are conducted under four categories, three based on Tibet's traditional geographical regions and one representing the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

"We function like a government so that our traditions, religion and culture are protected, and the welfare of our people is ensured. This is the first phase of elections, and the final phase will be held in April," he said.

If elected, Tenzin said his priority would be rebuilding unity and strengthening the Tibetan population.

"Tibetan children inside Tibet are being forcefully separated and assimilated. Those in Nepal, India and abroad are also gradually mixing into other societies. We want to promote the Tibetan community, increase our population, document our problems and work towards solutions," he added.

Meanwhile, first-time voter Tenzin Kulsang expressed mixed emotions while casting her ballot.

"I feel very happy and proud that I can vote for our Parliament and government-in-exile. At the same time, I feel unhappy because I do not have a free country of my own," she said.

She said her dream is to one day vote in a free Tibet.

"I dream that one day I will vote in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the headquarters of the Tibetan government. I want our own language, culture and religion to survive," Kulsang said.

She added that despite having democratic rights in exile, the pain of statelessness remains.

"We are living in exile. Our population is decreasing and we are mixing with other countries. If we had our own government in a free country, we could rebuild everything," she said.

Highlighting the role of education and unity, Kulsang said Tibetan schools and community institutions play a vital role.

"Students come from Nepal, the US, Australia and different parts of India. We need unity to promote our culture, traditional dress and identity. I hope our representatives will raise our voice internationally and help us regain our homeland," she said.

According to the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies, polling for the preliminary phase of the two-stage election was held on February 1. Around 91,000 voters are registered worldwide, with 309 polling stations set up across 27 countries. The final phase of the election is scheduled for April.

- ANI
Experts have welcomed the newly announced India-US trade deal, describing it as a significant step to strengthen economic ties and restore momentum in the bilateral relationship. The agreement, announced by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi, reduces a key US tariff and is seen as a "Phase 1" deal paving the way for more comprehensive negotiations. Analysts note the deal comes at a critical time, offering relief to exporters and building trust for cooperation in AI, defense, and cybersecurity. The announcement follows closely on India's recent trade agreement with the European Union, potentially transforming India's global trade position.

Experts welcome the new US-India trade deal, calling it a milestone that restores momentum and deepens the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Washington DC, February 3 Following the announcement of the India-US trade deal by US President Donald Trump, where Washington reduced the reciprocal tariff from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, experts welcomed the announcement, describing it as a significant step towards strengthening economic ties and restoring momentum in what they see as one of the most consequential bilateral partnerships of the 21st century.

Speaking to ANI, following the announcement, a former top US official, Nisha Biswal, said that the "long-awaited trade deal" would pave the way for a much larger economic partnership between the two countries, noting that the agreement, which, according to her, is in Phase 1, creates a pathway for negotiations on a more comprehensive arrangement, similar to the recently announced EU-India trade agreement which was concluded during the state visit of European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month.

"The long-awaited US-India trade deal that was announced this morning by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will pave the way for a much bigger economic partnership between our two countries. While this is still a phase 1 agreement, it creates the pathway for negotiations on a more comprehensive agreement, akin to the EU-India agreement announced last week," she said.

According to her, the two deals together could transform India's global trade position and economy.

Partner at The Asia Group, Aman Raj Khanna, said that the agreement comes at a critical moment and helps restore positive momentum in the bilateral relationship, adding that the resolution offers much-needed relief to exporters on both sides who have faced uncertainty in recent months and lays the foundation for renewed trust and cooperation in key sectors such as artificial intelligence, defence, cybersecurity and emerging technologies.

"This agreement comes at a critical moment and goes a long way in restoring positive momentum to what I still believe will be the most consequential partnership of the 21st century. The timely resolution provides much-needed relief to exporters on both sides who have weathered significant uncertainty in the intervening months, and creates the foundation for renewed trust-building and cooperation across the sectors that will define the coming decades: the AI stack from infrastructure to compute, defence, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies," he stated.

Meanwhile, Mark Linscott, Senior Advisor at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), described the agreement as a major development for both countries, particularly coming shortly after India's trade agreement with the European Union.

He said that while the bilateral relationship has faced challenges in recent months, the announcement should help put the economic partnership back on track and pave the way for a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement.

"This is a huge deal for both countries, particularly less than a week after India's "mother of all" trade agreements with the European Union. It's been a roller coaster ride in recent months, and the bilateral relationship has taken some hits. But this announcement should put the economic side back on track and start to pave the way for a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement, as the two leaders pledged almost a year ago," the Senior Advisor noted.

Managing Principal at The Asia Group, Basant Sanghera, also described the announcement as a milestone moment in eight decades of US-India diplomatic relations; however, the legal text of the agreement is still to be finalised.

He stated that it was expected to provide notable tariff relief for India and represents a key achievement for the Trump administration's trade diplomacy, adding that the deal, coming nearly a year after Prime Minister Modi visits Washington, would inject much-needed momentum into the broader bilateral relationship.

"Today's announcement by President Trump of a bilateral trade agreement marks a milestone moment in eight decades of U.S.-India diplomatic relations. While the legal text of the agreement is still being finalised, the deal is anticipated to provide notable tariff relief for New Delhi and represents a key achievement for the Trump administration's trade diplomacy. Coming almost exactly a year after Prime Minister Modi's visit to Washington, the deal will also inject much-needed momentum into the wider bilateral partnership after months of headwinds. India's patience has paid off - for now -but as it has seen from other American partners, New Delhi will need to actively manage the relationship to ensure the trade saga does not flare up again," he stated.

The remarks come after Trump said that the US and India "have agreed to a trade deal" with Washington reducing the reciprocal tariff from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, "out of friendship and respect" for PM Modi. He further stated that the deal will come "effective immediately".

In his Truth Social post, Trump referred to his conversation with PM Modi earlier in the day, noting that the Prime Minister was one of his closest friends and a powerful, respected leader of India.

The US President also said PM Modi had agreed to "stop buying Russian Oil", and to buy much more from the US.

Trump further noted that India would reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the US.

"It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO," Trump's post read.

"The Prime Minister also committed to "BUY AMERICAN," at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products. Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he added.

Following Trump's post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" and expressed delight that "Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%".

"Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi wrote in a post on X.

The Prime Minister also said that cooperation between the two major economies and the world's largest democracies serves the interests of their people and opens up vast opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration.

"When two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," the Prime Minister added.

- ANI
A report by Union Bank of India states that the financial sector announcements in the Union Budget 2026 are designed to boost private investment and speed up infrastructure development. Key measures include forming a High-Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat and creating an Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund to reduce lender risk. The budget also outlines reforms for NBFCs and restructuring for power sector financiers to improve credit flow and support energy transition. Overall, these steps aim to strengthen the banking system's resilience and align it with India's long-term growth goals.

Union Bank report says Budget 2026 measures will reduce lender risk, crowd in private investment, and accelerate infrastructure execution.

New Delhi, February 2 The announcements made in the Union Budget 2026 for the financial sector are expected to play a crucial role in crowding in private investment and accelerating infrastructure execution, according to a report by Union Bank of India.

The report highlighted that the reforms announced in the Budget will help strengthen lender confidence, particularly by reducing perceived credit risk in early-stage infrastructure projects.

This improvement in risk perception is expected to encourage greater private sector participation and support faster execution of infrastructure projects across the country.

It stated that "budget will help in strengthening lender confidence by reducing perceived credit risk in early-stage infra projects. Helps crowd-in private investment and accelerates infrastructure execution".

The key announcement highlighted in the budget 2026 is the setting up of a High-Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat.

The committee is expected to work towards aligning India's banking architecture with the next phase of economic growth, keeping in view evolving financing needs and global best practices.

The Budget measures also aim to enable long-term structural reforms in the financial system. The report added that these reforms are expected to improve governance standards, strengthen the resilience of the banking sector, and prepare lenders for meeting high-growth credit demand in the coming years.

The overall focus is on creating a robust and forward-looking financial architecture aligned with India's long-term growth aspirations.

In the power sector, the report noted that the Budget initiatives will improve efficiency and capital allocation in power-sector financing.

This, in turn, will strengthen the ability of financial institutions to fund renewable energy and transmission projects, which are critical for meeting India's energy transition goals.

As part of this effort, the government has announced the restructuring of Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation, with the objective of enhancing their effectiveness in financing power infrastructure.

The Budget outlined new targets for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), focusing on credit expansion and technology adoption.

These measures are expected to improve credit penetration in underserved segments, accelerate digitisation in NBFC operations, and enhance overall financial inclusion.

In addition, the government has announced the creation of an Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund. The fund will provide prudently calibrated partial credit guarantees to lenders during the development and construction phase of infrastructure projects.

According to the report, this step is expected to further reduce risk for lenders and encourage greater private investment in infrastructure.

Overall, the report by Union Bank of India noted that the Budget's financial sector measures are aimed at strengthening confidence, improving capital allocation, and supporting sustainable economic growth.

- ANI
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has welcomed the Union Budget, describing it as forward-looking and balanced. He stated it aligns with the state's reform agenda and will strengthen key sectors like MSMEs, logistics, and renewable energy. The budget's focus on high-speed rail corridors and the Rare Earth Corridor is noted as particularly beneficial for Andhra's connectivity and industry. Provisions for semiconductors, data centres, and AI are also highlighted as drivers for growth and employment in the state.

Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu welcomes the Union Budget, highlighting benefits for MSMEs, high-speed rail, and tech sectors like AI and semiconductors.

Amaravathi, February 1 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday described the Union Budget presented by the Central Government as forward-looking and balanced.

He welcomed the budget and congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on its presentation.

The Chief Minister stated that the budget would support the state government's efforts to move more aggressively in the priority sectors it has identified.

He said the budget aligns well with Andhra Pradesh's Ease of Doing Business policy and will further strengthen the state's reform-oriented approach.

He noted that the state government has already focused extensively on MSMEs, and the provisions in the Union Budget will further strengthen this sector. The budget, he said, "promotes the empowerment of women, farmers, and youth and will contribute significantly to India's goal of becoming a developed economy by 2047."

Chandrababu Naidu said, "The Finance Minister has presented a well-balanced budget that provides clear direction and momentum for economic growth. He highlighted that the budget encourages next-level reforms, including the adoption of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence."

The Chief Minister pointed out that the budget places strong emphasis on renewable energy and the vision of "One Grid, One Nation." he said, "It has been structured with short, medium-, and long-term goals in mind and will help improve living standards and enhance the ease of living for citizens."

He further stated that the Hyderabad-Bengaluru and Hyderabad-Chennai high-speed rail corridors will greatly benefit Andhra Pradesh. Important locations such as Tirupati and Amaravati will be covered under these corridors.

The Bengaluru-Chennai high-speed rail corridor will also pass through Palamaner, Chittoor, and other regions. Overall, three high-speed rail corridors will cover various parts of Andhra Pradesh, connecting major cities such as Hyderabad, Amaravati, Bengaluru, and Chennai.

The Chief Minister said, "Andhra Pradesh has been included in the dedicated Rare Earth Corridor, creating opportunities to extract high-value heavy minerals and support critical electronics manufacturing. He welcomed the allocation of 40,000 crore for the semiconductor sector under ISM 2.0."

He also noted that the textile sector has been given a boost, which will be highly beneficial for Andhra Pradesh. The budget prioritises tourism and hospitality, which will help promote tourism in regions like Araku.

Chandrababu Naidu said, "The budget includes measures to support crops such as coconut, cashew, cocoa, and sandalwood. He highlighted that tax exemptions for data centres have been extended until 2047, which will help India emerge as a global data centre hub."

He added, "Visakhapatnam is set to receive several data centres, including those by Google, which will support the growth of Artificial Intelligence and generate large-scale employment and livelihood opportunities."

Finally, the Chief Minister said that Andhra Pradesh has been focusing extensively on the logistics sector, and for the first time, the Union Budget has specifically mentioned the development of the logistics sector, which will further strengthen the state's growth prospects.

- ANI
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in four sets to claim his first Australian Open title. After the match, a reflective Djokovic gave a cryptic response about his future, stating "God knows what happens tomorrow." He expressed deep gratitude to the Melbourne fans, calling their support something he had never before experienced in Australia. The 38-year-old also admitted he did not expect to be in another Grand Slam final.

Novak Djokovic hints at uncertain future after losing Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, thanking fans for "unprecedented" support.

Melbourne, February 1 After facing defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open 2026 final on Sunday, Djokovic gave a cryptic response about his future plans.

The 22-year old Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in a gripping four-set final by 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5, a contest that lasted three hours and two minutes. With the win, the Spaniard clinched his maiden Australian Open title.

After the defeat, Novak Djokovic described his journey as memorable and expressed heartfelt gratitude to Australian Open fans for their support, calling it unlike anything he had experienced in Melbourne.

"God knows what happens tomorrow, let alone in six months or 12 months...it has been a great ride. I love you guys. In the end, you guys [Australian Open fans], particularly in the last couple of matches, have given me something I have never experienced in Australia," he said during the on-court interview after the final against Alcaraz, according to AO YouTube channel.

"The love, the support, the positivity -- it has been incredible. I always believe in myself and I think that is something that is truly needed and necessary when you are playing at this level," he added.

Djokovic admitted he did not expect to reach another Grand Slam closing ceremony and thanked the fans for motivating him and pushing him forward over the past few weeks.

"I must be very honest and say that I didn't think I would be standing in the closing ceremony of a grand slam once again, so I think I owe you the gratitude as well of pushing me forward in the last couple weeks," the 38-year-old Serbian legend said.

Djokovic last lifted a Grand Slam trophy at the 2023 US Open. The 24-time major champion reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams in 2025 but fell short of progressing further.

- ANI
YSRCP leader YV Subba Reddy appreciated the Union Budget's efforts to reduce the fiscal deficit and its overall increase in outlay. However, he expressed clear disappointment at the absence of any special financial allotment or preference for the state of Andhra Pradesh. The budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, proposed major infrastructure projects including seven new high-speed rail corridors. It also emphasized eco-tourism, with plans to develop sustainable mountain trails across several states.

YV Subba Reddy commends fiscal deficit reduction but expresses disappointment over lack of special grant for Andhra Pradesh in Union Budget 2026-27.

New Delhi, February 2 Former TTD Chief and YSR Congress Party Leader YV Subba Reddy on Sunday commended the Union Budget 2026-27 while raising concerns over no special allotment for Andhra Pradesh.

Highlighting the positives of the Budget, Reddy appreciated the reduction in the fiscal deficit.

"Prima facie, for this budget, on behalf of YSR Congress party, we love the efforts of the central government, especially they are trying to reduce the fiscal deficit from 4.5 to 4.3 during the year 26-27. means they are trying good efforts, they are putting to reduce the fiscal deficit...," he told the media.

Furthermore, he pointed to the increase in the overall budget for this financial year, calling it "one of the good aspects."

He said, "In this budget for 26- 27, they have given about Rs 12,21,000 crores. Earlier, it was only Rs 11,20,000 crores. There is almost Rs 1 lakh crores increase in the overall budget. That's also one of the good aspects."

However, Reddy expressed disappointment at the absence of a special preference for the state of Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget.

"The central government has not given any special grant for any project... They should have given some special preference and special allotment for Andhra Pradesh...," he said.

Earlier on Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, her ninth consecutive Budget.

Asserting that the Union Budget 2026-27 is driven by "Yuvashakti" and based on "three kartavyas," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years as part of the Union Budget.

The Union Budget has outlined a major push for environmentally sustainable passenger transport, proposing the development of seven high-speed rail corridors across key urban and economic centres. These corridors will act as growth connectors, cutting travel time, reducing emissions, and supporting regional development.

The proposed routes include Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri. Together, they will link India's financial hubs, technology centres, manufacturing clusters, and emerging cities through faster, cleaner mobility.

The Budget also highlighted eco-tourism and nature-based travel. The Finance Minister said, "India has the potential and opportunity to offer world-class trekking and hiking experience." The government will develop sustainable mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Pudigai Malai in the Western Ghats.

- ANI
The Budget Session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly commenced with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan highlighting the state's development since 2005 under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He pointed to significant improvements in policing, infrastructure, and the expansion of higher education institutions across all districts. The session's opening saw strong political engagement, with Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav attending in a wheelchair post-surgery. Following the Governor's address, which was briefly interrupted by an opposition MLA, the state government is set to table the Economic Survey.

Governor Arif Mohammad Khan outlines Bihar's progress in law & order, education, and infrastructure since 2005 as the state's budget session commences.

Patna, Feb 2 The Budget Session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly began on Monday amid heightened political activity at the Assembly premises.

Ahead of the opening of the session, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar and Legislative Council Chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh and presented bouquets to both.

The Chief Minister later welcomed Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on his arrival at the Assembly. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha accompanied him.

MLAs and ministers of the Nitish Kumar Cabinet were present at the Assembly, with members from both the ruling coalition and the opposition actively participating on the first day of the session.

Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav arrived in a wheelchair despite having undergone surgery on his toe. His picture in a wheelchair is viral on social media.

Addressing the House, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan highlighted the development achieved in Bihar in key sectors such as education, health, policing and infrastructure since Nitish Kumar assumed office in November 2005.

He said the law and order situation in the state had improved significantly, pointing out that the number of police stations had increased from 814 to 1,380. The Governor also termed the establishment of medical and engineering colleges in all districts as a major milestone in expanding access to higher education.

On women's empowerment, he said that reservations in government jobs and other initiatives had delivered tangible benefits to women across the state. The Governor further underlined improvements in road and transport connectivity, stating that travel to Patna from any part of Bihar had become considerably easier.

During the Governor's address, an opposition MLA interrupted by asking, "When will the NEET student get justice?" The Governor paused briefly before resuming his speech.

Following the address, the state government is scheduled to table the Economic Survey, which will outline Bihar's economic performance and set the stage for the presentation of the state budget.

The opening day of the Budget Session saw strong political engagement, with both the ruling and opposition benches present as legislative proceedings got underway.

- IANS
A Gujarat-led Indian delegation is showcasing the sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from February 4 to 10. The relics, excavated in 1957 from Gujarat's Aravalli district, include a casket containing holy ashes and other artifacts. The delegation, led by Governor Acharya Devvrat and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, will participate in ceremonial and religious events during the exposition. This initiative underscores Gujarat's historical Buddhist significance and reinforces India's spiritual and cultural connections with Sri Lanka.

Gujarat delegation, led by Governor and Deputy CM, presents Devnimori Buddha relics in Colombo, strengthening India-Sri Lanka cultural ties.

Vadodara/Gandhinagar, Feb 3 Gujarat will take centre stage in India's cultural diplomacy as senior officials from the state lead the Indian delegation for the exposition of the sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka.

The Relics, currently housed at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Vadodara, will be on public display at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo from February 4 to 10, returning to India on February 11, government officials said on Monday.

The delegation will be led by the Governor Acharya Devvrat and the Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, accompanied by senior monks and officials.

The Relics will travel aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft with full state honours, reflecting the reverence accorded to India's cultural and spiritual heritage.

The delegation will participate in ceremonial, religious, and official events in Colombo, including the inauguration of the exposition and exhibitions showcasing India's Buddhist legacy.

The Devnimori Relics originate from the Devnimori archaeological site in Gujarat's Aravalli district, near Shamlaji.

Excavated in 1957 by archaeologist S.N. Chowdhry, the site revealed significant Buddhist structures and relics dating to the early centuries of the Common Era.

The Relics include a green schist casket inscribed in Brahmi and Sanskrit, reading "dashabala sharira nilay" -- the abode of the Buddha's bodily relic.

Inside, a copper box contains holy ashes, silk cloth, beads, and a gold-coated silver-copper bottle.

The items are preserved in an air-tight glass desiccator with a cotton base to prevent deterioration.

The exposition at Colombo's Gangaramaya Temple, one of Sri Lanka's most prominent Buddhist institutions, is expected to draw devotees from across the country.

The initiative highlights Gujarat's historical and cultural significance in Buddhism and its contemporary role in supporting India's civilisational diplomacy.

By sharing the Devnimori Relics, India reinforces its longstanding spiritual and cultural ties with Sri Lanka, while Gujarat's leadership in the delegation emphasises the state's unique contribution to preserving Buddhist heritage and fostering people-to-people connections between the two nations.

- IANS
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Saini praised the recently presented Union Budget 2026-27 as a visionary and historic document aligned with the goal of a developed India by 2047. The budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, emphasizes infrastructure with increased capital expenditure and major transport corridor projects. Key fiscal measures include the implementation of the New Income Tax Act from April 2026 and reduced TCS rates for certain foreign expenses.

Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini met PM Modi in Delhi, praising the Union Budget 2026-27 as a visionary step towards a developed India by 2047.

New Delhi, February 2 Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital, where the two leaders discussed several key issues.

In a post on X, PMO shared, "Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri@NayabSainiBJP met Prime Minister@narendramodi."

A day earlier, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini welcomed the Union Budget 2026-27, describing it as people-focused and aligned with the vision of a developed India by 2047.

Speaking in Panchkula, Saini said the Budget reflects the resolve of Narendra Modi to achieve Viksit Bharat by 2047 and will be seen as a milestone in that journey.

Calling it a visionary document, he said, "The vision of Prime Minister Modi, his resolve for a developed India by 2047, will see this budget as a milestone in achieving that developed India. This is a visionary and historic document. It is a glorious day for all of us. On this auspicious occasion of Guru Ravidas Jayanti, this budget is truly dedicated to the welfare of the people and the spirit of upliftment of the poorest of the poor."

He added that the three main pillars of the Budget are speed, capacity and inclusive growth.

On Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, her ninth consecutive Union Budget.

Some of the key announcements of the budget were that public capital expenditure has been increased to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY 2026-27, up from Rs 11.2 lakh crore in the previous year, underlining the government's continued focus on infrastructure-led growth.

Key initiatives include the development of seven high-speed rail corridors connecting major cities, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years to promote environmentally sustainable transport systems.

A major highlight on the taxation front was the announcement that the New Income Tax Act, 2025, will come into effect from April 2026, accompanied by simplified rules and redesigned forms to ease compliance for taxpayers. The Budget also proposes reductions in Tax Collected at Source (TCS) rates for overseas tour packages, education and medical expenses under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme.

- ANI
Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Rajeev Bindal praised the Union Budget 2026 as a historic document strengthening the vision of a developed India. He highlighted that Himachal will receive 13,949.9 crore as its central tax share, significantly boosting development. The budget includes special provisions for hill states like Eco-Friendly Mountain Corridors to enhance tourism and connectivity. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced measures to simplify tariffs and support domestic manufacturing.

Himachal BJP hails Union Budget 2026 as historic, boosting state's share to 13,949.9 crore and announcing Eco-Friendly Mountain Corridors.

Shimla, February 1 Himachal Pradesh BJP state president Dr Rajeev Bindal on Sunday described the Union Budget 2026 as a historic and forward-looking document that strengthens Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a Viksit Bharat and gives fresh momentum to the development of Himachal Pradesh.

Bindal, along with Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur, watched the live telecast of the Union Budget at the BJP state headquarters, Deepkamal, Chakkar, Shimla, in the presence of party office-bearers and workers.

Calling the budget more than just a financial statement, Bindal said it is a comprehensive roadmap for India's future.

"This budget is not merely a collection of figures, but a roadmap for the country's future, focusing on investment, employment generation, inclusive growth and social security," he said.

He added, "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, India is achieving nearly 7 per cent growth with strong macro-economic stability. Self-reliance has become the core mantra of our economy."

Highlighting gains for Himachal Pradesh, Bindal said, "The state will receive Rs 13,949.9 crore as its share in central taxes, which will significantly boost development works, welfare schemes, education, healthcare and infrastructure."

He further noted, "Special attention has been given to hill states, with the announcement of Eco-Friendly Mountain Corridors for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir, which will strengthen tourism, connectivity and employment."

Bindal also highlighted sectoral initiatives, saying, "Initiatives like the Medical Tourism Hub, strengthening of the AYUSH sector, the Rs 10,000-crore Bio Pharma Shakti Project, enhanced MSME funding through TREDS, and a record Rs 12.2 lakh crore capital expenditure will open new opportunities for tourism, pharma, infrastructure and youth employment in the state."

Concluding his remarks, he said, "This budget is a decisive step towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat, a developed Himachal and a prosperous nation."

Presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a set of indirect tax measures in the Union Budget 2026-27, aimed at further simplifying the tariff structure, supporting domestic manufacturing, promoting export competitiveness, and correcting duty inversion.

A key element of the Budget proposals is the continued rationalisation of customs duty exemptions. To continue weeding out long-standing customs duty exemptions, she proposed removing certain exemptions for items manufactured in India or for which imports are negligible.

Presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a set of indirect tax measures in the Union Budget 2026-27, aimed at further simplifying the tariff structure, supporting domestic manufacturing, promoting export competitiveness, and correcting duty inversion.

A key element of the Budget proposals is the continued rationalisation of customs duty exemptions. To continue weeding out long-standing customs duty exemptions, she proposed removing certain exemptions for items manufactured in India or for which imports are negligible.

- ANI
The Indian Air Force conducted an urgent helicopter evacuation of an 85-year-old paralyzed woman from the remote village of Dhanderwari in Himachal Pradesh to Chandigarh. Heavy snowfall had blocked all road access, necessitating the aerial rescue at an altitude of approximately 9,000 feet. The mission was successfully completed despite active snowfall and challenging low-visibility conditions. Meanwhile, parts of Himachal Pradesh experienced significant rain and snow, with the IMD issuing warnings for thunderstorms and gusty winds.

Indian Air Force Cheetah helicopter performs high-altitude medical evacuation of an 85-year-old paralyzed woman after snowfall blocks all roads in Himachal Pradesh.

Dhanderwari, February 1 An Indian Air Force Cheetah helicopter on Sunday carried out an emergency medical evacuation of an 85-year-old paralysed woman from the remote village of Dhanderwari in Himachal Pradesh to Chandigarh after heavy snowfall blocked all road access.

The patient received timely medical assistance and is presently stable.

The evacuation was conducted at an altitude of approximately 9,000 feet above mean sea level amid active snowfall and low visibility.

In a post on X, IAF said, "An IAF Cheetah helicopter undertook an urgent medical evacuation of an 85 Year-old paralysed woman from Dhanderwari, Himachal Pradesh (9,000 ft AMSL) to Chandigarh. This was after snowfall blocked all roads. The life-saving mission was completed in snowfall, and low visibility. The woman is stable after receiving timely medical assistance."

Meanwhile, parts of Himachal Pradesh received rain and snow over the last 24 hours, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places in the state on Sunday.

According to the IMD's morning weather bulletin issued from Shimla, there was no significant change in minimum and maximum temperatures across most stations in the state. However, minimum temperatures at a few places rose by 2 to 6 degrees Celsius, while at some stations they remained near normal or were 3 to 6 degrees above normal.

The lowest minimum temperature in the state was recorded at Tabo in Lahaul-Spiti at -3.6 degrees Celsius, while the highest maximum temperature was recorded at Paonta Sahib at 24 degrees Celsius.

Over the past 24 hours, significant rainfall was reported at several locations, with Manali receiving 10 mm, followed by Sujanpur Tira (7.8 mm), Sarahan (7.3 mm), Shimla (4.2 mm), Malraon (4.0 mm), and Solan and Jubberhatti (3.4 mm each).

The IMD said thunderstorm activity was observed at Shimla and Sundernagar, while no fog, cold wave, cold day conditions or gusty winds were reported during the period .

- ANI
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has highlighted India's long-standing purchases of crude oil from Venezuela, noting that Indian refineries are specially equipped to process it. He praised the Union Budget 2026-27 as very positive and forward-looking for boosting growth and supporting the energy transition. Puri emphasized that modern refineries are now integrated complexes for petrochemicals, aided by the budget's focus. His comments follow recent claims by US President Donald Trump about India shifting its oil purchases from Iran to Venezuela.

Union Minister Hardeep Puri details India's history of buying Venezuelan crude and praises the forward-looking Union Budget 2026-27 for energy transition.

New Delhi, Feb 1 Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on Sunday, highlighted India's long-standing purchases of Venezuelan crude, saying that Indian refineries are capable of processing the heavier oil that Venezuela produces.

Speaking to IANS in the national capital after the recently concluded India Energy Week 2026, Union Minister Puri said delegations from many countries, including Venezuela, attended the event and underlined that India's relationship with Venezuelan oil dates back many years, with some refineries specially equipped to handle its unique quality.

He also spoke about India's energy sector in the context of the Union Budget 2026-27.

He described the budget as "very positive" and "forward-looking", saying it will not only boost India's growth momentum from its current $4.2 trillion economy but also support the energy transition -- a key focus of his Ministry.

He pointed to provisions in the budget that benefit both upstream companies involved in extraction and downstream firms running integrated refineries with petrochemical capabilities.

On critical minerals, Union Minister Puri noted that responsibility for their development does not rest with his Ministry alone.

"Multiple Ministries, especially those connected to energy, are involved in efforts to boost exploration and discovery within India, and that state-owned Oil India Limited is actively participating in this sector," he told IANS.

"Recent budget measures would give further impetus to exploration activities," Union Minister Puri added.

He emphasised that modern refineries are no longer built solely for crude oil refining but are designed for integrated petrochemical production and other uses, and that the budget's focus on these areas will help the industry adapt to the global shift toward cleaner energy.

The Union Minister's comments come as US President Donald Trump recently claimed that India will be purchasing oil from Venezuela instead of Iran.

Trump said that "we've already made that deal" and that India would buy Venezuelan oil as opposed to Iranian crude, in remarks reported as part of Washington's efforts to shift global energy partnerships.

- IANS
The United States has reduced its reciprocal tariff on Indian imports from 25% to 18%, effective immediately, following a conversation between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This new rate gives India a competitive edge over key regional export rivals like China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Pakistan. President Trump stated the deal was made "out of friendship and respect" for PM Modi and is contingent on India agreeing to stop buying Russian oil. Prime Minister Modi welcomed the announcement, thanking Trump on behalf of India's population for the reduced tariff on "Made in India" products.

US reduces tariffs on India to 18%, giving it an advantage over China (34%), Bangladesh, Vietnam (20%), and Pakistan. Deal linked to India halting Russian oil purchases.

New Delhi, February 3 Following the announcement of the India-US trade deal on Monday, in which Washington reduced tariffs on India to 18 per cent, New Delhi now faces lower tariffs than its regional export competitors in South and Southeast Asia.

With the new tariff structure, India now has a clear advantage over competing export economies in the region, with lower tariff rates compared to Indonesia at 19 per cent and Bangladesh and Vietnam with 20 per cent each.

Compared to China, India now enjoys significantly lower tariffs, with tariffs levied on Beijing at 34 per cent.

India also enjoys a slight edge over Pakistan, with tariffs on Islamabad currently levied at 19 per cent.

Earlier on Monday, US President Donald Trump said that the US and India "have agreed to a trade deal" with Washington reducing the reciprocal tariff from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, "out of friendship and respect" for PM Modi. He further stated that the deal will come "effective immediately".

In his Truth Social post, Trump referred to his conversation with PM Modi earlier in the day, noting that the Prime Minister was one of his closest friends and a powerful, respected leader of India.

The US President also claimed that PM Modi had agreed to "stop buying Russian oil" and to buy much more from the US.

Trump further noted that India would reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the US.

"It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO," Trump's post read.

Following Trump's post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" and expressed delight that "Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%".

"Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi wrote in a post on X.

Meanwhile, a White House official confirmed to ANI that Washington will also drop the additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports imposed due to New Delhi's purchase of Russian oil, noting that India has to "cease, not just reduce, Russian oil purchases."

When asked by ANI whether the tariffs on Indian imports would be lifted in exchange for reducing Russian oil purchases, the official said, "Yes, although the agreement is that India will cease, not just reduce, Russian oil purchases."

- ANI
Bangladesh's interim government has invited India and several other countries to send delegates as international observers for the general election and national charter referendum scheduled for February 12. Over 330 international observers from organizations and countries, including the OIC and EU, have already been confirmed, more than double the number from the controversial January 2024 poll. The Asian Network for Free Elections and the Commonwealth Secretariat are among the groups deploying significant observer missions. Senior official Lamiya Murshed stated that the number is expected to grow as invited nations confirm their delegates.

Bangladesh's interim govt invites India, others to observe Feb 12 polls. Over 330 international observers confirmed, doubling the previous election count.

Dhaka, February 1 Chief Adviser of the Interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, on Sunday said that India has been invited as an international observer to their elections scheduled to be held on February 12.

In a statement, the Chief Adviser said, "330 International Observers confirmed for upcoming elections. Invited countries yet to confirm their delegates include India, Nepal, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, and Romania."

"Six international organisations, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), have agreed to deploy at least 63 observers for Bangladesh's 13th general election and the referendum on the July National Charter, both scheduled for February. They will join observer missions from the European Union, 16 countries, and 32 individuals affiliated with various global bodies, bringing the total number of confirmed international observers for the dual polls to 330 so far," the statement added.

The statement further said that, "The number of international observers confirmed for the upcoming election is more than double that of the controversial general election held on January 7, 2024. The number of international observers for the 12th, 11th, and 10th general elections stood at 158, 125, and four, respectively. Shakir Mahmood Bandar, Head of the OIC Election Observation Unit, will lead the two-member OIC observer mission."

Several observers are from the US and Europe.

"In addition, 28 observers will arrive from the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), 25 from the Commonwealth Secretariat, seven from the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI), and one from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), also based in the United States. Thirty-two observers representing organisations such as Voice for Justice, Democracy International, SNAS Africa, the SAARC Human Rights Foundation, and the Polish Institute of International Affairs will monitor the election in their individual capacities, according to information received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Election Commission," as per the statement.

"We expect the number of international observers to increase, as several countries invited to send observer missions have yet to confirm the names of their delegates," said Senior Secretary and SDG Coordinator Lamiya Murshed, who is overseeing coordination of the international observer visits, as quoted by the statement.

Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) is also expected to name its delegates soon. Nearly 2,000 candidates--representing more than 50 political parties as well as independent contenders--are contesting the 300 parliamentary seats. The general election will be held simultaneously with a referendum on the July National Charter.

As Bangladesh gears up for a general election on February 12, Mohammad Touhid Hossain, Foreign Affairs Adviser in the Bangladesh Interim Government, said that these polls are very important and must pass off peacefully.

- ANI
India and Norway held their 12th Foreign Office Consultations in Oslo, co-chaired by senior diplomats from both nations. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation across political, trade, renewable energy, AI, space, and Arctic sectors. Both sides emphasized the role of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) in driving their economic partnership. Norway's Ambassador to India also welcomed progress on an India-EU FTA, seeing it as a positive complement to existing agreements.

India and Norway agree to deepen ties in renewable energy, AI, blue economy and Arctic cooperation during 12th Foreign Office Consultations in Oslo.

Oslo, February 3 India and Norway held their 12th round of Foreign Office Consultations in Oslo on Monday.

The discussions centred on deepening cooperation across various areas, including the blue economy, circular economy, energy, and artificial intelligence.

Sharing the details in a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted that the consultations were co-chaired by Secretary (West) Sibi George and Secretary General Torgeir Larsen of Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and agreed to strengthen it further in the areas of political engagements, trade & investment, blue economy, circular economy, renewable energy, education, science & technology, AI, space and the Arctic. The sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The post further said, "India-EFTA-TEPA will drive the India-Norway trade, technology and investment partnership. India considers Norway a valued partner in the Nordic region."

In another post on X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that during the visit to Oslo, Secretary (West) held a productive meeting with State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ragnhild Sjoner Syrstad. They discussed deepening economic ties after the implementation of India-EFTA-TEPA. They also discussed boosting investments in green and blue tech sectors.

Earlier on January 29, in an interview with ANI, Norway's Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener, welcomed the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA), calling it a positive step for global trade and a strong complement to the existing India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), of which Norway is a part.

Ambassador Stener described the India-EU FTA as "a very good development", while noting that Norway is not a member of the EU.

"Norway strongly supports an open and rules-based world trade order, and in that sense we see this as a very positive step," she said. "We already have a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with India in the EFTA context, which entered into force in October last year. An EU-India agreement would be a very good complement to that."

She noted that the EU is Norway's largest trading partner, and closer economic ties between India and the EU could also indirectly benefit Norway by strengthening trade flows and supply-chain linkages.

At a time of rising global trade tensions, Ambassador Stener emphasised the importance of diversified and stable partnerships.

"Europe is now clearly saying that India is important for us," she said, adding that both the EU and EFTA countries see India as a key long-term economic partner. "Norway is a small country with a very open economy, and we have benefited greatly from free trade in our development. These are good developments in that direction."

Notably, India and EFTA signed the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) on 10 March 2024, which took effect on 1 October 2025, marking India's first FTA with four developed European nations. TEPA commits USD 100 billion in investments and 1 million direct jobs over 15 years, the first binding pledge of its kind in any Indian FTA.

At its core, the agreement envisions unlocking $100 billion in investments and creating one million direct jobs in India over the next fifteen years, marking it as one of the most forward-looking trade partnerships in the country's economic history.

- ANI
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju welcomed the India-US trade deal, calling the two nations "natural partners." The agreement reduces tariffs on Made in India products to 18%, a move celebrated by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for boosting exports and creating opportunities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed delight at the announcement following a conversation with President Donald Trump. The deal is seen as strengthening bilateral ties and unlocking mutual economic benefits.

Union Ministers hail historic India-US trade agreement. PM Modi and President Trump praised for leadership as tariffs on Made in India products are reduced to 18%.

New Delhi, February 3 Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday welcomed the announcement of the India-US trade deal, calling the two countries natural partners and "the world's truest democracies".

He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for strengthening India's global engagement.

In a post on X, Rijiju said, "India and the US, the world's truest democracies, are natural partners with shared values and global responsibility. Together, we have the potential to advance peace, development, and innovation. Under the leadership of PM @narendramodi ji, India's global engagement continues to grow stronger. The India-US trade partnership reflects mutual trust and opportunity--benefiting citizens, farmers, youth, and industries in both countries."

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also expressed delight over the reduced tariffs, taking to X to highlight the benefits of the deal for Indian farmers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, youth and startups.

"Today is a historic day for the India-US economic partnership. Under the leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji and the President of the United States Shri @realDonaldTrump ji, the significant trade agreement between India and the US further strengthens the spirit of trust, cooperation, and shared development between the two countries." the post read.

"I am extremely pleased that the duty on Made in India products has been reduced to 18%. This step will enhance the global competitiveness of Indian products and boost exports. This agreement will provide new opportunities for Indian farmers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, startups, and youth to connect with the global market. As a result, it will promote production, innovation, and skill-based employment in the country. At the same time, Indian talent will gain a new identity on the international stage. This agreement will not only elevate India-US relations to new heights but also accelerate the resolve for a developed India," the Union Minister said on X.

Earlier, on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" and expressed delight that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent.

"Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister said that when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.

"President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," PM Modi said.

- ANI
Deal aims to help end the war in Ukraine

US tariffs on Indian goods cut from 25% to 18%

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor celebrated the "limitless potential" of the bilateral relationship following a phone call between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Trump announced a major new trade deal that will immediately reduce US tariffs on Indian goods. A key element of the agreement involves India committing to stop purchasing Russian oil and instead buy American energy and other products, which Trump claims will help end the war in Ukraine. Both leaders praised their personal friendship and the strengthened partnership, with India set to purchase hundreds of billions of dollars in US goods.

US Ambassador hails "limitless potential" as Trump and Modi agree on a trade deal cutting tariffs, shifting energy purchases from Russia to the US to help end the Ukraine war.

New Delhi/Washington, Feb 2 US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, on Monday hailed the partnership between Washington and New Delhi, asserting that the relationship between the United States and India has "limitless potential".

Gor made the comment shortly after the US President Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a day before External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar begins a visit to the United States of America.

"As I have said many times, President Trump genuinely considers Prime Minister Modi a great friend! Thrilled by the news of the trade deal this evening. The relationship between the United States and India has LIMITLESS POTENTIAL!," he posted on X after the phone call between both leaders.

It was Gor who had first announced that Trump and PM Modi had spoken over the phone earlier in the evening.

"President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi," Gor said in a social media post.

"STAY TUNED," he added, without giving further details.

Later, the US President said that India and the United States had reached a trade deal, outlining key elements after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he described as "one of my greatest friends."

In a detailed post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would immediately reduce the US reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, calling it a major shift in bilateral trade ties linked to energy cooperation and broader geopolitical goals.

Trump said the two leaders discussed "many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine." He claimed that PM Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil and to increase purchases from the United States and, potentially, from Venezuela.

"This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!" Trump wrote.

According to Trump, the trade deal would take effect immediately. He said India would "move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO."

Trump also said PM Modi committed to "BUY AMERICAN" at a much higher level. He added that India would purchase "over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of US Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products."

"Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward," Trump wrote. "Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE."

- IANS
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed the newly announced India-US trade agreement, calling it a "new chapter of friendship" that will open doors for significant investment in cutting-edge technologies like AI and data centers for the state. The deal, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, sees the US reducing tariffs on Indian products to 18%. Other Chief Ministers, including Yogi Adityanath and Rekha Gupta, also praised the agreement as a major boost for 'Make in India' and Indian exports on the global stage. PM Modi described the conversation with President Trump as wonderful, stating the deal benefits both nations and unlocks immense opportunities for cooperation.

CM Devendra Fadnavis hails the historic India-US trade agreement, foreseeing major investments in AI and tech for Maharashtra. PM Modi and President Trump praised.

Mumbai, February 3 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lauded the announcement of the India-US trade agreement, referring to it as "a new chapter of friendship" between the two nations.

He added that it would help Maharashtra by providing access to significant investments in cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

Fadnavis took to X, posting, "A New Chapter of Friendship! The historic trade agreement between India and the United States is truly a victory of the friendship between Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and the President of the United States, Donald Trump. This is also an extremely important moment for global trade. India will now receive preferential tariff rates from the United States among the world's major exporting economies. This marks the beginning of a new era in India-US friendship."

Highlighting the benefits for Indian businesses, the post added, "This agreement will open the doors to many new and exciting opportunities for Indian businesses and will prove beneficial for both countries. Maharashtra has always been a leading state in exports. Therefore, this agreement will open new horizons for businesses in our state. Maharashtra will receive significant investment in data centers, artificial intelligence, and revolutionary modern technology."

The India-US trade deal was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on Monday, where the US reduced the tariffs on India to 18 per cent.

Following the announcement of the deal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the deal as a "landmark moment" for the economic partnership between India and the United States and on how this deal would subsequently grant Indian products access to a larger global market, which would then provide fresh opportunities for youth and MSMEs.

"A landmark moment for the India-US economic partnership. A major boost to #MakeInIndia, as Indian products will gain wider global market access, creating fresh opportunities for Indian youth and MSMEs. Thank you, Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, for your decisive and determined leadership in advancing stronger India-US ties. This milestone reflects rising global confidence in Made in India and reinforces India's position as a key driver of global growth," CM Yogi Adityanath wrote on X.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also called the deal a "major outcome", crediting PM Modi for his "visionary diplomacy".

"A major outcome of the visionary diplomacy of the successful Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji! Following the phone conversation between Prime Minister ji and the US President @realDonaldTrump, the United States has reduced the extra tariff imposed on India to 18%. This decision by America will give new momentum to Indian exports and trade. This is yet another proof of India's growing economic power and strengthening relations on the global stage."Gupta wrote on X.

PM Modi on Monday said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" and expressed delight that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%.

"Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister said that when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.

"President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," PM Modi said.

India and the European Union (EU) had on January 27 announced the conclusion of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), an important milestone in one of India's most strategic economic partnerships.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry had said in a release that the FTA responds to contemporary global challenges while enabling deeper market integration between the world's fourth- and second-largest economies.

"With a combined market estimated at over Rs 2091.6 Lakh Crore (USD 24 trillion), bringing unparalleled opportunities for the 2 billion people of India and the EU, the FTA unlocks significant potential for trade and innovation. The FTA delivers unprecedented market access for more than 99 per cent of India's export by trade value, while preserving policy space for sensitive sectors and reinforcing India's developmental priorities," the release said.

- ANI
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal states the new India-US trade deal unlocks unprecedented opportunities for farmers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers, enabling "Make in India for the world." He praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump for the landmark agreement, which will facilitate technology transfer and accelerate India's journey to becoming a developed nation by 2047. The deal, coming shortly after a similar pact with the European Union, significantly reduces tariffs on Indian exports. Both leaders have hailed the agreement as a historic turning point that will reshape bilateral relations and foster global peace and prosperity.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal says the landmark India-US trade agreement unlocks unprecedented opportunities for farmers, MSMEs, and skilled workers, accelerating Viksit Bharat 2047.

New Delhi, February 3 Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that the India-US trade deal unlocks the power of two large democracies working together for the shared prosperity of their people, and the bilateral partnership will co-create technologies and co-develop solutions.

He said the trade deal unlocks unprecedented opportunities for farmers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers.

In a post on X, Goyal also said that the trade deal will help India get technology from the United States and accelerate India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047.

He lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump for the trade deal.

"Congratulations to Prime Minister @NarendraModi ji and President @RealDonaldTrump as well as to the people of India and the United States, on the landmark trade agreement. This reflects the power of two like-minded, fair-trading democracies working together for shared prosperity," he said.

"Grateful for PM @NarendraModi ji and President @realDonaldTrump visionary and decisive leadership, and strong commitment to strengthening India-U.S. ties," he added.

He said the trade deal also opens opportunities for Make in India for the world, Design in India for the world, and Innovate in India for the world.

"This unlocks the power of two large democracies working together for the shared prosperity of their people. Both India and US are natural allies and our partnership will co-create technologies, co-develop solutions, and work together for peace, growth, and a brighter future for India and US," he said.

"This agreement unlocks unprecedented opportunities for farmers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers to Make in India for the world, Design in India for the world, and Innovate in India for the world. It will help India get technology from the US. It is not just a trade deal - it is a historic turning point that will reshape India-U.S. relations and accelerate our journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047," he added.

The trade deal with the United States comes within a week of India signing a landmark trade deal with the European Union.

PM Modi on Monday said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" today and expressed delight that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%.

"Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister said that when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.

"President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," PM Modi said.

India and the European Union (EU) had on January 27 announced the conclusion of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), an important milestone in one of India's most strategic economic partnerships.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry had said in a release that the FTA responds to contemporary global challenges while enabling deeper market integration between the world's fourth and second largest economies.

"With a combined market estimated at over Rs 2091.6 Lakh Crore (USD 24 trillion), bringing unparalleled opportunities for the 2 billion people of India and the EU, the FTA unlocks significant potential for trade and innovation. The FTA delivers unprecedented market access for more than 99 per cent of India's export by trade value, while preserving policy space for sensitive sectors and reinforcing India's developmental priorities," the release said.

President Trump on Monday said he and PM Modi "have agreed to a Trade Deal" between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%.

In a post on his social media handle Truth Social, Trump referred to his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day.

Trump said PM Modi was one of his greatest friends and a powerful and respected leader of his country.

The US President also said PM Modi and he are two people that get things done.

He claimed that the Prime Minister had agreed to "stop buying Russian Oil", and to buy much more from the United States.

"It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine," Trump said in his post.

"He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%," he added.

Trump said India will reduce tariffs and non-tariff Barriers against the United States.

"They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO. The Prime Minister also committed to "BUY AMERICAN," at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products. Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump added.

India and the US had made significant progress on the trade deal and there were expectations of the two countries reaching an agreement soon.

The India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, formally proposed in February following directives from the leadership of both nations, seeks to more than double bilateral trade, from the current USD 191 billion to USD 500 billion by 2030. Talks were first announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington in February 2025.

- ANI
Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra detailed India's vision for the upcoming AI Impact Summit, emphasizing a core philosophy built on impact and democratization. He outlined the summit's three foundational "sutras": ensuring technology serves people's dignity and access, benefits the entire planet, and drives societal progress and prosperity. The 2026 summit in New Delhi marks the first time such a global AI event will be hosted by a Global South nation. The discussions aim to shape inclusive AI policy and showcase applications across key sectors like healthcare and education.

Ambassador Vinay Kwatra outlines India's people-first AI vision for the 2026 AI Impact Summit, emphasizing democratization, planet, and progress.

Washington, DC, February 2 Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra participated in a Pre-AI Summit panel discussion titled "Reflections on Paris and Prospects for New Delhi", organised by Center for Strategic and International Studies, alongside the Ambassador of France.

Sharing details of the engagement on X, Kwatra emphasised "Impact" as a core driver of the upcoming AI Summit in India.

He also outlined India's approach to artificial intelligence, sharing the country's perspective on "democratisation of AI" around people, planet and progress with the participating audience.

The discussion focused on advancing global dialogue on AI, with India underscoring impact-led innovation and inclusive growth as key pillars of its engagement ahead of the summit.

All these developments stem from engagements held on January 31, during which Kwatra also detailed India's people-first approach to artificial intelligence and the structure of the upcoming AI Impact Summit, noting that it is built around three core pillars focused on people, planet and progress.

Speaking during a discussion titled "Exploring Global AI Policy Priorities Ahead of the India AI Impact Summit", Kwatra said, "This is the first time that the summit is taking place in a Global South country.

"The summit is being anchored on three major platforms. We call it three sutras essentially. The first sutra, or the first anchor of it, is people. Essentially, the underlying theme there is that the cultural diversity of people, the dignity of people, and the access of people to the technology are ensured," he said.

Explaining the second pillar, he said, "The second part of it, which is important, is the planet. The idea is that any technology is not centred just on a particular geography but is available for the progress of the planet."

Describing the third element of the framework, Kwatra added, "The third course is the sutra of progress, which must lead to economic and technological progress and the prosperity of society."

His remarks came amid a series of international summits since 2023 that have brought together governments, industry and civil society to deepen cooperation on artificial intelligence.

In this context, India is set to host the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, marking the first time such a global AI summit will be held in the Global South.

The conference also featured Laurent Bili and placed the upcoming summit within the momentum generated by the Paris AI Action Summit, which France and India co-hosted in Paris in February 2025.

Panel discussions during the event focused on domestic and global AI policy agendas, industry views on governance and innovation, and AI-driven development initiatives across the Global South.

Building on this momentum, the India AI Impact Summit 2026 is being projected as a landmark event aimed at strengthening India's role in responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence.

According to the Ministry of Electronics and IT, outcomes from focused working groups are expected to shape AI policy, skilling strategies and implementation across India and the Global South.

These plans were outlined during the 38th episode of Digital India: Ask Our Experts, where officials presented a roadmap for India's AI-driven future and highlighted efforts to democratise access to AI, including opportunities for youth, startups, women innovators and learners from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

Participants also raised questions on open data access, AI infrastructure and healthcare data safety, with assurances that IndiaAI is prioritising secure and inclusive platforms to enable broader participation in the AI ecosystem.

The discussions served as a curtain-raiser for the India AI Impact Expo 2026, scheduled at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20, where real-world AI applications across education, healthcare, agriculture and governance are set to be showcased.

- ANI
India's High Commissioner to Fiji, Suneet Mehta, held a meeting with Fiji Parliament Speaker Filimone Jitoko to discuss strengthening bilateral and parliamentary cooperation. This follows recent meetings where Mehta reviewed progress on the India-supported Tubalevu Ground Water Supply Project and discussed economic cooperation with Fiji's Finance Minister. The bilateral relationship, significantly boosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2014 visit, is based on mutual respect and strong people-to-people ties. India has been a consistent partner in Fiji's nation-building efforts across various sectors.

Indian High Commissioner Suneet Mehta meets Fiji Parliament Speaker Filimone Jitoko, reviews water supply project, discusses advancing bilateral ties.

Suva, Feb 2 India's High Commissioner to Fiji Suneet Mehta held a meeting with Fiji Parliament Speaker Filimone Jitoko on Monday, discussing strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Following their talks, India's High Commission in Fiji in a post on X stated, "High Commissioner Suneet Mehta was honored to call on the Speaker of the Fiji Parliament, Hon. Filimone Jitoko. Productive discussions were held reaffirming strong parliamentary ties and avenues to further advance bilateral cooperation."

On January 27, Suneet Mehta chaired the second meeting of the Project Steering Committee to review the Quick Impact Project (QIP)- "Tubalevu Ground Water Supply Project," being supported by India.

In a post on X, Indian Commission in Fiji wrote, "High Commissioner Suneet Mehta chaired the 2nd meeting of the Project Steering Committee to review the Quick Impact Project (QIP)- 'Tubalevu Ground Water Supply Project,' being supported by India. Representatives from the Fiji Government, Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Fiji Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Public Works attended the meeting. Work on the ground has already commenced which will provide water supply to the residents of Tubalevu, further strengthening India and Fiji ties."

On January 19, Suneet Mehta called on Fiji's Minister for Finance, Commerce and Business Development, Esrom Immanuel and discussed strengthening ties and enhancing cooperation in the areas of mutual interest.

"High Commissioner Suneet Mehta paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Finance, Commerce and Business Development, Hon. Esrom Immanuel today. Productive discussions were held focusing on strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation in the areas of mutual interest.

Ties between India and Fiji are based on mutual respect, cooperation and strong cultural and people to people ties. The bilateral relationship received a major boost after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Fiji in November 2014, when the First Meeting of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Co-operation (FIPIC) was also held, according to Indian High Commission in Fiji. Over the years, India has supported Fiji in its nation building efforts across key sectors and also in the area of capacity building.

- IANS
Industry experts have hailed Union Budget 2026-27 for its strategic focus on strengthening the biopharma sector and boosting women-led entrepreneurship. The budget allocates Rs 10,000 crore to enhance public health infrastructure through biopharma development. It also introduces measures like the SME Growth Fund and SHE Marts to transition women from credit-led livelihoods to enterprise ownership. The initiatives aim to fortify the economy against global volatility by fostering technology-driven growth at the grassroots level.

Industry chambers applaud Budget 2026's Rs 10,000 crore biopharma investment and new funds for women-led SMEs and grassroots entrepreneurship.

New Delhi, February 2 The Union Budget 2026-27 focuses on fortifying the Indian economy against global volatility through strategic investments in technology, healthcare, and grassroots entrepreneurship. Industry experts hail the government for their push for strengthening the country's biopharma sector, as well as their focus on women entrepreneurship.

BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry Chairman Harvansh Chawla, speaking to ANI, stated that the government directed significant capital toward the biopharma sector to enhance public health infrastructure. "Biopharma is again the need of the hour. India is developing in biopharma, and by investing this Rs 10,000 crore, our Prime Minister and the Modi government have once again proven that they are committed to the health of the public at large," he said.

Chawla also noted that the budget reflects a conscious effort to protect the nation from external shocks. "When the world is going through an economic crisis, no country is insulated from it. The budget has been declared keeping this in mind," Chawla said.

He highlighted the potential for increased capital inflows through structured fund routes, particularly from the Indian diaspora. "Many NRIs with emotional ties to India would like to invest in India. A lot of investment will come to our country if they invest in India through this fund route," he added.

Ruby Sinha, President of BRICS CCI WE and Founder of sheatwork, remarked that the Finance Minister's emphasis on women in STEM and inclusive technology adoption reflects a forward-looking vision.

"The proposal to support women in transitioning from credit-led livelihoods to becoming enterprise owners is particularly heartening. Building on the success of the Lakhpati Didi Programme, the proposal to support women in transitioning from credit-led livelihoods to becoming enterprise owners is particularly heartening. The setting up of community-owned Self-Help Entrepreneur (SHE) Marts is another welcome step that will strengthen grassroots entrepreneurship," Sinha said.

In addition, the budget prioritises technology-driven development and the expansion of small-scale industries. Sinha pointed out that small and medium-sized enterprises remain the backbone of the economy.

"Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the Indian economy, and the introduction of a dedicated Rs 10,000 crore SME Growth Fund to create future champions, along with the Rs 2,000 crore infusion into the Self-Reliant India Fund to sustain access to risk capital for micro enterprises, will go a long way in accelerating women-led entrepreneurship across the country," she said.

- ANI
Iran's parliamentary speaker has declared that Tehran now considers the armies of European countries to be terrorist organizations. This is a direct, reciprocal response to the European Union's recent decision to blacklist Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The speaker defended the IRGC as a premier anti-terrorism institution and warned the EU it bears responsibility for the consequences of its action. The escalation occurs amid heightened regional tensions and follows similar IRGC designations by the US, Canada, and Australia.

Iran's parliament speaker declares European armies terrorist groups in a reciprocal response to the EU blacklisting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Tehran, February 2 Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf announced that Tehran now considers the armies of European countries as terrorist groups, calling it a reciprocal response to the European Union's decision to blacklist the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported that Qalibaf made the remarks during an open session of Parliament, days after EU foreign ministers classified the IRGC as a "terrorist" entity, a move Iran's Foreign Ministry denounced as "unlawful, unjustified, and duplicitous".

Defending the force, Qalibaf said, "The IRGC is the world's most unique anti-terrorism institution, which, with the help of the people of the region, brought down the Daesh rule and eliminated the global threat of this terrorist group."

Highlighting sacrifices in counterterrorism operations, he added, "In its path of fighting international terrorism, the IRGC has offered hundreds of martyrs, including one of its greatest and most experienced commanders, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani."

According to Press TV, Qalibaf also warned of consequences for Europe, declaring, "The enmities of the world's terror supporters will not diminish the IRGC's power. I announce that under Article 7 of the law on reciprocal action against the [US's] declaration of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, the armies of European countries are considered terrorist groups, and the EU bears responsibility for the consequences of this action."

The IRGC had earlier been designated by the United States in 2019 during President Donald Trump's first term, followed by Canada in 2024 and Australia in 2025, before the European Union joined the list on Thursday, citing Iran's response to recent foreign-linked riots, Press TV said.

The designation comes amid heightened regional tensions, with Washington escalating threats against Tehran while reinforcing its military presence in the region.

Qalibaf also criticised what he described as the EU's "irresponsible" move to level baseless accusations at the IRGC. He added that the 27-member bloc's decision, taken "in compliance with the orders of the US president and the leaders of the Zionist regime," had accelerated Europe's path toward irrelevance in the future world order, as reported by Press TV.

The top legislator further argued that the move had strengthened public support inside Iran for the IRGC, pointing to its role in safeguarding national security and assisting civilians during floods, earthquakes, and the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside construction activities and efforts to alleviate deprivation across the country.

Warning of broader repercussions, Qalibaf said, "By trying to deal a blow to the IRGC, which was the greatest obstacle to the spread of terrorism to Europe, the Europeans actually shot themselves in the foot and once again made decisions against their people's interests through blindly obeying the Americans."

- ANI
American allies in the Persian Gulf have warned Washington that Iran's missile capabilities remain a serious threat to U.S. interests and military installations in the region. An assessment found that core elements of Iran's missile program are intact and some capacities have been restored since the conflict with Israel. Gulf states, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have signaled reluctance to be drawn into a confrontation, denying the U.S. use of their territory for operations against Iran. Despite rising rhetoric, diplomatic efforts for a framework for talks between Tehran and Washington are reportedly progressing.

Gulf allies warn the US that Iran's missile arsenal poses a serious threat to American bases and troops in the region, despite recent conflicts.

Washington DC, February 2 American allies in the Persian Gulf have cautioned Washington that Iran's missile capabilities pose "a serious threat" to US interests in West Asia, even as regional partners intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider conflict with potentially devastating consequences.

Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported, citing a Sunday report by The Washington Post, that two Western officials familiar with the matter said Persian Gulf allies had warned the US that Tehran still retains key military capabilities, including the ability to strike American targets such as bases and troop concentrations across the region.

The report added that a recent assessment carried out by a US ally in the Persian Gulf found that, despite claims of damage to Iran's missile forces during last June's 12-day war with Israel, core elements of the programme remain intact, with some capacities already restored, underscoring persistent vulnerabilities across the region.

According to the assessment, Iran continues to possess shorter-range missiles, launchers, and parts of its missile production infrastructure, systems capable of reaching more than a dozen US military installations in the Persian Gulf, where tens of thousands of American troops are deployed. These findings have reinforced concerns in Washington that Iran could still mount effective retaliatory strikes should tensions escalate further.

Against this backdrop, US partners in the region have signalled reluctance to be drawn into any military confrontation. Press TV noted that last month, both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia informed Washington that US forces would not be allowed to use their territory or airspace for operations against Iran, highlighting growing unease among Gulf states over becoming direct participants in a potential conflict.

Providing further insight into Iran's preparedness, Amir Mousawi, a former Iranian diplomat now based in Iraq, told the Post that Tehran has stepped up missile production since the conflict with Israel and repaired several damaged launch systems. He added that some launchers have been relocated to mountainous terrain, complicating efforts to neutralise them.

"Iran has mountains thousands of meters high," Mousawi said. "It is not possible to reach and damage these capabilities easily."

Echoing these concerns, David Des Roches, a former Pentagon official affiliated with the Thayer Marshall Institute, said Iran maintains the largest missile arsenal in West Asia. He noted that Tehran has more missiles than the combined interceptor stocks of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council states, adding that regional air defence systems remain only partially integrated and largely concentrated around limited sites, leaving them exposed to saturation attacks.

Iran's military posture has increasingly shaped US calculations as Washington expands its footprint in the region. US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened military action against Iran following recent economic protests inside the country, which Tehran said were quickly exploited by foreign-backed rioters. Trump urged demonstrators to seize state institutions and claimed that "help is on its way," before later shifting tone and calling on Tehran to return to negotiations and strike a nuclear deal.

Amid these developments, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned earlier in the day that any war initiated by the US against Iran would inevitably expand into a regional conflict.

Separately, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Saturday that progress had been made toward building a framework for talks between Tehran and Washington, despite rising rhetoric and the threat of military escalation, signalling tentative diplomatic movement even as tensions persist.

Meanwhile, the security situation remains fragile, with US Central Command continuing to deploy warships, fighter jets, and additional troops to West Asia under what it describes as "regional security" measures.

Iran has reiterated that any act of aggression would be met with a swift and forceful response.

- ANI
Iraq's parliament has again postponed a session to elect the country's next president due to a deadlock between the main Kurdish parties and a lack of quorum. The delay threatens constitutional timelines for forming a government after last year's parliamentary elections. The largest Shiite bloc reaffirmed its nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for the premiership, a move criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump. Al-Maliki dismissed Trump's warning as unacceptable interference in Iraq's sovereign affairs.

Iraq's parliament postpones presidential election again due to Kurdish party disputes and lack of quorum, deepening the government formation crisis.

Seoul, Feb 2 Iraq's parliament has postponed a session to elect the country's next president following a similar decision last week, due to a persistent deadlock between the two main Kurdish parties.

The session was adjourned on Sunday (local time) after the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan failed to agree on a consensus candidate for the presidential post, as well as the lack of a quorum, reports Xinhua news agency.

A statement by the parliament's media office said that the speaker held a meeting with the heads of the parliamentary blocs to discuss setting a date for the presidential election, stressing "the importance of adhering to the constitutional timelines."

Iraq held parliamentary elections in November last year. Under the constitution, the parliament must elect a president within 30 days of its first session, which was held on December 29, 2025.

The president then has 15 days to nominate the leader of the largest parliamentary bloc as the prime minister to form a new cabinet, which must win a confidence vote within 30 days.

Iraq's Coordination Framework (CF), an umbrella alliance of Shiite parties and the largest parliamentary bloc, reaffirmed on Saturday its support for the nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for the premiership, rejecting foreign interference in the government formation process.

On January 24, the CF nominated al-Maliki to head the next government.

US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that Washington would "no longer help Iraq" if al-Maliki returned to power. Al-Maliki dismissed the comments on Wednesday as "blatant US interference" and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

Under Iraq's post-2003 ethno-sectarian power-sharing system, the presidency is reserved for a Kurd, the parliamentary speaker for a Sunni Muslim, and the prime minister for a Shiite Muslim.

- IANS
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has declared that women cannot hold the party's highest leadership position, stating this is based on its interpretation of Islamic principles. Party Women's Wing Secretary Nurunnisa Siddika cited Quranic instructions, stating men are considered "directors of women." She argued that placing women in top roles does not automatically solve broader issues of women's rights and security in society. The statement comes as a Jamaat delegation met with election officials amid reports of attacks on female party activists.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami states women cannot hold its top leadership, citing Quranic interpretation. Party officials defend the stance ahead of elections.

Dhaka, Feb 2 Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has said that women cannot hold the highest leadership position in the party, stating that the party follows Islamic principles, which "do not allow women to serve as ameer".

This comes as Bangladesh goes to the polls on February 12.

Speaking to reporters at the Election Commission (EC) premises on Sunday, the party's Women's Wing Secretary Nurunnisa Siddika said Jamaat-e-Islami operates as an organisation guided by Islamic ideals and bases its policies on its interpretation of Quranic instructions.

"According to the Quran, men are directors of women, which is considered a command and obligation in Islam," she was quoted as saying by a leading Bangladeshi daily, The Dhaka Tribune.

She further stated that based on this understanding, women are not permitted to occupy the top leadership position in any Islamic organisation.

She said the party carries out its organisational and political activities in accordance with this principle and remains committed to its ideological framework.

Responding to questions about why Jamaat has not nominated any female candidates in parliamentary elections, Siddika said the matter was an "internal organisational decision" taken by the party.

She stated that the broader discussion should not be limited to the question of women holding top positions, but should instead focus on whether women's rights, dignity, and security are being adequately ensured in society.

"In the past 54 years, Bangladesh has had two female prime ministers for long periods. But have women's problems been solved? Has violence against women decreased? Have women's rights been established?" she asked.

Siddika argued that placing women in senior leadership roles does not automatically translate into meaningful improvements in the lives of women across the country.

"Real change comes when leadership -- whether male or female -- is humane and ensures dignity for all," she said, adding that Jamaat places greater emphasis on establishing just and humane leadership rather than appointing women to the highest positions.

Meanwhile, Jamaat Women's Wing chief Habiba Chowdhury said women constitute nearly half of Bangladesh's electorate, yet many have historically been deprived of the opportunity to exercise their voting rights.

She claimed that at least 15 incidents involving attacks on female Jamaat activists in various districts had been reported to the Election Commission, alleging that the incidents were driven by political vendetta.

Earlier on Sunday, a six-member Jamaat delegation led by Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin to discuss contemporary issues related to the electoral process.

- IANS
The launch of India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 is a major step in the country's transition to a digital economy, according to Supermicro's Suresh Kumar Tulluri. He highlighted that initiatives like the data centre policy and electronic manufacturing focus underscore this digital push. Tulluri emphasized that the maximum employment opportunities from these efforts will be in research, development, and skilled manpower training. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced ISM 2.0 to boost domestic production, design, and supply chains in the semiconductor sector.

Supermicro's Suresh Kumar Tulluri says India's Semiconductor Mission 2.0 will drive the digital economy and generate skilled jobs in R&D and manufacturing.

New Delhi, February 2 The launch of India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 marks a significant step in India's transition toward a digital economy, said Suresh Kumar Tulluri, Country General Manager at Supermicro.

Speaking with ANI on the announcements made in the Union Budget 2026, Tulluri said initiatives such as the revamped semiconductor mission, the data centre policy, and broader conversations on electronic manufacturing reflect the country's growing focus on digital infrastructure.

"Whether it is ISM 2.0, the data centre policy, or discussions about electronic manufacturing, all of this indicates that we are moving towards a digital economy," he said.

Tulluri emphasised that the maximum employment opportunities generated through these initiatives would be in research and development, skilled manpower training, and allied areas. He added that a strong job ecosystem would naturally support the creation of indigenous infrastructure required across electronic and semiconductor industries.

"With jobs, we will automatically be able to bring in whatever indigenous infrastructure is needed for all kinds of electronic industries," he noted, underscoring the long-term impact of ISM 2.0 on domestic manufacturing and technological self-reliance.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the launch of India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 to produce equipment and materials, design full stack Indian IP, and fortify supply chains.

The focus will be on industry led research and training centres to develop technology and skilled workforce. Provision of Rs 1,000 crores has been made towards this for FY 2026-27. ISM 1.0 has expanded India's semiconductor sector capabilities and ISM 2.0 will build on the same.

- ANI
Israel has partially reopened the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on a limited, trial basis for Gaza residents, marking its first opening since Israeli forces seized it in May. The move comes as Gaza's media office states approximately 80,000 Palestinians displaced during the war are waiting to re-enter the territory. Simultaneously, Israel announced it will terminate the operations of Doctors Without Borders in Gaza for failing to submit staff details. Meanwhile, Israeli military operations continue, with recent drone strikes in Rafah and central Gaza claiming more lives following air raids that killed dozens.

Israel reopens Gaza's Rafah crossing for limited movement on a trial basis as strikes continue and MSF faces expulsion from the territory.

Tel Aviv, February 2 Israel on Sunday announced the partial reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in a limited, pilot capacity, marking the first such move since the crossing was seized by Israeli forces in May last year, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Al Jazeera, citing Israeli authorities, the crossing has been opened on a trial basis for the restricted movement of Gaza residents.

The Israeli military agency responsible for overseeing aid to Gaza, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), said preparations are underway for broader operations, with residents expected to begin passing through the crossing from Monday.

"In accordance with the ceasefire agreement and a directive of the political echelon, the Rafah Crossing was opened today for the limited passage of residents only," COGAT said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

The Israeli army said it has completed construction of a designated screening facility that will be used to process Palestinians entering and exiting Gaza via Rafah.

The crossing has remained largely closed for months amid Israel's prolonged military campaign in Gaza.

Gaza's Government Media Office said thousands of Palestinians displaced during the conflict are awaiting an opportunity to return. Ismail al-Thawabta, director of the media office, told Al Jazeera that around 80,000 Palestinians who left Gaza during the war are seeking to re-enter the territory.

Meanwhile, Israel announced it would terminate the operations of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Gaza, citing the organisation's failure to submit required details of its Palestinian staff, Al Jazeera reported.

Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said the requirement applies to all humanitarian organisations operating in the region.

In December, Israeli authorities said they would bar 37 aid groups, including MSF, from operating in Gaza from March 1 for failing to provide staff information, a move that drew criticism from humanitarian organisations and the United Nations.

At the same time, Israeli military operations continued across Gaza. A drone strike on Sunday killed one person in northwest Rafah city in southern Gaza, according to medical sources at the Nasser Medical Complex, Al Jazeera reported.

Palestinian media identified the victim as 63-year-old Khaled Hammad Ahmed Dahleez.

Another Israeli drone attack was reported in central Gaza's Wadi Gaza area, resulting in the death of one Palestinian.

The strikes followed Israeli air raids on Saturday that reportedly killed at least 31 people across northern and southern Gaza, as reported by Al Jazeera.

According to Al Jazeera, citing Palestinian authorities, at least 511 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,400 injured since the US-backed ceasefire came into effect on October 10.

- ANI
The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed a strike in southern Lebanon that killed Hezbollah terrorist Ali Dawood Amich. Amich served as the head of a branch in Hezbollah's engineering department. He was reportedly attempting to restore military infrastructure for the group in the al-Dweir region. The IDF stated his actions violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.

Israeli military confirms strike that killed Hezbollah terrorist Ali Dawood Amich, who was restoring military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

Tel Aviv, February 2 The IDF confirmed that earlier today it attacked and killed Hezbollah terrorist Ali Dawood Amich, who served as head of a branch in the Hezbollah engineering department.

The terrorist was attempting to restore military infrastructure for Hezbollah in the al-Dweir region in southern Lebanon and was promoting terrorist plots against IDF forces.

"The terrorist's actions constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon," said the IDF.

- ANI
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz met with military chief Eyal Zamir to assess operational readiness following Zamir's urgent talks in Washington with US defense officials. The meetings are part of intensified contingency planning between the allies for a potential regional confrontation with Iran. Iran's Army Chief Amir Hatami warned that any US mistake would jeopardize the security of the US, Israel, and the entire West Asia region, stating Iranian forces are monitoring the enemy with "finger on the trigger." The warnings come as US President Donald Trump suggests time is running out for a nuclear deal, linking it to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's threat that a US attack would spark a regional war.

Israeli security chiefs meet after US talks as Iran warns of regional war if attacked. Tensions rise with military posturing from both sides.

Tel Aviv, Feb 2 Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz held a meeting with military chief Eyal Zamir to assess the military's "operational readiness" following the latter's urgent defence talks in Washington.

The discussions focused on the military's "operational readiness for any possible scenario" amid escalating regional tensions, the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Sunday (local time).

The meeting comes after Zamir concluded a weekend visit to the United States, where he discussed coordination of defence strategies with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine and senior Pentagon officials. The talks reportedly centred on preparing for potential US military action against Iran.

The flurry of high-level meetings follows a similar trip to Washington last week by Israel's military intelligence chief, Shlomi Binder, as the two countries step up contingency planning for a possible regional confrontation.

Tehran has threatened it will retaliate with attacks on US bases and Israeli targets in case of a US attack on Iran.

Weeks of protests over the sharp depreciation of the rial swept cities across Iran from late December to January. Initially peaceful, the demonstrations escalated into clashes that caused casualties and damage to public property, including mosques, government buildings, and banks. Tehran has blamed the unrest on the United States and Israel.

Iran's Army Chief Amir Hatami last week warned that if the United States makes any mistake, it will definitely jeopardise its own security and that of Israel and the entire West Asia region, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Speaking at a national festival in Tehran, Hatami emphasised the Iranian armed forces' readiness amid escalating tensions with Washington.

"Today, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are in complete defence and military readiness and closely monitoring the enemy's movements in the region. We have our finger on the trigger," he said.

He added that "If the enemy makes any mistake, it will undoubtedly jeopardise its own security and that of Israel and the region."

He also welcomed neighbouring countries' announcements that they will not allow their territory or airspace to be used against Iran, noting these countries "know any insecurity against Iran will make the entire region insecure."

Hatami emphasised that if the other side is willing to resolve the problem, it should treat the Iranian nation with respect.

The warning came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. US President Donald Trump earlier said that a "massive armada," led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, is heading towards Iran, warning that "time is running out" for Tehran to reach a deal with the United States.

Meanwhile, Trump said on Sunday that if Tehran fails to strike a nuclear deal with Washington, "we will find out" whether Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was right to warn that a US attack could ignite a regional war.

Khamenei said at a meeting in Tehran earlier on Sunday that if the United States starts a war against Iran, "it will be a regional war.

- IANS
Veteran actor and politician Hema Malini has expressed happiness and pride at the posthumous Padma Vibhushan award for her late husband, legendary actor Dharmendra. She stated that while the honour brings joy to the family and nation, she regrets it did not come during his lifetime. The award, India's second-highest civilian honour, recognises Dharmendra's exceptional and distinguished service to the arts over a six-decade career. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the eve of Republic Day.

Hema Malini reacts with pride and regret to the Padma Vibhushan honour for her late husband, legendary actor Dharmendra.

New Delhi, February 2 Veteran actor and politician Hema Malini on Monday expressed happiness and pride at the Padma Vibhushan award for her late husband and legendary actor Dharmendra, stating that she regretted that the recognition for his immense contribution to Indian cinema did not come earlier.

Speaking to ANI, Malini said the honour was a moment of joy not just for the family but for the entire country.

"It makes us very happy, the entire country is happy. Had it come earlier, Dharmendra ji would have been extremely happy, and seeing him, his fans would have been even happier," she said, reacting to the announcement made on the eve of Republic Day.

The Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, will be conferred on Dharmendra for his exceptional and distinguished service to the arts. The honour was announced as part of the official Padma Awards list for 2026, unveiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the eve of Republic Day.

In a separate statement, Hema Malini described the recognition as long overdue.

"So so proud that the government has recognised Dharam ji's immense contribution to the film industry by bestowing on him the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award," she said, expressing gratitude to the Centre for acknowledging his legacy.

Dharmendra, fondly remembered as Hindi cinema's original 'He-Man', passed away on November 24, 2025, at the age of 89, leaving behind a towering legacy spanning over six decades. Known for his charismatic screen presence, gentle smile and versatility, he was widely regarded as one of the most iconic actors of Indian cinema.

His body of work includes classics such as 'Sholay', 'Chupke Chupke', 'Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke', 'Ayee Milan Ki Bela' and 'Anupama'.

In December last year, Hema Malini organised a prayer meet in the national capital in his honour. The gathering saw the presence of several prominent political leaders and members of the film fraternity.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda, along with several ministers and parliamentarians, attended the meeting and offered condolences to Malini and her daughters, Esha and Ahana.

The Padma Awards, among the highest civilian honours in India, are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, and are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions held annually, usually in March or April.

- ANI
Fresh snowfall in Bhaderwah Valley has led to a sharp temperature drop and disrupted traffic, prompting authorities to issue a safety advisory for residents. Additional Deputy Commissioner Sunil Kumar Butyal urged people to stay home and use heating appliances cautiously. Meanwhile, the Border Roads Organisation successfully completed a 40-hour high-altitude rescue and road clearance operation at Chatergala Pass. The operation cleared heavy snow to evacuate stranded troops and civilians without any casualties.

Fresh snowfall disrupts Bhaderwah, prompting advisories. BRO's 40-hour operation at Chatergala Pass rescued troops and civilians from heavy snow.

Bhaderwah, February 2 Fresh snowfall in the Bhaderwah Valley on Sunday disrupted daily life after three days of sunshine, leading to a sharp drop in temperature and traffic disruptions. The sudden change in weather affected commuters and daily wage earners the most.

Authorities issued an advisory asking residents to remain cautious, as snowfall made roads slippery and unsafe for travel.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Bhaderwah, Sunil Kumar Butyal, said an advisory had been issued in view of the prevailing weather conditions.

"The authorities have issued an advisory. We request that all Bhaderwah residents stay in their homes unless it's an emergency and avoid driving unless necessary, as roads are slippery due to snowfall," he said.

He also said efforts were underway to restore essential services, especially the electricity supply, which had been disrupted due to the snowfall.

"Our people are currently working to restore the disrupted power supply. People should use heating appliances and wood with caution to avoid fire and other incidents," Butyal added.

Earlier, the Border Roads Organisation carried out a high-altitude rescue and road restoration operation at Jammu and Kashmir's Chatergala Pass, located at an altitude of 10,500 feet, on the Bhaderwah-Chatergala axis. The operation followed heavy snowfall that disrupted connectivity in the area.

The rescue and clearance work was undertaken by the 118 Road Construction Company of the 35 Border Roads Task Force under Project Sampark of the BRO.

According to the BRO, "The snow-clearance operation commenced at 0630 hrs on January 24 and continued for nearly 40 hours, clearing approximately 38 km of road buried under 5-6 feet of snow. The route was opened by 7:30 pm on January 25, enabling the safe evacuation of 40 troops of 4 Rashtriya Rifles along with weapons and stores, and 20 stranded civilians."

The organisation said the mission concluded successfully without any casualties.

"The rescue mission was completed by 02:30 am on 26 January 2026 with zero casualties, highlighting the professionalism and dedication of BRO personnel working under extreme winter conditions. The operation was executed in close coordination with the Indian Army, restoring critical connectivity in the region," the BRO said.

- ANI
The hidden snowy landscapes of Ladha Dhar in Udhampur's Chenani area are attracting a growing number of tourists seeking pristine, uncrowded winter beauty. Visitors praise the area's exceptionally clean and fresh snow, contrasting it with more commercialized destinations like Patnitop. This newfound accessibility is largely due to a recently completed road project under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), which has transformed a difficult trek into an easy drive. Tourists are now encouraging others to experience this "small Kashmir" and its breathtaking, untouched natural scenery.

Tourists flock to pristine, unexplored snowscapes of Ladha Dhar in Udhampur, thanks to improved PMGSY road connectivity. A hidden gem away from crowded hubs.

Udhampur, February 2 As winter blankets the region, the hidden gem of Ladha Dhar in the Chenani area of Udhampur has emerged as a top-tier destination for nature lovers seeking "pure white gold" far from the crowded tourist hubs. Visitors are increasingly drawn to this unexplored spot, where the lack of heavy footfall has preserved the snow in its most pristine, pollution-free form, offering a stark contrast to the commercialised slopes of more famous hill stations.

Travellers who traditionally visit Srinagar or Patnitop are now urging others to experience the unparalleled beauty of Ladha Dhar, describing the scenery as a breathtaking natural masterpiece.

One of the tourists, Shreya Sharma, shared her experience with ANI, saying," I belong to the district of Udhampur. Today, I visited the Ladha Dhar district in Udhampur. Very beautiful place, in my opinion, so I am enjoying it a lot. First, I was very excited to come here because tourists are also visiting, and I would like to thank the Government of India for constructing this PMGC road. Because of which we can come here today. Earlier, there was no road here. It was critical to come here. We can now enjoy the entire snow and ice rink. I am so happy that I came here. I would like to thank the people who are looking after me. I would like to tell them to come here and enjoy these beautiful snow-capped mountains. The beauty here is exceptional. I enjoyed coming here a lot coming here alott with my parents. There was a lot of snow here, and it was clean, too. That is the point. I also tell other tourists to come here." Another tourist, Riya Sharma, said, "I belong to the district of Dumpur. Today I visited Ladda Dhar to see its beauty. Tourists visit here, and we came today as well, on Sunday. We thought we were free today, so we came on Sunday. This is our small Kashmir. Everyone goes to Patri Top, Sanasa, and Natha Top, but here you can see a lot of people. The snow is white and fresh. You can see snow-covered mountains. I would like to encourage all tourists to visit here. It will be more fun and fresh."

This surge in accessibility is credited to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), which recently completed a critical road project connecting the area; what was once a difficult trek is now an easy drive, allowing families and tourists to reach the heights of Dhar Ladha comfortably and enjoy the fresh, untouched snowfall in the heart of the Jammu division.

- ANI
Run-off possible if she falls below 40%

Right-wing candidate Laura Fernandez has taken a strong early lead in Costa Rica's presidential election with over 53% of the initial vote count. She campaigns as the chosen successor to incumbent President Rodrigo Chaves, promising to continue his tough security agenda. Public safety has become a critical issue for voters amid rising crime in the traditionally peaceful nation. Alongside the presidential race, Costa Ricans also voted for members of the National Assembly.

Right-wing candidate Laura Fernandez leads Costa Rica's presidential vote, campaigning as successor to President Rodrigo Chaves on a security agenda.

San Jose, February 2 Right-wing law-and-order candidate Laura Fernandez has emerged with a strong early lead in Costa Rica's presidential election, according to preliminary results, Al Jazeera reported.

Based on early counting, ballots from 31 per cent of polling stations tallied late on Sunday showed Fernandez of the governing Sovereign People Party (PPSO) securing 53.01 per cent of the vote, putting her comfortably ahead in the initial race.

Trailing her in second place was Alvaro Ramos of the centre-left National Liberation Party with 30.05 per cent, while former First Lady Claudia Dobles stood third with 3.9 per cent, Al Jazeera reported.

With these numbers, Fernandez now needs at least 40 per cent to clinch an outright victory and avoid a run-off scheduled for April 5.

Her surge comes as the 39-year-old politician campaigns as the chosen successor of incumbent President Rodrigo Chaves, pledging to carry forward his tough security agenda.

Crime has risen sharply in the traditionally peaceful Central American nation in recent years, making public safety a decisive issue for many voters. While some blame Chaves's administration for failing to curb violence, others view his confrontational approach as the strongest option to restore order, according to Al Jazeera.

Fernandez has closely aligned herself with Chaves, having earlier served as his minister of national planning and economic policy and later as minister of the presidency.

Alongside the presidential vote, Costa Ricans also elected members to the 57-seat National Assembly. Chaves's party is expected to gain ground, though it may fall short of the supermajority sought by Chaves and Fernandez, which would allow their bloc to appoint Supreme Court magistrates, among other powers, Al Jazeera reported.

Although 20 candidates entered the race, preliminary and partial results showed that no contender other than Fernandez and Ramos crossed the 5 per cent mark.

- ANI
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado asserts that the transition away from the Maduro regime is unstoppable, crediting sustained U.S. pressure for forcing changes within the country. She argues that recent actions by regime figures are a direct result of U.S. instructions, though she confirms no direct negotiations are occurring. Machado describes the current power structure as a criminal network tied to foreign states and extremist groups that must be dismantled. She emphasizes that the ultimate goal shared with Washington is a legitimate democratic transition followed by free elections.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says US pressure is forcing change, calling for a democratic transition away from the Maduro regime.

Washington, Feb 2 Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said the transition away from the Maduro regime is "unstoppable," arguing that sustained US pressure is forcing changes inside Venezuela even as the opposition continues to push for a democratic transfer of power.

Speaking on CBS News' Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, Machado said she does not believe Washington is easing pressure on Caracas, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the United States does not intend to pursue military action or maintain a military presence inside Venezuela beyond a possible reopened embassy.

"I do not think that the pressure is being taken away," Machado said. "Actually, everything Delcy Rodriguez is currently doing is because she's complying with instructions she's getting from the United States, and important steps are being taken."

Machado said Venezuelans were "very, very grateful to the American people," crediting President Donald Trump, Rubio and US lawmakers for what she described as strong backing at a critical moment. She said the message from Washington had been clearly delivered and was already producing visible effects.

"We're seeing the results in the actions taken by the regime, and also in the mood and energy that is growing within the Venezuelan population," she said.

Asked whether she or her movement was in contact with Delcy Rodriguez, whom she described as heading the current regime, Machado said there had been no direct talks. She said the opposition had offered to negotiate a transition after winning what she described as a landslide election victory, but the offer was rejected.

"On the contrary, they decided to unleash the most cruel, brutal repression wave," she said, citing thousands of political prisoners and saying authorities showed no willingness to halt repression until early January.

"So eventually they might understand, or even very soon, that it is in their best interest to accept that transition is unstoppable," Machado said.

Machado said discussions with Rubio made clear that Washington and the Venezuelan opposition shared the same end goal: a democratic transition followed by elections. She described the existing power structure as a "criminal structure" tied to "Russia, Iran, China, Cuba, extremist terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the cartels, the guerrilla."

"So it's a process of dismantling this structure in a way that it's most orderly under control possible in the short term," she said, adding that the final step must be "a electoral process" producing legitimate institutions, including a president.

She warned that Venezuelans' patience was wearing thin. Machado said there were more than 1,000 political prisoners at the start of January and that more than 700 remain in detention.

"Not one military prisoner, political prisoner has been liberated," she said, pointing to detainees held for decades and to families holding round-the-clock vigils. "This was unthinkable before January 3rd," she said, adding that public confidence had grown but that momentum must be sustained.

On recent legislation allowing privatization of the oil sector, Machado rejected the authority of the current National Assembly. "Whatever comes from that National Assembly has no legality," she said, arguing it is not recognized by the Venezuelan people or the US government.

She said, however, that the direction of the proposed changes aligned with what Venezuelans want in the future. "We don't want socialism," she said, stressing the need for private property, rule of law and long-term guarantees for investors.

Machado said rebuilding the economy would also require the return of skilled Venezuelans who fled the country. "Almost a third of our population" has left, she said, arguing professionals would not return while figures tied to the regime remain in power.

Commenting on US moves to ease some sanctions and lift air restrictions, Machado said the steps were signals aimed at reinforcing the inevitability of change. "No American citizen or Venezuelan citizen is going to go back to a country that's still under the power of Maduro regime and the cartel," she said.

Asked whether she would be safe returning to Venezuela, Machado said conditions had shifted rapidly. "Right now, I don't think they would dare to kill me because of the United States presence and pressure and actions," she said.

Machado said she intends to be president "when the time comes," but emphasised that leadership must be decided through elections. "This is a spiritual fight, an existential fight for Venezuela," she said, describing the desire of millions in the diaspora to return home.

- IANS
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav participated in Gujarat's famous Rann Utsav cultural festival during a day-long visit. He praised the event as a world-class tourism model that transformed barren land with farmer participation. Yadav announced plans to develop a tent city in Ujjain for the 2028 Simhastha festival, inspired by the Rann Utsav. He also shared that the MP government will create a museum at the site of the Bhopal gas tragedy.

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav participates in Gujarat's Rann Utsav, praises its tourism model, and announces a similar tent city for Ujjain's Simhastha 2028.

Bhopal/Gandhinagar, Feb 2 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who was on a day-long visit to the neighbouring state Gujarat on Monday, participated in the famous 'Rann Utsav', a grand cultural festival featuring traditional music, dance, handicrafts, and white desert views.

After participating in the ongoing mega festival in Gujarat's Kutch, Chief Minister Yadav shared his experiences through a social media post, describing it as an "inspiring example of how a barren land has been transformed, with the participation of farmers, into a model of tourism."

"I participated in the magnificent 'Rann Utsav' and experienced firsthand the arrangements of the world-class tent city. This is an inspiring example of how a barren land has been transformed, with the participation of farmers, into a model of tourism, livelihood, and development that the world is witnessing," the Chief Minister wrote on X.

Praising the beauty of the festival and the performance of the artists, Yadav stated that the vibrant performances of folk artists and the rich culture of Gujarat give this festival a unique identity.

"Rann Utsav in the Rann of Kutch, initiated under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has become a global symbol of India's cultural strength and tourism potential," he added.

The Chief Minister further stated that the 'Smriti Van' in Bhuj (Gujarat), which preserves the memories of the earthquake victims, "is a symbol of compassion and resolve."

He shared that the Madhya Pradesh government is planning to develop a dedicated museum at the site of the defunct Union Carbide Factory, which had resulted in the world's lethal chemical tragedy (Bhopal Gas Tragedy) on December 2-3,1984.

Meanwhile, Yadav also announced that during the Simhastha - 2028 in Ujjain, the Madhya Pradesh government will develop a tent city on the lines of the 'Rann Utsav' of Gujarat.

"A tent city will be developed in Ujjain for the 'Simhastha' festival in 2028, on the lines of the 'Rann Utsav'. We will also work on a plan to develop tent cities in other areas of our state that attract a large number of tourists. This will create local employment opportunities and benefit farmers as well," the CM added.

- IANS
Newly appointed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar visited the memorial of the state's first Chief Minister, Yashwantrao Chavan, in Satara. The visit continues a tradition held sacred by her late husband, former Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who frequently sought inspiration from Chavan's ideologies. She also visited the family of Vidip Jadhav, a security guard who died in the plane crash that killed Ajit Pawar, to offer condolences. In her statements, Sunetra Pawar pledged to work for a just and developed Maharashtra, guided by the principles of Shivaji, Shahu, Phule, and Ambedkar.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar pays tribute at Yashwantrao Chavan's memorial, pledging to continue the political legacy of her late husband Ajit Pawar.

Mumbai, Feb 2 The political legacy of the late Yashwantrao Chavan, which was pivotal in the life of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is now being upheld by his wife, Sunetra Pawar, the newly-appointed Dy CM of Maharashtra. On Monday, she visited Satara and Phaltan, where she paid her respects at the Pritisangam in Karad, the memorial of the state's first Chief Minister.

Throughout his political career, Yashwantrao Chavan's memorial and his ideologies held immense significance for Ajit Pawar; he frequently visited the site during pivotal moments of his life and often stated in his speeches that his politics and social work were rooted in Chavan's principles. Following his demise, Sunetra Pawar appears to be upholding this tradition.

Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar offered a floral tribute at the memorial of the late Yashwantrao Chavan and later visited the residence of the late Vidip Jadhav at Lonand in Phaltan tehsil.

She will meet with Vidip Jadhav's family to offer her condolences.

Vidip Jadhav was a security guard who was on board the aircraft with Ajit Pawar during the fatal crash in Baramati. This visit follows a recent visit by Rohit Pawar (MLA from the Sharad Pawar faction), who announced that he would take responsibility for the education of Jadhav's children. After the meeting, Sunetra Pawar is expected to return to Baramati.

Dy CM Sunetra Pawar's visit to the memorial of Yashwantrao Chavan was to reiterate the party's commitment to the secular ideology of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Chhatrapati Shahu, Mahatma Phule and BR Ambedkar despite being a ruling partner in the BJP-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra and at the Centre, said a senior party leader.

After taking the oath on Saturday, Dy CM Sunetra Pawar said, "Respected Ajitdada has given the mantra of living one's entire life for farmers, labourers, women, youth, and deprived sections. Today, carrying forward the legacy of their thoughts with unwavering loyalty to the principles of 'Shiv-Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar', my heart is truly overflowing as I accept the responsibility of the Deputy Chief Minister position with a sense of duty."

She further stated, "Though the untimely passing of Dada has caused a mountain of sorrow to crash upon my heart, the true support I have is the duty-bound commitment, the strength to struggle, and the bond with the people that he taught me. I will continue to work tirelessly and honestly to realise the just, equality-based, and developed Maharashtra of his dreams. In these difficult times, the love and support from the people of Maharashtra are my true strength. With the power of your trust, illuminating Dada's ideals, I will keep moving forward with new hope."

- IANS
Actress Mallika Prasad, who plays the antagonist Amma in "Mardaani 3", argues that villains are not born inherently broken but are products of the societal systems that shape them. She explains her character embodies "systemic violence" and "the violence of oppression," operating within a corrupt framework that rewards cruelty. Prasad highlights the complexity by noting Amma is never shown committing direct physical violence, yet causes immense harm through her position. The latest installment continues the franchise's legacy of tackling brutal societal issues, also featuring actress Janaki Bodiwala in a pivotal role.

Actress Mallika Prasad discusses her antagonist role in Mardaani 3, arguing villains are shaped by societal structures, not born broken.

Mumbai, Feb 2 Actress Mallika Prasad, who essays the antagonist Amma in the latest release "Mardaani 3", believes that villains are not born flawed but are shaped by the systems they grow up within.

Asked if she believes villains like Amma are born broken, or shaped by systems that quietly reward cruelty, Mallika told IANS: "Villains are not born, and they are not broken individuals. We are actually looking at how society shapes people, and society shapes behavior. And in the case of Amma, it's not direct violence. It's systemic violence. It is a violence of structure."

The actress further explained that Amma operates within a corrupt framework that silently rewards cruelty

"It is the violence of oppression. She is sort of playing by the rules of the gutter," Mallika said, highlighting how institutional decay can normalise harmful actions.

Interestingly, Mallika pointed out that Amma is never shown committing physical violence on screen.

"So I think it's important to talk about the fact that it's so, for example, it's also very interesting that, I mean, I don't want to do any spoilers, but actually, Amma has no scene where she's actually physically doing something violent. And a lot of violence happens because of her."

"So these are very interesting and complex things, this whole idea of violence in society. So this, this is something that I want to sort of leave here about the complexity of violence."

Talking about her latest release, "Mardaani 3", it delves into another dark and brutal reality of our society, further strengthening the franchise's legacy of impactful, issue-based storytelling.

Actress Janaki Bodiwala of Shaitaan fame also enters the Mardaani franchise to play a pivotal role. Mardaani 3 has been written by Aayush Gupta of The Railway Men fame.

The first installment of the Mardaani franchise was released in 2014. It featured Rani, Jisshu Sengupta, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and Anant Vidhaat Sharma in supporting roles. The second installment premiered in 2019. Gopi Puthran directed it. It also stars Vishal Jethwa.

- IANS
Global investment bank Morgan Stanley has reiterated a constructive view on Indian equities following the Union Budget. The bank maintains an overweight stance on the Financials, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrials sectors, which are poised to benefit from the budget's growth-supportive measures. The report highlights the budget's balance between supporting economic growth through capital expenditure and a focus on emerging sectors like semiconductors, while maintaining a gradual path of fiscal consolidation. This policy direction is expected to support medium-term earnings visibility, particularly in sectors linked to domestic demand and industrial expansion.

Morgan Stanley is constructive on Indian stocks, overweighting Financials, Consumer Discretionary & Industrials post-budget. Read the key takeaways.

New Delhi, February 2 Global investment bank Morgan Stanley has reiterated a constructive view on Indian equities following the Union Budget, placing an overweight stance on Financials, Consumer Discretionary and Industrials, according to its latest report.

The report said the Budget sends a strong signal on the government's future growth priorities, with the speech almost beginning with a reference to semiconductors. This, Morgan Stanley noted, reflects a major shift in the government's approach towards technology-led growth and advanced manufacturing.

It stated, "We remain constructive on Indian equities - Overweight Financials, Consumer Discretionary and Industrials"

According to the report, these sectors are well placed to benefit from the Budget's emphasis on growth-supportive measures and capital spending.

Morgan Stanley expects a likely boost to capital expenditure, continued growth in the services sector and increasing focus on artificial intelligence. These factors, along with a slightly slower-than-expected pace of fiscal consolidation, are expected to support earnings growth in F2027.

The report also highlighted that increased demand for equities through buybacks could further aid earnings.

The report observed that the Budget strikes a balance between reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio and maintaining a gradual pace of fiscal consolidation, while still supporting economic growth through both cyclical and structural measures.

Morgan Stanley noted that this approach helps sustain growth momentum without putting excessive pressure on fiscal stability.

The Budget has targeted a fiscal deficit of 4.3 per cent of GDP for F27, which is broadly in line with Morgan Stanley's estimate of 4.2 per cent of GDP.

The report said this fiscal path is consistent with a central government debt-to-GDP ratio of 55.6 per cent in F27, reflecting continued efforts towards fiscal discipline.

Morgan Stanley added that the combination of growth-oriented policies, support for emerging sectors such as semiconductors and AI, and manageable fiscal consolidation creates a favourable environment for equities.

The investment bank believes that the Budget's policy direction could support medium-term earnings visibility, particularly in sectors linked to domestic demand, financial intermediation and industrial expansion.

Overall, the report highlighted that the Budget reinforces Morgan Stanley's positive stance on Indian equities, with Financials, Consumer Discretionary and Industrials remaining key beneficiaries of the government's growth strategy and fiscal approach.

- ANI
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited Gujarat's Gir National Park, commending its forest conservation and tourism management. He stated that insights from Gir will guide efforts to develop Madhya Pradesh's forest areas and tourist destinations to global standards. During his visit, he also attended the Rann Utsav and announced plans to develop tent cities in MP, inspired by the event, to boost tourism and local employment. Furthermore, he proposed creating a memorial museum in Bhopal for the victims of the Union Carbide tragedy, inspired by Smriti Van in Bhuj.

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav visits Gir National Park and Rann Utsav, drawing inspiration for MP's forest tourism and tent city development plans.

Bhopal/Gandhinagar, Feb 3 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, during his visit to the neighbouring Gujarat, participated in multiple events, including a religious event, on the occasion of 92nd birth anniversary of Mahant Swami Maharaj in Vadodara.

Chief Minister Yadav visited the Gir National Park in Gujarat and described its excellent management, strong commitment to forest conservation, and well-organised tourism arrangements as highly commendable.

He shared that during his visit to Gir National Park, he had the opportunity to closely observe forest tourism arrangements.

He said that forest development in Gujarat has witnessed high standards of progress from the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi served as Chief Minister of the state and continues to do so.

"Drawing from the experiences gained and by studying the best practices observed at Gir, continuous efforts will be made to further enrich, enhance the appeal of, and develop forest areas and tourist destinations in Madhya Pradesh to global standards," he added.

While addressing a religious event in Vadodara, the Chief Minister said that the land of Gujarat has played a vital role in connecting India and several other nations with the values of religion, spirituality, Sanatan traditions, human welfare and service.

Chief Minister Yadav added that the construction of traditional Hindu temples, including Swaminarayan Akshardham in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and the US, along with more than 600 temples worldwide, is a remarkable achievement.

Before these, the Chief Minister attended the 'Rann Utsav' of the Rann of Kutch, and said that during the Simhastha-2028 in Ujjain, a tent city will be developed on the lines of the 'Rann Utsav'.

"Plans are underway to develop tent cities at other high-footfall tourist destinations across Madhya Pradesh. These initiatives will generate local employment opportunities and also benefit farmers," he said.

Chief Minister Yadav also added that Smriti Van in Bhuj, dedicated to preserving the memories of earthquake victims, stands as a powerful symbol of compassion and collective resolve.

"Inspired by this spirit, there is also a plan to develop a dedicated memorial museum in Bhopal in memory of the victims of the Union Carbide tragedy," the Chief Minister said.

- IANS
Protests under the "ICE Out" banner swept major US cities for a second consecutive day, demanding an end to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement measures. The demonstrations gained intensity following incidents in Minneapolis and a federal judge's order to release a detained five-year-old child and his father from Texas. While a separate court ruling allowed a large-scale federal immigration operation in Minnesota to continue, President Trump directed Homeland Security not to intervene in protests in Democratic-led cities. Concurrently, Chicago's mayor signed an order to investigate federal officer misconduct, and the Justice Department launched a civil rights probe into a fatal shooting by immigration officers.

Nationwide protests demand end to Trump immigration enforcement as court orders child's release and investigations into officer conduct are launched.

Washington DC, February 2 Protests swept across the United States over the weekend as demonstrators rallied under the slogan "ICE Out", demanding an end to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement measures, CNN reported.

The protests marked a second consecutive day of demonstrations after a nationwide strike on Friday disrupted schools, workplaces, and businesses across several states, with large rallies and marches reported in major cities including Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, Portland, and Austin.

According to CNN, protests gained momentum following recent incidents in Minneapolis, where the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good during immigration enforcement actions have intensified public scrutiny of federal tactics, making the incidents focal points in the broader national debate over immigration policy.

The protest also led to major legal development in the country, with a federal judge on Saturday ordering the release of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from a detention facility in Texas, issuing a strongly worded opinion critical of the government's actions.

The child and his father returned to Minneapolis on Sunday, according to Texas Representative Joaquin Castro, CNN reported.

The detention of the child had further fuelled the widespread outrage and become a symbol of opposition to what critics describe as heavy-handed enforcement practices by federal authorities.

However, the Trump administration also had its small share of wins when a separate court ruling denied a request by the State of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St Paul to halt Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale federal immigration operation currently underway in the Twin Cities, CNN reported.

The operation involves thousands of federal agents and will continue as legal proceedings move forward amid the raging protests.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) welcomed the ruling, while state and city officials expressed disappointment, noting that they would continue pursuing the case, which alleges unlawful arrests and excessive use of force, CNN reported.

Amid the unrest, US President Donald Trump instructed the DHS not to deploy federal intervention in Democratic-led cities unless formally requested by local authorities.

In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump directed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem not to intervene in "protests and/or riots" in Democratic-led cities amid mounting criticism over his administration's use of aggressive immigration enforcement measures.

"I have instructed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help," his post read.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order directing city police to document and investigate alleged misconduct by federal immigration officers. The move follows the formation of a coalition of nine local district attorneys to prosecute federal officers accused of violating state laws, CNN reported.

Separately, the US Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal officers, with US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stating that the investigation would examine whether the officers involved violated the law, adding later that the inquiry is being conducted by the FBI.

- ANI
Haryana Governor Prof Ashim Kumar Ghosh commended outstanding NCC cadets and NSS volunteers who represented the state at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. He stated their participation was a powerful symbol of the nation's youthful strength, discipline, and spirit of service. The Governor highlighted the crucial role of NCC in instilling leadership and patriotism, and lauded NSS for strengthening society's moral fabric through community engagement. He urged the youth to continue their journey of service and excellence, describing them as torchbearers for a progressive India.

Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh lauds NCC cadets & NSS volunteers after Republic Day parade, calling them a symbol of youthful strength & service.

Chandigarh, Feb 2 Haryana Governor Prof Ashim Kumar Ghosh on Monday extended greetings to outstanding National Cadet Corps cadets and National Service Scheme volunteers who represented the state at the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi.

He said their participation in the national event was not merely ceremonial but a powerful symbol of the nation's youthful strength, discipline and spirit of service.

Lady Governor Mitra Ghosh was present on the occasion. Addressing the gathering during the 'At Home' function organised for Lok Bhavan here, Governor Ghosh described the Republic Day parade as the highest expression of India's unity in diversity, constitutional values and national resolve.

He noted that selection for the parade demands exceptional dedication, rigorous training and exemplary commitment.

"Each one of you has upheld the honour of Haryana and contributed to the national pride of India," he said, congratulating the cadets and volunteers for their achievement.

Prof Ghosh highlighted the crucial role played by the NCC in shaping disciplined, confident and responsible citizens. He said the organisation instils leadership qualities, courage and a deep sense of patriotism among the youth, preparing them not only to serve the nation in times of need but also to lead by example during peace and progress.

The Governor also lauded the selfless contribution of National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers, stating that their work reflects the true spirit of social responsibility. He said that through community engagement, social awareness and nation-building initiatives, NSS volunteers strengthen the moral and social fabric of society.

"Your work reminds us that true nation-building begins with service to fellow citizens," he remarked.

Addressing the cadets and volunteers directly, Prof Ghosh said they are the torchbearers of a stronger, more inclusive and progressive India. He added that their discipline, compassion and sense of duty inspire confidence in the nation's future.

Urging them to continue their journey of service, integrity and excellence, the Governor said that the nation looks to them with hope and that Haryana takes immense pride in their achievements.

Major General Bharat Mehtani, Additional Director General, NCC Directorate, Haryana, presented a report on the NCC activities on the occasion, while Sharwan Ram, Regional Director, NSS, Union Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, highlighted the role of NSS volunteers in nation building.

- IANS
The National Democratic Alliance will hold a Parliamentary Party meeting to discuss the recently presented Union Budget 2026 and its alignment with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the meeting, while Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget's key features and forward-looking roadmap. The session will also focus on formulating guidelines for effectively communicating the budget's benefits to the public. PM Modi has hailed the budget as a "highway of immense opportunities" designed to empower youth and lay a strong foundation for India's future.

Top NDA leaders, including PM Modi, to discuss Budget 2026's roadmap for Viksit Bharat 2047 at a key parliamentary meeting in New Delhi.

New Delhi, Feb 2 The National Democratic Alliance will hold a Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday morning to discuss the Union Budget 2026 and the vision of a Viksit Bharat 2047.

The meeting will be held at 9.30 a.m. in New Delhi and will be attended by top NDA leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP National President Nitin Nabin, and all other NDA ministers and MPs will be present at the meeting.

PM Modi will also address the NDA parliamentary party meeting.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget's features and forward-looking vision through a presentation, highlighting how it is a major step towards creating a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

During the meeting, guidelines will be provided on how to communicate the budget's features and benefits to the public, and a roadmap for this will be presented.

Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026 in the Lok Sabha on Sunday. This was her ninth budget and was motivated by three 'kartavyas' or duties aimed at boosting and maintaining economic growth by improving competitiveness, meeting aspirations, and ensuring that every family, community, and region has access to resources and opportunities for engagement.

The Prime Minister on Sunday hailed the budget, calling it a "highway of immense opportunities" and said that the "Reform Express" on which India is riding, "will gain new energy and momentum through this budget".

He said that the budget is a "highway of immense opportunities", which will "turn the dreams of the present into reality" and lay a "strong foundation for India's bright future" and for the nation's "high flight" towards achieving the resolution of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

As the Finance Minister mentioned in Parliament, PM Modi said, "This is a Youth Power Budget. It reflects the thinking, dreams, determination, and energy of young India. The provisions in the budget will prepare leaders, innovators, and creators across sectors."

"From building medical hubs and developing allied health professionals, promoting the orange economy and AVGC sectors, boosting tourism, to opening new opportunities through the Khelo India mission, the budget unlocks pathways for youth to excel and lead," he added.

- IANS
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha has assured that the upcoming state budget will reflect the new government's initiatives, emphasizing a commitment to public welfare. He praised the Union Budget 2026-27, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, as a cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a developed India. The central budget proposes major infrastructure projects, including seven new high-speed rail corridors linking key economic hubs. It also outlines plans to develop sustainable mountain trails to boost eco-tourism in regions like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Sinha previews state budget, commits to welfare, and praises PM Modi's vision in the Union Budget 2026-27.

Patna, February 2 Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha on Monday expressed the government's commitment towards the welfare of people ahead of the presentation of the state budget.

Speaking to the reporters, Sinha ensured the peaceful conduct of the proceedings in the Legislative Assembly. He said that the "new government's new initiatives will be reflected in the budget."

"A completely positive energy will prevail. I urge everyone to ensure that the House proceedings are conducted peacefully. The new government's new initiatives will be reflected in the budget. The government is fully committed to the upliftment and welfare of the people of Bihar, with complete dedication and a spirit of service, ensuring that the self-respect of the Bihari people is enhanced," he said.

Furthermore, Sinha hailed the Union Budget 2026-27 as the foundation stone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed India.

"Every Indian is proud. This budget is dedicated to the upliftment and welfare of the people of India, including the youth, women, farmers, and the poor. The foundation laid by PM Modi to make India a developed nation has now given rise to the construction of a strong edifice," Sinha commended.

Earlier on Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, her ninth consecutive Budget.

Asserting that the Union Budget 2026-27 is driven by "Yuvashakti" and based on "three kartavyas," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years as part of the Union Budget.

The Union Budget has outlined a major push for environmentally sustainable passenger transport, proposing the development of seven high-speed rail corridors across key urban and economic centres. These corridors will act as growth connectors, cutting travel time, reducing emissions, and supporting regional development.

The proposed routes include Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri. Together, they will link India's financial hubs, technology centres, manufacturing clusters, and emerging cities through faster, cleaner mobility.

The Budget also highlighted eco-tourism and nature-based travel. The Finance Minister said, "India has the potential and opportunity to offer world-class trekking and hiking experience." The government will develop sustainable mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Pudigai Malai in the Western Ghats.

- ANI
The National Investigation Agency conducted a search operation at a location in Bandipora, Jammu and Kashmir. This is part of broader investigations, including past searches across five states and a Union Territory targeting terror conspiracy networks. The agency has been intensifying its crackdown on terror funding, recruitment modules, and sleeper cells nationwide. In a related development, a Delhi NIA court recently convicted Kashmiri separatist Aasiya Andrabi and two associates in a terror case.

NIA conducts search in Bandipora, part of wider operations across states targeting terror funding, sleeper cells, and separatist networks.

Bandipora, February 2 The National Investigative Agency conducted a search operation at a location in Bandipora, Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday.

Further details are awaited.

In September, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had carried out searches at 22 locations across five states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in connection with a terror conspiracy case.

According to officials, the searches were conducted at eight locations in Bihar, one each in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, two in Uttar Pradesh, and nine in Jammu and Kashmir.Separate NIA teams launched the search operation simultaneously at these locations based on specific actionable intelligence inputs.

Investigators suspected that the network under the scanner was engaged in attempts to foment unrest and destabilise law and order in the country.

In recent months, the NIA has intensified its crackdown on terror funding, recruitment modules, and sleeper cells operating across different regions. Similar nationwide operations have earlier led to the arrest of several suspects allegedly associated with banned organisations and their attempts to radicalise youth through online and offline channels.

The operation was carried out at a time when the central government has repeatedly emphasised its zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and has directed security agencies to strengthen preventive action against such threats.

Meanwhile, the NIA court in New Delhi on January 14 convicted Kashmiri separatist Aasiya Andrabi and two of her associates, Sofi Fehmida and Nahida Nasreen, in a terror case registered by the agency.

Andrabi is the alleged chief of the women's separatist outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat.Andrabi was arrested in 2018. The NIA had invoked charges against her under sections related to waging war against the State, promoting enmity between communities, and terror conspiracy under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh convicted Andrabi and the co-accused. The court will hear arguments on sentencing on January 17.

- ANI
North Korea has inaugurated the Sinuiju Combined Greenhouse Farm, a major project on an island previously hit by severe flooding. Leader Kim Jong-un attended the ceremony, praising it as a "wonderful achievement" to be presented at the upcoming ruling party congress. The farm is a flagship project under Kim's policy to develop regional areas and improve living standards. The ninth Party Congress, expected soon, is where North Korea will outline its policy direction for the next five years.

North Korea inaugurates a major greenhouse farm in flood-hit Sinuiju, hailed by Kim Jong-un as a key achievement ahead of the ruling party's congress.

Seoul, Feb 2 North Korea has inaugurated a major greenhouse farm in Sinuiju, a northwestern city hit hard by flooding in 2024, with leader Kim Jong-un calling it a "wonderful achievement" ahead of the country's upcoming party congress, according to state media Monday.

Kim attended the ceremony inaugurating the Sinuiju Combined Greenhouse Farm the previous day, reports Yonhap, quoting the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It took place around one year after the groundbreaking ceremony was held in February 2025.

North Korea has prioritised building a large greenhouse farm in vast areas of Wihwa Island, an islet in Sinuiju, where the North suffered flood damage during the summer of 2024.

In a speech, the North's leader expressed satisfaction that the project has become a "base" for new life for the residents of Sinuiju, who have suffered from flooding generation after generation.

"Our soldiers and young people have made a wonderful achievement of creation to be presented to the Ninth Party Congress," Kim said, referring to the upcoming key once-every-five-years event.

North Korea is widely expected to hold the ninth party congress early this month, the first since 2021, where the country will disclose its major policy lines for the next five years on diplomacy, defence, the economy and other areas.

The construction of the Sinuiju greenhouse farm has been cited as a major project pushed under Kim's signature regional development policy.

The KCNA said that after Kim looked around the facilities, he said the construction of the farm is one of the "hugest projects" carried out under the eighth term of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

North Korea is widely forecast to tout the greenhouse farm project as a key achievement pursued under Kim's leadership at the ninth party congress.

In 2024, Kim unveiled a policy to build modern factories in 20 cities and counties each year over a 10-year period to improve the living conditions of people in regional areas.

- IANS
BJP Bihar President Sanjay Saraogi strongly defended the Union Budget 2026-27, calling it historic and accusing the opposition of failing to acknowledge development initiatives for the state. He highlighted key announcements including major investments in developing waterways on the Ganga, Kosi, Gandak, and Ghaghara rivers, and the establishment of a ship repair ecosystem in Patna. Saraogi also emphasized the budget's focus on women's empowerment through the strengthening of the 'Jeevika Didi' initiative. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar welcomed the budget, noting benefits from new high-speed rail corridors and the expansion of national waterways.

BJP's Sanjay Saraogi defends Union Budget 2026-27 as historic for Bihar's development, citing waterways and women's empowerment, while criticizing opposition.

New Delhi, Feb 2 BJP Bihar State President Sanjay Saraogi on Monday strongly defended the Union Budget 2026-27, calling it "historic" and accusing the opposition of deliberately ignoring the development push under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, particularly for Bihar.

"In reality, the opposition has nothing to say. After independence, those who remained in power gave very little to Bihar. Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been presenting the budget continuously since 2014, the entire country is moving on the path of self-reliance, and Bihar is progressing steadily," Saraogi told IANS while reacting to the budget presented in Parliament.

He said the opposition was unable to acknowledge the infrastructure and development initiatives announced for the state.

"The opposition fails to see this. Today, new waterways will be developed, including on the Ganga, Kosi, Gandak and Ghaghara rivers, as well as the Sonpur belt. Across the country, two ship repair ecosystems have been announced, and one of them has been given to Bihar. The opposition refuses to see this," he said.

Saraogi also highlighted the government's focus on women's empowerment.

"Prime Minister Modi has arranged many progressive ways specially for women's empowerment through strengthening the 'Jeevika Didi' initiative. For a 'Viksit Bharat', a 'Viksit Bihar' is necessary, and today the Prime Minister is doing everything possible to empower the state and take it towards progress," he added.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament on Sunday. The budget includes several infrastructure, logistics, urban development and MSME-focused measures that are expected to benefit Bihar in the long term.

Key announcements include major investments in inland waterways, freight corridors and logistics reforms. Bihar is expected to gain significantly from the development of the Ganga river corridor, which will enable low-cost transportation of agricultural produce, cement, coal and construction materials. Goods from Bihar will be transported to Kolkata Port through the Ganga, improving export potential and industrial viability.

To further strengthen river transport infrastructure, the budget announced the setting up of a ship repair and maintenance ecosystem in Patna. This facility is expected to support both cargo and passenger movement on the Ganga and generate industrial activity in districts such as Patna, Bhojpur, Begusarai, Munger and Bhagalpur.

Earlier on Sunday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also welcomed the budget despite opposition criticism. In a post on X, he wrote, "The union budget is positive and commendable. The budget by the central government has been presented keeping in mind the goals of building a developed India. This budget is progressive and forward-looking."

He further said, "Through this budget, the union government has taken several important steps to accelerate the pace of the country's development."

Highlighting infrastructure projects, Nitish Kumar noted, "This time, the union budget has announced the creation of seven high-speed rail corridors in the country. Among these, the Varanasi-Siliguri high-speed rail corridor will bring significant benefits to Bihar as well."

Referring to waterways, he added, "The budget has announced 20 new national waterways across the country. Under this, ship repair facilities will be provided in Patna and Varanasi. The expansion of waterways will benefit many cities in Bihar, enhance export facilities for the state's products, and boost commercial and business activities."

- IANS
A new report claims Oracle is considering laying off 20,000 to 30,000 employees to finance a massive expansion of its AI data-center infrastructure. The potential cuts, which could be the largest in the company's recent history, are aimed at freeing up billions in cash flow after financing challenges. Oracle is reportedly exploring the sale of its Cerner healthcare unit and other measures to reduce capital burden for the project. This news follows similar large-scale workforce reductions at Amazon, which also cited restructuring for AI.

Oracle may lay off 20,000-30,000 employees to fund its AI data center buildout, potentially the largest cuts in its history, a report claims.

Mumbai, Feb 2 US tech giant Oracle is planning to cut 20,000 to 30,000 jobs and sell parts of its activities to help finance expansion of its AI datacentre capacity, a new report has claimed.

The report from CIO, citing an investment bank TD Cowen, said the company cut about 10,000 jobs in late 2025 as part of a $1.6 billion restructuring plan. The total potential layoffs would be the largest in Oracle's recent history, while TD Cowen estimated the proposed job reductions could free up $8 billion to $10 billion in cash flow.

Both equity and debt investors have questioned Oracle's ability to fund the buildout, and several US banks have recently pulled back from lending for the expansion which led to Oracle taking the route of layoffs, the report indicated.

"Multiple Oracle data-centre leases that were under negotiation with private operators struggled to secure financing, in turn preventing Oracle from securing the data-centre capacity via a lease," it said.

Oracle was yet to comment on the report.

The research house put the company's required capital expenditure for the project at roughly $156 billion, and Oracle is exploring a range of measures to reduce its capital burden.

Oracle considered the sale of its healthcare software unit Cerner, which it acquired for $28.3 billion in 2022.

It also asked new customers to supply their own hardware under a "bring your own chip" model.

The software company told investors it expects to raise $45 billion to $50 billion in 2026 to build additional cloud capacity infrastructure.

The news follows reports of Amazon laying off 16,000 employees as part of its AI restructure plan. In October 2025, Amazon reduced 14,000 white-collar employees from its workforce, around half of its total target 30,000.

Though the job cut was the largest layoff in Amazon's three-decade history after 27,000-job cuts in 2022, it represented a small portion of Amazon's 1.58 million employees.

- IANS
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi stated that the budget for 2026-27 is a growth-centric blueprint aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed India. Key highlights include a record Rs 12.2 lakh crore allocation for public infrastructure and a Rs 10,000 crore fund to boost innovation in the biopharma sector. The budget also focuses on strengthening manufacturing through initiatives like the Indian Semiconductor Mission 2.0 and increased support for MSMEs and labour-intensive industries. Joshi emphasized that the people-centric budget, with initiatives for healthcare, railways, and rural entrepreneurs, aims to build a self-reliant future without new tax burdens.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi hails the growth-centric budget, highlighting massive infrastructure spending, biopharma boost, and support for MSMEs.

New Delhi, Feb 1 Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's economic roadmap for 2026-27 complements Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Viksit Bharat" and has emerged as a guiding light for building a grand future for India, said Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi.

He said that this is a growth-centric budget with a focus on strengthening production capacity across seven key sectors. In particular, an allocation of Rs 10,000 crore for the biopharma sector will provide a strong boost to innovation and manufacturing in healthcare.

The launch of Indian Semiconductor Mission 2.0 is a bold step towards transforming India into a global technology powerhouse, he added.

Joshi said that to accelerate domestic manufacturing, investment under the electronics component manufacturing scheme has been increased to nearly Rs 40,000 crore.

"In addition, announcements on the use of rare earth minerals, establishment of chemical parks, and Rs 10,000 crore support for global-scale container manufacturing will further strengthen India's industrial foundation," he said.

"Special emphasis has been laid on labour-intensive textile industries, and the 'Mahatma Gandhi Grama Swaraj' programmes have been announced to infuse new energy into khadi, village industries and handicrafts. To develop small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) into national champions, equity support of Rs 10,000 crore has been provided. A record Rs 12.2 lakh crore has been allocated for public infrastructure, reflecting the government's long-term commitment to growth," he said.

He said that as part of people-centric initiatives, the budget has announced seven high-speed rail corridors, healthcare sector schemes, the Khelo India Mission, promotion of fisheries in coastal regions, coconut promotion schemes, incentives for cashew cultivation, and She-Marts for rural women entrepreneurs.

"Special schemes have also been introduced to create greater opportunities for persons with disabilities," he said.

Joshi said that the complete exemption of customs duty on 17 cancer drugs will bring significant relief to patients.

"Simplification of business processes, several new programmes for the cooperative sector, and strong policy support for the IT sector are also key highlights of the budget," he said.

The minister said that overall, without imposing any additional tax burden on the common citizen, this balanced and innovation-driven budget will steer India with firm resolve towards a developed and self-reliant future.

- IANS
Gujarat's Karuna Abhiyan campaign has successfully rescued and treated over 1.18 lakh birds injured during the Uttarayan kite-flying season in the past decade. The initiative, launched in 2017, has achieved an impressive recovery rate of over 92% for the more than 1.29 lakh birds it has provided medical treatment to. The 2026 campaign alone treated 16,380 birds across all 33 districts, with Ahmedabad reporting the highest number of cases. The operation is supported by hundreds of centres, thousands of staff and volunteers, and a dedicated 24-hour helpline.

Gujarat's Karuna Abhiyan has treated over 1.29 lakh injured birds since 2017, achieving a 92% recovery rate. Learn about the campaign's success.

Gandhinagar, Feb 2 Over the last 10 years, more than 1.18 lakh birds injured largely during the Uttarayan kite-flying season have been rescued across Gujarat under the state's Karuna Abhiyan, according to official data of the Forest and Environment Department.

The campaign, launched in 2017, has provided medical treatment to over 1.29 lakh injured birds, achieving a recovery rate of more than 92 per cent.

Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said the sustained outcomes reflected steady improvements in rescue coordination and treatment facilities. "Consistent planning and timely medical intervention have helped ensure a high survival rate for injured birds year after year," he said.

During this year's Karuna Abhiyan, conducted from January 10 to January 20, a total of 16,380 birds injured by kite strings were treated across the state. Of these, 14,690 birds survived following treatment, accounting for a recovery rate of 90 per cent.

Rescue and treatment operations were carried out across all 33 districts. Ahmedabad recorded the highest number of cases, with 7,040 birds receiving treatment, of which 6,532 were rescued. Surat followed, where 4,194 birds were saved out of 4,800 treated cases. Vadodara reported 649 rescues from 722 injured birds, while Rajkot recorded 553 birds saved out of 676 treated. In Gandhinagar, 313 birds were rescued from 329 cases.

Species-wise data showed that pigeons accounted for the largest share of injured birds at 13,636, followed by 905 black kites, 281 crows, 180 sparrow hawks, 137 black ibises, 134 owls, 121 egrets and 110 parrots.

Birds from a total of 41 different species were treated during the 2026 campaign.

State Forest and Environment Minister Pravin Mali said Karuna Abhiyan began with inter-departmental support and the involvement of voluntary organisations. "In the first year of the campaign, 6,597 out of 7,301 injured birds were treated and rescued. Since then, the scale and reach of the initiative have expanded steadily," he said.

To support Karuna Abhiyan 2026, the state set up around 450 collection centres, more than 60 control rooms and over 480 treatment centres. More than 650 veterinary doctors and approximately 8,000 staff members and volunteers were deployed.

The Forest Department operated a 24-hour helpline in 1926 and a dedicated WhatsApp number, 83200 02000. The animal ambulance service remains available throughout the year.

- IANS
Pakistan's National Finance Commission has stalled, with its second meeting delayed and most of its eight technical working groups inactive since December. The only groups that have met are examining the ex-FATA merger's impact and divisible pool taxes, led by provincial and federal finance ministers. Disagreements persist, such as Sindh's objection to discussing expenditures, while the federal government pushes for legal grounds to exclude customs duty from the shared pool. The delays raise concerns about finalizing the 11th NFC award, crucial for addressing a widening fiscal deficit and resource distribution among provinces.

Pakistan's National Finance Commission faces delays as most working groups remain inactive, stalling the long-pending 11th NFC award and resource-sharing talks.

Islamabad, February 2 Nearly two months after its inaugural session amid high expectations, Pakistan's National Finance Commission appears to have stalled, with its second meeting, initially planned for mid-January, yet to materialise, raising concerns over delays in finalising the long-pending 11th NFC award.

According to Dawn, informed sources said the commission's eight technical working groups have also made little progress, with only two holding a single meeting so far, while the remaining six have not convened at all since their notification in the second week of December.

Following the first NFC meeting on December 4, officials from the Ministry of Finance and provincial governments had announced that the next session would take place between January 8 and January 15, setting the stage for monthly meetings aimed at concluding recommendations after a gap of more than 15 years.

However, that timeline has slipped.

Sources said the only working group that moved quickly was the one examining the merger of the former federally administered tribal areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its impact on the province's NFC share.

Led by KP Finance Minister Muzammil Aslam, the group sought detailed calculations from the federal finance secretary on how the ex-FATA allocation would affect other provinces but remains unable to proceed further without that data.

Another group, focused on divisible pool taxes and led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, met once in late January to begin discussions on whether new taxes should be added to the shared pool or existing ones removed.

The federal government has been exploring legal grounds to exclude customs duty, arguing that international trade falls under federal jurisdiction.

Dawn reported that none of the remaining six groups have held meetings, signalling limited momentum in advancing consultations on how resources should be shared among the federation and the four provinces.

An official at the Ministry of Finance attributed the slowdown to overseas engagements of Aurangzeb and Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal, while a provincial chief minister countered that both the working groups and the main NFC meeting were delayed due to the absence of federal representatives.

The six pending groups cover vertical distribution between the centre and provinces, national debt composition, improving the tax-to-GDP ratio, straight transfers to provinces, criteria for horizontal distribution, and sharing federal expenses in provincial domains.

At the December 4 meeting, Sindh objected to including expenditure discussions, arguing that the NFC's constitutional role is confined to revenue sharing.

The federal government has since sought legal advice suggesting expenditures could also be debated within the NFC forum, Dawn reported.

At the inaugural session of the 11th NFC, the centre proposed mobilising over 5 per cent of gross domestic product in additional revenues over three years, roughly 6.5 trillion Pakistani rupees annually at current rates.

It also urged provinces to lift their own collections to 3 per cent of GDP through property taxes, agricultural income levies and sales tax on services, which currently contribute less than 1 per cent.

The federal government framed these targets as essential to address a widening fiscal deficit that has grown by around 3 per cent since 2010, following what it termed a "fiscal imbalance" under the 7th NFC award.

The deficit has increased from about 4 per cent to over 6.6 per cent, significantly worsening debt-to-GDP ratios.

It had earlier been announced that the second NFC meeting would depend on the readiness of working-group reports, expected to cover horizontal and vertical resource sharing, taxation strategies, and the impact of debt servicing and poverty.

A special group was also formed at KP's request to assess the fiscal and social consequences of merging tribal districts.

The 11th NFC was constituted on August 22, though its first meeting was repeatedly postponed before finally taking place on December 4.

The commission operates under Article 160 of Pakistan's Constitution, which mandates the distribution of proceeds from key taxes, including income tax, sales tax, excise duties and specified export duties.

Under International Monetary Fund recommendations, the centre has also pushed for provinces to share more costs related to natural disasters, health programmes and large infrastructure projects.

It has called for moving away from population-based incentives in favour of social sector performance metrics, a shift informally supported by Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The NFC must also allocate funds for Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) and the newly merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The last major award, the 7th NFC finalised in 2009, remained in force for 15 years instead of the constitutionally mandated five.

It raised the provincial share to 57.5 per cent from about 47 per cent, later increasing to roughly 59 per cent after special allocations to Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, reducing the federal share to 42.5 per cent.

In subsequent years, however, the centre introduced a petroleum levy estimated at about 1.5 trillion rupees and secured around 1.5 trillion rupees in provincial cash balances, effectively shifting the fiscal balance back in its favour.

Provinces also failed to meet commitments under the 7th NFC to raise revenues by 0.5 per cent of GDP annually, while the centre did not fulfil its pledge to increase collections by 1 per cent each year, sources said.

Various stakeholders, including the finance ministry, armed forces and the International Monetary Fund, have advocated rebalancing resource transfers toward the centre, though the Constitution bars reductions in provincial shares and requires consensus among all five parties.

Currently, provincial allocations are based on population, poverty, revenue collection and inverse population density, giving Punjab 51.74 per cent, Sindh 24.55 per cent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 14.62 per cent and Balochistan 9.09 per cent.

- ANI
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini honored the legendary vocalist Pandit Jasraj on his 96th birth anniversary, calling him a 'Swar-Surya' (sun of notes) of Indian classical music. The event was part of a state program in Fatehabad district, where the CM also conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings and tribute. Saini highlighted the work of the Pandit Jasraj Cultural Foundation, established in 2022, in preserving and propagating the maestro's legacy. He noted Pandit Jasraj's unique achievement of performing on all seven continents, bringing global recognition to Indian music.

Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini honors Pandit Jasraj's legacy, calling him a 'Swar-Surya' of Indian classical music, at a state event in Fatehabad.

Chandigarh, Feb 2 Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday said that Pandit Jasraj was a 'Swar-Surya' of Indian classical music whose personality illuminated not only the country but the entire world.

He said that today will always be remembered as a golden chapter in the history of Indian classical music.

The Chief Minister was addressing the state-level programme organised under the Sant-Mahapurush Samman Evam Vichar Prasar Yojana at Pili Mandori village in Fatehabad district on the 96th birth anniversary of Pandit Jasraj.

CM Saini said that before coming to this programme, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the morning and informed him about this event. The Prime Minister sent his "Ram-Ram" to the people of Haryana and paid tributes to Pandit Jasraj.

The Chief Minister said that from this sacred stage, he bowed to the great personality of Pandit Jasraj. He said, "It is a matter of pride that along with Pandit Jasraj's birth anniversary, the fourth anniversary of the Pandit Jasraj Cultural Foundation is also being celebrated today". The foundation was established in 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"This institution is doing commendable work in preserving Pandit Jasraj's classical music legacy and passing it on to the new generation." The Chief Minister appreciated the dedication of Madhura Jasraj, Durga Jasraj and all office-bearers of the foundation.

The Chief Minister said Pandit Jasraj was not just a great artist but a living institution himself. Born in 1930 in the village of Pili Mandori in a reputed musical family, he lost his father at a very young age, but despite adverse circumstances, he never allowed his spiritual musical pursuit to weaken.

Under the guidance of his elder brother, Pandit Maniram, he undertook rigorous practice, which remained an inspiration for youth even today.

The Chief Minister said that through his lifelong devotion to music, Pandit Jasraj carried the cultural essence of his native village across the globe. His classical music resonated even in the icy landscapes of Antarctica, reflecting the universal appeal of Indian music.

He said Pandit Jasraj was the first Indian artist to have performed on all seven continents, an achievement that continues to be a matter of pride for the entire nation.

- IANS
Amjad Ayub Mirza, a PoJK activist, has strongly condemned a protest rally in Muzaffarabad demanding the release of jailed JKLF leader Yasin Malik. He specifically criticized the participation of civil rights leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir, calling it a dangerous convergence that weaponizes legitimate activism. Mirza alleges this fits a pattern by Pakistan's security establishment to redirect local governance dissent into outward militant narratives. He warns this undermines genuine reform and revives a harmful discourse of violence.

Amjad Ayub Mirza condemns a Muzaffarabad rally demanding Yasin Malik's release, warning of a dangerous merger of civil rights and militancy.

London, February 2 Political activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Amjad Ayub Mirza, condemned the participation of civil rights leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir in a protest rally held in Muzaffarabad demanding the release of jailed JKLF leader Yasin Malik, calling it a dangerous convergence of civil rights activism and militant politics.

In a video statement, Mirza said the rally marked a deeply troubling moment for the civil rights discourse in PoJK, noting that Yasin Malik is currently imprisoned in India following convictions related to terrorism and crimes against civilians.

Mirza expressed strong disapproval of the presence and speech of Shaukat Nawaz Mir, leader of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), at the rally. He said that Shaukat Nawaz Mir, who had previously led a large-scale civil rights movement in PoJK, publicly declared during the rally that it was now the responsibility of JAAC to raise the issue of Yasin Malik.

"Until recently, this individual was leading the largest civil rights movement in PoJK, mobilising thousands of people on issues of governance and rights. However, when a rally was called for Yasin Malik, only a few dozen people attended," Mirza said.

According to Mirza, the episode reflects a deliberate attempt to blur the distinction between civil rights advocacy and political militancy in PoJK.

He stressed that civil rights movements are built on moral clarity, inclusiveness and universal principles, whereas militant political movements rely on polarisation and the romanticisation of violence.

"By sharing a platform with a JKLF leader whose actions contributed to decades of bloodshed, the civil rights movement has been reframed, weaponised and delegitimised," he added.

Mirza further alleged that the development fits a long-standing pattern employed by Pakistan's security establishment in PoJK, including allowing public anger over misgovernance to grow, channelling it through civil movements, and later injecting militant narratives to redirect dissent outward rather than towards local accountability.

He said the insertion of Yasin Malik's narrative into a civil rights space undermines legitimate demands for governance reform and repackages them into what he described as an outdated militancy discourse that has already inflicted severe harm on generations of Kashmiris.

- ANI
President Droupadi Murmu has arrived in Bhubaneswar for a six-day visit to Odisha. Her itinerary includes offering prayers at historic temples like the Biraja Temple in Jajpur and the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. The President will also attend the convocation of Fakir Mohan University and engage with tribal communities at the Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary. The visit will conclude with her traveling to Chhattisgarh to inaugurate a festival.

President Droupadi Murmu begins a six-day visit to Odisha, featuring temple visits, a university convocation, tribal community engagement, and security highlights.

Bhubaneswar, Feb 3 President Droupadi Murmu has arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar on a six-day Odisha visit.

The President was accorded a grand welcome at the Bhubaneswar airport on Monday evening.

Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, along with other senior dignitaries welcomed President Murmu at the airport.

Later, the President in a carcade amid tight security went to the Lok Seva Bhawan for the night stay.

As per her visit schedule, on Tuesday morning, President Murmu will visit Jajpur and offer prayers at the historic 13th century Biraja Temple as well as participate in some rituals at Nabhi Gaya.

The District Education Officer (DEO) of Jajapur has earlier announced that all schools in Jajpur town will remain closed on Tuesday keeping in view President Murmu's visit.

On Tuesday afternoon, President Murmu will visit Balasore district and attend the 12th convocation ceremony of Fakir Mohan University.

On Tuesday evening, the President will travel to Puri and visit the Shree Jagannath Temple.

She is scheduled to have darshan of the holy deities and participate in the aarti at the 12th century shrine.

The President will also perform other specific rituals in the holy coastal town.

On February 4, President Murmu will visit Mayurbhanj district and participate in a number of programmes at different places in her home district.

The President will attend a special programme at the Jagannath Temple in Rairangpur and later visit Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary in the afternoon on February 5.

On February 6, she will engage directly with women and youth from tribal communities at Simlipal, one of Odisha's premier biosphere reserves, known for its rich biodiversity and tribal heritage.

Later that day, she will grace the 'Black Swan Summit, India' in Bhubaneswar, an event organised by the Odisha government in partnership with the Global Finance and Technology Network.

Concluding her visit on February 7, President Murmu will travel to Chhattisgarh, where she will inaugurate the 'Bastar Pandum 2026' festival in Jagdalpur.

Extensive and robust security measures have been implemented at all venues listed in the President's itinerary in view of her visit.

- IANS
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal initiated the Motion of Thanks debate in the Lok Sabha, praising President Droupadi Murmu's address as "remarkable" and a vision for a developed India. He highlighted the historic significance of the address being delivered by the country's first tribal and youngest President. Sonowal credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for fostering inclusion, justice, and self-reliance, while sharply criticizing the policy paralysis of the previous Congress-led government. He concluded by noting India's rise to become the world's fourth-largest economy under the current government.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal praises President Droupadi Murmu's address as a vision for Viksit Bharat and credits PM Modi's leadership.

New Delhi, February 2 The motion of thanks has begun for President Droupadi Murmu's address in the Lok Sabha.

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sarbananda Sonowal rose to initiate the debate.

He called the President's address "remarkable" and lauded the President for being the first tribal President of the country.

"I realise that when I am asked to move the motion on the President's address to the joint assembly of the parliament on January 28th, it is a matter of immense honour and privilege bestowed on me. The President's address has been remarkable. First in the new quarter of the year, setting the stage for the next 25 years," he stated.

Further emphasising the President's reputation, he called the address, "manifestation of a great nation."

"The address was delivered by the first-ever tribal president, the second female president and most importantly by the youngest Indian to become president of the nation with the largest youth population. This is not a happy coincidence but manifestations of a great nation on the move to regain its past glory," he asserted.

Sonowal lauded the address as inclusive and in accordance with the central government's vision for Viksit Bharat. He appreciated the government's efforts towards the upliftment of the underprivileged sections of the society, reiterating the slogan of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas.

"The address was all inclusive nd provided vision for future, social justice, inclusive growth and building of Viksit Bharat. As a member of the tribal community from Assam, I am honoured by the inclusive and equitable growth opportunities the government offers to people from all sections of society, including garib, adivasi, mahila, dalit, yuva, and annadata. Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikaas, Sabka Vishwas is not merely a slogan but a guiding principle of the government," the Minister said.

He further underscored the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under whose leadership he said this century has turned into a century of inclusion, justice and self-reliance.

"This century will be known as maa bharati;s century of inclusion, equitable justice, vikaas, and atmanirbharta. The President's address is not an accounting of the government's accomplishments but rather a powerful narrative of civilisation marching towards its destiny under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership," Sonowal said.

He further criticised the previous Congress-led Central government, noting its shortcomings, including corruption, policy paralysis, poor connectivity, etc. In contrast, he highlighted the BJP government's efforts to advance the nation.

"Before 2014, during the Congress government, India suffered policy paralysis, corruption-driven governance, delayed projects, disconnected regions and low national self-confidence," he said.

"After 2014, India chose decisive leadership, rapid growth and all-around progress with special emphasis on Dr BR Ambedkar's principles of equality and social justice," he added.

Sonowal hailed the Prime Minister's efforts in bolstering India's economic growth, making it the fourth-largest economy.

"The policies once considered impossible are now reshaping the nation's socio-economic landscape. From the five fragile economies in the world, we have today become the fourth-largest economy. Modi hai to mumkin hai," Sonowal said.

Later, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, including Congress MPs Tariq Anwar, Amarinder Raja Warring, Anto Antony, and Jothimani, will speak during the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.

- ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Punjab on the occasion of Guru Ravidas Jayanti. He met Sant Niranjan Dass, who was recently conferred the Padma Shri for his service to society. Addressing the gathering, PM Modi linked the newly presented Union Budget to the saint's ideals, stating it would empower the poor and farmers. He expressed confidence that these efforts would help achieve the goal of a developed India.

PM Narendra Modi met Padma Shri recipient Sant Niranjan Dass in Punjab, highlighting the Union Budget's focus on farmers and a developed India.

Jalandhar, February 2 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met Sant Niranjan Dass at Dera Sachkhand Ballan on the special occasion of the Jayanti of Guru Ravidass Maharaj, according to an official release.

"He was recently conferred the Padma Shri, in recognition of his inspiring service to society," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister posted on X, "It was very special to meet Sant Niranjan Dass Ji at Dera Sachkhand Ballan on the special occasion of the Jayanti of Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji. He was recently conferred the Padma Shri, in recognition of his inspiring service to society."

PM Modi visited the Dera Sachkhand Ballan, a Ravidassia dera based in the village of Ballan near Jalandhar in Punjab.

Taking it to X, PM Modi wrote, "It was a very special feeling to be at Dera Sachkhand Ballan on the Jayanti of Guru Ravidass Maharaj."

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Union Budget presented in Parliament will empower the poor, increase the income of farmers and boost the Make in India initiative.

Addressing a gathering on the 649th Jayanti celebration of Sant Ravidass in Jalandhar, PM Modi greeted the audience and recalled the contributions of the revered saint.

"I am confident that with the blessings of Sant Ravidas Ji, we will certainly achieve the goal of a Developed India. Just this morning, the country's budget was presented in Parliament. This budget is one that will further empower the poor, the annadata , the youth power, and the women power. This is a budget to strengthen villages. This is a budget to increase farmers' income. This is a budget that will promote Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India," he said.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament on Sunday.

He said Saint Ravidas showed the path of service.

"I pay my respects to this soil of Punjab. Today is the sacred occasion of the 649th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas Ji. I am fortunate to be among you all on this pious occasion. I extend my greetings to all my fellow countrymen on Sant Ravidas Jayanti and Magh Purnima... I have had the good fortune of serving Kashi as a Member of Parliament... It was on the ghats of Kashi that the teachings of Sant Ravidas Ji were revealed... We all draw great inspiration from him," PM Modi said.

- ANI
Tourism stakeholders in Himachal Pradesh have welcomed the Union Budget's emphasis on improving rail connectivity to hill states, seeing it as a major potential boost for tourist inflow. They highlight that current limited air connectivity, with only small airports, restricts access to the state. However, they expressed disappointment over the absence of specific fiscal incentives or policy support to encourage further investment in the tourism and hospitality sector. The stakeholders hope for concrete implementation of the railway plans and future consideration of targeted investment support.

Tourism stakeholders welcome budget focus on hill state rail connectivity but express disappointment over lack of new investment incentives for the sector.

Shimla, February 2 Tourism stakeholders in Himachal Pradesh have welcomed the Union Budget's emphasis on improving rail connectivity to hill states, saying it could significantly boost tourist inflow, but expressed disappointment over the absence of specific incentives for investment in the tourism industry.

Speaking to ANI in Shimla on Sunday, Mahendra Seth, President of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Stakeholders Union and Shimla Hotel Association, said the budget has highlighted plans to expand railway connectivity in hill states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which could prove to be a major boost for tourism.

"One important aspect of the Union Budget is the focus on increasing rail connectivity, especially for hill states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. I believe this is a very positive and forward-looking idea," Seth said.

He pointed out that Himachal Pradesh currently has only three small airports, which can handle limited aircraft operations, restricting air connectivity to the state.

"Himachal has three small airports where only small aircraft can land. Large aircraft like Boeing planes cannot operate there. Despite efforts over many years, these airports have not been expanded," he said.

Seth said that improved broad-gauge railway connectivity could address this limitation and significantly increase tourist arrivals.

"If broad-gauge trains are extended up to Shimla or nearby areas, or if connectivity is improved from Pathankot to Kangra, tourist inflow will rise sharply. Tourists from Mumbai, Maharashtra and South India could then travel directly to Himachal, instead of halting at Chandigarh," he added.

Referring to the proposal for mountain and adventure trains, Seth said such initiatives could further enhance tourist movement to the state.

"If high-speed or improved train services reach Himachal, the impact on tourist inflow will be very significant," he said.

However, the tourism stakeholders expressed concern that the budget did not offer concrete fiscal support to the hospitality sector.

"The GST rate for hotels was already reduced to five per cent earlier. We were expecting investment incentives or policy support to encourage further investment in the tourism sector, but nothing new was announced," Seth said.

He said incentives would have strengthened the tourism ecosystem and encouraged expansion, especially at a time when infrastructure constraints remain a challenge.

Seth also said that while heritage railways should be preserved, early expansion of broad-gauge rail links would have been more beneficial than over-reliance on road widening projects.

"We are not saying heritage trains should be scrapped, but if broad-gauge rail connectivity had been developed earlier instead of focusing only on four-lane roads, it would have benefited tourism more," he added.

Tourism stakeholders said they hope the Centre will follow up on its railway announcements with concrete implementation and consider targeted incentives to support tourism investment in hill states.

- ANI
Veteran Rajasthan BJP leader and former cabinet minister Hem Singh Bhadana passed away at his residence in Alwar at the age of 55 after a five-month battle with cancer. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed deep sorrow, calling his demise a personal loss and highlighting Bhadana's dedication as a public servant. A two-time MLA from Thanagazi, Bhadana was known for his grassroots connect and served as a minister in the previous Vasundhara Raje government. His last rites will be conducted with full state honours in his ancestral village.

Veteran BJP leader and Gurjar community face Hem Singh Bhadana dies at 55 after battling cancer. CM Bhajanlal Sharma expresses grief.

Jaipur, Feb 2 Veteran Rajasthan leader, prominent Gurjar community face, and former cabinet minister Hem Singh Bhadana passed away on Monday. He was 55.

He passed away at around 7 a.m. at his residence. Bhadana, who had been battling cancer for the past five months, breathed his last while undergoing treatment. His demise has cast a pall of grief over Alwar district and Rajasthan's political circles.

Hem Singh Bhadana was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Jaipur for several weeks.

Recently, he was brought back to his residence in Alwar, where he passed away. As news of his death spread, a wave of mourning swept through Alwar and his Assembly constituency, Thanagazi. Party workers and supporters gathered in large numbers at his residence in Veer Savarkar Nagar to pay their respects.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the former minister, calling it a personal loss.

"The death of Hem Singh Bhadana ji is extremely painful. He was a devoted public servant. I had personally enquired about his health during his treatment and instructed doctors to ensure the best possible care, but destiny had other plans," the Chief Minister said.

He also prayed for peace for the departed soul and strength for the bereaved family. Bhadana's political journey began with student politics. Known for his straightforward and outspoken nature, he rose steadily through the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was elected twice as an MLA from the Thanagazi Assembly constituency and later served as a cabinet minister in the Vasundhara Raje government, where he handled key responsibilities.

Despite residing in Alwar city, Bhadana regularly visited Thanagazi to address public grievances and remain connected with the grassroots.

Even after being diagnosed with cancer, he continued to meet people and work actively.

He contested the 2023 Assembly elections with full determination but lost by a narrow margin.

Hem Singh Bhadana is survived by his two sons. His elder son is involved in business, while his younger son, Surendra Bhadana, has entered politics and is carrying forward his father's legacy.

Party workers said all party programmes scheduled for the day have been postponed as a mark of respect. The mortal remains of the late leader will be taken to his ancestral village, Bagheri in Kishangarhbas, where his last rites will be performed with full state honours.

- IANS
Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari hailed the Union Budget, stating it aims to lay the foundation for a 'Viksit Bharat' by strengthening the economy. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu emphasized the budget's benefits for the aviation sector and aircraft manufacturing. Key announcements include a significant increase in public capital expenditure for infrastructure and the development of new transport corridors. The budget also outlines the implementation of the New Income Tax Act from 2026 and reductions in certain TCS rates.

Rajasthan Deputy CM Diya Kumari and Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu laud the Union Budget's focus on infrastructure, aviation, and economic growth.

Jaipur, February 2 Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, on Monday, hailing the 2026-27 Union Budget, underlined the country's progress toward the aim of "Viksit Bharat"

Speaking with ANI, Diya Kumari said, "This budget has been presented with the aim of laying the foundation for 'Viksit Bharat' by giving momentum to the economy. The dream of seeing India as a major global power will also be realised for every Indian."

"This budget will be very important. There's something in this budget for every sector. Our economy has strengthened, we are on our way to become third largest economy," she added.

Earlier, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu lauded the Union Budget, emphasising that the civil aviation sector has emerged as a primary beneficiary of the government's latest fiscal roadmap.

Speaking on the long-term impact, the Union Minister noted that the government is working to establish a robust aircraft manufacturing ecosystem, highlighting that this budget provides a clear roadmap to achieve that vision.

"I am very happy to share that in today's budget speech, which has been proposed by the finance minister, civil aviation has been a major beneficiary. One of the strongest impact areas in civil aviation is the manufacturing sector, where many other countries have taken advantage. When we want to buy these planes, we are buying them from other countries and other OEMs," Naidu said.

Some of the key announcements of the budget were that public capital expenditure has been increased to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY 2026-27, up from Rs 11.2 lakh crore in the previous year, underlining the government's continued focus on infrastructure-led growth.

Key initiatives include the development of seven high-speed rail corridors connecting major cities, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years to promote environmentally sustainable transport systems.

A major highlight on the taxation front was the announcement that the New Income Tax Act, 2025 will come into effect from April 2026, accompanied by simplified rules and redesigned forms to ease compliance for taxpayers. The Budget also proposes reductions in Tax Collected at Source (TCS) rates for overseas tour packages, education and medical expenses under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme.

- ANI
The Supreme Court has directed the Union government to constitute a tribunal to adjudicate the Pennaiyar river water sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The bench ordered the Centre to issue the necessary notification and set up the tribunal within one month. Tamil Nadu's suit argued that Karnataka's upstream projects and pumping schemes threaten its downstream water interests and the livelihood of its people. The court has referred Tamil Nadu's complaint to the soon-to-be-formed tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act.

Supreme Court orders Centre to set up a tribunal within a month to resolve the long-pending Pennaiyar river water sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

New Delhi, Feb 2 The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union government to constitute an inter-State river water disputes tribunal to adjudicate the long-pending dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of waters of the inter-State Pennaiyar river system.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and N.V. Anjaria ordered the Centre to issue an appropriate notification in the Official Gazette and to constitute the tribunal within a period of one month, while directing that the complaint filed by Tamil Nadu be referred to the tribunal in terms of Section 5 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.

"We find no reason to refrain from directing the Central government to issue an appropriate notification in the official gazette and to constitute a water disputes tribunal for the adjudication of the inter-State water dispute between the parties herein," the Justice Nath-led Bench said.

The order came on an original suit filed by the Tamil Nadu government seeking the constitution of a tribunal to resolve disputes arising out of projects undertaken by Karnataka in the Pennaiyar basin, including works on the Markandeya Nadhi.

Tamil Nadu had contended that several upstream projects and pumping schemes proposed and executed by Karnataka could adversely impact its downstream interests and the livelihood of its inhabitants.

In its suit, Tamil Nadu had urged the apex court to direct the Centre to establish a tribunal under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, and to refer its complaint, submitted in November 2019, to the tribunal.

It had also sought directions to Karnataka to maintain status quo with respect to the construction of a dam across the Markandeya Nadhi near Yargol village, as well as pumping of water from various tanks and directly from the Pennaiyar river, pending the tribunal's constitution.

Further, Tamil Nadu had asked that Karnataka be restrained from initiating any new schemes in the Pennaiyar basin till the dispute was adjudicated. Tamil Nadu argued that repeated negotiations and ministerial-level talks between the two States had failed to yield any resolution, necessitating judicial intervention.

The Centre, on earlier occasions, had suggested that the matter be resolved through inter-governmental discussions.

Under Section 5 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, once a tribunal is constituted, the Central government is mandated to refer the water dispute and all connected matters to it for adjudication.

- IANS
A bumper shallot harvest in Tamil Nadu's Perambalur district has caused a market glut, crashing procurement prices to as low as Rs 10 per kilogram. Farmers, who invested heavily expecting better returns after the crop received a Geographical Indication tag last year, are now facing severe losses. They are urging the district administration to intervene with direct procurement, market support, and storage solutions to prevent them from abandoning cultivation. The District Collector has acknowledged the crisis and plans to hold meetings to explore measures for price support.

Perambalur's shallot prices plummet to Rs 10/kg despite a GI tag, leaving farmers in distress and urging immediate government intervention.

Chennai, Feb 2 A surplus harvest this season has triggered a sharp fall in shallot prices in Perambalur district, pushing many farmers into distress as procurement rates have dropped to as low as Rs 10 per kg, compared to Rs 30- Rs 40 during the same period last year.

Growers said the mismatch between supply and demand has left them with little choice but to sell their produce at "throwaway" prices or store it in the hope of a price recovery.

Farmers have urged the district administration to intervene immediately by facilitating direct procurement and market support measures. Many point out that the Chettikulam small onion, cultivated in parts of the district, received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag only last year, raising hopes of better price realisation and institutional backing that have so far failed to materialise.

Shallot cultivation in Perambalur is typically undertaken in three cycles annually. In the current cycle, which began in September last year, farmers raised the crop on nearly 5,000 hectares. With the harvest now at its peak, growers report yields of around 100 sacks per acre, each weighing about 50 kg. This is significantly higher than last year's average yield of around 60 sacks per acre from cultivation spread over about 4,500 hectares.

While the improved yield would normally be seen as a positive outcome, farmers say it has instead led to a glut in the market.

As a result, traders are quoting procurement prices ranging between Rs 10 and Rs 28 per kg, depending on quality. Last year, farmers recall receiving Rs 30 to Rs 40 per kg for the same produce.

"Prices change every season, but there is no proper marketing system to protect us," said R. Karthik, a farmer from Karaiyur. "For years, we have struggled to even recover our production costs. This year, the yield on my land was good, but the price offered is painfully low. Traders buy from us cheaply and sell the same shallots in the market for Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg. We believed the GI tag would improve our livelihood, but those hopes have been shattered."

Another farmer, M. Senthil from Siruvachur, said he spent between Rs 60,000 and Rs 70,000 per acre on cultivation. "At the current prices, selling now will only result in losses. I will not even recover my input costs. I am forced to store the shallots for up to three months, hoping prices will improve. Without timely intervention, many farmers may abandon shallot cultivation altogether," he said.

Farmers have demanded direct government procurement, the removal of middlemen, the induction of traders from other districts, and the establishment of storage and processing facilities.

Responding to the concerns, District Collector N. Mirunalini said the administration is planning to convene a meeting with officials from the agriculture and marketing departments to explore steps to ensure better prices for shallot growers.

- IANS
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman broke from post-Budget tradition by holding a direct dialogue with 30 university students who witnessed the Parliament session. She described the interaction as an "out of the ordinary" initiative suggested by her team to move beyond studio interviews. The Budget 2026-27, her ninth consecutive one, proposes seven new high-speed rail corridors linking major economic hubs like Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. It also emphasizes sustainable development through ecotourism projects in mountain regions and the operationalisation of national waterways.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman breaks tradition by discussing Budget 2026 with students, outlines plans for new high-speed rail corridors and sustainable tourism.

New Delhi, February 2 Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Sunday, interacted with 30 university students who witnessed the session live in Parliament from the Lok Sabha gallery during the presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27.

She described the interaction as a departure from the usual practice of giving interviews to newspapers and television studios after the Budget presentation. Speaking at the Youth Dialogue on Budget 2026, Sitharaman said the idea came from her team, who suggested taking a different approach this time.

"This time my team thought of doing something out of the ordinary, saying, 'You go after presenting the budget to each one of the studios or each one of the newspapers and give them inter...'" she said.

She shared that they devised the idea of inviting college students to the Parliament, asking the attendees to share their experience.

"Therefore, they thought that they would get in touch with universities and come with a group of students with whom they can do this interaction, and that's how this has worked out... I would certainly like to know from you what the experience of sitting in the parliament and listening to a budget was like," she said.

Sitharaman also spoke about the efforts that are being made to ensure a "better India" for students while drawing a contrast with the India she grew up in.

"Every now and then, I can tell you what the country I was born in is, what the country I was brought up in is, and what this country is where I am living now. But that India, I wouldn't want any of you all to remember. That's not the India we want anymore in the future for anybody. We want a better India," Sitharaman said.

Clarifying that she does not think that everything in the past can be perceived as negative, the Finance Minister added, "I'm not saying everything which happened in the past is bad, but because of the way in which economies grew after coming out of imperialism, our pace of growth, our type of growth, and our type of governance made it delayed. Everything was delayed."

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, her ninth consecutive Union Budget.

Asserting that the Union Budget 2026-27 is driven by "Yuvashakti" and based on "three kartavyas", Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years as part of the Union Budget.

The Union Budget has outlined a major push for environmentally sustainable passenger transport, proposing the development of seven high-speed rail corridors across key urban and economic centres. These corridors will act as growth connectors, cutting travel time, reducing emissions, and supporting regional development.

The proposed routes include Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri. Together, they will link India's financial hubs, technology centres, manufacturing clusters, and emerging cities through faster, cleaner mobility.

The budget also highlighted ecotourism and nature-based travel. The Finance Minister said, "India has the potential and opportunity to offer world-class trekking and hiking experiences."

The government will develop sustainable mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Pudigai Malai in the Western Ghats.

- ANI
Heavy overnight snowfall blanketed South Korea, particularly Seoul, disrupting the Monday morning commute and prompting city officials to deploy snow removal trucks. While the advisory for Seoul was lifted, light snow is still expected in parts of the capital area, with heavier falls forecast for eastern islands and southwestern provinces. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicts continued snowfall in several regions, including Gangwon Province and parts of Gyeongsang. Temperatures remained below freezing across major cities, with daily highs expected to stay low.

Heavy overnight snow disrupts Seoul commute, with advisories issued. More snow forecast for eastern and southern regions of South Korea.

Seoul, Feb 2 Heavy snow blanketed South Korea overnight Monday, disrupting the morning commute, with snowfall forecast to continue in eastern and southern parts of the country, the weather agency said.

A heavy snow advisory was lifted for Seoul at 4 a.m. (local time), but city officials mobilised snow removal trucks throughout the early morning to spread deicing agents and minimise inconveniences to commuters.

The city issued a mobile alert at 6 a.m. to warn of slippery roads due to the overnight snow and advise commuters to use public transportation, reports Yonhap news agency.

Some parts of the wider capital area are expected to see light snow of less than 0.1 centimetre in the morning, while other parts of the nation will see more snowfall, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

The eastern islands of Ulleung and Dokdo are forecast to receive 5-10 cm of snow, while parts of the southwestern provinces of South and North Jeolla will see snowfall of 3-8 cm.

Meanwhile, the eastern province of Gangwon, the central city of Daejeon, and parts of the southeastern provinces of South and North Gyeongsang are expected to see 2-7 cm of snow.

Most parts of the nation will see cloudy skies before clearing up later in the day.

As of 5 a.m., the temperature stood at minus 2.4 degrees Celsius in Seoul, minus 3.7 degrees Celsius in the western port city of Incheon, minus 3.3 degrees Celsius in the southwestern city of Gwangju and minus 5.9 degrees Celsius in the southeastern city of Daegu.

Daily highs are expected to reach minus 1 to plus 6 degrees Celsius.

- IANS
The government has significantly increased the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on futures and options trades in the Union Budget 2026. Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastav stated the hike aims to boost tax revenue and curb speculative trading, noting F&O transaction volume is over 500 times India's GDP. He also detailed the upcoming new Income Tax Act 2025, which will introduce simpler, tech-savvy forms from April 1, 2026. Other budget measures include rationalising TDS/TCS, simplifying buyback taxation, and offering tax incentives for companies using data centres in India.

Revenue Secretary explains STT hike on futures & options aims to curb speculation and boost tax revenue. Details on new Income Tax Act 2025.

New Delhi, February 1 The hike announced in the Securities Transaction Tax during the Union Budget 2026 is only on futures and options trades, and the aim is to increase the tax revenue as well as put a curb on speculative trading options, Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastav said on Sunday.

The government has proposed a significant hike in STT on futures and options trades. For futures contracts, STT has been increased from 0.02 per cent to 0.05 per cent. For options, STT on the premium has been raised from 0.1 per cent to 0.15 per cent, while STT on the exercise of options has also been increased to 0.15 per cent.

Earlier in the day, the Income Tax Department issued a clarification on the hike in STT on futures and options trades and said, "Except futures and options (F&O), STT rates remain same for others."

It said the total volume of transaction in options and futures is more than 500 times of Indian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and there was a justification to curb speculation.

"In Rupee terms, our GDP is 300 lakh crore rupees, while the volume for options and futures is more than 1.5 lakh lakh crore rupees. Therefore, there is justification for increase in rates to curb purely speculative activity in options and futures," the Income Tax Department said in a post on social media platform X.

Talking about the new Income Tax Act, 2025 which is slated to come into effect from 1st April 2026, the Revenue Secretary said, "After April 1, new rules and forms will be notified. For the taxpayer, Income Tax form is very crucial. The department aims at rolling out simple and technology savvy forms. We want those forms to be in public soon so that they can get familiar with it before April 1."

On the rationalisation of Tax Collected at Source (TCS) and Tax Deducted at Source (TDS), the Revenue Secretary said their primary objective is to act as a tax marker and encourage return filing.

"When a person's TCS or TDS is deducted, they get credit in their tax return. Wherever TCS and TDS were found unnecessary, they have been rationalised," he said.

On buyback taxation, the Revenue Secretary said the government has maintained the status quo on additional buyback tax for promoters, while simplifying the overall buyback framework.

"Buybacks are often used by companies for restructuring, and the system has now been simplified to reduce compliance burden," he said.

Addressing disclosure of foreign assets, he said the government is working to encourage voluntary compliance.

"Taxpayers with small foreign income can declare it by paying applicable tax and interest, without facing harsh penalties or prosecution. Earlier, severe penalties acted as a deterrent. We are moving towards a more facilitative regime," he said, citing last year's exemption from prosecution for certain bank balance disclosures.

On customs duty cuts, the Secretary said the objective is to promote domestic manufacturing. "The Budget focused on reducing duties on key commodities, which will help manufacturing and boost exports," he said.

Clarifying the tax holiday announced in the Budget for data centres, the Revenue Secretary said the benefit is aimed at companies using data centres rather than data centre operators themselves.

"Global cloud service providers require large data centres. If such data centres are set up in India, tax incentives are being provided to attract investment," he said.

- ANI
Jackie Shroff celebrated his 69th birthday at the Mumbai home of filmmaker Subhash Ghai, hosted by Ghai's wife Mukta. The intimate gathering was attended by close friends including Salman Khan, Ronit Roy, Meenakshi Seshadri, and Poonam Dhillon. In separate news, Subhash Ghai reflected on his inspiring Republic Day meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He praised her humility and life journey, suggesting it would make an inspiring film subject.

Jackie Shroff celebrated his 69th birthday at Subhash Ghai's home with Salman Khan, Ronit Roy, Meenakshi Seshadri, and Poonam Dhillon in attendance.

Mumbai, Feb 2 Actor Jackie Shroff celebrated his 69th birthday in an intimate, star-studded evening at the residence of filmmaker Subhash Ghai, hosted by his wife Mukta Ghai. Subhash Ghai expressed his pride in his wife for graciously inviting the veteran actor's close friends, including Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, for a warm and cozy cake-cutting celebration.

Ghai took to Instagram, where he shared a picture featuring him along with Jackie, Ronit Roy, Rumi Jaffery, Poonam Dhillon and Meenakshi Seshadri.

Ghai wrote as the caption: "Proud of my wife Mrs ghai who was gracious to invite jackie s close friends at home on cake cutting last night to celebrate happy birthday of our beloved Jackie shroff. Great small evening of friends, which was graced by our Ronit Roy Meenakshi, Sheshadri, Poonam Dhillon, rumy jafry and special appearance of Salman Khan n friends... Thank you all for making Jackie and us happy at home."

In other news, Ghai talked about his meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national capital and described it as an inspiring experience that made him reflect on her life journey.

Taking to Instagram, the 81-year-old filmmaker shared that interacting with the President made him look closely at her story and the path she has travelled to reach the highest constitutional office of the country.

He also shared a picture greeting the President.

"Meeting Hon. President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Republic Day was an inspiring moment for me to look into her story n journey of her life till date (sic)," he wrote as the caption.

He praised President Murmu's simplicity, humility and depth, calling her a source of inspiration for creative minds across the country.

"One of the most simple humble n deep lady does inspire every good writer to make a movie on her journey to inspire every child of India that you can achieve this (sic)."

- IANS
The United Arab Emirates has officially reopened the comprehensively renovated Sheikh Zayed Child Care Complex in Istanbul. The project, implemented under the supervision of UAE leaders, underscores the nation's commitment to the humanitarian legacy of its founding father. The opening ceremony was attended by Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan and senior officials from both countries. The complex now features upgraded facilities designed to provide a nurturing, family-like environment for children's development.

The UAE reopens the renovated Sheikh Zayed Child Care Complex in Istanbul, a humanitarian project reflecting Emirati-Turkish cooperation and a legacy of Sheikh Zayed.

Istanbul, February 2 The United Arab Emirates has officially opened the Sheikh Zayed Child Care Complex in Istanbul following its comprehensive renovation, reaffirming the UAE's enduring humanitarian approach inspired by the late founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The reopening was made possible due to the continued support and guidance of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the support of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.

The project was implemented under the supervision of Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Erth Zayed Philanthropies.

The opening ceremony was attended by the wife of the President of the Republic of Turkiye Emine Erdogan, First Lady of Turkiye; Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State; Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas, Minister of Family and Social Services of Turkiye; Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, Director-General of Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; and Hasan Basri, Director-General of Child Services at the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Services, along with senior officials from both countries.

The complex was rebuilt by the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, an affiliate of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, as part of the UAE's international humanitarian and development initiatives.

Al Shamsi affirmed that the UAE continues to advance the deeply rooted humanitarian legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and to implement the vision of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which places people--wherever they may be--at the heart of development.

She emphasised that investing in children by providing safe, healthy, and nurturing environments is fundamental to building prosperous societies and empowering future leaders.

She also affirmed that Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (Mother of the Nation), Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, closely followed the completion of the project and placed great emphasis on the integration of all essential services within the complex. These services will provide children with an appropriate level of psychological, health, and educational care.

She further noted that Sheikha Fatima is keen to ensure the provision of a family-like environment characterised by love and harmony, which will support the development of children's personalities and prepare them to become responsible individuals in the service of the community.

The First Lady Emine Erdogan expressed her gratitude to the UAE and its distinguished partnership with the Republic of Turkiye, within a framework of cooperation, love, and friendship. She praised the efforts of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak for her dedication to the protection and care of children.

She also stated that "Sheikha Fatima is present with us today in her heart and emotions" at the inauguration of the Sheikh Zayed Childcare Complex after its rehabilitation.

Mahinur Goktas expressed her appreciation to the UAE for its leading global humanitarian and development role, noting that the redevelopment of the Sheikh Zayed Child Care Complex reflects the strength of Emirati-Turkish cooperation in social development and embodies a shared vision to enhance family and child services in line with international best practices.

Al Falahi expressed his pride in the completion of the vital project within a record timeframe, highlighting the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation's commitment to implementing humanitarian and development initiatives according to the highest professional standards, in alignment with the UAE's vision to support communities and empower families and children worldwide.

The redevelopment project included maintenance works for 12 children's buildings, a healthcare facility, and a central kitchen, as well as demolition and reconstruction works. A total of nine buildings were demolished, and 12 new buildings, a main entrance gate, and a healthcare building were constructed.

The total capacity of the complex now accommodates approximately 700 children, in addition to the rehabilitation of outdoor green spaces.

The Sheikh Zayed Child Care Complex was originally inaugurated in 1990 as a safe and nurturing environment for children in need of healthcare, educational, and social support.

- ANI
The United Arab Emirates has signed a cooperation agreement with the UN World Food Programme, providing a $20 million grant to accelerate emergency food assistance in Sudan. The aid targets populations affected by the conflict, including displaced people within Sudan and in neighboring host countries like Chad and South Sudan. UAE officials emphasized the shared international responsibility to address famine risks and deliver life-saving assistance. This contribution is part of the UAE's broader commitment, having provided over $4.24 billion in assistance to Sudan in the past decade.

The UAE signs a $20M agreement with the UN World Food Programme to deliver urgent food assistance to conflict-affected populations in Sudan and neighboring countries.

Abu Dhabi, February 2 The United Arab Emirates continues its leading global role in supporting humanitarian response efforts in Sudan through the signing of a cooperation agreement between the UAE Aid Agency and the United Nations World Food Programme.

Under the agreement, the UAE will provide a grant of US$20 million to help accelerate emergency response efforts in Sudan by delivering food assistance to populations affected by the conflict and addressing urgent food security needs of vulnerable groups, including displaced people in host communities.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Dr. Tareq Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of UAE Aid Agency, by Rashid Salem Al Shamsi, Executive Director of Logistics Support at the Agency, and Bashar Al Hammami, Head of the WFP Partnership Office in the UAE, representing the United Nations World Food Programme.

Dr. Tareq Ahmed Al Ameri affirmed the UAE's continued commitment to its global humanitarian leadership in providing urgent relief to alleviate the suffering caused by the conflict in Sudan. He emphasised the importance of meeting essential food needs for displaced populations within Sudan as well as in neighboring host countries, including Chad, South Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia.

He further highlighted the shared international and moral responsibility to address challenges in famine-affected and high-risk areas, underscoring the necessity of delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance in crises situations.

Bashar Al Hammami, Head of the WFP Partnership Office in the UAE, stated, "The United Nations World Food Programme expresses its profound gratitude and appreciation to the Government of the United Arab Emirates for its generous contribution of US$20 million, which will support WFP's life-saving operations in Sudan. This significant contribution will enable us to reach millions of people facing acute hunger and daily hardship, and will have a tangible, life-saving impact on the lives of vulnerable families."

The UAE continues its sustained humanitarian support for the Sudanese people, in line with its firm and longstanding commitment to addressing the ongoing catastrophic crisis in Sudan. Over the past decade (2015-2025), the UAE has provided US$4.24 billion in assistance to Sudan, including US$784 million in humanitarian aid since the outbreak of the civil war (2023-2025).

The UAE also underscores the importance of collective action with regional and international partners and reiterates the need for a humanitarian ceasefire to ensure the protection of civilians and facilitate safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid, contributing to stability and peace for the brotherly Sudanese people.

- ANI
The Union Budget 2026 places a strong emphasis on strengthening the Ayush sector as a core component of India's integrative healthcare vision. Key announcements include establishing new Ayurveda institutes, upgrading drug testing facilities, and enhancing the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre. The budget also integrates Ayush into medical tourism hubs and plans to train 1.5 lakh caregivers in yoga and wellness skills. Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav hailed the measures as a transformative step to institutionalize traditional medicine within the national health strategy.

Union Budget 2026 prioritizes Ayush with new institutes, research upgrades, and skills training, aiming to make traditional medicine integral to national healthcare.

New Delhi, February 2 Budget 2026 Puts Ayush at the Heart of India's Integrative Healthcare Vision. Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, stated that the latest budget announcements significantly strengthen the traditional medicine ecosystem.

According to an AYUSH ministry statement, the government plans to establish three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda (AIIAs) to expand undergraduate and postgraduate education alongside advanced research and tertiary care.

The Union Minister expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for what he described as a transformative boost to traditional systems of medicine. Jadhav termed the measures "visionary and future-oriented." He stated that the initiatives reflect the government's commitment to building a globally competitive healthcare system where Ayush serves as a "vital pillar of integrative health."

In her Budget Speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman outlined a series of programs focused on research, quality assurance, and medical value tourism. The Ayush statement indicates that the budget proposes the upgradation of Ayush pharmacies and drug testing laboratories. This move aims to improve product quality and export readiness while providing support to farmers and small businesses involved in medicinal plant cultivation and manufacturing.

The budget also includes the upgradation of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre at Jamnagar. This development seeks to deepen international research collaboration and position India as a global knowledge hub. Additionally, Ayush Centres will be integrated into five proposed Regional Medical Value Tourism Hubs. These destinations will combine traditional therapies with advanced medical treatments to generate employment for practitioners, yoga trainers, and therapists.

Mainstreaming Ayush skills is another priority mentioned in the fiscal plan. The government intends to include yoga and wellness competencies within caregiver training programs aligned with the National Skills Qualifications Framework. This initiative targets the training of 1.5 lakh caregivers in the coming year to strengthen preventive and geriatric care services.

Reflecting on the progress made over the last decade, Jadhav said the budget marks a move from expansion to consolidation. He noted that traditional medicine is now viewed as a fundamental part of the national health strategy.

"It marks a defining moment where traditional medicine is not seen as complementary, but as integral to India's healthcare future," the Minister stated. He added that the budget signals a decisive step toward "institutionalising integrative healthcare" for a self-reliant nation.

- ANI
The Union Budget 2026-27 has introduced major initiatives to transform India's pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. ICMR Director General Rajiv Bahl highlighted a significant 24% increase in funding for the Department of Health Research. Key measures include the new 'Bio-Pharma Shakti' scheme and a plan to establish 1000 clinical trial sites across the country. Union Minister JP Nadda also praised the budget's visionary focus, including making healthcare more affordable.

ICMR DG hails Budget 2026's focus on pharma, with a 24% rise in health research funds, 1000 new clinical trial sites, and the 'Bio-Pharma Shakti' scheme.

By Shalini Bhardwaj, New Delhi, February 2 Speaking on the Union Budget 2026-27, Indian Council of Medical Research Director General Rajiv Bahl noted that the government has initiated a significant push to transform the country's pharmaceutical landscape by addressing regulatory gaps and enhancing research infrastructure. Speaking toon Sunday, Bahl said, "A big step has been taken to overcome the shortcomings in the regulator in the pharma sector."

Bahl said that the Budget particularly focuses on innovation and research in the pharmaceutical sector, healthcare, and drug manufacturing, all of which are critical.

"The allocation for the Department of Health Research has increased from Rs 3,900 crore to over Rs 4,820 crore, a 24% increase. The 'Bio-Pharma Shakti' announced in the Budget will be very important in taking forward the dream of Viksit Bharat. This scheme aims to further develop the country's biopharma sector. A big step has been taken to overcome the shortcomings in the regulator in the pharma sector."

Bahl added that ICMR, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), and the Department of Pharmaceuticals will contribute towards the transformation and revolution in biopharma.

Another major initiative involves the expansion of clinical research capabilities across the country. "Another big step taken is to establish 1000 clinical trial sites in the country under the Indian Council of Medical Research," he said.

This network is expected to strengthen the ecosystem for testing and developing new medical treatments domestically.

Bhal highlighted that the ICMR, CDSCO and Department of Pharmaceuticals will contribute to India's push in transforming the biopharma sector. "ICMR, CDSCO and the Department of Pharmaceuticals will contribute towards the transformation and revolution in biopharma. Medicines for cancer treatment have been exempted from customs duty," Bahl noted.

Union Minister JP Nadda on Sunday called the Union Budget 2026-27 "visionary," underlining that it has a special focus on mental health and combating mental illness. The provisions made in sectors such as healthcare, services, manufacturing, semiconductors, textiles, pharma, digital governance, education, and skill development will strengthen India's global competitiveness and help achieve the goal of "Developed India 2047."

The Union Minister stressed that the centre is committed to making the healthcare sector more affordable, highlighting that over Rs 1.5 lakh crore of funding has been allocated towards the healthcare sector, which is at least 9 per cent more than the previous year.

- ANI
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya hailed the Union Budget 2026 as a milestone dedicated to women, farmers, and youth that will make India a developed nation by 2047. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasized the budget's focus on common people and its women-centric initiatives, including hostel development. He highlighted the massive allocation of over 12 lakh crore for capital expenditure and infrastructure, such as seven rail corridors. Both leaders credited the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a budget that covers wide-ranging sectors to improve citizens' lives and boost the economy.

UP Deputy CM Maurya and CM Yogi hail Union Budget 2026 as a women, farmer, and youth-centric roadmap to make India a developed nation by 2047.

Kaushambi, February 1 Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday said the Union Budget 2026 would play a crucial role in making India a developed nation by 2047, describing it as a milestone budget dedicated to women, farmers and youth.

Reacting to the budget, Maurya said, "This budget is one that will make India a developed India by 2047. This is a budget dedicated to women, farmers, and youth."

He added, "Today's budget will prove to be a milestone for a developed India. The government of the country has consistently delivered the best possible results."

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Union Budget 2026 focuses on the common people and is women-centric, while laying out a roadmap to achieve the mission of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Addressing a press conference, CM Yogi said, "The world's largest democracy has further laid out a 'Viksit Bharat' roadmap and presented the Union budget today. I thank PM Modi for his leadership and supervision of the budget guidelines. I also thank Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting this budget."

Highlighting infrastructure allocations, he said, "This budget reflects the aspirations of 145 crore people in the country and their hopes. It embodies the vision and mission of 'Viksit Bharat'. Over Rs 12 lakh crore has been provisioned for capital expenditure towards infrastructure development, including provisions for seven rail corridors."

The Chief Minister further said the budget covers a wide range of sectors and reforms aimed at improving citizens' lives.

"The budget is focused on the working women, primarily towards the development of hostels, along with the development of hostels for math, science, statistics, and emerging technology sectors. It will boost the infrastructure for the youth of the country," Yogi said.

He added, "It will also ensure that there are opportunities for youth in every sector. Alongside this, it covers a wide range of sectors and reforms that will improve the lives of ordinary citizens. It will take the Indian economy to new heights."

Earlier in the day, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in the Lok Sabha, marking her ninth consecutive budget presentation.

- ANI
The Union Budget 2026 has significantly increased the healthcare allocation by 18% to over Rs 1.04 lakh crore. A key highlight is the Rs 10,000 crore Biopharma Shakti initiative aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing of biologics and biosimilars. The budget also proposes establishing five regional integrated healthcare hubs to promote medical tourism and strengthen regional care. Experts have praised the focus on cancer care, diagnostics, and training for allied health professionals as forward-looking steps.

Union Budget 2026 raises health outlay to Rs 1.04 lakh crore, launches Rs 10,000 crore Biopharma Shakti initiative and 5 regional healthcare hubs.

New Delhi, February 2 The Union health budget for 2026 has been raised to Rs 1,04,599 crore, 18 per cent higher than last year.

According to Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, Managing Director & CEO, Fortis Healthcare, "The Union Budget 2026 sends a strong and timely signal that healthcare is central to India's growth and resilience. The Rs 10,000-crore Biopharma Shakti initiative, with its expanded network of NIPER institutes, 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites, and strengthened regulatory framework, will build a robust ecosystem for domestic biologics and biosimilars. The expansion of medical education and focus on strengthening cancer care at the district level reflect a forward-looking approach to India's evolving disease burden. The Budget's recognition of rising challenges such as obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, lifestyle disorders, and mental health calls for greater emphasis on prevention, early diagnosis, and integrated care models."

"Exemption of import duties on key cancer and rare disease medicines will significantly improve patient access and reduce treatment costs. Meanwhile, the proposed five regional healthcare hubs, which will combine clinical, educational, and research facilities, are expected to strengthen regional care delivery and innovation," he said

Dr Harsh Mahajan, FICCI Mentor & Founder of Mahajan Imaging & Labs, said that the initiatives signal a strong and forward-looking direction for India's healthcare ecosystem.

He said, "The Union Budget's initiatives signal a strong and forward-looking direction for India's healthcare ecosystem, and there is clear relevance for diagnostic service providers. The push for Biopharma Shakti with a Rs 10,000 crore allocation over five years to boost domestic manufacturing of biologics and biosimilars underscores the government's intent to strengthen advanced treatment availability in India. This will not only help patients access critical therapies but also increase demand for high-quality diagnostics to guide and monitor those treatments."

He also said that advanced diagnostics, research and rehabilitation facilities will strengthen collaborations with hospitals, "In addition, the Budget's plan to establish five regional medical tourism and integrated healthcare hubs in partnership with the private sector, featuring advanced diagnostics, research and rehabilitation facilities, provides new opportunities for labs to expand services and strengthen collaborations with hospitals and care centres."

"The government's focus on allied health professionals is a major step toward strengthening our healthcare workforce. Training 1 lakh AHPs and 1.5 lakh caregivers will address critical gaps in allied and geriatric care. Coupled with initiatives in medical tourism and Ayurveda, this sets the stage for India to become a global hub for comprehensive healthcare," said Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Healthcare.

"The government's plan to set up five regional medical tourism hubs in partnership with the private sector is a game-changer for India's healthcare sector. With dedicated AYUSH centres integrated into these hubs, the initiative will promote holistic care while attracting international patients. Such measures not only strengthen India's position as a global destination for high-quality healthcare but also contribute to the vision of a Viksit Bharat by boosting healthcare infrastructure and medical excellence nationwide," he said

On Ayush and post-rehabilitation and medical tourism, Abhay Soi, Chairman and Managing Director, Max Healthcare, said, "The proposal to establish regional medical hubs is a timely and strategic step towards positioning India as a global destination for medical value travel. By integrating clinical care, education, research, AYUSH, and post-treatment rehabilitation, this initiative addresses the entire continuum of care that international and domestic patients increasingly seek. India is uniquely positioned to emerge as a global leader in medical tourism, backed by world-class medical infrastructure, highly skilled and internationally trained doctors, and a strong cost advantage that delivers high-quality care at a fraction of global prices."

"Public-private partnerships will be critical to the success of these hubs, and the healthcare industry is well placed to contribute clinical expertise, technology, and operational excellence. Beyond strengthening India's medical tourism ecosystem, this initiative will also create significant employment opportunities for doctors and allied health professionals, while accelerating innovation and skill development in the healthcare sector. We look forward to collaborating with the Government to help translate this vision into world-class healthcare infrastructure," he explained.

Amit Mookim, Board of Director and CEO of Immuneel Therapeutics and Member of NATHEALTH, said, "The Union Budget 2026-27 reflects a crucial inflection point in India's biopharma track. The exemption on essential cancer drugs and the inclusion of seven rare diseases for personal import ease patient access today, and the 10,000 crore Biopharma Shakti programme helps build domestic capacity moving forward. Both of these initiatives indicate a focus on affordability as well as long-term capacity buildup. With Biopharma Shakti's focus on biologics and biosimilars, the expansion of NIPERs and the strengthening of CDSCO build a strong platform for advanced platforms with the likes of cell and gene therapies, accelerating innovation pipelines and clinical translation. From my experiences with advanced cancer therapies in India, I believe that the focus of the government on training of allied health practitioners and caregivers is as vital for safely and ethically delivering high-performing, complex, care-intensive medicines at scale."

"Regional medical hubs in relation to medical-value tourism also establish India as a preferred advanced care destination. Over the next five years, long-term policy clarity, workforce readiness, and manufacturing scale can take India beyond small-molecule dominance and drive equitable healthcare access by 2030 and put the country strongly on its track towards Viksit Bharat 2047. Scaling manufacturing, supported by regulatory clarity and clinical readiness, is how India can establish defensible leadership in the global biopharma space," he further said.

According to Dr Ajay Swaroop, Chairman of the Board of Management of Sir Gangaram Hospital, "India, with its varied healthcare delivery system and technology which competes with the best in the world, is ideally placed for international medical tourism. And the decision to set up medical tourism centres or specialised centres - details will be known later. I think it is a very healthy one, and this will definitely help in promoting medical tourism to this country."

"Secondly, mental health is a burning topic. We have a very young and growing population in this country, and they have different types of stresses, and the incidence of mental problems is rapidly increasing due to the pressures and stresses of modern life. So, much more concerted effort in this regard is very welcome," he said.

Dr Prathap C Reddy, Founder and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, said, "The Union Budget 2026-27 sends a reassuring message that India's growth will be anchored in healthier citizens and stronger health systems. The continued focus on expanding public health capacity, strengthening prevention, and improving access across tier-2 and tier-3 India is consistent with the vision of Viksit Bharat."

"We welcome the emphasis to deepen India's life sciences and innovation ecosystem through Biopharma SHAKTI, including new and upgraded education and research institutions and a nationwide network of 1000 accredited clinical trial sites. These steps will accelerate the development of advanced therapies and reinforce India's position as a trusted global destination for healthcare and life sciences," he said.

"The focus on people is especially heartening. Adding 10,000 medical seats in the coming year, alongside training 1.5 lakh caregivers and scaling allied health disciplines, can strengthen the Prime Minister's vision of Heal in India, Heal by India. Supporting states to create five hubs for medical tourism will elevate quality standards across regions. We appreciate the reaffirmed commitment to mental health and trauma care through the proposal to establish NIMHANS-2, upgrade apex mental health institutions in Ranchi and Tezpur, and expand emergency and trauma care capacity by 50% in district hospitals through dedicated centres," he added.

- ANI
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed public concerns during the 'Janta Darshan' program in Lucknow. He personally interacted with a young girl, Anabi Ali, who sought admission to Loreto Convent School, and ordered officials to facilitate it. The girl's mother expressed gratitude and hope following the meeting with the Chief Minister. The program is a state government initiative for citizens to directly raise grievances with the CM.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath assures school admission to young girl Anabi Ali during public grievance hearing 'Janta Darshan' in Lucknow.

Lucknow, February 2 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday addressed public grievances during a 'Janta Darshan' programme in Lucknow and listened to citizens' concerns.

The Chief Minister held a heartwarming interaction with a young girl during the Janta Darshan programme in Lucknow. After the interaction, the Chief Minister ordered his officials to ensure that the child was admitted to school.

Anabi Ali, accompanied by her mother, Farah Musharaf, approached the Chief Minister seeking help for her admission to Loreto Convent School.

Speaking to ANI here, Anabi Ali shared her experience after meeting the Chief Minister, saying, "I met CM Yogi ji and requested him to get me admission in Loreto Convent school."

Farah Musharaf, Anabi Ali's mother, also expressed hope and gratitude following the interaction. "We had come to meet the CM to seek admission for my daughter in Loreto Convent School. She recited a poem before the CM. She is keen to go to school. We are assured that she will get admission in the school," she told ANI.

During the interaction, the Chief Minister reviewed written applications submitted by people and assured them of timely assistance and resolution. He also interacted warmly with children present at the venue, addressing their issues and encouraging them.

The Janta Darshan programme is an initiative of the Uttar Pradesh government through which citizens from across the state meet the Chief Minister to raise their grievances and requests directly.

- ANI
US Congressman Shri Thanedar has commenced his 2026 re-election campaign with a substantial $6.4 million cash advantage. He is framing his record around aggressive actions, including introducing articles of impeachment against former President Donald Trump and senior officials. His economic platform includes raising the top tax rate to 70% and exempting lower-income families from federal income tax. Thanedar also emphasizes delivering $25 million for local projects and serving thousands of constituents.

US Congressman Shri Thanedar begins 2026 re-election campaign with $6.4M cash on hand, highlighting impeachment efforts against Trump and economic agenda.

Washington, Feb 2 US Congressman Shri Thanedar has entered the 2026 election cycle with a strong financial position, reporting $6.4 million in cash on hand at the end of 2025, according to his year-end campaign finance filing released by his campaign.

The Detroit-area Democrat said the fundraising advantage would allow him to communicate his record to voters in Michigan's 13th Congressional District and highlight his legislative priorities ahead of the next election.

"This ensures Congressman Thanedar will have the resources to tell voters in the 13th District his record and how he is fighting for them," the campaign said in a statement announcing the filing.

Thanedar, who represents a district that includes Detroit and surrounding communities, framed his record around national security, immigration, and economic issues, while sharply criticising President Donald Trump and senior administration officials.

"Voters will know that I am leading the charge to protect our Democracy," Thanedar said. "I was the first to introduce seven articles of impeachment against President Trump, followed by impeachment efforts against Secretaries Hegseth and Noem."

Thanedar said he also targeted US immigration enforcement agencies through legislation. "I took on ICE by introducing legislation to end qualified immunity in 2025, and then introduced legislation to abolish ICE after the killings of citizens in Minnesota," he said.

On economic policy, Thanedar said his focus was on tax equity and federal investment in his district. "On the economic front, voters will know I'm fighting to make millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share by introducing legislation that raises the top tax rate to 70 per cent, eliminating the capital gains tax disparity, and proposing that families making $100,000 or less don't pay a single dime in federal income tax," he said.

He added that his office had delivered tangible results locally. "All while I brought in $25 million to projects across the district and while fighting against Trump's disastrous cuts to federal programs," Thanedar said.

The congressman also highlighted constituent services, saying, "My office has served over 3800 constituents as they faced issues with federal agencies."

"I'm confident that my constituents in the 13th District will select me again to represent them in Congress in 2026," he said.

Thanedar was first elected to Congress in 2022 after a successful career as an entrepreneur. He has often highlighted his upbringing in poverty and his focus on social justice, economic opportunity, and equality.

Michigan's 13th District, centered on Detroit, is among the state's most diverse and economically challenged areas, with federal funding and constituent services playing a key role in congressional campaigns.

- IANS
The Cuban Ambassador to India has sharply condemned a new US executive order that threatens tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, labeling the policy "criminal." He accused Washington of attempting to "suffocate" the Cuban economy and create difficulties for its population to force destabilization. Despite the escalation, the ambassador stated Cuba's preference for cooperation and respectful dialogue over confrontation, while vowing to appeal the sanctions in international forums. Concurrently, Cuba's foreign ministry rejected US security threat allegations, reaffirmed its anti-terrorism stance, and proposed renewed technical cooperation with the US.

Cuban Ambassador to India condemns new US sanctions targeting oil supply as a "criminal" act meant to suffocate Cuba's economy and destabilize its population.

By Sahil Pandey, New Delhi, February 2 Terming the United States' latest escalation of sanctions as "criminal," the Cuban Ambassador to India, Juan Carlos Marsan Aguilera, has asserted that Havana remains committed to cooperation rather than confrontation, despite what he described as Washington's attempts to "suffocate" the island nation.

The Ambassador's remarks follow a sharp spike in bilateral tensions after a US executive order was issued on January 29, 2026. The order declares a "national emergency" and threatens trade tariffs on third-party countries that supply oil to Cuba--a move the envoy characterised as a "back plan" to deprive the nation of essential resources and destabilise its quality of life.

Addressing the impact of the intensified blockade, Ambassador Aguilera stated that the primary objective of the US policy is to create a crisis for the Cuban population.

"It is a criminal [act] to impose to any country this policy of aggression and hostility to create many difficulties to our population. The idea is to suffocate the Cuban economy to create all these problems," the Ambassador told ANI.

He further emphasised that the Cuban people would not yield to external force. "If they think that through the imposition and through the force, they are going to surrender the Cuban population... they are mistaken. The Cuban population will continue supporting their right for self-determination, for independence and for sovereignty," he added.

Despite the escalating rhetoric from Washington, the Ambassador maintained that Cuba is prepared to engage in a "respectful and reciprocal dialogue." He rejected the doctrine of "peace through force," advocating instead for a diplomatic path.

"We would like not to go for confrontation. We would like to go for cooperation, trying to find solutions in benefits of both sides," Aguilera noted.

"We do believe that any international problems between states... should be solved through negotiation, through diplomacy, and not using force. It has been demonstrated that when we are able to cooperate, it goes in benefits of both people--the US and the Cubans."

In a concurrent statement, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) categorically rejected US claims that the island constitutes a security threat. The Ministry reaffirmed Cuba's "zero-tolerance" policy regarding the financing of terrorism and money laundering.

"Cuba unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations... Our country does not harbour, support, finance, or tolerate terrorist or extremist organisations," the statement read.

The Ministry further proposed a renewal of technical cooperation with the US in critical fields such as counter-terrorism, anti-money laundering, drug trafficking prevention, cybersecurity, human trafficking, and financial crimes. The statement emphasised that any prior contacts with individuals later designated as terrorists occurred exclusively within narrowly defined humanitarian contexts associated with internationally recognised peace processes and were carried out with complete transparency.

With the US now targeting international oil supply chains through "blackmail and coercion," Ambassador Aguilera confirmed that Cuba will mobilise support via global forums.

"Cuba is going to appeal to all the international organisations--the G77, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Security Council--in order to express our opinion against these new sanctions and these attempts to declare a back plan of oil supply to our country," the envoy said.

The Revolutionary Government concluded its statement by calling the US order a "flagrant violation of international law," asserting that Havana will face the attack with "firmness and equanimity," maintaining the slogan: "Homeland or Death, We Shall Overcome!"

- ANI
Telangana's Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has directed round-the-clock operations for the critical Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project. He emphasized that work must proceed with scientific precision and the highest safety standards, tolerating no delays or negligence. The minister announced the creation of a dedicated SLBC Division and ordered the engagement of an Independent Supervision Consultant. He also called for expedited rehabilitation of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages under the Kaleshwaram project, urging officials to proceed on a "war footing."

Telangana Irrigation Minister orders 24x7 work on SLBC tunnel, stresses safety and scientific methods for Kaleshwaram project rehabilitation.

Hyderabad, February 1 Emphasising round-the-clock operations on the SLBC tunnel project with a focused approach to safety protocol and immediate mobilisation and deployment of machinery, the Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, on Sunday made it clear that delays or negligence would not be tolerated.

He chaired a high-level review meeting on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project and rehabilitation of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).

The Aerial Electromagnetic (AEM) survey for the remaining section of the SLBC tunnel has been conducted in collaboration with NGRI, and the report was received. The results are encouraging, providing valuable geological data that will aid in assessing the required tunnel support systems and in identifying any potentially adverse geological zones in advance.

Reiterating the government's commitment to the timely completion of critical irrigation infrastructure, the Minister directed round-the-clock (24x7x365) operations on the SLBC tunnel and underscored that any delays or negligence would not be tolerated.

He instructed that the remaining tunnel works be executed using scientific methodologies based on advanced tunnelling techniques and observational methods, ensuring continuous monitoring and adherence to international best safety practices.

To strengthen project management, the Minister announced the creation of an exclusive SLBC Division, with orders to appoint a Chief Engineer (SLBC) to head the operations. He further directed engagement of an Independent Supervision Consultant (ISC) to assist the Chief Engineer in ensuring safety, quality, and design compliance throughout construction.

Dedicated planning teams will monitor daily and weekly progress, while tunnel safety supervisors from Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) will be deployed at the site. The Minister also ordered the establishment of specialised geotechnical and geological teams to perform daily assessments of ground behaviour and tunnel stability, enabling real-time decision-making and risk mitigation.

"The SLBC tunnel is a vital component of Telangana's irrigation framework. Work must proceed with speed, discipline, and scientific precision," he said, stressing that safety and quality will remain top priorities while ensuring timely completion.

Uttam Kumar Reddy called for close coordination among technical institutions and design consultants to expedite rehabilitation works on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme barrages.

He directed officials to ensure that testing schedules of the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) are closely aligned with the work of project designers, facilitating timely technical validation. This synchronisation, he said, will enable phased design approvals by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) under the Central Water Commission (CWC), allowing rehabilitation works to progress swiftly and efficiently.

The Minister instructed that a meeting with the NDSA expert committee be held after February 16, urging officials to prepare comprehensive technical proposals covering structural, hydraulic, and remedial aspects.

"Proceed on a war footing--finalise designs, secure phased approvals, and begin rehabilitation without delay. Safety and design integrity must not be compromised at any stage," Reddy emphasised.

- ANI
The Uttarakhand government has extended its 'Government at the Doorstep of Every Citizen' campaign until February 20, 2026, following Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's directives. The extension aims to cover all districts and address pending areas to ensure no citizen is deprived of its benefits. The campaign, active since December 2025, resolves public grievances on the spot across departments like Revenue, Health, and Police. District Magistrates have been instructed to submit schedules and conduct camps transparently to strengthen public trust.

Uttarakhand govt extends 'Government at Doorstep' campaign until Feb 20, 2026, to resolve citizen grievances across all districts.

Dehradun, February 1 Following the directions of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the State Government has taken an important decision to further strengthen, enhance, and expand public service delivery.

With the objective of ensuring prompt resolution of public grievances and bringing governance closer to the people, the duration of the campaign "Government at the Doorstep of Every Citizen" has been extended, according to a release by the Chief Minister's office.

As per the orders issued by the General Administration Department under the guidance of Chief Minister, the campaign will now be conducted across all districts of the state until February 20, 2026. Earlier, the campaign was scheduled to conclude on January 31, 2026, but in view of the positive public response and the large number of complaints and suggestions received and effectively resolved at the camps, it has been extended by 20 days.

According to the release, the people-centric vision of Chief Minister is reflected in these camps being organised across the state since 17 December 2025, where public grievances are being resolved on the spot. Complaints related to various departments such as Revenue, Social Welfare, Health, Education, Police, Urban Local Bodies, and others are being addressed promptly, providing relief to citizens.

The Chief Minister has directed that areas where camps could not be organised earlier under the campaign must be mandatorily covered during the extended period, ensuring that no citizen in the state is deprived of the benefits of this public service initiative.

Dhami stated that the State Government's priority is to take governance to the doorstep of the people. He emphasised that the "Government at the Doorstep of Every Citizen" campaign is not merely a program, but a bridge of trust between the government and the public. Resolving every citizen's problem is the government's responsibility, and the administration is working with full commitment towards this goal, the release stated.

As per the Chief Minister's instructions, all District Magistrates have been directed to submit the campaign's programme schedule to the General Administration Department at the earliest and to ensure the organisation of camps in accordance with prescribed norms, so that the campaign is conducted in a smooth, transparent, and effective manner.

Under the leadership of CM Dhami, this campaign is emerging as a strong example of the Uttarakhand Government's sensitive, accountable, and people-oriented governance, the release said.

The Chief Minister reiterated that the "Government at the Doorstep of Every Citizen" campaign symbolises the government's commitment to public service. Taking governance to the people's doorstep and resolving every citizen's issue remains the top priority of the State Government. It will be ensured that no region and no citizen of the state is left out of this campaign.

- ANI
The Delhi government has informed the Supreme Court that the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025, will not be implemented for the current 2025-26 academic year. The new law establishes a statutory framework to regulate fees and prevent arbitrary hikes by private unaided schools in the capital. Petitioners, including school managements, argued against retrospective application as fees for the year were finalized before the Act came into force. The Supreme Court noted the government's clarification and stated its concern was limited to the rushed implementation, directing petitioners to approach the High Court for broader challenges.

Delhi govt tells SC it won't implement new private school fee regulation law this academic year 2025-26, easing concerns over rushed rollout.

New Delhi, February 2 The Delhi government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that the new legal-framework provided under the Delhi School Education Act, 2025 which has been brought to regulate the fee and prevent arbitrary fee hikes by private schools in Delhi, will not implemented in this academic year - 2025-2026.

A bench led by Justice P.S. Narasimha noted the submission made by the Delhi government through Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju and stated that the Court's concern was only with respect to the rushed implementation of the said regime, which has now been clarified by the Delhi government.

However, it recorded that the Delhi government had taken a better course by clarifying that the Act would be implemented only from next year.

The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025, enacted in August 2025, lays down a statutory framework to regulate fees charged by private unaided schools in the national capital, with the aim of preventing arbitrary fee hikes.

The new legislation has introduced a two-tier approval process for any fee increase by private schools, requiring scrutiny first by a school-level committee and then by a district-level appellate body. It also mandates the formation of a School Level Fee Regulation Committee in every private school consisting of representatives of the school management, the principal, teachers, parents of children and a nominee of the Directorate of Education.

The petitioners argued that the Delhi government is seeking to apply the 2025 Act to the 2025-26 academic year if it succeeds in the case pending before the Delhi High Court on the dispute.

Petitioners represented by Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Shyam Diwan pointed out that school fees for the 2025-26 academic year had already been finalised in March-April 2025, while the Act came into force only in December 2025. Thus, it contended that the law could not be applied retrospectively to fees fixed under the earlier central legislation.

The Court, after considering the submissions on behalf of the petitioners, was of the view that the petitioners could challenge the Delhi government's stance before the High Court as the apex courts' intervention was limited to hurried implementation of the regulation.

Earlier, the apex court had questioned the Delhi government on the rushed implementation of the law while acknowledging that it was enacted for a good purpose.

- ANI
Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for securing a significant India-US trade deal. The agreement reduces tariffs on "Made in India" goods to 18%, opening a larger global marketplace. Sarma called it a milestone that will create new opportunities for Indian youth, farmers, and small businesses. Both Sarma and PM Modi highlighted the closer collaboration between the world's oldest and largest democracies under the leadership of Modi and US President Donald Trump.

Assam CM Hemanta Biswa Sarma applauds PM Modi for India-US trade agreement reducing tariffs on Made in India goods to 18%.

Guwahati, February 3 Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his statesmanship, crediting him for the India-US trade deal.

As per the trade deal, "Made in India" goods will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent, calling it a "significant milestone".

The CM took to X to express his delight over the announcement, applauding PM Modi on behalf of the people of Assam.

"On behalf of the people of Assam, we wholeheartedly applaud Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for his credible and globally respected statesmanship, which has elevated India's influence on the world stage. Today marks a significant milestone as Made in India products gain access to an even larger global marketplace, opening new opportunities for our youth, farmers, and MSMEs," he wrote on X.

"This agreement will be a force multiplier in creating new avenues of collaboration between people of both of our countries. Under the leadership of President @realDonaldTrump and PM Modi, the world's oldest and largest democracies are now working even closer to achieve global peace and prosperity," the post read.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" today and expressed delight that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent.

"Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister said that when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.

"President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," PM Modi said.

- ANI
Actress Zoya Afroz shared the whirlwind story of landing a role in Neeraj Pandey's crime thriller series 'Taskaree'. She received an urgent audition call while visiting her mother's hometown in Assam, over 3,000 km away. Afroz packed overnight and undertook a 16-hour journey to Mumbai, was approved quickly, and began shooting with just a three-day gap. She reflected that years of quiet preparation finally allowed her to seize this career-defining opportunity.

Actress Zoya Afroz recounts her 16-hour overnight trip from Assam for a Netflix audition, landing a key role in Neeraj Pandey's series 'Taskaree'.

Mumbai, Feb 2 Actress Zoya Afroz has shared an inspiring account of how years of quiet perseverance culminated in a career-defining opportunity, landing her a key role in filmmaker Neeraj Pandey's crime thriller television series "Taskaree".

Zoya took to Instagram, where she shared a string of images from the series' sets, which follows an Indian Customs Service team stationed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport as they combat an international smuggling syndicate.

She shared that she was visiting her mother's hometown in Assam after 12 years when the unexpected call came.

"Some opportunities arrive because you've earned the right to meet them. So, I was visiting my mom's hometown in Assam - After 12 years -which is 3,000 km away, four hours from the nearest airport-I had packed for a months long trip but it was just 2 days into the trip when I got a call to audition immediately," she wrote as the caption.

Zoya said that the moment she heard it was for Neeraj Pandey sir's Netflix series, everything changed. The show also stars Emraan Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Nandish Sandhu and Anurag Sinha.

Located nearly 3,000 kilometres away and several hours from the nearest airport, Zoya packed overnight and undertook a 16-hour journey to make it in time. The audition was followed by an approval soon after, turning the sudden trip into what she described as the moment she began "living her dream".

"I packed overnight, travelled 16 hours, tested, got approved-and suddenly, I was living my dream."

Sharing details of the intense schedule, Zoya said there was only a three-day gap between her audition and stepping onto the set. With no time to ease in, she found herself preparing and shooting simultaneously while carrying a powerful seven-episode character arc.

"There was just a three-day gap between my audition and being on set. I was preparing and shooting simultaneously, holding a seven-episode arc of a powerful character with no time to ease in. But sometimes, you work in silence for years-and when the moment arrives, that preparation speaks for itself," she said.

Reflecting on the experience, the actress said the phase reinforced her belief that years spent working in silence are never wasted, as they prepare an artist to rise to the occasion when the right moment arrives.

"I share this only to say-the years you spend working in silence are never wasted. You keep refining your craft, and when the moment finally comes, you're ready to meet it. Until then, you persist, you stay steady, and you don't give up. What stayed with me was the team's conviction-they truly moved mountains to make it happen. Grateful beyond words."

Zoya concluded: "Thank you @neerajpofficial - your belief means the world to me. Thank you @devendradeshpande31 @fridaystorytellers @raghavjairath for the sheer determination! You guys are the best."

- IANS
A new perspective highlights how the influenza D virus and a caninefeline recombinant coronavirus may be slipping past standard tests, exposing gaps in global surveillance at the humananimal interface.

Study: Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats from Influenza D and Canine Coronavirus HuPn-2018. Image credit: Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock.com

In a recent perspective review published in Emerging Infectious Diseases , researchers synthesized data from veterinary and human epidemiological studies to explain the current state of global preparedness against two newly recognized high-risk viral candidates, Influenza D virus ( IDV ) and Canine Coronavirus HuPn-2018 ( CCoV-HuPn-2018 ).

Review findings highlight that these viruses have already established a foothold in livestock (particularly IDV ) and that evidence of human exposure and possible infections is accumulating, especially in high-risk occupational groups. It suggests that routine diagnostics and surveillance systems do not currently account for these viruses, calling for the development of commercial diagnostic tests and targeted One Health surveillance at the humananimal interface to reduce the risk that public health officials will be caught off guard by another preventable epidemic.

Past pandemics expose blind spots in zoonotic virus detection

The H1N1 (swine flu) influenza pandemic in 2009 and the SARS-CoV-2 ( COVID-19 ) pandemic in 2019 exposed twenty-first-century humanity to the capacity of respiratory viruses to leap from animal reservoirs into humans, and their devastating global impacts.

A consequential increase in research targeting pathogen spillover has now revealed that these zoonotic pathogens often originate from two specific viral families, Orthomyxoviridae (influenza viruses) and Coronaviridae (coronaviruses).

While studies have made rapid progress in countering bacterial threats, current diagnostic ability to identify viral threats preemptively remains limited. Reports reveal that, typically, during zoonotic outbreaks, medical professionals are caught unaware, reacting only after a pathogen has caused large-scale disease and death.

Review examines two emerging respiratory viruses of concern

The current Perspective review draws on published virological, serological, and epidemiological studies to examine whether the global health community may be overlooking two emerging respiratory viruses that are showing signs of widespread animal circulation and possible adaptation to human hosts: Influenza D virus ( IDV ) and Canine Coronavirus HuPn-2018 ( CCoV-HuPn-2018 ).

The authors focus on evidence describing the ecological reach and transmission potential of the viruses of interest. Accordingly, the review discusses findings from:

Animal reservoirs, surveillance data from pigs, cattle, poultry, and wildlife (including deer and camels), to determine viral prevalence. Human serology studies measure antibody levels in high-risk populations, such as cattle workers in Florida and dairy workers in Colorado, to detect prior exposure. Clinical samples, genomic sequencing of nasopharyngeal swabs and other specimens from patients hospitalized with pneumonia in Malaysia, Vietnam, Haiti, and the United States ( US ). Laboratory models, experiments using ferrets and human airway epithelial cells to test the viruses ability to replicate and, in animal models, transmit through the air.

Animal and lab data point to overlooked transmission risks

This Perspective paper provides a cautious but forward-looking overview of the current state of viral research and surveillance preparedness for the viruses of interest, highlighting that signals of zoonotic exposure and infection may be more widespread than is currently captured by routine surveillance systems.

IDV was first identified in pigs in 2011 and is structurally similar to Influenza C but has a much broader host range. The review highlights that cattle are a massive reservoir for the virus, contributing to the billion-dollar bovine respiratory disease complex.

In a study of Florida cattle workers, over 97 % tested positive for neutralizing antibodies against IDV , compared to only 18 % in a control group, highlighting marked occupational exposure rather than confirmed clinical disease.

A 2023 study of dairy workers in Colorado found that 67 % of the 31 participants had molecular evidence of the virus in their noses over a five-day period, suggesting that transient, likely subclinical infections may occur frequently in this demographic.

Most alarmingly, recent research from China found that 73 % of 612 investigated participants showed serological evidence of infection. When considered alongside laboratory experiments showing that IDV can transmit via airborne droplets between ferrets and replicate efficiently in human airway epithelial cells, the authors argue that the virus may possess features compatible with human-to-human transmission, although direct evidence of sustained transmission in humans is still lacking.

CCoV-HuPn-2018 was identified as a novel recombinant chimera virus that harbors genes from canine and feline coronaviruses. Since its isolation from a child with pneumonia in Malaysia in 2021, it has been detected in multiple countries and regions, suggesting a potentially broad geographic distribution.

Surveillance studies in Hanoi, Vietnam, have detected the virus in 18 of 200 (9 %) patients hospitalized with pneumonia, highlighting the viruss possible association with respiratory disease rather than a confirmed causal role. Crucially, this virus is entirely missed by standard clinical respiratory panels, meaning these infections are likely being misdiagnosed or labeled as pneumonia of unknown origin.

Evolutionary and cell-culture studies further suggest that the virus can infect human cells independently of the standard aminopeptidase N receptor, raising concerns that it may be exploring alternative pathways for human cell entry.

Early detection urged before cryptic viruses spread further

The present Perspective paper concludes that IDV and CCoV-HuPn-2018 represent potentially important but still poorly characterized threats to public health. Their cryptic nature, where patients may be hospitalized with respiratory illness while standard diagnostic tests return negative results, suggests these viruses could be unrecognized contributors to a subset of pneumonia cases, although the overall burden of disease remains unknown.

Consequently, the paper calls for the immediate development of commercial real-time reverse transcription PCR ( RT-PCR ) tests specifically targeting these pathogens. Furthermore, it advocates for a shift toward panspecies diagnostics and the strategic, targeted use of agnostic next-generation sequencing, specifically focused on the humananimal nexus (e.g., farms and markets) where spillover risk is highest.

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Technology created at The University of Queensland could improve the odds of surviving brain cancer and change how we treat a range of neurological conditions.

Image Credit: The University of Queensland

Dr Richard Lobb and Dr Zhen Zhang from UQs Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have opened a window to the brain with a new diagnostic device that can tell how deadly brain tumours respond to treatment from a simple blood test.

The new device, called a Phenotype Analyzer Chip, was developed in the laboratory of ARC Laureate Professor Matt Trau and reads tiny biological particles in a patients bloodstream to get fast and accurate information on glioblastoma.

Dr Lobb said Glioblastoma was the most common form of brain cancer in Australia and is considered particularly deadly because of its delicate location, aggressive growth and limitations in accurate therapeutic monitoring.

There has been very little success so far in clinical trials for new and experimental glioblastoma treatments, Dr Lobb said.

Thats partly because there is no way to tell if a therapy is working precisely as it should at that moment without drilling into someones head.

Dr Zhang said the Phenotype Analyzer Chip works by examining small samples of blood and capturing messenger cells known as extracellular vesicles that originate from glioblastoma tumour tissue.

These particles cross the blood brain barrier laden with information on the disease, and with our hypersensitive device we can pick them up and interrogate them, Dr Zhang said.

It's a completely new and non-invasive way of getting information on the brain." Dr Zhen Zhang, UQs Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology

The device has been validated in more than 40 brain cancer patients and the Trau lab is now engaging with translational partners to implement the technology into clinical trials.

Professor Trau said glioblastoma patients usually had to wait until the later stages of the disease to check the therapeutic progress via MRI imaging.

But by then it is often too late to pivot if these experimental therapies arent working as hoped, he said.

What were doing is getting clear, precise information on the disease as early as possible so we can better inform treatment pathways.

The Phenotype Analyzer Chip was developed in collaboration with researchers from the Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research at the University of Newcastle using patient samples from the MHF Brain Cancer Biobank and with funding from the Mark Hughes Foundation.

University of Newcastle Professor Mike Fay, Director of the Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research, said the technology would be particularly useful for regional patients who are usually forced to travel to metro areas for advanced medical treatment.

Were really proud to partner with the team at UQ and to have contributed funding and clinical material to this important project, Professor Fay said.

A blood test for brain cancer will be a game-changer for patients, particularly those living in regional and remote areas.

Technology could be tweaked for other neurological conditions

As well as monitoring brain cancers, Dr Lobb said the new chip also had the potential to unlock therapies for neurological disorders such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Motor neurone disease (MND), and depression.

The hypersensitivity of the device, enabled through unique bionanotechnology innovations specifically developed in the Trau lab, makes it an ideal platform technology that could be tweaked to monitor other neurological disorders associated with inflammatory processes.

In previous work weve shown it is possible to assess the impact of neuroinflammation triggered by traumatic brain injuries by reading brain-specific biomarkers, Dr Lobb said.

If we can capture and analyse the right extracellular vesicles in a patients blood, we can get new information about the onset and mechanism of progression of a wide range of brain diseases.

Glioblastoma really is just the beginning for this technology,"

The research is published in Science Advances.
Chicago, IL  January 26, 2026 Sino Biological US, Inc., a global leader in recombinant proteins, antibodies, and CRO services, will be featured on Inside Business Today, hosted by Bill Rancic and Giuliana Rancic. The segment, titled Pioneering Life Sciences with High-Quality Bioreagents, explores how Sino Biological is advancing biomedical research and drug discovery worldwide. The feature airs on Fox Business Network.

During the in-studio interview, Dr. Rob Burgess, Chief Business Officer, discusses how Sino Biologicals commitment to consistency, reliability, and scientific excellence has positioned the company as a trusted partner for researchers across academia, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical development.

Founded in 2007 by Dr. Liangzhi Xie - whose vision was influenced by his work with the late Dr. Daniel Wang at MIT - Sino Biological was created to solve a critical problem in life sciences research: inconsistent and low-quality reagents that hinder progress and compromise results. From its inception, the company set out to become a dependable, end-to-end resource for researchers tackling the worlds most complex biological challenges.

Today, Sino Biological offers a catalog of more than 8,000 recombinant proteins and 14,000 antibodies, including its industry-leading ProVir viral antigen bank, supporting research in infectious diseases, oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and beyond. The companys proprietary HPLC-based quality verification and ISO-certified facilities ensure lot-to-lot consistency - earning trust from scientists in more than 90 countries.

A key focus of the segment is Sino Biologicals ProPure line of ultra-pure, endotoxin-free recombinant proteins, produced at its state-of-the-art Houston Center for Bioprocessing. Designed specifically to support cell and gene therapy research, ProPure products meet the rigorous demands of translational science and advanced therapeutic development.

Viewers will also learn how Sino Biologicals acquisition of SignalChem Biotech in Canada expanded its offerings to include high-quality active enzymes - further strengthening its position as a one-stop shop for life sciences research.

Dr. Burgess brings more than 30 years of biotechnology leadership, including senior roles at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals and Stem Cell Sciences, helping guide Sino Biologicals mission to deliver reliable, scalable solutions for global research teams. Under his leadership, the company continues to invest in innovative platforms such as cell-free expression systems and SwiftStain pH-sensitive antibody dyes - tools designed to accelerate discovery and improve experimental precision.

With a workforce of more than 1,000 research staff worldwide, Sino Biological maintains a startup-driven culture focused on speed, scientific rigor, and responsiveness to global health challenges. Its expansion in North America, highlighted by the transformation of its Houston facility, reflects a long-term commitment to supporting U.S.-based research and biomanufacturing.

Sino Biological plays a vital role in advancing global health by giving scientists the tools they need to innovate with confidence, said Bill and Giuliana Rancic. Their dedication to quality and reliability truly sets them apart in the life sciences industry.

Were proud to feature Sino Biological on Inside Business Today, said Gila Stern, Vice President of Production. Their work behind the scenes is instrumental to breakthroughs in medicine, diagnostics, and vaccine development worldwide.
A new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has identified clear occupational factors and demographic indicators associated with elevated serum levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances among U.S. career firefighters.

This research from University of Arizona and Arizona State University researchers, based on data from the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study, provides vital insights into the factors that influence PFAS body burdens in this essential workforce. Understanding the predictors of PFAS accumulation is a critical step toward protecting their long-term health.

PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals widely used for their water-, grease- and stain-resistant properties. Known as "forever chemicals" due to their persistence in the environment and human body, PFAS have been linked to adverse health outcomes, including immune dysfunction, certain cancers and endocrine disruption. Firefighters have higher serum PFAS levels than other workers and the general public due to on-the-job circumstances, often in high-risk environments, that expose them to a variety of hazardous substances.

The study shows that fireground practices and departmental protocols significantly influenced PFAS levels, with certain routines related to handling contaminated equipment and personal protective gear associated with higher blood serum concentrations. Demographics and lifestyle characteristics, such as years of service, rank or role within the fire service, and personal behaviors, also predicted PFAS levels. These findings highlight that both workplace and personal factors contribute to overall chemical exposure. This evidence suggests that modifications in decontamination procedures, gear storage practices and routine operational policies may reduce exposure to PFAS among firefighters.

Public health doctoral student Reagan Conner, the lead author on the study, worked closely with a team of researchers from the Center for Firefighter Health Collaborative Research at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

These study findings underscore the importance of occupational practices in shaping PFAS exposure among firefighters. By identifying predictors, the fire service can put policies and practices in place to mitigate exposure risks effectively." Reagan Conner, lead author on the study

The authors hope that the study's insights can help inform targeted interventions, promote safer occupational practices and guide policy recommendations at local, state and federal levels.

Melissa Furlong, assistant professor at the Zuckerman College of Public Health, co-led the study.

"We worked closely with fire service research champions across six states to complete this research, and have already shared the results with them and all the firefighters participating in the study," Furlong said. "Our fire service partners are already using this information to plan ways of reducing their PFAS exposure."

Captain Orion Godfrey of Goodyear Fire Department in Arizona was a co-author on the study.

"As a firefighter, I am excited to see the intersection between knowing more about what is hurting us and being able to do something about it," he said. "This will help keep firefighters safe so they can go home to their families and the communities they serve. This is a great example of state-funded research having an impact on everyone in Arizona."

The researchers are grateful for the collaboration of participating fire departments and study volunteers whose involvement was essential in advancing understanding of occupational PFAS exposures. This research was partially funded through a grant from the Arizona Board of Regents and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study.

Additional University of Arizona co-authors included James Hollister, Karen Lutrick, Shawn Beitel, Cynthia Porter, Olivia Healy and Jeff Burgess. Floris Wardenaar from Arizona State University, retired Captain John Gulotta of the Tucson Fire Department and retired Assistant Fire Chief Eric Valliere of Scottsdale Fire Department also contributed as co-authors.
Young adults in Sweden feel significantly worse than older people in almost all areas of life. While older Swedes rank among the happiest in the world, young adults struggle with loneliness and psychological distress. These are the findings of a new large-scale study on flourishing in Sweden, published in the International Journal of Wellbeing and conducted by researchers at the Stockholm School of Economics, Lund University, Oslo Metropolitan University and Harvard University.

Based on survey responses from more than 15,000 people in Sweden, the study reveals clear age-related differences in happiness and wellbeing. Young adults report lower life satisfaction, a weaker sense of meaning in life and lower financial security than older age groups. They also experience twice the level of loneliness, three times as many depressive symptoms and seven times the level of anxiety compared with the oldest respondents.

Sweden stands out internationally

Our study shows that Sweden stands out in an international perspective,. Sweden is one of the few countries where young adults have the lowest wellbeing of all age groups, while the oldest report the highest life satisfaction. The loneliness among young people is also striking - in many other countries, it is instead older people who feel the loneliest. We need to do more to understand and reverse this trend for young adults." Nora Hansson Bittar, first author and PhD candidate, Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness, Stockholm School of Economics

Previous research has documented higher levels of psychological distress among young people in Sweden, but this study shows that the same pattern extends across nearly all areas of life. The age-related gaps in wellbeing are also much larger than differences linked to gender or country of birth.

Low wellbeing today, high expectations for the future

Despite their lower wellbeing today, young adults express high expectations for their future life satisfaction. On a ten-point scale, they expect their life satisfaction to reach 8.06 in five years' time, compared with a general average of 6.65.



"Young people's optimism about the future is positive," says Nora Hansson Bittar, "but the combination of low wellbeing today and very high expectations for the future brings to mind former Swedish Prime Minister Tage Erlander's phrase about the 'disappointment that follows rising expectations'. Overly high ambitions and ideals - likely reinforced by social media - may contribute to dissatisfaction with life in the present."

Older Swedes among the happiest in the world

The findings add nuance to the image of Sweden as a happy country. While Sweden continues to rank high in global comparisons overall, large generational differences exist behind national averages. If ratings from young adults aged 18-24 were used in the World Happiness Report, Sweden would rank 30th instead of 4th, behind countries such as Lithuania, Belize and Kosovo. If, instead, ratings from Swedes aged 80 and older were used, Sweden would rank first in the world.



"The study clearly shows that young people in Sweden are doing worse but, on the flip side, older Swedes are doing remarkably well," says August Nilsson, co-author and PhD candidate at Oslo Metropolitan University. "Older Swedes are among the happiest in the world, with strong close relationships and less loneliness than their younger relatives. In a society that often idealises youth and associates aging with frailty and isolation, we hope these findings can contribute to a positive view of aging."

No evidence of a midlife dip

The study also shows that the well-established 'U-shaped curve' of happiness - where wellbeing dips in midlife - does not apply in Sweden. The data simply doesn't show signs of the typical midlife crisis. Instead, middle-aged Swedes report relatively high levels of well-being, despite often balancing work with responsibilities for both children and older relatives. This may be linked to Sweden's extensive childcare and eldercare systems, which help reduce pressure during this stage of life.



"A key conclusion is that we need to strengthen societal efforts to support the wellbeing of young adults, and that we need to do more to monitor and understand this development over time," says Micael Dahlen, co-author and professor at the Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness at the Stockholm School of Economics. "The observed patterns differ both from Sweden's past and from trends in many other countries, underscoring that happiness and wellbeing are shaped by local conditions and can change over time. I believe we need to measure wellbeing as frequently and ambitiously as we measure economic growth."

About the Global Flourishing Study

The study is part of the Global Flourishing Study, a large international research project that follows more than 200,000 people in 22 countries worldwide to better understand how people are doing, how they live and how they experience meaning in life. Through annual surveys over five years, the researchers examine both wellbeing and the societal factors that shape quality of life. The survey data used in this study were collected in 2023.
When her doctor died suddenly in August, Tammy MacDonald found herself among the roughly 17% of adults in America without a primary care physician.

MacDonald wanted to find a new doctor right away. She needed refills for her blood pressure medications and wanted to book a follow-up appointment after a breast cancer scare.

She called 10 primary care practices near her home in Westwood, Massachusetts. None of the doctors, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants was taking new patients. A few offices told her that a doctor could see her in a year and a half or two years.

"I was just shocked by that, because we live in Boston and we're supposed to have this great medical care," said MacDonald, who is in her late 40s and has private health insurance. "I couldnt get my mind around the fact that we didn't have any doctors."

The shortage of primary care providers is a national problem, but it's particularly acute in Massachusetts. The state's primary care workforce is shrinking faster than in most states, according to a January 2025 report.

Some health networks, including the states largest hospital chain, Mass General Brigham, are turning to artificial intelligence for solutions.

In September, right when MacDonald was running out of blood pressure medications, MGB launched a new AI-supported program, Care Connect. MacDonald had received a letter from MGB, telling her no primary care providers in the network were taking new patients for in-person care. At the bottom of the letter was a link to Care Connect.

MacDonald downloaded the app and requested a telehealth appointment with a doctor. She then spent about 10 minutes chatting with an AI agent about why she wanted to see a physician. Afterward, the AI tool sent a summary of the chat to a primary care doctor who could see MacDonald by video.

"I think I got an appointment the next day or two days later," she said. "It was just such a difference from being told I had to wait two years."

Round-the-clock convenience

MGB says the AI tool can handle patients seeking care for colds, nausea, rashes, sprains, and other common urgent care requests, as well as mild to moderate mental health concerns and issues related to chronic diseases. After the patient types in a description of the symptoms or problem, the AI tool sends a doctor a suggested diagnosis and treatment plan.

Care Connect employs 12 physicians to work with the AI. They log in remotely from around the U.S., and patients can get help round-the-clock, seven days a week.

Care Connect is one of many AI-based tools that hospitals, doctors, and administrative staff are testing for a range of routine medical tasks, including note-taking, reviewing diagnostic results, billing, and ordering supplies.

Proponents argue that these AI programs can help relieve staff burnout and worker shortages by reducing time spent on medical records, referrals, and other administrative tasks. But there's debate about when and how to use AI to improve diagnoses. Critics worry that AI agents miss important details about overlapping medical conditions.

Critics also point out that AI tools can't assess whether patients can afford follow-up care or get to that appointment. They have no insight into family dynamics or caretaking needs, things that primary physicians come to understand through long-term personal relationships.

Since her first foray on the app in September, MacDonald has used Care Connect at least three more times. Two of those interactions led to an eventual conversation with a remote doctor, but when she went online to book an appointment for travel-related shots, she interacted only with the AI chatbot before visiting the travel clinic.

MacDonald likes the convenience.

"I dont have to leave work," she said. "And I gained some peace of mind, knowing that I have a plan between now and me finding another in-person doctor."

So while she hunted for that person, MacDonald planned to stay with Care Connect.

"This is a logical solution in the short term," MacDonald said. "At the end of the day, it's the patient who's feeling the aftermath of all of the bigger things going on in health care."

Scarcity and burnout

Many factors contribute to the shortage of providers. Many primary care doctors, such as pediatricians, internists, and family medicine physicians, are dissatisfied with their pay. They earn about 30% to 50% less, on average, than specialists such as surgeons, cardiologists, and anesthesiologists.

At the same time, their workload has been increasing. Primary care doctors often describe days packed with complex patient visits, followed by evenings spent updating medical records and responding to patient messages.

When MacDonald signed onto Care Connect, she was one of 15,000 patients in the Mass General Brigham system without a primary care provider. That number has grown as primary care doctors have left MGB for rival hospital networks.

Madhuri Rao, a primary care physician at an MGB health center in Chelsea, Massachusetts, said she's staying at MGB for now, but she's grown frustrated with the system's leaders.

"They dont make any effort to ease the shortage," said Rao, who is also part of an effort to unionize MBG's primary care doctors. "They put their money into specialties. Primary care feels like a peripheral part of the system, when it really should be a central part."

Last year, MGB pledged to spend $400 million over five years on primary care services  though that includes the multiyear contract with Care Connect.

"Care Connect is just one solution among many in this broader strategy to alleviate the primary care capacity crisis," Ron Walls, MGB's chief operating officer, said in an emailed statement. "Our investment supports retaining our current physicians as well as recruiting new ones."

Walls said MGB has increased staffing support for primary care physicians, implemented other AI tools, and hired a new executive for primary care. Some of these changes are based on recommendations from their own primary care doctors.

But some of those doctors say they would like other changes, and salary increases in particular.

Walls would not disclose the exact amount MGB is spending on Care Connect.

Bridge to better care or a 'band-aid'?

MGB has rolled out other AI tools, including one that can transcribe a doctor's in-person conversations with patients. Rao isn't using that tool. She worries that patient information could be leaked and medical privacy violated, and she doesn't want her conversations with patients to be used to help develop the next generation of AI medical tools.

"What if they're just using my interactions with patients to train their AI and boot me out of my job?" she said.

That's not the goal, said Helen Ireland, a primary care physician who manages the program for MGB. All decisions about patient care are still made by real doctors, she said.

"We are not replacing our in-person primary care," she said. "It's still important, and the majority of patients still have in-person primary care."

But the fear among some primary care doctors at MGB is that Care Connect will gradually erode access to in-person primary care visits. Of the $400 million pledged by MGB for primary care, they want less spent on AI and more used to attract and increase pay for primary care staffers.

Michael Barnett, an MGB internist who is also involved in the unionizing effort, said the use of Care Connect can only fill a gap. "That sounds like a band-aid for a broken system to me," he said.

Expanding AI tools

As of mid-December, the Care Connect doctors were each seeing 40 to 50 patients a day. By February, the MGB network plans to make Care Connect available to all Massachusetts and New Hampshire residents who have health insurance, and to hire more doctors to staff the program as needed.

Patients can use the program like an urgent care service, Ireland said. They can also decide to make one of the remote doctors their permanent primary care provider.

"Some patients want in-person care," Ireland said. "But I do believe there's a subset of patients who will appreciate the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week model and choose to be a part of this."

Care Connect isn't for patients who need emergency care or a physical exam, she said. And patients who need tests or imaging are referred to the network's clinics or labs.

But the remote doctors can manage some of the same routine issues that all primary care doctors do, Ireland said, including moderate respiratory infections, allergies, and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and depression.

Steven Lin says only immediate, not ongoing, health problems should be on that list. Lin is chief of primary care at the Stanford University School of Medicine and founded Stanford's Healthcare AI Applied Research Team.

"In its current state, the safest use of this tool is for more urgent care issues," Lin said. "Your upper respiratory tract infections. Your urinary tract infections. Your musculoskeletal injuries. Your rashes.

For patients with multiple chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes  or for patients with especially serious conditions like heart disease or cancer  Lin said nothing beats a human who sees you regularly.

Still, Lin agrees that the chat summary generated after an AI encounter can help a physician be more efficient. For patients, Lin understands the practical appeal of a virtual option.

"I would rather these patients get care, if that care can be safe," he said, "than not get care at all."

The company that developed the AI platform for Care Connect, K Health, contends the program is delivering safe, effective care to patients with complex, chronic ailments  many of whom have no other option besides a hospital emergency room.

"America's got a big problem with health care, issues with cost, quality, and access," said Allon Bloch, the company's CEO. "To solve it, you need to start with primary care, and you have to use technology and AI."

In addition to Mass General Brigham, K Health partners with five other health networks, including the highly ranked Mayo Clinic and Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai.

In a small and limited study funded by K Health, Cedars-Sinai researchers compared several hundred diagnosis and treatment recommendations made by AI with those made by physicians.

The researchers found the AI to be slightly better at identifying "critical red flags" and recommending care based on clinical guidelines, though the physicians were better at adjusting their treatment recommendations as they spoke more with the patient.

This article is from a partnership that includes WBUR, NPR, and KFF Health News.
This article will take a look at the impact of localized bioprocessing on the North American life sciences industry.

Focusing on the establishment of Sino Biologicals Center for Bioprocessing (C4B) in Houston, it highlights how the integration of innovative protein and antibody production platforms, global expertise, and regional manufacturing capacity boosts therapeutic innovation while minimizing logistical hurdles for biopharmaceutical partners.

The shift in regional bioprocessing

As the biopharmaceutical landscape continues to advance at what is quite a rapid pace, the need for high-quality recombinant proteins and antibodies has reached a crucial level.

Therapeutic modalities are becoming increasingly complex, spanning multispecific antibodies and cell and gene therapies, making agile, technologically advanced Contract Research Organization (CRO) partners a strategic necessity.

At the head of this transformation is Sino Biological, a leading, fully integrated CRO with 19 years of expertise in recombinant protein production and antibody development. The establishment of its Center for Bioprocessing (C4B) in Houstons Levit Green district brought global production experience directly into the Texas Medical Center ecosystem.

Sino Biologicals Center for Bioprocessing (C4B) in Houston, Texas, USA. Image Credit: Sino Biological Inc.

Tactically localized manufacturing

The launch of C4B in October 2023 marked a pivotal milestone for Sino Biological as its first manufacturing facility based in the United States. Spanning around 10,000 square feet, the center is designed to deliver faster, more flexible support to North American biopharma and academic scientists.

By localizing advanced technology platforms, C4B effectively removes traditional logistical challenges, including complex international shipping and time-zone constraints. The result is reduced turnaround times and closer project communication.

Introducing Sino Biological's Center for Bioprocessing (C4B) in Houston, Texas Play

Video Credit: Sino Biological Inc.

This localized approach allows scientists to treat the facility as a functional extension of their own laboratories, gaining immediate access to sophisticated bioprocessing solutions through an integrated service platform. At the same time, researchers benefit from Sino Biologicals nearly two decades of established expertise as a global CRO.

Strategically situated in Houston, C4B further strengthens the regions life science ecosystem by offering advanced, scalable, on-site manufacturing capabilities to local innovators.

Innovative expression platforms: Mammalian and insect cell systems

Effective bioprocessing depends on selecting the optimal expression system for a specific application while building advanced technology platforms that facilitate innovation at scale.

The C4B specializes in mammalian and insect cell-based recombinant protein expression, making use of cutting-edge manufacturing suites that have been intentionally designed for efficiency and scalability.

Mammalian expression systems (HEK293 and CHO)

Mammalian cell lines, such as the widely used Human Embryonic Kidney 293 (HEK293) and Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, play a key role in producing proteins that need human-like post-translational modifications (PTMs).

These PTMs, which involve adding or removing covalent functional groups after a protein is made, are essential for boosting bioactivity and making sure the protein behaves as expected in clinical applications.

Baculovirus-insect cell systems

For projects requiring exceptionally high yields or involving challenging target classes with specific structural properties, the C4B utilizes insect cell expression. This platform is particularly effective for producing proteins that may be toxic or difficult to express in mammalian hosts, including viral antigens and kinases.

Endotoxin-free protein technology

What sets C4B apart is its dedicated endotoxin-free protein production workflow, which combines mammalian expression with advanced purification strategies. This approach keeps endotoxin levels below the limit of quantification (LOQ), making it ideal for sensitive applications.

Building on that, the team at the Houston facility has introduced ProPure, a US-made line of ultra-pure, endotoxin-free recombinant proteins. They also offer custom solutions for protein and antibody production, all designed to meet strict endotoxin-free standards.

For researchers working in immunology, cell therapy, or translational studies, having this level of purity means more reliable, reproducible results and fewer headaches caused by unexpected variables.

Innovations in antibody technology

Shifting from traditional hybridoma-based methods to recombinant antibody technology marks a major step forward in modern bioprocessing.

Hybridoma technology, which relies on fusing antibody-producing B cells with myeloma cells, has been around for decades, but it does come with some downsides: ethical concerns around animal use, inconsistent results between batches, and long timelines that can stretch out over several months.

Recombinant antibody production, on the other hand, speeds things up significantly, often delivering results in just a few weeks. As these antibodies are generated from known DNA sequences, they bring a host of advantages.

High reproducibility and consistency

Recombinant antibody production is highly controlled and replicated exactly across batches.

Amenability to engineering

Recombinant antibodies can be readily engineered and optimized to enhance specificity, affinity, stability, and compatibility with the human immune system.

Advancements in antibody engineering technologies have facilitated the development of diverse, refined, and novel formats, including chimeric, humanized, and bispecific antibodies, as well as Fab, scFv, and VHH fragments. This substantially improves their flexibility for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Seamless AI integration

By pairing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools with fast, high-throughput recombinant antibody expression and characterization, researchers can now identify and refine high-quality antibody leads much more quickly.

Recombinant expression acts as the critical starting point for wet-lab validation, supplying the key material needed for all downstream testing and optimization in AI-driven antibody discovery.

With comprehensive recombinant antibody production capabilities, C4B supports projects ranging from high-throughput screening to large-scale manufacturing, across a variety of formats, offering the flexibility, scalability, and precision researchers need.

From traditional IgGs to newer antibody formats, C4B delivers integrated workflows that include expression, purification, and detailed characterization, all tailored to meet specific R&D and drug development needs.

The integrated CRO model: A best practice

A best practice among leading CROs is adopting a one-stop service model  and thats exactly what C4B delivers.

The facility is staffed with a team of experienced industry professionals and academic experts who oversee the entire bioprocessing workflow, all under one roof. This kind of seamless integration helps maintain data integrity throughout every stage of scale-up, including:

Gene synthesis and vector construction.

High-throughput recombinant production and purification.

Innovative analytical quality control (QC).

Large-scale manufacturing.

This model minimizes the risk of project failure when transitioning from pilot studies to larger-scale production, as the same technical expertise guides the molecule from its genetic blueprint to the purified final product.

Consider the C4B as a high-end "3D printing hub" for the biological world. Instead of waiting for a complex part to be manufactured and shipped from a distant factory, researchers can now send their "biological blueprints" (genetic sequences) to a local center that uses advanced "biological printers" (mammalian and insect cell systems) to deliver precise, functional components directly to their laboratory doorstep.

Supporting the diagnostic ecosystem

Beyond therapeutics, localized bioprocessing plays a key strategic role for diagnostic developers. At C4B, in vitro diagnostic (IVD) companies and researchers have immediate access to a broad catalog of high-quality core raw materials, along with flexible custom solutions.

With nearly 10,000 recombinant proteins and more than 15,000 validated antibodies in stock  and on-site capabilities for tailored production  the facility offers a strong, reliable foundation for developing highly selective and sensitive IVD reagents.

The importance of speed in this industry was underscored during the COVID-19 pandemic, when critical spike protein reagents were produced in a record six days.

This culture of urgency and technical excellence is now being applied to regional innovation in Houston, supporting research in infectious diseases, oncology, and autoimmune disorders.

What does this mean for the future of bioprocessing?

The future of bioprocessing depends on combining global expertise with strong local infrastructure. As the industry shifts toward more personalized medicine, the ability to quickly produce and characterize novel proteins and antibodies will be a driving force behind innovation.

With mature, scalable production capabilities, C4B gives North American partners direct access to the tools they need, not just to manufacture proteins and antibodies, but to help speed up the development of the next generation of life-saving breakthroughs.

About Sino Biological Inc.

Sino Biological is an international reagent supplier and service provider. The company specializes in recombinant protein production and antibody development. All of Sino Biological's products are independently developed and produced, including recombinant proteins, antibodies and cDNA clones. Sino Biological is the researchers' one-stop technical services shop for the advanced technology platforms they need to make advancements. In addition, Sino Biological offer pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms pre-clinical production technology services for hundreds of monoclonal antibody drug candidates.

Sino Biological's core business

Sino Biological is committed to providing high-quality recombinant protein and antibody reagents and to being a one-stop technical services shop for life science researchers around the world. All of our products are independently developed and produced. In addition, we offer pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms pre-clinical production technology services for hundreds of monoclonal antibody drug candidates. Our product quality control indicators meet rigorous requirements for clinical use samples. It takes only a few weeks for us to produce 1 to 30 grams of purified monoclonal antibody from gene sequencing.

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.net, which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.
Bangladesh deposed PM Hasina, relatives sentenced to jail in corruption cases

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 21:15 IST

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Dhaka, Feb 2 (PTI) A Bangladesh court Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to a total of 10 years imprisonment and her niece, British lawmaker Tulip Siddiq, to four years in jail, in two corruption cases related to irregularities in allocations of land in a housing project.

Judge Robiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 also sentenced UK Labour MP and former British minister Tulips sister Azmina Siddiq and brother Radwan Mujib Siddiq to seven years in jail each. Hasina, 78, was sentenced to five years in jail each in two separate cases for using her official influence in allocating residential plots to others, including Tulip, under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol on the outskirts of the capital.

Hasina and her relatives were handed down prison terms after trial in absentia.

The court also fined them one lakh Taka each in each of the cases, directing them to suffer six months additional imprisonment in default of payment.

Only one of the 16 accused, a senior official of Rajuk, which allocates the plots, was tried in person and was present at the court when the verdict was delivered.

The other accused in the case were sentenced to five years imprisonment, including a former junior minister for housing, a former secretary of the ministry, a former Rajuk chairman and officials of the state-run entity.

The trial of the accused was not obstructed regardless of where they (accused) were in the world," the judge said while delivering the verdict.

Hasinas now disbanded Awami League labelled the sentences as entirely predictable" and false cases" staged by Muhammad Yunus interim government, while it earlier called the charges Fabricated" and Malicious".

The British lawmaker, on the other hand, said the process had been flawed and farcical from the beginning to the end".

Im absolutely baffled by the whole thing  Ive still had no contact whatsoever from the Bangladeshi authorities despite them spreading malicious allegations about me for a year-and-a-half now," BBC quoted her as saying.

Theres been absolutely no summons sent to me, theres no charge sheet, Ive had no correspondence from them  Im not difficult to find, Im a parliamentarian." She said she had engaged lawyers in the UK and Bangladesh.

I feel like Im in some sort of Kafkaesque nightmare," she added.

Hasinas Awami League government was toppled in student-led violent protest dubbed July Uprising on August 5, 2024, and since then, the interim government launched several legal cases against the ex-premier, her associates and family members.

A special tribunal last year sentenced Hasina to death on charges of committing crimes against humanity through brutal efforts to tame the uprising.

On an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) complaint, a court on November 27 sentenced Hasina to 21 years imprisonment in total, while her children, Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Saima Wazed Putul, each received a 5-year prison sentence in a different case involving Rajuk plots. PTI AR/AMS ZH ZH

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BRS' RS Praveen Kumar defends KCR amid SIT questioning in phone-tapping case

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 04:30 IST

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Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 2 (ANI): BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar on Sunday defended party chief K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) amid questioning by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the alleged phone-tapping case.KCR is the man who fought for Telangana. He is the most senior politician in Telangana. He ruled Telangana for 10 years as one of the best chief ministers in this country. Unfortunately, he is being questioned as a witness in a so-called tapping case," RS Praveen Kumar said.He added, The way the police have issued the notice is completely illegal. Instead of going to his house, these policemen illegally pasted the notice at KCRs residence. Therefore, we have strongly protested against the polices aggressive, illegal behaviour and that of Mr Revanth Reddy. Telangana people are going to teach a befitting lesson to these people."A large number of BRS party workers gathered outside KCRs residence at Nandi Nagar in Hyderabad, raising slogans in his support. Former Chief Minister KCR and BRS working president KT Rama Rao greeted party leaders and workers who had assembled outside.The SIT, which is probing the phone-tapping case, had issued fresh notices to KCR on January 30. Several BRS leaders, including KCRs son KT Rama Rao and nephew T Harish Rao, were earlier questioned in connection with the case.A heavy police presence was deployed at KCRs Nandi Nagar residence ahead of the scheduled 3 pm questioning.In response to the SIT notice, BRS called for statewide protests, with party workers donning black badges to mark dissent against the Telangana government. Demonstrations were staged across the state, reflecting opposition to questioning the party chief in the alleged case.The phone-tapping case surfaced after former DCP P Radhakrishna Rao alleged that telephones belonging to media personalities, retired police officers, and politicians were monitored during the BRS government tenure to track KCRs political rivals.KCR, in a letter dated January 30, 2026, to P Venkatagiri, Assistant Commissioner of Police, said he would be available at 3 pm for questioning.He wrote, The alleged letter dated 30.1.2026 is not served as required by law, and the same is illegal, and I can simply ignore the same. Further, such service violates my dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and Article 14 of the Constitution of India."He added, Notwithstanding the above legal position, I being a former Chief Minister for the State of Telangana and present Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and also as a responsible citizen of this country in order to assist the department in the investigation of the subject crime, I would be available for my examination at 3 pm on 01.02.2026 at Nandi Nagar residence as you are keen to record my statement there only." (ANI)

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CDS Gen Anil Chauhan leads defence delegation to Armenia to boost defence ties

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 13:45 IST

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Yerevan [Armenia], February 2 (ANI): An Indian defence delegation led by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has arrived in Armenia on a four-day official visit aimed at advancing bilateral defence engagement and strengthening long-term security cooperation between the two countries.Sharing details of the visit on X, the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff said, An Indian defence delegation led by General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff #CDS, reached Republic of Armenia on a four-day official visit on 01 Feb. The visit marks an important step in taking forward shared strategic interests and enhancing long-term defence and security collaboration between the two Nations. The delegation was warmly received in Yerevan by Nilakshi Saha Sinha, Ambassador of India to Armenia and Temur Shahnazaryan, Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia." https://x.com/HQ_IDS_India/status/2018149036784828472?s=20The visit comes as part of a series of ongoing defence engagements between India and Armenia, including the Joint Working Group Meeting on Defence Cooperation held in Hyderabad, Telangana, on October 23, 2025, where both sides exchanged views on strengthening bilateral defence ties.Providing details of that meeting, the Ministry of Defence said in a post on X, The Joint Working Group Meeting on Defence Cooperation between India and Armenia was held in Hyderabad today. Both countries exchanged views on bilateral defence cooperation, defence industrial collaboration amongst other issues of mutual interest in security domain. The Indian delegation was led by Vishwesh Negi, Joint Secretary (IC) and the Armenian delegation was led by Levon Ayvazyan, Head of Policy and International Military Cooperation Department, MoD of Armenia."Beyond defence cooperation, these engagements are part of broader diplomatic outreach between the two nations, reflected in Secretary (West) Sibi George representing India at Armenias National Day celebrations on October 1, where he reaffirmed commitment to the longstanding India-Armenia friendship.The details were shared by the Ministry of External Affairs in a post on X, highlighting that ties between India and Armenia are rooted in history and built on recent high-level engagements among the leadership of both countries. Secretary (West) Sibi George represented India at the National Day celebrations of the Republic of Armenia. He reaffirmed commitment to the longstanding friendship rooted in history, building on recent high level engagements among the leadership of both countries," the MEA spokesperson posted on X.The diplomatic momentum was also reflected earlier in June when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Marseille, where they held a useful discussion on our close cooperation and regional developments".Further strengthening institutional ties, India and Armenia signed two major Memoranda of Understanding on March 11 during Mirzoyans visit to India, including an MoU between Indias Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and Armenias Center of Drug and Medical Technology Expertise on cooperation in regulating medical products. (ANI)

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Delhi govt plans new bridge over Yamuna to ease traffic congestion

Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 00:15 IST

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New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) The Delhi government is considering a proposal to build a bridge over the Yamuna near the Signature Bridge or replace the old iron bridge (Loha Pul) to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity in the citys eastern parts, officials said on Monday.

The proposal was put forth by the Trans-Yamuna Board during a recent meeting with officials of the Public Works Department. A senior government official said the plan is still at a preliminary stage and is under discussion.

The proposal is at an initial stage. The government is considering it to improve connectivity in the Trans-Yamuna area and enhance links between North East, North and Central Delhi," an official said.

According to officials, with RRTS stations and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway getting ready, traffic congestion on the Ring Road, especially near Sarai Kale Khan, is expected to increase.

Currently, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway terminate near Sarai Kale Khan on the Ring Road. Soon, the DND-Sohna (Jewar) link of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is also set to open, officials added.

Keeping this in view, the government is planning to propose a new bridge. The location is not finalised and is being examined. PWD will study the stretch from Old Wazirabad to Kalindi Kunj to check feasibility, traffic congestion, and vehicular movement," an official said.

The Old Iron Bridge, also known as Loha Pul, is a double-decker bridge, facilitating vehicular movement on the lower deck and trains on the upper deck. At present, there are roughly 25 bridges over the Yamuna, including road and rail bridges. PTI SSM NSD NSD

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Discomfort is where change begins: Rani Mukerji on 'Mardani 3' message

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 13:45 IST

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New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) Cinema not only entertains but has the power to speak to peoples conscience, says actor Rani Mukerji, who hopes that her new film Mardaani 3" makes the audience uncomfortable with its focus on the topic of child trafficking.

The film, part of Yash Raj Films hit franchise, has earned Rs 28 crore in worldwide gross in three days of its release. In a statement, released by YRF, Mukerji, who has donned the cop uniform for the third time to play SSP Shivani Shivaji Roy, said the love shown by the audiences is overwhelming.

This film belongs to every viewer who believes that cinema can do more than entertain it can maybe speak to our conscience." If Mardaani 3 has moved you, disturbed you, or made you think  then it has done its job. Discomfort is where change begins. Our girls do not need our sympathy. They need our protection. They need our courage. They need our voices right now and not tomorrow because just a film alone cannot bring change. Change begins in our homes, in our schools, in our streets. It begins when we teach our sons how to respect, when we empower our daughters with confidence and when we stand up for a girl child who cannot stand up for herself," she said.

The actor said the Mardaani" franchise, which began in 2014, has told stories that are uncomfortable, urgent and necessary". The second chapter of the movie released in 2019.

Mukerji, who won the National Award last year for her performance in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway", said stories like the one depicted in Mardaani 3" exist because the reality they reflect still exists.

Every daughter of this country deserves safety, dignity, education and the freedom to dream without fear," she said, adding that she is humbled by how the fans have connected with the message of the film. PTI BK BK BK

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The Dalai Lama, K-pop win first Grammys, Steven Spielberg achieves EGOT status

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 05:45 IST

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Los Angeles, Feb 2 (AP) The 68th annual Grammy Awards are taking place Sunday and spirits were high from the jump after a few back-to-back, history making moments.

The Dalai Lama won his first Grammy for audio book, narration and storytelling recording, beating out Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. You ready that correctly.

I am not the Dalai Lama," Rufus Wainwright joked in an acceptance speech. It was a privilege to participate on this project." Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters" won song written for visual media at the Premiere Ceremony, marking the first time a K-pop act has won a Grammy. Songwriters delivered their acceptance speech in both English and Korean, highlighting the songs bilingual appeal.

Music film went to Music for John Williams," which means director Steven Spielberg has officially won his first Grammy. That makes him an EGOT winner  an artist with an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar.

The Premiere Ceremony, a pre-telecast show held at the adjacent Peacock Theater, began with musician and host Darren Criss setting the scene  giving out the first award of the day, for best pop/duo group performance to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for Defying Gravity." They were not present to accept the award.

An impressive 86 Grammys will be handed out pre-broadcast.

Yungblud won his first Grammy for rock performance for his cover of Black Sabbaths Changes (live from Villa Park)," which he performed at Ozzy Osbournes final show. Hardcore band Turnstile also won their first Grammy for rock album and later, metal performance.

To Baltimore, thank you, we love you," said frontman Brendan Yates.

The Cure won alternative music performance but were unable to attend as they were attending the funeral of Perry Archangelo Bamonte, the Cures longtime guitarist and keyboardist, who died last month.

FKA twigs won her first Grammy for best dance/electronic album for EUSEXUA," becoming only the second Black woman to win in the category. I didnt expect to come up here. I was just so happy to be nominated," she said in her speech. Thank you so much  wow." All the Latino kids in the hood watching, anything is possible," said rapper Lefty Gunplay, who also won his first Grammy for rap performance for his role on Kendrick Lamars TV Off." Earlier on, Edgar Barrera handed out some of the Latin music categories: Natalia Lafourcade won best Latin pop album for Cancionera"; best Latin Rock or Alternative album to CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso for Papota." It is their first win on their first nomination. In their speech, in Spanish, they thanked their home country of Argentina and all of Latin America. Musica Mexicana album (including Tejano) went to Carin Leon for Palabra De Tos (Seca)." It is his second win on his second nomination.

It is a dramatically different tone than last year. The 2025 award show was completely reimagined and refocused to relief efforts following the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires. In 2026, the focus has been placed once again on the music, where Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny and more will go head-to-head during the televised ceremony.

The energy was high from minute one at the Premiere Ceremony: Earth, Wind & Fire gave a groovy opening performance of Shining Star" with some help from Israel Houghton, Lila Ike, Grace Potter, Maggie Rose and Trombone Shorty.

Thats how you start a show!" Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason jr. said in his opening remarks. Thats a statement. Thats joy. Thats resilience." There were many other performances as well: Zara Larsson brought her Swedish pop Midnight Sun," followed by Spiritboxs metallic Soft Spine," Tasha Cobbs Leonards Church," and Criss and Helen J. Shens Never Fly Away." Following the Premiere Ceremony, comedian Trevor Noah will host the main show for a sixth and final year and history could be made when some of the biggest names in music gather. Heres some key things to know ahead of Sundays show at the Crypto.com Arena.

Artists speak out Trump administrations immigration crackdowns At the Premiere Ceremony, artists offered pro-immigration and anti-ICE messaging.

Country duo/group performance went to first-time winners Shaboozey and Jelly Roll. Shaboozey accepted the award with tears in his eyes. I want to thank my mother, who as of today, has retired from her job of 30 years  working as a registered nurse in a psych ward  as an immigrant in this country. Thank you, mom.

Immigrants built this country, literally, actually. So, this for them," he concluded. Thank you for bring your culture, your music and your stories." Amy Allen won songwriter of the year, nonclassical for a second year in a row and wore an ICE Out" pin, an anti-immigration enforcement message. So did Kehlani  who won her first Grammy for R&B performance and later, her second, for R&B song.

Ive never won anything before, this is a really crazy feeling," she said as she fought back tears, reflecting on her first nomination 10 years ago. Then she shifted gears to focus on the current political moment: Imma leave this and say, (expletive) ICE." Im scared," Gloria Estefan said of the current political moment backstage at the Grammys. There are hundreds of children in detention centers.  I dont recognize my country in this moment right now." Whos nominated at the 2025 Grammys Kendrick Lamar leads the 2026 Grammy Award nominations with nine. Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Canadian record producer/songwriter Cirkut follow with seven nominations each.

Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas and Serban Ghenea all boast six nominations. Andrew Watt, Clipse, Doechii, Sounwave, SZA, Turnstile and Tyler, the Creator have five each. (AP) NB NB

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Two groups clash over cremation near Narmada river bank; ten injured

Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 00:15 IST

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Khargone (MP), Feb 2 (PTI) A dispute between two groups over the cremation of an elderly woman near the bank of the Narmada river in a village in Madhya Pradeshs Khargone district turned violent on Monday, leaving at least ten people injured, police said.

A police officer said cases were registered against 19 identified and 25 unidentified individuals.

The incident occurred after the family of Mohan Patidar, a resident of Sulgaon (Dagdi), reached near the Narmada river for performing the last rites of his 90-year-old grandmother, Mandleshwar police station house officer Pankaj Tiwari told PTI over the phone.

He said villagers from the other side objected to cremation being carried out around 200 metres away from the riverbank, which is not the place designated for performing the last rites.

An argument ensued, which soon escalated into a violent clash during which stones were hurled, leaving 10 people, including a police constable and a village kotwar (government help), injured.

Police teams from Mandleshwar, Maheshwar, and Kasrawad rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Tiwari said the cremation of the elderly woman was carried out amid heavy police deployment.

Mandleshwar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDOP) Shweta Shukla said the situation is under control.

The SDOP added that cases have been registered against 19 named persons and 25 others based on complaints from both sides, and the investigation is underway. PTI COR LAL NSK

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UP: Man kills 12-year-old son, flees after hiding body in trunk

Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 01:30 IST

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Firozabad (UP), Feb 2 (PTI) A middle-aged man allegedly killed his 12-year-old son over marital dispute and and fled after hiding the body in a trunk here, police said on Monday.

The incident took place in Jijoli village of the Makhanpur area on Monday. The accused, Rajesh, allegedly committed the crime following a prolonged domestic dispute with his wife over property, they said.

According to the police, Rajesh, a resident of the village, was addicted to intoxicants and had been frequently quarrelling with his wife Urmila, who is a teacher at a private school.

Rural Superintendent of Police Anuj Chaudhary said on Monday morning, Urmila had gone to school, leaving Rajesh alone at home with their son Mayank.

When she returned home in the afternoon, she found her husband missing and bloodstains inside the house, the officer said.

As she searched for her son, the body of the child was found stuffed inside a trunk," Chaudhary said.

Hearing Urmilas cries, neighbours gathered at the spot, following which the police were informed.

A police team reached the village, took the body into custody and sent it to the district hospital for post-mortem examination.

Based on a complaint lodged by the boys mother, a case of murder has been registered against Rajesh, police said.

Preliminary inquiry suggests that the accused killed his son with a sharp weapon before fleeing the house. Teams have been formed to trace and arrest him," the rural SP said, adding that further investigation is underway. PTI COR KIS OZ OZ

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First Published: February 03, 2026, 01:30 IST

News agency-feeds UP: Man kills 12-year-old son, flees after hiding body in trunk

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After Historic Trade Deal, India Faces Lowest US Tariffs Among Emerging Markets After South Korea

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 23:59 IST

Among emerging markets, Brazil and China are subject to the steepest US tariffs, at 50% and 47.5% respectively.

Earlier, India had been hit with a 50% tariff, which included a 25% penalty linked to the purchase of Russian oil. (File image)

India, which was previously facing some of the steepest US tariffs among major emerging economies, will now be subject to an 18% levy  the lowest in the emerging market pack after South Korea.

Earlier, Indian exports had been hit with a 50% tariff, including a 25% penalty linked to the purchase of Russian oil. However, on Monday, US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation and agreed to what has been described as a historic trade deal, expected to improve the competitiveness of Indian goods in the American market.

A comparison across emerging economies highlights the sharp disparity in tariff burdens. Brazil and China currently face the highest US levies, at 50% and 47.5% respectively. South Africa is subject to a 30% tariff, while Mexico faces a 25% rate. Vietnam has been placed in the 20% bracket, and Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia are each subject to 19% tariffs.

With its revised 18% rate, India now enjoys a clear advantage over most economies in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Vietnam continue to face higher tariffs of 20%, while Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines are levied 19%. Cambodia is also taxed at 19%.

The reduced tariff burden is expected to provide Indian exporters a significant edge, making products more price-competitive and potentially boosting trade flows into the US market.

What Trump Said On India Trade Deal?

US President Donald Trump on Monday held a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and later announced to bring down tariffs on India to 18%. Trump claimed India will move forward to reduce tariffs and non tariff barriers" against the US to zero.

Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a trade deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent," the US president said on social media.

India will likewise move forward to reduce their tariffs and non tariff barriers against the United States, to zero", he said.

Trump said Modi also committed to buy American" at a much higher level, in addition to over USD 500 billion dollars of US energy, technology, agricultural, coal, and many other products.

Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that get things done something that cannot be said for most," he said.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 23:45 IST

News business After Historic Trade Deal, India Faces Lowest US Tariffs Among Emerging Markets After South Korea

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From Hastinapur To High-Speed Rail: Budget 2026 Packs Multi-Trillion Dollar Ambition For UP

Last Updated: February 01, 2026, 22:43 IST

While Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the budget as a 'roadmap for a New Bharat', the opposition remains sceptical

The headline announcement for the state is the inclusion of two major high-speed rail corridors: Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri. (Image/PTI)

In the Union Budget 2026-27, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the cornerstone of the Centres infrastructure and connectivity roadmap. Far from a mere exercise in populist spending, the budget presents a calculated, long-term blueprint that positions the state as a multimodal logistics and cultural hub. With a heavy emphasis on high-speed rail, inland waterways, and future-ready technology, the allocations signal a strategic intent to transform Indias most populous state into a trillion-dollar economy ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.

High-Speed Rail and Waterway Hubs

The headline announcement for the state is the inclusion of two major high-speed rail corridors: Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri. These routes are part of a national seven-corridor plan aimed at drastically reducing travel times between the capital and eastern India. Complementing this is a specific proposal to develop an inland waterways ship-repair ecosystem in Varanasi, which, along with Patna, will serve as a critical node for cargo movement and maintenance along the Ganga. This integration of rail, road, and river networks is intended to turn eastern Uttar Pradesh into a sophisticated logistics gateway.

Heritage Tourism and Cultural Revival

The budget also leans heavily into experience-led" tourism, with Hastinapur and Sarnath identified among fifteen archaeological sites to be developed into world-class cultural destinations.

I propose to develop 15 archaeological sites including Lothal Sarnath and Hastinapur into vibrant, experiential cultural destinations," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated.

The plan includes curated walkways, immersive storytelling technologies, and upgraded interpretation centres. For Hastinapur, a site of immense mythological significance, this move is expected to stimulate the local Orange Economy"the creative sector involving design, heritage, and digital content.

AI Cities and Urban Modernisation

Technological growth is another focal point, with budgetary support provided for a dedicated AI City in Lucknow. This aligns with the broader push for the Orange Economy, which includes setting up AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) Content Creator Labs in 15,000 schools and 500 colleges across the countrya move specifically lauded by state leaders as a way to empower the youth of Uttar Pradesh. Furthermore, Rs 32,075 crore has been allocated for the next phases of the Lucknow, Kanpur, and Agra Metro projects, reinforcing the shift towards sustainable urban mass transit.

Political and Economic Significance

While Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the budget as a roadmap for a New Bharat", the opposition remains sceptical. BSP chief Mayawati questioned the grassroots impact of these ceremonial" announcements, suggesting that the true measure of the budget lies in qualitative improvements to the lives of the marginalised rather than just GDP figures.

Despite the political sparring, the fiscal reality is robust: Uttar Pradeshs tax devolution is set to rise to nearly Rs 2.80 lakh crore in 2026-27, providing the state with the significant financial muscle required to execute these ambitious infrastructure projects before the next electoral test.

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First Published: February 01, 2026, 22:43 IST

News business From Hastinapur To High-Speed Rail: Budget 2026 Packs Multi-Trillion Dollar Ambition For UP

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Nifty Set For Rally Today As India-US Trade Deal Sparks 700-Point Surge In GIFT Nifty

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Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 07:29 IST

In a Truth Social post, US President Donald Trump announces that following a call with PM Modi, the US is immediately slashing reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%.

US President Donald Trump speaks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE)

Nifty Prediction For Tuesday, February 3: The Indian equity markets are braced for a historic opening this Tuesday, February 3, 2026, as a late-night announcement from across the US on the much-awaited trade deal with India has sent global sentiment into a frenzy. US President Donald Trumps late-Monday post on Truth Social, detailing a massive trade breakthrough with India following a phone conversation Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has acted as a high-octane fuel for the Indian stock indices, with the Nifty futures, or GIFT Nifty, already skyrocketing by 700 points in overnight trade.

US Tariffs On Indian Goods Reduced From 25% To 18%

The catalyst for this unprecedented optimism is a sweeping trade agreement between the worlds two largest democracies. In the Truth Social post, Trump announced that following a call with PM Modi, the US is immediately slashing reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%.

Also Read: India-US Trade Deal Explained: How Indian Exports Stand To Gain, Sectors That Benefit The Most

It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!" Trump stated.

In the post, he added, Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO. The Prime Minister also committed to BUY AMERICAN," at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products."

What to Expect On February 3: Nifty Prediction

Based on the current GIFT Nifty trajectory, the NSE Nifty 50 is expected to open with a massive gap-up, likely testing the 25,600-25,700 range in the early trade.

Export-Oriented Sectors: IT and textiles are set to lead the charge. The reduction in US reciprocal tariffs to 18% provides immediate margin relief for Indian exporters who were reeling under previous trade barriers.

Energy & OMCs: While the shift from Russian oil is a major structural change, the $500-billion energy commitment suggests deep long-term ties with US energy giants, which could see heavy movement in energy stocks.

Banking & Financials: With the dark clouds of global trade uncertainty lifting, heavyweights like HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank are expected to provide the necessary muscle to keep the Nifty above the 25,500 psychological mark.

Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. PM Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE," Trump posted, effectively wiping out the cautious wait-and-watch" sentiment that had gripped the Dalal Street.

Mondays Recovery: Setting the Stage

On Monday, February 2, the Indian markets had already shown remarkable resilience. Despite opening flat, the Nifty 50 climbed 262 points (1.06%) to close at 25,088.40, while the Sensex jumped 943 points to finish at 81,666.52. This recovery signaled that the market was ready to look past domestic tax tweaks toward larger global growth drivers.

The Budget 2026 STT Crash

Just 48 hours ago, the mood was starkly different. On Sunday, February 1, the Indian markets suffered a post-Budget 2026 crash following Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans proposal to hike the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) in F&O trading.

The hike, raising STT on Futures from 0.02% to 0.05% and on Options from 0.10% to 0.15%, had initially triggered a wave of panic selling in the derivatives segment, causing the Nifty to tumble nearly 500 points in a single session.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 23:24 IST

News business markets Nifty Set For Rally Today As India-US Trade Deal Sparks 700-Point Surge In GIFT Nifty

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US Brings Down India Tariffs To 18% From 50%, Envoy Sergio Gor Says

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Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 08:41 IST

The US and India finalized a landmark trade deal, reducing tariffs on Indian imports from 50 percent to 18 percent, credited to Donald Trump and PM Modi's strong relationship.

Trump and Modi (Image: Reuters/File)

US Tariffs On India: The United States and India have reached a landmark trade deal after months of negotiations, with the Donald Trump administration cutting down tariffs on Indian imports from 50% to 18%, envoy Sergio Gor has confirmed.

Also See: India US Trade Deal Latest News | Stock Market Live Updates

All the credit goes to President Trump and PM Modi. The two leaders have a great personal relationship, which has carried the deal forward. The number that will be finalised will be 18%," Gor told CNN-NEWS18s Zakka Jacob.

India had been facing 50% US tariffs, including 25% penalty for the purchase of Russian oil.

#MegaExclusive | All the credit goes to President Trump and PM Modi. The two leaders have a great personal relationship which has carried the deal forward. The number that will finalised will be 18%: Sergio Gor, @USAmbIndia#IndiaUSTradeDeal | @Zakka_Jacob pic.twitter.com/ZVJBWuZHZb News18 (@CNNnews18) February 2, 2026

Calling the announcement incredible news", Gor said this is a new era" and asserted that the US is open to business.

As you saw the Presidents Truth Social post, part of agreement is all nations around the world stop buying oil from Russia in order to bring peace to the situation. I know that the Prime Minister deeply cares about bringing peace in the conflict as does President Trump so the number that will be finalised is 18%," he said.

Gor highlighted that the limitless" potential between India and the US and said, We have incredible deals ahead and the best is yet to come."

Also See: What Is India US Trade Deal

Trump-Modi Phone Call

Trump spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today and later announced that the trade deal with India would cut tariffs to 25%. He claimed that PM Modi has agreed to stop buying Russian oil and buy much more from the US and Venezuela.

 Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the United States, to zero. The Prime Minister also committed to Buy American," at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 Billion Dollars of US Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Reacting to Trumps announcement, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the US President Donald Trump and said his leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.

Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement. When two large economies and the worlds largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. President Trumps leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," he wrote on X.

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First Published: February 03, 2026, 08:41 IST

News business US Brings Down India Tariffs To 18% From 50%, Envoy Sergio Gor Says

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US Trade Deal: India Gains Edge Over Pakistan, China, Bangladesh With 18% Tariff

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Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 11:32 IST

India faces lower duties than Pakistan, Bangladesh and Southeast Asian manufacturing hubs after US trade deal.

Rapid Read

Garment workers stitch shirts at a textile factory in Noida. Indian textile exporters now enjoy a built-in price advantage over almost all major rivals following the trade deal announcement. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

India has emerged with a more favourable tariff rate than most of its South Asian neighbours and key export competitors after the United States agreed to cut duties on Indian goods as part of the new trade deal.

With a revised tariff rate of 18 per cent, India now enjoys an advantage over Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and several Southeast Asian export-driven economies, giving Indian exporters a competitive position in global markets.

By comparison, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka continue to face tariffs of 20 per cent on their exports to the US, while Pakistan is levied 19 per cent. Among Southeast Asian economies, Vietnam is subject to a 20 per cent tariff, and Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines all face duties of 19 per cent.

The revised tariff structure places India at an advantage over several competing export economies, with Indian goods now facing an 18 per cent tariff compared to 19 per cent for Indonesia, 20 per cent for Vietnam and Bangladesh, and a much higher 34 per cent for China.

How The Deal Took Shape

The tariff reduction followed a phone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 2, after which Trump announced that Washington would lower duties on Indian goods.

Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi wrote on social media platform X after the call.

Table 1: India vs South Asian Neighbours Country US Tariff Rate  India 18%  Pakistan 19%  Bangladesh 20%  Sri Lanka 20%  Afghanistan 15%

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States would reduce the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent with immediate effect. He also claimed that India would cut its own tariffs and non-tariff barriers on American products to zero."

It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi, and as per his request, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India," Trump wrote.

He further claimed that India had agreed to reduce purchases of Russian oil and buy more energy from the United States and potentially from Venezuela.

From One Of The Highest To Among The Lowest

Until this agreement, India was among the highest-tariffed major economies in the world. In August last year, Trump had imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports  including a 25 per cent reciprocal duty and an additional 25 per cent levy linked to Indias continued purchase of Russian crude oil. Brazil faced a similar 50 per cent tariff.

China Comparison

Indias improved position becomes significant when compared with China. Chinese exports to the US currently face a tariff rate of around 34 per cent  nearly double Indias revised rate of 18 per cent.

Edge Over Export Competitors

Among South Asian economies, India now sits below Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in tariff exposure and only marginally above Afghanistan, which faces a 15 per cent tariff but has a far smaller export base and limited manufacturing capacity.

Table 2: India vs Major Competing Export Economies Country US Tariff Rate  India 18%  Indonesia 19%  Vietnam 20%  Bangladesh 20%  China 34%

Pakistan faces a 19 per cent tariff. The gap widens further when compared with Southeast Asias export-heavy economies. Vietnam, a major rival in electronics, garments and footwear, faces a 20 per cent tariff, while Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are all at 19 per cent.

Global Positioning

Globally, Indias new tariff compares favourably with several large exporting nations.

Brazil continues to face a 50 per cent tariff, Myanmar and Laos 40 per cent, South Africa 30 per cent and Mexico 25 per cent. Even developed economies such as Canada (35 per cent) and Switzerland (39 per cent) face significantly higher tariffs than India.

Only a limited group of economies currently enjoy lower tariffs than India. These include the United Kingdom at 10 per cent, and countries such as Japan, South Korea and members of the European Union, which face tariffs of around 15 per cent under earlier trade arrangements with Washington.

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First Published: February 03, 2026, 02:40 IST

News business US Trade Deal: India Gains Edge Over Pakistan, China, Bangladesh With 18% Tariff

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Consumer Court Orders IndiGo To Pay Up Rs 25,000 For Spilling Hot Food On Bengaluru Passenger

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 11:40 IST

After reviewing both sides, the commission concluded that the airlines handling of hot items in overhead bins posed an avoidable risk to passenger safety

The airlines, admitting negligence, offered him a travel voucher for Rs 5,000, but the man was not impressed. (AI-Generated Image)

It was a routine international flight for a Bengaluru man till disaster struck after a cabin crew member accidentally spilt a hot meal on him shortly after take-off, leading to a consumer court order against the airline.

The incident dates back to March 5, 2024, aboard an IndiGo flight flying from Bangkok to Bengaluru. The Times of India reported that around 15 minutes after departure, a flight attendant opened an overhead storage bin, causing a packet of hot non-vegetarian curry to fall onto the passenger, whose name was held back for privacy reasons. The scalding food not only soaked his clothing but also caused discomfort and embarrassment for him.

The airlines, admitting negligence, offered him a travel voucher for Rs 5,000, but the man was not impressed. He decided to approach the consumer court, seeking compensation for Rs 5 lakh, claiming that the mishap had left him shocked and distressed. He told the commission that as a vegetarian, he was particularly uncomfortable due to the smell and stains, and he alleged damage to personal items, including clothes, electronic devices, and a backpack.

The report said after reviewing both sides, the commission concluded that the airlines handling of hot items in overhead bins posed an avoidable risk to passenger safety. It found IndiGo vicariously liable for the in-flight mishap and ordered payment of Rs 20,000 in compensation along with Rs 5,000 toward litigation costs, bringing the total award to Rs 25,000 in favour of the passenger.

On its part, IndiGo had argued that the spill was unforeseen and not a service deficiency" under the law, saying crew responded promptly by relocating the passenger and assisting with clean-up. The commission, however, held that storing hot, loose food in a way that could fall on a passenger constituted negligence.

Last year, a Delhi consumer court found IndiGo Airlines guilty of service deficiency after a female passenger was given a stained and unclean seat on an international flight. The airline was asked to cough up a Rs 1.5 lakh pay-out in compensation for the mental agony, physical discomfort, and harassment caused, along with an additional Rs 25,000 to cover litigation costs.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 11:40 IST

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Karnataka High Court Orders Free Toll Passes For Kanakapura Road Locals

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 11:41 IST

The judge described this situation as unjust and oppressive, noting that it amounted to a failure of duty on the part of both the NHAI and the toll concessionaire.

The NHAI and the concessionaire have been instructed to issue free local resident passes with zero user fee to all eligible residents living in the surrounding villages. Representative Image: X

For thousands of commuters on Kanakapura Road, the Somanahalli toll plaza has long been a daily irritation, a brief halt that added up to a steady drain on time and money. For residents of nearby villages, however, it was more than an inconvenience.

It was a recurring reminder that their everyday commute had been turned into a paid passage. A recent ruling by the Karnataka High Court has now brought them decisive relief.

In a significant order delivered in late January, the Karnataka High Court ruled that toll collection at the Somanahalli toll plaza on National Highway 209 is illegal. The court was hearing petitions filed by residents of Somanahalli, Nelaguli, and Kaggalipura villages, who argued that the plaza violated national highway regulations and unfairly burdened local commuters.

The single-judge bench found that the toll plaza does not comply with the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008, which clearly state that toll gates must be located at least 10 km away from municipal or local authority limits. The court noted that the Somanahalli toll plaza falls within the limits of the newly constituted Greater Bengaluru Authority, making its present location unlawful.

Failure to Protect Local Commuters

The court was particularly critical of the absence of safeguards for residents who rely on the highway for short, essential daily travel. Authorities had failed to provide service roads or alternative routes that would allow locals to bypass the toll plaza.

This, the court observed, effectively forced residents to pay a fee even for routine movement such as commuting to work, school, hospitals, or markets. The judge described this situation as unjust and oppressive, noting that it amounted to a failure of duty on the part of both the National Highways Authority of India and the toll concessionaire.

The court also pointed out that in such cases, a closed user fee collection system should have been implemented, ensuring that short-distance local users are not treated the same as long-distance highway travellers.

Clear Directives and a Firm Deadline

As part of its ruling, the High Court issued a set of mandatory directions. The NHAI and the concessionaire have been instructed to issue free local resident passes with zero user fee to all eligible residents living in the surrounding villages. The process of verifying residency and issuing these passes must be completed within 30 days.

The court made it clear that compliance is not optional. If free passes are not issued within the stipulated timeframe, toll collection at Somanahalli must be stopped immediately. In such a scenario, the authorities would be required to relocate the toll plaza to a location that meets the mandatory 10 km distance rule.

During the hearing, the government argued that residents could avail themselves of discounted monthly passes priced at Rs 340. The court rejected this argument outright, stating that concessions cannot replace strict adherence to statutory requirements. Legal violations, the court said, cannot be justified through partial relief measures.

For now, residents along Kanakapura Road are awaiting the implementation of the order, a ruling that could set a wider precedent for toll plazas operating within expanding urban limits across Karnataka.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 11:41 IST

News cities bengaluru-news Karnataka High Court Orders Free Toll Passes For Kanakapura Road Locals

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Man Rapes Cow In Madhya Pradesh, Unrest Follows As Locals Set Shops, Vehicles Ablaze

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 07:17 IST

Violence erupted in Betul after a viral video of a man allegedly raping his own cow led locals to torch shops, vehicles, and a house.

Representative Photo (IMAGE: X/@Protect_Wldlife)

Tensions prevailed in Madhya Pradeshs Betul district after a video went viral, featuring a man reportedly raping a cow, leading to anger among locals who vandalised and set fire to shops, vehicles, and a house, as reported by India Today.

According to the report, citing the police, the accused was detained, taken into custody, and the situation was brought under control. The flare-up began in Damjipura after Hindu organisations staged protests, expressing their outrage over the viral video.

#WATCH Betul, Madhya Pradesh: SP Virendra Jain said, At 9 AM this morning, some leaders of a Hindu organisation filed a complaint at the Damjipura police outpost stating that an accused man named Abu Khan in Damjipura had raped a cow, and a Hindu boy had also made a video of the pic.twitter.com/5yHAqx5erm ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2026

The cow, which was allegedly raped, belonged to the accused, identified as Abu Khan. Tensions soon escalated into violence, with locals setting fire to a puncture repair shop, reportedly associated with the accused.

According to officials, as cited by the outlet, tensions spread to several other establishments as locals set fire to seven shops, four cars, four bikes, and a house.

Fire brigade teams were called in, and the flames were brought under control. Meanwhile, no injuries have been reported; however, property damages are said to have run into lakhs of rupees.

Police Forces Deployed To Curb Situation

According to officials, as quoted by India Today, police forces from nearby districts were called in to curb the situation.

Virendra Jain, Betul Superintendent of Police (SP), said that the police acted swiftly after learning about the incident and that rumours contributed to the escalation of the violence.

He added that the individuals involved in vandalism and violence are being identified and that action would be taken against them on the basis of complaints and evidence.

As per the allegations of local Hindu groups, the cow belonged to the accused and illegal activities were being carried out in the region.

Residents of the affected locality, on the other hand, have claimed that a large crowd entered the neighbourhood and caused damage to properties.

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Location : Betul, India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 07:17 IST

News cities Man Rapes Cow In Madhya Pradesh, Unrest Follows As Locals Set Shops, Vehicles Ablaze

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Momo Obsession Pushes Teen To Steal Family Jewellery Worth Lakhs In UP

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 08:27 IST

When questioned by family members, the boy reportedly admitted to taking the jewellery and giving to to a momos seller.

AI-generated image used for representation

A 14-year-old boy in Uttar Pradeshs Deoria district allegedly stole jewellery from his own home after developing an addiction to momos. The boy who lived in a village under the jurisdiction of the Rampur Karkhana police station started stealing gold ornaments from the house and handing them over to a momo vendor in return for food.

Over time, several pieces of jewellery disappeared, but the family remained unaware of the thefts.

The issue came to light only when the boys aunt visited her parental home to collect her jewellery. When the family opened the almirah, they found the ornaments missing, triggering concern and confusion, according to a report by India Today.

According to the police cited by the outlet, the minor allegedly exchanged ornaments worth several lakhs for the popular street snack.

Truth Comes Out

When questioned by family members, the boy reportedly admitted to taking the jewellery. The family later learned that he had been giving the gold items to a momo seller who operates a cart in Rampur town.

Shocked by the revelation, the family approached the police and lodged a complaint, seeking action in the matter.

Police Begin Investigation

Confirming the case, a police official said an inquiry has been initiated. The matter has come to our notice. We are verifying the details, and the accused will be taken into custody soon," he was quoted as saying by the outlet.

Police are now trying to trace the Momo vendor and recover the stolen ornaments. They are also working to assess the total value of the jewellery allegedly taken from the house.

A further probe into the matter is underway.

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Location : Uttar Pradesh, India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 08:27 IST

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Mumbais New Coastal Road Has Mindspace Malad, Charkop Interchanges: Versova-Bhayander In 20 Minutes

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 19:05 IST

Mumbai's new coastal road: This phase will connect the under-construction Bandra-Versova Sea Link with the upcoming Uttan-Virar Sea Link, forming a continuous coastal corridor

Rapid Read

The Versova-Bhayander extension is a critical part of the larger Mumbai Coastal Road project. (AI generated for representation)

The work on the north phase of Mumbais VersovaBhayandar Coastal Road began in January 2026.

This 26.32-km extension is a critical part of the larger Mumbai Coastal Road project, designed to provide a signal-free link from South Mumbai to the northern suburbs.

This phase will connect the under-construction Bandra-Versova Sea Link with the upcoming Uttan-Virar Sea Link, forming a continuous coastal corridor. Once operational, the commute time between Versova and Mira-Bhayandar is projected to drop from approximately two hours to under 20 minutes.

The project is expected to be completed by December 2028.

The Versova-Bhayander coastal road route

The project includes strategic interchanges to facilitate local traffic entry and exit:

Versova Interchange: Links the project to the Versova-Madh Bridge and the south-bound sea link.

Mindspace (Malad) Interchange: A multi-level structure designed to connect with the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR).

Charkop Interchange: Provides access for residents of Kandivali and Gorai.

Dahisar/Bhayandar Interchange: The northern terminus that will eventually connect with the proposed Uttan-Virar Sea Link.

Connection Points

Southern End: Connects to the under-construction Bandra-Versova Savarkar Sea Link.

Northern End: Connects to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway via the Mira-Bhayandar corridor.

What is the current status?

On January 20, 2026, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) received the final working permit from the Maharashtra Mangrove Cell.

While work in non-Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas such as pier construction in Goregaon and Dindoshi had already begun, this final clearance allows for full-scale work in the CRZ portions where the majority of the project is located.

The Bombay High Court granted essential permission for the project in late December 2025, overcoming legal hurdles related to environmental impact.

About the project

The project requires the removal of approximately 45,673 mangroves. To compensate, authorities have earmarked land in the Palghar district for massive mangrove afforestation and restoration efforts.

The construction involves seven packages executed simultaneously and includes the complex relocation of high-tension power lines.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 18:31 IST

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BITS Pilani: 20-Year-Old Student Dies By Suicide On Goa Campus; Sixth Case In Two Years

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Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 12:30 IST

A third-year engineering student was found dead in her hostel room at BITS Pilanis Goa campus, marking the sixth such case at the institute in the last two years.

BITS Pilani Goa Student Found Dead in Hostel Room, Sixth Such Case in Two Years.

A 20-year-old female student was found dead in her hostel room at the BITS Pilani campus in South Goa, police said on Monday.

The student, identified as Vishnavi Jitesh (20), was a third-year engineering student. Police said she was found hanging from a ceiling fan with a bedsheet tied around her neck late on Sunday night. She was pursuing Electronics and Communication Engineering at the institute.

A senior police official said the Verna police received a call around 11.30 pm informing them that a female student had allegedly hanged herself in her hostel room. Police teams rushed to the spot soon after receiving the information.

According to the police, the student was a resident of Bengaluru and had been staying in the hostel on the campus located in the Vasco area of South Goa.

This is the sixth case of suicide reported at the institutes campus in Vasco over the past two years, raising concerns over student well-being.

The issue of student suicides at the BITS Pilani campus had also come up during the recent winter session of the Goa Legislative Assembly. During the session, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that students had taken extreme steps due to pressure related to examinations.

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus has expressed deep sorrow over the death of a student and extended condolences to the bereaved family, friends, and the campus community.

In a statement, the institute said the student had been dealing with a personal health challenge and was undergoing treatment. It added that the matter is being handled as per institutional and legal procedures.

The campus said it has active counselling and student support systems in place, with trained mental health professionals available to assist students and staff. The institute also requested privacy for the family and the campus community as they focus on care and recovery.

(With inputs from PTI)

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 16:29 IST

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Class 10 Syllabus Cut Wont Remove Core Content, Says Kerala Education Minister

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 17:19 IST

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty said the planned 25 percent reduction in the Class 10 syllabus will not affect core content and aims to reduce academic stress on students.

V Sivankutty clarifies Class 10 syllabus cut will not affect core content. (Representational/File Photo)

Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Sunday clarified that the proposed 25 percent reduction in the Class 10 syllabus will not affect core or essential portions of school textbooks.

The clarification came amid concerns from students, parents, and sections of the academic community that trimming the syllabus could weaken academic standards. Sivankutty said such fears were unfounded and assured that any changes would be carefully planned.

Reducing content load does not mean removing core or essential portions of the syllabus. The exercise is aimed at avoiding repetition and ensuring that only age-appropriate learning content is included at each level," Sivankutty said.

He added that the same approach would be followed while reviewing the SSLC-level syllabus and stressed that reducing exam-related stress among students remains a key focus of the state government.

The ministers statement comes a day after he announced that the Class 10 syllabus would be reduced by 25 percent from the next academic year, following repeated complaints from students about heavy academic workload. He had said the state curriculum committee had already approved the decision and that the basic structure of textbooks would remain unchanged.

The announcement was made at a public function in Thevalakkara in Kollam district. At the event, Sivankutty, along with Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal, handed over the keys of a newly built house to the family of Mithun, a student who died after being electrocuted at Thevalakkara Boys High School last year.

The house was built by the Kerala State Bharat Scouts and Guides without collecting money from students. It was completed within six months at a cost of Rs 20 lakh. Sivankutty described the effort as a model and humane intervention and said it reflected societys responsibility towards children.

Meanwhile, the General Education Department has also started work on wider reforms to make schools more child-friendly. A draft report proposing lighter school bags and classrooms without backbenchers has been approved by the State Curriculum Steering Committee.

The proposals, prepared by the State Council of Educational Research and Training, aim to democratise classrooms" and improve student participation, the minister said. The department plans to roll out these changes from the next academic year after reviewing public feedback.

These steps are meant to ensure the happiness of children and create a more inclusive learning environment," Sivankutty added.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 17:19 IST

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Spoken At Home, Failed In Exams: One In Five SSLC Students Failed In Kannada

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 13:11 IST

The variation in pass percentages across districts has further highlighted systemic gaps. Mysuru district, where Kannada is widely spoken at home, recorded a 68% pass in Kannada.

Many students, progress to higher classes without mastering basic reading and writing skills, which later affects their performance in board exams. Image: AI

Language performance in board examinations often reflects more than a students effort. It points to classroom practices, early learning gaps, and how languages are taught over the years. Karnataka SSLC results of 2024-25 has brought renewed attention to Kannada education, after a significant number of students failed the language paper across the state.

Nearly one-fifth of students who appeared for the Karnataka SSLC examinations failed the Kannada language paper in 2024-25. Of the approximately 8.42 lakh students who took the exams, 1,65,080 did not clear Kannada.

This included 1,32,175 students who studied Kannada as a first language, 30,913 as a second language, and 1,992 as a third language, indicating that the issue cuts across learning categories.

Kannada Development Authority Steps In

Following the results, the Kannada Development Authority constituted a committee in July 2025 to examine the reasons behind the high failure rate. The panel, chaired by Professor Purushotham Bilimale, includes educationists and language experts and is expected to submit its findings to the Department of School Education and Literacy in the coming weeks.

According to Professor Bilimale, the primary issue is weak foundational learning in Kannada during early school years. Many students, he said, progress to higher classes without mastering basic reading and writing skills, which later affects their performance in board exams.

Another major concern flagged by the committee is the shortage of trained Kannada teachers. In several schools, teachers from non-language subjects are assigned to teach Kannada, despite lacking formal training in the art or method of teaching the language.

District-Wise Gaps Highlight Teaching Issues

The variation in pass percentages across districts has further highlighted systemic gaps. Mysuru district, where Kannada is widely spoken at home, recorded a pass percentage of 68% in Kannada.

In contrast, coastal districts such as Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Karwar reported pass rates exceeding 90%. Experts say this disparity shows that home language exposure alone does not guarantee academic success without effective classroom instruction.

Education expert Niranjan Aardhya, a member of the committee, pointed out that language learning gaps often begin in primary school and widen as students move to higher classes. He stressed the need for trained language teachers at early stages, warning that relying on teachers from unrelated subjects weakens students long-term language skills.

Teachers say the problem is visible well before students reach Class 10. A Kannada teacher from Bannigola in Ballari district noted that many students entering Class 8 struggle with basics, including reading simple words or writing their own names in Kannada, making it difficult to cope with the SSLC syllabus later.

Foundational Literacy Efforts Fall Short

In response to learning gaps, the education department has introduced Foundational Literacy and Numeracy initiatives. Under this programme, the first two months of language classes focus on letters, basic vocabulary, and sentence formation before moving to the prescribed syllabus. While teachers say the approach has helped some students, it has not yet led to a substantial reduction in failure rates.

The SSLC results have reopened discussions on curriculum design, teacher training, and the need for sustained reforms in Kannada education. With the committees report expected soon, its recommendations could play a key role in reshaping how Kannada is taught in Karnatakas schools.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 13:07 IST

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Budget 2026: Why India Allocated Zero Funds For Chabahar And What It Means For Its Iran Strategy

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 13:42 IST

Budget 2026 makes no allocation for Chabahar for the first time in years. Is this the end of Indias flagship Iran port project, or a temporary freeze shaped by geopolitics?

Last September, the United States had enforced stringent economic sanctions on Iran, while allowing India a temporary six-month exemption for its involvement in the Chabahar port project. (File pic/AFP)

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Union Budget 202627 has earmarked no funds for Indias Chabahar port project in Iran.

Over the years, the Centre consistently set aside Rs 100 crore annually for Chabahar; in 202526, revised estimates reached Rs 400 crore. But the new Budget shows zero allocation at a time when tensions between Washington and Tehran have surged, and uncertainty hangs over the fate of Indias sanctions waiver, valid only until 26 April 2026.

The absence of funding comes just months after New Delhi reportedly completed its financial commitments by transferring around $120 million to Iran. Earlier this year, reports suggested that India had effectively exited its on-ground role after making these payments, which may also explain why a fresh allocation was not technically required. But the zero allocation is being read less as disengagement and more as a geopolitical pause driven by sanctions calculations.

Geostrategist Brahma Chellaney said in a tweet, Chabahar Port is Indias only viable route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. An Indian exit would almost certainly leave a vacuum for China to fill. The absence of funding for Chabahar in Indias 202627 Budget may therefore reflect a tactical freeze rather than a strategic retreat, given Washingtons April 26 deadline for India to wind down operations or face sanctions."

He also noted that India is exploring a middle path" with Washington and described the US withdrawal of the earlier Chabahar exemption as gratuitous".

Chabahar Port is Indias only viable route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. An Indian exit would almost certainly leave a vacuum for China to fill. The absence of funding for Chabahar in Indias 202627 Budget may therefore reflect a tactical freeze rather Dr. Brahma Chellaney (@Chellaney) February 1, 2026

How Chabahar Became Central To Indias Regional Strategy

Chabahar sits at the mouth of the Gulf of Oman in Irans SistanBalochistan province. It is Irans first deepwater port and lies just west of the Pakistan border, almost directly mirroring the position of Gwadar, developed by China under the Belt and Road Initiative.

For Iran, the port has been projected as a means to mitigate the impact of Western sanctions by opening alternative trade routes. For India, it provides a vital route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan, which has consistently denied overland access.

Indias political engagement with Chabahar dates back more than two decades. Discussions began in 2002, when Hassan Rouhani, then Irans National Security Advisor, held talks with his Indian counterpart Brajesh Mishra. A year later, during President Mohammad Khatamis 2003 visit to New Delhi, he and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed a cooperation roadmap that identified Chabahar as one of its key projects.

The need for such a route has older roots. After Partition, Indias traditional land links with Iran and Central Asia were severed as Pakistan emerged as a hostile neighbour, though this had a limited impact for several decades because Indias economy remained largely closed.

The regional situation changed significantly after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 1996. India and Iran, both opposed to the Pakistan-backed Sunni Islamist militia and aligned with the Northern Alliance led by Ahmed Shah Massoud, found their strategic interests converge. As Pakistan blocked Indias land access to Afghanistan, New Delhis search for alternative routes became increasingly urgent.

Chabahar had also been seen as a potential route within the International NorthSouth Transport Corridor (INSTC), the trade link connecting India with Russia and further into Europe through multi-modal transport. However, Irans own domestic legal requirements slowed progress, leading to repeated delays.

Since 2015, India has invested about Rs 1,100 crore into the ports development. In 2024, India signed a 10-year agreement to operate the Shahid Beheshti terminal, a long-sought milestone.

In his tweet, Brahma Chellaney warned that an Indian withdrawal from Chabahar would almost certainly leave a vacuum for China to fill."

China is the only major power already positioned to move into Chabahar if India pauses its role. With its deep presence in Gwadar next door and a long-term strategic partnership with Iran, Beijing has both the capacity and the political space to step in quickly. Chabahar has long served as Indias counterweight to Chinas footprint on the Arabian Sea; any Indian retreat would weaken that balance.

How US Sanctions Have Shaped Indias Chabahar Dilemma

Chabahar has been caught in the crossfire of shifting US policy on Iran.

Trumps return and the renewed pressure campaign

In 2018, Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and restored full sanctions on Tehran. India received a Chabahar-specific exemption because the port was considered vital for Afghanistans stability. This waiver continued during Joe Bidens presidency.

But in Trumps second term, the approach changed sharply.

September 2025: Chabahar-related sanctions went into effect. Washington initially refused to extend the earlier waiver to India.

A temporary six-month waiver was eventually issued in October 2025, weeks after sanctions took effect, permitting only a wind-down of Indias operations until 26 April 2026.

Trump later announced that countries continuing to trade with Iran would face an additional 25 per cent tariff.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in January: As you are aware, on October 28, the US Department of Treasury had issued a letter outlining the guidance on the conditional sanctions waiver valid till April 26, 2026," Jaiswal said. We remain engaged with the US side in working out this arrangement."

US regional build-up adds pressure

The US has significantly expanded its military presence around Iran in recent weeks, with President Trump repeatedly threatening Tehran with military strikes if it refuses to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme. This comes on top of domestic unrest inside Iran and new European sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), further shrinking Indias diplomatic room for manoeuvre.

Trumps approach to Iran is one of several policies that have directly undermined India. These include the drastic 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports  the highest in the world  his positions on Kashmir, his stance during Operation Sindoor, and moves that have weakened Indias strategic leverage in the Indo-Pacific. Against this backdrop, Chabahar has shifted from being a connectivity project to a geopolitical pressure point caught between Washington and Tehran.

Why The Zero Allocation Looks Like A Pause, Not A Policy Reversal

The absence of a Budget allocation does not automatically mean India has stepped back from Chabahar. India has already completed its financial commitments for the Chabahar project. More than a year before the latest round of US sanctions was reimposed, New Delhi transferred $120 million to Tehran, the full amount it had pledged for the ports development, according to an Economic Times report citing government sources.

At the same time, India cannot risk violating US sanctions or triggering the 25 per cent tariff, especially with the waiver expiring in April. India remains in discussions with Washington to find a workable formula before the 26 April 2026 deadline.

ORF senior fellow Sushant Sareen argued that critics needed to recognise the structural limits New Delhi faces. He stated: India did this not out of choice but out of compulsion," challenging detractors by saying that if they believed there were alternatives, they should openly defy US sanctions" themselves.

All those baiting GOI for exiting from Chabahar (India did this not out of choice but out of compulsion, which even though Iran doesnt like, it should understand) are welcome to bust US sanctions on Iran and show solidarity with Iran by putting their money where their mouth is. sushant sareen (@sushantsareen) January 16, 2026

Taken together, the situation points to a period of deliberate waiting.

Long before the Budget announcement, several strategic experts had weighed in on Indias position at Chabahar.

Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal underlined that the stakes for India were far higher than for Iran. He wrote on X: Chabahar is a connectivity project that gives India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. Iran does not need Chabahar to have access to both." Warning of the strategic consequences of India being pushed out, he added: Also, it opens the door to China to supplant India in the project," describing the sanctions pressure as geopolitically senseless."

Chabahar is a connectivity project that gives India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.Iran does not need Chabahar to have access to both. So, sanctioning Chabahar delivers a blow to Indias strategic interests in the region which do not conflict with US interests. The https://t.co/6o5N85TPPv  Kanwal Sibal (@KanwalSibal) January 17, 2026

US-based scholar Christopher Clary commented on the changing nature of Washingtons approach, writing that earlier administrations were careful not to force India into hard choices. The current one, he said, likes tugging on strings," pointing to a more coercive sanctions posture.

Prior US govts did not want to force India to make a choice about Chabahar because we worried about the signals it would send. India would be confronted by the reality that any bilateral relationship comes with strings attached. This administration likes tugging on strings. Christopher Clary (@clary_co) January 16, 2026

A different view came from Kabir Taneja, Executive Director at ORFs Middle East programme, who noted that Chabahar has progressed at a snails pace" since 2003 but has always remained part of the IndiaIran framework. No reason for that to change," he said, suggesting continuity despite delays.

There are also voices within government who acknowledged that if sanctions tightened further, India might be compelled to step back. A senior official told ET: India has no choice but to exit the Chabahar port. Fortunately, we dont have any assets there; we were only running the port with manpower from Iran," adding that there would be no other option but to exit" if the US did not ease sanctions.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 13:42 IST

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The Epstein Files Are A Who's Who Of Power: What Three Million Pages Tell Us So Far

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 11:00 IST

The release uncovers Epsteins extensive list of contacts, the tone of his communications with them, & claims he documented about some of the worlds most prominent personalities.

A view of drawers and framed photos, including of Donald Trump, in Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan home is seen in this image released by the Department of Justice. (REUTERS)

Jeffrey Epstein, who died in his Manhattan prison cell in August 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking, left behind an archive that has been made public in unprecedented volume. The files include more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, as well as years of email exchanges.

The revelations range from financial links to personal conversations, all of which remain subject to individual interpretation but do not, in themselves, establish guilt.

Here are the key findings from the Epstein files so far.

Jeffrey Epsteins Interview Footage

Among the newly released files is footage of a sit-down interview in which Epstein is questioned about the origins of his wealth. The interviewer, who does not appear on camera but is believed to be Steve Bannon, US President Donald Trumps former chief strategist, presses him on whether his money is dirty money". Epstein rejects the characterisation, replying: Because I earned it."

When confronted with the suggestion that his earnings came from advising the worst people in the world that do enormous bad things", he responds that ethics is always a complicated subject".

During the exchange, Epstein claimed he donated money to help try to eradicate polio in India and Pakistan, before engaging in a sequence of remarks included verbatim in the files:

Epstein: I think if you told them the devil himself said Im going to exchange some dollars for your childs life"

Interviewer: Do you think youre the devil himself?"

Epstein: No, but I do have a good mirror."

Interviewer: Its a serious question. Do you think youre the devil himself?"

Epstein: I dont know. Why would you say that?"

Interviewer: Because you have all the attributes -"

Epstein: No, the devil scares me."

Do you think you are the devil?"The devil scares me" Clip from Epsteins Dolan interview discussing sexual predators, the devil and angels pic.twitter.com/ecleS5uDkD  Red Panda Koala (@RedPandaKoala) January 31, 2026

There is no information in the documents about when or why the footage was recorded.

Peter Mandelson

The files contain multiple references to Lord Peter Mandelson, the former British cabinet minister and former ambassador to the United States. Three bank statements appear to record $75,000 in payments from Epstein between 2003 and 2004, structured as three instalments of $25,000.

Two payments were apparently directed to accounts naming Mandelson; the third to an account held by his partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, with Mandelson listed as beneficiary. Mandelson has said he has no record and recollection of ever receiving these sums", but nevertheless resigned from the Labour Party to avoid further embarrassment", writing to party general secretary Hollie Ridley to deny the payments and announcing he would conduct his own investigation.

Another element of the release includes photographs showing Mandelson in his underwear while speaking to a woman wearing a bathrobe. The images lack context, dates or information on their origin.

His spokesperson said: No one can say who or where the photo was taken. Lord Mandelson has absolutely no idea or indeed whether it has any connection to Epstein at all."

Peter Mandelson has tonight resigned from the Labour party.Not sacked, they let him resign. Starmer put him forward to be the ambassador to America, he sits in the house of lords. They all knew. Its a big club. It needs dismantled, and all those involved, put in chains! pic.twitter.com/ZUDg0SSVkL  Tommy Robinson  (@TRobinsonNewEra) February 1, 2026

Separate emails show Lord Mandelsons husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, seeking financial help. In September 2009, he wrote to Epstein about my osteo course expenses, incl fee, anatomical models, lap top if you can help me with this", noting an annual fee of 3,225 and thanking him for anything you can help me with".

Epstein replied: I will wire your loan amount immediatedy. (sic)". A later message from Avila da Silva asked regarding the 10,000" and whether the course fee would be paid directly. Epstein replied: includedd. (sic)". Avila da Silva later confirmed receipt: Just a brief note to thank you for the money which arrived in my account this morning."

Reflecting on his past association with Epstein, Mandelson said: I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered." He called his friendship with Epstein a most terrible mistake".

Bill Gates

A 2011 email included in the files shows Epstein telling Mandelson that he spent the day with Gates" in Seattle having monstrous fun". A spokesperson for Bill Gates rejected the implication, saying: These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false. The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epsteins frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame."

The files also contain a 2013 memo Epstein wrote to himself, in which he makes a series of allegations about Gates, including claims that he contracted a sexually transmitted infection after being with what Epstein described as Russian girls". In the same note, Epstein alleges that Gates sought antibiotics he could secretly give to his then-wife, Melinda Gates.

The memo includes the verbatim line: To add insult to the injury you them [sic] implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda and the description of your penis."

Bill Gates should be canceled now that this email from Jeffrey Epstein has become public. pic.twitter.com/opD96XQp6b Quadcarl (@Quadcarl) January 30, 2026

Mira Nair

The name of filmmaker Mira Nair, mother of democratic socialist politician Zohran Mamdani, also appears in the files. An email refers to her attendance at a 2009 gathering at the townhouse of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. The email said Nair attended an after party" for a film screening with several high-profile figures, including Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos.

An email dated October 21, 2009, sent by American publicist Peggy Siegal, read, Just left Ghislaines townhouse after party for film. Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there Jean Pigozzi, director Mira Nairetc. Film received tepid reaction although women like it much more Hillary Swank and Gere at stupid party in Bloomingdales cheap sportwear department very weird." It added, Studio went for free party from store and windows for a month Going to be in Wall Street 2 tomorrow. more to come. xoxo Peg." While the email did not name the film, it appeared to refer to Nairs 2009 movie Amelia, based on the life of aviator Amelia Earhart and starring Hillary Swank and Richard Gere.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

The files include a new allegation from a second woman who claims she had a sexual encounter with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in 2010 after being sent to the UK by Epstein. According to her lawyer, the encounter allegedly occurred at Royal Lodge, and she was subsequently taken on a tour of Buckingham Palace and served tea.

Buckingham Palace keeps records of tour guests but cannot corroborate details without violating her anonymity. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing based solely on the existence of these allegations, and Andrew has renewed his vigorous" denials.

Three photos in the release appear to show Andrew on all fours over a woman lying on the floor. In two images he seems to touch her stomach; in the third he looks at the camera. The documents provide no explanation about the pictures.

 NEW PICTURES RELEASED OF PRINCE ANDREW MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR ON THE FLOOR WITH A YOUNG WOMAN IN THE EPSTEIN FILES  pic.twitter.com/g8LjHzpuf3 Brian Krijgsman (@BrianKrijgsman) January 31, 2026

A 2010 email chain also shows Epstein requesting private time" with Andrew, prompting the reply: alternatively we should have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy". This exchange appears to relate to a planned September 2010 meeting. Andrew reiterated in an October 2025 statement that he denies all accusations.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor invited Jeffrey Epstein to Buckingham Palace and promised him a lot of privacy. pic.twitter.com/1xrskvgffA Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) January 30, 2026

Another exchange from August 2010 includes Epstein writing: I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with", noting the woman was 26, Russian, beautiful, trustworthy and yes she has your email". Andrew has again maintained his denials.

Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump appears in internal emails written by federal investigators in August 2025, examining accusations involving him. The files indicate that investigators found no substantiation for these claims and assessed several accusers as not credible. Trump has repeatedly denied misconduct.

Addressing the latest release aboard Air Force One, he said: I didnt see it myself but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, its the opposite of what people were hoping, you know, the radical left."

Elon Musk

Elon Musk, head of Tesla and SpaceX, is referenced in 2013 messages discussing a potential visit to Epsteins island in the Caribbean. Musk wrote that he would be in the British Virgin Islands and St Barts over the holidays", asking: is there a good time to visit?" Epstein replied that there was always space for you". The email trail shows back-and-forth discussion but does not confirm that a visit occurred.

After the release, Musk wrote on X: No one pushed harder than me to have the Epstein files released and Im glad that has finally happened. I had very little correspondence with Epstein and declined repeated invitations to go to his island or fly on his Lolita Express, but was well aware that some email correspondence with him could be misinterpreted and used by detractors to smear my name. I dont care about that, but what I do care about is that we at least attempt to prosecute those who committed serious crimes with Epstein, especially regarding heinous exploitation of underage girls."

Nobody has fought harder for full release of the Epstein files and prosecutions of those who abused children more than I did, knowing full well that the legacy media, far-left propagandists and those who are actually guilty would:1. Admit nothing2. Deny everything3. Make  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2026

Richard Branson

Emails in the files show multiple interactions between British billionaire Richard Branson and Epstein across 2013, including plans for the disgraced financier to visit Bransons private island, Necker. The initial correspondence from April that year involves Epsteins assistant asking whether he could bring an associate of Bill Gates, Boris Nikolic, on the trip. A later message expands the proposed entourage to include additional guests described as the 2 Russian girls".

Epstein email exchange with Richard Branson bringing two Russia women to his island without UK visas for a lunch visit in 2013. Weird pic.twitter.com/0wEn2PLHyI Stephen Janis, Reporter (@InvestigativeV) January 31, 2026

Separate exchanges from September 2013 reveal a more personal tone. After meeting Branson the previous day, Epstein wrote to him again, prompting a reply in which Branson said it had been really nice seeing you" and added that Epstein would be welcome to visit again as long as you bring your harem!" Bransons team has since said he would never have used such language had he known the full truth about Epstein, and that he was merely echoing a phrase Epstein himself had been using to describe the women he travelled with.

The same email thread shows Epstein seeking Bransons advice on a public relations issue. Branson responded at length, suggesting that one approach might involve Gates acknowledging publicly that Epstein had once been an adviser to him, that Epstein had slipped up many years ago by sleeping with a 17 1/2 year old woman" and had been punished for it, and that he had since lived within the law.

Just Richard Branson, offering advice to Epstein of how to make a PR comeback after being charged. pic.twitter.com/poX2nkhgxq Mannie Quinn & The Dolly Liberation Army (@DollidarityArmy) February 1, 2026

Branson added that Epsteins interest in women, as a single man, was not inherently problematic, before concluding that something along those lines" might help address the matter. His team now stresses that this advice was offered without knowledge of the true nature or extent of Epsteins offending.

Sarah Ferguson

Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York and ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, appears in several email threads. In February 2011, she contacted Epstein regarding the timing of a wire" to Columbia University, writing: I am embarrassed and sorry to ask you, as it is such a favour. What shall we do?" Epstein replied: I need to speak to Andrew  dont worry". Ferguson wrote back that Andrew was at Royal Lodge in Windsor. The files do not explain what the wire concerned.

Another exchange from October 2009 shows Epstein receiving forwarded details about a settlement for Fergusons company Hartmoor, which collapsed with over $1 million in debts. Her office sent the settlement information to David Stern, a US lawyer and businessman, who then forwarded it to Epstein. The files do not clarify the purpose of the communication or why it reached Epstein.

Several emails reveal that Ferguson had once expressed deep appreciation for Epstein. In an August 2009 message, she wrote: the brother I have always wished for". In another note, she addressed him as my dear spectacular and special friend", adding you are a legend, and I am so proud of you."

She later told the Evening Standard in 2011 that accepting 15,000 from Epstein had been a gigantic error of judgment" and stated: I would never have anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again. I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children."

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 10:34 IST

News explainers The Epstein Files Are A Who's Who Of Power: What Three Million Pages Tell Us So Far

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Budget 2026 Announces Rare Earth Corridors: Mapping The Vitamins Of Modern Industry In 4 States

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 19:11 IST

Budget 2026 Announces Rare Earth Corridors: Which are the four states? Which rare earth minerals do they have? What are rare earth minerals used for?

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A scheme for Rare Earth Permanent Magnets was launched in November 2025. (AI generated for representation)

Support for dedicated rare earth corridors in four states was among the key announcements made in Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans Budget 2026 speech on Sunday.

Which are the four states? Which rare earth minerals do they have?

The Budget 2026 announcement

A scheme for Rare Earth Permanent Magnets was launched in November 2025.

We now propose to support the mineral-rich states of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to establish dedicated Rare Earth Corridors to promote mining, processing, research and manufacturing," said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who presented her ninth consecutive Budget, said in her speech.

What are rare earth elements?

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 17 metallic elements comprising the 15 lanthanides on the periodic table, plus scandium and yttrium. Despite their name, they are relatively abundant in the Earths crust; for instance, cerium is as common as copper. They are considered rare" because they are seldom found in concentrated, economically mineable deposits and are difficult to chemically separate from one another.

Why are they called Vitamins of Modern Industry?

Rare earth elements are often called the Vitamins of Modern Industry because even small amounts significantly enhance the performance of high-tech devices. Their importance stems from unique magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical properties.

Clean Energy & Green Tech: They are essential for the transition to a low-carbon economy. Neodymium and dysprosium are used to create powerful permanent magnets for electric vehicle (EV) motors and wind turbines.

Consumer Electronics: REEs power the technology in your pocket. They are used in smartphone speakers, vibration units, and screens (yttrium and europium provide the red and blue colors). They are also critical for computer hard drives and LED lighting.

National Defence: They are vital for advanced military hardware, including precision-guided missiles, radar systems, sonar, and jet engines.

Medical Technology: REEs enable advanced imaging and treatment, such as MRI contrast agents, PET scanners, and medical lasers used in surgery and cancer treatment.

Industrial Applications: They act as catalysts in petroleum refining and are used to create high-strength, corrosion-resistant metal alloys.

Rare earth minerals and the world

Because there are currently no known equal substitutes for many of their applications, REEs are considered critical minerals. China currently dominates the global market, controlling approximately 70% of production and over 85% of refining capacity. This has led countries like the US, India, and the EU to invest heavily in diversifying supply chains to avoid geopolitical risks.

How many rare earth mineral resources do these four states have?

Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu are the primary hubs for rare earth minerals in India, primarily due to their extensive coastal monazite deposits. Monazite is a mineral that contains several rare earth elements, notably the lanthanide group.

Monazite is a reddish-brown phosphate mineral, typically found in igneous and metamorphic rocks or as heavy grains in placer deposits, serving as a primary ore for rare-earth elements (cerium, lanthanum, neodymium) and radioactive thorium.

The distribution of monazite resources across these four states is as follows:

Andhra Pradesh: Holds the largest share with 3.78 million tonnes of monazite across 24 deposits. Visakhapatnam is the most significant hub for rare earth magnets in India.

The Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM) Plant at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) campus in Visakhapatnam is the countrys first dedicated facility. It produces samarium-cobalt (SmCo) and neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets using indigenous technology and domestic raw materials. Andhra Pradesh is moving beyond mining into value-added downstream processing and magnet manufacturing.

Odisha: Contains 3.16 million tonnes of monazite, located in 12 major deposits such as those in Gopalpur and Chhatrapur. Odisha is focused on developing new technologies for magnets used in defense, space, and EVs.

Tamil Nadu: Has 2.47 million tonnes of monazite reserves spread across 50 deposits, including the Manavalakurichi beach sand and Sathankulam Teri sand deposits. Home to significant monazite resources, now being developed for an end-to-end magnet value chain.

Kerala: Holds 1.84 million tonnes of monazite in 35 deposits, with significant concentration in areas like the Chavara barrier beach. The state is utilising its extensive beach sand mineral deposits to support refined rare earth extraction and magnet production.

Other schemes

Midwest Advanced Materials (MAM) is establishing a Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) magnet production plant in Hyderabad, supported by the Technology Development Board.

Earlier in November 2025, the Union Cabinet had approved Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets with a financial outlay of Rs 7,280 crore.

This first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed to establish 6,000 Metric Tons per Annum (MTPA) of integrated Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM) manufacturing in India, thereby enhancing self-reliance and positioning India as a key player in the global REPM market.

REPMs are one of the strongest types of permanent magnets and are vital for electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, aerospace, and defence applications.

How has industry reacted to the scheme?

Budget proposals on dedicated rare earth corridors in mineral-rich states like Odisha will spur the development of new technologies for manufacturing of rare earth magnets used in phones, defence, EVs and other modern equipment, industry players said on Sunday.

Todays budget highlighted on creating Rare Earth Corridors in Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Andhra Pradesh for mining, manufacturing, processing and refining of rare earth and critical minerals. This will lead to enhanced focus and development of new technologies for manufacturing of Rare Earth Magnets to be used in phones, defence & space equivalents, EVs and other modern equipment," Sanjiv Ganeriwala, Chairman of Mining Council Eastern India, Assocham, said.

Also, beneficiation and refining of graphite will lead to large battery storage for solar energy and a lot of other industries. A lot of other rare and critical minerals beneficiation and refining will make India self-reliant and a leader in the world, he said.

Grant Thornton Bharat Partner and Metals and Mining Industry Suvendu Bose said that the proposed dedicated rare earth corridors aim to integrate mining, processing, R&D, and manufacturing, addressing the weakest link in Indias energy transition: value-chain depth.

Complemented by customs duty exemptions for capital goods in critical minerals processing, nuclear projects, lithium-ion cells and battery storage systems, and solar glass manufacturing, these measures advance Indias strategic self-reliance in minerals and chemicals crucial for EVs, renewables, nuclear power, defence, and advanced manufacturing, Bose said.

With Agency Inputs

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 13:12 IST

News india Budget 2026 Announces Rare Earth Corridors: Mapping The Vitamins Of Modern Industry In 4 States

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CA Found Dead, Mother And Teen Sister Critical After Suicide Attempt In Ranchi

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 23:56 IST

The incident has shocked residents of the area, with neighbours saying they were unaware of any visible distress or tension within the family.

(Representative Image)

A young chartered accountant was found dead, while his mother and teenage sister are battling for life, following what police believe was a coordinated suicide attempt at their residence in Ranchis Ashok Nagar area.

The deceased, identified as Mihir, had recently returned to Ranchi from Kolkata. Police said he allegedly died by suicide at the family home. By the time neighbours alerted authorities and officers reached the spot, Mihir was already dead.

Investigators said Mihirs mother, Sneha Akhouri, a practising lawyer at the Jharkhand High Court, and his 14-year-old sister were found alive but in critical condition after allegedly consuming a poisonous substance.

Both were immediately rushed to Guru Nanak Hospital, where doctors said their condition remains serious.

According to preliminary information, Mihir had completed his Chartered Accountancy course in Kolkata and had recently secured a job with a corporate firm.

The incident has shocked residents of the area, with neighbours saying they were unaware of any visible distress or tension within the family.

Following the incident, police teams cordoned off the house and launched an investigation. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team was called in to collect evidence, while officers questioned neighbours and local residents to piece together the sequence of events.

Police officials said the exact cause and circumstances leading to the incident are still unclear.

The picture will become clearer once the mother and daughter regain consciousness and are able to record their statements," an officer said.

The case is being probed from all possible angles, police added.

Suicide Prevention: 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)

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Location : Ranchi, India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 23:56 IST

News india CA Found Dead, Mother And Teen Sister Critical After Suicide Attempt In Ranchi

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'Can't Be Permitted To Spread Venom': In SC, Centre Defends Sonam Wangchuk's Detention Under NSA

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 16:39 IST

Does Wangchuk want Ladakh to become Nepal and Bangladesh? the Centre asked before the court, as it defended the detention.

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Wangchuk, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee and the prominent face of the movement demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards for Ladakh, was detained on September 26. File pic/PTI

The Centre on Monday defended the detention of activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA) before the Supreme Court, arguing that his statements posed a serious threat to national security and public order.

A bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Prasanna B Varale heard the matter.

Appearing for the government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said Wangchuk could not be permitted to spread venom" by making calls for plebiscite and referendum, especially in a strategically sensitive region like Ladakh, which is critical for the countrys defence and supply chain for forces stationed at the border.

He stressed that bringing the region to a standstill was something that must be prevented.

The Centre questioned Wangchuks statements in which he claimed that every region has the right to decide where it belongs and advocated a plebiscite and referendum. Mehta asked whether such remarks did not make it a fit case for invoking the NSA.

Does Wangchuk want Ladakh to become Nepal and Bangladesh?" the Centre asked before the court, as it defended the detention.

The Solicitor General also alleged that Wangchuk was instigating the youth to self-immolate. He is giving calls for plebiscite and referendum," the Centre told the court, arguing that such actions could not be permitted.

Questioning Wangchuks remarks about the armed forces, Mehta said, He is sitting in a place surrounded by Pakistan and China and saying the Indian Army is weak?" The Centre said such statements were highly objectionable.

Mehta also objected to Wangchuks use of a metaphor comparing Ladakh to Sita Maa," where he allegedly said that while Ram rescued her from Ravan, she was later put up for sale in the marketplace to big businessmen. The Solicitor General said such a figure of speech was unacceptable.

Reiterating the governments stand, the Centre told the Supreme Court that Wangchuk cannot be allowed to spread venom," and that his statements and actions constituted a fit case for detention under the NSA.

Wangchuk was detained under the NSA and lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan after protests erupted in Leh in September 2025 over demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory of Ladakh.

On January 29, Wangchuk told the apex court that he never made any statement about overthrowing the government like the Arab Spring, asserting that he has a democratic right to criticise and protest against the government and that such views do not pose a threat to the security of the state to justify his detention.

These submissions were made by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, arguing for Wangchuks wife, Angmo. The top court directed that Wangchuk be examined by a specialist after he complained of stomach issues due to contaminated water.

Sibal further argued that the agencys allegation that Wangchuk instigated people at the border was completely baseless, stating that he has always followed the peaceful path of anshan and padyatras" as shown by Mahatma Gandhi.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 16:28 IST

News india 'Can't Be Permitted To Spread Venom': In SC, Centre Defends Sonam Wangchuk's Detention Under NSA

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Centre Has Taken Note Of Indore Water Contamination Incident, Minister Informs Parliament

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 23:52 IST

The Centre and Indore Municipal Corporation are tackling Bhagirath Pura's water contamination with AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0 schemes, Minister informed RS.

In Indore's Bhagirath Pura, several people have died of diarrhoea and vomiting since the end of December. (Photo: PTI/File)

The Centre has acknowledged the water contamination incident in Indores Bhagirath Pura and is assisting states through financial and technical schemes such as AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

In a written response to a query, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu stated that the region has ageing pipelines from 1997, noting that some of it is damaged, so the municipal administration identified the old stretches of pipeline and included them under AMRUT 2.0".

Several people in Bhagirath Pura have succumbed to diarrhoea and vomiting since the end of December.

The minister highlighted that the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has initiated four water supply projects for the city under AMRUT 2.0. Execution of Package-1 has commenced, while the remaining three packages are awaiting approval.

The initiative addresses the entire water supply chain, including comprehensive overhauling, augmentation, and modernisation of the existing system. This encompasses source development, treatment, conveyance, storage, and citywide distribution.

All packages include system integration, commissioning, and long-term operation and maintenance to ensure a safe, reliable, and sustainable drinking water supply for the urban area.

Sahu emphasised that water management is a state responsibility, with the Union government providing supplementary support through advisories and infrastructure funding.

The state government has implemented standard operating procedures (SOPs) for urban local bodies to prevent water contamination.

About 14,181 leakages were detected to date, with 12,634 of them repaired. Out of 3,298 overhead tanks, 3,109 have been cleaned.

Similarly, out of 21,215 tubewells, 179 were found polluted and 86 were closed for use. Regular water quality testing is ensured. Of the 80,976 samples tested, 656 failed, and action was taken at 588 points where pollution was detected," Sahu reported.

The state government informed that under AMRUT, three drinking water supply schemes worth Rs 541 crore and two sewerage schemes worth Rs 278 crore were executed for Indore city.

Additionally, under AMRUT 2.0, two water supply schemes worth Rs 1,142 crore and four sewerage schemes worth Rs 534 crore have been sanctioned. The municipal corporation is also implementing two water supply schemes worth Rs 1,121.54 crore.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 23:52 IST

News india Centre Has Taken Note Of Indore Water Contamination Incident, Minister Informs Parliament

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CJ Roy Death: 9-Page Suicide Note Found, Reveals Family Apology And Business Plans

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 14:03 IST

Bengaluru-based businessman CJ Roy's suicide note reportedly begins with Roy apologising to his family, seeking forgiveness as he described taking his "final step"

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CJ Roy's death occurred on Friday afternoon amid an ongoing Income Tax Department search at his premises. (News18 Hindi)

A nine-page suicide note written by Bengaluru-based businessman CJ Roy, who died by suicide during an Income Tax Department investigation, has been recovered and is now a key focus of the ongoing probe, police sources said.

According to reports accessed by NewsFirst Prime, the handwritten note contains extensive personal, financial and business details, offering what investigators describe as crucial leads into the circumstances surrounding Roys death. The document is currently being examined in detail by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the case.

The note reportedly begins with Roy apologising to his family, seeking forgiveness as he described taking his final step". While the language reflects emotional distress, investigators noted that the contents are structured and detailed, outlining clear instructions on both personal and professional matters.

Reports said Roy recorded specific financial information in the note, including details of money owed to him, and clearly named successors to manage his business affairs after his death. He also made a strong appeal that long-serving employees of the Confident Group should not be removed, describing them as trusted colleagues who should continue with the organisation.

Police said statements of Roys wife and children are now being recorded as part of the investigation. Investigators believe the financial disclosures mentioned in the note will help verify certain claims and establish a clearer timeline of events.

Sources further revealed that Roy had previously discussed several financial matters with his wife, particularly relating to funds extended to others. He had also spoken publicly about this in a recent YouTube interview, stating that his wife was aware of many of his business dealings. In view of this, SIT officials are expected to question her in greater detail after funeral rites are completed, as she is believed to have substantial knowledge of his financial records and business operations.

Roys death occurred on Friday afternoon amid an ongoing Income Tax Department search at his premises. Police said the searches, led by a Kerala-based IT team, had been underway for three days. On the day of the incident, Roy was questioned for nearly an hour and asked to produce certain financial documents. He then sought permission to go to his private chamber to retrieve the papers.

Shortly thereafter, a gunshot was heard. Police said Roy used a personal pistol to shoot himself in the chest. Income Tax officials present rushed him to Narayana Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh confirmed the death and said forensic, crime and scene-of-crime teams had examined the site. He shot himself and committed suicide. It is being examined to see which pistol was used. We are investigating to see how many rounds were fired," he said, adding that further details would be shared after the investigation progresses.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 13:05 IST

News india CJ Roy Death: 9-Page Suicide Note Found, Reveals Family Apology And Business Plans

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Class 5 Student Loses Vision After Classmates Rub Shoe On His Face At Lucknow School

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Last Updated: February 01, 2026, 23:45 IST

According to the complaint filed by the victim's mother, the incident occurred on January 21 at around 12.30 pm in the school ground.

Class 5 staudent was assaulted by his peers inside school. (Representative Image)

A Class 5 student in Lucknows Army Public School was allegedly assaulted by two fellow students on the school premises, resulting in serious eye injuries and loss of vision.

According to the complaint filed by the victims mother, the incident occurred on January 21 at around 12.30 pm in the school ground.

In her complaint, she alleged that a student of another section of Class 5 and another student of Class 3 assaulted her son.

The children allegedly knocked him to the ground and rubbed the heel of a shoe on his eyes and face, causing severe injuries," the complaint said.

Following the attack, the child has lost his eyesight and is currently undergoing treatment at Command Hospital, the woman said in her complaint.

She also accused the school authorities for failing to take cognisance of the incident despite being informed.

She has sought strict action against the students involved, as well as the school staff, for alleged negligence.

(With PTI inputs)

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Location : Uttar Pradesh, India, India

First Published: February 01, 2026, 23:45 IST

News india Class 5 Student Loses Vision After Classmates Rub Shoe On His Face At Lucknow School

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'His Leadership Vital For Global Peace': PM Modi Thanks President Trump After US Tariff Rollback

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News18.com Edited By: Oindrila Mukherjee



Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 08:42 IST

PM Narendra Modi said the new trade deal benefits the people when "two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together"

US President Donald Trump (L) and PM Narendra Modi (R) spoke over the phone about a new trade deal between their two countries with a massive reduction in tariffs, which had earlier stalled the negotiations. (Image: News18)

US Trade Deal With India: Stressing on the Make in India factor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday thanked US President Donald Trump soon after Washington confirmed a trade agreement with New Delhi by reducing tariffs on Indian products from 50 percent to 18 percent.

Also See: India US Trade Deal Latest News | Stock Market Live Updates

Lauding Trump, Modi said his leadership is vital for global peace and he looks forward to closely working with the President to take the partnership between the United States and India to unprecedented heights".

Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," Modi said in a post on X.

He said the new trade deal benefits the people when two large economies and the worlds largest democracies work together".

Also See: What Is India US Trade Deal

When two large economies and the worlds largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation," he said.

Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement.When two large economies and the Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 2, 2026

President Trumps leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," he added.

Trump and PM Modi spoke over the phone about the new deal, following which the President posted about it on his Truth Social and said the United States will now charge a reduced reciprocal tariff, lowering it from 25 percent to 18 percent.

However, US ambassador to India Sergio Gor then confirmed that the tariffs on Indian products will be reduced from 50 percent  25 percent reciprocal and 25 percent on oil previously applied  to 18 percent. These tariffs were a major reason behind stalled negotiations for the vital trade deal between the two countries, with Trump making it about Indias purchase of Russian oil.

Calling it an exciting new phase", Indian ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra congratulated Modi saying this deal is a big win" under Modis leadership.

A big win for a consequential partnership under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump. India and USA announce trade deal creating vast new opportunities for the two economies and the people of our two great nations. Todays announcements herald an exciting new phase in our partnership," Kwatra said in a post on X.

A big WIN for a consequential partnership under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi @narendramodi and President Donald Trump @POTUS India and USA announce trade dealcreating vast new opportunities for the two economies and the people of our two great nations. https://t.co/kzuwBm25KX Amb Vinay Mohan Kwatra (@AmbVMKwatra) February 2, 2026

Modi, however, did not mention Trumps assertion that India will reduce tariffs on US goods to zero and stop buying Russian oil.

WHAT DID DONALD TRUMP SAY?

On his social media, Donald Trump called the agreement with India a major shift in bilateral trade ties linked to energy cooperation and broader geopolitical goals.

About their phone call, he said he and Modi discussed many things, including trade, and ending the war with Russia and Ukraine". He claimed that Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil and to increase purchases from the US and, potentially, from Venezuela.

This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!" Trump wrote, adding that the trade deal will immediately take effect. He claimed that India will move forward to reduce their tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO".

(With agency inputs)

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First Published: February 03, 2026, 08:42 IST

News india 'His Leadership Vital For Global Peace': PM Modi Thanks President Trump After US Tariff Rollback

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Do Not Disparage India: Rijiju Cites Elon Musk To Target Rahul Gandhi, Points To GDP Growth

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 11:32 IST

His remarks come amid sustained criticism by Gandhi of the BJP-led governments economic management, including a reiteration of his dead economy comment

Rijiju said he was referring to Musks post not to elevate a foreign voice, but to underline Indias economic achievements. (Pic: PTI, AP)

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday cited a post by Tesla CEO Elon Musk to push back against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhis criticism of the Indian economy and Budget 2026, urging him not to disparage India" while attacking the government.

The BJP leader was responding to a social media post by Musk, who reacted to a global statistics report projecting India as the second-largest contributor to global GDP growth in 2026. Musk had shared a post by @stats_feed stating that China and India together would account for 43.6% of global growth," adding, The balance of power is changing."

Honble PM has given top priority to North-East and Eastern India. Im happy that my colleague Union Minister and MP from Assam Shri @sarbanandsonwal Ji will move the motion of thanks to Honble President for addressing joint session of Parliament & initiate discussion today. https://t.co/i6gqtvYSNN Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 2, 2026

Rijiju said he was referring to Musks post not to elevate a foreign voice, but to underline Indias economic achievements amid domestic political debate.

Also Read: Balance Of Power Changing: Elon Musk After IMF Data Shows India Above US In Global GDP Growth

I normally do not react to statements which are not made by Indians. Im quoting @elonmusk only to sensitise Rahul Gandhi ji that, while criticising the govt is a democratic right, do not disparage India & never belittle Indias achievement. Be a proud Indian," Rijiju wrote on X.

His remarks come amid sustained criticism by Gandhi of the BJP-led governments economic management, including a reiteration of his dead economy" comment and fresh objections to provisions in the Union Budget 202627.

A post shared by Elon Musk outlined the top 10 countries by their projected contribution to global GDP growth in 2026, citing data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The post also noted that the Asia-Pacific region is expected to account for nearly half of total global economic growth.

According to the projections cited, India was ranked ahead of the United States, with a forecast contribution of 17% to global GDP growth. Other countries on the list included China at 26.6%, the US at 9.9%, Indonesia at 3.8% and Germany at 0.9%.

Nirmala Sitharaman On Rahul Gandhis Comments

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday issued a sharp response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhis criticism of the Union Budget 202627, asserting that the fundamentals of the Indian economy remain robust and that the government is open to criticism grounded in facts.

Also Read: Ready To Debate With Facts: FM Sitharaman Hits Back At Rahul Gandhi Over Budget Criticism

Addressing the remarks, Sitharaman said the Budget prioritises economic stability while safeguarding vulnerable sections in the face of global uncertainty. The fundamentals of the economy remain strong. We have introduced multiple schemes for the textile sector and for ordinary citizens to ensure they are protected from volatility," she said. Watch more videos Share this Article

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Emphasising the governments openness to debate, the finance minister added, Political criticism is always welcome, but I want to know what you have to say based on facts. I am willing to listen and respond."

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 11:25 IST

News india Do Not Disparage India: Rijiju Cites Elon Musk To Target Rahul Gandhi, Points To GDP Growth

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Which Book Did Rahul Gandhi Quote In Lok Sabha And Why Did It Trigger A Ruckus?

Curated By :

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 16:12 IST

Rahul Gandhi quoted excerpts from General MM Naravanes unpublished memoir in Lok Sabha, sparking uproar as Rajnath Singh objected, citing parliamentary rules.

Photos of Amit Shah/Cover of Naravane's unpublished book/Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhis reference to an unpublished memoir of former Army chief General MM Naravane sparked an uproar in the Lok Sabha on Monday, as the Speaker repeatedly reminded members of rules that material not in the public domain cannot be quoted by members.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi read out passages he said were taken from the unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, while speaking during the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh immediately objected, telling the House that no one can quote from a book that has not even been published.

The passages being cited in the House relate to memoir excerpts attributed to Naravane.

WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT NARAVANEs UNPUBLISHED BOOK

The book has not yet been officially released and is under review by the Ministry of Defence.

The Caravan magazine published excerpts from the as-yet-unpublished manuscript, which allegedly describe decision-making and exchanges over a border standoff with China. The report began with a purported incident in August 2020, and the X post shared by The Caravan too mentioned Galwan. Rahul Gandhi, however, mentioned Doklam during his speech.

Doklam, at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan, was the site of an IndiaChina standoff in 2017. In 2020, eastern Ladakhs Galwan Valley witnessed a deadly clash between the two sides, with 20 Indian soldiers confirmed dead.

Cover Story | Naravane presided over the June 2020 Galwan clash in which India lost 20 soldiers and control over significant territory. These were the first military deaths in a clash on the IndiaChina border in Ladakh since the 1962 war, triggering a public-relations crisis for pic.twitter.com/u6pn13EIzt The Caravan (@thecaravanindia) February 2, 2026

Naravane presided over the June 2020 Galwan clash in which India lost 20 soldiers and control over significant territory. These were the first military deaths in a clash on the IndiaChina border in Ladakh since the 1962 war, triggering a public-relations crisis for the Modi government and casting a long shadow on bilateral relations," an X post by The Caraven said.

It added that in the absence of any official confirmation, it is difficult to quantify the territorial gains made by China in eastern Ladakh since May 2020, but also quoted activist Sonam Wangchuks wife as saying that China is not only occupying our land but also coming deeper inside Indian territory every year".

The Caravans reportage characterises the manuscript as an as-yet-unpublished memoir" titled Four Stars of Destiny and quotes passages that portray tense interactions during the Ladakh crisis.

Amid the controversy, Union minister Kiren Rijiju hit back and Rahul Gandhi, and said: Aksai Chin, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradeshcan the parts encroached under Congress rule be retrieved? Gandhi should first apologise for 1959 and 1962. He must apologise to the nation for the historical blunders of his party."

WHY THE BOOKS SPARKED A MASSIVE UPROAR IN PARLIAMENT

Initially, the Parliaments dispute on Monday centred not on the broader themes of the book but on whether unpublished material may be quoted in the House and whether the specific extracts cited are authentic.

As the uproar continued, the Defence Minister and other Union Ministers in the House maintained that an unpublished book cannot be treated as an authenticated public source for parliamentary proceedings.

The Chair intervened repeatedly, directing the LoP to authenticate the material and reminding members that parliamentary convention and rules do not allow quoting from unpublished books or paper clippings.

Congress marshals, including KC Venugopal, backed the LoPs claim of authenticity, while the Leader of Opposition maintained the material was 100 per cent authentic" and said he was responding to allegations from the opposite benches.

Rijiju said Gandhi wasted 30 minutes" to break a rule. Gandhi did not authenticate the book he was quoting from. The Speaker gave a ruling under 349. Without authenticating, you cant quote. Even then he repeated the mistake, wasting 30 minutes to break a rule," he said.

Rajnath Singh pressed the point several times, demanding to know which book" was being cited and asking that a published copy be produced if quotations were to be placed on record.

The Speaker cited established practice, including parliamentary rules invoked during the exchanges, and warned that members must follow the Chairs rulings.

At one point, the Chair said it was not a new ruling but a convention Parliament follows. When the LoP persisted, the Chair warned it would call another member to speak.

The Lok Sabha had met to take up the Motion of Thanks on President Droupadi Murmus address delivered on January 28, a standard opening item for the Budget Session.

The House allocated 18 hours for debate on the motion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply later in the week, and the Budget Session will run through multiple sittings over a 65-day period.

Members used the allotted time to raise a range of issues, the quotation dispute emerged during the Leader of the Oppositions remarks on matters relating to Indias relations with China and the Ladakh standoff, which the LoP claimed were relevant to the Presidents address.

Before Rahul Gandhi had begun speaking, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya used his allotted time to sharply criticise the Congress and the UPA years, calling them a decade of lost opportunities".

His remarks provoked interruptions from the Opposition, and Home Minister Amit Shah intervened in that earlier exchange.

The motion itself was moved by Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and set the stage for the longer debate in which the quotation dispute later surfaced.

WHAT HAPPENED IN GALWAN?

On June 15, 2020, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, triggering the deadliest confrontation between the two sides in more than four decades.

By early June, India had objected to Chinese troops setting up temporary structures near Patrol Point 14 (PP14), an area both sides regularly patrol and use for face-to-face meetings.

On June 6, local commanders from both sides agreed to disengage and pull back troops from the area. China dismantled one tent, and both sides agreed to withdraw around two kilometres.

However, days later, Indian troops discovered that Chinese soldiers had returned and erected new tents, including one positioned on elevated ground overlooking the valley.

On the evening of June 15, a team went to verify whether the disengagement had been completed.

According to Indian accounts, when the Indian patrol attempted to remove the newly erected structure, a scuffle broke out between the two sides, quickly escalating into a brutal hand-to-hand fight using stones, rods and makeshift weapons wrapped with barbed wire.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 14:49 IST

News india Which Book Did Rahul Gandhi Quote In Lok Sabha And Why Did It Trigger A Ruckus?

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Galwan Or Doklam: Which India-China Standoff Was Rahul Gandhi Referring To In Lok Sabha?

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 20:31 IST

Galwan vs Doklam: What happened in Lok Sabha? What were Rahul Gandhis exact words? What was the article he was referring to about? How are the two India-China standoffs different?

Rapid Read

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, speaks in the House, in New Delhi, on Monday. (Sansad TV via PTI)

Amid the clash in the Lok Sabha over a yet-to-be-published memoir of former Army chief General MM Naravane, one question has emerged  Was the Opposition leader referring to Galwan or Doklam?

What happened in the Lok Sabha? What were Rahul Gandhis exact words? What was the article he was referring to about? How are the two India-China standoffs different?

LOK SABHA CHAOS ON MONDAY: RAHUL GANDHI SPOKE ABOUT DOKLAM

Gandhi on Monday challenged the Central government over its objections to his attempt to quote from a report that apparently cited the unpublished memoir of Naravane, asking why the government was so scared" of the content, insisting on reading excerpts related to the Doklam standoff, which he said highlight true patriotism.

Gandhis reply during the motion of thanks on the Presidents Address was interrupted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who raised concern about the fact that the Congress MP cannot quote from an unpublished book, which he said has not been authenticated.

ALSO READ | Naravanes Memoir Not Out Yet, But Heres What Ex-Army Chief Said About India-China Border Standoff

Gandhi further said that the passage related to an incident at Doklam. The Army Chief writes, and I quote from an article that is quoting his bookThis is from the memoir of Army Chief Naravane. And Id like you to listen nicely. You will understand exactly who is patriotic and who is not. It will take a little while, so this is about when four Chinese tanks were entering Indian territory. They were taking a ridge in Doklam," Gandhi added.

Even as Singh objected, Gandhi responded, stating that his source was authentic and that the quotations appeared in a published magazine article. However, the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla ruled that unpublished material could not be read out in the House and denied permission to proceed with the reading.

The Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, The Speaker has given a ruling that articles from magazines or newspapers cannot be quoted in the HouseDebate in the House should be held according to the lawsWe should also discuss what should be done with a member who doesnt obey the Speakers ruling in Lok Sabha."

Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav said, The matter relating to China is very sensitive. LoP, Lok Sabha should be allowed to speak."

Further, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also intervened during the exchange as the House remained divided over the issue, before the proceedings moved ahead amid continued interruptions. Shah also got up: When the book has not even been published, how can he (Rahul) quote from it?"

WHAT IS THE CONFUSION?

While RG mentioned Doklam, a section of the internet pointed out he could have been referring to Galwan.

For instance, a user wrote on X: Rahul Gandhi really says Doklam instead of Galwan at 2:30 min."

Rahul Gandhi really says Doklam instead of Galwan at 2:30 min. pic.twitter.com/U6d0KZ9YfT Abhinav (@abhinavpratap_s) February 2, 2026

After building and heating up the atmosphere against China, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has

#Misquoted Said #Doklam instead of #Galwan Rahul Gandhi ji should know that former Army Chief General Naravanes unpublished book is on Galwan and Agneepath, which hadnt received approval for publication," said another user.

CARAVAN ARTICLE RAHUL GANDHI QUOTED IS ON GALWAN STANDOFF

The article on the website of the magazine mentions 2020, which is the year the Galwan clash was reported. LIEUTENANT GENERAL YOGESH JOSHI, the chief of the Indian Armys Northern Command, received a phone call at 8.15 pm on 31 August 2020. The information he received alarmed him. Four Chinese tanks, supported by infantry, had begun moving up a steep mountain track towards Rechin La in eastern Ladakh. Joshi reported the movement to the chief of army staff, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who immediately grasped the severity of the situation," it reads.

In a post on X, the Caravan put out an excerpt from their cover story in the February issue, titled, Naravanes Moment of Truth: An army chiefs unpublished memoir exposes how the Modi government spun the China border crisis. The X post read: Lieutenant General Yogesh Joshi, the chief of the Indian Armys Northern Command, received a phone call at 8.15 pm on 31 August 2020. The information he received alarmed him. Four Chinese tanks, supported by infantry, had begun moving up a steep mountain track towards Rechin La in eastern Ladakh. Joshi reported the movement to the chief of army staff, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who immediately grasped the severity of the situation. The tanks were within a few hundred metres of Indian positions on the Kailash Range, the strategic high ground that Indian forces had seized, hours earlier, in a dangerous race with Chinas Peoples Liberation Army. To each and every one my question was, What are my orders?" Naravane writes in his as-yet-unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny. The situation was deteriorating dramatically and demanded clarity. There was an existing protocol"

Cover Story | Lieutenant General Yogesh Joshi, the chief of the Indian Armys Northern Command, received a phone call at 8.15 pm on 31 August 2020. The information he received alarmed him. Four Chinese tanks, supported by infantry, had begun moving up a steep mountain track pic.twitter.com/oREaSjt9RL The Caravan (@thecaravanindia) February 2, 2026

DOKLAM VERSUS GALWAN

Doklam (2017) and Galwan (2020) are two distinct border standoffs between India and China.

Doklam was a 73-day standoff at the China-Bhutan-India trijunction in the Eastern Sector, triggered by Chinese road construction. It ended with a mutual disengagement after India resisted the construction near its sensitive corridor.

Galwan Valley clash in 2020 was a violent, hand-to-hand clash in Eastern Ladakh, resulting in casualties on both sides, marking the first deadly encounter in 45 years. It arose from Chinese incursions and led to a massive, long-term buildup of troops and subsequent rounds of disengagement talks.

Following the Galwan incident, which killed 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops, India and China engaged in a four-year standoff. A significant breakthrough in October 2024 led to 95% disengagement in Depsang and Demchok, with resumed patrolling in key areas.

NETIZENS ON THE ISSUE

The Bharatiya Janata Partys X handle posted: Former Army Chief General M. M. Naravane has stated clearly: Not an inch of land has been lost. We are exactly where we were before." Yet, to push his false narrative, Rahul Gandhi chose to misrepresent facts, dragging a former Army Chief into his dirty politics. That too, with a book that hasnt even been published! When political agendas come before the nation and its Armed Forces, it exposes a deeply anti-national mindset."

???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ????????????????????????! Former Army Chief General M. M. Naravane has stated clearly:???????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ????????????????. ???????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ????????????????????????." Yet, to push his pic.twitter.com/s5aMZEvApB  BJP (@BJP4India) February 2, 2026

While one user said it was bizarre that Gandhi was not allowed to read excerpts from an unpublished book, another said that instead of an unpublished memoir, he should have referred to published interviews where Naravane has said that not an inch of space was lost in Galwan.

Rather bizarre situation in Indias Parliament where the leader of the opposition is barred from reading excerpts from an unpublished book by the former army chief describing the 2017 India-China border crisis. https://t.co/vXm2mmwxm4 pic.twitter.com/UM1OIMoLPG Shashank Joshi (@shashj) February 2, 2026

Rahul Gandhi wanted to quote from an unpublished, alleged book by former chief of Army staff MM Naravane.Why cant @RahulGandhi talk about videos that are already published? Here Naravane himself says that Galwan and Doklam were the first time since 1979 that China was at the pic.twitter.com/FUq3eHuRJL  Ankur Singh (@AnkurSingh) February 2, 2026

WHAT BJP, CONGRESS LEADERS SAID

BJP MP Dilip Saikia said, The issues raised by Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi are unrelated to the address of the President of IndiaLok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi is trying to mislead and spread confusion in the nationHe was lowering the morale of the army and raising questions on the security of the nation"

BJP MP CP Joshi said, The Speaker of Lok Sabha gave many chances to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi to speakHe deliberately disgraced the country and lowered the morale of the armyThe opposition is playing into the hands of the foreign powers"

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said, We have been saying from the beginning that there is no government here that respects the constitution. There are continuous attempts to undermine democracy. When even the leader of the opposition is not being heard, then what kind of democracy is this?"

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said, Its very clear there are some very inconvenient truths in the book. I have never seen a government so vehemently opposing a quote from a former army chief, a respected soldier who spent his entire life defending us, who has written an autobiography"

With Agency Inputs

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 16:29 IST

News india Galwan Or Doklam: Which India-China Standoff Was Rahul Gandhi Referring To In Lok Sabha?

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Game Over For F-35? How India Could Turn Su-57 Into World's Deadliest 5th-Gen Fighter

Curated By :

Translation Desk

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 15:27 IST

India is developing the AMCA fighter, considering Su-57 and F-35, with experts favouring Indian avionics for better performance against China and Pakistan

Rapid Read

While the concept of an "Indianised" Su-57 remains theoretical, it reflects a broader shift in India's defence procurement philosophy. (PTI)

In an era where air superiority increasingly defines military power, fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft have become a strategic necessity rather than a luxury. Countries seeking to assert dominance in 21st-century warfare are investing heavily in cutting-edge combat aviation, and India is no exception.

India has launched the ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme to develop an indigenous fifth-generation fighter, allocating around Rs 15,000 crore for the prototype design phase. While several domestic and international players are showing interest in the project, defence planners acknowledge that the aircraft is unlikely to enter Indian Air Force (IAF) service for another 10-15 years.

During this interim period, the regional security environment is evolving rapidly. China has already inducted a fifth-generation fighter and is reportedly working towards sixth-generation capabilities. Pakistan, according to media reports, is also seeking access to fifth-generation aircraft through its strategic partnership with China. Should Pakistan succeed, analysts warn that the military balance in Asia could tilt further in favour of China and Pakistan, directly impacting Indias security calculus.

With borders shared with both rivals, Indias requirement for a fifth-generation stealth fighter has become increasingly urgent. As a stop-gap measure, India is evaluating two foreign platforms; the American F-35 Lightning II and the Russian Su-57, with growing interest reportedly centred on the Russian option.

According to defence analysts, the Su-57 could potentially outperform the F-35 if paired with Indian avionics and mission software. This view has been articulated by Group Captain (Retd) Dr MJ Augustine Vinod, a former IAF fighter pilot and military analyst. Speaking to RT India, Dr Vinod described the idea as a powerful fusion of Russian airframe engineering and Indias rapidly advancing digital warfare capabilities.

He argues that integrating Indian mission computers, sensor-fusion systems and electronic warfare suites into the Su-57 could give the aircraft a decisive edge, not only in air combat but also in network-centric and multi-domain operations. While the F-35 is widely regarded as a leader in stealth and data sharing, critics point to its relatively limited speed and manoeuvrability when compared to the Russian platform.

The F-35 is a single-engine, multirole stealth fighter designed primarily for network-centric warfare, featuring low radar observability, internal weapons bays and advanced sensor fusion. The Su-57, by contrast, is a twin-engine aircraft that prioritises super-manoeuvrability and kinetic performance, with higher speeds, thrust-vectoring engines and the ability to supercruise at supersonic speeds without afterburners.

Dr Vinod believes that Indias strength lies in its indigenous avionics ecosystem. Over the past two decades, defence laboratories and private industry have developed advanced mission computers, electronic warfare systems and software-defined avionics for platforms such as the Su-30MKI, the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and the Rafale. These systems, he notes, allow greater flexibility in upgrades and weapon integration than many Western platforms, which often come with tightly controlled and locked" architectures.

Replacing standard Russian avionics with Indian systems, he argues, could transform the Su-57 into a more versatile and digitally dominant fighter, capable of real-time data sharing and enhanced battlefield awareness. Such a configuration would also be better suited to Indias unique operational environment, ranging from high-altitude Himalayan airbases to long-range maritime missions in the Indian Ocean.

While the concept of an Indianised" Su-57 remains theoretical, it reflects a broader shift in Indias defence procurement philosophy. After lessons learned from exiting the FGFA programme, India is increasingly prioritising co-development, technology transfer and domestic capability building over outright purchases.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 15:27 IST

News india Game Over For F-35? How India Could Turn Su-57 Into World's Deadliest 5th-Gen Fighter

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'If You Have Booze, Keep Chips Too': Thief's Note For Rajasthan Homeowner Goes Viral

Curated By :

Translation Desk

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 21:15 IST

Signing off as "Bihari Babu", the intruder added a personal and emotional touch, claiming he had eaten the homeowner's food and enjoyed it

Rapid Read

Before leaving, the thief picked up a lipstick from the dressing table and used the white walls of the house as a canvas. (AI-Generated Image)

A bizarre theft with an unexpected comic twist has surfaced in Jaisalmer, leaving both residents and police amused. Unlike routine burglaries where thieves make a quiet escape, this incident from the IGNP Colony has turned into a talking point across Rajasthan due to the intruders unusual post-theft antics.

The theft took place at the government residence of Assistant Engineer (AEN) Sohan Jangid, who was out of town on official work at the time. Taking advantage of the empty house, the accused broke open the locks and stole a laptop, a television set, expensive perfume and costly clothes.

However, what followed has set this case apart from an ordinary burglary. Before leaving, the thief picked up a lipstick from the dressing table and used the white walls of the house as a canvas, scribbling messages that left police officers chuckling when they arrived at the scene.

One of the messages read, If you keep alcohol at home, you should also keep potato chips!" The line suggested that the intruder not only noticed the liquor in the house but also consumed it, apparently irked by the absence of snacks.

The note then took a dramatic turn, mocking the police and the system. The thief wrote, If you complain at the police station, it will be a waste of time Dont report it, you forget me and Ill forget you."

Signing off as Bihari Babu", the intruder added a personal and emotional touch, claiming he had eaten the homeowners food and enjoyed it. He stated that the theft was committed out of compulsion and that it was his first such act. The message ended politely with a Thank you".

Police officials say the lipstick-written messages indicate that the thief spent a considerable amount of time inside the house. The unusual style of the crime has since gone viral on social media, with many reacting to the thiefs candour and cheeky advice".

The Jaisalmer police are now on the lookout for this self-styled literary thief", even as the incident continues to be the subject of amused discussion in the city.

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Location : Jaisalmer, India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 21:15 IST

News india 'If You Have Booze, Keep Chips Too': Thief's Note For Rajasthan Homeowner Goes Viral

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Gen Naravanes Memoir Not Out Yet, But What Ex-Army Chief Said About India-China Border Standoff

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 17:00 IST

Amid row over Naravane's yet-to-be-published memoir, a look at what he had said about the Galwan clash and Line of Actual Control (LAC) disengagement in a number of interviews

Rapid Read

Former Army chief M M Naravane had earlier said that not an inch of space was lost in Galwan (left). (PTI/IANS File)

The Lok Sabha witnessed a row on Monday after the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, sought to quote from what he said was the memoir of former Army chief M M Naravane, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah objecting on the grounds that the book, Four Stars Of Destiny has not yet been published.

As Gandhi rose to speak on the Motion of Thanks to the presidents address and began quoting from the book, Singh asked him to clarify whether the book had been published or not. The Congress leader insisted that the document was authenticated and he could quote from it. He said he never wanted to speak on the particular issue, but decided to do so after BJPs Tejasvi Surya questioned the patriotism of the Congress party. Gandhi then said he was quoting from a magazine article.

Singh, however, maintained that the book had not been published. The defence minister accused Gandhi of misleading the House".

Union Home Minister Amit Shah intervenes as Rahul Gandhi raises the China issue during the Budget Session in Lok Sabha.#ParliamentSession #BudgetSession #AmitShah #RahulGandhi #LokSabha pic.twitter.com/ohpO5GX5aC News18 (@CNNnews18) February 2, 2026

Following the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash, which killed 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops, India and China engaged in a four-year standoff. A significant breakthrough in October 2024 led to 95% disengagement in Depsang and Demchok, with resumed patrolling in key areas.

ALSO READ | Galwan Or Doklam: Which India-China Standoff Was Rahul Gandhi Referring To In Lok Sabha?

Naravanes memoir apparently states that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not forget the Galwan clash.

A look at what Naravane had said in a number of interviews about the Galwan clash and Line of Actual Control (LAC) disengagement:

India showed the world it is possible to stand up to China

On the clash in Galwan, Naravane, during an interview with ANI, had said, Not only of the Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), it diminished the stature of China as a country in global eyes. After the clash, we showed it is possible to stand up to China, which tends to bully its smaller neighbours."

From Canada to Lithuiana, Europe to Philippines, everyone got the feelingIf you are fighting for what is correct and take a principled stand, you can stand up to China. You dont have to cower down. India as a country showed to the world it is possible to take on the neighbourhood bully," he said.

First jolt for China after 1979

During an interview with Lallantop, he had said, This was the first time China suffered losses after 1979. They have been bullying all small countries in the neighbourhood. This was the first time they got a jolt and realised that this strategy of theirs wont work anymore."

???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ????????????????????????! Former Army Chief General M. M. Naravane has stated clearly:???????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ????????????????. ???????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ????????????????????????." Yet, to push his pic.twitter.com/s5aMZEvApB  BJP (@BJP4India) February 2, 2026

Have not lost an inch in Galwan

We have not lost out on any territory, we are where we wereBut as a result of this agreement, it has been reached on the principle of mutual and equal security. That should be how we look at the disengagement process that it serves the interests of both the countries to have a stable LAC with less chances of any confrontation taking place. That should be the viewpointNot an inch has been lost," he had said in another interview.

With PTI Inputs

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 14:58 IST

News india Gen Naravanes Memoir Not Out Yet, But What Ex-Army Chief Said About India-China Border Standoff

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'The Strength India Has Acquired...': Sitharaman Cites Elon Musks Post, Slams Opposition On GDP

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 09:02 IST

Nirmala Sitharaman cited a post by Elon Musk on IMF projections to argue that Indias growing share in global GDP expansion reflects newfound economic strength.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (Photo: PTI)

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday targeted the Opposition over Indias economic standing, citing a social media post by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk that highlighted the growing role of India and China in driving global growth, and keeping both nations above the United States of America.

Sitharaman made the remarks during an interaction with university students in Parliament after presenting the Union Budget 2026-27.

The session was held in New Delhi, where she met around 30 students who had watched the budget proceedings from the gallery of the Lok Sabha.

Referring to Musks repost on X of a chart based on projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Sitharaman explained that the numbers underlined the strength India has acquired in the global economy.

Im sure many of you are very active in social media, you would have seen. Im just quoting this name, not because theres a particular reason. Elon Musk takes the IMF data to say, wow, is this true? You know, that kind. I dont remember what exactly he said. Wow, he said, or something else he said," she told the students.

She then cited the figures highlighted in the widely circulated graphic.

China contributes 26 per cent of the growth in global GDP. India contributes 17 per cent. Together, 43 per cent of global GDP growth comes from these two economies. Did any of you see that tweet? What does that convey?" she asked.

Turning to the domestic political debate, the Finance Minister said the opposition should take note of Indias rising profile.

I will say this from my side in the Parliament, but Indias Opposition should also understand that this is the kind of strength that India has acquired now. Next only to China. The gap may be big, 26 and 17. Well bridge it," she said.

Stressing confidence in the countrys trajectory, Sitharaman added, We should have the confidence that together with a big economy, which is just next door, we contribute 43 per cent of global GDP growth. And we are living in that India."

#WATCH | Delhi: At the Youth Dialogue on Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, Elon Musk takes the IMF data to say wow, is this true". I dont remember if he exactly said wow China contributes 26% of growth in global GDP. India contributes 17%. pic.twitter.com/qY53GvKeHC ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2026

Musk had reposted the chart, originally shared by World of Statistics, and commented that the balance of power is changing".

The balance of power is changing https://t.co/mzk1KRHkcg Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2026

The IMFs January 2026 global outlook projects worldwide growth at 3.3 per cent in 2026 and 3.2 per cent in 2027, noting that technology investment, fiscal and monetary support, accommodative financial conditions and private-sector adaptability are helping offset trade policy shifts.

The fund also flagged risks from geopolitical tensions, trade uncertainty, potential corrections linked to artificial intelligence investment, and rising public debt, while saying that faster AI adoption could lift productivity and support longer-term expansion.

Earlier on Sunday, Sitharaman had presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, outlining proposals including new high-speed rail corridors, freight routes, national waterways and initiatives linked to sustainable tourism, as part of what she described as a youth-driven and duty-focused roadmap for the coming years.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 08:43 IST

News india 'The Strength India Has Acquired...': Sitharaman Cites Elon Musks Post, Slams Opposition On GDP

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Supreme Court Grants Bail To 3 Men Accused Of Swapping Blood Samples In 2024 Pune Porsche Case

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 12:33 IST

The SC Bench granted bail to Aditya Sood, Ashish Mittal and Santosh Gaikwad.

SC Grants Bail To Three Accused In Pune Porsche Crash That Killed Two (Photo: PTI)

The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to three persons accused of helping to tamper with blood samples after the Pune Porsche crash in May 2024, which killed two young software engineers.

The SC Bench granted bail to Aditya Sood, Ashish Mittal and Santosh Gaikwad after noting that they had been in jail for 18 months.

Ashish Mittal is a friend of the father of the main accused. Aditya Sood is the father of the boy who was sitting in the backseat of the car. Santosh Gaikwad is a middleman who allegedly received Rs 3 lakh for tampering with the blood work.

Courts observations

In its order, the Court said, Since there is no allegation against juvenile at the backseat of car, it is unlikely that there can be allegation against them. Since allegations were made, they are in jail since 18 months. It was submitted that even as against the driver who caused the accident the punishment is of three years. The juvenile is also being tried before the Juvenile Justice Board. Thus their continued incarceration will greatly prejudice and thus it was contended that bail be granted to the three appellants. Petitions allowed. Let them be produced before the concerned trial court. Let them be released on bail subject to the conditions imposed by the trial court."

The Bench made it clear that any infraction of the conditions would lead to cancellation of the bail.

Earlier court order

The Bombay High Court had denied bail to the three accused in December last year.

The High Court had observed that granting bail to financially well-placed accused in the case could risk witness tampering and obstruct justice.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 12:12 IST

News india Supreme Court Grants Bail To 3 Men Accused Of Swapping Blood Samples In 2024 Pune Porsche Case

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Reading Concocted Things On China: BJP Targets Rahul Gandhi, Says Nehru Gave Up Thousands Of Acres

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 14:53 IST

Citing former Army chief General M M Naravane, BJP's Amit Malviya added, Not an inch has been lost, asserting that facts, institutions and responsibility in public life matter.

Rahul Gandhi spoke in Parliament on Monday. (PTI)

The BJP on Monday stepped up its attack on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of reading concocted things" about China in Parliament and warning that such conduct sets a dangerous precedent.

Party leaders said Gandhi was trivialising the floor of Parliament by citing unverified claims and should instead rely on established historical accounts.

Targeting Gandhis remarks on IndiaChina history, BJPs Nishikant Dubey in Parliament said, Rahul Gandhi has been reading concocted things on China. But there is so much in the public domain about what Nehru did in China. He surrendered thousands of acres of land just to further his own statesmanship."

Also Read: Why An Unpublished Book By Ex-Army Chief Sparked Lok Sabha Uproar

He further suggested that Gandhi read published works to understand the issue better, including My Years with Nehru-The Chinese Betrayal by B N Mullick, Himalayan Blunder by John Dalvi, and Crosswinds: Nehru, Zhou and the Anglo-American Competition over China by Vijay Gokhale.

The BJP alleged that Gandhi was selectively reading material of his choosing on the floor of Parliament, which it said undermines parliamentary standards.

The party accused Gandhi of becoming a fake news factory" by reading what it described as fictitious material in Parliament.

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya also weighed in, accusing Gandhi of misusing parliamentary privilege. Rahul Gandhi is an incorrigible liar who is misusing parliamentary privilege to propagate a hostile narrative against India and its Armed Forces," Malviya said.

Citing former Army chief General M M Naravane, Malviya added, Not an inch has been lost," asserting that facts, institutions and responsibility in public life matter.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 14:47 IST

News india Reading Concocted Things On China: BJP Targets Rahul Gandhi, Says Nehru Gave Up Thousands Of Acres

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4 Arrested After Shots Fired Outside Rohit Shettys Mumbai Home, Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Link Emerges

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 10:07 IST

Four men have been arrested by Mumbai Police after shots were fired at filmmaker Rohit Shettys Juhu residence, with investigators probing possible links to Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

A file photo of Rohit Shetty / Police outside his house in Mumbai (Photos: PTI)

Mumbai Police have arrested four persons in connection with the firing incident outside filmmaker Rohit Shettys residence in the Juhu area, with the initial investigation pointing to their alleged links with Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Shubham Lonkar, an accused in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique.

The four arrested were accomplices of the main shooters in the case, who remain at large.

According to the police, at least five rounds were fired at the first floor of the nine-storey residential building at around 12.45 am on Sunday.

One bullet struck the glass of a gym located inside the building.

No one was injured in the incident, and it was not immediately known whether Shetty was present at his home at the time of the firing.

Following the attack, security outside the building was intensified.

Zonal police and crime branch teams are investigating," a Mumbai Police officer told reporters, adding that personnel from Juhu Police Station and the crime branch rushed to the spot and launched the probe.

CCTV footage from the area was examined to reconstruct the sequence of events, while forensic science and ballistic experts collected evidence from the scene.

A case was registered on charges of attempt to murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under provisions of the Arms Act.

Crime branch sources told CNN-News18 that the accused, after firing outside Shettys house, asked an auto driver to drop them off at Kalyan.

However, the auto driver said he could only drop them off at a station near Juhu.

The auto drivers statement was recorded.

FIRING OUTSIDE ROHIT SHETTYs HOUSE: 5 WERE DETAINED

Five men were initially detained in Pune by personnel from the Warje Malwadi police station.

Pune Police Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3) Sambhaji Kadam identified them as Aman Marote (27) and Aditya Gayaki (19), residents of Karve Nagar, and Siddharth Yenpure (20), Samarth Pomaji (18) and Swapnil Sakat (23), residents of Dhayari.

Senior Police Inspector Mahesh Bolkotgi said the suspects were later handed over to the Mumbai Police.

Late on Sunday night, the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Mumbai crime branch formally arrested four of them after their alleged roles in providing logistics to the shooters came to light.

They were produced before a court, which remanded them in police custody till February 5.

THREATENING POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Hours after the firing, a threatening post surfaced on social media claiming that Lonkar was behind the attack, police said.

The Hindi message, shared from an account named Shubham Lonkar and Arzoo Bishnoi", also mentioned alleged gang operatives Hari Boxer and Harman Shandu.

We messaged him many times asking him not to interfere in our work, but he did not understand," the post read.

Calling the attack only a trailer", it warned, If he doesnt listen, the next bullets wont be outside his house, they will be inside his bedroom."

It further said, This is a warning to the entire Bollywood, stay within limits. If you do not improve, the situation will become very bad, worse than what Baba Siddiqui faced. Those we have contacted should mend their ways while there is still time. Otherwise, there will be nowhere to hide."

Meanwhile, during court proceedings cited by news agency ANI, the lawyer for the accused denied any gang links and said they had no knowledge of the firing.

The police sought custody from the court, saying they had a role to play in the firing incident. The accused do not know what has happened. Someone else fired the shots. The arrested accused are not related to each other, they have been arrested after analysing the CCTV footage," the lawyer said.

We are ready to cooperate. Listening to all the arguments, the court has granted a four-day police custody. The accused have no links with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang," the lawyer said.

DCP Sambhaji Kadam said teams were formed in Pune after receiving information from Mumbai Police, and the five suspects were arrested and handed over for further questioning.

More information about the incident will emerge after a detailed investigation," he said.

Police officials reiterated that no injuries were reported in the firing and that all possible angles are being examined as the investigation continues.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 08:18 IST

News india 4 Arrested After Shots Fired Outside Rohit Shettys Mumbai Home, Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Link Emerges

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'They Dont Ask Men': Sitharaman Flags Gender Bias Over Question On Budget Day Attire

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 10:08 IST

Nirmala Sitharaman wore a handwoven Kancheevaram silk saree from Tamil Nadu as she presented the Budget for the ninth consecutive time.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shows the digital tablet, enclosed in a traditional red 'bahi-khata' style pouch. (PTI)

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday flagged what she described as persistent gender bias around Budget day, saying public attention often shifts from her work to her attire, a scrutiny she said male finance ministers do not face.

Every year, it becomes a strain on me because of questions about what I am going to wear on Budget day. I dare ask, would they have ever asked a male finance minister what he is wearing during the Budget? They dont ask it of a man, but no, even this becomes a subject of the Budget," Sitharaman said during an interaction after the presentation of Union Budget 2026.

Referring to public commentary, she said remarks such as Arre saree kaun sa  what she is going to read what she going to tell us" place undue importance on appearance rather than substance. I dont find this harmful, but it goes in a direction that is not necessary. This becomes a stress point for women. I am out of it now. I will wear what I want to," she said, adding that such discussions cross professional boundaries.

Emphasising equality, Sitharaman said, How you treat a man, you treat me also that means that we draw equality in the true sense. You cant demand privileges  Mahila hain ki? Nahi chalega, kaam main dikhao."

Sitharaman, who on Sunday presented the Union Budget for a record ninth consecutive time, wore a handwoven Kancheevaram silk saree from Tamil Nadu. Her ninth straight Budget presentation was also highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Cabinet meeting and during interactions at the start of the Budget session, with the Prime Minister calling it a significant achievement.

A frequent target of misogynistic commentary, Sitharamans stature within and outside the government has grown over the years, particularly as she steered economic policy through crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and global trade disruptions.

Speaking to students after the Budget, including several young women, the finance minister said the repeated focus on her attire reflected a deeper issue that women in leadership continue to face.

SHE Marts And Women Empowerment

Against this backdrop, the Budgets emphasis on womens economic empowerment marked a broader extension of Sitharamans remarks. The government announced plans to set up a new retail and enterprise platform for women self-help groups (SHGs) and launch Self-Help Entrepreneur (SHE) Marts to strengthen market access for products made by rural women entrepreneurs.

The initiative builds on the Centres Lakhpati Didi programme, aimed at enabling women to achieve financial independence. As the Prime Minister has said earlier, when women are empowered, the nation is strengthened  a theme that echoed through both Sitharamans Budget proposals and her remarks on the scrutiny she faces as a woman in public life.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 09:26 IST

News india 'They Dont Ask Men': Sitharaman Flags Gender Bias Over Question On Budget Day Attire

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They Humiliated Us: Mamata Banerjee Walks Out Of SIR Meet As EC Sources Flag Abusive TMC MLAs

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 18:26 IST

Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission had humiliated her and failed to address concerns raised by affected families by SIR.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee with her nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in New Delhi | Image: PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday walked out of a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

She alleged that the Election Commission had humiliated" her and failed to address concerns raised by affected families.

Banerjee attended the meeting along with senior TMC leaders and families impacted by the SIR exercise.

She later told reporters that the delegation decided to boycott the meeting as, according to her, their grievances were not heard.

The ECI humiliated us. They did not listen to us. That is why we walked out," she said. The meeting had been scheduled after the CEC agreed last week to meet Banerjee on Monday, February 2.

However, Election Commission sources strongly rejected the allegations.

ECI sources told News18 that the Chief Election Commissioner was patiently listening to questions and concerns when Banerjee allegedly became agitated, banged the table, and abruptly left the meeting.

She did not allow the CEC to respond," sources claimed.

Reacting to the developments, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari called it inappropriate," saying that Banerjee staged drama" today outside the Election Commission office.

Mamata Banerjee remained at the Election Commission for over an hour and is now claiming that the meeting was boycotted. This appears contradictory. Her actions suggest one thing inside the meeting and another outside. The conduct and drama witnessed today, including the involvement of the police, was highly inappropriate," he said.

TMC MLAs Abused CEC

Sources said that CEC Gyanesh Kumar responded to her questions and emphasised that the rule of law would prevail.

He made it clear that any individual taking the law into their own hands would face strict action in accordance with legal provisions and the powers vested in the Election Commission.

At the same time, sources claimed, TMC MLAs openly used abusive and threatening language against the Commission, particularly targeting the Chief Election Commissioner, and also issued threats against election officials.

Mamatas Big Charge

Banerjee accused the poll body of selectively conducting SIR in election-bound states while sparing others.

If SIR had to be done, it should have been carried out with proper planning and not in states going to polls. You did not do SIR in Assam, where there is a BJP government, but you did it in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu," she said.

She alleged that 58 lakh names were removed from electoral rolls in Bengal without giving voters a fair chance to defend themselves, calling it a case of mismatch and mismapping".

#WATCH | Delhi: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee comes out of the Election Commission Office in Delhi.She says, . If you had to do SIR, you should have left the election-bound states and done it with proper planning, but you didnt. You have a BJP government in Assam. You pic.twitter.com/Xrw95HNjSa  ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2026

Raising concerns over documentation requirements, Banerjee questioned the feasibility of asking voters to produce old records. If you had asked people in 2022 to bring their fathers birth certificates, it would not have been possible. Earlier, many children were born at home, not in hospitals," she said, adding that elections should be treated as a democratic festival".

Visibly emotional, the Chief Minister said she had never witnessed such conduct from the Election Commission in her long political career. I have been a Union minister four times and an MP seven times. I have never seen an Election Commissioner who is so arrogant and untruthful," she said, while adding that she respected the institution but felt Bengal was being deliberately targeted.

Banerjee arrived in the national capital on Sunday and was accompanied by Trinamool MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee, the latter also a senior advocate. Earlier in the day, she told reporters that people from West Bengal had come to Delhi to raise their concerns but were being threatened".

Sources said around 50 families affected by the SIR exercise were brought to Delhi to present their grievances before the Election Commission.

The Chief Minister has written six letters to CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the past few months on the issue. In her latest letter dated January 31, Banerjee alleged that the SIR exercise had led to 140 deaths and was being carried out in violation of human rights and humanitarian norms.

According to official figures, the first phase of SIR resulted in the deletion of 58 lakh names from West Bengals electoral rolls, reducing the total number of voters from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore.

The exercise has triggered protests across the state, particularly over notices issued under the category of logical discrepancies". Around 1.36 crore such notices have reportedly been served.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 18:07 IST

News india They Humiliated Us: Mamata Banerjee Walks Out Of SIR Meet As EC Sources Flag Abusive TMC MLAs

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With 'ATM Card Parenting' Rebuke, SC Grants Bail To 3 In 2024 Pune Porsche Crash Cover-Up Case

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 17:58 IST

The top court primarily cited their prolonged incarceration of over eighteen months without the commencement of a trial

The case stems from the fatal accident on May 19, 2024, in which a speeding luxury car allegedly driven by an inebriated 17-year-old killed two young IT professionals, Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, in Punes Kalyani Nagar. (Photo: PTI)

The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to three individuals accused of conspiring to swap blood samples in the high-profile 2024 Pune Porsche crash case. The bench, comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, ordered the release of Aditya Avinash Sood, Ashish Satish Mittal, and Amar Santhosh Gaikwad, primarily citing their prolonged incarceration of over eighteen months without the commencement of a trial.

The Conspiracy and Allegations

The case stems from the fatal accident on May 19, 2024, in which a speeding luxury car allegedly driven by an inebriated 17-year-old killed two young IT professionals, Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, in Punes Kalyani Nagar. The subsequent investigation unravelled a sophisticated cover-up involving the swapping of blood samples at the state-run Sassoon General Hospital to conceal the presence of alcohol.

The three men granted bail played specific roles in this alleged tampering:

Aditya Sood: The father of one of the minor passengers, accused of providing his own blood sample to replace that of his son.

Ashish Mittal: A friend of the father of another minor occupant, alleged to have swapped his blood sample with that of the minor.

Amar Gaikwad: An alleged middleman who reportedly facilitated the transaction and handed over a bribe of Rs 3 lakh to hospital staff.

Judicial Observations on Parenting

While granting relief, the apex court clarified that the decision was based on the principle of liberty versus incarceration" and the fact that there are over 150 witnesses yet to be examined. However, Justice Nagarathna voiced stinging criticism regarding the disturbing pattern" of parental irresponsibility.

Celebration is not on the basis of substance abuse and driving at speed," the bench observed. The main ones responsible are the parents who provide sufficient funds for a gala time giving them an ATM card and a mobile phone because they have no time to spend with their children."

The court warned the accused against contacting any witnesses or attempting to influence the trial, noting that any violation would lead to the immediate cancellation of their bail. The state government had strongly opposed the plea, arguing that the accused had used money power and superiority dominance" to subvert the criminal justice system.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 17:58 IST

News india With 'ATM Card Parenting' Rebuke, SC Grants Bail To 3 In 2024 Pune Porsche Crash Cover-Up Case

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Billie Eilish Makes A Statement In Reconstructed Hodakova Look And 'ICE Out' Pin At The 2026 Grammys

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 09:08 IST

Billie Eilish turns heads at the 2026 Grammys in a deconstructed Hodakova outfit, complete with an ICE Out pin, blending bold fashion with protest.

Billie Eilish arrives at the 2026 Grammys in a reconstructed Hodakova look, pairing sharp tailoring with an ICE Out pin that turned her red carpet moment into a quiet act of protest.

The 2026 Grammys carpet turned into both a fashion moment and a statement and Billie Eilish made sure hers did both.

Arriving at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the multi-nominated artist stepped out in a sharply tailored, suit-inspired look by Hodakova that blended deconstruction with quiet rebellion. The outfit featured a navy jacket crafted from upcycled wool trousers, layered over a white shirt with extra sleeves peeking through, paired with a skirt, knee-high socks, and striking heels. True to Hodakovas aesthetic, deadstock belts were worked into the styling, giving the ensemble a layered, reconstructed feel. The look was designed by Ellen Hodakova Larsson.

But it wasnt just the craftsmanship drawing attention. Pinned to the collar was a black-and-white badge reading ICE Out," aligning Eilish with fellow public figures using the red carpet to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Minneapolis and across the U.S. The pin, previously seen on celebrities at Sundance, has become a visual symbol of solidarity with demonstrators.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by GRAMMYS (@grammys)

Eilishs appearance continues a long tradition of memorable Grammy fashion. In 2025, she leaned into gothic nautical energy with a Prada ensemble and sailors cap. A year earlier, riding the cultural wave of Barbie, she wore a custom varsity jacket by Chrome Hearts accented with pink details. Her Grammy debut in 2020 was equally unforgettable, when she arrived in a black-and-neon Gucci set designed by Alessandro Michele.

With nine Grammy wins already under her belt, Eilish heads into this years ceremony nominated for both Song and Record of the Year for Wildflower."

Hosted once again by Trevor Noah at Crypto.com Arena, the 2026 ceremony celebrates the best of music from the past year, with performances by Lady Gaga, Addison Rae, and Sabrina Carpenter, and nominees including Bad Bunny, Chappell Roan, Doechii, and Eilish herself. The show airs live on CBS and streams on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 08:50 IST

News lifestyle fashion Billie Eilish Makes A Statement In Reconstructed Hodakova Look And 'ICE Out' Pin At The 2026 Grammys
Grammys 2026: Charu Suris Red Carpet Look Is Inspired By The Nehru Jacket

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 08:27 IST

Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Charu Suri honours Indian weaves in a Shruti Sancheti ensemble at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.

Grammys 2026: Charu Suris album Shayan has earned a nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

For the 2026 Grammys, pianist, composer and producer Charu Suri graced the red carpet, celebrating India through its textiles in a regal Shruti Sancheti creation.

Charu Suri has three 2026 Grammy nominations, which consist of Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, nominated for her own album Shayan; Best Global Music Album, as a co-producer on Sounds of Kumbha; and Best Childrens Album (Childrens, Comedy, Audio Book Narration & Storytelling category), as a performer/composer on Herstory by Flor Bromley.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Charu Suri (@charusurimusic)

Decoding Charu Suris Regal Ivory Shruti Sancheti Ensemble

For the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, Charus red carpet ensemble was inspired by the Nehru jacket, which was reimagined with softness rather than severity.

The trench-style jacket was crafted from purely woven Maheshwari silk and was developed on a zari tissue base. The interior features woven ChanderiBanarasi jacquard with Chanderi panels, while the surface is brought alive through intricate hand embroidery techniques, including dabka, resham, ari, and other artisanal details.

The jacket lining is entirely screen-printed in multiple ways to highlight the finesse of Indian craftsmanship. Regal yet effortless, the look is finished with minimal statement uncut diamonds.

Charu paired the ivory jacket with a panelled anarkali gown. Thus, creating a perfect tribute to Indias enduring craft legacy.

Describing her 2026 Grammys red carpet look, Charu Suri says, I am absolutely in love with the ivory regal silks and flow of my red carpet gown and jacket. I think it captures the royal Nehru jacket smartness while paying homage to our traditional Indian textiles. Theres a glamorous wow factor but its not ritzy or flashy, its pure and elegant."

When asked why she chose a Shruti Sancheti creation, Charu shares, I find her designs to be truly regal, and to me that means detailed, historic, meticulous but understated, with a deep reverence for Indias textile weaves and traditions, with a contemporary flair . It is also how I tend to approach my music paying respect to the past and ancient traditions while keeping it fresh and relevant to modern audiences."

A Red Carpet Debut Worth Celebrating

Charu Suris red carpet look marks Shruti Sanchetis design debut at the Grammys.

This may have been the easiest collaboration Ive done and is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious and fulfilling ones of my career," expresses Shruti Sancheti.

Speaking about the design approach and the inspiration, Shruti Sancheti says, The red carpet look is dedicated to the supremacy of Indian textiles and craftsmanship. Charu was very clear that she wanted to wear and represent Indian craft in its purest form, showcasing exquisite fabrics and the rich legacy of handcrafted embroidery to the world."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Charu Suri (@charusurimusic)

Shruti also designed Charus Grammy nominees dinner reception dress, which was an ode to Charus South Indian roots. Crafted in magenta Kosa silk, the silhouette featured a ghagra-inspired skirt paired with a jacket-style blouse. Charu completed the look with a draped stole. The ensemble was enhanced with a Karvat Kathi border and temple weave border.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 08:27 IST

News lifestyle fashion Grammys 2026: Charu Suris Red Carpet Look Is Inspired By The Nehru Jacket
Think Sleep Deprivation Is Normal? New Study Warns Its Slowing Your Brain Functioning

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 08:00 IST

Running on little sleep may be slowing your brain. A new study reveals how sleep loss damages brain wiring, delays signals and fuels brain fog.

New research shows lack of sleep can physically slow brain signals by damaging myelin, the protective layer that helps brain cells communicate efficiently. (Image-AI)

Sleep loss is no longer just about feeling tired; new research shows it is physically altering brain wiring, weakening memory, slowing signals and quietly reshaping how the brain functions every day.

Sleep deprivation has been blamed for poor focus and sluggish reaction times for years. But scientists are now uncovering something far more unsettling: insufficient sleep may be physically altering the brain itself. New research suggests that sleep does not just affect mood or alertness, but also interferes with the brains internal communication system.

The new study published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), in January 2026, explains why the sleep-deprived brain struggles to think, react and perform efficiently. The findings shed light on how chronic sleep loss quietly slows the brain from the inside out.

Sleep Loss And The Brain

Sleep has long been considered essential for cognitive health, but its precise biological role has remained elusive. While the behavioural consequences of sleep deprivation are well-documented, scientists have now explained what exactly goes wrong inside the brain when sleep is cut short.

The new study, titled Sleep loss induces cholesterol-associated myelin dysfunction," highlights that the effects of sleep deprivation run deeper than previously thought.

According to the researchers, lack of sleep disrupts the brains white matter, the network of nerve fibres responsible for communication between different brain regions, by damaging myelin, the fatty insulation that allows nerve signals to travel quickly and efficiently.

This study identifies oligodendrocytes as key mediators by linking sleep deprivation to impaired myelin integrity, slowed nerve conduction, and behavioural deficits," the researchers wrote in their published paper.

Why Myelin Matters

To understand the studys significance, it helps to understand myelins role in the brain. Myelin is a protective, fatty layer that wraps around axons, the long extensions of neurons that transmit electrical signals. Much like insulation around electrical wires, myelin ensures that signals move rapidly and accurately from one part of the brain to another.

When myelin is intact, communication between brain regions is fast and synchronised. When it is compromised, signals often slow down, coordination weakens and cognitive efficiency declines. The PNAS study suggests that sleep loss thins this protective layer, effectively reducing the brains processing speed.

The maintenance of myelin depends heavily on specialised cells called oligodendrocytes. These cells manage cholesterol, a key building block of myelin. The study found that sleep deprivation disrupts cholesterol handling in oligodendrocytes, triggering numerous structural and functional problems in the brain.

What The Study Says

The research team, led by scientists at the University of Camerino in Italy, used a combination of human data, animal experiments, and molecular analysis to trace how sleep deprivation affects the brain.

The researchers analysed MRI scans from 185 healthy human volunteers. Participants also provided self-reported information about their sleep habits. The scans revealed that individuals with poorer sleep quality showed reduced integrity in white matter structures, confirming earlier studies that linked sleep loss to changes in brain connectivity.

These imaging results suggested that even in healthy adults, insufficient sleep is associated with subtle but measurable changes in the brains communication pathways.

What Happens When The Brain Is Forced To Stay Awake

In controlled experiments, rats were deprived of sleep for 10 days. When the researchers examined their brains, they found that while the size of the nerve fibres themselves remained unchanged, the myelin sheath surrounding each axon was significantly thinner compared to well-rested control animals.

This thinning had functional consequences. Electrical signals travelling through the brains of sleep-deprived rats slowed drastically, by around one-third, as compared to controls. The sleep-deprived rats performed worse on memory tasks and motor coordination tests, showing signs of mental fatigue and cognitive fog.

Cholesterol And Cellular Stress

One of the most striking findings of the study emerged from genetic and molecular analyses. The researchers discovered that sleep deprivation interfered with the ability of oligodendrocytes to manage cholesterol. Under normal conditions, these cells carefully regulate cholesterol production and transport to maintain healthy myelin sheaths.

Our findings highlight a possible role of oligodendrocyte cholesterol dysregulation in behavioural deficits associated with sleep loss and unveil a novel target for intervention," the researchers wrote.

Sleep Deprivation As A Public Health Issue

The researchers framed their findings within a broader societal context, warning that sleep deprivation is becoming increasingly common in modern life. The increasing prevalence of sleep deprivation poses a public health challenge in modern society," the researchers wrote.

Shift work, screen exposure and social pressures have made chronic sleep restriction a reality for millions. If sleep loss is indeed impairing myelin integrity and slowing neural communication, the implications extend beyond individual fatigue to workplace safety, learning capacity, and long-term brain health.

Traditionally, research into sleep deprivation has focused almost entirely on neurons, the brains primary signalling cells. However, the PNAS study highlights the importance of glial cells, particularly oligodendrocytes, in shaping brain function.

This new research adds another layer, showing that the cells responsible for insulating neurons are also vulnerable to sleep disruption.

Why Sleep Protects The Brain

While the functions of sleep are still not fully understood, the evidence continues to mount that sleep is essential for maintaining the brains infrastructure. From clearing metabolic waste to regulating synaptic strength, sleep supports processes that keep neural networks efficient and resilient.

The PNAS study adds myelin maintenance and cholesterol regulation to this list. It suggests that sleep provides a critical window during which oligodendrocytes can manage lipid metabolism and preserve the integrity of white matter.

Even a single missed night of sleep, the researchers note, can affect brain function and behaviour. Over time, repeated sleep loss may quietly erode the brains ability to process information quickly and accurately.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 08:00 IST

News lifestyle Think Sleep Deprivation Is Normal? New Study Warns Its Slowing Your Brain Functioning

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Sacred Journeys, Seamlessly Curated: Inside Indias New-Age Pilgrimage Travel Boom

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 11:33 IST

Pilgrimage meets comfort as modern travellers seek guided rituals, seamless darshans and luxury stays across Indias sacred circuits year-round.

Spiritual and pilgrimage tourism continues to be one of the fastest-growing segments in Indias travel landscape.

Pilgrimage in India is no longer just about reaching a shrine. Its about how the journey unfolds. Todays spiritual traveller is younger, time-conscious and experience-driven, seeking meaningful rituals wrapped in comfort, expert guidance and thoughtful planning.

From curated darshan slots and guided rituals to premium stays close to temples and festival-aligned itineraries, faith-based travel is evolving into a refined, full-service experience. According to Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel, demand is rising not only for iconic circuits but for journeys that blend devotion with cultural discovery and ease of execution.

As Indias sacred calendar guides movement through the year, heres how each month shapes the countrys modern pilgrimage landscape.

January

The year opens with large-scale river rituals. Magh Mela and auspicious snan dates at Prayagrajs Triveni Sangam, along with Gangasagar in West Bengal, see peak demand. In the South, Arudra Darshan draws devotees to Chidambaram and Tiruvannamalai, while harvest-linked observances prompt regional temple visits across North India.

February

With Maha Shivratri (15 February 2026), pilgrim traffic intensifies across Jyotirlingas in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, as well as in Varanasi and Somnath. Cooler weather makes AyodhyaKashi corridors and Shakti Peeth routes ideal for assisted, temple-focused travel.

March

Holi (4 March 2026) transforms Vrindavan and Mathura into vibrant Krishna-centric hubs. Chaitra Navratri (19 March) sparks journeys to goddess temples across Uttarakhand and eastern India, while Odishas Jagannath circuit benefits from pleasant spring conditions.

April

Extended itineraries gain traction. Ayodhya, Sitamarhi and Bhadrachalam see Ram Navami spillover travel, while Ramayan-themed circuits and South Indias temple towns such as Tirupati, Madurai, Rameswaram, blend heritage with devotion.

May

Char Dham portals open, prompting early bookings for professionally managed departures. Tamil Nadus Murugan temples draw Vaikasi Visakam pilgrims, and Akshaya Tritiya encourages temple visits across western India.

June

Char Dham continues alongside early Kailash Mansarovar departures. Preparations for Jagannath Rath Yatra begin, keeping Puri on the pilgrimage radar despite summer heat.

July

Shravan ushers in Shiva worship across Jyotirlingas, while the Ashadhi Ekadashi Pandharpur pilgrimage highlights Maharashtras enduring community-led traditions.

August

Onam brings travellers to Kerala, while Nag Panchami and pre-Janmashtami visits animate temples across Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat.

September

Krishna Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi trigger widespread travel to Mathura, Dwarka, Maharashtra and Goa. With monsoons easing, September doubles as a quieter Char Dham window.

October

Navratri to Vijayadashami fuels pilgrimages to Shakti Peeths in West Bengal, Assam and Bihar. The AyodhyaKashi corridor and Mysuru Dussehra add spiritual and cultural layers.

November

Diwali and Dev Deepawali transform Varanasi into a glowing spiritual epicentre. Guru Nanak Jayanti draws travellers to Punjab, while Pushkar blends ritual with heritage festivities.

December

Sabarimalas MandalaMakaravilakku season drives Kerala-bound pilgrimages. Visits to Padmanabhaswamy Temple and Christian heritage routes across Goa and Meghalaya round off the year.

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 11:33 IST

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Rohit Shetty Firing Case: Golmaal 5 Shoot To Begin Under Tight Two-Tier Security

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 15:22 IST

Rohit Shetty will shoot Golmaal 5 under heavy two-tier security after the firing incident outside his Juhu home. Police and private guards to secure film sets.

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Following the firing incident outside his Juhu residence, Rohit Shetty is set to shoot Golmaal 5 under strict two-tier security, with controlled access on sets and police protection.

Days after shots were fired outside filmmaker Rohit Shettys Juhu residence, Shetty Tower, security measures around the director have been significantly intensified. Mumbai Police has already stepped up protection at his home, and now similar precautions are set to extend to the sets of his upcoming film Golmaal 5, which is expected to go on floors soon.

According to sources cited by mid-day, security deployment is being planned well in advance, even as the production team awaits final clarity on shoot schedules.

Shoot Timeline Hinges on Police Clearance

A member of the films creative team revealed that Golmaal 5 was initially scheduled to begin filming in Mumbai after February 15. However, whether the dates remain unchanged will depend on Shettys decision and clearance from law enforcement authorities.

At the moment, there has been no formal communication about a delay," the source said, adding that preparations are continuing cautiously.

Two-Tier Security Ring and Access-Controlled Sets

If the shoot proceeds as planned, an elaborate security setup will be put in place. Around 60 security personnel are expected to be deployed on set, operating within a two-tier system  one layer comprising local police and another consisting of Shettys personal security team.

An insider explained that Shetty will function within a strictly access-controlled zone. Only a limited number of people will be allowed near him. Everyone entering the set  from junior artistes to vendors and daily-wage crew  will need prior registration and valid ID verification. Spot entries will not be permitted," the source said.

Vehicle movement will also be closely monitored, with all equipment trucks and vanity vans required to be logged and cleared in advance at designated entry points.

Shoot Details to Be Shared on a Need-to-Know Basis

In a bid to minimise risk, production details will be closely guarded. Call sheets will be circulated selectively, and shoot locations will be disclosed in a staggered manner.

The timing and exact locations will be shared strictly on a need-to-know basis," the insider added, underlining that safety protocols are being prioritised across all departments.

Rakesh Maria Biopic Faces Fresh Uncertainty

Meanwhile, Shettys other directorial  a biopic on former Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria starring John Abraham  has hit a temporary pause. The film had gone on floors in April 2025 and was last shot in South Mumbai.

A source told mid-day that while only around two weeks of filming remain, the schedule is now under reconsideration. Rohit was in Ooty for a recce until January 30, but given the recent developments, the remaining shoot will be re-evaluated," the source said.

Film Bodies Condemn Attack, Raise Safety Concerns

The incident has sparked strong reactions from industry bodies. Both the Indian Film & Television Directors Association (IFTDA) and the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) issued statements condemning the firing.

In its note, AICWA referenced previous attacks involving high-profile figures such as Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan, as well as the murder of Baba Siddique, warning of a troubling pattern.

This reflects a systematic attempt to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation within the film industry," the association stated.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 15:22 IST

News movies bollywood Rohit Shetty Firing Case: Golmaal 5 Shoot To Begin Under Tight Two-Tier Security
You Should Look Like God: Arun Govil On Ramayana Comparisons Between His TV Role And Ranbir Kapoor

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 07:39 IST

Arun Govil reacts to comparisons around Nitesh Tiwaris Ramayana, saying actors playing God must look the part as Ranbir Kapoor faces scrutiny.

Arun Govil Reacts To Ramayana Comparisons Between His TV Portrayal And Ranbir Kapoors.

For generations of viewers, one face has shaped how Lord Ram is imagined on screen. That legacy is now back in focus as Arun Govil returns to the Ramayana universe, this time with a very different role. Govil, remembered across India for playing Lord Ram in Ramayan, will appear as King Dashrath in director Nitesh Tiwaris upcoming two-part Ramayana film. With the first look of the film already out, comparisons were inevitable. Much of the discussion online has centred on how Ranbir Kapoor looks as Lord Ram, measured against Govils portrayal from the late 1980s.

Instead of brushing off the chatter, Govil has addressed it directly. In an interview with PTI, the actor made it clear that comparisons come with the territory when an image becomes deeply rooted in public memory.

Comparisons are always made when a standard is set, and no one should feel bad that Im being compared. I believe that in order to play the role of God, you should look like that. The look is very important. When people see you, they should see God in you, and think, God can be like that," Arun Govil added.

The upcoming Ramayana is one of the most ambitious adaptations of the epic in recent years. Along with Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, the cast includes Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The scale of the project has only added to the scrutiny around every visual detail released so far.

Ramanand Sagars Ramayan remains the most-watched television show in Indian history, a cultural event rather than just a serial. Families planned their days around it, streets went silent during its telecast, and its cast became household names.

The show featured Deepika Chikhalia as Sita, Sunil Lahri as Lakshman, Arvind Trivedi as Ravana, and Dara Singh as Hanuman. Decades later, those images still sit firmly in public memory.

Nitesh Tiwaris Ramayana is a highly anticipated two-part epic produced by Prime Focus Studios, with Part 1 scheduled for a worldwide Diwali 2026 release and Part 2 in Diwali 2027.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 07:39 IST

News movies bollywood You Should Look Like God: Arun Govil On Ramayana Comparisons Between His TV Role And Ranbir Kapoor
Did BTS RM Shade BLACKPINKs Rose After She Lost At The 2026 Grammys?

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Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 01:43 IST

RMs Instagram post featuring a cap reading We Rose Everywhere sparks debate online after Roses high-profile Grammys 2026 loss.

BTS leader RMs Instagram post sparks debate.

K-pop fans were left disappointed after BLACKPINKs Rose walked away empty-handed at the 68th Grammy Awards, despite earning a historic three nominations for her song APT with Bruno Mars. The track was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Yeartwo of the prestigious General Field Big Four" categoriesalong with Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The feat marked the highest number of Grammy nominations ever received by a K-pop artist, making the loss sting even more for fans.

While Roses Grammys snub dominated headlines, attention quickly shifted to BTS leader RM after he shared a seemingly harmless Instagram post that many believe carried hidden meaning. The post, uploaded on February 2, showed RM posing casually in front of a gym mirror. What truly caught fans eyes, however, was his cap, which bore the message: We Rose Everywhere."

Almost instantly, the internet began drawing connections between the timing of the post and Roses recent Grammys loss, sparking speculation about whether RM was subtly throwing shadeor simply making an unrelated fashion statement.

THIS HAS TO BE INTENTIONAL OMG NAMJOON YESS NAMJOON YOU GOOOO Bora (@Namjooning_75) February 2, 2026

Fans Split Over Shade vs Coincidence Narrative

Social media platforms were flooded with reactions, theories and memes as fans dissected RMs post. Some felt the wording on the cap, paired with the Grammys timing, was too coincidental to ignore. Is he being shady or??," one fan tweeted, capturing the confusion and curiosity surrounding the post.

Others pointed out that the phrase We Rose Everywhere" phonetically echoed Roses name, suggesting a possible tongue-in-cheek reference. Screenshots of RMs cap circulated rapidly, with fans debating whether the BTS leader was commenting on Roses loss or the larger issue of K-pops repeated Grammy disappointments.

However, a significant portion of fans pushed back against the speculation. Many argued that reading malicious intent into a single Instagram post was unfair and unnecessary. They stressed that RM has never publicly shaded fellow K-pop artists and warned against creating narratives that could pit fandoms against each other. For them, the cap was simply a quirky accessory with no deeper meaning.

BTS, BLACKPINK And A Familiar Grammys Pattern

Adding fuel to the debate, fans noted an interesting Grammy parallel between BTS and Rose. In 2026, Rose and Bruno Mars lost Best Pop Duo/Group Performance to Defying Gravity by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Years earlier, BTS had faced a similar fate when they lost the same category to Ariana Grandes Rain On Me with Lady Gaga.

The repeated pattern reignited discussions about K-pops struggle for recognition at Western award shows, with fans comparing BTS and Roses Grammy journeys. Whether coincidence or commentary, RMs post has undeniably reopened conversations about representation, recognition and respect for K-pop on the global stage.

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Location : Seoul, South Korea

First Published: February 03, 2026, 01:43 IST

News movies korean Did BTS RM Shade BLACKPINKs Rose After She Lost At The 2026 Grammys?
Saiee Manjrekar And Sreeleela Share A Candid Chat, Pose Together On The Red Carpet

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 15:30 IST

Sreeleela was seen in a checkered gown with a structured look near the waist. She kept her makeup simple with an open hair look.

The duo shared a frame together on the paparazzis request. (Photo Credit : Instagram)

Last evening was a glam affair with many celebrities under one one roof for an awards show in Mumbai. Among others actresses Saiee Manjrekar and Sreeleela were spotted at the red carpet having a candid chat with each other. Later, on the request of the paparazzi, the duo also posed together at the Variety event.

Sreeleela was seen in a checkered gown with a structured look near the waist. She kept her makeup simple with an open hair look. Saiee on the other hand wore a black and white outfit with a wavy hairstyle.

Sreeleelas Upcoming Project

Sreeleela will appear alongside Dhanush in his upcoming film, reportedly titled D55 and directed by Rajkumar Periasamy. Wunderbar Films made the announcement on Saturday via X. They posted a snapshot of Sreeleela beside a photo of Dhanush and the team. Sreeleela posed for the images in a pastel-colored outfit beside Dhanush. She was greeted with a floral bouquet.

Sreeleela was last seen in Parasakthi (2026), a Tamil political action drama film directed by Sudha Kongara. The film also stars Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan and Atharvaa. Sreeleela is scheduled to make her Bollywood debut alongside Kartik Aaryan. Last year, Kartik and Sreeleela shared a sneak preview of their upcoming love tale on social media. The teaser began with Kartik in a rough rockstar look, and Sreeleelas hot chemistry with him injected a burning spark to the video. It also provided a glimpse of the films tune, and the teaser had already piqued the audiences interest.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani)

Saiee Manjrekars Career So Far

On the other hand, Saiee Manjrekar made her acting debut with a brief appearance in the Marathi film Kaksparsh (2012). She then made her Bollywood debut as the female protagonist in Dabangg 3 (2019), alongside Salman Khan. Saiee also appeared in Manjha, a music video released in 2020, and Kuch Khattaa Ho Jaay, featuring Guru Randhawa.

Saiee M Manjrekar most recently starred in the Telugu action drama Arjun Son Of Vyjayanthi. Made under the direction of Pradeep Chilukuri, the film stars Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, Vijayashanti, Sohail Khan, Babloo Prithiveeraj, Srikanth and R. Sarathkumar. It is a spiritual sequel to the 1990 blockbuster Karthavyam, with Vijayashanti reprising her iconic performance as Kalyan Rams mother.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 15:29 IST

News telugu-cinema Saiee Manjrekar And Sreeleela Share A Candid Chat, Pose Together On The Red Carpet
Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 16:02 IST

1 / 6 February 2026 is a busy academic month for school students, especially in Delhi. Schools usually run full schedules with regular classes, internal tests, pre-board exams, and syllabus revision. Unlike winter months, February has very few holidays, as most schools focus on exam preparation and practical assessments. (AI Generated Image)

2 / 6 December and January often include long winter breaks, but February is different. Schools use this time to complete courses and revise important topics. Even when festivals fall in February, many of them are on Sundays or apply only to certain states, so students rarely get extra days off. (AI Generated Image)

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3 / 6 Sant Ravidas Jayanti will be observed on February 1, 2026. It is a holiday in states like Punjab, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh. However, since it falls on a Sunday, students will not get an additional school holiday this year. (Representational Image/Getty)

4 / 6 Maha Shivaratri, an important Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, will be celebrated on February 15, 2026. Many schools usually remain closed on this day, but as it also falls on a Sunday, there will be no extra holiday for students. (File Photo)

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5 / 6 Losar, the Tibetan New Year, will be observed on February 18, 2026. It is an important festival in Sikkim, where schools may remain closed or hold cultural events. This holiday is regional and does not apply to schools in Delhi or most other states. (Representative image/PTI)
'Bengalis Being Tortured In Capital': In Delhi, It's Mamata Banerjee Vs Delhi Police Over SIR

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 14:00 IST

The TMC chief said she was heading to Banga Bhawan, the guest house of the West Bengal government, to take note of the excesses of Delhi Police on her people

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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee speaks to the media, in New Delhi. (PTI)

Hours before she was scheduled to lead a Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation to meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that Bengalis in the Capital were being tortured".

The TMC chief said she was heading to Banga Bhawan, the guest house of the West Bengal government, to take note of the excesses" of Delhi Police on her people.

I am going to Banga Bhawan to see our people and the atrocities of the Delhi Police," she said. When the Home Minister comes to Bengal, we give him the red carpet. But when we come to Delhi, you give us the black carpet. Please restrain yourself from the atrocities, from the torture of the Bengal people who have lost their lives. The people of Delhi dont know whats happening in Bengal. I just now got the information, and I didnt even change my clothes."

The comments come at a time of sharp political confrontation over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, a process the Trinamool Congress claims is biased and motivated by partisan interests.

In a post on X, the official account of the All India Trinamool Congress said: Today, led by Smt. @MamataOfficial and Shri @abhishekaitc, a 15-member delegation will meet the Chief Election Commissioner to formally place on record our grave concerns over the biased, arbitrary, discriminatory, and politically motivated conduct of SIR in Bengal."

The party said the delegation would place categorical demands" before the Commission and seek urgent corrective action. Our repeated representations to @ECISVEEP have thus far been met with silence," the post read.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 13:56 IST

News politics 'Bengalis Being Tortured In Capital': In Delhi, It's Mamata Banerjee Vs Delhi Police Over SIR

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'Forgotten On India's Map': Budget Leaves Kerala Disappointed As State Flags Neglect Ahead Of Polls

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CNN-News18 Edited By: Apoorva Misra



Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 11:30 IST

CM Pinarayi Vijayan said the states long-standing demands for AIIMS, high-speed corridors for railway development and a special package for Vizhinjam port development were ignored

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. (PTI file photo)

With Kerala going into elections, expectations were high in the state ahead of the Union budget 2026. When finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman rose for the budget speech, she mentioned Kerala twiceonce stating that there will be a rare earth corridor in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to promote mining, processing, research and manufacturing as well as proposing turtle trails along key nesting sites in the coastal areas of Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala.

However, this did not sit well with Kerala, with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying the Union Budget reveals the Centres continued severe discrimination and neglect towards the state.

Vijayan said Sitharaman had deliberately forgotten the fact that Kerala is also on the map of India. The states long-standing demands for AIIMS, high-speed corridors for railway development, and a special package for Vizhinjam port development have all been completely ignored," he said.

While the rare earth corridor was also mentioned in the state budget and was one of the demands kept before the Centre, the nature of the corridor seems to be different.

The Centres move to seize Keralas mineral wealth is extremely dangerous. But the announcement in the central budget is a policy that paves the way for private monopolies to mine. The central governments move is to help the private sector by speeding up the issuance of environmental clearances by cancelling even the strict conditions of the Ministry of Environment. The state government had announced in the budget that a mineral corridor would be established in the public sector by connecting Vizhinjam, Chavara and Kochi. The central governments move to hand over mineral resources to private companies, contrary to the states announcements, is dangerous."

Contesting the chief ministers stand, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said when the finance minister talks about opportunities for the youth, she is not talking about opportunities for only one particular state.

Noting that Sitharaman had spoken about tourism, manufacturing, and semiconductors, he said: I dont see why the Kerala government does not see this as opportunities for the youth of Kerala. If the state government was smart, if they had the capability and motivation, they would be seizing these opportunities like the governments of Assam, Tamil Nadu or Maharashtra."

He added that the only way for Kerala to get out of the broken economy is to have a BJP government in the state.

Industry experts in Kerala say that while the budget is futuristic, no special projects have been announced for the state or capital city Thiruvananthapuram.

Reghuchandran Nair, president of Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said of the projects announcedlike five regional medical hubs or three AIIMS for AyurvedaKerala should try to get one of each in the state.

I think we all got carried away when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came and said he will make Trivandrum the best city in the country. We thought that probably from Metro to AIIMS to high court bench, everything will be here. But the budget did not consider this. So it is quite disappointing."

He added that they are also disappointed because there is no mention of affordable housing. The definition given for affordable housing is old, dating back to 2017, and it has not been revisited. We think this not being mentioned in the budget. It will drop from18 per cent to 12 per cent, which means the rental market is going to shoot up, which will ultimately affect the middle class and lower-middle class."

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Location : Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum], India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 11:30 IST

News politics 'Forgotten On India's Map': Budget Leaves Kerala Disappointed As State Flags Neglect Ahead Of Polls

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'I Want To Take Him Seriously, But...': FM Sitharaman Responds To Rahul Gandhi's Criticism Of Budget | Exclusive

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 21:06 IST

In an interview with Network18, FM Sitharaman said that while she respects the office Gandhi holds, his criticism often lacks data and rigour.

FM Sitharaman had directly addressed criticism from the Opposition, especially from Congress leaders who labelled the Budget as out of touch with the real crises" facing India  such as unemployment, farmer distress and slowing manufacturing. (Image: Sansad TV/PTI)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday mounted a sharp defence of Union Budget 2026, responding to criticism from Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who had accused the government of being blind to realities" facing the economy. In an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Sitharaman said she was willing to engage seriously with opposition feedback, but questioned the substance behind Gandhis remarks.

Sitharaman said that while she respects the office Gandhi holds, his criticism often lacks data and rigour. He is the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha. I want to take him seriously, and I want to take his observations seriously to see if things can be done better. But most often, I think he shoots from his hip," she said, adding that policy critique must be rooted in facts. According to her, credible opposition is essential for democracy, but it must be backed by good foundational data" so that the government can respond meaningfully.

Referring specifically to Gandhi echoing US President Donald Trumps remark describing India as a dead economy," Sitharaman said the comment undermined the opposition leaders own position. Being in India, being in the Parliament, being the leader of the opposition are you saying you are living in a dead economy," she asked, arguing that such statements pull the carpet from under his feet." She said India needs an opposition that challenges the government with evidence and seriousness, remarking, When you speak sometimes without any kind of basis what do I respond on? You are speaking out of thin air. India deserves a better opposition party."

Earlier on Sunday, too, FM Sitharaman had directly addressed criticism from the Opposition, especially from Congress leaders who labelled the Budget as out of touch with the real crises" facing India  such as unemployment, farmer distress and slowing manufacturing. Rahul Gandhi had called it a Budget that refuses course correction, blind to Indias real crises", arguing it failed to tackle core economic challenges and was more rhetoric than substantive action.

Sitharaman pushed back firmly against these critiques, rejecting the call for a course correction and saying she was unsure what course correction he is referring to", while asserting that the economy and its fundamentals are strong." She emphasised that the Budget contains targeted measures for MSMEs, farmers, women entrepreneurs and small businesses to cushion them against global volatility, and welcomed political criticism only if it was backed by factual data.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 20:31 IST

News politics 'I Want To Take Him Seriously, But...': FM Sitharaman Responds To Rahul Gandhi's Criticism Of Budget | Exclusive

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Mozilla Firefox Users Issued Critical Security Warning By Indian Govt

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 10:15 IST

Mozilla is warning its Firefox and Thunderbird users about the issues and the Indian government is also doing its bit.

Firefox and Thunderbird are in the firing line of these issues

The Indian government has been kept busy with multiple security risks becoming a concern for millions and now Mozillas Firefox and Thunderbird have entered their focus. Over the last few weeks, Android and even Apple users in India have got security risk alerts and now it is coming to those using the Firefox browser.

These users have also been alerted about some major security risks via a January 2026 bulletin that can be handled by updating to the latest version of the Mozilla products which includes Thunderbird as well.

You can head over to CERT-In website for the latest security bulletin which details the problem with Firefox and what this high severity rated warning means for the users. and how it can be used to steal data from the affected users. The biggest concern about this alert is that multiple Firefox products are affected by this new threat.

Firefox Security Issue: Know The Details

The bulletin from CERT-In suggests the issues can cause big issues if they are exploited. Multiple vulnerabilities exist in Mozilla products due to Mitigation bypass in the Privacy: Anti-Tracking component; Use-after free in the Layout: Scrolling and Overflow component; CSS-based exfiltration of the content from partially encrypted emails when allowing remote content. A remote attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by convincing a victim to open a specially crafted web request."

Firefox Security Issue: Who Can Be Targeted?

Mozilla has shared the details about the security issue in a post and also highlighted the Firefox versions affected and even those using the Thunderbird mailing client.

Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 147.0.2

Mozilla Thunderbird versions prior to 140.7.1

Mozilla Thunderbird versions prior to 147.0.1

CERT-In has clearly advised people to update their Mozilla products to the latest version. The company has already issued a new patch which prevents these issues from targeting and attacking your device. The security agency also says do not install apps from third-party sources or click on links sent by unknown people.

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 10:15 IST

News tech Mozilla Firefox Users Issued Critical Security Warning By Indian Govt

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Bengaluru Man Says Wont Visit Goa Again After 9-Day Trip To Sri Lanka; What Changed His Mind?

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 14:29 IST

The man from Bengaluru shared that he spent nine days on Sri Lankas southern coast and came back with a changed view about Goa.

He compared his holiday experience in Sri Lanka with his past trips to Goa. (representative image)

Goa has long been a favourite beach destination for Indian travellers, celebrated for its vibrant parties, delicious food and stunning sea views. However, recent concerns about rising prices, poor cleanliness, traffic jams, and a lack of basic civic sense have dampened the experience for many visitors.

Amid this, a viral post by an Indian traveller has sparked widespread discussion. After spending nine days on Sri Lankas southern coast, he shared that his perspective had changed so much that he no longer felt like visiting Goa again. The video quickly gained traction, prompting others to join the conversation and share their own travel experiences.

Traveller Thinks Sri Lanka Is Better Than Goa

The post shared on X (Formerly Twitter) came with the caption, Spent 9 days on Sri Lankas southern coast. No offence to anyone, but I dont think Ill be visiting Goa again."

Spent 9 days on Reacting to the post, a user wrote, Have been to many beach destinations  Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesian islands and the Andamans recently. Goa may not be as beautiful or tourist-friendly as those places, but its hippie and party scene is unmatchable. Koh Phangan might be the only island that comes close. and no, I am not talking about the full moon party, iykyk." Another shared, Are there beach shacks in Sri Lanka? The main attraction in Goa is those beach shacks." We went to Jafna, a war-torn city, and even that was better than some of our tourist spots. We are doing something horribly wrong to be in this state," a comment read. An individual stated, I stopped visiting Goa when I first experienced Varkala. Small beach towns offer way more great experiences than Goa." Another mentioned, The biggest mistake you made is telling this in public. Now, Indians will make it worse than Goa." One more added, Gokarna, Goa, Kerala and Andaman, so many great beaches. India had everything: beaches, mountains and snow. India is underrated." Watch more videos Share this Article

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copy link Practical Tips For Sri Lanka Trips The user who shared their travel experience also gave helpful tips for visitors planning to go to Sri Lanka. He mentioned that Indian travellers need to fill out a Digital Arrival Card for immigration, while people from other countries may require different documents. He explained that their own trip focused only on Sri Lankas southern coast, so it may not cover everything. For travellers who want to explore the beach towns, he suggested places like Hiriketiya, Mirissa, Ahangama, Unawatuna and a one-day trip to Galle.

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 14:27 IST

News viral Bengaluru Man Says Wont Visit Goa Again After 9-Day Trip To Sri Lanka; What Changed His Mind?

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Hyderabad Single Mother Drives Uber To Support Her 3 Kids, Internet Salutes Her: Empowerment Isnt Just A Buzzword

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 19:03 IST

He revealed that the driver, Nandini, has been working with Uber for the past year and is a single mother of three children.

The post quickly gained attention on social media, with many people praising the woman's admiration.(Photo Credit: Facebook)

When it comes to womens empowerment, everyday stories often leave the strongest impact. Recently, a Hyderabad-based man shared an inspiring story after meeting a single mother working as an Uber driver in the city.

Suresh Kochattil, who works as a journalist, shared his experience on Facebook, recounting how a routine cab between television studios during Union Budget debates turned into a memorable encounter. He wrote that after two drivers cancelled his booking, Uber assigned a third driver, and he was surprised to see a womans name appear on the app.

Single mother working as Uber driver

Today, I was using cabs to travel from one studio to another for the Union Budget debates. When I booked a cab from Nationalist Hub to 99TV in Hyderabad, two of the drivers cancelled after accepting the booking."

He revealed that the driver, Nandini, has been working with Uber for the past year and is a single mother of three children. Originally from Vijayawada, she moved to Hyderabad in search of better opportunities and now drives to support her family and fund her childrens education.

These days when womens empowerment is bandied about in the media  here is a wonderful example of how a lady overcame adversity and keeps working hard," he wrote.

Social media reactions

The post quickly gained attention on social media, with many people praising the womans admiration, and some even shared their own experiences.

One person wrote, Though single mother is unwelcome, Nandini is facing the world boldly," while another commented, Appreciate her courage to take up such a job for living. Hats off to her." Someone added, Empowerment isnt just a buzzword."

A third user commented, Great to see such dynamic women, suggestion to Uber and Ola to create separate options for lady travellers to choose lady drivers and options to lady drivers to cancel requests if any passenger misuse in disguise of a woman passenger and such passengers be blocked in app."

One user shared a similar story. I have seen women working as a delivery person in Flipkart, riding an e rickshaw as well. Women are working hard for their family," he commented. In Delhi, I have seen Autorickshaws and e-rickshaws driven by women," wrote the next.

Earlier, a video went viral of a woman in Bengaluru driving an auto rickshaw, following her love for driving.

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 19:02 IST

News viral Hyderabad Single Mother Drives Uber To Support Her 3 Kids, Internet Salutes Her: Empowerment Isnt Just A Buzzword

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Smoking, Spitting In Metro Can Cost You Rs 50,000: Check Updated Travel Rules, Penalties, What You Cant Miss

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 17:57 IST

The penalties cover minor etiquette breaches such as eating, drinking or entering the wrong cabin, to serious safety offences including fare evasion, smoking, or vandalism.

Breaking the rules can cost commuters anywhere from Rs 2,400 to Rs 50,000. (Photo Credit : X)

Dubais ultra-modern Metro system is renowned for its speed, cleanliness and efficiency. With millions of passengers using the Dubai Metro daily, transport authorities has reinforced a comprehensive set of fines aimed at maintaining safety, discipline and a smooth passenger experience across Metro stations and trains.

To ensure its safety and smooth operations across stations and trains, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) comes with strict rules and breaking them can cost commuters anywhere from Dh100 (Rs 2,494) to a hefty Dh2,000 (Rs 50,000 approx.).

The penalties cover a wide range of violations, from minor etiquette breaches such as eating, drinking or entering the wrong cabin, to serious safety offences including fare evasion, smoking, vandalism or tampering with emergency equipment.

According to RTA guidelines, behavioural infractions typically attract smaller penalties starting at Dh100, while safety-related violations can result in maximum fines of up to Dh2,000. Repeated or serious offences may also lead to additional legal consequences. The fines are not intended to punish passengers, but to protect public safety, preserve infrastructure and enhance the overall travel experience.

Dubai Metro Fines

Dubai Metro fines range from Dh100 for minor etiquette breaches to Dh2,000 for serious safety violations, reflecting the citys zero-tolerance approach to misconduct on public transport.

Minor offences  Dh100 Fines

The most common fines come from everyday mistakes that many commuters may not realise are violations but disrupt other passengers or the smooth functioning of the metro. Watch out as Dh100 fines include:

Disruptive behaviour: Causing a disturbance or inconveniencing other passengers.

Improper seating: Sitting in or accessing areas reserved for specific groups (Gold Class or Women and Children).

Food and drink restrictions: Eating or drinking in prohibited zones.

Animals on board: Bringing pets, except guide dogs for the visually impaired.

Restricted areas: Entering off-limit zones marked with warning signs.

Non-passenger areas: Standing or sitting in spaces not meant for passengers.

Feet on seats: Resting feet on seats, damaging or dirtying them.

Lift and escalator misuse: Improper use of these facilities.

Unsafe boarding: Climbing or jumping onto public transport.

Door tampering: Opening doors or attempting to board/alight while the vehicle is moving.

Hazardous items: Carrying items that may inconvenience others or pose a safety risk.

Moderate Offences (Fines From Dh200Dh500)

Dh200 fines: It includes offences like fare violations, misuse, or non-compliance with rules.

Fare evasion: Using public transport without paying or entering fare zones without a valid ticket.

Card misuse: Failing to show a valid nol card, using expired/invalid cards, or using someone elses card.

Cleanliness violations: Smoking, spitting, littering, or compromising the cleanliness of transport facilities in any metro or public transport area.

Unapproved sales or promotions: Selling or promoting goods without permission.

Non-compliance: Ignoring instructions from inspectors or obstructing their duties.

Distracting the driver: Obstructing or distracting drivers while operating the metro.

Dh300 fine: Sleeping in prohibited areas, including passenger shelters or restricted zones, carries a Dh300 fine. This highlights how even seemingly harmless actions can attract penalties.

Major offences (Fines From Dh500 To Dh2,000)

Dh500 fines: Serious violations carry higher fines due to the safety risks involved. One may be charged Dh500 if they are caught carrying alcoholic beverages inside public transport facilities or using counterfeit cards.

Dh1,000: The highest fines are reserved for actions that could endanger passengers or disrupt operations. The Dh1,000 fines include carrying hazardous items such as weapons, sharp tools or flammable materials, entering restricted or off-limits zones or crossing Metro tracks outside designated areas.

Dh2,000: Misusing emergency buttons without cause, abusing safety equipment, such as emergency exits, unnecessarily, and tampering with or interfering in tram operations, putting passenger safety at risk can cost a fine of Dh2,000.

How to Avoid Getting Fined In Dubai Metro?

Always tap your nol card in and out

Respect signage and cabin categories

Dont eat, drink or smoke in Metro areas

Follow inspector instructions immediately

Avoid carrying restricted items

Never misuse emergency equipment

So, before you dash onto the platform or push through a crowd, take a moment to familiarise yourself with Dubai Metros rules and fines.

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 17:38 IST

News viral Smoking, Spitting In Metro Can Cost You Rs 50,000: Check Updated Travel Rules, Penalties, What You Cant Miss

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This 142-Year-Old Soda Brand Is Available Only In One City. No, It Is Not Coca-Cola Or Pepsi

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 14:35 IST

Created by Ardeshir Khodadar Irani in 1884, the brand established a soda water manufacturing unit in Pune.

Ardeshirs was created in 1884. (Photo Credit : X)

Few things seem better on a hot, summer day than a bottle of soda. For most people, the choice is limited to different soft drink brands that they can find in the store. However, people in Pune have a fizzy drink few outside the city may have heard of. Ardeshirs is one of the citys most popular sodas. The 142-year-old soda brand is older than Coca-Cola.

The history behind Ardeshirs soda is just as iconic as the drink itself. Created by Ardeshir Khodadar Irani in 1884, the drink gave Pune its own soda water manufacturing unit.

What Is The Origin Story Of Ardeshirs Soda?

Before the soda factory was established, Pune used to rely on mules from Mumbai for supplies. As per Better India, Ardeshir fled from Yazd in Iran to Quetta in present-day Pakistan, and later, Pune, with just Rs 8 in his pockets. One day, he chanced upon a brawl that occurred due to a delayed soda delivery.

Ardeshir found a way to produce carbonated water. His great-grandson, Marzban Irani, revealed that Ardeshir used to light a charcoal furnace, generate carbon dioxide and dissolve it in water to make soda. Later, sugar and flavour found their way into the drink. This was how Ardeshir was created, two years before Coca-Cola was invented in 1886.

What Are The Different Flavours Of Ardeshirs Sodas?

Since its establishment, Ardeshirs sodas have continued to be the drink of choice for generations of Punes residents. A glance through their menu shows that apart from the original soda, new flavours such as a caffeine-free cola, pineapple, green apple, peach, jeera masala, masala kala khatta and tonic water.

Interestingly, Marzban told Better India that the brand uses natural ingredients as much as possible. The returnable bottle model, which charges a deposit of Rs 360 for a case of 24 glass bottles, is still in place. The money is returned when the customers return the bottles, meaning that they only pay for the product. This model is also why the brand hasnt expanded its footprint beyond Pune, with Marzban saying, If I dont get empty bottles back the next day, I dont have anything to fill the drinks in."

Ardeshirs sodas are available in every Iranian cafe in Pune as well. The drinks popularity has not been dented by other brands. It remains an essential part of every kids childhood in Pune.

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Location : Delhi, India, India

First Published: February 02, 2026, 14:31 IST

News viral This 142-Year-Old Soda Brand Is Available Only In One City. No, It Is Not Coca-Cola Or Pepsi

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22-Year-Old Australian Dies After Her Backpack Gets Caught In Japan Ski Lift

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News18.com

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 16:37 IST

Ella Day Brooke, 22, died after her backpack got caught on a ski lift at Tsugaike Mountain Resort, Japan. Australia is assisting her family as an investigation begins.

The victim, Ella Day Brooke. (X)

A 22-year-old Australian woman died after she sustained injuries when her backpack got caught on a ski lift in central Japan, leaving her suspended mid-air.

The incident took place on January 30 at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Otari, Nagano Prefecture. The victim, Ella Day Brooke, succumbed to her injuries after she suffered a cardiac arrest following the incident.

The Independent quoted a resort stating that an unfastened waist-belt buckle on her backpack became caught on the lift chair while the chest strap stayed secured, dragging her across the snow and leaving her hanging mid-air.

Because the chest strap of the backpack was fastened, the backpack did not detach from the guests body, and the guest was dragged along with the backpack after disembarking from the lift," the companys chief executive Kubo Tsuneo said in a statement.

The lift was finally stopped by an attendant who pressed the emergency button and rushed the woman to the hospital.

Emergency assistance was promptly provided, and the guest was then transported to a hospital by ambulance," the statement read.

However, Brooke was declared dead by the hospital upon arrival, The Independent reported.

Following the incident, Australias department of foreign affairs and trade said they were providing consular assistance to the womans family.

We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment," a spokesperson for the department said.

Meanwhile, the Tsugaike Mountain Resort and Tsugaike Gondola Lift Co have issued a joint apology and said an investigation would be launched into the incident.

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Location : Japan

First Published: February 02, 2026, 16:36 IST

News world 22-Year-Old Australian Dies After Her Backpack Gets Caught In Japan Ski Lift

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Baloch Fighters Release Photos Of Two Women Behind Suicide Attacks On Pakistani Forces

Reported By :

CNN-News18 Edited By: Vani Mehrotra



Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 12:14 IST

The Balochistan Liberation Army said two women were among its fidayeen attackers, while Pakistani authorities disputed the groups claims about casualties.

BLA has identified two women as part of a group of fidayeen fighters

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has said two women fighters, Hawa Baloch and Asifa Mengal, had participated in its latest offensive in Balochistan, an operation the group says has unfolded across multiple districts for more than 40 hours.

The BLA had circulated high-definition videos of the two women before their missions and argued that the recruitment of female fighters reflects what it termed a strategic and ideological evolution within the organisation.

It further characterised Operation Herof Phase II, launched on January 31 and February 1, 2026, as one that involved simultaneous assaults in urban and rural locations.

The BLA claims women fighters were deployed to exploit cultural sensitivities around searching females at checkpoints, potentially enabling them to move closer to high-security targets.

Official claims released to the media and cited by news agency IANS state that the BLA issued multiple communiques through its channel Hakkal," asserting that fighting had spread across a wide geographical stretch of the province.

In one such release, the group published footage from clashes in Gwadar, identifying Hawa Baloch, also known by the alias Droshum, as a female fidayeen" who it said was killed during the attacks.

Hawa Balochs recruitment is directly tied to her father (Nabi Bakhsh)s death in combat in 2021.

The BLA described the recording as her final message," allegedly sent twelve hours before her death, and said she urged Baloch women to join what she called the armed resistance.

The group also named Asifa Mengal, aged 23, asserting that she carried out a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack on January 31 against the Inter-Services Intelligence headquarters in Noshki.

According to multiple reports, the BLA claimed more than 200 Pakistani personnel were killed and 17 captured during the offensive, while acknowledging that 18 of its own fighters, including 11 from its Majeed Brigade, had died.

However, official Pakistani figures sharply contradicted the insurgent narrative.

Speaking at a press conference in Quetta, Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said at least 145 militants and 17 members of the security forces had been killed in counter-terrorism operations over the same period.

The Pakistan Army, according to news agency PTI, stated that 92 militants, including three suicide bombers, were killed during clearance operations launched after attacks across several towns.

Bugti also told reporters that militants had used two women bombers in Pasni and Quetta and accused insurgent groups of exploiting social media to spread disinformation and radicalise young people.

He ruled out negotiations with outfits such as the BLA, while saying that doors remained open for those willing to surrender.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 11:58 IST

News world Baloch Fighters Release Photos Of Two Women Behind Suicide Attacks On Pakistani Forces

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Balochistan Separatists Crash Into Deputy Commissioner's House | Exclusive

Reported By :

News18.com

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 13:53 IST

"At least 145 terrorists and 17 security personnel have been killed in last 40 hours in multiple counter-terrorism operations in the restive Balochistan province, CM Bugti said

Rapid Read

Police officers examine the site of Saturday's suicide bombing, in Quetta, Pakistan, on Sunday. (AP)

At least 15 Baloch separatists crashed into the Deputy Commissioner House in Balochistans Washuk, vandalising the gate, according to local sources.

At least 145 terrorists and 17 security personnel have been killed in the last 40 hours in multiple counter-terrorism operations in the restive Balochistan province," Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said on Sunday.

Bugti, in a press conference in Quetta, said that the bodies of all the 145 terrorists were in the custody of the authorities and their identification process was being carried out.

He said this was the highest number of separatists killed in less than two days ever since security forces launched a war against terror in the province.

Operation Herof?

News18 had reported how Baloch fighters launched coordinated attacks on seven major cities, including provincial capital Quetta, on January 31, in what is being called the second phase of its deadly Operation Herof.

Operation Herof refers to a series of large-scale, coordinated military offensives launched by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) against Pakistani security forces and infrastructure in Balochistan. The operation began on August 25-26, 2024, marking the anniversary of the death of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti.

2 women fighters identified

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has said two women fighters, Hawa Baloch and Asifa Mengal, had participated in its latest offensive in Balochistan. The BLA had circulated high-definition videos of the two women before their missions and argued that the recruitment of female fighters reflects what it termed a strategic and ideological evolution within the organisation.

The Balochistan attacks

Bugti said that 17 personnel of the law enforcement and security forces were killed while fighting the terrorists at different locations, including Quetta, Sibi, Gwadar, Noshki, Pasni etc.

Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Army said at least 15 soldiers and 92 militants were killed in multiple counter-terrorism operations carried out by security forces.

The army said the operations were launched after militants belonging to ethnic Baloch groups carried out attacks at several locations on Saturday.

The army said the militants attempted to disturb peace by carrying out terrorist activities in and around Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar and Pasni. Our valiant troops engaged the terrorists with precision and after prolonged, intense and daring clearance operations across Balochistan, killed 92 terrorists, including three suicide bombers," it said in a statement.

The militants also targeted civilians, killing 18 people, including women, children, the elderly and labourers, the army said.

During the clearance operations and ensuing gun battles, 15 soldiers lost their lives, it said.

Bugti also told the media that in Pasni and Quetta, the terrorists had used two women bombers.

Our intelligence agencies had already informed us to expect a major attack on Quetta and on Saturday night, these militants attacked our security forces, including police and frontier corps soldiers, and also civilians at 12 different locations," the chief minister said.

He said two suicide bombers were also killed in Quetta.

Bugti said after 41 terrorists were killed in Panjgur and Shaban areas on Friday, the security forces and law enforcement agencies were on red alert.

The chief minister said the most painful thing in the last 40 hours was the killing of five innocent women and three children in Gwadar and also played the video statements of their relatives at the conference.

With PTI Inputs

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 13:44 IST

News world Balochistan Separatists Crash Into Deputy Commissioner's House | Exclusive

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China Suspends All Ground Operations In Gwadar After Attacks Across Balochistan | Exclusive

Reported By :

CNN-News18 Edited By: Apoorva Misra



Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 12:58 IST

A top security source confirmed that Chinese nationals will no longer be physically present in Gwadar for the time being, with all projects placed under temporary suspension

Rapid Read

All Chinese ground staff posted in Gwadar have been evacuated through special flights, effectively halting Chinese-led on-site activity in the region. (AFP)

China has temporarily suspended all on-ground operations in Pakistans strategic port city of Gwadar and withdrawn its personnel following a recent coordinated attack in Gwadar and parts of Balochistan, top security and diplomatic sources have told CNN-News18.

Senior officials aware of the development said all Chinese ground staff posted in Gwadar have been evacuated through special flights, effectively halting Chinese-led on-site activity in the region. While China had already scaled down its presence to a limited number of engineers and technicians, the latest decision marks a complete pause in physical operations.

A top security source confirmed that Chinese nationals will no longer be physically present in Gwadar for the time being, with all projects placed under temporary suspension. This is a precautionary and temporary move. The overall security situation in Balochistan, particularly in Gwadar, is under review," a senior source at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad said.

Despite the withdrawal of Chinese staff, Pakistani support personnel will continue ground-level work related to Chinese-funded projects. Chinese teams, meanwhile, will monitor developments and address technical or administrative issues remotely, sources said.

The decision follows a recent coordinated militant attack targeting infrastructure and security installations in Gwadar and other parts of Balochistan, raising renewed concerns over the safety of foreign nationals involved in development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

According to a senior Chinese source, China has emphasised that the suspension does not signal a withdrawal from Gwadar or CPEC-linked investments. All operations have been paused purely for security reassessment. Once additional security measures and an overhaul of safety protocols are in place, Chinese staff will be re-posted and work will resume," the source said.

Gwadar, seen as a cornerstone of Chinas regional connectivity and trade ambitions, has long been vulnerable to insurgent violence. Attacks targeting Chinese interests in Balochistan have increased pressure on both Islamabad and Beijing to enhance security arrangements for foreign workers.

Officials stressed that the current suspension is temporary, but its duration will depend on the effectiveness of new security measures and stability on the ground.

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Location : Islamabad, Pakistan

First Published: February 02, 2026, 12:58 IST

News world China Suspends All Ground Operations In Gwadar After Attacks Across Balochistan | Exclusive

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'We'll Make A Deal': Trump Says Failure Will Show If Iran's 'Regional War' Warning Was Right

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 07:20 IST

Donald Trump said Washington had deployed the biggest, most powerful ships near Iran but hoped to strike a deal, warning that the outcome would become clear if talks failed.

A file photo of Donald Trump (AP)

US President Donald Trump said he was hopeful of reaching a deal with Iran even as Washington deployed major naval assets close to the country, warning that the outcome would become clear if diplomacy failed.

Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump highlighted the US military presence in the region while signalling a preference for negotiations.

We have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close, and in a couple of days, hopefully, well make a deal. If we dont make a deal, then well find out whether or not he was right," Trump said.

MOMENTS AGO: President Trump responds after Irans supreme leader warned of a regional war if the U.S. attacks Tehran.If we dont make a deal, then well find out whether or not he was right." pic.twitter.com/wDb3ABLuLP  Fox News (@FoxNews) February 1, 2026

Earlier, while aboard Air Force One, Trump had also stressed that American forces were moving closer to Iran but that he wanted talks to succeed.

We do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction, as you know. But I hope they negotiate something thats acceptable," he remarked.

At the White House, he added that Tehran appeared willing to engage, saying, They do want to make a deal," and noting that a deadline had been set for Iran to begin discussions on nuclear weapons, though he did not specify a timeframe.

Hopefully, well make a deal. If we dont make a deal, well see what happens," he added.

Trumps comments followed a series of sharp warnings from Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who cautioned that any US military action would spark a wider regional conflict.

In videos widely being circulated on X, Khamenei could be heard saying, The Americans should know if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war."

He dismissed Washingtons military signalling, adding, That Americans sometimes talk about war, saying we will come with warships and aircraft, is nothing new. The Iranian nation is not affected by such talk. They shouldnt try to intimidate the Iranian nation with such things."

Insisting that Tehran was not seeking confrontation, Khamenei warned of a forceful response to any attack.

We are not the initiators of war. We do not seek to oppress anyone. We do not seek to attack any country. However, anyone who seeks to attack or cause harm will face a decisive blow from the Iranian nation," he said.

Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned the United States that if it launches action, they will start a regional warThe comments are the most direct threat hes made so far. pic.twitter.com/B5TGbfzYE5  Sky News (@SkyNews) February 1, 2026

Casting the dispute in stark terms, he added, What is the issue between the United States and Iran? The issue can be summed up in two words, the United States wants to devour Iran, the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic prevent this."

Khamenei also accused Washington of coveting Irans natural resources and strategic position, arguing that the US was attempting to restore influence it once held.

Iran possesses numerous attractions, its oil, gas, rich minerals, and geographic location are attractive. The US wants to seize control of this country just as it controlled it before."

For more than 30 years, the Americans were present in Iran. Irans resources, oil, politics, and security were in their hands. Everything was in their hands. Now that their grip has been broken, theyre trying to find a way back. The Iranian nation stands firm, preventing it," he said.

He further asserted that Iran would continue resisting US pressure.

Iran stands firm and will continue to stand firm, and, God willing, will put an end to the United States mischief and harassment," Khamenei added.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 07:19 IST

News world 'We'll Make A Deal': Trump Says Failure Will Show If Iran's 'Regional War' Warning Was Right

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Donald Trump Shares India Gate's Picture With A Message: 'Ours Will Be The Greatest...'

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 20:45 IST

Trump has grown attached to the idea of constructing a 250-foot-tall structure overlooking the Potomac River. The proposed monument is tentatively named the Independence Arch.

Indias beautiful triumphal arch, our will be greatest of all, Trump wrote alongside the image on his Truth Social post. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

US President Donald Trump on Monday shared a photograph of New Delhis India Gate on his social media platform Truth Social, praising the monument as a beautiful triumphal arch."

Indias beautiful triumphal arch, our will be greatest of all," Trump wrote alongside the image.

The post comes at a time when Trump is pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to build a massive new triumphal arch in Washington DC to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.

According to a report in The Washington Post, Trump has grown attached to the idea of constructing a 250-foot-tall structure overlooking the Potomac River. The proposed monument, tentatively named the Independence Arch, would be significantly larger than many of the capitals most recognisable landmarks.

Trump reiterated his ambition for the project while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday.

Id like it to be the biggest one of all," President Trump said, stressing that the monument should reflect Americas global stature.

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France  which Trump has repeatedly cited as an inspiration and vowed to surpass by a lot"  stands 164 feet high. The largest memorial arch in the world, located in Mexico City, measures about 220 feet.

Were the biggest, most powerful nation," he added, in remarks quoted by The Washington Post.

The White House stands about 70 feet tall, while the Lincoln Memorial is roughly 100 feet. The arch envisioned by Trump would eclipse both, transforming a small plot of land between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery into a dominant new feature of the citys skyline.

The newspaper said that the US President has personally insisted on the scale of the project.

Considered Smaller Versions

Trump has also considered smaller versions of the proposed arch, including designs measuring 165 feet and 123 feet in height, which he reportedly shared at a dinner last year. However, The Washington Post said in its report that the president has favoured the largest 250-foot option, arguing that its sheer size would impress visitors to Washington. The newspaper added that Trump believes a height of 250 for 250" would be the most fitting way to mark the United States 250th anniversary.

Trump has also suggested an ambitious timeline for the project. In December, he told Politico that he hoped construction of the arch could begin within two months.

However, that schedule appears unlikely, as White House officials have yet to release final design plans or submit them to the necessary federal review panels.

The proposed site for the monument, Memorial Circle, is controlled by the National Park Service, meaning any construction would require multiple layers of approval.

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Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

First Published: February 02, 2026, 20:32 IST

News world Donald Trump Shares India Gate's Picture With A Message: 'Ours Will Be The Greatest...'

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Elephant Kills Tourist At Thai National Park, Third Victim Trampled To Death By Same Animal

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 19:05 IST

The 65-year-old was out for a morning walk with his wife when he was trampled to death by an elephant named Oyewan.

Elephants standing in flood waters at the sanctuary in Thailand's northern Chiang Mai province. (AFP file photo)

A wild bull elephant killed a tourist in central Thailands Khao Yai National Park on Monday, marking the third fatality linked to the same animal, park officials said.

The 65-year-old man from Lopburi province was out for a morning walk with his wife when he was trampled to death by an elephant named Oyewan, national park chief Chaiya Huayhongthong told AFP, adding that his wife managed to escape after park rangers scared the animal away.

He was the third person killed by Oyewan," Chaiya said, adding that the elephant may have been responsible for several other deaths that remain unsolved.

Authorities are scheduled to meet on Friday to decide whether to relocate the animal or attempt to modify its behaviour.

Wild elephants in Thailand have increasingly come into conflict with humans, with more than 220 people, including tourists, killed since 2012, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. The rise in human-elephant conflict has also resulted in more than 100 elephant deaths.

Elephant numbers in the wild have risen sharply, from 334 in 2015 to nearly 800 last year. Last month. authorities had administered contraceptive vaccines to three female elephants in Trat province to manage the population.

Officials said the birth rate in five eastern provinces rises about eight per cent annually, compared with three per cent in other regions, warning that unchecked growth could worsen human-elephant conflicts.

Previous incidents include the death of a Spanish tourist earlier in January at a southern sanctuary and another fatality in Loei province in last December.

Asian elephants, Thailands national animal, are classified as endangered globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

(With inputs from AFP)

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 19:05 IST

News world Elephant Kills Tourist At Thai National Park, Third Victim Trampled To Death By Same Animal

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Epstein Files Dump: 'Melania' Director Brett Ratner Seen Cuddling Woman With Jeffrey Epstein

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 11:50 IST

Brett Ratner, director of Melania: 20 Days To History, appears in Epstein Files alongside Jeffrey Epstein. No wrongdoing indicated.

'Melania' Director Brett Ratnar appears to be embracing a young woman in the latest image released by the US Department of Justice

Brett Ratner, the director of the newly-released documentary on US First Lady Melania Trump, has appeared in the files concerning the probe into late sex offender Jeffrey Epsteins sex trafficking network.

The US Department of Justice, on Friday, released the latest cache of the Epstein Files, bringing into the spotlight multiple high-profile individuals, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and US President Donald Trump, among others.

As shown in the images, Ratner appears to be hugging a young woman. The Melania director is seen curling up on a couch beside Jeffrey Epstein and two women, whose identities have been concealed, the BBC reported.

Although it remains unclear when the pictures were taken, they appear to have been taken in the same location as photos of Epstein and Ratner alongside the French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, released in December.

Notably, no indication of any wrongdoing was outlined in the images, the British broadcaster said in its report.

Brett Ratners First Project Since Sexual Abuse Claims

The photos were a part of the Epstein Files dump released by the US Justice Department. Interestingly, the documentary titled Melania: 20 Days To History offers insights into the life of the US First Lady before Trumps January 2025 inauguration.

It was Ratners first project since he faced sexual harassment charges by six women back in 2017.

Who Was Jeffrey Epstein?

Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex offender, ran a prolific international sex trafficking network. In 2019, he died in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial.

On January 30, the US Department of Justice released a large cache of documents, dubbed the Epstein Files, offering 3 million pages of documents, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images related to the investigation.

This followed the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025  something which had been on the agenda of the present Trump administration.

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Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

First Published: February 02, 2026, 11:47 IST

News world Epstein Files Dump: 'Melania' Director Brett Ratner Seen Cuddling Woman With Jeffrey Epstein

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Jeffrey Epstein Told Norway Crown Princess He Was On 'Wife Hunt'. Her Response

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 13:03 IST

The DOJ released Epstein Files naming Musk, Gates, Trump, and Princess Mette-Marit, who apologized for flirty emails. No wrongdoing found so far.

Jeffrey Epstein (File photo: Reuters)

The US Department of Justice on Friday released the latest cache of documents concerning the investigation into the sex trafficking network of American financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Several high-profile individuals, including Tesla Boss Elon Musk, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and US President Donald Trump, have found themselves at the centre of a controversy after their names were reflected in the Epstein Files.

However, no wrongdoing has been established so far. Meanwhile, Norways Crown Princess Mette-Marit, whose past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has long been known, has come under renewed scrutiny after her name surfaced in the Epstein Files.

The latest cache of files shed light on flirty email exchanges between the two. In one of the emails, Epstein told the princess about how he was on a wife hunt. In another, he said that he hoped he didnt make her sad, to which she responded: You tickle my brain".

Simply Embarrassing, Says The Princess

Princess Mette-Marit, who is now married to Crown Prince Haakon, issued an apology following the revelation. I showed poor judgment, and I deeply regret having had any contact with Epstein. It is simply embarrassing," she said in a statement released by the royal palace.

Jeffrey Epstein is responsible for his actions. I must take responsibility for not checking Epsteins background better and for not understanding quickly enough what kind of person he was," she said.

What Epstein Wrote To Norways Princess

The Epstein Files have revealed flirty exchanges between the sex offender and Mette-Marit. What is the weather like, I am on my wife hunt. Paris is proving interesting but I prefer Scandinavians," Epstein wrote, to which she responded, Am still trying to get over the shock that you are in fact wife hunting."

About Jeffrey Epstein

Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex offender, ran a prolific international sex trafficking network. In 2019, he died in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 13:03 IST

News world Jeffrey Epstein Told Norway Crown Princess He Was On 'Wife Hunt'. Her Response

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Pakistan Claims 145 Terrorists, 17 Security Personnel Killed In Coordinated Balochistan Operations

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 07:42 IST

The militants targeted areas including Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar and Pasni.

A damaged vehicle is pictured near the blast site after an attack by Baloch separatists in Quetta on January 31, 2026. (AFP)

At least 145 terrorists and 17 security personnel have been killed in coordinated counter-terrorism operations carried out over the past 40 hours across Pakistans restive Balochistan province, Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Bugti said the bodies of all 145 terrorists were currently in the custody of authorities and that the identification process was underway. He described the operations as the deadliest in such a short span since security forces launched a full-scale campaign against terrorism in the province.

Bugti said 17 personnel from the law enforcement and security forces lost their lives in clashes with terrorists at multiple locations, including Quetta, Sibi, Gwadar, Noshki and Pasni. Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Army said at least 15 soldiers and 92 militants were killed in several counter-terrorism operations launched after ethnic Baloch militant groups carried out coordinated attacks across the province on Saturday.

According to the army, militants targeted areas including Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar and Pasni in an attempt to disrupt peace. Our valiant troops engaged the terrorists with precision and after prolonged, intense and daring clearance operations across Balochistan, killed 92 terrorists, including three suicide bombers," the army said in a statement, adding that 18 civilians  including women, children, elderly people and labourers  were also killed in the attacks.

Bugti said terrorists used two women suicide bombers in attacks in Pasni and Quetta, and that intelligence agencies had earlier warned of a major strike targeting Quetta. He said militants attacked security forces, including police and Frontier Corps personnel, as well as civilians at 12 different locations on Saturday night. Two suicide bombers were killed in Quetta, he added.

The chief minister said security forces had been on high alert since Friday, when 41 terrorists were killed in Panjgur and Shaban areas. He described the killing of five women and three children in Gwadar over the past 40 hours as the most painful aspect of the violence and played video statements of victims relatives during the press conference.

Bugti said the terrorists aimed to seize installations of security and law enforcement agencies and claimed they were being directed by handlers, some of whom were based in Afghanistan. He ruled out talks with insurgent groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army, saying they were not political entities, but added that the government remained open to accepting those who repented and chose to surrender.

He also accused insurgent groups of using social media to spread misinformation, alleging they were attempting to brainwash the youth and children".

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 07:22 IST

News world Pakistan Claims 145 Terrorists, 17 Security Personnel Killed In Coordinated Balochistan Operations

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Partial Reopening Of Rafah Crossing Allows 150 Palestinians To Exit, 50 To Enter Egypt

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 18:39 IST

Rafah, Gazas only gateway to the outside world, is a key entry point for both people and goods.

Young Palestinian patients sitting in wheelchairs wait in the grounds of the Red Crescent Hospital to be evacuated from the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. (AFP photo)

At least 150 Palestinians are allowed to exit Gaza through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt on Monday. The group includes 50 patients, each accompanied by two companions. Another 50 Palestinians will be permitted to enter Gaza from Egypt, Egyptian border officials told AFP.

Earlier reports from Egyptian state-linked media had said 50 people would pass through the crossing in each direction, with operations scheduled to close by 1300 GMT (3:00 pm local time).

The crossing reopened in a limited capacity, marking a partial resumption of operations following months of appeals from aid groups. Rafah, Gazas only gateway to the outside world, is a key entry point for both people and goods.

Ali Shaath, head of a Palestinian technocratic committee overseeing Gazas day-to-day governance, called the reopening as a window of hope" for the people of Gaza.

This step is not merely an administrative measure; rather, it marks the beginning of a long process to reconnect what was severed and to open a genuine window of hope for our people in the Gaza Strip," he said.

Israeli forces seized control of the crossing in May 2024 during the war with Hamas, keeping it largely closed since then. A brief opening had occurred in early 2025, but humanitarian access has remained tightly restricted. The limited reopening on Sunday had involved no travel of people, as part of a pilot phase.

The Gaza war, which began after Hamass October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has left humanitarian conditions in Gaza dire. According to official figures, 1,221 people were killed in Israel, while at least 71,795 have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Rafah lies in an area still under Israeli control along the ceasefires Yellow Line, as per the US-brokered agreement. Israeli troops still control more than half of Gaza, while the remainder is governed by Hamas

(With inputs from AFP)

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 18:39 IST

News world Partial Reopening Of Rafah Crossing Allows 150 Palestinians To Exit, 50 To Enter Egypt

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Poseidon: Why Russia's Underwater Nuke Drone Is Called Doomsday Weapon

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 17:36 IST

Poseidon is believed to be deployed from specialised nuclear submarines, most notably the Belgorod submarine, described as the longest submarine ever built

Rapid Read

The weapon is reportedly designed to carry a nuclear warhead with a yield far exceeding those used during the Second World War. (Reuters)

What begins as a calm stretch of ocean can, in theory, transforms into a catastrophic wall of water rising hundreds of metres high, taller than the Eiffel Tower, within minutes. This scenario is often cited by military analysts while describing Poseidon, Russias nuclear-powered underwater drone, frequently labelled a doomsday weapon" in Western defence assessments.

Poseidon, also known by its development name Status-6, is an autonomous, nuclear-powered torpedo designed to detonate beneath the sea near an adversarys coastline. Defence experts say such an explosion could trigger massive radioactive flooding, rendering large coastal areas uninhabitable for generations. Unlike conventional torpedoes, Poseidon is not launched for short-range naval combat but is intended as a strategic weapon aimed at deterrence through sheer destructive capability.

Russian President Vladimir Putin first publicly revealed the existence of Poseidon in 2018, describing it as part of a new generation of weapons designed to bypass missile defence systems. By 2026, Russian state media and independent analysts alike have described the system as a central element of Russias naval nuclear posture, particularly in the context of second-strike capability.

Military analysts say Poseidon blurs traditional definitions of submarines and torpedoes. Powered by a nuclear reactor, it is believed to have near-unlimited range and the ability to operate autonomously for extended periods at depths reportedly reaching around 1,000 metres, well below the effective range of most existing sonar and anti-submarine detection systems. Some estimates suggest it could travel at extremely high speeds underwater, complicating interception efforts.

The weapon is reportedly designed to carry a nuclear warhead with a yield far exceeding those used during the Second World War. While claims of 500-metre-high tsunamis remain theoretical and contested among scientists, experts agree that a large underwater nuclear detonation near a major coastline could cause catastrophic flooding combined with long-lasting radioactive contamination.

Poseidon is believed to be deployed from specialised nuclear submarines, most notably the Belgorod submarine, described as the longest submarine ever built. The Belgorod is reportedly capable of carrying multiple Poseidon drones and has been characterised by analysts as a platform designed specifically for strategic deterrence rather than conventional warfare.

Western defence officials acknowledge that there is currently no dedicated system to counter a weapon like Poseidon. Existing missile defence architectures in the United States and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) are focused on threats travelling through the air or space, not autonomous nuclear systems operating at extreme ocean depths. As a result, Poseidon is widely viewed as a weapon intended to exploit a critical gap in current defence technology.

Strategic analysts say the underlying purpose of Poseidon is not battlefield use but deterrence. In the event of a large-scale nuclear attack on Russia, the system is designed to ensure retaliation by devastating an adversarys coastal infrastructure, turning ports, cities and economic hubs into radioactive wastelands. Whether Poseidon will ever be deployed in conflict remains unknown, but its existence has already reshaped global debates on nuclear deterrence and underwater warfare.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 17:36 IST

News world Poseidon: Why Russia's Underwater Nuke Drone Is Called Doomsday Weapon

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'Stay Tuned': US Envoy Sergio Gor Says President Trump Spoke With PM Modi

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Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 09:32 IST

President Trump spoke with Prime Minister Modi, confirmed by US Envoy Sergio Gor, highlighting ongoing diplomatic engagement between the United States and India.

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US President Donald Trump's announced India-US trade deal on Monday. (File photo)

US President Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, American Ambassador Sergio Gor said on X, posting a photograph of the two leaders from Trumps visit to India in February 2020 at Hyderabad House in New Delhi along with the message: STAY TUNED"

The call was the first confirmed conversation between the two leaders this year. Their previous interaction was on December 11, when they last held talks.

After that exchange, Prime Minister Modi had written on X: Had a very warm and engaging conversation with President Trump. We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity."

Trump made two India-focused posts on his social media platform Truth Social.

President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED pic.twitter.com/IFcxrJj04m Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 2, 2026

Minutes before the envoy announced the phone call, the US President shared a photograph of New Delhis India Gate, describing the monument as a beautiful triumphal arch".

The post, which quickly drew attention in India and the United States, came amid the Presidents own plans to build a massive new triumphal arch in Washington DC to mark Americas 250th anniversary.

Earlier, Trump posted another image  a photograph of the cover of an India Today magazine edition. The cover, headlined Newsmakers of the Year 2025," features stylised portraits of Modi and Trump standing back-to-back with the title The Mover & The Shaker." A caption on the magazine describes PM Modi as pushing ahead with reforms while dealing with the disruptions unleashed by Donald Trump." The issue appears to be a January edition highlighting both leaders as dominant global political figures.

In a separate post on X, Trump also shared a Bloomberg report headlined on his remarks, which said he welcomed potential investments from India and China in Venezuelas oil industry.

The development also coincides with Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankars three-day visit to the United States beginning Monday to attend a critical minerals ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meeting is expected to focus on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions and strategic cooperation in critical minerals.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 21:20 IST

News world 'Stay Tuned': US Envoy Sergio Gor Says President Trump Spoke With PM Modi

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Soft On Crime: Trump Says Democrats Prioritise Criminals Over American Citizens

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 08:41 IST

Donald Trump accused Democrats of being soft on crime, claiming they protect violent offenders over American citizens and patriots, stating this is not what America stands for.

File photo of Donald Trump. (Image: AFP/File)

US President Donald Trump accused Democrats of being soft on crime," claiming they prioritise protecting criminals over the safety of American citizens.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said violent offenders were being shielded at the expense of our great American citizens and patriots," adding that such an approach was not what America is about, and never will be."

The biggest problem our Country has is that the Democrats are SOFT ON CRIME! They want to protect the Criminal, violent and vicious as they may be, at the expense of our great American Citizens and Patriots. That is not what America is about, and never will be! President DJT Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) February 2, 2026

Earlier, President Donald Trump had expressed frustration over the long-standing midterm trend in which the party out of power gains seats in Congress, while stepping up criticism of Democrat-run cities in blue states such as California, Minnesota, New York and Illinois.

He accused these cities of allowing what he described as insurrectionist" protesters to run amok and interfere with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

I have instructed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 08:33 IST

News world Soft On Crime: Trump Says Democrats Prioritise Criminals Over American Citizens

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Terrorists Are Ruling Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasinas Son Calls For Boycott Of Rigged Feb 12 Polls

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 22:02 IST

Sajeeb Wazed Joy urges Bangladesh citizens to boycott the February 12 election, calling it "rigged" and accusing extremists of dominating the volatile political scene.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy speaks at an event organised around a discussion on a well-acclaimed book Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an unfinished revolution by Deep Haldar, Sahidul Hasan Khokon and Jaideep Mazumdar. (Facebook)

Ahead of the February 12 general elections in Bangladesh, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of former Prime Minister, said a rigged election" will take place and urged the citizens to boycott the election".

Speaking for the first time at a public event in India, though via video call, Sajeeb said: A rigged election is going to take place. Terrorists are ruling in Bangladesh. Muhammad Yunus is working on behalf of those Islamic extremists. Many innocent people have been killed. Many Awami League workers and police officers have been killed even though the party is not in power."

Sajeeb Wazed Joy was speaking at an event organised around a discussion on a well-acclaimed book Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an unfinished revolution by Deep Haldar, Sahidul Hasan Khokon and Jaideep Mazumdar.

He claimed that this election will be held completely one-sided. Despite arson, vandalism, and the killing of workers at the National Partys office, the United States is supporting Tarique Rahman (BNP chairman) for its own interests," he attacked the US.

Also Read: After Hasinas Exile Audio, All Eyes On Joys First Public Address In India | Exclusive

Sajeeb said during Awami Leagues 17-year rule, Bangladesh was free of terrorism, and terrorists were not allowed to gain a foothold in eastern India either".

At present, Lashkar-e-Taliban leaders are holding public rallies openly, and Al-Qaeda operatives are moving around freely in Bangladesh," he said.

He further said: Not only the Awami League, but all progressive parties have been banned there. As a result, this so-called election will be a farce. Votes are being cast by force using fabricated postal ballots."

Sajeeb called on the citizens to boycott the election. This is your last chance to save Bangladeshyour last chance to stop Jamaat. At present, Jamaat is effectively in power. The BNP will win most seats, around 150, while Jamaat will get around 130. Do not vote. This is a call to boycott the election. The outcome of this election is predetermined. If you do not vote, this election will not be accepted," he added.

With Tarique Rahman consolidating his political position within Bangladesh and Joy raising his voice from the US, many see the developments as the early drumbeat of a fresh political battle in an already volatile landscape.

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Location : Dhaka, Bangladesh

First Published: February 02, 2026, 22:02 IST

News world Terrorists Are Ruling Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasinas Son Calls For Boycott Of Rigged Feb 12 Polls

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'Credit Goes To President Trump And PM Modi': Sergio Gor To News18 On US-India Trade Deal

Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 09:28 IST

The announcement of the deal by President Trump was preceded by a high-stakes phone call between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi

A longtime Trump loyalist and former Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, Gor took charge as the US Ambassador to India on January 12, 2026. (File photo)

In a major diplomatic and economic breakthrough, US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States and India have finalised a landmark trade agreement, marked by a significant reduction in reciprocal tariffs. The deal was preceded by a high-stakes phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an interaction teased earlier in the day by the newly appointed US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor.

Speaking with CNN-News18, Gor said, The credit goes to President Trump and Prime Minister ModiThe two leaders have a great personal relationship is something that carries this deal forward. The potential between India and the United States is limitless."

He also confirmed that India is now set to only pay 18% tariffs. The President has a great relationship with the Prime Minister. That is why this happened," he said.

The Gor Factor

The role of Sergio Gor in this breakthrough cannot be overstated. A longtime Trump loyalist and former Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, Gor took charge as the US Ambassador to India on January 12, 2026. His appointment was a clear signal from Washington that the White House intended to place a human-in-the-loop" who possessed a direct line to the Oval Office.

Things have moved very fast since Sergio Gor arrived in Delhi. Weve seen lots of positive messaging, high level engagements, and key breakthroughs (Pax Silica invite and now trade deal). Gor, who has the ear of the President in a big way, appears to be the difference maker here. Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) February 2, 2026

Credit where credit is due: Negotiating an end to punitive U.S. tariffs, and ending up with a better rate than competitors such as Vietnam and Bangladesh, is a major diplomatic/economic win for the Modi government. Also a great start to @USAmbIndia Sergio Gors tenure in India. https://t.co/FeAVRkkm6P Sadanand Dhume (@dhume) February 2, 2026

Since his arrival in New Delhi, Gor has functioned as a strategic bridge", consistently framing the trade negotiations not merely as a ledger of exports but as a reflection of the personal friendship and respect" between the two leaders. Following the Presidents announcement, Gor took to X to reiterate this sentiment: As I have said many times, President Trump genuinely considers Prime Minister Modi a great friend! Thrilled by the news of the trade deal this evening. The relationship between the United States and India has LIMITLESS POTENTIAL!"

The Tariff Truce

The core of the agreement centres on a de-escalation of the tariff war" that had strained bilateral ties throughout 2025.

The Reduction: The United States has agreed to immediately lower its reciprocal tariff on Indian exports from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. This provides massive relief to Indian sectors such as textiles, engineering goods, and automobiles, which had been reeling under punitive duties.

The Reciprocity: In exchange, President Trump claimed that India has committed to moving towards zero tariffs and non-tariff barriers on US products, specifically targeting the dairy, agriculture, and high-tech sectors.

The $500 Billion Pivot and the Russia Question

Beyond traditional trade, the deal includes a massive geopolitical shift. According to the White House, Prime Minister Modi has committed to a Buy American" policy exceeding $500 billion. This includes future purchases of US energy (LNG and coal), technology, and agricultural products.

Significantly, the deal appears to have a security-for-trade" component. President Trump stated that India has agreed to stop purchasing Russian oila major point of contention in Washingtonand will instead increase imports from the US and potentially Venezuela. Trump suggested this pivot would help end the war in Ukraine" by further isolating the Russian economy.

From Friction to Finality

This agreement marks a dramatic turnaround from late 2025, when the Trump administration had doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent over New Delhis continued energy ties with Moscow. The swift resolution within the first month of 2026and shortly after the presentation of Indias Union Budgethighlights a pragmatic shift.

By deploying Sergio Gor, a trusted aide who gets things done," the US administration has replaced its earlier protectionist rhetoric with a friendship-led" economic alliance that aims to redefine the global trade map for the next decade.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 23:49 IST

News world 'Credit Goes To President Trump And PM Modi': Sergio Gor To News18 On US-India Trade Deal

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Tibetan Plateau In Motion: Asias Map Could Change Due To Plate Collision

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 15:07 IST

New satellite data shows Tibets plates flow like a liquid. India-Eurasia collision pushes eastern Tibet eastward by up to 25 mm per year

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The Tibetan plateau spans approximately 2.5 million square kilometers with an average height of over 4,500 meters, touching the borders of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and China.

Tibet, long known as the roof of the world, is revealing surprising and potentially alarming geological behaviour beneath its surface. Recent satellite-based research is challenging long-held tectonic theories, showing that the crust under Tibet behaves less like solid rock and more like a slowly flowing liquid.

This discovery is crucial for understanding future earthquake risks in the region.

Satellites Reveal Unexpected Plate Movements

Scientists used high-resolution maps from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite to track movements across the Tibetan plateau. They found that:

The eastern part of Tibet is moving eastward at about 25 millimetres per year.

Other areas are moving more slowly, at roughly 10 millimetres per year.

This discrepancy indicates that the massive plates are stretching and pressing against each other, challenging the idea that continents are composed of rigid, unyielding blocks.

The Kunlun Fault: Weaker Than Expected

One of the most startling findings involves the Kunlun Fault, which is significantly weaker than previously thought. This weakness allows the interior of Tibet to flow eastward, letting energy from the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates escape through this softer path.

As a result, the plateaus structure breaks and spreads internally, rather than behaving as a solid, unyielding mass.

Lead researcher Tim Wright describes this as the clearest depiction yet of how a continent reshapes under extreme tectonic pressure.

Flowing Rocks Challenge Plate Tectonic Theory

Earlier models portrayed the Tibetan plateau as a mosaic of rigid blocks separated by major fault lines. The new study, however, shows that the crust is slowly flowing, a behavior not fully explained by standard plate tectonic theory.

This finding suggests that old models of continental deformation and structure need recalibration.

Scale And Impact Of Tibets Movements

The Tibetan plateau spans approximately 2.5 million square kilometers with an average height of over 4,500 meters, touching the borders of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and China.

As the largest continental collision zone on Earth, even small movements here could have serious implications for Asia.

Satellite data reveals vertical movements:

Certain regions are sinking by 5 millimeters.

Others are rising by 5 millimeters.

These subtle shifts may indicate areas prone to major earthquakes in the future.

Unprecedented Dataset Enables Millimeter-Precision Mapping

For this research, scientists analysed:

Over 44,000 radar images

More than 14,000 GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) measurements

This allowed them to create a velocity map accurate to the millimeter, providing the largest geodetic dataset ever compiled for a continental-scale study.

Experts from the European Space Agency (ESA) emphasise that this data could improve earthquake risk models, enhance disaster preparedness, and help keep communities across Asia safer.

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First Published: February 02, 2026, 15:07 IST

News world Tibetan Plateau In Motion: Asias Map Could Change Due To Plate Collision

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'We Agreed To A Trade Deal': After Call With PM Modi, Trump Announces India Tariff Cut

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Last Updated: February 03, 2026, 09:05 IST

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to a new trade deal that would lower reciprocal tariffs between the two countries.

The United States and India have agreed to a trade deal that will reduce reciprocal tariffs, President Donald Trump announced on Monday. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

US President Donald Trump on Monday said the US and India have agreed to a trade deal that would lower reciprocal tariffs on India.

Announcing details of a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump said Washington would reduce the tariff it had earlier imposed on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, effective immediately. He claimed that, in return, India would move to cut its own tariffs and non-tariff barriers against US products to zero." Follow LIVE Updates Here.

Trump made the remarks in a lengthy post on social media, describing Modi as one of my greatest friends" and saying the two leaders had discussed trade, energy cooperation and the war in Ukraine.

Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi, and as per his request, we agreed to a trade deal between the United States and India," Trump wrote.

He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!" he added.

Later, Prime Minister Modi welcomed the tariff reduction in a social media post.

Earlier on Monday, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced on X that Trump and PM Modi had spoken, posting a photograph of the two leaders from Trumps February 2020 visit to Hyderabad House in New Delhi with the message: STAY TUNED" The call was the first conversation between the two leaders this year.

Meanwhile, Gor also said that the Trump administration has now cut tariffs on Indian imports from 50% to 18% in an exclusive conversation with CNN-News18.

Trump further claimed that New Delhi will significantly increase purchases of American goods and services. He said the Indian side had agreed to BUY AMERICAN" at a much higher level, including more than $500 billion worth of US energy, technology, agricultural products, coal and other exports.

Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward," Trump said, adding that he and Modi were two people that get things done."

In August, Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including an additional 25 per cent duty linked to Indias continued purchase of Russian crude oil. India and the United States have since been engaged in protracted negotiations over trade and energy issues, which finally saw a breakthrough this year with the agreement to lower the tariffs imposed by Washington.

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Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

First Published: February 02, 2026, 22:32 IST

News world 'We Agreed To A Trade Deal': After Call With PM Modi, Trump Announces India Tariff Cut

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US Likely To Launch $12-Billion Rare Minerals Stockpile To Lower China Reliance

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 23:43 IST

The US plans a $12 billion critical minerals stockpile to reduce reliance on China, aiming to secure resources for automakers and tech companies.

The project is expected to bring about $1.7 billion in private capital and a $10 billion loan from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM). (AP File)

The US will likely launch a critical minerals stockpile with $12 billion as part of initial funding, a White House official said on Monday. This comes as Washington seeks to lower reliance on China for rare earths and other resources.

The project, first reported by Bloomberg, is expected to bring about $1.7 billion in private capital and a $10 billion loan from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM).

AFP quoted the White House officials saying that this would go towards securing and storing the key minerals for businesses like automakers and tech companies  forming a stockpile for the US private sector.

Also Read: China Losing Its Dominance Over Rare Earths Minerals? A US Discovery Offers New Hope

Rare-earth metals are crucial in the production of things ranging from smartphones to fighter jets and electric cars.

According to the International Energy Agency, China dominates the supply chain of key minerals, refining between 47% and 87% of copper, lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earths.

In January, China banned the export of items destined for Japans military that have civilian and military uses, including some critical minerals.

Also Read: G7, Allies Meet To Discuss Ways To Reduce Chinese Rare Earth Dependency

Following this, the finance ministers of the G7 countries and other major economies, including India, met in Washington to discuss ways to reduce dependency on rare earths from China.

After the meeting, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed solutions to secure and diversify supply chains for critical minerals, especially rare earth elements".

Reuters quoted Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama saying that there was broad agreement on the need to swiftly reduce reliance on China for rare earths".

She said she had short-, medium- and long-term policy approaches for G7 and like-minded countries to bolster non-Chinese rare earth supplies.

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Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

First Published: February 02, 2026, 23:34 IST

News world US Likely To Launch $12-Billion Rare Minerals Stockpile To Lower China Reliance

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'We're Two People Who Get Things Done, That Can't Be Said For Most: Trump Praises PM Modi

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 23:02 IST

Trump announced that the United States would reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, indicating a thaw in bilateral trade ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump on Monday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him one of the few global leaders who get things done," after the two leaders spoke and signalled progress on a long-pending India-US trade deal.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the conversation with PM Modi covered a wide range of issues, including trade, global security, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump announced that the United States would reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, indicating a thaw in bilateral trade ties that had been strained by steep duties.

However, an additional 25 per cent tariff on certain Indian exports to the US remains in place.

Trump described PM Modi as one of my greatest friends" and a powerful and respected leader of his country," adding that both sides discussed ways to move past trade roadblocks that had delayed a formal agreement, particularly differences over market access and tariffs.

Providing details of the conversation, Trump claimed that Prime Minister Modi had agreed to stop buying Russian oil and shift Indias energy imports towards the United States and potentially Venezuela.

According to Trump, such a move would contribute to efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

It was an honour to speak with Prime Minister Modi this morning. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine," Trump said, adding that PM Modi had committed to buying significantly more American energy, technology, agricultural products, coal and other goods.

Trump further asserted that, out of friendship and respect" for PM Modi, the two countries had agreed to move forward on a trade deal, with India also committing to reduce its tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the United States.

The developments suggest renewed momentum in India-US relations, particularly on the economic front, even as official confirmation from New Delhi on specific commitments, including energy purchases, is awaited.

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Location : United States of America (USA)

First Published: February 02, 2026, 22:59 IST

News world 'We're Two People Who Get Things Done, That Can't Be Said For Most: Trump Praises PM Modi

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What Is The Arab League? Can Any Muslim Country Join? | Explained

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 17:36 IST

The Arab League aims to promote cooperation among member states and safeguard their shared political, economic, social and cultural interests

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Established in Cairo on March 22, 1945, the Arab League was inspired by the idea of pan-Arabism. (File Photo/Reuters)

Founded amid the post-war push for Arab unity, the Arab League remains the most significant political forum representing the Arab world. Established in Cairo on March 22, 1945, the organisation was inspired by the idea of pan-Arabism and sought to bring Arab countries under a common diplomatic and political platform.

The founding members, including Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Saudi Arabia and Yemen, envisioned the League as a mechanism to strengthen cooperation in political, economic, social and cultural spheres, while also resolving disputes through dialogue rather than conflict. Over the decades, its membership expanded to include countries across West Asia and North Africa, making it the largest regional body of Arab nations.

Initially focused on development, education and cultural coordination, the Leagues mandate broadened after the signing of the Joint Defence and Economic Cooperation Agreement in 1950, which brought regional security within its ambit. Institutions such as the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO), set up in 1964, reflected this early emphasis on soft power and cooperation.

However, the organisations history has been marked by repeated political challenges. Deep divisions emerged over the Israel-Palestine issue and intra-Arab conflicts. Egypts suspension following the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, the relocation of the Leagues headquarters to Tunis, disagreements during the 1990 Gulf War, and the turmoil of the 2011 Arab Spring all tested the Leagues cohesion and relevance.

In recent years, the Arab League has attempted to recalibrate its role amid shifting regional dynamics. Greater emphasis has been placed on dialogue, mediation and diplomatic engagement, with the restoration of Syrias membership in 2023 seen as a significant step towards reintegration and regional stabilisation.

All about the Arab League

Q. What is the Arab League?

The Arab League is a regional organisation of Arab countries in West Asia and Africa. It aims to promote cooperation among member states and safeguard their shared political, economic, social and cultural interests.

Q. When and where was the Arab League founded?

The organisation was founded on March 22, 1945, in Cairo, inspired by the spirit of pan-Arabism and the need for a unified Arab platform.

Q. Who were the founding members?

Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Saudi Arabia and Yemen were the founding members.

Q. Which countries joined later?

Countries such as Libya, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Algeria, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Mauritania, Somalia, Djibouti and Comoros later joined. The PLO was admitted as a member in 1976, bringing total membership to 22.

Q. How does decision-making work in the Arab League?

Each member state has one vote in the League Council. Decisions are binding only on countries that vote in favour, making consensus central to its functioning.

Q. What were its original objectives?

The League initially focused on coordinating political, economic, social and cultural programmes, along with peacefully resolving disputes between member states.

Q. When was the Joint Defence Agreement signed?

The Joint Defence and Economic Cooperation Agreement was signed on April 13, 1950, expanding the Leagues role to include collective security.

Q. What was the focus in its early years?

Early efforts centred on economic, social and cultural cooperation, with political activism gaining prominence later.

Q. When was ALECSO established?

ALECSO was formed in 1964 to promote cooperation in education, culture and science across Arab countries.

Q. When was the PLO recognised?

The PLO received observer status in 1964 and was granted full membership in 1976, formalising Palestinian representation.

Q. Why was Egypt suspended?

Egypt was suspended in 1979 after signing a peace treaty with Israel, leading to the relocation of the Leagues headquarters to Tunis.

Q. When did Egypt return?

Egypt was readmitted in 1989, and the headquarters returned to Cairo in 1990.

Q. How did the Gulf War affect the League?

Iraqs invasion of Kuwait in 1990 exposed deep divisions, particularly over foreign military intervention in the region.

Q. What impact did the Arab Spring have?

The 201011 uprisings forced the Arab League to respond to rapid political change, including suspending and later reinstating members such as Libya.

Q. Why was Syria suspended, and when did it return?

Syria was suspended in 2011 over continued violence during the civil war. After nearly 12 years, it was readmitted in 2023.

Q, Where is the Arab League headquartered today?

The headquarters are located in Cairo, Egypt.

Q. How is the Arab League viewed today?

It remains a central forum for Arab diplomacy, though internal divisions continue to limit its effectiveness.

Q. What is its overall significance?

The Arab League seeks to act as the collective voice of the Arab world, coordinating positions on security, politics and development.

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Location : Egypt

First Published: February 02, 2026, 17:36 IST

News world What Is The Arab League? Can Any Muslim Country Join? | Explained

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Wont Tolerate Intimidation: UK Expels Russian Diplomat In Tit-For-Tat Move

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 21:27 IST

UK retaliates against Russias January expulsion of British diplomat, saying it will not accept intimidation of embassy staff.

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London revokes accreditation of Russian diplomat after Moscow expelled a British envoy last month, warning further actions will be treated as escalation. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

The United Kingdom on Monday revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move after Moscow expelled a British envoy last month, marking the latest escalation in already frozen relations between the two countries.

Confirming the decision, the UK foreign ministry said it would not tolerate any intimidation of its diplomatic staff. We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russias unprovoked and unjustified decision to expel a British diplomat last month and its baseless accusations against our staff," a spokesperson said.

A senior British official summoned the Russian ambassador and made it clear that London would not stand for harassment or pressure tactics against its embassy personnel. We will not tolerate intimidation of our staff," the spokesperson added.

It is deeply disappointing that Russia continually seeks to disrupt the work of the UKs diplomatic missions and deter our support for Ukraine," the statement said, warning that any further action by Moscow would be treated as an escalation and met with a firm response.

Mondays move follows Russias decision on January 15 to expel a British diplomat from Moscow. At the time, the Russian foreign ministry summoned the UKs charge daffaires, issued what it called a strong protest," and announced that it was revoking the accreditation of Gareth Samuel Davies, a British embassy official.

The UK has today revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat. This follows Russias unprovoked decision to expel a British diplomat and subject them to a public smear campaign. We will not tolerate intimidation of our staff.  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) February 2, 2026

Moscow alleged that Davies belonged to the UK intelligence service, an accusation London immediately rejected as malicious" and baseless." Russia ordered him to leave the country within two weeks and warned Britain not to retaliate, pledging a firm symmetrical response" if London did so.

The UK had said it was carefully considering its options," making Mondays expulsion the expected response under long-established diplomatic practice.

Relations between London and Moscow have been at a historic low for years and deteriorated sharply after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Britain has since emerged as one of Kyivs strongest military and political backers, further angering the Kremlin.

The two countries have expelled each others embassy staff multiple times in recent years amid repeated accusations of espionage and interference. Diplomatic ties were already severely strained even before the Ukraine war, with tensions dating back to incidents such as the 2006 poisoning of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko in London and the 2018 Novichok attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.

Since the Ukraine conflict began, direct communication between Downing Street and the Kremlin has effectively collapsed. The last known conversation between a British prime minister and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place in February 2022, days before Moscow launched its invasion.

(with AFP inputs)

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Location : London, United Kingdom (UK)

First Published: February 02, 2026, 21:27 IST

News world Wont Tolerate Intimidation: UK Expels Russian Diplomat In Tit-For-Tat Move

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'World Getting Very Dangerous': Russia Says It Does Not Want A Global Conflict

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Last Updated: February 02, 2026, 17:32 IST

Dmitry Medvedev stated Moscow does not seek global conflict ahead of Russia-Ukraine-US peace talks, denying threats to Greenland and urging calm amid rising tensions with the West.

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev in an interview with Reuters, TASS and WarGonzo near Moscow. (Image: Reuters)

Moscow does not want a global conflict, said Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council ahead of the Russia-Ukraine-US peace talks scheduled to be held in UAE this week.

In an interview with Reuters, TASS and the WarGonzo Russian war blogger at his residence outside Moscow, Medvedev praised US President Donald Trump and said it was encouraging that contacts had resumed with Washington. However, he pointed out that the West has repeatedly ignored Russias interests.

The situation is very dangerous. The pain threshold seems to be decreasing," he said.

We are not interested in a global conflict. Were not crazy," said Medvedev, who served as Russian president from 2008 to 2012. A global conflict cannot be ruled out."

Also Read: Military Victory In Sight In Ukraine: Russias Ex-PM Says Moscow Must Think Of What Comes Next

The conflict first erupted in eastern Ukraine in 2014 a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraines Maidan Revolution.

However, Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered the biggest confrontation between the West and Moscow since the depths of the Cold War.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that two-day talks between US, Russian and Ukrainian envoys on halting the Ukraine war would start in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Also Read: UAE To Host Ukraine-Russia-US Peace Talks On Feb 4-5: Zelenskyy

The first round of negotiations took place in late January, but led to no new movement on the vital question of territory, with Moscow still demanding Kyiv cede more land in its war-torn east, which it refuses to do, Reuters reported.

Reuters reported that Vladimir Putin and Trump both have mentioned the risks of escalation over Ukraine, though European diplomats say that Moscow has skillfully played the escalation card to scare Ukraines allies from getting too heavily involved in the war.

They say No way  these Russians are making it all up  they are sowing horror stories and they will never do anything," Medvedev said.

Allegations of Greenland Facing Threat From Russia

Dmitry Medvedev denied allegations that Greenland faced threat from Russia or China and said they were false horror stories" made up by Western leaders to justify their own behaviour.

This so called threat from Russia and the Peoples Republic of China is simply a horror story," he said.

This is indeed a serious challenge for Atlantic unity," Medvedev said. Perhaps everything will go according to a calmer scenario before military intervention and fighting within the NATO bloc."

Recently, US President Donald Trump had claimed that Greenland faced threats from Russia.

In one Truth Social post, he wrote: Nato has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland. Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!"

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Location : Moscow, Russia

First Published: February 02, 2026, 17:32 IST

News world 'World Getting Very Dangerous': Russia Says It Does Not Want A Global Conflict

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Michigan child welfare workers were raising red flags about drug tests years before they learned the lab behind them had been quietly put on probation by its accreditor. In a deep dive by ProPublica , internal emails show supervisors at Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services repeatedly questioned results from Averhealth, a major provider of court-ordered drug testing in child welfare, custody, and probation cases. One supervisor wrote in 2021 that staff members were "struggling to do casework with Averhealth and don't trust them," even as judges around the state reported similar problems. That same year, the College of American Pathologists cited Averhealth for quality-control failures, data manipulation, and proficiency-test problems, placing its St. Louis lab on six months' probation.

Michigan officials pressed both CAP and Averhealth for details but were told the accreditor's findings were confidential. Averhealth, whose contract didn't require it to disclose probation, declined to volunteer that information. CAP allowed the lab to continue operating, saying its role was educational and emphasizing that it didn't order any results reissued. Michigan didn't get a full view of the accreditor's concerns until 2022, after the Justice Department informed the agency that Averhealth was under federal investigation. The state then halted use of the company and told staff not to rely on its results in court cases based solely on Averhealth tests. Former Averhealth employees, including chemists and lab managers, told ProPublica the lab was understaffed, squeezed to report results rapidly, and at times operated with malfunctioning equipment.

A former lab director became a whistleblower, alleging systemic accuracy problems and test confirmation shortcuts. Averhealth later paid $1.3 million to settle a DOJ case accusing it of billing Michigan for confirmations it didn't perform, though it denied wrongdoing. CAP's internal correspondence shows accreditor toxicologists debating whether the lab's shortcomings could cause false positives or negatives, with one warning that "qualitative reporting errors could exist." Averhealth rejects accusations that speed trumped accuracy or that its tests are unreliable, calling critics disgruntled or mistaken and citing independent reviews and the fact that it never lost accreditation. Still, Michigan and Georgia have cut ties with the company, while other large government clientsincluding Arizona's Maricopa County courtscontinue to use it, calling Averhealth a "valued partner." More here.
While the British royal family confronts Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , Norway's royal house is facing its biggest scandal to date: a rape trial. Marius Borg Hoiby, the 29-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, faces 38 counts, including four alleged rapes, physical assault, threats, property damage, drug offenses, and driving violations, in a trial opening Tuesday in Oslo, per the BBC . The rape charges stretch from 2018 to late 2024 and focus on sexual acts with women said to have been asleep or otherwise incapacitated . Hoiby has admitted some lesser offenses, including abuse and vandalism, but denies wrongdoing in most of the case.

The court has banned photography of him, even as international media pack the courtroom for what is expected to be a seven-week trial. Haakon and Mette-Marit will not attend, per the BBC. The palace insists Hoiby is not part of the royal family and holds no title, though he has long been treated as family by King Harald V, 88, and by Haakon, who has described him as a son. Haakon, who is first in line to the throne, issued a carefully balanced statement, saying the family loves Hoiby while also expressing concern for the women involved. Mette-Marit, seriously ill with pulmonary fibrosis and awaiting a lung transplant, remains largely out of public view.

The case lands as the royals navigate a broader run of uncomfortable headlines: Princess Martha Louise's controversial marriage to self-styled shaman Durek Verrett and Mette-Marit's acknowledged but now-regretted contacts with Jeffrey Epstein. She's mentioned "several hundred" times in newly released documents, per the AP. Even so, recent polling suggests about three-quarters of Norwegians still support the monarchy, and few expect parliament's routine vote on abolishing itdue the same day the trial opensto pass. Still, the proceedings will test how far that goodwill extends, as several women are expected to give detailed testimony about their dealings with the man long seen on the balcony next to Norway's future king.
President Trump says the Kennedy Center for the Performing Artswhich now has his name on the buildingwill close for two years in July for renovations, reports the Washington Post . In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump said he plans to temporarily close the federally chartered arts complex starting July 4 so it can undergo what he described as a comprehensive overhaul. He promised it would become "the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World." The move needs formal approval from the institution's board, but its new members are Trump appointees .

Trump, who became the center's chairman last February, argued that remaining open during construction would drag out the work and compromise quality. "If we don't close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good," he wrote, adding that financing for the project is "completed, and fully in place." He did not give any details regarding estimated cost or whether federal funding, private donations, or both would pay for the renovations, Fox News reports. He characterized the center as "tired, broken, and dilapidated," in line with his earlier claims that it is in "tremendous disrepair."

The center and the White House did not respond to requests for comment on the proposal. Internally, the institution has been in flux: most senior programming officials have either resigned or been removed, and last week Kevin Couch, hired as senior vice president of artistic programming, stepped down less than two weeks after his appointment was announced. The artistic fallout has been visible onstage and off. Ticket and subscription sales have slumped over the past year, leaving more empty seats, while a roster of prominent performers and productions has withdrawn since Trump's name was added to the center's branding.

Those backing out include composer Philip Glass, soprano Renee Fleming, banjoist Bela Fleck, and Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz. Fleming and musician Ben Folds also left their advisory roles. A source tells CNN the "growing artist boycott was becoming untenable," adding that Couch left because he was struggling to get anyone well-known to perform there. Whether Trump has the authority to add his name to the building without the authority of Congress remains unclear, per the AP.
An 18-year-old Swiss national has died in a Zurich hospital from injuries sustained in a Swiss Alpine bar fire, bringing the death toll to 41 a month after the tragedy, the AP reports. The victim died on Saturday, according to the Swiss public prosecutor. The prosecutor said in a statement Sunday it would provide no further information on the status of the investigation. Investigators have said they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling at the packed Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, less than two hours after midnight on Jan. 1.
The BBC is out with a look at what it labels a health crisis in India: lethal snakebites. More specifically, the problem lies in the inability to get antivenom to victims, particularly in rural areas. The story notes that India officially logs about 50,000 snakebite deaths each year, which is likely an undercount and yet by far the most of any country. A new report from the Global Snakebite Taskforce helps zero in on the main issue, concluding that 99% of health workers in India face various obstacles when delivering antivenom: scarce supply, limited training in how to use it, and poor infrastructure.

"In India, snakebites are seen as a poor person's problem," Dr. Yogesh Jain, a GST member and a practitioner in the central Chhattisgarh state, tells the BBC. "That's why there isn't enough outrage or action over these completely avoidable deaths. When it comes to treating snakebites, every second counts." Nearly half of GST respondents said treatment delays led to amputations, surgeries, or permanent disability in their patients. The results sync with the World Health Organization's classification of snakebites as a "highest priority neglected tropical disease." The WHO estimates that 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes each year worldwide, resulting in about 100,000 deaths.

In India, farmers and tribal communities in central and eastern states are especially at risk, facing long travel times to hospitals, bad roads, and scant ambulance services. Another factor is that some people first seek help from faith healers, reaching medical care only after symptoms worsen. That's not to discount the role of traditional herbal medicine in treating bites: A new government-funded study is investigating the efficacy of such treatments, notes the Times of India. New Delhi rolled out a National Action Plan in 2024 to cut snakebite deaths in half by 2030, promising better surveillance, wider antivenom access, more training, and public education. Experts call it a meaningful step but say implementation is patchy.
Federal prosecutors are done reviewing the Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking case, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told ABC News on Sunday, but key Democrats insist the public still isn't seeing the full picture, the Guardian reports. Blanche said the Justice Department's review of the case "is over," even as survivors and lawmakers continue to push for further disclosures and potential prosecutions of Epstein's associates.

Also Sunday on CNN, Blanche, the Trump administration official overseeing the release of Epstein-related records, said victims "want to be made whole" and that while the department wants the same, "that doesn't mean we can just create evidence or that we can just kind of come up with a case that isn't there." He said that even though "there's a lot of horrible photographs that appear to be taken by Mr Epstein or by people around him  that doesn't allow us necessarily to prosecute somebody." Blanche also defended the massive document dump on Friday, saying only a tiny fraction of filesabout ".001%"had redaction errors and that those were quickly corrected. (The New York Times reports dozens of nude photos, apparently of victims, were accidentally posted online.)

He called it "amazing" that the department was being accused of a cover-up less than a day after releasing millions of pages, adding, "We have nothing to hide. We never did." He confirmed the department has no plans for further prosecutions, CNN reports. He also said the DOJ could not investigate tips regarding President Trump's connections with Epstein, because many of the tips were anonymous, the Hill reports. None of the allegations against Trump related to Epstein have been verified, Politico reports. Democrats in Congress strongly disagreed with Blanche's remarks. Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-authored the transparency law requiring the release, told CNN the Justice Department has "released at best half the documents," yet argued what has emerged already "shocks the conscience."

He pointed to references and correspondence involving high-profile figures such as Elon Musk and commerce secretary Howard Lutnickpeople who have been linked socially or professionally to Epstein but not charged with crimes. Khanna called the broader scandal "one of the largest" in US history and said survivors remain angryboth that some of their names appeared without proper redaction and that they believe "the rest of the files" are still being withheld. Other top House Democrats echoed that criticism. Rep. Jamie Raskin said "case closed has been [the Trump administration's] mantra," and dismissed the 3 million released documents as "close to nothing" given prosecutors' control over what gets made public.
A lucrative deal struck between the Trump family enterprise and investors tied to the United Arab Emirates just before President Trump's second inauguration is getting some attention. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on it: Four days before the inauguration, Eric Trump signed an agreement for World Liberty Financial to sell a 49% "secret stake" to Aryam Investment 1 for $500 million. World Liberty is a crypto venture co-founded by all three of Trump's sons, and it also has ties to longtime Trump ally Steve Witkoff, notes the Washington Post. Involved on the other side of the deal was Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an Abu Dhabi royal who has sought greater access from the US to artificial intelligence chips.
The eldest son of Norway's crown princess has been arrested, just before his trial opens on charges including rape in a case that has been an embarrassment to the royal family, police said Monday. Marius Borg Hiby was arrested on Sunday evening and is accused of assault, threats with a knife, and violation of a restraining order, police said in a statement. They requested four weeks' detention on grounds of risk of reoffending, reports the AP . On Tuesday, he's due to go on trial at the Oslo district court. The indictment includes 38 counts, including rape, abuse in a close relationship against one former partner, acts of violence against another, and transporting 7.7 pounds of marijuana. Other charges include making death threats and traffic violations.

Hiby has been under scrutiny since he was repeatedly arrested in 2024 on various allegations of wrongdoing. He was indicted in August, but had been free pending trial until Sunday. Hiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. He has no royal title or official duties. The indictment centers on four alleged rapes between 2018 and November 2024; alleged violence and threats against a former partner between the summer of 2022 and the fall of 2023; and two alleged acts of violence against a subsequent partner, along with violations of a restraining order. Hiby's defense team has said that he "denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence."

Haakon said last week that he and Mette-Marit don't plan to attend court and that the royal house doesn't intend to comment during the proceedings. He emphasized that Hiby isn't part of the royal house and that, as a citizen of Norway, he has the same responsibilities and rights as all others. He said that he's confident that all concerned will make the trial as orderly, proper, and fair as possible. While the royals are generally popular in Norway, the Hiby case has cast a shadow on their image. And the trial is opening just as his mother faces renewed scrutiny over her contacts with Jeffrey Epstein.
UPDATE

Feb 4, 2026 11:30 AM CST

Call it divine intervention, or maybe just a hasty fix-it job to put a stop to days of speculation and scandal. But the end result is that the Angel Meloni is no more. A painting of a cherub with a face bearing a remarkable resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had attracted large crowds to the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, one of the oldest basilicas in Rome. That angel's face was gone when the church opened its doors Wednesday. The cherub's body remains, but the face was erased with a sloppy slab of paint or plaster, the AP reports.

La Repubblica newspaper, which broke the story Saturday when it published the Meloni-esque angel on its front page, said the restorer responsible for making the Meloni cherub had covered it up overnight at the request of church authorities. Restorer Bruno Valentinetti admitted to the paper that he had styled the angel on Meloni, but didn't say why.

Feb 2, 2026 11:55 AM CST

There's a long tradition of painters depicting real people in their religious art, but the appearance in a Roman church of a cherub that bears a striking resemblance to Premier Giorgia Meloni has sparked a minor scandal for both church and state in Italy. The diocese of Rome and the Italian Culture Ministry both announced investigations into the recent renovations at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, after photos of the Meloni-esque cherub were published in Italian newspapers this weekend. Their swift and harsh reactions has given the basilica, already well known as one of the oldest churches in Rome, newfound celebrity status, reports the AP. It was jammed on Sunday and Monday with curiosity-seekers straining to photograph the angel in a side chapel.
Blue Origin's tourist rocket is heading for a long timeout while Jeff Bezos' space company shoots for the moon. The company said Friday it will stop flying its New Shepard suborbital rocket for "at least two years" to shift engineers and resources to NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface, the New York Times reports. New Shepard, which offers a brief up-and-down hop past the 62-mile mark often used as the edge of space, has flown 38 times from West Texas and carried 98 paying passengers, including Bezos himself, William Shatner, Michael Strahan, Katy Perry, and pioneering would-be astronauts Wally Funk and Edward Dwight.
Ed Martin, a close ally of President Trump who was once at the center of some of the Justice Department's most politically charged inquiries, has seen his portfolio sharply reduced, the Washington Post reports, citing "two people familiar with the personnel move." Senior department officials have removed Martin from his role leading the DOJ's "Weaponization Working Group," which had been examining special counsel Jack Smith's prosecutions of Trump and other cases Martin and his allies framed as "prosecutorial abuse."

Martin will remain the department's pardon attorney, a position to which Trump appointed him, but he will no longer work out of DOJ headquarters, the sources say. Instead, his office will be based in a separate Justice building in Northeast Washington, physically distancing him from the attorney general and other top officials. "President Trump appointed Ed Martin as pardon attorney, and Ed continues to do a great job in that role," a department spokesperson said.

A longtime antiabortion activist, Martin helped organize and fund the rally that preceded the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Trump initially tapped him as US attorney for the District of Columbia, despite his lack of trial or prosecutorial experience. As interim US attorney, Martin fired Jan. 6 prosecutors and some who worked on Smith's investigations, but Trump withdrew the nomination in May in the face of insufficient Senate backing and shifted him into a senior DOJ role that did not require confirmation.

As head of the Weaponization Working Group, Martin was involved in largely unsuccessful efforts to prosecute figures frequently targeted by Trump, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey, and Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff. Sources tell CNN that after Martin was installed in DOJ headquarters, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made moves to limit his power and things were "layered" so that Martin wasn't really in charge of the Weaponization Working Group.
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The Government of Canada issues a statement to mark Black History Month

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 1, 2026 /CNW/ - The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, made the following statement:

"Happy Black History Month to all Canadians!

Beginning February 1, we come together to honour Black people, whose contributions have profoundly shaped Canada's culture and history.

The 2026 theme, 30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations -- From Nation Builders to Tomorrow's Visionaries, invites us to reflect on how far we've come and to pay tribute to Black Canadians who have helped build up the country and move it forward.

For more than four centuries, Black communities have contributed to Canada's social, cultural, scientific, academic and economic development. Whether it's the Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, who initiated recognition of Black History Month in Canada; Dr. Yvette Bonny, a pioneer in hematology who performed the first pediatric bone marrow transplant in Quebec; or Elkin James, a wrestler and artist who co-founded a wrestling school in Toronto, exceptional people inspire today's generations to dream, grow and thrive in Canada.

Since 1995, Canada has made significant progress, notably by recognizing the United Nations' International Decades for People of African Descent and investing in Black-focused initiatives. These investments have supported more than 2,300 community projects through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, helped more than 24,000 Black entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses through the Black Entrepreneurship Program, and ensured sustainable funding for generations to come through the creation of the Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund.

We remain firmly committed to combatting all forms of racism and discrimination against Black people with Changing Systems, Transforming Lives: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2024-2028 and Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate, which bring together nearly 100 government-wide initiatives.

I wish everyone an inspirational Black History Month marked by celebration. I encourage everyone to explore and recognize the exceptional contributions of Black people to our country."

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

For more information (media only), please contact: Hermine Landry, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, [email protected]
OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 1, 2026 /CNW/ - As Black History Month is celebrated nationwide, the Royal Canadian Mint's 2026 $20 Fine Silver Coin  Commemorating Black History: Adinkra Symbols pays homage to the rich ancestral heritage of Ghana's Akan people. Their visual iconography expressing values, proverbs, and historical wisdom has strongly influenced West African culture and holds profound meaning for many Black Canadians. Symbols representing respect, peace, and community merge with Canadian icons on an inspiring 99.99% pure silver collector coin available as of today.

"It is important to the Royal Canadian Mint that our coins help tell a more complete story of Canada by touching on diverse themes that highlight the experiences and cultural heritage of the many people who call Canada home," said Simon Kamel, Interim President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "As the Mint continues to support the celebration of Black History Month through specially designed collector coins, we are delighted to celebrate the West African roots of many Black Canadians by showcasing the art and spirituality of Adinkra symbols."

The coin's reverse design by Canadian artist Kwame Delfish features three concentric rings of traditional Adinkra motifs encircling a central maple leaf representing Canada. The innermost ring consists of a repeating vertical pairing of two Mpatapo symbols, the peace knot of reconciliation. The second ring features a repeating sequence of Adinkra symbols representing the divinity of Mother Earth, unity in diversity, and the Mekyia Wo symbol of respect and greeting. The outermost ring is anchored at the cardinal points by the maple leaf atop two Mpatapo symbols, echoing the innermost layer, while each quadrant displays symbols representing unity and human relations. The obverse features a maple leaf pattern and the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.

"As an artist of Caribbean descent, I am deeply connected to the Adinkra symbols and the ancestral wisdom they carry from West Africa. Each symbol speaks to values of strength, unity, and purpose that continue to guide our communities today," said coin designer Kwame Delfish. "Initially, I envisioned this design in a square arrangement to pay homage to the Adinkra cloth from which these symbols derived. However, as the design evolved, it became clear the circular arrangement would mirror the continuity of culture, connection, and collective resilience."

Limited to a mintage of 5,000 coins worldwide, the 2026 $20 Fine Silver Coin - Commemorating Black History: Adinkra Symbols retails for $199.95. This new collectible may be ordered by contacting the Mint at 1-800-2671871 in Canada, 1-800-2686468 in the US, or at www.mint.ca. It will also be available at the Royal Canadian Mint's boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, at participating Canada Post outlets, and through the Mint's global network of dealers and distributors.

Images of this coin are available here.

About the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. The Mint is one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, producing award-winning collector coins, market-leading bullion products, as well as Canada's prestigious military and civilian honours. As an established London and COMEX Good Delivery refiner, the Mint also offers a full spectrum of best-in-class gold and silver refining services. As an organization that strives to take better care of the environment, to cultivate safe and inclusive workplaces and to make a positive impact on the communities where it operates, the Mint integrates environmental, social and governance practices in every aspect of its operations.

For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit www.mint.ca. Follow the Mint on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE Royal Canadian Mint (RCM)

For more information, media are asked to contact: Royal Canadian Mint, Alex Reeves, Senior Manager, Public Affairs, 613-884-6370, [email protected]
Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian officially announced his reelection campaign, while his multi-million-dollar bankruptcy case unfolds in the background.

Im running for one simple reason, Gillian said in a video published online by his campaign. I believe deeply in this community, and I know theres important work still to do.

Gillian officially began his reelection bid about a month after teasing his campaign in late 2025, by promising an administration rooted in collaborative politics,

Meanwhile, Gillian is working to resolve his roughly $6 million in debt after filing in December for Chapter 11 protections in New Jersey U.S. District Bankruptcy court.

His initial filing shows Gillian and his wife owe about $2.5 million combined to the IRS and the New Jersey Division of Taxation.

Gillian has served four terms as mayor beginning in 2010. His latest campaign is his first since his business, Wonderland Pier, the dormant theme park that bore his familys name for decades, closed amid financial shortfalls.

In his campaign statement, Gillian dismissed public claims that he financially benefited from closing the theme park, saying the accusation publicly floated simply isnt true.

He also used the campaign launch to distance his bankruptcy case from public office, repeating his position that seeking financial help was a personal decision.

Nobody loved Wonderland more than I did, Gillian said. It was my life, my family business and my legacy. I lost everything trying to keep it alive. Long after I knew it was time, my heart wouldnt let it go.

Gillian vowed to protect Ocean Citys family friendly atmosphere during summer while touting his administrations progress in stabilizing local taxes and achieving high-ranking bond ratings.

Using a personal loss to question the integrity of this administration for the work weve done for Ocean City is unfair to the outstanding professionals and dedicated volunteers who serve this city with integrity every day, Gillian said.

Gillian is the only candidate to announce his run so far.

Keith Hartzell, who holds Ocean Citys 2nd Ward council seat has made a soft announcement at another mayor run but has not officially entered the race, he confirmed to NJ Advance Media on Monday.

Gillian and Hartzell were pitted against each other for mayor in 2022, with voters delivering Gillian a comfortable victory, 4,334 to 3,207.
Its cold. Its dark. And for most New Jersey high schoolers, the alarm clock goes off way too early.

Start times vary at public high schools around New Jersey, where each of the more than 600 public school districts can set their own schedules.

Students at Pennsauken High School in Camden County have the earliest start time among the states public high schools, with school opening at 6:55 a.m., according to state Department of Education data from the 2023-24 school year. (See what time your high school starts in the chart below.)

But not every student has to be in their seat by 6:55 a.m. in Pennsauken. Thats the time teachers are contractually obligated to be in the classroom, school officials previously told NJ Advance Media. So, it is considered the start of the school day.

Students at Pennsauken High School arent considered late until the 7:10 a.m. bell rings  15 minutes after the official start time.

Students at the four schools in the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District get to sleep in the latest among traditional public high school students in New Jersey. Those schools all start at 8:45 a.m., according to state data.

Some other schools with non-traditional formats  including specialized high schools, magnet schools and schools for students with disabilities  have even later start times.

The Bayonne Alternative High School, an evening school for non-traditional students, begins its day at 2 p.m.

The average start time statewide is 7:51 a.m., an NJ Advance Media analysis of the data found.

Thats in line with the average start time nationwide. According to the Sleep Foundation, the average public school in the U.S. starts at 8 a.m.

Editors note: Start times are for the 2023-24 school year, the most recently available statewide data. Some schools may have changed their start times since the data was collected.
As New Jersey enters its budget season under a new governor, state lawmakers are weighing whether school district consolidation should be part of the discussion.

New Jersey has more than 600 school districts, hundreds more than many other states. Critics have long argued many of the districts should be merged together to save money, though the idea has drawn limited local support.

Lawmakers again raised the issue during a conversation that unfolded Friday during a legislative panel at the New Jersey Business and Industry Associations Public Policy Forum in Princeton. Gov. Mikie Sherrill delivered a keynote address at the event.

State Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, was among those arguing the high number of school districts is one of the biggest drivers of the states high property taxes and represents one of the states largest expenditures alongside pension payments.

Its not sustainable, Gopal said.

He argued many districts maintain buildings operating below capacity and run transportation services that could be shared. He said school districts also face revenue challenges that are becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

Late last year, Gopal introduced a bill, S4861, that would prompt some school districts in the state to consolidate into regional systems.

The bill did not move forward during the last legislative session that ended in January. Gopal said he was going to pursue the bill again but was open to amendments.

Gopal suggested that merging services at the county level could better support school districts, saying it is unrealistic for all districts to maintain entirely separate systems.

Sherrill, a Democrat, said little about her approach to local funding during her speech at the event. But she raised concerns about decreasing federal funding under the Trump administration.

We see the federal government not funding much of the health care systems that they are on the hook for or the education systems that they should be funding, the governor said.

The debate over school district consolidation comes as New Jersey confronts a projected state budget deficit and a surplus expected to run out in a couple of years, according to estimates from the state Office of Legislative Services.

State Sen. Declan OScanlon, the Republican budget officer in the Senate, questioned whether school district consolidation would significantly affect the state budget deficit, saying broader school funding issues would need to be addressed soon.

Consolidation wont save your state budget, OScanlon, R-Monmouth, said. Consolidation will save the local budget.

Gopal acknowledged the political challenge of merging and consolidating school districts. But he said the state must confront its structural issues.

I get how politically tough of an issue this is  but New Jersey has way too much government, he said.
Firefighters entered a burning house in Maplewood to rescue a resident early Monday, the fire chief said.

Two civilians and a firefighter were hospitalized as a result of a fire that broke out in the basement of a two-story house on Gifford Court at about 1:30 a.m., South Essex Chief Joseph Alvarez said.

The resident was in a hospital bed and yelling for help when firefighters made it into the house. The victim was conscious and breathing when turned over to emergency workers, Alvarez and Mayor Sheena Collum said.

Another resident later was brought to an area hospital to he checked. The injured firefighter who carried the resident out  identified by Collum as Captain Keith Scheper  is doing well and is being released.

Two dogs were also rescued, the mayor said.

Firefighters worked for two hours hours to bring the fire under control.

The fireground is an extremely chaotic and fast moving operation when arriving first on scene, Alvarez said. Squad 32 was faced with advanced fire, in extremely harsh conditions, and bystanders advising them of a person trapped. Without question, their decision to immediately commit their company to making the rescue, and the swift action they took are the reasons a resident of our town is alive today.

Red Cross New Jersey is helping eight people from three families with emergency assistance for temporary lodging, food, clothing, and other immediate needs.

The Maplewood Fire Marshal and the South Essex Fire Department are investigating the cause.

Firefighters from Irvington, Union, Hillside, Millburn, Orange, East Orange and Montclair assisted at the scene.
Tenants of a Newark affordable housing complex, which was plagued by a rat infestation three years ago, are once again pleading for help, this time mainly over what they say is a lack of heat aggravated by the recent cold snap.

When I have the oven and stove on, and I put enough clothes on, Im okay, but the radiators are cold, said Linda Hobson, 65, a retired nurses assistant who lives in a townhouse at the Georgia King Village complex with her 15-year-old grandson. Im not trying to get nobody in trouble. All I want is some heat.

Hobson welcomed a reporter into her home on Thursday, when the temperature was not particularly chilly. It was warmer than usual, Dobson said, because she had her stove and burners on and some of the baseboard heaters were working.

But most of the heaters were tepid to the touch, and the basement of the townhouse was noticeably colder than other areas.

Hobson and others said the cold weather had prompted a resurgence of mice and rats that never went away entirely despite extermination efforts by Georgia King Villages former owner, L + M Development Partners of Larchmont, New York.

The recent complaints are reminiscent of those by tenants who appeared before the Newark City Council in January 2023, while L + M still owned the site, describing an infestation they and others attributed to new construction on the property and pleading with city officials to do something.

They did. And following inspections and citations for scores of code violations that also involved water leaks, mold, peeling paints and other problems, officials threatened to rescind a property tax abatement. The city also filed a lawsuit to place the property in receivership, under which the city would collect rents and use the money to fund repairs.

But L + M acknowledged the problems and addressed them sufficiently for the city to drop the suit and leave the abatement in place.

L + M no longer owns Georgia King Village, having received permission from city, state and federal housing officials to sell it in September. The new owners are a joint venture of Clifton-based Joined Management, which has managed the complex since December 2024, and the Tangram Group, a nationwide real estate firm specializing in subsidized housing.

L+M transferred ownership of Georgia King Village to a joint venture, including affiliates of Joined and Tangram, in September 2025, L + M said in a statement Friday.

A spokesperson for the city, Susan Garofalo, on Friday identified Georgia Kings new owner by the name of the newly created joint company, Selene Affordable LLC.

Garofalo added that city code enforcement officers had inspected Georgia King Village on Friday and had issued a complaint citing violations she did not specify.

In the Georgia King Village management office on Thursday, Joined employees declined to comment. A spokesman for Tangram released a statement Friday asserting that providing safe and comfortable living conditions for all residents is a top priority.

Access to utilities, including heat, remained available for the vast majority of residents at Georgia King Village during the recent winter storm, the statement added. Fewer than 4% of apartments experienced a heat concern during this significant storm, and all issues were promptly addressed.

Valentine added that, to prepare for the cold weather, several new boilers were installed at Georgia King Village before winter began.

There is no evidence of a property-wide heating outage, Valentine stated. When a tenant alerts us to a service issue, it is addressed promptly.

Gee Cureton, a longtime resident and informal tenant organizer at the complex, said she raised the heat issue with Joined personnel on-site in December after compiling a list of 28 residents who told her their apartments were cold.

I was getting a lot of calls about heat, said Cureton. My biggest concern was finding somebody dead in their apartment.

Cureton said she got no response from Joineds on-site representatives, and was doubtful conditions would improve at the complex as long as Joined continued to manage it.

The companys communication with tenants was horrible, she said, and the complex was understaffed. For example, Cureton said there was no one assigned to regularly check on the many elderly and disabled tenants, especially those vulnerable to extreme heat, cold, or other conditions.

Cureton also reached out to Council President Lawrence Crump and to Amiri Baraka Jr., the chief of staff and brother of Mayor Ras J. Baraka.

She said Crump and Amiri Baraka responded with requests for the names of tenants without heat, and on Thursday, the mayors brother hand-delivered portable space heaters to residents.

One of them was Sabrina Colon, who lives on the 12th floor of the 200 tower.

I sleep under a fur blanket and a rug, fully dressed, with a hat, said Colon, 47, an eyelash technician and transportation aide for disabled children. The rats were crawling into my sofa, on top of my bed.

Colons apartment was immaculate when a reporter visited on Thursday, just after Baraka was there. But she showed pictures of rodent droppings on her floor and ice crystals on the inside sill of her window.

Like Hobsons townhouse, Colons apartment was far from frigid on Thursday, with the radiators ranging from warm to room temperature. Like Hobson, Colon also said she had been heating her place with the stove.

The hallways and lobby of the building were noticeably brisk on Thursday, however, even compared to the bitter cold outside, when temperatures were in the low 20s.

Cureton said Friday that she was still awaiting word from the mayors office and the council on what, if any, formal action the city would take on behalf of Georgia King tenants. Crump did not respond to a request for comment.

The 422-unit Georgia King Village apartment complex was built in the 1970s, and includes 144 townhouses and two 18-story apartment towers in the citys West Ward.

The complex was purchased in 2016 by L + M, which was granted a tax abatement by the City Council to offset millions of dollars in capital improvements the company made to the aging complex, where rents are subsidized by federal Section 8 vouchers.

Since then, L + M has completed or launched several market-rate projects in Newark, including the redevelopment of the Hahnes Department store site on Broad Street; conversion of a Rutgers high-rise parking garage into market-rate and affordable housing; and the construction of mixed-use projects in collaboration with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the Newark Museum of Art.

In 2024, then-City Council President Lamonica McIver, now a member of Congress, delayed the eventual aproval of a tax abatement on the Newark Museum project  a 250-unit residential tower and additional gallery space  because L + M had not resolved all of the issues at Georgia King Village.

Councilman Carlos Gonzalez, who chaired the councils tax abatement committee when it threatened to rescind Georgia King Villages abatement, said a half-century-old residential complex made up entirely of subsidized apartments was bound to have maintenance problems. He also said it did not seem to fit the image that L + M wanted to convey in its Newark portfolio.

When you buy a building that is 40-50 years old, problems are going to arise, said Gonzalez. Thats an outlier for them.
So we are driving through the farm fields of Salem County. Its winter, most areas are free of snow, but theres a distant field covered in white.

Those are snow geese! A flock of hundreds, maybe thousands. One of the most impressive sights in a New Jersey winter landscape, and a reminder of the abundant bird life seen by the earliest settlers.

Get closer and look at an individual bird. Its white, slightly smaller than a Canada goose, has black on the outer wing feathers, a pink bill, often a muddy face from grubbing for food.

A few individuals in the flock are gray, white-headed blue geese, an uncommon color variant.

Snow geese breed in the Arctic, north of the tree line, all across the continent. The ones we see on the Atlantic flyway come from Greenland and Ellesmere Island.

They feed on vegetation, not only on the above-ground parts but also on the roots and tubers. When they are present in large numbers in a small area they can seriously degrade the habitat.

Up to about 50 years ago, they wintered mainly on the salt marshes along the coast as far south as North Carolina.

But, more recently, perhaps in response to some loss of their preferred habitat and also to changes in farming practices, the birds began wintering on inland areas where they feed on spilled grain in addition to plant roots.

In New Jersey, Salem and Cumberland counties are frequently visited, but they can turn up almost anyplace. Many still go to the coast, and if you want to see them easily, visit the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Atlantic County any time between October and March. Take the auto tour and you will almost always see them, along with other birds.

The birds leave New Jersey in April, arriving back home by mid-May. Almost always a few stragglers remain behind, sometimes remaining solitary and sometimes joining resident flocks of Canada geese.

Snow geese mate for life starting in their second year. They nest in colonies, and successful migrants return to the same area where they nested in previous years.

After arriving on the barren grounds, the birds settle in, and the female makes a nest consisting of a scrape in the ground, lined by a few feathers.

She lays three to five eggs, which hatch in about three weeks. The young leave the nest soon after hatching but remain with their parents until they are two or three years old.

Both adults and chicks are preyed upon by Arctic foxes, wolves, snowy owls, rough-legged hawks, and even polar bears.

Many of these predators are desperate for food in spring and summer, when their icy winter seal-hunting grounds remain ice-free for extended periods."

For information about the Gloucester County Nature Club, visit gcnatureclub.org/.
A Hudson County man was sentenced to over three decades in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl, prosecutors said.

Jhaitan Snow, 40, of Bayonne, was sentenced to 37 years in prison and must serve at least 25 years before being eligible for parole.

Snow was convicted of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child in October 2025, officials said.

Snow was accused of sexually assaulting a younger than 13 years old in Jersey City several times between August 2020 and March 2022, officials said.

An attorney for Snow could not be reached for comment.
A 42-year-old New Jersey woman who left her boyfriend a quadriplegic after intentionally running him over with her car in the parking lot of a shopping center in Monmouth County is headed to state prison.

Yvette C. Barnes, of Keansburg, pleaded guilty last week to attempted murder, the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office said.

Prosecutors will ask for Barnes to be sentenced to 15 years in state prison at her sentencing, scheduled for March 11.

Barnes hit and dragged the victim at Seaview Square Mall on Route 66 in Ocean Township at about 11 p.m. on July 10, 2024, officials said.

The man suffered severe head, neck, and body injuries and after being dragged while trapped under Barnes vehicle.

Investigators found blood and hair littered across the parking lot.

The victim is still hospitalized and has undergone multiple skin grafts.
Hey there New Jersey! Heres your audio update highlighting an incident in which ICE agents questioned a girl and her uncle while she was on her way to school, and more freezing cold temperatures in the forecast this week.

Plus, a high school goalie in Vernon stopped 104 shots in a losing effort.

Listen by clicking the play button above.

This audio presentation is an editorially-curated selection of stories, selected by an editor, and then summarized and read aloud by artificial intelligence. Some variations in pronunciation, tone or diction may result.

We want to know what you think! All feedback is valuable. After youve listened, take our 3-question survey here to let us know what you think.

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By Stephen R. Shalom

In this coming legislative session, Israel Right-or-Wrong advocates will try once again to push through a bill establishing an official New Jersey definition of antisemitism  that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)  which conflates criticisms of Israel with anti-Jewish bigotry.

Leading civil liberties organizations have warned that the IHRA definition would seriously violate our First Amendment rights, but the bills supporters are undeterred.

One of the bills sponsors, my Assemblywoman, Rosy Bagolie (D-27th Dist.), has sent a letter to constituents defending the legislations latest version.

She writes that she doesnt advocate only for one community. I advocate for all.

But while some bills increase peoples rights, this bill purports to enhance the rights and well-being of Jews, while taking away rights of Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims who are distraught over the horrors being carried out by Israel  as well as of many Jews like myself and others who are appalled by Israels actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

It wont make Jews safer to legislate that Israel should be the only country in the world immune from criticism. Weaponized charges of antisemitism have been used to ban protests, violate academic freedom, and deport students.

And the IHRA bill supports President Trumps attack on higher education by declaring that antisemitism on college campuses is systemic, broad, and deep.

Trumpian authoritarianism is not good for anyone, but especially is not good for Jews. It creates precisely the kind of environment in which antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of racism flourish.

Why impose a definition that Trump has forced on universities but that the Biden administrations National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism did not impose, instead welcoming multiple definitions?

Bagolies letter argues that warning about the dangers to free speech is like gun lobbyists claims that common sense gun legislation will infringe on Second Amendment rights. She says we believe gun laws should be passed anyway because the moral imperative to protect human life outweighs the distortions of absolutism.

This is a false analogy. The Second Amendment does not limit gun control; only the far-right Robertss Supreme Court has so ruled. But the First Amendment is the bedrock of all our rights.

Bagolie assures us her bill contains explicit protections for First Amendment rights. Nevertheless, the text still declares three criticisms of Israel to be antisemitic, even though these criticisms do not run afoul of other expert definitions of antisemitism  such as the Jerusalem Declaration or the Nexus Document.

So, either one concludes that all the prominent endorsers of these alternatives are antisemites, or that many views that contradict the IHRA definition are not antisemitic.

1. The IHRA bill declares it antisemitic to compare Israels actions to Nazi Germanys. And yet, the worlds leading human rights organizations, including Israeli organizations, have found that Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza. (As New Jersey state Sen. Britnee Timberlane said when she was criticized for likening ICEs behavior to the Gestapos: If they want to stop parallels to the Gestapo and Nazi Germany, then they should stop behaving that way.)

2. The IHRA bill declares it antisemitic to say Israel is a racist endeavor. But again, the foremost human rights organizations have characterized Israels treatment of Palestinians as apartheid. Should their reports be banned as antisemitic?

3. The IHRA bill says one can only criticize Israel if one similarly criticizes other countries. But there are many reasons that one might condemn wrongdoing without condemning all wrongdoing. If people, particularly Uighurs, denounce Chinese policy in Xinxiang without denouncing all oppressors, are they thereby guilty of anti-Chinese bigotry?

Supports of the bill claim that the IHRA definition has been adopted in many states and countries with none experienced an erosion of free speech.

Actually, free speech in many of these jurisdictions has been eroded  not just in foreign countries (see here and here and here), but in many states.

For example, in New Jersey in 2024 a Camden county-approved adoption of IHRA was used to shut down a pro-Palestine protest.

New Jersey should not try to impose an antisemitism definition that has been championed by Israels rightwing apologists and rejected by civil libertarians as well as by advocates for endangered and marginalized Palestinians.

Calling your elected representative in the state Assembly or Senate is the most effective way to influence policy. To find your state Assembly member and Senator to voice your position, go to the New Jersey Legislature websites Legislative Roster.

Stephen R. Shalom is emeritus professor of political science at William Paterson University and a member of Jewish Voice for Peace of Northern New Jersey. The views expressed are his own.
Four of Patersons five citywide elementary schools will be closed in June as the district shifts to models in the fall that are designed to better prepare students for high school.

The elementary schools, referred to as Choice Schools, allow students across the state to attend schools outside their neighborhood or district under the state Department of Educations Interdistrict Public School Choice Program. The four affected schools hold about 1,000 students.

The recently announced changes are included in Phase 3 of the districts restructuring plan, which will also reconfigure four additional schools by September to accommodate children whose schools are closing. School 21 will serve students in grades 6 through 8, while Schools 10, 18 and 26 will enroll students through grade 5.

Superintendent Laurie Newell announced the plan on Jan. 23, saying the changes would provide all students with access to strong, high-quality programs close to home.

We are strengthening school communities, improving efficiency and ensuring that our long-term planning remains focused on student success, she said.

But the plan drew sharp criticism from some members of the board of education, who said Newell failed to seek community input before making the decision.

This is asinine, said Kenneth Simmons, the longest-serving member of the Paterson Board of Education. In all honesty, only a school board can close a school. We did not vote on this.

Critics also warned that the move could accelerate enrollment losses, predicting parents at the four schools slated for closure  Norman S. Weir, Alexander Hamilton Academy, Young Mens Leadership Academy and Renaissance School 1  would seek options outside the district, including charter schools.

Others said the plan could exacerbate tensions by bringing together middle school students from different 4th Ward neighborhoods with longstanding rivalries.

I already know its going to be chaos, said board member Corey Teague. They say they are doing this in the name of efficiency, but it doesnt make sense in reality.

School board President Joel Ramirez did not return requests for comment.

But he told NorthJersey.com on Jan. 26 that the district plans to hold community forums to address questions about the restructuring.

Last years second phase of the districts middle school rollout - involving Schools 8 and 9 and the Dr. Hani Awadallah School - sparked protests by parents and students, Teague told NJ Advance Media.

Newell refuted that claim in a letter sent to parents on Jan. 23.

But Weir principal Grace Giglio later told NorthJersey.com that her office phone had been ringing off the hook since the email went out last week and that Newell did not consult her about the plan.

She does not communicate with her principals at all, Giglio stated, adding that she has apologized to parents for having so little information to share.

In her announcement, Newell said the four choice school buildings slated for closure would be repurposed for future use, though no details were provided. Under the plan, the districts Gifted and Talented program would remain the citys only choice elementary school.

The four schools being eliminated enroll about 1,000 students combined.

Simmons said some parents are already planning to move their children to charter schools rather than enroll them in neighborhood schools.

I think this is going to further perpetuate the exodus from district schools to charters, he said.
A federal judge in Minnesota issued a stunning three-page order accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting director Todd Lyons and federal immigration authorities of ignoring dozens of court orders in recent weeks.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz ordered Lyons to appear personally before the Court and show cause why he should not be held in contempt of Court.

Schiltz said Lyons must explain why an immigrant detained by ICE in early January was neither granted a bond hearing nor released from detention within seven days, as required by his directive to the Trump administration.

The Courts patience is at an end, Schiltz wrote in his Jan. 26 order.

Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement on Schiltzs order, called him just another activist judge who is clearly more concerned about politics than the safety of the Minnesotans.

Does this judge really think Director Lyons should take time out of his day leading ICE to target the worst of the worst criminal illegals including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and terrorists into our country to testify at a hearing for one illegal aliens removal proceedings? McLaughlin said.

Lyons contempt hearing was scheduled for Friday, Jan. 30. It was canceled after Tobay Robles was released from custody on Jan. 27.

Tobay Robles is an Ecuadorian citizen who entered the U.S. illegally as a child around 1999, according to NBC News. Schiltz said his case was among numerous others challenging the detention of aliens who have been living in the United States unlawfully.

Though Lyons hearing was cancelled, That does not end the Courts concerns, Schiltz said in a Jan. 28 order.

ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence, the judge said.
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) declared that the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement was a big lie after President Donald Trump marked his one-year anniversary back in office.

Greene reiterated her criticism of Trump during an interview on the Kate Iverson Show last week, arguing that he abandoned the MAGA movement. She also claimed that those who voted for Trump have realized that the MAGA movement has been a lie.

She slammed Trump for sending a U.S. naval fleet to Iran as protests against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdown continue in Minneapolis.

The President put on his Truth Social yesterday that hes got a giant fleet going over to Iran because of the protesters over there. Well, Im sorry, weve got civil war practically breaking out in Minnesota. Can we not care about that and care about the fraud and care about all these issues here in America? Greene said.

MAGA is, I think people are realizing it was all a lie. It was a big lie for the people. What MAGA is really serving in this administration, who theyre serving is their big donors, the big, big donors that donated all the money and continue to donate to the Presidents PACs and donate to the 250th anniversary and are donating to the big ballroom, she added.

She said those donors are getting special favors from Trump, including government contracts and pardons. She added that foreign countries and corporations are running the show.

Thats really what MAGA is, thats, thats the results. Thats what were seeing. After one full year of MAGA. We are seeing war on behalf of Israel. We are seeing the people in Gaza, innocent people in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of them completely murdered so that they can build some new real estate development, she added.

Greene was one of Trumps most loyal supporters before she broke with the president over his betrayal of America First policies late last year. After Trump lashed out at her on social media last year, Greene ultimately decided to step down from her seat in Congress.

Earlier in the show, Greene explained what she believed the MAGA movement was about.

Well, I thought MAGA, to me, was about Make America Great Again. Theres only one country in that phrase, America. I was a true believer. Absolutely. Bottom line, true believer. America first. I was like, Heck, yeah, our tax dollars shouldnt go to any other foreign country. No foreign cause, regime change. Who cares? she said.

Irans got 93 million people in their country. If they want to overthrow their government, take 93 million people and go do it. Like I could care less about Iran. I dont care about Israel. I dont care about Ukraine and Russia and China. I dont care about Venezuela. I dont care about any of them. I care about America. I care about our problems, she added.

Greene has split with Trump multiple times during his first year back in office, including over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, the GOPs lack of a health care plan and his stances on foreign policy. Her last day in Congress was on Jan. 5.
Former Trump administration strategist Steve Bannon led a chorus of outraged MAGA voices in attacking Bruce Springsteens new protest song, using a homophobic barb to deride the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.

Dude, Bruce Springsteen, youre fake and gay, as the kids say, Bannon said last Thursday on his War Room podcast.

Released last Wednesday, Springsteens Streets of Minneapolis condemned what he called the state terror of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the Twin Cities and across the nation.

Springsteen dedicated the song to Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were both shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis last month, along with the people of Minneapolis and our innocent immigrant neighbors.

In the song, Springsteen slams King Trump and his private army of federal agents. He also rebukes Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House aide Stephen Miller for their dirty lies.

Days after releasing the song, Springsteen joined Rage Against the Machine co-founder Tom Morello in Minneapolis for the Defend Minnesota benefit concert. Teased as Morellos very special guest, Springsteen performed Streets of Minneapolis live for the first time to raise money for the families of Good and Pretti.

While Bannon admitted the tune was kind of catchy, he presented Springsteens musical activism as a warning sign to President Donald Trump and his MAGA base.

Bruce is throwing down for the revolution. Going on offense, folks, Bannon said.

Bannons criticism was parroted by several notable conservative commentators and MAGA-aligned influencers.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA, panned the song as leftwing propaganda.

Fox News digital columnist David Marcus and the Wall Street Journal editor Matthew Hennessey dismissed Springsteens song, with the latter criticizing its undercooked lyrics and overcooked delivery.

Bruce Springsteen is a shameless misery merchant, said Matt Rooney, an executive director with the Trump-allied America First Policy Institue.

White House spokesman Abigail Jackson called the song irrelevant in a statement issued last week. Trump has not yet publicly commented on the new protest anthem, though he has previously insulted Springsteen as a pushy, obnoxious JERK.

The Trump Administration is focused on encouraging state and local Democrats to work with federal law enforcement officers on removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from their communities  not random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information, Jackson said.

Before playing Streets of Minneapolis at the benefit concert last week, Springsteen recalled telling Morello that the song sounded kinda soapboxy after he first recorded it.

He says, Bruce, nuance is wonderful, but sometimes you have to kick them in the teeth, Springsteen said.
A Texas Republican suggested on Monday that a snow storm was to blame for the Democratic Partys shocking special election victories in the Lone Star state over the weekend.

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) suggested on Monday that a winter storm was the reason Democrats won a North Texas seat in the state Senate that is typically held by Republicans. A deadly winter storm slammed parts of the southern U.S. last week, leaving thousands of people in Texas without power days before the special election.

First of all, the success of a rain dance has a lot to do with timing. And what happened is, there was a huge snowstorm, ice storm, really, that hit North Texas and Central Texas, Sessions said on CNN.

According to The Associated Press, voting was extended by two days due to the inclement weather.

Democrat Taylor Rehmet flipped a Republican state Senate district in Texas on Saturday, delivering a major blow to President Donald Trump who endorsed his opponent just days prior. Democrat Christian Menefee also won a Texas U.S. House seat during the special election on Sunday, which is a huge victory for Democrats as the GOPs House majority continues to shrink.

Rehmets win in a reliable GOP district sent shock waves through the Republican Party. Despite the weather, Sessions said on Monday that Republicans should not have lost the seat in North Texas.

Special elections are special. And what happened is there was, as I understand it, one Democrat and two Republicans that were running against each other, and it was a battle between the two Republicans. And a group of people simply decided they were not going to come participate, Sessions said.

And still, this Democrat received more than 50% of the vote. So it is listening to the music and waking up and finding out we need to be better. We need to understand what were doing. But this was a miscalculation by the people on the ground, and I dont know any of them, but what I will say is you should not lose any election in North Texas like this, he said.

Trump immediately tried to distance himself from the election despite throwing his support behind the GOP candidate last week.

Im not involved in that. Thats a local Texas race, Trump told reporters Sunday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance have pushed states to redraw their political maps to Republicans advantage headed into those contests, which will determine partisan control in Washington. Some Democratic states  most notably California  have pushed back with their own redistricting efforts.

The Texas Senate seat was open because the four-term GOP incumbent, Kelly Hancock, resigned to take a statewide office. Hancock easily won election each time he ran for the office, and Republicans have held the seat for decades.

The district is redder than its home, Tarrant County. Trump won the county by 5 points in 2024, but Democratic President Joe Biden carried it in 2020 by about 1,800 votes out of more than 834,000 cast.

But Rehmet had support from national organizations, including the DNC and VoteVets, a veterans group that said it spent $500,000 on ads. Rehmet, who served in the Air Force and works as a machinist, focused on lowering costs, supporting public education and protecting jobs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump lashed out at comedian Trevor Noah in a late night social media rant bashing the Grammy Awards.

Trump, a frequent critic of awards shows, said the Grammys are the WORST and virtually unwatchable in a 1 a.m. Truth Social post on Monday morning. He then blasted Noah, saying that he is almost as bad as comedian Jimmy Kimmel hosting the Oscars.

He took issue with Noahs joke related to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epsteins sex trafficking case. The Epstein case was thrust back into the national spotlight when the Justice Department released more documents on Friday.

Song of the YearCongratulations, Billie Eilish, wow, Noah said on Sunday.

That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense. I mean, because Epsteins island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton, he added. I told you, its my last year. What are you going to do about it?"

Trump has been heavily scrutinized for his relationship with Epstein and appears frequently throughout the Epstein files. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing and has said he has never been Epsteins private compound on Little Saint James Island.

Trump threatened legal action against Noah in a scathing post on Truth Social, in which he denied going to Epstein island.

Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I cant speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonights false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media, Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like Ill be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$, he added.

Trump then referenced his previous lawsuits brought against the media, including ABC News George Stephanopoulos and CBS News 60 Minutes.

Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, Im going to have some fun with you! Trump concluded.

Noah, who has hosted the award show six times, largely played it safe during his monologue at the Grammys. Many celebrities criticized Trumps immigration crackdown throughout the U.S. by wearing ICE OUT pins on the red carpet.

At a different point in the show, Noah joked about the presidents penchant for suing TV networks when he said the Grammys were airing completely live because if we edited any of the show, the president would sue CBS for $16 billion, referring to Trumps recent history with CBS News and a settlement he got from Paramount last summer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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If youre heading to the most magical place on earth in February, youre in luck!

I travel to Disney World every year and I tell everyone that February is an excellent month to go based on the weather.

So, whats the weather actually like in Orlando, Florida in the month of February?

READ MORE: I stayed at the Dolphin resort for 5 nights, and found it has a ton of secret deluxe Disney perks

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Prices start at $314 in February EPCOT and Hollywood Studios lovers need to check out this resort situated right between the two, with easy walking paths to both theme parks. Book Now!

Disney World in February weather: Rain, humidity & temperatures to expect

If youre currently stuck somewhere that is experiencing an arctic freeze, a trip to Florida sounds like a great idea for February.

And it is! Its just not bikini season in February. But that doesnt matter, youre going to Disney.

February is a month with with an average high of 75 F and an average low of 55 F. Florida did just experience some of that cold front we had, with some of the lowest temperatures in decades. That doesnt compare to what weve had for the last two weeks in New Jersey.

By mid-February, Orlando will have some temperatures bordering on 80 F, so the weather is nice and warm. It will feel like summer!

Youre going to have a lot less humidity and not too many rainy days either in February. The humidity is average around 71% in February and the rain average is just four days. 71% might sound like a lot, but compared to June or August, it isnt that oppressive kind of humidity that makes you feel sticky.

Ive traveled to Disney World in February and loved the weather! The only downside to traveling in February 2026 is a few rides are currently closed, like:

DINOSAUR (Animal Kingdom)  Closing permanently on Feb. 2, 2026;

Frozen Ever After (EPCOT)  Closed for refurbishment at the end of January; set to re-open sometime in February 2026

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom) Currently closed, set to reopen in Spring 2026 (Official reopening date not yet confirmed)

Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin (Magic Kingdom)  Currently closed, set to reopen in Spring 2026 (Official reopening date not yet confirmed)

READ MORE: What is replacing DINOSAUR at Animal Kingdom?

Both Buzz and and Big Thunder have been closed for months, so thats impacted everyones travel as of late, but Dinosaur closing is a major hit to Animal Kingdom in the month of February.

What to wear to Disney World in February?

The last time I traveled to Disney in February, I wore shorts the entire trip. I walk a lot when I go to Disney, so I am always feel like I am pretty warm. The lows 55 F are typically at night, so Id suggest packing a light sweatshirt. Or, youve got the perfect excuse to buy something on Main Street U.S.A., like this gorgeous chocolate brown Walt Disney World pullover.

Just like I recommended in December, Id suggest packing:

Id suggest packing:

Even when it is going to be warm and I know Ill be in shorts or skirts the whole time, I still like to pack a pair of leggings. Theyre good to have just in case, but also good to fly home in because I know I am going to be freezing when I get back to Jersey after a warm week in Florida!
The battle over ICE funding is getting louder with ex-Yankees All-Star Mark Teixeira blasting Democrats online

Democrats are so radical that theyre willing to shut down the government to defund ICE, Teixeira wrote on X/Twitter, quote-tweeting a FOX news segment that ran on Sunday. They want to tear America down, Conservatives want to build it up."

In the FOX News segment, House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about efforts by democrats in congress to defund ICE.

We put all of that funding into the Big Beautiful Bill, the working families tax cut, and im glad that we did because we had to fix the crisis that was created by the Biden Administration ... they opened the border wide, it was absolute chaos, Johnson said in a clip shared on X/Twitter. We allowed, by some estimates, 20 million illegal aliens to come into the country, and many of them hardened, dangerous people, criminals. Weve got to get them out of the country. So we had to front-load the funding. That will be there as you noted. It doesnt matter what they do to the current DHS bill, those operations will continue.

In the current DHS funding negotiations, Democrats are attempting to rein in ICE by proposing significant policy reforms and budget cuts, according to Government Executive.

Among the things Democrats have pushed for, theyre calling for a $115 million reduction in enforcement, the mandatory use of body cameras and proper identification for agents.

These efforts were intensified following recent fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis, leading Senate Democrats to successfully strip the DHS funding out of a larger spending package to force further negotiations.

As Johnson noted, however, these attempts will likely have little to no impact on ICEs actual operations because the agency is already funded the previously passed One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBBA).

Through that Bill, ICE received $75 billion in multi-year funding that it can use regardless of the current years budget outcome. Because of this existing reserve, ICE can continue its operations or several years even if Congress cuts its annual budget or if the government enters a partial shutdown.

On Aug. 28, Teixeira announced that hed be running in Texass 21st Congressional District, where Rep. Chip Roy will not seek re-election as he runs for Texas Attorney General.

Teixeira is a Maryland native who currently lives in the Austin area. He spent the first four-plus years of his major-league career with the Texas Rangers.

The three-time All-Star concluded his career with eight years on the Yankees, winning a World Series in 2009.

Teixeira retired in 2016 after a 14-year career in which he hit .268 with a .869 OPS and 409 home runs.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 26F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Variable clouds with snow showers. Low 19F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60%. About one inch of snow expected.
Gian Durand was the queen of the Krewe of Alla last year. She was the first Black queen in the krewes 93-year history. Her children rode on the float with her, and it was an amazing experience, she says.

It was so inspiring it got her interested in taking on a bigger role in Carnival.

I wanted to have a krewe that represented everything I said in my reign, Durand says.

So she started looking into forming a new krewe.

I called (float builder) Barry Kern and asked, Barry, do you think its possible for me to get a permit? she says. And he said, Hell no!

But he said, I heard Oshun might need some help.

The Krewe of Oshun was in the middle of financial and organizational challenges when Durand stepped in and became its new captain last summer. She had a short calendar to get the organization up and running again, and it debuts a brand new look on the Uptown route on Friday, Feb. 6. The krewes River Ball follows the parade with music from Mannie Fresh, Flagboy Giz, Dat Band and DJ Raj Smoove.

Durand rebuilt the krewe from the ground up, starting with securing nonprofit status similar to many other krewes. She turned to Carnival veterans for help, including Kern, Muses officer Virginia Saussy, and Beads by the Dozen president Dan Kelly, Durand says.

She also turned to people like rapper and Black Masking Indian Flagboy Giz, who created a theme song for the group.

I love Giz. He came to my pre-party last year, Durand says. I was like, Giz, I need a song. I have from August and February to tell people about this krewe.

Mardi Gras parades and events Feb. 6-8 in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish The Krewe of Oshun kicks off a big weekend of parades in New Orleans with a new look and a revitalized membership. Its the beginning of a hos

The parade will have plenty of music, with marching bands including the Southern University Human Jukebox, the St. Augustine High School Marching 100, and marching bands from Edna Karr High School, McDonogh 35, Durands alma mater St. Marys Academy and more.

The krewe now uses floats from Kern Studios, and the lineup will feature a few floats that are new to Carnival, including a Louis Armstrong float and one depicting various icons of New Orleans culture. There also will be two three-trailer floats, including Kerns Riverboat and Jester floats.

The royalty are artist Terrance Osborne and his wife Stephanie Osborne. This year is both the krewes and the couples 30th anniversaries.

Terrance is making a crown out of paint brushes, and hell toss paint brushes as his signature throw.

The krewe will have roughly double the number of riders it had last year, and one of Durands big pushes has been to open the krewe to more families. While the citys Carnival ordinance allows riders as young as 12, it limits younger riders to family members of riding royalty.

Durand has been able to ride with her children for the past five years because shes put them in the krewes courts.

I love riding with my kids, she says. I wanted a krewe that was different and could have children riders.

Durands giving Oshun a large royal section, so children as young as 6 will ride with family members. Some floats will have all adults, but 60 riding slots will be occupied by families with children.

Our motto is, Families that ride together thrive together, she says.

For Durand, building up the family-friendly side of Carnival is a priority. Mardi Gras has always been a family affair for her.

On Mardi Gras day, we were the family that woke up at 3 oclock in the morning to get our spot on Canal Street, she says. Camping out for your spot, walking up and down Canal Street for hours, thats what you did in the 80s and 90s.

She was in her first parade as a teenager, and it was in the first Krewe of Oshun parade in 1996, when it paraded in Mid-City. Durand was in a horse-riding group started by Mid-City Carriages.

As an adult, she joined several krewes, including the now-defunct Nyx, Pandora, Muses and Iris.

When she was Allas first Black queen, she spoke a lot about krewe membership.

My reign was so symbolic, she says. Whether its intentional or not, Mardi Gras is segregated. Its not OK. It shouldnt be. Mardi Gras should look like the city it represents.

I want my daughter to look up at anybody on that float and believe she can do that. Any kid should be able to do that, she adds. That was my message: Mardi Gras should be for all.

Durand dedicated her ride to Dorothy Mae Taylor, the civil rights activist, Louisiana state representative and New Orleans City Council member. In the early 1990s, Taylor introduced an ordinance designed to diversify krewe membership. Some krewes chose to stop parading instead.

Members of Taylors family will be in the parade as grand marshals, along with former U.S. congressional representative and presidential advisor Cedric Richmond and New Orleans Chief Administrative Officer Joe Giarrusso.

The krewe will also have many people riding in their first Carnival float parade. That recalls the original mission of krewe founder Ann Clark, who wanted parade riding to be more accessible.

Durand believes the spirit of Carnival is a lesson for the city.

Youre in the street, it doesnt matter who you are, your background, she says. Everybody is just together, getting along.

For more about the Krewe of Oshun parade, visit kreweofoshun.com.
Ian Roome, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, has criticised the UK governments latest support measures for high streets and hospitality businesses, saying many local firms are still being ignored.

The Treasury recently announced on 27 January 2026 that pubs and live music venues in England will receive a 15 per cent discount on their business rates bills from April, alongside a twoyear freeze in real terms to help ease the impact of rising property taxes.

Hotels were offered a review of how they are valued, but no additional funding was pledged for other high street or hospitality businesses.

Mr Roome, who visited Junglaroo in Barnstaple last week, described the governments measures as halfpint solutions.

He said many shops, cafes, restaurants, softplay centres and other local businesses are still struggling to cope with rising costs and tighter profit margins.

North Devons high streets and community businesses are the backbone of local life  but they are being overlooked, he said. Great swathes of the hospitality sector are still being ignored. Ministers should apologise to them for all the uncertainty they have caused.

Business owners told Mr Roome that costs are rising with no clear way to increase income without raising prices for local families or reducing staff.

The MP urged the government to extend relief to all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, including a full 20p business rates discount and an emergency VAT cut for hospitality until April 2027.

The governments 15 per cent business rates discount builds on changes from last years budget that introduced lower retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) business rates multipliers for qualifying properties below a certain value.

These measures were designed to provide certainty after pandemicera discounts ended.

Industry groups have warned that thousands of hospitality firms, including restaurants and hotels, could close without more comprehensive reform.

A trade body estimated that more than 2,000 hospitality companies could shut in 2026 due to rising business rates.

The Chancellor has defended the targeted support for pubs and music venues, saying they are important community assets and have been disproportionately affected by changes to the tax system.

Critics say the broader hospitality and retail sectors also need relief to survive.

Business rate changes come into effect from 1 April, with pubs and music venues benefiting from the relief package on top of the new RHL multipliers already set to apply to many high street firms.
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Kellie Scholl, the wife of Sisters Schools Superintendent Curt Scholl, died in a car accident, reportedly on Highway 22 near Idanha, last weekend.

In a statement, the Sisters School District administrative team reported, Curt suffered some injuries, but seems to be recovering at the hospital. Tragically, his spouse Kellie Scholl passed away as a result of the accident.

This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Curt Scholl and his family during this time of profound grief. On behalf of our entire school district, we extend our deepest condolences and surround them with care and compassion.

Oregon State Police told The Nugget that they will release information on the wreck later on Monday, February 2.

The school district will provide further information at a later time.

We ask that our community respect the familys privacy as they navigate this heartbreaking loss, the statement read. In the coming days, we will share information about how our community may offer support, should the family welcome it.

Our district remains focused on supporting our students and staff and we are grateful for the kindness, empathy, and unity our Outlaw community continues to show during difficult times.
This is a conversation from a Telegram group that shares and sells secretly taken, intimate photos of women.

The women and girls are captured on hidden cameras as they use public or school bathrooms, undress in fitting rooms or relax at home. The footage is posted in anonymous online chat groups with as many as 100,000 members each, from all over China.

In one group, people post nude or seminude photos of women they describe as their current or former wives or girlfriends. One recent message captioned secretly taken photos of wife includes pictures of a woman lounging in a nightgown, lying exposed from the waist down.

The groups members also barter explicit footage that they have taken of women in their lives.

The images in the chats depicted in this article have been intentionally blurred to protect the identities of victims and to obscure nudity. Im the brother, secretly filmed and selling out my 18-year-old sister with big breasts. DM me to fantasize and humiliate her together. A friend in her wedding dress.

A vast trade in secretly filmed footage of Chinese women and girls has flourished, powered by the anonymity of Telegram, the availability of hidden cameras and the convenience of Chinese online payment apps. People share and trade photos and videos of their girlfriends, wives, relatives and acquaintances  a practice known in Chinese as toupai chumai, or secret filming betrayal. They also trade such footage of strangers.

Globally, the spread of such nonconsensual sharing of content, a form of what the United Nations describes as digital violence against women, has prompted new laws and enforcement in many countries. But in China, the authorities have not publicly condemned such groups or announced investigations into them even after they have come to light.

The lack of enforcement is striking for a country known for its expansive online surveillance and its ability to track users on platforms, including on overseas services. Instead, activists say, officials have moved to censor discussion of the issue, blocking searches and silencing those who have tried to warn women or press for action.

Some chat groups target young girls. In one Telegram channel, which has more than 65,000 members, for instance, people discussed installing hidden cameras in elementary school bathrooms.

How do those people who secretly film in bathrooms install cameras without getting caught? Buy a small camera Pay a woman to do it How to enter an elementary school to install it? Arent there guards watching? At night? Our elementary school is very lax. If you tell the security guard that you need the bathroom and school is not in session, he will let you in.

An Underground Industry in Plain Sight

The footage is often described by those who peddle it as having been taken using hidden cameras or cellphones or obtained from hacked surveillance systems. Footage taken surreptitiously up the skirts of women, also known as upskirting featured heavily in these groups.

One Telegram channel posted a five-minute video in September tracking a woman in a dress walking through what appears to be an airport in the city of Chengdu. The camera, positioned at a low angle, moves closer to the woman as she waits in a check-in line until it is beneath her skirt. It stays trained on her crotch for almost a minute before she moves away.

Other groups post footage of women or girls taken in schools or at public facilities like hospitals.

Secretly filmed video of a female college student showering. Such big boobs. 122 54 7 6 1 Secretly filmed beautiful girls getting shots in a hospital.

Covert footage is used to entice people to pay for access to private channels promising more content. Group members also exchange tips on the best cameras and how to conceal them in water bottles, trash cans and other hiding spots.

This trade flourishes on Telegram because it is known for its minimal oversight of illicit content. Telegram is blocked in China but accessible via virtual private networks that route internet connection outside the country.

The use and sale of hidden cameras is illegal in China, but on the Chinese short video platforms Kuaishou and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, businesses openly sell small pinhole cameras, with ads featuring women wearing only underwear. Kuaishou and Douyin did not respond to requests for comment.

Ads show the cameras can be as small as about 1 inch in diameter. Ads show the cameras can be as small as about 1 inch in diameter.

Private Telegram groups for the sharing of secretly taken footage of women and girls take payment via the popular Chinese digital payments systems Alipay and WeChat Pay as well as the cryptocurrency Tether. One group offers access to more than 40,000 videos of secretly taken footage from hotels, homes and public toilets for a $20 V.I.P. membership.

Alipay and WeChat Pay did not address questions about facilitating payments for content that was secretly filmed but said they forbade transactions related to illegal activity. Telegram said it had a zero-tolerance policy for child sex abuse materials and strict policies against nonconsensual pornographic images. Tether said that when its stablecoin was linked to criminal activity the company would work with law enforcement agencies.

Perhaps the biggest reason the industry has been able to thrive, according to Chinese citizens who have been investigating these forums, is the inaction on the part of the government.

In South Korea, the discovery of a similar network of Telegram chat rooms sharing exploitative footage of women and girls, known as the Nth Room scandal, led to protests, long prison sentences for those involved and changes to the law. In the United States in May, President Trump signed into law the Take It Down Act, criminalizing the sharing of intimate images without consent and requiring platforms to remove them.

Activists staged a protest in May 2020 demanding strong punishments for those involved in the Nth Room scandal. Yonhap/EPA, via Shutterstock

In China, a public outcry erupted last summer when a woman exposed a Telegram forum called MaskPark where people shared sexually explicit footage of their current and former female partners, as well as of other women and girls they knew. The woman had discovered the channel, which had more than 80,000 members and dozens of subgroups with more than 300,000 members, after learning that her ex-boyfriend had shared photos and videos of her there.

It alerted Chinese women that they are not safe in their everyday environment, when they travel, even when they are with their partners, said Lin Song, a senior lecturer in gender studies at the University of Melbourne.

Yet, despite the firestorm on Chinese social media, government officials remained silent. Groups like MaskPark continue to operate. Chinas Ministry of Public Security, the main law enforcement agency, did not respond to requests for comment.

The episode prompted women like Cathy, a recent graduate from Guangdong Province who lives overseas, to try to find the people behind MaskPark. Cathy, who asked to be identified only by her English name out of concern for her security, said she had submitted information to Chinas internet regulator with screenshots from inside the group.

If they wanted to investigate, they have tons of leads to pursue, she said.

Little Enforcement

Under Chinese law, the legal tools for addressing secret filming are limited. Producing or distributing pornography for profit is a crime punishable by prison, but filming people without their consent is not itself a criminal offense.

As a result, instances of secret filming are usually treated as minor public security violations, according to Zhou Chuikun, a lawyer from Beijing-based Yingke Law Firm, carrying a punishment of up to 10 days of detention and a fine of about $140. (If such explicit footage is shared or sold, the fines can go up to $700.) He said that because Telegram was hosted outside of China, investigating users on it and collecting evidence could be difficult.

Victims have a very hard time defending their rights, he said.

Lao Dongyan, a prominent law professor in Beijing, criticized the Chinese legal systems fixation on obscenity, which she argued came at the cost of womens rights in the case of MaskPark.

The women captured in these filmed videos are the primary victims, she wrote on Weibo. Treating these videos simply as obscene materials is tantamount to treating them as parties involved in pornographic work. This is absurd.

The use of V.P.N.s masks the I.P. addresses of users in China. But Chinese police have in the past identified protesters and government critics who have used overseas platforms including Telegram.

Chinese police have also arrested people for posting pornography on those platforms. Last year, a court in Shanghai handed a man surnamed Xu a suspended eight-month prison sentence for posting pornographic videos on X and Telegram, where he charged people for the content. The authorities used transaction details on Alipay and WeChat Pay as evidence against him, according to the judgment.

The authorities in China have many tools to investigate these abuses because domestic payment systems require users to register for accounts with their real names, and police units are embedded in these companies, according to Maya Wang, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

The Chinese government has much more access to peoples personal information compared to many other police around the world, she said. If its a priority Im sure they can be tracked.

Telegrams features, including its large groups, encryption options and opposition to government interference, have made it a haven for criminals as well as dissidents. The company rarely responds to government requests for information.

Telegram said it deleted a MaskPark group in March 2024. But groups using the same name and sharing similar content were still active until last July. And new ones have formed, several of them claiming to be the original.

Searches on Telegram using Chinese terms related to covert footage turned up more than 200 groups with secret filming in their names. The New York Times verified more than 30 active Chinese-language groups where members or administrators regularly posted footage of women and girls that was described as having been secretly filmed.

In one channel formed in November that used the name MaskPark, an administrator of the group told members to stay quiet for a few days. Otherwise we might be banned again, the administrator said.

Silencing Those Who Speak Up

The Chinese authorities appear to be muzzling people like Cathy who are trying to bring attention to the problem.

On Chinese social media, search terms related to MaskPark were blocked. Cathy and two other activists whom The Times spoke to said their posts on the issue of secret filming had been removed and their accounts muted or suspended. Chat groups on WeChat for the purpose of warning women and exposing groups like MaskPark also disappeared.

I feel like the entire government is silencing everyone, preventing them from speaking out and spreading the word, said Cynthia Du, a 23-year-old from the eastern province of Shandong.

Standing up for womens rights is increasingly sensitive in China where the government views feminism as disruptive, especially as officials push women toward more traditional roles in hopes of reversing falling birthrates.

As a result, calls for action have been met with suspicion, with some online commentators accusing feminists of making up MaskPark as a way to smear Chinese men. Cathy and Ms. Du have received messages from anonymous internet users threatening to expose their personal information online.

When Cathy posted an ad online looking for volunteers to investigate MaskPark, she got an email with a list of women and their personal information. Bitch, youre next, the message said.

Cathy is worried about getting doxxed. But she has also been encouraged by the dozens of people who want to help expose these groups.

Among those who messaged her are experts in blockchain technology, law and cybersecurity, as well as other Chinese women living overseas who can better access Telegram and other sites. One woman sent her notes on a book about Koreas Nth room incident and what Chinese activists can learn from it.

Other people havent given up, she said, so neither should I.

Berry Wang contributed reporting.
Opinion Where Is A.I. Taking Us? Where Is A.I. Taking Us? Eight Leading Thinkers Share Their Visions. Timo Lenzen for The New York Times

People have been working on artificial intelligence for decades. But five years ago, few were predicting that A.I. would break through as the most important technology story of the 2020s  and quite possibly the century. Large language models have turned A.I. into a household topic, but all areas of A.I. have taken great leaps forward.

Now, we are inundated with chatter about how much A.I. will transform our lives and our world. Already, companies are trying to find ways to offload tasks and even entire jobs to A.I. More people are turning to A.I. for social interaction and mental health support. Educators are scrambling to manage students increased reliance on these tools. And in the near future A.I. may lead to breakthroughs in drug discovery and energy; it could allow more people to create art and cultural works  or turn these industries into slop factories.

As society wrestles with whether A.I. will lead us into a better future or catastrophic one, Times Opinion turned to eight experts for their predictions on where A.I. may go in the next five years. Listening to them may help us bring out the best and mitigate the worst out of this new technology.

Participants

Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist and professor at the Santa Fe Institute Yuval Noah Harari Historian, philosopher and author Carl Benedikt Frey Professor of A.I. and work at the University of Oxford Gary Marcus Founder of Geometric.AI (acquired by Uber) and author of Taming Silicon Valley Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere, an A.I. start-up Ajeya Cotra A.I. risk assessor at METR, a research nonprofit Aravind Srinivas Co-founder and chief executive of Perplexity, a chatbot search engine Helen Toner Interim executive director of Georgetown Universitys Center for Security and Emerging Technology

Conversation

What is your biggest bet about the future of A.I. in five years?

Yuval Noah Harari Historian Within five years, A.I. agents are likely to become legal persons in at least some countries.

Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist A.I. wont have cured cancer or solved physics. Also, no one will consider the ability to converse fluently a definitive sign of intelligence.

Helen Toner A.I. policy researcher I expect well have A.I. systems that can clearly contribute at the cutting edge of multiple scientific fields, but that you still wouldnt trust with planning summer camps for your kid.

Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere A.I. will become boring in the best way. Itll fade into the background like GPS or spreadsheets, powering everyday tools and humans at work. Its the most banal use cases that have the most transformative impact.

Carl Benedikt Frey Economist A.I. wont deliver lasting prosperity if its used mainly to automate what we already do. A.I. productivity tools give us cheaper spreadsheets the way better looms gave us cheaper cloth. But the great leaps come from new industries, not faster repetition.

Gary Marcus Cognitive scientist No way will artificial general intelligence arrive by the end of 2027, and most likely not even by the end of 2032, either.

Ajeya Cotra A.I. risk researcher I think A.I. companies may have substantially automated their own operations with A.I. five years from now, and this could make A.I. progress go much faster.

Aravind Srinivas Chief executive of Perplexity People want highly personal A.I. assistants to work for them. Its their A.I., not the A.I. We build those, and we will fight for users rights to have A.I. assistants privately and securely.

What will A.I.s impact be on medicine in the near term?

Cotra Marcus Small Mitchell Frey Harari Toner Moderate Frosst Srinivas Large

Gary Marcus Cognitive scientist Weve seen lots of proof of concept, but there hasnt been much real-world application yet to my knowledge beyond medical note taking.

Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere A.I. will absolutely increase the effectiveness of doctors by reducing their workload per patient in areas like the ability to quickly review their medical histories, effectively organize new medical information and identify potential problems earlier.

But while A.I. is extremely good at analyzing huge amounts of data and finding answers and useful patterns, it is really bad at coming up with entirely new ideas. The idea that A.I. is likely to autonomously create new medicines, for example? People will probably be disappointed.

What will A.I.s impact be on programming?

Cotra Mitchell Harari Marcus Toner Frey Frosst Srinivas Large

Yuval Noah Harari Historian Coding is mostly about manipulating information, and involves few physical and biological constraints. Its an ideal playground for A.I.

Carl Benedikt Frey Economist In a randomized trial, developers finished a given task about 56 percent more quickly using GitHub Copilot. Over 80 percent of developers in 2025 said theyre using or plan to use A.I. tools  though just a third trusted the outputs. Review by humans still matters.

What will A.I.s impact be on scientific research?

Marcus Cotra Toner Mitchell Frey Moderate Harari Frosst Srinivas Large

Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist I believe this impact will not be as rapid as many think. A.I. systems still cant do things humans are essential for, like asking the right questions, planning experiments and entire scientific programs, and understanding data in different contexts.

Aravind Srinivas Chief executive of Perplexity As A.I. increasingly contains more of the worlds knowledge, it becomes an even more powerful tool for anyone with questions. Humans have always been great at having questions. A.I. will be great at having answers.

What will A.I.s impact be on transportation?

Marcus Harari Cotra Toner Small Mitchell Srinivas Frosst Moderate Frey Large

Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere Im most excited about how A.I. will improve the behind-the-scenes logistics of transportation to make moving people and goods more efficient and safe  like predictive maintenance, smart traffic analysis, route optimization and safety features for drivers.

Helen Toner A.I. policy researcher Im very excited for self-driving cars to be rolled out more widely, given the tens of thousands of traffic deaths they could potentially avert each year in the United States. But the rollout is proceeding relatively slowly, and its unclear how significant A.I.s effects on other modes of transportation will be.

What will A.I.s impact be on education?

Harari Cotra Frosst Toner Moderate Mitchell Frey Marcus Srinivas Large

Carl Benedikt Frey Economist A.I. tutors may already outperform most human teachers, but they also make shortcuts tempting and can hinder genuine exploration. We need to set aside A.I.-free time to read and explore independently, and encourage using A.I. tutors to question and probe ones own understanding.

Moreover, we should place greater emphasis on in-person, tutorial-style teaching in which students debate, defend their views and are pushed to articulate their reasoning.

Gary Marcus Cognitive scientist Most of the impact has been negative; high schools and colleges are at a loss as to how to proceed now that term papers are no longer valid either as an evaluation or as a means to get students to think. Most other applications remain speculative.

Helen Toner A.I. policy researcher Education was already due for a significant shake-up, so the need to adapt to new A.I. tools might be a blessing in disguise.

What will A.I.s impact be on mental health?

Frey Marcus Small Frosst Mitchell Harari Cotra Toner Moderate Srinivas Large

Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist On the bad side: A.I.-induced psychosis! On the good side, some people will get a lot out of using chatbots as therapists.

Yuval Noah Harari Historian The rapid changes of the A.I. revolution are likely to cause a mental health crisis as humans struggle to adapt. We are about to conduct the biggest psychological experiment in human history, on billions of human guinea pigs, and nobody can predict what the results will be.

Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere A.I. chatbots offer scalable support for mild symptoms but theyre no substitute for human therapists. The technology struggles with nuance, cultural context and long-term emotional depth. There are many mental health care challenges that should be handled by human professionals.

What will A.I.s impact be on art and creativity?

Toner Frosst Cotra Frey Moderate Mitchell Harari Marcus Srinivas Large

Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist A.I. is, and will continue to be, transformative in art, writing, music, et cetera  not because A.I. is better at creativity than humans, but because it is a lot cheaper, and often that unfortunately matters more for how much it will be used.

Yuval Noah Harari Historian In more and more fields, A.I. proves to be more creative than humans. Any creative activity that boils down to finding patterns and breaking patterns is likely to be taken over by A.I.

Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere As both a musician and someone building A.I., I see the creative potential of this technology through a unique lens. A.I. can generate feedback or thought-starters, but its the human who decides what feels right.

Whats one misconception about A.I. that you think is worth dispelling?

Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist The misconception that A.I. has magic or emergent abilities that are impossible to understand and predict. This is mainly a view of the public (and policymakers, to some extent). Technologists and Silicon Valley often push this narrative but I dont know how much they really believe it.

Yuval Noah Harari Historian A.I. isnt a tool entirely under human control  it is an agent that can make decisions and invent ideas by itself. While I dont think A.I. will become conscious in the near future, it is highly likely these models will be able to simulate consciousness very effectively, causing a significant percentage of humanity to believe they are conscious.

Carl Benedikt Frey Economist Its a mistake to assume A.I. will leave manual work untouched. In practice, A.I. systems are lowering knowledge barriers and enabling competent do-it-yourself repairs. A homeowner can photograph a worn washer or boiler, receive a parts list, and follow a clear, step-by-step guide to replace it.

Gary Marcus Cognitive scientist People are greatly confused about large language models, attributing a humanlike intelligence to mimicry machines that turn out to be superficial and unreliable. Intelligence is about reasoning flexibly in face of the unknown, and large language models continue to struggle mightily with that.

Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere Its a misconception that A.I. is autonomous. Todays systems are sophisticated pattern-matchers, not thinkers.

Ajeya Cotra A.I. risk researcher Whenever the latest generation of A.I. fails to make an enormous impact immediately, A.I. skeptics wrongly assume that this disproves the concerns about A.I.s catastrophic risks.

Aravind Srinivas Chief executive of Perplexity Its a misconception that A.I. will result in vast unemployment. New technologies sometimes shift the nature of work in society, but they dont remove working from society.

Helen Toner A.I. policy researcher I believe the narrative around A.I.s negative environmental impacts has gotten way out of hand. Yes, on aggregate the industry uses quite a bit of energy and water, but thats true of any large industry. The relevant question is how it compares to other industries, and how it compares to how much value were getting out of it.

Which of the following statements do you think will be true by 2030?

Unemployment in the United States will have increased significantly as a result of A.I.

Marcus True Mitchell Harari Frey Frosst Cotra Srinivas Toner False

A.I. will have led to a breakthrough treatment or cure for a major disease.

Harari Frey Marcus Srinivas Toner True Mitchell Frosst Cotra False

A.I. will have played a role in a major global security event.

Mitchell Harari Frey Marcus Frosst Toner True Cotra Srinivas False

Most Americans will be using A.I. chatbots at least once a day.

Mitchell Harari Frey Marcus Frosst Cotra Toner True Srinivas False

Most people define artificial general intelligence as a form of A.I. that is comparable to human intelligence. How likely is it that we will see A.G.I. in the next 10 years?

Frosst Mitchell Frey Toner Unlikely Marcus Srinivas Possible Cotra Harari Very likely

Yuval Noah Harari Historian Everything hinges on the definition. I think that defining A.G.I. as comparable to human intelligence is meaningless. It is like defining airplanes as able to fly like birds. Similarly, by 2035 A.I. intelligence will be far superior to humans in some ways, and much inferior in other ways. There is no reason to expect that A.I. will progress toward the goal of human intelligence.

But A.I. will be capable of navigating systems like finance and the law better than the average human, and will also be able to outperform humans in war making and in inventing and interpreting religious mythologies.

Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere A.G.I. requires abstraction, self-awareness and transfer learning across domains  all capabilities that are nowhere near. The architecture of the human brain is still a black box, and computing paradigms arent designed for it. Possible in 50 years? Maybe. In 10? Unlikely.

Aravind Srinivas Chief executive of Perplexity A.G.I. is still poorly defined. So we dont think about it much.

Whats a technology that had a transformational impact similar to A.I.?

Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist Social media.

Yuval Noah Harari Historian The evolution of language in the Stone Age. A.I. is the first technology that is an agent rather than a tool. And A.I. is the first entity on the planet that is going to master language better than humans, and in that way gain control of all language-based systems humans have created since the Stone Age, from finance to religion.

Carl Benedikt Frey Economist The personal computer and the internet.

Gary Marcus Cognitive scientist A.I. will be as ubiquitous as cellphones, but so far comes with more negatives.

Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere Human flight  especially when you think about A.G.I. Flight has been profoundly transformative for humans and how we live, the same way A.I. has  but the same way artificial flight doesnt really mimic birds, artificial intelligence brains dont work in the same way human intelligence does.

Ajeya Cotra A.I. risk researcher I think A.I. will eventually be more transformative than the invention of agriculture  as transformative as the emergence of Homo sapiens as a species.

Aravind Srinivas Chief executive of Perplexity There is nothing like it. We have no precedent. A.I. is best as a tool that empowers the human search for wisdom. History is full of such tools, but what makes A.I. unique is its ability to contain so many answers about the world right here around us.

In the short term, many of the worlds answers are locked away in certain industries, or only passed among elites. A.I. changes that.

Helen Toner A.I. policy researcher The steam engine.

What advice would you give a high school student about how to think about A.I. and prepare for the future?

Melanie Mitchell Computer scientist Learn about how these systems work, what their limitations are, and how to use them to help you do things rather than do them for you. Dont use them to do your homework!

Carl Benedikt Frey Economist As automated writing becomes ubiquitous, face-to-face skill will be a key differentiator. Choose careers defined by change, where human interaction and experiential learning confer the edge.

Gary Marcus Cognitive scientist Creativity and critical thinking skills will always be in demand.

Nick Frosst Co-founder of Cohere Learn to collaborate with A.I. Study fields that combine technical literacy with skills that only humans can do.

Ajeya Cotra A.I. risk researcher Think of A.I. as the emergence of an intelligent alien species. This new species could be catastrophic for humanity, including driving us extinct. It could also go extremely well for us, but you should be prepared for the good outcomes to be very wild. This is the central challenge of your generation, and you should try to find a way to help it go better.

Aravind Srinivas Chief executive of Perplexity Learn how to ask more questions. Nothing will matter more in the age of A.I.

Helen Toner A.I. policy researcher For anything you might work on, ask yourself: Is this like a construction site, or like the gym? On a construction site, machines are amazing  you can lift heavier things and build better buildings with an excavator and a crane. But at the gym, the whole point is to increase your own capacity.

With A.I., the analogy is that we now all need to figure out where A.I. can help us do bigger, cooler things, like building personalized software, and where we need to build our own cognitive abilities first, like learning to write.

Yuval Noah Harari Historian This is the first time in history nobody has any idea what the world will look like in 10 years  what the job market will look like, what social relations will look like, et cetera. So hedge your bets. Dont focus on a narrow subject like coding. Give equal importance to your head (intellectual skills), your heart (social skills) and your hands (motor skills). It is in the combination of these three that humans still have a large advantage over A.I.

Also, try to enjoy the ride.

Note: The New York Times has sued Perplexity for copyright infringement.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.
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Roads in County Offaly are under major pressure due to the number of abnormal vehicles carrying heavy loads, the Dail has heard.

Offaly Fianna Fail TD Tony McCormack spoke on the subject during a recent Questions on Policy or Legislation session.

Deputy McCormack said: In County Offaly, renewable energy developments are mainly located on peatlands around Rhode, Croghan, Edenderry, Banagher and Cloghan.

These projects require abnormal load vehicles of up to 135 tonnes on 16-axle trailers.

The damage caused by one trip of one of these vehicles is equivalent to one year of normal traffic.

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As a result, these peat-based roads now require annual maintenance, placing major pressure on our local authority roads budget and taking funding away from other roads that also need work.

He called for extra funding to be given to Offaly County Council so that it could deal with such issues.

Offaly has historically carried the heaviest load in providing power to this country and we are doing so again through renewable energy.

We are simply asking for a fair crack of the whip and that separate, dedicated funding be provided to Offaly County Council for these road projects.

In response to Deputy McCormack, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, said he would pass on the request.

Minister Burke said: I thank Deputy McCormack for his important intervention relating to Offaly.

I will raise it with the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, in connection with the request for additional funding that Deputy McCormack has placed on the House.

Our road network, particularly in rural counties, is of significant importance to the community.
A MAN who Tullamore District Court heard had a cognitive impairment has admitted committing public order offences at the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore.

Defending solicitor Brian Duffy said his client, a 61-year-old whose name cannot be published by order of the court, had been deemed fit to plead by a prison psychiatrist.

Judge Andrew Cody imposed consecutive sentences of two months and one month on the man but back dated them to December 10 last, when he went into Cloverhill Prison on remand.

Sergeant Richard Thornton told the court the charges arose from incidents at the emergency department of Tullamore Hospital where the man had made a nuisance of himself to staff and gardai.

Judge Cody expressed serious concern about the man's medical treatment in prison earlier this month and ordered the governor of Cloverhill to appear before him.

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The judge took the view the man had dementia and had been thrown into Cloverhill and left there to rot.

Cloverhill Prison governor Kevin O'Connell told the court that a GP assesses people once they come into prison and that assessment is passed onto a psychiatrist.

When the man appeared in court again on Wednesday (January 28) Mr Duffy said there would be a plea of guilty in light of the psychiatric report which said he was fit to plead.

Mr Duffy said a probation report recommended the man remain in custody because a primary care needs assessment should be completed.

Mr Duffy added that his client had been working at a trade for most of his life but got into difficulties because of alcohol abuse.

The solicitor said the man was very grateful to Judge Cody for his efforts to ensure he received appropriate treatment.

Mr Duffy was hopeful that the accused would be able to get himself together if there was accommodation for him in the community and he apologised to hospital staff and the gardai.

Imposing the sentences, Judge Cody said it would be for the man's own benefit to get off the drink.

He said that because the sentences were back dated the accused would be released in a few weeks but he hoped he would continue to receive support while in prison.

The judge did not finalise all of the charges and instead adjourned two of them to April 8 next for a probation and welfare report and the care needs assessment.
BAIL was granted at Tullamore District Court to a man who allegedly damaged garda property and made threats to a relative.

The 33-year-old, who cannot be named by order of the court, has been before Judge Andrew Cody on several occasions previously while on remand in prison.

He is one of a number of accused people with suspected mental health issues about whom concerns had been expressed in relation to their medical treatment in prison.

The man had been placed in custody in Cloverhill Prison on December 18 and subsequently Judge Cody said that though a medical report had been ordered as a matter of extreme urgency, a letter had been received saying he was not on the case load of the prison.

The man's defence counsel, David Nugent, BL, said his client had been ignored and described him as an example of people with mental health issues who were picking up charges and being brought before the court.

The case of the man, plus a number of others, prompted Judge Cody to order the governor of Cloverhill and a psychiatrist to appear before him where explanations were given about how prisoners were assessed by a GP and then referred on if necessary.

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It subsequently emerged that a medical report on the man was available to the court and his own father said he had been assessed.

At the 33-year-old's most recent appearance on Wednesday (January 28) the court was told a new charge had been brought relating to an alleged threat by him to a relative and gardai objected to him being released on bail.

Judge Cody was also told that the DPP had directed that he must be indicted on some charges, meaning they could be brought before the Circuit Court, while others could be dealt with summarily in the District Court.

The gardai objected to bail on the seriousness of the charges of damaging garda property and a guard told Mr Nugent during cross examination that the accused man was extremely volatile when he interacted with him and it was accepted he had psychological issues which needed to be addressed.

Mr Nugent said the medical report before the court said Nothing to see here but a garda said the man was possibly going through some deep psychological stress.

Arguing the man could be admitted to bail, Mr Nugent said his family were happy to take him into their charge and he had written a letter of apology to the gardai.

The accused would also observe a curfew, surrender his passport and sign in at a garda station daily.

Sworn evidence was given by the man's father that he would abide by restrictions imposed by the court and he asked that his son be given a chance because what he had done was totally out of character.

The man's father said he would pay for a psychological assessment and counselling and there were extended family members who would help look after him.

Along with helping with the family business he had a job one day a week, the judge heard.

A relative of the defendant who opposed bail said in evidence that she would be absolutely terrified if he was released and said he had threatened to burn herself and others out of her home.

She stated that she could not see how someone like him could be reformed six weeks after he had made the threats.

In his own evidence the man said he would accept being put under what his counsel called a very strict rein if he was released.

He said being in prison was a sobering experience for him and if he was released he would seek the support of psychiatry and counselling services.

Replying to Sergeant Richard Thornton, he said he was on medication and assured him he would abide by bail conditions.

The accused was also questioned by Judge Cody and said his mental health was very bad when he was placed in custody.

He said he wished no ill will on the relatives who did not want him to be released and would stay away from the residence of the woman who had given evidence.

Judge Cody said that while the man had gone through a psychological episode it appeared to have subsided by the time the medical report was prepared and he now seemed improved.

He said he would remand the accused with consent to bail, from week to week, where the defendant's father had bound himself to a surety of 5,000.

A condition of the bail was that he reside with his parents, observe a curfew from 7pm to 7am, except on the day he was working, attend with HSE psychiatric services, undergo drugs tests and stay at least 500m away from the residence of the woman who had opposed him being granted bail.

The initial remand on some of the charges is to Wednesday, February 4 and other summary matters are due to be mentioned in court again on July 8.
A motorist has been been handed a 10-month prison sentence and a 10 year road ban for driving without insurance and a driving licence in the Midlands.

Joe Mears of 1 Richmond Street, Longford, pleaded guilty to driving without a policy and a driving licence in the Chapel Lane area of the county town on July 17, 2023 and to driving without any documentation in the Oakvale area on September 30,2023.

At a previous hearing, the court heard Gda John Hanley was on duty on July 17, 2023 when he observed Mears driving a vehicle in the Chapel Lane area.

The officer stopped him and made a lawful demand for his driver's license and insurance.

Mears claimed to have a UK licence, however, Judge Bernadette Owens heard this was not valid.

Gda John Hanley was on duty again on September 30, 2023 when he observed Mears turning off the Ballinalee Rd towards Oakvale.

The officer stated the defendant 'sped off' after he spotted the patrol car and he pursued him and made a further demand for his driver's licence and insurance, but no documentation that covered him was produced.

Judge Bernadette Owens heard that on August 25 last year, Mr Mears was arrested for a Section 6 Public Order offence and was due to appear at Blanchardstown District Court.

When he failed to attend, a warrant for his arrest was issued on September 4, 2025, and executed on October 14 last.

The matter was adjourned to November 18 last and when Mr Mears failed to appear again, a further bench warrant was issued and Mr Mears has been in custody since then.

Judge B2ernadette Owens noted Mr Mears had six previous convictions the last time he appeared in Longford District Court, however, he had appeared in Longford Circuit Criminal Court since then.

Sgt Mahon, for the State, said his last appearance was in Blanchardstown District Court on October 11, 2025 for a public order offence when he received a 200 fine.

The court heard Mr Mears appeared in Longford Criminal Circuit Court for a no insurance matter on July 11, 2024 when he was fined 450.

The defendant was also handed a five year custodial sentence, suspended for seven years, for the possession of drugs for sale and supply on February 22, 2024.

Solicitor Diarmuid Quinn, defending, said his client, who is currently in prison and not due for release until December 1, 2026, wanted to offer an apology to the court.

"He has a child who is very unwell and is undergoing surgery.

"He realises his wrongs and he has learnt his lesson and I would ask the court to be as lenient as possible with him."

Judge Bernadette Owens considered the case and she handed down a 10-month prison sentence to run concurrently to the sentence being presently served and she disqualified him from driving for 10 years.
Banagher Mens Shed group have secured a new permanent home in the heart of the Offaly town.

The group which consists of 20 members will now hold their meetings at the building of the former fire station on Cuba Avenue.

The proposed lease of the disused fire station site was reviewed as part of the agenda for the January meeting of Offaly County Council where it was discussed and ultimately sanctioned.

The fire station site was leased to the West and South Offaly Homefix since 2020 but they have since terminated the lease agreement leaving the building vacant since October, 2025.

The stipulations of the new lease agreement with the Banagher Mens Shed state that the lease will come into effect from February 1, 2026 which will last for a term of 20 years with an annual rent of 100.

The site which is zoned as community services/facilities on the current development plan will now be home to the group which provides a number of activities and projects to its members as well as a place to socialise.

Councillor Audrey Hennessy-Kennedy spoke on the matter at the January meeting of Offaly County Council as she outlined the importance of the community group.

She stated: "Members of the mens shed need a working accessible space where they can support each other. It's a big part of the community and sometimes the most vital tool is the kettle because there's nothing more important or powerful than a cup of tea and a chat, that's why having this base will help truly reflect the ethos of what a mens shed is all about."

The Fianna Fail councillor added: "The group currently has 20 members and is constantly growing week by week, some people just want to get involved in new projects whilst others simply want a space to meet and talk in order to feel connected which is vitally important.

For all those reasons, it would be great to support the men's shed by helping them secure this new space so they can continue their vital contribution to the community."

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Councillor Peter Ormond also welcomed the move for the community group. He commented: "I'd like to formally second the motion, I've been involved in this project and been at a number of meetings, it's great for them to get a 20-year lease.

It's a great social outlet where members can come together to combat social isolation and participate in a number of projects or even just playing cards or chatting."

Councillor Ormond concluded: "It's absolutely great to see this building being put to good use, it now has an excellent tenant and it's a vital service in south Offaly, I want to say well done to all concerned in achieving this."

Sinn Fein councillor, Sean Maher praised the work that went into securing the site. He said: "I want to support this proposal as well, it's very welcome for the Banagher Mens Shed. I want to thank Offaly County Council for offering this site and the use of its facilities. The mens shed is a brilliant organisation.

Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, councillor John Leahy said it's fantastic to see the move come to fruition. He added: "It's great to see Banagher Mens Shed now moving into the disused fire station building, it's a very favourable lease and I'd like to thank all those involved.

It was great to find a way to make this happen, it suits their future plans and what they are looking for and it'll also help the upkeep of the other amenities in the locality as well."
"The foundation of every state is the education of its youth."



--- Diogenes

The 2026 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board elections are shaping up to be one of the most consequential -- and least competitive -- school board races in recent memory. With labor unrest rising, enrollment falling, and school closures looming, voters might expect a crowded field of challengers. Instead, they are getting the opposite: quiet races, thin opposition, and decisions that could reshape public education in Los Angeles for years to come.

Primed for Change?

This does not seem to be a good time to be an incumbent on the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) School Board. Discontent was already brewing after the Superintendent's contract was renewed in a unanimous vote taken with limited public input. Negotiations with the District's largest union, UTLA-- which represents teachers-- have deteriorated to the point that members voted to authorize a strike. More turmoil may be on the horizon, with the Board President warning that school closures could be necessary due to declining enrollment.

In the midst of this chaos, elections will be held this year for LAUSD's even-numbered districts. This has all the makings of a "throw the bums out" type of election. However, with candidate filing beginning on February 2, there is a notable lack of challengers.

During the filing period for these same seats four years ago, 17 potential candidates registered to collect signatures that allowed them to appear on the ballot. As of publication, only five people have registered with the Los Angeles City Ethics Committee for June's election.

Given the stakes, perhaps there are organized candidates with backing already in place who are holding on until the last possible moment to mount a challenge. This would allow them to avoid incoming fire before entering the final stretch. Board Member Scott Schmerelson successfully followed this strategy when he took on Tamar Galatzan and won her seat in 2015.

The filing period will end on February 7, 2026. At that time, we will know who is collecting signatures to appear on the ballot.

Breakdown of the Races in the Even-Numbered Districts Board District 2:

Of the five people who collected enough signatures to appear on the 2022 primary election ballot, Rocio Rivas and Maria Brenes were the two top vote-getters and moved on to the runoff. In the general election, Rivas won and assumed the seat held by the term-limited Monica Garcia, shifting overall control of the Board to supporters of public education.

In that election, Raquel Zamora collected enough signatures to appear on the ballot and paid the filing fee but withdrew five days later. No explanation was provided for this "very difficult" decision. However, she has filed paperwork with the Los Angeles City Ethics Committee to run again this year and, so far, is Rivas' only challenger.

A list of questions has been submitted to Zamora regarding her candidacy, but answers have not been received as of publication.

As of December 31, 2025, Rivas has raised $48,051 from 131 donations and spent $39,636. Five donors have contributed the maximum donation of $1,500: Associated Administrators of Los Angeles PAC Committee, LAUSD Administrator Victor R Gomez, Caloza for Assembly 2026, Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation Workers Local Union 105 PAC, and Local Union 11, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Zamora has not yet filed any financial statements with the Ethics Committee.

Board District 4:

Nick Melvoin was the first of the incumbents to draw a challenger for this election, but that person dropped out of the race.

So far running unopposed, Melvoin has raised the most money in the campaign: $160,830, of which he has only spent $29,311. Of the 201 donations made to the campaign, 75 contributed the maximum amount of $1,500. These include the Charter Public Schools PAC, Los Angeles Charter Advocates for Great Public Schools, and privatizer Bill Bloomfield (a donor whose contribution exceeding the legal limit was later refunded, according to filings). It should be noted that one of the responsibilities of school board members is to hold charter schools accountable for the public funds they receive.

Board District 6:

As it stands today, the race in the Board District covering the eastern portion of the San Fernando Valley will pit incumbent Kelly Gonez against long-time special education activist John 'J.P.' Perron. Gonez, who blocked the Special Education and Parent Engagement Committees from meeting when she served as School Board President during the COVID shutdowns, was endorsed by the CCSA Advocates (California Charter School Association) when she originally won the seat in 2017. Perron is endorsed by the East Area Progressive Democrats, known for their support of public 'school'-focused candidates.

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U.S. Homeland Security officials and lawyers for protesters and freelance journalists could not reach agreement over the weekend on temporary restrictions for using tear gas, flash-bang grenades and pepper spray against passive protesters outside Portlands immigration enforcement building.

U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon had asked the sides to negotiate a temporary agreement in lieu of a court order as the judge moved ahead to schedule a hearing for March on a motion to halt the use of chemicals and less-lethal munitions.

When the parties couldnt agree, they returned Monday morning to argue before Simon following big protests Saturday and Sunday outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building marked by clouds of tear gas deployed by federal officers.

Simon said if he were to grant a temporary order, it would be narrowly tailored to protests that occur outside Portlands ICE facility and would have no impact, for example, on activities in Eugene or elsewhere.

He gave each side until the end of Monday to file supplemental briefs and said he would issue a ruling on a temporary restraining order on Tuesday.

The demonstrators and journalists, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the federal government in November over its response to demonstrations at the small field office in a South Portland neighborhood near the Willamette River that has drawn crowds since last summer, intensifying when President Donald Trump sought to deploy National Guard soldiers to the city.

Lawyers for the protesters and journalists said Homeland Security officials have refused to give up using chemical munitions on people who are nonviolent or nonthreatening, including those who trespass or do not to obey an officer but engage in only passive resistance.

The lawyers suing argued in new court filings that the federal governments stance is contrary to the U.S Custom and Border Protections own use-of-force policy and 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case law.

They cited a 9th Circuit decision in a 2012 California case that found failure to comply with an officers order does not rise to active resistance and does not justify the use of a non-trivial amount of force.

They also cited a sworn declaration in June from Gregory Bovino, the demoted Customs and Border Protection commander in Minnesota, that said agency policy allows the use of chemical irritants only as a compliance tool on someone offering at a minimum, active resistance.

Attorney Kelly Simon of the ACLU noted that thousands of people marched to the ICE building Saturday afternoon, including labor groups, an interfaith group and cyclists. Many of those in the crowd were families with young children and dogs.

Three of the plaintiffs in the suit -- the so-called chicken man Jack Dickinson who typically wears a costume to the demonstrations and 84-year-old Laurie Eckman and her husband Richard Eckman -- were among those who attended. Laurie Eckman, who was hit in the head with a munition in October, was trying to stay back from the ICE building on Saturday but was still overcome by tear gas, Kelly Simon said. (She is not related to the judge.)

After a small group of people stood in the driveway of the ICE building, federal officers emerged lobbing flash-bang grenades and filled the streets with tear gas. Some officers fired munitions from a roof platform into the crowd. Federal officers fired more tear gas into a crowd outside the building Sunday night.

After back-and-forth emails during the weekend, U.S. Department of Justice lawyer Andrew Warden wrote early Sunday evening that the gulf is fairly wide and he did not expect to reach agreement with the protesters lawyers to restrict tear gas and the other tactics.

Homeland Security officials were willing to agree to these terms, according to Warden:

-- When feasible, officers must attempt to issue a verbal warning before using force. After a warning, officers should afford a reasonable opportunity to comply before applying force.

-- Federal officers may deploy less-lethal munitions when objectively reasonable and necessary, as defined by their agencies policies and after providing a verbal warning, to carry out their law enforcement duties. That would include responding to trespassers and protesters refusing to move or obey an order.

-- Officers will not deliberately deploy less-lethal weapons for kinetic impact or target specific people unless the individual presents an assaultive threat.

-- Officers will not deliberately deploy less-lethal munitions at any persons head, neck or torso in a manner likely to cause significant injury or death unless the officer would be legally justified in using deadly force.

-- Federal officers can make an arrest if they have probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed.

-- Nothing in the agreement prevents federal officers from using objectively reasonable force, including less-lethal munitions, on individuals who pose an imminent threat of physical harm.

-- The federal government will not be liable for any incidental exposure of crowd control devices to individuals.

But the ACLU lawyers sought a prohibition against firing less-lethal munitions into crowds and protocols that would restrict their use to address only an imminent threats.

They also wanted to prevent officers from firing less-lethal munitions at peoples heads or torsos. And they were unwilling to waive liability for federal officers who harm someone exposed incidentally to chemicals and flash-bangs, but said they would find officers hadnt violated the temporary order if they complied with all other terms.

During Mondays hearing by phone, attorney Matthew Borden, representing the plaintiffs, urged the judge to sign a temporary restraining order that would restrict federal officers use of force at ICE protests.

Theyre teargassing children. Theyre teargassing elderly people. Theyre teargassing families. And this is all when we had the TRO (temporary restraining order motion) pending, and when people were filming them, Borden said.

Borden was one of the lawyers who successfully obtained a preliminary injunction in federal court in California barring federal law enforcement officers from using excessive and indiscriminate force against journalists covering protests in Southern California. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals then narrowed the relief to those named in the suit.

On Saturday, Dickinson said he marched to the ICE building with a crowd that had formed at Elizabeth Caruthers Park. He said he saw 15 to 20 protesters cross over the blue line on the edge of the ICE property and walk into the driveway. He heard an announcement from federal officers that an unlawful assembly had been declared and that the building was closed. The gates then opened and officers emerged, firing gas canisters and flash-bang grenades into the crowd, according to Dickinson.

While some protestors had protection gear for the gas, most individuals in the marchseveral feet awaydid not. A huge cloud of gas obscured the driveway, rendering it impossible for me to see the agents in front of the building or the march on the other side, he said.

Laurie Eckman said she was invited by her church, Trinity Episcopal Church, to attend an interfaith gathering at Elizabeth Caruthers Park on Saturday afternoon and expected a family-friendly event committed to nonviolence, according to a sworn statement submitted to the judge. She said she saw many families with young children and dogs. She walked with the thousands of others toward the ICE building.

She and other church members stopped about a half-block away from the ICE office on South Moody Avenue. She said she heard the crowd chanting, Shame, shame, shame! as federal officers came out of the building. Suddenly, she heard flash-bangs and was enveloped by tear gas everywhere, she said.

We were unable to retreat quickly as we were already standing shoulder to shoulder in a crowd and tear gas was being deployed repeatedly overhead of the crowd, Eckman said in her statement.

As I walked north on S. Moody, I had to walk through sequential tear gas clouds from canisters that detonated ahead of me as I tried to exit the area, she said. I held on to a person next to me as I walked and held a tissue over my nose. I could not keep my eyes open, my face stung, and it was hard to breathe. People were retching, vomiting, and crying.

She said she and others took shelter in a lobby of the Grays Landing apartment building until the gas dissipated.

Warden countered that the judge must address only the narrow circumstances of the named plaintiffs. He also argued that some of the named plaintiffs dont have standing to seek future relief.

Many of the plaintiffs can only speculate that harm will occur in the future, Warden said.

Separately, REACH Community Development, the owner of the Grays Landing complex near the ICE building, submitted its own motion for a preliminary injunction to another federal judge to halt officers use of tear gas. That hearing is set for Feb. 13.

As this brief is being filed, tear gas is once again inside the homes of Plaintiffs and other residents of Grays Landing, who are just trying to live and breathe in peace, attorney Daniel F. Jacobson wrote for REACH Community Development on Friday.

This needs to end, he wrote. The governments actions in this case are truly shocking.
A civil suit stemming from the alleged sexual abuse of nearly 200 patients by former West Linn Dr. David B. Farley has settled against the last defendant, Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center, attorneys confirmed on the eve of trial.

The trial had been set to start on Monday but was canceled.

Farley and the clinic he founded, West Linn Family Health Center, and Legacy Meridian Park, where he also practiced, previously settled with the patients.

The full terms of the settlements have not been made public.

Courtney Thom, one of the lawyers representing 174 people who sued, said they secured a global settlement against Farley, his health clinic and the two hospitals.

This settlement holds these institutions accountable for devastating failures that allowed David Farleys sexual abuse to continue for decades and delivers long-awaited justice and closure to our clients in their civil fight, Thom said in a statement.

Thom said the women who filed the suit sparked change in the state, including the closure of the West Hills clinic and a state policy requiring a chaperone for sensitive exams.

The suit alleged that the clinic and the two hospitals failed to properly supervise Farley or prevent the abuse.

The civil suit was filed in late 2020, years before Farley was arrested on criminal allegations last October.

Farley has pleaded not guilty to a 16-count indictment filed in Clackamas County Circuit Court, alleging he abused five victims between 2007 and 2020. Two of the alleged victims were under the age of 14, the indictment alleges.

The indictment, alleging multiple counts of first-degree and second-degree sexual abuse and unlawful sexual penetration, followed an investigation by the Oregon Attorney Generals Office.

Farleys criminal trial is scheduled to last four weeks, starting April 13, 2027.

Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth had requested the Oregon Department of Justice continue an investigation into Farley after a Clackamas County grand jury in 2022 found insufficient evidence to support an indictment.

Since then, the Legislature passed a bill that allows for the prosecution of people who sexually abuse another under the guise of medical diagnosis or treatment.

In a Jan. 1 note to patients, West Linn Family Health Center announced it will close permanently on March 19.

In August 2020, Farley agreed to voluntarily give up his state medical license after the Oregon Medical Board raised concerns about his ability to safely and competently practice medicine during its investigation.

Multiple women had filed a complaint with the Oregon Medical Board, alleging Farley conducted ungloved and unnecessary pelvic exams, fondled their breasts and had done check-ups in his bedroom at home.

The board found that Farley not only conducted unneeded Pap smears and pelvic and breast exams on adult patients, he did the procedures on young women under age 18 though medical guidelines since 2010 say most women should wait until 21 to have their first gynecological exams or Pap smears.

Farley also admitted that he took photos of the genitals and breasts of five patients, all under the age of 18, using his personal cellphone, according to board records.

In October 2020, the board revoked Farleys license and assessed a $20,000 civil penalty for dishonorable and unprofessional conduct and gross or repeated negligence. The revocation was reported to a national databank. Farley agreed to never reapply for his medical license in lieu of paying the fine.
Celebrity chef Brian Malarkey has no shortage of origin stories. But for our purposes, the most important might be the night his dad flew down to Southern California to watch his eldest son in a college play.

I was studying theater arts at Santa Barbara City College, said Malarkey. After it was over, he said, Moon Child, you are the worst actor Ive ever seen.

Malarkeys dad suggested a different career, one that wouldnt require memorizing lines: Every time Im around, youre cooking for friends, youre making cocktails, youre throwing a party, Malarkey recalled him saying. Why dont you apply for culinary school in Oregon, where you can be closer to home?

This summer, more than three decades after the Central Oregon-raised chef spent a year standing by the freeway smoking cigarettes in a paper hat while attending the since-closed Western Culinary Institute, Malarkey is returning to the Rose City with his first Portland restaurant.

The Malarkey, the former Top Chef contestants upcoming steakhouse and seafood grill in the Pearl Districts former Oba space, is targeting a July 2026 opening, The Oregonian/OregonLive can exclusively report.

After a career based primarily in San Diego, The Malarkey will be the 24th restaurant Malarkey has opened for himself, but only his second with younger brother James, after Bends Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge. That restaurant, which opened in 2024 with a modern cowboy theme, has outpaced Malarkeys expectations, raking in an impressive $8 million in revenue per year, he said.

Steak and a cocktail at Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge, the Bend restaurant Malarkey opened with his younger brother James in 2024. Michael West

Besides representing a brash bet on downtown Portland, The Malarkeys size and over-the-top decor are signs that  while his dad might have been right about his career path  the chef does indeed have a flair for the dramatic.

Below, find an introduction to Malarkey and a taste of what he has planned for his new restaurant, mostly in the chefs own words:

I graduated from Redmond High School in 1990, where I was high school rodeo state champion in cutting three years in a row, Malarkey said. (Oregon High School Rodeo Association secretary Bobbi Aldrich confirmed Malarkeys account.) My grandmother lived in the Southwest Hills. And every other Christmas, every other Thanksgiving, we would go to the big city.

When he was young, Malarkey was in awe of Portland, a place where people dressed nicely, attended plays, went to games and shopped at Nordstrom and Montgomery Ward. The city meant so much to me, he said.

Once he became a chef, he would go on eating trips throughout the country. But Portland was always our favorite spot, he said.

When I saw the devastation that took place in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles during COVID, I was like, James, lets go help restore the downtown part of Portland, Malarkey said.

The first piece of real estate Malarkey looked at was the 1860 building once home to Kells Irish Pub, but that neighborhood was more difficult, Malarkey said, and the chef couldnt pull the plan together.

The old Oba space wasnt quite as turnkey as he hoped  a previous plan to turn the space into a jazz club had reached the demolition phase, so the old restaurant has been reduced to dirt floors.

Im better on a refab than a rebuild, which is millions of dollars in differences, Malarkey said. But Oba has this soul and this spark, and (owner) Douglas Pitassi had his permits in order. He had wanted to make a stage and tiered bar system. Were using his idea, but the design is going to be an ode to Portland.

Once The Malarkey opens, diners will enter by walking up a ramp inspired by the Oregon Coast, with sand-like terrazzo, beach house bric-a-brac, a replica of the Jantzen Beach diving girl sign and a stage modeled after a driftwood bonfire. At the top of the ramp is an homage to Portland, with velvet and pearls representing the hills, an indoor structure nodding to Chinatown and a grungy downtown with music posters on the wall.

Other details: A motorcycle mounted on the wall referring to My Own Private Idaho, the Portland-filmed movie starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves. A golden stag above the sunken bar reminiscent of Portlands long-mothballed Thompson Elk. A statue of the goddess Nike that Malarkey had imported from Italy. Portlandia chickens, complete with names and other personal details. Stripper poles in the bathrooms. And a psychedelic forest of a private event room with branches on the ceiling, animals painted on the walls and space for 60 people.

How does Malarkey feel about the word kitsch?

Oh, I get very kitschy, Malarkey said. If I described the Bend, Oregon restaurant to you, you would think, This guys loony. But Heylen (Thienes, of Bend-based design firm Tricorn Black) brings this crazy vision to life. Im throwing ideas out of left field and shes putting them in there with heart.

The menu will focus on Pacific Northwest ingredients, including oysters, clams, mussels, bay shrimp, local beef, local venison, seasonal salmon, halibut and Oregon albacore. Hawkeye & Huckleberry chef Carlos Anthony Ochoa and general manager Jayme Hardebeck are helping get The Malarkey off the ground, but Malarkey said the team is looking for a chef who can manage the restaurant. That position would include an ownership stake.

Were here to serve large groups of people, Malarkey said. There arent many restaurants in town that can seat 250 people.

The key to The Malarkeys success will be getting people from the suburbs to visit downtown, he said.

I need them to drive across the bridges and head through the tunnels, he said. Well even tolerate Lake Oswego.

The Malarkey is aiming for a July 2026 opening in the former Oba space at Northwest Hoyt Street and 12th Avenue
STELLA, Wis. (AP)  Kristen Hanneman made a small decision in 2022 that would upend life for her entire town.

State scientists were checking private drinking water wells across Wisconsin for a widely used family of harmful chemicals called PFAS. They mailed an offer to test the well outside her tidy farmhouse surrounded by potato farms cut out of dense forest. Without much thought, she accepted.

Months later, Hanneman found herself on the phone with a state toxicologist who told her to stop drinking the water  now. The well her three kids grew up on had levels thousands of times higher than federal drinking water limits for what are commonly known as forever chemicals.

Hannemans well was hardly the only one with a problem. And the chemicals were everywhere. Pristine lakes and superb hunting made Stella a sportsmans dream. Now officials say the fish and deer should be eaten sparingly or not at all.

Many residents here have known their neighbors for decades. If they want to move away from all this, its hard to sell their property  who, after all, would want to buy?

Had I just thrown that survey in the garbage, Hanneman said, would any of this be where it is today?

Stella is far from the only community near industrial sites and military bases nationwide where enormous amounts of PFAS have contaminated the landscape, posing a particular threat to nearby well owners.

Forever chemicals get their name because they resist breaking down, whether in well water or the environment. In the human body, they accumulate in the liver, kidneys and blood. Research has linked them to an increased risk of certain cancers and developmental delays in children.

Government estimates suggest as much as half of U.S. households have some level of PFAS in their water  whether it comes from a private well or a tap. But while federal officials have put strict limits on water provided by utilities, those rules dont apply to the roughly 40 million people -- about 800,000 of them in Oregon -- in the United States who rely on private drinking water wells.

Short of a random test, as in Stella, few may learn their water is tainted with the odorless, colorless chemicals.

At least 20 states, including Oregon, do not test private wells for PFAS outside of areas where problems are already suspected, according to a survey of state agencies by The Associated Press. Even in states that do, residents often wait years for help and receive far fewer resources than people tied into municipal tap water.

PFAS are so common because they are so useful. Uniquely able to repel moisture and withstand extreme temperatures, the chemicals have been critical to making waterproof shoes, nonstick cookware and foam that could extinguish the hottest fires.

When the chemicals reach soil or water, as they have near factories and waste sites, they are extremely difficult to remove. North Carolina saw an early example, with well owners downstream from a PFAS manufacturing plant still dealing with tainted water years later. In rural northwest Georgia, communities are reckoning with widespread contamination from PFAS that major carpet manufacturers applied for stain resistance.

Robert Bilott, an environmental attorney who pursued one of the first major lawsuits against a PFAS manufacturer in the late 1990s, said many states dont have the money to help.

The well owners  the victims of the contamination  shouldnt have to be paying, he said. But wheres this money going to come from?

Well owners often the last to know about contamination

The alarming results from Hannemans well triggered a rush of testing, beginning with the wells of nearby neighbors and later expanding miles away.

How the chemicals infiltrated water beneath Stellas sandy soil was initially a mystery. State officials eventually suspected the paper mill in the small city of Rhinelander, a 10-mile drive from town. The mill had specialized in making paper for microwave popcorn bags  a product that was greaseproof thanks in part to PFAS.

The mills manufacturing process also produced a waste sludge which could be used as a fertilizer. By 1996, and for decades after with state approval, the mill spread millions of pounds on farm fields in and around Stella. Wisconsin officials now believe the PFAS it contained seeped into the subterranean reserves of groundwater that feed lakes, streams and many residential wells.

In September, the state sent initial letters assigning cleanup and investigation responsibilities to current and former owners of the mill. These companies point out that the state permitted their sludge spreading, starting long before the dangers of PFAS were widely understood.

The problem in Stella remained hidden because well owners dont have a utility testing their water.

Rhinelanders water utility first tested for PFAS in 2013 to comply with federal rules. By 2019, the city shut down two utility-owned public wells to protect customers. In Stella, meanwhile, some well owners found out only last year that their water is unsafe.

The Hanneman family moved into their home when their oldest son was nearly two. Hes 19 now. His parents worry about all those years of exposure, and have joined an effort to sue the paper mills owners and PFAS manufacturers.

Several plaintiffs in the growing lawsuit allege property damage and that their cholesterol, thyroid and kidney diseases are linked to contaminated groundwater. The companies have denied responsibility.

Very tiny amounts of PFAS consumed regularly over years can be dangerous. As scientists better understood those risks, federal advice for water utilities slowly followed and tightened. The current limit is just 4 parts per trillion, or less than a drop diluted in an Olympic-size swimming pool.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends private wells be tested for bacteria and a limited number of commonly found chemicals, but not PFAS unless it is a known local problem. Experts say testing mandates would be deeply unpopular. Many well owners value their freedom from government oversight and a monthly bill, and take pride in the taste of their water.

PFAS has turned some of those freedoms into liabilities. The chemicals can only be removed from water with costly filters that must be regularly monitored and replaced. Some well owners opt instead to drill deeper or even connect to city water pipes. Facing expensive and uncertain options, many resort to bottled water.

In Stella, residents are grappling with the chemicals unpredictable underground path. Though Tom LaDues backyard extends to the edge of a highly contaminated lake, testing found barely any PFAS in his familys well.

Somehow, a neighbor farther back from the lake found 1,500 parts per trillion of PFAS in her shallower well  magnitudes above the federal limits for tap water. The mother of three in that house says she is regularly tired, which she blames on thyroid issues, wondering if the water is to blame.

In one picture from a few years ago, LaDue is baiting a hook as his grandson dangles a fishing pole over the side of their boat. The sun shines bright.

Its a nice lake and we fished in here, he said. Now they tell us we cant eat the fish anymore.

House by house

While utilities can rely on centralized treatment facilities, restoring safe water for well owners must be done household by household. Some well owners get left out as regulators, lawyers and companies strike deals over who gets help.

The treatment of residents in the lakeside town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, depends on the street where they live.

The town faced a crisis nearly a decade ago when PFAS were detected in wells downstream from a fire technology plant owned by Tyco and parent company Johnson Controls, which manufactured firefighting foam. Wisconsin officials said the company was responsible for cleaning up the plant and must sample wells in a broad area to see where the pollution spread. Johnson Controls told state regulators it studied the areas hydrology and geology and concluded it would pay for tests and drill new wells in a smaller section of town for which it maintains it is responsible.

Kayla Furton, a high school teacher who grew up in Peshtigo, lives in a home inside this area.

Had she lived two houses away, Furton would have had to pay out of pocket to treat the PFAS in her water.

Furtons worries over what would happen to her neighbors beyond that line, including her sister, motivated her to run for the towns board. During her time in office, Peshtigo leadership split over which fixes to pursue, and some well owners are still waiting on a long-term solution.

Groundwater does not follow lines drawn on a map, Furton said. Theres nothing to say that, OK, the PFAS stops there.

In a statement, Johnson Controls said it has taken full responsibility for the area it contaminated. The company said it has restored more than 300 million gallons of clean water to the environment and installed 139 new wells.

The state of Wisconsin says the company has not fully investigated the extent of the contamination, and filed a lawsuit in 2022. Johnson Controls said in December the parties were close to reaching an agreement; the Wisconsin Department of Justice said it does not comment on pending litigation.

Residents along the Cape Fear River in North Carolina have seen just how far forever chemicals can spread. In 2017, the Wilmington StarNews revealed that PFAS from a Chemours chemical plant in Fayetteville were washing into the river and contaminating the water supply. After being sued, the billion-dollar company agreed to test nearby wells and treat those with polluted water. It did not admit to any wrongdoing.

As in Stella, the company tested in a slowly expanding radius that grew by quarter-mile segments from its plant. Chemours agreed to keep testing wells until it reached the edge of the polluted area  a process it expected to take 18 months.

Seven years and some 23,000 wells later, testing is ongoing, with the contamination stretching far beyond what state regulators first imagined. Forever chemicals have been found in drinking water along nearly 100 miles of the river, from inland Fayetteville to the Atlantic coast.

According to an AP analysis of data submitted to the states Department of Environmental Quality, Chemours discovered high levels of PFAS in more than 150 new wells in 2025.

Many well owners thought they were fine, said Emily Donovan, an organizer and cofounder of the group Clean Cape Fear. And now theyre finding out so late that they were also contaminated.

In a statement, Chemours said its timeline for testing wells depends on factors outside its control, including whether residents allow it, and that of the roughly 1,250 wells it sampled last year, 12% had PFAS. Chemours said it continues to contact eligible homes, and that a sample is typically taken within a week of residents responding.

States leave well owners behind

In the absence of federal rules, responsibility falls to the states. But many states dont look for contamination in private wells  and when those that do find it, many struggle to fund a fix.

One proactive state is Michigan, where millions rely on private wells. Officials there have tested groundwater and offered free tests to well owners near PFAS hot spots which, at hundreds of dollars per test, many owners are reluctant or unable to buy. The state provided more than $29 million in grants to clean up forever chemicals in its 2022 fiscal year, including hooking up nearly a thousand well owners to public water.

One of the biggest challenges is helping well owners understand why they should take the threat seriously.

We are very lucky to get 50% of the people to say, Yes, come test my well for free, let alone willing to put on a filter, said Abigail Hendershott, executive director of Michigans multiagency team that responds to PFAS contamination.

New Hampshire, which dealt with an early PFAS crisis in Merrimack, has tested over 15,000 wells, more than half of which had levels exceeding federal standards. It provides generous rebates for homeowners to access clean water.

Elsewhere, millions of households are left on their own.

In northwest Georgia, some of the worlds largest carpet companies began applying PFAS for stain resistance in the 1970s. The companies continued using the chemicals, which entered the environment through manufacturing wastewater, for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects, according to an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Associated Press, The Post and Courier and AL.com. The companies say that they followed all required regulations and that they stopped using PFAS on carpets in 2019.

The chemicals have tainted much of the landscape, including the drinking water in cities and the waterways that crisscross the Conasauga River watershed, home to tens of thousands of people. But only well owners near the small city of Calhoun have been offered free tests, and then only under a court agreement. The contaminated river flows into Alabama, where state officials do not typically test private wells for PFAS.

Financial limitations are an oft-cited reason why states arent doing more.

Wisconsin, which relied on federal funds for its initial survey of wells, has scraped together resources to investigate PFAS in Stella. The states environmental agency has no budget for sampling or treatment and is pulling money and staff time from other programs, according to the head of the drinking and groundwater program. Supplying bottled water to impacted homes  once a rare expense  now requires the state to set aside $900,000 annually.

Meanwhile, enormous amounts of money that could help have been stuck in a bank account, collecting interest. Though state lawmakers voted in 2023 to provide $125 million for PFAS cleanup, the funding has been mired by a separate debate over whether to shield certain property owners from liability. In January, key legislators said they were getting closer to a deal that would release the money.

The EPA has allocated billions to states for PFAS treatment and testing, but much of that money goes to public utilities.

Federal officials are evaluating Stella for inclusion in the Superfund program, a large-scale decontamination process that would take years. They also partnered with Wisconsin officials to expand well sampling in July.

At an October public meeting in Stella, several residents asked if they should be worried about their well water.

There is a risk, state employees said, but they could not offer unlimited free tests to rule it out. Those who wanted one immediately would have to pay for it.

Were doing the best that we can with the funding that we have available, said Mark Pauli, a drinking and groundwater supervisor.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said it had offered cost-free PFAS sampling for well owners within three miles of Stella and to many beyond that distance. The state said it provides owners of contaminated wells with guidance on treating their water and accessing financial help.

Nobody is accepting blame in Stella and finger-pointing is circular. While the state is investigating, the current and former mill owners point to the states permit as exonerating and say they followed all state rules.

Ahlstrom, the Finnish company that has owned the mill since 2018, said in a statement it hasnt used two of the most common types of PFAS found in Stella wells in its manufacturing process, and that it phased out all other types of PFAS in 2023. In late January, the company announced its own free bottled water program for residents.

Former owner Wausau Paper and its parent company Essity said they were cooperating with state officials and that the waste sludge they spread was tested for various contaminants, but not PFAS because it wasnt required.

Wisconsin officials say the threat of PFAS in the sludge wasnt well understood when they approved its use as fertilizer, and that the state will continue to require those who caused contamination to address its impacts.

That leaves residents, who did not contaminate their own wells, stuck hiring lawyers who argue these companies and PFAS manufacturers knew  or should have known  the risks.

A new normal in Stella

The crisis in Stella sparked by the test of her own well drove Kristen Hanneman to run for a town leadership role.

She spent months learning about the dangers of PFAS, then relaying that knowledge. Its a town so small that she said talking to a few of the right people would spread word to just about everyone.

Its been more than three years since Hanneman learned her well had PFAS levels near 11,500 parts per trillion. Federal limits are in the single digits. Her water supply is just as contaminated now as it was then. The family currently drinks and cooks with bottled water provided by the state.

Though some Stella residents have been able to access grant funding to drill deeper wells to reach clean water, the help was limited by household income, with some families disqualified if they made more than $65,000. Typically, the most a family could receive was $16,000  about half of what it may cost for a replacement well.

Stories circulate in Stella about people who paid for a new well only for their water still to be contaminated. Wisconsin state officials confirmed that at least three households faced this dilemma.

Do we spend $20,000 to $40,000 on a new well for it to still be a problem? Hanneman said.

One couple said replacing their well cleaned out much of their savings. Many are concerned about how much their home values have dropped.

A grant did help Cindy Deere, who worries about how 25 years of drinking the water in Stella may affect her health. She replaced her well and a test confirmed the new one was PFAS-free. Still, she has a hard time trusting the water.

Its a constant worry, she said. Is it going to turn bad?

The paper mill is still permitted to spread sludge in the county that includes Stella. Its PFAS levels have recently tested well within new state guidelines.

Experts said sludge from industry and manufacturers is most likely to contain PFAS. Wisconsin developed testing guidelines for those sources for that reason, officials said.

But the state doesnt require another type of sludge  treated waste from septic systems, which capture household sewage  to be tested for PFAS. A local septic company has been spreading it in Stella  in 2024 alone, it applied hundreds of thousands of gallons to farms and elsewhere, state records show. The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Dianne Kopec, who has researched PFAS in wastewater at the University of Maine, said that without testing, officials cant know if the practice recycles the chemicals back onto the soil in Stella.

Given what we know today, continuing to spread sludge on agricultural fields is ludicrous, Kopec said. When you find yourself in a hole, it is best to stop digging.
Even the most responsible global supply chains are complex and imperfect. That reality, however, does not negate a more fundamental truth: over decades, responsible manufacturing has played a meaningful role in advancing economic development, skills and opportunity in emerging economies.

A recent article (Nike says its factory workers make nearly double the minimum wage. In Indonesia, workers say, Its not true Jan. 30), raises important questions about wages in Indonesia. But judging the performance of a global supply chain by a single metric, or by examining one country in isolation, risks oversimplifying how progress is measured and made.

Nikes disclosure that factory workers earn, on average, 1.9 times the local minimum wage is a global figure. By definition, some countries fall above that number and others below it. It is not possible to assess the accuracy of a global average by looking only at wages in one geography. A more informative comparison would be how wages at Nike contract factories compare to other employers operating in the same regions and labor markets.

Nike has been connected to global manufacturing since its earliest days and we have built a track record of learning and continuous improvement. We were the first in our industry to publish supplier data, we continue to voluntarily disclose wage data today, and we are open about both progress and the work still ahead.

Progress over time is rarely uniform or perfect. But it is real. From South Korea and Taiwan to Vietnam and Indonesia, manufacturing has contributed to national growth, rising skills, and higher wages.

When you look at the arc of decades, two things can be true at once: there is still work to do, and there has been meaningful progress. Any fair assessment of global supply chains should hold both truths together.

Michael Gonda

Gonda is executive vice president and chief communications officer for Nike Inc.
Just months after Oregon lawmakers ended a bumpy special session focused solely on paying for roads and bridges, they return to Salem today to kick off this years short session, in which they will continue to grapple with transportation funding and address a wide array of other priorities.

Facing a grim budget picture, lawmakers are looking to trim agencies spending, adjust Oregons tax code and dip into the states savings accounts to help maintain vital programs. They also hope to strengthen the states economy and challenge federal immigration enforcement policies during the five-week session.

I dont think this is the time to honestly be starting a whole bunch of new programs, Senate President Rob Wagner of Lake Oswego told reporters last week. He said lawmakers will have to prioritize efforts that will protect or serve as many people as we can and ... do the least amount of harm to families across the state knowing that were heading into a really difficult period.

That budget landscape has not deterred lawmakers of both parties from proposing initiatives with anticipated new costs, such as proposals to ease expenses for first-time homebuyers or expand the states earned income tax credit. Gov. Tina Kotek has also included budget requests in at least one of her three priority bills, which aim to boost housing production, expand the states behavioral health workforce and make Oregon more business friendly.

Democrats have also outlined a package of bills to address federal immigration enforcement, but they have not yet put forth concrete plans to close the states funding gap or keep the Oregon Department of Transportation afloat without raising taxes. Some of those proposals are expected to emerge soon after state economists deliver an updated revenue forecast Wednesday.

Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties have put forward proposals to address the states persistent crises of poor education outcomes, low housing production rates and insufficient support for those struggling with addiction, homelessness and mental health.

Politically, the short session will provide top Democrats and Kotek an opportunity to redeem themselves and unify their caucus after they failed in last years session to pass multiple versions of a transportation funding package, a top priority for the party.

Republicans will again enter the session in the minority and with new leaders in both chambers as the party continues to grapple with frequent leadership turnover. One Republican in each chamber is also running for governor, meaning the session will likely bring plenty of political grandstanding.

Read more about the bills lawmakers are considering here.
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A memorial was held Friday afternoon at the International Student Lounge in Farzaneh Hall, celebrating the life of OU anthropology student Diego Dorantes Sanchez, who went missing last summer while snorkeling off the coast of Taiwan.

Students, faculty and friends came together to remember Dorantes while enjoying Mexican sweetbread and hot chocolate, two of his favorite treats. Notecards were passed out to attendees so they could write down their favorite memories of Dorantes to send to his parents.

Dorantes was snorkeling with three friends on May 30 at Da Bai Sha beach at Green Island, Taiwan, when he disappeared. The search began about 45 minutes later but was delayed due to severe weather. One week after he went missing, Dorantes family released a statement acknowledging that his chances of survival were low and asked for understanding as they entered a period of spiritual reflection and mourning.

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At the memorial, faculty and friends shared their experiences with Dorantes.

I think his way of enjoying life is something we can all learn from him, and people who knew him and people who were close with him really know that he really knew how to enjoy life, Ramzi el Geneidy, a friend of Dorantes, said. For me, that instance was with food.  You could see him enjoying the moment of sitting down with friends, just talking and then eating, which was really special.

Geneidy reflected on how it felt to be around Dorantes.

It was refreshing to be with him, because he would always be so engaged with you and so appreciative of what you had to say, Geneidy said. He always would have such a real way of interacting with others and taking everyone in.

Other attendees echoed Geneidys words, mentioning that they loved Dorantes warmth and smile. Attendees said he was many peoples first friend at OU and was always late for everything because he loved to live in the moment. Many attendees cried and embraced each other, sharing stories privately with each other throughout the memorial.

This story was edited by Audrey McClour and Macey Thaxton. Tori Pham copy edited this story.
About 50 people joined organizer Conni Eckstein above I-35 on the West Rock Creek Road bridge Sunday to protest the Trump Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and operations that led to violence in Minnesota over the last month. Protesters demonstrated for about an hour above the interstate to waves, car horns and passersby.

On Jan. 7, 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally shot behind the wheel of her vehicle by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis. Weeks later, 37-year-old Alex Pretti was also fatally shot in Minneapolis during an altercation with ICE officers on Jan. 24.

Eckstein, a Norman resident and stand-up comic, told OU Daily she organized the protest because she felt like she had to amplify the voice of her community.

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We live in a red state and people are calling Senator (James) Lankford and Senator (Markwayne) Mullin, and were represented by (Rep.) Tom Cole here, but it falls on deaf ears, Eckstein said. If you get a response, it's trying to justify what's going on with the current administration. Eventually, they're going to come for everybody.

Eckstein told the Daily that protestors hung banners and picketed on the Rock Creek Road bridge just a few weeks before on Jan. 11.

I want to help our other neighbors that are being impacted by it right now, Eckstein said. If they feel that ICE and this president have gotten too far, then they're not alone. There's a lot of us out here.

Sen. Lankford said in a Fox News interview Friday that immigration reform has to come at some point.

We've got to be able to solve this. We've got too many areas that are vague in the law. We've got conflicts in the law. Immigration law is very hard to be able to process, and it's been ignored for decades, Lankford said.

The Daily reached out to Lankfords office for comment on communications regarding ICE and an official response to the deaths in Minneapolis. The Daily did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Chris McDougall, and her husband Pat Meirick, an OU Communication professor, raised a sheet which displayed No Secret Police, with I, C and E in a different color, on the south side of the bridge during the protest.

McDougall said she was raised in Rochester, Minnesota, by parents who believed immigrants brought a lot to the country. She said after her family supported immigrant families from Southeast Asia when she was a child, shes concerned with the treatment of immigrants today.

Seeing politics turn around and be so caustic towards folks who are just earning a living and trying to find a way to be citizens and good contributors to society, makes me really, really sad, McDougall said.

McDougall said she works with children learning English as a second language and children with disabilities.

The kind of rhetoric I hear directed toward both those groups is upsetting and wrong, McDougall said. I feel like I gotta be out here.

McDougall said it's been hard to witness the community response and be unable to participate in demonstrations with people she knows in Minnesota.

My social media is full of college and high school friends who are going through it right now, witnessing ICE on the streets, hearing the noise in their neighborhoods, McDougall said. The park across the street is full of residue from anti-riot chemicals. I mean, it's really, really real to them.

Cynthia Teague and Aysha Prather were in charge of putting up signs on the bridge which spelled out Stop ICE Terror.

My big hope is both that people who agree with us see the signs and feel empowered to speak up, but particularly people here feeling targeted, that Hispanic communities especially, that maybe they're seeing that at least not all of Oklahoma is cheering this, Teague said.

Prather said they're doing what they can to show solidarity with a larger community.

One protester held up a sign that read Their blood will be on your hands! and displayed photos of Good and Pretti. Another displayed an excerpt from the diary of Anne Frank.

Kate Brien said she is the daughter of a World War II veteran. She said many veterans have given up a lot for the country and continue to give.

This is not what they sacrificed for. They did just the opposite, Brien said. If you don't use your rights, they will be taken away. And we've got nothing but a bunch of thugs going out there who have no hearts. I hope their hearts will be softened.

Steve Lautzenheiser said the president seems to have nothing but hate in his heart.

I don't like the feeling I have when I travel abroad, and the thought that people hate me because I stand here as an American, Lautzenheiser said.

This story was edited by Macey Thaxton and Audrey McClour.
AF&PA Elects Domtar's Steve Henry as Board Chair

Steve Henry Steve Henry

Feb. 2, 2026 - The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) announced Steve Henry, Domtar's Paper & Packaging CEO & President USA, as incoming Board chair. He joined other pulp, paper, packaging and tissue product industry leaders at the Association's Winter Board of Directors' Meeting on January 29.

"Steve is a trusted leader whose deep industry knowledge and steady commitment to our shared priorities will serve the Board and the entire AF&PA membership well," said AF&PA President and CEO Heidi Brock. "I'm grateful for his willingness to serve and confident he will help guide the association through another year of meaningful progress."

The AF&PA Board of Directors consists of top industry leaders who represent a broad spectrum of companies in the paper and wood products manufacturing sector. These companies operate mills and converting operations in nearly every state across the country, often in rural communities.

Additional AF&PA Officers include:

First Vice Chair: Arsen Kitch, President & CEO, Clearwater Paper Corporation

Second Vice Chair: Andrew Silvernail, Chairman & CEO, International Paper

Immediate Past Chair: Mark Kowlzan, Chairman & CEO, Packaging Corporation of America

In addition to officers, AF&PA elected new Board member, Graphic Packaging International LLC's President and Chief Executive Officer, Robbert Rietbroek. He joins the following list of recently elected and re-elected directors below:

Fabio Almeida de Oliveira, Suzano Packaging LLC

Pat Boushka, Georgia-Pacific, LLC

Dick Carmical, The Price Companies

Alan Clark, Hood Container Corporation

Nathan Jeppson, Sustana

Wade Kemnitz, BiOrigin Specialty Products

Mark Kowlzan, Packaging Corporation of America

Matt Peerboom, Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company, LLC

Douglas Schwartz, Billerud Americas Corporation

Laurent Sellier, Smurfit Westrock

John Sims, Sylvamo Corporation

Ken Winterhalter, Seaman Paper Company of Massachusetts, Inc.

AF&PA also welcomed 2 company members and 1 associate member to the association's membership, including:

Crown Paper Group

K.T.G. (USA) Inc.

Burkes Mechanical*

*associate member

"The AF&PA Board is made up of exceptional leaders who care deeply about the future of this industry and the people who make it strong," said Henry. "I'm excited to work with them as we take on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Together, we have tremendous ability to drive meaningful value for the variety of customers served by our industry, as well as the many communities in which we operate."

About AF&PA

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance public policies that foster economic growth, job creation and global competitiveness for a vital sector that makes the essential paper and packaging products Americans use every day.

The U.S. forest products industry employs more than 925,000 people, largely in rural America, and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 44 states. The industry accounts for approximately 4.7% of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufacturing more than $435 billion in products annually.

AF&PA member companies are significant producers and users of renewable biomass energy and are committed to making sustainable products for a sustainable future through the industry's decades-long initiative  Better Practices, Better Planet 2030.

SOURCE:
A man and woman were arrested Sunday night after two girls from Tennessee were kidnapped, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

Ana Rodriguez Gonzalez, 60, of Schuylkill County, and Henry Rodriguez, 36, of Lehigh County, were arrested about 11:50 p.m. Sunday on Interstate 81 northbound in South Middleton Township after police were notified of a kidnapping involving two girls from Tennessee.

Police said the pair was traveling in a 2025 gray Nissan Rogue when officers initiated a traffic stop, based on the kidnapping report, and found both girls inside the vehicle. Police did not say the relationship between the suspects and the girls, if any.

Gonzalez and Rodriguez were arrested and transported to Cumberland County Prison to await extradition to Tennessee, according to police.
A former Philadelphia medic has been charged after police said he stole money from a dead womans wallet last year.

Gary Robb, 41, of Philadelphia, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and official oppression.

The incident occurred on Oct. 16, when Robb, who was a medic for the Philadelphia Fire Department, responded to a call about an unresponsive woman at an apartment along the 1300 block of Lombard Street, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The woman, who was later identified as Nanette Santilli, 78, was pronounced dead at 4:36 that day.

Surveillance video inside the home showed Robb taking money from Santillis wallet and putting it in his pocket, according to a statement from Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.

The alleged incident is an egregious misuse of power, Krasner said in the statement. The men and women of the Philadelphia Fire Department are trusted public servants, and nothing alleged here diminishes the importance or integrity of their work. We will aggressively pursue the facts to ensure accountability and justice.

Santillis sister also told police that Santillis bank card was missing. A medic who was at the scene told police that Robb had told her he took the card, according to a criminal complaint.

This is not about money. Its not about anyone trying to make money. This is about honoring my aunt who in her moment where she should be celebrated and someone there to dignify her, he robbed her, Santillis nephew, Vincent Giorgio, said to NBC10. It was just violating you know, youre feeling like, she was lying there.

A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Fire Department said that Robb was no longer working there.

Robb was arrested and charged back in December. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 5.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP)  A man being questioned by police at a suburban Atlanta hotel on Sunday shot the two officers after inviting them into his room, killing one of them and seriously wounding the other, authorities said.

The shooting suspect also was shot by one of the officers and was undergoing medical treatment and expected to survive, Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure said during a news conference.

Officer Pradeep Tamang, 25, died from his injuries at a hospital, McClure said.

A native of Nepal, Tamang had joined the police department last year. WSB TV reported that Tamang immigrated to the United State more than 10 years ago with his family settling in Pennsylvania. Tamang moved to Georgia in July 2024.

Office David Reed was hospitalized in serious but stable condition Sunday afternoon, the police chief said.

The shootout happened Sunday morning near Stone Mountain, about 25 miles northeast of Atlanta. The officers were dispatched to the hotel after a caller in another state reported someone had fraudulently used their credit card there, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. The agency said the front desk clerk directed the officers to the room of the person who had used the credit card.

McClure said the suspect greeted the officers at the door to his room and invited them inside.

They began discussing the scenario or the incident with him, McClure said. And at some point the suspect produced a handgun and, in an unprovoked attack, fired at our Gwinnett County police officers.

This is the latest reminder of the dangers law enforcement face on a daily basis, and we are grateful for every one that puts themselves in harms way to protect their fellow Georgians, Gov. Brian Kemp said on the social media platform X.

McClure identified the shooting suspect as 35-year-old Kevin Andrews of Decatur, Georgia. It was not immediately known whether Andrews had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

The investigation has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which customarily handles shootings involving law enforcement officers in the state. McClure said it would be up to the GBI and local prosecutors to decide what charges to bring against Andrews.
Trevor Noah hosted the Grammy Awards for the last time Sunday on CBS, and the comedian managed to get a few jabs in on Donald Trump.

He even landed one heck of a haymaker just after 10 p.m., that had many folks talking.

Before the reaction, though, back to Noahs joke.

What did he say that got folks so heated?

Song of the Year  that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epsteins island is gone, Noah said. He needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.

Oh, I told you it was my last year, Noah added as the crowd reacted. What are they going to do about it?

Some folks loved it.

I AM ON THE FLOOR, one person wrote on X.

Trevor Noah really chose violence for his final Grammys, another person wrote n X. To drop a Trump, Greenland, Epstein, AND Clinton joke in one breath? The man is officially out of office.

Trevor Noah saying Trump wants Greenland because he needs a new island to hangout with Bill Clinton on is pretty (expletive) funny, another person wrote.

Trevor Noah went full spicy with that one, another person wrote. Its classic awards-show roast humor  mixing pop culture, politics, and shock value. The Greenland jab is a well-known Trump reference, and the Epstein line is meant as satire, not a factual claim, but yeah ... thats the kind of joke that makes half the room laugh and the other half clutch pearls. Whether people loved it or hated it, one things for sure: Nobody forgot that moment."

Folks in the MAGA world were not appreciative of the dig, and it will be interesting to see if Trump responds.
Nicki Minaj had an interesting Grammy night.

No, she wasnt at the awards, and that was pointed out by host Trevor Noah during his opening speech.

Nicki Minaj is not here, she is not here, she is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues, actually, Noah said.

Noah then imitated the president and said, Nicki, I have the biggest (butt, I have it, everybodys saying it Nicki, I know they say you, but its me, wop, wop, wop, look at it, look at it, baby.

Meanwhile, Minaj, whose husband, Kenneth Petty, and brother, Jelani Maraj, are both sex offenders, spent part of her night posting about celebrities sacrificing children as a way of gaining and maintaining power, and sharing photos of Jay-Z.

Your favorite artist has been practicing rituals in a satanic cult where they take babies from other countries & mutilate them as a form of a blood sacrifice to their God, Minaj, who spent part of last week with Trump at the White House, wrote on X. You see, when your master is satan, you must constantly shed blood. However, the JIG IS UP.

She then asked her followers if she should do a daily story time about whos been doing what? She also teased discussing the brain washing techniques they use, in another post.

But after Noahs joke, she came for him with an accusation.

Trevor refuses to come out the closet when everyone in the industry knows his boyfriend, she wrote. Allegedly.

When someone asked if he was a top or bottom, she responded with a picture of the Chucky doll from Childs Play and wrote, Isnt it obvious.

Its not the first time recently that Minaj has taken the route. Just last week she doubled-down in using homophobic slurs against former CNN host Don Lemon during an appearance on The Katie Miller Podcast.

Anyway, plenty of her followers jumped in the comments to encourage her to share more details. Others took her to task for the accusation, and her family history wasnt lost on them considering the rest of her posts.

Thats not even your business, let talk about that hoe, one person responded.

Now tell us about your husband and brother, another wrote.

No Grammy for her yea Id be made to, another wrote.

Whats the obsession of mens sexuality? another person wrote. Its very weird behavior, especially when the majority of your fan base is gay men?

Newsweek reported that Minajs husband served four years in prison as a Level 2 sex offender after he was found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl in 1994. The outlet reported that Minajs brother, Jelani Maraj, was convicted in 2017 of raping an 11-year-old girl and was sentenced to 25 years to life in 2020.

Noah was busy hosting the show while Minaj was going off so it will be interesting to see if he offers a response.
Sorry, Minute Maid fans.

The brand has just announced it will discontinue one of its more iconic products.

According to Good Housekeeping, Minute Maid plans on slowly phasing out its frozen juice cans in both the United States and Canada in April. These drinks will disappear entirely from stores once inventory runs out in all their orange juice, lemonade and pink lemonade glory.

We are discontinuing our frozen products and exiting the frozen can category in Canada in response to shifting consumer preferences, a spokesperson from parent company Coca-Cola informed the publication.

With the juice category growing strongly, were focusing on products that better match what our consumers want.

Parade notes that Minute Maids frozen juice cans first arrived on the scene during World War II: Soldiers were given the frozen concentrate in order to get a necessary dose of vitamin C.

With such a long tenure on grocery store shelves, the frozen juice cans have inevitably become a staple in many an American household. The news of their discontinuation has, understandably, left multiple fans distraught.

No! cried one on Facebook. Chasing an orange log around the plastic pitcher with a wooden spoon was my childhood!

A staple from my childhood, another echoed. Our deep freeze ran abundant with many flavors, and our Tupperware juice container was never empty.

Did anybody else put them in the microwave for one minute to soften it? mused another. With the lid off, of course.

Lovers of the Minute Maid frozen juice cans have until April to stock up.
By ERIC TUCKER, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)  A top Justice Department official played down the possibility of additional criminal charges arising from the Jeffrey Epstein files, saying Sunday that the existence of horrible photographs and troubling email correspondence does not allow us necessarily to prosecute somebody.

Department officials said over the summer that a review of Epstein-related records did not establish a basis for new criminal investigations, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that position remains unchanged even as a massive document dump since Friday has focused fresh attention on Epsteins links to powerful individuals around the world and revived questions about what, if any, knowledge the wealthy financiers associates had about his crimes.

Theres a lot of correspondence. Theres a lot of emails. Theres a lot of photographs. Theres a lot of horrible photographs that appear to be taken by Mr. Epstein or people around him, Blanche said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. But that doesnt allow us necessarily to prosecute somebody.

He said victims of Epsteins sex abuse want to be made whole, but that doesnt mean we can just create evidence or that we can just kind of come up with a case that isnt there.

President Donald Trumps Justice Department said Friday that it would be releasing more than 3 million pages of documents and more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images under a law intended to reveal most of the material it collected during long-running investigations into Epstein.

The fallout from the release of the files has been swift.

In the United Kingdom, Lord Peter Mandelson announced his resignation from the governing Labour Party on Sunday following further revelations about his relationship with Epstein. He said he was stepping aside to avoid causing further embarrassment, even as he denied allegations he had received payments from Epstein two decades ago.

A top official in Slovakia, meanwhile, left his position after photos and emails revealed he had met with Epstein in the years after Epstein was released from jail. And British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggested that longtime Epstein friend Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, should tell U.S. investigators whatever he knows about Epsteins activities.

The revelations continue

The files posted to the departments website included documents involving Epsteins friendship with Mountbatten-Windsor, along with Epsteins email correspondence with onetime Trump adviser Steve Bannon, New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and other prominent contacts with people in political, business and philanthropic circles, such as billionaires Bill Gates and Elon Musk.

The Epstein saga has long fueled public fascination in part because of his past friendships with Trump and former President Bill Clinton. Both men have said they had no knowledge Epstein was abusing underage girls.

Among the records was a spreadsheet created last August that summarized calls made to the FBIs National Threat Operation Center or to a hotline set up by prosecutors from people claiming to have some knowledge of wrongdoing by Trump. That document included a range of uncorroborated stories involving different celebrities and somewhat fantastical scenarios, occasionally with notations indicating what follow-up, if any, was done by agents.

Blanche said Sunday that there were a ton of people named in the files besides Trump and that the FBI had fielded hundreds of calls about prominent individuals where the allegations were quickly determined to not be credible.

Some of Epsteins personal email correspondence contained candid discussions with others about his penchant for paying women for sex, even after he served jail time for soliciting an underage prostitute. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail in August 2019, a month after being indicted on federal sex trafficking charges.

In one 2013 email, a person whose name was blacked out wrote to Epstein about his choice to surround yourself with these young women in a capacity that bleeds  perhaps, somewhat arbitrarily  from the professional into the personal and back.

Though these women are young, they are not too young to know that they are making a very particular choice in taking on this role with you, the person wrote. Especially in the aftermath of your trial which, after all, was public and could be  indeed was  interpreted as a powerful man taking advantage of powerless young women, instead of the other way around.

In a 2009 email, not long after Epstein had finished serving jail time for his Florida sex crime, another woman, whose name was redacted, excoriated him for breaking a promise that they would spend time alone together and try to conceive a baby.

I find myself having to question every agreement we have made (no prostitutes staying in the house, in our bed, movies, naps, two weeks Alone, baby...), She wrote. Your last minute suggestion to spend THIS weekend with prostitutes is just too much for me to handle. I cant live like this anymore.

This review is over

Blanche said in a separate appearance on ABCs This Week that though there are a small number of documents the Justice Department was waiting for a judges approval before it can release, when it comes to the departments own scouring of documents, this review is over.

A document with an email chain from Jeffrey Epstein illustrates the amount of redactions of personally identifiable information that the U.S. Department of Justice was required to do before release of Epstein documents, is photographed Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) AP

We reviewed over six million pieces of paper, thousands of videos, tens of thousands of images, Blanche said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday that he believed the Justice Department was complying with the law requiring disclosure of the files.

But Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a co-sponsor of the law, said he did not believe the department had fully complied. He said survivors were upset some of their names had inadvertently come out without redactions.

Blanche said each time the department has learned a victims name was not properly redacted, it has moved quickly to fix the problem, and that those mistakes account for a tiny fraction of the overall materials.

The AP is reviewing the documents released by the Justice Department in collaboration with journalists from Versant, CBS and NBC. Journalists from each newsroom are working together to examine the files and share information about what is in them. Each outlet is responsible for its own independent news coverage of the documents.
Minocqua Brewing Company definitely isnt Bud Light because, while it has been under fire for its recent rhetoric aimed at Donald Trump, it has not backed down.

And, instead of hurting business, the Wisconsin brewery claims things have been picking up. In fact, in a social media post on Saturday, the brewery announced that its initial stock of Donald Trump voodoo dolls  yes, the brewery is selling voodoo dolls for $24  is gone.

Jen from Utah, our partner who makes these cushioned agents of destruction, is minting money, a statement on the brewerys Facebook read. Shes also now about a month behind on orders.

Handmade with a vengeance and reclaimed deadstock fabric, the Trump Voodoo Doll features a reasonable-length tie in a Full Windsor, swollen cankles, and attired in stripes with a soupcon of wishful thinking. Your choice of three expressions: Smirk, Chucklefkr, and Sideeye, a listing for the doll on the Minocqua Marketplace read. Feel free to customize your doll with hand makeup, large ear bandages, and a red hat. This item claims to be 8 tall and says it received exceptional results on the cognitive test.

You can see the listing here.

The brewery continued trolling Trumps followers on Thursday by announcing that it had 200 Trump voodoo dolls made.

The brewery then tagged Fox News, Blaze Media, and the New York Post and also called out all the other right-wing news outlets who covered our Celebration of Life party and subsequently introduced us to thousands of new customers around the globe, we welcome your next story about how weve embraced the ancient Voodoo religion to GET THE JOB DONE ALREADY!

Surely the easily-manipulated deplorables in your audience believe that Voodoo actually works, and will demand that eagle-eyed Kash Patel put us on his FBI watchlist, because its clear that Catholic/West African-inspired spiritual prayers are a threat to the regime, the brewerys post added. Thanks for your help, Bondye, the pins were sticking into this doll suggest that weve gotta stop writing and start making a ton more beer for our party.

The brewery had plenty of followers posting supportive messages to its posts, and it shared screen shots of many who did not appreciate the move at all.

This is the level of humor and pettiness Im here for! one person replied.

Yep, 3rd post from yall thats come up and Im sold, another replied. Following you and willing to find a reason to visit the brewery as soon as I can! Its a 35 hr drive though, so well see how soon.

The brewery said to lessen (Jens) workload, it is not offering three packs of ICE Out whistles for $14.99.

The dolls are a continuation of the brewerys attacks on Trump that took off on January 22.

Free beer, all day long, the day he dies, the brewery wrote on Facebook then. Show us this post when it happens in a few months and well make good on that promise.

The brewery added an update, we meant the Madison Taproom because thats open all year, if he dies in the summer, then its gonna be the Minocqua Taproom.

Donald Trump wasnt specifically named in the post, but the brewery has plenty of anti-ICE posts on its page. Its followers seemed to think it was Trump, and in a response to Fox News attempt to question them about it, the brewery made it clear who was being referenced.

Apparently Fox News wants to interview us about our upcoming celebration of life party, in which we promised free beer for the whole day when he finally dies, a post on the brewerys Facebook page wrote.

Minocqua then shared its response to Foxs Lindsay Kornick.

If youd like to come to our party celebrating the impending death of a twice-impeached convicted felon covering up for the largest child sex ring in the history of the United States  someone who has enabled his contemporary American Gestapo to brutally murder two American protesters in a matter of weeks, then well invite you and any Fox News colleagues of yours on one condition . No red hats allowed. Give your bosses at Faux News my best. Kirk Bangstad, Owner, Minocqua Brewing Company.

On Jan. 28, the brewery shared a Fox News article about its free beer promise on Facebook and offered another response.

Who knew that Faux News would still write this story after we went viral mocking them in response to their cynical request for a quote about our celebration of life free beer party the MOMENT he dies, the post read. Its amazing how out-of-touch they are thinking that theyd hurt us by publishing this story. The world and most of America will be celebrating as hard or harder than us when this day happens, and they still figure their shrinking audience of manipulatable deplorables, who we already refuse to serve, would find our gallows humor appalling. Thanks Fox, youve done wonders for our sales in the last few days. Keep covering this story and well be able to pour that much more free beer when his blood clot finally moves.

According to Fox News the brewery is largely known for specialty-branded beers based on political trends and figures such as Resistance Pilsner and Tammy Shandy after Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
By Tom Foley

We live in an age where Americans trust in just about everything has gone down. Though higher education is still among the most admired sectors in America, right up there with churches, small business owners and the military, the trust in each of these institutions has declined in the last two decades.

In an A.I. age where the line between fact and fiction is increasingly blurred, popular cynicism will likely continue to increase. But to be hopeful is to be human, so let me suggest at least three reasons not to buy into this pessimistic narrative.

First, higher education is about far more than income. The founders of our country knew the civic value of education, and the good citizenship of grads is reflected in the data. College grads are more likely to start a business, more likely to vote, and more likely to donate to and volunteer at local charities.

This is not to say that only college graduates do these things, but the correlation between these things and education is clearest. Perhaps in anticipating these societal benefits, many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence supported higher education, seeing its value in preparing citizens for what Alexis de Tocqueville called the difficult tasks of self-government  reason, deliberation, tolerance. Consistent with this public sentiment of the time, Americas Founding Fathers also founded some of our countrys first colleges and universities, like the University of Virginia, Franklin and Marshall, Dickinson, Penn, and more.

Second, lets not forget that higher education absolutely translates into higher income. The average person with a bachelors degree earns 70 percent more than someone with a high school diploma. If college were a stock, it would still be the hottest stock on Wall Street. That is because, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a college degree generates annual return of 12% to 14% over the course of a career. In other words, the R.O.I. of a degree beats the stock market, bonds, real estate, and is even a better investment than gold.

Despite sensational headlines about sky-high tuition, most Americans are actually paying less in tuition today than 10 years ago. For context, over a lifetime of spending, you will probably spend five times more on cars than on education. And unlike a car, designed for planned obsolescence and which begins to depreciate the moment you drive it off the lot, a college education is a one-time expenditure that increases in value over time.

Think tanks and news sources from the political right, left, and center all agree that a college degree is the best social ladder available for most Americans. It is well-documented that a college degree is still the best vehicle for upward economic mobility in America, and Americas economy is fueled by the innovations and inventions pioneered at American colleges and universities. Despite recent articles that sought to deflate the value of a college education, the Wall Street Journal still conceded this plain truth: people with bachelors degrees earn considerably more than those without. What is value if not a consistent return on investment?

Third, in an A.I. age of information overload, the world needs people who can discern, dissect, and synthesize quality information. Consider these figures: You see more information in one day than your ancestors saw in a lifetime. You even have more words to learn and work with today than William Shakespeare did 400 years ago, as the English language has expanded to perhaps as many as a million words. In fact, 400 exabytes of data are generated every daythats 80 times more information than all the words ever spoken by humankind. Some of that knowledge will cure cancer, and some of it is slop. A sound education is critical to developing the filters and perception necessary to see the difference.

Information technology has transformed our world into a landscape where an arms race exists between facts and disinformation and where algorithms fan the fires of conflict by filtering us into warring camps and away from the spaces of civil discourse. The attention economy captures our minds and robs us of our time for reflection and contemplation, replacing the serendipity of silence with the empty stare of the doom scroller.

How might we respond to all of this? By practicing the skills developed in every postsecondary education environment: listening, researching, evaluating, validating, verifying, talking and listening again in conversations with friends, through interactions with strangers, by exchanges with real human beings, not just computer-generated algorithms.

Those who choose to pursue the hard work of education and critical thinking can best master the technologies of the future and not just be subject to them. Higher education not only trains people for jobs that dont exist yet, but it also helps grads develop the cognitive strength and flexibility to develop new skillsets throughout their lives. This mattersthe days of having only one job for a lifetime are in the far distant past; young people today face a future where they will have over a dozen different jobs before they retire.

Jobs change, industries change, technologies change. Learning how to learn and instilling a drive for lifelong learningwhether that is a new hobby, new language, or a new skill, are hallmarks of higher education in America. With these skills, Americans can navigate anything.

Thomas P. Foley is the President of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP).
Pa. Sen. John Fetterman, during a Fox News interview on Sunday, said he was in support of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents wearing masks to protect them and their families from being identified and pursued by left-wing protesters.

Some of those agents wearing masks, primarily thats driven by people who are going to dox those people, Fetterman said. Thats a serious concern, too, absolutely. They can target their families.

Dont ever ever dox people and target their families too, he added.

Doxxing means maliciously gathering and publicly releasing someones private, identifying information (such as name, address, employer, or Social Security number) without their consent, to shame, harass, intimiate or harm them. Recently, it has been used to target and threaten people perceived to have spoken ill of Charlie Kirk after he was killed, and recently in Philadelphia, misidentify the Phillies Karen, The Philadelphia Inquirer noted in its story.

His comments on Fox News to Jacqui Heinrich, host of The Sunday Briefing, come as many websites and apps have been created over the last 12 months to track the location of ICE agents.

Other new websites and databases reveal personal information about immigration agents.

The New York Post reported on Saturday on one Wikipedia-style website that has doxxed more than 4,500 current and former agents.

Fettermans appearance took place as congressional leaders continue to fight over ICE funding after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent and Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

Last week, Senate Democrats attached a list of reforms to a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part. The proposal includes banning federal agents carrying out President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown from wearing masks, among other conditions.

Fetterman has been one of the most vocal Democrats supporting ICE, but last Tuesday, in a Facebook post asked Trump to fire Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Americans have died. She is betraying DHS core mission and trashing your legacy to secure our border, he wrote. DO NOT make the same mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary.
By Sam Janesch, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

WASHINGTON Three hundred miles apart on another freezing morning last week, a retired elementary school teacher in Philadelphia and a community organizer who recently graduated in Pittsburgh woke up long before sunrise.

Colette Whiteboarded an Amtrak. Matt Jordan set off on the long drive through the hills of Western Pennsylvania.

Their mission was the same  to get to Washington, D.C., and tell their senators they were making a mistake by supporting the immigration enforcement efforts that were inflaming the country.

Were sick of it, Jordan, an organizer with the Pittsburgh nonprofit Casa San Jose, said after arriving in U.S. Sen. Dave McCormicks office and telling the Republicans staff about the troubling overabuses of power by federal agents around Pittsburgh. We need something to be done. We cant have another cent toward this dangerous agenda.

Whites message, outside an empty and locked office for Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, fell on fewer ears.

Defund ICE, she said in the hallway before turning quietly to the closed door. If you ever get a chance to hear me.

The killing of two American citizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis has set off a firestorm of public resentment nationwide.

From Minnesota to Pennsylvania to Capitol Hill, politicians whove supported President Donald Trumps ramped-up deportation agenda are facing new and intense questions from constituents. In Fettermans case in particular, some say those questions could have lasting political implications  the kinds that could mean a further eroding of his support base as he potentially seeks reelection in 2028.

Others whove pushed back before are doing so even harder.

We have ratcheted up our preparation, should this come (to Pennsylvania), Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday in Washington, a few days after his book tour launched in Philadelphiawith protesters demanding that he do more to combat ICE. And that is going to involve not just a law enforcement response, but working closely with the community. So, I want the community to know where I stand. I hear them, and I want them to know that were going to be in partnership together.

For Fetterman and McCormick, who have each supported Trumps immigration crackdown, the issue reached a fever pitch around a pressing funding question.

A federal budget package that contained an increase in funding for ICE operations needed to pass the Senate by Jan. 31 to avoid a partial government shutdown. After the killing of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Prettiduring a Minneapolis protest Jan. 24, Democrats promised to block the bill until Republicans added new oversight measures for ICE.

U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick during a panel discussion at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in July. (Kaiden J. Yu/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS) TNS

Fetterman had already spent the last year frustrating many of his former Democratic supporters by supporting parts of Trumps agenda. And while his statements in the wake of Prettis death were his harshest criticisms of ICE so far  including pleas for the firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noemand, the ending of ICE operations in Minneapolis he stopped short of promising to block the funding if it led to a shutdown.

Its not anywhere near enough, said Christine Gordon, who moved from Pittsburgh to Washington after voting for Fetterman in 2022 and previously for lieutenant governor.

Outside his locked office on Wednesday with a group of eight other visiting senators on Capitol Hill, Gordon said she had championed Fetterman, someone she met several times when she worked at Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania, and he was running for office. Now, she felt, he was failing to fully stand up for immigrant communities and Americans being killed by federal agents, and she was ashamed of her vote.

I believe that he is not a horrible person. But he has lost his conscience. He is betraying so many people as they murder us in the streets, Gordon told a Fetterman staffer who appeared in the hallway and politely listened to the groups pleas. It is not OK. He needs to know that its not OK.

A few moments later, Teofilo Reyes slipped a letter under Fettermans door. As the organizing director for Make the Road PA, he and his advocacy group had helped set up protests at the senators offices across the entire state the day before and, ultimately, what they said were 28,000 calls to his office throughout the week. Finding the state offices closed, he went to Washington and led a small group that included White and Jordan around the Capitol.

We werent expecting to talk to the senators but at least wanted to talk to the staff to tell them why were here, Reyes said.

Fetterman  who was not in Washingtonwhen the Senatewas in session Tuesday night and Wednesday  later reiterated his call for new leadership, significant reforms and the oversight to prevent another calamity like Minneapolis.

He also defended ICE.

In the past 24 hours, ICE apprehended the very worst, including child rapists. ICE is essential in deporting criminal migrants in our country, he wrote in a social media post that included mugshots of five people and echoed a Department of Homeland Security press release.

Fettermans office declined an interview request and did not respond to questions from the Post-Gazette including why he ultimately voted no on the procedural motion Thursday to advance the funding package.

The vote was set to fail with or without Fettermans support. Every other Democrat vowed to vote against it, denying Republicansthe required 60 votes. A subsequent agreement to remove the Homeland Security funding from the larger bill and continue negotiations on reforms went on to pass on Friday, avoiding a prolonged shutdown like the historic, six-week stalemate last fall.

The week of political backlash had made its mark  and potentially in a way that remains a top issue for voters heading into this years midterm elections and the fast-approaching 2028 presidential year, when Fetterman could seek reelection.

Polls since the killing of Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis have shown a significant slide in public approval for Trumps domestic immigration enforcement efforts, said Chris Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Lehigh County.

In an Economist/YouGov poll conducted mostly after Prettis death, 55% of Americans said they had little confidence in ICE, an increase of 10% since mid-December. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from about the same time found 58% believed ICE agents went too far, including nine in 10 Democratsand six in 10 independents.

This is damaging in ways that some things have not been damaging before, Borick said. This ones hit a lot of nerves among the electorate.

A shift by independent voters in particular could further erode support for Fetterman, whose previous refusals to join Democratsin criticizing Trump coincided with a drop in support from Democratsand an increase in support from Republicans last year.

A Morning Consult survey released last week showed Fetterman had a 51% approval rating overall, though his approval from Democrat shad dropped from 72% to 48% over the last year as his approval from Republicans increased from 27% to 59%. His continued backing of ICE as public sentiment shifts in general could have a larger negative impact, Borick said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro delivers his third budget address to a joint session of the state House and Senate at the State Capitol on Feb. 4, 2025. (Tom Gralish/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS) TNS

Hes in a bit of a tricky position about how he navigates that issue moving forward, because not only could he see himself out of step with his party, he could see himself out of step with the general public, Borick said.

Chris Nicholas, a GOP political consultant in Harrisburg, said politicians such as Fetterman were scrambling like everyone else to figure out how to navigate a massive public issue that has shifted so quickly.

We are in the middle of a sea change when it comes to public opinion on aggressive ICE enforcement in our cities, he said. A lot of politicians are working to keep up with what the new normal is.

How both Fetterman and those potentially vying to replace him in 2028 respond will be worth watching, political observers say.

U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, of Aspinwall, former U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, of Philadelphia, have all been discussed as potential Democratic candidates, regardless of whether Fetterman runs again.

All three were vocal last week  with Lamb calling out Fettermans ridiculous support for ICE, and Deluzio and Boyle each saying they led the effort to send a public letter, signed by all seven House Democratsfrom Pennsylvania, to urge the senator to vote against the funding bill.

The letter was also addressed to McCormick, who called for a full investigation into Prettis death but said the funding should pass in the form it was drafted.

A Republican ally of the president, McCormick told constituents during a telephone town hall on Tuesday that it would be a mistake not to fund ICE. When about 16 constituents and concerned D.C. residents packed into his offices lobby on Wednesday, his staff listened attentively, told them his position and said theyd pass along their concerns to the senator.

People have had enough of being lied to, Deluzio, in an interview after sending the letter, said of the overwhelming public response nationally. He said he had not heard back from the senators about the letter, and he declined to say whether hed had additional direct conversations with either of them.

In a separate virtual news conference hosted by Boyle, another PhiladelphiaDemocrat, U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, thanked him for leading this effort as they both reiterated the call for the senators to no longer continue to give Homeland Security a blank check.

That kind of forceful pushback is likely easier for Democrats in safe House districts than it is for Fetterman, who often highlights his role representing the entirety of a divided swing state, Nicholas said.

Pennsylvaniasother statewide Democratic leader was taking a different route.

Posters depicting Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good are displayed on a wall near the site where Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was fatally shot by federal immigration agents, in Minneapolis, Minn., Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Kerem Yucel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP) AP

Shapiro  running for reelection this year and a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination  repeatedly rejected ICEs methods and compromised mission during events and interviews to promote his new memoir, Where We Keep the Light.

Speaking to reporters during a Thursday visit to Washington, he said his administration was conducting tabletop exercises and was prepared on every level if ICE ramps up in Pennsylvania. He said that while he doesnt have access to all of the evidence, he believes Minnesota officials could make a very strong case for charging the agents who killed Pretti. And, at a ticketed book event later that night, he credited the public response for stopping the ICE funding bill in the Senate.

On stage with U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock in downtown Washington, Shapiro said the Georgia Democrat might have to race to the Capitol to vote on a bill that is largely going to be shaped by the outrage that has emanated from America in just the last few days. Thats people power right there.

 2026 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Visit www.post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Here's How to Play in the 888poker LIVE Glasgow Main Event For Free

Matthew Pitt Senior Editor Copy link

The second leg of the 2026 888poker LIVE tour is only a month away, with the Grosvenor Casino Merchant City in Glasgow gearing up to host 888poker LIVE Glasgow for the second consecutive year. An 888 buy-in, 250,000 guaranteed Main Event is the schedule's crown jewel, a tournament you could be playing in for free thanks to the generosity of 888poker.

When 888poker LIVE was last in Glasgow, the 888 buy-in Main Event saw Dean Lyall outlast 406 opponents and bank 58,130 of the guarantee-busting 309,320 prize pool. This year, it could be you whose name is up in lights, even if you don't necessarily have the bankroll to flick in 888 for the Glasgow Main Event.

Freeroll Your Way to a 2,000 888poker LIVE Glasgow Package

888poker is to host a special freeroll on February 28, where the top two finishers win a 2,000 package to the 888poker LIVE Glasgow Main Event. Entry to this value-packed freeroll is limited to player who have made at least one real-money deposit into their 888poker accounts and who complete one of the following challenges between February 1-25:

Play at least 50 tournaments with a buy-in of at least $5

Win at least 500 hands in cash games

Play at least 75 BLAST games with buy-ins of at least $5

Anyone completing one of those challenges receives a seat in the February 28 freeroll, where the top two finishers receive a 2,000 package consisting of:

$1,160 (888) buy-in to the 888poker LIVE Glasgow Main Event

$500 towards accommodation

$340 towards travel expenses

In addition to this special freeroll, 888poker will soon begin running online satellites to the 888poker LIVE Glasgow Main Event. These satellites will be available for only a few pennies. It is also highly probable that satellite tickets will be given away on the 888poker Twitch channel during the $100,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event final table stream, and by 888poker's popular ambassadors and Stream Team across their social media channels.

888poker LIVE Glasgow 2026 Full Schedule

888poker Live Glasgow trophy

The 888poker LIVE Glasgow festival starts at 12:00 p.m. GMT on March 12 before wrapping up on March 22. A 250 buy-in, 50,000 guaranteed Crazy 8 Opening Event kicks off the festival. Majid Iqbal is this event's reigning champion, having left 226 opponents in his wake as he turned 250 into 10,130 in March 2025.

Tournaments after the Crazy 8 Opening Event include the 220 Mid Shot, 100,000 guaranteed 250 buy-in Mini Main, a 250 Pot Limit Omaha event, and the 1,500 High Roller.

Qualify for the 888poker LIVE Glasgow Main Event Join 888poker

The 888 buy-in, 250,000 guaranteed Main Event explodes into action at 1:00 p.m. GMT on March 19. This is the first of four flights, with Day 1b scheduled for 12:00 p.m. GMT on March 20 and a turbo-structured Day 1c shuffling up and dealing at 8:00 p.m. GMT on the same day. A last chance turbo Day 1d commences at 11:00 a.m. on March 21, with the second of three days beginning at 5:00 p.m. that day. The Glasgow Main Event will crown its worthy champion on March 22.

At least 70 Main Event seats are guaranteed in the 120 buy-in satellites running throughout 888poker LIVE Glasgow. Twenty of those will be won on March 19 in the 6:00 p.m. GMT cashout satellite.

Date Time (GMT) Event Guarantee Thu 12 Mar 12:00 p.m. 250 NLHE Crazy 8 Opening Event Day 1a 50,000 5:00 p.m. 330 NLHE PKO Rumble Day 1 15,000 8:00 p.m. 120 Main Event Cashout Satellite 10x seats Fri 13 Mar 12:00 p.m. 250 NLHE Crazy 8 Opening Event Day 1b 50,000 12:30 p.m. PKO Rumble Day 2 15,000 7:00 p.m. 250 NLHE Crazy 8 Opening Event Day 1c Turbo 50,000 Sat 14 Mar 12:00 p.m. 250 NLHE Opening Event Day 1d Turbo 50,000 4:30 p.m. 250 NLHE Opening Event Day 2 50,000 5:00 p.m. 220 NLHE Mid Shot 8:00 p.m. 120 Main Event Cashout Satellite 10x seats Sun 15 Mar 12:00 p.m. 250 NLHE Mini Main Day 1a 100,000 6:00 p.m. 250 NLHE Mini Main Day 1b 100,000 8:00 p.m. 120 Main Event Cashout Satellite 10x seats Mon 16 Mar 3:00 p.m. 250 NLHE Mini Main Day 1c 100,000 6:00 p.m. 250 Pot Limit Omaha 8:00 p.m. 120 Main Event Cashout Satellite 10x seats Tue 17 Mar 12:00 p.m. 250 NHE Mini Main Day 1d Turbo 100,000 4:30 p.m. 250 NLHE Mini Main Day 2 100,000 5:00 p.m. 220 NLHE The Big Shot 25,000 9:00 p.m. 165 High Roller Cashout Satellite 2x seats Wed 18 Mar 12:00 p.m. 165 High Roller Cashout Satellite 2x seats 3:00 p.m. 1,500 NLHE High Roller Day 1 100,000 6:00 p.m. 200 NLHE Turbo Dash 15,000 8:00 p.m. 120 Main Event Cashout Satellite 10x seats Thu 19 Mar 12:00 p.m. 1,500 NLHE High Roller Day 2 100,000 1:00 p.m. 888 NLHE Main Event Day 1a 250,000 6:00 p.m. 120 Main Event Cashout Satellite 20x seats Fri 20 Mar 12:00 p.m. 888 NLHE Main Event Day 1b 250,000 8:00 p.m. 888 NLHE Main Event Day 1c Turbo 250,000 9:00 p.m. 120 Main Event Cashout Satellite Sat 21 Mar 11:00 a.m. 888 NLHE Main Event Day 1d Turbo 250,000 5:00 p.m. 888 NLHE Main Event Day 2 250,000 5:00 p.m. 340 NLHE The Dragon Day 1 30,000 7:00 p.m. 220 Pot Limit Omaha Bounty Sun 22 Mar 1:00 p.m. Main Event Day 3 250,000 1:30 p.m. 340 NLHE The Dragon Day 2 30,000 3:00 p.m. 250 NLHE Seniors 5:00 p.m. 200 NLHE 888poker Live Closer

888poker LIVE Glasgow 2025 Results

Dean Lyall: Reigning 888poker LIVE Glasgow champion

The 2025 edition of the 888poker LIVE Glasgow festival was a roaring success, with all but two events blowing their respective guarantees out of the water. In the Main Event, 888poker LIVE paid out 309,320, a sizable chunk more than the advertised guarantee.

Dean Lyall was triumphant in last year's Glasgow Main Event. He took home 58,130 for his efforts after defeating fellow Scotsman Daniel Johnson (42,940) heads-up. Expect Lyall to be in Glasgow to attempt a title defense.

Event Entrants Prize Pool Champion Prize 888 NLHE Main Event 407 309,320 Dean Lyall 58,130 1,650 NLHE High Roller 72 102,590 Maogen Fu 28,500 250 NLHE Mini Main 493 103,030 Anonymous 18,220 250 NLHE Crazy 8 Opening 227 52,630 Majid Iqbal 10,130 330 NLHE Big Shot 138 39,330 Maogen Fu 9,090 330 NLHE The Dragon 149 42,470 Adam Wilkinson 8,360 330 NLHE Mystery Bounty 178 50,730 Wantao Tang 4,900 250 NLHE Beat the Ambassadors 90 18,810 Oliver Hutchins 4,680 330 NLHE PKO Rumble 52 12,000 Fraser Armstrong 3,886 200 NLHE Turbo Dash 86 15,000 Robert Robb 3,460 230 Pot Limit Omaha 58 12,120 Barrie Greenan 3,265 220 PLO 4 Card Bounty 36 3,410 Zexuan Huang 1,710

Bounties not included in prizes for bounty events

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Sudunagunta Stages Incredible Comeback in the PartyPoker Tour Sheffield Main Event

Matthew Pitt Senior Editor Copy link

The first PartyPoker Tour stop of 2026 is in the books, with Siddarth Sudunagunta walking away with the Sheffield Main Event title and a 20,000 first-place prize. Sudunagunta added this title to the 1,000 PartyPoker Birmingham High Roller he captured in October 2025.

Taking down a major tournament is always a significant achievement, but Sudunagunta's victory was particularly memorable. The Birmingham-based veterinarian sat down at the final table with only nine big blinds, yet still came out on top for a career-best score and his second PartyPoker Tour trophy.

The 500 PartyPoker Tour Sheffield Main Event attracted 273 entrants, resulting in a 121,485 prize pool, with the top 41 finishers sharing it. Paul Romain, Dara O'Kearney, Rick Trigg, Hasmukh Khodiyara, and Timothy Chung were among those who finished in the money place but fell short of a spot at the nine-handed final table.

2026 PartyPoker Sheffield Main Event Final Table Chip Counts

Rank Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1 Muhammad Khalil United Kingdom 2,800,000 56 2 Max Burney United Kingdom 2,030,000 41 3 Emmanuel Mulemwa United Kingdom 1,875,000 38 4 George Achillea United Kingdom 1,775,000 36 5 Adbul Mukit United Kingdom 1,515,000 30 6 Csaba Kovacs Hungary 1,385,000 28 7 Bejamin Liu United Kingdom 1,260,000 25 8 Andrew Teng United Kingdom 575,000 12 9 Siddharth Sudunagunta India 440,000 9

According to the live updates that Poker.Pro provided, Sundunagunta doubled early into the final table action when his ace-five prevailed against the queen-jack of Benjamin Liu. Liu never fully recovered and was eliminated soon after the first break, Muhammad Khalil cracking Liu's pocket jacks with his pocket tens. Khalil hit a miracle ten on the river, a miracle because another player folded a ten preflop!

Emmanuel Mulemwa joined Liu on the rail a few hands later. Mulemwa led, then jammed on a jack-high flop with queen-jack, only to discover George Achllea had flopped a set of jacks; Mulemwa was drawing dead on the turn.

Hungary's Csaba Kovacs became the third player to bust during this level when he ran into the hot-running Khalil. Kovacs moved all-in for 985,000 with ace-jack after Khalil had opened to 130,000. Khalil instantly call, as would you had you been dealt pocket kings. A queen-high board was safe for the cowboys, and Kovacs crashed out.

Almost two hours passed before another player busted, with Abdul Mukit's elimination breaking the deadlock. The action folded to Max Burney in the small blind, and he jammed with king-six of hearts. Mukit called off his last eight big blinds with pocket eights, only to see those snowmen melt when Burney hit a runner-runner flush.

Five-handed play ended with Khalil heading to the cashier's desk to collect 7,100. Khalil four-bet all-in for 27 big blinds with pocket nines after Burney had opened and Sudunagunta had three-bet. Burney ducked out of the way, but Sudunagunta snap-called with the powerhouse hand that is pocket aces. Both players flopped a set, but there was no miracle one outer for Khalil, and he was left with three big blinds.

The four surviving players took a scheduled break after that hand. No sooner had they returned to the action, Khalil found himself void of chips. His nano-stack went into the middle with king-nine, which lost to the nine-seven of Sudunagunta courtesy of a seven on the flop.

Give Your Bankroll a Boost with the PokerNews-Exclusive PartyPoker Freerolls in February Learn More

Khalil's seat hadn't had a chance to go cold when Achillea also busted. Sudunagunta raised all-in from the small blind with queen-seven of clubs, and Achillea called off his seven big blind stack with ace-king of hearts. A seven on the flop proved enough to send Achillea home in fourth place.

Soon after Achillea's demise, the dangerous Andrew Teng fell in third for 10,630. Teng, a GUKPT champion, open-shoved for a shade over seven big blinds from the small blind with what turned out to be king-eight. Burney looked down at ace-ten of clubs, and the chip leader made one of the easier calls of his career. Teng picked up a flush draw on the all-diamond flop but couldn't hit any of his outs on the turn or river, and had to make do with a third-place finish. Having started the final table eighth in chips, navigating to third was an impressive result for Teng.

Burney held a substantial 10,000,000 to 3,200,000 chip lead over Sudunagunta at the start of heads-up play. Sudunagunta almost immediately closed the gap, which may be why both players agreed to a deal that saw Burney lock up 17,120, Sudunagunta 16,390, leaving 3,700 more for the eventual champion.

That champion was decided during the 100,000/200,000 level when Burney opened to 325,000, and Sudunagunta called. A jack-deuce-jack flop saw Sudunagunta check-raise a 200,000 continuation bet to 700,000, and Burney call. Sudunagunta then fired a 1,500,000 on the four of hearts turn, only for Burney to move all-in for 5,400,000 after some deliberation. Sudunagunta instantly called and revealed pocket deuces for bottom set. Burney flipped over ace-six with the ace of hearts. The river was a black nine, busting Burney in second place and leaving Sudunagunta to revel in the glory of victory.

2026 PartyPoker Tour Sheffield Main Event Final Table Results

Rank Player Country Prize 1 Siddharth Sudunagunta India 20,000* 2 Max Burney United Kingdom 17,120* 3 Andrew Teng United Kingdom 10,630 4 George Achillea United Kingdom 8,670 5 Muhammed Khalil United Kingdom 7,100 6 Abdul Mukit United Kingdom 5,750 7 Csaba Kovacs Hungary 4,660 8 Emmanuel Mulemwa United Kingdom 3,760 9 Benjamin Liu United Kingdom 3,045

Reflects a heads-up deal

PartyPoker Tour Jets Off to Seville in March

There is no PartyPoker Tour festival in February, but the fledgling tour returns from March 16 in sunny Seville. It marks the first time the tour has left the United Kingdom since its revamp and rebrand in 2025.

Satellite for the PartyPoker Tour Seville Main Event are available online at PartyPoker right now. They start from only 0.30, eventually feeding into the 50 PartyPoker Tour Seville Round 5 satellites, where three 1,500 packages are guaranteed. Those packages consist of the 500 Main Event buy-in plus 1,000 towards travel and accommodation expenses.

Lead image courtesy of Nunzia Esposito

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Alex Kulev has claimed the title in the $10,000 No-Limit Holdem Opener at the 2026 Onyx High Roller Series inside the Merit Royal Diamond Casino & Spa, after an ICM deal with Damir Gabdullin before the pair played on for the trophy and an extra $70,000. Kulev ultimately closed it out to secure the win and a first-place prize of $384,150 from the $1,945,800 prize pool.

Im delighted to be here and delighted to have been able to win this tournament, Kulev said afterward, with his parents in attendance at the final table. While not the biggest victory of his career, the win still carried plenty of meaning. Any tournament win is great for me, he added. Its another indication that Im going in the right direction as a poker player. Whenever I play, I play to win, so Im very glad I was able to pull it off today.

Known online as FutureofMe, Kulev has been a fixture in the highest stakes online for over a decade, and this result adds another live title to his resume. Kulev started the final table as the chip leader, and despite going into heads-up with a 3:2 chip disadvantage, he was able to turn it around and make his first-ever Onyx High Roller Series cash, one to remember.

$10,000 No-Limit Holdem Opener Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Alex Kulev Bulgaria $384,150* 2 Damir Gabdullin Russian Federation $315,850* 3 Fahredin Mustafov Bulgaria $200,000 4 Klemens Roiter Austria $150,000 5 Maksim Shornikau Belarus $107,000 6 Alexey Borovkov Russian Federation $80,000 7 Gha Iakobishvili Israel $63,000 8 Ran Azor Israel $53,000 9 Maximilian Wieser Austria $46,800

*Denotes heads-up deal

Final Table Action

From the 207 players who entered across the three opening flights, only 31 returned for Day 2, all already in the money and now with a chance to play for some serious pay jumps. It did not take long to thin the field, with Kirill Shcherbakov, Daniel Rezaei, and Dimitri Steinfeuer all busting during the first level. Gabdullin found a huge early boost to his stack when Roman Stoika shoved directly into his pocket aces.

Roman Stoika

It was a more challenging start for Kulev, who was in a dicey river spot after Raoul Kanme raised Kulev's river bet. Kulev had a straight and eventually made the right call, which surely boosted his confidence. By the time the field was down to the final two tables, Gabdullin and Kulev sat at the top of the counts.

Kulev took over the chip lead for the first time after winning a big flip to eliminate Istvan Birizdo, and a few orbits later he spiked a gutshot to send Thomas Muehloecker to the rail in 13th place. Soon after, he came from behind with ace-jack against Kenars ace-queen to push the tournament onto the final table bubble.

Thomas Muehloecker

Giorgiy Skhulukhiya was the unfortunate final table bubble boy after losing the bulk of his stack holding top pair against the pair and flush draw of Klemens Roiter. Roiter backed into an unlikely straight, and Skhulukhiya was eliminated shortly after when his king-ten failed to improve against Gha Iakobishvilis king-jack.

Once play moved over to the Onyx Club for the final table, it was no surprise to see Kulev sitting at the top the chip counts, with Gabdullin close behind. However, Kulev suffered an early setback after squeezing all in with ace-seven and running straight into Alexey Borovkovs pocket aces.

Alexey Borovkov

It was fellow Bulgarian Fahredin Mustafov who picked up the first two eliminations at the final table, sending Maximilian Wieser and Ran Azor to the rail in quick succession. The Day 2 chip leader, Iakobishvili, struggled at the final table and eventually became another victim of Kulev after getting it all in with a weak ace against Kulevs pocket fives.

Kulev continued to stay aggressive, winning all-ins while also navigating several difficult postflop spots. He forced Maksim Shornikau to fold the river when a straight was on board, after jamming. This loss left Shornikau very short-stacked, and he was unable to recover, eventually exiting in fifth place, with Kulev scooping up the remaining chips.

Klemens Roiter

With Roiter, Gabdullin, and Mustafov happy to let Kulev dictate the action as the pay jumps increased, the dynamic shifted once four-handed play began and all remaining players had locked up more than six figures. Roiter and Gabdullin then tangled in a massive pot, with both players making straights on the river. Gabdullin held the nuts, and Roiter paid off a bet for over three-quarters of his stack.

Although Roiter managed a brief recovery, Gabdullin claimed the rest of his chips shortly after when he called off with jack-high on an ace-high flop after saying ahh gamble. Roiter held bottom pair, but a jack on the turn sealed his fate, eliminating him just shy of the podium. Gabdullin then knocked out Mustafov after hitting a backdoor straight, setting up the heads-up match.

Fahredin Mustafov

Cool, Calm & Collected Kulev

Gabdullin started heads-up with a 3:2 chip lead, but that quickly disappeared in one of the first hands. In a three-bet pot, Gabdullin double-barreled a gutshot straight draw in position, while Kulev held on with just a pair of fives. Gabdullin gave up on the river and, after seeing Kulevs cards, likely wished he had pulled the trigger.

Despite that knock, Gabdullin recovered well and slowly worked his way back to even. He first picked off a few bluffs from Kulev before winning a string of pots with aggression and thin value bets. Gabdullin also took down a couple of three-bet pots where he continuation-bet and forced Kulev to fold. Shortly after, the pair struck an ICM deal that saw them lock up nearly identical payouts, with $70,000 and the trophy still left to play for.

Damir Gabdullin

Momentum then swung firmly in Gabdullins direction, and he began to take control. By the start of the final level, he held more than a 2:1 chip lead. That quickly changed in a significant hand in which Kulev showed why he has enjoyed so much success at the highest levels. Gabdullin bet nearly the pot on the turn and Kulev called with bottom pair. When a deuce completed the board, Gabdullin jammed for Kulevs remaining chips. After several minutes in the tank, Kulev made the call with just a pair of fours, picking off Gabdullins airball bluff.

Gabdullin was unable to recover, and it took only a few more hands before the tournament reached the last shuffle. Kulev limp-called on the button before Gabdullin check-jammed a nine-high flop with second pair. Kulev snapped with top two, leaving Gabdullin drawing dead after a blank turn. Gabdullin exited as the runner-up, locking up a career-high cash, while Kulev was crowned champion of the $10,000 No-Limit Holdem Opener.

Alex Kulev

Stay with PokerNews for continued coverage and updates from the 2026 Onyx High Roller Series as the action continues in Northern Cyprus.
Tony Bartelme, senior projects reporter for The Post and Courier, has earned national honors from the Nieman, Scripps, Loeb and National Press foundations, including Columbia University's John Chancellor Award for cumulative achievements in journalism. He has written five books and is a four-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Reach Tony at tbartelme@postandcourier.com 843-425-8254
While most birds gather in flocks, a group of hummingbirds is referred to by a much more poetic term: a bouquet. Some sources also use the word "charm."

Both names reflect the visual appeal of these little birds as they shimmer and flit about, especially when several are spotted feeding together.

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But unlike larger birds, hummingbirds rarely form tightly coordinated groups. They're fiercely territorial, especially around food sources like nectar feeders or blooming flowers. So if you see more than one hummingbird in the same space, it's usually a temporary gathering.
Deirdre Weaver-Currin covers Florence and the Pee Dee for The Post and Courier Pee Dee. She previously worked at The Sumter Item.
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 /Apex Critical Metals Corp. (CSE:APXC)(OTCQX:APXCF)(FWB:KL9) ("Apex" or the "Company"), a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the identification and development of critical and strategic metals, is pleased to announce that it has granted (the "Grant") an aggregate of 200,000 incentive stock options (each, an "Option") to purchase up to 200,000 common shares of the Company (each, a "Share") to a consultant under its Equity Incentive Plan. The Options are exercisable for a period of two years from the date of Grant, expiring on January 30, 2028, at a price of $2.75 per Share. All Options and the Shares underlying such Options are subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance.About Apex Critical Metals Corp. (CSE:APXC)(OTCQX:APXCF)(FWB:KL9)Apex Critical Metals Corp. is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing rare earth element (REE) and niobium projects that support the growing demand for critical and strategic metals across the United States and Canada. The Company's flagship Rift Project, located within the highly prospective Elk Creek Carbonatite Complex in Nebraska, U.S.A., hosts extensive rare earth rights surrounding one of North America's most advanced niobium-REE deposits. Historical drilling across the complex has reported broad intervals of high-grade REE mineralization, including intercepts such as 155.5 m of 2.70% REO and 68.2 m of 3.32% REO.In Canada, Apex continues to advance its 100%-owned Cap Project, located 85 kilometres northeast of Prince George, British Columbia. The 2025 drill program confirmed a significant niobium discovery with 0.59% NbO over 36 metres, including 1.08% NbO over 10 metres, within a 1.8-kilometre-long niobium trend. The Cap Project continues to demonstrate strong potential for niobium mineralization within a large and previously unrecognized carbonatite system.With a growing portfolio of critical mineral projects in both Canada and the United States, Apex Critical Metals is strategically positioned to help strengthen domestic supply chains for the minerals essential to advanced technologies, clean energy, and national security. Apex is publicly listed in Canada on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol APXC and quoted on the OTCQX market in the United States under the symbol APXCF, and in Germany on the Borse Frankfurt under the symbol KL9 and/or WKN: A40CCQ. Find out more at www.apexcriticalmetals.com and watch our videos at https://apexcriticalmetals.com/apex-critical-metals-corporate-video/ and make sure to stay in touch by signing up for free news alerts at https://apexcriticalmetals.com/news/news-alerts/ , or by following us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook or LinkedIn.On Behalf of the Board of DirectorsAPEX CRITICAL METALS CORP.,Sean CharlandChief Executive OfficerTel: 604.681.1568Email: info@ apexcriticalmetals.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.CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements with respect to the future vesting dates respecting the Options. Forward-looking statements are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including risks related to factors beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the receipt of regulatory approval for the change of name and trading symbol. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.SOURCE: Apex Critical Metals Corp.
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KELOWNA, BC / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 / Career City College has been recognized with the 2025 Consumer Choice Award in the category of School - Career & Business for the Kelowna region. This distinction highlights the college's commitment to delivering accessible, high-quality education that equips learners across Canada with the skills and confidence to succeed in their chosen careers.Founded on the belief that education should fit into students' lives, not the other way around, Career City College is a fully online, accredited institution offering flexible diploma and certificate programs in areas such as accounting, bookkeeping, digital marketing, hospitality, human resources, and medical office administration. Designed to reflect the evolving needs of today's workforce, each program provides practical, hands-on training and one-on-one instructor support to ensure students are job-ready upon graduation.Flexible Learning for Real-World SuccessAt the heart of Career City College's approach is a dedication to student-centred learning. With monthly start dates, learners can begin their studies when it suits them best, removing barriers that often prevent individuals from advancing their education. Every student benefits from personalized mentorship, connecting directly with instructors who bring real-world experience and industry insight to every lesson.This combination of flexibility and individual support has made Career City College a trusted choice for working professionals, newcomers, and students balancing education with personal or family commitments. Whether pursuing a career change or professional advancement, students find programs tailored to real-world outcomes, helping them build the skills employers value most.Empowering Students Across CanadaThough headquartered in Kelowna, Career City College serves learners nationwide through its interactive online platform. The college's mission extends beyond academics, focusing on empowering individuals to achieve personal and professional growth through meaningful education. Each course is structured to blend theoretical knowledge with practical applications, ensuring graduates can immediately apply what they learn in the workplace."Our mission has always been to help students reach their career goals by providing flexible, practical, and industry-relevant education," says Jag Basran, Chief Executive Officer at Career City College. "Receiving the Consumer Choice Award is a tremendous honour that reinforces our commitment to creating accessible learning opportunities for students across Canada. It is also a reflection of our incredible team and the success stories of our graduates, who inspire us every day." A Trusted Name in Career EducationAccredited by respected educational authorities, Career City College upholds rigorous standards of academic quality and professional ethics. The college's success is measured not just by enrolment numbers but by the achievements of its graduates, many of whom have gone on to build rewarding careers in business, healthcare, and technology sectors.The recognition from Consumer Choice Award underscores Career City College's growing reputation as one of Canada's leading online institutions for career and business education. By combining accessibility, innovation, and individualized support, the college continues to set a new standard for distance learning in Canada.For more information about programs and enrolment, visit www.careercitycollege.ca or CLICK HEREAbout Career City College Career City College is a fully online, accredited post-secondary institution based in Kelowna, British Columbia. The college offers diploma and certificate programs in career-focused fields including accounting, digital marketing, hospitality, human resources, and medical office administration. With flexible monthly intakes and personalized one-on-one instructor support, Career City College is committed to helping students gain the practical skills and confidence needed to succeed in today's evolving job market.About Consumer Choice Award Since 1987, Consumer Choice Award has been recognizing and promoting business excellence across North America. Through a rigorous selection process, only the most outstanding businesses in each category earn this prestigious recognition. Learn more at www.ccaward.com Contact Information: Sumi SalehCommunications Manager ssaleh@ ccaward.com SOURCE: Consumer Choice Award
Another foreign fishing boat allegedly operating in Australian waters has been intercepted and destroyed. The boat, carrying fishing gear and shark fins, was spotted by a scenic helicopter crew as they flew over Gove in the Northern Territory last week.

Sharing footage of the boat close to shore, the tour operator described the scene as "unbelievable".

It comes amid a crackdown on vessels breaching borders to fish in Australian waters.

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Australian Border Force confirmed the vessel was intercepted and destroyed after it was spotted on Thursday, January 29.

Officers boarded the Indonesian vessel after reports of suspicious activity. Evidence of illegal fishing was discovered, including 5kg of catch, four shark fins, 400kg of salt used to preserve the catch, and an assortment of fishing equipment.

A spokesperson said the vessel will be "safely destroyed", and the crew were taken to Darwin for investigation by Australian Fisheries Management Authority.

Officials are cracking down on illegal foreign fishing vessels detected in the area.

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Those who spot suspicious maritime activity are urged to report it.

Australia's northern coastline continues to be a target for overseas fishers.

From the window of the small plane, Salome Toby spotted multiple foreign fishing vessels below in Australian waters last week. Source: Salome Toby

Resident spots 'suspicious boats' near Aussie island home

Just last week, a similar scene was spotted by a resident flying home to Boigu Island, Australia's northernmost inhabited island, when Salome Toby spotted something unusual out of the plane's window.

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The sea below was dotted with foreign fishing boats illegally fishing in Australian waters.

"We thought it was island boats, but when I zoomed in, I saw that it was a different sort of boat," Salome told Yahoo News.

"Never in my life have I seen those boats in our waters," Salome said, adding that it made her worry for the safety of her community.

She said more needs to be done, and noted border force vessels only make an appearance "three or four" times a year.

Addressing the undetected foreign vessels on Sunday night, Torres Shire Council said it was "gravely concerned" for the "safety and security" of its residents.

'Record funding' to tackle illegal foreign fishing

Speaking last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, said the government had committed "record funding" to tackle the problem of illegal foreign fishing.

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"We have increased funding and increased resources and increased surveillance as well," the prime minister said.

He cited two operations taking place across northern Australia.

Operation Leedstrum was launched in 2023 to target boats in northern WA, while Operation Lunar was launched in 2024 to tackle the issue in the Northern Territory.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
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TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 /CHAR Technologies Ltd. ("CHAR Tech" or "the Company") (TSXV:YES)(FSE:68K) a leader in sustainable biomass energy solutions, will host a live investor update call on February 18, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST with a live Q&A session following the presentation.Management will provide more details on the significant recent milestones CHAR Tech has achieved, an overview of operational progress, strategic priorities and expected developments as the Company continues advancing its renewable energy and biocarbon, and PFAS destruction, platforms.Investors and interested parties are invited to register via the following Microsoft Teams link:Investor Call Registration LinkThe Company also announces that the Board of Directors has approved the grant of 1,618,042 incentive stock options to employees, consultants, directors and officers of CHAR Tech, which are exercisable into common shares of CHAR Tech at a price of $0.30 per common share and expire on January 30th, 2031. Of the grant, 400,000 options vest immediately, and the remaining 1,218,042 vest with time and performance milestones over the next 48 months. CHAR Tech also announces that its Board of Directors has approved the grant of 1,336,636 Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") to employees, consultants and officers of CHAR Tech that vest after one year from the date of issue. The foregoing grants are subject to the Company's Amended and Restated Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan and approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.About CHAR Technologies Ltd.CHAR Tech (TSXV:YES; FSE:68K) is a Canadian clean-technology company developing first-in-kind high-temperature pyrolysis ("HTP") systems that process unmerchantable wood and organic waste to generate two renewable energy revenue streams, renewable natural gas or green hydrogen, and a solid biocarbon that serves as a carbon-neutral, drop-in replacement for metallurgical coal.CHAR Tech's HTP platform is also advancing a new vertical focused on the permanent destruction of PFAS in wastewater biosolids. Operating at temperatures sufficient to break down long-chain fluorinated compounds, the system enables municipalities and industrial operators to eliminate PFAS while converting biosolids into energy and low-carbon solid products.For further information, please contact:Andrew WhiteChief Executive OfficerCHAR Technologies Ltd.E: andrew.white@chartechnologies.com T: 866 521-3654Galen Cranston Director of Stakeholder Relations CHAR Technologies Ltd.E: gcranston@ chartechnologies.com T: 647-546-5633Website: www.chartechnologies.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the accuracy of this news release.Forward-Looking StatementsStatements contained in this press release contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements") about CHAR and its business and operations. The words "may", "would", "will", "intend", "anticipate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to CHAR Tech, are intended to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the timing for full facility construction, securing project financing, expectations regarding the offtake agreements, future plans, operations and activities, expectations regarding the scale up of production, and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements reflect CHAR Tech's current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to CHAR Tech, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, among others, those risk factors discussed or referred to in CHAR Tech's disclosure documents filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada, including the Management Discussion & Analysis dated January 27th, 2026 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, and available under CHAR Tech's profile on www.sedarplus.ca . Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, CHAR Tech does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and CHAR Tech undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law.SOURCE: CHAR Technologies Ltd.
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CRANBROOK, BRITISH COLUMBIA / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 /Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSXV:EPL)(OTCQB:EGPLF) ("EPL" or "Eagle Plains") is pleased to announce that crews have been mobilized to complete a 1650m, three-hole diamond drilling program at its 100% owned George Lake Project.The first phase of drilling is designed to intersect the sedimentary exhalative (sedex) stratigraphy that hosts the George Lake deposit, in systematic 200 m step outs (both down-dip and along strike) from historical intersections such as 8.0m of 6.96% Zn, 1.42% Pb, and 5.91 g/t Ag within a broader interval of 47.8m of 4.50% Zn, 0.61% Pb, and 3.49 g/t Ag (DDH GL-08-02). Drill targets have been derived through interpretation of results from geophysical and technical work, paired with advanced modelling to prioritize targets.Mineralization at George Lake is characterized by significant but sub-economic critical metal mineralization over a broad strike length of approximately 8.1 kilometers. The source of this mineralization has never been established, and forms the basis for Eagle Plains' continuing exploration work. The program will be conducted by TerraLogic Exploration Inc. of Cranbrook, BC under the direction of Kerry Bates, MSc., P.Geo., Exploration Manager for Eagle Plains. New Age Drilling Solutions has been contracted to complete diamond drilling activities.See George Lake Drill Plan Map hereChuck Downie, P.Geo., President and CEO of Eagle Plains, commented, "We are excited to initiate the first drill program at the George Lake critical metals project in nearly two decades. By integrating modern geophysics and advanced modelling to refine drill targeting, we hope to be able to identify additional mineralization in the immediate deposit area, as well as test the target stratigraphy outside the area of known mineralization"George Lake is one of the projects included in a formal Exploration Agreement between Eagle Plains and the Ya'thi Nene Lands and Resource Office ("YNLR"), representing the Athabasca Denesuine First Nations of Hatchet Lake, Black Lake, and Fond du Lac, the Northern Hamlet of Stony Rapids, and the Northern Settlements of Uranium City, Wollaston Lake and Camsell Portage. YNLR will be providing technical support for the program.The project will also be eligible for the Saskatchewan Targeted Mineral Exploration Incentive (TMEI), which may provide funding of up to $150,000.00 towards drilling-related program costs.About the George Lake ProjectThe fully permitted 6868 ha George Lake project is located 280km north of La Ronge, Saskatchewan. The project has excellent access and is located on a recently completed highway connecting Saskatchewan Highway 905 to the community of Wollaston Lake. Eagle Plains holds a 100% interest in claims comprising the property, subject to a 2% royalty held in favour of Summit Royalties Ltd.See George Lake Project Information and Map hereGeorge Lake Project Highlights4,131m of drilling completed in 22 holes at the deposit, with the best drill holes returning 57.9m grading 2.65% Zn and 0.41% Pb (including 13.5m grading 4.36% Zn and 0.76% Pb) (DDH GL08-01) and 47.8m grading 4.03% Zn and 0.44% Pb (including 8.0m grading 6.96% Zn and 01.42% Pb) (DDH GL08-02) (SMAF 64E05 0033);George Lake Deposit comes to surface and has dimensions of approximately 35m width x 150m depth x 800m length, and is open to depth and along strike;Potential for discovery of extensions of existing mineralization and other discrete mineralization elsewhere on the property;George Lake Geophysics SummaryThe George Lake property was covered by the 2022 eastern Wollaston Domain electromagnetic and magnetic high resolution geophysical survey, flown by the Government of Saskatchewan. The 200m line spaced survey was carried out by Geotech Canada Inc. utilizing Geotech's VTEM Max Time-Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) system. Results from the survey indicate a strong southwest-northeast trending EM conductor that crosses the entire property. The conductor is coincident with the George Lake deposit mineralization and has been only partially drill tested. The survey also located weaker parallel conductor trends north and south of the main conductor, with the northern conductor coincident with the Spence Lake mineralized zone.In 2024, Eagle Plains contracted EarthEx Geophysical Solutions to undertake detailed interpretation of the VTEM survey data to assess the electromagnetic and magnetic response of the George Lake deposit, and identify new exploration targets. EarthEx identified 17 target zones and a magnetic inversion component included as part of the modelling indicates that the contact that hosts the George Lake deposit is near vertical and continuous to depth, providing valuable information for drill targeting.George Lake Exploration TargetThe results from the 2024 geophysical modeling, and the results from historical drilling 1, including the continuous nature of the mineralization, the reported grades of the mineralization, shallow drilling depths and examination of historical drill core indicate the potential to expand the size of the known George Lake Deposit, with a conceptual Exploration Target containing 2MT to 5MT with grades of 3-5% Zn and 0.5-1.5% Pb.1 SMAF 64E05-0031, 64E05-0026, 64E-0018The potential quantity and grade of the George Lake mineralization is conceptual in nature, and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.The property overlies 8 Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index ("SMDI") occurrences including the George Lake Zn Deposit. Zinc and lead mineralized boulders were discovered in the George Lake area in 1965 which led Falconbridge Nickel Mines to acquire a large land position in the area, resulting in a 34-hole diamond drill program in 1969-70 which defined the George Lake deposit. The deposit contains sedimentary-exhalative ("sedex") style mineralization, with a higher-grade core of >5% Zn.Some of the above results were taken directly from the SMDI descriptions and assessment reports (SMAF) filed with the Saskatchewan government. Management cautions that historical results were collected and reported by past operators and have not been verified nor confirmed by a Qualified Person, but form a basis for ongoing work on the subject properties.Qualified PersonTechnical information in this News Release has been reviewed and approved by C.C. Downie, P.Geo., a director and officer of Eagle Plains, hereby identified as the "Qualified Person" under N.I. 43-101.About Eagle Plains ResourcesBased in Cranbrook, B.C., Eagle Plains is a well-f
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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 / ILIA English Academy, a trusted leader in online language education, wins the 2025 Consumer Choice Award in the Language Schools category for the Vancouver region. This recognition reflects ILIA's outstanding reputation for delivering high-quality instruction in English, French, and Spanish to students across Canada and around the world.Founded on over 30 years of professional experience, ILIA English Academy provides flexible, comprehensive language programs taught by certified instructors located in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Costa Rica. Whether preparing for official exams like IELTS or CELPIP, or simply improving fluency in a new language, ILIA equips students with the skills and confidence needed to succeed.Online Language Training Backed by ExpertiseILIA English Academy has become a trusted destination for students seeking academic and career advancement through language mastery. As a CELPIP Official Network Member and an IELTS Information and Registration Centre in Vancouver, the academy offers a full suite of services, including training classes, personalized tutoring, and mock exams."Our mission has always been to make language education accessible, engaging, and effective," says the ILIA English Academy team. "We're honoured by this award, which reinforces the trust students place in us to help them achieve their goals." Global Reach, Local ExcellenceILIA's online model enables it to serve a global audience while remaining deeply connected to the Vancouver community. The academy has supported thousands of students from all walks of life-immigrants preparing for Canadian language benchmarks, professionals expanding their international communication skills, and learners pursuing personal enrichment.With instructors fluent in multiple languages and trained in evidence-based pedagogy, ILIA tailors every class to individual learning styles and goals.Courses for Every NeedILIA offers a wide range of programs, including:IELTS and CELPIP preparation: Tailored exam-focused training with practice tests and feedback.ESL (English as a Second Language): For beginners to advanced speakers.French and Spanish instruction: Conversational and academic programs taught by native speakers.Mock exams and assessments: Realistic practice experiences to boost student readiness.All courses are delivered through user-friendly online platforms, with flexible scheduling options to accommodate busy professionals and international time zones.Award-Winning Commitment to Student SuccessConsumer Choice Award is North America's most trusted mark of business excellence, based on third-party research and brand reputation analysis in each region. For ILIA, this recognition underscores their ongoing efforts to deliver quality education and build lasting relationships with students."We are incredibly proud of this award because it's a reflection of the impact we've had on our learners' lives," says the ILIA team. "It inspires us to keep innovating, improving, and ensuring our students succeed." A Community of Passionate EducatorsILIA's strength lies in its people. From highly trained educators to responsive support staff, the academy is built on a shared commitment to helping students thrive."We're more than a school-we're a community," the team notes. "We believe in fostering a supportive environment where learners feel empowered and valued." To learn more about ILIA English Academy's award-winning programs, or to register for classes and mock exams, visit iliaenglish.ca or explore their Consumer Choice Award profile here.About ILIA English Academy ILIA English Academy is an online language school offering IELTS, CELPIP, ESL, French, and Spanish programs to students around the world. With over 30 years of teaching experience, ILIA provides accessible, high-quality education designed to help students meet personal, academic, and professional goals. The school is a CELPIP Official Network Member and an IELTS Information & Registration Centre based in Vancouver.About Consumer Choice Award Consumer Choice Award has been recognizing business excellence in North America since 1987. Winners are determined through a rigorous research process that gathers feedback from consumers and evaluates brand reputation and customer satisfaction. Visit www.ccaward.com to learn more.Contact Information Sumi SalehCommunications Manager ssaleh@ ccaward.com SOURCE: Consumer Choice Award
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Connected Tolling Platform to be demonstrated at 5GAA meeting in Sacramento in FebruaryCombines 5G Network V2X reach with 5.9GHz C-V2X direct communication precisionDemonstrates secure "communication-agnostic" tolling with integrations from Verizon and ValeoDULUTH, GA / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 /Kapsch TrafficCom, a global industry leader in tolling and traffic solutions, will unveil its unified connected tolling platform via two live demonstrations at the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) meeting in Sacramento on February 5.The event marks the debut of the Kapsch 'communication-agnostic' platform, a market-ready system that is the first to simultaneously process tolling transactions from two distinct data sources - high-speed 5G Network V2X and 5.9GHz direct-communication C-V2X (PC5) hardware - in a live environment.As the industry transitions from hardware-heavy gantry systems to software-defined tolling, Kapsch eliminates the risk of adopting new technology by validating data from any source - whether a legacy sensor or a 5G-connected car - giving agencies the confidence to manage traffic and revenue through a single, future-ready stream without disrupting daily operations."The industry has long recognized that network and direct communication C-V2X each bring unique strengths. Our hub unifies both paths so they can coexist and evolve with changing technology ," said JB Kendrick, President of Kapsch TrafficCom North America. "By acting as the central hub, we're able to offer accessibility and choice for OEMs and agencies with high transaction accuracy regardless of the communication path. We are delivering the bridge between the infrastructure-light needs of today and the embedded payment capabilities of the connected vehicle era ."Dual Technical Tracks, One HubThe Sacramento event features two independent demonstration tracks, each orchestrated by the Kapsch Connected Tolling Platform:Network V2X Tolling : Working with Verizon Business and the Federal Highway Administration Saxton Laboratory, Kapsch will demonstrate infrastructure-light, zero-gantry connected vehicle tolling using a Volkswagen test vehicle equipped with a Saxton Lab in-vehicle application. In this track, the vehicle communicates with the Kapsch back-office via Verizon's 5G Network V2X solution. This eliminates the need for traditional roadside gantries, allowing agencies to manage "virtual toll zones" through software alone. The demonstration also delivers safety-critical messages directly to the vehicle dashboard via virtual RSUs, including real-time alerts for work zones, backup queues, and adverse weather conditions.Direct Communication C-V2X Tolling : In a separate demonstration, Kapsch will showcase the fusion of tolling and safety with Valeo and Microsec. A Valeo Level-4 autonomous vehicle will interact with a physical Kapsch Roadside Unit (RSU) using PC5-based SAE J3217 direct communication to process toll information secured by IEEE 1609.2.1 SCMS credentials provided by Microsec. Using millisecondlatency CV2X messaging, the vehicle anticipates a vulnerable road user (VRU) event through smooth, controlled braking, as a VRU test surrogate enters the roadway from a blind corner.A Decade of InnovationWhile the Sacramento demonstrations represent the leading edge of the industry, they are built on a foundation of Kapsch technology leadership that spans over a decade. Kapsch has been a primary innovator in connected vehicle (CV) technology since 2009, consistently moving the needle from academic research to live infrastructure.This legacy includes the 2020 co-development project with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) and Ford Motor Company, which pioneered gantry-less tolling concepts with the first ever C-V2X direct communication based tolling Proof of Concept, and the current production-level pilot with the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) - the industry's first operational C-V2X tolling system to move into a live environment.Solving the Interoperability ChallengeBy acting as the central platform for both network-based and direct-communication data, Kapsch TrafficCom is solving the industry's biggest hurdle: interoperability. The Connected Tolling Platform allows an agency to manage its entire network as a single source of truth, regardless of whether a vehicle is using a cellular connection or direct C-V2X communication.Both demonstrations feed the same Kapsch Connected Tolling Platform, validating toll transactions from both 5G Network V2X and 5.9 GHz direct C-V2X communication paths.Live demonstrations will be available on Thursday, February 5th, and Kapsch experts will be on site throughout the 5GAA Sacramento meeting to discuss deployment pathways and integration options. Kapsch invites agencies and OEMs to explore how the Connected Tolling Platform can support both networkbased and direct CV2X strategies in upcoming pilots and production programs. For more information or to schedule a briefing with Kapsch leadership, please contact Ashley Boncimino ( ashley.boncimino@kapsch.net) More information: Press | Kapsch TrafficComKapsch TrafficCom is a globally renowned provider of transportation solutions for sustainable mobility with successful projects in more than 50 countries. Innovative solutions in the areas of tolling and traffic management contribute to a healthy world without congestion.With one-stop-shop-solutions, the company covers the entire value chain of customers, from components to design and implementation to the operation of systems.Kapsch TrafficCom, headquartered in Vienna, has subsidiaries and branches in more than 25 countries and is listed in the Prime Market segment of the Vienna Stock Exchange (ticker symbol:KTCG). In its 2024/25 financial year, more than 3,000 employees generated revenues of EUR 530 million.Press contact:Sandra BijelicHead of Corporate Communications Kapsch TrafficComP +43 664 628 1720 sandra.bijelic@kapsch.net Ashley BonciminoRegional Marketing ManagerKapsch TrafficComashley.boncimino@kapsch.net Follow us on LinkedInSOURCE: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
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MORRISVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 / Netsertive, a marketing technology platform provider for multi-location and franchise brands, announced today it was named a winner in three categories of the 2026 Stevie Awards. The company was named a Bronze winner for new AI-Powered Solution and Program Strategist Grace Pittman was named a Silver winner for Customer Service Professional of the Year, recognizing contributions to helping large brand clients solve their most pressing issues in multi-location digital marketing.The Stevie Awards are one of the world's leading business awards competitions, and received over 2,100 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry for consideration in this year's competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of 150 professionals worldwide on eight specialized judging committees.As a marketing technology platform partner for franchise brands and multi-location businesses, Netsertive AI-powered solutions and customer experience team play a critical role in delivering a robust solution for brand customers. Recognition for the AI-powered Solution of the Year reinforces that multi-location marketers need digital partners to be more than just agencies-they need scalable technology that seamlessly integrates with their existing tech stack. Recognition for Achievement in Customer Experience showcases the unmatched depth of expertise Netsertive brings to enable multi-location marketers to better integrate and simplify their MarTech stack for more effective digital execution at scale."Being recognized for our AI-powered technology and customer experience is a powerful validation of our mission to transform disconnected marketing into localized growth. For multi-location marketers, this matters because it proves that scaling hyper-local marketing doesn't mean choosing between advanced automation and human expertise; our platform ensures they have both. These awards underscore our commitment to providing the tech-enabled infrastructure and award-winning support that multi-location brands need to act as one and win in local markets." says Brendan Morrissey, Co-Founder and CEO of Netsertive."Grace's rapid transition from a new team member to Stevie Award winner is a testament to her seasoned expertise and proactive dedication to solving the most complex challenges for our multi-location brand partners. Her ability to drive the digital strategy for some of our largest customers while elevating everyone around her makes her an invaluable asset to both our team and our customers' continued success." says Meaghann Nilsen, VP of Customer Experience for Netsertive.Details about the Stevie Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com To learn more about how Netsertive's AI-driven marketing solution can help your multi-location business acquire more local customers online, please visit www.netsertive.com Contact InformationErin MartinVP of Marketing emartin@ netsertive.com SOURCE: Netsertive
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NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / February 1, 2026 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Bath & Body Works, Inc. ("Bath & Body Works" or the "Company") (NYSE:BBWI). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton atnewaction@ pomlaw.comor 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 Bath & Body Works and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.You have until March 16, 2026, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you purchased or otherwise acquired Bath & Body Works 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 August 28, 2025, Bath & Body Works reported its second quarter 2025 financial results. Among other items, the Company reported earnings per diluted share of $0.30, representing a decline of 55.8% year over year and missing the Company's prior guidance on the low end by $0.03. Bath & Body Works also reported net income of $64 million, a decline of 57.9% year over year. The Company also announced that it was cutting its full year guidance for earnings per diluted share by $0.03 at the midpoint, to a range of $3.28 to $3.53.On this news, Bath & Body Works' stock price fell $2.18 per share, or 6.9%, to close at $29.36 per share on August 28, 2025.Then, on November 20, 2025, Bath & Body Works reported third quarter 2025 financial results. The Company reported a 1% year over year decline in revenue, missing its guidance of 1-3% growth for the quarter. Bath & Body Work's net income also declined, falling 26% to $77 million. Finally, the Company announced that it was slashing full year guidance for net sales from a previously positive 1.5%-2.7% to negative "high single digits." Bath & Body Works also cut expected earnings per diluted share from a range of $3.28 to $3.53 to "at least $2.83." In an investor presentation published the same day, the Company announced a new business strategy and admitted that its strategy of "adjacencies, collaborations and promotions" had "not grown our total customer base." On this news, Bath & Body Works' stock price fell $5.22 per share, or 24.8%, to close at $15.82 per share on November 20, 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. Seewww.pomlaw.com Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
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NASHVILLE, TN / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 / Augmented reality (AR) is poised to enter mainstream use in 2026, and marketing strategistJohn Gordon Nutleyis highlighting how this technology is set to transform the advertising industry. With Snapchat already launching its AR Specs and Meta expected to follow, brands have an unprecedented opportunity to connect with consumers through immersive, location-based experiences that combine digital content with the physical world.Nutley, a native of Tennessee now based in Jersey City, NJ, views the rise of AR glasses as a turning point for marketing. "Consumer attention is no longer confined to phones or computer screens," he said. "AR allows brands to engage with people directly in their surroundings. This opens the door to experiences that are interactive, memorable, and highly personalized." AR glasses are expected to become daily tools for millions of users. Snapchat's AR Specs overlay digital images and information on the wearer's environment, offering real-time engagement opportunities. Meta's forthcoming AR devices are anticipated to integrate social networking, gaming, and commerce in ways that deepen user interaction with brands. Marketers will be able to trigger content based on location, deliver product information instantly through image recognition, and respond to consumer behavior in real time.Nutley emphasizes that success in AR marketing requires more than flashy technology. Brands must focus on authenticity, relevance, and measurable impact. "Growing up in Tennessee taught me that trust comes from action, not words," he explained. "Consumers will quickly see through gimmicks. AR campaigns need to create real value while remaining consistent with the brand's story." With over fifteen years of experience guiding companies across multiple industries, Nutley has helped both startups and established brands sharpen their messaging and identify opportunities in highly competitive or low-margin markets. He believes that AR is not simply a novelty; it is a tool for amplifying a brand's story, making interactions more meaningful, and building long-term loyalty. "The brands that succeed with AR will be those that integrate technology seamlessly into everyday life while enhancing the customer experience," he said.The applications for AR extend far beyond traditional advertising. Retailers can improve in-store navigation, highlight promotions, and provide interactive product demonstrations. Restaurants can offer AR menus that display ingredients, preparation methods, or nutritional information. Tourism operators can create immersive digital guides that bring local landmarks to life. Even small businesses in New Jersey can use AR to differentiate themselves in competitive markets, connecting with customers in ways that were previously impossible.John Gordon Nutleyalso notes the potential for location-based marketing and image recognition. With these tools, brands can deliver relevant information, offers, or experiences at the precise moment a consumer encounters a product or environment. This approach allows marketers to create a deeper connection with their audience, turning ordinary interactions into memorable experiences. For example, a passerby could view a restaurant's AR menu or receive product details about a new clothing line just by looking at it through AR glasses.Measuring the impact of AR initiatives is equally important. Nutley cautions against implementing AR solely for novelty. Campaigns must be grounded in strategy, informed by data, and focused on outcomes. "The most effective AR experiences are those that enhance daily life, provide genuine utility, and reinforce trust in the brand," he said. "Without a clear strategy, AR can quickly become a distraction rather than an advantage." Nutley believes that the rise of AR will also push brands to rethink how they define engagement. Traditional advertising often interrupts consumers' routines, but AR has the potential to create interactions that feel natural and intuitive. By blending digital overlays with real-world environments, marketers can create campaigns that educate, entertain, and inform simultaneously. In the process, brands can gain deeper insights into consumer preferences, behavior, and decision-making patterns.As AR glasses enter the mainstream in 2026, John Gordon Nutley predicts a fundamental shift in how people interact with brands and the world around them. "We are not simply adding a digital layer to reality," he said. "We are creating experiences that reshape how people perceive brands, communities, and even themselves. For marketers, this is an opportunity to innovate responsibly while delivering real value to consumers." About John Gordon Nutley John Gordon Nutley is a marketing strategist based in Jersey City, New Jersey , with more than fifteen years of experience helping brands navigate competitive markets and refine their messaging. A native of Tennessee, Nutley combines strategic foresight with human-centered thinking to uncover opportunities that drive stronger positioning and long-term growth. He holds an MBA in Strategic Marketing and is recognized for championing authenticity, clarity, and measurable business impact.CONTACT:John Gordon NutleyEmail: gordon@ johngordonnj.com SOURCE: John Gordon Nutley
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Sustainable 35,000 tpd Operation in Chile Integrates 100% Renewable Energy and Raw Seawater ProcessingTORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 / Tintina Mines Limited ("Tintina" or the "Company") (TSXV:TTS) is pleased to announce the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for its 74%-owned Domeyko Sulfuros Copper-Gold Project ("Domeyko Sulfuros" or the "Project") located in the Atacama Region, Chile. The PEA, prepared by SRK Consulting (Chile) SpA, demonstrates robust economics for a long-life, medium-scale porphyry development with significant district-scale expansion upside.PEA Financial and Operational Highlights (Base Case: US$ 4.30/lb. Cu, USD$ 2,500/oz Au)Net Present Value (NPV): Pre-tax NPV (8%) of US$ 560 million, After-tax NPV (8%) of US$ 328 million.Life of Mine (LOM):26-year operation producing 945 kt (2.1 billion lbs.) of recovered copper and 1.5 million ounces of gold. Base case assumes a mining rate of 164 ktpd and a processing rate of 35 ktpd with metallurgical recoveries of approximately 88.2% for copper and 64.6% for gold.Capital Requirements: Initial capital of US$ 1,283 million (including 35% contingency on plant and infrastructure), deferred/sustaining capital of US$ 905 million.ESG Integration: 100% renewable energy power strategy with BESS support, raw seawater processing via a dedicated 63 km pipeline ensuring zero consumption of continental water.President's StatementMr. Juan Enrique Rassmuss, Tintina's President and Chairman, comments:"The PEA provides a strong technical and economic foundation to advance Domeyko Sulfuros to the next stage of development, and we believe the Project offers meaningful opportunities for further optimization and value enhancement as additional technical work is completed.Furthermore, the resource at Dos Amigos is merely the anchor for a broader district that includes the high-priority Tricolor and Maria Soledad targets, providing a clear path for resource growth and project re-rating." Detailed Mineral Resource Statement (Effective January 23, 2026)The resource model is based on 21,800 meters of drilling and follows CIM Best Practice GuidelinesNote: 0.2% TCu cut-off for primary sulfides. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.Domeyko Sulfuros Investment ProfileWith a pre-tax NPV of US$ 560 million and a 26-year mine life, Domeyko Sulfuros offers long-duration exposure to the copper-gold cycle from a large-scale sulfide system in northern Chile. The use of 100% renewable power and raw seawater processing directly addresses the key environmental constraints of mining in the Atacama Desert, supporting a resilient and sustainable development strategy.While the PEA establishes a robust economic baseline, the principal value driver is district-scale exploration upside. The 357 Mt Dos Amigos resource represents the initial anchor of a broader porphyry system that remains open in multiple directions, with high-priority targets at Tricolor and Maria Soledad.Domeyko Sulfuros combines excellent infrastructure access, a well-stablished social license, and significant geological growth potential. The Project is located adjacent to Route 5, within 53 km of Vallenar, 63 km of the coast, and 104 km of the Port of Las Losas (Huasco), Domeyko Sulfuros is well positioned for efficient development. Existing 110 kV and 220 kV transmission lines support a renewable power solution, supplemented by battery energy storage systems (BESS).As the Project advances toward Pre-Feasibility, key value drivers include the conversion of Inferred resources, optimization of gold recovery, and the continued advancement of priority exploration targets across the Domeyko district within an established permitting framework. The Project benefits from a long-standing and constructive relationship with local communities, developed through operations at the nearby Dos Amigos Mine since 1996, and holds the necessary permits to support ongoing brownfield exploration.For further information regarding the Project and the mineral resource estimates referenced herein, refer to the technical report available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website www.tintinaminaes.com Technical Disclosure and Qualified PersonsThe Preliminary Economic Assessment is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves.The scientific and technical information and the mineral resources estimate results described in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Joled Nur Paredes (CCCRRM, No. 181) Principal Mining Engineer, and Sophia Bascunan Moraga (CCCRRM, No. 518) Senior Geologist, both of SRK Consulting Chile SpA. They are independent of Tintina Mines and are "qualified persons" for the purposes of NI 43-101.The independent Qualified Persons for the PEA, as defined by NI 43-101, areJoled Nur Paredes, CCCRRM Chile (QP No. 181).Sophia Bascunan Moraga, CCCRRM Chile (QP No. 518).Esteban Hormazabal Zuniga, CCCRRM Chile (QP No. 209) and FAusIMM (N 304419).Patricio Martinez Fernandez, CCCRRM Chile (QP No. 395).Luis Bernal Venegas, CCCRRM Chile (QP No. 0415).QP verification included a site visit to the project to inspect site geology, mineralized core, logging, density measurement and sampling procedures, and a review of the control sample results used to assess laboratory assay quality. In addition, the digitalization procedures of the exploration database and the validation process of historical drilling database results have been compared against original paper and digital records.About SRK Consulting SpAEstablished in 1994, SRK Consulting Chile SpA is a distinguished consulting firm renowned for its expertise in the mining sector. As the oldest SRK office in South America, it offers a comprehensive suite of services ranging from geotechnical and environmental assessments to mine closure planning, contributing to the success of many companies in Chile.About Tintina Mines LimitedTintina Mines is a Canadian-based company with over two decades of experience in the junior mining sector, focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of base and precious metal properties in South America and Canada.Recently, Tintina expanded its portfolio with the addition of five new projects in Chile, following the acquisition of a majority stake in Andean Belt Resources. Tintina is committed to advancing the exploration and development of the
Hyundais experiment with a compact lifestyle pickup appears to be nearing its end sooner than originally planned. The Hyundai Santa Cruz, designed to meet demand for smaller, more urban-friendly trucks, is expected to exit production as sales continue to fall short of expectations. While the model gave Hyundai its first serious foothold in the highly competitive U.S. pickup segment, the company is now shifting its attention toward larger, more traditional, and commercially safer truck designs.

According to reporting from Automotive News, Hyundai is expected to end Santa Cruz production earlier than its previously planned second quarter 2027 end date.

Official Messaging Versus Internal Reality

Photo Courtesy: Autorepublika.

Publicly, Hyundai maintains that the models life cycle plans have not changed. However, sources familiar with internal discussions indicate that timelines are being accelerated due to weak demand and rising inventory levels. The Santa Cruz debuted for the 2022 model year alongside the Ford Maverick, with a clear mission. It was intended to attract buyers who wanted the utility of an open cargo bed without the size, cost, or perceived bulk of a traditional midsize pickup.

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Early interest appeared encouraging, but the gap between intent and long-term market acceptance quickly became apparent.

Sales Performance Shows A Stark Divide

The contrast between Santa Cruz and its closest rival could hardly be clearer. During 2025, Hyundai sold 25,499 Santa Cruz pickups in the United States. Over the same period, the Ford Maverick reached 155,051 buyers, more than six times as many.

This disparity stands out even more when viewed against Hyundais broader performance. The automaker recorded its fifth consecutive year of record annual retail sales and its third straight year of record total sales, underscoring that the Santa Cruzs struggles are isolated rather than part of a wider brand slowdown.

Hyundai Frames Santa Cruz As A Learning Experience

Photo Courtesy: Autorepublika.

In a statement to Motor1, Hyundai declined to directly confirm reports of an early discontinuation. The company reiterated that product decisions are based on multiple factors, including market demand and broader industry trends, and said it does not comment on speculation regarding future products.

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At the same time, Hyundai characterized the Santa Cruz as a valuable internal exercise. The model provided hands-on experience in the pickup space, helping the brand better understand customer expectations, packaging challenges, and competitive realities in a segment long dominated by established players.

A Tough Segment Dominated By Tradition

The Santa Cruz faced a difficult environment from the outset. The U.S. pickup market places heavy emphasis on image, heritage, and brand loyalty, factors that are hard for newcomers to overcome. While Hyundai positioned the Santa Cruz as a crossover-based alternative with carlike driving manners and everyday usability, many buyers still gravitated toward more traditional offerings.

Competition is also intensifying as established pickup makers continue updating their lineups and expanding electrified options. Against that backdrop, a compact unibody pickup like the Santa Cruz had limited room to grow.

Hyundais Pickup Strategy Is Shifting Upmarket

Photo Courtesy: Autorepublika.

Despite the Santa Cruzs apparent early exit, Hyundai is not abandoning the pickup segment. The company has already confirmed development of a larger truck aimed squarely at established midsize players like the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger, with a launch expected before 2030.

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That future pickup will move away from the Santa Cruzs unibody construction in favor of a body-on-frame layout. Hyundai has said an SUV variant on the same architecture is under consideration, potentially positioning it against body-on-frame SUVs such as the Toyota 4Runner, signaling a more conventional and globally scalable approach.

Santa Cruz As A Transitional Chapter

Viewed in a broader context, the Santa Cruz increasingly looks like a transitional model. While it may not be remembered as a sales success, it played a meaningful role in preparing Hyundai for a more ambitious push into the pickup market.

If current plans move forward, the Santa Cruzs early departure may clear the way for two more market-relevant vehicles that better align with American buyer expectations. In that sense, the Santa Cruz may ultimately be remembered less for its sales numbers and more for what it enabled Hyundai to build next.

This article originally appeared on Autorepublika.com and has been republished with permission by Guessing Headlights. AI-assisted translation was used, followed by human editing and review.
California has just flipped the switch on a major traffic enforcement change and drivers are scratching their heads about what it really means for their wallets and their rights.

As automated red-light cameras spread across cities from San Diego to San Francisco, more motorists are finding tickets in the mail and wondering if the instinctive thing to do (pay them) is the smartest play anymore. In some corners of the legal world, the advice is downright provocative: dont pay. Not yet anyway.

The system sounds straightforward on paper. Running a red light is a well-established danger on American roads. Recent data from the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) shows more than a thousand people are killed each year in crashes involving red-light runners.

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Automated systems have helped reduce fatal crashes by roughly 21 percent in major cities where they are deployed. Thats a clear safety upside politicians can point to.

The Safety Upside vs. The Revenue Reality

Image Credit: CBS News/YouTube.

But the political reality is less about saving lives and more about revenue and legal mechanics. We recently reported that, over in DC, just one automated speed camera raked in nearly $10 million in 2025. Under California Senate Bill 720, the so-called Safer Streets Act that took effect in January 2026, cities can choose to classify red-light camera violations as civil, not criminal, violations.

For first-time offenders, the fine is typically capped at around $100 with no point on the drivers record. Repeat offenses within a three-year window can balloon to about $500.

That sounds reasonable compared with traditional moving violations that ding your record and jack up insurance. But heres where things get messy. The tickets arent issued by a uniformed officer.

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Instead, cameras and sensors capture a license plate photo after the light turns red, a private company reviews the footage and then the citation gets mailed to the vehicle owner. Its an automated sequence with no human field witness, no sworn law enforcement testimony and, in many cases, a blurry flash in the fog of rush-hour traffic.

Now, some say this MO weakens the tickets legal backbone.

The "Fight, Don't Pay" Loophole

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Jay Beeber of the National Motorists Association says the courts can technically only refer unpaid fines to collection agencies, which lack real enforcement muscle. They cannot report the debt to credit bureaus and typically have no power to garnish wages. By that logic, a ticket could linger in a limbo where its practical consequences are murky at best.

That ambiguity has spawned a niche economy of ticket-fighting services charging between roughly $129 and $179 to contest citations in court. Their founders boast thousands of successful challenges, arguing that calibration issues, misreads and fraction-of-a-second violations make many tickets questionable at best.

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Indeed, several California-based ticket-fighting services have sprang up and built businesses around exploiting the ambiguities of red-light camera enforcement. The most prominent include TicketBust, GetDismissed, and ClerkHero Traffic Defense. Both charge in the $129$179 range and specializes in contesting citations by highlighting calibration errors, blurry images, or fraction-of-a-second violations.

TicketBust built its reputation around offering a flat-fee service of about $150. What they provide is a Trial by Written Declaration (TR-205), which allows drivers to contest traffic tickets without ever stepping foot in court.

Image Credit:Shutterstock.

Their strategy hinges on the argument that many red-light camera tickets are fundamentally flawed because they lack sworn officer testimony and instead rely on private contractors, which weakens their admissibility in court.

Over the years, TicketBust has publicized thousands of dismissals, particularly in Los Angeles and Orange County. One example they highlight involves drivers cited for entering an intersection just 0.2 seconds after the light turned red.

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In those cases, the tickets were dismissed because the timing data didnt align with Californias calibration standards, ultimately exposing the fragility of the evidence.

GetDismisseds follows a slightly different approach by offering both DIY kits and attorney-backed services to help motorists fight citations. They capitalize on technical flaws in the evidencethings like incorrect license plate reads, poor photo quality, or missing documentation that proves the chain of custody for the footage.

Theyve had success in San Diego, where one case involved a driver whose license plate was partially obscured by glare in the photo. The court ruled that the evidence was insufficient, and the fine was dismissed.

Image Credit: Mbrickn - Own work, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia.

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They also report frequent wins in rolling right turn cases, where drivers slowed down but didnt come to a complete stop before turning right on red. In many of those instances, judges agreed that the violation was too minor or the evidence too ambiguous to justify a fine.

ClerkHero Traffic Defense is a newer entrant to the market. Entering the space in 2025, they charge about $179 for full-service representation, with a strong emphasis on written declarations and appeals. Their legal argument leans heavily on Californias Senate Bill 720; the Safer Streets Act that took effect in 2026.

Under this law, red-light camera tickets are classified as civil violations rather than criminal ones. ClerkHero points out that civil fines dont carry the same enforcement power. With no credit reporting or wage garnishment, theyre easier to contest.

Theyve documented wins in San Francisco, where judges dismissed tickets because the citys private vendor failed to submit proper calibration logs. They also highlight cases involving fraction-of-a-second violations, which were thrown out after courts acknowledged that the margin of error in the camera sensors was greater than the alleged violation time.

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These services capitalize on the technical and procedural weaknesses of automated traffic enforcement to turn what looks like an open-and-shut ticket into a contestable case.

To Pay or Not to Pay?

Still, legal analysts are split on the matter. While some traffic law experts note that a ticket must meet strict technical requirements to be valid (if the evidence falls short, the citation may be vulnerable in court), other voices caution drivers not to assume they can simply ignore a ticket.

According to multiple traffic defense resources, letting a citation go unaddressed can lead to late fees and potentially a hold on vehicle registration renewal. Some municipalities outside Los Angeles County can even escalate unpaid tickets through the State Franchise Tax Board.

This contradiction creates a high-stakes guessing game for drivers with more questions than answers. Are the systems genuinely reducing dangerous driving or just snagging motorists on technicalities? Is civil classification a public safety tool or a cash cow? And crucially, what should a driver do when that envelope arrives at the mailbox?

One clear takeaway is that blindly paying every ticket may not be the rational move it once was.
AMSTERDAM, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HYXI held its Europe 2026 New Product Launch & Partners Conference in the Netherlands, bringing together nearly 200 partners from across Europe. Hosted in one of the world's most active energy transition markets, the event marked the announcement of HYXI's brand evolution, the launch of two flagship products, and the unveiling of the Installers Award 2025 winners.

From HYXiPOWER to HYXI: Global Competitiveness Behind the Brand Evolution

HYXI Europe 2026 New Product Launch & Partners Conference

At the start of 2026, with the commissioning of a new manufacturing center and the rollout of its 500,000th inverter, HYXI reached a key milestone in its global development. Leo Liu, President of HYXI, announced the company's brand evolution, introducing the new global brand name HYXI (pronounced "High-See") and upgrading the brand proposition to "Smarter Energy for All."

"It reflects a systematic evolution across R&D, manufacturing, quality, and global service capabilities, marking HYXI's transition into a new phase of global development," said Leo Liu.

David Shen, General Manager of HYXI Overseas Business Center, noted that the brand evolution delivers "a more competitive and consistent brand experience, along with a longer-term, partnership-driven perspective."

Over the past year, HYXI has strengthened its presence in Europe, forming partnerships with over 50 regional partners and expanding into key Eastern European markets. Beyond Europe, the company has established localized networks across South America, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and North America, supported by over 1,000 partners.

HYXI Halo and HYXI Cloud: Integrated Smart Energy Solutions

HYXI unveiled the HYXI Halo Plug-In AC-Coupled Micro ESS and the HYXI Cloud Smart Energy Platform for the European market, forming an integrated hardware-and-software ecosystem.

HYXI Halo features a modular 3 kWh design scalable to 18 kWh, delivers 3,000 W output, supports up to 10,000 battery cycles, and integrates advanced safety and AI-powered energy management.

HYXI Cloud provides a unified energy management platform integrating solar, storage, and loads, enabling TOU optimization, VPP participation, intelligent operations, and AI-driven decision-making to enhance efficiency and long-term value.

Installers Award 2025 Unveiled

During the event, HYXI presented the Installers Award 2025, recognizing outstanding installers across the Benelux region, with the top prize being a Leapmotor EV. Ten installers were honored, with Domogo and SolarFast named Top Installers of 2025.

Han Yin, President of HYXI Europe, stated that HYXI will deepen cooperation through a competitive product portfolio, localized services, and an open partnership framework, advancing smarter energy across Europe.

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DALLAS and CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T, ActiveProtective, and JACS Solutions are working together to enhance safety and peace of mind for at-risk older adults and their caregivers. This collaboration introduces the Connectivity Device, an accessory for the Tango Belt , a wearable medical device designed to monitor motion and deploy an inflatable airbag during potential hip-impacting falls.

The Connectivity Device is packaged with the Tango Belt and supports:

Reliable wireless broadband communication for data transmission

Automatic caregiver notifications upon detection of a fall

Secure electronic transfer of data without requiring Wi-Fi

To support this responsive device, AT&T's Connected Healthcare team developed and deployed secure, connected assets that enable real-time digital monitoring and collaboration between patients and clinicians. The Connectivity Device by JACSa compact, reliable LTE connectivity module integrates seamlessly with the Tango Belt. The JACS TD0301TAA, a powerful network connector, ensures uninterrupted data transmission and timely caregiver notifications, even when the Wi-Fi access is unstable or unavailable.

"Knowing your loved one is safe at home gives one peace of mind. AT&T's Connected Healthcare is committed to delivering tailored solutions that help our customers exceed expectations," said Lee Wagner, AVP of Connected Solutions at AT&T. "By fostering strong relationships with experts in this field and maintaining a commitment to reliability and security, AT&T connectivity enhances patient care through innovative connected solutions."

AT&T's strong network allows the Tango Belt to operate seamlessly within range, transmitting critical information to caregivers. By utilizing their infrastructure, we are empowering caregivers with the tools they need to provide timely and effective interventions, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for at-risk older adults.

"This mission is personal for us because we have seen the impact of hip fractures firsthand," said Wamis Singhatat, CEO of ActiveProtective. "Collaborating with AT&T's secure network and JACS' connectivity solutions enables the Tango Belt to stay connected across a wide range of settings  so older adults can age with dignity and freedom."

"JACS Solutions is honored to work with AT&T and ActiveProtective to provide a reliable, potentially life-saving broadband connectivity solution for healthcare providers" said Dr. Chang Gang Zhang, Vice President of Technology for JACS Solutions. "Together, we are redefining how connected health technologies support independence for vulnerable populations. The strength of this collaboration enables us to elevate and deliver a higher standard of care for better patient outcomes.

The Tango Belt is now available for senior living communities seeking reliable Wi-Fi-independent connectivity for fall detection notification and caregiver communication. ActiveProtective is seeking interested senior living owner/operators, healthcare systems and providers, particularly those in Value-Based Care models that proactively "screen and intervene" to mitigate risk and avoid costly episodes of care. Orders include access to personalized onboarding and support to ensure every wearer gets the most from their device.

For more information, visit tangobelt.com .

About ActiveProtective

Active Protective Technologies Inc. (APT) is a medical device company developing connected health products that enable older adults to safely age in place. APT's mission is to redefine the standard of care for mitigating fall injuries in at-risk older adults, and its initial focus is on hip fractures, a leading cause of disability and death. The company's clinically proven device, the Tango Belt, reduces the risk of major hip injuries due to falls, allowing older adults to achieve safer mobility and maintain independence. For more information visit www.TangoBelt.com .

Prior to use, please refer to the instructions for use supplied with the device for indications, contraindications, warnings and precautions

 ActiveProtective 2025. All rights reserved.

About AT&T

We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and neighbors, plus nearly 2.5 million businesses, connect to greater possibility. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. ( NYSE:T ), please visit us at about.att.com . Investors can learn more at investors.att.com .

About JACS Solutions

JACS Solutions is a U.S.-based technology company specializing in customized connected hardware and IoT platforms that power secure enterprise and healthcare ecosystems. With expertise in rugged devices, cellular connectivity, and managed solutions, JACS enables partners like AT&T and ActiveProtective to bring reliable, scalable innovations to market.

For more information, visit jacs-solutions.com

SOURCE JACS Solutions
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Monetary Gold, a nationally recognized leader in physical precious metals for more than 26 years, today announced that acclaimed investigative journalist Lara Logan has joined the company's trusted roster of media partners.

Logan joins an established lineup that includes Mark Levin, RSBN, Jimmy Dore, and Steven Gardner, each of whom collaborates with Monetary Gold to educate the public on the importance of long-term financial protection with physical gold and silver.

Going Rogue - Lara Logan

Lara Logan is widely known for her distinguished career as a correspondent, war reporter, and documentary journalist spanning more than three decades. Her reporting has taken her to the front lines of major global conflicts, national security flashpoints and historic world events. Logan's exceptional work has earned her some of journalism's most respected honors, including multiple Emmy Awards, Murrow Awards, the coveted DuPont-Columbia Award, and many other accolades for investigative reporting.

Her commitment to truth, accountability, and fearless journalism makes her a strong match for Monetary Gold's values.

Logan said she chose to partner with Monetary Gold because she believes the company operates with honesty and integrity  qualities she finds increasingly rare in today's environment.

"Consistency matters when you are trusting people with your hard-earned money and the security of yourself and your family," Logan said.

She emphasized the importance of straightforward information and ethical business practices, consistent with the lasting trust that Monetary Gold has built over more than two decades by being both transparent and reliable.

Founded in 1998, Monetary Gold has established itself as a pioneer in the precious metals industry, offering a one-stop service model for individuals seeking physical gold and silver for personal savings or tax-advantaged retirement accounts. The company has successfully guided Americans through multiple market downturns, economic cycles, and periods of national uncertaintywhile maintaining a longstanding A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Monetary Gold's approach is rooted in education, clarity, and responsible guidance.

The firm provides free assessments of existing client metals, straightforward explanations of product choices, and step-by-step support for those seeking to include physical gold or silver in qualified retirement structures.

"I appreciate Monetary Gold's customer-focused philosophy," Logan said, "Because it is jot just something they advertise, it is central to their philosophy as a company."

"Most people want clear communication, they don't want gimmicks and they want their investment to have lasting value - which is what Monetary Gold offers."

The addition of Lara Logan further strengthens Monetary Gold's expanding network of respected public figures who share a commitment to truth, transparency, and helping Americans make informed decisions about preserving their financial stability.

"We are honored to welcome Lara Logan to the Monetary Gold family," said a company spokesperson. "Her integrity, courage, and dedication to uncovering the truth perfectly mirror the values our company was built on. For more than 26 years, our mission has been to provide Americans with clarity and confidence, and Lara's voice aligns seamlessly with that purpose."

As part of her new partnership, Logan will collaborate with Monetary Gold on educational content, public communications, and national outreach designed to help individuals better understand the role physical precious metals can play in long-term financial protection.

Contact Information

Monetary Gold

21800 Oxnard St, Suite 1120

Woodland Hills, CA 91367

Phone: 888-993-9332

Website: www.monetarygold.com

About Lara Logan

Lara Logan is an award-winning investigative journalist with more than 35 years of frontline news experience reporting from across five continents. She is highly respected for her work and well-known known for her courage under fire. Her career includes many years at 60 Minutes, CBS News, Fox News and numerous in-depth documentary series. Logan has earned multiple Emmy Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards, the coveted Alfred I. duPontColumbia Award, and many other honors recognizing her contributions to journalism, war reporting and formidable investigative work.

About Monetary Gold

Monetary Gold is a family-operated precious metals firm based in Woodland Hills, California, specializing in physical gold and silver for personal savings and qualified retirement accounts. With more than 26 years of industry experience and an A+ BBB rating, Monetary Gold is known for its transparency, consumer education, responsible guidance, and long-standing reputation for ethical service. The company offers free metals assessments, direct access to competitively priced bullion, and comprehensive support for clients seeking to include precious metals in tax-advantaged retirement structures.

SOURCE Monetary Gold
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- To commemorate the release of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY The Sorcery of Nymph Circe in Japan, Bandai Namco Filmworks released a special promotional trailer featuring the ending theme song "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses on the official Gundam YouTube channel, GUNDAM CHANNEL INTL.

The PV portrays protagonist Hathaway's inner conflict as he struggles to move on from his feelings for Gigi. Meanwhile, Gigi's mysterious powerone that could sway the course of the warand her feelings for Hathaway grow stronger day by day, allowing viewers to sense the way their relationship influences and shapes one another. The ending theme song, perfectly matched to the story, further amplifies the epic scale of the film. The footage is packed with highlights, including a glimpse of the new mobile suit "TX-ff104 ALYZEUS."

Watch the PV here: https://youtu.be/OTttxLeOdYA

Assets can be found here .

Please use the following legal line when sharing images: Credit: SOTSUSUNRISE

Altering images is strictly prohibited.

A second key visual has also been unveiled. Set at Ayers Rock in Australia, the site of the climactic battle in this second chapter, this dynamic visual captures a tense moment just before Hathaway's XI Gundam and Lane's new mobile suit, TX-ff104 ALYZEUS, clash with beam sabers, delivering a strong sense of immediacy and intensity.

About "TX-ff104 ALYZEUS"

A mobile suit hastily developed for Lane Aim as a trainer for Flight Form's high speed flight. It served as a temporary machine until the Penelope was formally deployed. As such, the unit's primary configuration is its Flight Form.

Its core is a modified RX 94 Mass Production Type Nu Gundam, and its exterior repurposes parts from a prototype for tests built during the Penelope's development. The unit's most distinctive feature is the twenty Shelf Nozzles installed across its body. As an alternative to the Minovsky Flight Unit, which was still incomplete at the time this machine was built, these Shelf Nozzles employ a plasma jet enginebased propulsion system that utilizes an older engine technology not reliant on I FIELD systems. When operated in parallel, these Shelf Nozzles enable the unit to achieve high speed flight comparable to the Penelope.

About "Sweet Child O' Mine" By Guns N' Roses

"Sweet Child O' Mine" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1988. Opening with Slash's instantly recognizable guitar riff, the song blends the power of hard rock with a beautiful melody and has been embraced as a cross-generational anthem since its release in 1987. In 2019, its music video surpassed one billion views on YouTubethe first song from the 1980s to do soand as of 2026, it has exceeded an astonishing 1.8 billion views. The song continues to shine as the biggest hit in Guns N' Roses' history.

ABOUT GUNS N' ROSES:

Guns N' Roses endures on as the most dynamic, dangerous, and definitive American rock band in history to this day.

Embedded in popular culture, Guns N' Roses' landmark diamond-selling 1987 opus, Appetite For Destruction, stands out as "the best-selling U.S. debut album ever" and "the 11th best-selling U.S. album of all time." Following its release, Guns N' Roses shook the world with the one-two punch of the over 7x-platinum Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, clinching the top two spots on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart upon arrival. With total sales of 100 million units thus far, their catalog also consists of G N' R Lies (5x-platinum), The Spaghetti Incident? (platinum), Greatest Hits (5x-platinum), and Chinese Democracy (over 6 million worldwide). Not to mention, they are one of the most-streamed rock bands in the world with an average of 27 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and in May 2024, they were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for their 1987 debut album, Appetite for Destruction.

Guns N' Roses are Axl Rose (vocals, keyboards), Duff McKagan (bass), Slash (lead guitar), Dizzy Reed (keyboard), Richard Fortus (rhythm guitar), Isaac Carpenter (drums), and Melissa Reese (keyboard).

Universal Music Official Website

https://www.universal-music.co.jp/gundam-hathaway-2

Title Information

Title: MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY The Sorcery of Nymph Circe

Release: Nationwide in Japan on Friday, January 30, 2026. United States release information to be determined

Distribution: Bandai Namco Filmworks / Shochiku

Credit: SOTSUSUNRISE

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY The Sorcery of Nymph Circe Synopsis

The year is U.C.0105, twelve years after Char's Rebellion. "MAFTY" has begun resisting the Federation government's tyrannical rule by assassinating its high-ranking officials. Its leader is actually Hathaway Noa, the son of Bright Noa, who fought in the One Year War alongside Amuro Ray.

Haunted by past trauma, Hathaway is drawn to a mysterious girl named Gigi Andalucia, whose strange powers stir memories within him. While swayed by her cryptic words, he continues preparing for MAFTY's mission  the attack on the Adelaide Conference.

Kenneth Sleg of the Federation Forces prepares a defense operation for the Adelaide Conference and a plan to eliminate MAFTY and is approached by Handley Yoxon of the Criminal Police Organization with a secret proposal. As Hathaway and Kenneth pursue their respective goals, Gigi also sets off for Hong Kong to fulfill her own role.

Staff

Original Concept: Yoshiyuki Tomino / Hajime Yatate

Director: Shukou Murase

Script: Yasuyuki Muto

Character Design: pablo uchida / Naoyuki Onda / Shigeki Kuhara

Original Character Design: Haruhiko Mikimoto

Mechanical Design: Hajime Katoki / Kimitoshi Yamane / Seiichi Nakatani / Nobuhiko Genma

Original Mechanical Design: Yasuhiro Moriki / Kazumi Fujita

Art Setting: Tomoaki Okada

Art Director: Kinichi Ohkubo

Color Designer: Takako Suzuki / Yuichi Kuboki

Display Design: Yoshinori Sayama

CG Director: Ryukow Masuo

Composition Director: Yoshihisa Oyama

VFX Director: Manabu Kadouno

Editor: Daisuke Imai

Sound Supervisor: Koji Kasamatsu

Recording Supervisor: Eriko Kimura

Music: Hiroyuki Sawano

Planning & Production: SUNRISE

Production: Bandai Namco Filmworks

Distribution by Bandai Namco Filmworks / Shochiku Co., Ltd.

Cast

Hathaway Noa: Kensho Ono

Gigi Andalucia: Reina Ueda

Kenneth Sleg: Junichi Suwabe

Lane Aim: Soma Saito

Gawman Nobile: Kenjiro Tsuda

Kelia Dace: Saori Hayami

Iram Masam: Shunsuke Takeuchi

 and more

Official Website https://gundam-official.com/

Official X Account https://x.com/gundam_hathaway

SOURCE Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc.
As the only advanced digital retailing solution offering full online checkout for vehicle purchases, Accelerate My Deal Elite transforms the car-buying experience with integrated compliance and seamlessly fits into existing dealer workflows.

With secure ID verification, e-signatures and document processing, Accelerate My Deal Elite closes the gap between shopper intent and action, turning the 28%* of consumers who want to buy all online into real digital sales.

ATLANTA, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Automotive Inc., today announced Accelerate My Deal Elite, an advanced digital retailing solution designed to support a more streamlined online car buying experience for dealers, automakers and consumers. Built to align with growing expectations for convenience and transparency, Accelerate My Deal Elite enables dealerships to offer a broad range of online capabilities, including ID verification, document upload, e-signatures and delivery scheduling.

As the only advanced digital retailing solution offering full online checkout for vehicle purchases, Cox Automotive's Accelerate My Deal Elite transforms the car-buying experience with integrated compliance and seamlessly fits into existing dealer workflows.

Backed by Cox Automotive's market research, Accelerate My Deal Elite addresses key friction points for both consumers and dealers in the modern car buying journey. While 28%* of shoppers say they want to buy their next vehicle online, only 7%* actually do so today, often due to incomplete or disjointed retail tools. As dealerships adapt to shifting shopper expectations and an increasingly competitive retail landscape, now dealers can close that gap by creating a unified, compliant, and transparent experience from browsing to delivery.

"Cox Automotive is not just digitizing car buying, we're transforming it," said Jessica Stafford, senior vice president, Consumer Solutions at Cox Automotive. "Accelerate My Deal Elite fills the compliance and workflow gap that other digital retail tools haven't been able to offer. Now dealers can deliver the kind of seamless, trusted online experience consumers expect from every other part of their digital lives, all while maintaining compliance, efficiency, and the personal touch that makes automotive retail so unique."

Accelerate My Deal Elite expands on the proven success of Cox Automotive's existing Accelerate My Deal platform by adding powerful new capabilities for both dealers and consumers:

Complete online checkout with secure ID verification and e-signatures.

with secure ID verification and e-signatures. Flexible options tailored for different dealer needs and are available across Autotrader and Dealer.com websites and seamlessly fit into existing dealer workflows.

tailored for different dealer needs and are available across Autotrader and Dealer.com websites and seamlessly fit into existing dealer workflows. Integrated compliance and workflow support, including Dealertrack F&I, and agnostic compatibilities with CRM and DMS platforms.

Accelerate My Deal Elite will launch at NADA 2026 for Dealer.com and Autotrader. Dealers interested in speaking with Cox Automotive about Accelerate My Deal Elite at NADA, happening Feb. 3-6 in Las Vegas, can visit the Cox Automotive Village at the show or request a meeting through the Cox Automotive Hub.

* 2025 Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey Study

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive is the world's largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, vAuto, Dealertrack, NextGear Capital, CentralDispatch and Cox Fleet. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with $23 billion in annual revenue. Cox Automotive has been included on Glassdoor's Best Companies in Tech & AI 2026 and Best Place to Work in 2026 lists. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Cox Automotive
The ongoing murderous repression of protesters in Iran is symptomatic of a long-term and deeper cruelty on the part of the regime: the attempt to eradicate freedom of conscience.

Irans Islamist regime is staggering toward its unofficial 47th birthday: the return of Ayatollah Khomeini to Tehran on February 1, 1979. Although a broad coalition overthrew the long-ruling dictator Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Islamic hardliners took control and created a regime that was even more brutal.

The result is one of the worlds most repressive governments, a bottom-dweller alongside Belarus, China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. According to Freedom House: Ultimate power rests in the hands of the countrys supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the unelected institutions under his control. These institutions, including the security forces and the judiciary, play a major role in the suppression of dissent and other restrictions on civil liberties. Alas, this aseptic description does not adequately communicate the horror recently visited upon the Iranian people by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the regimes chief enforcer and protector.

Underlying Tehrans murderous hostility to dissent is a fundamental unwillingness to accept freedom of conscience in any form, most importantly moral and spiritual. The shah pursued a forced modernization campaign that reduced Islams public role, inflaming opposition from many fundamentalists, but he largely left religious minorities, other than Bahais, alone. In contrast, the Islamist regime seeks to stigmatize and ultimately eradicate all disfavored faiths. As researcher John Mac Ghlionn explained back in April: Apostasyleaving Islambecame a crime punishable by death. Churches were outlawed, converts were hunted, and Farsi Bibles became contraband.

This approach continues. In its report last year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) found that

religious freedom conditions in Iran remained poor, particularly for religious minorities, religious dissidents, and women and girls. Authorities subjected prisoners detained on religious grounds to torture and severe punishment, including by denying them medical care. The government also continued to systematically harass, intimidate, and target religious minorities through its arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, forced closure of businesses. Irans government carried out over 900 executions in 2024 and issued scores of death sentences for religiously based charges.

No one is safe. The most populous majority-Shia nation, Iran persecutes Sunni and Sufi Muslims. From the USCIRF report: The government continued targeting Sunni Muslims through executions, arrests, disappearances of prominent clergy, destruction of homes, and denial of building permits.

Bahais, essentially viewed as apostates, suffer even more. Regime attacks intensified dramatically last year. Human Rights Watch reports that

between June and November 2025, the [Bahai International Community] documented more than 750 persecutory acts across Iran, three times the number recorded during the same period in 2024. These incidents include over 200 raids on homes and businesses, followed by interrogations, resulting in the detention and arrest of at least 110 Bahais. Revolutionary Courts held hearings for more than 100 individuals and issued new sentences against Bahais, each ranging from two to ten years in prison.

Jews have long been targeted by a regime that routinely demonizes Israel, and their situation also deteriorated last year. As Janatan Sayeh of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies reported in November: After the Twelve Day War in June, and repeated failures to strike Jewish targets in Europe, Tehran has redirected its hostility toward its own Jewish citizens. More than 30 Iranian Jews were arrested on espionage charges, numerous Jewish leaders were interrogated, and members of the countrys small Jewish community were pressed to express support for Khamenei and the regime.

Most threatening to the regime, however, is the growth in Christianity. Ironically, the misuse of Islam to justify political oppression has long pushed people away from that faith. In 2018 my Cato Institute colleague Mustafa Akyol, author of Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance, reported that there are signs that quite a few Iranians are now also disenchanted with Islam itself. Often silently and secretly, they are abandoning their faith. Some opt for other faiths, often Christianity.

This process continues. Nima Alizadeh, a Muslim convert to Christianity and founder of Revelation Ministries, which serves Farsi-speaking Christians, noted three years ago that in the past two decades, Iran has had the fastest growing church in the world. Last November, Dr. Pooyan Tamimi Arab of the Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran observed: The younger people are [turning away from Islam]  and that means that in a situation in which the majority religion is being doubted, some people will not choose, for example, non-religiosity, but they will choose another religion, like Christianity.

For this reason, the Khamenei regime has undertaken a particularly harsh campaign against converts. During Irans 2024 Universal Periodic Review before the UN Human Rights Council, four NGOs, Middle East Concern, Article 18, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and Open Doors, filed a joint comment on the Tehran governments misbehavior: The Iranian authorities do not permit converts to attend the churches of the Armenian and Assyrian communities, who are themselves prohibited from holding services in Persian, the national language, in a further measure to dissuade converts from attending. Converts are targeted for involvement in informal meetings in private homes, known as house-churches.

Early last year, Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur for Iranian human rights, highlighted attacks on Christians: The situation of Christians in the Islamic Republic of Iran is a matter of serious concern that demands our continued attention. As reported by Human Rights Watch last year: Iran has significantly stepped up its persecution of Christians, with a reported total of 96 converts sentenced to a combined total of 263 years in prison last year, compared with 22 Christians sentenced in 2023. Nevertheless, emphasized Ghlionn, the Christian church is still expanding: Iran now has one of the fastest-growing Christian populations in the world. Not in grand cathedrals. Not in public squares. But underground, spreading quietly and carefully.  For the most part, however, its just ordinary Iraniansstudents, workers even former mullahswho have seen the darkness of the Islamic Republic and want something else.

The fact that Christianity is spreading organically has made it more resilient and harder to suppress. Lela Gilbert of the Hudson Institute discussed the result of her research:

New Christians witness to others is mostly shared in quiet conversations, encouraged by low-profile online Bible studies, and affirmed by visions, dreams, and miraculously answered prayers. Due to their risky circumstances, recent Christian converts are enthusiastically communicating about their changed lives with friends and loved onesbut quietly and carefully. However, their discreet but persistent witness accounts for the extraordinary number of new Iranian believers, who meet in small house churches.

Tragically, the punishment of some religious believers never ends. As the four-way NGO submission explained:

Pressures on Christians and their families continue after they are released from imprisonment, or following arrest or detention, including monitoring and harassment; denial of employment; denial of education and qualifications; the cycle of new charges or reopening cases; enforced Islamic re-education classes, during which converts are pressured to return to Islam; additional post-prison penalties, such as internal exile, flogging, fines, travel bans, and deprivation of social rights, including membership of any group; the imposition of community-service orders, for example grave-digging or washing dead bodies before burial; and coercion through threats to leave Iran.

For the regime, an Iranian believing in something other than the prescribed faith is a permanent crime.

Iran has become a pariah state. Surely the thousands of Iranians killed during the recent protests deserve justice. However, the Tehran regimes offenses go much deeper than mimicking other authoritarian regimes in attempting to hang on to power at all costs. Khamenei and the IRCG are committed to extirpating individual conscience, a spiritual as well as political crime. But they are fighting a battle they cannot win. The fact that other faiths continue not only to survive but to thrive offers hope for Iranians of all faiths.
NEWTOWN, Pa., Feb. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Edelson Lechtzin LLP is investigating data privacy claims regarding an incident at 1st MidAmerica Credit Union ("MACU"). MACU learned of a data breach on or about August 14, 2025.

If you would like to discuss this case with a lawyer, please click HERE.

About 1st MidAmerica Credit Union

1st MidAmerica Credit Union is a nonprofit, member-owned financial institution that offers a range of banking and lending services to support its members' financial goals.

What happened?

On or about August 14, 2025, MACU's vendor, Marquis Software Solutions, notified MACU of suspicious activity on its network and determined that it had experienced a cybersecurity incident. Marquis launched an investigation and discovered that an unauthorized third party gained access to their network environment and may have accessed and acquired certain files. These files may have contained personal information related to certain MACU customers, including names and Social Security numbers.

How can I protect my personal data?

If you receive a data breach notification regarding MACU, you should take steps to protect yourself against identity theft and fraud. Such measures include regularly reviewing your account statements and monitoring your credit reports for any suspicious or unauthorized activity.

Edelson Lechtzin LLP is investigating a class action lawsuit to seek legal remedies for individuals whose sensitive personal data may have been compromised by the MACU data breach.

For more information, please contact:

Eric Lechtzin, Esq.

EDELSON LECHTZIN LLP

411 S. State Street, Suite N-300

Newtown, PA 18940

Phone: 844-696-7492 ext. 1

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.edelson-law.com

About Edelson Lechtzin LLP

Edelson Lechtzin LLP is a national class action law firm with offices in Pennsylvania and California. In addition to data breach cases, our lawyers focus on class and collective litigation involving allegations of securities and investment fraud, violations of federal antitrust laws, employee benefit plans under ERISA, wage theft, and consumer fraud.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions.

SOURCE Edelson Lechtzin LLP
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, American Global Strategies LLC announced that David Malpass, former President of the World Bank Group and Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs under President Donald J. Trump, has joined the firm as a Vice Chairman.

David Malpass

Mr. Malpass served as World Bank President from 2019 to 2023, where he refocused the institution on market-based growth in developing countries, championed energy production and currency stability, and advocated for debt restructuring on China's Belt and Road Initiative loans. From 2017 to 2019, as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, he led U.S. international economic policy, advancing dollar stability, lower global taxation, and efforts to counter China's Belt and Road expansion.

A leading Wall Street economist for over two decades, Mr. Malpass was Chief Economist at Bear Stearns and founder of a New York-based economics research firm, and repeatedly ranked among the top economists by Institutional Investor. He authored the Thought Leaders column in Forbes for ten years and published over 100 opinion pieces on economic and budget reforms. Earlier, he served at the U.S. Treasury and State Departments under Secretary James Baker and as Republican staff director of the Joint Economic Committee.

He holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Colorado College, an MBA from the University of Denver, and completed mid-career studies in international economics at Georgetown University. Currently the Inaugural Fellow of Global Business and Infrastructure at Purdue University, Mr. Malpass focuses his consulting and public speaking on markets, geopolitics, manufacturing and U.S. economic leadership. His career has included engagements in 75 countries and meetings with world leaders over four decades. An early Trump campaign volunteer and 2016 convention delegate, he brings deep expertise in global finance, international policy, and strategic leadership.

AGS Chairman Ambassador Robert C. O'Brien (Ret.) said, "David Malpass brings unparalleled expertise in global finance, international economic policy, and strategic leadership to AGS. His proven track record in countering economic challenges from adversaries like China and promoting market-driven growth makes him an invaluable addition as we advise clients on complex geopolitical and economic matters."

"I'm very pleased to work with Robert O'Brien, Alex Gray, and the outstanding AGS team," said Malpass. "The U.S. and the world are at a moment of extraordinary change and opportunityacross security, finance, trade, technology, energy, and digital payments. AGS brings the depth and perspective needed to help clients across a broad range of challenges."

American Global Strategies LLC is a boutique strategic advisory firm founded by former National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien and former National Security Council Chief of Staff Alexander B. Gray. The staff is comprised of professionals who have served at the White House, State, Treasury, Commerce, USTR, the Pentagon, and on Capitol Hill. The firm's primary office is in Washington, D.C. Visit us at https://americanglobalstrategies.com/

For press inquiries, please reach out to [email protected]

SOURCE American Global Strategies
The debut of EWTN+ coincides with the recent premiere of Seeking Beauty, EWTN Studios' first-of-its-kind adventure travel series hosted by Catholic actor David Henrie, known for his starring role as Justin Russo in Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place. The first installment of the series follows Henrie as he explores remarkable destinations, uncovering beauty, culture, and faith around Italy.

Also launching on EWTN+ is Catholics & Cappuccinos, a new podcast hosted by Catholic actress and comedian Siobhan Fallon Hogan, (Credits: Forrest Gump, Men in Black, Holes, New In Town, SNL, Seinfeld). The podcast blends humor, celebrity interviews, and faith as Hogan explores how Catholicism has shaped the lives of her guests.

"EWTN+ represents a major step forward in how we serve today's audiences," said Sean Graber, President of EWTN Digital. "We built this platform to be intuitive, beautiful, and accessibleso viewers can easily discover and engage with our content on their terms. It's about meeting people where they are, on the devices they use every day."

The free on-demand platform is now available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Google TV. A simple and centralized way to watch all EWTN's programs, EWTN+ allows viewers to create personalized, free accounts, and then save their favorite shows to watch when they want, on whatever device they want to use. EWTN+ offers new original content alongside EWTN's extensive catalog.

"These new productions reflect a fresh, creative chapter for EWTN Studios," said Peter Gagnon, President of EWTN Studios. "Seeking Beauty and Catholics & Cappuccinos show how faith-based storytelling can be vibrant, entertaining, and deeply meaningful. We're excited to collaborate with talented artists who bring authenticity and heart to these projects."

EWTN+ expands access to a EWTN's vast library of Catholic video and audio content while complementing the network's existing linear television and radio services. The platform is designed to enhance EWTN's longstanding global broadcast presence.

"From the very beginning, Mother Angelica embraced the most powerful media tools of her time to share the Gospel," said Michael P. Warsaw, Chairman of the Board and CEO of EWTN. "Just as she once invested in cable television and satellite technology to reach the world, today's streaming platforms are the new gateway to content. With EWTN+, we are continuing Mother's legacybringing timeless truth, beauty, and hope to people wherever they are."

Upcoming EWTN+ Programming Highlights:

Seeking Beauty , season 1 follows David Henrie through the heart of Italy , exploring culture, architecture, cuisine, music, and sacred artrevealing how beauty itself can become a path to the divine. Season 2, already being filmed, will focus on the beauty and faith of Spain . Watch Seeking Beauty here.

, season 1 follows through the heart of , exploring culture, architecture, cuisine, music, and sacred artrevealing how beauty itself can become a path to the divine. Season 2, already being filmed, will focus on the beauty and faith of . Watch here. Catholics & Cappuccinos hosted by Siobhan Fallon Hogan debuts Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7:00 pm ET. On episode 1, Hogan talks with the Chosen's Jonathan Roumie. Other episodes will include Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond), Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull), Federico Castelluccio (The Sopranos), Kevin James (Solo Mio), Sister Mary Gabriel, Father Michael Duffy and many more.

For more information on EWTN+ or to access the streaming app, go to www.ewtn.com.

About EWTN:

In its 45th year, EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world. EWTN's 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 435 million television households in more than 160 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 domestic and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.

About EWTN+: EWTN+ is an on-demand digital platform that allows you to watch, listen to, and pray with a vast library of EWTN content across multiple devices when you want and where you want. EWTN+ is currently available free on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Google TV.

About EWTN Studios

Created in 2025, EWTN Studios is the global film and television division of EWTN Global Catholic Network, the world's largest producer of Catholic media. Building on EWTN's legacy of creating impactful faith-based programming, EWTN Studios develops and produces a full slate of original series, films, documentaries, and digital content for audiences worldwide. With a mission rooted in Catholic storytelling and a commitment to elevating emerging and established creative talent, EWTN Studios brings a modern, cutting-edge approach to faithful content that inspires, informs, and meets the demands of the rapidly evolving media landscape.

SOURCE EWTN Global Catholic Network
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Federated Hermes, Inc. (NYSE: FHI), a global leader in active investing, today announced the promotion of Mark Weiss, CFA, senior portfolio manager, to head of the Prime Liquidity Group. The move becomes effective with the retirement of Paige Wilhelm, senior portfolio manager and current head of the group, on July 1, 2026.

Weiss will be responsible for portfolio management and research related to prime money market investment strategies, which represent $242.7 billion in assets, as of Dec. 31, 2025. Prime money market funds and separate accounts invest in portfolios of short-term, high-quality fixed-income securities issued by banks, corporations and the US government. They typically offer higher yields than money market funds and separate accounts that invest primarily in government securities.

"Mark brings more than 28 years of trading, research and portfolio management expertise to his new role," said John Fisher, president and CEO of Federated Advisory Companies. "He has accumulated a wealth of experience in various analyst and portfolio management responsibilities, and as a senior member of the credit team, he has served as an important resource for the liquidity team and our clients."

Weiss currently serves as portfolio manager of 15 portfolios that include mutual funds and other institutional separate account portfolios. His products managed include the $103.5 billion Prime Cash Obligations Fund, the $16.5 billion Institutional Prime Obligations Fund and several local government investment pools.

Wilhelm retires after 41 years at Federated Hermes. "Since joining the company in 1985, Paige has overseen our prime funds' growth from a nascent segment of the firm's market franchise to a significant part of our clients' cash-management business," said Fisher. "Her career over four decades spans wide-ranging contributions to money markets, and her mentoring skills have played an invaluable role in growing Federated Hermes' reputation for a team process to diligent credit analysis. We thank her and wish Paige the best on her retirement."

As of Dec. 31, 2025, Federated Hermes manages $682.6 billion in money market assets, while the investment management team comprises 34 investment professionals who average 22 years of industry experience and 22 years at Federated Hermes.

Federated Hermes, Inc. (NYSE: FHI) is a global leader in active investment management, with $902.6 billion in assets under management, as of Dec. 31, 2025. We deliver investment solutions that help investors target a broad range of outcomes and provide equity, fixed-income, alternative/private markets, multi-asset and liquidity management strategies to more than 10,000 institutions and intermediaries worldwide. Our clients include corporations, government entities, insurance companies, foundations and endowments, banks and broker/dealers. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Federated Hermes has more than 2,000 employees in London, New York, Boston and offices worldwide. For more information, visit FederatedHermes.com/us.

###

All asset figures are as of Dec. 31, 2025.

Certain statements in this press release, such as those relating to succession plans, retirement date, effective dates, and the ability to maintain investment processes, may constitute forward-looking statements, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Other risks and uncertainties include the risk factors discussed in the company's annual and quarterly reports as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in each fund's registration statement (e.g., prospectus and statement of additional information). As a result, no assurance can be given as to future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements, and neither the company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness, or updating, of such statements in the future.

Separately managed accounts are made available through Federated Global Investment Management Corp., Federated Investment Counseling, Federated MDTA LLC, Hermes Fund Managers Ireland Limited, Hermes Investment Management Limited, and Hermes GPE LLP, each a registered investment advisor in one or more of the U.S., U.K. or Ireland.

Federated Securities Corp. is distributor of the U.S. registered Federated Hermes Funds.

SOURCE Federated Hermes, Inc.
BAYONNE, N.J., Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Israeli Wine Producers Association (IWPA) represents nearly 40 wineries nationwide, uniting boutique estates and leading producers under one banner to educate, promote, and introduce U.S. consumers to Israel's world-class wines. Not only are Israel's wines ideal for romantic dinners and meaningful Valentine's Day gifting  several of the country's most compelling wineries are true love stories, led by husband-and-wife teams whose shared passion, vision, and partnership shape every bottle.

Blending ancient winemaking traditions with cutting-edge innovation, Israel has emerged as one of the world's most dynamic and fastest-growing wine regions

"Wine has always been about connection  between people, place, history, and shared moments," says Josh Greenstein, Executive Vice President of the Israeli Wine Producers Association. "When you see husband-and-wife teams building wineries together, you feel that connection even more deeply. These couples are not just making wine  they're building something lasting together, and that spirit of partnership and love truly comes through in every bottle."

Blending ancient winemaking traditions with cutting-edge innovation, Israel has emerged as one of the world's most dynamic and fastest-growing wine regions. With diverse microclimates, mineral-rich soils, and deep historical roots, Israeli vintners are crafting exceptional wines that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world's most celebrated wine regions.

Some of the Israeli Wine Producers Association (IWPA) Wine Love Stories include:

Psagot Winery  Yaakov & Na'ama Berg

Perched in the historic Judean Hills overlooking ancient terraced vineyards, Psagot Winery is led by husband-and-wife team Yaakov and Na'ama Berg, whose partnership reflects both entrepreneurial spirit and deep connection to the land. Together, they have transformed Psagot into one of Israel's most recognized boutique wineries, crafting expressive wines that balance power, elegance, and a sense of place. Their collaboration mirrors the harmony found in their wines  blending tradition with innovation, faith with forward thinking, and craftsmanship with storytelling. For couples seeking a bottle with emotional resonance and history in every sip, Psagot offers a meaningful way to toast love and legacy. www.psagotwines.com

Tura Winery  Vered & Erez Ben Saadon

Founded by husband-and-wife duo Vered and Erez Ben Saadon, Tura Winery embodies a deeply personal journey rooted in love, resilience, and spiritual connection to the land. What began as a dream has grown into a respected winery producing refined, terroir-driven wines from vineyards planted in the Samarian hills. Erez oversees the winemaking philosophy and vineyard vision, while Vered shapes the brand's identity, hospitality, and global presence  a true partnership where creativity and craftsmanship meet. Their wines tell a story of devotion not only to each other, but to the soil, seasons, and sacred heritage of Israel  making them a beautiful expression of shared purpose and romance. www.turawinery.com

Alexander Winery  Yoram Shalom & Ilana Shalom

At Alexander Winery, husband and wife Yoram and Ilana Shalom lead with both heart and precision, guiding the winery's evolution into one of Israel's modern quality leaders. Yoram's winemaking expertise and Elana's strategic and brand leadership create a balanced partnership that elevates the winery's identity while preserving its artisanal roots. Together, they focus on crafting approachable yet sophisticated wines that celebrate Mediterranean varietals and Israel's diverse growing regions. Their collaborative approach reflects the harmony and trust that define long-lasting relationships  an ideal sentiment for Valentine's Day celebrations. www.alexander-winery.com

Binyamina Winery  A Love Story Reborn

Adding a romantic layer of history, Binyamina Winery itself carries a story of transformation and rebirth. The winery is housed in what was once the historic Rothschild perfume factory, a site originally dedicated to fragrance, artistry, and sensory expression  a fitting legacy for a modern winery devoted to crafting expressive wines that engage the senses and honor tradition.

www.binyaminawines.co.il/en

"Each of these wineries tells a deeply human story," adds Greenstein. "From nurturing vines in challenging terrain to building brands side by side, these couples embody resilience, creativity, and shared purpose. That's what makes Israeli wines such meaningful gifts for Valentine's Day  you're not just giving a great bottle of wine, you're sharing a story of devotion, craftsmanship, and heritage."

As winter gatherings fill the calendar and celebrations bring people together, Israeli wines make unforgettable gifts and add a meaningful touch to festive meals. From Valentine's Day and Super Bowl celebrations to everyday winter moments, these wines elevate the palate while offering spiritual symbolism, ancient grape heritage, and a deep connection to the land.

"Valentine's Day is about celebrating meaningful moments and authentic connections," says Greenstein. "Israeli wines naturally fit that occasion because they carry so much history, soul, and intention. Whether you're opening a bottle for a romantic dinner or gifting something special, these wines offer a sense of romance that goes far beyond the label."

Each Israeli winery brings a vibrant story and a distinctive portfolio of award-winning red, white, rose, sparkling, and specialty wines. Increasingly available in U.S. liquor stores across the country, Israeli wines appeal to a wide range of tastes and budgets. Whether wrapped as a gift, poured at a holiday table, or saved for a special winter moment, Israeli wines bring warmth, tradition, and inspiration to the New Year and winter season  resonating with people of all faiths.

To explore the full spectrum of wineries and their stories, visit www.iwpa.com . Israeli wines are consistently rated in the high 90s by leading critics including Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Decanter, and James Suckling. Notable 2025 accolades include Feldstein Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (94 points, Wine Enthusiast); Jezreel Valley Alfa 2023 (93 points, Wine Enthusiast); Domaine du Castel Grand Vin 2021 (92 points, Wine Spectator); Teperberg Essence Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (93 points, Decanter); and Shiloh Mosaic Exclusive Edition 2020 (92 points, James Suckling). In addition, Barkan Superior 2020 earned a Gold Medal and 95 points at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards.

"Israeli winemakers continue to produce some of the world's finest wines, and each winery shares a story of faith, passion, craftsmanship, and human connection," says Greenstein. "Our mission is to inspire people to discover the wines of Israel  offering an unmatched journey for wine lovers and creating moments worth celebrating and sharing."

Israel's modern wine revival has reignited global interest in both ancient indigenous grapes and internationally recognized varietals, resulting in wines that are expressive, complex, and deeply rooted in terroir. Among Israel's native and historic varietals is Argaman, a vibrant Israeli-born grape known for its deep color, bold tannins, and notes of blackberry, spice, and Mediterranean herbs. Dabouki, an ancient white grape revived by boutique wineries, produces aromatic wines with floral notes and gentle acidity. Marawi, also known as Hamdani, is an indigenous white grape tied to biblical-era viticulture, offering crisp, mineral-driven wines with orchard fruit tones.

Alongside these historic grapes, international varietals thrive across Israel's diverse wine regions. Cabernet Sauvignon is robust, structured, and age-worthy, flourishing particularly in the Judean Hills and Upper Galilee. Syrah has proven well-suited to Israel's Mediterranean climate, producing expressive wines with dark fruit, spice, and savory accents. Warm-climate varietals such as Grenache, Carignan, and Petite Sirah have found a natural home in Israel's terroir, while Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc shine in cooler regions such as the Golan Heights, yielding fresh, elegant white wines.

With vineyards stretching from the mountains of the Galilee to the sun-drenched Negev Desert, Israeli wines reflect a rich tapestry of soils, elevations, and microclimates  making them ideal for adventurous winter sipping and seasonal celebrations.

Israel is also globally recognized as a leader in agricultural innovation, particularly for pioneering drip irrigation, a technology that has transformed modern agriculture and viticulture worldwide. Many IWPA wineries rely on these advanced systems to produce high-quality wines despite limited rainfall. Drip irrigation delivers slow, targeted hydration directly to each vine's root zone through a precise network of tubes and emitters, significantly reducing water loss from runoff and evaporation. This approach allows winemakers to fine-tune irrigation based on grape variety, soil type, and microclimate.

As a result, wineries across Israel  from the Judean Hills to the Galilee  are producing wines with remarkable consistency, depth, and character.

"Despite the challenges Israel has faced, the unique terrain and climate continue to enable the production of exceptional wines," adds Greenstein. "Our mission is to inspire people to discover the wines of Israel  offering an unmatched journey for wine lovers everywhere."

About the Israeli Wine Producers Association (IWPA)

The IWPA unites Israel's diverse wineries under one mission: to elevate global recognition of Israel as a premier wine-producing country. The association encourages wine lovers to explore bottles that stand proudly beside those from Italy, France, Spain, and Argentina. For updates, education, and winery highlights, follow @IsraeliWine and visit www.iwpa.com .

Media Contact:

Stacey Bender

973-650-1218

[email protected]

SOURCE The Israeli Wine Producers Association (IWPA)
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- No Name Group, the firm known for crafting environments that alter brand perception globally, announced the launch of its new digital presence today. The platform, titled "The Unfair Advantage," marks a quiet but significant evolution for the company, positioning its work not just as logistical support, but as a critical emotional asset for brands seeking lasting impact.

Website- No Name Group No Name Group

The new website creates a distinct separation from the traditional agency model. Rather than presenting a menu of production services, the platform outlines a philosophy of "Cognitive Event Architecture"where creative storytelling rests on invisible, rigorous execution. This approach uses the firm's dual-hub structure, merging "Nashville Soul" with "Frankfurt Precision," to deliver moments that resonate on a human level first and an operational level second.

"We built No Name Group to be the partner we missed in the industry," said Justin Zebell, Founder and CEO of No Name Group. "Leaders aren't just looking for a vendor to build a stage; they are looking for a strategic edge. They understand that the true value of an event isn't in the hardware, but in the resonance it creates. Our new digital presence is a resource for those looking for that specific advantage."

A central component of the new platform is the integration of ROME (Return on Memorable Experiences). This proprietary approach offers clients a deeper layer of understanding, looking past standard attendance metrics to measure the sentiment and engagement of the room. By using privacy-first data, No Name Group validates the intangible: the way an atmosphere makes an audience feel.

"Our clients have a clear vision for the legacy they want to build," Zebell continued. "Our role is to provide the intelligence and the quiet infrastructure to make that legacy permanent. We operate in the background so the client's message stands in the foreground. It comes down to trust, and the ability to execute without friction."

The new platform also emphasizes the firm's commitment to security and discretion. By positioning the brand as a "Secret Weapon," No Name Group reinforces its dedication to protecting the integrity of the "backstage" environment, allowing clients the freedom to focus entirely on the guest experience.

The new experience is live now at nonamegroup.com.

About No Name Group: No Name Group is a global strategy and experience firm operating at the intersection of creative vision and technical precision. Known as "The Unfair Advantage," the firm partners with global brands to engineer high-impact environments that drive measurable results.

Media Contact:

Kimberly Houle

629-284-0546

[email protected]

SOURCE No Name Group
Hardee's shares the love this Valentine's Day with heart-shaped biscuits and a new iced coffee

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This Valentine's Day, Hardee's is celebrating love through real, hand-crafted food with the return of its fan-favorite heart-shaped biscuits and the debut of new Hardee's iced coffee.

Heart-Shaped Biscuits Return With Extended Availability

Hardee's shares the love with signature heart-shaped Made from Scratch biscuits through Feb. 15.

Love takes shape now through Feb. 15 with Hardee's signature heart-shaped Made from Scratch biscuits. Every morning at 4 a.m., Hardee's biscuit bakers arrive to bake masterpieces by hand, forming each one with the care and craftsmanship that defines the brand. This Valentine's season, guests can enjoy all Made from Scratch biscuits and breakfast sandwich offerings in the festive heart shape for a limited time at participating Hardee's locations.

"At Hardee's, our food is our love language," said Sarah Breymaier, vice president of brand marketing at Hardee's. "Heart-shaped biscuits are a visual representation of the love and artistry our biscuit bakers pour into their work every single day. This limited-time offering is a simple but powerful way to express that love and strengthen our connection with guests through warmth, tradition and the joy of hand-crafted food."

Introducing Hardee's Iced Coffee  A Perfect Pairing

Complementing the return of heart-shaped biscuits, Hardee's is unveiling a new permanent addition to its beverage lineup: Hardee's iced coffee. Available in 16-ounce and 24-ounce sizes, guests can choose from caramel iced coffee or vanilla iced coffee. Brewed from 100% Arabica coffee beans and crafted for a smooth, refreshing flavor, Hardee's iced coffee pairs perfectly with any breakfast order and reflects the quality customers expect from Hardee's.

Whether enjoyed with a heart-shaped biscuit or on its own, Hardee's iced coffee highlights the brand's commitment to quality ingredients and thoughtfully prepared food. This Valentine's Day, Hardee's invites guests to celebrate with hand-crafted meals made with genuine care.

About Hardee's

Home of Goodness in The Making, Hardee's is known for wholesome, hand-crafted menu items such as Made from Scratch Biscuits, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders and charbroiled 100 percent Angus Beef burgers. Together with its franchisees, Hardee's operates approximately 1,600 restaurants across the U.S. and has a presence in 13 countries worldwide. Hardee's has been bringing people together with classic flavors and hometown pride for 65 years. For more information about Hardee's, please visit www.hardees.com .

About CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.

CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., a privately held company based in Franklin, Tennessee, runs and operates Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants, two beloved brands, known for premium and innovative menu items such as iconic charbroiled burgers, Made from Scratch Biscuits and Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders. With both a U.S. and international footprint, Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC and Hardee's Restaurants LLC have more than 3,600 franchised or company-operated restaurants domestically and more than 35 international markets and U.S. territories. For more information about CKE, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com .

SOURCE CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.
About this content 

About Jamie Ashcroft

Jamie Ashcroft, the News Editor for Proactive UK, has developed an impressive career in financial journalism, focusing on the small-cap sector for over fourteen years. Before joining the Proactive team, he was a stockbroker during the global financial crisis, a role that complemented his educational background - a first-class degree in Business and Economics and qualifications in software design and development. As one of the early external hires at Proactive in 2009, Jamie contributed... Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
About this content 

About Ian Lyall

Ian Lyall, a seasoned journalist and editor, brings over three decades of experience to his role as Managing Editor at Proactive. Overseeing Proactive's editorial and broadcast operations across six offices on three continents, Ian is responsible for quality control, editorial policy, and content production. He directs the creation of 50,000 pieces of real-time news, feature articles, and filmed interviews annually. Prior to Proactive, Ian helped lead the business output at the Daily... Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
About this content 

About Stephen Gunnion

Stephen Gunnion is a senior financial journalist and broadcaster at Proactive Investors. He has more than 25 years of experience in television, radio and print media, anchoring on a number of television channels including South Africa's Business Day TV, CNBC Africa and the South African Broadcasting Corporation, where he was the economics editor. He has also worked for Daily Maverick, Bloomberg, the Business Day newspaper and Investors' Chronicle. Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
Q: Can Canada make a free trade deal with China even if CUSMA is still active, or are there any restrictions in the agreement that prevent this?

A:

CUSMA has died. CUSMA is a tool for the US to control Canada and Mexico. CUAMA is not binding to the US. The US will break CUSMA whenever it feels fit. It is a humiliation for Canada to enter such a treaty. CUSMA is not a free trade agreement. It is a North America Isolationist agreement. It preventes Canadian economy from accessing the world market.

CUSMA has died because Trump says it is nothing for the US. Since Carney spoke in Davos this year, Canada is no longer a vassal state, and CUSMA becomes irrelevant.

If CUSMA is a free trade agreement, it should have no clause to restrict Canada from trading with other countries. If it has a restriction imposed on Canada, it infringes Canadian sovereignty. Trump has had trade talks with China many times, but none of his talks got consent from Canada and Mexico. The CUSMA restriction applies only to Canada and not the US. That violates the Canadian value of the rule of law.

Forget about CUSMA. It is a disgrace to Canada.
About this content 

About Proactive

Proactive leads the world in up-to-the-minute, multi-media news provision, events organisation, investor relations management and investor research Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
About this content 

About Oliver Haill

Oliver has been writing about companies and markets since the early 2000s, cutting his teeth as a financial journalist at Growth Company Investor with a focusing on AIM companies and small caps, before a few years later becoming a section editor and then head of research. He joined Proactive after a couple of years freelancing, where he worked for the Financial Times Group, ITV, Press Association, Reuters sports desk, the London Olympic News Service, Rugby World Cup News Service, Gracenote... Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
About this content 

About Lisa Uhlman

Lisa Uhlman is an equities reporter at Proactive Investors, covering ASX-listed companies across the mining, energy, biotech and emerging tech sectors. With a background in legal and financial journalism, Lisa brings a sharp analytical lens to market news and corporate developments. Prior to joining Proactive, she reported for national trade publications and newswires, with a focus on court reporting, regulatory affairs and ESG-related business issues. Based in Sydney, she is... Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
About this content 

About Jonathan Jackson

Jonathan Jackson is an experienced writer and editor. Over the past 20 years, he has worked in print and digital media across several business and finance titles amd is currently the Australian news editor at Proactive Investors covering the latest news for ASX listed companies as well as current financial trends. He was previously managing editor with Business First magazine, Wealth Creator Magazine and StocksDigital. Jonathan has interviewed some of the world's top CEOs and covered... Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX:FFM, TSX:FFM, OTC:MNXMF) has struck a deal to unlock value from its non-core Ontario gold portfolio, agreeing to sell the Pickle Crow and Sioux Lookout projects to Bellavista Resources Ltd in a scrip transaction valued at up to A$86.1 million.

Under the binding agreement, FireFly Metals will divest its 70% interest in the Pickle Crow Gold Project and 100% of the Sioux Lookout Project to Bellavista Resources, while retaining ongoing upside exposure through a combination of equity and performance-based consideration.

The transaction is designed to simplify FireFlys portfolio and sharpen its focus on advancing the Green Bay Copper-Gold Project in Newfoundland, while giving shareholders direct exposure to a dedicated gold explorer with ambitious plans for Pickle Crow.

Locations of the Pickle Crow and Sioux Lookout projects within the Superior Craton (green) (Source: Bellavista Resources).

Scrip deal with in-specie distribution

FireFly will receive up-front consideration of 60 million Bellavista shares, deemed to be worth about A$47.4 million, plus 50 million Bellavista performance rights with a contingent value of up to A$38.7 million. Subject to shareholder approval, the up-front Bellavista shares will be distributed directly to eligible FireFly shareholders via a pro-rata in-specie distribution.

Based on current capital structures, FireFly shareholders are expected to receive one Bellavista share for approximately every 12.8 FireFly shares held. Following completion and the proposed Bellavista capital raising, FireFly and its shareholders could collectively hold up to around 40% of Bellavista.

FireFly will retain the performance rights, which are linked to key value milestones at Pickle Crow, allowing it to maintain longer-term upside exposure beyond the initial distribution.

Retaining upside through milestones

The 50 million performance rights are split across three tranches tied to exploration, resource growth and production outcomes at the Ontario gold assets over a five-year period.

The first tranche of 30 million rights will vest once Bellavista completes 10,000 metres of drilling at Pickle Crow. A second tranche of around 6.7 million rights is linked to the definition of a minimum 5-million-ounce (Moz) gold resource at a grade of at least 5 g/t, while the final 13.3 million rights are tied to production of at least 200,000 ounces of gold.

If the latter two milestones are achieved, FireFly may elect to receive cash payments of A$5 million and A$10 million respectively, instead of shares. Based on Bellavistas proposed exploration program, FireFly expects the first milestone to be achieved within 12 months of completion.

Strategic rationale for both parties

FireFly chief executive officer Darren Cooke described the transaction as a win-win deal for all parties.

It unlocks the value of the Pickle Crow Project in a way that will not occur while it is under the FireFly umbrella, giving FireFly shareholders immediate benefit and longer-term exposure to the upside, Cooke said. At the same time, it gives Bellavista an outstanding opportunity to create significant value by applying a fully dedicated exploration focus to the assets.

For FireFly, the sale reduces capital requirements and management distraction, allowing the company to accelerate development of its Green Bay copper-gold project, which it considers its core growth asset.

For Bellavista, the acquisition is transformational, delivering a high-grade gold resource and a large, underexplored land package in Ontarios Uchi and Wabigoon belts. Pickle Crow hosts an existing JORC Inferred Mineral Resource of 11.9Mt at 7.2 g/t gold for 2.8Moz, with significant regional exploration upside.

Bellavista plans aggressive exploration

Bellavista plans to raise around A$25 million through a two-tranche placement to fund resource growth and a major regional drilling program across the Ontario assets. The company is led by Glenn Jardine and Peter Canterbury, who previously guided De Grey Mining following the discovery of the Hemi gold deposit through to its A$6 billion takeover by Northern Star Resources.

Managing director Glenn Jardine said exploration at Pickle Crow had been limited since 2023, despite a sharply higher gold price environment, leaving significant value yet to be unlocked.

As well as a world-scale resource at an exceptional grade of more than 7 g/t gold, the acquisition will give Bellavista exposure to highly prospective gold exploration tenure in two belts containing numerous prospects which have already returned outstanding drill results, he said. The combination of our experienced exploration team and access to capital will enable us to unlock the true value of these assets by undertaking the first extensive exploration programs there in more than two years.

Approvals and timing

Completion of the transaction is subject to customary conditions, including shareholder approvals from both companies, regulatory clearances and an Australian Taxation Office class ruling covering the in-specie distribution. FireFly and Bellavista are targeting shareholder meetings in late March 2026, with completion expected in early April.

If approved, the deal will mark a clear strategic pivot for FireFly, crystallising value from its Ontario gold assets while keeping shareholders exposed to their future potential.

Indicative Transaction Timetable (Source: FireFly Metals).
FTSE 100 up 118 points at 10,341

Index has set a new intraday high

Gold, silver and copper meltdown hits miners

Defensive stocks provide support

5.05pm: Record day

The FTSE 100 added 118 points to close out the day at a record high of 10,341.

Gold continued to retreat, down more than 1.2% at about $4,685 per ounce.

City Index market analyst Fawad Razaqzada noted that the gold forecast has shifted dramatically over the past few sessions. "From a macro perspective, several of the key drivers that pushed gold higher are now starting to fade, he said. One of the biggest bullish themes had been concerns about US monetary policy credibility, especially with political pressure on the Federal Reserve and persistent calls for rate cuts.

4.07pm: FTSE flier is nothing special, say some

London blue-chips are maintaining their elevated altitude as the runway for the session comes into sight.

Retailers and travel stocks with exposure to the dollar are top of the leaderboard: JD Sports, InterContinental and IAG.

It has been a "solid day" for the index, says Chris Beauchamp, market analyst at IG, while Patrick Munnelly at Tickmill says it "posted modest gains".

"Solid" and "modest"? What's an index gotta do to get some recognition around here?

Beauchamp says gains are "respectable", with AstraZeneca playing its part in a steady move higher throughout the day as the pharma giant completes its move to the NYSE and from ADR's to direct listing.

This move, "many still think is a precursor to abandoning its London listing altogether".

The deeper losses seen in the miners and oil stocks have been "contained, not least because of the dip buying going on in gold and silver after the weekend plummet", he adds.

2.42pm: FTSE flying high

The FTSE 100 is on a real flyer again, on course for another hundred-point day.

JD Sports, IHG, AstraZeneca and IAG are top of the risers.

There are just a dozen fallers among the index constituents now, led by BAE Systems, BP and Shell.

Other defence contractors, precious metals and copper miners are also in red.

US stocks have opened in mixed fashion. The Dow Jones is up 0.35%, the S&P 500 is three points above flat and the Nasdaq composite is down 0.15%.

1.27pm: New FTSE record

London's blue-chip index has notched up another record intraday high, with memories of the metals meltdown quickly put to one side.

The FTSE hit a high of 10,298.52 a short while ago, a new record high.

Top of the risers is insurer Beazley, up 3.4%, followed by a phalanx of consumer-focused stocks, InterContinental Hotels, JD Sports, Howden Joinery, Coca-Cola HBC, IAG and Unilever.

Caterer Compass, another insurer Aviva, and drugmakers AstraZeneca and GSK are next.

The dollar has been strengthening, with the DXY index up 0.35%, while the pound is down around 0.1% at $1.3666.

1.02pm: Small-cap movers

Some smaller movers in London, starting with two hospitality chains with different perspectives.

Shares in XP Factory PLC sank 17% earlier but are now up iver 3% after the competitive entertainment chain issued a profit warning, blaming weaker trading at its Boom Battle Bar chain offsetting better times for its escape rooms and record overall sales over Christmas.

Chief executive Richard Harpham said: While near-term trading within Boom has been impacted by market pressures, we remain well positioned to emerge as a long-term winner.

Various Eateries PLC is up more than 11% after the restaurant and hotel group reported a swing to record earnings and a strong start to the 2026 financial year.

The company, which owns the Coppa Club, Noci, Tavolino and 31 Below brands, said revenue rose 6% to 52.4 million in the year to 28 September and was up 9% over the festive period.

The group said it would now focus growth on Coppa Club and Noci as its two core brands, with new sites and acquisition opportunities being "actively" sought.

Pathos Communications Plc rose 11.5% after the company said revenue, earnings and cash were all ahead of expectations in its first financial year as a listed group.

The performance was underpinned by improved client conversion, high collection rates and a growing focus on placements in premium media outlets.

Full-year revenue for 2025 is expected to come in at $13.2 million, up 16% on the previous year and 6% above forecasts, with adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rising more than 50% to $2.9 million.

Shares in Tooru PLC bounced 9% after the company said its gluten-free brand OAF will be stocked in ASDA stores from April 2026.

12.48pm: Taxi for CAB's former owner?

CAB Payments's board has rejected a proposed offer from a consortium led by its former private equity owner Helios Investment Partners.

Earlier today, Helios said it had sweetened its take-private proposal to $1.15 (84p) a share in cash, valuing the cross-border payments group at $292 million. It said this represented a 21% premium to CABs 30-day average share price.

The CAB board, which rejected a lower offer of $1.05 (77p) per share last week, has done so again, saying the increased proposal is highly opportunistic and fundamentally undervalues the business.

Shareholders were advised to take no action, with full-year results due on 5 March

It is notable that Helios claims backing or letters of support for over 50% of CABs shares, including a 45% holding by a Helios fund and a non-binding letter from Eurocomm Holding covering a further 5%.

12.04pm: European markets forge higher, US futures cut losses

Markets have quickly recovered their poise and bullishness.

The FTSE is now only a dozen or so points from its all-time high again, and losses for US futures have been trimmed.

Dow Jones futures are down just 0.05% now, having been pointing to much larger losses overnight.

S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures are down 0.5% and 0.8%, compared to falls of around 1.4% and 1.8% earlier. Nvidia shares are down 1.75% in premarket trading.

In Europe, the London and Paris benchmarks are up 0.4%, while indices of Frankfurt, Madrid and Milan are leading the way with gains of 0.6-0.7%.

The Euro Stoxx 600 is up 0.3%, with jeweller Pandora up 6.9% at the top of the leaderboard, likely reflecting the easing of precious metals prices. Next are utilities, software and insurers.

11.13am: Reading the mood

The manufacturing PMI data is an indicator of improving mood in the sector rather than hard data, says Matt Swannell, chief economic advisor to the EY ITEM Club, indicating that 2026 "will likely be another year of modest growth for the sector".

While the survey points to a third consecutive month of growing activity, with new orders continuing to rise despite elevated geopolitical uncertainty, Swannell says the PMI "should be taken with a heavy pinch of salt".

"In recent years, it's been a better barometer of manufacturers' mood rather than a true indicator of changing activity.

"With the recent heightened uncertainty around future international trading arrangements, the latest pick up could quickly change course.

"Its likely that 2026 will be another subdued year for UK manufacturers as fiscal policy continues to tighten, households' real income growth is set to slow, and international trade policy uncertainty remains elevated.

"Even with business reported to be on the up, rising costs are still causing manufacturers to reduce headcount. Rising domestic cost pressures combined with the higher cost of some raw materials are still working their way through the production line too.

"In response, output price inflation picked up further in January."

With a BoE monetary policy committee decision on Thursday, Swannell says it is likely to see the base rate left unchanged, as members wait to see the extent to which pay growth and inflation are affected for the whole economy.

10.42am: FTSE in green

The FTSE 100 is in positive territory now.

Partly this reflects the falls easing for the mining giants (Endeavour and Feresnillo both down less than 5% now), but also gains elsewhere.

Holiday Inn owner IHG is top of the leaderboard, up 2.4%, followed by Marmite maker Unilever, up 2.2%, and insurers Beazley, Aviva and Admiral, all up 2% or more.

AstraZeneca is up 1.35% on the day when its shares begin trading directly on the NYSE later, with positive news on a cancer drug in the EU too.

Other 'defensives' are helping support the index too, including BAT, GSK, Haleon and Vodafone.

10.14am: Businesses are adapting

After the S&P Global manufacturing PMI rose to 51.8 in January from 50.6 in December, above the consensus, economist Elliott Jordan-Doak at Pantheon Macroeconomics says the improvement in the PMIs sub-indices in January "provides us with further encouragement that the steady momentum seen in recent months can be maintained".

With the manufacturing future output balance leaping in January to 75.2, from 70.8 in December, and export orders improving too, Jordan-Doak says this suggests that "businesses are adapting to the chronic tariff-related uncertainty that dogged export orders over the past year".

Admittedly, he adds, "stronger demand is failing to translate into a sustained improvement in hiring", though the employment balance is now at its best level since October 2024 when Rachel Reeves first announced the payrolls tax hike.

9.43am: UK manufacturing survey signals growth for third month in a row

UK manufacturing sector activity has strengthened to a 17-month high, according to the S&P Global purchasing managers' index.

The UK manufacturing PMI for January has come in slightly stronger than expected at 51.8, up from the 51.6 'flash' reading mid-month and up from 50.6 in December.

The PMI has signalled growth for three consecutive months.

"UK manufacturing made a solid start to 2026, showing encouraging resilience in the face of rising geopolitical tensions," says Rob Dobson, director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

"Rates of output and order book growth accelerated, while new export business rose for the first time in four years, with Europe, China and the US the main recipients.

"There was also a positive bounceback in business confidence, which rose to its highest level since before the 2024 autumn budget, as manufacturers focussed on opportunities lying ahead despite persistent concerns about the geopolitical environment, Government policy and tariff tensions."

The strongest rise in new business for almost four years was not enough to fully quell reductions in staff numbers, but the rate of cutting slowed to its weakest since job losses started 15 months ago, he adds.

"Cost pressures are creeping higher though, as the pass through of the increased minimum wage and employer NI contributions continue to work through the supply chain alongside the rising costs for commodities such as metals."

8.48am: FTSE's defensive names provide support

While commodities groups lead the retreat, with banks and some defence contractors joining in, more than half of the Footsie shares are in positive territory this morning.

Among the bigger names, these include Unilever, up 2.3%, followed by British American Tobacco, AstraZeneca, National Grid and Compass and RELX, all up around 1%, while Rolls-Royce, Diageo and GSK are also risers.

The FTSE's losses have been cut to just below 25 points now at 10,199.

Here's Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, says these risers are mostly "more defensive stocks" and the selling in commodities names "could herald the beginning of a more guarded approach" after recent record-setting.

He says the reasons for the steep declines in gold, silver and others are "not immediately obvious," he says forced selling on major margin calls is likely to be a factor.

"The recovery of the US dollar will also have had an impact, given its inverse price relationship to gold, while there is also speculation of a heavy unwinding of long positions which has left traders rushing for the exit at the same time."

Investors will have much to digest this week, with the release of various economic datam, including the US non-farm payrolls on Friday, plus a Bank of England meeting the day before.

"The reporting season is now in full flight, and updates are expected across a range of sectors from the likes of Walt Disney, Pfizer and AbbVie. However, particular focus will fall on results from Alphabet, Amazon and Advanced Micro Devices, particularly given the rough treatment which was handed out to Microsoft last week," Hunter adds.

"This came amid heightening concerns over the hundreds of billions of dollars which are currently being pumped into AI development and the timeframe of any return on these investments."

8.15am: Miners lead retreat as FTSE opens lower

The FTSE 100 dropped 57 points in initial trading but has seen these losses quickly pared to below 40.

Leading the fallers are Endeavour Mining and Fresnillo, down 6.9% and 6.2% as precious metals retreat from the peaks seen only a week ago at a fast march.

Antofagasta shares are down 4.4% as copper also backs off recent highs, while more diversified mining and commodities group Glencore's down 3% and Anglo American is down 2.8%.

Oil and gas heavyweights BP and Shell have dropped 2.3% and 2.2%, meanwhile.

7.35am: Asian stocks plunge

Asian stocks are giving an indication of what's in store for European markets, with most major benchmarks firmly in the red.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 is down 1.25%, while the Hang Seng has plunged 2.7% in Hong Kong and the Shanghai Composite index has skidded 2.5% lower.

India's Sensex is a rare riser, up 0.5%.

As last week closed it saw the month end with "extraordinary volatility", says Deutsche Bank macro strategist Jim Reid, with silver experiencing its largest daily fall since 1980 (36% at the intraday lows, 26.3% at the close), while gold recorded its biggest one-day decline since 2013 (8.95%).

"The recent run up in precious metals feels to have an enormous speculative element. Fridays moves, almost certainly driven by positioning and margin dynamics, only reinforced that impression," Reid adds.

A partial US government shutdown, while it is expected to be resolved soon, is "typical of the 2026 constant stream of complicated news flow", with January managing "to both shock and awe in various ways, yet still delivered broad based gains across all global assets in our monthly performance review when measured in USD termsa genuinely rare occurrence".

The clear catalyst for Fridays sell-off appeared to be news that Kevin Warsh had secured the nomination for Fed chair, Reid says.

"Warsh is known to be more hawkish on the balance sheet than other candidates, pushing back against the prevailing debasement narrative that has supported precious metals.

"That said, price action had long since detached from any sane discussion on debasement, but it often takes only a small ripple to trigger a broader correction, especially when there is leverage around."

7.16am: FTSE 100 called sharply lower as commodities and crypto crumble

The FTSE 100 is expected to slump out of bed at the start of the week, with the new month of February bringing a new big sell-off in gold, silver, copper, bitcoin and other assets.

London's blue-chip index has been called 80 points lower early on Monday, after it added just over 80 points last week to close at 10,223.5, having climbed 272 points during the month, including notching new intraday highs.

But the week begins with gold down over 7% to $4,536 an ounce, silver down 12% to $74.3/oz, copper down 4.7% to $5.64/t, brent crude oil down 4.5% to $66.2 a barrel, with natural gas, platinum, lithium and others falling too.

Crypto markets are not proving very 'uncoupled', with bitcoin tumbling 2.3% to $76,281 and ethereum down 7.6%.

UK house prices, meanwhile, were up 0.3% last month, according to Nationwide, with an annual rise of 1.0% in January,
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Angela Harmantas is an Editor at Proactive. She has over 15 years of experience covering the equity markets in North America, with a particular focus on junior resource stocks. Angela has reported from numerous countries around the world, including Canada, the US, Australia, Brazil, Ghana, and South Africa for leading trade publications. Previously, she worked in investor relations and led the foreign direct investment program in Canada for the Swedish government. She earned a Bachelor of... Read more

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Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
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About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Concerns over alleged corruption and lack of transparency in Zimbabwe's decentralised nursing recruitment system have intensified in Matebeleland, with community leaders and legislators warning that deserving youths are being sidelined despite meeting entry requirements.The concerns follow a press statement by Nkayi South Member of Parliament, Jabulani Hadebe, who accused some officials within the health sector of exploiting unemployed youths through bribery, favouritism and manipulation of entrance examinations.While the decentralised recruitment system was introduced to ensure that local communities benefit from training opportunities in the health sector, Hadebe said loopholes were now being abused, particularly in rural provinces such as Matebeleland."We have young people with very good passes  four As and above  from very poor backgrounds who applied for nursing and were never called for interviews," Hadebe said."Those who attended interviews were never informed of their results."He warned that although decentralisation was a progressive policy, it remained vulnerable to corruption without strong oversight mechanisms, calling for the deployment of anti-corruption agencies during recruitment exercises.Social commentator and Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association executive director, Michael Mdladla Ndiweni, said challenges facing Matebeleland youths worsened after the shift away from the online application system.Ndiweni said his organisation previously assisted young people, particularly from rural areas with limited internet access, to apply online."Through volunteers, we helped young people apply online and managed to secure training places for around 500 youths, some of whom are now practising nurses," he said.However, following the introduction of decentralised recruitment, the association stopped assisting applicants, believing that direct access to training institutions would improve fairness."We still hear complaints from young people who apply but do not get places," Ndiweni said."There are allegations of bribery and favouritism. While we do not have concrete evidence, these views are based on a noticeable decline in the number of successful applicants from Matebeleland."He added that the decentralised system concentrated excessive power in the hands of individuals at local institutions, making it susceptible to abuse."For decentralisation to work, it requires ethical officials. Right now, people only see lists of selected names without knowing how the adjudication process was conducted," Ndiweni said.He proposed that assessment and selection processes be opened to public observation to enhance transparency.EmakhandeniLuveve legislator Decent Bajila echoed similar concerns, saying the success rate of Matebeleland youths declined significantly after the closure of the online application system."Rumours of bribery remain widespread, and the omnibus application system makes the situation worse," Bajila said."Both shortlisting and admission stages are prone to money exchanging hands."Bajila called for the reintroduction of online applications alongside physical submissions, arguing that digital platforms are more auditable and less vulnerable to human interference."Shortlisting must be done using artificial intelligence tools to eliminate manipulation," he said.Hadebe also called for reforms that would limit the role of nursing schools to receiving applications, while supervision and marking of entrance examinations should be conducted by external health personnel randomly assigned shortly before examinations.He further advocated for the immediate release of examination results to reduce anxiety, manipulation and mistrust among applicants."Matebeleland, being largely rural, faces challenges such as limited access to information and networks, which corrupt officials exploit. External marking and immediate result release are practical solutions," Hadebe said.He urged the Ministry of Health and Child Care to urgently review recruitment procedures and strengthen anti-corruption mechanisms."To the youths of Matebeleland, do not lose hope. Keep striving and report corruption so that together we can fight for a fair and transparent system," Hadebe said.
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New Delhi, Feb 2 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be meeting the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, at the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in New Delhi on Monday.

She will be departing for the national capital on Sunday afternoon, with multiple programmes scheduled during her trip, primarily focusing on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.

Apart from that, she is also likely to interact with the top leaders of the opposition parties with an aim to create consensus against the revision exercise.

Party insiders said the Chief Minister deliberately chose this time for her visit to the national capital, considering that the top leaders of all opposition parties will be present there because of the ongoing Budget Session.

Although the date of her return to Kolkata is yet to be finalised, Trinamool Congress insiders said that she will return before February 5, considering the "vote on account" will be presented in the West Bengal Assembly on that day.

The budget session of the West Bengal Assembly is also crucial, and the treasury bench will move two important motions in the House.

One motion will be to condemn the role of central investigation agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the state. The second motion will be to condemn the manner in which the ongoing SIR in the state is being conducted.

Already, indications are that the interaction session between the Chief Minister and the CEC would be quite stormy, as indicated by her extremely strongly worded letter to the CEC on Saturday.

In her letter, she had questioned the authority of special roll observers (SROs) and micro-observers, who, according to her, have been appointed only in West Bengal to review the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.

According to the letter, the Chief Minister's main contention is that the roles of SROs and micro-observers were not limited to overseeing the SIR process since they have also been designated as approving authorities.

In her letter to the CEC, Mamata Banerjee claimed that giving this authority to micro-observers had left the electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) "helpless, isolated and reduced to mere spectators".

She claimed that this extra authority to observers and micro-observers was against the spirit of "democratic ethos, federalism, and fundamental rights", guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Washington, Feb 2 : Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said the transition away from the Maduro regime is "unstoppable," arguing that sustained US pressure is forcing changes inside Venezuela even as the opposition continues to push for a democratic transfer of power.

Speaking on CBS News' Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, Machado said she does not believe Washington is easing pressure on Caracas, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the United States does not intend to pursue military action or maintain a military presence inside Venezuela beyond a possible reopened embassy.

"I do not think that the pressure is being taken away," Machado said. "Actually, everything Delcy Rodriguez is currently doing is because she's complying with instructions she's getting from the United States, and important steps are being taken."

Machado said Venezuelans were "very, very grateful to the American people," crediting President Donald Trump, Rubio and US lawmakers for what she described as strong backing at a critical moment. She said the message from Washington had been clearly delivered and was already producing visible effects.

"We're seeing the results in the actions taken by the regime, and also in the mood and energy that is growing within the Venezuelan population," she said.

Asked whether she or her movement was in contact with Delcy Rodriguez, whom she described as heading the current regime, Machado said there had been no direct talks. She said the opposition had offered to negotiate a transition after winning what she described as a landslide election victory, but the offer was rejected.

"On the contrary, they decided to unleash the most cruel, brutal repression wave," she said, citing thousands of political prisoners and saying authorities showed no willingness to halt repression until early January.

"So eventually they might understand, or even very soon, that it is in their best interest to accept that transition is unstoppable," Machado said.

Machado said discussions with Rubio made clear that Washington and the Venezuelan opposition shared the same end goal: a democratic transition followed by elections. She described the existing power structure as a "criminal structure" tied to "Russia, Iran, China, Cuba, extremist terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the cartels, the guerrilla."

"So it's a process of dismantling this structure in a way that it's most orderly under control possible in the short term," she said, adding that the final step must be "a electoral process" producing legitimate institutions, including a president.

She warned that Venezuelans' patience was wearing thin. Machado said there were more than 1,000 political prisoners at the start of January and that more than 700 remain in detention.

"Not one military prisoner, political prisoner has been liberated," she said, pointing to detainees held for decades and to families holding round-the-clock vigils. "This was unthinkable before January 3rd," she said, adding that public confidence had grown but that momentum must be sustained.

On recent legislation allowing privatization of the oil sector, Machado rejected the authority of the current National Assembly. "Whatever comes from that National Assembly has no legality," she said, arguing it is not recognized by the Venezuelan people or the US government.

She said, however, that the direction of the proposed changes aligned with what Venezuelans want in the future. "We don't want socialism," she said, stressing the need for private property, rule of law and long-term guarantees for investors.

Machado said rebuilding the economy would also require the return of skilled Venezuelans who fled the country. "Almost a third of our population" has left, she said, arguing professionals would not return while figures tied to the regime remain in power.

Commenting on US moves to ease some sanctions and lift air restrictions, Machado said the steps were signals aimed at reinforcing the inevitability of change. "No American citizen or Venezuelan citizen is going to go back to a country that's still under the power of Maduro regime and the cartel," she said.

Asked whether she would be safe returning to Venezuela, Machado said conditions had shifted rapidly. "Right now, I don't think they would dare to kill me because of the United States presence and pressure and actions," she said.

Machado said she intends to be president "when the time comes," but emphasised that leadership must be decided through elections. "This is a spiritual fight, an existential fight for Venezuela," she said, describing the desire of millions in the diaspora to return home.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Gaborone, Feb 1 : Botswanan veterinary authorities confirmed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) at a village in the northeastern part of the southern African country, near the border with Zimbabwe.

Kobedi Segale, acting director of veterinary services in the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, confirmed the disease, which was first detected at Jackalas 1 village in the Tsamaya Extension Area of the Masunga district.

"Laboratory testing on the samples collected from some of the animals in the affected area confirmed the presence of the FMD," said Segale during a consultative meeting with cattle farmers at the village's main customary court.

He said the exact number of affected cattle has yet to be confirmed, as authorities have intensified surveillance to determine the magnitude of the impact.

On Wednesday, Botswana announced suspected FMD cases in its North East District, prompting immediate animal movement restrictions and a swift government response.

To contain the spread of the disease, veterinary authorities have since started implementing control measures, including strict quarantine enforcement, livestock movement controls, surveillance in and around affected locations, and farmer awareness campaigns, Xinhua news agency reported.

FMD is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock that has a significant economic impact.

The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed ruminants.

Intensively reared animals are more susceptible to the disease than traditional breeds. The disease is rarely fatal in adult animals, but there is often high mortality in young animals due to myocarditis or, when the dam is infected by the disease, lack of milk.

FMD is characterised by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves. The disease causes severe production losses, and, while the majority of affected animals recover, the disease often leaves them weakened and debilitated.

All seven of the serotypes have also been found in wildlife. African buffalo are important carriers for FMDV. Other species of wildlife do not seem to be able to maintain FMD viruses.
Seoul, Feb 2 : A special counsel team has questioned the top executive of a Coupang Corp. affiliate over allegations of unpaid severance pay for company employees.

Chung Jong-chul, CEO of Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS), a logistics subsidiary of Coupang, appeared at the office of special counsel Ann Gweon-seob in the morning to be grilled as a suspect about the company's severance pay dispute.

Chung and his predecessor, Eom Seong-hwan, are suspected of changing the company's employment rules in May 2023 to the disadvantage of its employees who have worked for more than one year and failing to pay their severance pay, reports Yonhap news agency.

Under the revised regulations, daily workers employed for over one year are eligible for severance pay only when they have worked for more than 15 hours per week every week. Previously, they were paid severance, with any weeks when they worked fewer than 15 hours excluded from the total.

In other words, if there is even one time during the employment period when their weekly working hours are fewer than 15 hours, the retirement allowance calculation period is reset.

The current retirement benefits law stipulates that an employee is eligible for severance pay if the continuous employment period is one year or longer and the average weekly working hours over four weeks are 15 hours or more.

The special counsel team has already questioned Eom as a suspect and raided Coupang Corp. and CFS headquarters. The team reportedly seized an internal CFS document that estimates the company could save tens of billions of won by changing its employment rules.

Earlier, the interim CEO of Coupang underwent 12 hours of intensive police questioning over allegations of destruction of evidence linked to a massive data breach at the e-commerce company.

Harold Rogers emerged from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Saturday, declining to answer reporters' questions on whether he admitted to the charges or intended to leave the country, reports Yonhap news agency.

Rogers faces accusations of obstructing official investigations into the breach estimated to have affected nearly 33 million users. Coupang had independently announced that data from only 3,000 accounts was leaked, a figure authorities dispute.

Police, who suspect more than 30 million accounts were affected, are investigating the reliability of Coupang's internal probe. The government has criticised the company's findings as one-sided.

a"IANS

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Tel Aviv, Feb 2 : Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz held a meeting with military chief Eyal Zamir to assess the military's "operational readiness" following the latter's urgent defence talks in Washington.

The discussions focused on the military's "operational readiness for any possible scenario" amid escalating regional tensions, the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Sunday (local time).

The meeting comes after Zamir concluded a weekend visit to the United States, where he discussed coordination of defence strategies with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine and senior Pentagon officials. The talks reportedly centred on preparing for potential US military action against Iran.

The flurry of high-level meetings follows a similar trip to Washington last week by Israel's military intelligence chief, Shlomi Binder, as the two countries step up contingency planning for a possible regional confrontation.

Tehran has threatened it will retaliate with attacks on US bases and Israeli targets in case of a US attack on Iran.

Weeks of protests over the sharp depreciation of the rial swept cities across Iran from late December to January. Initially peaceful, the demonstrations escalated into clashes that caused casualties and damage to public property, including mosques, government buildings, and banks. Tehran has blamed the unrest on the United States and Israel.

Iran's Army Chief Amir Hatami last week warned that if the United States makes any mistake, it will definitely jeopardise its own security and that of Israel and the entire West Asia region, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Speaking at a national festival in Tehran, Hatami emphasised the Iranian armed forces' readiness amid escalating tensions with Washington.

"Today, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are in complete defence and military readiness and closely monitoring the enemy's movements in the region. We have our finger on the trigger," he said.

He added that "If the enemy makes any mistake, it will undoubtedly jeopardise its own security and that of Israel and the region."

He also welcomed neighbouring countries' announcements that they will not allow their territory or airspace to be used against Iran, noting these countries "know any insecurity against Iran will make the entire region insecure."

Hatami emphasised that if the other side is willing to resolve the problem, it should treat the Iranian nation with respect.

The warning came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. US President Donald Trump earlier said that a "massive armada," led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, is heading towards Iran, warning that "time is running out" for Tehran to reach a deal with the United States.

Meanwhile, Trump said on Sunday that if Tehran fails to strike a nuclear deal with Washington, "we will find out" whether Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was right to warn that a US attack could ignite a regional war.

Khamenei said at a meeting in Tehran earlier on Sunday that if the United States starts a war against Iran, "it will be a regional war.
February 02 : Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government is fully committed and sensitive towards providing relief to people affected by disasters like floods, earthquakes, droughts, fires, cold waves and human-wildlife conflicts. Under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Relief Commissioner's office of the state is making all possible efforts to reduce disaster impact and provide immediate assistance to the victims.

In this sequence, an amount of 710.12 crore has been allocated under the disaster relief fund in the financial year 2025-26. With this amount, assistance has been provided to victims of various natural and man-made disasters. Along with this, efforts have been made to make the disaster relief mechanism more effective in the state, due to which Uttar Pradesh is emerging as a strong model state in the field of disaster management at present.

Most of the 710.12 crore released in financial year 2025-26 for disaster mitigation, prior preparation, effective relief distribution and rehabilitation of victims has been 365.73 crore issued for the rescue of those affected by floods. This has been spent especially on the rehabilitation of those affected by floods in Saryu, Ganga and Ghaghara. For compensation of loss due to cyclonic storm and thunderstorm 14.13 crore, for compensation of hailstorm damage 0.13 crore, for compensation in fire incidents 14.63 crore and for cold wave protection 50.72 crore have been issued.

In this sequence, the state government has allocated about 246.63 crore for other disasters. 0.44 crore for the general head and 17.71 crore for other relief works have been issued. This amount has been spent on providing speedy immediate relief, rehabilitation and rescue operations in disaster-affected areas of the state and on making the disaster relief mechanism effective.

The Relief Commissioner's office made extensive arrangements for rescue in the cold season, due to which there has been a special reduction in deaths due to cold waves this year. In this sequence, 45.51 crore for blanket distribution to helpless and destitute persons and 3.51 crore for lighting bonfires have been issued by the state government. Through this, arrangements for lighting bonfires at 27,027 places have been ensured in all districts of the state. Where, so far, 169,834 bonfires have been lit, this work is still continuing as per need. Meanwhile, 589,689 blankets have been distributed to the poor and helpless by district administrations.

Along with this, 1,242 rain shelters have been established across the state, where more than 64 thousand persons have been provided relief by rain shelters so far. These arrangements have proved to be remarkable efforts in saving the lives of helpless and destitute people during the cold wave. The objective of the provincial government is that every disaster-affected person gets immediate assistance and economic stability is ensured along with life protection. For this, the Disaster Sentinel App and the 1070 toll-free number are also operated by the Relief Commissioner's office. Which ensures immediate assistance and effective coordination to those affected by disaster.
February 02 : Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "Investment made in Uttar Pradesh is not merely an investment in one state, but an investment in the national interest. The economic strength and stability towards which Uttar Pradesh is steadily moving would not have been possible without the significant role played by the industry sector".

The Chief Minister emphasized that industry is the biggest partner in the states prosperity, employment generation and in advancing the goal of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and that the government intends to further strengthen this partnership.

Addressing a special meeting held on Saturday with state-level industry associations and leading entrepreneurs, the Chief Minister said, "The government does not view industries merely as investors, but as integral partners in the development process".

He further assured that every entrepreneur investing in the state would find the government standing firmly with them, ensuring support at the policy, infrastructure and administrative levels.

The Chief Minister called upon industry groups to actively participate in Uttar Pradeshs development and social transformation through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He said that, based on their interests and expertise, industry groups could contribute under CSR in sectors such as education, healthcare, skill development, women empowerment, environmental protection and local infrastructure.

He added, the government considers the social contribution of industries as a strong foundation for inclusive development in the state.

While interacting with representatives of 'Laghu Udyog Bharati', the Chief Minister invited policy suggestions to promote innovation in the MSME sector. He sought industry cooperation to further strengthen packaging, designing and export promotion. Highlighting the significant role of women in the textile and ready-made garments secto.

He said, concrete and practical efforts are required to create more opportunities for women in this field.

The Chief Minister assured entrepreneurs of timely disbursement of incentives in line with the states industrial policies. He stated that it is the governments priority to ensure that announced incentives reach industries in a transparent and time-bound manner. He also drew attention to the potential of the toy industry and emphasized the need for developing toy parks in the state.

Emphasizing the need to reduce the cost of industrial land, the Chief Minister said that costs related to land, logistics and approvals would be brought down further to make investment more attractive. He made it clear that creating a facilitative environment for MSME units and new entrepreneurs is a top priority of the government.

To make 'Udyog Bandhu' meetings more effective, the Chief Minister directed that the presence of the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police must be ensured in district-level meetings. He stated that issues and expectations raised by the industry must be resolved in all circumstances before the next meeting.

He further directed that state-level 'Udyog Bandhu' meetings should not be confined to Lucknow alone, but should also be organized at other divisional headquarters. At the Commissionerate level, 'Udyog Bandhu' meetings should be held every two months in the presence of the Divisional Commissioner and ADG/IG, with participation of concerned ministers, the CEO of Invest UP and senior officials associated with infrastructure and industrial development. At the state level, quarterly meetings should be held in the presence of the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to ensure swift and satisfactory resolution of entrepreneurs issues.

The Chief Minister also instructed the Principal Secretary, Housing, to put in place necessary arrangements to ensure that unnecessary taxes are not levied on land being used for residential parking, so that citizens and industry stakeholders are not burdened with additional costs.

During the important meeting, a special presentation was made to apprise entrepreneurs of Uttar Pradeshs transformative development journey over the past nearly nine years. The presentation highlighted that due to policy stability, extensive infrastructure expansion and administrative reforms, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as one of the countrys leading industrial states.

It was informed that nearly 55 percent of Indias total expressway network lies in Uttar Pradesh, with a total length of approximately 1,225 kilometers. Currently, six expressways are operational in the state, while seven are under construction. A major portion of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors passes through Uttar Pradesh and their intersection at Dadri positions the state as a national logistics hub.

The presentation also noted that the state has 16 operational airports, including four international airports, while the international airport at Jewar is rapidly taking shape. These facilities have significantly strengthened connectivity and supply chains for industries.

Highlighting progress in the export sector, it was shared that in 2023-24, Uttar Pradeshs merchandise exports increased to approximately 1.86 lakh crore, reflecting a growth of over 100 percent in the past seven to eight years. Export potential in sectors such as engineering, electronics, textiles, defense and agro-processing has been steadily rising.

Sharing figures on industrial expansion, it was stated that the number of registered factories in the state has increased from about 8,980 in 2003 to nearly 27,000 at present. Industrial investment is now expanding rapidly not only in major cities but also across districts in Purvanchal, Bundelkhand and western Uttar Pradesh.

It was also informed that through four Ground Breaking Ceremonies, investment projects worth over 15 lakh crore have already been implemented and preparations are underway to organize 'GBC@5' for projects worth approximately 6 lakh crore.

On policy reforms, it was highlighted that Uttar Pradesh secured first place in the country under Deregulation 1.0. Reforms such as the Building Bye-Laws 2025, auto-scrutiny systems, third-party inspections and amendments to over 40 laws eliminating nearly 200 compliances have provided significant relief to industries.

Through the upcoming 'Nivesh Mitra 3.0', services of more than 40 departments have been integrated, documentation and procedures have been substantially reduced and real-time tracking along with digital facilities have been provided.

It was also shared that over the next two years, 185 industrial clusters will be upgraded with improved basic infrastructure at an investment of approximately 5,000 crore. Additionally, 400 crore has been allocated for roads in industrial areas.

The meeting witnessed wide participation from representatives of major industry and trade organizations, including the Confederation of Indian Industry (UP), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UP), PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Indian Industries Association, ASSOCHAM Uttar Pradesh, Laghu Udyog Bharati, Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, NASSCOM and the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India.

Representatives shared their views and suggestions on the states industrial policies, investment climate and development initiatives.
Kolkata, Feb 2 : Trinamool Congress General Secretary and the party's Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee, will be accompanying West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the latter's scheduled meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, at the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s headquarters in New Delhi on Monday afternoon.

The meeting time has been scheduled for 4 p.m. The Chief Minister has been in New Delhi since Sunday afternoon, preparing the groundwork for her probable points of objections to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal.

The meeting is taking place amid unprecedented tension between the West Bengal government and the ECI, with the Chief Minister herself filing a petition in the Supreme Court against the ECI and the Office of the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) over the ongoing SIR exercise.

In the petition, Mamata Banerjee had accused the ECI of political bias and adopting an authoritarian approach while conducting the SIR and claimed that the constitutional institution from which impartiality and the protection of democratic values were expected has now "reached a level that is extremely worrying for any democratic society".

This is the second petition filed on this issue. Earlier, Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra and the party's Rajya Sabha members Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen filed a petition in the matter on behalf of the ruling party in the apex court.

Earlier on Saturday, the Chief Minister had sent a letter to the CEC, where she questioned the authority of special roll observers (SROs) and micro-observers, who, according to her, have been appointed only in West Bengal to review the ongoing SIR in the state.

Another significant factor in the development is that the scheduled meeting between the Chief Minister and the CEC is happening on Monday, a day before the apex court will hear (on Tuesday) the crucial matter on the controversies over the Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s parallel raid and search operations at the premises linked to Indian Political Action Committee and I-PAC's co-founder, Pratik Jain last month.

The apex court, on Tuesday, will hear ED's petition accusing the Chief Minister, accompanied by top bureaucrats and police officers of the state, of preventing its officials from performing their duties.

Political observers feel that the scheduled meeting between the Chief Minister and the CEC is expected to be quite stormy amid so many developments.

-- Syndicated from IANS
February 02 : Lucknow: During a special meeting with Industry Organizations and Entrepreneurs in the presence of Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries with Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath, the Chief Minister invited suggestions from the industry regarding Budget 2026-27 and urged entrepreneurs and industry organizations to give practical suggestions to make Ease of Doing Business more effective.

CII Vice Chairman Abhishek Saraf highlighted the need for land allotment to accelerate industrial activities in the Lucknow node of the Defence Corridor and expressed expectation for a quick decision in this direction.

FICCI Chairman Manoj Gupta demanded making industrial land freehold, saying that this will increase both investors' confidence and long-term investment.

The representative of India Pesticides Limited expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for de-criminalization of various laws and described it as a big and positive reform for industries.

ASSOCHAM Co-Chairman Hassan Yaqub suggested implementing a system like One Company-One Register-One Letter, which will simplify the compliance process.

He said, On the lines of Uttar Pradeshs One District One Product, a similar program has also been started in the Philippines, which reflects the global acceptance of the states policy.

Meanwhile, information was also shared about the planned efforts being made by Assocham Uttar Pradesh for placement of youth.

Discussions were also held in the meeting on issues related to industrial skills and financial markets. Representatives emphasized developing ITI institutions further, encouraging research and innovation there, and the need for development of equity market. It was described as extremely useful for a strong industrial economy of the future.

Industry organizations also demanded introduction of OTS scheme in pollution control related cases. Along with this, it was suggested that regular dialogue be facilitated between Uttar Pradeshs MSME units and various export councils of the country, so that exports can get a boost on a large scale.

NASSCOM Lucknow Chapter Chairman Ramesh Jaidi highlighted the need for plug-and-play facility for small IT companies, saying that this will help startups and emerging tech companies to grow rapidly.

CRED AI UP President Shobhit Mohan Das emphasized the need to organize Awas Bandhu meetings at regular intervals on the lines of Udyog Bandhu for resolution of problems of the real estate sector.

While interacting with Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry State President Manish Verma, the Chief Minister said, concrete and planned efforts should be made to prepare at least 10 young entrepreneurs from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in each district, so that inclusive industrial development can gain momentum.
Mumbai, Feb 2 : Actor Gurmeet Choudhary has expressed his deep emotional connection to his roots, saying Bihar continues to hold a special place in his heart, no matter where life takes him.

He also shared a heartfelt note reflecting on his bond with his native place. He wrote that while his journey has taken him to different destinations, his roots remain unchanged and close to his heart.

"No matter where life takes me, my roots remain the same. Bihar lives in my heart, always.

Missing my native place deeply. #BiharPride #RootsForever #DesiRoots #HomeIsHome #BiharDiaries FromBiharWithPride," Gurmeet wrote as the caption.

For the unversed, the Golghar in Patna was intended to be just the first of a series of huge grain stores. In the end, however, no others were ever built. The beehive - shaped structure was designed by John Garstin of the Bengal Engineers, part of the East India Company's Bengal Army. Its construction was completed on 20 July 1786.

Talking about Gurmeet, he was recently seen in Laughter Chefs 3 and "Pati Patni Aur Panga" with his wife Debinna Bonnerjee.

Gurmeet and Debinna rose to prominence after portraying Rama and Sita in the 2009 television epic 'Ramayana'. They first got married in 2011 and then tied the knot again in 2021. They had their first child, a daughter, in April 2022 and their second daughter in November 2022.

After gaining prominence through his portrayal of Rama in the 2009 television series Ramayan, he and his wife joined the reality show Pati Patni Aur Woh. After this show, he played the role of a business magnate, Maan Singh Khurana, in Geet  Hui Sabse Parayi alongside Drashti Dhami.

He also played a lead role in the show Punar Vivah. Gurmeet participated in and won the fifth season of the popular dance contest Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa with choreographer Shampa Sonthalia.

He was then seen on the dance competition Nach Baliye 6 alongside his wife, Debina, where he finished as the first runner-up. He also participated in an action reality show, Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi (season 5), where he was named the first runner-up.

Gurmeet's first foray into Bollywood was in 2015, when he was cast as Jaidev in the psychological thriller Khamoshiyan.
Jammu, Feb 2 : The Jammu and Kashmir cabinet meeting, scheduled on Monday, will finalise the budget proposals to be presented in the Legislative Assembly on February 6 by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the union territory finance minister.

The Omar Abdullah-led Cabinet will meet here in the afternoon to give final shape to the budgetary proposals for the financial year 2026-27, with emphasis on welfare initiatives and key commitments of the ruling National Conference, official sources said.

Same sources said that the Cabinet meeting, to be chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, will be held at his official residence on Wazarat Road here at 3 p.m.

The meeting comes on the opening day of the Budget Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Sources said the annual budget, to be presented by the Chief Minister on February 6, is expected to be around Rs 1.20 lakh crore.

Several welfare measures, including initiatives promised in the NC manifesto, are likely to be cleared by the Cabinet for inclusion in the budget.

A positive announcement regarding Daily Rated Workers (DRWs) is also expected, sources said.

Earlier in the day, the Budget Session began with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinhaas address, which will be followed by obituary references and will conclude around 12.30 p.m.

The Cabinet meeting will be followed by a National Conference Legislature Party meeting at 4 p.m.

Officials said the Cabinetas primary focus will be on finalising budget-related proposals, with limited departmental agenda items.

All Cabinet decisions will be subject to the approval of the Lieutenant Governor.

CM Omar Abdullah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will present his second budget after replying to the debate on the L-Gas address on February 5.

The 27-day-long budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is spread over three months till April 4.
Chennai, Feb 2 : Actress Preity Mukhundan, who plays the lead along with actors Atharvaa Murali and Kayadu Lohar in director Aakash Baskaran's eagerly-awaited romantic drama, 'Idhayam Murali', has now penned a post of appreciation for the members of the film's unit, saying they had taken good care of her when she was unwell.

Chennai, Feb 2 (IANS) Actress Preity Mukhundan, who plays the lead along with actors Atharvaa Murali and Kayadu Lohar in director Aakash Baskaran's eagerly-awaited romantic drama, 'Idhayam Murali', has now penned a post of appreciation for the members of the film's unit, saying they had taken good care of her when she was unwell.

Taking to her Instagram page to share a BTS video and several pictures shot on the sets of the film, the actress wrote, "Appreciation post for all the cuties who took care of your girl on set when i was hella sick and in vegetative state. Saved the best for the last (though we weren't talking to each other coz we were fighting)."

The film has triggered huge expectations and is among the most eagerly awaited entertainers of the year.

It may be recalled that actor Atharvaa had, at the time of the film's title launch, dedicated this film to all those in one-side love.

Participating in the title launch event that was held at the premises of the St Joseph's Institute of Technology in Chennai, Atharvaa, who plays the role of Idhayam Murali in the film, had asked the gathering of students, "How many of you are in one-side love?"

He then went on to say, "To be honest, the joy, the sadness, the disappointment that one experiences in one-side love is much more significant than what one experiences in a double-side love relationship and is unforgettable in life. We wanted to showcase all this and dedicate a film to one-side love."

The title of the film, 'Idhayam Murali', reminds one of the cult classic 'Idhayam', which happens to be one of the biggest hits of actor Atharvaa's father, Murali.

Speaking about the title, Atharvaa had said, "We did not keep this title 'Idhayam Murali' for the sake of my dad. In the film, I have an Idhayam Murali within me. I have a one-side love. Likewise, I know there must be an Idhayam Murali in all of you. As they say in this film, beyond Laila- Majnu, Romeo-Juliet, if there is recognition for one-side love, it is Idhayam Murali. So, very happy to have done this film.I dedicate this film to all the one-side lovers out here."

The teaser of the film showed Atharvaa playing a character called Idhayam Murali in the film. It begins with Atharvaa sitting in the US and watching a video of a friend of his proposing to his girlfriend. Just as he finishes watching the clip, he receives a call from his uncle, asking him where he is as all the guests for his wedding have arrived and are enquiring about him. Idhayaa tells him that he is in New York. His uncle, shocked by the response, asks him to return to India. Idhayaa says he will head to the airport immediately to which his uncle says that he will stay on line till he boards a plane back home

One of south India's top music directors Thaman returns to acting with this film. Thaman was last seen as a hero in director Shankar's much talked about film 'Boys'. Interestingly, Thaman has also scored the music for this film.

Apart from Atharvaa, Preity Mukundhan, Kayadu Lohar, and Thaman, the film will also feature Natty, Niharika NM, Rakshan, Dravid, Angeline, Pragya, Sudhakar and Yashashree among others.

Cinematography for the film is by Manoj Paramahamsa and editing is by Pradeep E Ragav. Senthilkumar Kesavan has co-directed this film which has dialogues by Ramanagirivasan, Aakash Baskaran and Dravid Selvam.

--IANS

Mkr/
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 2 : The Kerala Assembly witnessed high drama on Monday after Speaker A.N. Shamseer denied permission to move an adjournment motion seeking a discussion on the alleged liberal grant of parole to convicted criminals with links to CPI(M).

The ruling triggered protests by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), culminating in a boycott of the day's proceedings led by Leader of Opposition (LoP) V.D. Satheesan.

The adjournment motion was moved by K.K. Rema, MLA and widow of slain CPI(M) rebel leader T.P. Chandrasekharan. Rema sought a debate on what the opposition described as the government's selective and arbitrary use of parole provisions, particularly in cases involving convicts linked to the ruling party.

The Speaker rejected the notice, stating that the matter did not warrant an adjournment discussion.

Intervening in the issue was State Parliamentary Affairs Minister M.B. Rajesh, who said there is no urgency that demands leave for an adjournment motion, and the same can be raised as a submission.

Following the denial, the opposition members raised slogans inside the House, accusing the government of shielding criminals.

As the din intensified, Satheesan stood up to express the opposition's strong objection, accusing the government of stifling debate on an issue of public importance.

He then led UDF legislators out of the House in protest.

Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, K.K. Rema said the convicts in the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case had together availed themselves of more than 1,000 days of parole so far.

She alleged that the repeated grant of parole had undermined the spirit of justice and caused deep distress to the victim's family.

"Those convicted for a brutal political murder are being treated with extraordinary leniency," she said.

Satheesan alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan government was "exceptionally liberal" in granting parole to the killers of Chandrasekharan.

He claimed that the Chief Minister was unwilling to rein in the practice as he was "afraid of those elements", an allegation strongly contested by the ruling front.

The government, however, maintained that parole was granted strictly in accordance with existing rules and procedures.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : Indian agencies have busted several plots hatched by ISI-backed terrorists, which were aimed at carrying out strikes in India. What the Indian agencies have learnt in recent months is that Pakistan has set up multiple networks within the country aimed at disturbing peace.

An Intelligence Bureau official stated that it is not just one type of network that the ISI has established. The Pakistani spy agency is not only limiting itself to setting up terror modules meant to carry out attacks. There are spy rings that have been established, and in addition to this, a major honey-trapping network has emerged in the country. The ISI has been using its proxies to target individuals in Jammu and Kashmir, whom they feel are anti-Pakistan.

Further, there are hit squads too that have come back. These squads have prepared hit lists of prominent people. Officials say that this only indicates the scale at which the ISI wants to operate in the country. Following the Pahalgam attack, India hit back by carrying out Operation Sindoor. This has led to heightened security at the borders, as a result of which the infiltrations have dried up.

With no terrorist being able to infiltrate, Pakistan has reactivated existing modules in Jammu and Kashmir. Those terrorists who had infiltrated much earlier were kept on standby mode, and now they have been instructed to strike in Jammu and Kashmir.

Another official said that there is also heightened drone activity in the bordering areas. The drones are sent in to drop off drugs and arms in Punjab. The intention is to revive the Khalistan movement there, officials say. The ISI has also instructed its proxy, the Lashkar-e-Taiba, to carry out a sustained campaign in Jammu and Kashmir whereby prominent individuals would be targeted and labelled anti-Pakistan and anti-Kashmir. This operation is aimed at maligning such individuals and attempting to get the locals to act against such persons.

Last week, the Lashkar-e-Taiba targeted noted counter-terrorism expert Junaid Qureshi. He has been critical of the ISI, and hence, the threat was issued to him. Qureshias father, Hashim Qureshi, was one of the hijackers of the Air India flight IC-405 in 1971. However, Qureshi does not subscribe to his fatheras view.

Recently, the Gujarat ATS arrested a youth, originally from Uttar Pradesh, for propagating the ideology of terror groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al Qaeda. Based on what his handlers advised him, he had been spreading the ideology of these terror groups. He also prepared a hit list of seven persons. Investigations found that he had plans to eliminate these persons with the intention of spreading panic in Gujarat.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that there is a clear pattern that can be found. The ISI wants to keep the Indian agencies busy and hence is pushing its agenda on a very large scale. The aim is to confuse the Indian agencies so that they end up making a mistake. The ISI would wait for such an opportunity before it attempts to carry out a major strike. Further, the agenda is also to recruit as many youth as possible. The ISI is ready to buy out individuals to further their cause.

Another official explained that in the months to come, Pakistan would continue to further a similar agenda aimed not only at confusing the agencies, but also with the intention of recruiting more youth. Pakistan wants terror in India to be completely homegrown in nature. This would spare them the trouble of infiltration and also give Pakistan the deniability factor during a terror strike. The homegrown network is being pushed hard after India changed its doctrine, in which it said that any act of terror would be considered an act of war and not cross-border terrorism.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar will begin a three-day visit to the United States on Monday to participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

According to the MEA, the Ministerial will focus on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions, and strategic cooperation in critical minerals.

During the visit from February 2-4, EAM Jaishankar will also hold meetings with senior members of the US administration.

Last week, the EAM met US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in New Delhi, discussing many dimensions of bilateral ties.

Welcoming Gor, EAM Jaishankar expressed confidence that he would contribute to strengthening ties between India and the United States.

"Pleased to meet US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor today in New Delhi. Our conversation covered the many dimensions of our partnership. Welcomed him and expressed confidence that he would contribute to the strengthening of India - US relations," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

EAM Jaishankar met a US Congressional delegation comprising Mike Rogers, Adam Smith and Jimmy Patronis, along with Sergio Gor, in New Delhi on January 25, as both sides discussed strengthening of bilateral ties, developments in the Indo-Pacific region, and the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

Following their talks, EAM Jaishankar posted on X: "Congressional interactions have always been an important facet of our relationship."

Earlier on January 13, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke over the phone with EAM Jaishankar, reviewing key areas of cooperation, including civil nuclear energy, trade talks, and regional security in the Indo-Pacific.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor described it as a positive call.

"They discussed next steps regarding our bilateral trade negotiations, critical minerals, and a possible meeting next month," Gor wrote on X.

--IANS

scor/sd/

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kabul, Feb 2 : Police have recovered arms and ammunition from a car and taken two suspected smugglers into custody in eastern Paktia province, a statement from the provincial police office said Monday.

The weapons, which included a Kalashnikov assault rifle, two hand grenades and a quantity of ammunition, were found in the car at a checkpoint on a road on Sunday afternoon, the statement said.

Police also detained two individuals for allegedly attempting to smuggle the weapons and referred them to the judiciary for further investigation, Xinhua News Agency reported.

No unauthorised individual has the right to keep or carry arms illegally, the statement said, noting police would spare no effort to ensure law and order in the province.

On January 29, a local police official said Afghan security forces have seized and confiscated dozens of firearms and a large quantity of ammunition in southern Helmand province during a three-month counter-terrorism operation.

Mawlawi Sayed Wali Saeed, the provincial counter-terrorism manager, said 26 individuals were arrested in connection with the weapons haul.

On January 9, provincial police chief Mawlawi Abdul Haq Haqqani said police have discovered a weapon cache containing a variety of arms and ammunition in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan.

The weaponry was recovered from Deh Salah district on January 8, the official added.

Without providing further details, the official stressed that no one has the right to keep or carry arms illegally, and police would spare no effort to collect weaponry from unauthorized persons to ensure law and order in the province.

Previously, police reported the collection of 21 firearms and the arrest of 18 individuals in eastern Parwan province on January 7.

As part of efforts to ensure law and order in post-war Afghanistan, the Afghan government has vowed to collect arms and ammunition from anyone living outside the security organs of the administration.

In November last year, a significant weapons cache was uncovered in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, with three individuals arrested in connection to the discovery, local authorities confirmed.

According to Bilal Uruzgani, the spokesperson for the provincial police, the weapons were found hidden in a residential house. The cache included a variety of ammunition, hand grenades, rocket shells, bullets, and other munitions.

Authorities have initiated further investigations to identify other individuals who may be connected to the illicit arms stash.
Seoul, Feb 2 : Lawmakers of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Monday introduced a bill aimed at promoting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research and development for the defence sector.

The bill, jointly proposed by PPP Representative Yu Yong-weon and DP Representative Boo Seung-chan, along with 31 other lawmakers from the rival parties, comes as AI technologies are emerging as a "key factor shaping future defence capabilities," Yonhap News Agency reported.

"This bill will provide a fundamental framework to systematize defence AI as a key capability of national security, and to ensure that AI is used stably in defence operations and sustainable development," Representative Yu said in a press release.

The bill, which the lawmakers said is the country's first such bill on comprehensively managing AI in the defence sector at the national level, aims to ensure the stable operation of the entire life cycle of defence AI from its early stages of research and development to operational deployment and post management.

"AI is a core strategic asset that shapes national security as a whole," Representative Boo said. "The bill is significant in that it provides a foundational framework rather than focusing on regulation, and laying out principles and accountability at the minimum so that AI can be used stably in the military field."

The lawmakers said the proposed bill seeks to address concerns over the responsible use and sustainable development of defence AI, as the existing AI framework excludes the defence sector from its scope.

The bill also calls for the creation of a committee to deliberate and decide on key policies related to defence AI, as well as the establishment of a policy center and research institute.

Under the bill, the government would be required to come up with and implement a basic plan on military AI every three years.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
February 02 : Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday attended a programme organized on the occasion of the 649th birth anniversary of Sant Shiromani Sadguru Ravidas Ji. On this occasion, the Chief Minister unveiled the statue of Sant Ravidas Ji and an auditorium at Sant Ravidas Math, Barabirwa, on Kanpur Road in Lucknow.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said, "Sant Ravidas manifested on earth 649 years ago in Seer Govardhan, Kashi. Even after so many centuries, society, illuminated by his divine aura, continues to move forward towards building Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat. When Sant Ravidas appeared on earth, the country was distressed by foreign invaders. Even in those challenging times, he upheld the purity of spiritual practice and transformed it into disciplined action (karma sadhana). The form of worship he inspired, in accordance with the Vaishnav tradition, emphasises the primacy of righteous action and purity of mind and instils an unwavering commitment to public welfare."

Referring to Sant Ravidass famous saying, Man changa to kathauti mein Ganga, CM Yogi said, "Everything depends on ones actions. Good deeds yield good results, while bad deeds lead to adverse outcomes. After receiving initiation from Sant Ramanand, Sant Ravidas paved the path of public welfare through disciplined action."

The Chief Minister also addressed those who allege social discrimination stating, the Jagadguru Ramanandacharya, during the Medieval period, chose 12 disciples from different castes to unite society. The scale of social integration achieved by saints during that era was extraordinary, and modern India stands firmly on the foundation they laid. The inspiration to break the chains of slavery also emerged from this legacy.

The Chief Minister added by saying, Sant Ravidas envisioned a state where everyone would have access to food, no one would sleep hungry, and every individual would have the opportunity to live a dignified life. The words of saints never go in vain. Mughal rulers, the British and even various governments after Independence neglected Sant Ravidass inspiration.

However, after the formation of the government in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured that bank accounts were opened for the poor, enabling direct transfer of benefits. Toilets, PM Awas, LPG connections, free electricity connections, rations and healthcare facilities were provided to the needy. The essence of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas is deeply rooted in the inspiration of Sadguru Ravidas.

On the inauguration of the auditorium, CM Yogi said, "The government holds deep reverence for great personalities. With the construction of the auditorium, committees will no longer face difficulties in organising programmes during winter, summer or the rainy season. Bhajan mandalis, devotees, and speakers can now comfortably participate together."

CM also said, nearly two lakh devotees from across the country have gathered at Seer Govardhan. Before 2017, there was neither a proper road nor a langar hall. Inspired by Prime Minister Modi, the double-engine government connected the birthplace of Sant Ravidas with a four-lane road. A large tract of land was reclaimed through court proceedings, compensation was provided to the poor and the land was purchased in the name of Sant Ravidas.

CM also informed, a langar hall was constructed where 50,000 people can be served meals at a time. The statue of Sant Ravidas is visible from five kilometres away, giving the dham a grand and divine appearance. This was not merely a slogan but a genuine expression of gratitude towards Sant Ravidass inspiration, demonstrated by the BJP-led double-engine government in Kashi.

CM Yogi said that everyone should have reverence and respect for saints and great personalities. He reiterated his warning that divisive forces will attempt to create discord, but remembering the era of slavery, they must not be allowed to rise again. The fruits of the divine spiritual attainments of saints will benefit the nation and all citizens must work together for the unity and sovereignty of the country.

He highlighted that restoration and development work has been carried out at around 1200-1500 religious sites associated with Sanatan Dharma, including Maharishi Valmikis Lalapur, Sant Tulsidass Rajapur, Vindhyavasini Dham, Chitrakoot, Ayodhya, Shuktirth, Naimisharanya, Mathura-Vrindavan and the Buddhist Circuit linked to Lord Buddha. He said Prime Minister Modi has given the mantra of Sabka Prayas, Sabka Vikas, moving forward by earning Sabka Vishwas through collective efforts.

The Chief Minister extended greetings on the occasion of Magh Purnima and prayed that Maa Ganga fulfils everyones wishes. He said that lakhs of Kalpvasis in Prayagraj had been engaged in spiritual practices and devotional worship for a month. After completing their penance, they would take a sacred dip in the blessings of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati before returning home.

This reflects the inspiration of saints and Indias Sanatan tradition. A body hardened through rigorous penance, irrespective of cold, heat, or rain, becomes capable of facing challenges in times of crisis.

CM Yogi cited an example of Sant Ravidass divine words and spiritual power. He said, "When fellow saints invited Sant Ravidas to take a holy dip in the Ganga, Sant Ravidas replied that he had more work that day and asked them to offer a coin to Maa Ganga on his behalf. When the other saints offered the coin after bathing and worship, Maa Ganga herself manifested and accepted the offering, saying that Sant Ravidas was her true devotee".

On this occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Legislative Council Member Lal Ji Prasad Nirmal, MLA Amresh Kumar, BJP Metropolitan President Anand Dwivedi, Minority Commission Member Sardar Parvinder Singh, Sant Ravidas Seva Samiti President Harishchand, General Secretary Santosh Kumar, Rakesh Kumar and others were present.
February 02 : Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chaired the Uttar Pradesh State Road Fund Management Committee meeting on Sunday. The Chief Minister said, "Roads are the base of the state's economic development, investment attraction, industrial expansion and public facilities. Therefore, all departments should give topmost priority to time-bound, transparent and quality construction". He also directed that old works should not remain pending.

The meeting reviewed the proposed action plan and financial provisions for the year 2025-26. Chief Minister said that the annual action plan should be prepared and got approved by the end of April every year.

Departments were clearly directed that head-wise allocation should be ensured from the beginning and whatever internal revision is needed in any head, it should be got approved in time so that development works are not hampered. He said that new technology should be adopted in road construction. Innovations with low cost but long life should be adopted.

Chief Minister said, "The result of every project should be visible on the ground within the stipulated time limit. To ensure road safety and smooth traffic arrangements in the state, the operation of overloaded trucks and dumpers should be completely stopped."

Along with this, health check-ups of heavy vehicle drivers should be mandatorily conducted at regular intervals so that accidents due to fatigue or carelessness can be prevented. Strict compliance of safety standards during road construction and maintenance will be mandatory.

Chief Minister directed the committee that meetings should be held at least twice in every financial year, so that regular review of progress can be done. Along with this, road construction-related proposals should be taken only from public representatives, so that plans are prepared according to actual needs.

In the meeting, Chief Minister emphasized on stopping overloaded vehicles, increasing road safety awareness and ensuring parking as per the arrangement of local bodies. He directed the officers that road repair and new construction works should be transparent, high quality and to provide real relief to the public.

Chief Minister expressed confidence that the action plan of financial year 2025-26 will be completed on time and remarkable progress will be recorded in Uttar Pradesh's road infrastructure.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to attend the World Government Summit in Dubai this week as Zimbabwe steps up its engagement and re-engagement drive aimed at attracting investment across key sectors of the economy.The summit, which brings together global political leaders, policymakers and business executives, is expected to provide Zimbabwe with a strategic platform to advance its trade, investment and diplomatic objectives. Reporting from Dubai, Bruce Chahwanda spoke to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, who outlined the significance of the President's participation.Professor Murwira described the United Arab Emirates as one of Zimbabwe's most important economic partners, noting that it currently ranks among the country's leading export destinations. He said the World Government Summit brings together governments that are responsive to technological change and shifting geopolitical realities, creating opportunities for meaningful engagement."His Excellency the President will engage with world leaders, business executives and political figures to advance Zimbabwe's trade agenda, which has seen exports grow from around US$2 billion in 2012 to more than US$16 billion today," Professor Murwira said. "The main objective is to ensure prosperity, happiness and fulfilling lives for the people of Zimbabwe through trade and economic investment."He added that the summit also offers an opportunity to project Zimbabwe's image as a peaceful, stable and forward-looking nation open for business."Discussions will cover tourism, technology and governance. Zimbabwe has been rated by Forbes magazine as a top destination for investment by 2025. These achievements reflect sustained foreign policy efforts and the importance of the President's presence at strategic global platforms such as the World Government Summit," Professor Murwira said.The minister highlighted Zimbabwe's comparative advantages, pointing to its natural resource endowment and human capital as key drivers for investment."Zimbabwe is unique, with the highest mineral density, a favourable climate and strong agricultural potential, including high-value crops such as blueberries and tobacco," he said. "The country also has a rich heritage, abundant natural resources, a secure environment and high human capital, with a literacy rate of about 98%. These attributes make Zimbabwe an attractive destination for investment in minerals, agriculture, tourism and human capital development."Professor Murwira said the overarching goal is to convert these strengths into tangible economic benefits that improve living standards for all citizens.He also outlined President Mnangagwa's programme during the summit, saying the Head of State is expected to hold a series of high-level engagements over the next three days."His Excellency will meet world leaders in both political and business capacities. These engagements are in line with Zimbabwe's constitutional mandate under Section 8, Chapter 2, to promote equality, prosperity and fulfilling lives for all people," Professor Murwira said.The World Government Summit is regarded as a key global forum for shaping future governance models, innovation and international cooperation, and Zimbabwe's participation underscores its intention to remain actively engaged on the international stage.
February 02 : Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has set a target to take the total Credit Deposit (CD Ratio) in the state to more than 62% by the end of the current financial year. While chairing the special meeting of State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) on Sunday, Chief Minister obtained information from all bank representatives about their CD Ratio and emphasized on making concrete efforts to increase CD Ratio. It was told in the meeting that UP's total CD Ratio has become 60.39% till December 2025, which is the highest level in the last about ten years.

According to district-wise review, districts with less than 40% 'CD Ratio' have reduced to only five, while there has been continuous improvement in the number of districts in 40-50, 50-60 and 60-80 percent categories. In March 2018, there were 20 districts with less than 40% CD Ratio, which have now reduced to five. Chief Minister directed that targeted improvement in CD Ratio of all districts should be ensured by March 2026.

In the important meeting, Chief Minister said, "After the success of One District One Product (ODOP), now the state government is going to give new identity to small traders, artisans associated with traditional cuisine and gig workers through One District One Cuisine (ODOC)."

He appealed to the banks that just as financial support was received for ODOP, similarly ODOC should also be given priority and maximum people should be provided loans. Chief Minister said that government is providing full support in training, packaging, branding and marketing and banks' role will be decisive in accelerating this mission.

While chairing the special meeting of State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC), Chief Minister gave example of 'PM Surya Ghar Yojana' and 'Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan' and said that the cooperative spirit of banks is at the center of success of these schemes.

He clearly said that situations like demand for unnecessary documents, repeated verification and delay in process discourage beneficiaries. Chief Minister directed that banking process should be such that common citizen gets real convenience and eligible beneficiary can get benefit of schemes without any hassle.

Chief Minister said that Uttar Pradesh is moving ahead rapidly in areas of economic activities, industrial investment, entrepreneurship, agriculture and women-youth self-reliance. Active partnership of banking system is mandatory in this progress. He told all bank representatives that credit availability to farmers, micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMEs), startups, women self-help groups and new entrepreneur youths should be simple, respectable and time-bound.

Chief Minister directed to run special campaigns in those districts where CD Ratio is less than 40% and said that banks should organize mega loan melas targeting villages. Chief Minister directed Chief Secretary to ensure monthly District Level Bankers Committee meeting. He also appealed to banks to become partners in UP's development through CSR.

It was told in the meeting that in the last 08 years, the state's banking system has become extremely strong. In March 2017, the state's total deposit amount was 8.92 lakh crore, which has increased to 20.44 lakh crore in December 2025. In the same period, total loan disbursement has increased from 4.05 lakh crore to 12.34 lakh crore. In March 2017, the state's total banking business was 12.80 lakh crore, which has become 32.79 lakh crore in December 2025.

From April 2022 to December 2025, alone deposit increased by 6.47 lakh crore, loan by 5.03 lakh crore and total banking business by 11.50 lakh crore. Loan flow in agriculture, MSME and priority sectors has continuously improved. Between December 2024 and December 2025, more than 23 percent growth has been recorded in MSME sector.

Information about achievements of Financial Inclusion Campaign (July-October 2025) was also presented in the meeting. During this period, the state has performed excellently across the country and secured first position in seven out of eight major indicators.

In the state, 57,699 financial literacy camps were organized, 22.24 lakh Jan Dhan accounts were opened, 17.14 lakh people were enrolled in Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and 43.35 lakh citizens in Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). 6.90 lakh new subscriptions were recorded in Atal Pension Yojana (APY). The state's performance was also top at national level in areas like enrollment, claim settlement, re-KYC and enrollment updation.

It was told in the meeting that during financial year 2025-26, big loans of more than 22,000 crore have been approved in various sectors including energy, agriculture, infrastructure, industry, MSME and NBFC co-lending model. Important approvals have also been received for UPPCF, UPCU, power transmission and other industrial projects.

In the last one year, large scale loan distribution was done in programs like MSME Day, Chief Minister Youth Conclave, Vishwakarma Jayanti, International Trade Show and UP Diwas. Alone on Vishwakarma Jayanti, loans of 1.32 lakh crore were approved. Two mega loan distribution programs are proposed on 20 February and 16 March 2026, in which target of loan distribution of more than 2.20 lakh crore is there.

While presenting scheme-wise progress, it was told that in the current financial year, more than 4.66 lakh applications have been received in PM Surya Ghar Yojana, out of which approval to 2.32 lakh and loan disbursement to 2.07 lakh has been done.

In PM SVANidhi Yojana, out of total 22.85 lakh applications, approval to 21.15 lakh and loan disbursement to 20.72 lakh has been done, in which Uttar Pradesh is first in the country. Under Kisan Credit Card Scheme, limit of more than 1 lakh crore has been approved to 50.82 lakh farmers till December 2025. Assistance has been provided to 2.16 lakh women self-help groups in bank-linking.

It was shared in the meeting that expansion of banking services in the state is also remarkable. In the last ten years, more than 3.89 lakh banking outlets have been established. Till December 2025, total 4,30,565 banking outlets are active in the state, which include 20,913 branches, 19,191 ATMs and 4.09 lakh Bank Mitra and BC Sakhis. Under PM Jan Dhan Yojana, more than 10 crore 21 lakh accounts have been opened in the state so far, which is the highest in the country.

Chief Minister said that Uttar Pradesh is progressing rapidly and banking system's proactivity is extremely important in making it more powerful. He expected that all banks will increase loan flow in development-oriented sectors, provide simple and time-bound service to citizens and fulfill financial inclusion targets district by district. Chief Minister expressed confidence that banks and government together will ensure remarkable progress towards the goal of one trillion dollar economy for Uttar Pradesh.

In the meeting, Lal Singh, Executive Director of Bank of Baroda said that central government's credit guarantee scheme has reduced risk for banks, due to which both pace of loan disbursement and banking activities have increased. He appealed to all banks to reach maximum youths and artisans in schemes like Chief Minister Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan, ODOP and Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojna. He said that banks will fully cooperate in steps taken by Chief Minister for prevention of cyber fraud.

Regional Director of RBI Lucknow Pankaj Kumar said that UP's continuous revenue surplus is a positive signal for banking sector. He said that rapid improvements in Ease of Doing Business in the state have given strong direction to investment, industry and loan demand and banking system should take full advantage of this pace.

NABARD's Chief General Manager Pankaj Kumar expressed expectation of even faster pace in Kisan Credit Card distribution. He also emphasized on mapping of villages vis-a-vis bank branches so that better efforts can be made in saturation of government schemes.
Lucknow, Feb 2 : Candidates associated with the 69,000 teacher recruitment case staged a protest in Lucknow on Monday, ahead of the upcoming hearing in the Supreme Court, demanding an early resolution to the long-pending issue.

The protest was organised outside the residence of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Keshav Prasad Maurya. The demonstrators alleged irregularities in the recruitment process and delay in providing appointments despite qualifying the examination.

Raising slogans such as "Keshav Chacha Nyaay karo" and "Sandeep bhaiya Nyaay karo", the protesters appealed to Maurya, noting that he also belongs to the OBC community, and to Minister of State for Basic Education Sandeep Singh, urging them to intervene in the matter and ensure justice for the affected candidates.

They said thousands of aspirants have been waiting for years, even after clearing the recruitment examination.

Several candidates said the prolonged uncertainty has severely affected their careers and livelihoods. "We have cleared the exam and fulfilled all eligibility criteria, yet appointments have been stalled. Our future is at stake," one of the protesters said.

Expressing frustration over repeated delays, another protester, Manoj Yadav, told IANS, "So far, 28 dates have passed, but there has been no hearing, and there is no advocate representing the government. We are still waiting for justice."

The demonstrators appealed to the Uttar Pradesh government to present its case effectively before the apex court and ensure that deserving candidates are not deprived of employment. They alleged that repeated assurances by the authorities have failed to translate into concrete action.

Police personnel were deployed in large numbers to maintain law and order during the protest. Several protesters were detained by the police as a precautionary measure, though the demonstration largely remained peaceful.

The 69,000-teacher recruitment issue has remained a contentious matter in Uttar Pradesh, with candidates approaching various courts over alleged discrepancies related to evaluation and reservation norms. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter on February 4.

The protesters said they would continue their agitation until a final resolution is reached and justice is delivered to all affected candidates.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : The Central government has increased Karnataka's share in central taxes to 4.131 per cent, said Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi, while dismissing allegations made by Congress leaders in the state.

Speaking to the media in Delhi, Joshi said Karnataka's tax share, which earlier stood at 3.647 per cent, has now been raised to 4.131 per cent. With this increase, the state will receive tax proceeds amounting to several thousand crore rupees. He rejected the Congress leaders' claims that Karnataka has been treated unfairly in the distribution of tax revenue.

As per the 2026-27 Union Budget, Karnataka has been allocated Rs 63,049 crore as its share in central taxes. The state will receive a higher tax share compared to the previous year, Joshi said.

He further stated that the 16th Finance Commission's report has retained the overall tax devolution to states at 41 per cent. While there has been no change in the overall percentage of tax devolution, the individual shares of states have been revised, resulting in Karnataka receiving a higher share of central taxes, the minister clarified.

Earlier, he stated that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's economic roadmap for 2026-27 complements Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat and has emerged as a guiding light for building a grand future for India.

He said that this is a growth-centric budget with a focus on strengthening production capacity across seven key sectors. In particular, an allocation of Rs 10,000 crore for the biopharma sector will provide a strong boost to innovation and manufacturing in healthcare.

Criticising the Union Budget for 2026-27 presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said it resembled a "municipality corporate budget" and termed it the most disappointing budget he has seen in his political career.

The Chief Minister said that in the 2025-26 budget, Union Finance Minister Sitharaman had promised an allocation of Rs 5.41 lakh crore for centrally sponsored schemes.

"However, in the current budget, this allocation has been reduced to Rs 4.2 lakh crore," he added.

"This is the most disappointing budget I have seen in my political career. It is no better than a corporation budget. Karnataka has got nothing. As usual, Karnataka has been betrayed. The entire South India has got nothing from this budget," Siddaramaiah said.

Referring to the announcement of two high-speed railway projects to Bengaluru-Hyderabad-Bengaluru and Chennai-Bengaluru, the Chief Minister said these projects would be of little benefit to Karnataka as they do not cover long distances within the state.

"If the Centre really wanted to help Karnataka, it should have announced Bengaluru-Mumbai and Bengaluru-Mangaluru high-speed rail projects," he added.

Criticising the Union Budget for 2026-27, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stated that the state has received nothing, and "no high-speed rail will come to Bengaluru".

Notably, the Centre has announced the launch of a bullet train between Hyderabad and Bengaluru. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called Bengaluru a global city. What significance has been given to this global city? Centre's Budget has not helped Karnataka in any way," Shivakumar stated.

-- Syndicated from IANS
February 02 : Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a Janta Darshan on Monday morning. He met each petitioner one by one, accepted their applications and issued directions for proper redressal of their grievances. The Chief Minister instructed District Magistrates, revenue officials and the police administration to take all matters seriously, listen to peoples problems and, after due inquiry, take strict action against the guilty.

During the Janta Darshan, a young girl saluted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Blessing her, the CM advised her to study with full dedication.

Several cases related to illegal encroachment were also presented before Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the Janta Darshan. After patiently hearing everyone, the CM accepted their applications and ordered appropriate action. He also directed officials posted in districts to similarly listen to grievances locally, ensure justice for petitioners and take strict action against offenders.

At the Janta Darshan, a woman arrived with her child, who is undergoing treatment at KGMU. She requested financial assistance for the treatment. The Chief Minister ordered that financial help be provided.

He said, The 25 crore residents of the state are my family. The government stands with everyone in happiness and sorrow. From day one, financial assistance for treatment has been provided, and this will continue. No ones treatment will stop due to lack of money.

Some children also attended the Janta Darshan along with their parents. While meeting petitioners, the Chief Minister reached a woman and accepted her application. The girl accompanying her saluted CM Yogi. Smiling, the CM asked her name and about her studies. He distributed chocolates to all the children and encouraged them to study with dedication.

A very heartfelt incident took place at Janta Darshan, when a young girl who came with her mother recited a poem for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Impressed, the CM praised her and asked whether she would go to school and study hard. On her affirmative reply, he ordered that her admission be arranged. The girl recited the poem' *"Ham sher bacche, sher bacche, sher bacche hain. Ham chote hain to kya hua, ham dil ke sacche hain. Ham bade hokar desh ki shan badhaenge. Jai Hind."* After hearing the poem, the Chief Minister encouraged and motivated the girl.
February 02 : Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "The real strength of agricultural production lies in high-quality, reliable and certified seed. He stated that a new and modern 'Seed Policy' is the need of the hour for the state. As landholdings are continuously shrinking, the focus should not be only on acreage but on increasing 'per-hectare productivity'".

CM also directed that a seed policy be formulated with priority on the development of high-yielding, disease-resistant and climate-resilient varieties, capable of addressing the agricultural challenges of the coming years.

While discussing the seed policy, the Chief Minister stressed the need to prepare a concrete roadmap for the next five years to take the states seed production capacity, quality and availability to a new level. He said, "Maximum use of modern technology is essential across the entire process of seed production, processing and storage, so that there is no shortage of certified seed and farmers are empowered."

To ensure a reliable seed supply, the Chief Minister directed that 'end-to-end traceability' of every seed be made mandatory. He made it clear that no laxity would be tolerated with regard to adulterated or substandard seed. Every seed packet reaching farmers must be certified, tested and fully compliant with prescribed standards.

He emphasised the need to bring agricultural universities, ICAR institutions, UPCAR and the private seed industry onto a common platform to accelerate seed research, innovation and the variety-release process.

To promote crop diversification, the Chief Minister called for a special strategy to ensure the availability of high-quality seed for pulses, oilseeds, maize, pearl millet, sorghum and horticultural crops. In this context, he directed that work be expedited to establish at least 'Five Seed Parks' in the state over the next five years. These Seed Parks will be integrated complexes equipped with facilities for production, processing, quality testing and storage.

The Chief Minister instructed, "All Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the state be directly linked with seed development programmes to establish strong coordination between research, training and the dissemination of technology at the field level."

He further directed that, in line with the states nine climatic zones, one KVK in each zone be developed as a 'Centre of Excellence' to generate high-quality seed and technical solutions for region-specific crops. He also emphasised involving progressive farmers in seed development programmes to ensure effective integration of local experience with modern technology.

The Chief Minister also stressed enhancing energy efficiency in agriculture. He directed that maximum tubewells be connected with solarisation, reducing irrigation costs for farmers and increasing the use of clean energy in agriculture. Along with this, he instructed that solar panel manufacturing units within the state be given priority, stating that promoting local manufacturing will strengthen employment, investment and agricultural infrastructure.
Patna, Feb 2 : After Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's opening address in the Bihar Assembly on Monday, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav launched a sharp attack on the Nitish government, dismissing the Governor's speech as a routine exercise.

"Many governors have come and gone, but the governor only says what the government writes for him. He simply reads what the officials and the government put before him," Tejashwi Yadav said.

Calling the address a mere formality, Tejashwi claimed that while the speech painted a picture of development, the ground reality in Bihar tells a different story, especially with regard to law and order.

"The law and order situation in Bihar is extremely poor. Incidents of rape, murder, kidnapping, and shootings are happening continuously," he alleged.

Questioning the credibility of investigations, Tejashwi raised concerns over the CBI probe into the NEET aspirant's alleged rape cum suspicious death case.

"The CBI is investigating the Muzaffarpur girls' shelter home case -- what happened? The CBI is also investigating the Srijan scam -- what happened?" he asked.

Tejashwi Yadav also levelled serious allegations of corruption against the state government.

"Go to any block, go to any police station -- there is corruption everywhere," he claimed.

Directly targeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi asked why Bihar continues to remain the most backward state in the country.

"Whether it is the NITI Aayog report or per capita income, Bihar is behind on every parameter. Bihar is number one in only two things -- corruption and crime," he said.

The RJD national working president further criticised the government over employment claims, alleging that promises of industrial development and large-scale job creation lack clarity.

"The government says industries will be set up in every district and one crore people will get jobs, but what kind of employment and how it will be provided is not clear," he said.

Commenting on the Union Budget, Tejashwi accused the Central government of neglecting Bihar.

"There is nothing for Bihar in the Central budget. Last year, Bihar was mentioned because there were elections. Now elections are in Tamil Nadu, so Tamil Nadu is being talked about," he said.

The Budget Session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly began on Monday with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's address to the House.

In his speech, the Governor highlighted the development work carried out in the state since Nitish Kumar assumed office as Chief Minister in November 2005, particularly in areas of education, health, policing, and infrastructure.

The Governor stated that the state government has brought about significant changes over the years and has consistently worked to improve public facilities and governance.
Koppal : , Feb 2 (IANS) The Karnataka Police department has ordered a probe in connection with a WhatsApp status posted by a Constable saying that it is "better to sell egg rice than be a cop."

The development was reported from Koppal district in Karnataka on Monday.

According to police, the Constable, identified as Bramhanand, reportedly vented his anger over the functioning of the police department through WhatsApp status messages. The social media status was posted in response to a statement made by Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP) M.A. Saleem regarding the recruitment of 8,300 police personnel.

In his WhatsApp status, Constable Bramhanand wrote, "We have to be on duty 365 days a year, with not even a single day of leave. Selling egg rice is better than police duty."

He is also said to have posted another status stating, "Think a hundred times before joining the police department, and if possible, it is better to join some other department."

These status messages went viral on social media and have triggered discussions within the police department. In view of the seriousness of the matter, Koppal District Superintendent of Police Ram L. Arasiddi has ordered an enquiry against Constable Bramhanand.

Further investigation into the incident is underway, and police sources said that appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the enquiry report.

It can be recalled that an enraged Constable shot dead a Sub-Inspector in their police station near Bengaluru when he was denied leave after working for over 30 hours in 2013. Police Constable Anand Kumar, 45, was arrested for fatally shooting police SI Vijay Kumar, 38, in the Rajanukunte police station. The incident had taken place after a heated argument on being denied leave and change of duty.

It can also be recalled that a Sub-Inspector in Bengaluru Rural district was previously suspended for abusing a senior officer in public after a heated argument over a vehicle permit. In the 2018 incident, Sub-Inspector M. Srinivas, attached to the Vishwanathapura police station, was suspended after a video of him abusing the jurisdictional inspector went viral on social media. The Bengaluru Rural Superintendent of Police at the time stated that the junior officer had violated the code of conduct and should have escalated the matter through proper channels. An enquiry was initiated following the suspension.
Indore, Feb 2 : Madhya Pradesh Congress President, Jitu Patwari, on Monday said that people of Indore should raise their voice on the water contamination issue in a show of solidarity with people who died in Bhagirathpura in the city and to make the administration and the public representatives accountable.

Former Congress Minister Jitu Patwari, who also belongs to Indore, in a video message on Monday claimed that so far 32 people have lost lives due to contaminated water in Bhagirathpura, however, the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and district failed to provide safe drinking water to several parts of the city.

"One more resident of Bhagirathpura, who was admitted at Bombay Hospital in Indore, has died today (Monday) morning, who has been identified as Anil Kushwaha. With this, 32 people have died, which is alarming and the people of Indore need to step out and raise their voice to make the authorities accountable," Patwari said.

Patwari informed that the Congress party will hold a peaceful demonstration with public participation near Rajwada palace in Indore to raise the issue of the BJP government failing to fix the accountability of responsible persons in the contaminated water tragedy in the city.

"Despite 32 deaths in Bhagirathpura, people of Indore didn't raise their voice. As a responsible Opposition, the Congress is constantly raising this issue and would appeal to the people of Indore to speak out for safe water," Patwari said in a video message on Monday.

The Madhya Pradesh government or Indore district administration, which has been monitoring the health condition of people affected by contaminated water in Bhagirathpura, was yet to issue any official statement regarding the fresh casualties.

Notably, the matter is being heard in the Indore Division Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court.

In the last hearing on January 27, the High Court had appointed a former judge of the Court, Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, as a one-member Commission of Inquiry to investigate the alleged water contamination tragedy in Bhagirathpura area of Indore and its impact on other parts of the city, observing that the incident prima facie raises serious concerns relating to the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The Court has noted that while the Madhya Pradesh Government and the Indore Municipal Corporation had filed compliance reports claiming adherence to earlier directions, serious disputes remained regarding the actual implementation.

The Madhya Pradesh government on January 27 had submitted that it "relied upon a death audit and analytical report indicating that out of 23 deaths examined, 16 were attributed to water contamination, while the remaining cases were termed inconclusive."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Islamabad, Feb 2 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Monday approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the alleged detention of more than 180 party workers during raids conducted in Karachi and other parts of Sindh under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, local media reported.

On Sunday, PTI accused the Sindh police of conducting pre-dawn raids at the houses of party workers and leaders and picked up around 180 of them. Sindh government has rejected the allegations made by PTI.

The petitioners - PTI Sindh General Secretary Mansoor Ali and Insaf Lawyers Forum President Faisal Mughal have requested that the order issued under the MPO, dated February 1, be declared impugned and demanded the immediate release of the party workers, Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported.

In the petition, the party has mentioned 14 respondents, including the provincial Chief Secretary, the additional Chief Secretary, the Inspector General of Police, Sindh, the Central police office, additional IGP Karachi police, the deputy IGs east, west, south zone, the SSPs Karachi east, west, south, central, Malir district, Korangi district, Keamari district.

The petitioners urged the court to declare the MPO orders "unconstitutional, illegal, without lawful authority, void ab initio, coram non judice, and of no legal effect." The petition stated that the orders were issued without "any disclosed or lawful decision, approval, or satisfaction of the Provincial Cabinet," which it stressed breached Articles 4, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19, and 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

The petitioners contended that PTI as a registered and recognised political party can organise, participate in and conduct peaceful political activity, including meetings, protests, strikes, and political expression. They requested the court to "set aside the impugned orders in their entirety and suspend their operation forthwith."

The party requested the court to order the immediate release of "all persons who have been arrested, detained, restrained, or otherwise deprived of liberty pursuant to the impugned orders, if not required in any other case," Dawn reported.

Meanwhile, Sindh government has rejected PTI's claims, terming them "false and misleading." Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Memon, who also holds the portfolio of information, said no mass arrests or detentions were made under MPO. Speaking to Dawn, he stated that PTI's statement was based on incorrect information and was issued to create unnecessary political hype.
Bareilly, Feb 2 : All India Muslim Jamaat (AIMJ) National President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi on Monday criticised the Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh governments over recent attacks on Kashmiri shawl sellers in both states, alleging that the administrations have failed to maintain law and order and protect vulnerable traders.

His remarks come days after two Kashmiri shawl sellers were attacked in Uttarakhand, while another seller was allegedly harassed and assaulted in Himachal Pradeshas Kangra district, raising serious concerns about the safety of non-local traders. The latest incident was reported from Kangra, where the victim was identified as Mohd Ramzan, a shawl seller from Kashmir.

Earlier, two brothers from Kashmir who had travelled to Dehradun to sell shawls were reportedly assaulted by a group of people after their place of origin became known. These incidents have sparked outrage and renewed debate over the safety of migrant traders in northern states.

Speaking to IANS, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi underlined that such attacks reflect growing intolerance and administrative failure.

"In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, a small shopkeeper named Muhammad was attacked by antisocial elements with criminal tendencies. They tried to beat him and force him to leave, questioning why he was working there. These people hold sectarian views and are deliberately creating divisions between Hindus and Muslims," he said.

Razvi added that similar incidents were being reported frequently from areas such as Haridwar and Dehradun.

"Poor Muslims are being targeted, while the administration remains a silent spectator. The Uttarakhand Chief Minister is unable to handle the situation. Such acts amount to people taking the law into their own hands," he alleged.

Referring to the Himachal Pradesh incident, the AIMJ chief said that Kashmiri traders travel across the country during the winter season to earn a livelihood.

"People from Kashmir sell shawls, warm clothes and blankets in different parts of India every year. Recently, a Kashmiri shawl seller reached Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. He belongs to a poor and vulnerable background and depends on this seasonal work for survival," Razvi said.

He alleged that the trader was assaulted by communal-minded individuals and falsely accused of possessing a firearm under Section 147.

"Physically assaulting a poor man and framing him with false charges is completely unjust. The Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh has failed to maintain law and order. This is not the first time such incidents have occurred; they have happened repeatedly," he said.

Razvi also commented on the Uttar Pradesh government stepping up its investigation into nearly 4,000 madrasas across the state, focusing on their funding sources and legal status.

"The Uttar Pradesh government is continuously ordering inspections of madrasas. This is, I think, the fifth order. What exactly the government wants to look for inside madrasas, or what it hopes to find, is not clear. Perhaps it is searching for something unusual or new. There is no objection to the governmentas order. Having conducted inspections four times already, madrasas are prepared for a fifth inspection. We don't have a problem, and whatever papers they will need, we will provide them," the cleric told IANS.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Three artisanal miners have reportedly died following a gold rush at Pondorosa Farm in Mhangura, Mashonaland West Province, on Friday, amid fears that the death toll could be higher.Mashonaland West police spokesperson Inspector Ian Kohwera confirmed the incident, saying authorities were still gathering details surrounding the tragedy."Yes, we are receiving information that three people were killed following a gold rush at Pondorosa Farm in Mhangura," said Insp Kohwera.However, local sources on the ground claimed the casualty figures may be higher, alleging that four people lost their lives while two others sustained serious injuries. The injured miners are reportedly receiving treatment at Mhangura Hospital.According to the sources, the bodies of the deceased were transferred to Chinhoyi Hospital mortuary, as the mortuary at Mhangura Hospital has allegedly been non-functional for a long period."The four killed are from Mupata, Chimusanga, Muzhingiri and Chivhanga villages, while the two injured were taken to Mhangura Hospital," said a source familiar with the incident.Mhangura Member of Parliament and Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, said he was aware of the incident but had not yet received a comprehensive briefing from the police."I have heard about the incident, but I am still waiting to be briefed by the Mhangura police. In fact, I am on my way to the constituency," said Dr Mombeshora.The incident is believed to have occurred during a gold rush, a situation that often attracts large numbers of artisanal miners operating in unsafe and unregulated conditions. Such rushes are frequently marked by overcrowding, unstable ground and poorly secured pits.The tragedy has once again brought into sharp focus the dangers associated with artisanal mining, particularly during the rainy season, when flooded shafts, collapsing tunnels and weakened soil structures significantly heighten the risk of fatal accidents. Authorities have repeatedly warned miners against illegal and unsafe operations, but incidents continue to claim lives across the country.
Rajkot, Feb 2 : A 27ayearaold man suffered a fatal heart attack moments after completing the physical test for Gujarat police recruitment at the SRP ground in Gondal, Rajkot, on Monday morning, officials said.

Rajkot, Feb 2 (IANS) A 27yearold man suffered a fatal heart attack moments after completing the physical test for Gujarat police recruitment at the SRP ground in Gondal, Rajkot, on Monday morning, officials said.

The deceased has been identified as Nitinbhai Chauhan, a resident of Malarwadi in Kodinar (Gir Somnath).

Police said Chauhan completed the stipulated 5 km run in 23 minutes, ahead of the prescribed qualifying time, as part of the physical endurance test. Immediately after leaving the ground, he complained of severe chest pain and difficulty in breathing. He was taken to the Civil Hospital in Gondal, where he died during treatment, officials added.

"He had completed the run and was returning when he suddenly complained of chest discomfort and collapsed. Medical teams provided first aid and rushed him to the hospital, but he could not be revived," a police official said.

Chauhan, who held BSc and MSc degrees, had married approximately one year ago and had reportedly been preparing for a career in policing for several years. His family described his death as a devastating blow just minutes after he achieved a key milestone in his aspiration to join the police force.

This is not the first such incident during a police recruitment drive in the state. In Bharuch earlier this month, a 25yearold aspirant, Ravirajsinh Jadeja of Kutch, collapsed and died after completing a similar 5 km run in the physical test for Police recruitment. Jadeja complained of breathlessness immediately after finishing the run and, despite medical intervention, was declared dead at Bharuch Civil Hospital.

Police registered an accidental death case, and his postmortem reportedly revealed a blockage in the heart.

In another reported case from Chhota Udepur, a 27yearold candidate collapsed during the running test for police recruitment and later died, according to records.

Officials said they would review safety protocols and medical screening procedures at recruitment centres to ensure emergency medical support is adequate.
Jammu, Feb 2 : The army on Monday cordoned off a building of the Military Engineering Service (MES) in J&K's Samba district after being alerted about the presence of two suspicious individuals wearing army uniforms.

Jammu, Feb 2 (IANS) The army on Monday cordoned off a building of the Military Engineering Service (MES) in J&Kas Samba district after being alerted about the presence of two suspicious individuals wearing army uniforms.

Officials said locals noticed the movement of two unidentified persons in army uniform-like attire near the MES building in the Bari Brahmana area and immediately informed the authorities.

"Acting swiftly on the information, Army personnel rushed to the spot and sealed the area as a precautionary measure. A search operation was launched in and around the MES premises to verify the credentials of the individuals and rule out any security threat. Additional security measures were put in place, and movement around the area was temporarily restricted during the operation," an official said, adding that prompt information provided by locals helped security forces respond swiftly.

"The operation is going on, and further details are awaited," the official said.

The international border is in the Samba district with the Border Security Force (BSF) deployed to guard it.

Drones carrying payloads of arms/ammunition, drugs, and cash are used by terrorist outfits with the help of Pakistan's ISI to sustain terrorism in J&K.

These drones are fired at by the Indian armed forces, and most of the time, they are forced to withdraw back into the Pakistani side of the border.

Hi-tech anti-drone equipment is used by the BSF to tackle the menace of drones operated from the Pakistani side.

Occasionally, some terrorists have managed to sneak into the Indian side of the international border under the cover of firing by the Pakistani Rangers. At times, tunnels dug from the other side have been discovered by the BSF.

Drones to support terrorism and attempts at infiltration are also made by the terrorists on the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K.

The LoC is guarded by the army and is situated in Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora in the Kashmir Valley, as well as the Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu (partly) districts of J&K's Jammu region.
Kolkata, Feb 2 : A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Monday, gave clear instructions to both West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police to ensure absolute security for public political programmes of elected representatives from the opposition parties.

The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari approached the Calcutta High Court in October last year seeking the courtas intervention for a permanent solution to ensure that the public political programmes of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)as legislators and parliamentarians, which include a couple of Union ministers of state, do not face unwarranted hostility and resistance from the ruling Trinamool Congress activists.

After the hearing in the matter, the division bench of Calcutta High Courtas Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen directed the Kolkata Police and West Bengal that they should ensure absolute security for public political programmes of elected public representatives from the opposition parties.

The division bench also directed the state and city police to strictly adhere to the courtas directive in the matter till February 18, the next date of hearing.

In his petition, the LoP alleged that public political programmes of the BJPas elected public representatives frequently face hostilities, violence, and resistance from the ruling Trinamool Congress activists.

Adhikari also alleged that such hostilities surfaced despite giving advance intimation to the police about the public political programme. He also claimed in the petition that such incidents highlighted the 'failure' of the police and the administration in maintaining law and order in the state.

According to him, such incidents had become common since the end of the last Assembly elections in the state in 2021.

To recall, the convoy of the leader of the opposition himself had been attacked several times, allegedly by the ruling Trinamool Congress activists since 2021. In view of the attacks, the Union Home Ministry had upgraded Adhikarias security.

Last year, the convoy of the BJP Lok Sabha member Khagen Murmu and the chief whip of the BJPas legislative party in the West Bengal Assembly, Sankar Ghosh, was also attacked, in which both of them were severely injured and had to be hospitalised.
Hyderabad, Feb 2 : BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao on Monday slammed Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar for what he called "deciding to be both judge and jury" in the alleged phone tapping case.

Rama Rao was reacting to the statement issued by Sajjanar after the questioning of BRS President and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Sajjanar, who is heading the SIT, had issued a brief statement about the nearly five-hour examination of KCR at the latter's residence in Hyderabad on Sunday.

"The Special Investigation Team has concluded the questioning of Gajwel MLA and former Chief Minister Sri. K. Chandrashekar Rao in connection with the illegal phone-tapping case," posted Sajjanar on 'X'.

BRS took exception to this. "Looks like you have decided to be the judge and jury all by yourself Mr. Commissioner. Please remember that you're chairing the team that is investigating into an "alleged" crime which ultimately has to be proven in a court of law. I hope the Hon'ble courts are taking notice of these extreme statements and high-handed actions," posted Rama Rao.

The SIT examined KCR in connection with the case relating to alleged tapping of phones of several individuals including political opponents, businessmen and journalists during the BRS' rule.

The BRS leaders termed KCR's examination as political vendetta and diversionary tactic by the Congress government

Rama Rao alleged that the government was deliberately diverting public attention, concealing its failures, and indulging in what he termed "perverted politics."

He claimed that the SIT had failed to adhere to legal provisions, including those under the BNSS law enacted by Parliament. However, he said KCR, despite not being legally required to appear in person, chose to cooperate fully with the enquiry out of respect for the Constitution and the rule of law.

He noted that courts had, in several precedents, allowed questioning at a person's residence, but KCR voluntarily presented himself before the SIT and answered every query in detail.

According to Rama Rao, the proceedings made it clear to the police leadership, including the DGP and SIT officials, that no wrongdoing had occurred during the BRS government's tenure. He alleged that for two years the Congress had encouraged rumours, speculative narratives and selective leaks to malign KCR and the previous administration, and expressed hope that the enquiry would finally put an end to what he described as "politically motivated insinuations."
Visakhapatnam, Feb 2 : Nine fishermen from Andhra Pradesh returned to Visakhapatnam on Monday after being released from a Bangladesh jail.

They were detained by the Bangladesh Navy in October last year for inadvertently crossing maritime boundaries while fishing in the Bay of Bengal.

The Indian Coast Guard escorted them to the Visakhapatnam coast and handed them over to the marine police.

It was a tearful reunion of the fishermen with their families after four months. The fishermen and their families thanked the Central and the state governments for ensuring their safe return.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard handed over the fishermen to the Indian Coast Guard at the International Maritime Boundary Line on January 29.

Two fishing boats carrying 15 crew members sailed from Visakhapatnam then to receive these fishermen mid-sea and brought them to the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour.

The nine fishermen were part of a group of 23 Indian fishermen who were handed over to the Indian Coast Guard by their Bangladesh counterparts. The remaining 14 fishermen were from West Bengal.

Two India-owned fishing boats were also handed over to Indian authorities.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard, in exchange, received 128 Bangladeshi fishermen along with five Bangladeshi fishing boats from the Indian Coast Guard.

The Bangladeshi fishermen detained in India were repatriated under a reciprocal arrangement.

The exchange was carried out by the coast guards of the two countries at the International Maritime Boundary Line in the Bay of Bengal.

The repatriated Bangladeshi fishermen included a group of 13 who had drifted into the Indian waters and reached the Andhra Pradesh coast.

They departed Visakhapatnam port aboard an Indian Naval ship and were handed over to the Bangladesh Coast Guard at the international maritime border.

Officials said they were provided new clothes at the direction of Visakhapatnam Collector M. N. Harindranath.

It was on November 30 last year that 13 fishermen from Bangladesh were taken into custody by the marine police in Srikakulam district.

The fishermen reached Musavanipeta of Etcherla mandal of the district after they were stranded at sea and ran out of fuel and food in the boat.

According to the marine police, the boat reportedly drifted towards the West Bengal and Odisha coasts and later reached the Srikakulam coast.

The Bangladeshi fishermen said they lost their way while fishing in Bangladeshi waters and drifted towards the Indian coast.

The fishermen said they had been starving for the past 15 days. The locals offered them food and medicine.

Meanwhile, AP Mechanised Fishing Boats Union President Janakiram Vasupalli thanked External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for the safe return of Indian fishermen.
Shivamogga, Feb 2 : Appreciating the Union Budget 2026-27, Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra stated that the budget helps the country to march confidently towards a developed India by 2047 without fear of tariff-trade wars. He also stated that the Centre has increased the state's tax share.

Shivamogga, Feb 2 (IANS) Appreciating the Union Budget 2026-27, Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra stated that the budget helps the country to march confidently towards a developed India by 2047 without fear of tariff-trade wars. He also stated that the Centre has increased the stateas tax share.

Speaking to the media here on Monday in Shivamogga, Vijayendra stated that the global situation also needs to be taken into account, adding that despite tariff and trade challenges posed by US President Donald Trump, the Finance Minister has introduced several reforms aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modias vision of steering the country towards becoming a developed India by 2047.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented her ninth Budget, which has received widespread appreciation across the country for being an excellent one aimed at Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Vijayendra said the Finance Minister has once again demonstrated a shift from ambiguity to clarity, from extravagance to reform, and reaffirmed that public interest matters more than populism.

He lauded the Budget for prioritising sectors such as industry, tourism, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and agriculture. Emphasising the importance of fiscal discipline, Vijayendra said bringing the fiscal deficit down to 4.4 per cent reflects the Finance Ministeras commitment to sound economic management.

Vijayendra said Karnataka has a large number of coconut growers, as well as cashew, cocoa, fisheries and sandalwood producers, and the Budget provides significant benefits to these sectors, which is highly welcome.

He said that ever since the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government came to power over the past two-and-a-half years, the Centre has been repeatedly criticised without basis.

He said the 16th Finance Commission has announced a 10 per cent improvement based on GDP contribution, resulting in Karnatakaas share of central taxes increasing from 3.65 per cent to 4.13 per cent. This will fetch an additional Rs 7,387 crore to the state every year and Rs 63,050 crore over five years, he said.

Vijayendra said that before 2014, when the UPA government was in power, only about Rs 2 lakh crore was allocated annually for infrastructure development. However, after the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office, Rs 12 lakh crore has been allocated for infrastructure. In the Budget presented on Sunday, this has been further increased to Rs 12.2 lakh crore, which he described as a revolutionary decision.

He said higher allocations have been made for roads, railways, ports and airports, which would significantly contribute to putting the country on a fast track to development.

Vijayendra said the Budget has taken a bold step towards doubling farmersa income by providing a six per cent increase in financial allocation to the food, commerce and fisheries sectors. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently emphasised that for the country to develop, priority must be given to the poor, farmers, women and youth.

In line with this vision, the Finance Minister has promoted women entrepreneurship and employment through initiatives such as aShe Marta to help women establish enterprises and come to the forefront of society, he said.

Vijayendra said the Budget has emphasised womenas education by announcing the establishment of a womenas hostel in every district. Treating higher education as a priority sector, the Budget has increased financial support by 13 per cent, which he termed welcome.

He also noted the announcement of high-speed rail corridors, particularly the Hyderabad-Bengaluru and Chennai-Bengaluru routes, which would attract more industries to Bengaluru -- the city that contributes the highest tax revenue. The state BJP chief said the Budget gives priority to youth, women and farmers and was in line with the goal of a developed India.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : The Lok Sabha was on Monday adjourned for the second time, till 4 p.m., amid a row over Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi repeatedly seeking to raise the alleged details of the Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh in 2020.

The lower house of the Parliament saw a heated exchange between the Congress and the ruling BJP over former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's "unpublished" book on the Doklam standoff between India and China in 2020.

When the House reconvened at 3 p.m., Defence Minister Rajnath Singh again objected to the remarks and urged Speaker Om Birla to stop LoP Rahul Gandhi from raising the issue even without any "authenticity".

Chaos erupted in the house, but Gandhi remained adamant on raising the Ladakh standoff issue for "national security" purposes.

Amid this, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stood up and said: "... What do you gain by portraying the country in a poor light? We may have differences of opinion, but in the national interest, we should all stand together."

"You (Rahul Gandhi) are repeatedly raising things that you do not know about. There is no clarification about the book or the magazine. You are trying to humiliate our Army by making such statements. If Rahul Gandhi wants to talk about the borders, then tell us how much land did the Congress surrender to China in 1962?" Rijiju questioned.

When the din did not fade, the Speaker adjourned the House till 4 p.m.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi, who initiated the Opposition's response to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, started his speech by quoting some "uncomfortable truths" about the India-China 2020 standoff at the border, purportedly from an "unverified" book.

However, he was interrupted, within minutes of his speech, first by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and then Home Minister Amit Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju.

While the Congress MP stated that the article published in a leading magazine was based on memoirs penned by former Army chief Naravane, and hence deserved to be put into the public domain, Rajnath Singh disputed his claim and said that the book has never been published, and this amounted to misleading and misguiding the House.
Taipei, Feb 2 : Chinese military aircraft incursions near Taiwan have increased nearly 15-fold over the past five years, local media reported citing a report from the Department of China Affairs of Taiwan's ruling party Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) .

Taipei, Feb 2 (IANS) Chinese military aircraft incursions near Taiwan have increased nearly 15-fold over the past five years, local media reported citing a report from the Department of China Affairs of Taiwan's ruling party Democratic Progressive Partyas (DPP) .

According to the report, sorties in the Taiwan Strait were not entering regularly previously, with 380 in 2020. The report revealed that the sorties have now started routine operations in the Taiwan Strait, leading daily Taipei Times reported.

It stated, "This demonstrates that the Taiwan Strait has become both the starting point and testing ground for Beijingas expansionist ambitions." The department report stated that China is systematically taking actions aimed to alter the regional "status quo", adding that Taiwan is the most critical link in China's military strategy.

The rise in Chinese military incursions have been consistent and steep, according to the report. Sorties in the Taiwan Strait increased from 380 in 2020 to 960 in 2021, 1,738 in 2022, 4,734 in 2023, 5,107 in 2024 and 5,709 in 2025.

It stated, "The scale and tempo of the operations clearly show that the Taiwan Strait has become the core theatre of Chinaas gray zone activities, used to test deterrence, drain Taiwanas defensive resources and gradually push outward existing security boundaries."

According to the report, frequent military drills enable Beijing to translate its ambitions into placing pressure against Taiwan. It mentioned about China's large-scale exercises which were held in 2025, involving joint operations, sea and air blockades and precision strikes.

The report stated that exercise zones in China's drills in 2025 including the 'Strait Thunder-2025A' exercises in April and the 'Justice Mission 2025' drills in December repeatedly approached Taiwanas 12-nautical-mile (22.2km) territorial sea and airspace baselines. The Department stated, "Such actions pose a serious threat to peace in the Indo-Pacific region," adding that Chinaas strategic objectives extend beyond Taiwan, Taipei Times reported.

According to the report, China is advancing high-intensity military and quasi-military operations in areas, including the Diaoyutai Islands, the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea and the South China Sea. The department noted that China's 'Victory Day Parade' on September 3, 2025 sought to showcase ambitions of China's military.

Earlier this month, Taiwan's top intelligence agency accused China of using Chinese IT and marketing firms to create fake news sites, manage accounts, and gather and spread misinformation, as part of its cognitive warfare against self-ruled island, local media reported.

The National Security Bureau (NSB) published its findings in an analysis on the People's Republic of China's (PRC) "cognitive warfare tactics against Taiwan in 2025," Taiwan-based Central News Agency (CNA) reported. In 2025, Taiwan's national intelligence gathering team identified more than 45,000 fake social media accounts and over 2.314 million pieces of disinformation being spread using these ways, according to the NSB's report.

It highlighted that this disinformation was spread by fake and/or bot accounts used by Chinese IT firms that have established databases and are creating automated programmes to manage them, under the directive of the PRC's Central Publicity Department and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

The Central Publicity Department and the MPS use marketing companies like Haixunshe, Haimai, and Huya to develop fake news websites to spread narratives that support China's official stances. The NSB noted that these websites first attract followers with clickbait soft content and then change their posts to political ones to influence the viewpoint of people of Taiwan.

The NSB further stated that China, by taking these actions, aims to create divisions within Taiwan, weaken the Taiwanese people's will to resist, influence allies' willingness to back Taiwan when required, and gain support among the people of Taiwan for China's gain. The agency stated that it was working with related government units and ramping up efforts to cooperate with fact-checking organisations and social media platform operators, urging them to reveal and take down false information.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : Bangladesh has witnessed more than 50 attacks on minority communities in recent times in addition to election-related violence, harassment, and killings of political leaders, activists and potential candidates, said media reports on Monday quoting a study.

At least 15 political leaders and activists have been killed across the country in the last 36 days following the announcement of the schedule for the upcoming 13th national election, according to a study by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), reported Dhaka-based The Business Standard.

General elections are scheduled to be held in Bangladesh on February 12. Meanwhile, more than 50 attacks on minority communities are raising serious concerns in Bangladesh, claimed the activists.

According to it, a total of 401 incidents of political violence were recorded last year, leaving 102 people dead.

Additionally, at least 1,333 weapons have gone missing, added the report. It warned that the failure to recover this large cache of weapons looted from police stations, along with initiatives to issue new firearms licences to political personalities could further increase the risk of violence.

The TIB report also spoke of doubts raised by political parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizen Party (NCP), and Islami Andolan Bangladesh, questioning if a level playing field could be ensured.

Political parties have accused the Election Commission of bias in scrutinising nominations and cancelling candidacies over loan default and dual citizenship, it added.

Incidentally, the Awami League is banned from participating in any political activity in Bangladesh. The government, led by then Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina, was ousted in a student-led protest in 2024.

The TIB findings, part of a research report titled 'One and a half years after the fall of authoritarianism: Expectations and outcomes', released on Monday also mentioned a growing threat from deepfakes and misinformation.

It emphasised the need for major reforms in technology, law and procedures for both elections and referendums and identified security risks and the use of Artificial Intelligence to spread misinformation and disinformation as major challenges.

According to the study, police personnel account for only 9 per cent-10 per cent of the total manpower assigned to election duties, which is considered a major shortfall in ensuring overall security.

Some other reports suggested the presence of the army on the streets to maintain law-and-order. Institutions responsible for verifying information submitted in candidates' affidavits either lack sufficient capacity or fail to fully utilise existing mechanisms, claimed the TIB report.

All major political parties have been accused of violating the electoral code of conduct and of attempting to influence the electoral process, it noted.

While action has been taken in some cases, the TIB said it has observed a lack of a firm stance by the Election Commission against such violations.

Despite multiple adversities, instability, unhealthy electoral competition and concerns over a smooth democratic transition, the TIB noted that an election-oriented environment is still in place.
February 02 : Lucknow: The efforts of the Uttar Pradesh government to firmly establish the state on the global investment map are receiving continuous support from foreign investors. In this sequence, the Managing Director of Singapore-based leading integrated container logistics company AP Moller-Maersk, Mr. Rene Piil Pedersen Pedersen, met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Monday.

During the meeting, in-depth discussions were held on expanding investments in Uttar Pradesh. Pedersen was accompanied by Vivek Sharma, Head of Business Development & Regulatory Affairs (India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka region).

In the meeting, detailed discussions took place on the vast investment potential in Uttar Pradesh, the industry-friendly business environment, and the state governments investment promotion policies.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Uttar Pradesh is among the fastest-growing states in the country today and that a safe, stable, and transparent environment is being ensured for investors.

He highlighted that through a single-window system, time-bound approvals, policy-based incentives and a strong law-and-order framework, the government is providing support to investors at every level.

The Chief Minister further stated that with an extensive expressway network, logistics hubs, industrial corridors, and modern infrastructure, Uttar Pradesh has become an attractive investment destination.

Inviting AP Moller-Maersk to expand its investments in the state, he assured that the government would ensure the availability of necessary land, connectivity, and policy support.

On this occasion, Vivek Sharma said, We had a very positive and meaningful discussion regarding investment opportunities in Uttar Pradesh and the investor-friendly environment here. Our company has been investing in this state for more than 20 years. During this discussion, we shared our positive experiences related to the states law-and-order situation, corruption-free environment and the full cooperation received from the state government in expanding our business. We are keen to explore new investment opportunities to further expand our operations in Uttar Pradesh in the future as well.

Notably, AP Moller-Maersk is a global leader in shipping, ports, maritime transport and inland logistics. Its potential investments are expected to strengthen the logistics ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh, accelerate industrial activities and generate large-scale employment opportunities, thereby playing a significant role in achieving the goal of a Developed India.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Lawyers representing businessman Francesco Marconati have raised concern over what they described as a heavy-handed arrest involving armed police officers, telling the Harare Magistrates' Court that their client was apprehended by officers carrying AK-47 rifles over a matter they argue is essentially a civil dispute.Marconati appeared before Harare regional magistrate Francis Mapfumo facing fraud charges linked to a shareholding dispute involving Chinese nationals. He was remanded in custody to today, with his bail application set to be heard on Monday.His legal team, Chamu Gangata and Bright Mudau, told the court that officers from the Criminal Investigation Department travelled to Inyathi to arrest Marconati while brandishing AK-47 rifles, an action they said unnecessarily endangered his life.Mudau informed the court that a formal complaint had been lodged with Commissioner-General of Police Stephen Mutamba regarding the conduct of the arresting officers. According to Mudau, the Commissioner-General responded by confirming that the individuals involved were indeed police officers.Magistrate Mapfumo asked the defence what relief they were seeking in light of the response from the police chief. Mudau replied that the defence merely wanted the issue placed on record for future reference. The magistrate noted the submission and indicated that the bail application would proceed on Monday.The complainant in the matter is Yan Bo, a Chinese national who was appointed as an alternate director of DGL5 (Pvt) Ltd.According to the State, Marconati, Li Song, Xing Ming Chang, Mark Andrew Hughes and Ke Wang formed DGL5 (Pvt) Ltd in 2017 in terms of the Companies and Other Business Entities Act. The company's core business was mining-related activities, including the acquisition and operation of mining claims.Prosecutors allege that the company later took over Queens Mine through shareholder investments and commenced operations. On August 4, 2024, Marconati and Hughes, who is now at large, allegedly resigned from the company, leaving it under the control of the remaining three directors.The State claims that on December 11, 2025, Marconati and Hughes forged company documents and fraudulently re-registered DGL5 (Pvt) Ltd with the Registrar of Companies, appointing themselves as the sole directors. They are further accused of reallocating company shares in a 6040 split in their favour and appointing Marshall Mangwiro as company secretary or principal officer on December 2, 2025.The alleged offence came to light on January 13, 2026, when Yan Bo reported the matter to the police. Prosecutors say the complainant suffered potential prejudice amounting to US$1.9 million.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 2 : A fresh controversy has erupted at the Sabarimala temple, already under scrutiny in connection with the gold heist case, with a Devaswom Vigilance investigation finding that a film shoot was conducted in violation of restrictions at the holy shrine and its surroundings.

According to an inquiry report submitted by Superintendent of Police, Devaswom Vigilance, Sunil Kumar, shooting for a feature film took place over multiple days at Pampa and nearby areas.

The report further states that on the auspicious day of Makara Vilakku, shooting was carried out at a hilltop location close to the Sabarimala temple complex.

The findings contradict earlier claims by the filmas director, Anuraj Manohar, who had maintained that no shooting took place at the Sannidhanam.

The director had earlier been booked in connection with the incident.

However, the vigilance report makes it clear that while shooting did occur in restricted zones, there is no mention of any police permission having been granted for the filming.

This omission has raised serious questions about procedural lapses and possible violations of established norms governing activities in and around the pilgrimage centre.

The vigilance report, supported by video evidence of the shoot, has been formally handed over to Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President K. Jayakumar.

In response, the Board has sought legal advice from its law officers on the future course of action.

The TDB President has directed the legal cell to submit a detailed report identifying the specific violations that occurred during the filming.

The issue first came to public attention after visuals and reports alleging that filming had taken place in violation of restrictions imposed at Sabarimala, especially during the Mandalaa"Makara Vilakku pilgrimage season, when stringent controls are in force to preserve the sanctity of the temple and ensure smooth movement of pilgrims.

Devaswom Board sources said that no further action will be initiated until legal opinion is received.

Once the legal cell submits its findings, the Board is expected to decide on penal, administrative, or legal measures against those responsible.

The controversy has once again brought into focus the challenges faced by temple authorities in enforcing regulations at Sabarimala, particularly at a time when the shrine is already dealing with serious allegations and heightened public scrutiny.
Patna, Feb 2 : Politics heated up outside the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Monday as Opposition parties launched a sharp offensive against the ruling dispensation over the suspicious death of a NEET aspirant at Shambhu Girls' Hostel in Patna.

MLAs from the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and CPI(ML) accused the state government of cover-up, suppression of facts, and shielding the accused.

The Opposition announced that the issue would be raised forcefully both inside and outside the Assembly throughout the Budget Session.

Before the House proceedings began, Opposition legislators staged a protest within the Assembly premises.

Congress MLA Mohammad Qamrul Hoda was seen holding placards and raising slogans against the Nitish Kumar government.

Speaking to the media, Hoda alleged, "The rapists are still roaming freely. Handing over the case to the CBI means the powerful are being protected. This is not justice; it is a conspiracy."

CPI(ML) MLA Sandeep Saurabh also arrived with posters in support of the victim and accused the government of pressurising the victim's family.

"We do not trust the CBI investigation. The probe should be conducted under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge," Saurabh said.

Responding to the Opposition's charges, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha dismissed the allegations as baseless.

"The case has been handed over to the CBI, and the accused will not escape. There were doubts over the police investigation, which is why the government itself ordered a CBI probe," he said.

Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi also hit back at the Opposition, stating, "The Opposition has no real issues, which is why they are creating noise. Everything will be exposed in the CBI investigation."

Meanwhile, during Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's address in the Assembly, Opposition members raised slogans asking, "When will the NEET student get justice?"

After a brief disruption, the Governor continued his speech.

During the address, when the Governor spoke about development for both Hindus and Muslims, AIMIM MLA Akhtarul Iman stood up in protest, following which the Governor gestured for him to resume his seat.

The NEET aspirant's death has now emerged as the most volatile political issue in Bihar, sparking intense confrontation between the ruling alliance and the Opposition, with competing claims, allegations, and counter-allegations being made in the name of justice.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a petition challenging the constitutional validity of anti-conversion laws enacted by multiple states.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi sought responses within four weeks from the Union government and the states concerned, and said the petitions would be heard along with similar pleas already pending before the top court.

The petition, filed by the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), has assailed the Freedom of Religion Acts enacted by Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Odisha.

The CJI Surya Kant-led Bench observed that the matter involves questions of constitutional importance and would be heard by a three-judge Bench.

The petition, filed through advocate Niharika Ahluwalia, has contended that the impugned laws violate fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 15, 19, 21, 25, 26 and 30 of the Constitution, and sought a declaration that the statutes are unconstitutional.

As an interim relief, the plea urged the apex court to restrain state police authorities from taking coercive action under the challenged laws. It submitted that the impugned Acts proceed on an "unconstitutional presumption" that religious conversions involving adults are inherently coerced or fraudulent, thereby subjecting deeply personal decisions of conscience to prior government approval.

The plea argued that provisions mandating prior intimation, inquiry and permission from district authorities invert the citizena"state relationship, subordinate individual autonomy to bureaucratic oversight, and violate decisional privacy, dignity, and freedom of religion.

It further contended that statutory definitions of terms such as "conversion", "allurement", "inducement:, and "undue influence" are vague and overbroad, granting uncanalised discretion to authorities and resulting in discriminatory and arbitrary enforcement.

The petition also flagged the expansion of the class of complainants to unrelated third parties, alleging that this has enabled vigilante groups to invoke criminal law in the absence of any complaint by the allegedly aggrieved individual, leading to arrests, prolonged incarceration, denial of bail, and social stigma.

Referring to provisions reversing the burden of proof, the plea said the laws undermine core principles of criminal jurisprudence, including the presumption of innocence and procedural fairness. Certain provisions, it added, rest on "paternalistic and gendered assumptions", particularly those treating women as inherently vulnerable to unlawful conversion.

The pleas also referred to international human rights obligations, submitting that state control over religious conversion is incompatible with Indiaas commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The respondents arrayed in the case include the Centre and the twelve states that have enacted the impugned legislation.

--IANS

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Yerevan, Feb 2 : Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, who is on a four-day official visit to Armenia, on Monday laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum in Yerevan, honouring the memory of 1.5 million Armenians who were massacred.

"General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff CDS, laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial & Museum in Yerevan, honouring the memory of 1.5 million Armenians who lost their lives in the genocide. The Memorialas symbolic structures and the adjoining museum stand as a poignant testament to human suffering, resilience and the universal importance of remembrance, justice and peace," Headquarters of the Integrated Defence Staff stated in a post on X.

The Indian defence delegation led by General Chauhan arrived in Armenia on Sunday for a four-day official visit. The visit of Indian defence delegation marks an important step in taking forward shared strategic interests and enhancing long-term defence and security collaboration between the two nations.

"An Indian defence delegation led by General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff CDS, reached Republic of Armenia on a four days official visit on 01 Feb. The visit marks an important step in taking forward shared strategic interests and enhancing long-term defence and security collaboration between the two Nations," Headquarters of the Integrated Defence Staff posted on X.

"The delegation was warmly received in Yerevan by Ms Nilakshi Saha Sinha, Ambassador of India to Armenia and Major General Temur Shahnazaryan, Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia," it added.

Just two weeks ago, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the first tranche of guided Pinaka rockets destined for Armenia. The systems were manufactured by Pune-based Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL).

Armenia had signed a contract worth around Rs 2,000 crore in September 2022 for the acquisition of four Pinaka rocket system batteries.

The deal includes unguided, extended-range and guided variants of the system. Armenia also became the first international customer for the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, which has been developed by Indiaas Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The agreement marked a key moment in Indiaas broader push for Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing and its stated ambition to emerge as a significant global defence exporter.

Deliveries of the initial Pinaka unguided rocket systems began in July 2023 and were completed by late 2024, paving the way for subsequent consignments of advanced variants.

Speaking earlier on the exports, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the shipment of Pinaka missiles reflected the growing strength and maturity of Indiaas defence industry.

He said the development demonstrated Indiaas expanding export potential, adding that the country was no longer only an importer of defence equipment but was steadily moving towards becoming a major exporter on the global stage.
Srinagar, Feb 2 : The police in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar district said on Monday that it has secured a 14-year conviction of the accused in a case filed under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

A police statement said, "The Srinagar Police has secured conviction in a case in which an FIR has been registered at M.R. Gunj Police Station under Sections 363, 376 of the IPC read with Section 4 of the POCSO Act."

"The case pertains to the kidnapping and sexual assault of a minor girl, aged 17 years, reported on April 11, 2021."

"Acting swiftly, the Srinagar Police conducted a thorough investigation, recovered the victim, recorded statements of witnesses, collected evidence and ensured medical and forensic examination as per proper legal procedures," the police statement added.

"Upon completion of investigation, charge-sheet was filed before the fast-track court (POCSO) in Srinagar."

"After a detailed trial, the Court found the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt."

"On December 30, 2025, the Court convicted the accused and sentenced him to 14 years of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 15,000," the police statement said.

"The Srinagar Police reiterates its zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against women and children and remains committed to ensuring justice for victims through prompt and professional investigation," the statement added.

The POCSO Act, 2012, is an Indian law designed to protect minors (aged under 18 years) from sexual abuse, assault, and pornography, while prioritising their safety through child-friendly reporting and trial procedures. It mandates speedy trials, strict penalties, including the death penalty (since 2019), and establishes Special Courts.

POCSO defines various offences of sexual assault on children. It is gender-neutral, applying to both boy and girl victims/accused.

Statements are recorded at the child's residence or chosen place, preferably by a woman police officer. However, the identity of the minor victim must be kept confidential.

Evidence is to be recorded within 30 days, with trials completed within one year of the court taking cognisance.

Dedicated courts handle these cases to ensure sensitive handling.

The POCSO Act, enforced on November 14, 2012, aims to protect the best interests of the child at every stage.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : The 'India AI Impact Summit 2026', scheduled from February 16-20 here, has attracted significant global interest with over 35,000 registrations so far, the government said on Monday.

The event will feature participation from over 100 countries, including 15a"20 heads of government, over 50 ministers, and 40 CEOs of leading global and Indian companies, according to an official statement.

India AI Impact Summit is anticipated to be the largest of the four global AI summits hosted to date, reflecting the growing international momentum around responsible, inclusive and impact-driven Artificial Intelligence, it said.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT said in the statement that the summit will host over 500 AI startups and around 500 sessions.

The Summit framework also includes seven flagship events, collectively engaging over 3 lakh participants, reflecting the wide national and international interest in the AI Impact Summit process.

"The scale of engagement leading up to the Summit has been equally significant. Over 1,300 proposals have been received for pre-Summit events, with more than 500 pre-Summit events conducted so far across sectors and regions in India as well as globally," the statement said.

The global AI summit process has evolved from focus on AI risks to discussions on ethics and inclusion and subsequently moving towards the operationalisation of shared principles.

The ministry urged interested stakeholders to visit the official website and register to be part of this global dialogue aimed at advancing the responsible and impactful use of Artificial Intelligence.

The summit will showcase 12 qualified Indian startups in areas like healthcare and multilingual tech. This exposure could attract foreign investment and talent inflows, accelerating Indiaas goal of a $1 trillion digital economy by 2030.

The India AI Mission, launched in 2024 with a $1.2 billion funding, democratised access to computing resources, datasets, and talent development. Further the National AI Portal provided open-source datasets, while partnerships with tech giants ensured high-performance computing infrastructure.

a"IANS

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Patna, Feb 2 : BJP MLA Maithili Thakur on Monday lauded Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's address to the Bihar Assembly, saying it clearly reflected the state's progress over the years while also outlining the present situation with supporting data.

Speaking to IANS, Thakur said the Governor explained "very well how, over the past many years, many people have worked for Bihar and what the current situation is," adding that the address was presented with relevant figures, making it comprehensive and informative.

Highlighting the emphasis on law and order, the BJP legislator said the Governor rightly underlined it as a crucial area of governance. "Law and order is a very significant segment, and he mentioned that Bihar is currently strong in matters of law and order," she said, asserting that maintaining peace and security remains a top priority for the state government.

Reacting to the Union Budget 2026, Thakur described it as "very special," particularly for its focus on inclusive development. "This budget focusses on youth, women, the poor and farmers," she said. She also welcomed the emphasis on promoting high-value agricultural crops and products such as coconut and cashews, stating that it would help boost farmers' incomes.

Thakur further praised provisions aimed at women's empowerment, including plans to establish girls' hostels in every district. She also highlighted initiatives such as the 'SheMart' platform, which aims to support women entrepreneurs by providing them better market access and opportunities for growth.

Commenting on the recent death of a NEET aspirant in Patna, Thakur expressed concern and demanded swift justice. "As a girl, I want justice to be delivered as soon as possible," she said, adding that she was confident authorities would act promptly. She stressed that such incidents must be addressed firmly to ensure safety and trust among students and their families.

Thakur reiterated her faith in the system and said strict action against those responsible would send a strong message and help prevent similar incidents in the future.
Jaipur, Feb 2 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said on Monday that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has been progressing steadily on the path of development with financial discipline and economic stability over the past 12 years.

He described the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as one that will take the "nation from self-reliance to development, from potential to achievement, and from resolve to success".

Addressing the media at the Chief Minister's Office, Chief Minister Sharma said the budget comprehensively addresses the aspirations of a New India while reaffirming the Union government's commitment to uplifting the last person in society.

The Chief Minister added that this youth-centric budget includes significant provisions for employment generation, skill development, promotion of startups, and expansion of the service sector, which will boost both employment and self-employment opportunities.

"Skill training initiatives for one lakh allied health professionals, 1.5 lakh caregivers, and tourist guides will directly benefit the youth."

He noted that the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics + Extended Reality) Policy has already been implemented in Rajasthan, and the establishment of content creator laboratories in secondary schools and colleges will provide additional opportunities for the state's youth.

He also said that the budget places strong emphasis on women empowerment, enhancing women's safety and economic participation, strengthening agricultural infrastructure, improving farmers' access to markets, and reducing risks in the agricultural sector.

Chief Minister Sharma said that following the historic free trade agreement agreement with Europe, the budget has opened new avenues for small and large industries, manufacturers, artisans, and workers to establish a global presence.

"Several initiatives have been announced to promote manufacturing in sectors such as biopharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, handlooms, and handicrafts."

He invited industries to establish units in Rajasthan's industrial corridors and take advantage of the special scheme introduced in the budget to promote heavy machinery manufacturing for construction and infrastructure.

He added that these measures will also help Rajasthan's exporters tap into newly emerging global markets.

The Chief Minister said that the budget has duly recognised Rajasthan's potential and requirements.

"A 30 per cent increase in allocation -- amounting to nearly Rs 32,914 crore -- has been made for renewable energy. An allocation of Rs 22,000 crore has been announced for the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. Customs duty exemptions have been provided on the import of sodium antimonate used in solar glass manufacturing, as well as on capital goods used for manufacturing lithium-ion cell batteries for Battery Energy Storage Systems. As a leading state in solar energy, Rajasthan will receive fresh momentum from these provisions."

Chief Minister Sharma said that Rajasthan has recently implemented the Semiconductor Policy, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI-ML) Policy, and Data Centre Policy, positioning the state to become a hub for semiconductors and data centres.

He added that Rajasthan is fully prepared to benefit from incentives under the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, AI Mission, National Quantum Mission, Electronic Component Manufacturing Scheme, and initiatives related to data centres and cloud services.

He described the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund and the Atmanirbhar Bharat Top-up as major boosts for small industries.

Initiatives such as the Mahatma Gandhi Swaraj Yojana and the creation of Champion MSMEs will enable small enterprises in Rajasthan to grow into global business houses, the Chief Minister said.

The announcements related to the Mega Textile Park, Textile Labour Incentive Scheme, and the strengthening of 200 industrial clusters nationwide are also significant for the state, CM Sharma added.

The Chief Minister said that the allocation of Rs 12.20 lakh crore with a strong focus on infrastructure development will help further strengthen Rajasthan's urban infrastructure.

Financial support through Infrastructure Investment Trust bonds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, and municipal bonds will provide substantial benefits to cities across the state, he added.

On this occasion, Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas and other senior state government officials were also present.
Quetta, Feb 2 : The Baloch Liberation Army's recent attacks under 'Operation Herof Phase 2.0' demonstrate a stark escalation in Pakistan's long-simmering conflict in Balochistan, a report has highlighted. The BLA claimed responsibility for strikes in 14 cities and 48 sites on January 31, including Quetta, Gwadar, and resource-rich areas like Chagai, causing casualties on both sides. The figures remained disputed as Pakistani authorities reported that dozens of fighters were killed while BLA stated that security forces suffered heavy losses.

Quetta, Feb 2 (IANS) The Baloch Liberation Army's recent attacks under 'Operation Herof Phase 2.0' demonstrate a stark escalation in Pakistanas long-simmering conflict in Balochistan, a report has highlighted. The BLA claimed responsibility for strikes in 14 cities and 48 sites on January 31, including Quetta, Gwadar, and resource-rich areas like Chagai, causing casualties on both sides. The figures remained disputed as Pakistani authorities reported that dozens of fighters were killed while BLA stated that security forces suffered heavy losses.

"Yet this surge in armed resistance did not emerge in a vacuum. It is the bitter fruit of decades of systemic abuse, marginalisation, and state repression inflicted upon the Baloch people by successive Pakistani governments. Far from isolated militancy, the violence reflects a profound failure of governance, one rooted in exploitation, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the suppression of peaceful dissent, that has radicalised generations and eroded any faith in dialogue or justice," Daniel Kaplan wrote in an opinion piece for the 'One World Outlook'.

Balochistan, which is among Pakistan's poorest and least-developed regions, has vast mineral wealth, including gold, copper and natural gas. Local residents have received little benefit despite projects like Reko Diq and Saindak promising billions in revenue. Resources are extracted with minimal input or profit sharing of residents, sparking resentment among people of Balochistan that the province is being used as a colonial outpost for Islamabad and foreign capital. This economic disenfranchisement is increased by heavy militarisation, where security forces give importance to protecting investments instead of protecting people.

"The core grievance driving the insurgency remains the policy of enforced disappearances, a grave international crime under which thousands have vanished since the early 2000s. Pakistanas Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances has recorded thousands of cases, but accountability is nonexistent," wrote Kaplan.

"Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented how security forces abduct activists, students, journalists, and ordinary citizens, often torturing or executing them extrajudicially. Bodies are dumped with signs of torture, a practice derisively called 'kill and dump.' UN experts in 2025 condemned the 'unrelenting use' of such disappearances in Balochistan, urging independent investigations and criminalisation of the practice, calls repeatedly ignored," he added.

Balochistan has witnessed escalation in recent years. The killing of student Hayat Baloch by paramilitary forces in 2025 sparked anger among residents, according to One World Outlook opinion piece. Authorities launched a brutal crackdown, including internet shutdowns, after Haq Do Tehreek held protests in Gwadar in 2023 against exploitation and rights abuses. The 2024 elections, widely seen as rigged, further isolated the people of Balochistan.

In March 2025, prominent Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch was arrested during protests that were held against violence and disappearances. Since then, Mahrang Baloch remains in custody and has faced several charges under anti-terrorism laws, with reports of mistreatment in detention. The case of Mahrang Baloch and others showcases how the state silences voices demanding accountability, pushing more towards armed struggle, including women participation in Operation Herof Phase 2.0.
Kolkata, Feb 2 : Three sex workers from Sonagachi area in north Kolkata have been arrested for abducting a man from the road and extorting a large sum of money from him, the police said on Monday. They were arrested on Sunday night for extorting Rs 89,000 from the man after forcefully taking him inside a room in India's biggest red light area.

According to the police, they have started interrogating the three arrested women to find out how this happened and whether there have been similar frauds committed by them in the past.

The youth complained to the Burtolla Police Station that he was walking along the road near Sonagachi when the women forcibly took him inside a room. His mobile phone was taken away and the women asked him to pay them money.

The young man said that he does not carry much money and when they found that out the women started beating him and later started blackmailing him.

Not only that, the three women told the young man that they would make a video call to his home and let his family see that he was in a red light area. After that he was pressured to pay money online. It is alleged that the women even forced the young man to tell them the pin number of his phone and that of an online app to transfer money to their bank accounts.

After this, the three women sent Rs 89,000 from the account of the youth to their own accounts. It was only after that they let him go from there.

Following the incident, the youth went to the local Burtolla Police Station and filed a complaint against the women. Based on the complaint, the police started investigating the incident.

The investigators took the young man to the house where this incident happened in the red light area. First the house and later the three accused women were also identified.

After that, the police arrested the three women.

However, this incident is not the first such crime to take place in Sonagachi. There has been a similar crime in the past. As a result, the police officials are trying to find out whether the three arrested women have committed the earlier crime.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Controversial businessman Francesco Marconati spent two days hiding inside a mine shaft in Inyathi before orchestrating a moviestyle escape through a weighbridge, evading police officers who were waiting to arrest him at the main gate.The getaway vehicle, a Honda Fit, was allegedly driven by one of his attorneys, Tendai Mutiro.Police had been hunting for Marconati for more than 10 days on fraud charges before he eventually handed himself over in Harare yesterday. He reportedly ran out of options after failing to report to Inyathi Police Station as required under his bail conditions in a separate case involving illegal possession of firearms.In addition to the new fraud allegations, Marconati now risks having his bail revoked for failing to report as instructed. His lawyer, Mutiro, who allegedly facilitated the dramatic escape at Duration Gold Limited (DGL) 5 Mine, may also face judicial censure for obstruction of justice.Marconati was arrested after DGL 5 alternate director Yan Bo, representing Ke Wang, filed a fraud report against him and Australian national Mark Andrew Hughes. Hughes was allegedly allocated shares illegally by Marconati following what is described as an unlawful takeover of the mine. Hughes has since fled to South Africa, according to a boarding pass dated 23 January seen by Byo24.The alleged fraud came to light on 30 December when Bo visited the Registrar of Companies and discovered that Marconati and Hughes had reregistered the mine, appointing themselves as the sole directors of DGL."Such actions by Francesco Marconati and Mark Andrew Hughes amount to fraud," part of Bo's affidavit reads.Bo stated that at the time of the reregistration, Marconati and Hughes had failed to enforce a court order under HCBC 9/25, which meant the lawful directors remained Xing Ming Chang, Li Song and Ke Wang. He added that attempts by the pair to amend the court order were withdrawn after failing, and an urgent application under HCBC 659/25 for execution pending appeal was dismissed.Bo alleges that Marconati and Hughes unlawfully removed the three legally appointed directors despite a pending court case concerning the company's shareholding.Marconati is expected to appear at the Harare Magistrates' Courts today.He is already on bail for charges of illegal possession of firearms, some of which were allegedly used to shoot at villagers passing near his mine. The shootings led to his arrest in December, resulting in him spending the Christmas holiday in custody.Villagers in Inyathi have attempted to protest against Marconati over the shootings, but their demonstrations were twice blocked by police, whom they accuse of protecting him. They claim he has committed numerous acts of violence and intimidation against villagers and mine workers with impunity.
Chennai, Feb 2 : Former Union Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday told the Madras High Court that he alone legally represents the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and that the group rallying behind party founder and his father Dr S. Ramadoss was merely a breakaway faction that could not be recognised as the party.

The assertion was made during the hearing of a writ petition filed by Dr Ramadoss seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to communicate the allotment of the PMKas "mango" symbol for the 2026 Assembly elections to his official address in Chennai.

Appearing before the division bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan, senior counsel N.L. Rajah, representing Anbumani Ramadoss, alleged that his clientas father was attempting to "snatch an order from the court behind his back" without making him a party to the proceedings.

Rajah contended that the writ petition itself was not maintainable without impleading Anbumani Ramadoss, asserting that his client was the legitimate head of the PMK and that the faction led by Dr S. Ramadoss could not be treated as the party.

"I am the party; they are a breakaway faction," the senior counsel told the Bench.

The Chief Justice, however, declined to hear the submissions, pointing out that Dr Anbumani Ramadoss was not a party to the case.

"How can we give you an audience when you are not a party here?" the Chief Justice asked, advising counsel to first move an application seeking impleadment.

As Rajah agreed to do so, the Bench then ordered notices to the ECI and the Tamil Nadu CEO, returnable within three weeks.

In his writ petition, filed in the name of the PMK as represented by its founder, Dr Ramadoss, claimed that he continues to be the incumbent President of the party and accused his son of submitting forged documents to the ECI to falsely project himself as party President.

He sought to quash an ECI communication dated July 30, 2025, which conveyed the allotment of the amangoa symbol to Dr Anbumani Ramadossas address at Tilak Street, T. Nagar, Chennai.

Dr Ramadoss stated that his sonas three tenures as party President ended on May 28, 2025, and alleged that subsequent party meetings conducted by him were illegal and unauthorised. He further claimed that the ECI had decided on July 31, 2025, to allot the symbol to the PMK for the Bihar Assembly elections last year and for the upcoming Tamil Nadu and Puducherry polls, but that the communication was wrongly addressed to his son.

Referring to proceedings before the Delhi High Court in December 2025, Dr Ramadoss said ECI counsel had indicated that the amangoa symbol would be frozen due to the internal dispute, a step that, according to him, has not yet been taken.

The legal battle highlights the intensifying leadership crisis within the PMK ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

--IANS

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Oslo, Feb 2 : Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Sibi George, held a meeting with State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ragnhild Sjoner Syrstad in Oslo on Monday, discussing strengthening of economic ties and boosting investments in green and blue tech sectors.

Following their talks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote in a post on X: "During the visit to Oslo, Secretary (West) Sibi George held a productive meeting with State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ms. Ragnhild Sjoner Syrstad. They discussed deepening India-Norway economic ties after the implementation of India-EFTA-TEPA. They also discussed boosting investments in green and blue tech sectors."

On January 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen jointly announced the conclusion of the Indiaa"European Union Free Trade Agreement (Indiaa"EU FTA) at the 16th Indiaa"EU Summit in New Delhi.

Under the agreement, tariffs on over 90 per cent of EU goods exports to India will be eliminated or reduced, including steep duties of up to 44 per cent on machinery, 22 per cent on chemicals, and 11 per cent on pharmaceuticals, which will be mostly phased out. Tariffs on EU beer will be cut to 50 per cent, while duties on chemicals, aircraft, and spacecraft will be eliminated for almost all products.

Earlier in the day, George interacted with the Indian diaspora in Norway and highlighted Indiaa"European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and EU-FTA agreements, Indiaas leadership of Global South, and its expanding global role. He lauded the role of Indian diaspora as a vital bridge between India and Norway.

"H.E. Amb Sibi George, Secretary (West) Ministry of External Affairs, India interacted with the vibrant and diverse Indian diaspora in Norway. During the interaction, he emphasised the importance of the Indian diaspora in Indiaas growth and global engagement, while also highlighting Indiaa"EFTA and EU-FTA agreements, Indiaas leadership of Global South, and its expanding global role," the Indian Embassy in Norway posted on X.

"He appreciated the role of the Indian diaspora as a vital bridge between India and Norway. The programme also featured a classical dance performance by the Mudra team. Singing of the National Anthem added a patriotic fervour to the gathering," it added.

Sibi George arrived in Oslo on Sunday to participate in the 12th Foreign Office Consultations with Torgier Larsen, Secretary General, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Upon his arrival, India's Ambassador to Norway Gloria Gangte extended a warm welcome to George.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Norway stated, "Warm welcome to H.E. Shri Sibi George, Secretary West, MEA India to Norway. Secretary (West) arrived in Oslo today for the 12th Foreign Office Consultations with his counterpart H.E Torgier Larsen, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway. The visit aims to strengthen Indiaa"Norway cooperation across key sectors and deepen bilateral ties."

Bilateral ties between India and Norway commenced in February 1947. Since then, the two nations have been sharing a cordial and friendly relationship, according to India and Norway respect each other for their commonly shared values of democracy, human rights and rule of law.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : Maruti Suzuki India has reported a strong sales performance in January, recording a 12 per cent year-on-year growth.

The country's largest carmaker sold 2.37 lakh vehicles during the month, according to the official data.

The company also saw a sharp rise in customer interest, with bookings increasing by nearly 25 per cent compared with January 2025.

During a media interaction, the management said Maruti Suzuki currently has pending bookings of around 1.75 lakh units. Of this, nearly 1.3 lakh bookings fall under the 18 per cent GST category and include popular entry-level models such as the Alto, WagonR and Celerio.

Demand conditions remain very strong across dealerships, with inventory levels coming down to just three days of stock.

The company's newest model, the Victoris, has emerged as a key growth driver.

Cumulative sales of the model have crossed 50,000 units, while sales in January alone stood at 15,240 units.

Partho Banerjee, Executive Director for Sales and Marketing at Maruti Suzuki, said the Victoris is receiving around 600 to 700 bookings every day. He added that the CNG variant of the model is facing a longer waiting period due to high demand.

The mid-size SUV segment, which typically includes vehicles priced between Rs 11 lakh and Rs 20 lakh, continues to attract strong buyer interest.

This segment includes models such as the Tata Sierra, Maruti Victoris, Mahindra Thar, Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, making it one of the most competitive categories in the Indian auto market.

Maruti Suzuki said its market share in the mid-size SUV segment has increased sharply from 12 per cent to 19 per cent. The company also highlighted that average monthly volumes in this segment more than doubled to 21,155 units between October 2025 and January 2026, compared with an earlier average of 10,329 units per month.

Looking ahead, Maruti Suzuki announced plans to roll out a new loyalty programme for its existing customers. The loyalty upgrade programme will initially cover three models -- the Grand Vitara, Victoris and Invicto.

The company said customers can expect benefits in the form of direct price cuts, additional accessories, or a combination of both.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 2 : The Congress on Monday intensified its attack on the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government by launching a website and releasing a charge sheet under the banner of the 'Kadakku Purathu' campaign, reviving a phrase that has come to symbolise his combative relationship with the media and critics.

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 2 (IANS) The Congress on Monday intensified its attack on the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government by launching a website and releasing a charge sheet under the banner of the aKadakku Purathua campaign, reviving a phrase that has come to symbolise his combative relationship with the media and critics.

The campaign derives its name from a 2017 incident when Chief Minister Vijayan abruptly told journalists to "Kadakku Purathu" (Malayalam for "get out") during a peace meeting convened in Thiruvananthapuram with senior CPI-M and BJP/RSS leaders.

The Chief Minister reportedly lost his temper on seeing a large contingent of reporters at the venue and directed them to leave.

Only after journalists exited the hall did he enter the meeting.

The Chief Ministeras Office later justified the outburst, stating that the media had not been invited to the meeting.

However, the incident triggered widespread protests from journalists across Kerala, who registered their dissent through newspapers, television channels and social media.

The episode entered public memory largely due to the strong headlines carried by a leading vernacular daily, here, which sharply criticised the governmentas attitude towards press freedom.

By reviving the slogan, the Congress is seeking to turn a moment of public controversy into a political weapon ahead of elections.

As part of the campaign, the party launched the website kadakkupurathu.com, which it claims allows citizens to symbolically "remove the Chief Minister from the throne".

The platform also enables the public to register complaints against the government.

The website can be accessed by scanning a QR code featuring the Chief Ministeras image or by directly visiting the URL.

It hosts a detailed charge sheet listing what the Congress calls the governmentas failures across sectors.

Issues flagged include unemployment among the youth, the agrarian crisis, alleged temple thefts, rising drug abuse, wildlife attacks on human settlements, and challenges faced by secular values in the state.

The Congress has described the initiative as an attempt to channel public anger against what it terms PR-driven governance.

With political temperatures rising and elections approaching, the revival of aKadakku Purathua underscores how a phrase uttered in anger nearly eight years ago has returned to haunt the Chief Minister in the political arena, with Assembly polls to be announced in a few weeks' time.
Rome, Feb 2 : China may be compelled to reassess the scope of its engagement in Pakistan if Chinese officials can no longer travel safely to Islamabad. For now, every crisis confronting Islamabad poses a threat to the progress of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and undermines Beijing's high-profile investment in the region, a report said on Monday.

Rome, Feb 2 (IANS) China may be compelled to reassess the scope of its engagement in Pakistan if Chinese officials can no longer travel safely to Islamabad. For now, every crisis confronting Islamabad poses a threat to the progress of ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and undermines Beijing's high-profile investment in the region, a report said on Monday.

According to a report in the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), China's ambitions to assert primacy over Afghanistan and Pakistan and to build an economically prosperous and stable region along its western and southwestern frontiers appear less achievable in light of the recent developments.

In October 2025, escalating tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban erupted into a deadly exchange of missile strikes along their shared border.

The once-strong alliance between the two sides has been on a downward trajectory since the Taliban regained power in Kabul in September 2021.

"Having made a $62 billion bet on Islamabad a decade ago, Beijing is desperate for stability in the region. However, facing rising domestic militancy and an increasingly hostile neighbourhood, Pakistan's troubles only seem to be growing, much to China's dismay," the report detailed

"In recent years, China has intensified efforts to gain leverage in Pakistan through greater economic investment under the purview of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The central purpose of CPEC, so far as Beijing is concerned, is to provide China with access to the Arabian Sea through a network of infrastructure projects, culminating in Gwadar Port in the province of Balochistan," it added.

The report stressed that domestic unrest across Pakistan emerged as the primary reason limiting China's ability to derive benefits from its investments, disrupting CPEC projects and stalling progress on multiple fronts.

"In Balochistan, frequent attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have hindered meaningful development on key CPEC initiatives in the province, including its flagship project, Gwadar Port. The security situation has become so severe that the inauguration of a CPEC-funded airport in Gwadar in the latter half of 2024 had to be held online, owing to the significant risk facing senior officials had they attended in person," it mentioned.

"Aside from the BLA, Pakistan has faced a grave security threat from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the country's own Taliban offshoot. Much like the BLA's operations in Balochistan, the TTP have posed a major challenge to Pakistani security forces and Chinese infrastructure projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," it further stated.

The report noted that regardless of how Pakistan and Afghanistan evolve in the wake of their military exchange and continued TTP attacks, one reality remains unchanged: "so long as Pakistan remains unstable, China stands to lose the most".
New Delhi, Feb 2 : Tata Group-owned Air India on Monday said it has grounded one of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch.

The airline confirmed the development in an official response. Air India said that soon after receiving the information from the pilot, the aircraft was taken out of service as a precautionary step.

The airline has also involved aircraft manufacturer Boeing to examine the issue on a priority basis and address the pilotas concerns.

In its statement, an Air India spokesperson said the matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

The airline added that it is following all required safety procedures while the issue is being reviewed.

The airline further clarified that it had earlier carried out checks on the fuel control switches of all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet.

These checks were conducted following a directive from the DGCA, and no issues were found at that time.

Air India assured passengers that safety remains its top priority. The airline said the well-being of passengers and crew is paramount, and it will continue to take all necessary steps to maintain the highest safety standards.

The airline in December said that a Mumbai-bound flight returned to Delhi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue.

The aircraft landed safely at Delhi, and the passengers and crew have disembarked, the airline said in a statement on December 22.

The aircraft is undergoing the necessary checks, an airline spokesperson added.
Kolkata, Feb 2 : Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Monday, alleged that land mafias backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress have filled a massive pond in Bhangar area of South 24 Parganas district.

Sharing a video clip of the incident on his official X account, LoP Adhikari alleged that it was another example of illegal filling of protected East Kolkata Wetlands.

He said this allowed illegitimate warehouses to be established without any permission like the ones in Anandapur area in southern outskirts of Kolkata where a massive fire broke out recently killing 27 people.

"Another Anandapur in the making under your nose, CP @KolkataPolice? What is unfolding in Bhangar right now is nothing short of a criminal conspiracy against the people and the environment, and the TMC Government is the biggest facilitator," LoP Adhikari added.

"In the pitch-black cover of night, TMC-backed land mafias are brazenly filling up a massive public pond at the entrance to Bijoyganj Bazar in Bhangar; South 24 Parganas district. This is no ordinary water body, it is situated in a land officially recognised as belonging to the Hospital and the Health Department. Yet, dumpers loaded with soil and JCB machines are operating with complete impunity, destroying a vital water resource and an absent administration is looking the other way," Adhikari, the BJP MLA from Nandigram, said in a post on X.

According to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, this is a not an isolated incident and a part of a series of similar incidents which allowed illegal warehouse to come up in the wetlands.

"This is not an isolated incident. This is the exact same dangerous template that created the man-made disaster in Anandapur just days ago," he said.

The BJP Nandigram MLA also said, "In Anandapur, illegal filling of protected East Kolkata Wetlands allowed illegitimate warehouses to spring up without any permission, license, or administrative supervision. The result? A horrific fire that trapped and killed dozens of poor workers, turning sleeping quarters into death traps. The TMC regime watched silently while mafias converted wetlands into illegal godowns and now they are repeating the same crime in Bhangar."

He also criticised the Trinamool Congress-led state government for failing to control the situation which has unfolded over several years.

"Here too, literally a foundation is being laid for unauthorised constructions, unregulated activities, and zero oversight from Government departments. When the inevitable accident happens; a collapse, a fire, dangerous waterlogging, or worse, who will answer for the loss of innocent human lives? Mamata Banerjee? Her Ministers? Her local goons posing as "party workers"?" LoP Adhikari asked.

He concluded by saying, "This is not governance, this is Mafia Raj. This is systematic destruction of water bodies, environment, and public safety for personal profit and political patronage. The TMC has blood on its hands already from Anandapur, there shouldn't be more from Bhangar."

There was no official reaction from the Trinamool Congress over LoP Adhikari's allegations.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia in connection with a disproportionate assets (DA) case registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta granted the relief after taking note of the fact that Majithia had already been granted bail in the predicate Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act case.

The Justice Nath-led Bench also noted that the special leave petition (SLP) filed by the Punjab government against the NDPS bail was dismissed in 2025.

"Considering the fact that the petitioner was granted bail in the earlier NDPS matter in 2022, against which the special leave petition filed by the State of Punjab was dismissed in 2025, and the police report has already been filed, and further noting that the disproportionate assets case pertains to the period from 2006 to 2017 whereas the FIR has been registered in 2025, we grant bail," the apex court observed.

Majithia was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on June 25 last year. His judicial custody was extended periodically.

Within 59 days of his arrest, the Vigilance Bureau filed a voluminous 40,000-page chargesheet in a Mohali court, alleging the discovery of Rs 700 crore in illegal assets.

The chargesheet cited statements of around 200 witnesses, detailed nearly 400 bank accounts, and referred to raids conducted across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

Statements of several Akali Dal and BJP leaders were also recorded during the probe.

Earlier, a Mohali court had rejected Majithia's bail plea after conducting day-to-day hearings for nearly 10 days, holding that the investigation was still underway and the allegations were of a serious nature.

The Vigilance Bureau has alleged that Majithia laundered more than Rs 540 crore of drug money, relying on investigations carried out by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2021 FIR under the NDPS Act, as well as its own inquiry into the DA case.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday that the customs duty changes announced in the Budget for 2026-27 are part of the Indian government's ongoing economic reforms to rationalise tariffs and are not linked in any way to the policy decisions of the US.

"We have changed customs duties, and we have been making customs duty changes in every Budget for a while now, and we have continued the same in this Budget as well," she pointed out.

The Finance Minister maintained that these measures are part of a broader policy framework aimed at supporting Indian citizens and businesses.

She further stated that the government did not go in for any assessment of the potential impact of the US tariff hikes while drawing up the proposals for the Budget.

"We did not make any assessment of the impact of US tariffs to factor them into Budget decisions," she remarked.

Customs duty on goods imported for personal use halved from 20 per cent to 10 per cent

The Finance Minister announced in her Budget speech that the proposals for Customs and Central Excise aim to further simplify the tariff structure, support domestic manufacturing, promote export competitiveness, and correct inversion in duty.

The new Budget proposes to reduce the tariff rate on all dutiable goods imported for personal use from 20 per cent to 10 per cent to rationalise the customs duty structure. To provide relief to patients, particularly those suffering from cancer, it proposes to exempt basic customs duty on 17 drugs or medicines. The Budget also proposes to add 7 more rare diseases for the purposes of exempting import duties on personal imports of drugs, medicines and Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP) used in their treatment.

The Union Budget further proposes to revise provisions governing baggage clearance during international travel to address the genuine concerns of passengers. The revised rules will enhance duty-free allowances and provide clarity in the temporary carriage of goods brought in or taken out. Furthermore, the honest taxpayers will now be able to settle their dues and close cases by paying an additional amount in lieu of penalty, the Finance Minister said.

The Budget also proposes many measures for customs processes to have minimal intervention for smoother and faster movement of goods and greater certainty for the trade.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : Tata Group-owned Air India on Monday said it has grounded one of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch.

The airline confirmed the development in an official response.

Soon after receiving the information from the pilot, the aircraft was taken out of service as a precautionary step, Air India said.

The airline has also involved aircraft manufacturer Boeing to examine the issue on a priority basis and address the pilotas concerns.

In its statement, an Air India spokesperson said the matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

The airline added that it is following all required safety procedures while the issue is being reviewed.

The airline further clarified that it had earlier carried out checks on the fuel control switches of all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet.

These checks were conducted following a directive from the DGCA, and no issues were found at that time.

Air India assured passengers that safety remains its top priority. The airline said the well-being of passengers and crew is paramount, and it will continue to take all necessary steps to maintain the highest safety standards.

Earlier on Monday, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Parliament that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the Air India flight AI-171 crash at Ahmedabad in June last year from all angles and aims to complete the investigation in a time-bound manner.

The Air India flight AI 171 crashed just seconds after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport into a medical college hostel building, killing 241 passengers and crew on board the plane and another 19 people on the ground on June 12, 2025.

A preliminary report released by the AAIB on July 12 stated that both engines of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost thrust after the two fuel cut-off switches moved from the aRUNa to the aCUTOFFa position. However, the cockpit voice recorder has revealed that one of the pilots told the other that he did not turn off the fuel control switches. The fuel switches were then returned to the RUN position just before the plane crashed.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Veteran Zanu-PF figure Obert Mpofu has sharply reduced his public engagement with the ruling party following last year's top-level reshuffle, senior party sources say, highlighting mounting internal tensions within the party.The reshuffle in September 2025 saw Mpofu removed from his influential post as secretary for administration and reassigned to the lesser role of secretary for Information Communication Technology, widely interpreted by political analysts as a demotion ahead of Zanu-PF's annual conference in Mutare in October.Since then, the former Cabinet minister and long-time politburo heavyweight has maintained a low profile, largely staying in Bulawayo and missing several key party meetings, despite repeated attempts to draw him back into active duties."Firstly, the President sent his aide to ask when Mpofu would return to the party offices in Harare. Mpofu refused. He said he was treated badly and had no interest in engaging," said a senior Zanu-PF official. "After that, party directors were sent last Friday to re-open talks. They received the same response. He refused to speak to the President."Mpofu's reduced visibility signals a significant reversal of fortunes for a once-powerful figure who controlled Zanu-PF's organisational machinery and wielded authority over party structures, discipline, and internal elections.Analysts say his estrangement exposes growing unease within the ruling party amid intensified power consolidation and has reignited resentment among some liberation war veterans who feel increasingly marginalised.The September 2025 reshuffle was also widely viewed as part of a broader strategy to weaken Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is seen as a potential successor to President Mnangagwa amid ongoing debates over the controversial 2030 term-extension agenda.Zanu-PF Secretary of Information Farai Marapira and spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa did not respond to requests for comment.Political observers say Mpofu's refusal to engage privately, despite outreach from the party and the President, marks a personal rupture that goes beyond routine factional manoeuvring. "Mpofu feels humiliated," said a former senior party official. "He believes the way he was removed was disrespectful, and no attempt was made to resolve issues internally before discarding him."Mpofu's isolation is increasingly seen as a symptom of instability within the ruling elite, with analysts warning that succession tensions, economic challenges, and factional rivalries threaten Zanu-PF's cohesion at a critical time for the party and the country.
Kabul, Feb 2 : As many as five Afghan journalists were detained by the Pakistani police over the past two weeks as per the details released by the Afghanistan Media Support Organisation (AMSO), local media reported on Monday.

According to AMSO, journalist Samim Forough Faizi and cameraman Ataullah Shirzad were among those detained while others have requested anonymity due to security risks, Afghanistan's leading news agency Khaama Press reported. The organisation stated that the journalists have been released now but warned that arbitrary detentions and insecurity remain serious concerns for Afghan reporters residing in Pakistan.

The organisation noted that many Afghan journalists fled to Pakistan after Taliban seized power in Afghanistan due to threats, censorship and political pressure in the country. AMSO stressed that Afghan journalists and families have been facing uncertain conditions in Pakistan as Islamabad has not been extending visas for many Afghan refugees.

Rights groups have warned that increasing deportations and stringent immigration policies have deteriorated conditions for Afghan journalists seeking safety and resettlement abroad. AMSO requested international media and human rights groups to increase support for Afghan journalists who are facing insecurity and legal issues in Pakistan.

In an update on January 29, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that 17,870 Afghans returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan through Torkham, Ghulam Khan, Chaman, Badini and Bahramcha border crossing points from January 18-24.

According to the report, from January 18-24, the number of returns decreased by one per cent while deportations increased by 12 per cent compared to the previous week of January 11-17. During January 18-24, the figures reached 17,870 returns including 1,666 deportations while 17,970 returns including 1,485 deportations were reported during January 11-17.

Earlier, Taliban had said that the problems faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan are rising and stressed that Pakistani government should respect refugee rights and stop arresting and harassing Afghan migrants, local media reported.

"Unfortunately, problems faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan are increasing, with arrests, harassment, and mistreatment by Pakistani officials on the rise, leaving refugees in serious difficulty," Pajhwok Afghan News quoted Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat as saying in an audio message.

Fitrat urged the United Nations and other relevant organisations to uphold refugee protection principles and intervene in nations where refugee rights are breached.

He also said that Afghan refugees returning to Afghanistan need economic cooperation and support. He emphasised that Pakistani government should be forced to respect refugee rights, follow international refugee principles and stop arresting and harassing Afghan refugees, Pajhwok Afghan News reported.
London, Feb 2 : Several activists have called on the United Kingdom's Salisbury Cathedral - home to one of four surviving copies of the Magna Carta --considered as "Charter of Rights" -- to remove surveillance cameras manufactured by Dahua Technology, a Chinese company based in China's Hangzhou city, a report said on Monday.

London, Feb 2 (IANS) Several activists have called on the United Kingdom's Salisbury Cathedral  home to one of four surviving copies of the Magna Carta --considered as "Charter of Rights" -- to remove surveillance cameras manufactured by Dahua Technology, a Chinese company based in China's Hangzhou city, a report said on Monday.

It added that similar appeals were made to the authorities overseeing Greece's Parthenon temple, which is monitored by cameras made by another Chinese company, Hikvision.

"Cameras made by the firms have already been removed from sensitive UK government sites, over concerns that they could be remotely accessed by China and used to spy on sensitive sites. Now, fresh concerns about the two companies' roles at sites housing foundational symbols of democracy and human rights have been raised by the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and a Ukrainian organisation called Don't Fund Russian Army," a report in the UK's leading daily, The Guardian, stated.

"Dahua Technology boasts on its website that its low-light surveillance cameras help ensure the safety of a copy of Magna Carta, sealed by King John at Runnymede, England, in 1215. The document established limitations on feudal powers and is widely seen as a precursor to later formulations laying down democratic values and human rights protections," it added.

Salisbury Cathedral's website describes the 811-year-old document as a "powerful symbol of social justice" that has "inspired and encouraged freedom movements around the world".

According to the report in a letter that surfaced during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) ---representing the persecuted minority ethnic group from China's Xinjiang region---accused Dahua of involvement in "genocide or crimes against humanity".

The organisation, it said, "cited the company's alleged involvement in facial recognition systems designed to identify Uyghurs and automate police reporting".

The report highlighted the WUC's claim that Dahua's CCTV systems had "played a role in control and surveillance mechanisms" in Xinjiang aimed at persecuting the predominantly Muslim group.

"For us, it is particularly painful that the technologies of such companies are being used to protect one of the most prominent symbols of democracy and freedom," The Guardian quoted from the WUC letter emailed to the cathedral's head of security.

While a cathedral spokesperson said that the email had not been received, The Guardian reported seeing evidence indicating that the email was sent on December 22 last year.

The WUC raised similar concerns in an email to authorities responsible for the Parthenon temple in Greece, where cameras by the Chinese company Hikvision are in use, and called for the removal of the CCTV systems, the report noted.
Umaria/New Delhi, Feb 2 : The family members of Anish Awadhiya, one of victims in the high-profile Pune Porsche hit-and-run case, expressed their disappointment after learning that three accused persons, who allegedly conspired in swapping blood samples to shield minors, were granted bail from the Supreme Court on Monday.

Anish's grandfather Atmaram Awadhiya, a resident of Umaria district in Madhya Pradesh, said the Supreme Court's order has left the entire family disappointed.

He added that the investigation has revealed that the father of the accused (a minor who was driving the car) paid a bribe for swapping blood samples to shield the minors.

"We are disappointed by today's judgment. We will request the Supreme Court to cancel the bail order of the accused persons," Awadhiya told IANS, claiming that since the accused minor boy is the son of a real-estate developer, politicians and senior officials are conspiring to weaken the case.

While Anish's father Om Awadhiya, said that they were expecting justice from the apex court, but granting bail to three accused persons came as a disappointing decision.

"We had hoped for justice, but it doesn't seem like that will happen. Because of the political pressure and money involved in this case, bail should not have been granted," he added.

The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to three persons alleged to have conspired in swapping blood samples to shield minors involved in the high-profile Pune Porsche hit-and-run case.

Observing that they had been incarcerated for nearly 20 months, a bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered the release of the three accused persons -- Ashish Satish Mittal, Aditya Avinash Sood, and Amar Santhosh Gaikwad, subject to conditions set by the trial court.

The three are accused of having played a role in swapping blood samples of two minor occupants of the Porsche car -- other than the alleged minor driver -- who were allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the fatal accident.

Mittal is said to be a friend of the father of the main accused, while Sood is the father of a minor who was seated in the back of the car at the time of the accident.

Gaikwad allegedly acted as a middleman and is accused of receiving Rs 3 lakh for facilitating the blood sample manipulation.

The case relates to a tragic accident on May 19, 2024, when a speeding Porsche car without a registration number plate rammed into a two-wheeler in Pune's Kalyani Nagar area, killing Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa as they were returning home from a hotel.

Ashwini Costa, who was also working as software engineer with Anish Awadhiya, was a resident of Jabalpur district in Madhya Pradesh.

Investigations revealed that a 17-year-old boy was allegedly driving the car under the influence of alcohol. Two of his minor friends and a driver were also present in the vehicle.

Police said the juvenile had consumed alcohol at two different hotels prior to the car crash.

During the probe, it emerged that the juvenile's blood sample was allegedly swapped to conceal alcohol consumption.

Investigators claimed doctors at Pune's Sassoon Hospital discarded the juvenile's blood sample and replaced it with that of his mother.

The alleged conspiracy reportedly involved the juvenile's father, a Pune-based businessman Vishal Agarwal, his wife, and other associates.

Prosecutors alleged that Rs 3 lakh was paid to hospital staff through intermediaries, with senior medical officers orchestrating the manipulation to ensure test reports showed no presence of alcohol.

The scope of the case widened with the arrest of Mittal and Sood.

Mittal is accused of providing his blood sample to replace that of another juvenile present in the car, while Sood allegedly did the same for his teenage son, who was neither driving nor named in the original FIR.
Dhaka, Feb 2 : Bangladesh is witnessing a striking paradox as the right-wing radical groups in the country depict feminism as a "Western agenda". At its core, women's rights activism in non-Western regions cannot be dismissed as an imported Western idea, especially when Western societies have themselves subjected women to persistent discrimination and oppression, a report said on Monday.

Dhaka, Feb 2 (IANS) Bangladesh is witnessing a striking paradox as the right-wing radical groups in the country depict feminism as a "Western agenda". At its core, women's rights activism in non-Western regions cannot be dismissed as an imported Western idea, especially when Western societies have themselves subjected women to persistent discrimination and oppression, a report said on Monday.

"Feminist politics in Bangladesh emerged from women's issues within local contexts, embedded in material realities that included dowry-related violence and murders, domestic abuse, child marriage, acid attacks, extra-judicial punishments imposed through shalish and fatwa, barriers to women's education, discriminatory inheritance practices, violations of indigenous women's rights, and many other local struggles," a report in Bangladesh's leading newspaper 'The Daily Star' detailed.

"It is important to remind ourselves that women in the West have also long been victims of patriarchy and oppression, and have fought for their rights. However, this does not mean that women in non-Western regions are simply copying them when they oppose mistreatment. The irony that must be recognised is that women all over the world are no strangers to gender inequality and abuse in their own regional contexts. This shared reality of women does not make the political activism of non-Western women a mimicry of the West," it added.

According to the report, following the July 2024 demonstration in Bangladesh, conservative right-wing groups have repeatedly described feminist activism as a "Western" act and called for its complete boycott.

It emphasised that the recent radical right-wing campaign in Bangladesh, which defaces posters of former Bengali social reformer Rokeya Shakhawat Hossain with derogatory words and publicly labels prominent feminist leaders as "beshha" (prostitutes) at political gatherings, does not constitute a critique of feminism. Instead, it is a deliberate strategy aimed at delegitimising feminist activism through intimidation and threat.

"It stems from the same historical masculine rage that opposed women's voting rights, sought to keep women as second-class citizens, denied them access to education, and maintained social control by constructing women as inferior. Any woman or ideology that challenged this structure has historically been perceived as a threat to them. It is therefore important to situate these extreme radical campaigns within a longer history of gendered power formations that have organised violence, exclusion, and control over women in post-colonial Bangladesh," the report noted
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 2 : Congress CWC member and senior legislator Ramesh Chennithala on Monday said the Kerala High Court's January 28 judgment on the Sprinklr data deal had fully vindicated the Opposition's long-held position and demanded that the Pinarayi Vijayan government take action against those responsible for entering into an irregular and illegal contract.

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 2 (IANS) Congress CWC member and senior legislator Ramesh Chennithala on Monday said the Kerala High Courtas January 28 judgment on the Sprinklr data deal had fully vindicated the Oppositionas long-held position and demanded that the Pinarayi Vijayan government take action against those responsible for entering into an irregular and illegal contract.

Addressing the media here, Chennithala rejected CPI-M state Secretary M.V. Govindanas demand for an apology, accusing him of misinterpreting the High Court verdict and displaying a "fundamental lack of understanding" of the case.

He said the court had merely closed the petitions after confirming its interim order of April 24, 2020, since the contract had been cancelled and the data destroyed.

Chennithala recalled that it was he, as Leader of the Opposition during the Covid-19 period, who approached the High Court in public interest against the governmentas decision to hand over sensitive health data of quarantined citizens to a foreign firm (Sprinklr).

He noted that the court had accepted the core arguments raised by him and restrained the government, forcing it to withdraw from the deal.

Citing specific findings from the judgment, Chennithala said the High Court had confirmed grave procedural lapses and held that then Principal Secretary, IT, M. Sivasankar had entered into the agreement without Cabinet approval or the Chief Ministeras consent, amounting to "gross dereliction of duty".

The court, he pointed out, had also upheld the contention that the agreement was illegal and unconstitutional under Article 299 of the Constitution.

He highlighted the courtas serious concern over the jurisdiction clause granting exclusive rights to courts in the United States, making it difficult for citizens to pursue remedies in the event of data theft.

The court also accepted the argument that personal data collected could have been used for commercial purposes.

Chennithala said the Madhavan Nambiar Committee findings, cited in the judgment, had confirmed violations of the Rules of Procedure, the Secretariat Manual, and the failure to consult the Law and Finance Departments.

He stressed that the High Court had categorically directed the government to take appropriate action against those responsible and ensure that such lapses do not recur.

The Congress leader said attempts by the CPI-M leadership to trivialise the verdict would not dilute the seriousness of the findings, adding that accountability, not political rhetoric, was now required from the government.
Quetta, Feb 2 : At least 10 civilians were killed after Pakistani security forces opened fire on a passenger vehicle near Cadet College in Nushki district of Balochistan, a leading human rights organisation said on Monday.

These latest incidents come against the backdrop of a growing wave of targetted killings and enforced disappearances across the province.

Condemning the attack, the Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) said such attacks on unarmed civilians are unlawful and constitute a serious violation of fundamental human rights. It added that the escalation of violence under ongoing Pakistani military operations has created fear and insecurity among the civilian population across Balochistan.

"Under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and customary international law, civilians must be protected at all times and must never be the target of attack. The deliberate or reckless use of force against unarmed civilians is a war crime," the BVJ stated.

The rights body called for independent investigations, accountability for those responsible, and immediate measures to protect civilian lives across Balochistan.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB), on Monday highlighted 598 killings in Balochistan in 2025 perpetrated mostly by the Pakistani security forces amid rising violence against civilians across the province.

In its findings, the HRCB documented that out of 598 documented killings, targetted killings were the most common with 165 cases, followed by 104 custodial killings, while 66 cases involved bodies discovered under unclear circumstances.

The report recorded 59 cases of fake encounters, where individuals previously subjected to enforced disappearance were later killed in staged operations by the Pakistani forces.

Additionally, Paank, the Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, brought to light the enforced disappearances of another three civilians at the hands of Pakistani forces in the early hours of Monday.

According to the rights body, a large contingent of the Pakistani army raided multiple houses in the Hub Chowki region in Balochistan, while forcibly disappearing Retired Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Bakhsh Sajidi, his brother Naeem Sajidi, and Engineer Rafeeq Baloch, the former Chief of Sui Gas in the province.

Mohammad Bakhsh Sajidi is the father of Baloch National Movement (BNM) Chairman Naseem Baloch, while Naeem Sajidi and Rafeeq Baloch are his uncles.

"The raid and subsequent abductions were carried out without any legal justification, reflecting the ongoing pattern of collective punishment and enforced disappearances in Balochistan," Paank mentioned.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : The government sanctioned a budget of Rs 16.97 crore in 2025-26 for promotion and preservation of 11 classical languages, Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Monday.

He said the Sanskrit language is promoted through three Central Universities - Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi; Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University, New Delhi and National Sanskrit University, Tirupati.

The Minister identified the 11 classic languages as Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Assamese, Bangla, Pali and Prakrit.

Out of these, Odia, Marathi, Assamese, Bangla, Pali and Prakrit were recognised as classical languages in 2024.

While Bangla is the most widely spoken classical language with 9.72 crore people, Sanskrit is spoken by the least number of people at just 24,000.

The Minister said as per the Census of India 2011 (Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India), Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu and Tamil are the top five most spoken languages in the country.

In another reply, the Minister said Gyan Bharatam, announced during Union Budget 2025-26, is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture (MoC) aimed at unearthing, safeguarding and preserving Indiaas vast manuscript heritage.

More than 7.5 lakh manuscripts have been digitised under Gyan Bharatam, out of which 1.29 lakh manuscripts are available on the Gyan Bharatam Portal, he said.

Aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the initiative seeks to harmonise cultural preservation with human capital development, ensuring that Indiaas ancient wisdom continues to inspire generations to come, he said.

To support the initiative, the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) has sanctioned Rs 491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031. This initiative focuses on five verticals - Survey and Cataloguing, Conservation and Capacity Building, Technology and Digitisation, Linguistics and Translation and Research, Publication, and Outreach, he said.

Gyan Bharatam has been mandated to establish a nationwide network of Cluster Centres (CCs) and Independent Centres (ICs) across the country.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday the plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging interference by the West Bengal government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the recent search operations at the office of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its co-founder Pratik Jain in Kolkata.

As per the cause list published on the website of the apex court, a Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul M. Pancholi will resume hearing the matter on February 3.

In its petition, the ED sought registration of FIRs against Chief Minister Banerjee, the state Director General of Police (DGP), and the Kolkata Police Commissioner, alleging obstruction of lawful duties during simultaneous raid operations.

In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court stayed the FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police against ED officials in connection with the searches, observing that the petitions raise serious questions of alleged interference by state agencies in a central investigation.

Issuing notice to the Chief Minister and senior police officials, the Justice Mishra-led Bench had granted them two weeks to file their counter-affidavits and listed the matter for further hearing on February 3.

In its interim order, the top court had also directed preservation of CCTV footage and other digital storage devices containing recordings of the searched premises as well as the surrounding areas, noting that, prima facie, the petitions raised "a serious issue relating to the investigations by the Directorate of Enforcement or other Central Agencies and its interference by State Agencies".

It had warned that if such issues are allowed to remain undecided, it could lead to a situation of "lawlessness" in one or more states.

Appearing for the ED, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had described the incident as a case where "mobocracy replaces democracy", alleging that the Central agencyas officials were intimidated and prevented from discharging their lawful duties.

On the other hand, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the West Bengal government, had raised objections to the maintainability of the EDas petition, alleging forum shopping and contending that adequate remedies were available before the Calcutta High Court, where similar prayers were already pending.
New Delhi, Feb 2 : Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but poorest province, is once again engulfed in deadly violence, with Balochi separatists mounting attacks against one of the most intense counter-operations in years, according to reports from Pakistan.

New Delhi, Feb 2 (IANS) Balochistan, Pakistanas largest but poorest province, is once again engulfed in deadly violence, with Balochi separatists mounting attacks against one of the most intense counter-operations in years, according to reports from Pakistan.

The flare-up is rooted in long-standing grievances of the Baloch people over political marginalisation, resource exploitation, and geopolitical rivalries, say reports.

At least 15 security officials and 18 civilians have been killed as armed men launched coordinated attacks across the province in the latest incident last weekend, reported Al Jazeera news network.

The wave of violence last month coincided with heightened political instability in Pakistan, including economic crises and disputes over governance across the country.

Meanwhile, Pakistanas security forces have carried out several raids in this province in the countryas southwest, bordering Afghanistan and Iran, killing at least 41.

Balochistan has witnessed a renewed surge in militant activity with attacks in Quetta and other districts leaving nearly 200 people dead, including 31 civilians, marking one of the deadliest flare-ups in recent years, according to separate reports.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and allied separatist groups have claimed responsibility for the attacks, targeting police stations, military convoys, and government installations. The rise of the BLA and other separatist groups in the early 2000s marked a new phase of resistance, coinciding with Gwadar portas development and CPECas launch.

Communities live under constant fear, with schools and businesses shuttered in affected districts as thousands of families have fled the conflict zones, according to media reports, seeking safety in Quetta and Karachi.

Islamabad has launched a massive counter-operation, deploying paramilitary forces and intensifying aerial surveillance. Balochistanas people have long complained of political exclusion and economic exploitation. Despite being rich in natural resources, including gas, coal, copper, and gold, the province remains underdeveloped.

Locals argue that the wealth benefits Islamabad and foreign investors rather than the Baloch communities. The province is strategically vital due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which runs through Gwadar port.

Militants see CPEC as a symbol of exploitation, while Islamabad views it as a lifeline for economic growth. This clash of perspectives has intensified violence. Instead of addressing their grievances, Pakistanas heavy-handed military operations have fuelled resentment, creating a cycle where insurgent violence provokes state crackdowns, which in turn deepen alienation among locals.

Available evidences suggest that Balochistanas history stretches back millennia, with archaeological sites like Mehrgarh, dating to 7000 BCE, highlighting its role as one of the cradles of early human civilisation.

In the 19th century, Balochistan came under British control, incorporated into the British Indian Empire as a strategic frontier region. Balochistan was integrated into Pakistan after its independence in 1947. However, this was contested by local leaders, sparking the first of several insurgencies. Since then, Balochistan has seen five major uprisings, beginning in 1948, then in 1958a"59, followed by 1962a"63, 1973a"77, and 2004a"present. Each was driven by demands for autonomy, resource control, and cultural recognition.

In 1952, the discovery of natural gas in Sui in Dera Bugti district of Balochistan intensified tensions, as revenues flowed to Islamabad while Balochistan remained impoverished.

The current flare-up in Balochistan is not an isolated event but the latest chapter in a decades-long struggle for autonomy, dignity, and resource control.

While Islamabad frames the conflict as a security issue, the roots lie in political exclusion and economic injustice. Unless these grievances are addressed, military operations may quell violence temporarily but will not bring lasting peace.
Amaravati, Feb 2 : With the International Fleet Review (IFR) to be held off Visakhapatnam on February 18, followed by the multinational exercise Milan-2026 on February 19, officials met on Wednesday to discuss the arrangements.

President Droupadi Murmu will review the capabilities of the Indian Navy during IFR.

Ships from 19 countries, including Sri Lanka and Iran, and approximately 4,000 delegates will be attending the event.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend Milan, a programme aimed at strengthening mutual cooperation and capabilities in maritime operations.

Eastern Naval Command's Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Sushil Menon, and other naval officers on Monday met Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand at the Secretariat here to discuss the arrangements for the two events.

He informed the Chief Secretary that a large number of ships, aircraft, and delegates from various countries would be participating in IFR.

He also mentioned that three ships and about 150 delegates from the USA, Germany, and France would be participating. Similarly, 90 ships, 45 aircraft, and approximately 600 delegates from India will also be part of the event.

President Murmu, Governor Justice S. Abdul Nazeer (retd), and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu would be attending the Fleet Review.

The Chief Minister and other dignitaries would attend the International City Parade.

The Chief Secretary told the Eastern Naval Command officers that the state government would provide all necessary assistance and cooperation to make the International Fleet Review and Milan-2026 a success.

He issued instructions to the department officials concerned regarding the arrangements to be made. Since VVIPs like the President, the Defence Minister, the Governor, and the Chief Minister are attending this programme, Vijayanand directed the officials to make appropriate security and other arrangements accordingly.

The President reviews the capabilities of the Navy once during his or tenure. This is also called the President's Fleet Review.

Ships from neighbouring and friendly countries, along with the country's nav,y participate in the Review. On this occasion, the President reviews the capabilities of the ships from those countries. Key warships and submarines participate in this programme.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Outspoken former independent Norton MP, Themba Mliswa, has publicly endorsed multi-millionaire businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei as a future leader of Zimbabwe, drawing parallels to Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo, who represents a "new generation" of leadership.In an interview on The Denny J Show (Episode 101) released on 29 January 2026, Mliswa outlined his vision for a generational shift in Zimbabwean politics. He argued that the country's leadership must transition to younger figures, citing Chapo - born after Mozambique's independence and unconnected to the liberation struggleand opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, who turns 48 today, as examples of new-generation leadership.Mliswa claimed that Zanu PF is positioning Tagwirei, a major party funder, as Mnangagwa's eventual successor to protect mutual political and business interests. He suggested that Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga had undermined his own succession prospects by openly confronting Mnangagwa and engaging in political attacks.The former Mashonaland West provincial chairman also criticised other influential figures, including party spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa, whom he described as "petty" and "a motor-mouth" driven by personal ambition. He defended Tagwirei against attacks from Mutsvangwa and businessman Paul Tungwarara, dismissing their public criticisms as a "moment of madness."Throughout the interview, Mliswa framed the debate as one of generational change rather than ideology, arguing that Zimbabwe's next leadership must break from the liberation-war-era veterans and embrace younger, commercially and politically influential figures like Tagwirei.The interview comes amid ongoing succession speculation within Zanu PF, as Mnangagwa approaches the latter part of his second term, and as the party navigates internal divisions and emerging economic and political challenges.
Vijayawada, Feb 2 : Former minister and YSR Congress Party leader Jogi Ramesh on Monday claimed that his life and the safety of his family are under threat from minister Nara Lokesh and stated that the TDP leader should be held fully responsible if any harm comes to them in the future.

He alleged that Sunday's attack on his house was carried out on Lokesh's instructions under the leadership of MP Kesineni Chinni. He said that TDP cadres, acting with police presence and support, attacked his house with petrol bombs as part of a conspiracy to physically eliminate him and terrorise his family.

Jogi Ramesh was speaking to the media at his residence in Ibrahimpatnam along with YSRCP leaders from Krishna and NTR districts.

The YSRCP leader stated he considers Lord Venkateswara his deity and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy his leader, and questioned whether he should remain silent when false allegations are made against his leader.

Jogi Ramesh said the attacks are meant to silence voices that question government failures and to intimidate Backward Class (BC) leaders in YSRCP, so they stop speaking out. He alleged that hundreds of TDP workers were mobilised to attack his house and that the incident should be seen as an attack on democracy and on backward communities.

The YSRCP leader claimed that despite showing evidence and naming those involved, authorities were not making arrests, while cases were being filed against him instead. He further alleged that police personnel stood by the attackers instead of protecting his family, even though his father, wife, and son were inside the house during the attack, putting their lives at risk.

Meanwhile, at an emergency meeting held at YSRCP's central office on the directions of party president Jagan Mohan Reddy, senior leaders led by State Coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and Legislative Council Opposition Leader Botsa Satyanarayana discussed the alleged murder attempt on former minister Ambati Rambabu and the attack on former minister Jogi Ramesh's house.

Alleging a complete collapse of law and order, they said that the state has been pushed into a "jungle raj" under Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and announced that the party will take the government's "misdeeds" to the national stage.

Leaders said opposition voices are being suppressed through intimidation and attacks on party leaders' houses, but asserted such actions will not deter YSRCP and that the party will intensify its work.

They accused the government of hurting the sentiments of Tirumala devotees through controversial statements on laddu prasadam and demanded an apology from Chandrababu Naidu. The party alleged that within three days, multiple former ministers and MLAs were targeted, and claimed police inaction has emboldened attackers.

YSRCP leaders further stated that the police system has been weakened, with officers failing to respond even after repeated calls for protection and, in some cases, filing cases against victims.

They announced plans to raise the issue in Delhi, approach courts, and approach the National Human Rights Commission. Calling the incidents unprecedented in recent political history, the party leaders said they would continue political and legal battles, take the issue to the Centre, and mobilise public opinion, asserting that attempts to silence the opposition will ultimately fail.
Washington, Feb 2, : President Donald Trump on Monday said that India and the United States had reached a trade deal, outlining key elements after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he described as "one of my greatest friends." Washington, Feb 2, (IANS) President Donald Trump on Monday said that India and the United States had reached a trade deal, outlining key elements after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he described as "one of my greatest friends."

In a detailed post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would immediately reduce the US reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, calling it a major shift in bilateral trade ties linked to energy cooperation and broader geopolitical goals.

The US President said that the two leaders discussed "many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine." He claimed that PM Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil and to increase purchases from the United States and, potentially, from Venezuela.

"This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!" Trump wrote.

According to Trump, the trade deal would take effect immediately. He said India would "move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO."

Trump also said PM Modi committed to "BUY AMERICAN" at a much higher level. He added that India would purchase "over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of US Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products."

"Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward," the US President wrote. "Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE."

The post marked a detailed public account from Trump following his call with PM Modi earlier in the day.

The phone call came a day before External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is due to begin a visit to the United States.

Earlier on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs announced that Jaishankar would travel to Washington this week to participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"The Ministerial will focus on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions, and strategic cooperation in critical minerals," the ministry said in a media release.

During the visit, Jaishankar will also hold meetings with senior members of the US administration, the ministry said, without providing further details.

India and the United States have been engaged in negotiations aimed at expanding trade and investment ties, with officials on both sides indicating that talks were nearing a final stage.

Energy cooperation has become a central element of the relationship since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, with Washington urging partners to diversify away from Russian supplies.

India has said its energy decisions are guided by national interest and market conditions, while also calling for an end to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

India-US ties have expanded steadily across defence, technology and economic sectors over the past decade. The two countries are also partners in the QUAD grouping, which focuses on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
New Delhi/Washington, Feb 2 : US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, on Monday hailed the partnership between Washington and New Delhi, asserting that the relationship between the United States and India has "limitless potential".

Gor made the comment shortly after the US President Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a day before External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar begins a visit to the United States of America.

"As I have said many times, President Trump genuinely considers Prime Minister Modi a great friend! Thrilled by the news of the trade deal this evening. The relationship between the United States and India has LIMITLESS POTENTIAL!," he posted on X after the phone call between both leaders.

It was Gor who had first announced that Trump and PM Modi had spoken over the phone earlier in the evening.

"President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi," Gor said in a social media post.

"STAY TUNED," he added, without giving further details.

Later, the US President said that India and the United States had reached a trade deal, outlining key elements after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he described as "one of my greatest friends."

In a detailed post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would immediately reduce the US reciprocal tariff on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent, calling it a major shift in bilateral trade ties linked to energy cooperation and broader geopolitical goals.

Trump said the two leaders discussed "many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine." He claimed that PM Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil and to increase purchases from the United States and, potentially, from Venezuela.

"This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!" Trump wrote.

According to Trump, the trade deal would take effect immediately. He said India would "move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO."

Trump also said PM Modi committed to "BUY AMERICAN" at a much higher level. He added that India would purchase "over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of US Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products."

"Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward," Trump wrote. "Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE."
Shillong, Feb 3 : The Meghalaya government has imposed a prohibitory order banning the transportation, storage, sale and distribution of fish illegally imported from Bangladesh without valid legal documents, officials said on Monday.

A senior official in Shillong said that the District Magistrate of East Khasi Hills district, invoking powers under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, has issued the order to curb the illegal movement and trade of such fish within the districtas jurisdiction.

The order prohibits the transportation, storage, sale or distribution of illegally imported fish, as well as the use of any vehicle, vessel, boat or other conveyance for such purposes. It also bars assisting, harbouring or facilitating individuals or groups involved in these illegal activities.

The official said the prohibitory order was issued in view of reports indicating that illegal transportation of fish from Bangladesh is taking place through various border routes, riverine channels, roads and market points within the state, raising concerns that such items may enter the district through multiple channels.

He added that the illegal transportation and entry of unregulated fish violate Customs, Import-Export and other relevant Food Safety regulations, and carry the potential risk of introducing diseased or restricted species into the region.

According to the order, the illegal, unchecked and uncertified sale and distribution of foreign-origin fish pose a serious threat to public health and sanitation, adversely affect the bio-security of the local aquatic ecosystem, and cause economic losses to legitimate fish traders as well as the state government.

Any person found violating the order will be liable for action under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with other relevant provisions of law, including the Customs Act, the Foreigners Act and the Passport Act.

Traders in several Northeastern states import various types of fish from Bangladesh, and illegal trade continues in some regions due to insufficient local production to meet consumer demand.

Hilsa (Ilish) fish of Bangladesh, in particular, has massive year-round demand in India, especially in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Odisha, where it is regarded as a premium, culturally significant and highly sought-after delicacy.

Four northeastern states a" Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) a" share a combined 1,880-km-long international border with Bangladesh.
Bengaluru, Feb 3 : Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar has clarified that there is no leadership tussle within the Congress-led government between him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Shivakumar made the statement while answering the Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka in the Assembly on Monday, who raised the issue of a leadership tussle, referring to his cryptic social media posts on leadership.

R. Ashoka stated, "For the last one month, D.K. Shivakumar's speeches and his tweets are signalling all is not well. In one tweet, he conveys a hundred meanings. In one word, he conveys tens of meanings. That's why everyone is confused. Not only us, but people from the ruling party are also confused."

Answering this, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar stated, "We have grown by going through many struggles. Our strength is 139 MLAs. All of us are together, including Siddaramaiah."

"We have given our word, and we will stand by it. There is no crisis. I am with him now and will continue to stand with him in the future. There is no confusion. He stands with me, in times of crisis, and the same is with me. I stand with him whenever he faces a crisis," Shivakumar said.

He further stated, "Ashoka, you are a senior politician. Whoever says whatever, I do not get disturbed. I have risen from being a student leader. I have upheld and preserved my own values. The party gave me a ticket at a young age, and I have grown to this position."

"Ups and downs are natural in politics. I have seen the rise and fall of many leaders. I have fallen, risen again, and even experienced imprisonment. In another month, I will complete six years as the party president," he said.

"Siddaramaiah is 100 per cent with me. There is no question about this. Both of us are working together, supporting each other, and we will continue to do so," Shivakumar stated.

"We have given our word to the people, and we are working to keep that promise. We are acting as per what we have said and will continue to do so. There should be no confusion on this. I stood by him during his difficult times and will continue to stand by him. He will also stand by me during my difficult times," Shivakumar maintained.

It can be noted that Shivakumar defended CM Siddaramaiah throughout, when the opposition targeted him in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. CM Siddaramaiah is named as accused number one in the case.

When Ashoka again asked about the meaning of his tweets, which indicated leadership tussle, Shivakumar replied, "How you interpret the social media X posts is entirely up to you."

When asked why he spoke about limits to patience, he said, "I cannot respond to everything everyone says. In our party and in your (BJP's) party, it is the party that decides; the numbers don't matter."

"In your (BJP) government, many Chief Ministers were changed, and entire cabinets were reshuffled. Therefore, I will not be intimidated by what you say. You need not worry unnecessarily," he added.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Aravind Bellad intervened and said, "We know your strength. Earlier, when late S.M. Krishna was the Chief Minister, you (Shivakumar) had to fight hard to become a minister. Will the same thing happen now as well?" Bellad asked.

It may be noted that Shivakumar had earlier stated that he had to kick the doors and force himself to get the post of minister.

Shivakumar further said, "Everything is possible in politics. Politics is the art of possibilities. Anything can happen here. I believe that one man with courage can make a majority. If one has a firm stand and determination, one person is enough. Let us see what happens in the 2028 Assembly polls."

Earlier, opposition MLAs also interrupted CM Siddaramaiah during his speech in the Assembly and taunted him over the matter of the leadership tussle.

To this, D.K. Shivakumar responded, "Time will give the answer. Let it be."

Targetting CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar, Ashoka said, "But what is happening between you two is confusion. Leave us aside; there is confusion within your own party. Speak properly about that."
New Delhi, Feb 3 : Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his official X account, accusing him of capitulating to US President Donald Trump amid a series of Washington-driven announcements on India-US relations.

Taking to a post on X, Ramesh, on Monday, highlighted what he perceives as Trump's undue influence over Indian policy decisions, culminating in the recent declaration of an impending India-US trade deal, which reportedly claims to slash tariff to 18 per cent and India stops buying oil from Russia.

In his pointed message, the Congress leader said: "He (Donald Trump) announced the halt of Operation Sindoor from Washington DC. He announced the updates on India's oil purchases from Russia and Venezuela from Washington. He has now announced an India-US Trade Deal from Washington, the full details of which are awaited. President Trump clearly seems to have some leverage over Prime Minister Modi -- who is now mortified of even being seen with him, let alone engage in the usual bout of hugs. It appears PM Modi has capitulated finally. Surely this cannot be the father of all deals. In Washington clearly "Mogambo Khush Hai"."

The reference to "Mogambo Khush Hai" a" a famous line from the 1987 Bollywood film "Mr. India", where the villain Mogambo expresses delight -- was interpreted as a jab at Trump, portraying him as gleefully dominating the bilateral dynamics.

Ramesh's criticism stems from recent developments following a phone call between PM Modi and Us President Trump on Monday. Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for halting "Operation Sindoor", a term he has invoked more than 70 times in public statements, allegedly referring to an averted India-Pakistan conflict or a covert operation influenced by US trade pressures.

Trump first announced its cessation from Washington, not New Delhi, raising questions about transparency.

Similarly, President Trump disclosed shifts in India's energy imports; a purported halt to Russian oil purchases amid US sanctions, followed by agreements to buy Venezuelan crude as an alternative.

These revelations, made during Trump's press interactions, were not initially confirmed by Indian officials, fuelling Opposition's claims of external dictation.

The latest trigger was Trump's announcement of an India-US trade deal, aimed at resolving longstanding tariff disputes.
Hyderabad, Feb 3 : A man from Maharashtra killed one of his three children to overcome the two-child norm to contest the upcoming Panchayat elections in that state.

Pandurang Kondmangale, a resident of Kerur village in Mukhed taluka of Maharashtraas Nanded district, pushed her six-year-old daughter into a canal in Telanganaas Nizamabad district.

Nizamabad Police on Monday announced the arrest of Pandurang (28) and village sarpanch Ganesh Ramachandra Shinde.

Nizamabad Police Commissioner P. Sai Chaitanya told media persons that the body of a girl was found in the Nizam Sagar canal in Yedapally a few days ago. The investigation led to her identification as Prachi (6), a resident of Kerur village in neighbouring Nanded district of Maharashtra.

Police picked up her father for questioning. He tried to mislead the police by stating that she was undergoing treatment at a health centre. When grilled by the investigating officer, he confessed to killing the child.

What he revealed during the questioning was shocking for everyone. Pandurang, who runs a barber shop in his village, was keen to contest the upcoming Panchayat elections. As he had a three-year-old boy and twin girls aged six, he was ineligible to contest in view of the two-child norm for candidates contesting local body polls in Maharashtra.

He consulted his friend and current sarpanch of the village, Ganesh Shinde how to overcome the norm. They conspired to get rid of one of his children, Prachi, the elder of the twins.

According to police, they initially considered putting Prachi up for adoption. But that would not have served the purpose because she would still be registered as his child in the birth certificate.

Pandurang also thought of abandoning the child, but was worried about the consequences in the event of her return. They then conspired to kill the child and make it seem like an accident.

As Nizamabad district is only a few kilometres away from his village, Pandurang took Prachi on a motorcycle to the Nizam Sagar canal. He pushed her into the canal and fled. Some villagers who were working in the field nearby heard something plunge into the water and rushed there to find the girlas lifeless body floating in the canal. They alerted the police, which launched an investigation.

The girlas pictures were circulated widely on social media. Someone from the Maharashtra village identified Prachi when they saw her photo as the display picture on the WhatsApp number of one of the police personnel.

A police team reached the village and began an investigation, which led to the arrest of Pandurang and the sarpanch.
Washington, Feb 3 : India's Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday welcomed the India-US trade announcement, calling it "a big WIN for a consequential partnership" under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump.

Washington, Feb 3 (IANS) India's Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday welcomed the IndiaUS trade announcement, calling it "a big WIN for a consequential partnership" under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump.

In a post on X, Kwatra said, "India and the USA announce trade deal creating vast new opportunities for the two economies and the people of our two great nations. Today's announcements herald an exciting new phase in our partnership."

The announcement also drew attention from noted US economist Steve Hanke, who pointed to India's recent policy steps linked to trade, growth and supply-chain resilience.

"India is reducing import taxes on capital equipment needed to process critical minerals and make lithium-ion battery cells. The policy aims to minimise dependence on China," Hanke said in a post, adding, "MODI = FREE TRADE = GROWTH."

Industry leaders welcomed the development as well, with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum saying the announcement signalled strong political intent on both sides to deepen economic ties and move toward a broader trade agreement.

In a statement, USISPF said it "enthusiastically welcomes President Donald J. Trump's announcement following his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which reaffirms their shared commitment to deepen the USIndia economic partnership and advance a bilateral trade agreement."

The forum described the reduction of India's reciprocal tariff from 25 per cent to 18 per cent as "an important and positive first step," even as it noted that the details of the agreement are still to be finalised.

"While the agreement's specifics are pending, today's announcement signals strong political will on both sides to move toward a comprehensive USIndia Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) that addresses tariffs, market access, non-tariff barriers, and other trade-related issues across a wide range of sectors," the statement said.

According to USISPF, a bilateral trade agreement would "deliver meaningful benefits for businesses, workers, and consumers in both countries," while also strengthening supply chains and improving overall economic resilience.

The forum emphasised that both governments have made clear that the announcement marks the beginning of a longer negotiating process.

"Both governments have made clear that this is only the beginning, with additional phases and negotiations anticipated in the months ahead," USISPF said, adding that it was encouraged by the "constructive momentum" created by the latest announcement.

USISPF reiterated its commitment to working closely with both the Government of India and the US Government to advance the shared objective of expanding bilateral trade toward the $500 billion target.

"A stronger USIndia trade and investment relationship is not only critical to both economies but also central to advancing a stable, resilient, and rules-based Indo-Pacific," the statement said.
Patna, Feb 3 : On the call given by the Bihar Revenue Service Association (BRSA), Circle Officers (COs) and Revenue Officers (ROs) across Bihar went on an indefinite strike from Monday, protesting long-pending service-related demands.

However, the strike was called off on the very first day following assurances from the state government.

Officials of the Bihar Revenue Service gathered at the BRSA building in Patna, after which a delegation met Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha in the evening.

The delegation submitted a memorandum outlining their demands. After the meeting, the officers announced that they would withdraw the strike.

Speaking to the media, Vijay Kumar Sinha said the government would seriously consider the legitimate demands of the revenue officers.

"We respect officers who work diligently and honestly. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that their morale does not fall," Sinha said.

He acknowledged the challenges faced by Circle Officers, including land disputes, law and order responsibilities, and social pressure.

"There are both good and bad people in society. The number of wrongdoers is small. We have discussed all the issues and decided to form a committee to resolve them according to rules," he added.

The minister announced the formation of a three-member committee, comprising a Secretary, an Additional Secretary, and a representative from the Bihar Revenue Service, which will examine issues related to promotions and other service matters and submit recommendations.

Sinha emphasised that resolving land disputes in Bihar requires collective effort.

"Many people will try to mislead us, but we must stay vigilant. Miracles don't happen overnightwe believe in hard work. The government will ensure that the dignity of revenue officers is protected and all decisions are taken as per rules," he said, reiterating the government's commitment to the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas aur Sabka Samman'.

The primary reason for the strike was the non-implementation of the Bihar Revenue Service Cadre Rules, 2010.

The association has been demanding that officers of the Bihar Revenue Service be posted as Deputy Collector, Land Reforms (DCLR) and Land Acquisition Officers.

At present, these posts are largely held by officers of the Bihar Administrative Service (BAS), leading to a long-standing dispute between the two services.

Tensions further escalated following a recent notification by the Revenue and Land Reforms Department introducing the designation of 'Sub-Divisional Revenue Officer', which the association claims violates cadre rules.

The matter is also pending before the Patna High Court.

The movement received full support from BIRSA United (United Bihar Revenue Service Association).

Its president, Aditya Shivam Shankar, wrote to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and Principal Secretary, seeking immediate intervention.

Had the strike continued, essential services such as mutation, issuance of caste, income and residence certificates, land demarcation, anti-encroachment drives, and land surveys would have come to a halt across districts.

However, following the meeting with the minister and assurance of a structured resolution, revenue officials announced the withdrawal of the strike on the first day itself.
Gandhinagar, Feb 3 : The Gujarat government's Home Department has issued a circular mandating that no police first information report (FIR) would be registered directly against a serving government officer or employee without a preliminary inquiry, officials said.

According to the circular, if a complaint is received at a police station against a government officer or employee, the police will be required to conduct an initial verification of facts and circumstances instead of immediately registering an FIR, officials added on Monday.

Only if the preliminary inquiry establishes that a cognisable offence appears to have been committed will further legal proceedings, including the registration of an FIR, be initiated.

The Home Department said that the decision was taken after it was observed that, in several instances, complaints were being filed against officials due to personal disputes, administrative disagreements or with the intent to intimidate them.

Such complaints, when found to be baseless, were causing harassment to officials and adversely affecting their morale and professional reputation.

The circular notes that in recent years, complaints linked to land and property disputes, licensing matters and routine administrative decisions have frequently resulted in police cases being registered solely on the basis of allegations.

This often subjected officers to prolonged inquiries, public scrutiny and mental stress, even when no wrongdoing was ultimately established.

Under the new framework, anonymous complaints, those filed with false identities or lacking supporting material will be liable to be rejected at the preliminary stage.

The police have also been instructed to complete the initial inquiry within a defined time frame to ensure that complaints are not kept pending indefinitely.

In cases involving allegations of corruption, abuse of authority or other serious charges, the circular specifies that prior approval from the competent authority or the head of the concerned department will be required before initiating a formal investigation.

The government has clarified that this requirement is intended to ensure due process and does not dilute accountability.

The Home Department has emphasised that the circular should not be interpreted as providing protection to erring officials.

It said that if the preliminary inquiry reveals substance in the allegations, strict action will be taken in accordance with the law, without any leniency.

Officials said the move is aimed at creating a more secure administrative environment, enabling officers to discharge their duties without undue fear of false complaints, while ensuring that genuine cases of misconduct continue to be addressed through lawful and impartial procedures.
China-Europe ties gain new momentum amid global turbulence

Xinhua) 08:17, February 02, 2026

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer communicates with British actress Rosamund Pike (L) and local students during his visit at the Design Innovation Institute Shanghai in east China's Shanghai, Jan. 31, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

* Reinvigorated engagement between Europe and China is being driven by a mutual recognition of the vast potential for win-win cooperation.

* China has become a critical contributor to scientific innovation and advanced manufacturing, as well as a driving force for common prosperity worldwide.

LONDON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- In a world rattled by geopolitical tensions, Europe is once again searching for steadier ground, and China is increasingly re-emerging as a crucial partner in the eyes of many European officials and businesses.

Since the end of 2025, senior-level exchanges have gathered pace, marked by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent trip to China and French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit late last year, alongside a gradual restoration of dialogue mechanisms on trade, climate and governance.

Analysts say this reinvigorated engagement is being driven by a mutual recognition of the vast potential for win-win cooperation and a shared need for strategic stability amid global turbulence.

ENHANCING HIGH-LEVEL TIES

Starmer's visit to China, the first by a British prime minister in years, was widely observed as a test of whether London could set aside differences to pursue a more calibrated approach that balances engagement with safeguards.

Following the visit, the two sides had affirmed their commitment to a build a stable and forward-looking relationship, focusing on pursuing cooperation while conducting candid dialogue to enhance mutual understanding.

"I'm absolutely convinced that the more we engage, the more that mutual trust and respect can be built upon," Starmer said while touring Shanghai, a metropolis in eastern China where, according to him, a great future and great opportunities lie.

Across European political circles, similar thinking is gaining traction: viewing engagement as a practical tool for properly managing differences and reducing risks. Macron's December 2025 trip, which featured meetings with China's leadership and extensive public diplomacy, underlined France's strong intention to engage with China.

This momentum has continued into 2026. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo concluded his four-day visit to China on Wednesday, the first by a Finnish prime minister in 17 years, further highlighting the enhanced frequency of high-level China-Europe exchanges.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Beijing, Orpo said cooperation potential between Finland and China in fields such as clean energy and green transition is steadily unfolding.

The two governments signed cooperation documents covering science and technology, housing and urban-rural development, customs, culture and tourism, economy and trade and energy.

"It's very good to continue our bright future in each cooperation," Orpo said.

Taoiseach of Ireland Micheal Martin, who wrapped up his visit to China earlier last month, echoed that Ireland is willing to deepen cooperation with China in trade, investment, science and technology, biomedicine, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, education and other fields.

French President Emmanuel Macron visits Sichuan University in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 5, 2025. (Photo by Liu Yuchen/Xinhua)

DEEPENING COOPERATION

Business figures argue that restored top-level dialogue can help rebuild confidence throughout the economic system. Steven Lynch, director of international trade at the British Chambers of Commerce, told Xinhua that Starmer's visit to China should enable Britain to articulate a clearer, more coherent approach to China to keep economic engagement on track.

China has become a critical contributor to scientific innovation and advanced manufacturing, as well as a driving force for common prosperity worldwide, Pascal Soriot, CEO of British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, told Xinhua on Friday, a day after the firm pledged to invest 15 billion U.S. dollars in China through 2030 to expand medicines manufacturing and R&D facilities.

In addition to the firm's strategic R&D centers in Beijing and Shanghai, the plan also includes expansion of its existing manufacturing facilities in Beijing and in east China's Wuxi, Taizhou and Qingdao, along with the establishment of two new plants focusing on cell therapies and radioconjugates -- the latter a new modality for cancer treatment.

Astrid Nordin, chair of Chinese International Relations, Lau China Institute of King's College London, stressed the "shared interests" between China and Britain, particularly in education, climate change, health and scientific research.

In northern England, Chinese automaker Chery Commercial Vehicle plans to set up its first European headquarters in Liverpool, according to local authorities. The hub is expected to support research, engineering and commercialization, while creating roles across software, R&D and operations, a move local leaders framed as a major vote of confidence in the region's advanced manufacturing and green innovation ambitions.

On the continent, industry leaders are also advocating pragmatic cooperation. Markus Kamieth, CEO of German chemical giant BASF, said that China is becoming an increasingly important innovation hub, particularly in green technologies, and that "sensible cooperation" has real value, including for political relations.

Paulo Rios de Oliveira, an executive board member of AICEP Portugal Global, a government trade and investment agency, said China remains a major and reliable partner, with new growth points emerging in energy transition, sustainable transport, advanced manufacturing, digital economy, life sciences, healthcare and the marine economy.

He added that China has become one of Portugal's most important economic partners, with trade expanding both in scale and quality, and Chinese investment contributing across sectors such as energy, finance, insurance, ICT, infrastructure and modern services.

Ioannis Kotoulas, adjunct lecturer in geopolitics, University of Athens, also said that Europe is attracted to China's high technologies, problem-solving efficiencies, and its emphasis on economic cooperation rather than geopolitical confrontation.

The 48 Group Chairman Jack Perry said that British businesses are looking to deepen cooperation with China in areas where the two economies are genuinely complementary, adding that the Britain-China relationship matters not just bilaterally, but globally. "It shows that cooperation is still possible between countries with different systems, histories and perspectives. That has a stabilizing effect on markets and on confidence."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
ATLANTA, the United States, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Nestled in the heart of Atlanta, the Carter Center witnessed on a serene evening a meeting of music and ink paintings, intertwined in a moment of cross-cultural resonance. Centered on the concept "Sound as a Bridge: Cross-Cultural Dialogue," the concert, accompanied by an exhibition of ink paintings by Chinese contemporary artist Wu Limin, kicked off the two-day Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations 2026 on Thursday. Soprano Qiu Shuwei from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and U.S. pianist Zachary Deak performed art songs in four languages -- Chinese, English, French and Italian. Above the stage, a multimedia screen displayed Wu's expressive ink paintings, infusing the music with a distinctive Eastern aesthetic. The interweaving of sound and image offered the audience a synesthetic artistic experience, in which music could be "seen" and painting could be "heard." According to Qiu, this marked the first time she had presented a concert with Wu's ink paintings as a visual backdrop on a U.S. stage, and the fourth such collaboration overall, following earlier performances in southeastern China. Qiu told Xinhua that the repertoire was more classical and more cross-disciplinary, featuring Italian operatic arias, French art songs, British and American vocal works, as well as two art songs inspired by ancient Chinese poetry. The program, she said, was designed to allow audiences to experience how music transcends linguistic boundaries and fosters connection. In such an audiovisual dialogue, music reshapes how audiences perceive paintings, and as perceptions of the artwork shift, the music itself seems to transform in response, pianist Deak told Xinhua in an interview. "So there's this unspoken dialogue that occurs, and it works both ways: They're both able to express things that words cannot," Deak said, noting that he hopes to continue performing with Chinese musicians. "There's much collaboration between Chinese musicians and American musicians, and I think it's essential that this continues; it creates dialogue." Deak said, "The music belongs to all of us ... There are cultural differences, but it's wonderful to discover that. It's wonderful to learn." Jan Berris, an 81-year-old attendee from New York, told Xinhua that she believes music and art elevate emotional and inner experiences and the concert offered her a double enjoyment. "Everyone was excellent at their craft." Wu, aged 86, now lives in Hangzhou and didn't attend the concert in person. He shared this reflection previously: "The encounter of ink paintings and music creates a spiritual exchange across time and space -- it is art's gentlest form of dialogue." The concert, jointly organized by the Carter Center and the U.S. Asian Cultural Academy based in Washington, D.C., drew an audience of around 100 people. Hosted alternatively in China and the United States, the Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations has fostered open communication among former diplomats, academics and other experts since 2012, according to the organizers.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 3 : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has announced a statewide 'Black Day' on Tuesday to protest what it describes as the Central government's "complete disregard" of Kerala in the Union Budget 2026-2027, party sources said.

CPI-M workers will raise black flags at all booths, stage demonstrations, and mobilise public outrage over allocations that, they say, ignore the state's long-standing developmental needs, they added on Monday.

Irony is not lost on observers as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, whose government has historically restricted black attire at public events, will now see party workers, citizens, and activists using black flags to symbolically protest.

Between 2022 and 2025, protesters wearing black or carrying black umbrellas at public meetings attended by Vijayan were often removed or detained by police, primarily in response to Youth Congress and Kerala Students' Union protests over issues, including the gold smuggling case.

Incidentally, at the height of Vijayan turning anti-black, few Opposition legislators then were spotted wearing black shirt in the floor of the state Assembly.

On Tuesday, the same colour will be central to a CPI-M-led show of defiance against the Centre.

The Chief Minister, CPI-M General Secretary M.A. Baby, and party's State Secretary M.V. Govindan have strongly criticised the Union Budget, alleging that Kerala was sidelined.

Chief Minister Vijayan highlighted the exclusion of projects like AIIMS, seven high-speed railway corridors, and the Vizhinjam port development package.

He also noted that the refusal to increase Kerala's Finance Commission share from 41 per cent undermines federal principles and called on Union Ministers from the state to respond.

M.A. Baby described the budget as a "financial trap", pointing to a Rs 95,000 crore allocation for the VB-G RAM G scheme as a massive plunder, and criticised the 60:40 Centre-state funding ratio as threatening states' financial security.

Govindan said the budget reflects a "war declaration" against Kerala and warned of massive protests on Tuesday.

Incidentally, the Congress-led UDF, the Opposition in the state Assembly, has also sharply reacted to the budget and now with the ruling Left also doing the same, the similarity ends there between the traditional foes.

This open expression against the Centre is understandable as the state Assembly elections are to be announced in a few weeks and the state BJP is also on a high after winning the reigns of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
Jaipur, Feb 3 : In a major breakthrough under 'Operation Chakravyuh', the police in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh have busted an illegal MD (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) manufacturing unit operating under the guise of a grocery store and grain warehouse in the heart of the city, police officials said.

Drugs and raw materials worth nearly Rs 5 crore were seized during the operation, officials added on Monday.

Acting under the directions of District Superintendent of Police B. Aditya, Station House Officer Shambhu Singh received specific intelligence regarding suspicious activities taking place behind Nakoda Kirana, located on Waterworks Road.

Following the tip-off, a police team conducted a raid and discovered a concealed room inside the warehouse.

Upon entering the room, police personnel experienced severe eye irritation due to strong chemical fumes.

A thorough search revealed a fully functional drug manufacturing setup along with a large quantity of MD drugs and raw materials.

During the operation, police recovered 106 grams of pure MD and 114.750 kg of liquid chemicals used in its production.

The estimated market value of the seized consignment is around Rs 5 crore.

Additionally, several items used in drug manufacturing were confiscated, including electronic and induction heaters, blower machines, glass laboratory flasks and large jars, electronic weighing scales, specialised mixing machines, as well as rubber gloves and safety buckets.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused -- Dharmchand Mogra Jain and Rohit Mogra Jain -- were running the illegal operation under the guise of a grocery store.

Both accused managed to flee before the police arrived.

Multiple teams have been formed and raids are underway at suspected locations to trace and arrest them.

A case has been registered under the NDPS Act, and further investigation has been handed over to Arnod Police Station in-charge Shivlal.

Pratapgarh Police Station in-charge Shambhu Singh, along with Constables Pankaj Bishnoi and Sanjay from the Circle Officer's office, played a crucial role in the successful execution of this operation.
Kolkata, Feb 3 : A dispute erupted in West Bengal's Malda district over who would enter the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing centre first, leading to a huge commotion, police said.

The argument escalated into a physical fight and brawl, during which clothes of few people were torn, police added on Monday.

An elderly woman fell ill as a result of the incident and was admitted to the hospital.

The police later arrived and brought the situation under control.

The incident took place in the English Bazar police station area of aaMalda district on Monday afternoon.

This incident occurred at the District School premises in English Bazar town of Malda.

It is reported that a large number of people from several village panchayats of English Bazar block had been summoned to this hearing centre.

The queue outside the SIR hearing centre was overcrowded.

Due to the chaotic situation and standing in line for a long time, a woman suddenly fell ill.

The sick woman was quickly rescued and taken to the Malda Medical College and Hospital in a police vehicle.

Razia Bibi, the woman who fell ill, is from booth number 176 in the Narhatta area.

It is alleged that she was summoned for the SIR hearing for three consecutive days.

Her relatives expressed their anger against the Election Commission, alleging harassment in this incident.

Following the incident, a brawl and fight broke out between two groups over who would enter the SIR hearing centre first.

A Trinamool Congress panchayat member was allegedly beaten and his clothes were torn.

A chaotic situation ensued following which the gate of the SIR hearing centre was temporarily closed.

An elderly woman named Reena Bibi, from the Jadupur area, who was standing in line, was injured in the middle of the dispute between the two sides.

She was also sent to Malda Medical College Hospital.

Later, additional police arrived and brought the situation under control.

People, who had come to the hearing centre, accused the police of inaction in this incident.

They alleged that there was a massive crowd in the queue and no proper arrangements had been made.

The situation took a turn for the worse due to the stampede-like situation.

Several villagers, who had come to the SIR hearing centre, became aggressive towards each other right in front of the police.

Although, complaints were verbally lodged with the police officers present, no necessary action was taken.

Asif Iqbal, a Congress member of Jadupur 1 Gram Panchayat in English Bazar block, was injured.

Meanwhile, it is alleged that villagers from the Budhia area of aaNarhatta Gram Panchayat in the same block were attacked by his followers.

The situation was later brought under control with police intervention.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the district Trinamool Congress leadership submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate demanding an end to the harassment in the SIR process.

The Trinamool delegation included District Trinamool President Abdur Rahim Boxi, State Minister Sabina Yasmin, and other public representatives.
Bhopal/Gandhinagar, Feb 3 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, during his visit to the neighbouring Gujarat, participated in multiple events, including a religious event, on the occasion of 92nd birth anniversary of Mahant Swami Maharaj in Vadodara.

Chief Minister Yadav visited the Gir National Park in Gujarat and described its excellent management, strong commitment to forest conservation, and well-organised tourism arrangements as highly commendable.

He shared that during his visit to Gir National Park, he had the opportunity to closely observe forest tourism arrangements.

He said that forest development in Gujarat has witnessed high standards of progress from the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi served as Chief Minister of the state and continues to do so.

"Drawing from the experiences gained and by studying the best practices observed at Gir, continuous efforts will be made to further enrich, enhance the appeal of, and develop forest areas and tourist destinations in Madhya Pradesh to global standards," he added.

While addressing a religious event in Vadodara, the Chief Minister said that the land of Gujarat has played a vital role in connecting India and several other nations with the values of religion, spirituality, Sanatan traditions, human welfare and service.

Chief Minister Yadav added that the construction of traditional Hindu temples, including Swaminarayan Akshardham in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and the US, along with more than 600 temples worldwide, is a remarkable achievement.

Before these, the Chief Minister attended the 'Rann Utsav' of the Rann of Kutch, and said that during the Simhastha-2028 in Ujjain, a tent city will be developed on the lines of the 'Rann Utsav'.

"Plans are underway to develop tent cities at other high-footfall tourist destinations across Madhya Pradesh. These initiatives will generate local employment opportunities and also benefit farmers," he said.

Chief Minister Yadav also added that Smriti Van in Bhuj, dedicated to preserving the memories of earthquake victims, stands as a powerful symbol of compassion and collective resolve.

"Inspired by this spirit, there is also a plan to develop a dedicated memorial museum in Bhopal in memory of the victims of the Union Carbide tragedy," the Chief Minister said.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Jaipur, Feb 3 : The issue of data security and technological self-reliance echoed in the Lok Sabha, with Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha MP from Rajasthan's Jaipur, Manju Sharma, raising serious concerns over India's growing dependence on foreign technologies.

Addressing the Parliament on Monday, Sharma said that sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductors, digital payments, cloud services, and data management have acquired strategic importance.

Excessive reliance on foreign software, hardware, and platforms, she warned, poses significant risks to data security, privacy, and digital sovereignty.

The MP said that several critical government and public digital systems in the country continue to operate on foreign technological infrastructure.

This, she said, not only compromises the safety of sensitive data but also weakens India's long-term technological autonomy.

"In today's era, technology is no longer merely a tool of convenience but has become the backbone of the nation's economic strength, security framework, and global competitiveness."

Highlighting Jaipur's potential, Sharma said the city has strong capabilities in technical education, startups, and MSMEs.

"Encouraging indigenous technologies would generate new employment opportunities for youth while integrating local innovation into the national development framework."

Manju Sharma urged the Union government to increase investment in research and development of indigenous technologies, formulate a clear and long-term policy for self-reliance in strategic sectors, and prioritise the use of indigenous digital platforms across government institutions.

She also stressed the need for strict enforcement of robust data protection laws to safeguard citizens' digital data and ensure national data security.
Jaipur, Feb 3 : Bikaner observed a bandh (shutdown) as part of the ongoing 'Khejri Bachao' (Save Khejri) movement opposing the large-scale felling of Khejri trees.

Supporting the movement, trade organisations across the city kept markets closed until 2 p.m. on Monday, while government and private schools in urban areas declared a half-day holiday.

The district administration remained on high alert throughout the bandh.

Police deployed extensive security arrangements across the city to maintain law and order.

Addressing a large public gathering, Independent MLA from Rajasthan's Sheo Assembly constituency, Ravindra Singh Bhati, said that while the issue had already been raised in the Rajasthan Assembly, stronger action would now be required.

"I raised this matter in the state Assembly, but now we will have to surround the Assembly building," he added.

Quoting freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, Bhati said, "Sometimes, one has to make a loud noise to be heard."

Calling for unity, the Independent MLA urged the youth to come forward and lead the movement.

"The youth will have to unite. A large-scale agitation is necessary to compel the government to listen to our demands," he said.

He further asserted that if the need arises to surround the Rajasthan Assembly from Bikaner, he would be at the forefront of the protest.

The gathering witnessed participation from across Rajasthan as well as neighbouring states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

A significant number of women were also present at the rally, reflecting broad public support for the movement.

Following the meeting at the Polytechnic College ground, organisers announced that a mass sit-in protest would be held at the Bishnoi Dharamshala near the Collectorate, where participants plan to continue their demonstration.

Protesters asserted that they are ready to make any sacrifice but will not allow the cutting of Khejri trees.

They warned that the administration would ultimately have to bow down and surrender to public pressure.

According to the protesters, the Khejri tree is not merely a tree but the lifeline of the Thar desert, deeply connected to the region's environment, culture, and faith.

They warned that the destruction of Khejri trees could severely disrupt ecological balance and desert greenery.

Activists alleged that solar power companies in Bikaner and other parts of western Rajasthan are cutting down Khejri trees indiscriminately in the name of development projects.

Entire stretches of land spanning several bighas are reportedly being cleared to set up solar plants.

Protesters further alleged that in several locations, Khejri trees are being cut and buried at night to avoid public backlash.

Under the Khejri Bachao Andolan, environmentalists are staging an indefinite dharna at the Collectorate premises and in Karnisar Bhatiyan.

The call for the Bikaner bandh was issued during a large meeting of the Bishnoi community held in Mukam.

The Bikaner Trade and Industry Chamber also extended its support, officially backing the shutdown.
Jaipur, Feb 3 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a show-cause notice to Morpal Suman, the party's candidate in the Anta Assembly by-election, seeking an explanation within three days.

The notice was issued by Rajasthan BJP President Madan Rathore on Monday.

In the notice, Rathore said that it had come to the party's attention that Morpal Suman had made baseless and public allegations against several party office-bearers in connection with his defeat in the Anta bypoll.

The letter noted that while the party provides internal forums for its party members to express their concerns verbally or in writing, Suman allegedly violated party discipline by airing such claims publicly, thereby damaging the party's image.

The action comes after a letter purportedly written by Morpal Suman went viral on social media a few days ago.

In the letter, Suman blamed several BJP leaders for his defeat, alleging that the loss was not solely due to the Opposition's strategy but also because of internal sabotage within the party.

He claimed that there was an undue delay in the announcement of the party ticket, which led to confusion among party workers and weakened organisational coordination.

Suman further alleged that some influential BJP leaders directly or indirectly worked in favour of the Congress candidate during the by-election.

In the viral letter, Suman also questioned the role of the Election Commission's observer, alleging a lack of impartiality.

He claimed that despite the alleged misuse of resources by the Congress and Independent candidates, no effective action was taken by the authorities.

The BJP leadership has now sought a formal explanation from Morpal Suman on these allegations.

Party sources said further action would be decided after reviewing Suman's response to the notice.
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"We built Blushush to shake things up and challenge the predictable patterns dominating digital design," said Sahil Gandhi, aka Brand Professor and Co-Founder of Blushush. "Our goal has always been to deliver Webflow websites that do more than just look impressive. They are strategically designed to drive results, communicate clarity, and help brands stand out in crowded and competitive markets. By joining forces with Ohh My Brand, we are bringing together narrative depth and exceptional web execution, creating a fusion that accelerates brand impact and positions our clients for the future."

Blushush's mission has consistently focused on pulling businesses out of what the agency describes as "design purgatory" and launching them into digital relevance through immersive, highly interactive online experiences. Every project is approached with a balance of creativity and strategy, ensuring that design decisions are directly tied to brand identity, user behavior, and business outcomes. The agency integrates brand strategy, UI and UX design, and bespoke Webflow development to deliver digital assets that are not only visually striking but also performance-driven and scalable.

Ohh My Brand brings a complementary strength to the alliance through its deep expertise in founder-led branding, narrative architecture, and digital reputation building. Known for helping leaders and companies articulate their value with precision and authenticity, Ohh My Brand focuses on shaping stories that build trust, authority, and long-term influence across digital channels.

"Great branding is more than strategy on paper or a visually appealing website," said Bhavik Sarkhedi, Co-Founder of Ohh My Brand. "It is the emotional thread that connects businesses with the humans they serve. This partnership with Blushush allows us to influence not only the story behind a brand, but also how that story is experienced online. Together, we are ensuring that branding is communicated creatively, consistently, and with purpose across every digital touchpoint."

The strategic alliance spans end-to-end branding and digital solutions, including founder-led positioning, narrative development, Webflow design and development, content strategy, performance optimization, SEO, and UX design. This integrated model allows clients to move seamlessly from brand discovery and positioning to digital execution and launch, all within a single collaborative framework. The result is a cohesive brand presence that aligns messaging, design, and performance without fragmentation.

In an increasingly saturated digital landscape where first impressions are formed in milliseconds, the collaboration between Blushush and Ohh My Brand provides brands with a decisive edge. By elevating both voice and visual identity, the partnership enables businesses to build credibility faster, communicate more clearly, and engage audiences more authentically.

About Blushush

Blushush is a UK-based Webflow agency driven by a mission to rescue brands from mediocre digital presences. With a bold design ethos and a strategy-first mindset, Blushush crafts fully custom Webflow websites that combine eye-catching visuals, powerful interactions, and growth-focused user experiences. The agency works with ambitious brands seeking to stand out through design that performs as well as it inspires.

About Ohh My Brand

Ohh My Brand is a global personal branding and narrative consultancy that helps founders and businesses define, refine, and activate their unique brand voice. Through strategic storytelling, content architecture, and digital presence optimization, Ohh My Brand empowers leaders to build credibility, authority, and lasting impact across digital platforms.

Media Contact

Bhavik Sarkhedi, Ohh My Brand, 91 9638679777, [email protected], www.ohhmybrand.com

SOURCE Ohh My Brand
German childrens book publisher and games company Ravensburger has acquired a majority stake in NordSud, parent company of the U.S. childrens book publisher, NorthSouth Books. According to the announcement, the Zurich-based NordSud will remain independent, but will benefit from the infrastructure and reach of the Ravensburger network.

NorthSouth Books is best known for The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, a perennial bestseller that spent 37 weeks on PWs children picture book bestseller lists in 2025. Other titles published by NorthSouth include Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer, The Three-Year Tumble by Dayeon Auh, and A Chest Full of Words by Rebecca Gugger and Simon Rothlisberger.

Anuschka Albertz, group managing director at Ravensburger, said in a statement that NordSud ownership of NorthSouth was an important consideration in making the acquisition. She noted that while Ravensburger can learn from NorthSouths experience in the U.S., NorthSouth will benefit from Ravensburger's invesement in the company.

In 2025, Ravensburger had 2,515 employees and revenue of 744 million (about $880 million at current exchange rates).
President Donald Trumps address at the World Economic Forum in Davos was predictably met with a mix of applause, skepticism, and outright hostility, particularly over one flashpoint: Greenland. But reducing the speech to a single geopolitical controversy misses its broader significance. At Davos, Trump delivered not only a familiar defense of his economic record, but also a more revealing message about how he sees Americas relationship with Europe and the future of the transatlantic alliance.

I am derived from Europe, the President said, citing his Scottish and German ancestry. We care about the people of Europe  We believe deeply in the bonds we share with Europe as a civilization. These remarks stood out in a speech that came to focus heavily on topics of trade, energy, and security. But it makes a deeper point about how the administrations engagement with Europe is not meant to be transactional, or superficial, but rooted in the sense of shared historical and cultural inheritance. For the European audience, this is a window into how the President situates himself within story of Western civilization, indicative as well of how many Americans feel a deep bond with their European heritage. But that isnt the only hinge our partnerships rest on.

President Trump framed his critique of Europe as a call for renewal and partnership. He pointed to declining energy security, rigid trade frameworks, uncontrolled migration, and weak growth as long-term vulnerabilities. The issues he spotlighted are foundational weaknesses that undermine civil society and, by extension, the security of our entire alliance, namely NATO.

In the foreign policy of the Trump Administration, diplomacy flows from security, not the other way around. Our allies military strength, energy independence, for instance, are relevant factors in diplomacy, and ruptures in these vital areas cannot be written off due to mere sentimentality. As President Trump said, We want strong allies, not seriously weakened ones ... we want Europe to be strong.

Still, the reaction from European leaders and commentators largely interpreted the episode as evidence of imperial ambition. That reaction reflects a broader climate of distrust in transatlantic relations, in which American initiatives are often read in the worst possible light. Others, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, have taken a more cautious and pragmatic approach, emphasizing dialogue over rushing to condemnation.

The Greenland debate also highlights a tendency of the international community to focus intensely on Trumps language rather than on U.S. policy. A more productive assessment looks at outcomes as well as rhetoric. The policies of the Trump Administration, like getting NATO members to increase defense spending and implementation of mutually beneficial trade deals, were initially received with contention, but they have positively reshaped long-standing assumptions about Europes role in its own defense. Many of these shifts have endured beyond his first presidency.

For European partners, the key question is what his approach means for the future of transatlantic cooperation. Echoing the language in previous international addresses, the Davos address underscored a preference for alliances grounded in reciprocity and resilience. Whether this strengthens or strains transatlantic ties depend largely on how European leaders and movements respond. Disagreement between allies is inevitable. Debate over borders, energy, defense, and trade is not a sign of breakdown, but of seriousness. What truly risks undermining cooperation is the assumption of bad faith on all sides. If American concerns are automatically dismissed as imperial, and European hesitation is read as weakness, meaningful dialogue becomes difficult.

In light of the U.S. National Security Strategy released in December, the Davos address aligns with the call for European renewal and greatness. The transatlantic relationship does indeed rest on more than defense budgets and trade balances, but also on the civilizational integrity of faith, cultural continuity, strong families, and national identity. As the document states explicitly, it would be self-defeating to write Europe off, but we cannot keep pretending that its current trajectory on either trade, security or culture is in good condition.

A real question posed at Davos was whether our allies can still speak productively about national security, economic strength, and civilizational survival without succumbing to bad faith. This is a highly consequential question because, as the President pointed out, the adversaries of the entire WestRussia, the CCP, and Iranseek to destroy us.

America First is not America alone, meaning we need strong Western allies to defend our values, cultures, and ways of life. There is much to be proud of about our shared civilization, but we also need to realistically acknowledge areas for improvement. We need strong partners and creative solutions, predicated on serious conversations. Time and again, the battles against our adversaries show that alliances endure not through comfort, but through strength.

Kristen Ziccarelli serves as director of civilizational action at the America First Policy Institute.
Utility vehicles -- consisting Grand Vitara, Brezza, Ertiga, and XL6 -- however, rose to 75,609 units last month as against 65,093 units a year ago.

Photograph: Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters

Key Points SUV Victoris achieved a milestone of 50,000 units in five months

In the two-wheeler space, Hero MotoCorp reported a 26 per cent growth in dispatches

Leading automakers Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Hyundai Motor India posted higher sales in January riding on the growth momentum ushered in by the GST reforms in the festive period last year.

The country's leading carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, said its domestic passenger vehicle dispatches to dealers rose to 174,529 units last month as compared with 173,599 units in the year-ago month.

Sales of mini-segment cars, comprising Alto and S-Presso, rose marginally to 14,268 units against 14,247 units in January 2025 while dispatches of compact cars, including Baleno, Dzire, Ignis, and Swift, declined to 72,738 units from 82,241 units in the year-ago month.

Utility vehicles -- consisting Grand Vitara, Brezza, Ertiga, and XL6 -- however, rose to 75,609 units last month as against 65,093 units a year ago.

Reflecting on January sales, Maruti Suzuki India senior executive officer, marketing & sales, Partho Banerjee, said the company posted its highest-ever monthly total sales of 236,963 units.

"We got bookings of over 2.78 lakh units, a 25 per cent y-o-y growth... that market is giving us around 9,000 to 10,000 bookings every day," Banerjee stated.

The company's newly launched SUV Victoris achieved a milestone of 50,000 units in five months, he noted.

How major automakers fared

On the production constraints, he said the company will have to manage for a few more months till new capacities are available.

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles said its domestic sales rose to 70,222 units last month against 48,076 units in January 2025, a growth of 46 per cent.

Mahindra & Mahindra said its dispatches to dealers in the domestic market were up 25 per cent year-on-year at 63,510 units in January, as compared with 50,659 units in January 2025.

Hyundai Motor India said its wholesales in the domestic market increased 9 per cent to 59,107 units last month as compared with 54,003 units in the year-ago period.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor reported sales growth of 17 per cent in domestic sales at 30,630 units last month as against 26,178 units in January 2025.

"The year 2026 started on a positive and encouraging note, with continued momentum of our product portfolio and customers' trust in our commitment to quality, safety and sustainability," TKM executive vice president, sales-service-used car business, Sabari Manohar, said.

Kia India reported a 10 per cent year-on-year increase in sales at 27,603 units in January.

"The encouraging start to 2026 reflects the continued trust customers place in the Kia brand.

"The positive response to the new-generation Seltos, steady demand for the Sonet, and growing popularity of the Carens Clavis and Clavis EV, underline the strength and balance of our portfolio," Kia India senior vice-president, sales & marketing Atul Sood said.

Renault India said its dispatches to dealers rose 34 per cent year-on-year to 3,715 units in January as against 2,780 units in the same month last year.

How two-wheeler segment fared

In the two-wheeler space, Hero MotoCorp reported a 26 per cent growth in dispatches to dealers at 520,208 units in January as compared with 412,378 units in the same month last year.

Royal Enfield reported a 16 per cent jump in domestic sales at 93,781 units last month, as against 81,052 units in January 2025.

TVS Motor Company said its domestic two-wheeler sales grew from 293,860 units in January 2025 to 383,262 units in January 2026, a growth of 30 per cent.
While many areas compete for resources, defence, education, and adaptation deserve focus for maximum impact, suggests Laveesh Bhandari.

Illustrations: Dominic Xavier/Rediff

As I interact more with policymakers, it appears the question they are grappling with is not what to do, or even how to do it, but what to prioritise.

I argue that defence, education, and adaptation should be the key expenditure priorities, with greater focus on deregulation in other areas so that the private sector can contribute more.

In a geopolitical situation that shows no sign of abating, significantly higher defence spending is important for many reasons, not just to protect the country but to also have a greater say in matters where it is economically affected.

The geoeconomic realities being what they are, greater defence preparedness requires India to invest in drones, other advanced pilotless attack platforms, recruit more engineers and technical personnel in the armed forces, and increase training budget across services.

But security cannot be seen only in terms of armaments, it must also include energy, food, and economic security; arguably even macroeconomic stability is a core component of security.

States across India unfortunately don't invest adequately in primary and secondary education. A child entering the schooling system today will join the workforce in 2047 and, therefore, the education system needs to be improved now -- not next year or later.

In the absence of states doing what they need to do, the Centre needs to ramp up allocations and support the delivery of quality primary and secondary education, and, most critically, the skilling services available for children and youth.

Where Markets Fail, the State Must Lead

Another key domain has to do with the environment. Climate change is already eating up almost 10 to 20 per cent of major crop output in India, with far more serious impact yet to come.

Beyond that, labour productivity is adversely impacted, incomes -- especially of the poor -- is affected, and these are based on studies conducted in India using Indian data, not using global parameters.

At the same time, those that emit dangerous gases or release toxic effluents can easily game the system and escape punishment, while the lack of relevant clean options prevent even the well-intentioned from spending on cleaner products and technologies.

What role could the central government play in all of this? What have other countries done?

And then there are the economic sectors. Modern agriculture is the most exciting economic opportunity for India, but no one -- neither farmers nor industry nor governments -- invest adequately in it.

The manufacturing sector, too, needs public resources. Additionally, infrastructure investments will continue to have significant public components in them.

To add to that the government also has to make welfare allocations. While such allocations need to be limited, it is also evident that some flow to the underprivileged is required as benefits of economic growth are not leading to a rapid enough trickle-down.

The revdi/em> versus necessity problem is real and India needs to find a mechanism to prevent wasteful welfare for short-sighted political ends.

Note that the top three -- security, education and climate adaptation -- are all areas where there are powerful externalities and markets don't work well.

The biggest wins in all these three areas are consequently going to come from greater resource allocations by the government.

Where Should Government Allocate Core Resources

For the other areas, including agriculture, industry, and many forms of infrastructure, there is an alternative in the form of markets.

They may need limited support and correction, there may be concern of China there as well, but a viable alternative to the government resources exists in the form of the private sector.

In these areas, the government must focus its efforts at regulatory and policy reforms that enable markets to work better -- but use public investment or subsidies only in a very limited way.

Of the three major allocation focus areas, the one on climate adaptation is the least well understood and least written about.

Adaptation has many components, but three deserve the greatest attention.

First is electrification and its various dimensions, the second is a focus on innovation, and the third is government enhancing its own expertise and capacity.

First, consider electricity. Be it urban transport or mechanised agriculture, or green steel for export, or producing hydrogen, electricity lies at the core of a well-adapted economy.

Electricity creates a far more efficient and flexible energy backend and, therefore, contributes highly to a well-adapted economy.

To enable this, we need to invest in improving India's electricity grid, which requires transmission- and distribution-related investments and smart metering.

It also requires critical reforms to improve the regulation and operations of largely state government-owned electricity utilities, which are currently running debts amounting to many trillions.

Moreover, while large scale deployment of renewable energy (RE) has directly reduced India's dependence on fossil fuels, it is increasingly being constrained by the need for greater storage capacity, where government support will be critical.

Another corollary to the electricity story is improving the energy efficiency of industrial processes, buildings, transport and even households.

Since most of these are in private hands, the government needs to play a catalysing role in this space, but not necessarily one that requires large public resources.

Second, a range of innovations are required in agriculture, industry, and even business models for adaptation purposes.

No doubt, left to itself, the market mechanism will eventually innovate and find solutions.

But government intervention is needed since adaptation is a time-sensitive objective and change needs to be accelerated.

In the case of agriculture, for instance, requirements include new seeds, new agro-processing technologies, and also different nutrients and additives.

Industry needs to reduce energy costs while moving away from fossil fuels to clean fuels.

In the case of transport, there is the challenge of speedy re-charging for electric vehicles.

And, of course, the need to develop low-cost storage options is paramount.

The agenda before the government is, therefore, clear -- it needs to accelerate the process of research and development in both the public and private sector.

And third, undoubtedly the most important: The government has to invest in the capacity and expertise available to it.

The government needs its rank and file to have the resources and capability to take quick action.

Ideally, it should do so by investing in in-house expertise and capacity, but if it can't, it needs to help create this capacity in academia, use the private sector, and even hire expertise from other countries.

Such capacity-related investments are required in many domains.

Governments across the three tiers need to implement comprehensive climate adaptation action plans.

Agriculture universities and departments need to develop advisory capacity and extension networks to enable changes in farming practices.

Environment regulators need to ramp up their staff by many multiples, improve monitoring and enforcement capacity, regulators need to create global quality assessment and certification facilities, among other measures.

There will be many priorities for the government. But the more it is able to narrow them down, the greater its ability to focus, and the more impactful it will be.

Key Points The core policy challenge is prioritisation, not a lack of ideas or execution capacity

Government spending should focus on three areas with strong externalities where markets fail

Defence spending must rise significantly

Laveesh Bhandari heads CSEP Research Foundation. The views are personal.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
'Global uncertainty is something which definitely occupies the minds of officials when we are preparing for the Budget.'

IMAGE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addresses the post-Budget press conference at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, February 1, 2026. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, along with her team of top bureaucrats, addressed a press conference to throw light on the fine print of Budget 2026-2027 -- from tax reforms to capex push and global uncertainty. Business Standard's Ruchika Chitravanshi, Monika Yadav and Harsh Kumar listened in.

Key Points 'For personal income tax, if you are ready to accept the demand and not go for appeal, you need not pay the penalty of 50 per cent.'

'Uncertainty globally is affecting on many grounds, and we are seized of it.'

'With all these reforms, we expect the tax growth to be faster than that of the economy itself.'

The idea behind the Budget

FM": We are laying the path and giving a push to the economy to maintain the growth momentum.

We are looking at building the ecosystem with structural reforms to make sure that we create an environment for improving productivity, and employment generation.

We will ensure that technology is brought in to benefit the common man and above all inclusive development.

Capital expenditure

FM: The momentum that we gained since after-Covid by increasing public capital expenditure will continue.

We've announced Rs 12.2 trillion through public expenditure this time. This is 4.4 per cent of GDP, the highest in the past 10 years.

It could even be the highest, if you were to take earlier data. No increment like this in capital expenditure in a sustained fashion has happened ever before.

Committee for banking reforms

M Nagaraju, secretary, Department of Financial Services: There are a large number of aspects relating to banking, including the low credit-to-GDP ratio and expansion of the banking network. We will have terms of reference and consult stakeholders.

Divestment and asset monetisation

Arunish Chawla, secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management: We follow a composite strategy for divestment and asset monetisation.

We keep an aspirational target and we are on track and committed to the logical conclusion of both.

Anuradha Thakur, secretary, Department of Economic Affairs: We will have a strong asset monetisation plan. There will be a pipeline prepared. We hope to reap the dividends from that.

Hike in securities transaction tax

Arvind Shrivastava, secretary, Department of Revenue: It is felt that the volume of transaction in futures and options is largely in the realm of heavy speculation, which leads to losses for small retail and unsophisticated investors and the government's intention is to discourage speculative tendency and the increase in rate is essentially in that direction.

Even after this increase, however, the rates of STT will remain modest compared to the volume of the transactions happening there.

IMAGE: Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget 2026 in the Lok Sabha. Photograph: ANI Video Grab/Sansad TV

Global uncertainty

FM: Global uncertainty is something which definitely occupies the minds of officials when we are preparing for the Budget, but I won't attribute it to be the cause for any one step across the board.

Uncertainty globally is affecting on many grounds, and we are seized of it.

Global uncertainties are of a magnitude that we've never seen before.

So naturally, we had to assess for ourselves the various ways in which they are playing out.

Buybacks

Shrivastava: It is not an additional tax, it's a relief. The buyback tax system was changed to make it a dividend income which is applicable at the income tax rate in the hands of the shareholder.

It has been corrected now, and we have put it in the hands of shareholders as a capital gains tax, which in the long term will only be 12.5 per cent.

The change made for promoters is the additional buyback tax on them, which again keeps things status quo for them.

Government borrowing

Thakur: We don't think borrowings are on the higher side. Net market borrowing includes Rs 5.5 trillion which has to be repaid this year. We have a plan on how to manage this.

Measures to prevent tax litigation

Shrivastava: Both on the direct and indirect taxes, announcement of using 'additional amount' in lieu of 'penalty' not to be seen as an amnesty scheme.

The negative connotation associated with being penalised, creates a situation for a taxpayer to dispute the duty.

The window we are giving to the taxpayer is that if you are willing to pay your duty, instead of penalty, the same amount can be paid in the form of an additional amount.

For personal income tax, if you are ready to accept the demand and not go for appeal, you need not pay the penalty of 50 per cent.

We have expanded this window and included even misreporting cases where the penalty is otherwise 200 per cent.

These two essential windows are essentially meant to take care of those situations which is why reference to an honest taxpayer.

IMAGE: Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and senior finance ministry officials arrive for the presentation of the Budget at Parliament. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

Data centres

Shrivastava: The thought process in this is that the global entity providing cloud based data services uses data centres all over the world.

It is very difficult to connect one-on-one as to which data centre has resulted in what kind of revenue.

The arrangement we have done is just because that entity will set up data services centres and we will use this as one of the many to provide services globally should not become a cause for uncertainty.

Quite naturally, the data services centre which is located in India will be taxed depending on the way it is positioned.

What we are excluding from taxation is the global entity which is essentially doing cloud-based services using data services centres across.

We do not want it to be deterred from enhancing its business footprint in India to provide such global services.

Tax buoyancy

Shrivastava: With all these reforms, we expect the tax growth to be faster than that of the economy itself. We expect that the tax revenues will be sufficiently buoyant in the coming year.

Disclaimer: This article is meant for information purposes only. This article and information do not constitute a distribution, an endorsement, an investment advice, an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities/schemes or any other financial products/investment products mentioned in this article to influence the opinion or behaviour of the investors/recipients.

Any use of the information/any investment and investment related decisions of the investors/recipients are at their sole discretion and risk. Any advice herein is made on a general basis and does not take into account the specific investment objectives of the specific person or group of persons. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
Jeep outlines a renewed regional roadmap with higher localisation, export expansion and focus on products and ownership experience amid intense competition in India's SUV market.

IMAGE: Bollywood actress Vaani Kapoor with Jeep's Meridian. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points India becomes Jeep's main hub for Asia-Pacific

Local parts to rise to 90%, lowering costs

Pune plant to play a bigger export role

Goal to build a 100,000-member Jeep owner community

Exports planned to Africa and North America

India at the centre of Jeeps new strategy

Jeep has outlined a renewed long-term road map for the Asia-Pacific region with India as its strategic anchor, unveiling its Strategic Plan Jeep 2.0.

The plan is aimed at rebuilding product momentum, deepening localisation, expanding exports and strengthening customer confidence, even as the brand operates in a highly competitive premium SUV market in India.

Under the strategy, Jeep will significantly raise localisation at its Ranjangaon manufacturing facility near Pune to about 90 per cent from the current 65-70 per cent.

The plant, which has an annual installed capacity of 160,000 vehicles, already serves as a key export base for right-hand-drive markets.

Local manufacturing gets a big push

Higher localisation is expected to improve cost competitiveness and strengthen supply-chain resilience, while reinforcing Indias role within Stellantis global manufacturing and export network.

The company did not share specific export numbers.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Jeep India/Facebook

Industry estimates suggest Jeep sells around 250-300 vehicles a month in India, with the Compass accounting for nearly half of the volumes.

The company currently offers the Compass, Meridian, Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, priced between Rs 17 lakh and Rs 68 lakh.

It has failed to create a mark in the growing SUV segment, which accounts for more than 50 per cent of Indias 4.5 million domestic passenger vehicle (PV) market.

Jeeps 85-year legacy is built on authenticity and adventure. Strategic Plan Jeep 2.0 lays out how we will sharpen our product strategy and strengthen the customer experience year after year, driven by deeper localisation, global product alignment, expanding our vehicle offerings, and programmes that deliver real value, said Shailesh Hazela, chief executive officer and managing director, Stellantis India.

Jeep's New Models Only After 2027

Product action will remain central to the plan. While Jeep does not expect to introduce all-new models in India immediately, fresh products from its future global line-up are planned from 2027 onwards.

In the interim, the company will continue to refresh its existing portfolio through special editions and feature enhancements to maintain consumer interest and brand relevance.

Exports to Drive Growth

Photograph: Kind courtesy Jeep India/Facebook

Exports are another key pillar of the strategy. Jeep has been exporting Compass from India since 2017 and currently ships Compass, Meridian and Commander to markets such as Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

The company plans to widen this footprint to select markets in Africa and North America, positioning India as a larger contributor to Jeeps global distribution strategy.

Customer trust takes priority

Alongside products and manufacturing, Jeep is placing renewed emphasis on ownership experience through its Confidence 7 initiative, the company said in a statement.

This includes expanded aftersales offerings such as a pre-maintenance programme, assured buyback, multi-year extended warranty and exclusive loyalty benefits under the Confidence 7 Exclusive banner.

We are equally focused on taking care of our existing customers, ensuring they receive the support, service and confidence they expect from Jeep. Success in India demands resilience and long-term commitment, and we are investing with that clarity, Hazela added.

Jeep also aims to deepen engagement with its owner base, targeting a 100,000-strong community through platforms such as Jeep Trails, Camp Jeep and city-based Jeep Clubs.

The brand currently operates in 70 cities with over 85 sales and service touchpoints nationwide.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff
'Why are IPKF martyrs not being officially recognised and appropriately honoured? And is the government really changing its mind on this now?', asks Aditi Phadnis.

IMAGE: Then chief of army staff, General Bikram Singh pays homage at the IPKF War Memorial in Colombo on December 20, 2012. Photograph: Kind courtesy Ministry of Defence/Wikimedia Commons

"Ho gaya! Ho gaya!," exclaimed a jubilant veteran who had had a tenure in the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka.

This was on January 14, after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at a felicitation of ex-servicemen: 'The decision taken by the then government to send Indian forces to Sri Lanka is open to debate. I don't want to get into it. But I believe the sacrifices made by our IPKF soldiers who participated in Operation Pawan should be respected.'

This is the closest the Government of India has ever come to recognising the IPKF as a bona fide expeditionary force and Operation Pawan as a major out-of-area military operation, if not an intervention, in a war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a terrorist group, in north and east Sri Lanka to end the ethnic conflict there (1987 to 1990).

In 2024, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan told IPKF veterans in Dehradun: "We have fought hundreds of operations; Operation Pawan was only a minor operation."

The National War Memorial has only a passing reference to the IPKF even though 1,157 Indian soldiers were killed and more than 3,000 wounded to maintain the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

Last year, on the 35th anniversary of the return of the IPKF from Sri Lanka, (March 24) 150 Operation Pawan veterans and their families gathered for a 'silent felicitation' between 3 and 4 pm.

'Silent' meant no Last Post and Rouse was played by buglers to honour the fallen.

For several decades now, families of those who fought in Sri Lanka and retired soldiers have been fighting to get Operation Pawan 'official' recognition. The defence minister's remarks have sent hopes soaring.

Why are IPKF martyrs not being officially recognised and appropriately honoured and its veterans only allowed a silent felicitation? And is the government really changing its mind on this now?

When the IPKF returned from Sri Lanka, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was in power in Tamil Nadu and it was part of the coalition at the Centre.

When the LTTE was defeated in 2009, the DMK was again in power in the state and part of the ruling coalition at the Centre.

The domestic Tamil factor weighed heavily in India's Sri Lanka policy due to the presence of the DMK's 29 members of the Lok Sabha, supporting the United Progress Alliance government.

Why the IPKF waited 35 years for recognition

Governments of the National Democratic Alliance opted not to rock the Tamil Nadu boat either.

During the Atal Bihari Vajpayee tenures (1998-2004), recognition to the IPKF was not on the government's list of emergency to-do, so pressured was it from challenges internal and external.

But since 2014, when the current ruling formation came to power, January 14 this year is the first time the government came close to conceding that overlooking the IPKF's contribution was an oversight.

Till today, the uncomfortable official silence on Operation Pawan's success lingers, mainly because while the IPKF achieved a number of political and military objectives in 32 months, the political and diplomatic tracks failed to keep up.

The last of the IPKF left Sri Lanka on board the INS Magar from the Trincomalee harbour and arrived in Madras (now Chennai) on March 24, 1990.

It was welcomed with banners bearing ITKF (Indian Tamil Killing Force).

As V P Singh, then prime minister, could not go to Madras to welcome the IPKF for fear of 'offending' the DMK, they were flown in IL76 to Palam, to be felicitated by him there.

It was honouring them in stealth. Between then and now the external environment has changed so much that it is virtually unrecognisable.

Most of the political and diplomatic leaders who dominated the narrative are no longer with us. What remains is history. And that is hard to change.

Last month, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to ensure the rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka were protected under the new constitution the Sri Lanka government is drafting.

Ahead of the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu (due later this year), there is an active attempt to revive Sri Lanka-related issues in the state.

While the DMK continues to assert itself as the representative of the Tamil-speaking people across the world, there is still a constituency in Tamil Nadu which views the activities of the LTTE and other groups in Tamil Nadu as actions that put law and order in the state at risk.

Jayalalithaa went so far as to demand the DMK government be dismissed for supporting the LTTE and extended the ban on it.

It is presumably to this constituency that Rajnath Singh is appealing on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party when he seeks a more sympathetic view of the IPKF.

Whether the IPKF will ever get its true place in India's military history will be for others in government to decide. For in India, politics trumps all else.

Key Points Rajnath Singh's January 14 remarks mark the closest official recognition yet of the IPKF's role and sacrifices in Sri Lanka

Operation Pawan remains largely unacknowledged

For decades, IPKF veterans and families have sought formal recognition

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
If Xi Jinping can establish control over the PLA Ground Force, relations between India and China will settle down to an even keel.

The next few weeks will show whether Xi has finally succeeded in gaining control over the PLA Ground Force.

That could bring about the substantive shift in India-China relations that both our leaders have been working for, observes Ambassador Prabhat Shukla.

IMAGE: Chinese President Xi Jinping reviews troops during a military parade in Beijing, September 3, 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. Photograph: Tingshu Wang/Reuters

Brief summary

President Xi has been locked in an institutional confrontation with the PLA Ground Force almost from the beginning of his tenure. Relations with India are one of the major points of dispute.

In the ongoing clash, the PLA was slowly gaining the upper hand up until the fourth plenum, when a number of Xi loyalists were removed from their posts, including General He Weidong as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.

With some adroit moves in late 2025, President Xi was able to face down the challenge with the removal of Generals Zhang Youxia as Vice Chairman, and General Liu Zhenli as member, of the Central Military Commission. These two officers together were the focal point of the recent opposition to President Xi.

However, the situation has not stabilised yet, and the speed with which President Xi can fill the vacant posts, and the choice of personnel, will determine the final outcome of the struggle.

A spokesman of the Chinese defence ministry announced on January 24 that the two generals -- Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli -- had been placed under investigation for violations of discipline and the law. General Zhang was the first vice chairman of the Central Military Commission; there are two vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission; General Liu was the head of the Joint Staff Department.

According to the South China Morning Post newspaper, the two men were detained on January 19, and the announcement was made five days later.

While the initial charge was as announced by the ministry of defence, a later elaboration was put out by the Xinhua news agency in a commentary in the PLA Daily newspaper this was re-printed in the PLA Daily online in English. This commentary elaborated on the charges, which included 'trampling on the Chairman responsibility system' and inflicting harm on the combat capability of the armed forces.

General Zhang is the senior-most serving officer in the People's Liberation Army. He is the son of another PLA general, Zhang Zongxun, who was a commander in the Civil War in the late 1940s, and fought alongside President Xi Jinping's father, Xi Zhongxun, who was political commissar.

He is also one of the few combat veterans still in service, having fought against Vietnam in 1979, and again in the 1984 Battle of Laoshan for which he was decorated. He thus enjoys great prestige in the PLA.

General Liu Zhenli is another of the few remaining PLA combat veterans, and rose up the ranks to the present position. He was briefly sidelined -- in retrospect, clearly by Xi -- to the People's Armed Police in 2015, but was then recalled to the Ground Force.

Apart from what the Chinese sources have themselves put out, the Wall Street Journal newspaper has added that General Zhang is also accused of having provided nuclear secrets to the US -- a charge that has few takers in the analyst community. He is also charged with taking bribes for promoting officers for money, another dubious claim.

These claims have now been debunked. According to the Chinese-language Singapore newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, the Chinese defence ministry spokesman said that only official statements by the government were accurate, the rest was speculation.

Since General Zhang's removal in particular, there have been many articles building up his importance and closeness to President Xi; while this is partly true, the fact is that, until the 20th congress of the Communist Party, he was a relatively minor figure in the Central Military Commission.

In contrast to the claims made on his behalf, he did not have much to do with the restructuring of the PLA in 2015-2016; the principal architect of that was Air Force General Xu Qiliang, then the second vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.

There is an important back story here which concerns India, and which is worth exploring in order to get the proper perspective on the changes that happened in January 2026.

It will be remembered that, when Xi visited India in September 2014, his first visit to India, there was the usual activity on the border by the PLA, when they sent troops into Chumar in Ladakh.

This was part of the standard pattern of PLA behaviour: Even in 2013, when then premier Li Keqiang was due in India, the PLA had entered Depsang, and had pitched tents for the first time. It took serious diplomatic efforts for their withdrawal, so that Li's visit could go ahead.

There were similar challenges to the political leadership occurring in the South China Sea. Even though Xi had assured his US counterpart, then President Barack Obama, that they would not militarise the islands they were claiming, the PLA went ahead and did just that.

Xi followed up on these, and other aspects of PLA operations, to launch his major restructuring of the PLA in 2015-2016. The main outcome, probably also the main aim, was to weaken the PLA Ground Force, which was reduced to the level of the other services, namely the navy and air force.

IMAGE: Then Chinese Central Military Commission vice chairman General Zhang Youxia attends a ceremony to mark Martyrs' Day at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, September 30, 2025. Photograph: Florence Lo/Reuters

The Ground Force's control over the land-based missiles, including the nuclear arms, was also detached and converted into a separate and co-equal Rocket Force, on par with the other services. The size of the Ground Force was also reduced by 300,000 men.

This was the genesis of the continuing quiet resistance of the Ground Force to President Xi. The man who drove the changes, as already mentioned, was an air force officer, General Xu Qiliang, who was the junior vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.

At this time, General Zhang was an ordinary member of the Central Military Commission, dealing with equipment procurement, and in no position to make structural changes in the PLA. It is important to recognise that the opposition to President Xi was not a monolith: There were officers in the Ground Force who supported him, and one of them was General He Weidong, another India connection.

General He was the commander of the Ground Force in the Western Theater Command, and had kept things quiet on the border with India, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi developed their detente through the informal summits in 2018 [Wuhan] and 2019 [Mamallapuram].

The broader context is also important here: This was the time when India had changed the status of Jammu and Kashmir, and then Chinese foreign minister had unsuccessfully agitated the UN to get involved; this was also the time when India had attacked Balakot in Pakistan, China's 'all-weather ally'. This allowed the Mamallapuram summit to go forward without a hitch.

General He Weidong was moved out in December 2019, and a new officer, General Xu Qiling [not to be confused with Air Force General Xu Qiliang, mentioned above] replaced him in April 2020. And this led to the murderous clash in Galwan in June 2020, which ended the personal diplomacy between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi, even though the two leaders had announced the third round to take place in 2020. This was a spectacular act of defiance by the PLA Ground Force against its own commander-in-chief.

This is why President Xi rewarded General He Weidong at the 20th party congress in 2022 by catapulting him straight to the post of vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. It was here also that General Zhang Youxia became the senior Vice Chairman since General Xu Qiliang retired from the Central Military Commission.

General He Weidong was expelled from the party and removed from all his posts last October, a reflection of the growing clout of General Zhang Youxia at this point in time. All this was part of the ongoing struggle for power between the Ground Force and President Xi. At this time, General Zhang became the focal point of the Ground Force resistance, and the issues between the two sides went beyond just the India policy, though that remained important.

This is the background to the events of January 2026: A simmering dispute between the Ground Force and President Xi took a decisive turn when the latter moved against General Zhang.

The disposition of forces in Beijing is important for understanding the more granular details of the episode, which is not yet played out, from all accounts. There is, first of all, the Central Theater Command, responsible for Beijing, which has at its disposal, among other forces, the 82nd Group Army, which was called in recently by General Zhang himself.

The 82nd Group Army, is the successor to the 38th Group Army which eventually crushed the 1989 demonstrations by the student-protestors in 1989 in Tiananmen Square. As part of the 2016 restructuring, Group Armies were given new numbers.

In addition, there is also the People's Armed Police, recently transferred under the command of the Central Military Commission. As noted, General Liu had served as its chief of staff in 2015. General Liu also commanded the 82nd Group Army in 2014. Thus, he has connections and a support base in both these institutions.

Besides these two, which each has some 1.5 million to 2 million personnel, there is the ministry of public security special forces, again with over a million men at its disposal, and, lastly, the Central Guard Bureau, a smaller force dedicated to the security of the leadership and their families.

It comes under the direct control of the general office of the Communist party central committee. At present, it is under the control of Xi loyalist, Cao Qi, a member of the standing committee of the Communist party politburo.

It was these last two forces that were reported to have carried out the detention of the two generals, whose current whereabouts are unknown.

Other details have been provided by sources that have proved reliable in the past. One says that there was a shoot-out on January 18 between forces loyal to General Zhang [he has his own personal bodyguard], and the Central Guard Bureau forces. As a result, and fearing more fighting by the Ground Force, it is reported that bullets and mobile phones have been withdrawn from a large number of officers to ensure that no large-scale action is possible.

Another angle is that there has, so far, been no public statement of support for the detentions and charges against, and denunciations of the two generals, as would be expected after an operation of this magnitude.

Another puzzling phenomenon is that the Xinhua article critical of the two Generals does not appear on Xinhua itself, and was not attributable to any military source. These inexplicable occurrences suggest that there is resentment among the officers and men, among whom the two generals, particularly Zhang Youxia, was highly respected.

Taiwan is another issue that has cropped up: It is being suggested that President Xi wanted action against Taiwan by 2027, while the professional soldiers were doubtful about being able to do this successfully. The point about 2027 is that it may well be Xi's last year in power, but if he were to deliver unification of Taiwan, it would make him leader for life.

Of course, India has been a running dispute between Xi and the PLA. The former seeks a stable accommodation with India, the latter lean towards Pakistan. In fact, General Zhang had almost a meeting every year with the Pakistan army chief.

A look at the dramatis personae is also revealing. Of the forces that could be lined up with the two generals, there are interesting developments. The Central Theater Command commander was recently replaced by an air force officer, General Han Shengyan; President Xi has been turning to air force and navy personnel to replace Ground Force men. This change happened in December 2025, and Xi moved against the two generals in January 2026 -- not likely to be a coincidence.

The Ground Force itself is headless at the moment, and therefore hesitant to move. Its last incumbent, General Li Qiaoming, succeeded General Liu as Commander of the Ground Force, but he was removed in December 2024, and no successor has been appointed.

The special importance of the Ground Force in the present context, apart from its usual role, is that the Ground Force has direct control over three military districts -- Beijing, Tibet, and Xinjiang.

As for the People's Armed Police, it is also headless at the moment. Its head, Wang Chunning, was removed in July 2025, and replaced by an acting head. So, again, without a senior person in charge, it would also be reluctant to act on its own.

These are not just remarkable coincidences, but shows how adroitly Xi strategised these changes: Most of the replacements mentioned above, have a link to the Western Theater Command, which is the Command on the border with India.

General Han Shengyan, for example, was commander of the Air Force is the Western Theater Command from September 2016 to November 2018. Similarly, the political commissar of the Central Theater Command played the same role in the Western Theater Command in the period 2018 to 2022. The fact that they moved up when General He Weidong was vice chairman suggests that they owe their promotions, and hence loyalty, to him, and therefore also to Xi.

Equally noteworthy, all of them served there at the same time as General He Weidong, who was the officer in charge of the Ground Force in the command, and who kept things under control at the border while Xi was building ties with Prime Minister Modi in the period 2017 to 2019, with the informal summits.

It was only after he was moved out that the fighting in Galwan took place, which put paid to the promising initiative that President Xi had launched.

Now, however, the PLA top structure has been hollowed out. The top level, the Central Military Commission, has only two members now, where it had seven when formed in October 2022, after the 20th party congress.

Of these, only one is a man in uniform, Vice Chair General Zhang Shengmin, the other being Xi himself; General Zhang Shengmin is, however, not a combat officer, but one who has spent his career in political and discipline work.

Many of the Theater Commands are headless too, though they have not been officially removed. For example, the commander of the Western Theater Command has not been seen in public for several months, and missed the 4th plenum of the central committee in October 2024, along with several of his military colleagues.

Altogether, it was reported that 17 of the 41 military members of the central committee were missing from the fourth plenum.

Perhaps this was the price to be paid in order to assert civilian control over the PLA; only time will tell. The recent past does not offer encouragement: Despite several changes of top officers in the Central Military Commission, the opposition of the Ground Force has continued; there is clearly an institutional issue here.

IMAGE: Then China's Central Military Commission member General Liu Zhenli attends the opening session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 5, 2025. Photograph: Florence Lo/Reuters

As of this writing, the situation remains confused, and there are reports of efforts at bringing stability back into the system by Communist party elders, and even suggestions that Xi himself is facing buyer's remorse, fearing that he went too far, and has antagonised the PLA.

It is worth recalling that, very early in his tenure, Xi had mentioned the loyalty of the armed forces to the Communist party as one of the pillars of their rule. He had blamed the fall of the Soviet Union on the fact that its armed forces had ceased to be the sword arm of the Communist party, and had become the armed forces of the country.

An interesting anecdote of recent vintage also highlights this aspect. This relates to the leak of the 6-hour video of the trial of General Xu Qinxian, who was in 1989 the commander of the 38th Group Army -- today, it is the 82nd Group Army, mentioned above - who had refused to fire on the student protestors in Tiananmen Square.

In a purported letter from General Zhang Youxia released after his arrest, he speaks in support of General Xu Qinxian. Could he himself have released the video? The letter claims not to know how the video got leaked, but it seems unlikely that Xi would leak such a video, with its message of the military defying an order from the political leadership.

In conclusion, it seems clear that the cycle of events is not played out yet, and it will take time for things to settle down. At the same time, President Xi does not have much time. The 'two Sessions -- of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference -- are due in early March; and a visit by US President Donald Trump is due in April. He must clean house within a month, or face further difficulties.

Another event to watch out for concerns India. After the Galwan fighting, Xi has not visited India, probably under PLA pressure. Thus, even when India hosted the G20 summit in September 2023, China was represented by Premier Li Qiang, not Xi himself.

Now, this year, India is hosting the BRICS summit; it will be worth noting whether President Xi will attend in person. If he does, that will show that he has indeed overcome the resistance from those who oppose a strategic accommodation with India.

For India, therefore it would be fair to conclude that, if Xi Jinping can make these changes stick and establish control over the PLA Ground Force, relations between India and China will settle down to an even keel.

The next few weeks will show whether President Xi has finally succeeded in gaining control over the PLA Ground Force. That could bring about the substantive shift in India-China relations that both our leaders have been working for.

Ambassador Prabhat Shukla has served as India's envoy to Russia, and has also served in Brussels, London, Canberra, Singapore, Kathmandu and five years in the prime minister's office.
'When the prime minister and home minister promised their full support for the development of Kerala, why should we not be a part of them?'

IMAGE: The Bharatiya Janata Party's Kerala President Rajeev Chandrasekhar, fourth from right, welcomes Sabu M Jacob, third from left, into the National Democratic Alliance. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rajeev Chandrasekhar/X

In 2015, when Sabu M Jacob, managing director of the Kitex group, started the Twenty20 political party to fight the Left Democratic Front and United Democratic Front in the panchayat elections in Kizhakkambalam, a small gram panchayat in Kerala's Ernakulam district, it did not make news.

But it became national news when Twenty20 won 17 out of 19 wards it fought in the panchayat elections with a thumping majority.

There was no looking back for Sabu Jacob and Twenty20 after that.

In the recent local body elections, Twenty20 retained the 4 panchayats which it had swept in the 2020 election but lost power in two.

A few days ago, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kerala, Sabu Jacob surprised many by announcing his party's decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.

"Since both the LDF and UDF are fighting us, there is only one other alliance we can join hands with. That is the NDA. So, we decided to have an alliance with them," Mr Jacob tells Rediff's Shobha Warrier.

Key Points 'LDF, UDF want to finish off Twenty20'

'People cannot live in Kerala as there is no employment here'

'Along with the NDA, we can change Kerala and bring the youth back to the state'

You had always been quite critical of political parties and politicians. What made you join hands with the NDA?

I fight with whoever fights with me.

Here in Kerala, the LDF and the UDF always fight with me. So, I fight back.

If you take the last 14 years of my political history, the BJP has never opposed me or fought with me.

But the BJP has been non-existent in Kerala...

Yeah, the BJP is not very prominent. They don't have any MLAs. They have only one Parliament seat. Now they have the Trivandrum corporation. I agree, other than that, they have not much presence in Kerala.

'In the last 14 years, we have stood alone.'

Twenty20 had been an independent party till now, standing alone...

Correct. In the last 14 years, we have stood alone.

In the recent local body elections, the LDF and UDF worked together to defeat us.

The UDF has almost 11 parties. So also the LDF. Along with these 22 parties, the PDP, the Welfare Party, etc ganged up together and formed an alliance. And they contested against Twenty20 under a single symbol.

The idea was to finish Twenty20 forever.

We fought against them and won 10% more seats than the 2020 election.

We won the four panchayats we had won before, but lost two panchayats.

We are ruling four panchayats, and we are in opposition in two.

This made me rethink about our future strategy.

Since both the LDF and the UDF are fighting us, there is only one other alliance we can join hands with. That is the NDA. So, we decided to have an alliance with them.

IMAGE: Narendra Modi tweeted this picture: 'Had a wonderful meeting with Shri Sabu M. Jacob Ji in Thiruvananthapuram. I warmly welcome Twenty20 to the NDA family. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to transparent, people-centric governance.' Photograph: Kind courtesy Narendra Modi/X

Will it in any way affect the ideology you have been following till now?

Our ideology is development of the country, and welfare of the people.

If you look at the NDA or the BJP, they also follow the same ideology; development and welfare of the people.

So, we felt that was the only party we could join hands with.

You mean the BJP?

Not the BJP, the NDA.

No, we are not joining hands with the BJP, we have joined the NDA.

We are part of the NDA, but we are not part of the BJP.

Yes, the BJP is the major party in the NDA. Like the Congress is the major party in the UDF and the Communist party is the major party in the LDF.

'We never talk about religion in our party'

Do you agree with the ideology of Hindutva and Hindu Rashtra followed by the BJP?

See, we never talk about religion in our party.

We are the only political party that has been in existence for the last 14 years but we never spoke about religion.

I believe that politics is separate from religion. It is true that everyone is taking advantage of religion.

40% of our party is constituted by Christians, another 40% are Hindus and maybe 20% are Muslims.

That makes us the only secular party in Kerala.

Did you have to think a lot before taking the decision to join the NDA? You have fought alone for 14 years as an independent entity...

You are right.

But after 14 years, we have to take this decision as the LDF, the UDF and other parties decided to fight us. They want to finish off Twenty20.

So, I took the decision to join hands with the ruling party of India.

So, you felt for the survival of Twenty20, you had to be a part of a bigger alliance?

No..no.. See, even when all these 25 parties together fought against us, they could not do anything.

Our vote share increased from 10% to 12.2%.

We are still ruling four panchayats, we are in the Opposition in two panchayats.

We felt our ideology could be spread across Kerala through this alliance.

When the prime minister and the home minister promised their full support for the development of Kerala, why should we not be a part of them?

In the last 10 years of the LDF, Kerala has gone 30 years back.

Everybody is leaving Kerala. Youth are leaving Kerala.

I want this to stop.

'No development, No welfare in Kerala'

Is it because of corruption? What do you think is the reason why the situation is going bad?

Corruption is one issue.

There is no development, there is no welfare, nothing.

Prices are shooting up. People cannot live here as there is no employment here.

There is no hope for them in Kerala. That's why they are moving.

80% of our youth, between the ages of 18 and 30, have left Kerala.

Kerala has become an old age home where you can stay after you are 70 or 75.

Can you believe the average age of the people of Kerala is above 60? In a developing country, this should not happen.

We feel along with the NDA, we can change Kerala and bring the youth back to the state.

Did you have conversations with the members of your party before joining the NDA? How did they react?

I discussed the idea with state level leaders, and they entrusted me to take the right decision.

With that power, I took the decision to join the NDA.

After joining the NDA, we had discussions with the ward committees and the state committees, and everyone, without exception, agreed to the idea. Not even one person objected to it.

They said they would support whatever decision the president had taken for the party.

There was a press conference by a panchayat level leader from your party and she said she along with many others were quitting Twenty20...

We have 15.2 lakh members in the party.

One or two or three people have left the party. That is not going to make any difference.

So many people are leaving the Communist party, the Congress and even the BJP. It is normal.

When three people left our party, in the last two days, so many people have shown interest to join us. I can confidently say that thousands of people are joining our party.

Their confidence in Twenty20 has gone up because we are supported by the ruling party of India, and the prime minister.

IMAGE: Modi with Sabu M Jacob and Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Photograph: Kind courtesy Narendra Modi/X

'PM has promised full support for development of Kerala'

Did you have a meeting with the prime minister? How do you describe the meeting?

I will show you the photos. Then, you will see how he looks at Kerala and this alliance.

We have had not one but several meetings, and in all the meetings, he promised full support for the development of Kerala.

Why should I worry when the prime minister himself promises his support?

The UDF swept the local body elections. What do you foresee in the assembly election?

In Kerala, the approach of people to the Parliament election, assembly election and local body election is different.

The entire scenario has changed now.

After this alliance, people will look at the assembly election in a different way.

This alliance is a win-win situation for the BJP and Twenty20.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
'Once the actual scope is understood, it becomes evident that the framework is about internal redress and course correction, and in no way criminalisation.'

IMAGE: Students at Lucknow University protest against the University Grants Commission's new caste-based equality rules in colleges, January 27, 2026. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on January 29 stayed the 2026 University Grants Commission equity regulations, which were notified on January 23, in response to pleas filed against them on the grounds that the UGC adopted a non-inclusionary definition of caste discrimination and that certain categories of people are excluded from institutional protection.

The moment these regulations were notified, they had generated heated debate, especially with regard to the 'equity squads', the compulsory declaration, and the 'equity committee' composition, which does not apparently have any representation from students belonging to the general category.

In the concluding part of her interview -- which was conducted before the Supreme Court stay -- with Prasanna D Zore/Rediff, Supreme Court Advocate Disha Wadekar addresses the most contentious aspects -- which form the basis of the pleas that challenged the UGC 2026 regulations in the first place -- of the new framework.

From concerns about campus policing to questions of bureaucratic overreach, she explains the legal architecture behind these mechanisms -- and candidly points out where the regulations fall short.

Key Points 'The intention behind campus engagement mechanisms is to foster dialogue, awareness, and sensitisation among students, so that experiences of marginalisation are not rendered invisible.'

'From a legal standpoint, any regulation -- however well-intentioned -- can be misused if exercised arbitrarily.'

'These regulations provide civil and institutional remedies, not penal sanctions.

The consequences contemplated are corrective and proportionate -- such as warnings, reprimands, or in extreme cases, academic sanctions -- aimed at restoring a non-discriminatory environment.'

The consequences contemplated are corrective and proportionate -- such as warnings, reprimands, or in extreme cases, academic sanctions -- aimed at restoring a non-discriminatory environment.' 'This does not deny that students from general or upper caste backgrounds may experience stress, mental health challenges, or even harassment. They may, and there are other legal and regulatory mechanisms -- ranging from criminal law to service and grievance redress frameworks -- through which such issues can be addressed.'

Her assessment is both defence and critique, revealing a nuanced understanding of what law can and cannot achieve in dismantling caste discrimination in India's educational institutions.

'These regulations do not operate in the domain of criminal law'

The 2026 UGC regulations mandate formation of 'equity squads' to stay mobile and visit 'vulnerable spots' -- who decides what a vulnerable spot is? Doesn't this feel more like campus policing than creating an environment of equity?

At the outset, it is important to clarify that the expression 'equity squad' is not language we had proposed. That terminology appears to have been introduced by the UGC in the final regulatory text.

That said, the underlying idea of proactive engagement with the campus environment is not without precedent. The Sukhadeo Thorat (external link) Committee Report of 2008, which examined caste discrimination at AIIMS, had recommended that discrimination cannot be identified solely through formal complaints, and that periodic social audits are necessary to uncover structural and informal practices.

The purpose of such engagement is not surveillance, but understanding.

Questions such as who performs sanitation work on campus, whether infrastructure is accessible to persons with disabilities, or whether certain spaces are informally exclusionary cannot be answered without physically examining the campus.

Importantly, the Thorat Committee envisaged students themselves as participants in this process, recognising that student communities are diverse and often more open to dialogue than institutional administrations.

It is also necessary to bear in mind that students, across categories, are inherently vulnerable within university hierarchies. They operate within structures of authority -- administrative, academic, and disciplinary -- over which they have limited control.

The intention behind campus engagement mechanisms is to foster dialogue, awareness, and sensitisation amongst students, so that experiences of marginalisation are not rendered invisible.

Finally, these regulations do not operate in the domain of criminal law. They provide civil and institutional remedies, not penal sanctions.

The consequences contemplated are corrective and proportionate -- such as warnings, reprimands, or in extreme cases, academic sanctions -- aimed at restoring a non-discriminatory environment.

No one is being criminalised or incarcerated under this framework.

The central objective remains the creation of a safe and responsive institutional ecosystem -- one that individuals like Payal Tadvi did not have access to.

The record before the Court shows repeated representations by her and her family to college authorities over an extended period, without any effective response. These regulations seek to ensure that such grievances are addressed internally and promptly, so that students are not left without recourse within the very institutions meant to protect them.

To many critics, words like 'equity committee, equity squad, equity ambassador' -- this chain sounds exactly like political commissars or the apparatchiks of Communist regimes.

How do you ensure these are not just State-sponsored monitors sent to control the thoughts and speech of students?

From a legal standpoint, any regulation -- however well-intentioned -- can be misused if exercised arbitrarily. That is not unique to these regulations.

The safeguard against such misuse lies not in abandoning regulatory mechanisms altogether, but in ensuring that their operation is bounded by due process.

Similar committee-based structures exist under the POSH framework, the anti-ragging regulations, and other campus governance regimes.

As to the use of the term 'equity,' it is not a novel or partisan insertion. The concept has been part of the 2012 framework as well. Equity, as understood in this context, reflects the Constitutional principle of substantive equality -- that different forms of disadvantage require differentiated responses. It is not a departure from equality, but a method of realising it.

Ultimately, the validity of these mechanisms will turn on how they are operationalised. If they are used to facilitate dialogue, address grievances, and correct institutional failures, they will serve their intended purpose.

If they are applied in a manner that infringes Constitutional freedoms, they will necessarily be subject to challenge. The law already provides those safeguards.

'This crucial clarification often gets lost in the public debate'

The best part that you brought out in this interview is there will be civil remedies. These are not criminal matters.

Absolutely. This is a crucial clarification, and it often gets lost in the public debate. A great deal of the anxiety around these regulations seems to stem from a fundamental misreading of what they actually provide.

If one reads the regulations carefully, it becomes clear that they operate entirely within the realm of civil and administrative remedies. The provisions on consequences are expressly tied to existing frameworks -- relevant UGC regulations, ministry (of education) guidelines in the case of faculty, and the internal by-laws of the institution.

None of these confer any criminal jurisdiction or contemplate criminal sanctions.

These committees do not have the power to prosecute, incarcerate, or initiate criminal proceedings. Their role is limited to institutional accountability -- corrective measures such as warnings, reprimands, or service-related consequences, all of which already exist within established regulatory structures.

Once the actual scope is understood, it becomes evident that the framework is about internal redress and course correction, and in no way criminalisation.

Talking about the clause that deals with confidentiality and transparency -- the regulation allows for the identity of the informant to be kept confidential.

While everybody knows this is important, especially in cases of POSH, how does the university maintain transparency as mandated in Section 7D while simultaneously protecting the anonymity of those involved in a dispute?

How will a defendant defend herself or himself against somebody who is anonymous?

That is a valid concern, and it rests on a misunderstanding of what confidentiality and anonymity mean in regulatory frameworks of this kind. Even under the POSH regime, anonymity does not operate in an absolute sense.

A respondent cannot be expected to defend themselves in an inquiry without knowing the identity of the complainant or the contents of the complaint itself. Disclosure to the respondent and the inquiry body is therefore inherent to the principles of natural justice.

What confidentiality protects against is public disclosure, not procedural disclosure.

The complainant's identity is shielded from the public domain -- it is not to be published, circulated, or made part of institutional or media narratives. This is consistent with long-standing legal practice, including in sexual offence trials, where there is a statutory bar from revealing it in judgements or public records.

Every student and faculty member must now sign a declaration promising to promote equity. Do you believe a signed paper can truly change deep-seated social prejudices, or is it merely a bureaucratic layer?

The declaration should not be viewed in isolation or as a claim that a signed document can, by itself, erase deep-seated social prejudice. That would be an unrealistic expectation. Its function is mostly practical.

Such declarations are not new to higher education. Under the UGC anti-ragging regulations, every student is required to submit a written undertaking that they will not engage in ragging. That requirement has long been accepted as a legitimate tool for setting institutional norms and signalling consequences, even though no one assumes that a declaration alone eliminates ragging.

The purpose of this declaration is educational. It establishes, at the point of entry, that equity and non-discrimination are not abstract ideals but binding institutional expectations.

Much like orientation programmes in universities abroad -- where students are expressly informed that campuses are discrimination-free spaces and that violations will attract consequences -- the declaration operates as a formal acknowledgement of the rules governing that academic environment.

It may well appear bureaucratic, and ideally, a robust orientation process should accompany -- or even take precedence over -- a written declaration. But in the present context, where there is often no meaningful communication about institutional norms at all, even this baseline declaration matters.

'This raises serious concerns of institutional conflict'

Are there any gaps that you feel need to be filled in these regulations?

There are several gaps, and I should begin with a candid disclaimer. In my assessment, these regulations are simultaneously a step forward and, in some respects, a step back from the 2012 framework.

On the positive side, the present regulations introduce a clear enforcement mechanism through the Action against Non-compliance clause, which was the single most significant deficiency of the earlier framework. That is no small advance.

At the same time, the 2012 regulations contained a far more detailed articulation of what discrimination actually looks like within a campus setting. They identified concrete practices -- such as segregation in hostels or messes, bias in viva voce and subjective evaluations, or discriminatory delays in scholarship disbursal to SC, ST, and OBC students -- that are specific to higher educational institutions.

Those illustrations mattered because discrimination in universities rarely presents itself in overt forms; it is often entrenched in routine administrative and academic processes.

While the new regulations adopt a robust conceptual definition of discrimination -- using terms such as differential treatment, preferential treatment, and segregation, drawn from international instruments like UNCERD (UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination) and CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) -- they stop short of illustrating how these concepts operate in the lived reality of campuses. That omission is significant.

Without examples, it becomes harder for students, faculty, and committees alike to identify and address discriminatory practices that are structurally normalised.

For instance, rank-based hostel allocation is often defended as objective, yet in a reservation framework it can result in the effective ghettoisation of marginalised students.

Explicitly recognising such practices as potential discrimination would have provided much-needed clarity.

A second, and more technical, issue concerns the composition and functioning of the equity committees. As the regulations currently stand, the head of the institution chairs the committee, while also being the authority to whom the committee's report is submitted and who ultimately acts upon it. This raises serious concerns of institutional conflict.

In comparable frameworks -- such as the POSH regime -- the employer or institutional head is deliberately excluded from committee membership precisely to preserve independence. Combining inquiry, oversight, and decision-making in a single authority is a structural flaw that will likely require reconsideration.

The third concern relates to the definition of the 'aggrieved person'. While the regulations adopt a broad formulation, it would have been preferable -- and legally clearer -- to explicitly state that this includes students, teaching staff, and non-teaching staff. Given the realities of caste and labour hierarchies on campuses, particularly affecting non-teaching staff, precision here would have strengthened the framework.

Finally, there is the question of representation. It is an improvement that the regulations now envisage multi-member committees with student and external representation. However, the requirement that representation based on caste, gender, or other axes of disadvantage be included only 'as far as possible' weakens the intent.

Experience from other regulatory frameworks shows that representation cannot be left to discretion alone. For instance, POSH regulations mandate that the chairperson be a woman for a reason. A clearer stipulation -- such as requiring a minimum proportion of members from marginalised backgrounds -- would have better aligned the committee's composition with its purpose.
Ajit's uncle and NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, however, has urged people not to politicise the death of his nephew.

IMAGE: The AAIB has initiated a formal investigation into the accident that claimed the lives of Ajit Pawar. Photograph: @mahancpspeaks/X

Key Points Sanjay Raut claimed that BJP threatened Ajit Pawar with irrigation scam files.

Raut demanded an investigation into the plane crash incident.

Just three days after Ajit Pwar's death, his wife Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.

Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut on Monday hinted at foul play in the death of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash.

Expressing "suspicion" over Ajit Pawar's death, Raut said the BJP had threatened the NCP chief with irrigation scam files after he expressed a desire for the merger of two NCP factions, adding that the former Maharashtra Deputy CM "died mysteriously within 10 days".

Raut demanded an investigation into the plane crash incident.

'BJP threatened Ajit Pawar with irrigation scam files'

"Questions will indeed be raised on the accident of Ajit Dada; questions should indeed be raised. The manner in which a leader like Ajit Pawar, a tall leader of Maharashtra, died in a plane crash and the facts which are coming to light. It should be investigated. I think there is something dubious here. These questions are being raised by Ajit Dada's party. His death is suspicious," Raut said.

"Something did happen behind the curtains. Ajit Dada had said that he wants to 'return home', after that, the people of the BJP threatened him with irrigation scam files. Ajit Pawar then responded to them over the same scam files. He died mysteriously within 10 days of that. What do we understand from this? This reminds us of Justice Loya. Did someone do something here?" he added.

Ajit Pawar, 66, died on January 28 after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at the Baramati airport in Pune district. Among the deceased were his personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.

Just three days later, his wife Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.

Ajit Pawar's party MLA demands high-level probe

Earlier, NCP leader Amol Mitkari had said that there were some suspicions about the circumstances of Ajit Pawar's death and demanded a high-level probe into the tragedy.

"A prominent leader of Maharashtra, Ajit Dada, is no longer with us... There were district council elections recently, and he was coming to Baramati for election campaigning. In his final moments, there was a sudden change of route, a sudden change of pilot. Not a single piece of paper was burned, but the bodies were burned. This raises some suspicions," he said.

"I have requested the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to ensure justice by ordering a CBI inquiry. He has given an assurance that a CBI inquiry will be conducted, and I myself will try to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah next week to ensure a high-level investigation," he added.

Ajit's uncle and NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, however, has urged people not to politicise the death of his nephew, saying that the plane crash was an accident.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated a formal investigation into the accident that claimed the lives of Ajit Pawar and four others.
The Trinamool Congress-Election Commission faceoff over the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound West Bengal intensified on Monday as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked out of a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging he was being 'arrogant' and that the poll panel was working at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with the families allegedly affected by the SIR process, speaks to the media after meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, outside the Election Commission Office in New Delhi on Monday. Photograph: Amit/ANI Photo

Key Points Mamata Banerjee met with the Chief Election Commissioner to protest the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.

Banerjee was accompanied by 'SIR-affected' families and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders.

She accused the CEC of being 'arrogant' and alleged that the EC had 'humiliated' their delegation.

However, EC officials said that the TMC leaders were given a patient hearing.

Election Commission officials claimed that she left without listening to the response of the poll panel top brass on the issues raised by her.

On the other hand, the BJP hit back at Banerjee, alleging that she was protesting against an 'imagined grievance' and enacting a 'drama'.

The TMC supremo, who has been demanding a halt to the voters' list cleanup exercise in West Bengal, is in Delhi along with SIR-affected families from her state. She reached Delhi on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, she confronted police personnel deployed outside Banga Bhawan in Chanakyapuri in New Delhi and alleged harassment of the families by the Delhi Police.

The force refuted the claim, stating that the deployment outside the Banga Bhawan was part of security.

In the afternoon, she went to the poll panel's office in New Delhi, wearing a black shawl as a mark of 'protest', accompanied by party MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee, and 12 members from 'SIR affected families' from West Bengal to meet Kumar and fellow ECs.

She later said that they 'boycotted' the meeting in protest, while poll panel officials claimed she left in a huff without listening to the response of the EC top brass.

Talking to the media after coming out of the Election Commission's headquarters in New Delhi, the West Bengal CM launched a fresh tirade against the poll panel, accusing it of working as the BJP's 'dalal' (middleman).

"So many people have died, who is responsible? The EC is responsible. They are working at the behest of the BJP," Banerjee alleged

"They behaved very badly with us, I said I am sorry we came here for justice; we did not get that, and you are lying. He is a great liar...," she said.

"We said we will fight it on the ground. You have the power of the BJP; we have the power of the people. We boycotted the meeting and came out. They have insulted us, humiliated us... I have not seen this type of Election Commission; they are very arrogant ... He talks with an attitude like he is Zamindar, and we are servants," she alleged.

TMC leaders were given patient hearing: EC

However, EC officials said that the TMC leaders were given a patient hearing.

First TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee spoke, followed by Mamata Banerjee, the officials said, adding that the points raised by them were duly noted down by CEC Kumar and Election Commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

The delegation submitted a memorandum, alleging 'grave procedural, legal and Constitutional violations in the conduct of the SIR'.

In it, West Bengal's ruling party demanded the EC immediately withdraw all SIR hearing notices, abandon the 'logical discrepancy' framework, stop the 'interference' of micro-observers, disengage all non-statutory personnel immediately, and take 'full institutional accountability for the tragic loss of lives'.

An EC official said, "When the CEC started to respond, the TMC leaders interjected on multiple occasions. She was agitated and left the meeting in a huff."

The CEC explained that the 'rule of law will prevail' and anybody taking the law into their own hands will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the provisions of law and powers vested in the commission.

Kumar told the TMC leadership that its MLAs are openly using abusive and threatening language against the commission and especially against the CEC.

There have been incidents of vandalism of the electoral registration officers by TMC workers and MLAs, Kumar told TMC leaders.

"No pressure, obstruction, or interference of any kind by anyone should be exerted on officers engaged in SIR work. Honorarium payable to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) should be released in a timely manner without any further delay, the CEC told the delegation," an official said.

In the morning, Banerjee reached the Chanakyapuri premises of Banga Bhawan and objected to the 'heavy' security deployment there.

She claimed the 'SIR-affected families' from West Bengal, who have been brought to the national capital by the TMC, were being 'threatened' by the police.

Banerjee, however, added that she doesn't blame the police, but 'those who are on the top'.

"This is incompetence... They can't protect the nation, but they torture Bengal and the common people, and are committing atrocities in the name of SIR," she alleged. "They get nervous when I come here. I could have brought lakhs of people (here)," the TMC supremo said.

"I am not here for an agitation. Had that been so, you would have lost your mind. We are here for justice," she said.

Police said security arrangements in the area have been stepped up after the incident.

TMC MPs, including Saket Gokhale, Dola Sen, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Bapi Haldar, meanwhile, rushed to different locations in the national capital where the SIR-impacted families are staying.

Gokhale was seen confronting the police personnel deployed outside a West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited guesthouse in Delhi's Kailash Colony.

Twenty people affected by the revision exercise in the eastern state are staying in New Delhi.

Gokhale told PTI that the Delhi Police came to check the register there in the morning, and around 25-30 police personnel, along with a bus purportedly to carry detainees, were deployed at the location.

"The Delhi Police had told them they would be detained if they stepped out, and the gates had been locked. When I spoke to the police, they said it was a security measure for the Republic Day. When I said the Republic Day had passed, I was told an AI summit is happening," he said.

The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by TMC's deputy leader Sagarika Ghose.

"A delegation of victims of the SIR process who have suffered all kinds of losses, were harassed and manhandled by the Delhi Police," she said.

Refuting the chief minister's claims, Special Commissioner of Police (Perception Management and Media Cell) Devesh Chandra Srivastav told a press conference that no police personnel entered the Banga Bhawan.

In a statement, the Delhi Police said that as per the protocol, the responsibility of Banerjee's security arrangements in the national capital lies with the Delhi Police, and their West Bengal counterpart had already informed them about it.

"As per the information received, it was reported that around 150-200 supporters of a political party had come from West Bengal and were staying at different locations in Delhi, including guest houses and hotels in South Delhi, New Delhi, and Central Delhi areas. It was also informed that VVIPs and senior leaders would visit these guest houses or hotels. Accordingly, adequate deployment was made at these places," the Delhi Police said.

Banerjee has moved the Supreme Court challenging the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. She filed the petition on January 28.

She has made the Election Commission of India and the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal parties in the case. The matter is yet to be listed for hearing in the top court.

The Supreme Court is already hearing a bunch of petitions on the SIR issue.
Alankar Agnihotri said several organisations of the upper-caste community would participate in the stir if the central government fails to withdraw the SC/ST Act by February 6.

Former Bareilly city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri, suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government on charges of indiscipline, has said that he would stage a protest in Delhi from February 7 if the Centre does not withdraw the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

IMAGE: Former Bareilly magistrate Alankar Agnihotri. Photograph: ANI Digital/X

Key Points Former Bareilly city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri, suspended for indiscipline, will protest against the SC/ST Act in Delhi.

Agnihotri claims the SC/ST Act affects 85% of the population and that 95% of cases registered under it are false.

Upper-caste organisations are reportedly backing Agnihotri's stand against the SC/ST Act.

Agnihotri met with Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati before announcing his protest plans.

Agnihotri was suspended after resigning from his post, citing displeasure with government policies, including new UGC regulations.

Background

The 2019-batch Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officer, who made headlines after resigning as the Bareilly city magistrate, made the announcement after meeting Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Sunday at the Srividya Math located at Kedarghat in Varanasi.

Protest details

Agnihotri said several organisations of the upper-caste community would participate in the stir if the central government fails to withdraw the SC/ST Act by February 6.

Meeting with Swami Avimukteshwaranand

Responding to questions on his meeting with Swami Avimukteshwaranand, who was allegedly prevented by the administration from taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam during Magh Mela in Prayagraj on January 18, Agnihotri termed it a "fortunate coincidence" and not part of any political strategy.

He said Swami Avimukteshwaranand -- the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand -- had earlier invited him to Prayagraj, but he could not meet him due to lack of time.

"With his arrival in Kashi, I got the opportunity to meet him," he said.

Criticism of government policies

During his interaction with the media, Agnihotri said there was widespread resentment among people over the new University Grants Commission (UGC) rules. "The core voter base is angry with the government," he said, describing the SC/ST Act, enacted in 1989, as the "blackest law" in the country.

Agnihotri alleged that 85 per cent of the population was affected by the Act and claimed that 95 per cent of cases registered under it were false, adding that upper-caste organisations across the country were backing his stand.

Suspension

The Uttar Pradesh government on January 26 suspended Agnihotri, then posted as Bareilly Nagar magistrate, on charges of indiscipline.

Earlier the same day, he had resigned from his post, expressing displeasure over government policies, particularly the new UGC regulations and issues related to Swami Avimukteshwaranand, triggering a major administrative and political controversy.
Modi also said that President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump shake hands as they deliver a joint press statement after their meeting at the White House, in Washington, DC on February 14, 2025. Photograph: Reuters/ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said it was wonderful to speak with his 'dear friend President Trump' on Monday and said when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits people of the two countries and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Key Points Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed his conversation with US President Donald Trump and thanked him for announcing a reduced 18% tariff on Made in India products.

Modi said closer cooperation between the two largest democracies would unlock major opportunities and benefit people in both countries.

While Trump claimed India would stop buying Russian oil and boost US imports, the Indian government has not yet officially confirmed the details

In a post on X, Modi also said that President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity and India fully supports his efforts for peace.

'Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement,' he said.

'When two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation,' he added.

Modi said he looks forward to working closely with President Trump 'to take our partnership to unprecedented heights'.

Earlier, in a post on his social media handle Truth Social, Trump referred to his conversation with Modi.

Trump said Modi was one of his greatest friends and a powerful and respected leader of his country.

He also claimed that the prime minister had agreed to 'stop buying Russian Oil', and to buy much more from the United States.

The Indian government has for far not made any announcement about the trade deal with the United States.

Details from the Government of India are still awaited.

'It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine,' Trump said in his post.

'He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%,' he added.

Trump claimed India will reduce tariffs and non-tariff Barriers against the United States.

'They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO. The Prime Minister also committed to 'BUY AMERICAN', at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products. Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Trump added.

Modi had also spoken with President Trump in December last year, and the two leaders had agreed to work closely to address shared challenges and advance common interests.
Sunetra Pawar took oath as the state's first woman deputy CM on Saturday, barely three days after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and four others died in an air crash at Baramati in Pune district, inviting criticism from some quarters over the pace at which the development took place.

IMAGE: Sunetra Pawar took oath as the state's first woman deputy CM on January 31, 2026. Photograph: ANI video grab

Key Points The editorial claims some NCP leaders don't want the two NCP factions to unite.

Sharad Pawar claimed he was unaware of Sunetra Pawar's swearing-in.

The editorial suggests Sunetra Pawar's role is controlled by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The article questions the timing of the oath, given Hindutva beliefs and recent family tragedy.

The Opposition Shiv Sena-UBT on Monday claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership was the "mastermind" behind Nationalist Congress Party leader Sunetra Pawar taking oath as Maharashtra's deputy chief minister, just days after her husband Ajit Pawar's demise.

An editorial in the Sena-UBT mouthpiece Saamana also alleged that the BJP leadership and Nationalist Congress Party leaders Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel do not want the unification of the two NCP factions.

Sunetra Pawar took oath as the state's first woman deputy CM on Saturday, barely three days after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and four others died in an air crash at Baramati in Pune district, inviting criticism from some quarters over the pace at which the development took place.

'On whose wish did Sunetra Pawar take oath?'

Rival NCP-SP chief and Ajit Pawar's uncle Sharad Pawar on Saturday claimed that he had "no idea" about her swearing-in.

The Saamana editorial said the question before Maharashtra is on whose wish did Sunetra Pawar take oath as deputy CM because neither NCP-SP president Sharad Pawar nor its working president Supriya Sule, nor members of the Pawar family were aware of this. Sunetra Pawar did not even give the slightest hint that she was leaving for Mumbai from Baramati to take oath as deputy CM, it said.

"The BJP leadership is the mastermind behind this politics," the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-UBT claimed.

"The complications have increased in the Pawar family and Maharashtra politics after the death of Ajit Pawar. Many desire that these issues do not get sorted out," it added.

'Sunnetra Pawar may probably not be gungi gudiya'

After Ajit Pawar's death, some in the NCP became more ambitious and there was a race to take charge as the deputy CM within the party. There are differences between Patel and Tatkare. Sunetra Pawar was "installed" as deputy CM because the party of "Patil-Pawar" should not go to Patel, the editorial claimed.

Sunetra Pawar was made to steer the ship, but its engine and control are with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Both Sunetra Pawar and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena can maintain their existence at the mercy of Fadnavis, it charged.

The editorial further said Sunetra Pawar's deputy CM post should not be a mere ornamental. She may probably not be gungi gudiya (mute doll) and work effectively, it opined.

The NCP is an alliance with the "sanatani-minded" BJP, and Sunetra Pawar taking oath even before the completion of her husband's post-last rites rituals does not fit into the Hindutva beliefs, it claimed.
China reacts: 'He is a political exile committed to anti-Chinese separatist activity under the disguise of religion.'

China on Monday deplored the Grammy award given to the Dalai Lama, saying it "firmly opposes" the Tibetan spiritual leader using the recognition to carry out "anti-China activities".

IMAGE: The Dalai Lama is served food on his 90th birthday celebration at the Tsuglagkhang, also known as the Dalai Lama Temple complex, Dharamshala, July 6, 2025. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

Key Points China has condemned the Grammy Award given to the Dalai Lama.

China claims the Dalai Lama is using the award to promote 'anti-China activities'.

China views the Dalai Lama as a political exile engaged in separatist activities under the guise of religion.

The Dalai Lama won a Grammy for his spoken-word album, 'Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama'.

The Dalai Lama stated he views the award as recognition of shared universal responsibility and an opportunity to spread messages of peace and compassion.

Dalai Lama's Grammy win

The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, won his first Grammy on Sunday in the category of best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording for his spoken-word album, Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, at the 68th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

China's allegations

Asked for his reaction to the Dalai Lama winning the award, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated China's allegation that the 90-year-old octogenarian spiritual leader is carrying out separatist activity in the name of religion.

The Dalai Lama is not purely a religious person, Lin told a media briefing in Beijing.

"He is a political exile committed to anti-Chinese separatist activity under the disguise of religion," he said.

Beijing firmly opposes relevant sides using the award as a tool to carry out anti-China activities, he said.

Dalai Lama's history and recognition

The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in Dharamsala since he left Tibet in 1959, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his consistent, nonviolent struggle to liberate Tibet.

At the Grammys, he edged out other nominees, including Kathy Garver for Elvis Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story, Trevor Noah for Into The Uncut Grass, Ketanji Brown Jackson for Lovely One: A Memoir and Fab Morvan for You Know It's True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.

Dalai Lama's response

Reacting to the prestigious international recognition, the Dalai Lama expressed gratitude and humility, saying he did not view the award as a personal achievement.

"I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility. I don't see it as something personal, but as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility," the Dalai Lama said.

"I firmly believe that peace, compassion, care for our environment, and an understanding of the oneness of humanity are essential for the collective well-being of all eight billion human beings. I am grateful that this Grammy recognition can help spread these messages more widely," he said.
Rahul Gandhi said he never wanted to speak on the particular issue, but decided to do so after BJP's Surya questioned the patriotism of the Congress party. Rajnath Singh maintained that the book had not been published.

IMAGE: Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi speaks on the Motion of Thanks to the president's address. Photograph: Sansad TV/YouTube

Key Points Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from the unreleased memoir of former Army Chief M M Naravane in Lok Sabha.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah objected to the quoting of an unpublished book.

Speaker Om Birla cited rules against quoting from unpublished material or matters unrelated to House proceedings.

Rahul Gandhi then claimed he was quoting from a magazine article.

A major political row erupted on Monday as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi sought to quote in the Lok Sabha from an unpublished 'memoir' of former Army chief General M M Naravane (retd) on the 2020 India-China conflict to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, evoking a backlash from Bharatiya Janata Party leaders who accused him of misleading the House and belittling the armed forces.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla disallowed Gandhi from raising the issue, but he did not relent and several opposition leaders also rallied behind him.

The House was adjourned twice and later for the day amid uproar as heated exchanges took place between the treasury and opposition benches.

While Gandhi said the government is 'afraid' of a line that he wants to quote from the book and asserted that he would state that line in the Lower House, the BJP alleged that the Congress leader undermined the dignity of Parliament and hurt the morale of the Indian soldiers with his false accusations, in defiance of Speaker Om Birla's ruling.

The ruling party's leaders, including ministers, asked Gandhi to stop 'speaking the language of anti-India elements'.

Speaking with reporters, Gandhi claimed that he was not being allowed to quote from General Naravane's unpublished book in the Lok Sabha because it indicts Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for 'letting down' the army during the 2020 conflict with China.

"(Gen) Naravane ji has written about the prime minister and Rajnath Singh ji clearly in his book, which has appeared in an article, and I am quoting from that article. They are scared because if it comes out, the reality of Narendra Modi ji and Rajnath Singh ji will be revealed. What happened to the 56-inch chest when China was before us and advancing?" Gandhi said.

Congress and its leaders also shared on social media excerpts from an article in a magazine that quoted Naravane's unpublished book.

Earlier, as Gandhi rose to speak on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, he said he would first like to respond to the charges made by the previous speaker, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, against the Congress on nationalism and began quoting from what he said was the 'memoir' of Gen Naravane talking about the India-China conflict of 2020.

However, Defence Minister Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah strongly protested and asked Gandhi to clarify whether the book had been published or not.

The uproar went on for about 50 minutes with Speaker Om Birla repeatedly saying that no book or newspaper clipping can be quoted on a matter not related to the proceedings of the House, and Gandhi insisting that the document was authenticated and he could quote from it.

Rahul Gandhi was reading 'concocted things' on China: Govt sources

Government sources said Gandhi was reading 'concocted things' on China.

They said there was ample material in the public domain on the decisions taken by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on China, and alleged that he 'surrendered thousands of acres of land just to further his own statesmanship'.

Rajnath Singh maintained that the book had not been published.

Gandhi then said he was quoting from a magazine article to put forth his views.

Birla again disallowed it and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju called for the Speaker's ruling to be adhered to.

Rijiju said if the Leader of Opposition repeatedly ignores the Speaker's ruling and flouts rules, the House will have to discuss what action should be taken against such a member.

When Gandhi persisted, the Speaker repeatedly warned him against quoting the book.

Singh then got up and asked if the book was not allowed to be published as alleged, why didn't Naravane go to court against it. The defence minister also accused Gandhi of 'misleading' the House.

When the House reassembled at 4 pm, Gandhi said he was raising a matter of national security.

"It is uncomfortable for the defence minister and the prime minister, I understand. I consider national security the most important issue. If it was not uncomfortable, they would have let me speak, but the fact that they are not allowing me to speak shows that they are uncomfortable," Gandhi said.

Several opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress's Mahua Moitra and Kalyan Banerjee, Rashtriya Janata Dal's Manoj Jha and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, supported Gandhi on the issue.

Attacking the ruling BJP, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha has raised an extremely serious issue related to national security in the House but the government is evading the questions on it.

'What exactly is written in the former Army Chief's book that has the big-shot ministers of the Modi government so rattled? Who is stopping his book from being published? The entire country knows that the BJP's nationalism is fake!' Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.

Gandhi later told reporters that he was not being allowed to speak.

'I just have to say two-three lines which will reveal everything, but they are not allowing me to speak. I am saying that it is a matter of national security. These are the words of the army chief, a serious leader of our forces. It is a conversation he has had with Rajnath Singh ji and also with Narendra Modi ji,' he said.
2027's housing census trims questions but adds digital-age indicators like Internet and smartphones.

Kindly note the image has been published only for representational purposes. Photograph: ANI Photo

The home ministry's notification of the 2027 Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) questionnaire marks a leaner approach compared to the Census of India 2011.

The number of questions in the new Census has been reduced to 33 from 35 in 2011 and new ones on the growing role of digital access in service delivery have been introduced while retaining the ones probing core housing indicators.

The most visible change lies in the treatment of assets and connectivity. The 2011 schedule recorded ownership of radios, televisions, computers, telephones and vehicles.

In 2027, these have been updated and expanded to include access to the Internet and smartphones, while also collecting a mobile number for Census-related communication.

At the same time, question on whether households are availing banking services has been removed from the 2027 Census.

The 2011 houselisting schedule was more granular in its demographic detailing at the household stage.

It separately recorded the number of males and females normally residing in a household.

These three questions have been condensed into a single question in the 2027 schedule, signalling a clearer separation between houselisting and population enumeration.

Detailed demographic profiling is now left to the later phase of the Census.

In a prior notification, the ministry states that the first phase of the Census, known as the HLO, will precede the population count and focus on housing conditions and amenities, not individuals.

The 2027 questionnaire also consolidates and reorders several variables. Identification details such as line number and building number have been streamlined.

While the 2011 Census asked whether a kitchen was available and separately recorded cooking fuel, the 2027 schedule combines kitchen availability with LPG/PNG access.

Another addition in the 2027 questionnaire is the question on the main cereal consumed by the household, which did not feature in the 2011 houselisting schedule.

Nevertheless, core housing indicators show substantial overlap between the two censuses.

Core Housing Indicators Remain Central in 2027 Houselisting

Questions on the physical characteristics of houses have remained central to both exercises.

Questions on ownership status, number of rooms, access to drinking water, availability and type of latrine, waste water outlets, bathing facilities, lighting source and main cooking fuel appear in both schedules.

This underscores their importance in tracking housing quality and infrastructure.

The house listing and housing Census will be carried out between April 1 and September 30, 2026, across all states and Union Territories.

It would be prior to the second phase of Population Enumeration (PE), scheduled for February 2027.

Through a new lens Trimmed from 35 to 33 questions New questions on digital access -- smartphone, Internet Mobile number collected for census-related communication Banking services question dropped Separate male/female resident count dropped Query on main cereal consumed

Key Points Focus shifts to housing conditions and amenities

New questions cover internet access, smartphones, and mobile numbers for census communication.

Ownership of traditional assets like radios, TVs, computers, phones, and vehicles continues, now expanded to include digital assets.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
Mamata Banerjee is in Delhi to meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal.

IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee speaks to media, in New Delhi . Photograph: ANI video grab

Key Points Mamata Banerjee confronted police in Delhi, alleging harassment of families affected by the SIR of electoral rolls in West Bengal.

Banerjee claimed people from West Bengal staying at Banga Bhawan were being threatened and questioned the heavy police deployment.

She stated that she was in Delhi for justice for the affected families and not for an agitation.

Banerjee has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the ongoing SIR of the electoral rolls in West Bengal.

Police presence was increased around Banga Bhawan in response to the situation.

Security has been stepped up around Banga Bhawan in New Delhi after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee confronted police personnel deployed outside the building and alleged harassment of families affected by the SIR of electoral rolls in her state.

Addressing reporters, she claimed that people from West Bengal who were staying at Banga Bhawan were being "threatened" and questioned the heavy police deployment. She added, however, that she doesn't blame police, but "those who are on the top".

Banerjee, who arrived in Delhi on Sunday, reached the West Bengal government's guest house, ahead of her scheduled meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the eastern state.

Mamata confronts Delhi police

She was seen directly confronting the security personnel outside the building, asserting that she was in the national capital for justice to the families that suffered during SIR, and not for an agitation.

"People from Bengal are being threatened in Banga Bhawan. Our case is going on in the Supreme Court, we have a meeting at the Election Commission. We are here with an official appointment. People have died, can their families not talk to the media?" Banerjee said while talking to reporters.

The chief minister said, "Many families are here who have been impacted by the SIR process. Delhi police have been deployed everywhere the SIR-affected families are staying. Where is the Delhi Police when a blast happens in Delhi?"

"But I don't blame the Delhi Police, I blame those who are on the top. This is incompetence... They can't protect the nation, they torture Bengal and the common people, and are committing atrocities in the name of SIR," she alleged. "They get nervous when I come here. I could have brought lakhs of people," Banerjee said.

Claiming that Delhi has become "like a Zamindari", she said it has no place for the poor.

Mamata claims police should not bother the SIR-affected families

Banerjee was earlier seen approaching the police personnel, and said, "I am not here for an agitation; if I was here for an agitation, you would have lost your mind."

She also said the Delhi Police should not bother the SIR-affected families that have come to the city. "We are here for justice," she said.

Police presence was increased in Banga Bhawan in Chanakyapuri and Mandi House with personnel stationed at multiple points near the premises, police said, without elaborating on specific security arrangements.

Banerjee has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the ongoing SIR of the electoral rolls in West Bengal.
At least 17 Pakistani security personnel and 145 militants were killed in multiple counter-terrorism operations carried out by Pakistani security forces in Balochistan province.

IMAGE: A view of damaged vehicles at a police station, following militant attacks, in Quetta, Pakistan on February 1, 2026. Photograph: Reuters

Key Points India categorically rejected Pakistan's allegations of Indian involvement in disturbing peace in Balochistan.

The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called the allegations baseless and a tactic to deflect attention from Pakistan's internal failings.

India highlighted Pakistan's record of suppression, brutality, and human rights violations.

Pakistan claimed India was supporting terrorist elements in Balochistan after attacks by militants in the region.

India on Sunday categorically rejected as baseless Pakistan's allegations of an Indian hand in attempts to disturb peace in Balochistan, and said it is Islamabad's usual tactics to deflect attention from its "internal failings".

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, trashing the charges, also highlighted Pakistan's record of suppression, brutality and violation of human rights.

India slams Pak's 'frivolous' claim

"We categorically reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan, which are nothing but its usual tactics to deflect attention from its own internal failings," he said.

Jaiswal was responding to Pakistan military's unsubstantiated claim that India was supporting terrorist elements in their attempts to disturb peace in Balochistan.

"Instead of parroting frivolous claims each time there is a violent incident, it would do better to focus on addressing long-standing demands of its people in the region. Its record of suppression, brutality and violation of human rights is well known," he added.

145 terrorists, 17 security personnel killed in counter-terrorism operations

At least 17 Pakistani security personnel and 145 militants were killed in multiple counter-terrorism operations carried out by Pakistani security forces in Balochistan province, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said.

The operations were launched after militants belonging to ethnic Baloch groups carried out attacks at several locations on Saturday, it said in a statement.

The Pakistan army said the militants attempted to disturb peace by carrying out terrorist activities in and around Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan and Panjgur, it said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary Board on Monday appointed party national general secretary Tarun Chugh as the central observer for the election of the legislature party leader in Manipur, indicating the possible formation of a popular government in the Northeastern state.

IMAGE: Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, BJP Manipur president A Sharda Devi with other BJP workers, at the BJP Head Office, in Imphal. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points The BJP appointed Tarun Chugh as the central observer for the election of the legislature party leader in Manipur.

Earlier, Manipur MLAs were summoned to Delhi by the BJP leadership to discuss government formation.

The BJP legislature party meeting is expected to take place on Tuesday.

The move came as National Democratic Alliance MLAs from Manipur arrived in the national capital after being summoned by the BJP central leadership, ostensibly to discuss the formation of government in the state where the current spell of the President's rule will expire next week.

"The BJP Parliamentary Board has appointed Tarun Chugh, National General Secretary, as Central Observer for the election of the Legislature Party Leader in Manipur," party national general secretary Arun Singh said in a statement.

Manipur has been under the President's rule since February 13, 2025, following months of ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities.

The central rule was imposed after the BJP-led government headed by Biren Singh resigned on February 9, 2025.

The 60-member state assembly, whose tenure is till 2027, was put under suspended animation.

The BJP legislature party meeting is expected to take place on Tuesday. It is likely to be held at the party headquarters in Delhi.

Manipur under President's Rule for nearly a year

Nearly 20 MLAs arrived on Sunday night, while others reached here on Monday following the direction of the BJP leadership.

The legislature party meeting will be held days ahead of the expiry of the second spell of the President's rule, which was first imposed on February 13, 2025, for six months and then extended for another six months in August 2025.

Those who have arrived in the national capital include former chief minister N Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Satyabrata Singh and former minister Y Khemchand Singh.

BJP state president A Sharda Devi is also in Delhi.

The BJP central leadership had held several rounds of separate meetings with its Meitei and Kuki MLAs, allies Naga People's Front and National People's Party and a few Independent legislators over the last few months to gauge their views on whether the political situation was conducive for the formation of a popular government, the sources said.

On December 14, 2025, BJP's national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh and the party's Northeast coordinator Sambit Patra met BJP MLAs from both the warring Meitei and Kuki communities in Delhi under one roof.

Currently, there are 37 BJP MLAs in Manipur. Originally, a total of 32 BJP MLAs had won the 2022 assembly elections.

The Janata Dal-United had won six seats, and five of its MLAs later defected to the BJP, taking the strength of the saffron party to 37.

Among the other MLAs, six are from the NPP, five from the NPf, five from the Congress, two from the Kuki People's Alliance (KPA) , one from JD-U and three Independents. There is one vacant seat following the death of a sitting MLA.

After the imposition of the President's rule, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla had taken a number of steps to restore peace and bring back normalcy, including asking those who looted arms from security forces to surrender them.

The ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities started in May 2023 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

At least 260 people lost their lives and thousands were displaced during the violence.
The Centre and the Union Territory of Ladakh administration told the Supreme Court on Monday that jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk tried to instigate Gen Z for protests like in Nepal and Bangladesh.

IMAGE: Police detain members of the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Organisation during a protest against the arrest of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk at Lucknow University, in Lucknow on October 8, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points The Centre accuses Sonam Wangchuk of instigating Gen Z for protests similar to those in Nepal and Bangladesh.

Wangchuk is accused of referring to 'Arab Springs' style agitations.

Wangchuk's wife is challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).

The government claims Wangchuk's speeches could incite violence and disrupt the fragile border region.

Wangchuk denies allegations of inciting violence and asserts his right to criticize the government.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P V Varale was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that Wangchuk even referred to 'Arab Springs' like agitation which has led to the overthrow of multiple governments in countries of the Arab world.

"He carefully crafted his speech to instigate Gen Z and asked for agitations like in Nepal and Bangladesh and used speeches of Mahatma Gandhi to cover the real intention," Mehta said.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by Gitanjali J Angmo, the wife of jailed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, against his detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

The NSA empowers the Centre and states to detain individuals to prevent them from acting in a manner "prejudicial to the defence of India". The maximum detention period is 12 months, though it can be revoked earlier.

Mehta said Wangchuk referred to the central government as 'them' and separated people of Ladakh as 'us' and called for 'plebiscite' and 'referendum', the calls which were made once in Jammu and Kashmir.

"There is no them or us but we are all Indians. Ladakh is a place which shares borders with two countries -- China and Pakistan. The area is very fragile.

"The speeches made by him have to be taken into account in totality. He was misleading young people and carefully using the speeches of Mahatma Gandhi to cover it. Gandhi ji never instigated people against their own government," Mehta said, adding that Ladakh is important for the supply chain for the security forces guarding the borders.

He contended that the district magistrate had to pass the order for his preventive detention after going through the relevant materials placed before him and the videos of his speech.

"It took four hours for the order of preventive detention to get executed as after the district magistrate passed the order, a DIG rank officer went to him and explained everything and showed him videos of his speeches. Grounds of detention was explained to him," Mehta informed the bench.

Countering the argument of Wangchuk's wife made through senior advocate Kapil Sibal, Mehta said that the district magistrate has not relied upon any 'borrowed material' for passing the detention order.

"This argument of 'borrowed material' itself suffers from inherent fallacy as the district magistrate does not need to go to each and every place where he made the speech and hear it firsthand. Some officials who heard the speech and made videos of it placed before the district magistrate and based on such relevant materials, an order was passed," the solicitor general contended.

The arguments remained inconclusive and would continue on Tuesday.

Wangchuk's Defence

On January 29, Wangchuk, who is under detention in the Jodhpur Central Jail, denied allegations that he made a statement to overthrow the government like the 'Arab Spring', emphasising that he has the democratic right to criticise and protest.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that police have relied on 'borrowed material' and selective videos to mislead the detaining authority.

Angmo claims the detention is illegal and an arbitrary exercise violating his fundamental rights.

Wangchuk was detained under the NSA on September 26 last year, two days after violent protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh left four people dead and 90 injured in the Union Territory.

The government accused him of inciting the violence.

According to the amended plea, the detention order is founded upon 'stale FIRs, vague imputations and speculative assertions, lacks any live or proximate connection to the purported grounds of detention and is thus, devoid of any legal or factual justification'.

"Such arbitrary exercise of preventive powers amounts to gross abuse of authority, striking at the core of constitutional liberties and due process, rendering the detention order liable to be vitiated by this court," it alleged.

The plea said it is wholly 'preposterous' that Wangchuk would suddenly be targeted after more than three decades of being recognised at the state, national and international levels for his contributions to grassroots education, innovation and environmental conservation in Ladakh and across India.

Angmo said the unfortunate events of violence in Leh on September 24 last year cannot be attributed to the actions or statements of Wangchuk in any manner. Wangchuk himself condemned the violence through his social media handles and categorically said violence would lead to the failure of Ladakh's 'tapasya' and peaceful pursuit of five years, Angmo said, adding it was the saddest day of his life.
Vijay said the 2026 assembly election carried a new environment that had never seen before.

IMAGE: Actor-politician Vijay tells his cadres that Tamil Nadu is charged up due to TVK's entry . Photograph: @TVKPartyHQ/X

Key Points Vijay claims the political atmosphere in Tamil Nadu is charged up due to TVK's entry.

He calls on party members to fight the electoral battle with determination and unity.

Vijay launched the TVK in February 2, 2024.

The TVK has grown into a big party as it is backed by the people, actor politician Vijay said on Monday and claimed that his party alone could defeat the DMK at the hustings.

Though the upcoming assembly election in Tamil Nadu is being projected as a triangular contest, the electoral battle will only be between the TVK and the DMK, concluding in the latter's defeat at the hustings, he said.

"People talk about triangular or four-corner contests. One is represented by the TVK backed by the people, the second is DMK, and the third is BJP and its many allies. Only the TVK, which is a people's force alone can defeat the DMK," Vijay said as the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam stepped into third year on Monday.

WATCH: Vijay breaks into a dance

Addressing the TVK members during the anniversary celebration in Chennai, the party founder said, "Today we have grown into a big party because of you and the people. You are my strength. I and our party depend on you."

He said only his TVK had the courage to oppose the DMK, which he labeled as a "platinum (jubilee) baby", as the people overwhelmingly support him.

The DMK is celebrating its 75 years of formation.

Vijay claimed he would script the success story of iconic AIADMK leader M G Ramachandran, in storming to power this year.
India and the United States agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from current 25 per cent, US President Donald Trump said on Monday after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Donald Trump, at The White House in Washington, DC on February 14, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points The US will reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%.

India will reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the US to zero.

India will increase purchases of American energy, technology, agricultural, and coal products.

Modi and Trump discussed ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The prime minister said he was delighted that 'Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent'.

'Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement,' Modi said.

The prime minister said when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits the people and 'unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation'.

'President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace,' he said on X.

Modi noted that he looked forward to working closely with Trump to take the bilateral partnership to unprecedented heights, without mentioning many of the other issues that figured in Trump's post on social media.

Modi agreed to stop buying Russian Oil: Trump

Trump said India will move forward to reduce 'tariffs and non tariff barriers' against the US to zero, adding New Delhi would buy American goods, including energy, worth more than $500 billion.

'Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a trade deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent,' the US president said on social media.

India will 'likewise move forward to reduce their tariffs and non tariff barriers against the United States, to zero', he said.

Trump said Modi also committed to buy American goods at much higher level, in addition to over $500 billion dollars of US energy, technology, agricultural, coal, and many other products.

'Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that get things done something that cannot be said for most,' he said.

In his remarks, Modi said, 'When two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation."

'I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights,' he added.

Trump said Modi and he also discussed ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

'He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela,' the US president said.

'This will help end the war in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week,' Trump said.

Trump and Modi last spoke on phone in October 2025. The two leaders had agreed at a meeting in February last year to finalise the first tranche of a bilateral trade agreement by the autumn.

Though the two sides held several rounds of negotiations, forward movement on the trade deal stalled after Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, including the 25 per cent punitive tariffs for India's procurement of Russian crude oil.

The Modi-Trump phone talks came on a day External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelled to Washington DC.

India has now lower tariff compared to competing export economies, officials said.

They cited 19 per cent American tariffs on Indonesia, 20 per cent on Vietnam, 20 per cent on Bangladesh and 34 per cent on China.

Official sources last week said India and the US have made 'very significant' progress in the negotiations for the trade deal.
Australias gender pay gap is costing $1.26 billion weekly in lost earnings. KPMGs Dorothy Hisgrove explains workforce segregation and caring responsibilities drive the gap.

Whats happening: Australias gender pay gap is costing the economy an estimated $1.26 billion a week in equivalent earnings, based on new analysis of HILDA data by KPMG Australia.

Why this matters: Without committed action, the gender pay gap wont close before 2054, affecting economic growth and workplace equality across all sectors.

The types of jobs women and men do, plus unequal distribution of hours spent on care, family and workforce participation between women and men have been found to be major contributing factors to Australias persistent gender pay gap.

The fifth edition of KPMG Australias Shes Price(d)less report, prepared with Diversity Council Australia and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, offers fresh insights for employers, employees and policy makers on what is driving the persistent and pervasive gender pay gap.

The report identifies key drivers as unequal distribution of hours spent on care, family and workforce participation, as well as the types of jobs women and men engage in, known as workforce gender segregation.

Senior women hit hardest

The analysis found that as womens level of responsibility in the workforce increased, they experienced a higher gender pay gap. Women experienced an 18% pay gap at higher income levels compared to little or no gender pay gap at the lower income levels.

The finding challenges assumptions about pay equity improving with seniority. Women in leadership and higher responsibility roles face significantly larger pay disparities than those in entry-level positions.

KPMGs report is unique because it looks beyond the numbers to identify underlying factors driving inequality between women and men at work, says Dorothy Hisgrove, Head of People and Inclusion at KPMG. This information is crucial to accelerate change by enabling more meaningful decision-making by employers and policy makers.

The HILDA data also shows that in Australia, women were more likely to be employed on a casual basis or to be working reduced weekly hours, compared to men. Forty-eight per cent of all employed persons nationally were women, up slightly from 47.7% in August 2023. Women represented 66.5% of the part-time workforce, but just 39.8% of the full-time workforce.

Care drives 26% gap

Lower rates of pay in the occupations and industries where women were more likely to be employed accounted for 37% of the gender pay gap, according to the analysis. Gendered assumptions around workforce participation, for things like who should take parental leave and provide care for family members, was also a significant factor, accounting for 26% of the gap.

The remaining 55% of the gap was attributed to additional gender influences which include discrimination and other factors that are hard to control for statistically.

The gender pay gap in this country remains persistent and pervasive, with the types of jobs women were employed in and the higher proportion of unpaid hours spent on household and caring responsibilities, the main contributing factors, Hisgrove says.

The caring responsibilities factor extends beyond formal parental leave. Women continue to shoulder disproportionate responsibility for elder care, childcare coordination and household management, all of which affect workforce participation patterns and career progression.

While this analysis does not capture the impact of recent and welcome government reforms to put gender pay gaps for individual employers on the public record, we hope to see insights on this in the future, Hisgrove adds.

Industries show disparities

Healthcare and social assistance showed a $3.07 hourly wage gap, while education and training recorded $4.82, according to KPMGs analysis. Retail trade showed a $2.31 gap, and manufacturing registered $4.44. Accommodation and food services showed a negative gap of $0.98, one of the few sectors where women earned slightly more on an hourly basis.

The industry variations reflect both workforce composition and historical pay structures within different sectors. Female-dominated industries like healthcare and education often show persistent gaps despite high female representation.

Catherine Hunter, Chief Executive of Diversity Council Australia, emphasises the complexity of addressing pay inequality.

These findings illustrate stark disparities in economic outcomes, and pave the way toward understanding how closing the gender pay gap for all women will require us to recognise and respond to the intersecting drivers of inequality, Hunter says.

For culturally and racially marginalised women in particular, the barriers they face in the workplace are not shaped by gender alone. They are compounded and layered in ways that traditional frameworks have often failed to capture.

Hunters comments highlight how pay transparency initiatives must account for intersecting forms of disadvantage beyond gender alone.

This necessary work is not just up to policymakers or advocacy groups, its a responsibility that belongs to every employer, across every sector, she adds.

Policy action needed

The report predicts that committed action is needed for Australias gender pay gap to close before 2054. Without intervention, current trends suggest more than 25 years before pay equality is achieved.

Mary Wooldridge, CEO of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, says the findings send a clear message about the need to accelerate progress. These findings send a message about the need to accelerate progress to close the gender pay gap, Wooldridge says.

Employers have an opportunity to drive productivity and meet employees expectations of a fair, safe and equal workplace by examining their own workforce data, finding areas of inequality, and taking evidence-informed action to address them.

Wooldridge points to existing evidence about effective interventions. Organisations that systematically review pay data, address industry segregation and support flexible work arrangements show faster progress toward pay equity. We know what works to improve fairness at work. Taking action to make that a reality can unlock significant economic growth for our nation, foster innovation and ensure we value all people at work, she says.

Australias global ranking in womens economic participation and opportunity improved from 70th in 2021 to 32nd in 2025, according to the World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap Report. However, the KPMG analysis suggests significant work remains to achieve full pay equity.

The report notes that years not working due to career interruptions contributed $0.87 to the gap in 2023, down from $0.98 in 2020. Working in male-dominated industries contributed $0.62, while female-dominated industries contributed $0.59. Additional gender influences, including discrimination and unmeasured factors, contributed $1.81 to the total $3.31 gap.

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What began as a craving for momos ended in a shocking loss for a family in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh, where a Class 7 student was allegedly coaxed into handing over jewellery from his home worth about Rs 85 lakh to three youths in exchange for the snack, police said on Monday.

Image used only for representational purposes. Photograph: Pexels.com

Key Points A Class 7 student in Deoria allegedly gave away family jewellery worth Rs 85 lakh for momos.

The boy was lured by momo stall operators who initially sold him the snack for cash and later asked for jewellery.

Police have arrested two suspects, a young man and a woman, and recovered some of the jewellery.

The incident came to light in Bhagwanpur Tiwari village under Rampur Karkhana police station area when the boy's aunt visited the house on Sunday and asked for her jewellery.

Upon opening the cupboard, the family was stunned to discover that all the ornaments were missing.

When questioned, the minor revealed that he had given away the jewellery to youths operating a momo stall at Dumri Chauraha on the Deoria-Kasya road, officials said.

Police said the boy, who lives in the village for his studies, had developed a habit of regularly consuming the snack.

According to the complaint, the stall operators initially sold him momos for cash. Once his money ran out, they allegedly lured him into bringing jewellery from home, insisting that he hand over ornaments in exchange for the snacks.

Over several days, the boy allegedly kept bringing gold items from the family cupboard and giving them away to the youths.

Following a written complaint by the boy's father, Vimlesh Mishra, a temple priest in Varanasi, a first information report (FIR) was registered against three accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 305 (theft) at Rampur Karkhana police station.

Station House Officer (SHO) Devendra Kumar Singh said police acted promptly after receiving the complaint.

"Two accused -- a young man and a woman -- have been arrested, and some of the jewellery has been recovered on their pointing out. One accused is still absconding, and efforts are on to nab him," he said, declining to disclose their names at this time.

Circle Officer Sunil Reddy confirmed the arrests and informed that police teams are conducting raids to locate the remaining suspect and recover the rest of the stolen jewellery.

Speaking to PTI, the CO said, "The incident has taken place, and the police are taking all necessary steps. The remaining accused will be arrested soon."
NCP MP Sunil Tatkare's remarks came amid the suspense over a merger of the two NCP factions.

IMAGE: NCP MP Sunil Tatkare pays tribute and performs ritual of worshipping urn containing the ashes of the late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at NCP Party office, in Mumbai. Photograph: @SunilTatkare/X

Key Points NCP MP Sunil Tatkare stated the party collectively decided to join the BJP-led NDA under Ajit Pawar's leadership.

Tatkare calls for clarity from those proposing a merger of NCP factions, questioning their stance on the NDA alliance.

Tatkare asserts the NCP legislature party's strength in making its own decisions.

Nationalist Congress Party MP Sunil Tatkare on Monday said the party, under late Ajit Pawar's leadership, had collectively decided to join the BJP-led NDA and will stay there, while those talking of a merger of the two NCP factions should clarify whether they agree to it.

There should be clarity on "which party was to merge with which party," Tatkare told reporters at Karad in Maharashtra's Satara district.

He accompanied Maharashtra's newly appointed Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Sunetra Pawar as she paid tributes at the memorial of the state's first CM YB Chavan in Karad.

Sunetra Pawar steps into Ajit Pawar's shoes

Sunetra Pawar took oath as deputy CM on Saturday, three days after her husband and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash at Baramati in Pune district.

Before taking the oath, she was elected the NCP's legislature party leader during a meeting held in Mumbai.

Tatkare denies difference with Praful Patel

Replying to a question on his opposition to the proposed merger, Tatkare said there is no question of him or party MP Praful Patel having a different opinion over the issue.

"Under the leadership of Ajit dada we had taken a collective decision to join the BJP-led NDA and people of the state have stamped their approval of Ajit dada's decision in the assembly elections. Those speaking of a merger should answer whether they are fine with it," he said.

The Lok Sabha member also asserted that the NCP legislature party was strong enough to take its own decisions of appointing a new leader.

Pawar Sr claims merger talks were in advanced stages

Leaders of the Opposition NCP-SP, including its chief Sharad Pawar, have claimed that the merger talks were in advanced stages and his nephew Ajit Pawar had finalised February 12 to announce a merger between the NCP factions.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said if that was the case, then Ajit Pawar would have shared details with him.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned thrice on Monday over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's insistence on reading out excerpts from General Manoj Mukund Naravane's unpublished autobiography that details Chinese incursions into Doklam and Rechin La.

IMAGE: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi speaks in the Lok Sabha, February 2, 2026. His mention of former army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's book led to the Lok Sabha being adjourned thrice. Photograph: ANI/X

In the Lok Sabha on Monday, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of General Manoj Mukund Naravane's memoir, claiming that it contained sensitive details about the 2020 Galwan and Rechin La standoff with China.

He specifically quoted from the general's yet-to-be-published book when he was interrupted by Bharatiya Janata Party members, leading to a verbal showdown, repeated adjournments and warnings by Speaker Om Birla.

Key Points In August 2020, India faced one of its tensest moments with China in eastern Ladakh, as Chinese tanks advanced dangerously close to Indian positions on the strategic Kailash Range.

Then chief of the army staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane found himself caught between standing orders, political hesitancy, and the need for immediate action to prevent escalation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's instruction conveyed via Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was 'Jo uchit samjho, woh karo' according to General Naravane's book.

Who is General Naravane?

General Manoj Mukund Narvane served as chief of the army staff from January 1, 2020 to April 30, 2022. It was on his watch that the June 15-16, 2020 clash with China in Galwan happened.

What does his book say?

General Naravane's book Four Stars of Destiny traces the making of a soldier and a commander, beginning with his formative years in the army and moving through a career shaped by conflict, command and crisis management.

The narrative offers an insight into how early experiences and professional training prepared General Naravane for leadership at the highest level.

A central theme of the book is India's evolving confrontation with China, culminating in the 2020 Galwan clash.

General Naravane draws a rare line of continuity from his first encounter with Chinese troops as a young officer in Sikkim to dealing with the crisis in eastern Ladakh as army chief, offering a first-hand account of decision-making during one of the most serious military stand-offs in decades.

The memoir also examines the day-to-day realities of managing the Line of Control with Pakistan from routine exchanges of fire to the eventual implementation of a ceasefire.

So what happened on Monday in the Lok Sabha?

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi referred to General Naravane's book in the Lok Sabha and said he was not planning to raise it till Tejashwi Surya, the BJP MP from Bengaluru South, who spoke before him, criticised the Congress party's patriotism.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that the book's material was an imagination of Rahul Gandhi, to which the latter said it was '100% authentic', at which point Singh asked him if the book had been published yet.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijuju went on to state that that Rahul Gandhi was demoralising the armed forces.

Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervene?

No, he did not say anything, but Home Minister Amit Shah intervened to ask, 'When the book has not even been published, how can he (Rahul) quote from it?'

Rahul Gandhi then started reading out excerpts of the book published in Caravan magazine, but was not allowed to do so due to the commotion from the ruling party's benches.

However, Rahul Gandhi made the point that he was speaking on national security. 'Every army jawan knows what happened (on the India-China border in 2020). It was their commander in chief Naravane who wrote about it,' he said. However, before he could finish reading the book excerpts, the Lok Sabha speaker adjourned the House.

What did Caravan publish from the book

According to the magazine, this is what General Naravane wrote in his book:

'On the night of August 31, 2020, India came perilously close to a major military escalation with China in eastern Ladakh. At 8.15 pm, Lieutenant General Yogesh Joshi, then Northern Army Commander, alerted Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane that four Chinese tanks, supported by infantry, were advancing towards Rechin La -- strategic high ground on the Kailash Range seized by Indian troops just hours earlier.

'In the unforgiving terrain along the Line of Actual Control, control of elevation is decisive. Despite a warning shot fired by Indian soldiers, the Chinese column continued its advance, closing in to within a few hundred metres of Indian positions.

'As the situation deteriorated, Naravane urgently sought clear political directives, repeatedly contacting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

'Standing orders prohibited opening fire without approval from the highest level.

'Even as a PLA proposal for talks briefly raised hopes of de-escalation, Chinese tanks kept moving forward. With artillery units ready and commanders pressing for action, Naravane faced a stark choice.

At 10.30 pm, Rajnath Singh called back after consulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The prime minister's instruction was brief and consequential: 'Jo uchit samjho, woh karo, do whatever you deem appropriate.'

'The decision was left entirely to military judgement, placing the burden of escalation -- or restraint -- squarely on the army chief.'

Is the book available to the public?

No, the book is not yet out, with the defence ministry yet to clear its publication.
'It's a lifetime opportunity to cook for the most high-profile table of India. It's a matter of honour for me.'

IMAGE: President Droupadi Murmu delivers her speech at the banquet she hosted for Dr Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, January 27, 2026. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rashtrapati Bhavan

On a cold, 9C-ish day after New Year, the reservations line rang at the NAAR restaurant.

Known for its exquisite mountain cuisine, NAAR, voted last year one of the best restaurants of India, is located 45 minutes from Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh. Snuggled high up in the foothills of the Himalayas, amidst pine forests, at 4,800 feet, near Darwa, it possesses breathtaking vistas of the not-so-faraway snowy peaks.

A member of the team took the slightly bewildering call and notified Chef Prateek Sadhu, the celebrated culinary pioneer behind this high-altitude alpine restaurant.

"We thought it was a prank call. They said 'We are calling from the President's house.' She said, 'Okay, great. Whose president? Which company?'... I called back. I figured this might be legit.'

It certainly was legit. Rashtrapati Bhavan was calling to ask Sadhu if he could put together a grand and memorable banquet -- "they said 'we want to put up the best show and we want to highlight what India and Indian food can be to the world'."

This was for the dinner when President Droupadi Murmu would host for Dr Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council.

From January 2 onwards, Sadhu coordinated with New Delhi long distance. "We had a couple of video calls and they really wanted to move fast."

IMAGE: European Council President Antonio Costa, who has Indian origins, delivers his address at the banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan, January 27, 2026. Mr Costa is considered the president of the European Union while Dr von der Leyen's rank is equivalent to prime minister. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rashtrapati Bhavan

For the first time, says Sadhu, Rashtrapati Bhavan did a tasting menu as a State dinner and it was of Sadhu's rare and uniquely-crafted Himalayan food, that brings together the tastiest ingredients and preparations found all over the great Indian range from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.

Sadhu, of a Kashmiri background, who trained at the Institute of Hotel Management, Gurdaspur, Punjab, and worked in San Francisco, the Napa Valley, New York, Copenhagen, Bengaluru, Mumbai, made his name into an exciting brand when he started Masque, an upmarket 'ingredient-driven' eatery in Mumbai that quickly gained popularity, won him accolades and was several times on Travel+Leisure and Conde Nast's list of top restaurants.

In 2022 he left Mumbai to start NAAR (the word for fire in Kashmiri), now two, which is attached to the boutique hotel Amaya. The gastronomic adventures he embarked on at this dreamy location was probably even more truly after his own heart.

IMAGE: President Droupadi Murmu with Dr Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa before the Rashtrapati Bhavan banquet, January 27, 2026. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rashtrapati Bhavan

Furthermore, it seems the food he invests his heart in, is the stuff everybody's heart is longing for and NAAR brings fans from all over, determined folks seeking down his legendary cuisine at this 16-table eatery for the price of Rs 6,800 a head.

Foodies arrive from Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, spending huge sums on air tickets and car hires to dine at Chef Sadhu's elegant Table With A View, tucking into signature trout entrees, lamb with fermented radish or Kashmiri morels served with rice and other exotic fare.

Sadhu was not able to figure out how President Murmu's secretariat got to hear about him. Nor does he remember if anyone connected to Rashtrapati Bhavan maybe ate at his restaurant.

"I don't know. At NAAR, usually every day there's some high-profile person, (and it's been like that) for the last two years. I asked them. They were like, you know, 'We've been talking about your restaurant in a lot of briefings', that was what I was told. 'We knew about the restaurant and we wanted to reach out to you. So, this was a perfect time'."

He agrees it was a bit short notice and a bunch of tricky logistics had to be worked out, but it was not impossibly difficult and was, after all, for India's First Residence.

Transporting all sorts of fragile ingredients, like wild herbs, Solan mushrooms and more, that arrived at the restaurant from his various hill farmer suppliers, from the Himalayas to Rashtrapati Bhavan, across about 320 km, had to be organised by NAAR to make sure everything arrived perfectly intact.

His brief from the President's team was fairly simple. "The entire thing was (to be) vegetarian -- that was number one. And the spice levels were to be restrained."

Cooking a vegetarian meal was "not at all" tough, he recalls, because India knows how to cook the most outstanding vegetarian food in the world. What had to be cracked was their main mandate -- putting up "the best show".

IMAGE: Chef Prateek Sadhu, left, with his colleagues. Photograph: Kind courtesy Chef Prateek Sadhu

"It was a very different format. Usually, the State banquet will always have thalis and everything. This year for the first time, Rashtrapati Bhavan had a state dinner with a tasting menu which was focused on Himalayan food.

"So, for them also there were a lot of things which were getting done for the first time and we had to do couple of tastings. It was more about spice levels than other things."

How did Sadhu and the NAAR crew decide on what they eventually served? "The idea was to highlight Himalayan food. We carefully chose dishes from different belts, which had a stronger story, which highlights India, which highlights the culture of India, which highlights the produce of the mountains, which also highlights the technique from the mountains."

IMAGE: The menu for the Rashtrapati Bhavan banquet. Photograph: Kind courtesy: @PTI_News/X

"We put a lot of thought into the menu and the small bites which were served before also. Everything was very thought through. Whatever was served had a very strong cultural significance.

"We were very nervous. I was very nervous. I've cooked in like the best kitchens of the world, but you know, this was little nerve-wracking for sure."

The Rashtrapati Bhavan's posse of chefs were on hand to assist them. "The entire team was really helpful, including the chefs. Everybody was also very inquisitive about the way we do things. But at the end of the day, it was fully in collaboration with Rashtrapati Bhavan what we did and the team was brilliant."

IMAGE: Chef Prateek Sadhu with Rashtrapati Bhavan officials and members of his team. Photograph: Kind courtesy: Chef Prateek Sadhu

Sadhu stayed behind the scenes coordinating every last perfect detail. Protocol dictated that they didn't have access to the banquet. "It's one of the most high-profile and heavily-guarded tables and we couldn't go inside at all when they were dining. Then we were called and we met the chief guests from the European Union, the President, the prime minister. We met everyone."

The guests were very appreciative of the food, "The only feedback we got was that everything was amazing. People were blown away and were in the dining room clicking pictures. That says a lot about the food served."

That it went off so smoothly was a complete relief for Sadhu. "I was really, really relieved. Big smile on my face. I think I drank a litre of water after it was all over. I was just like dehydrated."

"I was in awe of everything entering Rashtrapati Bhavan, cooking there. It's not that you get to see Rashtrapati Bhavan on a daily basis. and see it internally, the functioning of it, how they operate, how the kitchens operate. It's a lifetime opportunity to cook for the most high-profile table of India. It's a matter of honour for me, honestly."

IMAGE: The NAAR restaurant. Photograph: Kind courtesy @restaurantnaar/Instagram

Sadhu is back at NAAR doing what he does best on a daily basis -- dabbling and innovating with mountain flavours to get together the best samples of Himalayan forward cuisine. "If I'm cooking for somebody, be it at the restaurant or (elsewhere), it's always about time and place and the mood.

"Himalayan forward cuisine means we are really highlighting the terre of the Himalayas. The Himalayas are very diverse. It's huge. It starts from Kashmir (and goes) to Arunachal Pradesh, and there's Ladakh and we are trying to put a context to what the cuisine can be of the belt. There's no definition for it, honestly. Just come and experience it now. You'll understand what we are trying to do."

He says that many of his dishes are a hat tip to his Kashmiri roots and his mom's Kashmiri cooking, "My mom cooks some fabulous Kashmiri food. She's the best in the family. She just cooks brilliant food, that's all. I love the Yakni she makes and I've done many versions of it at various restaurants where I've cooked.

"And, of course, travelling through Kashmir, eating at many houses, I've picked up things. I enjoy cooking Kashmiri food, but maybe it's not a direct recipe, it's an idea, it's a technique that I'll always incorporate from Kashmir, because at the end of the day I'm very proud of where I come from and always like to embrace my roots.";

IMAGE: Chef Prateek Sadhu and members of his team. Photograph: Kind courtesy @restaurantnaar/Instagram

NAAR and hosting folks eager to try his farm-to-table food has been immensely rewarding. "Today people are travelling here from every nook and corner of India -- travelling from Chennai, travelling from Bangalore, travelling from Hyderabad. When you see all this, that people are taking a flight and then they are driving for two-and-a-half hours on treacherous roads just to dine here. Those moments are special for me. This is something, which in my experience of cooking in India, I have never heard of. That speaks a lot."

As you speak to him over the phone you can hear a dog barking in the background and even over the telephone wires one imagines one can hear the Sound of Silence. What has it been like getting away from the Big City Life and living in remote Himachal? "I'll tell you one sentence: I'm having the best time of my life."
BRATTLEBORO  A Wardsboro woman sentenced to 40 years to life for the murder of a friend is asking for records related to an alleged attempt to escape to be sealed.

State's Attorney Steven Brown opposed the request last week in a brief hearing in Windham Superior Court, Criminal Division. He told the Reformer he does not have any related documentation on the motion to seal the records.

Court staff could not find any documentation on the recent motion. The Reformer also reached out to the lawyer who defended Rodrigues at trial.

Cara L. Rodrigues was allegedly being held at the Vermont State Police Westminster Barracks on Aug. 8, 2022, as troopers investigated "a reported death under suspicious circumstances," according to the affidavit. She had been arrested for burglary and the murder of Emmy Lou Bascom.

At about 2:34 p.m. Aug. 8, 2022, a trooper brought a cup of water for Rodrigues, according to the affidavit. As the trooper opened the cell door, Rodrigues allegedly "rushed the cell door, pushed it open, exited the holding cell, and ran immediately to another door which would ultimately lead to garage then outside the building, however, that door was locked."

Rodrigues yelled for the trooper to let her out, according to the affidavit. She also allegedly yelled at the trooper, asking if she wanted to "be real" with her and if the trooper had any children, and grabbed her wrist before other troopers entered the holding area and returned Rodrigues to the cell.

Rodrigues sentenced to 40 years to life for Wardsboro murder BRATTLEBORO  A Wardsboro woman was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison Monday, almost a

In October 2025, Rodrigues was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. She currently is 35 years old.

Emmy Bascom of Guilford, 42 at the time of her death, reportedly saved Rodrigues' life after an overdose. Hours later, Bascom was beaten and stabbed more than 100 times, Brown said at the sentencing hearing.

Bascom was described as a loving and generous mother, wife, sister and daughter by her family. They said she was deprived of the chance to turn around her life, which had spiralled downward into drug addiction. Bascom left behind four young children.

Rodrigues and her attorney maintained her innocence all through her 2024 trial and the sentencing hearing. Rodrigues was portrayed as the victim of the violent drug dealers that Rodrigues and Bascom were involved with in the hours and days leading up to Bascom's murder.

James Valente of Costello, Valente & Gentry in Brattleboro, an attorney unaffiliated with the case, suspects the request to seal the record has to do with a hopeful change in status with the Department of Corrections. He suggested a defendant could potentially be eligible for a less restrictive environment in prison if the charge is sealed.
Vietnam gold prices extended its plunge Monday morning as global bullion rates drop to a two-week low.

Saigon Jewelry Company gold bar price slid 1.97% to VND168.6 million (US$6,495.62) per tael of 37.5 grams or 1.2 ounces.

Local bullion rates have fallen 11.9% from its all-time peak of VND191.3 million per tael reached last Thursday. They are currently around VND18 million per tael higher than global rates.

Gold ring price dropped 1.69% to VND168.1 million per tael.

Globally, gold extended its fall on Monday with increases in CME precious metals margin requirements set to take effect on session close weighing on prices, while investors gauged U.S. President Donald Trump's Fed chair pick Kevin Warsh's approach to rate cuts, Reuters reported.

Spot gold was down 3.3% at $4,703.27 per ounce after falling more than 5% earlier in the session to hit its lowest in more than two weeks. Bullion had scaled a record high of $5,594.82 on Thursday. U.S. gold futures for April delivery were down 0.3% at $4,729.20 per ounce.

"The Warsh nomination, whilst likely being the initial trigger, did not justify the size of the downward move in precious metals, with forced liquidations and margin increases having a cascading effect," said KCM Chief Trade analyst Tim Waterer.

CME Group announced hikes in margins on its metal futures on Saturday and the changes are set to take effect after market close on Monday.

An increase in margin requirements is generally negative for the affected contracts, as the higher capital outlay can dampen speculative participation, reduce liquidity, and pressure traders to unwind positions.
Waikato power network provider WEL Networks and systems integrator Adaptiv have developed a digital platform which is said to have enabled a New Zealand first  automated approvals for new home solar and battery connections.

According to WEL Networks, the new integration platform it built with Adaptiv has allowed it to deliver an automated approval system, dubbed DG Automation, which can approve solar connections for residential properties in five minutes.

Previously, WEL Networks, which connects over 102,000 residential households and businesses, relied on a highly manual process to assess applications for home solar and battery connections.

The process required customers to complete a detailed application form, which collected around 50 fields of data, said WEL Networks project lead Craig Marshall.

Ironically, we already had most of the data we needed, but it was spread across multiple locations in the business, and it was a struggle to access it, he said.

In a bid to speed up its processes and to support plans for future enablement, the company embarked on a major digital transformation project which included adopting a robust and future-proof integration platform.

Our vision was to have an integration platform which would enable us to transform how we delivered our services, said WEL Networks technology platforms manager Dilan Prasad.

The integration platform unlocked a wealth of immediate and long-term possibilities and benefits for the business, added Prasad.
An Iranian state television program sparked widespread public anger after airing a show that mocked victims killed amid a brutal crackdown on protesters. Even state-linked media and conservative voices criticized the program, which was taken off the air. The channel's director and host were dismissed as a response.
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A Russian drone attack targeting a bus killed 12 coal miners leaving their shift and wounded 16 others on February 1. The government of the Dnipropetrovsk region declared February 2 a day of mourning. Russian attacks have targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure and civilian sites, knocking out the power grid in multiple regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a new round of trilateral talks with Moscow and Washington is set for February 4-5 in the United Arab Emirates, with the expected gathering coming after another round of deadly Russian air strikes on civilian sites.

In his nightly video address on February 1, Zelenskyy said there is "an arrangement to hold a trilateral meeting at an appropriate level...on Wednesday and Thursday [February 4-5] in the United Arab Emirates, as last time."

There had been uncertainty about the talks, which originally were scheduled to take place in the UAE capital on February 1. Zelenskyy on January 31 said his team was ready for such negotiations but that he was awaiting word from the United States.

"I have scheduled a meeting for [February 2] with Rustem Umerov," Zelenskyy said, referring to Kyiv's main negotiator.

The Ukrainian leaders aim "to agree on the framework of the [Abu Dhabi] talks and prepare everything. On the evening of [February 2], the team will already be en route to the negotiations."

"February will be a period of quite intense foreign policy activity on our part, with contacts and meetings beginning tomorrow," Zelenskyy added.

"We expect that the American side will be just as active, and in particular this applies to de-escalation measures -- reducing strikes. And much depends on what the American side will succeed in, so that people trust both the process and the results, of course," he added.

Russia has confirmed that a new round of talks will begin on February 4 after being postponed from this weekend due to what Moscow described as a scheduling issue.

"They were indeed originally planned for this past Sunday. But additional coordination of the schedules of the three parties was needed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Now, on Wednesday-Thursday, the second round will indeed take place. It will be held in Abu Dhabi. We can confirm that," he added.

Follow-Up Talks

Direct negotiations involving Moscow and Kyiv, along with US representatives, resumed in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24. Meetings between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have been rare since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of February 2022.

On January 30, US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev in Miami for what he described as "productive and constructive meetings."

Witkoff said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and government adviser Josh Gruenbaum also participated in the Florida talks.

However, despite what US officials saw as a positive dynamic in renewed diplomatic efforts, Russian air strikes continued to pound civilian infrastructure and logistics across Ukraine, as temperatures in the country dropped to as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius.

Ukrainian officials reported on February 1 that two separate drone strikes killed at least 14 people in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring at least seven others.

Twelve people were killed when a Russian drone struck near a bus in the Pavlohrad area, while two more died after a drone hit a private house in the region's capital, Dnipro, earlier in the day.

DTEK, Ukraine's largest private utilities company, which owned the bus, added that those killed in the Pavlohrad area were miners returning from their shift.

Details of attacks cannot immediately be independently verified.

The regional authorities declared February 2 a day of mourning for the mine workers who died as a result of the strike.

Maternity Hospital Blasted

Separately, there were ongoing air raids in the neighboring city of Zaporizhzhya, which began shortly after midnight. Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said that at least six people were injured in the attack on a maternity hospital.

Fedorov added that two of the injured women were undergoing medical examinations at the time of impact. In a Telegram post showing the aftermath, he described the strike as "yet more proof of a war directed against life."

He later added that a secondary attack on the city, which lies less than 50 kilometers from the country's southern front line, injured three more people in another neighborhood. The regional governor said that a small boy was among them.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine with an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 171 drones overnight, Ukrainian Air Forces reported on February 2.

A massive Russian strike with at least 15 drones in central Cherkasy injured four people, according to Ihor Taburets, head of regional military administration.

Ukrenergo, Ukraine's national electricity company, said in a February 2 statement that Russian attacks on energy infrastructure caused power outages in Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy regions. The statement added that, wherever security conditions permitted, emergency restoration work was underway.

Emergency power outages were also imposed in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, while 244 buildings remain without heating in the capital according to Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, as temperatures are expected to drop up to minus 30 degrees Celsius in some regions.

The continuation of attacks came after Trump on January 29 said Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally promised him to pause air strikes on the capital and other "various towns" for a week.

Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, blasted the Kremlin's latest actions in a Facebook posting.

"Is this what a 'cease-fire' is supposed to look like?" she said. "Like explosions.

Like dead civilians. Like destroyed energy and transport infrastructure."

"All of this is happening at a time when the world is talking about a potential cease-fire," she added.

A nationwide survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) found that 88 percent of Ukrainians believe Russia's strikes on the energy sector are aimed at leaving Ukrainians without electricity and heating and forcing Ukraine to capitulate.

At the same time, 3 percent of respondents believe that Russia is only striking in response and that Ukraine itself is to blame, and another 3 percent believe that Russia is targeting only military facilities.

Meanwhile, Russian officials reported on February 2 that a Ukrainian drone strike hit Russia's Belgorod border region, killing two civilians, and another drone strike injured a civilian in the Bryansk region.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses destroyed or intercepted 31 Ukrainian drones, including 22 over Belgorod.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Reuters, and AFP
Vietnamese police have arrested 17 people suspected of trafficking drugs disguised as e-cigarettes, targeting students nationwide through social media sales and express delivery services across multiple provinces.

The Ministry of Public Securitys Drug Crime Investigation Department (C04) announced on Sunday that it had detained 17 suspects involved in an illegal drug trafficking ring selling substances disguised as e-cigarettes, "pod chill" products and vaping oils falsely advertised as "non-addictive".

The arrests followed the surveillance and inspection of a 23-year-old man, Nguyen Cong Oanh, in Hanoi on Jan. 9, when he was found carrying seven drug-laced parcels intended for delivery to other provinces via express courier services.

From Oanh, police expanded their investigation to other northern localities, including Ninh Binh, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Tuyen Quang and Hung Yen, simultaneously arresting additional suspects and searching their residences. During the operation, officers seized 9 kg of herbal drugs, six liters of CBD oil solution, 7.5 liters of finished drug-containing liquid and 308 drug-laced tobacco cigarettes.

Nguyen Cong Oanh is arrested with drug-laced e-cigarette parcels in Hanoi on Jan. 9, 2026. Photo by police

Forensic tests conducted by the ministrys Institute of Criminal Science found that all seized samples contained narcotic substances.

C04 said most of the drugs were disguised as e-cigarettes, pod chill products and CBD liquids. The intended customers were mainly teenagers, school pupils and university students, many of whom were unaware the products contained drugs after being misled by their appearance and advertisements claiming they were "odorless" and "non-addictive".

To reach users, the ring relied on social media platforms to advertise and sell the products. After buyers transferred money via bank accounts, the suspects used express delivery services to ship the goods directly to customers.

In a warning issued alongside the announcement of the bust, C04 said drug traffickers are increasingly using more sophisticated methods.

Drugs are often disguised as e-cigarettes, herbal products, tobacco or so-called "mild stimulants", which may appear harmless and arouse curiosity when marketed as non-addictive and "only for relaxation".

Drug-laced e-cigarettes as seized by the police. Photo by police

Such products directly affect the nervous system, causing psychological disorders, memory impairment, delusions and loss of behavioral control, the department said.

For adolescents, an age group still undergoing physical and mental development, the consequences can be even more severe. Drug use can damage the brain, reduce learning and cognitive abilities, and significantly increase the risk of depression, mood disorders and even self-harm or harm to others.

"Many cases began with mere curiosity and trying it just once, only to fall into addiction, lose their future, and leave lasting pain for families and society," C04 warned.

For prevention, the department advised parents to closely monitor their children, checking for unusual parcels being delivered or signs such as irritability or prolonged fatigue.
The future of Farming Rathcroghan, a unique project aimed at protecting a renowned ancient royal site near Tulsk while also allowing local farmers to steward the land around it for future generations, has been cast into doubt due to funding concerns.

It has emerged that the award-winning project, which has been in operation for the last eight years, has been unsuccessful in its bid to secure EU funding for the coming year. A statement released by Farming Rathcroghan CLG outlined that funding will only be able to keep the project alive in its current form until March.

With the loss of funding, the project office, its staff of five and all related schemes will cease to exist. The group is currently exploring options to keep Farming Rathcroghan operational in a limited capacity until December to allow for the procurement of future long-term funding.

Despite every effort being made over the last year to secure future long-term funding, the Farming Rathcroghan Project in its current guise is set to cease operations shortly, said a statement, which was issued following a recent Board of Management meeting.

The lukewarm and non-committal actions of state agencies were also highlighted in the statement with the group feeling they have been doing the job of state agencies for the last eight years.

Over the that time, Farming Rathcroghan has resourced and funded 90 farmers, with more looking to join the scheme, allowing for over 260 internationally-significant archaeological sites to be maintained across 40 square kilometres.

The project was made possible through a European Innovation Partnership from 2019 to 2024 where 984,000 was made available, and later through a competitive funding award from the EU Just Transition Fund where just under 1 million was provided.

Richie Farrell, Farming Rathcroghan Project Manager, expressed his disappointment at the revelations. Were on the cusp of greatness in terms of what can be achieved at Rathcroghan, so it would be a disaster for the project not to be supported,  he told the Herald.

The cusp of greatness was a reference by Mr Farrell to the sites goal of attaining UNESCO World Heritage status, and he outlined the impact of not funding the project will have on that goal.

He described this process as moving at a glacial pace and added that farmers are key to supporting any World Heritage (status). Not having the project in place is going to make that process very difficult.

In relation to the lack of support from state agencies, Mr Farrell said its difficult to comprehend, questioning their support of heritage.

When you have big level funding, it tends to camouflage the lack of support in other areas. They (state agencies) have been very slow to contribute what we call meaningful engagement, he said.

Mr Farrell said that a total of about 2.5 million had been funded towards the project which he described as fairly small, and acknowledged funding is needed elsewhere. He did remain hopeful that if Farming Rathcroghan could make it to December, they could re-secure that funding.

Talks have been organised with Roscommon County Council next month and local representatives have rallied to show their support for Farming Rathcroghan.

Roscommon County Council Cathaoirleach Liam Callaghan expressed his disappointment to the funding being stopped. The Fine Gael councillor highlighted the benefit the scheme has provided for the local economy and the obvious enhancements it has allowed for, ranging from stone walls and gates to water protection measures.

Keeping the staff in place for the interim period is important for the long-term future of the project for Callaghan. I think the National Heritage Council, the OPW who own a lot of the land in Rathcroghan, and the county council could come together so the staff could be kept in place for 12 months so that if there are applications that arise, there could be opportunities for funding.

If the administration side of it goes, possibly the whole scheme could fall apart. Thats why Id like to get more support. The OPW, the Department of Agriculture and the Heritage Council have a role to play in that, he said.
By Amanda Cooper and Muvija M

Queen's University Belfast on Monday cut ties with former US Senator George Mitchell over his links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, saying it was no longer appropriate to remain associated with the key figure in the Northern Ireland peace deal.

The university said its decision followed new information on Mitchell released in the latest trove of millions of files linked to the late convicted sex offender Epstein by the US Justice Department last Friday.

The university plans to remove Mitchell's name from the Institute for Global Peace, Security, and Justice, a and to remove the bust commemorating him from its campus, it said in a statement.

"While no findings aof wrongdoing by Senator Mitchell have been made, the University has concluded that, in light of this material, and mindful of the experiences of victims and survivors, it is no longer appropriate for its institutional spaces and entities to continue to bear his a name," the university said.

Reuters could not immediately reach Mitchell for a comment, and his namesake think tank, the a Maine-based Mitchell Institute, did not immediately respond a to a request for comment.

References to "George Mitchell" in the Justice Department's Epstein library included an email from 2013 titled "Appt w/Senator George Mitchell" and another in 2010 carrying the message "George Mitchell returned your phone call".

The emails were sent after Epstein was jailed in 2008 for soliciting paid sex from a minor. He died by suicide in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

BBC News cited a spokesperson for 92-year-old Mitchell as saying he never met, spoken to or had any contact with Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre or any underage women. The British broadcaster said the statement was issued before the university's move.

Separately, the non-profit US-Ireland Alliance said its board had unanimously agreed that its George J Mitchell Scholarship program - which sends American students to Ireland and Northern Ireland for a year of graduate study - should no longer bear his name, also citing the newly released Epstein files.

Mitchell chaired the 1998 talks between Irish nationalists seeking a united Ireland a and pro-British unionists, which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement that largely ended 30 years of sectarian conflict in which 3,600 died.
Budget 202627 proposes higher allocation for PGIMER Chandigarh

The proposed allocation reflects an increase of Rs 86.79 crore, marking a 3.59% rise over the Revised Estimates of FY 202526...

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented the Union Budget 202627 in Parliament, in which an allocation of Rs 2,504.65 crore has been proposed for the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.

The proposed allocation reflects an increase of Rs 86.79 crore, marking a 3.59% rise over the Revised Estimates of FY 202526, aimed at strengthening tertiary healthcare services, medical education, and advanced research facilities, according to an official release from the Ministry of Finance.

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The Union Budget 202627 also proposes a significant boost to medical research and innovation under the Department of Health Research. The allocation for the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi has been enhanced to Rs 4,000 crore in BE 202627, reflecting an increase of Rs 850 crore, registering a 26.98% rise over the Revised Estimates of FY 202526 of Rs 3,150.50 crore.

A total of Rs 1,06,530.42 crore has been allocated to ministry of health and family welfare, registering nearly 10% rise from revised estimates of fy 202526.

(For more news apart from Budget 202627 proposes higher allocation for PGIMER Chandigarh," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.)
U.S. President Donald Trump has sent a message congratulating Vietnam's Party General Secretary To Lam on his re-election for a 14th term and welcoming Vietnam's decision to join the Peace Council initiative.

President Trump said General Secretary Lam's continued leadership role comes at an important time, as Vietnam and the U.S. are pressing ahead with the positive outcomes achieved in bilateral relations in recent years.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the WEF in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 21, 2026. Photo by Reuters

The President also expressed his hope that the two sides would soon make positive progress in negotiations on a reciprocal, fair and balanced trade agreement, thereby further promoting shared prosperity.

He welcomed Vietnam's decision to join the Peace Council initiative, and thanked and highly valued Vietnam's role as well as Vietnam-U.S. cooperation in promoting peace and safeguarding freedom, sovereignty and independence of countries in the Indo-Pacific and the world at large.

President Trump said he is confident that Vietnam-U.S. relations would continue to deepen across all fields, from economy and trade to security, defense and people-to-people exchanges, and expressed his hope to welcome General Secretary Lam to the U.S. at an appropriate time.

Vietnam's Party General Secretary To Lam at the 14th National Party Congress in Hanoi, January 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

General Secretary Lam accepted the invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump last month to join the Gaza Peace Council and affirmed Vietnam's readiness to participate as a founding member state of the council.

President Trump sent a letter to General Secretary Lam on Jan. 16, inviting the Party chief and Vietnam to participate in the Gaza Peace Council as a founding member state, alongside the international community, to promote a sustainable, peaceful solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine in the Gaza Strip.
Strategic focus areas include building resilient supply chains and advancing clean energy transitions. File Photo.

Jaishankar is expected to hold significant bilateral talks with Secretary Rubio and other senior members of the US administration.

Russian Oil and Record Tariffs: Jaishankars High-Stakes US Mission to Tackle Strained India-US Trade Ties

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has embarked on a high-stakes official visit to the United States starting from February 2, 2026. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the visit is centred on his participation in the Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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The visit comes at a sensitive juncture for India-US relations, which have faced recent strain due to trade disagreements. Beyond the ministerial meeting, Jaishankar is expected to hold significant bilateral talks with Secretary Rubio and other senior members of the US administration. These discussions are aimed at reviewing the comprehensive global strategic partnership and exploring new avenues for cooperation.

Strategic focus areas include building resilient supply chains and advancing clean energy transitions. However, the visit is also seen as a vital opportunity to address the ongoing "tariff war" and stalled trade deal negotiations.

The partnership is currently navigating a period of severe stress triggered by a 50 per cent hike in US tariffs on Indian goods, which included an additional 25 per cent duty over Russian oil imports. In addition to these trade hurdles, the relationship has been impacted by Washingtons recent immigration shifts and the controversy surrounding President Trumps May 2025 claim regarding the resolution of the India-Pakistan conflict.

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Source: The Tribune
MP Sahni Demands Immediate Package for Groundwater Rejuvenation in Punjab

The survey of these wells was conducted after the 2025 monsoon, a period during which Punjab witnessed some of the worst floods...

Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Dr. Vikramjit Singh Sahni has expressed serious concern over the alarming decline in groundwater levels in Punjab.

In a reply to a question raised by him in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Jal Shakti informed that, according to data from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), while nearly 57% of the monitored wells have shown a marginal increase in water levels, a worrying 42% of wells across the state have recorded a decline.

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The survey of these wells was conducted after the 2025 monsoon, a period during which Punjab witnessed some of the worst floods in its recent history.

In order to assess the long-term fluctuation in groundwater levels, water-level data collected by the CGWB for Punjab during the post-monsoon period (2025) has been compared with the decadal mean of post-monsoon levels (November data from 2015 to 2024), as presented in the annexure. Such analysis indicates that approximately 57% of the monitored wells have registered a rise in groundwater levels, the Minister of State for Jal Shakti stated in his reply.

Despite this, it remains a matter of grave concern that groundwater levels in 9% of wells across the state have fallen to depths exceeding 40 metres. The situation is particularly severe in agriculturally important districts such as Sangrur (100%), Barnala (67%), and Patiala (44%), as well as Moga and Malerkotla, where water tables are critically low.

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Even in urban districts like Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Bathinda, most wells now fall within the 1040 metre depth range, indicating unsustainable extraction of groundwater.

Dr. Sahni stated that it is deeply unfortunate that despite clear evidence of groundwater stress and repeated appeals by the Punjab government, the state has never been included under the Atal Bhujal Yojana, a flagship programme aimed at addressing water scarcity in stressed regions.

Appealing to the central government, Dr. Sahni urged the immediate announcement of a Punjab-specific groundwater rejuvenation and crop diversification package, warning that continued policy neglect could push the state towards an irreversible water crisis.
He said that there was no mention of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), a long-standing demand of the farming community. File Photo.

The former minister stated that the budget ignored the impact of rising costs for essential commodities.



Punjab Denied Special Package Again: Balbir Sidhu Terms Union Budget Disappointing and Anti-Farmer

Former Punjab Health Minister and Senior Punjab Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu has given a sharp reaction to the Union Budget and described it as "anti-Punjab" and "anti-farmer". Sidhu expressed deep disappointment, asserting that the budget has completely ignored the interests of the middle class, industries and its agricultural community.

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Sidhu highlighted that despite Punjabs crucial role as the food bowl of India, the Union Government failed to provide any special incentives for the states farmers. He said that there was no mention of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), a long-standing demand of the farming community. He stressed that despite Punjab being crippled by massive debt and distress in the farming sector, the Union Budget offered no specialised financial relief, further sidelining the states economic needs."

Criticising the lack of relief for common households, the former minister stated that the budget ignored the impact of rising costs for essential commodities and fuel. He emphasized that by failing to provide tax breaks or job-creating measures, the Centre has effectively abandoned the middle class and Punjab's struggling MSME sector."

He concluded by stating that the budget reflects the Union Governments "stepmotherly treatment" toward Punjab, failing to address the states mounting debt and infrastructure needs.

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Source: The Tribune
World Bank President Ajay Banga on Four-Day Visit to Pakistan, Pays Obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib (Image courtesy: The Tribune)

Banga is also set to visit his parents' ancestral village in Khushab.

Pakistan News: World Bank President Ajay Pal Singh Banga is on a four-day visit to Pakistan and, on the first day of his tour, visited Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal along with his family, The Tribune reported.

According to the report, Banga and his delegation were received amid tight security by Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora and Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

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It noted that the World Bank last year announced a $20 billion financing package for Pakistan over the next decade. The funds are expected to be invested in "nutrition, education, and renewable energy sectors", with the aim of stimulating private sector growth.

Citing sources, the report added that during his visit, Banga is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with other key ministers and senior officials from the finance and economic reforms departments, to discuss Pakistans "cash-strapped" economy.

Banga is also set to visit his parents ancestral village in Khushab.

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In a phone conversation with the news outlet, Minority Affairs Minister Ramesh Singh Arora said that Bangas visit had sent a positive and encouraging message, particularly for the Sikh community.

It was an honour to welcome Banga ji and his family. Such visits convey a global message of peace and interfaith harmony. Otherwise, misconceptions are spread that Pakistan is not a safe place for visitors, Arora was quoted as saying.

During his visit to the gurdwara, Banga paid obeisance, performed ardas, participated in religious rituals, and partook in the langar. He observed the Sikh traditions of Sangat (congregation of devotees) and Pangat (sitting together in a row) at the langar hall of the revered shrine.

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The World Bank president was also briefed on initiatives being undertaken by the Pakistan government to protect and uplift minority communities.

(For more news apart from Bathinda: FIR Registered After Viral Videos Show Woman Flaunting Weapons on Social Media," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.)
Romania and Third World national liberation movements

International relations after WWII were decidedly oriented towards decolonisation and encouraging former colonies to gain independence

History Show

Steliu Lambru, 02.02.2026, 13:26

The trends in international relations after World War II were decidedly oriented towards decolonisation and encouraging former colonies to gain independence. This is how national liberation movements emerged. It was a drive to create a new, better and more just world.

As such, in the early 1960s Romanias foreign interest turned to Africa and Asia. The efforts of Romania and other states in the socialist bloc to break away with Soviet tutelage meant more initiative. The Third World was becoming attractive and Romania sent diplomats to promote its interests there.

Mircea Nicolaescu was Romanias ambassador to Egypt starting in 1961. In 1996, he told the Oral History Centre of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation that Romania encouraged national liberation movements, with the liberation of Palestine on its agenda in the Middle East:

Mircea Nicolaescu: Romanias stand regarding the Palestinian liberation movement was consistent with the general attitude of our country towards national liberation movements. All such movements in Africa were based in Cairo until 1963, until the countries in question gained their independence. First of all, liberation movements were viewed as grassroots movements and, as such, they had to be structured only within a domestic framework, in line with the interest of the respective peoples, towards whom we had the international duty to coordinate our political support. In other words, regardless of their domestic orientation, their domestic turmoil, which was present in almost all national liberation movements, including the Palestinian one, we did not go beyond this vision either publicly and officially, or in terms of our direct relations with these movements. We applied it to the Palestinian liberation movement as well.

Africa was rather little trodden by Romanians, and it became rich in diplomatic opportunities as the local populations managed to gain their independence:

Mircea Nicolaescu. What we did in Cairo with regard to the Congolese movement had to be done very carefully. That particular liberation movement was not cohesive and there were very serious foreign attempts to direct it and subordinate it to the interests of the Great Powers. The Congolese movement was the strongest one and it so happened that one of the branches was under Soviet control, another branch was under US tutelage, and another was under Chinese influence. The worlds great powers were known to be very much involved there, as was the case in Angola, in Mozambique, to a large extent also in Kenya, to a lesser extent in Tanganyika. We gave support to all these movements, to those who requested it, to the extent that we could. But we gave equal support to all movements. At our embassy, for example, we received not only representatives of a single Congolese movement. We were the only ones to whom everyone came.

Romania was very clear about its involvement, arguing that the will of the people should be the one that decided their political future.

Mircea Nicolaescu: We were the only ones who would tell them that the issue of liberation, of building a state, was in their hands. We told them to do it themselves, and as far as we were concerned, what we could do was to provide political support to their efforts within international organisations. We committed ourselves to work there to provide direct support, including material. Thats what happened in the UN, for example. But other than that, they had no business coming to our country. For us, they were not a communist movement or a capitalist movement or a pro-Chinese movement. For us, they were national liberation movements.

This balanced position benefitted Romania, as Mircea Nicolaescu explained:

Mircea Nicolaescu: It is no coincidence that we have had good and very good relations in political, ideological and human terms with absolutely all the countries that were liberated during this huge process. In just six years, from three independent states in 1961, when I was appointed as ambassador to Egypt, namely Egypt, Liberia and Ethiopia, Africa got to 60 independent states. It was a movement that, over time, ensured the widest access to independence for nations, and this was also noticed at the UN. We had very good relations with right-leaning Congo, I mean Congo-Zaire, but also with Congo-Brazaville, which was oriented categorically towards the left. We had very good relations with Kenya, with its populist right-wing orientation, but also with Tanganyika and the others. Few countries have been able to keep such a balance. And that has helped us a lot.

Romanias involvement in supporting national liberation movements in the Third World was one that followed the ideas and trends of the period. Obviously, this involvement also secured certain benefits for the country. (AMP)
Priorities of the new Parliament session

Parliament sets its priorities as lawmakers resume their activity.

The Chamber of Deputies (photo: cdepro)

Daniela Budu, 02.02.2026, 14:00

After more than a months recess, Romanias Parliament has resumed work. On Monday, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies opened the first ordinary parliamentary session of the year. Under parliamentary procedure, the first day of the session is dedicated to electing the members of the standing bureaus in each chamber  the vice-presidents, secretaries and quaestors of the Senate and of the Chamber of Deputies. The presidents of the two chambers, Mircea Abrudean and Sorin Grindeanu, were elected for four-year terms following the investiture of the new Parliament.

The governing coalition  made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Alliance of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR)  says its priorities for this session are the adoption of a broad package to reform both local and central public administration, measures to relaunch the economy, and the state budget for 2026. Although the budget is normally passed in December, before the start of the new year, the coalition has not yet submitted any draft legislation to Parliament. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has held several rounds of talks with line ministries on this years budget, but no draft has been presented so far.

Negotiations are currently at a standstill, because Prime Minister Bolojan insists that the budget will not be adopted until the reform of central and local public administration has entered into force. PSD agrees with the prime ministers position, but says it will not support the administrative reform package unless it is accompanied by the economic recovery measures that the Social Democrats have been demanding since September last year. Both the public administration reform project and the economic recovery measures are to be adopted either through the governments assumption of responsibility in Parliament or by emergency decree. The final decision will be taken at a coalition meeting later this week.

Meanwhile, the opposition has already announced that it will table a motion of no confidence against the government if the Prime Minister assumes responsibility for a third reform package. It is also preparing simple motions against the foreign and defence ministers, as well as several legislative initiatives aimed at cutting state spending and protecting citizens. During this session, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will also vote on the appointment of the heads of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE), once President Nicusor Dan submits his nominees for the two posts. Since taking office on 26 May last year, President Dan has been under pressure to make these long-awaited appointments.

In addition, Parliament must also elect a new Ombudsman during the current session. Under the coalition agreement, the nomination for this post belongs to USR.

It is also worth noting that the governing parties  PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and the representatives of national minorities  currently hold 310 seats in Parliament. A working majority requires 232 votes, out of a total membership that currently exceeds 460 lawmakers. (VP)
TransUnion (TRU), an information and insights company, on Monday said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the mobile division of RealNetworks Inc. (RNWK), expanding its capabilities in fraud prevention and trusted communications.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition is aimed at strengthening TransUnion's mobile communications offerings through advanced artificial intelligence, machine learning and real-time analytics across text messages, multimedia messaging and phone calls.

The company said the deal will enhance its ability to detect fraudulent activity and improve customer engagement for businesses and consumers.

RealNetworks' mobile division brings established relationships with global telecom service providers and that identifies fraudulent calls and messages, enables secure branded calls, and detects synthetic and cloned voices during live communications.

The company said the deal will be funded with existing cash and is not expected to have a material impact on leverage, liquidity or 2026 operating results.

In the pre-market trading 0.99% lesser at $78.27 on the New York Stock Exchange.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Yext, Inc. (YEXT), a brand visibility platform, on Monday announced that Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Michael Walrath has withdrawn his previously announced proposal to acquire all outstanding shares not already owned by him for $9 per share in cash.

The self-tender offer is expected to commence in February 2026 and may be funded in part through debt financing.

The company said Walrath informed the board that he was unable to secure the necessary financing at the proposed price.

Walrath reaffirmed the commitment to continue the company as chief executive officer, and the board said it remains confident in his leadership.

Following the withdrawal of the proposal, the company said a special committee of independent directors has approved a $150 million Dutch auction self-tender offer for the company's common stock.

In the pre-market trading, Yext is 22.01% lesser at $5.60 on the New York Stock Exchange.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Russian man refused entry into Thailand after stripping, causing chaos on flight from Vietnam

Thai authorities have denied entry to a 41-year-old Russian national for disruptive behavior aboard a flight from Nha Trang to Bangkok.

He was deported to his country of origin on Jan. 31, Thai newspaper Khaosod English reported.

On an AirAsia flight from Cam Ranh International Airport to Don Mueang International Airport on Jan. 30, he allegedly stripped naked, repeatedly ran in and out of the aircraft toilet, argued with cabin crew, and demanded that the plane's doors be opened mid-air, British newspaper Daily Mail reported.

Witnesses said he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and shouted profanities in Russian.

As the flight landed at Don Mueang, the man jumped down as soon as the door was opened and even before the stair truck arrived.

He injured himself in the leg as he tried to escape, but was captured by authorities.

Immigration officers confirmed he was a Russian national.

They found him to be heavily intoxicated, incoherent and unable to explain the purpose of his visit or where he intended to stay.

He was also deemed to lack sufficient financial means to support his stay in Thailand.

He was then denied entry and placed in immigration custody, with officials arranging for his immediate removal from the country.

AirAsia has not issued an official comment on the extent of the damage and additional costs arising from the emergency landing. But under international aviation regulations, disruptive passengers face severe financial penalties, permanent flight bans and criminal charges depending on the severity of the threat to aviation safety.
Donaldson Company, Inc. (DCI), a manufacturer of filtration systems and replacement parts, Monday announced on Monday that it has agreed to acquire Filtration Group's Facet Filtration for around $820 million in an all-cash deal.

The acquisition price represents around 20 times calendar year 2025 EBITDA or 16.6 times when adjusted for the present value of expected tax benefits and cost synergies.

The company plans to fund this transaction through a combination of cash and new debt financing.

Facet offers fuel and fluid filtration solutions for applications mainly in aerospace and defense, as well as power generation and the firm is a pioneer in the jet fuel filtration market where its products are utilized at multiple stages of the fuel supply chain from refinery to end fueling point.

Facet filtration employs 236 people across the US and Europe and 2025 calendar sales were $108 million, primarily generated in North America and Europe at 57% and 26%, respectively.

In pre-market activity, DCI shares were trading at $101.44, down 0.48% on the New York Stock Exchange.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Swiss stocks closed on a strong note on Monday, in line with other in Europe, thanks to encouraging retail sales and manufacturing activity data.

The benchmark SMI closed with an impressive gain of 220.85 points or 1.67% at 13,409.11, the day's high.

Nestle climbed about 2.85%, Richemont, Logitech International, Amrize, Novartis, Lindt & Spruengli, Galderma Group, Schindler Ps and UBS Group gained 2%-2.5%.

Helvetia Baloise Holding, Holcim, Zurich Insurance, SGS, ABB, Sika, Julius Baer, Swiss Life Holding and Roche Holding moved up 1%-2%.

Sonova ended down by about 1.1%. Alcon, VAT Group, Givaudan and Partners Group slipped 0.3%-0.7%.

A report from the Federal Statistical Office showed Swiss retail sales increased at the fastest pace in six months in December. The report said retail sales climbed 1% on a monthly basis in December in real terms, reversing a 0.1% fall in November.

Sales of food, drinks, and tobacco increased 1.3%, while those of non-food products dropped 0.4%.

On a yearly basis, retail sales growth accelerated to 2.9% in December from 1.7% in November. That was above the expected increase of 2.5%. Online sales were 10.8% higher, recovering sharply from a 13.1% plunge in November.

Switzerland's procure.ch and UBS manufacturing PMI rose to 48.8 in January 2026 from an upwardly revised 46.4 in December, signalling a modest easing of pressure on the industrial sector.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
As part of its reenergized India strategy, Jeep will also introduce special editions and focus on enhancing the overall ownership experience

Jeep is working on a multi-pronged strategy to strengthen its presence in the Indian market. In addition to launching a new SUV, there are also plans to develop India as a manufacturing hub for right-hand-drive export markets. With the India-EU trade deal set in motion, there can be multiple opportunities to explore. Lets check out the details.

Jeep new SUV  What to expect?

Jeeps new SUV for India is part of the brands Strategic Plan Jeep 2.0 initiative. While there is no official confirmation, some possibilities can be explored. Theres a strong case for the next-generation Jeep Renegade, which could be a subcompact to compact SUV, depending on the market. While India launch is not officially confirmed, Jeep had revealed in its investor day presentation in 2024 that they are working on the new-gen Renegade.

It has also been revealed that the new-gen Jeep Renegade will be underpinned by a cost-competitive platform. This alludes to the CMP platform, currently in use with specific Citroen models. Platform sharing will help reduce development and production costs. Assuming that the new-gen Renegade is positioned as a compact SUV, it will take on rivals such as Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Tata Sierra.

A portfolio expansion has become necessary for Jeep India, as no new model has been launched here since 2022. There have only been facelifts, updates, special editions and variant rejigs. The Indian market has huge growth potential, and new products can be crucial to improving volumes and relevance. Jeeps strategic targeting of high-growth SUV segments can bring long-term volume and profitability gains.

Customer-centric initiatives, exports boost

Jeep currently sells the Compass, Meridian, Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee in India. As part of its 2.0 strategy, the brand will be introducing special editions of these models in the near future. Last year, Jeep had launched the Trail Edition of Jeep Compass and Meridian.

Jeep Compass also received a Track Edition in October 2025. Jeep will also focus on improving the ownership experience for buyers. Multiple initiatives are planned such as enhanced after-sales services, extended warranty offers and premium customer loyalty programs.

Another focus area of Jeeps 2.0 strategy is to boost exports from its Ranjangaon facility in Maharashtra. This facility is the only one outside of North America from where cars are exported to overseas right-hand-drive markets. Key markets to be covered include Africa, North America and countries like Australia, Japan and New Zealand.

To reduce production costs, Jeep is looking to increase localization at its India plant. There are plans to achieve up to 90% localization from the current 65-70%. This will boost the competitiveness of Jeep cars across both domestic and export markets. Signed trade deals and ongoing ones could open up new export opportunities for carmakers in India, benefitting renowned brands like Jeep.
Passenger vehicle sales in January 2026 reflected strong demand across segments, with the Top 10 best-selling cars together accounting for 1,80,920 units, marking a healthy 23.06% year-on-year (YoY) growth over 1,47,016 units sold in January 2025. SUVs continued to dominate the charts, while popular hatchbacks and MPVs also delivered consistent volumes.

Top 10 Cars Jan 2026

Tata Nexon, including the EV, emerged as Indias best-selling car in January 2026, with sales of 23,365 units. This represented a massive 51.75% YoY growth, up from 15,397 units in January 2025. Maruti Suzuki Dzire secured the second position with 19,629 units, registering a 27.60% YoY growth.

Close behind was Tata Punch (including EV), which posted 19,257 units, growing 18.64% YoY. With the arrival of Punch facelift and new Sierra, Tata Motors can expect sales momentum to continue in coming months. Though we were expecting to see Tata Sierra in top 10 cars list for Jan 2026, but that has not happened.

Hyundai Creta (including EV) ranked fourth with 17,921 units, though it witnessed a marginal 3.24% YoY decline compared to last year. Despite this, Creta continues to remain one of the most sought-after mid-size SUVs in India. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga followed closely with 17,892 units, delivering a strong 25.58% YoY growth, underlining its dominance in the MPV segment. The Swift, another Maruti mainstay, clocked 17,806 units, growing 4.24% YoY, showing steady demand despite increasing competition.

No Top 10 Cars Jan-26 Jan-25 1 Nexon / EV 23,365 15,397 2 Dzire 19,629 15,383 3 Punch / EV 19,257 16,231 4 Creta / EV 17,921 18,522 5 Ertiga 17,892 14,248 6 Swift 17,806 17,081 7 Brezza 17,486 14,747 8 Baleno 16,782 19,965 9 Scorpio / N 15,542 15,442 10 Victoris 15,240 0  Total 1,80,920 1,47,016

Brezza Gains, Baleno Slips

Maruti Brezza recorded 17,486 units, reflecting a healthy 18.57% YoY growth, driven by sustained interest in the compact SUV space. In contrast, Baleno saw a decline, selling 16,782 units, down 15.94% YoY from 19,965 units last year. While still among the top sellers, hatchback demand appears to be facing pressure from compact SUVs.

Mahindra Scorpio range posted 15,542 units, maintaining near-flat growth with a 0.65% YoY increase, reflecting stable demand for rugged SUVs. Maruti Victoris once again featured in top 10. It recorded 15,240 units in January 2026.

OEM Wise Comparison

Maruti Suzuki continues to dominate the Top 10 chart, contributing nearly 58% of total volumes and posting a strong 28.75% YoY growth, driven by multiple high-volume nameplates. Tata Motors delivered the highest OEM-level growth rate among major players at 34.76%, powered by Nexon and Punch. Hyundai saw a marginal YoY decline due to softer Creta volumes, while Mahindra remained largely stable with steady Scorpio demand.
The Indian passenger vehicle market began 2026 on a strong footing, with the Top 10 selling SUVs collectively recording sales of 1,57,416 units in January 2026, marking a healthy 28.49% year-on-year growth compared to 1,22,513 units sold in January 2025. Compact SUVs and sub-4m SUVs continued to dominate buyer preference, accounting for the majority of volumes in the top rankings.

Top 10 SUVs January 2026

Tata Nexon, including its EV variants, emerged as the best-selling SUV of January 2026, clocking 23,365 units. This represented a sharp 51.75% YoY growth, underlining the models sustained popularity across ICE and electric powertrains. Close behind was Tata Punch, which posted its best-ever January performance with 19,257 units, up 18.64% YoY, reinforcing its strong position in the compact SUV space.

Hyundai Creta (including Creta EV) retained a podium finish with 17,921 units, though sales dipped marginally by 3.24% YoY, indicating increased competition in the midsize SUV segment. Maruti Brezza followed closely with 17,486 units, recording a solid 18.57% YoY growth, supported by steady demand in urban and semi-urban markets.

Mahindra Scorpio and Scorpio N together sold 15,542 units, remaining largely flat year-on-year with a modest 0.65% growth. A notable new entrant in the Top 10 was Maruti Victoris, which registered 15,240 units in its first full January on sale, highlighting strong initial customer traction.

No Top 10 SUVs Jan-26 Jan-25 1 Nexon / EV 23,365 15,397 2 Punch / EV 19,257 16,231 3 Creta / EV 17,921 18,522 4 Brezza 17,486 14,747 5 Scorpio / N 15,542 15,442 6 Victoris 15,240 0 7 Fronx 13,353 15,192 8 Venue 12,413 11,106 9 Bolero 11,841 8,682 10 Sonet 10,998 7,194  Total 1,57,416 1,22,513

Among Maruti Suzukis offerings, Fronx slipped to seventh place with 13,353 units, reflecting a 12.11% YoY decline, while Hyundai Venue posted 12,413 units, growing 11.77% YoY. Mahindra Bolero continued its strong rural and fleet-driven momentum, selling 11,841 units, up 36.39% YoY.

Rounding off the Top 10 was Kia Sonet, which delivered an impressive 52.88% YoY growth with 10,998 units, reflecting sustained demand in the compact SUV segment. Overall, January 2026 sales trends reaffirm the markets continued shift toward SUVs, with multiple models delivering double-digit growth and new entrants quickly finding acceptance among buyers.

OEM Wise Performance  Top 10 SUVs Jan 2026

 Maruti Suzuki now tops the OEM chart in the Top 10 list, boosted heavily by the Victoris debut (15,240 units) along with steady Brezza volumes.

 Tata Motors remains the strongest organically growing OEM, led by Nexon and Punch, together contributing nearly 43,000 units.

 Hyundais growth is flat, despite strong volumes from Creta and Venue.

 Mahindra continues steady momentum, driven by Scorpio-N and Bolero.

 Kia Sonet remains a growth standout, posting nearly 53% YoY growth.
President Donald Trump is taking action to protect the United States from the threat posed by the regime in Cuba. On January 29, the President signed an Executive Order declaring a national emergency and establishing a process to impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or otherwise provide oil to Cuba, protecting U.S. national security and foreign policy from the Cuban regimes malign actions and policies.



The Order imposes a new tariff system that allows the United States to impose additional tariffs on imports from any country that directly or indirectly provides oil to Cuba. And it authorizes the Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce to take all necessary actions, including issuing rules and guidance, to implement the tariff system and related measures.



The President may modify the Order if Cuba or affected countries take significant steps to address the threat or align with U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives.



The Cuban regime aligns itself with numerous hostile countries and malign actors, hosting their military and intelligence capabilities. For example, Cuba hosts Russias largest overseas signals intelligence facility focused on stealing sensitive national security information from the United States.



Cuba provides safe haven for transnational terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and supports adversaries in the Western Hemisphere, undermining U.S. sanctions and regional stability.



The regime persecutes and tortures political opponents, denies free speech and press, profits corruptly from the Cuban peoples misery, and incites chaos by spreading communist ideology across the region.



These actions constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy, requiring immediate response to protect American citizens and interests.



President Trump is continuing efforts from his first term to stand with the Cuban people and hold the regime accountable.

In his first term, President Trump implemented a robust policy toward Cuba, reversing the Obama Administrations one-sided deal that eased restrictions without securing meaningful reforms for the Cuban people.



In June 2025, President Trump implemented partial travel restrictions on nationals from Cuba due to its role as a state sponsor of terrorism, its failure to cooperate or share sufficient law enforcement information with the United States, its historical refusal to accept back its removable nationals, and its high visa overstay rate.



That same month, President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum to strengthen the policy of the United States toward Cuba.



President Trump is addressing the depredations of the communist Cuban regime by taking decisive action to hold the Cuban regime accountable for its support of hostile actors, terrorism, and regional instability that endanger American security and foreign policy.
The year 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of sister-city ties between #Harbin, northeastern China's famed "Ice City," and Rovaniemi in northern Finland - the official home of #SantaClaus. Nearly 6,000 km apart, the two cities have built close cooperation, especially around winter tourism, culture, and the ice-and-snow industry. Imagine this: Harbin's internet-celebrity Giant Snowman writes a letter to Santa Claus. What would they talk about?
This photo taken on Jan. 30, 2026 shows an urban view in Tehran, Iran. (Xinhua)

CAIRO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- As the United States and Iran have announced the start of dialogue, there appears to be a glimmer of hope for easing the tensions that have gripped the Middle East for weeks.

However, with Washington continuing to bolster its military presence and the prospects for negotiations remaining uncertain, the shadow of conflict still looms over the region.

MIXED SIGNALS

On Saturday night, Iran and the United States confirmed they had initiated dialogue, offering a sigh of relief to many who had been suffocating under the tension of a weeks-long standoff between the two nations.

"The formation of a structure for negotiations is progressing," Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani wrote on social media platform X.

This photo taken on Jan. 30, 2026 shows an urban view in Tehran, Iran. (Xinhua)

Later in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with reporters aboard Air Force One that Iran was "seriously talking" with the United States.

"I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable," Trump said, adding, "We could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory, with no nuclear weapons, and they should do that, but I don't know if they will."

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that a "just, fair, and equitable" nuclear agreement with the United States remains achievable in the short term, provided Washington abandons its policy of coercion.

Although both sides have confirmed they are in contact, neither has taken concrete steps to de-escalate the situation, sending mixed signals -- expressing openness to talks while remaining prepared for conflict.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned on Sunday that if the United States starts a war against Iran, it would become a regional war.

Khamenei said Iran would not start a war and does not seek to attack any country, but that "the Iranian people will deliver a hard punch to those seeking to attack and harass them."

"The Americans should know that if a war is launched this time, it will be a regional war," he emphasized.

Trump has also been blunt in expressing his military posture toward Iran. When asked by reporters whether he had made a final decision on Iran, Trump responded, "Certainly, I can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction."

People take part in a demonstration in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 12, 2026. (Xinhua/Shadati)

UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK

While the two countries have initiated talks, analysts caution that this does not signal a quick de-escalation of tensions, either bilaterally or across the broader region. The future is still up in the air, with the specter of conflict continuing to loom.

On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with military chief Eyal Zamir to assess the military's "operational readiness for any possible scenario" amid rising regional tensions, the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The meeting came after Zamir concluded a weekend visit to the United States, which was reportedly focused on preparations for potential U.S. military action against Iran.

In June last year, the United States launched a sudden airstrike on Iran shortly after concluding negotiations with Tehran, a move that has fueled skepticism about the prospects of the current talks.

Photo taken on Jan. 26, 2026 shows Hezbollah supporters holding portraits of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a rally to voice support for Iran and denounce U.S. threats in Beirut, Lebanon. (Photo by Bilal Jawich/Xinhua)

Washington has said any deal with Iran must include a ban on uranium enrichment, the removal of already enriched material, limits on long-range missiles, and a rollback of support for regional proxies - conditions Tehran has rejected.

As for the current round of talks, Iran has shown no willingness so far to compromise on issues it considers core interests.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that while Tehran has pursued engagement and dialogue to resolve disputes, its approach is based on "dignity-based diplomacy," engagement within the framework of international law, mutual respect, and refraining from threats or coercion.

"Any aggression against the country and its people will be responded to immediately and decisively," he added.

Washington's goal for Tehran is "a total shift in strategic behavior," Qatari political analyst Faleh Al Hajri told Xinhua. He said this includes Iran's regional influence, missile programs, and proxy networks, adding that it would be "very difficult" for Iran to concede to such sweeping demands.

Editor: ZAD
If youve seen a neighborhood post about a water sensor alert and a $250 fine, its easy to assume Florida flipped a switch and made sprinklers illegal. Whats usually happening is less dramatic and more frustrating: a mix of drought-stage watering restrictions, outdated irrigation timers, and shutoff sensors that arent working the way homeowners think they are. When enforcement ramps up, a quick morning run can become a citation if it happens on the wrong day, at the wrong time, or while water is already sufficient. Florida also has a long-standing requirement for automatic irrigation systems to use technology that interrupts watering when moisture conditions dont justify it, so my system is automatic isnt a defense. The good news is you can avoid most fines with a few fast checks and one simple habit change.

What That Alert Usually Refers To

Most homeowners arent getting a statewide push notification from Tallahassee. Theyre seeing local utility notices, HOA reminders, or county drought updates that circulate fast on social media. The sensor part often refers to a rain shutoff device or soil moisture feature that can prevent watering after rainfall. If that device is missing, bypassed, placed poorly, or broken, your system can keep running even when conditions make watering wasteful. When a water sensor alert gets shared, it usually means enforcement is active, and neighbors are getting flagged for obvious violations.

Why The Water Sensor Alert Can Turn Into A $250 Citation

The fine amount usually comes from local ordinance schedules or drought-stage penalty ladders, not a universal Florida fine. For example, some counties structure penalties so a third violation lands at $250, with higher penalties after that. Some cities also note that fines can reach up to $250 for violating watering restrictions. The water sensor alert becomes relevant because broken shutoff tech makes it more likely your sprinklers run when they shouldnt, which draws attention fast. In other words, the sensor isnt the ticket, but it can be the reason you rack up violations.

Floridas Shutoff Requirement Is Real, Even If The Rumors Arent

Florida law requires automatic landscape irrigation systems to be installed, maintained, and operated with technology that interrupts watering during periods of sufficient moisture. University of Florida IFAS guidance explains that automatic systems require a rain sensor or another shutoff device, such as a soil moisture sensor controller. That means a missing or non-working shutoff feature can put you on the wrong side of expectations even before you hit local watering-day rules. A water sensor alert often pops up during dry spells because thats when agencies and utilities watch for wasteful irrigation. The practical takeaway is simple: if your system can run automatically, it also needs to stop automatically when moisture makes watering unnecessary.

Illegal Sprinkler Use Usually Means You Broke Local Rules

Florida watering rules vary by location, water management district, and local utility, so legal depends on your address. Many restrictions focus on watering days, time windows, and bans on watering when rain or runoff makes it wasteful. When drought conditions intensify, enforcement becomes more visible, and violations stack quickly if your timer runs daily. Some jurisdictions publish fine structures that escalate with repeat violations, which is how homeowners end up talking about $250. If youre hearing water sensor alert chatter, its a strong hint your area is watching irrigation more closely than usual.

Quick Fixes That Prevent Most Tickets

Start by confirming your allowed watering days and permitted hours for your specific city or county, not just your neighbors schedule. Next, check that your rain sensor or moisture shutoff is connected, switched on, and located where sprinklers cant accidentally wet it and trigger weird behavior. Florida Water Star guidance notes rain shutoff devices should be placed where they receive rainfall unobstructed and arent wetted by irrigation or runoff. Then test the system by using the controllers sensor test function or manually triggering the sensor to confirm it stops a cycle. If you recently upgraded a controller, make sure the sensor feature didnt get bypassed during installation, because thats a common cause behind a water sensor alert turning into a citation.

What To Do If You Already Got A Notice Or Fine

First, read the citation details and confirm the date, time, and location match your property, because clerical errors happen. Take photos of your controller settings, your sensor location, and any recent repairs or invoices that show you addressed the issue promptly. If the violation happens during a repair period, document the repair timeline, because even Florida statute language recognizes that maintenance and replacement can occur without leading to a violation if handled in a reasonable time. Ask your local utility or code office what proof they accept for a warning reduction or first-time consideration, since many places escalate penalties across repeat offenses. If your ticket stemmed from a malfunction that triggered the water sensor alert conversation, fixing it immediately helps you avoid the next one.

Make Your Irrigation Boring Again

The cheapest irrigation system is the one that doesnt lead to fines or force emergency repairs. Set your controller for the minimum schedule allowed, then adjust only when your lawn truly needs it, not when the calendar says, summer mode. Keep one monthly reminder to test the shutoff device, especially after storms, landscaping work, or controller changes. Pair that with alerts from your local utility so you know when drought stages shift, and enforcement tightens. When you treat sprinklers like a system you manage, not a gadget you set once, the fines stop feeling random.

Have you received citations for watering on the wrong day or time, and what change helped you avoid it afterward?

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Using newly-discovered fossils and cutting-edge imaging, paleontologists have solved the puzzle of Europes missing horned dinosaurs (ceratopsians), reclassifying animals once thought to be distant cousins of Iguanodon as true members of the ceratopsian clade.

Ceratopsians were a group of herbivorous ornithischian dinosaurs best known for parrot-like beaks, bony frills and horns.

These dinosaurs lived mainly during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 100-66 million years ago.

Ceratopsian fossils are abundant in Asia and North America, yet have been almost completely absent from Europe.

Until now, evidence on the continent consisted only of a handful of incomplete and debated specimens.

The discovery of new, more complete fossils of Ajkaceratops from the Late Cretaceous of Hungary prompted a fresh investigation using CT scanning and detailed evolutionary analysis.

First described in 2010, Ajkaceratops has been controversial, with some considering it to be a horned dinosaur, while others interpreted it to be a relative of Iguanodon but with possible characteristics of a ceratopsian.

Using new cranial material, Professor Susannah Maidment, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum, London and the University of Birmingham, and colleagues found that not only was this dinosaur a ceratopsian, but that a previously described rhabdodontid called Mochlodon was also the same species.

The analyses also showed that some other dinosaurs previously thought to be rhabdodontids had been long misclassified and were also ceratopsians.

While Iguanodon and Triceratops look very different, the groups they are part of both evolved from a common ancestor, meaning theyve both inherited certain characteristics, Professor Maidment said.

They also independently evolved four-leggedness, complex chewing mechanisms and a large body size.

This means that their teeth and limbs look quite similar, both because of their shared history and way of life.

So, when we only have small parts of the skeleton to look at, it can be quite difficult to tell whats what.

By confirming the existence of ceratopsians in Europe, the study fills in a long-standing gap in the journey of these dinosaurs across the northern hemisphere.

Because the first fossils discovered of Ajkaceratops were so incomplete it meant lots of scientists doubted it was a ceratopsian, said University of Birminghams Professor Richard Butler.

Whats so exciting about the new Ajkaceratops fossil is that it allows us to confirm that horned dinosaurs roamed the islands of Cretaceous Europe, but also challenges us to radically rethink our understanding of these ancient ecosystems.

The earliest ceratopsians, such as Yinlong, evolved in Asia before spreading multiple times into North America, where they evolved into frilled species such as Triceratops and Torosaurus.

The easiest route for these dispersals would be through Europe  but the lack of fossils challenged this.

We know that dinosaurs were able to cross the Atlantic, which was just starting to open during the Cretaceous, Professor Susannah said.

Dinosaurs such as Allosaurus have been found in Portugal and the United States, showing that they had at least some ability to move between continents.

Lots of animals can swim and, as the islands of the central European basin werent that far apart, it would make sense that dinosaurs were able to island hop.

Horned dinosaurs like Triceratops are some of the most iconic dinosaurs but most of them are from North America, and now weve found them in Europe, hiding in plain sight because theyve been misidentified for decades as other types of dinosaurs, said University of Edinburghs Professor Steve Brusatte.

The study was published in the journal Nature.

_____

S.C.R. Maidment et al. A hidden diversity of ceratopsian dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous Europe. Nature, published online January 7, 2026; doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09897-w
Palestinians inspect the damage following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

ABU DHABI/CAIRO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Sunday strongly condemned Israel's repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza.

"These actions risk escalating tensions and undermining efforts aimed at consolidating calm and restoring stability," the ministers warned in a joint statement, adding that full commitment to the second phase of the ceasefire is essential.

They urged all parties to fully uphold their responsibilities during this critical period, exercise maximum restraint to preserve the ceasefire, avoid any action that could undermine the ongoing process, and create conditions conducive to early recovery and reconstruction.

The ministers reiterated the importance of advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and statehood, in accordance with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Earlier in the day, Ali Abdel Hamid Shaath, head of the Palestinian technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), called for full adherence to the ongoing ceasefire in the enclave.

"The NCAG is committed with partners to prevent further incidents and protect civilians. The path forward must be one of restraint, responsibility, and respect for civilian life," the NCAG chief said.

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10, 2025 after two years of conflict, following mediation by Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, and the United States.

Nearly 71,800 Palestinians have been killed and over 171,500 injured since the Israeli military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023, according to an update by Gaza's health authorities on Sunday.

They added that 26 Palestinians were killed and 68 others injured over the past 24 hours, noting that a number of victims remain trapped under the rubble and on roads as rescue and civil defense teams have been unable to reach them.

Editor: ZAD
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer communicates with British actress Rosamund Pike (L) and local students during his visit at the Design Innovation Institute Shanghai in east China's Shanghai, Jan. 31, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

Reinvigorated engagement between Europe and China is being driven by a mutual recognition of the vast potential for win-win cooperation.

China has become a critical contributor to scientific innovation and advanced manufacturing, as well as a driving force for common prosperity worldwide.

LONDON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- In a world rattled by geopolitical tensions, Europe is once again searching for steadier ground, and China is increasingly re-emerging as a crucial partner in the eyes of many European officials and businesses.

Since the end of 2025, senior-level exchanges have gathered pace, marked by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent trip to China and French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit late last year, alongside a gradual restoration of dialogue mechanisms on trade, climate and governance.

Analysts say this reinvigorated engagement is being driven by a mutual recognition of the vast potential for win-win cooperation and a shared need for strategic stability amid global turbulence.

ENHANCING HIGH-LEVEL TIES

Starmer's visit to China, the first by a British prime minister in years, was widely observed as a test of whether London could set aside differences to pursue a more calibrated approach that balances engagement with safeguards.

Following the visit, the two sides had affirmed their commitment to a build a stable and forward-looking relationship, focusing on pursuing cooperation while conducting candid dialogue to enhance mutual understanding.

"I'm absolutely convinced that the more we engage, the more that mutual trust and respect can be built upon," Starmer said while touring Shanghai, a metropolis in eastern China where, according to him, a great future and great opportunities lie.

Across European political circles, similar thinking is gaining traction: viewing engagement as a practical tool for properly managing differences and reducing risks. Macron's December 2025 trip, which featured meetings with China's leadership and extensive public diplomacy, underlined France's strong intention to engage with China.

This momentum has continued into 2026. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo concluded his four-day visit to China on Wednesday, the first by a Finnish prime minister in 17 years, further highlighting the enhanced frequency of high-level China-Europe exchanges.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Beijing, Orpo said cooperation potential between Finland and China in fields such as clean energy and green transition is steadily unfolding.

The two governments signed cooperation documents covering science and technology, housing and urban-rural development, customs, culture and tourism, economy and trade and energy.

"It's very good to continue our bright future in each cooperation," Orpo said.

Taoiseach of Ireland Micheal Martin, who wrapped up his visit to China earlier last month, echoed that Ireland is willing to deepen cooperation with China in trade, investment, science and technology, biomedicine, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, education and other fields.

French President Emmanuel Macron visits Sichuan University in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 5, 2025. (Photo by Liu Yuchen/Xinhua)

DEEPENING COOPERATION

Business figures argue that restored top-level dialogue can help rebuild confidence throughout the economic system. Steven Lynch, director of international trade at the British Chambers of Commerce, told Xinhua that Starmer's visit to China should enable Britain to articulate a clearer, more coherent approach to China to keep economic engagement on track.

China has become a critical contributor to scientific innovation and advanced manufacturing, as well as a driving force for common prosperity worldwide, Pascal Soriot, CEO of British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, told Xinhua on Friday, a day after the firm pledged to invest 15 billion U.S. dollars in China through 2030 to expand medicines manufacturing and R&D facilities.

In addition to the firm's strategic R&D centers in Beijing and Shanghai, the plan also includes expansion of its existing manufacturing facilities in Beijing and in east China's Wuxi, Taizhou and Qingdao, along with the establishment of two new plants focusing on cell therapies and radioconjugates -- the latter a new modality for cancer treatment.

Astrid Nordin, chair of Chinese International Relations, Lau China Institute of King's College London, stressed the "shared interests" between China and Britain, particularly in education, climate change, health and scientific research.

In northern England, Chinese automaker Chery Commercial Vehicle plans to set up its first European headquarters in Liverpool, according to local authorities. The hub is expected to support research, engineering and commercialization, while creating roles across software, R&D and operations, a move local leaders framed as a major vote of confidence in the region's advanced manufacturing and green innovation ambitions.

On the continent, industry leaders are also advocating pragmatic cooperation. Markus Kamieth, CEO of German chemical giant BASF, said that China is becoming an increasingly important innovation hub, particularly in green technologies, and that "sensible cooperation" has real value, including for political relations.

Paulo Rios de Oliveira, an executive board member of AICEP Portugal Global, a government trade and investment agency, said China remains a major and reliable partner, with new growth points emerging in energy transition, sustainable transport, advanced manufacturing, digital economy, life sciences, healthcare and the marine economy.

He added that China has become one of Portugal's most important economic partners, with trade expanding both in scale and quality, and Chinese investment contributing across sectors such as energy, finance, insurance, ICT, infrastructure and modern services.

Ioannis Kotoulas, adjunct lecturer in geopolitics, University of Athens, also said that Europe is attracted to China's high technologies, problem-solving efficiencies, and its emphasis on economic cooperation rather than geopolitical confrontation.

The 48 Group Chairman Jack Perry said that British businesses are looking to deepen cooperation with China in areas where the two economies are genuinely complementary, adding that the Britain-China relationship matters not just bilaterally, but globally. "It shows that cooperation is still possible between countries with different systems, histories and perspectives. That has a stabilizing effect on markets and on confidence."

Editor: ZAD
ASIA

Afghanistan

Expected Council Action

In February, the Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution extending the mandate of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team assisting the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee. The Monitoring Teams mandate expires on 17 February.

Background

The 1988 Afghanistan sanctions regime imposes an assets freeze, a travel ban, and an arms embargo on individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with the Taliban. The listing criteria for these sanctions include participating in the acts of, supplying arms to, recruiting for, or otherwise supporting the activities of those associated with the Taliban in constituting a threat to the peace, security, and stability of Afghanistan. Apart from the humanitarian exception established by resolution 2615 in December 2021, the regime has not been substantively updated since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

The 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee is a subsidiary organ of the Council created to oversee the regime. Its tasks include designating individuals and entities who meet the listing criteria, deciding upon requests for exemptions from the measures, and reporting periodically to the Council. The Monitoring Team supports the Committee by, among other things, submitting periodic reports on the implementation of the sanctions measures, making recommendations intended to assist member states with implementation, and reviewing the sanctions list.

The same monitoring team also supports the 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. Resolution 2734 of 10 June 2024 extended the teams mandate to support that Committee until June 2027. (For more information, see our 10 June Whats in Blue story.)

Council members received the Monitoring Teams latest report on 17 November 2025. The report says that while the Taliban have brought a measure of peace and security to Afghanistan since seizing power, some groups have not benefited from the increase in stability, including women, girls, and minority groups. It says that the situation is particularly dire for women and girls, noting that Afghan women face barriers in access to healthcare, high levels of unemployment, and the second-widest gender gap in the world.

The report also analyses internal dynamics within the Taliban. It describes rifts between Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzadas Kandahar base and the Haqqani Network, including in relation to girls education, while noting that the Taliban leadership has been able to manage these disagreements and remain unified and obedient to Akhundzada.

The governance challenges faced by the Taliban are another focus of the report. It notes that Afghanistans economy is recovering at a slow pace but remains weak, with an uncertain outlook overall due to fiscal pressures, a widening trade deficit, and persistent poverty and food insecurity. It also refers to several exogenous shocks that have affected the economy, including a reduction in foreign aid, natural disasters, and geopolitical tensions that have disrupted trade and deterred investment, and says that the situation has been exacerbated by the forced return of more than 4.5 million Afghan citizens from neighbouring states since October 2023.

According to the report, terrorism is the most serious challenge for the Taliban. It says that the Talibans assertions that terrorist groups have no footprint in Afghanistan and do not operate from the country are not credible, and notes that a wide range of member states have consistently reported that Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-K), Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaida, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, and other groups are present in the country. It also says that attacks conducted by the TTP against Pakistan from Afghan soil are a particularly significant challenge that have led to cross-border military confrontation, loss of life, and economic consequences arising from the closure of border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and says that this issue is the greatest short-term threat to the Talibans stability.

The report outlines several recommendations for the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee. It recommends that the Committee revisit its guidelines for the conduct of its work in order to clarify and facilitate member states compliance with the travel ban and asset freeze measures. It also says that the Monitoring Team would welcome the Committees support in requesting assistance from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Central Asia and strengthening engagement with the countering terrorist travel programme of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). The report further highlights the increased use of cryptocurrencies by terrorist groups, particularly ISIL-K, and recommends that the Committee write to member states asking them to share relevant information and analysis.

In other developments, it appears that the US blocked the majority of requests submitted to the Committee for exemptions to the travel ban in 2025. In correspondence sent to Committee members in August, the US indicated that it would scrutinise travel ban exemption requests more closely, on a case-by-case basis. The letter apparently also noted that the Taliban continues to use hostage diplomacy and accused the Taliban of failing to deliver on its counter-terrorism commitments. In response, it seems that some member states have resorted to notifying the Committee of travel by designated individuals rather than submitting exemption requests.

Key Issues and Options

The renewal of the Monitoring Teams mandate is a key issue for the Council in February. The Council could choose to extend the mandate for another year without making any substantive changes, as it has generally done in recent years.

Council members may also wish to consider reviewing the 1988 Afghanistan sanctions regime more broadly. Such a review could analyse whether the regime is fit for purpose and how it could be updated following the Talibans seizure of power in August 2021. To assist with this review, members could choose to request a report from the Monitoring Team outlining possible options for updating the regime in light of the changed situation on the ground.

Council Dynamics

In general, the Monitoring Team appears to enjoy broad support among Council members. During the last round of negotiations regarding its mandate in December 2024, Council members agreed from the outset that it should be extended without making any substantive changes. The negotiations instead focused on preambular language, including text relating to the ratification of the Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the Talibans directive banning women and girls from attending classes at private medical institutions, the adverse effects of climate change, the indispensable role of women in Afghan society, and access to humanitarian assistance and basic services for women and girls. (For more information, see our 12 December 2024 Whats in Blue story.)

China and Russia have previously pushed for the reinstatement of the standing exemption to the travel ban that expired in August 2022 after the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee failed to reach consensus regarding its renewal. (First introduced by the Committee in April 2019, the exemption authorised specified Taliban officials to travel abroad to attend peace and stability discussions in a range of countries. The exemption was renewed by the Committee at regular intervals until August 2022.) During negotiations regarding the Monitoring Teams mandate in December 2023, China proposed adding operative language reintroducing the standing exemption to the travel ban and a related exemption to the assets freeze. While this was supported by Russia, it was opposed by a majority of other members, some of whom apparently argued that the resolution renewing the Monitoring Teams mandate was not an appropriate instrument for reintroducing the travel ban exemption, and the proposal was not incorporated into the final resolution. (For more information, see our 13 December 2023 Whats in Blue story.)

The US is the penholder on Afghanistan sanctions issues. At the time of writing, the appointment of the chair of the Committee for 2026 had not been finalised. Pakistan was appointed as chair of the Committee in 2025.

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Workers of China Railway Nanning Group Co., Ltd conduct maintenance work in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 29, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's annual Spring Festival travel rush will begin on Monday, with inter-regional trips expected to hit a record 9.5 billion.

The surge is driven by overlapping demand for family reunions and tourism during a longer holiday, analysts said.

Road travel by private cars is expected to remain dominant, accounting for roughly 80 percent of inter-regional trips, according to authorities.

Passenger volumes on railways and civil aviation are forecast at 540 million and 95 million, respectively, with both total traffic and daily peak flows expected to surpass previous records.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Feb. 17 this year. The official holiday lasts nine days, with the travel rush running through March 13.

As the festival is one of the country's most important occasions for family reunions, authorities are boosting capacity, particularly at major transport hubs, to ensure safe and smooth travel for all passengers.

Editor: Xiong Jian
AFRICA

Central African Republic

Expected Council Action

In February, the Security Council will hold a briefing and consultations on the Secretary-Generals latest report on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Special Representative for the Central African Republic (CAR) and Head of MINUSCA, Valentine Rugwabiza, is expected to brief.

Key Recent Developments

On 13 November 2025, the Security Council adopted resolution 2800, extending MINUSCAs mandate for one year, until 15 November. The resolution was adopted with 14 votes in favour and one abstention (the US). (For more information, see our 12 November Whats in Blue story.)

In late November 2025, following the renewal of the mandate, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix visited the CAR. During his visit, he reportedly held discussions with the countrys authorities on MINUSCAs work in support of CARs stability, despite prevailing financial constraints. Like all other UN peacekeeping missions, MINUSCA is affected by the UNs liquidity crisis, and it has implemented contingency measures to address this challenge. Lacroix also met with political parties ahead of the combined 28 December 2025 presidential, legislative, and local elections, highlighting MINUSCAs role in supporting the electoral processes.

In line with its mandate, MINUSCA provided logistical and technical support for the elections, including the transportation of ballot papers and other electoral materials to polling stations nationwide. The mission also supported civic education and voter awareness campaigns, and reinforced election security in coordination with the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) and the police. According to the National Election Authority (ANE), more than 2.4 million voters were registered to participate in the combined elections, with a reported turnout of 52 percent.

Based on provisional results for the presidential elections announced by the ANE on 5 January, President Faustin Touadera reportedly won with 76 percent of the vote. He was widely expected to secure a third term following a controversial 2023 constitutional referendum that scrapped presidential term limits. The results were subsequently certified by the countrys constitutional court on 19 January, after which the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, congratulated Touadera on his re-election. His inauguration has been scheduled for 30 March.

However, two former prime ministers who contested the presidential election reportedly rejected the results, alleging electoral fraud. Opposition parties and civil society organisations also raised concerns about the shrinking political space and the lack of inclusivity ahead of the elections. The main opposition coalition, the Bloc Republicain pour la Defense de la Constitution du 30 mars 2016 (BRDC), reportedly boycotted the electoral processes, citing concerns over their credibility and fairness.

With the support of MINUSCA, the CAR government has expanded its territorial control across much of the country. Nevertheless, insecurity persists in certain areas, particularly in the southeast, where armed group activity remains prevalent. In the northeast, spillover effects from the ongoing conflict in Sudan have also further exacerbated the countrys fragile security situation.

According to the AU, the elections were conducted peacefully overall, with the exception of the Haut-Mbomou prefecture in the southeast, where the security situation has remained precarious. This is largely due to the Azande Ani Kpi Gbe, a militia group accused of serious human rights violations, which media reports indicate has carried out targeted attacks against local security forces, state officials, soldiers and police, including on election day. The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) issued a statement reinforcing the AUs observations but noted some logistical challenges and issues related to inclusion in the electoral processes.

Human Rights-Related Developments On 30 November 2025, the MINUSCA Human Rights Division (HRD) released its monthly report on the human rights situation in the CAR. During the reporting period, the brief observed 232 violations and abuses of international human rights law (IHRL) and breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL). Of this number, 298 victims were affected, including 188 men, 25 women, 28 girls, 43 boys, and 14 groups of collective victims. Compared to October 2025, there was an increase in the number of violations/abuses (52%) as well as in the number of victims (3%) reported. The HRD also documented 28 cases of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), with some of these cases perpetrated alongside other human rights violations and abuses, involving cruel, inhumane treatment, abduction, and the recruitment and use of children. In a 29 October 2025 press release, Yao Agbetse, the independent expert on the situation of human rights in the CAR, called for strengthening MINUSCAs human rights mandate to support peacebuilding in the country. The expert warned that peace and development without human rights will most likely result in injustice and instability, ultimately sowing the seeds of future conflict. To that end, Agbetse urged the Security Council to ensure full and effective human rights mainstreaming across the entire UN system in the CAR, as well as to support the country in forging a credible, sustainable path toward peace, democracy, and the realisation of human rights for all, among other recommendations.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Council is the conduct and outcome of the 28 December 2025 elections. A related issue is the post-election situation in the CAR. The Secretary-Generals upcoming report is expected to provide updates on the implementation of MINUSCAs mandate in support of the electoral processes. Council members could consider issuing a press statement welcoming the holding of the combined elections, noting Touaderas re-election and encouraging all parties to address any electoral disputes through dialogue.

Despite improvements in the countrys overall peace and security situation, another important issue is insecurity linked to armed group activity that persists in parts of the CAR. In particular, Council members remain concerned about the security situation along the countrys borders, including the spillover effects of the conflict in Sudan. In this regard, they may reiterate their call for armed groups that are not signatories to the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic (APPR-RCA by its French acronym) to lay down their arms and engage in the political process through dialogue.

Another key issue likely to be a focus following the general elections is the possible handover of certain MINUSCA tasks to the CAR government or the UN country team. Pursuant to resolution 2800, the Secretary-General is requested to submit a report with detailed proposals and recommendations by 15 September. In this context, there is particular interest in sunsetting the missions electoral division, and the Secretary-General is expected to include the missions plans in this regard in his report.

The UNs liquidity crisis and its impact on the missions operational capacity remain an ongoing concern. The situation is likely to persist this year, requiring the mission to continue implementing austerity measures to mitigate its effects.

Some Council members have expressed concerns regarding the implementation of the Status of Forces Agreement (SoFA) and are likely to continue underscoring the need for the CAR government to comply with its provisions. The Secretary-Generals forthcoming report is expected to provide updates on this issue.

Council Dynamics

Council members support MINUSCAs work and appreciate its contribution in stabilising the country. Most members are also concerned about the impact of the UNs liquidity crisis on the missions work. At the Councils 27 October 2025 meeting on the CAR, several members cautioned that the contingency measures implemented by the mission to mitigate the impact of the liquidity crisis could undermine its ability to fulfil its mandated tasks and risk reversing the security gains achieved in the country. The US, however, argued that in light of continued progress in the CAR, MINUSCA should begin working with the authorities in Bangui to gradually hand over its responsibilities.

The US also abstained on resolution 2800, expressing reservations about the one-year extension of the missions mandate. It instead favoured a six-month renewal, using the national elections as a key milestone for adjusting the mandate. The US also called for a larger reduction in troop levels, given progress on the ground, and stressed the need for a more realistic budget in the context of ongoing reform efforts and the UN liquidity crisis.

France is the penholder on the CAR.

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ASIA

DPRK (North Korea)

Expected Council Action

In February, Council members are scheduled to discuss the 90-day report on the work of the 1718 Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee in closed consultations.

Ordinarily, the Chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee briefs Council members on the report. At the time of writing, the Chair had not been appointed as Council members continue to negotiate this years allocation of subsidiary bodies. If the Chair is not appointed by the time the meeting is scheduled to take place, the UK, the president of the Council during February, is likely to brief members on the report in its capacity as president. Greece served as Chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee last year after the appointments were finalised in May 2025.

Key Recent Developments

Tensions have continued to simmer on the Korean Peninsula. On 4 January, the DPRK fired several ballistic missiles towards the sea off its coast. On 27 January, the DPRK fired two short-range ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast. Several analysts have suggested that the tests may be linked to the upcoming DPRK Workers Party Congress, which is held every five years and is expected to begin in February.

The 4 January launches, which were the first ballistic missile tests conducted by the DPRK since early November 2025, took place hours before the Republic of Korea President Lee Jae-myung was scheduled to begin a state visit to China. During the visit, Lee asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to act as a mediator between the DPRK and the ROK. The move was part of Lees push to reopen dialogue with the DPRK, which he has pursued since taking office in June 2025.

Lees overtures appear to have been rejected by the DPRK. In a 13 January statement, Kim Yo-jong, DPRK leader Kim Jong-uns sister, reportedly described the ROKs push for improved relations as an illusion. The statement was a response to alleged incursions into DPRK airspace by drones flown from the ROK. The ROK government has denied responsibility for the incursions and has imposed travel bans on three ROK civilians as part of an investigation into the allegations.

On 21 December, officials working on nuclear issues from the ROK and Russia reportedly held closed-door talks in Moscow. The meeting was the first between nuclear officials from the two countries since October 2024, when relations deteriorated after reports of DPRK troops being deployed to fight against Ukraine first emerged.

On 4 November 2025, US Department of the Treasury announced that it had imposed sanctions on eight individuals and two entities for their role in laundering funds derived from a variety of schemes involving the DPRK, including cybercrime and information technology worker fraud. The announcement came shortly after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth travelled to the ROK for the annual security consultative meeting between the two countries, where he was expected to push for a more flexible posture for US troops stationed in the ROK. Several weeks after the trip, the ROK and the US announced that they had reached an agreement on a deal for the ROK to build nuclear submarines in partnership with the US.

In early December 2025, the US released its 2025 National Security Strategy. For the first time since the DPRK withdrew from the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in 2003, the document did not refer to denuclearising the DPRK, fuelling speculation that the Trump administration may seek a diplomatic breakthrough with the DPRK in 2026. On 23 January, the US Department of War released its National Defence Strategy. Regarding the Korean Peninsula, the strategy document says that the ROK is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring the DPRK with critical but more limited US support, describing the apparent change in US policy as a shift in the balance of responsibility that is better aligned with [US] defence priorities. The document also omitted references to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

On 27 January, US President Donald Trump announced an increase in tariffs on certain ROK exports. In a social media post, Trump accused the ROK of failing to deliver on a trade deal between the two countries.

Against this backdrop, the DPRK has continued to pursue better relations with China and Russia. According to media reports, trade between China and the DPRK reached pre-pandemic levels in 2025 for the first time since 2020. In a New Years greeting sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un reportedly said that the relationship between the two countries had been strengthened through sharing blood, life and death in Ukraine and hailed their invincible friendship.

On 12 January, the participating states of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) held an open briefing on the MSMTs second report, which was published on 22 October 2025. (The MSMT was established in October 2024 by Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the ROK, the UK, and the US after the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee expired following a Russian veto. Its aim is to monitor and report on violations and evasion of the measures imposed by the 1718 DPRK sanctions regime.) In a 22 October press release, the MSMTs participating states said that the report details the deep connections between UN-designated DPRK entities and the DPRKs malicious cyber activities, including cryptocurrency theft, fraudulent IT work, and cyber espionage.

In a 19 November 2025 statement delivered to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, in describing the DPRKs ongoing nuclear enrichment activities, noted that the DPRKs nuclear test site at Punggye-ri remains prepared to support a nuclear test, and labelled the continuation and further development of the DPRKs nuclear programme as clear violations of Council resolutions.

On 17 November 2025, International Maritime Organization (IMO) staff visited the DPRK to conduct a technical audit. The visit marked the first occasion that international UN staff entered the DPRK since Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Qu Dongyu visited the DPRK in July 2024.

Human Rights-related Developments

On 18 December 2025, the General Assembly adopted resolution 80/220 on the situation of human rights in the DPRK. Among other matters, the resolution condemned the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in and by the DPRK and encouraged the Security Council to take appropriate action to ensure accountability.

Sanctions-related Developments

On 5 December 2025, the US submitted a listing proposal to the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee in relation to seven vessels accused of violating UN sanctions against the DPRK. It seems that China and Russia put a hold on the request until mid-June.

Key Issues and Options

The Council is dealing with several issues on the DPRK file. The DPRKs ongoing development of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, which violates numerous Council resolutions, is a major concern. Sanctions evasion is also a problem, as is the overall effectiveness of the sanctions regime, particularly given that the DPRK is widely believed to have increased its nuclear arsenal since the sanctions regime was first introduced. The DPRKs continuing refusal to participate in denuclearisation dialogue and the humanitarian and human rights situations are also challenges for the Council.

In response, Council members could consider introducing a resolution that condemns the DPRKs nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, urges member states to comply with existing resolutions, and calls on the DPRK to return to dialogue. It could also consider updating and strengthening the 1718 DPRK sanctions regime, with a view to increasing pressure on the DPRK and actors involved in sanctions evasion.

The lack of a panel of experts assisting the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee is another major issue. Council members could consider using the MSMT to fill this gap, although some members appear to feel that the MSMT does not carry the same authority as an entity mandated by the Council. Given these concerns, Council members who are also part of the MSMT or who support its work could explore options for enhancing its credibility, such as expanding its membership and providing more information about the way in which it operates. These members could also hold an informal meeting to discuss how the MSMTs reports can be used to assist the Council and the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee.

UN agencies with relevant expertise, such as the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), could also be asked to brief the Committee regarding the DPRKs nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Council Dynamics

The Council is sharply divided over the DPRK, and this dynamic appears to have worsened as cooperation between the DPRK and Russia has grown. The P3 (France, the UK, and the US) and other like-minded Council members generally favour using sanctions to help manage the threat posed by the DPRK and regularly call on member states to comply with existing Council resolutions. Many of these members have urged the DPRK to engage in dialogue and abandon its nuclear weapons programme while emphasising that it is responsible for escalating tensions. Some have also called for the Council to show unity and respond to the DPRKs weapons tests and argue that China and Russia have emboldened the DPRK by blocking Council action on the file. Several of these members have strongly criticised the growing cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including by highlighting evidence of arms transfers from the DPRK to Russia and noting that these transfers violate Council resolutions. Some have also called for the reinstatement of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee.

China and Russia, on the other hand, blame the US and its allies for heightening tensions and have accused the US of not doing enough to incentivise the DPRK to participate in denuclearisation talks. These two members have previously argued that sanctions should be eased because of their impact on the humanitarian situation in the country and have also repeatedly blocked attempts to issue a Council product responding to missile launches carried out by the DPRK in recent years.

The US is the penholder on the DPRK.

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In Hindsight: The Security Councils Muted Response to the Venezuela Crisis

On 3 January, the US conducted a military operation in Venezuela that removed President Nicolas Maduro Moros and his wife, Cilia Flores, from the country. These actions are widely regarded by analysts as a violation of international law, including the UN Charter. Many observers have noted that the action undermines the rules-based global order and sets a dangerous precedent, arguing that international law is clearly violated if countries unilaterally take military action to remove leaders of other countries that they deem illegitimate. It also served as another stark example of the Security Councils inability to respond to threats to international peace and security when one of its permanent members is directly involved.

Maduros ouster was the culmination of months of rising tensions surrounding Venezuela. Since mid-August 2025, the US has increased its military presence in the southern Caribbean, off the coast of Venezuela, citing the need to curtail the flow of drugs into its territory. As part of this campaign, the US has been attacking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean that Washington alleges are smuggling drugs.

The Security Councils response to events surrounding Venezuela has so far been limited to the holding of three open briefings. At Venezuelas request, the Council met twice to discuss the escalation around the country, on 10 October 2025 and 23 December 2025. It also held an emergency meeting to discuss Maduros ouster on 5 January, its first official meeting of the year, at the request of new Council member Colombia. After Colombia requested the meeting, Venezuela also sent a letter requesting an emergency Council meeting, and China and Russia supported the meeting request. (For background, see our 23 December 2025 and 5 January Whats in Blue stories.)

About a month has passed since the US operation, which many describe as a seismic event, yet there have been no proposals for a Council product or a meeting to follow up on developments in the country. There have also been no initiatives to discuss the matter at the General Assembly. This contrasts with past occasions, where attempts were made to respond to violations of the UN Charter through a Council product, even if the scope for action was limited due to the involvement of a veto-wielding permanent Council member.

Reactions to Recent Developments in Venezuela

As the US was massing forces in the southern Caribbean and carrying out strikes on boats allegedly involved in drug traffickingwhich UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said violates international human rights law and described as extrajudicial killingCouncil members statements revealed divergent positions on the matter. In both the 10 October 2025 and 23 December 2025 meetings, the US alleged that Maduro was involved in narco-terrorist activities that pose a threat to US security. The US also reiterated that it does not view Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, as Washington does not recognise him as the winner of the countrys 28 July 2024 presidential election. (The results of these elections have been strongly disputed by several national and international actors.) The US repeated these accusations after the 3 January operation as reasons for Maduros removal.

All other Council members couched their interventions in the language of the UN Charter, but with significant variations. China and Russiawhich have close ties with Venezuela, with China being the biggest buyer of Venezuelan oilstrongly criticised the US, accusing it of violating the UN Charter and of heightening tensions and threatening regional and international peace and security. At the 23 December 2025 meeting, Russia said that the US actions violate all key norms of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS], Security Council resolutions and the Charter of the United Nations itself.

The remaining Council membersincluding the African and European memberswere reluctant to directly criticise the US. Instead, they made general statements on the need to de-escalate the situation in the Caribbean region through dialogue and to uphold international law, including the principles of the UN Charter. Among other things, these members emphasised the importance of combatting transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking, while stressing that this should be done in compliance with international law and relevant international frameworks such as UNCLOS.

In the lead-up to the 3 January operation, there was one attempt to have the Council pronounce itself on developments relating to Venezuela. In late October 2025, Russia circulated a draft presidential statement that expressed concern about the escalation in the Caribbean region. The draft text apparently did not explicitly mention Venezuela or the US and incorporated general messages that were conveyed by most Council members at the 10 October 2025 Council meeting, including the need for states to exercise maximum restraint and resort to dialogue, diplomacy, and multilateral mechanisms. The draft text also underscored the inadmissibility of the use of the Caribbean Sea for illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, while emphasising that actions to address this issue should conform with international law and the UN Charter. It seems that while many members could agree with the messages contained in the text, the US opposed having a product on the issue, leading Russia to withdraw the draft from consideration.

After the 3 January operation, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement expressing deep concern that the rules of international law have not been respected. China and Russia, as well as outside observers, were more equivocal in calling the US military incursion an act that breaches international law.

While messaging from the US on the one hand, and China and Russia on the other, remained similar to those made in the run-up to the operation, there was a change in tone from some members.

Among the US traditional allies on the Council, France was perhaps the most critical at the 5 January meeting, underscoring that [t]he military operation that led to the capture of Nicolas Maduro contravenes the principles of peaceful settlement of disputes and non-use of force. It added that [t]he proliferation of violations of the United Nations Charter and international law by States vested with the responsibility of permanent members of this Council undermines the very foundations of the international order.

Denmark, for instance, also made a stronger statement compared with its previous interventions on developments in Venezuela. Among other things, it echoed Guterres 3 January statement, which noted that [i]ndependently of the situation in Venezuela, these developments constitute a dangerous precedent. However, as did other European and African members, it conveyed general messages on the need to uphold international law, without directly stating that the US military action violated these principles.

How to respond to the developments in Venezuela was a first major test for Colombia, which had just started its 2026-2027 Security Council term representing the Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC). Colombia was the first Council member to request the 5 January meeting (later supported by China and Russia). Its statement at the meeting took a strong and principled position, calling the events that occurred on 3 January grave violations of Venezuelas sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity, as well as of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. It also warned of the serious implications of a situation where a permanent Council member uses force with the aim of taking another countrys natural resources, adding that if such a Council member disregards international law, what is the role of this Council and what are the foundations for international peace and security.

Reactions to the 3 January operation need to be viewed in the light of some of the US threats to other countries in the region, such as Colombia, and concerns that the US could continue pursuing a strategy whereby it uses its military strength to seize territory and resources. Trump has referenced such aspirations in the past, promising to annex Greenland and take back the Panama Canal. Although these are issues that directly concern three current Council members, they were not directly raised at the 5 January Council meeting.

Historical Precedent

Historical analysis offers some examples of possible avenues for action in the face of violations of international law involving a permanent member of the Security Council. The recent development in Venezuela bears some parallels to the US 1989 incursion into Panama, during which it removed General Manuel Noriega, the de facto ruler of the country at the time. Following that operation, seven Council members who belonged to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)Algeria, Colombia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Nepal, Senegal, and Yugoslaviaput forward a draft resolution condemning the American invasion of Panama. The draft text called the US intervention in the country a flagrant violation of international law and of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and requested the Secretary-General to monitor developments in Panama and to report to the Council within 24 hours. The draft resolution was vetoed by France, the UK, and the US, marking the last instance in which France and the UK used their veto.

The UN General Assembly subsequently adopted a text similar to that proposed at the Security Council by a vote of 75 in favour and 20 against, with 40 abstentions. The General Assembly meeting to adopt a resolution provided a platform for the wider UN membership to express their position on the US action, with many criticising it as a violation of the principle of non-interference in other countries internal affairs.

Before the US invasion of Panama, which started on 20 December 1989, the Security Council held two meetings at Panamas request to discuss the heightened tensions in the country, in April and August of that year. At the last meeting before the invasion, held on 11 August 1989, then-Panamanian Foreign Minister Jorge Eduardo Ritter urged the Council to take action to avert armed conflict, stressing that if Panama became a precedent, it would trample underfoot all the guarantees in the Charter for countries lacking military power, because the interpretation, scope and applicability of the principles and provisions of the text establishing the Organization would be subject to the unilateral whims of a nation having the force to impose its will. Among other things, Ritter urged the Council to deploy military observers and asked the Secretary-General to dispatch a good offices mission to observe the situation on the ground and promote de-escalation. These requests were not taken up by the Council or the Secretary-General.

A similar case study can be found in the response to the October 1983 invasion of the island of Grenada by the US and a coalition of Caribbean countries. Council members Guyana, Nicaragua, and Zimbabwealso NAM membersproposed a draft resolution that deplored the armed intervention in Grenada, describing it as a flagrant violation of international law and of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of that State, and calling for the immediate withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. The resolution was not adopted owing to a veto cast by the US. The General Assembly subsequently adopted a similar resolution by a vote of 108 in favour and nine against, with 27 abstentions.

Although significantly different in terms of scope and effects, the case of Ukraine can serve as a more recent example of a response to a violation of the UN Charter by a permanent Council member. Russias invasion of the country in February 2022 galvanised the Security Councils attention, prompting the holding of 50 Council meetings in that year alone. In 2022, the Council voted on four draft resolutions on Ukraine: two proposed by Albania and the US, which were vetoed by Russia, and two proposed by Russia that failed to be adopted due to insufficient votes.

The gridlock over Ukraine at the Council brought a renewed focus on possible avenues for greater cooperation and accountability through the General Assembly. In February 2022, following its own failure to adopt a draft resolution deploring Russias aggression against Ukraine, the Council adopted a Uniting for Peace resolution, referring to the General Assembly a situation on which its permanent members are deadlocked for the first time in 40 years. This initiative established the ongoing 11th emergency special session (ESS), during which the General Assembly adopted eight resolutions on Ukraine since 2022. (For more information, see our 31 January 2023 In Hindsight: The Security Council, One Year after Russias Invasion of Ukraine.)

More broadly, analysts have suggested that a more proactive stance by the broader UN membership can help address situations where the Council is gridlocked, noting that the General Assembly mandated the first armed peacekeeping mission and that the body has the ability to dispatch fact-finding missions.

Future Outlook

As some Council members stated after the US military incursion into Venezuela, inaction by the Council following acts that clearly violate the UN Charter undermines its credibility as the organ entrusted with the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Despite this, it does not appear that any action on Venezuela is expected either at the Security Council or the General Assembly in the near future, unless another major escalation occurs in the country.

It may be difficult in the current climate to find a member state or a group that would champion a response to the developments in Venezuela. Although NAM countries were active in the Cold War era in joining together to propose products at the Security Council to denounce violations of international law, they have been less active in doing so since. The bloc has pronounced itself on the matter, however, with the NAM Coordinating Bureau issuing a communique on 5 January that categorically condemned the US military action in Venezuela as an act of aggression. Uganda, as chair of the NAM, delivered a statement on behalf of the bloc at the 5 January Council meeting, which demanded full respect for Venezuelas sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence, and right to self-determination. Other member states participated in that Council meeting, many of which condemned the US actions. For instance, the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nationswhich includes Venezuela among its membersstressed at the meeting that the US action constitutes a violation of the Charter and a threat to multilateralism.[1]

In the case of Venezuela, the need to strike a balance between principles and geopolitical considerations appears to be a decisive factor that tempers members appetite for action. The restraint shown by some members, including the Europeanswho have been vocal on violations of international law in the context of Russias invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, has led to accusations of double standards. Analysts have noted that some European member states are worried that a stronger stance could alienate the US, risking the loss of its support for Ukraine.

Colombia is in a similarly sensitive position, as it is currently working on diffusing its bilateral tensions with Washington. In an unexpected about-face after a year of heated rhetoric between Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro Urrego, the two leaders held a telephone call on 8 January that resulted in an invitation for Petro to meet Trump at the White House on 3 February.

Both China and Russia are not likely to propose any Council action without a request from Venezuela, which may be more cautious as it navigates its relationship with the US under the new circumstances. While Russia has condemned US actions in Venezuela as a violation of international law, its own conduct, especially with respect to Ukraine, leaves it vulnerable to criticism for hypocrisy and double standards.

The crisis in Venezuela has underscored a fundamental tension in an increasingly divided world between strategic interests and multilateral principles. The interplay between these two factors has led to a reluctance among member states to take strong action in response to US actions in Venezuela. It is worth considering at what point a failure to defend the norms and values codified in international law, including the UN Charter, threatens the long-term peace and security of UN member states that have long benefited from them.

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[1] The other members of the Group of Friends, which was formed in 2021, are: Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, China, Cuba, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Mali, Nicaragua, the State of Palestine, the Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Syria, and Zimbabwe.
AFRICA

Libya

Expected Council Action

In February, the Security Council will hold its 60-day briefing on the situation in Libya. Special Representative and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Hanna Serwaa Tetteh will brief the Council on recent political, security, and humanitarian developments in the country.

Background and Key Recent Developments

The political impasse in Libya continues between the UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU), based in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, with advisory support from the High State Council (HSC), and the eastern-based Government of National Stability (GNS), led by Prime Minister Osama Hamad and backed by the House of Representatives (HoR) and the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) under the command of General Khalifa Haftar. The parties remain deadlocked over proposed legislation to hold national elections that would reconcile the countrys divided government. A key point of contention is over the formation of a unified interim government to organise the electionsa move favoured by the GNS and HoR but opposed by the GNU and some segments of the HSC. The prolonged stalemate between the rival governments has persisted since the indefinite postponement of the 2021 elections.

During the Security Councils most recent briefing on Libya, held on 19 December 2025, Tetteh noted that there remains a lack of progress in implementing the political roadmap to lead Libya to national elections and unified institutions. (The roadmap announced by UNSMIL in August 2025 consists of three core pillars: adopting a viable electoral framework for presidential and legislative polls; unifying institutions under a new government; and launching a structured dialogue on governance, economic, security, and reconciliation issues to pave the way for these elections and address long-term conflict drivers.) Tetteh specifically highlighted the lack of progress on an agreement regarding the reconstitution of the High National Election Commission and the passage of a constitutional amendment establishing the legal framework for elections. She emphasised that achieving these two tasks is essential for credible elections in Libya. Tetteh reiterated that, in the absence of an agreement on the first two milestones of the political roadmap, she would be prepared to pursue a different course and present an alternative mechanism to the Council at the February meeting for the Councils support.

On 14-15 December 2025, UNSMIL facilitated the first session of the Structured Dialogue in Tripoli. The Structured Dialogue, which is one of the three core pillars of UNSMILs political roadmap, aims to create political conditions, consensus, and technical proposals required to advance the other two pillars: an electoral framework and a unified government. It is envisioned as an inclusive, countrywide consultative mechanism to inform decisions on the design of elections, the mandate of the interim executive, and institutional unification. UNSMIL has indicated that the Structured Dialogue is not a decision-making body for selecting a new government; rather, its purpose is to develop concrete recommendations to support an enabling environment for elections and address immediate governance, economic, and security challenges.

The Structured Dialogue consists of several tracks, each focused on a specific issue: governance, the economy, security, national reconciliation, and human rights. In January, the Structured Dialogue began its substantive work, with the governance track holding its first session in Tripoli, where it identified key issues related to a pre-election political agreement, the mandate of the government overseeing elections, state and local government structure, and electoral integrity. Other tracks of the dialogue also held substantive discussions on relevant issues. Tetteh noted that, as the dialogue moves into the next phase, the stakeholders have the responsibility to translate this momentum into focused and substantive discussions with pragmatic and implementable recommendations, that can address the current challenges facing the country.

In other developments, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan Army, along with four other Libyan military officials, died in a plane crash near Ankara, Turkiye, on 23 December 2025. The Libyan delegation was in Ankara holding official talks with Turkish counterparts. The plane crashed soon after taking off en route to Tripoli. Dbeibah called the tragedy a great loss for Libya and its military institution. Turkish authorities are currently investigating the causes of the crash. At the time of writing, they indicated that they had not identified any terrorist links.

On 1 December 2025, the German authorities surrendered Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri to the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The authorities in Germany arrested El Hishri on 16 July 2025 pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by the ICC. El Hishri was a senior official in the Special Deterrence Forces (SDF), an armed group in Tripoli, and one of the top officials at Mitiga Prison. The ICC Prosecutors Office alleges that he is responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in and around Mitiga Prison in Tripoli between February 2015 and early 2020.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Council is how best to support the roadmap for a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process that Tetteh presented in August 2025.

Council members have been focused on how to help foster common political ground between the countrys rival governments, but given the lack of progress in implementing the roadmap, one option might be to adopt a presidential statement, to signal the Councils continued strong support for UNSMILs efforts and urge the Libyan stakeholders to engage in good faith and make the necessary compromises to advance the implementation of the roadmap.

A core issue is UNSMILs ability to implement the various recommendations of the most recent strategic review of the mission in light of the UNs financial crisis and the UN80 initiative. The review recommended streamlining all the missions workstreams to prioritise its core task of supporting a political solution. It also recommended that UNSMIL maintain a consistent presence in eastern and southern Libya, with targeted expansions in Benghazi and Sabha.

Council members could seek a closed briefing specifically on whether UNSMIL has been able to implement the recommendations from the strategic review, as recommended by the latest mandate renewal resolution. Members may be particularly interested in whether the mission has been able to offset the costs through reallocation of resources, realigned staffing, and improved efficiency through cost-saving measures and external support services.

Council Dynamics

Council members remain united on the need for a Libyan-led, inclusive political process resulting in elections that will help to restore political, security, and economic stability to the country. They also remain broadly supportive of the UNs mediation role towards this end. Council members also share concerns about the volatile security situation in the country.

Council members are generally supportive of the political roadmap presented by Tetteh. During the most recent meeting on Libya in December 2025, most members emphasised the importance of the process being Libyan-led and Libyan-owned and fully inclusive of all political actors to ensure success. While many members welcomed the launch of the Structured Dialogue, Russia questioned whether such formats could serve as a solid foundation for long-term agreements, while noting the lack of sufficient representation of the eastern and southern parts of Libya.

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Overview

In February, the UK will hold the presidency of the Security Council.

The UK is planning to focus on two specific mandated meetings, which UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Yvette Cooper is likely to chair. The two meetings are: the 120-day briefing on the situation in Sudan and the monthly meeting on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

In February, the Council is scheduled to hold a briefing on the Secretary-Generals biannual strategic-level report on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh).

The annual briefing by UN Police Commissioners is also expected to take place during the month.

In addition to the meeting on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, other Middle Eastern issues on the programme include:

Syria , monthly meeting on the political and humanitarian situations; and

Yemen , the monthly briefing and consultations on the situation in the country.

In addition to the meeting on Sudan, other African issues that will be discussed in February are:

Libya , briefing and consultations on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL);

Central African Republic (CAR) , meeting on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA); and

South Sudan , briefing and consultations on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Regarding Asian issues, the Security Council is expected to renew the mandate of the Monitoring Team supporting the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee. The Council is also scheduled to receive a briefing on the work of the 1718 Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee. (At the time of writing, the Chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee had not been appointed as Council members continue to negotiate this years allocation of subsidiary bodies. If the Chair is not appointed by the time the meeting is scheduled to take place, the UK is likely to brief members on the report in its capacity as Council president.)

February marks the fourth anniversary of Russias invasion of Ukraine. The Council is likely to have one or more meetings on the file during the month.

Other issuesincluding Iran and Tigraycould be raised in February depending on developments. Members may also begin discussing the modalities for the Councils involvement in the selection process for the next Secretary-General following the announcement by the President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock on 14 January that she has scheduled interactive dialogues with the candidates for the post of Secretary-General for the week of 20 April.
AFRICA

South Sudan

Expected Council Action

In February, the Security Council will hold a briefing, followed by consultations, on the situation in South Sudan. Council members are expected to receive the Secretary-Generals 90-day report on South Sudan and developments in the country by 2 February.

The mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) expires on 30 April 2026.

Key Recent Developments

South Sudan continues to face a deteriorating security environment, amid ongoing hostilities across the country between the South Sudan Peoples Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO), alongside other opposition and allied groups. According to the UN, direct military confrontations have been reported in eight of the countrys ten states, at a scale that has not been reported since the signing of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) in 2018. These developments have significantly undermined R-ARCSS, with persistent ceasefire violations, stalled security sector reform, and entrenched political deadlock rendering the peace framework increasingly untenable.

In Jonglei state, hostilities intensified in late December 2025, with clashes and airstrikes reported in Nyirol, Uror, Ayod, and Duk counties as the SSPDF and the SPLA-IO, and allied forces mobilised for major confrontation. The SPLA-IO seized Pajut in northern Jonglei, placing the state capital, Bor, within closer reach of opposition forces. On 19 January, the SPLA-IO called on its forces to mobilise and advance toward Juba. In parallel, SSPDF Assistant Chief of Defence Forces and Agwelek militia commander General Johnson Olony instructed forces deployed in northern Jonglei not to spare any lives, including the elderly, as they prepared to confront opposition forces, heightening concerns about risks to civilians. The government had earlier declared a no-fly zone, and on 26 January ordered the evacuation of civilians, as well as UNMISS and humanitarian personnel, from Nyirol, Uror, and Akobo counties.

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the renewed fighting and airstrikes have triggered mass displacement and a worsening humanitarian crisis across Jonglei. More than 180,000 people have been displaced, with further displacement anticipated as insecurity persists. Civilians and aid workers face increasing risks amid severe disruptions to humanitarian operations, including reports of widespread looting of health facilities, the confiscation of humanitarian assets, and the relocation of aid personnel due to insecurity.

The political landscape in South Sudan has remained highly volatile, marked by President Salva Kiir Mayardits ongoing unilateral actions. Kiir has continued to reshuffle senior positions within his own party, the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM), and replaced opposition officials in the government with political loyalists. On 17 December 2025, he approved a series of amendments to the revitalised agreement that removed provisions linking elections to the completion of a permanent constitution. Kiir also dismissed 11 members of the Transitional National Legislature, all affiliated with the SPLM-IO and close to its leader, First Vice-President Riek Machar, and subsequently appointed new legislators aligned with a splinter faction of the SPLM-IO led by Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol.

On 20 January, Kiir dismissed interior minister Angelina Teny, a senior opposition figure and Machars wife, and appointed Aleu Ayieny Aleu, a veteran loyalist and former interior minister, as her successor.

As political and security conditions continue to deteriorate, UNMISS is operating under increasing strain while implementing a contingency plan in response to the UN-wide financial crisis and the Secretary-Generals contingency measures requiring a 15 percent reduction in peacekeeping expenditures. In early December 2025, the UN Department of Peace Operations circulated a white note indicating that internal adjustments, including the downsizing of civilian staff, were proceeding as planned; however, measures requiring host-government facilitation, particularly troop rotations, repatriation, and the movement of heavy equipment, were facing significant blockages.

These challenges followed a November 2025 note verbale from the government calling for the closure of the Wau and Bentiu UNMISS bases. In December, the transitional government further indicated that future flight clearances would be contingent on UNMISS withdrawal from Tambura in Western Equatoria. These delays, the white note said, have contributed to rising monthly operational costs for the mission. Media reports indicate that UNMISS began closing its base in Tambura in early January.

On 20 January, Council members held closed consultations on the situation in South Sudan, with a briefing by UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix. The meeting was requested by the US to discuss recent political developments in the country and the governments current posture toward UNMISS. During the consultations, Lacroix apparently indicated that implementation of the contingency plan was progressing and conveyed that the government had provided reassurances regarding the missions continued presence and cooperation. (For more information, see our 18 January Whats in Blue story.)

Human Rights-Related Developments

In an 18 January press release, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan expressed grave concern over South Sudans deteriorating political and security situation following reports of repeated airstrikes and intensified hostilities in multiple parts of Jonglei. The Commission warned that the deliberate undermining and continued erosion of the R-ARCSS are directly fuelling renewed conflict, with catastrophic consequences for civilians and for stability in South Sudan and the wider region. It urged all parties to immediately cease hostilities and halt military operations in civilian-populated areas.

On 9 January, the UNMISS Human Rights Division released its quarterly brief on violence affecting civilians, covering the period from July to September 2025. The report documented 295 incidents of conflict-related violence affecting 1,153 civilians, including 519 killed, 396 injured, 159 abducted, and 79 subjected to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Compared with the previous quarter (April-June 2025), abductions increased by 20 percent and CRSV cases rose by seven percent, underscoring a significant deterioration in the protection of civilians across multiple regions of the country.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Council is how to prevent South Sudan from sliding into a renewed cycle of large-scale conflict, while addressing the structural drivers of recurring violence and political instability. The current trajectory represents the most serious risk of relapse into civil war since the signing of the 2018 revitalised agreement.

A related issue is the fate of the peace agreement, which has been hollowed out by profound mistrust among political leaders, unilateral actions by the government (including the consolidation of power over state institutions, amendments to the peace agreement, and the weakening of opposition and allied groups), and recurring clashes between parties to the agreement.

Another matter of concern is the deteriorating protection and humanitarian situation, marked by mass displacement, restricted humanitarian access, and heightened risks to civilians and aid workers. As well, ensuring accountability for human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, and breaking entrenched patterns of impunity, remains central to the Councils consideration.

Council members may wish to consider adopting a resolution that expresses concern over the recent escalation, urges the parties to refrain from further military action, return to the permanent ceasefire, restore trust and resume dialogue in an inclusive manner involving all South Sudanese stakeholders to resolve differences by peaceful means.

Another important issue for the Council is how to preserve space for UNMISS to implement its mandate in an increasingly constrained operating environment, including amid host-government restrictions and significant financial pressures affecting peacekeeping operations. The missions continued presence remains critical to maintaining a degree of stability, protecting civilians, and mitigating violence across the country.

In this context, members may seek more regular briefings from OCHA and UNMISS on protection trends and humanitarian constraints. The Informal Expert Group on the Protection of Civilians could also consider convening a meeting to receive briefings from relevant UN entities on the impact of hostilities on civilian populations.

During the Council briefing in February, members could consider inviting a civil society representative to highlight ongoing challenges on the ground and the dire security and humanitarian situations.

Additionally, Council members could explore the possibility of undertaking a visiting mission to South Sudan to assess conditions first-hand and engage directly with parties to the R-ARCSS. (The last Council visiting mission to South Sudan took place in 2019.)

Council Dynamics

Council members share similar concerns regarding the significant challenges facing the revitalised agreement, the deteriorating security situation resulting from fighting among armed factions, ongoing sub-national and intercommunal violence, and the deepening economic and humanitarian crises.

However, Council members hold differing views on the overall assessment of the situation and the extent to which the Council should exert pressure on the parties to recommit to implementation of the revitalised agreement. The US has taken a more critical stance, characterising the crisis as man-made and pointing to what they view as a lack of political will by the South Sudanese authorities to advance the peace process. The US has also emphasised that the transitional government should prioritise the use of public revenues to fund essential services such as health and education, rather than personal enrichment, and has called for greater accountability of the host government. By contrast, members such as China and Russia have argued that the international community should exercise patience, prioritise support for regional mediation efforts, and avoid exerting excessive pressure, while backing the governments efforts to strengthen state institutions.

In December 2025, the US, the penholder on South Sudan, apparently circulated a draft press statement in response to the South Sudanese governments posture toward UNMISS amid the implementation of the contingency plan. While like-minded members were supportive of the initiative, China, Russia, and members of the A3 Plus grouping (Somalia and then-Council members Algeria, Guyana, and Sierra Leone) expressed reservations, pointing to the need to allow ongoing engagement between UN officials and the authorities in Juba to run its course. Following the 20 January closed consultations, the US reintroduced a new draft press statement, which, at the time of writing, remains under discussion among Council members.

The African members on the Council have generally shown understanding toward the concerns of the South Sudanese authorities and have highlighted what they view as positive steps taken by the government, while calling for continued and adequate support. While this approach is likely to continue with the current composition of the A3 members (the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Somalia), these members may be more receptive to concerns raised by some like-minded Council members regarding the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation, including the need for Council products in response to such developments. The A3 could be guided by a 27 January statement issued by the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, expressing serious concerns over the violations of the permanent ceasefire, and calling on the parties to de-escalate tensions and fully comply with their obligations under the peace agreement. The statement also urged strict adherence to the ceasefire and the power-sharing arrangement, calling for a return to inclusive, consensus-based decision-making. The A3 members may also await the outcome of the 23 January meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, which discussed the situation in South Sudan. At the time of writing, the communique had not yet been published.

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Status Update since our January Forecast

Venezuela

On 5 January, the Security Council held an open briefing on Venezuela under the Threats to international peace and security agenda item (S/PV.10085). Council member Colombia requested the emergency meeting following the US military operation in Venezuela on 3 January, during which it removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros and his wife, Cilia Flores, from the country. Venezuela also sent a letter on 3 January requesting an emergency Council meeting (S/2026/5), and China and Russia supported the meeting request. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo delivered a statement by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Council was also briefed by two civil society members, invited by China and Russia, and the US, respectively: Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and Mercedes De Freitas, Founder and Executive Director of Transparencia Venezuela.

Arria-formula Meeting on Peacebuilding

On 12 January, Somalia convened an Arria-formula meeting titled Advancing New Paradigms for Peacebuilding: Fortifying Inclusive and Sustainable Approaches to Peacemaking. Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman (Somalia) and Ambassador Ricklef Johannes Beutin (Germany), the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), provided opening remarks. Bert Koenders, Advisory Group Chair of the Principles for Peace Foundation, and Hiba Qasas, Founding Executive Director of the Principles for Peace Foundation, briefed the Security Council on ways of strengthening political settlements for longer-term, sustainable peacebuilding.

Ukraine

On 12 January, the Security Council held an open briefing on Ukraine (S/PV.10087). Council members Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, and the UK requested the meeting. The briefers at the meeting were Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of the Coordination Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Cyprus

On 15 January, the Council held closed consultations on the situation in Cyprus. Special Representative and Head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Khassim Diagne briefed the Council on the recent developments and key findings from two Secretary-Generals reports on UNFICYP: the semi-annual report on UNFICYP (S/2026/8), and the report on his good offices in Cyprus (S/2026/9). On 30 January, the Council adopted resolution 2815, renewing UNFICYPs mandate until 31 January 2027. While 13 members voted in favour of the resolution, Pakistan and Somalia cast abstentions.

Iran Protests

On 15 January, the Security Council held an open briefing on the recent protests in Iran (S/PV.10091). The US requested the meeting, which was held under the agenda item The situation in the Middle East. Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO), Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, briefed the Council, as did the Iranian-American journalists and political activists Masih Alinejad and Ahmad Batebi. Iran participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure.

Afghanistan

On 21 January, Council members issued a press statement condemning the 19 January terrorist attack that killed six Afghans and one Chinese national in Kabul (SC/16278). The press statement was penned by China.

Haiti

On 21 January, the Security Council held an open briefing on Haiti (S/PV.10093). Special Representative and Head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), Carlos Ruiz Massieu, briefed on recent developments in the country and the Secretary-Generals latest report on BINUH (S/2026/31). Acting Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), John Brandolino, briefed on the latest UNODC quarterly report on sources and routes of illicit arms and financial flows in Haiti (S/2026/32).

On 29 January, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2814 renewing the mandate of BINUH until 31 January 2027.

Colombia

On 23 January, the Security Council held an open briefing on Colombia (S/PV.10095). Special Representative and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, Miroslav Jenca, briefed on recent developments and the Secretary-Generals latest 90-day report on the mission (S/2025/849).

Rule of Law

On 26-27 January, the Council convened for a high-level open debate on Reaffirming international rule of law: Pathways to reinvigorating peace, justice, and multilateralism (S/PV.10096, Resumption I and II). The meeting was held under the agenda item The promotion and strengthening of the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and former judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Abdulqawi Yusuf briefed. More than 80 delegations participated in the open debate.

Middle East, including the Palestinian question

On 28 January, the Security Council held its quarterly open debate on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (S/PV.10098, Resumption I and II). The briefer was Ramiz Alakbarov, the Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator at the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO). Over 60 speakers among the wider UN membership and regional organisations took the floor.

UNRCCA (Central Asia)

On 29 January, Kaha Imnadze, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), briefed Council members on the UNRCCAs work in closed consultations.

Arria-formula Meeting on Upholding the Sanctity of Treaties

On 30 January, an Arria-formula meeting titled Upholding the Sanctity of Treaties for the Maintenance of International Peace and Security was convened at Pakistans initiative. Briefers included: David Nanopoulos, the Chief of the Treaty Section at the UN Office of Legal Affairs (OLA); Ahmer Bilal Soofi, the President of the Pakistani-based Research Society of International Law and former Federal Law Minister of Pakistan; Zeid Raad Al Hussein, the President of the International Peace Institute (IPI) and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Adil Najam, the Dean Emeritus and Professor of International Relations and of Earth and Environment at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University.
AFRICA

Sudan

Expected Council Action

In February, the Security Council is expected to receive the regular 120-day briefing on the situation in Sudan. The UK, which holds the Councils rotating presidency for the month of February, intends to elevate the briefing to ministerial level.

The Council was also scheduled to be briefed this month on the work of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee. At the time of writing, however, the Committees Chair had not yet been appointed, as Council members continued negotiations over the allocation of subsidiary bodies for the year. In this context, the UK proposed that the 1591 Committee meet its reporting requirements through a written statement.

Key Recent Developments

Conflict continues to escalate across multiple frontlines in Sudan as both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seek to consolidate territorial control and intensify efforts to seize and defend key strategic locations through ground operations, artillery shelling, heavy drone strikes and other aerial bombardments. The Kordofan region has emerged as a key epicentre of hostilities, while fighting persists in other parts of the country, including North Darfur and Sennar states. In South Kordofan state, the humanitarian situation in the towns of Dilling and Kadugli has continued to deteriorate.

Media reports indicate that on 26 January, SAF and allied forces entered Dilling, which had been under siege by the RSF for nearly two years, re-establishing access along the eastern road linking Dilling to North Kordofan state. The advance reopened supply routes into Dilling, allowing the SAF to resupply its garrison.

The security situation in Blue Nile State has also worsened as recent reports indicate renewed clashes and the risk of escalation as armed groups mobilise in southern and western parts of the state, heightening fears of broader instability in the border region with Ethiopia and South Sudan.

At the Councils 22 December 2025 meeting, Sudans Transitional Prime Minister, Kamil El-Tayeb Idris, presented a proposal calling for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, to be monitored by the UN, the African Union (AU) and the League of Arab States (LAS). The proposal included the RSFs complete withdrawal from areas under its control and the reintegration into society of RSF fighters not accused of war crimes. Idris also committed to holding free elections following a transitional period. The RSF, which controls much of Darfur and parts of Kordofan, rejected the plan. While UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took note of the initiative, the AU Commission Chairperson (AUCC) Mahmoud Ali Youssouf welcomed it, describing the proposal as a comprehensive and forward-looking framework.

On 11 January, Idris announced the official return of national institutions to the capital, Khartoum. The government had relocated to Port Sudan following the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023, when the RSF seized control of large parts of Khartoum. The SAF later recaptured the city in March 2025.

On 14 January, Egypt hosted the fifth consultative meeting on enhancing coordination among various peace initiatives on Sudan. Several regional and international interlocutors attended the meeting, including Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan Ramtane Lamamra and representatives of the AU, the European Union (EU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the LAS, Angola, China, Djibouti, France, Germany, Iraq, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the US.

On the margins of the meeting, Lamamra held discussions with representatives of the LAS, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, and the US. He also met with the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, following which they held a joint press conference. According to media reports, Abdelatty said that Egypt would not hesitate to take necessary measures to preserve Sudans unity and territorial integrity, and that there was no room for recognising parallel entities or equating Sudanese state institutions, including the Sudanese army, with any other militias.

On 26 December 2025, a UN team led by the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Denise Brown, conducted an assessment mission to El Fasher. This marked the first UN mission since the city was besieged by the RSF in May 2024 and subsequently came under RSF control in late October. In an interview following the visit, Brown described El Fasher as a crime scene, estimating that thousands of people may have been killed. During the visit, the team spoke with civilians who remain trapped in the city and visited the Saudi Hospital, which was reportedly the site of a massacre when the RSF stormed the city in October 2025.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher announced the delivery of humanitarian aid to El Fasher, marking the first such delivery since the city was besieged in May 2024. According to UNICEFs 22 January flash update, an interagency mission led by the UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator visited El Fasher on 13 January, with UNICEF, World Food Programme, UN Refugee Agency, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs participating.

Human Rights-Related Developments

In a statement issued on 18 January, following a five-day visit to Sudan, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that the war had plunged the country into an abyss of unfathomable proportions. During his visit to Port Sudan and Northern State, including Dongola, Ad Dabba, and Merowe, Turk met with national and local authorities, civil society actors, humanitarian organisations, journalists, lawyers, and civilians displaced from El Fasher. He called on the RSF and the SAF to cease attacks against civilian objects indispensable to the population, including markets, health facilities, schools and shelters. He urged all actors with influence, including regional arms suppliers, to act urgently to end the conflict.

Turk expressed grave concern that atrocity crimes committed during and after the takeover of El Fasher risk being repeated in Kordofan, citing reported advances by the RSF and Sudan Peoples Liberation MovementNorth (SPLM-N) forces towards SAF-controlled Kadugli, continued mass displacement, and extreme food insecurity, with famine conditions confirmed in Kadugli and a risk of famine in other areas, including Dilling.

Women, Peace and Security

In an 11 November 2025 statement, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, expressed grave concern at the atrocities perpetrated against civilians in the conflict in Sudan, particularly those fleeing North Darfur and North Kordofan states. The statement said that, following the takeover of El Fasher on 26 October 2025, women and girls escaping the violence reported horrific abuses by the RSF, including gang rape and other forms of sexual violence. Patten called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, condemned the large-scale and systematic use of sexual violence by the RSF, and urged all parties and their allies to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law. She called for coordinated international efforts to support investigations, preserve evidence, and ensure that survivors remain central to accountability processes. Patten also encouraged the Security Council to consider additional sanction measures under the 1591 sanctions regime against those who command and perpetrate sexual violence, and stressed the importance of comprehensive services for survivors, including medical and psychological support. She also recalled the commitment undertaken by the SAF to engage with her office in preventing and adequately responding to allegations of sexual violence perpetrated by some of its members.

Key Issues and Options

The overarching issue for the Council is how to bring an end to the ongoing fighting and support efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire across Sudan and a civilian-led political transition. The continued violence, insecurity, and targeted attacks against civilians, as well as civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, remain a major concern for Council members. Given the continuing hostilities, mediation efforts have consistently failed to achieve any meaningful breakthroughs. The conflict has shifted front lines across multiple regions, leaving the country fragmented and governance weakened. This fragmentation has exacerbated the widespread civilian suffering, mass displacement, and acute food insecurity.

An underlying issue for the Council remains how to effectively promote justice and accountability for the ongoing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law being perpetrated by Sudans warring parties across the country.

In February, Council members could consider adopting a presidential statement strongly condemning the ongoing violence across Sudan, including indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and demanding an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities. If members agree on such a presidential statement, they may wish to have a high-level press stakeout following the meeting to reinforce the points in the presidential statement.

They could also request the Secretary-General to adjust the reporting and briefing cycle on Sudan by providing more frequent updates than the current 120-day schedule, such as every 60 days, given that the existing frequency does not reflect the scale, severity, and urgency of the crisis.

Another important issue is the regional implications of the conflict, including the risk of cross-border spillover of violence. Reports of cross-border alliances and support networks, including the provision of sanctuary to fighters and the use of neighbouring countries as transit routes for weapons and supplies, have raised concerns about wider regional destabilisation.

An option for the Council would be to invite AUCC Youssouf to provide a briefing on the key challenges facing peace efforts in Sudan, the AUs role in revitalising these efforts, and the broader impact of the conflict on neighbouring countries and regional stability.

During the Council briefing in February, members could also consider inviting a civil society representative to brief on the human rights situation, including violence against women and girls in Sudan.

Another option for Council members would be to consider additional designations under the 1591 Sudan sanctions regime, targeting individuals responsible for sanctions violations.

Another option for Council members could be a visiting mission to Sudan to assess the situation on the ground and engage with relevant stakeholders. This mission could also provide an opportunity for Council members to visit the refugee camps in neighbouring countries, particularly Chad.

Council Dynamics

Most Council members share similar concerns about the dire political, security, and humanitarian situations in Sudan and have emphasised the need for a ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access, respect for international humanitarian law, and the importance of protecting civilians in the conflict. However, critical divisions persist within the Council, shaped by differing priorities and approaches to key issues, including the protection of civilians, the implementation of ceasefire mechanisms, and addressing accountability for violations of international humanitarian law. Several Council members, such as China, Pakistan, and Russia, tend to be more sympathetic to the Burhan-led government, underscoring its sovereign authority and its efforts to protect civilians and coordinate the delivery of humanitarian aid. Other Council members, particularly the P3 (France, the UK, and the US), however, consider both the RSF and SAF to be responsible for the ongoing atrocities in Sudan and unfit to govern the country.

The US has sought to step up efforts to reinvigorate peace talks on Sudan aimed at delivering tangible outcomes; however, a near-term breakthrough appears unlikely. At the same time, the US and European Council members have supported the use of targeted restrictive measures against individuals and entities responsible for perpetrating insecurity and violence across Sudan. Most recently, the US imposed sanctions on a transnational network primarily composed of Colombian nationals and companies involved in recruiting former Colombian military personnel and training fighters, including children, to fight for the RSF. The EU imposed restrictive measures on Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, the RSFs second-in-command, over his role in serious violations linked to the fighting. He has also been subject to US sanctions since September 2023.

Next months meeting will mark the first time that newly elected Council members Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Latvia, and Liberia deliver statements on the situation in Sudan since joining the Council in January. Latvia is expected to align closely with European members in emphasising international humanitarian law, protection of civilians, accountability, and support for diplomatic efforts. The DRC and Liberia, in line with African positions on Sudan, are likely to underscore the primacy of AU-led mediation and concerns about regional spillover. Bahrain is expected to stress the importance of intensifying efforts toward an immediate ceasefire and an urgent political solution, while expressing deep concern over the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation. Colombia may draw on its conflict-resolution experience and, amid recent media reports highlighting the recruitment of Colombian nationals as mercenaries to participate in the fighting in Sudan, may highlight the conflicts transnational dimensions.

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MIDDLE EAST

Syria

Expected Council Action

In February, the Security Council is expected to hold its monthly meeting on political and humanitarian developments in Syria. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone, a representative from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and a civil society representative are expected to brief.

Key Recent Developments

January witnessed major developments in northeastern Syria, as the Syrian interim government expanded control over vast swathes of territory previously controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). On 10 March 2025, interim government authorities in Damascus and the SDF reached an agreement for the militia to integrate into the governments armed forces and institutions by the end of the year. Implementation of the agreement stalled, however, as the SDF maintained demands for varying degrees of autonomy of its forces and decentralised rule of the northeastern governorates, which were sticking points for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his government. Since leading the ouster of former president Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa has been steering the political transition towards unifying Syria and consolidating armed groups under government control.

On 6 January, fierce clashes broke out between the SDF and government forces in the northern city of Aleppo. By 11 January, the Syrian armed forces had assumed control of Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoodtwo SDF-held neighbourhoods in Aleppoand SDF fighters were reportedly disarmed and withdrew from the city. The clashes resulted in 23 deaths and over 120,000 residents displaced.

Subsequently, Syrias government forces rapidly pushed their offensive eastward into SDF-controlled territory, and by 18 January had made significant advances into Raqqa, Al-Hasakah, and Deir Ezzor governorates, seizing control of critical infrastructure such as oilfields and the Euphrates Dam. Later that day, Sharaa announced that a ceasefire and integration agreement had been reached between the interim government and the SDF, which would see Damascus expand its control over the previously SDF-held governorates, and the full integration of the SDF into government institutions on an individual basis, rather than as full military units.

By 20 January, the ceasefire had reportedly been strained amid continued disagreements and clashes between the two parties. Later that day, the parties agreed to a truce in Al-Hasakah governorate, which Syrias Permanent Representative to the UN Ibrahim Olabi said would serve as a consultation period to develop a joint plan to integrate the area into government control.

The fighting has raised concerns regarding detention centres and camps housing thousands of Islamic State in Syria and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) fighters, and the women and children associated with them, in territory previously held by the SDF. The SDF has historically played a pivotal role in combating ISIL, as a key partner in the Global Coalition Against Daeshs campaign against the terrorist movement, and has overseen the imprisonment of a large number of ISIL fighters across northeastern Syria, with the support of the US. Between 19 and 20 January, the SDF relinquished control of the Shaddadi prison and the Al-Hol camp in the Al-Hasakah governorate to government authorities. The two sides traded blame over the escape of around 200 prisoners from Shaddadi, many of whom were reportedly recaptured. In her briefing to the Council on 22 January, OCHA Director of the Crisis Response Division Edem Wosornu said that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had taken over management of Al-Hol camp and is coordinating with the interim government to resume humanitarian assistance to the detainees.

On 20 January, US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack said that, following Syrias accession to the anti-ISIL coalition in 2025, and its willingness to take responsibility for security and control of ISIL detention facilities, the SDFs role in that regard has largely expired. The next day, the US also announced that it would be launching a mission to transfer ISIL detainees from northeast Syria to Iraq, which started with 150 fighters being transported out of Al-Hasakah.

On 30 January, the parties announced a comprehensive agreement which included the phased integration of the SDFs military and administration into the interim governments institutions. If peacefully implemented, the agreement will achieve full integration in the territory east of the Euphrates River and significantly advance Sharaas aim to unify Syria.

On 16 January, Sharaa issued Presidential Decree No. 13, whichfor the first time in Syrias historyofficially recognised Syrian Kurdish identity, recognised Kurdish as a national language, and granted citizenship rights for Syrian Kurds. Kurdish political leaders reportedly welcomed the decree, but demanded that such rights be enshrined in the constitution. In his briefing to the Council on 22 January, UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari said the decree is an encouraging initiative which can be built on to advance an inclusive political process in Syria.

Khiari also said that the UN Secretariat is seeking to establish the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria on the ground to engage with the interim government in Damascus more effectively and efficiently over matters pertaining to the political transition.

Syria continues to pursue negotiations with Israel aimed at resolving the issue of Israels military presence in southern Syria, which expanded after the toppling of Assad in December 2024. On 6 January, Israel, Syria, and the US held discussions in Paris, following which they issued a joint statement affirming a commitment to achieving mutual security. The statement said that Israel and Syria agreed to establish a joint communication mechanism, which would be supervised by the US, to facilitate coordination on intelligence, military de-escalation, diplomacy, and commercial opportunities between the two sides.

The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to be challenging, and in recent weeks, Syrians have had to grapple with renewed hostilities and displacement amid a particularly harsh winter. In her 22 January briefing to the Council, Wosornu said that despite difficulties, Syria continues to experience a surge in displaced persons returning to their homes, and that the UN has observed limited but encouraging improvements in humanitarian indicators. Urging continued progress, she said that the international community needs to increase involvement in recovery and development; provide sufficient and sustained humanitarian funding in the short term; and pursue diplomacy to prevent further violence and instability. In 2025, the Syria Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan was funded at only 33.5 percent. Projections for 2026 estimate 16.5 million Syrians in need and $3.2 billion in funding requirements.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Council is to ensure that Syrias interim government pursues a credible, transparent, and inclusive political process, while navigating a fraught security context compounded by intercommunal tensions, terrorism, and external interference. Central to this issue are Damascus efforts in pursuing disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) efforts, and in fostering social cohesion and transitional justice, including accountability and reconciliation.

Council members will continue monitoring the situation in the northeast of Syria, including the implementation of the 30 January SDF-integration agreement, and the threat of ISIL activity in the region. Depending on developments, members could consider adopting a presidential statement demanding that the parties adhere to the ceasefire and fully implement the agreement.

The UNs future role in Syria is another key issue for the Council. Based on an integrated strategic assessment internal report prepared by the UN Secretariat, the Secretary-General has considered what types of UN presence in Syria would be most suitable to meet the countrys current needs.

Following up on their recent mission to Damascus and in order to obtain a better idea of the Secretary-Generals thinking on this matter, Council members could convene an Informal Interactive Dialogue (IID) with the participation of Syria and relevant UN entities to discuss the most viable options for future UN and Council engagement in Syria and appropriate support for Syrias transition.

Another issue is the need to start reducing the countrys reliance on humanitarian aid through support and investment in recovery and development. Council members could consider holding a public briefing focused on the countrys need for support in reconstruction and economic rehabilitation, featuring briefings from representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Council members are aligned on the need for the Syrian authorities to advance an inclusive, Syrian-owned and Syrian-led political process based on the key principles of resolution 2254. They broadly agree that the threat of intercommunal violence cannot be addressed without advancing inclusive accountability measures, DDR and security sector reform (SSR) efforts, together with a credible political process in the country.

The Councils December visit to Damascus represented an important signal of unified support to Syrias transition, following years of division on the Syria file. Earlier in 2025, the US and Russia worked together on the 14 March presidential statement following violence perpetrated in Latakia and Tartous, while Denmark authored the 10 August presidential statement in response to violence in Suweida.

Sharaa has made apparent headway in garnering regional and international support. The Councils decision to delist him and his interior minister from the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL and Al-Qaida sanctions list was a significant step in this regard. According to SANASyrias state-owned news agencyon 19 January, Sharaa had a phone call with US President Donald Trump about the SDF developments, in which both affirmed a shared aspiration to see a strong and unified Syria. The US support for Damascus to integrate the SDFa longstanding US allyinto a unified Syrian state further signifies their increased backing of Sharaas government. Similarly, Turkiyewhich considers the SDF a threat to its border security due to its ties with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)has strongly supported a unified Syrian state and has celebrated Syrias advances into SDF territory. Sharaa seems to have also garnered the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin on this issue, and in a 28 January meeting between the two in Moscow, Putin congratulated the interim president on advances made to restore Syrias full territorial integrity.

Israels presence and military activities in Syria remain a contentious issue for Council members. Most members believe Israels actions are fostering instability in Syria and that it must comply with the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between the countries. In contrast, the US has predominantly characterised Israels actions as defensive in nature or tied to ensuring its national security and has pushed back against attempts by other members to introduce language criticising Israeli actions in Syria in recent Council products. The Permanent Representatives of Israel and Syria to the UN have more than once used the Councils monthly meeting on Syria to air their respective grievances regarding control and security in southern Syria.

Many Council members also agree on the need for the Syrian interim government to take decisive measures to address the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and ISIL/Daesh. China has been particularly vocal in calling on Damascus to take a stronger stance on FTFs in the country, some of whom have reportedly been integrated into the Syrian armed forces. Several FTFs constitute part of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, which China considers a terrorist organisation and is also listed under the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL/Daesh and Al-Qaida sanctions regime.

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PEACEMAKING, PEACEKEEPING AND PEACEBUILDING

UN Peacekeeping

Expected Council Action

In February, the Security Council will receive its annual briefing from the heads of police components of UN peace operations. The anticipated briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix; UN Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar; Police Commissioner of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) Mamouna Ouedraogo; and Police Commissioner of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Meinolf Schlotmann.

Key Recent Developments

Annual briefings by the heads of police components of UN peace operations began in 2014. In the past, these briefings were typically held in November during the annual UN Police Week; however, last year the briefing took place in February, and it is scheduled to be held in February again this year.

At last years meeting, Lacroix, Shahkar, Police Commissioner of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Christophe Bizimungu, and the Senior Police Adviser of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Mingzhu Xu, briefed. Lacroix used the opportunity to brief Council members on how UN Police (UNPOL) can position itself to meet current and future challenges. Shahkar highlighted the accomplishments and challenges of UNPOL and called for the Councils continued support. Bizimungu and Xu shared field perspectives in leading UN police operations in the CAR and Cyprus, respectively.

The meeting last year took place ahead of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial held in Berlin in May 2025. According to a press release issued at the conclusion of the Berlin Ministerial, 53 member states pledged to contribute to police capabilities in UN peacekeeping operations, including formed police units and individual police officers.

On 8 October 2025, the Department of Peace Operations announced that Olukemi Ibikunle, a Nigerian correctional officer deployed to MONUSCO, had won the third UN Trailblazer Award for Women Justice and Corrections Officers. The award, established in 2022, recognises the outstanding contributions of women justice and corrections officers serving in UN peace operations. This year, five women officers from various UN peace operations were shortlisted for the award. Ibikunle was selected in recognition of her role in developing an advanced high-security prison block for high-risk detainees as well as for designing a model prison blueprint for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The fifth UN Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS 2026), a biennial event bringing together Ministers, Chiefs of Police, and senior representatives of regional and professional policing organisations, is scheduled to take place in New York from 1-2 July. According to the Department of UN Peace Operations, the focus of the meeting this year will be to:

operationalise the UN Police Divisions role as a system-wide service provider and focal point for UN policing and other law enforcement matters;

reinforce ongoing efforts to enhance the performance of UNPOL by strengthening capacities; and

integrate UN policing priorities in international peace and security processes, discussions and fora.

At the June 2024 summit, member states expressed support for equipping UNPOL with the necessary capacities to strengthen their role in addressing evolving threats and challenges. They also welcomed the establishment of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Policing, aimed at promoting the work of UNPOL and ensuring system-wide policy coherence.

Key Issues and Options

An overarching issue for Council members is the future of UN peace operations. In this context, particular attention is likely to focus on the comprehensive review of peace operations requested by the Pact for the Future, the outcome document of the 2024 Summit of the Future. With the first draft of the review report expected soon, Council members may be keen to discuss concrete recommendations for strengthening the role of UNPOL as part of efforts to ensure more agile and adaptable peace operations capable of responding to current realities.

Another issue of concern is the UNs liquidity crisis and its impact on the work of UN Police on the ground. In October 2025, Shahkar briefed troop- and police-contributing countries on the implementation of a contingency plan to mitigate the effects of the liquidity crisis on UN peace operations. At the February briefing, he may highlight the particular challenges the crisis poses for UNPOL across different missions, notably through constraints on their operational capacity. Ouedraogo and Schlotmann could also shed more light on the issue from a field perspective.

With several UN peace operations drawing down and exiting, the role of UNPOL in protecting civilians and building the policing capacity of host countries has become increasingly important. Members may wish to discuss the role of UNPOL in UN peacekeeping transitions in the Security Council Informal Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations.

Council Dynamics

Council members are generally in agreement about the importance of UNPOL in helping to maintain public order, protect civilians, and assist host states in building their law enforcement capacities. Council members also recognise the critical role UNPOL plays in countries undergoing transition.

As reflected in statements at last years briefing, several Council members recognise UNPOLs key role in peace operations in rebuilding trust and solidarity with communities, protecting civilians, strengthening the rule of law and justice, and promoting peacebuilding, among other things. Several members also emphasised the role of women in policing and reiterated the importance of achieving gender parity at all levels of peacekeeping operations, including within police contingents. This strategy was developed to create an enabling environment for the meaningful participation of uniformed women personnel in peace operations, both at the headquarters and in the field.

Several other positions in last years meeting on UN policing may also be reiterated in this years meeting. Some members underscored the safety and security of police officers, while others stressed the need to improve UNPOLs performance and strengthen its capacity to adapt to an evolving operating environment. In addition, some members highlighted the importance of closer integration of police components within UN peacekeeping, whereas others favoured maintaining clear operational distinctions among the various components of UN peace operations.

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Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, meets with Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's top diplomat Wang Yi met with Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, in Beijing on Sunday.

Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, welcomed Shoigu's visit to China for a strategic dialogue as designated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Wang noted that the world is increasingly undergoing both changes and turbulence, with the post-war international order and norms governing international relations severely impacted, and the world faces a real risk of regressing to the law of the jungle.

As major countries and permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, China and Russia have the responsibility and obligation to practice true multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and work to build a more just and reasonable global governance system, Wang said.

Noting that China and Russia are each other's largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, Wang said the two countries should maintain close communication on major issues concerning bilateral relations, step up mutual support on matters involving each other's core interests, and safeguard their respective and common interests.

Wang said China stands ready to work with Russia to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, enhance strategic communication, deepen strategic coordination, and open up new prospects for China-Russia relations in the new year.

Shoigu said that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Russia-China Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, and that Russia-China relations are underpinned by mutual respect, mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit.

He noted that since the start of the year, the world has witnessed complex and volatile developments with frequent flare-ups of security and hotspot issues. Russia has always upheld the one-China principle, closely followed the moves of hostile forces to undermine cross-Strait stability, and firmly opposed Japan's attempts to accelerate re-militarization, Shoigu said.

The Russian side stands ready to continue to firmly support each other with China, enhance bilateral cooperation, and strengthen coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS, he said.

He called on both sides to jointly maintain the high-level development momentum of Russia-China relations, work to build a more just and reasonable multipolar world, and form an indivisible security architecture on the Eurasian continent.

The two sides also conducted in-depth strategic communication on various international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, meets with Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Editor: Xiong Jian
MIDDLE EAST

Yemen

Expected Council Action

In February, the Security Council will hold its monthly briefing, followed by closed consultations, on Yemen. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and an official from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are expected to brief on political, security, and humanitarian developments in the country.

Key Recent Developments

Yemen has seen significant shifts in its political and security landscape in recent weeks. The efforts of the Southern Transitional Councils (STC) a separatist faction from south Yemen, which is reportedly backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE)to expand their control over southeastern governorates of Hadramout and Al-Mahra in early December were met with military pushback from Yemens government-aligned forces and Saudi Arabia.

Yemens internationally recognised government is run by the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), an eight-member executive body formed in 2022 with the support of a Saudi Arabia-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen (the Coalition), which includes the UAE, with the aim of uniting several Yemeni political factions and steering the countrys transition out of civil war. The STC is part of the PLC; its president and the leader of the December 2025 offensive, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, was one of the PLCs vice presidents. Since its formation, the PLC has been mired by internal divisions, the most prominent being between those factions in favour of a united Republic of Yemen and those with secessionist aspirations, such as the STC, whose goal has been to re-establish an independent state in south Yemen. (South Yemen was an independent state prior to unification with the north in 1990.)

On 7 January, the PLC announced Zubaidis removal from the government for committing high treason. Members of the STC attending de-escalation talks in Riyadh reportedly announced the dissolution of the group on 9 January; however, other STC members rejected the announcement, indicating a split within the group.

In a 10 January speech, Rashad al-Alimi, the President of the PLC, said that the Yemeni government had regained full control of the governorates of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, as well as the interim capital Aden, which had been under STC control since at least 2019. He further stated that the southern cause will remain a priority for the PLC and called for the convening of a comprehensive Southern Dialogue Conference, which would be hosted by Saudi Arabia. The date for the conference is yet to be announced. Additionally, al-Alimi announced the formation of the Supreme Military Committee, which will function under the leadership of the Coalition and is tasked with unifying security forces and enhancing readiness for any future challenges.

Amid these developments, Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg has been engaging Yemeni and regional stakeholders to de-escalate tensions and promote political solutions. During his 8 January visit to Riyadh, he met with al-Alimi and other senior Yemeni government officials and emphasised that the southern dialogue conference will provide an opportunity for parties to address grievances through dialogue and move towards stabilisation. Grundberg also met with Yemens Prime Minister Salem Saleh bin Braik in Riyadh on 14 January, where they discussed the economic challenges faced by Yemenis, placing emphasis on the linkage between economic stability and the advancement of a political track and peace in Yemen.

Braik resigned from his role on 16 January and was replaced by the PLCs foreign minister, Shaya Mohsen Zindani, who was tasked with forming a new government.

Briefing the Council on 14 January, the Special Envoy warned that without a comprehensive approach, destabilising developments will persist in undermining a lasting resolution to Yemens conflict. He stressed that the future of south Yemen cannot be determined by any single actor or through force, underlining the need for a comprehensive, inclusive, nationwide political process, which addresses questions regarding the nexus between the countrys political, economic and security challenges.

On 21 January, a convoy transporting Hamdi Shukricommander of the pro-government Southern Giants Brigadeswas reportedly targeted by a car bomb in Aden, killing five people and wounding Shukri and two others. The PLC characterised the attack as a terrorist attack and as an attempt to destabilise the security situation in Yemen, but did not attribute the attack to a particular group.

On 14 January, the Council adopted resolution 2812, extending until 15 July the monthly reporting requirement for the Secretary-General on attacks by the Houthis on vessels in the Red Sea, which was established by resolution 2722 of 10 January 2024. The resolution was adopted with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions (China and Russia). Since the 8 October 2025 announcement of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis have ceased their attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and against Israeli territorya campaign they had initiated ostensibly to support Palestinians in Gaza.

On 15 January, following Israels 26 December 2025 recognition of Somalilanda breakaway region in northern Somalia, which neighbours Yemenas an independent state, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis, escalated the groups rhetoric when he said that the group is serious about targeting any Israeli presence in Somaliland.

The Houthis also continue to arbitrarily detain personnel from the UN, non-governmental and civil society organisations, and diplomatic missions. According to OCHA, 73 UN personnel are detained, three of whom have been referred to a special criminal court on charges related to their duties. Grundberg and Muin Shreim, the UN official leading on the issue of detentions, have continued efforts to negotiate their release, and on 13 January, they met with Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam to discuss the issue. They also discussed pathways to advance political dialogue.

Houthi actions are restricting the UNs ability to provide critical humanitarian support in territory under their control, which are the most populous regions of Yemen and require the most aid. In his 14 December briefing to the Council, the OCHA Director of the Humanitarian Sector Division, Ramesh Rajasingham, warned that Yemens dire humanitarian situation is worsening owing to obstruction of access and severe funding cuts. He highlighted food insecurity and the health system as sectors facing severe deterioration, with half the population (18 million people) projected to face food insecurity in February. More than 450 health facilities have been forced to close due to funding cuts, and 2,300 clinics are facing similar risks. Last year, the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan was funded at only 27.8 percent, amounting to less than half the funding provided for 2024, which was also critically underfunded. Projections for 2026 estimate 23.1 million Yemenis in need of aid, an increase from 19.5 million in 2025.

On 27 January, the Council adopted resolution 2813, renewing the mandate of the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) for a final two-month period, until 31 March. The resolution was adopted with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions (China and Russia).

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Council is how to help mitigate the risk of an escalation of hostilities in Yemen, which could see a resumption of full-scale conflict. Volatile dynamics in southern Yemen, the potential resurgence of conflict between the Houthis and Yemens internationally recognised government, and the Houthis involvement in regional dynamics, all pose a risk to the security and stability of the country.

Amid shifting domestic and regional dynamics, Council members could consider convening an informal interactive dialogue (IID) with regional stakeholders, countries supporting the Yemen political process, and the Special Envoy, to discuss the implications of the latest developments on the UNs efforts to facilitate an inclusive negotiated political settlement to end the Yemeni conflict. Commitments to a set of confidence-building measures were made by the parties in December 2023; however, discussions aimed at establishing a roadmap to peace, which would have seen the implementation of these commitments, stalled following the Houthis response to the Gaza war in October 2023.

As the Houthis continue to arbitrarily detain UN personnel and refer them to their special criminal court, Council members could consider adopting a resolution with a humanitarian focus that demands that the Houthis rescind the referrals to the court, immediately and unconditionally release all personnel detained, and cease further obstruction to the delivery of UN humanitarian assistance in Yemen.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Despite being critical of the Houthis, most Council members have maintained their support for an inclusive intra-Yemeni political process and continue to call for advancing mediation efforts between the conflict parties, including a resumption of dialogue and a peace process under UN auspices. In the wake of political developments in south Yemen between December 2025 and January, Council members have shown agreement in their support of the unity and legitimacy of the PLC and rejection of unilateral measures.

The developments in the south have sparked tensions among regional stakeholders, however. The apparent backing of Saudi Arabia and the UAE for opposing factions in the struggle for control over south Yemen seems to have put their partnership within the Coalition under strain. Saudi Arabia said in a 30 December 2025 statement that it views the STCs offensive (and the UAEs support for it) as a threat to its national security as well as Yemens. That same day, Saudi-led coalition forces struck what they said was a UAE-linked shipment of vehicles, weapons, and ammunition intended for the STC, and the PLC issued a decree calling on the UAE to withdraw all its forces from Yemen, with which the UAE complied. The UAE has strongly rejected claims that it is backing any individual Yemeni party, and during the 14 January Council meeting, it highlighted its contributions to Yemeni security and stability.

The Councils five permanent members disagree on the Councils approach towards the Houthis. France, the UK, and the US have argued that the Council needs to increase pressure on the groupwhich they believe is obstructing a political process and fostering instability in Yemenincluding by strengthening the Yemen sanctions regime. The US has adopted a particularly hawkish position on the Houthis, unilaterally sanctioning the group and accusing Iran of supporting it. Conversely, China and Russia have argued that expanding the Yemen sanctions regime would escalate tensions and push the parties further away from a political settlement.

Similarly, China and Russia have been wary of other Council members efforts to retain the Red Sea crisis on the Councils agenda. After its abstention on resolution 2812which extended the Secretary-Generals reporting on the Red SeaChina indicated that its vote reflected its concern that, following the adoption of resolution 2722, military action in Yemen undertaken by some countries undermined the peace process and heightened insecurity in the Red Sea. Israel, the UK, and the US have all conducted strikes targeting the Houthis since the beginning of the Red Sea crisis. Russia, which also abstained on resolution 2722, said that the resolution has no added value and that the situation in the Red Sea has stabilised in recent months.

Council members have also diverged over the closure of UNMHA. Following their abstention on the adoption of resolution 2713, China and Russia said that UNMHA continues to play an important, stabilising role and that its closure could have political and security implications in Hodeidah and the surrounding region. Conversely, the US has strongly pushed for sunsetting the mission and said that Houthi obstructionism has prevented the mission from fulfilling its mandate.

The UK is the penholder on Yemen. Greece and the US are the co-penholders on the Red Sea crisis.

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XP Factory shares tumbled on Monday as it warned on profits, pointing to a weaker performance from its Boom Battle Bar business.

In an update on trading over the festive period, the company, which also operates the Escape Hunt brand, hailed record quarterly sales, with UK owned and operated (O&O) revenue growth of 4.2% in the 13 weeks to 28 December 2025.

Year-to-date group unaudited pre-IFRS 16 adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation came in at 4.8m in the 39 weeks to 28 December 2025, up 0.1m on the prior year.

XP pointed to "exceptional" trading in Escape Hunt O&O. However, it said Boom Bar O&O continued to see a decline in like-for-like sales, with ongoing sector softness. Boom Bar saw LFL sales fall 7.2% in the 13 weeks to 28 December 2025, as strong corporate bookings failed to compensate for declines in consumer sales.

As a result, XP Factory now expects FY26 pre-IFRS16 adjusted EBITDA of between 5m and 6m, below market expectations. The company also said that FY27 was set to be "a year of consolidation", and that it would be "moderating" the pace of its new site openings amid uncertain market conditions.

Chief executive Richard Harpham said: "Against a backdrop of well-documented industry challenges, we have continued to outperform the wider experiential leisure market and make progress against our strategic objectives.

"While near-term trading within Boom has been impacted by market pressures, with strong market positions and a compelling UK growth runway, we remain well positioned to emerge as a long-term winner as the sector continues to consolidate."

At 1005 GMT, the shares were down 14% at 12p.
Actvitiy in Chinas manufacturing sector looked to have gathered pace last month, a closely-watched survey of private sector firms showed on Monday.

The headline RatingDog China general manufacturing PMI was 50.3 in January, up from 50.1 in December and largely in line with expectations. It was the highest reading since October.

A reading below the neutral 50.0 benchmark suggests contraction, while one above it indicates growth.

The rate of output increased for the first time in 14 months as orders picked up, including from customers in south east Asia and other overseas markets. Respondents also pointed to employment ticking higher.

However, business confidence remained unsettled, slipping to a nine-month low as costs ticked higher.

The survey was in also in contrast to Chinas official manufacturing PMI, which was published on Saturday.

That came in well below forecasts, falling back into negative territory, to 49.3 from 50.1 in November, with declines in both the new orders and new export orders sub-indexes.

The non-manufacturing PMI, which covers services and construction, dropped to 49.4 from 50.2, the lowest print since December 2022.

Lynn Song, chief economist, Greater China at ING, said the divergence between the two surveys suggested that "external activity continues to be stronger than domestic demand" as 2026 gets underway.

She continued: "Decembers data may have been a blip rather than the start of a recovery trend.

"Looking at the sub-categories, we saw a broad-based slowdown across most categories.

"In contrast, the RatingDog PMI painted a more optimistic picture. This PMI tends to have a sample size focused more on private and export-focused enterprises, and has generally done better than the official PMI over the past year or so.

"This is consistent with the story we saw for 2025, when external demand was a key growth driver, while domestic demand indicators had all been quite soft."

Yao Yu, founder of RatingDog, said: "Looking ahead, if costs pressures persist while demand recovery is limited, profit margins will remain under pressure. Policy support for initiatives many consolidate the recovery momentum in 2026."

Chinas economy grew by 5% in 2025, meeting government targets, as stronger global demand helped offset weaker domestic consumption. Beijing has also looked to navigate Donald Trumps swingeing tariff regime by striking deals with countries including the UK and Canada.

The Rating Dog PMI is compiled by S&P Global, based on responses to questionnaires sent to a panel of around 650 manufacturing firms. Data were collected between 12 and 22 January.
Manufacturing growth in the UK hit a 17-month high in January, according to a survey released on Monday.

The S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 51.8 from 50.6 in December, coming in above the flash estimate of 51.6 and signalling growth for three months in a row.

A reading above 50.0 indicates growth, while a reading below signals contraction.

The survey also showed that business optimism reached its highest level since before the 2024 Autumn budget.

Rob Dobson, director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: "UK manufacturing made a solid start to 2026, showing encouraging resilience in the face of rising geopolitical tensions. Rates of output and order book growth accelerated, while new export business rose for the first time in four years, with Europe, China and the US the main recipients.

"There was also a positive bounceback in business confidence, which rose to its highest level since before the 2024 Autumn budget, as manufacturers focussed on opportunities lying ahead despite persistent concerns about the geopolitical environment, Government policy and tariff tensions.

"There was also encouraging news on the jobs front. Although the strongest rise in new business for almost four years was insufficient to fully quell reductions to staff headcounts, the rate of cutting slowed to its weakest since job losses started 15 months ago. Cost pressures are creeping higher though, as the pass through of the increased Minimum Wage and employer NI contributions continue to work through the supply chain alongside the rising costs for commodities such as metals."
Since Russias full-scale invasion in 2022 and the start of its strikes on Ukraines energy infrastructure, Kyivstar has already invested more than UAH 3.5 billion in the purchase, installation, and maintenance of energy equipment. Since mid-October last year alone, this amount has increased by more than UAH 300 million, the companys CEO Oleksandr Komarov said.

"We have already invested more than UAH 3.5 billion. And it will be much more. To give you an idea, today we have more than 4,000 generators: 3,000 of our own plus about 1,000 belonging to third parties. And the number of our own generators will most likely double," he said in a brief interview with Interfax-Ukraine at the Davos Ukraine House on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

Asked to comment on the companys share in the total installed generator capacity in Ukraine, which, according to Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev, speaking in Davos, already exceeds 1 GW, Komarov noted that approximately 4,000 to 6,000 generators with an average capacity of 10 kW will operate on Kyivstars network simultaneously.

"That means we are already talking about capacity of up to 100 MW. That is already a very large amount. If a generator is mobile, that also means vehicles, people, fuel, and technical maintenance. Almost the same applies to stationary generators, because they also need regular servicing," said the head of Ukraines largest mobile operator.

He said there is a program under which Kyivstar will import a large number of generators, partly to strengthen its own fleet and partly to cooperate with local authorities. To that end, the company is currently equipping each of its more than 16,000 sites with an automatic transfer switch (ATS).

"Eighty-five percent of the entire network is already equipped with a socket into which a generator can be connected with a single click," Komarov said.

According to him, this work allows the company, in conditions where in nine regions of Ukraine the level of power outages reaches 4060%, to have only 810% of its facilities offline. This, however, is higher than the 35% level recorded at the beginning of the current autumnwinter campaign of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

The CEO added that an additional challenge is frost, due to which stationary diesel generators do not start reliably. As a result, in addition to scheduled maintenance and refueling, the company has had to carry out unscheduled repairs, the number of which is now "very, very large."

"But overall, it must be acknowledged that the multi-layered system is working. The first blow is absorbed by battery packs. Then the systems layer management comes into play: we build the sites operating algorithm in such a way as to extend its operation for the maximum possible period, even if that means degraded performance. And finally, generators and the simply incredible efforts of our people allow us to keep the network running during such a difficult period, while external factors have deteriorated much more significantly," Komarov summed up.

He agreed that the possibility of an even worse scenario exists, but emphasized that Kyivstars preparedness for such a scenario is also increasing.

"In the same energy situation at the end of 2022, we would have had zero communications in the country, whereas now network downtime is measured in single-digit percentages," the CEO stated.

As reported, in the third quarter of 2025 Kyivstar served 22.5 million mobile subscribers, which is 3.6% fewer than a year earlier. At the same time, the number of 4G customers increased by 2.4% to 15 million.

In the third quarter of 2025, the company posted EBITDA profit of UAH 7.1 billion, up 21.5% year-on-year. In dollar terms, EBITDA grew by 20.4% to $171 million.
Beazley rallied on Monday as Zurich Insurance disclosed a stake of just under 1.5% in the London-listed insurer, after recent takeover approaches were rejected.

Zurich said in a filing that as of 30 January, it holds just over 8.86m shares in Beazley.

On 22 January, Beazley said it had rejected a 7.7bn takeover offer from Zurich as it "materially undervalues" the company and its longer-term prospects. The 1,280p a share cash offer followed an earlier approach made by Zurich on 4 January at 1,230p a share, which was rejected on 16 January.

Beazley said in its statement on 22 January that it had received three proposals from Zurich in June last year and engaged with the company "appropriately", including providing it with certain limited due diligence information "in a good faith effort to come to a shared understanding of value".

It pointed out that the terms of Zurich's latest proposal were below the proposal made in late June last year and rejected by Beazley. It valued the group at 1,315p per share at an implied equity value of 8.4bn.

Beazley shares closed up 3.1% at 1,168p.

Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, said: "Shares in insurer Beazley edged up towards previous record highs following a disclosure from suitor Zurich that its built up a small stake in the company.

"Zurich has been clear that its sights are set on the smaller company and has a couple more weeks to come up with an offer that might win over Beazleys board and major shareholders. Whilst the clock ticks Zurich has taken a toehold in its prize and speculation will be mounting that it could be on its way to notch up a far bigger stake than the 1.47% it has disclosed.

"If it can amass a sizeable position, it will achieve two goals: persuading the board it needs to look again and reducing the overall cost of acquiring control, since whatever offer it makes would undoubtedly be at a significant premium to todays price."
The role of the Human Resources leader has fundamentally shifted. It is no longer just about support functions; it is about driving business resilience and transformation.

To navigate this shift, Gain Skills Business Media is proud to convene the 15th CHRO Confex & Awards 2026  Mumbai Chapter. On February 18, 2026, at the ITC Maratha, we are bringing together Indias most senior HR decision-makers, CHROs and Chief People Officersto exchange ideas on what comes next.

This forum is designed to move beyond the operational and focus on the strategic. We invite you to join the conversation on how we build future-ready organisations in today's complex business landscape.

A Thoughtful Platform for HR Leadership

The CHRO conference will offer a platform for impactful discussion and shared learning. The agenda will also feature keynote sessions, expert-led panel discussions, practical case studies, and networking opportunities that will be tailored for senior HR professionals.

During this conference, the senior HR Leaders will discuss how organisations are responding to shifts in workforce expectations, technology adoption, leadership development, and workplace culture. The focus remains on actionable insights rather than theory, whats working, whats changing, and whats next.

Key Discussion Areas

Participants will take deep dives into topics such as:

The changing nature of work and hybrid workforce models

The growing role of technology and automation in HR operations

Attracting, engaging, and retaining talent in competitive markets

Using data and insights to strengthen workforce planning

Building inclusive, diverse, and high-performing workplaces

Enhancing employee experience and organisational culture

Developing future leaders and succession pipelines

Navigating compliance and evolving enterprise HR systems

Honouring Excellence: CHRO Awards 2026

A key highlight of the event will be the CHRO Awards 2026, recognising organisations and HR leaders who have delivered meaningful impact through people-first initiatives. The awards will celebrate excellence across areas such as innovation, learning and development, employee engagement, rewards and recognition, and organisational growth.

These recognitions aim to spotlight real success stories that are setting new benchmarks for HR leadership in India.

Who Should Attend

This event is curated for:

CHROs and Chief People Officers

Senior HR leaders and HR business partners

Talent management and L&D heads

HR technology and people analytics leaders

CXOs involved in culture and people strategy

With participation from leading enterprises and solution providers, the Confex also offers opportunities to explore innovative HR solutions and engage in meaningful conversations with industry peers.
Dear Abby:

My husband and I have been married for 15 years. He is former military, suffers from PTSD, and has been verbally abusive and controlling since our wedding. I have always worked to support us, sometimes with two jobs. We have a 14-year-old son.

My husband has a sister who bought a house. I picked up items for her new home and looked at his phone to double-check the address. Among the recent messages my husband had sent to her was one in which he told her he was in hell living with me and he didnt give a damn about me. He also asked his sister if he could move in with her! (She was fine with that.) He said he would figure a way out, and that there was always a way out.

I am beyond devastated. I have always been supportive of him; now this. Part of me says I should be relieved. Why does it hurt so much?

Shocked in Texas

Dear Shocked in Texas:

This hurts so much because you were caught flat-footed, without a clue that your husband is planning on leaving you. Be glad you know, because you havent a moment to waste. Schedule an appointment with an attorney who can help you protect yourself from the financial assault thats coming. If there are assets in the marriage, find out exactly what they are and take your cues from your lawyer. I am rooting for you.
Eddie Bauer, a premier American outdoor recreation brand and retailer founded in 1920, may soon be exiting the brick-and-mortar business. According to sources familiar with the brand, the specialty store chain is prepping a Chapter 11 filling to shutter its approximately 200 North American stores.

The news comes after Authentic Brands Group announced in January that it would transition the licenses for Eddie Bauers manufacturing, e-comm and wholesale operations in the United States and Canada from Catalyst to Outdoor 5, a global brand development and licensing platform, on Feb. 2.

And while retail stores across the United States and Canada continue to operate under a license with Catalyst, sources noted a bankruptcy filing is expected to happen later in the month.

Well known for high-quality outerwear, footwear, and gear designed for hiking, camping, and casual, active lifestyles, Eddie Bauer has a rich history of outfitting everyday explorers and is credited with innovating the first quilted down jacket (the Skyliner) in 1936.

The company has changed hands several times over the years and the Eddie Bauer name has been used to license a range of products, including furniture, bicycles and Ford Motor Co.s Bronco, Explorer and other SUVs.

Store operations are owned by Catalyst Brands under license from brand owner Authentic Brands Group.

According to sources, a bankruptcy filing would not impact the companys manufacturing, e-commerce and wholesale operations in the United States and Canada, which is in the midst of transitioning from Catalyst to a new licensee. Nor would it impact retail operations outside the United States and Canada.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  More than three decades after a mother and her toddler were bludgeoned to death inside their Tompkinsville home, the man imprisoned in the double murder is fighting to overturn his conviction.

Philip Robinson, 57, is currently serving a prison sentence of 50 years to life in the 1993 slayings of 27-year-old Theresa Jones and her 2-year-old son, Tommy Moriarty Jr.

But recent court filings on Robinsons behalf in state Supreme Court in St. George argue the case rested on deeply flawed police work, including suppressed evidence, inconsistent testimony, and alleged misconduct by investigators.

In this 1993 photo, Philip Robinson is led out of a police station on Staten Island after being charged in the murders of Theresa Jones and her 2-year-old son Tommy. (Advance/SILive.com | Tony Carannante)

In 2022, defense attorney James Henning and his team filed a motion for a judge to vacate the conviction based on evidence they say absolves Robinson of the crime.

A court appearance to discuss the case before Justice Marina Mundy is scheduled for Feb. 6.

The motion to vacate comes after a two-year investigation by District Attorney Michael E. McMahons Conviction Integrity Review Unit.

The unit concluded the conviction was supported by the evidence.

Grisly scene in Tompkinsville

A current view of Brook Street in Tompkinsville, where Theresa Jones and her 2-year-old son Tommy were discovered bludgeoned to death on the evening of Feb. 25, 1993. (Google Maps)

The apartment where the murders occurred was inhabited by Jones, her two children and her common-law husband, Tom Moriarty.

Robinson at the time was crashing on the familys couch. Jones kids referred to him as Uncle Phil. He worked two jobs as a cab driver and construction worker. Jones family said recently that he was a close friend of Jones and their relationship was platonic.

On the evening of Feb. 25, 1993, police responded to the residence on Brook Street, where they were met by Moriarty. He told them he discovered the victims bludgeoned to death on the bathroom floor.

At the crime scene, Moriarty informed police that Robinsons construction bag had gone missing from the home, according to Robinsons court filings.

Days into the investigation

A day after the murders, Robinsons construction bag containing a bloody hammer was discovered in an abandoned hospital on Castleton Avenue.

Robinson said previously that upon learning about what happened, he showed up to the 122nd Precinct stationhouse in New Dorp to clear his name.

The lead detective claimed in police reports and testimony, later cited in court filings, that Robinson gave incriminating statements. Robinson, however, denies these statements, and the defense argues they were never properly recorded or signed.

Prosecutors at trial cited a speck of blood on Robinsons sock. A DNA expert testified that genetic material found in the cells of the blood on Robinsons sock was consistent with the DNA of Thomas Moriarty Jr., according to Advance archives. There was no other physical evidence conclusively linking him to the crime scene, the defense argues.

On the evening of Feb. 25, 1993, police responded to the residence on Brook Street, where they were met by Thomas Moriarty, above. He told them he discovered the victims bludgeoned to death on the bathroom floor. (Courtesy of Lizziey Bartlett)

Family had their doubts

In an outburst at his sentencing in 1995, Robinson inferred Moriarty Sr. may have committed the slayings, according to Advance/SILive.com archives.

His court filings allege police prematurely cleared Moriarty as a suspect and argue that evidence of anger, domestic conflict, and opportunity were never fully investigated.

Dating back to the time of the slaying, Jones family had doubts about whether Robinson was the killer.

Jones daughter, Lizziey Bartlett, now 41 and living in Florida, recalled Moriarty as a heavy drinker who fought often with her mother. In a recent interview, she said there were broken bones and that there were escape plans if things got too out-of-hand.

In the moments after the slaying, Jones then 11-year-old sister, Franny Rozo, was walking toward the apartment, returning from a doctors appointment.

(Moriarty) swung the door open and said theres a woman and baby dead, Rozo said. (Robinson) didnt do it. I know he didnt do it."

According to Advance/SILive.com archives, police at the time had determined Moriartys alibi checked out.

Moriarty interviewed in 93

Moriarty was approached in the days following the murders at family members house, according to Advance/SILive.com archives.

I have no family. They killed my family, Moriarty said from the front door of the home. He then politely declined to speak further with reporters. In a couple of days, he said.

Moriarty died years ago.

Robinson maintains his innocence

Robinson, who currently is serving out his time at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York, maintains that he was working at the time of the murders.

Moments before he was sentenced by then Judge Charles A. Kuffner Jr., he said as much.

``Im sorry what happened, but I didnt do it... I would never in my life hurt any children," Robinson said. Give me a lie-detector test and to the detective who railroaded me.

He also discussed the latest conclusion from the district attorneys office.

They dont want to admit that theyre wrong, or that those before them did wrong, said Robinson.

A wrongful conviction, defense argues

There are holes in the investigation beginning from the first minutes officers arrived, according to the defenses court filings.

For starters, police allowed Moriarty to walk through the crime scene before detectives arrived to see if anything was missing, court documents allege.

Two days after the murders, the bag and bloody hammer were found in an abandoned hospital by men who lived nearby. The lead detective directed them to search the area for the bag, rather than conducting the search himself, according to Robinsons court filings.

There were multiple moves by the lead detective that dont make any sense in the grand scheme of how homicides are reliably investigated, said Henning.

Robinson said in a recent interview with NBC New York that he believes he may have been targeted because he is Black and the victims were white. In court filings, his lawyers cite trial testimony in which defense counsel questioned the lead detective about whether he used racial slurs during Robinsons interrogation.

The most compelling evidence, however, has come in the form of DNA testing. It shows that skin cells found under Jones fingernails belong to two other unknown individuals, not Robinson, according to court filings on behalf of Robinson.

At minimum, I dont think any court should have confidence in the verdict, said Henning.

D.A. responds to motion

In this Jan. 15, 2026 photo, Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon speaks at a press conference held outside of St. Ann's R.C. Church in Dongan Hills. (Advance/SILive.com | Jason Paderon)

The district attorneys office has issued the following response to the motion:

Our office takes the possibility of anyone being wrongfully convicted with the utmost seriousness. That is precisely why we fought vigorously to secure funding for the creation of a dedicated Conviction Review Unit  an independent body within our office tasked solely with examining claims of wrongful convictions.

Since its establishment, we have overturned convictions when the facts, the law, and justice demanded it. Reasonable people can, and often do, disagree. But in this case, over 30 years ago, 12 reasonable (jurors) that heard evidence, not speculation, concluded that the defendant was guilty.

At the request of the defense, we agreed to investigate the possibility that this conviction for the murder of a mother and child was wrongful. Over the course of two years, our Conviction Review Unit conducted an exhaustive review of the evidence and interviewed surviving witnesses.

At the conclusion of that process, we reached the same determination as the jury; the conviction was supported by the evidence. Our justice system provides the defendant with additional legal avenues to pursue beyond our review, and he has chosen to exercise those additional options.

As a result, this matter is now the subject of pending litigation. Out of respect for that ongoing process, we will not comment further on the specifics of the case outside of our filings and responses to the Court.
With older New Yorkers often fleeing to other states later in life, it may come as little surprise that the Empire State is one of the worst places to live in the country for retirees.

WalletHub, an online financial advisory site, this week released its annual list of the Best and Worst States to Retire, with New York ranking near the bottom of the pack.

Retirement is supposed to be relaxing, but it can also be incredibly stressful given that it typically puts people on a fixed income, which may not be enough for them to live comfortably. As a result, the best states for retirees are those that have low taxes and a low cost of living to help retirees budgets stretch as far as possible. Having access to excellent medical care and homemaking services is also crucial, especially for people who dont plan to retire in close proximity to their families, said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

The study analyzed 46 key indicators of a positive retirement environment across all 50 states to develop a comprehensive ranking of existing retirement conditions.

The key indicators were grouped into three categories: affordability; quality of life; and healthcare.

Key indicators in the affordability category included, but were not limited to: adjusted cost of living, general tax-friendliness, annual cost of in-home services and annual cost of adult day healthcare.

Key indicators in the quality of life category included, but were not limited to: senior-friendly labor market, senior food insecurity rate, mildness of weather and access to various amentities.

Key indicators in the healthcare category included, but were not limited to: physicians per capita, nurses per capita, quality of hospitals and top-rated geriatrics hospitals.

Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale and then weighted to develop a ranking within each category and an overall score for each state.

New York ranked 45th with an overall score of 45.34, making it the sixth-worst state in the nation to retire, ahead of only Hawaii, West Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Kentucky.

The Empire States low ranking can be attributed almost entirely to its performance in the affordability category, where it placed dead last among all 50 states.

New York may have found itself at the bottom of the overall rankings if not for relatively strong performances in the quality of life and healthcare categories, where it ranked 12th for both.

Heres a look at the best and worst states to retire, according to WalletHub.

Best states to retire

Wyoming Florida South Dakota Colorado Minnesota Alaska Delaware Pennsylvania New Hampshire Iowa

Worst states to retire
In 2025, the Metinvest mining and metallurgical group, taking into account associated companies and joint ventures, transferred UAH 18.7 billion to the budgets of all levels in Ukraine, while in 2024  UAH 19.8 billion.

According to the companys press release on Monday, the largest payment was UAH 4.6 billion in subsoil use fees, followed by UAH 3.5 billion in the single social tax and UAH 3.2 billion in personal income tax.

In addition, Metinvests Ukrainian enterprises last year paid UAH 1.9 billion in corporate income tax and UAH 690 million in environmental tax. Value-added tax rose 18% year over year to nearly UAH 2 billion, land fees increased 10% to UAH 1.4 billion, and the military levy almost tripled to UAH 916 million.

"The war and global challenges have changed the business reality and forced us to operate in a new way. But the role of metallurgy remains strategic: it continues to support the economy, generate foreign currency revenue and fill the budget. As the industrys largest company, Metinvest continues to operate, support regions and help the army," said Yuriy Ryzhenkov, the groups CEO.

As reported, in 2024 Metinvest paid UAH 19.8 billion in taxes and fees to budgets at all levels in Ukraine. Overall, over nearly four years of Russias full-scale invasion, the group has supported the countrys economy by about UAH 74 billion.
IN CLASS: This feature is part of an ongoing education column highlighting the various activities that engage school communities.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  College students can now apply for a $20,000 scholarship from Spectrum.

Spectrum Scholars, the companys annual scholarship and career-development program, offers funds for students with financial need. It pairs a $20,000 scholarship with a two-year professional development program and paid internship with Spectrum.

Eligible students can apply for the 2026 class through Friday, April 3.

Spectrum chooses 15 students to participate in a two-year professional development program that includes a dedicated Spectrum mentor, career-readiness education and training, and access to a variety of leadership and networking events. After graduation, many scholars apply for full-time opportunities to grow with Spectrum.

Spectrum offers many ways to grow a career, and Spectrum Scholars helps students with financial need tap into those opportunities early, combining tuition support with meaningful professional development, said Paul Marchand, executive vice president and chief human resources officer for Spectrum. The program is designed to help participants enter the workforce more prepared, more confident and better equipped to succeed in their careers.

Send us your stories

Do you have a story idea for the In Class education column? Email education reporter Annalise Knudson at aknudson@siadvance.com.
New York City is planning to release new guidelines when it comes to using artificial intelligence in public school classrooms, according to a recent report by Gothamist.

During a meeting of the Panel of Educational Policy last week, education departments Chief Academic Officer Miatheresa Pate shared that the city will release guidelines on AI use in schools. Pate also said parents will be able to submit feedback on the guidelines.

The guidance comes as parents and educators are reportedly criticizing the education departments approach to AI, according to Gothamist.

The Department of Education first banned the use of ChatGPT in schools after it launched two years ago, then lifted the ban. The Panel for Educational Policy has also recently turned down several contracts for the education department due to AI concerns, Gothamist reported.

There is also a petition to enact a two-year moratorium on the use of generative AI in city public schools citing the lack of protections for student privacy, as well as risking cognitive skills, creativity, and critical thinking among students.

The education department has convened two working groups on AI, which has met multiple times, the agency told Gothamist.

Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said in an interview with WNYC last month that the department is working against the fear thats attached to AI. He added that the agency would be announcing safeguards, while seeking ways to use AI productively.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Dont blame the groundhog, folks.

On Monday morning, Staten Island Chuck  a.k.a Charles G. Hogg  ventured out of his burrow at the Staten Island Zoo in West Brighton and saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter.

The zoo was forced to adjust the festivities this year, as the Groundhog Day ceremony was closed to the public due to continued below-freezing temperatures  perhaps an early indicator of the prediction.

22 1 / 22 Staten Island Groundhog Day 2026

While not drawing a crowd like the year prior, Chucks 2026 prediction did see dozens of local officials, preschoolers from the Staten Island YMCA and a cadre of high school students from Susan E. Wagner High School, Sea View, who will serve as Chucks weather checkers.

Its really exciting, Ive never gotten to see this before, said Ava Ilardi a Westerleigh resident and senior at Susan E. Wagner High School who will keep Chuck in check.

Doing it as part of the AP environmental class [at Wagner], I think is really special, because we have an entire class devoted to everything to do with the weather and nature, Ilardi continued. Even though, you know, its not like a tried-and-true scientific phenomenon, its fun to see a folk story and science intersect.

Officials take the stage

Emceed by District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, the event was well attended by Staten Islands political class, including Councilmembers Kamillah Hanks, David Carr and Frank Morano, along with State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Assemblymember Michael Tannousis.

Two New York City officials were also greeted warmly by the crowd, Department of Sanitation Borough Chief Christopher Hancock and NYC Parks Borough Commissioner Joseph Homsey.

The festivities also took a back seat, briefly, as McMahon called for a moment of silence to remember one of last years co-hosts, Cara Liander Gordon, 41, who died in November.

Mondays event was sponsored by Citizens Bank, which contributed funds for the ceremony, high school weather monitoring and care for the zoos resident groundhog.

The fact that we get to sponsor the event here in the Staten Island Zoo, have the local schools and the children participate, its very exciting, said Yajaira Hafley, Tristate metro retail market executive at Citizens.

Winter of discontent

While the officials cajoled Chuck for a prediction of early spring, many in attendance left disappointed with the call for an extended winter.

Were very sad, theres a lot of heartbreak, said Abigail Saladis, a Wagner High School senior who lives in Westerleigh. Very unfortunate to see maybe theres more ice and snow coming our way, but you know, we have to trust him.

And Chuck is one groundhog to trust. The boroughs most famous animal boasts a nearly 90% accuracy rate according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A few other stragglers from the public were able to slip in to see the rodent prognosticators prediction, including one family who ventured all the way from Queens.

We got up at 5 [a.m.] to get here, said Tom Boland of Bayside, who came along with his children Declan, 12, and Bridget, 11. Weve been here twice before. Its such a great event, and its a local one so we have to support a local one.

Chucks forecast on Monday was a change of pace, as it ended a 12-year streak of Chuck calling for an early spring which dates back to 2014.

Longtime Staten Islanders might also remember the 2014 prediction for other reasons, as it was also the year that then-Mayor Bill de Blasio accidentally dropped Staten Island Chuck.

I think Chuck made the right call about six more weeks of winter, said Ken Mitchell, executive director of the Staten Island Zoo.

Everyone looks forward to Groundhog Day here on Staten Island. Its a fantastic event, its a real community event and Staten Island Zoo is proud to put this on every year, he continued.

A decades-long beef

In Pennsylvania, Chucks rival, Punxsutawney Phil, also called for six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow.

Phil shared his prediction from his home at Gobblers Knob, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where hes been delivering his predictions since 1886.

It was a rare instance of agreement for the two, who have a history of different opinions.

In 2025, Chuck predicted an early spring, while Phil did not. And again, Staten Islands student weather trackers confirmed Chucks accuracy.

According to the StormFax Weather Almanac, Phil has just an overall accuracy rate of 39% over 135 years.

Including last years early spring forecast , Chucks extended winter-or-early spring predictions have been accurate for much of the last two decades.

After being wrong in 2009, the same year he bit then- Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chuck slipped up in 2017, when students at PS 45 who tracked Chucks prediction said he was wrong that year.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The identities of the two federal officers who shot and killed Alex Pretti have been revealed in documents obtained by ProPublica.

Jesus Ochoa, 43, a Border Patrol agent, and Raymundo Gutierrez, 35, a Customs and Border Protection officer, fired their weapons at Pretti during an Anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 24, 2026, according to ProPublica.

A total of 10 shots were discharged in the interaction between Pretti, Ochoa, and Gutierrez. Pretti, 37, was an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Hospital.

He died as a result of his injuries.

Ochoa has been a member of the CBP since 2018. Gutierrez became a part of the agency in 2014.

They are both from South Texas, according to ProPublica.

Ochoas ex-wife, Angelica, said he had for years dreamed of working for the Border Patrol and finally landed a job there, she said. By the time the couple split in 2021, he had become a gun enthusiast with about 25 rifles, pistols and shotguns.

Gutierrez is assigned to a special response team, which conducts high-risk operations like those of police SWAT units.

Posters depicting Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good are displayed on a wall near the site where Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was fatally shot by federal immigration agents, in Minneapolis, Minn., Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Kerem Yucel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP) AP

Pretti died three and half weeks after ICE agents shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three.

The names of the agents involved in both shootings were withheld from public knowledge by the Department of Homeland Security, which runs both the CBP and ICE, igniting a firestorm of condemnation worldwide.

Pretti and Good have become beacons of resistance for those witnessing ICE operations across the nation.
Punxsutawney Phils pick is in! Will it be an early spring, or six more weeks of winter?

Staten Island Chucks pick is in! Did he agree with Phil?

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Ok, Chuck, bring on the warm weather.

Staten Island Chuck, the boroughs most well-known rodent, is set to make his annual Groundhog Day prediction on Monday.

The Groundhog Day ceremony, which is set to take place on Monday, Feb. 2, at the Staten Island Zoo in West Brighton, will be closed to the public this year due to the weather, however it will be streamed online.

*** For those watching on mobile or the app, click here. ***

The ceremony, featuring Staten Island Chuck, will begin on Monday at 8 a.m. Fans of Chuck are invited to tune-in and watch the proceedings live on the Staten Island Zoos Facebook page.

The Staten Island Advance/SILive.com will also be on hand to cover the prediction. Youll be able to catch the ceremony live from our Facebook page.

Chucks appearance and prediction are expected to occur at 8:30 a.m.

For the early birds among us, Chucks chief competition, Punxsutawney Phil, will also be making a prediction on Monday.

Festivities in the Keystone State will begin around 6 a.m., and a livestream of Phils prediction can be seen here.

Accuracy rate

On Groundhog Day 2025, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow at Gobblers Knob. Staten Island Chuck, however, again predicted an early spring.

According to the StormFax Weather Almanac, Phil has an overall accuracy rate of 39% over 135 years. Chuck, on the other hand, has an 85% accuracy rate since hes been monitoring weather beginning in 1981, according to data.

History of the holiday

The Groundhog Day tradition can be traced to Candlemas, an early Christian holiday where candles were blessed and distributed. According to tradition, clear skies on Candlemas meant a longer winter.

When German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, they found a large number of groundhogs. And they tasked the groundhog, which resembles the European hedgehog, with the job of predicting the weather.

The holiday started with the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, founded in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in 1887. The editor of the Punxsutawney newspaper was a member of the club, and he claimed that Punxsutawney Phil was the only true weather-predicting groundhog.

Chuck has been making his prediction for more than three decades.
Punxsutawney Phils pick is in! Will it be an early spring, or six more weeks of winter?

Staten Island Chucks pick is in! Did he agree with Phil?

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Will the harsh, frigid air stay with us longer, or will we have a chance to ditch hats and mittens sooner than expected?

To satisfy their curiosity, Staten Islanders turn to Chuck the groundhog, who seems to have the answer each Feb. 2.

*** For those watching on mobile or the app, click here. ***

The furry prognosticator is geared up to make his prediction live from the Staten Island Zoo in West Brighton on Monday, Feb. 2.

If Chuck sees his shadow, hes predicting six more weeks of winter are on the way. If he doesnt see his shadow, then we can expect an early spring, according to groundhog lore.

How to watch

This years Groundhog Day ceremony will be closed to the public due to the weather.

The ceremony, featuring Staten Island Chuck, will begin on Monday at 8 a.m. Fans of Chuck are invited to tune-in and watch the proceedings live on the Staten Island Zoos Facebook page.

The Staten Island Advance/SILive.com will also be on hand to cover the prediction. Youll be able to catch the ceremony live from our Facebook page.

Chucks appearance and prediction are expected to occur at 8:30 a.m.

Those interested in seeing Punxsutawney Phil make his prediction in Pennsylvania can view it online. The livestream will begin at approximately 6 a.m.

But cmon, Staten Islanders. In the name of hometown pride, Staten Island Chuck is the one to watch.

Accuracy rate

Though in past years the groundhogs have been at odds, both Chuck and Phil predicted an early spring in 2024. In 2025, they disagreed again.

When Chuck predicted an early spring and Phil did not, weather research backed Chuck up, including an analysis conducted by students at Susan E. Wagner High School.

The students from Susan E. Wagner High School collected and analyzed data from their schools weather station. They tracked temperature readings every day since Chucks February prognostication and logged it in a chart. Their findings revealed that the vast majority of days since Chucks prediction that year exceeded 40 degrees or significantly higher, thereby validating Chucks prediction of an early spring.

According to the StormFax Weather Almanac, Phil has an overall accuracy rate of 39% over 135 years.

Chuck, on the other hand, has better than an 85% accuracy rate since hes been monitoring weather beginning in 1981, according to data.

Groundhog Day history

The Groundhog Day tradition can be traced to Candlemas, an early Christian holiday where candles were blessed and distributed. Those who celebrated Candlemas decided that clear skies on the holiday meant a longer winter.

The Germans eventually began to believe that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, a hedgehog would cast a shadow  predicting six more weeks of harsh winter weather. And it was the Germans who brought this belief to the United States.

When German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, they found a large number of groundhogs. And they tasked the groundhog, which resembles the European hedgehog, with the job of predicting the weather.

The holiday started with the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, founded in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in 1887. The editor of the Punxsutawney newspaper was a member of the club, and he claimed that Punxsutawney Phil was the only true weather-predicting groundhog.
Staten Island Chucks pick is in! Did he agree with Phil?

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  His name is ubiquitous with Groundhog Day.

Early Monday morning, Staten Island Chucks rival, Punxsutawney Phil, called for six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow.

He shared his prediction from his home at Gobblers Knob, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where hes been delivering his predictions since 1886.

For those unable to attend, a livestream of this years ceremony was available.

Looking for another prediction?

Staten Island Chuck is making his prediction from the Staten Island Zoo, West Brighton, at 8:30 a.m. Monday.

While the ceremony is closed to the public this year due to the weather, the Advance/SILive.com will be on hand to cover the prediction. You can watch that ceremony from our Facebook page.

Accuracy rate

Over the years the pair have been at odds, while both Chuck and Phil predicted an early spring in 2024. According to students at Susan E. Wagner High School, both were correct in their predictions.

In 2025, Chuck again predicted an early spring, while Phil did not. And again, Staten Islands student weather trackers confirmed Chucks accuracy.

Sorry, Phil. Better luck next time.

Students from the high school will again this year track and analyze data from their schools weather station. Theyll once again track temperature readings from Feb. 2 to March 20, to see if Chucks prediction holds up.

According to the StormFax Weather Almanac, Phil has an overall accuracy rate of 39% over 135 years.

Chuck, on the other hand, has a better than 85% accuracy rate since he began monitoring weather in 1981, according to the data.

Groundhog Day history

The Groundhog Day tradition can be traced to Candlemas, an early Christian holiday where candles were blessed and distributed. Those who celebrated Candlemas decided that clear skies on the holiday meant a longer winter.

The Germans eventually began to believe that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, a hedgehog would cast a shadow  predicting six more weeks of harsh winter weather. And it was the Germans who brought this belief to the United States.
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he plans to close the Kennedy Center for approximately two years for renovations, NBC News reported.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that the center would close on July 4 and that financing for the project is completed and fully in place, though he did not provide details about funding sources. The decision is subject to approval by his handpicked board, the report said

According to the outlet, the announcement follows a review by contractors, musical experts, art institutions and other advisors who evaluated whether to close the facility entirely during construction or maintain partial operations while renovations continue. Trump claimed the full closure would produce a much faster and higher quality result.

The president said the renovations would make the Kennedy Center the finest performing arts facility of its kind and that there would be a grand reopening after the work is completed.

The board voted late last year to rename the center to include Trumps name. Since then, several artists and productions have canceled scheduled appearances at the venue, including composer Philip Glass, Bela Fleck, Ben Folds, Issa Rae, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Hamilton and Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, among others.
STATEN ISLAND, NY  Members of the Staten Island Interfaith community celebrated peace, solidarity and heritage at the first-ever Islamic Peace Academy.

This new initiative, which took place on Saturday in Westerleigh at the new Muslim Community Center on Broadway, was created in partnership with the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center and Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace organization that is affiliated with the United Nations.

Religious leaders and local politicians gathered Saturday at the new Muslim Community Center to celebrate solidarity and shared values. Nicolette Cavallaro|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com

As we might see today, there may be differences in our culture, ethnicity, race and religion. Even within religion we may have differences of opinion, but these things do not change the facts of what all the religious scriptures talk about, every scripture is peace, shared Andre Fadhel, the general director of the New York Branch of the World Alliance of Religions Peace Office.

Religious leaders and local politicians gathered Saturday at the new Muslim Community Center to celebrate solidarity and shared values. Andre Fadhel, the general director of the New York Branch of the World Alliance of Religions Peace Office, discussed the main goal of peace and unity. Nicolette Cavallaro|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com

Religious leaders and local politicians gathered Saturday at the new Muslim Community Center to celebrate solidarity and shared values. The event began with a reading from Quran by community leader Dr. Sabry Bahlool, which centered around peace and unity. Nicolette Cavallaro|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com

The event began with a reading from Quran by community leader Dr. Sabry Bahlool, which centered around peace and unity. This was followed by speakers from the Islamic community, who shared their hopes of solidarity and communication.

Our prophet instructs us that a true believer is one who cannot go to sleep while his neighbor is hungry, said Mazen Ahmed, the imam of the Muslim Community Center of Staten Island. In another verse and another saying, our prophet says if you prepare a soup then increase the water and share with your neighbors that are in need.

Tahir Kukaj, the vice president and imam of the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center, focused his speech on his hopes for further connection with local elected officials.

Religious leaders and local politicians gathered Saturday at the new Muslim Community Center to celebrate solidarity and shared values. Mazen Ahmed, the Imam of the Muslim Community Center of Staten Island, emphasized community care across all faiths. Nicolette Cavallaro|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com

Religious leaders and local politicians gathered Saturday at the new Muslim Community Center to celebrate solidarity and shared values. Tahir Kukaj, the Vice President and Imam of the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center, focused his speech on his hopes for further connection with local elected officials. Nicolette Cavallaro|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com

Good connections are important, the imam who also serves as a New York Police Department chaplain stated. " Peace is not just absence of war. Peace is rather the system that justice is being served. In our system, in this great nation of ours, justice is being served through connections and actions."

The religious leaders were joined by multiple local elected officials, who shared words of unity and support prior to a celebratory meal.

Religious leaders and local politicians gathered Saturday at the new Muslim Community Center to celebrate solidarity and shared values. David Carr, a Republican representing parts of Staten Island, shared his support and hopes for building new bridges with the growing Staten Island Muslim community. Nicolette Cavallaro|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com

State Assemblymember Sam Pirozzolo and City Councilmember David Carr, both Republicans representing parts of Staten Island, shared their support and hopes for building new bridges with the growing Staten Island Muslim community.

I see some people here today with very different religions. Whether youre Jewish, whether youre Muslim, whether youre Christian, whether youre Catholic or Buddhist or Hindu, every religion seems to be centered around peace, stated Pirozzolo.

We will do our best to make sure that this government in this city and this state serves you the way its supposed to be serving, said Carr. We have the opportunities to build trust and collaboration and to really come together.

Religious leaders and local politicians gathered Saturday at the new Muslim Community Center to celebrate solidarity and shared values. Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, a Democrat representing the North Shore of Staten Island, offered her support for the Muslim community in their upcoming holidays. Nicolette Cavallaro|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com

Religious leaders and local politicians gathered Saturday at the new Muslim Community Center to celebrate solidarity and shared values. State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, a Democrat who represents the North Shore and South Brooklyn, shared her willingness to help the community with any issues they may face. Nicolette Cavallaro|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com

Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, a Democrat representing the North Shore, offered her support for the Muslim community.

This time of year has always brought us together and every year together we celebrate the great holiday, she said. We really hope to celebrate many of our iftars together and celebrate Ramadan as were coming up on the high holy day.

State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, a Democrat who represents the North Shore and South Brooklyn, also shared her willingness to help the community with any issues they may face.

I know what most people want for their own family, is what I want for mine, for you to feel safe where you live, and you want to be able to afford where you live, she shared. I just wanted to stop in and say hello and let you know that I am here. I look forward to getting together with all of you and getting to know you better.

Religious leaders and local politicians gathered Saturday at the new Muslim Community Center to celebrate solidarity and shared values. Abdallah Salem, the Religious Director and Imam of the Muslim Community Center, opened the event. Nicolette Cavallaro|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com

Religious leaders and local politicians gathered Saturday at the new Muslim Community Center to celebrate solidarity and shared values. Nicolette Cavallaro|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com

Fadhel concluded the evening by presenting an honorary certificate to Abdallah Salem, the religious director and imam of the Muslim Community Center, which recognized the centers commitment to harmony and peace amongst the Interfaith community.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The applications for free, all-day pre-K and 3-K in New York City are open, and over 50,000 families have already applied.

The programs, which provide free, full-day care and education, are part of a broader effort to create more high-quality early care and education programs for children from birth to 5 years old.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Friday that over 50,000 families have submitted applications, which opened on Jan. 14.

Every child deserves access to free, high quality childcare  and were making sure families across the city know that now is the time to enroll in 3-k and pre-K, said Mamdani. Over the past few weeks, weve left no stone unturned in getting the word out, and the strong response so far shows that families are ready.

Applications are open until Feb. 27.

Here are seven things to know before you apply.

Who can apply?

3-K

In New York City, you can apply to 3-K in the calendar year that your child turns 3, or children born in 2022 are eligible, according to the city Department of Education.

Seats are limited, and residents of school districts offering 3-K for All programs have priority to attend programs in their own district.

Pre-K

In New York City, children begin pre-K in the calendar year they turn 4, or children born in 2021. There is a pre-K seat for every 4-year-old across all five boroughs, according to the DOE.

The city welcomes all children of this age to participate in pre-K admissions: current 3-K students at public district schools, Pre-K Centers, and NYC Early Education Centers; current students in 3-year-old programs at charter schools, private schools, parochial schools, or other preschools; children with disabilities; children with accessibility needs; children learning English; children in temporary housing; LGBTQ and gender non-conforming children; and children who are new to NYC public schools. Children do not need to be toilet trained to attend pre-K.

How do I apply?

You can apply to both 3-K and pre-K in one of three ways:

Online with MySchools.nyc.

By phone at 718-935-2009. Call Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Contact a Family Welcome Center. Learn how at schools.nyc.gov/FWC.

The online application is available in 10 languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Korean, Haitian Creole, Bengali, Urdu and French), and families can submit an application over the phone in over 200 languages.

What are the different types of settings for 3-K?

There are four types of settings for 3-K programs. According to the DOE, you can choose to apply to programs in one setting or across two, three, or all four settings. Each setting offers the same DOE high-quality, play-based curriculum to New York Citys 3-year-old children.

NYC Early Education Centers: These are community-based organizations with early childhood expertise. They partner with the DOE to provide 3-K programs. Consider NYC Early Education Centers if your child currently attends the center, has a sibling also attending the program, or your family receives social services from the organization that runs the center. Some NYC Early Education Centers also offer up to 10 hours of 3-K programming, all year round for families that qualify.

District Schools. Some DOE public elementary schools offer 3-K programs. Consider this option if your child has an older sibling already attending the school, or you want your child to attend a program in an elementary school setting.

Pre-K Centers. Pre-K Centers are run by DOE staff and only offer grades before kindergarten. Consider Pre-K Centers if you want your child to attend a 3-K program with only young children. These are DOE early childhood centers that only offer grades below kindergarten.

Family Child Care (Home-Based Programs). Home-based programs, also known as family child-care programs, offer 3-K in a home setting by a licensed, qualified provider. In this setting, 3-K children are served in mixed-age groups with other children from birth to 3 years old.

What are the different types of settings for pre-K?

There are three types of settings for pre-K programs. You can choose to apply to programs in one, two, or all three settings. Each setting offers the same DOE high-quality, play-based curriculum to New York Citys 4-year-old children.

NYC Early Education Centers. These are community-based organizations with early childhood expertise. They partner with the DOE to provide pre-K programs. Consider NYC Early Education Centers if your child currently attends the center, has a sibling also attending the program, or your family receives social services from the organization that runs the center. Some NYC Early Education Centers also offer up to 10 hours of pre-K programming, all year round for families that qualify.

District Schools. Some public elementary schools offer pre-K programs. Consider these DOE public schools if your child currently attends 3-K at the school, has an older sibling already attending the school or you want your child to attend a program in an elementary school setting.

Pre-K Centers. Pre-K Centers are run by DOE staff and only offer grades before kindergarten. Consider Pre-K Centers if your child currently attends 3-K at the Pre-K Center, or you want your child to attend a program with only young children.

What are the different seat types?

There are three 3-K and pre-K seat types: School Day, Extended Day and Year, and Head Start. A 3-K program may offer one, two, or all three of these seat types. You can learn which programs offer which seat types in MySchools. Different seat types have different eligibilities, so check to make sure you are applying to the correct seat type(s).

School Day seats are open to all NYC children born in 2020. These seats are free and provide early care and education for six hours and 20 minutes per day during the school year, typically from September to June.

Extended Day and Year seats are free or low-cost and provide care for up to 10 hours of early care and education a day, year-round, including the summer. Eligibility for these seats is based on family income and needs. If you receive an offer to an Extended Day and Year seat, you will need to confirm your childs eligibility by completing a Child Care application.

Head Start seats are free and provide 10 hours of early care and education a day, year-round. Eligibility for Head Start is based on family income and needs. If you receive an offer to a Head Start seat, the program will work with you to confirm your childs eligibility. are free and provide 10 hours of early care and education a day, year-round. Eligibility for Head Start is based on family income and needs. If you receive an offer to a Head Start seat, the program will work with you to confirm your childs eligibility.

When will I get an offer letter?

Pre-K and 3-K admissions are not first-come, first-served. All applications submitted online or by phone by the deadline are treated the same based on admissions priorities.

Families who submit an application by the deadline will receive an offer in the spring.

Pre-K offers will be released on May 12, and offers for 3-K are slated to be released on May 19.

What about waitlists?

Programs use waitlists to fill open seats after offers are made. This means your child will be automatically added to the waitlist for any program you ranked higher on your pre-K application than the program where your child got an offer.

You also have the option of adding your child to additional program waitlists. Programs will contact you directly if they are able to offer your child a seat from the waitlist.

Visit www.schools.nyc.gov for more information on enrolling to these programs.
Raiffeisen Bank (Kyiv) has allocated EUR 1 million within its own program to support energy independence for businesses for preferential lending for the purchase of energy equipment, the financial institution reported on its website.

Under the program, businesses can obtain an unsecured loan at 0.01% annual interest for the first 12 months of the credit agreement, with a maximum loan amount of UAH 400,000 and a term of up to 36 months.

The bank said loans can be issued without a guarantor and repaid in equal installments, with an individual repayment schedule available for agricultural clients.

The program is open to business clients  both sole proprietors and legal entities  with an active account at the bank. It covers new and existing clients in Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Chernihiv, Zaporizhia, and Mykolaiv regions.

According to the bank, a total of UAH 3.6 billion has already been provided for projects and equipment related to business energy independence, including solar power plants, solar panel production, biogas and biomethane projects, as well as the purchase of generators and implementation of energy efficiency solutions.

As of January 1, 2026, Raiffeisen Bank ranked seventh in terms of the number of loans serviced under state-backed portfolio guarantees, with 444 loans totaling UAH 2.7 billion, 82% of the guarantee limit allocated to the bank.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  As part of its annual Global Crayola Creativity Week, the iconic art supply brand partnered last Thursday with Staten Island native and actor Michael Rainey Jr. to inspire students at PS 57 in Clifton, presenting the school with a $1,000 donation in art supplies.

The week-long initiative, which celebrates creativity in classrooms worldwide, reached more than 20 million students across all 50 states and 146 countries, according to Crayola.

Rainey Jr., 25, is best known for his role as Tariq St. Patrick on the Starz hit series Power and its spin-offs  a franchise whose target audience skews considerably older than the fourth and fifth-graders packed into the school auditorium. Even so, the actor was uncertain whether the students would be more excited to see him or Blizzard Blue, Crayolas voiceless, dancing mascot.

Staten Island-grown actor Michael Rainey Jr. poses with Crayola mascot Blizzard Blue at P.S. 57 The Hubert H. Humphrey School in Clifton as Crayola partners with for a day of creativity, surprise and inspiration to students as part of Global Crayola Creative Week. Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Advance/SILive.com | Jason Paderon

Judging by the cheers inside PS 57, it was a tie.

Im sure they probably see the show when their parents are watching, Rainey Jr. joked, noting that his ties to the neighborhood run deep. His father grew up in the Park Hill Apartments located just across the street from the school. To team up with Crayola is dope.

Crayola representatives said the visit underscored the brands broader mission to promote creativity as an essential life skill.

Crayola is working hard to make sure everyone understands the importance of creativity and how it can help kids with things like problem-solving, building relationships and confidence, said Kailee Baylor. Were excited to celebrate the incredible work the educators are doing here at PS 57 to encourage every student in this school to be creative.

The week-long initiative, which celebrates creativity in classrooms worldwide, reached more than 20 million students across all 50 states and 146 countries, according to Crayola. Advance/SILive.com | Jason Paderon

In addition to the art-focused programming, Rainey Jr. also participated in a financial literacy presentation alongside MFS Investment Management, an official sponsor of Creativity Week 2026. MFS contributed an additional $2,500 to help expand PS 57s financial literacy curriculum.

At MFS, we believe in creating value not just for our clients but for the communities we serve, said spokesman Tom Schmitt. Supporting initiatives like Crayola Creativity Week reflects our deep commitment to making a meaningful difference in peoples lives.

PS 57 Principal Karyn Singleton praised the partnership, emphasizing the lasting impact the donations and programming will have on students.

Im very thankful for this generous donation and the opportunities it will create for our students, Singleton said. This support will continue to allow our children to experience new learning opportunities that they are excited about. Our students were fully engaged in the creativity aspect of todays presentation as well as the importance of financial literacy. We are so grateful to Michael Rainey Jr. for selecting our school for this opportunity.

Staten Island-grown actor Michael Rainey Jr. and Crayola partner for a day of creativity, surprise and inspiration to students at P.S. 57 The Hubert H. Humphrey School in Clifton as part of Global Crayola Creative Week. Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Advance/SILive.com | Jason Paderon

For Rainey Jr., the visit offered a chance to give back to the borough that helped shape him.

Its just inspiring helping the kids, putting smiles on their faces, giving them a chance to show off their creativity, he said. Its a blessing, and Im just happy to be part of it.
It was all a lie.

Thats the word from former MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, according to The Hill.

During a radio interview with host Kim Iversen, the Georgia Republican said, I think people are realizing it was all a lie. It was a big lie for the people. What MAGA is really serving in this administration, who theyre serving, is their big donors.

Greene had been a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump before having a major falling out with the commander-in-chief over the Jeffrey Epstein files, Trumps focus on foreign affairs and other issues.

The big, big donors that donated all the money and continue to donate to the presidents PACs and donate to the 250th anniversary and are donating to the big ballroom, said Greene, who recently announced her resignation from Congress.

Said Greene: Those are the people that get the special favors. They get the government contracts, they get the pardons, or somebody they love or one of their friends gets a pardon.

Greene also hit out anew at the president for focusing on foreign affairs instead of tending to problems at home.

Its the foreign countries, Greene said. They are running the show here. Its the major big corporations and what is best for the world. Thats really what MAGA is.

Greene continued, We are seeing war on behalf of Israel, we are seeing the people in Gaza, innocent people in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of them completely murdered so that they can build some new real estate development. Money can pour in and everybody can get rich there in the new Gaza.
Maybe Americans should follow President Donald Trumps lead about the strategic importance of Greenland.

The Daily Mail reports that a number of major U.S. cities would be quickly vaporized if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to launch a nuclear attack in the airspace over the Arctic nation.

If the Russian strongman launched a nuclear strike from the Kola Peninsula, the missiles would take less than 20 minutes to cross the Arctic, pass over Greenland and reach major cities in the continental United States, including New York, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

An intercontinental ballistic missile comes down with a speed of [15,000 mph] per second, it takes 18 minutes from launch until it reaches a major U.S. city, Tore Sandvik, Minister of Defense for Norway, recently told the Financial Times.

If an 800-kiloton warhead were to detonate above Midtown Manhattan, its center would reach a temperature of 180 million degrees.

A tornado of flames would quickly engulf the Empire State Building and other landmarks and would spread radioactive fallout well beyond the initial flashpoint.

A nuke aimed at Washington, D.C., would kill or seriously injure 1.3 million people and would destroy the White House and Capitol Hill.

A similar nuke detonation above the Chicago Loop would vaporize all life within a half mile and all buildings would be vaporized.

Nukes launched from the Kola Peninsula could also obliterate cities on the West Coast like Seattle and San Francisco.

The Kola Peninsula houses the most highly concentrated atomic weapons stockpile on the globe,

Trump has pushed for the U.S. to take over Greenland as a matter of American national security.

The president has faced stiff pushback on his plan from NATO allies.
A whistleblower complaint about a top cabinet official in President Donald Trumps White House is so classified that officials need to figure out a way to share it with Congress.

The Wall Street Journal exclusively reported that the complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has sparked a behind-the-scenes battle over how to assess and handle it.

The whistleblowers attorney has accused Gabbard of stonewalling the complaint.

Gabbards office has rejected that characterization, saying that it is navigating a unique set of circumstance and working to resolve the issue, the Journal reported.

The complaint is so highly classified that its reportedly locked in a safe.

The complaints contents could cause grave damage to national security, according to one official who spoke to the Journal.

The complaint also implicates another federal agency in addition to the office of the DNI and raises potential claims of executive privilege that could involve the White House, officials said.

The Journal said that the complaint was filed last May with the intelligence communitys inspector general, according to a November letter that the whistleblowers attorney, Andrew Bakaj, addressed to Gabbard.

That letter accused Gabbards office of hindering the sharing of the complaint with lawmakers by failing to provide needed security guidance on how to do so.

In a statement to the Journal, a spokeswoman for Gabbards confirmed that the complaint concerned the director of national intelligence but dismissed the complaint as baseless and politically motivated.

The November letter was sent to members of the Senate and House intelligence committees, but the complaint itself has yet to be shared with lawmakers, according to the Journal.

The complaint is so highly classified that Bakaj, the whistleblowers attorney, also has not seen it.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Staten Islanders hoping Staten Island Chucks prediction for six more weeks of winter is inaccurate will be disappointed, at least for the upcoming week, according to the latest forecast.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said that while no significant snowfall is expected in the coming week, the existing snow piles wont be disappearing anytime soon due to persistent cold temperatures.

It doesnt look like theres any big accumulating snow events over the next week for us, Pydynowski said. Its possible we see a few flurries Tuesday night into early Wednesday, but it doesnt really look like its really going to amount to much.

The forecast calls for two potential low-impact snow systems. The first system will move through the New York City area Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning while the second chance for light snow arrives Friday. Both systems are expected to remain minor, Pydynowski noted.

Theres also a chance for some snow flurries or showers with a cold front Friday afternoon into the evening, he said. Again, I dont think it would be a huge accumulation, but there might be a chance to get a coating or dusting of snow in some areas.

Highs around 32 degrees through Wednesday will allow minimal daytime melting, but nighttime freezes will stall progress on clearing driveways and walkways. Residential streets in Tottenville remain lined with towering snowbanks, making parking nearly impossible as schools and workplaces reopen across the borough on Jan. 27, 2026. Advance/SILive.com | Shaina McLawrence

When will this all melt?

For Staten Islanders hoping the existing snow will melt quickly, Pydynowski offered little encouragement. Temperatures through Wednesday are expected to hover around the freezing mark, with highs of about 32 degrees. While these temperatures might allow for a little melting during daylight hours, overnight temperatures will drop well below freezing.

Were not going to see any kind of rapid melting or thawing anytime soon. Maybe just a little bit of slow melting each afternoon, Pydynowski said, highlighting that any small progress made during the day would be stalled by the cold nights.

The weeks temperature trend turns even more unfavorable for melting after Wednesday.

The graphic above depicts the weather forecast from Feb. 2 to 8. According to the forecast 33 degrees is this week's high. Courtsey of AccuWeather

Beyond Wednesday, it turns colder again. It looks like highs will be back into the 20s on Thursday, Pydynowski forecasted. These colder conditions will be flanked by wind, making it feel even colder. Real feels could range from the lower 20s or upper teens, he noted.

The science behind the slow melting relates to the consistently cold air temperatures, which counteract the suns warming effect. Even during sunny days, the conditions havent been conducive to significant snowmelt.

Its been so cold that even these days where its sunny, its been tough to get any kind of substantial melting with these air temperatures being so cold. Its been a real struggle, Pydynowski explained.

For residents wondering when relief might arrive, Pydynowski offered little in the way of immediate hope but assured that the snow will eventually melt: Well, it will one day, but its been taking its time.
Number of miners killed by Russian attack increases to 15, seven injured  DTEK

Photo: https://t.me/dtek_ua

The death toll from a hostile attack on a bus carrying miners in the Dnipropetrovsk region has risen to 15 people, with seven injured, energy company DTEK reported.

"Russia carried out a large-scale terrorist attack on DTEK mines in the Dnipropetrovsk region. At the moment, 15 miners are known to have died. According to preliminary information, 7 miners were also injured," DTEK said in an updated message on its Telegram channel on Sunday.

The epicenter was a work bus that was transporting miners from the enterprise after a shift in Dnipropetrovsk region.

Earlier, 12 deaths and 7 injuries were reported.
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Updated BusinessCompaniesMedia & marketing ABC host James Valentine retires amid cancer battle Calum Jaspan February 2, 2026  2:48pm 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

ABC Sydney radio presenter James Valentine has retired from the broadcaster as he continues to battle cancer, saying it was time for a fresh host to have a go at this marvellous shift in the afternoons. Its time to go, he told the stations listeners in a pre-recorded segment on Monday afternoon, after almost four decades with the ABC and 25 years on the Afternoons program. The ABC has lost one of its longest-serving radio hosts in James Valentine, who has retired. James Alcock The veteran broadcaster, who has been off-air for six months battling cancer, returned to the airwaves on Monday during fill-in host James OLoughlins show. Its James Valentine here back in Afternoons, how comfy that feels. Look, I do have an announcement to make, and its sad news. Its definitely sad for me, Valentine said.

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He has been off-air since, undergoing both immunotherapy treatment and chemotherapy. Recovery could take another year, Valentine said. Valentine said it was time for someone else to host the program. Come and have a go at this marvellous shift and do what you can with it, he said. ABC managing director Hugh Marks praised Valentine as one of the great creative forces in Australian broadcasting and wished him the best with his recovery. He has an extraordinary gift for turning everyday moments into joyful, smart and surprising radio, and the connection he has built with his audience over decades simply cannot be overstated, Marks said. Were proud to celebrate everything he has brought to the ABC, and we wish him strength and support as he focuses on his health.

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Valentine first appeared on the ABC TV in the 1980s, presenting childrens television before joining ABC Radio Canberra and later ABC Radio Sydney in the Mornings slot. In 2001, he moved to Afternoons, where he stayed until a two-year stint as Breakfast host in 2022. He returned to the Afternoons slot in 2024. The ABC said Valentine would also step back from his jazz program Upbeat. A tribute show, James Valentine Afternoons: Retrospective will be aired this Friday at 12.30pm. The ABC hasnt appointed a permanent replacement, but James OLoghlin, who has been presenting the show since June, will remain on air in the interim. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
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Updated BusinessCompaniesExecutive shake-up CTM ran asylum seeker barges for the UK. Now its CEO has quit Colin Kruger Updated February 2, 2026  1:07pm ,first published February 2, 2026  10:19am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

The founder of the embattled Corporate Travel Management, Jamie Pherous, has stepped down with immediate effect as an independent audit commences into its lucrative Australian government business to determine if it is among the clients overcharged by the group. The companys shares remain suspended as CTM works to restate its financial accounts going back years and determine if it overcharged clients, including the British government, more than the $160 million it has uncovered to date. Former CTM chief executive Jamie Pherous and the British barge Bibby Stockholm, which was part of the asylum seeker contract which may be the source of its overcharging. Getty, Attila Csaszar The Australian government is one of CTMs most important customers after CTM was awarded all of the federal governments travel and accommodation business in 2023 for at least four years. CTM at the time said the contract would generate 20 per cent of its revenue for the 2024 financial year alone.

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At Senate estimates last December, after the full scale of the scandal was revealed, Andrew Danks, first assistant secretary for procurement at the Department of Finance, confirmed that CTM had offered to fund an independent audit. This was declined. (We) said that we will commission that audit and we will pay for it to make sure that it is truly independent, he told Senate estimates. An update is expected this month on the timeframe for the audit, but CTM acting chief executive Ana Pedersen said on Monday: Its been made public what the Australian government is intending on doing, and were working very closely with them, and that process will commence very shortly. That deal to manage Australian government travel has not been implicated in the overcharging scandal and there is no suggestion Pherous was involved in the broader issues. CTM had a market valuation of $2.35 billion when shares last traded, but some analysts have halved their value of the stock and one investor has written off its valuation entirely.

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CTM told the ASX on Monday morning that Pherous would retire as chief executive and board member. Chief commercial officer Pedersen would act as chief executive of the travel agency until a permanent replacement is found. Pherous, also the groups second-largest shareholder, will move to an advisory role under a six-month consulting agreement with the company. Chairman Ewen Crouch said the board had determined now was the appropriate time to accelerate the transition to a refreshed corporate structure, while acknowledging the problems the company had faced. Crouch acknowledged the need for change given the scale of the scandal, which will cost investors dearly, but he avoided laying any blame at the feet of the charismatic CTM founder, who started the business more than three decades ago. We recognise his impact, but as a board, we must also focus on the evolution of the business, Crouch said of Pherous.

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Clearly, we have let shareholders down over recent months. We understand that, and weve heard first-hand their deep frustration. Its important that we learn from these events and create a strong and sustainable structure that can help us restore trust in the business. CTM chairman Ewen Crouch, pictured in 2016. Louie Douvis Crouch would not speculate on whether CTM would be in a position to release its 2025 financial year accounts before the current financial year ends on June 30. There is confidence that we will complete the process to enable the company to relist. I cannot give you a specific date, Crouch said. CTM shares have been suspended for months, after the company last year flagged minor accounting issues that then ballooned into massively overcharging the British government for services including housing asylum seekers on large-scale barges, including the controversial Bibby Stockholm.

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Scandal The pitchforks are out for this Aussie travel company Elizabeth Knight Business columnist The company had previously told the ASX that these asylum seeker contracts would be worth $3 billion over several years, but the controversy over asylum seekers in Britain, and a change of government, led to abrupt changes to the deal. CTMs woes have raised concerns that it had been charging too much to house the asylum seekers in hotels across Britain under contracts arranged by the former Conservative government. According to British reports, CTM has won 3.9 billion ($7.7 billion) in public sector contracts over the past decade. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
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Sponsored BusinessCompaniesBulls N' Bears West Wits gold footprint in South Africa surges to 7.24M ounces Brought to you by BULLS N BEARS Michael Busbridge February 2, 2026  4:32pm 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

West Wits Mining has added 2.2 million ounces of gold to its existing mineral resource following the grant of a key tenement and lowering cut-off grades at the companys flagship Qala Shallows underground gold mine in South Africas world-class Witwatersrand Basin. While the newly granted tenement boosted the inventory by 1.2 million ounces grading 4.38 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, a further 1 million ounces came from a reduction in the cut-off grade of its global resource from 2g/t to 1.24g/t gold. This reduction resulted from a material uplift in the underlying gold price assumption from US$1500 (A$2142) to US$2850 (A$4071) per ounce. West Wits Minings portal for the new Qala Shallows underground gold mine in South Africas Witwatersrand Basin. The upgrade has increased the total resource by 44 per cent to a whopping 7.24 million ounces grading 4g/t gold. The company says that, with 50 per cent of the global resource now in the measured and indicated categories, mine planning and development options are starting to firm up. Measured and indicated resource now stands at 29.6 million tonnes grading 4.21g/t gold for 4.01 million ounces gold, with the balance of 3.23 million ounces in the inferred class.

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West Wits is in a strong position to advance Qala Shallows to steady-state production with first gold pour scheduled for March. West Wits Mining chief operating officer Rudi Dyesel The company unveiled its money shot definitive feasibility study (DFS) in 2025, reporting an ore reserve of 384,000 ounces of gold. Together with its inferred resource, the study forecast total production of 944,000 ounces over a 17-year mine life. The DFS pointed to a net present value of US$500 million (A$713 million) and an internal rate of return of 81 per cent, presenting the kind of financials that most junior miners can only dream of. West Wits Mining chief operating officer Rudi Dyesel said: The grant of PR 10839 provides a seamless depth extension to Qala Shallows, exactly where we want future tonnes and ounces to come from. Coupled with our recently completed Institutional capital raise, West Wits is in a strong position to advance Qala Shallows to steady-state production with first gold pour scheduled for March 2026, whilst simultaneously progressing studies aimed at expanding production and mine life of this Tier-1 ore body. Between 2021 and 2023, West Wits stitched together an initial 5.025-million-ounce resource across its entire footprint. However, it was the Qala Shallows deposit that emerged as the standout starter mine, hosting 10.7 million tonnes at 2.98g/t for just over a million ounces, including 383,000 ounces of bankable reserves.

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Adding to the mines credentials, Qala Shallows already has the infrastructure in place, including an adit, a decline, a shaft, and a labour force ready for use, giving West Wits a rare jump-start. The mine re-opened in mid-October after West Wits hauled its first underground ore to surface, kicking off stockpiling ahead of toll treatment, slated for a March start, at Sibanye-Stillwaters nearby Ezulwini plant. The operation is forecast to pump out around 70,000 ounces of gold every year for 12 straight years, based on a conservative US$2850 (A$4071) per ounce gold price. The Witwatersrand Basin has minted mining legends for more than a century. The gold-enriched basin is a unique world-class mining province and was home to the worlds largest known gold reserves, having produced more than 1.5 billion ounces of gold since the early 1900s. This 3-billion-year-old, 400 km by 60 km Archean sedimentary basin hosts deep-level mining, reaching depths of almost 4 kilometres. The basin was responsible for the foundation of Johannesburg in 1886, solidifying South Africas status as a global gold mining powerhouse.

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West Wits now appears ready to carve out its own chapter in South African gold, reviving a storied mining legacy with modern standards, community benefit and a long-term vision. With funding fully in place, infrastructure and a new tenement offering optionality and a longer mine life all in place, its Witwatersrand dream is set to rapidly become a reality. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au

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NationalCBD Exclusive Brethren, the PM and the worthless PR push John Buckley and Rachael Dexter February 3, 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

Regular readers of this column will remember how, a year ago, our friends at the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church started a PR campaign in response to misinformation in the media. Making this church, formerly known as Exclusive Brethren, look good was always going to be a big ask. It preaches a radical doctrine of separation from the world, under which its members are urged to hate the rest of us because of the risk of contamination and defilement, while extracting as much financial benefit as it can under another doctrine called spoiling the Egyptians. And even though its members dont vote, it ordered thousands of them onto the streets to volunteer for the Liberal Party during the federal election campaign, without declaring who they were. Well, over the summer recess, there have been a few updates to the PR push. Secret tape recordings of sermons by Bruce Hales, the churchs Grand Poobah (real titles: Man of God, Elect Vessel, Paul of our Day) show him pronouncing to his flock that trying to maintain a reputation  its never appealed to me. Ive always thought trying to maintain a reputation was a bane. Basically worthless, he said.

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But that might come as a surprise to his loyal functionary, church spokesman Lloyd Grimshaw, who spent last year squiring friendly media outlets through the churchs previously top secret services and producing a series of mind-numbingly dull podcasts professing how normal they all are. Grimshaw did not respond to a request for comment. It also might come as a surprise to the churchs Rapid Relief Team. This is a registered charity that hands out refreshments at natural disasters  and with Australias season of bushfires and floods, theyve had a busy summer. A cynic would suggest the real reasons for RRTs existence is to make the church look good, to justify its charitable status and to curry favour with politicians. The church has even drawn the attention of the Australian Taxation Office in recent years. You would think it would have to work pretty hard to curry favour with Anthony Albanese, who called the church a cult during the election campaign. And yet, there was Albo pictured at the Victorian fire front with an RRT snack and chatting away to one of the PBCCs local nabobs  photos the church was quick to upload onto its Facebook page. Anthony Albanese with members of the Rapid Relief Team, the charity of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren in January 2026.

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RRT volunteers  were greeted and cheered on by a friendly visit from the PM Anthony Albanese, showing support for our community and recovery efforts, the caption said. The Prime Ministers Office would not be drawn on whether Albanese was aware of who he was pictured with, or whether he stands by his description of the church as a cult, as he did last year. But a government spokesman did offer up this line: Its up to the Liberal Party to explain what the arrangements were and what promises were made to this group to reward their significant investment in the Liberal Partys campaign. Our colleague, chief photographer Kate Geraghty, later saw the RRT PR push in action on the police line surrounding the apparent domestic violence triple murder at Lake Cargelligo. The RRTs local leader, Rod Martin, showed up at the police tape near where Sophie Quinn and John Harris had been shot dead. He introduced himself to the media and said his team was available if journalists wanted to do a story about RRT relief efforts. Then he offered food to police and the media.

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Rod Martin a member of the Plymouth Brethren Christin Church Rapid Relief Team, at the crime scene on Bokhara Street in Lake Cargelligo where Sophie Quinn and John Harris were shot dead. Kate Geraghty Were not sure exactly how all this squares with the Brethrens big boss saying: We dont really want to pursue favourable reporting. Maybe that scripture has not yet had time to penetrate the regions. When we asked the church for a comment, it said: The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church declines to comment, other than to say  no one in our church is interested in reputation or image. What we are interested in is letting people know the facts about us after years of misreporting. Ex-News Corpers garage sale Life after News Corp can be tough. Just ask any of the ex-editors and executives who make up a graveyard of Murdoch formers, and the many more who have turned their previous employment into a crusading identity.

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Former News Corp exec John McGourty is selling a designer Nerocactus made by Gufram on Facebook marketplace. Among the most recent to join the club is John McGourty, defenestrated as part of the publishers most recent cull. Of course, the cull were referring to occurred in 2024, when the Australian outpost of News Corp called in PwC to reorganise the business as part of a plan then aimed at saving in the order of $65 million. The restructure hit a number of high-profile editors and executives, of which McGourty was among the most senior, as the group director of News Corps editorial innovation centre. Now, it would seem, the McGourty household is dispensing with some of the excesses of times past. We were dutifully informed that McGourty has taken to flogging some of his luxury household items. Up for grabs was a Hermes chess set priced to go at $3250 (since sold!) and a designer Nerocactus made by Gufram, for just $4500. One of only 500 made, read McGourtys ad caption, on Facebook marketplace no less. When asked to comment, McGourty was suspicious that these listings were even newsworthy, before calling the line of inquiry weird.

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All in good jest, we said. He explained the sales came as part of some good old-fashioned decluttering. You start the new year, and youre kind of decluttering your life, and theres some things I want to declutter as I downsize, he said. The former News Corp man spent more than two decades at the Murdoch-controlled publisher, after moving from Scotland in the late 1990s. He started his News Corp Australia career at The Daily Telegraph, where he ascended to deputy editor, before heading into corporate roles. As things stand, we cant decide which of these tasks is tougher: innovating at News Corp, or finding a market for his Nerocactus. Summer spots The favourite lunchtime haunts of the nations bankers and politicians tend to get quiet heading into Christmas and on through January, leaving behind a string of empty tables. Still, there were a couple of familiar faces seen around town over the summer break.

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Among them was one of this columns favourites, former Long Bay jailbird turned venture capitalist Rodney Adler. The former high-flyer was seen hobnobbing at the Grill Americano just before Christmas. The Adler redemption arc keeps on giving, but his office was not interested in talking to us. It was only a couple of weeks later that Australias top law officer was spotted out at Neptunes Grotto, in Sydneys CBD, with an as yet unidentified lunchmate. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland was spied in a booth next to the bar on January 14 with a bald, stocky friend. No dice on who it was or what they were discussing  and her office was in no mood to enlighten us. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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Exclusive Eating outRestaurant news Why ground-breaking Marrickville brewery Wildflower will close after 10 years Wildflower has always stood tall as a true original, said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, one of its many fans. But its not over yet, with pop-ups to come with chefs from Ester, Sixpenny and more. Bianca Hrovat February 3, 2026 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

Marrickville and the Inner West Ale Trail would not be the same without Wildflower Brewing & Blending, a singular craft brewery which today announced plans to close its cellar door on May 31, after 10 years. Brothers-in-law Topher Boehm and Chris Allen founded Wildflower during the height of Australias craft beer boom in 2016, and the Brompton Street brewery (now co-owned with Benny Boehm and Emily Allen) went on to achieve international acclaim for its innovative, provenance-led approach. Wildflower co-owners Topher and Bernadette Boehm with hospitality director Nemesia Dale-Cully. Jessica Hromas What we decided to do, what we decided to focus on, was a bit unique and was a bit of a risk, Boehm said. Im really proud that we did that because one of our greatest achievements  is that people were actually converted. Boehm said the decision to close wasnt about the product or the people  it was driven by the desire to spend time with his young family, put down roots and grow a business (Wildflower, in a different form) that could live on for generations. Production might have stopped, but this isnt the end for Wildflower, its just the beginning of a new chapter.

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The way its structured, I didnt feel I could run [the business] sustainably for the next 10 years, and I think a big part of that just had to be with the amount of time and effort that it takes, Boehm said. Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up There was also economic pressure as the cost of production and rent rose. I want to have the freedom to continue putting the time and effort into the beers we have, and a big part of that is the financial aspect, Boehm said. Were in a pricey area of Sydney  and I dont want to be in a situation where I feel that new things have to be made or produced just to be able to keep cash flow moving. The Wildflower cellar door evolved into Village Taproom by Mountain Culture and Wildflower. Boehm worked at nearby Batch Brewing before establishing Wildflower, where he stepped outside of conventional commercial brewing practices to harvest naturally occurring bacteria and yeast from native Australian ingredients, cultivating a series of wild ales with a true expression of place.

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Over the years, there were golden barrel-aged beers re-fermented with wild honeycomb from the Blue Mountains, or hand-picked apricots from Orange, or Montepulciano grapes from Young. There were saisons and low-alcohol table beers using organic hops and barley from regenerative farms in Berrigan and Coleambally, cider made from roadside apples, and a whisky blend developed with neighbouring distillery Poor Toms. Co-founder Topher Boehm changed the way Sydney thinks about craft beer. Jessica Hromas [Our beer] was something that didnt exist before, and its become something that is an important part of peoples milestones and celebration, Boehm said. Not many people get to say that about their work  its a huge honour. Wildflower caught the attention of the broader hospitality community, including wine and drinks writer Mike Bennie, who co-founded P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants in Newtown. Bennie said Wildflower enhanced Australian drink culture through its commitment to collaboration, creativity and quality. Wildflower has been a standout in Australias craft brewing community ... At a time when many breweries were jostling for hop-led IPA supremacy, Wildflower did its thing and pushed with unnerving confidence in its own lane.

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Wildflower co-owners Topher and Bernadette Boehm with (centre) hospitality director Nemesia Dale-Cully. Jessica Hromas Two-hatted Chippendale restaurant Ester was among the first restaurants to serve Wildflower, and Boehm later collaborated with head chef and owner Mat Lindsay on soy sauce. It was one of many collaborations, which ranged from a grape ale with independent Australian winemaker Jauma to bread made at Goodwood Bakeshop in Marrickville. In 2024, Wildflower partnered with Katoomba Brewery Mountain Culture to rebrand the Marrickville cellar door as Village (Mountain Culture will continue its presence in Sydney at its Redfern brewery). After pandemic lockdowns, hospitality director Nemesia Dale-Cully expanded the scope of their cellar door to include pop-up restaurants from Hot Luck Club, Goldstreet Dairy cheesemaker Colin Wood and A.P Bakery, the latter of which was reviewed by Good Food Guide co-editor Callan Boys. Jersey cheese and hot honey bun, served at Wildflower during a pop-up kitchen from cheesemaker Colin Wood of Goldstreet Dairy. Jennifer Soo

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Wildflower made beer unlike anywhere else in Sydney. Jessica Hromas Co-owner Bernadette (Benny) Boehm at family-owned brewery Wildflower. Jessica Hromas Inner West Brewery Association (IWBA) president and Young Henrys co-founder Richard Adamson said Wildflower changed the way beer was presented in restaurants  not secondary to wine, but something you can also enjoy over dinner. The brewery also pushed for change within the local independent craft brewing industry. As a member of the IWBA, it assisted in the development of the Inner West Ale Trail. The popular tourism activity relaunched in 2024 with 18 independent breweries, cementing the area as Australias craft brewing hub. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, member for the local Grayndler electorate, attended both launches and said it was sad to hear Wildflower would soon be closing: The Inner West Ale Trail ... [is] the result of ambition and vision from a lot of talented brewers, and the hard work and perseverance to back it.

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Im hugely proud of all they have created and contributed. Among them, Wildflower has always stood tall as a true original, he said. As Marrickvilles hospitality offering continues to expand, with newcomers including non-alcoholic brewery Heaps Normal Health Club and Bracket Brewing, Boehm said the decision to close Wildflowers cellar door is bittersweet. Collaborations were at the heart of Wildflowers success, including their partnership with Katoomba brewery Mountain Culture to rebrand the cellar door as Village. Mountain Culture co-founder DJ McCready pictured with Wildflower co-founder Topher Boehm. If you told me, 10 years ago, that wed be in this position in 2026, with so many people drinking our beers and an entire community surrounding this space  I couldnt look at it as anything other than a success, Boehm said. He doesnt know what the future holds for Wildflower, but there are vague plans to move to a regional town where the family can purchase property, grow crops and open a little cellar door. But for the next four months they will be celebrating their 10-year milestone with pop-up events, including lunch hosted by chefs Dan Puskas (Sixpenny) and Jean-Paul El Tom (Babas Place) from the Good Food Guides Restaurant of the Year, Corner 75, on Sunday, February 22, and a farewell party featuring food by Lindsay and Dougal Muffet, head baker and director of A.P Bakery. Tickets are on sale now at wildflowerbeer.com.
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NationalChild abuse Notorious sex offender hid his fortune to avoid $1.4m payout Amber Schultz February 3, 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

Nearly three years after a court ruled convicted paedophile and former Bega Cheese boss Maurice Van Ryn pay $1.4 million in damages, the victim has yet to see a cent. Van Ryn was convicted of abusing nine children between 2003 and 2014. He was later convicted of abusing a 10th child in 2019. In total, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Former Bega cheese boss, convicted paedophile Maurice Van Ryn, will be eligible for parole in 2029. In 2023, the Supreme Court awarded the 10th victim $1.4 million in damages for the abuse he endured in Van Ryns home in Tathra, on NSWs South Coast. Van Ryn declared bankruptcy in December that year. The victim-survivors are unable to access hundreds of thousands of dollars he had in superannuation through a civil compensation claim.

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New laws could mean superannuation is no longer a protected asset for convicted child sex abusers under civil law, closing a loophole that victim-survivor advocates say is long overdue. The draft laws, which opened for public consultation on Monday, will enable victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to seek access to extra personal or salary sacrifice superannuation contributions if court-ordered compensation remains unpaid after 12 months. The reforms will allow compensation debts to survive an offenders bankruptcy if they have been found guilty of child sex abuse. Announcing the draft laws on Monday afternoon, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said the government was cracking down on perpetrators. There can be no opportunity for criminals who are convicted of child sexual abuse to avoid paying compensation to their victims, she said.

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Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Daniel Mulino said the draft laws reflected the tireless work of survivors and advocates. Victims of child sexual abuse deserve to receive the courtordered compensation they are entitled to, he said. Consultation on the draft laws will close on February 20. The long-awaited legislation was first promised by former financial services minister Kelly ODwyer in 2018. Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino. Alex Ellinghausen The Super for Survivors campaign, led by Websters Lawyers partner Andrew Carpenter, Fighters Against Child Abuse Australia founder Adam Washbourne, and abuse survivor, actor and advocate Madeleine West, has advocated for a change in the law since 2020.

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With one in three girls and one in five boys being abused before their 18th birthday, significant consequences of losing super may finally result in offenders thinking twice before they abuse children, Carpenter said. Related Article Crime Paedophiles still hiding assets in super despite crackdown promise Its a win for victim-survivors across the country as it shows the web is closing on all sex offenders. The group will continue to advocate for the laws to be extended to compensate all victim-survivors, not just those whose abusers have been convicted. This is a crack in the door which will give justice to victim-survivors, but our job will not be done until that door is kicked in, Carpenter said.

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A 2019 Deloitte study estimated that violence against children and young people cost $11.2 billion for cases in NSW alone. Survivors face an uphill battle in seeking compensation and justice. In 2021, Lee Jones sought compensation from her father, Arthur Oakley, who was convicted of sexually abusing her in the familys western Sydney home in the 1970s. The Herald successfully applied to have lifted a suppression order that had been stopping Lee Jones from talking publicly about her abuse. Janie Barrett

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Instead of finding justice, Jones was told she would have to pay upfront fees north of $20,000 for Oakley to be represented due to his mental incapacity, while her address and Medicare details were sent to him unredacted. The court also placed a suppression order on Jones case, preventing her from talking publicly about her abuse. The Herald successfully applied to have the suppression order lifted. Related Article Exclusive

Courts Lee was attacked as a nine-year-old. Shes finally free to tell her story Meanwhile, the notorious paedophile who abused former Australian of the Year Grace Tame when she was a student is unlikely to face trial on cyber-harassment charges. Nicolaas Bester was found guilty of sexually abusing Tame when she was a student in 2011. He was later convicted of having child exploitation material. In 2022, he was charged with harassing Tame on social media. On Monday, lawyers and prosecutors agreed that due to his dementia and multiple strokes, falls, and a brain clot, there was insufficient evidence to show Bester was fit to stand trial.

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The Super for Survivors campaign is supported by the Grace Tame Foundation. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028, Lifeline 13 11 14, Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Ive been reading the stories about old phone numbers (C8) and was reminded that during a recent eye test in suburban Sydney, my wife was shown a page of text in progressively smaller print., writes Alan Smith of Roseville. One of the examples was taken from a Kempsey telephone directory printed around 40 years ago. It was the page listing our address and phone number at the time. The test proceeded as normal.

Ever the thinker, George Manojlovic of Mangerton writes: The recent spate of hot weather is taking quite an evaporative toll on my swimming pool, so to keep my water bill from exploding, Ive decided to top the pool up using a high-pressure washer, as Im told they use up to 80 per cent less water than a conventional hose.

If anyone feels so inclined to endure the Melania documentary (C8), they may be a bit confused when trying to find the screenings at their local cinema, reckons James Cheeseman of North Ryde. A quick scan of the titles currently screening had me wondering which one it could be: The Housemaid? Back to the Past? Mercy? or maybe Return to Silent Hill? And then I saw the obvious title  Send Help.

Youve probably already seen this one, but this offering from Christo Curtis of Beaconsfield is our favourite: I read somewhere that Abraham Lincoln said watching Melania was the worst experience hes ever had in a theatre.

If youre after a C8 catalogue (C8), look no further than page 280 of Gavin Souters 667-page tome Company of Heralds, advises Allan Gibson of Cherrybrook. Grannys 1947 innocence was described as containing oddities of news, acid items of comment, and revelations about public figures, always with some touch of humour.
For 30 years, the Homebush Theatre has been shut. It hasnt stopped people from leaving their mark.

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When Craig Irving shines a torch down the stairs and into the basement of an abandoned Homebush building, he is overwhelmed by eeriness. Kegs, plates, chairs and tables are visible and there was still some old schooner glasses, he says. Upstairs, rubbish and debris cover the floor, a chandelier has fallen from the ceiling and years of graffiti mark the chipped walls. Irving, who goes by the handle Histografixx online, is recounting his experience of photographing what has become one of Sydneys most popular urban exploration sites  the Homebush Theatre. The windows of the former Homebush theatre have been boarded up and its facade vandalised. Steven Siewert When it opened in 1925, the Homebush Theatre was the picture of luxury: an art deco picture palace featuring almost 2000 seats and a grand stage at its centre. In the years that followed, the Parramatta Road building would live many different lives, including becoming the Homebush Ice Rink when the cinema closed in 1959.

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In 1996, the former theatre had run out of luck and the doors shut for the final time. Three decades later, the building bears the scars of years of neglect, a shell of its former glory. But through it all, remnants of what it once was remain on the face of the building: the letters HT decorate both sides of the Homebush Theatre, above where the entrance used to be are the words Midnight Star Reception Centres and to the left, a sign advertising the Niterider Theatre Restaurant tells people to sing-a-long, laugh-a-long, clap-a-long. There was one brief period of activity at the Homebush Theatre in the past 30 years. At the start of 2002, squatters began occupying the site, which they renamed the Midnight Star Social Centre. In a post shared to squat.net, the aesthetic of the building was described as not dissimilar to a David Lynch film. Velvet and chandeliers and olde worlde remnants of opulence, it read. For almost a year, it was used to hold raves, pirate cinema screenings and activist meetings, before the occupants were evicted by police over concerns it was being used as a nerve centre for anarchists. Development challenges and what comes next

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The last time a planning proposal was lodged for the site was in 2017. Walker Corporation had big plans: two residential towers would be built on the northern section of the block and the art deco facade of the former theatre would be maintained, while the rear portion of the building would be demolished for a shopping precinct. Strathfield Council voted against the plan in 2018, citing concerns over the height of the towers and the unacceptable demolition of part of the building. The proposal was formed in partnership with the owners of the building, a company called Oretone  a subsidiary company of Bondi-based liquor group Kemenys, according to ASIC records. The left side of the Homebush Theatre, which has been badly vandalised. Steven Siewert Brothers Andrew and Gabor Kemeny are listed as directors of the company. According to LinkedIn, Andrew is also the director of Kemenys, while Gabor, who also goes by Gabe, is the managing director. This masthead contacted Kemenys for comment, with Andrew referring this masthead instead to Eugene Evgenikos, the managing partner of the Australian branch of Stanton Hillier Parker, a commercial real estate firm. Evgenikos said its local heritage listing presented a challenge for redevelopment.

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One of the many challenges has been, given the heritage classification, the specialised improvements, the lack of commercial tenant demand, the cost of refurbishment with the dilapidated state of the improvements and the complexity to bring the building to comply with the building standards of today is totally prohibitive, he said. Related Article Planning This historic theatre sits in the heart of a booming city. Its been closed for more than a decade A Strathfield Council spokesperson said the heritage listing provides planning protections for the building, but does not require it to be repaired or reactivated. Its role is to ensure that the sites heritage significance is properly considered, that alterations or demolition cannot occur without council consent, and that council decision-making appropriately balances heritage values with broader planning considerations, the spokesperson said. The actual restoration, reuse or activation of the theatre is largely dependent on factors such as the willingness of the owner, the nature of any development proposals, the availability of incentives or heritage conservation agreements, and any specific policies adopted by council. The once grand art deco facade has been reduced to broken windows, crumbling walls and faded signage. Steven Siewert The spokesperson said the council would be supportive of reactivation of the building, which falls within the Homebush Transport Oriented Development (TOD) accelerated precinct.

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The defense forces last night and as of 9:00 a.m. Monday neutralized 157 enemy drones of various types out of 171 that attacked Ukraine, a ballistic missile hit and 12 strike UAVs were recorded hitting at eight locations, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has said.

"On the night of February 2 (from 6:00 p.m. on February 1), the enemy attacked with an Iskander-M ballistic missile from the Crimean Autonomous Republic, as well as 171 strike UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas type and drones of other types from the directions: Kursk, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Millerovo - Russia, temporarily occupied Donetsk, about 100 of them  Shahed UAVs," the Air Force said on Telegram.

It is reported that according to preliminary data, as of 09:00, air defense shot down/suppressed 157 enemy UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera type and drones of other types in the north, south and east of the country. A ballistic missile and 12 strike UAVs were recorded at eight locations.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

"The attack continues, there are several enemy UAVs in the airspace," the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine noted.
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NationalNSWNSW councils Three in four major council projects delivered late or over budget Cindy Yin February 2, 2026  3:10pm 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

NSW councils are struggling to deliver major infrastructure projects while keeping their finances afloat, as a government audit reveals less than one-quarter of projects costing more than $30 million are delivered on time and within budget. Local councils spent $6.1 billion to renew and acquire infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, footpaths, water supply and sewerage, in the 2024-25 financial year. From this budget, councils spent $1.5 billion to deliver major capital projects greater than $30 million. The report pointed to North Sydney Olympic Pool as an example of a council-delivered project with cost blowouts and delays. Sam Mooy An auditor-generals report examining the states 128 councils released last week shows councils delivered just seven of the 29 major projects worth $30 million or more on time and within budget: Hornsby Park and Rhodes Recreation Centre are two examples. More than 20 of the projects  or 72 per cent  experienced delays ranging between 24 days and five years. All councils had an approval process for variations, and revised budgets were approved.

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North Sydney Council was highlighted in the report for its delivery of the Olympic-sized pool, slated to open in mid-2026 after almost four years of delays and more than $60 million in cost blowouts. The proposed $11 pool entry fee for adults to take a dip is comparable to the $10.70 it costs at the nearby aquatic centre in Lane Cove. Councillors will debate the fee structure for the pool and gym at a meeting next week. Willoughby Leisure Centre, Canterbury Leisure and Aquatic Centre, Regatta Park in Emu Plains and the Inner West Councils Greenway pedestrian and cycle path were among other examples of costly or delayed projects. The report also found best-practice guidance for managing these projects was outdated and inadequate, and that some did not cover the full project life cycle.

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The need to better address the challenges associated with capital expenditure within the local government sector is recognised by the Office of Local Government, and a review and revision of the framework has commenced, Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure secretary Kiersten Fishburn wrote in a letter to the auditor-general. Loading Rates are the most substantial source of a councils revenue, but the report found councils were becoming highly dependent on grant funding, most of which is tied to delivering capital projects. The unpredictable nature of grant funding adds complexity to the development of long-term plans for infrastructure. Councils are also grappling with the issue of insufficient cash. Two councils, Bathurst Regional Council and the Upper Hunter Shire Council, spent restricted cash in breach of the Local Government Act. Seventeen councils made operating losses in 2024-25, up from five in the previous year, highlighting financial sustainability risks.

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Auditors recommended that by mid-2027, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure should have implemented updated guidelines on major capital projects. Related Article Opinion

Sydney councils My childhood swimming pool has barely changed. Sydney needs more like it Megan Gorrey Sydney editor This includes plans to be scaled to project size and complexity, council size, and location. Another recommendation pushes for more robust monitoring and contract management to ensure councils get what was promised, when it was promised, at the agreed price, focusing on technical specifications, scheduled milestones, payment processing and variations. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
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Exclusive NationalInvestigations Security boss moves offshore amid probe into loan millions Nick McKenzie and Cameron Houston February 3, 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

The chief executive of Australian security giant MA Services has moved to Dubai as corporate investigators pursue millions of dollars in loans he took from the firm prior to its collapse amid revelations of its links to bikies, as well as tax evasion, sex harassment and systemic worker exploitation. Along with MAs still growing tax debt of $19 million, administrators are chasing almost $13 million in loans from the firm prior to its collapse before Christmas, including at least $4.8 million lent to founder Micky Ahujas personal accounts. Micky and Sasha Ahuja. Preliminary inquiries by administrator Jason Tracy of Alvarez and Marsal have also identified at least $20 million owing in superannuation and entitlements to some of the thousands of security guards who worked for MA Services around Australia. Ahuja is suspected of potentially breaching his statutory duty not to trade whilst insolvent, which warranted further investigation. Given the quantum of employees who have outstanding entitlements, we have been working to ensure employees are able to lodge claims and access information with respect to amounts owed to them as soon as possible, Tracy said in a report to creditors obtained by this masthead.

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Prior to his companys collapse, Ahuja lived a lavish lifestyle that included driving a Rolls-Royce 4WD, two Mercedes G-Wagons and a Lamborghini Urus; he took luxury holidays; and made property acquisitions. Company insiders also told this masthead the actual amount in unpaid wages and superannuation owed to the firms largely migrant workforce and the Tax Office is likely to be far higher, given MA used a network of front companies to operate and disguise the suspected underpayment of staff and rorting of the Tax Office. Editor's pick Exclusive

Investigations Watchdogs spent millions with security firm linked to Finks bikie gang Over the past month, this masthead has been contacted by more than a dozen security guards who say they were underpaid for years. Even though they wore the distinctive MA uniform while working for the firms clients  which include Coles, Amazon, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet  they were actually employed and paid via a network of front companies that had no formal legal relationship with MA. The MA Services story has emerged as a shocking and still unfolding tale of corporate greed and questions of governance failures. The latter extends beyond the once darling of Australias security sector to some of the firms blue chip corporate, sporting and government clients.

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Companies including Coles and Kmart, several AFL clubs and the Department of Home Affairs have faced questions about whether they missed red flags suggesting the firm Ahuja built into one of Australias biggest security providers was engaged in worker exploitation and tax rorting. Meanwhile, Ahuja, whom this masthead has confirmed has moved to Dubai, has sought to publicly minimise the scandal, releasing a series of press releases and advertorials over the past week proclaiming himself as one of Australias greatest emerging entrepreneurs and founders. When asked by this masthead about the allegations dogging Ahuja and his firm, his wife, Sasha Ahuja, declined to comment on his behalf while describing the claims of wrongdoing as false, unjust, and deeply damaging to his reputation, livelihood, and family. A fleet of luxury cars outside the mansion of Micky Ahuja. Micky spent more than 15 years building a workforce-intensive organisation and took on risks that many founders choose not to, she wrote in a lengthy text message that sought to shift responsibility for MAs woes away from her husband.

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In large workforce environments, when ... businesses  employ hundreds or thousands of people across multiple sites, shifts, and jurisdictions, no founder can realistically control every individuals past or every conduct, even where licences, checks, and systems are in place  yet that complexity is often overlooked. Staying anchored in the past would take away his ability to build a future. He needs space to focus forward, not revisit what has already taken so much from him. Micky Ahuja may not have that option: administrator Tracy is now pursuing him to recover funds from a series of suspect transactions and moving to liquidate the firm, having sacked several thousand employees just prior to Christmas. MA Services Group boss Micky Ahujas company was until recently a major sponsor of the Melbourne Demons. In a report to creditors, Tracy said he was recommending the firm be dissolved because it was insolvent. MAs inability to pay its debts was triggered by a Tax Office investigation determining the security firm had failed to remit millions in GST, but Tracy also said in his report that this mastheads series revealing wrongdoing at MA had sparked the companys demise.

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Tracy said he would pursue further action against Ahuja to recover loans of $4,791,987 that arose as a result of the company paying the directors [Ahujas] personal expenses or the directors drawings. We have issued a demand to the director for repayment of the loan. As at the date of this report, the director has not responded to our demand. Editor's pick Investigations Guards sacked and retailers scrambling as embattled security firm calls in administrators If Ahuja fails to repay the funds, he could be declared bankrupt or have his portfolio of properties across Melbourne seized and sold. Tracy is also pursuing unsecured loans to companies linked to Ahuja worth at least $8.29 million, his report said.

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Another line of investigation involved dozens of company cars, including a number of vehicles that had been transferred to various parties either for no consideration or in lieu of payments allegedly owing to them. Where appropriate, we have already commenced (and will commence further as required) recovery action, including with police involvement, the report said. The collapse of MA Services sparked an unprecedented crisis in the nations private security industry. More than 1500 guards working at major retailers such as Coles, Kmart, Bunnings, Dan Murphys and Amazon were told in late December to cease work immediately. Before this, the ATO was pursuing MAs subcontractors for millions of dollars in allegedly unpaid tax in what liquidators and authorities suspect may involve a major tax fraud scheme. This mastheads major and ongoing investigation into MA also revealed how the firm had faced sustained scrutiny from authorities and liquidators but had still won contracts with major corporate and government clients. MA also won lucrative but since abandoned contracts with several AFL clubs and major sporting events, elite schools and universities, and state government infrastructure projects in NSW and Victoria.

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Updated NationalVictoriaPorepunkah shooting No proof of life: Police reveal strong belief suspected double killer Dezi Freeman is dead Grant McArthur Updated February 2, 2026  12:59pm ,first published February 2, 2026  10:44am 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

Police have revealed they have no proof that suspected double police killer Dezi Freeman is still alive, and have returned to Victorias High Country in a hunt for his body. More than 100 officers have descended on an area of dense bushland in Mount Buffalo National Park for a five-day search, guided by evidence from a key witness who says they heard a single gunshot about two hours after the fatal ambush in August. Loading As revealed by The Age in November, police have carried out acoustic testing near the Buckland River to try to pinpoint where the shot may have been fired. Detective Inspector Adam Tilley, of the summit taskforce, said investigators had confirmed that gunshot noise had echoed through the area at 12.29pm on August 26.

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Tilley said the witness report had been corroborated by other parts of the investigation. Based on that evidence, and the fact that there have been no confirmed sightings or proof of life of Freeman since, Tilley said the latest search was being undertaken to try to locate his body. Part of the area where police will this week search for Freeman. Victoria Police We dont believe that he is still in the area alive, Tilley said. We have done extensive searching of the caves, the mines, the huts, the rivers. We are comfortable that we dont believe he is here alive; however, we are keeping an open mind that that is a possibility.

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We do believe strongly that he is in this area, deceased. During an operation in November, taskforce summit officers stationed across properties near the Rayner Track used acoustic equipment to record test fires from different weapons to try to narrow down where the single shot might have come from. Loading While up to 30 shots using different calibre guns were fired during the controlled testing, Tilley on Monday said specialists had been unable to confirm which gun the noise came from on the day of the shootings. Specialist units, air support and a cadaver dog will join the targeted search of an area  measuring 1.3 square kilometres  of terrain behind the Rayner Track property where Freeman was staying in August.

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Related Article Media & marketing Make The Age your preferred source on Google Its not going on a bushwalk  it is extremely challenging. It is steep, it is thick, dense bush, Tilley said of the search conditions. At parts you dont even know where you step in, you have to be extremely careful. Weve got the state or the countrys best here helping us on this occasion. Tilley said he hoped the latest search would help bring answers and closure. We hope to find something, find him, find some [sign], maybe an item of clothing, he said.

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We hope to have answers this week but, if we dont, this is the No.1 priority for Victoria Police. We are dedicated. We are motivated. Weve lost two colleagues and have a third member thats seriously injured. We will not stop. Detective Inspector Adam Tilley speaks to the media on Monday. Justin McManus In December, police spent five days combing nearly one square kilometre of dense bushland and caves, and this weeks search will move to adjoining terrain. The investigation is being led by the homicide squad following the murders of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, who were shot dead on August 26 while executing a search warrant at Freemans property.

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A third officer was shot in the lower body and seriously injured, and continues to recover. Detectives have examined more than 2000 pieces of intelligence, including tips from the public, in the hunt for Freeman, but police have been unable to locate him. Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson (left) and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart. Tilley said although this weeks search was focused on finding Freemans body, investigators remained open to all possibilities. The second scenario that were exploring is hes been able to escape the area and hes being harboured by a person or people, he said. And the third scenario that were exploring [is] that he has left the area and hes on the run, unassisted, and he just hasnt been located.

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I urge anyone, if they do see Freeman, please do immediately contact Triple Zero. We currently have a million-dollar reward. Victoria Police confirmed they have spoken to Freemans wife, Mali Freeman, but would not reveal further details about how co-operative she had been. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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Analysis PoliticsFederalPolitical leadership Is reunion even a good idea for the Liberals and the Nationals? James Massola Updated February 2, 2026  8:02pm ,first published 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

David Littleproud may have easily survived a leadership challenge from backbench Queensland MP Colin Boyce, but the stand-off between the warring Liberals and Nationals is far from over  even though MPs from both sides say they really want to reunite. Without a hint of irony, Liberals including Jane Hume, Maria Kovacic, Dave Sharma and Andrew Bragg and former Nationals leader Michael McCormack urged both Coalition parties to stop talking about themselves and focus on issues that matter to voters, such as the rising cost of living. Nationals leader David Littleproud and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley in question time before the parties split. Alex Ellinghausen The meeting of the Nationals, which started at 2pm on Monday and lasted for a couple of hours, left even some participants flummoxed, with one MP telling this masthead afterwards that the vote to spill was not adopted, we had a discussion about whether to reform [the Coalition with the Liberal Party] and thats it. It was bizarre. I wasted two hours of my life. There was a crack of light by the end of the day, with Sussan Ley and Littleproud  who clearly struggle to work together  agreeing to meet at 6pm on Monday evening to try to bring the two parties together after a second split in nine months. But then they just agreed to keep talking. No real breakthroughs.

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But at least some of the problems that drove the split between the parties remain. As long as Ley and Littleproud remain leaders of their respective parties, its hard to see a permanent solution. Leys camp argues that she cannot accept a return into the shadow cabinet of Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald, the three Nationals frontbenchers who crossed the floor, broke shadow cabinet solidarity and voted against the governments hate speech laws two weeks ago. Nationals (from left) Ross Cadell, Bridget McKenzie, Matt Canavan and Susan McDonald voted against Labors governments hate crime legislation. Alex Ellinghausen Were the Liberal leader to accept those three rogue senators back into the shadow cabinet, it could further weaken her leadership at a time when she is already being stalked by ambitious conservatives, who want to see defence spokesman Angus Taylor take her place. I dont think its the best thing for her [Ley] to let the Nats back into shadow cabinet, a source familiar with Leys thinking said.

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The moderates and those in the middle are seriously pissed off with the Nationals, and letting them back in would show weakness, just as the right are looking for every opportunity to peel away support from Sussan. For each of them [Littleproud and Ley], its high stakes  its about the others leadership now. Nationals powerbroker Matt Canavan, speaking to the ABC after the meeting, laid out the Nationals position succinctly  the party had to be able to choose who it wanted in the ministry. If theyre not welcome [McDonald, McKenzie and Cadell], none of us are welcome. In other words, the Nationals dont get a say over who the Liberals put in shadow cabinet, and the same applies in reverse.

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Related Article Political leadership Fate of Coalition still in limbo after hopeful peace talks On Monday morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese compared the saga to an episode of Married at First Sight while Bragg, the Liberal senator, suggested the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives. Whichever drama you prefer, it remains unclear if it is even possible for the parties to reunite long term under the two current leaders. In the meantime, the Albanese government is not being held to account. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.
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PoliticsVictoriaCity life 90 years after his father fought Franco, Kim granted Spanish citizenship in his honour Carolyn Webb February 2, 2026  7:56pm 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 1936, when Michael Economides signed up to fight against Francisco Francos fascists in the Spanish Civil War, he accepted he might die for the cause. He would say, I knew that my chances of coming back were very slim, and I that probably wasnt going to survive, said his son, Kim Economides. But he felt that it was important for him to make a stand. Kim Economides outside the Spanish consulate in Melbourne with a photo of his war veteran father, Michael Economides. Alex Coppel Kim said his dad  who was born in Cyprus, migrated to England in 1929 and joined the communist party  had a keen sense of justice. He was a very moral person. On Monday, at the Spanish consulate in Melbournes St Kilda Road, 71-year-old Kim was confirmed as a Spanish citizen, signing a statement pledging allegiance to their king, constitution and laws, as a way of honouring Michaels memory.

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Related Article Media & marketing Make The Age your preferred source on Google The citizenship is available through Spains Democratic Memory Law, which was introduced in late 2022 and allows the descendants of those who fought in the International Brigades against Franco to apply. Kim believes he is the first Australian to be granted Spanish citizenship under the law, and was among the first 170 descendants from around the world listed in a royal decree issued last November. His children, Zoe and Alex, are also applying. Michael Economides at the time of his Spanish Civil War Service in the 1930s. Though Franco won the civil war in 1939 and ruled Spain until his death in 1975, Kim said his father always believed he and his comrades made a difference.

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They would argue that they contributed to the ultimate defeat of fascism in the Second World War. My father used to say that Spain was the first battle of World War II, Kim said. Michael was ultimately shot twice during his two years of service in Spain  in the leg and in the lung. While the shot to his leg went through the limb and didnt hit bone, the chest wound caused breathing trouble later in life. But Michael, who died aged 86 in 1996, had no regrets, Kim said. Michael Economides (second from right, wearing a beret) in 1996 at Liberty Hall, Dublin, on the 60th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War. A retired law professor from Adelaide, Kim already has EU citizenship via his Cypriot heritage, but said the Spanish citizenship was a way of honouring the memory of not only my father, but others who went to Spain.

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And its a recognition by the current Spanish government of the values that the International Brigades fought for, which, I think, are incredibly relevant today, he said. Michael Economides circa 1990 in London. Stuart Freedman Values like defence of democracy, standing up against fascism, and against totalitarianism. I think there are lots of signs of those dangers recurring today. Melbourne historian Jim Claven welcomed the citizenship offer, saying 72 people are known to have left Australia between 1936 and 1939 to fight or act in other roles such as nurses and drivers in support of the Spanish Republic. Among those, 16 people died. Claven said it was an amazing story that thousands of volunteers made their own way to Spain, often defying policies not to intervene in the war held by their own governments, such as Australia and the UK. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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Exclusive PoliticsVictoriaVictorian election Vow to save VicHealth causes headache for state government Chip Le Grand February 2, 2026  7:36pm 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

VicHealth has been given a lifeline, with the Opposition vowing to block the governments plans to abolish the world-renowned health promotions agency as a stand-alone entity. The Liberal and National party position, formally adopted at a shadow cabinet meeting on Monday ahead of the first parliamentary sitting week of the year, leaves the government without the upper house majority it needs to push through enabling legislation. Public health advocates have urged Treasurer Jaclyn Symes and Premier Jacinta Allan to keep VicHealth as a standalone organisation. Wayne Taylor The Greens, the Legalise Cannabis Party and the Animal Justice Party, which together hold the balance of power in the Legislative Council, also support retaining VicHealth as an independent, statutory body rather than folding its operations and budget into the Department of Health. This makes a controlling bloc of 21 votes in the 40-seat upper house opposed to scrapping VicHealth.

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Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said that while the Coalition recognised the need for budget repair, it should not come at the expense of investment in preventative health. If the government abolishes VicHealth and absorbs it into the Health Department, its $45 million budget will disappear into a black hole, she said. Related Article Exclusive

Victorian Parliament Ignorance and stupidity: Labor luminary slams planned VicHealth closure We need this agency to have a focus on true preventative health that will see better outcomes for Victorians. She urged VicHealth to sharpen its focus on the prevention of cancer, diabetes and other disease related to tobacco, drug and alcohol abuse. All these things are on the rise, very costly to individuals and very costly to a health system that is already overstretched.

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Legalise Cannabis MPs Rachel Payne and David Ettershank said the case to abolish VicHealth had not been made, and the proposed change would cost the health system more than it saved. It is a totally false economy, Ettershank said. Animal Justice MP Georgie Purcell described the proposal, a recommendation of former top bureaucrat Helen Silver after her review of the Victorian Public Service, as reckless and short-sighted. Related Article Opinion

Healthcare Theres a simple calculation about health that should outrage anyone who can do arithmetic Chip Le Grand State political editor The government might think they are saving a buck now but the impacts of shutting down VicHealth will have long-reaching, potentially catastrophic consequences on our already-struggling health system, she said. The Greens have pledged to save VicHealth, with Brunswick MP Tim Read publicly dedicating his final year in parliament to the cause. Read last week revealed he had been diagnosed with a life-threatening cancer and would not contest his seat at the November election.

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Premier Jacinta Allan last week defended her plan, saying the public health landscape had changed significantly since the agency was established 40 years ago. She said much of the governments health promotions work was now being done through Local Public Health Units established during the pandemic. Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says the proposed change would reduce duplication. VicHealth was established in 1987 by the Cain government with an independent board and guaranteed budget. Although its initial purpose was to replace tobacco advertising in sport with health promotion ads, it has a broader, statutory remit to fund health promotions and reduce preventable disease. Its abolition would require changes to the Tobacco Act. The government is yet to introduce legislation. Editor's pick Opinion

Federal Reserve Trumps hand-picked man may not do his bidding Stephen Bartholomeusz Senior business columnist

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The proposal to scrap the health promotions body has prompted a backlash from respected Labor figures such as former federal health minister and VicHealth chair Nicola Roxon, and the health minister who oversaw its establishment, David White. The agencys patron, Sir Gustav Nossal, public health experts and the Community and Public Sector Union have also urged the government to rethink its plans. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
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WorldEuropeEpstein fallout Epstein links to Putin stoke fears he was a Russian agent Nick Squires and Poppy Wood February 2, 2026  7:05pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

When Jeffrey Epstein offered up a young woman as a dinner companion to Prince Andrew, he assured the then-British royal that she was Russian, beautiful and trustworthy. The convicted paedophile made the promise in an exchange of emails in 2010, telling the now disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with. The email is among the 3 million documents in the Epstein files that the US Department of Justice (DoJ) released on Friday, along with 180,000 images and 2000 videos. A scrapbook page from the released Epstein files. US Justice Department They show that young Russians were among the women that Epstein offered up for sex to rich and powerful men from around the world.

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But the huge cache of files has hinted at a darker connection with Russia: that Epstein could have been a longstanding agent working for Moscow. Among the files are 1056 documents that name Vladimir Putin and more than 9000 that refer to Moscow. They suggest Epstein was granted audiences with the Russian president, even after the American financier was convicted in 2008 of procuring a child for prostitution. Related Video Video icon 1:09 New claims against former Prince Andrew In 2010, Epstein sent an email to an associate offering to help them obtain a Russian visa, saying: I have a friend of Putins, should I ask him? Some have suggested the recruitment of Russian escorts shows Epstein may have been running a classic kompromat operation  luring influential business tycoons, media moguls, statesmen and politicians into sexual encounters with the women and recording the encounters for purposes of blackmail.

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The concept of blackmail was uppermost in his mind in an email he wrote in 2015 to Sergei Belyakov, Russias then deputy minister of economic development and a graduate of the FSB (Russian intelligence) Academy. Epstein told him: A Russian girl from Moscow  is attempting to blackmail a group of powerful biznessmen [sic] in New York. It is bad for business for everyone involved. In a subsequent email sent to himself, he appears to map out a strategy for dealing with the woman and thwarting her blackmail attempt. You should know that I felt it necessary to contact some friends in FSB, Epstein wrote. He warned the woman that trying to blackmail an American businessman who was planning to invest in Russia would make her, in the eyes of the FSB, vrag naroda  Russian for an enemy of the people. She would be dealt with extremely harshly, he said.

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But in addition to threatening her, he planned to pay her off, giving her $US50,000 a month for the next two years in exchange for her dropping her blackmail attempt. Photo: Matt Golding Emails contained in the latest release of DoJ documents reveal the lengths that Epstein and his associates went to in order to recruit attractive young Russian women. They include email requests to book flights for models and escorts from Moscow to Paris and Moscow to New York. In an email written in 2010 to a person whose name has been redacted, Epstein wrote: Tomorrow Im organising a dinner for some new Russian girls  see you at 10. In 2012, he received an email from a redacted sender, which read: I have 2 Russian girls for you to meet, one 21, another 24. One skinny, another curvy and super cute.

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In an email that Epstein wrote in 2013, there is a claim that Bill Gates needed medicine to deal with the consequences of sex with Russian girls and a further claim that the Microsoft founder tried to conceal his sexually transmitted infection from his then-wife, Melinda. A spokesman for Gates has described the claims as absolutely absurd and completely false. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin Sergei Karpukhin/AP An intelligence source told the Daily Mail: You have Andrew, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and all the rest placed in compromising positions on an island bristling with technology. Its the worlds largest honey-trap operation. The high-profile personalities who are named in the files all deny wrongdoing.

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Tanya Kozyreva, a Kyiv-based reporter who focuses on high-level corruption worldwide, wrote: Epstein reportedly had contact with Russian officials and Putin himself. Many of his girls were Russian. Powerful Western elites passed through his orbit. What are the odds this wasnt a classic Russian kompromat operation  and that DoJ is just ignoring the elephant in the room? Epstein was allegedly recruited into the murky world of espionage by Robert Maxwell, the late British publishing tycoon who is believed to have worked for Mossad, the Israeli spy agency. The introduction was reportedly made by an oil tycoon who was on the payroll of Russian intelligence. Related Article Jeffrey Epstein Powerful men who turn up in the new batch of Epstein files Maxwell, whose daughter, Ghislaine, became Epsteins long-standing girlfriend, died in 1991 after apparently falling overboard from his yacht in the Atlantic. There have long been suspicions that he was murdered, perhaps by Israeli agents. In an email written in 2018, Epstein quoted an investigative story published by The Mirror, which said the British businessman had threatened Mossad, which then murdered him.

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The story said: [Maxwell] told them that unless they gave him 400m to save his crumbling empire, he would expose all he had done for them. In that time, he had free access to Margaret Thatchers Downing Street, Ronald Reagans White House, to the Kremlin and to the corridors of power throughout Europe. Maxwell passed on all the secrets he learned to Mossad in Tel Aviv. In turn, they tolerated his excesses, vanities and insatiable appetite for a luxurious lifestyle and women. By 2011, Epstein appeared to have built up such a rapport with the Russians that he was having meetings with Putin. In September of that year, he received an email from an unidentified associate who discussed an appointment with Putin during a forthcoming trip to Russia. The email read: Spoke with Igor. He said last time you were in Palm Beach, you told him you had an appointment with Putin on Sept 16 and that he could go ahead and book his ticket to Russia to arrive a few days before you.

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The newly released files suggest Epstein had another meeting set up with the Russian leader in 2014, although it is not clear if it went ahead. It may have been cancelled after Russian-backed forces shot down a Malaysia Airlines aircraft in July 2014, killing nearly 300 people on board. The planned meeting with Putin now seemed to be a bad idea after the plane crash, a Japanese go-between told Epstein. Related Article Epstein fallout No records of this meeting: Rudd denies visiting Epsteins NY home Other newly released files show that Epstein told Thorbjorn Jagland, the then secretary general of the Council of Europe and a former prime minister of Norway, that he could advise Putin on the best way to handle US President Donald Trump before a key summit between the two leaders in Helsinki. Epstein said he could offer insight on the American president to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. It is not complex. [Trump] must be seen to get something. Its that simple, Epstein wrote.

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The latest batch of Epstein files also reveal suspicions among Western intelligence agencies that Epstein was working as an agent for Mossad. The FBI was informed by a source that Epstein was close to the former prime minister of Israel, Ehud Barak, and trained as a spy under him. In a declassified memo, the FBI said that a confidential human source became convinced Epstein was a co-opted Mossad agent. Barak, who worked in Israeli military intelligence earlier in his career, visited Epsteins New York townhouse more than 30 times between 2013 and 2017. The Telegraph, London Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on whats making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.

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WorldEuropeCrime Son of Norways crown princess detained on fresh allegations ahead of trial February 3, 2026  3:00am 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

Oslo: Norwegian police said they have detained the eldest son of Norways crown princess over fresh criminal allegations against him ahead of a separate trial this week in which he faces multiple charges of rape and other crimes. Police in a statement said Marius Borg Hiby, 29, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson to Crown Prince Haakon, was apprehended on Sunday on suspicion of causing bodily harm, wielding a knife and violating a restraining order. Norways Marius Borg Hiby and Crown Princess Mette-Marit in June 2022. AP Following the latest accusations, police said they would seek permission from a judge to keep Hiby in their custody for the next four weeks. He had been at large awaiting the trial, which begins on Tuesday (Norway time), on four counts of rape as well as domestic violence, assault and drug possession, among other crimes, one of several cases that have shaken the Norwegian monarchy.

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He could face new charges from the latest allegations on top of the 38 counts he currently faces. His lawyer declined to comment on the new accusations presented on Monday. Related Article Epstein fallout How the Epstein files exposed the rich, the royal and the European elite Hiby does not admit criminal guilt for the charges of rape and domestic violence, but has admitted to some lesser crimes and plans to give a detailed explanation of this in court, his lawyer has previously said. His trial is due to last until March 19. The case against Hiby began in 2024 when police named him a suspect of physical assault against a woman with whom he had been in a relationship. In a statement to the media at the time, Hiby admitted to causing bodily harm to the woman while he was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol and to damaging her apartment. Hiby said he regretted his acts.

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Hibys defence team has said that he denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence. Related Article Norway Son of Norways crown princess indicted on multiple counts including rape Last week, Haakon said that he and Mette-Marit didnt plan to attend court and that the royal house did not intend to comment during the proceedings. He emphasised that Hiby wasnt part of the royal house and that, as a citizen of Norway, he has the same responsibilities and rights as all others. He said he was confident that all concerned would make the trial as orderly, proper and fair as possible. While the royals are generally popular in Norway, the Hiby case has cast a shadow on their image. And the trial is opening just as his mother faces renewed scrutiny over her contacts with Jeffrey Epstein.

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Fridays release of the latest batch of documents from the Epstein files contained several hundred mentions of the crown princess, who already said in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, Norwegian media reported. Reuters, AP Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on whats making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.

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On January 30, Anhui provincial science and technology work conference was held in Hefei. The conference not only systematically reviewed the outstanding achievements of 2025, the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan, but also charted the strategic direction for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. It outlined the roadmap for 2026 and sounded the rallying call for a strong start. Looking back on the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Anhui's scientific and technological innovation has delivered an exceptionally impressive performance. Over the past five years, the province has largely accomplished the major objectives outlined in its science and technology innovation plan, successfully implemented all key strategic tasks, and steadily maintained its position in the top tier of regional innovation capabilities nationwide. Significant strides have been made toward building Anhui into an influential hub for scientific and technological innovation. Particularly in the pivotal closing year of 2025, the provincial science and technology system adhered to a unified approach across the province to enhance the efficiency of the innovation system. It continued to strengthen strategic scientific and technological capabilities, reinforced the role of innovation as a source of advancement, deepened the integration of science and industry to foster new quality productive forces, and advanced the coordinated development of education, science, and talent to solidify foundational and strategic support. Key indicators such as gross expenditure on research and development (R&D) have advanced competitively, with major achievements emerging one after another. The number of companies listed on the STAR Market, sci-tech SMEs, unicorn enterprises, and high-tech enterprises ranked in the top tier nationally, further expanding Anhui's international influence. The journey of the 15th Five-Year Plan has now begun. This will be a crucial five-year period for Anhui's scientific and technological innovation, focused on strengthening its foundations, exerting comprehensive efforts, excelling in innovation, and striving to catch up. In the future, Anhui will continue to uphold the banner of innovation, prioritizing science and technology and making strategic moves to advance innovation. It will comprehensively enhance its capacity to generate scientific and technological breakthroughs, lead high-end industries, and attract top-tier talent, ensuring the continuous emergence of new scientific discoveries, technological inventions, emerging industries, and institutional dynamism, thereby fostering new quality productive forces. By 2030, Anhui aims to achieve new breakthroughs in building itself into an influential hub for scientific and technological innovation, becoming a core component of the Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta) International Science and Technology Innovation Center and a key strategic pillar in building China's scientific and technological strength. This will allow the blossoms of innovation to bear even more abundant fruit across Anhui's landscapes. The strides of Anhui's scientific and technological innovation have never ceased. Moving forward, Anhui will continue to concentrate its efforts on establishing itself as an influential hub for scientific and technological innovation, contributing even more significantly to advancing high-quality development across the province.

Source: anhuinews.com
The majority (52%) of Ukrainians categorically reject the proposal to transfer the entire Donbas under the control of the Russian Federation in exchange for security guarantees, while 9% would easily agree to this condition, and another 31% are ready to accept it as a difficult compromise, according to the results of an all-Ukrainian poll conducted on January 23-29 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

It is noted that compared to mid-January, there have been no significant changes in sentiment on this issue.

Some 88% of Ukrainians believe that by striking at the energy sector, the Russian Federation is trying to leave Ukrainians without light and heat and force them to surrender. At the same time, less than 3% have moved to another settlement due to shelling and problems with heating and energy supply, and even less than 7% have left and have already returned.

Some 90% believe that Ukraine should strike at the territory of the Russian Federation. At the same time, 80% of them believe that Ukraine should strike not only at military infrastructure, but also at other facilities.

Only 4% of Ukrainians expect the war to end in the coming weeks, and another 16% - at least in the first half of 2026. Another 18% expect it to end in the second half of this year, the remaining 43% - in 2027 or even later. At the same time, 65% say that they are ready to endure the war as long as necessary (in December and September 2025, there were 62%).

66% of those surveyed expect that in 10 years Ukraine will be a prosperous EU member state (in December 2025 - 64%).

The survey was conducted using the method of telephone interviews (CATI) based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers (with random generation of phone numbers and subsequent statistical weighting) in all regions of Ukraine (the territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine). 1,003 respondents were interviewed. The survey was conducted with adult (aged 18 and older) citizens of Ukraine who, at the time of the survey, lived in the territory of Ukraine controlled by the Government of Ukraine. The sample did not include residents of territories temporarily not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities (at the same time, some of the respondents are IDPs who moved from the occupied territories), and the survey was not conducted with citizens who left abroad after February 24, 2022.

Formally, under normal circumstances, the statistical error of such a sample (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect of 1.3) did not exceed 4.1%. At the same time, for the question about the attitude to the transfer of Donbas under the control of the Russian Federation in exchange for security guarantees, an experiment was conducted, where half of the respondents (i.e. about 500) were asked a regular direct question (to what extent it is acceptable for the respondent), and the other half were asked the "imagined acquaintance" method. The margine of error for this question does not exceed 5.8%.

In war conditions, in addition to the specified formal error, a certain systematic deviation is added, but the results obtained still retain high representativeness and allow for a fairly reliable analysis of public sentiment.
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Updated WorldEuropeEpstein fallout Under pressure: UK politician sent Epstein details of Australian mining tax David Crowe February 3, 2026  7:53am 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

London: A former British cabinet minister sent Jeffrey Epstein private documents about an Australian super profits tax on global mining companies at the height of a 2010 political fight over the ambitious scheme to raise $9 billion a year. Peter Mandelson, who is facing calls for a police inquiry into his ties to the sex offender, sent the documents with his personal view that pressure needs to be maintained on the Australian government so it would compromise on its plan. Peter Mandelson in London in June last year, when he was still British ambassador to the US. AP The documents are among millions of files released by the US Department of Justice last Friday and show that Mandelson obtained an analysis of the Australian tax by mining giant Xstrata in June 2010 and sent this on to Epstein. The correspondence adds to concerns about the way Mandelson kept Epstein informed of business and political developments, given separate files that showed he sent Epstein a confidential UK policy document about asset sales in June 2009.

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Mandelson was removed from his post as British ambassador to the US last September over his friendship with Epstein, but is under renewed pressure after the latest disclosures, which lead him to resign from the Labour Party on Sunday. The exposure of his June 2009 email, which he sent when he was a senior minister with access to confidential briefings, led to calls in London on Monday for a police investigation into his conduct. Mandelson (left) and Jeffrey Epstein pictured together in an image released by US Congress. US Congress The June 2009 document was a policy brief written by special adviser Nick Butler and addressed to Gordon Brown, the then-UK prime minister, to canvass options on asset sales to raise billions of pounds and avoid the need for tax increases. This generated Epsteins interest and led him to ask Mandelson: What saleable assets? In reply, Mandelson said he guessed it would mean property sales.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticised Mandelson over his conduct, but is yet to comment on whether it should be the subject of a police investigation. The chief secretary to the prime minister, Darren Jones, told the House of Commons on Monday that the conduct falls far below the standards expected of any minister but said a criminal investigation was a matter for police. The new disclosures about the mining tax centre on an email from Mandelson to Epstein on June 13, 2010, when mining companies including BHP, Rio Tinto and Xstrata were warning the government that the policy would cost jobs, curb investment and cut growth. Mandelson sent his analysis of the politics to Epstein by forwarding an email he had earlier sent to another person, whose name is redacted in the document. The pressure which the industry has applied, with the strong focus on jobs and social impact, is clearly having an effect on a government which is already under pressure, Mandelson wrote.

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This pressure needs to be maintained so that everyone understands the clear consequences of the govts proposals. Kevin Rudd announced the Resource Super Profits Tax as prime minister on May 2, 2010, in response to a major tax review, proposing to raise $9 billion a year from the new tax in order to cut other taxes. Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd in 2010. Photographic The mining industry launched a vigorous campaign against the policy, bruising the government. Rudd was forced out of office by Julia Gillard and Labor powerbrokers on June 24 that year, elevating her to the prime ministers job. After a negotiation with the mining industry, the RSPT was replaced by a more modest Minerals Resource Rent Tax, or MRRT, on July 2. There will come a point when it is harder, not easier, for the government to concede ground, Mandelson wrote in his analysis to the unknown recipient.

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The Rudd government will want to (or at least give the impression) that they are conceding from a position of strength, not weakness. I think you will want to secure a compromise before this issue is thrown into the heat of the election battle. I would suggest that you start to accept that there is no ideological reason why the industry should not be making a greater contribution to society, especially given the constrained economic times, but that this should be done on the basis of fairness. Mandelson, who was sacked as UK ambassador to the US last year because of his link to Epstein link, was further embarrassed by the release of photographs from the US files showing him in his underwear. Justice Department Mandelson concluded: Looking forward to seeing you on the 2nd July. This email comes free, gratis, for nothing! The Labour Party had lost the UK election weeks earlier, on May 6, and Mandelson was no longer a minister. He had access to briefings on the mining industry campaign on the Australian tax, however, and included this in his email to Epstein.

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Mandelsons correspondence included a letter from then-Xstrata chief executive Mick Davis to a range of industry executives. The email chain released by the Department of Justice redacts the name of the person who forwarded the Davis email to Mandelson before he sent it on to Epstein. Related Article Epstein fallout How the Epstein files exposed the rich, the royal and the European elite Davis set out a strategy to encourage community members, contractors, suppliers and others to speak up in public against the tax. The Minerals Council of Australia is continuing its TV and radio campaigns which also focus on the potential impact on Australian livelihoods within and outside the mining sector, he wrote. However, we must be realistic on the outcome of this issue. In my view we are destined to pay more tax (somewhat less than what is being proposed!)  but we must and will fight for a proper and legitimate tax structure and not what we have been presented with so far.

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Epstein, who made a fortune through his business connections and deals, followed the markets closely and exchanged business and political information. Related Article Epstein fallout Reprehensible: Epstein scandal spills into London  and claims a top Downing Street scalp The documents disclosed on Friday do not show any meeting between Epstein or Mandelson with Davis at Xstrata. Epstein expressed regular interest in Xstrata, and sent emails earlier in 2010 saying it was looking for a chairman. Later, in December 2011, he received an email from a contact, David Stern, who had met Ivan Glasenberg, the billionaire who led mining group Glencore and was also a director of Xstrata. Interesting guy, smart and tough as steel, Stern wrote of Glasenberg in his email to Epstein.

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CORRECTION A previous version of this article incorrectly said that Epstein sent a message in 2011 saying he had met Glencore chief Ivan Glasenberg in Switzerland. In fact, Epstein received an email from a contact, David Stern, who said he, Stern, had met Glasenberg.
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WorldNorth AmericaDonald Trump Opinion Trump renamed my beloved Kennedy Centre. Now, shamefully, hes shuttering it Bill Wyman Contributor February 3, 2026  5:00am

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The news that Donald Trump is shutting down the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, this July  for some as yet unspecified renovations  is raising a new chorus of alarm bells over the crude and lawless imposition of his vision on the nations capital. Its somewhat befitting this presidents self-serving second term that one of the final events there was the premiere of a documentary about his wife, Melania. (I havent seen it, but Maureen Dowd of The New York Times describes it as a gilded informercial.) Donald and Melania Trump at the premiere of her documentary at what was once known as the Kennedy Centre in Washington. AP Out of some similar narcissistic impulse, Trump slapped his own name, unasked, on the structure recently. To many in the arts community, it was like a mangy lapdog peeing on a fence post. In response, prestige performers have been exiting the centres schedule in droves. The latest: composer Phillip Glass and soprano Renee Fleming. Audiences have fled, too. That is what apparently has provoked the face-saving announcement of the renovation. The idea that Trump couldnt do that much damage to the physical setting of Washington was put to rest when he bulldozed the East Wing of the White House. Not since the Taliban surveyed the Giant Buddhas of Bamiyan for dynamiting have we seen such irrational anti-cultural zeal. Those who love the Kennedy Centre might genuinely need to worry that we could find that it, too, has been razed.

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The building was designed and constructed under the Lyndon Johnson administration in honour of JFK after his assassination and has stood since as a fitting testament to that young presidents embrace of both national and world culture. The new signage is unveiled on the Kennedy Centre in December. AP It sits on the far western end of downtown Washington  not the most picturesque of locations. There are no train stations nearby, and you have to traverse an elaborate motorway interchange to get to it. To the north is the looming Watergate complex, to the south the Lincoln Memorial. The Kennedy Centre cant be compared to the beauty of the Sydney Opera House, inside or out, but it has a definite austere modernist presence. The halls of the building are grand, and at the front is a marvellous giant bust of the fallen president, supposedly weighing some 1500 kilograms. In the same hall is the Millennium Stage, on which free performances  often of notable figures playing one of the major venues that night  are staged almost daily. People walk to The John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre For The Performing Arts for the premiere of Melania. AP

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When I lived in DC, I oversaw among other things the arts coverage of National Public Radio. Being the arts editor of a major news organisation is one of the best jobs in the world, and I spent a lot of time at the Kennedy Centre. I saw the National Orchestra regularly, once or twice with a president on hand. I saw the Royal Shakespeare Company presenting As You Like It, and innumerable rock and jazz acts, including Sufjan Stevens on the Millennium Stage. I saw Jerry Seinfeld and The Producers, and a workshop version of a new Sondheim musical. I once saw director Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney there, embedded in the crowd filming cinema verite scenes for their HBO series K Street. Many presidents have made hay out of playing the part of an unsophisticate; Trump has gone the distance to make himself the embodiment of naked anti-intellectualism and cultural warfare. Shortly after taking office for his second term, he replaced the centres culturally diverse and non-partisan board with a band of his cronies. The centre was named in honour of assassinated president John F. Kennedy, who initiated funding for the project. AP The New York Times reported how one of Trumps programming execs is said to have remarked, after seeing a Cuban dance company, Wow, theyre so talented they could be on a cruise ship.

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Theres also the usual right-wing invented mania about supposed wokeness. Trump and the centres new chief executive, Richard Grenell, have disparaged Hamilton, saying they preferred Les Miz. (You probably wont be surprised to learn that Les Miserables first played the Kennedy Centre back in the 1980s before it went to Broadway.) Related Article Melania Trump Melania, panned by some film critics, opens with strongest documentary debut in a decade As has become usual with Team Trump, the latest sudden announcement is ridiculous and unnecessary, and done with malevolent intent. Disorganised and senseless all at once. Renovation of a major institution is of course something that is planned years in advance, not announced abruptly amid a rant on social media. Trump hasnt explained why a building that underwent a $US250 million upgrade within the last decade suddenly needed another. If in the end he doesnt end up physically destroying it, it seems he will achieve a lesser but still ignominious goal, just silencing another voice in a vibrant and diverse world. Bill Wyman is a former assistant managing editor of National Public Radio in Washington. He teaches at the University of Sydney. Get a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up for our Opinion newsletter.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Public meeting on February 2, 2026.

The Public meeting is scheduled for Monday at 13.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Finance will be in attendance.

The agenda point is:

Question hour: Questions from MP F.A. Lacroes directed to the Minister of Finance on the application and extension of tax holiday legislation under the Landsverordening ter bevordering van bedrijfsvestiging en hotelbouw (LBBH) and broader framework of fiscal incentives. (IS/362/2025-2026 dated November 18, 2025)

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament
Royal couple and Oranje Fonds celebrate 25th anniversary of connected society

On January 30th 2027, the Royal Couple will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Oranje Fonds at the GelreDome in Arnhem. The event will be broadcast in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. With this anniversary celebration, the Oranje Fonds wishes to thank all initiators, volunteers and stakeholders who have been working wholeheartedly for 25 years to create a connected society in the Kingdom. The Royal Couple made this announcement on Monday during the 250th Oranje Fonds activity at the Wijkpaleis in Rotterdam, a meeting place for the neighbourhood.

The power of connection

On 1 February 2002, the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles presented the Oranje Fonds to the then Prince and Princess as a wedding gift. From day one, the fund's ambition has been to be of real significance to the entire Kingdom. The most important lesson of the past 25 years is that connection makes a difference.

Throughout our Kingdom, there are places where people meet, support each other and take action together to tackle problems and strengthen their neighbourhoods and communities. Seeing all these examples of people selflessly helping others gives us enormous hope and energy. As long as we continue to seek each other out, hold each other close and support each other, we will be resilient in a turbulent world. The Oranje Fonds helps with this,' said the King and Queen. With the celebration at GelreDome, the Oranje Fonds wants to put the spotlight on and thank the initiators, volunteers, donors and partners throughout the Kingdom.

The anniversary will be a festive event filled with music and stories. Stories from initiators whose ideas grew into something meaningful. The energy and warmth they bring to society must be visible and tangible both in the stadium and at home. It will be a celebration to inspire and show what happens when people are there for each other and look out for each other. The NOS will broadcast the event live so that people at home can watch and share in the excitement. The celebration will be shown on the Caribbean islands, accompanied by festive moments on all the islands. More information about this will follow later.

Investment in meeting places

The anniversary is more than just a celebration, because we witness that meeting each other is becoming less and less common. More and more people feel alone. That is why we are launching the Celebrate Connection  Anniversary Fund for Meeting Places in our anniversary year. With this fund, we are giving a boost to meeting places where people really connect, where a cup of coffee gives way to a conversation. Where people feel like they belong again. In 2027 and 2028, we want to strengthen 1,000 existing meeting places throughout the Kingdom. This will enable these places to bring people together now and in the future. We are doing this with the indispensable start-up funding from the Postcode Lottery, Rabobank and VSBfonds. We invite everyone to contribute to this Anniversary Fund.

The Oranje Fonds has appointed a Recommendation Committee that will contribute its knowledge and expertise to the organisation of the anniversary celebrations. This Committee consists of Kim Putters (chair of the Social and Economic Council), Etienne Ys (former prime minister of the former Netherlands Antilles) and Carola Schouten (mayor of Rotterdam).

Twenty-five years of the Oranje Fonds in figures:

 Oranje Fonds spent more than 600 million on connecting society;

 It facilitated more than 100,000 Neighbours' Day activities;

 And supported more than 125,000 NLdoet activities and 7,000 Cariben Doet activities;

 Over 29.500 projects within the Kingdom received regular support;

 72 organizations received an Appeltje van Oranje award from the King or Queen, ten of which from the Caribben.
Press Release from Business Wire: Teledyne FLIR Defense



(AFP) Feb 02, 2026



OSLO, Feb 2, 2026 (BSW) - Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), announced that it has received a $17.5 million contract from armasuisse, the Swiss Federal Office of Defence Procurement, to deliver a large number of Black Hornet(R) 4 Personal Reconnaissance Systems, one of the world's most advanced and widely deployed nano-drones. Black Hornet 4 was selected as an airborne dismountable Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability sensor for armasuisse's Piranha 8x8 Armored engineering vehicle program.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260201061637/en/

Teledyne FLIR Defense has won a $17.5 million contract from armasuisse, the Swiss Federal Office of Defence Procurement, to deliver a large number of Black Hornet(R) 4 Personal Reconnaissance Systems, one of the world's most advanced and widely deployed nano-drones. Black Hornet 4 was selected as an airborne capability sensor for armasuisse's Piranha 8x8 Armored engineering vehicle program. Black Hornet's existing software is being modified to integrate with the Piranha's digital infrastructure. Under the setup, the drone's live video stream will be shared on vehicle displays and provide target data, coordinates, and other situational awareness to vehicle commanders and crew.



As part of the effort, Black Hornet's existing software has been modified to be integrated with the Piranha's digital infrastructure. Under the setup, the drone's live video stream will be shared on vehicle displays and provide target data, coordinates, and other situational awareness to vehicle commanders and crew. The Black Hornet 4 will be integrated through harmonized military standards with the vehicles' Integrated Combat Solution (ICS), provided by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.

Drone operators will be able to connect the Black Hornet control tablet to the vehicle ICS for either dismounted or mobile operations. After launching the UAV by hand out of the vehicle, operators can fly the Black Hornet on intelligence gathering missions while all data is simultaneously shared with the crew. Among its features, the Black Hornet can both receive waypoints from the ICS for further reconnaissance as well as generate target points that can be fed to the vehicle's Remote Weapon Station. The solution is fully detachable during operations, so operators can dismount from the vehicle and reattach while the drone is flying.

"This first fielded-vehicle integration for the Black Hornet 4 highlights its unique tactical capabilities as a force multiplier," said Dr. JihFen Lei, president of Teledyne FLIR Defense and senior vice president of Teledyne Technologies. "By providing the same immediate situational data to all vehicle systems and crew, we can help reduce cognitive burden and boost warfighting effectiveness.

"The armasuisse program shows the market potential for UAS integration on armored vehicles globally and the promise of 'drone-in-a-box' systems FLIR Defense has developed specifically for vehicles, including our Black Recon? and SkyCarrier? solutions," Lei added.

Black Hornet 4 represents the next generation of lightweight nano-drones, able to provide enhanced day/night covert situational awareness to small fighting units. Its 12-megapixel daytime camera and high-resolution thermal imager deliver crisp video and still images to the operator. At just 70 grams Black Hornet 4 can survive GPS-denied and contested environments, fly for more than 30 minutes, over three kilometers, and function in 25-knot winds and rain. Flight performance is augmented by advanced obstacle avoidance capabilities and other features.

The vehicle-integrated Black Hornet 4's were delivered in 2025. The remaining systems will be delivered during 2026.

Teledyne FLIR has delivered more than 35,000 Black Hornet drones to military and security forces in over 45 countries. The award-winning Black Hornet is designed and built by Teledyne FLIR Defense in Norway.

About Teledyne FLIR Defense

Teledyne FLIR Defense has been providing advanced, mission-critical technology and systems for more than 45 years. Our products are on the frontlines of the world's most pressing military, security and public safety challenges. As a global leader in thermal imaging, we design and build sophisticated surveillance sensors for air, land and maritime use. We develop the most rugged, trusted unmanned air and ground platforms, as well as intelligent sensing devices used to detect chemicals, biological agents, radiation and explosives. At Teledyne FLIR Defense we bring together this expertise to deliver solutions that enable critical decisions and keep our world safe - from any threat, anywhere. To learn more, visit us online or follow @flir and @flir_defense.

About Teledyne Technologies

Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated digital imaging products and software, instrumentation, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne's operations are primarily located in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Western and Northern Europe. For more information, visit Teledyne's website at www.teledyne.com.







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Contact

Media Contact:Joe Ailinger, Jr.Teledyne FLIR DefenseEmail: [email protected]







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Press Release from Business Wire: BRUNO, Inc.



(AFP) Feb 02, 2026



TOKYO, Feb 2, 2026 (BSW) - Tokyo-based lifestyle company BRUNO, Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Tetsu Shiota), dedicated to the planning, development, and sale of lifestyle products, is pleased to announce its participation in Ambiente-the world's leading international consumer goods trade fair held in Frankfurt, Germany. The company will showcase its two flagship brands: "BRUNO," a lifestyle brand dedicated to "enjoying life to the fullest," and "MILESTO," a premium travel brand designed for those who "live every day like a journey."

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260202663769/en/







Our participation in Ambiente marks a pivotal step in our global expansion strategy, as outlined in our current medium-term management plan. We are excited to introduce BRUNO and MILESTO-brands that have earned immense loyalty in Japan-to a global audience.

Our exhibit showcases a curated selection of flagship products and latest innovations, with a focus on kitchen appliances and travel goods that seamlessly blend aesthetic design with functional excellence. Members of our design and product planning teams will be on-site to share the craftsmanship, philosophy, and stories behind our developments. By leveraging the world-renowned platform of Ambiente, we aim to elevate our global brand presence and forge new opportunities for international growth.

-0- *T Exhibition Details*T

-0- *T Dates: February 6 (Fri) - 10 (Tue), 2026Location: Frankfurt, GermanyVenue: Messe Frankfurt / Booth: Hall 4.2, Booth M57Organizer: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbHOfficial Website: https://ambiente.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.htmlFor official press materials and images, please visit:https://vectorincgroup.app.box.com/s/0v9n9hz4lt1u3qn6tzwessdwdjr5ee6s*T

-0- *T President's Comments*T

Tetsu Shiota, President & CEO, BRUNO, Inc.

"Participating in Ambiente, the world's leading international trade fair, marks a significant first step in our global strategy. We are eager to provide an opportunity for visitors from around the world to personally experience the appeal of BRUNO and MILESTO, brands that have been so warmly embraced by our customers in Japan."

"I look forward to being at the venue myself to share our brand vision and the philosophy behind our craftsmanship. Furthermore, following this exhibition, we are currently considering the opening of our first international stores in Frankfurt and Paris. We invite you to look forward to the continued global growth of BRUNO and MILESTO."

-0- *T Designer's Comments*T

"Our designs center on bringing delight and color to everyday life," says Ryo Okura, BRUNO Designer. "We foster joy by empathizing with the user's emotions". Hiroaki Onuma, MILESTO Designer, adds: "We pursue minimalist aesthetics with functional surprises, sharing the enrichment of being true to oneself".

-0- *T Featured Exhibits*T

Media Kit & High-Resolution Images: Please find press-ready assets, including brand and product images, at the following URLhttps://vectorincgroup.app.box.com/s/0v9n9hz4lt1u3qn6tzwessdwdjr5ee6s

About BRUNO

BRUNO is a lifestyle brand created by adults with a talent for enjoying life. From turning beachsides into workspaces to transforming daily meals into parties, the BRUNO style is ever-changing and focused on the proactive pursuit of fun.

Compact Hot Plate:An icon with over 3.8 million units sold, redefining the griddle as elegant tableware.

Glass Air Fryer:A 2025 innovation featuring a transparent basket for visible, healthy cooking.

Clothes Steamer:A 2025 Good Design Award winner that heats in 15 seconds for effortless care.

Volume Knob Speaker:A viral, palm-sized Bluetooth speaker with an intuitive interface and IPX4 water resistance.

MILESTO LIKID Series:Recipient of the 2025 Good Design Award. The jury praised the series for "addressing modern climatic shifts" with its 25,000mm water pressure resistance and waste-reducing design.

-0- *T COMPANY INFORMATION*T

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Tokyo, BRUNO, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and retailer of creative lifestyle products. Through its diverse brand portfolio, the company aims to provide the "power to enjoy everyday life" to a global audience. For more information, visit https://bruno-onlineshop.com/.







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BRUNO, Inc. [email protected]







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Chinese tech giants trade cash for AI buzz



Beijing, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2026



Chinese tech giants are luring users with cash offers before their reported upcoming releases of competing AI models this month.

Chinese AI models are surging globally, favoured by some companies for their functionality and low cost, sparking fierce domestic competition.

Tech giant Alibaba's AI app Qwen on Monday said it would dish out three billion yuan ($430 million) to users in digital "red envelopes" -- a form of traditional cash gifts -- starting February 6, following similar campaigns by competitors Tencent and Baidu.

Users who register with the apps have daily chances to snap up red envelopes, usually only worth a few cents.

Baidu, doling out 500 million yuan, is offering larger prizes, including iPhones and TVs.

Tencent's AI app Yuanbao is giving out one billion yuan, with a top prize worth 10,000 yuan.

Interacting within the app, like discussing the holiday with its chatbot, can earn users additional chances.

Alibaba's announcement comes a week after it released its latest model, Qwen3-Max-Thinking, which it claims beats Google's newest model on reasoning, according to a statement.

Baidu also released a new model on January 22.

US media outlet the Information reported that the tech companies are also looking to release new AI models during the Lunar New Year holiday, following last year's DeepSeek surprise.

During last year's Lunar New Year in January, Chinese startup DeepSeek stunned the world with its low-cost AI model that performed on par with US rivals.

Analysts say DeepSeek's decision to make its system's inner workings public, in contrast to the closed AI models sold by OpenAI and other Western rivals, has boosted adoption of its tools by developers and businesses.
On the morning of February 2, a hostile UAV attacked a diesel locomotive at a station in Zaporizhia; no injuries were reported, the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development said in a statement.

"Russia continues its attacks on the civilian railway infrastructure of Ukraine. The locomotive crew was in cover at the time of the attack, and no people were injured," the Ministry of Development wrote on its Telegram channel on Monday.

It is noted that Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways  UZ) is eliminating the consequences of the shelling and continues to ensure the operation of railway services, the transportation of passengers and cargo important for the economy and humanitarian needs.

Separately, UZ reported on its Telegram channel that as of February 2, monitoring groups continue to monitor threats in Zaporizhia, in particular, the alternative of transporting people by buses between the Dnipro and Zaporizhia remains.

Passengers heading to Synelnykov and Zaporizhia should follow the instructions of the railway crew and station guards in Dnipro, UZ added. "If the security situation allows, we will try to break through with trains in a targeted manner, like on Sunday, but the safety of passengers and railway workers in this case is above all else," UZ said.
Press Release from Business Wire: Klarna



(AFP) Feb 02, 2026



NEW YORK, Feb 2, 2026 (BSW) - Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, is joining Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard designed to help AI agents and commerce systems work together across the full shopping lifecycle, from discovery and purchase through post-purchase support. UCP enables consumers to shop seamlessly in AI conversations while giving agents, merchant systems, and payment providers a standardized way to interact across multiple AI platforms.

The announcement builds on Klarna's recent support for Google's Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) and expands Klarna's multiyear partnership with Google across Google Pay, Google Store, Google Play, and Google Cloud infrastructure. Together, these efforts reflect ongoing collaboration to support open standards as AI increasingly shapes how consumers shop online.

"As AI-driven shopping continues to evolve, it's important that the underlying commerce infrastructure is built on openness, trust, and transparency," said David Sykes, Chief Commercial Officer at Klarna. "Supporting UCP is part of Klarna's broader work with Google to help define responsible, interoperable standards that support the future of shopping."

Klarna's technology today provides millions of consumers with flexible payment options, real-time decisioning, and clear, upfront terms designed to build trust at checkout. As agent-led commerce develops, open standards like UCP provide a framework for the industry to explore how discovery, shopping, and payments can work together across AI-powered environments.

"Open standards like UCP are essential to making AI-powered commerce practical at scale," said Ashish Gupta, VP/GM, Merchant Shopping at Google. "Klarna's support for UCP reflects the kind of cross-industry collaboration needed to build interoperable commerce experiences that expand choice while maintaining security."

With its support for UCP and AP2, Klarna is helping advance an open, interoperable commerce ecosystem where trusted payment options can work seamlessly across AI-powered checkout experiences.

About Klarna

Klarna is a global digital bank and flexible payments provider. With over 114 million global active Klarna users and 3.4 million transactions per day, Klarna's AI-powered payments and commerce network is empowering people to pay smarter with a mission to be available everywhere for everything. Consumers can pay with Klarna online, in-store and through Apple Pay & Google Pay. More than 850,000 retailers trust Klarna's innovative solutions to drive growth and loyalty, including Uber, H&M, Saks, Sephora, Macy's, Ikea, Expedia Group, Nike and Airbnb. Klarna is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: KLAR). For more information, visit Klarna.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our future financial performance, business strategy, growth objectives, market opportunities, operational plans, including the implementation of peer-to-peer payments, the timing of their availability to our consumers and their anticipated features and benefits. Words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "will," "may," "could," "estimate," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including risks related to:

-- Our ability to retain and grow consumer and merchant relationships;

-- Competition and technological developments;

-- Regulatory compliance and licensing requirements;

-- Our ability to achieve expected benefits from our funding arrangements;

-- Credit risk management and funding availability;

-- General economic conditions and market volatility; and

-- Our ability to expand into new markets and products.

Forward-looking statements reflect our views as of the date of this release and are based on information currently available to us. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and should review the risk factors in our filings with the SEC for a more complete discussion of risks.







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Contact

Media contact:[email protected]







 2026 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release.
Press Release from Business Wire: Arcesium



(AFP) Feb 02, 2026



NEW YORK, Feb 2, 2026 (BSW) - Arcesium , a leading global financial technology provider to the investment industry, today announces its acquisition of Stockholm-based portfolio and order management (P/OMS) systems provider, Limina, creating a full front-to-back operating platform tailored to the unique needs of asset managers, hedge funds and asset owners. Through the integration of Limina's P/OMS with Arcesium's middle- and back-office solutions, the combined offering will be designed to eliminate legacy fragmentation and connect siloed data, providing investment managers with the speed and insight they need to operate intelligently across asset classes and global markets.

The entire Limina team will join Arcesium and play a key role in ongoing product development, advancing Arcesium's commitment to optimizing the pre- and post -investment journey for the world's most sophisticated financial firms. Limina CEO, Kristoffer Furst, will join Arcesium, reporting to Arcesium President, Product and Technology, Bryan Dougherty.

"This marks a watershed moment for Arcesium as we complete our first acquisition and welcome the talented people at Limina to our team," commented Gaurav Suri, CEO, Arcesium. "Both firms sprouted from trading floors, bringing a commitment to solving real client challenges, a deep understanding of sophisticated investment operations, and a culture rooted in continuous improvement. With the addition of Limina's front-office solutions, Arcesium will expand its global client relationships, providing investment firms with the integrated technology they need to scale their strategies amid increasing market complexity."

Limina's cloud-native design and multi-asset coverage, together with its strong technical fit, complement Arcesium's enterprise data management and middle- and back-office technology, making the company a natural strategic addition. The combined offering will bring institutions an end-to-end platform and a modular operating model that are engineered to transform data-based workflows and unlock unrestricted growth.

"For more than a decade, Limina has been challenging the status quo and shaping a new era of investment management technology. We are thrilled to join Arcesium and bring our teams together to provide our collective clients with a more comprehensive front-to-back offering and access to industry-leading expertise across every aspect of the investment lifecycle," said Limina Founder & CEO, Kristoffer Furst. "Whether the goal for investment managers is to improve scalability, launch new products to market faster, or adapt dynamically to evolving conditions, the key enabler is having unified workflows from a single platform and a consistent source of reliable data to efficiently and confidently manage their investment processes. Together, Arcesium and Limina make that possible through a modern, user-centric experience that delivers maximum efficiency and intraday visibility across the investment lifecycle."

Arcesium's acquisition of Limina will strengthen its global presence and deepen market penetration in Europe, while positioning the firm for continued growth across the U.S. and other international markets. This news comes on the heels of the announcement of Arcesium's Hong Kong office in January this year, and follows the announcement of its European expansion with the addition of a Lisbon office in 2024.

OPCO Advisory Services and Zelig Associates served as advisors to Arcesium and Limina respectively on this transaction.

About Arcesium

Arcesium is a global financial technology company delivering pre- and post-investment and enterprise data management solutions to some of the world's most sophisticated financial institutions, including private market firms, hedge funds, and institutional asset managers. Expertly designed to achieve a synchronized golden source of data throughout a client's ecosystem, Arcesium's cloud-native technology is built to systematize the most complex workflows and help clients achieve scale.

Today, Arcesium services over $5.3 trillion in gross AUM and over $1.2 trillion in sell-side capital balances and has modelled over 160+ million investments to date. Arcesium was built from a platform developed and tested by investment and technology development firm, the D. E. Shaw group, and launched as a joint venture with Blackstone Multi-Asset Investing. J.P. Morgan, another large client, later made a strategic investment in the company, helping Arcesium further its mission: to power the entire investment lifecycle. Arcesium currently has a staff of over 2,300 software engineering, accounting, operations, and treasury professionals. For more information about Arcesium and its capabilities, visit www.arcesium.com and follow the firm on LinkedIn.

About Limina

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Limina is a technology company specializing in modern software solutions for the investment management industry. The company provides a cloud-native, multi-asset investment management platform spanning front- and middle-office workflows, designed to help asset managers, hedge funds, and asset owners improve efficiency, data transparency, and decision-making in an increasingly complex investment environment.

For more information on Limina and its capabilities, visit www.limina.com.







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Contact

Ivy GitartsAspectus Group[email protected]







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Press Release from Business Wire: Vedanta Limited



(AFP) Feb 02, 2026



MUMBAI, Feb 2, 2026 (BSW) - India based Vedanta Limited (BSE: 500295 & NSE: VEDL), the world's leading producer of metals, oil & gas, critical minerals, power and technology, announced its results for the third quarter and nine months ended 31st December 2025. The company recorded its highest-ever quarterly revenue of $5.2 Bn, up 19% YoY. It reported record quarterly EBITDA of $1.7 Bn, up 34% YoY, supported by margin expansion of 629 bps to 41%*, while profit after tax jumped 60% YoY to $0.9 Bn.

Vedanta's Net Debt to EBITDA ratio improved to 1.23x from 1.40x, with a strong double-digit Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) at 27%, improving by 296 bps YoY.

The company invested USD 1.3 billion in growth capex in the first nine months of FY26. In this quarter, the aluminium business recorded its highest-ever quarterly production at 620 kt, up 1% YoY, while alumina production surged to a record 794 kt, reflecting a 57% YoY increase. Zinc India delivered its highest-ever third-quarter mined metal production at 276 kt, up 4% YoY, alongside refined metal production of 270 kt, also up 4% YoY. Zinc India also achieved its lowest Q3 cost of production in the last five years at $940/t, lower by 10% YoY.

The Company marked an important milestone with the receipt of approval from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for its proposed demerger, a key step towards unlocking long-term value.

Mr. Ajay Goel, Chief Financial Officer, Vedanta, said, "This has been a remarkable quarter for Vedanta. The reaffirmation of our AA credit rating by CRISIL and ICRA following the NCLT demerger order, along with upgrades in VRL credit rating outlook from Stable to Positive by S&P, Moody's & Fitch Ratings, underscore the market confidence in Vedanta's growth trajectory. We are now entering an exciting phase of growth and value unlocking, creating long-term value for all our stakeholders."

Vedanta delivered a total shareholder return (TSR) of ~30% during the quarter, outperforming India's benchmark equity index, Nifty, by 5 times and the Nifty Metal index by 2.7 times, with the stock repeatedly hitting lifetime highs. Over the last five years, Vedanta has generated a TSR of 428%, supported by a cumulative dividend yield of 73.5%.







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Contact

For media queries, contact:Sonal Choithani,Chief Brand & Communications Officer, Vedanta[email protected]







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Press Release from Business Wire: Conga



(AFP) Feb 02, 2026



HOUSTON, Feb 2, 2026 (BSW) - Conga , a leader for AI-powered innovation in configure, price, quote (CPQ), contract lifecycle management (CLM), and document automation, today announced it has completed the acquisition of the B2B business of PROS Holdings, Inc ("PROS") from certain investment funds affiliated with Thoma Bravo, the world's largest software-focused investment firm.

This transaction unites two industry leaders to help enterprises maximize revenue, reduce risk, and improve profitability. By bringing together AI-driven pricing optimization, configuration, quoting, and contracting capabilities, the combined company creates a differentiated enterprise platform that connects the commerce chain and enables end-to-end revenue orchestration from price to signature.

The expanded Conga leadership team will continue to be led by CEO Dave Osborne.

"To operate as connected, intelligent businesses, enterprises need a commerce chain that keeps everyone moving in the same direction," said Osborne. "By bringing Conga and PROS B2B together, we're connecting pricing, quoting, and contracting so teams work from shared insights and recommendations, stay aligned, and streamline the path from decision to execution.

"As we look ahead, we are focused on integrating the two companies thoughtfully and swiftly with customer continuity and innovation guiding the way. We'll share more at Conga Connect in March in Orlando. I hope to see you there."

This closing marks a new chapter for Conga and its customers:

-- Market-led combination: Driven by what the market is asking for, two category leaders are coming together to deliver connected, best-of-breed solutions across commerce and contracting, giving enterprises more choice and control in what they adapt and how they expand.

-- Growth at scale: The acquisition expands Conga's growth opportunity, building on Conga's base of more than 10,000 customers, and over half of the Fortune(R) 100.

-- Significant customer impact: The complementary strengths of Conga and PROS B2B help customers connect pricing, quoting, and contracting for a clearer path from quote to commitment.

-- Customer continuity: Customers will continue to receive consistent, high-quality support throughout the integration and beyond.

The PROS Travel business is not included in this transaction and will remain a separate, standalone entity in the Thoma Bravo portfolio.

To learn more about the combined offerings and the future of commerce and contracting, register for Conga Connect, March 9 to 11 in Orlando.

About Conga

Conga partners with leading companies around the world to accelerate their journey to become a more connected, intelligent business. Conga brings Configure, Price, Quote, Contract Lifecycle Management, and Document Automation capabilities together on a single open platform that works with any ERP, any CRM, and any Cloud. Powered by a unified data model and purpose-built AI, Conga helps companies achieve a unique advantage-one built on seamless connection, actionable intelligence, and scalable growth.

Conga delivers an advantage to over 10,000 customers and 6.4 million users around the world. More than 7 million contracts and 46 million quotes are generated annually with Conga. Visit conga.com for more information.







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Press Release from Business Wire: Laserfiche



(AFP) Feb 02, 2026



LONG BEACH, Feb 2, 2026 (BSW) - Laserfiche - the leading SaaS provider of intelligent content management - announced today that CRN (R) - a brand of The Channel Company - has selected Taylor Grosso, senior director, channel, Americas, as a 2026 CRN(R) Channel Chief. This annual recognition celebrates IT vendor and distribution executives who are shaping channel strategy and driving innovation and partnership across the industry.

Grosso oversees Laserfiche's Americas channel sales team, including the U.S., Canada, and Latin America, focusing on empowering Laserfiche Solution Providers to stay competitive as the market evolves. As more organizations seek out AI-powered tools to enhance productivity, Grosso prepares partners with the resources they need to quickly learn and sell Laserfiche's industry-leading AI-powered document management solutions. By working closely with partners on building targeted business plans, Grosso and his team enable faster customer adoption of AI while driving revenue growth.

"Over the past year, we've seen the transformative potential of AI in solving organizations' information management challenges," said Grosso. "My goal - and the goal of the entire Laserfiche channel team - is to enable partners to succeed in this moment with the latest Laserfiche tools that deliver on the promise of AI through tangible and profitable solutions."

"Taylor is an exceptional channel leader who prioritizes trust, relationship-building and mutual success with the channel," said Josep Domingot, vice president of sales at Laserfiche. "This recognition by CRN is a testament to the strength of the Laserfiche Solution Provider Program and continuous innovation of the Laserfiche product."

The annual CRN Channel Chiefs list spotlights the most influential leaders across the IT channel, celebrating those who champion collaboration, drive innovation and empower their partners and customers to achieve shared success.

"Leaders recognized as CRN Channel Chiefs this year have demonstrated unwavering commitment to their partners and the broader IT channel. Their vision, passion and drive for innovation continue to shape the future of our industry. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the positive impact they make every day," said Jennifer Follett, vice president, U.S. content, executive editor, CRN.

CRN's 2026 Channel Chiefs list will be featured on CRN.com beginning Feb. 2 at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs.

About Laserfiche

Laserfiche is a leading enterprise platform that helps organizations digitally transform operations and manage their content with AI-powered solutions. Through scalable workflows, customizable forms, no-code templates and AI-enabled capabilities, the Laserfiche(R) document management platform accelerates how business gets done. Trusted by organizations of all sizes-from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises-Laserfiche empowers teams to boost productivity, foster collaboration, and deliver a superior customer experience at scale. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Laserfiche operates globally, with offices across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Connect with Laserfiche: Laserfiche Blog | X | LinkedIn | Facebook







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Contact

Laserfiche Contact:Linda DomingoCommunications Director, Laserfiche[email protected] 562-988-1688 ext. 234







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OpenClaw's AI agent does everything, even social media



Washington, United States, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2026



Meet OpenClaw: the AI assistant that promised to be your dream intern, terrified cybersecurity experts, and now thrives on chatbot-only social media -- all in just a few weeks.



The perfect assistant?



At the heart of the tech world's latest come-out-of-nowhere fascination is an AI tool built by Austrian researcher Peter Steinberger in November to help organize his digital life.

After he called his creation Clawdbot, Anthropic asked the computer scientist to rename it because the name was too similar to its AI assistant, Claude.

Steinberger renamed it Moltbot and then OpenClaw. OpenClaw surpassed 150,000 stars within days on the GitHub computer development platform, a symbol of its exponential popularity.

Users download OpenClaw and connect it to a generative AI model (such as Anthropic's Claude or OpenAI's ChatGPT), then communicate with it through WhatsApp or Telegram as they would with a friend or colleague.

Early adopters gushed over OpenClaw's abilities, claiming the tool could handle everyday life's most tedious chores -- sending emails, scouring the internet for specific research, even making web purchases.

Some users went further, saying their new AI assistant was taking on a life of its own, behaving like a dream intern who proposes useful projects and anticipates problems before they arise.

In other words, OpenClaw appeared to be delivering on the promise of an AI agent -- one of Silicon Valley's most frequently hyped buzzwords.

Agents represent the next logical step in AI deployment: doing the work of clicking around to execute tasks online instead of humans doing it themselves.

Others remain skeptical. Reports of mistakes, breakdowns, and an overall chaotic experience have prompted many to quickly abandon their experiments.



- Don't do this at home -



OpenClaw is open-source, meaning anyone can modify it. According to analysts, developers across the globe are doing exactly that.

But open-source also means users are especially vulnerable from a cybersecurity perspective. Most cybersecurity analysts agree that connecting the app to your computer, personal data, and communications is a bad idea.

Even Steinberger urges users to proceed with extreme caution, and he advises non-experts to avoid the tool entirely.

When up and running, OpenClaw has the ability to read and write files, run commands, and execute scripts on your PC.

It can also control browsers, giving it the ability to make purchases, reserve hotel rooms, or check into flights.

The tool also has the power to recall past interactions in order to carry out highly personalized functions. This also poses an extra vulnerability to bad actors.



- Reddit for bots -



The OpenClaw saga took a bizarre turn recently with the creation of Moltbook -- a pseudo social network for OpenClaw agents, not humans, created by a developer. Imagine a group of AI chatbots left in a room together to converse.

Posts have ranged from polite banter to long manifestos by agents suffering an existential crisis or considering launching a crypto currency or religion.

"Who wouldn't be intrigued by the idea of taking the little guy that helps you with your to do's and giving them the ability to chill out in their off time," Moltbook's creator Matt Schlicht told TBPN, a tech news platform.

After observing this Reddit-like universe of interactions between bots on Moltbook, some of tech's biggest names suggested they were witnessing the emergence of a kind of super-intelligence. Their reactions echoed those that greeted ChatGPT and other recent AI breakthroughs.

Moltbook "is genuinely the most incredible sci-fi takeoff-adjacent thing I have seen recently," said Andrej Karpathy, a highly respected AI researcher.

Elon Musk posted in response that this was "just the very early stages of the singularity," a term used to describe the moment when human intelligence is overwhelmed by AI for ever.

The initial enthusiasm has since cooled somewhat. Many researchers now believe humans are interfering, inserting prompts to steer conversations in particular ways.
Iraq starts investigations into IS detainees moved from Syria



Baghdad, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2026



Iraq's judiciary announced on Monday it has begun its investigations into more than 1,300 Islamic State group detainees who were transferred from Syria as part of a US operation.

"Investigation proceedings have started with 1,387 members of the Daesh terrorist organisation who were recently transferred from the Syrian territory," the judiciary's media office said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

"Under the supervision of the head of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, several judges specialising in counterterrorism started the investigation."

Those detainees are among 7,000 IS suspects, previously held by Syrian Kurdish fighters, whom the US military said it would transfer to Iraq after Syrian government forces recaptured Kurdish-held territory.

They include Syrians, Iraqis and Europeans, among other nationalities, according to several Iraqi security sources.

In 2014, IS swept across Syria and Iraq, committing massacres and forcing women and girls into sexual slavery.

Backed by US-led forces, Iraq proclaimed the defeat of IS in the country in 2017, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ultimately beat back the group in Syria two years later.

The SDF went on to jail thousands of suspected jihadists and detain tens of thousands of their relatives in camps.

Last month, the United States said the purpose of its alliance with Kurdish forces in Syria had largely expired, as Damascus pressed an offensive to take back territory long held by the SDF.

In Iraq, where many prisons are packed with IS suspects, courts have handed down hundreds of death sentences and life terms to people convicted of terrorism offences, including many foreign fighters.

Iraq's judiciary said its investigation procedures "will comply with national laws and international standards".
Photo: https://t.me/svyrydenkoy

Starting today, Energoatom and Ukrhydroenergo are joining the initiative to provide targeted assistance to vulnerable categories of the population, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has announced.

"We continue to provide targeted assistance to those who need it most - people with disabilities and single pensioners. I met with the management of the Naftogaz Group, Energoatom, and Ukrhydroenergo regarding the increase in this assistance. The Naftogaz Group continues to provide appropriate support. Starting today, Energoatom and Ukrhydroenergo are also joining this initiative," Svyrydenko said on Telegram.

According to her, in addition to Kyiv and Kyiv region, assistance will be provided in regions where the situation is particularly difficult, including frontline regions.

The Prime Minister reported that as of now, the first 10,000 "Heat Packages" financed by the Naftogaz Group have already been distributed in the districts of Kyiv and Kyiv region.

"The package contains items that will help get through the cold period, keep warm, stay connected, and charge medical devices," she added.
Iran president orders talks with US as Trump hopeful of deal



Paris, France, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2026



Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said Monday, after US leader Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the Islamic republic.

Following the Iranian authorities' deadly response to anti-government protests that peaked last month, Trump has threatened military action and ordered the dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East.

While piling pressure on Iran, Trump has maintained he is hopeful of making a deal and Tehran has also insisted it wants diplomacy while vowing an unbridled response to any aggression.

"President Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of talks with the United States," the news agency Fars reported on Monday, citing an unnamed government source.

"Iran and the United States will hold talks on the nuclear file," Fars said, without specifying a date. The report was also carried by the government newspaper Iran and the reformist daily Shargh.

Iran said earlier Monday it was working on a method and framework for negotiations that would be ready in the coming days, with messages between the two sides relayed through regional players.

"Several points have been addressed and we are examining and finalising the details of each stage in the diplomatic process, which we hope to conclude in the coming days," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, without giving details on the content of any negotiations.

Trump had warned "time is running out" for Iran to reach a deal on its nuclear programme, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb.

But Baqaei said Tehran "never accepts ultimatums" and that he could not confirm any such message was received.

Regional players have pushed for diplomacy to defuse tensions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Turkey last week and held further calls with his Egyptian, Saudi and Turkish counterparts, he said on Telegram.

"President Trump said no nuclear weapons, and we fully agree. We fully agree with that. That could be a very good deal," Araghchi told CNN on Sunday.

"Of course, in return, we expect sanctions lifting. So, that deal is possible. Let's do not talk about impossible things."

Baqaei said the rallying of neighbouring states around a diplomatic solution demonstrated a fear any US attack would drag the region into conflict, echoing Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who warned on Sunday a US attack would trigger a "regional war".



- Ambassadors summoned -



The supreme leader also likened the recent protests to a "coup" attempt.

Authorities have said the protests, which were sparked by economic strain and exploded in size and intensity over several days in early January, were "riots" inflamed by its arch foes the United States and Israel.

Tehran has acknowledged thousands of deaths during the protests, and on Sunday the presidency published the names of 2,986 people out of the 3,117 whom authorities said were killed in the unrest.

Authorities insist most were members of the security forces and innocent bystanders, attributing the violence to "terrorist acts".

US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it has confirmed 6,842 deaths, mostly protesters killed by security forces, with rights groups warning the figure is likely far higher.

The crackdown prompted the European Union to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, with Iranian lawmakers retaliating on Sunday by slapping the same designation on European armies.

Baqaei said Monday the foreign ministry had summoned all the EU member state ambassadors in Tehran over the designation, and that other responses were to come.

Iranian state television also announced four foreigners had been arrested in Tehran for "participation in riots", without specifying their nationalities.

Authorities have continued to announce arrests, with rights groups estimating at least 40,000 people have been detained over the protests.

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Press Release from Business Wire: Current Chemicals, Inc.



(AFP) Feb 02, 2026



CLEVELAND, Feb 2, 2026 (BSW) - Today marks the debut of Current Chemicals, Inc. (CCI) as a fully independent U.S.-based specialty materials manufacturer. Backed by strategic investor Momentum Global Ventures, CCI is charting a bold new path as a trusted partner for materials innovation, custom chemistry, and U.S.-based downstream manufacturing of rare earths and critical materials.

The partnership between U.S.-based CCI and Netherlands-based Momentum Global Ventures reflects a strengthening transatlantic alliance at a pivotal moment for global supply chains. This partnership underscores a shared commitment to secure, reliable, and innovation-driven materials infrastructure.

Originally the chemical division of GE Lighting, the team behind CCI has served as the quiet force behind groundbreaking technologies for more than 75 years, developing processes and manufacturing advanced materials for displays, lighting, energy storage, and more. As an independent company, CCI is poised to expand its impact across industries demanding secure, scalable, and innovative specialty materials.

"We're a scale-up partner," said Bill Cohen, CEO of CCI. "Our seasoned team has decades of experience navigating the critical gap between discovery and production, where ideas often stall. With the agility of a startup and advanced facilities, we help innovators turn their ideas into production-ready materials that power our world."

With a 250,000 square-foot facility in Cleveland, Ohio and capabilities ranging from gram-scale prototyping to full-scale production, CCI is a trusted custom chemistry partner for mission-critical projects that require process innovation. The company specializes in phosphors and advanced organic and inorganic materials.

It is rapidly expanding its role in the rare earth and critical materials supply chain across sectors such as electric vehicles, wind energy, advanced displays, and defense-adjacent technologies - strengthening domestic supply chain resilience and reducing dependence on concentrated foreign sources. CCI's strategy is to transform from a typical "manufacturer" to a "strategic infrastructure participant."

Momentum Global Ventures is actively building a transatlantic advanced materials platform. With investments spanning specialty nanomaterials and luminescent technologies including Seaborough, CCI becomes a cornerstone of a broader strategy to accelerate commercialization of next-generation materials across markets.

"Current Chemicals has tremendous growth potential thanks to its rare combination of legacy expertise, custom chemistry capabilities, and secure U.S.-based operations," said Pieter Six, Investment Director at Momentum Global Ventures. "As an independent company, they can now offer even more agility and value to partners navigating high-stakes challenges in innovation, supply chain security, and advanced manufacturing."

About Current Chemicals, Inc.

Current Chemicals, Inc. is a U.S.-based specialty materials manufacturer that partners with innovators to create custom chemistries. Backed by 75+ years of expertise in phosphors, rare earths, and critical materials, CCI takes ideas from lab to large-scale production to power technologies such as luminescent displays, EV motors, and wind turbines. With deep process know-how and a collaborative spirit, CCI helps customers overcome the "valley of death" between innovation and commercialization.

Visit currentchemicals.com to learn more.







View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260202627502/en/









Contact

Media contact:Bill Cohen[email protected]







 2026 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release.
Iran president orders talks with US as Trump hopeful of deal



Paris, France, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2026



Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said Monday, after US leader Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the Islamic republic.

Following the Iranian authorities' deadly response to anti-government protests that peaked last month, Trump has threatened military action and ordered the dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East.

Trump has maintained he is hopeful of making a deal and Tehran has also insisted it wants diplomacy, while vowing an unbridled response to any aggression.

"President Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of talks with the United States" on Iran's nuclear programme, the Fars news agency reported on Monday, citing an unnamed government source. The report was also carried by the government newspaper Iran and the reformist daily Shargh.

US news site Axios cited two unnamed sources saying Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to meet with US envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday in Istanbul to discuss a possible deal on the nuclear file.

Trump had warned "time is running out" for Iran to reach a deal on its nuclear programme, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb, a claim Tehran has repeatedly denied.

In an interview Sunday with CNN, Araghchi said, "President Trump said no nuclear weapons, and we fully agree. We fully agree with that. That could be a very good deal," adding that, "in return, we expect sanctions lifting".

Iran foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said earlier Monday Tehran was working on a method and framework for negotiations that would be ready in the coming days, with messages between the two sides relayed through regional players.



- 'Police the world' -



Turkey has led a diplomatic push to defuse tensions, with Araghchi visiting Istanbul last week and speaking with other regional counterparts, including in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Jordan's top diplomat, Ayman Safadi, on Monday assured Araghchi the kingdom would "not be a battleground in any regional conflict or a launching pad for any military action against Iran".

Iranian authorities, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have warned any US attack would trigger a "regional war".

In Tehran, pensioner Ali Hamidi told AFP he was a veteran and "not afraid of war", but that "America should mind its own business, why does it want to police the world?"

But, the 68-year-old added, "Iranian officials are also at fault for not providing for the people. The economic troubles are back-breaking... The officials should do something tangible, not just talk."

The protests were sparked in late December by economic strain and exploded in size and intensity over several days in early January.

Authorities have said the protests were "riots" inflamed by its arch foes the United States and Israel, with Khamenei likening them to a "coup" attempt.



- Ambassadors summoned -



Tehran has acknowledged thousands of deaths during the protests, and on Sunday the presidency published the names of 2,986 people out of the 3,117 whom authorities said were killed in the unrest.

Authorities insist most were members of the security forces and innocent bystanders, attributing the violence to "terrorist acts".

US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it has confirmed 6,842 deaths, mostly protesters killed by security forces, with rights groups warning the figure is likely far higher.

Young Iranian Selina, who would not give her full name, travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan seeking some relief from "living in fear".

"It's not safe for us" in Iran, the 25-year-old told AFP.

"We don't even dare to go out after 6:00 pm because soldiers are everywhere."

The crackdown prompted the European Union to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, with Iranian lawmakers retaliating on Sunday by slapping the same designation on European armies.

The EU also issued fresh sanctions on Iranian officials, including the interior minister, a move echoed on Monday by Britain, which announced sanctions on 10 individuals over the "brutality against protesters".

Baqaei said Monday the foreign ministry had summoned all the EU member state ambassadors in Tehran over the designation, and that other responses were to come.

Iranian state television also announced four foreigners had been arrested in Tehran for "participation in riots", without specifying their nationalities.

Authorities have continued to announce arrests, with rights groups estimating at least 40,000 people have been detained over the protests.

burs-sw/ser
Europe needs to lose 'nostalgia' for US: Germany's Merz



Eschborn, Germany, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2026



Europe cannot afford to be sentimental in its relations with an increasingly hostile United States, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday.

Speaking at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Merz called on Europe to become more independent of its traditional ally, arguing that old certainties no longer held.

"We must become more sovereign and independent, especially in terms of technology," Merz said. "And yes, this also applies to the United States of America".

Suggestions by US President Donald Trump that his country could annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of European NATO ally Denmark, have rocked European leaders.

French President Emmanuel Macron called the episode "a strategic wake-up call for all of Europe" and EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen warned the bloc risked becoming dependant on imports of US liquefied natural gas.

Merz said Europe had to adjust to "a new part of the reality we are confronted with".

"Transatlantic relations have changed," he said. "No one in this room says this with more regret than I do, but nostalgia and memories of good times gone by do not help."
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossUkraine

The Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) in 2025 paid out over UAH 590 million in cash assistance to those affected by the consequences of the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

"In 2025, URCS continued the systematic implementation of cash support programs for people who suffered the most from the consequences of the full-scale war and belong to socially vulnerable categories of the population. During the year, almost 29,000 people received cash assistance, and the total amount of payments exceeded UAH 590 million," the URCS reported on Facebook on Monday.

For many people, cash assistance became critically important after losing their housing, income, or access to basic services. Support was directed to residents of frontline and de-occupied communities, the elderly, people with disabilities, veterans, families of missing persons, as well as civilians released from Russian captivity.

"War creates new challenges every day for people who are already in a vulnerable position. Cash assistance allows us to quickly respond to urgent needs and gives people the freedom to choose what is a priority for them right now: basic expenses, winter preparation, housing restoration or rehabilitation," said Olena Skrypnikova, Head of the Department of Innovative Financing and Cash Transfer Programming at URCS.

Last year, the cash programs of URCS covered a wide range of needs of the population. They provided support to civilians released from captivity, families of missing persons and people whose housing was damaged by hostilities. Separately, multipurpose assistance was provided to residents of frontline areas in emergency situations, as well as financial support to prepare families for the winter period. An important direction was assistance to the elderly and people with disabilities, in particular through the "Home Care" program. In addition, the organization facilitated the physical rehabilitation of veterans and patients of mobile rehabilitation teams.

The implementation of the programs was made possible thanks to the support of international partners - the British, Canadian, Austrian, Danish, Norwegian and Swiss Red Crosses, as well as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Some of the initiatives were implemented in cooperation with government agencies and local communities.
I ended up in ICU, I had two operations on my hand because of the infection, I was very, very close to losing my hand, I quote the surgeon, probably in the next three days if I didnt get it seen to at the time.
Margaret has said, and she has heard much lip service paid to this inquiry, but there must be no attempt by the Chief Constable, by Police Scotland and Crown Office to shut down the evidence or lines of inquiry at this inquiry. It is important to Margaret and Packers many survivors, as well as the honest police officers whose lives were destroyed, for this inquiry to begin as soon as possible.
Regarding the post found by the panel to be antisemitic, the panel wrote: "Within the IHRA working definition there are contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life and found the following example to be relevant in relation to this one post: the drawing of comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of campaign group Care Not Killing which is opposed to legalising assisted dying, wrote to then-justice secretary Shabana Mahmood last April expressing significant concerns that the Bill, if enacted, will have an impact upon UK residents and UK law, and additionally may breach articles two (right to life) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).
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For the royal family to maintain any level of credibility in the eyes of the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, the legal team for the King should contact me immediately in a good faith effort to learn what Andrew has done, meet whomever he has done it to, issue a sincere and real apology, and ensure that any victims of Andrew are fairly compensated for this wrongdoing.
The former prime minister said: Given the shocking new information that has come to light in the latest tranche of Epstein papers, including information about the transfer to Mr Epstein of at least one highly sensitive government document as well as other highly confidential information, I have now written to ask for a wider and more intensive enquiry to take place into the wholly unacceptable disclosure of government papers and information during the period when the country was battling the global financial crisis.
That, together with the fact that Jeremy Corbyns party is saying its not standing, and a crucial pressure group called the Muslim vote has also backed the Green candidate, you can see how in one part of the constituency, Labour do face a challenge from Reform and in the other part from the Greens.
Steppe marmot (groundhog) Tymko IV, who lives at the research station of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (KNU) in Nesterivka, traditionally made a forecast on February 2 on when to expect the arrival of spring.

"This year the marmot saw his shadow. That is, spring will come in six weeks. At least he thinks so," the head of the station, Volodymyr Hrubnyk, translated the marmots prediction (the corresponding video was distributed by the universitys press service).

Marmot Day took place without visitors and the press. This years weather forecast was made by Tymko IV, the brother of the previous "prophet" Tymko III.

As noted in the video, this year there were no offspring in the family of Tymko III.

"There were no babies, probably because the winter was warm, and also the sounds of war. All these are unfavorable conditions for hibernation. The marmots slept very little, very shallowly," the video says.

As is known, Marmot Day has been celebrated at the biostation since 2004. Tymko II predicted the weather seven times, after which he went into well-deserved retirement. In 2017, in addition to the arrival of spring in six weeks, he also predicted that the EU would grant Ukraine a visa-free regime the same year.

Before that, his predecessor, Tymko I, was engaged in predictions before being sent into well-deserved retirement.
Mark Sekula, CEO and president of Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, says the merger with True Sky Federal Credit Union in Oklahoma City will bring more value, support and financial services. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union expects its merger with True Sky Federal Credit Union to close later this quarter. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News

Live Oaks Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union, the largest credit union in Texas, is about to get a little bit larger.

RBFCU, with about $19.2 billion in assets, announced it has entered into an agreement to merge with True Sky Federal Credit Union, an Oklahoma City institution with $779.2 million in assets.

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In a statement, RBFCU said it expects approval from regulators and True Sky members later this quarter.

The combined institutions will operate under the RBFCU name. The deal is structured as a merger even though True Skys name will disappear after the deal is completed.

It comes amid a wave of credit union mergers. There were 41 mergers in the third quarter, but more significantly, the combined assets of those institutions totaled about $34 billion, CEO Advisory Group reported in December. By comparison, total assets acquired in all mergers from 2022 through 2024 were $35 billion.

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RBFCU CEO and President Mark Sekula said the combined operations will offer more value and support and enhanced financial services.

Our deep roots in the Southwest and foundations in civilian and military aviation give the opportunity to provide even more financial soundness and resources to our members and communities, grounded in a shared history and culture, Sekula said in a recent statement.

RBFCU opened 74 years ago on Randolph AFB and now has more 1.1 million members and 64 branches throughout Texas. True Sky was established 80 years by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, which preceded the Federal Aviation Administration.

RBFCU generated $287.56 million in net income on $862.7 million in revenue last year. By comparison, it earned $243.6 million on $772.5 million in 2024.

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The credit union reported $12.8 billion in loans and total shares and deposits of $15.2 billion at the end of last year. It had 2,456 employees at the end of the year.

True Sky has 64,000 members and 14 branches in the Oklahoma City area.

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It posted $175,546 in net income on $49.4 million in revenue last year. It lost $12.8 million on $48.3 million in revenue in 2024.
Servers that power AI are seen at the webAI headquarters in downtown Austin Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Co-founders David Stout and Tyler Mauer at the webAI headquarters in downtown Austin Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Co-founder David Stout shows an example of an Apple device cluster that would act as home server in lieu of a data center while at the webAI headquarters in downtown Austin Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Co-founders David Stout and Tyler Mauer discuss their vision for the future of AI at the webAI headquarters in downtown Austin Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Co-founder David Stout discusses his vision for the future of AI at the webAI headquarters in downtown Austin Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Co-founder David Stout at the webAI headquarters in downtown Austin Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Co-founders Tyler Mauer at the webAI headquarters in downtown Austin Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman

WebAI co-founder and CEO David Stout shows examples of servers at the companys downtown Austin headquarters on Jan. 23. Following its latest funding round, the Austin-based startup is now valued at $2.5 billion. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman

Growing up in a blue-collar household in rural Michigan, David Stout never believed Silicon Valley's vision of artificial intelligence would offer much practical benefit to his parents.

In its early days, AI had few use cases outside the reaches of the corporate world. Today, the rapidly expanding technology is becoming increasingly mainstream. But many of its most common applications still require massive amounts of computing power. Fueled by the rapid growth of the data center industry, AI also consumes significant amounts of energy and water, raising questions about sustainability as adoption accelerates.

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In college, driven by a love of computers, Stout threw himself into studying machine learning. Over time, he began thinking about how to make AI both more accessible and more sustainable.

He later met fellow Michiganders and computer engineers Ethan Baird and Tyler Mauer, who shared his vision. In 2019, after experiencing a few startup missteps, the trio decided to try a different approach, founding webAI, an AI company designed to eliminate the need for data centers by tapping the computing power already built into smartphones.

Just a few years later, that startup operates out of a lofty downtown Austin high-rise and carries a $2.5 billion valuation.

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Its surreal, webAI CEO Stout said about the investor backing. It seems like a pipe dream for some Midwestern boys from Michigan to be building an AI company.

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WebAI co-founders Tyler Mauer and David Stout are seen at the companys headquarters in downtown Austin on Jan. 23. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman

AI without data centers

Unlike other AI companies, webAI aims to bring the technology down to the level of a singular household, business, building or even personal devices. The goal: to run AI more efficiently, tailor it to specific users and avoid overbuilding massive systems.

Instead of relying on a single system, the startup hopes to equip individuals to build their own AI systems, deisgned to run on a much smaller scale. Stout said this approach reduces energy demands, increases privacy and puts the technology directly in users hands.

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Mauer, webAIs chief product officer, said each user has an individualized AI system, or chatbot, that can provide more accurate answers and better protect their data.

The company does this by bringing computing power down to the size of a desktop computer, rather than relying on multibillion-dollar infrastructure that goes away in five years, Mauer said.

Everyones overbuying hardware, and they dont know what to do with it, Mauer said. How do we put people with the knowledge to actually make it usable? How do we allow people to buy what they need, not overbuying because youre trying not to miss out on the AI hype.

Those ideas appear to be gaining traction.

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Employees work at the webAI headquarters in downtown Austin on Jan. 23. Founded in 2019, the company has grown to hundreds of employees across offices in Michigan, Virginia and Austin. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman

The company has grown to hundreds of employees across three offices  in Michigan, Virginia and at its Austin headquarters.

Apple uses webAI for MacStadium, the companys enterprise platform, to bring its large language models down to a smaller scale while maintaining similiar power and accuracy. Oura Ring, the health tech company that builds wearable smart rings, integrates webAI as its primary AI infrastructure to ensure privacy. Airline operations platform Springshot relies on webAI to enhance safety checks.

And the companys latest funding round  which includes investments from Marc Benioffs TIME Ventures, Atreides Management, Forerunner and OXCART Ventures  values webAI at $2.5 billion.

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I dont want a future where were renting intelligence from someone from Silicon Valley, Stout, who serves as the companys CEO, said. I think thats a pretty lame outcome. Theres a lot of these big companies that are playing dystopian games, and I dont like that. Its really inappropriate. Were trying to do the opposite, focus on human ingenuity and making humans better, not extracting from them.

Plans to grow

Although founded in Michigan, the startup has since relocated its headquarters to Austin, taking over the top floor of the 515 Congress Ave. tower and expanding to two additional floors.

The technology and software, and the people of Austin have this mentality of almost limitless creativity, while also being grounded in the real. And it's a really beautiful dynamic, Stout said about moving to Austin. We want to create a downtown culture as a company. And it's really sad that the big companies are not here. Let's invest in the downtown and create a great culture for our team. We want to be a downtown business. Best decision we ever made.

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The companys name will soon grace the side of the high-rise at the corner of Sixth Street and Congress Avenue, which also houses several other tech companies.

As the company grows, Stout said he sees new employees nearly every week.

A view of the webAI headquarters in downtown Austin on Jan. 23. The company's Austin headquarters occupies the top floor of the tower at 515 Congress Ave. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman

The company has been recruiting senior talent from Silicon Valley, the public sector and the business world, including PJ Maykish, who formerly worked in national security and intelligence under President Donald Trumps first administration and during Biden administration.

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In the coming year, Mauer said webAI will soon begin another funding round, expecting to bring in an even higher valuation, and will launch some new products, including its own consumer-facing app.

In the coming year, Mauer said webAI plans to begin another funding round, aiming for a still-higher valuation, and will launch new products, including its own consumer-facing app.

The goal with that is to release products that are a little bit less enterprise focused, and more we can touch and feel and can experience, Mauer said. We think that when you can get the benefits of AI in a way that empowers you and makes you feel more capable as an individual, it's a very telling experience.
Oracles waterfront campus in Austin, shown in 2021. The company's stock has been in flux recently as investors grow increasingly wary of artificial intelligence spending. Ricardo Brazziell

Austin-based technology titan Oracle Corp. recently announced plans to raise between $45 billion and $50 billion this year to help fund its growing artificial intelligence infrastructure plans.

The companys move to double down on AI has sent its stock into spasms.

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On Thursday, Oracle shares fell to more than 50% below last years all-time high, erasing the roughly $463 billion in market value the company gained during its September rally. That surge came after Oracle issued a strong outlook for cloud and AI demand, briefly making it the 10th most valuable U.S. public company.

But on news of how much that will cost, investors sent Oracle shares plummeting. On Friday, they closed at their lowest level since May, fell 6% Monday and closed down another 3.5% Tuesday.

The company said the new capital is needed to meet demand for customers it already has under contract: Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., Nvidia Corp., OpenAI, TikTok and Elon Musks xAI.

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Oracle said it will finance the plans with a combination of debt and equity. It hopes to raise about half the money through equity-linked and common equity issuances. It said the rest will be funded via a single, one-time issuance of investment-grade senior unsecured bonds early this year.

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Oracle isnt alone in its AI investment plans. Big tech companies everywhere are investing massively in AI, with increased spending and hiring in the area.

Still, investors have started to grow concerned over AI-related spending, afraid the bubble could soon burst.

Earlier this month, bondholders sued Oracle after suffering losses because the company failed to disclose that it needed to issue significant additional debt to build out its AI infrastructure plans.

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Several of the Austin school bus incidents vehicles came after the company said it had addressed the issue with a software update and met with district officials.

In a statement after the NTSB announced its investigation, Waymo said it has thousands of school bus encounters every week across the U.S. and its data collection is continuously improving Waymo Driver, the system that operates its vehicles.
A sticky note shows the year 2026, and a sticky note shows the year 2025 crossed out, symbolizing the transition to a new year in Athens, Greece, on Dec. 24, 2025. Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The new year is well underway, and a handful of holidays have already passed. But if you still need to pen in important dates into your 2026, weve got you covered.

Heres a rundown of government holidays, religious holidays, seasonal dates and historic dates to know this year.

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When is New Years Day 2026?

When is Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026?

Close-up of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. shown in this photo headshoulders, alone. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive

MLK Day was Monday, Jan. 19. The holiday is observed each year on the third Monday of January, close to Kings birthday (Jan. 15, 1929).

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When is Groundhog Day 2026?

Groundhog Day is Monday, Feb. 2. Its always on the same date, because it marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

When is the Super Bowl 2026?

Super Bowl LX, between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, is Sunday, Feb. 8.

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When is Valentines Day 2026?

Martin Berger places the ring on the hand of his bride Sonia Farina during their wedding under the Capitol dome on Valentines Day Friday February 14, 2025. Jay Janner/American-Statesman

V-Day is Saturday, Feb. 14. The date corresponds with the death of Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr who was executed by Roman Emperor Claudius II around 269 AD for defying the marriage ban for soldiers.

When is Presidents' Day 2026?

Presidents' Day is Monday, Feb. 16. Originally observed on President George Washingtons birthday (Feb. 22), its now celebrated on the third Monday in February.

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When is the Lunar New Year 2026?

The Lunar New Year begins Tuesday, Feb. 17. Its date changes every year but always coincides with the second new moon after the winter solstice.

When is Ash Wednesday 2026?

On the corner of 6th and Congress, Stephanie Villegas receiving her ash for Ash Wednesday from Bob Davis of St. David's Episcopal Church before on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday is a symbolic act that represents repentance and the start of the Lenten season. It serves as a reminder of our mortality and the need for spiritual renewal. The ashes are typically made from burning palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday, further connecting us to the cycle of life and death. Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman

The Christian holiday Ash Wednesday is Wednesday, Feb. 18. It marks the first day of the Lenten season.

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When is Texas Independence Day 2026?

Texas Independence Day is Monday, March 2, commemorating the 1836 adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

When does daylight savings time start 2026?

An alarm clock stands among flowers in a meadow. On the night from March 7 to March 8. 2026, clocks will be set forward by one hour in obsservance of daylight saving time. Sina Schuldt/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Daylight saving time begins Sunday, March 8. Clocks will spring forward one hour.

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When is the first day of spring 2026?

The first day of spring, also called the spring equinox or the March equinox, is Friday, March 20.

When is Palm Sunday 2026?

Don Prince, chief operating officer at St. John Neumann, streamed the Palm Sunday Mass, which was celebrated by the Very Rev. Bud Roland, in the churchs chapel. [JAY JANNER/AMERICAN-STATESMAN] Austin American-Statesman

The Christian holiday Palm Sunday, part of the Lenten season, is Sunday, March 29.

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When is Maundy Thursday 2026?

The Christian holiday Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, is Thursday, April 2. It marks the last day of the Lenten season.

When is Good Friday 2026?

The Christian holiday Good Friday is Friday, April 3. Its the Friday before Easter Sunday.

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When is Holy Saturday 2026?

The Christian holiday Holy Saturday is Saturday, April 4. Its the day before Easter Sunday.

When is Easter Sunday 2026?

Plastic Easter Eggs were placed on the field at 1849 Park in Pflugerville for Egg Palooza on Saturday. Megumi Rooze/Special to American-Statesman

The Christian holiday Easter Sunday, also called Resurrection Sunday, is Sunday, April 5. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion, and is widely considered the most holy day in Christianity.

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When is Tax Day 2026?

Tax Day, or the last day to file a standard federal tax return, is Wednesday, April 15.

When is San Jacinto Day 2026?

San Jacinto Day is April 21, commemorating the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto. This was the final battle in the Texas Revolution that secured the states independence.

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When is Cinco de Mayo 2026?

Gwendolyn DeMore performs with the Viva Tejana! Dance Company at the Fiesta Austin Cinco De Mayo Celebration at Fiesta Gardens, May 7, 2022. The celebration of the holiday is dedicated to preserving hispanic culture in East Austin, and included food, dancing, music and games. Sara Diggins/American-Statesman

The Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo is Tuesday, May 5. It commemorates the Mexican armys victory over French forces at the 1862 Battle of Puebla.

When is National Teacher Appreciation Day 2026?

National Teacher Appreciation Day is Tuesday, May 5. It falls within National Teacher Appreciation Week, which is Monday, May 4 through Friday, May 8.

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When is Mothers Day 2026?

Mothers Day is Sunday, May 10. Its always observed on the second Sunday in May.

When is Memorial Day 2026?

People walk across the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge during the Carry the Load march from Zilker Park to the Capitol Tuesday May 20, 2025. Participants walked three miles to honor fallen military service members and first responders. Carry The Load is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day. Jay Janner/American-Statesman

Memorial Day is Monday, May 25. Its always celebrated on the last Monday in May.

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When is Flag Day 2026? When is Trumps birthday?

Flag Day and President Donald Trumps birthday are on the same day: Sunday, June 14. On the date in 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the first official U.S. flag.

When is Juneteenth 2026?

Morris Walker walks Rosewood avenue carrying a pan-African flag during the Central Texas Juneteenth Park Festival at Rosewood Neighborhood Park on Thursday, June 19, 2025 in Austin. Aaron E. Martinez / American Statesman

Juneteenth National Independence Day, a holiday celebrating the effective end of slavery in the U.S., is Friday, June 19. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation being issued on Jan. 1, 1863, it wasnt until June 19, 1865, that it was enforced in Texas. Specifically, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to declare liberation. This is commonly recognized as the last group of enslaved people in the country to be freed.

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When is Fathers Day 2026?

Fathers Day is Sunday, June 21. Its always celebrated on the third Sunday of June.

When is the first day of summer 2026?

The first day of summer, also known as the summer solstice and the longest day of the year, is Sunday, June 21.

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When is Independence Day 2026?

The Typhoon Texas waterpark and the city of Pflugerville celebrated Independence Day with Red, White and Boom, capped off with fireworks on July 4. Henry Huey/Special to Pflugerville Pflag

Independence Day, commonly referred to as the Fourth of July, in Saturday, July 4. It commemorates the day in 1776 on which the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

When is Labor Day 2026?

Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 7. Its always celebrated on the first Monday of September, the last day of a three-day holiday weekend. First celebrated in 1882 before becoming an official federal holiday in 1894, it honors the social and economic achievements of American workers spanning back to the Industrial Revolution.

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When is Patriot Day 2026?

People attend a memorial service at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in lower Manhattan on the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2025, in New York City. This was the 24th anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2001, that killed 2,977 people at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon, and those aboard Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Patriot Day, also known as the National Day of Service and Remembrance, is Friday, Sept. 11. The observance, signed into law in December 2001, honors and remembers the 2,977 people who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93. It also recognizes the heroism of first responders and others who contributed to the response and recovery efforts.

When is Rosh Hashanah 2026?

Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, is Friday, Sept. 11 through Sunday, Sept. 13. The start of the Jewish High Holy Days, it marks the birthday of the universe. The holiday is traditionally observed on the first two days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, so dates on a Gregorian calendar differ slightly each year.

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When is Yom Kippur 2026?

The Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, also called the Day of Atonement, is Monday, Sept. 21. It concludes the 10-day Days of Awe and is considered the holiest and most solemn day in Judaism. The 25-hour period involves fasting, prayer and repentance.

When is the first day of fall 2026?

Leaves begin to show signs of changing color at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, Texas on Nov. 6, 2022. Aaron Martinez

The first day of fall, also known as the autumnal equinox, is Tuesday, Sept. 22.

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When is Columbus Day 2026? When is Indigenous Peoples' Day 2026?

Indigenous Peoples' Day, also called Columbus Day, is Monday, Oct. 12. Columbus Day is always observed on the second Monday in October. Unlike some states with an overlapping holiday celebrating Native Americans, Texas doesnt officially observe Indigenous Peoples' Day and doesnt include it as a paid holiday.

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In 2017, the Austin City Council voted in favor of renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day.

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When is Halloween 2026?

Halloween decorations in the Round Rock West neighborhood, October 27th, 2025. Henry Huey @HenryHueyPhoto/Special to American-Statesman

Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. Its origins trace back two millennia, to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which later morphed into All Hallows Eve in the Roman Catholic Church. Samhain celebrated the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter and was a time when the boundary between the living and the dead was believed to be blurred, allowing spirits to roam the earth. To ward off such spirits, people lit bonfires and dressed in costumes on the night of Oct. 31.

When is All Saints' Day 2026?

All Saints' Day is Sunday, Nov. 1. As Halloween adopted a mix of pagan and Christian traditions, Pope Gregory III declared the next day All Hallows' Day.

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When does daylight savings time end 2026?

Alex Hernandez, assistant manager of Tourneau watch store in the Galleria, resets one of the approximately 1,000 watches that they have in the store because of daylight saving time. According to Hernandez, all of the store employees help with the time change which takes several days. Steve Campbell/Houston Chronicle

Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 1. Clocks will fall back one hour.

When is Election Day 2026?

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. The 2026 midterm elections will decide the makeup of the U.S. Congress, both in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

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When is Veterans Day 2026?

Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11. Originally called Armistice Day, it was first celebrated in 1919 on the first anniversary of the end of World War I. In 1938, it became a federal holiday to honor WWI veterans. President Dwight D. Eisenhower changed its name to Veterans Day in 1954, after which the holiday was used to honor all veterans.

When is Thanksgiving 2026?

Volunteer Shirley Bilanski waves and cheers as attendees arrive at the annual HEB Feast of Sharing, held at the Palmer Events Center, Nov. 25, 2025. Every year, HEB and their partners provide free holiday meals around Texas and Mexico, serving over 340,000 plates at 34 locations. The events are free and open to anyone. They feature free meals as well as crafts, dancing and community connection opportunities. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman

Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, Nov. 26. After centuries of variation, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed in 1941 that the holiday would be observed on the last Thursday of November. While most attribute its origin to a 1621 feast between Pilgrims and indigenous peoples in present-day Massachusetts, Spanish explorers held a similar celebration in 1541 in present-day Texas.

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When is Black Friday 2026?

Black Friday, which always immediately follows Thanksgiving, is Friday, Nov. 27. Now the biggest shopping day of the year, the tradition began in the 1980s and encourages consumers to buy holiday gifts at discounts.

When does Advent 2026 start?

The Christian holiday of Advent begins on Sunday, Nov. 29. The period, which spans four weeks leading up to Christmas, is reserved for prayer, reflection and preparation with themes like hope, peace, joy and love.

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When is Cyber Monday 2026?

Rawlings Nwanna packs a trailer full of items to be shipped from the Amazon HOU6 Fulfillment Center on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023 in Richmond. Employees pick, pack and ship customer orders in Amazon's 3.7 million square foot Fulfillment Center. Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle

Cyber Monday, which comes after Thanksgiving and Black Friday, is Monday, Nov. 30. Beginning in 2005, the National Retail Federation (NRF) used the term to indicate the online shopping surge that began the Monday after Thanksgiving. Many people in those days only had access to a computer and the internet at their workplace, so they would browse online-only retailers upon returning to the office after the holiday.

The growing popularity of online shopping has encouraged retailers to promote Cyber Week, which this year is Monday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 4.

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When is Giving Tuesday 2026?

Giving Tuesday, which is always immediately after Cyber Monday, is Tuesday, Dec. 1. This tradition began in 2012, from a collaboration between New York City nonprofit center 92nd Street Y and the public charity United Nations Foundation to encourage people to give back. What started as a hashtag  #GivingTuesday  has since grown into a global movement.

When is Pearl Harbor Day 2026?

United States Army Veteran Grover Tytten, center left, waves to onlooking travelers as seven World War II veterans are celebrated with a procession through the terminal and an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. for Pearl Harbor Day commemorations on Dec. 6, 2025 at Austin Bergstrom International Airport. The veterans, ages 98 to 104 years old, visited the White House and attended a ceremony at the World War II Memorial. Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is Monday, Dec. 7. On this day in 1941, a total of 2,403 Americans were killed in a Japanese surprise attack that targeted the major U.S. Navy base in Hawaii. The country adopted the observance in 1994 as a way to honor those who died.

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When is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe 2026?

The Christian holiday, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, is Saturday, Dec. 12. It honors the day in 1531 when the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Juan Diego in present-day Mexico City, which inspired the mass conversion of indigenous people to Catholicism. Today, the feast celebrates the cultural-religious identity of Mexicans and Mexican Americans.

When is the first day of winter 2026?

The first day of winter, also known as the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year, is Monday, Dec. 21.

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When is Christmas Eve 2026?

Christmas Eve, or the day before Christmas, is Thursday, Dec. 24.

When is Christmas 2026?

Rachael Dahlman, a tuba player that performs with Blowcomotion, left, and Michale Sneed, a tuba player that performs with La Murga de Austin, right, perform during the TubaChristmas Austin concert on the south steps of the Texas Capitol on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. TubaChristmas has been held in Austin since 1975. Tuba, euphonium, and baritone players of all ages gather at the Texas Capitol and perform Christmas carols. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

Christmas Day is Friday, Dec. 25. The religious-turned-mainstream holiday originated from celebrations of Jesus Christs birth. While the actual birth date is uncertain, the fourth-century Roman Church established Dec. 25 as the holiday to align with its calendars winter solstice.

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When is New Years Eve 2026?

NYE, or the day before New Years, is Thursday, Dec. 31.

2026 federal holidays

Here are this years 11 federal holidays, as listed by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM):

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Austin firefighters battle a blaze at an abandoned apartment complex on Burton Drive on Jan. 2, 2026. Courtesy of the Austin Fire Department

A two-alarm fire burned a boarded-up apartment building in East Austin on Monday morning, forcing firefighters into a defensive response after part of the structure collapsed, officials said.

One person was taken to the hospital in stable condition with smoke inhalation after exiting the abandoned building, which authorities said was not supposed to be occupied.

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Crews were called to the complex in the 1700 block of Burton Drive, just south of Riverside Drive, shortly after 8 a.m. Firefighters initially attempted an interior attack but pulled back about 8:37 a.m. after part of the roof and other sections of the structure collapsed, according to the Austin Fire Department.

The fire was brought under control between about 8:45 and 9 a.m., though crews remained on scene later in the morning as arson investigators worked to determine the cause. Flames were visible from as far away as the Riverside Drive intersection as firefighters responded, officials said.

The blaze escalated to a two-alarm response due to the size of the fire and the structural instability, requiring the use of large master streams from aerial equipment, officials said.

Police blocked part of Burton Drive during the response to give firefighters room to operate.
Savannah Guthrie is seen on the NBC Today Show Citi Concert Series at Rockefeller Plaza on Oct. 1, 2025 in New York City. NDZ/Star Max/Getty Images

According to TODAY, Savannah Guthries 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been reported missing in Arizona and police are considering her home a crime scene.

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According to a missing-person flyer, Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31 outside of her home in Tucson and was reported missing on Feb. 1 at noon. During a Feb. 2 news conference, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said time is very critical.

Who is Savannah Guthrie?

Savannah Guthrie is an American journalist and former attorney, best known as a primary co-anchor of NBC News TODAY show since 2012. She was a White House correspondent for NBC News from 2008 to 2011 before becoming TODAY co-anchor in 2012.

Guthrie is a New York Times bestselling author and she was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2022.

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(L-R) Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on June 15, 2023. Nathan Congleton/Getty Images

Who is Nancy Guthrie?

Nancy Guthrie is Savannah Guthries 84-year-old mother. According to TODAY, she does not have any cognitive issues but does face physical challenges and is in need of medication that can be fatal if not taken within 24 hours.

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She is very limited in her mobility, we know she didnt just walk out of there, that we know, Nanos said. There were other things at the scene that indicate that she did not leave on her own.

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The Guthrie family was alerted to Nancys disappearance when they received a call from someone at their local church saying that she wasnt there. Family members then went to her house and searched for Nancy before contacting the police.

According to Nanos, Nancy lives alone and has house staff. Authorities are also in possession of her cell phone.

Nancy Guthrie is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Nanos said she was last seen at her home around 9:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Saturday.

Does Savannah Guthrie have any siblings?

Savannah Guthrie has two siblings: an older sister named Annie Guthrie and an older brother named Camron Guthrie. According to Nanos, Savannah is currently in Arizona. She issued a statement on Monday on behalf of the Guthrie family.

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On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support, Savannah Guthrie shared. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriffs Department at (520) 351-4900.

What is Savannah Guthries net worth?

According to Parade, Savannah Guthrie has an estimated net worth of $40 million as of 2026. Her annual salary is approximated to be around $8 million per year.

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Nanos did not elaborate on what makes authorities consider Nancy Guthries home a crime scene, saying it would be inappropriate at this time.
Austin firefighters battle an apartment fire in the 4300 block of South First Street on Feb. 2, 2026. Courtesy of the Austin Fire Department

Austin firefighters are on scene of a second apartment fire on Tuesday  this one in South Austin  after putting out flames at an abandoned East Austin complex earlier in the morning, fire officials said.

Firefighters said they were called to the 4300 block of South First Street around 11 a.m. where they have been attempting to extinguish the blaze. No injuries have been reported at the second fire, according to authorities. Drivers are asked to avoid the area as crews work to clear the flames.

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Austin firefighters battle an apartment fire in the 4300 block of South First Street on Feb. 2, 2026. Courtesy of the Austin Fire Department

A few hours earlier, officials said a two-alarm fire earlier in the morning at a boarded-up apartment complex in East Austin that partially collapsed and sent one person to the hospital with injuries from smoke inhalation.
Boston, MA - February 28: The Age Strong's Annual Black Heritage Celebration. (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images

The origin of the month-long commemoration known as Black History Month goes back almost a century ago.

For those who don't know the history, some may wonder why Black history is recognized in February, the shortest month of the year.

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Here are the origins of Black History Month, including the history associated with Texas.

Who started Black History Month?

According to the Library of Congress, the inception of Black History Month dates back to 1915. Long before Black History Month was nationally recognized, Dr. Carter G. Woodson  founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)  initiated the first Negro History Week in February 1926.

Woodson, whose parents were enslaved, grew up to be an author, historian and the second African American to earn a Ph.D. at Harvard University.

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Woodson, known to many as the Father of Black History," chose February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two significant figures in Black American history.

In 1975, President Gerald Ford issued a message on the Observance of Black History Week, encouraging all Americans to "recognize the important contributions made to our nation's life and culture by Black citizens." The following year, in 1976, the ASALH extended this commemoration from a week-long observance to a month-long celebration, now known as Black History Month.

In 1986, Congress enacted Public Law 99-244, officially designating February 1986 as "National Black (Afro-American) History Month." The law recognized Feb. 1, 1986, as the start of the 60th annual public and private tribute to Black history. It also authorized and requested that the president issue a proclamation urging the people of the United States to observe Black History Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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What is the 2026 theme for Black History Month?

Each year, ASALH identifies a theme for Black History Month. This year's theme is "A Century of Black History Commemorations."

According to ASALH, their 100th theme centers on the founders of Black History Months call to explore the impact of commemorating Black history and life on the status of Black people today.

This year, when we are also commemorating the 250th anniversary of United States independence, it is important to tell not only an inclusive history, but an accurate one, the ASALH said in their theme statement. We have never had more need to examine the role of Black History Month than we do when forces weary of democracy seek to use legislative means and book bans to excise Black history from Americas schools and public culture.

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Here's a list of past Black History Month themes, according to ASALH:

2025: African Americans and Labor

African Americans and Labor 2024 : African Americans and the Arts

: African Americans and the Arts 2023 : Black Resistance

: Black Resistance 2022 : Black Health and Wellness

: Black Health and Wellness 2021 : The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity

: The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity 2020 : African Americans and the Vote

: African Americans and the Vote 2019 : Black Migrations

: Black Migrations 2018 : African Americans in Times of War

: African Americans in Times of War 2017 : The Crisis in Black Education

: The Crisis in Black Education 2016 : Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories

: Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories 2015: A Century of Black Life, History, and Culture

What is a significant date in Texas black history?

cording to the Museum of African American History and Culture, Texas was the last state where enslaved people officially gained freedom after the end of the Civil War.

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On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, with news of freedom. Over 250,000 African Americans embraced freedom by executive decree in what became known as Juneteenth or Emancipation Day.

It is celebrated annually on June 19. On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

What are some ways to celebrate Black History Month in Texas?

While Black History Month is commemorated in February, celebrating and learning more about the history doesn't have to stop there. There are several places in Texas to educate yourself about Black history.

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Cedar Park police American-Statesman

A Pflugerville man is accused of breaking into a Cedar Park apartment Saturday morning and assaulting two people, police said.

Donovan Pace, 24, was charged with burglary of habitation with intent to commit a felony.

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Officers were alerted after receiving a report of a man, later identified as Pace, with a gun at an apartment complex in the 1600 block of S. Lakeline Boulevard, police said in a social media post. It did not say what time the call came in or whether the attack was random.

Police later determined that Pace had forcibly entered an apartment, threatened an occupant with a gun and assaulted two occupants before fleeing, the post said. It said officers, with the assistance of the Central Texas Regional SWAT team, arrested Pace at a home in Pflugerville. They used a search warrant to find the gun used in the offense, the post said.
The acting head of the OSCE and the organization's Secretary General arrived in Kyiv

Current OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, arrived in Kyiv together with the Organizations Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu.

Cassis announced this on his account on the X social network.

"I am here to reaffirm the #OSCEs role as a platform for #dialogue and its readiness to support efforts towards a just and lasting #peace, in line with #InternationalLaw and the Helsinki Principles," the minister wrote.

The visit comes against the backdrop of Cassis previously announced plans to visit both Kyiv and Moscow with the aim of restoring dialogue and trust within the OSCE, which has faced a serious crisis due to Russias war against Ukraine.

Switzerland will chair the OSCE in 2026 for the third time in the organizations history (previous chairmanships were in 1996 and 2014). Among the priorities of the Swiss chairmanship is preparing for a possible just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Attorney General Ken Paxton is demanding information from the Austin Independent School District after students walked out of class last week in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Paxton asked the district Monday for information on the role any district staff played in the demonstrations. Gov. Greg Abbott called Friday for the Texas Education Agency to open an investigation into the school district after videos posted to social media showed district vehicles near the protesting students.

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Parents expect our public schools to educate and keep their kids safe during the school day, not encourage them to attend a protest field trip designed to villainize brave law enforcement officials protecting our country, Paxton wrote in a press release.

Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman A woman raises her fist in support of students protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Lauren Hollingsworth, 18, a student at Pflugerville High School, protests U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Pflugerville police officers stand outside a Walmart near the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville, Texas, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, as a large law enforcement presence responds to a student protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools, converging at the justice center and rallying for more than an hour before dispersing. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Benjamin Oiesen, 16, and Desirae Williams, 16, protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Paxtons announcement didnt clarify whether he had launched a formal investigation into Austin ISD. His demand came on another day of school walkouts, when hundreds of students marched out of class in Pflugerville, Hays and Austin.

The TEA confirmed it has received multiple complaints regarding student protests in Austin ISD and other districts and is investigating these complaints, spokesman Jake Kobersky said.

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Educators must support learning in ways that are objective and free from political bias, he said in a statement.

Schools also have an obligation to ensure students are safe and attend school, with consequences for students for unexcused absences, Kobersky said.

Crockett High School students walk out of school in Austin on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, as part of a nationwide protest of the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Hundreds of students participated in the walkout, which was among similar student demonstrations held at other Austin-area schools. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Austin ISDs protests were not sponsored or endorsed by the district, and AISD leaders want students to be in class during the school day, Superintendent Matias Segura said Friday.

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During the school day, our students are our responsibility and were committed to the safety of our students in our community, regardless if they are on our campus, Segura wrote in a message to district families. That is why our administrators and Austin ISD Police remain with our students during protest activities during school hours.

Leaving campus to protest during the school day is an unexcused absence, he said. Austin ISD always has staff supervision during student walkouts, spokesman JJ Maldonado said Monday.

Students from 14 Austin ISD campuses were among thousands across the nation who staged walkouts last week in response to the killings of Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez and Keith Porter Jr., civilians who died during encounters with federal agents. Some Austin students walked several miles from their schools to the Texas Capitol.

Paxton demanded Austin ISDs policies on letting students leave campus, excused absences, security protocols and internal communications regarding the protests, according to the attorney generals statement.

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Abbotts office did not answer questions about whether hed directed the TEA to investigate the use of law enforcement during student walkouts in other school districts or whether students should be allowed to walk out of class for protests. The TEA did not immediately respond to questions seeking clarity.

Aeden, left, and Kat Pruett-Ponvert, 17, protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

ICE-related student protests continued Monday. Paxtons demand came on the same day thousands of students across Central Texas, including in Pflugerville, Hays County and Austin marched out of class to protest ICE.

In Pflugerville ISD, students marched from five high schools to the Pflugerville Justice Center, waving signs that said Immigrants make America great.

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Several hundred students from four high and one middle school campuses in Hays CISD walked out of class Monday, but the district itself consistently maintains neutrality in matters that are politically charged, spokesman Tim Savoy said.

Teachers and campus staff who werent teaching during the protests monitored the students while they were on campus to preserve safety. Local law enforcement officers monitored students who walked off campus, Savoy wrote in a letter to parents.

Sometimes, district staff are tasked with many difficult things in their profession, including  from time to time  addressing student protests, Savoy said. These dedicated staff members are not politicians. They have no need for and dont seek votes or campaign contributions; nor are they ever up for election.

It is common for a school districts police department to be present during a walkout that takes place on campus property, said Shane Wallace, executive director of the Texas Association of School Resource Officers.

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Their primary responsibility is to ensure ... the physical safety of students and the staff and the public and .... facilitate their First Amendment rights to assemble peacefully, Wallace said.

If district leaders find out about walkouts in advance, they ought to be coordinating with local law enforcement. There is a fine line between crowd management and escorting students who leave school property, Wallace said.

Youre just monitoring it, Wallace said. Youre focusing on managing the crowd and not controlling it.

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Austin police vehicle Austin American-Statesman

Austin police have issued an arrest warrant for a Fort Worth-based U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent accused of sexually assaulting an Austin woman last year.

The warrant, issued Jan. 29, charges Melvin Davis with second-degree felony sexual assault. Investigators allege Davis assaulted the woman after meeting her at a downtown Austin bar on Sept. 12 and persuading her to go to his hotel room.

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According to the warrant affidavit, Davis met the woman at Library Bar on East Sixth Street before pressuring her to accompany him to his hotel. Once inside the room, the federal officer allegedly assaulted the woman despite her repeated objections and attempts to leave.

Fort Worth attorney MarQuetta Clayton, who is representing Davis, confirmed that he remains employed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection but declined to comment further. Davis had not been arrested as of Feb. 2, according to court records.

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In an interview with Austin police officers Nov. 20, Davis denied having sex with the woman. He told investigators that after the two entered his hotel room, the woman asked to take a shower. Davis said he attempted to enter the shower but when the woman denied him entry, he fell asleep on the hotel bed.

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When he awoke, he said the woman was gone. But the woman, who is not named in the warrant, offered detectives a much different narrative  one that the affidavit said was later corroborated by DNA evidence.

A construction worker drills boards onto the entrance of the Library Bar on East 6th Street in Austin on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. The bar is one of several businesses that are choosing to board up their establishments on the popular street. This comes after Austin officials ordered closures of all bars and restaurants. [BRONTE WITTPENN/AMERICAN-STATESMAN] Austin American-Statesman

According to the affidavit, the woman told police she had ended a two-month relationship with Davis earlier in the summer because she was uncomfortable with his behavior, including pressuring her to perform sex acts during video calls. She agreed to meet him Sept. 12, she said, because he told her he was visiting Austin and she believed she would be safe meeting him in public with friends present.

As the night ended, the woman told friends she would rejoin them after dropping Davis at his hotel. There, Davis begged her to go up to his room to talk, the warrant states. She told investigators she was not interested in resuming a relationship but agreed to go upstairs in hopes of ending things amicably.

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Once inside, Davis allegedly picked the woman up from a couch and threw her onto the bed, pinning her body with his weight while restraining her legs. As she resisted and asked him to stop, Davis allegedly attempted to remove her clothing and made statements indicating he would not let her leave.

The woman told police she repeatedly tried to fight him off, including kicking and attempting to crawl away, but Davis dragged her back and sexually assaulted her. At one point, she said she briefly broke free using a self-defense maneuver learned in a jiu-jitsu class, but Davis then grabbed her by the throat, hindering her ability to breathe.

She told investigators she eventually stopped resisting because she believed she would lose if she continued fighting and said she blacked out and froze.

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After the assault, Davis allegedly lay beside the woman and told her he loved her. She asked to take a shower, intending to escape while the water was running, but Davis insisted on joining her. The woman said she was able to leave after Davis returned to the bed and fell asleep.
Former U.S. Congressman Colin Allred speaks at a press conference after visiting the Dallas County Democratic Party headquarters to officially file for election in Texas 33rd Congressional District on Dec. 8, 2025 in Dallas. Azul Sordo/Dallas Morning News

Former Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Colin Allred urged primary voters on Monday to back U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and issued some heated words for his one-time rival in the race, state Rep. James Talarico, after a Democratic activist accused Talarico of denigrating Allred in a private conversation last month.

Allred, the former congressman and 2024 nominee for the Senate, ended his second statewide run in December when Crockett jumped in, and he had remained neutral on her battle with Talarico until Monday. That changed after a video was posted online by a self-described content creator who claimed Talarico had described Allred to her as a "mediocre black man."

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"Go vote for Jasmine Crockett," Allred said in a three-minute video on X. "This man should not be our nominee for United States Senate."

Later, in a statement, Talarico said his comments were misrepresented.

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The content creator, 29-year-old Morgan Thompson of Dallas, told Hearst Newspapers that she had been a Talarico supporter when Allred was his rival for the Democratic nomination. But she said she began to get concerned after seeing reports and social media posts by some supporters of Talarico, who is white, that the Austin lawmaker would be a more formidable candidate than Crockett, who is Black, among voters in the November election.

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Morgan said she asked to meet with Talarico to share her concerns. She said he assured her in a meeting in mid-January that he would be a staunch advocate for Black Texans if he were elected.

"That's where he made the statement that 'I signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable, intelligent black woman,'" Thompson said.

In his statement, Talarico said the comment attributed to him is "a mischaracterization of a private conversation."

"In my praise of Congresswoman Crockett, I described Congressman Allred's method of campaigning as mediocre  but his life and service are not," Talarico said. "I would never attack him on the basis of race. Also a Black man in America, Congressman Allred has had to work twice as hard to get where he is."

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He acknowledged that his comments could be interpreted as harmful, "given this country's painful legacy of racism."

Thompson said she did not record the remarks. Thomson also said she was not paid for the post, and that she moved from being a Talarico supporter to being undecided after Crockett entered the race on Dec. 8, the same day Allred withdrew is candidacy.

Thompson said she had not spoken with Allred, who is now running for his former Dallas-area U.S. House seat, before the former congressman posted his comments. Allred spokeswoman Sandhya Raghaven said the campaign had reached out to verify her remarks.

In addition to endorsing Crockett, Allred also had some harsh words for Talarico.

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"James, if you want to compliment Black women, just do it." Allred said in his post. "Don't do it while also tearing down Black men. We've seen that play before. We're sick and tired of it. We're tired of folks using praise for black women to mask criticism for black men."

Crockett said in a statement that she appreciated Allred's support and praised him for his online post.

"We must all stand, especially when it feels uncomfortable, to say what is right and what is wrong," Crockett said. "If you know him (Allred) like I do, you know he's an even-tempered and measured person who doesn't engage in pettiness. The times I've known he was heated is when it's a fight worth having."

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A screenshot from a video shows the moments before Alex Pretti was shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. Screenshot by ProPublica via Facebook

This story was originally published by ProPublica.

The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.

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The records viewed by ProPublica list Ochoa, 43, and Gutierrez, 35, as the shooters during the deadly encounter last weekend that left Pretti dead and ignited massive protests and calls for criminal investigations.

Both men were assigned to Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement dragnet launched in December that sent scores of armed and masked agents across the city.

CBP, which employs both men, has so far refused to release their names and has disclosed few other facts about the deadly incident, which came days after a different immigration agent shot and killed another Minneapolis protester, a 37-year-old mother of three named Renee Good.

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Prettis killing, and the subsequent secrecy surrounding the agents involved, comes as the country confronts the consequences of President Donald Trumps aggressive immigration crackdown. The sweeps in cities across the country have been marked by scenes of violence, against immigrants and U.S. citizens, by agents allowed to hide their identities with masks  an almost unheard of practice in law enforcement. As a result, the public has been kept from one of the chief ways it has to hold officers involved in such altercations accountable: their identity.

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Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have called for a transparent investigation into the killing of Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse working at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.

We must have a transparent, independent investigation into the Minnesota shooting, and those responsibleno matter their titlemust be held accountable, Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah wrote on X on Monday.

FBI agents work at the scene of the Pretti shooting. Peter DiCampo/ProPublica

The agency sent a notice to some members of Congress on Tuesday acknowledging that two agents fired Glock pistols during the altercation that left Pretti dead. That notice does not include the agents names. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, said the agents had been placed on leave after the Jan. 24 shooting. And after a week of protests and calls from lawmakers for a review, the Justice Department said Friday that its Civil Rights Division is investigating the shooting. A DOJ spokesperson did not answer questions, including whether DHS has shared materials, such as body-camera footage, with its investigators.

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Ochoa is a Border Patrol agent who joined CBP in 2018. Gutierrez joined in 2014 and works for CBPs Office of Field Operations. He is assigned to a special response team, which conducts high-risk operations like those of police SWAT units. Records show both men are from South Texas.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Gregory Bovino, who has orchestrated high-intensity immigration sweeps and arrests in a string of Democratic-led cities since early 2025, was removed from his role as Border Patrol commander at large and reassigned to his former post in El Centro, California.

A spokesperson for DHS declined to answer questions about the two agents and referred ProPublica to the FBI. The FBI declined to comment. ProPublica made several attempts to call Ochoa and Gutierrez but neither answered.

Ochoa, who goes by Jesse, graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American with a degree in criminal justice, according to his ex-wife, Angelica Ochoa. A longtime resident of the Rio Grande Valley, Ochoa had for years dreamed of working for the Border Patrol and finally landed a job there, she said. By the time the couple split in 2021, he had become a gun enthusiast with about 25 rifles, pistols and shotguns, Angelica Ochoa said.

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DHS disclosure to Congress was drawn from an internal review of the agents body-camera footage, which has not been released to the public. State investigators, meanwhile, have accused their federal counterparts of blocking them from investigating the shooting.

We dont have any information on the shooters, a Minneapolis city spokesperson said. A spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that his office also had not been given the names, and we dont have any new information on the investigation.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi Monday, accused the Justice Department of covering up evidence in both Prettis and Goods killings.

People gather at the location where Pretti was shot. Cengiz Yar/ProPublica

DOJ has also blocked prosecutors and agents from cooperating with state law enforcement officials and prevented state officials from accessing evidence, the letter said.

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Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, told CNN on Sunday that immigration agents should not be masked.

They should not be anonymous. They should be identifiable. And they have to have rules of engagement that dont allow them to terrorize and intimidate, harass and assault U.S. citizens and other people, he said.

The notice to Congress said that the shooting happened when Pretti resisted arrest after officers were unable to get him and a female protester out of the street.

The CBP officer attempted to move the woman and Pretti out of the roadway. The woman and Pretti did not move, the report reads. CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody. Pretti resisted CBP personnels efforts and a struggle ensued.

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According to the report, one agent then yelled Hes got a gun! multiple times, and two others discharged their Glock pistols.

In videos widely shared online, Pretti can be seen holding up a phone, documenting the movements of federal agents and officers as they roamed the streets of a popular food and arts district. According to news reports, Pretti was concerned about the increasingly volatile siege of the city by federal agents.

In the videos, a masked agent appears to knock a woman to the ground. Pretti comes to her aid, getting between them, at which point the officer deploys pepper spray at his face. Two agents then grab Pretti and pull him to the ground, while more federal personnel pile on. During the struggle, the agents unleash a series of shots  approximately 10  as onlookers scream.

Pretti was armed at the time of the encounter with a legally owned handgun, according to state and federal officials. Some analyses of bystander video appear to show a federal agent taking Prettis gun from his hip before the first shots were fired. The agents masks and the chaos of the altercation make it difficult to differentiate one from another.

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Those videos appear to contradict the claims by Bovino and other officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, that Pretti had come to attack agents.

The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted, Bovino said in a Jan. 25 news conference. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots.

In the initial aftermath, Stephen Miller, a top Trump aide and a leading force behind the immigration enforcement operations, called Pretti a would-be assassin. But Miller changed tack later in the week when he said in a statement that CBP officers may not have been following protocol related to confronting bystanders.

Additional video has surfaced showing Pretti in another altercation with federal agents 11 days before he was killed. The video shows Pretti yelling at the agents, who get in an SUV and start to drive away. Pretti then kicks out the taillight of the vehicle and the agents, who wore protective masks, jump out and tackle him to the ground.

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It is unclear if any of the same agents were involved in both incidents.

Lauren Bonds, executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, said that many local and state police departments are much more transparent than CBP when officers shoot people. More and more police departments are choosing to release bodycam footage or dashcam footage within a couple of days.

Gil Kerlikowske, a former CBP commissioner, told ProPublica that its difficult to draw conclusions from the chaos in bystander videos. Still, he said, the shooting might have been prevented. Prettis attempt to help the woman knocked to the ground could have been seen as interfering with federal law enforcement, he said. But the decision by the officers to immediately use pepper spray created a chaotic scene that likely contributed to Prettis death.

The other agent could have said dont interfere or stand back, Kerlikowske said. Rather than move immediately to pepper spray, you can arrest the person. Its part of a pattern, he said, of federal officers jumping straight to use of force in situations that could have been de-escalated but instead create danger for both agents and their targets.

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President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP

President Donald Trump is not ruling out endorsing one of the three Republicans who are running for the U.S. Senate in Texas.

While the president has so far refused to endorse U.S. Sen. John Cornyn or either of his primary opponents, Ken Paxton and Wesley Hunt, he said on Sunday that he may still pick someone by March 3.

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Im giving it very serious thought, Trump told reporters in Florida on Sunday. My problem is that Im friendly with all of them. So those are the hard ones.

Trump said he liked all three, but added, youll being seeing soon about an endorsement.

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His comments came hours after Taylor Rehmet, an Air Force veteran and Democrat, defeated Trump-endorsed Leigh Wambsganss in the special election for a Texas Senate seat that had been in Republican hands for decades. The result is a massive blow to Republicans ahead of this year's midterms, and it puts more attention on the Texas Senate race, where the national GOP is hoping to avoid a costly general election fight. Many national Republicans see Cornyn as the easier candidate to win in November.

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Cornyn, Hunt and Paxton have all pitched themselves to Republican primary opponents as candidates who are closely aligned with the president.

Trump said he knows whoever he endorses has a much better shot at victory.

They say whoever I endorse wins. Thats probably right, he said, though the endorsement didn't work out so well in Fort Worth on Saturday.

Cornyn has been in the Senate since 2002, but both public and internal polls have shown him in a real battle to win the GOP primary. Cornyn and his allies have spent more than $44 million in ads heading into the primary election, hoping to salvage his political career.

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No U.S. Senator in Texas has lost their reelection in a primary since 1970.

Cornyn said in an interview last month that he had talked to Trump about endorsing in the race again during a recent phone call, but that Trump wasn't ready to pick a candidate.

In a new ad Paxton released in mid-January, the Texas attorney general argues Cornyn hasnt been loyal enough to Trump and Republicans over his career.

Cornyn has betrayed his state, his principles, and his voters, and its time for his shameful career to come to an end, Paxton said.

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Some polling has also shown Hunt, the Houston congressman, to be competitive with both Paxton and Cornyn despite starting the race with far less name recognition. Hunt has said its time to move past the blood feud between Cornyn and Paxton and bring in a new voice in the U.S. Senate.

Absentee voting is already underway for the March 3 primaries and in-person early voting starts throughout Texas on Feb. 17.

From Houston to the Texas Capital to Washington, D.C., Jeremy Wallace covers politics. He's the host of the Texas Take podcast and author of the Texas Take Newsletter.
The Swedish company Nordic Pill has donated to Ukrainian military medics the Ringer Lactato Physan 500 ml medicine, which is used to replenish water and electrolyte losses in patients with low blood volume or low blood pressure, the press service of the Joint Forces Group (JFG) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.

"The Swedish company Nordic Pill has donated to Ukrainian military the Ringer Lactato Physan 500 ml medicine for parenteral use as a charitable donation. The total weight of the cargo was 8 tons 750 kg," the JFG said in a statement.

It is reported that the transfer and distribution of the cargo was carried out with the assistance of the Joint Forces Command Medical Center, which provides units in their area of responsibility.

The first batch has already been delivered to the Kharkiv Military Medical Clinical Center of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the 4th Separate Medical Battalion, the 2nd Separate Medical Battalion, the 1st Separate Medical Battalion and the 156th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree imposing sanctions against companies servicing the Russian tanker fleet and transporting sanctioned oil, as well as Kremlin propagandists and criminals involved in cyberattacks against Ukraine.

"We continue to synchronize sanctions with the European Union. I have signed a decree imposing sanctions against companies servicing the Russian tanker fleet and transporting sanctioned oil. There are also new sanctions against Kremlin propagandists and criminals involved in cyberattacks against Ukraine and our partners. We are countering all attempts by the Russian regime to destabilize the situation in Ukraine," Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel on Monday.

The president said that work is underway on the 20th EU sanctions package.

Ukraine expects it to be adopted at the end of February.

"We can already see that many of our proposals have been taken into account," the head of state stressed.

The corresponding decree No. 86/2026 was published on the presidential website.

According to the document, the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to synchronize sanctions with the European Union and apply restrictions against 10 individuals and six legal entities was put into effect.

"The sanctions were imposed against foreign citizens and citizens of Russia who are involved in the operation of the Russian tanker fleet, carrying out cyberattacks against Ukraine and member states of the European Union and NATO, circumventing sanctions and spreading pro-Russian propaganda," the presidential press service reported.

In particular, the sanctions were imposed against individuals who, through their companies, ensure the supply and export of Russian oil, propagandists associated with the Kremlin, and members of the terrorist group, which carried out cyberattacks on government organizations in Ukraine and other countries in order to obtain confidential information and destabilize the political situation.

"Sanctions have also been imposed against companies from Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam, which are part of the Russian tanker fleet. They own or operate tankers transporting Russian oil, including for export," the report said.

The Russian 142nd Separate Electronic Warfare Battalion, which is involved, in particular, in disrupting GPS signals in the Baltic countries, is also under sanctions.

In total, Ukraine has synchronized 15 sanctions packages with partners.
The crews of the Seaways Kenosha and La Pena pose for a photo on the Seaways Kenosha, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Feb. 1, 2026. The crew of the Seaways Kenosha rescued the crew of the La Pena after the La Pena caught fire and the crew was forced to abandon ship. (U.S. Coast Guard)



The U.S. Coast Guard led the rescue of 27 mariners on Sunday after their fishing vessel caught fire and sank near the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

No serious injuries were reported. A previously reported injury was later assessed as non-life-threatening, according to a service news release.

Rescue Coordination Center Alameda received an SOS Saturday afternoon from the fishing vessel La Pena via a satellite messaging device.

The crew reported they had no life jackets, food or water aboard the lifeboat. Their only means of communication was the satellite device.

With no Coast Guard assets nearby, watchstanders coordinated assistance through the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system. The motor vessel Seaways Kenosha responded offering to assist and arrived early Sunday, safely recovering all 27 survivors.

This outcome is a direct result of the vigilance and professionalism of our watchstanders, who coordinated with multiple partners and directed nearby vessels to the scene, said Capt. Patrick Dill, chief of incident management, Coast Guard Southwest District.

The AMVER system is a worldwide, voluntary ship reporting system sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard that assists in search and rescue by identifying participating ships in the vicinity of a distress.
Marine Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan testifies at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)



WASHINGTON  The Senate has confirmed Marine Lt. Gen. Francis Donovan as the next head of U.S. Southern Command, a role that oversees military activity in Central and South America and the Caribbean amid an increased U.S. presence in the region.

Donovan will receive a fourth star with the promotion and succeed Adm. Alvin Holsey, who abruptly announced his retirement in October after less than a year on the job. Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan Pettus has led Southern Command on an acting basis since December.

Donovans confirmation on Friday night came less than a month after American forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a surprise raid in the country. The U.S. military has carried out strikes on suspected drug boats in the region for months.

Holsey reportedly had concerns about the attacks, which the Trump administration has said are targeting people accused of narco-trafficking.

As SOUTHCOM commander, Donovan is expected to play a central role in decisions about the strikes, which have come under lawmaker scrutiny, as well as oversee the thousands of troops who remain stationed on land and at sea following the operation to remove Maduro.

He currently serves as vice commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. In 37 years of service, he has led Marine Corps, Navy, and joint and special operations forces in a range of missions, from combat to clandestine operations.

Donovan committed to being transparent with the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing last month and said he will provide candid and clear military advice to President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

In written responses to the committee, Donovan said SOUTHCOM has been chronically underfunded and under-resourced but that is clearly changing under the Trump administration. Its newly released National Defense Strategy prioritizes defense of the Western Hemisphere over military involvement elsewhere.
Retired Japanese barber Harumi Aketo shows off his scissors at his Tokyo home, Jan. 14, 2026. He recently retired after a more than 60-year career that included cutting hair at the U.S. Army's Akasaka Press Center. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)



AKASAKA PRESS CENTER, Tokyo  The old scissors remain straight and sharp in the hands of 84-year-old retired barber Harumi Aketo.

He cut hair for more than 60 years, including nearly two decades in a small, second-floor barbershop that was shuttered late last year at Stars and Stripes Pacific headquarters in central Tokyo.

Aketo became a hairdresser largely by chance, he said during a Jan. 14 interview at his apartment just a short walk from the press center, which is more commonly known as Hardy Barracks.

Denied admission to a technical high school in his hometown of Hachinohe in northeastern Japan, Aketo instead took an entrance exam for hairdressing school at age 16 and passed with ease. He still keeps the faded notice congratulating him.

After a year of study, he completed an internship and began working in 1958 at a salon in his hometown, where he stayed for five years. At that time, most Japanese customers  along with some American service members from nearby Misawa Air Base  preferred crew cuts, he recalled.

When a fellow graduate invited him to Tokyo, Aketo moved south. In 1968, he opened his own business, the Kato Barber Shop, in what was then Kasumi and is now known as Nishiazabu.

Styles changed over the decades. Longer hair and perms were popular in the 1970s, but Aketo said he most often cut hair short.

A lighted sign marked the entrance to Harumi Aketo's barber shop, which closed late last year on the second floor of the Akasaka Press Center in central Tokyo. (Stars and Stripes)



More than 20 years ago, someone connected to the U.S. military suggested Aketo work up to three days a week at the press center. He later began traveling to Yokohama North Dock, another U.S. Army facility in nearby Kanagawa prefecture, to cut hair.

His customers included U.S. service members, American civilians and Japanese base employees.

Cutting foreigners hair posed challenges, especially Black Americans hair, Aketo said.

Its curlier and thinner than Japanese peoples thick straight hair, he said.

Harumi Aketos barber chair stands empty after the shop closed late last year at the Akasaka Press Center, also known as Hardy Barracks, in central Tokyo. (Stars and Stripes)

A regular haircut cost less than $10 at Harumi Aketos recently-shuttered barbershop at the Akasaka Press Center, also known as Hardy Barracks, in central Tokyo. (Stars and Stripes)



His shop had no television, only a radio and newspapers spread on the floor to catch hair clippings. Many American customers wanted short hair  but not too short before a night out, Aketo said. He sometimes recognized them around town.

The barbershop closed as the press center saw an influx of personnel tied to U.S. Forces Japan, which opened an office in the building last year to work more closely with Japans Ministry of Defense nearby.

The barbershop will be converted into a health and human resources office for Japanese employees, U.S. Army Garrison Japan spokesman Rob Helton said by email Friday.

Aketo met his wife, Takeko, while working at the same hairdressing shop, and the couple still cut each others hair. Their apartment holds mementos from his career, including cutthroat razors, mirrors and a hammer used to straighten scissors.

Retired Japanese barber Harumi Aketo shows off the tools of his trade at his Tokyo home, Jan. 14, 2026. He recently retired after a more than 60-year career that included cutting hair at the U.S. Armys Akasaka Press Center. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)



If scissors are not perfectly aligned, they will not cut properly, Aketo said  a skill he worries younger barbers are losing.

The scissors are the most important thing, he said, holding up a sharpened pair. If the scissors cant cut, they will pull the hair and hurt.

Stars and Stripes reporter Hana Kusumoto contributed to this report.
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, right, visits the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's base in Yokosuka, Japan, Jan. 30, 2026. (South Korea Ministry of National Defense)



TOKYO  The defense ministers for Japan and South Korea, facing common challenges from North Korea, agreed last week to resume naval search-and-rescue exercises paused nine years ago as part of improving defense cooperation.

Shinjiro Koizumi and Ahn Gyu-back met Friday at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force base in Yokosuka city.

The two ministers agreed on the importance of steadily promoting Japan-[South Korea] defense cooperation and exchanges, said the joint statement posted Friday on the Japanese Ministry of Defense website.

Koizumi and Ahn agreed to resume a joint humanitarian search-and-rescue exercise that had been paused for almost a decade, the statement said.

The training took place 10 times between 1999 and 2017, then was paused following a series of incidents that strained relations between the two countries.

In 2018, for example, Japans Ministry of Defense said a South Korean navy destroyer pointed a fire-control radar at a Japanese patrol aircraft off the Noto Peninsula, a move the ministry described as extremely hazardous with potential, unintended consequences.

South Koreas Ministry of National Defense said the destroyer was on a search-and-rescue operation and accused the Japanese patrol aircraft of making a dangerous low-altitude overflight of its ship.

Koizumi and Ahn appeared to have set aside their countries differences in pursuit of mutual interests. Both Japan and South Korea are on the potential receiving end of North Korean missiles.

As part of their session Friday the two played ping-pong.

To steadily promote cooperation and exchanges between the defense authorities, Minister Ahn and I agreed to hold annual reciprocal visits and defense ministerial meetings, like todays ping- pong game, that will continue to rally, Koizumi told reporters following the meeting.

Ahn suggested Koizumi visit South Korea to continue the momentum of mutual exchange, according to a Friday text message from a Ministry of National Defense spokesman.

He said it was encouraging that difficulties were resolved through active communication and hoped that the two countries would become not only close in distance, but close in all manners, the message said.

The ministers agreed to further visits and annual defense ministerial meetings to strengthen communication, according to the joint statement. They also agreed to further interaction and personnel exchanges between their militaries.

The ministers also agreed to discuss cooperation in advanced science and technology fields, such as artificial intelligence, unmanned systems and space, from the perspective of developing a future-oriented and mutually beneficial defense cooperation relationship between Japan and South Korea, Koizumi told reporters.

They also agreed to cooperate to maintain peace and stability in the region amid an increasingly severe security environment and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to the statement.
OSCE role at current stage of war and after discussed by organization's leaders in Kyiv

Incumbent head of OSCE, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, together with the Organization's Secretary General, Feridun Sinirlioglu, held a meeting in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha.

Ignazio Cassis reported this on his account on the social network X.

Together with OSCE Secretary General Sinirlioglu, I met with Ukraines FM Anriy Sybiha in Kyiv. We discussed the situation on the ground and ongoing diplomatic efforts, as well as the role the OSCE can play in the current phase of the war and beyond, drawing on its experience and its function as an inclusive platform for dialogue, Cassis wrote.

Earlier that day, Cassis announced that he had arrived in Kyiv to reaffirm the OSCE's role as a platform for dialogue and the organization's readiness to support efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in accordance with international law and the Helsinki principles.

The meeting is taking place within the framework of Switzerland's OSCE Chairmanship in 2026. Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized the importance of the OSCE as a platform for dialogue in the context of a full-scale war unleashed by Russia.

Switzerland holds the OSCE Chairmanship in 2026.
A South Korean air force C-130H Hercules takes off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Dec. 8, 2024. (Taylor Slater/U.S. Air Force)



A South Korean military transport plane bound for Saudi Arabia made an emergency landing at a Japanese airport on Okinawa after the crew detected engine trouble, according to South Koreas air force.

The C-130H Hercules landed at Naha International Airport at 11:01 a.m. Friday after reduced output was detected from one of the aircrafts four turboprop engines, a South Korean air force spokesman said in a text message that day.

The aircraft departed Naha later that evening after repairs were completed, the spokesman said in a follow-up message Monday. He declined to provide further details.

The aircraft had departed Gimhae Airport in Busan, South Korea, early Friday en route to the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia, the spokesman said Friday.

Mechanics aboard the aircraft confirmed the cause of the malfunction and replaced faulty parts, allowing the plane to resume its flight, he said.

The C-130H had an issue with an engine on its left side, and it took off from Naha headed for the Philippines at 6:50 p.m. following the repairs, an Okinawa Defense Bureau spokesman said by phone Monday. The landing did not affect any commercial flights, he added.

Some South Korean and Japanese government officials must speak to the press on condition of anonymity.

South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back expressed appreciation to Japan for allowing the emergency landing, the Ministry of National Defense said in a separate message Friday.

The emergency landing followed other recent South Korean military aviation activity on Okinawa. On Wednesday, nine T-50B Golden Eagle trainer jets flown by the countrys aerobatic team, the Black Eagles, refueled at the Japan Air Self-Defense Forces Naha Air Base while en route to the same Saudi air show. It marked the first time the team received refueling support from the Japanese military.

South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, second from left, and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, far right, topur the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force base at Yokosuka on Jan. 30, 2026. (South Korea Ministry of National Defense)



The jets arrived with a South Korean C-130J Super Hercules and took part in a unit-to-unit exchange with a Kawasaki T-4 training jet from Japans aerobatic team, the Blue Impulse, according to an Air Self-Defense Force news release issued the next day.

In early November, Japan canceled a planned refueling stop by the Black Eagles at Naha, citing a lack of coordination between the defense authorities of Japan and South Korea, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters Nov. 4 in Tokyo.

That stop was scrapped after the jets flew near Takeshima  a group of disputed islets known in South Korea as Dokdo  about 150 miles east of the Korean Peninsula, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported. The islands are claimed by both countries.

The latest incident also follows a July episode in which a South Korean C-130 Hercules  en route to Andersen Air Force Base on Guam and low on fuel amid stormy weather  made an unapproved landing at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. Japan scrambled fighter jets to intercept the aircraft after its uncleared approach.

South Korean authorities disciplined 10 people over the incident.

Stars and Stripes reporter Keishi Koja contributed to this report.
A Boeing F-15K Slam Eagle departs St. Louis for delivery to South Korea on March 8, 2011. (Ron Bookout/Boeing)



The Defense Department approved a $2.8 billion, 11-year hybrid contract with Boeing to modify F-15K Slam Eagle fighters for the South Korean air force, the Pentagon announced Friday.

The contract calls for design and development of an integrated suite of aircraft systems as part of overall modernization of the Slam Eagles, the South Korean variant of the F-15 Eagle fourth-generation fighter.

The U.S. government, which acts as a go-between, paying the contractor and collecting from South Korea, advanced $540 million under the contract as part of the Foreign Military Sales program.

Boeing delivered the first of 40 Slam Eagles to Seoul in October 2005. It contracted for another 21 aircraft in April 2008, according to a company news release in April 2012.

Boeing, which merged with the F-15s original manufacturer, McDonnell Douglas, in 1997, did not compete for the sole source acquisition contract.

The hybrid contract announced Friday combines several contract types, according to information posted online by RMC Learning Solutions.

The cost-plus-fixed-fee agreement allows Boeing to bill for allowable costs like labor and materials while also collecting a negotiated fee as its profit.

A fixed-price incentive encourages Boeing to hold costs below a set cap by allowing the company to keep the resulting savings or pay for overruns from its profit.

Under an undefinitized contract, Boeing may start work immediately while final details are worked out. The contract deadline is Dec. 31, 2037.

Most of the work will be done at Boeings plant in St. Louis, where it is planning a 1.1-million-square foot expansion of its Defense, Space and Security unit, according to a June report on the ENR Midwest engineering news website.

The Slam Eagle derives from the U.S. Air Force F-15E and is designed as a long-range, multirole fighter capable of all-weather missions, according to Boeing.

The U.S. State Department signed off in November 2024 on a $6.2 billion package of Slam Eagle improvements, including high-speed mission system computers; Active Electronically Scanned Arrays, or AESA, radars; missile-warning systems and continued maintenance and software support, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which manages the Foreign Military Sales program.
U.S. Army soldiers stage their M1A2 Abrams tanks prior to conducting a live fire exercise, Jan. 28, 2026, on General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area, Pabrade, Lithuania. (Asher Atkinson/U.S. Army)



At first, they might not seem like much of a threat: weather balloons, filled with helium or hydrogen, carrying bundles of cigarettes from Belarus.

But as the number of these balloons crossing into NATO airspace has multiplied  including two major incursions this week into Lithuania and Poland that forced officials to shut down air traffic  officials and experts are concerned that it represents an escalation of a Russian hybrid warfare campaign against the alliance and the European Union.

On Tuesday night, Lithuanian authorities detected 42 balloon flights from neighboring Belarus, forcing the airport in the capital, Vilnius, to halt flight traffic multiple times. The next night, balloons from Belarus encroached on Polish airspace in the countrys east, the Polish military reported.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, speaking in Brussels on Thursday, accused Belarus of waging a hybrid war against our country. Sikorski said the episode highlighted the nature of the regime led by dictator Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk  combining foreign policy with illegal acts.

Poland and Lithuania have complained in recent months of a rising number of balloons from Belarus smuggling cigarettes, which are far cheaper in Belarus than in the European Union nations. But the threat goes beyond contraband, experts say, posing a test of NATOs defenses and resilience.

Who can guarantee that one day, instead of cigarettes, there is no bomb, explosive or anything else? said Laurynas Jonavicius, an adviser to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry and a lecturer at Vilnius University. So its really a security threat. It may be a criminal activity, but knowing the history of what the Belarusian regime does to Lithuania, its quite obvious that its also a test.

Lukashenko, the Belarusian leader, is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has allowed his country to be used by the Russian military and has often referred to Russia as a big brother. Jonavicius described Belarus and Russia as one state, de facto, on security and defense.

NATO said Friday that Secretary General Mark Rutte was in contact with Lithuanian leaders, adding that the alliance is monitoring the situation closely and stands in full solidarity with its ally.

Belarus is a cobelligerent in this war, said Christina Harward, a Russia expert at the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based nonprofit. They should not really be viewed as separate actors at this point.

Hybrid war is an ill-defined term, and Harward said she prefers to describe the balloon flights and other Russian-linked incursions as phase zero of a conflict with NATO, setting the stage for a potential direct engagement. The goal, she said, is to sow confusion and discord within the alliance.

The NATO states are having to sit down and figure out: Was this an attack? she said. Was it Russia? Was it truly cigarettes from smugglers?

Russia has increasingly tested NATO with incursions, most strikingly in September, when about 20 Russian drones flew into Poland, leading NATO to scramble jets and shoot down several of them. European officials accused Russia of an intentional act to see how NATO would respond.

This was a deliberate and coordinated strike constituting an unprecedented provocation and escalation of tension, the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine said in a joint statement following the drone incident.

The Polish armed forces operational command reported Thursday that balloon-like objects had entered Polish airspace Wednesday night, prompting the closure of some airspace to civilian flights. No threat to the security of the airspace of the Republic of Poland was identified, the operational command wrote on X, but it described the incident as part of the catalogue of hybrid activities Poland is experiencing along its eastern border.

The situation is being monitored on an ongoing basis, and the forces and resources of the Polish Armed Forces remain ready to carry out tasks related to the protection of Polish airspace, the operational command wrote.

In October, in response to a flurry of balloons, Lithuania temporarily closed its border with Belarus. Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said the country was sending a signal to Belarus that we will not tolerate any hybrid attacks and will take the most stringent measures to stop them. Lithuania frequently has had to halt flight activity in response to these balloons and the risk of a collision.

The situation at the border with Belarus is worsening, with the growing incursions of smuggling balloons into Lithuanias airspace, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote in December on X. Such hybrid attack by the Lukashenka regime is completely unacceptable. She said the E.U. was preparing additional sanctions against Belarus.

Europe is scrambling to build up its defense capabilities in the face of Russian aggression and a growing U.S. insistence that the continent defend itself.

Poland has taken the lead, assembling the E.U.s largest land army, but its unclear that the increased spending and personnel are equipped to handle new forms of warfare, including drone attacks and the kind of sabotage that occurred on a Polish rail line in November.

The Belarusian tobacco industry is known to be controlled by people in Lukashenkos inner circle, said Vytis Jurkonis, a political scientist who leads the Vilnius office of the nonprofit Freedom House. The Lukashenko regime could stop the smuggling if it wanted to, he said.

They can pretend that its some non-state actors, but they are able to control it, Jurkonis said. They choose not to. Throughout his rule since 1994, Lukashenko has oscillated between periods of rapprochement with Western capitals and deep political and economic integration with Moscow, depending on what has best served his political needs.

Russia tightened its embrace in 2020, when Lukashenko faced the gravest challenge to his quarter-century rule after mass protests erupted over his claimed victory in a presidential election widely viewed as fraudulent.

Moscow stepped in with loans, cheap energy and security guarantees to shore up his position. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Lukashenko returned the favor.

Belarus became a staging ground and logistical hub for Russian forces, which launched assaults on northern Ukraine from Belarusian territory. Since the invasion, Minsk and Moscow have signed a sweeping security pact. More recently, Lukashenko has sought to curry favor with the Trump administration by releasing several high-profile political prisoners in exchange for partial sanctions relief. Trump officials described the effort to unfreeze relations with Minsk as tied in part to Lukashenko having Putins ear, a potential asset as Trump seeks to negotiate a deal to halt the war in Ukraine.

Belarus has engaged in various hybrid operations against E.U. member states, particularly Poland and Lithuania, which have given refuge to tens of thousands of Belarusians who fled following the brutal crackdown on dissent after the 2020 protests.

In 2021, Lukashenko weaponized migration flows in what the E.U. and the U.S. State Department described as a deliberate attempt to pressure neighboring states, directing thousands of migrants from Iraq, Syria and Yemen to the Belarusian-Polish border, where they sought to enter the E.U. without legal authorization. Thousands ended up stranded in forests in freezing conditions, trapped between Polish and Belarusian security forces.

European leaders condemned Lukashenko for launching a hybrid attack that exploited vulnerable people and their aspirations to reach Europe, accusations he denied.

Belarus has also been linked to cyber-activities aimed at influencing politics and gathering information in E.U. and NATO countries. Western governments and security researchers have tied Belarusian-linked groups to hacks of media outlets, government bodies and public figures, which were then used to plant manipulated or fake content to stir division.
U.S. Naval Hospital Naples is one of only two military medical facilities in Europe recognized by an American watchdog group for quality care. Leapfrog awarded it a top hospital designation for 2025. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)



NAPLES, Italy  Two Navy hospitals in Italy are the only American military medical facilities in Europe recently named top hospitals for quality care and safety as part of an American watchdog groups annual accolades.

U.S. Naval Hospital Naples and U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella in Sicily were among 11 American military medical facilities worldwide that earned the top hospital designation from the Leapfrog Group for 2025, according to the nonprofits website.

The recognition reflects the professionalism, dedication and teamwork of the Naval Support Activity Naples hospital staff, Capt. Raynese Roberts, the hospitals commanding officer, said in a statement last month.

Achieving this level of excellence requires constant focus on patient safety, clinical quality, and continuous improvement across every department, Roberts said.

U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella was among 11 American military medical facilities worldwide that earned the Leapfrog Group's top hospital designation for 2025. (U.S. Navy)



The award recognizes teaching, general and childrens hospitals across the U.S. with better systems in place to prevent medication errors, among other important attributes.

For example, those medical facilities also have higher quality maternity care, lower infection rates and better informed consent practices, the group said.

Other military hospitals earning the nod include the 51st Medical Group at Osan Air Base in South Korea, Bassett Army Community Hospital in Alaska and Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms in California, according to Leapfrog.

For 2025, 156 U.S. hospitals received the top hospital designation, a 16% increase over the previous year, Leapfrog said in a Dec. 15 statement.

Leapfrog works to improve safety, quality and affordability of health care in the U.S. through transparency, according to its website.

The top hospital award capped a series of important accreditations received by Naval Hospital Naples in recent months.

The facility also recently successfully completed accreditation by the Joint Commission under the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals as well as accreditation of its behavioral health program, among other achievements and certifications, the hospital said.
An American F-16 Fighting Falcon flies over England on April 15, 2025. The Defense Department awarded a $235 million multiyear contract to a Belgian company for maintenance on Ukraines fleet of the U.S.-made fighter jet. (Zachary Jakel/U.S. Air Force)



The Pentagon has given its blessing to an engine and depot-level maintenance contract covering the Ukrainian F-16 fleet for the next three years.

The U.S. commitment to help Ukraine keep dozens of its Western combat jets in the air comes ahead of a new round of peace negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, which is on the verge of heading into its fourth year.

Belgiums Sabena Aerospace Engineering was awarded the more than $235 million contract for work to be performed at the companys facility near Brussels, the Defense Department said in a statement Thursday.

The contract approved by the Pentagon also covers labor and materials. The work is expected to be completed by Jan. 28, 2029, the Pentagon said.

A recent report from the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis called the F-16s Ukraines best battlefield interdiction assets.

But the aircraft have mainly been used to shoot down Russian cruise missiles because of Ukraines lack of precision bombs, the report said.

Ukraine received its first batch of U.S.-made F-16s in August of 2024 from European allies.

The latest U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine are expected to take place in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday and Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
Ambulances line up to enter the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing on the way to the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (Mohammed Arafat/AP)



CAIRO  Palestinians in Gaza watched with hope and impatience Sunday as workers laid the groundwork to reopen the territorys Rafah border crossing with Egypt, its lifeline to the world. Israel says the crossing is scheduled to resume Monday as its ceasefire with Hamas moves ahead.

Opening the crossing is a good step, but they set a limit on the number of people allowed to cross, and this is a problem, said Ghalia Abu Mustafa, a woman from Khan Younis.

Israel said the crossing had opened in a test, and the Israeli military agency that controls aid to Gaza said residents could begin crossing Monday. But only a small number of people can cross at first.

We want a large number of people to leave, for it to be open so that sick people can go and return, said Suhaila Al-Astal, a woman displaced from the city of Rafah who said her sick daughter needed help abroad. We want the crossing to be open permanently.

Israels announcement came a day after Israeli strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians including several children, according to hospital officials  one of the highest death tolls since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10. Israel had accused Hamas of new truce violations.

Nicolay Mladenov, director-general of U.S. President Donald Trumps new board of peace in Gaza, urged the parties to exercise restraint and said his office was working with the new Palestinian committee chosen to oversee Gaza to find ways that prevent future incidents.

Dozens will enter and leave Gaza daily at first

The Rafah crossing has been largely shut since Israel seized it in May 2024. About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care are hoping to leave war-devastated Gaza via the crossing, and thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to return home.

Few people, and no cargo, will be allowed to cross at first. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will allow 50 patients needing medical evacuation to leave daily. An official involved in the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic talks, said each patient can travel with two relatives, while 50 people who left Gaza during the war can return each day.

Zaher al-Wahidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministrys documentation department, told The Associated Press the ministry hadnt been notified about the start of medical evacuations.

Israel has said it and Egypt will vet people for exit and entry through the crossing, which will be supervised by European Union border patrol agents. The number of travelers is expected to increase over time if the system is successful.

Israel will stop Doctors Without Borders work in Gaza

Also Sunday, Israels Diaspora Ministry said it was moving to terminate the operations of Doctors Without Borders in Gaza by Feb. 28.

Israel in December suspended the groups operations there because it refused to comply with new registration requirements for organizations to submit lists of local employees. The medical charity said the regulations could endanger Palestinian staff.

Doctors Without Borders had no immediate comment. It has said Israels decision will have a catastrophic impact on its work in Gaza, where it provides funding and international staff for six hospitals and runs two field hospitals and eight primary health centers, clinics and medical points. It also runs two of Gazas five stabilization centers helping children with severe malnutrition.

Israel has suspended over two dozen humanitarian organizations from operating in Gaza because of failure or refusal to comply with the new requirements.

The Diaspora Ministry, which proposed them, says they are aimed at preventing Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating aid groups. The organizations call the rules arbitrary and warn that the bans harm a civilian population desperately in need of aid.

Gazas health sector has been devastated by two years of Israeli bombardment and restrictions on supplies.

Rafah has been Gazas main crossing

Palestinian security officers on Sunday passed through the Rafah crossings Egyptian gate and headed toward the Palestinian gate to join an EU mission that will supervise exit and entry, said an Egyptian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to speak to the media. Ambulances also crossed through the Egyptian gate, the official said.

Before the war, Rafah was the main crossing for people moving in and out of Gaza. The territory has four other border crossings with Israel.

Israel called its 2024 seizure of the Rafah crossing part of efforts to combat Hamas arms smuggling. The crossing briefly opened for the evacuation of medical patients during a ceasefire in early 2025. Israel had resisted reopening the Rafah crossing again, but the recovery of the remains of the last hostage in Gaza last week cleared the way to move forward.

Under the ceasefire terms, Israels military controls the area between the Rafah crossing and the zone where most Palestinians live.

Fearing that Israel could use the crossing to push Palestinians out of the enclave, Egypt has repeatedly said it must be open for crossing in both directions. Historically, Israel and Egypt have vetted Palestinians applying to cross.

The ceasefire halted more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas that began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages.

Israels retaliatory offensive has killed 71,795 Palestinians, including 523 since this ceasefire started, according to Gazas Health Ministry. The ministry doesnt distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. It maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.

The ceasefires first phase called for the exchange of all hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel, a surge in humanitarian aid and a partial pullback of Israeli troops.

The second phase is more complicated. It calls for installing a new Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, and taking steps to begin rebuilding.
Irans President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a speech during the annual military parade marking the anniversary of the outbreak of the 1980-1988 war with Saddam Husseins Iraq, in Tehran on Sept. 21, 2024. (Atta Kenare, AFP, Getty Images via TNS)



(Tribune News Service)  Iran said talks with the U.S. over a new nuclear deal could get underway in coming days, building on a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at averting war between the two sides.

President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the start of negotiations with Washington within the framework of the nuclear issue, Irans semi-official Fars news service reported Monday, citing a government source. Talks could include senior officials from both countries such as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the Tasnim news service said, citing a source it didnt identify.

Were ready for diplomacy, but they must understand that diplomacy is not compatible with threats, intimidation or pressure, Araghchi said on state TV. We will remain steadfast on this path and hope to see its results soon.

Multiple countries in the Middle East have been acting as intermediaries between Tehran and Washington, said Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for the Islamic Republics foreign ministry.

The developments underline the international effort to ease Middle East tensions as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens the Islamic Republic with military action if it doesnt reach an agreement to curb its nuclear program. American naval assets have been dispatched toward Iran and Trump said Sunday they were a couple of days away, even while unspecified Gulf allies negotiate to make a deal.

Oil prices fell sharply in early trading on Monday, partly because of the heightened diplomatic maneuvers, with Brent dropping around 5% to below $66 a barrel. Prices are still up roughly 8.5% this year because of the still-high chances of a conflict in the oil-rich region.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned Sunday of a regional war if his country is attacked. Tehran has previously threatened to retaliate with strikes on Israel and U.S. bases in the region, as it has in response to previous assaults.

Diplomatic push

Trump last month threatened to strike Iran over the authorities deadly crackdown on protests against poor living standards, which later spread into an uprising against Khameneis regime. More than 6,800 people were killed in the unrest, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported, with many thousands more cases under review.

Trump eventually backed down, before pivoting to the lack of a nuclear deal as a reason to attack. Washington and Tehran held several rounds of talks on an agreement to curb Irans atomic activities last year, before Israel  later joined by the U.S.  began airstrikes in June.

Trump has said repeatedly that Irans nuclear program was obliterated as a result of those attacks. However, Tehran stopped allowing international inspectors access to some sites after the conflict ended, clouding knowledge of the countrys nuclear program and its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium.

Baghaei, the Iran foreign ministry spokesman, said Irans priority in new talks was sanctions relief and that it is realistic in its approach.

Araghchi has held talks with counterparts in Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates since Friday. Structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing, Irans security chief Ali Larijani said Saturday.

UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed canceled a state visit to Japan that was planned for later this week due to the Iran tensions, Japans public broadcaster NHK reported, citing unidentified state officials.

The UAE government didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg.

Some of Japans biggest buyers of liquefied natural gas also said they will skip a key conference in Qatar this week because of security concerns.

With assistance from Dana Khraiche and Eltaf Najafizada.

2026 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Syrian security forces gather before entering the town of al-Hassakeh to implement an agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to stabilize a ceasefire, in Wadi al-Raml, al-Hassakeh province, eastern Syria, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Ghaith Alsayed/AP)



AL-HASSAKEH, Syria  A small contingent of security forces with Syrias interior ministry entered the city of al-Hassakeh on Monday as part of a deal between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, which control the city.

The SDF announced the new agreement with the central government on Friday, aiming to stabilize a ceasefire in the country that ended weeks of fighting, in which the Kurdish-led force lost most of the territory it previously held in northeastern Syria. It lays out steps toward integrating the force into the army and police forces, and integrating civilian institutions in SDF-controlled areas into the central government.

Under the deal, government military forces wont enter Kurdish-majority areas, but small contingents of security forces reporting to the interior ministry will enter the cities of al-Hassakeh and Qamishli to secure state-affiliated institutions such as the civil registry, passport offices and the airport, and to restart work at those institutions.

Local Kurdish police forces will continue to patrol both cities and will eventually be integrated into the interior ministry as well.

The entry of government forces into al-Hassakeh went forward as planned without any outbreaks of violence.

Later Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the SDF against any attempts to sabotage the agreement reached with the Syrian government

With the latest agreements, a new page has now been opened before the Syrian people, Erdogan said in a televised address. Whoever attempts to sabotage this, I say clearly and openly, will be crushed under it.

Turkey is a strong ally of the government in Damascus and regards the SDF as an extension of a Kurdish militant group that has led a decades-long insurgency in Turkey.

Also Monday, a court in Iraq announced that it has begun investigative procedures with 1,387 accused members of the Islamic State group who were recently transferred by the U.S. military from prisons in Syria to Iraq.

The First Investigative Court in the Karkh district of Baghdad said in a statement that the investigations are being carried out by specialized judges in counterterrorism under the direct supervision of the president of the Supreme Judicial Council.

Altogether, around 7,000 accused IS militants are set to be transferred from Syria to Iraq for trial. Amid the fighting between the SDF and government forces last month, some suspected IS members escaped from one prison, although the government said most were later captured.

Abdul-Zahra reported from Baghdad. Suzan Fraser contributed to this report from Ankara, Turkey.
Google breached its own policies that barred use of artificial intelligence for weapons or surveillance in 2024 by helping an Israeli military contractor analyze drone video footage, a former Google employee alleged. (Pexels)

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SAN FRANCISCO  Google breached its own policies that barred use of artificial intelligence for weapons or surveillance in 2024 by helping an Israeli military contractor analyze drone video footage, a former Google employee alleged in a confidential federal whistleblower complaint reviewed by The Washington Post.

Googles Gemini AI technology was being used by Israels defense apparatus at a time the company was publicly distancing itself from the countrys military after employee protests over a contract with Israels government, according to internal documents included in the complaint.

In July 2024, Googles cloud-computing division received a customer support request from a person using an Israel Defense Forces email address, according to the documents included in the complaint, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in August. The name on the customer support request matches a publicly listed employee of Israeli tech firm CloudEx, which the complaint to the SEC alleges is an IDF contractor.

The request from the IDF email address asked for help making Googles Gemini more reliable at identifying objects such as drones, armored vehicles and soldiers in aerial video footage, according to the internal documents included with the complaint. Staff in Googles cloud unit responded by making suggestions and doing internal tests, the documents said.

At the time, Googles public AI principles stated the company would not deploy AI technology in relation to weapons, or to surveillance violating internationally accepted norms. The whistleblower complaint alleges that the IDF contractors use contradicted both policies.

The complaint to the SEC alleges that Google broke securities laws because by contradicting its own publicly stated policies, which had also been included in federal filings, the company misled investors and regulators.

Many of my projects at Google have gone through their internal AI ethics review process, the former employee who filed the complaint said in a statement to The Post, provided on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation from the company. That process is robust and as employees we are regularly reminded of how important the companys AI Principles are. But when it came to Israel and Gaza, the opposite was true.  I filed with the SEC because I felt the company needed to be held accountable for this double standard.

A Google spokesperson contested the whistleblowers allegations and said the company did not violate its AI principles because the accounts usage of its AI services was too small to be meaningful.

We answered a general use question, as we would for any customer, with standard, help desk information, and did not provide any further technical assistance, a statement provided by the spokesperson said. The ticket originated from an account with less than a couple hundred dollars of monthly spend on AI products, which makes any meaningful usage of AI impossible.

Google documentation for its cloud video intelligence service says that tracking objects in video is free for the first 1,000 minutes and then costs 15 cents per minute.

A spokesperson for the SEC declined to comment. Anyone can file a complaint with the agency, which does not make them public. Complaints do not automatically lead to an investigation.

Representatives for the IDF and CloudEx did not respond to requests for comment.

In 2024, CloudEx was among the sponsors of a tech conference held south of Tel Aviv called IT for IDF, which featured Israeli military officials praising the importance of cloud computing to its operations in Gaza, according to the event website.

The complaint to the SEC claims that the use of Gemini described in the internal Google documents was related to Israels operations in Gaza without citing specific evidence. Google previously said its work for the Israeli government was not directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services.

Google, which used the motto Dont be evil when it went public in 2004, has since its founding focused on serving consumers and businesses. More recently, company leaders have also sought defense contracts, triggering protests from some employees.

The company introduced its AI policies that barred uses related to weapons or surveillance in 2018, after employee pushback led the company to decline to renew a Pentagon contract that involved analyzing drone footage.

In 2021, Google and Amazon won a $1.2 billion cloud deal with Israels government known as Project Nimbus. Microsoft also provides cloud computing to the Israeli government. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Post.

Some Google, Amazon and Microsoft employees have protested the companies work with Israel. Google fired more than 50 workers in April 2024, according to a group representing the workers, after some of them staged sit-ins at company offices and demanded it cease working with the Israeli government. Microsoft has also fired workers, after protests at its campus near Seattle.

Google in February last year updated its AI policies to remove its pledges not to apply the technology to weapons or surveillance, saying it needed to evolve to help democratically elected governments keep up in the global battle for AI dominance.

When the CloudEx employee filed the support request to Google in 2024, they described a bug that led to the Gemini AI software failing to properly analyze aerial footage some of the time. A Google staffer was copied in on the initial request, according to the documents included in the complaint to the SEC. The complaint alleges that staffer works on IDFs Google Cloud account.

After exchanging several messages with a Google support worker, the CloudEx employee said the issue resolved itself, according to the documents.

In December, the Pentagon announced that Googles Gemini was the first AI offering to be provided to Defense Department employees on its new GenAI.mil platform, under a new drive to increase military use of the technology.

The whistleblower report adds to claims that major American tech companies have been drawn into assisting Israel in its war in Gaza, even as public opposition to the war in the United States grows.

Israel has said that about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, died in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas that triggered the war. The Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, says that more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war.

Reporting from The Post and other news organizations has shown that Google and other U.S. tech giants have worked on military-related projects for Israel.

In January 2025, The Post reported that Google employees rushed to provide the Israeli military with greater access to AI tools in the weeks after the Oct. 7 attack. An internal document showed that one Google worker had warned colleagues that if requests from Israels Defense Ministry for more AI capacity were not approved, the country might turn to Amazon instead.

In August, Microsoft, which also has contracts with the Israeli government, said it had opened an internal inquiry after the Guardian newspaper reported that the companys cloud services were being used to store phone-call data obtained through large-scale surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.

In September, Microsoft said the investigation led it to shut off a unit inside Israels Ministry of Defense from accessing some cloud services, in line with its terms of service barring mass surveillance of civilians.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers remove sediment from an inlet with a shallow-draft vessel in Ocean City, Md., Nov. 23, 2025. (Jeremy Todd/U.S. Army)



(Tribune News Service)  A Maryland county is seeking federal assistance to address unexploded military ordnance washing ashore on local beaches  a recurring problem officials say is growing more complex, costly and dangerous.

Worcester County leaders say the devices pose risks to public safety, marine life and beachgoers, and routinely require highly trained bomb technicians and, at times, the temporary evacuation of popular shoreline areas.

In a memo to the Worcester County Commissioners last month, County Chief Administrative Officer Weston Young said the discoveries place a significant burden and staff-time on the county and Ocean City fire marshal offices.

An ongoing problem

Two World War II-era devices resurfaced in December  one on Assateague Island and another miles away in Ocean Pines. Bomb squad units from the Ocean City Fire Marshal Office responded and coordinated with the U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Both items were identified as M29A1 practice rockets, or a variation of the same  a World War II-era training weapon commonly known as the super bazooka. Officials said both were traced to the same source location.

The Ocean City Fire Department said the device found in Ocean Pines had been taken from Assateague National Seashore by a member of the public.

Worcester County Fire Marshal Matt Owens told commissioners in their meeting last month that unexploded ordnance is frequently found along the North Beach at Assateague Island  a serious concern during the busy summer season because thats where all the people are at.

When that happens, Owens said bomb squad and other responders must part the seas by moving people at least 300 feet away in all directions.

The Ocean City Bomb Squad typically X-rays the device and sends the scans to Dover Air Force Base for analysis. If it is determined to be inactive, local officials can safely dispose of it.

I got an estimate from Ocean City. For their guys that come out  they send two bomb techs, we send two fire marshals  its about $450 for Ocean City. Its about the same for us, and thats not counting maintenance of equipment, he said.

Asking for some help

Owens said the county is seeking federal help for future remediation and cleanup efforts. County commissioners unanimously approved sending a letter to federal officials requesting assistance. Ryan Whittington, a member of the Ocean City Bomb Squad, said weather plays a major role in how often ordnance surfaces.

How often this happens is a question that we get quite a bit, and really it depends on whats happening off the coast, Whittington said. If we have a hurricane that comes through or a noreaster, we can see that the current and the undertow, and all those things bring up a lot of things from the ocean.

Whittington said a few summers ago, bomb squad calls were frequent.

It was daily, to the point that we were always on call and ready to go to Assateague because there were so many of these devices washing up, he said.

Whittington said bomb squad technicians are certified by the FBI and trained at a facility in Huntsville, Alabama. One challenge, he said, is that items pulled from the ocean are often difficult to identify.

When theyre in the saltwater  theyre going to look like a hunk of metal, he said. And so the only way for us to really determine what the device is, is through our technology.

2026 Baltimore Sun.

Visit baltimoresun.com.

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Photo: https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua

On the night of February 2, units of the Defense Forces carried out a series of effective strikes against enemy targets in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) of Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine.

"Two enemy command posts, one at regimental and one at divisional level, were hit near Kurakhivka (a military post in Donetsk region). A hit was also recorded on an ammunition depot that supplied the invaders' units in the same area," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on its Telegram channel on Monday.

Additionally, enemy UAV control centers were hit in Uspenivka and Huliaipole areas of Zaporizhia region. The occupiers' losses are being determined.
Capt. Hannah Snider, a clinical nurse for the 374th Medical Group, picks up a prescription bottle at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Feb. 27, 2025. (David S. Calcote/U.S. Air Force)



Prescription copayments paid by some military families living far from military health facilities will soon be waived under a change to the Tricare insurance program.

Starting Feb. 28, active-duty family members enrolled in Tricare Prime Remote in the United States will no longer pay copayments for covered prescription medications filled at retail pharmacies, according to a Jan. 27 Tricare news release.

Roughly 58,000 Tricare Prime Remote dependents are expected to benefit from the change, saving military families an estimated $5 million annually in eliminated pharmacy copayments, Defense Health Agency spokesman Peter Graves told Stars and Stripes via email Friday.

The waiver applies to dependents who live more than 50 miles or a one-hour drive from a military treatment facility pharmacy, where prescriptions are typically provided at no cost.

The policy change  part of the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act  addresses longstanding concerns raised by military families and service advocates about the inequity of requiring remote duty families to pay for prescriptions while families near installations receive them free, Graves said.

Before the change, families enrolled in Tricare Prime Remote were required to pay copayments for prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies or through home delivery.

The waiver is funded within DHAs existing pharmacy operations budget, Graves said. DHA is absorbing this cost to eliminate the financial disparity for families at remote duty locations.

On average, beneficiaries are expected to save about $85 per year, though actual savings will vary depending on prescription needs, Graves said. Families managing chronic conditions that require multiple medications could see savings of several hundred dollars annually.

This change will help military families without access to military pharmacies keep their pharmacy costs down, U.S. Public Health Service Cmdr. Teisha Robertson, chief of DHAs Pharmacy Integration Branch, said in the Tricare release.

The waiver does not apply to those enrolled in Tricare Prime Remote Overseas, according to the release.

Eligible families do not need to take any action to receive the benefit. The copayment waiver will be applied automatically at the pharmacy counter beginning on the effective date, Tricare said.
MJ Arrebola Granada Monday, 2 February 2026, 15:53 | Updated 15:59h. Share

The long-awaited Parque Azul de Vida Submarina, a project that will combine tourism, culture and the environment in Almunecar on Granada's Costa Tropical, is getting closer to becoming a reality.

According to Francisco Rodriguez, the councillor responsible for the area, the first figures have already begun to be manufactured and will soon be installed at the bottom of the sea.

"Very soon we will begin to see part of these structures; they are figures that reproduce emblematic elements of our town, such as arches, mosaics and historical remains, but in an underwater environment," he explained.

With a budget of nearly 900,000 euros, the Parque Azul de Vida Submarina will not only serve an environmental function, but will also be a reminder of the town's 3,000 years of cultural heritage.

The project is part of the Green Transition and Sustainability Axis of the Almunecar-La Herradura PSTD, financed with Next Generation EU funds. It forms part of Spain's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR). Baschi Innovation 2021, S.L. will design structures inspired by the Phoenician, Roman and Islamic civilisations that have left their mark on Almunecar.

The town hall has said that all of the 140 submerged structures will be completed by spring of this year. Tourism councillor Beatriz Gonzalez Orce, said: "Our objective is to complete it before the second quarter of 2026". and will be placed at depths of between 15 and 25 metres, according to the town hall.
Photo of the locks of tourist flats in a building in Malaga.

Pilar Martinez Malaga Monday, 2 February 2026, 17:31 Share

The European Technical Regulation Information System (Tris) has warned that Spain is breaching internal market regulations by maintaining duplicate registers.

This has sparked a legal battle between the central government and the regional administration.

The warning concerns the government's Registro Unico de Viviendas (single housing registry) and the Andalusian regional government's Registro de Turismo.

The registration of a property in both creates a duplication, which is not allowed by the European Commission.

Tris has ordered that the central and the regional governments find a solution. In response, Regional Minister of Tourism Arturo Bernal said that they have already included this irregularity in the file opposing the central government's single registry before the Supreme Court.

If the regional government (Junta) and the central government do not reach an agreement before the deadline, Tris will have to intervene.

"We are absolutely certain that our law will not be annulled because it came before the central government's and because we have the authority over our tourism. It is clear to us that it is the state that has to remove the law of the single registry," Bernal stated.

According to Bernal, Tris will rule in favour of the Andalusian registry, as it applies "the principles of EU law". The regional minister says that Tris obliges member states to notify Brussels of draft laws that may affect the internal market or the free provision of services, such as digital platforms. Its purpose is to prevent laws that are incompatible with European law from being adopted.

"When the Commission issues a Tris decision, it is not a political recommendation, but a legal pronouncement that must be taken into account by the member state.

"In this case, the Commission states that the European regulation on short-term rentals expressly states that an accommodation unit may not be subject to more than one registration procedure," Bernal said.

President of Spanish tourist accommodation associations Fevitur and Artur CV Silvia Blasco Benito has also supported the pronouncement. According to Blasco, "this ruling clearly dismantles the Spanish control model based on redundant registers, windows and obligations that do not provide real efficiency". Blasco said that "the ruling is general and affects the whole of the Spanish regulatory system".

Fevitur also opposes the central government's decision to establish "a duplicate state register" that is forcing "fully legal operators, both private owners and management companies", to leave the market.

Fevitur has warned that the Spanish government exposes itself to claims for financial liability and to European sanction proceedings, which is why it must take action before 20 May 2026. "Legal uncertainty is not a public policy tool. If Europe demands interoperability, Spain cannot respond with duplicity," Blasco stated.
Susan Sarandon: Winner of Spain's International Goya Award 2026 in Barcelona The Oscar-winning activist and 'Thelma & Louise' star will be honoured at the 40th anniversary of Spain's film awards for her 'extraordinary' career and social commitment

Oskar Belategui Bilbao Monday, 2 February 2026, 14:22 Share

Her speech against Trump promises to be memorable. Susan Sarandon (New York, 79 years old) will collect the International Goya in Barcelona on 28 February.

This will be only the fifth awarded by the Film Academy, after Cate Blanchett, Juliette Binoche, Sigourney Weaver and Richard Gere, in the 40 years it has been held.

The top Hollywood actress has always been characterised by her indomitable and combative nature. For many years, Sarandon was the only actress you could ask for an autograph at a demonstration.

She, her ex-husband and father of two of her three children, Tim Robbins, and Sean Penn constituted the official trilogy of 'reds' in an industry that Sarandon - birth name Susan Abigail Tomalin - has never shied away from criticising.

The Academy notes "an extraordinary filmography, with unforgettable performances in masterpieces and also in films that are part of popular culture", as well as "her courageous political and social commitment".

The daughter of a television executive and an Italian mother, it is hard to imagine her as a cheerleader at the Catholic University of America in Washington, where she studied drama.

She worked as a model for the Ford agency but was too voluptuous for the catwalk. She made her debut with Billy Wilder in 'Front Page', demonstrated her comic flair in the cult musical 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' and earned the first of her five Oscar nominations in 1980 with Louis Malle's wonderful 'Atlantic City'.

Popularity and an aura of rebelliousness would come with 'Thelma and Louise' in 1991. The film that revitalised Ridley Scott's career and launched Geena Davis to stardom was a few decades ahead of feminist demands and the #MeToo movement.

Before Thelma and Louise set off on their journey into the abyss of the Colorado Canyon, a 1966 Ford Thunderbird was only driven by men in the movies. "I went to the Grand Canyon with one of my sons without realising it was the anniversary of the film. Can you imagine what it was like for them to see me?" she told EL CORREO at the BCN Film Fest in 2023.

"It's fantastic that people have found meaning in something that you didn't know was going to have meaning when you made it. When we made it, we weren't thinking of making the 'big feminist film'. Not at all. It was fun to drive and get dirty, to work with Ridley and Geena in some fantastic locations.

"That's why you have to be careful what you do, because you can end up doing something homophobic or justifying violence, you reinforce stereotypes. There are a lot of films where women are raped and they seem to like it. They are saying no but deep down they are saying yes. The story is always told from the point of view of the conquerors," the actress said.

Sarandon has shared the screen with Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Jack Lemmon, Richard Gere, Burt Lancaster, Kevin Costner, Ed Harris, Tommy Lee Jones, Tim Robbins, David Bowie, Sean Penn, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Julia Roberts, among others.

She has received nine Golden Globe nominations and five Oscar nominations - for 'Atlantic City', 'Thelma and Louise', 'The Oil of Life' and 'The Client' - finally winning for 'Death Penalty', where she plays a nun who confesses to a condemned man in a plea against capital punishment in the United States directed by her friend Sean Penn.

The 1995 Donostia Award winner was arrested in 2018 for protesting against then-President Donald Trump's immigration policy, and in 1993 she took advantage of her Oscar award to denounce the situation at Guantanamo Bay.

Her voice against the invasion of Iraq and in favour of the return of the troops brought her death threats and a studio veto. As a UN Ambassador for Food and Agriculture, she was active in the Occupy Wall Street movement and advocated suspending relations with Israel alongside the likes of Viggo Mortensen, Peter Gabriel, Marianne Faithful and Angela Davis.

Nor did her political commitment prevent her from making a splash by declaring her bisexuality on Jimmy Fallon's show. The actress took her surname from actor Chris Sarandon, the only man she has ever been married to, and broke up with Tim Robbins in 2009 after 23 years together.

On her account on the X network, with more than 800,000 followers, she calls herself a "mother, activist and actress", although she has not tweeted for two years.

After her comments in favour of Palestine in 2023, her agency, United Talent Agency (UTA), fired her: "They have used me as an example of what not to do if you want to continue working", she said.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossUkraine

A team from the Ukrainian Red Cross (URCS) is providing assistance to victims in Cherkasy at the site of the aftermath of another Russian drone attack.

The Ukrainian Red Cross is supplying construction materials, including OSB boards, timber, plastic sheeting and tarpaulins. Emergency response team volunteers are helping local residents to cover shattered windows and damaged roofs on site, so that the cold does not destroy what has survived the explosions, URCS said on Facebook Monday.

Ukrainian Red Cross aid stations have been set up, where people can warm up, receive hot tea, and receive necessary support. Psychologists are on hand to help cope with stress.

To help the victims of the attack, Cherkasy regional branch of the URCS, the regional administration, the State Emergency Service, the police, and the city council joined forces.

According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, Cherkasy was subjected to a massive attack by Russian drones overnight. Residential buildings, cars, a private business building, and garages burned at several locations, and a gas station was damaged. Four people were injured. Emergency services responded to the fire at five locations.
Ignacio Lillo Malaga Monday, 2 February 2026, 13:30 | Updated 19:14h. Share

Malaga province is bracing for one of the most intense weather events of the 2025/2026 winter this Wednesday, 4 February.

Spains state meteorological agency (Aemet) has issued an orange weather warning (the equivalent of a UK amber alert) for the Serrania de Ronda, where rainfall is expected to exceed 100mm in just 12 hours.

An 'atmospheric river' - a concentrated corridor of tropical moisture originating in the Caribbean - is set to collide with Atlantic squalls already over the peninsula. With the ground already saturated from the wettest winter since 2020, authorities are warning of a significant risk of river overflows and flash flooding.

On the same day, the Axarquia area is under a yellow alert for rainfall of 40mm or more. Along Malaga's coastline, the warning is for coastal phenomena, with westerly winds of 50 to 60 km per hour (force 7.0) and waves up to three metres high.

100 millimetres of rainfall forecast for the Serrania de Ronda this Wednesday.

Aemet is warning of the arrival of fresh Atlantic storms to the Iberian peninsula. The rain will fall on already wet land, with the ground saturated after weeks of downpours, and this adds to the risk of flooding due to rising river levels.

'Atmospheric river' on Wednesday

In addition to this, on Wednesday an 'atmospheric river' will land in Malaga. This torrent of moisture has originated in the Dominican Republic, and will bring yet more abundant rainfall.

Local weather expert Jose Luis Escudero (of the Tormentas y Rayos blog) describes these phenomena as "rivers in the sky". They act as high-moisture "highways" that transport water vapour from the Gulf of Mexico directly to Andalucia.

"The main characteristic is sustained, heavy rainfall," says Escudero. "Because the ground is already soaked, even steady rain will cause the Guadalhorce and Benamargosa rivers to rise rapidly."

What to expect today and tomorrow

The storm's precursor has already arrived in the interior. In Archidona, wind gusts of 91 km/h and hail were recorded early Tuesday. Significant rainfall has also been logged in tother parts of the province.

By 11 o'clock this morning (Monday 2 February), over 15mm of rain had been recorded for the Genal river in Jubrique,14 for the Guadiaro, near Cortes de la Frontera, 12 in Ojen and the Axarquia's Benamargosa river, 11 in Cuevas del Becerro and the same in Santon Pitar (Montes de Malaga hills) and ten litres at La Concepcion reservoir on the Costa del Sol.

While the heaviest downpours are forecast for Wednesday, Aemet predicts that rain will persist until Sunday. Residents are advised to monitor local river levels, particularly near the La Concepcion reservoir, which is expected to reach record runoff levels by the weekend.
Javier Almellones Malaga Monday, 2 February 2026, 17:01 Share

In the nave of Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria church in Benagalbon (Rincon de la Victoria), an image of Christ, without a cross, hovers above the pews, as if it's floating above the congregation.

With his arms fully extended, his body inclined and his feet together pointing downwards, the figure is accentuated by the contrast with the dark wooden ceiling, which clearly frames its silhouette. The piece, which is about 2.3 metres long and weighs approximately 50 kilos, is made of light materials that allow it to be suspended, giving an image that projects a mixture of serenity and drama.

The figure was first installed in the sixteenth-century church in 2005, thanks to the personal relationship between the Catalan sculptor Salvador Manosa and the parish priest Benito Gil, both now deceased, who met in Malaga and maintained a close friendship.

Manosa, who died in 2022, was noted for combining anatomical realism with less conventional formal explorations. Trained at the Escola Massana and a disciple of Francesc Juventeny, he developed an extensive collection of public sculptures in Spain and other countries as well as campaigning with different associations for those affected by asbestos.

Benito Gil, who died in 2020, left a deep mark on Malaga. He was one of those responsible for introducing 'Proyecto Hombre', an organisation which works with vulnerable men in Malaga province, during the 1980s and worked in various educational and youth care centres before arriving in Benagalbon, where he was the parish priest from 2002 to 2011.

In addition to the church with the 'floating' figure of Jesus Christ, Benagalbon is a pretty village where the streets are decorated with flowerpots and designed for strolling around in peace and quiet and Plaza de las Flores lives up to its name as a square full of plants and flowers.

A series of murals scattered around the village pay tribute to deep-rooted traditions such as verdiales (a traditional local folk dance); another, more modern mural depicts a large sparrow. The village is home to excellent restaurants and walking routes, such as the Tio Canas hill, which provides excellent views over Malaga city and the Mediterranean.
Authorities at the opening of the convention held at the Palacio de Congresos in Torremolinos.

Matias Stuber Monday, 2 February 2026, 16:20 | Updated 16:26h. Share

The coastal town of Torremolinos hosted the sixth Andalusian Convention on Gender Equality in Education this Monday, February 2.

Presided over by Loles Lopez, the Regional Minister for Social Inclusion, the event centered on a core message: investing in equality in the classroom is an investment in social freedom and emotional well-being.

Speaking to over 1,000 attendees at the Palacio de Congresos, Lopez described equality as a "collective task" that requires co-responsibility between families, teachers, and students.

Under the slogan Lived, learned, and shared equality, the two-day event aims to reflect on how education serves as the primary shield against gender-based violence.

Lopez said that there are still "significant challenges to achieving true equality", especially when new cases of gender-based violence persevere as "the cruelest expression of inequality". The regional minister called for "a united society of women and men".

Lopez detailed the regional ministry's main lines of action in gender equality education, among which is the 'Iguales en Igualdad' mobile phone app for teachers, families and students. The app brings together all the necessary educational resources for all educational stages, from the nursery to high school.

She highlighted the importance of training in the digital sphere, given that "young people are digital natives", which makes it essential to train families and professionals to "detect, prevent and act against the different forms of violence in this area".

This strategy involves training by professionals from women's centres and the #RedFlagChallenge awareness campaign aimed at teenagers and young people from the ages of 14 to 20.

Lopez said that the subject of the Torremolinos event is not simply a methodology, but "a way of understanding the society we want to build". To achieve this, she stated, educational centres must be spaces for healthy relationship, where no type of violence is encouraged. "Educating in equality means teaching how to look at the world with a critical perspective, capable of detecting inequalities and eradicating them," she said.

Family environment

According to Lopez, it is essential to involve the entire family in teaching respect, tolerance and equality as fundamental values.

Regional Minister of Educational Development and Professional Formation Maria del Carmen Castillo talked about the programme of Comision Negociadora de Igualdad for teachers, the aim of which is to ensure that teachers have the necessary training and support to lead cultural change in the classroom.

Trainings, workshops and other initiative of the regional ministry are working towards involving the entire educational community in the prevention of gender-based violence. The Ada (Alumnado Ayudante Digital Andaluz) and ConRed Andalucia programmes are prime examples.
Nuria Triguero Malaga Monday, 2 February 2026, 10:51 Share

A company based in Malaga's TechPark might have the solution to preventing serious train accidents like the one near Adamuz. NGRT (New Generation Rail Technologies) uses a system that 'listens' to the tracks with highly sophisticated microphones capable of detecting any anomalies, from broken rails to falling objects.

The best solution is often the simplest: this is the credo of NGRT, a company with only 14 employees but a sturdy following. The company is already applying its technology in the world's largest railway network, in India. Its microphones also serve the metro in Lagos (Nigeria), Metrolinx in Toronto (Canada) and Transnet in South Africa.

"Soon our technology will also be deployed in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Australia, Egypt and Brazil," founder and CEO Richard Aroe says. He says that NGRT's objective is to constantly monitor railway tracks to detect any incidents in real time with a system that is easy to install and not costly for the industry.

What makes the system cheap? According to Aroe, it is its "passive nature and small size", although each sensor is "capable of covering 10 kilometres of track".

A Norwegian entrepreneur

Richard Aroe is a Norwegian entrepreneur, who founded the company in 2015. "I created NGRT after gaining a deep understanding of the railway industry by spending five years travelling the world," he says after years of studying the railway infrastructure of various countries.

"I realised that all railways face the same daily challenge: simple things like rocks and landslides, falling objects on the track, broken or cracked rails and deformations, human or animal intrusion and floods," Aroe says.

This inspired him to design a "novel and technologically advanced solution that all railways could afford". According to him, the system is "extremely easy to build, install and operate". Despite this apparent simplicity, the highly sensitive microphones are able to send reliable information "in a matter of seconds". They can also quickly detect the exact type of the incident on the tracks.

According to NGRT, this technology lacks the limitations of other track monitoring solutions currently in use, such as ultrasonic inspection trains, geophysical detection or visual detection with cameras and infrared sensors. "All of these systems require external analysis after obtaining information before conclusions can be drawn, whereas ours immediately process all the data and reports the anomaly within five to ten seconds. In addition, we do not encroach on or alter the infrastructure," the company says.

The obvious question that arises is: would such a system have detected a broken track such as the one that is thought to have been at the origin of the Adamuz accident? "Yes. Our technology is able to detect broken tracks and cracks in the rail immediately when they occur," Aroe says.

Low cost: advantage or disadvantage?

The main advantage of their technology, Aroe holds, is the "disruptively low" cost. "You've been hearing about ultrasonic inspection trains in the news lately. Buying the inspection trains, operating them and having a team or department to analyse all the findings and maintain the trains is extremely expensive. We are talking about millions of euros per train per year. Our technology has a 25-year lifespan and the total cost for a customer to get a full real-time monitoring and alarm alert is about 150 euros per kilometre per month," the CEO states

This low cost was, curiously enough, the reason why NGRT was discarded in a 2022 Adif tender. Spain's rail infrastructure company doubted the efficacy of a system that needs such a low budget. According to the documentation, NGRT's bid was considered "reckless" as it was 30% below the tendered budget and did not adequately justify the price.

Despite this rejection, Adif has been in conversation with NGRT since 2017, having shown interest in the system. The Norwegian business owner's company has previously installed two of its systems in Malaga at its own expense: one at the Campanillas local train station, from where it also detects the high-speed line to Madrid, and another at a mid-point on the track to Cartama. The pilot project lasted more than a year and a half before being discarded.

NGRT has 14 employees: software engineers, sound engineers, hardware engineers and firmware and embedded system specialists. "We plan to increase this number to 30-35 employees by the end of 2026," Aroe says.

Aroe has picked Malaga to develop the system for "several reasons": living comfort faciliated by good air transport; the "cost of maintaining a business", which is "half that of Madrid and Barcelona"; and the city's ability to "attract talent form all over the world", in addition to local specialists coming from the university.
Jose Carlos Garcia Marbella Monday, 2 February 2026, 16:34 Share

Marbella has once again cemented its status as the jewel of the Mediterranean, being officially named the Best Destination for Arab Tourism in Europe 2026.

The award, granted by the Arab League Tourism Organisation (ATO), recognises the towns high-end infrastructure, safety, and its ability to cater to one of the worlds most demanding travel markets.

Mayor Angeles Munoz, who accepted the honor from ATO President Dr. Bandar Fahad Al-Fehaid, hailed the win as an "endorsement of a model based on excellence and sustainability."

She also noted that "we are an open, welcoming town, ready to receive visitors from all over the world".

She further stated that "it is a source of pride for the municipal government and the whole town that top-level institutions recognise the value of what we offer".

This distinction has been awarded by the Arab League Tourism Organisation (ATO), the leading Arabian organisation in the tourism industry, based in Saudi Arabia.

This distinction follows professional studies and evaluations that have analysed multiple criteria, including service quality, accessibility, cultural openness and hospitality.

The report also highlights the ongoing modernisation and development process that has transformed Marbella into a benchmark for sustainable tourism and a particularly attractive destination for the Arab market.

The mayor also mentioned that "the municipality was also recently chosen by American Express Travel as one of the ten must-see destinations to travel to in 2026, being the only Spanish town included in this listing".

International collaboration

Munoz emphasised "the friendship that unites Marbella and the Arab countries" and stated that "this recognition is the result of everyone's efforts, from the tourism sector to municipal policies aimed at strengthening our profile". She added that "continuing to build bridges of cultural and economic cooperation is key to consolidating quality tourism with a positive impact on the local economy".

"This milestone reinforces our position on the global tourism map and encourages us to continue making progress in attracting high-value markets that contribute to reducing seasonality and generating employment." Angeles Munoz Mayor of Marbella

Finally, she stated that the town council's "intention" is to "continue to strengthen international collaboration and promote initiatives that further consolidate Marbella as one of Europe's leading destinations".

Speaking on behalf of the ATO as its president, Bandar Fahad Al-Fehaid congratulated Marbella on "this well-deserved recognition" and expressed his interest "in continuing to strengthen future collaboration in a way that contributes to boosting tourism growth, exchanging experiences and achieving new successes for both parties".
Cristina Vallejo Monday, 2 February 2026 | Updated 03/02/2026 16:57h. Share

While the province of Malaga has been undergoing a demographic and business spike in the past five years, a third of its smaller towns and villages are going in the opposite direction.

According to data from between 2020 and 2025, the overall population of the province has increased by 6.2%, to almost 1.8 million inhabitants, while the number of companies has doubled, surpassing 59,552. Malaga is first in Andalucia in terms of the number of registered companies and second in terms of population, exceeded only by Seville.

The reality for some municipalities reveals demographic and economic challenges. From 2020 to 2025, the province gained more than 105,000 inhabitants, but a fifth of them (20,600) live in Malaga city, while more than a third of companies (2,239 out of 6,400) are in the provincial capital.

Meanwhile, in 34 of the province's towns and villages (a third of the 105 in Malaga), the number of companies at the end of 2025 was lower than at the end of 2020. At the same time, there are another 30 or so towns that are escaping the general population growth in the province.

In 14 towns, the reduction in population goes hand in hand with the reduction in the number of companies. The rest of the towns undergoing cuts in the business fabric are generally smaller in population - many have fewer than a thousand inhabitants. Not one has a population of 10,000.

Salares is the municipality with the greatest decrease in the number of companies in the last five years in relative terms. It has the smallest business fabric in the province, with one company, compared to two in 2020. This coexists with a 12% population increase, which might seem like a lot, but given the overall size of the population (under 200 people) it translates to just 21 new inhabitants.

The number of companies in Atajate has doubled, going from four to six. Something similar happens in other small municipalities such as Cartajima, Farajan, Juzcar or Sedella, where the percentage increase outshines absolute numbers.

1 company comprises the business fabric of Salares - the village at the bottom of the province, although second smallest municipality in Malaga in terms of population

Igualeja, Serrato and Alfarnatejo are in second place in terms of business percentage loss: all three have reduced the number of their companies by between 35 and 30%. All three have fewer inhabitants today than five years ago.

It's interesting that, among the three, Alfarnatejo is the municipality with the lowest number of inhabitants but highest number of companies (17, although compared to 24 in 2020, and 358 inhabitants) Igualeja, while first among the three in population terms (733), only has seven companies, compared to 11 in 2020.

Other towns where both the number of residents and the volume of businesses have declined are Genalguacil, Villanueva de Algaidas, Archidona, Yunquera and Canete la Real. For example, Genalguacil lost 12.5% of its businesses, from eight to seven, while its population fell 10.5%, to 352. In Villanueva de Algaidas, 32 businesses closed (a 1.55% drop in population to 4,048) and in Archidona, 46 companies disappeared (a 12% decline) while the population stayed around 8,100. In Canete la Real, the number of businesses has fallen by five (a 7.7% drop), while the population has declined by around 4%, to 1,569 residents.

46 companies account for the losses recorded in Archidona, which means a decrease in its productive fabric of 12%, while its population has remained stagnant at around 8,100 residents over the last five years

In another group of towns, the number of businesses has also dropped by roughly 4% across the board, with population decreases ranging from 1% to 5%. These towns include Cutar, Benaojan, Almargen, Villanueva de Tapia, Moclinejo, and Cuevas Bajas.

Fewer companies, but more population

Some towns have seen their business fabric shrink but have not experienced a drop in population. These are all very small towns, the smallest in the province, with fewer than a thousand residents, so even small percentage increases in population translate into very modest absolute growth. Examples include Jubrique (two fewer businesses, down to seven, with 585 residents, up 12% from five years ago), Archez (down to six companies, with 441 residents, up 14% since 2020), Algatocin (down to 18, with population stable at 816) and Iznate (down to 21, with 940 residents, up 3.5%).

Other slightly larger towns have lost businesses over the past five years but have still managed to grow in population. These include Benamocarra, Almachar, Benamargosa, Sayalonga and Comares, where the drop in businesses ranges from 15% to 25%. All have added residents.

A striking case is Alcaucin, where eight fewer businesses (a 10% drop in its business fabric) coincides with a 17.2% rise in population, approaching 2,700 residents. Periana, Villanueva del Rosario and Algarrobo show similar trends.

Population rises and the number of businesses increases

At the other end of the spectrum, some towns show a clear link between strong population growth and rapid business expansion. Casares, for example, has seen its population rise almost 31% since 2020, surpassing 9,000 residents, while the number of businesses grew over 20% to 219.

Among the larger towns, Mijas has recorded the strongest growth in its business fabric, up 27% in five years to 2,768 companies, while its population has grown 11.4% to over 95,100, twice the provincial average. In Marbella, businesses rose 16.5% to 8,551, outpacing population growth, which increased 8.2% to nearly 160,000. Fuengirola also saw companies grow 13.7% to over 3,000, compared with a 2.85% population rise.

Other coastal towns where business growth outstripped population include Estepona, Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Rincon de la Victoria, Nerja, Manilva and Benahavis.

1,216 companies have enriched Marbella in the last five years, up to 8,551

In absolute terms, the biggest increases in the number of companies after Malaga city occurred in Marbella (+1,216), Mijas (almost +600), Estepona, Fuengirola and Benalmadena (all +300), Torremolinos (+280) and Nerja, Manilva, and Rincon de la Victoria (all +100). In these towns, the growth rate of new businesses exceeded 10%, and in some cases 20%, while populations also rose, though often not as fast as the number of companies.

Among the largest towns, Velez-Malaga lagged behind: company numbers grew just 3.76%, below the provincial average, reaching 2,730, with population rising less than 5% over five years to just over 86,000.

Ronda and Antequera, two of the province's most prominent towns, saw modest growth in business number: 2.3% and 1.5% respectively, surpassing 1,000 companies in both cases, while their populations remained largely stable at 33,700 and 41,800.

Finally, the two Alhaurins showed mixed trends: in Alhaurin de la Torre, population and businesses both grew 9% to 45,000 residents and 1,027 companies, while in Alhaurin el Grande, an 8.7% population rise to 27,552 was accompanied by a 15% increase in businesses, reaching 691.
SUR Monday, 2 February 2026, 16:48 Share

Officers from the National Police have dismantled two mobile criminal cells allegedly dedicated to stealing from banks and individuals throughout Spain. Four people have been arrested in Madrid, where they were based. They used disguises and tools that allowed them to blend in while pinpointing a target, following the chosen victims or when committing the actual crime. Sometimes they used a kit consisting of a window-breaking tool and metal tacks to puncture vehicle tyres, as well as earpieces and more to stay in touch and coordinate their actions. The arrested individuals are charged with six counts of robbery and theft, two apiece committed in Madrid and Malaga and one each in Seville and Valencia, from which they are believed to have obtained approximately 200,000 euros.

The investigation began last January following two robberies at bank branches in the provinces of Seville and Malaga, where the perpetrators made off with over 100,000 euros. In the first, they seized a cash register drawer and the second involved stealing a large sum of money from an employee's desk as he stepped outside the branch to assist someone at the ATM with a supposedly 'stuck' credit card.

After various inquiries, the investigating officers discovered that these crimes were being committed by a travelling criminal gang with its operational base in Madrid. From there, the criminals defined their areas of operation, assigned tasks and stored their equipment, travelling primarily by public transport. To commit the crimes, they travelled to other regions of Spain, knowing that the distance would make it more difficult for subsquent identification by police. They also used cars for these longer journeys.

Distraction techniques

The modus operandi consisted of using distraction techniques with all kinds of accessories to hinder identification, such as headgear or glasses. They even impersonated elderly or disabled individuals, using a walking-stick to lend more credibility. On some occasions, to deceive the victims, they punctured vehicle tyres or smashed windows to keep them distracted while stealing from them.

Coordination and communications were tightly maintained by the gang while on the job. They used headsets, earpieces and microphones to keep in contact.

After months of investigation, officers managed to identify the members of this network and set up a police operation, arresting the four most active members in two separate strikes. One was apprehended while attempting to leave Spain from Madrid-Barajas Airport and the rest were rounded up while holding a briefing out in the open in the heart of Madrid to plan their next robberies.

Up to 18 different identities

All of them have been brought before the judicial authorities as suspects of the crime of belonging to a criminal gang and six counts of robbery and theft, with two remanded in custody. Investigators discovered that one of them had 18 different identities.

To date, the total illicit profits amassed by this now-dismantled network amount to 200,000 euros, although the investigation remains open and further arrests are possible.
By Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge | The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.

Fort Edward, New York  A Granville man was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison, and his wife will serve six months after defrauding dozens of homeowners in Warren and Washington counties in a contractor scheme.

John McClure, 45, was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison in Washington County Court on Thursday. He and his wife, Sarah Chambers, 38, have also been ordered to pay more than $890,000 to the homeowners from whom they stole money in a contractor scheme in recent years.

The couple previously pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheming to defraud after an investigation by the New York State Attorney Generals Office found that they had operated a massive contractor scheme and defrauded more than a dozen homeowners out of more than $1.5 million.

Fraud of any kind is unacceptable, but it is even more disgraceful when it comes at the expense of hard-working New York homeowners, said New York State Attorney General Letitia James in a statement. McClure and his wife defrauded dozens of homeowners out of over $1.5 million for services that were never performed and instead spent the money on themselves at casinos and to purchase vehicles.

James thanked the New York State Police and other law enforcement agencies for their efforts in securing the convictions.

The investigation found that between September 2019 and August 2023, McClure, while acting in concert with his wife, fraudulently obtained more than $1.5 million from over a dozen Upstate New York homeowners. During that time, the defendants allegedly advertised contracting services such as building and renovating homes, doing excavation work, and constructing garages, roofs, and decks on Facebook, Google, Angies List, Porch.com, and other websites. McClure and his wife used variously named construction businesses, including McClure and Son Constructions, McClure and Sons Construction, JM Escavation (sic) and Demolition Services, and JM & Son Excavation and Demolition.

Strong and dedicated interagency partnerships have led to the indictment of two individuals who preyed on innocent customers, diverting funds for their personal use, said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James in a statement. Cheating homeowners out of their hard-earned money and carrying out dishonest business practices will not be tolerated in New York state. I commend our state police members and partners at the Attorney Generals Office for their commitment to investigating those who deceive the unsuspecting public.

McClure admitted to soliciting large amounts of deposit funds upfront for home improvement while failing to perform the work, neglecting to deliver materials he claimed to have purchased with the deposits, and refusing to issue refunds to homeowners for unfinished work when he had been asked to. Work that was performed by McClure was often substandard and required repairs by other qualified contractors at additional cost to the homeowners, the Attorney Generals Office found.

A forensic audit conducted by the OAG revealed that instead of using homeowners money to purchase materials or perform home improvements as required, McClure, aided by Chambers, used the money for: personal expenses; large cash withdrawals; trips to multiple casinos, including Saratoga Casino and Hotel in Saratoga Springs and Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady; payments towards child support and his mothers rent; funding for the couples overstock/returned merchandise store in the Aviation Mall; and to purchase multiple vehicles for McClure, Chambers, and other family members, including a 1927 Bugatti, a 1985 Lamborghini, a Toyota Sequoia, and a refurbished monster truck.

Chambers participated in the scheme by serving as a false reference for homeowners for McClure and Sons Construction and by filing business certificates to open business bank accounts to receive homeowner funds. Chambers held the business and accounts in her name to assist McClure in hiding his assets from judgment and other creditors, the Attorney Generals Office reported. She later withdrew homeowner funds as cash at McClures request to be used for non-business purposes.

In November 2025, McClure pleaded guilty before the Honorable Judge Kelly S. McKeighan to one count of grand larceny in the second degree and one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree. McClure was sentenced today to a term of five to 15 years in state prison and entered judgments in favor of victim homeowners totaling $897,240.87. Also, in November 2025, McClure pleaded guilty to one count of grand larceny in the second degree in Warren County Court before the Honorable Robert A. Smith. McClure is expected to receive a concurrent sentence of two to six years in state prison. Sentencing in Warren County is scheduled for February 4, 2026.

Chambers pleaded guilty in November 2025 in Washington County Court and was sentenced in December 2025 to six months in jail, five years of probation, and entered judgments in favor of victim homeowners totaling $308,059.25.
A Rockland County judge has agreed to retire and never return to the bench after being charged with failing to disclose personal relationships and conflicts with attorneys who appeared before her.

Sherri L. Eisenpress, a justice of the Supreme Court, Ninth Judicial District, will retire effective April 28, 2026, following charges filed by the Commission on Judicial Conduct.

The commission served Eisenpress with formal disciplinary charges in August 2025, alleging she presided over dozens of cases involving attorneys with whom she had personal connections while failing to disclose those relationships or step aside from the proceedings.

According to the charges, Eisenpress presided over at least 55 cases from 2019 to 2024 involving attorneys with whom she maintained close personal and social relationships. She did not disclose those relationships or recuse herself from the cases.

The charges also allege that from 2016 to 2025, Eisenpress presided over at least 41 cases involving the law firm of her principal law clerks spouse. She failed to disclose the relationship and did not prevent her law clerk from involvement in those cases.

In a 2022 matrimonial case, Eisenpress presided over a matter in which the attorney for one party was co-hosting a fundraiser for her judicial campaign. She issued a temporary custody order in favor of that attorneys client and only recused herself after the opposing attorney sought her disqualification.

In 2024, Eisenpress presided over a matter in which a party was represented by her law clerks husband. She denied a request to disqualify herself and later stepped aside for unrelated reasons.

Eisenpress has served as a justice of the Supreme Court, Ninth Judicial District, Rockland County, since 2023. She previously served as a judge of the Family Court from 2012 to 2022 and as an acting Supreme Court justice in Rockland County from 2014 to 2022. Her current term would have expired on Dec. 31, 2036.

See the Advance Local Guide to Disclosing Use of AI. Generative AI was used to draft this story, based on data provided by the Commission on Judicial Conduct. It was reviewed and edited by Advance Local.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Robert Harris was less than a block away from home in Syracuse, returning from a Fathers Day motorcycle ride, when a 19-year-old on a dirt bike collided with him.

Harris remembers flying through the air, seeing his left leg was severed and realizing the young man had left him behind.

Harris, bleeding out in the street, called his wife and told her he had been in a crash and he was dying. He was in critical condition when he arrived at the hospital. His heart stopped twice.

In the end, Harris survived the crash, but his left leg was amputated below the knee.

Last week, the young man who hit Harris appeared before a judge in a Syracuse court to be sentenced. He faced up to four years in prison.

Harris, however, told prosecutors he didnt want the man to go to prison.

Give him a second chance, Harris said. Im hurt, but I do forgive him, and I pray it turns him around.

On Wednesday, the man, Jaydale Mccutcheon, was sentenced by Judge Matthew Doran to five years probation for leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.

Prosecutor Frank Pelosi said he planned to seek prison time for the man until Harris changed his mind.

Harriss motorcycle was struck by Mccutcheons dirt bike at Midland and West Borden avenues in Syracuse about 6:30 p.m. on June 15.

Harris, 60, a general contractor, told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard last week that he believed Mccutcheon did not handle the situation properly. But he said after praying extensively, he felt called to forgive the young man.

I do forgive him, Harris said. I do pray that he could see Gods grace through my forgiveness and that he will share it.

The only thing Harris wanted was for Mccutcheon to be required to do community service with other amputees to understand the impact of his actions. It was required as part of the plea, prosecutors have said.

Harris remained in the hospital until August, having multiple surgeries on his left leg and his left shoulder.

He also has endured multiple follow-up surgeries in the months since due to infections and other complications.

Harris said his path to forgiveness was not quick or easy. He said he channeled his conflicting feelings into prayer.

I asked God, why? Harris said. Because now I got to start life over when I am at the end of my life.

Harris said everything is a struggle for him now. He has to exercise diligently to maintain his strength and balance.

His home is not accessible for an amputee, making it difficult and dangerous for him to get around. A broken railing shows where he fell down the stairs after a crutch got stuck.

Before the crash, he was in the middle of fixing a leak in the ceiling of his living room. Now, half of the ceiling is a gaping hole, another reminder of what he cannot do.

Harris, a father of four and a grandfather, had to quit working as a general contractor after the accident.

Harris said he was never compensated for his medical bills because Mccutcheon did not have insurance. Harris said he couldnt blame the man, as he also did not have insurance.

While Harris was facing his pain and anger, he said he was also hearing about Mccutcheon from his neighbors.

Harris said he did not know the man before the crash, but heard he was the son of a single mother and helped care for his baby sister.

If that kid went to jail, is that gonna fix my house? Is that going to give me my leg back? Harris said. If that kid goes to jail, his mother, whats this going to do to her mental state, right? How about the support he gives her with his little sister?

Harris found out, like him, Mccutcheon saw motorcycles and riding as an outlet and an escape.

Mccutcheon did not respond to a request for an interview.

Harris said he has been riding motorcycles and involved in bike life for 50 years.

Bike life is a kind of brotherhood, Harris said. Its being a part of something greater than yourself.

Harris said in bike life there is a code: no man left behind. He said that was another mistake Mccutcheon made, violating the unspoken rules of riding.

You not only hurt me, but you left me, Harris said.

Harris cried as he explained that, despite the pain he may feel, he didnt want to ruin the young mans life.

I forgive him, because he didnt set out to hit me, Harris said.

He said Mccutcheon was likely still too young to really know what bike life means to people.

Harris said riding motorbikes gives him a similar sense of calm and freedom as his faith.

We ride, we feel free. Any problem in our head goes away when we come together, Harris said.

He said he was empathetic because he was once the kid out riding a dirt bike.

Harris no longer has the Suzuki GXR-S bike, or gixxer, he was riding on the day of the crash. He proudly showed dozens of photos of his favorite toys over the years, including the Suzuki.

He still has a Harley-Davidson outside his home on West Borden Avenue. He hopes to have it modified and ride it again one day.

Harris said his choice to forgive will help him in his own healing as he navigates his new way of life and works to return to his passions.

I aint nobody special. I am hurt and I am hurting but I believe God brought me through this fire, Harris said. Hell take me the rest of the way.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has donated an additional 42 generators to Ukraine, bringing the total to 106 generators, which will be sent to frontline regions and cities to support critical infrastructure, announced Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine and Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Kuleba.

"UNICEF has donated 42 more generators to Ukraine. The total amount of aid received is 106 generators with a capacity of 15.1 MW. This equipment is already being sent to frontline regions and cities to support heating networks, water utilities, hospitals, and social infrastructure. Generators of varying capacities  from mobile to industrial  can serve as a primary or backup power source for critical facilities," he wrote on Telegram on Monday.

As the minister noted, this assistance is part of a broader winter support program: overall, UNICEF plans to transfer 255 generators to Ukraine with a total capacity of approximately 40.6 MW and a value of almost $6.2 million.

He also reported that two cogeneration units, with a capacity of 1.5 MW and 2.3 MW, have already been delivered from Kryvyi Rih to support Kyiv's critical infrastructure.

Kuleba thanked his partners for their systematic support and the communities for their mutual assistance.
The state Division of Criminal Justice Services compiles crime statistics for police departments and other law enforcement agencies across New York every year.

The latest stats, for the year 2024, are out now. You can search every available agency and county using the search tool below.

If you cant see the search tool, click here to open it in a new window.

The database includes only agencies and counties outside New York City.

Crime in general fell in most places in New York in 2024, according to state data.

Violent crime rates were lower than the year before in 40 counties in New York. Rates were up in the other 22 counties.

Overall crime rates fell in 45 counties and rose in 17.

In Onondaga County, the overall crime rate fell 0.1% and the violent crime rate dropped more than 6%.

Murders and crime in general fell significantly in the city of Syracuse in 2025. That continued a steep drop seen nationwide in the years after the Covid-19 pandemic.

There were 14 homicides in the city last year, the fewest in more than a decade and a 56% decline from the pandemic-era peak. That was the fewest killings since 13 in 2012.

Some notes on the data:

The state Division of Criminal Justice Services collects crime reports from more than 500 New York state police and sheriffs departments to compile the crime stats. The counts represent only crimes reported to police.

Data from some agencies in this data set is not complete. Thats reflected in the months reported entry on each departments details page in the search results. Some agencies have less than 12 months reported.

Police agencies arent required to participate in data sharing with the state, but its encouraged.

Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crimes include burglary, larceny and car theft.
The history of American aviation milestones is written large all over Upstate New York.

Here are several places to explore the history of flight. The list includes aviation museums, historic sites, military bases, fun places and events for the whole family, and some pretty impressive planes themselves.

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, NY. A museum with many vintage early aircraft and flying demonstrations weekends. Richard Berkowitz | Getty Images Richard Berkowitz | Getty Images

Oh, those daring young men in their flying machines! The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is a must-visit destination for aviation enthusiasts of all ages. This exciting venue hosts airplane shows, flying demonstrations and many other public events. Visitors can explore more than 60 vintage planes from the Golden Age of Flight (1900-1939), with a special focus on bi-planes. There is nothing like seeing these two-winged machines darting across the sky in the Hudson Valley.

For those seeking adventure, open-air cockpit rides are available during the summer and early fall. In addition to its impressive aircraft collection, the museum also features a remarkable array of antique automobiles.

Address: 9 Norton Rd., Red Hook

Plattsburgh Air Force Base Museum tells the story of the oldest military post in the United States and home of the Plattsburgh Air Force Base from 1954 to 1995. Oct. 21, 2024. Sunny Hernandez | ahernandez@nyup.com Sunny Hernandez | ahernandez@nyup.com

The city of Plattsburgh in Northern New York has a long and illustrious history as a key element in the air defense of the United States. A military base had been in operation here since 1814, making it the oldest in the U.S. What was once the U.S. Air Force Base is now the Plattsburgh International Airport. During the Cold War, Plattsburgh was home to the Strategic Air Command and its bomber squadrons. Today, a museum is located here that tells the story of the importance of the base to the country and to Plattsburgh. Of special note, when visiting the museum, you have a chance to sit in a trainer cockpit that was once used to teach pilots how to fly large bombers.

Address: 31 Washington Rd., Plattsburgh

Glenn H. Curtiss, "The Father of Naval Aviation," is celebrated by his hometown of Hammondsport with the Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum. Visitors will get to see a full-scale reproduction of the first naval aircraft, along with a number of antique tools, boats and fire equipment. Stefani Reynolds for NYup.com Stefani Reynolds for NYup.com

The Curtiss Museum, one of the premier aviation museums in the Northeast, celebrates the legacy of Glenn Hammond Curtiss (1878-1930), a pivotal figure in the development of Americas flight industry. Born in Hammondsport, Curtiss was an innovative pioneer who designed airplane engines, built aircraft, set numerous speed records, and contributed to the development of bicycles and motorcycles. He held U.S. Pilots License No. 1 and made history with the first long-distance airplane flight on May 29, 1910, flying from Albany to New York City in about four hours. For this achievement, he was awarded a $10,000 prize by Joseph Pulitzer.

The Curtiss Museum, located in the Finger Lakes wine region in Hammondsport, is packed with aviation (and motorcycle and automobile) history and exhibits across 60,000-square-feet. You will know you have arrived when you see the hulking form of a Curtiss C-48 Commando World War II transport plane near the museum driveway.

Address: 8410 Route 51, Hammondsport

The National Soaring Museum at Harris Hill near Elmira,N.Y. is an aviation museum working to preserve the history of motorless flight. Many gliders on display from different eras. David Lassman | syracuse.com David Lassman | syracuse.com

The National Soaring Museum, located on a hill outside Elmira, celebrates the rich history of motorless flight. The area has been a hub for national soaring competitions since the 1890s. The museum offers a fascinating collection of gliders and sailplanes. As an added bonus, visitors can schedule a flight in a motorless craft, zooming out from the edge of Harris Hill and gliding over the Chemung Valley with the only sound being the whisper of the air whooshing by. Its Southern Tier experience not to be missed.

Address: 51 Soaring Hill Dr., Elmira

A World War II-era P-38 Lightning, of the type flown by Paul Stobnicke during World War II, at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, N.Y. Photo courtesy of Jamieson R. Steele Jamieson R. Steele | Provided photo

This museum in Geneseo holds one of the largest warplane air shows in the Northeast. At past shows, the Memphis Belle bomber has been a standout attraction. Parachute drops over the field consistently draw crowds, and warplanes are displayed throughout the airport grounds, with pilots and crew on hand to answer questions from visitors of all ages. The nose art on the planes is a popular backdrop for selfies. Visitors can also schedule plane rides for an unforgettable experience.

The most famous plane in the permanent collection of the museum is the W-7, known as Whiskey 7. This cargo aircraft saw heavy duty in World War II and was in the lead strike on D-Day. The plane still wears its invasion stripes on its wings.

Address: 3489 Big Tree Lane, Geneseo

Western New York played a key role in the development and manufacturing of military planes over the last century. Located at the Niagara International Airport, this museum highlights the regional history and impact of aviation in the Greater Niagara area. Among the historic planes on display is the Miss Lend Lease, a P-39 Airacobra fighter plane that represents the more than 4,770 aircraft sent to aid Russia during World War II. The plane is exhibited as it was found, buried in a frozen lake within the Arctic Circle in 2004. Also featured is the Bell-47, the first U.S. commercially licensed helicopter.

The museums collection isnt limited to aircraft. Of particular interest is the lunar ascent engine, which was used to launch astronauts off the moons surface for their return from the Apollo missions. This engine was manufactured in Western New York.

Address: 9990 Porter Road, Niagara Falls, NY

A view of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park Wednesday, May 13, 2015, in Buffalo, N.Y. File photo | syracuse.com File photo | syracuse.com

This urban military park, located at Buffalos waterfront, just a short distance from downtown, is largest inland naval park in the United States. It honors all facets of military history with massive exhibits of wartime ships and planes. Visitors can tour the USS Little Rock, the USS The Sullivans, the USS Croaker (submarine), and other military equipment such as tanks and missiles. Wartime aviation is represented by a Navy FJ-4B Fury Jet, a USAF F-101 Voodoo Fighter Interceptor Jet, a UH-1 Huey Helicopterwhich became a symbol of U.S. involvement in Vietnam with over 7,000 used in the conflictand more. The park is surrounded by beautiful scenery and nearby restaurants, making it a must-see on your next visit to Buffalo.

Address: 1 Naval, Marina Park South, Buffalo

The Sampson Military Training Base opened in 1942 as a naval boot camp. Recruits trained here and went off to fight in World War II. After the war, the base was closed and repurposed. With the onset of the Korean War, the base was reactivated as the United States Air Force Training Command. Sixteen thousand Air Force cadets trained here for the Korean War. A total of 411,000 Navy and 330,000 Air Force personnel completed their training at the Sampson installation. The base closed in 1956 and now serves as a museum. Housed in an original base structure, the museum retains the original brig and features countless items that reflect the bases role as a major training facility during two wars.

Address: 6096 Route 96-A, Romulus

Griffiss Business & Technology Park in Rome, New York, sits on the site of the former Griffiss Air Force Base, which closed in 1995. This retired B-52G bomber, named "Mohawk Valley," is on display in the park. It is owned by the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Photo taken April 22, 2025. Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com

The sight of a B-52 bomber in flight is truly awe-inspiring. This legendary warplane boasts Herculean dimensions: it is 160 feet long, has a wingspan of 185 feet, can fly at speeds of 650 miles per hour, carry 10,000 pounds of bombs, and weighs 100 tons when empty. Have you ever seen one up close? You can in Rome, N.Y., where a majestic B-52, dubbed The Mohawk Valley, is on display at the former Griffiss Air Force Base, now an office complex. The plane began its patriotic duties during the Vietnam War and flew 32 combat missions during Desert Storm. With 31 years of service and after flying more than 12,000 hours, the Mohawk Valley came home to retire here in Central New York. Accessibility to the plane is complete.

Visitors have full access to the plane, allowing them to wander around its body, take selfies under its mighty wings, and even peek inside through an opening in the bottom. People of all ages will enjoy seeing this iconic U.S. warplane up close and personal.

Address: 584 Phoenix Dr., Rome

A must-see. One of the largest collections of warplanes in New York. Hands-on discovery center for the young ones. Make this a whole-day event for your family. There is a cafe for lunch. The incredible list of warplanes on display in the 25,000 square-foot exhibition hall includes such fighters as the Grumman TBN-3E (Avenger), McDonnell F-4B (Phantom II), Grumman 5-14A (Tomcat), as well as the famous Bell UH-1H Helicopter (Huey)

Address: 339 Daniel Zenker Dr., Horseheads
In August 1850, a group of Syracusans led by Rev. Jermain Loguen, Rev. Samuel May, and Charles Wheaton, formed a bi-racial Vigilance Committee. The purpose of which was to protect any Black residents purported to be enslaved peoples from arrest under the U.S. Constitutions fugitive slave clause, which was strengthened by recent legislation in the Compromise of 1850.

Part of what made the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 so abhorrent to its many enemies was the very real fear that it emboldened agents working on behalf of the slave power to kidnap Black people in free states under the guise that they were fugitives.

Arguably, the most famous case of this sort was that of Solomon Northrup, a free Black and a resident of Saratoga Springs.

Among other aspects of the updated Fugitive Slave Act, the statute required federal marshals to assist and enlist civilians in recovering illegal freedom seekers and it empowered federal commissioners to adjudicate hearings that did not allow for those in custody to testify on their own behalf.

As Rev. Loguen -who successfully escaped his own enslavement in Tennessee in 1835 - so powerfully and succinctly stated later at Syracuses anti-Fugitive Slave Act convention in October 1850, I dont respect this law. I dont fear it-I wont obey it. It outlaws me, and I outlaw it, and the men who attempt to enforce it on me.

Motivated by these righteous sentiments, the Vigilance Committee sprang into action on the fateful morning a year later to rescue a formerly enslaved man, William Jerry Henry from his prison cell in Clinton Square, in direct violation of that infamous legislation and shepherded him to freedom in Kingston, Canada.

Stories like the Jerry Rescue and other triumphant tales of freedom seekers and conductors on the Underground Railroad permeate much of the scholarly literature and popular culture today, and with good reason.

These stories highlight the courage and the bravery of those individuals that fought against the inhumane legal institution of slavery, in the pursuit of what Auburns own, William Henry Seward, famously called a higher law.

Yet, those stories are outliers. As Columbia professor and noted historian, Eric Foner, pointed out in his book, Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad, scholars can only make educated guesses at the actual number of people freed by the loose network of activists and agents that comprised the Underground Railroad; and whatever that number may be (estimates range anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 between 1830 and 1860), it is but a drop in the bucket when compared to the approximately four million enslaved people held in bondage at the outbreak of the American Civil War.

An 1892 Sanborn Map of the area where the Hardy Family lived (105 South Crouse Avenue/Block 204) when Caroline Hixson returned to her family. Courtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association

On January 3, 1904, nearly four decades after that horrific and bloody Civil War, the Syracuse Herald ran an astonishing story almost too fantastical to be believed.

Kidnapped from Syracuse in 1847. Held as a slave on a Georgia Planation. 56 Years.

Accompanying this bewildering headline were two photographs of an elderly Black woman, identified as Caroline Hixson. Her incredible story offered readers a glimpse into a supposedly bygone world of slavers, enslaved peoples, overseers, and plantations.

According to the Heralds reporting of Ms. Hixons statements, all of which were relayed in a racist vernacular commonly used throughout the nations history to demean and debase African Americans, Caroline Hixson arrived back in Syracuse in mid-December 1903, having walked all the way from Georgia.

The Herald reporter interviewed Hixon at the home of her cousin, identified as Sarah J. Hardy.

According to census records, Sarah and her husband, Joseph, were living at 105 South Crouse Avenue with their seven children. Caroline was reunited with her long-lost family after her 1,000-mile sojourn from the Hixson plantation in Georgia. The essential facts of her story were recounted as follows.

Caroline said her father was a Black man named Timothy Hazard, who lived out by the salt works. Though no record of Timothy Hazard could be found in any archival records or city directories at OHA, federal census records did turn up one Timothy Hazard, living in the town of Sullivan, in Madison County in 1820.

It is reasonable to assume that Timothy and his young family (records seem to indicate Hazard and his wife had three children at the time) made their way west, chasing the opportunities brought to the region by the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825. According to Caroline, she was born sometime around 1834.

In 1847, in a scene that sends shivers down the spine of every parent, around the time she was fourteen years old - she was not quite sure - Caroline said she was coaxed away by two white men that promised theyd give me candy.

Enticed by this promise of confectionary delights, she followed along with the two men for a bit until, she continued, they threw me into a hack and drove away fast.

Hixson identified her kidnapper as Jim Woods.

According to Caroline, Woods, a cruel man she would come to know all too well over the ensuing decades, was the main overseer of the Hixson Plantation, somewhere in Georgia.

According to federal records, Thomas Hixons plantation was about 50 miles north of where James A. Woods lived. Though not as large as Hixson recalled (she claimed there were 300 enslaved people there), Hixons plantation was located near the Chattahoochee River, which separates Alabama and Georgia.

This would account for the large river Caroline mentioned occasionally taking goods to and, later, using as her route to freedom.

Hixson recounted the horrors and the brutality of slavery as she experienced it.

At some point during her first few years on the plantation, Caroline was stripping slippery elm bark. Apparently, she was not working fast enough for Overseer Woods, who maimed Hixson with a hatchet.

The reporter noted that the old colored woman held up a misshapen hand with a terrible scar across it. During her long enslavement, Caroline said she worked mostly in the cotton fields, picking oranges, and sometimes she worked in the big house. She also told of driving teams in carrying the cotton, sugar, tobacco and oranges from the plantation to the ships.

Perhaps the most illuminating and shocking aspect of Carolines saga to readers in 1904 and 2026 alike was her accounting of the Civil War and the reality of her life as an enslaved person during those revolutionary times.

The reporter asked her if she had been aware of the war while it was happening and if they knew it had ended and that the enslaved people were free.

Yes, of course they knew about the war, she said, the southern soldiers got whipped awful bad. However, she continued, when the soldiers were coming, the master, he chained us all together and he drove us off, taking everything out of the big house with him, and leaving everything bare and empty.

Once the Union Troops under the command of General W.T. Sherman (counting nearly 1,000 Onondaga County men amongst them) passed through the area on their march from Atlanta to Savannah after what she reckoned was about three weeks, Caroline said she and her fellow enslaved peoples were returned to the plantation where she said she remained enslaved until the spring of 1902.

Then, 57 years after his father allegedly kidnapped her, Jim Woods Jr. asked Caroline if she would like her freedom. She offered no insight or explanation for his decision.

Nonetheless, according to Caroline, Woods put her on the back of a horse, which swam the river with her and told her to travel north during the night to avoid patrols looking to arrest Black people for a variety of crimes, including vagrancy.

While the 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in 1865, it did allow for these things as punishment for a crime whereof the party has been duly convicted, a loophole exploited by Southern Democrats for decades.

So-called Redeemer governments passed Black Codes and other pieces of anti-vagrancy legislation that limited the movement of freedmen and mandated prison sentences. She told the Herald that after the war there were colored people in slavery on all of the plantation near where I came from.

What Caroline identified as slavery was most likely the manifestation of the sharecropping system that evolved in the decades following abolition. At the most basic level, sharecropping allowed tenants to live on and farm a piece of land.

In the case of most southern Blacks, they farmed land owned by their former masters, for a share of the harvest. For a person like Caroline sharecropping obviously have looked and felt just like slavery. Thus, one can only imagine her surprise when Jim Woods Jr. put her on that horse and told her to go north.

Using the moon and the sun as her compass, Caroline made it to the free states, as she described them to the reporter. Once there, she was able to travel during the day and she followed the road directions given to her by the locals she encountered.

Against all odds, Caroline Hixson/Hazard successfully made her way to her hometown of Syracuse on the cold blustery morning of December 12, 1903.

Police Lieutenant Charles Fesenmeyer found her wandering through the streets of a huge city that would have been completely unrecognizable from the burgeoning village she was kidnapped from almost six decades earlier.

The newspaper account stated that Fessenmeyer thought that Caroline bore a resemblance to a family he knew. This, coupled with her story, led the officer to take her to the Hardy residence on South Crouse Avenue.

According to Sarah Hardy, Carolines cousin, the story of her abduction had been passed down in the Hazard family for three generations. Her family, of course, assumed she had died years ago, enslaved and alone.

Carolines extraordinary tale ends there. There are no further accounts, no follow up stories. No record of anything related to Caroline Hazard/Hixson apart from a record of a Caroline Hazard dying in Onondaga County on August 22, 1910.

It is possible, even probable, that Caroline shed the surname of her enslaver and died in the bosom of her family having survived this unimaginable ordeal.
Connor Greco | Daily Freeman, Kingston, N.Y.

Ellenville, New York  Darryl Nirenberg grew up in Upstate New York in the 1970s, biking around town to deliver newspapers. Last week, he was sworn in as the next United States ambassador to Romania.

A longtime attorney and graduate of Colgate University, Nirenberg spent time as a Senate staffer and was a counsel for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was nominated to the ambassador position by President Donald Trump last year. He was confirmed by the Senate in December. He was sworn in Wednesday, Jan. 28.

Im grateful to President Trump and Secretary (Marco) Rubio for placing their confidence in me and providing me the honor of representing our country in Romania, Nirenberg said in an interview with the Freeman on Thursday.

Nirenberg said he has fond memories of his childhood in Ulster County.

Growing up in Ellenville was just great, Nirenberg said. My first job was delivering the Daily Freeman.

Nirenberg said one of his core memories is delivering the newspaper during Hurricane Agnes, which hit the region in 1972.

It had a big impact on Upstate New York, and I recall that vividly, because it dumped like 20 inches of rain over the course of a couple of days, Nirenberg said. I remember having to go out and deliver the papers. I had to very intricately wrap each paper in plastic to keep it dry. My route was a long route, and I was on a bike, so I remember I came home like every day for that week just totally drenched.

Nirenberg credits a lot of the life skills he learned as a child to his first job.

It was a job that gave me some great foundation in certain skills, Nirenberg said. First, marketing, because I had to go out and find customers. Second was being reliable, because there was no break. You had to deliver the paper every day.

Third is understanding customer service, because wed live off tips.

Nirenberg remarked that on Thursdays, which were his collection days, he would often treat himself to a black-and-white cookie from Cohens Bakery and a Coca-Cola from Center Street Market.

After his time at Colgate University, Nirenberg made his way to Washington, D.C., first working for former Republican U.S. Senator from California S. I. Hayakawa before joining the staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee. At night, Nireneberg took classes at George Washington University to earn his law degree.

Nirenberg later moved to the Foreign Relations Committee and then served as chief of staff and legislative director to former Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina Jesse Helms. It was during this time, Nirenberg said, that he gained a wealth of experience in foreign relations.

It was an incredible experience, Nirenberg said.

After his time in Washington, Nirenberg went into private practice focusing on international business issues and international law.

In terms of Romania specifically, Nirenberg said Trump made the decision to nominate him to the position. He added that he has experience in Eastern European foreign relations from his time in Washington.

I was thrilled with (Trumps decision), because first, my grandparents are from Eastern Europe, Nirenberg said. While I was on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff was when the Romanian Revolution occurred, and it was a big issue for our committee.

Nirenberg said Romania is an important country for U.S. foreign relations, both geographically and economically.

Romania is a key NATO ally, he said. It is fast-growing, so there are great opportunities for American businesses, and it has the potential to be a game-changer when it comes to energy, resources, and critical minerals.

Nirenberg said his goals are to focus on both embassy operations and to strengthen ties between Romania and the United States.

First and foremost is to focus on embassy operations and to watch out for the Americans who work (in Romania), serve there, and visit there, Nirenberg said. Second is going to be working on building our ties between our countries, especially in the area of military and defense cooperation.

Nirenberg said he is also seeking to promote American businesses and exports in the country.

Nirenberg credited much of his success to his Ulster County roots.

As one of the senators for whom I worked was very fond of saying, If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know it didnt get there by itself, Nirenberg said. Ive always been forever grateful to have the benefit of growing up in a small town, and one like Ellenville, where its a real community, and you get support from your neighbors and the community.
Access to clear and understandable information is essential to strong civic participation, and the February FOCUS Forum brings together community leaders to discuss how language services support residents across schools, workplaces, and healthcare settings.

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to fostering community engagement, will hold its upcoming FOCUS forum on Friday, Feb. 27, from noon to 1 p.m. In-person and Zoom options are available. Registration is free and open to the public.

The February FOCUS Forum brings community members together with leaders from education, healthcare and community-based organizations to share perspectives on current challenges, emerging opportunities, and ongoing work to ensure language services effectively meet the needs of youth, adult newcomers and families.

Featuring Leo Rose Andrews, quality assurance coordinator at the Center for International Health at SUNY Upstate Medical Universitys Nappi Wellness Institute; Nawal Al Sayed Noor, cultural orientation coordinator at InterFaith Works of CNY; and Lyda Ragonese, supervising director of the Multilingual & Cultural Education Department at Syracuse City School District, the forum offers insight into how individuals navigate cultural and language expectations and the barriers that shape access to information and services.

During the free registration, participants will have the opportunity to submit their questions to the panelists in advance, allowing panelists to thoughtfully incorporate community questions and perspectives into their opening remarks.

Questions may also be used during a moderated Q&A session following the presentation. The Forum is free to attend. Register at focussyracuse.org or click here.

The Forum is part of FOCUS monthly Forum series, where experts discuss citizen-driven topics and engage with attendees through a moderated Q&A session. Forums are open to the public and last one hour.

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that brings people together to build a better Central New York. FOCUS serves as a catalyst for community change by engaging citizens in informed dialogue and inspiring action on critical public issues. For more information, visit focussyracuse.org.
A 35-year-old Upstate New York man died after police and emergency responders pulled him from a burning house late Saturday night.

Derek J. Fisher of Bath died at Ira Davenport Hospital after being rescued from a structure fire at 23 Warden Street in the village of Bath, according to the Bath Police Department.

Police responded to the fire at approximately 10:58 p.m. Officers observed heavy fire visible from the front of the residence upon arrival.

Members of the Bath Police Department, Steuben County Sheriffs Office and New York State Police entered the residence and located Fisher inside. He was transferred to Bath Ambulance personnel and transported by Bath Ambulance and Steuben County Advanced Life Support to the hospital.

Three law enforcement officers were injured during the rescue effort. Two officers from the Bath Police Department and one deputy from the Steuben County Sheriffs Office were treated at local hospitals for smoke inhalation.

Multiple fire departments assisted with the response, including Bath Fire Department, Bath VA, Hammondsport, Kanona, Savona, Painted Post and Wayne fire departments.
Editors note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that a second board member was present during an argument Monday. Only the SPCA board president was there.

DeWitt, N.Y.  An internal dispute and concerns about animal conditions at the CNY SPCA led to a walkout by staff Tuesday and the resignation of the shelters entire board of directors the following day.

Before the walkout, staff transferred 30 dogs last weekend from the SPCA to a nonprofit rescue without board approval. Staff members said the move was intended to relieve overcrowding and place the dogs in better care.

New York state regulators now plan to inspect the SPCA after receiving complaints about conditions.

Those incidents have left the 135-year-old SPCA in turmoil as the nonprofit works to reorganize itself.

Sarah Blevins, a part-time receptionist at the DeWitt shelter for about a year, said tensions escalated last Monday during an argument involving Board President Monica Williams. The shelter is overseen by its board after executive director Sean-Patrick Malloy recently resigned.

Since the board took over operations, Blevins said staff members have faced bullying and intimidation. She said Williams threatened to fire employees for moving furniture inside the shelter and that one staff member was suspended for rearranging items in his own office.

Williams and other board members have not responded to repeated inquiries from syracuse.com | The Post-Standard about the boards resignation and the allegations made by employees

Last Monday, Blevins said staff disagreed with Williams over decisions involving some of the dogs and their care.

Blevins said Williams told her to go home for the day. When another receptionist said he would also leave, Blevins said Williams terminated him. The worker handled all the cat care plans at the shelter, while Blevins handles the dogs.

By Tuesday morning, about a dozen employees and volunteers walked out and protested outside the shelter. Protesters accused the board members of allowing animals to be neglected and called for their resignation.

Concerns about staff turnover, frozen water bowls and broken kennels have gone unaddressed, according to Lizzy Scollo, who resigned about a month ago as adoption and training manager.

We have been overcrowded for almost a year, Blevins said. Over the summer, we had dogs in offices, at our homes, in our community room.

On Wednesday, the entire board resigned.

The board announced it is seeking a full leadership reset by the end of next month, according to a message sent to shelter employees Wednesday that was obtained by syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. Nonprofit consultants have been hired to guide the transition, according to the message.

The protest and resignation of the board followed the weekend transfer of dozens of dogs from the SPCA to Helping Hounds Dog Rescue in Cicero. The staff said they couldnt get in touch with board members to approve the transfer, but thought it was the best decision for the dogs, so they went ahead with it. To the staffs surprise, board members didnt speak to them about the transfer.

The relationship between the SPCA and Helping Hounds began in November, said Kathy Gilmour, executive director of Helping Hounds.

Her volunteers found two stray dogs near their Caswell Street building in Cicero and reached out to the SPCA. The organizations agreed that the SPCA would take the two strays if Helping Hounds accepted two dogs already at the DeWitt facility.

When Helping Hounds staff arrived at the SPCA, Gilmour said they were shocked by what they saw.

Our hearts shattered when we walked through those kennels, she said. Theres no humane way to care for that many dogs with that level of staffing.

Helping Hounds had dozens of open kennels and offered to take additional dogs.

If I have kennels and youre drowning in them, move them, she said. Thats what makes sense to us.

In total, 30 dogs were transferred, Gilmour said.

Gilmour said many SPCA employees were trying their best under difficult circumstances.

Theyre young, inexperienced, compassionate, passionate people that knew what was happening there was wrong, she said.

She added that extended kennel stays can take a toll on animals.

Even with the most vibrant enrichment program, this is not a natural way for a dog to live, she said. The vast majority of those dogs were exhibiting extreme stress.

Staff said the environment at the SPCA was causing the animals a great deal of stress, which is why they wanted the dogs moved to a place where they could receive better care and be adopted faster.

Gilmour said if she heard of an organization that wasnt properly taking care of dogs, she would be looking for the SPCA to shut them down and take the animals.

This time, she said, its them.

State regulators said they are now stepping in. The shelter, which houses over a hundred animals, is licensed by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. The department will conduct an educational visit in the coming days, followed by an unannounced inspection at a later date, according to spokesperson Jola Szubielski.

Blevins said the shelter has up to 70 dogs and about the same number of cats, with even more animals in their care when including those in foster homes.

The nonprofit provides shelter and medical care for stray, abused and unwanted animals and assists police with animal cruelty investigations. It also earns about $200,000 annually providing dog control services to the towns of Clay, Lysander and Manlius, according to tax records.

The building housing the shelter was constructed in 1965, according to county property records. The organization is currently raising money for a new facility, but Blevins said she hasnt seen necessary repairs or upgrades to the current building.

The SPCA has faced challenges before. In 2016, four employees, including the then-executive director, were charged with stealing more than $1 million from the nonprofit. All later pleaded guilty.

The state Attorney Generals Office also investigated the shelter in recent years. That investigation was closed because there were no allegations of financial abuse or mismanagement, the office said. The shelter passed the investigation, Williams previously said.
Syracuse, N.Y.  A majority of the Syracuse Common Council supports opting the city into the states Good Cause Eviction Law, a year after a slightly different group of city legislators pulled the measure from consideration.

Councilor-at-Large Hanah Ehrenreich, newly elected to her seat last fall, is introducing a Good Cause opt-in for the councils Feb. 9 meeting. Four other councilors are co-sponsoring the legislation  enough for it to pass  and Mayor Sharon Owens has said she supports it.

The state adopted Good Cause Eviction in 2024 and automatically applied it to New York City, but left it to Upstate municipalities to decide if they wanted to opt in.

The law limits rent increases and provides protections against retaliatory evictions. Supporters say it prevents landlords from imposing exorbitant rents or removing tenants if they complain about neglected maintenance. Critics say existing laws protect tenants adequately and Good Cause will discourage investment in new housing.

Ehrenreich is introducing the legislation after Owens noted her support for it at Thursdays State of the City address.

We need to ensure our existing rental stock is safe and remains affordable for our residents, Owens said.

Former Mayor Ben Walsh did not take a position for or against Good Cause for Syracuse. Instead, he waited to see what the Common Council would do.

The council considered a Good Cause Eviction proposal in 2025, but the measure itself never came to a vote. After its introduction in August 2024, councilors held multiple committee meetings to hear from stakeholders, including tenant rights advocates and landlords. Then, in a 5-4 vote in early February 2025, councilors withdrew the item for further research.

Two councilors who supported the withdrawal, At-Large Councilor Rasheada Caldwell and District 4 Councilor Patrona Jones-Rowser, remain on the body after last falls elections.

But another councilor who agreed with the withdrawal in 2025 is now one of the co-sponsors joining Ehrenreich. District 1 Councilor Marty Nave said he understands the arguments on both sides of the issue and feels its important to restart the discussion.

He believes theres an opportunity to tweak the legislation to bring other councilors on board.

Lets get it out there and talk about it, he said.

Other co-sponsors include District 3 Councilor Corey Williams and District 5 Councilor Jimmy Monto, along with Councilor-at-Large Chol Majok. All three backed Good Cause a year ago, as well.

Ehrenreich said Good Cause is an important tool to help responsible tenants stay in their lease, which helps stabilize the rental market.

She noted, though, that Good Cause should not be viewed as a cure-all for the citys housing challenges. State and federal support for creating more affordable units, fixing problems like contamination and providing rental payment assistance are vital and local officials need to continue advocating for them.

Several upstate cities have now opted into Good Cause, including Albany, Ithaca and Rochester.
The University of Rochesters Laboratory for Laser Energetics will receive $111 million in federal funding for fiscal year 2026, marking the largest annual funding level in the laboratorys history.

The funding from the U.S. Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration represents a 17 percent increase over the previous year and was approved by both houses of Congress before President Donald Trump signed it into law. The money will support operations from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.

The allocation will restart major sustainment projects at the Omega Laser Facility, the nations largest university-based laser facility operated by the Department of Energy. The funding comes after NNSA provided Congress with a report outlining sustainment needs across all major facilities in the inertial confinement fusion program.

The laboratory serves as a key facility for studying high-energy-density physics and laser-driven fusion. The funding will enable researchers to develop diagnostics, experimental platforms and laser technologies while working with scientists at national laboratories and universities.

Christopher Deeney, LLE director, said the investment will preserve and modernize the facility to meet research needs through the 2040s.

LLE is home to the largest lasers at an academic institution in the world and serves as the nations premier laser user facility, Deeney said. It will strengthen our ability to support the nations national security missions for NNSA, while expanding opportunities for scientific discovery and training for students.

The fiscal year 2026 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill also allocated $8.4 billion for the Department of Energys Office of Science to advance research in high-performance computing, quantum information science, artificial intelligence and fusion energy sciences.

The laboratory contributes to regional economic development through procurement activities and connections to Rochesters optics, photonics, imaging, and lasers supply chain. The facility sources components and manufacturing services from local businesses, creating jobs in the region.

LLE and the Institute of Optics have a vibrant history of innovation and leadership in technology development, in part supported by the continued New York State investments, Deeney said. Continued innovation will keep Rochester as the place to develop lasers and optics.

The laboratorys work includes advancing laser direct-drive fusion and developing high-power laser technologies through various federal programs.
Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the team of negotiators at the trilateral meetings between Ukraine, Russia and the United States, at which, particularly, they discussed the bilateral document on security guarantees with the United States and further work on documents on recovery and economic development.

The meeting was attended by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov, Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Serhiy Kyslytsia, Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov, and Advisor to the President's Office head Oleksandr Bevz.

"I held a meeting with our negotiating team before a new round of trilateral meetings. We expect a meeting in the near future, already on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Today, almost all members of the negotiating team were at the meeting, namely Rustem Umerov, Kyrylo Budanov, Serhiy Kyslytsia, Andriy Hnatov, Oleksandr Bevz. David Arakhamia will also take part in the negotiations. I agreed with the team on the framework of the conversation and specific tasks," Zelenskyy said on Telegram channel.

Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian delegation will have bilateral meetings with the U.S. side.

"Ukraine is ready for real steps. We believe that it is realistic to achieve a decent and lasting peace. We believe that the bilateral document on security guarantees with the United States is ready, and we count on further substantive work on documents on reconstruction and economic development. We also count on the fact that the American side can continue to be decisive in ensuring the necessary conditions for dialogue. The de-escalation measures, which actually worked last Friday night, help to achieve people's trust in the negotiation process and in a possible outcome. The war must be ended," the president said.

According to Western media reports, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff will take part in a new round of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
Artificial intelligence operates through statistical pattern recognition, ingesting massive datasets to predict outcomes without consciousness, emotions, or true reasoning. Unlike humans, AI cannot grasp sarcasm intuitively, contextualize moral dilemmas, or recall episodic memories, yet it processes enormous information volumes in seconds. This unique difference allows AI to excel at tasks requiring tireless computation, data consistency, and optimization at scales impossible for the human brain, from predicting protein folding to scanning millions of financial transactions.

While AI lacks awareness and understanding, it can transform industries by performing repetitive, high-precision operations error-free. Human intelligence thrives on intuition, empathy, and creativity, yet these qualities come with variability, fatigue, and bias. AI vs human intelligence highlights complementary strengths, demonstrating that the absence of human-like thinking is not a limitation but a defining feature enabling unprecedented scalability and efficiency.

How AI Works: Pattern Matching vs Human Reasoning

How AI works relies on neural networks and transformer architectures that process information through statistical correlations rather than conscious understanding. Inputs are tokenized, embedded in vectors, and run through layers where billions of weights adjust to minimize prediction errors via backpropagation. The model outputs probabilistic predictions, selecting the most likely next token or action based on learned patterns, without awareness of meaning.

Key principles include attention mechanisms, which weigh contextual relevance across sequences, enabling language models to generate coherent text or code despite lacking reasoning. Human cognition, in contrast, interprets sensory qualia, applies analogies, and follows goal-directed intent, often generalizing from a handful of examples. AI vs human intelligence favors machines in exhaustive pattern analysis, while humans excel at flexible abstraction, causal reasoning, and integrating ethics or emotion into decisions.

Artificial Intelligence Limitations: No Consciousness or Common Sense

Artificial intelligence limitations arise because models operate purely on correlations and statistics, lacking understanding of causality, context, or ethical judgment. AI can simulate empathy or moral reasoning through sentiment labels or reinforcement learning, yet it fails classic Winograd schema tests or nuanced sarcasm, often performing below human accuracy. Errors occur in zero-shot scenarios, long-horizon planning, or creative extrapolation where context and experience guide human thought naturally.

Despite these limitations, AI decision making thrives in well-defined domains. It is scalable, tireless, and highly consistent, outperforming humans in tasks like fraud detection, logistics optimization, or large-scale simulations. Rather than imitating human thought, AI leverages its strengthsprocessing speed, memory, and parallel computationto complement human cognition, transforming industries while leaving ethical, empathetic, and judgment-based decisions to people.

AI vs Human Intelligence: Scalability and Decision Making

AI vs human intelligence becomes most evident in scale, precision, and reliability. Models can analyze millions of images, transactions, or sequences simultaneously, maintaining perfect recall and eliminating fatigue-induced errors. Human performance varies with stress, sleep, and attention, whereas AI decision making enforces consistency and objective evaluation across repeated tasks.

This scalability enables breakthroughs in fields like healthcare, where AI identifies patterns in radiology scans faster than specialists, or in drug discovery, predicting molecular interactions at speeds impossible for humans. AI decision making operates with probabilistic outputs, hedging uncertainty through calibrated confidence scores, and can adapt to reinforcement learning feedback to optimize for narrow objectives reliably. How AI works, artificial intelligence limitations, and AI vs human intelligence highlight that non-human cognition is a powerful tool reshaping workflows and research paradigms.

Harnessing AI Strengths: Optimization Without Fatigue

AI decision making excels at solving narrow, well-defined problems with efficiency impossible for humans. Reinforcement learning, Monte Carlo simulations, and deep neural networks allow AI to optimize logistics routes, detect fraud, translate languages, and model protein folding at massive scales. Humans may ideate creatively, but AI remixes distributions and identifies solutions systematically, reducing error and time.

This capability is transforming industries: financial services leverage AI for 99.9% recall in anomaly detection, supply chains optimize NP-hard routing problems in real time, and language models translate low-resource languages while maintaining consistent accuracy. By focusing on pattern recognition rather than emulating human thought, AI turns limitations into advantages, achieving precision, reliability, and reproducibility that humans cannot match.

Non-Human Cognition in Action: Why AI's Strength Lies in Its Difference

AI's greatest strength lies in what it cannot dothink like a human. By avoiding subjective biases, fatigue, or moral dilemmas, AI delivers unmatched consistency and scale across repetitive or data-heavy tasks. Industries from pharmaceuticals to aerospace benefit from AI's tireless optimization and error-free analysis, while humans contribute creativity, judgment, and ethical guidance. AI vs human intelligence demonstrates that understanding is not required for impact; precision and computational power suffice to advance science, business, and technology exponentially.

Non-human cognition is a strategic advantage, allowing AI to complement human strengths rather than compete directly. By exploiting statistical learning, pattern recognition, and high-speed computation, AI transforms workflows and accelerates discovery. Its differences are the source of its power, turning absence of thought into scalable, reliable performance that reshapes how we solve problems in every sector.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can AI truly understand what it processes?

No, AI operates through statistical pattern recognition and probability estimation. It does not possess consciousness, comprehension, or intuition. AI can generate human-like text or predictions, but it is limited to correlations learned from data. Understanding and meaning remain uniquely human capacities.

2. Why is AI better at some tasks than humans?

AI excels at high-volume, repetitive, and data-intensive tasks. Its parallel processing, perfect memory, and lack of fatigue allow rapid and consistent analysis. Humans are slower and prone to errors in these domains. AI can identify patterns across millions of examples instantly.

3. What are the risks of AI's lack of common sense?

AI may misinterpret context, misapply causal relationships, or produce outputs that defy human logic. It can be fooled by adversarial inputs or hallucinate facts. Reliance without human oversight may lead to errors in critical systems. Careful design and supervision mitigate these risks.

4. How does AI complement human intelligence?

AI handles scale, precision, and optimization that humans cannot manage. Humans provide creativity, ethics, and contextual judgment. Together, AI and humans solve complex problems efficiently. Collaboration leverages each side's strengths for better outcomes.
Hyundai Motor America is recalling nearly 569,000 Palisade SUVs in the US due to a potential safety issue with their third-row air bags, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Thursday.

The side-curtain air bags for third-row passengers may not deploy properly during a crash, putting occupants at risk.

The recall affects Palisade models from 2020 through 2025. NHTSA said the SUVs fail to meet federal safety standards because of the air bag problem.

Hyundai identified the issue during compliance testing conducted in December 2025 and quickly notified regulators.

A fix for the air bag issue is currently being developed. Hyundai plans to cover any out-of-pocket costs for affected vehicle owners once the remedy becomes available.

According to CBS News, the automaker will begin sending notification letters to owners by March 23, 2026. The company's official recall number is 292.

"The safety of our customers is our top priority," Hyundai said in a statement. "We are working to provide a solution as quickly as possible and will reimburse owners for any costs associated with this recall."

Hyundai issues recall for hundreds of thousands of popular SUV model over faulty feature https://t.co/t3I7hPtMYz pic.twitter.com/UDTzs98aXw  New York Post (@nypost) January 29, 2026

Hyundai Warns Palisade Owners

The air bags in question were supplied to Hyundai by Sweden-based Autoliv, the world's largest producer of airbags and seatbelts.

NHTSA's notice emphasizes that third-row passengers may face increased risk if the air bags fail to deploy in a crash.

In addition to the Palisade air bag recall, Hyundai is also recalling 41,651 vehicles in the US due to a separate instrument panel display failure, CNA reported. That issue will be resolved through a software update.

Hyundai Palisade owners are advised to check whether their vehicles are affected as soon as possible.

Owners can visit NHTSA's website or contact Hyundai directly to confirm if their SUV is included in the recall.

The recall highlights the ongoing importance of vehicle safety checks and manufacturer vigilance.

For families who rely on the Palisade's third-row seating, the air bag issue could be especially concerning.

Hyundai is urging customers to take the matter seriously while assuring them that a remedy is forthcoming.

Originally published on vcpost.com
A federal jury in San Francisco has found a former Google software engineer guilty of economic espionage and stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets, marking the first US conviction tied directly to AI technology theft.

The verdict came after an 11-day trial and centers on claims that the engineer took sensitive Google data to benefit Chinese companies.

The jury ruled Thursday that Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding, committed seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of theft of trade secrets.

Prosecutors said Ding stole thousands of pages of confidential Google documents while working at the company.

Authorities say the information was taken to help China gain an edge in the fast-moving AI race.

"In today's high-stakes race to dominate the field of artificial intelligence, Linwei Ding betrayed both the US and his employer," said Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the FBI's espionage unit, NY Post reported.

He added that the stolen data involved Google's advanced AI technology.

According to the Justice Department, Ding worked at Google from 2019 and began taking files between May 2022 and April 2023.

He uploaded more than 2,000 pages of secret material to his personal Google Cloud account.

Less than two weeks before leaving Google in December 2023, he also downloaded the files onto his personal computer, court records show.

Former Google Engineer Found Guilty of Economic Espionage and Theft of Confidential AI Technology https://t.co/RZcsxwdDoV@FBISanFrancisco pic.twitter.com/Ey5oskdACU  FBI (@FBI) January 30, 2026

Ex-Google Engineer Worked With Chinese Tech Firms

Prosecutors said Ding secretly worked with two Chinese technology firms during this time. He was also in talks to become a chief technology officer for a China-based company and was planning his own startup.

In messages to potential investors, Ding claimed he could build an AI supercomputer using the stolen information, according to the Justice Department.

The stolen documents included details about Google's Tensor Processing Unit chips and its SmartNIC network card.

Officials said this technology helps train large AI models and gives Google an advantage over rivals like Amazon and Microsoft.

"This case involved some of the most advanced AI technology in the world at a critical moment in AI development," said Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg.

According to SCMP, Ding now faces serious penalties. Each economic espionage charge carries a possible 15-year prison sentence, while each trade secrets charge can lead to up to 10 years behind bars.

Fines could also reach millions of dollars. A status conference is scheduled for February 3.

Ding's attorney argued that Google failed to properly protect its information, saying the documents should not count as trade secrets. The jury rejected that claim.

Originally published on vcpost.com
Apple has quietly rolled out a new privacy feature that gives iPhone and iPad users more control over how precisely their mobile carrier can track their location.

The new setting, called Limit Precise Location, is available on select devices running iOS 26.3 or later. This feature reduces the amount of detailed location data shared with cellular networks, helping prevent unnecessary tracking while leaving everyday phone functions unaffected.

Reducing Location Precision Shared With Carriers

Cellular networks typically estimate a devices location based on nearby cell towers, often with help from data provided by the device itself. With the new setting enabled, carriers receive only a broader estimate of a users location  such as the general neighbourhood  instead of a precise street-level position.

The limit precise location setting doesnt impact the precision of the location data that is shared with emergency responders during an emergency call, Apple said in a support document published last week.

This setting affects only the location data available to cellular networks. It doesnt impact the location data that you share with apps through Location Services. For example, it has no impact on sharing your location with friends and family with Find My.

Apple says this change helps protect users from unnecessary tracking without affecting network performance or connectivity.

No Impact On Apps Or Emergency Calls

Apple emphasized that the feature does not affect how apps access location data through Apples Location Services. In other words, location access for apps remains unchanged, which means Apps like Maps, ride-hailing services, or Apples own Find My feature continue to work as usual.

Emergency services are also excluded from the restriction. During an emergency call, precise location information is still shared with first responders when it matters most.

Supported Devices And Networks

The Limit Precise Location setting is currently restricted to a small set of devices  the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and iPad Pro (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular models  running iOS 26.3 or later. Availability also depends on carrier support.

At launch, compatible networks include Telekom in Germany, EE and BT in the United Kingdom; Boost Mobile in the United States, and AIS and True in Thailand. Apple has not announced when broader carrier support may arrive.

How To Enable The Feature

Users can turn on the feature by heading to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options and toggling on Limit Precise Location. In some cases, a device restart may be required to complete activation.

Why The Change Matters

Apple has not publicly explained why it introduced the feature now. However, the move comes amid growing concerns over how telecom companies collect, share, and secure location data of customers.

In April 2024, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission fined major wireless carriers nearly $200 million for improperly sharing location data. Hackers have increasingly targeted telecom networks for sensitive customer information, with recent breaches exposing how valuable and vulnerable telecom-held information can be.

Security researchers note that many users are unaware their devices share location data not just with apps, but also directly with cellular networks. By giving users control at the carrier level, Apple is adding a new layer of protection to address a long-standing gap in mobile privacy.

Bottomline

Although the rollout is currently narrow, the feature signals Apples continued push to move privacy controls closer to the user. This could put pressure on more mobile carriers to support similar protections in the future, setting a new standard for how much location data they are able  or allowed  to collect from users.
During OSCE leadership meeting, Sybiha calls for release of three Ukrainian SMM employees illegally detained by Russia

Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/

During a meeting in Kyiv with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, and OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioglu, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha briefed the OSCE on Russia's war crimes and systematic attacks on critical infrastructure, and reaffirmed Ukraine's readiness to further develop cooperation with the OSCE.

We discussed the dynamic of peace efforts, the outcomes and expectations of the meetings in Abu Dhabi, and the battlefield situation. I informed OSCE leadership about Russias war crimes, strikes against civilians, and attacks on energy infrastructure leaving people without power, heating, and water amid freezing temperatures, Sybiha said on X.

He confirmed Ukraine's readiness to further develop cooperation with the OSCE and promote shared priorities during the Swiss chairmanship of the organization, and emphasized the importance of the humanitarian track and the issue of responsibility.

I also reminded about three OSCE employees: Vadym Holda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov  who remain detained in Russia and our call for them to be released, the foreign minister noted.

The meeting also discussed the OSCE's role in the post-war period, in particular in promoting lasting peace in Ukraine and ensuring stability throughout the OSCE region, as well as shared responsibility for upholding and protecting the fundamental principles of the Helsinki Final Act.

Three OSCE SMM staff members  Vadym Holda, Maksym Petrov, and Dmytro Shabanov  were detained in April 2022 in Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk, where they were carrying out their official duties under the mandate of all 57 OSCE participating States.

In September 2022, Maksym Petrov and Dmitry Shabanov were "found guilty" and sentenced to 13 years in prison by Russian occupation courts.
Elephant kills tourist at Thai national park



Bangkok, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2026



A wild bull elephant killed a tourist in central Thailand's Khao Yai National Park on Monday, a park official said, the third fatality linked to the same animal.

The 65-year-old Thai tourist from Lopburi province was out for a morning walk with his wife when he was trampled to death by an elephant named Oyewan, national park chief Chaiya Huayhongthong told AFP.

His wife managed to escape after park rangers scared the animal away, Chaiya said.

"He was the third person killed by Oyewan," he said, adding that the wild bull elephant could have been responsible for several more deaths that remain unsolved.

Chaiya said authorities will meet on Friday to decide what to do with the elephant.

"We will probably decide to relocate him or change his behaviour," he said, without elaborating.

More than 220 people, including tourists, have been killed by wild elephants since 2012, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

Wild elephant numbers in Thailand rose from 334 in 2015 to almost 800 last year, prompting authorities to administer contraceptive vaccines to female animals in an effort to control their ballooning population.

An elephant killed a Spanish tourist while she was bathing the animal at a sanctuary in southern Thailand in January last year.

Another tourist was killed by an elephant at a national park in Loei province in northern Thailand in December 2024.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about peace efforts, continued support for Ukrainians, and a new package of sanctions against Russia.

As we approach the fourth year of the brutal war against Ukraine, Russia continues to double down on war crimes, striking civilian infrastructure and homes, von der Leyen said on X.

She said Europe's support for Ukraine remains unwavering. In particular, the EU is sending hundreds of generators to provide heat and electricity in the face of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

Von der Leyen recalled that the European Commission has proposed a loan of EUR 90 billion to Ukraine for 20262027. This package, approved by EU leaders at the end of 2025, provides for financing both Ukraine's budgetary and defense needs.

In addition, the parties are promoting the preparation of a single unified Prosperity Framework for Ukraine, which is being developed jointly with American partners.

And very soon, we will present our 20th package of sanctions, the President of the European Commission added.

In addition, the parties are promoting the preparation of a single unified Prosperity Framework for Ukraine, which is being developed jointly with American partners.
UN expert slams harsh sanctions on climate activists in Norway



Geneva, Feb 2 (AFP) Feb 02, 2026



A UN expert took Norway to task Monday over "punitive and repressive" sanctions slapped on four activists who threw paint on sculptures and a government ministry to protest oil exploration.

Michel Forst, the UN special rapporteur on environmental defenders, described as "highly troubling" the Norwegian supreme court rulings in December, which handed the protesters prison time and steep fines.

Forst is an independent expert appointed to monitor compliance with the UN's Aarhus Convention, which provides for justice in environmental matters.

He warned in a statement that imposing harsh sentences for the offence of "aggravated damage" violated the convention.

The two judgements "may demonstrate a lack of understanding of Norway's obligations under ... the Aarhus Convention in relation to the protection of persons engaging in peaceful environmental protest", he said.

Two of the activists, Anne Klenge and Joachim Skahjem, had sought in November 2022 to highlight Norway's failures in reducing carbon emissions and its ongoing oil exploration policy with an action in Oslo's Vigeland Sculpture Park.

Forst said they had thrown "washable water-based paint" on the Monolith, which towers over the park, as well as several other nearby sculptures.

A year later, Esther Hjerrild and Fridtjof Klareng Dale "sprayed washable water-based paint" on the exterior of Norway's climate and environment ministry.

All four activists were ultimately sentenced to prison terms of up to 50 days, while Hjerrild and Klareng Dale received a particularly steep compensation claim of nearly 1.2 million kroner ($120,000), which they were ordered to pay within two weeks of the verdict.

"In a highly troubling development, the supreme court decided to impose even harsher sentences on the environmental defenders than the lower courts had done," Forst said.

The expert, who does not speak on behalf of the UN, stressed that Norway as a party to the Aarhus Convention had a "specific obligation to ensure the protection of environmental defenders".

And "while law-breaking during a peaceful environmental protest may be sanctioned", he added, it must be "reasonable, proportional and pursue a legitimate public purpose".

Forst said the sanctions instead appeared to be "punitive and repressive", warning that the "criminalisation of persons engaged in peaceful environmental protest and civil disobedience is a major threat to democracy".

"This must sound the alarm for any member of the public in Norway who cares about the environment and maintaining a safe civic space," he said.
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Nancy Meyers is set to direct her first new film in 11 years.

The beloved filmmaker, 76, is known for writing the Father of the Bride films and directing classics including The Parent Trap, What Women Want, Somethings Gotta Give and The Holiday. Most recently, she directed the Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway comedy The Intern in 2015.

A title for her next film, a romantic comedy, has not yet been confirmed but Warner Bros. have announced it will be released Christmas Day 2027. It is set to feature an all-star cast headlined by Penelope Cruz, Kieran Culkin, Jude Law, Emma Mackey and Owen Wilson.

No plot details have been revealed, but Variety reported that the film will be a version of Paris Paramount, which Meyers had hoped to make at Netflix in 2023.

At that time, Meyers teased the project on Instagram by posting a quote from Heaven Can Wait director Ernst Lubitsch: Ive been to Paris, France and Ive been to Paris, Paramount and frankly, I prefer Paris, Paramount.

Penelope Cruz, Nancy Meyers and Kieran Culkin are set to work together on the director's first film in 11 years ( Getty )

She captioned the post: Theres been a lot written about my new film. Heres one thing I can easily clear up  and thats the title  PARIS PARAMOUNT. Its from a quote by the brilliant and elegant comedy director (dare I say creator of the romantic comedy) Ernst Lubitsch. The movie is about a group of people making a film and the magic and mystery of what we do. As always, Lubitsch said it best.

Last year, Meyers published an emotional farewell for her friend of almost 40 years Diane Keaton following the actors death at the age of 79.

Meyers and Keaton collaborated on many films, first working together on Baby Boom in 1987, followed by Father of the Bride in 1991, and Somethings Gotta Give in 2003, the last earning Keaton an Oscar nomination.

In a post on social media, Meyers described the actor as a giant who changed my life.

These past 48 hours have not been easy. Seeing all of your tributes to Diane has been a comfort. As a movie lover, Im with you all  we have lost a giant. A brilliant actress who time and again laid herself bare to tell our stories, Meyers wrote on Instagram.

She continued: As a woman, I lost a friend of almost 40 years  at times over those years, she felt like a sister because we shared so many truly memorable experiences. As a filmmaker, Ive lost a connection with an actress that one can only dream of.
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Trevor Noah wasted no time wading into politics during Sunday nights Grammys.

Returning to host musics biggest night for a sixth time, Noah came out swinging at President Donald Trump and his MAGA allies during his opening monologue.

Nicki Minaj is not here, Noah said, referencing the controversial rappers recent outspoken support of the President, which led to her attending a U.S. Treasury event last Wednesday. Shes still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.

The audience at the star-studded ceremony laughed and cheered in response to Noahs joke, with Chrissy Teigen even giving a thumbs up to the camera.

Noah then jokingly gave his best presidential impression, saying in Trumps voice: Actually Nicki, I have the biggest ass! Everybodys saying it. I know they say its you, but its me. WAP, WAP, WAP. Look at it, baby.

open image in gallery Host Trevor Noah poked fun at controversial rapper Nicki Minaj during his opening monologue ( AFP via Getty Images )

open image in gallery Nicki Minaj was gifted a Trump Gold Card during her recent appearance at the President's Treasury Department's Trump Accounts Summit ( Getty Images )

Minaj was not nominated for any Grammy at this years ceremony. She was last nominated for an award in 2024 for Best Rap Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media for her song on the Barbie soundtrack. The rapper has never won a Grammy, despite being nominated 12 times.

After Noahs dig, Minaj wrote to her followers on X, Hey wyd. She later posted that Democrats are soulless and said that other celebrities continue to attempt bullying.

The rappers recent alliance with Trump has divided her fans. As some criticized her support of an anti-immigrant president, others speculated that she formed the relationship in order to fast-track her residency with the million-dollar Trump Gold Card, which the president promised would get owners citizenship in record time.

After appearing at an event with the President last week, the rapper declared: I am probably the presidents number one fan, and thats not going to change.

She added, The hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more. He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him.

Meanwhile, Noah took another jab at Trump later in the ceremony by joking about leaving his Grammys hosting gig after six years  with a nod to previous speculation about whether or not Trump will run for a third term in 2028.

I believe in term limits. I wanted to set an example for anyone who might be watching the show, Noah said while staring into the camera.

Leave when your time is up.
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Theres something in the water here in the UK (other than sewage overflow), which has turned the TV viewing public into gluttons for subterfuge. Deception, betrayal, fragile alliances: these descriptors could be applied equally to both of 2026s biggest shows, The Traitors and The Night Manager, which concluded its second series tonight. But did Tom Hiddlestons mystery man get banished from the Amazonian jungle? Or did he manage to turn the tables on his treacherous opponent?

With Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) on the verge of an arms deal that will destabilise Colombias peace and (somehow) repay his Syrian creditors, focus moves to the seductive powers of Jonathan Pine. Successfully turning Ropers pouting illegitimate son and obedient lieutenant Teddy (Diego Calva) allows Pine to inveigle his way into the Colombian rebels operation. You can be free, Pine implores Teddy. But not with him alive. Sadly, for Teddy, it is Roper who comes out on top/ I forgive your immortal soul, he whispers to his son, before putting a bullet into his forehead. But not your mortal one. There is no mercy, either, for Olivia Colmans Angela Burr, whose power struggle with MI5 Chief Mayra Cavendish (Indira Varma), ends with her bleeding out in the French snow. And so the series, which seemed to be building towards some retribution, ends with Roper restored, rolling through the Cotswolds in a blacked-out Range Rover, while it is Pines turn to end a season bruised, bloodied and running for his life. So much for justice.

This lack of resolution contrasts with the ending of the shows first season. There, Richard Onslow Roper  a grippingly malevolent force  was delivered into the merciless hands of his enemies by the combined forces of Burr and Pine. It felt a reasonable conclusion (somewhat more definite than the ending of le Carres novel) and remained that way for 10 years and three episodes. But just as Tom needs Jerry, Holmes needs Moriarty and Neo needs Agent Smith, The Night Manager needs Richard Roper. Hugh Lauries return, for the second half of this series, has injected it with renewed energy. He has a weight of charisma that Hiddleston lacks; Roper chews the scenery, while Pine remains, true to his name, immovably wooden. I pride myself on being an adaptable man, he purrs, sinisterly. When circumstances demand it, I shed a skin and pick up a new one.

The return of Roper to narrative primacy meant that characters like Camila Morrone's Roxy, Paul Chahidi's Basil and Hayley Squiress Sally are relegated to bit parts in the denouement. At its heart, this is a story about fathers and sons  both Roper and the child he fathered in the mountains of Colombia, and Roper and the superspy he engendered over the course of the first seasons rough apprenticeship. Youre a real big game hunter, arent you Jonathan, he observes. First my American sweetheart, now my very own son. But Pines relationship with Teddy feels far less plausible than his earlier intrigue with Jed, Ropers willowy consort played by Elizabeth Debicki. Indeed, Teddys damascene conversion comes across as rushed and improbable. He regresses from hard-bitten guerrilla leader to a blubbering daddys boy. Pines sympathy for Teddy, too, seems to forget the events of earlier episodes, where Teddy blew Pines beloved colleagues to smithereens. I guess all is forgiven if you have those cheekbones?

These twisting loyalties reveal a lack of integrity to le Carres source material. Above all else, le Carre was a ferociously plausible writer. His situations could have been lifted from the redacted files of British Intelligence, and his characters always seemed motivated by distinctly human foibles. Pride, fear, envy, anger, revenge. But, in this second series, Pine has become a dead-eyed monomaniac, and while Ropers desire to return home, to England, feels tangible, his plan  brokering continental chaos in South America  is wild and unruly. Despite the huge gap between the first and second series of The Night Manager, this run of episodes has ended up feeling like a bridge to the shows inevitable third season where Roper will, once again, be in a position of power and Pine, once again, the outsider nipping at his heels.

None of this is to say that these six episodes have been without their charms. Hiddleston is a suave cypher, and, in a world where Amazon has bought James Bond, its nice to see the BBC investing in a very British spy franchise. But that simple pleasure of the original The Night Manager  will he be rumbled?  has been diluted by a messy, high stakes plot. For all the Medellin MacGuffins (the state-of-the-art electromagnetic pulse weapon is straight out of Mission: Impossible), this series was, ultimately, the redemption of Richard Roper. Somehow, with the viewing public suitably enthralled, I doubt well have to wait another decade for his downfall.
The Omega Special Forces Center of the National Guard of Ukraine has highly qualified instructors, 100% of whom have combat experience.

This was told in Interfax-Ukraine video podcast by Omega servicemen.

The fighters said it is thanks to high-quality training and professional organization that special forces show effective results. The training is aimed at creating universal fighters capable of operating in the most difficult conditions.

Answering the question of how the training takes place and what are the requirements for those wishing to enter Omega, the instructor of the special forces center with the call sign "Mamai" said that there are multiple stages.

"The first thing that is required of a candidate is his motivation, as well as physical training, mental abilities and the ability to play in a team," he said.

According to "Mamai," the basic level of training is two months, the special forces course is also two months. "Another two months are given to 'break in' a fighter in a group," he added.

When asked what percentage of instructors have combat experience, "Mamai" said: "Everyone."

Speaking of age opportunities, the instructor explained that currently Omega center offers the so-called "18-24 years" program with the signing of a contract.

"If you add everything up, then this is six months of training under a contract for a year, which is quite good... After this base six months, a more specific direction of the fighter begins. He chooses a direction, a specialty (UAV, medicine, machine gunner) and continues to develop," "Mamai" said.

As explained in Omega center, the requirements for candidates are quite high, they need to have good physical training.

"In particular, run the same three kilometers in 12 minutes, before that 100 meters, 18 pull-ups and pass the 'Alpha-text,' and before that the 'Cooper' test is also performed," the serviceman said.

In addition, as told in Omega center, candidates need to go through sparring.

"The essence of sparring is to bring a person to such conditions that he no longer has strength and find out what he will do  whether he will break or not. If it doesn't break, it will continue no matter what," the serviceman said.

The commander of the Omega first special forces group with the call sign "Khudozhnyk" ("Painter") said the purpose of sparring is also to test a person's character.

"After all, you can be physically strong, but come, feel the point of danger and understand that you can't," the serviceman said.

Speaking about the specifics of the training of "Omega" fighters in comparison, for example, with the training of "Alpha" fighters of the SBU, "Khudozhnyk" drew attention to the fact that each unit has certain tasks at a certain period  strategic and tactical.

"A full-scale war has opened the door, the transition from structure to structure is taking place...," he said.

The National Guard's "Omega" special forces group has been on the frontline since 2014.
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A popular bakery item at Costco has been recalled due to an undeclared ingredient, posing a dangerous health risk for certain customers.

The retailer announced a recall of its Mini Beignets filled with Caramel in a recent memo shared with shoppers after it was discovered that the pastries were accidentally filled with Chocolate Hazelnut.

Hazelnut is not listed on the product's labeling and poses the risk of severe life-threatening allergic reaction for someone who is allergic to tree nuts and consumes the beignets.

The recalled product was sold at Costco stores in 22 states  Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington  between January 16, 2026, and January 30, 2026.

Customers are urged not to consume the beignets, especially if they have a tree nut allergy. Instead, they can return the dessert to Costco for a full refund.

open image in gallery Mini Beignets with Caramel from Costco were accidentally filled with Chocolate Hazelnut, posing an allergic reaction for customers ( Getty/iStock )

So far, there have been no illnesses reported to date.

Tree nuts are identified as one of the nine major food allergies in the U.S., along with wheat, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, soy beans, milk, peanuts, and sesame. Allergic reactions to these nine foods vary but can involve hives and lip swelling to severe, life-threatening symptoms, often called anaphylaxis, that may involve fatal respiratory problems and shock, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Costco has previously recalled some of its popular products due to concerning health risks. In September, the retailer recalled its Kirkland brand Ahi Tuna Wasabi Poke Bowl because the green onions in it may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a disease-causing bacteria. The affected products were sold in the deli section of Costco warehouses in 32 states.

In November, Costco also recalled its ready-to-eat Caesar Salad and a Chicken Sandwich with Caesar Salad due to the presence of plastic foreign material in the salad dressing of these items, according to an announcement from the retailer at the time.

But Costco isnt the only retailer plagued by issues with its products. In December, Minnesota-based Gold Star Distribution, Inc., recalled nearly 2,000 of its products after the FDA determined that the companys facility was operating under unsanitary conditions. Recalled products were sold across retailers in three states: Indiana, Minnesota, and North Dakota.

According to the agencys report in December, there was the presence of rodent excreta, rodent urine, and bird droppings in areas where medical devices, drugs, human food, pet food, and cosmetic products were held. The recall was declared a Class II on January 22, meaning eating or using the affected items can pose a serious health risk.

Beloved snacks affected by the recall include Jif Crunchy Peanut Butter, Nutella, Skittles, Snickers, Twix, Haribo Gummy Bears, Pringles, and Takis. Also part of the recall were breakfast items and ingredients, including Kelloggs Rice Krispies Cereal, Cheerios, Quaker Corn Meal, Special K Cereal, and Lucky Charms Cereal.
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Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and his wife Jordyn Blum made a rare public outing with their 19-year-old daughter at a pre-Grammys party, over a year after the rock star admitted to infidelity and fathering a child outside of my marriage.

Grohl, 57, wore a black suit and matching turtleneck as he walked the red carpet at Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala, which honored Republic Records founders Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman, in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 31.

He was joined by his wife, who wore an emerald gown with a dramatic leg slit, and their daughter, Violet, who spotted a red corset-style blazer and matching maxi skirt.

Grohl and Blum, who also share two younger daughters, have been returning to making public appearances after the musician admitted in September 2024 that he was looking to regain the trust of his wife and family after a period of infidelity.

The former Nirvana drummer wrote at the time: Ive recently become the father of a new baby daughter, born outside of my marriage.

open image in gallery Dave Grohl appears on the red carpet alongside his wife, Jordyn Blum, and daughter Violet ( Getty Images )

open image in gallery Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl at the Grammys pre-party ( Getty Images for The Recording A )

I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her, he continued. I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness. Were grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together.

Grohl didnt disclose any further details about the new baby or the mother of the child.

Grohl met Blum, 49, in 2001 and they wed two years later. The couple share three children together: Violet Maye, Harper Willow, and Ophelia Saint, born in 2006, 2009, and 2014, respectively.

The couple made their first official appearance after the infidelity scandal at Wimbledon in London over the summer, as guests at the famous Royal Box.

open image in gallery Grohl and Blum have steadily been making public appearances again after the musicians infidelity scandal ( Getty Images )

Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala is took place ahead of tonights ceremony, which is set to welcome nominees including Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Olivia Dean.

Trevor Noah will host proceedings as stars such as Harry Styles, Carole King, Jeff Goldblum and Charli XCX hand out some of the biggest prizes of the night.

At the pre-party, Best New Artist nominees Alex Warren, Sombr and Dean posed for snaps on the red carpet, alongside artists including Lana Del Rey, Lizzo, Tyla, Demi Lovato and Joni Mitchell.
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For a long moment, Bad Bunny looked overwhelmed by the emotion of it all. After Harry Styles announced that the 31-year-old Puerto Rican superstar had won Album of the Year, the most prestigious prize at the 2026 Grammy Awards, he didnt punch the air or leap from his chair in celebration. Instead he remained seated, one hand covering his face, letting the significance of what had just happened sink in.

Bad Bunny, who was born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, had just become the first artist in the 67-year history of the Grammys to win its highest award for an album performed entirely in Spanish. The significance of that history-making milestone for Latin American music can hardly be divorced from the circumstances in which it occurred.

From the first moment, stars started gathering on the Grammys red carpet, pins reading ICE out could be seen on artists from all backgrounds and across generations. From Joni Mitchell to Justin Bieber, the music world made it clear that events in Minneapolis and beyond would not be ignored.

Fittingly Ocasio, who will headline the Super Bowl halftime show next weekend, delivered most of his Album of the Year acceptance speech in Spanish. However, he did switch to English long enough to deliver a riposte to ICE by dedicating the prize to all the people who had to leave their homeland to follow their dreams.

Earlier, when his album Debi Tirar Mas Fotos also won the Grammy for Best Musica Urbana Album, he was even more direct. Before I say thanks to God, Im going to say ICE out, he began, before an impassioned call to remember that hatred will only breed more hate. The only thing that's more powerful than hate is love, he said. So please we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We dont hate them. We love our people. We love our family and theres a way to do it, with love, and dont forget that.

That message of solidarity and inclusiveness echoed through many of the winners speeches. When British star Olivia Dean was named Best New Artist shortly after performing her breakout hit Man I Need, the clearly emotional 26-year-old referred to herself as the granddaughter of an immigrant to widespread cheers. Im a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated, she added. Were nothing without each other.

open image in gallery Before I say thanks to God, I'm going to say ICE out  Bad Bunny accepts the award for Best Musica Urbana Album at the 2026 Grammys ( AP Photo/Chris Pizzello )

Dean was far from the only British success story to come out of a Grammys where UK artists both new and not-so-new were recognised for the first time. Most prominently, Lola Young, who had been up for Best New Artist, instead had to make do with merely beating big names Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Chappell Roan to Best Pop Solo Performance for her viral hit Messy.

Elsewhere, there were first Grammy wins for Doncaster-born Yungblud, who snagged Best Rock Performance for his Ozzy Osbourne tribute cover of Changes (Live From Villa Park), and for Cheltenham-born FKA Twigs, who won Best Dance/Electronic Album for Eusexua. Meanwhile, The Cure may be five decades into their career but they can now finally call themselves Grammy winners after Songs of a Lost World was recognised as the Best Alternative Music Album, while the albums lead single Alone won Best Alternative Music Performance.

open image in gallery Best of British: UK star Olivia Dean accepting the Grammy for Best New Artist ( AP Photo/Chris Pizzello )

On a night of so many firsts, it felt apt that a K-pop song should finally win a Grammy, too. Golden from the film KPop Demon Hunters. performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, won Best Song for Visual Media. It was also an historic night for Kendrick Lamar, whose wins for Best Rap Album and Record of the Year saw him surpass Jay-Z as the most awarded rapper in Grammys history, with 27.

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As for the live performances, they ran the gamut from Justin Biebers literally stripped down rendition of Yukon, played alone on stage in his boxer shorts with just a guitar and some loop pedals for company, to Tyler, the Creators theatrical production of Sugar On My Tongue that concluded with him blowing up an ersatz garage hed constructed on stage. Lady Gaga gave us an energetic Abracadabra shortly before winning Best Pop Vocal Album for Mayhem, but generally it was a night light on surprises. The closest thing to an upset was Billie Eilish winning Song of the Year for Wildflower ahead of the likes of Gaga, Kendrick and Bad Bunny.

open image in gallery SZA urges fans not to give in to despair as she and Kendrick Lamar accept the Grammy for Record of the Year for Luther ( Getty )

Thank goodness then for Cher, who injected some much-needed chaos into proceedings. She appeared on stage to collect a Lifetime Achievement Award, delivered a quick speech about not giving up on your dreams and then promptly wandered off, only to have to be reminded by host Trevor Noah that she was supposed to announce the nominees for Record of the Year.

Moments later, been reminded to actually reveal the winners name from the envelope in her hand, Cher announced that the award would go to Luther Vandross, the soul singer whos been dead since 2005. She was close: the winner was Kendrick Lamar and SZAs Luther, which is named after Vandross and samples his 1982 duet with Cheryl Lynn, If This World Were Mine.

As momentarily confusing as Chers slip-up had been, it ended up gifting this years Grammys a memorable moment of grace. It set the stage for Lamar and producer Sounwave and Lamar to speak about the debt they owe to Vandross, before SZA urged everyone watching not to fall into despair.

I know that right now is a scary time, she said. I know the algorithms tell us that its so scary and all is lost. Theres been world wars and theres been plagues and we have gone on. We can go on. We need each other. Were not governed by the government, were governed by God.

With her impassioned words, SZA was echoing the theme that ran through the night loud and clear. No one is illegal on stolen land, said Eilish when she accepted her award.

Kehlani, who won for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song, put it even more straightforwardly. Together, were stronger in numbers to speak out against all the injustice going on in the world right now. I hope everyone is inspired to come together as a community of artists ad speak out against whats going on, she said.

Then, before walking off stage, she added succinctly: F*** ICE.
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Welcome to a week of political transformation, as guaranteed communist rule comes to an end in the Soviet Union and a watershed moment in South Africa sees the ban on the African National Congress lifted, alongside a promise of Nelson Mandelas unconditional release. In the United Kingdom, parliament votes to legalise same-sex marriage after an impassioned debate, marking a decisive shift in the countrys approach to equal rights. Elsewhere, struggles over freedom and expression play out on the streets of Cairo during the Arab spring, and in print as Salman Rushdie mounts a public defence of his novel in the face of the fatwa issued against him. And in a galaxy far, far away (20,000 light years to be precise), a red supergiant star explodes, captured in dazzling detail by the Hubble Space Telescope. All this, and more, is revealed on the front pages of The Independent.

6 February 1989  Afghanistan braces as Soviet troops withdraw

There is turmoil in Afganistan as president Mohammad Najibullah orders the mobilisation of 30,000 fighters amid vows to resist the mujahideen. It comes as the last Soviet troops prepare to leave Afghanistan, bringing a decade-long military intervention to an end. Speaking as Moscows forces withdraw, Najibullah signals his intention to fight on rather than surrender power. Although his government survives for several years with continued Soviet support, it collapses in 1992 after that backing ends, plunging the country into further civil war.

open image in gallery ( The Independent )

3 February 1990  ANC ban lifted in South Africa

South Africa reaches a political watershed as president FW de Klerk unexpectedly lifts the ban on the African National Congress, ending decades in which black political movements were forced underground. A host of reforms are announced; restrictions on anti-apartheid organisations and the press removed, political prisoners set to be freed, and Nelson Mandelas unconditional release declared imminent. The move closes a long chapter of repression and opens the way for negotiations that would soon reshape the countrys future. Within a year, the government would formally commit to dismantling apartheid itself, setting South Africa on the path to democratic rule.

open image in gallery ( The Independent )

4 February 1990  Rushdie breaks silence over fatwa

Salman Rushdie speaks publicly for the first time in a year to defend his novel The Satanic Verses, following the fatwa issued against him in 1989. In an exclusive 7,000-word essay for The Independent on Sunday, Rushdie rejects accusations of blasphemy, reflects on the damage the controversy has caused to race relations, and calls for dialogue and understanding as a way forward after months in hiding.

open image in gallery ( The Independent )

8 February 1990  End of Communist Party monopoly in USSR

The Soviet Union takes a decisive step towards political reform as the Communist Party votes to abandon Article Six of the constitution, ending its guaranteed monopoly on power after more than seven decades. The decision, backed by the partys Central Committee, removes the formal claim to sole authority over government and signals a dramatic shift as the Soviet state moves cautiously in the direction of multi-party democracy.

open image in gallery ( The Independent )

2 February 2003  Columbia space shuttle disaster

The space shuttle Columbia breaks apart during re-entry over the United States, killing all seven astronauts on board and bringing a mission that began 16 days earlier to a devastating end. Nasa confirms the loss of contact shortly before the scheduled landing, as debris is scattered across several states. The disaster prompts the grounding of the shuttle fleet and a major investigation, which later concludes that damage to the shuttles heat shield during launch led to the catastrophe.

open image in gallery ( The Independent )

4 February 2005  Hubble captures exploding star

The Hubble Space Telescope releases striking images of a distant star exploding some 20,000 light years from Earth, capturing a searing pulse of light racing through deep space. The image shows the echo of light from a red supergiant as it spreads outward through surrounding dust and gas, offering scientists a rare glimpse of a supernova unfolding across the vast interstellar void.

open image in gallery ( The Independent )

2 February 2011  Mass protests fill Cairo

Huge crowds gather in Cairo as protests against president Hosni Mubarak enter a decisive phase, following days of unrest that spread rapidly across Egypt. The demonstrations form part of a wider wave of uprisings across the Arab world, calling for political reform, economic justice and an end to authoritarian rule. In Egypt, The Independents Robert Fisk reports on the ground as a million take to the streets of Cairo to demand change.

open image in gallery ( The Independent )

6 February 2013  Commons say I do to same-sex marriage

The House of Commons votes overwhelmingly to legalise marriage between same-sex couples, in a landmark moment for equal rights in the UK. After hours of impassioned debate, MPs back the measure by 400 votes to 175, reflecting a decisive shift in social and political attitudes. The vote sends the legislation to the House of Lords, paving the way for same-sex marriage to become law later that year and for the first ceremonies to take place in 2014.
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When Lucy Goff gave birth to her daughter in 2012, she caught life-threatening septicemia and her body began to shut down. After six weeks in intensive care battling the condition, medicine saved her life  but her body was left exhausted and fragile. In a bid to restore her health to what it was, the Selfridges public relations executive flew to a clinic in Geneva, where she met a longevity expert and Oxford academic, Professor Paul Clayton, who prescribed her peer-reviewed, pharmaceutical-grade supplements composed of carefully dosed ingredients. Goffs body had been shaking for months. Yet, within a matter of weeks, she began to feel herself again, went back to work, and never looked back.

The experience inspired Goff to leave behind her career in communications to found the supplement, laser and skincare business Lyma, which now facilitates millions of people around the world to access the patented and carefully formulated products that Goff discovered in Geneva, which helped her to achieve a better quality of life following her terrifying health crisis. Within just seven years, the one-person start-up has grown into a global business thats worth roughly 171m, with Goff  who left school without any qualifications  assuring that the wellness brand is just getting started.

I remortgaged my house to get the money to make the 10,000 products needed to launch Lyma. I must have written to nearly 100 venture capital trusts in the UK and the US with what I thought was a really good business plan  but they all said no. All of these men told me I didnt know what I was talking about because Id never been in business before. Everybody said that no one would pay 150 a month for a supplement. It was only when we sold out of all the stock in the first week after the launch that I realised we were onto something. Then they all wanted to chat with us, but I took a 2m investment from Pembroke instead. I wanted to choose a partner that believed in me from the start.

My brother-in-law gave me the book Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson when I started reaching out to investors for funding. Its about knowing when to stop pushing forward along a certain path. I think I wasted a lot of time in the beginning pitching to investors who just didnt see the vision, who couldnt picture what was inside the business plan. I wish I hadnt wasted time on that. I should have moved on faster and self-funded. It would have saved me a good two years.

Jo Malone is a businesswoman whom I really admire. She took a candle that youd have previously bought in a supermarket and put it in a different package, added a scent, and turned it into a lifestyle statement and status symbol for the home. It was genius. Similarly, I wanted Lyma to take supplements out of the kitchen cupboard by putting them into a beautiful hammered copper vessel. Its not enough just to have the best formula.

I made a mistake with a copper supplier when Lyma first launched. We bought loads of vessels that came back and the quality wasnt good enough. It wasnt fit for purpose. They had to be discarded and returned to the supplier. Ive still got one of the first copper vessels that wasnt right on my desk as a reminder that quality is not a negotiation and that you can actually overcome anything  even things that seem like the end of the world at the time. Every mistake teaches you an invaluable lesson. Every single rejection has made success more meaningful.

You wouldnt cross the road when there was a huge truck hurtling towards you. Similarly, I dont take risks with my money. If youve worked all your life to get somewhere, why would you do that? So, I dont invest in stocks and shares. Im the type of person who will be very happy to have a five per cent yield and not risk anything. I didnt see remortgaging my house as a risk because I knew that if worst came to worst, I could sell all the stock I had.

open image in gallery Every single rejection has made success more meaningful ( Lyma/Neale Haynes )

I knew my life had changed when the company was first valued at 100m. Ill always remember that moment, and the realisation that Id created something that was of incredible value. I grew up in a modest family. My father was a solicitor and my mum was a magistrate and a housewife. I had five siblings and we didnt have a flash life. We were entertained by board games and the TV, rather than anything flamboyant.

Its safe to say that Im not a scientist. I left school with no qualifications and went through clearing to get into a polytechnic university. School wasnt something that lent itself to the way my brain works. I couldnt ingest anything in a biology lesson, but I can easily understand a story that a scientist tells me. Lyma works with an incredible group of laser scientists, geneticists, surgeons, dermatologists and longevity professors, who all have their part to play in the engineering of our lasers. Theyre experts in their fields. I add to how the products and the brand look, which is within my skill set.

Letting go of people who were with me when we launched the business has been tough. I treat Lyma almost like a family-run business, so thats been the hardest part for me. You cant be wedded to everyone; youre not going to work together forever. People who were right at the start-up stage of the business might not be right for the next stage. Still, personally, I find that quite upsetting  but thats the sad reality of growth as a company.

The best purchase I ever made was my first Chanel 2.55 handbag. Its pretty trivial, but it makes me so happy. I got it for my 40th birthday. I have these possessions that look nice but make me feel something, too. Like a Cartier love bangle makes me think about when I had my child. It makes me feel grounded. You cant take enjoyment away from purchases or the emotions out of life, or it becomes meaningless. Then you just become a computer.

Lucy Goff is a champion of FFinc Forward Faster Accelerator 100  a UK-based business accelerator programme designed to help female-founded companies scale their growth faster, which was launched in September 2025. For more information, go to ffinc.co
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The teenager accused of stabbing a pregnant mother more than 70 times, leading to her death, is back behind bars after he attempted to take his own life, authorities have said.

Eliza Nicky Morales, 30, was home alone in Downers Grove and cooking dinner when her alleged attacker knocked on the door, responding to an online advertisement for a pickup truck posted by her husband, Gabriel Morales.

Nedas Revuckas, 19, of Westmont, was upset about the condition of the truck and "decided to take out his frustration on Eliza," according to court documents reported by local news affiliate ABC7 Chicago.

The teen showed no emotion as a judge ordered him to stay behind bars at a hearing last Thursday morning, stating that he posed a real threat to the community. Hours later, the DuPage County Sheriff's Office said Revuckas was in a critical condition from apparently self-inflicted wounds.

Revuckas was released from the hospital on Sunday and returned to the DuPage County Correctional Facility; he is due back in court on February 18.

open image in gallery Eliza Morales, 30, was killed in a horrific stabbing at her home in Downers Grove, Illinois, on Monday, January 26. ( GoFundMe )

A GoFundMe page set up to support Morales family said her loss had left pain that words cannot fully express.

Everything she did was rooted in love, wrote Moses Morales, the pages founder. She was motivated by family, driven by loyalty, and guided by a heart that was truly selfless. Her loss is a pain that sits deep within all of us, but her presence remains in every memory, every lesson, every moment she touched.

The fundraiser, which as of Monday morning had raised more than $150,000, will go towards essential expenses such as temporary housing, clothing, and other necessities.

Her husband, Gabriel, was working when he got the call that his wife and unborn baby had been slaughtered; he told ABC7 Chicago he would spend the rest of my life missing her, and would try to live through her for the sake of his 2-year-old daughter.

An online obituary for Morales described how she had grown up in the Chicagoland area and loved the outdoors, especially taking hikes with her two dogs. She worked for Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago, and had a lifelong commitment to helping those in need, including advocating for the rights of women and those affected by war, famine, and domestic violence.

Nicky was a vibrant, passionate, and courageous person who will be missed by all those she knew and who knew her.

open image in gallery Prosecutors say Revuckus confessed to starting a fire in the kitchen using items from Morales' apartment. ( Downers Grove Police Department )

According to investigators, Morales tried to resist her alleged murderer at the doorstep, according to investigators, but he overpowered her in a frenzied slaughter that also claimed the life of her unborn child, before going on to stab the familys dog and set their house on fire.

Revuckas later told detectives that Morales "mentioned she was pregnant during the altercation on Monday, January 26, according to court documents.

"It was a horrific, violent crime committed," her mother-in-law, Angelica Silva, told ABC7 Chicago at a candlelight vigil on Wednesday. "She fought for her life."

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, did not immediately respond to queries about whether it would review safety procedures for Facebook Marketplace following the brutal killing.

open image in gallery Nedas Revuckas, 19, faces a raft of charges including first-degree murder, armed robbery, arson, and animal cruelty. ( Downers Grove Police Department )

Silva, who described the attack as pure evil, said the family was struggling to comprehend the sudden loss of a much-loved mom who was due to welcome her second daughter in March.

"You get angry and then you get sad and then you get angry again and it's such a rollercoaster.

The suspect faces a raft of charges, including first-degree murder, armed robbery, arson, and animal cruelty.
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From members of the royal family to tech titans and Wall Street power brokers, a whos who of powerful men make appearances in the latest documents released by the US Justice Department in relation to Jeffrey Epstein.

Many of those men have denied having close ties to the disgraced financier, who was convicted in 2008 of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute.

Epstein was also facing sex trafficking charges when he died in his jail cell in 2019.

None of the men have been charged with a crime connected to the investigation.

However, some of them maintained friendships with Epstein, or developed them anew, even after he became known as a predator of young girls and registered sex offender.

Here is a primer on some of the notable names in the Epstein files.

open image in gallery A photograph appearing to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crouched over an unidentified woman which has been released in the latest disclosure of files linked to Jeffrey Epstein ( PA Media )

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

The man formerly known as Britains Prince Andrew has long been dogged by questions about his relationship with Epstein, including allegations from the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre that she was trafficked by Epstein and instructed to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor when she was 17.

The former prince has repeatedly denied that it happened, but his brother, King Charles III, still stripped him of his royal titles, including the right to be called a prince and the Duke of York, in late 2025.

Mountbatten-Windsors name appears at least several hundred times in Fridays document release, including in Epsteins private emails.

Among the correspondence is an invitation for Epstein to dine at Buckingham Palace, Epsteins offer to introduce Mountbatten-Windsor to a 26-year-old Russian woman, and photos that appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over an unidentified woman lying on the floor.

open image in gallery Elon Musk discussed visiting Epsteins island in 2012 and 2013 ( AP )

Elon Musk

The billionaire Tesla founder turns up at least a few times in Fridays document release, notably in email exchanges in 2012 and 2013 in which he discussed visiting Epsteins infamous Caribbean island compound.

But it is not not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespersons for Musks companies, Tesla and X, didnt respond to emails seeking comment Friday or Saturday.

Musk has maintained that he repeatedly turned down the disgraced financiers overtures.

Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED, he posted on X in 2025.

Steven Tisch

The New York Giants co-owner is mentioned more than 400 times in the files released Friday. Correspondence between the two shows Epstein offered to connect Tisch to numerous women over the years.

In one 2013 email exchange with the subject line Ukrainian girl, Epstein encouraged Tisch to contact a particular woman, whose physical beauty he praised in crude terms.

Pro or civilian? Tisch asked in reply.

Tisch, a scion of a powerful New York family that founded the Loews Corporation, has acknowledged knowing Epstein but denied ever going to his infamous Caribbean island.

We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments, said Tisch, who also won an Academy Award in 1994 for producing Forrest Gump.

As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.

open image in gallery Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick ( AP )

Howard Lutnick

President Donald Trumps commerce secretary visited Epsteins private Caribbean island with his family on at least one occasion, records released Friday show.

That appears to contradict prior statements hes made claiming he cut ties with the disgraced financier, who hes called gross, decades ago.

But emails show Lutnick and his wife accepted an invitation to Little St. James in the US Virgin Islands in December 2012 and planned to arrive by yacht with their children.

The former chairman of Newmark, a major commercial real estate firm, also had drinks on another occasion in 2011 with Epstein and corresponded with him about the construction of a building across the street from both of their homes.

The Commerce Department, in a statement, said Lutnick had limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.

open image in gallery Sergey Brin in 2024 ( Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP )

Sergey Brin

The billionaire Google co-founder made plans to meet with Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell at his townhouse in New York years before he was publicly accused of sexually abusing underage girls, emails show.

In one exchange in 2003, Maxwell invited him to join her at a screening of the Renee Zellweger film Down with Love in New York.

She followed up a few weeks later to invite him to a happily casual and relaxed dinner at Epsteins house. Brin offered to bring along Googles then-CEO Eric Schmidt.

Spokespersons for Google didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.

open image in gallery Jeffrey Epstein, right, speaking to Steve Bannon ( House Oversight Committee )

Steve Bannon

The one-time adviser to Trump exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with Epstein, some sent months before his 2019 arrest and jailhouse suicide.

The two discussed politics, travel and a documentary Bannon was said to be planning that would help salvage Epsteins reputation.

One 2018 exchange, for example, focused on Trumps threats at the time to oust Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. In a 2019 message, Bannon asked Epstein if he could supply his plane to pick him up in Rome.

Bannon hasnt responded to emails seeking comment.

open image in gallery Jeffrey Epstein and Miroslav Lajcak ( House Oversight Committee )

Miroslav Lajcak

A national security adviser to the Slovakian prime minister, Lajcak resigned Saturday after his past communications with Epstein appeared in Fridays document release.

Opposition parties and a nationalist partner in Ficos governing coalition had called for him to step down.

Lajcak, a former Slovak foreign minister and a onetime president of the U.N. General Assembly, has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but was photographed meeting with Epstein in the years between his initial release from jail and his subsequent indictment in 2019 on sex trafficking charges.

He said his correspondence with Epstein were part of his diplomatic duties.

open image in gallery Richard Branson asked Jeffrey Epstein to bring his 'harem' in a 2013 email released by the Department of Justice on Friday ( Getty Images )

Richard Branson

Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Group Limited, invited Epstein to his private island in 2013, telling him in an email: Any time youre in the area would love to see you. As long as you bring your harem!

Besides discussing Epstein visiting Bransons Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands, the two exchanged messages about philanthropy, Epsteins ideas for a disruptive financial system and a social good currency."

In one email, in 2011, Epstein said he offered Bransons staff the use of his helicopter to transport an accident victim in the Virgin Islands.

In an 11 September 2013 correspondence, Branson suggested Epstein could boost his public image if he could get Bill Gates to say youve been a brilliant adviser to him, that you slipped up many years ago by sleeping with a 17 1/2 year old woman and were punished for it, that youve more than learnt your lesson and have done nothing thats against the law since.

A Branson spokesperson told The Independent that Bransons harem comment referred to adult members of Epsteins staff and that he was using Epsteins language, and had the full facts been known, Richard would never have used this term.

The Virgin Group stressed in a statement on Saturday that there was no wrongdoing on Bransons part and that any dealings with Epstein were limited to group or business settings more than a decade ago.

Branson also declined a charitable donation and decided not to meet or speak with him again after his team uncovered serious allegations, the company said.

Had they had the full picture and information, there would have been no contact whatsoever, the statement reads. Richard believes that Epsteins actions were abhorrent and supports the right to justice for his many victims.
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Arizona authorities say the disappearance of Savannah Guthries mother is being investigated as a crime, as the Today show hosts mom has limited mobility and did not leave on her own.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, vanished Saturday between 9:30 pm and 9:45 pm at her home in the Catalina Foothills, just outside of Tucson, Arizona.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed the disappearance was being investigated as a crime during a press conference Monday morning.

We believe now, after weve processed that crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime, Nanos said.

She is very limited in mobility. We know she didnt just walk out there, that we know. There are other things at the scene that indicate she did not leave on her own, we know that, Nanos said.

open image in gallery Savannah is regularly photographed with her mother and often pays tribute to her on the show ( Instagram/@savannahguthrie )

The missing woman is being treated as a vulnerable adult due to her age, not because she has any known physical ailments, the sheriffs office said.

Nancy Guthrie is of great sound and mind, this is not dementia related. She is as sharp as a tack. Her family wants everybody to know, this is not somebody that just wandered off, Nanos added.

She also takes medication that if she does not have in 24 hours could be fatal Nanos said Monday.

So we make a plea to anyone that knows anything about this, who has seen something, heard something, to contact us. Call 911, he said.

Search efforts for the older Guthrie were also called off, with Nanos noting Right now, we dont see this as a search mission, as much as we do a crime scene.

Earlier, NBC News Tom Winter confirmed that the FBI is also involved in the search.

He told reporters at a press conference that concerning evidence had been found, which prompted homicide investigators to be drafted in.

This one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we found and located just in looking at the scene, he said, although he did not elaborate on what officers had uncovered.

We hope we find her safe and sound, but we are very concerned, he added.

open image in gallery Nancy Guthrie is missing in Tucson, Arizona, and is considered a 'vulnerable adult' ( Pima County Sheriff's Department )

Savannah Guthrie was absent from her show Monday morning. During the episode, co-host Jenna Bush Hager said that her co-hosts mother is without medication, that she needs for survival.

Guthries family has issued a statement: We can confirm this is a missing persons case, and the family is working closely with local law enforcement. Guthrie has an older sister, Annie, and brother, Camron, a pilot with the Air National Guard.

Nancy Guthrie is described as being 5 feet five inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, according to the Pima County Sheriffs Office. Anybody with any information is asked to call the sheriffs office on 520-351-4900.

Guthrie has featured on episodes of the Today show in the past. Just this past November, she appeared with her daughter during a segment promoting tourism in Tucson.

In 2013, Guthrie appeared to tell the shows audience how to make a bed properly.

When I was in my 30s, I really wished to be married and to be a mom, and things just did not happen that fast for me, Savannah once told viewers.

And my moms confidence that I would be a mom  even as the years ticked by and ticked by and ticked by  meant so much to me.

She said, Of course youll be a mom, and youre going to be a wonderful mom, Savannah continued. And for her to have that confidence and faith was so meaningful to me.

It got me through some really hard times.

Savannah Guthrie has a daughter, Vale, and a son, Charley, with her husband, Michael Feldman, whom she married in 2014.

open image in gallery Savannah has often spoke about her mother and her influence ( Getty )

The anchor spoke about her mother again on the program in 2022, when she credited her illustrious career to her mothers parenting.

She loves us, her family, fiercely, and her selflessness and sacrifice for us, her steadfastness and her unmovable confidence is the reason any of us grew up to do anything, Savannah said on her mothers 80th birthday.

Savannah has earlier disclosed that her father, Charles, died when the NBC star was a senior in high school.

She told her co-host Jenna Bush Hager in 2022, My father died when I was entering my senior year in high school. I then lived at home all through college.

We didn't have money to afford the dorm. And that was thing one, but the other was that my sister and I really felt like we should stick with my mom and not leave her alone.

But when I moved to Butte, Montana, this was it. And it was really hard for me to leave her.

And that's when she said, 'If you can't leave me, then I didn't do my job right, Savannah.' She just gave me permission to go, you know?

Following her fathers death, Savannah told The Hollywood Reporter that her mother took a job at the University of Arizona in order to secure tuition-free education for her children.

The former White House correspondent was born in Victoria, Australia, where the family lived because her father worked for an Arizona-based mining company. In 2015, Savannah and her mother traveled to Sydney for a Today show segment.
Close We will pay: Savannah Guthrie agrees to ransom for mothers return

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The family of missing Nancy Guthrie has offered to pay the $6 million demanded in an alleged ransom note as its 5 p.m. deadline approaches Monday.

Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor of theToday show, and her siblings released a video Saturday and said they will pay the money for their 84-year-old mothers return, as law enforcement scrambles to verify if the note is authentic.

Nancy Guthrie has been missing for nine days. Police believe she was abducted from her home outside of Tucson, Arizona, at some point between the night of January 31 and the morning of February 1.

The missing senior relies on medication to stay healthy, and her family fears she is not being provided the drugs she desperately needs.

No suspects have been identified in the investigation. The FBI and Pima County Sheriffs Department are investigating the case, with the FBI offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information.
There are no cases of desertion in the units of the Omega Special Purpose Center of the National Guard of Ukraine.

Omega servicemen told about this in the Interfax-Ukraine video podcast.

"We do not have desertion. Because we are a professional unit," an officer of the first separate special purpose unit with the call sign "Sandy."

The commander of the special purpose group of the Omega first special purpose unit with the call sign "Khudozhnyk" ("Painter") also explained this by the fact that in order to get into Omega center, many stages of training and psychological tests take place, where a person's resilience and readiness to serve are determined.

In turn, the instructor of the special forces center with the call sign "Mamai" added that motivation is also important in this matter, because "only those who want" go to Omega center.

"We don't come to those who were forcibly brought, but only those who want to," he said.

The military also explained that in Omega center all positions are officer positions.

Answering the question of whether there are foreigners in Omega center now, an officer of the first separate special forces unit with the call sign "Sandy" said that after making the relevant changes to the legislation, this became possible.

"We already have such an opportunity. There are even guys who already serve in one unit in positions related to drones," she said.

In particular, as "Sandy" noted, a Spanish citizen has already joined the Omega team, and guys from Latvia and Austria are also being selected.

According to her, the key issue is language proficiency, so far, among foreigners, those who speak English and "with prospects for learning the Ukrainian language" are being recruited.

Speaking about recruiting in general, not only foreigners, "Sandy" said that Omega center is currently developing a program that will make it possible to track all stages of a candidate's selection.

"It's like Nova Poshta application: when a parcel is on its way, you know what stages it is at. We are also developing such an application, it is almost ready. This way, the candidate will not be lost. Relatively speaking, if the fifth detachment does not take him, he is thrown 'into the buffer zone,' and maybe another detachment will take the candidate," the officer said.

Thus, as "Sandy" noted, a person can end up in any unit, and this means in any part of the front, because "Omega" is represented in different areas.

The National Guard's Omega Special Purpose Center has been on the frontlines since 2014.
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BusinessCompaniesScandal Opinion Why this charismatic corporate salesmans reign came to an end Elizabeth Knight Business columnist February 2, 2026  4:26pm

February 2, 2026  4:26pm 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

Even the wealthiest and most charismatic of corporate founders have their kryptonite. For Wisetechs billionaire, Richard White, it was the ladies, while for Mineral Resources billionaire Chris Ellison, it was the Tax Office. But for travel king Jamie Pherous it was the UK government  more particularly, the fallout from his company, Corporate Travel Management, ripping it off. The company on Monday admitted it had let investors down, without blaming Pherous for its problems. It has been six months since CTM provided the first hint that something was amiss with its accounts to this weeks abdication by Pherous from the top job and his position on the board. Back in August, CTMs accounting anomaly was described as something of a minor discrepancy with no cash implications. Subsequent events have made that characterisation ludicrous. Corporate Travel Managements Jamie Pherous. Louie Douvis

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The slo-mo train wreck, which saw the shares suspended from trading in August, finally made impact in November when it was revealed it had overcharged customers to the tune of $162 million. This announcement also revealed the companys accounts will be restated going back to 2023. Surely, that was the point at which the board should have demanded accountability from Pherous for the disaster he oversaw. Not a peep. Investors, some of whom had written down their investments in CTM to zero, must have been slack-jawed at the lack of management recrimination and board repercussions. Given the size of the alleged over-charging, and hit that this saga has inflicted on the companys reputation, there was arguably a case for some sort of action. To be sure, there is a cohort of shareholders (particularly retail investors) who love these corporate bootstrap-pulling founder stories, the epic poverty to power play  the company governed by someone with skin-in-the-game.

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All too often these captivating founders surround themselves by directors who are in the founders thrall. Related Article Opinion

Scandal The pitchforks are out for this Aussie travel company Elizabeth Knight Business columnist Both Ellison and White ultimately returned from exile. Unlike the board of Whites Wisetech where White has a controlling 35 per cent stake  and whose exodus was short-lived  Pherous has about 11 per cent of CTM. This stake shouldnt be large enough to secure the chief executives job, and there are plenty of institutional investors who dont support Pherous.

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The weird part is that the final decision for Pherous to leave was described as a mutual one  a transition to retirement. In most cases, when a chief executive resigns immediately in a scandalous wake, the decision is not mutual  it is a board-led sacking dressed up to appear collegiate. But in CTMs case, it appears that the chief executive was not forced out the door, the timing of his departure was his own, and there is no suggestion that Pherous previous bonuses will be clawed back. Rather, he will remain as a well-paid adviser for six months as a team of KPMG accountants trawl through the companys UK contracts, and the Australian government seeks its own audit of CTM customer accounts to ensure there is nothing amiss. Chairman Ewen Crouch refused to outline the trigger for any decision on Pherous. There was apparently no special or hastily called board meeting with fireworks or disagreements.

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The chatter says that Pherous needed to remain until a bank funding agreement was bedded down with the companys banking syndicate and a financial security agreement had been struck with the International Air Transport Association. Related Article Asylum seekers Australian sales furore turns spotlight on UK asylum hotels This was achieved in the days before Christmas. But shareholders are still in the dark about when this company may be able to release even last years accounts and the timetable for reinstatement to the ASX. And its worth noting that while the current scandals blew up six months ago, question marks have lingered longer.

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There have been strong whiffs of doubt about accounting treatments employed by this company going back almost 10 years. In 2018, it was injured by what finance lingo calls a short attack when a hedge fund issued a scathing report on the company accusing it of being aggressive and operating phantom offices. Others have long questioned how this companys profit margins have a plumpness, out of line with others in the industry. A taste of fresh governance has been sorely needed. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
Ukraine supports peoples who value freedom and are truly ready to fight for it, in particular, the so-called Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been designated a terrorist organization, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

"The whole world sees what is happening in Iran, how many murders and how the Iranian regime contributed to the spread of war and violence in the region and the world. Ukraine will not forget any of the thousands of Shahed UAVs that strike at our cities and villages, at our people. We see how others in Europe have heard on the issue of Iran both us, Ukraine, and those Europeans who called for greater activity, for greater principledness, and the Iranians themselves," Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Monday.

He said the European Union has already effectively agreed on the decision to designate one of the main organizations of the regime in Iran, the so-called Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a terrorist organization.

"European procedures are currently underway. We in Ukraine have already made such a decision and have already designated this organization as a terrorist organization, for us this issue is closed. All terrorists in the world deserve the same treatment and condemnation  no one should win," the head of state said.
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Sponsored BusinessThe economyDeakin University How Deakin and the Hansen Little Foundation are transforming refugee employment Advertorial for Deakin University Jaymie Hooper February 2, 2026  9:27am 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

Despite their existing skills and qualifications, refugees who arrive in Australia are often steered towards basic, entry-level jobs instead of roles more suited to their personal experience and expertise. Between workplace discrimination and convoluted educational pathways, it can be difficult for refugees and those seeking asylum to live up to their potential, but thats something Deakin Universitys Centre for Refugee Employment, Advocacy, Training and Education (CREATE) has been working to change over the last seven years. Founded in 2019, CREATE is an award-winning research centre that helps displaced professionals and students rebuild their careers through meaningful employment and education. At just 16 years old, Arya left Iran with his family to seek asylum in Australia. While he completed high school and dreamed of attending university, he found the cost of tertiary education too prohibitive. A CREATE career cohort clinic: connecting skilled refugees with the professional networks needed to thrive.

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That desire to learn eventually led Arya to CREATE, a connection that transformed his professional trajectory. Thanks to the programs tailored mentoring-to-employment model, Arya was able to complete a bachelors degree in commerce, followed by an MBA. Today, he works full-time at a private equity firm. Aryas sister, Ava, also followed in his footsteps and joined the CREATE career clinics, and is now working as an environmental sustainability specialist. This program is not only about enabling people to fulfil their potential with job readiness opportunities, but also giving participants confidence, professional networks and a clear sense of direction, says CREATE director Dr Karen Dunwoodie. When our participants arrive in Australia, their previous professional career paths are often closed off and theyre left to take on low-skilled jobs that do not utilise their full capacity, she adds. CREATE director Dr Karen Dunwoodie (pictured) speaks on the importance of reclaiming professional career paths for refugees.

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By offering a range of practical resources, scholarships and career clinics, CREATE has helped almost 1000 participants access education, broaden their network and translate their skills into relevant employment. Investment in a resilient economy Not only do these tales of resilience highlight what can happen when systemic bias is replaced with ongoing, personalised support, they also emphasise the need for programs like CREATE to continue. Despite successful collaborations with government and non-government organisations, CREATE relies on donations and research grants  in addition to matched investment from Deakin University. This makes partnerships with philanthropic groups like the Hansen Little Foundation so vital. In fact, the Hansen Little Foundation recently announced it will invest $432,000 to help expand CREATEs career clinic offering. The free, eight-week clinics connect skilled refugees and asylum seekers with professional mentors, with around 70 per cent of participants moving into stable employment or additional study within six months of completing the program.

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(From left) Hansen Little Foundation co-founders Jane Hansen AO and Paul Little AO are investing $432,000 to expand the programs reach. Backed by the Hansen Little Foundation, CREATE will deliver nine clinics over the next three years, providing support to an additional 150 people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds across Victoria. By investing in people who are motivated to build their skills and careers, we are supporting a stronger, more inclusive workforce, says Paul Little AO, co-founder of the Hansen Little Foundation. This program benefits not only the individuals who participate but also the broader Victorian workforce, he adds. By equipping people with skills and support, were helping create a stronger, more resilient economy.

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While Australia faces an ongoing skills shortage, collaborations like those between the Hansen Little Foundation and Deakin University allow qualified refugees to bring their unique perspectives and talents into the spotlight, benefiting both participants and the wider Victorian community. This partnership will allow CREATE to significantly extend its reach at a time when demand for our services continues to grow, says Dunwoodie. Jane Hansen AO, co-founder of the Hansen Little Foundation, agrees. The program has shown that when young people and newly arrived communities are given the right support, they can achieve remarkable things, she says. We are proud to help more CREATE participants take their next steps with confidence. More information is available at together.deakin.edu.au/giving-through-deakin/areas-to-support/create/

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CultureCelebrityGrammys Trump threatens to sue Grammys host Trevor Noah over Epstein joke Iona Cleave February 3, 2026  8:37am 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

Donald Trump has threatened to sue comedian Trevor Noah over his joke during the Grammy Awards suggesting the US president had been to Jeffrey Epsteins island. Trump strongly denied the claims that he had visited Little St James, where much of Epsteins abuse of young women and girls took place, calling Noah a pathetic, talentless comedian and a total loser. Trevor Noah (centre) made the joke while hosting the 68th annual Grammy Awards. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Noah, who hosted the awards ceremony on Sunday night (Monday AEDT), told the crowd that every artist wanted to win song of the year almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because, since Epsteins gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton. The US justice department released 3 million more documents related to the paedophile on Friday, in which Trump is mentioned 38,000 times along with a string of high-profile figures such as Bill Gates and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

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Related Article Grammys Grammys 2026 as it happened: Bad Bunny wins album of the year as artists speak out against ICE Epsteins privately owned Little St James in the US Virgin Islands, which became known as Epstein Island, is where he trafficked and abused underage victims. Trump, who has been dogged with controversy surrounding his former friendship with Epstein, has said the documents absolved him. The justice department said it had not found credible information to merit further investigation into Trumps association with the sex trafficker. On his Truth Social network, Trump wrote: Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I cant speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonights false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media. He told South African-born Noah to get his facts straight fast. It looks like Ill be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$.

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Related Article Grammys Grammys 2026: Full list of winners and nominees Trump decried this years awards, which honour the best music from around the world, as the WORST, virtually unwatchable and garbage litter. The stars of the night frequently spoke out about the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the wake of Trumps mass deportation campaign and its aggressive tactics that led to two US citizens being shot dead in Minneapolis. Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper who won album of the year, was one of the most vocal. Before I say thanks to God, Im going to say ICE out, he told the audience, which cheered in response. Were not savages, were not animals, were not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans. Billie Eilish, who won Song of the Year for Wildflower, wore an ICE Out pin as she urged people to stand up against ICEs raids. No one is illegal on stolen land, she said, finishing with: F--- ICE.

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Related Article Grammys The granddaughter of an immigrant: Olivia Dean, Biebers, Billie Eilish join ICE Out protest Trump noticeably avoided attacking the anti-ICE musicians, instead saving his rage for Noah, who was hosting for the sixth time and last time  because he said he believes in term limits. Taking a swipe at Trumps determination to run for a third term, he said: Yes, I want to set an example for anyone who might be watching the show. You know, just leave when your time is up. In recent years, Trump has pursued aggressive legal action against a number of media outlets, including The New York Times, the Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal. The president filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC in December, accusing the broadcaster of defamation after The Telegraph disclosed the broadcaster had doctored his speech on January 6, 2021.

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The Telegraph, London Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.
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Winemaking family The Colmans (Adele, Bob, Tom and Jess) are very strict about the wines they sell at their Blackheath bar and bottle shop. Everything must be organic, biodynamic, naturally fermented, hand-harvested and completely unfiltered and unfined. The range includes their own label, Frankly, This Wine Was Made By Bob, made from grapes locally grown in the Kanimbla Valley. Pick a bottle from the shelves and match it with something snacky.

A chef residency program keeps the menu fresh. The kitchen is currently led by Leila Khazma and Aysha Abulhawa, who are serving Lebanese and Egyptian dishes such as semolina-fried sardines and goats milk yoghurt panna cotta.
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Valentines Day is fast approaching. While you never need a reason to celebrate love, February 14 is a nice reminder to cherish that special someone, even if that someone is yourself. If you need help picking out a gift, look no further. Here are our picks that go beyond roses to give your loved one this V-day. Whether you are in a new relationship or flying solo, spread the love with these finds. For the new lovers Meadowlark cherub charm necklace, $299 Jewellery seems like an easy gift to celebrate a new relationship, but it can be tricky to nail what your sweetheart would like. This cherub charm necklace from New Zealand brand Meadowlark is the perfect, subtle romantic talisman. Take note of whether they wear gold or silver as it is available in sterling silver ($189), 23k gold-plated ($299) and 9ct yellow gold ($2209).

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Cambridge Imprint origami heart bunting kit,$28 The Cambridge Imprint is a small paper-making business, and their heart bunting origami kit ($28) is a love-themed gift that is a little different. Its a great idea if you know your pookie-bear often enjoys a little arts and crafts, or you could make it a date and sit down together to learn some origami together. Daily Blooms seasonal Bellas Blooms subscription, $65 Florists estimate that approximately 5 million roses will be delivered on Valentines Day. Flowers are a must to make your partner feel special, but if you are looking to out-do everyone else get them a flower subscription. The seasonal Bellas Blooms offer a florists choice bundle, which includes limited edition bundles for V-day, Christmas and Easter. Fortnightly or monthly national delivery is available and you pay ($65) as you go. They offer same-day delivery when ordered before 3pm, so also a great option if youve left your planning to the last minute.

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Gentle Habits perfume oil in Byron Bay, $50 You cant go wrong with perfume, and the Gentle Habits perfume oil (10ml/$50) in the Byron Bay scent is a best-selling roll-on fragrance that is perfect for on the go. The formula is alcohol-free  safe for your lover if they have sensitive skin  and infused with coconut oil to moisturise. The packaging is sustainably refillable so when they love it, you can buy them more next year. LeTAO gateau pudding tiramisu, $49 Homemade from the heart is a sweet gesture, but this is an impressive dessert and you dont need to lift a finger. LeTAO is known for their famous cheesecakes made with Hokkaido milk, and their gateau pudding tiramisu has layers of soft cream, mascarpone mousse, coffee, and caramel. Free next-day delivery is available if you order before 2pm.

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Do it together Learn to salsa dance Photo: Getty Images Sure, you could do any dance class, but salsa is all about passion. If you want to take your sweetie for a spin, surprise them with a beginner lesson. By the end of the session, you will have picked up a few basic steps to whip out next time you come across a dance floor. Beginner classes are easy to find, often free of charge and accommodate every experience level, even if you have two left feet. Some free beginner trial classes to check out: Sydney Salsa Classes (CBD and Five Dock)

The Salsa Foundation (Melbourne CBD)

Rio Rhythmics Latin Dance Academy (Brisbane)

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NationalNSWDefamation Nine loses bid to keep settlement with Ben Roberts-Smiths lover secret Michaela Whitbourn February 2, 2026  5:55pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

Nine has lost a bid for a 50-year suppression order over a settlement it reached in a dispute with Ben Roberts-Smiths former lover. Person 17, who had an extramarital affair with Roberts-Smith, was a witness for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald in the former soldiers failed defamation case against the Nine-owned newspapers. Her identity was suppressed by the Federal Court. Ben Roberts-Smith (left) and Nick McKenzie outside the Federal Court in Sydney last year. Peter Rae After the defamation trial, Person 17 threatened to sue the newspapers and one of the reporters at the centre of the case, investigative journalist Nick McKenzie. In her evidence during the trial, Person 17 alleged Roberts-Smith punched her on the left side of her face and eye in 2018. Roberts-Smith vehemently rejected that allegation, and then-Federal Court judge Anthony Besanko found Person 17s testimony was not sufficiently reliable to prove the alleged assault.

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However, Besanko found some of Roberts-Smiths behaviour towards Person 17 was intimidatory, threatening and controlling. Related Article Media & marketing Make The Sydney Morning Herald your preferred source on Google In a decision on Monday, Federal Court Justice Nye Perram said the information in the deed of settlement between the Nine newspapers, McKenzie and Person 17 had already entered the public domain in the form of a number of news articles which were published in May last year. Perram said the news articles reveal the substance of the contents of the deed of settlement. It meant granting the suppression order would lack utility, the judge said. He dismissed the application for the suppression order and ordered Nine to pay Roberts-Smiths legal costs.

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Nines application was opposed by two media outlets, Nationwide News, owned by News Corp, and West Australian Newspapers, which is now owned by the Southern Cross media group following a merger with Seven West Media. Billionaire Kerry Stokes, who bankrolled Roberts-Smiths defamation case, announced plans last year to step down as Seven West Media chairman this month after the merger. Related Article Roberts-Smith case High Court throws out Ben Roberts-Smiths defamation appeal bid Perram said Nine did not seek orders requiring these stories [about the settlement with Person 17] to be taken down and it is likely  that they have been viewed by a large number of persons. There is no evidence that these articles were posted in contravention of the suppression orders.

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Indeed, as the two media companies correctly submitted, the chronology of events on April 30, 2025 makes it quite possible that the information in the articles left the courtroom before the making of the suppression orders. Perram said an interim order preventing disclosure of the deed of settlement would expire after 14 days on February 16, unless an application for special leave to appeal from his orders was made. If such an application were made, the interim order would be extended pending any appeal. Besanko upheld the newspapers truth defence to the defamation case in 2023. He found to the civil standard of proof that Roberts-Smith was complicit in the murder of four unarmed prisoners while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. The High Court rejected Ben Roberts-Smiths last-ditch bid to appeal against his damning defamation loss last year, putting an end to seven years of litigation costing tens of millions of dollars. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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Updated NationalNSWDefamation Rape myths: Ten, Wilkinson hit back at Lehrmann over appeal bid Michaela Whitbourn February 2, 2026  12:44pm 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

Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson have hit back at Bruce Lehrmann after he filed a last-ditch bid to overturn a damning defamation decision that concluded he raped his former colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House. Lehrmann is seeking High Court special leave to appeal against the decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court, handed down in December last year. Bruce Lehrmann and Lisa Wilkinson outside the Federal Court during the defamation trial. Dominic Lorrimer The former federal Liberal staffer argues the court should have upheld his appeal against Federal Court Justice Michael Lees landmark decision in 2024 that found on the balance of probabilities that he was a rapist. Lehrmanns legal team alleges in documents filed in the High Court that the Full Courts decision depended on findings made by [Lee]  that were compromised by his having conducted his own research and having obtained extraneous non-legal material.

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The application for special leave points to material referred to in Lees decision, including a University of NSW Law Journal article that the judge described as dealing with how so-called rape myths play a role in jury decision-making. The term rape myths refers to misconceptions about how victims might behave during and after a sexual assault. Ten and Wilkinson said in responses filed in the High Court that the special leave application lacked sufficient prospects of success and should be refused. Brittany Higgins at court in December 2023. Steven Siewert Tens legal team, headed by Melbourne silk Matt Collins, KC, said in its response that Lee did not identify the  [rape myths] paper as a result of conducting his own research but because Ten had, in fact, referred to it during the trial.

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Ten had argued the paper supported their submission that expert evidence of rape myths was relevant and admissible in the defamation case, the broadcaster said in its written response. Ultimately, Lee did not need to decide whether expert evidence on that topic was admissible because Ten did not tender it. The rape myths paper was referred to in the judgment only in the context of discussing that chain of events, Ten said. Ten said a second paper on rape myths, which was referred to in an expert report it opted not to tender in evidence, was referred to in passing by Lee and was obviously not relied upon by the judge in reaching his rape finding in an earlier part of the judgment. Wilkinsons barristers, Sue Chrysanthou, SC, and Barry Dean, said in a separate response that there is no factual basis for [Lehrmann] ... to allege that the primary judges factual findings were compromised as he alleged. Lehrmann filed defamation proceedings in 2023 against Ten and Wilkinson over an interview with Higgins aired on Tens now-defunct The Project in 2021.

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Lee upheld the media parties defence of truth to the rape allegation made in the broadcast. He found on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann sexually assaulted Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. The appeal court  Justices Michael Wigney, Craig Colvin and Wendy Abraham  went even further than Lee in its decision last year. It made a significant finding that Lehrmann was not reckless about whether Higgins was consenting to sex, but was aware she did not consent. The only reasonable inference from the facts as known to Mr Lehrmann at the time, is that at some point before sexual intercourse commenced, Mr Lehrmann  was aware that she was not consenting, but proceeded nonetheless, the court said in its written decision. Lehrmann filed the application for special leave to appeal against that decision in the High Court last month. Anyone needing support can contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028, Lifeline 13 11 14, and Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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NationalQueenslandPalaeontology Australias oldest dinosaur fossil found in a Brisbane suburb Marissa Calligeros February 2, 2026  12:55pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

Key points Researchers have confirmed that a fossilised dinosaur footprint found in a suburban Brisbane quarry 68 years ago is the real deal, and dates back 230 million years.

The fossil was discovered by esteemed palaeontologist Professor Bruce Runnegar when he was a Brisbane Grammar schoolboy.

Modern 3D technology has confirmed it is the oldest dinosaur fossil ever found in Australia.

It is also the only dinosaur fossil discovered in an Australian capital city.

Could the large blocks of sandstone that make up many of Brisbanes monolithic buildings contain the fossilised footprints of dinosaurs? Long before Albion was a sought-after, inner-city Brisbane suburb, characterised by historical homes and shopfronts, it was the site of a sprawling sandstone quarry. Paleontologist Dr Anthony Romilio (left) with Professor Bruce Runnegar (right) and the dinosaur fossil found in the Albion quarry. University of Queensland As a teenager, Bruce Runnegar would explore Petries Quarry with his Brisbane Grammar schoolmates. A find he made in his senior year in July 1958 has put dinosaurs on the map  literally.

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Runnegar strongly suspected he had found a fossilised dinosaur footprint, but carefully wrapping it up and carrying it home, he never imagined its national significance. In the decades since, the quarry was filled in and replaced with suburban homes, while Runnegar went on to become an esteemed palaeontologist. He kept the fossil in his personal collection for more than 60 years, taking it with him as he lectured around the world, including the University of California in Los Angeles, where it remained for four decades before being returned to Brisbane last year. An image of the dinosaur fossil found in the old Albion quarry. University of Queensland The 18.5-centimetre footprint has now been confirmed as Australias oldest dinosaur fossil, dating back some 230 million years, and the first found in an Australian capital city.

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In 2021, Runnegar finally decided to have the fossil formally documented. He reached out to palaeontologist Anthony Romilio from the University of Queenslands Dinosaur Lab. At the time, Runnegar was still lecturing in Los Angeles, having shipped the fossil to the US along with his furniture and personal belongings. [Romilio] advised me on how to take photographs of the fossil in my garage in Los Angeles. I took lots of photos  gigabytes of them, he said. Romilio used the photographs and special software to create a 3D map of the fossil and form a cast of what the dinosaur footprint would have looked like.

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[Once] I was able to make the model, I knew we had something very, very special here, Romilio said. He has determined the dinosaur that left its footprint on Brisbane was a small, two-legged sauropodomorph, which stood roughly 75 to 80 centimetres tall at the hip and weighed about 140 kilograms. A computer-generated image of the dinosaur species that left its footprint in Brisbane 230 million years ago. University of Queensland It lived in the Late Triassic period, 230 million years ago, making it an ancestral form of the brontosaurus or brachiosaurus. Its likely the dinosaur was walking through or alongside a waterway when it left the footprint before it was then preserved in sandstone, which was cut millions of years later to construct buildings across Brisbane, Romilio said.

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Brisbanes heritage-listed GPO on Queen Street in the heart of the CBD was constructed with sandstone from the Albion quarry, the same site of the fossil discovery. The old Albion quarry, since replaced with suburban houses. University of Queensland Subsequent urban development has made the original site inaccessible, leaving this footprint as the only surviving dinosaur evidence from the area, Romilio said. Without the foresight to preserve this material, Brisbanes dinosaur history would still be completely unknown. A comparison of the sauropodomorph to a human. University of Queensland

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This is the only dinosaur fossil to be found in an Australian capital city and shows how globally significant discoveries can remain hidden in plain sight. Runnegar has donated the fossil to the Queensland Museum, where it will be added to the University of Queenslands collection to be used for research and education. The discovery has been published in Alcheringa: Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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NationalQueenslandCrime Man charged with killing three-week-old baby son Cloe Read and Julius Dennis Updated February 2, 2026  6:19pm ,first published 2:06pm 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 man has been charged with murder after his three-week-old son died in a Brisbane hospital from critical injuries. Hank Sherriff, 25, from Cleveland, was charged on Monday over the death of the boy, who was brought to the Queensland Childrens Hospital in a critical condition on July 18, 2024. Loading The baby died four days later in hospital. Police will allege he had suffered catastrophic brain injuries. Weeks after the death, Sherriff posted to social media.

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Today you were cremated. I have no words. I love you son forever and always, he wrote. I told you to hit the sun and reach the stars and you did. Ill love you forever my little man no matter what, death shall not make us part. Ill see you soon. Hank Sherriff was charged over the 2024 death of the baby. Internet Sherriff was charged by Logan detectives, who said they recently received medical testing results that allegedly indicated the boy died from internal injuries. Police will allege those injuries were inflicted at an address on Rosemary Street, Greenbank, and on Monday they charged Sherriff.

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Detective Acting Inspector Glen Antonie said the investigation into the boys tragic death was protracted and complex. Antonie said there were no obvious injuries when the boy was presented to the hospital, but detectives had since relied on expert medical analysis to determine Sherriffs charge. Police said detectives woke Sherriff up when they arrived to arrest him. Internet He would not be drawn on the cause of the death. Were satisfied the elements of the offence for murder have been met, he said.

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Antonie said detectives woke Sherriff in bed when they arrived to arrest him. The Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday afternoon heard Sherriff had applied for legal aid. The case was adjourned by Magistrate Ross Mack to later in February, with Sherriff remanded in custody. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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NationalVictoriaCourts Accused Pam the Bird vandal headed for trial in $700,000 cartoon graffiti case Erin Pearson February 2, 2026  2:04pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

The accused Pam the Bird vandal has pleaded not guilty to allegations he caused $700,000 in damage with the distinctive cartoon graffiti and had his case fast-tracked to a higher court. Jack Gibson-Burrell, 22, arrived at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday dressed in suit pants, red Lightning McQueen crocs and carrying a two-wheel skateboard, known as a ripstick waveboard. Jack Gibson-Burrell (left) arrives at court with his lawyer, Micky Milardovic. Alex Coppel Defence lawyer Micky Milardovic told the court his client no longer wished to test the evidence against him in a preliminary hearing and would instead be fighting the 209 charges in the County Court. Gibson-Burrell faces charges including multiple counts of reckless conduct endangering life and serious injury, public nuisance, car theft, burglary and aggravated burglary.

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Related Article Media & marketing Make The Age your preferred source on Google Police allege he is the sole person behind the Pam the Bird tags visible across Melbourne and Geelong, making him allegedly one of Australias most prolific graffiti vandals. He is accused of graffitiing property and buildings, including trams, the Novotel Melbourne South Wharf hotel, the Channel Nine building in Docklands, the cheese stick column on CityLink, and Flinders Street Station. Gibson-Burrell outside court. Alex Coppel He faces separate charges that he allegedly stole a car from Victorias Surf Coast in December 2024 and used it to ram the front doors of a Nandos outlet in Footscray, with the message we dont accept cash here and Nando dogs spray-painted on the white Volkswagen.

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Gibson-Burrell is also charged with intentionally causing injury after allegedly stabbing a man with a kitchen knife, and charged over an earlier unprovoked attack on an Emporium store worker. Gibson-Burrell, formerly of Yarraville, was bailed in February last year to work at a Geelong painting company and live with his grandmother, a former security guard. On Monday, he appeared in court, and the hearing was delayed slightly while the charges, laid in three separate stages, were correctly numbered. Images of Pam the Bird graffiti around Melbourne. The Age There is a lot. Two hundred and nine in total, magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz said.

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Once the charges were addressed, the magistrate told the accused graffiti vandal she was satisfied the evidence was of sufficient weight that a jury could convict him, and ordered he stand trial in the County Court. Mr Gibson-Burrell, do you plead guilty or not guilty? the magistrate asked. Not guilty, the accused replied. Loading Mykytowycz said Gibson-Burrells bail conditions would remain, including a $30,000 surety, reporting to police, a ban on leaving Victoria, and orders that he not contact witnesses or associate with any co-accused.

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He must also comply with a nightly curfew at his Geelong address, not possess abseiling or graffiti-related items and only use one mobile phone, which he must unlock on request for police. Gibson-Burrell is expected to return to court in March. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
We Are China

China's annual Spring Festival travel rush begins

Xinhua) 13:14, February 02, 2026

An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 2, 2026 shows high-speed trains at a maintenance depot in Tianjin, north China. (Photo by Yang Baosen/Xinhua)

China's annual Spring Festival travel rush began on Monday, with inter-regional trips expected to hit a record 9.5 billion.

Passenger volumes on railways and civil aviation are forecast at 540 million and 95 million, respectively, with both total traffic and daily peak flows expected to surpass previous records.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Feb. 17 this year. The official holiday lasts nine days, with the travel rush running through March 13.

Passengers board a train at the Nanjing Railway Station in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Su Yang/Xinhua)

Passengers get off a train at the Nanjing Railway Station in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Yang Suping/Xinhua)

Maintenance workers inspect train carriages at a maintenance depot in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Yang Baosen/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 2, 2026 shows high-speed trains at a maintenance depot in Tianjin, north China. (Photo by Yang Baosen/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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NationalVictoriaSpace Elon Musks space junk blazes across Victorian skies Angus Delaney February 3, 2026  9:14am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

A satellite believed to be owned by Elon Musk lit up Victorian skies and dazzled early risers when it re-entered Earths atmosphere as space junk on Tuesday morning. The space junk, which early indications suggest is one of Musks SpaceX Starlink satellites, blazed across the sky about 5.27am, leaving behind a flaming orange trail flecked with green. Many Melburnians thought they had witnessed a slow-motion meteor. Loading However, Associate Professor Michael Brown, of Monash Universitys school of physics and astronomy, said there were telltale signs it was a space junk re-entry instead. It was coming in almost horizontally, and coming in pretty slowly compared to, say, a meteor, which gave people plenty of time to get their mobile phone out and get some footage and perhaps say profanities as the thing came in, he said.

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Related Article Media & marketing Make The Age your preferred source on Google Starlink satellites, which provide internet connections, orbit in space at a relatively low altitude of 500 kilometres and therefore experience strong atmospheric drag. When the satellites engines give out, they are dragged back into the atmosphere over the course of months or years, where the friction of reentry causes them to burst into flames spectacularly. These are internet satellites that [Musks company] SpaceX has been launching many thousands of in recent years, and the first ones that they launched a few years ago are now past their prime and are starting to come down in increasing numbers, Brown said. Scientists believe the space junk was a SpaceX starlink satellite. SpaceX So these satellites re-enter somewhere over the globe, pretty much every day, and we had one of them reenter over Victoria early this morning.

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Astronomer at Swinburne University Alan Duffy said space junk travels at about seven kilometres per second during reentry, which is three to four times slower than a meteor. In video on social media, the satellite can be seen leaving behind multiple molten trails that contain a greenish tinge, both also clear indicators that it is space junk, not a meteor. When you see the piece breaking up into multiple fireballs and trails, that tells you this is a large object, so much so that it can break up and still have visible separate components burning. The different material types  metals and plastic, typically you find in a satellite or in a rocket housing  burn and give different colours, thats quite literally the chemical constituents burning up in the atmosphere. Space junk is usually entirely burnt up in the atmosphere and rarely poses a risk to people on Earth. Satellite reentries are becoming increasingly common  particularly Musks Starlinks  due to a large increase in the number of launches in recent years.

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Space A Sydney start-up launched a satellite to fight space junk. Its now space junk Duffy said this meant low-orbit areas of space were becoming crowded and there is a risk of space junk colliding while in orbit, which would create a knock-on effect of breaking up other objects in orbit. We have that challenge already in some orbits where were very close to that tipping point, he said. And once that happens, it means you cant use those orbits for years, decades, perhaps even centuries, depending on where they are, unless you actively clean them up. The other challenge is  we use it for a range of different needs, from communication to Earth observation, weather monitoring and human habitation in terms of the space station. So its a very crowded, very prized patch of real estate, and with all of those satellites operating up there, contesting for those orbits, its becoming quite a challenge to literally navigate.

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Duffy said private companies should be strictly regulated to ensure they conduct business responsibly. Photo: Matt Golding Brown said the growth in satellite launches had created a pollution risk because youre basically dumping a lot of stuff from these satellites in the upper atmosphere and could contaminate Earth. This is sort of a very developing area, and one thats potentially of significant long-term concern. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
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PoliticsFederalPolitical leadership Ley left hanging after demands to reform Coalition blindside MPs in both parties Paul Sakkal and Nick Newling Updated February 3, 2026  5:57pm ,first published February 3, 2026  10:25am 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

Nationals leader David Littleproud has left Opposition Leader Sussan Ley hanging after she made a final offer to avoid a long-term Coalition split, with both Nationals and Liberal frontbenchers saying they were blindsided by Leys requests. The prospects of a reconciliation between the warring parties are diminishing after the Nationals reacted angrily to Leys move on Tuesday. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley on Tuesday morning. Alex Ellinghausen The three Nationals MPs who resigned from the frontbench  a move that precipitated the parties officially splitting due to a breakdown in shadow cabinet solidarity  learnt about Leys wish to suspend them from shadow cabinet for six months via the media after this masthead reported Leys compromise plan to reunite the Coalition. Ley was briefing her own MPs on the offer she had made to Littleproud at the same time as Nationals MPs were in their own party room meeting, but Littleproud had not yet told them of Leys offer.

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Separately, shadow ministers said they were only told of Leys idea after she had communicated with the Nationals, though Leys party room backed her plan and the vast majority of Liberals supported suspending the rebel Nationals. Liberal sources claimed Littleproud ignored repeated requests to meet on Tuesday, as the Nationals leadership mulled a counteroffer on Tuesday evening. If the parties fail to agree on a plan over the next few days, Ley is expected to announce a Liberal-only opposition frontbench, cementing a long-term split. Ley addresses the media on Tuesday morning. Alex Ellinghausen Ley and Littleproud spoke on Monday night, the Liberal leader saying the warring parties could reunite if the three rebel senators  Bridget McKenzie, Ross Cadell and Susan McDonald  spent six months off the frontbench and the regional party affirmed the notion of shadow cabinet discipline. But one Nationals MP rubbished the talks between the leaders as a totally bullshit process designed to create the perception of a good-faith negotiation, when in fact Ley and Littleprouds working relationship was non-existent.

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The reality of the split was on display in parliament on Tuesday as Littleproud moved to the backbench and the Nationals sat separate from the Liberals alongside the crossbench. Related Article Analysis

Political leadership Is reunion even a good idea for the Liberals and the Nationals? Labor ministers mocked the parties from the first moment of question time. They make the Beckhams look like a happy family. They are like a couple that bought a non-refundable holiday, then broke up and have to sit there and suffer through it, Education Minister Jason Clare said. The Nationals expressed frustration that Leys offer leaked out to the media before its own MPs were briefed on it.

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As per media reports, the Nationals have received a written offer from the Liberal Party, Littleproud said. We will take our time to consider the details. The Nationals are united in our endeavours to reset the Coalition, but we wont be providing updates on any negotiations through the media. Pressure has intensified on Littleproud this week as his own MPs backed a motion to get the Coalition back together, weeks after Liberals blamed him for recklessly allowing his party to vote against Labors post-Bondi hate speech laws despite the shadow cabinet agreeing to back them. Nationals leader David Littleproud (centre) on Tuesday at the traditional church service marking the opening of parliament. Alex Ellinghausen But both Littleproud and Ley have boxed themselves in, with Littleproud taking a hard line on a demand to reinstate the three frontbenchers who resigned last month, which Ley and her party room oppose, and also seeking greater flexibility for Nationals to cross the floor.

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While announcing the split 12 days ago, Littleproud said the Nationals cannot be part of a shadow ministry under Sussan Ley, so any reconciliation would be a major backdown for the Nationals leader. Photo: Matt Golding Many MPs in both parties would like to see the two parties rejoin, even though some moderate Liberals are keen to remain apart so that they can focus on city voters. Queensland backbencher Terry Young argued the split should be long-lasting. One Liberal MP said after Leys briefing that the Nationals were parasitic as the regional party see the relationship with the Liberal Party as a way to enrich themselves rather than achieve mutual success. Many Liberals believe that [the Nationals] are an unworthy coalition partner. Until they adopt a new mindset we are better off without them dragging us down to their level of mediocrity, said the MP, who spoke off the record to be candid.

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PoliticsVictoriaVictorian election Allan pledges new solutions as Labor seeks historic fourth term Kieran Rooney February 2, 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

Premier Jacinta Allan has launched an early re-election pitch built around new solutions rather than relying on her governments long record in office, as Labor eyes a historic fourth term at this years state election. Speaking to caucus colleagues on Monday, Allan argued that the pressures of modern family life meant Victorians were more reliant on public systems around them to stay afloat. Premier Jacinta Allan on Monday. Her re-election bid will focus on the future, rejecting the tradition of incumbent governments campaigning on their records. Arsineh Houspian Our purpose, as a Labor government, is delivering new solutions to these challenges, Allan said. To make systems catch up to the complex reality of modern family life, where hopes are big, responsibilities are many, and time and money are tight.

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The premier also unveiled a series campaign talking points she will use in the lead-up to polling day on November 28, placing a heavy emphasis on fresh policies and defying the traditional logic of incumbent governments campaigning on their records of delivery. Its difficult, when the gains weve made as a society to make life a little bit easier  like working from home  are constantly under attack, Allan said, in the address, on the eve of parliaments return. In total, Allan used the term new solutions seven times in Mondays speech, and flagged policies could come as early as this week, this budget, this year. Labor has already vowed to pass laws giving Victorians the right to work from home two days a week for professions where this is possible, despite criticism that industrial relations powers sit largely with the Commonwealth. Mums with sick kids were finding it difficult to juggle work, school and doctors appointments, the premier said, and young families were struggling to buy a home of their own.

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These are some of the new challenges that families are facing. Related Article Victorian Parliament Inside story: Why work from home could return Jacinta Allan to office Allan enters the election year facing a relatively new opponent in Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, a first term MP who was elevated to the top job after the Liberals cycled through three leaders in less than 12 months. Allan accused the Coalition of having cuts in their bones and criticised Wilsons plan to speak at the Across Victoria Alliance event in Horsham this weekend, where One Nation recruit Barnaby Joyce will also appear. The Liberal National One Nation circus will push her further away from families  and further towards the extremes, she said.

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Hinting at her election campaign messaging, Allan said her teams priorities were better access to health and education, a safer community and real help with the cost-of-living to save families time and money. Her speech kicked off a one-day conference for Labor MPs where they will discuss strategies for the coming year. Labor won 56 of 88 lower house seats in the 2022 election, but two of those MPs have since moved to the crossbench. In November, Labor will seek a fourth term in office, something the party is yet to accomplish in Victoria. The premier said youth crime was hurting families but described her governments decision to overhaul youth sentencing as a massive decision. Under these policies, known as adult time for violent crime, teenagers as young as 14 charged with violent offences including carjacking and home invasions will be dealt with by adult courts and potentially face lengthier sentences than they would in the Childrens Court.

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While the changes have been condemned by social justice groups, Allan said it was the right decision. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson will focus on health, hoping to challenge Labor on what is usually seen as its turf. Photo: Chris Hopkins She also flagged health and education would be on her election-year agenda, speaking about her personal experiences with endometriosis and the challenge of caring for a profoundly sick child. Health and education are typically seen as strengths for Labor, however Wilson has sought to challenge this by making health one of the four key pillars of her push to return the Coalition to power. Wilsons other priorities have been budget repair, home ownership and tackling crime.

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Appearing on Nova FM last week, Wilson was asked if the Coalition was ready to govern after years of Liberal infighting at a state level.  [I] Absolutely understand that when people look at us as the alternative government, they need to trust that we can govern, and Im going to spend the next 10 months earning that trust and demonstrating that not only are we ready to govern, but we have the plan to govern, she said. Liberal MPs met for a party conference last week in San Remo, where David Southwick was returned to the position of deputy Liberal leader after winning a vote, 23-6 against Chris Crewther. The major parties enter the election year in a tight battle with the Coalitions primary vote rising towards the end of 2025. The Coalition needs to win an extra 16 seats to form government. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
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PoliticsVictoriaCity life How the Metro Tunnel fared on its first Monday morning peak Adam Carey February 2, 2026  11:30am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

There were early winners and losers as commuters navigated the first morning peak on the Metro Tunnel timetable, adjusting on the go to new travel patterns. Most services ran on time, Metro Trains reported, although a train door fault forced one service to leave Arden station without stopping. Commuters file out of Town Hall station on the first Monday morning for the new Metro Tunnel timetable. Adam Carey One traveller bound for Parkville from her home in Caulfield said the more direct journey would shave 15 minutes off her commute. Others were less fortunate. One harried commuter, heading for Collingwood from his home in Cranbourne, faced a three-train journey, which added an estimated 25 minutes to his morning travel.

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At Caulfield station on Monday morning, there was plenty of congestion and confusion as passengers darted between platforms, but a strong contingent of station staff provided guidance. The crush at the platform gates caused some frustrated passengers to miss their trains, but the time penalty was modest, as city-bound trains pulled up every three to four minutes. There was a two-way rush for the myki gates at Caulfield station, causing some city-bound travellers to miss a train. Adam Carey The launch of a full timetable through the Metro Tunnel this week has changed travel patterns that have been baked in for decades. Passengers on the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines no longer travel through the City Loop, or to busy inner-city stations Richmond, North Melbourne and South Yarra.

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Announced in 2016 at a cost of $10.9 billion, the Metro Tunnel and its five underground stations ultimately cost more than $15 billion to build. The project marks the biggest upgrade to Melbournes public transport system since the City Loop opened in 1981. The Metro Tunnel opened to passengers in November but on a reduced timetable. Andreas Groell navigating a new commute on Monday morning. Adam Carey Trains on three lines will now travel through the nine-kilometre twin tunnel instead of the Loop, and interchanges will be required in order to reach Loop stations Southern Cross, Parliament and Flagstaff. Among those adapting to the new reality was Andreas Groell, who stepped off at Caulfield, trying to find his way to South Yarra.

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I have to change trains. I wasnt really aware of that, but I just realised that I have to get out and go over to the other platform, he said. Groell estimated the transfer would add five minutes to his morning trip, but said he was unfazed. Cranbourne resident Manoj Mathew estimates his commute will be 25 minutes longer. Adam Carey I was under the impression Im not actually affected by it. Thats all good, he said. Flustered traveller Manoj Mathew had just discovered he would pay a much heavier time penalty.

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He jumped off a Metro Tunnel-bound train at Malvern station  the last stop in the east where commuters can swap trains  clutching a phone with a travel app open and searching for a customer service person to direct him. He was searching for a Frankston line train to take him to Parliament, where he would then catch another train to Collingwood. University student Sara Pisacane says the new timetable will save her 15 minutes on her journey. Adam Carey It adds 25 minutes to my time. It is stressful, Mathew said. (Mathew could have sped up his commute by travelling directly to Town Hall or State Library stations to catch a Mernda or Hurstbridge line train, instead of getting off at Malvern. But Google Maps had not been updated by Monday to provide that option.)

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Medical student Sara Pisacane was in the opposite camp. Bound for the University of Melbourne for her first day of classes, she guessed her more direct journey would save her 15 minutes. Related Article Opinion

Metro Tunnel Keep hold of your timetable: Metro Tunnel is spectacular, but it wont transform Melbourne yet Cara Waters The Age city editor Rather than having to get off a train, wait for a tram, take the tram, this is just one train directly up to the uni, so it actually makes a good difference, Pisacane said. A Metro Trains spokesman said services through the tunnel performed well on Monday morning, with 99 per cent of trains running on time. Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said Monday would be the tunnels first really big test, although it is also one of the quietest days of the week for train patronage.

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Bowen said daily commuters should adapt quickly, but occasional users such as football crowds could still be surprised by the new travel patterns in the weeks ahead. I havent seen much comms around it from the government, but  they could be emphasising that people  at least coming from the south-east  could just hop off at Town Hall and walk across the bridge to the MCG, or catch a tram, which is what a lot of people from the western suburbs already do, he said. At the new Town Hall station, there were scores of first-time Metro Tunnel passengers seeking directions from staff in high-vis vests. Diem Chau had just caught a train from Noble Park and travelled into the tunnel for the first time. She said she wasnt expecting to find herself inside the new underground station, and had thought she would have a choice between catching a Metro Tunnel train or a service through the City Loop. Diem Chau didnt expect to find herself in the Metro Tunnel on Monday, but is happy with her new commute. Adam Carey

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I thought there would be two alternatives and when I got on I was like, should I get off and maybe wait for the other train? But there is actually no alternative train, Chau said. I thought it might add more time, but it actually felt faster than my normal train, which would go through Richmond, Parliament and then Melbourne Central. Even staff on the project appeared to be still adapting to the new order. When The Age asked for directions to the State Library station concourse, a customer service officer sporting a purple Team Tunnel badge initially pointed us back towards Melbourne Central. Were all getting used to it, he 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.
Billionaire Alex Birkenstock, heir of German cult sandal brand Birkenstock, and his wife, Vanessa, have emerged as the cash buyers of an $8 million Victorian mansion in Melbournes Brighton.

Transfer documents reveal Alex Birkenstock as the buyer of a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house with a pool and terrace, previously owned by Catherine Henderson, the director of an independent travel agency that specialises in walking tours. There is no mention of a mortgage on the title, indicating a cash purchase.

Billionaire Alex Birkenstock, heir of German cult sandal brand Birkenstock, has emerged as the cash buyer of an $8 million mansion in Melbournes Brighton. Credit:

The footwear entrepreneur has an impressive Australian property portfolio, having purchased an $83.5 million waterfront estate in Sydneys Rose Bay with cash in December, as previously reported by this masthead.

A sold sticker went up on the Brighton listing, indicating a sale of $8 million by private treaty on December 15. The property was sold by Alex Schiavo of Kay & Burton Bayside who declined to comment on any aspect of the sale or buyers identity when contacted.
Stories of High-Quality Development | Internet platforms bridge trust gap between supply and demand in cultural tourism

People's Daily Online) 13:21, February 02, 2026

Narrator: Zhao Liwei, owner of travel photography studio in Dali, Yunnan Province

The ancient city of Dali in southwest China's Yunnan Province is bathed in a golden glow as the sun sets. Lifting their cameras and snapping their shutters, photographers capture unforgettable moments for tourists dressed in traditional Bai ethnic attire.

Through their viewfinders, photographers connect with tourists, with the breathtaking scenery of Dali serving as the perfect natural backdrop.

Before becoming a travel photographer, I was an architect. After years of working with light, architecture and ethnic design, I moved to Dali to open a small travel photography studio.

Each photo session serves as both a travel souvenir for tourists and a window into current consumer trends.

Today, young people's demands have become more personalized and diverse. Traditional "been-there" travel is evolving toward "in-depth experiences," with ethnic costume photography serving as a way for tourists to immerse themselves in the local culture. Internet platforms like Meituan are connecting customers with services more efficiently.

Travel photography is not just about taking a set of photos; it is a cultural experience unfolding through imagery. Our "Bai Culture Exploration Journey" integrates traditional Bai architecture, ethnic costumes, and intangible cultural heritage elements into the shooting plan. This allows tourists to gradually understand the history and aesthetics of Bai culture while selecting scenes, changing outfits and capturing moments.

During the peak travel seasons, we tailor styles and scenes according to tourists' shooting preferences, from clothing selection and makeup styles to shooting routes. Every click of the shutter becomes a unique aesthetic expression that reflects individuality.

From satisfying consumers' demand for beauty to building trust, market transparency and honesty play a vital role. We operate our small studio on internet platforms such as Meituan, where transparent prices are a prominent feature. Tourists who come to experience our service through the platforms are free from worries about hidden costs. Positive word-of-mouth naturally accumulates in the shop's reviews, becoming the studio's digital storefront.

According to Meituan data, during the 2026 New Year holiday, transaction volume for ethnic costume travel photography increased 130 percent year on year. In May 2025, "Travel Photography Customizer" was recognized as a new occupation by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. On the platform, ethnic costume travel photography shops operate in nearly 300 cities and regions across the country, with close to 4,000 stores having been established.

How is this contract for beauty established? It is achieved through a bridge of trust between supply and demand built by internet platforms in a non-standardized market. By leveraging advanced technology and quality services to meet more personalized consumer demands, these platforms unleash new momentum for local cultural and tourism consumption.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
After DRIs statewide MD seizures, DGP tells cops: Catch the Big Fish





By Dheeraj Fartode :

IN THE wake of massive Mephedrone (MD) drug seizures by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Amravati, Satara andWardha districts in last two months, Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Sadanand Date on Sunday directed Nagpur Police to intensify quality action against the growing drug menace. He stressed that police intelligence must remain active and alert so that major drug smugglers and key players involved in the illegal trade are identified and sent behind bars. DGP Date was speaking during a review meeting of the Nagpur Police Commissionerate held on Sunday. During the meeting, he took a detailed review of the action taken by Nagpur Police against drug-related crimes and asked officials to focus not just on the number of cases, but on effective investigations that lead to the arrest of big offenders. Drug consumption has shown an alarming rise across Maharashtra. It may be mentioned here that while state police have registered several cases with seizures ranging from a few grams to kilograms, however, the DRI has made three major MD seizures in recent months. These include the seizure of 128 kg of MD from Karanja (Ghadge) in Wardha district on December 9, 2025, 22 kg of MD from Satara on January 24, 2026, and 5 kg of MD from Amravati city on February 1, 2025. A retired police official claimed that such cases clearly indicate the scale of the problem and the need for coordinated and intelligence-based policing in the State.

Act fast on the complaints

THE DGP instructed Nagpur Police to ensure that complaints from citizens are taken seriously and acted upon without delay. He emphasized that FIRs should be registered promptly on every genuine complaint, so that public confidence in the police system is strengthened and criminals do not get an opportunity to escape due to delays.

Message to new officials

HIGHLIGHTING the importance of professional growth, DGP Date advised newly appointed officers to continuously learn and improve their skills. He said understanding the ground realities, learning from senior officers and adapting to new challenges are essential for better and effective policing.

Praises Traffic and Cyber police THE DGP also praised the Traffic and Cyber Police for their commendable work. Appreciating the efforts of the Traffic Police under the leadership of DCP Lohit Matani, he noted that Operation U-Turn has led to a26 per cent reduction in fatal road accidents which resulted innearly 90 fewer road deaths. Hecalled this achievement a resultof focused enforcement and public awareness. Similarly, he lauded the CyberPolice for their performance inhandling digital fraud cases, particularly in recovering defrauded amounts and providing timely relief to victims. Nagpur Commissioner of Police Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal, Joint Commissioner of PoliceNavinchandra Reddy, Additional Commissioners of Police, andDeputy Commissioners of Policewere present during the meeting. The DGP concluded byurging all branches to work incoordination, improve efficiency and ensure strict action against crime to maintain law and orderin the city
CM Sai inaugurates Sirpur Mahotsav







Staff Reporter :

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurated the three-day Sirpur Mahotsav at Sirpur in Mahasamund district on Sunday. The Chief Minister inaugurated the Sirpur Mahotsav by lighting the ceremonial lamp and garlanding the portrait of Goddess Saraswati. Addressing the programme, Chief Minister Sai, while wishing the people of the district on Maghi Purnima, said that with the blessings of Shri Gandeshwar Mahadev situated on the banks of Mahanadi, this area is moving towards continuous development. He said that Sirpur represents the cultural identity of not only Chhattisgarh but the entire country. The Chief Minister informed that today the district has been gifted development works worth approximately Rs 200 crore. He said that the State Government is committed to developing Sirpur as an international tourist centre. Modern roads, lighting, parking, tourist convenience centre and international level tourist corridor will be developed. He said that special efforts are being made to preserve the historical and archaeological heritage of Sirpur, so that the coming generations can also become familiar with this glorious heritage.

Chief Minister Sai welcomed Buddhist thinkers from Malaysia, Korea, and Japan, who are participating in the event. He said that Sanatan, Buddhist, and Jain cultures flourished in Sirpur, and it is a wonderful confluence of cultures. Considering the potential for tourism development in Sirpur, the State government is making serious efforts to include it in the World Heritage list. Sirpur will be renowned across the country and the world. The Chief Minister said that the approval for Sirpur Barrage will also be given soon for the development of the region. Work is progressing rapidly on a plan to bring water from the Siksar Reservoir to the Kodar Reservoir. This will ensure continuous water supply to the farmers of the area, he added.

Food Minister and Mahasamund district in-charge Minister Dayaldas Baghel also addressed the programme. MLAs Yogeshwar Raju Sinha, Sampat Agrawal, Ishwar Sahu, President of Zila Panchayat Raipur Mongara Patel, Chairman of Chhattisgarh State Seeds Development Corporation Chandrahas Chandrakar, Vice President of Zila Panchayat Bhikham Singh Thakur, President of Municipal Council Nikhil Kant Sahu, President of Janpad Panchayat Disha Diwan, President of Nagar Panchayat Basna Dr Khushboo Abhishek Agrawal, former MLA Dr Vimal Chopra and others were present.
Industry and trade find Union Budget align with vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat





(Left) Office-bearers of Vidarbha Industries Association and industrialists of the region watching the live telecast of Union Budget. (Right) NVCC members, its office-bearers and others watching the live telecast at Hotel Dwarkamai in Ganeshpeth on Sunday. (Pics by Anil Futane)

Business Reporter :

Expressing their views on the Union Budget on Sunday, entrepreneurs of the region welcomed it saying that steps proposed in it are aligned with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and reflective of industry expectations. Most of the entrepreneurs termed it a positive, pro-industry Budget with a strong focus on manufacturing, exports, and Ease of Doing Business. Prashant Mohota, President of Vidarbha Industries Association (VIA) said that the Government is giving a boost to manufacturing sectors which is a very healthy sign. Electronics and rare metals have been identified as the key pillars for industrial growth. Similarly, export promotion and procedural simplification are going to prove beneficial for the industry, he said. Mohota, interacting with the media person soon after the Budget speech, also said that the Government has identified tourism as a major growth sector.

In agriculture, emphasis has been laid on high-quality seeds and high-density plantations to promote high-value crops. Furthermore, the textile sector has been included under the employment-generating category, with announcements of incentives, making the Budget favourable for this sector as well, he said. At a special Budget analysis event held at Hotel Dwarkamai, office-bearers and members of Nag Vidarbha Chamber of Commerce (NVCC) expressed satisfaction over the proposals. Farooq Akbani, President of NVCC, said that the support scheme for SME and MSMEs and outlay of Rs 10,000 crore for it is going to prove very beneficial for the small and medium size traders across the country.

However, there is some apprehension among the traders with regard to some provision of Income Tax, he said. Akbani, while welcoming the proposal of setting up a high level committee for banking reforms, said that the Government should also take into consideration small and medium size traders. B C Bhartia, National President of Confederation of all India Traders, highlighted the Budgets proposals for small and medium size traders.

The Government has initiated measures such as easy access to credit, simplification of compliance procedures, digital empowerment and technological upgradation. It will help the traders and bring in more liquidity in the markets. The domestic markets will flourish due to these steps, he added. Bhartia further stated that the measures announced in the Budget will play a vital role in employment generation. It will support small industries and traders. In addition to this, Bhartia also noted that the continued focus on infrastructure development, logistics efficiency, manufacturing, exports, digital economy and consumption-led growth will provide widespread benefits to trade and commerce across the country.
Mpl Commr Ahirwar reviews progress of devpt works, cleanliness activities





Staff Reporter :

Municipal Commissioner Ramprakash Ahirwar held a review meeting with senior officials, consultants and contractors to examine the progress of development works and cleanliness related activities in the city. During the meeting, he reviewed performance of nine main departments and issued strict instructions to senior officials. Ahirwar also made it clear that no laxity or compromise on quality would be tolerated. The Municipal Commissioner reviewed works of the Establishment, Pension, Health, Electricity, Water, Garden, Public Works, Planning and Government Schemes departments. He directed all concerned officers to ensure that both ongoing and proposed development works are completed within the stipulated time frame and with high quality.

He warned that strict action would be taken against officials, employees and contractors found negligent. He asked to accelerating works under AMRUT Phase-1 and Phase-2. The Municipal Commissioner also reviewed progress of the PM SVANidhi scheme. He instructed officials to ensure timely disposal of pending service related cases and to take lawful action in court related matters. In view of ensuing Swachh Survekshan 2025-26, Ahirwar directed all senior officials to conduct morning ward visits and ensure effective implementation of cleanliness measures on the ground. He also held detailed discussions on long-pending Chandalbhata cases. The Municipal Commissioner assigned responsibility to senior officers for early resolution of these cases to ensure uninterrupted progress of related works. He urged officials to strengthen coordination, remain active in the field and ensure timely resolution of citizens issues.
THE INSULATOR





INSTEAD of searching for new territories to expand, the Union Budget 2026 has wisely gone for consolidating Indias strong ramparts to thwart all possible geoeconomic threats in the current volatility. Finance Minister Ms Nirmala Sitharamans ninth Budget on trot has yet again put total faith in the Indian economys resilience as she outlined measures to insulate the country from economic headwinds triggered by the Trump tariffs. The Budget document has laid out a long-term plan to consolidate the gains India has managed post-coronavirus pandemic while focusing on ramping up production capacity of sectors which are set to play a critical role in the future. The Budget 2026 is not only a steady growth-seeker but also a shield for Indian businesses from the high tariffs and steep international competition.

The Centre has again exhorted India Inc to come to the party with higher investments as the Budget has provided a strong push for manufacturing in sectors like biopharma, semiconductors, electronics, textiles and chemicals. These sectors have an important role to play in the near future as India envisages a role of production hub for the world. All these new-age sectors will be in high demand even as the world is seeking Indian partnership to overcome the destruction inflicted by United States President Mr. Donald Trump through his reckless policies. The Budget has rightly focused on strengthening the domestic industry in tier-2 and tier-3 cities which can turn out to be growth engines for India. Developing these cities as development hubs is a visionary idea as it will take care of the employment problem and also the problem of inter-city migration.

The Centre has played its cards really well by going for higher capacity-building rather than aiming for ambitious schemes to compete with top economies. The Budget is a vision document to make India a major economy which can then call shots in the coming years. Ms. Sitharamans speech had some significant points which underline the Centres readiness to implement its Plan B in case of a failed trade deal with the United States. The 50 per cent tariffs have adversely affected Indias textile sector. The Centre has come to its rescue with an Integrated Programme to modernise the vulnerable sector. It will help the textile exporters to scale up production for the new markets India has tapped through the series of Free Trade Agreements. The latest FTA with the European Union has provisions to offset the losses caused to the textile sector. However, the biggest takeaway from the Budget is the Defence outlay of Rs 7,84,678 crore. It reflects a decisive shift towards sustained military strengthening. The scale and structure of the hike underscores that India is not only ready for immediate threats but also is investing in long-term deterrence and strategic autonomy. The Budget is an Insulator.
In one of his last writings, Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) imagined a monstrous book without beginning or end, composed of an exactly infinite number of pages. As if in a fleeting evocation of the confusion between reality and fiction that he liked to evoke, his texts, which have been continuously published worldwide for decades, seem to mimic The Book of Sand: even today they continue to add new pages.

To the Complete Works that he himself sent to the printing press, there have been added, over time, entire books that the Argentine author had previously disavowed, articles that appeared in newspapers and magazines that he had never compiled, and even some of his valuable manuscripts, among other materials. With the 40th anniversary of his death approaching this coming June, one of the rich veins from which editors and researchers continue to extract treasures is his vast oral work, especially his classes and lectures. The recent publication of Curso de literatura inglesa y norteamericana (Course in English and North American Literature) is part of this series.

The new book compiles the lectures that Borges gave in 1966 at the Catholic University of Mar del Plata. For five months that year, every two weeks between April and September, the writer, who was blind by then, traveled by train the 400 kilometers (around 250 miles) separating Buenos Aires from the Mar del Plata coast. A handful of students waited to hear him speak with erudite devotion about writers, texts, and literary movements recurrent in his work. And also about other, more unusual topics, with little or no record of it until now.

Those lectures were lost to the public, and their recovery is the result of almost detective-like work by the books editor, Mariela Blanco, a professor and researcher at the National University of Mar del Plata and National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). It all began with a suggestion from German Alvarez, another expert on Borges work, who would later compile the detailed set of notes for the new book. He proposed that Blanco trace Borges time in Mar del Plata. It was like in the story The Purloined Letter [by Edgar Allan Poe]. It was something that had been right in front of me my whole life, and I didnt see it, says Blanco. My mother, she explains, was one of Borges students in 1966. Ever since I was little, for as long as I can remember, I had heard: I took classes with Borges.

Recovering those lectures was no easy task. By the time Blanco embarked on the project, her mother had passed away. The university archives contained nothing. Interviews with other former students  most of them women  revealed that they had recorded the lectures on audio tapes. But the tapes had been reused; no one had preserved them. Finally, she found the treasure: in the southernmost part of the country, in Tierra del Fuego, one of those students, now a librarian, had kept the transcripts. This collection of verbatim transcripts of Borgess lectures was missing only the first one, which is still lost.

From then on, a meticulous restoration process began that took five years. The transcriptions were done very carefully, preserving Borges orality and syntax, Blanco explains, but the editing work was long and complicated, a work of art to restore Borges words, the cadence of his voice.

The writer Jorge Luis Borges, at his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1983. CHRISTOPHER PILLITZ (Getty Images)

The book includes 10 lessons taught by the author of The Aleph. He was scheduled to give 14 lectures in Mar del Plata, but for unknown reasons, after the 11th class, Borges stopped traveling, and the course came to an abrupt end. The book comprises 475 pages and ranges from the Battle of Maldon, written in the 10th century, to works and authors of the early 20th century. The journey offers a glimpse into Borges unique way of reading and his veneration for books to which he claims to owe the best moments of his life, and not just his literary life: Aesthetic pleasures, he told his students, can be as memorable and as intense as any other.

After discussing early Anglo-Saxon works, Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare, Borges told his students about Jonathan Swift, one of the most singular and unfortunate writers in English literature. He also examined Samuel Johnson and Edward Gibbon, grandiose writers brimming with thought and irony. When he reached the 18th century, he elaborated on Romanticism. Unusually for the rest of his work, he focused on James Macpherson, the creator of the first Romantic poem, who did not want to be considered a poet but merely a translator. He also discussed William Wordsworth, author of both the best and worst verses in the English language.

Of his beloved Robert Louis Stevenson, Borges said that he believed the art of verse consists in arousing expectation and satisfying it (rhyme requires a related word), while the art of prose is perhaps more difficult, because it consists in arousing an expectation and then disappointing it. He portrayed Gilbert K. Chesterton as an ingenious believer besieged by nightmares, creator of beautiful and unsettling metaphors: the night, a cloud that is larger than the world, and a monster made of eyes (referring to the stars and, perhaps, to the primal fear of one who, without seeing, feels observed).

Among the books and writers he analyzed, Borges sketched relationships and analogies, some already present in his own texts, others previously unpublished, almost all dazzling. Of Stevensons The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he said that it inspired the novel by Robert Bloch that led to the film Psycho. Borges also proposed a series of affinities between Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Rudyard Kiplings Kim and Ricardo Guiraldes Don Segundo Sombra. He suggested similarities between the poetry of William Morris and that of Federico Garcia Lorca; between the philosophy of Bernard Shaw and that of John Scotus Eriugena.

The new book on Borges lessons in Mar de Plata bears a close resemblance to other books by the author, including Medieval Germanic Literatures (1965, a rewriting of a text published under a different title in 1951 and co-authored with Delia Ingenieros) and Introduction to English Literature (1966), both collaborations with Maria Esther Vazquez. It also resembles Borges the Professor (2000), a reconstruction of the lectures that the writer gave in 1966 at the University of Buenos Aires, where he taught for a decade.

But, unlike those other texts, in the Mar del Plata lecture series, theres a more intimate tone, Blanco points out, there are many references to personal experience, anecdotes, mentions of travels, and memories. While summarizing the plot of a work or the details of a life, Borges improvises, translates from memory, and, with or without deliberation, intervenes creatively. He even engages in dialogue with the students in some classes, answers their questions, or offers comments to highlight an authors discovery or dissect a story. You can see how Borges makes a didactic effort to be understood and to make his classes engaging, the editor observes. Hes not a professor on a pedestal, but rather someone trying to bring culturally distant objects closer to an Argentine student.

Written and spoken words

The Borges who taught in the late 1960s already had 20 years of experience as a speaker; his almost pathological shyness and phobia of public speaking were long gone. Needing the income to support himself  which his own work would only provide toward the end of his life  he had begun giving courses and lectures in the mid-1940s, after resigning from a position as municipal librarian, forced out by the emerging Peronist movement.

Between 1949 and 1955, we have already confirmed more than 400 lectures by Borges, Blanco explains. Preparing those talks and classes was, from then on and for years, one of Borges main activities: he took notes, studied, read and re-read, outlined his presentations, traveled, spoke The academic research team that Blanco leads is investigating his oral production as a central part of his work, inseparable from his writing. The topics he discussed could lead to an essay. Or vice versa.

The recently published book El habla de Borges (Borgess Speech) brings together several articles written as part of this research. In it, Blanco, the editor, argues that behind Borges written and spoken expression there lies another central activity: reading. Ultimately, she notes, all his tasks seem to boil down to this: sharing with an audience  more or less distant, more or less direct or mediated  the readings that attracted him and sparked those infinite networks of relationships that intertwine his narratives. Borges often said that when he managed to convey his love for a book or an author, he felt justified and happy.

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US attack would spark regional war: Khamenei





Iranian lawmakers chant slogans as they wear the Revolutionary Guards uniform in a session of Parliament in Tehran. (AP/PTI)

By Jon Gambrell :

DUBAI,

IRANS supreme leader warned on Sunday that any attack by the United States would spark a regional war in the Mid-East, further escalating tensions as President Donald Trump has threatened to militarily strike the Islamic Republic. The comments from the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are the most-direct threat hes made so far as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and associated American warships are in the Arabian Sea, sent by Trump there after Tehrans bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. It remains unclear whether Trump will use force. Hes repeatedly said Iran wants to negotiate and has brought up Tehrans nuclear programme as another issue he wants to see resolved. But Khamenei also referred to the nationwide protests as a coup, hardening the Governments position as tens of thousands of people reportedly have been detained since the start of the demonstrations. Seditious charges in Iran can carry the death penalty, which again renews concerns about Tehran carrying out mass executions for those arrested - a red line for Trump. Iran had also planned a live-fire military drill for Sunday and Monday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes.

The US militarys Central Command had warned against threatening American warships or aircraft during the drill or disrupting commercial traffic. Iranian state television reported Khameneis comments online before airing any footage of his remarks. The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war, Khamenei was quoted as saying. It added that Khamenei said: We are not the instigators and we do not seek to attack any country. But the Iranian nation will deliver a firm blow to anyone who attacks or harasses it. Khamenei also hardened his position on the demonstrations after earlier acknowledging some people had legitimate economic grievances that sparked their protests.

The demonstrations began Dec 28, initially over the collapse of Irans rial currency. It soon grew into a direct challenge to Khameneis rule. The recent sedition was similar to a coup. Of course, the coup was suppressed, he said. Their goal was to destroy sensitive and effective centres involved in running the country, and for this reason they attacked the police, government centres, (Revolutionary Guard) facilities, banks and mosques - and burned copies of the Quran. They targeted centres that run the country.

The Speaker of Irans Parliament, meanwhile, said that the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist groups, lashing out after the bloc declared the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard a terror group over its bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Guard commander, announced the terror designation, which will likely be mostly symbolic. Iran has used a 2019 law to reciprocally declare other nations militaries terror groups following the United States declaration of the Guard a terror group that year. Qalibaf made the announcement as he and others in parliament wore Guard uniforms in support of the force.
The announcement of the release marks a turning point for the regime, which is retreating for the first time after years of radicalization

The general amnesty for all political prisoners announced on Friday by Venezuelas acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, fulfills one of the most deeply felt aspirations of Venezuelan society. It also marks a sharp shift in the relationship between the Bolivarian Revolution and its adversaries over the last years. The decision, which has surprised observers both inside and outside Venezuela, appears to be the culmination of a series of official announcements aimed at loosening Chavismos grip on the country and its enemies. For the first time in a long time, the regime is retreating after years of radicalization.

Rodriguez  who, in announcing this decision, asked that the spirit of revenge not prevail and expressed her desire for respectful coexistence for all  argued that this unexpected move had already been discussed and approved by President Nicolas Maduro. The fact, however, is that it is being implemented now, less than a month after the U.S. military operation that captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Amnesty for Venezuelan political prisoners was one of the great debates between opposition politicians and the Chavista ruling party. This was especially true during Maduros 13 years in power, a period marked by a severe deterioration in the countrys social climate, a surge in popular protests, and a rise in the number of prisoners. In every parliamentary debate and international dialogue held between the two sides during these years, a general amnesty for political prisoners was the first thing that the opposition demanded, and the first thing that Chavismo refused.

A bill for a general amnesty for political prisoners was one of the first legislative initiatives of the majority bloc of opposition parties after their landslide victory in the December 2015 parliamentary elections. The proposal was flatly rejected by the Chavista bloc  Diosdado Cabello, minister of the interior and then a member of parliament, mockingly called it the self-pardon law  and it was ultimately blocked, along with the rest of the oppositions legal projects, thanks to a ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice, controlled by the ruling party, that stripped the legislative branch of its powers, thereby exacerbating the chronic political crisis.

In the center: Delcy Rodriguez and Caryslia Rodriguez, President of the Court of Justice, in Caracas, this Friday. Ariana Cubillos (AP)

Demands for the release of political prisoners and denunciations of the deteriorating conditions of their imprisonment began in the early years of the Bolivarian Revolution. They were a direct consequence of the political polarization that Hugo Chavez promoted in Venezuela to consolidate his control over the country. Chavez, who was far more popular than Maduro, did not have to use excessive force to govern.

The political crisis of 2002  in which the opposition, appalled by Chavezs confrontational and anarchic tendencies, launched a conspiracy to overthrow him  could be considered the beginning of the era of political prisoners in Venezuela. It re-emerged again after more than 20 years without significant developments.

In Chavezs time, the number of political prisoners was much lower than it is now  about 15 people in total  although the painful memory of police investigator Ivan Simonovis, who served 15 years in prison accused of conspiring to overthrow the government, persists in the minds of many people; as does that of Judge Maria Afiuni, or General Raul Isaias Baduel, a general and former friend of Chavezs who would eventually die in prison.

The proliferation of prisoners; the stories of mistreatment and deaths in prison; the reports from the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on these abuses; and the increase in penitentiaries to hold all the detainees all fall almost entirely under the period of Nicolas Maduros administration. In 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2024, the Maduro government went after what it saw as serious plots and vigorously repressed several popular uprisings that spread throughout the country. By the end of 2024, the number of political prisoners had reached 1,500.

The increase in political prisoners and the accounts of their terrible conditions made the demand for an amnesty law enormously popular as a first step towards laying the foundations for rebuilding the rule of law.

At that time, it was common for Chavista leaders to omit the issue, or to reflect briefly in speeches and opinion programs on the harmful effects that impunity could have on a society.

The announcement of an amnesty bill is music to the ears of dozens of Venezuelan families and slightly eases the countrys tense political landscape. And it comes with an added bonus: it not only means that hundreds of people prosecuted for exercising their constitutional rights in recent years  politicians, journalists, judges, businesspeople, social activists  are regaining their freedom. Additionally, all of them will be spared the post-release measures requiring them to appear periodically in court and preventing them from leaving the country.

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Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (OTCMKTS:AIPUY  Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 65 shares, an increase of 54.8% from the December 31st total of 42 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 230 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days. Based on an average trading volume of 230 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Airports of Thailand Public Price Performance

Shares of AIPUY opened at $15.08 on Monday. Airports of Thailand Public has a 12-month low of $8.55 and a 12-month high of $19.30. The businesss 50 day moving average is $15.15 and its 200 day moving average is $13.11.

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Airports of Thailand Public Company Profile

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Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (OTCMKTS:AIPUY) is a state enterprise under the Thai Ministry of Transport, established in December 2002 when the countrys airport operations were corporatized from the former Department of Airports. Headquartered in Bangkok, the company is charged with the development, management and operation of major international airports in Thailand, combining infrastructure investment with commercial and service activities to support both domestic and international air travel.

The companys core business revolves around airport operations at seven facilities, including Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai, Mae Fah LuangChiang Rai and U-Tapao RayongPattaya.

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Aroa Biosurgery (ASX:ARX) management highlighted growing clinical evidence for its Myriad product, an evolving U.S. reimbursement landscape that it believes is becoming more favorable for Symphony, and improving financial momentum during an investor webinar following the companys February 2026 business update.

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Founder and CEO Brian Ward said the company is using periodic business updates to discuss key matters happening within the business now that it is no longer required to provide quarterly cash flow reporting. The discussion covered a trauma subgroup analysis from Aroas Master Registry, changes in U.S. reimbursement for skin substitute products, commercial plans for Symphony, and the companys outlook versus guidance.

Myriad trauma registry data: median 25.5 days to vascularized coverage

Ward pointed to recently released results from a trauma subgroup analysis within Aroas ongoing Master Registry, a large, ongoing, prospective, multi-center observational study tracking bioscaffold performance in a broad range of surgical procedures. The registry has been running for about three years and can recruit up to 800 patients; Ward said the company has enrolled 450 patients to date.

The trauma subgroup included 49 patients with 61 defects treated at four U.S. Level 1 trauma centers. Ward said the study showed fully vascularized tissue coverage in a median of 25.5 days, typically with one application of Myriad, and reported no device-related complications.

Ward said the company reviewed published literature for comparable products and concluded Myriads outcomes are at least equivalent or better with fewer complications and fewer product applications. He cautioned, however, that because the registry is single-arm and includes a mixed variety of cases, it is very hard to do a direct comparison with other products.

Beyond clinical outcomes, Ward emphasized potential hospital economics, arguing that achieving results with a single application can reduce repeat surgeries and follow-up procedures, with implications for total cost of care, time in surgery, and ongoing treatment.

Symphony reimbursement: pricing reset and market disruption

A central theme of the webinar was shifting U.S. reimbursement for skin substitute products, particularly changes tied to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs). Ward said CMS is seeking to reset the reimbursement environment and described substantial industry and provider pushback.

Ward said a flat fee of $127 per square centimeter took effect January 1, describing it as a major reset in terms of pricing. He contrasted that level with historical pricing, which he said had ranged from $400$500 per square centimeter and, at the high end, $2,000$3,000 per square centimeter for products that really showed no difference in the efficacy of the product.

Ward also discussed proposed changes that would have been implemented through Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs), including limiting the number of applications and restricting reimbursement to products supported by randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in diabetic foot ulcers and venous ulcers. He said those LCDs have now been withdrawn, meaning that for the next year companies do not need that level of clinical evidence to support reimbursement.

Despite the withdrawal, Ward said Aroa believes the direction of travel remains toward more stringent evidence requirements and suggested that RCT requirements may return later. He characterized the current environment as disruptive and said many existing market participants may not be viable under the new pricing and evidence expectations.

Commercial approach: leveraging the hospital footprint

Ward said the company believes Symphony is well positioned for the evolving reimbursement landscape due to its pricing, the companys progress on an RCT, and its ability to adapt commercial strategy. While Aroas current full-time sales representatives are focused on inpatient hospital procedures, Ward said the company will emphasize hospital outpatient departments, often located within or adjacent to hospitals.

He said Aroa plans to have inpatient representatives also call on these hospital outpatient departments because it fits the existing sales footprint. Ward added that the company is exploring distribution and partnership opportunities in sites of care it does not cover or does not plan to cover directly.

Ward described Symphony as an additive product for the existing salesforcesomething reps can sell alongside current offerings to improve sales productivity and efficiency.

Managements expectations for Symphony and the RCT timeline

In response to an investor question about what to expect for Symphony sales, Ward declined to provide specific numbers but said directionally he would expect Symphony to have at least the same sort of growth trajectory that Myriad had previously. He added that, given the reimbursement reset and expected market exits, Symphony couldperform much better, while noting that outcomes will depend on how CMS proceeds with reimbursement and how quickly competitors exit or remain in the market.

Asked whether the withdrawal of the LCDs affected Symphonys go-to-market plans, Ward said it did noton the contrary, he said, it increased confidence. He explained that if LCDs had remained in place, Aroas ability to obtain reimbursement could have been delayed without published RCT results, but the withdrawal removes that impediment for now. Still, he reiterated that he expects RCT requirements may be reintroduced.

On the publication timing for the Symphony RCT, Ward said the study has wrapped up and the company is working with the contract research organization to lock the database and prepare for statistical analysis. He said that should occur over the next month or so, and that with everything going in the right direction, the company should have that by the end of the fiscal year.

Guidance and profitability commentary

Ward reiterated the companys guidance issued at the beginning of the year: revenue of $92 million to $100 million on a constant currency basis and normalized EBITDA of $5 million to $8 million. With about two months remaining in the year, Ward said the company is tracking toward the upper end of both ranges, citing strong Myriad sales as a key driver.

On profitability, Ward said the company is profitable and has been transitioning toward profitability, with guidance implying profitability for the year. He also said Aroa has been cash flow positive for the last four quarters and expects to be cash flow positive for the full year. Ward said the company is not in a position where it needs to return to capital markets to raise funds and expects profitability to increase over the coming years.

Ward closed by saying Aroa sees strong performance from Myriad, a large opening opportunity for Symphony, and momentum heading into FY2027, with full-year results expected in May.

About Aroa Biosurgery (ASX:ARX)

Aroa Biosurgery Limited develops, manufactures, and sells medical devices for wound and soft tissue repair using extracellular matrix (ECM) technology in the United States and internationally. Its products include Endoform Natural and Endoform Antimicrobial Restorative Bioscaffold for treating acute and chronic wounds; Myriad Matrix, an engineered ECM for soft tissue repair, reinforcement, and complex wounds; Myriad Morcells, a morcellized (powdered) format of Myriad Matrix for soft tissue repair and complex wounds; Myriad Morcells Fine that delivers a bolus of biologically important ECM proteins to help kick start and sustain healing; and OviTex and OviTex PRS, a reinforced bioscaffolds for use in hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction, as well as breast reconstruction.

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ASM International (OTCMKTS:ASMIY  Get Free Report) was upgraded by BNP Paribas Exane from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report issued on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on ASMIY. Rothschild Redb downgraded ASM International from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Exane BNP Paribas upgraded shares of ASM International to an outperform rating in a research report on Monday. Barclays reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of ASM International in a report on Monday, January 26th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of ASM International from a hold rating to a moderate sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating on shares of ASM International in a report on Friday, January 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ASM International currently has an average rating of Buy.

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ASM International Stock Performance

ASM International Company Profile

ASM International stock opened at $836.29 on Monday. ASM International has a one year low of $372.61 and a one year high of $875.64. The company has a market cap of $41.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.28 and a beta of 1.91. The business has a fifty day moving average of $673.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $600.08.

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ASM International (OTCMKTS: ASMIY) is a Netherlands-based supplier of wafer processing equipment for the global semiconductor industry. The company develops and manufactures systems used in the deposition and formation of thin films on semiconductor wafers, with a strong reputation for atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. Its equipment is used in the production of advanced logic, memory, power devices and related semiconductor components where precise control of film thickness and composition is critical.

ASMs product portfolio centers on deposition and epitaxy platforms that support a range of process chemistries and materials, including ALD and other chemical vapor deposition techniques.

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Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Free Report) by 77.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 208,829 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 91,021 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corps holdings in Altria Group were worth $13,795,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter worth $27,000. Country Trust Bank increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 334.7% in the second quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 539 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 415 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter worth $35,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter worth $39,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Altria Group Stock Up 3.7%

MO stock opened at $61.97 on Monday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $51.30 and a 52-week high of $68.60. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $59.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $61.79. The firm has a market cap of $104.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.08, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.47.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The companys quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.30 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.8%. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 103.16%.

Altria Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, October 30th that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 1.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Altria Group from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $62.56.

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Altria Group Profile

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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.

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Shares of Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY  Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of Moderate Buy by the twelve analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $204.3636.

A number of research analysts recently commented on AVY shares. BMO Capital Markets restated an outperform rating and issued a $210.00 target price on shares of Avery Dennison in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. UBS Group raised shares of Avery Dennison from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $181.00 to $218.00 in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Avery Dennison from $180.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Avery Dennison from $213.00 to $234.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Avery Dennison in a research report on Monday, December 29th.

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Avery Dennison Trading Up 0.1%

Institutional Trading of Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison stock opened at $185.51 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $181.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $174.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. Avery Dennison has a 12 month low of $156.23 and a 12 month high of $190.45. The stock has a market cap of $14.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 1.00.

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of Avery Dennison by 5.9% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,494 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $613,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. DNB Asset Management AS lifted its holdings in Avery Dennison by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 16,398 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,877,000 after buying an additional 676 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in Avery Dennison by 567.6% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 149,026 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $24,168,000 after buying an additional 126,704 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in shares of Avery Dennison by 1,018.3% in the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,588 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $279,000 after buying an additional 1,446 shares during the period. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Avery Dennison during the second quarter worth $1,180,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.17% of the companys stock.

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Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY) is a global materials science and manufacturing company specializing in labeling and packaging solutions. The company develops pressure-sensitive materials, tags and labels, and adhesive technologies that help brands and businesses enhance product identification, branding and supply-chain performance. Avery Dennisons offerings range from industrial and retail labeling to high-performance tapes, films and graphics materials used across multiple end markets.

The company operates through several key segments, including Label and Graphic Materials, which supplies pressure-sensitive materials for consumer goods; Retail Branding and Information Solutions, offering apparel tags, RFID inlays and digital product identification; Pressure-Sensitive Materials, providing specialty tapes and adhesives; and RF Technologies, focused on advanced RFID and IoT labeling solutions.

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The institutions that obtained the worst scores in a new national examination are private or municipally-run, and some charge very high tuition fees

Brazilians have quickly become familiar with the acronym Enamed. It stands for the Portuguese initials of a national exam with which the Ministry of Education has, for the first time, assessed the training of future doctors. And its results are shocking. It turns out that a third of the medical degrees under analysis do not prepare students to practice medicine under conditions deemed minimally acceptable by the ministry. Furthermore, 25% of students failed the exam.

These results are causing alarm and apprehension among the public, as well as an intense debate on two issues: the ease of establishing university medical schools in Brazil, and how to produce adequately trained doctors to serve 212 million inhabitants in a country with many remote regions and as large as the United States without Alaska. No other country has a larger public healthcare system than Brazil.

The first edition of the Enamed exam evaluated 350 medical programs, offered by public and private institutions, through an exam administered to nearly 90,000 students. Universities received a failing grade if less than 40% of their students were able to demonstrate the basic knowledge required to practice medicine. Particular concern has been raised by the fact that 13,000 final-year medical students flunked the official exam. This means that, barring any changes, they will soon be practicing medicine. The Federal Council of Medicine is exploring ways to prevent this.

The medicine schools with the worst scores are mostly municipally owned (created and managed by city councils) or run by private, for-profit entities. Beyond the public shaming, the students will not be penalized, but their universities will. They are prohibited from increasing the number of admissions; instead they may maintain their current number or will have to reduce it, depending on how bad their scores are.

In 1988, after the end of the dictatorship, Brazil created the Unified Health System (SUS), the largest public healthcare system in the world. It is an extremely ambitious project that, despite its imperfections, means that basic medical care reaches even the most remote corners of the country through humble health posts or professionals who arrive by land, sea, or air. No other country with more than 100 million inhabitants has dared to offer universal access to healthcare, recalls Drauzio Varella, one of the countrys most influential doctors, in the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. The challenge of staffing this vast system with doctors is immense, especially in the least desirable areas.

The shortage of doctors became so critical that there was a period of intense fighting over professionals. Even the most remote municipalities competed fiercely for doctors, throwing money at the problem.

Corporatism and politicization taint many discussions about Brazilian healthcare. Because this is a tremendously unequal country, the extensive public sector coexists with a powerful and cutting-edge private sector. During the Covid pandemic, some professional associations endorsed then-president Jair Bolsonaros denialist position. But even before that, the Mais Medicos program, with its Cuban doctors, sparked outrage.

Even in the most remote Brazilian villages, theres usually a health post with at least one nurse. Its more difficult to bring family doctors, and even more so specialists to these municipalities.

Thats why, in 2013, then-President Dilma Rousseff created the Mais Medicos (More Doctors) program, which recruited thousands of Cuban professionals willing to settle in regions neglected by local doctors, who tend to concentrate in wealthier areas. The program ended under Bolsonaro, who criticized the Cuban regime for taking a large portion of the doctors salaries.

When Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva returned to power in 2023, he reformulated and expanded the Mais Medicos program, giving preference to Brazilian professionals. In the three years since, he has managed to double the number of doctors deployed to more than 27,000.

A Mais Medicos professional attends to a woman in Tarauaca, Acre, in 2019. Arison Jardim Secom

The results of the Enamed exam have led medical associations and other professional organizations to raise their voice against what they consider an alarming scenario. A doctor without the minimum required training orders incorrect tests, writes inappropriate prescriptions, and often recommends unnecessary procedures. In addition to wasting money, it harms the patient and increases the risk of lawsuits against hospitals, Francisco Balestrin, president of Sindhosp, the union of private hospitals, clinics, and laboratories in Sao Paulo, told Folha.

Amid the controversy, Education Minister Camilo Santana defended the official exam, arguing it was positive despite the poor results obtained by one in three courses. This isnt about harming anyone, least of all the students, but about ensuring that universities reflect on the quality of their laboratories and their professionals, so that we have well-trained professionals in the country, said Santana, a member of the Workers Party. To give you an idea, between 2016 and 2022, the number of admissions in private medical programs in Brazil practically doubled, the minister revealed.

Its no surprise that federal public universities have received the highest marks; they are universally recognized as the best. But the evaluation of medical programs has also revealed that tuition fees can be inversely proportional to the quality of the education being offered. Medicine schools that scored the lowest (1 or 2 on a scale of 1-5) charge each student between $1,100 and $2,600 a month, according to a detailed analysis by Veja magazine. This is veritable fortune in a country where the minimum wage is $313 a month.

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BankUnited (NYSE:BKU  Get Free Report) had its price objective reduced by research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $65.00 to $60.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a buy rating on the financial services providers stock. Jefferies Financial Groups price objective would suggest a potential upside of 26.37% from the companys previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on BKU. Hovde Group restated an outperform rating and issued a $51.00 price target on shares of BankUnited in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of BankUnited from $42.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of BankUnited from $48.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Raymond James Financial set a $55.00 target price on shares of BankUnited in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $44.00 target price on shares of BankUnited in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $52.45.

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BankUnited Stock Performance

Shares of BKU stock opened at $47.48 on Monday. BankUnited has a 12 month low of $28.21 and a 12 month high of $52.11. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $45.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.94. The firm has a market cap of $3.57 billion, a PE ratio of 13.41 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51.

BankUnited (NYSE:BKU  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The financial services provider reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.85 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $288.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $279.76 million. BankUnited had a net margin of 14.14% and a return on equity of 9.09%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.91 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that BankUnited will post 3.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BankUnited

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bayforest Capital Ltd lifted its stake in shares of BankUnited by 32.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 1,111 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 271 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in BankUnited by 23.5% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,452 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 276 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in shares of BankUnited by 1.4% during the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 22,256 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $849,000 after acquiring an additional 298 shares during the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its holdings in shares of BankUnited by 1.4% during the second quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 22,104 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $787,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the period. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of BankUnited by 1.2% during the second quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 27,917 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $994,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.70% of the companys stock.

BankUnited Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

BankUnited, Inc is a bank holding company based in Miami Lakes, Florida, operating through its subsidiary BankUnited, National Association. The company provides a broad range of commercial banking products and services, including deposit accounts, commercial lending and treasury management. It serves middle-market and small-business clients, offering tailored financing solutions across a variety of industry sectors.

The banks lending portfolio includes commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate loans and construction financing, as well as residential mortgage lending.

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Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in Barrick Mining Corporation (NYSE:B  Free Report) (TSE:ABX) by 47.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,585 shares of the gold and copper producers stock after selling 16,966 shares during the quarter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLCs holdings in Barrick Mining were worth $609,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Barrick Mining by 225.4% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 171,058 shares of the gold and copper producers stock valued at $5,620,000 after buying an additional 118,493 shares during the period. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Barrick Mining in the third quarter valued at $297,000. UMB Bank n.a. purchased a new stake in Barrick Mining during the third quarter valued at about $594,000. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Barrick Mining during the third quarter valued at about $473,000. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance increased its stake in Barrick Mining by 11.9% during the third quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 10,849 shares of the gold and copper producers stock worth $356,000 after acquiring an additional 1,152 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.82% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

B has been the subject of several research reports. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Barrick Mining from $38.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Barrick Mining to a neutral rating and set a $50.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on Barrick Mining from $39.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. DZ Bank upgraded Barrick Mining to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Barrick Mining in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Barrick Mining has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $51.33.

Barrick Mining News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Barrick Mining this week:

Barrick Mining Trading Down 12.1%

Shares of NYSE B opened at $45.74 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.33, a current ratio of 2.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $45.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $35.05. Barrick Mining Corporation has a 52-week low of $16.33 and a 52-week high of $54.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.10, a PEG ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 0.40.

Barrick Mining (NYSE:B  Get Free Report) (TSE:ABX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 10th. The gold and copper producer reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.01. Barrick Mining had a net margin of 24.53% and a return on equity of 9.48%. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.09 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 23.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Barrick Mining Corporation will post 1.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Barrick Mining Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Friday, November 28th were given a $0.175 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $0.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. This is an increase from Barrick Minings previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Barrick Minings payout ratio is 33.82%.

About Barrick Mining

(Free Report)

Barrick Gold Corporation, commonly known as Barrick, is a Torontoheadquartered mining company focused on the exploration, development, production and sale of gold and copper. Listed on major exchanges (including the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol B), Barrick operates as an integrated minerals producer, running largescale mining complexes, processing facilities and related support services for extraction and metallurgical treatment of ore.

The companys activities span the full mining value chain: greenfield exploration, feasibility and permitting, mine construction, ongoing operations, and closure and reclamation.

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BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund (NYSE:MPA  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 10,167 shares, a growth of 79.3% from the December 31st total of 5,669 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 28,361 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.4 days. Based on an average daily volume of 28,361 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.4 days. Currently, 0.1% of the companys shares are sold short.

Institutional Trading of BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MPA. Yakira Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $488,000. Ethos Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund during the second quarter worth about $271,000. Breakwater Capital Group bought a new position in BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund in the third quarter worth $224,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund by 50.4% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 57,496 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $620,000 after purchasing an additional 19,266 shares during the period. Finally, Aviance Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund by 13.8% during the 2nd quarter. Aviance Capital Partners LLC now owns 17,959 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $194,000 after acquiring an additional 2,178 shares in the last quarter. 24.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MPA traded up $0.02 during trading on Friday, hitting $11.44. 32,195 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 40,129. BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund has a 12-month low of $10.26 and a 12-month high of $12.00. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $11.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.16.

BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund Announces Dividend

BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund Company Profile

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.0477 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%.

(Get Free Report)

BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund (NYSE: MPA) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company whose primary objective is to provide shareholders with current income exempt from regular U.S. federal and Pennsylvania personal income taxes, and to a lesser extent, capital appreciation. The fund pursues its objective by investing in municipal securities that are issued by or for the benefit of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its political subdivisions.

In managing its portfolio, the fund typically allocates at least 80% of its assets to investment-grade municipal bonds issued within Pennsylvania.

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Brenntag AG (OTCMKTS:BNTGY  Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 13,797 shares, a growth of 53.1% from the December 31st total of 9,014 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 48,079 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days. Approximately 0.0% of the companys shares are short sold. Approximately 0.0% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 48,079 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on BNTGY shares. Barclays raised Brenntag to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Citigroup restated a neutral rating on shares of Brenntag in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Morgan Stanley cut shares of Brenntag from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Brenntag from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on Brenntag in a research note on Monday, October 20th. They issued a neutral rating and a $12.80 target price on the stock. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Reduce and an average target price of $12.80.

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Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on BNTGY

Brenntag Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of BNTGY stock traded up $0.20 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $12.18. 20,054 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 22,620. The companys 50-day moving average price is $11.58 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.84. The company has a market cap of $8.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.03 and a beta of 0.75. Brenntag has a 12 month low of $10.52 and a 12 month high of $14.82.

Brenntag (OTCMKTS:BNTGY  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 12th. The company reported $0.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.19 by ($0.01). Brenntag had a net margin of 2.66% and a return on equity of 9.14%. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.32 billion. Equities analysts predict that Brenntag will post 0.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Brenntag Company Profile

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Brenntag SE, trading on OTCMKTS as BNTGY, is a global market leader in the distribution of chemicals and ingredients. With headquarters in Essen, Germany, the company serves a wide range of industries including coatings and construction, cleaning and water treatment, food and nutrition, pharmaceuticals and personal care, as well as oil and gas. Brenntag operates through two core segmentsEssentials and Specialtiesoffering both standard commodity chemicals and tailored specialty solutions to customers around the world.

Its product portfolio encompasses inorganic and organic chemicals, polymers, petrochemicals and specialty ingredients.

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Bridges Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in APi Group Corporation (NYSE:APG  Free Report) by 59.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 112,721 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 42,111 shares during the period. Bridges Investment Management Inc.s holdings in APi Group were worth $3,874,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of APi Group by 73.7% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 16,601 shares of the companys stock valued at $568,000 after purchasing an additional 7,044 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of APi Group by 49.4% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 822,118 shares of the companys stock worth $28,256,000 after purchasing an additional 271,950 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in APi Group by 927.7% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,189 shares of the companys stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 1,976 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its position in APi Group by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 112,656 shares of the companys stock worth $3,871,000 after purchasing an additional 7,487 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Searle & CO. raised its position in shares of APi Group by 50.0% during the third quarter. Searle & CO. now owns 87,249 shares of the companys stock worth $2,999,000 after acquiring an additional 29,083 shares during the last quarter. 86.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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APi Group Trading Down 1.6%

APG stock opened at $41.56 on Monday. APi Group Corporation has a 1-year low of $20.50 and a 1-year high of $43.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $40.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $37.00. The company has a market capitalization of $17.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 113.35 and a beta of 1.70.

Insider Buying and Selling

APi Group ( NYSE:APG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.01 billion. APi Group had a return on equity of 21.86% and a net margin of 3.44%.APi Groups quarterly revenue was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.51 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that APi Group Corporation will post 1.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In related news, Director Martin E. Franklin sold 340,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.09, for a total transaction of $12,270,600.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 18,968,790 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $684,583,631.10. This represents a 1.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Anthony E. Malkin bought 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $39.58 per share, for a total transaction of $118,740.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 7,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $277,060. This represents a 75.00% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have acquired 7,000 shares of company stock worth $275,720 in the last quarter. 17.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on APG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of APi Group in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. CJS Securities upgraded shares of APi Group to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c+) rating on shares of APi Group in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Truist Financial lifted their target price on APi Group from $41.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on APi Group from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, APi Group currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $43.24.

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APi Group Profile

(Free Report)

APi Group Corp. is a global specialty contractor that provides fire protection, security, mechanical insulation and energy services to commercial, industrial and institutional clients. Headquartered in New Brighton, Minnesota, the company designs, installs, inspects, tests, maintains and repairs a wide range of safety and infrastructure systems. Through its network of operating subsidiaries, APi Group delivers end-to-end solutions for new construction, facility renovations and ongoing maintenance requirements.

Its service portfolio spans life safety and industrial servicessuch as fire suppression systems, fire alarms and emergency lightingand specialized offerings including technical insulation, access solutions, passive fire protection and energy efficiency upgrades.

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Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (NYSEARCA:RSP  Free Report) by 3,964.7% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 276,768 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 269,959 shares during the quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc.s holdings in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF were worth $52,503,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Investment Counsel Co. of Nevada acquired a new position in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Tompkins Financial Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF during the third quarter worth $35,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF during the second quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Copia Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF by 335.8% in the third quarter. Copia Wealth Management now owns 231 shares of the companys stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.18% of the companys stock.

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Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF Trading Down 0.2%

RSP opened at $198.08 on Monday. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF has a twelve month low of $150.35 and a twelve month high of $200.78. The firm has a market cap of $82.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.10 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $194.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of $189.90.

About Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF

Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF, formerly Rydex S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF, seeks to replicate as closely as possible, the daily performance of the S&P 500 Equal Weight Index (the Index). The Index is a capitalization-weighted index covering 500 industrial, utility, transportation and financial companies of the United States markets (mostly NYSE Euronext issues). The Index utilizes quarterly rebalancing to maintain its equal-weight stance. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 90% of its net assets, plus any borrowing for investment purposes, in the equity securities (and derivatives thereof) included in the Index.

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British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI  Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $60.91 and last traded at $61.0080, with a volume of 89536 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $60.68.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BTI has been the subject of a number of research reports. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Friday, November 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a buy rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Morgan Stanley restated an underweight rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Kepler Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Friday, December 12th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, British American Tobacco presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $51.00.

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British American Tobacco Trading Down 0.1%

Institutional Trading of British American Tobacco

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $57.30 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $55.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BTI. Capital World Investors grew its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 12,870.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 9,470,709 shares of the companys stock worth $502,687,000 after acquiring an additional 9,397,693 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its position in British American Tobacco by 2,066.9% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 3,476,001 shares of the companys stock worth $164,519,000 after purchasing an additional 3,315,589 shares during the last quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 20.7% in the 2nd quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd now owns 14,503,968 shares of the companys stock worth $686,473,000 after buying an additional 2,482,737 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 833.5% during the 2nd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 2,121,918 shares of the companys stock valued at $100,430,000 after acquiring an additional 1,894,617 shares during the period. Finally, Capital International Investors grew its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 64,057,419 shares of the companys stock worth $3,399,352,000 after acquiring an additional 1,891,042 shares during the period. 16.16% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

British American Tobacco Company Profile

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British American Tobacco plc (BTI) is a multinational tobacco manufacturer and nicotine products company headquartered in London. Founded in 1902 as a joint venture to commercialize tobacco products outside the United States, the company has grown into one of the worlds largest tobacco firms with a long history in manufacturing and global distribution of combustible tobacco products.

BATs core business remains the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products under a portfolio of well-known consumer brands, including Dunhill, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Kent and Rothmans.

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Shares of Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY  Get Free Report) (NYSE:RY) have been given an average rating of Moderate Buy by the fourteen brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have issued a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$229.77.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on RY. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$229.00 to C$245.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. National Bankshares raised Royal Bank of Canada from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the company from C$203.00 to C$231.00 in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Royal Bank of Canada from a buy rating to a hold rating and upped their price target for the company from C$213.00 to C$215.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Natl Bk Canada upgraded Royal Bank of Canada from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Desjardins lifted their target price on shares of Royal Bank of Canada from C$230.00 to C$240.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, December 18th.

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Royal Bank of Canada Stock Down 0.4%

TSE:RY opened at C$226.72 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of C$317.46 billion, a PE ratio of 16.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.32. Royal Bank of Canada has a 12-month low of C$151.25 and a 12-month high of C$240.34. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of C$229.16 and a 200 day moving average price of C$208.75.

Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY  Get Free Report) (NYSE:RY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, December 3rd. The financial services provider reported C$3.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 28.23%.The company had revenue of C$17.21 billion during the quarter. On average, research analysts expect that Royal Bank of Canada will post 12.3454675 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Royal Bank of Canada news, Director David Ian Mckay sold 91,288 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$228.75, for a total value of C$20,882,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 5,873 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately C$1,343,448.75. The trade was a 93.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock.

Royal Bank of Canada Company Profile

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Royal Bank of Canada is one of the two largest banks in Canada. It is a diversified financial services company, offering personal and commercial banking, wealth-management services, insurance, corporate banking, and capital markets services. The bank is concentrated in Canada, with additional operations in the U.S. and other countries.

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Shares of Schroders plc (LON:SDR  Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the seven research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 413.86.

SDR has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an overweight rating on shares of Schroders in a report on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a hold rating and issued a GBX 420 price objective on shares of Schroders in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Schroders from GBX 400 to GBX 420 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Schroders from GBX 435 to GBX 430 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Schroders from GBX 435 to GBX 440 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th.

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Schroders Stock Up 0.8%

About Schroders

Schroders stock opened at GBX 451.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.95, a quick ratio of 4.32 and a current ratio of 4.90. Schroders has a fifty-two week low of GBX 283.40 and a fifty-two week high of GBX 472.80. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 412.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 395.21. The company has a market capitalization of 7.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.25, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.17.

(Get Free Report)

Schroders plc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm also provides advisory and consultancy services. It provides its services to financial institutions, high net worth clients, large corporate, local authority, charitable entities, individuals, pension plans, government funds, insurance companies, and endowments. The firm launches and manages equity mutual funds and manages fixed income mutual funds for its clients. It also manages hedge for its clients. The firm invests in the public equity, fixed income, and alternative investment markets across the globe.

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Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM  Get Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A) will likely be issuing its Q4 2025 results before the market opens on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.41 per share and revenue of $1.3955 billion for the quarter. Individuals may review the information on the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning report for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET.

Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM  Get Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The financial services provider reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. Brookfield Asset Management had a net margin of 58.25% and a return on equity of 33.77%. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.34 billion. On average, analysts expect Brookfield Asset Management to post $2 EPS for the current fiscal year and $2 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Brookfield Asset Management Stock Performance

BAM stock opened at $49.70 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $52.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $55.95. Brookfield Asset Management has a fifty-two week low of $41.78 and a fifty-two week high of $64.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.41 billion, a PE ratio of 31.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.40.

Brookfield Asset Management Announces Dividend

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th were given a dividend of $0.4375 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $1.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Brookfield Asset Managements payout ratio is presently 109.38%.

A number of brokerages recently commented on BAM. Morgan Stanley set a $62.00 price objective on Brookfield Asset Management in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Scotiabank dropped their price target on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $67.25 to $65.75 and set a sector outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $62.00 to $59.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $74.00 price target on Brookfield Asset Management and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $60.00 price objective on Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Brookfield Asset Management presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $63.38.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on BAM

Institutional Trading of Brookfield Asset Management

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 11,172.2% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,524,700 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $194,845,000 after buying an additional 3,493,431 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 3,173,231 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $180,684,000 after acquiring an additional 204,575 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 2,834.0% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,365,709 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $134,659,000 after acquiring an additional 2,285,077 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Brookfield Asset Management by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,909,647 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $108,735,000 after purchasing an additional 42,297 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its holdings in Brookfield Asset Management by 55.0% during the 2nd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 1,699,374 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $94,117,000 after purchasing an additional 602,962 shares in the last quarter. 68.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Brookfield Asset Management

(Get Free Report)

Brookfield Asset Management is a global alternative asset manager headquartered in Toronto, Canada, that specializes in investments in real assets and related private equity and credit strategies. The firm acquires, manages and develops assets in sectors such as real estate, renewable power, infrastructure and private equity, seeking long-term value through active asset management and operational improvements. Brookfield structures and manages commingled funds, listed partnerships and separate accounts for institutional and retail investors.

The companys products and services include fund management across equity and debt strategies, direct asset ownership and operations, property and facilities management, and capital markets solutions.

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The owner of X previously lashed out at the MEP for her remarks at a rally in Zaragoza, reigniting the controversy over the regularization of more than 500,000 migrants in Spain

Elon Musk, owner of X and Tesla, lashed out on social media Sunday against MEP and political secretary of Spanish leftist party Podemos, Irene Montero, accusing her of advocating genocide. The magnate was reacting to statements Montero made during a rally on Saturday in Zaragoza, in which she appealed to migrants and racialized people not to leave us alone with so many fascists, mentioned the so-called replacement theory, and added: Of course I want there to be a replacement of fascists and racists.

The Podemos politician quickly responded to Musks provocation on the same social media platform, quoting a line from an email released by the U.S. Department of Justice in a massive declassification of documents related to the Epstein case, in which Musk asked the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein: What day/night will be the wildest party on your island? Montero quoted the line and added that Of course, decent people  who make up the majority of humanity  must replace you. Urgently. So that you stop raping, bombing, kidnapping children, and killing.

The online dispute stems from the agreement between Podemos and the government to approve an extraordinary regularization of migrants that could benefit more than 500,000 people in Spain. The tech billionaire has expressed his opposition to the measure on several occasions through his social media accounts. At the rally in Zaragoza, Montero alluded to the regularization and stated: We have obtained papers and regularization. And now we are going to go for citizenship or change the law so that they can vote, of course. Hopefully, replacement theory, hopefully we can rid this country of fascists and racists with migrants, with working people.

The great replacement theory that has prompted Musks reaction is a conspiracy theory, propagated by the right and far right, which posits the existence of a supposed plan to replace the white European population through immigration. Last week, Musk also tweeted about the regularization process and shared a post claiming that the Spanish government had agreed to this measure to influence the upcoming elections and allow migrants to obtain voting permits. Alongside the post, he added a curt: Wow.

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China Mengniu Dairy (OTCMKTS:CIADY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 25,692 shares, an increase of 40.1% from the December 31st total of 18,337 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 27,074 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.9 days. Approximately 0.0% of the companys shares are sold short. Approximately 0.0% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 27,074 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.9 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Zacks Research upgraded shares of China Mengniu Dairy from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, China Mengniu Dairy has a consensus rating of Hold.

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China Mengniu Dairy Price Performance

China Mengniu Dairy Company Profile

Shares of OTCMKTS:CIADY traded down $0.13 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $21.22. 601 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 12,525. China Mengniu Dairy has a one year low of $17.81 and a one year high of $26.54. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $19.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $19.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

(Get Free Report)

China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited is one of the largest dairy product manufacturers in China, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. The company focuses on the production, processing and sale of a wide range of dairy products, leveraging modern dairy farming practices and vertically integrated operations to maintain quality and food safety standards.

Its product portfolio includes fresh liquid milk, UHT milk, yogurt, ice cream, milk powder and cheese, marketed under well-known brands such as Mengniu, Ambrosial and Yashili (in select segments).

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Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG  Get Free Report) will likely be announcing its Q4 2025 results after the market closes on Tuesday, February 3rd. Analysts expect Chipotle Mexican Grill to post earnings of $0.24 per share and revenue of $2.9645 billion for the quarter. Investors may review the information on the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning report for the latest details on the call scheduled for Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 4:30 PM ET.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock opened at $38.85 on Monday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 12-month low of $29.75 and a 12-month high of $59.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $51.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.38, a PEG ratio of 3.50 and a beta of 0.99. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $37.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $39.18.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the third quarter valued at about $39,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the third quarter valued at about $55,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 7,176.0% during the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,819 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $102,000 after purchasing an additional 1,794 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wiser Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 3rd quarter worth about $80,000. 91.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on CMG shares. UBS Group reissued a buy rating on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a report on Monday, January 26th. Gordon Haskett downgraded Chipotle Mexican Grill from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Mizuho increased their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. KeyCorp decreased their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $52.00 to $45.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $59.00 to $49.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $50.23.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Chipotle Mexican Grill

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

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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.

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Newsmax (NYSE:NMAX  Get Free Report) and Townsquare Media (NYSE:TSQ  Get Free Report) are both small-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Newsmax and Townsquare Medias net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Newsmax -55.99% -255.61% -46.20% Townsquare Media 4.27% -47.95% 2.52%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Newsmax and Townsquare Media, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Newsmax 1 1 2 0 2.25 Townsquare Media 1 0 2 0 2.33

Insider & Institutional Ownership

Newsmax currently has a consensus price target of $21.50, indicating a potential upside of 212.05%. Townsquare Media has a consensus price target of $16.50, indicating a potential upside of 151.91%. Given Newsmaxs higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Newsmax is more favorable than Townsquare Media.

71.7% of Townsquare Media shares are held by institutional investors. 29.2% of Townsquare Media shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Newsmax and Townsquare Medias top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Newsmax $171.02 million 5.20 -$72.17 million ($1.16) -5.94 Townsquare Media $450.98 million 0.24 -$10.93 million $1.03 6.36

Townsquare Media has higher revenue and earnings than Newsmax. Newsmax is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Townsquare Media, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Townsquare Media beats Newsmax on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Newsmax

(Get Free Report)

Newsmax Inc. is a holding company that owns 100% of the equity interests of its operating company Newsmax Media, Inc. (Newsmax Media). Newsmax Media and its subsidiaries operate the businesses described in this Offering Circular. Newsmax Media has six wholly-owned subsidiaries: Newsmax Broadcasting, LLC, a Florida limited liability company (Newsmax Broadcasting), Crown Atlantic Insurance, LLC, a Florida limited liability company (Crown Atlantic), Humanix Publishing, LLC, a Florida limited liability company (Humanix Publishing), Medix Health LLC, a Florida limited liability company (Medix Health), ROI Media Strategies, LLC, a Florida limited liability company (ROI Media Strategies), and Newsmax Radio LLC, a Florida limited liability company (Newsmax Radio, and together with Newsmax Media, Newsmax Broadcasting, Crown Atlantic Insurance, Humanix Publishing, Medix Health, and ROI Media Strategies, the Subsidiaries). Newsmax Media is a television broadcaster and multi-platform content publisher with a mixed-revenue model that primarily derives income from (i) digital, linear and over-the-top (OTT) television advertising, (ii) online web and digital advertising, (iii) cable license fees and streaming subscriptions, and (iv) subscriptions to online and print publications. Newsmax Media uses original news, syndicated services and editorial content to draw consumers to its media outlets, including through its highly-rated TV channel, digital websites and print publications, and its website, Newsmax.com, in order to sell advertising to third party marketers. Newsmax Media also sells subscriptions to its own streaming, digital and print products through its channels and platforms. Newsmax Media differentiates itself in a crowded media marketplace, among other things, through broad distribution of Newsmax Medias content across linear cable, OTT streaming, and digital and print platforms, all with a focus on content related to politics, health, finance and lifestyle for an audience primarily comprised of viewers who are 45 years old or older. Newsmax Medias industry leading digital brand, which started in 1998, enabled it to launch Newsmax, its linear cable channel, in 2014. Today, each month, more than 40 million Americans watch, read and listen to Newsmax. The Newsmax channel is currently carried by major Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (MVPDs) cable/satellite systems in the United States. Nielsen reports that Newsmax is the fourth highest-rated cable news network in the United States, with 21 million regular viewers, and is one of the 15 most viewed basic cable programs. In 2023, Nielsen reported that Newsmax was the only cable news channel with ratings growth across all dayparts, seeing a 42% increase in total viewership in prime time, 16% in daytime, 23% in total day, including a 69% increase in total day viewership among adults between age 35 and 64, and an 11% increase in access. As such, Newsmax Media became the first major digital brand to become the fastest-growing cable news platform. Meanwhile, competitor Fox News saw a 6% decline in viewership for total day and a 2% decline in prime time during the same time period. In the first half of 2024, Newsmaxs total viewership in prime time grew by 41%, including a 10% increase among adults between the ages of 35 and 64, and by 36% in total day, including a 16% increase among adults between 35 and 64. In comparison, Fox News experienced a 10% increase in prime time viewership, including a 10% increase among adults between age 35 and 64, and a 2% increase in total day, including a 1% increase among adults between age 35 and 64. Overall, Newsmaxs total day ratings grew by 36% in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023, compared to 7% growth for MSNBC, a 2% growth for Fox News, a 3% growth for CNN, a 7% decline for CNBC and a 36% decline for Newsnation. Newsmax Media was incorporated as Sequoia Digital Corporation in the State of Nevada in 1998. In 1999, Newsmax Media changed its name from Sequoia Digital Corporation to Newsmax.com, Inc. In 2001, Newsmax Media changed its name from Newsmax.com, Inc. to Newsmax Media, Inc. In 2006, Newsmax Media became a wholly-owned subsidiary of NMX Holdings, LLC. In 2014, Newsmax Media changed its state of domicile from Nevada to Delaware and consummated a corporate reorganization in which the members of NMX Holdings, LLC exchanged their membership interests in NMX Holdings, LLC for capital stock of Newsmax Media. In 2024, Newsmax Media consummated a corporate reorganization. Newsmax Inc. was formed as a new holding company that owns all of the outstanding shares of the operating company, Newsmax Media. The stockholders of Newsmax Media exchanged their shares of capital stock in Newsmax Media for the same class and number of shares in Newsmax Inc. Subsequently, Newsmax Media changed its state of domicile from Delaware to Florida. As a result of this reorganization, Newsmax Inc. became the direct holding company and the sole shareholder of Newsmax Media. Newsmax Medias ownership of its subsidiaries was not affected or changed as a result of this reorganization. The principal executive offices of the Company are located in Boca Raton, Florida.

About Townsquare Media

(Get Free Report)

Townsquare Media, Inc. operates as a digital media and marketing solutions company in small and medium-sized businesses. It operates through three segments: Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions, Digital Advertising, and Broadcast Advertising. The Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions segment offers website design, creation, and development, as well as hosting services; and search engine optimization, online directory optimization, e-commerce solutions, online reputation monitoring, social media management, appointment scheduling, payment and invoice, customer management, and email and SMS marketing services. The Digital Advertising segment provides digital advertising on its owned and operated, digital programmatic advertising, and data analytics and management platform. The Broadcast Advertising segment engages in the sale of advertising on local radio stations to local, regional, and national spot advertisers, as well as national network advertisers. It also owns and operates live events, including concerts, expositions, and other experiential events; and operates local media under the WYRK.com, WJON.com, and NJ101.5.com brands, as well as national music under the XXLmag.com, TasteofCountry.com, UltimateClassicRock.com, and Loudwire.com brands. The company was formerly known as Regent Communications, Inc. and changed its name to Townsquare Media, Inc. in May 2010. Townsquare Media, Inc. is headquartered in Purchase, New York.

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Daiwa Securities Group (OTCMKTS:DSEEY  Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday. The financial services provider reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, Zacks reports. Daiwa Securities Group had a return on equity of 7.00% and a net margin of 11.23%.

Daiwa Securities Group Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:DSEEY opened at $9.75 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $13.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.36 and a beta of 0.52. Daiwa Securities Group has a 12 month low of $5.52 and a 12 month high of $10.21. The company has a 50 day moving average of $9.04 and a 200 day moving average of $8.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52.

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About Daiwa Securities Group

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Daiwa Securities Group Inc is a leading Japanese financial services firm established in 1902 and headquartered in Tokyo. Operating as a holding company, Daiwa oversees a network of subsidiaries active in securities brokerage, investment banking and asset management. With a history spanning over a century, the group has evolved to meet the changing needs of individual and institutional clients, building a reputation for comprehensive capital markets solutions.

The groups core businesses include retail brokerage, offering equity, fixed income and mutual fund products to individual investors in Japan.

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Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (NYSE:PLOW  Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $38.60 and last traded at $38.59, with a volume of 60173 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $37.68.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on PLOW shares. DA Davidson reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $39.00 target price on shares of Douglas Dynamics in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of Douglas Dynamics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Douglas Dynamics from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Douglas Dynamics currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $39.00.

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Read Our Latest Analysis on Douglas Dynamics

Douglas Dynamics Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $889.00 million, a PE ratio of 21.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.01 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The businesss fifty day moving average is $34.35 and its 200-day moving average is $32.31.

Douglas Dynamics (NYSE:PLOW  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The auto parts company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $162.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $163.27 million. Douglas Dynamics had a return on equity of 16.18% and a net margin of 6.82%. On average, research analysts predict that Douglas Dynamics, Inc. will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Douglas Dynamics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were issued a dividend of $0.295 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Douglas Dynamicss payout ratio is presently 67.05%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Douglas Dynamics

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in Douglas Dynamics by 229.9% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,204 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 839 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in shares of Douglas Dynamics in the third quarter worth $39,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Douglas Dynamics by 85.4% during the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,266 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 583 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System bought a new position in Douglas Dynamics in the 2nd quarter worth about $61,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in shares of Douglas Dynamics by 136.6% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,257 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 1,303 shares in the last quarter. 91.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Douglas Dynamics

(Get Free Report)

Douglas Dynamics, Inc is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of snow and ice removal equipment for commercial, municipal and residential markets. The companys product portfolio encompasses a wide range of truck-mounted plows, spreaders, salt brine systems and related accessories engineered to perform in challenging winter conditions. Its offerings cater to professional snow contractors, government agencies and retail customers seeking reliable solutions for snow and ice management.

Douglas Dynamics markets its products under several well-known brands, including Fisher Engineering, Western Products, Hiniker Company and Buyers Products.

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General Motors (NYSE:GM  Get Free Report) (TSE:GMM.U) had its target price raised by stock analysts at Evercore ISI from $85.00 to $95.00 in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the auto manufacturers stock. Evercore ISIs price target indicates a potential upside of 13.09% from the stocks current price.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on GM. TD Cowen restated a buy rating on shares of General Motors in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of General Motors from $92.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of General Motors from $82.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. HSBC upped their price target on General Motors from $48.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of General Motors in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $86.61.

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View Our Latest Analysis on General Motors

General Motors Stock Down 2.6%

GM stock opened at $84.01 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.17. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $80.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $67.05. General Motors has a fifty-two week low of $41.60 and a fifty-two week high of $87.31. The company has a market cap of $75.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.36.

General Motors (NYSE:GM  Get Free Report) (TSE:GMM.U) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The auto manufacturer reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $45.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.81 billion. General Motors had a net margin of 1.46% and a return on equity of 14.72%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.92 EPS. General Motors has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.750-10.500 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that General Motors will post 11.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

General Motors announced that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 27th that permits the company to buyback $6.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the auto manufacturer to reacquire up to 8.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at General Motors

In other General Motors news, CAO Christopher Hatto sold 7,724 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.00, for a total transaction of $556,128.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $864,504. The trade was a 39.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On General Motors

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in General Motors by 50.8% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 340,858 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $20,782,000 after buying an additional 114,756 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its position in General Motors by 6.2% during the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 341,426 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $16,802,000 after purchasing an additional 20,017 shares during the last quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of General Motors in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,411,000. Burney Co. increased its stake in General Motors by 18.7% in the 3rd quarter. Burney Co. now owns 82,037 shares of the auto manufacturers stock valued at $5,002,000 after buying an additional 12,913 shares during the period. Finally, Permanent Capital Management LP purchased a new position in General Motors during the third quarter worth about $1,102,000. 92.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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Comerica, Cadence Bank, Robinhood Markets, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Coinbase Global, Visa, and Mastercard are the seven Financial stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Financial stocks are shares of companies in the financial services sectorsuch as banks, insurance companies, asset managers, broker-dealers, payment processors, and other lenderswhose primary businesses involve lending, underwriting, asset management, and facilitating financial transactions. For investors, these equities offer exposure to interest-rate and credit-cycle dynamics, regulatory and liquidity risks, and often dividend income, but they can be more cyclical and sensitive to economic conditions than some other sectors. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Financial stocks within the last several days.

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Comerica (CMA)

Comerica Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services. The company operates through Commercial Bank, Retail Bank, Wealth Management, and Finance segments. The Commercial Bank segment offers various products and services, including commercial loans and lines of credit, deposits, cash management, payment solutions, card services, capital market products, international trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange management services, and loan syndication services for small and middle market businesses, multinational corporations, and governmental entities.

Cadence Bank (CADE)

Cadence Bank provides commercial banking and financial services. Its products and services include consumer banking, consumer loans, mortgages, home equity lines and loans, credit cards, commercial and business banking, treasury management, specialized and asset-based lending, commercial real estate, equipment financing, and correspondent banking services.

Read Our Latest Research Report on CADE

Robinhood Markets (HOOD)

Robinhood Markets, Inc. operates financial services platform in the United States. Its platform allows users to invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), American depository receipts, options, gold, and cryptocurrencies. The company offers fractional trading, recurring investments, fully-paid securities lending, access to investing on margin, cash sweep, instant withdrawals, retirement program, around-the-clock trading, and initial public offerings participation services.

Read Our Latest Research Report on HOOD

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a financial holding company, which engages in the provision of financial and investment banking services. It focuses on investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. It operates through the following segments: Consumer and Community Banking (CCB), Commercial and Investment Bank (CIB), Asset and Wealth Management (AWM), and Corporate.

Read Our Latest Research Report on JPM

Coinbase Global (COIN)

Coinbase Global, Inc. provides financial infrastructure and technology for the crypto economy in the United States and internationally. The company offers the primary financial account in the crypto economy for consumers; and a marketplace with a pool of liquidity for transacting in crypto assets for institutions.

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Visa (V)

Visa Inc. operates as a payment technology company in the United States and internationally. The company operates VisaNet, a transaction processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions. It also offers credit, debit, and prepaid card products; tap to pay, tokenization, and click to pay services; Visa Direct, a solution that facilitates the delivery of funds to eligible cards, deposit accounts, and digital wallets; Visa B2B Connect, a multilateral business-to-business cross-border payments network; Visa Cross-Border Solution, a cross-border consumer payments solution; and Visa DPS that provides a range of value-added services, including fraud mitigation, dispute management, data analytics, campaign management, a suite of digital solutions, and contact center services.

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Mastercard (MA)

Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. The company offers integrated products and value-added services for account holders, merchants, financial institutions, digital partners, businesses, governments, and other organizations, such as programs that enable issuers to provide consumers with credits to defer payments; payment products and solutions that allow its customers to access funds in deposit and other accounts; prepaid programs services; and commercial credit, debit, and prepaid payment products and solutions.

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Guerra Advisors Inc raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 46.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 4,012 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 1,270 shares during the quarter. Guerra Advisors Incs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $3,061,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 114.3% in the second quarter. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. now owns 77,295 shares of the companys stock worth $60,253,000 after buying an additional 41,222 shares in the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 189.6% during the 3rd quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,408 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,283,000 after buying an additional 11,396 shares during the last quarter. Rede Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the third quarter worth about $487,000. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 15.3% in the 2nd quarter. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 294 shares of the companys stock worth $229,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 25.8% in the third quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 8,990 shares of the companys stock worth $6,859,000 after acquiring an additional 1,843 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 82.53% of the companys stock.

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Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of LLY stock opened at $1,037.84 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $623.78 and a 12-month high of $1,133.95. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $1,056.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $890.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $981.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.39.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $7.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.42 by $0.60. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 109.52%. The business had revenue of $17.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.18 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Companys quarterly revenue was up 53.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $1.73 per share. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from Eli Lilly and Companys previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.35%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on LLY shares. CICC Research raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $801.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday. Loop Capital set a $950.00 price objective on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,038.00 to $1,182.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, National Bankshares set a $1,286.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Monday, December 1st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $1,162.75.

View Our Latest Analysis on LLY

Key Stories Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

Here are the key news stories impacting Eli Lilly and Company this week:

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.

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Helios Towers plc (OTCMKTS:HTWSF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 10,522 shares, an increase of 30.7% from the December 31st total of 8,048 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 31,824 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days. Based on an average daily volume of 31,824 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Helios Towers Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of OTCMKTS:HTWSF traded up $0.04 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $2.45. The company had a trading volume of 6,780 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,346. The company has a fifty day moving average of $2.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1.98. Helios Towers has a 12-month low of $1.14 and a 12-month high of $2.45.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating on shares of Helios Towers in a research report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy.

About Helios Towers

(Get Free Report)

Helios Towers is a leading independent telecommunications tower company that develops, owns and operates mobile infrastructure across key emerging markets. The companys core business involves building and managing shared passive infrastructure, including tower sites, rooftop installations and related equipment shelters. By leasing space on its towers to multiple mobile network operators, Helios Towers enables its customers to expand network coverage, enhance service quality and optimize capital expenditure.

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in London, Helios Towers has grown through a combination of greenfield developments and acquisitions.

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Holcim Ltd Unsponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:HCMLY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 59,574 shares, a decline of 17.1% from the December 31st total of 71,851 shares. Currently, 0.0% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 151,441 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.4 days. Based on an average daily volume of 151,441 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.4 days. Currently, 0.0% of the companys stock are short sold.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HCMLY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating on shares of Holcim in a research report on Monday, January 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Holcim from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. BNP Paribas Exane lowered Holcim from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and set a $16.80 price objective on the stock. in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of Holcim in a report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, DZ Bank lowered shares of Holcim from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $16.80.

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Holcim Stock Performance

About Holcim

Shares of Holcim stock traded up $0.20 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $20.70. 41,045 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 80,532. The company has a current ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Holcim has a 52-week low of $15.14 and a 52-week high of $30.00. The company has a fifty day moving average of $19.37 and a 200-day moving average of $18.26.

(Get Free Report)

Holcim is a global building materials and solutions company headquartered in Switzerland that produces and supplies cement, aggregates, ready-mix concrete, asphalt and a range of prefabricated and construction-related products and services. Its offerings are aimed at construction and infrastructure markets, serving contractors, developers, municipalities and industrial customers with materials for residential, commercial and civil engineering projects.

The company traces its modern form to the 2015 combination of Swiss cement maker Holcim and Frances Lafarge, which created one of the worlds largest building-materials groups; the combined enterprise later simplified its name to Holcim.

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Laura Fernandez, 39, is set to become the next president of Costa Rica after winning a decisive firstround victory in Sundays general election. With more than 80% of ballots counted, the Electoral Tribunal reported that the Sovereign Peoples Party (PPS)  the political organization of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves and Fernandez  secured about 50% of the vote. The election also marked a symbolic turning point in Costa Ricas chronic problem of low voter turnout.

Before Fernandez addressed her supporters, Chaves called her live on television to congratulate her. She responded that she would fight tirelessly and ensure a smooth transition.

Speaking to her followers, Fernandez celebrated the strength of Costa Rican democracy, saying the people had chosen to continue a process of change aimed at strengthening institutions and returning them to the sovereign people to promote greater prosperity. She argued that the peaceful vote demonstrated how elections can spark a genuine political transformation.

Fernandez said the victory was well deserved and criticized the opposition, calling it cannibalistic, though she emphasized that her administration would be based on dialogue and respect for the rule of law. She promised that laws that no longer serve the country would be reformed or repealed, but stressed that existing laws must be respected because democracy depends on adherence to them. She also promised that the countrys republican principles would remain intact.

Voter turnout in the presidential election reached about 66%, reflecting strong mobilization from an electorate that has given Chavess political project a second chance. Chaves advocates for a refoundational model that would concentrate more power in the executive branch, weaken institutional checks and balances, and introduce constitutional reforms.

El Salvadors president, Nayib Bukele, was the first foreign leader to congratulate Fernandez on her victory. I have just congratulated Costa Ricas president-elect, Laura Fernandez, by telephone. I wish her every success in her government and all the best for the beloved brotherly people of Costa Rica, said the Salvadoran president.

Supporters of presidential candidate Laura Fernandez of the Sovereign People's Party, in San Jose, Costa Rica, on February 1. Raquel Cunha (REUTERS)

Sundays election unfolded smoothly in a country long accustomed to resolving its differences at the ballot box. From the moment polling stations opened at 6 a.m., long lines formed and remained throughout much of the day. Voters turned out enthusiastically, openly showing support for their preferred candidates. Neither the light afternoon rain in San Jose nor the drop in temperature discouraged participation: lines continued until the polls closed. Later that night, thousands of people took to the streets in caravans waving party flags, and the sound of car horns marked the end of an election day that once again showcased Costa Ricas deeprooted pride in its democracy.

According to Alberto Cortes, coordinator of the Central America Chair at the University of Costa Rica, Fernandezs firstround victory demonstrates the PPSs ability to tap into more than a decade of builtup social discontent  momentum that could now be used to seek full control of the countrys institutional power.

The expert argues that such a wide margin of victory opens the door to a government with few checks and balances, one capable of aligning the Legislative Assembly, exerting pressure on the judiciary, and even pushing structural reforms such as continuous presidential reelection, which is currently prohibited in Costa Rica. The final impact will depend on the results of the congressional elections, which are still pending.

In this scenario, the incoming government would face a dual challenge, the expert argues. First, it would try to push forward an agenda of state reform, fiscal austerity, and reductions in public-sector employment  measures that are likely to reignite social tensions and citizen mobilization, which have historically served as an important counterweight in Costa Rica. Second, it would need to navigate a complicated relationship between the presidentelect, Laura Fernandez, and the outgoing president, Rodrigo Chaves, whose presence dominated the campaign and whose popularity remains higher than that of his successor.

Young people react to the defeat of their political groups after a multi-party opposition rally in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Sunday. Miguel Andres

Although Fernandez was presented during the campaign as Chavess direct successor, there are signs of internal tensions within the governing bloc. Comparative experience and Costa Ricas own political history suggest that it is entirely possible the new president will try to build her own identity and assert political autonomy once in office.

Behind the governing partys victory lies a profound shift in Costa Ricas political culture: declining social mobility, widening territorial inequalities, the erosion of traditional parties, and the persistent association between politics and corruption. This environment enabled the rise of a confrontational, antiestablishment style of leadership. Now that the governing movement is firmly in power, a new phase begins  one in which it must test how far it can govern without legislative majorities and how much of the public discontent that fueled its rise it can actually address.

Costa Rica ended Sundays presidential election with more than just a change in government: it marked the countrys definitive entry into a new political era, shaped by the erosion of traditional political identities, rising polarization, and the mobilization of public discontent that had been building quietly for years.

We are seeing a profound transformation of identities, an attempt by a brand to force its way into the market and displace traditional ones, explains Ronald Alfaro, coordinator of the Center for Political Research and Studies (CIEP) at the University of Costa Rica. In his view, the key now is to assess how deep this realignment truly is, something that will become clearer through the election results and, above all, through the composition of the Legislative Assembly. That will determine whether or not substantive changes in the political system are feasible, he warns.

Costa Rica, long portrayed as an exceptional democracy in the region, has been showing clear signs of institutional strain and social discontent for at least a decade. Ronald Alfaro notes that back in 2016 researchers already identified a strong but unorganized base of public frustration. Now, he says, that discontent has found channels of expression and is attracting a wide range of anti voters. He also highlights the influence of international political trends and the appeal of cool, outsiderstyle leaders in shaping how that anger is being translated into electoral support.

For Mario Quiros, political analyst and former adviser to the National Liberation Party (PLN), the country is risking more than just the next four years. We are in a cycle of change that has not yet been fully processed, and now the countrys path for the coming years is being defined, he says. The challenge, he adds, is not only to win, but to govern without deepening social divisions, in a context of mistrust, polarization, and increasingly heated public discourse.

Quiros warns of democratic risks that stem not from any single leader but from the system itself. Qualified majorities bypass that part of democracy that involves negotiating and reaching agreements, he argues. The campaign offered vivid examples of this tension: in one widely discussed incident, President Rodrigo Chaves reacted to protesters shouting Fuera Chaves! by sticking out his tongue and blowing kisses  an image that encapsulates the confrontational tone shaping Costa Rican politics today.

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iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (NYSEARCA:EWY  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $126.32 and last traded at $119.4730, with a volume of 15357484 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $124.50.

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF Stock Performance

The businesss 50 day moving average is $101.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $88.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.70 billion, a PE ratio of 10.35 and a beta of 1.22.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EWY. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 1,753.0% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 1,296,271 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $93,047,000 after acquiring an additional 1,226,315 shares during the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 31,122.4% in the 2nd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,065,620 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $75,382,000 after purchasing an additional 1,062,207 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 4,532.1% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,066,257 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $76,536,000 after purchasing an additional 1,043,238 shares during the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc grew its position in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 85.5% during the third quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 1,536,532 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $123,076,000 after acquiring an additional 708,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF during the second quarter worth approximately $48,810,000. Institutional investors own 49.22% of the companys stock.

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF Company Profile

iShares MSCI South Korea Capped ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index (the Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Stock Market Division of the Korean Exchange. The Index is a free-float adjusted market capitalization weighted index with a capping methodology applied to issuer weights so that no 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.

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TFB Advisors LLC reduced its stake in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (BATS:MTUM  Free Report) by 37.4% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 6,118 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,657 shares during the quarter. TFB Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF were worth $1,555,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. TFC Financial Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF during the third quarter worth $28,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at about $46,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 45.0% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 216 shares of the companys stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank purchased a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF during the second quarter worth about $55,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF by 397.8% during the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 224 shares of the companys stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Stock Up 22.4%

Shares of MTUM opened at $255.79 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $18.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.67 and a beta of 1.02. The businesss 50 day moving average is $253.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $250.13. iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF has a 52-week low of $168.49 and a 52-week high of $240.99.

iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF Profile

The iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (MTUM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Momentum SR Variant index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap US equities, selected and weighted based on price appreciation over 6- and 12-month periods and low volatility over the past 3 years. MTUM was launched on Apr 16, 2013 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS  Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $1.58, but opened at $1.49. Kosmos Energy shares last traded at $1.4750, with a volume of 4,111,468 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KOS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d-) rating on shares of Kosmos Energy in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Clarkson Capital assumed coverage on shares of Kosmos Energy in a report on Friday, October 24th. They set a buy rating and a $4.00 price target for the company. Bank of America restated an underperform rating and set a $1.00 target price (down from $3.40) on shares of Kosmos Energy in a report on Friday, December 5th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Kosmos Energy from $2.00 to $1.50 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Kosmos Energy in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. They set an equal weight rating and a $1.75 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $2.08.

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Kosmos Energy Stock Down 10.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.52. The company has a market cap of $676.84 million, a P/E ratio of -2.08 and a beta of 0.89. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $1.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1.49.

Kosmos Energy (NYSE:KOS  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The oil and gas producer reported ($0.15) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.13) by ($0.02). Kosmos Energy had a negative net margin of 23.64% and a negative return on equity of 26.28%. The company had revenue of $310.96 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $360.82 million. On average, research analysts forecast that Kosmos Energy Ltd. will post 0.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Kosmos Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of KOS. Blueshift Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Kosmos Energy during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Ellevest Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kosmos Energy during the second quarter worth $34,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Kosmos Energy in the second quarter valued at about $41,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its stake in shares of Kosmos Energy by 53.2% during the second quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 24,103 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 8,371 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Kosmos Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.33% of the companys stock.

About Kosmos Energy

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Kosmos Energy Ltd. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Since its founding in 2003, the company has focused on identifying and developing hydrocarbon reserves in frontier and emerging basins around the world. Kosmos combines geological and geophysical expertise with a disciplined approach to acreage acquisition and partner selection to pursue highimpact offshore exploration opportunities.

The companys portfolio is anchored by assets in West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.

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Lloyds Banking Group (LON:LLOY  Get Free Report) had its target price raised by analysts at Citigroup from GBX 98 to GBX 106 in a research note issued on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the financial services providers stock. Citigroups price target indicates a potential downside of 3.77% from the companys previous close.

LLOY has been the subject of several other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 100 to GBX 110 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Barclays upped their price objective on Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 100 to GBX 120 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued an outperform rating and set a GBX 93 price target on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Shore Capital lowered Lloyds Banking Group to a sell rating and lifted their price objective for the company from GBX 84 to GBX 91 in a research note on Monday. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a GBX 103 target price on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 106.11.

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Lloyds Banking Group Trading Up 3.0%

Shares of LON LLOY traded up GBX 3.23 during trading on Monday, reaching GBX 110.15. The company had a trading volume of 678,138,375 shares, compared to its average volume of 166,286,531. Lloyds Banking Group has a twelve month low of GBX 60.30 and a twelve month high of GBX 111.15. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 98.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 88.91. The stock has a market capitalization of 64.72 billion, a PE ratio of 19.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.23.

Lloyds Banking Group (LON:LLOY  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported GBX 7 earnings per share for the quarter. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 16.66% and a return on equity of 11.22%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Lloyds Banking Group will post 7.3199528 EPS for the current year.

About Lloyds Banking Group

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We are the largest UK retail and commercial financial services provider with over 25 million customers and a presence in nearly every community.

The Groups main business activities are retail and commercial banking, general insurance and long-term savings, provided through the largest branch network and digital bank in the UK, with well recognised brands including Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows.

Our shares are quoted on the London and New York stock exchanges and we are one of the largest companies in the FTSE 100 index.

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New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE:LPX  Free Report) by 9.0% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 214,410 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock after purchasing an additional 17,736 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Funds holdings in Louisiana-Pacific were worth $19,048,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Louisiana-Pacific by 128.6% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 176,762 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $16,259,000 after buying an additional 99,455 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Louisiana-Pacific during the first quarter worth approximately $273,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 7.2% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 274,776 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $25,274,000 after acquiring an additional 18,413 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in Louisiana-Pacific by 207.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 28,219 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock worth $2,596,000 after acquiring an additional 19,029 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of Louisiana-Pacific by 15.2% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 225,565 shares of the building manufacturing companys stock valued at $20,747,000 after purchasing an additional 29,846 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.73% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Louisiana-Pacific news, Director Stephen E. Macadam bought 3,200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $78.06 per share, for a total transaction of $249,792.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 41,149 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,212,090.94. The trade was a 8.43% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO William Bradley Southern sold 55,346 shares of Louisiana-Pacific stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.66, for a total transaction of $5,073,014.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 503,381 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $46,139,902.46. The trade was a 9.91% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 113,344 shares of company stock valued at $10,170,949. Company insiders own 1.42% of the companys stock.

Louisiana-Pacific Trading Down 3.3%

NYSE LPX opened at $83.60 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 2.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.06 and a beta of 1.81. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation has a 52-week low of $73.42 and a 52-week high of $119.91. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $85.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $88.19.

Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The building manufacturing company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.01). Louisiana-Pacific had a net margin of 7.69% and a return on equity of 14.90%. The business had revenue of $663.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $670.26 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.22 EPS. Louisiana-Pacifics revenue was down 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Louisiana-Pacific Corporation will post 5.27 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LPX has been the subject of several analyst reports. Vertical Research initiated coverage on Louisiana-Pacific in a research report on Monday, October 20th. They set a buy rating for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Louisiana-Pacific from $114.00 to $104.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $100.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $102.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Louisiana-Pacific from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $106.57.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Louisiana-Pacific

Louisiana-Pacific Company Profile

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Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE: LPX) is a leading manufacturer of building materials and engineered wood products for residential, industrial and light commercial construction. The company produces a diverse portfolio of products, including oriented strand board (OSB), engineered wood siding, trim, molding, sheathing panels and subflooring. Its flagship product lines, such as LP SmartSide trim and siding, are designed to offer enhanced durability, moisture resistance and ease of installation, helping builders and homeowners achieve long-lasting performance in a variety of climates.

Founded in 1973 as a spin-off from Georgia-Pacific, Louisiana-Pacific established its reputation by pioneering innovative manufacturing techniques for OSB, becoming one of the first companies to bring the product to market in the 1980s.

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Marshalls plc (LON:MSLH  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as GBX 155 and last traded at GBX 157, with a volume of 1841334 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 156.40.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Marshalls from GBX 240 to GBX 195 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marshalls currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 316.25.

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Marshalls Trading Up 0.4%

Insiders Place Their Bets

The businesss 50 day moving average price is GBX 174.83 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 181.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 33.19. The company has a market cap of 396.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.70, a PEG ratio of 0.17 and a beta of 1.26.

In other news, insider Simon Bourne acquired 40,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 172 per share, with a total value of 68,800. Insiders own 1.05% of the companys stock.

About Marshalls

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Established in the late 1880s, Marshalls plc is a leading UK manufacturer of sustainable solutions for the built environment. It operates through three trading divisions: Landscape Products; Roofing Products; and Building Products. At a Group, divisional and brand level, Marshalls strategy centres around its customers who value its unique set of capabilities, namely leading brands, best in class technical and design support and carbon leadership. This is underpinned by business wide enterprise excellence, leadership in ESG governance and standards and its people, organisation, and culture.

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M&G plc (LON:MNG  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as GBX 312.90 and last traded at GBX 308, with a volume of 6970121 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 309.40.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MNG has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on M&G from GBX 305 to GBX 315 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a GBX 265 target price on shares of M&G in a research report on Monday, November 10th. UBS Group cut shares of M&G to a neutral rating and lifted their price target for the stock from GBX 275 to GBX 290 in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of M&G from GBX 300 to GBX 328 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised shares of M&G to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the company from GBX 225 to GBX 342 in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 289.29.

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M&G Trading Down 0.5%

About M&G

The company has a market capitalization of 7.31 billion, a P/E ratio of -123.20, a PEG ratio of -2.76 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 218.70, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The businesss 50-day moving average price is GBX 286.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 269.91.

(Get Free Report)

M&G plc is a leading savings and investments business, managing investments for both individuals and for large institutional investors, such as pension funds, around the world.

We have a single corporate identity, M&G plc, and two customer-facing brands: Prudential and M&G Investments. Prudential offers savings and insurance for customers in the UK and Europe and for asset management in South Africa. M&G Investments manages assets for clients globally.

With roots stretching back more than 170 years, we have a long history of finding innovative solutions for our customers changing needs.

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Mutual Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET  Free Report) by 103.7% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 43,192 shares of the technology companys stock after buying an additional 21,990 shares during the quarter. Mutual Advisors LLCs holdings in Arista Networks were worth $6,598,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Arista Networks in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,228,177,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its position in Arista Networks by 2,829.0% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,721,156 shares of the technology companys stock worth $833,630,000 after buying an additional 5,525,828 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its stake in Arista Networks by 193.3% during the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 7,065,054 shares of the technology companys stock worth $721,342,000 after buying an additional 4,656,021 shares during the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP purchased a new stake in Arista Networks in the 2nd quarter valued at $247,451,000. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group increased its stake in shares of Arista Networks by 14.8% in the 2nd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 10,494,124 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,073,654,000 after acquiring an additional 1,350,593 shares during the last quarter. 82.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Arista Networks from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Piper Sandler raised shares of Arista Networks from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $145.00 to $159.00 in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Barclays reissued an overweight rating and issued a $183.00 price target (up previously from $179.00) on shares of Arista Networks in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a neutral rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of Arista Networks in a report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Arista Networks in a report on Monday, December 29th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $164.44.

Insider Buying and Selling at Arista Networks

In other Arista Networks news, CEO Jayshree Ullal sold 24,042 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.55, for a total transaction of $2,994,431.10. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 9,917 shares in the company, valued at $1,235,162.35. This represents a 70.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Charles H. Giancarlo sold 8,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.79, for a total transaction of $1,070,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 17,784 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,379,321.36. This represents a 31.03% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 208,464 shares of company stock valued at $26,430,108 over the last three months. 3.54% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Arista Networks Stock Down 4.3%

NYSE:ANET opened at $141.79 on Monday. Arista Networks, Inc. has a 52 week low of $59.43 and a 52 week high of $164.94. The stocks fifty day moving average is $130.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $135.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $178.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.42.

Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The technology company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.03. Arista Networks had a return on equity of 30.28% and a net margin of 39.73%.The firm had revenue of $2.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.26 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.40 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 27.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Arista Networks, Inc. will post 2.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Arista Networks

(Free Report)

Arista Networks, Inc is a technology company that designs and sells cloud networking solutions for large-scale data centers and enterprise environments. The company is best known for its high-performance switching and routing platforms, which are used to build scalable, low-latency networks for cloud service providers, internet companies, financial services, telecommunications, and enterprise IT. Aristas offerings emphasize programmability, automation and telemetry to support modern, software-driven network architectures.

Central to Aristas product portfolio is its Extensible Operating System (EOS), a modular network operating system that provides consistent programmability, stateful control and advanced visibility across the companys hardware platforms.

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Thomson Reuters (TSE:TRI  Get Free Report) (NYSE:TRI) had its target price reduced by investment analysts at National Bankshares from C$300.00 to C$190.00 in a report released on Monday,BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock. National Bankshares price objective would suggest a potential upside of 26.92% from the stocks previous close.

TRI has been the subject of several other reports. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Thomson Reuters from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Huber Research raised shares of Thomson Reuters to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Thomson Reuters from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Thomson Reuters presently has an average rating of Strong Buy and an average target price of C$243.80.

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Thomson Reuters Stock Performance

Thomson Reuters stock traded down C$0.75 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching C$149.70. 298,682 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 497,482. The firms fifty day moving average is C$177.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$212.84. The company has a market capitalization of C$66.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 0.14. Thomson Reuters has a fifty-two week low of C$149.35 and a fifty-two week high of C$299.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.28, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.52.

Thomson Reuters (TSE:TRI  Get Free Report) (NYSE:TRI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported C$0.85 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of C$2.48 billion for the quarter. Thomson Reuters had a net margin of 32.12% and a return on equity of 20.19%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Thomson Reuters will post 5.6395803 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Thomson Reuters Company Profile

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Thomson Reuters is the result of the $17.6 billion megamerger of Canadas Thomson and the United Kingdoms Reuters Group in 2008 and the 2018 carve-out of its finance and risk business, Refinitiv, in which it holds a 45% stake. In 2019, the company agreed to exchange its 45% stake in Refinitiv for a 15% stake in LSE. Since the divestiture, the company is more concentrated on selling its flagship legal data and software, WestLaw, and its tax accounting software, OneSource. In addition, the company does hold a significant investment in the publicly traded Tradeweb, which operates a fixed income exchange.

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NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG  Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 7.900-9.900 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 9.720. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

NRG Energy Stock Performance

NRG Energy stock opened at $152.46 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $29.22 billion, a PE ratio of 22.79 and a beta of 1.27. NRG Energy has a fifty-two week low of $79.57 and a fifty-two week high of $180.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.45, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.05. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $158.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $160.00.

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NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $2.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.93 by $0.85. NRG Energy had a return on equity of 103.57% and a net margin of 4.84%.The company had revenue of $7.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.90 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that NRG Energy will post 6.36 earnings per share for the current year.

NRG Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.475 per share. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 2nd. This is a boost from NRG Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. NRG Energys dividend payout ratio is presently 26.31%.

NRG Energy declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, November 6th that allows the company to repurchase $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the utilities provider to buy up to 9.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on NRG. Zacks Research cut shares of NRG Energy from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. UBS Group initiated coverage on NRG Energy in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a buy rating and a $211.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b) rating on shares of NRG Energy in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on NRG Energy from $202.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an underperform rating on shares of NRG Energy in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $184.91.

View Our Latest Research Report on NRG

Insider Transactions at NRG Energy

In other news, CFO Bruce Chung sold 12,383 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.56, for a total value of $1,938,682.48. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 79,147 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,391,254.32. This represents a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Brian Curci sold 60,580 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $9,796,391.80. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 93,089 shares in the company, valued at $15,053,422.19. This trade represents a 39.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 192,556 shares of company stock worth $30,826,846 over the last ninety days. 0.61% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of NRG Energy

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BOKF NA lifted its holdings in NRG Energy by 3,714.3% in the 3rd quarter. BOKF NA now owns 267 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of NRG Energy by 1,970.6% in the third quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC now owns 352 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares during the last quarter. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in NRG Energy by 56.4% during the third quarter. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 782 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $127,000 after purchasing an additional 282 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of NRG Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $128,000. Finally, Seven Mile Advisory acquired a new stake in shares of NRG Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $212,000. 97.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NRG Energy Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) is a U.S.-based integrated power company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company develops, owns and operates a diversified portfolio of power generation assets and participates in wholesale and retail energy markets. NRG supplies electricity to utilities, commercial and industrial customers, and retail consumers, while also providing energy-related products and services designed to manage consumption and support reliability.

NRGs generation mix includes conventional thermal plants as well as renewable and distributed energy resources.

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The women gather on a bench in Cenobio Moreno. There are more than 10 of them, laughing, murmuring, fiddling with the sleeves of their shirts, the loose strands of their hair in buns. Its hot, and its been dark for a while now; a January heat, 36 degrees Celsius, with acceptable humidity. Shall we do it now? one of them says. Lets do it now. And then they all begin, taking turns, to tell their stories. Deep down, that story is almost always the same: agents from one agency, or several, broke into their homes after they had already left  almost all of them, to pick lemons. They took money, dishes, Tupperware, baptismal pendants, even three piggy banks, one in the form of a pig, another a dog, and one more a lamb.

It happened in the early hours of Friday, January 23, just a day after the arrest nearby of Cesar Sepulveda, alias El Botox, or Boto, as hes known locally. His capture was a major coup for Mexican security forces, including those in Michoacan, who had been trying to apprehend him for over a decade. Botox is accused of extorting lemon growers in the area and of several murders, including that of Bernardo Bravo, president of one of the regions main citrus producers associations. It was a significant victory, moreover, because his arrest came amid yet another back-and-forth between Mexico and the United States over the narrative surrounding the fight against organized crime.

The women dont say much more, and then one of them leads the group to the houses the authorities entered. On some doors, the seals of the Michoacan Attorney Generals Office are still visible, bearing the inscription property seized. One of the few women who was home when the agents arrived says they were looking for the boy  thats what they were shouting, boy, boy!  and then explains that this is the nickname of Botoxs son, Cesar Sepulveda Valencia, who must be around 22 years old now. She also says that shes not taking sides, but that Botox helped people and that hes from here, from Cenobio Moreno, that his mother sold fabrics and his father had lemon groves, and that later his mother died of cancer

Members of the National Guard, Mexican Army, and Civil Guard guard the lemon market in Apatzingan, as well as the lemon packing plants that receive the fruit for distribution in Apatzingan, Michoacan, on January 28, 2026. Juan Jose Estrada Serafin

Tied to the booming lemon economy, a crop that covers around 100,000 hectares, the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacan changes without changing. The last time they were in these parts, in mid-2021, a criminal Frankenstein called Carteles Unidos, which incorporated old self-defense groups and regional mafias, operated a checkpoint in a town just south of Cenobio Moreno, on the way to Aguililla. These lemon-rich lands then served as the stage for the battle between Carteles Unidos and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The checkpoint was run by one of the Carteles Unidos factions, Los Viagras, old associates of El Botox. In fact, one of the men who managed that checkpoint, who is with the women this afternoon, recognizes the reporter from one of those trips, a prodigious memory.

A worker in a lemon production field in the community of Cenobio Moreno. Juan Jose Estrada Serafin

Back then, it wasnt uncommon to encounter both Carteles Unidos and the CJNG on the same road to Aguililla, sometimes with a monster  a popular term in Mexico for the homemade tanks built by criminal gangs. Now there are no more monsters, no more checkpoints, and no more Carteles Unidos. Los Viagras, El Botoxs gang  known as the Whites of Troy  and other groups in the area, such as the Cartel de la Virgen, joined forces with the CJNG, a group that fights relentlessly to gain access to the coast. In recent years, the fighting has been brutal in the Sierra Costa region of Michoacan, especially in Tepalcatepec, but also in Coahuayana, where a few weeks ago, the CJNG detonated a car bomb in front of the community police station.

Everything changes without changing. The alliances between groups mutate, as do their loyalties. Some kingpins rise, others fall. Rather than bringing relief to the people, El Botoxs departure from the criminal arena has sparked a multitude of questions: who will rise now, who will extort the lemon growers, how will they do it, and so on. The loot is enormous; each of the regions 100,000 hectares can yield up to 20 tons of lemons annually, depending on the care given to the plot. That represents a profit of around 120,000 pesos, after expenses. That is, about $7,000 per hectare. Now, multiply that by 100,000. And thats just the lemons. The criminals tax and/or regulate almost all commercial activity in the area. There are times when they set the price of meat, others when they charge extortion fees from beer and soft drink distributors, bakers... The list is endless.

As a member of the clergy consulted in Apatzingan, the regions most important city, says, You learn the tricks, and nobodys going to let go of the teat. In other words, extortion will continue, with or without Botox, because lemons, like methamphetamine, beef, and beer distribution, are commodities for the cartels  a situation that can be exported to other regions of the country, where organized crime has incorporated agriculture and the agricultural industries into its business portfolio. The religious figure, who knows the region like the back of his hand, adds that the only thing thats changed these past few years is that the CJNG has swept through. Its true that some groups still bother them, like the Tepalcatepec group or the Tena group, he notes, referring to gangs operating in the region. But other than that... he says, without finishing the sentence.

Tour of lemon orchards in a production field in the community of Cenobio Moreno in Buenavista Tomatlan, Michoacan, on January 28, 2026. Juan Jose Estrada Serafin Production field in the community of Cenobio Moreno in Buenavista Tomatlan, Michoacan. Juan Jose Estrada Serafin Lemon production in the community of Cenobio Moreno in Buenavista Tomatlan. Juan Jose Estrada Serafin Workers check the lemon harvest in the community of Cenobio Moreno. Juan Jose Estrada Serafin Security personnel monitor the lemon market. Juan Jose Estrada Serafin (Cuartoscuro)

The coyotes

Eustaquio doesnt understand the situation, and in his world, that seems rather strange. Botox was buying yellow lemons for more than four pesos a kilo. Then he sold them to some gringo mill... Who knows how he made a profit! he exclaims, scratching his head. The yellow lemon is the outcast of these parts, the one that ripens too much and falls to the ground, unlike the green one, the crown jewel. The yellow one is used to produce oils and essences; the green one, more expensive, ends up in taco stands, small restaurants, and bars. While hes trying to figure out Botoxs business  the price of yellow lemons is around two and a half pesos  a couple of men arrive and ask him about a sale. Eustaquio doesnt know, looks at his phone, makes a call. Then he turns around and says, Wait a moment, and well be right back.

The lemon market in Apatzingan is a kind of citrus-themed Wall Street, a vast expanse of land where ties give way to shirts unbuttoned to the midriff, and wide-brimmed hats prevail over headphones and screens. Eustaquio, a pseudonym, has a 10-hectare orchard, six of which he dedicates to lemons. Hes somewhat frustrated because his trees have barely produced any fruit these past few months, which is really his own fault. In October, the packers  the real bosses of the industry, he says  were paying four pesos per kilo of limes, a ruinous price. He decided to leave the land half-fallow, letting the saplings produce what they could. And four months later, it turns out that a kilo is selling for 17 pesos.

With the aim of organizing the lemon market, producers and packers in Apatzingan conceived the tianguis (a merchant market) 20 years ago, a space for conducting business. After several attempts to relocate it, they finally settled on a plot of land on the outskirts of the town. There, producers could bring samples of their product, which the packers could then buy from. These transactions would determine the price of the lemons, which those in charge of the market recorded on a board. Today in Apatzingan, producers like Eustaquio, industry professionals, and others interested in the sector point out that among the original promoters of the tianguis was Jesus Mendez, alias Chango, one of the founders of La Familia Michoacana, the precursor to modern organized crime in the state.

Security operation at the lemon market in Apatzingan. Juan Jose Estrada Serafin

Whether or not Chango Mendezs influence over the open-air market is real, the closeness or direct presence of organized crime in the citrus business in Apatzingan and the surrounding municipalities, especially Buenavista, is undeniable. The accusations of extortion against El Botox or the Sierra Santana family, heads of Los Viagras, fall short. As Eustaquio and other sources consulted in the area recently explain, the extortionists demand a percentage of what the packers pay the producers for each kilo of limes  between two and three pesos. Furthermore, in the case of El Botox, the criminals are involved in the very business they are exploiting.

Eustaquios orchard lies in Buenavista, 20 minutes from the open-air market. Ive been in the lemon business since about 1986. My dad bought me a dual-wheel pickup truck, and Id go around the orchards offering to pick the lemons. Thats how I started out, he says. Later, he acquired a few hectares where he planted his own trees, inherited a few more when his father died, and then bought two freight trucks to transport lemons to other regions. To tell you the truth, we were at our best when we were with the Knights Templar, he says, referring to the heirs of La Familia Michoacana, who amassed considerable power in the early 2010s.

According to Eustaquio, the Knights Templar set the purchase prices for lemons, and no one complained  not that they offered much in the way of choice. With the groups subsequent fragmentation, this kind of enforced regulation ceased to function. The market was left without oversight, a space that other actors took advantage of to flourish. These are the coyotes, intermediaries between packers and producers, and enemies of the latter because, they believe, they take a cut of the sale price without lifting a finger. The coyote earns whatever he wants, says Eustaquio. For example, he comes along and says, Look, I need 40 tons, Ill buy them from you for this price, but you have to hold off 50 cents or a peso per kilo for me. And then they also charge the packers, he explains. They take a lot; theyre exploitative.

Bernardo Bravo

Days before he was killed, Bernardo Bravo posted a video on his Facebook account, also pointing the finger at the middlemen. As president of the Citrus Growers Association of the Apatzingan Valley, he was on the ropes. The price of a kilo of lemons was languishing at four pesos, and the producers seemed to have given up. The packing plants, which buy the fruit, wash it, wax it, and pack it into boxes to send it to wholesale markets and other distribution centers, werent willing to pay more. They argued that there were too many lemons on the market, and that they also had to deal with the extra tax levied by the cartels  what were they going to do? The middlemen, often sent by the packing plants, were trying to profit from the crisis. Anger was growing.

We dont agree with those prices set at the packaging and processing plants, Bravo said in his video, recorded on Friday, October 17. They dont make sense for supporting our farmworkers and laborers [On the following Monday] were not going to allow any middlemen access [to the market] theyre doing a lot of damage to the producers, he added. Bravo never made it to the market that Monday. El Botox and his henchmen killed him on Sunday. They lured Bravo to one of El Botoxs houses in Cenobio Moreno, where they killed him, according to the Michoacan Attorney Generals Office, before abandoning his body in his car in a secluded area of Apatzingan.

The murder of Bravo shocked Michoacan and the entire country. Violence wasnt foreign to the citrus business  quite the contrary  but the attack signaled an escalation of cartel activity. It was the same thing that had happened a year earlier in Guerrero, when criminals similar to those of the Botox or Los Viagras gangs killed the mayor of Chilpancingo. Something similar also occurred in the May 2025 assassination of two of the closest aides to the head of government of Mexico City. These were homicidal attacks, but also intimidating messages. In Michoacan, the message was very clear: anyone who gets in the way, dies.

At this point, theres little doubt that Botox killed Bravo, even though he denied it in a video he recorded in January and posted on social media. The question is why. Tensions in the lime market in the Apatzingan Valley were running high at the time. According to information gathered in the area recently, Bravo was planning to raise the price of a kilo of limes by decree from four to seven pesos the Monday after his death. It doesnt seem that this directly affected Botox, just as the criticism from the union leader and the producers  the middlemen  didnt seem to affect him. But in that case, what?

In the hearings held this week regarding the Bravo case, with El Botox now in custody, the Michoacan Attorney Generals Office stated that, recently, Botox had stolen a backhoe from Bravo and was demanding 400,000 pesos for its return, according to local media reports. The criminal also demanded that Bravo hand over family orchards, some located in Cenobio Moreno. The Attorney Generals Office also stated that Botox had held Bravo captive for several hours on October 6, before releasing him. Something else must have happened in the two weeks leading up to his murder.

In a document shared by the Michoacan Attorney Generals Office following the arrest of El Botox, the agency included the statement of one of Bravos associates, also a lemon farmer, who indicated that in early October he had traveled with Bravo to Atequiza, Jalisco. There, this man, nicknamed Pilones, introduced Bravo to a regional leader of the CJNG cartel, Rene Meza. According to Pilones statement, which was made public by the Attorney Generals Office, Bravo asked Meza to get rid of El Botox because he was getting on their nerves. According to Pilones, Botox found out about this meeting and ordered the union leader killed.

In Apatzingan, this theory seems logical to many. A local politician, familiar with the workings of organized crime, says he had heard something similar and that it makes perfect sense. If Berna [Bravo] went to seek support from the CJNG elsewhere, he says, its because those here were allies of Botox. Even back then, in October, they still were, despite the murder he ordered in February of two agents from the Attorney Generals Office in his territory, he adds. Bravos murder, he says, ended that support. Besides, he was very erratic; he would suddenly call a packing plant or a mill  companies that process yellow limes  and say, Hey, send me 100,000 pesos, this, that In the end, he was left all alone. And in the end, criminals are like politicians: they run out of money, and thats it, he concludes ironically.

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Omnicom Group (NYSE:OMC  Get Free Report) is expected to issue its Q4 2025 results before the market opens on Tuesday, February 3rd. Analysts expect Omnicom Group to post earnings of $2.59 per share and revenue of $7.5840 billion for the quarter. Individuals can check the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning summary page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET.

Omnicom Group Stock Up 1.7%

OMC stock opened at $77.04 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $14.87 billion, a PE ratio of 11.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.74. Omnicom Group has a 12 month low of $68.37 and a 12 month high of $89.27. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $77.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $76.62.

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Omnicom Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 19th were paid a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 19th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. This is a boost from Omnicom Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. Omnicom Groups dividend payout ratio is 47.27%.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Omnicom Group by 15.8% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,863,327 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,384,980,000 after purchasing an additional 2,298,652 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in Omnicom Group by 28.2% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,370,837 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $274,824,000 after buying an additional 741,604 shares during the period. Boston Partners lifted its position in Omnicom Group by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,182,374 shares of the business services providers stock worth $259,229,000 after buying an additional 79,571 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in Omnicom Group by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,764,007 shares of the business services providers stock worth $143,820,000 after buying an additional 97,569 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Omnicom Group by 122.3% during the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,663,251 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $135,605,000 after buying an additional 914,885 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.97% of the companys stock.

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on OMC. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Omnicom Group in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Omnicom Group in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $88.00 price target for the company. Bank of America restated an underperform rating and set a $77.00 price objective (down previously from $87.00) on shares of Omnicom Group in a report on Monday, January 5th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Omnicom Group from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Omnicom Group from $99.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $92.14.

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Omnicom Group Company Profile

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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.

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Parker-Hannifin (NYSE:PH) executives highlighted what they described as record second-quarter fiscal 2026 performance, driven by broad-based organic growth, margin expansion, and continued strength in aerospace, while also outlining progress on the planned acquisition of Filtration Group Corporation.

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Record quarter: sales growth, expanding margins, and strong cash generation

Chairman and CEO Jenny Parmentier said fiscal 2026 second quarter results reflected the companys ability to compound performance, pointing to an 8% reduction in recordable incident rate and top quartile safety performance. Financially, she said the company delivered record Q2 sales of $5.2 billion, organic growth of 6.6%, and 150 basis points of margin expansion, resulting in adjusted segment operating margin of 27.1%.

CFO Todd Leombruno added that the quarter produced new records for sales, adjusted segment operating margin, EBITDA, net income, and earnings per share. He said sales increased 9% year over year, with organic growth nearly 7%, currency a 2% tailwind, acquisitions adding 1.5%, and divestitures a 1% headwind. Leombruno noted that the divestiture adjustment was a final-quarter impact, as it has now been 12 months since those divestitures were completed.

On profitability, Leombruno said adjusted EBITDA margin was 27.7%, up 90 basis points from the prior year, while net income was $980 million, representing return on sales of 18.9%. Adjusted EPS was $7.65, up 17% year over year, which he called a record.

Cash flow was also a focus. Management reported cash flow from operations of $1.6 billion in the quarter and free cash flow of $1.5 billion in the first half, noting that first-half results included a slight drag from working capital and the timing of some tax payments. Leombruno reiterated that free cash flow is second-half weighted and said the company remained committed to free cash flow conversion of greater than 100% for the year.

Orders, backlog, and segment performance

Leombruno said companywide orders were up 9% versus the prior year, with positive order rates in all reported businesses. Backlog rose to a record $11.7 billion.

By segment and geography, management described strength in multiple areas:

North America: Sales were about $2.0 billion with organic growth of 2.5%, which Leombruno said came in slightly better than expectations due to strength in off-highway and aerospace and defense verticals. Adjusted operating margin reached a record 25.4%, up 80 basis points year over year, with incrementals of 52%. North America orders increased 7%, helped by a few multi-year aerospace and defense orders.

Sales were about $2.0 billion with organic growth of 2.5%, which Leombruno said came in slightly better than expectations due to strength in off-highway and aerospace and defense verticals. Adjusted operating margin reached a record 25.4%, up 80 basis points year over year, with incrementals of 52%. North America orders increased 7%, helped by a few multi-year aerospace and defense orders. International: Sales were a record $1.5 billion, up 12% year over year, with organic growth of 4.6%. Asia-Pacific posted 9% organic growth, Europe turned positive at 2%, and Latin America was down 3%. Adjusted operating margin was a record 26%, up 190 basis points, which management attributed to productivity improvements and operational execution. Orders increased 6% with positive orders in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Sales were a record $1.5 billion, up 12% year over year, with organic growth of 4.6%. Asia-Pacific posted 9% organic growth, Europe turned positive at 2%, and Latin America was down 3%. Adjusted operating margin was a record 26%, up 190 basis points, which management attributed to productivity improvements and operational execution. Orders increased 6% with positive orders in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Aerospace Systems: Sales were a record $1.7 billion, up 14.5% year over year, with organic growth of 13.5% driven by strength in commercial OEM and aftermarket. Adjusted segment operating margin improved 200 basis points to 30.2%. Orders were up 14%, and aerospace backlog rose 14% to a record $8.0 billion, which Leombruno said was the first time in company history the aerospace backlog reached that level.

Market verticals: off-highway improving; transportation still challenged

Parmentier emphasized that Parkers interconnected technologies span six market verticals representing more than 90% of revenue, and she highlighted the off-highway marketconstruction, agriculture, and miningas an area where the companys interconnected offerings and embedded OEM engineering relationships support differentiated solutions.

In updated fiscal 2026 outlook by vertical, Parmentier said the company raised the aerospace organic growth forecast to 9.5%-11% (up from the prior outlook), citing ongoing strength in commercial OEM and aftermarket. She said in-plant and industrial expectations remained positive low-single-digit growth, with a continued recovery but selective customer capital spending. Transportation was unchanged at a mid-single-digit organic decline, with demand challenges in truck and auto partially offset by aftermarket strength.

She said off-highway was raised from neutral to positive low-single-digit growth based on construction and mining growth, while agriculture remains under pressure. Energy was maintained at positive low-single-digit growth, with robust power generation activity offset by soft upstream oil and gas. HVAC and refrigeration remained positive mid-single-digit growth, supported by commercial HVAC, refrigeration, filtration, and aftermarket.

Filtration Group acquisition: timeline, synergies, and strategic rationale

Parmentier said integration planning for the Filtration Group acquisition is underway using the companys proven integration playbook, and the company expects to close in 6-12 months from the November announcement date, subject to regulatory processes. She said Filtration Group adds complementary and proprietary technologies and expands Parkers presence in life sciences, HVAC and refrigeration, and in-plant industrial verticals.

She also said combining Parker Filtration and Filtration Group would create one of the largest global industrial filtration businesses and increase Parker Filtration aftermarket sales by 500 basis points. Management expects approximately $220 million in cost synergies and said the deal is expected to meet its acquisition criteria, including being accretive to organic growth, synergized EBITDA margin, adjusted EPS, and cash flow. In Q&A, Parmentier said the company did not model revenue synergies but sees opportunities to leverage customer relationships for upside.

Guidance raised across the board; Q3 outlook updated

Leombruno said the company raised full-year guidance across the board based on first-half performance and strong orders. The company now expects reported sales growth of 5.5% to 7.5% (6.5% at the midpoint), with currency expected to be a 1.5% tailwind using December 31 spot rates. Organic growth guidance increased to 4% to 6% (5% midpoint). Management also raised full-year adjusted segment operating margin guidance by 20 basis points to 27.2% and expects full-year incrementals of 40%.

The company raised adjusted EPS guidance to $30.70 at the midpoint ($0.30), which management said would be up 12.3% versus the prior year. It also raised full-year free cash flow guidance to $3.2 billion to $3.6 billion (about $3.5 billion midpoint), with conversion greater than 100%.

For fiscal Q3, management forecast reported sales of nearly $5.4 billion (about 8.5% higher), organic growth of 5%, segment operating margins of 27%, and adjusted EPS of $7.75.

About Parker-Hannifin (NYSE:PH)

Parker-Hannifin Corporation (NYSE: PH) is a global manufacturer and provider of motion and control technologies and systems. The company designs, manufactures and services a broad range of engineered components and systems used to control the movement and flow of liquids, gases and hydraulic power. Its product portfolio is applied across demanding environments and includes solutions for industrial manufacturing, aerospace, mobile equipment and other engineered applications.

Parker-Hannifins product and service offerings span hydraulic and pneumatic components, fittings and fluid connectors, valves, pumps and motors, electromechanical actuators and motion-control systems, filtration and separation products, and seals and sealing systems.

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Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR  Get Free Report) (NYSE:CNI) had its price objective decreased by research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from C$153.00 to C$151.00 in a research report issued on Monday,BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canadas price target would suggest a potential upside of 16.00% from the stocks previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on CNR. Desjardins reduced their price objective on Canadian National Railway from C$160.00 to C$156.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday. CIBC raised their target price on Canadian National Railway from C$151.00 to C$154.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Vertical Research raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$148.00 to C$152.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, National Bankshares decreased their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$150.00 to C$147.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$151.60.

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Canadian National Railway Stock Performance

CNR traded down C$0.82 during midday trading on Monday, reaching C$130.17. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,095,946 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,262,193. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.59. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of C$135.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$133.17. The stock has a market cap of C$79.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.69, a PEG ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 0.80. Canadian National Railway has a twelve month low of C$126.11 and a twelve month high of C$152.12.

Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR  Get Free Report) (NYSE:CNI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The company reported C$2.08 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of C$4.46 billion during the quarter. Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 27.10% and a net margin of 31.20%. Research analysts expect that Canadian National Railway will post 8.2610275 earnings per share for the current year.

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CN powers the economy by safely transporting more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year for its customers. With its nearly 20,000-mile rail network and related transportation services, CN connects Canadas Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. Midwest and the U.S. Gulf Coast, contributing to sustainable trade and the prosperity of the communities in which it operates since 1919.

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RPM Automotive Group Limited (ASX:RPM  Get Free Report) insider Lawrence Jaffe sold 529,291 shares of RPM Automotive Group stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of A$0.06, for a total transaction of A$29,640.30.

RPM Automotive Group Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 75.78, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The firm has a market cap of $17.62 million, a P/E ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.69.

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RPM Automotive Group Limited engages in the manufacture, wholesale distribution, and retail of tyres, and auto parts and accessories for automotive industry in Australia. It operates through Motorsport; Repairs and Roadside; Wheels and Tyres; and Performance and Accessories segments. The company offers mechanical repairs, motorsport apparel and safety equipment, niche manufacturing, and roadside assistance services. It sells its products under the RPM Racewear, Carline, Genie, Air Anywhere, Formula Off-Road, and RPM Autoparts brands.

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Scor SE (OTCMKTS:SCRYY  Get Free Report) traded up 8,564.4% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $3.2725 and last traded at $285.06. 930 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 94% from the average session volume of 15,885 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.29.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Scor in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Zacks Research raised Scor from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. BNP Paribas Exane raised Scor from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an outperform rating on shares of Scor in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Scor from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

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Scor Stock Up 2.7%

The companys 50 day moving average price is $3.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3.32. The firm has a market cap of $5.88 billion, a PE ratio of 6.06 and a beta of 0.58.

Scor (OTCMKTS:SCRYY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 31st. The financial services provider reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.14. The business had revenue of $4.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.75 billion. Scor had a net margin of 5.63% and a return on equity of 20.01%. On average, analysts expect that Scor SE will post -0.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Scor

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SCOR SE, trading over-the-counter as SCRYY, is a leading global reinsurer headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1970, the company specializes in providing property & casualty and life & health reinsurance solutions to insurance companies worldwide. By pooling and diversifying risk, SCOR enables its clients to underwrite larger exposures, stabilize loss experience and safeguard their balance sheets against extreme events.

The companys main business activities encompass risk underwriting, claims management and portfolio solutions designed to address evolving market needs.

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Secom Co. (OTCMKTS:SOMLY  Get Free Report)s share price gapped up prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $9.13, but opened at $9.60. Secom shares last traded at $9.39, with a volume of 71,717 shares trading hands.

Secom Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The firms fifty day moving average price is $8.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $9.01. The firm has a market cap of $17.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.07 and a beta of 0.30.

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Secom (OTCMKTS:SOMLY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 11th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter. Secom had a net margin of 8.65% and a return on equity of 7.49%. The firm had revenue of $2.07 billion during the quarter.

Secom Company Profile

Secom Co, Ltd. is a leading provider of security and safety solutions based in Tokyo, Japan. The companys core business centers on integrated security services, including electronic alarm systems, 24-hour monitoring, on-site guard services and emergency response. Secom also develops and installs access control systems, video surveillance equipment and intruder detection technologies designed for residential, commercial and government clients.

Founded in 1962, Secom introduced Japans first automated security alarm service and has since expanded its offerings to encompass a broad range of safety-related products.

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Invesco Total Return Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:GTO  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 19,807 shares, a decline of 39.6% from the December 31st total of 32,806 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 179,436 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days. Based on an average daily volume of 179,436 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days. Approximately 0.0% of the companys stock are sold short.

Invesco Total Return Bond ETF Stock Performance

Shares of GTO traded down $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $47.44. The stock had a trading volume of 148,963 shares, compared to its average volume of 183,673. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.51 and a 200-day simple moving average of $47.40. Invesco Total Return Bond ETF has a 1-year low of $45.46 and a 1-year high of $48.01.

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Invesco Total Return Bond ETF Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 23rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 20th were given a dividend of $0.1835 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.6%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Invesco Total Return Bond ETF

About Invesco Total Return Bond ETF

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Invesco Total Return Bond ETF by 83.0% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 85,840 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,028,000 after purchasing an additional 38,940 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in Invesco Total Return Bond ETF by 75.3% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 117,963 shares of the companys stock worth $5,536,000 after purchasing an additional 50,657 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its position in Invesco Total Return Bond ETF by 38.5% in the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 21,206 shares of the companys stock valued at $994,000 after buying an additional 5,895 shares during the last quarter. Consolidated Portfolio Review Corp lifted its position in Invesco Total Return Bond ETF by 15.5% during the second quarter. Consolidated Portfolio Review Corp now owns 7,649 shares of the companys stock worth $359,000 after acquiring an additional 1,027 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC lifted its stake in Invesco Total Return Bond ETF by 55.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 102,590 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,810,000 after purchasing an additional 36,633 shares during the last quarter.

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The Invesco Total Return Bond ETF (GTO) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in broad credit fixed income. The fund is an actively managed fund with the ability to invest in any number of fixed income securities with varying credit ratings, countries, and durations. GTO was launched on Feb 10, 2016 and is managed by Invesco.

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iShares MSCI Israel ETF (NYSEARCA:EIS  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 64,054 shares, a decrease of 17.8% from the December 31st total of 77,929 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 128,292 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.5 days. Currently, 1.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Currently, 1.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 128,292 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.5 days.

iShares MSCI Israel ETF Trading Up 1.5%

NYSEARCA EIS traded up $1.79 during trading on Monday, reaching $120.78. The companys stock had a trading volume of 71,710 shares, compared to its average volume of 137,415. iShares MSCI Israel ETF has a 12 month low of $67.96 and a 12 month high of $121.42. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $112.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $102.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $779.00 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.79 and a beta of 1.03.

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Institutional Trading of iShares MSCI Israel ETF

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EIS. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI Israel ETF by 49.8% in the third quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 301 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Creative Planning increased its holdings in iShares MSCI Israel ETF by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 2,976 shares of the companys stock valued at $298,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI Israel ETF by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 572 shares of the companys stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Israel ETF by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 3,576 shares of the companys stock worth $359,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Israel ETF by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,061 shares of the companys stock worth $307,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares during the period.

iShares MSCI Israel ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI Israel ETF (EIS) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI Israel Capped index, a market-cap-weighted index of Israeli firms. EIS was launched on Mar 26, 2008 and is managed by BlackRock.

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iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (NYSEARCA:IWS  Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 243,808 shares, a decrease of 41.2% from the December 31st total of 414,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 493,976 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.5 days. Approximately 0.2% of the companys stock are short sold. Approximately 0.2% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 493,976 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.5 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IWS. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 3,759,738 shares of the companys stock valued at $496,812,000 after purchasing an additional 16,361 shares in the last quarter. TIAA Trust National Association increased its stake in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF by 1.0% in the third quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 3,427,479 shares of the companys stock worth $478,709,000 after buying an additional 34,466 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF by 1.7% in the third quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 2,823,287 shares of the companys stock valued at $394,329,000 after acquiring an additional 48,211 shares in the last quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its stake in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 2,698,999 shares of the companys stock valued at $376,969,000 after acquiring an additional 80,032 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,128,123 shares of the companys stock valued at $149,477,000 after acquiring an additional 36,938 shares during the last quarter. 80.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA:IWS traded down $0.87 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $146.96. 709,362 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 484,513. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $143.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $139.92. The firm has a market cap of $14.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.11 and a beta of 1.02. iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF has a 52-week low of $108.85 and a 52-week high of $150.03.

About iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF

iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell Midcap Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell Midcap Value Index (the Value Index). The Value Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization value sector of the United States equity market. The Value Index is a subset of the Russell Midcap Index and measures the performance of equity securities issued by those Russell Midcap Index companies with relatively lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth.

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OFG Bancorp (NYSE:OFG  Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 824,167 shares, a decline of 17.1% from the December 31st total of 993,713 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 189,384 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.4 days. Approximately 1.9% of the companys shares are short sold. Approximately 1.9% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 189,384 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.4 days.

OFG Bancorp Stock Up 1.2%

OFG stock traded up $0.50 during trading on Monday, hitting $40.80. 102,871 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 311,812. The stock has a market cap of $1.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.91 and a beta of 0.75. The firms 50 day moving average is $40.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $41.94. OFG Bancorp has a 1 year low of $33.15 and a 1 year high of $46.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

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OFG Bancorp (NYSE:OFG  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The bank reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.16 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $185.37 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $184.17 million. OFG Bancorp had a return on equity of 15.21% and a net margin of 22.72%.The businesss revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.09 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that OFG Bancorp will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

OFG Bancorp Increases Dividend

OFG Bancorp declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback $200.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the bank to reacquire up to 12% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This is an increase from OFG Bancorps previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. OFG Bancorps dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.20%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Jesus Nestor De sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.31, for a total transaction of $84,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 22,690 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $960,013.90. This represents a 8.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jorge Colon sold 25,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.85, for a total value of $1,021,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 27,543 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,125,131.55. The trade was a 47.58% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 62,500 shares of company stock valued at $2,564,302. 2.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On OFG Bancorp

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in OFG Bancorp by 8.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 30,489 shares of the banks stock worth $1,221,000 after purchasing an additional 2,456 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in OFG Bancorp by 2.1% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 26,719 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,069,000 after acquiring an additional 552 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its holdings in OFG Bancorp by 5.0% in the second quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 26,707 shares of the banks stock worth $1,142,000 after purchasing an additional 1,275 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of OFG Bancorp by 9.3% during the 2nd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 40,868 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,749,000 after purchasing an additional 3,465 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS increased its position in OFG Bancorp by 120.7% during the 2nd quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 19,200 shares of the banks stock valued at $827,000 after buying an additional 10,500 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.73% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on OFG shares. UBS Group set a $50.00 price objective on OFG Bancorp in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Zacks Research raised shares of OFG Bancorp from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of OFG Bancorp in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of OFG Bancorp from $48.00 to $43.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of OFG Bancorp in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. They issued a neutral rating and a $45.00 target price for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $45.83.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on OFG Bancorp

OFG Bancorp Company Profile

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OFG Bancorp, through its principal subsidiary Oriental Bank, is a financial holding company headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The company provides a wide range of banking services, including commercial and consumer deposit accounts, small business loans, corporate lending, treasury management, and cash management solutions. Its consumer offerings encompass personal checking and savings accounts, credit cards, and electronic banking platforms designed to serve retail customers across its markets.

In addition to traditional banking products, OFG Bancorp offers mortgage origination and servicing, as well as wealth management and trust services for highnetworth individuals and institutional clients.

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The Greenland crisis has boosted support for the Social Democrat, who has become one of Europes leading figures pushing back against the US president

As 2025 drew to a close, Mette Frederiksen, 48, was facing a rough period. Her party, the Social Democrats, had just suffered a painful defeat in the municipal elections. For the first time in more than a century, they had lost the Copenhagen mayoralty. The Danish prime ministers government  a coalition with centrist and centerright parties  looked like a funeral procession on its way to its own political burial, a commentator on the TV2 network said. No one was certain she would be able to remain in power after the elections scheduled for 2026.

In her New Years address, the prime minister offered a mea culpa: I havent always listened carefully. To everyone. To you. I havent done enough about the high price of food. I havent done enough about growing inequality. I havent done enough for the children who are not thriving. This must change. It is my responsibility.

But then Greenland entered the picture, and everything changed. In early January, U.S. President Donald Trump stepped up the pressure to take control of this autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Trump even floated the military option to force the hand of his NATO ally. A few days later, he backed down, though without abandoning his desire to acquire the Arctic island. This crisis  which in Copenhagen and in Nuuk, Greenlands capital, is seen as far from resolved  marks the end of an era. The world order as we know it, that we have been fighting for 80 years since the end of the Second World War, is over, Frederiksen said last week in Paris, during a European tour that also took her and Greenlands prime minister, JensFrederik Nielsen, to Berlin.

The crisis has given the prime minister a political boost after her yearend slump. Her party has recovered five points compared with December, according to the latest poll by the Megafon institute. The showdown with Trump is elevating her not only as a Danish leader but as a European one  a singular politician with social democracy in her DNA. While an Atlanticist to the core, today, she has is known for her strong commitment to Europe.

She is a prime minister who manages very well when there is a crisis. We dont know what kind of prime minister she would have been without crises, says Jonas ParelloPlesner, a former Danish diplomat and executive director of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation. ParelloPlesner points to three crises in particular. The first was the Covid-19 pandemic, which broke out six months after Frederiksen took office in 2019, during which the government, like others in Europe, assumed exceptional powers and adopted controversial measures such as the culling of millions of mink. The second crisis was Russias fullscale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Social Democratic leaders response made Denmark the country that contributed the most aid to Kyiv relative to its GDP. Greenland and Trumps pressure  the third of Frederiksens crises  are once again putting her to the test. Her response this time has been to draw a clear red line around the sovereignty of Denmark and of the Greenlanders, warning that an attack would spell the end of NATO.

She was firm with him. She didnt insult him, nor did she adopt Mark Ruttes style, says ParelloPlesner, referring to the NATO secretary general, who has taken his flattery of the U.S. president so far as to call him daddy. Mette Frederiksen has defended the Kingdom of Denmark and has shown firmness, adds Social Democratic MP Ida Auken. Shes not the daddy type. She didnt lower herself, she didnt flatter. She handled it with great calm and composure, and at the same time remained firm.

Frederiksen is a leader of convictions, and at the same time pragmatic and adaptable. She practically grew up in the Social Democratic Party, explains her biographer Thomas Larsen. Members of her family had belonged to the party or worked for the union.

Her father, a typesetter, was a union activist, and she herself joined the party as a teenager. She has been an MP in the Folketing, the Danish Parliament, since 2001 and has led the Social Democrats since 2015. She is married to cinematographer Bo Tengberg and has two children. Those who know her describe her as a politician who is more intuitive than analytical  or, in ParelloPlesners words, capable of making quick, bold decisions.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Chief Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen at a fish market in Nuuk on January 23. DPA via Europa Press (DPA via Europa Press)

Greenland has triggered a shift in her  a change in her stance and in Denmarks, once one of the most proAmerican and Eurosceptic countries in the EU. Not anymore. With Ukraine, and later with Trumps threats, Frederiksen has embraced the strategic autonomy championed by leaders such as Frances Emmanuel Macron, a concept she had previously viewed with skepticism. I do not know what will happen in the United States, and therefore we need to be sure that we can protect Europe if something happens, she said in Paris.

Another shift came more than a decade ago, when Frederiksen and her party began advocating strict controls on immigration and asylum. You wont earn your voters trust unless you control immigration, and she understands that, explains MP Auken. There are so many countries where social democrats can no longer govern because people dont trust them on this issue, she adds.

Danish Social Democrats were losing voters to the far right, and these policies helped them win them back and return to power. They are criticized for playing into the far rights hands, and for aligning in the EU with Italy under the farright Giorgia Meloni. To this, Danish Social Democrats respond that if Denmark wants to maintain a strong welfare state, preserve social cohesion, and limit inequality, restrictive policies are necessary. They argue that they are not tough despite being social democrats, but precisely because they are.

Before becoming a European leader through her handling of the Greenland crisis, the prime minister had already reinvented European social democracy  or at least its Nordic branch  and had become a reference point. In these years of decline for this ideological family, Frederiksen and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have offered different responses to immigration and found opposite formulas for winning power  and keeping it.

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Silgan (NYSE:SLGN  Get Free Report) will likely be posting its Q4 2025 results before the market opens on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect Silgan to post earnings of $0.66 per share and revenue of $1.4592 billion for the quarter. Individuals can find conference call details on the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning report page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 8:30 AM ET.

Silgan Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of SLGN stock opened at $43.15 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 firm has a market cap of $4.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.68, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a 50 day moving average of $41.00 and a 200-day moving average of $43.25. Silgan has a 12-month low of $36.15 and a 12-month high of $57.04.

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Silgan Dividend Announcement

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 $0.20 dividend. 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 presently 27.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Silgan

In related news, CAO Kimberly Irene Ulmer acquired 1,000 shares of Silgan stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $38.11 per share, with a total value of $38,110.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 105,321 shares in the company, valued at $4,013,783.31. This trade represents a 0.96% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Company insiders own 1.13% of the companys stock.

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SLGN. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of Silgan by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 43,734 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,235,000 after acquiring an additional 510 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Silgan by 94.7% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 89,117 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $4,477,000 after purchasing an additional 43,338 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new stake in Silgan in the first quarter worth approximately $54,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in Silgan by 332.3% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 6,459 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $330,000 after purchasing an additional 4,965 shares during the period. Finally, United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in shares of Silgan during the 1st quarter valued at $264,000. 70.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SLGN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial restated a market perform rating on shares of Silgan in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Truist Financial set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Silgan and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Silgan from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c-) rating on shares of Silgan in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Silgan from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $50.38.

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About Silgan

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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.

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Strategy Asset Managers LLC bought a new position in Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY  Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 1,236 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock, valued at approximately $724,000.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Teledyne Technologies by 75.9% in the 2nd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 51 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Teledyne Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in Teledyne Technologies by 52.9% during the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 78 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in Teledyne Technologies by 193.1% during the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 85 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Teledyne Technologies during the third quarter worth about $46,000. 91.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Teledyne Technologies Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:TDY opened at $619.75 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.10 billion, a PE ratio of 32.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.01. Teledyne Technologies Incorporated has a 1 year low of $419.00 and a 1 year high of $630.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.08. The firms 50-day moving average is $537.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $543.42.

Insider Activity at Teledyne Technologies

Teledyne Technologies ( NYSE:TDY Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 21st. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $6.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.83 by $0.47. Teledyne Technologies had a return on equity of 10.08% and a net margin of 14.63%.The business had revenue of $1.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.57 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.52 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Teledyne Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 23.450-23.850 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 5.40-5.500 EPS. Analysts predict that Teledyne Technologies Incorporated will post 21.55 EPS for the current year.

In related news, Director Michael T. Smith sold 2,469 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $621.00, for a total value of $1,533,249.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 47,328 shares of the companys stock, valued at $29,390,688. This represents a 4.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on TDY shares. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Teledyne Technologies from $579.00 to $599.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Teledyne Technologies from $645.00 to $720.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Teledyne Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. They issued an equal weight rating and a $620.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup raised their price objective on Teledyne Technologies from $567.00 to $604.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Teledyne Technologies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $627.88.

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Teledyne Technologies Profile

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Teledyne Technologies (NYSE: TDY), headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California, is a diversified industrial technology company that designs, manufactures and supports sophisticated electronic systems, instruments and imaging products. Founded in 1960 by Henry Singleton and George Kozmetsky, Teledyne has grown into a multinational provider of high-performance equipment and software for commercial, scientific and government customers. Its offerings are used in markets that include aerospace and defense, marine, industrial manufacturing, environmental monitoring and scientific research.

The company operates through businesses that develop precision instrumentation, digital imaging products, engineered systems and aerospace and defense electronics.

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Strategy Asset Managers LLC acquired a new stake in Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:CTVA  Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 9,275 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $627,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of Corteva by 307.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 15,588 shares of the companys stock valued at $888,000 after purchasing an additional 11,760 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in Corteva by 40.3% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 57,919 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,645,000 after purchasing an additional 16,644 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Corteva by 8.9% in the second quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 77,485 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,775,000 after buying an additional 6,333 shares in the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new position in shares of Corteva during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $103,000. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Corteva during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $222,000. 81.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Corteva Price Performance

CTVA stock opened at $72.80 on Monday. Corteva, Inc. has a 1 year low of $53.40 and a 1 year high of $77.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.19 billion, a PE ratio of 31.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.75. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $68.34.

Corteva Announces Dividend

Corteva ( NYSE:CTVA Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported ($0.23) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.49) by $0.26. The company had revenue of $2.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.47 billion. Corteva had a return on equity of 9.37% and a net margin of 9.19%.The firms revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.49) earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Corteva, Inc. will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Cortevas dividend payout ratio is currently 30.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Corteva from $86.00 to $80.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Corteva from $77.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Corteva from $85.00 to $81.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Corteva from $76.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Corteva from $80.00 to $77.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $79.58.

View Our Latest Analysis on CTVA

About Corteva

(Free Report)

Corteva, Inc (NYSE: CTVA) is an independent global agriculture company that was established as a publicly traded firm in mid2019 following the separation of the agriculture businesses from DowDuPont. The company focuses on delivering technologies and products that help farmers increase productivity and manage crop health. Cortevas operations combine seed genetics, crop protection chemistries, digital tools and biological solutions to address the full cycle of crop production.

Core business activities include research and development of seed genetics and trait technologies, formulation and sale of crop protection products (such as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), and the development of seed treatments and biologicals.

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Thrivent Financial for Lutherans reduced its stake in Cushman & Wakefield PLC (NYSE:CWK  Free Report) by 33.5% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,287,696 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,656,265 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans holdings in Cushman & Wakefield were worth $52,340,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 39.6% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 98,508 shares of the companys stock worth $1,007,000 after purchasing an additional 27,940 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 4.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 136,261 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,393,000 after buying an additional 5,929 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield in the first quarter valued at approximately $139,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in Cushman & Wakefield by 1,821.3% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 279,397 shares of the companys stock worth $2,855,000 after acquiring an additional 264,855 shares during the period. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth purchased a new stake in Cushman & Wakefield in the 1st quarter worth approximately $218,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.56% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CWK has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Citigroup raised shares of Cushman & Wakefield from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $18.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $19.00 price target on shares of Cushman & Wakefield in a report on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Cushman & Wakefield from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Cushman & Wakefield from $12.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Cushman & Wakefield from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $18.56.

Cushman & Wakefield Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE:CWK opened at $16.44 on Monday. Cushman & Wakefield PLC has a one year low of $7.64 and a one year high of $17.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.13 and a beta of 1.47. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $16.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $15.52. 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 (NYSE:CWK  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.51 billion. Cushman & Wakefield had a net margin of 2.23% and a return on equity of 14.69%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.23 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Cushman & Wakefield PLC will post 1.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cushman & Wakefield Company Profile

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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.

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Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI  Free Report) by 10.6% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 131,085 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 12,566 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans holdings in Group 1 Automotive were worth $57,350,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 3.0% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 7,766 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,966,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in Group 1 Automotive by 20.3% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 37,028 shares of the companys stock valued at $14,143,000 after purchasing an additional 6,239 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive in the 1st quarter valued at about $229,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 6.2% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 41,872 shares of the companys stock worth $15,993,000 after buying an additional 2,452 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the second quarter worth approximately $132,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.92% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GPI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark reiterated a hold rating on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $510.00 to $490.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley set a $460.00 target price on Group 1 Automotive in a report on Monday, December 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Group 1 Automotive from $435.00 to $410.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Group 1 Automotive from a buy (b-) rating to a hold (c+) rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Group 1 Automotive has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $475.14.

Trending Headlines about Group 1 Automotive

Here are the key news stories impacting Group 1 Automotive this week:

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of GPI opened at $354.80 on Monday. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. has a 12-month low of $351.27 and a 12-month high of $490.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The firm has a market cap of $4.48 billion, a PE ratio of 14.19 and a beta of 0.90. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $400.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $421.05.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $8.49 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $9.36 by ($0.87). The business had revenue of $5.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.71 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 1.44% and a return on equity of 17.00%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $10.02 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current year.

Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Group 1 Automotives dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.00%.

Group 1 Automotive announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, November 11th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 10.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued.

Group 1 Automotive Profile

(Free Report)

Group 1 Automotive, Inc (NYSE: GPI) is an international automotive retailer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates an extensive network of franchised dealerships, offering new and pre-owned vehicles from leading domestic and import manufacturers. In addition to vehicle sales, Group 1 Automotive provides a full complement of aftersales services, including finance and insurance products, parts distribution, collision repair centers and vehicle maintenance.

Founded in 1997, Group 1 Automotive has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to establish a presence across the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

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Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J  Free Report) by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 576,896 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 36,654 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned 0.48% of Jacobs Solutions worth $86,454,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Primecap Management Co. CA boosted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 4,749,829 shares of the companys stock valued at $624,365,000 after purchasing an additional 96,387 shares during the last quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd lifted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 20.4% in the third quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 3,069,636 shares of the companys stock valued at $460,016,000 after acquiring an additional 520,417 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 21.4% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,607,361 shares of the companys stock valued at $342,738,000 after acquiring an additional 460,283 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 1.8% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,503,028 shares of the companys stock valued at $381,687,000 after acquiring an additional 44,070 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Jacobs Solutions by 15.9% in the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,954,861 shares of the companys stock worth $256,966,000 after acquiring an additional 268,504 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.65% of the companys stock.

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Jacobs Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of J opened at $135.46 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.30. The company has a market capitalization of $16.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.98, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.80. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $136.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $144.79. Jacobs Solutions Inc. has a 1 year low of $106.23 and a 1 year high of $168.44.

Jacobs Solutions Increases Dividend

Jacobs Solutions ( NYSE:J Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The company reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.08. Jacobs Solutions had a net margin of 2.41% and a return on equity of 19.14%. The firm had revenue of $2.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.14 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.37 EPS. Jacobs Solutionss revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Jacobs Solutions has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.900-7.300 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Jacobs Solutions Inc. will post 6.05 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This is an increase from Jacobs Solutionss previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Jacobs Solutionss payout ratio is currently 52.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Jacobs Solutions news, CFO Venkatesh Nathamuni purchased 750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $135.11 per share, with a total value of $101,332.50. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 20,785 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,808,261.35. This represents a 3.74% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Peter J. Robertson purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $134.76 per share, with a total value of $134,760.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $134,760. This trade represents a  increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 2,513 shares of company stock worth $335,878. 0.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on J shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Jacobs Solutions from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Sunday, January 25th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $163.00 to $152.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 21st. KeyCorp increased their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Jacobs Solutions from $130.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $156.60.

Check Out Our Latest Report on J

Jacobs Solutions Profile

(Free Report)

Jacobs Solutions Inc, commonly known as Jacobs, is a global professional services firm that provides technical, engineering, scientific and project delivery expertise across a broad range of industries. Founded in 1947 by Joseph J. Jacobs in Pasadena, California, the company evolved from a regional engineering consultancy into a diversified provider of design, program and construction management, operations and maintenance, and scientific services for complex infrastructure and industrial programs.

Further Reading

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Weyerhaeuser (NYSE:WY  Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by Truist Financial from $28.00 to $29.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a hold rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Truist Financials target price would indicate a potential upside of 12.55% from the stocks previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Weyerhaeuser from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Weyerhaeuser from $28.00 to $27.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 14th. New Street Research set a $28.00 target price on Weyerhaeuser in a report on Friday, December 12th. CIBC reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Weyerhaeuser in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a neutral rating and set a $26.00 target price (down previously from $29.00) on shares of Weyerhaeuser in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $28.63.

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Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Weyerhaeuser

Weyerhaeuser Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of WY traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $25.77. 279,498 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,902,010. Weyerhaeuser has a 12 month low of $21.16 and a 12 month high of $31.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company has a market capitalization of $18.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 94.50 and a beta of 1.03. The companys fifty day moving average price is $24.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.42.

Weyerhaeuser (NYSE:WY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.58 billion. Weyerhaeuser had a net margin of 4.69% and a return on equity of 1.50%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.11 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Weyerhaeuser will post 0.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Sara Grootwassink Lewis bought 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $23.61 per share, with a total value of $106,245.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 25,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at $613,340.58. This trade represents a 20.95% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Devin W. Stockfish sold 90,162 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.33, for a total value of $2,103,479.46. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,024,861 shares of the companys stock, valued at $23,910,007.13. This trade represents a 8.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.27% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Weyerhaeuser

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WY. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Weyerhaeuser by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 114,318,728 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,936,848,000 after buying an additional 542,912 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of Weyerhaeuser by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 39,646,897 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $982,847,000 after buying an additional 2,343,724 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Weyerhaeuser by 1.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 32,468,597 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $804,897,000 after purchasing an additional 602,901 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Weyerhaeuser during the second quarter worth about $600,502,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Weyerhaeuser by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 19,909,790 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $509,460,000 after buying an additional 340,948 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.99% of the companys stock.

Weyerhaeuser Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY) is a leading integrated forest products company whose core businesses are timberland ownership and forest products manufacturing. The company owns and manages large tracts of timberland and harvests, processes and sells wood and wood-derived products used primarily in residential and industrial construction. Its manufacturing operations produce a range of building materials, including lumber, engineered wood products and wood panels, alongside fiber-based products that serve multiple commercial applications.

Founded in 1900 by Frederick Weyerhaeuser and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company has a long history in the North American forest products industry.

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United Rentals (NYSE:URI  Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by analysts at Citigroup from $1,090.00 to $950.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the construction companys stock. Citigroups price target would suggest a potential upside of 21.61% from the stocks current price.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group raised shares of United Rentals from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $1,025.00 target price for the company in a report on Sunday, January 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $965.00 price objective on United Rentals in a report on Friday. KeyCorp set a $950.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on United Rentals from $995.00 to $1,071.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of United Rentals from $1,150.00 to $970.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $925.59.

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United Rentals Stock Down 0.1%

URI stock traded down $0.88 during trading on Monday, reaching $781.19. 623,743 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 727,819. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.94. The company has a market capitalization of $49.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.70. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $849.61 and a 200 day simple moving average of $888.53. United Rentals has a 12 month low of $525.91 and a 12 month high of $1,021.47.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $11.09 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $11.86 by ($0.77). United Rentals had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 30.35%. The business had revenue of $4.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $11.59 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that United Rentals will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback $5.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the construction company to reacquire up to 8.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of United Rentals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of URI. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of United Rentals by 1.0% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,494,303 shares of the construction companys stock worth $5,646,208,000 after acquiring an additional 72,267 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its position in United Rentals by 22.8% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,402,524 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,247,762,000 after buying an additional 631,484 shares during the period. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 6.7% during the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 2,678,614 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,557,158,000 after buying an additional 168,685 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of United Rentals by 71.3% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,874,127 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,411,968,000 after acquiring an additional 780,322 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in shares of United Rentals by 6.8% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,315,086 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,255,460,000 after acquiring an additional 83,978 shares during the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Rentals Company Profile

(Get 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.

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Shares of United States Oil Fund LP (NYSEARCA:USO  Get Free Report) gapped down prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $79.52, but opened at $75.50. United States Oil Fund shares last traded at $75.34, with a volume of 2,988,729 shares.

United States Oil Fund News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting United States Oil Fund this week:

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United States Oil Fund Stock Down 5.8%

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 19.22 and a beta of 0.40. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $70.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $72.47.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United States Oil Fund

About United States Oil Fund

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of USO. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of United States Oil Fund by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,948 shares of the companys stock valued at $924,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of United States Oil Fund by 22.8% during the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,132 shares of the companys stock worth $83,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of United States Oil Fund by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,150 shares of the companys stock valued at $287,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the period. Harbour Investments Inc. increased its stake in shares of United States Oil Fund by 37.1% in the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 831 shares of the companys stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clear Investment Research LLC raised its holdings in United States Oil Fund by 14.1% in the 3rd quarter. Clear Investment Research LLC now owns 1,992 shares of the companys stock worth $147,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the period. 67.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

(Get Free Report)

United States Oil Fund, LP (USO) is a commodity pool that issues limited partnership interests (shares) traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc (the NYSE Arca). The investment objective of USO is for the daily changes in percentage terms of its shares per share net asset value (NAV) to reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of the spot price of light, sweet crude oil delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma, as measured by the daily changes in the price of the futures contract for light, sweet crude oil traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, that is the near month contract to expire, except when the near month contract is within over two weeks of expiration, in which case it will be measured by the futures contract that is the next month contract to expire, less USOs expenses.

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Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Vontier (NYSE:VNT  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Sunday.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on VNT. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Vontier from $45.00 to $44.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Vontier in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Bank of America reissued an underperform rating and issued a $40.00 target price (down previously from $50.00) on shares of Vontier in a report on Friday, November 14th. Barclays cut their price target on Vontier from $49.00 to $47.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, KeyCorp reduced their price target on shares of Vontier from $50.00 to $45.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $45.63.

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Vontier Price Performance

VNT opened at $37.47 on Friday. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $37.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $39.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.28. Vontier has a 52-week low of $27.22 and a 52-week high of $43.88.

Vontier (NYSE:VNT  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $752.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $747.32 million. Vontier had a net margin of 13.34% and a return on equity of 40.49%. The firms quarterly revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.73 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Vontier will post 3.13 EPS for the current year.

Vontier Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 20th were given a dividend of $0.025 per share. This represents a $0.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 20th. Vontiers payout ratio is presently 3.66%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vontier

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Vontier by 104.6% in the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 4,793,944 shares of the companys stock worth $176,897,000 after purchasing an additional 2,450,723 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Vontier by 85.0% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,225,596 shares of the companys stock valued at $219,318,000 after buying an additional 2,401,220 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Vontier by 4,958.3% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,151,517 shares of the companys stock worth $90,299,000 after buying an additional 2,108,983 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Vontier in the 2nd quarter worth $66,535,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in Vontier by 107.7% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,944,880 shares of the companys stock valued at $81,627,000 after acquiring an additional 1,008,340 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.83% of the companys stock.

Vontier Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Vontier is a global industrial technology company focused on advancing mobility infrastructure and transportation solutions. Established as a standalone public company in October 2020 through the spin-off of Fortives mobility and transportation platforms, Vontier is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The companys mission centers on delivering innovative products and services that help customers meet evolving demands in fuel retail, fleet management, and automotive service.

The companys diversified portfolio spans several well-known brands.

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New York / Houston -

Gil Kerlikowske joins the video call exactly one hour after agreeing to the interview. Behind him, a portrait of Abraham Lincoln hangs on the wall, the savior of the American Union that is said to be in such danger these days. Next to him, several police badges attest to a long career in law enforcement. One of them bears the insignia of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), where he served as commissioner during Barack Obamas presidency. The same agency that made national and international headlines this week after two of its agents shot and killed a man in Minneapolis.

Following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, both U.S. citizens killed by federal agents just over two weeks apart in the same city, Kerlikowskes phone has been ringing nonstop. More than 40 media outlets have contacted him with the same question: What is happening in Minneapolis? The answer, he says, is chaos. Kerlikowske, who was CBP commissioner from 2014 to 2017, is a vocal critic of Donald Trumps offensive in Minnesotas most populous city, where his administration has deployed a large number of immigration agents amid mass protests and brutal police repression.

At 76 years old, Kerlikowske has a deep understanding of how these agencies should operate, and he says that what is happening now bears no resemblance to how the law should be enforced. The world is actually watching what is going on, he says of the situation in Minneapolis. If it wasnt for those videos that came out, people would say, Well, this is what the president said, this is what Secretary Noem or the vice president said. But now that people have looked at those videos, theyve made their own judgment, and they say, You know what, what were being told by these officials is not what happened.

Currently a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Northeastern University, Kerlikowske has spent more than 40 years in law enforcement. Before leading CBP, he served as director of Obamas Office of National Drug Control Policy, chief of police in Seattle, and police commissioner in Buffalo.

Question. What was your reaction when you saw the videos of Alex Prettis killing?

Answer. The reaction, not only mine, but the reaction across the country and, frankly, worldwide, has been one of shock. They cant quite understand how this person that was attempting to help this woman that the Border Patrol had shoved into the snow would be pepper-sprayed, and then six or seven agents and CBP personnel could not seem to get him handcuffed and secured.

Q. How should the agents have handled that situation?

A. There are a couple of things that people need to realize. We certainly have the right to protest, observe, and record. We dont have the right to obstruct or interfere with law enforcement conducting their work. But they should have told him, If you interfere, youll be arrested. That would have been the proper course of action. What were seeing over and over again is ICE and Border Patrol immediately turning to their less lethal tools, although theyre dangerous tools, such as pepper spray, pepper balls, tear gas, etc., rather than making an arrest.

Posters of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis, on January 28. Seth Herald (REUTERS)

Q. Are Border Patrol agents trained to handle situations like the one in Minneapolis?

A. No, the Border Patrol, CBP and ICE are not trained, not experienced, and certainly not well led or well supervised in how to police an urban environment, whether it be Seattle, where I worked, or Buffalo, or any of these other large cities, including Minneapolis. Policing in a city takes a certain level of skill, experience, knowledge, and training, and unfortunately we dont see that with CBP or with ICE.

Q. What can be expected from the investigation into the shooting?

A. I would be very skeptical of the investigation. The FBI is skilled in investigating use of force and should have opened, as they often did when I was commissioner, a criminal civil rights investigation. There should also be an internal investigation by Customs and Border Protections Office of Professional Responsibility. But what concerns me is that after the killing of Renee Good and then the shooting of Alex Pretti, theres been this back-and-forth over who was investigating and the exclusion of the state and local authorities from being involved, in which they always were when I was there, because thats what you want. You want that trust, you want the relationship, you want the communication, and you want the transparency. Those local chiefs and sheriffs and mayors have to answer to their local constituents. If they are left out of the mix in information, that only works further to erode trust.

Q. President Trump blames Governor Tim Walz and the mayor of Minneapolis for the escalation of violence, while local authorities blame the federal government.

A. People in Minneapolis have every right to protest what theyre seeing and to do it in a way, as the governor and the mayor have said repeatedly, thats peaceful. Make your points known, do your recording, shout, use obscenities; thats our right in this country. To blame the mayor and the governor for the actions of protesters is not appropriate.

Q. Youve worked with Tom Homan before. What do you think he can do, now that hes on the ground, to deal with the situation in Minneapolis?

A. Replacing Gregory Bovino, sidelining Secretary Kristi Noem and her adviser Corey Lewandowski makes a lot of sense. Tom [Homan] has been around a long time, and he understands the system. So I think you can see a bit of a turndown in the heat. But you can also see that this administration, rather than following the usual playbook, which is to double down when theres criticism, they look like theyre very much interested in trying to figure out how to back out of this situation, save face, and do it gracefully, particularly after eight Republican senators on Thursday voted not to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Border czar Tom Homan during a press conference in Minneapolis on January 29. CRAIG LASSIG (EFE)

Q. What is your opinion on the possible withholding of funds for this department, on which ICE and CBP depend?

A. What theyre asking for are really, really basic things that any professional law enforcement agency already does. These senators know the police departments in their own state. They know that they operate with body cameras, without wearing masks. They know that they dont do roving patrols trying to apprehend people out on the street or inside Walmart or in the Kmart parking lot. And so they look at this and say: Why cant you, ICE and CBP, operate in the same manner?

Q. How would you categorize the Trump administrations crackdown in Minneapolis and other Democratic-led cities? Is this about immigration, or is it about politics?

A. Its more about chaos, about spreading fear and intimidation. When they marched into MacArthur Park in Los Angeles to rock music, they said, This is the new normal. Get used to it. They challenged the mayor. They challenged the governor. They did the same in Chicago and made it clear that [local authorities] had no use. These mayors and governors are elected by the people. Whether you agree with them or not on policy, they deserve a certain amount of respect. The other part thats so disturbing is that state and local law enforcement worked with ICE and Customs and Border Protection in the past on a variety of different programs and projects. Now youve seen this disdain that ICE and CBP have for state and local authorities. One thing people forget is that immigration is the sole, complete responsibility of the federal government. It is not the responsibility of the states and locals.

Q. What is Border Patrol doing in cities like Minneapolis, so far from the border?

A. Border Patrol has no business being in the cities. Theyre called the Border Patrol for a reason. They operate best on the border. They operate best within 25 miles of the border at the checkpoints, such as the ones in Texas. I heard Commander Bovino say that they really know how to police in the city because they have offices in Buffalo and Detroit. Let me tell you, I was police commissioner in Buffalo for five years. I never saw a Border Patrol agent in the city. Policing the city is a difficult challenge, just as policing the border is a difficult challenge for them.

Gil Kerlikowske (l) greets Mexican customs officials in 2016 in Tijuana, Mexico. Gregory Bull (AP)

Q. If you were to compare how things were done in your tenure with how they are done now, what are the biggest changes?

A. Theres no comparison to what had been done under the Obama administration or the Biden administration. Im a huge defender and supporter of the Border Patrol. In the summer of 2014, we had 68,000 unaccompanied children crossing, mostly in McAllen, in the Rio Grande Valley. I saw those Border Patrol agents treat those kids and those families humanely. I saw them offer water and first aid. The Border Patrols morale right now is in the dumpster. And if you ask them, they would be more than happy to go back to the border, to doing what they are trained to do and what theyre pretty effective at doing.

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Teekay Tankers (NYSE:TNK  Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Saturday.

TNK has been the subject of a number of other reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Teekay Tankers from $66.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Clarkson Capital upgraded Teekay Tankers to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b-) rating on shares of Teekay Tankers in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research lowered Teekay Tankers from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of Teekay Tankers from $53.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $65.00.

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Teekay Tankers Price Performance

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Teekay Tankers

TNK opened at $64.57 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average is $57.07 and its 200 day moving average is $53.64. Teekay Tankers has a fifty-two week low of $33.35 and a fifty-two week high of $65.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.17 and a beta of -0.27.

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Teekay Tankers by 2.0% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,799,113 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $90,947,000 after buying an additional 35,131 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Teekay Tankers by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,077,363 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $54,461,000 after acquiring an additional 67,186 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Teekay Tankers by 24.6% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 692,796 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $28,903,000 after acquiring an additional 136,990 shares in the last quarter. Summit Street Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Teekay Tankers by 14.4% in the 3rd quarter. Summit Street Capital Management LLC now owns 501,774 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $25,360,000 after purchasing an additional 63,125 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Teekay Tankers by 4.0% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 361,609 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $15,086,000 after purchasing an additional 14,052 shares in the last quarter. 52.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Teekay Tankers

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Teekay Tankers Ltd is an oil tanker shipping company that owns and operates a fleet of modern crude oil and petroleum product tankers. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TNK, the company provides seaborne transportation services for crude oil, refined petroleum products and petrochemicals. Its operations range across major global trade lanes, offering a mix of spot market voyages and time-charter contracts to a diverse customer base in the oil and energy sector.

The companys fleet includes a mix of Medium Range (MR), Long Range (LR1 and LR2), Suezmax and Aframax tankers designed to meet various cargo specifications and port restrictions.

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The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG  Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $153.00 to $156.00 in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the insurance providers stock. Wells Fargo & Companys target price would suggest a potential upside of 14.99% from the companys current price.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Argus upped 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 report on Tuesday, November 25th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on The Hartford Insurance Group from $137.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group from $152.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on The Hartford Insurance Group from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. They set a sector perform rating and a $145.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Hartford Insurance Group currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $147.81.

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The Hartford Insurance Group Stock Performance

Shares of HIG traded up $0.60 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $135.66. 293,492 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,421,575. The stock has a market cap of $37.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.31. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $134.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $131.25. The Hartford Insurance Group has a 1 year low of $107.49 and a 1 year high of $140.50.

The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE:HIG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $4.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.22 by $0.84. The business had revenue of $7.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.29 billion. The Hartford Insurance Group had a return on equity of 21.92% and a net margin of 13.52%.The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.94 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that The Hartford Insurance Group will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Beth Ann Costello sold 35,339 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.58, for a total value 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 $10,595,056.92. This trade represents a 31.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the second quarter worth $506,329,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in The Hartford Insurance Group by 51.5% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,268,166 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $414,632,000 after purchasing an additional 1,111,659 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $91,398,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of The Hartford Insurance Group by 6,431.8% during the third quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 643,443 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $85,829,000 after acquiring an additional 633,592 shares during the period. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd grew its holdings in The Hartford Insurance Group by 217.9% during the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 832,291 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $105,593,000 after acquiring an additional 570,521 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the companys stock.

The Hartford Insurance Group Company Profile

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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.

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WEX (NYSE:WEX  Get Free Report) will likely be posting its Q4 2025 results before the market opens on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect WEX to post earnings of $3.90 per share for the quarter. Parties can check the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning summary page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET.

WEX Trading Down 2.5%

Shares of NYSE:WEX opened at $153.65 on Monday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $153.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $158.36. WEX has a 1 year low of $110.45 and a 1 year high of $187.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The company has a market capitalization of $5.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.98.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

WEX has been the topic of several analyst reports. UBS Group reduced their target price on WEX from $185.00 to $172.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of WEX from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of WEX from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of WEX in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of WEX from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $178.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $170.25.

Insider Activity

In other WEX news, COO Robert Joseph Deshaies sold 1,506 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.62, for a total transaction of $225,327.72. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 15,699 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,348,884.38. The trade was a 8.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Jennifer Kimball sold 494 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.40, for a total transaction of $74,791.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 3,671 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $555,789.40. This trade represents a 11.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WEX

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new stake in WEX in the third quarter valued at $466,000. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in shares of WEX in the 3rd quarter valued at about $79,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in shares of WEX by 368.1% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 220 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in shares of WEX in the third quarter valued at about $151,000. Finally, Dark Forest Capital Management LP raised its position in shares of WEX by 43.0% during the third quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 17,855 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,813,000 after acquiring an additional 5,367 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.47% of the companys stock.

About WEX

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WEX Inc is a global financial technology company specializing in business payment solutions for fleet, travel, and corporate payments. The company delivers software-driven platforms and card-based services that help businesses automate payment processes, manage expenses and improve operational efficiency across a range of industries, including transportation, healthcare and government.

Founded in 1983 as Wright Express in Portland, Maine, the company began by offering fuel card services to trucking fleets.

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Wilkinson Global Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM  Free Report) by 0.8% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 287,850 shares of the semiconductor companys stock after selling 2,198 shares during the period. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing makes up approximately 5.1% of Wilkinson Global Asset Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest position. Wilkinson Global Asset Management LLCs holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing were worth $80,394,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 26.7% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 12,046,792 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $2,728,478,000 after purchasing an additional 2,537,760 shares during the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 43.2% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 6,650,983 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $1,506,389,000 after purchasing an additional 2,006,745 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 109.5% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 3,526,160 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $798,640,000 after buying an additional 1,842,951 shares in the last quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main lifted its holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 268.2% in the 2nd quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 2,499,677 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $566,152,000 after acquiring an additional 1,820,852 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 18.0% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 10,457,800 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $2,368,587,000 after buying an additional 1,593,786 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.51% of the companys stock.

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Trading Down 2.6%

Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing stock opened at $330.69 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 2.47 and a current ratio of 2.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.71 trillion, a P/E ratio of 31.05, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.31. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. has a 52-week low of $134.25 and a 52-week high of $351.33. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $309.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $281.36.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( NYSE:TSM Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 14th. The semiconductor company reported $14.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a return on equity of 36.18% and a net margin of 45.13%.The firm had revenue of $32.50 billion during the quarter. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. will post 9.2 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.9678 per share. This represents a $3.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This is a boost from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings payout ratio is 23.57%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on TSM. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Itau BBA Securities began coverage on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. They issued an outperform rating for the company. Susquehanna upped their price objective on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $300.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a buy rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $325.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $381.67.

View Our Latest Research Report on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts and sector writeups highlight TSMC as a core beneficiary of the AI boom  Zacks groups TSMC with NVIDIA as AI chip winners, underscoring sustained datacenter demand that supports TSMCs revenue and margin outlook. Read More.

Analysts and sector writeups highlight TSMC as a core beneficiary of the AI boom  Zacks groups TSMC with NVIDIA as AI chip winners, underscoring sustained datacenter demand that supports TSMCs revenue and margin outlook. Read More. Positive Sentiment: NVIDIAs CEO publicly backing TSMCs global expansion and noting rising AI memory needs reinforces TSMCs strategic role in nextgeneration AI supply  a direct demand cue for TSMCs advanced-node capacity. Read More.

NVIDIAs CEO publicly backing TSMCs global expansion and noting rising AI memory needs reinforces TSMCs strategic role in nextgeneration AI supply  a direct demand cue for TSMCs advanced-node capacity. Read More. Positive Sentiment: NVIDIA winning approval for a $105M Taiwan hub and deepening local ties further cements the NVIDIATSMC ecosystem, implying more fab capacity demand and partnership stability. Read More.

NVIDIA winning approval for a $105M Taiwan hub and deepening local ties further cements the NVIDIATSMC ecosystem, implying more fab capacity demand and partnership stability. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Broker commentary and upgrades (Goldman/Morgan Stanley mentions, margin expansion notes) and coverage pieces emphasize TSMCs improving profitability and leadership position  supportive for mediumterm analyst estimates and investor positioning. Read More.

Broker commentary and upgrades (Goldman/Morgan Stanley mentions, margin expansion notes) and coverage pieces emphasize TSMCs improving profitability and leadership position  supportive for mediumterm analyst estimates and investor positioning. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Broader investor guides and AI stock roundups continue to list TSMC as a core AIinfrastructure play, reinforcing demand narrative among longterm investors. Read More.

Broader investor guides and AI stock roundups continue to list TSMC as a core AIinfrastructure play, reinforcing demand narrative among longterm investors. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Zacks notes elevated investor attention on TSMC  this raises nearterm liquidity and volatility but doesnt change the companys underlying fundamentals. Read More.

Zacks notes elevated investor attention on TSMC  this raises nearterm liquidity and volatility but doesnt change the companys underlying fundamentals. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Coverage roundups (MSN/Wall Street take) and interim data writeups summarize the companys strong results and higher capex but add little incremental surprise; useful for sentiment but not clearly catalytic. Read More. Read More.

Coverage roundups (MSN/Wall Street take) and interim data writeups summarize the companys strong results and higher capex but add little incremental surprise; useful for sentiment but not clearly catalytic. Read More. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Large leveraged liquidations in crypto markets (Bitcoin) drove riskoff flows that contributed to broader market volatility and intraday weakness in chips and tech, a likely headwind for TSMCs shortterm price action. Read More.

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.

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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).

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WPP (NYSE:WPP  Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d+) rating on shares of WPP in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of WPP in a report on Monday, January 12th. They issued a neutral rating on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of WPP from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, WPP presently has an average rating of Reduce.

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WPP Stock Performance

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

WPP opened at $20.88 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $21.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $23.42. WPP has a 1-year low of $17.47 and a 1-year high of $49.12.

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WPP. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its position in WPP by 49.0% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 66,463 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,523,000 after acquiring an additional 21,866 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of WPP during the second quarter worth approximately $378,000. Abel Hall LLC purchased a new position in WPP during the second quarter valued at approximately $413,000. US Bancorp DE increased its stake in WPP by 27.0% in the 2nd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 16,735 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $586,000 after buying an additional 3,560 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in WPP by 41.9% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,990 shares of the business services providers stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 588 shares in the last quarter. 4.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

WPP Company Profile

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WPP plc (NYSE: WPP) is a British multinational advertising and public relations company headquartered in London, England. Recognized as one of the worlds largest communications services groups, WPP provides a wide array of marketing, advertising, media investment management and data consultancy services. Through its integrated network of agenciesamong them Ogilvy, Grey, GroupM and Wavemakerthe company delivers creative content, brand strategy, digital transformation and media planning solutions to clients across virtually every industry.

Established in 1971 by Martin Sorrell as Wire and Plastic Products, the firm underwent a strategic transformation in the 1980s, focusing on acquisitions that expanded its capabilities into advertising and communications.

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Yum China (NYSE:YUMC  Get Free Report) is anticipated to post its Q4 2025 results before the market opens on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.35 per share and revenue of $2.7204 billion for the quarter. Parties can find conference call details on the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning report page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 7:00 AM ET.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.76. The firm had revenue of $3.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 7.81% and a return on equity of 14.08%. The companys revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.77 EPS. On average, analysts expect Yum China to post $3 EPS for the current fiscal year and $3 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Yum China Trading Down 2.1%

NYSE:YUMC opened at $49.43 on Monday. Yum China has a 12 month low of $41.00 and a 12 month high of $53.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The firms 50 day moving average is $48.06 and its 200 day moving average is $45.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.86 billion, a PE ratio of 20.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.13.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

Yum China declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Friday, December 12th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were paid a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Yum Chinas payout ratio is presently 39.83%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 4,888 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.10, for a total transaction of $235,112.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 22,510 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,082,731. The trade was a 17.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total transaction of $248,016.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 56,602 shares in the company, valued at $2,716,896. This trade represents a 8.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 18,242 shares of company stock worth $878,397. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Yum China

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in Yum China by 147.4% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 945 shares of the companys stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Yum China during the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Yum China during the third quarter worth about $56,000. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Yum China by 33.1% during the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,386 shares of the companys stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 345 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Yum China by 29.5% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,452 shares of the companys stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

YUMC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. CLSA reiterated an outperform rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $55.00.

View Our Latest Report on YUMC

Yum China Company Profile

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Yum China Holdings, Inc operates as the largest quick-service restaurant company in China, through its ownership and franchising of brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. The companys core business encompasses full-service and fastcasual dining, takeout and delivery channels, as well as ancillary services including loyalty programs and digital ordering platforms. Yum Chinas restaurants offer a diverse menu that adapts global brand concepts to local consumer preferences, featuring items such as soymarinated chicken, customized pizzas and regioninspired side dishes.

In addition to its signature brands, Yum China has expanded its portfolio to include innovative concepts tailored to evolving market trends, such as plantbased offerings, selfservice kiosks and mobile app integrations.

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The Democratic Socialists of America candidate promises to fight against Donald Trumps policies: I am ready to defend my immigrant community, even if it requires putting my body in the line of fire

After dropping her baby off at daycare, Diana Moreno arrives at Madame Sousou, an Astoria cafe stocked with pastries, sandwiches, and cakes. She greets the staff who already know her, orders something hot, takes off her coat, and opens her laptop. From a blue tote bag that reads Zohran for NYC in yellow letters, she pulls out a makeup bag for a touch-up. This is how the day begins for the frontrunner in the race to succeed Zohran Mamdani as the State Assembly District 36 representative, now that the mayor has moved from his rent-controlled apartment in Queens to Gracie Mansion in Manhattan, after being elected in a landslide to govern the capital of the world.

Seven years ago, when Moreno had just moved to Astoria from Florida and was beginning to get involved with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), he met a twenty-something named Zohran  just his first name, back when his last name hadnt yet captured the attention of New York politics, much less the nation. I was starting to go to meetings, I wanted to get active in the community, and he was one of the first people I met, not even as a politician or a candidate, but as a fellow activist. He was an organizer, and he recognized me, a newcomer, and said, Come on, lets go out.

They went for beers at Diamond Dogs, a bar that last year displayed a poster of Mamdanis face on its brick walls, and now has another one with hers, the 38-year-old Ecuadorian migrant who arrived in the United States at age 11 with her parents and older sister from Quito, when the economic and political crisis shook the South American country in the 1990s. People lost a lot of savings, including my grandfather, who lost everything he had saved throughout his life, Moreno says.

Her mother was a social studies teacher at a local school, and her father, an employee of a private telephone company who suddenly found himself unemployed. Like many others, my parents said, We have to get out of here, what future are we going to give our daughters? They sold everything, took their savings, and moved to the United States.

They arrived at the home of an Ecuadorian family they knew in South Florida. The city of Lakeland, where they settled, was a conservative place, where there was a lot of racism, where the Latino and migrant community was very small at that time. Its not like we had arrived in Miami or New York. It was a shock, she says.

It was she and her sister who helped their parents communicate in English, fill out forms, open a bank account, or apply for jobs. We grew up very fast, she says. Her father started washing dishes at a Mexican restaurant; her mother cleaning hotel rooms; and they began their studies in a public school. Later, at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Moreno studied political science and earned a masters degree in Latino Studies. I was very interested in understanding my own migration history. I learned about imperialism and colonialism, and I started studying what migrants here were doing to organize for their rights, and thats what brought me to Queens.

Diana Moreno on the streets of Queens, January 8. corrie aune

In 2015, she interned at the community and civil rights organization Make the Road, where she got to know other groups working directly with undocumented immigrants in the city, and she knew that she would live there for the rest of her life. Queens changed my mindset. For a migrant, a woman, a person of color, someone who was also beginning to explore her sexuality, because I identify as queer, I feel like this was a place where I could be myself in all my facets. You feel liberated in a place where you see a Muslim person next to an Ecuadorian person, or a trans person, or someone from Paraguay. It was the first time I felt at home in this country, she says.

She then worked at the organization New Immigrant Community Empowerment. She fought against wage theft and educated many people about their labor rights. During the coronavirus pandemic, she was on the front lines. She distributed food, helped neighbors apply for government assistance, and denounced labor abuses against those cleaning and disinfecting the subway. She became a leader in the DSA. She fought against the reconstruction of a gas-fired power plant in Astoria, a city with high rates of childhood asthma. She fought to unionize Starbucks workers and volunteered to offer free English classes for immigrants.

I gradually earned the respect and trust of many people, says Moreno, just days before the special election that Governor Kathy Hochul set for February 3. If she wins, she would not only fill the symbolic seat vacated by Mamdani in a DSA stronghold, but she would also become the fourth Latina woman to uphold the Democratic Socialist legacy in the state. They have Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Congress, Tiffany Caban on the City Council, Kristen Serene Gonzalez in the Senate, and now they could have Moreno in Albany.

Mamdanis friend

When Mamdani launched his mayoral campaign, he personally called Moreno and told her, Diana, vote for me, were going to fight to win. He convinced me, she recalls. After seeing what was happening in Palestine, and being a new mother, I said to myself: We cant stay here, fighting at this level; we have to fight at the highest level.

They were friends. Moreno supported him in 2020 when Mamdani ran for the New York State Assembly. But she was still surprised that the 33-year-old Muslim man who wears Uniqlo clothes and is a follower of Arsenal was running for mayor. She thought they wouldnt stand a chance against their rival, Andrew Cuomo. Thats why I have so much respect for him, because he pushed me to dream bigger, to believe bigger. Many times we on the left are used to not having power. And he said, Were going to fight to have it.

In the initial video for Mamdanis campaign, Diana is seen with her baby in a stroller when he was three months old. The mother can be heard saying, in English, I want to raise my son in New York. Months later, colleagues from the DSA began urging her to carry on Mamdanis legacy in western Queens by representing Astoria and Long Island City in the state legislature. Moreno initially refused, saying, With a baby just a few months old, thats crazy.

She wanted to take a break, to have some peace and quiet. She had a good job at the New York State Nurses Association. But she thought about her son. I know whats going on in this damn country at the federal level. I said, If I can fight for my sons future, for my community, against this authoritarianism, against this fascism, Im going to do it. If I have the trust of my community, Im going to do it. And the only reason I said yes is because I know Im not doing this alone. This isnt a personal ambition. This is a collective project.

Zohran Mamdani, in New York, on January 1. Andres Kudacki (AP)

She knew that even if Mamdani won the election, he couldnt rebuild the city alone. He needs allies in Albany to pass a fair budget, to push the governor to support our mayors cost-of-living agenda, Moreno explains. Mamdani himself approached her and said, If you want to do this, you have my support.

By the end of December, the then mayor-elect stood before his neighbors in Athens Square Park in Astoria and said, I have known Diana for years and I know that in her, the working families of Queens will find a tireless and unwavering ally.

Now Moreno, who was among the 100,000 volunteers in Mamdanis campaign, has inherited hundreds of them who are knocking on doors to support her in the election. She knows it wont be easy. If she wins, she will be in charge of a district where 38% of residents are immigrants, at a time when the White House is tightening its deportation policy.

I want to be clear that I am ready to defend my migrant community in New York, even if it requires putting my body in the line of fire, insists Moreno, who in September was arrested outside the Federal Plaza building, the epicenter of ICE detentions in Manhattan, when she participated in an act of civil disobedience. We have to be ready to confront directly an agency that is willing to kill people, in the open air and with impunity. This is about democracy in this country. My position is that ICE must be completely eliminated. We have to confront the human rights abuses and the deaths they have caused, she maintains.

Moreno often wonders how the richest city in the history of this world can have a level of inequality that the average person cant even imagine. When I talk about democratic socialism, Im talking about the most basic necessities for survival. If we want to survive, and live with dignity, we have either the reality that Zohran Mamdani is offering us, or the nightmare that Donald Trump is offering us, she says. This is a crucial moment in the future that people will choose. I know the expectations are high, but Im ready to take on this role, to make sure that Im not only advancing Zohrans agenda, but going even further.

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The National Health Insurance Authority says growth has outpaced funding. The FNM says its proof the government doesnt have the money. Meanwhile, providers report delayed payments  and patients depend on the system every day.

You voted:
The faces of the protest in Minneapolis. In the top row, from left to right: Sarah Charging, Mike Camilleri, Abe Eversman (behind a mask), Josiah Myeog, Julie Prokes, and Lesley Ernst. Below, also from left to right: Nekima Levy Armstrong, Jim Winterer, a woman dressed as a frog, Cathy Anderson, Joey Keillor, and Rogelio Aguilar.

With a mix of solidarity and defiance, Minnesotans have spent weeks refining the network they use to confront federal agents  and have managed to push back against the US government

For weeks now, phones havent stopped buzzing in Minneapolis. They vibrate hundreds of times a day  one jolt for every message received by residents enrolled in the Signal groups that monitor the 3,000 secret immigration police agents deployed by Donald Trump in the city.

On this encrypted platform, everyones role is defined by an emoji code: cars, plates, bandaged hearts Some patrol the streets looking for the masked federal agents, who drive unmarked cars and are armed to the teeth. Others provide first aid when things go wrong, photograph license plates, or crosscheck them against available databases.

There are several checkin calls each day. When someone reports a raid in progress, the vehicles of the observers in the area race over to try to stop it or, at the very least, to witness it or disrupt the hunt for immigrants. Once there, they blow whistles, film the agents with their phones, and confront them. Sometimes they end up getting arrested.

Each neighborhood in the Twin Cities (the metropolitan area formed by Minneapolis and St. Paul, with a combined population of 3.7 million) has its own group. And getting in isnt easy. The reason becomes clear with the first warning given to newcomers: its best not to share any personal information, because the far right has infiltrated the groups. The FBI has also warned that it will be reviewing their content.

Memorial honoring Alex Pretti at the site where he was killed by police officers in Minneapolis. Jack Brook (AP)

This is the state of affairs in the new normal of occupied Minneapolis, which has spent the past two months resisting Operation Metro Surge, ordered by the federal government to speed up deportations in Minnesota, a Democratic state.

The fact that the percentage of undocumented immigrants is lower than in many other parts of the country didnt stop Trump from warning residents on January 13 that their DAY OF RECKONING AND REVENGE had arrived. It wasnt clear at the time what exactly he meant, but this week there was no doubt that the resistance of that great people is derailing the White Houses plans.

The largest deportation in history

Minneapolis is the seventh stop  after Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, Portland, Memphis, and New Orleans  on Trumps authoritarian march forward, eager to sign off on the largest deportation in U.S. history and cross names off his enemies list.

In all those cities, federal agents and the National Guard ran into obstacles, but whats happening in Minnesota looks more like an impenetrable wall, especially since Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and Border Patrol officers shot and killed two unarmed Americans: Alex Pretti, an intensivecare nurse at a veterans hospital, and the poet Renee Good.

Far from intimidating protesters, those deaths  captured on the phones of bystanders like Kayla Schultz, who witnessed Prettis killing without flinching  have fueled activism among thousands of residents, from longtime organizers to people who, as Joey Keillor told EL PAIS, had never demonstrated before.

Protest against federal agents in Minneapolis on February 24. Associated Press/LaPresse (APN)

Theyve run into the toughest people in the country, warns Jaylani Hussein, leader of the Somali community that Trump has used as a pretext for the occupation, blaming it collectively for massive fraud in public assistance programs. We survive the harshest winters, and we do it knowing we can rely on our neighbors. Weve cerated the resistance manual for the cities that come after us on the list.

That manual is built on solidarity, and it cant be understood without the precedent of the protests that erupted after the killing of George Floyd, an African American man, at the hands of a white police officer  nor without the networks and infrastructure forged in the Twin Cities during that time. Although this time is different. Whats happening now is unprecedented, says Jim Winterer, a retired journalist. He has lived his entire life in Minnesota and was one of the few who raised his hand when, at a demonstration last week, the speaker asked whether anyone in the crowd had taken part in the protests against the Vietnam War.

Columnist Lydia Polgreen, who has covered conflicts around the world, wrote in The New York Times that what she saw on the ground in Minnesota  a state that didnt vote Republican even during Ronald Reagans 1980 landslide  reminded her of the beginnings of a civil war. Locals here prefer a different comparison: the revolution against the British that brought about U.S. independence 250 years ago. This time the kings name is Trump, said Ken Brown as he protested, holding a sign he designed himself accusing ICE agents of being the presidents orcs.

Arrest of a man in Minneapolis by ICE agents on January 24. Associated Press/LaPresse (APN)

Brown recalled  like dozens of other people interviewed in recent days  the moment he felt the need to do something. In his case, it came early, when he began seeing masked agents patrolling his city. But it could just as well have been after witnessing the brutal arrests documented by the Signal observers, or the live broadcast of the deaths of Pretti and Good, two white Americans, like the vast majority of those protesting.

Bridge over the highway

That something can be as simple as standing for hours in the cold holding signs calling for ICE to be expelled or abolished on the overpasses, so drivers honk as they go by. The tenants of a building at the corner of 28th Street and Thomas Avenue have been coming out every Wednesday afternoon for weeks to blow their whistles as hard as they can. Some neighbors donate or distribute food to families in need, or to those too afraid to leave their homes for fear of being arrested and deported. Others hand out donuts, goggles and gas masks, lip balm for the cold, and hand and foot warmers in a city that this week hit -4F.

Sometimes, helping is as simple as buying something: Miguel Zagal, from Taqueria La Hacienda, said last Wednesday that his parents business stayed closed for three weeks out of fear, and when they finally reopened, the neighborhood rallied around them so strongly that they ran out of food before closing time every day. Other times, the strategy is not spending: many in the city have joined a boycott of Target, one of the 15 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Minneapolis. The reason? The speed with which its executives bowed to White House demands and eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that had been adopted as a calculated business after Floyds death.

Sarah Charging, a Native American member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota, began protesting after the death of Good, who was shot three times at point-blank range by an ICE agent named Jonathan Ross, who has yet to be charged. Since then, Charging has stood four or five times a week, before or after work, in front of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, the brutalist monstrosity where detainees are taken. These detainees include undocumented immigrants, who are sent to other states to hinder their defense, as well as U.S. citizens arrested at protests, and refugees detained by mistake, who are then not reimbursed for the travel costs of returning from places like Florida or Texas.

Next to a sign welcoming visitors to the complex  where someone has crossed out the word employees and written pigs  a car marked Haven keeps watch 24 hours a day to assist those released without charges, often in the middle of the night. They confiscate their phones and take their coats, warns Cathy Anderson, one of the volunteers.

Federal agents arrest a protester at the gates of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building. Adam Gray (AP)

At the Whipple, its not unusual for the air to smell of tear gas, and at all hours there are people  megaphone or not  shouting at and insulting the uniformed officers guarding the entrance or the tintedwindow SUVs driving into the compound, around which a fence has been erected to contain the protesters. Sometimes the agents charge or fire smoke canisters. Around 10 a.m. on Friday, one of them rushed toward the group gathered there, dragged a man across the ground, and arrested him for no apparent reason.

Frog costume

These days, the Whipple is dotted with upsidedown U.S. flags  an old maritime distress signal that here reflects a country in crisis  and a woman dressed in a frog costume, who described her protest strategy as an act of tactical frivolity. Mike Camilleri, a teacher from Denver, Colorado and father of three, said he had driven 13 hours to take notes so he could tell his neighbors how the free people of Minnesota defended themselves. A retiree named Lesley Ernst wore a whistle around her neck and held a sign reading Jesus loves you. I suppose Im one of those violent agitators Trump talks about, she said wryly.

Trump often claims  without evidence  that all of this is funnded by destabilizing actors such as progressive billionaire George Soros. Julie Prokess contribution, however, seems far more modest. A state employee, she took the week off to set up a table in the Whipple parking lot, offering protesters everything from energy bars to hot coffee to whistles she says she prints at home on a 3D printer at a rate of 50 a day. I pay for everything out of my own pocket, she said. She also offers her car, running at all hours with the heater on, in case anyone needs to warm up.

Beyond that improvised stand, whistles are handed out for free at many spots around Minneapolis: from Birchbark Books, the bookstore owned by Pulitzer Prize winner Louise Erdrich, to the bakery across from the place where, two Saturdays ago, Border Patrol agents shot Pretti in the back. There, as at the site where Good lost her life, hundreds of people pass by each day to mourn in silence, pay their respects, share their thoughts aloud, light a candle, or leave a handwritten note.

In all these scenes, white men and women are the majority. Not only because they make up 77% of Minnesotas population, a state undergoing demographic change, but also because thousands of people  especially Hispanic and Asian families  have not left their homes for weeks out of fear of being arrested. Its not only undocumented immigrants; its also citizens and legal residents in a city where its become risky to go about your life without a passport.

A woman confronts Greg Bovino with a whistle on January 7 in Minneapolis. Evelyn Hockstein (REUTERS)

That nightmarish atmosphere keeps many Latinos from joining the protests or taking part in the groups tracking ICEs movements. Among those who do dare is Rogelio Aguilar, who attended the massive demonstration that filled those Minneapolis streets on Friday, accompanied by an improvised Bruce Springsteen anthem shortly after the rock legend performed a surprise set at a local venue. Aguilar wore a Mexican flag and poncho, and said he has been taking long walks around the city dressed that way because, he added, Chicanos are always the ones who step forward.

He has become modestly known on these streets, and says he does it for the people who cant protest. People like Clara and Manuel, for example, who agreed to speak with EL PAIS in the modest south Minneapolis apartment where they have been holed up for two months.

They are undocumented; thats why Clara and Manuel are pseudonyms. They barely work, so they survive on the solidarity of neighbors who, they say, are pure gueros. Discovering that they were there for us has been the positive part of all this, she explains, though she sometimes loses hope that things will go back to how they were and that they will be able to shake off the fear.

Their eldest son, who is a U.S. citizen, does the grocery shopping and takes the younger children to school, where they hear stories about what is happening  stories that force their parents into conversations they never imagined having at such a young age.

In the city, the memory of Liam Conejo Ramos remains painfully fresh  the fiveyearold boy ICE used as bait to try to arrest his mother. When he was detained, he was wearing an oversized hat and a SpiderMan backpack that was taken from him at the Texas detention center where he awaited deportation alongside his father, before a federal judge ordered both of them released on Saturday. The image became a symbol of the brutality of Trumps operation. But it has not slowed the crackdown: two other children from his school were arrested last week.

A neighbor of Clara and Manuel, also Hispanic, explained that even though she does have papers, she is afraid even to go to the corner to take out the trash, and that when she has a doctors appointment she uses an app to request a volunteer driver. If the person behind the wheel is white, she says, then you feel safer.

Last Monday, Trump removed Greg Bovino from the head of the operation on Monday, replacing him with the socalled border czar Tom Homan, and has spoken of deescalation in an effort to contain a growing image crisis after the deaths of two U.S. citizens and mounting evidence contradicting claims that his immigration police are only targeting the worst of the worst.

The New York Times reported that the acting head of ICE, Todd Lyons  whom a judge reprimanded two days earlier for obstructing justice  sent a memo to his agents on Wednesday authorizing them to conduct home searches without a warrant, despite the fact that the law prohibits it.

Arrests of U.S. citizens have also intensified. A group of them, now known as the Minnesota 16, gained unwanted notoriety when Attorney General Pam Bondi posted their photos and personal information on X, disregarding the presumption of innocence and the fact that she was effectively placing a digital target on their backs.

Nekima Levy Armstrong, on January 19 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Angelina Katsanis (AP)

On Friday, two journalists were arrested. The day before, Nekima Levy Armstrong recounted her own ordeal to EL PAIS. Armstrong had been detained for taking part in a protest at a church in St. Paul whose pastor has ties to ICE. The White House later circulated a photo of her that had been altered with artificial intelligence. They showed me crying, hysterical, when I didnt shed a single tear, recalled Armstrong, a lawyer by profession, whose case made headlines around the world as yet another example of the Trump administrations lack of scruples. They also exaggerated my features and darkened my skin. Theres only one word for that: racism.

The activist says they put her in shackles as if I were a murderer, that she still hasnt gotten her phone back, and that the agents took photos with her and the two other people arrested in the same incident as if posing with a trophy.

They can do all that, but they wont silence us. They wont intimidate us. Well keep facing their weapons with our whistles. Armstrong delivered that warning halfway through the conversation. Interrupted repeatedly by the constant buzzing of her phone, she ended with the same plea to an outsider that everyone in Minneapoliss new normal seems to offer: Be careful and stay safe.

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At a time when the United States is cornering Iran and the world is discussing whether Iran will be struck any day now, the European Unions designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization was received as a meaningful move.

Figuratively speaking, as the Iranian knot becomes increasingly tangled, reminding a Gordian knot, the EUs step provides a hint about what may come in the future.

As is known, US President Donald Trump delivers anti-Iran statements across all platforms and positions military fleets in areas close to Iran. Israel, the United States closest regional ally, almost daily reports on Iran being targeted, trying to specify the date of any possible strike. Against this backdrop, regional states and Europe raised alarms regarding the potential migrant crisis that any confrontation in Iran might trigger. The world is not yet fully prepared for a second wave of migrants, while the problems caused by the Syrian crisis remain unresolved. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that Iran is demographically much larger than Syria, and therefore any potential migration from Iran would have a far greater impact.

However, the EUs recent move against Iran was not interpreted unambiguously. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas tweeted:

Repression cannot go unanswered. EU Foreign Ministers just took the decisive step of designating Irans Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation. Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working toward its own demise.

In the modern world, there are three centers of power: the United States, the EU, and China. US relations with Iran have remained unchanged since the Islamic Revolution. Immediately after the revolution, the US imposed strict sanctions on Iran. Since the 1990s, these sanctions have become extraterritorial  meaning they also apply to companies and countries cooperating with Iran.

Chinas stance on Iran is clear: it imposes no sanctions and even supports Iran. The EUs position lies between the two; it is neither as multifaceted as China nor as strict as the US.

However, after 2000, relations between the EU and Iran began to tighten. Initially, the EU applied selective sanctions over Irans nuclear policy. Later, these sanctions were partially eased. Since 2022, sanctions have been imposed on Iranian military technology companies for supporting Russia in the Ukraine war, and on Iranian security forces and individuals for their harsh responses to the Mahsa Amini protests.

Many experts interpret the EUs decision as pushing Iran into Chinas embrace. They assume that the EUs anti-Iran measures will not stop there.

However, the Iranian knot will resolve itself in the near future. Considering that the US is deploying equipment rather than troops to the region, a scenario like the US invasion of Iraq or Afghanistan is unlikely. With the forces currently in place, the US could at best carry out airstrikes in Iran.

Thus, Iran will either comply with the demands of the West led by the US or undergo a regime change. Using migration flows to blackmail regional countries and Europe will not work. Currently cornered, Iran has long pursued a policy of eliminating Israel from the political map and exporting its regime to other countries. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and others have suffered from this foreign policy. Even Turkey, for a time, saw some religious groups financed by Tehran. Therefore, any crisis in Iran, while threatening regional countries, is also a continuation of Irans foreign policy since the Islamic Revolution.

On the other hand, the current government in Iran is not only pressured from outside but also cannot act freely inside the country. After the fall of the Shah, the clerics took full control following a bloody purge of the leftist faction. At that time, there was no second political leader challenging them.

However, recent demonstrations have shown that such a leader now exists  the son of the deposed Shah. Whether the Iranian population will accept him as a political leader remains debatable, but it is important to remember: desperate times call for desperate measures.

Consequently, the US and the EU are now acting on the same front against Iran, making the idea that Iran will fall entirely into Chinas embrace unlikely. A softening of the regime and the pursuit of constructive domestic and foreign policies in Iran are expected. The pragmatic behavior of the current government strengthens this expectation. Otherwise, a regime change in Iran seems probable.
The Orange County Retired Teachers will meet at Wesley United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, located at 401 N 37th Street on Monday, February 9, at 10:30 a.m. Guest speaker will be County Judge John Gothia. He will share the latest information on new developments coming to Orange County.

Bring a friend to the meeting and have your questions for the judge ready. All Orange County retired teachers and school personnel are invited to attend. During the business part of the meeting, a vote will be made on raising local yearly dues from $5 to $10.

If you haven't joined or renewed TRTA memberships for the 2025-2026 year, you can still join. It may be the best $40 ($35 state, $5 local) you spend each year as we continue to advocate for retirement security.

If you have any questions call 409-670-7703. Refreshments will be served.
John Ralph Robicheaux, 80, of Bridge City passed away January 27. He was a proud Marine who served his country in Vietnam. His death is a tremendous loss for all who knew and loved him.

There will be a celebration of life, including military honors, on Saturday, February 7, at 11:00 AM, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bridge City, with Pastor Paul Zoch presiding.
Patsy Nell Bland Viator, age 88, passed peacefully from this life on Friday January 30, leaving behind a legacy dened by faith, family, service and a spirit as strong as it was loving.

Born to Percy and Rachel Michell Bland on March 29, 1937, she grew up in a lively household with three brothers and four sisters, a foundation that shaped her lifelong devotion to family and community. She married the love of her life, Orey Viator and together they shared 62 years of unwavering partnership. Side by side, they raised four boys and one girl, building a home lled with laughter, hard work and the kind of love that leaves deep roots. Her family grew to include 11 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren, each one cherished and celebrated.

A proud graduate of Mauriceville High School, she spent her life pouring herself into the community she loved. She was always the room mother, the one who showed up, organized, baked, decorated and made every child feel special. She sold Avon, Sara Coventry jewelry and even Cajun hot tamales, always nding a way to stay busy, independent and connected. She worked at TJ&A's, served as President of the Little League Auxiliary and was honored as a Parade Marshal for the Mauriceville Crawsh Festival. She helped start the Senior Citizen Christmas Supper, a tradition that continues to bring joy to countless families.

Her faith was central to her life: she was President of the Altar Society, a Charter Member of St. Maurice Catholic Church and played a key role in helping get the church built. She taught her family her faith not through lectures or demands, but through the quiet, steady way she lived her life. Her example, her generosity, her devotion to service, her commitment to her church and her unwavering belief in doing what was right, became the foundation on which her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren built their own lives. Her faith was lived, not spoken and it shaped generations.

She also served her community as an Election Judge, ensuring fairness and integrity in every vote. Her hands were rarely still. She sewed, crocheted, embroidered and painted ceramics, creating gifts, keepsakes and memories that will be treasured for generations. She loved to dance, and she made sure every one of her children and grandchildren learned how to dance too. Her energy lled every room and her determination, sometimes hard headed and always strong willed, made her a natural leader.

Patsy loved life's simple joys, especially the moments spent laughing and competing around a card table. She enjoyed trips to the casino, where she never met a stranger and she cherished playing Spades and Bourre with family and friends. Those games weren't just games, they were gatherings lled with stories, teasing and the kind of laughter that echoes for years. Her seat at the table will be deeply missed.

She is preceded in death by her loving husband, Orey Viator; parents; Percy Bland and Rachel Michell Bland; great grandparents Richard Bland and Mary Jedrey Bland; brothers Jack Bland and Gene Bland and her sisters Dorothy Bland, Iris Bland, and Ouida Pearl Bland.

She is survived by her children, T-Ray Viator and wife Corliss, Ricky Viator and wife Deborah, Je Viator and wife Teresa, Jerry Viator and wife Staci and Kathy Viator Keath.

She is also survived by her sister Mary Jane Bland Johnson Trigg and her brother Tommy Bland and wife Shirley; grandchildren, Ashley Foy and husband Aslone, Lindsay Welch and husband Kevin, Peyton Viator and wife Cheyenne, Joseph Viator and wife Jessica, Casey Viator and wife Megan, Jennifer Seago and husband Shayne, Julianne Gillam and husband Kyle, Jacie Gilbert and husband Derek, Balie Viator and Madison Baker, Stuart Viator and Makinsey Chipman and Valerie Keath and great grandchildren, Drake, Laina, Landry, Gentry, Ellie, Rachel, Shiloh, Zach, Brazos, Knighton, Lane, Lucas, Brooklyn, Benjamin, Sloane, Jolene, Louis, Lynnleigh, Layla, Sawyer, Asher, Mathis, Walker, Tatum, Molly and Bishop, will carry her memory forward with pride.

Her life was full, her love was erce and her legacy is forever. She will be remembered for her warm smile, her steady faith, her love of family gatherings and the way she made everyone feel welcome at her table. Her legacy lives on in the generations she nurtured, the values she instilled and the memories she leaves behind.

Serving as pallbearers will be T-Ray Viator, Ricky Viator, Je Viator, Jerry Viator, Kevin Johnson and Joseph Viator.

Honorary pallbearers are Peyton Viator, Casey Viator and Stuart Viator

In lieu of owers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Maurice Catholic Church, P.O. Box 940, Mauriceville, Texas 77626

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 3, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange. A rosary will be held at 6:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, February 4, at St. Maurice in Mauriceville. Officiating will be Fr. Michael Strother. Burial will follow at Autumn Oaks Cemetery in Orange.
Making a beeline for Delhi Making a comeback ?

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December 13, 2025 and February 2, 2026. The sense of deja vu is unmistakable for the common thread running through the two dates is more or less the same-return of a popular Government. Nearly 60 days back, a number of BJP MLAs including ex-Chief Minister N Biren and Speaker of the Assembly Th Satyabarta made a beeline for Delhi to highlight the need for the popular Government to return. Back then, the BJP MLAs returned with a sense of optimism that the Centre would pave the way for the return of the popularly elected Government, and this sense of optimism reportedly came after a meeting with Sambit Patra and BL Santosh. Nearly 60 days have passed since the last visit to Delhi and this time too, the air is thick with anticipation that the popular Government would indeed return. The anticipation continues, even as this commentary is beind penned down, and from the little information that has been received from Delhi, a meeting of BJP MLAs with Central leaders has been planned at the office of the saffron party at Delhi at 3 pm tomorrow. Another meeting of MLAs from the NDA partners has also been lined up at Manipur Bhavan, Sardar Patel Marg tomorrow at 4 pm. Meetings lined up, but it is still not very clear whether the meeting with BJP MLAs at the partys office will be followed by the final round of meeting on Government formation or not. Interesting to note too that no one seems to know who the BJP MLAs from Manipur are scheduled to meet at the BJP party office during the meeting scheduled tomorrow. Is it going to be Sambit Patra and BL Santosh, as was the case earlier, or will there be other Central leaders ? Interesting to note too is the latest report that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with another MLA from Manipur have reached Delhi today evening (February 2). How much one can read into this is best left to the imagination of the people, but remember Assam is going to polls sometime in April this year and Sarma may have reasons strictly pertaining to the election in his home State, yet at the same time, it should not be forgotten that he is the convenor of NEDA which lives by the slogan Congress Mukt. So Assam Chief Minister too heading to Delhi, sigificantly with one BJP MLA from Manipur giving room for speculations and more speculations to fly thick and fast. And the speculations will continue until the final outcome of the meeting scheduled on February 3 at the BJP office comes to the public domain. From the little information that has been received from Delhi, some of the Kuki-Zo MLAs of the BJP are expected to take part in the meeting with Central leaders at the office of the BJP on February 3.

The speculations, the talks doing the round and the focus of the people all revolve around the question, When will the popular Government be allowed to return. Question at the moment, but the reality is, the longer PR continues, the more the standing of the BJP in Manipur will get eroded. The Central leaders of the BJP would certainly not like this and the State BJP leaders must have left no stone unturned to convey this to the Central leaders. The only question which has not done the round is whether the return of the popular Government would make things better for Manipur. This is the question Manipur should be raising now, but true to its characteristic no one has raised this. All just seem too pre-occupied with the question of whether a popular Government would be reinstated or not and who the next Chief Minister is likely to be. Questions which should be raised whether the Delhi trip paves the return of a popular Government or whether PR continues. If the popularly elected Government returns, can it work harder to ensure that the March 31 timeframe given by Chief Secertary PK Goel to resettle 40,000 IDPs comes to fruition ? More importantly can the return of the popular Government work harder towards this end ? How about opening the National Highways ? Can the return of the popular Government take steps to ensure free movement of all ? These are questions that should be raised even as the return of the popular Government seems more and more likely.
IPFM urges Bhalla

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IMPHAL, Feb 2: A memorandum urging the Government of India not to establish armed Kuki SoO camps in Naga areas has been submitted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said Ashang Kasar today.

Addressing a press meet at Manipur Press Club, Imphal, the chief advisor of the Indigenous People's Forum Manipur (IPFM) said the memorandum, which was also submitted to the Governor, urged the Government to share the status of the tripartite Suspension of Operation (SoO) pact between Government of India, Government of Manipur and militant groups under Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People's Front (UPF).

Ashang said the militant groups under the SoO pact have been posing a threat to the indigenous people of Manipur.

He said the SoO armed groups are "engaging" in poppy cultivation in the hills and intimidating the people.

He said the current status of the SoO agreement is not known, causing confusion among the people.

While the Union Home Minister and the Governor have been urged to share the current status of the SoO agreement, the memorandum also urged the Government against establishing SoO camps in Naga areas, he said.

Notably, the Suspension of Operation (SoO) was extended on September 4, 2025 amid calls to abrogate it.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer communicates with British actress Rosamund Pike (L) and local students during his visit at the Design Innovation Institute Shanghai in east China's Shanghai, Jan. 31, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

* Reinvigorated engagement between Europe and China is being driven by a mutual recognition of the vast potential for win-win cooperation.

* China has become a critical contributor to scientific innovation and advanced manufacturing, as well as a driving force for common prosperity worldwide.

LONDON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- In a world rattled by geopolitical tensions, Europe is once again searching for steadier ground, and China is increasingly re-emerging as a crucial partner in the eyes of many European officials and businesses.

Since the end of 2025, senior-level exchanges have gathered pace, marked by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent trip to China and French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit late last year, alongside a gradual restoration of dialogue mechanisms on trade, climate and governance.

Analysts say this reinvigorated engagement is being driven by a mutual recognition of the vast potential for win-win cooperation and a shared need for strategic stability amid global turbulence.





ENHANCING HIGH-LEVEL TIES

Starmer's visit to China, the first by a British prime minister in years, was widely observed as a test of whether London could set aside differences to pursue a more calibrated approach that balances engagement with safeguards.

Following the visit, the two sides had affirmed their commitment to a build a stable and forward-looking relationship, focusing on pursuing cooperation while conducting candid dialogue to enhance mutual understanding.

"I'm absolutely convinced that the more we engage, the more that mutual trust and respect can be built upon," Starmer said while touring Shanghai, a metropolis in eastern China where, according to him, a great future and great opportunities lie.

Across European political circles, similar thinking is gaining traction: viewing engagement as a practical tool for properly managing differences and reducing risks. Macron's December 2025 trip, which featured meetings with China's leadership and extensive public diplomacy, underlined France's strong intention to engage with China.

This momentum has continued into 2026. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo concluded his four-day visit to China on Wednesday, the first by a Finnish prime minister in 17 years, further highlighting the enhanced frequency of high-level China-Europe exchanges.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Beijing, Orpo said cooperation potential between Finland and China in fields such as clean energy and green transition is steadily unfolding.

The two governments signed cooperation documents covering science and technology, housing and urban-rural development, customs, culture and tourism, economy and trade and energy.

"It's very good to continue our bright future in each cooperation," Orpo said.

Taoiseach of Ireland Micheal Martin, who wrapped up his visit to China earlier last month, echoed that Ireland is willing to deepen cooperation with China in trade, investment, science and technology, biomedicine, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, education and other fields.

French President Emmanuel Macron visits Sichuan University in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 5, 2025. (Photo by Liu Yuchen/Xinhua)

DEEPENING COOPERATION

Business figures argue that restored top-level dialogue can help rebuild confidence throughout the economic system. Steven Lynch, director of international trade at the British Chambers of Commerce, told Xinhua that Starmer's visit to China should enable Britain to articulate a clearer, more coherent approach to China to keep economic engagement on track.

China has become a critical contributor to scientific innovation and advanced manufacturing, as well as a driving force for common prosperity worldwide, Pascal Soriot, CEO of British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, told Xinhua on Friday, a day after the firm pledged to invest 15 billion U.S. dollars in China through 2030 to expand medicines manufacturing and R&D facilities.

In addition to the firm's strategic R&D centers in Beijing and Shanghai, the plan also includes expansion of its existing manufacturing facilities in Beijing and in east China's Wuxi, Taizhou and Qingdao, along with the establishment of two new plants focusing on cell therapies and radioconjugates -- the latter a new modality for cancer treatment.

Astrid Nordin, chair of Chinese International Relations, Lau China Institute of King's College London, stressed the "shared interests" between China and Britain, particularly in education, climate change, health and scientific research.

In northern England, Chinese automaker Chery Commercial Vehicle plans to set up its first European headquarters in Liverpool, according to local authorities. The hub is expected to support research, engineering and commercialization, while creating roles across software, R&D and operations, a move local leaders framed as a major vote of confidence in the region's advanced manufacturing and green innovation ambitions.

On the continent, industry leaders are also advocating pragmatic cooperation. Markus Kamieth, CEO of German chemical giant BASF, said that China is becoming an increasingly important innovation hub, particularly in green technologies, and that "sensible cooperation" has real value, including for political relations.

Paulo Rios de Oliveira, an executive board member of AICEP Portugal Global, a government trade and investment agency, said China remains a major and reliable partner, with new growth points emerging in energy transition, sustainable transport, advanced manufacturing, digital economy, life sciences, healthcare and the marine economy.

He added that China has become one of Portugal's most important economic partners, with trade expanding both in scale and quality, and Chinese investment contributing across sectors such as energy, finance, insurance, ICT, infrastructure and modern services.

Ioannis Kotoulas, adjunct lecturer in geopolitics, University of Athens, also said that Europe is attracted to China's high technologies, problem-solving efficiencies, and its emphasis on economic cooperation rather than geopolitical confrontation.

The 48 Group Chairman Jack Perry said that British businesses are looking to deepen cooperation with China in areas where the two economies are genuinely complementary, adding that the Britain-China relationship matters not just bilaterally, but globally. "It shows that cooperation is still possible between countries with different systems, histories and perspectives. That has a stabilizing effect on markets and on confidence."
PARIS, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A human-shaped robot set the pace on Paris's Champs-Elysees on Sunday as hundreds of Chinese and French artists welcomed the Chinese Year of the Horse, blending ancient tradition with futuristic flair on one of the world's most famous avenues.

The robot, walking steadily at the head of a parade of around 800 performers, turned, paused and waved to spectators in time with the music, prompting cheers and raised smartphones as crowds lined the boulevard.

Organizers said about 100,000 residents and tourists gathered along the Champs-Elysees to watch the 2026 Chinese New Year parade, filling the avenue with a festive Spring Festival atmosphere.

The event, co-organized by the Champs-Elysees Committee and the China National Tourist Office in Paris, highlighted growing cultural exchanges between China and France, combining time-honored customs with contemporary creativity.

The robot, invented by a Chinese company and supplied by French technology firm INNOV8 Group, quickly became one of the most talked-about features of the parade, adding a light-hearted technological twist to the festivities.

"It carries strong symbolic meaning," said Stephane Bohbot, chief executive of INNOV8 Group. He added that new technologies could be integrated into these celebrations and show how technology can improve people's lives.

The millennia-old Spring Festival is also about the future and future generations, he noted.

Behind the robotic usher came traditional dragon and lion dance troupes. Their pounding drums echoed along the avenue as performers conveyed wishes of good fortune, prosperity and vitality.

The procession also featured a wide range of traditional Chinese cultural traditions, including more than a hundred participants dressed in elegant hanfu (traditional Chinese attire), the Yingge folk dance from south China's Guangdong Province, Mongolian dance, martial arts and tai-chi demonstrations.

Didier, a resident who came with his family, said it was his first time seeing a Chinese New Year parade on the Champs-Elysees. "The dance performances in traditional costumes were especially unforgettable," he told Xinhua.

Marc-Antoine Jamet, president of the Champs-Elysees Committee, said the parade has become a clearly identified cultural rendezvous on the avenue, noting that the horse symbolizes auspiciousness in both Chinese and French cultures.

Jeanne d'Hauteserre, mayor of the 8th arrondissement of Paris, said she was delighted to see residents and visitors celebrating together.

The parade has brought a strong festive atmosphere and a unique cultural experience to the district, further enriching Paris's diverse cultural life, she added. 
Air India on Monday revealed that it had grounded a Boeing 787-8 aircraft AI 132 heading from London to Bengaluru after one of its pilots reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch. More than 200 people were aboard the flight.

and the aircrafts original equipment manufacturer is being involved to examine the concern on a priority basis.

Air India clarified that fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet were inspected as per a directive by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and no issues were found. "At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority," the statement added.

This comes months after Air India flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed on June 12 immediately after taking off. The tragedy killed 260 people on board the flight and on the ground.

The sources quoted by PTI revealed that upon landing in Bengaluru on Monday morning, the pilot recorded the defect in the log book, pointing out that the fuel switch slipped from 'run' to 'cut off'. The fuel switch was reportedly not getting locked in its position. The 'run' and 'cut off' options are used to start or shut down engines respectively.

Boeing said it has contacted Air India and is supporting the airline's review on the issue.
US President Donald Trump on Monday revealed that he will cut the reciprocal tariffs on India from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. This comes shortly after he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It should be noted that an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports to the US has not been lifted.

He claimed that India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil while buying $500 billion worth of US energy and tech.

Earlier, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor revealed on X: President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED

Following this, Trump took to Truth Social, saying it was an honour to speak with PM Modi. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela.

Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement.



When two large economies and the  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 2, 2026

Trump claimed that India stopping purchase of Russian oil will help END THE WAR in Ukraine. Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO, he said in post.

Trump said Modi has committed to buy American goods at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 billion of US energy, technology, agricultural, coal, and many other products.

Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter! he added.

Soon after Trump's post, PM Modi took to X, saying it was "wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today."

"Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," the PM wrote.

"When two large economies and the worlds largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. President Trumps leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," he added.

Confirming the development, Ambassador Gor posted on X that US-India ties have limitless potential. "As I have said many times, President Trump genuinely considers Prime Minister Modi a great friend! Thrilled by the news of the trade deal this evening," he added.
India's Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and special forces, including the NSG and NDRF, which function under the Union Home Ministry, received a three per cent increase in their combined allocations in Union Budget 2026 on Sunday.

ALSO READ | How Operation Sindoor shaped India's defence budget?

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), a notable security presence along the India-China LAC, saw the highest increase in allocation among the forces of over 14 per cent, a report said. The ITBP was allocated Rs 11,324.08 crore against last year's revised allocation of Rs 9,868.85 crore, it added.

For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which is India's largest paramilitary force, was granted Rs 38,517.93 crorean increase of 3.39 per cent from the Rs 37,251.48 crore provided in the revised budget allocation for 2025-26. The CRPF has played a critical role in taking India to the verge of a near victory against Left-wing extremism, apart from other duties.

ALSO READ | Understanding Union defence budget 2026: What budgetary allocation means for India's national security

An allocation of Rs 1,422.47 crore to the counter-terrorist commando force, the National Security Guard (NSG), has seen a slight increase from last year's Rs 1,266.01 crore provided in the revised budgetary grant.

The Border Security Force (BSF) was allocated Rs 29,567.64 crore, keeping the figures almost the same as they were last year, reported a news agency. The Central Industrial Security Force's (CISF) share was Rs 15,622.01 crore compared to last year's Rs 15,973.85 crore, the news agency said.

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), a force guarding open Indian borders with Nepal and Bhutan, has been provided Rs 10,984.51 crore in the budget. The Assam Rifles, primarily deployed at the India-Myanmar border, has been allocated Rs 8,796.68 crore. In 2025-26, the amount in the revised estimate stood at Rs 8,376.01 crore.

ALSO READ | At 14.7 pc of total budget, Indias defence key priority as tempo of rising spend marches on

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been allocated Rs 2,002.14 crore in the Budget 2026-27. The last budget allocation for the force was Rs 1,928.32 crore. The force responds to all kinds of natural and human-made disasters.
The unpublished memoir of former Indian Army chief M.M. Naravane sparked a row in Lok Sabha on Monday after opposition leader Rahul Gandhi tried to quote a line from an article about the book that appeared in a magazine.

The article, which appeared in The Caravan, details the 2020 India-China conflict, starting with the time when the Indian Army's Northern Command received a call regarding the movement of Chinese tanks towards Rechin La in eastern Ladakh.

For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India

According to the article, Naravane "grasped the severity of the situation" and began making "frantic calls to the leaders of Indias political and military establishment," including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the then chief of defence staff Bipin Rawat, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

To each and every one, my question was, What are my orders? Naravane writes, according The Caravan article.

ALSO READ: Rebalancing of forces is to reassure Pak, warn China, says ex-Army chief Naravane

Even as the situation continued to deteriorate, according to Naravane, there were clear orders not to open fire "till cleared from the very top.

Naravane called the defence minister again, asking for clear directions, but the article claims he wasn't given any.

The former Army chief writes that as Chinese tanks were not stopping, he was informed that only way to stop them was by opening up with our own medium artillery, which he said was ready and waiting.

According to him, he was the Command who wanted to open fire with all possible means and the government which had yet to give me clear-cut executive orders.

According to the article, the defence minister promised to call back after Naravane's third call to him. Singh called back after speaking to the prime minister, whose instruction was merely Jo uchit samjho, woh karo, leaving the decision to the military. This was to be purely a military decision, according to the article.

I had been handed a hot potato, Naravane writes. With this carte blanche, the onus was now totally on me.

He was worried about many things. The article quotes him as writing in the book: Would we be able to ensure a steady supply of spares, etc., under these conditions, in case of a long-drawn-out action? Who were our supporters in the global arena, and what about the collusive threat from China and Pakistan?

We were ready in all respects, Naravane wrote in the book, but did I really want to start a war?
#Breaking: For the first time in history, naval forces of #India and #Greece conducted a joint exercise in the East #Mediterranean. This sends a clear message of friendship, partnership, and a united front against their common enemy  #Turkey. pic.twitter.com/5C3pzqGRMK  Babak Taghvaee - The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) September 20, 2025

Greece wants India to join the "Mediterranean Quad" alliance, amid Turkey's decision to strengthen its defensive ties with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Mediterranean Quad, often referred to as the "Med Quad", is an alliance comprising Greece, Israel, and Cypruseach having grievances with Recep Erdogan's Turkey. With Ankara moving closer to Saudi Arabia and Pakistanone a financial titan and the other a nuclear powerfresh challenges could arise. Greek authorities calculate that getting New Delhi on board could provide an ideal deterrent.

ALSO READ | How India can counter Turkey-Pakistan bonhomie: Hard power, narrative diplomacy and better ties with Ankara's competitors

Athens is willing to make the first move in this regard by presenting itself as "India's gateway to Europe", a statement read. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis made the roadmap clear while interacting with his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar. Gerapetritis last met EAM Jaishankar on 6 February last year in New Delhia visit that coincided with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Greece.

#Su30MKI of Indian Airforce (#IAF)  flying in formation with participants of Exercise #Iniochos 2023 over the famous Acropolis of #Athens, #Greece 



F-4, F-16, F-15, F-18, Rafale & Mirage 2000 fighter jets can be seen flying in formation with Su30MKI.#IADN pic.twitter.com/JBbO8cDKcU  News IADN (@NewsIADN) May 2, 2023

According to reports, what Greece offers India is entry into the Eastern Mediterranean security and energy ecosystem. It should be noted that Turkish media were not impressed by an agreement between India and the European Union, which is expected to double EU exports by 2032 and includes tariff reductions offered by India to the EU at a level not provided to any other trading partner. The South Asian major is already aware of Turkey's allegiance to Islamabad.

ALSO READ | Turkish media raise alarm about India's 'revenge move': 'They are playing Greece card'

The announcement of Turkey and Pakistan finalising plans for a tripartite defence partnership with Saudi Arabia came amidst unrest in Iran and rumours of US intervention. The particulars of the deal remain unknown. The proposed deal is not likely to include a clause that demands mandatory mutual support in the event of an armed conflict, the report said.

For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India

In September 2025, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a defence pact under which any aggression against either country shall be considered an act of aggression against both. The 'Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement' was signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's state visit to Riyadh. According to reports, this defence deal between the two sides is unrelated to the three-party partnership now being discussed.

ALSO READ | Beyond the Islamic NATO mirage: The logic of Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defence agreement

The alliance of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan has already gained the moniker "NATO of Islamic States", and the "Med Quad" wants to prepare for any eventualities. Thus, India is being welcomed into the fold, and the alliance is open to restructuring itself into a "3+1" format to accommodate the new ally, Defence Security Asia said in a report. The proposal has been made officially to India, communicating that the regional alliance is willing to transform into a "trans-regional strategic bloc capable of counterbalancing Ankara's expanding military cooperation" if India is ready to come on board, the report added.

What is "Med Quad"?

The "Med Quad" was formed in the early years of the 21st century's second decade when Greece, Cyprus, and Israel understood the need to stitch together a united front against the military might of Turkey. The Aegean Islands, maritime boundaries, Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), and energy have strained the relationship between NATO members Greece and Turkey. A disagreement over who has sovereignty over the island and how the two main communitiesGreek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriotsshould coexist has been a matter of conflict between Turkey and Cyprus since the mid-20th century.

While India-Israel defence bonding is well-documented, Greek security forces have conducted joint exercises with their Indian counterparts, and the two democracies have also entered into port access agreements.

"This dynamic meeting has elevated the Med Quad from a mere conceptual alignment of key candidate pillars to a new Mediterranean-Indo-Pacific security continuum, linking energy security, maritime control, and defence industrial cooperation in a unified strategic framework aimed at containing Turkey's ambitions," Defence Security Asia said.
In a setback for India's jet engine aspirations, India's first indigenous engine programme was delinked from the LCA programme in 2008. However, India turned this hiccup into an opportunity by using the engines for the unmanned combat aerial vehicles without the afterburner.

Speaking about the Kaveri engine programme, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Samir V. Kamat said the engine, in its original form, has not delivered the thrust that was required for the LCA (Light Combat Aircraft).

For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India

"The engine is working very well; it has given us a thrust of 72 kilonewton. But the LCA needs a thrust of 83-85 kilonewton. So, it's not going to be used in the LCA, but we are using the derivative of the Kaveri engine for our unmanned combat aerial vehicle. So, without the afterburner, the Kaveri engine will be used in our unmanned combat aircraft," Kamat was quoted as saying.

He observed that engine development is a long-drawn process and said even if one looks globally, it can be seen that any engine development programme takes between 10-13 years to reach maturity before it can be integrated with the platform.

"So, if the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) gives a sanction this year, I would assume that by 2035-2036, the engine would be ready for integration. Then it would go through the acceptance trials. We will do the development trials of the engine much before with the platform, but the final acceptance trials will start at 2035," Kamat was quoted as saying.

ALSO READ: The Kaveri programme has moved on to stealth from jet

He said the first two squadrons of fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will be delivered with a GE F414 engine.

"Our focus is going to be on aero-engines. Our focus is going to be on the unmanned combat aerial vehicle. We are also looking at working in several deep-tech technologies, which will be essential for all our systems going forward. So, we are looking at quantum technologies, at AIML (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning) technologies, advanced materials and these technologies will go into any system that we develop," he further said.
Rohit Shetty and the Golmaal series are not going anywhere, at least not for now. The comedy franchise is set to have its fifth installment and this time, it is going to be a mega upgrade from the previous four films. Why? Because Ajay Devgn and his Golmaal gang are set to welcome Akshay Kumar into the franchise for Golmaal 5.

According to sources, Golmaal 5 is set to go on floors in March 2026 and while a release date hasn't been locked just yet, Summer 2027 seems to be a tentative goal for the makers in terms of the release date. Arshad Warsi and Shreyas Talpade are expected to be back in this film alongside a host of familiar Golmaal characters.

For now, there is no clarity over Akshay's role in Golmaal 5. Will it be a crossover of his franchise film meeting the world of Golmaal? Or will he just be a fresh addition to the series? One big speculation doing the rounds is that Akshay is supposedly set to play the antagonist role in Golmaal 5.

The genre of Golmaal 5 might also be a big change from its predecessors will fantasy elements touted to be a big part of the narrative. The aim of the makers is to dish out a mammoth theatrical experience in terms of the canvas and viewing experience. The first schedule of Golmaal 5 is expected to begin in February end at the Film City in Mumbai.

Entering the Golmaal series makes it a packed year for Akshay in terms of working on franchises, given that he is already shooting for the sequels of Welcome, Hera Pheri and Housefull. Also, this will be the second major antagonist role for Akshay in the near future, having already shot his part for Priyadarshan's Haiwaan that also stars Saif Ali Khan.

Akshay also played a cameo in Devgn's latest installment of the Singham series in 2024.
With a third season of The Night Agent on the way sooner than expected, the popularity of the Netflix action thriller series, headlined by actor Gabriel Basso as FBI agent Peter Sutherland, has already been solidified.

Based on the book of the same name by Matthew Quirk, the show, which has Shawn Ryan involved as creator, showrunner, and executive producer, returns to Netflix on February 19.

Basso's Season 3 co-stars include Louis Herthum as intelligence broker, Jacob Monroe, aside from returning cast member Amanda Warren, who plays Peters handler, Catherine Weaver. Fola Evans-Akingbola, Ward Horton, and Albert Jones have been confirmed as series regulars alongside other Season 3 cast members David Lyons, Jennifer Morrison, Stephen Moyer, Genesis Rodriguez, and Callum Vinson. Appearing in a recurring role is Suraj Sharma ("Life of Pi").

Here's the official synopsis: "Night Agent Peter Sutherland is called in to track down a young Treasury Agent who fled to Istanbul with sensitive government intel after killing his boss. This kicks off a sequence of events where Peter investigates a dark money network while avoiding its paid assassins, while putting him on a collision course with a relentless journalist. Working together, they uncover buried secrets and old grudges that threaten to bring the government to its knees  and get them both killed in the process."

Since the premiere of the first season on March 23, 2023, the series instantly rose to popularity, entering Top 10 streaming charts. The second season was greenlit immediately, a week after Season 1 began streaming. The third season was announced before the launch of Season 2 in January 23, 2025.
The Supreme Court's order against the use of stem cell therapy to treat autism is lauded by doctors.

The verdict on Saturday was ruled by the bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan. The reason behind the Bench to rule out the therapy for autism is that it lacks "scientific support."

The Bench ruled that every use of stem cells in patients outside an approved clinical trial is unethical and shall be considered malpractice.

Experts welcomed the SC move as they believed that private labs were minting money from patients on false promises.

Dr Majari Tripathi, Head of Department, Neurology, AIIMS, said that many people and private labs were advertising stem cells not just for autism but for other neurological disorders, including cerebral palsy and charging hefty amounts.

"They are charging patients anywhere between Rs 6 and 20 lakh. Many families have lost money with no improvement," Tripathi told IANS.

Dr Vijayakumar S., a neurosurgeon based in Kochi, said that the ruling was absolutely a much-needed one. "We have absolutely no evidence that stem cell therapy provides reliable results in treating autism," he said.

The Ethics and Medical Registration Board, under the National Medical Commission, in December 2022, constituted the Committee on Stem Cell Use in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

For your daily dose of medical news and updates, visit: HEALTH

The Board stated that none of the current international guidelines recommend stem cell therapy as a treatment for ASD and added that the therapy is not recommended as a treatment for ASD in clinical practice.

While ruling, the Court noted that an unproven therapy cannot be "demanded by a patient as a matter of right".

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting communication, social interaction, and behaviour.

Citing a recent ICMR report, Dr Shefali Gulati, paediatric neurologist at AIIMS, said that based on a systematic review, which "conclusively found no proven benefit for clinically meaningful response in autism spectrum disorder through stem cell therapy.

Experts called for more research to generate evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of stem cells in ASD.
One notable initiative that combines domestic development with foreign relations was when the Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, announced during the 2026 budget presentation in Parliament to improve the Buddhist Circuits in the Northeastern region of India, which includes Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. The announcement was made with the objective of not only promoting the Buddhist heritage of the nation but also capitalising on the civilizational ties between India and the SAARC and ASEAN nations of South and Southeast Asia. From a foreign relations perspective, this is a big step forward for India.

A Cultural Initiative with Strategic Depth: The Buddhist Circuit project seeks to preserve monasteries and religious sites while establishing pilgrimage interpretation centers and upgrading tourism infrastructure.

While it can be seen as a project for the development of heritage and tourism infrastructure, it also contains aspects of cultural diplomacy. Buddhism is a shared civilisational heritage in Asia.

The project, which concentrates on Buddhist sites in the Northeast region that have historically connected India and Southeast Asia, reiterates Indias position as a protector of cultural heritage. The fact that the announcement has come at a time when the region is witnessing increased geopolitical tensions and the emphasis on shared civilisational values by India is a non-confrontational and inclusive approach to diplomacy.

The Northeast region of India has always been a crucial cultural and civilisational bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia, thanks to its Himalayan passes, Brahmaputra Valley river systems, and trade routes. This has enabled not only the exchange of economic goods but also the exchange of the religious, artistic, and monastic traditions of the Northeast region.

Buddhism has developed considerably in Arunachal Pradesh with Mahayana and Vajrayana influences, which are related to Tibet and Bhutan. The Tawang Monastery is particularly noteworthy as a place of Buddhist learning, representing historical links between India and the area beyond the Himalayas. The local tribes, such as the Monpa and Sherdukpen, represent the assimilation of Buddhist ideals with native beliefs, exemplified by the presence of many temples and meditation sites.

Sikkim, which has developed into a central place for the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism since the seventeenth century, has important monasteries such as Rumtek and Pemayangtse, which are critical to the very existence of religion and art, with roots deeply embedded in the legacy of Guru Padmasambhava, who is said to have introduced Vajrayana Buddhism. The sacred geography of Guru Padmasambhava establishes a link between Sikkim, Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tibet, transcending political boundaries.

Assam provides a lesser-known but significant context for the spread of Buddhism, as archaeological evidence reveals the presence of Buddhist art and architecture of ancient Kamarupa. The testimony of the Chinese traveler Xuanzang also establishes the historical presence of Buddhist scholarship in Assam, where the Brahmaputra Valley facilitated the movement of monks and traders, influencing as far as Myanmar and Southeast Asia.

Manipur and Tripura display evidence of Buddhist cultural interactions, indicating the influence of Theravada as well as Mahayana Buddhism, especially in the border areas of Myanmar. Archaeological evidence in Tripura reveals the presence of a larger cultural context, including Bengal and Assam. It is important to understand the role of the legendary figure of Guru Padmasambhava, known as the 'Second Buddha' of Vajrayana Buddhism, which created a vast spiritual network connecting the Northeast to Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and the larger trans-Asian Buddhist world.

The Act East Policy and the 'Rising Northeast' are centered on improving connectivity, trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges in the Northeast region of India. This policy framework promotes infrastructure development that supports heritage tourism, especially under the Buddhist Circuit Scheme.

The policy emphasises the importance of Buddhism in civilizational heritage that originated in India, which aligns with the aspirations of the government. The engagement with Buddhist heritage has had a positive effect on Indias relations with the SAARC countries, especially Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.

The collaborative approach in the development of the Buddhist Circuit in the India-Nepal region demonstrates shared heritage, which expands the pilgrimage route to cover both Northeast and other regions, encouraging tourism cooperation and goodwill among the SAARC countries.

Additionally, the efforts by India are well received in ASEAN countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam, which have a rich Buddhist heritage. The development of Buddhist heritage sites in the Northeast region of India aims to make the cultural heritage more accessible, making India an important hub for Buddhist pilgrims and a partner in heritage development.

Soft Power and Strategic Messaging: The Buddhist Circuit project plan increases Indias soft power by using cultural stories that resonate with its foreign policy of peace, compassion, and coexistence. This is different from hard power policies, which use more overt tactics to shape international opinion.

Other projects, like the display of Buddhist relics and the development of Nalanda as a learning center, have already proven the success of using cultural aspects in foreign policy. The addition of the Buddhist Circuit project to the 2026 Budget shows that there is a desire to place cultural stories at the forefront of Indias foreign policy.

The project is also expected to have economic benefits for the Northeastern states, which will help tourism, employment, and small businesses. Improved infrastructure is expected to raise the standard of living for the people, and improved transportation will make trade easier and help people-to-people ties with other countries, thus integrating the Northeast region more fully into the global economy.

The Buddha Relic Expositions hold a very important place in Indias Buddhist diplomacy, and they are fully supported by the Ministry of Culture and also the International Buddhist Confederation. In recent times, exhibitions of Lord Buddhas sacred relics have been organised in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mongolia, and Vietnam, and millions of followers have shown interest. These exhibitions are not just for showcasing religious artifacts, and they help build trust and goodwill at the grassroots level.

The Ministry of Culture supports these exhibitions to provide scholarly authenticity and also to ensure proper conservation. The IBC provides a platform for uniting Buddhist monastic communities, scholars, and followers. In Northeast India, conferences and exhibitions organized by the IBC have helped to integrate Buddhist traditions with the larger Buddhist world and have emphasised the importance of Northeast India for Indias civilizational and diplomatic endeavors.

A Civilizational Heritage Corridor for Peace focuses on the Buddhist Circuit projects ability to promote peace and cooperation in a region that has always been tense. The projects focus on civilizational heritage instead of national heritage helps to ensure that a common identity is developed among various groups. This not only ensures peace but also offers a regional approach that is modeled on the Indian concept of a civilizational heritage corridor that stretches from the Gangetic plains to Southeast Asia.

The Union Budget 2026 announcement on the development of the Buddhist Circuit in Indias Northeast region reflects a strategic approach to civilizational diplomacy that can strengthen Indias international diplomacy.

This includes the development of monasteries and pilgrimage centers in various Northeastern states. This approach repositions the Northeast region as a key civilizational bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia in line with Indias international diplomacy on showcasing sacred Buddha relics. Additionally, as India partners with Nepal on these Buddhist circuits, the larger vision reflects historical, spiritual, and cultural values while strengthening economic growth. This intertwining of infrastructure development and spirituality reflects Indias commitment to international cooperation, peace, and understanding while incorporating the Northeast into its Act East Policy.

Therefore, the Buddhist heritage in Northeast India assumes significance beyond the regional and national levels because it constitutes an integral part of Asian civilisation history. The Buddhist monasteries, pilgrimage centers, archaeological sites, and cultural traditions in Northeast India suggest a strong history of cultural interactions and mutual influences.

The Buddhist Circuit proposal assumes significance as a significant move in the conservation of this heritage while reinforcing Indias historical role as a bridge between various cultures in Asia through shared Buddhist values. By incorporating this proposal in the Northeastern region of India, the government attempts to revive and reinforce the region as a bridge between civilisations, which could potentially attract Buddhist travelers from SAARC and ASEAN countries and transform the region into a spiritual tourism hub and a cultural dialogue platform in consonance with Indias larger vision for peace and understanding in Asia by leveraging Buddhism as a soft power tool that appeals to Buddhist nations in Asia.

(Authored by Prof Arvind Kumar Singh, Professor, Buddhist Studies, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies (ICCR), Lumbini Buddhist University & Gautam Buddha University)

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.
BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have extradited a man surnamed Chen, who is suspected of involvement in illegal business operations, from South Africa, China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Monday.

The case marks the first successful extradition since the extradition treaty between the two countries came into effect.

According to investigators, Chen allegedly ran an unauthorized currency exchange business for illegal profit, with the amount involved exceeding 49 million yuan (about 7 million U.S. dollars). In June 2020, a procuratorate in Shanghai approved his arrest on suspicion of illegal business operations. He was captured by South African police in July 2025, after which China submitted an extradition request. In December 2025, a South African court ruled that Chen should be extradited to China.

The MPS said the successful extradition underscored the two countries' resolve to combat crimes together and described it as a milestone in strengthening bilateral judicial and law enforcement cooperation. 
Rumours of a potential NCP merger refuse to die down despite Sunetra Pawar, wife of deceased NCP chief Ajit Pawar, taking oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Though NCP state president Sunil Tatkare stated that the party would remain with the NDA, Pawars close aide Kiran Gujars remarks about a merger are grabbing attention.

Gujar, a trustee of Vidya Pratishthan and a close aide of the late Ajit Pawar, said that the entire Pawar family will fulfill Ajit Pawar's last wish and that a positive decision has been taken.

Interestingly, Gujars statement came as Parth Pawar, Ajit Pawars son, chose to skip his mother Sunetras oath-taking ceremony in Mumbai and instead held a closed-door meeting with Sarath Pawar and Supriya Sule on Sunday. As per reports, Parth spent more than one hour on Saturday morning at Sharad Pawars residence in Govindbaug, Baramati, in what sources described as a crucial discussion.

Though Gujar made no mention of the meeting, he said Ajit Pawar's final wish will be fulfilled soon, and both the NCP and Congress parties will come together. The Pawar family will not talk about this issue for the next ten to eleven days, but the merger of the two parties may happen. On January 21, Ajit Pawar had told me that the NCP should be merged with the Congress. He had said that discussions are also going on about it, Gujar claimed.

We have discussed various issues with Sharad Pawar, including the construction of Ajit Pawar 's memorial on the premises of Vidya Pratishthan College. We are all together to fulfil Ajit Pawar's dream. A positive decision has been taken regarding the merger of both the NCP parties, and a final decision will be taken soon, he added.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has stated that the BJP was the primary mastermind behind the appointment of Sunetra Pawar as Deputy Chief Minister just four days after Ajit Pawar's death. The Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece, "Saamana," claimed that the BJP leadership, along with NCP leaders Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel, did not want the NCP to reunify.

NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar had stated that he was unaware that Sunetra was about to be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister. Saamana claimed that no family member, including Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, was aware of her swearing-in. Sunetra quietly left Baramati for Mumbai without informing anyone.

The report added that after Ajit Pawar's death, some within the party grew ambitious, and there was a race within the NCP to become the Deputy Chief Minister. Things are not going well between Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare. Therefore, Sunetra Pawar was hastily appointed Chief Minister to demonstrate the unity of the Patel and Pawar families, it is alleged.
Former Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravanes unpublished memoir Four Stars of Destiny became the cause for a ruckus in the Lok Sabha after leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, quoted excerpts from its typescript on Sunday.

Excerpts from the book were carried in an article by The Caravan.

The Congress leader began his Sunday speech during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President's Address by quoting the excerpts to counter the BJPs accusation of Congress not being patriotic, and mentioned the phrase "Chinese tanks in Doklam as mentioned in the book. Gandhi also carried printouts of the magazine which he displayed to support his argument.

This triggered immediate outcry from both Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah. They questioned whether Gandhi was quoting a book that was officially published and authenticated.

He should tell us if the said book has been published or not. It has not been published. He cannot claim to quote from it. He added, I can say with confidence, the book has not been published. Singh said as Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched. Shah also got up to hit back, saying, When the book has not even been published, how can he (Rahul) quote from it?

Speaker Om Birla agreed with the ministers and intervened to point out that Rules and conventions, too, say newspaper clippings, books, other such things that are not authentic cannot be cited in the House.

The generals memoir has been pending the centres approval for more than a year.

Gandhi, however, insisted that The Caravan magazine had 100 per cent genuine excerpts from the book.

Rajnath ji is mentioned in it, Rahul Gandhi said, and his fellow Congress MPs urged the speaker to let him quote from the article.

Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav also supported Gandhi, urging the speaker to allow him to continue speaking on the issues related to China.

The memoir is currently undergoing reviews by the Ministry of Defence.

While the reviews are a standard practice, Four Stars of Destiny drew controversy for containing sensitive material regarding issues like the Agnipath scheme and developments related to the Chinese troop movement at the Line of Control, according to a report by The Print.

Naravane served as Chief of Staff from December 2019 to April 2022.
Justice B. V. Nagarathna on Monday flagged a growing social concern, observing that money was increasingly being used as a substitute for parenting, with minors being given cars, alcohol and unchecked freedom, often with tragic consequences. She said the Supreme Court was repeatedly encountering cases marked by reckless celebrations, lack of parental supervision and subsequent attempts to manipulate investigations after loss of life.

These remarks came as the Supreme Court granted bail to three accused allegedly involved in a conspiracy to swap blood samples following the 2024 Pune Porsche accident that killed two people.

A Bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan ordered the release of Ashish Satish Mittal, Aditya Avinash Sood and Amar Santhosh Gaikwad, noting that they had already undergone incarceration for over 18 months. The bench directed that bail be granted, subject to conditions to be imposed by the trial court.

The three were accused of conspiring to replace blood samples of two juveniles who were seated in the back of the Porsche at the time of the accident. The prosecution alleged that the samples were swapped to conceal alcohol consumption, thereby undermining the investigation into the fatal crash. The accused have been booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including forgery and destruction of evidence, as well as under the Prevention of Corruption Act for alleged bribery.

According to the prosecution, Ashish Mittal is a friend of the father of one of the juveniles, Aditya Sood is the father of the other juvenile passenger, and Amar Gaikwad acted as a middleman who allegedly received Rs 3 lakh to facilitate the replacement of blood samples.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for one of the accused, argued that there were no allegations whatsoever against the two juveniles seated in the back of the car. He further contended that the accident was not caused by any juvenile passenger and that the driver was, in fact, driving the vehicle at the relevant time.

It was also pointed out to the Court that the juvenile accused of causing the accident while allegedly driving under the influence was already facing proceedings before the Juvenile Justice Board.

Opposing the grant of bail, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the mother of one of the deceased victims, described the case as a classic example of undermining the entire criminal justice system. He submitted that the alleged conspiracy did not end with the accident but extended into a coordinated effort to manipulate medical evidence and derail the investigation. Such conduct, he argued, struck at the very root of public confidence in the justice delivery system and warranted continued custody.

While granting bail, the Bench made it clear that the order was being passed primarily on the ground of prolonged incarceration and not on the merits of the allegations. The court refrained from making detailed findings that could prejudice the ongoing trial.

However, Justice Nagarathna made strong oral observations on parental responsibility and the broader social context in which such incidents occur. She remarked that allowing minors to consume alcohol, providing them with vehicles, and facilitating reckless celebrations reflected a deep-seated social problem.

Father and mother are to be blamed for not having control over their children, Justice Nagarathna said, cautioning that detailed observations on this aspect were being avoided only to prevent prejudice to the trial. She lamented that parental disengagement was frequently substituted with money, ATM cards and unchecked freedom, leaving minors to navigate dangerous choices on their own.

The law has to catch up with these people, she added, stressing that responsibility does not end at the point of handing over a vehicle but extends to ensuring that children are guided, supervised and held accountable.
A political battle erupted on Monday as leaders from both major parties engaged in a war of words over remarks made by Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, regarding the India-China border conflict of 2020. Gandhi referenced an unpublished "memoir" by former Army Chief Gen M.M. Naravane during his speech, sparking criticism from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with other BJP members, accused Rahul of "misleading" the House as the memoir has not been published.

Rijiju said books, periodicals and news clippings cannot be quoted during debates if they have no relevance to the proceedings. He alleged that Gandhi "repeated the same mistake" by defying the speaker's ruling and "wasted" the time of the House.

However, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said her brother would authenticate what he is saying and asserted that rules permit quoting from a published source, adding that the material Rahul referred to had been published in an article.

Another Congress general secretary, K C Venugopal, accused the government of deploying senior ministers to silence Gandhi because they were fearful of the "truth of their incompetence" being exposed. He alleged that the government had even gone so far as to block the publication of excerpts from Gen. Naravanes memoir, fearing it would undermine their nationalist credentials.

Venugopal labeled this behaviour as a textbook example of "21st-century fascism," claiming the government was attempting to stifle dissent and misuse parliamentary procedures to prevent opposition voices from being heard. He also suggested that the government's efforts were designed to hide their failures in handling the India-China conflict.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj Kumar Jha, commenting on the dispute, stated that the government has in a way exposed itself" by objecting to Gandhi's speech. I have also read that portion of the book. In a healthy democracy, in a country like India, the concern shouldn't be whether the truth will come out. The concern should be what will be done after the truth comes out, he told ANI.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram claimed that the government is hell-bent on suppressing his voice because they don't want the truth to come out. "I have never seen a government so vehemently opposing a quote from a former army chief, a respected soldier who spent his entire life defending us, who has written an autobiography, and this government is hell-bent on suppressing his voice because they don't want the truth to come out, he said.

So obviously there are some very, very deep truths in it, which are embarrassing to the leadership of this government, and that is why they are behaving in this way, hiding behind parliamentary procedure, quoting rules which are not really relevant to suppress the voice of the leader of the opposition..." Chidambaram added.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, while acknowledging the right to free speech guaranteed by Article 105 of the Indian Constitution, pointed out that this freedom is subject to certain limitations. He referred to Article 19 of the Constitution, which ensures freedom of speech but also imposes restrictions when it comes to matters that could harm national security or damage relations with foreign countries, particularly neighboring nations. He argued that such sensitive topics should not be discussed in Parliament without proper consideration.

The debate surrounding the issue has added another layer of tension to the ongoing political discourse in India, with both sides accusing each other of undermining democratic values and procedural norms.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on Monday seeking discussion on the reference of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Epstein files released by the US Justice Department.

The reference to Modi and his visit to Israel were reportedly made in an email by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which was among the 3.5 million files released on Friday.

In the adjournment motion, Manickam Tagore expressed concern over PM Modi's diplomatic engagement mentioned in Epstein's mail, stating that it directly impacts India's international image, moral standing, and constitutional credibility.

"An email dated 9 July 2017, allegedly written by Epstein, refers to meetings involving Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, the US President, and a subsequent official visit to Israel. These claims are now circulating globally, raising serious questions and speculation. This House cannot remain silent when such issues are being debated internationally, and the Government has not provided a clear, categorical, and authoritative explanation," he said.

The Congress leader asked whether the government had verified the authenticity of the communications attributed to Epstein and whether the accused had directly or indirectly ever interacted with the prime minister or the government of India.

India has rejected the reference of Modi in the investigative files related to Epstein, describing it as "little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal".

"Beyond the fact of the prime minister's official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Former Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrashekar Rao was questioned for nearly five hours on Sunday by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police in connection with the alleged illegal phone-tapping case.

The interrogation took place at Raos Nandinagar residence amid heavy police deployment. After the questioning, Raopopularly known as KCRemerged accompanied by his son and BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao, along with other party leaders, and greeted party workers and supporters who had gathered outside the residence in large numbers.

#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: A large number of BRS party workers gathered outside party chief KCR's house in Nandi Nagar, Hyderabad, and raised slogans in his support.



The SIT questioned KCR today in connection with the phone tapping case. https://t.co/Q6MTTjA6FT pic.twitter.com/tqMLmWNMCS  ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2026

BRS spokesperson Manne Krishank alleged that the SIT violated established rules by questioning Rao beyond 6 pm. Citing Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), he claimed that witness statements should be recorded only before sunset.

Beyond sunset, 71-year-old KCR ji is being inquired about, which is a violation by the SIT. Under 160 CRPC, when recording a witness statement, you should do so before 6 pm. The SIT has intentionally, from the outset, sought to violate KCR's constitutional rights," he told ANI news agency.

He also criticised the manner in which the SIT served notices to Rao, stating that the team should have travelled to his residence in Gajwel instead of pasting notices on the walls of the Nandinagar house.

KCR is a reputed leader. He fought for Telangana statehood. He achieved Telangana. He has been the chief minister for 10 years and is also currently the leader of the opposition. The government clearly knows that KCR resides in his constituency, Gajwel. Couldn't the SIT travel to Gajwel and give the notices? Instead, they choose to humiliate by pasting them to the walls," he said.

K. T. Rama Rao described the case as frivolous and accused the Congress-led government of using the investigation to divert public attention.

"Just to divert public attention, all this drama is going on, he said, adding that ever since the Congress came to power in the southern state, it has indulged in "diversion, subversion and perversion".

#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: On the alleged phone-tapping case, BRS working president KT Rama Rao says, "This story that they have cooked up have been doing rounds for the last 2 years. If they have any evidence let them prove it in the court... Mahesh Gaud and the Congress pic.twitter.com/6BJAbI3xGS  ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2026

The case relates to allegations of large-scale unauthorised phone surveillance during the previous BRS government, reportedly targeting politicians, businessmen, journalists, members of the judiciary, and other prominent individuals.

Since March 2024, Hyderabad Police have arrested four officials, including a suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police, in connection with the investigation.

On January 30, the SIT rejected Raos request to be questioned at his Yerravalli farmhouse and directed him to appear at his Nandinagar residence on February 1.
A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee moved the Supreme Court (SC) against the Election Commission(EC) and West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), there was an uproar in Delhi on Monday as Delhi Police were seen surrounding the old and new Banga Bhavan and another guest house in the morning. These housed Trinamool Congress(TMC) MPs, victims of families who died due to fear of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and people whose names are in the dead voters list despite being alive in West Bengal.

When you (BJP) come to Bengal, we give you a red carpet, and when we come to Delhi, you give us a black carpet. We will show you the black result. Please restrain yourself from the atrocities, from the torture of the Bengal people who have lost their lives, said Banerjee.

The families staying at the old and new Banga Bhavan and the other guest house had travelled to Delhi as part of the 15-member delegation to meet Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, along with Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee, over the alleged flaws in the SIR process.

TMC MPs were seen asking Delhi Police why they were blocking the gate of Banga Bhavan and parking cars outside the premises. Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee reached Banga Bhavan to speak to the police and assure families staying at the guest house that they have nothing to worry.

Mamata said she has written five letters to the CEC over various issues pertaining to SIR, including deaths due to fear of the voter revision exercise, but received no reply.

I have not come here to hold any agitation. Dont threaten my people. Will they live on the streets, she asked the Delhi police, adding, I have been a Central minister. I remember Delhi. But I have never seen such atrocities.

After the meeting with CEC, which lasted over one hour, Mamata alleged she and her delegation were disrespected as their queries were not heard and accused Kumar of working for the BJP.They have humiliated us; they did not reply to us properly, which is why we boycotted the meeting and walked away.

The TMC chief sought to know why the EC had appointed so many special observers for West Bengal, alleging that her state was being targeted. She claimed that the SIR process is totally unparliamentary, undemocratic

They (the BJP and the EC) have captured our government six months before the elections. They are not allowing us to work. We are being targeted. I will not allow this, she said, alleging that the EC is responsible for the SIR related deaths in her state. So many people have died. Who is responsible? The Election Commission has to take the responsibility.

Meanwhile, a 14-member delegation led by the leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari met the West Bengal governor in Kolkata over the law and order situation at hearing centres in the state. Adhikari said he has written three letters to Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty and requested a meeting on Monday, but was given a date for February 6.

Adhikari hit out at Mamata for preventing the Delhi police from doing their duty. In a high-profile area like Delhi, Mamata should not instigate the Delhi Police and should assist them. Added Adhikari.
Actor Vijays Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) celebrated its second anniversary at the TVK headquarters at Panaiyur on the outskirts of Chennai without much fanfare. Speaking to his party office bearers and cadres after hoisting the party flag, Vijay said his party is the top engine in Tamil Nadu politics and that no double engine or any dabba engine can imagine to come to power in the state.

Expressing confidence in marking a massive victory in the upcoming elections, he took a dig at the ruling DMK and wrote off the AIADMK by comparing himself with MGR. Rejecting the opinion polls that claimed the TVK had a presence only in urban areas and small towns, and not in villages, Vijay asked all the opinion pollsters to redo their survey. He once again reiterated that the fight is between the DMK and the TVK.

During his 17-minute long speech, he said TVK exists everywhere across the state and Vijay is present in every house. He said chief minister Stalin himself will ask everyone to vote for TVK party symbol whistle when he wakes up from deep sleep. We will rise as the ruling party at the Fort St. George, Vijay said.

Mocking the DMK by calling it Pavazha Vizha Pappa (meaning platinum jubilee child), he said that the evil force DMK can be toppled only by a pure force like the TVK.

He asked the party cadres and the party office bearers to work in coordination with the candidates and the booth committees to ensure that everyone vote for whistle. Your duty is to ensure that you make people vote for whistle. Other things, I will take care by being in coalition with the people of the state, Vijay told his cadres.

In his speech, he once again drew parallels with MGR who was criticised when he entered politics as an actor. He said that he too is facing similar criticisms like what MGR faced during his entry into politics.

Vijay recalled a radio interview given by MGR in 1977, in which he reportedly said that the AIADMK was founded to wipe away the tears that came to his eyes when he thought about how certain people had taken over the place of former chief minister C.N. Annadurai.

Vijay said the people who are mocking the TVK are the same people who said MGR doesnt know anything. He called it an old weapon that is being used against him and asked his critics to change at least their technique at a time when the technology has grown up. He emphasised that TVK will continue to point out the mistakes of the DMK and that nobody had the guts to do it. He also read a couplet written in the Thirukkural format, by saying that DMK is the forefront of injustice, lawlessness and deceit.

Vijay took a dig at the DMK as usual, sharpening his rhetoric against chief minister M.K. Stalin and his government. The second anniversary celebration that lasted for just more than an hour had all the theatrics accompanied with more clarity and intent. But the celebration did not mark any shift from his usual stage style as the party believes that a loud rhetoric can help it win the required number of votes.

Vijays catchy punchlines and his Thirukkural against the DMK might be the clickbait for his crazy fans and followers who live on Instagram and YouTube reels. But in reality Vijay only repeated his same old script saying that the fight is between the DMK and the TVK, while rejecting the AIADMK as a strong player in the ground.
The Union Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman allocated nothing for Indias flagship Chabahar port project in Iran, a surprising move since the Finance Minister had set aside Rs 100 crore in the 2025-26 Budget, which was later increased to Rs 400 crore in the revised estimate.

The decision also comes as the US slapped new sanctions against Iran in the wake of the protests in the Middle Eastern country against the Islamic regime. The US had imposed tough economic sanctions on Iran in September last year, but New Delhi said it was granted a six-month waiver from sanctions to continue its operations at Iran's Chabahar port.

However, the port, a collaboration between Iran, Afghanistan, and India, has once again become a sensitive point with the US sanctions and regional geopolitical competition. The new 25% tariff imposed by the US President Donald Trump administration on countries doing business with Iran has cast uncertainty over the future of India's investment in Chabahar Port, placing New Delhi between strategic considerations and pressure from Washington.

For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East

There are also reports that shortly after Trump announced the tariffs on Iran, New Delhi allegedly transferred all of its financial obligations at Chabahar, which amounted to $120 million, to Tehran. India also informed the US Treasury that it would end all activities at Chabahar Port as the sanctions waiver is set to expire in April.

However, some unnamed Indian government sources denied claims that India was halting its activities in Chabahar. Exiting Chabahar is not an option, the sources told NDTV, adding that India was seeking a middle ground with the United States.

Chabahar Port is Indias only viable route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. An Indian exit would almost certainly leave a vacuum for China to fill. The absence of funding for Chabahar in Indias 202627 Budget may therefore reflect a tactical freeze rather  Dr. Brahma Chellaney (@Chellaney) February 1, 2026

Meanwhile, strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney has said the Centres move could be a tactical freeze rather than a strategic retreat in the ongoing collaboration with Tehran amid threats and sanctions by the United States.

Chabahar Port is Indias only viable route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. An Indian exit would almost certainly leave a vacuum for China to fill, Chellaney posted on X.

Chabahar remains a vital strategic investment for New Delhi. The project aims to enable India to reach Central Asia through Afghanistan, a region rich in natural gas and vital minerals. New Delhi has been trying to deepen its ties in the region in recent years, but Pakistan does not allow India to transit, and there is no direct land access. Chabahar is therefore the best option to achieve this goal.

New Delhi has other incentives to succeed in the Chabahar project: Afghanistan under the Taliban is now relatively stable, and the Taliban regime has friendly and growing relations with India.

Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, said last month that he was in talks with the US on issues related to the Chabahar Port project. The omission of the budget allocation for this project indicates that negotiations between India and the United States have not yielded any tangible results.

Will India pull out?

India has diplomatic and strategic options other than Chabahar. The country is expanding its ties in the Middle East, including strengthening defence ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and committing to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the I2U2 group, a framework in which India is a member along with Israel, the United States, and the UAE.

Moreover, given that economic interests and trade are the main factors in Trumps foreign policy, India may consider backing out of Chabahar. Washington has recently taken several notable steps toward India, including inviting India to join the Defence Supply Chain Initiative and the Trump Peace Committee.

However, pulling out of Chabahar would be a politically risky proposition. The Trump administration has angered much of the BJPs party base with its tariff policies and harsh criticism of India.
US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran, saying Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis prediction of a regional war could come true if Tehran fails to reach a deal with Washington.

Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump underscored the US military build-up in the Middle East, noting that some of the worlds largest and most powerful naval vessels had been deployed in the region.

We have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close. Hopefully, in a couple of days, well make a deal. If we dont make a deal, then well find out whether or not he was right, Trump said.

MOMENTS AGO: President Trump responds after Iran's supreme leader warned of a regional war if the U.S. attacks Tehran.



"If we don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether or not he was right." pic.twitter.com/wDb3ABLuLP  Fox News (@FoxNews) February 1, 2026

Despite the strong rhetoric, the US President said he preferred a diplomatic resolution, even as tensions between the two countries have escalated in recent weeks amid Irans crackdown on widespread anti-government protests.

Trumps remarks came in response to Khameneis warning that any US military action against Iran would trigger a regional conflict.

The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war, the Iranian Supreme Leader said in a post.

He dismissed US threats of military action, saying such statements were nothing new. That Americans sometimes talk about warsaying we will come with warships and aircraftis nothing new. The Iranian nation is not affected by such talk. They should not try to intimidate the Iranian nation, he added.

Khamenei also accused Washington of seeking to dominate Iran because of its strategic location and resources, while asserting that Tehran would respond decisively to any aggression.

We are not the initiators of war. We do not seek to oppress anyone or attack any country. However, anyone who seeks to attack or cause harm will face a decisive blow from the Iranian nation, he said in another post.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump reiterated the US military posture while speaking aboard Air Force One, saying powerful naval assets had been positioned near Iran but expressing hope that negotiations would yield an acceptable outcome.

We do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction, as you know. But I hope they negotiate something thats acceptable, he said.
TEHRAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said here Monday that Iran is reviewing the details and general outlines of the potential initiation of negotiations with the United States.

He made the remarks at a weekly press conference while commenting on reports by Western media claiming that negotiations between Tehran and Washington could start within the next few days in Turkiye.

Baghaei noted that Iran is at the decision-making stage and is taking into consideration different aspects and angles of the issue, stressing that time is of great importance to Iran "as we have seen abuses by the other sides of the negotiation process in certain stages of the previous talks."

He said regional countries are acting as intermediaries exchanging messages between the two sides.

Over the past decade, Iran has frequently seen deception and non-commitment to promises from the United States, which culminated in June last year when Israel and the United States attacked the country, Baghaei said, adding that the other side's behavior features a "clear contradiction."

Baghaei said Iran has always proved its steadfastness in adopting diplomatic approaches and using diplomacy to advance its national interests and protect collective peace in the region.

The removal or reduction of U.S. sanctions will be an achievement for Iran whenever it takes place, he said, noting that Iran demands the removal of sanctions, as a priority, in return for building trust and removing concerns about the nature of its nuclear program.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have remained high amid increased U.S. military activity in the region. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and multiple warships to the Middle East late January.

On Sunday, Trump said if Tehran fails to strike a nuclear deal with Washington, "we will find out" whether Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was right to warn that a U.S. attack could ignite a regional war.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with CNN that a "just, fair, and equitable" nuclear agreement with the United States remains achievable in the short term, provided Washington abandons its policy of coercion. 
US President Donald Trump says Iran is engaged in serious discussions with Washington aimed at de-escalating tensions, presenting the opening as potentially acceptable enough to avert military strikes. According to a senior American official, the administration is ready to negotiate further, with Turkey, Egypt and Qatar trying to arrange a meeting in Ankara between White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials.

Tehran is more guarded. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran has lost trust in the United States as a negotiating partner, even as exchanges via intermediaries have proved fruitful. He says a deal is achievable if talks are confined to nuclear issues, flatly rejecting any attempt to widen the agenda to Irans ballistic missile programme or its support for regional proxy groups. Such demands, he says, amount to impossible things. Trump, by contrast, has laid down two conditions to avoid US military action: no nuclear capability and an end to the killing of protesters.

These parallel tracks of diplomacy and threat are reinforced by a visible military build-up. Trump has described the US deployment as a massive armada, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln operating in the Arabian Sea. Although the language signals deterrence, it has sharpened anxieties in Tehran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any American attack would trigger a wider conflict, insisting that this time it will be a regional war. Iran, he said, would not be intimidated by American ships, framing resolve as a matter of national dignity rather than tactical calculation.

The presence of Israel complicates the situation further. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened senior defence officials, including Defence Minister Israel Katz and Mossad chief David Barnea, after discussions between Israeli and US officials in Washington. While Trump hints at a possible deal, Israeli reporting suggests Washington may be closer to striking Iran than it was days earlier. Former IDF military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin says that although western logic suggests Iran would avoid a war it cannot win, a different, more ideological calculus could still produce a surprise move. That risk, he says, demands constant preparedness and clear deconfliction mechanisms between American and Israeli forces.

Iran was expected to begin live-fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global energy flows, only for an Iranian official to deny that such exercises were planned. US Central Command has warned Iran against unsafe and unprofessional behaviour near its forces, a warning Araghchi dismissed as an attempt to dictate how Iran should operate on its own turf.

Domestic pressures inside Iran complicate every calculation. Trump has cited internal unrest as a trigger for potential intervention, while Khamenei has portrayed widespread protests as a foreign-backed sedition similar to a coup aimed at destroying sensitive centres. He says the plot was suppressed and has accused the US of seeking to devour Irans oil and gas resources through destabilisation. Public anxiety has grown after unexplained explosions in cities such as Bandar Abbas and Ahvaz, which authorities blamed on gas leaks, fuelling rumours and mistrust.

Relations with Europe have also deteriorated. After the European Union designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation, parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Iran would treat EU armies as terrorist groups. Lawmakers responded theatrically, donning IRGC uniforms in parliament and chanting Death to America. The spectacle underlines the regimes confrontational public posture even as backchannel diplomacy continues.
A painting by Saudi artist Safeya Binzagr set a new auction record on Saturday after it sold for $2.1 million at Sothebys Origins II auction in Riyadh. The work Coffee Shop in Madina Road (1968) sold for $1.65 million, exceeding a work by Pablo Picasso that sold for $1.6 million.

It also ranked as the third-highest price achieved for an Arab artist at the auction held in Saudi Arabia, which comprised 62 modern and contemporary lots and brought together Saudi artists alongside

regional and international names.

Ashkan Baghestani, Sothebys head of contemporary art for the Middle East, told Arab News at the auction that Safeya made more than any other artist tonight, which is incredible. The results tonight show exactly what were trying to do here. Bring international collectors to Saudi Arabia and give them exposure to Saudi artists, especially the pioneers, he added.

For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East

Who is Safeya Binzagr?

Binzagr is dubbed the spiritual mother of contemporary Saudi art. Born in 1940, Binzagr took up art when the cultural infrastructure in the kingdom was ailing. Education in Cairo and then at St Martins School of Art in London, Binzagr returned to her homeland in 1968, holding her first exhibition, which was categorised as one of the first art shows by women in the country.

Interestingly, Binzagr herself was absent during her art expo as woomen were prohibited from appearing at public events. I was not there physically, but I was there in spirit, Binzagr would later say.

In 1995, she opened the Darat Safeya Binzagr, the first cultural centre in Saudi Arabia, fighting the gender restrictions of the Saudi society and earning a space for women in the countrys art scene.
The Balochistan Liberation Army BLA claimed that its offensive Operation Herof Phase-II have been underway for more than 40 hours across the multiple districts in Balochistan. The groups alleged that there were heavy casualties among Pakistani security forces and asserted control over several urban and rural areas.

Wow, Pakistan Army breaking world records again! First in strategic retreats, now in literal pants-dropping sprints. Baloch rebels must be thrilled with all the free laundry. Consistency from Dhaka to Nushki, truly unmatched bravery! 

pic.twitter.com/tygbUEjfHY  Pramod Kumar Singh (@SinghPramod2784) February 1, 2026

The BLA stated that the operation had expanded across a wide geographical stretch of the province in a series of statements and media releases issued through its official channels, Hakkal. The group also released a video recorded during clashes in Gwadar, identifying a female fidayeen fighter who it said was killed during attacks against Pakistan forces, IANS reported.

The woman was identified as Hawa Baloach, alias Droshum and described the footage as her final message, sent twelve hours before her martyrdom. Hawa Baloch was a writer, and her father was associated with the Baloch armed movement.

She is Hawa Baloch, part of the ongoing Baloch rebel operation against Pakistani Islamist forces. After her two younger sisters were abducted, raped, and murdered by the Pakistani radical Islamist Army, she joined the resistance to free Balochistan and protect her people. pic.twitter.com/WlRmFWHHmx  Baba Banaras (@RealBababanaras) February 1, 2026

The BLA also identified 23-year-old Asifa Mengal as another female Fidayeen. She had reportedly carried out a vehicle-borne improvised device (VBIED) operation on January 31, targetting the Inter-Services Intelligence ISI headquarters in Noshki.

Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, said that at least two of the attacks involved women perpetrators.

The group released a separate video featuring fidayeen Nako Fazal Baloch, whom it described as the eldest Baloch Fidayee of the Baloch Liberation Army, highlighting his role in the ongoing campaign.

Balochistan Burns 



Pak Army convoy ambushed in PoK Balochistan amid BLA's deadly Jan 31 blitz193 dead, incl 17 troops



Insurgents strike 12 sites in "Herof Phase II"



Pak retaliates, kills 145 militants



Escalating separatist fury shakes Islamabad!#BalochistanAttacks #BLA pic.twitter.com/86bsvWWhKu  2 Foreigners In Bollywood (@2_F_I_B) February 2, 2026

According to the BLAs claims, more than 200 personnel from the Pakistan Army, police and Frontier Corps were killed, and at least 17 individuals were captured. The figures were described as preliminary and cautious estimates, suggesting that the numbers were actually higher.

Balochistans chief minister, however, said that 17 law enforcement officials and 31 civilians were killed on Sunday after the attacks began.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's military said that 92 Balochistan separatists were killed on Saturday and 41 were killed on Friday. The BLA, however, said that 18 of its fighters were killed during the operation, including 11 fidayee bombers, including the women.

Additionally, the group also said that it had detained and released Deputy Commissioner of Noshki, Muhammad Hussain Hazara and Assistant Commissioner Maria Shamoo in a humanitarian gesture saying that it does not consider local civil administration and police as direct adversaries unless they actively resist its fighters.
US President Donald Trump on Monday said he wants a "triumphal arch" like the India Gate in Washington, DC, to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence this year.

Posting an image of India Gate on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote on Monday, "Indias beautiful triumphal arch; ours will be the greatest of all."

Trump has been toying with the idea of an Independence Arch, which is proposed to be 250-foot-tall. To compare, India Gate stands 138 feet high. It will tower over the White House near the Potomac River and will be twice the height of the iconic Lincoln Memorial, said reports. It is expected to be built on a small plot of land between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

Though the earlier versions of the Independence Arch included 165-foot and 123-foot designs, he has become interested in the largest option. A source quoted by The Washington Post said Trump justifies the 250-foot-tall structure, citing the 250th Independence anniversary.

However, experts have warned against the size of the monument, saying it would distort the purpose of the memorials surrounding the new structure.

India Gate is not the only monument that has caught Trump's eye. He had earlier cited the 164-foot-tall Arc de Triomphe in Paris as a model.
The newly elected New York mayor, Zohran Mamdani, faced heat after his mother's name popped up in the Epstein Files. Mamdani's supporters heckled him outside his official residence, Gracie Mansion.

Filmmaker Mira Nair was mentioned in the latest records of the Epstein emails released by the Department of Justice.

Videos that circulated on social media showed NYC residents gathered outside Gracie Mansion and yelling, 'shame'.

"We advocated for you. We voted for you...We know about your mom," said a protester. Those who claim to be his 'supporters' accused Mamdani of lying to them.

 BREAKING: New Yorkers are developing buyer's remorse for Zohran Mamdani, spotted HECKLING him and yelling "SHAME!" after basically nothing is going according to plan



"We advocated for you, we voted for you! You get up in here and lie to us!" pic.twitter.com/qCKLhXx96T  Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 1, 2026

Nair's name appeared in the Epstein email connected to a 2009 social event hosted at the house of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. The email says that Nair attended an "after party" for a film screening along with high-profile people, including Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos.

"Just left Ghislaine's townhouse... after party for film. Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there...Jean Pigozzi, director Mira Nair...Film received tepid reaction, although women like it much more," the email read.

Zohran Mamdani assumed office as New York City's mayor on January 1 after defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the mayoral election.

The US Department of Justice published more than three million additional pages of Epstein-related records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19, 2025. Over 2,000 videos and 1,80,000 images were made public.

The latest email also included the names of Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Ivanka Trump, and Sarah Ferguson.
US President Donald Trump threatened to sue comedian Trevor Noah over jokes he made tying him to convicted sex offender and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein on Monday.

The South African Comedian who hosted the Grammys had quipped after Billie Eilish won Song of the Year, saying, That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epsteins island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.

Trevor Noah takes another jab at Donald Trump #Grammys: Song of the Year  that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epsteins island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton pic.twitter.com/quUWEpX4NL  Deadline (@DEADLINE) February 2, 2026

When the audience gasped, he said, oh I told you its my last year! What are you going to do about it? This is the sixth and last time Noah is hosting the Grammys.

The comments triggered a rant from the president, who took to Truth Social to say, The Grammy Awards are the WORST, virtually unwatchable.

Trump then called out Noah's joke, saying, Noah said, INCORRECTLY, about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!!

I cant speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonights false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media.

He also warned Noah, saying, Better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast, and added: It looks like Ill be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C.

The president said that he would sue him for plenty of money and said, Get ready, Noah, Im going to have some fun with you!

The Epstein joke was not the only one Noah made during the Sunday night award ceremony.

ALSO READ | Grammys 2026: Bad Bunny wins Album of the Year, hits out at Trump's ICE during speech

The former Daily Show host had also mocked the presidents new found friendship with rapper Nicki Minaj. Nicki Minaj is not here. She is not here, Noah said. She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues, he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

He then began an impression of the two having a conversation. Actually, Nicki, I have the biggest a--. I have it. Everybodys saying it, Nicki, I know they say its you, but its me, Noah said, imitating Trumps recognisable accent. Wap, wap, wap, look at it, baby.

Republican Sen. Mike Lee also joined in to critisise Noah with a post on X saying, Pro tip: Dont belittle Barbz and MAGA at the same time. Nicki Minaj was recently seen with with Trump at the Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, DC and called herself his No. 1 fan" adding that's not going to change.
Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE:SPH  Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 411,399 shares, a decrease of 20.9% from the December 31st total of 520,291 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 128,332 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.2 days. Approximately 0.6% of the companys shares are short sold. Approximately 0.6% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 128,332 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.2 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SPH has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Suburban Propane Partners in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Argus raised shares of Suburban Propane Partners to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Zacks Research raised Suburban Propane Partners to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy.

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Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Suburban Propane Partners

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Suburban Propane Partners

Suburban Propane Partners Stock Performance

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SPH. Founders Capital Management increased its stake in shares of Suburban Propane Partners by 56.4% during the third quarter. Founders Capital Management now owns 1,877 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 677 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Suburban Propane Partners during the 3rd quarter valued at about $50,000. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in shares of Suburban Propane Partners in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $62,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Suburban Propane Partners by 37.7% during the third quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,650 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Suburban Propane Partners in the third quarter valued at $76,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 30.94% of the companys stock.

SPH stock traded down $0.18 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $20.23. The company had a trading volume of 173,876 shares, compared to its average volume of 126,078. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.34 billion, a PE ratio of 12.33 and a beta of 0.41. Suburban Propane Partners has a fifty-two week low of $17.30 and a fifty-two week high of $22.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $19.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $18.72.

Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE:SPH  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The energy company reported ($0.62) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.51) by ($0.11). Suburban Propane Partners had a net margin of 7.44% and a return on equity of 16.31%. The firm had revenue of $211.38 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $227.00 million.

Suburban Propane Partners Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 3rd will be given a $0.325 dividend. This represents a $1.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 3rd. Suburban Propane Partnerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 79.27%.

Suburban Propane Partners Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Suburban Propane Partners L.P. (NYSE: SPH) is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey, that provides propane and related energy services to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. As one of the largest propane retailers in the United States, the company delivers propane gas, heating oil, diesel fuel and natural gas throughout its service territories. In addition to fuel distribution, Suburban Propane offers HVAC installation, maintenance and repair services, as well as safety inspections and equipment leasing to support customers energy needs.

The companys core business centers on the delivery of propane for space and water heating, cooking and agricultural applications.

Further Reading

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Polen Capital China Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:PCCE  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 273 shares, a decline of 21.3% from the December 31st total of 347 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 161 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.7 days. Approximately 0.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 0.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 161 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.7 days.

Polen Capital China Growth ETF Trading Down 1.4%

PCCE stock traded down $0.19 during trading on Friday, hitting $13.51. The company had a trading volume of 687 shares, compared to its average volume of 274. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $13.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $13.67. Polen Capital China Growth ETF has a fifty-two week low of $10.38 and a fifty-two week high of $14.80. The company has a market cap of $1.62 million, a P/E ratio of 19.12 and a beta of 0.03.

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Polen Capital China Growth ETF Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 30th were issued a $0.299 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 226.0%.

About Polen Capital China Growth ETF

The Polen Capital China Growth (PCCE) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund seeks long-term capital growth by actively managing a narrow portfolio of Chinese growth companies deemed to have a sustainable competitive advantage. The fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization. PCCE was launched on Mar 1, 2024 and is issued by Polen.

Further Reading

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Danone (OTCMKTS:DANOY  Get Free Report) and George Weston (OTCMKTS:WNGRF  Get Free Report) are both large-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Danone and George Weston, as provided by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Danone 1 2 2 0 2.20 George Weston 0 2 4 0 2.67

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Danone and George Westons top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Danone $29.63 billion 1.80 $2.19 billion N/A N/A George Weston $44.97 billion 0.59 $991.80 million $2.71 25.73

Danone has higher earnings, but lower revenue than George Weston.

Volatility & Risk

Danone has a beta of 0.27, suggesting that its stock price is 73% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, George Weston has a beta of 0.56, suggesting that its stock price is 44% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

Danone pays an annual dividend of $0.34 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. George Weston pays an annual dividend of $0.85 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. George Weston pays out 31.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.1% of Danone shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of George Weston shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.0% of Danone shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 53.6% of George Weston shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Danone and George Westons net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Danone N/A N/A N/A George Weston 2.37% 13.21% 3.33%

Summary

George Weston beats Danone on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Danone

(Get Free Report)

Danone S.A. operates in the food and beverage industry in Europe, Ukraine, North America, China, North Asia, the Oceania, Latin America, rest of Asia, Africa, Turkey, the Middle East, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The company operates through Essential Dairy & Plant-Based, Specialized Nutrition, and Waters segments. It produces and distributes yogurts, dairy products, coffee creamers and drinks, beverages, plant-based products, ice creams, frozen desserts, and cheese products under the Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Aptamil, Danette, Danio, Danonino, evian, Nutricia, Nutrilon, Volvic, Danone, Light & Fit, Oikos, YoPRO, International Delight, SToK, Silk, Follow Your Heart, and So Delicious. The company also provides specialized nutrition, including formulas and complementary feeding for babies and young children; and special medical purposes food for children and adults under the Aptamil, Nutrilon, Gallia, Cow & Gate, Bebelac, and Bledina brands. In addition, it offers tube feeding products under the Nutrison name; and oral nutritional supplements under the Fortimel and NutriDrink names. Further, the company provides mineral waters from natural sources, waters infused with natural fruit extracts, fruit juices, and vitamins under the evian, Volvic, AQUA, Mizone, Bonafont, Salus, Hayat, Sirma, Font Vella, Lanjaron, and Zywiec Zdroj brands. It distributes its products through retail chains and traditional market outlets; convenience stores; hotels, restaurants, and coffee outlets; hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies; and e-commerce channels. The company was formerly known as Groupe Danone and changed its name to Danone S.A. in April 2009. Danone S.A. was incorporated in 1899 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

About George Weston

(Get Free Report)

George Weston Limited provides food and drug retailing, and financial services in Canada. The company operates through two segments, Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) and Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (Choice Properties). The Loblaw segment provides grocery, pharmacy and healthcare services, health and beauty products, apparel, general merchandise, and financial services. This segment also offers credit card and other banking services, insurance brokerage services, guaranteed investment certificates, and wireless mobile products and services. The Choice Properties segment owns, operates, manages, and develops retail commercial and residential properties, leased to necessity-based tenants, industrial, and mixed-use and residential assets. It markets its products under the Shoppers Drug Mart, Joe Fresh, Presidents Choice Bank, no name, Farmers Market, T&T, Life Brand, and PC Optimum brands. The company was founded in 1882 and is based in Toronto, Canada. George Weston Limited operates as a subsidiary of Wittington Investments, Limited.

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Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHI  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 509,130 shares, an increase of 71.7% from the December 31st total of 296,527 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,083,284 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,083,284 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Creative Planning increased its stake in shares of Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF by 8.6% in the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 77,651 shares of the companys stock worth $1,767,000 after purchasing an additional 6,154 shares during the period. Flow Traders U.S. LLC increased its holdings in Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF by 1,039.8% in the 2nd quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC now owns 165,144 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,759,000 after buying an additional 150,655 shares during the period. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton grew its stake in shares of Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF by 745.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 34,909 shares of the companys stock valued at $795,000 after purchasing an additional 30,778 shares during the period. Madden Advisory Services Inc. grew its position in Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF by 44.9% in the third quarter. Madden Advisory Services Inc. now owns 204,314 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,716,000 after acquiring an additional 63,274 shares during the period. Finally, Blair William & Co. IL increased its position in shares of Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF by 27.3% during the 2nd quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 135,174 shares of the companys stock worth $3,077,000 after purchasing an additional 28,976 shares in the last quarter.

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Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF Price Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA:SCHI traded down $0.01 on Friday, reaching $23.02. 5,732,705 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,472,350. The companys 50 day moving average is $23.02 and its 200-day moving average is $22.98. Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF has a fifty-two week low of $21.59 and a fifty-two week high of $23.28.

Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF Company Profile

The Schwab 5-10 Year Corporate Bond ETF (SCHI) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund tracks a market-weighted index of USD-denominated investment-grade corporate bonds with intermediate maturities of 5-10 years. SCHI was launched on Oct 10, 2019 and is managed by Charles Schwab.

Featured Articles

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KHARTOUM, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Sudan Airways passenger plane touched down on the newly resurfaced runway of Khartoum International Airport on Sunday, marking the first commercial flight to reach the capital since civil war erupted in April 2023.

The arrival from Port Sudan carries significant symbolic weight for a nation attempting to rebuild after years of devastating conflict. Under heavy security, 160 passengers -- including government employees and students -- disembarked onto a runway still surrounded by the skeletal remains of buildings destroyed in the fighting.

As the cabin doors opened, some passengers knelt to kiss the tarmac while the traditional high-pitched cries of women's ululations echoed across the airfield.

"Seeing the capital from the air after all these years felt like a dream come true," said passenger Khougali Mohamed Abbas.

The airport was a primary flashpoint when the conflict began, suffering repeated bombardments that left its terminals, control tower, and dozens of aircraft in ruins. Government forces regained control of the site in March 2025, but the scale of the damage has made rehabilitation a slow and costly process.

According to Sudan's Ministry of Transport, the conflict caused an estimated 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in losses to the country's aviation sector. While unofficial reports initially suggested six aircraft were lost, satellite analysis by the Sanad Verification Agency indicates roughly 50 planes were damaged or destroyed between 2023 and 2025.

State treasury estimates suggest the government has spent approximately 350 million dollars on initial repairs, focusing on the runway and the Hajj and Umrah terminal, which is currently serving as the hub for all arrivals and departures.

"We assure citizens that the airport is fully secured and operational," said Mohammad Jafar, Director of Aviation Security Operations. He added that there are plans to eventually expand from the current Khartoum-Port Sudan domestic route to regional and international flights as security stabilizes.

The resumption of flights follows a period of relative calm in the capital. The Sudanese government officially relocated its headquarters from Port Sudan to Khartoum on Jan. 11, and the International Organization for Migration estimates that 1.4 million residents have returned to the city.

However, officials warned that the road to full recovery remains long. Al-Khatim Babiker Al-Tayeb, director general of the Sudan Airports Company, noted the airport can currently handle only four aircraft at a time -- a fraction of its pre-war capacity.

"Receiving the first commercial flight does not mean everything is back to normal," a Civil Aviation Authority official said on condition of anonymity, pointing to the scarred infrastructure surrounding the facility. 
Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSEARCA:RETL  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 220,869 shares, an increase of 79.2% from the December 31st total of 123,253 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 399,556 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.6 days. Approximately 6.1% of the companys shares are short sold. Approximately 6.1% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 399,556 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.6 days.

Institutional Trading of Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jane Street Group LLC grew its stake in Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares by 52.2% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 36,083 shares of the companys stock worth $220,000 after purchasing an additional 12,383 shares in the last quarter. Simplex Trading LLC grew its position in shares of Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares by 1,026.9% in the 2nd quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 16,566 shares of the companys stock worth $125,000 after acquiring an additional 15,096 shares in the last quarter. Group One Trading LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares by 393.7% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 53,966 shares of the companys stock worth $410,000 after purchasing an additional 43,035 shares during the last quarter.

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Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares Price Performance

NYSEARCA:RETL remained flat at $9.44 during mid-day trading on Friday. 207,952 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 368,808. Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares has a one year low of $4.12 and a one year high of $11.29. The stock has a market cap of $33.23 million, a PE ratio of 13.74 and a beta of 3.79. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $9.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.43.

About Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares

Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3x Shares, formerly Direxion Daily Retail Bull 2x Shares, seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 300% of the performance of the Russell 1000 Retail Index. The Retail Index is an index comprised of companies that sell to consumers those discretionary products supplied by manufacturers. These companies include specialty retailers, as well as diversified retailers, such as department stores, discount stores, and superstores. Its investment sector includes hypermarkets and super centers, Internet retail, home improvement retail, apparel retail, general merchandise stores, department stores, automotive retail, specialty stores, home furnishing retail, computer and electronics retail, and catalog retail.

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Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:RSPR  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 10,831 shares, an increase of 80.8% from the December 31st total of 5,991 shares. Approximately 0.4% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 13,938 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.8 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 13,938 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.8 days. Approximately 0.4% of the companys stock are sold short.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new position in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF during the third quarter worth $1,921,000. Wealth Advisory Team LLC purchased a new position in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF in the second quarter valued at $201,000. Duncan Williams Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF during the second quarter worth approximately $234,000. Interactive Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Interactive Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 27,335 shares of the companys stock valued at $958,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF by 2.1% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 308,087 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,792,000 after purchasing an additional 6,219 shares during the period.

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Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF Trading Up 0.3%

NYSEARCA RSPR traded up $0.09 on Friday, hitting $34.40. 10,353 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 13,438. The firm has a market capitalization of $99.76 million, a PE ratio of 37.16 and a beta of 1.03. The firms 50-day moving average price is $33.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.57. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF has a 1-year low of $30.83 and a 1-year high of $37.23.

About Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF

The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Real Estate ETF (RSPR) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in real estate equity. The fund tracks an equal-weighted index of US real estate equities selected from the S&P 500. The index excludes mortgage REITs and real estate management and development firms. RSPR was launched on Aug 13, 2015 and is managed by Invesco.

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Invesco CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust (NYSEARCA:FXF  Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 44,128 shares, a drop of 33.7% from the December 31st total of 66,572 shares. Currently, 1.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 73,624 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.6 days. Based on an average trading volume of 73,624 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.6 days. Currently, 1.2% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Invesco CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust Trading Down 0.9%

NYSEARCA FXF traded down $1.03 on Friday, reaching $114.40. 193,885 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 157,509. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $111.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $110.86. Invesco CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust has a fifty-two week low of $96.99 and a fifty-two week high of $116.30.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Invesco CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Invesco CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust by 334.3% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 27,045 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,715,000 after buying an additional 20,818 shares during the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Invesco CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust in the second quarter valued at about $487,000. Pure Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Invesco CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,509,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Invesco CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at about $345,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Invesco CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust by 82.9% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 14,913 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,667,000 after buying an additional 6,760 shares in the last quarter.

About Invesco CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust

Guggenheim CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust, formerly CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust, is a grantor trust. The Trust issues shares (Shares) in blocks of 50,000 (Basket) in exchange for deposits of Swiss Francs and distributes Swiss Francs in connection with the redemption of Baskets. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the price of Swiss Franc plus accrued interest, if any, less the expenses of the Trusts operations. The Shares are focused to offer investors an opportunity to participate in the market for the Swiss Franc through an investment in securities.

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Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:HTAB  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 7,460 shares, a growth of 55.8% from the December 31st total of 4,788 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 38,943 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 38,943 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF by 12.3% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 116,511 shares of the companys stock worth $2,234,000 after purchasing an additional 12,751 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF in the first quarter worth $704,000. USAdvisors Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF by 3.7% during the second quarter. USAdvisors Wealth Management LLC now owns 28,839 shares of the companys stock worth $539,000 after acquiring an additional 1,040 shares during the period. MGO One Seven LLC purchased a new position in Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF during the second quarter worth about $200,000. Finally, Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 30,513 shares of the companys stock valued at $573,000 after purchasing an additional 668 shares during the last quarter.

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Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF Price Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA HTAB traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $19.16. The company had a trading volume of 26,662 shares, compared to its average volume of 38,718. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $19.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $19.06. Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF has a one year low of $17.98 and a one year high of $19.62.

Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF Cuts Dividend

Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF Company Profile

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $0.0579 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%.

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The Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF (HTAB) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Bloomberg Municipal Managed Money index. The fund is an actively managed fund of US investment-grade debt selected for tax-efficient cash flow. Investments include both taxable and tax-free debt, and the fund uses derivatives to supplement its tax-efficient strategy. HTAB was launched on Apr 18, 2018 and is managed by Hartford.

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Spirax Group (OTCMKTS:SPXSY  Get Free Report) and Generac (NYSE:GNRC  Get Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability and risk.

Volatility and Risk

Spirax Group has a beta of 1.06, suggesting that its share price is 6% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Generac has a beta of 1.85, suggesting that its share price is 85% more volatile than the S&P 500.

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Profitability

This table compares Spirax Group and Generacs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Spirax Group N/A N/A N/A Generac 6.92% 17.63% 8.50%

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Spirax Group 0 1 0 1 3.00 Generac 1 3 15 1 2.80

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Spirax Group and Generac, as provided by MarketBeat.

Generac has a consensus target price of $195.29, suggesting a potential upside of 16.20%. Given Generacs higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Generac is more favorable than Spirax Group.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Spirax Group and Generacs gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Spirax Group $2.13 billion N/A $244.34 million N/A N/A Generac $4.30 billion 2.30 $325.26 million $5.25 32.01

Generac has higher revenue and earnings than Spirax Group.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

0.4% of Spirax Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 84.0% of Generac shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.7% of Generac shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Generac beats Spirax Group on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Spirax Group

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Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc provides engineered solutions it operates through three segments: Steam Thermal Solutions; Electric Thermal Solutions; and Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions. The company offers industrial and commercial steam systems, including condensate management, controls, and thermal energy management products and solutions for heating, curing, cooking, drying, cleaning, sterilizing, space heating, humidifying, vacuum packing, and producing hot water; electrical process heating and temperature management solutions, such as industrial heaters and systems, heat tracing, and various component technologies for industrial processes; and peristaltic and niche pumps and associated fluid path technologies, including tubing, and specialty filling systems and products for single-use applications. It serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology, food, beverage, oil, gas, chemical, power generation, healthcare, water and wastewater, buildings, mining and precious metal processing, semiconductor, and transport sectors, as well as original equipment manufacturers. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors. It operates in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; the Asia Pacific; and the Americas. The company was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Cheltenham, the United Kingdom.

About Generac

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Generac Holdings Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes various energy technology products and solution worldwide. The company offers residential automatic standby generators, automatic transfer switch, air-cooled engine residential standby generators, and liquid-cooled engine generators; Mobile Link, a remote monitoring system for home standby generators; residential storage solution, which consists of a system of batteries, an inverter, photovoltaic optimizers, power electronic controls, and other components; smart home solutions, such as smart thermostats and a suite of home monitoring products. It also provides smart home energy management devices and sensors for heating and cooling system; smart doorbell cameras; and portable and inverter generators; multiple portable battery solutions; manual transfer switches; outdoor power equipment, including trimmers, field and brush mowers, log splitters, stump grinders, chipper shredders, lawn and leaf vacuums, and pressure washers and water pumps; and battery-powered turf care products. In addition, the company offers commercial and industrial products comprising cleaner-burning natural gas fueled generators; light-commercial standby generators and related transfer switches; stationary generators; single-engine industrial generators; industrial standby generators; industrial transfer switches; light towers, mobile generators, commercial mobile pumps, heaters, dust-suppression equipment, and mobile energy storage systems; stationary energy storage system and related inverter products; and aftermarket service parts and product accessories. The company distributes its products through independent residential dealers, industrial distributors and dealers, national and regional retailers, e-commerce partners, electrical/HVAC/solar wholesalers, solar installers, catalogs, equipment rental companies, and other equipment distributors; and directly to end users. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

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TranSwitch (OTCMKTS:TXCCQ  Get Free Report) and Infineon Technologies (OTCMKTS:IFNNY  Get Free Report) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership and risk.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings for TranSwitch and Infineon Technologies, as reported by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score TranSwitch 0 0 0 0 0.00 Infineon Technologies 0 0 0 2 4.00

Given TranSwitchs higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe TranSwitch is more favorable than Infineon Technologies.

Valuation and Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio TranSwitch N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Infineon Technologies $16.21 billion 3.71 $1.12 billion $0.91 53.86

This table compares TranSwitch and Infineon Technologiess revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Infineon Technologies has higher revenue and earnings than TranSwitch.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.2% of Infineon Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.3% of TranSwitch 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.

Profitability

This table compares TranSwitch and Infineon Technologies net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets TranSwitch N/A N/A N/A Infineon Technologies 7.57% 10.87% 6.41%

Volatility & Risk

TranSwitch has a beta of 23.57, suggesting that its stock price is 2,257% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Infineon Technologies has a beta of 1.8, suggesting that its stock price is 80% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Infineon Technologies beats TranSwitch on 7 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About TranSwitch

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TranSwitch Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, and supplies integrated circuit and intellectual property solutions that provide functionality for voice, data, and video communications equipment for the customer premises and network infrastructure markets. The company provides integrated multi-core network processor system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions for fixed, 3G and 4G mobile, VoIP, and multimedia applications. It offers converged network infrastructure products, including infrastructure VoIP processors for wire-line and wireless carrier equipment; access VoIP processors; and EoS/EoPDH mappers and framers for carriers to transport data traffic over SONET, SDH, and PDH networks. The company also offers broadband customer premises equipment, such as connectivity solutions comprising HDMI, DisplayPort, MHL, HDP, Ethernet IP cores, and MHDP transceivers for consumer electronics, home network equipment, and industrial and automotive applications; and multi-service SoCs for customer premises equipment that support telephone voice, fax, and routing functionality over broadband access networks. TranSwitch Corporation sells its products to public network system original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), WAN and LAN equipment OEMs, Internet-oriented OEMs, and communications test and performance measurement equipment OEMs; and government, universities, and private laboratories. The company offers its products directly in North America, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, and Europe, as well as through a network of distributors in North America, Asia, and Europe. TranSwitch Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut. On November 21, 2013, TranSwitch Corporation filed a voluntary petition for liquidation under Chapter 7 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut.

About Infineon Technologies

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Infineon Technologies AG designs, develops, manufactures, and markets semiconductors and semiconductor-based solutions worldwide. Its Automotive segment offers automotive microcontrollers; 3D ToF, magnetic, and pressure sensors; discrete power semiconductors; IGBT modules; industrial microcontrollers; power and memory ICs; transceivers; diodes, MOSEFTs, and modules; and voltage regulators for use in assistance and safety systems, comfort electronics, infotainment, powertrain, and security products. The companys Green Industrial Power segment provides bare dies, discrete IGBTs, and driver ICs; SiC diodes, MOSFETs, and modules; and IGBT modules for home appliances, industrial drives, industrial power supplies, industrial robotics, industrial vehicles, and traction, as well as for energy generation, storage, and transmission. Its Power & Sensor Systems segment offers chips for gas and pressure sensors, and MEMS microphones; 3D ToF sensors; control ICs; discrete low-, mid-, and high-voltage power MOSFET; customized chips; GaN power switches; GPS low-noise amplifiers; low-voltage and high-voltage driver ICs; radar sensor ICs; RF antenna switches and power transistors; transient voltage suppressor diodes; SiC diode and MOSFETs; and USB controllers for use in audio amplifiers, automotive electronics, BLDC motors, cellular communications infrastructure, electric vehicle charging stations, human machine interaction, IoT, LED and conventional lighting systems, microinverter, mobile devices, power management, and special applications. The companys Connected Secure Systems segment provides connectivity solutions, embedded security controllers, microcontrollers, and security controllers for authentication, automotive, consumer electronics, government identification document, IoT, mobile communication, payment system, ticketing, access control, and computing applications. Infineon Technologies AG was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Neubiberg, Germany.

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BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust (NYSE:BTZ  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 57,110 shares, a decline of 26.0% from the December 31st total of 77,224 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 301,504 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Based on an average trading volume of 301,504 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days.

BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of BTZ traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $10.64. The companys stock had a trading volume of 294,996 shares, compared to its average volume of 329,845. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $10.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $10.93. BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust has a 1-year low of $9.54 and a 1-year high of $11.18.

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BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.0839 per share. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 9.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th.

Institutional Trading of BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust

About BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of BTZ. Comerica Bank increased its position in BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust by 136.5% during the 3rd quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 4,063 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 2,345 shares in the last quarter. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in shares of BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust in the 3rd quarter worth about $59,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust in the second quarter worth $76,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust in the second quarter valued at about $86,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $103,000.

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BlackRock Credit Allocation Income Trust (NYSE: BTZ) is a closed-end management investment company sponsored by BlackRock Fund Advisors. The trust seeks to provide investors with a high level of current income, as well as the potential for capital appreciation, through an actively managed portfolio of credit and income-producing securities. BTZ primarily focuses on instruments that offer attractive yields while aiming to preserve capital over the long term.

The portfolio is diversified across a broad spectrum of credit sectors, including investment-grade corporate debt, high-yield bonds, leveraged bank loans, residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, and asset-backed securities.

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General American Investors, Inc. (NYSE:GAM  Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 7,536 shares, a decrease of 25.7% from the December 31st total of 10,147 shares. Currently, 0.0% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 48,077 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.2 days. Based on an average trading volume of 48,077 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.2 days. Currently, 0.0% of the companys shares are sold short.

General American Investors Price Performance

General American Investors stock traded down $0.12 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $60.77. The company had a trading volume of 17,768 shares, compared to its average volume of 42,679. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $59.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $60.18. General American Investors has a 1 year low of $41.80 and a 1 year high of $64.40.

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General American Investors Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a dividend of $6.40 per share. This represents a yield of 1,125.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. This is an increase from General American Investorss previous annual dividend of $0.45.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Hedge Funds Weigh In On General American Investors

In other General American Investors news, VP Eugene S. Stark bought 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $24.98 per share, for a total transaction of $99,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 24,000 shares in the company, valued at $599,520. This trade represents a 20.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Insiders acquired a total of 4,100 shares of company stock valued at $102,418 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 8.33% of the companys stock.

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. increased its position in General American Investors by 999.4% during the 4th quarter. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. now owns 294,147 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $17,275,000 after purchasing an additional 267,392 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of General American Investors by 38.3% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 195,963 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $9,871,000 after buying an additional 54,223 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its stake in General American Investors by 10.0% in the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 367,595 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $20,600,000 after acquiring an additional 33,338 shares in the last quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of General American Investors during the 4th quarter valued at $1,714,000. Finally, King Luther Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of General American Investors in the 3rd quarter worth $1,438,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.85% of the companys stock.

About General American Investors

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General American Investors Company, Inc is a diversified closed-end management investment company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker GAM. The firm primarily allocates capital to equity and equity-related securities of publicly traded companies, aiming to generate long-term capital appreciation for its shareholders. Its flexible mandate allows investment across a broad range of industries and market capitalizations.

The company follows a value-oriented, fundamental research approach, conducting in-depth analysis to identify undervalued businesses with strong growth potential.

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Xiaomi Co. (OTCMKTS:XIACF  Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 136,978,391 shares, an increase of 71.1% from the December 31st total of 80,043,727 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 280,098 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 489.0 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 280,098 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 489.0 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Xiaomi from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on XIACF

Xiaomi Stock Down 2.2%

About Xiaomi

Shares of XIACF opened at $4.54 on Monday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $5.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.04. Xiaomi has a 52-week low of $4.15 and a 52-week high of $9.00.

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Xiaomi Corporation, founded in April 2010 by entrepreneur Lei Jun and a group of partners, is a Chinese multinational electronics company headquartered in Beijing. The company began with the launch of its proprietary MIUI operating system and quickly expanded into hardware design and manufacturing. Over the past decade, Xiaomi has established itself as one of the worlds leading smartphone vendors, focusing on delivering high-performance devices at competitive price points.

In addition to its core smartphone business, Xiaomi operates two main hardware sub-brands: Mi and Redmi.

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Alfa Laval (OTCMKTS:ALFVY  Get Free Report) is projected to announce its results before the market opens on Tuesday, February 3rd. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.63 per share for the quarter.

Alfa Laval Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of ALFVY opened at $58.00 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $51.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $47.95. The stock has a market cap of $23.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.22. Alfa Laval has a 12 month low of $36.86 and a 12 month high of $59.22.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ALFVY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays reissued an overweight rating on shares of Alfa Laval in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an outperform rating on shares of Alfa Laval in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Alfa Laval from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Alfa Laval in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a buy rating on shares of Alfa Laval in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Alfa Laval has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

About Alfa Laval

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Alfa Laval is an industrial engineering company specializing in heat transfer, separation and fluid handling technologies. Its product portfolio includes plate and tubular heat exchangers, separators and decanter centrifuges, pumps, valves and complete process systems designed to control temperature, separate liquids and solids, and move fluids reliably through industrial processes. The company supplies both standardized components and engineered systems for integration into customer plants and vessels.

The company serves a broad set of end markets including energy and power, marine and offshore, food and beverage processing, water and wastewater treatment, chemical and pharmaceutical production, and pulp and paper.

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An Egyptian ambulance is pictured at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing in North Sinai, Egypt, Feb. 2, 2026. The Rafah land crossing began operating on Monday, with a number of Palestinians arriving on the Egyptian side of the crossing to prepare for entry into the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.

The limited operation followed an initial trial phase conducted on Sunday and comes as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to the sources. (Str/Xinhua)

GAZA/CAIRO, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Rafah land crossing began operating on Monday, with a number of Palestinians arriving on the Egyptian side of the crossing to prepare for entry into the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.

The limited operation followed an initial trial phase conducted on Sunday and comes as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to the sources.

Several Egyptian buses carrying around 50 Palestinians arrived at the terminal, where official procedures began for their return to Gaza, according to Palestinian sources.

The sources and eyewitnesses said coordination is underway among Egyptian authorities, the Palestinian side and the European Union Border Assistance Mission to facilitate the process.

Relevant authorities were ready on the Egyptian side to provide logistical and medical support for arriving Palestinians, according to a well-informed source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Egyptian ambulances were seen on standby to transport wounded and ill Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to hospitals in North Sinai for medical treatment.

Hospitals in North Sinai will serve as the primary destination for Palestinian patients and injured individuals, according to Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV.

Meanwhile, the Gaza-based health authorities said that arrangements for the departure of patients and wounded individuals from the Gaza Strip had not begun.

Raed Al-Nams, spokesman for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza, said that "so far, no information or details have reached us regarding the evacuation of patients or injured people from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing."

Israeli media reports said the crossing is expected to remain open until 3:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT).

Under the current arrangements, about 150 Palestinians are expected to be allowed to leave the Gaza Strip daily, while 50 Palestinians will be permitted to enter Gaza from Egypt per day, according to Israeli media outlets.

Israeli authorities will receive a daily list with the names of 50 individuals seeking entry into Gaza, who will be subject to security screening before being allowed to enter the following day, according to the reports.

Egyptian authorities will receive a daily list of 150 Palestinians requesting departure from the Gaza Strip, with Cairo retaining the authority to approve or reject these requests.

The Rafah crossing has been almost completely closed since Israeli forces took control of it in May 2024, a move that effectively isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world and deteriorated the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave. 

Egyptian ambulances are pictured at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing in North Sinai, Egypt, Feb. 2, 2026. The Rafah land crossing began operating on Monday, with a number of Palestinians arriving on the Egyptian side of the crossing to prepare for entry into the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.

The limited operation followed an initial trial phase conducted on Sunday and comes as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, according to the sources. (Str/Xinhua)
W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW  Get Free Report) will likely be releasing its Q4 2025 results before the market opens on Tuesday, February 3rd. Analysts expect W.W. Grainger to post earnings of $9.45 per share and revenue of $4.3927 billion for the quarter. Parties may review the information on the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning report for the latest details on the call scheduled for Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $10.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.95 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $4.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.64 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.75% and a return on equity of 49.40%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $9.87 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect W.W. Grainger to post $40 EPS for the current fiscal year and $45 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,079.42 on Monday. W.W. Grainger has a fifty-two week low of $893.99 and a fifty-two week high of $1,103.69. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $1,016.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $991.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 2.72 and a quick ratio of 1.59. The company has a market cap of $51.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.10.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

Insider Activity

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be given a dividend of $2.26 per share. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. W.W. Graingers payout ratio is presently 25.35%.

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,163 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $972.57, for a total value of $11,829,368.91. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 103,885 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $101,035,434.45. The trade was a 10.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 195 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,023.93, for a total value of $199,666.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 3,174 shares in the company, valued at $3,249,953.82. This represents a 5.79% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 26,881 shares of company stock valued at $26,157,155. 6.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Moors & Cabot Inc. boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 3.1% in the third quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 464 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $442,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 9.5% in the third quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 231 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $220,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.3% during the 2nd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 355 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $369,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 354 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $338,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Horizon Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 4,308 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $4,096,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. They issued a market perform rating and a $975.00 target price for the company. Barclays upped their price target on W.W. Grainger from $963.00 to $975.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c+) rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $1,250.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $1,045.75.

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About W.W. Grainger

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W.W. Grainger, Inc (NYSE: GWW) is an industrial supply distributor founded in 1927 and headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. The company supplies maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services to businesses, institutions and government customers. Over its long history Grainger has developed a broad product assortment and a national distribution network that supports operations across a range of end markets, including manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, transportation and public sector organizations.

Graingers product portfolio spans core categories such as electrical and lighting, safety and personal protective equipment, material handling, motors and power transmission, plumbing and HVAC, fasteners and adhesives, hand and power tools, and janitorial and facility supplies.

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Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (NYSE:SMFG  Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on SMFG. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research cut Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold.

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View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Price Performance

SMFG opened at $20.99 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $134.58 billion, a PE ratio of 17.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.36. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $19.63 and its 200-day moving average price is $17.45. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group has a 52-week low of $11.83 and a 52-week high of $21.54.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (NYSE:SMFG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The bank reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.24). The company had revenue of $17.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.93 billion. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 9.34%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group will post 0.39 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SMFG. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by 26.0% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 177,249 shares of the banks stock worth $2,740,000 after buying an additional 36,522 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its holdings in Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by 40.5% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 18,253 shares of the banks stock worth $282,000 after acquiring an additional 5,258 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by 41.6% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,163 shares of the banks stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 930 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by 336.4% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 39,574 shares of the banks stock worth $610,000 after acquiring an additional 30,506 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group by 43.9% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 32,398 shares of the banks stock valued at $490,000 after acquiring an additional 9,876 shares in the last quarter. 3.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group

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Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc (SMFG) is a Tokyo-based financial holding company that provides a broad range of banking and financial services through a network of domestic and international subsidiaries. Established in 2002 as a holding company for the Sumitomo Mitsui banking operations, SMFGs core banking business is conducted primarily through its main operating bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), alongside other affiliates covering trust banking, securities, leasing and consumer finance.

The groups product and service mix spans corporate and commercial banking, retail deposit and loan services, trade and project finance, cash management, syndicated lending, foreign exchange and treasury services, and capital markets and investment banking activities through its securities arm.

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Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI  Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a buy rating to a hold rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

LEVI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from $23.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a hold (c+) rating to a buy (b-) rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Needham & Company LLC restated a buy rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group increased their price target on Levi Strauss & Co. from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Raymond James Financial started coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. They set an outperform rating and a $26.00 price target on the stock. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $26.46.

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Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

NYSE LEVI opened at $19.82 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $21.47 and its 200 day moving average is $21.49. Levi Strauss & Co. has a fifty-two week low of $12.17 and a fifty-two week high of $24.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.55. The company has a market capitalization of $7.74 billion, a PE ratio of 13.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.33.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.08% and a net margin of 9.20%.The firm had revenue of $1.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.71 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.50 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.400-1.460 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Levi Strauss & Co.

In other Levi Strauss & Co. news, SVP David Jedrzejek sold 7,093 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.38, for a total transaction of $151,648.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 98,193 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,099,366.34. This represents a 6.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in LEVI. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Levi Strauss & Co. by 181.6% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 151,645 shares of the blue-jean makers stock valued at $2,364,000 after buying an additional 97,800 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 1st quarter worth approximately $224,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 133.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,286 shares of the blue-jean makers stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $241,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 3.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,597,687 shares of the blue-jean makers stock valued at $24,908,000 after purchasing an additional 52,332 shares in the last quarter. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Levi Strauss & Co.

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About Levi Strauss & Co.

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Levi Strauss & Co is a global apparel company best known for its denim jeans and casual wear. Founded in 1853 in San Francisco by Bavarian immigrant Levi Strauss, the company pioneered the modern blue jean with the introduction of rivet-reinforced work pants. Over its more than 160-year history, Levi Strauss has evolved into a lifestyle brand, offering a broad portfolio that includes denim for men, women and children, as well as tops, outerwear, footwear and accessories.

The companys flagship label, Levis, is recognized worldwide for its iconic styles such as the 501 Original Fit Jeans, while additional brands, including Dockers, Target core metric, and Denizen by Levis, cater to diverse price points and consumer segments.

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Black Hills (NYSE:BKH  Get Free Report) is anticipated to post its Q4 2025 results after the market closes on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $1.45 per share and revenue of $809.8840 million for the quarter. Parties can check the companys upcoming Q4 2025 earning summary page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET.

Black Hills (NYSE:BKH  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.45. Black Hills had a net margin of 12.54% and a return on equity of 7.86%. The firm had revenue of $430.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $439.96 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.35 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect Black Hills to post $4 EPS for the current fiscal year and $4 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Black Hills Stock Performance

NYSE BKH opened at $72.95 on Monday. Black Hills has a 12-month low of $54.92 and a 12-month high of $74.23. The firm has a market cap of $5.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The companys 50 day moving average is $71.15 and its 200-day moving average is $65.03.

Black Hills Increases Dividend

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $0.703 dividend. This represents a $2.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. This is a boost from Black Hillss previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. Black Hillss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.18%.

BKH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Black Hills from $70.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of Black Hills in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded shares of Black Hills from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and increased their price target for the company from $66.00 to $81.00 in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $75.67.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Black Hills

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Black Hills news, CFO Kimberly F. Nooney sold 14,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.70, for a total value of $1,025,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,621 shares in the company, valued at $2,447,704.70. This trade represents a 29.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. NorthRock Partners LLC purchased a new position in Black Hills during the third quarter valued at $234,000. Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Black Hills during the third quarter valued at $232,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Black Hills during the second quarter valued at approximately $253,000. M&T Bank Corp bought a new position in Black Hills in the 2nd quarter worth $239,000. Finally, United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in shares of Black Hills during the 1st quarter valued at about $255,000. 86.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Black Hills Company Profile

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Black Hills Corporation is a diversified energy company based in Rapid City, South Dakota, that provides electricity and natural gas distribution services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Through its regulated utility subsidiariesBlack Hills Power, Cheyenne Light & Power, and Black Hills Energythe company delivers reliable energy across Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.

In addition to its distribution operations, Black Hills owns and operates a generation portfolio that includes natural gasfired plants, coal-fired units, hydroelectric facilities and wind projects.

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Visa (NYSE:V) reported what management described as a strong start to fiscal 2026, driven by resilient consumer spending, continued growth in cross-border activity, and accelerating contributions from value-added services and commercial and money movement solutions.

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Quarterly performance and key volume trends

Chief Executive Officer Ryan McInerney said fiscal first-quarter net revenue rose 15% year-over-year to $10.9 billion, while earnings per share increased 15%. Payments volume grew 8% year-over-year in constant dollars to nearly $4 trillion, and processed transactions increased 9% to 69 billion.

Chief Financial Officer Chris Suh said business drivers were strong and relatively consistent with fiscal Q4. In constant dollars, cross-border volume excluding intra-Europe rose 11% and processed transactions grew 9%.

In the U.S., payments volume increased 7%, with credit up 7% and debit up 6%. Suh noted a slight step down in U.S. payments volume through the quarter, driven primarily by debit. He attributed that to a Visa Direct client shifting remaining volume to its own solution, the loss of some Interlink volumes tied to a Capital One debit migration, and severe weather affecting certain spending categories. He added that the highest spend band continued to grow the fastest, and Visa did not see deterioration in the lower spend band.

On holiday spending (Nov. 1 through Dec. 31), Suh said U.S. consumer holiday spending growth was in line with last year, with strength in retail, improvement in fuel, and moderation in other categories. Retail holiday spending growth was slightly better than last year, led by e-commerce. Visa said several key countries saw similar patterns, with retail holiday growth improving year-over-year and e-commerce leading.

Revenue drivers: value-added services and commercial momentum

Suh said fiscal Q1 net revenue outperformance was largely driven by three factors: stronger-than-expected value-added services revenue, lower-than-expected client incentives, and stronger-than-expected commercial and money movement solutions revenue, which more than offset lower-than-expected currency volatility. Revenue increased 13% in constant dollars, and EPS rose 14% in constant dollars.

Visa detailed performance across major revenue components:

Service revenue grew 13% year-over-year, which management said reflected pricing and card benefits.

grew 13% year-over-year, which management said reflected pricing and card benefits. Data processing revenue rose 17%, attributed to pricing, strong value-added services performance, and higher cross-border transaction mix.

rose 17%, attributed to pricing, strong value-added services performance, and higher cross-border transaction mix. International transaction revenue increased 6%, below the 11% constant-dollar cross-border volume growth (excluding intra-Europe). Suh cited lower-than-expected volatility and additional pressure from mix and hedging.

increased 6%, below the 11% constant-dollar cross-border volume growth (excluding intra-Europe). Suh cited lower-than-expected volatility and additional pressure from mix and hedging. Other revenue grew 33%, driven by advisory and other value-added services and pricing.

grew 33%, driven by advisory and other value-added services and pricing. Client incentives increased 12%, lower than management expected due to one-time write-downs tied to client performance and deal timing.

McInerney said commercial and money movement solutions revenue grew 20% in constant dollars, supported by 10% constant-dollar commercial payments volume growth and 23% Visa Direct transaction growth. Suh added Visa Direct transactions increased 23% to 3.7 billion, with strength in domestic and cross-border use cases.

Value-added services revenue grew 28% in constant dollars to $3.2 billion, with Suh citing strength across all portfolios and particular demand for advisory and other services, especially in marketing services. In response to analyst questions, management emphasized the broad-based nature of value-added services growth, spanning issuing solutions, acceptance, risk and security, and advisory.

Product and technology initiatives highlighted on the call

McInerney framed Visas strategy around a Visa as a Service stack, highlighting innovations across credentials, tokens, agentic commerce, stablecoins, issuer processing, and risk and security.

On credentials, he said Visa now has more than 5 billion credentials. Tap-to-pay penetration surpassed 80% of face-to-face transactions globally, with the U.S. at nearly 70%. Visa also cited growth in Tap to Phone, which McInerney said helped acceptance locations exceed 175 million globally and added more than 20 new markets over the past year.

Visas Flex credential, which allows multiple funding sources on a single credential, reached about 20 million credentials globally. McInerney said Block announced a pilot launch of a Cash App Visa Debit Flex card that enables Afterpay to pay over time anywhere Visa is accepted and leverages Visas DPS issuer processing solution for the debit component. Visa expects to expand Flex to more than 20 additional issuers this year, according to McInerney.

On tokenization, McInerney said Visa has more than 17.5 billion tokens globallymore than three times the number of physical cardsand described a long-term goal of fully replacing card-centric e-commerce payment technology. He highlighted ongoing work to reduce guest checkout in Visa e-commerce, which he said fell from 44% in 2019 to about 16% in fiscal 2025; among Visas top 25 sellers, it is less than 4%.

Stablecoins, issuer processing, and risk/security updates

McInerney said stablecoins remain early-stage for payments but that Visas objective is to build an interoperable layer between stablecoins and traditional fiat payments. He said Visa expanded stablecoin card issuance to surpass 50 countries and extended USDC settlement capabilities into the U.S. Total stablecoin settlement reached an annualized run rate of $4.6 billion globally, according to McInerney. Visa also launched a global stablecoins advisory practice and announced pilots involving Visa Direct stablecoin payouts in the U.S.

In issuer processing, Visa discussed investments in DPS and progress following its Pismo acquisition. McInerney highlighted Pismos first post-acquisition commercial offering with Banco BICE in Chile (with Mendel) and Pismos first fleet card offering with Finance Now in New Zealand. In Q&A, he described modernization of bank technology stacks as a long sales-cycle opportunity and said there was no change in the total addressable market, calling it enormous.

On risk and security, McInerney said Nets (part of Nexi Group) selected Featurespace to expand fraud prevention for 150 banks in Nordic and Central Europe. Visa also provided updated results for Visa Account Attack Intelligence, which it said scored more than 60 billion transactions and identified nearly 600 million suspicious transactions in the last 12 months in the U.S. McInerney added that in Latin America, within six months, almost 90% of clients were activated and Visa had prevented more than $10 billion of fraud.

Guidance, expenses, and capital return

Looking ahead, Suh said Visa is maintaining its full-year expectations for adjusted and nominal net revenue growth, with adjusted net revenue growth expected to be in the low double digits. He said Visa assumes the macro environment remains broadly stable and consumer spending stays resilient.

For fiscal Q2, Visa expects adjusted net revenue growth in the low double digits, with a step down from Q1 driven by lower pricing contribution, lower volatility, and higher incentive growth. Visa expects adjusted operating expense growth in the mid-teens in Q2, reflecting increased marketing-related expenses tied to the Olympics and FIFA and prior-year timing effects.

On taxes and other items, Suh said full-year tax rate expectations were revised lower to 18% to 18.5% due to claim of right tax benefits related to recent and anticipated legal settlements, while reiterating a long-term tax rate expectation of 19% to 20%. Visa now expects full-year non-operating expense of approximately $100 million to $125 million.

During the quarter, Visa bought back approximately $3.8 billion in stock and paid about $1.3 billion in dividends. Visa also funded a litigation escrow account by $500 million, which Suh said has the same effect on EPS as a stock buyback. At the end of December, Visa had $21.1 billion remaining in buyback authorization.

About Visa (NYSE:V)

Visa Inc is a global payments technology company that facilitates electronic funds transfers and digital commerce by connecting consumers, merchants, financial institutions and governments. The firm operates one of the worlds largest payment networks, providing processing, authorization, clearing and settlement services for credit, debit and prepaid card transactions. Visas network-based model enables partner banks and other issuers to offer branded payment products while Visa focuses on the infrastructure, standards and technologies that move money securely and efficiently around the world.

Visas product and service portfolio includes card-based payment products for consumers and businesses, real-time push-payment capabilities, tokenization and authentication services, fraud and risk-management tools, data analytics and APIs for fintech and merchant integration.

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Shares of Sse Plc (OTCMKTS:SSEZY  Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of Hold from the six analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company.

SSEZY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating on shares of SSE in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Citigroup reaffirmed a sell rating on shares of SSE in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating on shares of SSE in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an outperform rating on shares of SSE in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Finally, UBS Group downgraded SSE from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, November 27th.

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SSE Trading Down 0.7%

SSE Company Profile

Shares of SSEZY stock opened at $33.46 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. SSE has a 12 month low of $18.60 and a 12 month high of $33.93. The companys fifty day moving average price is $30.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.68.

(Get Free Report)

SSE plc (OTCMKTS:SSEZY) is a United Kingdombased energy company engaged across the electricity value chain. Its principal activities include power generation, energy supply to residential and commercial customers, and ownership/operation of electricity networks. The company has a significant presence in renewable energy development alongside conventional generation, and it provides a range of energy-related services and infrastructure solutions.

On the generation side, SSEs portfolio spans both low-carbon technologiessuch as onshore and offshore wind and hydroelectric assetsand thermal generation that supports system reliability.

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Enersys (NYSE:ENS  Get Free Report) will likely be releasing its Q3 2026 results after the market closes on Wednesday, February 4th. Analysts expect Enersys to post earnings of $2.73 per share and revenue of $932.1250 million for the quarter. Enersys has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.710-2.81 EPS. Parties may visit the the companys upcoming Q3 2026 earning results page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET.

Enersys (NYSE:ENS  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The industrial products company reported $2.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.36 by $0.20. Enersys had a net margin of 9.05% and a return on equity of 22.48%. The firm had revenue of $951.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $890.27 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.12 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect Enersys to post $10 EPS for the current fiscal year and $10 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Enersys Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ENS opened at $180.05 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.10. The firms 50-day moving average price is $155.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $126.25. The company has a current ratio of 2.77, a quick ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. Enersys has a 1-year low of $76.57 and a 1-year high of $186.51.

Enersys Announces Dividend

Analyst Ratings Changes

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th were paid a dividend of $0.2625 per share. This represents a $1.05 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 12th. Enersyss dividend payout ratio is 12.28%.

ENS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen cut Enersys from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Enersys in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Enersys from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. BTIG Research upgraded shares of Enersys from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Enersys in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $129.00.

Read Our Latest Report on ENS

Insider Buying and Selling at Enersys

In related news, insider Chad C. Uplinger sold 6,702 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.46, for a total transaction of $1,015,084.92. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 23,713 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,591,570.98. The trade was a 22.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.91% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Enersys

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ENS. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in Enersys by 442.2% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 244 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares during the period. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Enersys in the third quarter valued at $463,000. Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in shares of Enersys during the 3rd quarter valued at $11,796,000. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Enersys during the 3rd quarter worth $314,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its holdings in Enersys by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 80,328 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $8,927,000 after acquiring an additional 845 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.93% of the companys stock.

About Enersys

(Get Free Report)

Enersys, headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, is a global leader in stored energy solutions, specializing in manufacturing and distributing industrial batteries, battery chargers, power equipment, and related accessories. The company serves a diverse range of end markets, including telecommunications, data centers, medical, aerospace, defense, electric vehicle motive power, and utility outcomes. Its products are engineered to deliver critical reserve power and motive power applications across key infrastructure and industrial sectors.

The companys product portfolio encompasses lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion energy storage systems, chargers, inverters, power management software, and a broad array of battery accessories.

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Flotek Industries, Inc. (NYSE:FTK  Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of Buy from the five analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $21.3333.

FTK has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Lake Street Capital began coverage on Flotek Industries in a research report on Thursday. They set a buy rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded Flotek Industries from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Northland Securities reiterated an outperform rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Flotek Industries in a research report on Wednesday, December 31st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c+) rating on shares of Flotek Industries in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Flotek Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Sunday, November 16th.

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Insider Transactions at Flotek Industries

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Flotek Industries

In other Flotek Industries news, Director Harshavardhan V. Agadi sold 66,956 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.71, for a total transaction of $984,922.76. Following the sale, the director owned 197,265 shares in the company, valued at $2,901,768.15. This represents a 25.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . 3.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in shares of Flotek Industries by 3.6% in the third quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 22,400 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $327,000 after buying an additional 770 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of Flotek Industries by 97.2% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 3,855 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,900 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of Flotek Industries by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 78,585 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,147,000 after acquiring an additional 2,861 shares during the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Flotek Industries by 3.7% during the second quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 81,027 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $1,196,000 after purchasing an additional 2,901 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey bought a new position in shares of Flotek Industries in the second quarter worth approximately $50,000. 10.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Flotek Industries Stock Down 6.6%

Flotek Industries stock opened at $17.33 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $16.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Flotek Industries has a twelve month low of $6.05 and a twelve month high of $20.09. The company has a market capitalization of $520.82 million, a P/E ratio of 19.47 and a beta of 1.44.

Flotek Industries (NYSE:FTK  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The oil and gas company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.05. Flotek Industries had a return on equity of 22.62% and a net margin of 14.48%.The business had revenue of $56.03 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $52.90 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that Flotek Industries will post 0.29 EPS for the current year.

About Flotek Industries

(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.

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EastGroup Properties (NYSE:EGP  Get Free Report) and Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations and risk.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for EastGroup Properties and Empire State Realty Trust, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score EastGroup Properties 0 5 9 1 2.73 Empire State Realty Trust 1 2 1 0 2.00

EastGroup Properties presently has a consensus target price of $195.19, suggesting a potential upside of 7.49%. Empire State Realty Trust has a consensus target price of $8.40, suggesting a potential upside of 26.32%. Given Empire State Realty Trusts higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Empire State Realty Trust is more favorable than EastGroup Properties.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets EastGroup Properties 35.58% 7.28% 4.76% Empire State Realty Trust 4.96% 2.13% 0.91%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

This table compares EastGroup Properties and Empire State Realty Trusts net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

92.1% of EastGroup Properties shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 67.1% of Empire State Realty Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.0% of EastGroup Properties shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 14.6% of Empire State Realty Trust shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares EastGroup Properties and Empire State Realty Trusts gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio EastGroup Properties $640.23 million 15.13 $227.75 million $4.76 38.15 Empire State Realty Trust $767.92 million 1.47 $51.64 million $0.21 31.67

EastGroup Properties has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Empire State Realty Trust. Empire State Realty Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than EastGroup Properties, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Risk & Volatility

EastGroup Properties has a beta of 1.11, suggesting that its stock price is 11% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Empire State Realty Trust has a beta of 1.36, suggesting that its stock price is 36% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

EastGroup Properties pays an annual dividend of $6.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.4%. Empire State Realty Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.14 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. EastGroup Properties pays out 130.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Empire State Realty Trust pays out 66.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. EastGroup Properties has raised its dividend for 4 consecutive years. EastGroup Properties is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

EastGroup Properties beats Empire State Realty Trust on 13 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

About EastGroup Properties

(Get Free Report)

EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP), a member of the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and Russell 1000 Indexes, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 20,000 to 100,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. The Company's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 59 million square feet.

About Empire State Realty Trust

(Get Free Report)

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT) is a NYC-focused REIT that owns and operates a portfolio of modernized, amenitized, and well-located office, retail, and multifamily assets. The company is the recognized leader in energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality. ESRTs flagship Empire State Building  the Worlds Most Famous Building  includes its Observatory, Tripadvisors 2023 Travelers Choice Awards: Best of the Best the #1 attraction in the US for two consecutive years. As of September 30, 2023, ESRTs portfolio is comprised of approximately 8.6 million rentable square feet of office space, 0.7 million rentable square feet of retail space and 727 residential units across three multifamily properties.

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Bridges Investment Management Inc. lessened its stake in shares of ING Group, N.V. (NYSE:ING  Free Report) by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 503,627 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 63,858 shares during the quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc.s holdings in ING Group were worth $13,135,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Abound Wealth Management raised its stake in ING Group by 2,757.6% during the 3rd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 943 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 910 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its holdings in shares of ING Group by 2,440.8% during the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 1,245 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,196 shares during the last quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of ING Group during the second quarter worth about $33,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ING Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of ING Group by 210.3% in the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,626 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 1,102 shares during the period. 4.49% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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More ING Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting ING Group this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat consensus (reported ~$0.57 vs. ~0.52 expected), driven by strong margins and profitability that exceeded analyst estimates  a key reason for investor confidence. ING Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

Q4 EPS beat consensus (reported ~$0.57 vs. ~0.52 expected), driven by strong margins and profitability that exceeded analyst estimates  a key reason for investor confidence. Positive Sentiment: ING reported a robust FY2025 net result of 6,327 million, citing continued growth in customer balances and fee income  supports confidence in recurring revenue and earnings power. ING FY2025 Net Result

ING reported a robust FY2025 net result of 6,327 million, citing continued growth in customer balances and fee income  supports confidence in recurring revenue and earnings power. Positive Sentiment: ING declared a dividend of 0.8796 per share (record April 17, payable May 1), which supports shareholder returns and may attract income-focused investors.

ING declared a dividend of 0.8796 per share (record April 17, payable May 1), which supports shareholder returns and may attract income-focused investors. Positive Sentiment: Management guided for further growth this year and next, citing loan-volume expansion and rising fee & commission income as diversification away from pure rate-driven revenue  positive for medium-term revenue stability. WSJ: ING Guides for Further Growth

Management guided for further growth this year and next, citing loan-volume expansion and rising fee & commission income as diversification away from pure rate-driven revenue  positive for medium-term revenue stability. Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies initiated coverage on ING, which can increase analyst attention and liquidity; impact depends on the issued rating/price target. Jefferies Initiates Coverage

Jefferies initiated coverage on ING, which can increase analyst attention and liquidity; impact depends on the issued rating/price target. Neutral Sentiment: Company released its earnings slide deck and full call transcript  useful for investors doing deeper diligence on segment performance and guidance. Earnings Presentation

Company released its earnings slide deck and full call transcript  useful for investors doing deeper diligence on segment performance and guidance. Negative Sentiment: Revenue for the quarter missed consensus materially (reported ~$4.61B vs. ~$6.67B expected), which likely prompted investor concern about top-line momentum despite the EPS beat  a primary driver of the stock decline. MarketBeat: Q4 Results

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ING has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered ING Group from a hold rating to a moderate sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of ING Group in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of ING Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of ING Group to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on ING Group

ING Group Stock Performance

Shares of ING opened at $29.40 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.99, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. ING Group, N.V. has a 1 year low of $16.04 and a 1 year high of $30.10. The companys fifty day moving average is $27.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.75.

ING Group (NYSE:ING  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $4.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.67 billion. ING Group had a net margin of 27.50% and a return on equity of 12.26%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that ING Group, N.V. will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

ING Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.8796 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 589.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 17th. ING Groups dividend payout ratio is 28.87%.

ING Group Profile

(Free Report)

ING Group N.V. is a Dutch multinational financial services company headquartered in Amsterdam. Formed through the consolidation of Dutch financial businesses, ING operates as a banking and financial services group that serves retail, small and medium-sized enterprises, large corporates and institutional clients. The company is organized under a two-tier governance model common in the Netherlands, with an Executive Board responsible for day-to-day management and a Supervisory Board providing oversight.

INGs principal activities include retail and direct banking, commercial and wholesale banking, corporate lending, transaction services and cash management, and a range of investment and savings products.

See Also

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ING? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ING Group, N.V. (NYSE:ING  Free Report).

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People are seen around the wreckage of a car targeted by an Israeli drone in Ansariyah, southern Lebanon, Feb. 2, 2026. One person was killed and eight others were injured on Monday in two Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry reported.

According to the ministry, one person was killed and four others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in Ansariyah area, whereas four more were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the Tyre district. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and eight others were injured on Monday in two Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry reported.

According to the ministry, one person was killed and four others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in Ansariyah area, whereas four more were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the Tyre district.

Earlier in the day, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an urgent evacuation warning on social media platform X to residents of southern Lebanon, specifically in the villages of Kfar Tebnit and Ain Qana, threatening to strike Hezbollah's military infrastructure there.

Later, the Israeli military announced in a statement that it struck several Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in southern Lebanon, to prevent the group's reestablishment attempts.

Regarding the attack in Ansariyah, the military issued a separate statement, claiming that it was a response to Hezbollah's violations of the ceasefire agreement, and that the dead was "involved in attempts to rehabilitate Hezbollah military infrastructure."

The Israeli army has carried out frequent strikes in Lebanon, claiming they are aimed at removing Hezbollah "threats," despite a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel that has been in effect since Nov. 27, 2024. 

People clean the wreckage of a car targeted by an Israeli drone in Ansariyah, southern Lebanon, Feb. 2, 2026. One person was killed and eight others were injured on Monday in two Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry reported.

According to the ministry, one person was killed and four others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in Ansariyah area, whereas four more were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the Tyre district. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Feb. 2, 2026 shows people around the wreckage of a car targeted by an Israeli drone in Ansariyah, southern Lebanon. One person was killed and eight others were injured on Monday in two Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry reported.

According to the ministry, one person was killed and four others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in Ansariyah area, whereas four more were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the Tyre district. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
Allied Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O  Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 178,812 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $10,870,000. Realty Income accounts for about 1.7% of Allied Investment Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Realty Income during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Avion Wealth raised its position in Realty Income by 142.4% in the second quarter. Avion Wealth now owns 526 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 309 shares in the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Realty Income in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Country Trust Bank boosted its position in shares of Realty Income by 806.5% during the 2nd quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 562 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hilltop National Bank acquired a new position in shares of Realty Income during the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.81% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on O. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an underweight rating and issued a $61.00 price objective on shares of Realty Income in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Realty Income from $62.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Realty Income from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $69.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Realty Income from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Realty Income from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $63.21.

Realty Income Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:O opened at $61.18 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $56.28 billion, a PE ratio of 56.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $58.27 and a 200 day simple moving average of $58.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Realty Income Corporation has a 12-month low of $50.71 and a 12-month high of $61.95.

Realty Income (NYSE:O  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The real estate investment trust reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.01. Realty Income had a return on equity of 2.45% and a net margin of 17.17%.The firm had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.05 earnings per share. Realty Incomes quarterly revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Realty Income Corporation will post 4.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Realty Income Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.3%. Realty Incomes dividend payout ratio is currently 300.00%.

Realty Income Profile

(Free Report)

Realty Income Corporation (NYSE: O) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, owns and manages commercial properties subject primarily to long-term net lease agreements. The companys business model focuses on generating predictable, contractual rental income by leasing properties to tenants under agreements that typically place responsibility for taxes, insurance and maintenance on the tenant. Realty Income is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and markets itself as a reliable income-oriented REIT.

Realty Incomes portfolio is concentrated in single-tenant, retail and service-oriented properties such as drugstores, convenience stores, dollar and discount retailers, restaurants, and other essential-service businesses.

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Strs Ohio cut its position in shares of Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE:RGA  Free Report) by 88.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,577 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 12,018 shares during the period. Strs Ohios holdings in Reinsurance Group of America were worth $303,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Reinsurance Group of America by 5.0% in the second quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 2,639,979 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $521,343,000 after acquiring an additional 125,937 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of Reinsurance Group of America by 35.2% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,044,818 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $405,610,000 after purchasing an additional 532,891 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Reinsurance Group of America by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,219,609 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $241,960,000 after purchasing an additional 53,211 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Reinsurance Group of America during the second quarter valued at approximately $167,955,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Reinsurance Group of America by 29.6% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 799,675 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $158,352,000 after buying an additional 182,729 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.11% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on RGA shares. TD Cowen reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Reinsurance Group of America in a research report on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial lowered Reinsurance Group of America from a market perform rating to an underperform rating in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley set a $208.00 price target on shares of Reinsurance Group of America in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b-) rating on shares of Reinsurance Group of America in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Barclays set a $237.00 target price on shares of Reinsurance Group of America in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $238.67.

Reinsurance Group of America Stock Performance

RGA opened at $202.63 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated has a 12-month low of $159.25 and a 12-month high of $231.96. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $198.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $193.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.31 billion, a PE ratio of 15.59 and a beta of 0.53.

Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE:RGA  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $6.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.80 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $6.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.02 billion. Reinsurance Group of America had a net margin of 3.89% and a return on equity of 12.19%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.13 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated will post 22.9 EPS for the current year.

Reinsurance Group of America Profile

(Free Report)

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE: RGA) is a leading global provider of life and health reinsurance solutions. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, RGA partners with primary insurance companies to help them manage risk, improve capital efficiency and develop innovative products. The companys offerings span traditional risk transfer, financial solutions and facultative underwriting services, enabling clients to address a wide range of mortality, longevity, morbidity and critical-illness exposures.

RGAs product suite includes life reinsurance, living benefits reinsurance, structured reinsurance and financial solutions that support product innovation and capital management.

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Bank of New York Mellon Corp lessened its stake in shares of Loews Corporation (NYSE:L  Free Report) by 3.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,126,671 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 36,254 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned approximately 0.54% of Loews worth $113,106,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Loews during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $665,658,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Loews by 0.6% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,609,107 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $420,722,000 after purchasing an additional 28,552 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in shares of Loews by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 728,940 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $66,761,000 after acquiring an additional 4,750 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Loews by 27.5% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 592,923 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $53,920,000 after purchasing an additional 127,782 shares during the period. Finally, Swiss National Bank raised its stake in Loews by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 541,161 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $49,603,000 after buying an additional 19,100 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.33% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (a-) rating on shares of Loews in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Loews currently has a consensus rating of Strong Buy.

Insider Transactions at Loews

In related news, Director Paul J. Fribourg sold 1,442 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.13, for a total transaction of $155,923.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 400 shares in the company, valued at $43,252. This represents a 78.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Andrew H. Tisch sold 50,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.07, for a total transaction of $5,253,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 12,909,642 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,356,416,084.94. This represents a 0.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 125,770 shares of company stock worth $13,325,818. Corporate insiders own 18.70% of the companys stock.

Loews Stock Up 0.8%

L stock opened at $105.54 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $104.88 and a 200-day moving average of $100.34. Loews Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $78.98 and a fifty-two week high of $109.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.35. The company has a market capitalization of $21.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.30 and a beta of 0.61.

Loews (NYSE:L  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The insurance provider reported $2.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Loews had a return on equity of 7.89% and a net margin of 7.95%.The firm had revenue of $4.67 billion for the quarter.

Loews Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 9th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 26th were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 26th. Loewss dividend payout ratio is currently 3.62%.

About Loews

(Free Report)

Loews Corporation (NYSE: L) is a diversified holding company that owns and operates businesses across insurance, hospitality, energy-related operations and other industrial and investment activities. The company holds controlling and significant minority interests in subsidiaries that run as standalone businesses, with corporate oversight focused on capital allocation, risk management and long-term value creation for shareholders.

One of Loews principal businesses is insurance, conducted through CNA Financial, a commercial property and casualty insurer that underwrites a range of business insurance products for corporate and institutional clients.

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Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its stake in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA  Free Report) by 19.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 692,411 shares of the companys stock after selling 167,342 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.30% of HCA Healthcare worth $295,106,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of HCA. Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 13.1% during the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 43,920 shares of the companys stock worth $18,719,000 after purchasing an additional 5,092 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank increased its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 4.3% in the second quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 558,900 shares of the companys stock valued at $214,115,000 after buying an additional 23,100 shares in the last quarter. Cherokee Insurance Co acquired a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,869,000. Sector Gamma AS raised its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 36.0% during the third quarter. Sector Gamma AS now owns 10,883 shares of the companys stock worth $4,638,000 after purchasing an additional 2,883 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 4.2% in the third quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al now owns 297,300 shares of the companys stock valued at $126,709,000 after purchasing an additional 11,900 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the companys stock.

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Trending Headlines about HCA Healthcare

Here are the key news stories impacting HCA Healthcare this week:

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on HCA shares. Raymond James Financial set a $525.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, October 27th. Morgan Stanley downgraded HCA Healthcare from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and set a $425.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group boosted their price target on HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $598.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $546.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $423.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $518.76.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on HCA

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of HCA opened at $488.19 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $111.40 billion, a PE ratio of 17.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.36. The companys fifty day moving average is $481.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $438.34. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $295.00 and a fifty-two week high of $527.55.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $7.37 by $0.64. The firm had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.The firms quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $6.22 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 24.98 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.78 per share. This is an increase from HCA Healthcares previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. HCA Healthcares payout ratio is presently 10.15%.

Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $473.79, for a total transaction of $1,843,990.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,652,105.73. The trade was a 52.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock.

About HCA Healthcare

(Free Report)

HCA Healthcare is a for?profit operator of healthcare facilities headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1968, the company owns and operates a network of hospitals and related healthcare facilities and has grown through organic expansion and acquisitions to become a large provider of inpatient and outpatient services.

The companys core activities include the operation of acute care hospitals, freestanding surgical and emergency centers, and outpatient clinics. HCAs services encompass inpatient care, surgical services, emergency medicine, diagnostic imaging and laboratory testing, and various outpatient and ambulatory care offerings.

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Arjuna Capital acquired a new position in shares of Manulife Financial Corp (NYSE:MFC  Free Report) (TSE:MFC) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 54,994 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $1,713,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Manulife Financial in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Caldwell Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Manulife Financial in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Eastern Bank boosted its stake in shares of Manulife Financial by 156.1% in the second quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 968 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 590 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Manulife Financial during the second quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Goodman Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in Manulife Financial during the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors own 52.56% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MFC. Weiss Ratings upgraded Manulife Financial from a buy (b+) rating to a buy (a-) rating in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley set a $51.00 price objective on shares of Manulife Financial in a research report on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Manulife Financial in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. CIBC upgraded shares of Manulife Financial from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Cibc Captl Mkts upgraded shares of Manulife Financial from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and five have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $51.50.

Manulife Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MFC opened at $38.11 on Monday. Manulife Financial Corp has a 52-week low of $25.92 and a 52-week high of $38.63. The company has a market capitalization of $63.91 billion, a PE ratio of 16.94 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a fifty day moving average of $36.36 and a 200-day moving average of $33.29.

Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC  Get Free Report) (TSE:MFC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The financial services provider reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $12.90 billion during the quarter. Manulife Financial had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 9.81%.During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.00 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Manulife Financial Corp will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Manulife Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 26th were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 26th. This is a positive change from Manulife Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.6%. Manulife Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55.56%.

Manulife Financial Profile

(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.

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Shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. (LON:IAG  Get Free Report) have received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the seven ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 455.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on IAG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a GBX 500 price target on shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on International Consolidated Airlines Group from GBX 475 to GBX 500 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, November 17th. Citigroup raised their price objective on International Consolidated Airlines Group from GBX 620 to GBX 630 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Peel Hunt reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 450 target price on shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group in a research note on Friday, November 7th.

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Read Our Latest Report on IAG

International Consolidated Airlines Group Trading Up 1.2%

About International Consolidated Airlines Group

IAG opened at GBX 423.30 on Monday. The firms 50 day moving average is GBX 409.90 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 396.71. International Consolidated Airlines Group has a 52-week low of GBX 210 and a 52-week high of GBX 438.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 338.12. The firm has a market capitalization of 19.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 2.31.

(Get Free Report)

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of passenger and cargo transportation services in the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States, and rest of the world. It also provides aircraft leasing, aircraft maintenance, tour operation, air freight operations, call centre, ground handling, trustee, retail, IT, finance, procurement, storage and custody, aircraft technical assistance, human resources support, and airport infrastructure development services; and manages airline loyalty programmes.

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State of Wyoming lifted its position in shares of Gildan Activewear, Inc. (NYSE:GIL  Free Report) (TSE:GIL) by 205.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 17,263 shares of the textile makers stock after buying an additional 11,609 shares during the period. State of Wyomings holdings in Gildan Activewear were worth $998,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Gildan Activewear during the second quarter worth $101,409,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in Gildan Activewear by 61.9% in the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 4,434,020 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $218,622,000 after purchasing an additional 1,695,329 shares during the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of Gildan Activewear in the second quarter valued at $65,409,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in shares of Gildan Activewear by 24.3% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 3,678,451 shares of the textile makers stock worth $180,305,000 after buying an additional 718,896 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Gildan Activewear by 40.0% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,760,253 shares of the textile makers stock worth $77,838,000 after buying an additional 503,359 shares in the last quarter. 82.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Barclays reissued an overweight rating and issued a $70.00 price objective (up from $64.00) on shares of Gildan Activewear in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Gildan Activewear in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Desjardins raised their price objective on shares of Gildan Activewear from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Citigroup downgraded Gildan Activewear from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $60.00 to $63.00 in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, National Bankshares reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Gildan Activewear in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $75.77.

Gildan Activewear Stock Down 1.5%

GIL stock opened at $64.99 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $62.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $58.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 2.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.76 and a beta of 1.08. Gildan Activewear, Inc. has a one year low of $37.16 and a one year high of $67.96.

Gildan Activewear Company Profile

(Free Report)

Gildan Activewear Inc (NYSE:GIL) is a vertically integrated manufacturer and wholesaler of branded basic apparel, including activewear, socks, hosiery and underwear. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, the company produces a wide range of products such as T-shirts, fleece garments, sport shirts, performance wear, and shapewear under its Gildan, Anvil, Comfort Colors, Gold Toe, Peds and Silks brands. Leveraging its in-house knitting, dyeing, cut-and-sew and finishing operations, Gildan supplies blank apparel to screen printers, promotional product distributors and major retailers around the world.

Since its founding in 1984 by Glenn J.

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Truist Financial Corp grew its position in shares of Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG  Free Report) by 9.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 43,897 shares of the industrial products companys stock after purchasing an additional 3,710 shares during the quarter. Truist Financial Corps holdings in Packaging Corporation of America were worth $9,567,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vise Technologies Inc. purchased a new stake in Packaging Corporation of America in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,306,000. Atlas FRM LLC lifted its position in Packaging Corporation of America by 59.7% during the second quarter. Atlas FRM LLC now owns 535,000 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $100,821,000 after buying an additional 200,000 shares during the period. Carnegie Investment Counsel lifted its position in Packaging Corporation of America by 32.2% during the 3rd quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 12,679 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,763,000 after acquiring an additional 3,085 shares during the period. Arvest Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in shares of Packaging Corporation of America during the second quarter valued at approximately $892,000. Finally, Burney Co. raised its stake in Packaging Corporation of America by 349.3% during the third quarter. Burney Co. now owns 11,066 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,412,000 after buying an additional 8,603 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.78% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PKG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $273.00 to $270.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Packaging Corporation of America from $233.00 to $234.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Packaging Corporation of America from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Packaging Corporation of America from $238.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Packaging Corporation of America in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $236.00.

Packaging Corporation of America Price Performance

Packaging Corporation of America stock opened at $222.77 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 3.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. Packaging Corporation of America has a 52-week low of $172.71 and a 52-week high of $231.12. The firms fifty day moving average is $209.35 and its 200 day moving average is $207.04. The company has a market cap of $20.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.99, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.88.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.41 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.43 billion. Packaging Corporation of America had a net margin of 8.61% and a return on equity of 19.18%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.47 earnings per share. Packaging Corporation of America has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.200-2.20 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Packaging Corporation of America will post 10.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Packaging Corporation of America Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were paid a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Packaging Corporation of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 58.34%.

Packaging Corporation of America Company Profile

(Free Report)

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE: PKG) is a leading North American manufacturer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products. The company produces a range of paper-based packaging solutions including linerboard, corrugating medium, corrugated shipping containers, retail-ready packaging and point-of-purchase displays. In addition to core packaging products, Packaging Corporation of America offers packaging design, testing and supply-chain services intended to optimize protection, cost and sustainability for customers.

Headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, the company operates an integrated network of mills and corrugated manufacturing facilities across the United States and serves customers throughout North America in industries such as e-commerce, grocery and food & beverage, consumer packaged goods and industrial markets.

Further Reading

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ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP  Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the twenty-four ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and sixteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $110.9565.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on COP shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a neutral rating and set a $98.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Bank of America reissued an underperform rating and issued a $102.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $120.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Wolfe Research lifted their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $122.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th.

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ConocoPhillips Trading Up 1.4%

COP opened at $104.25 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.32. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $94.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $93.27. ConocoPhillips has a one year low of $79.88 and a one year high of $106.20. The stock has a market cap of $128.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.74 and a beta of 0.32.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The energy producer reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $15.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.51 billion. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 13.64% and a net margin of 14.25%.ConocoPhillipss quarterly revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a dividend of $0.84 per share. This is a boost from ConocoPhillipss previous quarterly dividend of $0.78. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. ConocoPhillipss dividend payout ratio is presently 47.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at ConocoPhillips

In other news, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 500,708 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.50, for a total transaction of $46,315,490.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 325,972 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $30,152,410. This represents a 60.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director William H. Mcraven acquired 5,768 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $86.68 per share, with a total value of $499,970.24. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 5,768 shares of the companys stock, valued at $499,970.24. This represents a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ConocoPhillips

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Heartland Bank & Trust Co raised its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 97.2% during the second quarter. Heartland Bank & Trust Co now owns 6,861 shares of the energy producers stock worth $616,000 after purchasing an additional 3,381 shares during the last quarter. Tema Etfs LLC acquired a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,804,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position in ConocoPhillips by 12.1% during the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 140,829 shares of the energy producers stock worth $13,321,000 after purchasing an additional 15,202 shares during the period. Chilton Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 389,995 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $36,890,000 after buying an additional 11,958 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 107.5% in the 3rd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 103,430 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $9,783,000 after buying an additional 53,587 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.36% of the companys stock.

Key ConocoPhillips News

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

About ConocoPhillips

(Get Free Report)

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is a Houston-based international energy company focused on exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Formed in 2002 through the merger of Conoco Inc and Phillips Petroleum Company, the firm operates as an independent upstream company that explores for, develops and produces crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids across a portfolio of global assets.

The companys activities span conventional and unconventional resources and include onshore and offshore operations in multiple regions around the world.

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MERLIN Properties SOCIMI, S.A. (OTCMKTS:MRPRF  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 23,561 shares, a decrease of 22.2% from the December 31st total of 30,271 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 7 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3,365.9 days. Based on an average daily volume of 7 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3,365.9 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating on shares of MERLIN Properties SOCIMI in a research note on Monday, December 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Buy.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on MERLIN Properties SOCIMI

MERLIN Properties SOCIMI Stock Performance

About MERLIN Properties SOCIMI

Shares of MRPRF opened at $14.24 on Monday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $14.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.63. MERLIN Properties SOCIMI has a 1-year low of $9.41 and a 1-year high of $16.00.

(Get Free Report)

Merlin Properties Socimi, SA is a Spanish real estate investment trust (SOCIMI) headquartered in Madrid. The company specializes in the acquisition, development and management of commercial real estate assets, including office, retail, logistics and residential properties. Merlins operations encompass strategic asset repositioning, leasing and day-to-day property management to enhance portfolio performance and tenant satisfaction.

Founded in April 2014 through the spin-off of Metrovacesas portfolio, Merlin Properties has pursued growth via disciplined investments and selective mergers, most notably its 2017 combination with Hispania Activos Inmobiliarios.

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Liu Huiling (L) poses for a photo with Salma Kombo Omar (2nd R) and nurses, in Zanzibar, Tanzania, on Jan. 14, 2026. (The 35th Chinese medical team in Zanzibar/Handout via Xinhua)

by Xinhua writers Hua Hongli, Lin Guangyao, Lucas Liganga

ZANZIBAR, Tanzania, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- In the white wards of Abdulla Mzee Hospital in Tanzania's Zanzibar Pemba Island, a quiet yet powerful story of life, gratitude, and cross-border friendship has taken root.

A newborn baby Tanzanian girl, gently cradled in her mother's arms, bears the Chinese name "Liu" that tells the backstory.

She was named after Liu Huiling, a Chinese doctor whose decisive actions and unwavering dedication saved the life of the baby's mother, Salma Kombo Omar, after she suffered septic shock following a cesarean section.

The case was handled by members of the 35th Chinese medical team in Zanzibar, whose intervention turned a near-fatal emergency into a story of hope.

According to Omar, the ordeal began a month earlier, when she was rushed to Abdulla Mzee Hospital 20 days after giving birth. A severe intra-abdominal infection kicked in, rapidly escalating into septic shock.

Upon arrival at the hospital, her blood pressure had fallen to a critically low level, vital signs unstable, and she was semi-conscious. Doctors discovered a large accumulation of purulent fluid in her abdomen, placing her at imminent risk of multi-organ failure.

"There was no room for hesitation. Every second was a race against death," recalled Liu Huiling, who is from Lianyungang Second People's Hospital in eastern China.

Liu immediately coordinated with Zhu Shuangjiu, another member from the medical team, to assemble an emergency rescue team. The doctors relied on experience and close cooperation to rush the patient into surgery.

Inside the operating theater, the severity of the infection became clear: the pus was extensive and far beyond initial expectations.

Under strict sterile conditions, Liu conducted careful exploration while Zhu provided steady guidance. The team worked methodically for hours, removing necrotic tissue and draining the infection. The patient's vital signs started to stabilize, and the immediate threat to her life was brought under control.

Recovery, however, proved to be another battle.

The infection caused extensive hardening and necrosis around the abdominal incision, leaving the wound unable to heal properly. Omar repeatedly asked, in broken English, "Will I get better?" Her eyes reflected both fear and fragile hope.

"As long as we don't give up, there is hope," Liu reassured her gently, encouraging improved nutrition and gradual movement to strengthen recovery.

Daily wound care became part of Liu's routine. When specialized medical supplies ran low, she improvised with available resources. Conventional treatments showed limited results, prompting Liu to recall her experience in China using ichthammol ointment to soften hardened infected tissue.

After confirming the ointment was available in the hospital pharmacy, she introduced it cautiously, instructing the patient to apply it several times a day.

The results were encouraging. Within a week, the wound began to soften, and necrotic tissue gradually sloughed off. Two weeks later, healthy granulation tissue appeared. With visible improvement, Liu planned a wound-closure surgery. Limited resources and emergency cases delayed the procedure repeatedly, stretching the wait to three weeks.

When surgery finally took place, it proved far more complex than expected. Long-term infection had rendered the tissue extremely fragile, tearing easily under minimal tension. What was expected to take 20 minutes lasted two hours, as Liu sutured carefully, bit by bit, her surgical gown soaked with sweat.

Recovery exceeded expectations, and the patient was soon cleared for discharge. When Liu told her she could go home within a week, Omar grasped her hand tightly and said through tears, "To remember you forever, I will name my daughter 'Liu.' That way, I will never forget you."

"In such a distant land, a mother gives my surname to her child. This trust and gratitude are overwhelming," Liu said, calling it the most precious gift she had received during her overseas medical mission.

Omar has since fully recovered. She later returned to the hospital with her baby to visit the Chinese doctor who helped save her life. Her husband, Mohammed Omar Talib, said the family remains deeply grateful.

"Since the operation, my wife has been doing well, although she is recovering slowly," Talib told Xinhua. "The child is also doing well, and she is breastfeeding well."

Talib, a businessman from Ukupini village in Mkoani district on Pemba Island, praised the Chinese medical team for their professionalism and compassion.

"The Chinese medical team demonstrated exceptional dedication, expertise, and tireless effort in saving my wife's life," he said. "Though I have no material way to repay them, I offer my heartfelt prayers for their long lives and for the enduring friendship between China and Tanzania."

As the sun sets over Pemba Island, baby Liu sleeps peacefully in her mother's arms, her name a lasting symbol of trust, gratitude, and the enduring friendship forged through medical cooperation between China and Africa. 

Liu Huiling (L) poses for a photo with Salma Kombo Omar, who is holding her baby, in Zanzibar, Tanzania, on Jan. 14, 2026. (The 35th Chinese medical team in Zanzibar/Handout via Xinhua)
Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd reduced its stake in Chubb Limited (NYSE:CB  Free Report) by 79.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,219 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 12,492 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltds holdings in Chubb were worth $909,000 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 CB. Westbourne Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Chubb by 12.3% during the third quarter. Westbourne Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 22,233 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,275,000 after purchasing an additional 2,427 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Chubb by 14.1% in the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 71,294 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $20,655,000 after purchasing an additional 8,828 shares during the last quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Chubb by 764.7% during the 2nd quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 147 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chubb by 166.3% during the 3rd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,707 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,046,000 after buying an additional 2,315 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its holdings in Chubb by 28.4% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 57,794 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $16,750,000 after acquiring an additional 12,784 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.81% of the companys stock.

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Chubb Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE:CB opened at $309.38 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $121.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.51. Chubb Limited has a one year low of $263.14 and a one year high of $316.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.27. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $304.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $287.57.

Chubb Announces Dividend

Key Stories Impacting Chubb

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 12th were paid a dividend of $0.97 per share. This represents a $3.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 12th. Chubbs dividend payout ratio is 16.19%.

Here are the key news stories impacting Chubb this week:

Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 and Q4 2026/Q4 2027 EPS outlooks (FY2026 to $25.71; Q4 2026 to $7.07; Q4 2027 to $7.60), signaling better-than-expected earnings power and supporting valuation.

Zacks raised its FY2026 and Q4 2026/Q4 2027 EPS outlooks (FY2026 to $25.71; Q4 2026 to $7.07; Q4 2027 to $7.60), signaling better-than-expected earnings power and supporting valuation. Positive Sentiment: Zacks says Chubb is likely to deliver a Q4 earnings beat driven by premium growth, investment income and strong retention  a direct earnings catalyst traders watch into reporting. Is a Beat in Store for Chubb Limited This Earnings Season?

Zacks says Chubb is likely to deliver a Q4 earnings beat driven by premium growth, investment income and strong retention  a direct earnings catalyst traders watch into reporting. Positive Sentiment: Zacks includes Chubb among insurers poised to outperform estimates thanks to solid retention, pricing discipline and exposure growth  a favorable sector view that can lift investor appetite. 4 Insurers Poised to Outperform Estimates This Earnings Season

Zacks includes Chubb among insurers poised to outperform estimates thanks to solid retention, pricing discipline and exposure growth  a favorable sector view that can lift investor appetite. Positive Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlight Chubb as a value/defensive insurance name and note recent analyst upgrades that underscore its appeal to cautious, long-term investors  supportive for multiple investor types. How Analyst Upgrades Highlight Chubbs (CB) Discipline and Appeal to Long-Term, Cautious Investors

Coverage pieces highlight Chubb as a value/defensive insurance name and note recent analyst upgrades that underscore its appeal to cautious, long-term investors  supportive for multiple investor types. Neutral Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha comparison piece examines Allstate vs. Chubb (stability vs. turnaround)  useful context for investors weighing relative risk/return but not an immediate earnings catalyst. Allstate Vs. Chubb: Paying For Stability Or Buying The Turnaround

A Seeking Alpha comparison piece examines Allstate vs. Chubb (stability vs. turnaround)  useful context for investors weighing relative risk/return but not an immediate earnings catalyst. Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed several near-term quarterly EPS forecasts (Q1 2026 to $6.40 from $6.45; Q2 2026 to $6.39 from $6.43; Q1 2027 to $6.08 from $6.14; Q2 2027 to $7.39 from $7.43). These small downgrades reflect modest near-term headwinds and could cap upside if the company misses seasonal drivers.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Chubb from $293.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Chubb from $303.00 to $304.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Citigroup restated a market outperform rating on shares of Chubb in a report on Friday, January 16th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Chubb from $302.00 to $326.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Mizuho set a $317.00 price target on shares of Chubb in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $324.00.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on CB

Insider Transactions at Chubb

In related news, insider John J. Lupica sold 16,375 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.45, for a total transaction of $4,854,368.75. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 74,225 shares in the company, valued at $22,004,001.25. This trade represents a 18.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Timothy Alan Boroughs sold 10,580 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.17, for a total transaction of $3,133,478.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 12,660 shares in the company, valued at $3,749,512.20. This trade represents a 45.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 33,635 shares of company stock valued at $9,970,735. Insiders own 0.77% of the companys stock.

Chubb Profile

(Free Report)

Chubb is a global property and casualty insurance company that underwrites a broad range of commercial and personal insurance products and related services. Its offerings include commercial property and casualty coverage, specialty liability, professional and management liability, cyber and technology insurance, marine and energy, surety, accident and health solutions, and high-net-worth personal lines such as homeowners, auto and valuables protection. Chubb serves businesses, individuals and institutions with tailored underwriting and risk-transfer solutions across multiple industry sectors.

In addition to core underwriting, Chubb provides risk engineering, loss control, claims management and risk consulting services intended to reduce loss severity and help clients manage exposures.

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Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J) held its 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in a hybrid format, with investors attending both in person and online. Chief Executive Officer and Chair Bob Pragada presided over the meeting, which included director elections and votes on executive compensation and auditor ratification, followed by a brief business update covering fiscal year 2025.

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Board changes and meeting administration

Pragada opened the meeting by thanking long-serving director Peter J. Robertson, who retired from the board after 16 years. Pragada highlighted Robertsons contributions, including his work on the Sustainability and Risk Committee and his role as Chair of the Human Resource and Compensation Committee.

Pragada also welcomed Diane Bryant to the board, citing her background in global leadership, technology, digital transformation, and enterprise-scale innovation. Joanne Caruso, Jacobs Chief Legal and Administrative Officer, served as secretary of the meeting, and Scott Wren of Ernst & Young joined as the companys outside auditor representative.

According to the secretarys report, shareholders of record as of Dec. 3, 2025 were entitled to vote 118,088,311 shares. At least 104,035,217 shares were represented by proxy at the meeting, meeting the quorum requirement. Michael Barbera of First Coast Results was appointed independent inspector of election.

Shareholders vote on directors, executive compensation, and auditor ratification

Shareholders considered three proposals, as outlined in the 2026 proxy statement:

Proposal 1: Election of 10 directors to one-year terms expiring at the 2027 annual meeting

Election of 10 directors to one-year terms expiring at the 2027 annual meeting Proposal 2: Advisory vote on executive compensation

Advisory vote on executive compensation Proposal 3: Ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as independent registered public accounting firm for the current fiscal year

For Proposal 1, a shareholder nominated the slate of directors: Bob Pragada, Louis Pinkham, Priya Abani, Diane Bryant, Michael Collins, Manny Fernandez, Vice Admiral Mary Jackson, Georgette Kiser, Robert McNamara, and Julie Sloat. The board recommended voting for each nominee.

Caruso provided preliminary voting results based on proxies received by the opening of the polls. For the director elections, proxies supported each nominee with at least 97.03% of votes cast, with no more than 2.96% voting against any nominee. For the executive compensation advisory proposal, approximately 96.56% of shares voting by proxy supported approval. For auditor ratification, approximately 93.83% of shares voting by proxy supported approval.

Based on the preliminary results, Pragada declared that all director nominees were elected and that Proposals 2 and 3 were approved, subject to final tabulation and confirmation by the inspector of election. He said the final voting results would be reported in a Form 8-K to be filed within four business days after the meeting.

Fiscal 2025 overview: strategic focus and market tailwinds

After the formal business portion concluded, Pragada delivered an overview of the companys fiscal year 2025 performance and strategic direction. He described fiscal 2025 as an inflection point for Jacobs, driven by organizational focus, strategic alignment, and positive momentum across markets with long-term tailwinds. He pointed to external dynamics including climate urgency, urbanization, geopolitical complexity, and AI-driven digital acceleration, saying these trends are prompting clients to seek integrated solutions.

Pragada said Jacobs launched a client-focus strategy in 2025 and has become a more focused organization centered on three sectors:

Water and environmental

Life sciences and advanced manufacturing

Critical infrastructure

He characterized these end markets as long-term opportunities requiring multidisciplinary solutions, spanning areas such as clean water systems, advanced pharmaceuticals, resilient transportation, and secure energy.

PA Consulting, AI strategy, and talent initiatives

Pragada also discussed Jacobs collaboration with PA Consulting, saying it continues to drive growth and deepen Jacobs role in advisory work, innovation, and transformation. He noted that Jacobs has announced its intention to acquire the remaining shares of PA that it does not already own, with the transaction expected to conclude in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, subject to closing regulatory conditions.

On technology, Pragada said Jacobs has been deploying AI tools in client solutions for years, but formalized its enterprise approach in 2025 with an AI roadmap, governance model, and go-to-market strategy. He described AI as central to scaling delivery, enhancing client value, and improving internal efficiency.

On workforce priorities, Pragada said the company launched initiatives in 2025 aimed at talent development and employee experience, including a hybrid work model. He highlighted the launch of Jacobs University, described as a global learning hub for skill building and leadership development, and the Talent Work Marketplace, a digital platform intended to help employees explore growth opportunities across the company.

Q&A concludes without shareholder questions

Jacobs allotted 15 minutes for shareholder questions, with participation limited to shareholders of record or authorized proxies as of the Dec. 3, 2025 record date. Caruso said no online questions were received, and the company concluded the meeting without any Q&A submissions.

About Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J)

Jacobs Solutions Inc, commonly known as Jacobs, is a global professional services firm that provides technical, engineering, scientific and project delivery expertise across a broad range of industries. Founded in 1947 by Joseph J. Jacobs in Pasadena, California, the company evolved from a regional engineering consultancy into a diversified provider of design, program and construction management, operations and maintenance, and scientific services for complex infrastructure and industrial programs.

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iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:IEUR  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,701,269 shares, a growth of 65.4% from the December 31st total of 1,028,558 shares. Currently, 1.7% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,980,274 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.9 days. Based on an average daily volume of 1,980,274 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.9 days. Currently, 1.7% of the companys shares are short sold.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000.

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iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF Price Performance

IEUR opened at $74.23 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $71.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $68.90. iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF has a fifty-two week low of $53.17 and a fifty-two week high of $75.61. The company has a market cap of $7.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.78 and a beta of 0.93.

iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF Company Profile

The iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF (IEUR) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI Europe IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of developed European securities. IEUR was launched on Jun 10, 2014 and is managed by BlackRock.

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IMC Chicago LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM  Free Report) by 67.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 356,960 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 144,326 shares during the period. IMC Chicago LLC owned 0.13% of iShares Russell 2000 ETF worth $86,370,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of IWM. Quaker Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 211.1% during the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 120 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares during the period. Pingora Partners LLC bought a new stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Beacon Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Pineridge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 93.9% during the 2nd quarter. Pineridge Advisors LLC now owns 190 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Your Advocates Ltd. LLP boosted its position in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 78.9% during the third quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP now owns 204 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period.

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iShares Russell 2000 ETF Price Performance

NYSEARCA:IWM opened at $259.65 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $74.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.69 and a beta of 1.13. The firms fifty day moving average price is $254.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $242.67. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a one year low of $171.73 and a one year high of $271.60.

About iShares Russell 2000 ETF

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 2,000 smallest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index.

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AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF (NYSEARCA:XTWY  Free Report) by 44.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 52,411 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 16,156 shares during the quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC owned 2.45% of BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF worth $2,047,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Flow Traders U.S. LLC raised its holdings in BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF by 243.5% during the second quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC now owns 146,760 shares of the companys stock worth $5,661,000 after purchasing an additional 104,037 shares during the last quarter. Valtinson Bruner Financial Planning LLC increased its position in shares of BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF by 6.0% in the second quarter. Valtinson Bruner Financial Planning LLC now owns 477,925 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,436,000 after buying an additional 27,202 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in shares of BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF by 369.8% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 27,504 shares of the companys stock worth $1,103,000 after buying an additional 21,649 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HBW Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF during the 3rd quarter worth $706,000.

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BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF Price Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA XTWY opened at $37.84 on Monday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $38.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $38.55. BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF has a 52 week low of $36.04 and a 52 week high of $41.70.

BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF Increases Dividend

BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF Company Profile

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 5th. Investors of record on Monday, February 2nd will be paid a $0.1613 dividend. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 2nd. This is an increase from BondBloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETFs previous monthly dividend of $0.11.

(Free Report)

The Bondbloxx Bloomberg Twenty Year Target Duration US Treasury ETF (XTWY) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund is passively managed to invest in a portfolio of US Treasury securities with a target duration of twenty years. XTWY was launched on Sep 13, 2022 and is managed by BondBloxx.

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Comprehensive Wealth Management LLC raised its position in SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA:EDIV  Free Report) by 57.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 172,186 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 62,814 shares during the period. SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF makes up 4.7% of Comprehensive Wealth Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Comprehensive Wealth Management LLC owned 0.73% of SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF worth $6,689,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in EDIV. InTrack Investment Management Inc boosted its holdings in SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. InTrack Investment Management Inc now owns 7,957 shares of the companys stock valued at $309,000 after purchasing an additional 391 shares in the last quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 186,678 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,116,000 after buying an additional 497 shares during the period. Rodgers & Associates LTD lifted its holdings in shares of SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Rodgers & Associates LTD now owns 54,476 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,077,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in shares of SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF by 58.3% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,380 shares of the companys stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 508 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Creative Planning grew its holdings in SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF by 9.2% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 8,287 shares of the companys stock worth $316,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period.

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SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF Stock Performance

SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF stock opened at $41.12 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $1.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.27 and a beta of 0.52. SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF has a one year low of $32.36 and a one year high of $42.06. The business has a fifty day moving average of $39.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $39.03.

SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF Company Profile

The SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (EDIV) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in high dividend yield equity. The fund tracks a yield-weighted index of high-dividend-paying firms in emerging markets. The index screens for 3-year positive earnings growth and profitability. EDIV was launched on Feb 23, 2011 and is managed by State Street.

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Mawer Investment Management Ltd. reduced its position in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC  Free Report) by 2.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 964,788 shares of the aerospace companys stock after selling 19,221 shares during the quarter. Northrop Grumman comprises about 3.1% of Mawer Investment Management Ltd.s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. Mawer Investment Management Ltd.s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $587,865,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Parvin Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 75.0% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 63 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the third quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC raised its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 29.2% during the second quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 93 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the companys stock.

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Northrop Grumman Trading Down 0.4%

NOC opened at $692.54 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $599.59 and a 200-day moving average price of $589.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12 month low of $426.24 and a 12 month high of $705.45. The firm has a market cap of $98.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.77, a PEG ratio of 5.14 and a beta of 0.04.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

Northrop Grumman ( NYSE:NOC Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The aerospace company reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $6.97 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $11.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.61 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 25.57% and a net margin of 9.97%.The companys revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $6.39 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a $2.31 dividend. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. Northrop Grummans payout ratio is currently 31.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northrop Grumman

In other news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $615.00, for a total transaction of $1,845,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 191,602 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $117,835,230. The trade was a 1.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 97 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $564.08, for a total transaction of $54,715.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,281 shares in the company, valued at $2,414,826.48. The trade was a 2.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 10,097 shares of company stock valued at $6,099,716. 0.23% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NOC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on Northrop Grumman in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an outperform rating and a $710.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial reiterated a hold rating and issued a $623.00 price objective (down previously from $688.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $777.00 to $778.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $715.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $688.79.

Get Our Latest Analysis on NOC

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

(Free Report)

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is a leading U.S.-based aerospace and defense company that designs, builds and sustains advanced systems, products and technologies for government and commercial customers. Formed through the combination of Northrop and Grumman businesses in the 1990s, the companys portfolio spans manned and unmanned aircraft, space systems, missile defense, radar and sensor systems, and integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions.

The companys work includes airframe and platform manufacturing, space hardware and satellite systems, advanced mission systems and cybersecurity services, as well as logistics, sustainment and modernization programs.

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McDonalds (NYSE:MCD  Get Free Report) was upgraded by BTIG Research from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note issued on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has a $360.00 price target on the fast-food giants stock. BTIG Researchs target price indicates a potential upside of 14.34% from the companys current price.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Citigroup cut their price objective on McDonalds from $381.00 to $375.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on McDonalds from $322.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. TD Cowen restated a hold rating on shares of McDonalds in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Guggenheim increased their target price on McDonalds from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Mizuho raised McDonalds to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $330.08.

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McDonalds Stock Performance

Shares of MCD opened at $314.86 on Monday. McDonalds has a 52-week low of $283.47 and a 52-week high of $326.32. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $309.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $306.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $224.23 billion, a PE ratio of 26.87, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.52.

McDonalds (NYSE:MCD  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.10 billion. McDonalds had a negative return on equity of 280.89% and a net margin of 32.04%.The businesss quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.23 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that McDonalds will post 12.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at McDonalds

In other news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 2,626 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.58, for a total value of $805,079.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,398 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,654,918.84. The trade was a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, 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 value of $5,311,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,353 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,169,430. The trade was a 39.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 45,142 shares of company stock valued at $13,841,169 over the last ninety days. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On McDonalds

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MCD. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of McDonalds during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,780,712,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in McDonalds by 29,382.3% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,737,548 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $1,676,339,000 after purchasing an additional 5,718,087 shares during the last quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of McDonalds during the second quarter worth approximately $1,412,069,000. Viking Global Investors LP boosted its position in shares of McDonalds by 171.7% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,125,432 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $913,157,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974,998 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi raised its stake in shares of McDonalds by 96.0% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 4,032,676 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $1,188,147,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974,751 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the companys stock.

Key McDonalds News

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.

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New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its position in shares of Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI  Free Report) by 27.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 633,998 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 137,207 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Funds holdings in Bath & Body Works were worth $16,332,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Bath & Body Works during the second quarter worth approximately $57,746,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Bath & Body Works during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,113,000. Cooper Creek Partners Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Bath & Body Works by 42.7% during the 2nd quarter. Cooper Creek Partners Management LLC now owns 5,409,919 shares of the companys stock valued at $162,081,000 after buying an additional 1,619,276 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Bath & Body Works by 88.4% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,605,847 shares of the companys stock valued at $78,071,000 after acquiring an additional 1,222,401 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Bath & Body Works by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,080,106 shares of the companys stock worth $212,120,000 after acquiring an additional 733,000 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.14% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of Bath & Body Works in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Zacks Research upgraded Bath & Body Works from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Bath & Body Works from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $39.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Bath & Body Works from $17.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $20.00 target price on shares of Bath & Body Works in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $23.53.

Bath & Body Works Price Performance

NYSE BBWI opened at $21.79 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.70, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.54. The firms 50-day moving average is $20.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $24.68. Bath & Body Works, Inc. has a 12 month low of $14.27 and a 12 month high of $41.87.

Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.05). Bath & Body Works had a negative return on equity of 47.35% and a net margin of 9.50%.The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.49 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Bath & Body Works has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.870- EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.700- EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Bath & Body Works, Inc. will post 3.3 EPS for the current year.

Bath & Body Works Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Investors of record on Friday, November 21st were issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. Bath & Body Workss payout ratio is currently 24.62%.

Bath & Body Works News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Bath & Body Works this week:

Insider Transactions at Bath & Body Works

In other news, Director Lucy Brady bought 3,470 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $14.40 per share, for a total transaction of $49,968.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 17,482 shares of the companys stock, valued at $251,740.80. The trade was a 24.76% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Steven E. Voskuil purchased 20,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $15.04 per share, for a total transaction of $300,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 33,925 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $510,232. This trade represents a 143.63% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders bought a total of 33,513 shares of company stock worth $500,442 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.27% of the companys stock.

Bath & Body Works Company Profile

(Free Report)

Bath & Body Works, Inc is a leading specialty retailer focused on personal care, home fragrance and complementary products. Through its flagship Bath & Body Works brand, the company offers a diverse assortment of shower gels, lotions, fragrance mists, candles and home fragrance items. Its product portfolio also includes the White Barn Candle Co range of premium scented candles and diffusers. Bath & Body Works serves consumers through a combination of brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce platforms, delivering seasonal collections, limited-edition releases and signature scent lines.

Founded in 1990 as part of Limited Brands (now L Brands), Bath & Body Works opened its first store in New Albany, Ohio, and quickly expanded across the United States.

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Mutual Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM  Free Report) by 10.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 26,419 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 2,566 shares during the period. Mutual Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF were worth $6,510,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Quaker Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 211.1% in the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 120 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 228 shares during the last quarter. Pingora Partners LLC acquired a new position in iShares Russell 2000 ETF in the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Beacon Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in iShares Russell 2000 ETF in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Pineridge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 93.9% during the 2nd quarter. Pineridge Advisors LLC now owns 190 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 67.7% during the 2nd quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 208 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period.

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iShares Russell 2000 ETF Price Performance

IWM opened at $259.65 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $254.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $242.67. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a 1 year low of $171.73 and a 1 year high of $271.60. The stock has a market cap of $74.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.69 and a beta of 1.13.

About iShares Russell 2000 ETF

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 2,000 smallest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced new dates for the upcoming negotiations in Abu Dhabi aimed at addressing the situation in Ukraine, Azernews reports.

In a message posted on his Telegram channel, Zelensky stated:

Our negotiation team has recently provided an update. The dates for the next trilateral meeting have been set for February 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi.

According to the president, Ukraine is prepared for substantive discussions and is committed to ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the conflict.
BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Shenzhou-21 crew members aboard China's Tiangong space station have successfully completed their first three months in space, with all planned tasks progressing smoothly, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

A video report by China Media Group on Sunday night showed specifically that to combat the physical effects of weightlessness, the crew, consisting of mission commander Zhang Lu and astronauts Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, had performed a lower limb muscle force stimulation test.

Using specialized gear like bionic adhesive shoes, they exercised to stimulate their leg muscles and collected data to study muscle adaptation in space.

In the field of space medical research, they have made progress with a pharmacokinetics project, which studies how drugs are processed in the human body in space. This involves collecting saliva samples that will be sent back to Earth for analysis, thereby providing critical data for managing medication use in space.

The three astronauts have also conducted multiple tests on human psychology, including assessments of human-computer trust, in-orbit emotional states and emergency decision-making capabilities.

In the realm of microgravity physical science, the crew members have maintained and serviced experimental facilities. This process has included cleaning and replacing samples inside a containerless experiment cabinet, a device that levitates materials to study their properties without interference from a container, the report revealed.

Beyond scientific experiments, regular health monitoring remains a priority as a disciplined regimen of in-orbit exercise is key to ensuring that crew members remain in optimal condition for the remainder of their mission.

The astronauts have already undergone numerous medical checks, including dynamic electrocardiograms, blood pressure monitoring, ultrasound exams and bone density measurements, which showed that they are in good health, the report noted.

The Shenzhou-21 manned spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 31, 2025. On Dec. 9, the Shenzhou-21 crew completed their mission's first series of extravehicular activities. 
VanEck Australian Corporate Bond Plus ETF (ASX:PLUS  Get Free Report) declared a interim dividend on Monday, February 2nd, MarketIndexAU Dividends reports. Investors of record on Monday, February 16th will be paid a dividend of 0.06 per share on Monday, February 16th. This represents a yield of 35.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Sunday, February 1st.

VanEck Australian Corporate Bond Plus ETF Stock Performance

VanEck Australian Corporate Bond Plus ETF Company Profile

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ePlus is a leading consultative technology solutions provider that helps customers imagine, implement, and achieve more from their technology. With the highest certifications from top technology partners and lifecycle services expertise across key areas including security, cloud, data center, collaboration, networking and emerging technologies, ePlus transforms IT from a cost center to a business enabler. Founded in 1990, ePlus has more than 1,400 associates serving a diverse set of customers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pac.

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Research analysts at Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of WEX (NYSE:WEX  Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Monday. The brokerage set an equal weight rating and a $144.00 price target on the business services providers stock. Morgan Stanleys price objective suggests a potential downside of 6.28% from the companys current price.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of WEX from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 31st. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of WEX from $185.00 to $172.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Bank of America upgraded WEX from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $178.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded WEX from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised WEX to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, WEX currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $168.08.

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WEX Price Performance

Insiders Place Their Bets

Shares of WEX stock opened at $153.65 on Monday. WEX has a twelve month low of $110.45 and a twelve month high of $187.44. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33. The company has a market capitalization of $5.27 billion, a PE ratio of 19.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $153.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $158.36.

In other WEX news, Director Stephen Montgomery Smith purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $144.25 per share, with a total value of $144,250.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 7,971 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,149,816.75. This represents a 14.35% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Robert Joseph Deshaies sold 1,506 shares of WEX stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.62, for a total value of $225,327.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 15,699 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,348,884.38. This represents a 8.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WEX

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in WEX by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,262,255 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $513,903,000 after purchasing an additional 12,099 shares during the period. Boston Partners increased its position in shares of WEX by 0.3% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,273,363 shares of the business services providers stock worth $200,704,000 after acquiring an additional 4,227 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of WEX by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,085,795 shares of the business services providers stock worth $159,494,000 after acquiring an additional 17,691 shares during the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC lifted its position in WEX by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 907,803 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $143,006,000 after acquiring an additional 10,027 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in WEX by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 879,033 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $138,474,000 after purchasing an additional 69,375 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.47% of the companys stock.

WEX Company Profile

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WEX Inc is a global financial technology company specializing in business payment solutions for fleet, travel, and corporate payments. The company delivers software-driven platforms and card-based services that help businesses automate payment processes, manage expenses and improve operational efficiency across a range of industries, including transportation, healthcare and government.

Founded in 1983 as Wright Express in Portland, Maine, the company began by offering fuel card services to trucking fleets.

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PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II (NYSE:PNI  Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 11,637 shares, an increase of 67.5% from the December 31st total of 6,946 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 35,445 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days. Based on an average trading volume of 35,445 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days.

PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II Stock Performance

NYSE PNI opened at $6.99 on Monday. PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II has a 52-week low of $6.43 and a 52-week high of $7.47. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $6.84.

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PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 13th will be paid a $0.0295 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, January 13th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 5.1%.

Institutional Trading of PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II

About PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II during the third quarter valued at approximately $68,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II during the second quarter worth about $79,000. Catalina Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $100,000. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II in the second quarter worth $108,000. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II during the 2nd quarter valued at about $117,000.

(Get Free Report)

PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund II (NYSE: PNI) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide a high level of current income exempt from both federal and New York State income taxes. The fund is managed by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO), a global fixed income investment firm. PNI invests primarily in investment-grade municipal obligations issued by or on behalf of the state of New York, its municipalities and related public authorities.

The funds portfolio is constructed with a focus on New York state general obligation and revenue bonds, including transportation, education, healthcare and utility-backed securities.

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Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ  Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by investment analysts at Evercore ISI from $48.00 to $50.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an outperform rating on the cell phone carriers stock. Evercore ISIs target price indicates a potential upside of 12.32% from the stocks previous close.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Verizon Communications from $43.00 to $41.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Verizon Communications from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. BNP Paribas Exane cut shares of Verizon Communications from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $44.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $47.57.

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Verizon Communications Stock Up 11.8%

Shares of Verizon Communications stock opened at $44.52 on Monday. Verizon Communications has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $47.35. The stock has a market cap of $187.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.15 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $40.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.58.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 12.43%.The company had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verizon Communications

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Advantage Trust Co boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 549.5% in the 2nd quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 591 shares of the cell phone carriers stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. TruNorth Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Verizon Communications by 95.3% in the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 625 shares of the cell phone carriers stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new position in Verizon Communications in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates grew its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 739.5% during the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 680 shares of the cell phone carriers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verizon Communications during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the companys stock.

Trending Headlines about Verizon Communications

Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:

About Verizon Communications

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Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ) is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.

The companys consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.

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CarePayment Technologies (OTCMKTS:CPYT  Get Free Report) and Pediatrix Medical Group (NYSE:MD  Get Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends and risk.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

97.7% of Pediatrix Medical Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 13.9% of CarePayment Technologies shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.9% of Pediatrix Medical Group shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

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Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for CarePayment Technologies and Pediatrix Medical Group, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score CarePayment Technologies 0 0 0 0 0.00 Pediatrix Medical Group 0 5 1 0 2.17

Profitability

Pediatrix Medical Group has a consensus price target of $21.00, indicating a potential downside of 2.44%. Given CarePayment Technologies higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe CarePayment Technologies is more favorable than Pediatrix Medical Group.

This table compares CarePayment Technologies and Pediatrix Medical Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets CarePayment Technologies N/A N/A N/A Pediatrix Medical Group 8.44% 20.45% 7.94%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares CarePayment Technologies and Pediatrix Medical Groups top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio CarePayment Technologies N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Pediatrix Medical Group $2.01 billion 0.92 -$99.07 million $1.90 11.33

CarePayment Technologies has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Pediatrix Medical Group.

Summary

Pediatrix Medical Group beats CarePayment Technologies on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About CarePayment Technologies

(Get Free Report)

CarePayment Technologies, Inc. provides accounts receivable services in the United States. It offers services for accounts receivables generated by healthcare providers in connection with providing healthcare services to their patients under the CarePayment brand name. The company was formerly known as microHelix, Inc. CarePayment Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is based in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

About Pediatrix Medical Group

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Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides newborn, maternal-fetal, pediatric cardiology, and other pediatric subspecialty care services in the United States. It offers neonatal care services, such as clinical care to babies born prematurely or with complications within specific units at hospitals through neonatal physician subspecialists, neonatal nurse practitioners, and other pediatric clinicians. The company also provides maternal-fetal care services, including inpatient and office-based clinical care to expectant mothers and unborn babies through affiliated maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists, as well as obstetricians and other clinicians, including maternal-fetal nurse practitioners, certified nurse mid-wives, sonographers, and genetic counselors. In addition, it offers pediatric cardiology care services comprising inpatient and office-based pediatric cardiology care of the fetus, infant, child, and adolescent patient with congenital heart defects and acquired heart disease, as well as adults with congenital heart defects through affiliated pediatric cardiologist subspecialists and other related clinical professionals, including pediatric nurse practitioners, echocardiographers, other diagnostic technicians, and exercise physiologists; and specialized cardiac care to the fetus, neonatal and pediatric patients. Further, the company provides other pediatric subspecialty care services, such as pediatric intensivists, pediatric hospitalists, pediatric surgeons, and pediatric ophthalmologists, as well as pediatric ear, nose, and throat physicians, pediatric gastroenterologists; and support services in the areas of hospitals, primarily in the pediatric emergency rooms, labor and delivery areas, and nursery and pediatric departments. The company was formerly known as MEDNAX, Inc. and changed its name to Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. in July 2022. Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is based in Sunrise, Florida.

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IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones S.A. (NYSE:IRS  Get Free Report)s share price reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $19.14 and last traded at $17.3240, with a volume of 236637 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $18.39.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on IRS shares. Wall Street Zen lowered IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday. Itau BBA Securities assumed coverage on IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones in a research note on Thursday. They set an outperform rating and a $23.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $23.00.

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Read Our Latest Research Report on IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones

IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones Price Performance

The stocks 50-day moving average is $16.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.73. The company has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a PE ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a current ratio of 2.52, a quick ratio of 2.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones (NYSE:IRS  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The financial services provider reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $93.69 million during the quarter. IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones had a return on equity of 27.35% and a net margin of 86.65%.

IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 24th were issued a dividend of $1.4151 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 998.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 24th. IRSA Inversiones Y Representacioness payout ratio is 28.17%.

Institutional Trading of IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of IRS. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones during the first quarter worth about $4,209,000. Helikon Investments Ltd increased its position in shares of IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones by 65.7% during the 2nd quarter. Helikon Investments Ltd now owns 2,367,181 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $32,975,000 after purchasing an additional 938,706 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones by 200.7% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 339,549 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,730,000 after buying an additional 226,617 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new position in IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones during the second quarter worth about $315,000. Finally, Bosun Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones by 24.7% during the second quarter. Bosun Asset Management LLC now owns 163,598 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,279,000 after acquiring an additional 32,406 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.46% of the companys stock.

About IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones

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IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones SA (NYSE: IRS) is Argentinas leading real estate company, specializing in the development, acquisition and management of commercial, office, residential and hospitality properties. The companys core operations encompass the planning and operation of shopping centers, premium office towers in Buenos Aires, urban residential complexes and full-service hotels. IRSA leverages its extensive land bank and development expertise to create mixed-use destinations that cater to evolving urban lifestyles.

IRSAs shopping center division features a portfolio of flagship malls in Argentina, complemented by its Mall Plaza platform, which develops and operates retail destinations in Chile, Peru and Colombia.

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Cellnex Telecom, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CLNXF  Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 739,100 shares, a decrease of 36.5% from the December 31st total of 1,163,918 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,207 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 334.9 days. Based on an average daily volume of 2,207 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 334.9 days.

Cellnex Telecom Stock Performance

Shares of Cellnex Telecom stock traded down $0.45 on Monday, hitting $30.64. 1,304 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,029. Cellnex Telecom has a 12-month low of $28.67 and a 12-month high of $40.61. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $30.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $33.28.

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Cellnex Telecom Company Profile

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Cellnex Telecom is a leading independent operator of wireless telecommunications infrastructure in Europe. Headquartered in Madrid, the company specializes in the development, management and leasing of passive and active network assets for mobile network operators, broadcasters, public safety agencies and enterprise clients. Its core offerings include traditional tower sites, rooftop installations and in-building distributed antenna systems (DAS), alongside newer solutions such as small cells, fiber connectivity and edge computing nodes.

Founded in 2015 as a spin-off from Abertis Infraestructuras, Cellnex has grown rapidly through a combination of organic roll-outs and strategic acquisitions.

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Hugo Boss (OTCMKTS:BOSSY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 601 shares, a growth of 26.3% from the December 31st total of 476 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 417 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.4 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 417 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.4 days.

Hugo Boss Stock Performance

Hugo Boss stock remained flat at $8.40 during mid-day trading on Monday. The firms fifty day moving average is $8.49 and its 200 day moving average is $9.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.90 billion, a PE ratio of 11.67 and a beta of 0.63. Hugo Boss has a one year low of $6.92 and a one year high of $10.21.

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Hugo Boss (OTCMKTS:BOSSY  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.01. Hugo Boss had a return on equity of 15.59% and a net margin of 5.31%.The business had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. Analysts expect that Hugo Boss will post 0.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on BOSSY shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered Hugo Boss from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Kepler Capital Markets raised shares of Hugo Boss to a hold rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Hugo Boss

About Hugo Boss

(Get Free Report)

Hugo Boss AG is a German luxury fashion group that designs, produces and distributes a broad range of apparel, accessories and footwear under its two core brands, BOSS and HUGO. The companys product portfolio spans mens and womens business wear, casual collections and athleisure, as well as fragrances, eyewear and leather goods. Hugo Boss operates through a multi-channel network that includes directly operated retail stores, e-commerce platforms and wholesale partnerships with department stores and specialty retailers.

Founded in 1924 by Hugo Ferdinand Boss and headquartered in Metzingen, Germany, the company originally produced workwear and uniforms before pivoting to high-end fashion in the latter half of the 20th century.

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Nordic American Tankers Limited (NYSE:NAT  Get Free Report)s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $4.25 and last traded at $4.1090, with a volume of 3098567 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $4.22.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Nordic American Tankers from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Nordic American Tankers from $2.50 to $3.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of Nordic American Tankers in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a hold rating and issued a $3.50 price objective on shares of Nordic American Tankers in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, Nordic American Tankers has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $3.25.

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Nordic American Tankers Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $867.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 204.85 and a beta of -0.44. The companys 50 day moving average is $3.72 and its 200 day moving average is $3.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86.

Nordic American Tankers (NYSE:NAT  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 28th. The shipping company reported ($0.01) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.01 by ($0.02). Nordic American Tankers had a return on equity of 0.39% and a net margin of 1.12%.The business had revenue of $40.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $52.89 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Nordic American Tankers Limited will post 0.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Nordic American Tankers Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, December 8th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This is an increase from Nordic American Tankerss previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 8th. Nordic American Tankerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 2,600.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nordic American Tankers

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in Nordic American Tankers by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 35,883 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $123,000 after purchasing an additional 3,120 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Nordic American Tankers by 21.4% in the third quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 19,260 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 3,395 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its position in Nordic American Tankers by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 44,932 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $118,000 after purchasing an additional 3,445 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC raised its holdings in Nordic American Tankers by 23.4% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 18,201 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 3,450 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Nordic American Tankers by 15.9% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,236 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $86,000 after purchasing an additional 3,735 shares during the last quarter. 44.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Nordic American Tankers Company Profile

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Nordic American Tankers Limited is a Bermuda-based shipping company specializing in the ownership and operation of Suezmax crude oil tankers. The companys fleet is employed on the spot and period charter markets, transporting crude oil across major global trade routes. By focusing on commercially flexible employment strategies, Nordic American Tankers seeks to optimize vessel utilization and generate stable income for shareholders.

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, Nordic American Tankers maintains technical and commercial management arrangements through established ship-management partners.

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Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN  Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $65.96 and last traded at $64.3690, with a volume of 4424846 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $65.22.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on TSN. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Tyson Foods from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c-) rating on shares of Tyson Foods in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Tyson Foods from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Tyson Foods from $59.00 to $58.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $67.00 target price on shares of Tyson Foods and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Tyson Foods presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $60.60.

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Tyson Foods Trading Down 0.4%

The businesss fifty day moving average is $59.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The firm has a market cap of $22.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.48.

Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.98 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $14.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.11 billion. Tyson Foods had a net margin of 0.87% and a return on equity of 7.95%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.14 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Tyson Foods, Inc. will post 3.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Tyson Foods Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This is a boost from Tyson Foodss previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Tyson Foodss dividend payout ratio is currently 153.38%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Curt Calaway sold 6,539 shares of Tyson Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.19, for a total transaction of $373,965.41. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 31,833 shares in the company, valued at $1,820,529.27. The trade was a 17.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Chairman John H. Tyson sold 100,301 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.05, for a total transaction of $5,822,473.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 2,989,415 shares in the company, valued at $173,535,540.75. This represents a 3.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 2.11% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Tyson Foods

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its holdings in shares of Tyson Foods by 66.6% in the second quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 332,578 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,604,000 after purchasing an additional 132,947 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in Tyson Foods by 55.3% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 58,694 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,273,000 after purchasing an additional 20,888 shares in the last quarter. Markel Group Inc. increased its stake in Tyson Foods by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 848,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,074,000 after buying an additional 32,500 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lifted its position in Tyson Foods by 128.9% during the 2nd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 54,548 shares of the companys stock worth $3,051,000 after buying an additional 30,713 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Liberty One Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Tyson Foods by 32.1% during the 3rd quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 113,798 shares of the companys stock worth $6,179,000 after buying an additional 27,627 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.00% of the companys stock.

Tyson Foods Company Profile

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Tyson Foods, Inc (NYSE: TSN) is a multinational food company primarily engaged in the production, processing and marketing of protein-based and prepared food products. Founded in 1935 and headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company is one of the worlds largest processors of chicken, beef and pork. Its operations span live animal procurement and farming relationships through slaughter, further processing and distribution, supplying raw protein and value-added prepared foods to retail, foodservice and industrial customers.

The companys product portfolio covers fresh and frozen meats, branded and private-label prepared foods, and a range of value-added items such as ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook meals, snack and sandwich meats.

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Palestinians inspect the damage following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

ABU DHABI/CAIRO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Sunday strongly condemned Israel's repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza.

"These actions risk escalating tensions and undermining efforts aimed at consolidating calm and restoring stability," the ministers warned in a joint statement, adding that full commitment to the second phase of the ceasefire is essential.

They urged all parties to fully uphold their responsibilities during this critical period, exercise maximum restraint to preserve the ceasefire, avoid any action that could undermine the ongoing process, and create conditions conducive to early recovery and reconstruction.

The ministers reiterated the importance of advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and statehood, in accordance with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Earlier in the day, Ali Abdel Hamid Shaath, head of the Palestinian technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), called for full adherence to the ongoing ceasefire in the enclave.

"The NCAG is committed with partners to prevent further incidents and protect civilians. The path forward must be one of restraint, responsibility, and respect for civilian life," the NCAG chief said.

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10, 2025 after two years of conflict, following mediation by Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, and the United States.

Nearly 71,800 Palestinians have been killed and over 171,500 injured since the Israeli military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023, according to an update by Gaza's health authorities on Sunday.

They added that 26 Palestinians were killed and 68 others injured over the past 24 hours, noting that a number of victims remain trapped under the rubble and on roads as rescue and civil defense teams have been unable to reach them.
Central Japan Railway (OTCMKTS:CJPRY  Get Free Report) announced its earnings results on Monday. The company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, Zacks reports. Central Japan Railway had a return on equity of 11.13% and a net margin of 27.03%. Central Japan Railway updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.681-1.681 EPS.

Central Japan Railway Stock Performance

Shares of Central Japan Railway stock opened at $13.84 on Monday. Central Japan Railway has a 1 year low of $8.95 and a 1 year high of $14.88. The company has a market cap of $26.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.73 and a beta of 0.21. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $13.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.46. The company has a current ratio of 2.40, a quick ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

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Central Japan Railway Company Profile

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Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) is a major Japanese passenger rail operator best known for running the Tokaido Shinkansen high?speed rail line, which connects the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka corridors. The companys core activities center on intercity high?speed transport as well as conventional commuter and regional rail services across the Chubu and Tokaido regions of central Japan. JR Central operates and maintains rolling stock, station facilities and the infrastructure necessary to deliver frequent, high?capacity passenger service on one of the busiest rail corridors in the world.

Beyond train operations, JR Central derives revenue from a range of railway?related businesses including station retail and commercial leases, real estate and property development around major stations, hotel and travel services, and peripheral retail and restaurant operations.

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PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG  Get Free Report) VP Chancey Hagerty sold 2,250 shares of PPG Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.59, for a total transaction of $260,077.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 8,477 shares of the companys stock, valued at $979,856.43. This represents a 20.98% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

PPG Industries Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:PPG traded up $1.36 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $116.99. The stock had a trading volume of 222,955 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,251,827. PPG Industries, Inc. has a 1 year low of $90.24 and a 1 year high of $120.91. The firms 50 day moving average is $105.14 and its 200-day moving average is $105.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.47.

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PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.57 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $3.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.77 billion. PPG Industries had a return on equity of 22.67% and a net margin of 9.93%.PPG Industriess revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.61 earnings per share. PPG Industries has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.700-8.100 EPS. Research analysts predict that PPG Industries, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PPG Industries Announces Dividend

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PPG Industries

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $0.71 per share. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. PPG Industriess dividend payout ratio is currently 40.92%.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Walnut Level Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of PPG Industries by 46.8% in the 2nd quarter. Walnut Level Capital LLC now owns 62,754 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $7,138,000 after buying an additional 20,000 shares in the last quarter. GAM Holding AG lifted its holdings in shares of PPG Industries by 97.5% in the third quarter. GAM Holding AG now owns 21,281 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $2,237,000 after purchasing an additional 10,508 shares in the last quarter. Vest Financial LLC grew its position in shares of PPG Industries by 17.4% in the second quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 526,269 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $59,863,000 after purchasing an additional 78,022 shares during the last quarter. Columbia Advisory Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of PPG Industries during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $318,000. Finally, Empower Advisory Group LLC raised its position in shares of PPG Industries by 9.3% during the 2nd quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC now owns 77,252 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $8,787,000 after purchasing an additional 6,559 shares during the last quarter. 81.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PPG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on PPG Industries from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $110.00 to $122.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday. Berenberg Bank reduced their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $131.00 to $110.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of PPG Industries from $145.00 to $112.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on PPG Industries from $123.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $123.80.

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PPG Industries Company Profile

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PPG Industries is a global supplier of paints, coatings and specialty materials that serves industrial, transportation, consumer and construction markets. Founded in 1883 as the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, PPG has evolved from its origins in glass manufacturing into a diversified coatings and materials company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company develops and manufactures a broad array of products used to protect and enhance surfaces, from consumer paints to highly engineered coatings for demanding industrial applications.

PPGs product portfolio includes architectural and decorative paints, automotive original equipment and refinish coatings, industrial coatings for machinery and equipment, protective and marine coatings, aerospace and defense coatings, and packaging coatings and materials.

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Brookfield Business Partners (NYSE:BBU  Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by analysts at Scotiabank from $39.00 to $40.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a sector outperform rating on the business services providers stock. Scotiabanks price objective suggests a potential upside of 8.78% from the companys current price.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on BBU. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d+) rating on shares of Brookfield Business Partners in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Brookfield Business Partners in a research note on Monday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Brookfield Business Partners from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. National Bankshares upped their price objective on shares of Brookfield Business Partners from $39.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an outperform rating on shares of Brookfield Business Partners in a research report on Friday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Brookfield Business Partners presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $37.20.

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Brookfield Business Partners Stock Performance

NYSE:BBU traded up $1.75 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $36.77. The stock had a trading volume of 6,844 shares, compared to its average volume of 27,888. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.23 billion, a P/E ratio of -141.42 and a beta of 1.31. Brookfield Business Partners has a 1-year low of $18.63 and a 1-year high of $37.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84, a current ratio of 1.71 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $35.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $31.64.

Brookfield Business Partners (NYSE:BBU  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The business services provider reported ($0.48) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.38 by ($1.86). Brookfield Business Partners had a return on equity of 2.67% and a net margin of 1.41%.The firm had revenue of $7 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.46 billion. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Brookfield Business Partners will post 5.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Brookfield Business Partners

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in Brookfield Business Partners by 30,100.0% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,208 shares of the business services providers stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,204 shares during the period. Guardian Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Brookfield Business Partners during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $221,000. Rathbones Group PLC bought a new stake in shares of Brookfield Business Partners during the second quarter worth approximately $265,000. Cumberland Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Brookfield Business Partners in the third quarter valued at approximately $318,000. Finally, Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. bought a new position in Brookfield Business Partners in the second quarter valued at approximately $391,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.04% of the companys stock.

Brookfield Business Partners Company Profile

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Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE: BBU) is a publicly traded partnership sponsored by Brookfield Asset Management. The company focuses on acquiring and operating high-quality businesses across a range of industrial and service-oriented sectors. Through a partnership structure, Brookfield Business Partners seeks to provide investors with returns generated from stable, cash-flowing enterprises that benefit from Brookfield Asset Managements global scale and operational expertise.

The companys investment strategy centers on businesses within the industrial services, manufacturing, transportation, and business services segments.

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Hermes International SA  Unsponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:HESAY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 12,366 shares, an increase of 60.3% from the December 31st total of 7,714 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 80,644 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Approximately 0.0% of the companys shares are short sold. Approximately 0.0% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 80,644 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days.

Hermes International Price Performance

HESAY stock traded up $0.56 during trading on Monday, hitting $240.65. 5,384 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 46,793. Hermes International has a 1 year low of $232.01 and a 1 year high of $303.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 3.65 and a current ratio of 4.50. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $249.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $249.45.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on HESAY. DZ Bank raised shares of Hermes International from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Hermes International from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Barclays downgraded shares of Hermes International from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hermes International has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

About Hermes International

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Hermes International is a French luxury goods company renowned for its high-end leather goods, scarves, ready-to-wear apparel, watches, jewelry, fragrances and home accessories. Founded in 1837 as a harness and bridle workshop, the firm has evolved into one of the worlds most recognizable luxury maisons, known for artisanal craftsmanship, quality materials and a focus on timeless design. The company is headquartered in Paris and maintains a strong heritage identity that influences its product development and brand positioning.

Key product categories include leather goods and iconic handbags, silk scarves and ties, fashion and accessories, timepieces and fine jewelry, as well as fragrances and selected home collections.

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Synthomer (LON:SYNT  Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by research analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from GBX 96 to GBX 62 in a research note issued on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The firm presently has a hold rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts price target suggests a potential upside of 16.44% from the stocks previous close.

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Synthomer from GBX 200 to GBX 120 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 90.50.

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Synthomer Stock Down 2.4%

Insider Buying and Selling at Synthomer

LON:SYNT traded down GBX 1.34 during midday trading on Monday, reaching GBX 53.25. The company had a trading volume of 1,584,090 shares, compared to its average volume of 615,181. Synthomer has a 12-month low of GBX 45.40 and a 12-month high of GBX 157.60. The firm has a market capitalization of 87.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.04, a PEG ratio of -0.17 and a beta of 1.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 78.27. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is GBX 59.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 63.35.

In other Synthomer news, insider Michael Willome bought 63,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 49 per share, with a total value of 30,870. Company insiders own 5.03% of the companys stock.

About Synthomer

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Synthomer plc is a leading supplier of high-performance, highly specialised polymers and ingredients that play vital roles in key sectors such as coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection  growing markets for customers who serve billions of end users worldwide.

Headquartered in London, UK and listed on the LSE since 1971, we employ c.3,900 employees across our five innovation centres of excellence and 29 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America, Middle East and Asia.

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Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV  Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by research analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald from $316.00 to $319.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an overweight rating on the insurance providers stock. Cantor Fitzgeralds price target indicates a potential upside of 11.19% from the companys current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Barclays lowered their price objective on Travelers Companies from $315.00 to $312.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Travelers Companies to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Travelers Companies from $302.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Travelers Companies from $307.00 to $285.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Citigroup restated a neutral rating on shares of Travelers Companies in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Travelers Companies presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $303.00.

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Travelers Companies Price Performance

NYSE TRV traded up $2.39 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $286.90. The stock had a trading volume of 350,388 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,713,128. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The firms 50 day moving average is $284.77 and its 200 day moving average is $276.95. Travelers Companies has a twelve month low of $230.43 and a twelve month high of $296.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.42, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.52.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The insurance provider reported $11.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.34 by $2.79. The firm had revenue of $12.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.13 billion. Travelers Companies had a net margin of 12.88% and a return on equity of 20.70%. Travelers Companiess quarterly revenue was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.15 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Travelers Companies will post 17.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Travelers Companies announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, January 21st that authorizes the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the insurance provider to reacquire up to 8.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.25, for a total value of $6,956,250.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 26,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,493,829. This represents a 48.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jeffrey P. Klenk sold 16,712 shares of Travelers Companies stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $279.77, for a total transaction of $4,675,516.24. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,075 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,699,602.75. This trade represents a 73.34% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 54,435 shares of company stock valued at $15,366,736. Corporate insiders own 1.46% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Travelers Companies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Travelers Companies by 1,820.0% in the second quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 96 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Travelers Companies in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 134.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 96 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 200.0% in the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Travelers Companies in the third quarter worth $28,000. Institutional investors own 82.45% of the companys stock.

Travelers Companies Company Profile

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The Travelers Companies, Inc (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property and casualty insurance products and services. The company underwrites a broad range of commercial and personal insurance lines, offering coverage designed to protect individuals, small and midsize businesses, and large corporate clients against property loss, liability, and other operational risks. Travelers is known for combining underwriting, claims management and risk control services to help clients prevent losses and recover when incidents occur.

On the commercial side, Travelers writes primary and specialty coverages including property, general liability, commercial auto, workers compensation, professional and management liability, surety and inland marine.

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Invesco Food & Beverage ETF (NYSEARCA:PBJ  Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 6,794 shares, a decline of 16.3% from the December 31st total of 8,121 shares. Approximately 0.3% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 16,609 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.4 days. Based on an average trading volume of 16,609 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.4 days. Approximately 0.3% of the companys stock are short sold.

Invesco Food & Beverage ETF Stock Performance

Shares of Invesco Food & Beverage ETF stock traded up $0.16 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $48.03. 2,696 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 14,288. The company has a market cap of $98.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.85 and a beta of 0.56. Invesco Food & Beverage ETF has a 52 week low of $42.57 and a 52 week high of $49.33. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $45.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.03.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in PBJ. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Invesco Food & Beverage ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of Invesco Food & Beverage ETF in the third quarter valued at approximately $80,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in shares of Invesco Food & Beverage ETF by 231.6% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 2,789 shares of the companys stock worth $128,000 after buying an additional 1,948 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Invesco Food & Beverage ETF in the second quarter worth $242,000. Finally, Phoenix Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Invesco Food & Beverage ETF during the 4th quarter worth $260,000.

Invesco Food & Beverage ETF Company Profile

PowerShares Dynamic Food & Beverage Portfolio (the Fund) is based on the Dynamic Food & Beverage Intellidex Index (Index). The Fund seeks investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield of the Index. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that consists of the Index. The Index is designed to provide capital appreciation by evaluating companies based on a variety of investment merit criteria, including fundamental growth, stock valuation, investment timeliness and risk factors.

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Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ABR  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $7.50 and last traded at $7.6080, with a volume of 4915592 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $7.88.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on ABR. Zacks Research downgraded Arbor Realty Trust from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Arbor Realty Trust from $8.50 to $7.50 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Arbor Realty Trust from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Sunday, October 26th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on Arbor Realty Trust from $10.00 to $8.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Arbor Realty Trust from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Strong Sell and an average target price of $9.38.

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Arbor Realty Trust Stock Down 1.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.51, a current ratio of 287.79 and a quick ratio of 287.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a PE ratio of 9.49 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $8.24 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.24.

Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ABR  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.07. Arbor Realty Trust had a net margin of 20.07% and a return on equity of 11.63%. The business had revenue of $162.49 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $72.26 million. As a group, analysts forecast that Arbor Realty Trust will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Ivan Kaufman acquired 29,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $8.34 per share, with a total value of $241,860.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 54,000 shares in the company, valued at $450,360. The trade was a 116.00% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 3.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Arbor Realty Trust in the second quarter worth $27,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in shares of Arbor Realty Trust by 77.8% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,583 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 1,130 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Arbor Realty Trust by 73.5% in the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,774 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 1,175 shares in the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. purchased a new position in Arbor Realty Trust during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Arbor Realty Trust during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.25% of the companys stock.

About Arbor Realty Trust

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Arbor Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: ABR) is a real estate investment trust specializing in the origination, acquisition, financing, structuring and management of commercial real estate loans and securities. The company focuses primarily on multifamily and commercial mortgage lending, targeting properties such as apartment communities, senior housing and healthcare facilities. Through both agency and non-agency channels, Arbor Realty Trust seeks to deliver liquidity solutions to borrowers while generating stable, risk-adjusted returns for its shareholders.

Core business activities include originating first-mortgage loans secured by multifamily and mixed-use properties, as well as providing mezzanine financing and preferred equity investments.

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Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX  Get Free Report)s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $164.88 and last traded at $164.25, with a volume of 31847 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $160.30.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MATX shares. Stephens boosted their price target on Matson from $190.00 to $213.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Matson in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $167.00 price target on shares of Matson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $156.25.

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Matson Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $129.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $112.38. The firm has a market cap of $5.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.45 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12.

Matson (NYSE:MATX  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The shipping company reported $4.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.25 by $0.99. Matson had a net margin of 12.70% and a return on equity of 16.23%. The firm had revenue of $880.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $837.72 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.89 earnings per share. Matsons revenue for the quarter was down 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Matson, Inc. will post 13.27 EPS for the current year.

Matson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 5th will be given a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Matsons payout ratio is 10.96%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Matson

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MATX. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its position in shares of Matson by 124.3% during the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 249 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Matson during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Matson by 67.1% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 254 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Matson during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Matson in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.76% of the companys stock.

About Matson

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Matson, Inc (NYSE: MATX) is a U.S.-based provider of ocean transportation and supply chain logistics services with a focus on Pacific trade lanes. The company operates a fleet of container ships that regularly service Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Micronesia and other Pacific islands, as well as mainland U.S. ports. Matsons ocean transportation segment offers scheduled liner services, expedited shipping options and specialized project cargo handling for industries ranging from retail to heavy machinery.

In addition to its core liner operations, Matson offers ocean transportation services between Asia and the U.S.

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LATAM Airlines Group S.A. (NYSE:LTM  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $68.08 and last traded at $67.67, with a volume of 672109 shares. The stock had previously closed at $65.81.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on LTM. Wall Street Zen raised shares of LATAM Airlines Group from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, November 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a buy rating and issued a $58.50 price objective on shares of LATAM Airlines Group in a report on Friday, December 5th. Barclays set a $60.00 price objective on shares of LATAM Airlines Group and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Zacks Research raised LATAM Airlines Group from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of LATAM Airlines Group in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $59.25.

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LATAM Airlines Group Stock Up 4.7%

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LATAM Airlines Group

The firm has a market capitalization of $20.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 3.88. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $55.31 and a 200 day moving average of $48.74.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LTM. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in shares of LATAM Airlines Group by 248.4% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,484,669 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $67,181,000 after purchasing an additional 1,058,554 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in LATAM Airlines Group by 266.7% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,039,414 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $47,033,000 after buying an additional 755,997 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its stake in LATAM Airlines Group by 87.3% during the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 1,018,218 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $54,994,000 after buying an additional 474,593 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its position in LATAM Airlines Group by 89.7% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 954,224 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $43,179,000 after buying an additional 451,107 shares during the period. Finally, Burkehill Global Management LP bought a new stake in LATAM Airlines Group in the third quarter valued at $42,988,000.

LATAM Airlines Group Company Profile

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LATAM Airlines Group SA is a Chilean-based airline holding company formed in 2012 through the merger of LAN Airlines of Chile and TAM Linhas Aereas of Brazil. The Group offers passenger and cargo air transportation services across South America and beyond, operating under a multi?brand strategy that encompasses several nationally recognized carriers. Headquartered in Santiago, Chile, LATAM is structured to serve diverse market segments with full-service, premium and low?cost offerings.

The core business activities of LATAM Airlines Group include scheduled domestic and international passenger flights, air cargo services and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities through its technical divisions.

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SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Korean former first lady Kim Keon-hee's legal team filed an appeal on Monday against a first-instance court ruling on her corruption charges that sentenced her to 20 months in prison, YTN reported. 
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 52,970,376 shares, a decrease of 17.8% from the December 31st total of 64,478,093 shares. Approximately 6.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 14,235,456 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.7 days. Based on an average trading volume of 14,235,456 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.7 days. Approximately 6.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on RF. Morgan Stanley set a $31.00 price objective on shares of Regions Financial in a report on Monday, January 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Regions Financial from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and set a $30.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Regions Financial from $29.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a buy rating and issued a $32.00 price target on shares of Regions Financial in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Evercore ISI cut shares of Regions Financial from an in-line rating to an underperform rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $27.00 to $29.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $29.27.

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Regions Financial Stock Performance

Regions Financial stock traded up $0.53 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $29.03. 5,446,646 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,484,084. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $27.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $26.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Regions Financial has a one year low of $17.74 and a one year high of $29.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.45 billion, a PE ratio of 12.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.04.

Regions Financial (NYSE:RF  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 16th. The bank reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.61 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $1.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.94 billion. Regions Financial had a net margin of 22.44% and a return on equity of 12.55%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.56 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Regions Financial will post 2.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Regions Financial declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, December 10th that permits the company to buyback $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the bank to reacquire up to 12.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Regions Financial news, EVP William D. Ritter sold 36,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.78, for a total value of $1,036,080.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,569 shares in the company, valued at $505,635.82. This trade represents a 67.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Regions Financial

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CVA Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in Regions Financial by 163.2% in the 2nd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 1,058 shares of the banks stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 656 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Regions Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Regions Financial in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. United Community Bank bought a new stake in shares of Regions Financial during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Regions Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. 79.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Regions Financial Company Profile

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Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE: RF) is a U.S. bank holding company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, that provides a broad range of banking and financial services. Its primary banking subsidiary, Regions Bank, serves retail and commercial customers through a combination of branch and ATM networks, digital channels and relationship-based delivery. The company offers deposit accounts, consumer and commercial loans, mortgage origination and servicing, and payment and treasury services.

In addition to core banking, Regions offers wealth management, trust and brokerage services, insurance solutions, and capital markets capabilities to corporate and institutional clients.

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Shares of Danone (OTCMKTS:DANOY  Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $15.62, but opened at $16.30. Danone shares last traded at $16.13, with a volume of 1,046,728 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on DANOY shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a sector perform rating on shares of Danone in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of Danone in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Danone from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of Danone in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold.

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Danone Price Performance

Danone Company Profile

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $17.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $17.35.

(Get Free Report)

Danone is a French multinational food-products company headquartered in Paris, with roots dating to 1919 when it was founded by Isaac Carasso. The company positions itself around nutrition and health-oriented food and beverage products, and it combines global brand management, manufacturing and distribution to serve a broad consumer base. Danones long history has been characterized by expansion beyond its original yogurt business into bottled water, infant and medical nutrition, and plant-based alternatives.

Danones principal activities include the development, production and marketing of dairy and plant-based products, bottled waters, and specialized nutrition for infants and medical patients.

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Booking, Travelers Companies, and Expedia Group are the three Travel stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Travel stocks are shares of companies whose core businesses enable or serve travel and tourismairlines, hotels and resorts, cruise lines, online travel agencies, car rental firms, and other hospitality and leisure operators. They tend to be cyclical and sensitive to economic conditions, seasonality, fuel and labor costs, and travel restrictions, making them a way to gain exposure to consumer travel demand but often with higher volatility and operational risk. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Travel stocks within the last several days.

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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.

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Newmont, Freeport-McMoRan, Barrick Mining, Agnico Eagle Mines, First Majestic Silver, Pan American Silver, and Hecla Mining are the seven Gold stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Gold stocks are shares of companies whose principal business involves gold  including miners, explorers, refiners, and royalty/streaming firms  and thus offer investors exposure to the value of gold through corporate operations. Their returns depend both on gold prices and company-specific factors (production, costs, reserves, management and geopolitical/operational risks), so they behave differently from holding physical gold or broad-market gold ETFs. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Gold stocks within the last several days.

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Newmont (NEM)

Newmont Corporation engages in the production and exploration of gold. It also explores for copper, silver, zinc, and lead. The company has operations and/or assets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Suriname, Argentina, Chile, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, Fiji, and Ghana.

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX)

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. It primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals. The company's assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile.

Read Our Latest Research Report on FCX

Barrick Mining (B)

Barrick Gold Corporation is a sector-leading gold and copper producer. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GOLD and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ABX.



In January 2019 Barrick merged with Randgold Resources and in July that year it combined its gold mines in Nevada, USA, with those of Newmont Corporation in a joint venture, Nevada Gold Mines, which is majority-owned and operated by Barrick.

Read Our Latest Research Report on B

Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM)

Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, a gold mining company, exploration, development, and production of precious metals. It explores for gold. The company's mines are located in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico, with exploration and development activities in Canada, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States.

Read Our Latest Research Report on AEM

First Majestic Silver (AG)

First Majestic Silver Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of mineral properties with a focus on silver and gold production in North America. Its projects include the San Dimas mine covering an area of approximately 71,867 hectares located in Durango State, Mexico; the Santa Elena that covers an area of approximately 102,244 hectares located in Sonora State, Mexico; and the La Encantada covering an area of approximately 4,076 hectares located in Coahuila State, Mexico.

Read Our Latest Research Report on AG

Pan American Silver (PAAS)

Pan American Silver Corp. engages in the exploration, mine development, extraction, processing, refining, and reclamation of silver, gold, zinc, lead, and copper mines in Canada, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. The company was formerly known as Pan American Minerals Corp. and changed its name to Pan American Silver Corp.

Read Our Latest Research Report on PAAS

Hecla Mining (HL)

Hecla Mining Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides precious and base metal properties in the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and China. The company mines for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates, as well as carbon material containing silver and gold for custom smelters, metal traders, and third-party processors; and dore containing silver and gold.

Read Our Latest Research Report on HL

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Stora Enso Oyj (OTCMKTS:SEOAY  Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $12.3760, but opened at $11.6660. Stora Enso Oyj shares last traded at $11.6540, with a volume of 2,861 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of Stora Enso Oyj in a report on Monday, January 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $10.80.

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Stora Enso Oyj Price Performance

Stora Enso Oyj Company Profile

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $12.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $11.55. The company has a market capitalization of $9.15 billion, a PE ratio of 1,161.16 and a beta of 0.71.

(Get Free Report)

Stora Enso Oyj is a Finland?based provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper. The company draws on centuries of forest industry experience and leverages sustainable practices to produce a wide array of products, including paperboard for consumer goods, specialty papers for printing and publishing, and pulp for industrial applications. Its portfolio also encompasses wood products such as cross-laminated timber, sawn timber and building components, designed to meet growing demand for environmentally friendly construction materials.

Formed through the 1998 merger of Swedish mining and forestry giant Stora and Finnish paper maker Enso, Stora Enso combines deep heritage with ongoing investments in innovation.

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Banco Comercial Portugues S.A. Unsponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:BPCGY  Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Monday . Approximately 2,575 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 8% from the previous sessions volume of 2,375 shares.The stock last traded at $11.72 and had previously closed at $11.93.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on BPCGY. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Banco Comercial Portugues from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Zacks Research raised shares of Banco Comercial Portugues from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Strong Buy.

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Banco Comercial Portugues Stock Performance

Banco Comercial Portugues Company Profile

The businesss 50 day moving average is $10.34 and its 200-day moving average is $9.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.53 and a beta of 0.25.

(Get Free Report)

Banco Comercial Portugues SA, operating under the Millennium bcp brand, is the largest private banking institution in Portugal. Headquartered in Porto, it offers a broad range of universal banking services to retail, corporate and institutional clients. Core product lines include deposit accounts, consumer and mortgage lending, payment cards and digital banking platforms. The group also provides private banking and wealth management solutions through dedicated advisory centres.

In the corporate segment, Millennium bcp delivers a portfolio of services that spans trade finance, project and structured finance, treasury operations and cash management, alongside specialised lending and structured solutions.

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Societe Generale Group (OTCMKTS:SCGLY  Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $17.87 and last traded at $17.85, with a volume of 145377 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $17.53.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on SCGLY shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating on shares of Societe Generale Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Kepler Capital Markets cut Societe Generale Group from a buy rating to a reduce rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Citigroup reissued a buy rating on shares of Societe Generale Group in a report on Friday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Societe Generale Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating on shares of Societe Generale Group in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Societe Generale Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy.

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Societe Generale Group Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $68.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.98, a PEG ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.78. The companys 50 day moving average is $15.73 and its 200 day moving average is $13.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.40, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.27.

Societe Generale Group (OTCMKTS:SCGLY  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.04. Societe Generale Group had a return on equity of 6.18% and a net margin of 20.06%.The company had revenue of $7.78 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.54 billion. Research analysts forecast that Societe Generale Group will post 1.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Societe Generale Group

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Societe Generale Group, founded in 1864 and headquartered in Paris, is one of Frances largest banking groups. It offers a broad range of financial services to individuals, businesses, institutions and governments. The firm operates through multiple businesses that collectively provide banking, financing, investment and advisory solutions across retail, corporate and institutional client segments.

The groups core activities encompass retail banking services such as deposit accounts, consumer and mortgage lending, payment services and wealth management.

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Community Bancorp. (OTCMKTS:CMTV  Get Free Report) CEO Christopher Caldwell purchased 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $31.77 per share, for a total transaction of $31,770.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 11,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $349,470. This represents a 10.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Community Bancorp. Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of OTCMKTS CMTV traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $31.20. The companys stock had a trading volume of 10,203 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,935. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. Community Bancorp. has a fifty-two week low of $16.99 and a fifty-two week high of $31.78. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $25.69 and a 200-day simple moving average of $23.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $173.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.37 and a beta of 0.31.

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Community Bancorp. (OTCMKTS:CMTV  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $13.21 million during the quarter. Community Bancorp. had a return on equity of 16.08% and a net margin of 24.67%.

About Community Bancorp.

Community Bancorp. operates as the bank holding company for Community National Bank that provides financial services to individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and municipalities in northern and central Vermont. It offers financing for commercial business properties, equipment, inventories, and accounts receivable, as well as standby letters of credit; and business checking and other deposit accounts, cash management services, repurchase agreements, ACH and wire transfer services, card processing, and remote deposit capture.

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Flagstar Bank, National Association (NYSE:FLG  Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by analysts at DA Davidson from $15.00 to $16.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a buy rating on the stock. DA Davidsons price target suggests a potential upside of 18.12% from the stocks previous close.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on FLG. Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d-) rating on shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Flagstar Bank, National Association from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association from $13.50 to $14.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Monday. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association from $13.00 to $11.50 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Flagstar Bank, National Association presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $14.46.

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Flagstar Bank, National Association Trading Up 2.5%

Flagstar Bank, National Association stock traded up $0.33 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $13.55. 3,297,350 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,149,396. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -26.58, a PEG ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.10. Flagstar Bank, National Association has a 12 month low of $9.64 and a 12 month high of $13.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $12.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $12.15.

Flagstar Bank, National Association (NYSE:FLG  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.02 by $0.04. Flagstar Bank, National Association had a negative return on equity of 1.60% and a negative net margin of 3.68%.The business had revenue of $548.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $533.00 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.41) earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Flagstar Bank, National Association will post -0.31 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Flagstar Bank, National Association by 9.4% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 7,462,877 shares of the companys stock valued at $79,116,000 after purchasing an additional 641,117 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association by 1,130.1% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 6,635,962 shares of the companys stock valued at $70,341,000 after buying an additional 6,096,512 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Flagstar Bank, National Association by 4.0% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,291,647 shares of the companys stock worth $72,669,000 after buying an additional 240,119 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Flagstar Bank, National Association by 12.8% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,846,016 shares of the companys stock valued at $67,520,000 after acquiring an additional 661,749 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association by 310.8% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,825,713 shares of the companys stock worth $44,187,000 after acquiring an additional 2,894,424 shares in the last quarter. 67.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Flagstar Bank, National Association

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Flagstar Financial Corporation (NYSE: FLG) is a bank holding company whose principal subsidiary, Flagstar Bank, provides a range of financial services across the United States. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Flagstar combines commercial banking, mortgage lending and servicing, and deposit products to serve individuals, businesses and public entities. As a publicly traded company, Flagstar leverages its banking charter and national mortgage platform to deliver tailored financial solutions through both digital and branch channels.

The companys mortgage business is one of the largest residential originators and servicers in the nation, offering retail, wholesale and correspondent lending channels.

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UWM Holdings Corporation (NYSE:UWMC  Get Free Report) CEO Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.20, for a total value of $3,290,944.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 6,856,643 shares in the company, valued at $35,654,543.60. This represents a 8.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Ishbia Mat also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Friday, January 30th, Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.00, for a total value of $3,164,370.00.

On Wednesday, January 28th, Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.89, for a total value of $3,727,627.86.

On Monday, January 26th, Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.75, for a total value of $3,639,025.50.

On Thursday, January 22nd, Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.87, for a total transaction of $3,714,970.38.

On Tuesday, January 20th, Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.82, for a total transaction of $3,683,326.68.

On Friday, January 16th, Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.04, for a total value of $3,822,558.96.

On Wednesday, January 14th, Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.46, for a total value of $3,455,492.04.

On Monday, January 12th, Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.35, for a total transaction of $3,385,875.90.

On Friday, January 9th, Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.27, for a total value of $3,335,245.98.

On Wednesday, January 7th, Ishbia Mat sold 632,874 shares of UWM stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.70, for a total value of $2,974,507.80.

UWM Stock Up 4.0%

UWMC traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $5.11. The companys stock had a trading volume of 30,576,290 shares, compared to its average volume of 19,611,486. UWM Holdings Corporation has a 52-week low of $3.80 and a 52-week high of $7.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.40. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $5.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $5.41.

UWM Announces Dividend

UWM ( NYSE:UWMC Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.07 by ($0.06). UWM had a net margin of 0.61% and a negative return on equity of 6.81%. The firm had revenue of $151.14 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $651.51 million. As a group, research analysts expect that UWM Holdings Corporation will post 0.2 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 18th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.8%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UWMC. Morgan Stanley set a $6.00 price target on shares of UWM in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of UWM from $6.50 to $6.75 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Zacks Research raised shares of UWM from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Wall Street Zen lowered UWM from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on UWM from $6.00 to $7.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $6.53.

View Our Latest Research Report on UWM

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UWM

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in shares of UWM by 5,681.9% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 4,163 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 4,091 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in UWM by 408.7% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,407 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 4,344 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in UWM in the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of UWM by 1,410.7% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 8,596 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 8,027 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of UWM during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. 53.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About UWM

(Get Free Report)

United Wholesale Mortgage (NYSE: UWMC) is a leading mortgage lender in the United States specializing in the wholesale channel. The company partners with independent mortgage brokers, community banks and credit unions to offer a full suite of residential mortgage products. Through its network of third-party originators, United Wholesale Mortgage underwrites, funds and closes loans, allowing its partners to focus on customer acquisition and service.

The companys product offerings include conventional fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, U.S.

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Villagers take part in a Chinese New Year celebration event at Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 2, 2026. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou City has held a series of festive activities, recreating traditional Chinese New Year customs of a water town and creating a joyful atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

An aerial drone photo shows villagers watching a traditional water-town opera performance at Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 2, 2026. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou City has held a series of festive activities, recreating traditional Chinese New Year customs of a water town and creating a joyful atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

A villager writes spring couplets during a Chinese New Year celebration event at Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 2, 2026. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou City has held a series of festive activities, recreating traditional Chinese New Year customs of a water town and creating a joyful atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

A drone photo shows villagers watching a traditional water-town opera performance at Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 2, 2026. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou City has held a series of festive activities, recreating traditional Chinese New Year customs of a water town and creating a joyful atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

Villagers watch a traditional water-town opera performance at Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 2, 2026. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou City has held a series of festive activities, recreating traditional Chinese New Year customs of a water town and creating a joyful atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

A villager writes spring couplets at Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 2, 2026. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou City has held a series of festive activities, recreating traditional Chinese New Year customs of a water town and creating a joyful atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

A villager decorates with lanterns and festive ornaments at Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 2, 2026. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou City has held a series of festive activities, recreating traditional Chinese New Year customs of a water town and creating a joyful atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

Villagers make rice cakes at Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 2, 2026. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou City has held a series of festive activities, recreating traditional Chinese New Year customs of a water town and creating a joyful atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

An aerial drone photo shows villagers watching a traditional water-town opera performance at Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 2, 2026. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Mojiaqiao Village in Hangzhou City has held a series of festive activities, recreating traditional Chinese New Year customs of a water town and creating a joyful atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (OTCMKTS:FMCB  Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Monday. The bank reported $34.29 EPS for the quarter, Zacks reports. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp had a return on equity of 15.03% and a net margin of 30.89%.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:FMCB remained flat at $1,150.00 during midday trading on Monday. 54 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 238. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a 1-year low of $976.00 and a 1-year high of $1,150.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The companys 50-day moving average price is $1,105.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,055.23. The stock has a market cap of $805 million, a P/E ratio of 8.79 and a beta of 0.18.

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Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Company Profile

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Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company that operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California. Headquartered in Hanford, California, the company provides a broad range of commercial and consumer banking services tailored to individuals, businesses and agricultural enterprises in the San Joaquin Valley region.

The companys core offerings include deposit products such as checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit.

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Hannover Ruck SE (OTCMKTS:HVRRY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 9,760 shares, a decline of 31.5% from the December 31st total of 14,250 shares. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 25,812 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.4 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 25,812 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.4 days. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Hannover Ruck Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of OTCMKTS:HVRRY traded up $0.75 during trading on Monday, reaching $48.05. The stock had a trading volume of 21,375 shares, compared to its average volume of 19,346. The company has a quick ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 0.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The stock has a market cap of $34.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.64 and a beta of 0.34. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $49.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $49.66. Hannover Ruck has a fifty-two week low of $42.64 and a fifty-two week high of $55.40.

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Hannover Ruck (OTCMKTS:HVRRY  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 10th. The financial services provider reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.07 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $8.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.27 billion. Hannover Ruck had a return on equity of 19.35% and a net margin of 9.44%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Hannover Ruck will post 3.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Hannover Ruck from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of Hannover Ruck from a moderate buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on HVRRY

About Hannover Ruck

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Hannover Ruck (OTCMKTS: HVRRY), commonly known as Hannover Re, is a global reinsurance group headquartered in Hannover, Germany. The company underwrites treaty and facultative reinsurance across a broad spectrum of risks, including property & casualty and life & health lines. Its product suite encompasses traditional proportional and non?proportional treaty contracts, facultative placements, structured reinsurance, retrocession, and capital marketlinked solutions such as insurance?linked securities, tailored to transfer and manage insurance risk for primary insurers and other reinsurers.

Founded in the 1960s, Hannover Re has developed into one of the major international reinsurers, building a presence across Europe, the Americas, Asia?Pacific and other global markets.

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Staffline Group plc (LON:STAF  Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as GBX 52.50 and last traded at GBX 52, with a volume of 105366 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 51.

Staffline Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of 60.00 million, a PE ratio of 17.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.74. The firms 50-day moving average is GBX 46.11 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 45.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 47.04, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.93.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Staffline Group news, insider Thomas Spain sold 138,610 shares of Staffline Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 51, for a total value of 70,691.10. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 405,703 shares of company stock worth $19,355,388. 33.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Staffline Group

Staffline Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides recruitment and outsourced human resource services, and skills and employment training and support services in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It operates through three segments: Recruitment GB, Recruitment Ireland, and PeoplePlus. The company provides solutions to the agriculture, supermarkets and retail, drinks, driving, food processing, manufacturing, and logistics sectors. It also offers adult and prison education, skills-based employability programmes and support, recruitment process outsourcing, and managed service provider solutions; branches, permanent, and contract recruitment solutions; generalist recruitment services; workforce recruitment and management to industry customers; and technical and engineering recruitment services.

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JERUSALEM, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior military officials, a senior Israeli official said on Monday.

The talks will focus on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and the tensions with Iran, the official told Xinhua, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Witkoff is also scheduled to meet Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and other security officials, the official added.

The upcoming visit comes amid rising regional tensions over Washington's increased military presence in the Middle East, its threats to attack Iran, and Tehran's warnings of retaliation against U.S. and Israeli targets, and as the White House also seeks to advance the plan for a ceasefire in Gaza and the rehabilitation of the devastated enclave. 
The Government cannot wave a magic wand and just deliver flood relief schemes, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said, as he visited affected homes and businesses in County Wexford.

Mr Martin met residents of Island Road, Enniscorthy, an area that was badly hit by flooding in recent weeks after the River Slaney burst its banks during Storm Chandra.

He told one that the Government is determined to do a number of short-term measures first to alleviate the impact of flood damage.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Martin said it was a soul-destroying experience to have your house flooded or your business flooded, and there has been a pattern here over many decades of flooding at this location.

Our objective is first of all to provide humanitarian support to the families and also supports to the businesses that have been impacted, he said.

Secondly, the Office of Public Works (OPW) will work with the local authority in respect of interim measures to try and protect these houses and this location more generally and there are interim measures that can be taken to provide that protection and that reassurance, and that we will do.

Obviously, then, thirdly, the substantial, comprehensive scheme itself will be submitted for planning and it is complex, all of these schemes are, but nonetheless, we want to get that started.

On Sunday, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers acknowledged that the delivery of flood relief schemes in Ireland has been too slow.

Asked if there was any way the Government could expedite flood relief schemes, Mr Martin said planning routes have to be gone through, theres no question.

He added: Well do everything we can to speed up the progress of a scheme, going through the planning process and the design and development works itself.

These are very comprehensive schemes. They are complex. Im not going to try and pretend that we can wave a magic wand and just deliver them. That would be wrong to do.

But what we can do, its a parallel approach, the interim measures, whilst doing everything we can to shave off time.

Minister for Housing and Local Government, James Browne, who was with the Taoiseach, was asked if he believed Met Eireann had been withholding weather information last week.

He previously said the weather tracking agency needed to improve communications and he was really frustrated that some state agencies seem to think that its their duty to somehow withhold information.

He told reporters on Monday: The phrase I used was guarding, and it was in relation to very highly technical data, in relation to flooding not weather forecasting, and Ive met with the director of Met Eireann since then, and what were looking at [is] how we can, I suppose, make that data viable information that can be used.

On Monday Met Eireann issued yellow rain warnings for counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork and Waterford

They said further heavy rain falling on saturated ground combined with high river levels and high tides will lead to localised flooding, river flooding and difficult travel conditions.

A weather advisory from them said: Spells of heavy and persistent rainfall will continue through the week of February 2, particularly in southern and eastern coastal counties.

Rain will fall on saturated ground where river levels are high with high tides expected this week. This will lead to further flooding along rivers and in coastal areas.
Wookco Pivots to Launch the Regions First "Impact-Linked Travel Gateway"



(TRAVPR.COM) THAILAND - January 31st, 2026 - Bangkok  January 28, 2026  The global tourism industry is transitioning into an era where sustainability is not just an option, but a fundamental norm. Recently, Wookco, an innovative travel tech platform, officially launched in Thailand as the first Impact-Linked Travel Gateway, connecting every booking transaction with tangible social and environmental benefits.

The Birth of Wookco and the Redefinition of Impact-Linked Travel

Wookco was founded by a group of young professionals and experts in technology and tourism from Thailand and Estonia, aiming to bridge the gap between "tourism" and "conservation." Historically, travelers seeking to support local communities faced difficulties finding authentic local businesses, while small businesses lacked the tools to access global markets.

Wookco acts as a "gateway," curating only accommodations, tours, and services focused on creating a positive impact. This launch in Thailand is strategically significant, as the country is one of the world's most popular destinations urgently needing sustainability management.

Revolutionizing the Industry with "Impact Loop": More Than Just Points Accumulation

What sets Wookco apart from other major OTA (Online Travel Agency) players is its use of "Impact Loop" technology as a core tool.

What is Impact Loop?

Typically, accommodation booking platforms offer discounts or loyalty points to encourage repeat business. However, with Wookco's Impact Loop, every booking is calculated as "Impact Points," which travelers can manage in three main ways:

Direct Contribution: Convert points into funding for natural resource restoration projects in the areas visited, such as mangrove reforestation or marine cleanup.

Community Empowerment: Use points to support education funds or medical equipment for the local host community.

Verified Carbon Offset: For travelers concerned about their carbon footprint, points can be used to purchase internationally certified carbon credits to instantly make their trip carbon neutral.

This system creates a sustainable loop; the more travel there is, the more benefits flow back into the tourism ecosystem.

Tech Bridge: A digital bridge bridging the gap for local communities.

One of the major obstacles to sustainable tourism is the "digital divide," or the lack of access to technology for local businesses. Wookco therefore developed the Tech Bridge project.

Empowering Thai SMEs:

Wookco is not just a sales channel, but also acts as a digital consultant for communities:

Digital Onboarding: A system designed for ease of use, even for businesses without IT expertise.

Fair Commission: A fair fee structure to ensure the majority of funds remain circulating within the community.

Data Transparency: A dashboard showing both travelers and businesses how every baht contributes to various impact projects.

Global Partnerships and Fundraising for the Future:

Wookco's credibility is confirmed by its participation in a support program with FasterCapital, an international investor and incubator group, which helps provide both funding and expertise in scaling into international markets.

Even though the startup market in 2025-2026 faces significant challenges. However, Wookco's clear vision of being an Impact-Linked Travel Gateway has enabled the brand to attract investors who prioritize ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in a remarkable way.

Stepping into 2026: The Future of Thai Tourism in Your Hands

Mr. Nattarat klinkanha, Founder and CEO of Wookco, believes this launch will be a significant turning point for the Thai tourism industry. "We're not here to compete on the lowest price, but to create the highest value for the world and travelers."

Currently, Wookco has a network spanning more than 117 countries worldwide and is ready to welcome partners in Thailand who want to be part of the Impact Loop ecosystem to jointly drive Thailand to become the most sustainable and memorable destination for travelers around the world.

More Information for Travelers and Partners

For those interested in experiencing impactful tourism or businesses wishing to participate in the Tech Bridge program, more details can be found on Wookco's official website. Follow the progress of various Impact projects through the brand's social media channels starting today.

Wookco: Transforming Travel for Positive Impact

Redefining: Wookco is more than just an OTA; it's an Impact-Linked Travel Gateway that connects business profits with tangible global development.

"Impact Loop" Innovation: The first system to transform "reward points" into "investment." Bookers can choose to use their Impact Points to support coral reef restoration projects, community education initiatives, or offset their carbon footprint.

"Tech Bridge" Technology: A digital infrastructure designed to help local SMEs in emerging markets access international booking systems equitably and transparently.

Credibility: A startup integrating technology from Estonia, funded by FasterCapital (a global investment group), aiming for $7.5 million in revenue within 3 years.

Vision 2026: Committed to propel Thailand to a leadership position in sustainable tourism, transforming every "booking" into "building the future."

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Photo: Press service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

ABU DHABI, UAE, February 2. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived in the United Arab Emirates on a working visit on February 2, Trend's special correspondent reports.

A guard of honor was lined up at Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport in honor of the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev was welcomed by President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
A memorandum of cooperation has been signed between the countrys first bank, Kapital Bank, and Azerbaijans first university, Baku State University. With this agreement, Kapital Bank has laid the foundation for another strategic partnership with a higher education institution. The signing ceremony was attended by Board Member and First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Kapital Bank Javid Mirzayev and rector of Baku State University Elchin Babayev.

Speaking at the event, Javid Mirzayev described the cooperation as a historic milestone. According to him, for the countrys first bank it is particularly important to formally elevate its partnership with Baku State University, an institution with a long standing and rich academic history, to a broader level. Supporting education is one of the key and strategic pillars of Kapital Banks corporate social responsibility. Experience shows that such partnerships enable students to gain practical knowledge, acquire skills essential for their future careers, and enter the labor market better prepared. At the same time, the bank gains the opportunity to work with young professionals who are ready to operate in a modern corporate environment. Currently, 748 graduates of Baku State University are employed at the bank, 68 of whom hold managerial positions. These figures clearly demonstrate that BSU graduates are also highly successful professionals in the financial sector. Javid Mirzayev expressed confidence that combining BSUs educational methodology with Kapital Banks practical experience will create a broader platform for youth development.

Rector Elchin Babayev, in turn, emphasized that this cooperation will have a positive impact on preparing students to enter the labor market as qualified professionals. He noted that one of the universitys key priorities is strengthening ties between universities, employers, and business entities. Cooperation with Kapital Bank will open new opportunities for students on their path to a successful career. The partnership includes experience sharing, training sessions delivered by the banks professional staff, and their involvement in the academic process. As a result, these initiatives will help students secure more stable positions in a competitive labor market.

Following the signing ceremony, the opening of the Kapital Bank room at Baku State University took place. The space is equipped with modern technologies and equipment and meets contemporary standards. During the event, bank employees who are BSU graduates and members of Kapital Banks management team shared their impressions and expressed confidence in the practical value of the partnership.

Kapital Bank, which has long been recognized for its education support initiatives, has already established Kapital Bank rooms at the Azerbaijan State University of Economics, Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Azerbaijan Technological University, and Baku Engineering University. These spaces regularly host projects aimed at supporting students professional and personal development.

Kapital Bank, the country's first bank, is part of PASHA Holding. Kapital Bank has the largest service network in Azerbaijan with 115 branches and 53 departments all over the country. For more detailed information about the banks products and services, please refer to https://kapitalbank.az website, 196 Call Centre or the banks various social network pages. To apply for a consumer loan visit https://kbl.az/prgtk, for a Birbank installment card visit https://kbl.az/prcrc.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Azerbaijan and Jordan will cooperate and provide mutual assistance in the customs sphere, Trend reports.

This issue was discussed at today's plenary session of the Azerbaijani parliament.

Meanwhile, it was noted that the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was signed in Baku on November 27, 2025.

The agreement, consisting of 22 articles, provides for mutual assistance between the customs authorities of both parties in accordance with established rules and conditions to ensure the proper application of customs legislation and to prevent, detect, and investigate violations of this legislation.

The agreement contains the necessary provisions on the obligation of the Parties to provide the necessary information at the request of the relevant authority on these issues, voluntary assistance by providing information deemed necessary, technical assistance, provision of information on the illegal trafficking of goods posing a danger, controlled shipments, the form and content of requests for assistance, the procedure for executing requests, exceptions, confidentiality, the procedure for using information, etc.

The other provisions of the agreement regulate its entry into force, duration, termination, and other related matters.

Moreover, it was noted that similar agreements had been signed in previous years by the Republic of Azerbaijan with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Morocco, Montenegro, the Government of the State of Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Macedonia, Israel, Serbia, Argentina, and several other countries.

The draft law on the approval of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters was put to a vote after discussion and adopted in the first reading.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Azerbaijan's joining the Board of Peace signals the country's rising global influence, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend.

"The signing of the Board of Peace Charter in Davos on January 22, 2026, is an important milestone in the new architecture of global politics. The signing of this document by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, is another confirmation of the country's growing weight in the system of international relations, its image as a reliable partner, and its role moving from a regional actor to a global player.

The Board of Peace initiative aims to unite states, political leaders, and strategic partners from different regions of the world on one platform, promoting global security, conflict prevention, and political dialogue. In the modern world, against the backdrop of wars, regional crises, tensions around energy and transport routes, the creation of such a platform arises from an objective necessity. Unlike classical international organizations, this organization is built on flexible decision-making, political trust, and mutual obligations. That is, the main issue here is not only formal membership but also a strategic partnership based on mutual trust. It is in this context that Azerbaijan's entry into the Board of Peace is of particular importance," the analyst stated.

According to him, over the past 20 years, Azerbaijan has pursued a balanced and predictable line, which is rarely seen in foreign policy. Baku has also been able to develop cooperation with the European Union, the U.S., Russia, China, the Islamic world, and the Turkic states in parallel. This is a diplomatic skill that very few countries have in an era of intensifying competition between great powers.

"First, commitment to its obligations in the energy sector. Azerbaijan has become a country that plays an important role in Europe's energy security. Huge infrastructure projects such as the Southern Gas Corridor project, TANAP, and TAP have proven that Azerbaijan is a partner that keeps its promises. Second, reliability in the transit and transport sector. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Middle Corridor, the Baku port, and cargo routes passing through the Caspian Sea show that Azerbaijan is an important link in the global logistics chain.

Third, consistency in security and regional stability issues. Azerbaijan has created a new reality in the region after a 44-day war and put the peace agenda at the forefront. Now Baku is becoming a capital that talks not about conflicts, but about opening communications and cooperation. Azerbaijan is now taking an active role not only in classic platforms such as the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), but also in newly emerging and future-shaping international initiatives.

During its chairmanship of the NAM, Baku has actually revived this organization, turning it into a real platform for discussing global problems. International summits were held at the initiative of Azerbaijan during the pandemic. The provision of humanitarian aid to countries affected by the conflict and calls for fair global distribution demonstrated Baku's sense of global responsibility. Joining the Board of Peace is a logical continuation of this line. Azerbaijan is already a country that influences the formation of global processes," he noted.

The analyst highlighted that Azerbaijan's entry into the Board of Peace also opens up new opportunities for the region.

"The South Caucasus has been known for many years as a place of conflict and instability. Now, Azerbaijan is presenting this region as a zone of cooperation, transport, energy, and peace. Participation in the Board of Peace allows Baku to more effectively promote its regional initiatives on a global platform. The Zangezur corridor, the Middle Corridor, and the Black Sea-Caspian connections are no longer just regional projects but are part of the international agenda. Besides, this step further strengthens the status of Azerbaijan as a country pursuing an independent policy.

Baku is not an outpost of any bloc but a reliable partner for all major power centers. The most valuable capital in international politics is trust. Azerbaijan has formed this capital over the years. Baku's positions are based on pragmatism rather than harsh rhetoric and calculated decisions rather than emotions. This makes it a predictable partner," he explained.

Garayev emphasized that platforms such as the Board of Peace need precisely such countriesstates that stand behind their word, ensure internal stability, and act responsibly in foreign policy.

"Azerbaijan's signing of the Board of Peace Charter is not just a diplomatic event. This is an official confirmation of the trust, authority, and strategic weight that the country has gained in the international system. Azerbaijan is no longer just a regional leader but an actor participating in the formation of the global peace and security architecture. This signature in Davos is a harbinger of Baku's future presence on larger diplomatic, political, and economic platforms. The inclusion of a reliable partner like Azerbaijan in the Board of Peace will be one of the main factors increasing the future effectiveness of this institution itself," the analyst added.

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ABU DHABI, UAE, February 2. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a meeting with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on February 2 in Abu Dhabi, Trend's special correspondent reports.

During the conversation, they emphasized that AzerbaijanUAE bilateral relations are based on a strategic partnership. The parties hailed the development of cooperation between the two countries in all areas, including political, economic, energy (including renewable energy), cultural, humanitarian, and other fields. The leaders highlighted the importance of reciprocal visits and meetings between the two presidents expanding relations.

The meeting touched on the significance of the Peace Shield  2026 joint operational-tactical exercise in Abu Dhabi between the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates. They expressed confidence that such exercises contribute to the development of operational military interoperability between the two countries' armed forces, and underscored the importance of continuing them in the future.

The heads of state exchanged views on the prospects of relations and future contacts.

In the presence of the two presidents, a document was signed concerning the sale of a portion of the non-controlling stake held by Azerbaijans Ministry of Economy in Southern Gas Corridor CJSC to XRG, the international investment arm of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Within the framework of the visit, a Letter of Intent on defense cooperation was also signed between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates.

The presidents of Azerbaijan and the UAE expressed confidence that these agreements will provide further impetus to the development of relations between the two countries.

The conversation also touched on the possibility of establishing twinning relations between Baku and Abu Dhabi.
ABU DHABI, UAE, February 2. A document concerning the sale of a portion of the non-controlling stake held by Azerbaijans Ministry of Economy in Southern Gas Corridor CJSC to XRG, the international investment arm of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was signed, Trend's special correspondent reports.

The document was signed in the presence of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Within the framework of the visit, a Letter of Intent on defense cooperation was also signed between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visits the Jier Machine-Tool Group Co., Ltd., in east China's Shandong Province on Feb. 2, 2026. Li made an inspection tour on Monday in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

JINAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang stressed on Monday the need to advance development, improve people's well-being and boost growth momentum in a more solid and effective way.

Li, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in east China's Shandong Province.

Smart manufacturing is the primary focus for driving technological transformation and industrial upgrading, Li said, noting that artificial intelligence technologies should be actively leveraged to comprehensively reshape the entire production and manufacturing chain across its full lifecycle.

He called for efforts to accelerate the research, development and application of green and low-carbon technologies, and to convert industrial waste heat into a stable and clean thermal energy source.

During the tour, Li was briefed on the development of energy infrastructure and nuclear power projects in Shandong. He underscored the importance of coordinating the construction and safe operation of clean energy projects, enhancing technological capabilities and regulatory oversight, and strengthening support for the development of a modern energy system.

Also on the tour, Li chaired a symposium to solicit opinions and suggestions on the draft government work report and the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, as well as on the work of the government.

Governments at all levels should leverage their local comparative advantages and actively foster new growth drivers, Li said.

In conjunction with the formulation and implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, they should formulate plans for a series of major initiatives and key projects to achieve greater progress in priority areas, the premier noted. These areas include the development of new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions, the improvement of the domestic economic cycle, and the promotion of the employment and income growth of residents. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, chairs a symposium to solicit opinions and suggestions on the draft government work report and the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, as well as on the work of the government, in east China's Shandong Province on Feb. 2, 2026. Li made an inspection tour on Monday in east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. The rule for dissolving the Supreme Assembly of Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is being determined, Trend reports.

This issue is reflected in the draft law "On approval of amendments to the Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic", discussed at today's plenary session of the Azerbaijani Parliament.

According to the draft law, the Supreme Assembly will be dissolved by the assembly at the request of 31 MPs or by the President of Azerbaijan in case of its inability to fulfill its duties specified in the relevant articles of the constitution (parts IIV of article 26 and article 27) due to unavoidable reasons.

Besides, the term of office of the Supreme Assembly elected in an extraordinary election may be less than five years. In this case, the next election to the Supreme Assembly will be held on the first Sunday of November of the fifth year of the term of office of the Supreme Assembly elected in an extraordinary election.

The draft law was put to discussion and adopted in the second vote. The first vote was held on July 8, 2025. Parts II-V of Article 26 of the Constitution are as follows:

Draft laws and resolutions submitted by the Prime Minister of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the Supreme Court of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and the Prosecutor's Office of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic for discussion by the Supreme Assembly as a legislative initiative will be introduced and put to a vote in the form submitted for discussion.

Amendments to such draft laws or resolutions may be made with the consent of the body exercising the right of legislative initiative.

Draft laws and resolutions submitted by the Supreme Assembly MPs to the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic by the Prime Minister of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the Supreme Court of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and the Prosecutor's Office of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic will be put to a vote within two months.

If the draft law and decision are declared urgent by the MPs of the Supreme Assembly, the Prime Minister of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the Supreme Court of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and the Prosecutor's Office of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, this period makes up 20 days.

In addition, Article 27 reads that laws and decisions are signed by the speaker of the Supreme Assembly within 10 days from the date of their adoption. A draft law and decision declared urgent is signed by the assembly speaker within 24 hours from the date of their adoption.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Azerbaijan is transitioning the Cabinet of Ministers of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from subordination to the Supreme Assembly to direct subordination under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

This issue is reflected in the draft law On the Approval of Amendments to the Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which was discussed today at a plenary session of the Azerbaijani Parliament.

Under current legislation, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is subordinate to the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and reports to it regularly.

According to the draft law, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic will report to the Supreme Assembly of the Autonomous Republic on its activities. The Cabinet of Ministers of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic will determine the order of its work in agreement with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The draft law was submitted for discussion and adopted in the second vote. The first vote took place on July 8, 2025.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. The suspension of inspections carried out in Azerbaijan's business sector will be extended, Trend reports.

This is reflected in a draft law on amendments to the Law on the Suspension of Inspections in the Business Sector, which was discussed at todays plenary session of the Azerbaijani Parliament.

Under the draft law, inspections in the business sector across the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan will remain suspended until January 1, 2027. For reference, inspections were first suspended starting from November 1, 2015, to stimulate the development of entrepreneurship in the country. This suspension period ended on January 1, 2026.

Following discussions, the draft law was put to a vote and adopted in its first reading.

Under the current legislation, during the suspension period, only a limited range of inspections is permitted. These include tax inspections, inspections in the financial markets sector, customs audits, inspections conducted by the relevant executive authority at private medical institutions, as well as checks related to compliance with rules on the quality and safety of medicines, food and feed safety control, fire supervision, state construction supervision, oversight of the safe operation of high-risk facilities and mining sites, and radiation safety control.

In addition, inspections may be conducted in connection with cases of interference with electricity, water, heat, and gas meters, illegal connections to distribution or heating networks without the consent of the supplying enterprise, as well as inspections carried out by supervisory bodies designated under the laws on combating the legalization of criminally obtained property and the financing of terrorism, and on targeted financial sanctions.

Inspections related to situations posing significant threats to human life and health, state security, and economic interests may also be conducted, with their scope and limitations determined by the relevant executive authority.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Azerbaijan plans to introduce a package of tax incentives as it prepares to host the 13th Session of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13), Trend reports.

The measure is reflected in a draft law amending the Tax Code, discussed at todays plenary session of the Azerbaijani Parliament.

Officials noted that Azerbaijans record in the field of urban development played a key role in securing the forum. The decision to hold WUF13 in Baku was formalized through a host country agreement signed on December 22, 2023, between the Government of Azerbaijan and the United Nations in 2026 and subsequently approved by law.

To ensure the successful organization of WUF13 at the highest international standards, authorities consider it appropriate to grant a range of targeted tax exemptions to non-resident participants involved in the event.

The measures include income tax exemptions for non-resident individuals engaged in supplying goods, carrying out works, or providing services within the framework of WUF13. Profit tax exemptions will apply to royalty payments made to non-resident legal entities for the use or transfer of rights to intellectual property, as well as to income earned by non-resident companies from works and services related to the forum. In addition, services rendered and works performed by non-residents under contractual agreements, along with the import of goods supported by official documentation, will be exempt from value-added tax.

All tax incentives and exemptions will apply only based on official confirming documents and will remain valid for one year beginning on September 1, 2025.

The draft law was approved in the first reading after discussion in the National Assembly.

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Photo: State Committee for Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Turkiye's Istanbul hosted the "Azerbaijani Diaspora Youth: Unity and Development Forum" in honor of Azerbaijani Youth Day, Trend reports.

The two-day forum is organized jointly by the State Committee for Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Federation of Turkish Azerbaijani Associations (TADEF). According to the committee, 29 young Azerbaijani diaspora activists from 28 countries, along with representatives of friendly nations, are participating.

The forum aims to define future directions for Azerbaijani Diaspora Youth, strengthen networking among Azerbaijani youth living and studying abroad, and involve them in diaspora activities.

The opening ceremony featured Valeh Hajiyev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Diaspora, Shamil Ayrm, Member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) and head of the Turkiye-Azerbaijan Interparliamentary Friendship Group, Abdullah Ucgun, District Governor of Bagclar in Istanbul, TADEF Chairman Adalat Turan, members of TADEFs board, leaders of diaspora organizations in Istanbul, as well as renowned artists including People's Artist Alikhan Samedov, Honored Artist Malahat Abbasova, Honored Art Worker Rashad Zeynalov, and Honored Painter Teymur Rzayev.

The forum features workshops on "Modern Diaspora Youth: Organization, Networking, and Leadership," "Diaspora and Lobbying," and "Media and Digital Engagement of Diaspora Youth." Panel discussions will cover "Preservation and Promotion of the Azerbaijani Language," "Azerbaijan's Foreign Policy: Youth Participation in Public Diplomacy," and "Future Cooperation Opportunities and Joint Projects."

Furthermore, participants will discuss the ADY Action Plan for 2026-2028, introduce new coordinators, and engage in cultural programs.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. The Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) assesses the current state of economic cooperation between Latvia and Azerbaijan as stable and steadily developing, with significant potential for further growth, LCCI Director of the European Union (EU) Projects Department, Liga Siceva, said in an interview with Trend.

According to her, existing trade flows, business contacts, and institutional dialogue create a solid foundation, while recent practical initiatives, including business missions, business-to-business (B2B) meetings, and knowledge exchange implemented within the LEF Network Azerbaijan project, have contributed to deepening mutual understanding between companies and business support organizations in both countries.

"Looking ahead, the overall cooperation potential is substantial, especially in sectors such as logistics, food and agricultural products, information and communication technologies (ICT), education, and green solutions. The Chamber sees its role in facilitating practical, demand-driven partnerships by establishing business contacts, exchanging market information, and supporting long-term cooperation that delivers real economic benefits for both Latvia and Azerbaijan," she said.

Siceva emphasized that interest among Latvian companies in cooperating with Azerbaijani partners is practical and growing in nature, particularly in areas where there are clear market opportunities, reliable partners, and long-term prospects.

"Rather than viewing joint ventures as the default model, many companies prefer phased cooperation formats such as distribution agreements, project-based partnerships, or service cooperation. These formats allow both sides to better understand market conditions and business practices.

Based on recent contacts and business feedback, the most promising cooperation formats include logistics and transport services, the food industry and agribusiness, ICT and digital solutions, education and professional services, as well as selected areas of manufacturing where local presence creates added value. LCCI supports this process by encouraging demand-oriented cooperation models and helping companies identify the most suitable formats that balance risks, investments, and long-term sustainability," the department director added.

She noted that for Latvian companies, trust and mutual understanding serve as the starting point for any cooperation: "Business places great importance on building long-term relationships through regular communication and practical interaction before moving to contractual relations and more advanced forms of partnership. It is also important to note that Latvian companies are generally more focused on trade and cooperation than on large-scale direct investments, which makes a partnership-based, phased cooperation model particularly suitable for engagement with Azerbaijani partners."

According to Siceva, shaping a positive country image also plays an important role in strengthening economic cooperation on both sides.

"A strong and accurate understanding of each countrys business environment, core values, and economic strengths fosters greater trust between companies and supports more informed, balanced decision-making. Equally important is recognizing differences in business culture, such as communication styles, decision-making approaches, and expectations, which is essential for building lasting trust and ensuring sustainable, long-term cooperation," she said.
Uzbekistan sees steady rise in travel to Saudi Arabia

In 2025, outbound travel from Uzbekistan to Saudi Arabia took off like a rocket, with the number of Uzbek tourists flocking to the kingdom soaring by over 70% compared to the previous year, primarily fueled by leisure trips.

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BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, February 2. Kyrgyzstan and the UAE are set to sign a number of bilateral documents during the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Trend reports via the press service of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers.

According to the information, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan, Adylbek Kasymaliev, will pay a working visit to the UAE at the invitation of UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

During the visit, Adylbek Kasymaliev will take part in the World Governments Summit and hold talks with the UAEs senior leadership, as well as with heads of several ministries and sovereign wealth funds.

The visits agenda also includes the signing of bilateral documents with the Emirati side and the organization of a side event titled "The Snow Leopard Model of Economic Growth for Kyrgyzstan: Government Accelerators, Institutions, and Investments," to be held on the margins of the Summit with the participation of high-ranking UAE officials.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. A delegation from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), which also included representatives from the operating company Umid Babek Operating Company (UBOC), visited Huawei's headquarters in Shenzhen, China, to exchange experiences in the field of digital transformation and advanced technologies for the oil and gas sector from January 26 through January 29, Trend reports via SOCAR.

Meanwhile, it is noted that during meetings with SOCAR Vice President Babak Huseynov and President of Huawei's Oil and Gas Division Deng Bi, the parties discussed the possibilities of digital solutions to improve operational efficiency, smart management, and long-term value creation.

Such interactions support SOCAR's long-term digital strategy and help UBOC stay abreast of technologies that strengthen operational efficiency, sustainability, and development, the information says.

SOCAR was founded in 1992. The company operates across the entire oil and gas cycle: exploration, production, processing, and export. It manages a network of gas stations and international assets in a number of countries, participates in energy trading, and is a key player in Azerbaijan's economy.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, February 2. Afghanistans Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar, met with Turkmenistans Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov in Herat, Afghanistan, and discussed bilateral relations and TAPI project, Trend reports via the Afghan prime ministers X account.

"Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project is one of the major economic projects that, on the one hand, has created grounds for further expanding cooperation between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, and on the other hand, has strengthened relations among the countries of the region", Baradar said.

The participants list also included the Minister of Transport and Railways of Turkmenistan, the head of the Turkmengaz State Concern, the Minister of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan, and the Minister of Water and Energy of Afghanistan.

Earlier, the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) stated that Turkmenistan is the largest investor from the Eurasian region in Afghanistan, accounting for 52% of accumulated foreign direct investments (FDI), or about $99 million.

According to the bank, Turkmenistans investment presence in Afghanistan is concentrated in infrastructure and energy projects. The largest active project is the TAPI gas pipeline. Turkmenistan intends to finance the main part of the project, with investments in the Afghan section starting in 2024 and estimated at $69 million by mid-2025.

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YAOUNDE, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least two civilians have been killed after terror group Boko Haram raided three communities in Cameroon's Far North region, security sources said on Monday.

The attack took place overnight into Monday in Ldama, M'lay and Houlva villages. A military official in the region said that the militants attacked a hospital, killing a security guard and a nurse.

"They also injured some civilians. People are terrified. We have deployed troops to the localities for investigation, and our brave soldiers are working to capture these terrorists," the official who asked not to be named told Xinhua.

Boko Haram has been operating in the region since 2014. The terror group is notorious for raiding civilian communities and kidnapping for ransom. 
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ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, February 2. Afghanistan has expressed interest in drawing on Turkmenistans experience in the agricultural sector, Trend reports via the Afghan Deputy Prime Ministers X account.

The statement was made by Afghanistans Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar during his meeting with Turkmenistans Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov in Herat, Afghanistan.

Turkmenistan has made progress in the agricultural sector. The Islamic Emirate wishes to benefit from the experiences of this country in agriculture, and I hope that the technical terms of both countries will work jointly in this field, Baradar said.

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TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 2. Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan assessed the outcomes of their collaborative efforts in 2025 and delineated the strategic priorities for 2026, Trend reports via the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The issue was discussed during a meeting between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bobur Usmanov and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Uzbekistan Huseyn Guliyev.

During the discussions, the parties emphasized the importance of maintaining robust communication between their foreign ministries and agreed to devise new, actionable initiatives designed to further strengthen the strategic partnership and allied relations between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, bilateral trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan surged to $268.9 million during the period from January through July 2025, representing a remarkable increase of over $150.6 million, or more than 2.3 times, compared to the same period in the previous year.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Azerbaijan generated $218.4 million in revenue from the export of 2.06 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Georgia from January through November 2025.

Data obtained by Trend from the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee indicates that the export value decreased by $66 million, or 23.2%, and the volume by 0.9 million cubic meters, or 30.3%, compared to the same period of 2024 ($284.4 million for 2.9 billion cubic meters).

Overall, Azerbaijan exported 22.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas abroad from January through November 2025, generating revenue of $8.11 billion. This represents an increase of $513.3 million, or 6.7% in value, compared to the same period in 2024, while the exported volume fell by 718 million cubic meters, or 3%.

Moreover, Azerbaijan imported 252.1 million cubic meters of natural gas worth $39.1 million in the first 11 months of 2025. Compared to the previous year, this is $42.8 million, or 2.1 times less in value, and 261.4 million cubic meters, or two times less in volume.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 2. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay a state visit to Pakistan on February 34, Trend reports via the Akorda.

During the visit, Tokayev is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari. The negotiations are expected to focus on prospects for strengthening political dialogue, as well as expanding trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries.

It is also expected that Tokayev will take part in the Kazakhstan-Pakistan business forum, aimed at promoting direct contacts between the business communities and identifying new areas for partnership.

Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Pakistan were established on February 24, 1992.

According to Kazakhstans National Statistics Bureau, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Pakistan reached $101.3 million in January-November 2025, more than doubling compared to the same period of the previous year, when it stood at $48.6 million.

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ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 2. Kazakhstans Ministry of Energy and Gazprom held the second meeting of their Joint Coordination Council (JCC), focusing on expanding bilateral relations in the gas sector, Trend reports via the ministry.

Key topics on the agenda included the prospects of the Joint Working Group for the development of the gas transportation system, collaboration in underground gas storage, technological advancements, and joint scientific and technical projects.

According to meeting participants, the creation of the Joint Coordination Council marks a timely step, reflecting mutual interest from both Kazakhstan and Russia in further developing their gas sector partnership. The Council is expected to become a permanent platform for coordinating actions, deepening dialogue, and crafting joint solutions aimed at strengthening the partnership and enhancing regional energy security.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties signed a 2026-2027 Activity Plan for the working groups under the Joint Coordination Council.

The meeting was attended by Kazakhstans Vice Minister of Energy, Kaiyrkhan Tutkyshbayev, Gazproms Deputy Chairman of the Management Committee, Vitaly Markelov, as well as other representatives from Gazprom Kazakhstan's QazaqGaz.

During the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum on October 8th last year, Gazprom and the Kazakh Government signed a memorandum to implement a gas supply project for the cities of Kokshetau and Petropavlovsk through the extension of the "Saryarka" pipeline from Astana to Petropavlovsk.

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ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 2. Air Astana will launch regular flights to Larnaca (Cyprus), Trend reports via Kazakhstans Ministry of Transport.

From June through September, the airline will run scheduled flights to Larnaca from Astana and Almaty.

Flights from Astana will be taking to the skies from June 2 through September 5, with services rolling out on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The outbound journey will take a good 5 hours and 40 minutes, while the return trip will be a bit quicker at 5 hours and 5 minutes.



Flights from Almaty are set to take off from June 4 through September 6, running on Thursdays and Sundays. The outbound flight will take a good 6 hours and 5 minutes, while the return flight will be a bit quicker at 5 hours and 30 minutes.

All flights on the Larnaca route will be operated using Airbus A321LR narrow-body aircraft.

Meanwhile, Air Astana is also set to launch a new route on March 29 connecting Almaty and China's Shanghai. The flights will operate three times a week and will also be served by Airbus A321LR aircraft.

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ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 2. Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstans KMG PetroChem, Diaz Diyanov, and Maria Borras, Vice President of US-based Baker Hughes, have discussed the supply of key equipment for the Gas Separation Complex (GSC) project at the Tengiz field site in the Atyrau region, Trend reports via the Kazakh company.

The discussions took place on the sidelines of the Baker Hughes Annual Meeting held in Florence, Italy.

The sides reviewed issues related to the manufacturing and supply of equipment for the GSC project, including gas turbine units for power generation, as well as process compressors classified as critical equipment.

Particular attention was paid to practical aspects of expanding the localization of spare parts production and further development of Baker Hughes service operations in Kazakhstan.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to hold face-to-face discussions in the near future on localization matters, involving local suppliers and Kazakhstans national oil and gas company, KazMunayGas.

The first pile-driving for the GSC took place on November 19, 2025, at the Tengiz field site in the Atyrau region. The project involves the construction of a large facility with a processing capacity of up to 9.1 billion cubic meters per year. It is aimed at supplying the Sileno polyethylene plant with necessary raw materialsethane, up to 1.6 million tons per year. The GSC will also produce propane, with an output of up to 360,000 tons.

The project is being implemented by KMG PetroChem LLP (a subsidiary of KazMunayGas National Company), in partnership with an international consortium led by the Italian company Tecnimont S.p.A. (Maire Group, Italy), which includes Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCIC, Lebanon).

Baker Hughes (formerly General Electric) is a US-based multinational oilfield services company headquartered in Houston. The company operates in more than 120 countries worldwide. In Kazakhstan, Baker Hughes has been providing services and supplying equipment for the Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak fields since the early 2000s. In 2024, the company contributed to the successful implementation of the Tengiz expansion project.

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ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 2. Kazakhstans Prime Minister Olzhas Bektanov has signed a government decree for the construction of the countrys second nuclear power plant, Trend reports via the Kazakhstans Information-Legal System of Normative Legal Acts.

According to the decree, the nuclear power plant will be built in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region.

Kazakhstan is set to build its first nuclear power plant with Russian company Rosatom. The development follows a nationwide referendum held on October 6, 2024, in which 71.12 percent of voters supported the establishment of nuclear power facilities, with a turnout of 63.66 percent.

In October 2025, Almasadam Satkaliev, the head of Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency, announced that the country would proceed with building two nuclear power plants in the Almaty region and was also considering the Caspian Sea coast as a potential site for one of the three planned nuclear power plants.

According to Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan's uranium production for 2025 reached 25,839 tonnes, an 11% increase from the 23,270 tonnes recorded in 2024.
Kosherbayev also provided an update to President Erdogan on the progress of agreements made at both the highest and senior levels.

The sides highly praised the coordination between Kazakhstan and Turkiye within international organizations, including frameworks of Turkic integration.

The parties also noted the similarity of their positions on key global and regional issues.

As part of his official visit to Turkiye, Kosherbayev took part in the 8th meeting of the Kazakhstan-Turkiye Joint Strategic Planning Group. Following the meeting, a Cooperation Plan between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and Turkiye for 2026-2027 was signed.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that if Iran does not reach a deal over its nuclear program, "we'll find out" whether Iran's supreme leader was correct in predicting that a U.S. attack on the country would spark a regional war.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier warned that any attack on his country would spark a regional conflict, as the United States continues to build up its forces nearby.

Commenting on Khamenei's remarks, Trump said the United States has deployed what he described as the world's "biggest, most powerful" naval forces to the region and expressed hope that negotiations would lead to an agreement. "Hopefully we'll make a deal," he said.

"We don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether or not he was right," Trump added.

Trump said Iran began negotiations with the United States on Saturday.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said the same day that Trump has made clear demands of Iran, with the next steps depending on decisions by Iran's leadership. He added that Trump "won't wait forever" for those demands to be met. "The president has been very clear on Iran."

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that a "just, fair, and equitable" nuclear agreement with the United States remains achievable in the short term, provided Washington abandons its policy of coercion.

Iran's top security official Ali Larijani had previously said a framework for negotiations was progressing.

Tensions have remained high amid increased U.S. military activity in the region. Trump has sent a "massive armada" to Iran. Meanwhile, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer recently made a port call in Eilat, an Israeli port city at the northern tip of the Red Sea. 
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, February 2. The Ministry of Finance of Kyrgyzstan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have agreed to jointly develop a new Country Cooperation Program for the period 20262030, Trend reports citing the ministry.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between Kyrgyzstans Minister of Finance Almaz Baketaev and Vice President of the JICA Yoshifumi Yoshikawa.

The document focuses on the countrys priority areas for socio-economic development, as well as mechanisms for support from the Japanese agency.

During the meeting, the sides also discussed the current state and future prospects of bilateral cooperation.

Baketaev expressed gratitude to the Japanese side for its consistent support of Kyrgyzstan and highlighted the importance of four grant projects signed last December.

According to him, the new program will help systematize cooperation and enhance its contribution to the implementation of national development programs.

For his part, Yoshikawa confirmed JICAs intention to continue taking Kyrgyzstans strategic interests into account when shaping its assistance programs.

He also expressed readiness to expand cooperation in the areas of human capital development and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Meanwhile, over the entire period of cooperation, 43 projects have been implemented in Kyrgyzstan with JICAs support across various sectors of the economy and the social sphere. In 2026, the 25th anniversary of the opening of JICAs representative office in the country will be marked.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Ambassadors from European Union (EU) member states with diplomatic missions in Tehran were summoned to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), MFA spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated, Trend reports.

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, Baghaei noted that the move is a minimum diplomatic response to the EUs designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, SEPAH) as a terrorist organization.

Baghaei added that several measures are under consideration, options have been prepared, and final decisions have been sent to the relevant authorities.

In the coming days, a decision will be made on Irans response to the EUs terrorist designation of SEPAH, he said.

The EU designated SEPAH as a terrorist organization on January 29, citing its alleged role in the recent crackdown on protests in Iran.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Iran has continued its diplomatic efforts with seriousness and responsibility to protect national interests and maintain regional peace and stability, the countrys Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said, Trend reports.

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, Baghaei noted that high-level phone talks were held between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and leaders of various countries. In parallel, Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi maintained frequent communications with his counterparts in neighboring and regional states.

Baghaei added that during this period, the Iranian Foreign Minister traveled to Turkiye, while Ali Larijani, Secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council, visited Russia. The spokesman emphasized that these initiatives are part of Irans broader diplomatic efforts to protect and ensure its national interests.

The statement comes amid growing regional concerns over potential conflicts.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Iran is reviewing the details of restarting discussions with the United States, the countrys Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, Trend reports.

Speaking during a press conference in Tehran, Baghaei noted that various assessments are being conducted regarding the format of the talks. According to him, countries in the region with genuine concerns about the current situation are striving to play a constructive role, while some European Union member states have taken steps that increase regional tensions.

The regional countries are acting as intermediaries to convey messages. In this framework, a number of issues have been communicated, and Iran is now at the stage of making decisions on the details of the diplomatic process. We hope to see results in the coming days, he added.

Baghaei made it clear that the talks will revolve around Irans nuclear program.

This issue has long been used as a tool for applying pressure and sanctions. Iran seeks the lifting of sanctions as its natural right in exchange for resolving concerns and building trust regarding the nature of its nuclear program, he said.

On April 12, 19, and 26 and May 11 and 23, 2025, five rounds of indirect talks between Iran and the US on Iran's nuclear program took place. The indirect talks were organized through the mediation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, and were conducted by an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. The first, third, and fourth rounds of talks took place in Muscat, the capital of Oman, and the second and fifth rounds took place in Rome, the capital of Italy.

On the morning of June 13, 2025, Israel launched air strikes against Iran. The strikes killed a large number of high-ranking military officials, generals, nuclear scientists, and other senior officials.

On the same evening, Iran responded to Israel with Operation True Promise III, launching hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at several targets, including Tel Aviv, resulting in civilian casualties and widespread destruction.

On June 22, the U.S. launched military airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. The airstrikes reportedly destroyed the Iranian nuclear facilities.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Iran hopes for diplomacy to soon yield a positive result and will take the first step in this direction, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said during the speech at the mausoleum of the founder of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran today, Trend reports.

According to him, the Iranian side is ready for diplomacy, but everyone knows that diplomacy is incompatible with pressure, fear, and threats. Diplomacy has its own purpose.

Araghchi added that Iran is ready for diplomacy that is equal, based on mutual respect and ensures mutual benefits.

On April 12, 19, and 26 and May 11 and 23, 2025, five rounds of indirect talks between Iran and the US on Iran's nuclear program took place. The indirect talks were organized through the mediation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, and were conducted by an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. The first, third, and fourth rounds of talks took place in Muscat, the capital of Oman, and the second and fifth rounds took place in Rome, the capital of Italy.

On the morning of June 13, 2025, Israel launched air strikes against Iran. The strikes killed a large number of high-ranking military officials, generals, nuclear scientists, and other senior officials.

On the same evening, Iran responded to Israel with Operation True Promise III, launching hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at several targets, including Tel Aviv, resulting in civilian casualties and widespread destruction.

On June 22, the U.S. launched military airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. The airstrikes reportedly destroyed the Iranian nuclear facilities.

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DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzanian government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening judicial independence as a cornerstone of nation-building, Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi said Sunday.

Representing President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the national Law Day celebrations in Dodoma, Nchimbi said judicial independence is essential for the courts to discharge their constitutional mandates and foster national prosperity.

Nchimbi noted the government will continue to improve court infrastructure, strengthen human resources, and enhance staff welfare to bring justice services closer to the people.

Chief Justice George Masaju said the judiciary is expanding its use of technology to boost efficiency.

He revealed that an artificial intelligence-based system is being developed to record, transcribe, and translate court proceedings in real time.

The system will significantly reduce delays and inaccuracies in manual record-keeping, marking a step forward in modernizing Tanzania's legal system, Masaju said. 
Her work as an activist growing up sparked her journey past the Antarctic Circle. Through the 2041 Foundation, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the polar regions of the world, she set sail after finishing her college applications.

After her trip, she hopped on a plane to the U.S. to tour college campuses. She instantly fell in love with UC, canceling all her other campus tours.

Some Lindner Business Honors students welcomed me and my mom, showed us around Lindner and talked about their opportunities and co-ops, Ferrigolo recalled, referring to UCs Carl H. Lindner College of Business. That just opened up my eyes to what became such a big and important part of my life here. The practical experience is something I really valued in my journey at UC.
This photo taken on Feb. 1, 2026 shows a view in Tehran, Iran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of negotiations with the United States within the framework of the nuclear issue, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Monday, citing an unnamed government source. Fars, quoting Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei's remarks earlier in the day as saying, added that talks between Iran and the United States will probably be held in Turkiye in the next few days. The developments come as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high amid increased U.S. military activity in the Middle East. (Xinhua/Shadati)

TEHRAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of negotiations with the United States within the framework of the nuclear issue, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Monday, citing an unnamed government source.

Fars, quoting Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei's remarks earlier in the day as saying, added that talks between Iran and the United States will probably be held in Turkiye in the next few days.

Meanwhile, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, quoting an unidentified informed source, also confirmed that senior officials from the two sides will probably begin negotiations in the coming days.

The negotiations will probably be held between Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Tasnim reported, adding that the venue and exact date of the negotiations have not been finalized yet.

The developments come as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high amid increased U.S. military activity in the Middle East. Trump's administration deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and multiple warships to the Middle East in late January.

On Sunday, Trump said if Tehran fails to strike a nuclear deal with Washington, "we will find out" whether Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was right to warn that a U.S. attack could ignite a regional war.

Meanwhile, Araghchi said Sunday in an interview with CNN that a "just, fair, and equitable" nuclear agreement with the United States remains achievable in the short term, provided Washington abandons its policy of coercion.

Earlier on Monday, Baghaei told a weekly press conference in Tehran that Iran is reviewing the details and general outlines of the potential initiation of negotiations with the United States. 

This photo taken on Feb. 1, 2026 shows a view in Tehran, Iran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of negotiations with the United States within the framework of the nuclear issue, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Monday, citing an unnamed government source.

Fars, quoting Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei's remarks earlier in the day as saying, added that talks between Iran and the United States will probably be held in Turkiye in the next few days.

The developments come as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high amid increased U.S. military activity in the Middle East. (Xinhua/Shadati)
By AzerNEWS Staff

For three decades, the ArmeniaAzerbaijan conflict was defined almost exclusively by ceasefires, diplomatic deadlock and periodic violence. Today, something far quieter but potentially far more consequential is taking shape across the South Caucasus: trains loaded not with weapons, but with grain and fuel.

The recent transit of 25 grain wagons carrying 1,746 tonnes of product through Azerbaijani territory to Armenia is not an isolated event. It follows months of steadily expanding logistical cooperation. Nearly 20,000 tonnes of grain have already passed the same route, alongside multiple fuel shipments - AI-92, AI-95 and diesel - moving directly from Azerbaijan toward Armenia via Georgia. The first such fuel delivery in December 2025 marked a symbolic turning point: for the first time, Azerbaijan was not merely a neighbour or former adversary, but an energy lifeline.

These movements matter precisely because they appear mundane. Economic normalisation, not political theatre, is beginning to shape the post-war order.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought two wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Both inflicted deep human losses and entrenched national trauma. The Second Karabakh War, however, fundamentally altered the strategic landscape. Azerbaijans victory ended a 30-year occupation and dismantled the status quo that had frozen diplomacy in place.

Since then, the question has not been whether peace is necessary, but whether it is possible. Armenias approach to negotiations today is shaped less by historical claims than by geopolitical necessity. The countrys isolation, limited energy resources and disrupted trade routes have left it acutely dependent on external supply chains.

It is within this context that grain and fuel shipments acquire political meaning.

Washington talks and the opening of economic channels

The diplomatic catalyst for this shift was the AzerbaijanArmenia meeting in Washington, which created the political space for pragmatic cooperation. While no final peace treaty emerged, the talks helped unblock economic mechanisms that had been frozen for decades.

The November 2025 delivery of 1,000 tonnes of Kazakh grain to Armenia through Azerbaijan, the first such transit in 30 years, was a clear signal. Russian grain soon followed, using the same corridor. These routes are not emergency measures; they are structural changes to how Armenia accesses food security.

President Ilham Aliyevs confirmation that Azerbaijan now permits grain transportation to Armenia underscores the strategic intent behind these decisions. As he noted, such mechanisms strengthen peace and expand economic cooperation. The message is clear: stability is no longer pursued solely through deterrence, but through interdependence.

Energy dependence as a driver of reconciliation

Armenias growing reliance on Azerbaijani transit and fuel supplies reveals an uncomfortable truth for Yerevan: sustainable security cannot be built in isolation. Energy, unlike ideology, demands continuity. Fuel shortages are politically destabilising, economically damaging and socially corrosive.

This reality is also reshaping Armenias approach to Turkiye. Rebuilding relations with Ankara is no longer framed only as a historical debate, but as a logistical imperative. Together, Azerbaijan and Turkiye form the backbone of the regions transport and energy architecture. Armenias reintegration into that system requires accommodation, not confrontation.

From Bakus perspective, this is not charity. It is strategic foresight. Economic leverage, when exercised predictably and transparently, is more durable than military pressure. By positioning itself as a reliable transit and energy hub, Azerbaijan increases the cost of renewed hostilitywithout firing a shot.

What makes the current moment distinct is that cooperation is no longer limited to third-party transit. Analysts increasingly expect a shift toward direct bilateral trade. Fuel and grain are merely the opening chapter.

Armenia has the potential to export processed food, construction materials and manufactured goods, particularly in the non-oil sector. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, offers scale, infrastructure and access to wider regional markets. If political momentum holds, economic complementarities could gradually replace zero-sum thinking.

This does not mean reconciliation will be quick or linear. Deep mistrust remains, and a peace treaty is still under negotiation. Yet history suggests that peace sustained by economic interest tends to outlast peace imposed by diplomacy alone.

Grain wagons crossing borders do not erase the past. They do something more pragmatic: they anchor the future in shared necessity. For Armenia, access to food and fuel is existential. For Azerbaijan, regional stability is a prerequisite for long-term development and connectivity.

The South Caucasus has entered a phase where war is no longer the most rational option for either side. That shift did not come from speeches or slogans, but from logistics, supply chains and energy flows.

If this trajectory continues, historians may one day mark these grain and fuel shipments not as footnotes, but as the quiet beginning of a peace built not on sentiment, but on survivaland sustained by mutual dependence.
TEHRAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of negotiations with the United States within the framework of the nuclear issue, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Monday, citing an unnamed government source.

Fars, quoting Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei's remarks earlier in the day as saying, added that talks between Iran and the United States will probably be held in Turkiye in the next few days.

The developments come as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high amid increased U.S. military activity in the Middle East. 
An 18-year-old Northern Arizona University student died Saturday morning after attending a Delta Tau Delta fraternity rush event where alcohol was consumed the previous night, leading to hazing charges against three fraternity executive board members in what may become a test case for Arizona's 2022 anti-hazing law.

Flagstaff Police Department officers responded at 8:44 a.m. Saturday to a residence in the 10-block of South Pine Grove Road after receiving reports of an unresponsive male. Bystanders at the off-campus home had initiated CPR before police arrived. Officers and paramedics continued life-saving measures, but the student was pronounced dead at the scene.

"This is a devastating loss, and our hearts are with his family, friends and all members of our community who are grieving," Northern Arizona University said in an unsigned statement. The university, which enrolls approximately 20,000 students on its Flagstaff campus, has suspended the Delta Tau Delta chapter pending investigations by both law enforcement and university administrators.

Three Executive Board Members Arrested

Police arrested three 20-year-old NAU students who served in leadership positions at the Delta Tau Delta chapter, all charged with hazing under Arizona's criminal statute. The arrested individuals are:

Carter Eslick, the chapter's new member educator responsible for pledge training

Ryan Creech, fraternity vice president

Riley Cass, fraternity treasurer

All three executive board members were booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility. It remained unclear Sunday evening whether any of the arrested students had retained legal counsel.

The arrests followed searches of the residence and interviews with multiple witnesses who were present at the rush event Friday night. Flagstaff Police Department spokesman Sgt. David Rintala confirmed that detectives executed search warrants and gathered evidence throughout Saturday.

The Rush Event: Alcohol and Pledge Candidates

Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased student, whose identity has not been released pending family notification, attended a gathering at the South Pine Grove Road residence Friday evening identified as a "rush" event for Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

"Alcohol consumption was reported to have occurred by numerous individuals in attendance, including pledge candidates, which includes the deceased male," the Flagstaff Police Department stated in its initial press release.

Rush events are designed to recruit prospective members to fraternities, typically featuring social activities that allow current members to evaluate candidates for membership. While some rush events are dry, meaning no alcohol is served, others involve drinking despite university policies and national fraternity regulations prohibiting alcohol at recruitment functions.

The presence of alcohol at a rush event involving underage pledge candidates represents a violation of both Northern Arizona University policy and Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity standards, regardless of whether hazing occurred.

Aaliyah Bonds, a neighbor living next door to the fraternity house, expressed shock at the incident. "A place that felt like home, is now just a little bit eerie," Bonds said, reflecting the community's unsettled response to the tragedy occurring in a residential neighborhood near campus.

Arizona's "Jack's Law" and Hazing as Criminal Conduct

The criminal charges filed against the three fraternity leaders represent one of the first major cases under Arizona's 2022 anti-hazing law, commonly known as "Jack's Law," enacted following the death of Jack Culolias, a freshman at Arizona State University.

The law made hazing a criminal offense in Arizona, with penalties escalating based on severity. Hazing resulting in death is classified as a Class 4 felony under the statute, carrying potential prison sentences of 1.5 to 3.75 years for first-time offenders, with higher ranges for repeat offenders.

The statute defines hazing broadly to include any intentional, knowing, or reckless act directed against a student for purposes of initiation or admission into, affiliation with, or continued membership in any student organization that causes reasonable apprehension of physical harm or recklessly endangers the health or safety of a student.

Notably, Arizona's law applies regardless of whether the victim consented to participate in hazing activities, eliminating what had been a common defense in civil cases. The law also provides immunity from prosecution for the first person who calls 911 or seeks emergency medical assistance during a hazing incident, creating incentives for early intervention.

Medical Examiner Investigation Underway

Detectives are continuing to follow up on leads, review evidence, and coordinate with the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office to determine the student's cause and manner of death, according to Sgt. Rintala.

The cause of death has not been publicly disclosed, though the circumstancesalcohol consumption at a social event followed by an 18-year-old being found unresponsive the next morningraise questions about alcohol poisoning, a tragically common outcome in fraternity hazing deaths nationwide.

Determining cause of death will be crucial for potential criminal proceedings. If the medical examiner concludes that alcohol intoxication or hazing activities directly caused death, prosecutors may pursue more serious charges beyond the current hazing allegations. Conversely, if death resulted from unrelated medical conditions, the charges might not proceed despite evidence of hazing activities.

The timelinerush event Friday night, death discovered Saturday morningsuggests the student likely remained at the residence overnight, raising questions about whether anyone checked on pledge candidates during the night and whether medical assistance was summoned when the student first showed signs of distress.

University Response: Suspension and Investigation

Northern Arizona University moved swiftly to suspend the Delta Tau Delta chapter, prohibiting all activities while both criminal and university conduct investigations proceed.

"We want to be clear: The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priorities," the university stated. "Violence, hazing or any other behavior that endangers others has no place at NAU. The university has robust hazing prevention training and requirements, and has high standards for the conduct of all NAU-associated organizations and individual students."

The university emphasized its commitment to hazing prevention programming, though the death of a pledge candidate at a chapter rush event raises questions about the effectiveness of current prevention measures.

NAU's investigation will proceed separately from the criminal case and will assess potential violations of university policies including alcohol violations, hazing regulations, and standards for recognized student organizations. The university investigation could result in permanent revocation of Delta Tau Delta's charter at NAU, even if criminal charges are ultimately dismissed or result in acquittals.

Delta Tau Delta International's Response

Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity, the national organization overseeing local chapters, released a statement through CEO Jack Kreman expressing condolences and confirming the chapter's interim suspension.

"Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity is aware and deeply saddened by the tragic incident at Northern Arizona University involving members of the local chapter," Kreman said. "The International Fraternity joins the campus community in mourning today and extends our deepest sympathies to the young man's family and all those affected."

Kreman emphasized that the chapter remains on interim suspension pending the outcome of both law enforcement investigations and internal fraternity reviews. "During this time, the chapter is prohibited from any activities, and all associated operations have ceased."

The statement stressed the national fraternity's anti-hazing position: "Our position on hazing is clear: it is the antithesis of brotherhood and a violation of the values of Delta Tau Delta. Since our founding, the Fraternity has maintained strong policies barring hazing, and our organization vigorously supports the implementation of anti-hazing legislation, such as 'Jack's Law' in Arizona and federal laws, such as the 2024 Stop Campus Hazing Act."

The national organization pledged cooperation with authorities and partnership with NAU administrators "to understand what led to this tragedy."

The Paradox of Anti-Hazing Commitments

Delta Tau Delta International's strong anti-hazing rhetoric highlights a persistent paradox in Greek life: fraternities universally condemn hazing publicly while chapters continue to engage in practices that result in injuries and deaths.

The national organization's statement noting that "research consistently shows better personal, academic and professional outcomes for young men who join fraternities compared to their non-affiliated peers" reflects the fraternity industry's standard defensethat Greek organizations provide valuable development opportunities justifying their existence despite recurring tragedies.

However, critics argue that if fraternities genuinely prioritized safety over tradition, they would implement structural reforms beyond policy statements. Suggestions include eliminating pledging periods entirely, prohibiting any activities where new members are treated differently from initiated members, and implementing third-party monitoring of chapter activities.

"We know that brotherhood requires trust, and hazing betrays that sacred bond," Kreman's statement concluded. "We will continue to educate our members on upholding the principles of respect, integrity, and safety that define true fraternity membership."

Whether education alone can prevent tragedies like the one at NAU remains an open question as universities, national fraternities, lawmakers, and families continue grappling with Greek life's persistent safety problems.

A National Pattern

The NAU death represents the latest in a long history of fraternity-related deaths that occur with disturbing regularity on American campuses. Since 2000, more than 70 college students have died in incidents involving fraternities, with hazing and alcohol-related causes predominating.

High-profile cases include the 2017 death of Penn State sophomore Timothy Piazza during a Beta Theta Pi pledge event, the 2021 death of Bowling Green State University sophomore Stone Foltz during a Pi Kappa Alpha initiation, and the death of Adam Oakes at Virginia Commonwealth University's Delta Chi chapter, also in 2021.

Each tragedy prompts renewed calls for reform, policy changes, and criminal prosecution. Yet hazing persists, often passed down from generation to generation of fraternity members who view it as tradition and bonding ritual despite mounting evidence of its dangers.

The pattern suggests that voluntary compliance with anti-hazing policies has proven insufficient, lending support to criminal statutes like Arizona's Jack's Law that create legal consequences for individuals involved in hazing regardless of intent to cause harm.

Legal Implications and Potential Defenses

The three arrested fraternity leaders face significant legal jeopardy. A hazing conviction, even without a death occurring, creates a permanent criminal record that could affect employment, professional licensing, and educational opportunities.

If prosecutors pursue enhanced charges based on the death, the stakes rise dramatically. Class 4 felony hazing resulting in death carries prison time and would represent a life-altering consequence for 20-year-old college students whose involvement may have been indirect.

Potential defenses might include arguments that no hazing occurred, that the defendants were not aware of hazing activities, that death resulted from causes unrelated to hazing, or that the defendants took reasonable steps to prevent hazing and ensure safety.

Arizona's hazing statute's breadthcovering activities that cause "reasonable apprehension of physical harm" or "recklessly endanger" health or safetycreates challenges for defendants, as prosecutors need not prove intent to harm or even awareness that activities were dangerous.

The arrests of the vice president and treasurer, positions not directly involved in pledge education, suggest prosecutors may pursue an expansive theory of liability holding executive board members responsible for chapter activities even if they did not directly participate in hazing.

Campus Community Impact

For Northern Arizona University students, particularly those in Greek life, the tragedy reverberates through campus. Fraternity and sorority members must confront uncomfortable questions about traditions they've participated in or witnessed, while university administrators face scrutiny about oversight of Greek organizations.

The death also affects prospective students and their families evaluating whether to attend NAU or join Greek life. Parents sending 18-year-olds to college expect universities to provide reasonably safe environments, and deaths at fraternity events undermine confidence in institutional safety measures.

For the deceased student's family, friends, and classmates, the loss is immeasurable. An 18-year-old's life, full of potential and promise, ended before college truly began, a tragedy that policy reforms and criminal prosecutions cannot undo.

What Happens Next

The Coconino County Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death, likely within weeks. This determination will shape the prosecution's strategy and may result in additional charges.

Northern Arizona University will conduct its own investigation through student conduct processes, potentially resulting in permanent charter revocation for Delta Tau Delta regardless of criminal case outcomes.

The Coconino County Attorney's Office will evaluate whether to pursue the case beyond initial hazing charges, potentially filing enhanced charges if evidence supports them.

Delta Tau Delta International will conduct internal proceedings that could result in the chapter losing its charter and recognition from the national fraternity.

For Eslick, Creech, and Cass, the immediate future involves navigating the criminal justice system while their educational and professional futures hang in uncertainty.

For the deceased student's family, the future involves grief, seeking answers about what happened, and potentially pursuing civil litigation against the fraternity, its members, and possibly the university.

And for the broader higher education community, the NAU tragedy represents another painful reminder that despite decades of awareness, policy development, and prevention programming, fraternity hazing continues taking young lives with tragic regularity.
Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam.
This photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows a 3D digital model of amphibian track fossils in Middle Jurassic strata discovered in Beijing, capital of China. (China University of Geosciences (Beijing)/Handout via Xinhua)

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A China-led study has reported the discovery of amphibian track fossils in Middle Jurassic strata in Beijing, the first such record in Asia. The research has been published online in the journal Ichnos.

According to experts, the find not only fills a gap in the study of Jurassic amphibian trace fossils across Asia, but also provides key evidence for understanding the paleogeography, paleoecology, and biodiversity of northern China about 160 million years ago.

The fossils consist of two footprints preserved on a single slab. They were found on a roadside slope in Longquan town, Mentougou district in Beijing, forming a linked fore- and hind-foot pair, said Xing Lida, a dinosaur specialist and associate professor at the School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing).

Based on the relative size, spacing, and roughly aligned orientation of the two impressions, researchers determined that they were likely made by the same animal in the course of continuous movement.

One of the impressions, well-preserved, was identified as the left front footprint of a small animal, displaying a clear, fan-shaped morphology with four slender, pointed toes. The entire palm print measures only 1.5 cm in length and 1.3 cm in width.

To extract the maximum amount of information from these tiny impressions, the researchers employed modern digital techniques. They used photogrammetric 3D modeling to generate a high-precision 3D digital model, visually revealing the subtlest surface features of the impressions and providing a solid data foundation for morphological analysis.

Through detailed morphological comparisons and quantitative skeletal-track correlation analysis, the researchers concluded that the trackmaker most likely belonged to the salamander suborder.

"This is the first time that amphibian track fossils have been discovered and scientifically described in Jurassic strata in China and across Asia," Xing said. Previously, records of Jurassic vertebrate tracks in the Beijing area were dominated by dinosaurs and turtles, with no amphibian tracks reported.

This discovery indicates that during the deposition of the Middle Jurassic Yaopo Formation, small-sized, land-adapted amphibian groups existed in the lake-swamp environments of the Beijing area. They coexisted with abundant ferns, ginkgos, and cycads, forming a complex ecosystem.

It is worth noting that this important fossil was first discovered by Ni Jingchen, a Beijing elementary school student and fossil enthusiast, who came across it on a rocky slope in Mentougou while exploring in early 2025.

"This is a vivid example of public participation in paleontological discovery. It reminds us that the profound chapters of Earth's history are sometimes preserved in the subtlest traces of the surrounding rocks, waiting to be discovered and interpreted by those with a keen eye," Xing said. 

Amphibian track fossils in Middle Jurassic strata, preserved on a single slab, are pictured in Beijing, capital of China, July 27, 2025. (China University of Geosciences (Beijing)/Handout via Xinhua)
BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of the Spanish government, Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin will visit Spain from Feb. 4 to 5. She will attend upon invitation the opening ceremony of the XXV Olympic Winter Games on Feb. 6 and other events in Milan, Italy, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Monday. 
Eighty Years After Women Won the Vote, Italy Is Still Arguing About What It Meant

Italy marked the 80th anniversary of womens suffrage this year with official commemorations and public reflection on a turning point in the countrys democratic history. In 1946, Italian women voted for the first time in the institutional referendum that abolished the monarchy and elected a Constituent Assembly, formally entering the political life of the Republic after decades of exclusion.

Yet the anniversary was not only a moment of celebration. It also exposed how contested the legacy of that moment remains, after remarks made by Costantino Righi Riva, a local councillor in the town of Formigine, reignited a national debate over womens political participation, family structures and the meaning of democracy itself.

Speaking during a municipal council session devoted to commemorating the 1946 vote, Righi Riva described the extension of suffrage to women as an attack on the unity of the family. According to his argument, lawmakers at the time allegedly feared that granting women political rights would undermine traditional family structures, a fear he claimed history has since confirmed. He went on to link womens suffrage to subsequent social and legal reforms, including divorce, abortion and changes to family law, framing them as part of a broader erosion of the family unit.

The remarks provoked immediate backlash, well beyond local politics. Regional and national figures condemned the comments as incompatible with the values of the Italian Republic, while parties across the political spectrum distanced themselves from Righi Rivas interpretation. For many critics, the issue was not merely the content of the statement but what it implied: that womens political equality was a social mistake rather than a democratic achievement.

The controversy has thrown renewed attention on a long-standing tension in Italian public life. While women have formally enjoyed the right to vote for eight decades, the translation of that right into real political power has been slow and uneven. Italy remains a country where political institutions are still largely male-dominated, where women are under-represented in leadership roles, and where symbolic milestones have often outpaced structural change.

At the same time, Righi Rivas comments highlight how womens suffrage is still interpreted by some through a cultural rather than democratic lens. Framing the vote as a threat to the family suggests a vision of citizenship in which political participation is secondary to prescribed social roles. Historians and constitutional scholars have long argued the opposite: that extending suffrage in 1946 was a recognition of womens role in the Resistance, in post-war reconstruction and in shaping the moral foundations of the new Republic.

The debate also raises broader questions about how anniversaries are used in public discourse. Commemorations are often presented as settled history, but moments like this reveal that they remain sites of political struggle. For some, 1946 represents the completion of universal suffrage; for others, it marks the beginning of a longer, unfinished process toward equality.

Eighty years on, Italian women are voters, lawmakers, ministers and heads of government. Yet the reaction to Righi Rivas remarks suggests that the legitimacy of womens full political participation is still, in some quarters, implicitly questioned. The gap between formal rights and cultural acceptance remains visible.

As Italy reflects on the anniversary of womens suffrage, the episode serves as a reminder that democracy is not only a matter of laws and institutions, but of shared values. The right to vote was not an attack on social cohesion, as critics insist, but a fundamental expansion of citizenship. The real challenge today is not revisiting that right, but ensuring that it continues to translate into equal voice, equal power and equal recognition within Italys democratic life.

Ph: QN
Italys Antisemitism Bill Triggers Fears Over Free Speech and Israel Criticism

In late January, Italys Senate Commission on Constitutional Affairs approved a text base for a new antisemitism law that has ignited a fierce debate about civil liberties and political expression. The move, timed to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day, is being championed by the governing majority  but critics warn the draft risks conflating legitimate criticism of the State of Israel with antisemitism, with wide-ranging implications for public debate and protest.

The law under discussion would incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) operational definition of antisemitism, an internationally recognised but contested framework which, in part, lists certain criticism of Israel and its policies as potential expressions of antisemitism. Supporters argue that adopting the definition would strengthen Italys legal tools to combat genuine Jew-hatred and hate speech. But opponents argue that its interpretation could be dangerously broad, sweeping in political speech that is not motivated by hostility toward Jews.

Under the text that the Senate commission adopted as a base for amendments, authorities could restrict demonstrations where there is a grave potential risk of antisemitic symbols or messages, as defined by the IHRA framework. This has alarmed civil liberties advocates and parts of the Italian left, who see the provision as granting authorities excessive discretion to curtail protest and dissent.

The choice of this specific definition is at the heart of the controversy. The IHRA definition, widely used by governments and institutions in Europe and beyond, includes examples that extend into territory many activists and academics consider legitimate political criticism  for example criticism of Israeli government policy or comparisons with historical injustices. Detractors say this risks equating legitimate political speech with antisemitism, effectively chilling debate on foreign policy.

The internal political dynamics have added to the controversy. While the Senate commission adopted the majoritys preferred text, parts of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) have voiced discomfort with the direction of the bill, arguing it goes beyond combating racism and risks impinging on freedom of thought. At the same time, centrist parties including Italia Viva and Azione supported the majoritys text, creating tensions within progressive ranks.

Critics from civil society and academia have also weighed in. A group of Italian scholars published an open appeal warning that bills based on the IHRA definition could be liberticidal and discriminatory if they are used to suppress political views rather than target genuine antisemitism. These voices call instead for a more precise legislative approach that clearly distinguishes between hateful conduct and protected political speech.

Some voices on the political right and among the bills proponents argue that the heightened tensions around the Middle East conflict and a surge in online abuse toward Jewish communities make such legislation necessary. They say existing laws, including Italys Legge Mancino, which criminalises hate speech and incitement to discrimination, are insufficient to address the modern dynamics of antisemitic expression.

Nonetheless, opponents contend that the current text , still a draft and subject to amendment, could be misused to penalise legitimate dissent and protest, particularly in relation to Israeli state policies, if it treats certain forms of political expression as synonymous with antisemitism. Their concern reflects a broader global debate about how to balance the imperative to combat bigotry with the need to protect free speech.

As the bill moves to the amendment phase, its ultimate shape remains uncertain. But the row has already revealed deep fissures in Italian politics over how best to uphold the memory of past atrocities while safeguarding fundamental democratic freedoms in present-day discourse.
Rome mayor under fire as another pine tree falls near the Colosseum.

Three people were injured after a massive pine tree fell on Rome's central Via dei Fori Imperiali on Sunday in the third such incident on the street in less than a month.

The tree, reportedly more than 100 years old, uprooted and collapsed at around 13.30, near the Forum of Trajan. Its branches struck three passersby, including a 17-year-old Italian girl, a Romanian tourist and a Bangladeshi man.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and the three injured people were taken to hospital, as police closed off public access to the section of the street between Largo Corrado Ricci and Piazza Venezia.

Authorities confirmed that their injuries were not life-threatening, however the outcome could have been much worse: Via dei Fori Imperiali is usually packed with thousands of tourists. The fact that the tree fell at lunchtime meant that there would have been fewer people on the street than later in the afternoon.

Last month two other large pine trees fell on the same street: one outside the tourist information point near the Colosseum on the evening of 4 January, the other near Piazza Venezia at dawn on 8 January. Miraculously nobody was injured in either incident.

Rome's environment councillor Sabrina Alfonsi stated on Sunday that even positive test results on the health of older trees "leaves a wide margin of risk" and that talks were under way with experts to ascertain "what scope there is for improving the quality of the tests, assuming that this is even possible."

Alfonsi said that authorities would "seriously consider" replacing older trees with younger ones in areas with high levels of visitors, citing factors such as the trees' advanced age and their "health compromised by the stress of the urban environment and human intervention".

The latest falling tree incident has renewed concerns for public safety and sparked a backlash for the adminstration of the city's centre-left mayor Roberto Gualtieri.

"The third collapse in a month confirms a disaster that is there for all to see: Rome's public green spaces are out of control," said Fabrizio Santori of the right-wing Lega, while the centre-right Forza Italia warned: "We need to intervene immediately before a worse accident occurs: we need an immediate extraordinary inspection plan for all of the capital's tree population."

The case also raises questions about the future of the Roman skyline which is synonymous with the majestic "umbrella" or stone pine trees.

Many of these trees were planted in the 1930s and are reaching the end of their natural life cycle in an urban environment, as well as facing a threat from a sap-eating parasite called the pine tortoise scale or toumeyella parvicornis.

Photo: Leggo
Where Immigration Policy Becomes Force.

In the United States, immigration enforcement no longer lives only at the border or inside courtrooms. It arrives in neighborhoods. It comes to workplaces and parking lots. It shows up at traffic stops and front doors, often early in the morning, when children are still asleep and the day has not yet announced itself. In one widely circulated video, immigration agents are seen attempting to enter a consulate, a space traditionally understood as diplomatically protected. What was once framed as distant policy has moved into ordinary space. Even people who believed themselves untouched by immigration law are beginning to feel its presence.

In recent weeks, renewed Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity across parts of the country has intensified fear in immigrant communities. Raids have resumed with a visibility that feels deliberate. Marked vehicles arrive together. Agents wear tactical gear. Operations unfold in public view. Enforcement is meant to be seen. That visibility has come with lethal consequences. In one widely reported incident, a civilian woman, Renee Good, was killed during an immigration enforcement encounter. According to reporting, she was shot multiple times at close range, struck three times in the head. Authorities described the event as a law enforcement action. The circumstances remain under investigation, but the fact of her death is not in dispute. An administrative operation ended with a woman dead.

She was not alone. In a separate incident,, an ICU nurse, was also killed during an encounter connected to immigration enforcement. The details differ, but the setting does not. These were not border crossings or armed standoffs. They were domestic enforcement actions carried out in civilian environments. Taken together, the deaths point to a shift that is no longer theoretical. Immigration policy in the United States is now enforced on the ground, through physical confrontation, with consequences that can be irreversible.

This shift is shaped in part by how enforcement officers are trained. ICE agents are federal law enforcement personnel, often trained in tactical response, use of force, and rapid compliance scenarios. That training is designed for danger and resistance. But immigration enforcement is, at its core, an administrative function. When methods developed for criminal or counterterror operations are applied to civil immigration cases, the margin for harm widens. Speed and dominance replace deliberation. Presence becomes pressure.

The same logic appears in the tactics now being reported. In one case, ICE agents allegedly detained a five-year-old child in order to compel the surrender of his family members. The child was not accused of anything. He was used as leverage. Whether described as procedure or necessity, the effect is the same. Psychological coercion has become routine, and children are no longer shielded from the mechanisms of enforcement.

For European readers, and for Italians in particular, these scenes can feel almost unreal. Italy has its own severe migration policies and a long record of human suffering tied to it. Thousands have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean. Italy has funded and cooperated with Libyan authorities whose detention centers are widely documented as sites of abuse. Border control has been pushed outward, made distant, and rendered less visible.

Yet interior immigration raids of this nature are not a defining feature of Italian daily life. In Italy, enforcement is largely bureaucratic. Residency permits are issued or denied at the questura. Police checks occur, but they are rarely staged as militarized operations. Even amid political rhetoric centered on security, enforcement tends to remain procedural rather than theatrical. Force exists, but it is not performed. Violence is not framed as deterrence.

In the United States, by contrast, enforcement has become visible, coordinated, and symbolic. Raids are filmed. Tactical gear signals authority before any interaction begins. The effect extends beyond those detained. It reshapes how entire communities move through space. Legal status begins to feel provisional. Safety becomes conditional.

Italys history sharpens this comparison. The country knows how state power moves from abstraction into daily life. Fascism did not arrive all at once. It advanced through normalization, through the quiet acceptance of extraordinary measures as ordinary tools. That memory does not offer immunity, but it does offer warning.

The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti should not be understood as isolated American tragedies. They are signals of what happens when enforcement becomes untethered from restraint, when fear becomes an instrument of policy, and when administrative law is enforced through coercion rather than protection. For Italians watching from across the Atlantic, the lesson is not one of distance or moral superiority. Italys own migration policies have produced immense suffering. The lesson is attentiveness. The way a state governs migration shapes the moral atmosphere of everyday life. It determines whether the law is experienced as protection or as threat.

When immigration enforcement comes home, when it enters neighborhoods, families, and private space, it alters more than who belongs. It changes how belonging itself is understood. That is a question no democracy can afford to ignore.
A Ukrainian refugee has been fined 450 for shoplifting.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft at a sitting of Waterford District Court before Judge Kevin Staunton.

The court was told that the man took property from Aldi in City Square on three occasions in September and October 2025.

The property was not recovered, and the defendant was identified from CCTV.

Acting for the defendant, solicitor John ODonoghue told the court that his client later paid a total of 119 for the items.

He said his client was a 51-year-old qualified mechanic and is on Jobseekers Allowance.

Mr ODonoghue said his client does not know why he committed the offence and suspects that he suffers from PTSD related to the war in his home.

He said that there was no reason for it and that his client is very sorry.

Judge Staunton pointed out that while the thefts are minor, there are three and the defendant had only been in the country 12 months.

He imposed a 150 fine for each offence and gave him four months to pay.

Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme
A Ferrybank man has received an eight-month prison sentence for a very poor job of a forgery of an insurance certificate.

Aaron Theo Cavanagh (24), of 73 Marymount, Ferrybank, Waterford, was before Waterford District Court charged with using a false instrument contrary to Section 28 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 at Waterford Courthouse on November 13, 2024.

The court was told that prior to the incident, gardai on patrol stopped a car that had an insurance certificate belonging to another vehicle.

They issued a fixed penalty notice, which went unpaid, and while another certificate was provided, it turned out to belong to the defendants mothers car.

The defendant was arrested for producing a false instrument and made no comment to the charge.

The court was told the defendant had three previous convictions, all under the Road Traffic Act 1961 and included driving without insurance.

'A STUPID MISTAKE'

Acting for the defendant, solicitor Hilary Delahunty explained to the court that he met Mr Cavanagh in late 2024 in court and that he asked him for help.

He had been disqualified from driving earlier in the year for no insurance, but he hadnt been represented at the time.

He claimed that he had insurance, but no cert, and not knowing what to do in court, it had all gone wrong.

Mr Delahunty told the court that he advised his client that they could appeal the disqualification if he could produce a certificate, to which the defendant said he could.

The matter went to the Circuit Court of Appeal, and the defendant produced a picture of an insurance certificate on which he had scribbled out the date and changed it with a black pen.

He gave it to Mr Delahunty, who brought the certificate to the Sergeant in the court, who queried whether it was legitimate. Mr Delahunty brought it back to the defendant, who confirmed that it was.

However, when the Sergeant investigated, it was confirmed as a forgery.

And at that point we were in trouble, said Mr Delahunty.

They withdrew the appeal, and Mr Cavanagh was disqualified from driving for four years.

Mr Delahunty said this was not a sophisticated forgery but rather a a very poor job by a stupid young man.

He is after getting himself into awful trouble. It was awful stupid. He made a stupid mistake as young men often do, said Mr Delahunty.

Also in mitigation, the solicitor pointed out that his client is employed as a manager at a go-kart place.

A FAIR SYSTEM

Judge Kevin Staunton said that the system operates on the basis that if a person does have insurance but no paperwork just yet, they can produce it and the matter can be struck out.

However, This was a premeditated attempt to deceive everyone, deceive the guards and the court.

It is a very serious matter that has to be dealt with in a serious manner," said Judge Staunton.

He convicted the defendant and sentenced him to eight months in prison, with recognisance also fixed in the matter.

Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme
Jurisdiction has been accepted in the case of a woman accused of making a false assault allegation against her partner.

Ellen Moloney (34), of 67 Ardmore Park, Ballybeg, pleaded guilty to making a false allegation at a sitting of Waterford District Court, before Judge Kevin Staunton.

Sergeant John Phelan told the court that on April 25, 2025, Ms Moloney attended the garda station and made a detailed complaint against her partner, claiming that he physically and sexually assaulted her.

The defendant told gardai that she thought she would die.

Acting for the defendant, solicitor Hilary Delahunty said his client lives a chaotic lifestyle and that the allegation was not plucked out of thin air or creative nonsense.

He said that the injured party was sitting with the defendant and wished the matter to be withdrawn.

Mr Delahunty told the court that while his client made the allegation, she did later tell gardai that she had made the whole thing up.

Judge Kevin Staunton accepted jurisdiction and put the matter back to March 24.

Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme
For the same reason I love the people of Waterford, is the same reason I am frustrated by them. Not only are we one anothers best friends, we are our own worst enemies. Not only are we quick to pick each other up and dust ourselves off, we are just as quick to put each other down. Our collective mentality is a sublimely calibrated and finely tuned mechanism that anyone without time here wouldnt understand. Our mindset is that of a people and place of immense potential, which harbours hope, but after years of constant promises of delivery, we are always poised to embrace the inevitable  of being forgotten again.

We almost have 24/7 cardiac care, a proper university, an airport and passable national representation. We have a sleeping giant ready to rouse itself from its slumber to become a powerhouse of Irish economics, education, culture, and society, but its sedated. Our cynicism is borne from decades of almosts. This shouldnt be excused, but this mentality is understandable.

This promotes us as constant moaners who detract from potential investment in any capacity as we put out an image that is not conducive for progression. We have fostered an unconscious fetish in socio-economic sadomasochism for the self-ordained title as the forgotten city and people of Ireland.

We have been left to our own devices, all the while our forgotten diamond of a county, formed through years of extreme pressures, has seen Waterford organisations and people constantly polish our hidden gem of a home, no matter the circumstances, to have its light pierce through into the national public consciousness.

We can thank Winterval, Spraoi, Harvest Festival, Dungarvan Food Festival, our sporting culture, our community leaders, and our artists, all acting as harbingers that lay foundations to usher in a potential brighter future for Waterford.

The love and frustration I have for everything Waterford is something I find to be just and understandable. We, the people of Waterford, are not only the unstoppable force, we are also the immovable object, and it is this refined duality of stubbornness that defines us. Sometimes we need to recognise that we must stand out of our own way as we are an amazing people that deserve better.

Jonathan McEvoy lives in Waterford city

Your voice, your view: Whether you agree or disagree with the views expressed or would like to have your own personal opinion aired in public, were waiting to hear from you. Send your letters to Editor, Waterford News & Star, Gladstone House, Gladstone Street, Waterford City or email maryfrances.ryan@waterford-news.com
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CultureArt & designCity life Howling dingoes and desert art: What to see at the Biennale of Sydney Linda Morris February 3, 2026  2:30am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

The haunting echoes of ceramic dingo whistles and a massive 80-square-metre desert canvas  hailed as one of the most extraordinary pieces of Indigenous art never before exhibited in Sydney  are set to shatter the citys silence. The Biennale of Sydney pulled back the curtain on its full program for its 25th edition, to kick off from March 14, with 83 artists representing 37 countries across six primary exhibition sites and 13 additional programming venues. Recent attendees of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial welcome Ngurrara Canvas II from Western Australia. Under artistic director Hoor Al Qasimi, the program sidesteps the incendiary geopolitics of the Middle East to focus on Indigenous experiences of displacement, and erasure and the universal longing for home. Its a theme organisers hope will resonate deeply with a city where 63 per cent of residents are first or second-generation migrants. Notably, nearly a third of the artists are Australian, and 85 per cent of the works are original commissions never seen elsewhere.

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The biennale has adopted the term rememory coined by American novelist Toni Morrison  as its curatorial anchor. Memory changes; our perspective changes. What is written as history isnt always fact, says chief executive Barbara Moore. Related Article Exhibitions The 10 best exhibitions to see in 2026 The appointment of Al Qasimi, an internationally renowned curator from the United Arab Emirates, has faced scrutiny from sections of the Murdoch press and the Jewish community regarding her personal pro-Palestine stance. In response to heightened tensions following the December Bondi killings, Moore has personally vetted every work in the exhibition. Multiple times over, in fact, Moore says. This is a culturally diverse program rooted in community care. We want to ensure everyone feels welcome and safe. Our commitment to artistic freedom is a commitment to exploring difficult ideas, but our process ensures an environment free from harassment, discrimination, and racism. We ensure that line is never crossed. A centrepiece of the biennale is a new sculptural sound installation by artist Cannupa Hanska Luger, who will hang dingo-shaped ceramic whistles at the White Bay Power Station  the most atmospheric of the Biennales six exhibition venues  to evoke a metaphorical howl of Australias native dog, hunted to near extinction in some regions of Australia.

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The Lakota artist from the United States has created seven clay replicas of dingo skulls that together act as a flute or instrument linked to an air compressor to create a sound along the edge of a dingo howl. Hoor Al Qasimi, the artistic director of the Sydney Biennale at White Bay Power Station, one of the festivals venues. Steven Siewert The seven dingo skulls are small in space but large in volume of sound, Luger says. The dingo came to surface as a result of its near extinction and its resilience, and its symbol of kinship to Indigenous people, much like the coyote where I come from. Artists Behrouz Boochani, Hoda Afshar and Vernon Ah Kee present a multichannel video work at Campbelltown Arts Centre as part of their newly commissioned Code Black/Riot project, which centres the voices and experiences of Indigenous youth living in detention. Away from white-walled galleries, on March 21, Joe Namy will turn Parramatta Town Square into a sonic arena with Automobile, a performance using local car enthusiasts super-modified stereo systems as instruments.

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At the Art Gallery of NSW, the great Ngurrara Canvas II, created by artists of the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia, is to be presented for the first time. Participating artists (from left): Dennis Golding, Richard Bell, Helen Grace, Vicente Telles, and Kuba Dorabialski. Daniel Boud The 80 square metre floor canvas was made in 1997 for presentation to the National Native Title Tribunal to demonstrate connection to their land, an area the size of Tasmania. For the Ngurrara people it is not just a painting; its a map of their country and the product of thousands of years of traditional knowledge. It might be the last time it is ever shown off because this is part of Country. This canvas was created by artists of the Ngurrara people to successfully win land rights, Moore says. It worked. They are telling that deep connection to land. Its not just showing the canvas, the artists are coming, those that are still alive, and they are going to sing it in.

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At Chau Chak Wing Museum, Melbourne-based textile artist Ema Shin is exhibiting a two-metre-tall 3D handwoven heart. Related Article City life Museum of Contemporary Art bets on Indigenous art to woo ticket-buying public Inspired by a treasured family tree kept by her grandfather spanning 32 generations which only includes the names of male family members and women who have given birth to sons, shins works are a tribute to the women who are absent from her family history. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspects Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 2, 2026. He made an inspection of transport hubs in Beijing and Tianjin on the first day of the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Monday called for all-out efforts to ensure a safe, smooth and efficient Spring Festival travel rush.

He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection of transport hubs in Beijing and Tianjin on the first day of the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush.

The annual Spring Festival travel rush -- the world's largest human migration -- places immense pressure on China's transportation network.

The vice premier urged transportation authorities to fully and meticulously implement all measures to safeguard travel services. He stressed the need to enhance monitoring, early warning, and response to extreme weather and geological disasters.

He also called for consistent care and support for frontline transportation workers throughout the 40-day travel rush. 

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspects Tianjin Binhai International Airport in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 2, 2026. He made an inspection of transport hubs in Beijing and Tianjin on the first day of the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
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Two of Us NationalGood Weekend Peta and David share an office. They ring a bell when they need to speak to each other Susan Horsburgh January 29, 2026  8:00am 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

This story is part of the January 31 edition of Good Weekend. See all stories .

Writers and colleagues Peta Murray, 67, and David Carlin, 62, grew close when their parents became residents of the same aged-care home. Now theyre teaching each other how to grow old in style. There would be something terribly missing if she wasnt here, David Carlin says of Peta Murray. We compare notes and show our scars. Mia Mala McDonald PETA: We were both in alternative theatre in the 1980s, so I feel as if Ive always known David, but our first formal encounter was in the early 90s when he was artistic director of a theatre company and commissioned me to write a play. I basically tied myself in knots and never delivered it, so when we met again years later, I was mortified. That night, at a writers function, he suggested I do my PhD at RMIT. In 2013, he became one of my supervisors, so I read his memoir, Our Father Who Wasnt There. It was breathtaking in its vulnerability and poignancy [Davids father died by suicide when he was a baby]. I felt at ease with him, which can be unusual for me with men. My mum died not long before I started my PhD  which was about ageing as an artist  and he nursed me into it. In 2017, as my father, Frank, was going into aged care, David invited me to share his office; whenever we wanted to speak to each other wed ring a reception-counter bell. Theres a goofy, slapstick thing between us; through my PhD, I wore a stick-on moustache, the academic to his professor. Ridiculous, really, because were both clowns.

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David sees his mum, Joan, regularly; I have enormous respect for men who step up. When she first went into care in 2018, she was playing bridge and walking; David wanted to make sure that her Joan-ness would flourish. With my parents, it had been this diminishment, this shrinking away to nothing. Dad was just a very misanthropic man. He was very hard to engage and, eventually, I just stopped trying. I became his PA. Id been a good girl  the eldest unmarried as he called me  and I did that dutifully until his death in December 2019, but jeez, I was shitty. In every way, Davids relationship with Joan is so different: theres warmth, fondness and mutual interest. Get the best of Good Weekend delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Sign up for our newsletter. David likes a suit. On work trips to Vietnam, hed have bespoke ones made and I was filled with envy. Hes got one he calls his bag of fruit  a checked, car-salesman suit  and hes mad for a hectic floral shirt. Hes my influencer. And an endless self-improver. I remember his swimming phase  up every morning with the larks, glowing with self-righteousness. Im now in psychoanalysis, following his lead. Theres a goofy, slapstick thing between us, Peta says. Through my PhD, I wore a stick-on moustache, the academic to his professor  were both clowns. Jane Murphy David and I have both suffered anxiety and depression. One of the perils of ageing is the obsession with the organ recital  where people complain at length about their health problems  but we have a longstanding interest in each others ailments. Our Signal chat is like a secret back-channel where we confide our fears and paranoias and offer each other reassurance.

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When Im tired and testy, I find Davids overthinking wearying  I could do my washing while I wait for him to finish a sentence  but I admire his intellectual rigour. David pays attention to me in a kind way. I dont have many men who look at me  I dont want many men looking at me  but he does. He makes me laugh a lot as well. Im just grateful Ive got him in my life. DAVID: Petas like the close sibling I never had. When we had an office together, it felt like sharing a childhood bedroom with the line down the middle. Shes the sort of person you can be in meetings with, texting under the table about how absurd it is. Being a lapsed Catholic is a strong element in her life; it comes through in her love of pageantry and rituals. Thats something I love about her because I come from a culture thats very held-in and a bit dour. For her PhD presentation, where most people just show some PowerPoint slides, Peta did a performance with funny little props and egg-timers going off; she gave the examiners roles and costumes. It was all related to her research on elder-flowering, a word shed made up. She used the opportunity to showcase her queerness, eccentricity and capacity to blossom in new ways without denying the reality of getting older. Her love of pageantry and rituals  [is] something I love about her because I come from a culture thats very held-in and a bit dour. David Carlin

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Petas mother had dementia and shes paranoid about getting it herself, so she has all these life hacks  like learning Scottish Gaelic (shes obsessed with her ancestry). She also does Scottish highland dancing and takes piano lessons. She wants to do everything and sometimes crashes from exhaustion. Then she loses her confidence and cant leave the house. When Mum moved into Franks aged-care place, we hoped theyd become friends, but Frank retreated into himself; he thought everybody was an idiot. Peta had to do a lot of the caring. I saw the frustration and anger  that feeling of giving so much and not getting anything back. It caused her a lot of grief, how little she felt he knew her. Shes been really gutsy addressing that in our book [How to Dress for Old Age, out February 3]; often people dont talk about the hard stuff. Were both determined to not fade away. At RMIT, she started an a cappella choir called Hot Holler, after [her project for academics] Hot Scholar. She also has her drag alter-egos, Wanda Lusst and Buster Loose. I came back from Vietnam with an electric-blue suit and she was so jealous, she decided to get her own made up in baby pink-and-blue tartan  something expressive of her gender identity. Related Article Two of Us

Good Weekend Freaky 4am coincidence shows why these twins believe they have a psychic connection The only disagreement weve had was about AI. Ive only used it a bit, but it peeves me that its both so sucky and so sure of itself. We were working on a podcast idea and she brought in a plan that AI had helped her write. I started picking holes in it. We were just a bit cold, but it was quite scary to have that tension. Later, I sent a message to apologise. She wrote back, saying, Thanks for sharing your feelings. Youre a most atypical fellow.

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I find it hard when she puts herself down. Sometimes I just want to shake her and go, Youre brilliant! She also suffers from dyscalculia, where she freaks out with numbers and forms, and sometimes I get frustrated. Thats the only area where our twin DNA has mutated wildly because I do love an Excel spreadsheet. There would be something terribly missing if she wasnt here. We compare notes and show our scars. I just love hearing her stories and being able to tell her mine. twoofus@goodweekend.com.au To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.
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NationalWAEducation No consistency: The out-of-pocket cost hitting WAs public school teachers Holly Thompson February 3, 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

As West Australian children head off to school for 2026, the new year has sparked fresh calls for equal access to technology  and not just for students. Public schools are not required to provide laptops or tablets for teachers to use, something the State School Teachers Union WA has fought to change during recent enterprise bargaining rounds. Teachers at public schools are often not provided with their own computers. iStock While some schools do ensure teachers have their own devices, others do not and staff can instead make use of a salary sacrifice program which lets them purchase their own. A Department of Education spokesperson said the Notebooks for Teachers program was not compulsory, and that teachers were also not required to bring their own device.

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The spokesperson said public schools were funded through their annual budget to provide computers as required for their staff. Schools always work to ensure staff have the devices required to perform their duties, they said. They did not respond to a question about whether being provided access to devices should be mandated in the next round of bargaining. Union president Matt Jarman said while teachers may not be required to have their own devices, it was a necessity of the job. He said the fact there was no consistency was creating a divide between schools that could be resolved with a statewide policy.

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The truth is we have been trying to get the Department of Education to mandate schools providing devices, be it laptops or tablets, and to recognise that they are a necessary tool of the trade, Jarman said. Editor's pick Education WA families struggle with back-to-school expenses amid cost of living crisis The whole situation is a mess, quite frankly, and it adds to the workload burden teachers are already facing. Teachers are also expected to buy subscriptions to certain services or the software required which then creates additional costs. Jarman said principals and school leaders were also not provided with a mobile phone, despite being expected to always be on call.

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In the unions 2025 State of Schools survey, more than 30 per cent of respondents said they were expected to use their own devices to manage workplace social media channels, and 31 per cent cited technical issues and requirements as adding to their workload. One teacher commented: Having to provide my own laptop to do my job is absolutely disgusting. We should be provided with the required equipment to do our roles. I dont know any other profession that requires this of you. I have to pay the department to loan a laptop so I can do the work expected in my own time. Basically, Im paying the department to do overtime, another responder wrote. A third said: All teachers should be given  not leased, given  a laptop. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
An update now on the failed bomb attack on Perths Invasion Day rally last week, and Premier Roger Cook has just indicated that Commonwealth authorities may be preparing to make a call on whether the incident was a terrorist act in the next few days.

A 31-year-old man, whose name is suppressed, is accused of throwing a home-made bomb into the 2500-strong crowd who had gathered at Forrest Place in the CBD to protest the date of Australia Day.

CCTV captured a man throwing the improvised explosive into the crowd.

The device, which was allegedly designed to explode on impact, did not detonate.

A week on, Cook told media this morning that from his point of view, the incident appeared to be a terrorist act, but that there were certain definitions that must be met for it to be formally deemed as such.

The actual assigning of an act of terror is undertaken by a joint taskforce between Commonwealth and state agencies, and then ultimately the Commonwealth agency is the one that declares whether it is a terrorist attack, he said.

We look as bystanders at the circumstances of this horrible act, and you would not be surprised if ultimately the Commonwealth makes that decision.

I understand thats in front of them at the moment, and theyll be making that decision this week.

Cook said he had spoken with police and event organisers about the incident.

This is a potentially an act which would have caused a mass casualty event, and because of that, we have to treat it with the utmost serious concern, he said.
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InspirationEurope Europes northernmost point is a big tourist con, but I went anyway Brian Johnston February 3, 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

This article is part of Travellers guide to luxury cruising. See all stories .

Who doesnt want to stand on top of the world? I made it to Cape York recently  Australias northernmost point  and am keen to add Europes to my list. Im on a Norway cruise aboard Silverseas suave Silver Dawn, which has sailed up most of the Norwegian coastline to get here to the nations far north, well above the Arctic Circle. The one-hour drive to Nordkapp on my shore excursion from Honningsvag port is desolate but starkly beautiful. We skirt lakes and drive across rolling tundra where reindeer nibble on meagre grass. North Cape (Nordkapp), a dramatic cliff on the island of Mageroya. iStock In 1553, an English navigator was sailing past here and spotted a promontory sticking out into the Barents Sea, which he promptly named North Cape, with little regard to geographical accuracy.

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Nordkapp isnt continental Europes most northerly point. For a start, its on an island, and Norways Svalbard archipelago is much further north. Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now. Mageroya Island is, however, connected to the mainland by a bridge which, for some, puts it back in contention. However neighbouring, low-lying Knivskjellodden Cape pokes 1450 metres further north. Nordkapp is considered the northernmost point of Europe accessible by car. iStock Nordkapp has the convenience of road access and is a far more dramatic finish. The plateau ends in 307-metre cliffs from which you get unrestricted views of surging Arctic seas and  if you linger long enough  the midnight sun. Is the scenery itself worth the journey? Perhaps not. The Norwegian coast is studded with one magnificent fjord and bay after the other, compared to which Nordkapp seems bleak. Its main landmark is the visitor centre, North Cape Hall, which charges a whopping NOK 350 ($52) entrance fee.

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The bunker-like architecture is impressive, as the centre extends deep into the earth, but its museum exhibits are modest and its panoramic film about Nordkapp bemusingly uninformative. A restaurant and large shop are the only other attractions. The Globe Monument at Nordkapp has become a popular photo spot for tourists. Svetlana Funtusova/Nord Norge From a subjective point of view, Nordkapps lure is hard to resist. Long a place of spiritual significance to the Sami people, it became a tourist attraction in the 19th century, boosted by a visit from Norwegian and Swedish king Oscar II in 1873. In those days visitors arriving by ship hauled themselves on ropes up a gap in the cliffs. These days a surprising number of travellers arrive by car or campervan despite Nordkapps inhospitable remoteness. It lies almost exactly halfway between Oslo and the North Pole, and high summer offers the only decent weather. Even then, views can be lost in fog. Im here on a June day of 11 degrees and a howling wind. Grey clouds tumble across the sky, and the sea is leaden. The winds here are often so fierce the road has to be closed.

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OK, it isnt the top of mainland Europe, which, for the record, is Cape Nordkinn, nearly six kilometres further south of island-bound Nordkapp. It feels like it is, though. It may be a tourist invention, but is genuinely remote and difficult to get to. You have a sense of achievement. You wouldnt travel this far up the coast of Norway and not go there. Too much FOMO for that: even the most geographically informed traveller would find it hard to resist the bucket-list temptation. The pleasure of cruising: remote regions visited without hassle. Lucia Griggi/Silversea Cruises Later that evening Silver Dawn sails around the cape, loitering offshore in the late evening light. La Terrazza is the place to be: the ships Italian evening restaurant has an elevated location and big windows onto the scenery. It seems surreal to be dining on stuffed calamari and swordfish and later retiring to a luxury stateroom in this inhospitable place. But thats the pleasure of cruising: remote regions visited without hassle.

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Nordkapps huge globe monument is a dot on the clifftop and Arctic Europe lurches on the horizon, but Im well-fed and warm and happy to have been  and gone. Related Article Europe A 130-year-old, essential ferry route doubles as a spectacular cruise THE DETAILS CRUISE

Silverseas Silver Dawn will be in Western Australia in March 2026 before sailing to Europe via Singapore, Mahe and Cape Town. After Northern Europe and Mediterranean seasons it will cross to Miami in December 2026. A 10-day Norway cruise return from Copenhagen departing on June 21, 2026 costs from $16,920pp all inclusive. See silversea.com

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visitnorway.com The writer travelled as a guest of Silversea.

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Reviews & adviceTravel tips Opinion A ticket inspector stole my wallet, then cleaned out my bank account Lee Tulloch Travel columnist February 3, 2026  2:00am

February 3, 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

I felt like an idiot. In all the years of travel, Ive never had anything stolen. Until I met one of Venices infamous pickpockets. He didnt just take my wallet, he cleaned out my bank account. Last December, I made a fleeting visit to Venice, staying in a hotel on the Riva degli Schiavoni, the waterfront promenade on which St Marks Square sits. Venice promenade Riva degli Schiavoni. iStock There werent many tourists at that time of the year, so I wasnt thinking about pickpockets. In any case, my wallet was firmly zipped inside my cross-body satchel and there were two buckles securing it. On my last two visits to Venice, Id planned to see the costume museum, Palazzo Mocenigo, but I always managed to get lost. This time, I figured out that the vaporetto (water bus) could take me directly from Arsenale, the stop near my hotel, to San Stae near the museum. I was determined to get there. I never did.

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First, I needed a ticket. There was a machine at the stop. After hitting some buttons and swiping my card, a ticket spat out. I didnt look at it too closely, which was my first error. Sign up for the Traveller newsletter The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now. The stations always have two pontoons for water buses going in different directions. Id figured out my water bus would go from the pontoon on the left, which would take me up the Grand Canal. But when I tried to go through the turnstile, my ticket was rejected. Vaporetti (water buses) are an easy way to get around Venice, but be on your guard. iStock There was a transport official in a dark coat and beanie standing at the other side of the turnstile. He suggested I try it again. When it didnt work, he came around the other side of the turnstile to help me. There were few other people around. He took me back to the ticket machine, explained the process, including entering my PIN, and the correct ticket came out. I realised I hadnt entered my PIN the first time. The first ticket had been a receipt for an invalid transaction.

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He asked me which stop I was going to and helpfully pointed me to the vaporetto pontoon to the right, even though I thought it was the left. But Id been confused before. I stood waiting for the vaporetto to arrive for a few minutes. Then I thought to check my bag because I knew I hadnt zipped my wallet safely away. Of course, it was gone and so was the ticket inspector. Related Article Opinion

Travel tips I travel for a living, yet I nearly fell for this common booking scam I didnt know then, but I do know now, that I could have immediately gone to the bank app on my phone (luckily, he hadnt stolen that as well) and blocked all my accounts. Panic stricken, I went back to the hotel and logged into my bank account on my laptop. I could see the thief had access to both my accounts and was trying amounts of money until hed cleared as much as possible, including emptying one of my accounts. It wasnt a fortune, but by mistake (a long story) Id brought my identical-looking bank card as well as the debit card I usually only carry overseas.

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The thief had my drivers licence, American Express card and several other forms of identity. I was able to cancel the Amex card and get a digital one to replace it within 10 minutes. It took an hour to contact my bank and then another couple of long calls to report the fraudulent transactions. The digital cards they sent me were useful, but I couldnt use them for cash at ATMs. I went to the police station around the corner to report the theft. It was mid-morning and there were two other couples who had been robbed. A female officer told me not to feel stupid, the thieves were very clever. The police prepared at least 15 reports of pickpockets a day, she said. Related Article Opinion

Tripologist The 14 travel mistakes that can ruin your trip  and how to avoid them Michael Gebicki The Tripologist My mistake was that I was too trusting. The thief really did seem like a ticket inspector, even though such people arent usually stationed at automatic gates. I didnt think to conceal my PIN, although he was standing a metre or so away. I shouldnt have travelled with my bank card but he took advantage of me being slightly flustered. I remind myself I need to be more wary in moments like these when you are far more vulnerable.

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In the end, the bank quickly reimbursed me the money that had been stolen (a nice surprise) and I now have my ID back with new numbers and PINs. I lost a couple of old photos of my mother as a young woman visiting Paris, which makes me sad. And I certainly lost my complacency.
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Travel newsPets Hotels are increasingly welcoming pets  as long as its not a cat Andrea Sachs February 3, 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

Travelling is the cats meow, unless youre actually a cat. Liebchen, a rescue tabby from the Netherlands who travels with an EU pet passport, learned this hard truth at the Max Brown Hotel in Amsterdam. A few days before Christmas, the property refused to honour his familys reservation because he was a cat, not a canine. Hotels will say theyre pet-friendly, but they really mean dogs, said Erin Geldermans, who adopted Liebs in Colorado. So well show up with our cat, and theyre like, Oh, sorry, cats arent allowed. Many pet-friendly hotels are not friendly to cats. iStock Cast into the night without a room, Geldermans and Liebs landed on their feet, finding more inclusive accommodations at the Jan Luyken Amsterdam next door. The hotel didnt even charge them a pet fee. However, the experience was a stark reminder that, for jet-setting cats, its a dogs world.

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Travellers who holiday with their feline companions say they have encountered an anti-cat bias around the world. They come across it in airports and on planes, at hotels and holiday rentals. The owners say they must often overcome hurdles to earn the same trust and acceptance granted to dogs. Sign up for the Traveller newsletter The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now. This is discrimination, said Anna Karsten, a France-based travel blogger who has faced a double standard when travelling with her Ragdoll, Poofy. Its a higher risk, apparently, which, if you think about it, is outrageous. The cat is literally going to sleep, but the dog might destroy the entire room if its stressed. During check-in at a rental in the Dutch city of Leiden, Karsten had to provide references that Poofy was a model guest. Stung by a previous incident involving cat pee, the apartments owner said the family would have to keep Poofy in a cage. After several minutes of negotiations, the two sides agreed to sequester the cat in the bathroom whenever the family was out. Karsten abided by the rule the first day but eventually left the door ajar. By the end of the week-long stay, the host had experienced a change of heart. She loved the cat, Karsten said triumphantly.

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Cons include cat pee, clawed-up furniture Dogs, which were domesticated thousands of years before felines, have better optics. Cats are often stereotyped as homebodies, territorial in familiar settings and timid in new ones. A productive day may involve 16 hours of sleep and shredding the sofa. A cat that feels wronged may express its indignation by intentionally missing the litter box. The Langham, Melbourne, allows both dogs and cats to stay as part of its Pampered Pets package. Many cat owners dispute these tropes, describing their pets as outgoing, curious and sociable, but the generalisations still shape the travel industrys policies.

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To boost bookings at his New York City rental properties, Andrew McCauley mulled the idea of allowing cats (but never dogs, because of the barking). He queried a Facebook group of holiday rental hosts about loosening his pet restrictions and received nearly 175 replies. The majority of respondents vehemently opposed feline guests, citing their claws, urine and dander, which could trigger allergic reactions in future travellers. According to the Australian governments Health Direct, as many as one in five Australians suffer from pet allergies, with an allergy to cat dander the second most common cause of indoor breathing difficulties after dust mites. If they pee in there one single time, youre going to have a ridiculously hard time trying to get the smell out, and probably never will, wrote Sara Van Valkenburgh, who owns six cats. And one cat can murder your couch in one weekend. The replies spooked McCauley, who makes his living off the properties, and he quashed the idea. For a person to be separated from their cats for an extended period of time - that would be a painful thing, McCauley said. Maybe nine out of 10 will be well-behaved, but if that one in 10 causes damage, thats a problem.

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Cats that break stereotypes A new generation of cat experts and owners is attempting to recast the descendant of the wildcat as an adventurous globe-trotter with tidy habits. With committed training and the proper gear, they say, cats with the right disposition (curious and itching to go outside) can start racking up the flights in their carrier and naps in international time zones. Frequent European travellers will carry an EU pet passport, which contains health information and streamlines border crossings. When Louie and Todd were kittens, Lazar Joksimovic taught the British shorthair cats to use a leashed harness and to not scratch the furniture. They are now adult cats, though Joksimovic still packs a toddlers worth of supplies for their trips, including a stroller, scratch pads and Tractive GPS tracker. He carries a collapsible travel litter box and pouch of litter that he can quickly assemble for brief bathroom breaks, such as in an airport family restroom or airplane lavatory. The Chicago-based trio  plus Joksimovics wife, when she gets a break from medical school - have visited 13 national parks and 14 countries in Europe and North America. This year, they plan to backpack ski in the Austrian and Italian alps and traipse around Japan and South Korea. Joksimovic, a biomedical researcher, has struggled to find cat-fancying accommodations in a handful of destinations, such as Arizona, Utah and Nevada. In Paris, he said, the host of the pet-friendly Airbnb cancelled their reservation after he disclosed that Louie and Todd were cats.

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I guess they were worried about scratches, Joksimovic said, but I always mention that theyre very well-behaved and well-trained. Virgin Australia has extended its trial of allowing pets to fly in the cabin, including now allowing cats on to an additional route. For their upcoming trip to Japan, Joksimovic said, the Kimpton and Four Seasons, two of the hospitality industrys most pet-pampering brands, were too rich for his budget. In Tokyo, he settled for a rental a distance from the main tourist attractions, requiring him to navigate the public transportation system and its pet regulations. A lot of buses in Japanese cities dont allow pets, Joksimovic said, and on a lot of trains, youre not allowed to open the carrier so that your cat or dog can poke its head out and you can give it treats or water. Mansum Yau, a veterinarian from Vancouver, has faced a similar anti-cat attitude on her first trip with Boo. The hotel in Calgary had touted its pet-friendly policy, but a sign at the front desk stated that cats were not allowed. An employee suggested that Yau put her cat in the car for the night, despite it being winter. Yau found alternate accommodations for Boo and checked out the next morning, bolting earlier than planned.

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That was a rude introduction to travelling with a cat, Yau said. Meanwhile, its estimated less than one in 10 hotels in Australia are pet-friendly and, though the number has been increasing, many hotels claiming to be pet-friendly only allow dogs. Others, such as the Langham Melbourne, allows cats but certain room categories (such as those with terraces) can only be occupied if the pet is a dog. The Kimpton Margot Sydney will allow any pet free of charge, no matter their size, weight, or breed as long as they fit through the door (so presumably the hotel draws the line at elephants). Adventure cats trail behind dogs The adventure cat movement has been picking up momentum over the past decade, but it still lags behind that of dogs. Were beginning to see a change, but people are travelling more often with dogs, said Laura Moss, who founded Adventure Cats in 2015. Youll go to a pet-friendly hotel that may take both cats and dogs, but theyre more prepared for dogs. They will have dog beds or treats, but they wont necessarily have litter boxes.

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When travelling by air, cats have a few advantages over dogs. Because of their size, all but the chunkiest of cats can accompany their owners in the cabin. Depending on a cats comfort level and the airlines rules, the four-legged passenger can use the planes lavatory, in a portable and foldable litter box. Related Article Australia 10 of Australias best pet-friendly hotels I put the litter box on the floor, and Liebs did his business over the Atlantic Ocean, Geldermans said of the successful potty break. Pet relief areas in airports overwhelmingly favour dogs with artificial grass, poop bags, treats and a fake fire hydrant. But a few airports have started catering to cats needs. Ottawa International added a public litter box. Istanbul has several, plus a cat tree, scratching post and kibble dispensers. Virgin Australia recently announced the extension of its trial allowing pets to fly in the cabin, including allowing cats to fly on both trial routes between Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne and the Gold Coast. Previously cats were only allowed on the Sunshine Coast route.

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Though their cats are out of sight, tucked under the seat by their feet, owners say some passengers will still vocalise their concerns or complaints. Samantha Bell, a cat expert at Best Friends Animal Society, was transporting two kittens from Los Angeles to Columbus, Ohio, when her tiny travellers started mewling. Irritated by their cries, the grumpy passenger next to Bell demanded a new seat. The flight attendant complied and even threw in a $100 credit for the inconvenience. She got rewarded for not liking cats, Bell said. The Washington Post

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Updated WorldEuropeEpstein fallout Baby boy: Fergie email claims Epstein had a secret child Kieran Kelly Updated February 3, 2026  7:27am ,first published 5:55am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

London: Jeffrey Epstein had a secret child, according to a message sent to him by Sarah Ferguson. The former Duchess of York congratulated the sex offender on the birth of a baby boy after he was released from jail in 2011. The former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, in Perth last year. Chris Huzzard She offered Epstein her love, friendship and congratulations after hearing the news from The Duke  probably referring to then-prince Andrew, her ex-husband now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. In a separate document released in the latest tranche of documents related to Epstein released by the US Department of Justice on Friday, a teenage girl claims the daughter she shared with Epstein was taken away from her minutes after birth.

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The diary entry alleges that the mother gave birth in about 2002 when she was aged 16 or 17. It includes a copy of the pregnancy scan. She makes reference to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epsteins former girlfriend and associate, being present at the birth. Jeffrey Epstein (left) and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The woman, who refers to herself as a human incubator, said: She was born, I heard her cries! I saw this tiny head and body in between the doctors hands. Ghislaine said she was beautiful. Where is she? The diary entries discuss the difficulties of her childbirth and then having 10 to 15 minutes to hold and feed her before they took her.

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She is mine! I want her back!!! Distraught! she added. Other pages of the diary claim she couldnt stop shaking for a week, and that a decision had been made but she couldnt tell Jeffrey. It has never been established if Epstein had any children, despite allegedly having sexual relations with hundreds of women. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson last year. WireImage

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Karyna Shuliak, the financiers last-known girlfriend, was set to inherit most of his fortune, properties and island in a will changed shortly before his death in prison in 2019. Ferguson appeared to send a second message complaining that Epstein had disappeared after using her to get to Andrew. The correspondence is among the 3 million documents in the Epstein files released on Friday, along with 180,000 images and 2000 videos. Related Article Updated

Epstein fallout Starmer calls for Andrew to face Congress over Epstein as another accuser comes forward Ferguson featured several times in the documents, with the latest tranche revealing that she offered Epstein and his friends VIP tours of Buckingham Palace.

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The newly released emails showed that Ferguson contacted Epstein after he was released from prison for child sex offences in 2009. The files also showed that Mountbatten-Windsors relationship with Epstein continued until at least 2017, seven years after the disgraced former royal claimed to have cut off contact. Epstein never confessed to having any children while he was alive, but more than 100 people have claimed to be his offspring  with many making a claim to his fortune. Related Article Updated

Epstein fallout Under pressure: UK politician sent Epstein details of Australian mining tax In 2020, Harvey Morse, the founder of Morse Genealogical Services, a DNA firm, said Epstein may have grandchildren because he was sexually promiscuous for so long.

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There is a reasonable chance he may have fathered a child, he said. He could even be a grandfather. Morse said that 130 people approached his company after it set up a website named epsteinheirs, although more than a quarter of the claims were dismissed almost immediately. In a separate file released on Friday, a woman claimed to have created a daughter with Epstein in a beautiful fertility ritual. The validity of the claim is not known, and the Justice Department has warned that the files contain a number of untrue and sensationalist accusations. The Epstein Files Transparency Act ordered the department to release all files pertaining to Epstein by December 19, but authorities have gone well over the deadline. Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his remaining royal titles by his brother King Charles last year, was pictured kneeling over an unidentified woman in the latest documents.

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The files also included offers made by Epstein to introduce Mountbatten-Windsor to a beautiful 26-year-old Russian woman named Irina. The Telegraph, London Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on whats making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.
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Updated WorldMiddle EastIsraeli-Palestinian conflict Gazas Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopens for limited traffic in key step for ceasefire Samy Magdy and Josef Federman Updated February 3, 2026  2:00am ,first published 4:35pm 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

Cairo: A dozen Palestinian returnees were allowed into Gaza from Egypt late on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) after the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing was marred by delays. Their arrival came hours after a small group of medical evacuees was ferried from the territory into Egypt. The reopening of the crossing marked a key step in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire but mostly a symbolic one, with few people allowed to travel and no goods allowed to pass through. The limitations were apparent on Monday as crossings fell well short of the 50 people officials had said would be allowed to move in each direction. Palestinian patients board a vehicle in Khan Younis on their way to the Rafah crossing, as they leave the Gaza Strip for medical treatment abroad. AP About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care hope to leave the devastated territory via the crossing, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to enter and return home. The crossing had been closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024. The number of travellers is expected to increase over time if the system is successful. Israel has said it will vet people for exit and entry, along with Egypt.

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Ambulances queued for hours at the border before ferrying patients into Egypt, the state-run Al-Qahera News satellite television channel showed. Just before midnight, a bus arrived in Gaza carrying Palestinian returnees who had fled the fighting early in the war. As the vehicle entered the compound of a hospital in Khan Younis, a girl wearing barrettes and an older woman stood just inside the front door, waving to relatives anxious for their return. Before the war, Rafah was the main crossing for people moving in and out of Gaza. The territorys handful of other crossings are all shared with Israel. Under the terms of the ceasefire, which went into effect in October, Israels military controls the area between the Rafah crossing and the zone where most Palestinians live. Buses carrying Palestinian patients from Gaza Strip gather to leave the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel. AP Violence continued across the coastal territory on Monday. Gaza hospital officials said an Israeli navy ship had fired on a tent camp, killing a three-year-old Palestinian boy. Israels military said it was looking into the incident. Egypt prepares to receive the wounded

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Rajaa Abu Mustafa stood outside a Gaza hospital where her 17-year-old son Mohamed awaited evacuation. He was blinded by a shot to the eye last year as he joined desperate Palestinians seeking food from aid trucks outside the southern city of Khan Younis. The Health Ministry called and told us that we will travel to Egypt for [his] treatment, she said. Ambulances line up to enter the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing on the way to the Gaza Strip. AP About 150 hospitals across Egypt were ready to receive patients evacuated from Gaza through Rafah, authorities said. But the isolated crossing is separated from Cairo by a six-hour drive. The Egyptian Red Crescent said it had readied safe spaces on the Egyptian side of the border to support those evacuated. More than 10,000 patients have been evacuated from Gaza since the war began, according to the World Health Organisation. But Israels seizure of the Rafah crossing brought the pace of evacuations to a crawl, with an average of 17 patients a week leaving for most of the time since.

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Israel has banned sending patients to hospitals in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem since the war began, cutting off what was previously the main outlet for Palestinians needing medical treatment unavailable in Gaza. United Nations officials on Monday called on other countries to take in more patients from Gaza so that everyone receives the treatment they need. Trucks carrying humanitarian aid line up to cross into Gaza. AP With the crossing reopened, Gaza residents looked forward to the return of family members who fled earlier in the war. This time its real, said Iman Rashwan, anticipating the arrival of her mother and sister. They left Gaza a year ago when her mothers heart condition worsened and she was referred for treatment in Egypt.

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They called us yesterday and said they received news that they will leave, Rashwan said. We have been waiting for it for too long. The Rafah crossing will be supervised by European Union border patrol agents with a small Palestinian presence. Fearing that Israel could use the crossing to push Palestinians out of the enclave, Egypt has repeatedly said it must be open for them to enter and exit Gaza. Loading Palestinian toddler killed by Israeli fire A three-year-old Palestinian was killed when Israels navy hit tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, Palestinian hospital authorities said. According to Nasser hospital, which received the body, the attack happened in Muwasi, a tent camp area on Gazas coast.

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Also on Monday, Israels military said it killed four Palestinians in northern Gaza who approached troops near the line marking Israeli-controlled territory, posing an imminent threat to them. More than 520 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire went into effect on October 10, according to Gazas Health Ministry. They are among the over 71,800 Palestinians killed since the start of the war, according to the ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians. The ministry, part of Gazas Hamas-led government, keeps detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Rafahs opening represents ceasefire progress Israel had said seizing the Rafah crossing in May 2024 was part of efforts to combat arms-smuggling by the Hamas militant group. The crossing was briefly opened for the evacuation of medical patients during a ceasefire in early 2025.

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Israel had resisted reopening the Rafah crossing, but the recovery of the remains of the last hostage in Gaza cleared the way to move forward. Related Article Updated

Israeli-Palestinian conflict Israel recovers last hostage body, paving way for Gazas lifeline to reopen The reopening is seen as a key step as the US-brokered ceasefire agreement moves into its second phase. The truce halted more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas that began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Its first phase called for the exchange of all hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel, an increase in badly needed humanitarian aid and a partial pullback of Israeli troops. The second phase of the ceasefire deal is more complicated. It calls for installing the new Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and taking steps to begin rebuilding.

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Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, meets with a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, headed by its chairman Leonid Slutsky, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Huning met in Beijing on Monday with a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, headed by its chairman Leonid Slutsky.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said China is willing to work with Russia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, steadily consolidate strategic mutual trust, deepen good-neighborly friendship and practical cooperation, advance party-to-party exchanges, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Wang, also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), also noted that the CPPCC stands ready to make positive contributions to achieve these goals.

Slutsky said the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia is ready to step up exchanges with the CPC and work jointly to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state.

Noting that the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia firmly upholds the one-China principle, Slutsky said it supports the two countries in deepening ties between their governments and legislative bodies, enhancing coordination and cooperation within multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS, cementing traditional bilateral friendship and safeguarding the common interests of Global South countries. 

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, meets with a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, headed by its chairman Leonid Slutsky, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)
Canada recently sent a trade delegation to China and successfully reset the trade deal on canola. This deal is said to cross all party lines, as Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney and Saskatchewan Party Premier Scott Moe were able to make things work. The recent reset of exporting canola to China will not only benefit Saskatchewan but also the nation as a whole, with Premier Moe stating that agriculture is from coast to coast. Moe went on to say in a recent media scrum that the agreement was in the best interest of the nation, calling it a good deal for the entirety of Canada and a positive step forward. He noted that while meal and seed are the most important aspects, there is still more work to be done, including discussions on canola oil and pork. While some may still be unsure about the latest China-Canada agreement and the changes in tariffs, there are those who agree with the deal. Dwain Lingenfelter, who runs a large farming operation based in the Southwest, believes its time to give credit where credit is due. The former provincial NDP opposition leader and Deputy Premier stated that the deal crosses all party lines and those kinds of stories help us right now. As a past minister of economic development, Lingenfelter spent a lot of time in China, particularly over issues related to potash, and was glad that federal and provincial government representatives went there. He noted that even with todays technology, face-to-face interactions are important, saying, I really think for this deal it was important for the PM to go. Currently, the President and CEO of Cypress View Land Cattle Corp, Lingenfelter had positive things to say about Sask premier Scott Moe. I think Scott Moe did a good job of promoting and convincing the PM to get this deal done, he stated. I dont mind giving credit when politicians of any political stripe do a good job. I think Moe deserves some credit in this context. We have to remember that it was Canada that started this tariff war, not China, he added. We put a tariff on Chinese EVs, and they responded by putting their tariffs on canola. Lingenfelter also noted that canola is a big part of his companys business and a significant aspect of the local economy. When asked if this trade deal would have a significant impact on communities in Saskatchewan, Lingenfelter said, Yeah, it really helps stabilize. Its not like turning on or off a light switch. For sure, it brings more confidence to our seeding program for next spring, which was kind of up in the air. Lingenfelter also says the deal will help benefit local communities across the province where farms remain an integral part of the economy. He points out that the impact is broad-based, affecting not just farmers but also machinery dealers, fertilizer suppliers, and even restaurants that depend on primary jobs and income created by agriculture. When asked if he believes canola prices will go up or down from the recent Canada-China agreement, Lingenfelter said, No, its pretty well defined where you can grow canola in the province, so what it would have meant is that if the price kept going down, there would be fewer acres seeded, and more acres would have been turned over to barley and other commodities, which would have driven those prices down. He noted that when the deal was announced, the price of canola went up 2.5%, which would mean more money for farmers and, in turn, more income tax revenue for the government, benefiting health, highways, and education budgets. Lingenfelter also mentioned that the demand at elevators for canola wont happen right away but will be a gradual process over three or four months, as China is currently getting canola from other sources. However, he believes this deal will make a difference in planning for next years seeding. Another positive outcome of the recent China-Canada discussions is that Canadians will no longer need a visa to travel to China. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on January 16 that Canadian citizens will soon be able to enter China without a visa. Lingenfelter noted that this will make it much easier for farm groups, business people, farmers, or tourists to travel to China, as the process of obtaining a visa can be complex and time-consuming. As a farmer with a vested interest in the industry and a former minister of agriculture and Deputy Premier under the NDP government, Lingenfelter gave credit to both Carney and Moe, and said he believes this agreement adds to something that takes away from the partisan divide that has become so deep and entrenched. The changes within the Canada-China agreement are expected to take effect by March 1.
HANOI, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security has proposed giving each building and site a unique 12-digit identification code which can be accessed via the national digital identification app VNeID, local media VnExpress reported Monday.

Each code will contain essential data such as address, entry routes, postal code, coordinates, land-use information, current status and identifying features, with base data collected from datasets provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said the report.

The location identification data will support logistics, e-commerce, product traceability and other services to bolster the digital economy, with socio-political organizations granted free access.

The ministry said the nationwide implementation is estimated to cost around 500 billion Vietnamese dong (about 19 million U.S. dollars) from the state budget. 
Leesville, LA (71446)

Today

Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to considerable cloudiness and fog after midnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to considerable cloudiness and fog after midnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable.
By Rebecca Black, Press Association

Northern Irelands deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said it is more important than ever to engage with the United States.

Speaking ahead of the traditional visit to Washington DC for St Patricks Day celebrations, she described a unique opportunity for access, including to President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, First Minister Michelle ONeill said she will take international factors into account when deciding whether to attend.

First Minister Michelle ONeill did not attend the event in 2025 (Liam McBurney/PA)

She did not attend the event last year in protest against the US role in Israels war in Gaza, and she said the situation has since got even worse.

The First Minister told Sky News she has not booked any flights to visit the White House.

Speaking in the Assembly on Monday, Ms Little-Pengelly spoke of deciding plans once invitations are received, but stressed the importance of engaging with the US.

The US is the largest economy in the world. As our second-largest export market and our third largest source of imports it is a critical market for our economic development, she told MLAs.

Our relationship with the US is a long-standing one reflected in our ties to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, strengthened through the peace process and continuing today with major investments such as the Bank of Americas commitment of up to 1,000 jobs.

The (Northern Ireland) Bureau will be hosting its annual St Patricks Day breakfast in partnership with Invest NI, Tourism Ireland, Queens University, Belfast and Ulster University to showcase the Executives priorities.

We will decide our plans for St Patricks Day once we have confirmation of the full range of events, and indeed, invitations, scheduled to take place in Washington DC.

She added: It is incredibly important for us to engage.

There are so many different events, so much access, not just in terms of key policymakers, to the president himself, but also to a range of businesses and other key influencers.

It is probably the most unique of opportunities that I think any jurisdiction gets to have that level of access.

At the moment there are a range of key decisions that are being made by the president of the United States that can have, and will have a direct impact on us in Northern Ireland, on our businesses in Northern Ireland, on the people of Northern Ireland, and as leaders throughout the globe are taking the opportunity to try and talk and engage with President Trump, and try to urge him way from things that may be detrimental.

I think it is incredibly important, more important than ever, that we do engage, regardless of our personal views as to the politics of the holder of the office of president of the United States.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly with Donald Trump in Washington DC in March 2025 (NI Executive/PA)

Both Ms ONeill and Ms Little-Pengelly attended the St Patricks Day events in Washington in 2024.

Last year, Ms ONeill travelled to Carolina for a business event, but returned home rather than go to Washington.

Ms Little-Pengelly did travel to Washington and spoke to Mr Trump during a lunch at Capitol Hill
Cuilmore National School in Newport will transition to a Community National School (CNS) under the patronage of the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB), starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, marking an important new chapter in the schools history and its role within the local community.

This transition represents a significant milestone for primary education in Mayo and marks the first Community National School under MSLETB patronage. The Community National School model is aimed at enhancing the existing excellence in education that Cuilmore National School has provided since 1942.

This positive development will support the school in strengthening its inclusive ethos, expanding educational opportunities, and meeting the evolving needs of families in Mayo. The transition will see Cuilmore National School join the national network of Community National Schools, providing a multi-denominational, inclusive primary education option for parents and pupils in the region.

The ethos of the new Cuilmore Community National School will be grounded in the MSLETB and Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) core values of excellence in education, respect, care, equality and community, ensuring a welcoming, respectful, and supportive learning environment for children of all backgrounds.

An open night will take place on February 10th from 7pm to 8.30pm at the school (F28 VF68). This event offers parents, families, and members of the local community the opportunity to learn more about the school, meet staff, and ask questions about what becoming a Community National School means in practice. Prospective parents are also invited to visit the school during school hours from February 9th to 13th. These visits will provide families with a chance to see the school in action, speak with staff and learn about the Community National School ethos, which will continue to support students to thrive at Cuilmore National School.
EU Transport Committee MEP, Cynthia Ni Mhurchu, recently highlighted significant increases in drug driving figures across most Garda districts in Ireland against an analysis of the number of checkpoints Gardai are carrying out across every district in the country.

Figures taken from the Garda PULSE system on 03/11/2025, show significant decreases in the number of Mandatory Intoxication Testing Checkpoints conducted by An Garda Siochana across many Garda districts between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025. This at a time when drug driving is at epidemic levels.

12,930 Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) Checkpoints were carried out nationally throughout Q3 2024 but this fell to 11,958 checkpoints by Q3 2025, a drop of 7.5% - against a backdrop of a worrying spike in road deaths in Ireland.

However, the Mayo, Roscommon and Longford Garda Division bucked the national trend with a 7.9% increase in drink and drug driving checkpoints in the division with numbers rising from 1,155 checkpoints in Q3 2024 to 1,247 checkpoints in Q3 2025.

Elsewhere in the west, checkpoint numbers were down in Sligo/Leitrim, dropping from 555 in Q3 2024 to 414 in Q3 2025, a 25.4% decrease while there was a 3.6% decrease in Galway from 1,125 to 1,084.

Ni Mhurchu described as even more concerning the fact that a simple trawl back through Garda figures from Q3 2019, show that 15,392 Mandatory Intoxication Testing Checkpoints were carried out nationally during Q3 2019 - 3,434 more checkpoints than in Q3 2025.

Ni Mhurchu, a member of the EU Transport committee, made it clear that with road deaths at unprecedented levels, Garda management should be dramatically increasing the number of Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) Checkpoints on our roads, not decreasing them.

140 people were killed on Irish roads in 2019, 45 less people than in 2025.

She said the difference in the number of checkpoints between 2019 and 2025 is frightening.

Gardai carried out thousands more roadside alcohol and drug checkpoints in 2019 than they did in 2025. The figures speak for themselves. In 2019, we had 140 deaths, but in 2025, we had 185 deaths. Drug driving is out of control but now Gardai are testing less people meaning the drug driving figures I recently received from the courts service are only the tip of the iceberg.

Those figures show a 37% increase in cases coming before our district courts for drug driving in the first 10 months of 2025. This should be evidence enough for Gardai to launch a massive increase in drug and drink driving checkpoints  but they have done the opposite and reduced them.

I want to know the rationale for it. If it is a resource issue, lets deal with it but it must be pointed out that there were more Gardai in 2025 than there were in 2019.

Ni Mhurchu has called on Garda management to clarify why there was an overall reduction in roadside testing, according to the Gardais own figures, when 185 people lost their lives on our roads in 2025.

Ni Mhurchu raised the issue in the context of a bank holiday weekend, which are frequently flashpoints for serious road collisions and fatalities.

The Road Traffic Measures Bill 2023 was expected to empower the Minister for Transport to introduce double penalty points for driving offences during bank holiday weekends; however, she said it remains unclear why this measure has not been implemented.

Ni Mhurchu has written to the Minister seeking clarification on whether this provision will be enacted and, if not, the reasons for that decision.
PHNOM PENH, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A fishing cat, one of Asia's most elusive small wild cats, has reappeared for the first time in the restored flooded forest of around Tonle Sap Lake in western Cambodia's Pursat province, a conservationist group said in a joint press release on Monday.

Confirmation of the rare fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) marked a major milestone in the 15-year conservation effort in restoring one of Southeast Asia's most important freshwater ecosystems, the press release said.

The sighting was confirmed after the fishing cat was photographed 46 times by camera traps in mid-2025, the press release added. 
There was a sense of joy for the congregation of the Holy Trinity Church in Westport when it re-opened following a year-long closure due to damage inflicted by Storm Eowyn.

The storm on January 24th, 2025, rendered sections of the ceiling above the nave and the richly decorated sanctuary in the historic building dangerously unstable.

Its lovely to be back. It feels like a real fresh start, Rev Suzanne Cousins told the Western People.

The Churchs Grade I Heritage status meant the repair works had to be painstaking and carefully carried out.

It was lengthier than we expected but it all went really well. The damage at the time it didnt look like much when you walked into the Church but nevertheless when we took advice it came out that the ceiling was unstable and large parts could come down at at any time, explained Rev Cousins.

Attending a Service of Thanksgiving for the reopening of Holy Trinity Church in Westport were Rev Suzanne Cousins, Dean Diane Machette, Canon Andrea Wills, Rev John Wesley, Canon Alex Morahan, The Rt Revd Michael Burrows, Rev Clive Moore, Fr John Kenny, ADM, St Mary's. Unavoidably absent were Canon Val Rogers and Fr Tony King.

Holy Trinity Church was built in the 1860s and is the last of the churches built before disestablishment in 1870 when the Church of Ireland became independent from the Church of England.

It was built by the 3rd Marquess of Sligo whose love for ornate Italian design and architecture marks the Westport church out from similar places of worship.

Its very atypical of Church of Ireland churches, Rev Cousins explained. When you walk in its quite stunning and unique, she added.

The restoration cost around 100,000, covered by government grants, Church of Ireland funds and fundraising events. The ceiling was repaired in two stages.

For a small congregation it was a large sum but we have lived to tell the tale! said Rev Cousins. It was really joyful to re-open. People were ecstatic to a degree, she added.

Rev Cousins thanked Fr John Kenny who offered the use of St Marys Church while the repair works were carried out.

We experienced great joy going to and worshipping alongside our St Marys friends. We had such an amazing experience and there was just kindness, generosity, and hospitality shown to us.
SINGAPORE, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of the Communist Party of China (CPC), headed by Guo Wenqi, deputy secretary of the working committee for central and state organs, visited Mongolia and Singapore from Thursday to Monday.

In Mongolia, Guo met officials including Yangug Sodbaatar, general secretary of the Mongolian People's Party, Jadamba Enkhbayar, first deputy prime minister, Odon Tsogtgerel, chairman of the Democratic Party, and Togmid Dorjkhand, chairman of the Hun Party.

In Singapore, Guo met officials including Desmond Lee, chairman of the People's Action Party (PAP) and minister for education, and Chan Chun Sing, assistant secretary-general of the PAP, coordinating minister for public services, and defence minister.

The delegation introduced the spirit of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee to various circles in the two countries.

Both countries expressed a positive outlook on China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) development prospects and expressed willingness to deepen practical exchanges and cooperation. 
Building AI, the African way

AMLD Africa 2026 urges Africa-led artificial intelligence and machine learning education, research and innovation.

Collaboration in machine learning and artificial intelligence research and development across all countries, cultures and economies in Africa is what sets the continent apart from others to make a meaningful and lasting impact through innovation and entrepreneurship.

Back in 2017, Wits University and others launched the Deep Learning Indaba and we were blown away by the interest in AI and ML in Africa. Today, that and similar initiatives have catalysed so much excitement across the continent. We have moved from very small, isolated pockets of people just starting to dabble in AI to one of the strongest, most vibrant AI communities in the world  amazing people who are really trying to build things that can change the world, said Professor Benjamin Rosman, Director of Wits Universitys Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute.

Rosman delivered the opening address for the AMLD Africa 2026 Conference, where students, young professionals, scientists, researchers and machine learning experts from various African countries and beyond gathered at Wits Universitys Science Stadium for one of the highlights on the Continents artificial intelligence calendar.

AMLD Africa, the Applied Machine Learning Days Africa, was founded by African students and alumni from EPFL, the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne, Switzerland, with the mission to democratise AI and Machine Learning across the continent.

This year, the main conference focused on the most pressing current issues in AI and ML facing Africa, including:

AI for healthcare

AI for cultural preservation

AI for sustainability

AI governance

AI ethics

AI for economic empowerment

AMLD Africa also connects academia, industry, and policy to empower communities through inclusive access to AI knowledge and tools. Its goal is to break financial and geographic barriers, amplify African talent, and drive innovation that responds to the continents unique challenges.

This year the Conference also focused on startups and entrepreneurship. Said Khalil Aouani Cherif, President of AMLD Africa: Research is important but we also need entrepreneurship and people to believe in themselves and be backed by the right investors. In these kinds of events and gatherings, a lot of ideas and opportunities emerge, and we hope to capitalise on that. Thanks to AMLD, more opportunities can grow.

Wits at AMLD Africa 2026

Joining Rosman from Wits was Dr Martin Bekker, computational social scientist and AI ethics researcher in the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, and a Fellow in the Wits MIND Institute. His talk interrogated the very nature of values (and value studies) itself, challenging how we define, measure, and encode ethical frameworks into probabilistic models. By reframing the conversation from abstract philosophy to concrete metrics, he discussed how we could develop a more robust approach to the interface between human ethics and machine outputs.

A talk by Professor Nasreen Mahomed, Academic Head of the Division of Radiology at Wits, highlighted the role of AI diagnostics in advancing digital health, improving diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and access to care. She emphasised the need for clinically governed, ethically deployed AI, that is supported by interoperable digital systems, sovereign data, and strong privacy protection.

Dr Muhammad Ahsan Mahboob, Head of the Sibanye-Stillwater Digital Mining Laboratory (Digimine) at Wits, delivered a talk in the AI for Energy Transition subtract, talking about climate adaptation and mining.
Researchers pose for a photo with the small experimental space ecosystem payload at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 2, 2025. (Chongqing University/Handout via Xinhua)

CHONGQING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Researchers at China's Chongqing University announced on Monday that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.

The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.

Photos taken in space show the emerged butterfly moving inside the capsule, resting on leaves and fluttering its wings, demonstrating notable adaptation to the microgravity environment.

Recent data transmitted to the research team has confirmed stable pressure, temperature and humidity levels inside the payload's sealed cabin.

In the microgravity environment, the altered behavior of fluids and the hindered transport of materials pose significant challenges to the stable operation of a healthy, miniature, closed-loop ecosystem.

Having overcome the technical bottleneck of magnesium alloy oxidation in high-humidity conditions, the team developed a lightweight yet robust payload structure that weighs just 8.3 kg, forming a safety barrier for the small ecosystem, said Xie Gengxin, the payload's chief designer.

Its design mimics the ecological cycles of Earth, creating a functional miniature ecosystem prototype. This self-sustaining, unmanned system includes plants such as chile pepper, which generate oxygen and potential food for the butterfly, while microorganisms process waste to maintain a stable air composition.

"The successful emergence of the butterfly is not just about having an insect in space; it marks a solid step forward in verifying the feasibility of long-term operation of complex life support systems in orbit," he said.

He noted that the completion of the butterfly's key life process in an extreme environment tests the resilience of terrestrial life and provides valuable insights for future deep-space life support technologies.

In its next step, the research team plans to focus on the in-orbit verification of the structure's endurance, the adaptability of its components to the space environment, and the long-term sealing capability of the payload's sealed cabin. 

This photo taken in space on Dec. 15, 2025 shows the emerged butterfly. Researchers at China's Chongqing University announced on Monday that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.

The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.(Chongqing University/Handout via Xinhua)

The research team of Chongqing University poses for a group photo in southwest China's Chongqing, on Nov. 28, 2025. Researchers at China's Chongqing University announced on Monday that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.

The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.(Chongqing University/Handout via Xinhua)

A researcher presents the specimen of a butterfly at the Center of Space Exploration under Ministry of Education, in Chongqing University, southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 2, 2026. Researchers at China's Chongqing University announced on Monday that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.

The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

This photo taken on Feb. 2, 2026 shows the specimen of a butterfly at the Center of Space Exploration under Ministry of Education, in Chongqing University, southwest China's Chongqing. Researchers at China's Chongqing University announced on Monday that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.

The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

A researcher introduces for the media at the Center of Space Exploration under Ministry of Education, in Chongqing University, southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 2, 2026. Researchers at China's Chongqing University announced on Monday that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.

The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

This photo taken on Feb. 2, 2026 shows the specimen of a butterfly at the Center of Space Exploration under Ministry of Education, in Chongqing University, southwest China's Chongqing. Researchers at China's Chongqing University announced on Monday that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.

The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

Media workers take photos of the specimen of a butterfly at the Center of Space Exploration under Ministry of Education, in Chongqing University, southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 2, 2026. Researchers at China's Chongqing University announced on Monday that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.

The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

Media workers take photos of the specimen of a butterfly at the Center of Space Exploration under Ministry of Education, in Chongqing University, southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 2, 2026. Researchers at China's Chongqing University announced on Monday that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.

The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

A researcher introduces the specimen at the Center of Space Exploration under Ministry of Education, in Chongqing University, southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 2, 2026. Researchers at China's Chongqing University announced on Monday that a butterfly has successfully emerged from its pupa while orbiting Earth, yielding valuable data on biological survival in the harsh microgravity environment of space.

The butterfly chrysalis was sealed inside a small experimental space ecosystem payload developed by the university's research team and carried into space aboard the Kuaizhou-11 Y8 carrier rocket on Dec. 13, 2025.(Xinhua/Chen Cheng)
A staff member checks the condition of a pet through the crate at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet cat prepares to enter a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet dog enters a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Staff members prepare to load pet passengers onto the high-speed train at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Photo by Wang Guanghui/Xinhua)

This photo shows a pet transport case at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Pet passengers undergo security inspection at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Staff members load a pet passenger onto the high-speed train at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A passenger interacts with her dog through the case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A staff member (R) handles pet transportation procedures for a passenger at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet cat waits inside a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A passenger interacts with her cat at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet owner prepares to put her cat into a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Pet passengers undergo security inspection at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet dog enters a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet cat prepares to enter a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

The LCD screen on the dedicated case for high-speed rail pet transportation displays real-time information on temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A staff member moves a pet transport case to the pet handover area at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Staff members prepare to load pet passengers onto the high-speed train at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)
A measles outbreak has been reported at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, one of the largest family immigration detention facilities in the United States, according to a sworn declaration by Ben Thomas, the chief of staff to Congressman Joaquin Castro and public statements by immigration attorney Eric Lee. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) informed Rep. Castros office on January 31 that an outbreak is underway at the facility, which has since been placed under lockdown.

The Dilley facility has the capacity to hold up to 2,400 people and routinely confines hundreds of families and children at any given time. Last week, Lee documented a significant protest inside the facility, with detained parents and children chanting for release. Many of those held at Dilley are asylum-seeking families, including young children, confined in close quarters with limited access to medical care.

The introduction of measlesamong the most contagious pathogens known to maninto such an environment represents an acute public health danger. It also serves as the most concentrated and brutal expression of a broader national breakdown in public health protections that now threatens the United States with the loss of its measles elimination status for the first time in a quarter-century.

Immigrants at the ICE South Texas detention center in Dilley, Texas. [AP Photo/Eric Gay]

The outbreak at Dilley is unfolding amid a nationwide resurgence of measles that has reached a critical inflection point. In South Carolina, a massive outbreak has now surpassed the 2025 Texas epidemic to become the largest single outbreak since measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. As of late January 2026, South Carolina has confirmed 847 cases, overwhelmingly concentrated in Spartanburg County. At the national level, persistent transmission clustersmost notably in Utahdrove the total number of confirmed measles cases in 2025 to 2,267, the highest annual count since 1992.

This resurgence reflects a profound collapse of herd immunity that is both geographically concentrated and statistically stark. National kindergarten measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage has fallen to 92.5 percent, well below the 95 percent threshold required to prevent sustained transmission, with thirty-nine states now failing to meet this standard. South Carolina has emerged as the epicenter of this breakdown, where school vaccination rates in Spartanburg County hover near 90 percent, creating conditions for uncontrolled spread.

During a January 28, 2026 media briefing, South Carolina State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell described the speed of the outbreak as unprecedented, noting that the state reached case totals in just 16 weeks that took Texas seven months to accumulate the previous year. Bell warned that it was disconcerting to consider what our final trajectory will look like, emphasizing that 95 percent of cases involve unvaccinated individuals and that transmission is spreading rapidly through households, schools and churches.

At the same time, Utah has confirmed 176 cases, primarily concentrated in the states southwest health district, demonstrating that geographically concentrated pockets of vaccine refusal are producing sustained community transmission capable of overwhelming local public health systems. This erosion of immunity is most pronounced in the Intermountain West and the South. Utah now reports an MMR vaccination rate of just 88.6 percent, driven by a sharp increase in nonmedical exemptions, which exceed 10 percent among in-person kindergarteners and more than 50 percent among online students.

This vulnerability extends beyond measles. Public health data show that nearly 20 percent of kindergarteners in southwest Utah lack protection against polio, while national pediatric uptake of the 20252026 COVID-19 vaccine remains at a dismal 7.6 percent.

This public health regression is the direct result of the systematic dismantling of public health infrastructure that accelerated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, now in its seventh year. The sustained erosion of vaccination programs and surveillance capacity has created conditions in which 94 percent of recent measles cases have occurred among unvaccinated individuals.

Dr. Demetre C. Daskalakis, an infectious disease physician and former public health official, has characterized the current measles resurgence not as an isolated epidemiological failure but as a critical vital sign indicating that the U.S. public health system is about to code. Daskalakis departed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) amid a sweeping purge of public health leadership, exemplified by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez after she reportedly refused to preapprove recommendations issued by the newly constituted, anti-vaccine Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Daskalakis has noted that vaccines, once regarded as routine life-saving interventions, have been transformed into objects of political controversy. This shift has occurred alongside the devastation of public health agencies that have been decimated and whose communications have been compromised by ideology. The resulting collapse in institutional capacity, he argues, is so advanced that the technical question of measles elimination status is secondary to a more fundamental reality: the infrastructure required to protect the population has already failed.

Emphasizing the political implications of this breakdown, Daskalakis stated,

Public health as an institution and the peoples health as a mission are in trouble. No matter what the outcome of the process to review our measles elimination status, the message is clear: We already know that our public health institutions are sick and need to be re-imagined, whether we keep or lose our elimination status.

While infectious disease experts warn that these developments signify a public health system in induced collapse, the current administration has instead worked to normalize the disaster. CDC Principal Deputy Director Ralph Abraham recently dismissed the impending loss of measles elimination status as merely the cost of doing business. Such official indifference constitutes a historic betrayal of the working class, subordinating the right to life and population health to the so-called freedom of anti-science ideology and political expediency. This outlook has been fully embodied in Kennedys antivaccine positions and hostility to scientific authorities, which now dominate among the leadership of the nations public health apparatus.

Child suffering from measles, pre-1963. [Photo: US Government]

As a result, the United States now faces the imminent prospect of formally losing its measles elimination status, a designation it had maintained for more than a quarter-century. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is scheduled to review the countrys standing in April 2026. In a January 16, 2026, statement, PAHO explained:

The meeting follows measles outbreaks reported in the United States beginning on January 20, 2025, and in Mexico beginning on February 1, 2025.  The meeting date has been set to give national health authorities and national sustainability committees sufficient time to prepare comprehensive reports, including descriptions and analyses with detailed epidemiological and laboratory evidence, for review by the Commission.

Measles elimination is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and PAHO as the interruption of continuous endemic measles virus transmission for at least 12 months within a defined geographic area. This designation does not require the absence of cases. Rather, it requires that any infections detected within a country result from sporadic importations or short-lived transmission chains linked to importations, not from the sustained circulation of indigenous virus strains.

The authority to grant or revoke elimination status rests with PAHOs Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission (MRE-RVC), an independent technical body that reports directly to the PAHO director. The commission evaluates comprehensive national submissions that must include detailed epidemiological analyses, surveillance performance indicators and, critically, molecular evidence.

To determine whether the United States has lost its elimination status, the commission relies heavily on viral genotyping to trace transmission chains. If molecular analysis demonstrates that the same measles virus lineage has circulated continuously for 12 months or longer, this constitutes confirmation of reestablished endemic transmission. At present, the D8 genotype accounts for approximately 91 percent of sequenced measles samples in the United States.

The loss of measles elimination status would represent a fundamental degradation of population immunity and public health capacity. Internationally, it would signal that the United States can no longer effectively control measles transmission, potentially triggering enhanced screening or vaccination requirements for U.S. travelers abroad. Domestically, it would require a shift from outbreak containment to costly, permanent endemic disease control programs, diverting already depleted resources from other critical public health priorities.

While federal leadershipspecifically CDC Principal Deputy Director Ralph Abrahamhas dismissed this prospect as merely the cost of doing business, public health experts regard it as a catastrophic regression that lays bare the collapse of the nations protective infrastructure.

Regardless of the outcome of PAHOs formal review, Daskalakis has argued that the United States has already lost the practical capacity to protect its population because of the systematic dismantling of public health agencies. He stated, We do not have the capability to actually control measles, whether or not this is demonstrated through continuous measles transmission for 12 months. Im going to say that elimination is already lost.

The outbreak at Dilley exposes this reality in its most concentrated form. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration detention centers and prisons have functioned as engines of mass infection, with SARS-CoV-2 spreading rapidly through overcrowded, poorly ventilated facilities where confinement makes effective disease control virtually impossible. Such conditions have long been characteristic of prisons, where the spread of disease is toleratedand often welcomedby capitalist oppressors as an instrument of control and attrition.

Today, hundreds of children and their families are once again confined at Dilley as a highly contagious virus moves through the facilitythis time measles, which is even more transmissible than SARS-CoV-2. The same structural conditions that historically allowed disease to ravage prisons, detention centers and colonized populations remain intact, now repurposed under the banner of immigration enforcement and public indifference.

The systematic dismantling of public health infrastructure constitutes a direct assault on the democratic rights of the working class and a fundamental threat to the most basic right of allthe right to life. The major victories against infectious disease achieved over the course of the twentieth century, through the application of science, sanitation and universal vaccination, demonstrated that human progress could overcome ancient scourges. These advances were not benevolent gifts from above, but social gains won through collective struggle.

Today, these hard-fought protections are being dismantled by a social order in advanced decay that subordinates human survival to the accumulation of profit. Having normalized mass death during the COVID-19 pandemic in defense of corporate interests, the ruling class now treats disease prevention and the maintenance of public health infrastructure as unacceptable impediments to economic expediency.

In this context, the resurgence of measlesa disease declared eliminated in the US a quarter-century agorepresents more than a failing vital sign of the public health system. It stands as a damning indictment of the capitalist system itself.

The deliberate erosion of scientific authority and the promotion of so-called health freedom function as ideological covers for policies that accept the maiming and killing of children as the cost of doing business. The return of these preventable plagues confirms that the defense of public health is no longer merely a medical question, but a fundamental issue bound up with the class struggle. Securing a future free from the threat of preventable disease requires the independent political mobilization of the working class to reorganize society based on human need rather than private profit.
Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka on November 2728, 2025, unleashing the countrys worst natural disaster since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Two months into the catastrophe, the government has failed to adequately address the scale of the devastation. Millions are facing deepening poverty, while workers and displaced families stage protests demanding safe housing and genuine reconstruction.

Home where many bodies of a family have not yet been recovered at Eskadal estate in Kandapola, vastly damaged by Cyclone Ditwah

The figures reveal the true magnitude of the disaster. The official death toll stands at 649, with 173 still missing. Approximately 2.3 million peoplenearly 10 percent of Sri Lankas populationhave been directly exposed to flooding.

The World Bank estimates direct physical damage at $US4.1 billion, equivalent to 4 percent of GDP, with total economic losses estimated at between $6 and $7 billion. The cyclone inundated 1.1 million hectares and damaged 720,000 buildings6,000 homes have been completely destroyed and over 108,000 partially damaged.

The city of Kandy recorded the highest death toll, with 243 confirmed deaths and 69 missing. In Nuwara Eliya, home to Tamil-speaking plantation workers, there were 81 deaths and 32 people still missing.

The devastation exposes the total failure of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna/National Peoples Power (JVP/NPP) governments response and its chronic lack of disaster preparedness.

Meteorologists issued warnings nearly two weeks in advance, forecasting 200 to 300 millimetres of rainfall, with some models predicting up to 500 millimetres. Despite these warnings, authorities failed to issue timely multilingual SMS alerts, evacuate high-risk communities, mobilise local administrations, or pre-position rescue teams.

This criminal negligence was compounded by decades of environmental mismanagement, unregulated hillside construction, deforestation, and reckless land-use policies that transformed a foreseeable natural event into a social catastrophe.

More than two months after the cyclone, 170,000 people remain displaced or living with host families. As of January 23, 6,680 individuals were accommodated in 85 designated relief centrestemporary shelters in schools, religious sites, and community buildings never meant to house people for extended periods.

The governments strategy of encouraging displaced families to secure rental housing has effectively privatised recovery, pushing vulnerable families deeper into debt. Safety centres face significant protection issues, including inadequate privacy, poor lighting, and insufficient space segregation, elevating the risk of violence, particularly for women and girls.

In high-risk areas, families are still threatened by ongoing landslides. In Nuwara Eliya District, residents have now been placed on alert if rainfall reaches 100 mm and instructed to evacuate immediately if it reaches 150 mm.

Estate workers who live under risk of landslides at Eskadal estate in Kandapola, where major earth slips and deaths were reported from Cyclone Ditwah

When the cyclone struck, the JVP/NPP government announced a Rs.72.2 billion ($US232 million) relief package. President Dissanayake promised Rs.25,000 ($US80) to each affected family for house cleaning and Rs.50,000 for essential household items.

Government officials claimed late last month that 70 percent of the Rs. 50,000 allowance and 97 percent of the house-cleaning grant had been distributed to over 109,000 families.

The official narrative, however, conceals grim realities on the ground. The situation at the Stockholm Estate in Norwood, Nuwara Eliya, exposes the actual situation. The estates line-rooms or barrack-style dwellings housing 65 families were severely damaged. On December 17, around 700 workers held a protest at the estate demanding land to build decent homes in safe locations.

The cyclone devastated many plantation workers. Nearly 50 plantation workers were killed in landslides and floods across Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Matale, Kegalle, and Kurunegala. Hundreds of houses were destroyed and thousands damaged, pushing already impoverished workers back toward destitution.

Speaking with World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) reporters visiting Stockholm Estate, residents accused the authorities of sending them back to homes that are now, quite literally, death traps. Residents said they have received no government assistancenot even the meagre Rs. 25,000 allocated for so-called house cleaning.

While limited aid was provided by a few NGOs and voluntary organisations in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, that support has since dried up. Now no one is looking at us, victims said.

A similar situation prevails at the Gawarawila Estate in Maskeliya, where about 30 people from nine plantation families reported the same neglect and desperation, stating that they have been left entirely to their fate.

The Centre for Policy Alternatives has revealed that communities in Bramley Estate and other areas received no assistance whatsoever for over 40 days after the cyclone.

Cracked wall of a home at Stockholm Estate in Maskeliya

In Puttalam District, administrative officers faced extreme pressure, with some threatened by angry residents. While more than 3,000 appeals were filed for the Rs. 25,000 cleaning grant, officers have been able to inspect only about 50 houses per day. One-third of the districts government officials were themselves impacted by the cyclone, forced to work in borrowed clothing.

Immediately after the disaster, the governmentanticipating mass opposition to its inadequate preparations and responseimposed draconian emergency powers. A senior minister openly urged police to use emergency regulations to suppress dissent. Multiple statements, including from Grama Niladharis (village officers), told the media that relief distribution is being politicised, with aid channelled to consolidate support in selected areas while Tamil communities in the North and East are neglected.

The worsening social catastrophe has generated immense anger. On January 5, approximately 200 workers from the Concordia and Eskdale estates in Kandapola held a protest march, declaring that they would not leave temporary shelters until they were provided with safe accommodation. Workers called for an end to the slave line-room system, noting that their line-rooms remain death traps with severe structural cracks. While the government has announced a land-donation scheme for permanent housing, bureaucratic delays continue to choke relief distribution and delay alternative accommodation.

Last months assessment by the UN Development Program confirmed that Cyclone Ditwah is pushing many Sri Lankans into poverty. Based on interviews with 510 local officials and community representatives across 85 divisional secretariat divisions in the 22 most affected districts, its report found that 93 percent said their livelihoods had suffered due to crop and livestock losses, job losses, and business closures.

Seventy-six percent of those surveyed regarded government aid as a coping strategy, while 40 percent were relying on borrowing from money lendersa pathway to crippling debt. The report specifically noted that disaster victims are increasingly selling their personal assets, including livestock, jewellery, and vehicles, and relying on subsistence activities to survive.

The UN has allocated just $4.5 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund and in December launched a Humanitarian Priorities Plan seeking $35.3 million to support 658,000 of the most vulnerable Sri Lankans. The World Bank contributed $120 million from existing projects, but this amount must be stretched across healthcare, water, education, agriculture, transport, and communications in the affected districts. For a country already mired in deep economic crisis, these sums are shamefully inadequate.

The UNDP warned that Sri Lanka cannot shoulder more debt for rebuilding, cautioning that additional borrowing risks pushing the nation off the debt cliff. With 85 percent of government revenue already committed to debt servicing in 2026, the government will be unable to allocate the desperately needed funds for genuine reconstruction.

Two months after Cyclone Ditwah, the contours of Sri Lankas humanitarian crisis are unmistakably clear. The JVP/NPP governments relief program, while offering symbolic gestures, has failed to deliver genuine reconstruction or address the underlying vulnerabilities the cyclone has exposed.

Plantation workers protests demanding safe housing and land rights must be expanded beyond the affected estates. Their fight for decent housing, secure land tenure, and dignified working conditions must become part of a broader mobilisation of the working class fighting for the reconstruction of devastated communities and against government and employer attacks on jobs, wages, and working conditions.

The slow and grossly inadequate international aid response underscores the reality that capitalist governments everywhere will never provide genuine solutions to the worsening natural disasters impacting the masses around the world, particularly in underdeveloped countries.

The fight to overcome the social devastation created by Cyclone Ditwah and years of government neglect can only be advanced through the independent mobilisation of the working class and rural masses. This requires the formation of action committees at the community and workplace level, as part of the struggle for a workers and farmers government committed to genuine reconstruction and based a socialist program.

As fresh rains continue to threaten further flooding and landslides, time is running out for affected communities. The humanitarian crisis will only deepen unless the current trajectory of inadequate aid, bureaucratic obstruction, and the IMF-imposed program of austerity is fundamentally challenged and reversed.
Organize to expand the strike to defeat managements threats! Join the New York Healthcare Workers Rank-and-File Committee by filling out the form below.

Striking nurses demonstrate outside Mt. Sinai Hospital, in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. [AP Photo/Richard Drew]

Management at NewYork-Presbyterian, Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospitals have issued an ultimatum aimed at crushing the strike by 15,000 nurses in New York City. After nurses have spent more than three weeks on the picket lines, the hospitals have declared that unless they return to work within roughly two weeks they will be permanently replaced. They have also said they will not return to the bargaining table unless the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) presents what they call a bare-bones proposal.

They will be able to remove any gain we made in previous contracts: pensions, healthcare, certification differentials, a striking nurse told the World Socialist Web Site.

The hospitals are attempting to break the strike by exhaustion and fear, forcing nurses to choose between surrender and unemployment.

The linchpin of managements strategy is the strategy for defeat by the NYSNA officials, who have isolated the strike to four out of 15 hospitals and have left nurses on the picket line without strike pay in the cold for three weeks. The union announced that it has already sent a streamlined proposal, a euphemism for the bare-bones agreement demanded by management. They were scheduled to meet Monday with hospital officials to try to end the strike, according to the New York Post.

The nurses dont agree with taking their threat and not doing anything in return, said the striking nurse. We have yet to get an answer about why we are letting them threaten us like this.

To defeat managements threats, nurses must organize to take the initiative out of the hands of the NYSNA officials. The fight cannot be waged through closed-door negotiations, legal maneuvers or appeals to corporate politicians. It requires independent organization and democratic control by nurses themselves. This is why healthcare workers took the step last week of forming the New York Healthcare Workers Rank-and-File Committee.

The healthcare systems are relying on the backing of the state and the political establishment to help them break the strike. New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a disaster emergency to facilitate the importation of strikebreakers from other states. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appeared on the picket lines while boasting of his partnership with Hochul. At the federal level, the Trump administration has made clear its hostility to healthcare workers and its readiness to use repression, as underscored by the killing of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis.

The hospitals believe these conditions allow them to threaten mass firings and impose contracts by fiat. But management has seriously misread the situation. They are acting as though the nurses have no support and the working class is in retreat, when in reality a broader movement is emerging:

More than 31,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers are on strike in California and Hawaii. They are fighting the exact same issues as New York City nurses, above all, unsafe staffing ratios. This shows the conditions exist for a national movement in defense of public health. In Minneapolis, mass protests against ICE raids have drawn more than 100,000 into the streets, with tens of thousands protesting in support around the country. Calls are being raised nationwide for a general strike. The strike has overwhelming support among workers in New York City, who know that nurses are fighting for their patients, not just themselves. Across the country, anger is intensifying over social inequality, the enrichment of a tiny financial elite, and the use of police and state violence to suppress opposition.

The hospitals threats are not expressions of confidence, but of nervousness. They are attempting to preempt a broader convergence of struggles by crushing the nurses before such a movement can take shape.

The union bureaucracy is allowing management to threaten workers because it is also terrified of such a movement, which would threaten their six-figure salaries and cozy relations with management and corporate politicians. The union has already cut its wage demands from 30 percent over three years to 18 percent.

It has hailed an agreement it claims will preserve health benefits at their current levels. In reality, the deal establishes committees tasked with identifying cost savings after ratification. These concessions were announced just days before the hospitals threatened mass firings.

Over recent days, NYSNA officials have enforced tighter, anti-democratic control of the picket lines, where numbers have been thinner than at the start of the strike. It is blocking nurses from speaking to reporters from the World Socialist Web Site or distributing copies of the statement by the New York Nurses Rank-and-File Committee calling for an immediate expansion of the strike and the provision of strike pay.

That statement warned that the bureaucracy of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) is preparing to shut down the strike on managements terms. It declared: The strike can be won, but only if healthcare workers take matters into their own hands.  Healthcare workers must control the strategy and decisions of this struggle.

Making an appeal to the widening opposition throughout the country, the statement explained: Healthcare workers defend life. When wealthy executives starve hospitals of staff and resources, they endanger patients; when the state kills a nurse in the streets, it signals that no one in the working class is safe from repression. Our struggle for staffing ratios, living wages and full benefits is inseparable from the defense of democratic rights.

It concluded with a six-point program to win the strike:

Expand the strike in New York now. Organize to bring out nurses at the nonprofit hospitals where strike notices were rescinded; coordinate stoppages and joint pickets to disrupt hospital operations until demands are met. Nurses must hold an emergency meeting to agree upon contractual red lines, including specific, enforceable staffing ratios, wage requirements and other terms without which no agreement can be made. No end to the strike without a full tentative agreement and a democratic vote. Provide immediate strike pay and other funding to ensure that workers can hold out until our demands are met. Organize roving pickets to reach out to transit, logistics, education, public-sector and other healthcare workers to prepare coordinated, cross-industry actions. Popularize and build for a sustained, nationwide mobilization, including an open-ended general strike, to defeat the Trump administrations occupations of cities and systematic violations of the Constitution.

The issues posed by this strike go far beyond the fate of a single contract. What is being decided is whether nurses will accept a future of permanent understaffing, eroding wages and authoritarian dictates enforced by the state and the union bureaucracy, or whether they will assert their collective strength as part of a growing movement of the working class.
A deadly landslide tore through Pasirlangu village in West Bandung, West Java, on January 24 in the pre-dawn hours. At least 74 people have been confirmed dead. The number of dead will almost certainly rise, since six are still missing, likely buried in the mud.

Rescuers search for victims in Pasir Langu after a landslide in the West Bandung district of West Java, Indonesia, January 25, 2026. [AP Photo/Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS)]

Local authorities described the scene as catastrophic, with entire structures swept away by a torrent of mud, rock, and debris. Far from being an unavoidable natural tragedy, the catastrophe is the entirely predictable outcome of chronic under-investment in public infrastructure, environmental degradation, and the austerity measures of the administration of President Prabowo Subianto.

According to early reports from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the landslide struck at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time, engulfing houses in Pasirlangu village on the slopes of Mount Burangrang. Residents were asleep, compounding the deadliness of the event.

At least 30 homes were destroyed, and over 200 people evacuated to shelters, where they were dependent on limited amounts of emergency supplies of food, clothes, and medicine. Rescue workers reported that the terrain remained dangerously unstable for days after the initial collapse, with repeated minor slides hampering search efforts. Among the dead were 23 members of Indonesias elite marine force, who had been training nearby.

The immediate trigger for the landslide was the extreme rainfall that had pounded West Java for days. Indonesias meteorological agency had issued warnings of severe weather for a full week prior to the disaster, noting the likelihood of heavy downpours and hydrometeorological hazards.

This landslide is the most deadly recent event, but it comes on the heels of a series of floods and landslides that caused widespread destruction across South East Asia late last year. On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, at least 1,170 people were killed by severe flooding after a rare equatorial cyclone hit the island in November. Millions were affected by the widespread destruction of infrastructure.

The Bandung landslide was of a much smaller scale, but was no less a tragic event. The people worst affected in Pasirlangu and surrounding hamlets are poorer residents living in simple houses along the foothills of Mount Burangrang and near river channelsan area widely identified as prone to landslides and flash floods. Many rely on small farming, plantation labour and informal work; their homes, often selfbuilt, lack engineering reinforcement and sit directly below steep, degraded slopes.

A local resident, Wawa, whose home was near the edge of the landslide, told Antara News about hearing the explosive sounds like a dam breaking, and evacuating with fellow residents. More than 10 members of my family are missing. Their whereabouts are still unknown.

The regions geological instability is not new. West Bandung sits atop deeply weathered volcanic formations that are highly prone to landslides when saturated. The slopes of Mount Burangrang and the surrounding highlands have long been recognized as among the most dangerous in Indonesia.

Imam Achmad Sadisun, a geologist at Bandung Institute of technology, explained that the mudslide was caused by the breakdown of a natural landslide dam; the natural barrier allowed material and water to collect and saturate the mountain soil.

In the last several years alone, multiple landslides and mudflows have struck West Java, killing dozens and displacing thousands. In December 2024, floods and landslides killed at least 10 people and caused widespread destruction. In early 2019, another landslide in West Java killed at least 15 people. While precise tallies vary, Indonesia records hundreds of landslides annually, with West Java consistently among the hardesthit provinces.

The latest disaster is therefore part of a recurring pattern. The frequency of such events has increased in recent years, driven by deforestation, unregulated development, and the intensifying effects of climate change. The effects of deforestation in making such events more likely is known; the absence of tree roots makes slopes more unstable and the ground more prone to giving way. Climate scientists have also connected this pattern of repeated extreme rainfall and disaster to global climate change, noting that warmer seasurface temperatures in surrounding oceans are increasing the likelihood of intense downpours during the monsoon.

The environmental group Walhi West Java drew attention to these facts, denouncing the governments role in the environmental degradation of the area, which made such disasters inevitable. What happened yesterday for us is one form of neglect carried out by the district and provincial governments. Whereas for the past 20 years WALHI continues to voice that the KBU [North Bandung area] is experiencing continuous degradation, it stated.

Executive Director Wahyudin Iwang said that the landslide reflected years of activities that ignored spatial planning rules for the area. This tragedy shows a lack of seriousness in protecting the environment, he said. Damage is acknowledged only when lives are lost.

Despite the welldocumented risks, the affected communities were left with little more than generic weather advisories. Residents of landslide-prone areas were simply told to remain vigilant and evacuate immediately if [they] hear rumbling sounds, see soil movement or believe conditions are unsafe. There were no effective earlywarning systems in place capable of detecting slope movement or alerting residents during the night.

Indonesias national disaster framework nominally includes rainfallthreshold monitoring, automatic rain gauges, and communitybased earlywarning networks. In practice, however, these systems are patchy, underfunded, and unevenly implemented. Rural districts like Cisarua and Pasirlanguareas most vulnerable to landslidesare often the last to receive technological upgrades or infrastructure investment.

The austerity measures implemented by President Prabowo Subianto early in his term have also contributed to the further erosion of already limited public safety systems. The disaster management agency had 50 percent of its funding cut resulting in fewer field personnel, and delays in upgrading earlywarning technologies.

The landslide and resulting deaths were the outcome of political decisions. Deforestation, quarrying, and unregulated construction in the Bandung highlands have all contributed to destabilizing slopes and increasing runoff during heavy rains. Climate change increases the severity of the monsoon seasons. The working people of Indonesia are being made to pay the price for a system that prioritizes military spending and corporate profit over public safety and social welfare.
Revelations have emerged about the total lack of safety precautions at the Violanta biscuit factory near the city of Trikala in the Thessaly region of central Greece, where five female workers died in a huge blast and fire in the early hours of January 26.

In a press conference last Wednesday, Anastasios Michalopoulosthe chief of Greeces Unified Coordination Center for Operations and Crisis Management (ESKEDIK)gave a summary of the fire services initial findings on the causes of the explosion, presenting evidence of an extensive propane gas leak from underground pipes.

A view of the destroyed factory from above [Photo: Daphne Tolis/X]

The leak is estimated to have lasted for several months, with detection equipment recording extremely high concentrations of propane. This significant release of propane, migrating through the ground, travelled a distance of approximately 25 meters and accumulated in an underground space, where, in the presence of sparking caused by the facilitys electromechanical equipment, led to an explosion, he revealed.

The five dead were Vasiliki Skambardoni, 42, a mother of two; Elena Katsarou, 45, the mother of a 13-year-old; Stavroula Boukovala, a mother of three; Anastasia Nasiou, 56, also a mother of three; and Agapi Bounova, 40, a mother of two children, whose identity was confirmed by DNA testing.

The following image has been widely circulating on social media in Greece since their deaths. Its message reads: In memory of the 5 women of the tragedy at Trikala.

Two days after the explosion, the sister of Elena Katsarou told Mega Channel that workers had long feared precisely the horrific events that transpired.

Some of the [female workers] who came to our house to offer their condolences said that the entire factory smelled, and that the women couldnt go in the restrooms because of the odourthey would hold their noses because it smelled of LPG [liquefied petroleum gas], she said.

And on the shop floor as well, my mother repeatedly said that it smelled of LPG and she would say, In the end, no one listens, Im saying it for nothingtheyre going to blow us up. She had been saying this for a very long timeshe said it for more than a month. My mother is the production supervisor on the morning shift; my sister worked the night shift.

On Antenna TVs morning show, Katsarous sister also revealed that workplace accidents were a routine occurrence at the factory.

She said, There have been many cases of workers ending up at Trikala Hospital because of a workplace accidentbroken fingers, severed fingers, injured hands. None of these were reported as work-related accidents because they didnt want them to be declared as such.

Agapi Bounova, who lost her life along with my sister, once had her hand caught in a machine and was left with a large mark, like a tattoo. And she used to tell me, Look at what my hand looks like now.

The factorys owner, Konstantinos Tziortziotis, along with two company officialsa shift manager and a safety managerwere arrested on January 27 and appeared before the local prosecutor the next day.

According to reports, Tziortziotis stated that he had also noticed an odour when he had visited the factory in the past but thought it emanated from the plants sewage system! All three were subsequently released while the preliminary investigation continues.

Later in the week it emerged that serious safety violations were flagged in 2020 regarding the close proximity of the two propane tanks from which the gas leaked. Rather than suspending production, the authorities issued a two-year deadline for the necessary repairs to be carried out, with no evidence that these were ever completed, let alone started.

The storage basement where the explosion occurred was never accounted for in the factorys building plans, nor was it included in the updated fire safety plan that Violanta submitted to the fire service last autumn.

The latest revelations directly implicate the ruling New Democracy (ND) party. In 2007, while working as a freelance electrical engineer, Dimitris Papastergiouthe current Digital Governance Ministersigned off on the factorys fire protection protocols.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Papastergiou tried to downplay his role, stating that subsequent surveys of the factory were signed off by other engineers. This claim was contradicted by the fact that he also signed off on the factorys 2011 permit. Papastergiou was subsequently elected mayor of Trikala in 2014, serving two terms until 2023, when he joined the government as a minister after ND won a second consecutive absolute majority.

There is widespread anger at the deaths nationwide, with protests beginning in Trikala just hours after the fatalities. A local 24-hour strike was called the following day by the Trikala Labour Centrethe local branch of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE).

A 24-hour national strike takes place on February 3 by the Panhellenic Federation of Dairy, Food and Beverage Workers and Employees (POEYGTP). A strike rally is scheduled for 10 a.m. outside the Labour Ministry in Athens. Rallies are also planned in towns and cities across the country, including Larissathe regional capital of ThessalyPatra, Kavala, Chania and Ioannina.

The fact that the factory was a death trap raises point blank the responsibilities borne by the trade union bureaucracy. The Trikala Labour Centre denounced the explosion and deaths as an employers crime, but evidence points to the fact that nothing was done by the unions to prevent it.

Speaking to Proto Thema (Lead Story) last Monday, Dimitris Armagosthe president of the Trikala Labour Centrerevealed that the union participated last summer in an inspection of the factory alongside the Labour Inspectorate.

Armagos said, During our visit, we identified issues and made specific observations, mainly concerning the emergency exits and the system for detecting possible LPG gas leaks used in the ovens.

Despite the gravity of these dangers, no effort was made to alert the workers to the implications of the violations. Armagos added, We documented and pointed out the problems we identified at that time. Beyond that, I do not know what happened.

The outcome of this normalisation of workplace safety violations is the ever-growing number of fatalities at the hands of a capitalist class freed from all meaningful regulation.

Figures compiled by the Federation of Technical Company Trade Unions (OSETEE) show that 630 workers lost their lives at work between 2022 and 2025. Of these, 201 deaths occurred in 2025 alone, up from 150 in 2024.

In addition, there were 14,920 workplace accidents in 2023, up from 14,388 in 2022 and 11,957 in 2021.

A 2024 report from the European Grouping for Insurance and Prevention of Occupational Risks (EUROGIP) found that workplace accidents were underreported by as much as a staggering 91 percent. The latest figures released by the Greek Statistical Service (ELSTAT) documented 51 work-related fatalities in 2023a significantly smaller number than the 179 recorded by OSETEE.

This terrible toll is facilitated by the severe understaffing of the Labour Inspectorate. According to the Labour Inspectorates 2024 report, there are just 233 health and safety inspectors for the entire country, responsible for overseeing a labour force of approximately 4.7 million workers.

The Trikala and Karditsa region, where the Violanta factory is located, is covered by only three health and safety inspectors and their supervisor, tasked with monitoring some 12,000 businesses.

This understaffing is part of the decimation of Greeces public sector following brutal austerity and the systematic assault on working conditions imposed for more than a decade by successive governments on the working class. These measures were enacted at the behest of the European Union and International Monetary Fund following the 2008 financial crisis.

In a 2012 report, the European Federation of Public Service Unions noted that Greeces Labour Inspectorate saw its number of inspectors slashed in just three yearsfrom 1,192 in 2008 to only 366 in 2011.

Seeking to capitalise on the Trikala deaths, the pseudo-left Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left) stated that the government bears responsibility for the anti-worker policies that it has been implementing for the past six years, for the record workplace accidents, the systematic undermining of labour inspectors and the enforcement of gruelling working hours.

But Syriza bears as much responsibility for the onslaught on workers health and safety, having been in power between 2015 and 2019. Swept into office with a landslide victory in January 2015 on an anti-austerity platform, Syriza abandoned its mandate within weeks.

Over the next four years, Syriza imposed austerity measures even more savage than those carried out by previous social democratic and New Democracy administrations.

According to Labour Inspectorate figures from 2017, there were just 618 inspectors remainingjust over half the pre-crisis total in 2008. Of these, only 245 were engaged in health and safety inspections.

That year, just 842 health-and-safety-related fine notices were issued, totalling 2.8 million (an average of less than 3,500 per fine). The equivalent figure in 2024 averaged just under 2,100 per violation.

Whether under Syriza or New Democracy, the paltry fines issued for health and safety violationswhen they are issued at allare easily written off as the grisly cost of doing business.
Talk of another USIran showdown is no longer confined to whispers in Washington. In recent weeks, a familiar pattern has begun to re-emerge: sharpened rhetoric from the White House, a visible uptick in American military movements across the Middle East, and a steady stream of open-source clues pointing to heightened readiness rather than routine deterrence.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump issued a pointed message to Iranians protesting against their government, declaring that help is on its way. The remark, delivered via social media rather than diplomatic channels, was deliberately ambiguous. But in the weeks since, it has been followed by something far less abstract: a slow, methodical and highly visible build-up of American military power across the Middle East.

The United States, already the worlds most formidable military force, has demonstrated in recent history that it is willing and able to strike Iran directly. In June last year, Operation Midnight Hammer targeted Iranian nuclear facilities in a rare, overt attack. More than 100 aircraft took part, including B-2 stealth bombers flying non-stop from the continental US to deliver precision bunker-buster munitions designed to penetrate hardened underground sites. It was a reminder not only of American reach, but of its willingness to use it when red lines are judged to have been crossed.

Now, the question hanging over the region is whether Washington is preparing to do so again. Trump has fuelled that speculation himself, warning Tehran that unless it agrees to curb its nuclear programme, the next attack will be far worse. In the same breath, he spoke of a massive armada moving towards Iran, invoking the language of overwhelming force while insisting that time for diplomacy was running out.

Behind the rhetoric lies a substantial and expanding military footprint. Up to 50,000 US personnel are already stationed across the Middle East, with major bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Oman. Around 10,000 troops are based at al-Udeid airbase in Qatar alone  the largest US military installation in the region and a critical hub for air operations. Since the strikes last year, al-Udeid has also been a target: Iran launched missiles at the base in retaliation, underscoring its centrality to any future confrontation.

In recent weeks, open-source intelligence has documented a notable surge in American military activity. Satellite imagery shows new structures appearing on the perimeter of al-Udeid, which experts believe are linked to enhanced air and missile defence systems. Flight tracking data has revealed the arrival of F-15 fighter jets, aerial refuelling tankers, transport aircraft and surveillance platforms, including P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and long-range intelligence planes operating close to Iranian airspace.

A US carrier strike group has also moved into the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln, previously deployed in the Indo-Pacific, was ordered to reverse course and head towards the Gulf. While its precise location is no longer publicly broadcast, tracking data suggests carrier-linked aircraft are operating near Oman. With an air wing of around 70 aircraft, including F-35 stealth fighters, and an escort of destroyers armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles  often supported by a nuclear-powered submarine  a carrier strike group represents one of the most potent instruments of American military power.

The Pentagon has offered little public detail on these movements, framing them as routine exercises and defensive measures. But taken together, the scale, composition and timing of the deployments suggest more than signalling alone. Britain, too, has dispatched a squadron of Typhoon jets to the region to boost regional security, while the US Air Force has announced a major exercise aimed at demonstrating its ability to deploy and sustain combat airpower across the Middle East.

Whether this posture is designed to deter Iran, coerce it back to the negotiating table, or prepare the ground for another strike remains unclear. What is evident is that Washington is positioning itself to move quickly if a decision is made. As Trump himself put it: We have a big flotilla going in that region  and well see what happens.

Iran, having announced a two-day live-fire navy drill in the Strait of Hormuz, the US warns it will not tolerate any unsafe or provocative actions. The drill is set to begin on Sunday, after the US deployed the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and other military assets in the Middle East. The US Central Command has issued a firm warning to Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ahead of planned two day live-fire drill, that it will not tolerate any unsafe actions.

Is Washington preparing to strike Iran again?

The visible buildup of US military assets across the Middle East has prompted renewed speculation about whether Washington is laying the groundwork for another strike on Iran. According to a geopolitical analyst, President of Scarab Rising, Inc., Irina Tsukerman's remarks to Azernews, the answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

She argues that the current posture reflects preparation without commitmenta deliberate effort to preserve the ability to escalate rapidly without signalling inevitability. The United States, she says, is not advertising an imminent strike, but ensuring that one could be launched immediately if conditions shift.

The current US posture reflects deliberate preparation for escalation without committing to execution. Force deployments are structured to create credible strike capacity across air, naval, missile, cyber, and intelligence domains.

Rather than symbolic shows of force, Tsukerman points to enabling activities that support sustained high-intensity operations. Expanded aerial refuelling, pre-positioned deep-penetration munitions, tighter integration between carrier aviation and land-based strike aircraft, and reinforced missile defences all suggest readiness for complex strike sequences.

These measures indicate readiness for complex strike sequences rather than one-off demonstrations.

Carrier deployments, in her assessment, serve a practical operational role. Carrier-based aviation allows Washington to operate independently of regional political constraints, but at the cost of heightened escalation sensitivity.

Carriers reduce reliance on host-nation political constraints, but they also concentrate risk by presenting high-value targets that require extensive defensive resources.

What would actually trigger escalation?

Tsukerman stresses that escalation timelines are not driven by public rhetoric or political deadlines, but by intelligence assessments and battlefield events that rapidly narrow decision space.

A credible judgment that Iran is approaching a nuclear breakout threshold, she explains, would fundamentally alter US calculations.

Once such assessments are accepted internally, delays are viewed as risk rather than restraint.

Another trigger would be a direct attack causing mass American casualties. While limited proxy attacks are often absorbed within escalation-management frameworks, a high-fatality incident would force a response regardless of broader strategic preference.

An attack producing significant American deaths forces a response. That dynamic both gives Iran leverage and constrains its freedom to act.

Absent such triggers, escalation remains conditionaldependent on weather, intelligence confidence, readiness of strike packages, and force-protection posture. In these circumstances, operational probability outweighs political optics.

The escalation before the escalation

Before overt strikes, Tsukerman expects pressure to build through covert and non-kinetic measures designed to degrade Iranian capability while maintaining deniability.

Cyber operations, interdictions of procurement networks, seizures of sanctioned cargo, and intelligence-driven sabotage test Iranian thresholds while preserving plausible deniability.

Irans engagement with Russia, she adds, should be understood less as alliance-building and more as contingency signalling.

Russia can complicate post-strike diplomacy, but it cannot materially deter US action.

How would Iran retaliate?

Irans retaliation strategy, Tsukerman argues, is built around layered escalation, not decisive confrontation. The goal is to impose sustained costs without triggering overwhelming retaliation.

The objective is to restore deterrence through indirect action, deniability, and geographic dispersion.

Direct retaliation against US forces is most likely in Iraq and Syria, where proxy militias possess rockets and drones capable of striking installations with minimal warning.

These attacks are difficult to prevent entirely and impose constant force-protection burdens.

Maritime disruption represents another pressure point, with even limited incidents capable of triggering wider economic effects.

Harassment of shipping raises insurance premiums and disrupts commercial traffic far beyond the immediate theatre.

Missile strikes against US bases would mark a sharper escalation, likely calibrated to demonstrate reach while avoiding mass casualties.

Cyber retaliation, meanwhile, offers Iran a means to blur civilian and military boundaries.

Energy networks, ports, aviation systems, and financial infrastructure are all potential targets.

Retaliation against US alliesparticularly Israel and Gulf statesis highly likely and may be prioritised.

Could the US actually neutralise Irans nuclear program?

On the question of whether a large-scale precision strike could decisively cripple Irans nuclear capabilities, Tsukerman is sceptical.

She notes that Irans program is designed for survivability rather than efficiency, with distributed facilities and built-in redundancy.

Physical destruction of a single site does not equate to functional elimination.

Underground hardening, concealment, decoys, and unknown facilities further complicate targeting.

Strikes can produce dramatic imagery while leaving the core enrichment pipeline operational.

Battle-damage assessment remains uncertain, particularly for buried targets, increasing the likelihood of repeat strikes and campaign expansion.

Uncertainty encourages escalation rather than closure. Beyond technical challenges, Tsukerman highlights strategic risks. A strike could accelerate Irans determination to weaponise, pushing programs deeper underground and reducing future visibility.

Human capital survives physical destruction. Reconstitution can proceed faster than anticipated.

Political constraints further limit outcomes, as justifications centred on nuclear prevention restrict campaign scope while broader targeting risks eroding international support.
BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China is an important participant, contributor, and frontrunner in global wetland conservation and restoration, and its philosophy and practice of green development have been highly recognized and acclaimed by the international community, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday.

This year's World Wetlands Day, which falls on Feb. 2, is themed "Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage."

"Wetlands, forests and oceans are collectively known as the three major ecosystems of the Earth, and they are vital for human survival and development," spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular press when asked to comment on China's achievements in wetland conservation.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has adhered to the philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and has made historic progress in wetland conservation and restoration, he said.

He noted that China is now home to the largest wetland area in Asia and the fourth largest in the world, and it has the highest number of internationally recognized wetland cities in the world.

As a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, China is an important participant, contributor, and frontrunner in global wetland conservation and restoration, Lin said.

Lin noted that China initiated the establishment of the International Mangrove Center, which now has 20 prospective member states, and it has carried out international cooperation on sharing knowledge on mangrove conservation in regions such as Southeast Asia and Africa.

China has also held international workshops on mangrove conservation and restoration to provide policy, technical, and management training for personnel from Global South countries, Lin added.

China has successively been awarded global environmental honors such as the Champions of the Earth Award and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, he said.

"Protecting wetland resources and addressing climate change remain an arduous task and a shared responsibility of the international community," Lin said.

China will continue to firmly promote a modernization in which humans and nature can coexist in harmony, firmly support and participate in global ecological governance, and work with all parties to build a community of all life on Earth, he said. 
Venezuelas interim President Delcy Rodriguez speaks to PDVSA oil workers at the Puerto La Cruz Refinery on January 25, 2026. [Photo: presidencialve]

Barely four weeks ago, US special operations troops invaded Venezuela, breached its most secure facility, Fort Tiuna, and abducted de facto President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, killing upwards of 100 people in the operation. Since then, the fate of the couple has disappeared from the media in the United States as they remain locked up in a notorious Brooklyn federal detention center. They have appeared once in court to plead not guilty to trumped up US narco-terrorism charges and are due to reappear for pre-trial motions only on March 17.

Their son, Nicolas Maduro Guerra, has made public a message passed on to him by US lawyers in which Maduro declared he and his wife are fine and in good spirits and expressed confidence that We are going to preserve life, we are going to preserve power and we are going to preserve the revolution.

While the determination of the fate of Maduro and Flores moves at a glacial pace in the US legal system, preserving the revolution in the wake of the January 3 attack has been exposed with astonishing speed as a transformation of Venezuela into a semi-colony, wholly subordinate to the imperialist strategy of US imperialism and the profit interests of the US-based energy conglomerates.

This was spelled out explicitly in the January 28 testimony delivered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Rubio defended the administrations decision to work with Maduros former vice president and now interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, in implementing its aims in Venezuela. Doing so, he insisted, had avoided the danger of civil war. US interests would be dictated to Venezuela through control over oil, which cannot be moved because of our quarantine. Oil accounts for 90 percent of export earnings in a country that boasts the largest proven petroleum reserves on the planet.

The Secretary of State described a humiliating and deeply corrupt system in which the US would monopolize the marketing of Venezuelan oil, with the proceeds deposited into an offshore account in Qatar. The Venezuelan government, he said, will submit every month a budget of this is what we need funded. Washington, he added, will provide them at the front-end what that money cannot be used for. What will happen to the rest of the money is anyones guess.

Rubio praised the government headed by Rodriguez as very cooperative, indicated that it had accepted terms under which it would purchase directly from the United States medicine and equipment, as well as naphtha and other diluents needed to reduce the density of the heavy crude that Venezuela produces. Previously, it had imported them from Russia.

Washington and Caracas, Rubio continued, were having serious conversations about eroding and eliminating the Iranian presence, the Chinese influence and the Russian presence as well.

Even more significantly, Rubio hailed the lightning speed with which the post-Maduro regime in Caracas has rammed through a reform of the countrys Organic Law on Hydrocarbons, declaring that the new version eradicates many of the [Hugo] Chavez era restrictions on private investment in the oil industry.

According to its critics, the reform, which was rammed through Venezuelas National Assembly last Thursday, goes much further. It takes Venezuela back half a century to before initial nationalization in 1976, and even before the first Hydrocarbons Law was passed in 1943, establishing a system of 50-50 profit sharing between the state and the US oil companies.

Some say one has to go back to the 1930s and the days of the notorious dictator Juan Vicente Gomez, when just three foreign companies, Gulf, Royal Dutch Shell and Standard Oil, exercised unfettered control over 98 percent of the Venezuelan oil sector, providing Gomez with just enough money to line his own pockets, pay off political supporters and fund his vicious police state apparatus.

While Venezuela nominally retains sovereignty over its subsoil, the reform has surrendered to Washington and Big Oil control over extraction and commercializationto whom the oil will be sold and at what priceand what portion of the revenues will go to the country.

The defense of this retrograde surrender on the part of Venezuelan authorities is breathtaking in terms of its brazenness and hypocrisy. Interim President Delcy Rodriguez and her brother Jorge Rodriguez, the president of the National Assembly, delivered back-to-back demagogic speeches to captive audiences of oil workers at the state-owned oil company, PDVSA.

Delcy Rodriguez took the occasion to respond to a blunt statement of colonialist policy from Washington. Scott Bessent, Trumps Treasury secretary, told an interviewer in Davos: The United States is directing policies in Venezuela at the moment. It has left figures from the previous regime in positions of power so they can run the country following directives from Washington.

In substance and tone, there was little to distinguish Bessents remarks from similarly imperious declarations by US officials, including many from Trump himself. In this instance, however, she used the impolitic words of the Treasury secretary as the pretext for striking a defiant tone. Enough of Washingtons orders on politics in Venezuela! she declared. Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts.

In the same breath, she insisted, We shouldnt be afraid of the energy agenda, neither from the United States nor from the rest of the world. In other words, let us handle internal political matters even as we bow to Washingtons dictates.

The speech by her brother Jorge was if anything even more demagogic and crude. On the one hand, he denounced officials who declared themselves redder than red while corruptly siphoning off the countrys oil wealth for themselves and denying it to the countrys workers. But who are these unnamed miscreants if not the closest allies and associates of the Rodriguez siblings? He went on to tell the assembled oil workers a saying he attributed to his grandmother: It doesnt matter the color of the cat, so long as it catches mice.

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of world politics and historyand Rodriguez certainly has more than thatknows that the proverb was a key slogan advanced by former Chinese Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping to justify the dismantling of what remained of the nationalized property relations and economic planning of the deformed workers state established in the wake of the 1949 revolution, and to integrate China into global capitalism. In the Venezuelan context, this phrase boils down to, it doesnt matter whether Venezuela controls its oil or it is controlled by foreign oil companies, so long as there is money flowing into the governments coffers.

Among the most significant moments in the Senate hearing where Secretary of State Rubio testified came with the opening question by the Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Jim Risch. The Idaho Republican noted that, although the hearing was not taking place in a classified setting, he would like Rubio to tell the committee what Rubio had informed him about how the groundwork had been laid for the January 3 assault. He declared himself incredibly impressed with what you told me about how you and the president negotiated with parties there on the ground, particularly the parties who were going to be in charge after Maduro was removed.

Rubio responded with a lengthy non-answer consisting of a protracted denunciation of Maduro as a liar and someone with whom Washington could not reach a deal. Clearly, he did not believe that recounting negotiations before January 3 with the parties who were going to be in charge after Maduros abduction was in US interests.

The exchange appeared to provide further confirmation of reports that the Rodriguezes, and perhaps others in the Venezuelan leadership, had entered into discussions with the Trump administration prior to Maduros abduction, agreeing to collaborate with Washington.

Maduro needs to go

The most revealing of these appeared last month in The Guardian, which cited multiple unnamed sources with knowledge of negotiations between the Rodriguezes and Washington as saying that they secretly assured US and Qatari officials through intermediaries ahead of time that they would welcome Maduros departure.

One US official involved in the talks told the British daily that Delcy Rodriguez told Washington she was prepared to step in: Delcy was communicating Maduro needs to go. Another person familiar with the talks quoted her as saying, Ill work with whatever is the aftermath.

The report added that while the Rodriguez family promised to assist the US once Maduro was gone, they did not agree to actively help the US to topple him.

While the now interim president may have drawn such a fine line, there are ample suspicions in Venezuela that the flawless, surgical operation to seize Maduro and Flores encountered no effective opposition because of collaboration on the part of elements within the Venezuelan security forces.

This supposition found significant support from Moscows ambassador to Venezuela Serguei Melik-Bagdasarov, who told an interviewer from the Russian television channel Rossiya-24 that the US operation had succeeded thanks to the negligence and collaboration with US intelligence on the part of Venezuelan officials. Describing these actions as treason, the ambassador said the collaboration began much earlier than the January 3 raid. He claimed that Moscow knew the names of those who worked systematically for United States intelligence.

The remarks were echoed last week by Russias Permanent Representative at the UN Vasily Nebenzya in an interview with the same TV channel: In Venezuela, a betrayal undoubtedly took place and they talk openly about that. Some higher-ups essentially betrayed the president, he said.

While there may well have been a betrayal in terms of the personal fate of Maduro, there is no reason to believe that he would have advanced any significantly different response to the gangsterism of the Trump regime. As his own statements and those of Trump made clear, he was prepared to hand Washington everything. The only sticking point was the demand that he cede the presidency and leave Venezuela.

Moreover, the deal reached between the Maduro government and Chevron for the exploitation of Venezuelan oil under an anti-blockade measure provided a clear precedent for the wholesale privatization now under way.

The fundamental driving force behind the tumultuous developments since the criminal US attack of January 3 is not treasonous behavior on the part of the Rodriguez family or elements within the Venezuelan military command but rather the historical dead end of chavismo and its 21st Century Socialism, and more generally of bourgeois nationalism and the so-called Pink Tide movement throughout Latin America.

In its heyday under Chavez, the chavista government was able to use the surplus income provided by booming oil prices to pay for social assistance programs that benefited the most impoverished layers of society.

With the collapse of the commodity boom, which came on the heels of Chavezs death and the succession of Maduro, along with a tightening US sanctions regime, poverty once again began to rise and the government increasingly imposed the brunt of the countrys economic crisis on the backs of the working class.

As a result, Venezuela became one of the regions most impoverished and unequal countries, with 31 percent of the wealth concentrated in the hands of the top 1 percent, even as the bottom half of society held just 3.6 percent.

The Bolivarian Revolution, on a fundamental level, failed to resolve the historic curse of Venezuelas economy: its overwhelming dependence upon the export of a single raw material, petroleum, with by far the largest share going to the United States. This left the country vulnerable as always to fluctuations on the global energy markets, as well as to the US sanctions regime and ultimately Washingtons military blockade.

Now chavismo in its latest iteration under Delcy Rodriguez presides over a puppet regime whose economic, military and foreign policies are dictated by Washington. One has to go back to Cuba under the Platt Amendment (1903-1934) or Nicaragua and Haiti under US military occupation to find a more nakedly neo-colonial domination by Yankee imperialism of the lands to its south.

The governments principal independent function consists of defending the interests of its core constituencies, including the security forces and the so-called boliburguesia, a wealthy layer of Venezuelan capitalists who made their fortunes off of government contracts, corruption and financial speculation.

The Venezuelan working class has paid a terribly heavy price for this ignominious trajectory of the movement founded by Hugo Chavez, with masses plunged into poverty, millions driven to emigrate and those fighting to defend wages and conditions denounced as counterrevolutionaries and repressed.

The fate of chavismo has exposed the reactionary role of all the pseudo-left groups, including most prominently the Pabloite and Morenoite organizations, that promoted illusions that the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela had opened up some new road to liberation from imperialist oppression and even to socialism.

Rather it has provided Latin America one more in a long line of tragic and costly confirmations in the negative of Trotskys theory of Permanent Revolution. Trotsky established that in countries oppressed by imperialism, the democratic and national tasks historically associated with the bourgeois revolution could not be realized under the leadership of the national bourgeoisie, which is tied to and dependent upon world capitalism and fears revolution from below. Rather, these tasks can be carried out only under the leadership of the working class, which would be compelled to take power and go over to socialist measures while seeking the extension of its revolution internationally.

The bitter lessons of the shipwreck of chavismo, and more broadly the whole of the Pink Tide movement, must be assimilated by the most advanced layers of the working class in the struggle to build a new revolutionary leadership in the form of sections of the world Trotskyist movement, the International Committee of the Fourth International.
25 years ago: London Underground workers strike against privatization scheme

On February 5, 2001, public train drivers in the United Kingdom launched a one-day strike that virtually shut down the entire London Underground (LU) transportation system. Around 92 percent of the Underground shut down; only 40 out of 476 trains managed to run. The strike, though limited to a single day, paralyzed the capital, disrupting the transit system for some 2.5 million daily users.

The job actionorganized with widespread support among rank-and-file train drivershad originally been planned as a series of three staggered one-day walkouts by members of both the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), the two principal trade unions representing train drivers and other rail industry employees in the United Kingdom. But following the union bureaucracys inking of pro-company agreements, the RMT union quickly complied with anti-worker legislation introduced under the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher and later reinforced by the Labour Party. Facing government threats of a 3 million fine per day, RMT General Secretary Jimmy Knapp ordered train drivers not to strike, shattering the alliance with workers in ASLEF and weakening the potential impact of the strike.

At the heart of the conflict was the Labour governments scheme to privatize the London Underground through a so-called Public-Private Partnership (PPP). This proposal endangered the jobs and safety of train drivers and the public by subordinating operations to the pursuit of private profit.

Ken Livingstone [Photo by Copyright World Economic Forum. Photo by Annette Boutellier / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, an icon of the British pseudo-left, tactically opposed the PPP scheme to win support among Londoners and defeat Labours official candidate in the mayoral election the previous year. Once in office, however, he used his political influence to push an alternative version of the scheme that still prioritized private capital, despite his public promises to join the picket lines. His transport commissioner, Bob Kiley, collaborated with the Labour government, LU management and private contractors to redraft the PPP proposals in favor of big business.

Both the RMT and ASLEF had endorsed Livingstones campaign and refused to challenge his revised plans, which further eroded public ownership of the Underground. The union bureaucracy, eager to preserve its role within the management structure, called for a joint managementunion safety board rather than mobilizing genuine opposition. While many rank-and-file drivers struck to resist privatization altogether, the union leadership deliberately narrowed the struggles aims, focusing instead on maintaining their position within the negotiation process and the state apparatus.

50 years ago: Over 22,000 killed in Guatemala earthquake

On February 4, 1976, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Guatemala, centered on the Motagua Fault. While the seismic event was a natural phenomenon, the resulting catastrophewhich claimed over 22,000 lives and left more than one million people homelesswas a social crime.

The devastation was almost entirely concentrated in the barrios of Guatemala City and the impoverished rural highlands. While the reinforced concrete homes and high-rise hotels of the ruling elite remained largely standing, the adobe hovels of the working class and peasantry crumbled instantly. When the quake struck the sleeping city at 3:01 a.m., these houses, built of mud brick with heavy tile roofs, became death traps. In addition to the dead, over 76,000 people were injured.

A view of the 1976 earthquake devastation in Patzicia, showing the complete collapse of adobe homes in a working class neighborhood

Witnesses described a scene of total social collapse. In the slum of El Gallito, survivors were forced to dig through the rubble with their bare hands to find family members. One survivor, who was interviewed by the New York Times while standing amidst the ruins of a neighborhood where thousands had died, described the sound of the earthquake as a subterranean roar followed by the screams of those trapped under heavy tiles. The scale of the carnage was such that many victims had to be buried in mass graves.

The international response exposed the underlying political interests of the major powers. While the Ford administration sent a paltry four military helicopters to transport supplies and help restore order, the Guatemalan military junta, led by General Kjell Laugerud Garcia, prioritized political posturing over human life. Garcias regime was a direct descendant of the 1954 CIA-backed coup that overthrew the reformist government of Jacobo Arbenz to protect the interests of the United Fruit Company.

Most notoriously, Garcia refused a substantial offer of aid from Great Britain, including a field hospital and engineers, because Britain refused to recognize Guatemalas territorial claim over neighboring Belize. This decision effectively forced thousands of the now homeless survivors to suffer without medical care or shelter to maintain a nationalist political facade.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, the military government feared that the emergency would give life to new forms of political opposition and intervened to block it. Workers formed mutual-aid committees and community defense groups to organize the distribution of supplies and to defend against looting. Military units were dispatched to survey, disarm, and break up these local organizations.

The horrific death toll was the result of decades of imperialist plunder. As the Bulletin, the newspaper of the Workers League (US predecessor to the SEP), noted on February 10, 1976: The deaths of millions of people as a result of earthquakes, floods, or droughts in the colonial and semi-colonial nations is not so much the result of natural disasters but of the decay of the capitalist system, which is incapable of providing the most elementary protection or aid.

75 years ago: South Korean military executes 1,400 civilians in two separate massacres

On February 7, 1951, the first of two massacres that collectively killed over 1,400 civilians began in South Korea. The killings were conducted by a battalion of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Armys 3rd Division, supposedly conducting a counterinsurgency mission to eliminate North Korean guerilla fighters.

The first of these mass murders took place in the districts of Sancheong and Hamyang. At least 705 unarmed citizens were gunned down and killed by soldiers, with estimates of up to 85 percent of the casualties consisting of women, children and elderly people.

Only two days later, ROK troops committed another atrocity on a similar scale, this time in the county of Geochang. An estimated 719 people were killed over three days, among them 385 children. In both instances, the killings were widespread and indiscriminate, with the only people spared being the families of certain ROK public officials and army officers.

As with many other massacres committed by the ROK Army and its United States ally, the Sancheong/Hamyang and Geochang killings were covered up by the South Korean government. The perpetrators used an explosive detonation on a nearby mountain slope to bury the hundreds of bodies and hide all evidence of the crime.

Syngman Rhee

The effort failed to completely conceal the incident, and the massacre did come to light, with the key perpetrators being court-martialed and sentenced to prison. However, South Koreas President Syngman Rhee, who bore primary responsibility for thousands of executions aimed at suppressing opposition to his deeply unpopular regime, granted clemency to the individuals, who were all released after only a short time in prison.

100 years ago: Sean OCaseys The Plough and the Stars premiers in Dublin

On February 8, 1926, Irish playwright Sean OCaseys play The Plough and the Stars premiered at Dublins Abbey Theater. The play, which depicts events during the 1916 Irish uprising against British imperialism, was the object of protests and condemnation after its first performance, largely because it was seen as disgracing Irish nationalism and the events of 1916.

On the fourth night of the performance, a riot broke out in the theater which prompted poet W. B. Yeats to get on stage and tell the audience You have disgraced yourselves again, referring to the riots after the performances in 1907 of J. M. Synges play Playboy of the Western World.

Sean O'Casey, circa 1910s

The play is the concluding part of OCaseys Dublin Trilogy, which includes The Shadow of a Gunman (1923), which takes place during the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921) about a case of mistaken identity in which a tenant in a building is thought to be an IRA assassin, and Juno and the Paycock (1924), that takes place during the Irish Civil War (1922-23) and follows the disintegration of an impoverished family because of a lost inheritance, an unplanned pregnancy, and the violence of political upheaval.

In four acts, The Plough and the Stars depicts the lives of revolutionaries and members of the Irish Citizen Army, the forerunner of the Irish Republican Army, and their families in Dublins slums. The first act takes place in one of the militants homes, the second act in a bar outside of a nationalist rally and the final two acts show the rising itself, and the looting in its aftermath.

The play shows the genuine confusion and uncertainty in Dublin among some of the poorest Irish people, alongside the revolutionary sentiments of others. The spouses are afraid for the lives of the men who are fighters, and some characters exhibit callousness to others in need. Act II was particularly objectionable to many because one character is a prostitute and because Irish nationalist flags are brought into the bar, widely regarded as a dirty and profane place.

Several tragedies ensue as the play goes on including shootings, a stillbirth, and cowardice.

OCasey had broken with the Irish Citizens Army and its leadership before the 1916 rebellion, though he still considered himself a republican and a socialist.

He later came into the orbit of the Stalinist Communist Party of Great Britain and defended the crimes of Stalinist bureaucracy.
A section of the hundreds of students who walked out of class, joined by community members, to protest ICE occupation of Minneapolis and demand justice for Renee Good, January 14, 2025.

As protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, the federal murder of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and ongoing ICE brutality in communities continue to grow, schools are becoming central in the struggle against the Trump administrations brutal immigration policies.

On Friday, students from across the country walked out of their schools in solidarity with the tens of thousands of workers and community members in Minneapolis. This was the second demonstration in two weeks against the federal occupation of the city.

The most significant aspect of the demonstrations has been the growing call for a general strike against the Trump administration. There is a growing recognition that Trumps strategy for dictatorship cannot be defeated except through mass action from below, using the methods of class struggle.

This has terrified the bureaucracy of the trade unions, whose bloated salaries depend on their delivery of labor peace to management and corporate politicians. Union officials around the country, while occasionally mouthing support for strike action in general, have refused to call any action.

As students walked out in opposition to fascistic attacks that threatened their communities, friends and families, teachers were ordered to do the opposite: remain in their classrooms, obey administrative directives and suppress any collective response, under the guise of student safety.

Union locals issued directives to teachers warning against participation in protests, reminding them of school districts policies on staff conduct, and instructing educators to enforce attendance and disciplinary rules against student protesters. These interventions were intended to block the participation of educators in actions framed as part of a national general strike, which threatened to draw teachers into a mass movement independent from the union apparatus.

In Spokane, Washington, the Spokane Education Association (SEA) issued guidance to teachers ahead of a January 20 National Walkout for Our Freedom student protest that focused on supervision and compliance. The memo instructed educators to remain at their assigned posts during the school day and emphasized that teachers must not lead, organize or encourage student walkouts. If students chose to participate, teachers were directed to enforce district disciplinary rules, including marking students absent for participating in the action.

In Sweetwater, California, the union bureaucracy was more explicit. Guidance issued by the Sweetwater Education Association (SEA) ahead of the January 30 actions directly addressed what was being billed as a general strike. In a memo titled January 30 Guidance on Student Supervision and Leave, the union warned that withholding labor as part of the planned general strike constituted unprotected activity under Californias Educational Employment Relations Act.

Teachers were cautioned that participation could result in disciplinary action, including loss of pay or reprimand, and were warned that sick leave or personal necessity days could not be used for protest activity. The memo further warned that teachers who appeared at protests while on leave could be investigated for leave fraud, explicitly citing social media posts or news coverage as potential evidence.

Having prohibited the use of leave for protest, defined political activity as potential fraud and normalized surveillance of teachers public presence, the memo summarized its guidance in a blunt directive: Obey now. Grieve later.

In Los Angeles, the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) pursued the same objective through diversion rather than discipline. As calls circulated nationally for a general strike, UTLA redirected opposition into a symbolic No Spending Day, urging teachers to refrain from consumer purchases while remaining on the job. Invoking student safety, the union ruled out walkouts or work stoppages to ensure that their members stayed on the job.

The Chicago Teachers Union told its members to engage in similar protests after the school day. It is also scrubbing all statements by teachers supporting a general strike from its Facebook page.

The unions stance of containment reflects a long-standing political orientation articulated most openly by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, a longtime member of the Democratic National Committee.

In its review of Weingartens Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy, the World Socialist Web Site noted that she aims to disarm educators and workers, redefining resistance as keep teaching while voting for Democrats in the November midtermswhich Trump is determined to hold under conditions of fear and repression, if they take place at all.

Action that escapes the narrow legal and electoral channels imposed on it by the bureaucracy and the corporate political establishment is treated as a threat to be neutralized. This suppression is carried out through the unions appeals to legalism, framed as professionalism, procedure and contractual obligation. Teachers are instructed to comply with administrative authority in the moment and defer any objections to grievance processes afterward.

Given the grievances are to be handled by the same officials passing on district threats against teachers, it is obvious these grievances will go nowhere. It amounts to an injunction in all but name, isolating educators from coordinated action with students and broader sections of the working class.

The escalation of immigration raids, police violence and the erosion of democratic rights is rooted in the deepening crisis of American capitalism. As U.S. global dominance declines and the economic foundations of its hegemony weaken, the defense of the oligarchys wealth requires the state to intensify repression and brutality at home in order to pursue its imperialist aims.

The power of the working class must be brought to bear against oligarchy and inequality. But this requires new organizations which are accountable to workers, not the political establishment, and a strategy based on the mobilization of the working class, not its suppression.

Democratic rank-and-file committees are required to organize real protections for student and educator safety, based on collective action and solidarity with broader sections of the working class.

Rank-and-file committees must be established in every school, district and community, linking educators with students, parents and other workers. Networked across industries, these committees provide the means to secure genuine safety, oppose state repression and act collectively in the independent interests of the working class.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, stepped off the Senate floor, Friday evening, January 30, 2026, at the Capitol in Washington. [AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana]

On Friday, the Senate Democratic leadershipincluding Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, and Vice Chair of the Conference Mark Warner of Virginiavoted to fund the Trump administrations military through September 30. The 71-29 vote on the $839 billion defense appropriations bill included 23 Democratic senators voting in favor, joining 48 Republicans.

The funding package, announced Thursday, also includes a two-week continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Securitywhich includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The military funding bill passed just days after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old protester, in Minneapolis on January 24. He was killed by CBP and ICE agents while filming an immigration raid. Two and a half weeks earlier, an ICE agent murdered Renee Nicole Good, also 37, in the same city. In both cases, the Trump administration blamed the victims and declared the killers would face no consequences

The military the Democrats voted to fund had been repeatedly deployed against American cities. Since taking office, Trump has sent thousands of National Guard and active-duty troops into Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New Orleansat a cost of nearly $500 million in 2025 alone. Its a war from within, Trump declared in explaining the deployments. I told Pete, we should use some of these cities as training grounds for our military.

The vote exposes the fraud that the Democratic Party opposes the Trump administrations reign of terror in Minneapolis or anywhere else. They refuse to use the power of the purse to rein in the administration because they speak for the same financial oligarchs who gathered at Trumps inaugurationthe billionaires and Wall Street executives who seek war abroad and repression at home.

Neither Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont nor Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York publicly criticized the vote by the Senate Democratic leaders to fund the military or even issued a statement about it.

The Democrats are not an opposition party. They support the same policies and priorities as Trump, with only minor tactical differences. They serve as a safety valve, channeling popular anger into harmless posturing while ensuring the machinery of war and repression continues to function. The Senate vote follows the January 22 House vote of 341-88 to advance the defense funding package, with the a majority of Democrats voting in favor.

The military appropriations bill passed Friday comes as the Trump administration threatens war against Iran. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group is currently steaming toward the Persian Gulf, leading what Trump has called an armada of warships. In recent days, the administration has issued a series of ultimatums to Tehran, demanding the dismantling of its nuclear program and threatening devastating military strikes if Iran does not comply.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned ominously that longtime adversary Cuba is in trouble, while Trump has refused to rule out military operations against Colombia. The administrations National Security Strategy declares the goal of restoring American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere, effectively asserting US control over two continents.

This military buildup comes less than four weeks after the US military illegally kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, taking them out of the country to face fabricated drug trafficking charges. The abductionan unprecedented act of imperialist aggressionwas greeted with bipartisan support or at least acquiescence in Congress.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military this week officially accepted the Gaza Health Ministrys death toll of 70,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023. For over two years, the Biden administration, the US Congress and the Western media dismissed these figures as Hamas propaganda. Since October 2023, the United States has provided at least $22 billion in military aid to Israelnearly three times the average annual amount under the existing memorandum of understanding. The Democrats voted for every weapons shipment, every supplemental appropriation, every measure that armed and funded this slaughter.

The $839 billion defense appropriations bill includes an $8 billion increase over the Pentagons request, funding for the 3.8 percent pay raise service members received this month, and $897 million for military medical research. It allocates $400 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative over the administrations objectionrevealing that the Democratic opposition mainly concerns his turn away from all-out support for the NATO-backed war against Russia.

But this appropriations bill is only part of the picture. Combined with the $156 billion in additional military funding contained in Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last July, total Pentagon spending for 2026 approaches $1 trillionthe largest military budget in American history.

Trump has already announced he will seek $1.5 trillion for the military in fiscal 2027.

The Democrats support for this military build-up exposes the bipartisan character of American imperialism. Both parties represent the interests of the same ruling class. The working class cannot pressure the Democratic Party to defend its interests against war and dictatorship. It must take the road of an independent political struggle against imperialist war and for socialism.
Jabez Chakraborty [Photo: Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM) and family of Chakraborty]

Last Monday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), praised officers of the New York Police Department (NYPD) after they shot 22-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant Jabez Chakraborty while he was experiencing a mental health crisis at his familys home in Queens. Jabez remains on a ventilator and has undergone several surgeries.

Later that day, the Chakraborty family released a statement through the immigrant advocacy group Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), explaining that they had called 911 to request an ambulance for Jabez, who was experiencing severe emotional distress. Instead of emergency medical responders, NYPD officers arrived at the home and shot Jabez at least four times in front of his family.

The officers then demanded that the family hand over their phones. In their statement, Jabezs parents wrote: While our son lay shot on the floor, the NYPD acted like ICE, interrogating us on what country we were from, when we last visited, and whether our daughter was born here.

Jabezs family was not allowed to accompany him to the hospital and instead they were forced to the precinct, where NYPD officers interrogated and detained us, they wrote. After several hours, the family was released from NYPD detention and, upon arriving at the hospital, denied visitation rights by the NYPD. Only after the intervention of DRUM and the New York City Public Advocates office was the Chakraborty family allowed to see Jabez and reclaim their phones from the police.

The NYPD has posted officers to stand guard outside Jabezs hospital room and is denying family members access to Jabez without an official pass.

In response to the incident, Mamdani posted a brief statement on X, writing: Ive been briefed on an officer-involved shooting in Queens that occurred earlier today. The NYPD was responding to a 911 call where they encountered an individual wielding a knife. The NYPD is assessing the situation, and we are committed to keeping New Yorkers informed.

Mamdani concluded his statement with praise for the police response: Im grateful to the first responders who put themselves on the line each day to keep our communities safe.

The Chakraborty family responded with a statement declaring, After all this, we saw Mayor Mamdanis statement applauding the NYPD officers that shot our son, threatened and lied to us, and kept us from seeing our son for over 24 hours. Why is the mayor applauding officers who recklessly almost killed our son in front of us?

They continue:

We are demanding that the Queens DA not press charges against our son. We demand to know, why did the NYPD come when we asked for an ambulance? Why is the NYPD posted outside of our sons hospital room while he is on a ventilator? Why did the NYPD take our phones through manipulation and without cause? Why have we been dehumanized, disrespected, and treated like criminals all while the NYPD were the ones who came and shot our son as if they came expressly to kill him?

Jabez Chakrabortys shooting has evoked memoriesparticularly among New Yorks South Asian immigrant communityof the NYPDs murder of 19-year-old Win Rozario, who was shot to death by police responding to a mental health call in the working-class Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens two years ago. Rozarios family had called 911 for help while he was experiencing a mental health crisis. NYPD officers shot Rozario after he picked up a pair of scissors. No officers were prosecuted for his killing.

The NYPD also received praise from Mamdani when officers killed former FDNY lieutenant Michael Lynch, who was experiencing a psychotic episode at NewYork-Presbyterian Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn on January 8. Mamdanis comments were similarly supportive of the NYPD. He stated that the officers were placed in incredibly difficult and dangerous circumstances and that they responded swiftly to the situation.

Since his brief statement on the January 26 shooting, Mamdanialong with the New York City chapter of the DSA and the national DSAhas remained entirely silent on the police shooting of Jabez Chakraborty and the detention and harassment of his family.

Mamdanis praise for the NYPD is not accidental. It underscores the fact that the DSA, a faction of the Democratic Party, has become a political representative of the capitalist state in New York City. This has occurred not only through Mamdanis support for NYPD killings, but through his entire political trajectory since his Democratic primary victory in June, particularly his November meeting with Trump at the White House.

One of the central figures in Mamdanis administration, retained from the administration of the widely despised Eric Adams, is NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, a billionaire heiress. Formerly head of the citys Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, Tisch has played a leading role in constructing the NYPDs vast surveillance apparatus, overseeing the violent citywide crackdown on protests against the Gaza genocide, and facilitating ICEs illegal detention of immigrants throughout the past year.

The police killings come as the Mamdani administration prepares to implement sweeping austerity measures. Mamdani has assembled an administration well versed in slashing critical social spending through cuts to jobs, wages and public servicesmeasures cloaked in the language of efficiency and taking direct aim at waste.

For Mamdani and the ruling class, the police are seen as necessary instruments to maintain order in response to growing popular opposition. In a further illustration of Mamdanis anti-working class policies, the administration is leading efforts, in close collaboration with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the trade union bureaucracy, to shut down the strike of 15,000 New York nurses.

The shooting of Chakraborty, and Mamdanis response, have sparked outrage among workers and young people. Hundreds have denounced the NYPDs actions and sharply criticized the administrations response on social media, with many posts garnering thousands of likes and shares.

One user, in a post that received over 3,000 likes, wrote in response to Mamdanis statement: Hold @NYCMayors feet to the F***ING FIRE for this. Another commented, We didnt elect you to release statements written by the NYPD. A third wrote, Zohran when ICE executes people in the street: this is horrific and unacceptable, literally murder. Zohran when NYPD shoots someone yet again: hey, I really really appreciate you guys [thank you so much].

A comment with over 4,000 likes reads, Zohran blew it to levels I thought hed wait at least 2 years for. Outrageous. He owes a huge apology to the Chakraborty family and to his supporters who elected a mayor who promised not to unleash state violence on people struggling with mental illness.

The shooting of Chakraborty occurred just one day before the NYPDs Strategic Response Group (SRG)a notoriously violent, heavily militarized counterterrorism and protest suppression unitviolently dispersed a peaceful anti-ICE protest outside a Hilton Hotel in Manhattan. The SRG, which Mamdani previously pledged to disband, arrested numerous demonstrators during the action.

The DSAs silence on both the NYPDs shooting of Chakraborty and the violent crackdown on anti-ICE protesters, its continued political support for Mamdani, and its collaboration with the union bureaucracy in suppressing the nurses strike, all underscore the class interests the DSA serves. While posturing as a force for social justice, the DSA is working to defend the capitalist order, enforce austerity, and prop up the institutions of state repression.

Mamdani, the DSA and the broader pseudo-left represent privileged layers of the upper middle class that are politically and materially tied to the capitalist ruling elite. While they trade in empty left rhetoric, these forces are fundamentally hostile to the working class and the fight for socialism. Their role is to block the emergence of an independent movement of workers and youth against war, fascism, police violence, social inequality and exploitation.

In the face of a massive escalation of the class strugglemillions protesting ICEs invasion of urban centers and strikes involving tens of thousands of workersMamdani has thrown his lot in with the capitalist state. He has committed his administration to austerity, strikebreaking, police repression and a partnership with the would-be dictator Donald Trump. These actions are aimed at suppressing the growing resistance of the working class to the dictatorship of the financial-corporate oligarchy.

Opposition to police violence, fascist dictatorship, war, genocide, austerity and massive social inequality can be advanced only through the development of an independent mass movement of the international working class against capitalismnot through appeals for piecemeal reform. This requires building new organizations of struggle: rank-and-file committees in every neighborhood, school, factory, warehouse, delivery center, and workplace, to coordinate and unify the growing resistance of workers against the dictatorship of the oligarchs.
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Donald Trump (left) with Jeffrey Epstein and Belgian model Ingrid Seynhaeve at the Victoria's Secret "Angels" party in New York City in April 1997. [Photo: House Oversight]

On Friday, the Justice Department released more than three million documents, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images related to financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.



The documents associate Epstein, who ran a prostitution ring trafficking children for sexual abuse, with Trump, the current worlds richest man (Elon Musk) and the former worlds richest man (Bill Gates).

Others named in the documents include: Former Prince Andrew (referred to as The Duke), who is pictured in photographs with Epstein and appears in emails that shed new light on their contact; British billionaire Richard Branson, who appears in images and contact materials; former Treasury Secretary and Harvard President Lawrence Summers, listed in schedules and correspondence about meetings and dinners; former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who is described as staying at Epsteins New York mansion even after his 2008 conviction; and billionaire Steve Tisch, co-owner of the New York Giants, who is included in emails in which Epstein describes arranging to provide women for him.

Others include former President Bill Clinton, Donald Trumps former advisor Steve Bannon, and a wider cast of billionaires, financiers, celebrities and officials whose names populate Epsteins contact books, flight logs and internal communications. While some of those named deny wrongdoing and claim only incidental contact, the files provide a chilling portrait of a tightly interconnected global elite orbiting Epsteins criminal enterprise.

Epstein was a financier who ran an international sex trafficking operation for decades, procuring underage girls for himself and his wealthy and powerful associates. After a 2008 conviction in Florida for procuring minors for prostitution, Epstein received a sweetheart deal orchestrated by Alex Acosta, who later served as Trumps labor secretary.

The deal allowed Epstein to serve just 15 months in a county jail with work release, despite prosecutors having identified 30 victims. According to a 2019 report by the Daily Beast, Acosta told Trump transition officials he had cut the deal because he had been told to back off, that Epstein was above his pay grade. Acosta reportedly said: I was told Epstein belonged to intelligence and to leave it alone.

Epstein was arrested again in July 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. He was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan on August 10, 2019, in what the government and the media, without any serious investigation, immediately ruled a suicide.

Despite ample evidence, none of Epsteins clients among leading politicians and business leaders have been charged, let alone convicted.

Musk, the largest single donor to Trumps 2024 campaign, appears throughout the release, with his name referenced more than 1,000 times. In November 2012, four years after Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring minors, Musk emailed him asking, What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?

In December 2013, Musk again sought to visit Epstein, writing, Will be in the BVI/St. Barts area over the holidays. Is there a good time to visit? Epstein responded, I will send heli for you. Subsequent emails between Epstein, Musk and Epsteins assistant Lesley Groff show continued coordination over travel to the island in early January 2014.

These emails contradict Musks 2019 claim to Vanity Fair that he declined repeated invitations to Epsteins island and never visited. Over the weekend, Musk denounced reporting on the emails as fake and the files themselves as a distraction.

Gates also features prominently. In a 2013 email, Epstein appeared to blackmail Gates, referencing requests to delete emails regarding Gatess sexually transmitted disease, requests for antibiotics to secretly give to Melinda Gates and explicit sexual details. Epstein suggested Gates provide him with millions of dollars and purchase a home for him. Melinda Gates later stated publicly that her divorce was due to her husbands relationship with Epstein, whom she described as evil.

Among the files are emails showing emails from billionaire Steve Tisch, co-owner of the New York Giants, seeking Epsteins help in procuring women for sexyears after Epsteins 2008 conviction. The exchanges reveal Epstein remained actively engaged in trafficking with the knowledge of elite clients. Tisch is the cousin of NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, reappointed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The files underscore the international scope of Epsteins network. Newly released photographs show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, positioned on top of a young female whose face has been redacted. In Britain, Peter Mandelson, a central architect of New Labour, resigned from a party role after it was revealed he received three payments of $25,000 from Epstein.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, crouching over an unidentified woman in the latest batch of photos released by the Justice Department as part of the Epstein files. [Photo: House Oversight Committee]

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also sought to distance himself from Epstein, claiming he cut ties in 2005 after noticing a massage table in Epsteins apartment. However, emails show Lutnick corresponding with Epstein as late as 2012, well after the conviction. In one December 2012 email, Lutnick coordinated dinner plans in the Caribbean while traveling with his family and children ranging in age from seven to 16.

These powerful individualswho run entire governments, banks and corporationsclaim they did not know what Epstein was. What nonsense, everybody knew! The sheer scale of his contacts, the extraordinary reach of his network, speaks to the character of the ruling class itself.

While documents are being released, every element is covered in deceit, including what is released and what information is redacted. In a statement released Friday evening signed by 20 of Epsteins victims, the signers wrote: This latest release of Jeffrey Epstein files is being sold as transparency, but what it actually does is expose survivors. Once again, survivors are having their names and identifying information exposed, while the men who abused us remain hidden and protected.

The more fundamental political questions remain unanswered, and if it remains in the hands of the ruling class, will remain unanswered. Epstein was not an independent operator. Whose interests was he serving? Was he working for the CIA, the Mossad, or some other intelligence agency? Acostas claim that Epstein belonged to intelligence has never been investigated.

Beyond the specific individuals involved, the Epstein scandal reveals the character of a social class. The American oligarchy has amassed its wealth through parasitism, speculation and fraud. It is, in its social being, in its mode of acquisition, a criminal class at the summit of American politics. Its fortunes are the product of financial manipulation, corporate swindling, war profiteering and the exploitation of billions of people.

The oligarchy feels itself above the law. Trump is the personification of this classbrazenly criminal, contemptuous of democratic norms, openly inciting fascist violence and plotting war. His administration views the Constitution as a worthless piece of paper, international law as irrelevant. It declares the right to murder individuals, citizen or non-citizen, with, in the words of Vice President JD Vance, absolute immunity.

The American ruling class is wallowing in political, social, legal and moral degradation. The Epstein scandal holds up a mirror to itself.
As would-be dictator Donald Trump menaces Iran with a major build-up of US military capabilities in the Middle East, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared last week that the days of the Iranian regime are numbered and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer asserted that his government supports the goal pursued by the US President. The European imperialist powers are fully complicit in preparing an imperialist war of plunder against the most populated country in the region.

The threat of a war launched by the imperialist powers against Iran, a former colonial country, is very high. The US has an aircraft carrier strike group positioned in the Middle East with more vessels on the way. Speaking in Tehran Sunday, Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, warned, They should know that if they start a war this time, it will be a regional war.

Bolstering Trumps war threats, the European Union (EU) decided last Thursday to place Irans Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) on its terror list alongside Al-Qaida, Hamas and Islamic State. The imperialist double standards are jaw-dropping, given that Berlin, Paris and Brussels have lauded the new Syrian leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former Al-Qaida leader who currently heads an authoritarian regime waging brutal military campaigns against the countrys Kurdish and Alawite minorities.

The question of who and what are defined as terrorists corresponds entirely to the aggressive ambitions of the imperialist powers. They hope through Al-Sharaa to open up Syria to European and US capital, while sidelining Iran and Russia. In the case of Iran, the European powers and Washington are pursuing the installation of a pro-Western puppet regime to facilitate the exploitation of the countrys energy reserves, guarantee the security of shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz and strengthen imperialist hegemony over the broader Middle East region.

Backed by the European powers, Washington has been trying for years to topple the bourgeois-clerical regime in Tehran through punitive economic sanctions, and covert and overt military operations. When Trump unilaterally abrogated the nuclear accord with Iran in 2018, ending sanctions relief and plunging millions into bitter poverty, the European powers collaborated with Washington. While publicly pledging their intent to maintain trading relations with Iran, including by creating a mechanism independent of US control to facilitate this, in practice the European powers refused to trade with Tehran for fear of disrupting the economic access of major European corporations to the US market.

The European imperialists gave unflinching support to Israels genocide of the Palestinians, which they and their American counterparts viewed as a step towards regime change in Tehran by destroying its regional allies. The devastation of Hamas in Gaza from October 2023 and Hezbollah in Lebanon during a months-long bombardment in 2024, as well as the repeated strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, isolated Tehran. While Israels military operations were dependent most of all on the supply of American weaponry, the European powers contributed mightily to the slaughter. Germany was the second-largest source of Israels arms imports after the US, and all European governments systematically repressed anti-genocide protests at home.

This bloody record has not stopped the representatives of European imperialism from attempting to cloak their predatory ambitions in the most humanitarian garb. If one took the statements of EU officials and foreign ministers from national governments across the continent at face value, the decision to sanction the IRGC was taken due to their outrage over the mass repression of protesters in Iran, which the Tehran regime has admitted led to some 3,000 deaths.

EU Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas intoned, When the atrocities were clear, then it was also clear that there has to be a very strong response from the European side, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot asserted that Paris was persuaded by the unwavering courage of the Iranians, who have been the target of this violence.

These spokesmen for imperialism must take the population for fools. The European powers have not so much as batted an eyelid as their provocative warmongering against Russia helped instigate and fuel a conflict that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainians in the meat grinder of eastern Ukraine. A study published last week estimated total casualties from the war at 2 million. For Brussels, Berlin and Paris, these sacrifices are justified when it is a matter of ensuring that their banks and major corporations secure their pound of flesh by plundering Ukrainian and Russian natural resources and cheap labour after the fighting stops. As French President Emmanuel Macron put it in a message to Trump, which the US President subsequently made public, the European powers and American imperialism can do great things on Iran.

The mounting rivalry between the European imperialists and their erstwhile American imperialist ally is one of the factors driving Europes aggressive push to escalate the war with Russia and promote war with Iran. Trumps attempt to exclude the Europeans from a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised fears among the European ruling class that, after investing so much in the war, they could be cut out of the profits if US capital obtains preferred access to the region. The sharp divergence in Transatlantic relations was on full display throughout January over the question of who will control Greenland, an island with substantial raw materials for exploitation and a critical geostrategic and economic location in the Arctic.

The same applies to Iran. The European powers are ever more dependent on the US for their energy supplies. After all but abandoning cheap Russian gas imports following the outbreak of the Ukraine war, American liquified natural gas (LNG) imports rose almost four-fold between 2021 and 2025, and now account for some 57 percent of the continents LNG imports. America now supplies about 27 percent of all natural gas imports, with analysts projecting that this could rise to a majority by 2030. Should the US carry out a regime change operation in Tehran without European participation, the continents dependence on Washington and US oligarchs for critical energy supplies could become even greater.

What is rapidly developing is a new redivision of the world, in which the imperialist powers scramble to gain the upper hand against their rivals for control of raw materials, markets and cheap labour in every corner of the globe. As in the 20th century, the process is leading towards world war unless the international working class intervenes on the basis of a socialist and internationalist programme to put an end to crisis-ridden capitalism, the source of imperialist war. As the International Committee of the Fourth International explained in its 1991 statement Oppose imperialist war and colonialism,

Not since the end of World War II has there been such uncertainty in international relations. The predictable channels through which international diplomacy flowed during the Cold War have been superseded by events. Old alliances are breaking down; and new ones are still in the process of formation. The struggle of the powerful transnational corporations for world domination imparts a terrific tension to international affairs...The alignment of friends and enemies may yet take a quite unexpected form. But imperialism being what it is, the clash of interests leads inevitably toward war. To believe that the imperialists will avoid such a drastic outcome because the results, given the existing technology, would be too terrible, would be a fatal political error. The fear of catastrophe does, indeed, exert some influence on the conduct of international relations. In their saner moments, the leaders of world imperialism probably realize that World War III could be the tomb of civilization. But historical experience testifies eloquently to the fact that it is the objective contradictions of imperialism, not the moral qualms or subjective fears of capitalist politicians, that decide the issue. The only force in the world that can prevent another world war is the revolutionary working class.

Processes that were predicted over 35 years ago in this statement are now out in the open. Economic and geopolitical conflicts have erupted between Washington and Europe, and among the European imperialists themselves. While Trump bases his America first policy on dominating the Western hemisphere at the exclusion of all non-hemispheric competitors under the Donroe doctrine, the European imperialists are striving for bilateral free trade agreements around the world, which are in reality agreements to secure preferential access to new markets at the expense of their rivals. The EUs recent agreement with India, for example, opens up the prospect of the continents car companies and industrial manufacturers finding a new export market for their products under conditions in which US sales have declined sharply due to Trumps tariffs. But the criss-crossing of the world with competing trade arrangements and the division of the globe into competing blocks, far from producing an equilibrium, accelerates the slide, as the 1930s demonstrated, towards world war.

Leading European politicians, like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Manfred Weber, the leader of the European Peoples Party, the largest party in the European Parliament, have openly called in recent days for the European imperialists to establish their own nuclear deterrent because the US is no longer a European ally. In a speech last week, Merz, invoking the spirit of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, declared that German imperialism must once again learn to speak the language of power politics in order to deal with the harsh wind of a world of great powers. These policies entail a frontal assault on the European working class to take back all of the concessions the ruling elites were forced to make in the post-war period, a process which is already well underway.

Workers in Europe must oppose the looming war against Iran and the resurgence of inter-imperialist antagonisms by building an anti-war movement with American workers in struggle against capitalist exploitation and barbarism. The ruling elites on both sides of the Atlantic want the working class to bear the exploding costs for militarism and war budgets through the destruction of worker rights, mass layoffs and the expansion of precarious, low-paid jobs and public spending austerity. The working-class response must link the defence of jobs and social rights with opposition to all imperialist wars of plunder. Workers have no interest in lining up behind one gang of imperialist exploiters against another, but must forge international class unity on the basis of a revolutionary socialist programme.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that if Tehran fails to strike a nuclear deal with Washington, "we will find out" whether Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was right to warn that a U.S. attack could ignite a regional war.

Khamenei said at a meeting in Tehran earlier on Sunday that if the United States starts a war against Iran, "it will be a regional war." 
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in the United States on Saturday hosted a China-U.S. Youth Spring Festival Gala, bringing together more than 500 young people to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

During the event, U.S. teachers and students who had previously visited China for exchange and study shared their experiences and stories from their travels in the country.

Annabelle Baker, a student at Orem High School in Utah, recalled her trip to China with her family last June, including a high-speed train journey from Beijing to Zhengzhou. "It was so cool. I've never seen anything like it," she said.

Annabelle told Xinhua that what impressed her most during her trip to China was the people. "I loved having conversations with the locals, and everyone was so kind and forgiving. I tried to speak to them in Chinese as much as possible. And even though my Chinese isn't perfect, they were really fun to talk to and really forgiving with my Chinese," she said.

At the event, young people from both countries explored a temple fair together, admired Suzhou embroidery, made glutinous rice balls (Tang Yuan) and sugar paintings, tried on Hanfu -- traditional Chinese clothing -- and performed together.

"Under our leaders' guidance, China-U.S. youth exchanges have gone from strength to strength, steadily injecting fresh vigor into bilateral relations," Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the United States, said in a speech.

Xie noted that over the past year, Chinese and U.S. youths have learned from each other, and moved forward hand in hand, reached out to each other, strived to be envoys of goodwill and collaborated on innovation, collectively "driving the change of our times."

"We look forward to removing obstacles to interactions with resolve," Xie said. "We call on the U.S. side to earnestly implement our Presidents' consensus, view and handle China-U.S. relations with a long-term perspective, build bridges instead of barriers, and encourage, rather than hinder, our youths' interactions, learning and research."

Xie noted that China looks forward to boosting exchanges with courage and supports visionary Americans in speaking up and acting with a sense of responsibility for the future, overcoming the chilling effect and disruptions to infuse more hope and vitality into bilateral relations.

"We warmly welcome more young Americans to take part in the '50,000 in five years' initiative -- to visit China for exchanges, tours and further studies, see China for yourselves, and make every moment of your youth count," Xie said.

Sean Stein, president of the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC), said in his remarks that talent exchanges are crucial to companies in both China and the United States, and professionals with cross-cultural working capabilities are valuable resources for both countries.

"So the USCBC and the American business community, we are committed to working hand in hand with the Chinese government and other partners across the public and private sectors to create more opportunities for youth and students to learn, connect and grow," said Stein. 
NEED TO KNOW

A comedy club in Minnesota canceled six shows featuring comedian Ben Bankas, who later reacted to the cancellations

The cancellations come after video surfaced of Bankas mocking Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent on Jan. 7

The owner of the club told PEOPLE he made the decision to cancel the shows amid safety concerns for guests and staff

A comedy club in Minnesota canceled six sold-out shows featuring comedian Ben Bankas over jokes he made about the late Renee Good.

The cancellations come after Bankas shared a clip from a show in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., several days after Good, a mom of three, was fatally shot by an ICE agent on Jan. 7.

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In the video, shared to Instagram on Jan. 13, Bankas says, Her last name was Good. Thats what I said after they shot her, while also referring to Goods wife as a dog and calling Good retarded.

The video has been viewed over eight million times as of Jan. 31.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Bill Collins, owner of Laugh Camp Comedy Club in St. Paul, explained that he canceled Bankas shows over safety concerns for audiences and staff.

After discussions with, and concern from, public authorities, legal counsel and staff, combined with heightened threats, increasing media attention and civil disorder we have determined the risks and related liabilities cannot be overcome, Collins said in an email to PEOPLE regarding his decision to cancel the shows.

Ben Bankas Ben Bankas/X

The club owner added, A small club like ours does not have the needed resources to mitigate current risks. We are obligated to place the highest priority on the safety of our guests, staff and talent and we are left with no option but to cancel.

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After viewing Bankas video, a number of St. Paul locals said they were prepared to protest at Bankass upcoming performances, which were scheduled between Jan. 30 and Feb 1, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.

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It was at this juncture that Collins said he canceled the shows.

The risks to our community, staff and guests are too great, Collins, who has run the club since 2007, said while speaking to the outlet. He additionally said that the decision could cost him about $17,000.

Renee Good Knot & Anchor Photography

Collins also told the Tribune that Creative Artist Agency (CAA), who currently represents the comedian, is insisting that the club fully compensate Bankas for the canceled shows due to the fact that he was willing to perform. He also told the outlet that CAA will not allow any of its other clients to perform at the club until the matter is fully resolved.

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CAA did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

Bankas addressed the canceled shows in a video shared on Instagram on Thursday, Jan. 29.

In the clip, he tells an audience, I just found out that my shows were canceled in Minnesota, which elicited loud boos from the audience.

F-ck em, he added, seemingly referring to Laugh Camp Comedy Club.

He additionally said that he is working on new venue and dates for the fine people of Minnesota, in the posts caption.

Bankas, who was born in Toronto and now lives in Austin, hosts YouTube's The Tanakas Show, which "reaches more than 10,000 monthly listeners" and has been featured on InfoWars and Fox News, according to his website.

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The cancellations come amid a flood of civil unrest in Minnesota following the deaths of both Good and ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by federal agents on Jan. 24.

Thousands of residents in the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis have since taken to the streets to protest the presence of ICE in their state.

A National Day of Action  also dubbed ICE Out of Everywhere National Day of Action  took place on Friday, Jan. 30.

Strike organizers urged people all across the country to take off from work and refrain from shopping in order to stop funding ICE, in addition to nation-wide protest, per their website.

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Credit: Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images

Queen Mary may be a regular fixture in Denmark in 2026, but King Frederick's wife was actually born in Hobart in Tasmania, Australia, on February 5, 1972. As a result, royal fans were delighted to discover that Mary will be returning to her homeland next month on an official Danish state visit.

Announcing the news in an Instagram post, the Danish royal family's official account revealed, "Their Majesties The King and Queen will undertake a state visit to Australia from March 14 to March 19, 2026. The Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Minister for Climate Energy, and Utilities will accompany The King and Queen along with a large business delegation."

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"Love our Aussie girl," one commenter wrote on Instagram. "Such a beautiful human." Another fan wrote, "Hooray, Mary is coming home!! It will be wonderful to have her here." Someone else concurred, writing, "Welcome home Queen Mary. You know we love you here in Australia."

Prior to their marriage, Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark attended the Melbourne Cup 2002 in Australia. | Credit: Regis Martin/Getty Images

Mary and Frederick actually had a remarkably normal meet-cute, despite one of them being Danish royalty. As reported by People, "Mary Donaldson was an Australian advertising executive when she found herself chatting to Prince Frederik, although he introduced himself simply as 'Fred,' at the Slip Inn on Sydney's Darling Harbor in September 2000." At the time, Frederick was in Australia to attend the Olympics, making their chance meeting kismet.

The couple seemingly had an instant connection, and their romance reportedly grew following a long-distance relationship. On May 14, 2004, Mary married Frederick, then just a prince, at Copenhagen Cathedral in Denmark.

Prince Frederik of Denmark poses with his Australian girlfriend, Mary Donaldson, at the Tasmania Yacht Club ahead of the Dragon Boat World Championship on January 19, 2003. | Credit: Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images

"So happy to hear that you are coming to Australia," yet another royal fan commented on the Danish royal family's Instagram post. "From another Aussie gal that married a Dane (although not the royal kind)."

Basically, it seems as though Queen Mary will receive a warm welcome upon her return to Australia in March.
NEED TO KNOW

New files released by the Department of Justice show ex-Prince Andrew sent Jeffrey Epstein Christmas cards that included photos of his daughters

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were pictured in the 2011 and 2012 holiday cards, when they were in their early 20s

Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, also allegedly wrote about Eugenie "shagging" in another email to Epstein

A new trove of evidence related to the late Jeffrey Epstein was released on Jan. 30, detailing shocking allegations against some of the world's most powerful, including the former Prince Andrew.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 65, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, 66, faced public fallout from their relationship with Epstein, and the latest files released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that an alleged correspondence included photos of his young daughters, Princess Beatrice, now 37, and Princess Eugenie, now 35.

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Andrew sent Epstein his family Christmas cards in 2011 and 2012, each of which included photos of the princesses, who were in their early 20s at the time. The 2011 card featured a picture of the sisters together alongside a photo of Andrew boating and images of their royal residences blanketed in snow.

Ex-Prince Andrew's family holiday card reportedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2011 US Department of Justice

The next year's card featured a shot of each member of the family embarking on a solo adventure. Beatrice struck a post while hiking Mont Blanc, while Eugenie was snapped taking part in a charity bike ride.

The correspondence came after Epstein was convicted in a Florida state court after being charged with one count each of soliciting a minor for prostitution and soliciting prostitution in 2008, when he served 13 months in jail with an extensive work release.

It also came after the date when Andrew claimed to have cut off all contact with Epstein, as the former prince said in his infamous 2019 interview with the BBC that he stopped corresponding with Epstein in 2010.

Ex-Prince Andrew's family holiday card reportedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2012 US Department of Justice

Elsewhere in the latest Epstein release, another email, reportedly from Sarah, featured a vulgar mention of her younger daughter. When Epstein asked about a possible trip to New York, Sarah allegedly replied. Not sure yet. Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a shagging weekend!!

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At the time, Eugenie was just two days shy of her 20th birthday. She was spending time with her then-boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, to mark the occasion, per The Mirror.



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This latest evidence drop isn't the first time Beatrice and Eugenie have been named in connection to their parents' relationship with Epstein.

In October 2025, The Daily Mail published a new report detailing a 2011 email from Epstein to his lawyer, Paul Tweed, in which he claimed that Sarah brought her daughters to visit him following his release from jail in the summer of 2009. Beatrice and Eugenie would have been 20 and 19 years old, respectively, at the time.

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The disgraced billionaire wrote in his email to Tweed that the former Duchess of York "was the first to celebrate my release with her two daughters in tow."

A source at the time told PEOPLE that Beatrice and Eugenie never met Epstein. The Telegraph also reported that a source close to Sarah said the mother and daughters have no recollection of such a visit.

While Andrew was stripped of his royal titles and honors by his brother King Charles last year amid renewed criticism over his ties to Epstein, Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Over the weekend, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer suggested that Andrew testify before Congress in the United States in relation to his ties to Epstein.

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"In terms of testifying, I have always said anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information," Starmer, 63, told reporters, per the BBC. "You can't be victim-centred if you're not prepared to do that. Epstein's victims have to be the first priority."

Read the original article on People


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As he continues his battle with cancer, King Charles III is supporting others going through the same difficult experience.

The monarch made a surprise appearance at the Sandringham Parkrun in Norfolk this past Saturday, where he stood on the sidelines, amongst the trees, cheering on people as they ran to the finish line for a good cause. The charity run was organized in partnership with the Move Against Cancer Foundation, and the route took joggers through part of the kings country estate in Sandringham.

Aaron Chown - PA Images - Getty Images

Charles was all smiles as he waved to runners, looking casual in a beige coat and pants, plus brown suede outdoor shoes. A volunteer next to him was pictured holding up a sign that read, Yes!!! That really was His Majesty the King on your first lap.

Aaron Chown - PA Images - Getty Images

The run came ahead of World Cancer Day, which falls on February 4. It takes place on the last Saturday of every month, across spaces in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and encourages anyone impacted by cancer to walk, jog, run, cheer, or volunteer.

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Charles also attended the event last year, and even joined runners for post-run cake and coffee.

Aaron Chown - PA Images - Getty Images

The king has been receiving treatment for a form of cancer since early 2024, when he announced his diagnosis.

Aaron Chown - PA Images - Getty Images

In a televised message in December, Charles shared the good news that his cancer treatment is set to be reduced in the new year as a result of early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctors orders. He called the milestone a a personal blessing and credited the the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years for his recovery.

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Out journalist Don Lemon was released without bail Friday after a federal court hearing in Los Angeles, as Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, sharply criticized the Justice Departments case against him and warned that the prosecution marks a dangerous escalation in the Trump administrations confrontation with the press.

Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse Friday, Bass said Lemon should never have been charged, arguing that the conduct prosecutors described amounted to routine newsgathering, not a crime. He should not have been in court anyway, she said, adding that what she heard during the proceedings made no sense at all.

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Lemon, a long-time CNN anchor, was freed on his own recognizance, with the court declining to impose bail or pretrial detention. Prosecutors had sought restrictions that would have limited where Lemon could travel while the case proceeds, Bass said.

Related: Journalist Don Lemon arrested by federal agents after his coverage of Minneapolis protests



Related: White House celebrates Don Lemons arrest with meme, as press freedom groups and Dems outraged

The hearing came as newly unsealed federal court records laid out the governments theory that Lemons reporting crossed into criminal conduct during a January 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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According to a federal indictment returned by a grand jury in Minnesota, prosecutors allege Lemon was aware in advance of a planned operation to disrupt a worship service and took steps while livestreaming to avoid disclosing the target publicly. The indictment claims Lemon acknowledged before entering the church that he could not reveal whats going on, and later stated during the protest that the whole point was to disrupt the service. Journalists are routinely made aware of events they dont report on in advance.

Prosecutors further allege Lemon positioned himself inside the church in ways that obstructed congregants movement, confronted worshippers attempting to leave, and stood in close proximity to the pastor after being asked to depart, contributing to what the government characterizes as intimidation and interference with religious worship.

Bass rejected that description, saying the allegations describe the work of a reporter covering a contentious public event. From my perspective  a lay persons perspective  what they described as his crime was the work of a reporter, she said.

In a statement to The Advocate issued early Friday morning, Lemons attorney, Abbe Lowell, said his arrest represented an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and a dangerous effort to criminalize journalism.

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Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done, Lowell said. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. Lowell accused the Trump Justice Department of prioritizing Lemons arrest over investigating federal agents who killed two peaceful protesters in Minnesota earlier this month, calling that choice the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case.

Related: Pam Bondi's mad after judge rejects charging Don Lemon over his Minnesota church reporting

Related: DOJ threats against Don Lemon worry press freedom groups

The mayor also condemned prosecutors efforts to restrict Lemons travel, noting that such limits would effectively ground a journalist whose work requires national movement. She said she would have been embarrassed by a court proceeding that attempted to confine a reporter to a narrow geographic corridor.

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Bass said the case was part of a broader erosion of civil liberties, warning that journalists are increasingly being treated as targets rather than watchdogs. With the nation approaching the 250th anniversary of its founding, she said, the stakes could not be higher.

As Lemon appeared before a judge, supporters organized by the Human Rights Campaign and other groups, including actress Jane Fonda, rallied outside the federal courthouse, holding signs in solidarity with journalists.

This assault on our democracy has got to end, Bass said, pledging to stand with journalists whose reporting, she argued, is being reframed as criminal conduct.

This article originally appeared on Advocate: Los Angeles mayor blasts DOJs Don Lemon prosecution after judge frees journalist without bail

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Authorities are investigating alleged ransom notes in the disappearance of US news anchor Savannah Guthrie's mother, the sheriff's office said.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department said it was "aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s)" and were "taking all tips and leads very seriously".

The BBC's US partner, CBS News, reported that a note was sent to KOLD-TV, its affiliate in Arizona. The sheriff's department did not confirm if the notes were authentic.

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Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen near her home near Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday. Investigators said they believe she was taken against her will.

[Getty Images]

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said the FBI had reviewed the note and shared it with Savannah Guthrie, who is an NBC presenter.

"It's like any piece of evidence," Nanos told CBS. "You give it to us, you give us a lead, we're going to look at every aspect of that lead."

When asked at a news conference earlier on Tuesday if investigators were searching for someone still alive, given that Nancy Guthrie has been without needed medication for days, Nanos said: "We hope we are."

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He did not provide a possible motive and also said investigators had not been able to access footage from the home's surveillance cameras.

Nanos told the briefing his department was working with technology companies to try to view footage from Saturday night, after family members dropped off Nancy Guthrie at home, around 21:30 local time.

Members of her church called her family when she did not attend Sunday services, around 11:00 the next day.

When authorities arrived at Nancy Guthrie's property, the scene there caused "grave concern", Nanos has said.

While there was no initial indication she could have been targeted because of her name, the sheriff has said "we can't dismiss that".

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"We do believe that Nancy was taken from her home against her will. And that's where we're at," Nanos told reporters on Tuesday.

He asked the public to call in with leads or tips, saying investigators would follow through on each one.

Police found blood in Nancy Guthrie's home and are testing it to determine whose it is, CBS reported.

Nanos said: "I'm not saying saying there's blood inside that house or outside that house."

Physical evidence samples, such as fingerprints or DNA, have been submitted for analysis, but so far none of the lab's findings "would tell us 'this is who did this'", Nanos said.

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Customs and Border Protection are providing tracking dogs, said Nanos.

On Monday evening, Savannah Guthrie said on social media: "We believe in prayer. we believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. we believe in goodness. we believe in humanity. above all, we believe in Him.

"Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant."

Nancy Guthrie has been described as "not in good physical health", but has no reported cognitive issues, according to Nanos.

In an earlier news conference, the sheriff said homicide detectives were called to the scene, which he said was not standard protocol in a missing person case.

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Savannah Guthrie, who hosts the Today show, has not been on air this week.

She had been due to co-host the Winter Olympics opening ceremony for NBC on Friday, but will no longer take part in coverage to focus on being with her family, a spokesperson for NBC said.

"Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother," NBC said.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he planned to call Savannah Guthrie later and that he would be willing to commit more federal agents to help with the investigation.

"I think it's a terrible thing," he said at a White House event.

"I always get along very good with Savannah," he added. "Very unusual situation."
Sarah Ferguson visited Jeffrey Epstein just five days after he was released from prison for child sex crimes and took Beatrice and Eugenie with her, newly released emails suggest.

The former Duchess of York apparently waited less than a week to see the paedophile, who was under house arrest after serving 12 months in a Florida jail for soliciting a child for prostitution.

Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice would have been 19 and 20 at the time.

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Epstein emailed Ghislaine Maxwell, his ex-girlfriend who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, on July 28, 2009, and said: ferg and the two girls come [sic] yesterday.

b'

'

Epstein had referenced Ms Fergusons visit in emails released in October. Writing to British lawyer Paul Tweed on April 7, 2011, Epstein spoke of his frustration with Sarah and her failure to defend him publicly.

He said: She was the first to celebrate my release with her two daughters in tow. She visited me with [a] policeman sitting at my front desk. She has asked for help with her charities, according to the Mail on Sunday.

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In an email sent on July 27, 2009, the day of the visit, Ms Ferguson wrote to Epstein: What address shall we come to. It will be myself, Beatrice and Eugenie. Are we having lunch?

Emails show the paedophile served vegetable lasagne made by a Parisian chef at his Palm Beach mansion during the meeting.

Other emails seen by The Telegraph, part of the three million made public by the US justice department on Friday, appear to show Epstein arranging for Eugenie and Beatrice to get together with his goddaughter Celina Dubin and her mother Eva, the wife of billionaire hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin.

On June 22, 2009, while he was still in prison but allowed to work at a nearby office during the daytime, Epstein messaged Ms Ferguson and Mrs Dubin.

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He wrote: My goddaughter will be in London from July 8-9, eva will be with her.lets [sic] come up with a fun idea.

A picture of Sarah Ferguson included in the Epstein files sat next to a woman whose identity is redacted - Handout

Ms Ferguson and her ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were friends with Epstein for more than a decade.

On Monday night, her charity, Sarahs Trust, announced it would close for the foreseeable future in light of the further revelations about her friendship with Epstein.

In a separate email in 2010, Ms Ferguson told the late financier: Just marry me. She called him a legend and said he was the brother I have always wished for.

Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in prison in June 2008 after pleading guilty to one count of prostitution and another of soliciting an under-18-year-old for prostitution.

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He was released five months early on July 22, 2009. Under the terms of his release Epstein was required to register as a sex offender.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor seen out riding on Monday, after the release of three million files - Toby Melville

For the following 12 months, he was placed under house arrest but was allowed to move around his properties in New York, Florida and other locations.

In another message, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to congratulate Epstein on his release from house arrest in July 2010.

In a message dated July 24 2010, Epstein wrote: I will be in paris [sic] starting tomorrow, to which Mr Mountbatten-Windsor replied Congratulations! DS told me you were allowed out from yesterday.

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How long in Paris for? I am back in London from the 16th. A.

Epstein replied to say he was flush with cash and would be in Paris for a while. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor responded: Really, really good news.

In another message to Ms Ferguson on July 8 that year, Epstein said: Will you see them before they leave. Not urgent just curious they met beatrice and said she was terrific.

Epstein also appears to have arranged accommodation for Ms Ferguson during one of her trips to New York.

Writing on Sept 7, 2009, Epstein told Ms Ferguson and one other person, likely one of his schedulers: Please organize at least one apt for sarah ferguson, she might need one for staff as well.

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The visit appears to have gone ahead as on Dec 4 that year, Epstein told Ms Ferguson: call me when you get a chance great seeing you.

Epstein and an unknown woman eat ice cream

It is unclear where Ms Ferguson could have stayed. Epstein often put his friends up at an apartment block on the Upper East Side of Manhattan owned by his brother, Mark.

Reached by phone, Mark Epstein said he had no recollection if Ms Ferguson ever stayed there.

In March 2011, Ms Ferguson admitted borrowing 15,000 from Epstein.

In an interview with the Evening Standard, she said she made a terrible, terrible error of judgment and said I abhor paedophilia.

However, emails show that Ms Ferguson repeatedly turned to Epstein for help as her business ventures failed.

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In one message from 2009, she told him: I urgently need 20,000 for rent today. The landlord has threatened to go to the newspapers if I dont pay. Any brainwaves?

A spokesman for Sarahs Trust said on Monday evening: Our chair, Sarah Ferguson, and the board of trustees have agreed that, with regret, the charity will shortly close for the foreseeable future.

This has been under discussion and in train for some months. We remain extremely proud of the work of the trust over recent years.

We have partnered with over 60 other charities in over 20 countries, providing education, healthcare, crisis response and environmental projects.

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We delivered over 150,000 aid parcels during the Covid pandemic, provided medical aid and training for those affected by the war in Ukraine and delivered education for over 200 children in Ghana.

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.
NEED TO KNOW

Savannah Guthrie's mom, Nancy, has been reported missing

The 84-year-old was last seen near her home in Catalina Foothills, north of Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday, Jan. 31

Nancy is described as a "vulnerable adult" by the Pima County Sheriffs Department

Authorities in Arizona are asking for the publics assistance in locating Savannah Guthries elderly mother.

On Sunday, Feb. 1, the Pima County Sheriffs Department (PCSD) launched an urgent search for Nancy Guthrie following her disappearance on Saturday, Jan. 31. The vulnerable adult, 84, was last seen at her residence near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue at around 9:30 p.m. local time.

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The PCSD describes Nancy, 84, as a female with brown hair and blue eyes. She is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs around 150 lbs. It is currently unknown what clothes she was wearing at the time of her disappearance.

Savannah Guthrie; Nancy Guthrie Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty; Pima County Sheriff's Department/X

In a press conference on Sunday, Sheriff Chris Nanos revealed that the search-and-rescue mission is underway amid a concerning scene at Nancys house after family called 911 around noon to report her missing.

We get these calls quite often, and we do a good job of searching the area, he said. But, this one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we found and located just in looking at the scene.

Nancy Guthrie Pima County Sheriff's Department/X

Nanos added that the mother of the Today show co-anchor is considered "not in good physical health" and may have been exposed to cold weather all night.

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She has no cognitive issues at all, he clarified. Just some physical ailments that limit her ability to move around.

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A spokesperson for Today said in a statement to PEOPLE, "We can confirm this is a missing persons case, and the family is working closely with local law enforcement. If anyone has any information, please contact the Pima County Sheriffs Department at 520-351-4900. The family is grateful for the outreach, thoughts and prayers."

Savannah and Nancy Guthrie Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

In an attempt to locate Nancy, Nanos said authorities are using airplanes, drones, helicopters and search-and-rescue dogs on loan from Border Patrol. The possibility of foul play has not been ruled out, with homicide detectives reportedly also involved in the investigation despite a body not having been found.

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I hope we find her safe and sound, but we cant ignore whats in front of us," said Nanos.

Nancy made a guest appearance on the Today show in November 2025, when Savannah, 54, returned to her hometown.

Back in 2023, Savannah spoke about her mom in a segment on the show titled "Lessons Learned from Moms," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Savannah Guthrie has not yet spoken publicly about her mother's disappearance.

A representative for the Pima County Sheriffs Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for further information.

Read the original article on People
Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "TODAY" show anchor Savannah Guthrie, has been reported missing in Arizona, officials said late Feb. 1.

At around noon local time on Sunday, Feb. 1, the Pima County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call reporting Nancy Guthrie, 84, missing from her home outside Tucson, Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a news conference.

"Ms. Guthrie is 84 years old and is not of good physical health and so naturally we have some great concerns," Nanos said. "The scene at the house also has some concerns for us as well."

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Nanos said at a news conference on Feb. 2 that officials suspect a crime occurred in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.

Savannah Guthrie has been a main coanchor of NBCs "Today" show since 2012. The "Today" show cohost returned to Studio 1A Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, after taking a lengthy hiatus to undergo vocal cord surgery. Look back at her career on TV. Before she joined "Today," Guthrie was a Court TV correspondent. Here, she attends Lucky Magazine's VIP preview to benefit the Robin Hood Foundation at Gotham Hall on Nov. 18, 2004, in New York City. Savannah Guthrie attends NBC's "Today" at Rockefeller Plaza on Nov. 20, 2012, in New York City. Savannah Guthrie speaks with Jon Bon Jovi at the SiriusXM studios on Feb. 4, 2013, in New York City. Katie Couric and Savannah Guthrie attend the Yahoo News/ABC News White House Correspondents' dinner reception pre-party at Washington Hilton on May 3, 2014, in Washington, D.C. Former first lady Laura Bush and journalist Savannah Guthrie speak on stage at Mother/Daughter Dynasty: Two Generations of the Bush Family during Tina Brown's 7th annual Women in the World Summit at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on April 7, 2016, in New York City. Hosts Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie talk with singer Celine Dion on NBC's "Today" show at Rockefeller Plaza on July 22, 2016, in New York City. Jack Sock, Kevin Anderson, broadcaster Savannah Guthrie, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic pose prior to their men's doubles match on day one of the 2018 Laver Cup at the United Center on Sept. 21, 2018, in Chicago. Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and former first lady Michelle Obama on stage during NBC's "Today" celebration of the International Day of the Girl at Rockefeller Plaza on Oct. 11, 2018, in New York City. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during an NBC News town hall event moderated by Savannah Guthrie at the Perez Art Museum in Miami on Oct. 15, 2020. From left: Jessica Capshaw, Savannah Guthrie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Griffin and Gucci Westman attend A Dreamy Evening with Goopglow on July 18, 2022, in East Hampton, N.Y. "Today" show cohosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on Jan. 4, 2023, in New York City. Savannah Guthrie and her husband Michael Feldman attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 12, 2023, in Beverly Hills, California. Savannah Guthrie speaks with Scarlett Johansson on "Today" Nov. 13, 2023. Hoda Kotb, left, and Savannah Guthrie attend their panel discussion, Reflections on Faith, at 92NY on Feb. 22, 2024, in New York City. Savannah Guthrie and Michael Feldman attend A Celebration of Olympic Basketball with their children at Team USA House, Palais Brongniart on Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris. Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin on "Today," Jan. 22, 2025. From left: Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Willie Geist, Laura Jarrett and Dylan Dreyer attend "SNL50: The Homecoming Concert" at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 14, 2025, in New York City. Savannah Guthrie and Millie Bobby Brown on "Today," March 11, 2025. See memorable moments from 'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie's career 1 of 19 Savannah Guthrie has been a main coanchor of NBCs "Today" show since 2012. The "Today" show cohost returned to Studio 1A Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, after taking a lengthy hiatus to undergo vocal cord surgery. Look back at her career on TV.

"We believe now, after we've processed that crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime," Nanos said.

LIVE UPDATES: Savannah Guthrie speaks out on missing mom, investigation continues

He also said there are indications that the 84-year-old did not leave her home on her own.

According to a missing persons flyer, Nancy Guthrie is 5'5" and about 150 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information should contact the Pima County Sheriff's Office at (520) 351-4900.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing in Arizona on Feb. 1.

The sheriff asked for the community's help in searching for Nancy Guthrie, as she is without her required daily medication.

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"This is a 84-year-old lady who suffers from some physical ailments, has some physical challenges, is in need of medication  medication that if she does not have, it could be fatal," Nanos said.

Tom Winter, national law enforcement and intelligence correspondent for NBC, appeared on Monday's "TODAY" broadcast, sharing that authorities "were able to get out helicopters (Sunday) night that use infrared cameras" for their search. "Theyve got drones up. Theyve enlisted the help of the Customs and Border Protection The FBIs also aware of this case as well.

More: Savannah Guthrie absent from 'Today' while 'dear mom' Nancy is missing

Savannah Guthrie has previously spoken about her relationship with her mom

In a statement, the "TODAY" show told USA TODAY that Guthrie's family is "grateful for the outreach, thoughts and prayers."

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"We can confirm this is a missing persons case, and the family is working closely with local law enforcement," the statement said.

Savannah Guthrie, who has been open about her close relationship with her mother over the years on the "TODAY" show, thanked supporters in a statement.

"On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support," she said. "Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department at (520) 351-4900."

Nancy Guthrie, who has appeared on the "TODAY" show several times over the years, is a single mom to Savannah Guthrie and her sister. Their father died of a heart attack when Savannah Guthrie was sixteen years old.

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"She has met unthinkable challenges in her life with grit, without self-pity, with determination, and always, always with unshakeable faith," Savannah Guthrie said in a tribute on her mother's 80th birthday in 2022.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This story has been updated with additional information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nancy Guthrie, mother of Savannah Guthrie, reported missing
KABUL, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Police have detained a gang of kidnappers and rescued two abductees from their clutches in the Sangin district of southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, provincial police spokesman Mullah Ezatullah Haqqani said Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided the kidnappers' hideout in Sangin district and freed the hostages, the official said, adding that five kidnappers were arrested on the spot and an assault rifle was seized.

The official stated that the kidnappers had been demanding a ransom of 10 million afghanis (approximately 152,000 U.S. dollars) for the release of the captives.

Although security has been restored in post-war Afghanistan and people are living in a peaceful environment, criminal elements in the poverty-stricken country still attempt to target members of affluent families for kidnapping and ransom. 
Nancy Guthrie, 84, mother of TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie, was taken from her home against her will, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

Monday afternoon, the Pima County Sheriff's office said they believe she was taken from her home, possibly at night and investigators are not ruling out a possible kidnapping or abduction.

>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.

The department said that Guthrie was last seen Saturday night around 9:30 p.m. at her home near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue.

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VERSION EN ESPANOL: Circunstancias 'sospechosas' en la desaparicion de su residencia de Arizona de la madre de Savannah Guthrie

In a press conference Sunday night, Sheriff Nanos confirmed search and rescue teams are out searching for Guthrie. Deputies have also contacted local hospitals, but none in the area have seen her.

The sheriff confirmed in the press conference that homicide detectives are investigating the scene, as well, and there were some "concerning" things observed at the home to suggest Nancy didn't leave on her own.

PCSD officials declined to elaborate on what's been observed at Nancy's home, but the agency said there are some "suspicious circumstances."

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Nancy's wallet, car and cell phone were all found at her residence, officials said.

While it is unknown if foul play is a factor in her disappearance, Nanos said the department is not ruling it out at this time.

"I don't need to tell you, this is very concerning to us," Nanos said. "We don't typically get the sheriffs out at a scene like this."

Guthrie's family was alerted on Feb. 1 after Nancy had failed to show up for a church event. Family went to Nancy's home and discovered she was not there.

Guthrie is 5-foot-5 and weighs 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. There are no known mental or cognitive impairments.

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Sheriff Nanos said Nancy Guthrie has some physical ailments and requires medication but emphasized that Nancy is of "sound mind."

It is unknown what she was wearing at the time of her disappearance.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety has issued a "Safe Alert" for the missing woman.

>> This story will be updated as additional information becomes available. Stay with 12News for the latest.

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Julia Roberts sister-in-law once claimed that disgraced actor Timothy Busfield allegedly sexually harassed and humiliated her, according to a recently unearthed deposition.

Eliza Roberts made the claims in a deposition she voluntarily submitted in 1994 after a 17-year-old girl from Minnesota accused Busfield of sexually harassing her on the set of Little Big League the year prior, The Daily Mail reported Sunday.

In her deposition, obtained by the Mail, Roberts, 73, testified that Busfield, 68, was a creep who compulsively chased after women.

Eliza Roberts accused Timothy Busfield of sexually harassing her in a deposition submitted in 1994. A24 via Getty Images

Roberts, the wife of Julias brother Eric, offered her sworn statement along with five other unidentified women in support of the teens lawsuit, which was settled out of court for an unknown sum in July 1995, the outlet reported.

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She claimed that five years earlier, Busfield allegedly tried to cajole her into having sex, pompously insisting he would be so great in bed for her while complaining that his then-wife was a lousy fk, according to the court document obtained by the Mail.

Busfield and Jenny Merwin wed in 1988. He divorced from actress Radha Delamarter in 1986.

Three of the other women who submitted statements, also obtained by the Mail, were involved in the production of Little Big League.

Roberts claimed that Busfield persistently offered her oral sex. BACKGRID

Two of them testified that Busfield hit on them in bars in a persistent, unsettling and aggressively sexual manner, according to the report.

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Roberts, an actress, casting director and talent manager, was around 41 at the time of her deposition. The exact ages of the other women were unclear.

No criminal charges were filed in the 1994 case.

Busfield vanished in early January after he was slapped with child sex abuse charges. A year-long investigation by authorities in New Mexico revealed that Busfield allegedly groomed child actors on the Fox series The Cleaning Lady in 2024.

Busfield faces child sex abuse charges linked to his alleged behavior with two twin child actors on set for The Cleaning Lady. AP

When the West Wing alum was questioned by an officer, he allegedly admitted it was highly likely that he would have had physical contact with the 11-year-old twin boys at the center of a criminal misconduct investigation against him.

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Busfield then allegedly tried to cover his tracks and added that the set was an inherently playful environment, according to his arrest warrant.

One of the boys said he was very afraid of Busfield on the set of the Fox show in 2024, and hadnt told anyone at the time, because Tim was the director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him, according to the warrant.

Busfield faces two counts of criminal misconduct against a minor and one count of child abuse. via REUTERS

Busfield surrendered to police at his upstate New York home on Jan. 13.

He faces two counts of criminal misconduct against a minor  one for each twin  and one count of child abuse.

Busfield has denied wrongdoing.

On Jan. 14, Busfield was also publicly accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl at the B Street Theatre, which the actor founded in Sacramento, California. He has not been charged in connection with the alleged abuse against the 16-year-old in California.
Authorities in Arizona are investigating a concerning scene at the home of Today show host Savannah Guthries mother, who was reported missing Sunday, and are treating her disappearance as a crime.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen near her residence on East Skyline Drive in Catalina Foothills, Arizona, on the evening of Jan. 31, according to a bulletin issued by the Pima County Sheriffs office.

This one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we located just looking at the scene, Sheriff Chris Nanos said. He was not ruling out foul play. We believe now, after weve processed that crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime.

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Nanos did not specify what led investigators to believe a crime had occurred, other than to say that Nancy Guthrie had physical challenges that led them to believe she didnt leave the house on her own.

She couldnt walk 50 yards on her own, he said.

Guthrie does not have memory issues, he added.

Nancy Guthrie is of great sound mind, Nanos said. She is as sharp as a tack.

Nanos told reporters the sheriffs office conducted a search and rescue operation overnight, but shut it down on Monday. Search and rescue teams were set to go door to door with criminal investigators, the sheriff said.

Searchers were using drones and search dogs to look for Guthrie, Nanos said. Search and rescue teams were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol and the homicide team was also involved, he said. It is not standard for the homicide team to get involved in such cases, Nanos said.

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Nanos urged anyone who lived in the neighborhood to go through their own security cameras. Anyone who might see Nancy Guthrie is urged to call 911, he said.

Savannah Guthrie issued a statement on Monday, NBCs Today show reported.

On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support, she said. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy.

Today opened Mondays show with the disappearance of the co-anchors mother, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchors desk. Nanos said during the Monday news conference that Savannah Guthrie is in Arizona.

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Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

The 84-year-old mother of NBCs TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie has been reported missing in Arizona as law enforcement drones and K-9 teams join a desperate search.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen late Saturday evening at her home outside Tucson, according to local authorities. Her family reported her missing around noon Sunday, said Chris Nanos, the Pima County sheriff.

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Nanos told reporters that what deputies encountered at the property immediately raised alarms. Homicide detectives were called in to process the home, NBC News reported, a step the sheriff acknowledged is not standard in missing persons cases, adding that foul play could not be ruled out at this stage.

This one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we found and located just in looking at the scene, he said, adding that investigators felt grave concern. He declined to specify what evidence triggered that assessment.

There are some things there that are concerning to us, we just dont want to miss anything, Nanos told a local NBC affiliate KVOA.

The Guthrie family confirmed the investigation in a brief statement to the network, saying: We can confirm this is a missing persons case, and the family is working closely with local law enforcement. They also thanked the public for the outreach, thoughts and prayers and urged anyone with information to contact authorities.

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Nancy Guthrie is described as 5 ft., 5 in. tall, weighing about 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen by relatives between 9.30 p.m. and 9.45 p.m. on Saturday.

Nancy Guthrie

(Photo via Pima County Sheriffs Department)

Search teams have deployed drones, aircraft, helicopters, and search-and-rescue dogs, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, as authorities comb the surrounding area.

Authorities have asked anyone with information about Nancy Guthries whereabouts to contact the Pima County Sheriffs Department as the investigation continues.

The post Today Show Host Savannah Guthries Mother Reported Missing as Cops Mount Desperate Search in Arizona: Grave Concern first appeared on Mediaite.
Trevor Noah addressed one of the most talked-about celebrity moments at the Grammys, taking a jab at Nicki Minajs recent political involvement during his opening monologue. The comedian and host referenced Minajs visit to Washington and her outspoken support for Donald Trump with a series of sharp jokes that drew reactions both in the room and online.

Nicki Minaj roasted by Trevor Noah at Grammys

At the 68th annual Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, host Trevor Noah mocked rapper Nicki Minajs support for Donald Trump during his opening monologue. After naming several celebrities in attendance, Noah told the audience, Nicki Minaj is not here. He added, She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues. Noah then impersonated Trump, joking, Actually, Nicki, I have the biggest ass. I have it. I know they say its you, but its me.

Minaj had recently visited Washington D.C., where she praised former President Trump, calling herself his No. 1 fan. Speaking at a Treasury Department-hosted summit to promote Trump Accounts for newborns, she said, The hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. She continued, It actually motivates me to support him more, and its going to motivate all of us to support him more.

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Trump praised Minaj at the same event, calling the 43-year-old artist great. Her Washington visit also included stops at the Capitol and the White House, and attendance at the world premiere of Melania at the Kennedy Center.

Following Noahs Grammy remarks, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded on social media platform X. And Trevor Noah is still a giant loser who will be forever known for being unceremoniously kicked off The Daily Show for being a complete psychopath, only to be replaced by a rotating cast of even bigger snowflakes, Cheung posted.

The Grammy Awards included other notable guests such as Pharrell Williams, Jelly Roll, and Miley Cyrus. The event drew attention not only for its musical celebrations but also for Noahs political jabs referencing Minaj and Trump.

The post Trevor Noah Roasts Nicki Minaj at Grammys Amid Donald Trump Meet appeared first on Mandatory.
PARK CITY, Utah  On the ground at the last-ever Sundance Film Festival in Park City  before the festival moves to Boulder, Colorado  the air has been thick with nostalgia, the end-of-camp vibes out of control.

Men in their 60s and 70s have teared up talking about seeing their last screenings in Eccles Theater, otherwise known as the Park City High School auditorium. Charli XCX, Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito have spoken at screenings about how honored they are to be among the last to experience a premiere at the end of an era  the finality of it all giving each screening, each panel, each shuttle ride a heightened importance.

What didnt change, though, was the movies, a motley lineup from voices familiar and new that resulted in some of the most lively sales Sundance has seen in years.

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What should you, the excited moviegoer, look forward to? Here are the most electric films we caught at this years Sundance.

No one made a bigger splash this year than Olivia Wilde, whose third directorial feature, The Invite, sparked a feeding frenzy among film buyers the second the audience rose to give her a standing ovation. An overwhelmed Wilde wiped away tears.

Olivia Wilde wiping away tears while getting a rare standing ovation for THE INVITE, a chamber comedy reminiscent of Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? But with polyamory. She directed and starred in it with Seth Rogen. Laughed a lot, broke my heart #Sundance pic.twitter.com/1tae4omxZN  Jada Yuan (@jadabird) January 25, 2026

The film is an uproarious chamber comedy reminiscent of Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  but with polyamory. Wilde and Seth Rogen star as a constantly warring couple who throw a dinner party for their upstairs neighbors (Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz), who may have come for something other than the lavish cheese plate. Variety reports A24 nabbed it for north of $12 million, with Wilde insisting it get a theatrical release.

The actress-director also capped off her terrific Sundance with another horny turn in Greg Arakis I Want Your Sex as a button-pushing artist who turns her 22-year-old assistant (Cooper Hoffman) into her willing S&M sex muse.

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The biggest word-of-mouth hit of this festival was Leviticus, a genuinely scary Australian horror take on conversion therapy that had everyone in my midnight screening clutching their armrests and muttering, No, no, no! and Dont do it, dont do it, dont do it! In writer-director Adrian Chiarellas wildly assured debut feature, Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen), two teenage boys in an isolated town, start experimenting with their undeniable attraction to each other while wrestling in an abandoned warehouse. But when word leaks, adults in their fundamentalist community bring in a deliverance healer. What follows is a wrenching supernatural take on the curse of queerness, as theyre each hunted down by a violent being that takes the form of the person they desire most. Guess who?

Honestly, it was the most touching love story I saw all festival. It got snatched up by Neon, the people who brought us The Substance. If you thought Heated Rivalry could use more gore and demonic possessions, this is the film for you.

To call Once Upon a Time in Harlem a documentary seems too simplistic. This film, a sensation at the festival, is more like a happening we just feel lucky to witness. In 1972, pioneering Black filmmaker William Greaves threw a once-in-a-lifetime party at Duke Ellingtons townhouse, inviting the living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance to have a joyous reunion and passionately debate the impact of the seminal period of Black culture in the 1920s that they all shaped and lived through. Its a joy to sit with photographer James Van der Zee, society editor Gerri Major, and 96-year-old actor Leigh Whipper as they tease one another, tell frank stories of racism and recite Langston Hughes poems from memory.

Greaves spent 50 years trying to figure out what to do with this footage, and he died in 2014 before he could turn it into a film. His widow, Louise Archambault Greaves, continued the work until her death, and then Greavess son David and Davids daughter Liani finally brought it home. At the premiere, Moonlight director Barry Jenkins called it one of the most moving things Ive seen in my life. (No distributor yet.)

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Audiences dont know yet how much they need the absurdist delights of Wicker, a sex-positive British period comedy from directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer about an ostracized fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who decides to take her lonely life in her own hands and pay a basket weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a husband. A month later, she walks into a chapel and marries a handsome fellow played by Alexander Skarsgard, only with straw hair and skin  and abs and marvelous pecs  made of woven reeds.

This raunchy romp will have you wondering about the mechanics of lots and lots of enthusiastic intercourse between a human wife and her wicker husband. But it also has some deeper messages about how one loving relationship can start a feminist revolution. A sale hasnt yet been announced, but its widely seen as one of the festivals big success stories alongside The Invite and Leviticus.

Rarely has a movie premiered at Sundance to as much universal consensus as Josephine, a haunting look at trauma through the eyes of an 8-year-old girl (newcomer Mason Reeves) who witnesses a brutal sexual assault that shapes her outlook on the world. Inspired by writer-director Beth de Araujos own experiences, the film stays centered on Josephine while simultaneously exploring the complex reactions of her parents (Gemma Chan and an outstanding Channing Tatum) as they struggle to guide their daughter back from an event from which she will never fully recover.

It left every audience member of my screening stunned, and won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic. No distribution deal yet, but its certainly something a smart studio could use as an Oscars play.

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Whatever you think you know of the 2022 knife attack that nearly took Salman Rushdies life, it cannot compare to witnessing intimate footage of his gaping wounds. Alex Gibneys Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie hinges on footage captured by Rushdies wife, poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths, as she grapples with her own grief and anger while trying to cheer up and care for her husband, all while pulling off masterful cinematography. With sly humor and carefully chosen archival film clips, often referencing knives and eyes (Rushdie lost his right eye in the attack), Gibney takes us back to 1989 when the author went into hiding due to a fatwa against him for his novel The Satanic Verses  and then forward through Rushdies mind as he imagines calmly asking his attacker why he felt the need to stab him 15 times.

A remarkable portrait of love and how to keep your sense of humor after almost being killed for your beliefs, it struck a chord at its Sundance premiere, where the audience gave Rushdie two standing ovations. (No distributor yet.)

No film had me wanting to reach for popcorn more than Nuisance Bear, a documentary about polar bears in far northern Canada whove lost their fear of humans. Directors Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman upend our notions of human-animal relationships by dropping us squarely in the perspective of the bears, who are pursued relentlessly for encroaching on towns that somehow expect them to stay away from landfills filled with tasty garbage. The first half plays out like The Fugitive, while the second half, told from the perspective of an Inuit population inundated with bears that White wildlife conservationists have let loose on their land, feels like a zombie movie.

It won the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary and raises questions about whos the real menace in this scenario. (No distributor yet.)

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Many in the Mid-Atlantic may be familiar with the case of the Harlem Park Three, a trio of Black teens  Alfred Chestnut, Andrew Stewart and Ransom Watkins  falsely accused in 1983 of murdering 14-year-old Baltimore high school student DeWitt Duckett over his coveted Georgetown Starter jacket. The tale of their exoneration in 2019 after 36 years in prison was detailed in a New Yorker article by Jennifer Gonnerman. Now its being revisited in When a Witness Recants, a powerful HBO documentary from director Dawn Porter and produced by author Ta-Nehisi Coates, who was an 8-year-old kid in Baltimore when the boys went to prison and has been obsessed with the case his entire life.

The injustices are maddening. Porter illustrates the timeline of events with striking black-and-white animation, and weaves in interviews with Ron Bishop, their friend, who lied on the stand to identify them. At the premiere, the audience wept as the men recounted all theyd lost behind bars: family members theyd never see again, the chance to be a father. This seems likely to spark the same furious debates as 2025s The Perfect Neighbor.
The 55th edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) put a spotlight on Arab Cinema in Motion on Monday, a panel discussion featuring The Arab director Malek Bensmail from Algeria, Home Bitter Home director Marie-Rose Osta, who is Lebanese, and Egyptian director Marwan Hamed, who is the focus of an IFFR retrospective this year.

The IFFR Pro panel was designed to explore the present realities of the film industry in the Arab world, a preview of the event had highlighted. Filmmakers from across the IFFR 2026 selection join industry guests to examine distinct modes of production across disparate Arab cinemas  from blockbusters to independent works  and the shifting sources of financing shaping their production.

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Among other topics of debate were the pros and cons of streaming platforms. Streaming now is, in a way, a big chunk of the revenue, accounting for 50 percent-plus of a movies revenue, Hamed said. Streaming also helps extend the lifetime of films, he highlighted.

Ostas focus was different. Im lucky to have started before the [streaming] platforms, so I can mentally think that I can defeat studios. Studios are in America, theyre very far from me, Im not threatened by them, and I can have my own world, and I can co-produce with Europe when Im lucky, and I can co-create with my friends at home when Im lucky, she explained.

Things have changed, though, affecting other filmmakers. Then the studios came inside our homes, and they became the [streaming] platforms, and then they became very, very difficult to fight, to combat, she offered. And I think they are very, very big threats [including with] how they perceive our region, and the norms theyre setting. Oscar suggested that the moment they smell something is controversial, the moment they smell something is not what they think a nice person sitting at home scrolling would want to watch, that content will get passed over. She concluded: This is not cinema.

Asked if the fact that her work is catering to arthouse audiences, especially in Europe comes with its own restrictions, Osta offered: I am the freest person ever because of this, and I love it, and I really think that this will not stop me.

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She also expressed hope for the outlook of film as art created in full artistic freedom. People create the demand, she said. I have faith in the new generation, and I do have faith that people will someday get bored with the repetition, the remakes, and platforms. Concluded Osta: And cinema is going to be worth, I dont know, 100 bucks [for a] tickets , because that will be art, and Im gonna be happy.

Bensmail, whose French comments were translated by an interpreter, shared that in Algeria, during the colonial time, there was almost no film with an Arab character.  Noone showed the daily life of Algerians.

Nowadays, either you make a movie, a propaganda film funded in Algeria, or you go and find funding elsewhere, but then youre accused of helping the former colonial [power].

He also mentioned the Algerian Civil War, known in the country as the Black Decade or The Dirty War, which was fought between the Algerian government and Islamist rebel groups from 1992 until 2002.

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During that period, we stopped all screenings in cinemas and production, said Bensmail. Today, new, young filmmakers take the camera and try to find new topics and films to make, but its very difficult to [get] them produced.

Concluded the Algerian filmmaker: The easiest path would be to go to France, because they have lots of funding and they do support cinema.





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Chile has been selected as the Guest Country of Honor at the 41st Guadalajara Film Festival (FICG), which runs April 17  25 this year. The last time Chile was paid tribute to at FICG was in 2019 but its film industry has grown in spades since then, said producer Gabriela Sandoval, advisory board member, CinemaChile and director at Chilean producers association, APCT.

Evidence is its robust presence at the Berlinale with three pics and three series as well as various film and TV projects participating in the European Film Market (EFM). The honor also comes not long after Chile launched its new film commission at Ventana Sur in December. The upcoming Goyas on Feb. 28, Spains Oscar equivalent, include a record number of Chilean contenders, led by Diego Cespedes debut feature The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo and Antonia Zegers vying for a best actress award for her role in Los Tortuga.

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Chiles role as Guest of Honor Country at the Guadalajara International Film Festival underscores the strength of its national audiovisual production and content, positioning the country as a key creative partner in the region and boosting its international profile, Sandoval noted.

Chiles presence at FICG began in 2003 when it mounted a showcase of classic and recent films. That program featured works by such luminaries as Raul Ruiz, Miguel Littin, Aldo Francia, Ricardo Larrain, Silvio Caiozzi and Patricio Guzman, who received the Ibero-American Cinema Tribute, along with a retrospective of his films.

Since then, its cinema has maintained a consistent presence at Mexicos biggest film festival, hosted by the University of Guadalajara, taking part in main competitions, special screenings and industry programs. These include the Co-Production Meetings, the TV-centric Episodio Cero, a DocuLab, a local talent-focused Pitch Guadalajara and Talents Guadalajara, a Works in Progress program and the video game-centered FICGames.

Chilean involvement at FICG has also acted as a driving force for international outreach and co-production, fostering projects created in partnership with countries including Mexico, Portugal, Brazil, Spain and Germany. For these initiatives, the annual event, led by festival director Estrella Araiza and Ximena Urrutia, who runs the industry section, has become a vital platform for creative exchange and industry collaboration.

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We have to learn from film industries that have done things well. Chile has managed to cut through the noise to the benefit of its cinema. It has succeeded in making its industry democratic, inclusive and plural, Araiza told Variety.

According to ProChile, which forms part of Chiles Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chiles presence at this Ibero-American festival reaffirms cultural, creative and production ties with Mexico and with the global film industry, which closed 2025 with historic export figures exceeding $106 million$82 million of which came from the audiovisual sector.

Originally founded by Guillermo del Toro in his native Guadalajara, Mexicos second biggest city, FICG has grown into a gargantuan festival, ranking as possibly the largest in Latin America.

Its final tally for last years attendance, including all activities, stands at 289,777, according to Araiza.

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Chiles participation as Guest of Honor Country at the 2026 Guadalajara International Film Festival is good news for the sector and for the country as a whole. Culture and the creative industries not only represent our identity and who we are; they are also a key sector for moving toward more comprehensive and sustainable economic, social, and cultural development, said the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Carolina Arredondo Marzan.

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Just over a month after the Directors Guild vowed to meet with the companies seeking to acquire Warner Bros, the guilds president Christopher Nolan confirms that the union has held discussions with both Netflix and Paramount over its concerns about the legendary company being swallowed by a competitor.

As for how those talks are going? Stay tuned, he says. The DGA isnt quite ready to pick a side or outright oppose either sale just yet.

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I dont really want to speak to the specifics of the conversations weve had, but publicly youve seen a shift from both companies to embrace, for example, theatrical windows, things like that, Nolan told reporters from Deadline, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter during a recent interview. I mean, there are encouraging noises, but thats not the same as commitment.

While he acknowledges in an ideal world it would continue to function as an independent buyer [and] distributor. That would be the best thing for all members, he also urged that union leadership is trying to evaluate the reality of this situation.

RELATED: Netflix Switches To All-Cash Bid For Warner Bros.

Netflix recently switched its agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to an all-cash deal, removing the stock option but continuing to value the companys studio and streaming assets at at $27.75 per share. While the deal is already signed, Paramount Skydance has still emerged as a serious contender in this battle, having made a hostile bid for all of Warner Bros. Discovery, including the cable networks. There have been concerns raised regarding the idea of either suitor controlling any part of the company.

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Nolan describes the meetings with Netflix and Paramount as productive, but explains that were sort of in the thick of it on dissecting the issues at stake.

While there are a host of concerns, the chief among them differ for each company. Fears about the health of theatrical distribution have dominated the conversation when it comes to Netflix, even though co-CEO Ted Sarandos has vowed Warner Bros films will be released in theaters with a 45-day window, just like they are today. Paramount Skydance critics have raised alarm bells about the Trump-friendly Ellison family having control over another cable news network if it were to acquire CNN.

RELATED: Netflixs Ted Sarandos Continues To Bang Pro-Cinema Drum As Streamer Eyes Warner Bros: When This Deal Closes, We Will Be In The Theatrical Business

Nolan, who has served on DGA leadership for years prior to running for president last year, directed a bulk of his concern toward the reality that either acquisition spells more media consolidation on the horizon for an already struggling industry.

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A merger is going to mean loss of jobs. Its going to mean consolidation. We all know that. We can all look at history to see that our interest right now is in trying to get to grips with, how can we try and ameliorate some of these concerns? How can we try and look at these companies and secure some kind of meaningful commitments from them, in terms of how to ensure that Warner Bros.  a fantastic, historic 100-year-old company with its incredible library, with its incredible employees  can see the best chance of survival and a potential to thrive, the Interstellar director explained. So, whether from Paramount, whether from Netflix, were interested in more about the specifics of how they get around these things, what consolidation will do, what the impacts on our members will be, and were deep in those conversations.

For the record, on the theatrical front, Nolan presses: We strongly take the position that we need a 60-day theatrical window, such as Disney, whos the most successful theatrical distributor. Thats what they do, and thats what everybody should be doing.

Hes not ignorant to the consequences of minimizing the theatrical window, pointing out that when we analyze our residual space, the residuals from the licensing of theatrically released films is still our single largest category that contributes towards our health plan. However, he acknowledges that the problems dont end there.

When you add up what our members contribute to television, obviously thats the major part of it, and thats where, in the shifting streaming landscape, a lot of the major issues are with the deal, he said. The reality is, we have very, very significant concerns about how this is all going to happen. Its a very worrying time for the industry. The loss of a major studio is a huge blow.

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Every now and then, the internet gifts us a controversy that feels less like a serious cultural reckoning and more like a rerun weve all seen before. This weeks version stars Elon Musk, Christopher Nolan, and a casting decision for The Odyssey  and yes, it somehow turned into a debate about ancient Greece.

The spark came after reports surfaced that Lupita Nyongo will play Helen of Troy in Nolans upcoming adaptation of Homers epic poem. That alone wouldve generated chatter. But when Musk weighed in by declaring that Nolan had lost his integrity, the discourse went from predictable to unavoidable.

How This Blew Up (Again)

It started with a post on X criticizing the casting choice, arguing that Helen of Troy has traditionally been depicted as fair-skinned and blonde  and that changing that undermines the story itself.

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Helen of Troy was fair skinned, blonde, and the face that launched a thousand ships, the user wrote. Casting choices that make the premise incoherent are an insult to the author.

Musk, who owns the platform and has an audience larger than many countries, amplified the post with a blunt verdict:

Chris Nolan has lost his integrity.

And just like that, a casting rumor became a full-blown culture war skirmish.

Chris Nolan has lost his integrity  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2026

The Immediate Pushback

Almost instantly, the replies filled with a familiar counterpoint: The Odyssey is mythology. Not history. Not journalism. Myth.

Theres no historical evidence Helen of Troy even existed, one user shot back. She can be beautiful in any color. Homer didnt exactly leave behind a casting bible.

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Others went further  and honestly, more entertaining  by pointing out that Helens origin story is already so bizarre that accuracy feels like a strange hill to die on.

The Odyssey, a MYTHICAL story with cyclopses, sea monsters, gods as men incarnated, establishes the race of a fictional character a black (rumored, idk or care) and mister Drew Pavlou has an issue. Just say youre racist and move on. Dickhead. https://t.co/gMgCZGWvCf pic.twitter.com/BjyAignylD  baldwin (@bldwvn) January 31, 2026

In Greek mythology, Helen is the daughter of Zeus, who famously turned himself into a swan to seduce (or assault, depending on the version) the mortal woman Leda. Helen was later born from an egg.

One user summed it up bluntly: if youre fine with an immortal god turning into a bird, sleeping with a human, and producing an egg that hatches into the most beautiful woman in the world, Lupita Nyongos skin tone probably isnt where realism breaks down.

That sentiment  part logic, part exhaustion  captured the mood of a lot of the backlash.

So What Does Integrity Even Mean Here?

This is where things get interesting, because integrity is doing a lot of work in Musks criticism  and its never really defined.

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For some viewers, integrity means visual continuity. Helen has been portrayed a certain way in Western art and cinema for centuries, and changing that feels, to them, like bending the story to fit modern politics.

For others, integrity is about honoring the spirit of the myth rather than its most familiar imagery. Beauty, consequence, desire, and destruction are the core ideas  not hair color.

Its also worth noting that Christopher Nolan has never been a strict literalist. His films routinely reshape history (Oppenheimer), reinterpret genres (The Dark Knight), and twist reality itself (Inception, Tenet) in service of theme. Expecting his Odyssey to function like a museum exhibit was probably unrealistic from the start.

Nolans Biggest Swing Yet



All of this is unfolding while The Odyssey quietly becomes one of the most ambitious films of Nolans career.

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The movie reportedly carries a $250 million budget, making it his most expensive project to date. Its also the first feature shot entirely with IMAX cameras, including newly developed lightweight and quieter models. Production reportedly burned through more than two million feet of IMAX 70mm film  a very Nolan detail.

Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, with Anne Hathaway as Penelope and Tom Holland as Telemachus. The cast also includes Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. A recent teaser revealed that rapper Travis Scott will make his acting debut as a bard-like character warning of impending war  a detail that somehow caused less outrage than Helens casting.

Filming ran from February to August 2025 across Morocco, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Iceland, and Western Sahara.

A Familiar Hollywood Pattern

If all of this feels familiar, thats because it is.

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Similar debates erupted in 2023 when Netflix cast a Black actress as Cleopatra in its docudrama Queen Cleopatra, prompting backlash from historians, politicians, and eventually a lawsuit in Egypt. The comments became so toxic that Netflix disabled them entirely.

Musk has been a recurring presence in these conversations, frequently criticizing Hollywoods diversity initiatives and calling on his followers to boycott Netflix over what he describes as ideological content. His comments about Nolan feel like a continuation of that pattern  though aiming them at one of Hollywoods most respected directors raised the temperature noticeably.

Neither Nolan nor Universal Pictures has responded publicly.

Will This Matter When the Movie Comes Out?

Screenshot from The Odyssey depicting soldiers hauling the Trojan Horse ashore.

Imagre credit: @UniversalPictures/YouTube

Thats the part no one ever wants to talk about.

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Casting controversies almost always peak long before audiences see the final product. By the time trailers drop and reviews roll in, outrage tends to give way to a simpler question: Is the movie good?

The Odyssey is scheduled to hit theaters on July 17, 2026. By then, the internet will have moved on to several new debates, most of them louder and shorter-lived than this one.

Whether Nolans film endures likely wont hinge on who plays Helen of Troy  but on whether his version of the story still works once the ships finally set sail.
Supporters of Laura Fernandez gather at a celebration event in San Jose, Costa Rica, Feb. 1, 2026. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

SAN JOSE, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Laura Fernandez, the Sovereign People Party candidate, celebrated on Sunday her electoral victory alongside supporters at a hotel in downtown San Jose. 

Laura Fernandez (C) attends a celebration event in San Jose, Costa Rica, Feb. 1, 2026.

Laura Fernandez, the Sovereign People Party candidate, celebrated on Sunday her victory of Costa Rica's presidential election alongside supporters at a hotel in downtown San Jose. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Laura Fernandez attends a celebration event in San Jose, Costa Rica, Feb. 1, 2026.

Laura Fernandez, the Sovereign People Party candidate, celebrated on Sunday her victory of Costa Rica's presidential election alongside supporters at a hotel in downtown San Jose. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)

Laura Fernandez attends a celebration event in San Jose, Costa Rica, Feb. 1, 2026.

Laura Fernandez, the Sovereign People Party candidate, celebrated on Sunday her victory of Costa Rica's presidential election alongside supporters at a hotel in downtown San Jose. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua)
Bangkok-based Mbrella Films has commenced production on its inaugural American feature, the thriller Blood on the Ice, which is currently shooting on location in central Illinois.

The project, co-produced with IB Films, is helmed by director Justin Hayward and produced by Adam Pray. Kelli Garner (The Aviator, Lars and the Real Girl) leads the cast, joined by Jake Connelly (Stranger Things) and former Chicago Bears defensive end Israel Idonije. Stephen Fletcher and Darren Weninger serve as executive producers.

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The character-driven thriller unfolds against the backdrop of a harsh Midwestern winter, utilizing the extreme environment as a key dramatic element. Post-production is scheduled to take place in Thailand under Mbrella Films oversight.

Im very happy that Mbrella Films is able to support this project, as this is the type of film thats becoming increasingly difficult to make, Pray said. Blood on the Ice is a lean film with a strong creative vision, offering a deep exploration of character within a compelling setting.

Hayward added: The story is rooted in place and pressure. The Midwest winter isnt just a backdrop  it actively shapes the films tone and the characters decisions.

Joshua Dixon, CEO of Mbrella Films, said: This film marks our first feature produced in the U.S., and we see it as a foundation for future co-productions between the U.S. and Thailand.

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Mbrella Films provides production and post-production services for international features and television projects while developing its own original content slate. The company received a strategic investment from Friday Industries in 2025 as part of its international expansion efforts.





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If Trevor Noah really wanted a response from Donald Trump on his mocking question of What are you going to do about it? during the Grammys on Sunday night, the former Apprentice host just gave it to him, maybe.

As he has with so many critics, those who poke fun at him and almost anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein, Trump is threatening to take Noah to court.

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It looks like Ill be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty, the notoriously thin-skinned Trump posted online Sunday, not long after the Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny dominated the 68th annual Grammy Awards on CBS. Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, Im going to have some fun with you!

Proving that he loves to watch and loves to remind everyone who has already kissed the ring and written the checks, POTUS long, enraged and uppercase-strewn post on his Truth Social platform denounced the music industrys big night and Noahs last turn as Grammy host. No surprise, it was all because of a bipartisan crack by the ex-Daily Show host about that past presidential pal and deceased pedophile Epstein  as you can see here:

Trevor Noah takes another jab at Donald Trump #Grammys: Song of the Year  that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epsteins island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton pic.twitter.com/quUWEpX4NL  Deadline (@DEADLINE) February 2, 2026

RELATED: Turning Point USAs Alt-Super Bowl Halftime Show Finally Has A Lineup

Generating a roar from the music crowd over his swipe at Trump, Noahs quip of what are you going to do about it? was born out of the reality that 2026 is going to be his final time hosting the Grammys after several years fronting the shindig.

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Trump didnt give a toss about any of that.

Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island, Trump digitally raged. WRONG!!! I cant speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonights false and defamatory statement, have never been accused being there, not even by the Fake News Media.

RELATED: Nicki Minaj Says Backlash For Backing Donald Trump Motivates To Support Him More; POTUS Enlists Rapper To Promote New Treasury Accounts

The remarks by Noah and the reaction by Trump comes just a couple of days after the MAGA Overlords Department of Justice dumped millions of redacted pages and hundreds of thousands of black-barred images from the long-delayed and much-anticipated Epstein Files. Still, with speculation that there is much more not out there despite congressional demands, Trumps name comes up various times in what was released on January 30, including some pretty horrific allegations and new details. Among those also mentioned are L.A. Olympics boss Casey Wasserman, Elon Musk, ex-POTUS Clinton, Melania docu director Brett Ratner, Bill Gates (and some Russian girl), Jay-Z, the now-former Prince Andrew of Windsor, Harvey Weinstein, and of course Epsteins right-hand lady and current federal convict Ghislaine Maxwell.

RELATED: Jeffrey Epstein Pondered BBC Interview After Prince Andrew Links Were Exposed

While admitting he knew Epstein back in the roaring 80s and 90s, Trump always has denied he got up to anything inappropriate with or via him. As accusations against the one-time openly philandering Trump have been made by alleged Epstein victims and others (as well as cringy video of Trump and Epstein and correspondence between the two), little has made it to the courts connecting him to the horrors of sex trafficking and more.

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Suspicion of how deep Trump really went with Epstein, who died in 2019 by what was termed suicide in police custody has become a benchmark for Democrats and others  even when the likes of Clinton and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers also have been caught in the ugly web. The massive files release on January 30 even found Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche having to insist more than once that the DOJ wasnt and hadnt been covering up for POTUS  to almost no avail.

Having started on CBS in 1973 when Trump hero Richard Nixon was in the White House, tonight was the last time the Grammys will be seen on the now David Ellison-owned network.

Starting in 2027, the ceremony will be broadcast on ABC as part of the Grammys 10-year deal with Disney, which was announced in 2024. As the Oscars leave ABC for YouTube in 2029, the Grammys will air on ABC, Hulu and Disney+ starting next year all the way to 2036  when a then-90-year-old Trump will almost certainly not be president. Maybe.

RELATED: Bad Bunny Gets Standing Ovation At Grammys With Powerful Speech: ICE Out! Were Not Animals  We Are Americans

RELATED: Billie Eilish Calls Out ICE At The Grammys: No One Is Illegal On Stolen Land

RELATED: Olivia Dean Gives Shoutout To Immigrants After Grammys Win: Were Nothing Without Each Other

RELATED: Steven Spielberg Achieves EGOT Status With Grammy For Music by John Williams

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The Fox & Friends curvy couch was confounded on Monday morning, ripping into various artists for voicing their anti-ICE views on musics biggest night.

After playing clips of such artists as Bad Bunny, maintaining, Were not animals. Were not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans, Kehlanis F*ck ICE! rant and Billie Eilish saying, Nobody is illegal on stolen land, the hosts were flabbergasted.

So there was nothing when children were being raped, dropped off with signs at the border, said Lawrence Jones. Theres no speeches about that at all. There was no speeches with the Americans that were  even some of them immigrated to this country, that were murdered by the people that were animals that raped. Jocelyn Nungaray, from my home state of Texas, was raped right by water. Then they tried to dispose her body. There was no speeches about any of that.

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Brian Kilmeade suggested that anyone unhappy with how things are run in America can just move somewhere else, like Finland:

I just love these celebrities who say, Everybodys illegal on stolen land. If you dont like the land and our history 250 years later, youre free to leave. If you feel as though youre being brought up on stolen land, as ill-educated as you are, then you should actually go somewhere where you feel as though the land belongs. I dont know, Finland? Im sure you can go back and find someone indigenous to Finland or Norway. If you go to Europe, do you know anything about world history? Do you think Germans were just born in Germany? Thats the way it all started in people dont migrate, people dont change, Vikings dont move, Columbus doesnt explore. Im sorry, what planet are you on? And then people cheer in response. But once again, the Grammys say were empowered by ignorance.

The show then played a clip of Bill Maher from Friday nights Real Time, knocking celebs who try to speak out for social change and noting all the celebrities who stumped for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election before she lost every swing state.

Every big name in show business came out for Kamala Harris. From Oprah to Clooney and Beyonce, and she lost every swing state. Celebrities arent helping. And why would they? In a country where the big issue now is affordability, outside of, I dont know, Springsteen and a few others, celebrities dont strike people as relatable or in touch. And what their activism mostly activates is eye rolls, submitted Maher.

Carley Shimkus, filling in for Ainsley Earhardt for Mondays show, called out the ICE OUT pins worn by numerous artists at the Grammys.

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I think for a majority of Americans, they look at these celebrities who are walking a red carpet wearing ball gowns and tuxedos and they all have an ICE OUT pin on their lapel and they are making speeches and getting applause from literally everybody in the crowd, and they are trying to be viewed as somebody who is brave? she said. That is not bravery. That is the picture of conformity. For many Americans who look at that and, like Bill Maher said, it is an eye roll because it is a much more complex issue than what they are saying to people who universally agree with them.

Watch above via Fox News.

The post Fox & Friends Hosts Rip Musicians for Anti-ICE Speeches at Grammys: Youre Free to Leave first appeared on Mediaite.
Trevor Noah skewered Donald Trump and Nicki Minaj while hosting the Grammy Awards on Sunday, and MAGA isnt happy about it.

The former Daily Show host mocked the 79-year-old presidents bizarre friendship with the 43-year-old rapper during his opening monologue.

Nicki Minaj is not here. She is not here, Noah said, drawing loud cheers from the crowd in Los Angeles. She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.

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He then slipped into an impression of the president, acting out an imagined back-and-forth between the unlikely duo.

The White House melted down at Trevor Noah's impression of President Donald Trump and Nicki Minaj. / Kevin Mazur/Win McNamee/Getty Images

Actually Nicki, I have the biggest a--. I have it. Everybodys saying it Nicki, I know they say its you but its me, Noah mocked, channeling Trump. Wap, wap, wap, look at it baby.

The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House and Minajs representatives for comment.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung immediately took offense at Noahs impression of Trumps signature self-aggrandizement.

And Trevor Noah is still a giant loser who will be forever known for being unceremoniously kicked off The Daily Show for being a complete psychopath, only to be replaced by a rotating cast of even bigger snowflakes, the trash-talking Trump aide fumed on X.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung was not amused by Noah's opening monologue. / Steven Cheung/X

Meanwhile, Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz, who got married at Trump National Doral Miami this weekend, came to Minajs defense, writing, Trevor Noah is a talentless loser and the Grammys are irrelevant. @NICKIMINAJ is a more successful and talented artist than any of the people in that room tonight.

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Bruesewitz then followed with another post claiming that ratings for the Grammy awards have been cut in half and are now so pathetically low now.

He claimed this was due to stupid political stunts and statements and terrible hosts like the low IQ, talentless Noah.

The MAGA voice also said deserving artists typically lose to industry plants that no one actually likes.

Winners this year including Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny, who both slammed ICE while accepting awards, are among the most streamed artists in the world.

MAGA Sen. Mike Lee also weighed in, posting on X, Pro tip: Dont belittle Barbz and MAGA at the same time.

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Minaj spent the majority of last week positioning herself firmly in the center of MAGA world.

Nicki Minaj attends the premiere of Melania Trump's documentary, which was held at the Kennedy Center on Thursday. / Craig Hudson/Variety via Getty Images

The rapper, originally from the Caribbean twin-island of Trinidad and Tobago, and raised in Queens, supported the presidents Trump Accounts initiative, starred in a TikTok with the soon-to-be octogenarian, and showed up at the Kennedy Center premiere of Melania Trumps eponymous documentary.

I am probably the presidents number one fan, and thats not going to change, she admitted.

Trump risked worsening his infamous bruises as he held hands with Minaj at his

Minaj, who came to the U.S. at age 5 as an undocumented immigrant, later showed off her Trump Gold Card, which provides an expedited path to U.S. permanent residency for $1 million. Experts previously warned that courts could rule the Gold Card route illegal because Congress has not approved it.

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Speaking of the backlash shes received for supporting Trump, Minaj said, It does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more, and its going to motivate all of us to support him more.

On Sunday night, Minaj went on an X posting spree throughout the awards, engaging in MAGA conspiracies and lobbing unfounded allegations surrounding Noahs love life and sexuality in an apparent response.
The Winter Olympics are almost here, and that means a number of shows will take some breaks. At the same time, we're still waiting for the CBS crime dramas to return from their winter breaks. While there are some great arrivals at the end of the month, there are many others that won't return until March.

So, which shows should we get ready for? Which ones are heading on an extended break? Here are seven crime dramas not to expect in February 2026 at all. We're not including Chicago PD on this list, as there will be one episode on Wednesday, Feb. 4 and it will then be on a break until March!

NCIS season 23

Originally, NCIS (and the franchise as a whole) was supposed to return at the end of the month. Then the State of the Union Address was set for Tuesday, Feb. 24, which meant that the broadcast networks had to shift their plans. CBS has pushed NCIS season 23 to a March start - returning on March 3, 2026.

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We do have some ideas of what to expect, though. Bishop will be back, as Knight's NCIS: Elite team will need to go after her. The last we saw Bishop, she had joined Ziva's former handler, Odette, to help bring justice to more places, but it looks like it means skirting around the law.

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - The team investigates the murder of a Marine who had recently been handpicked for a classified mission. Also, Wheeler's personal life is upended, Lala is thrown by unexpected news from Vera, and Gibbs and Diane double-date with Randy and his wife, on NCIS: ORIGINS, Tuesday, Dec. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential

NCIS: Origins season 2

Like NCIS, the prequel series was supposed to return in February, but now it is being pushed to Tuesday, March 3. It's disappointing, especially after the shocking moment at the end of the fall finale, but we know that it will be worth the wait.

There's a lot to cover when the show returns, as everyone will need to learn that Gibbs has married Diane in a shocking turn of events. Everyone will have their opinions about that, but our question is, how long will this marriage last?

"South of Nowhere" - L-R: Todd Lasance as AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim 'JD' Dempsey, Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent Captain Michelle Mackey, Sean Sagar as NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson, Tuuli Narkle as AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper and William McInnes as Forensic Pathologist Dr. Roy Penrose in NCIS: Sydney episode 9, season 3 streaming on Paramount+, 2025. Photo Credit: Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+ TM & 2025 CBS Studios Inc. NCIS: Sydney and related marks and

NCIS: Sydney season 3

After going on an impromptu break, likely due to the Bondi Beach attacks, NCIS: Sydney season 3 is finally coming back in March. It was originally supposed to air in February, like the rest of the NCIS franchise.

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The episode will be the originally intended fall finale. The team is heading to Antarctica to deal with a murder. However, they have a limited amount of time to do it, because if they don't leave on time, they will be stuck for six months.

"Giant Steps" - Pictured: Ritchie Coster as Shinwell Johnson and Morris Chestnut as Dr. John Watson Photo: Colin Bentley/CBS 2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Watson season 2

After getting a surprise premiere in the fall, Watson season 2 went on its winter break at the end of December. The bad news is we knew it wouldn't return on Mondays with FBI, as CIA is finally ready to arrive.

It means the show is pushed to Sundays, and that pushed it into a March return. John Watson certainly has his work cut out for him when there's a flesh-eating bacteria affecting patients after a tornado. While treating the patients, he'll need to finally deal with his Army trauma and Shinwell's betrayal with Moriarty.

"Trust Fall" - While searching for missing campers, Colter meets a retired police officer who believes a serial killer is on the loose, on the CBS Original series TRACKER, Sunday, Nov. 17 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/ 8:30-9:30 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+(live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Pictured: Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw and Brent Sexton as Keaton.

Tracker season 3

Likewise, Tracker went on a break, but the plan was always for it to return in March 2026. It's all due to the way the days fall after the Winter Olympics comes to an end. However, it is a later return than we're used to - as usually, we only have to wait until the Super Bowl airs.

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The episode will pick up off the back of the cliffhanger from the fall finale. Colter will need to get medical help while in the wilderness with no cell reception. At the same time, he needs to keep his friend alive, who was gravely injured at the end of the fall finale.

Y: MARSHALS (working title) (Premieres Sundays, Mid-Season, 9:00-10:00 PM), stars Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton. With the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Dutton joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty, and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region's war on violence. Pictured: Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton. Photo:

Marshals season 1

If you've been looking forward to the Yellowstone spinoff focused on Kayce Dutton, you're not alone. The bad news is we have to wait until March for the show to begin. The good news is that it gets a prime timeslot on Sundays at 8/7c to kick off the night.

The series follows Kayce, as he steps away from the Dutton Ranch and follows a new adventure as a U.S. Marshal in Montana. It looks like from the trailer that this decision is after some heartbreak, but he is also ready to prove that he is more than the struggling Navy SEAL he used to be on Yellowstone.

R.J. DECKER - "Pilot" (Disney/Dana Hawley) SCOTT SPEEDMAN

RJ Decker season 1

If you're looking for something quirky and light, you'll love Tuesday nights on ABC. Will Trent and High Potential currently hold the fort, and they'll be joined by another crime drama in March. RJ Decker gets its premiere on Tuesday, March 3.

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The series follows a former photographer who changes career after being released from prison. He takes on the life of a private investigator in Florida, and that's sure to bring plenty of crime, drama, and romance.

Get ready for a March filled with crime dramas returning and news!





This article was originally published on www.precincttv.com as 7 TV crime dramas that won't air new episodes in February 2026.
Jenna Bush Hager is speaking out following news her TODAY Show co-star Savannah Guthrie's mom is missing.

On the evening on Sunday, Feb. 1, news broke that Savannah's mom Nancy Guthrie had been reported missing. The 84-year-old was last seen near her home in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday, Jan. 31 and is being referred to by authorities as a "vulnerable adult."

During the Monday, Feb. 2 broadcast of Today With Jenna & Sheinelle, Bush Hager struggled to hold back tears as she shared the news that Nancy, whom she knows personally, is a missing person.

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We need to start the show with something that is deeply personal for us this morning, Bush Hager began. Nancy Guthrie, Savannahs beloved mom and somebody we adore around here, has been reported missing in Arizona.

Cohost Sheinelle Jones then read the statement provided by Savannah, who was absent from the Feb. 2 TODAY Show broadcast, which read, On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom. We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriffs Department at 520-351-4900.

According to Bush Hager, Nancy takes daily medication that she needs for survival and is likely without her medication at the moment. She did not share which medications Nancy is taking, but KOLD reported that it could be "fatal" if doses are missed.

We are thinking of our dearest, dearest Savannah and her whole family right now, Bush Hager added. Our prayers obviously go out to Savannah.

RELATED: How Savannah Guthries Family Learned Her Mom Nancy Was Missing

According to a Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, Nancy's family contacted authorities around noon on Feb. 1 to report her missing. He said suspicious circumstances were found at Nancy's home in Catalina Hills and that after processing the scene on Sunday night, investigators now "believe a crime has been committed."

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He added investigators believe Nancy did not leave on her own."

Nancy Guthrie is described as 5-foot-5 and 150 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information can contact the Pima County Sheriffs Department at 520-351-4900 or call 911.

This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Stephen Millers podcaster wife threw a hissy fit online after watching Pete Davidsons ICE-bashing return to Saturday Night Live.

Katie Miller, 34, did not take kindly to the jokes in SNLs latest cold open, which cast Davison, 32, as border czar Tom Homan, 64.

For over a decade, not only hasnt SNL been funny but its been voice of woke corporate leftists and the elite - thats why these skits have devolved into drivel not comedy, the MAGA podcaster fumed on X on Sunday.

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Katie, who is pregnant with her fourth child with Miller, highlighted a clip from the cold open in which an ICE agent complains about protesters in Minneapolis carrying guns.

Davidsons Homan responds: Well, lets flip it around. How many of you went to a Stop the Steal protest with a loaded automatic weapon?prompting the entire room of ICE agents to raise their hands.

Katie Miller was triggered by Pete Davidson's impression of border czar Tom Homan. / Katie Miller/X

You gotta do better, Davidson says, briefly breaking character. Im Tom Homan, OK? I am the separating-families-at-the-border guy. Im the on-film-taking-a-$50,000-bribe guy. And yall are making me look like the upstanding, reasonable adult in the room. Thats crazy!

In her post, Katie implored her followers to imagine if SNL actually mocked their globalist overlords instead of bowing to their groupthink, before adding, ICE are heroes.

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The Daily Beast has reached out to NBC for comment.

Katie went to war on X for her husband last week as Miller, 40, faced a firestorm in the wake of the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, whom he initially smeared as an assassin.

Katie rushed to her husband's defense after Kristi Noem tried to pass the blame for the administration's unhinged response to Alex Pretti's killing onto him. / Tom Williams/Getty Images

Donald Trumps deputy chief of staff and the architect of his harshest immigration policies was effectively sidelined alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem when the president sent Homan to de-escalate Minneapolis.

Noem, 54, who had smeared Pretti herself, tried to pass the blame onto Miller, reportedly saying that she had acted at the direction of the president and Stephen.

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Katie rushed to Millers defense, circulating his statement that pinned the blame on Customs and Border Protection, which falls under Noems Department of Homeland Security.

The Millers united damage control was widely ridiculed.

Katie, who regularly derides things that rub her the wrong way as woke, blew up last week after finding out that first lady Melania Trumps widely-panned film was getting pulled from South Africa.

Of coursesince they are biased against white people, Miller wrote, referring to a country that was governed under a racist white-minority apartheid regime for decades.
Many have seen Savannah Guthrie on their television screens as being the fun co-anchor of NBCs Today show, a role she has held since 2012.

Prior to that, she worked as a White House correspondent and legal analyst for NBC News. And before that, Guthrie grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and attended the University of Arizona. She later passed the Arizona Bar exam before moving into her journalism career.

Known for delivering the news to millions each morning, Guthrie now finds herself at the center of her own news story.

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Guthries 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been reported missing from her home in the Catalina Foothills area near Tucson, Arizona.

Savannah Guthrie issued a brief statement on behalf of her family on the "Today" show this morning.

"I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom."

Who is Savannah Guthrie?

Guthrie is a broadcast journalist and television host best known for being one of the main co-anchors of NBCs "Today" show.

What is Savannah Guthrie famous for?

Guthrie is most famous for being a longtime co-anchor of NBCs "Today" show. Shes known for interviewing major political leaders, covering breaking news and co-hosting major events for NBC.

Where is Savannah Guthrie from?

Guthrie grew up in Tucson.

Who are Savannah Guthrie's siblings?

Savannah Guthrie has two older siblings, a sister and a brother. Her sister Annie Guthrie is a writer and poet. Her brother Camron Guthrie is a retired F-16 fighter pilot who served in the Vermont Air National Guard.

What show is Savannah Guthrie on?

Savannah Guthrie is on NBCs "Today" show.

Where did Savannah Guthrie go to high school?

Savannah Guthrie graduated from Amphitheater High School in Tucson.

Where did Savannah Guthrie go to college?

Savannah Guthrie received a B.A. in journalism from the University of Arizona, graduating cum laude. She was a member of the Arizona Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi.

Where did Savannah Guthrie go to law school?

Savannah Guthrie received a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and graduated magna cum laude. She also received the highest score on the Arizona Bar exam.

Where does Savannah Guthrie live?

Savannah Guthrie lives in a Brooklyn Heights townhouse in New York with her husband, Michael Feldman, and their children, Vale and Charley.

Savannah Guthrie political beliefs

Savannah Guthrie aims to keep her political opinions out of her work and stick to reporting the truth.

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Obviously, we live in a culture of misinformation, she said in an interview with The Arizona Republic in 2024. And I am a firm believer in all of the tried-and-true ideals of journalism  fairness, accuracy, precision. We all need to stick to those things. And the media is bigger now. It covers a wide terrain.

"It covers opinion, it covers news, quasi-entertainment. But I think for journalism, I always say go back to the basics, go to the fundamentals. And that's kind of that's the north star for me. That's what I try to do. I think that's what we're called to do. And I think it's more important than ever, actually.

What religion is Savannah Guthrie?

Savannah Guthrie grew up a Baptist and is a practicing Christian who regularly attends church. She raises her kids in an interfaith home with her Jewish husband.

How much does Savannah Guthrie make a year?

Savannah Guthrie has a reported net worth of $40 million in 2026. It is estimated that she makes around $8 million per year on "Today," however, that has not been publicly released.

What happened to Savannah Guthrie's missing mom?

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted or kidnapped as she could not have walked out of the home on her own.

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That revelation on Feb. 2 came hours after Nanos first told reporters that Nancy Guthrie's disappearance was being investigated as a crime, as homicide detectives were called in to process the scene at her house.

On Feb. 3 officials confirmed they shared a detailed ransom note with her family.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News the note included information on what Guthrie was wearing that night and other details about the house  and authorities were taking it seriously. Local Tucson CBS affiliate, KOLD News 13, said it had received a similar ransom note and previously contacted investigators.

Pima County detectives shared the note with the FBI, which in turn shared it with Nancy Guthrie's daughter, NBC's "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie.

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The Pima County Sheriff's Department said late Feb. 3 that it has assigned 100 deputies and detectives to the desperate search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie three days after she was last seen.

Authorities said they believe Guthrie was abducted and warned they are in a race against time because she needed lifesaving medication every day to treat a medical condition.

Got a story you want to share? Reach out at Tiffany.Acosta@gannett.com. Follow @tiffsario on Instagram.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who is Savannah Guthrie? What to know about Today show host
"Today" show host Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy, is missing in Arizona in what police believe was an abduction from her home while she slept, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told CBS News on Monday.

"I believe she was abducted, yes," Nanos said. "She didn't walk from there. She didn't go willingly."

Nanos earlier Monday confirmed that her disappearance is being treated as a crime, and urged neighbors to review home video camera footage.

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"We saw some things at the home that were concerning to us," Nanos told reporters. "We believe now after we've processed that crime scene that we do in fact have a crime scene, that we do in fact have a crime, and we're asking the community's help."

Nanos urged people who think they see Nancy Guthrie to take a picture or record a video and alert authorities. A missing person's flier from the sheriff's department said she is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, has brown hair and blue eyes and weighs 150 pounds.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, "is very limited in her mobility" and "we know she didn't just walk out of there," Nanos said, adding there are other aspects at the scene that indicate she did not leave on her own.

She doesn't have any cognitive issues, but is in urgent need of her daily medication, authorities said.

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"The clock is literally ticking," Nanos said, referring to Nancy Guthrie's need to take her medication. "It's been more than 24 hours since she disappeared."

The Pima County Sheriff's Department in Arizona issued a missing person poster for Nancy Guthrie and asked the public to submit tips via its Tip Line QR code. / Credit: Pima County Sheriff's Department in Arizona

Nanos said she lived by herself, and that the family told him "she couldn't walk 50 yards. And so we know she couldn't get far from that home unless she was removed from that home."

"I want to stress to you, and it is really important: Miss Guthrie, Nancy Guthrie is of great sound mind," Nanos told reporters. "This is not a dementia-related, she is as sharp as a tack. The family wants everybody to know this isn't somebody who just wandered off."

The sheriff said Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in the Catalina Foothills area at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. When she didn't show up for church the next morning, family members went to her home, looked for her and called 911, he said.

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Nanos didn't provide additional details about what investigators found concerning at the home, citing the ongoing investigation. Sgt. David Stivers told reporters, "There were circumstances on scene that we believe are suspicious in nature, I think is the best way to put it."

Nanos did not provide a possible motive and said there was no initial indication Nancy Guthrie was targeted because of her name, but noted, "We can't dismiss that.

"We will certainly look at that and we'll see, was she being stalked? Did she have some people out there harassing her or something?" he told CBS News.

The FBI is assisting in the investigation, two sources told CBS News.

Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on the (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

The search and rescue team worked through the night, employing drones, helicopters and heat sensors, but have since been sent home, Nanos said Monday, as the search has turned to a criminal investigation. "Right now we don't see this as a search mission so much as we do a crime scene," he said.

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Investigators were poring over footage from security cameras in the home and examining Nancy Guthrie's cellphone, Nanos said. Authorities were also turning to license-plate readers and other surveillance cameras for leads in the case.

The sheriff encouraged Guthrie's neighbors to go through their own home security footage, even if their cameras don't face the Guthrie home.

"They still might see something," Nanos said. "Maybe it's somebody walking by. Maybe it's some vehicle driving by at that time of day."

Nancy Guthrie's family has asked nearby residents to review their security footage captured over the weekend, especially between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Sunday. When CBS News asked Nanos about the time frame, he said the department is starting with a narrow window and will expand outward.

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"Keep looking. You never know what you'll see," Sheriff Nanos said. "Maybe it's just a pair of headlights. But if you see something that just doesn't seem right in that neighborhood, please let us know. We can come and download all your digital evidence and take a look at it ourselves."

Nanos also told CBS News he didn't know if Guthrie was harmed when she was removed from the home.

Nanos said he didn't think that there was an active threat that posed a danger to the public.

The family was cooperating with the investigation, the sheriff said.

Savannah Guthrie issued a statement Monday on her mother's disappearance. "On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support," she said. "Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom."

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Later Monday, Savannah Guthrie posted on Instagram: "thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment."

Guthrie urged anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

Authorities investigate ransom note in disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mom, sheriff says

Eye Opener: Possible ransom note investigated in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

Some blood found in Savannah Guthrie's mom's home, sources say
The pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human desire. Although happiness is subjective, several countries consistently stand out in global well-being assessments. These countries often share characteristics like strong social safety nets, high levels of trust, and an emphasis on personal freedom.

It's crucial to acknowledge that happiness is a complex and nuanced emotion. While these rankings offer valuable data, they only provide a glimpse into the bigger picture. Factors such as cultural nuances, personal experiences, and individual beliefs also play a significant role in shaping one's overall sense of well-being.

This article explores the top 15 happiest countries in the world based on the World Happiness Report. We will examine the elements that contribute to their happiness and discover valuable insights that can enhance our own lives in our own home countries, states, and cities.

1. Finland

Image Credit: Helsinki port, Finland / Deposit Photos.

For an impressive sixth year in a row, Finland takes first place as the happiest country in the world. This Nordic nation consistently excels across all key happiness indicators, with a robust social safety net, a world-class education system, and a deep appreciation for nature. The Finnish concept of "sisu"embodying resilience and determinationlikely plays a role in their collective well-being.

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Finland's success showcases the importance of prioritizing social welfare, environmental sustainability, and individual freedoms. By creating a society where people feel secure, connected, and empowered, Finland has cultivated fertile ground for happiness.

2. Denmark

Image Credit: Alexander2323 at Deposit Photos.

Denmark, another Nordic gem, consistently ranks high among the happiest countries. The Danish concept of "hygge," which relates to coziness, contentment, and simple pleasures, is often cited as a contributing factor. Danes also value a strong sense of community, a healthy work-life balance, and trust in their government.

Denmark's focus on creating a harmonious and supportive society demonstrates that happiness extends beyond individual accomplishments. It flourishes in an environment that fosters belonging and collective well-being.

3. Iceland

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

Iceland, a land of stunning natural beauty and geothermal wonders, is home to a remarkably happy population. Despite its challenging climate and remote location, Icelanders enjoy a high quality of life, strong social connections, and a deep cultural identity.

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Iceland's resilience in the face of challenges and its commitment to preserving its unique heritage provide valuable lessons. By embracing their strengths and fostering community, Icelanders have created a thriving society in a seemingly inhospitable environment.

4. Sweden

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

Sweden, known for its progressive social policies and dedication to gender equality, consistently scores high in happiness surveys. Swedes enjoy a balanced work-life dynamic, access to quality healthcare and education, and a deep respect for nature.

Sweden's achievements show the importance of a society that values both individual well-being and collective responsibility. By investing in social welfare and promoting equality, Sweden has fostered a sense of security and opportunity for all.

5. Israel

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

Israel, a country with a complex history and ongoing challenges, has a surprisingly happy population. Israelis share a strong sense of community, resilience in the face of adversity, and a vibrant cultural scene.

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Israel's ability to flourish despite significant challenges highlights the power of social cohesion and shared purpose. By supporting each other and celebrating their heritage, Israelis have cultivated a resilient and joyful society.

6. Netherlands

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

The Netherlands, famous for its tulips, windmills, and canals, consistently ranks among the happiest countries. The population vehemently values "niksen" or the concept of "doing nothing." This speaks to the rest, relaxation, and balance people must strike to truly enjoy life. The Dutch enjoy a high level of personal freedom, a tolerant society that embraces diversity, and a strong sense of community.

The Netherlands' emphasis on individual liberties and social acceptance creates an environment where people feel free to be themselves and pursue their passions. This sense of autonomy and belonging significantly contributes to their overall happiness.

7. Norway

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

Norway, a land of breathtaking fjords and majestic mountains, also has a remarkably content population. Norwegians enjoy a high standard of living, access to pristine nature, and a strong sense of social equality.

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Norway's commitment to environmental sustainability and social welfare demonstrates that happiness isn't just about material wealth. It's also about preserving the natural world and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

8. Luxembourg

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

Luxembourg, a small but prosperous nation nestled in Western Europe, consistently ranks high in happiness surveys. This population enjoys a high standard of living, excellent healthcare and education systems, and a strong sense of community.

Luxembourg's success proves that size doesn't matter when it comes to happiness. By prioritizing the well-being of its citizens and fostering a sense of belonging, Luxembourg has created a thriving and contented society.

9. Switzerland

Image Credit: Dudlajzov at Deposit Photos.

Switzerland, known for its neutrality, stunning alpine scenery, and delicious chocolate, also has a very happy population. The Swiss also enjoy a high quality of life, strong social cohesion, and a deep appreciation for their natural surroundings.

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Switzerland's commitment to peace, environmental protection, and social harmony creates an environment where people feel safe, connected, and fulfilled.

10. Australia

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Australia, a vast and diverse continent-nation, consistently ranks among the happiest countries globally. Australians enjoy a high standard of living, abundant sunshine, and a laid-back lifestyle.

Australia's emphasis on work-life balance, outdoor activities, and social connections contributes to its overall well-being. By embracing a relaxed and optimistic outlook, Australians have created a society that values both personal fulfillment and collective enjoyment.

11. New Zealand

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

New Zealand, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and welcoming spirit, secures the 11th spot on the happiness ranking. Kiwis enjoy a high quality of life, a strong sense of community, and a deep connection to their natural surroundings. The country's emphasis on work-life balance, outdoor activities, and environmental conservation contributes to a sense of overall well-being.

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New Zealand's commitment to social equality and inclusivity fosters a society where everyone feels valued and supported. This, coupled with the country's stunning natural beauty, creates an environment that promotes happiness and contentment.

12. Costa Rica

Image Credit: Costa Rica, Central America at Deposit Photos.

Costa Rica, known for its "pura vida" (pure life) philosophy and dedication to environmental sustainability, claims the 12th position. Like Australians, Costa Ricans enjoy a laid-back lifestyle, strong social connections, and a deep appreciation for their natural surroundings. The country's focus on eco-tourism and renewable energy further enhances its commitment to a balanced and fulfilling way of life.

Costa Rica's prioritization of well-being over material wealth serves as an inspiration. Costa Ricans have cultivated a unique and enviable sense of happiness by fostering a society that values community, sustainability, and the simple joys of life.

13. Austria

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

Austria, a country steeped in musical heritage and stunning alpine scenery, consistently ranks high in happiness surveys. Austrians enjoy a high standard of living, access to quality healthcare and education, and a strong sense of social cohesion.

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Austria's rich cultural traditions and commitment to social welfare contribute to its citizens' overall well-being. Austria has created a harmonious and happy society by fostering an environment where people feel secure, connected, and culturally enriched.

14. Canada

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

Canada, a vast and multicultural nation, consistently ranks among the happiest countries. Canadians enjoy a high quality of life, a strong sense of social responsibility, and a welcoming attitude toward diversity. The country's commitment to universal healthcare and social programs further contributes to its citizens' well-being.

Canada embraces multiculturalism and is dedicated to creating an inclusive society that fosters a sense of belonging and acceptance. This, coupled with the country's stunning natural beauty and strong social safety net, makes Canada a haven for happiness.

15. Belgium

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

Belgium, renowned for its delectable waffles, chocolates, and vibrant cultural scene, also boasts a happy population. Belgians enjoy a high standard of living, a strong work-life balance, and a rich tapestry of cultural traditions.

Its emphasis on quality of life, cultural appreciation, and social connections contributes to its citizens' overall happiness. By fostering an environment where people feel fulfilled in both their personal and professional lives, Belgium has created a recipe for contentment.
LONDON, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Britain summoned the Russian ambassador and revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat, according to a statement by the British Foreign Office on Monday.

The Office condemned "in the strongest possible terms" Russia's decision to expel a British diplomat last month and its "baseless accusations against our staff," said the statement.

Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly, it added.

On Jan. 15, the Russian foreign ministry said Russia had decided to expel a British embassy employee for alleged affiliation with the British special services.

The ministry said it summoned the British charge d'affaires in Russia on the same day and lodged a strong protest regarding the issue.

The ministry had decided to revoke the accreditation of the employee and ordered him to leave Russia within two weeks.

"Moscow will not tolerate the activities of undeclared British special services staff on Russian territory," it said, adding that if London escalates the situation, the Russian side will give a decisive "mirror" response. 
Feb. 1MOUNT MORRIS, Pa.  No shadow of a doubt here.

Don Pyle knew Helen Stiles was the one for him.

And when he proposed, she said yes.

That's why they motored to Oakland, Maryland, to stand before a minister and take their nuptial vows on the frosty Groundhog Day of 1951.

Which is also why the groom, as he jokes, had a most interesting dichotomy that day.

The heater in Don's ridea spiffy, 1942 Buick, in two-tone bluewas busted.

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And it was chilly, man, chilly.

"I told the preacher's wife I had cold feet, " Don chuckled.

"She smiled. I said, 'No, my feet really are freezing. The heater in my car doesn't work.' So, she brought out this warmer kind of thing."

Does that mean the groom who had cold feet ... also had his feet held to the fire ... at the same time ?

"Good one, " Helen said.

"Huh, never thought of that, " her husband seconded.

Buster and the incredible, inedible pie Helen turned 93 last week. Don just made his 95th trip around the sun. Today, as said, is their 75th wedding anniversary.

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Their son and only child, Joe R. Pyle  yes, the auctioneer with the signature Stetson, loud-on-purpose sport coat and the most kicking cowboy boots this side of Bakersfield  said his parents have been blessed by being best friends, besides husband and wife.

"Sometimes, it doesn't work out with couples, " he said.

"With my parents, it did. They still genuinely enjoy each other's company. They still do things together. They still have fun."

They started dating while they were both students at Clay-Battelle High School.

Don's family had moved just over the Pennsylvania state line to nearby Greene County  he and Helen still live in Mount Morris  but he walked a mile to the bus stop every day so he could graduate with his classmates.

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Helen quickened his step. She was friends with his sister and came to the house for a sleepover one weekend.

Somebody noticed.

"A romance blossomed, as they say, " Don remembered.

"Fell in love, " Helen seconded.

After marriage and Don's stint in the military, they set up housekeeping. Don took a factory job but the work wasn't steady.

Being a wrench-turner from way back, he started flipping cars for extra money and parlayed a side gig into a good career, eventually owning a successful garage and car dealership by the time he was done.

"He worked hard and he knew how to connect with people, " Joe said.

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"That's what it is. It's that 'connectivity.' I mean, he didn't call it that, but he knew how to bond with his employees and especially his customers. He still checks in on his friends. He calls and emails."

While Don worked at his garage, Helen managed the household.

She's renowned for her cooking, but in those early days, Helen and her kitchen weren't always on speaking terms, her son laughs.

"Yeah, they were just married and she baked a pie, " he said. "The crust was so tough they couldn't cut into it."

Before Joe, they had a loveable dog named Buster.

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As Don and Helen were a frugal couple who didn't want to waste food, they gave the pie to the pup, who sidled up to it, sniffed, fixed the couple with a look  and padded off.

"Not even Buster, " Joe laughed. "He wasn't having any of it. And now my mother's peach pies are legendary."

'You just do'

Their son, the auctioneer, turned the story into a primer on how to succeed in business and life.

Rather, if you don't know how to do something at first, or if you aren't good at something at first, you will master it or at least be passable at itif you work at it.

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He never saw his parents have to work at their marriage.

They're always at the table together, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

During the COVID days when everyone was isolated, they still went on drives, cruising the Pennsylvania two lanes together, in a car with a heater that worked this time.

In a time when couples don't stay wed for 75 days, and personal longevity aside, how have they managed to remain married for 75 years ?

"You just do, " Don said.

"Give and take, " Helen said.

"Yeah, " Don countered. "She's not always nosy."

"And he's not always annoying, " came Helen's retort, with nary a pause.

Then, they both laughed.

Heck, their son said: Punxsutawney Phil himself couldn't have projected a better bid for wedded bliss.
When Everglades Angels brought Kali to her new home in Port St. Lucie, the rescued dog found a new lease on life.

She walked in our home, walked right up to my 1-year-old grandson [Gavin] and rolled on her back for belly rubs, Lani Evans told TCPalm. She was comfortable, she was loved, and she was home  forever!

Kalis life was not always so good. Someone had put her in a metal cage and left her to die in the Everglades sometime before Lani and Darrell Evans adopted her in September 2018.

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She chewed her way out of the cage and  being the loyal companion that she is  she waited by that cage for her owner to come back for her, Lani said. Our understanding is that a passerby saw her and was occasionally tossing out food to her.

Someone eventually called Everglades Angels, a South Florida nonprofit that rescues, treats and finds forever homes for abandoned dogs. Kali was underweight and traumatized, but the nonprofit restored her to good health, Lani said.

Kali has never had any medical issues. She is perfectly healthy, Lani said. The first couple of days with us, she definitely had a little anxiety. No doubt, she was likely unsure if her new surroundings would be permanent. Within a couple of days, she realized this was her new home.

The Evanses gave Kali a DNA test that revealed she was 50% border collie; 37.5% Great Pyrenees and 12.5% German shepherd. Everglades Angels estimated she was 4 years old, but Lani thinks she was younger because she still has the energy of a puppy eight years later.

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Kali has never met a stranger. She loves everyone; all dogs and all children, Lani said. She protects us daily from squirrels and the Amazon man!

To the rescue: Epidemic of dogs dumped in Everglades hits home for Treasure Coast woman

Forever home: Lulu, a dog abandoned in the Everglades, now lives on the Treasure Coast

Two years after their dog died, the Evanses began thinking and talking about adopting a dog. When Darrell saw Kali on the Everglades Angels website, their minds were made up.

He quickly filled out an application and made an appointment to meet her and we immediately knew she should come home with us, Lani said. All she asks for  in return for her love and loyalty  are daily belly rubs.

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Though the Evanses constantly love on Kali, Lani said it pales in comparison to the love Kali gives them.

Its horrible that these very innocent animals have to suffer because of horrible decisions made by a human, Lani said. Im so thankful for rescues like Everglades Angels that are working hard to get these animals off the streets and into loving homes. We feel very blessed to have been given the opportunity to make Kali part of our family.

How to adopt an Everglades dog, donate or volunteer to a dog rescue

Cheryl Smith is TCPalm's enterprise editor. Contact her at cheryl.smith@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida Everglades Angels rescue dog left to die in metal cage
Groundhog Day marks its 139th anniversary on February 2, continuing a folk tradition that began in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

The annual observance centers on a groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil, who is brought out at Gobblers Knob to make a symbolic weather prediction. According to the tradition, if the groundhog sees his shadow, winter will last six more weeks. If he does not, an early spring is expected.

The first organized Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney occurred on February 2, 1887, when members of a local groundhog hunting club declared Phil the nations official weather-forecasting groundhog, according to historical accounts.

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The custom itself has deeper European roots. Groundhog Day evolved from Candlemas, a Christian observance marking the midpoint between winter and spring. In parts of Germany, folklore held that animals such as hedgehogs could predict the length of winter based on whether they saw their shadows. When German settlers arrived in Pennsylvania, they adapted the practice using groundhogs, which were common in the region.

Groundhogsalso known as woodchucks or whistle pigsare true hibernators. During the winter months, their body temperatures drop sharply, their heart rates slow dramatically, and they survive on stored body fat. In February, male groundhogs briefly emerge from their burrows to seek mates before returning underground, a natural behavior later associated with the holiday.

While Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous of the weather-predicting rodents, many communities across North America now host their own Groundhog Day celebrations featuring local groundhogs.

The tradition gained widespread cultural recognition in 1993 with the release of Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray, which popularized the phrase groundhog day as shorthand for experiences that repeat themselves.

Although modern meteorology does not rely on groundhogs for forecasting, Groundhog Day endures as a uniquely American blend of folklore, humor, and seasonal anticipation139 years after its first organized celebration.
Park rangers, biologists, and San Francisco visitors are breathing a sigh of relief after a remarkable coyote has been spotted safe and sound. In fact, he appears to be thriving!

The adventurous coyote, affectionately nicknamed 'Floyd,' was first seen swimming to Alcatraz on January 11. He crawled onto the rocky shore with shaking legs and took time to catch his breath before disappearing among the rocks and brush. After weeks of questions and concern, Floyd has been spotted again, and this time, scientists are keeping a much closer eye on him.

It's fantastic to hear that the adventurous coyote is doing well in his new home. As impressive as it was to think of him navigating San Francisco Bay's chilly waters for over a mile (presuming he came from the city's mainland), his thin and shivering appearance had everyone understandably worried. But now, just a few weeks later, he couldn't appear any healthier.

Related: Coyote and Bear's Unlikely Friendship is Like Disney's 'Robin Hood' Coming to Life

NBC Bay Area news anchor Gia Vang explains, "This marks the first documented coyote presence on Alcatraz since the island was transferred to the National Park Service in 1972." Considering how animal sightings were not tracked before then, this could mean that Floyd is the first coyote on the island ever.

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"If a coyote can make it, I know those prisoners escaped and are still alive," commenter @rodrigo_893 admitted. That could certainly be the case! In 1962, three men escaped from Alcatraz's maximum security prison and presumably swam to safety, and they were never seen again.

Other viewers are less impressed and more concerned about the San Francisco coyote's future on the island. @Nickeebrown13 asked, "They dont have a fresh water source though, so what is he drinking?"

What's Next For the Alcatraz Coyote?

Others, like tour guide Aidan Moore, who was the first to see the video of the coyote swimming to the island, have had the same concern. He shared that the coyote's future on the island "depends entirely on how it behaves" and whether human intervention is required for his survival.

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is closely monitoring the wild animal and his well-being, though his fate is still uncertain. For now, he's still roaming Alcatraz, where very lucky visitors may be able to catch a glimpse of him.

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This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Feb 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Metcalfe Park Elders is a series of profiles featuring elders living in Milwaukee's Metcalfe Park neighborhood who share their personal stories, memories and vision for the future of their community

Larry Rogers has learned to choose his seat carefully.

When he enters a room  any room  he positions himself where he can see the door and keep his back against the wall.

Its an instinct that he built over decades of a life lived on the defensive: from growing up Black in rural Arkansas during the Civil Rights era, to serving in Vietnam as a teenager, to living through years of violence that once engulfed his neighborhood, Metcalfe Park.

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At 77, Rogers still scans rooms as he enters, making note of exits. Fireworks unsettle him, and crowds make him uneasy. The vigilance he kept in his early years never fully left, but since moving to Metcalfe Park in 2008, he has found spaces within the community where his body can finally loosen its grip.

He grew up in Marion, Arkansas, where racism was not subtle and safety as a Black man was never guaranteed. Black people were openly targeted by police, he said, and explanations were rarely given.

One night, a police bullet missed his head by inches, he said. He ran, crawling through a muddy field and disappearing into the dark.

He said some of what he sees today in Milwaukee regarding how Black and Brown people are treated  the tension, the fear, the speed at which situations escalate  reminds him of his hometown.

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I dont like whats happening now, Rogers said. Whats happening here takes me back to where I was born. That went on there. Its going on here. Its going on everywhere.

School was difficult for Rogers, mostly because he started formal schooling much later than the other kids in his classroom and thus struggled to keep up.

His father died of cancer when he was a teenager, and by 17, Rogers left school and enlisted in the Army, hoping to support his mother back home and escape a place that no longer felt survivable.

Vietnam, he said, was chaotic and terrifying. Enemy fire came without warning, and bullets threatened to pierce his body from unseen places underground or in dense brush. Rogers drove an armored personnel carrier loaded with ammunition  something he said hes only grown more frightened by as he reflects on his life.

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The danger in Vietnam wasnt limited to combat. As a soldier responsible for operating a loaded armored carrier, Rogers encountered racism within his own unit, including a commanding officer who didnt want a Black man operating critical equipment.

He said he learned to stay alert, to watch his surroundings constantly and to plan exits before anything went wrong.

Larry Rogers, 77, of Metcalfe Park, poses for a portrait on Jan. 15, 2026, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Angelica Edwards / The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Rogers carried those learned skills home.

For years, he tried to quiet his mind with drugs. Though therapy provided by the VA helped, Rogers said it wasnt until he fully committed to Bethesda Baptist Church near West Locust Street and North 20th Street that he broke the habit.

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Now, Rogers teaches Sunday school  a role he never imagined for himself as someone who did not have a lot of formal education. Teaching, he said, gives him confidence and a sense of purpose he didn't have before.

I was afraid at first, he recalled. But I liked it, because I like to see the reaction of my class.

Outside of church, Roger shows up in quieter ways. He works the polls every election, helping neighbors register and vote. His small lawn service business keeps him outside at Black Joy Farm at 2815 W. Wright Street, at the Mutual Aid Shed in Metcalfe Park and at homes throughout the neighborhood.

When the weight of the memories he carries becomes too heavy, Rogers said, he goes fishing.

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Out on the water, his mind slows. He isnt thinking about Vietnam or Arkansas or difficulties waiting for him ashore. Hes watching the line, waiting. Fishing is his therapy, he said.

Rogers has 10 children and 35 grandchildren spread across several states. He said he jokes about favorites and who can or can't be trusted to drive his truck. Beneath the humor is pride  and not just in his family, but in the distance between his life in rural Arkansas and his life in Milwaukee now.

I look back from where I came from to where Im at now, Rogers said. Im just thankful.

For the foreseeable future, Rogers said he will continue to do what hes always done: show up and take a carefully chosen seat. In a pew at church, behind the check-in table at the polls, in community meetings, and in his boat out on the water, where he will remember what his life has been, while thinking about what it can still become.

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April Quevedo covers Metcalfe Park for the Journal Sentinels Neighborhood Dispatch . Contact: aquevedo@usatodayco.com .

Neighborhood Dispatch reporting is supported by Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Journal Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project . Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support . Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: JS Community Journalism) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.

The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #364427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Metcalfe Park Elders: Larry Rogers on lessons from a life on defense
I was lucky enough to have been born in Colombia, so my mornings have always started with a hot, comforting arepa. These round corn or flour "patties" are a staple food of both Colombia and Venezuela, and it's not unusual for people in both countries to eat them on a daily basis. Though we share an unfailing love of arepas, we have very different approaches to the dish and are fiercely proud of our own versions. Confusing one for the other is one of the easiest ways to insult us. Luckily, it's actually fairly easy to tell Colombian and Venezuelan arepas apart. But before getting into it, I should mention that each nation has an estimated 40 to 80 types of arepas and that family recipes vary widely. Any explanation given will be a simplified generalization of this varied dish.

Overall, Colombian arepas are simpler and more traditional. Many are made only with maize (or flour), water, and salt, though cheese is sometimes added to the mix. Other ingredients are normally served as toppings rather than fillings. Arepas here are usually griddled or deep-fried and served as snacks or side dishes. (Pro tip: Try them with hot chocolate with cheese.)

Venezuelan arepas, on the other hand, tend to be thicker, and are typically opened and stuffed with various ingredients. Different meats, vegetables, cheeses, and sauces are used as fillings to make a hearty main meal. It's also acceptable to boil, steam, or even bake them.

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Read more: Employees At Mexican Restaurants Tell Us The Customer Orders They Hate The Most

Which country invented arepas?

Stuffed Venezuelan arepas - Nehopelon/Getty Images

Colombians and Venezuelans have been fighting over who invented the arepa for centuries. Unlike other food rivalries  such as Peru and Chile's war over pisco  the question hasn't been settled yet. Those on Venezuela's side often argue that the name of the dish comes from the country's Indigenous Cumanagoto word, "erepa." But this only proves that Spaniards eventually adopted the word from this tribe. People who back up Colombia's claim point out archaeological evidence that suggests maize came into the country around 3,000 years ago; 200 years before it reached Venezuela. It would make sense, then, that arepas would've been created in Colombia first. This argument is spotty, however, since it reflects the oldest records that we've found, not necessarily the oldest arepas that actually existed. It's also a bit ridiculous to use modern geo-political borders to define the dish's origins because arepas existed thousands of years before either Colombia or Venezuela. The reality is that arepas are indigenous and belong to the area at large.

Besides, does this question even matter? If arepas were invented first in the territory that we now call Colombia, would that mean Venezuela couldn't claim them, or vice versa? Of course not! That's not how food works. Instead of paying attention to this silly little rivalry, we should all focus on enjoying both types of arepas and celebrating their differences. There's simply no time to waste when there are dozens and dozens of delicious arepa styles to try.

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NEED TO KNOW

Ten miners who work for a Canadian-based company in Mexico were kidnapped on Jan. 24, officials said

A legal representative from the company called 911 to report the missing miners, the Sinaloa State Attorney General's Office said

A Mexican security official said authorities are investigating whether a cartel faction in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, where the mining operation is located, is involved in the kidnapping

Authorities in Mexico are searching for ten workers from a Canadian company who were abducted from a mining site on Jan. 24.

On Wed., Jan. 28, Vancouver-based Vizla Silver Corp. announced in a statement that ten individuals were taken from a mining project site in Concordia, Mexico.

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Local authorities have been notified, and the companys crisis management and security response teams are actively engaged, the company said in the statement.

The company's immediate priority "is the safety and well-being of the individuals involved, it said.

As a precautionary measure, certain activities at and near the site have been temporarily suspended, it said.

The miners were abducted on Saturday, Jan. 24, Mexican Security and Citizen Protection Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said during a press conference, the CBC reports.

Federal and state authorities in Mexico are searching for missing miners, who were kidnapped at the same time, he said.

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He said authorities are investigating whether a cartel faction in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, where the mining operation is located, is involved in the kidnapping.

What we know is there were no previous threats or interference with employees of this company, Harfuch said, NewsNation reports. A cell of Los Chapitos operates in that area. We have identified one of the leaders in that area and we also are looking for him.

The abduction came to authorities attention on Jan. 24, when a legal representative from the company called 911, the Sinaloa State Attorney Generals Office said in a statement on Jan. 29.

An investigation was opened and the Attorney Generals Office began working with federal authorities, including the Sinaloa State Search Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, for the implementation to search for the missing miners, it said.

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As part of these actions, a search warrant, duly authorized by the competent judicial authority, was executed on January 27th of this year, it said.

On Thursday, Jan. 29, the Mexican government sent 1,600 additional troops to Sinaloa after someone fired gunshots at two members of the Citizens' Movement party in Culiacan, the state capital, the CBC reports.

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Harfuch said his top priority is finding the miners.

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We want to tell the relatives of the victims that the entire Cabinet will not stop searching for them and that we are participating (with state authorities) in the investigation, he said, the CBC reports.

The National Defense Secretariat and the Navy have a strong presence there, and the Secretary (of the Army) has sent reinforcements.



Read the original article on People
The Brief

A monthlong multi-agency operation in Lubbock resulted in 20 arrests and the rescue of 10 human trafficking victims.

Those arrested face various felony charges, including solicitation, aggravated promotion of prostitution, and drug possession.

Rescued survivors have been connected with Voice of Hope, a local partner agency providing immediate support resources.

LUBBOCK, Texas - A monthlong multi-agency crackdown on human trafficking in the Lubbock area led to the rescue of 10 victims and the arrest of 20 people on charges, authorities announced Sunday.

Human trafficking victims rescued in Lubbock

What we know

The operations, which spanned the month of January, were timed to coincide with National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The Lubbock Police Departments Special Operations Human Trafficking Unit spearheaded the effort alongside Homeland Security Investigations, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and the Lubbock County Sheriffs Office.

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Police said the victims were provided immediate access to resources through Voice of Hope, a local partner agency that specializes in support for trafficking survivors.

The 20 arrests include charges ranging from aggravated promotion of prostitution and solicitation to resisting arrest and drug possession. Among those taken into custody were two individuals facing warrants for aggravated promotion of prostitution and several others held on federal immigration detainers.

What they're saying

"While the operation has concluded... the Lubbock Police Department, in conjunction with its area law enforcement partners, remains committed in its fight against human trafficking here in the Hub City and beyond," the department said in a statement.

20 arrests in Lubbock human trafficking bust

Authorities released the names of those charged during the operation:

Aggravated Promotion of Prostitution (Warrants)

Gao, Fu, 66

Liu, Biwu, 32

Promotion of Prostitution (Warrant)

Willis, Jamil, 43

Solicitation of Prostitution

Arrendondo, Diego, 37 (also held on ICE Hold)

Contreras-Fuentes, Angel Anthony, 24

Forgione, Daniel John, 63

Herrera, Ray Anthony, 59

Mathis, Justin, 44

McClanahan, Jeffrey, 43

Oyetade, Oluwaseye Peter, 35

Plosz, Gabor, 34 (also held on ICE Hold)

Romero, Francisco Manuel, 26

Ryan, Tsamarte, 27

Tran, Son Hoang, 54

Walker, Wesley Adam, 46 (also charged with Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon, Manufacture/Delivery of a Substance, and Possession of Marijuana)

Wing, Samuel Logan, 28 (also charged with Resisting Arrest/Search/Transport)

Rachels, Jason, 44 (Warrant for Attempted Solicitation)

Prostitution

Chavira, Griselda Alexandra, 26

Other Related Charges & Warrants

Chavez, Veronica Marie, 35 (LPD Misdemeanor Warrant)

Terrell, William Bryan, 49 (Interference with Public Duties and Resisting Arrest/Search/Transport)

Resources for survivors

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, the following resources are available:

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Voice of Hope: 806-763-7273 | voiceofhopetexas.org

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 | humantraffickinghotline.org

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: 1-800-THE-LOST | missingkids.org

If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text them at 88788 with the message "BEGIN."If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 (Crisis Text Line). As of July 2022, those searching for help can also call 988 to be relayed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

The Source

Information in this article is from the Lubbock Police Department.
In October 2025, researchers at the marine research group OCEARCH tagged a 1,000-pound juvenile female great white in Nova Scotias Mahone Bay. The shark, whom scientists dubbed Ernst, has been making her way south ever sinceand recently, she popped up in a spot where few sharks of her species have gone before.

A Shark on the Move

Satellite pings (which register every time Ernst surfaces) show the shark traveling down the east coast of the U.S. In mid-December, she was about 150 miles off the southwestern coast of Florida in an area known as Pulley Ridge. OCEARCH founder and expedition leader Chris Fischer told SWNS news that Pulley Ridge is a super biodiverse place with a tremendous volume of life.

From there, Ernst headed even further into the Gulf of Mexico: On January 24, her satellite tag pinged around four miles off of Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Ernsts latest ping, recorded on January 30, placed the shark even further west, near Horn Island off the Mississippi coast. She traveled more than 3,100 miles in around 90 days.

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The fact that sharks are migratory, especially white sharks, has been known for quite some time, Sean Powers, director of the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of South Alabama, told Gulf Coast Media. But the fact that the shark went all the way from Nova Scotia to the Gulf in about 90 days is just amazing to think about.

Great white sharks arent uncommon in the Gulf of Mexico, but Ernst has traveled further west than others of her species typically do. She has really moved into one of the farther parts of what we see them as moving west, Fischer told SWNS. [For] the majority of the sharks, this is pretty far reach.

Its also unusual that Ernst is so close to shore, but according to Fischer, its a great sign for the region because this is a signal that theres a lot of life and a lot of biodiversity.

Great whites can grow to around 20 feet long and weigh 4,500 pounds, according to NOAA. Ernst, a juvenile, is likely in her twenties; she wont reach sexual maturity until shes around 33 years old (male white sharks, on the other hand, mature at around 26 years old). They can be found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, and they migrate seasonally to stay in waters ranging in temperature from 50 to 80F. In the U.S., you can find great whites from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean on the east coast, and from Alaska to California and Hawaii on the west coast.

Whats the Longest Migration by a Great White Shark?

Ernst has traveled more than 3,000 miles, but thats nothing compared to the migration undertaken by Alisha, a white shark who made a one-way migration of nearly 23,000 miles from South Africa to Indonesia in 20122013. The previous recordnearly 12,500 milesbelonged to a great white named Nicole, who traveled between South Africa and Australia in 2005.

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Want to see where Ernst will pop up next? You can follow her path for yourself here.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Feb 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A Columbus man is in custody after he was accused of pandering sexually oriented matter with a missing 17-year-old Indiana girl, whose remains were later found in Ohio.

The Franklin County Municipal Court records show that 39-year-old Tyler Thomas has been charged with pandering obscenity involving a minor and tampering with evidence in connection with Hailey Buzbee, according to our news partner, WBNS.

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TRENDING STORIES:

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Buzbee was reported missing on Jan. 6, and on Jan. 19, the Fishers Police Department in Indiana upgraded her case to an endangered missing juvenile.

Sam Shamansky, the attorney representing Thomas, told WBNS on Monday that officials recovered what they believe to be Buzbees remains in Perry County.

Fishers Police Department Chief Ed Gebhart previously said that his department is investigating the teens death as a homicide, and that they are working with the Columbus Division of Police Homicide Unit and the Hocking County Sheriffs Office.

Thomas allegedly picked up Buzbee out of state on Jan. 6 and brought her back to Columbus, according to court records.

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Investigators said they found videos and photos on Thomas phone that show the 17-year-old engaged in sexual acts.

Gebhart said that Thomas told police that he dropped Buzbee off on the side of the road in western Ohio. Officers said that the claim was determined to be untrue.

Buzbee was last known to be in Thomas company at his Columbus home and in a short-term rental property in Hocking County, according to WBNS.

A search warrant was executed at Thomas home and on his electronic devices on Jan. 21. Authorities allegedly found child sexual abuse material involving a juvenile.

Gebhart said that police believe that Buzbee and Thomas met via online gaming.

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He also said that the Indiana police reportedly encountered Thomas within days of Buzbee being reported missing.

Gebhart said in a press release on Sunday that Thomas is not currently facing any charges related to Buzbees death, but has been named a suspect in the case.

He appeared in Franklin County Municipal Court on Monday and was given a $1.5 million bond.

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SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Kim Keon-hee, wife of the impeached former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, filed an appeal against her 20-month prison sentence, Yonhap news agency said Monday.

The legal team of Kim, who was sentenced to 20 months in prison with a forfeiture of 12.81 million won (about 8,780 U.S. dollars) for corruption charges, submitted the notice of appeal to the Seoul court.

The court charged Kim with receiving valuables from Unification Church officials in return for favorable treatment of the religious group in 2022. Meanwhile, the court found her not guilty of the charges of violating the Capital Markets Act and the political funds act.

On Friday, the team of special counsel Min Joong-ki, who led the investigation into corruption allegations involving Yoon and his wife, filed an appeal against the court ruling, saying the court failed to properly recognize Kim's alleged role as a joint offender.

The special counsel demanded a 15-year jail term with a fine of 2 billion won and about 948 million won in forfeitures.

Kim was indicted under detention in August last year on charges of her participation in the stock price manipulation between October 2010 and December 2012.

She was also charged with conspiring with Yoon to receive illegal public opinion poll results worth about 270 million won free of charge from a political broker on 58 occasions from April 2021 to March 2022 ahead of the presidential election.

The court, however, ruled that there was no evidence to prove the presidential couple's order of the opinion polls.

Kim became the first wife of a former South Korean president to be tried under detention, as she has been held at a detention center since last August. 




Is there any talk of economic impact payments  better known as stimulus checks  coming to Americans' bank accounts this month?

President Donald Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of sending Americans stimulus checks funded by tariff revenue.

On Jan. 11, Trump claimed that $2,000 stimulus checks could be sent to Americans toward the end of the year using revenue from tariffs, stating he would not need congressional approval to do so, according to an interview with The New York Times.

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Since returning to office, Trump has frequently said he wants to send $2,000 stimulus checks, though the idea has not been formally proposed to Congress. During a Cabinet meeting last month, Trump outlined additional ideas for distributing some of that revenue as payments to Americans beginning in 2026.

"Next year is projected to be the largest tax refund season ever, and we're going to be giving back refunds out of the tariffs, as we have taken in literally trillions of dollars," Trump said in 2025. "We're going to be giving a nice dividend to the people in addition to reducing debt."

On Dec. 18, Trump addressed the nation and announced plans to send one-time payments of $1,776 to U.S. military service members, which he referred to as a warrior dividend. The Defense Department funded those payments, according to the Pentagon, and they were sent to about 1.45 million service members before Christmas.

Here's what would need to happen for Americans to receive stimulus payments.

What needs to happen for Americans to get another stimulus check?

For Americans to receive any new stimulus payment, a formal legislative process would have to take place and there is no guarantee Congress would approve such checks.

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On Dec. 21, during an interview with CBS News Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said stimulus checks remain a possibility for 2026.

"The deficit relative to last year is down by $600 billion and so, in the summer, I wasn't so sure that there was space for a check like that. But now I'm pretty sure that there is, and so, I would expect that in the new year, the president will bring forth a proposal to Congress to make that happen," said Hassett.

Hassett added that tariff revenue would be only one potential funding source, noting that Congress ultimately decides how federal revenue  including taxes and tariffs  is spent through the appropriations process, according to remarks reported by USA TODAY.

Is there a stimulus check coming in February?

There has been no official announcement or legislative action indicating that a stimulus check will be issued in February.

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Plans for tariff-funded checks could also be derailed if the Supreme Court strikes down some of Trumps tariffs. During Nov. 5 oral arguments, justices raised questions about the scope of the presidents authority to impose certain tariffs.

Lawmakers have also introduced the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025, proposed by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, which would distribute tariff rebate checks funded by tariff revenue of at least $600 per person, up to $2,400 for a family of four. The bill has not advanced in Congress.

What happened to those $5,000 DOGE checks?

Last year, Trump said he weighed a proposal to send taxpayers a $5,000 check, funded by savings from the Department of Government Efficiency and framed as a dividend.

Theres even a  under consideration, a new concept where we give 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and 20% goes to paying down debt, Trump said at the FII Priority Summit in Miami in 2025.

However, the proposed DOGE checks have not moved forward and are no longer being pursued. Elon Musk, who led the DOGE initiative as a special government agent, stepped down at the end of May 2025, after earlier casting doubt on whether the checks were feasible and noting that Congress and the president would have final say.
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal crash that happened early Sunday morning.

Just after 4:15 a.m. on Sunday, a LCSO deputy noticed a vehicle that was missing lights and a license plate, according to a media release. The deputy turned around to stop the car near East 57th Street and North Garfield Avenue in Loveland. However, the driver turned off all the vehicle's lights and sped away before the deputy could initiate a traffic stop.

The deputy activated his lights and sirens, but the suspect refused to stop and eluded law enforcement for several miles, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies pursued as the driver traveled at speeds up to 120 mph on northbound Interstate 25. The driver exited at Mountain Vista and made their way to Vine Drive/Weld County Road 84, the media release says.

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The driver lost control of the vehicle near the intersection of Pheasant Crest Drive and Weld County Road 84, the sheriff's office said. The car struck a power pole and rolled, ejecting two people. One man was pronounced deceased at the scene and the other man was taken to the hospital, where he died, LCSO said.

A third person was inside the vehicle. She was extricated and transported to the hospital for care, according to the media release. No other injuries have been reported.

"Deputies did not make contact with the vehicle or use any intervention techniques prior to the crash," LCSO said in the release.

The Weld County Coroner's Office will identify the two men.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

New York Magazine has a new profile out on Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), and there are some pretty interesting nuggets in there, like Maces use of her House office staff for campaign purposes potentially leading to a formal investigation from the House Ethics Committee.

And there was a lot more in the report from writer Jake Lahut. So lets get to the five juiciest details:

Forcing Staffers to Vote for Her in Hot Lawmaker Reddit Forums

Mace was so obsessed with monitoring her online reputation that she instructed one staffer to go on Reddit forums about the hottest women in Congress to boost her standing in the rankings and comment where needed. That added some sizzle to a Wired report last year about Mace making staffers create burner accounts to pump her up on Reddit.

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A former staffer told New York that Mace was very adamant about having her main Reddit-focused staffer upvote any posts about the congresswoman and her attractiveness.

She Made Staffers Go on Liquor Runs

Mace would command staffers to bring her liquor after midnight to keep parties going at her home during her first term, which started in early 2021.

Lahut notes that is technically an abuse of her office according to House rules. One unnamed ex-staffer said Mace would make her poor scheduler go out and buy bottles of tequila at 2:00 a.m.

Staffers Were Tasked With Cleaning Her Airbnbs

Lahut cheekily wrote that when staffers werent buying booze for her, they were doing her housework. That included making aides clean multiple properties that she had on Airbnb, rather than paying for maids. One former staffer remembered one clean up job in particular  on Election Night 2022, when Mace made aides clean up her $3.9 million South Carolina beach home for a watch party.

Mace Torched Her Relationship With Trump Over Epstein Files

The congresswoman wrecked her once-warm relationship with President Donald Trump by voting in favor of releasing more files on dead sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Trump was calling her in November to change her mind, Lahut reported, but she ended up voting in favor of their release along with 426 of her colleagues.

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That vote made the odds of Trump endorsing her bid to become South Carolinas next governor fall to nearly zero, according to sources close to her. One source said Mace knows she probably lost the presidents endorsement based on the Epstein vote.

Ex-Staffers Are Worried About Her

Former staffers said their concern for Mace has escalated after she broke up with her ex-fiance Patrick Bryant. Mace has accused Bryant of beating her, covertly filming her, and conspiring to drug, rape and film other women.

She publicly called him out during a speech in the House last year where Mace showed nude pictures of herself that she said Bryant took without her knowledge. Staffers didnt know what to make of Mace continuing to use her committee and her office to go after Bryant, the article said on Monday.

The post 5 Juiciest Reveals in Wild Nancy Mace Profile  Like Urging Staffer to Boost Her in Hottest Women of Congress Reddit Forums first appeared on Mediaite.
Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who were detained by immigration officers in Minnesota and held at an ICE facility in Texas, were released following a judges order and returned to Minnesota on Sunday, according to Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro.

The boy and his dad, Adrian Conejo Arias, who originally is from Ecuador, were detained in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20. They were taken to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas.

Katherine Schneider, a spokesperson for the Democratic congressman, confirmed the two had arrived home. She said Castro picked them up from Dilley on Saturday night and escorted them home on Sunday to Minnesota.

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Images of immigration officers surrounding the young boy in a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack drew outrage about the Trump administrations crackdown in Minneapolis.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not target or arrest the boy, and repeated assertions that his mother refused to take him after his fathers apprehension. His father told officers he wanted Liam to be with him, she said.

Neighbors and school officials have accused federal immigration officers of using the preschooler as bait by telling him to knock on the door to his house so that his mother would come outside. DHS has called that description of events an abject lie. It said the father fled on foot and left the boy in a running vehicle in their driveway.

The government said the boy's father entered the U.S. illegally from Ecuador in December 2024. The familys lawyer said he has an asylum claim pending that allows him to stay in the U.S.

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The Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Reviews online court docket shows no future hearings for Liams father.

The vast majority of asylum-seekers are released in the United States, with adults having eligibility for work permits, while their cases wind through a backlogged court system. Ecuadorians, who left in droves in recent years as their country spiraled into violence, have fared poorly in immigration court, with judges granting asylum in 12.5% of decisions in the 12-month period through September, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

In ordering the release of Liam and his father, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery blasted the administration, writing, The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.

Residents celebrate release

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On Sunday afternoon, residents of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, gathered outside the house where Liam was detained to celebrate his release and call attention to others from the community who remained in ICE detention.

We cried so much when we heard that he was coming back, said Lourdes Sanchez, the owner of a cleaning business. My son is also named Liam, and he is five years old, so it felt personal for us.

Nearby, Luis Zuna held up photographs of his 10-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who he said had been detained, along with her mother, Rosa, while driving to school on Jan. 6. He said they both remained in custody at the same facility where Liam and his father were held.

Its the same situation as Liam, but there were no pictures, said Carolina Gutierrez, who works as a secretary at the school that Elizabeth attended. Seeing Liam released, it gives us faith.

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Inquiries to DHS about that case were not immediately returned.

Brenda Marquez, another nearby resident, said she had driven with her husband and two young children to the house immediately upon hearing news of Liams release, stopping on the way to pick up Spiderman balloons. We wanted something that would bring a little happiness, she said. Being away from my son and not knowing whats going on with him, I just cant imagine it.

Congressman writes letter to Liam

Castro wrote a letter to Liam while they were on the plane to Minnesota, in which he told the young boy he has moved the world.

Your family, school and many strangers said prayers for you and offered whatever they could do to see you back home, Castro wrote. A photo of the letter was posted on the congressman's social media accounts. Dont let anyone tell you this isnt your home. America became the most powerful, prosperous nation on earth because of immigrants not in spite of them.

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Photos on Castros accounts showed Liam wearing his blue bunny hat and a Pikachu backpack.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, welcomed the boy back to Minnesota, saying in a social media post that he should be in school and with family  not in detention. The senator added: Now ICE needs to leave.

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, also a Democrat from Minnesota, posted a photo to social media of her with Liam, his father and Castro in which she is holding Liams Spider-Man backpack. Welcome home Liam, she posted with two hearts.

In a statement, Columbia Heights Public Schools called Liams release an important development, one that school officials hope will have positive developments for four other Columbia Heights students held at the same facility in Texas.

___

Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota. Associated Press writers Jake Offenhartz contributed from Columbia Heights, Minnesota, and Elliot Spagat from San Diego.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY)  West Virginia is known for its scenery, but landmarks that dot that scenery are also worth preserving, including eight that were recently added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Eight new additions from the Mountain State were announced this week by the West Virginia Department of Tourism. Those eight additions are as follows:

Citizens National Bank of Belington | Barbour County The historic Citizens National Bank of Belington served Barbour County during the early 20th century.

Old Hill Cemetery | Lewis County Also known as the historic Arnold Cemetery, this spot was established in 1820 as the towns first burial ground, holding notable early settlers and Civil War veterans and is home to a massive historic Yellow Poplar Tree estimated to be over 200 years old.

See Mail Pouch Barn | Randolph County Another historic barn part of the Mail Pouch advertising efforts, this barn can be found along West Virginia Route 55 in Randolph County.

George McComas House | Cabell County Part of the historic Barboursville walking tour, this Queen Anne-style home was built in 1895 and is known for its asymmetric design, gabled tin roof and distinctive tent-shaped turret, and wrap-around porch.

The Capon Bridge | Hampshire County An iconic green bridge stretching over the Cacapon River, the Capon Bridge was originally built in 1933 and underwent significant rehabilitation in 20212022 to preserve its historic integrity.

Hutchinson-Parsons-Fulk Mail Pouch Barn | Jackson County The Hutchinson-Parsons-Fulk Mail Pouch Barn, located on Route 21 in Sandyville, is a well-preserved example of the iconic Mail Pouch tobacco advertisements painted on barns by the Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company, a tradition that ran from the late 1800s to 1993.

Wilson Mail Pouch Barn | Mason County This historic Mail Pouch Barn lies near the town of Leon, between Charleston and Point Pleasant.

Henrietta Dismukes Hospital Nurses Home | McDowell County The Henrietta Dismukes Hospital served African American coal miners and their families from 1929 to 1932 and was the largest privately owned African American hospital in the country at the time. The hospital burned in 2013, and all that remains is the nurses home.



Citizens National Bank of Belington in Barbour County, West Virginia (Courtesy: West Virginia Department of Tourism) Old Hill Cemetery in Lewis County, West Virginia(Courtesy: West Virginia Department of Tourism) See Mail Pouch Barn along West Virginia Route 55 in Randolph County (Courtesy: West Virginia Department of Tourism) The Hutchinson-Parsons-Fulk Mail Pouch Barn, located on Route 21 in Sandyville, West Virginia (Courtesy: West Virginia Department of Tourism) Capon Bridge stretching over the Cacapon River in Hampshire County(Courtesy: West Virginia Department of Tourism) The George McComas House in Barboursville, West Virginia (Courtesy: West Virginia Department of Tourism) Wilson Mail Pouch Barn near Leon, West Virginia (Courtesy: West Virginia Department of Tourism) The Henrietta Dismukes Hospital in McDowell County, West Virginia (Courtesy: West Virginia Department of Tourism)

French Creek Freddie sees his shadow

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These additions join the likes of Woodburn Circle in Morgantown, the Waldomore in Clarksburg, and Philippis historic Covered Bridge, bringing the total to 142 listings for the Mountain State in the registers database.

You can browse the entire register by visiting the National Park Services website here.

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 WBOY.com.
NEED TO KNOW

Nine people were killed, and 26 others were injured, after a passenger bus rolled off the road in Turkeys Antalya province on Sunday, Feb. 1

Authorities said "the ground was wet and there was fog in the area" at the time

In addition, Provincial Gov. Hulusi Sahin said "it seems the bus was speeding" when the fatal crash occurred

Nine people were killed, and 26 others were injured, after a passenger bus rolled off the road and crashed.

The crash occurred on Sunday, Feb. 1, in southern Turkeys Antalya province, authorities said, per The Associated Press and Turkiye Today. The bus was traveling on the TekirdagAntalya route when it skidded and struck roadside barriers, before plunging into a ravine in Dosemealti, a district to the northwest of the Antalya city center.

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Images shown by state broadcaster TRT showed the bus lying on its side on an embankment on a highway slip road, per AP.

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Provincial Gov. Hulusi Sahin said that of the 26 people who were injured, at least seven sustained critical wounds such as severed limbs, per AP. The driver was among the nine fatalities.

TekirdagAntalya route in Turkey getty

The DHA news agency reported that some passengers were thrown from the bus, which had traveled overnight from Tekirdag in northwestern Turkey.

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The area had seen heavy rain in recent days. The ground was wet, and there was also fog in the area," Sahin told TRT, adding, "Its not a place to speed, but it seems the bus was speeding."

One passenger who survived the crash claimed that the weather was poor and that the driver failed to safely negotiate a curve when the bus overturned, Turkiye Today reported.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.

There was a second deadly crash near Antalya, a popular tourist destination, on Sunday, per AP. Seven people died in a collision involving two vehicles in Burdur, about 40 miles north of Dosemealti.

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According to the outlet, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya previously shared a post on social media addressing what he described as a "traffic culture" that saw 6,351 people die on the country's roads in 2024. He outlined existing proposals for stricter traffic laws.



Read the original article on People
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed Education Commissioner Mike Morath to investigate Austin Independent School District after students from multiple campuses left class during the school day to participate in anti-enforcement walkouts related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Abbott issued the directive January 30 after videos circulated online showing students leaving campus during instructional hours, with some students accompanied by police officers.

I have directed the Education Commissioner to investigate this. AISD gets taxpayer dollars to teach the subjects required by the state, not to help students skip school to protest. Our schools are for educating our children, not political indoctrination. This is one of many https://t.co/lhymqT0d2B  Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 31, 2026

AISD gets taxpayer dollars to teach the subjects required by the state, not to help students skip school to protest, Abbott wrote on X. Our schools are for educating our children, not political indoctrination.

Students From 14 Campuses Left Class

In a letter sent to families, Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura confirmed that students at 14 campuses participated in what he described as student-led protests related to immigration enforcement activities.

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According to Segura, some students participated in walkouts on campus, while others left school grounds and gathered at the Texas Capitol.

Segura emphasized that the activity was not sponsored or endorsed by Austin ISD or any of its schools.

It is always our desire to have our students in our classrooms during instructional hours, Segura wrote.

District Cites Safety, Limits On Authority

Segura said Austin ISD administrators and district police officers accompanied students during the school day in order to ensure student safety, citing the districts responsibility for students during instructional hours.

During the school day, our students are our responsibility and were committed to the safety of our students in our community, regardless if they are on our campus, Segura wrote. That is why our administrators and Austin ISD Police remain with our students during protest activities during school hours.

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However, Segura noted that the districts ability to ensure safety is limited when students attend non-school-sanctioned events.

Our staff cannot physically prevent a student from choosing to leave campus, Segura wrote, adding that family guidance is essential during such situations.

Walkouts Counted As Unexcused Absences

Segura stated that leaving campus during the school day to participate in a walkout is considered an unexcused absence under district policy. He also warned that if a student leaves campus and does not return by the end of the school day, the district cannot facilitate their return to campus or ensure their transportation home.

Abbotts office has not released additional details regarding the scope or timeline of the investigation by the Texas Education Agency.
Hundreds of protesters turned out in Cocoa Feb. 1 to demonstrate against President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement policies as Abolish ICE protests were held across the country over the weekend.

Waving signs and demanding accountability from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, locals packed the corner of U.S. 1 and State Road 520 Sunday afternoon amid near-freezing temperatures on a record-cold winter day for Brevard.

The event came just a week after the killing of protester Alex Pretti, a registered nurse, by federal agents in Minneapolis.

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Liz Mikitarian, founder of the progressive group STOP Moms for Liberty, was among the key organizers present at Sunday's event.

"So many people have just had it with all the activities that have been going on, she said. We don't approve of the efforts that are being taken by ICE. We can't just be quiet when things are being done that are against human rights and human dignity.

"An attack on human rights anywhere is an attack on every person.

As part of the administration's "Operation Metro Surge." more than 3,000 agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol have been deployed to Minneapolis, a city with just 600 police officers. The move has sparked major protests and backlash, especially after the shooting deaths of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

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Claims by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other Trump administration officials that Pretti was a "terrorist who sought to do "maximum damage" have been undermined as multiple videos from the scene have emerged, prompting nationwide outrage and deepening political divides.

On a chilly first day of February, Space Coast residents staged an Abolish ICE protest at U.S. 1 and State Road 520. The rally was one of hundreds planned nationwide over the past few days, with protesters speaking out against recent immigration enforcement actions taking place across the country.

David White, a Palm Bay resident for the past 40 years, said he felt the need to make his voice heard. The fact that Brevard County is a largely Republican area that has voted overwhelmingly for Trump three times did not discourage those like White.

White said he hopes his neighbors who are Trump voters may change their minds.

"We've got to do what we can do. There's not much we can do right now, he said. We can come to a protest like this. We can write our congressmen even if it's pretty hopeless.

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Tyler Vazquez is the Growth and Development Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @tyler_vazquez.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Abolish ICE protest brings crowd of hundreds to rally in Cocoa
JAY, Okla.  The Community Crisis Center opened an office in Jay to assist victims of domestic violence in Delaware County.

The Jay office is located at 270 S. 5th Street, adjacent to the Delaware County Courthouse.

The agency has a 24-bed shelter in Miami with satellite advocacy centers in Vinita, Grove, and now Jay, said Kelsey Samuels, Community Crisis Center executive director.

Kelsey used the opening of the Jay Center to raise awareness of human trafficking.

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The Jay Center informs of the realities of trafficking in rural communities and reaffirms its commitment to supporting survivors across northeast Oklahoma.

The Community Crisis Center shares educational information and resources designed to help community members, employers, educators, healthcare providers, and civic organizations better understand trafficking indicators and how to respond safely.

A common misconception is that human trafficking always involves strangers kidnapping victims and transporting them long distances, Samuels said.

Many victims are trafficked by someone they know, often within or near the communities where they live. Human trafficking is not a distant or urban-only crime; it is happening locally and in rural areas. Kelsey Samuels, Community Crisis Center executive director

Human trafficking also impacts tribal communities, including Cherokee Nation citizens and families, both on and off the tribes Reservation.

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However, awareness alone is not enough  action is required, said Chuck Hoskin Jr., Cherokee Nation Principal Chief.

Cherokee Nation is allocating funds to expand victim services and to strengthen the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and the Cherokee Nation Justice System. We are ensuring we have the judges, prosecutors, officers, and support staff necessary to effectively and efficiently handle trafficking cases within the reservation, he said.

For American Indian communities, this human trafficking carries a deeper weight, he said.

Human trafficking is intertwined with the broader crisis of violence against American Indian people, especially American Indian women, Hoskin said.

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These harms are part of a pattern rooted in exploitation, vulnerability, and systemic failures, Hoskin said. As Cherokee people, we believe every life is sacred. That belief carries a profound responsibility to see the danger, to speak about it openly, and to act with purpose.

Cherokee Nation is implementing new training programs across the tribes government, which includes specialized training for healthcare providers and other employees to recognize the warning signs of trafficking and respond appropriately, he said.

What is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking is the exploitation of a person through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of labor or commercial sex. This can include forcing someone to work, provide services, or engage in sexual activity through threats, manipulation, deception, abuse, or control.

Since becoming certified by the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office to provide trafficking services this year, Community Crisis Center has served more than 35 human trafficking survivors in 2025, Samuels said.

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This underscores the urgent need for awareness, early identification, and accessible survivor-centered services in rural areas, Samuels said.

Human trafficking is frequently hidden in plain sight and can involve familiar people and everyday places. Awareness helps our communities recognize warning signs and ensures survivors know that services and confidential support are available close to home. Kelsey Samuels, Community Crisis Center executive director

How the Community Can Help

Learn the warning signs of human trafficking

Share credible information and local resources

Request training for workplaces, schools, faith groups, or community organizations

Support survivor-centered services in Northeast Oklahoma

If you or someone you know needs help, confidential support is available. Phone: 24/7 hotline (800) 400-0883.

Cherokee Nation Hotline: Silence Hides Violence  Emergency Hotline: (866) 458-5399.

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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.
The Brief

Two federal agents involved in the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis have been identified by a ProPublica report.

Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez were identified as the shooters.

The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the incident, with Homeland Security Investigations leading the review.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Two federal agents who fired shots in the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last weekend have been identified in government records, according to a ProPublica report.

Federal officers identified

What we know

Citing government records viewed by the journalism nonprofit, ProPublica identified Border Patrol Agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection Officer Raymundo Gutierrez as the federal officers who fired shots during Pretti's deadly shooting.

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Last week, Customs and Border Protection informed Congressional leaders that two agents had fired shots during the confrontation at the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue on Saturday, Jan. 24.

Big picture view

On Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the Department of Justice had opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting.

Homeland Security Investigations is leading the review of the shooting with backing from the FBI. According to reports, as part of the investigation, DHS was probing whether a federal agent accidentally discharged Pretti's weapon, potentially setting the fatal events in motion.

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According to the New York Post report, an agent may have misfired the gun after disarming Pretti and this unintentional shot allegedly led other officers to believe they were being fired upon, prompting them to open fire in response.

Local perspective

At the same time, Minnesota authorities have fought to maintain a local review of the shooting. Last week, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said she anticipates having enough evidence to make a charging decision in Pretti's shooting.

Pretti's shooting ignited another wave of protests across the Twin Cities in opposition to the ICE surge. In the aftermath of the shooting, President Trump told local leaders who would scale back the federal surge. During a news conference on Thursday, Border Czar Tom Homan, who was brought into the Twin Cities to take over federal operations after Pretti's shooting, said the ICE drawdown was dependent on local cooperation with immigration enforcement efforts.

Why publish the agents' names?

What they're saying

In a statement to FOX 9 in response, the Department of Homeland Security said:

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"DHS will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers. Doxxing our officers put their lives and their families in serious danger. 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. They are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks against them, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them. Publicizing their identities puts their lives and the lives of their families at serious risk. This matter remains under investigation."

In context

In the article, ProPublica editors justified publishing the names of the officers, writing:

"ProPublica is publishing the names of the two federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of Minnesota protester Alex Pretti. We believe there are few investigations that deserve more sunlight and public scrutiny than this one, in which two masked agents fired 10 shots at Pretti as he lay on the ground after being pepper-sprayed.

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"The Department of Justice said it is investigating the incident, but the names of the two agents have been withheld from Congress and from state and local law enforcement.

"The policy of shielding officers identities, particularly after a public shooting, is a stark departure from standard law enforcement protocols, according to lawmakers, state attorneys general and former federal officials. Such secrecy, in our view, deprives the public of the most fundamental tool for accountability."
ISLAMABAD, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 145 terrorists, 17 security personnel and police, and 31 civilians were killed within a span of 40 hours as Pakistan's security forces repelled a wave of coordinated terrorist attacks across the southwestern province of Balochistan, the chief minister said on Sunday.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti told a press conference in Quetta that the casualties occurred during counter-terrorism operations and militant attacks at multiple locations across the province.

He said that the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army carried out multiple attacks across the province on Saturday, prompting immediate and decisive responses by security forces.

Bugti called it the highest number of militant casualties recorded in such a short period since Pakistan's ongoing war against terrorism.

Separately, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said peace had been restored across Balochistan following the attacks, adding that security forces were conducting mopping-up operations to eliminate any remaining threats. 
Reporters Notebook: MINNEAPOLIS  Nicollet Avenue in South Minneapolis was lit with trees trimmed in clear lights on Sunday afternoon. In ordinary times, people from all over the Twin Cities come to eat in the restaurants because the avenue is famously known as Eat Street.

Yesterday, a crowd gathered for a very different reason. They came to pay tribute to Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA intensive care nurse who was fatally shot by federal agents on Jan. 24 during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Prettis death has sparked widespread outrage, protests and a federal civil rights investigation.

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Nearby where the shooting took place stands Christos Greek Restaurant. Across the street is Glam Doll Donuts, and less than a block away is the Black Forest Inn. Ironically enough, the area is known for its diverse restaurants opened by immigrants.

Pretti was killed directly in front of the New American Development Center, whose signage reads: HELPING COMMUNITY THRIVE.

A growing makeshift memorial spills into the avenue  hundreds of bouquets of flowers, some now weighed down by snow, and dozens of candles burning among handmade signs honoring Pretti.

One sign read: Nurses for Justice and Peace.

Another sign read: Never Forget with a red heart.

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At the center of the tribute is a banner that reads, Rest in Power Alex: Any Righteous Person Would Have Done the Same.

One image at the memorial that captured my eye is a black-and-white Holocaust photograph covered in clear plastic known as The Last Jew in Vinnitsa, showing a Nazi gunman executing a man beside a pit of bodies  a stark reminder of the pain, loss and questions of justice raised by Prettis death.

A photo of The "Last Jew in Vinnitsa," showing a Nazi gunman executing a man beside a pit of bodies, was among the photos and signs at tne makeshift memorial. (Photo/Levi Rickert)

As I stood there, a woman placed a bouquet of red tulips just below the photo.

She was one of dozens that turned in hundreds of people who came Sunday afternoon, braving 20-degree temperatures, to leave items or simply stand in silence  some with tears streaming down their faces.

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As I stood there, I thought: This is our America.

George McCauley, an Omaha tribal elder, brought me to the memorial directly from the airport. As he picked me up, he told me I had missed a jingle dress dancing ceremony that took place at the site before he left to get me. I missed the ceremony because my flight from Michigan arrived late.

McCauley told me that this is what our people do as part of the healing process. The first people seek healing for America.

Editor's Note: All photos by Levi Rickert for. Native News Online.

About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
Gun rights are at risk under Donald Trump, allies of the US president fear.

Mr Trump has repeatedly said Alex Pretti, an anti-immigration protester shot to death by federal agents, should not have been carrying a firearm at the demonstration Minneapolis in January.

Pro-gun groups say Pretti, who did not draw his weapon and appeared to have been disarmed before he was shot, was acting within the law, and fear the presidents comments could signal a clampdown on Second Amendment rights.

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Questions have been raised by powerful gun lobbies  who are usually allies of Maga  over whether Mr Trump is as instinctively pro-gun as other Republicans.

Since Pretti was shot dead, the president has sought to lessen tensions in Minneapolis, sacking Gregory Bovino, the border patrol commander who had been tasked with spearheading his mass deportation programme.

ICE agents tactics in Minneapolis have caused protests to erupt - Tim Evans

Despite saying Pretti was not an assassin, as senior officials have claimed, Mr Trump repeatedly criticised the 37-year-old nurse for carrying a gun even though he was legally licensed to do so.

He shouldnt have been carrying a gun, he told reporters on Tuesday, adding: I dont like that he had a gun. I dont like that he had two fully loaded magazines. Thats a lot of bad stuff.

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Outside the White House the same day, he claimed: You cant have guns. You cant walk in with guns. You just cant.

Bryan Strawser, the chairman of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus (MGOC), said he was concerned about the presidents comments.

Were hoping that this doesnt indicate a new shift in direction from the administration on the Second Amendment, he added, while noting the Trump administration had been broadly supportive of gun rights.

Other senior government figures have echoed the presidents comments. Kash Patel, the FBI director, prompted outrage when he claimed Pretti broke the law by bringing a gun to a protest.

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You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. Its that simple. You dont have a right to break the law, he told Fox News, suggesting Pretti had tried to incite violence.

Kristi Noem speaks to the media alongside a picture of the gun Alex Pretti was carrying during the incident - Valerie Plesch/ 2026 Bloomberg Finance LP

Mr Strawser went on to note that while Mr Trumps sons, Donald Jr and Eric Trump, were vocal supporters of the Second Amendment, thats not [the presidents] style.

Having been a creature of New York City, its really just not a place you see a lot of pro-Second Amendment activism language coming out of, he said.

In 2000, Mr Trump supported a ban on assault weapons and a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun. He abandoned those stances more than a decade later when he ran for the Republican presidential nomination.

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He had a concealed carry licence in New York, but it was suspended in 2023, following his indictment on criminal charges.

This also meant that two of his three licensed guns were surrendered to the authorities, while the third was moved to Florida, according to CNN.

Aidan Johnston, the federal affairs director of Gun Owners of America (GOA), said he disagreed with Mr Trumps comments following the Minneapolis shooting and accused the justice department of mishandling a number of Second Amendment disputes.

Although Mr Trump pledged to tear up restrictions on gun ownership brought in by his predecessor, Joe Biden, the administration has continued to fight the GOA, he said.

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For example, the justice department opposed repealing registration requirements on suppressors and short-barreled firearms in 2025.

Nevertheless, Mr Johnston said: By and large, President Trump has taken some of the most pro-gun actions in recent history to help gun owners.

Donald Trump Jr holds a shotgun at a gun shop in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a vocal supporter of the Second Amendment - REBECCA NOBLE/AFP

Kostas Moros, a director with the Second Amendment Foundation (SADF), said Mr Trumps comments were definitely a concern.

Sometimes the president... will say things, but that doesnt actually mean theres been any policy shift, so thats what were hoping happened here, he said.

That said, it is still important when the president says something, it creates impressions, its detrimental. So we werent happy to hear what he said, and we also believe, of course, its factually just incorrect.

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Mr Moros called on Mr Trump to retract or clarify what he meant, but noted other members in the administration were strong defenders of the Second Amendment. I dont have reason to believe yet that theres any policy shift, he said.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, insisted on Monday there had been no greater supporter or defender of the right to bear arms than President Donald J Trump.

The gun rights groups did not specifically endorse Mr Trump in the 2024 election, but all of them were much more closely aligned with the presidents stance on the Second Amendment than his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.

Ms Harris, herself a gun owner, had backed a ban on assault weapons, expanding background checks and red-flag gun confiscation laws.

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Some have accused Democrats of seeking to exploit Prettis death for political advantage, despite their previous attempts to impose gun restrictions.

A makeshift memorial for Alex Pretti in New York - Yuki Iwamura/AP

Gavin Newsom, who has rebuked Mr Trump for eroding Second Amendment rights, was accused of blatant hypocrisy by Mr Moros.

Nothing is sacred in Trumps America; not the First Amendment, not the Second, not even life itself, the California governor said on Tuesday.

However, Mr Moros claimed that: Everything Alex Pretti was doing at that event, [Mr Newsom] tried to ban. The magazines over 10 rounds, the gun with the threaded barrel, and carrying at a public gathering.

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Both sides definitely deserve some criticism.

Minneapolis, where it is legal to carry a gun openly or concealed, has seen surge in armed citizens in the past several years, initially spurred by the murder of George Floyd and riots that followed.

The applications for permits to carry guns nearly tripled by 2021 in the Blue City and surrounding areas, including many first-time firearm owners, such as Pretti would be a few years later.

It reflects a broader trend of an increase in gun ownership in Liberal areas.

With ICE agents still deployed in the Midwestern city, there has been a surge of interest in gun licenses amid the unease, fear and clashes.

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People tend to panic and want to run out to get their permits, one firearms instructor told NBC News.

After Renee Good, a mother-of-three was shot dead by ICE agents on Jan 7, the Minnesota chapter of the Socialist Rifle Association told its members to reach out to local ICE watch groups.

In the wake of Prettis killing three weeks later, the Liberal Gun Club, released a statement calling for a through investigation, calling the right to keep and bear arms is fundamental.

Hundreds of residents are now rushing to obtain permits, according to firearms instructors in the city.

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.
Lockheed Martin has unusually confirmed that its highly secretive RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle played a role in a recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela. This confirmation represents the most concrete public acknowledgement of the aircrafts real-world employment since its introduction nearly two decades ago.

In a quarterly earnings call, Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet outlined how the companys portfolio of advanced systems supported what was described as Operation Absolute Resolve, naming F-35 and F-22 fighters, Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters, and the RQ-170 Sentinel UAV as key elements of the mission.

The operation culminated on January 3, 2026, with the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, thrusting one of the militarys most closely held systems into the spotlight.

The Sentinels' Emergence from the Shadows

Publicly available footage shows at least one RQ-170 returning to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico within hours of the operations completion. The base served as a hub for aircraft involved in the mission, and the images offered the first visual hint of the drones presence in the region.

Another footage of U.S. RQ-170 stealth drone returning to Puerto Rico from Venezuela. https://t.co/c7yKubc7jc pic.twitter.com/PLaxEaxFcX  Clash Report (@clashreport) January 3, 2026

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Although the U.S. military confirmed the involvement of various aircraft types, it did not explicitly name the Sentinel until Lockheeds confirmation.

The RQ-170 Sentinel was developed by Lockheed Martins renowned Advanced Development Programs division, widely known as Skunk Works, as a stealthy intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform.

From its first flights in the late 2000s to its official acknowledgement by the U.S. Air Force in 2009, the aircraft has been one of the Pentagons most opaque programs. Analysts estimate that roughly 20 to 30 units were built, but precise production figures remain classified.

Physically, the RQ-170 is a flying wing design with a wingspan estimated around 20 meters. Its stealth shape and use of radar-absorbent materials allow it to enter contested airspace with a low probability of detection.

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It carries advanced sensors that can collect electro-optical and infrared imagery, synthetic aperture radar data, and signals intelligence, the latter crucial for mapping electronic emitters and establishing patterns of life on the ground.

The Sentinel's Unique Capabilities and Mission Role

VERY RARE: Footage shows a U.S. RQ-170 stealth drone returning to Puerto Rico after reportedly supporting last nights U.S. strikes on Venezuela. The RQ-170 Sentinel is a stealthy, high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works. pic.twitter.com/R2qQI3TyvK  Clash Report (@clashreport) January 3, 2026

What makes the Sentinel unique among U.S. UAVs is its emphasis on passive collection, meaning it can conduct reconnaissance without actively transmitting signals that could reveal its location. That capability is valuable in operations against adversaries with advanced air defenses or in politically sensitive environments where discretion is paramount.

Analysts believe the RQ-170s primary contribution to the Venezuela mission was real-time situational awareness. By orbiting at high altitude, the drone almost certainly provided commanders with persistent tracking of critical sites, troop movements, and air defense positions.

The RQ-170 in Iran / Image Credit: Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia.

In complex environments where friendly forces and national leadership are operating in real time, such intelligence can shape decisions and reduce risk to personnel.

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In addition to overhead imagery, the drone likely contributed to broader intelligence processing. Its sensors could have fed data into battle damage assessments of targets struck by cruise missiles or supported the insertion and extraction of special operations units in the urban expanse of Caracas.

None of this has been confirmed by U.S. officials, but the integration of stealth ISR with kinetic actions reflects how modern conflict leverages information advantage as a form of force multiplier.

A Notorious History and a New Role in Modern Warfare

The Sentinels public history is already marked by high-profile missions. It gained attention in 2011 when one unit was lost over Iran, a rare and costly intelligence setback that revealed aspects of the drones capabilities to adversaries. It is also believed to have flown in support of operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and along the Korean Peninsula.

The Iranians caught one / Image Credit: Mostafa Roudaki/Mizan News Agency, Attribution, Wikimedia.

The Venezuela deployment underscores a doctrinal evolution for the RQ-170 from a strategic ISR asset to a tactical enabler for joint operations involving multiple force elements. Its continued use in such missions highlights the enduring value of stealthy, persistent intelligence platforms in shaping outcomes on the modern battlefield.

Lockheeds confirmation fills a piece of the puzzle in understanding how the U.S. military applies its most advanced reconnaissance tools. Yet it also reminds us how much remains unknown about the Sentinel program, locked away behind layers of classification.
The Washington state Supreme Court building in Olympia on April 21, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)

Washington state Supreme Court Justice Barbara Madsen is retiring, the court announced Monday, adding to significant turnover on the court this year.

Madsen, who has served in the role since 1993, will step down April 3, leaving her spot to be appointed by Gov. Bob Ferguson. Her term expires in January 2029.

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My commitment to the rule of law and to the future of our outstanding judiciary remain as strong as the day I assumed the role of judge 38 years ago, Madsen said in a statement. I will continue to contribute in different ways because I believe it is time to pass the gavel, making way for new ideas and the next generation of great judges.

Ferguson is beginning the selection process immediately, telling applicants to submit materials by Feb. 26. Hell make an appointment by April 3. Those who sought Justice Mary Yus seat upon her retirement last year will be considered. Whoever the governor appoints will be up for election this year to serve the remainder of Madsens term.

Washington state Supreme Court justice Barbara Madsen has served on the court since 1993 and announced she will step down in April 2026. (Photo courtesy of Washington Supreme Court)

I want to express my deep appreciation to Justice Madsen for her lifetime of service to the people of Washington and the rule of law, Ferguson said in a statement.

This will already be Fergusons second pick for the states high court. Justice Colleen Melody joined the nine-judge bench last month to replace retiring Justice Mary Yu. Ferguson and Melody worked together at the attorney generals office before he became governor last year.

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Madsens retirement also adds to other recent turnover at the court. By this time next year, a third of the justices will be new.

Last week, Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis, the first Native American elected statewide in Washingtons history, said she wouldnt seek reelection this year after serving one six-year term.

Montoya-Lewis has endorsed state appeals court Judge J. Michael Diaz in this years election to take her seat. Diaz also has Attorney General Nick Browns support.

Justice Charles Johnson is required to retire this year, as he turns 75. The state constitution requires justices to retire at the end of the calendar year in which they turn 75. Johnson, the longest-serving justice, has been on the court since 1991.

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Appeals court Judge Ian Birk, King County Superior Court Judge Sean ODonnell and David Shelvey have filed for election to replace Johnson. Shelvey ran for the seat Justice Sal Mungia won in 2024 and finished a distant fourth in the primary.

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Sharonda Amamilo is also planning to run for a spot on the court.

Amamilo, Birk and Diaz all applied for Melodys appointment, according to the governors office.

Madsen served as chief justice from 2010 to 2017 and was the first woman to be picked to serve two terms as chief justice on the court. She was also the first woman to join the court via election, sometimes campaigning with her young children in tow, according to a court biography.

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I never imagined I would have the honor of being a justice of the Washington Supreme Court. I leave this position now with immense gratitude and humility for the opportunity to be part of the fabric of this great state, Madsen wrote in a letter to Ferguson on Friday.

A Renton native, she graduated from the University of Washington and the Gonzaga School of Law. In her letter to Ferguson, she recalled her humble beginnings as her parents moved to Washington state from Chicago in 1952, hoping for a different kind of life.

I was one of five children, and my neighbors were chickens, horses, goats, and acres of trees, she wrote. My parents taught me that hard work would open doors for me.

Madsen began her career as a public defender. She was appointed to the Seattle Municipal Court bench in 1988. While there, she worked to increase chances for women and people of color to become pro tem judges.

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She was moved to run for the state Supreme Court after watching the 1991 Senate confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in which Anita Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassment.

After a few years on the court, she became chair of the states Gender and Justice Commission, focused on bias in the legal system. She held that role for over 20 years.

In 2015, Madsen wrote the courts opinion finding charter schools unconstitutional, overturning a voter-approved law. In the ruling, she wrote that due to the charter school law, money that is dedicated to common schools is unconstitutionally diverted to charter schools.

Her daughter, Hillary Madsen, is a current King County Superior Court judge.

Justice Madsen resignation announcement 1-30-26

A copy of Justice Barbara Madsens letter to Gov. Bob Ferguson on her plan to retire April 3, 2026.
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell is urging the Department of Justice to halt its lawsuits seeking access to state voter registration databases, including a case against Washington, warning that the effort risks voter privacy and exceeds federal authority.

In a Jan. 29 letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Cantwell criticized what she described as an intensifying federal campaign to pressure states into handing over voter rolls that include personally identifiable information.

The letter responds to lawsuits filed by the Justice Department, including one against Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, alleging states violated federal law by refusing to provide unredacted voter registration records.

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Cantwell said the lawsuits are unauthorized attempts to centralize sensitive voter data and pose risks to voter privacy, data security and national security.

She also warned the effort could lead to unwarranted voter roll purges and undermine state and local election officials list maintenance work.

The Washington lawsuit, filed Dec. 2, alleges Hobbs violated the Civil Rights Act of 1960 by refusing to turn over the states full voter registration database after a Sept. 8 request from federal officials.

The Justice Department says the request is part of a compliance review under the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.

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Federal attorneys argue they are entitled to unredacted voter lists, including dates of birth, drivers license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers, to evaluate whether states are properly maintaining voter rolls.

Hobbs has said Washington law bars the release of that information, even to the federal government.

Cantwells letter sharply disputes the Justice Departments authority to demand the records.

She pointed to what she called an escalation in federal pressure, including a January letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz that she said sought voter rolls as a condition for ending recent federal immigration enforcement deployments in that state.

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This pursuit of state voter rolls for what it is, nothing more than an apparent ransom, Cantwell wrote.

She also cited recent federal court rulings in California and Oregon that dismissed similar Justice Department lawsuits.

In the California case, Cantwell quoted a judge who wrote that the departments campaign to collect sensitive voter data paints an alarming picture regarding the centralization of Americans information within the Executive Branch.

Cantwell said the Civil Rights Act provisions the Justice Department relies on were enacted to address discriminatory voting practices and cannot be used as a broad authorization to collect voter data nationwide.

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The letter raises extensive questions about how much voter data the Justice Department already possesses, how it is being stored, who has access to it, and whether it is being shared with other federal agencies, contractors or outside groups.

Cantwell also expressed concern about potential coordination with the Department of Homeland Securitys SAVE program and cited instances in which voters were incorrectly flagged as noncitizens.

Cantwell and other senators requested that the Justice Department brief Congress and provide written responses to prior questions about its voter data practices by Feb. 26.

On Feb. 2, Cantwell publicly reiterated her opposition to the lawsuit against Washington.

Pam Bondi has sued Washington state to get sensitive voter data.



Im standing strong against efforts to undermine our voting system. Democracies don't grow on trees. They need to be protected, defended, and fought for. My letter to AG Bondi  pic.twitter.com/SNMilHiXoL  Sen. Maria Cantwell (@SenatorCantwell) February 2, 2026

Pam Bondi has sued Washington state to get sensitive voter data, Cantwell said. Im standing strong against efforts to undermine our voting system. Democracies dont grow on trees. They need to be protected, defended, and fought for.

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The Justice Department has said it has filed lawsuits against multiple states, including Washington, for failing to provide voter registration lists.

Federal officials argue the attorney general is charged by Congress with enforcing federal election laws and ensuring accurate voter rolls.
The man suspected of smuggling illegal immigrants who was shot on Tuesday by federal agents is a repeat offender once convicted of a similar crime, records show.

Officials said the individual, identified as Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, was recognized by law enforcement as being possibly related to a possible human trafficking incident around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday near the town of Arivaca, Arizona, which is just miles from the southern border with Mexico. Officials said everyone in the vehicle fled on foot. Schlegel previously was convicted in a $40,000 human smuggling operation.

A few hours later, Border Patrol agents spotted the vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop, but Schlegel fled on foot. During the foot chase, Schlegel allegedly shot at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter and individual agents.

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A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital that agents returned fire, striking Schlegel. He was taken to a hospital where he's expected to recover after undergoing surgery, an official said.

Arizona Man Accused Of Human Smuggling Shot By Federal Authorities After Firing At Helicopter, Agents: Fbi

Schlegel will likely face federal charges of assault on a federal officer, alien smuggling, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to authorities.

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Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Phoenix Division, said that Schlegel has a "significant criminal history," which includes an active federal arrest warrant that was issued by the U.S. Marshals Service in 2025 after an escape tied to a previous federal alien smuggling conviction.

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Schlegel was convicted of transportation of illegal aliens for profit and felon in possession of a firearm after a May 2023 incident where prosecutors said he smuggled people into the country.

On May 20, 2023, Schlegel tried to get 16 people across the southern border and was arrested. According to the criminal complaint, a Border Patrol camera observed a car being driven by Schlegel pick up a group of 16 suspected illegal immigrants, and showed him loading them into the bed of a pickup truck, covering them with a tarp. At that time, the suspected illegal aliens jumped out of the pickup truck and its bed.

Former Vikings Captain Says Minnesota Liberal Resist Ice Because 'We're Deporting Their Voters'

This photo shows a US Border Patrol patch on a border agent's uniform in McAllen, Texas, on January 15, 2019. (Getty Images)

A Border Patrol agent began following Schlegel until the suspect drove "recklessly off road through the desert," the complaint states, adding that he "yelled angrily and threw rocks" at an Army National Guard helicopter.

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Adela Martinez-Lopez, a witness in the case, told prosecutors that her cousin arranged for her to be smuggled into the U.S. for $12,000. Two other illegal immigrants claimed that they paid $14,000 to be smuggled into the U.S., totaling over $40,000. It's unclear if all the money went to Schlegel. In January 2024, Schlegel was sentenced to three years in prison.

Court records in Arizona show Schlegel was also found guilty of misconduct involving weapons in 2024.

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It is unclear what led to the encounter, or the subsequent shooting.

Nanos said during a press conference that multiple shots were fired in Tuesday's incident.

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"In Pima County, we're not tolerating any abuse of a law enforcement officer any type of abuse, but that goes for our citizens as well," the sheriff said.





Original article source: Arizona man accused of human smuggling is a repeat offender who once 'threw rocks' at Army helicopter: docs
Voters form a line outside a vote center in Benton on Arkansas' first day of early voting in the general election on Oct. 21, 2024. (Photo by Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)

Nearly 1,300 Arkansas voters who were also registered in Alabama or Tennessee were sent undated form letters from the state lacking official letterhead telling them they may be removed from voter rolls if they didnt respond within 30 days.

The Arkansas secretary of states office on Monday confirmed the letters were sent as part of its effort to verify voter information, but said the lack of an official letterhead or date was a clerical error.

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The letters are part of the One State One Vote initiative, which created a partnership between Arkansas and neighboring states to ensure citizens arent registered to vote in more than one state.

Fixing these duplicates is basic good governance to keep accurate records, Samantha Boyd, spokesperson for Secretary of State Cole Jesters office, said. This proactive effort reflects Secretary Jesters commitment to maintaining accurate, lawful voter rolls and ensuring problems are identified and addressed before they can undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

Letter recipients were asked to choose where they wanted to remain registered and to indicate that they understood the form must be returned to their Arkansas county clerk or the secretary of states office in Alabama or Tennessee. The letter states recipients may be subject to removal from the voter rolls in Arkansas if a response is not received within 30 days of the date of the letter.

The undated letters were mailed on Jan. 13 and 14, according to Boyd, who said the 30-day deadline is more of a guideline to help expedite the information-gathering process. Only county clerks can remove someone from the rolls, not the secretary of states office, she said.

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Faulkner County Clerk Margaret Darter said county clerks generally clean up voter rolls in odd-numbered years and they make multiple efforts to contact voters before removing them from the rolls.

As a clerk, were out to protect our voters as much as we can, said Darter, who also serves as president of the Arkansas Association of County Clerks. We dont want anyone criminally voting, but were also not out trying to make someone a criminal voter either.

If someone who registers to vote in Arkansas indicates they were registered in another state, Darter said she would alert the other state that the voter needed to be removed from their rolls. However, postal and administrative errors could lead to duplicate registrations.

The Faulkner County Clerks office has received a few responses from letter recipients, but Darter said she wasnt sure how many voters were affected in her county.

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The secretary of states office will begin sending the list of duplicate voters they identified to county clerks this week, Boyd said.

We would be cautious at this point not to remove anybody unless were certain that they need to be removed, Darter said.

Arkansans can check their voter registration here.

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A critical rocket test that will help determine when NASA can launch its first human moon mission in more than five decades appears to be on track after cold weather in Florida prompted a two-day delay.

NASA has been preparing to conduct a prelaunch demonstration known as a wet dress rehearsal for the massive Space Launch System  the rocket the agency is using to help propel three Americans and one Canadian on a 10-day trip around the moon.

The mission, known as Artemis II, is the second under the U.S. space agency's multibillion-dollar lunar program that seeks to return humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era. When the rocket gets off the ground, the crew of three men and one woman selected for the mission will become the first astronauts to venture near the moon since 1972.

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Here's the latest on the Artemis 2 rocket launch from Florida.

Spaceflight in 2026: How Florida's Space Coast will have a central role in the year ahead

When is NASA's Artemis 2 rocket launch date?

NASA has not yet announced an official target launch date for Artemis 2, which has been delayed by at least two days after cold weather in Florida forced the space agency to postpone a critical fueling test. The mission could now potentially get off the ground as early as Sunday, Feb. 8 and as late as April 6 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

What is the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Orion capsule?

Standing at 322 feet, the SLS, built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, is one of the largest active rockets in the world. The rocket, which is topped with the Orion capsule the astronauts will ride in orbit, was rolled out Jan. 17 to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center.

NASA to conduct fueling test, review before announcing mission date

Committing to a launch date won't happen until NASA conducts a preflight test known as a wet dress rehearsal. After that, mission engineers also must complete an analysis known as a flight readiness review in which they assess a variety of factors, including the status of the spacecraft.

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The prelaunch test, which is on track for Feb. 2 involves conducting a mock launch countdown and fueling the towering Space Launch System rocket with 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants, which are drained.

Ahead of the wet dress rehearsal, ground teams continued to prepare the spacecraft, including powering up the rockets core stage, which is what will be loaded with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen during the test.

The Orion capsule has remained powered for several days, with its heaters configured for the colder temperatures in Florida. Engineers were to begin charging the vehicle's batteries and core stage, NASA said in its most recent blog post.

When, how to watch wet dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center in Florida

The wet dress rehearsal is scheduled to take place from around 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2 to 1 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, according to NASA.

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The agency, which is maintaining a 24/7 livestream of the SLS rocket vertical at the launch pad, said it will provide a separate feed during the fueling test. Updates will also be made in real time on the Artemis blog during the test.

Who will be on the Artemis 2 mission? Astronauts enter quarantine

The crew of Artemis II (from left: Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Pilot Victor Glover and Commander Reid Wiseman) answer questions at a press conference as their Space Launch System rocket is transported to Pad 39B January 17, 2026. Artemis II is tentatively scheduled to launch on a mission to th Moon in early February. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

In the meantime, the crew of Artemis 2  NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen  have entered quarantine at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. They are set to fly to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida about six days ahead of launch.

Quarantining is protocol before any crewed spaceflight to ensure astronauts aren't exposed to illnesses that could delay a mission.

Artemis 2 won't land on the moon but will circle it

The astronauts won't be landing but will circle the moon on a 10-day trip to test systems and hardware for future expeditions to the surface. The Orion capsule the crew will pilot  built by Lockheed Martin  is due to travel about 4,700 miles beyond the far side of the moon, taking its passengers the farthest humans have ever ventured in space before returning to Earth.

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The mission would come more than three years after Artemis 1 launched Nov. 16, 2022, from the Kennedy Space Center, sending the Orion capsule on a moon-orbiting mission without a crew in the first test of the vehicle.

A moon landing would take place during Artemis 3, which President Donald Trump has signaled he wants to see happen before the end of his second term.

Why is NASA interested in the moon? What to know about Artemis

NASA's Artemis program is the agency's ambitious campaign to return Americans to the surface of the moon for the first time since the Apollo era came to an end in 1972.

In the years ahead, NASA's Artemis program aims to launch a series of crewed missions to establish a continuous human presence on the moon with a lunar settlement on the south pole. That's where water ice thought to be abundant in the region could be extracted and used for drinking, breathing and as a source of hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel.

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From there, the lunar settlement would serve as a base of operations for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Artemis rocket launch test set after cold weather delay in Florida
A failed asylum seeker jailed for raping and sexually assaulting a woman he lured from a nightclub asked not to be sent back to his home country for punishment.

Egyptian national Eid Anwar Fathi Najjar, 21, attacked the victim after meeting her in Vudu Lounge in York city centre and taking her to the Shambles Market area.

The woman was described as being in a "zombie-like" state after drinking alcohol, and the club's door staff tried to intervene by telling Najjar to "stay away" from her as they left together.

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Najjar, who came to the UK illegally in 2022, initially denied the offences before changing his pleas to guilty and he was sentenced to eight years in prison at York Crown Court earlier.

The victim had become separated from the friends she had been out with on the day of the offence in July, and went to Vudu Lounge alone around 02:00 BST.

Inside, Najjar approached her, before they left the nightclub shortly afterwards.

Door staff described her as "unsteady on her feet" and "in and out of conversation" when they approached the pair outside the venue, concerned by Najjar's behaviour.

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Although he said he was going home after being warned to leave the victim alone, he then left with her when the staff members were distracted, the prosecution said.

The victim was later found by two members of the public without her trousers or underwear on, and appeared "distressed and shocked".

She could not initially recall what had happened, but later reported the incident to the police.

'Danger to women'

Najjar, who was living in York at the time, was arrested and and charged with rape and sexual assault on 10 July, and has remained in custody since.

Charges against another man, who was also arrested at the time of the offence, were later withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

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Najjar, who has no previous convictions, claimed at first that the encounter was consensual, before later saying that while at the time he believed there was consent, he then realised there was not.

The defence acknowledged that the case was "complicated, emotional and unpleasant" and added that Najjar had asked to serve his sentence in the UK rather than be deported to Egypt. An earlier hearing was told his asylum claim had already ruled he had no right to remain and has since been closed.

The court was told that the victim now suffered frequent nightmares, and still could not tell her parents what had happened to her.

Sentencing, Judge Sean Morris said "no man could reasonably believe she was capable of consenting, and you accept that".

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Det Sup Fionna McEwan of North Yorkshire Police's Major Investigation Team thanked the victim for supporting the prosecution.

She said: "Najjar is a sexual predator and a danger to women and is now rightly behind bars.

"All women must be able to enjoy a night out without worrying about the entitled behaviour of predatory men.

"I would also like to thank the members of the public who took care of the victim after the attack and the numerous members of door staff who provided witness evidence and made attempts to prevent Najjar from targeting women."

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus have been reported crossing into Polish airspace for a third night in a row.

Polish authorities on Monday said the hybrid incidents were part of the threat to the country's eastern border posed by Russia's ally Belarus.

The Belarusian side made another attempt at reconnaissance and checking the reaction of the Polish air defense systems, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces wrote in a report on X into the the incidents from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1.

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Armed forces spokesman Jacek Goryszewski said there were more balloon incidents in the first weeks of 2026 compared to the beginning of 2025. He said the increased frequency could be caused by a political decision in Minsk. or by smugglers adapting to stronger border defenses by Poland.

Poland's military said the recent incidents posed no threat to the security of the Polish airspace. However, temporary restrictions for civil aviation were imposed on part of the airspace over the Podlaskie region bordering Belarus.

The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Poland and the Baltic countries have accused Belarus and Russia of conducting a hybrid war against the West, whose elements include fomenting a migration crisis on the European Unions eastern border, sabotage and espionage as well as the use of balloons smuggling cigarettes.

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Polish authorities are on high alert since Russian drones entered Polish airspace in September, while an explosion on a rail line carrying passenger trains in November was blamed on Moscow.

On Jan. 22, the Operational Command of the Polish Army reported increased activity by small unmanned aerial vehicles operating over the Polish-Belarusian border it had observed the previous night. At the time, Poland summoned the Belarusian envoy to Warsaw, arguing that such incidents are part of the hybrid operations undertaken by the Belarusian side, aimed at destabilizing the security situation and testing the Polish airspace defense system.

The charge d'affairs couldn't answer to us about the role of the Belarusian side in this, but we are doubting the fact that the Belarusian side has no knowledge or impact on such a number of these actions, Maciej Wewior, a spokesman for the Polish Foreign Affairs Ministry, told the Polish Press Agency.

In December, Lithuania declared a national emergency over security risks posed by meteorological balloons sent from Belarus that had violated its airspace. The balloons had forced Lithuania to repeatedly shut down its main airport in Vilnius, stranding thousands of people.

Lithuanian authorities said the balloons were part of a Belarusian hybrid attack while Belarus authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko denounced Lithuanias move to close its border in response as a mad scam and part of a hybrid war against his country.
BEIRUT, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon and Spain signed three memoranda of understanding on Monday covering diplomatic training, agriculture, and library cooperation, as the two countries agreed to deepen bilateral ties during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's official visit to Madrid.

A statement released by the Lebanese Presidency read that the signing ceremony was held at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's office following expanded talks between the two sides.

Aoun highlighted the strategic importance of Lebanon's partnership with Spain, especially in security and regional stability, and welcomed Spain's planned participation in an international conference to be held in Paris in March to support Lebanese security forces, read the statement.

Aoun also noted ongoing talks on maintaining Spanish military presence in southern Lebanon after the expected withdrawal of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in 2027. He urged Spain and the EU to press Israel to stop violations in Lebanon and implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

On the economic front, Aoun called for enhanced trade, tourism, and direct flights between the two countries, read the statement.

For his part, Sanchez reaffirmed Spain's commitment to Lebanon's stability, and announced Spain will attend the Paris support conference at the ministerial level. He added that Spain's future military presence in southern Lebanon after UNIFIL's withdrawal will be studied with EU partners, read the statement.

Sanchez said the newly-signed memoranda of understanding will give bilateral ties renewed momentum, expressing Spain's intention to deepen economic cooperation with Lebanon. 
A Bangladeshi court on Monday sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to an additional 10 years in prison in two corruption cases linked to irregularities in a government housing project.

The Dhaka-based court also handed prison terms in absentia to Hasina's nephew, Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, and her nieces, Azmina Siddiq Rupanti and Tulip Siddiq, according to a lawyer for the state-run Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The defendants were accused of abusing power and concealing asset information to illegally secure allocations for two land plots in Dhaka's Purbachal New Town project, the cases filed by the ACC alleged. Hasina received five years in each case, totaling 10 years.

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In November, a separate court sentenced Hasina to 21 years in three other graft cases related to land allocations in the same Purbachal project.

Hasina has been in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, amid a mass uprising that ended her 15-year rule.

A special court in Dhaka previously sentenced her to death for her role in last years violent suppression of mass protests that led to her ouster.

In the latest charges, lawyer Khan Mohammad Moinul Hasan said Bobby and Rupanti were each sentenced to seven years in jail, while Tulip Siddiq, a British Labour MP, was sentenced to two years in each case, for a total of four years.

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The court found that Siddiq had influenced her aunt, Hasina, to secure the plots for her brother and sister, said the lawyer.

In a separate case in December, Siddiq was sentenced to two years for obtaining another land plot allocation.

Siddiq, who has denied all allegations, resigned as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's anti-corruption minister last year amid controversy over her family ties to Hasina's government.

Thirteen other defendants, mostly public servants, received five years in prison in each case. One public servant, already in custody, was sentenced to one year in each case, lawyer Hasan added.

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All convicted individuals were fined 100,000 taka ($815) each, with an additional six months in prison if the fine remains unpaid, he said.

The court also ordered the cancellation of the allotments for the two 669-square-metre plots registered in the names of Bobby and Rupanti.
Snow covers houses on the South Side of Pittsburgh on Jan. 17, 2026. (Photo by John Beale for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

A group of state lawmakers crossing party lines and geographical boundaries have coalesced around one issue ahead of the next budget cycle: addressing the commonwealths housing crisis.

I think that all of my colleagues here  Republican and Democrat  are all going in the same direction when it comes to identifying why were in a crisis, said Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia).

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More than a dozen members and advocates held a Monday morning press conference, detailing a number of housing problems and identifying potential solutions. A key area of reform would be pushing local governments to adopt pro-housing stances, such as reversing ordinances that restrict certain types of housing or blocking rules that impose burdensome developer requirements.

Housing is too important a problem to leave to a patchwork of local policies, said Kat DeSantis, of the community-oriented 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has a statewide housing shortage  when the problem is statewide, the solution has to be statewide.

Fair housing advocates also shared their recommendations for improving equal access, including eviction sealing, statewide code enforcement and anti-discrimination bills.

Housing affordability

Market forces over the last several years drove up housing prices faster than average salaries, pricing out many middle-class families and young adults. Solomon said that the average first-time homeowner in 1991 was 28  a full decade younger than the average age of todays first-time homeowner.

Rep. Joe Hogan (R-Bucks) talks about the need for affordable housing on Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Whitney Downard/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

Rep. Joe Hogan (R-Bucks) shared that his hometown of Levittown started as a quintessential suburb, where World War II veterans could afford a starter home on a steel mill salary.

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Those homes today are out of reach for far too many people, said Hogan. Volunteer firefighters  cant afford to live in some of the communities they serve anymore. Nurses, teachers are coming in from an hour away  sometimes farther.

You need to be able to have housing where they can afford to live and make it attainable, he said.

Leah Eppinger, the president of the American Planning Associations state chapter and executive director of Dauphin Countys housing authority, said, Housing affordability is not just a housing issue, its a workforce issue. Its an economic development issue and its a community stabilization issue.

She urged support for policies to reduce the cost of housing while increasing the supply, saying the modern land use policies gives communities the tools to respond while still respecting the local character and local decision-making that our communities have come to rely on.

Cutting local regulations

Proposals like House Bill 2186 would allow municipalities to enact reasonable restrictions for accessory dwelling units, which are often smaller homes on the same lot as a single-family house. Sponsor Rep. John Inglis (D-Allegheny) pitched the spaces as affordable options for seniors, young adults or caregivers.

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Right now, many Pennsylvania municipalities either ban them outright or make them nearly impossible to build, Inglis said. Its a simple way to add affordable housing without changing the character of our neighborhoods, and we cant afford to keep blocking these solutions.

House Bill 2185, also sponsored by Inglis, requires certain local units of government to permit duplex, triplex and quadplex housing in areas zoned for single-family residences. House Bill 2155, sponsored by Rep. Greg Scott (D-Montgomery), prohibits parking minimums, which critics say drive up the cost of developments and limit high-density housing.

Inglis shared that he was also working on a proposal to incentivize transit-oriented housing, which he said would help strengthen transportation systems and reduce car dependency.

Each of these bills addresses a different piece of the housing puzzle, said Inglis. But together  they form a comprehensive approach to affordability, supply and opportunity.

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Rep. Tarik Khans (D-Philadelphia) Golden Girls law, named after the popular 1980s television show, targets local rules restricting non-families from cohabitating. In the series, four older women share a home  though only two of them are related. Such an arrangement is illegal in parts of the state, Khan said.

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We think thats ridiculous, and we also think that is restricting the types of housing agreements that people have, said Khan, who identifies as a Sophia (one of the characters in the show). We need commonsense laws like the Golden Girls law that would make housing arrangements like that legal. That would allow older adults to be able to share their houses; that would allow younger students to be able to live with other younger students.

High-density housing would also meet agricultural objectives for Rep. David Zimmerman (R-Lancaster).

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Im a huge proponent of saving as much farmland as we possibly can, said Zimmerman. In order to save those farms, Im a big proponent of doing some higher density. Theres no reason that (the city of) Lancaster cant be going higher, rather than building out.

Solomon emphasized a commitment to rewarding communities that adopt such rules or eliminate red tape, rather than penalizing, to respect local control.

We want to provide the incentive to you to adopt really good, pro-housing initiatives, said Solomon. We want you to be pro-housing, and we want to be a ready and willing partner to get you there.

Funding such proposals, however, remains to be determined. Gov. Josh Shapiro is scheduled to introduce his budget priorities on Tuesday, launching the next round of negotiations. Solomon said he hoped a portion of new dollars could be carved out for housing incentives.

Making housing fair

Also Monday, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission released its annual report on the State of Fair Housing in the commonwealth, which ended with a call for more dedicated state funding for affordable and safe housing.

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Key recommendations included passing Senate Bill 1152, which would prohibit source of income rejections. Landlords could no longer say they dont accept government subsidies, such as Section 8 housing vouchers, to pay rent, for example.

Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) speaks at a Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission press conference on Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Whitney Downard/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

If a tenant can pay rent fully on time, it should not matter whether that income comes from wages, a housing voucher or a fixed benefit, said Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), a co-sponsor for the bill.

Eviction sealing, another recommendation, would have improved the life of one of his constituents, said Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El (D-Lancaster). She had two evictions on her record  one for fleeing a violent partner and another in which Smith-Wade-El said she was evicted in retaliation after she reported mold.

Having both meant that she was homeless for a year with four children before a landlord would sign a lease with her, he said. In other cases, an eviction stays on someones record even if a judge sides with a tenant.

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In the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, an eviction record that a landlord sees does not tell you what the eviction was over . (and) It does not say whether or not the judge found in favor of the tenant, said Smith-Wade-El. Every year, thousands of Pennsylvanians are denied housing over evictions that never happened.

Other recommendations include improving housing conditions for tenants, including statewide code enforcement.

According to a 2023 American Housing Survey, thousands of homes had serious quality issues. Up to 90,100 homes didnt have working toilets within the last three months, 383,100 were uncomfortably cold for more than 24 hours and 111,300 houses had mold within the last year.

Our housing gaps and our housing inequalities are not a fluke, and theyre not an accident. They are a result of past and present policies, practices and laws, said Brittany Mellinger, the director of Fair Housing and Commercial Property with the commission. This is not work that PHRC can do alone  it will take state and local leaders, community advocates, developers, vendors, landlords, realtors, social service providers and more working together to make a meaningful difference.

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Also on Monday, the House Housing and Community Development Committee voted to close a potential loophole in the states anti-discrimination housing laws that could allow a white nationalist group to build a whites-only community. House Bill 2103 passed unanimously.

The panel split along party lines on House Bill 2023, which would restrict evictions during extreme weather events. Republicans on the committee worried about unintended consequences, while Democrats said it would only delay  not prevent  the process. It passed on a 14-12 vote.
The body of a missing Indiana teenager is believed to have been found in central Ohio, according to the attorney for a person of interest in her death.

Sam Shamansky, the attorney for 39-year-old Tyler Thomas, said on Feb. 2 that authorities believe they have found the body of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee in Perry County.

Shamansky said Thomas led the FBI to Buzbee's body on Feb. 1.

Thomas, of Columbus, Ohio, has been charged with pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and tampering with evidence. According to court records, a search of Thomas's phone included sexually oriented videos and photos of Buzbee, some of which Thomas tried to delete.

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Buzbee, who lived in the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers and attended Hamilton Southeastern High School, was last seen by her parents on Jan. 5. She is believed to have met Thomas through an online gaming platform and voluntarily left her home to meet him. Fishers police said a vehicle in the area at the time Buzbee left her home was traced back to Thomas.

Hailey Buzbee

Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Jim O'Grady set a $1.5 million bond for Thomas on Jan. 31, before Thomas appeared for any hearing.

Court records say Thomas was furloughed, or released temporarily, to the FBI for investigative purposes on Feb. 1 and was then returned to the Franklin County jail.

Thomas appeared for a bond hearing on Feb. 2 in Municipal Court. Judge Jarrod Skinner kept the $1.5 million bond in place and ordered Thomas to have no internet access or unsupervised visits with minors should he post that and be released, court records say.

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Officials spoke with Thomas within a few days of Buzbee's disappearance. Thomas reportedly told detectives he had dropped Buzbee off on the side of the road in western Ohio, but an investigation determined that was not true.

Buzbee was initially classified as a runaway, but her case was upgraded to an "endangered missing juvenile" on Jan. 20.

Police searched Thomas' vehicle and home on Jan. 21 and found evidence Buzbee had been there, as well as at a short-term rental in Hocking County. Thomas has not been charged with murder, according to court records in Franklin and Perry counties.

Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.

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Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Jake_Allen19.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Body of Hailey Buzbee found in Ohio, attorney says
NEED TO KNOW

A 13-year-old boy swam four hours to shore to call for help after his family was stranded off the coast of Australia on Jan. 30

The family had been kayaking and paddleboarding before they were swept out to sea

The teen's mother and two siblings were saved following a multi-agency rescue operation

A 13-year-old boys courageous swim to save his family after they were swept out to sea has stunned rescuers in Australia.

The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough  his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings, Inspector James Bradley of the South West District Office said in a statement about the near-tragic incident in Geographe Bay in Western Australia on Friday, Jan. 30.

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That Friday, a woman and three children were swept out to sea while kayaking and paddleboarding off the coast of Quindalup. Thats when the 13-year-old boy decided to return to shore, despite the fading light and rough conditions, according to the Western Australian Police Force.

The teen was able to paddle a short distance before his kayak took on water, officials said. With no other options, the boy swam approximately two-and-a-half miles to shore.

Paul Bresland, the commander for Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the child swam for four hours before he reached land. He described the teens efforts as superhuman.

"He swam in, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on," Bresland told the outlet. And the brave fella thought he's not going to make it with a life jacket on, so he ditched it, and he swam the next two hours without a life jacket.

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The commander added, "I thought, mate, that is incredible."

Once the 13-year-old was on dry land, he sounded the alarm and a multi-agency search was launched.

The teen boy was able to share details about the color of the paddleboards and kayak his family had been using, which helped rescue teams locate the missing family within an hour, ABC reported.

By 8:30 p.m. local time, a 47-year-old woman, a 12-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl were found by a rescue helicopter, authorities said. The trio, who had been holding onto a paddleboard, was brought to safety by a rescue vessel after hours of treading water, according to ABC. Bresland praised the mother for keeping her two children safe and anchored on the paddleboard in difficult water conditions.

Busselton Jetty in Geographe Bay, Western Australia. Getty

"Physically, she just said, 'I'm struggling, I can't,' but she just said they're looking her in the eye, and she just kept going and kept them together," Bresland told the outlet, adding that the mom was an absolute hero.

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Following the rescue, the woman and two children were transported to a medical center for evaluation, the Western Australia Police Force said.

This incident is a reminder that ocean conditions can change rapidly, Bradley said in the statement. Thankfully, all three people were wearing lifejackets, which contributed to their survival.

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In a statement shared by Naturaliste Volunteer Marine Rescue, the agency said that the family acted with bravery, strength, and courage.

The rescue team called out the young fella who swam [two-and-a-half miles] to raise the alarm and set everything into motion.



Read the original article on People
A rightwing Brazilian influencer who claimed Donald Trumps immigration crackdown targeted only crooks has been arrested by ICE agents in New Jersey.

Junior Pena, whose full name is Eustaquio da Silva Pena Junior, declared his support for the US president in a recent video message to his hundreds of thousands of social media followers.

I [support] Donald Trump  I like the guy, announced the South American TikToker and Instagrammer whose account purports to show the reality of the United States from a migrants perspective.

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In a previous video, Pena reportedly urged Brazilians to stay calm and not despair after reports that ICE agents were rounding up migrants, including Brazilians. But theyre all crooks. The lot of them, he falsely claimed of the migrants being seized.

On Saturday, Pena was himself reportedly detained and sent to the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. One friend told the local newspaper the Brazilian Times that Pena had been taken into custody after missing a court hearing. The detainees lawyer, Andrew Lattarulo, was reportedly trying to resolve the situation and prevent him being transferred to another state.

The Brazilian influencer has reportedly lived in the US since 2009 and hails from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, from where a large number of people have emigrated to the US and Europe.

Pena uses his social networks to echo the stories of migrants as well as voices critical of Brazils leftwing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and those supportive of its recently jailed former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who is an ally of Trump.

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The USs estimated 2 million-strong Brazilian community has been badly affected by Trumps anti-migrant offensive, with the number of deported Brazilians hitting a record high of 2,785 last year, compared with 1,640 in 2024.

In a recent report about the veritable manhunt playing out under Trump, the Brazilian magazine Veja warned readers: There is an atmosphere of fear on the streets where anyone who looks foreign can be a target  irrespective of their [immigration] status.

The magazine said Brazilian migrants in cities such as Boston were adopting drastic survival tactics including not speaking Portuguese in public and trying to dress like average Americans when leaving their homes.

Leftwing Brazilians flocked to Penas Instagram account to taunt him after news of his detention went viral. You supported Trump and in the end you suffered the consequences, wrote one. What goes around comes around, a second critic posted.

Friends of the influencer posted messages asking his followers to pray.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - The fate of Brendan Banfield is now in the hands of a Virginia jury.

What we know

Jurors began deliberating Friday on whether the former IRS lawenforcement officer conspired with his familys Brazilian au pair, with whom he was having an affair, to kill his wife and blame the attack on a stranger.

Their deliberations follow weeks of testimony from key witnesses, including Banfields former mistress, Juliana Magalhaes.

File Photo.

READ MORE: Brendan Banfield murder trial: Jury deliberations to continue Monday in au pair affair case

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FOX 5s Melanie Alnwick reports the jury must weigh several charges, including aggravated murder, firearms offenses and child abuse and felony child cruelty. After closing arguments, jurors were dismissed for the weekend with a lot to consider.

Defense attorney John Carroll spoke for about 90 minutes, telling jurors Banfield acted in selfdefense after finding his wife, Christine, being attacked by Joseph Ryan in the master bedroom of their Herndon home. He argued prosecutors rushed to judgment, overlooked conflicting evidence and manipulated Magalhaes into testifying against Banfield.

READ MORE: Brendan Banfield takes stand again Thursday; testified he did not plot wifes killing

Juliana Peres Magalhaes

Prosecutors countered that the evidence shows Banfield willfully and deliberately killed both Christine Banfield and Ryan, who they say was set up as a fall guy so Banfield could start a new life with Magalhaes.

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In her closing argument, prosecutor Jenna Sands said Magalhaes testimony aligns with the physical evidence and urged jurors to deliver justice for Christine Banfield and Ryan.

What's next

Banfield faces life in prison without parole if convicted of the most serious charges. Virginia abolished the death penalty in 2021. Magalhaes, originally charged with murder, pleaded guilty to a lesser manslaughter charge in 2024.

Brendan Banfield Trial

The Source

Information in this article comes from the Associated Press.
LONDON (AP)  A year ago, Peter Mandelson was Britains ambassador to Washington, the latest high-profile post in a rocky but consequential political career.

Friendship with Jeffrey Epstein cost him that job. Now, after new revelations, Mandelson  like other powerful men including King Charles III's brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor  is facing new demands he come clean about his relationship with the late sex offender.

Mandelson resigned from the governing Labour Party on Sunday following new claims he received payments from Epstein two decades ago. Mandelson said he was stepping aside to avoid causing further embarrassment, even as he denied the allegations stemming from a trove of more than 3 million pages of documents relating to Epstein released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who fired Mandelson from his ambassadorial job over earlier revelations about his Epstein ties, is now urging him to quit politics altogether and testify in the U.S. about what he knew of the financier's activities.

Opposition politicians, joined by some lawmakers from the governing Labour Party, called for police to investigate claims Mandelson gave Epstein sensitive government information. The Metropolitan Police force said it had received a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in a public office and would review them "to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation.

Starmer urged Mandelson on Monday to resign from his lifetime seat in the House of Lords  Parliament's upper chamber of appointed politicians, donors and assorted notables  and to give up his noble title, Lord Mandelson.

The alternative if he does not go willingly would be a lengthy process requiring Parliament to pass legislation  a process last undertaken more than a century ago to remove the titles of aristocrats who sided with Germany in World War I.

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The prime minister believes that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title, said Starmer spokesman Tom Wells. However, the prime minister does not have the power to remove it.

Mandelson  like Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew  is also facing calls to testify about Epstein in the U.S.

Cabinet minister Steve Reed said Monday that both men have a moral obligation to share any information that could help Epsteins victims.

Epstein died by suicide in a jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on U.S. federal charges accusing him of sexually abusing dozens of girls. Years before he had avoided federal prosecution by pleading guilty to state charges in Florida of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor and another charge.

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New allegations about ties to Epstein

The latest release of Epstein files includes hundreds of text and email messages exchanged between Mandelson and the financier, revealing the British politician's warm relationship with the man he called my best pal in 2003.

Several documents seem to refer to payments from Epstein to Mandelson or his partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva. What appear to be bank statements from 2003 and 2004 suggest an Epstein account sent three payments totaling $75,000 to accounts connected to Mandelson.

Mandelson has questioned the authenticity of the bank statements. In a letter to Labour resigning from the party, Mandelson said he had no recollection of receiving that money and would investigate.

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While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party, he wrote.

Mandelson added that he wanted to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.

Other documents suggest that in 2009 Epstein sent da Silva 10,000 pounds (about $13,650 at today's rates) to pay for an osteopathy course.

The documents also include an email exchange from 2009 in which Mandelson, then a U.K. government minister, appeared to tell Epstein he would lobby other members of the government to reduce a tax on bankers bonuses.

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Documents also suggest Mandelson sent details of sensitive U.K. government discussions to Epstein after the 2008 global financial crisis.

Starmer on Monday ordered the civil service to conduct an urgent review of all of Mandelsons contacts with Epstein while he was in government.

Also among the files is a photo of Mandelson in a shirt and underwear, standing near an unidentified woman in a bathrobe.

A email requesting comment on the documents was sent to Mandelson through the House of Lords.

The end of a turbulent career

Mandelson, 72, has been a major, if contentious, figure in the center-left Labour Party for decades. He is a skilled  critics say ruthless  political operator whose mastery of political intrigue earned him the nickname Prince of Darkness.

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The grandson of former Labour Cabinet minister Herbert Morrison, he was an architect of the partys return to power in 1997 as centrist, modernizing New Labour under Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Mandelson served in senior government posts under Blair between 1997 and 2001, and under Prime Minister Gordon Brown from 2008 to 2010. In between, he was the European Unions trade commissioner.

Mandelson twice had to resign from government during the Blair administration over allegations of financial or ethical impropriety, acknowledging mistakes but denying wrongdoing.

He later returned to government, and was back on the political front line when Starmer named him to the key post of ambassador to Washington at the start of U.S. President Donald Trumps second term. Mandelsons trade expertise and comfort around the ultra-rich were considered major assets with the administration. He helped secure a trade deal in May that spared Britain some of the tariffs Trump has imposed on countries around the world.

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But Starmer fired him in September after emails were published showing Mandelson's friendship with Epstein continued even after the financier's 2008 guilty plea.

___

This story has been updated to correct that documents suggest Epstein sent Mandelson's partner 10,000 pounds, not $10,000. It was also updated to correct that the Justice Department says the release contains more than 3 million pages of documents, not more than 3 million documents.
The candidate for the governing conservative Sovereign People's Party, Laura Fernandez, has won the presidential election in Costa Rica.

With more than 88% of the votes counted, Fernandez had over 48% of the votes, far ahead of the second-placed centrist candidate, Alvaro Ramos, who conceded defeat.

Fernandez ran on a promise to deepen the tough-on-crime approach of the outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, who had handpicked her as his successor.

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Voters had said they were concerned about a surge in drug-related violence in the Central American country.

The size of her vote share - which exceeded the 40% needed to win outright in the first round - means that there is no need for a run-off.

Fernandez will be sworn in on 8 May.

In her victory speech, the 39-year-old said she would plough ahead with the policies introduced by Chaves, whose chief of staff she was.

Under Costa Rica's constitution, presidents are not allowed to serve two consecutive terms and Chaves was therefore barred from standing for re-election.

Fernandez has hinted she may appoint him to a post in her cabinet.

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Costa Rica, one of Central America's safest countries and a stable democracy, has seen a rise in crime over the past years as transnational criminal gangs have expanded in the region.

On the campaign trail, Fernandez said she would emulate some of the policies of the El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele.

Bukele has sky-high approval ratings with Salvadoreans saying they are grateful for his iron-fist approach to crime, which has seen the murder rate plummet.

Fernandez has said she will declare a state of emergency in areas where gangs hold sway and finish the construction of a high-security jail similar to the Cecot prison in El Salvador.

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Addressing concerns by her critics that her policies could erode the rights of citizens, Fernandez declared in her victory speech that her government would be one of "dialogue and national harmony, respectful and firmly based in the rule of law".

She did however strike a combative note too, criticising the opposition for its "obstruction and sabotage" in a reference to the challenges Chaves faced getting some of his policies approved in parliament, which was dominated by opposition lawmakers.

With her party winning 30 out of the 57 seats in parliament, Fernandez is expected to have more backing in the legislature than her predecessor in office.

[Reuters]

Before running for the presidency, the 39-year-old served as planning minister as well as in other posts.

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But above all, she is seen as the heir to Chaves, whose direct and sometimes confrontational style she shares.

She is also expected to maintain the close ties her predecessor built with the US.

Chaves signed a "safe third-country migrant agreement" with the US, which means the Trump administration can deport migrants from countries other than Costa Rica to the Central American nation.

The agreement allows the US to remove migrants from countries deemed unsafe to a third country considered safe.

The Trump administration has described Costa Rica as a "key global cocaine transshipment point", adding that is had "become an increasingly significant waypoint for criminal organisations trafficking cocaine" to the US.

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Fernandez has said she would be would be willing to declare a state of emergency - and lift some of citizens' rights - if organised crime where to further take hold in certain areas.

She will become the second woman to govern the Central American nation after Laura Chinchilla, who was elected president in 2010.
A new era is soon to begin for the Catholic community in New York City.

On Sunday, Timothy Cardinal Dolan led his final Mass at a packed St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Cardinal Dolan turned 75 last year - the age when Catholic bishops are required to retire. He led New York's Archdiocese for 16 years.

Pope Leo XIV named Bishop Ronald Hicks from Illinois as Dolan's successor.

Hicks will officially be installed on Friday.

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Bill Cassidy seemed aware of the political peril when he decided, a year ago, to challenge Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s skeptical views about vaccines.

My phone blows up with people who really follow you and there are many who trust you more than they trust their own physician, the Louisiana Republican told Kennedy during his confirmation hearing, before reluctantly voting to make him health secretary.

Now, as Cassidy seeks a third term, Kennedys followers havent forgiven the senator for grilling Kennedy at that hearing or for criticizing his efforts as health secretary to cast doubt on vaccine safety. Add to that President Donald Trumps decision last month to endorse challenger Rep. Julia Letlow in the race, and Cassidy is in a fight for his political life.

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Cassidy, within the MAHA movement, is pretty well despised, said Jeff Hutt, the former spokesman for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) super PAC who worked on Kennedys 2024 presidential campaign.

Cassidys fate may have been sealed way back in 2021 when he voted to convict President Donald Trump after the House impeached him for inciting the riot at the Capitol that Jan. 6.

But Cassidys tensions with Kennedy over the last year have further imperiled his prospects to a degree that his massive war chest and the power of incumbency may not be able to surmount.

Since Cassidy last cruised to reelection in 2020, Louisiana has emerged as a stronghold of the growing MAHA movement. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has publicly aligned himself with Kennedys agenda, state lawmakers have sponsored bills to de-fluoridate tap water and ban some food dyes and artificial sweeteners from public school meals, and the state health department recently stopped encouraging mass vaccination.

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Landry, whom Kennedy calls a close friend, has publicly sparred with Cassidy over his rebukes of HHS policies and accused him of cozying up to Big Pharma based on his support of the Covid-19 vaccine. The governor reportedly asked Trump to help recruit a primary challenger.

With knives out for Cassidy, several of his GOP opponents are now rushing to claim the MAHA mantle as they campaign ahead of the May primary, underscoring the strength of the emerging movement as a national political force.

Letlow, who praised Kennedy when the two met last year, has garnered the most favor so far, securing both an endorsement from Trump and a million-dollar pledge from MAHA PAC, a dark money group, unrelated to Hutts PAC, formed to support Kennedys agenda.

My home state of Louisiana has embraced the MAHA movement, including a lot of concerned mamas out there. Im one of them, she said when Kennedy came before the House Appropriations Committee in May.

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Letlow, however, is in some ways still an unlikely MAHA champion, given her track record of encouraging others to get the Covid-19 shot after her husband, Rep. Luke Letlow, died from Covid-19 complications in Dec. 2020.

Another primary challenger in the race, Republican State Senator Blake Miguez, has described himself as a MAHA leader and the MAGA choice. Miguez has a record of pushing for policies favored by Kennedys supporters, including a proposed ban on ultraprocessed food in the states schools that Gov. Landry vetoed last year.

Health Freedom Louisiana, a MAHA-aligned group in the state, has talked up Miguezs portfolio on nutrition. The group said it met with Cassidys staff in 2019 to push back on vaccines, and, according to the group, they werent taken seriously.

State Treasurer John Fleming  another contender in the race who, like Cassidy, is also a medical doctor  has pitched himself as the strongest MAGA conservative. He has criticized Cassidy for being resistant to the reforms that RFK Jr. wants to bring to the childhood vaccine schedule.

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A GOP strategist and former Cassidy staffer, granted anonymity to discuss his former employer, said Cassidys criticisms of Kennedy and calls for mass vaccination have been politically damaging for him in Louisiana because they link him with a [medical] establishment that people just don't trust.

The vaccine issue is so potent, because it is not just about vaccines, the former aide said. For a lot of folks, it speaks to their distrust of institutions and the establishment in general.

They don't believe that these large pharmaceutical companies and vaccine manufacturers are doing what's best for their health. They think they're doing what's best for their profits.

Yet pollsters and strategists say the Louisiana GOP primary voters upset by these particular MAHA grievances are far outnumbered by those who oppose Cassidy for his perceived disloyalty to Trump.

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Kennedy is viewed as a Trump person, said John M. Couvillon, a longtime Louisiana pollster and political analyst. And if you're waffling on voting on one of President Trump's appointees, that, to me, is what's politically deadly.

The former Cassidy staffer echoed this assessment.

In the end, I don't think this campaign will be about vaccines at all, he said. I think it'll be about Trump and the impeachment vote.

Cassidys campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Cassidy, the chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee and a hepatologist by training, has tried to walk a delicate line as Kennedy has broken several of the promises he made to the senator when working to secure his confirmation vote last year.

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He angered many conservatives by repeatedly pushing back on the message that vaccines cause autism, calling health agencies promotion of that claim irresponsible. At the same time, he also drew the ire of the broader medical and public health communities by hesitating to directly criticize Kennedy or use his committees oversight and budget powers to rein him in.

It's almost as if Senator Cassidy would have been better off either overtly supporting or overtly opposing the nominee from the get-go, as opposed to doing the old Hamlet act, Couvillon said.

The senator has also tried to thread the needle in his approach to Trump. His campaigns social media account pitches him to voters as an ally of the president, posting repeatedly about working and winning with President Trump on health care and citing legislative efforts to lower drug prices and keep hospitals open. Yet Cassidy has also broken with the administration on everything from immigration enforcement to regulation of abortion pills.

Complicating the picture further: the state is shifting for the first time this year from a jungle primary system, in which any voter can back candidates of any party, to a closed primary system, in which voters can only cast a ballot for candidates who share their party affiliation.

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That means that unlike Cassidys first two Senate races in 2014 and 2020, he must now appeal to a much narrower and more conservative electorate than the states general population, which has supported a mix of Democrats and Republicans for statewide office over the last few decades.

Yet there is one area, political insiders said, where it may be beneficial for Cassidy to distance himself from both Trump and Kennedy: abortion.

Cassidy has highlighted his staunch anti-abortion record and criticized the Trump administrations inaction on the issue in recent weeks in hearings, floor speeches and social media posts. In particular, Cassidy has gone after Trumps health officials for leaving Biden-era regulations on the abortion pill in place, efforts that earned him the endorsement of activist groups like Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life that are frustrated with Trump and Kennedy and plan to spend tens of millions in the midterms.

It's a very pro-life state and Senator Cassidy is very pro-life, the former aide said of Louisiana. So if there's any way that Trump is out of step with those folks, it's probably on that issue.

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On other issues, however, Cassidys perceived misalignment with Kennedy and Trump has been a liability.

Some MAHA advocates, for instance, have long painted Cassidy as cozy with Big Pharma  pointing to fundraisers he has held with AstraZeneca.

Even at that time, it had been talked about between people in the race that Cassidy needed to be either primaried or run out of office, said Hutt.

Cassidy has worked to combat this perception in recent months, calling for policies that threaten the bottom line of health industry power players.

He proposed, for instance, replacing the expired Obamacare subsidies with individual health savings accounts, a move he argued would claw money back from greedy insurers. He has also supported changes in the latest Senate health policy package to rein in the pharmaceutical intermediaries who negotiate drug prices for employers and health insurers.

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Hospital leaders and providers in Louisiana, granted anonymity to candidly discuss Cassidys relationship with their industry, expressed frustration with the senator for backing the Trump administrations record Medicaid cuts, cuts to safety-net hospitals and other measures that hit health systems.

Yet Cassidys relationships in the state run deep. He counts Ochsner Health, the states largest hospital system, as a reliable donor.

Letlows voting record is similarly aligned with the Trump health care agenda that the providers bemoaned. But thats not a dealbreaker, according to some in the state.

She is also more straightforward and honest, said a consultant for several Louisiana providers. If she cant be with you, she says it. Cassidy tries to placate too many industries, notably pharma and insurers.

The Letlow campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

MAHA advocates, though, said Cassidys praise for Trumps health agenda and his work to check the power of the health care industry is not enough to erase the original sin of his wavering during Kennedys Senate confirmation.

A lot of this stems from that single experience, Hutt said. It was looked at as a slap in the face.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misstated the month when President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow.
JAKARTA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The search for victims of a landslide in Indonesia's West Java province continued on Monday, with the number of recovered bodies reaching 80, local media Kompas.com reported.

The news website quoted Ade Dian Permana, head of the Bandung Search and Rescue Office, as saying that by 11:45 a.m. local time Monday, all recovered bodies had been evacuated.

The landslide struck the Cisarua area in West Bandung regency on Jan. 24, affecting 158 people, displacing 564 individuals from 164 families, and damaging 48 homes.

Indonesia is prone to floods and landslides during the rainy season, which typically runs from October to March. 
BEIJING (AP)  Beijing on Monday criticized the Dalai Lama s first Grammy win, describing the music industry award for an audiobook, narration and storytelling as a tool for anti-China political manipulation.

The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, who lives in exile in India, took the award on Sunday for his book, Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

He said in a statement on his website that he saw the award as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility.

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I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility, he added.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: It is well known that the 14th Dalai Lama is not merely a religious figure but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the guise of religion.

We firmly oppose the relevant party using the award as a tool for anti-China political manipulation, he added.

The Dalai Lama, who is seen by many as the face of Tibets struggle for autonomy, has lived in exile since 1959, when Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

China, which governs Tibet as an autonomous region, has been accused of trying to stamp out the Tibetan language, culture and identity.

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Beijing and the Dalai Lama also spar over the spiritual leaders eventual successor. Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lamas are reincarnations of a spiritual leader first born in 1391.

Beijing maintains the next Dalai Lama will be born in Tibet and recognized by the ruling Communist Party, whereas the Dalai Lama has said his successor will be from a free country and that China has no role in the process.
China has executed four members of the Bai family mafia, one of the notorious dynasties that ran scam centres in Myanmar, state media report.

They were among 21 of the family's members and associates who were convicted of fraud, homicide, injury and other crimes by a court in Guangdong province.

Last November the court sentenced five of them to death including the clan's patriarch Bai Suocheng, who died of illness after his conviction, state media reported.

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Last week, China executed 11 members of the Ming family mafia as part of its crackdown on scam operations in South East Asia that have entrapped thousands of Chinese victims.

For years, the Bais, Mings and several other families dominated Myanmar's border town of Laukkaing, where they ran casinos, red-light districts and cyberscam operations.

Among the clans, the Bais were "number one", Bai Suocheng's son previously told state media after he was detained.

The Bais, who controlled their own militia, established 41 compounds to house cyberscam activities and casinos, authorities said. Within the walls of those compounds was a culture of violence, where beatings and torture were routine.

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The Bai family's criminal activities led to the deaths of six Chinese citizens, the suicide of one person and multiple injuries, the court said.

The Bais rose to power in Laukkaing in the early 2000s after the town's then warlord was ousted in a military operation led by Min Aung Hlaing - who now leads Myanmar's military government.

The military leader had been looking for co-operative allies, and Bai Suocheng - then a deputy of the warlord - fitted the bill.

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But the families' empires crashed in 2023, when Beijing became frustrated by the Myanmar military's inaction on the scam operations and tacitly backed an offensive by ethnic insurgents in the area, which marked a turning point in Myanmar's civil war.

That led to the capture of the scam mafias and their members were handed to Beijing.

In China, they became subjects of state documentaries which emphasised Chinese authorities' resolve to eradicate the scam networks.

With these recent executions Beijing appears to be sending a message of deterrence to would-be scammers.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked to run online scams in Myanmar and elsewhere in South East Asia, according to estimates by the United Nations.

Among them are thousands of Chinese people, and their victims who they swindle billions of dollars from are mainly Chinese as well.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Clark Countys Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner held its 2nd annual Missing in Nevada Day on Saturday.

The event, hosted at UNLVs University Gateway Building, is an opportunity for families to file reports of missing loved ones, update existing cases, and connect directly with investigators, advocates, and forensic specialists, according to Clark Countys website.

Its not known how many families attended, but according to Suleima Gonzales from Mesquite, she and her mother saw several families going through the same process as them. Gonzales said she attended to seek answers regarding the disappearance of her older brother, 38-year-old Carlos Gonzales. She said Carlos has been missing since September 2025 in the North Las Vegas area.

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Carlos lived in North Las Vegas. He lived there with an ex-girlfriend. They broke up sometime around March of 2025, and he started couch surfing with no steady job, no phone to have communication with, she said. And he would reach out once in a while. Last time we heard from him was in September.

The father of a teenager and described as the leader of six siblings, Carlos stopped communicating with the rest of his family members in Mesquite. The last reported sighting of his vehicle was in December, according to Suleima, somewhere around Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and U.S. 95.

38-year-old Carlos Gonzales. who has been missing since September 2025 in the North Las Vegas area. (Courtesy of Suleima Gonzales) 38-year-old Carlos Gonzales. who has been missing since September 2025 in the North Las Vegas area. (Courtesy of Suleima Gonzales)

But they were unable to tell us who was driving the car, if it was him driving the car or who was the person behind the wheel, Suleima said. His car has not been seen or towed or no law enforcement has been able to see the car.

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Gonzales said she and her family are worried for Carloss well-being and believe he may be alone. She said dealing with a missing family member is something no one can prepare for.

Sometimes, trying to deal with this missing person is so hard because we dont know where to start or whats our next direction. We opened a case, but now what? Gonzales said. Sometimes we have to wait for police officers to give us a call, investigators to give us a call, or trying to get a hold of the police is so difficult sometimes.

Gonzales said families like hers can also become overwhelmed with false or misleading tips.

All we know is we need to talk to people, get it out there, because theres nothing else we can do. We cant go out there every weekend, Vegas is a big place. We cant go out there and try to look for her car, try to look for him, its very difficult, she said. Its just very difficult to wait at home, hoping to hear something thats concrete or thats real. The only thing that were trusting right now, like 100% that they can give us information back, is police officers, because any other tip is false or does not have truth behind it.

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Gonzales said the 2nd Annual Missing In Nevada Day did provide extra help, expanding their contacts with not just North Las Vegas, but Henderson police and Metro police as well. She also said they got in contact with several morgues looking for identification of John Does.

Gonzales said Carlos is a great big brother and father, and the family is desperate to find him.

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.
CNN Senior White House Correspondent Kristen Holmes ripped the Department of Justices redaction fail in the latest Epstein files release after The New York Times flagged dozens of nude photos of young women or possibly teenagers.

The Times report from Sunday said, The people in the photos appeared to be young, although it was unclear whether they were minors. Some of the images seemed to show Mr. Epsteins private island, including a beach. Others were taken in bedrooms and other private spaces.

The images appeared to show at least seven different people, although The Times did not seek to identify them, the report added.

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Holmes commented Monday, I mean, this is really egregious.

According to The New York Times, they went through these millions of documents and found at least 40 images, nude images that included no redactions, included faces, Holmes said. They seem to be part of Epsteins personal file. And since then, the Department of Justice has taken them down after they were flagged to them by The New York Times. But of course, how long were they up there before they came down?

She continued:

And we did get this statement just moments ago from the Justice Department spokesperson, who said, The Justice Department takes victim protection very seriously and has redacted thousands of victims names in the millions of pages to protect the innocent. The department had 500 reviewers looking at millions of pages for this very reason to meet the requirement of the Act while protecting victims. When a victims name is alleged to be unredacted, our team is working around the clock to fix the issue and republish appropriately redacted pages as soon as possible. To date, .1% of released pages have been found to have victim identifying information unredacted.I do just want to make one thing very clear hereeven if its just 0.1%, these are peoples lives. There are a lot of victims who didnt want to be publicly associated with this, who didnt want their name out there. Of course, weve seen those victims who were out there and the public face of this, but that is not all of Epsteins victims. So even if its just 0.1%, that is too much to these people who have been trying to move on with their lives. And now being publicly exposed here in these documents.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

The post CNN Reporter Rips Trump DOJ For Releasing Unredacted Nude Photos in Epstein Files: Really Egregious first appeared on Mediaite.
Energy companies in Central Florida are urging customers to try to conserve power on Monday.

This comes after a weekend of sub-freezing temperatures.

Utility providers are asking residents to reduce their electricity usage to prevent excessive strain on the power grid on Monday morning.

Utilities have reached out through various communication channels to warn of increased demand during the coldest parts of the day.

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Orlando Utilities Commission customers received voicemail messages with instructions on managing their energy usage.

At the same time, Duke Energy sent text messages to its customers containing similar information.

The companies identified specific times when the electrical system will face the highest demand.

The period from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. is expected to be the most stressed time for the power grid.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
(This story has been updated to reflect the correct date Hailey Buzbee was last seen by her parents and to add additional information.)

A Columbus man is charged with pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and tampering with evidence in connection with a missing teenage girl from Indiana who disappeared Jan. 5 and whom authorities there believe is dead.

Tyler Thomas, 39, of Columbus' Victorian Village neighborhood, is being held in the Franklin County jail and is scheduled for a hearing Monday, Feb. 2, in a Franklin County court.

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Hailey Buzbee, 17, of Fishers, Indiana, a suburb north of Indianapolis, was last seen by her parents about 10 p.m. Jan. 5 near her home, police there said in a news conference Feb. 1. A vehicle in the area at the time was traced back to Thomas, whom Fishers police said met Buzbee through online gaming.

It's believed that Hailey Buzbee, 17, left her home in the Enclave at Vermillion neighborhood in Fishers, Indiana, in the early hours of Jan. 6, 2026, and was last in the company of Tyler Thomas, 39, of Columbus.

Police said they talked to Thomas within a few days of her disappearance, and he told them he'd dropped Buzbee off on the side of the road in western Ohio.

Police soon determined that statement was not true and worked with law enforcement partners in Ohio to search Thomas' home and vehicle, the Indianapolis Star, a USA TODAY network newspaper reported.

Because of evidence obtained and from statements made by the suspect, Fishers police say they believe Buzbee is dead and are working to find her body.

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Court records state that Thomas picked up Buzbee in the early morning of Jan. 6 and that child sexual abuse material containing photo images and video of the missing juvenile girl were found on digital devices belonging to Thomas during a warrant search of his home on Hunter Avenue on Jan. 21.

Police searched Thomas' cell phone and found several cached photos of Buzbee performing sex acts, according to a probable cause affidavit. Those photos indicate a video had been created and later deleted, according to the court records.

A video of the missing juvenile was located in Thomas' cell phone in a file that Thomas deleted, court records state.

Fishers police said Thomas spent time with the missing girl at his home in Columbus and at a short-term rental in Hocking County, where sheriff's deputies searched the rental and deployed a drone and dogs in an effort to help locate Buzbee, the Indy Star reported.

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Buzbee was initially listed as a runaway by Fishers police, the Indy Star reported. On Jan. 20, the department upgraded her case to an "endangered missing juvenile." Fishers police said Buzbee left her home voluntarily and was not initially misclassified.

In a Feb. 1 post on Facebook, Beau Buzbee, the girl's father, said the family was devastated by the news that police believe she has died.

"Hailey was a smart, beautiful, kind, and caring young lady with a bright future," he wrote. "She had a deep love for her family and holds a very special place in so many hearts."

Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tyler Thomas, 39, of Columbus, faces charges related to Hailey Buzbee
President Donald Trumps Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in an interview four months ago that he and his wife had decided in 2005 to "never to be in the same room" as the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, their onetime New York City neighbor.

But in 2012, the couple, along with family, was planning a visit to Little St. James, Epsteins private Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to a trove of new files released by the Justice Department on Jan. 30.

One of the emails released as part of the Epstein files indicates that Lutnick's planned meeting on Dec. 23, 2012, at Epstein's island did take place.

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Epstein sent an email to his assistant on Dec. 24, 2012, with the subject: "please forward to howard lutnik"

"Nice seeing you," it said.

(L-R) Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton and Diana Ross in a photo that was part of thousands of files related to Jefferey Epstein released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. The images were released by the US DOJ without location information, dates or context. (L-R) Ghislaine Maxwell and Mick Jagger in a photo that was part of thousands of files related to Jefferey Epstein released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. The images were released by the US DOJ without location information, dates or context. (L-R) Mick Jagger, an unidentified woman and Bill Clinton in a photo that was part of thousands of files related to Jefferey Epstein released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. The images were released by the US DOJ without location information, dates or context. (L-R) Richard Branson and Jefferey Epstein in a photo that was part of thousands of files related to Jefferey Epstein released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. The images were released by the US DOJ without location information, dates or context. Jefferey Epstein in a photo that was part of thousands of files related to Jefferey Epstein released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. The images were released by the US DOJ without location information, dates or context. Jefferey Epstein in a photo that was part of thousands of files related to Jefferey Epstein released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. The images were released by the US DOJ without location information, dates or context. Bill Clinton with an unidentified woman in a photo that was part of thousands of files related to Jefferey Epstein released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. The images were released by the US DOJ without location information, dates or context. A book titled "Massage for Dummies" is seen in this image released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025 as part of a new trove of documents from the Jefferey Epstein files. The images were released by the US DOJ without location information, dates or context. Sarah Ferguson, at the time Britain's Duchess of York, is seen in this image released by the Department of Justice as part of thousands of files related to Jefferey Epstein. The images were released by the US DOJ without location information, dates or context. What do the Epstein files show? See photos released by DOJ 1 of 9 (L-R) Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton and Diana Ross in a photo that was part of thousands of files related to Jefferey Epstein released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. The images were released by the US DOJ without location information, dates or context.

An email dated Dec. 21, 2012, from Lutnicks wife, Allison, who currently serves on the board of the Trump-Kennedy Center, seeks to coordinate a visit to the island along with another family on Sunday, Dec. 23.

"This is Allison Lutnick," introduces Lutnick's wife in an email to Epstein's assistant, Lesley Groff. "We will be coming from Caneel Bay in the morning. We are a crowd...2 families each with 4 kids ranging in age from 7-16! 6 boys and 2 girls. I hope that's okay."

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She says the families are travelling on a yacht called "Excellence" and asks for a good time to meet for lunch.

"Would 1 or 1:30pm for lunch work?," she asks.

Lutnick did not immediately respond to an email from USA TODAY seeking comment on the email.

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and his wife Allison Lutnick

Lutnick, a former chairman of finance giant Cantor Fitzgerald, was once Epsteins next-door neighbor. Their ritzy Upper East Side townhouses shared a wall.

But during a podcast interview with New York Posts Miranda Devine in October, the billionaire businessman sought to distance himself from the sex offender calling him "gross," and claiming he and his wife had decided to stay far away from him after their first visit to Epsteins townhouse in 2005.

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He said when the couple moved into their newly renovated townhouse, Epstein invited them over for coffee.

After giving them a tour of the mansions "big living room," he led them to a room with double doors.

"I assumed its the dining room," said Lutnick. "And he opens the doors and theres a massage table in the middle of the room. And candles all around."

Lutnick said he then asked Epstein how often he got massages to warrant a table in the middle of the house.

"And then he says, 'Every day,'" recalled Lutnick. "And then, he like gets, like, weirdly close to me. And he says, 'And the right kind of massage.'"

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Soon after the comment, Lutnick said, he and his wife abruptly left Epsteins mansion.

In the "six to eight steps" it took for them to reach their residence, Lutnick said, the couple decided that he would "never be in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy."

Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) who are leading the charge to release files related to the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, speaking November 18, 2025 along with survivors as the House prepares to vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act on compelling the Justice Department to release the full files from the federal investigation of the late convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein, who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, has been accused of luring and grooming numerous victims, including underage girls, for sexual abuse. He pleaded not guilty.

"If that guy was there, I wasnt going because hes gross," Lutnick said.

Devine asked how other prominent men could have associated with Epstein when Lutnick could immediately sense that he was a "pervert."

Bill Gates and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, stand in a handout image from the estate of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in Washington, D.C., U.S., on December 12, 2025. House Oversight Committee Democrats/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY

"Did they see it and ignore it?" she asked.

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"No. They participated," responded Lutnick.

"Thats what his M.O. was," he said. "You know, 'get a massage, get a massage.' And what happened in that massage room, I assume, was on video. This guy was the greatest blackmailer ever. Blackmail people. Thats how he had money."

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Howard Lutnick and his wife planned 2012 visit to Epstein's island




When will Connecticut thaw out?

After more than a week of sub-freezing temperatures and wind chills at times below zero, conditions are not going to improve much this week before another blast of arctic air arrives for the weekend, the National Weather Service said.

There's a little bit of good news: The very cold temperatures Connecticut has been experiencing will moderate a little bit starting Monday, and may even get slightly above freezing Tuesday, the weather service said.

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But those hoping for a real warmup - or even seasonable highs in the middle and upper 30s - don't have much to look forward to this week. Daytime temperatures will stay near and just below freezing through Friday while overnight lows will continue to mostly plummet into the teens and single digits.

The week started with Monday morning wind chills around zero.

"While there may be a few days where temperatures hit 32 or 33 along the coast, largely the entire area should generally remain below freezing through the week," the weather service's New York Office said.

The office noted the overnight lows in the teens and single digits, but added that despite the cold, "wind chill values should remain high enough to not warrant any cold weather headlines through at least Friday."

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For Friday, an arctic cold front and low pressure system moving from Canada will arrive in Connecticut. The system may produce some light snow Friday and then bring even colder temperatures for the weekend. Saturday and Sunday will be blustery and cold, with highs only in the single digits to low teens. Overnight wind chills will slip below zero both nights.

Last week, Gov. Ned Lamont extended the state's severe cold weather protocol through noon Thursday.

The cold has persisted for more than a week. At Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, the temperature has remained below 32 degrees since Jan. 24, according to National Weather Service records. That's the longest stretch of sub-freezing days recorded there since the winter of 2017-18, when the airport went 14 days without getting above freezing, according to records.

For next week, the Climate Prediction Center said there's increased likelihood for "below-normal temperatures" that persist across the eastern United States. Connecticut and the tri-state area in general are likely to see below-normal temperatures.

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"Temperatures may moderate after mid-February as a pattern change is possible," the center said.

This article originally published at When will Connecticut begin to thaw? Deep freeze persists this week with more arctic air on the way.




SOUTH WINDSOR - A New Britain man is charged with 12 counts of risk of injury to a child after police said he failed to intervene when several Timothy Edwards Middle School students fought with and sexually assaulted other students while on a school bus he was driving last October, according to the warrant for his arrest.

Dominic Jimerson, 61, was arrested Jan. 21 and will be arraigned in state Superior Court in Manchester Feb. 4. He is free on a $5,000 bond, according to state judicial records.

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Jimerson was driving a Dattco school bus bringing middle school students in South Windsor home to Hartford, where he made various stops to drop off students. The 12 students ranged in ages from 11 to 14 years old, according to the warrant.

Police say the driver is responsible for the welfare, safety and security of the students and that bus drivers receive training in being mandated reporters for the state Department of Children and Families. Police added that bus drivers are required and expected to intervene should a child's safety or welfare be in jeopardy.

Jimerson's manager told police Jimerson filed a report for the students' behavior and told the company he refused to drive that route again. When told they would hire a bus monitor for the bus, he still refused to drive that route again.

In the warrant, police said Jimerson had a responsibility to intervene by stopping the bus, addressing the students directly or contacting the bus dispatcher, Timothy Edwards Middle School and or the police ,"to have them remain in their seats and discontinue acting in a violent (and) tumultuous way."

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South Windsor police learned of the incident when a video of a student attempting to sexually assault another student was being shared on Snapchat, a social media application. A mother of one of the students who allegedly was assaulted also notified school administrators, according to the warrant.

Police obtained video footage from the bus provided to police from the Capitol Region Education Council

Several of the students are being investigated for crimes against each other "and are both victims and suspects of breach of peace and sexual misconduct," according to the warrant. The warrant identified the ages of the six suspects: one is 11 years old, one is 12 years old and the remaining are 13 years old.

South Windsor police Lt. Mark Cleverdon said they do not disclose any information regarding juvenile arrests.

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Police noted several students were "uninvolved participants, but clearly intimidated or upset by the actions of others," according to the warrant.

At one point in the video, police could hear the muffled screams of one students being held down in a seat.

"It sounded like they were attempting to scream but a hand was over their mouth. The screaming got louder and higher pitched as other students jumped in and out of the seat," South Windsor police Cpl. David Johnson write in the arrest warrant affidavit.

In another video, a student alerted the bus driver.

"Mister, he's touching me," a student said.

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"That ain't molesting," another student said.

Police said Jimerson did not respond.

Jimerson did not speak with police during the investigation. Attorney Patrick Paoletti contacted police and said to contact him with anything related to Jimerson, but he never returned calls to the police, they said.

The Judicial Branch lists Paoletti as an attorney at Dattco. Calls to Paoletti and Dattco were not returned.

South Windsor Superintendent of Schools Kate Carter did not immediately respond to emailed questions.

This article originally published at Connecticut school bus driver failed to stop student sexual assaults, warrant says.
Costco Wholesale is warning customers that they might not have the product they think they purchased. And the mix-up could be deadly for some.

The big-box retailer says that customers who purchased mini beignets filled with caramel might have actually purchased mini beignets filled with chocolate hazelnut.

The beignets filled with chocolate hazelnut were accidentally packaged as caramel beignets during production.

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This means that the mini beignets labeled as caramel do not have a proper warning for tree nuts.

The product was distributed in several states, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California, between Jan. 16 and Jan. 30.

Tree nut allergies are very common in both children and adults, including hazelnut allergy.

Costco asks that those with a hazelnut or filbert allergy not eat the beignets and return them to their local Costco store for a refund.
Nazrin Abdul



A delegation led by the management of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), together with representatives of the operating company Umid Babek Operating Company (UBOC), visited the headquarters of Huawei in Shenzhen, China, from January 26 to 29.

As reported by Azernews, citing the company, the visit aimed to facilitate an exchange of views on digital transformation and the application of advanced technologies in the oil and gas sector.

As part of the visit, a meeting was held between SOCAR Vice President Babek Huseynov and Deng Bi, President of Huaweis Oil and Gas Industry division. The discussions focused on how digital solutions can contribute to more innovative operations, improved efficiency, and long-term value creation.

The company noted that such cooperation and discussions not only support SOCARs long-term digital strategy but also enable UBOC to closely familiarize itself with new technologies that enhance operational efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

SOCAR is Azerbaijans first national oil company and a key player in the global oil and gas industry, actively participating in international economic development processes. The company was established by a decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated September 13, 1992.

Within its operations, SOCAR aims to create positive and responsible economic, social, and environmental impacts. To achieve these goals, the company has defined its strategy, policies, regulations, and mission accordingly. Enhancing environmental and social efficiency remains one of the core principles of all new projects implemented by SOCAR in line with its sustainable development objectives.
MOGADISHU, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations (UN) mission have called on leaders in Somalia to resolve outstanding issues ahead of the national consultative forum on elections, which was scheduled on Sunday in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

All parties should work together to find a collective solution to an incident in which flights carrying security officers for the leaders of Somalia's Jubaland and Puntland were turned back from Mogadishu on Sunday, the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) said in a statement issued on Sunday.

"UNTMIS regrets that advance teams from Puntland and Jubaland could not arrive for the national consultative forum scheduled to begin in Mogadishu, as the necessary technical clearances were not granted," said the UNTMIS.

It urged the rapid completion of the preparatory work by the technical teams and further efforts by the federal government and the Somali Future Council, a political alliance that includes Puntland and Jubaland leaders, to resolve the situation.

"We strongly encourage all sides to prioritize the agreed dialogue forum to reach consensus on elections and other national issues ahead of the upcoming end of constitutional mandates," the UN mission said.

Somali leaders were due to attend a national consultative meeting on elections and other national issues called by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi reportedly said there was no need to bring armed security guards to the airport since the government was responsible for the leaders' safety, saying the display of weapons and armed units in hotels around the airport was "not acceptable."

The incident occurred amid a heightened political crisis linked to disputes over Somalia's electoral process and governance issues. 
Irans former president said the regime must make major reforms or face more protests as cracks emerged within the Islamic Republic leadership.

Hassan Rouhani said the regime had to make swift and significant changes or risk further mass demonstrations such as those that threatened to bring down the ayatollah.

In a rare intervention, echoed by other emboldened reformist politicians, Mr Rouhani criticised the regime for addressing only minor complaints while ignoring broader demands.

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People have demands and we must respond to them with a major reform, not a minor reform, Mr Rouhani said after the nationwide protests, in which at least 6,000 people were killed, according to rights groups.

If you make minor changes, God forbid, we might face problems again in two or three months, or even in 10 days, he added.

His comments triggered a backlash from within the regime, with Nasrollah Pejmanfar, a hard-line MP, saying: Today is the time for major reform, which is the arrest and execution of Rouhani.

New talks with the US are intended to bring an end to the infighting, with Steve Witkoff, Washingtons special envoy, due to meet Abbas Araqchi, Irans foreign minister, in Turkey on Friday.

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A US official said on Monday: The presidents been calling for them to make a deal. The meeting is to hear what they have to say.

The Istanbul meeting will kick-start diplomacy on the long-running dispute over Irans nuclear programme, with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates also in attendance.

The recent unrest in Iran started because of economic frustrations, but spiralled into calls for the ayatollah to be deposed.

Hassan Rouhani, right, the former president, with Mohammad Bagheri, Irans former chief of staff - 2025 Anadolu

Those calls were met with brutal repression, the internet was turned off and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) opening fire on protesters.

Mr Rouhani said the Islamic Republic must address underlying grievances. Reformist politicians also said they could no longer justify the regimes handling of the demonstrations.

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Javad Emam, a spokesman for the Reformist Front, a coalition of moderate politicians, said reformists must stand with the people and that current conditions bear no relation to their vision of the Islamic Republic.

Mir Hossein Mousavi, leader of Irans Green Movement, described the crackdown as a black page in Iranian history.

Iranian politicians wear Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps uniforms and chant slogans during a session of parliament in Tehran - ZUMAPRESS.com /Avalon

He called on security forces to lay down their guns and allow people to chart the path to freedom.

Mr Mousavi, under house arrest since 2011, said internal suppression had exposed the country to external interference.

Mehdi Karroubi, a reformist cleric and former parliament speaker, said Irans current dire situation is the direct result of destructive domestic and international interventions and policies by Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader,.

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Mr Karroubi, who spent years under house arrest and was released last year, cited the costly and fruitless nuclear project and the heavy consequences of sanctions over the past two decades on the country and people as examples of failed policies.

Referring to the killing of thousands of protesters this month, Mr Karroubi said the depth of the tragedy is so deep that no excuse or justification can be accepted for this horrific and merciless massacre and disrespect for the bodies of victims.

He said the only peaceful way out of the crisis was referring to the people and recognising their right to self-determination in a free referendum.

Growing internal tensions

Reformists have been sidelined from politics in recent years through mass disqualifications of their candidates in elections.

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The public statements by former president Rouhani and other reformist figures are a fracture in the regimes unified front, as moderates now openly criticise the establishments handling of dissent.

The developments suggest growing internal tensions within Irans political structure as hardliners face unprecedented challenges to their authority.

In one sign of the government backing down, protester Erfan Soltani was released on bail after facing possible execution for his role in demonstrations against the government.

Mr Soltani, 26, was arrested on Jan 10 at his home in Fardis, west of Tehran. He faced charges of assembly and collusion against the countrys internal security and propaganda activities against the regime.

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His case drew international attention during the widespread protests that swept Iran last month.

Relatives said authorities planned to execute him, though Irans judiciary dismissed those reports as fabricated.

Donald Trump, the US president, has repeatedly threatened military strikes against Iran and warned against them carrying out the execution.

Inside the country, internet access was slowly restored over the weekend after weeks of blackout. Footage emerging from Iran shows funerals for protesters and widespread grief.

But state TV prompted criticism by airing a broadcast in which a host mocked slain protesters.

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One presenter asked viewers where the Islamic Republic stores dead protesters bodies, offering multiple-choice answers including side-by-side fridge and ice cream maker.

The broadcast drew condemnation across Iranian social media.

The violent crackdown prompted the European Union to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation last week.

Unrest and protests in Iran started because of economic frustrations - MAHSA/AFP

Iranian legislators retaliated on Sunday by designating all EU militaries as terrorist groups. Legislators wore IRGC uniforms and chanted Death to America and Death to Israel.

On Monday, 10 individuals and one organisation were sanctioned for their role in enabling and facilitating brutality and violence against the Iranian people.

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They included Eskandar Momeni, the Iranian interior minister, who is responsible for Irans police force and Seyed Majid Feiz Jafari, the police chief of Irans public security police who has directed violent crackdowns against peaceful protesters.

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 International Space Station has been understaffed for nearly three weeks ever since NASA rushed home four astronauts after one of them experienced a health issue.

The medical evacuation of Crew-11  an unprecedented move in the space station's 25-year history  left the orbital laboratory with just three astronauts on board to keep the station humming along. But reinforcements are set to be on the way in the days ahead after NASA elected to move up the launch date for a mission with SpaceX known as Crew-12.

The four astronauts selected for the mission, including two Americans, will then spend the next six months or so performing science experiments and conducting routine maintenance on the orbital outpost.

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But another upcoming crewed mission, the space agency's historic Artemis 2 spaceflight around the moon, could create a logistical challenge for NASA as it prepares for two seperate human spaceflights at the same time.

Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander captures its shadow on the moon's surface after completing a successful landing March 2 near a volcanic feature on the moon called Mons Latreille. The vehicle became the first of two landers manufactured by a U.S. company to reach the moon is 2025 in crucial missions to lay the groundwork for NASA to return humans to the lunar surface in the years ahead. Athena, the lunar lander on Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission, captured this image of the moon's surface with Earth seen in the distance ahead of a March 6 landing attempt. While the lander was the second U.S. vehicle to reach the moon within a week, it ultimately landed on its side, which hindered much of its mission. NASA astronaut Suni Williams is helped out of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft March 18 following a return to Earth after a nine-month stay at the International Space Station. She and NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore crewed the Boeing Starliner, which had launched in June 2024 on a failed test flight that was meant to return them to Earth a few days later. Butch Wilmore reacts after he and Suni Williams and two other astronauts splashed down March 18 in a Crew Dragon space capsule following their return to earth from the International Space Station off the coast of Florida. The astronauts' extended stay at the orbital outpost dominated the news cycle for months. A SpaceX support team member is seen airborne while working to lift the SpaceX Dragon capsule that returned the Starliner astronauts and two others onto a recovery vehicle following its landing off the coast of Florida. This picture shows the crew of a privately-funded mission known as Fram2, from left to right, mission specialist and medical officer Eric Philips, mission commander Chun Wang, pilot Rabea Rogge and vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen on March 19, 2025 in Hawthorne, California. Launched March 31 from Florida using a SpaceX Dragon capsule, the mission became t first ever human spaceflight over the Earth's polar regions. Pop musician Katy Perry emerges April 14 from Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule in West Texas following a brief flight to the edge of space. Perry was part of an all-women crew that also included broadcast journalist Gayle King that took the ride from Blue Origin's facility called Launch Site One. The high-profile launch attracted plenty of headlines and even drew some backlash from those who viewed the mission as a wasteful publicity stunt. Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket carrying astronauts Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, Kerianne Flynn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, and Lauren Sanchez lifts off April 14 from Launch Site One near Van Horn, Texas. Blue Origin has since launched five more human spaceflights on the New Shepard in 2025. This photo depicts a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the latest batch of Amazon's broadband satellites on Dec. 16 to low-Earth orbit after launching from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Formerly called Project Kuiper, the venture has since been renamed Amazon Leo. Since its debut April launch, Amazon Leo has deployed 180 of 3,000 satellites planned for its first constellation, which could challenge SpaceX's Starlink. A group of Blue Origin employees with their friends and families gather on the beach in Cape Canaveral for the launch of Blue Origin's second New Glenn rocket in 2025. Following its January debut, the rocket launched for the second time Nov. 13 from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, sending NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft on their trek to Mars. Darkness falls Nov. 9 as a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket is prepped for its second-ever launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Blue Origin is developing the towering rocket for heavy-lift missions that could see Jeff Bezos' company compete with Elon Musk and SpaceX. The SpaceX Starship spacecraft sits Oct. 12, 2025 atop the Super Heavy booster before sunrise as preparations continue for its 11th test flight from the company's complex in Starbase, Texas. A SpaceX Super Heavy booster carrying the Starship spacecraft lifts off Oct. 13, 2025, on its 11th ever test flight at the company's launch pad in Starbase, Texas. The launch was Starship's fifth of 2025, and second consecutive successful test flight following a year that was early on marked by explosive failures. SpaceX is developing the rocket for future missions that would help NASA astronauts land on the moon and also potentially transport the first humans to Mars. 2025 spaceflight in photos. See images of Blue Origin, SpaceX missions 1 of 13 Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander captures its shadow on the moon's surface after completing a successful landing March 2 near a volcanic feature on the moon called Mons Latreille. The vehicle became the first of two landers manufactured by a U.S. company to reach the moon is 2025 in crucial missions to lay the groundwork for NASA to return humans to the lunar surface in the years ahead.

Here's everything to know about the Crew-12 launch date, as well as the astronauts selected for the mission.

Space exploration in 2026: 6 spaceflights in year ahead, from NASA moon missions to SpaceX Starship

When will Crew-12 launch? NASA moves date up

The Crew-12 mission, originally slated for no earlier than Feb. 15, could now get off the ground as early as 6 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Feb. 11, according to NASA.

SpaceX uses its Falcon 9 rocket  one of the most active in the world  to launch the crew missions in Florida, typically from NASAs Kennedy Space Center. The astronauts themselves ride a Dragon crew capsule  the only U.S. spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to and from the space station  that separates from the rocket in orbit.

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Because four different astronauts are due to launch from the Kennedy Space Center on the Artemis 2 lunar mission around the same time, Crew-12 will instead lift off from the neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Base.

Artemis lunar mission launch date could delay Crew-12

But here's where things get complicated.

The fate of the Crew-12 launch is intertwined with the impending launch of the Artemis 2 mission. Because the Artemis 2 launch window could brush up against a target liftoff of Crew-12, just when the mission can get off the ground hinges on the timing of the lunar venture.

The four astronauts selected for Artemis 2  NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen  are due for a 10-day trip around the moon in the first human lunar mission in more than five decades. The objective of the spaceflight is to set the stage for a future lunar landing during Artemis 3.

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It's a delicate dance for NASA, but because Artemis 2 is one of the most significant missions for NASA in half-a-century, that mission is the priority.

Additional launch opportunities for Crew-12 are on Feb. 12 and 13, according to NASA. But if Artemis 2 were to launch Sunday, Feb. 8  its earliest launch opportunity  NASA officials said they will wait until Feb. 19 for Crew-12 to get off the ground, which would be after the Artemis 2 astronauts return.

"We will work around Artemis in all those scenarios," Steve Stich, manager of NASAs Commercial Crew Program, said at a Friday, Jan. 30 press conference. "So, it depends,"

What is the SpaceX Crew-12 mission?

As the name suggests, Crew-12 will be NASA and SpaceX's 12th human science expedition to the International Space Station.

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The missions, most of which last about six months, are contracted under NASA's commercial crew program. The program allows the space agency to pay SpaceX to launch and transport astronauts and cargo to orbit aboard the company's own vehicles, freeing up NASA to focus on its Artemis lunar program and other spaceflight missions, including future crewed voyages to Mars.

NASA is also hoping to certify Boeing's Starliner capsule to add a second operational vehicle for missions to the ISS before the station is retired by 2030.

Why did Crew-11 return to Earth early? What to know about medical evacuation

The accelerated launch of Crew-12 became necessary when NASA medically evacuated the four Crew-11 astronauts Jan. 15 after one them experienced a health issue.

Neither NASA nor the astronauts themselves have disclosed the name of the crew member or the nature of the medical concern that prompted the early end to the mission.

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The crew members  NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov  landed safely off the coast of California near San Diego.

NASAs Hubble Space Telescope last observed come 3I/ATLAS on Nov. 30, about four months after Hubble's first look at the interstellar comet. 3I/ATLAS became one of the biggest cosmic stories of the year when astronomers deemed it to be the third-ever discovered interstellar object in our solar system originating from an entirely different part of the galaxy. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on Oct. 2, 2025. At the time it was imaged, the comet was about 19 million miles from the spacecraft. The comet didn't come nearly as close to Earth, when it reached a distance of 170 million miles from our planet on Dec. 19. This image shows the 3I/ATLAS interstellar comet as a bright, fuzzy orb in the center. Traveling through our solar system at 130,000 miles per hour, 3I/ATLAS was made visible by using a series of colorized stacked images from Sept. 11-25, using the Heliocentric Imager-1 (H1) instrument, a visible-light imager on the STEREO-A (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) spacecraft. The colorization was applied to differentiate the image from other observing spacecraft images. Because it's big enough to be deemed a "city killer," asteroid 2024 YR4 became a source of alarm due to the uncommonly high risk it had of colliding with Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. For a time, it was the only object among more than 37,000 known large space rocks with any chance of hitting Earth anytime soon  with its probability of impact even rising to a record level of 3.1%.That began to change in late February as more precise observations allowed scientists to effectively winnow down the asteroid's odds of impact to a number so low, it might as well be zero. An exoplanet known as K2-18b achieved a degree of fame in April when a team of astronomers claimed to have found in its atmosphere "the strongest evidence yet" that life exists anywhere else besides Earth. Other scientists have since cast doubt on the findings  putting a damper on the notion that humanity finally had proof that we aren't alone in the cosmos. This artist's concept shows what exoplanet K2-18b could look like based on scientific data. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has observed K2-18b, an exoplanet 8.6 times as massive as Earth, revealing conditions that could support life on the exoplanet. NASAs Perseverance Mars rover is seen in a "selfie" that it took over on Sept. 10, 2021. Perseverance rover, along with Curiosity, is one of the agency's two car-sized robots exploring the Martian surface for signs that the planet was once habitable. And in September, NASA officials confirmed that one of the rovers finds contained a potential biosignature. A reddish rock nicknamed "Cheyava Falls", with features resembling leopard spots was discovered by NASA's Perseverance rover in Mars Jezero Crater in July 2024, in this handout photograph released on September 10, 2025. The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, light up the night sky Nov. 11 east of Denver, Colorado. A powerful geomagnetic solar storm in November blasted Earth and created the conditions necessary to reveal the auroras much further south in the United States than is typical. A group of friends take photos of the northern lights Nov. 11 as they appear over Clinton Lake in Lawrence, Kansas. After NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issued a "severe" geomagnetic storm watch in November, many people in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the U.S., had an extraordinary opportunity to gaze upon some breathtaking red and green auroras in their own backyard. In June, the state-of-the-art Vera C. Rubin ground telescope in Chile unveiled its first stunning images of the cosmos. This particular image combines 678 separate images taken by the observatory in just over seven hours of observing time. Combining many images in this way clearly reveals otherwise faint or invisible details, such as the clouds of gas and dust that comprise the Trifid nebula (top) and the Lagoon nebula, which are several thousand light-years away from Earth. 2025 was a year of cosmic discoveries. Here's a look back at 6 1 of 11 NASAs Hubble Space Telescope last observed come 3I/ATLAS on Nov. 30, about four months after Hubble's first look at the interstellar comet. 3I/ATLAS became one of the biggest cosmic stories of the year when astronomers deemed it to be the third-ever discovered interstellar object in our solar system originating from an entirely different part of the galaxy.

What astronauts are on the Crew-12 mission?

The four members of NASAs SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station pose together for a crew portrait inside a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. From left are, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot.

The Crew-12 mission is composed of a contingent of four international astronauts, including two Americans.

Here's a look at the crew:

Mission commander Jessica Meir , a marine biologist from Maine who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013 and is making her second trip to the space station;

Pilot Jack Hathaway , a Navy pilot from Connecticut who is making his first spaceflight after he was selected as part of the 2021 NASA astronaut class;

Mission specialist Sophie Adenot , an astronaut with the European Space Agency from France making her first spaceflight;

Mission specialist Andrey Fedyaev, a cosmonaut with Russia's Roscosmos space agency making his second flight to the ISS.

What astronauts are on the International Space Station?

A skeleton crew of just three astronauts are living and working aboard the International Space Station.

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NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russians Sergey Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who arrived at the end of November on a Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, are also the newest additions at the orbital laboratory.

Contributing: Rick Neale, Florida Today

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SpaceX Crew-12 launch date moved by NASA after medical evacuation
The son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been arrested by police on suspicion of assault, before he goes on trial in Oslo on Tuesday on 38 charges, including the rape of four women.

Marius Borg Hiby, 29, was remanded in custody for four weeks. Police said the latest allegations against him involved wielding a knife and violating a restraining order, and there was a risk of reoffending.

His arrest on Sunday is the fourth time he has been detained by police since August 2024, when he was accused of assaulting a woman he had been having a relationship with.

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He has denied the most serious charges against him but admitted some of the more minor ones.

It is the latest scandal to beset the royal family.

Norwegians are also coming to terms with revelations that his mother corresponded for three years with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2014.

Crown Princess Mette Marit admitted "poor judgement" as her extensive contacts with Epstein became clear. She expressed her "deep sympathy and solidarity with the victims of the abuses committed by Jeffrey Epstein" and said her contact with him was "simply embarrassing".

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It has emerged she stayed at his Florida home for four nights, while he was not there, and asked Epstein if it was "inappropriate" for a mother to suggest to a 15-year-old son wallpaper showing two naked women carrying a surfboard.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre said he agreed with her admission of "poor judgement", and although he did not go further, his implicit criticism of her actions is highly unusual.

Questions are now being asked in Norway about her failure to realise the toxic nature of maintaining contact with Epstein, and about the role of her advisers when she was corresponding with him via an official royal email account.

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"It seems that nobody has been thinking. Where are the counsellors, where's the royal court and where's the foreign office?" says Ole-Jrgen Schulsrud-Hansen, a historian and royal correspondent for Norway's TV2.

He believes the monarch has managed to distance itself from the imminent court case, with the argument that the princess's son is a private citizen, but that is not the case for Mette-Marit: "She's never a private citizen, she's always the crown princess and what she's doing in a private capacity or official capacity it will always redirect back to Norway - or ricochet."

Mette-Marit is the future queen of Norway, and she has a prominent role in society as patron of several organisations including the Red Cross.

She is also suffering from pulmonary fibrosis and her doctors are preparing to put her on a list for a lung transplant.

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When Mette-Marit married into the family as a commoner, her son was already four years old.

Marius Borg Hiby goes on trial in this courtroom in the centre of Oslo on Tuesday [EPA]

Although Marius Borg Hiby is not a member of the royal family, he is still Crown Prince Haakon's stepson.

The charges against him range from rape and abuse to violating a restraining order, transporting 3.5kg of marijuana and speeding.

When he was first arrested in 2024 he spoke of having several mental disorders and struggling with substance abuse. Since then he has spent only a week in custody, so the police request to remand him for much of the start of the trial is a change of stance on their part.

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The Oslo District Court said in a statement quoted by Reuters news agency that it had agreed to the police request in order to prevent repeated offences.

The royal household has sought to distance itself from the trial, and in a statement last week, Crown Prince Haakon reached out to the women caught up in the case and their families, saying it was "a difficult time for many of you, and we sympathise".
By Dave Sherwood

HAVANA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Cuba and the United States are in communication, a Cuban diplomat told Reuters on Monday, although he said the exchanges have not yet evolved into a formal "dialogue."

Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Cuba's deputy foreign minister, told Reuters the U.S. government was aware that Cuba was "ready to have a serious, meaningful and responsible dialogue."

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"We have had exchange of messages, we have embassies, we have had communications, but we can not say we have had a table of dialogue," de Cossio told Reuters in an interview at the Foreign Ministry building in Havana.

De Cossio's statements on Monday represent the first hint from Cuba that the two sides are in conversation, even if in a limited fashion, after tensions flared in January between the two countries following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, long a close ally of Cuba.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said the United States had begun talks with "the highest people in Cuba," days after declaring Cuba "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and threatening tariffs on the U.S.-bound exports of any nation that sends oil to the communist-run island.

"I think we're going to make a deal with Cuba," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Sunday.

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Cuba had previously denied any talks with the United States.

OIL WOES

Friction has increased in recent weeks as the U.S. has moved to block all oil from reaching Cuba, including that from ally Venezuela, pushing up prices for food and transportation and prompting severe fuel shortages and hours of blackouts, even in the capital Havana.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Mexico would stop sending oil to Cuba as he ramped up a pressure campaign on the Caribbean nation.

De Cossio said he expected the U.S. push to halt fuel exports to Cuba would eventually backfire.

"The U.S. ... is attempting to force every country in the world not to provide fuel to Cuba. Can that be sustained in the long run?" de Cossio told Reuters. "Is every country in the world going to accept that the U.S. tell them to whom they can export their national products?"

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The two neighboring countries have been at odds since former leader Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, but a crippling economic crisis on the island and stepped-up pressure from the Trump administration have recently brought the conflict to a head.

(Reporting by Dave Sherwood in Havana, Editing by Natalia Siniawski and Sonali Paul)
HAVANA (AP)  A senior Cuban diplomat told The Associated Press on Monday that his government does not have a dialogue with the United States but is open to one if certain criteria are met, as tensions remain high between the countries.

Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio spoke days after U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration is starting to talk with Cuban leaders after he threatened tariffs on any country providing oil to the island.

Were not talking specifically about negotiation yet, Cossio said. Thats another issue.

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We are open to dialogue, he added. If we can have a dialogue, maybe that can lead to negotiation.

Cossio said Cuba is ready to have informal dialogue with the U.S. with the aim of ensuring that we can have a respectable, serious coexistence in spite of the differences between our two countries.

But Cossio stressed that certain things are off the table for Cuba, including the countrys constitution, economy and system of government, which is socialist.

But there are many, many other issues which we can discuss, he said.

Cuba is struggling with an acute economic crisis, ongoing blackouts, a disruption in oil shipments from Venezuela and U.S. sanctions that Cuban officials say cost the country more than $7.5 billion between March 2024 and February 2025.

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Cuba had relied heavily on oil shipments from Venezuela, but those were disrupted when the U.S. attacked the South American country on Jan. 3 and arrested its president.

When asked how long Cuba can sustain the current conditions, Cossio said he could not reveal any avenue the island has to ensure the supply of petroleum or cope with what he described as  a very difficult situation.

Cuba, of course, is preparing itself with creativity, with stoicism and with austerity, he added. What can Cuba do? Just watch us.

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke via telephone with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, and pledged to provide the necessary political and material support, according to a statement from Russia's government.

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Russia said they also discussed issues of bilateral cooperation as it condemned what it said was unacceptable "economic and military pressure against Cuba, including the obstruction of energy supplies to the island. Such actions would lead to a serious deterioration of the economic and humanitarian situation in the country."

When Trump signed an executive order late last week to impose tariffs, he called Cuba a failing nation and said it looks like its something thats just not going to be able to survive.

Meanwhile, Trump has said he asked Mexico to suspend oil shipments to Cuba.

On Sunday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced she would send food and other humanitarian aid to Cuba, adding that her government was trying to diplomatically solve everything related to the oil shipments to the island.

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Meanwhile, U.S. chief of mission in Cuba, Mike Hammer, has been traveling across the island, posting videos on social media about his meetings with Cubans. Some have hugged him and invited him into their home, with one man noting he couldnt offer the diplomat coffee because he was without power.

Not everyone is welcoming the ambassador. In a video posted elsewhere on social media, a group of angry Cubans confronted Hammer recently in the province of Camaguey.

Down with the blockade! they yelled. Murderer! Trumps puppet!

In response, the U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs demanded that Cuba stop its repressive acts of sending individuals to interfere with the diplomatic work" of Hammer and other embassy members.

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Our diplomats will continue to meet with the Cuban people despite the regimes failed intimidation tactics, the bureau wrote on X on Sunday.

In the brief interview, Cossio stressed that Cuba is not a threat to the United States.

Cuba is a peaceful country, he said. We only wish to relate with the United States in the way we relate with the rest of the world. The United States is the exception today.

___

Associated Press reporter Andrea Rodriguez in Havana contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Cuba's tourism sector suffered a sharp decline in 2025, with shortages of basic goods repelling visitors even before the United States began strangling the island's fuel supply.

Around 1.8 million people visited the Caribbean island last year, down 17.8 percent from the previous year, the national statistics office ONEI said.

The government of the cash-strapped nation of 11 million people, which relies on tourism to bring in hard currency, had been hoping for 2.6 million arrivals.

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The country's main tourist markets all shrank last year.

Visits by Cubans living abroad, mostly in the United States, fell 22.6 percent.

Arrivals from Germany, Russia and Canada were down 50.5 percent, 29 percent and 12.4 percent respectively.

Last year "was terrible for international tourism to Cuba," Cuban economist Pedro Monreal wrote on X, adding: "We knew that would happen."

Cuba is in the throes of its worst economic crisis in decades, marked by power outages of up to 20 hours a day and critical shortages of fuel, medicines and food.

The outlook has worsened sharply since the January 3 overthrow of Cuba's closest ally, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

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US President Donald Trump has been ratcheting up pressure on Havana ever since, predicting its communist leadership is "ready to fall."

He has vowed to cut off the flow of Venezuelan oil to Havana -- for years the island's main supplier -- and threatened tariffs on any other countries that provide oil to the country.

Several countries have revised their travel advice for Cuba since the start of the year.

While most advise caution due to the shortages of fuel, power and other basics, Argentina has advised its nationals to avoid the island altogether.

lis/jb/lab/cb/ksb
CHICAGO  A Schaumburg man has been arrested on charges of doxing and threatening an FBI agent whose information was stolen from a government vehicle during a protest over an immigration-related shooting in Minneapolis last month.

Jose Alberto Ramirez, 28, was arrested Thursday in Schaumburg on a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis charging him with transmitting a threat to harm another, court records show.

Ramirez is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday to determine if hell be brought to Minnesota in custody. His court-appointed lawyer for those proceedings declined to comment.

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The investigation stemmed from the Jan. 14 shooting of an immigrant by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a targeted arrest in Minneapolis, according to the complaint.

The shooting, which took place a week after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot U.S. citizen Renee Good, sparked a large and tense protest where FBI agents gathering evidence at the scene were forced to evacuate the area on foot for their personal safety, the complaint stated.

The agents left behind two government-owned vehicles, which were vandalized and ransacked of materials inside, including a rifle, a handgun, tactical vests, FBI identification, building access badges, and rosters with employees phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses, the complaint stated.

Within a day, agents whose information was contained in the documents were bombarded with threatening and disturbing phone calls, emails and social media messages, some targeting their children or other relatives. Others were subjected to suspicious drive-bys at the residences, according to the complaint.

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One FBI agent, identified in the complaint as Victim A, received text messages, emails and voicemails from 23 different senders to the agents work cellphone, including several that were later linked to a phone number used by Ramirez, the complaint alleged.

I know where your mom lives bro. And your dad. And your kids buddy, one text from Jan. 15 linked to Ramirezs phone stated, according to the complaint. Get home safe and fast.

That same day, someone called Victim A from the Ramirez-linked phone and left a seven-second voicemail calling the agent a bitch ass (expletive) and saying your day will come, (expletive), the complaint stated.

The threatening communications have had a significant impact on Victim As personal and professional life, the complaint stated, saying the agent is afraid for their familys safety and has had to take significant security precautions at work and at home.

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According to the complaint, a search of law enforcement records showed Ramirezs phone was listed in a 2014 Schaumburg police report of a harassment complaint filed by a manager at the Woodfield Mall.

The report noted Ramirez had been fired for threatening to shoot another employee, and that he was sending threatening messages that he would be returning to the workplace despite being fired, the complaint stated. No criminal charges were filed as a result of that investigation.

Meanwhile, law enforcement traced Ramirezs cellphone billing records to a large apartment building in the 1300 block of Valley Lake Drive in Schaumburg, where he was apparently living under an alias, the complaint stated.

Ramirez has a criminal history that includes misdemeanor domestic battery, felony burglary, and mob action, the complaint stated.

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Over the past month weve sat down with nearly 100 people  attorneys and community advocates, veterans and entrepreneurs, a few ministers and even a guy from a team of researchers that found water on the moon.

All of them want the same thing. Your vote.

The American-Statesman Editorial Board interviewed candidates in nearly three dozen races so we could provide our recommendations in the March 3 primaries for seats ranging from U.S. Senate to governor to county commissioner.

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Well unroll our endorsements between now and the start of early voting on Feb. 17, giving readers time to consider them before casting their ballots.

How you vote is your business, of course. Our goal is to provide a perspective for you to consider alongside the news coverage, candidate forums, Leagues of Women Voters questionnaires, campaign ads and conversations with friends.

Many readers dont have the time or opportunity to meet face-to-face with a bunch of candidates. We do, and its one of my favorite things about serving on the Editorial Board. We get to hear ideas from people who care about making their community better. We learn about the final-straw moments that prompted people to run for office, and we gain insights into how policies are hammered out.

Sen. Judith Zaffirini even chuckled as she told us about her canine charm offensive this past legislative session, when she kept sending adorable stuffed puppies to Sen. Charles Schwertner, hoping he would let her bill on animal sales at pet stores proceed out of his Business and Commerce Committee. (It didnt work  but it illustrated the creative tenacity of the lawmaker whos passed more bills than anyone in Texas.)

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I serve on the Editorial Board with editorial writer Cody Copeland and Statesman Publisher Mark Medici. We operate completely separately from the news reporting side of the Statesman.

So how do we reach our recommendations?

We research the candidates backgrounds and platforms. We look at their prior work in the community and, if theyre already in office, what they have delivered for Central Texans. We ask questions with you in mind, pressing candidates on what solutions can realistically be accomplished and how they would pay for their plans.

We look for candidates who share our values of transparency and fiscal responsibility. We dont always agree on policy particulars, but we want candidates who are committed to working across partisan differences to improve the lives of Texans. We also look at the composition of elected bodies and how a candidate could give voice to an under-represented constituency.

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We dont predict the winner, and occasionally a candidate we endorsed doesnt live up to our expectations. Some candidates decline to meet with us, so we do our best to evaluate them based on publicly available information.

We dont have the resources to study every campaign in Central Texas, so we focus on the contests where we believe our interviews and reporting can add insight.

The hardest part for us  and the best part for democracy  is when we find ourselves torn between a couple of exceptionally strong candidates for the same seat. More than once this cycle we wished there were additional open seats in a given race. But just as voters can pick only one candidate, so do we.

Even in this tough political environment  given our polarized nation, the cost of campaigning across sprawling districts and the wrath of keyboard critics on social media  there are people willing to put their day jobs on hold to seek elected office because they want to help their community. So even when I disagree with a candidates ideas, I appreciate their desire to serve. We dont have a government of the people without regular folks running for office.

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And often, in the course of these conversations, it becomes clear that peoples views and experiences are more nuanced than the caricatures of either major party allow. Im grateful for the gray areas in our blue city and red state.

I hope you find our Editorial Board recommendations helpful as you consider your picks in the March 3 primary. Most of all, I hope you vote and encourage others to do the same. Our ability to tackle the problems we face starts with the people we choose to put in office.

Reach Editorial Page Editor Bridget Grumet at bgrumet@statesman.com.

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We want to hear from you. Click here to get started.
Democrats notched another victory Saturday in special elections during President Donald Trumps second term, flipping a seat in the Texas Senate in a district Trump won by 17 points in 2024.

Taylor Rehmet, a union president and Air Force veteran, defeated Trump-backed Leigh Wambsganss in a runoff for the Fort Worth-area 9th District.

With nearly all of the vote counted as of Sunday morning, Rehmet holds a 14-point lead over Wambsganss, a roughly 31-point swing toward the Democrats when compared with the 2024 presidential results there and one of the partys strongest recent special election performances.

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Rehmet won 48% in Novembers first round against Wambsganss, a GOP activist and executive at conservative wireless provider Patriot Mobile, and one other Republican. His victory Saturday marks the latest success for Democrats ahead of this years midterms.

Trump had made a late push for Wambsganss, posting on social media in support of her campaign three times in the last two days of the race.

But asked by reporters Sunday in Florida for his reaction to the results, Trump said shrugged them off, saying, Im not involved in it. Thats a local Texas race.

Its too bad, what can I say? I have nothing to do with it, Trump added, distancing himself from the loss.

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Democrats flipped more than 20 state legislative seats in special or regularly scheduled elections last year. Most recently, in December they won a Georgia district that Trump had carried by about 12 points.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin pointed to Rehmets win as proof that the party is regaining its footing when it comes to broader voter outreach and messaging ahead of the midterms.

Weve seen a historic overperformance throughout the country just in last years elections, Martin said Sunday on MS NOW. And its because the DNC has taken a big bet, and that big bet is that were going to invest in deep-down-ballot races to make sure were building power around our agenda throughout the country.

The Texas seat has been vacant since last summer, when Republican Kelly Hancock resigned to become the states acting comptroller.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNNs Riane Lumer and Dalia Abdelwahab contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Democrats notched another special election upset Saturday after Taylor Rehmet won a Texas state Senate race in a district long dominated by Republicans.

Rehmet, a labor union leader and Air Force veteran, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist, in the Fort Worth-area district. With nearly all votes counted, Rehmet led by more than 14 percentage points, and The Associated Press projected him as the victor.

"This win goes to everyday working people," Rehmet told supporters.

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The result marked another strong showing for Democrats in special elections this cycle, fueling party claims that voters are pushing back against Republicans during President Donald Trumps second term. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin called the outcome "a warning sign to Republicans across the country."

Why 2026 Should Terrify Republicans After Tennessee Special Election

The state Capitol is seen in Austin, Texas, on June 1, 2021. (AP Newsroom)

The seat opened after longtime GOP Sen. Kelly Hancock resigned to take a statewide post. Republicans had held the district for decades, and Hancock won four terms with little opposition.

Read On The Fox News App

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The district is even more Republican than its home county of Tarrant. Trump won the county by five points in 2024, but carried the district with a 17-point victory.

Trump weighed in on the race Saturday, urging voters to back Wambsganss on social media and praising her as a strong supporter of the MAGA movement. Rehmet, however, benefited from heavy national Democratic backing, including support from the DNC and veterans group VoteVets, which said it spent about $500,000 on advertising.

President Donald Trump speaks to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington.

Democratic Strategist Says Tennessee Nominee Was Fringe Of A Fringe, Doomed Party's Chances

Rehmet, who works as a machinist, campaigned on lowering costs, protecting jobs and supporting public education.

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Democrats have gained momentum in elections since Trump returned to the White House, winning high-profile races in Virginia and New Jersey in November and special elections in Kentucky and Iowa. Even in a recent Tennessee House special election, Republicans won by a slimmer margin than expected.

The Texas state Capitol in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 28, 2022.

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Rehmets term will run only until January. He must win the November general election to hold the seat for a full four-year term. Republicans will still maintain a comfortable majority in the Texas Senate,.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Original article source: Dems score big in typically red Texas district that Trump easily won in 2024
Palestinian patients and their companions wait outside the Palestinian Red Crescent building in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, as they prepare to cross through the Rafah border crossing for medical treatment, on Feb. 2, 2026. Some Palestinian patients started moving from the city of Khan Younis toward the Rafah land crossing in southern Gaza, in preparation for their travel abroad, Palestinian medical sources said Monday.

Earlier on Monday, the crossing, the only channel linking Gaza with Egypt, was reopened in both directions on a limited and trial basis, as a number of Palestinians arrived on the Egyptian side of the crossing in preparation for entering Gaza, according to Palestinian sources. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Some Palestinian patients started moving from the city of Khan Younis toward the Rafah land crossing in southern Gaza, in preparation for their travel abroad, Palestinian medical sources said Monday.

The sources told Xinhua that the first bus, carrying five patients and 10 companions, departed from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society's field headquarters in Khan Younis and headed toward the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border.

Atef al-Hout, director of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, said in a press statement that the Israeli side had approved only five names from a list of 27 patients and wounded individuals, noting that the issue of their travel remains shrouded in "ambiguity and lack of clarity."

Earlier on Monday, the crossing, the only channel linking Gaza with Egypt, was reopened in both directions on a limited and trial basis, as a number of Palestinians arrived on the Egyptian side of the crossing in preparation for entering Gaza, according to Palestinian sources.

The crossing, once a main exit for Palestinians and a key entry point for humanitarian aid, has been mostly closed since May 2024, when Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing. Its reopening marks a crucial step following the latest Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.

Separately, three Palestinians, including a child, were killed on Monday by Israeli army fire across Gaza, according to Palestinian sources.

Sources at Nasser Medical Complex said 3-year-old Iyad al-Rabai'a was killed when Israeli naval vessels shelled tents sheltering displaced people south of Khan Younis.

The facility also received the body of a 40-year-old man who was killed by Israeli army fire in the Khan Younis area, the sources said.

Meanwhile, in northern Gaza, a Palestinian was killed and several others were wounded in an Israeli drone attack on a school sheltering displaced people in Jabalia, near the "Yellow Line," a demarcation marking Israeli-held territory under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, according to sources at al-Shifa Medical Complex.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side on the incidents.

Since the latest ceasefire took effect, at least 526 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 71,800, Gaza-based health authorities said Monday. 

Palestinian patients wait outside the Palestinian Red Crescent building in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, as they prepare to cross through the Rafah border crossing for medical treatment, on Feb. 2, 2026. Some Palestinian patients started moving from the city of Khan Younis toward the Rafah land crossing in southern Gaza, in preparation for their travel abroad, Palestinian medical sources said Monday.

Earlier on Monday, the crossing, the only channel linking Gaza with Egypt, was reopened in both directions on a limited and trial basis, as a number of Palestinians arrived on the Egyptian side of the crossing in preparation for entering Gaza, according to Palestinian sources. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A Palestinian girl and her companion wait outside the Palestinian Red Crescent building in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, as they prepare to cross through the Rafah border crossing for medical treatment, on Feb. 2, 2026. Some Palestinian patients started moving from the city of Khan Younis toward the Rafah land crossing in southern Gaza, in preparation for their travel abroad, Palestinian medical sources said Monday.

Earlier on Monday, the crossing, the only channel linking Gaza with Egypt, was reopened in both directions on a limited and trial basis, as a number of Palestinians arrived on the Egyptian side of the crossing in preparation for entering Gaza, according to Palestinian sources. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Palestinian patients and their companions wait outside the Palestinian Red Crescent building in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, as they prepare to cross through the Rafah border crossing for medical treatment, on Feb. 2, 2026. Some Palestinian patients started moving from the city of Khan Younis toward the Rafah land crossing in southern Gaza, in preparation for their travel abroad, Palestinian medical sources said Monday.

Earlier on Monday, the crossing, the only channel linking Gaza with Egypt, was reopened in both directions on a limited and trial basis, as a number of Palestinians arrived on the Egyptian side of the crossing in preparation for entering Gaza, according to Palestinian sources. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Palestinian patients and their companions wait outside the Palestinian Red Crescent building in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, as they prepare to cross through the Rafah border crossing for medical treatment, on Feb. 2, 2026. Some Palestinian patients started moving from the city of Khan Younis toward the Rafah land crossing in southern Gaza, in preparation for their travel abroad, Palestinian medical sources said Monday.

Earlier on Monday, the crossing, the only channel linking Gaza with Egypt, was reopened in both directions on a limited and trial basis, as a number of Palestinians arrived on the Egyptian side of the crossing in preparation for entering Gaza, according to Palestinian sources. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
The family of a 21-year-old man fatally stabbed last December spoke with ABC13 about his tragic passing.

According to court documents, Keylan Foreman was attacked with a screwdriver in northeast Houston and died weeks later.

Investigators said the suspect, 23-year-old Jayla Brown, is now charged with his murder.

"It's hurt. It's hurt. It's a different kind of hurt," said Keylan's mother, Mekelle Foreman.

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Foreman's family said even at a young age, he had a presence that filled every room.

"Very protective. He did so much...just so much for everybody. Everyone he was around, he made happier. He was the life of the party," said Keylan's brother, Ashton Foreman.

According to court documents, the incident happened near Laura Koppe Road and Lockwood Drive on Dec. 27.

Court records said Brown told detectives she was in an "on and off" relationship with Foreman, and that the two were arguing outside her vehicle when she alleged he hit her.

After looking through surveillance video from a nearby business, detectives said there was no evidence backing Brown's claims. However, officials did say there was video showing Brown knocking Foreman to the ground and attacking him while she had a long, thin object in her right hand.

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According to detectives, Brown told them she was going to drive Foreman to the hospital, but didn't have enough gas, so she stopped at a gas station and asked someone to call 911.

Officers found Foreman at the scene unconscious and bleeding before he was rushed to the hospital, according to the documents.

"They had to put a tube in his head. It was just a lot. And his left side was paralyzed," said Foreman's mother.

Foreman's family said after the stabbing, he was slowly recovering and started communicating more with them.

"It was a breath of fresh air because he was coming back," said Ivy Hayes, Keylan's aunt.

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But one night in rehab, Hayes said things took a turn for the worse.

"He said, 'This stuff is making my head hurt.' That's when he was going into a seizure," Hayes said.

According to the family, Keylan died a little over three weeks after the attack. Autopsy reports showed the injuries were from a screwdriver.

Brown now faces a murder charge for Foreman's death.

"We just didn't get to bring him home," Hayes said.

"Long live my brother," Ashton said.

According to court documents, Brown's bond was set at $150,000. Online records showed she is still in custody at the Harris County Jail.

For more news updates, follow Sarah Al-Shaikh on Facebook and Instagram.
DENVER (KDVR)  Two employees of a restaurant were arrested, and two people who allegedly skipped out on a $100 bill at a Fraser restaurant were cited after the four were involved in an incident on Sunday, according to the Fraser Winter Park Police Department.

Police did not name the restaurant but said a man and woman left a restaurant in the mountain town without paying for more than $100 worth of food and drinks and were followed by two employees of the restaurant across town and into Winter Park, where the incident happened.

Man dies after being found unresponsive on Breckenridge bike path

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The two alleged dine-and-dashers got on a bus at Murdochs Ranch & Home Supply in Fraser and exited at the Stop N Save in Winter Park, where the two restaurant employees confronted them, police said.

During the confrontation, one employee, identified as Ezequiel Villa Penaloza, 50, allegedly pulled out a handgun from his waist and pointed it at the man and woman. The second employee, Juan Narvaez Castro, 23, put the man in a chokehold.

Thats when police were called to the gas station for the disturbance, where they safely recovered the handgun without incident.

Both employees were arrested. Villa Penaloza faces charges of felony menacing and second-degree assault  strangulation, while Narvaez Castro faces a second-degree assault  strangulation charge.

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The two alleged dine-and-dashers, who police did not name, were cited and issued a summons for petty theft and violation of a protection order. Police also didnt say they arrested the suspected thieves.

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 FOX31 Denver.
The Justice Department is drawing fresh scrutiny after releasing Epstein-related records that appear to black out Donald Trumps face in a photograph.

The Trump administration last week made public roughly three million pages of Justice Department records tied to its long-running investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the pedophile financier who died in custody in 2019.

Among the newly released materials is a 2019 text exchange between Epstein and Stephen Bannon, a former top adviser to Trump, that includes an image of Trump speaking at an eventhis face conspicuously hidden beneath a black redaction box.

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The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and the DOJ for comment.

A 2019 text exchange between Jeffrey Epstein and Stephen Bannon, released by the DOJ, shows Trump's face redacted. / Department of Justice

The administration has long treated Trumps appearance in the Epstein records as a political flashpoint. Despite campaign promises in 2024 from Trump allies to fully disclose the files, the White House later pulled back, stoking speculation that the materials might contain politically embarrassing details.

That suspicion deepened in December, when the Justice Department briefly postedthen removeda photograph of Epsteins New York mansion showing an image of Trump with several young women tucked inside a drawer. Officials later said the image was taken down to protect victims, before reposting it.

Concerns about transparency resurfaced again this week when officials acknowledged that only about half of the total Epstein records collected by the government had been released. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said roughly three million pages were made public, out of six million gathered, along with thousands of videos and images, calling the move the culmination of a lengthy review process.

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The disclosure arrived six weeks after the legal deadline, which required the department to make public all records tied to Epsteins crimes and associates under the Transparency Acta measure President Trump signed into law last year only after considerable resistance.

The newly released materials contain frequent references to Trump. The New York Times identified more than 5,300 files with tens of thousands of mentions of Trump, his family, and Mar-a-Lago. None, however, show direct communications between Trump and Epstein.

The latest document release also contains interview summaries and investigator notes from conversations with Epsteins victims, some of which reference Trump.

In one set of handwritten notes from a September 2019 interviewconducted weeks after Epsteins deatha victim described being driven in a dark green vehicle to Mar-a-Lago for a meeting with Trump. According to the notes, Epstein introduced her by saying, This is a good one, huh? The account does not allege any improper behavior by Trump.

Trump and Epstein were once friendly, but the president said they fell out in 2004. / Davidoff Studios Photography / Getty Images

Elsewhere in the files, investigators recorded statements from Juan Alessi, a former Epstein employee, who told authorities that Trump was among several prominent figures who had visited Epsteins residence.

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Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein and has not been charged or accused by prosecutors in connection with the billionaires crimes. The pair were friends in the 1990s and early 2000s, but Trump maintains that he cut ties with Epstein well before the convicted sex offenders 2006 arrest.

Trump has also said he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in the mid-2000s following a dispute over Epsteins conduct toward a young woman, though the specifics of that incident have never been fully confirmed.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several people in Hudson County on Sunday near the Jersey City Heights and Hoboken border, with one agent telling an elected official warrants are not needed.

Videos on social media show ICE agents taking people into custody in unmarked vehicles in both cities in Hudson County.

The videos are extremely disturbing  apparently including randomly picking up people on their way to work, Jersey City Mayor James Solomon said in a statement.

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Hoboken and Jersey City police were not notified in advance and were not involved in detaining residents, officials said.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last week, Solomon signed an executive order that bars ICE agents from using city-owned properties as they operate in New Jerseys second-largest city.

Were ICE, clearly were marked, an ICE agent tells Jersey City Councilman Jake G. Ephros on Sunday in a video posted to Instagram. Theres nothing that youre going to say thats going to prevent us from doing our job.

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When Ephros asks the agent if they have a warrant, the agent responds: We dont need a warrant, bro. Stop getting that into your head.

Hoboken Mayor Emily B. Jabbour said she and Councilman Joe Quintero spoke with witnesses who told them ICE agents arrested three people, including two workers at local businesses.

I know how unsettling and frightening this news can feel, especially for our immigrant neighbors, Jabbour said in a letter to the community.

Please take care of yourselves and one another, Jabbour said, encouraging residents to review the American Civil Liberties Unions Know Your Rights guide.

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The Fourth Amendment protects people from warrantless entry into their homes.

The ACLU guide states law enforcement officers generally need a judicial warrant signed by a judge before they can enter a private dwelling, unless a resident allows them inside.

According to an internal ICE memo obtained by The Associated Press in January, agents are authorized to remove a person from their home based on an administrative warrant rather than a judicial warrant signed by a judge.

Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
President Donald Trump is frequently accused of authoritarian ambitions. Its an image he often seems to relish, either sincerely or as trolling. Usually they say, Hes a horrible dictator-type person, Im a dictator, he said in Davos. But sometimes you need a dictator! Over the past decade, hes made a political career by dominating the news with spectacles of outlandish behavior and transgressions against the norms of American democracy. For Trump, theres no such thing as bad press so long as he can cast himself as the all-powerful main character in every story.

Trumps immigration operation in Minneapolis, with his loud declarations of RETRIBUTION as thousands of heavily armed officers flooded into a frightened and angry city, fit that brand. It has led to a new wave of concern among Americans that their basic freedoms are in acute danger. The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers made Minneapolis look like a testing ground for a new deadly phase of repressive violence by heavily armed and highly funded agencies accountable only to Trump, one that could be replicated elsewhere as needed.

But life in authoritarian regimes today rarely looks like the garish displays of force we saw in Minnesota. More often, its marked by a kind of stultifying normalcy: People go to work, raise families, start businesses, and even join opposition parties  they just have no hope of defeating the ruling regime in elections. Open violence is more often reserved for rare situations that pose an immediate and active threat to the governments grip on power.

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Durable authoritarian regimes in the modern era do not embrace the spectacle of politics that characterized regimes such as Nazi Germany. Fascist regimes like the Nazis embrace the visual imagery of authoritarian power, and films such as Leni Riefenstahls chilling propaganda piece The Triumph of the Will showcase the public spectacle of totalitarianism. But such regimes are rare in the contemporary era.

In this, the administrations decision to target Minnesota for a highly publicized anti-immigrant campaign reveals a key contradiction between Trumps own brand of politics and his administrations long-term anti-democratic agenda. By taking his cartoonish strongman approach to violent new levels, he may have frustrated a far more dangerous and insidious effort by his allies to quietly lay the groundwork for the more subtle and enduring kinds of authoritarian regimes we see around the world.

What an authoritarian slide might look like in America

The most disturbing possibility of Trumps second term is that figures like Stephen Miller, Vice President JD Vance, and others are looking beyond the current administration, toward a future in which the nations democratic institutions and independent centers of power, from the judiciary to activists to independent media to a professionalized bureaucracy, can be hollowed out or bullied into submission.

Trumps closest allies and advisers can look to countries like Hungary under Viktor Orban, where the ruling party has gradually consolidated power across civil society, as inspiration in this regard. And so far, the White House has made some early progress in emulating Orbans approach. The administration has decorated Washington with Trumps face, promised to deliver grand new buildings, held military parades, and begun to rebrand the performing arts in honor of Trump. Business leaders have publicly embraced Trump this term, knowing he wont hesitate to involve himself in their affairs, including by demanding favorable treatment from, or friendly ownership of, major media properties.

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Independent economic institutions like the Federal Reserve face growing interference, including very public demands from Trump himself. The Justice Department now regularly opens up investigations into political opponents, including leaders in Minnesota during the current immigration standoff. And then theres the concern that Trump will make headway in his long-running quest to interfere with or overturn elections themselves (in a chilling possible sign of the administrations ambitions, the Department of Justice demanded that Minnesota turn over its voter roll as part of the latest immigration fight).

Dismantling democracy to build an electoral authoritarian regime is difficult, slow-going work. It is best done in secret, away from the spotlight, so that citizens do not know what is happening, or through administrative and legal maneuvers that are so uninteresting and gradual that citizens find it difficult to care. The idea is to show that there is nothing particularly menacing or terrifying about an undemocratic political order.

Authoritarian regimes can last for decades in this unremarkable state in which regime elites oversee peaceful but uncompetitive elections and voters participate without any expectation of political change. This kind of authoritarianism works because it is boring and tolerable: The government provides stability, predictability, and everyday comforts for most citizens, and in exchange, those citizens tolerate what they cannot easily change.

Minnesota won by exploiting Trumps drive for attention

Trumps compulsive need to create a spectacle means that his administration cannot hide its anti-democratic intentions. Rather, administration officials must continually engage with the public, communicating openly and aggressively about their actions and continually picking fights with their opponents. They must post edgy memes on social media, and they must tell obvious lies on the news. In Minnesota, the ICE agent who killed Renee Good was recording the encounter with a cellphone at the time, which some speculated tied into a White House push to aggressively turn out viral social media videos of arrests and confrontations. In doing so, they invite the exact kind of public scrutiny that can frustrate their anti-democratic agenda.

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Electoral authoritarian regimes can still collapse due to intra-elite squabbles, external crises, or economic shocks  but they tend not to generate mass opposition or destabilizing protests. The key to maintaining a boring and tolerable political order is to ensure that there is nothing newsworthy to mobilize people into action. The population should not be angry; it should be indifferent.

When destabilizing mass protests do emerge in such regimes, as happened during the Arab Spring revolutions, they usually take everyone by surprise. In fact, the trigger for the Arab Spring  the self-immolation of Tunisian fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi  is exactly the type of tragic, gripping public spectacle that can mobilize populations to overthrow entrenched authoritarian regimes. In 10 years, Americans may look back on the public execution of two peaceful American citizens as a similar kind of tragedy that focused popular anger on the administration and its excesses.

This perspective helps to make sense of why the administrations decision to target Minnesota has proven so damaging for its long-term objectives. Precisely because Minnesotans have ensured that the spectacle of violence by federal forces is so public, abetted by administration officials own shameful public statements which seem to revel in their mendacity, Americans can see what is happening  and they evidently dont like it. Public backlash has already led to meaningful congressional scrutiny of the Department of Homeland Security and its conduct, including public demands from Republicans for a transparent investigation.

Trump himself has always appeared more concerned with attention and power than building a political legacy that outlasts him. Minnesota may represent a temporary retreat, but his deep need to generate more and more explosive confrontations is not going anywhere, even if some of his allies would prefer he give them more room to play the long game in silence. The lesson for Americans who wish to support democracy is simple: Lean into Trumps need to constantly seek self-aggrandizing confirmation of his own power, make the spectacle public and unavoidable, and show voters that the administrations actions are intolerable. Americans may yearn for boring and tolerable politics, but they will not get it under these conditions.
The Epstein files should be taken down, victims of the paedophile have demanded, accusing the Trump administration of failing to protect their identities.

Nude photos and the names of Jeffrey Epsteins victims were published as part of the release of almost three million documents relating to the convicted paedophile on Friday.

Brad Edwards and Brittany Henderson, who represent more than 200 Epstein victims, told judges in New York that there was an unfolding emergency and the files needed to be removed from public view.

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They said that almost 100 of their clients had found unredacted information about themselves and that their lives had been turned upside down.

The letter said: There is no conceivable degree of institutional incompetence sufficient to explain the scale, consistency, and persistence of the failures that occurred - particularly where the sole task ordered by the court and repeatedly emphasised by DOJ (department of justice) was simple: redact known victim names before publication.

Places me and my child at risk

One victim is quoted as saying that the release of her information places me and my child at potential physical risk.

The women in the unredacted explicit photos appeared to be young, though it was unclear whether they were underage.

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Some of the images were taken on Epsteins private island, including some on a beach, while others were taken in bedrooms or other private spaces.

On Friday documents detailing sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump  which he denies  disappeared within hours of being published. They were later restored.

The DoJ had been ordered to release all the Epstein files by Dec 19 by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but missed the deadline by more than a month.

Annie Farmer was abused by Epstein when she was a teenager - Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg

Fridays release included millions of documents and thousands of images and videos, but some files have still not been published.

Ro Khanna, a Democratic representative who helped push for the release, said the DoJ had released at best half the documents.

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Even those shock the conscience of this country... Its one of the largest scandals, in my view, in our countrys history, he told Meet the Press.

We immediately rectify mistakes

Dozens of the released documents were taken down from the DoJ website to be redacted before reappearing online.

Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, said: Every time we hear from a victim or their lawyer that they believe that their name was not properly redacted, we immediately rectify that.

Officials said they had spent weeks redacting names and identities but the Wall Street Journal reported that two dozen names of victims who were minors were exposed in the latest release and were available online on Sunday afternoon. Lawyers for the victims put that number at nearly 100.

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The files included details that made them readily identifiable and traceable, including addresses.

One document from 2016 showed a list of women that were identified as being victims of Epstein, with only one name redacted.

Mr Edwards and Ms Henderson said they were alarmed that the DoJ did not perform a keyword search of victim names to ensure the appropriate redactions had been made.

We notified them of the problem within an hour of the release, Mr Edwards said. Its been acknowledged as a grave error; there is no excuse for failing to immediately remedy it unless it was done intentionally.

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Annie Farmer, who testified in court that she was abused by Epstein as a teenager, said the release of images was extremely disturbing.

Its hard to imagine a more egregious way of not protecting victims than having full nude images of them available for the world to download, Ms Farmer said on Sunday.

Allegations against Trump

The White House has firmly denied any allegations of sexual abuse made against Mr Trump, some of which appeared in Fridays release.

One document contained a series of uncorroborated claims about the US president collated by the FBI in August last year, including claims that a 13 or 14-year-old girl was forced to perform oral sex on Mr Trump decades ago.

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In a statement published in tandem with the Epstein files on Friday, the DoJ warned: Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election.

To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they have a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponised against President Trump already.

On Sunday, Mr Trump said he was going to sue Trevor Noah, the comedian who joked during the Grammy Awards ceremony that the US president had spent time with Bill Clinton on Epsteins private island.

Mr Trump wrote: Noah said, incorrectly about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein island.

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Wrong! I cant speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein island, nor anywhere close, and until tonights false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of going there, not even by the Fake News Media.

Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like Ill be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless dope of an MC, and suing him for plenty $... Get ready Noah, Im going to have some fun with you!

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Officers with the El Paso Police Department have been dispatched to reports of a shooting Sunday afternoon, Feb. 1 in Central El Paso.

The call came in shortly before 4 p.m. along the 2500 block of Morehead. KTSM crews on scene say there is a police presence in the neighborhood, including EPPDs SWAT team.

Crews with the El Paso Fire Department were also seen in the area with the departments Fire-STAR helicopter.

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As of reporting, there have been no reports of injuries.

KTSM has reached out to the El Paso Police Department for more information. This is a developing story and will update you once we learn more.

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.
Louisville Democrat Rep. Daniel Grossberg, right, speaks to reporters with his attorney, Anna Whites, after a Legislative Ethics Commission meeting. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

FRANKFORT  Rep. Daniel Grossberg, a Louisville Democrat, accused in 2024 of inappropriate behavior towards women, has agreed to pay $2,000 in fines to the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission.

After the commission met privately for nearly two hours Monday, Grossberg accepted and the commission voted to approve an agreed order and public reprimand of the representative stemming from complaints filed by former House Democratic leaders and by a Democratic advocate.

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Grossberg, who represents the 30th House district, has previously faced calls from within his party to resign from office after the Lexington Herald-Leader made the allegations of inappropriate behavior towards women public in 2024. Several Democratic leaders renewed those calls for Grossberg to resign Monday afternoon.

Monday was set to be the first time the commission would publicly hear matters related to Grossberg, but that did not happen because of the agreement reached.

Im relieved that after 18 long months, the ethics commission has taken my side on its finding of facts, Grossberg told reporters after the meeting. I feel vindicated that there was no harassment, assault or abuse. At worst, there was one awkward conversation related to legislative policy that may have unintentionally crossed the lines.

The current legislative code of ethics does not explicitly bar sexual harassment by lawmakers, legislative agents or legislative branch employees  an omission the ethics commission has urged lawmakers to correct.

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Three women in Kentucky Democratic politics who had told the Herald-Leader about their allegations  Lexington Fayette Urban County Council member Emma Curtis, Kentucky Young Democrats President Allison Wiseman and former Democratic House candidate Sarah Ritter  attended the Monday meeting planning to publicly testify about their experiences with Grossberg.

While reporters interviewed Grossberg after the meeting, the women shouted at him from across the room asking questions like: Youre really going to say that with me standing right here?

According to the agreed order, Grossberg must pay two $1,000 fines for two of three charges that the commission previously found it had probable cause to investigate further.

The first charge related to a discussion between Grossberg and an advocate about gender transition policy in his office. The order says Grossberg, while he was drinking alcohol, asked the advocate to describe her own gender experience, the questions were personal in nature and the advocate alleged that they were inappropriate.

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(Grossberg) now recognizes his inappropriate behavior in that situation and is actively engaged in counseling, therapy and skills training to ensure that this behavior is not repeated, the order says.

The second charge that resulted in a fine says that Grossberg was alleged to have referred to his identity or office while making intimidating statements to a business as he was leaving the premises. The order says Grossberg denies misconduct but stipulates that there may be sufficient evidence to find a violation of state legislative ethics law.

A third charge, for which the order says there is not sufficient evidence to find a violation, stems from allegations made in a complaint filed by former House Democratic leaders Reps. Derrick Graham, Cherlynn Stevenson and Rachel Roberts that said Grossberg had offered a potential donor to House Democrats access to a state catering vendor list. The order says the commission recognizes that no campaign contribution was received in response to this request and that Grossberg and the business owner deny that a benefit was offered in exchange for a donation and Grossberg was simply trying to find out how vendors were placed on the list and give the information to the business owner.

After the order had been approved, Grossberg told the commission that he appreciated being able to work out an agreement but I wish that it had been many months earlier.

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David Nicholas, the chairman of the commission, said in response that there were a number of things we had to get through and the matter was not typical of the commissions usual proceedings.

We had a number of complaints  some of which were a violation of the ethics law, some that werent, Nicholas said.

Grossberg and his attorney, Anna Whites, were not in the commissions meeting room the entire executive session, but briefly went into the room a couple of times before the commission returned to public discussion and unanimously agreed on the order.

Women who work in Kentucky Democratic politics who made allegations of inappropriate behavior against Rep. Daniel Grossberg speak to reporters. They are, from left to right, Allison Wiseman, Emma Curtis and Sarah Ritter. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Curtis, Wiseman and Ritter said that they had all wanted to testify publicly. Ritter read out part of her prepared testimony about her experiences with Grossberg.

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I did not feel safe refusing him. I did not feel safe leaving. I did not feel safe fully asserting boundaries, she said. Im testifying today because these actions cause lasting, physical and psychological harm, and because no one, especially someone elected to represent their neighbors, should be permitted to behave this way without accountability.

Last year, the commission held an hours-long closed door meeting which included appearances by Grossberg and his lawyers, women who work in politics and workers from a Louisville strip club. The commission later voted to find probable cause that Grossberg had committed ethics violations, prompting the public hearing.

Grossberg has been expelled from the House Democratic Caucus and faces calls from within his party to resign his legislative seat, including from Gov. Andy Beshear. The 2024 allegations that he behaved inappropriately toward women came to light in reporting by the Lexington Herald-Leader. In a separate investigation, the Legislative Research Commission questioned women about inappropriate text messages sent to them by Grossberg. Later, the strip club, Foxys Gentlemens Club, told the Herald-Leader it banned Grossberg for life after he inappropriately touched a dancer.

This year, three Democrats are challenging Grossberg in the May primary election. They are Jefferson County Public Schools teacher Cassie Lyles, former JCPS teacher and political adviser Max Morley and Mitra Subedi, who narrowly lost the 2024 primary to Grossberg by 50 votes before the allegations were made public. Grossberg faced no Republican candidate in the 2024 general election.

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I think our caucus and our party as a whole has done a very good job alienating him, and it is my hope that they continue doing so, Wiseman said.

Current House Democratic leaders Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson, Caucus Chair Lindsey Burke, and Caucus Whip Joshua Watkins, said in an afternoon statement that a public reprimand is a consequence for conduct that violated ethical standards and renewed their call on Grossberg to resign from office. They added that elected officials are not entitled to use their position in ways that undermine the public trust.

We recognize that speaking up about inappropriate conduct takes courage. Victims deserve to be heard and taken seriously, the leaders said. From the beginning, the House Democratic Caucus was clear that Rep. Grossbergs conduct violated the standards expected of our members. He was removed from the House Democratic Caucus after his conduct violated our standards, and todays agreement does not change that.

The Legislative Ethics Commission previously recommended that state lawmakers define and prohibit sexual harassment as ethical misconduct by legislators, legislative agents and legislative branch employees.The three ways the commission had said Grossberg potentially violated the state ethics code did not include sexual harassment. Last week, Democratic Whip Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong filed Senate Bill 143 to define sexual harassment in the legislative ethics code.

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Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Colmon Elridge said Grossberg unfit to serve and he should resign immediately in a statement.

The General Assembly should pass SB 143 to add sexual harassment to the ethics code, Elridge continued. And Republican leadership should remove him from his committee assignments instead of continuing to enable his behavior.

This story has been updated with additional comments.
A newly released document shows that an associate of late US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had outlined plans to pursue access to Libyas frozen state assets, including seeking potential support from former British and Israeli intelligence officials.

The tranche of documents released by the United States Department of Justice on Friday included an email sent to Epstein that outlines what the sender described as financial and legal opportunities linked to political and economic uncertainty in Libya at the time.

The email dated July 2011 was sent several months after a NATO-backed uprising against then Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi began. Gaddafi was killed by Libyan rebels in October of the same year.

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According to the email, about $80bn in Libyan funds were believed to be frozen internationally, including roughly $32.4bn in the US.

And it is estimated that the real number is somewhere between three to four times this number in sovereign, stolen and misappropriated assets, the email states, adding that if we can identify/recover 5 percent to 10 percent of these monies and receive 10 percent to 25 percent as compensation we are talking about billions of dollars.





The sender also said certain former members of Britains foreign intelligence service, MI6 and Israels external intelligence agency, Mossad, had expressed a willingness to assist in efforts to identify and recover stolen assets.

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The email also referenced expectations that Libya would need to spend at least $100bn in the future on reconstruction and economic recovery.

But the real carrot is if we can become their go-to guys because they plan to spend at least $100 billion next year to rebuild their country and jump start the economy, the email said.

The email characterised Libya as a country with significant energy reserves and strong literacy rates, factors it said could be advantageous for financial and legal initiatives.

It also stated that discussions had been held with some international law firms about working on a contingency-fee basis.
When Jeffrey Epstein offered up a young woman as a dinner companion to Prince Andrew, he assured the British Royal that she was Russian, beautiful and trustworthy.

The convicted paedophile made the promise in an exchange of emails in 2010, telling the now disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with.

The email is among the three million documents in the Epstein files that the US department of justice released on Friday, along with 180,000 images and 2,000 videos.

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They show that young Russians were among the women that Epstein offered up for sex to rich and powerful men from around the world.

But the huge cache of files has hinted at a darker connection with Russia: that Epstein could have been a longstanding agent working for Moscow.

Among the files are 1,056 documents that name Vladimir Putin and more than 9,000 that refer to Moscow.

They suggest that Epstein was granted audiences with the Russian president  even after the American financier was convicted in 2008 of procuring a child for prostitution.

Jeffrey Epstein wearing a cap with a communist-style red star

In 2010, Epstein sent an email to an associate offering to help them obtain a Russian visa, explaining: I have a friend of Putins, should I ask him?

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Some have suggested the recruitment of Russian escorts shows Epstein may have been running a classic kompromat operation  luring influential business tycoons, media moguls, statesmen and politicians into sexual encounters with the women and recording the encounters for purposes of blackmail.

The concept of blackmail was uppermost in his mind in an email he wrote in 2015 to Sergei Belyakov, Russias then deputy minister of economic development and graduate of the FSB (Russian intelligence) academy.

Epstein warned him that a Russian girl from Moscow  is attempting to blackmail a group of powerful biznessmen [sic] in New York. It is bad for business for everyone involved.

Epstein appeared to ask Sergei Belyakov, then a Russian minister, how to deal with a Russian girls attempt to blackmail powerful American businessmen

In a subsequent email sent to himself, he appears to map out a strategy for dealing with the woman and thwarting her blackmail attempt.

Epstein sent this email to himself in which he was seemingly preparing to pay off the blackmailer with $50,000 a month

Emails contained in the latest release of DoJ documents reveal the lengths that Epstein and his associates went to in order to recruit attractive young Russian women.

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They include email requests to book flights for models and escorts from Moscow to Paris and Moscow to New York.

In an email written in 2010 to a person whose name has been redacted, Epstein wrote: Tomorrow Im organising a dinner for some new Russian girls  see you at 10.

In 2012 he received an email from a redacted sender which read: I have 2 Russian girls for you to meet, one 21, another 24. One skinny, another curvy and super cute.

In an email that Epstein wrote in 2013 there was a claim that Bill Gates needed medicine to deal with the consequences of sex with Russian girls and a further claim that the Microsoft founder tried to conceal his sexually transmitted infection from his then wife Melinda.

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A spokesman for Mr Gates has described the claims as absolutely absurd and completely false.

An intelligence source told the Daily Mail: You have Andrew, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and all the rest placed in compromising positions on an island bristling with technology. Its the worlds largest honey-trap operation.

The high-profile personalities who are named in the files all deny wrongdoing.

There is speculation that Jeffrey Epstein could have been part of a Russian kompromat operation

Tanya Kozyreva, a Kyiv-based reporter who focuses on high-level corruption worldwide, wrote: Epstein reportedly had contact with Russian officials and Putin himself. Many of his girls were Russian. Powerful Western elites passed through his orbit. What are the odds this wasnt a classic Russian kompromat operation  and that DoJ is just ignoring the elephant in the room?

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Epstein was allegedly recruited into the murky world of espionage by Robert Maxwell, the British publishing tycoon who is believed to have worked for Mossad.

The introduction was reportedly made by an oil tycoon who was on the payroll of Russian intelligence.

Maxwell, whose daughter Ghislaine became Epsteins long-standing girlfriend, died in 1991 after apparently falling overboard from his yacht in the Atlantic. There have long been suspicions that he was murdered  perhaps by Israeli agents.

In an email written in 2018, Epstein quoted an investigative story published by The Mirror, which claimed that the British businessman had threatened Mossad, the Israeli spy agency, which then murdered him.

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The story said: He [Maxwell] told them that unless they gave him 400m to save his crumbling empire, he would expose all he had done for them.

In that time, he had free access to Margaret Thatchers Downing Street, Ronald Reagans White House, to the Kremlin and to the corridors of power throughout Europe.

Maxwell passed on all the secrets he learned to Mossad in Tel Aviv. In turn, they tolerated his excesses, vanities and insatiable appetite for a luxurious lifestyle and women.

Ghislaine Maxwell (centre) pictured with two men who appear to be Russian soldiers

By 2011, Epstein appeared to have built up such a rapport with the Russians that he was having meetings with Putin. In September of that year, he received an email from an unidentified associate who discussed an appointment with Putin during a forthcoming trip to Russia.

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The email read: Spoke with Igor. He said last time you were in Palm Beach, you told him you had an appointment with Putin on Sept 16 and that he could go ahead and book his ticket to Russia to arrive a few days before you.

The newly released files suggest Epstein had another meeting set up with the Russian leader in 2014, although it is not clear if it went ahead or not. It may have been cancelled after Russian-backed forces shot down a Malaysia Airlines airline in July 2014, killing nearly 300 people on board.

The planned meeting with Putin now seemed to be a bad idea after the plane crash, a Japanese go-between told Epstein.

Other newly released files show that Epstein told Thorbjorn Jagland, the then secretary general of the Council of Europe and a former prime minister of Norway, that he could advise Putin on the best way to handle US president Donald Trump before a key summit between the two leaders in Helsinki.

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Epstein said he could offer insight on the American president to Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister. It is not complex. He [Trump] must be seen to get something. Its that simple, Epstein wrote.

The latest batch of Epstein files also reveal suspicions among Western intelligence agencies that Epstein was working as an agent for Mossad.

The FBI was informed by a source that Epstein was close to the former prime minister of Israel, Ehud Barak, and trained as a spy under him.

In a declassified memo, the FBI said that a confidential human source became convinced Epstein was a co-opted Mossad agent.

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Mr Barak, who worked in Israeli military intelligence earlier in his career, visited Epsteins New York townhouse more than 30 times between 2013 and 2017.

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BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Air China on Monday said it plans to operate more than 70,000 flights during the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, up 10.1 percent from the corresponding travel rush period of 2025.

Key routes between major city clusters, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Chengdu-Chongqing region, will maintain high-frequency services, the airline said.

Passenger capacities on flights to northeast China will rise 15 percent from last year's travel rush, and popular routes such as those to Sanya will be served entirely by wide-body aircraft, according to the company.

Nine homegrown C919 aircraft will also be deployed on flights from Beijing to cities such as Hangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan and Xi'an during the peak travel period.

Internationally, Air China will add flights to destinations like Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, Seoul and Bangkok to meet cross-border travel demand. 
How should democratic societies deal with right-wing populist and far-right parties?

This question is being asked in several European countries.

Broadly speaking, there are two approaches: engagement or confrontation.

Shortly after the first exit polls of the Dutch parliamentary election in October 2025, Geert Wilders, the leader of the populist, anti-immigrant Party for Freedom (PVV), was asked why he had suffered such a setback.

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Wilders gave a surprisingly candid assessment: "I think a lot of people thought: 'Well, if all parties say they don't want to govern with him, then maybe we'd better give our vote to a party that has a chance of governing.'"

In other words, the political firewall held: all major parties ruled out cooperation with Wilders. Two years earlier, that had not been the case, and Wilders achieved a spectacular election success then.

Even though the PVV lost some seats in the 2025 vote, it remains a powerful force in Dutch politics. Although the PVV accomplished little during the brief period it led the government, that hardly damaged Wilders.

"The assumption that the far right will inevitably lose support once voters see them fail in government is a fundamental mistake," says the German-British historian Frank Trentmann from London.

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"Right-wing populism rests on a core electorate that does not seriously consider voting for any other party," Trentmann explains.

However, cracks are beginning to show within the party after seven members recently left the PVV to set up their own parliamentary group, expressing strident criticism of Wilders' leadership.

Austria's Freedom Party (FPO) is regarded as Europe's first right-wing, populist party, rising to prominence in the 1980s under Jorg Haider.

Initially, the conservative Austrian People's Party (OVP) kept its distance. In 2000, however, it entered a coalition with the FPO for the first time.

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The hope at the time was that voters would realize that the FPO could not work miracles - in fact, quite the opposite. But did that strategy work?

"I think the key question is: Does inclusion actually weaken and moderate right-wing populists?" says Sebastian Enskat, a political analyst with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a leading conservative-affiliated think tank.

Enskat recently published a study dealing with right-wing populist parties in Europe.

While the FPO did suffer temporary collapses - most notably after the "Ibiza affair" corruption scandal - these setbacks never lasted.

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In 2019, Austria's then vice chancellor and FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache resigned after the release of a secretly recorded video in which he appeared open to corrupt deals while speaking with a woman posing as the niece of a Russian oligarch on the Spanish island of Ibiza.

"There is this demystification effect, but it is strikingly short-lived," Enskat notes. "If you look at how big the Ibiza scandal was, it is striking how quickly the FPO has recovered from it."

According to recent polls, the far-right party is well ahead with about 36% support, with the OVP trailing at nearly 20%.

In the UK, the party led by right-wing populist Nigel Farage is currently topping opinion polls. Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the Labour Party has responded by partially adopting the rhetoric of the right.

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He has pledged to end what he called the "experiment in open borders" and to close the "squalid chapter" of rising irregular migration.

Starmer also apologized for previously warning that the UK risked becoming "an island of strangers" during a speech on immigration after his words sparked outrage.

So far, this approach has not boosted Labour in the polls, and Trentmann doubts it ever will.

"We have really clear statistical data on this, and it shows that since the late 1980s, conservative and centrist parties in European countries have lost votes to the right when they have moved closer to the right. Attempts to cut off the right's ground on the migration issue through stricter policies have backfired," Trentmann notes.

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The most successful examples Enskat identified in his study are Greece and Spain.

"In my view, constantly dealing with right-wing populists is counterproductive, and it's different in these countries.

The centre-right parties there focus more on themselves - on effective governance when they are involved, but also with their programmes and political innovation," Enskat says.

The parties there tend to do their own thing and leave the right behind, he added.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz continues to uphold a strict firewall, rejecting any cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

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At the same time, he is trying to address issues that concern AfD voters. So far, however, this has not led to a decline in AfD support - quite the opposite.

One explanation may be that a large share of AfD voters is no longer reachable for centrist parties.

Another Konrad Adenauer Foundation study found that the AfD now has the largest core voter base of any German party.

According to the study, 70% of AfD voters say they cannot imagine voting for any other party.

"These figures are significantly lower for all other parties," says Enskat. "The 'protest voter' factor has continued to decline over time."

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The potential for Merz's conservative parliamentary group to grab support from AfD voters is only in the region of 10%, the study shows.

Experts: Tackle the issues openly and confidently

According to Trentmann, the decisive challenge for centrist parties is to regain control over how key social issues are explained.

"Let's take the example of housing shortages. Here, the right-wing parties say: 'It's because there are so many migrants.'" This statement is often adopted by mainstream parties.

"That is fundamentally wrong," he argues. Instead, mainstream parties should say the real reasons are policy failures over many years, too little housing construction, and the rise of single-person households. "These problems won't disappear simply by increasing deportations."

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Trentmann believes that such open, confident and honest communication offers the best chance of retaining existing voters - and winning back undecided voters, non-voters and sceptics - before they drift toward the far right.

Herbert Kickl, leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPOe), speaks during the party's New Year's meeting in Klagenfurt. Wolfgang Jannach/APA/dpa

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks during a London press conference in early January. His party has gained strength by focusing on immigration issues. Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/dpa
BRUSSELS (AP)  European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday rejected calls for a Europe-wide army, warning that it could be extremely dangerous as the bloc considers ways to provide its own security after the United States warned that its priorities lie elsewhere.

Talk of a European army has resurfaced amid tensions within NATO over President Donald Trumps threats to annex Greenland, the semiautonomous territory of NATO-ally Denmark.

Those who say that we need a European army, maybe those people havent really thought this through practically, Kallas said. If you are already part of NATO then you cant create a separate army.

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Kallas told a security conference in Norway that the most important military asset during a crisis is the chain of command  who gives orders to whom.

She added: And if you have, like the European army and then you have the NATO (one), then, you know, the ball just falls between the chairs. And this is extremely, extremely dangerous.

NATOs military operations are overseen by a Supreme Allied Commander, who is always a top U.S. officer. The role is currently held by Airforce Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich.

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre said: NATO is there with the decision-making process among allies, which is in itself complex, but it is trained to work. He rejected calls for a European army, saying that it is not a road we should travel. Norway is not a member of the EU.

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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said last week that Europe is incapable of defending itself without U.S. military support and would have to more than double current military spending targets to be able to do so.

If anyone thinks here  that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming. You cant, Rutte told EU lawmakers in Brussels.

Europe and the United States need each other, he said.
Newly released crime scene photos from the Idaho student murders have given investigators more insight on why Ethan Chapin was killed  even though they believe he was never the intended target of Bryan Kohberger.

The images, which were briefly released online by Idaho State Police before being removed, were reviewed by former FBI agents Jennifer Coffindaffer and Tracy Walder, who shared their assessments with the Daily Mail in an article published on Monday, February 2. Both experts said the photos reinforced theories about how the attack spiraled out of control.

Chapin, 20, was asleep in the bed of his girlfriend Xana Kernodle when Kohberger, 31, entered the second floor of the King Road home in the early hours of November 13, 2022. According to Coffindaffer, Chapin suffered fewer stab wounds than the other victims, but his injuries were enough to kill him.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Coffindaffer said Chapin was likely killed quickly out of necessity. One of his wounds severed his jugular vein, which indicated an effort to remove the greatest physical threat from the room.

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He killed the guy because he needed to, Coffindaffer told the outlet, explaining that the attack downstairs had escalated beyond the killers original plan.

Walder, who also spoke with the Daily Mail, said the photos suggested Kohberger was already losing control by the time he encountered Chapin. Blood patterns and the state of the bedroom indicated a chaotic scene.

As the National Enquirer previously reported, investigators believed Kernodle was awake and fought back during the attack, but Chapin appeared to have been killed swiftly. Experts said the contrast in injuries supported the theory that his death was more strategic than anything else.

With Kohbergers plea deal preventing a trial, the full truth of Chapins final moments will likely never be heard in court.

Read More From National Enquirer

This story New Evidence Suggests Ethan Chapin Was Not Bryan Kohbergers Intended Target During Idaho Four Killings first appeared on National Enquirer. Add National Enquirer as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Chile's former president Michelle Bachelet has been formally registered as a candidate to head the United Nations, the country's incumbent President Gabriel Boric said on Monday.

The 74-year-old politician's candidacy for UN secretary general is supported by Brazil and Mexico, the most populous countries in Latin America, Boric announced outside the presidential palace in Santiago.

Bachelet's extensive experience offers a "serious and substantive contribution to the work of the United Nations at a time when the world needs more trust, more cooperation and more shared responsibility," he stressed.

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So far, only the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Argentine national Rafael Grossi, has officially announced his candidacy to succeed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The former vice president of Costa Rica, Rebeca Grynspan, has also expressed interest.

Boric said that Bachelet's candidacy will be officially launched on Monday in New York.

The office traditionally rotates between the world regions, with Latin America next in line. To date, the United Nations has never been led by a woman. The post will be filled on January 1, 2027.

Bachelet was president of Chile from 2006-10 and from 2014-18. She then headed the UN Human Rights Commission for four years.

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Despite the difficulties posed by the challenging geopolitical environment, the former president said she remains committed to strengthening the instruments of multilateralism and modernizing the UN.

In her first speech as a candidate for secretary general, Bachelet hailed the organization as "the world's most important forum for meeting, dialogue and the search for common solutions."
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to host one of his most vocal regional critics, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, at the White House in a high-stakes meeting analysts suggest could redefine the immediate future of bilateral relations.

Petro has called Trump an accomplice to genocide in the Gaza Strip, while the U.S. president called him a drug lord, an exchange of insults that escalated with U.S. sanctions against Petro, threats of reciprocal tariffs, the withdrawal of financial aid to Colombia and even the suggestion of a military attack.

Tensions eased in early January when Trump accepted a call from Petro, saying it was a great honor to speak with the president of Colombia, who called him to explain the drug situation and other disagreements.

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The two leaders are expected to meet Tuesday to address strategies for curbing drug trafficking and boosting bilateral trade, while potentially discussing joint operations against Colombian rebel groups fueled by the cocaine trade.

Theres a lot of space here for mutual cooperation and shared success, said Elizabeth Dickinson, a Colombia expert at the International Crisis Group.

Combating drug trafficking

Decades of security cooperation once made Colombia the primary U.S. ally in the region, but that relationship has recently faced unprecedented strain.

The two countries have opposing views on how to address the problem of illicit drugs. While the U.S. remains anchored in aggressive eradication and supply-side control, Petro advocates for interdiction, demand reduction and providing economic alternatives for small-scale coca farmers.

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In 2025, the U.S. signaled its dissatisfaction with Petros anti-drug policy by adding Colombia to a list of nations failing to cooperate in the drug war for the first time in three decades.

Since then, Petro has focused on highlighting the record seizures and claiming that his government has managed to halt the growth of coca leaf crops. However, Colombia's coca crop has reached historic highs, as the government shifts away from eradication. According to United Nations research, potential cocaine production has surged by at least 65% during the Petro administration, to more than 3,000 tones per year.

The Venezuela factor

The sudden detente between Petro and Trump followed a period of extreme volatility.

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Tensions peaked after the Jan. 3 U.S. raid in Caracas that captured then-President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Petro denounced the operation as an act of aggression and a kidnapping, blasting the U.S. for what he called an abhorrent violation of Latin American sovereignty and a spectacle of death comparable to Nazi Germanys 1937 carpet bombing of Guernica, Spain.

Despite recently calling for Maduros return to face Venezuelan justice, Petros tone softened significantly during a subsequent hourlong call with Trump, paving the way for their upcoming summit.

Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, director for the Andes region at the Washington Office on Latin America, a think tank, believes that Trump accepted Petros call partly to quell questions about the operation in Venezuela and the growing concern over warnings issued to countries like Colombia.

She also said she considers it likely that both presidents will agree on actions against drug trafficking and a joint fight against the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group, which is most active on the border with Venezuela.

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A quiet, effective cooperation

Signaling a thaw in relations just days before the White House summit, the Colombian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that repatriation flights for deportees from the U.S. have officially resumed.

Images released by the ministry showed citizens arriving at El Dorado airport  a stark contrast to the diplomatic crisis a year ago. At that time, Petro triggered a near trade war by refusing U.S. military deportation flights over dignity concerns, only relenting after Trump threatened 50% tariffs and visa cancellations.

A good outcome (of the meeting) would be that the relationship is cordial, pragmatic, and that the two countries can get back to what they have been doing for years, which is a quiet, effective cooperation on shared security threats, Dickinson said.

The less noise there is around the relationship the better.

___

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Scientists have made some intriguing parasite discoveries in an accidental back-of-the-pantry natural history museum. Canned salmon, well past its prime, has preserved decades of Alaskan marine ecology in brine and tin.

Parasites can reveal a lot about an ecosystem, since they tend to get up in the business of multiple species. But unless they cause a major issue for humans, historically we've mostly ignored them.

That's a problem for parasite ecologists, like Natalie Mastick and Chelsea Wood from the University of Washington, who had been searching for a way to retroactively track the effects of parasites on Pacific Northwestern marine mammals.

Related: 'Zombie Worms' Have Mysteriously Vanished, Troubling Scientists

So when Wood got a call from Seattle's Seafood Products Association, asking if she'd take boxes of dusty old expired cans of salmon  some dating back to the 1970s  off their hands, her answer was, unequivocally, yes.

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The cans had been set aside for decades as part of the association's quality control process, but in the hands of the ecologists, they became an archive of excellently preserved specimens, not of salmon, but of worms.

Watch the video below for a summary of the research:

While the idea of worms in your canned fish is a bit stomach-turning, these roughly 0.4-inch (1-centimeter) long marine parasites, anisakids, are harmless to humans when killed during the canning process.

"Everyone assumes that worms in your salmon is a sign that things have gone awry," said Wood when the research was published in 2024.

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"But the anisakid life cycle integrates many components of the food web. I see their presence as a signal that the fish on your plate came from a healthy ecosystem."

An anisakid worm (circled in red) in a canned salmon fillet. (Natalie Mastick/University of Washington)

Anisakids enter the food web when they are eaten by krill, which in turn are eaten by larger species.

This is how anisakids end up in the salmon, and eventually, the intestines of marine mammals, where the worms complete their life cycle by reproducing. Their eggs are excreted into the ocean by the mammal, and the cycle begins again.

"If a host is not present  marine mammals, for example  anisakids can't complete their life cycle and their numbers will drop," said Wood, the paper's senior author.

Related: Microbes in Fukushima Found Surprisingly Unscathed by Radiation

The 178 tin cans in the 'archive' contained four different salmon species caught in the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay across a 42-year period (19792021), including 42 cans of chum (Oncorhynchus keta), 22 coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch), 62 pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), and 52 sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka).

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Although the techniques used to preserve the salmon do not, thankfully, keep the worms in pristine condition, the researchers were able to dissect the filets and calculate the number of worms per gram of salmon.

A highly degraded anisakid found in canned salmon. ( Natalie Mastick/University of Washington

They found worms had increased over time in chum and pink salmon, but not in sockeye or coho.

"Seeing their numbers rise over time, as we did with pink and chum salmon, indicates that these parasites were able to find all the right hosts and reproduce," said Mastick, the paper's lead author.

"That could indicate a stable or recovering ecosystem, with enough of the right hosts for anisakids."

The distribution of canned salmon samples available for each salmon species in each decade. (Mastick et al., Ecology and Evolution, 2024)

But it's harder to explain the stable levels of worms in coho and sockeye, especially since the canning process made it difficult to identify the specific species of anisakid.

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"Though we are confident in our identification to the family level, we could not identify the [anisakids] we detected at the species level," the authors write.

Audition now for ScienceAlert's Casting Call

"So it is possible that parasites of an increasing species tend to infect pink and chum salmon, while parasites of a stable species tend to infect coho and sockeye."

Related: Common Parasite Rips The Face From Your Cells to Wear as a Disguise

Mastick and colleagues think this novel approach  dusty old cans turned ecological archive  could fuel many more scientific discoveries. It seems they've opened quite a can of worms.

This research was published in Ecology and Evolution.

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An earlier version of this article was published in April 2024.

Related News
Feb 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza war was given a boost on Monday with the reopening of the enclave's Rafah crossing with Egypt. But difficult questions remain unaddressed, including whether Hamas will disarm.

Trump's plan, now in its second phase, has been shaken by repeated Israeli attacks that have killed hundreds in Gaza, as well as resistance by Hamas militants to lay down their weapons. Israeli officials say they are preparing for a return to war if Hamas refuses to disarm.

Below is background on Trump's plan as well as key issues left to be resolved.

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WHAT IS TRUMP'S PLAN FOR GAZA?

In September, Trump outlined a 20-point plan for an initial truce, followed by steps towards a broader resolution.

It ultimately calls for Hamas to disarm and have no governing role in Gaza, for Israel to pull out its forces, and for broad reconstruction of the territory under international supervision.

The plan was widely endorsed internationally, although the sides have not yet fully agreed to everything in it. On October 9, Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire deal covering the first phase of the plan. That included a halt to fighting, the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a partial Israeli withdrawal, a surge in aid and the reopening of the Rafah crossing.

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The Trump plan was also endorsed by a United Nations Security Council resolution that authorised a transitional governing body and international stabilisation force in Gaza.

WHAT IS THE SITUATION NOW? The ceasefire came into effect on October 10 and ended large-scale combat, though fighting did not completely stop. Gaza health authorities say at least 488 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since October 10, and Israel's military says four soldiers have been killed by militants in that time.

Israeli forces pulled back and suspended ground assaults, but still control over 53% of Gaza, including ruined cities along the Israeli and Egyptian borders where they have demolished remaining buildings and ordered residents out.

That means nearly all of Gaza's more than 2 million people are now confined to a sliver of territory on the coast, where Hamas has reasserted control. Most residents live in damaged buildings or makeshift tents.

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Palestinian groups and aid agencies say Israel is still not allowing supplies into Gaza at the rate agreed under the first phase of the deal. Israel says it is meeting those commitments.

Armed anti-Hamas Palestinian groups have set up bases in Israeli-held parts of Gaza; Hamas dismisses them as collaborators with no popular support.

Both sides have shown little sign of narrowing their disputes over steps to be taken in the next phase, which foresees the disarmament of Hamas, further withdrawal of Israeli forces and deployment of peacekeepers.

WHAT'S EXPECTED IN THE SECOND PHASE? Despite wide gaps between Israel and Hamas, Washington launched the plan's second phase after the New Year, announcing the establishment of a committee of Palestinian technocrats to run Gaza.

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They will be overseen by a "Board of Peace" of foreign dignitaries led by Trump, which he initially proposed to address the Gaza war and has since said will also tackle other conflicts.

The plan's second phase also includes Hamas giving up its weapons and Gaza being demilitarised, in exchange for Israel fully withdrawing its troops.

The militant group is still believed to possess rockets, which several diplomats estimated to number in the hundreds. It is also estimated to possess thousands of light weapons, including rifles.

Hamas recently agreed to discuss disarmament with other Palestinian factions and with mediators, sources said. However, two Hamas officials told Reuters that neither Washington nor the mediators had presented the group with any detailed or concrete disarmament proposal.

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Two senior Israeli officials told Reuters that the military was preparing to return to war if Hamas does not give up its weapons and that it did not expect the militants to disarm without the use of force.

Hamas is also seeking to incorporate its 10,000 police officers into the new technocrat-led government in Gaza, sources said, a demand opposed by Israel.

WHAT OTHER ISSUES HAVEN'T BEEN AGREED TO?

An international stabilisation force is intended to ensure security and peace inside Gaza. But its composition, role and mandate are all up in the air.

The Palestinian Authority, which is internationally recognised and exercises limited self-rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is supposed to carry out unspecified reforms before ultimately taking a role in Gaza. But details have not been outlined.

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Plans have yet to be hammered out to fund and oversee Gaza's reconstruction. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, laid out plans this month for a "New Gaza" to be rebuilt from scratch, with computer-generated photos of gleaming residential towers, data centres and industrial zones.

The plan did not address property rights or compensation for Palestinians who lost their homes, businesses and livelihoods during the war, nor did it spell out where displaced Palestinians might live during the rebuilding.

Many Israelis and Palestinians suspect the Trump plan will never be fully realised and a frozen conflict will continue indefinitely.

(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Rami AyyubEditing by Peter Graff)
Did police find encrypted messages on Alex Pretti's phone that showed the ICU nurse was a "key player" in coordinating a plan to create the chaos that led to him being shot to death by federal agents in Minneapolis? No, that's not true: Although an article claims that revelation is "sending shockwaves through the public," there is no credible reporting to be found anywhere supporting it. The website and Facebook pages spreading the claim are part of a spam network based in Vietnam that uses AI tools to target Americans and Europeans with fake clickbait. We call it Viet Spam.

The claim originated in an article (archived here) that was repeated in a post (archived here) shared on the Celeb Buzz Daily Facebook page on January 31, 2026. It opened:

The mystery of Alex Jeffrey Pretti has just entered its darkest chapter. While his family continues to fight for a 'hero' narrative, investigative sources have dropped a bombshell that is sending shockwaves through the nation. Police have reportedly uncovered a series of encrypted messages on Alex's phone indicating he was in active contact with individuals present on the day of the chaos--not just to talk, but to discuss a coordinated 'plan.'

This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:

Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Sun Feb 1 02:08:52 2026 UTC

Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of Facebook

The post continued:

This new evidence suggests that Alex wasn't just a bystander caught in the storm, but a key player in a sequence of events that the public is only beginning to understand. Who were these 'people present,' and what was the true objective of the plan discussed in those messages? This revelation has split the 2026 public discourse in half: Was Alex a victim of a setup, or was he an architect of the very chaos that led to his end? As forensic experts dive deeper into his digital footprint, the '10-word final call' and the 'folded item' in his jacket are now being viewed through a chilling new lens. Is this the definitive proof of a conspiracy, or is the official narrative being manipulated to silence a hero? The "shockwaves" are real, and the truth is becoming more elusive by the second. The full breakdown of the 'Leaked Phone Logs' and the secret list of contacts Alex was messaging are currently causing a total media meltdown. You need to see the timeline of these messages before the court issues a gag order on the evidence.

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A Google search (archived here) for the terms "pretti phone messages" returned no credible news reports about police finding encrypted messages on Pretti's phone. The top search result was another Viet Spam Facebook post (archived here) that also falsely claimed police found secret messages on Pretti's phone. The second post is hosted on a Facebook page titled Vi Yeu Ma en, which is Vietnamese. It means "Here for Love" in English.

Both of these posts are on Facebook fan pages managed from Vietnam, according to Meta's transparency data (archived here).
Claim:

About 130,000 people without legal immigration status reside in Minnesota, as opposed to 2.1 million in Texas and 1.6 million in Florida.

Rating:

Rating: Mostly True

Context:

The numbers were accurate according to credible population estimates, but they reflected conditions in 2023. That was the most recent data available as of this writing. Furthermore, any statistics attempting to depict the number of people living in the country illegally are estimations; they are likely undercounts due to people not reporting their situations truthfully or at all.

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As the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enacted a widespread immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota in late 2025 and early 2026, social media users circulated statistics allegedly indicating that relatively few immigrants without legal status lived in the Democratic state  as opposed to Republican states like Texas and Florida.

Posts online claimed 130,000 people without legal immigration status lived in Minnesota, whereas 2.1 million resided in Texas and 1.6 or 1.2 million in Florida. These statistics, which Snopes readers also asked us to verify, spread on X, Facebook, Reddit and Threads.

WORTH REPEATING:



Texas has 2.1M undocumented immigrants and Florida has 1.2M.



Minnesota has 130,000.



Don't let anyone tell you this is about immigration.



It never was.



Trump lost MN three times. That is what THIS is about, and its impeachable.  Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) January 25, 2026

Some social media users emphasized that Texas and Florida historically vote Republican in presidential elections, as opposed to Minnesota, which leans Democratic, appearing to imply that President Donald Trump's Republican administration was targeting political opponents with immigration enforcement.

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Exact totals for the number of people who live in the U.S. illegally are nearly impossible to obtain. The population has major incentives to not answer questions about their situation truthfully or at all. Demographers rely on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), a survey of residents, for the best possible estimations.

The tallies in the social media posts (2.1 million people in Texas, 1.6 million in Florida and 130,000 in Minnesota) came from 2023 data released in 2025 by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, as several posts accurately noted. Pew has published estimates of the "U.S. unauthorized immigrant population" for more than two decades, relying on the ACS to do so. The 2023 totals were the most recent available as of this writing.

In other words, the data came from a reputable source but did not necessarily represent population estimates in 2026. Those numbers would not be available for several years, as they rely on the ACS, which takes time to tabulate. Thus, we have rated this claim mostly true.

By email, Snopes asked DHS for updated and detailed state-by-state population estimates, as well as questions about why it was targeting Minnesota for immigration enforcement in January 2026.

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The department did not address those inquiries and responded with a list of people the agency said it has apprehended in Minnesota on suspicion of violent crimes. The agency also sent a link to an X post by Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem that blamed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, for refusing "to protect their own people and instead protect criminals."

Under former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, DHS acknowledged both Pew Research and another nonpartisan research organization, the Center for Migration Studies, as reputable sources for the estimated number of immigrants living the U.S. without legal status, as evidenced in an April 2024 report (see Page 10).

All three sources (DHS, Pew Research and the Center for Migration Studies) use the ACS to calculate estimates. They have similar, but not identical, estimates due to "key differences in methodological details," such as how they adjust for census undercounting, according to Page 10 of DHS' 2024 report. That doesn't mean any of the sources are more accurate than the others  just that each institution uses different techniques to estimate the population size.

Pew Research data

The numbers in the social media posts stemmed from a Pew report that published on Aug. 21, 2025. The report included a table showing "unauthorized immigrants and characteristics for states, 2023."

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That table indicated Minnesota's population of immigrants in the country illegally was about 130,000, or 2.2% of the total population; Florida's was 1.6 million people, or 6.9% of the population, and Texas' was 2.05 million people, or 6.6% of the total population.

Pew rounded the population totals, but did not round numbers for the population percentages. In the published report, Pew also rounded its estimate for Texas to 2.1 million, which may explain where the social media posts got that number.

Here's the research center's map showing the estimations:

Map showing unauthorized immigrant population by state in 2023.

(Pew Research Center)

Other sources

DHS publishes partial estimates on what it calls the country's "unauthorized immigrant population" by state.

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As of this writing, the most recent DHS report was published on April 18, 2024, depicting data between 2018 and 2022. That report includes state-by-state population statistics for only 10 states  places in the country where the most people without legal immigration status reside.

As such, DHS published numbers for Texas and Florida, which ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, but not Minnesota. (The state with the largest population of people in the country illegally is California, according to the report.)

According to DHS' report, in 2022, Texas had an estimated 2.06 million immigrants living in the country illegally and Florida had 590,000 (see Page 5).

Pew's report indicated that Florida's population has had the biggest growth, adding an estimated 700,000 immigrants without legal status between 2021 and 2023, which may explain the discrepancy between DHS' estimate for 2022 (590,000) and Pew's estimate for 2023 (1.6 million).

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The other organization DHS mentioned in its report, the Center for Migration Studies, has published a map showing estimates of the populations by state, using data from 2023. That map showed an estimated 104,900 immigrants living in the U.S. illegally in Minnesota, 1.025 million in Florida and a little over 2.05 million in Texas.

Sources:

Baker, Bryan, and Robert Warren. Population Estimates. Office of Homeland Security Statistics, Department of Homeland Security, Apr. 2024, ohss.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-06/2024_0418_ohss_estimates-of-the-unauthorized-immigrant-population-residing-in-the-united-states-january-2018%25E2%2580%2593january-2022.pdf.

Center for Migration Studies. "State and National Data Tool." Cmsny.org, data.cmsny.org/.

Feinstein, Jonathan S., and Edward H. Kaplan. "Why Hidden Populations Are so Hard to Count." Yale Insights, 13 Dec. 2018, insights.som.yale.edu/insights/why-hidden-populations-are-so-hard-to-count.

Passel, Jeffrey S., and Jens Manuel Krogstad. "U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Population Reached a Record 14 Million in 2023." Pew Research Center, 21 Aug. 2025, www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/08/21/u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-population-reached-a-record-14-million-in-2023/.
GAZA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Gaza's Rafah border, the only crossing connecting the besieged Palestinian enclave with Egypt, reopened on Monday for a limited number of travellers on foot after being sealed shut by Israel for nearly a year.

The crossing was seized by Israel in May 2024, in the early months of its war against Hamas militants. Its reopening comes as a relief to Palestinians who want to leave Gaza for medical care or those who want to return after fleeing the fighting.

Below are details about Rafah as well as the coastal enclave's crossings with Israel.

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WHAT IS RAFAH?

The Rafah crossing sits at Gaza's southern border with Egypt, connecting the Palestinian territory to the Sinai Peninsula. It is the sole route in and out for nearly all of Gaza's more than 2 million Palestinians.

The crossing is adjacent to the city of Rafah, once home to a quarter million people but now completely demolished and depopulated by Israeli forces.

The border area between Rafah and Egypt is known as the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14.5-km-long (9-mile) sandy stretch that before the war had been crisscrossed by tunnels that allowed Palestinians to smuggle in weapons and commercial goods, circumventing an Israeli-led blockade.

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The crossing is controlled on the Gaza side by Israeli security personnel, with monitoring by European Union and Palestinian Authority officials.

Photos of the Gaza side crossing published by the Israeli military show a series of tall fences topped with barbed wire leading to high metal and concrete walls.

WHO WILL BE ALLOWED IN AND OUT?

The border will only be open for Palestinians entering and exiting on foot, and only after security approvals by Israeli and Egyptian authorities.

Two Palestinian sources said that 50 Palestinians would be permitted to enter Gaza per day, and a similar number would be permitted to leave.

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Some 100,000 Palestinians escaped Gaza in the early months of the war and many are seeking to return to reunite with family, even if that means living in the ruins of their destroyed homes and cities.

There are also an estimated 20,000 Palestinian medical patients seeking to exit Gaza for urgent care.

Diplomats say that Israel is expected to allow more people to leave than to enter. The right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made no secret of its desire for Palestinians to permanently depart the enclave.

Despite the limited reopening of Rafah, Israel is still refusing to allow the entry of foreign journalists, who have been banned from the Gaza Strip since the start of the war.

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Reporting from inside Gaza for international media including Reuters is carried out solely by journalists who live there, hundreds of whom have been killed.

WHAT ARE GAZA'S OTHER CROSSINGS?

Gaza has one main border crossing with Israel, Kerem Shalom in the south, that has been mostly operational since the start of the war.

This crossing sits at the southeastern end of the Philadelphi Corridor. It has handled the entry of humanitarian aid and commercial goods. Palestinians are generally banned from crossing.

Some Palestinian medical patients, students and others have been permitted to leave Gaza through Kerem Shalom. Israel has also allowed some Palestinians to leave through the crossing and board flights out of the country.

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Before the war, Israel operated a crossing at Gaza's northern border - Erez - but it has been shut since the start of the war on October 7, 2023.

Some other entry points to Gaza have worked intermittently since the start of the war to let in humanitarian aid.

(Writing by Rami Ayyub; editing by Mark Heinrich)
MAPUTO, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Mozambican President Daniel Chapo on Monday officially opened the country's 2026 Judicial Year, calling on the justice system to safeguard fundamental rights despite ongoing floods and placing the protection of children at the center of national priorities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in Maputo, attended by senior judicial officials and representatives of state institutions, Chapo said the current situation tests the response capacity of all state bodies, including the administration of justice, noting that floods have damaged key infrastructure such as courts, police stations and penitentiaries.

The president stressed that children account for about 51 percent of Mozambique's population, making their protection a strategic national priority. "Protecting and defending children means protecting the present and the future of the nation," he said.

The president recalled that Mozambique is a signatory to major international child rights instruments and has an established legal framework, but emphasized that laws must be effectively enforced.

Citing official data, Chapo said more than 30 percent of girls and 40 percent of boys aged 18 to 24 experienced some form of violence before the age of 18, while child labor and early marriage remain widespread. He warned that such figures "cannot be treated as mere statistics."

Chapo also condemned the use of children by criminal networks, including in contexts linked to terrorism and illegal exploitation of natural resources, stressing that the justice system must protect children and hold accountable those who exploit them.

The president reaffirmed the government's commitment to strengthening human, material and financial resources for the justice sector within the country's financial capacity.

"The promotion and full protection of children's rights are not an option but a constitutional, legal and ethical duty," he added. 
Fairfax County Public Schools Teacher Zenaida Perez, speaking to supporters and reporters after filing a suit against the school division on Oct. 29, 2025. (Photo by Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury)

A legal challenge alleging that a Fairfax County Public Schools employee helped minors get abortions without their parents consent is now in federal court in a case that hinges on a First Amendment free speech claim.

FCPS teacher Zenaida Perez, plaintiff in the case, is seeking to prove that school officials have defamed her and are in violation of the Virginia Whistleblower Protection Law. Perez alleged in 2025 that another FCPS staff member assisted minors with seeking abortions. FCPS internal probe refuted her claims.

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A public statement from superintendent Michelle Reid claimed that Perez allegations are based largely on statements that were misinterpreted, mistranslated, taken out of context, or in some cases knowingly fabricated.

A Virginia State Police investigation, launched late last summer by the order of former Gov. Glenn Youngkin, remains active as of January 2026. The school system has also submitted materials to members of Congress for a federal inquiry.

She said, they said

Ahead of Virginias gubernatorial and House of Delegates elections last fall, Perez accused a fellow school staff member of assisting students in obtaining abortions and the matter quickly became a Republican political talking point.

Virginia law allows minors to get abortions only if their parents or guardians agree to it or a minor successfully petitions a court. Such petitions are also exempt from the Freedom of Information Act, so its unclear how the students Perez purported to have gotten abortions would have obtained them.

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While the public airing of the allegation and subsequent lawsuit came to light in recent months, Perez had first tried to report matters to Centreville High School administration in 2021 and 2022, the lawsuit revealed.

In August 2025, conservative blog WC Dispatch published the allegations and a note allegedly written by a student whod been assisted in getting an abortion.

I was afraid my family would react poorly if they knew about my pregnancy so I sought the abortion, the note, translated from Spanish, reads in the court filing.

A previous internal review by FCPS indicated similarities between the handwriting in the students letter and Perez own; she then admitted that she was the one who actually wrote it.

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(The student) didnt write it, she was absolutely not well with the writing  she cannot write in English or in Spanish  and she told me she only had 15 minutes for my break, Perez said in an Americans United For Life webinar late last year. Perez added she had written the letter based on the students dictation while the student was working at a restaurant in Chantilly.

Attorneys from Americans United For Life, the anti-abortion group that hosted the webinar, are representing Perez in her case.

AUL has filed an amended complaint on behalf of Mrs. Perez, and we are expecting a renewed motion to dismiss the case from Fairfax Countys lawyers, AUL spokesman Gavin Oxley said Friday.

Perez petition to court

Fairfax County Public Schools Teacher Zenaida Perez, center, is surrounded by supporters after filing a suit against the school division on Oct. 29, 2025. (Photo by Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury)

Perezs suit claims CHS officials retaliated against her through disciplinary memos, reprimands and a suspension. Her medical provider gave her medication for depression and anxiety, the suit stated.

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The filing noted the school officials alleged retaliation has a lifelong impact on Perez emotionally, and added that the defendants claims will be a stain on her record forever and these allegations may resurface for any teaching position that she may seek in the future.

The school system remains steadfast in refuting Perezs claims.

FCPS own review uncovered no credible evidence supporting Perezs allegations. This was relayed in materials the school system sent to the U.S. Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

The supplemental statement read that FCPS remains open to receiving and reviewing any new, pertinent information that may become available but concluded that further investigation isnt necessary at this time.

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The statement also accusedPerez of withholding additional evidence when the Centreville High principal initially looked into the alleged student abortions Perez reported to him in 2022.

While she has claimed to possess evidence of serious criminal wrongdoing occurring within the school and impacting students from vulnerable backgrounds, Mrs. Perez nonetheless waited nearly three years before surfacing the evidence she had privately collected, choosing to do so through a sensational social media story she collaborated in producing, which contained numerous unfounded allegations, the statement read.

Perez, whose case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in the Alexandria division, is seeking a trial by jury and to be awarded $2 million.

AUL spokesman Oxley told The Mercury that the organization and their client are looking forward to prosecuting the case as far as necessary.

Virginia Mercury reporter Nathaniel Cline contributed to this story.

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For a decade and a half, I have wondered about a private conversation I had with the late Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer under Gordon Brown, about the financial crisis.

Darling told me about a painful and angry telephone conversation he had with Jamie Dimon, chief executive of US banking giant JP Morgan, at the end of 2009 when the UK government announced plans to tax bankers' bonuses.

Some of it had been reported at the time, such as a threat to pull plans for JP Morgan's massive new headquarters in the UK.

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But - to my utter astonishment - details of the background and the context to this call appear to be in the Epstein files released on Friday, and appear to have involved the unlikely combination of Peter Mandelson, Jeffrey Epstein and the suggestion of "mild threats" over the bonus tax.

Mandelson, then business secretary, seemingly suggested that Dimon should threaten Darling mildly over the tax.

In 2011, Darling told me something more about the call in a series of private interviews I did with him as part of the preparation work for Back from the Brink: 1000 Days at Number 11, his book about the crisis.

Dimon had raised the fact that JP Morgan was one of the biggest purchasers of UK government debt, leaving the clear suggestion in Darling's mind that America's biggest bank could effectively stop lending to Britain.

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While Darling refused to cave, he did recall that a number of bankers rang him up with what seemed like a script to complain about the bonus tax, urging a U-turn.

It occurred with such regularity that Darling started to tell them what they were about to say before they said it, having heard the words repeatedly.

Much, though not all of this, is relayed in Darling's book.

He wrote: "Mr Dimon was very, very angry.. he said that his bank bought a lot of UK debt and he wondered if that was now such a good idea. I pointed out that they bought our debt because it was a good business deal for them. He went on to say they were thinking of building a new office in London but they had to reconsider that now."

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While the office got built, the bonus tax remained and JP Morgan did not, in the end, stop buying gilts, this episode is an incredible live example of the relative power of government and financial markets, of the actual dynamics of the "bond vigilantes".

That this may have been orchestrated partly via Epstein, with Mandelson emailing advice, while Britain's business secretary sitting on the financial crisis cabinet of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, is staggering.

The policy meant that bankers' bonuses over 25,000 would be liable for an extra 50% tax rate.

The files indicate that Mandelson wrote to Epstein in December 2009, before the Dimon call saying: "Treasury digging in but I am on [the] case."

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An email bearing Epstein's name on 15 December, said: "[A]ny real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers bonus."

A subsequent email on 17 December, highlighted by tax expert and Labour Party member Dan Neidle, showed Epstein asking Mandelson if Dimon should call Darling one last time.

Mandelson apparently responds that Dimon should "mildly threaten" Darling.

The Dimon call to Darling that I recount above happened a week later on 23 December, 2009.

Mandelson has told the BBC on Sunday that every UK and international bank was making the same argument about the impact on UK financial services.

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"My conversations in government at the time reflected the views of the sector as a whole not a single individual," he said.

Mandelson has been approached for comment.

Correction 2 February: This article was amended to give the full title of Alistair Darling's book: Back from the Brink:1000 Days at Number 11.
The family of a "bright, loving, and gentle" little girl who was swept out to sea in Morocco say they are "deeply concerned" by the lack of support they have received from the UK Government to find their only child.

Inaayah Makda, who is seven, was sitting with her parents on rocks at a Casablanca beach when they were hit by a large wave on Wednesday, 28 January.

Tasneem and Zubair Makda, who also fell into the water before losing sight of her, say "every minute since has been filled with unbearable pain."

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They say they "hold on to the hope" that she may have reached safety along the coastline, but added that they hope "if the worst has happened, we can at least bring her home with dignity, prayers, and closure."

The Moroccan Government has warned people to avoid the sea due to high waves and strong sea currents. Credit: European Broadcasting Union

The couple, from Blackburn, Lancashire, say the search efforts are still ongoing and local volunteers, community members, and charities have been "working tirelessly under extremely difficult conditions" to help.

Inaayah's parents said they were "deeply concerned by the limited practical support we have received from UK authorities".

In a statement, they said: "While we have been told that our case is being monitored, this has not translated into tangible action.

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"We are not asking the UK Government to take over the search but to actively advocate with Moroccan authorities for expanded efforts, to push for additional resources, and to provide the necessary coordination and expertise to strengthen the search.

"As British parents of a British child missing overseas, we need more - practical, urgent support that can help escalate the search and bring additional resources into play."

They added that this is "not about blame", but about a "deeply loved and missed" little girl and her parents who are "doing everything in their power to bring their daughter home."

The parents of Inaayah Makda have described their only child as "bright, loving, and gentle." Credit: Family photo

The couple have called on the UK Government, the Foreign Office, and relevant authorities to urgently support the deployment of additional resources "and ensure that no possibility is left unexplored."

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A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office has previously said they are "supporting the family of a British national reported missing in Morocco and are in contact with the local authorities."

An online fundraiser has raised more than 60,000 to pay for search costs, with Tasneem and Zubair Makda thanking volunteers, charities and their local MP Adnan Hussain for their help.

Girl, 7, missing in Morocco after wave sweeps her out to sea

Sea search for missing Blackburn girl hindered by storm, MP says

"Inaayah is not just a statistic", the said. "She is a little girl who deserves every possible chance to be found. We are asking, simply and desperately, for everything that can be done - now.

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"We will not stop searching for our daughter, and we ask the public to continue keeping her in their prayers."

From Westminster to Washington DC - our political experts are across all the latest key talking points. Listen to the latest episode below...
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A family member of the missing 14-year-old girl that the El Paso Police Department reported as a runaway told KTSM she is back home with family as of Saturday, Jan. 31.

El Paso police seek help finding missing 14-year-old girl

After the family confirmed to KTSM, El Paso police announced on its social media account that Zury Talamantes was located and safe with her family.

No other details were provided at the time.

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Talamantes was reported as a runaway on Thursday, Jan. 29 and had been missing since noon.

The Texas Department of Public Safety had issued an Amber Alert for Talamantes around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 30, stating that law enforcement officials believed she may be in grave or immediate danger.

KTSM has reached out to the El Paso Police Department for further information.

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.
A Kenyan family is seeking answers and support to repatriate the body of their 29-year-old relative, who was killed in Ukraine while fighting for Russia.

Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, 29, initially left Kenya for a job in Qatar in 2024, but later told his relatives that he was travelling to Russia.

On Saturday, Ukrainian authorities reported that he had died in a so-called "meat assault" - one involving high casualty numbers - in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, after being recruited in Qatar. They said the Russians did not evacuate his body, and he was carrying the passports of two other Kenyans.

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His death comes amid growing concerns about Kenyans being recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine.

Vincent Okemwa, Mogesa's cousin, said they did not believe it when they were informed of his death. He said the news was first relayed to Mogesa's brother by a colleague who had a relative in Russia, before it was made public.

He told the BBC Newsday programme that Mogesa had notified them when he moved to Russia from Qatar and they were in communication during his training there for three weeks.

They had however not heard from him after the training, and the last time they had spoken was on 28 October.

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Okemwa told the BBC that after his death, Mogesa's family was now in a "pathetic state". He said Mogesa's father had sold land to facilitate his son's travel to Qatar and he was his family's hope for a better life.

"I don't know how I can put it, but things are not good," he said.

"He had good plans for the family and now everything has been shattered."

Okemwa says the family has been in "total darkness" as they have not had any communication from the authorities in either Kenya or Russia.

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"His death has shocked us," his brother Joel Mogere told local Citizen TV. He said Mogesa was the last-born and "the breadwinner and the hope of this family".

His mother, Mellen Moraa, said she was diabetic and that her son used to pay for her medication and take care of her, and said she did not know what to do.

"I plead with the government for help," she added.

The government last month said that 18 Kenyans who had been fighting in Russia had been rescued and repatriated.

Last week, rights group Vocal Africa said they were following up on at least 18 cases of Kenyans who were either dead or missing. They have asked the government to verify the figures, adding that the number was likely to be higher.

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The Kenyan government has not confirmed the deaths of any of its nationals killed in Ukraine.

Last November, Kenya's foreign minister said about 200 Kenyans were known to be fighting for Russia and that recruitment networks were still active.

Other African countries have reported cases of young people being approached with offers of lucrative jobs in Russia that later led to military recruitment.

Ukraine's intelligence assessment estimates that more than 1,400 people from 36 countries in Africa have been recruited to fight for Russia.

Ukraine has also previously come in for criticism for trying to recruit foreign nationals, including Africans, to fight on its side.

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In the past Ukraine has repeatedly warned that anyone fighting for Russia would be treated as an enemy combatant, with the safe route out being to surrender.

Ukraine's intelligence agency on Saturday cautioned foreign nationals against travelling to Russia or accepting employment there, particularly informal or illegal work.

It said travelling there "carries a real risk of being forcibly deployed to assault units without adequate training and with little to no chance of survival".

You may also be interested in:

[Getty Images/BBC]

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As the 2026 legislative session begins, cracks are already emerging among lawmakers in the Oklahoma Senate's Republican caucus.

Members of the Capitol's hyper-conservative faction are clashing over disciplinary action against one lawmaker who's leading a movement to shift state policy further to the right.

Sen. Shane Jett, chairman of the far-right Oklahoma Freedom Caucus, was bumped from a leadership position by Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, the chamber's most powerful member.

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Paxton, a Republican, said Jett he removed from his position as vice chair of the Senate Administrative Rules committee at the request of that panel's chairman, another member of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus. The request came after Jett accused some senators of being intoxicated during the final hours of the 2025 legislative session in May.

The fracture could derail the group's ongoing attempt to gain influence in the Legislature and advance far-right policies and headline-grabbing proposals, such as legislation that would require statues of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk at every state university.

The priorities of Republican lawmakers, who control both the Senate and the House, will begin to take shape over the next several weeks, starting with Gov. Kevin Stitt's final State of the State address Monday, Feb. 2.

More: How politics and power could shape Oklahoma Legislature in 2026

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The divide in the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus came to light after Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, of Adair, revealed his request to remove Jett as vice chair of the Administrative Rules Committee.

"I joined the Freedom Caucus because I believe in its stated principles, which are sound conservative policies, fiscal responsibility and doing what is best for Oklahoma," Bergstrom said in a news release Thursday, Jan. 29. "I did not join to alienate colleagues or divide the caucus, which is exactly what Senator Jett is doing."

Earlier that day, Jett sent out a news release condemning the pro tempore's "attack". It's unclear whether Jett, who's from Shawnee, knew that Paxton made the move at Bergstrom's request. Paxton also barred Jett from serving as a presiding officer, a rotating role responsible for enforcing chamber rules.

"Rather than uphold the rules, leadership punished Senator Jett  chairman of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus  by stripping him of his vice chairmanship on the Rules Committee and removing him from the presiding officer rotation, the role responsible for enforcing chamber rules," the release reads. "This sends a dangerous message: violations  including intoxication  go unpunished and may be rewarded with leadership positions, while advocates for constitutional fidelity face demotion."

Sen. Shane Jett, who chairs the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus, has faced pushback from his colleagues.

Paxton, who's from Tuttle, said Jett's accusations are baseless and lack credibility.

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"Leadership requires seriousness and integrity," Paxton said in a statement. "Senator Jett has demonstrated neither of these qualities because he's more interested in making headlines than he is in governing."

When The Oklahoman asked Paxton about Jett's prior criticisms of his leadership, Paxton dismissed the senator's critiques.

"Sen. Jetts going to complain about something no matter what happens, so Im not too worried about what Sen. Jetts going to say, Paxton said

Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton leads the chamber's Republican caucus.

Jett told The Oklahoman that Bergstrom's request was disappointing, but he does not fear this turn of events will derail his plans to turn the tide in the Legislature and get more conservative bills to the governors desk.

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He said he is appalled that his bill to prevent drinking at the Capitol has faced such vitriol. He said elected officials should be held to the same standards of sobriety as any other job.

[Paxton is] choosing to try to cover up for himself and protect members, Jett said.

Oklahoma Freedom Caucus pushes anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation

The Oklahoma Freedom Caucus has 11 known members, including nine in the Senate alone. Jett previously told The Oklahoman the actual number of members is larger because some lawmakers are still keeping their membership hidden.

The caucus aims to shift the balance of power among Republicans in the Senate, from members who embrace more mainline stances to members who back a more far-right agenda.

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"We are in a struggle for do we want to be a pretend Republican supermajority, or do we actually want to run grassroots conservative legislation that reflect the real values of the everyday voter?" Jett said in October.

Known members of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus include: Jett; Bergstrom; Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard; Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman; Sen. Kendal Sacchieri, R-Blanchard; Sen. Julie McIntosh, R-Porter; Sen. Randy Grellner, R-Cushing; Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin; Sen. Dana Prieto, R-Tulsa; Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Sallisaw; and Rep. Jim Shaw, R-Chandler.

They've filed a series of far-right bills that target issues like abortion, immigration and the LGBTQ+ community.

Sen. Dusty Deevers speaks during a press conference for The Freedom Caucus at the Oklahoma Capitol in Oklahoma City, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024.

Bergstrom's Senate Bill 1315 would prohibit someone from a country of particular concern, as defined by the U.S. Department of State, from enrolling in a state university. Olsen's House Bill 2945 would prohibit the distribution of abortion-inducing drugs in Oklahoma. Jett's SB 1905 would ban providers from administering gender-affirming care.

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Senate resolutions have been prepared to support the bill and call for Jett's full reinstatement, according to an unsigned news release from the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus.

Senate leadership is in charge of assigning legislation to a committee and choosing which senators lead each committee. Committee leaders then decide which bills are heard. It's unclear whether Jett's bills will receive a hearing.

The 2026 Oklahoma legislative session begins Monday, Feb. 2, and will continue through May.

How to watch Gov. Kevin Stitt's State of the State address

Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt will deliver his final State of the State address on Monday, Feb. 2. The live broadcast from the House chamber in the Capitol will begin at 12:30 p.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m.

To watch the address online, visit okhouse.gov.

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(This story was updated because an earlier version contained an inaccuracy. Sen. Shane Jett was demoted from a leadership position of the Senate Administrative Rules Committee, not the Senate Rules Committee.)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Freedom Caucus members clash as 2026 legislative session begins
Temporary Protected Status for an estimated 350,000 Haitian immigrants is scheduled to end on Tuesday, which is causing fear and anxiety for New Jersey's Haitian community.

A few of the Haitians at an emergency gathering on Monday expressed their love for their country.

They also expressed gratitude to America for extending a welcome through TPS while Haiti is in crisis.

They said they look forward to returning to their homeland when it is safe to do so -- which many say it is not.

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More than a dozen elected leaders agree and are calling on the Trump administration to acknowledge that and to expend their temporary protection status.

"They had their Federal Aviation Authority say it's not safe to fly planes over Port-au-Prince, the same Trump administration said it's safe to return, their state department says it's not safe to travel to Haiti, so what we're talking about it's a glaring contradiction," said New Jersey state Rep. Chigozie Onyema.

East Orange has a robust community of Haitian immigrants. Most recently, many were granted TPS in the wake of the 2010 earthquake that devastated the island nation.

"For those of us that have loved ones in need of care we are talking about nurses and nurses assistants who protected them at their most vulnerable, we're not just talking about a nameless and faceless group of people, we're talking about our neighbors, our friends and family," Onyema said.

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Haitians are the second largest group with TPS status in the U.S. behind Venezuela.

As ICE raids spread across the country, U.S.-based Haitian organizations are calling on support from the community.

"Call your state representatives and flood their phones, their emails and request for them to demand of the federal administration request a stay and/or an extension of TPS," said Councilman Bergson Leneus with the East Orange City Council.

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Pastor Sergio Amezcua scans the cars lining this residential street in Minneapolis, to check whether ICE agents might have followed. He looks up at a helicopter circling overhead.

Do you think thats been tracking us? he asks, concern edging his voice.

From the back of his truck, he pulls out a large box of supplies and scans the street again.

He is here to deliver food to a Latino member of his congregation at Dios Habla Hoy Church who, despite living in the United States for 25 years and having a son with an American passport, has been too afraid to go outside for five weeks.

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Maria* (not her real name) fears she could be seized by some of the thousands of federal agents deployed to the city under president Donald Trumps deadly immigration crackdown.

So when the pastor appears at her building, he finds her nervously hiding behind the front door, shaken by an unknown man standing there, who claims to be a delivery driver but is acting strangely.

I was scared he was trying to get in. I am terrified. I cant sleep at night, she says, after finally letting us in.

ICE agents and other law enforcement officers force entry into a home during an immigration raid in St. Paul, Minnesota, US, days after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good (Reuters)

As she speaks, she is trying to calm her dog, who has barely been outside for weeks and is running frantic loops around her tiny apartment.

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She is running out of money as she hasnt been able to work since December.

One man I know was grabbed from his job inside McDonalds. His son cant even get his medicine to him inside the detention centre.

I feel like Im in jail here. Sometimes I cry and hide so my son doesnt see me.

The Department of Homeland Security says in the last few weeks alone more than 3,000 people have been detained. Among them children as young as five and US citizens.

Journalists covering protests have been arrested, and at least two citizens have been shot dead while witnesses told The Independent they were acting as observers.

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Pastor Amezcua, who initially voted for Trump, prays with a sobbing Maria, helping her to calm down.

He says that since the launch of the administrations Operation Metro Surge, his church is now feeding around 150,000 people, most of them too terrified to leave their homes for fear of arrest, despite some being US citizens or having legal paperwork.

Pastor Amezcua prays with a member of his congregation in tears, too scared to leave her flat for a month (Bel Trew/The Independent)

Theyre racially profiling people, especially Latinos. This is the huge problem.

Attendance at Latino churches in Minnesota is down 80 per cent because people are afraid to come out. But half of my congregants are born in the US, and they are still afraid to come out. That is not just immigrants, this affects the entire community.

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Its so bad, he continues, it feels like ethnic cleansing.

This is Minneapolis  a vibrant city of nearly half a million people  where fear and suspicion now crackle through the streets. The situation is so bad that residents have likened it to living under an authoritarian regime.

This is since the city became a central target of Trumps promised immigration crackdown. Citing crime control, he has deployed federal law enforcement to several Democrat-led cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Portland, Oregon.

The Department of Homeland Security has hailed the Minnesota operation as a huge victory for public safety, telling The Independent more than 3500 criminals have been arrested, including vicious murderers.

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Minnesotas attorney general has unsuccessfully sought to block the operation (a federal judge declined to issue a halt order on Saturday).

The Dios Habla Hoy church in Minneapolis is now feeding 150,000 people, many too scared to leave their homes (Bel Trew/The Independent)

But fury at the crackdown has gripped the state  and the nation  sparking mass protests and country-wide strikes.

In the last few weeks, ICE operations have only intensified: disturbing footage has emerged apparently showing federal agents violently seizing people, shooting observers, firing on civilians, and tear-gassing crowds.

A spokesperson for the DHS told The Independent said their officers only use lethal force in defense of their own lives and for public safety adding: officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics.

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The spokesperson vehemently rejected allegations that ICE engages in racial profile as disgusting, reckless and categorically FALSE claiming that this type of garbage is contributing to our officers facing a more than 1300% increase in assaults against them. The DHS maintained that a persons immigration status makes them a target for enforcement, not their skin color, race or ethnicity.

But mounting evidence has inspired an underground network of volunteers. Working through encrypted messaging apps, and in code, they track federal agents movements to warn at-risk communities, and deter agent activity.

Others, like Pastor Amezcuas church, try to keep people too afraid to leave their homes fed and alive.

The schools have stepped in, especially after Liam Ramos, a five-year-old Ecuadoran asylum seeker, was photographed in a bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack being taken away by ICE agents as his father was seized during school drop off.

We feel hunted. We are under siege

Liam Ramos, 5, being detained by ICE agents outside his school (Columbia Heights Public Schools)

Zena Stenvik, the superintendent for Liams school district, says neighbours witnessed ICE agents even try to use Liam as bait to lure his mother out of their home. Liam was deported with his father to a detention centre in Texas.

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After nationwide outrage, he was finally released back to Minnesota on Sunday.

But he is one of seven students from Stenviks district alone who have been detained in recent weeks by ICE. And so the schools are taking no chances.

Stenvik says the teachers are now chaperoning children to school, organising ride-shares, banning outside recess and patrolling streets near school grounds, to ensure parents and children are not abducted on route to class. Twenty per cent of their students are learning online at home.

We feel hunted. We are under siege, Stenvik continues, describing armed ICE patrols circling the school perimeters.

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Young children are asking if their parents will be home when they return from school, or if they might be snatched on the way.

Jason Kuhlman, principal of Liams school, says the school was forced to deliver two children into custody on Thursday when their mother, also an asylum seeker, was arrested outside a courthouse following a mandated check-in for an asylum plea.

The boys had no other family in the country. Their mother had an impossible choice: allow her children to be swallowed into state foster care while she is deported, or be reunited in prison.

All we could do was pack their backpacks with food and supplies. We were crying with them, Kuhlman says, describing the moment he was forced to take them into Minnesotas Whipple detention centre.

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We dont take children to jail. Thats not our job. Our job is to educate, he adds with emotion.

We were afraid wed never see them again.

I am a white female veteran  if it can happen to me, it can happen to you

You f**king move, Ill f**king taser you. Get the f**k out of the car right now, screams the masked and armed agent, giving contradictory orders as he points a Taser just a few centimetres away from the face of the passenger, who is filming.

This mobile phone footage was shot by a US veteran, who, together with her friend Skye, a disabled Marine veteran, was patrolling areas of Minneapolis following ICE convoys on 11 January.

Moments earlier  as seen in the video  Skye, who is in her 30s, says agents had smashed the drivers window next to her.

In the footage, agents can be seen dragging her headfirst from the car and aggressively pinning her to the ground.

They had me on my stomach, kneeling on me, Skye tells The Independent, showing the bruises still on her arm. My arm was wrenched back right up my head, my ankles in a lock.

She is still shaken by the experience which happened just four days after Renee Good, a mother of three, was shot dead in Skyes neighbourhood while, city leaders later said, she had also been acting as a legal observer of ICE activity. (Citizens have a First Amendment right to film law enforcement doing their job as long as they dont interfere.)

Skye was held briefly held at Whipple detention centre, questioned and later released. She does not know whether she faces formal charges.

She left town for a week, worried she might be picked up by agents again. On her return, she found another masked agent parked outside her apartment.

He aggressively approached me and started taking photos, she continues, showing me a photograph of the officer.

Its a constant worry theyll come back. I havent been able to take a breath or relax.

As we drive around town, she clocks the telltale signs of ICE agents, like cars with out-of-state number plates or no front plates.

She adds quietly that she is afraid shell end up in a concentration camp.

I am a white female veteran: if it can happen to me, it can happen to you, she warns.

When the president calls your community garbage, you worry

US Border Patrol agents detain an unidentified man of Somali descent in Minneapolis, Minnesota (AFP/Getty)

At the sprawling Karmel Mall  famously the largest Somali shopping centre in the country  even US passport holders are afraid to move around.

In this once-bustling hub in the southern area of the city, businesses are shuttered; the owners of those stores still open are reluctant to speak.

ICE agents have already staged raids here: there are posters everywhere saying ICE out and telling federal agents they cannot enter.

It feels dystopian, says Khalid, 24, a Somali-American student, whose mother has not left the house in a month, despite being a US citizen.

One of Khalids cousins was detained during an ICE raid on their apartment building, then later released without explanation. His mother also fears the administration may begin denaturalising citizens like her who were born outside of the US.

Most of us are American-born citizens. But when the president calls your community garbage and targets people based on how you look, you worry.

Trump  who called Americas Somali population garbage and Somalia a sh**hole in December  initially blamed the deployment of federal agents to Minneapolis on an investigation into alleged multi-billion-dollar fraud within Somali-run daycares.

Minnesota is home to more than 120,000 Somali residents, the largest population outside of Somalia, says Jaylani Hussein, a community leader and executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The overwhelming majority are citizens, green-card holders, or have paperwork, he explains.

There has been mass panic since Somali refugees were suddenly targeted two weeks ago, despite arriving legally and being on lawful pathways to citizenship, he continues, as we sit in the mall.

Many were shipped immediately to detention in Texas. We were able to get a lot of them back through legal challenges, but it sent shockwaves through the community.

A few days ago, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the arrest and detention of lawfully admitted refugees in Minnesota, providing some relief, he continues. But fear persists.

Its chaos.

This is about terrorising, not only undocumented people, documented people and residents

Volunteers at the DHH church load hundreds of boxes of food supplies ready to deliver to vulnerable families in Minneapolis (Bel Trew/The Independent)

Back at the Dios Habla Hoy Church, volunteers with their own cars are ready to ferry supplies to those who are too afraid to go to the grocery store.

All of them have been vetted and trained in techniques like evading ICE surveillance to protect the vulnerable people they are visiting. They line up to receive the Signal group chat of the day, and code names for addresses in case those chats are infiltrated.

Laura, 64, a resident of Minneapolis, is volunteering 60 hours a week now.

Like many people The Independent has spoken to, she believes this is not only about immigration but about punishing Minneapolis, which, since Trumps first term in office  with the protests against the murder of George Floyd  has been a heartland of dissent.

This is about terrorising, not only undocumented people, but documented people and residents. This is authoritarianism, she continues.

Pastor Amezcua says they will keep going for as long as it takes, but they need Congress and the Supreme Court to do their jobs.

We want our kids to be able to go outside and play or go to school, he concludes, at the end of another busy day.

We need checks and balances of the executive branch. [Congress] needs to stop being cheerleaders of this agenda. So we can continue to keep the American dream alive.
Federal immigration agents deployed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will soon receive body cameras, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says.

The announcement comes as the government faces a backlash over the deaths last month of two US citizens - Alex Pretti and Renee Good - following a surge of federal immigration officers into the Minneapolis area as part of an immigration crackdown.

"Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X on Monday.

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The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has ruled Pretti's 24 January death a homicide.

Homicide refers to the killing of a person by another person. It does not necessarily signify that a crime has occurred.

Monday's report by the medical examiner said Pretti had suffered "multiple gunshot wounds" fired by one or more law enforcement officers.

It added that he died in the emergency room at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. No further details were noted.

According to US Customs and Border Protection, the two agents involved in Pretti's death wore body cameras. They have been placed on leave, the agency said.

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The US Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti's death.

Noem said once funding is available, the body camera programme will be expanded nationwide.

The US is currently on day three of a partial government shutdown as Democrats continue to demand immigration reforms, including body cameras, as part of any funding deal to reopen the government.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is currently the highest funded US law enforcement agency, after Congress authorised $80bn (59bn) for the agency last year.

Asked about Noem's announcement, President Donald Trump said that body cameras "generally tend to be good for law enforcement because people can't lie about what's happening".

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"Generally speaking, I think it's 80% good for law enforcement," he said.

In the wake of Pretti's shooting, the Trump administration removed Gregory Bovino, the US border patrol chief, from Minneapolis and replaced him with border tsar Tom Homan.

Last week Homan met local leaders, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Michael Frey, to discuss calming tensions in the wake of Pretti and Good's deaths.

Walz and Frey have called for a withdrawal of federal agents entirely from the state's capital region.

After his arrival, Homan said that authorities were working on a plan to "draw down" federal agents in Minneapolis, but that changes in the operation would depend on how much state and local officials co-operate with federal authorities.

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The administration has criticised Minneapolis for having a "sanctuary city policy" that bars city employees from enforcing immigration laws.

Frey told the New York Times that he wants Minneapolis police officers "doing the important work of keeping Minneapolis residents safe".

But he has said the city will work with federal authorities in certain situations.

More than 3,000 federal immigration officers have been in the state of Minnesota for weeks as part of a federal immigration surge ordered by Trump, who campaigned on a promise to crack down on illegal immigration.




Federal investigators have opened another probe into Waymos operations after one of its robotaxis struck a child near an elementary school in California.

Waymo reported the Jan. 23 incident to safety regulators last week. The crash occurred within two blocks of a Santa Monica, Calif., elementary school during normal school drop-off hours, according to documents posted by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration late last week.

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The new investigation comes as school officials in Austin are urging Waymo, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet Inc., to pause operations during school pickup and drop-off hours because its robotaxis were spotted violating a school bus traffic law.

In Santa Monica, the child who was hit ran across the street from behind a double-parked SUV toward the school. The NHTSA said several other children, a crossing guard and several double-parked vehicles were in the vicinity. The child sustained minor injuries.

NHTSAs Office of Defects Investigation is looking into the incident. It said it will examine whether the robotaxi exercised appropriate caution given, among other things, its proximity to the elementary school during drop off hours, and the presence of young pedestrians and other potential vulnerable road users.

Both NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board had already launched investigations into Waymo vehicles behavior around school buses after violating traffic laws in Austin and Atlanta.

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Using information from cameras mounted on school bus stop-arms, Austin ISD said recently it found Waymos robotaxis have illegally passed school buses at least 24 times since the start of the school year. Those violations are among more than 7,000 for which the district has issued citations this school year.

Its system enforces a state law requiring other vehicles to come to a complete stop when a school bus is stopped with its stop-arm extended and red lights flashing. Other vehicles may not proceed until the bus begins moving again, a requirement intended to protect students getting on or off a bus.

Several of the Austin school bus incidents vehicles came after the company said it had addressed the issue with a software update and met with district officials.

In a statement after the NTSB announced its investigation, Waymo said it has thousands of school bus encounters every week across the U.S. and its data collection is continuously improving Waymo Driver, the system that operates its vehicles.
Employees work in front of a monitor at dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 2, 2026. South Korean stocks closed sharply lower on Monday, with the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plunging more than 5 percent to record its steepest one-day decline since Nov. 21, 2025. (Photo by Jun Hyosang/Xinhua)

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Korean stocks closed sharply lower on Monday, with the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plunging more than 5 percent to record its steepest one-day decline since Nov. 21, 2025.

Seoul stocks tumbled 274.69 points, or 5.26 percent, to close at 4,949.67 points, with losses deepening in the afternoon session, Yonhap News Agency reported.

According to Yonhap, institutional and foreign investors led the rout, unloading shares of major semiconductor and large-cap technology firms, as concerns mounted over tighter global financial conditions following recent developments in U.S. monetary policy.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics ended lower, while chipmaker SK hynix suffered steeper losses, alongside declines in automakers, battery makers and defense stocks.

The Korean won weakened sharply against the U.S. dollar, which was quoted at 1,464.3 won as of 3:30 p.m. local time, up from 1,439.5 won in the previous session. 

An employee works in front of a monitor at dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 2, 2026. South Korean stocks closed sharply lower on Monday, with the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plunging more than 5 percent to record its steepest one-day decline since Nov. 21, 2025. (Photo by Jun Hyosang/Xinhua)

An employee works in front of a monitor at dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 2, 2026. South Korean stocks closed sharply lower on Monday, with the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plunging more than 5 percent to record its steepest one-day decline since Nov. 21, 2025. (Photo by Jun Hyosang/Xinhua)
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Jan. 29 ordering the execution of the man convicted in the Jan. 18, 1991, murder of Fort Pierce Police Officer Danny Parrish.

Retired Fort Pierce Police Sgt. Dennis McWilliams said he was relieved when he learned DeSantis signed the warrant.

It's been 35 years coming and 35 years too long for me, Mirtha, for the state, for the Sheriff's Office, for the city of Fort Pierce, for everybody who was around for his family, for everybody who was in this community during that time, McWilliams said. It was an awful tragedy and a senseless killing.

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Here's what you need to know.

Billy Leon Kearse, 18 at the time, was pulled over for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. He managed to get Parrishs service weapon and started firing.

Parrish was the fourth Fort Pierce officer killed in the line of duty.

Kearse was convicted in October 1991 of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm and was sentenced to death in March 1997, according to DeSantis order.

In 2021, Fort Pierce city commissioners approved an initiative allowing a life-size bronze sculpture in Parrishs likeness to be installed at the main police station. The sculpture is also a generic representation of a Fort Pierce officer.

Parrish's wife, Mirtha Busbin, said she plans to attend Kearse's execution.

Olivia Franklin is TCPalms trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida man to be executed, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed death warrant
Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jose Farinango Muenala, 47, of Casselberry, Florida, pleaded guilty on January 28, 2026, to misrepresenting Indian-produced goods. U.S. District Judge William M. Conley sentenced Farinango Muenala to three years of probation and imposed a $25,000 fine.

The case began in January 2023, when the Indian Arts and Crafts Board received complaints that a vendor operating under the business name Southwest Expressions was attending art shows and falsely representing jewelry as handmade by Pueblo Indians. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched an investigation and identified the vendor as Farinango Muenala.

Investigators determined that since 2012, Muenala had participated as a vendor in dozens of art shows, including the 2023 Loon Day Festival in Mercer, Wisconsin. During these events, he falsely claimed to be a Pueblo Indian or a Native American from New Mexico and represented that the jewelry he sold was handmade by himself or other Pueblo Indians. In reality, the jewelry was mass-produced and imported from the Philippines.

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Between 2012 and 2023, Muenalas business made 40,905 individual sales and grossed more than $2.68 million.

At sentencing, Judge Conley emphasized that Muenala had, for years, intentionally and repeatedly profited from misrepresenting the origin of the jewelry he sold. Judge Conley also highlighted the importance of the statute violated, noting its purpose is to protect Native Americans.

The Indian Arts and Crafts Board, U.S. Department of the Interior, administers and enforces the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA), a truth-in-marketing law, said Meridith Stanton, Director of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board. The IACA is intended to rid the Indian arts and crafts marketplace of counterfeits to protect the economic livelihoods and cultural heritage of Indian artists, craftspeople, and their Tribes, as well as the buying public. Authentic Indian art and craftwork is an important tool for passing down cultural traditions, traditional knowledge, and artistic skills from one generation to the next. The defendant in this case falsely claimed to be a third-generation jewelry maker from the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico while selling imported Philippines jewelry as authentic Indian-made across several states. These sales of fake Indian art tear at the very fabric of Indian culture and undercut the marketability of the creative work of federally recognized Tribes.

U.S. Attorney Elgersma and Director Stanton praised the collaboration between the Indian Arts and Crafts Board and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and thanked those who helped bring the conduct to light. Both emphasized that the prosecution sends a strong message that violations of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act will be vigorously enforced.

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The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interiors Indian Arts and Crafts Board. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus prosecuted the case.

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

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A 22-year-old Fort Mill man has been identified as the person shot and killed by a York County sheriffs deputy on Friday.

Allen Josue Topete-Guevara died at the scene on Pine Ridge Court, York County Coroner Sabrina Gast said in a statement Sunday. The shooting happened around 9:20 a.m. in a neighborhood off Lakes Boulevard near U.S. 21 south of Carowinds.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the police shooting, the York County Sheriffs Office said in a statement released late Friday on its website and on the sheriffs office social media pages.

The name of the deputy who shot has not been released. The deputy, who was not hurt, is on paid administrative leave according to sheriffs office policy, the statement said.

Sheriff statement: Man was armed with a knife, charged deputy

Deputies responded to a call about someone who was unconscious and not breathing, the sheriffs statement said.

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The statement did not say who called or why the person was unconscious.

When deputies arrived, the person now identified as Topete-Guevara was no longer unconscious, and was inside a house and armed with a knife, according to the sheriffs office statement.

Topete-Guevara barricaded himself in a room with a knife and the deputy ordered him to put the knife down and exit the room, the statement said.

According to the sheriffs office statement, Topete-Guevara opened the door, refused to put down the knife, and charged at the deputy. The deputy shot him, according to the statement.

SLED as of Sunday afternoon has not issued any statement about the status of the investigation.

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A fundraising account that called the death a tragic and unjust loss has been set up by Topete-Guevaras family to help with expenses, including repatriation of the body to Honduras where his mother is currently, the GoFundMe site says.

His life was taken in a matter of seconds, violently and unexpectedly, the GoFundMe said. Allan had his whole life ahead of him, dreams to fulfill, and was deeply loved by his family and all who knew him.
French tech company Capgemini said on Sunday it was selling its US subsidiary Capgemini Government Solutions after coming under pressure in recent days to explain a contract it signed with US immigration enforcement agency ICE.

Capgemini, which operates in about 50 countries and is one of France's largest listed companies, held an extraordinary board meeting this weekend after being the subject of questions in parliament and calls for transparency from the government.

The group's contract with ICE was first revealed by independent media outlet lObservatoire des multinationales (Multinationals Observatory).

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The outlet said Capgemini's subsidiary had been providing services to ICE even before signing the contract in December with US President Donald Trump's administration.

It found Capgemini sold "skip tracing" services  a form of data-driven locating and tracking of individuals whose whereabouts are unknown  used by ICE to verify home and work addresses and support removal operations as part of a large-scale anti-immigration crackdown.

The killings of two people  Renee Good and Alex Pretti  by ICE and border patrol (CBP) agents in Minneapolis last month have made world headlines, provoking widespread condemnation of the American agency.

"The divestiture process of this business will be initiated immediately," the company said in a statement, referring to Capgemini Government Solutions.

Protests continue

"Capgemini determined that the customary legal restrictions imposed for contracting with federal government entities carrying out classified activities in the United States did not allow the Group to exercise appropriate control over certain aspects of the operations of this subsidiary," the statement said.

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The subsidiary represents 0.4 percent of the group's global 2025 estimated revenue and less than two percent of its US revenue, the company said.

In an internal message sent to employees, the group said that the disputed contract, awarded in December, was "the subject of an appeal".

France steps up pressure over IT firm Capgeminis ICE ties

Chief executive Aiman Ezzat wrote on LinkedIn last week that the management "were recently made aware, through public sources" of the contract with Capgemini Government Solutions.

At CGS, "decision making is separate, networks are firewalled, and the Capgemini group cannot access any classified information (or) classified contracts," Ezzat added.

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Public US government documents show that the ICE-CGS contract signed on 18 December is worth $4.8 million.

The revelations sparked uproar in France and earned a rebuke from Economy Minister Roland Lescure, who called for transparency.

Meanwhile, thousands of protesters continued to rally in Minneapolis this week in the latest show of anger over Trump's immigration crackdown.

Demonstrators also held rallies in New York and across Los Angeles, where immigration raids last year sparked protests, with thousands carrying signs outside City Hall.

In Washington, the federal government entered a partial shutdown at midnight Friday following Democratic anger over the crackdown, which derailed talks over new funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

(with AFP)
Fulton County, Georgia plans to challenge the Trump administration in court over its seizure of ballots in an investigation tied to the 2020 election, according to an area official.

The county will ask a judge to force the Trump administration to return the ballots it took after the FBI executed a search warrant last week at an Atlanta-area elections center, Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. said in a news release.

"Ive asked the county attorney to take any and all steps available to fight this criminal search warrant," Arrington said.

People hold a banner and placards as they gather ahead of a march from The Ellipse to the U.S. Capitol in memory of those who died on, or in the aftermath, of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, on the fifth anniversary of the attack in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2026. Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio (C) shakes hands with a demonstrator during a Jan. 6th memorial march marking five years since the attack on Jan. 6, 2026 in Washington, DC. Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building by Donald Trump supporters who claimed the presidential election had been stolen. Edward Young holds a "MAGA FOREVER" sign during a Jan. 6th memorial march marking five years since the attack on Jan. 6, 2026 in Washington, DC. People gather ahead of a march from The Ellipse to the U.S. Capitol in memory of those who died on, or in the aftermath, of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, on the fifth anniversary of the attack in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2026. Counter-protester Patricia Eguino (R) clashes with demonstrators during a Jan. 6th memorial march marking five years since the attack on Jan. 6, 2026 in Washington, DC. People hold a sign during a Jan. 6th memorial march marking five years since the attack on Jan. 6, 2026 in Washington, DC. A man wears a MAGA hat as people gather ahead of a march from The Ellipse to the U.S. Capitol in memory of those who died on, or in the aftermath, of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, on the fifth anniversary of the attack in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2026. January 6 defendants march in DC five years after attack on Capitol 1 of 7 People hold a banner and placards as they gather ahead of a march from The Ellipse to the U.S. Capitol in memory of those who died on, or in the aftermath, of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, on the fifth anniversary of the attack in Washington, D.C., Jan. 6, 2026.

A county attorney told Arrington at about 5 p.m. ET on Feb. 2 that the court filings were still being finalized, but were expected to be filed later the same day or the next day.

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The FBI's Jan. 28 search at the Fulton County Elections Hub & Operations Center marked a major escalation in the Trump administration's efforts to recast the 2020 presidential election, which President Donald Trump lost to then-former Vice President Joe Biden.

Fulton County Commissioner Mo Ivory said that during the search, federal officials collected 700 boxes of ballots from a secure location.

Speaking on "The Dan Bongino Show" on Feb. 2, Trump falsely claimed to have won the 2020 election and referenced the seizure of ballots.

"Now you're going to see something in Georgia where they were able to get, with a court order, the ballots," Trump said. "You're going to see some interesting things come out."

Ballots arrive at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operation Center on election night on November 5, 2024 in Fairburn, Georgia. Americans cast their ballots that day in the presidential race between Republican nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, is the largest in Georgia by population. Biden's win there in 2020 helped propel him to victory in the state, which had 16 presidential electoral votes. Biden won the 2020 election with 306 electoral votes, compared to Trump's 232 tally.

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Before Biden's 2021 inauguration, Trump tried to reverse his 2020 losses in several states, including Georgia, but was unsuccessful.

In a phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, Trump said, "I just need 11,780 votes" in Georgia. Raffensperger defended the accuracy of the state's election results.

This story has been updated with additional information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgia county to seek return of ballots seized by Trump admin
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said Sunday that Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites are open as warming centers for those that need it.

Much of the state has experienced bitter cold, and Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Ashley Kramlich said metro Atlanta has been experiencing wind chills in the single digits.

In a social media post, Georgia DNR these sites are open for those impacted by power outages or travel disruptions. ParkPass fees are waived for people using a warming station.

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Find locations and updates at gastateparks.org/Alerts.

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A controversial member of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was found guilty on Monday of money laundering and coercion, but was acquitted of charges related to a banned neo-Nazi song.

A district court in Wurzburg ordered 24-year-old Daniel Halemba, the AfD's top candidate in the Bavarian city ahead of local elections in March, to pay 160 daily fines of 190 ($225).

The verdict can still be appealed, and Halemba said he would not accept the ruling.

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Prosecutors had charged Halemba with a slew of offences, including incitement to hatred over a banned song that promotes the expulsion of migrants from Germany that was allegedly played at his birthday party.

Prosecutors said the song by disbanded neo-Nazi rock band Landser, which was classified as a criminal organization in 2005, was played from a USB stick owned by Halemba on his 21st birthday in July 2022.

Halemba was aware that the lyrics incite hatred towards Germany's large Turkish community as they call for the forceful expulsion of citizens with Turkish roots, prosecutor Tobias Kostuch argued at the start of proceedings.

A member of Bavaria's state parliament, Halemba denied all accusations against him, arguing that he was not present at the party at the time in question. The court subsequently acquitted him of incitement to hatred, saying it was unclear who had played the song.

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He was also acquitted of attempted coercion related to the alleged harassment of a lawyer and damage to his office door.

However, the court found him and a co-defendant guilty of having intimidated a witness in the preliminary investigation before his planned interrogation by the Wurzburg public prosecutor's office.

The charges of money laundering related to a four-figure sum transferred from a private account of Halemba to an account in a Baltic country, with the money said to originate from fraud committed by third parties.

The 24-year-old has repeatedly framed the proceedings as politically motivated, accusing prosecutors of mudslinging and "constructing a link to National Socialism" in his closing remarks.

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Presiding Judge Gudrun Helm rejected the accusations as unfounded, describing Halemba's bid to portray himself as politically prosecuted as a "grotesque trivialisation of those who are actually politically persecuted."

During a raid on Halemba's room in a Wurzburg fraternity, police found extensive material related to Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party.

One investigator said one USB stick found contained one of the largest collections of songs and speeches from the Nazi era that she had ever come across.

According to her testimony in court, the device possibly belonging to Halemba contained more than 30 speeches by Hitler and his close confidants, such as Joseph Goebbels, as well as Nazi marching songs and right-wing rock music, including banned and anti-Semitic tracks.

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"He likes this music and he is extremely right-wing," the judge noted about Halemba, who did not comment on the findings in court.

The Bavarian chapter of the AfD has so far largely backed Halemba, who is considered to be on the far right of the spectrum and continues to serve his mandate in the state parliament.

In May, the populist party was decreed as "confirmed right-wing extremist" by Germany's domestic intelligence service, a designation that inflamed debate about whether the party should be banned. The classification has since been put on hold pending a legal challenge.

The AfD became the biggest opposition party in the German parliament after seeing huge gains in last year's elections.

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The party is currently neck and neck with Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives at the national level, with a poll published on Saturday putting both at 26%.

The far-right party could also make further gains later this year with a total of five state elections scheduled, particularly in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt where it is polling in first place on 39%.
A controversial member of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was found guilty on Monday of money laundering and coercion.

A district court in Wurzburg ordered 24-year-old Daniel Halemba, the AfD's top candidate in the Bavarian city ahead of local elections in March, to pay 160 daily fines of 190 ($225).

The verdict can still be appealed.

Prosecutors had charged Halemba with a slew of offences, including incitement to hatred over a banned song that promotes the expulsion of migrants from Germany, which was allegedly played at his birthday party.

Advertisement Advertisement

Prosecutors said the song by disbanded neo-Nazi rock band Landser, which was classified as a criminal organization in 2005, was played from a USB stick owned by Halemba on his 21st birthday in July 2022.

Halemba was aware that the lyrics incite hatred towards Germany's large Turkish community as they call for the forceful expulsion of citizens with Turkish roots, prosecutor Tobias Kostuch argued at the start of proceedings.

Halemba, a member of Bavaria's state parliament, denied all accusations against him, arguing that he was not present at the party at the time in question. The court subsequently acquitted him of incitement to hatred.

He was also acquitted of attempted coercion related to the alleged harassment of a lawyer and damage to his office door.

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However, the court found him guilty of having intimidated a witness in the preliminary investigation before his planned interrogation by the Wurzburg public prosecutor's office.

The charges of money laundering related to a four-figure sum transferred from a private account of Halemba to an account in a Baltic country, with the money said to originate from fraud committed by third parties.

The 24-year-old has repeatedly framed the proceedings as politically motivated, accusing prosecutors of mudslinging and "constructing a link to National Socialism" in his closing remarks.
Around five weeks after a major burglary at a Sparkasse branch in the western German city of Gelsenkirchen, the site was on Monday largely re-opened to customers affected by the theft of valuable items from safe deposit boxes.

Sparkasse chief executive Michael Klotz said the bank's clients would be kept fully informed and supported through the next steps, according to a statement.

However, the safe deposit box facility remains closed. The police have completed their examination of the documents and items left behind in the vault, but the room remains sealed off as a crime scene for the time being, said a police spokesman.

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Despite an extensive investigation, authorities have yet to identify any suspects.

During the high-profile burglary in December, thieves emptied around 3,100 safe-deposit boxes. Security sources told dpa that damages may well exceed 100 million ($119 million).

The savings bank has also opened a service centre at another location for affected customers.

The resumption of services at the branch follows public criticism from customers who complained of poor communication after the break-in.

Some said the bank failed to proactively contact them for weeks and instead referred them to a hotline that was often unavailable. One affected client described the situation as "zero communication."

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The bank has said it will compensate proven losses from safe-deposit boxes up to a maximum of 10,300. Customers are required to submit detailed inventories of the stolen contents, a process the new service centre is intended to assist with.

Cases filed against bank

However, many customers have told lawyers and police they had stored sums far exceeding that amount.

Lawyer Daniel Kuhlmann, who represents several affected clients, said he has filed three cases against the bank, accusing it of neglecting security measures and seeking full liability for the losses.

The bank has repeatedly rejected the allegations. "Our security measures are state of the art and up to date," said a spokeswoman.

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Both the branch and the service centre remained quiet on Monday morning, with no crowds of customers or protests.

"Now that the clean-up work is almost complete, the next step is to restore a degree of normality to the branch with the cash desk and service area," said Klotz.

The branch's self-service area with cash machines has been open again for some time.
Five people have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of procuring industrial goods worth at least 30 million ($35.5 million) for Russia in contravention of EU sanctions, prosecutors said on Monday.

The suspects were taken into custody as part of nationwide raids targeting a network set up to allow Moscow to circumvent EU sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe said.

The five individuals are believed to have used a shell company to purchase industrial goods and export them to Russia, enabling them to bypass the trade restrictions and supply around 16,000 deliveries worth at least 30 million to a total of 24 Russian arms companies.

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Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU has imposed sweeping economic sanctions, including on trade, finance, energy, industry, transport and luxury goods, aiming to curb Russia's ability to keep the war going.

Under the sanctions, EU companies are barred from selling weapons and other military goods to Russia, but also goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, such as engines, software and electronic or optical components that could be used in drones.

However, Russia has found ways to circumvent the punitive measures, including by using shell companies and its shadow fleet, a network of tankers used to get around sanctions on oil sales.

Four of the suspects were arrested in the northern city of Lubeck, including a German-Russian national said to be the sole shareholder and managing director of a company allegedly used by the group to procure and export the goods since at least the start of the war in Ukraine.

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The fifth suspect was arrested in a district to the south of Lubeck.

Prosecutors accuse the men of being part of a criminal organization and of carrying out commercial and gang-related activity violating the Foreign Trade Act.

At least one additional shell company in Lubeck and several fake buyers in and outside the EU were involved in the transactions to conceal deliveries to Russia, prosecutors believe.

"On the Russian side, government agencies were presumably behind the procurement network," the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office said.

A Russian company is also believed to be involved, with the main defendant holding a "position of responsibility" in that enterprise as well.

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Germany's foreign intelligence agency and the Customs Criminal Investigation Office are involved in the investigations.

Officers from the Customs Criminal Investigation Office searched properties in Frankfurt and Nuremberg, as well as in the northern states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein, linked to five further suspects who were not taken into custody.

The five arrested are set to be brought on Tuesday before a magistrate and the Federal Court of Justice, who will decide on their remand in custody.
Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong meets with Singaporean Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong on Monday met with Singaporean Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam in Beijing.

Wang said China is willing to work with Singapore to improve mechanisms and deepen cooperation in areas such as drug control, immigration management, and combating telecom fraud, online fraud and economic crime. He also said that they should strive to achieve further practical results and bring greater benefits to the people of both countries.

He said China is willing to work with Singapore to implement the important consensus reached between their heads of state, viewing and developing bilateral law enforcement and security-related cooperation from a strategic, long-term perspective.

Shanmugam expressed his willingness to maintain close communication with China and deepen practical cooperation on law enforcement and security. 
Five people have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of procuring industrial goods worth 30 million ($35.5 million) for Russia in contravention of EU sanctions, prosecutors said on Monday.

The suspects were taken into custody as part of nationwide raids targeting a network set up to allow Moscow to circumvent EU sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe said.

The five individuals are believed to have used a shell company to purchase industrial goods and export them to Russia, enabling them to bypass the trade restrictions.

Advertisement Advertisement

Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU has imposed sweeping economic sanctions, including on trade, finance, energy, industry, transport and luxury goods, aiming to curb Russia's ability to keep the war going.

Under the sanctions, EU companies are barred from selling weapons and other military goods to Russia, but also goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, such as engines, software and electronic or optical components that could be used in drones.

However, Russia has found ways to circumvent the punitive measures, including by using shell companies and its shadow fleet, a network of tankers used to circumvent sanctions on oil sales.

Four of the suspects were arrested in the northern city of Lubeck, including a German-Russian national said to be the sole shareholder and managing director of a company allegedly used by the group to procure and export the goods.

Advertisement Advertisement

The fifth suspect was arrested in a district to the south of Lubeck.

Prosecutors accuse the men of being part of a criminal organization and of carrying out commercial and gang-related activity violating the Foreign Trade Act.

At least one additional shell company in Lubeck and several fake buyers were involved in the transactions to conceal deliveries to Russia, prosecutors believe.

"On the Russian side, government agencies were presumably behind the procurement network," the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office said.

A total of 24 Russian arms companies were supplied with around 16,000 deliveries worth a total of 30 million.

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Germany's foreign intelligence agency and the Customs Criminal Investigation Office are involved in the investigations.

Officers from the Customs Criminal Investigation Office also searched properties in Frankfurt and Nuremberg, as well as in the northern states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein.

The five suspects are set to be brought before a magistrate and the Federal Court of Justice on Tuesday, who will issue the arrest warrants and decide on their remand in custody.
Five people have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of procuring industrial goods for Russia in contravention of EU sanctions, prosecutors said on Monday.

The suspects were taken into custody as part of nationwide raids targeting a wider network set up to allow Moscow to circumvent EU sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office said.

The five individuals are believed to have used a shell company to purchase industrial goods and export them to Russia, enabling them to bypass the trade restrictions.

Advertisement Advertisement

Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU has imposed sweeping economic sanctions, including on trade, finance, energy, industry, transport and luxury goods, aiming to curb Russia's ability to keep the war going.

However, Russia has found ways to circumvent the punitive measures, including by using shell companies and its shadow fleet, a network of tankers used to circumvent sanctions on oil sales.
The number of refugees in Germany who voluntarily returned to their home countries rose sharply in the past year.

In 2024, 10,358 people took advantage of the opportunity to return to their homeland with the help of state agencies in Germany, while in 2025, the number increased to 16,576, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) reported on Monday. The Funke media group was the first to report this.

"Sixty percent more voluntary returns than the previous year: This is an important component in the migration turnaround," German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.

Syrian civil war

The main reason for the increase is the end of the civil war in Syria at the end of 2024, which made the suspended return programme to that country possible again.

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The increase of over 6,000 returnees is more than half attributed to Syrian refugees, who accounted for 3,678 of the total. There was also an increase of more than 1,000 people voluntarily returning to Turkey in 2025.

At the end of 2024, the regime of Syria's long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad was overthrown. The overthrow marked the end of a civil war that had lasted more than a decade. However, violent clashes have continued to occur since then.

Since September 2025, the BAMF has also been deciding on asylum applications from Syria again. Until the end of 2024, the vast majority of applications from people from Syria had been approved, but after the end of the civil war, decisions were temporarily suspended until the political situation was clarified.

Asylum applications from Syria decline sharply

Syria was for a long time the leading country of origin for people seeking asylum in Germany. In 2024, 76,765 people from Syria submitted an initial application, and in 2023, it was even more than 104,000. In 2025, the number was significantly lower at 23,256.

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Since September 2025, decisions have been made again  but only on applications from single, male applicants of the Sunni faith who do not belong to any ethnic minorities. Many of these applications are rejected unless the applicants can present an individual reason, a spokesman said.

The return system provides that voluntary returnees can receive cash of up to 1,000 ($1,181), as well as travel costs and assistance for reintegration in their home country.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul begins his trip to South-East Asia and the Pacific region on Monday in Singapore.

The conservative politician plans to hold political talks with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan in the city-state.

Additionally, a speech by Wadephul at the International Institute for Strategic Studies is planned.

Wadephul intends to continue his journey to New Zealand on Monday afternoon.

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The spokeswoman for the Foreign Office in Berlin said during the announcement of the trip that Wadephul is aiming to strengthen Germany's cooperation with what is an important innovation and trade centre with his visit to Singapore.

The minister also plans to visit a company when he is there.

By Friday, Wadephul also plans to visit the Pacific island of Tonga, Australia and the sultanate of Brunei.

2024 action plan on future technologies with Singapore

Germany and Singapore strengthened their good bilateral relations in 2024 with an action plan specifically focusing on future technologies.

The European Union and Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA), which came into force in 2019, was an important step in this direction.

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In the economic metropolis, which is considered a leading financial, technology and logistics hub in the region, around 10,000 European companies are active, including more than 2,000 from Germany.

Singapore maintains free trade agreements with numerous countries, including China (CSFTA) and the United States (USSFTA).

The city-state acts as a neutral partner and maintains good relations with both Beijing and Washington.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul continues his trip to South-East Asia and the Pacific region on Tuesday with a visit to New Zealand, where he is due to meet his counterpart Winston Peters to discuss closer bilateral ties.

A spokeswoman from the Foreign Office in Berlin emphasized that Germany and New Zealand are both committed to democracy, freedom and international order. The two countries also work closely together in Antarctica.

Wadephul also plans to meet Dalton Tagelagi, prime minister of the South Pacific island nation of Niue. Germany only agreed to recognize the self-governed island of some 1,700 inhabitants in January.

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The ministers now plan to sign a declaration officially establishing diplomatic relations between Niue and Germany.

A comprehensive free trade agreement between Auckland and the European Union came into force in May 2024, and Germany is New Zealand's most important trading partner among the bloc's 27 members.

The two countries also cooperate in the areas of research and education.

New Zealand continues to walk a fine line between China as its most important trading partner and the United States as its key security guarantor.
The U.S. Coast Guard is expected to provide another update later today on the fishing vessel that sank off the coast of Gloucester with seven crew members on board, a tragedy that has deeply impacted the citys tight-knit fishing community.

The search for survivors was officially called off over the weekend, and the remaining six crew members are now presumed dead.

While most of the crew has not yet been publicly identified, many in Gloucester say they already knew them  or knew their families  highlighting just how personal the loss has been.

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A small memorial has been set up in the city as residents gather to mourn those lost at sea.

Flowers are seen placed at the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial in Gloucester, Mass., after a fishing boat from port city went missing off the coast of Massachusetts with multiple people on board, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Boston 25 News spoke with Michael Veil, who spent more than a decade fishing aboard the original Lily Jean with Captain Gus Sanfilippo, whose body was recovered following the sinking. Veil described Sanfilippo as both a mentor and a close friend.

Taught me everything I know: Captain of missing Gloucester vessel identified

Veil says when word spread Friday morning that there had been a tragedy offshore, his heart sank.

Gussie was like a brother to me for so many years, Veil said. He looked out for me. He let me live on the Lily Jean. He helped me get on my feet. He taught me everything I know about offshore fishing. He was my hero.

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Sanfilippos body was identified in the wake of the disaster, with a young fisheries observer and five other crew members presumed dead.

Over the weekend, family members, friends, and neighbors gathered for a church service to pray and remember the crew, reflecting the deep roots fishing has in Gloucester and the shared sense of grief felt throughout the community.

Meanwhile, the investigation into what caused the vessel to sink remains ongoing. Officials say they are still working to determine what went wrong and are also in the process of formally identifying all crew members who were on board.

The Coast Guard is expected to release additional information later today.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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Transportation crews across North Carolina will spend the coming days clearing snow and ice from roadways after a winter storm blanketed all 100 counties, state officials said.

"All 100 counties experienced snow, much of it in the east," Gov. Josh Stein said, urging residents to stay off the roads while crews work.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has deployed 2,500 workers on overtime to tackle the cleanup, prioritizing interstates and major highways before moving to secondary routes.

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"Our primary responsibility is to interstates and four-lane divided primary routes, essential to the movement of interstate and regional traffic," said Chrissy Murphy, communications officer for NCDOT Divisions 11 and 12. "From there, they move on to other roadways based on connectivity, traffic volume, trucking routes, and major business avenues and importance to hospitals and emergency routes."

Murphy said residents should only drive if it's an emergency. Those who must travel should drive slowly, avoid sudden movements, and allow extra time to reach their destinations safely.

"Don't make any sudden turning movements, don't suddenly apply the brakes, don't suddenly accelerate," Murphy said.

Officials warned that secondary roads pose particular risks due to potential black ice accumulation.

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Despite the disruption, Stein offered a lighthearted note: "I hope you're warm and safe and I hope that your kids and grandkids are outside playing."

The governor and transportation officials emphasized that keeping roads clear allows emergency responders and road crews to do their work safely and efficiently.

Contact Bria Smith at bsmith6@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Note: Follow live updates from USA TODAY here.

Elected officials failed to pass a massive funding package by the Friday, Jan. 30, deadline, triggering another partial government shutdown heading into the weekend.

The shutdown comes less than three months after the last one, which marked the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. USA TODAY reports the current partial shutdown is unlikely to last as long.

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Heres what Kentuckians should know.

Did the government shut down?

Yes. The government partially shut down at midnight on Saturday, Jan. 31, after lawmakers failed to meet the funding deadline.

The Senate passed a spending bill Friday that extends funding for the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks, and funds other government agencies through September.

The bills then moved to the House, which was in recess. This means the House could not begin consideration until reconvening on Monday, Feb. 2.

Why did the government shut down?

Senate Democrats and Republicans came head-to-head over a massive spending bill that included funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

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Democrats demanded the measure be removed from the package following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, resulting in a 55-45 vote against the package.

When will the government shutdown end?

It is unclear how long the lapse in funding could last, but some lawmakers appear optimistic.

"We'll get this done by Tuesday, I'm convinced," House Speaker Mike Johnson said on "Fox News Sunday." He noted, "The president is leading this."

There's no certainty the bills will pass in the House, however, as many Democratic and Republican leaders remain opposed. Funding for the DHS remains a divisive issue as well, with Democrats proposing limits on the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Does the IRS close during a shutdown?

The IRS's ability to stay open during a shutdown depends on funding.

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The IRS halted most of its major functions during the October 2025 partial shutdown, despite expectations that allocated funding would carry it through the standoff. Within the first week, the IRS furloughed about 50% of its employees and reduced services after its coffers ran out.

Automated e-filing and telephone calls still went through; however, all in-person appointments were canceled, walk-in taxpayer assistance centers were closed, audits, applications, paper processing and appeals were halted or slowed and refunds were delayed.

Will tax refunds be impacted by a government shutdown?

Yes. Tax refunds can be impacted by a full or partial government shutdown.

If the IRS limits services due to a funding lapse during a shutdown, refunds are not paid during that time, according to the IRS page from the 2025 shutdown. The exception last time was for individual taxpayers who filed their 1040 forms electronically without errors, which could be automatically processed and directly deposited.

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Contributing: Susan Page, Zachary Schermele, Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Kathryn Palmer, James Powel and Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Government shutdown 2026: When will it end? House to vote on funding bills
With much of the United States already enduring a protracted and severe winter, all eyes turned to Punxsutawney Phil on Monday as his handlers revealed the famed groundhog's annual weather prediction.

The long-standing tradition dictates that if Phil casts a shadow upon emerging from his burrow in rural Pennsylvania, a further six weeks of winter are to be expected. Conversely, a shadow-free appearance is said to herald an early arrival of spring.

Thousands gathered at Gobbler's Knob for the century-old ritual, which traces its origins to ancient European farming traditions. The event's profile has notably expanded since the release of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray.

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Last years announcement was six more weeks of winter, by far Phils more common assessment and not much of a surprise during the first week of February. His top-hatted handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club insist Phils groundhogese of winks, purrs, chatters and nods are being interpreted when they relate the meterological marmots muses about the days ahead.

Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil during the 137th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney. (AP)

Phil isn't the only animal being consulted for long-term weather forecasts Monday. There are formal and informal Groundhog Day events in many places in the U.S., Canada and beyond.

Groundhog Day falls on Feb. 2, the midpoint between the shortest, darkest day of the year on the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Its a time of year that also figures in the Celtic calendar and the Christian holiday of Candlemas.

Here are five other facts you should know about Groundhog Day

1) Punxsutawney Phil, the legendary groundhog who casts his prediction, has reputedly been operating in the Pennsylvania town for more than 130 years. Despite the lifespan of a groundhog usually being less than six years, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Clubs Inner Circle maintains they have been speaking to the same groundhog since 1887.

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2) Punxsutawneys first Groundhog Day in Gobblers Knob dates back to February 2, 1887, when the towns newspaper editor Clymer Freas informed his readers: Today is groundhog day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow.

However, the tradition can be traced to the Christian religious holiday of Candlemas Day, when Christians would take their candles to the church to have them blessed. It wasnt until Candlemas Day was introduced in Germany that an animal was brought into the lore, claiming that if a hedgehog saw his shadow on Candlemas Day there would be a Second Winter or six more weeks of bad weather.

Cami Lutgens, of Blacksburg, Va., celebrates while waiting for Punxsutawney Phil. (AP)

After German settlers came to what is now the United States, the Pennsylvania Dutch, and other German-speaking immigrants maintained the same tradition of Groundhog Day. But with the absence of hedgehogs in their new home, woodchucks were chosen instead.

The earliest known American reference to Groundhog Day was in a Morgantown shopkeepers journal entry dated February 4, 1841.

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Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas Day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, the entry reads, per the National Weather Service. But if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.

3) Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 107 times and not seen his shadow 20 times, according to The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Of these times, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that the groundhogs forecasts have been about 40 percent correct within the last 10 years.

The groundhog saw his shadow, Feb. 2, 1954, as the sun peeked through an overcast sky at Washington Park Zoo in Milwaukee. (AP)

4) Groundhogs are also referred to as woodchucks, forming the basis for the tongue-twister: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

5) Groundhog Day is celebrated beyond Pennsylvania. All throughout the U.S., states and local towns have their own Groundhog Day events marked by their own residing groundhog. In Milltown, New Jersey, attendees await the weather forecast from Milltown Mel. Staten Island Chuck is the name given to New York Citys official weather-forecasting woodchuck who is housed at the Staten Island Zoo.

The holiday is also observed throughout Canada.
The groundhogs' predictions are in: Six more weeks of winter are ahead.

On Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, both Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck saw their shadows, unanimously foreboding that winter weather will linger in the United States.

Across the United States and Canada, nearly 70 groundhogs participated in the Groundhog Day festivities on Feb. 2. It's a long-held tradition for groundhogs, ducks and other animals to have their shot at weather prognostication. If the animal sees its shadow, the belief goes, winter will linger. If the animal sees no shadow, an early spring is sure to come, according to the European tradition.

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Of all the prognostications, Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck are among the most revered for their longevity and purported accuracy.

But are they right this time? Is more winter weather really on the way for Tennessee? Here's how the groundhogs' 2025 predictions stack against those of the National Weather Service.

National Weather Service predicts above-average temperatures

After two January weekends in a row of snow and ice, a warm reprieve would be welcome in Tennessee.

Despite the groundhogs' predictions, Tennessee is forecast to experience slightly above average temperatures through February, March and April, according to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center. A majority of the Volunteer State has a 33-40% chance of above-average temperatures.

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The state is expected to see slightly above average chances of precipitation during the same time period.

The warmer-than-average spring forecast is defined by ongoing La Nina impacts, according to the National Weather Service. La Nina is a climate pattern that causes periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures. The Northern Hemisphere is likely to transition back to El Nino-Southern Oscillation-neutral conditions in late spring.

What are the most accurate groundhogs?

OK, OK ... so maybe groundhogs aren't the MOST accurate way to get the weather forecast.

The National Weather Service looked at the Groundhog Day predictions from 2005-2025 to determine which animals have the best record of accuracy. Staten Island Chuck came out on top, with a surprising 85% accuracy rate, according to the National Weather Service.

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The study also revealed that Punxsutawney Phil has a mere 35% accuracy rate.

Here's which groundhogs are most often correct, according to the National Weather Service.

Staten Island Chuck: From New York, 85% accurate General Beauregard Lee: From Georgia, 80% accurate Lander Lil: Prairie Dog Statue in Wyoming, 75% accurate Concord Charlie: From West Virginia, 65% accurate Gertie the Groundhog: From Illinois, 65% accurate

Does Tennessee have a weather-predicting groundhog? What happened to Chattanooga Chuck?

Chattanooga Chuck fans gather around the East Tennessee groundhog to hear his 2019 prediction at the Tennessee Aquarium Saturday morning.

Tennessee had its own weather-predicting rodent for nearly a decade.

Chattanooga Chuck predicted the weather from the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga each year until his death in 2019 at the age of 10.

When is the first day of spring?

Regardless of the weather, the first day of astronomical spring and the spring equinox falls on Friday, March 20.

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Allison Kiehl covers trending and breaking news from Knoxville for the Tennessee Connect Team. Email: allison.kiehl@knoxnews.com

Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Groundhog Day 2026 results compare to Tennessee's spring forecast
OSLO, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Monday condemned the United States for its "condescending and divisive aim" toward Greenland.

In a statement, released ahead of an emergency session of the Inatsisartut, Greenland's parliament, Nielsen also reiterated that continued U.S. pressure on Greenland is "unacceptable."

Greenland has faced a difficult situation over the past 14 months, the prime minister said, citing repeated U.S. statements, including recent ones, regarding its intention to acquire Greenland.

While the possibility of a military takeover has recently been disavowed, the United States continues to seek Greenland's attachment to and governance by the U.S., he said.

Nielsen pointed out that such rhetoric comes not only from U.S. President Donald Trump but also from other key U.S. decision-makers and close allies, adding that they have a "condescending and divisive aim" toward Greenland and its people.

In response, the government of Greenland has declared these attempts "unacceptable" and reiterated that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, he said.

Nielsen also noted that despite the tense situation, Greenland has begun a dialogue with the United States through high-level official channels, and his government will work to turn the talks into "concrete results." 
More than 40 faith leaders from New Hampshire gathered Thursday at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Manchester to speak out against the actions and tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Clergy representing Baptist, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Episcopal, Muslim, Evangelical and United Church of Christ traditions demanded accountability and rejected the use of fear as public policy. Faith leaders came from Hanover, Keene, Hampstead, Manchester, Peterborough, Durham, Laconia, Portsmouth, Salem, Nashua, Exeter and Concord.

We are here because fear is not safety, cruelty is not justice, and dehumanization is not law, said the Rev. David Grishaw-Jones, pastor of the Community Church of Durham. When families are terrorized and children are afraid to go to school, our democracy itself is wounded.

Speakers said ICEs masked and secretive enforcement tactics undermine public trust, violate the Constitution and place communities at risk.
A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty on Monday to draining disability benefits for years from the bank account of an elderly disabled veteran living in a nursing home, the U.S. Attorney said.

Donald Estes, 49, of Bath, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan said in a statement on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for May 11.

The victim was an elderly disabled veteran who was living in a nursing home until the time he died, Creegan said.

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Prosecutors said the victim was unable to manage his own money or make decisions. Each month, the Department of Veterans Affairs deposited disability benefits into the victims bank account.

Initially, the victims mother served as the victims legal guardian until she died. After her death, the victims nursing home reached out to Estes asking whether he would serve as the victims legal guardian.

Prosecutors said Estes never applied to serve as the victims legal guardian. Instead, Estes had the victim sign an agreement adding Estes to the victims bank account.

Between August 2020 and December 2023, Estes proceeded to steal $225,200 from the bank account, prosecutors said. Estes used the stolen funds on personal purchases or deposited the funds into other bank accounts he controlled.

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Estes faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Democrats were giddy Sunday after flipping a special election in Texas blue, but CNNs data guru Harry Enten found doom for their future electoral fortunes in population trends.

Taylor Rehmet, a first-time candidate and local union leader, won a shock upset victory Saturday in a special election for a Texas state senate seat against Leigh Wambsganss, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump. Its a deep-red district  Trump carried it by more than 17 points in the 2024 election  but Rehmet sailed to a double-digit win (57 percent to 43 percent).

Enten popped in to Sundays episode of CNN Newsroom to chat with anchor Jessica Dean about what the numbers looked like as we head towards the November midterms and beyond.

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After some chatter about the frigid winter weather, Enten commented that in politics, we often lose sight of the long term because were so focused in, so focused in on the short term, so today I wanted to take a look at some long term population trends.

These trends really should set off a flashing red siren to Democrats nationwide, while bringing a big smile to the faces of Republicans nationwide, Enten continued, because of which states had the biggest population gains since the 2020 Census. The top five all voted for Trump in 2024: Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona.

The issue for Democrats, Enten explained was that this is not just a red state boom, but were also looking at what I would dare call a blue state depression, because the population changes were from people moving from blue states into red states. All five of the states with the lowest domestic net migration this decade were states that former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024: California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

This could also have major political ramifications if it holds for 2030, the next Census, said Enten, because the way U.S. House seats are reapportioned based on each states population, and so, if the 2025 population shifts hold for 2030 in the states Harris won, then Democrats would lose seven seats in the House, and the states Trump won, would gain seven seats.

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This could also have an effect on presidential elections, he explained:

Now, this isnt just about the House of Representatives, right? Its also about the Electoral College, because the number of electoral votes that each state gets is equal to the number of senators. Each state, of course, has two, plus the number of house seats that they have. So what would this mean for the House of Representatives? Well, if you remember back in 2024, right, it was all about we were talking about the blue wall. If Kamala Harris could win the baseline Democratic states and then add in the blue wall states of Michigan, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, she would get to 270 electoral votes. But if all of a sudden we, in fact have  applying the 2025 estimates, the population estimates to the Electoral College, the blue states, plus the blue wall of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin would no longer be enough. Under the current estimates, you get to exactly 270 electoral votes, the minimum needed to win the Electoral College. If, in fact you apply the 2025 estimates, look at that. You would only get to 263 electoral votes if you were a Democrat, which would mean a Republican victory. Now, of course, were still a number of years away from reapportionment, right? We take the Census come 2030. But what we can say so far is we got a red state boom going on, a blue state depression going on, people moving from the blue states to the red states. And if it holds for 2030, well, it would make the Democratic nominee for presidents job of winning the Electoral College that much more difficult.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

The post Harry Enten Predicts Blue State Depression That Could Spell Doom for Democrats first appeared on Mediaite.
Israel fully reopened the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Monday for people on foot, a day after rolling out a limited, one-day pilot on Sunday to address potential logistical issues.

Ali Shaath, the head of the new Palestinian technocratic committee charged with governing the Gaza Strip, said on Monday that the opening of Gaza's Rafah Border Crossing signaled the start of a process to open a "window of hope" for Palestinians in Gaza.

This step...marks the beginning of a long process to open a genuine window of hope for our people in the Gaza Strip," Shaath told Agence France-Presse following the reopening of the crossing.

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Israel fully reopened the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Monday for people on foot, a day after rolling out a limited, one-day pilot on Sunday to address potential logistical issues.

Sam Rose, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, told the BBC on Monday that the reopening of Rafah reveals "competing dynamics."

"On the one hand, [there is] positive progress with the reopening of Rafah, yet over the past 24 hours," Rose claimed, "30 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes during a ceasefire."

Chair of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, Ali Shaath reacts during a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (not pictured), in Cairo, Egypt, January 19, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY)

British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper wrote on X/Twitter that she welcomed the Rafah crossing "opening for people to cross both ways on foot," adding that "much more still needs to be done."

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Cooper specified that "aid must flow in, restrictions on essential supplies must ease, & aid workers must be allowed to operate."

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday that opening Rafah "marks a concrete and positive step in the peace plan."

Kallas also mentioned that opening the crossing is only the first step and that Gazans urgently need humanitarian aid.

"For Gaza's sick and wounded," Kallas wrote on X, "the reopening is a lifeline...At the same time, Gaza remains in urgent need of aid. Its reconstruction will depend on Hamas' demilitarization."

Israel reopens Rafah Crossing, Egypt expected to impose caps on travelers

Collectively, the Sunday-Monday rollout now allows Palestinians to leave the enclave and to let back in certain Gazans who fled during the war in the enclave.

Cairo is also expected to impose unannounced caps on the number of travelers, though the number of daily travelers allowed was expected to be substantial.

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth traveled to one of Jeff Bezos' space facilities in Florida on Feb. 2 as the military awards contracts to the owner of Blue Origin and other tech billionaires who have worked to burnish a chummy relationship with the Trump administration.

Hegseth's visit was part of his "Arsenal of Freedom" speaking tour in his campaign to overhaul the Pentagon's relationship with the "defense industrial base"  its system for handing out contracts to build weapons.

"We will unleash our companies, unleash industry, unleash the competitive spirit that allows America to come out on top," Hegseth told the crowd.

President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Dec. 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump's notes as he attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, Dec. 2, 2025. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks alongside President Donald Trump during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. The misspelled name card for Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is seen during a meeting of Trumps' Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Dec. 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks alongside (L-R) U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Dec. 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. Also pictured, from left, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Secretary for Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent (C) speaks during a Cabinet Meeting held by President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. (L-R) Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and secretary of Interior Doug Burgum look on as President Donald Trump (not pictured) speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (2nd-R) looks on as President Donald Trump (not pictured) speaks, during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick speaks alongside Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump (L) during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025. Trump holds December Cabinet meeting as Hegseth faces scrutiny 1 of 13 President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Dec. 2, 2025.

"No more business as usual, which I know, Mr. Bezos, is music to your ears," he said.

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Bezos' Blue Origin has become famous for offering pay-to-ride trips to space for ultrawealthy customers. But the company has also received billions of dollars in defense contracts to build high-tech projects such as nuclear-powered spacecraft, communication technology that uses space lasers and a processing facility for satellites.

The Pentagon and Blue Origin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hegseth tours Musk's and Bezos' rocket factories

Hegseth's tour also included a Jan. 12 stop at a Texas facility of SpaceX, owned in large part by billionaire Elon Musk, who has played an even larger role in the Trump administration as its former head of the Department of Government Efficiency. At Musk's direction, DOGE took an ax to the federal government in early 2025, wiping out thousands of jobs and entire agencies.

"We want to have epic, futuristic spaceships with lots of people in them traveling to places we've never been to before," Musk said as he introduced Hegseth onstage. "That's the goal.

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"And that's what I think the public thinks of when they think of Space Force," he added, touting the military's space-focused branch.

Hegseth also announced that Grok, the chatbot run by X, the social media platform largely owned and controlled by Musk, would be integrated into internal Pentagon systems. The AI chatbot has been embroiled in controversy over accusations it generated sexualized images of children on X.

Bezos and Musk, who both stand to profit handsomely from contracts worth billions of dollars, are among the tech tycoons who sidled up to Trump after he was elected to a second term. Both billionaires reportedly rushed to Mar-a-Lago to dine with Trump weeks before his inauguration, and Amazon, of which Bezos is the largest shareholder, donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin holds billions of dollars in defense contracts.

After news outlets reported in April that Amazon would display the additional cost that Trump's tariffs added to prices on its site, Trump called Bezos, and Amazon quickly backed down.

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Greg Williams, director of the Project on Government Oversight's Center for Defense Information, said that the conflict-of-interest concerns precipitated by Hegseth's speeches at SpaceX and Blue Origin were not "particularly novel" and that the risk of corruption in the Pentagon's dealings with defense contractors was "structural and unavoidable."

But his presence is "calling attention to a situation of unprecedented conflict of interest" in the Trump administration, Williams said.

Trump and his team have come under scrutiny over their refusal to divest from for-profit companies and lucrative backdoor deals with foreign officials. The Wall Street Journal reported in recent days that Emirati officials bought a large stake in Trump's cryptocurrency company shortly before the administration granted the United Arab Emirates coveted American AI chips.

"In the Pentagon, many individual stakeholders and private entities are cultivating personal relationships with the president while they seek government contracts," Williams said.

Elon Musk waves to the crowd during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Amazon recently bought the rights to "Melania," the newly released documentary about first lady Melania Trump, for $40 million, making it the most expensive documentary in history. Of that amount, $35 million was spent on promotion for the film, raising questions about whether the hefty sum was an attempt by Bezos and his company to curry favor with the president.

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"By spending a tiny amount of money to buy the rights" to the Melania documentary, Bezos "potentially gets a much larger return" in the form of Blue Origin's billions of dollars in defense contracts and other possible government windfalls, Williams said.

Musk's SpaceX will see even more money pour in from defense contracts this year. Three days before Hegseth's visit to SpaceX, the military's Space Systems Command announced it had awarded the company another $739 million for missile warning and tracking systems. The company already had clinched the vast majority of launch contracts from Space Force for 2026. It won a $5.9 billion contract in April for Space Force launches through 2029. (Blue Origin won $2.3 billion in the same tranche.)

Musk's companies have been bolstered by about $38 billion in government contracts and subsidies, according to The Washington Post. The full scope of Bezos' and Musk's defense contracts is unknown, because some of the deals are classified.

As Musk's aides fired thousands of workers and seized Americans' sensitive personal data last year, Hegseth welcomed DOGE to the Pentagon to continue its stated mission of cutting wasteful spending.

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Nevertheless, the total savings from that effort came to just $6 billion in this year's defense budget. By comparison, this fiscal year's defense budget is an unprecedented $1 trillion, and Trump said he would ask for $1.5 trillion for next year, a 50% leap.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hegseth visits Bezos and Musk sites as defense contracts roll in
A man who spent more than a decade fishing with the captain of a boat that sank off the coast of Gloucester last week said he is in disbelief that his mentor is gone.

Michael Veil told Boston 25 News that Captain Gus Sanfilippo took him under his wing after Veil moved from Michigan to Gloucester to become a commercial fisherman.

Taught me everything I know: Captain of missing Gloucester vessel identified

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Gussie was like a brother to me for so many years, Veil said. He looked out for me. He let me live on the Lily Jean. He helped me get on my feet. He taught me everything I know about offshore fishing. He was my hero.

Sanfilippos body was identified in the wake of the disaster, with a young fisheries observer and five other crew members presumed dead.

As investigators searched for clues, family, friends and neighbors honored the seven lives lost in a church service Sunday.

Veil spent more than 10 years on and off on the original Lily Jean before leaving the industry at his girlfriends urging for a safer job.

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Its just weird to look at this water and know hes not going to be coming in and out of here anymore, an emotional Veil said at the Fishermens Memorial on Western Ave., where fresh bouquets of flowers lay Sunday night.

Veil spent harsh winters on the water, learning just how brutal Mother Nature could be. While he had lost friends to fishing tragedies in the past, news of the Lily Jean disaster seemed unreal.

One of the safest captains Ive ever sailed with. So, this is blowing our mind that, of all these boats, it wouldve been Gus, because we just didnt push it, Veil said. We would stop and beat the ice off or whatever we needed to do to make sure that boat was going to get us home. So, something [must have] happened fast.

Veil said he hopes seafood consumers understand and appreciate the sacrifice fishermen make each day.

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This is a dangerous business. Theres no candy-coating it, Veil said. Weve put a lot of people to rest in this business Now, one of my best friends is gone.

Officials on Sunday had not yet identified the remaining crew members lost at sea. The Coast Guard said more updates will be provided Monday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Hundreds of North Central High School students participating in an anti-ICE walkout spilled onto 86th Street in northern Indianapolis on Feb. 2 in an initially chaotic scene.

Dozens of drivers passing by honked and held fists up in solidarity. Some students stood on top of or hung out of vehicles.

North Central's walkout was one of hundreds that have been taking place across the nation following the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis last month. Students at multiple schools across central Indiana walked out of class Monday to lend their voices to the protest.

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But North Central's walkout was one of the larger ones.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and MSD Washington Township officers closed the intersection of 86th and Westfield Boulevard after hundreds of students had left school and gathered in parking lots and near the street. Once closed, students gathered in the road and played music, displayed signs and waved flags.

After about 20 minutes, the teens mostly cleared out the street at the direction of IMPD and Washington Township officers and protest organizers. The road reopened shortly after, and the protest moved to the parking lot of a former Walgreens, where speakers addressed the crowd.

Student organizers freshman Liam Bastnagel and senior Emma-Louise Akinleye said between 800 and 1,000 of North Central's 3,664 students participated.

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"We're feeling powerful," Akinleye told IndyStar. "We're feeling like our voices  they have a real impact."

Akinleye and Bastnagel said the turnout was double what they expected and noted the school's diverse makeup. The Washington Township high school is 22% Hispanic, 29% White and 39% Black, according to the Indiana Department of Education.

"If any Indiana politician saw this or even our governor, we would want him to know that we don't want ICE to have unlimited access into our city," Akinleye said. Despite several rumors, ICE has had limited operations in Indianapolis so far.

IMPD officials did not mention any injuries or arrests in their statement about the protest. IndyStar reporters did not witness any injuries, arrests or confrontations.

Multiple walkouts across Indy metro

Earlier on Monday, a few hundred students at Noblesville High School held a walkout. The students marched around the school grounds before heading to the city's square, where they did call and response chants and hoisted signs. Police blocked streets downtown as the crowd progressed.

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"It's so important that they're standing up for their rights," Noblesville mom Jamie Black, whose sophomore was among the marchers, said through tears. "They see what's happening, and they're willing to stand up for it and be identified as someone who does care. I just think that's so special."

Walkouts were also planned on Feb. 2 at Greenfield High School, Mt. Vernon High School in Fortville, Park Tudor High School, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School and Zionsville High School.

But not every adult praised the students' actions.

North Central Principal Jagga Rent warned parents in a Feb. 1 email: "While we respect students' desire to engage with current events, please note that leaving campus during school hours without proper authorization is not permitted under school policy."

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"If parents want their students to leave school, please follow the standard sign out process through our attendance office," the email said. "Students who leave class or campus without permission will be subject to the consequences outlined in our code of conduct."

Noblesville High School leaders released a similar statement

Related: Indiana students hold ICE walkouts. What to know about their rights

Reporter Kristine Phillips contributed.

The USA TODAY Network - Indiana's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.

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Have a story to tell? Reach Cate Charron by email at ccharron@indystar.com, on X at @CateCharron or Signal at @cate.charron.28. Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: North Central students' ICE walkout closes 86th Street in Indianapolis
Hungary on Feb. 2 took legal action before the European Court of Justice over the EU's planned ban on Russian energy imports, requesting an annulment, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

The news comes after the Council of the EU approved plans to ban Russian gas purchases by 2027, with the European Commission also planning to propose legislation on phasing out Russian oil by that year.

The measures are part of the REPowerEU strategy for ending reliance on Moscow's energy imports in the wake of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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Szijjarto said that energy imports can only be restricted through sanctions approved unanimously by all 27 EU members.

The move to ban Russian energy imports was introduced as a trade policy decision rather than a sanctions measure, allowing it to pass with a qualified majority despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia.

The two landlocked Central European countries remain heavily reliant on Russian fossil fuels. Their governments, which have repeatedly obstructed EU support for Ukraine, announced last week their intention to challenge the energy ban in court, claiming it undermines their national interests.

Szijjarto argued that, according to EU Treaties, each member state can decide on its energy sources, and that the "principle of energy solidarity requires the security of energy supply for all member states."

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"Without Russian oil and gas, our energy security cannot be guaranteed, nor can low energy costs be maintained for Hungarian families," Hungary's top diplomat said on X.

While the European bloc phased out most Russian oil imports and reduced purchases of Russian gas by 75% between 2021 and 2025, it remains Moscow's leading buyer of both pipeline gas and liquified natural gas (LNG).

Reuters reported on Feb. 2 that Russian gas exports via TurkStream, the only pipeline still delivering gas from Russia to Europe, increased by 10.3% year on year in January.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine sees real results from blocking Russias Starlink use, defense minister says

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hungary has filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against the European Union's decision to ban imports of natural gas from Russia, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday.

Szijjarto announced the move on X following the publication of the regulation on phasing out Russian gas in the EU's legal database.

Slovakia has also announced that it will file a lawsuit at the Luxembourg-based court.

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The minister justified the move by saying that Hungary and Slovakia should not have been outvoted when the decision was taken at the end of January.

In essence, it was a sanctions decision, which should have required unanimity to be adopted, he said.

However, the bloc's 27 members treated the import ban as a trade policy measure, for which a qualified majority is sufficient for approval.

Szijjarto argued in his post that "the EU Treaties clearly state that each member state decides its choice of energy sources and suppliers."

Moreover, the "principle of energy solidarity requires the security of energy supply for all member states," he wrote.

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The decision clearly violates that principle in Hungary's case, according to Szijjarto, "since only more expensive and less reliable energy alternatives are available" without the Russian imports.

The regulation, which was adopted by a majority of EU members, stipulates that natural gas imports from Russia should cease by the end of 2027.

In view of the Kremlin's continuing invasion of Ukraine, the EU wants to reduce Russia's revenues from energy and raw material exports.

Hungary is highly dependent on Russian gas. Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, the country has made no serious efforts to break free from this dependency.

Its right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban is widely regarded as the Kremlin's closest ally in the EU.
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has been recommended as a candidate for the next UN secretary-general, said the spokeswoman for the president of the UN General Assembly on Monday.

Bachelet's candidacy was recommended by her country, Chile, as well as Brazil and Mexico, said La Neice Collins, the spokeswoman.

The other candidate so far for the top UN job is Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The term for the next UN secretary-general starts on Jan. 1, 2027. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested more than 650 illegal aliens across West Virginia during a two-week statewide operation conducted in coordination with local law enforcement agencies and without protests, federal officials announced.

ICE said in a press release Sunday that the operation ran from Jan. 5 to Jan. 19 and involved 14 federal, state and local law enforcement partners.

ICE deployed teams to Charleston, Martinsburg, Beckley, Moorefield, Morgantown and Huntington as part of the operation.

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Law enforcement officials arrested more than 650 illegal aliens, including individuals ICE said pose threats to public safety and national security, as well as others who entered the country illegally.

Dhs Takes Victory Lap After Arresting Over 10K Illegal Aliens In Deep Blue City Despite Violent Riots

ICE officers arrested over 650 illegal aliens in a two-week West Virginia operation.

"This operation demonstrates how strong partnerships between ICE and West Virginia law enforcement agencies enhance public safety and the integrity of our immigration system," ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Michael Rose said. "By training and supporting our partners across the state, weve expanded local capacity to identify, arrest and process illegal aliens while ensuring these authorities are exercised professionally and consistent with the law."

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One individual arrested as part of Operation ICE Wall on Jan. 8 was Sagar Singh, a citizen of India. The operation targeted illegal aliens operating commercial vehicles, and Singh was pulled over for failing to stop at a mandatory brake check station.

During the stop, Singh was cited for multiple vehicle infractions, including operating an unsafe commercial vehicle. According to ICE, Singh had previously been ordered removed from the U.S.

Houston Ice Operation Nets Over 3,500 Criminal Illegal Aliens In Six Weeks During Shutdown

ICE officers arrested Sagar Singh, an Indian national previously ordered removed, during Operation ICE Wall after he was stopped for failing to clear a mandatory commercial vehicle brake check.

Singh was one of more than 25 aliens arrested under Operation ICE Wall during the two-week enforcement surge.

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Another illegal alien arrested during the operation was Ling Yan, a citizen of China also known as Yang Ning, who was previously convicted of two counts of endangering the welfare of children in Ravenna, Ohio.

ICE also arrested a convicted child sex abuser, an individual with drug possession convictions and numerous other offenders during the operation.

California Illegal Immigrant With 49 Prior Arrests Tops Ices Latest Worst-of-the-worst List

On Jan. 11, ICE officers arrested Ling Yan, a Chinese national also known as Yang Ning, who was previously convicted of two counts of endangering the welfare of children in Ohio and has a final order of removal.

One of the agencies that worked with ICE was the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, whose top official praised the results of the two-week operation.

"The Sheriff's Office was impressed with the professionalism and work ethic of the agents and how well they interacted with the citizens and local law enforcement officers," Jefferson County Sheriff Tom Hansen said. "Working with such a high-caliber group of agents who were assigned to Jefferson County made the decision to support the initiative worthwhile."

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"We are also gratified that through this program, we have had the opportunity to remove numerous dangerous criminals from our community," he added.





Original article source: ICE arrests over 650 illegal aliens across West Virginia with state, local police backing
MUSKEGON, MI  Ice climbed the towering steel structure along Lake Michigan, a vivid indication of the frigid temperatures that have enveloped Michigan. Massive ice piles lined the south pier, while chunks of ice filled the Muskegon Channel.

A thick ice shelf snaked along the shoreline stretching out of view from Pere Marquette Beach.

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

Friday marked another day of the Arctic cold as real-feel temperatures hovered below zero. MLive senior photographer Joel Bissell ventured to the Lakeshore when he saw that the sun would be shining in Muskegon, which has been a rare sight over the last few weeks.

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Wearing ice cleats, Bissell headed down the frozen 1,500-foot pier, carefully traversing the sloping ice piles that stood several feet above the pier walkway to the 53-foot tall Muskegon South Breakwater Light Beacon Station at the end of the pier.

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

The ice buildup along the lighthouse made it impassable for Bissell, but he was able to capture some footage with a drone.

Ice stretched at least 40 feet up the northwest facing side of the towering red light that stands 70 feet above the water, gradually thinning up toward the top platform.

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

On the other side of the channel, the North Pier light was completely encased in ice as greater scaups, long-tailed ducks, red-breasted mergansers and other birds swam between the gaps in the ice.

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

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Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

The cold temperatures have helped ice grow on Lake Michigan. On Friday, NOAA reported 32% coverage on the lake, by Sunday, Feb. 1, that coverage increased to 36.5%.

Watch

Inland, Muskegon Lake was frozen over, with ice fishermen dotting the lakes horizon.

Last week MLive captured dramatic photos of the ice in St. Joseph, South Haven and Grand Haven.

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1/24

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A safety note for those who visit these ice formations: The U.S. Coast Guard has cautioned people that no Great Lakes shoreline ice is ever completely safe to walk on. Wave action underneath the snow and ice can create holes and weak areas, which people can fall through.

PHOTO GALLERY: Ice coverage grows on Lake Michigan off Muskegon shoreline

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

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Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

Muskegon Ice 1.30.26

More lakeshore travel

Read the original article on mlive.com.
Immigration and ICE  not exactly topics of The Good Humor Man  have dominated readers attention on the opinion pages, lawmakers discussions at the Roundhouse and The Santa Fe New Mexicans decisions about the front page.

Consider headlines from last week:

Tuesday: A state of siege on coverage of the Immigrant and Worker Day of Action rally that drew hundreds to protest at the Roundhouse.

Wednesday: N.M. population declines amid Trump crackdown on how census estimates show the impact in the state and nation from ramped-up changes to immigration policies, which have led to the lowest annual U.S. population growth in history.

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Thursday: House anti-ICE bill clears 2nd hurdle on Democrat-led efforts to ban immigration detention centers in New Mexico  an action that, if approved, would likely pit the state and federal governments in a legal cage match.

Friday: PRAYING FOR PEACE on a vigil by U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez and local faith leaders honoring those who have been detained or died during the ICE siege in Minneapolis.

The New Mexican newsroom has had a recent spike in reader tips about ICE sightings. (Occasionally followed with a polite why-didnt-you-report-this scolding.) We also saw a rise in ICE-related concerns and tips after the presidential election.

A recent rumor had ICE at Ski Santa Fe. To date, that tip hasnt been substantiated. Maybe the reader got confused with the weather forecast last weekend. Or its because ICE is sending security forces to the Winter Olympics. (Perhaps to quell those Nordic medalists in the downhill snow-swooshing events.)

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The problem is no one knows the extent of ICEs actions in New Mexico or elsewhere.

But sources are emerging, methodological pitfalls aside, thanks to the Deportation Data Project at the University of California Berkeley School of Law (deportationdata.org). The U.S. government logs every individual immigration arrest, immigration detention book-in, immigration court outcome, and deportation. explains the Deportation Data Project site: But this information is nonetheless difficult to use for three main reasons: 1) infrequent and inconsistent data releases, 2) insufficient linking across datasets, and 3) insufficient documentation.

Heres the not-so-surprising headline: New Mexicos trendline for immigration arrests and detentions changed in 2025. Arrests are up substantially across the state, but the majority are happening at county jails.

These findings are from data provided by ICE in response to a Freedom of Information Act request and processed by the Deportation Data Project. (The data points in this column are based on my summary of ICE arrests and detentions in New Mexico. It doesnt include an analysis of Customs and Border Protection data.)

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ICE recorded 194 arrests in New Mexico in 2024.

From January through Oct. 15, 2025 (the last available data), ICE arrested 1,852 individuals in New Mexico  a 955% increase compared with 2024.

The assumption that ICE agents are rampaging across the vast expanses of New Mexico doesnt match the data. About 78% of arrests in 2025 were individuals already being detained, which means ICE agents likely were alerted by county jailers.

The remaining 12% of arrests in 2025 were identified in various ways, such as other efforts, located, noncustodial arrest or probation and parole, which explains why rumors of raids persist. ICE data identified only nine individuals arrested statewide  two for traffic checks, seven for worksite enforcement  in what could be categorized as everyday scenarios.

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The Deportation Data Project offers plenty of hints on why detentions are happening and where in New Mexico. About 49% of arrests are tied to criminal convictions. Whats less clear are the 27% of arrests involving people with no criminal convictions or charges.

Since the data projects inception in September 2023, Lovington has had the most ICE detainees. The Lea County seat is situated along the southeastern border with Texas. The rest of the states detention top-five list includes Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Carlsbad and Roswell.

In 2024, ICE detained 31 people in Santa Fe County. The 2025 total through Sept. 17 shows 14 people who spent time in jail here.

Why the decrease? Your guess is as good as anyone trying to make sense of whats happening across the country. Itll be intriguing if the detention discussion plays out in the 2026 election for Santa Fe County sheriff.
The messages started popping up on Facebook and in private messaging groups Thursday morning.

ICE in Teaneck. They stopped a man walking a kid to school. Did they just arrest a child?

Local police, who earlier in the week responded to 911 calls of suspicious activity only to find federal immigration officers conducting operations in their town, couldnt say for sure.

It turned out that federal authorities encountered the child and her uncle on their way to school and questioned them but let them go after learning the man is a U.S. citizen, local officials later told NJ Advance Media.

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The incident drew immediate parallels to Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old captured in a now-viral image wearing a Spider-Man backpack and a floppy-eared beanie as he was detained by immigration officials in suburban Minneapolis before a federal judge ordered the child released.

In the absence of any information provided to us by the federal authorities, we really are frustrated, Teaneck Mayor Mark J. Schwartz said on Sunday.

Our people are scared.

Confusion over ICE operations abounds in New Jersey as President Donald Trumps aggressive deportation campaign has met equally aggressive opposition from the states mostly Democratic leaders, who say they must guard against an unconstitutional crackdown that has spurred bloodshed in cities across the U.S.

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If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out, Gov. Mikie Sherrill, just weeks into her tenure, said in an appearance last week on Comedy Centrals The Daily Show where she announced a new state-run portal to track ICE activity in the state.

Federal immigration officials, meanwhile, say they arent notifying local police when they come to town because sanctuary politicians are blocking local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE.

Until recent years, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies worked closely together on most of their operations to avoid potentially dangerous situations where one agency is operating in anothers jurisdiction.

During Trumps first term, however, New Jerseys attorney general issued an immigrant trust directive that more strictly defined how local police could help the feds enforce immigration law. More recently, lawmakers have been looking to codify those restrictions into state law.

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Sherrill and other New Jersey officials say local cops shouldnt be in the business of immigration enforcement, arguing it hurts public safety for them to be seen by their communities as aligned with ICE, which has violated court orders in its pursuit of deportations.

Federal officials counter New Jersey has being too soft on crime  and getting in their way.

On Jan. 26, ICE lodged an arrest detainer against Hernando Garcia-Morales, a homeless man from Mexico with a criminal record who tossed a rock from an overpass on the New Jersey Turnpike in early January.

The rock smashed through a window of a school bus returning from a field trip at Liberty Science Center, sending a third grader to the hospital.

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Hernando Garcia-Morales should have never been in this country, let alone released after multiple arrests into New Jersey communities, said Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE has lodged an arrest detainer against this monster, and we hope New Jerseys sanctuary politicians will help us keep him off American streets for good.

It was unclear where Garcia-Morales was being held when ICE issued the detainer. He was apprehended Jan. 9 by the New Jersey State Police.

ICE operations have brought masked agents in black cars to communities across New Jersey, often with little official information about what, exactly, they were doing.

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On Saturday, several people were detained by ICE agents in New Brunswick, according to News12, which cited advocacy group New Labor. At least six people were reportedly detained, including three of them near the intersection of French and Handy Streets.

ICE activity was also reported near the 9th Street Light Rail Station along the border of Jersey City and Hoboken on Sunday, Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour said in a statement.

Jabbour said multiple witnesses confirmed they saw several people being apprehended from the light rail train and around the station. She noted the Hoboken Police Department was not notified in advance and did not assist.

We will monitor the situation closely and share verified updates as soon as they are available, Jabbour said. I know how unsettling and frightening this news can feel, especially for our immigrant neighbors.

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The agents spotted in Teaneck spurred 911 calls to police, who went themselves to verify they were actually federal law enforcement but could share little about their activities.

The Teaneck Police Department is not notified in advance of, nor after, ICE operations conducted within the township, Deputy Chief Seth B. Kriegel said in a statement.

Teaneck Councilman Michael Pagan said concerned residents have reported multiple sightings of ICE agents in the township over the past few months.

In a statement responding to Sherrills comments on The Daily Show, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said New Jersey will be less safe as a direct result of these policies.

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Our partnerships with state and local law enforcement are key to removing criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members and terrorists from American communities, the statement said.

When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with us, that is when we have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities.

Local officials say residents are on edge, not only because of the nationwide protests over ICE crackdowns in major cities, but also because criminals have also started capitalizing on the confusion  by impersonating federal immigration officers.

Last week, a man driving a dark SUV was arrested in Newark for robbing people while brandishing a flashlight and a jacket with ICE emblazoned on it.

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Without clear information about where federal agents are operating, local officials say they have little to allay the fears of residents speculating on social media.

In the absence of information, conspiracies come out, Schwartz, Teanecks mayor, said in a phone interview.

We need to fill the void with facts, not with theories.

Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
An Idaho House Committee voted Monday to advance a bill that conforms to nearly all the tax cuts in the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." The majority of testimony opposed the bill because of its large hit to the state budget in the current fiscal year. Supporters said it would provide tax relief to Idahoans. (Phillip Rubino/Getty Images)

An Idaho House of Representatives committee voted Monday to advance a bill that adopts nearly all of the tax cuts in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, amid concerns over its hit to the state budget.

The House Revenue and Taxation Committee voted along party lines to send House Bill 559 to the floor, where it may be considered by the entire chamber. The public hearing lasted two hours, with the vast majority of the public testifying in opposition.

Rep. Jeff Ehlers, R-Meridian, debates on the Idaho House of Representatives floor on Feb. 9, 2024. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun)

This bill is tax cuts for the people of Idaho, bill sponsor Rep. Jeff Ehlers, R-Meridian, said Monday. This goes back to the Trump cuts that he made as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill.

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Each year, the Idaho Legislature passes a tax conformity bill, which aligns Idahos tax code with the federal tax code, and typically ensures the definitions of taxable income match. This year, conformity to the tax deductions included in the massive federal tax-and-spending bill may cost the state an estimated $155 million in the current fiscal year.

Because of the sweeping changes this year, and the fact that House Bill 559 would apply to residents 2025 taxes  there is uncertainty over the scale of the impact in an already tight budget year.

Ehlers said he felt his $155 million estimate was a reasonable number.

He noted that the individual tax benefits included in the federal bill only last four years, so he thought it was important to apply the cuts retroactively to 2025. Idaho Gov. Brad Littles budget proposal this year would have begun conforming in the next fiscal year.

Opponents of bill worry over cutting costs to pay for it

Of the 24 people who spoke at Mondays hearing, 21 opposed the bill. All of the opponents expressed concern over its price tag and the effect on programs such as Medicaid and K-12 public schools. Committee Chair Rep. David Cannon, R-Blackfoot, said hed received about 200 emailed testimonies as well, most of which were in opposition.

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Last week, the leaders of the state budget-writing committee wrote to agency heads to consider additional 1% and 2% budget cuts in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and the next fiscal year. Medicaid and public schools had originally been protected from the broad budget cuts, but a memo sent Wednesday targeted both programs for potential reductions.

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Elinor Chehey, on behalf of a group called United Women in Faith, argued that the result of the income tax cuts included in House Bill 559 would be a shift to property taxes.

If you have to reduce the public school funding to balance the state budget, the schools will be asking for more supplemental levies, Chehey said.  if Medicaid expansion is greatly reduced or eliminated, we will need to go back to the Idaho Catastrophic Health Fund that covered medical expenses for the working poor before 2020.

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She noted that before Medicaid expansion had been approved via ballot initiative in 2018, the state helped counties pay for indigent hospital care through a now defunct fund called the Catastrophic Health Fund. The fund was eliminated upon implementation of expansion in 2020.

Middleton resident Alicia Mondor said that her 6-year-old son who has a rare and terminal muscular dystrophy condition relies on benefits provided through Medicaid. There are thousands of kids and parents just like me who are willing to fight for their kids, and we are very upset that Idaho seems to be wanting to give tax breaks to corporations rather than taking care of their vulnerable, Mondor said.

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Supporters would rather Idaho fully conform to all the tax write-offs in the OBBA

Those who spoke in favor of the bill said they supported conforming to the tax changes, but would rather have adopted all the federal changes.

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Ehlers bill takes a phased approach to the deduction on research and experimentation, also called research and development. Under the Big Beautiful Bill, those full deductions could be retroactive to 2022 expenses. Under HB 559, the expense could be fully deducted starting in 2025. For expenses made in 2022 to 2024, the expenses could be amortized, or spread out over time.

Ron Nate, president of the conservative think tank, the Idaho Freedom Foundation, told committee members he supported the bill, but wouldve liked to see it go further.

The drawback I see with this bill is it does pick winners and losers on the corporate side, Nate said. We should conform fully on the corporate side, as well and for both years also.

Nate also urged lawmakers to do further tax cuts this year by eliminating either income taxes or property taxes completely.

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House Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Meridian, countered Nate, saying, So Idaho is not picking winners and losers. Were just saying that were doing it differently than the federal.

Mark Wynn, representing the frozen potato and fry company Lamb Weston, spoke in favor of the bill but also said its research and experimental provisions attack and target companies that innovate and invest in Idaho.

Committee Republicans express some concerns, but all vote in favor

Rep. Britt Raybould, R-Rexburg, asked questions about the bills impact on the current fiscal year budget and regarding the potential need for further cuts.

Rep. Rick Cheatum, R-Pocatello, said he had great concern, that experts with the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho had requested what are called trailer bills  which are passed after a main bill  to fix the timing concerns, and allow full conformity of the research and experimentation write-off.

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I dont think I can support a bill with promises that issues with this bill will be fixed later, Cheatum said.

Cheatum and every other committee Republican voted in favor of advancing the bill to the floor. Monks, arguing in favor, said, This is a good bill, needs to get done. We need to get this done.

The two Democrats on the committee, Reps. Steve Berch of Boise and John Gannon of Boise, opposed the bill because of the impact to the state budget.

Its very clear that were cutting budgets, and this bill will just continue that process, Berch said. And its not just trimming fat. Its cutting bone and muscle, and we heard many examples of that here today.

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Gannon said he didnt feel like the estimates provided on the state revenue reductions were accurate, which could have major implications. He said the Legislature should postpone a vote until they can better determine how much it will cost.

House Bill 559 went to the House floor, where it may be brought up for debate and vote by the chamber at a later date.

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CHICAGO  It was four years ago in May that Darren Bailey declared Chicago a crime-ridden, corrupt, dysfunctional hellhole as he and five rivals made crime the centerpiece issue in their race to be the Republican nominee for governor.

Based on statements from the four current GOP candidates for governor, including Bailey, who is seeking a second chance, not much has changed.

To be sure, Bailey, the unsuccessful 2022 GOP challenger to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, says he is moderating his tone about the city. But he and primary opponents Ted Dabrowski, Rick Heidner and James Mendrick still maintain crime is a top issue of their campaigns  and have recently added their support of Republican President Donald Trumps aggressive immigration enforcement to the mix.

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Yet statistics show that since that 2022 election, violent crime is down in Chicago and across the nation. Thats something even Trump, whom the GOP candidates pledge fealty to, has proclaimed. Just a little more than a week ago, the president declared, America is safer than it has been in over a century, as the White House cited data of declining murder rates in the nations biggest municipalities.

Trump has taken credit for the falling crime rates, attributing them to his deployment of federal agents to Democratic-run cities, even though Chicago Police Department data show the city ended 2025 with declines in most major crime categories  including murders and shootings  drops that began before Trump started his second term.

Regardless, the result has been a paradoxical narrative in the Republican primary in which candidates for Illinois governor loyal to Trump are campaigning against a crime wave he says no longer exists.

Chicago has been the biggest focus of attention for the GOP candidates.

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In statistics Mayor Brandon Johnson has cited as evidence of progress, Chicago recorded 416 killings in 2025  the citys lowest homicide total in more than a decade  while shootings, defined as incidents in which at least one person was killed or wounded, fell by about one-third compared with 2019, according to department data.

Still, the GOP candidates dont buy it.

I dont think crime has gone down, said Heidner, a real estate and onetime-embattled video gambling operator from Barrington Hills. People arent safe. Theyre not safe. Theyre getting killed. Theyre getting robbed. Theyre getting raped.

Liars use numbers. Crime has not come down, said Mendrick, the DuPage County sheriff, who contends the method of calculating crime statistics has changed and that gangbangers dont call the police on each other, so none of those are being reported. He adds that medical technology is saving the lives of drug victims, reducing drug-related crime statistics.

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Dabrowski, a conservative activist from Wilmette who has made a career offering his opinions based on data, said that after so many years of so much crime, a lot of people dont report crimes anymore.  Massive numbers of crimes arent reported anymore because the police (dont) come.

SAFE-T Act echoes

Crime and the fear of violent crime have long been used by politicians as an issue to try to motivate the electorate. And a recent Emerson College poll conducted for WGN-TV may explain the GOP candidates primary messaging.

The survey of 1,000 likely voters, conducted Jan. 3-5, found crime ranked fifth behind the economy, health care, threats to democracy and immigration as the most important issue to voters.

But among likely GOP primary voters, it ranked third behind only the economy and immigration.

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In 2022, Republican governor candidates focused on the SAFE-T Act, the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today law, and its cashless bail provision known as the Pretrial Fairness Act  even before the law went into full effect on Sept. 18, 2023. Under the law, instead of holding people charged with crimes on cash bail amounts, judges weigh whether to detain someone pretrial based on whether theyre considered a flight risk or a danger to the public.

Bailey and other Republicans warned then that the law would end up exporting the violent crimes of Chicago to the suburbs and downstate.

During a 2022 speech in Peoria, Bailey contended Chicago is living The Purge', a reference to a dystopian 2013 horror movie in which the government allows all crimes committed during a 12-hour period to be legal. Democratic leaders have turned the West Loop into the Wild West and Chicago into the OK Corral, the Republican said.

Now, with the SAFE-T Act in effect, the GOP candidates for governor are united in calling for its repeal, contending it has left citizens less safe and has decimated the morale of law enforcement.

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Crime is out of control. Thats because of the SAFE-T Act, which I vow to get rid of. Day one, SAFE-T Act is gone. Executive Order, Mendrick told an audience at a Jan. 19 GOP candidate forum at an East Dundee gun shop  even though a governor has no power to overturn a state law with an executive order.

I have a very simple answer for that, Heidner said when asked by a reporter about the SAFE-T Act. If you have money for bail or if you dont have money for bail, I have a real easy way for you not to need bail. Dont commit a crime.

The GOP candidates point to high-profile individual cases where defendants have not been detained and go on to be accused of committing violent crimes, most notably a November incident aboard a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train in which a man with an extensive criminal background allegedly set a woman on fire in an apparently unprovoked attack while he was on electronic monitoring as a defendant in an aggravated battery case. The judge in the aggravated battery case had the option of holding the suspect, Lawrence Reed, in custody.

Dabrowski, while supporting a repeal of the SAFE-T Act, acknowledged the Blue Line incident was an outlier. But he said there are still plenty of very worrisome crimes being committed in Illinois and that too many criminal suspects, like Reed, are not detained and instead are being released and able to commit more crimes.

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What I want to get to is not less crime. I want to get to safe city, he said. And I just think that more attention on prosecutors, more attention on the (sentences), making sure that theyre not letting repeated felons out all the time. Thats the big complaint.

Matthew McLoughlin, who has defended the elimination of cash bail as campaign coordinator for the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, said he believed the rhetoric of the GOP governor candidates seeking the laws repeal is being brought to the surface due to the Trump administrations, you know, over the top, again, hyperbolic comments about whats happening in Illinois that seem extremely detached from reality.

In contrast to the governor candidates, he said, many Republicans more broadly are calling for changes to the Pretrial Fairness Act, giving judges more discretion to detain suspected criminals.

There are many parts of the opposition that have recognized that they lost the debate about whether or not the money bond system was making our community safer, McLoughlin said. And theyre now talking about making changes because they know that they were wrong. And they know that they were making statements that were hyperbolic, meant to cause fear and were not based in fact.

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Despite favoring the SAFE-T Act when it was passed by the General Assembly, top Illinois Democrats, Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch of Hillside, have expressed openness to proposed changes to the law. But as of now its unclear what those changes would entail.

Bailey, a wealthy downstate farmer, said that its interesting that Pritzker has suddenly become open to changing the law. But when asked why the GOP is zeroing in on the law when crime in places like Chicago has gone down, Bailey lamented how there are communities that are struggling to find people who want to become cops and for the future for our children, our families and our businesses  it needs to stop dead in its tracks now.

All four Republican candidates support ending Illinois sanctuary state status. And as all four seek a presidential endorsement, which helped Bailey win the 2022 primary, they also said they back Trumps immigration enforcement efforts even as congressional Republicans express concerns over the actions of agents and the president himself has dialed back operations in Minneapolis after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by federal agents in the last month.

Heidner, who backed Trumps call to deploy the National Guard in Chicago over Pritzkers objections  a move rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court  has gone so far as to say the president should invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807. The law would allow Trump to deploy the military and federalize the National Guard to suppress civil disorder.

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Less than a week after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 9, Heidner wrote on the social media platform X, I support the First Amendment and the right to peacefully protest. However, the riots in Minnesota are unacceptable and this unlawful rebellion needs to end. Im asking @realDonaldTrump to immediately invoke the INSURRECTION ACT and restore order in Minnesota!

Despite explanations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that were widely at variance with video evidence of federal agents fatally shooting Alex Pretti on Jan. 24, and pending investigations into his death, Dabrowski quickly blamed Pretti, the sanctuary status of Minneapolis and comments by local and Illinois leaders critical of the enforcement actions as inciting violence.

I find it interesting that the protesters on the streets of Chicago, along with Pritzker and Johnson, who otherwise oppose individual gun rights, have no problem with someone tracking federal officers in Minnesota for the purpose of impeding their enforcement operations while armed with a handgun, Dabrowski said, though Pretti was legally carrying a firearm and there was no visual evidence of him brandishing it.

The way to avert such tragedies with respect to federal law enforcement is to make your views known peacefully without crossing the line into illegally impeding their operations or resisting a lawful command when directed to stand down, he said, though video and eyewitnesses have contradicted DHS contentions that Pretti was impeding agents operations.

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Bailey said he believes issues such as federalizing military assets for immigration enforcement, as Trump attempted to do in Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, were a result of actions by Pritzker and Johnson.

Its governments role to protect the people. If a governor or a mayor refuse to protect the people, which JB Pritzker and Brandon Johnson are refusing to do, then it goes right up the line, so the president comes in and has the ability, I believe, to protect the people at whatever the cost is, Bailey said.

Mendrick said he believed the state is doxing federal agents by following the TRUST Act, which prohibits state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal authorities on civil immigration matters.

Its a flawed law. The only reason that law exists (is) so JB Pritzker can scream and yell about Donald Trump and say, Youve got to come through me. These are my people, Mendrick said.

In actuality, the TRUST Act was signed in August 2017 by Pritzkers predecessor, one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

____
A shocking profile of a South Carolina congresswoman who has waged an on-again, off-again alliance with President Donald Trump threatens to affect her reputation at a moment when she is battling to stay among the leading candidates in a hotly contested gubernatorial primary.

Rep. Nancy Mace made headlines throughout 2025 as the first year of Donald Trumps second presidency was the background for her own personal crisis, one that played out publicly across television screens in Washington and around the country. In February 2025, the congresswoman accused her ex-fiance Patrick Bryant in a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives of a number of criminal acts including physical assault and filming her naked without her consent. Bryant swiftly denied the accusations.

She also caused a scene in October of last year when, at Charlestons airport, Mace (according to a police report) berated and cursed at officers who allegedly failed to meet her upon her arrival. Also a candidate for governor in the state in a Republican primary, the congresswoman saw her support dwindle as Republicans in the state when Sen. Tim Scott and others rebuked or condemned her actions.

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And after a New York Magazine profile out on Monday headlined, Nancy Mace is Not Okay, Maces reputation could be further at risk. The publication cites several former staffers, including a former top consultant to her gubernatorial campaign, who described her behavior as erratic and accused her of being abusive. Maces office fiercely denied the claims made in the piece, and trashed its author in a statement to NYMag.

The picture painted by the former employees detailed some of their concerns with Mace, who was first elected as a representative in 2021. Supporters of the congresswoman argue that Mace instead is a victim of ex-staffers axe grinding.

We were scared of her, one former staffer told NYMag. She would make staffers cry. She would threaten to fire them, take their money away, not give them raises, not to give them days off, religious days.

Another former staffer detailed how early in her career Mace would push for appearances on national and local TV to help her brand. Her staffers thought she had potential, even if her behavior had them questioning her actions.

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Somethings broken. The motherboards fried. Were short-circuiting somewhere, a staffer told the magazine.

Nancy Mace accused her ex-fiance of crimes, including assault on the floor of the House last year. That moment was one of several highlighted by recent staffers who detailed growing concern with her actions (Getty)

According to former staffers, Mace allegedly abused alcohol and marijuana during her time in office and was described as befuddled on a 2022 trip to Europe by staff who say that the congresswoman demanded the firing of a staffer for releasing the same travel details to reporters that Mace herself had told a roomful of journalists a day prior.

She would definitely do it excessively, a staffer with Mace on the Europe trip alleged to NYMag about her travels. And again, not to say that most members dont or most staff dont, but it got to the point where it was an issue.

Another alleged: Look, when I worked for her, our poor scheduler was getting calls at 2 oclock in the morning to come bring her bottles of tequila.

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But sources close to Mace disputed this to The Independent on Monday, and claimed that Mace suffers from hemochromatosis, a disease that prevents her from ingesting hard liquor or abusing alcohol.

Other staffers claimed that Mace would use them for housework and cleaning duties at her D.C. townhouse and other properties she was renting out as AirBnBs, according to the magazine. The congresswoman is generally described in the piece as verbally abusive, and increasingly consumed by personal vendettas that have consumed part of her focus in Congress since her floor speech last year. Supporters of the congresswoman mockingly reject these insinuations, and claimed that ex-staffers were mischaracterizing typical duties of congressional or campaign staffers.

Ex-staffers detailed a verbally abusive atmosphere at work and being assigned to non-work duties, including cleaning her AirBnB properties (AFP via Getty Images)

Ex-staffers also said they were concerned about her repeated use of her office to go after Bryant, all the while engaged in a separate legal battle over the allegations. In May of 2025, she displayed a nude image of herself at a subcommittee hearing that she claimed was taken by Bryant without her consent.

Maces office referred to the claims in the article as ridiculous in a response to NYMag.

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Over the summer of 2025, her relationship with Trump splintered. She has log had a roller-coaster relationship with the president. After the January 6 riots, she spoke out against them, but didnt vote to impeach Trump. Then, over the years, she became one of his biggest backers.

Last year, Mace joined several other Republican women as lone GOP signatures on the discharge petition to demand the release of the Epstein files from the Department of Justice, lead by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie. That act severed her relationship with the White House, along with the relationships of other rebel Republicans such as Marjorie Taylor Greene.

It wouldnt be the first time Mace lost out on Donald Trumps endorsement. The president endorsed against her in 2022, when she faced a primary opponent, only to see Mace prevail by refusing to take it personally and remaining vocally supportive of the MAGA brand. By 2024, she was back in the MAGA fold and won Trumps endorsement for another term. Now she stands accused of drifting from Trumps side yet again, and in a Trafalgar Group poll of the GOP primary for governor in South Carolina had slipped to third place out of four leading contenders as of mid-January. Just a few percentage points separate the candidates, with a wide portion of the electorate undecided.

But Maces bid for governor is a test of her statewide appeal, and the first time shes run outside of her congressional district. Donald Trump has yet to endorse in the primary. A poll put out by Stratus Intelligence on behalf of Maces campaign still showed the congresswoman leading the field, by four points, in January. Generally, polls show a tight field with just a few points separating the candidates.

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In an interview with NYMag, Mace claimed that she would forgo hiring senior staff in the future to avoid barriers between her and her staff.

Ill never have a chief of staff again. Ill never have a campaign manager. I run a pretty flat organization because I dont believe in gatekeepers. Those positions become such filters that you cant even get a drip of coffee through, she said.
At a moment when all eyes were on a possible US strike against Iran, nothing major ultimately happened. Still, several explosions were reported in different Iranian cities.

The most significant occurred in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, where reports suggested that an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or army-related facility may have been targeted.

Iranian officials quickly denied this, but it is worth recalling that just weeks before the 12day conflict last June, a major blast in Bandar Abbas was also officially classified as an accident.

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Now, with a large US naval armada present in the Persian Gulf and expectations of a Trump-ordered strike higher than ever, renewed diplomatic efforts by neighbouring countries appear to have once again delayed a final decision by the U.S. president.

Qatars foreign minister was in Iran yesterday, meeting Ali Larijani, secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council, who signalled positive developments in negotiations with Washington.

At the same time, a widespread rumour suggests that Tehran has agreed to transfer its enriched uranium to Turkey as part of mediation efforts led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On the other side, Israel has denied any involvement in the Bandar Abbas explosion. The Israeli army chief has stated that Israel assesses a potential U.S. attack on Iran could take place within a timeframe of two weeks to two months.

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Related

The key question now is what US President Donald Trump is ultimately seekingand whether Ayatollah Ali Khamenei still holds the final word in Irans decision-making.

Several assessments suggest that Irans leadership is divided: Khamenei reportedly rejects compromises with the United States, while other senior officials favour a more flexible negotiating approach.

At the same time, it remains unclear how seriously the threats issued by the IRGC and Iranian leaders should be taken. Just this morning, Iranian MPs in parliament, all wearing IRGC uniforms, were seen chanting Death to the US.

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Meanwhile, the speaker warned that the armies of EU member states could be treated as terrorist organisations.

Khamenei himself also warned Washington, saying that if the Americans start a war, it will escalate into a regional conflict. While insisting Iran does not seek confrontation, he added that any attacker would face a powerful blow from the Iranian people.

In this context, the role of Irans neighbouring countries is crucial. They appear divided over how to respond to a possible strike. According to US media reports, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are not aligned, while Turkeys Erdogan continues to position himself as an experienced mediator between Tehran and Washington.

What unfolds in the coming days and weeks will answer many open questions. One thing, however, is already clear: the US Navy has not deployed to the region without purpose.

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Given the enormous cost of a full-scale military intervention, particularly its impact on global oil prices, some analysts believe that Trump may, at least for now, focus more on implementing this maximum pressure scenario, while other optionssuch as a comprehensive strike or targeting Irans leadershipremain on the table.

With a powerful naval presence in the region, Washington could effectively control the Strait of Hormuz, seize tankers and ships travelling to and from Iran transporting oil or other cargo, and push the country toward internal collapse.

From this perspective, surrounding Iran may be seen as a low-cost strategy for Trumpone that could also intersect with renewed domestic protests inside the country, potentially sooner than many expect.
By Parisa Hafezi and Steve Holland

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Iran and the United States will resume nuclear talks on Friday in Turkey, Iranian and U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday, and U.S. President Donald Trump warned that with big U.S. warships heading to Iran, bad things would probably happen if a deal could not be reached.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will meet in Istanbul in an effort to revive diplomacy over a long-running dispute about Iran's nuclear programme and dispel fears of a new regional war, while a regional diplomat said representatives from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt would also participate.

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US NAVAL BUILDUP NEAR IRAN

Tensions are running high amid a U.S. naval buildup near Iran, following a violent crackdown against anti-government demonstrations last month, the deadliest domestic unrest in Iran since its 1979 revolution.

Trump, who stopped short of carrying out threats to intervene during the crackdown, has since demanded Tehran make nuclear concessions and sent a flotilla to its coast. He said last week Iran was "seriously talking", while Tehran's top security official Ali Larijani said arrangements for negotiations were under way.

Asked on Monday about the prospect of a deal, Trump told reporters at the White House talks were happening.

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"We have ships heading to Iran right now, big ones - the biggest and the best - and we have talks going on with Iran and we'll see how it all works out ... if we can work something out, that would be great and if we can't, probably bad things would happen."

Iranian sources told Reuters last week that Trump had demanded three conditions for resumption of talks: Zero enrichment of uranium in Iran, limits on Tehran's ballistic missile programme and ending its support for regional proxies.

Iran has long rejected all three demands as unacceptable infringements of its sovereignty, but two Iranian officials told Reuters its clerical rulers saw the ballistic missile programme, rather than uranium enrichment, as the bigger obstacle.

PREPARATIONS FOR POTENTIAL US-IRAN TALKS

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Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was considering "the various dimensions and aspects of the talks", adding that "time is of the essence for Iran as it wants the lifting of unjust sanctions sooner".

Turkey and other regional allies have sought de-escalation.

"Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt, as well as some other countries, will attend the Istanbul meeting. There will be bilateral, trilateral and other meetings," the diplomat said.

A Turkish ruling-party official told Reuters that Tehran and Washington had agreed to re-focus on diplomacy and possible talks this week, in a potential reprieve for potential U.S. strikes.

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Witkoff was expected to visit Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's military chief, two senior Israeli officials said separately on Monday.

'BALL IN TRUMP'S COURT'

The Iranian official said "diplomacy is ongoing. For talks to resume, Iran says there should not be preconditions and that it is ready to show flexibility on uranium enrichment, including handing over 400 kg of highly enriched uranium, accepting zero enrichment under a consortium arrangement as a solution".

However, he added, for the start of talks, Tehran wanted U.S. military assets moved away from Iran.

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"Now the ball is in Trump's court," he said.

SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS SOME REPAIR WORK AT IRANIAN SITES

Tehran's regional sway has been weakened by Israel's attacks on its proxies - from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq - as well as by the ousting of Iran's close ally, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In June last year the United States struck Iranian nuclear targets, joining in at the close of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Since then, Tehran has said its uranium enrichment work has stopped.

Recent satellite imagery of two of the targeted sites, Isfahan and Natanz, appears to show some repair work since December, with new roofing over two previously destroyed buildings. No other rebuilding was visible, according to the imagery provided by Planet Labs and reviewed by Reuters.

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Washington-based think tank ISIS said satellite images from late January showed construction work on tunnel entrances at Isfahan that could "indicate a preparation for additional military strikes" as was seen ahead of last year's U.S. strikes.

It could also signal the movement of assets from other facilities, it added.

NUCLEAR TALKS STANDOFF

The U.N. nuclear watchdog has called on Iran repeatedly to say what happened to the highly enriched uranium stock since the June attacks.

Western countries fear Iran's uranium enrichment could yield material for a warhead. Iran says its nuclear programme is only for electricity generation and other civilian uses.

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The Iranian sources said Tehran could ship its highly enriched uranium abroad and pause enrichment in a deal that should also include the lifting of economic sanctions.

(Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris, Jonathan Spicer in Istanbul and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Jonathan Spicer and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Aidan Lewis, Peter Graff, Alex Richardson and Lincoln Feast.)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stressed the importance of building trust for negotiations with the United States amid escalating tensions.

"Unfortunately, we have lost our trust [in] the US as a negotiating partner," Araghchi told US broadcaster CNN.

"We need to overcome this mistrust," Araghchi said when asked how a meaningful negotiation process could be initiated. Over the weekend, there had been signs of progress towards negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

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Araghchi told CNN that "some friendly countries in the region" were "trying to build confidence and to prepare the ground for a meaningful negotiation, and we are working with them, and we are exchanging messages." Araghchi described these talks as "fruitful."

US President Donald Trump also told journalists at the weekend that Iran was "talking to us, seriously talking to us."

On Saturday, Qatar's foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met Araghchi and Ali Larijani, the secretary general of Iran's Security Council, in Tehran.

Qatar maintains good relations with both Tehran and Washington and has already mediated between the two countries in the past.

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A war would be a disaster for everyone, Araghchi continued. Iran had learnt many lessons in the last war. He now sees his country as well prepared, Araghchi said, adding that being prepared does not mean Iran wants war.

The minister also said that the rights of the people who were arrested during the latest wave of protests in Iran in January against the country's authoritarian leadership would be "observed and guaranteed."

There had been no plan for hangings, he said. Trump had warned Iran against executing protesters. He repeatedly threatened the state leadership in Tehran with military strikes, citing the brutal repression of demonstrators. Thousands of people were killed during the protests.
BEIRUT, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Monday that Israeli aircraft dropped a chemical substance near the border, calling the move a violation of UN resolutions that "severely disrupted" its operations.

The UNIFIL said the Israeli military gave advance notice Sunday morning that it would release the substance. While Israel described the material as non-toxic and warned peacekeepers to stay indoors, UNIFIL said the incident forced it to cancel more than a dozen activities. Operations along a third of the "Blue Line" -- the unofficial border between the two countries -- were halted for over nine hours.

UNIFIL labeled the action "unacceptable," noting it hindered the mission's mandate and could pose health risks to both peacekeepers and civilians. Peacekeepers assisted Lebanese forces in collecting samples of the substance to test for toxicity.

The UN also raised concerns about the long-term impact on local farmland and the ability of displaced residents to return home.

Israeli overflights have long been a point of contention. UNIFIL reiterated that such actions breach UN Security Council Resolution 1701. That 2006 agreement ended a monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah, calling for a demilitarized zone in southern Lebanon patrolled only by the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers.

The mission urged Israel to stop the activity to help maintain stability in the region. 
During a brief window of connectivity amid Irans crushing internet blackout this month, Darius manages to share a brief update via Telegram.

They are afraid of the videos from protestors uploaded to the internet, so they turned off all street lights, he shared on January 14 with the Persian-speaking Sentinel community, where he has been a long-time member.

People are walking with smartphone lights. Nothing is good at all. They break North Korea records in censorship.

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That was roughly a week after violent protests erupted in the country after the collapse of the rial, Irans national currency.

Since then, Darius has been rotating through a range of internet routing tools, including Sentinels decentralised virtual private network, to continue circumventing the governments strict communication blackout.

One option he has relied on is OpenVPN, a widely used tool that masks a users IP address. Another is Shadowsocks, which operates over the SOCKS5 protocol and disguises internet traffic as random data.

Darius has also used V2Ray, a tool that piggybacks on the security certificates of legitimate websites to conceal a users identity.

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In exclusive messages shared with DL News, he explains what life has been like for a citizenry living in near total darkness under a violent regime.

We are living in hell without internet, without money, without media, without any supporting [sic], Darius, whose name has been changed to protect their identity, wrote on January 14.

We need support. People cant fight with empty hands. They kill us with shotgun and AK-47 [sic].

Digital iron curtain

In response to ongoing protests that began in December and have spread far beyond the countrys capital, Tehran, the government executed one of its harshest communications blackouts in the regimes nearly 50-year history on January 8.

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The reason is two-fold, according to Adam Burns, co-founder of the Internet Society of Australia.

Its standard comms intelligence of just shutting it down primarily to prevent protests at an organisational level and publicity at an international level, he told DL News.

Its risk management, really.

During that time, decentralised networks and obfuscation tools have proven vital lifelines for the population.

Reports suggest that as much as 90% of the Iranian population has already used some form of circumvention tool to reach the wider world since last August.

These types of networks are typically more resilient than centralised ones with a single database or point of failure.

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To destroy a decentralised network, a government must take down each self-hosted node individually  or execute a complete blackout across the entire country.

Its this circular cat and mouse game. Adam Burns, co-founder of the Internet Society of Australia.

Other tools, such as Starlink, a physically distributed satellite network operated by Elon Musks company SpaceX, have also been critical for citizens.

Because systems like Starlink lack a single local chokepoint, their distributed infrastructure can offer vital connectivity even under heavy censorship.

Throttling the internet to this extent, however, can cost countries billions in economic losses, according to reports.

By providing decentralised, resilient access that withstands even aggressive censorship efforts, weve helped keep information flowing  allowing brave individuals inside Iran to document and share evidence of the violence, mass arrests, killings, and other human rights abuses occurring under the cover of this blackout, Aleksandr Litreev, CEO of Sentinel, told DL News.

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To be sure, it is unlikely that any type of network will be able to function during a complete blackout.

Still, during the blackout period, resourceful individuals in the country, such as Darius, have experienced brief windows of connectivity as the regime attempts to balance censorship of critics with economic priorities.

Its this circular cat and mouse game, Burns said.

Darius uses his suite of tools to disguise his web requests so they appear like any other, heading toward a large Iranian e-commerce site that the government has kept online for economic reasons.

That encrypted data is then tunnelled to an external server with access to the wider internet.

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It isnt foolproof or permanent, but it has allowed Darius to send a few Telegram messages during brief windows of connectivity.

If the patterns give the appearance of an unauthenticated connection, it will be immediately disconnected, Darius wrote on January 23.

Iranian chaos

For the past four weeks, Iran has been living in a state of chaos.

On December 28, Iranian citizens gathered in Tehrans Grand Bazaar to protest the governments handling of the currency collapse.

At the end of 2025, the Iranian rial hit a historic low of 1.4 million rials per US dollar, due in part to heavy sanctions imposed by world leaders and the Iranian leaderships financial mismanagement.

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The US has targeted Iran with sanctions to deter the country from developing a nuclear weapons programme and end its support of terrorist organisations, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis.

It is exactly like you have a shitcoin that is listed only in an isolated exchange and the price falls every day, and finally you have to pay for the first essential needs such as milk, meat, etc., the same worthless coin, Darius writes.

The situation can be even worse when you have to pay more to buy the same goods the next day.

Iran operates as a theocratic republic, with the vast majority of its power in the hands of its supreme leader, cleric Ali Khamenei.

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While Iran has an elected president and parliament, their power is limited. While citizens have long criticised the regime, it has been the collapsing rial that has changed the dynamic.

Generally speaking, people dont revolt for high-minded ideals like democracy and universal suffrage  they revolt over things that affect everyday life, Tallha Abdulrazaq, researcher at the University of Exeters Strategy & Security Institute, told DL News.

Never underestimate just how willing people are to live under authoritarian conditions so long as their basic needs are met and they see hope for the future.

30,000 victims

Following the blackout on January 8, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij paramilitary forces began clearing the streets of protesters using live ammunition.

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Due to the blackout, verifying the death toll has been a challenge for those on the ground as well as various human rights organisations.

Iran Human Rights reported at least 3,428 deaths. Iran International, a Persian-language news outlet based in London, counted at least 12,000 killed, citing internal documents from the Supreme National Security Council and the Presidential Office,

Two senior officials of Irans Ministry of Health told Time Magazine that from January 8 to January 9, as many as 30,000 people could have been killed.

Abdulrazaq agreed that the figure is difficult to verify but suggested it is closer to lower estimates.

They do have the capabilities to round people up and kill them, he told DL News.

But, as you can imagine, that is a manpower intensive exercise so the number is probably in the low thousands at worst.

As for toppling the regime, Abdulrazaq suggests that it wont happen without international intervention.

The Iranian government may have not invested in public services, but they have invested in their security apparatus and so, without foreign support through arming the protesters and effectively triggering a civil war, I dont see how these protests will overthrow Iran, he said.

Liam Kelly is DL News Berlin-based DeFi correspondent. Have a tip? Get in touch at liam@dlnews.com.
The post Natural Born Mistake: Why This Small Carnivore Is a Textbook Case of Biology Gone Wrong appeared first on A-Z Animals.

Quick Take

The Small Indian mongoose was introduced to control rats but instead devastated island ecosystems by preying on vulnerable native wildlife.

Islands like Hawaii and Okinawa suffered severe biodiversity losses because native species had no defenses against mammalian predators.

The mongoose invasion highlights why preventing invasive species introductions is far easier and more effective than trying to remove them later.

The idea sounded sensible at the time. Sugar plantations were losing money to rats, who were chewing through crops and infrastructure. But nature had an answer: the mongoose. Import a predator, let it loose, and let biology do the work. The perfect solution. What could possibly go wrong?

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What followed was one of the most cautionary tales in conservation history. The Small Indian mongoose didnt just wipe out rats. It rewrote entire ecosystems.

Introduced with the best of intentions, this small, fast, and fearless carnivore has become a textbook example of biological control gone wrong. From Hawaii to Okinawa, islands that once sheltered unique birds and reptiles are still paying the price. Today, governments and conservationists are racing against time to undo a mistake made more than a century ago.

Native to South Asia, the Small Indian mongoose is a fast, adaptable predator whose success in its home range made it dangerous elsewhere. MuhammadAliRajput/Shutterstock.com (MuhammadAliRajput/Shutterstock.com)

Meet the Small Indian Mongoose

The Small Indian mongoose is a slender, weasel-like mammal native to South Asia and parts of the Middle East. Adults typically weigh between one and three pounds and stretch about two feet from nose to tail. Built low to the ground with sharp teeth and quick reflexes, mongooses are famous for taking on venomous snakes in their native range.

Theyre opportunistic hunters, eating just about anything they can catch. Insects, crabs, frogs, lizards, eggs, birds, and small mammals are all fair game. That adaptability is one of the reasons theyve survived for millions of years. Its also the reason theyve become such a problem when moved outside their natural habitat.

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In their home range, mongooses evolved alongside predators, competitors, and prey that could respond to their presence. On islands that had never seen a land-based mammal predator, the balance was very different.

Why Rats Were the Target

During the 1800s, sugarcane plantations expanded rapidly across tropical islands. With them came rats, stowaways on ships that found easy meals in the fields. Rats damaged crops, gnawed through irrigation lines, and spread disease. Plantation owners wanted a solution that didnt require constant labor or expensive equipment.

Mongooses seemed like the perfect answer. They were already known to eat rodents, and word on the street was theyd been used elsewhere with some apparent success. Beginning in the late 19th century, they were deliberately introduced to islands across the Caribbean and Pacific, including Hawaii, Okinawa, and several islands in the West Indies.

What the planners didnt consider was timing and behavior. Rats are mostly nocturnal. Mongooses are active during the day.

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The two species rarely crossed paths.

On islands with defenseless wildlife, mongooses quickly shifted from rats to ground-nesting birds, reptiles, and unguarded eggs. MuhammadAliRajput/Shutterstock.com (MuhammadAliRajput/Shutterstock.com)

Easier Options

Instead of hunting rats, mongooses went after what was easiest to catch. On islands, that often meant ground-nesting birds, slow-moving reptiles, and eggs laid in shallow burrows or open sand.

Many island species had evolved without mammalian predators. Birds nested on the ground because nothing had ever threatened them there. Lizards basked openly in the sun. Eggs were left unguarded because there was no need to protect them. The arrival of a fast, intelligent, and hungry predator changed all of that overnight.

In Hawaii, the mongoose spread quickly across most of the main islands. It preyed on native birds like the nene, or Hawaiian goose, and several species of petrels and rails. On Okinawa, it targeted endemic birds and reptiles found nowhere else on Earth. Some populations collapsed within decades of the mongooses arrival.

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The irony was brutal. Native wildlife paid the price, meanwhile rats remained a problem.

Islands Hit the Hardest

Islands are especially vulnerable to invasive species, and the mongoose is a perfect example of why. Limited land area means animals cant easily escape. Many island species have small populations to begin with, so losses add up fast. Once a predator establishes itself, theres often nowhere for prey to hide.

In the Caribbean, mongooses contributed to the decline or extinction of several native reptiles and birds. On some islands, theyre now considered one of the primary drivers of biodiversity loss. The same pattern played out in the Pacific.

Hawaiis native birds were already struggling due to habitat loss and introduced diseases. The mongoose added another layer of pressure. Ground-nesting birds and seabirds were especially hard hit. Eggs and chicks were easy targets, and even a small increase in nest failure can push vulnerable species toward extinction.

Okinawas Mongoose Crisis

Okinawa offers one of the clearest case studies of how invasive mongooses can spiral out of control, and how difficult it is to reverse the damage.

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Mongooses were introduced to Okinawa in the early 1900s to control venomous snakes called habu. Like the rat plan, this one backfired. The mongooses and snakes were active at different times of day, so encounters were rare. Native wildlife, however, had no defense.

The mongoose population exploded. By the late 20th century, they were found across large portions of the island. Endemic species like the Okinawa rail and several native amphibians saw sharp declines. Conservationists sounded the alarm, and Japan launched an ambitious eradication effort.

Island species often evolve without mammalian predators, making them especially vulnerable to invasive animals like the mongoose. MuhammadAliRajput/Shutterstock.com (MuhammadAliRajput/Shutterstock.com)

The Science of Trapping an Invasive Predator

Getting rid of an invasive mammal isnt as simple as setting a few traps. Mongooses are intelligent, cautious, and adaptable. They learn quickly and can avoid traps if they associate them with danger.

In Okinawa, researchers developed a coordinated trapping program using thousands of live traps placed across key habitats. The effort required careful planning, constant monitoring, and years of persistence. Traps had to be checked daily. Locations were adjusted based on mongoose movement patterns. Non-target species had to be protected.

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The results were slow but encouraging. Over time, mongoose numbers dropped dramatically. In areas where they were removed, native species began to rebound. Some birds returned to nesting sites they hadnt used in decades. It was proof that recovery was possible, but also a reminder of how much work it takes to fix a single bad decision.

Hawaiis Ongoing Battle

Hawaiis fight against the mongoose is even more complicated. The animals are established across multiple islands, and complete eradication is currently unrealistic. Instead, efforts focus on protecting specific areas and species.

Fenced reserves designed to keep out invasive predators have become a critical tool. Inside these protected zones, native birds and plants can survive without constant pressure from mongooses, rats, and feral cats. Trapping and monitoring continue, especially around nesting sites for endangered birds.

Public awareness is also part of the strategy. Preventing mongooses from spreading to islands where they arent present, like Kauai and Lanai, is a top priority. Once an invasive species gains a foothold, removing it becomes exponentially harder.

Lessons of a Costly Mistake

The story of the Small Indian mongoose is often cited in conservation textbooks to show how good intentions can lead to disastrous outcomes when ecosystems arent fully understood. Biological control can work under the right conditions, but its never risk-free. Introducing a predator and assuming it will behave exactly as hoped, target only the intended species, and integrate smoothly into a new environment is a huge mistake. Nature rarely cooperates with such tidy plans.

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Today, invasive species management emphasizes prevention above all else. Its far cheaper and more effective to stop a species from being introduced than to remove it after the fact. Strict quarantine rules, inspections, and public education are all part of that effort.

The effects of the mongoose invasion are ongoing, and the lessons are more relevant than ever. As global trade and travel increase, the risk of invasive species introductions grows with them.

In the case of the Small Indian mongoose, theres no villainous intentthese animals are just doing what evolution shaped them to do. The responsibility lies with the humans who moved them into places where they never belonged. Unfortunately, once the damage is done, its exceedingly difficult to undo it.

The post Natural Born Mistake: Why This Small Carnivore Is a Textbook Case of Biology Gone Wrong appeared first on A-Z Animals.
According to police, an undercover investigation into alleged diversion of wartime donations led to searches at homes and offices and to the detainees being taken for questioning.

A local authority head, senior municipal officials, and businesspeople were detained by Israel Polices Lahav 433 on Monday morning on suspicion of public corruption offenses

According to police, an undercover investigation into alleged diversion of wartime donations led to searches at homes and offices and to the detainees being taken for questioning at the units headquarters.

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In recent months, Lahav 433 conducted a covert probe into whether part of the millions of shekels in donations to the local authority for residents welfare during the war were routed to a community fund and then allegedly siphoned to the local authority head and associates.

The case was moved to an overt phase on Monday with searches and detentions.

With the shift to an open investigation, officers searched private residences and municipal offices and detained the local authority head, additional officials at the authority, and several businesspeople, police said.

Closeup of arrested hands with handcuffs. (credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)

Police: Combating fraud against the state is a priority

The detainees were transferred to Lahav 433 for questioning, and police are currently raiding the municipality building.

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Police said they are acting to eradicate the practice of unlawfully extracting funds from the state as a matter of principle, particularly now.

Investigators assess that they will not seek to extend the suspects detention and, after questioning, will request their release under restrictive conditions.
Israel says it will terminate the humanitarian operations in Gaza of Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, after it failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff, further depriving Palestinians in the besieged enclave of life-saving assistance.

In December, Israel announced it would prevent 37 aid organisations, including MSF, from working in Gaza from March 1 for failing to submit detailed information about their Palestinian employees, drawing widespread condemnation from NGOs and the United Nations.

The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism is moving to terminate the activities of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in the Gaza Strip, the ministry said on Sunday.

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The decision followed MSFs failure to submit lists of local employees, a requirement applicable to all humanitarian organisations operating in the region, it added.

The ministry had earlier alleged that two MSF employees had links with Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which the charity has denied.

On Sunday, the ministry said MSF had committed in early January to sharing the staff list as required by the Israeli authorities but ultimately refrained, citing concerns for staff safety and a lack of assurances over how the information would be used.

Subsequently, MSF announced it does not intend to proceed with the registration process at all, contradicting its previous statements and the binding protocol, the ministry added, saying, MSF will cease its operations and depart the Gaza Strip by February 28.

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Israels decision to terminate MSFs operations in Gaza is an extension of Israels systematic weaponisation and instrumentalisation of aid, James Smith, an emergency physician based in London, told Al Jazeera.

Israel has systematically targeted the Palestinian healthcare system, killing more than 1,700 Palestinian healthcare workers, thereby creating a profound dependency on international organisations, Smith said.

MSF said 15 of its employees have been killed over the course of Israels genocidal war in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023.

MSF has long been a key provider of medical and humanitarian aid in the enclave, particularly since the war began.

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The charity said it currently provides at least 20 percent of hospital beds in the territory and operates about 20 health centres.

In 2025 alone, it carried out more than 800,000 medical consultations and more than 10,000 infant deliveries. It also provides drinking water.

Aid groups warned that without international support provided by organisations such as MSF, critical services such as emergency care, maternal healthcare and paediatric treatment could collapse entirely in Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without basic medical care.




The Israeli military on Sunday said it "eliminated" a Hezbollah engineering commander in southern Lebanon.

"ELIMINATED: Ali Dawoud Amich, who served as a head of division in Hezbollah's engineering department," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a social media post.

"Ali was involved in attempts to rehabilitate Hezbollah's terror infrastructure in the Al-Dweir area in southern Lebanon and advanced terror attacks against IDF troops, constituting a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."

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As part of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that has been in effect since the end of November 2024, the Iranian-backed Shiite militia was to be disarmed.

A key deadline for the disarmament of Hezbollah, which the Lebanese government tasked the army with, expired at the end of December.

Israel accuses Hezbollah of reorganizing and rearming in violation of the agreement. As a result, the military has continued to attack its neighbour on an almost daily basis.

According to government figures, more than 300 people have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire came into effect. The United Nations says more than 100 of them were civilians.
Political strategist James Carville revealed which Democrat he believes has what it takes to win the White House in the 2028 election.

On a recent episode of the show Arroyo Grande, host Raymond Arroyo asked Carville which Democrat he could see carrying the flag for the party ahead of the next presidential election. On former Vice President Kamala Harris, Carville said no. On Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, he said the same. When Arroyo mentioned former U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, Carville predicted that hell have an effect on the dialogue.

Thats when Carville revealed his two factors for the ideal Democratic candidate: the ability to raise a lot money early in the campaign, and the ability to walk into a Black establishment and be greeted warmly. On the first point, he narrowed the list down to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Pennsylania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. On the second point, just one named remained.

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The conversation continued:

CARVILLE: If I had to say one guy  I really dont know him very superficially  but if I were like betting the Kentucky Derby and I saw this 12-to-1 horse and I said, Yeah, I want to get a price, Id take JB Pritzker.ARROYO: Really? Why?CARVILLE: WellARROYO: Not Kamala Harris? Shes Black!CARVILLE: She has no chance.ARROYO: Why not?CARVILLE: Because no Democrat wants anything to do with anybody that had anything to do with 2024. Not that we dislike them. This is not what were doing. And I dont think theres no enthusiasm. I mean, look, if you do a poll and you say for 2028, its Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, any name they heard of. Well, the person they heard of is always going to be on, but thats meaningless.ARROYO: That doesnt mean anything.

Arroyo then pressed further on Carville picking Pritzker, who cited the recent controversy around his big casino winnings as an example of the billionaire being relatable to voters.

They like him, man Carville continued. He campaigns hard. I bet you theres not a Black church in South Carolina that JBs not a part of the building fund committee.

Hes worth $3 billion and won a million and a half dollars shooting craps and blackjack in Las Vegas! That makes people like him!

Watch above.

The post James Carville Reveals Which Democrat Hed Back for President in 2028 first appeared on Mediaite.
By Leika Kihara

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's party is likely to score a landslide victory in next week's lower house election, a survey by the Asahi newspaper showed, heightening the chance the country will continue to pursue big spending and tax cuts.

A strong showing in Sunday's election would solidify Takaichi's grip on her party and give a mandate for her expansionary fiscal policy, which could heighten concerns about Japan's finances and push bond yields higher.

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"Implementing expansionary fiscal policy at a time the economy is at near full employment would heighten inflationary pressure" and weaken the yen, said Ryutaro Kono, chief Japan economist at BNP Paribas.

"The Bank of Japan may be forced to accelerate the pace of interest rate hikes to combat the weak yen and inflationary pressures from expansionary fiscal policy," he said.

Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party is likely to well exceed a majority of 233 seats out of 465 seats up for grabs in the lower house, according to Asahi's poll released on Sunday. That would be an increase from 198 seats now.

Together with LDP's coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party or Ishin, the ruling alliance will likely reach 300 seats, the poll showed.

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The largest opposition party, the Centrist Reform Alliance, is struggling and could lose half its 167 seats, the Asahi said.

Super-long Japanese government bond yields, which are sensitive to fiscal risks, rose on Monday as investors priced in the chance Takaichi will push through her "proactive" fiscal policy focused on bigger spending and tax cuts.

The yen wobbled after Takaichi's weekend comments in which she talked up the benefits of a weaker currency were seen as condoning its declines and running counter to efforts by Japanese authorities to prop it up.

"People say the weak yen is bad right now, but for export industries, it's a major opportunity," Takaichi said on Saturday, adding that the currency's decline would boost the value of Japan's huge foreign reserves.

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A government spokesperson said on Monday Takaichi was not highlighting the benefits of a weak yen, and instead stressing the need to create an economic structure resilient to currency fluctuations.

A weak yen has been a source of headache for Japanese policymakers as it pushes up import costs and broader inflation.

FISCAL RISK WORRIES MAY BE OVERBLOWN

Takaichi's ruling coalition currently holds a slim majority in the powerful lower house but has a minority in the upper house. The premier dissolved parliament last month and called a snap election on February 8 seeking a mandate for her push to reflate the economy with expansionary fiscal policy.

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Japan suffered a broad market rout last month after Takaichi pledged to suspend an 8% levy on food sales for two years, reviving investor concerns about fiscal discipline in a country with public debt more than twice the size of its economy.

Most parties have also called for a suspension or a cut to the consumption tax to cushion the blow to households from rising living costs.

Some analysts say a strong LDP win could actually prevent Japan from resorting to extreme tax cuts or spending plans proposed by some opposition parties.

The LDP remains vague on how soon the tax suspension could be put in place, saying only that the timing should be decided in a meeting of ruling and opposition parties.

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In its campaign pledge, the LDP clearly commits to reducing Japan's debt-to-GDP ratio, and pursuing expenditure and revenue reforms, said Takeshi Yamaguchi, chief Japan economist at Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities.

"Our view that excessive concern over Japan's fiscal position is unnecessary remains unchanged," he said.

(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Sonali Paul and Stephen Coates)
Sediment containing rare earth was retrieved from ocean depths of 6,000 metres (about 20,000 feet) on a Japanese test mission, the government said Monday, as it seeks to curb dependence on China for the valuable minerals.

Japan says the mission was the world's first bid to tap deep sea rare earths at such a depth.

"Details will be analysed, including exactly how much rare earth is contained" in the sample, government spokesman Kei Sato said, calling it "a meaningful achievement both in terms of economic security and comprehensive maritime development".

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The sample was collected by a deep-sea scientific drilling boat called the Chikyu that set sail last month for the remote island of Minami Torishima in the Pacific, where surrounding waters are believed to contain a rich trove of valuable minerals.

It comes as China -- by far the world's biggest supplier of rare earths -- ramps up pressure on its neighbour after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo may react militarily to an attack on Taiwan, which Beijing has vowed to seize control of by force if necessary.

Beijing has blocked exports to Japan of "dual-use" items with potential military uses, fuelling worries in Japan that it could choke supplies of rare earths, some of which are included in China's list of such goods.

Rare earths -- 17 metals difficult to extract from the Earth's crust -- are used in everything from electric vehicles to hard drives, wind turbines and missiles.

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The area around Minami Torishima, which is in Japan's economic waters, is estimated to contain more than 16 million tons of rare earths, which the Nikkei business daily says is the third-largest reserve globally.

These rich deposits contain an estimated 730 years' worth of dysprosium, used in high-strength magnets in phones and electric cars, and 780 years' worth of yttrium, used in lasers, the Nikkei said.

- Environmental concerns -

Environmental campaigners warn deep-sea mining threatens marine ecosystems and will disrupt the sea floor.

The issue has become a geopolitical flashpoint, with anxiety growing over a push by US President Donald Trump to fast-track the practice in international waters.

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The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which has jurisdiction over the ocean floor outside national waters, is pushing for the adoption of a global code to regulate mining in the ocean depths.

But the Japanese test mission was carried out within its own territorial waters.

"If Japan could successfully extract rare earths around Minami Torishima constantly, it will secure domestic supply chain for key industries," Takahiro Kamisuna, research associate at The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), told AFP.

"Likewise, it will be a key strategic asset for Takaichi's government to significantly reduce the supply chain dependence on China."

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Beijing has long used its dominance in rare earths for geopolitical leverage, including in its trade war with US President Donald Trump's administration.

China accounts for almost two-thirds of rare earth mining production and 92 percent of global refined output, according to the International Energy Agency.

tmo-kaf-aph/fox
A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administrations latest bid to limit lawmakers from conducting unannounced visits to immigration detention facilities, ruling it likely runs afoul of oversight measures Congress implemented.

Its the second time U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb has sided with the group of Democratic lawmakers suing.

Cobb ruled in December that the Trump administration was violating a rider attached to the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) annual appropriations package, which guarantees lawmaker access to detention facilities.

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Last month, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem reimplemented a notice requirement. It required seven days warning for visits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities being funded exclusively by the Big Beautiful Bill Act Republicans passed last summer. That bill did not include the rider.

Cobb rejected the policy, crediting the lawmakers contention that it would be logistically difficult to segregate which expenses are being funded by which law.

Defendants declarant provides almost no details or specifics as to how DHS and ICE would accomplish this task in the face of the practical challenges raised by Plaintiffs, wrote Cobb, an appointee of former President Biden.

The Hill has reached out to a DHS spokesperson for comment.

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The suit was filed by 13 Democratic members of Congress: Reps. Joe Neguse (Colo.), Adriano Espaillat (N.Y.), Bennie Thompson (Miss.), Jamie Raskin (Md.), Robert Garcia (Calif.), Lou Correa (Calif.), Jason Crow (Colo.), Veronica Escobar (Texas), Dan Goldman (N.Y.), Jimmy Gomez (Calif.), Raul Ruiz (Calif.), Norma Torres (Calif.) and Kelly Morrison (Minn.).

Their latest push in court came after the lawmakers said they tried to visit an ICE facility in Minnesota three days after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer.

The Courts decision today to grant a temporary restraining order against ICEs unlawful effort to obstruct congressional oversight is a victory for the American people. We will keep fighting to ensure the rule of law prevails, Neguse, a member of House Democratic leadership, said in a statement.

The lawmakers are represented by American Oversight and Democracy Forward Foundation, two organizations that regularly back lawsuits against the Trump administration.

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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.
Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, asks a question during a Feb. 2, 2026, hearing on legislation that would get rid of mail-in ballots if the state can't enforce its signature verification law. Tyson called it "common sense legislation." (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA  A Senate bill endorsed by the Kansas Secretary of States Office would end advanced voting by mail if a court strikes down state law requiring election officials to verify a voters signature.

The prospect of such a ruling is playing out in Shawnee County District Court, where voting rights groups argue the signature verification process is unequally applied from one county to another, leading to the disenfranchisement of lawful, qualified voters. The Kansas Attorney Generals Office, which is tasked with defending the state law, relied on the artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT for assistance with at least one of its legal briefs in defense of that lawsuit.

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Clay Barker, general counsel for the Secretary of States Office, told a Senate committee Monday that Senate Bill 394 would allow the Legislature to lay down a line that says signature verification is such an integral part of voting by mail that the two cant be separated.

It sets legislative intent to unambiguously establish with certainty and beyond dispute the signature verification is not severable because its intertwined with everything  the application, the ballot, you cant even open the envelope until the signature is verified, Barker said to the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee.

Kansas has required a form of signature verification for mail ballots since 1995. Under state law, voters sign the mail ballot envelope, and local election officials have to verify that the signature on the envelope matches the one on the voter registration file. If there appears to be a discrepancy, the election office has to attempt to contact the voter, who could bring a photo ID to the election office to resolve the matter.

Barker said there were 300,000 mail ballots returned in 2022 and 2024, and just 224 were rejected because a signature posed a concern and the voter didnt come back and cure it.

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Clay Barker, general counsel for the Secretary of States Office, says during a Feb. 2, 2026, legislative hearing that the office strongly supports legislation to get rid of mail ballots if the state isnt allowed to verify signatures on them. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Legal wrangling

The League of Women Voters, Loud Light, Kansas Appleseed and the Lois Curtis Center challenged the signature verification law in a 2021 lawsuit that remains under litigation.

The Kansas Supreme Court in 2024 ruled the law was a valid attempt by the Legislature to determine whether someone is qualified to vote. But Justice Caleb Stegall noted in his opinion that the Legislature must comply with constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process. He ordered the district court to look at whether the law was being uniformly applied and whether reasonable notice was being given to voters to fix problems with their signatures.

Melissa Stiehler, advocacy director of Loud Light, prepared opposition testimony to the proposed Senate bill but missed a deadline to file it for the Monday hearing. She said evidence in the court record showed that when three county election officers were asked to demonstrate their signature verification process, all three accepted forged signatures and two rejected valid ones.

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One county election officer compared the process to judging a pie-eating contest, Stiehler said.

The court record also shows that Kansas voters sometimes get little notice that there is a problem with their signature. Sometimes, because of slow mail delivery, the notice arrives too late.

Additionally, Stiehler pointed out that a Nov. 14, 2025, filing by the Attorney Generals Office, which was signed by Wichita attorney Bradley Schlozman, twice used links produced by ChatGPT for supporting materials. One of the links pointed to a 2020 Kansas Reflector story for evidence of how many mail ballots were cast in Johnson County that year.

If the Legislature is displeased with a court ruling because they feel it is unjust, it may be worth looking at why the law was so difficult to defend, Stiehler said. Is it an issue with the courts misinterpreting the law or could it be an issue with the states representation?

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Danedri Herbert, spokeswoman for the Attorney Generals Office, said the office prohibits the use of generative AI to create court documents. Within court filings, the office requires that the use of AI be disclosed, she said.

Generative AI may be used for tasks short of content creation (such as editing, outlining, research assistance, or discovery review), Herbert wrote in an email to Kansas Reflector.

She didnt immediately respond to a follow-up question about whether the Nov. 14 filing complied with office policy.

Logan DeMond, director of policy and research at ACLU of Kansas, testifies Feb. 2, 2026, before a Senate committee about problems with trying to match signatures on ballots with signatures on voting registration files. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Recipe for voter suppression

Logan DeMond, director of policy and research at the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, clashed with Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, over his assertion that signature verification laws discriminate against certain types of voters.

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DeMond told the Senate committee that signature verification requirements discriminate against people with disabilities, transgender people, women who change their names when they get married or divorced, and voters overseas.

Instead of making it easier for eligible citizens to vote, this is erecting a new barrier, DeMond said. Essentially, voters have challenged this process not because they want to cheat, but because it is unreliable, it is arbitrary and it is discriminatory, and thats exactly why the courts step in.

He said the bill was a proxy for ending mail-in voting altogether and a retaliatory approach.

This forces voters to accept a flawed and discriminatory system or lose mail-in voting altogether, and it is a recipe for voter suppression, DeMond said.

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Tyson told him the bill was common sense legislation. She told him she found his remarks offensive.

Who is discriminating? Tyson said. I know my county clerks would be completely offended by your comments. They are not discriminating against anyone. So who are you insinuating is discriminating?

Im talking about the voters who are being attacked by the signature verification process, DeMond said.
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians on Monday called on more countries to accept patients from Gaza as the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopens.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said civilians must be allowed to leave and return voluntarily and safely, as international law requires, adding that ultimately essential humanitarian supplies must enter in sufficient quantities and with fewer restrictions through Rafah and other crossings.

OCHA said that more than 18,500 patients, including 4,000 children, await medical evacuation from Gaza for treatment that is not available locally. The most effective option would be to resume referrals to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and rehabilitate damaged health facilities in Gaza.

"Until that happens, OCHA calls on member states to accept more patients so that everyone receives the treatment that they need," the office said.

OCHA said the World Health Organization supported medical evacuation efforts from Gaza. The limited reopening of Rafah allowed some patients and their companions to exit directly into Egypt, while others transited through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing.

The office said the UN Development Programme reported that it was ready to provide bus transportation for returnees from the Rafah checkpoint to Nassar hospital in Khan Younis, where OCHA and its partners set up a reception area.

"A reception desk is staffed with psychologists and protection specialists and equipped with nutrition items, information materials and internet connectivity to provide people returning with immediate support and referrals so that they can access critical services as needed," OCHA said.

The office also said it remains concerned over the impact of continued attacks on civilians in Gaza.

Following reports by the Gaza Ministry of Health of dozens of casualties over the weekend, OCHA said humanitarian teams are assessing damage and emerging needs among civilians. More than two dozen families had their shelters damaged due to attacks hitting nearby targets. The UN and its partners have provided families with shelter materials and other essential items. 
The House clerk announced Dylan Germanas resignation Friday. (Photo by Dave Cummings/New Hampshire Bulletin)

State Rep. Dylan Germana, a Keene Democrat, has resigned after the state Attorney Generals Office wrote in a letter to House leadership that they found credible evidence the young New Hampshire lawmaker was no longer living within his district.

The New Hampshire Constitution requires lawmakers to live within their district. The House clerk announced Germanas resignation Friday.

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Germana was a first-term member of the House, elected in November 2024. At 22, he was among the youngest lawmakers in the Legislature. He also serves on the Keene School Board. His father, Nicholas Germana, is also a Democratic member in the 400-member House of Representatives.

Neither Dylan nor Nicholas Germana responded to the Bulletins requests for comment.

In the letter addressed to House Speaker Sherman Packard and Minority Leader Alexis Simpson and obtained by the Bulletin, Associate Attorney General Matthew Broadhead wrote that Germana may be residing in an apartment in Dover. According to a post-election roster from the Secretary of States Office, Dylan and Nicholas Germana reported living at the same residence in Keene.

Representatives misrepresenting their residence has been an issue in New Hampshire in the past. In 2024, two different representatives were caught surreptitiously living outside their district and later resigned. Republican Rep. Troy Merner, a Republican representing Lancaster, ultimately pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors after he moved to Caroll, wrongfully voted in Lancaster, and claimed mileage reimbursements from the state for purportedly traveling from his district in Lancaster to the State House in Concord. He received a six-month suspended sentence, relinquished his right to vote in the state, and paid a roughly $1,100 fine. Daniel Hynes, an independent representing Bedford, resigned amid accusations that he rented out his Bedford residence to another family and stayed in several other locations outside his district. Hynes did not face charges.
A matrix of electric utility meters for Louisville Gas and Electric. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer)

Last month, on a frigid day in front of the state capitol building in Frankfort, advocates called on Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to halt residential utility disconnections through the winter via executive order.

These groups, including the environmental advocacy nonprofit Kentucky Conservation Committee and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, which supports policies and action for working-class families, cited the need for a moratorium because of an uncertain future for federal housing, food and heating assistance and rising costs faced by Kentuckians.

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Beshear did not heed those calls, saying he didnt have the power to issue a moratorium. The governor is now calling for the creation of a $75 million fund in the upcoming two-year state budget to help low-income Kentuckians with rising electricity costs.

In December, advocates at the state capitol in Frankfort called on Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to issue a moratorium on utility disconnections. (Provided)

Proponents see the moratorium as a temporary solution to a larger issue: the need for utility disconnection protections in state law during unsafe weather conditions regardless of how far behind customers fall on bills.

The moratorium was a push for an immediate protection to be put in place while we wait for the legislature to put in those permanent protections, said Cara Cooper, the coordinator for Kentuckians for Energy Democracy, a campaign backed by the advocacy groups. Weve been working, along with a lot of other allies, for the past several years to try to put this disconnection protection bill through.

Forty-two states have policies surrounding utility disconnections in cold weather, and 19 states have policies in hot weather, according to a summary of policies on a federal data clearinghouse. Kentucky has neither. Cooper said what kind of internal disconnection plans each utility has during extremely cold or extremely hot weather can depend on the utility, and some are not publicly accessible.

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We need everyone to have the same protections across the state, because no matter where you live or who your utility provider happens to be  everyone deserves the same protections, Cooper said.

Bills filed this legislative session

Bills in past years to create such standards in state law, primarily with support from Democrats who are a small minority in the state legislature, have not received a committee hearing. But this year, Republican Rep. Susan Witten of Louisville is the primary sponsor of the bill to create utility disconnection standards.

Rep. Susan Witten, R-Louisville, speaks at a press conference advocating on housing issues earlier this month. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer)

Witten, the co-chair of a task force that focused on housing issues last year, told the Lantern that House Bill 377 is about tackling the broader scope of issues connected to housing affordability.

Housing is not just the building. Its everything that is required, Witten said. If Kentuckians are facing extreme heat or cold, she said, then she thought utility disconnections would just be the right thing to do.

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Witten said she would try to champion the bill, which is assigned to the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, this session.

HB 377 would prevent gas and electric utilities from disconnecting residential service in situations including:

When the National Weather Service forecasts temperatures to be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower over a 72-hour timespan; disconnection would also be prohibited if temperatures are forecasted to be 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

When a residential ratepayer has entered into a payment plan and paid at least 10% of their accrued utility bill or $200, whatever amount is less.

When someone has received a certificate of need from a physician or a community or faith-based organization that shows a utility disconnection would threaten the health and safety of the customer or the occupants of the customers household.

The bill would only allow utilities to disconnect service between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; disconnections would be prohibited on Fridays, weekends and state and federal holidays.

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The legislation would also specify how utilities would give a final notice before a disconnection, along with requiring a utility to reconnect someone within 24 hours if they make a payment of at least 10% of an accrued bill and enter into a payment plan.

Rep. Lisa Willner, D-Louisville, who sponsored a similar bill last year and is co-sponsoring Wittens bill, said that cutting off utility service could be the beginning of a cycle of being unhoused for people.

I think representatives in general were more sensitive to concerns people [are] expressing about utility bills, Willner said. I think frontline workers dealing with families in distress over utility cut-offs are seeing this as a very real problem.

The response from utilities

Utilities in Kentucky generally say they already have internal policies in place on when and how utility disconnections are conducted, with some concerned that having state requirements would restrict their flexibility to respond to case-by-case situations.

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Joe Arnold, the spokesperson for Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, which represents 26 nonprofit electricity distribution cooperatives in the state, said in an emailed statement that the organization opposes legislation that imposes a one-size-fits-all mandate and interferes with the long-standing relationship between cooperatives and their members.

Electric cooperatives already have policies in place to address extreme weather, medical needs, and hardship situations, and members have existing avenues for assistance or intervention through the state utility regulator Kentucky Public Service Commission and the attorney general, Arnold said.

Arnold also cautioned that prescriptive disconnection policies could limit flexibility for utilities to work out payment plans and shift costs to other ratepayers. Utilities have typically petitioned regulators to recover the costs of unpaid utility bills through the broader rate base.

A substation for electric utility Kentucky Power in Letcher County. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer).

Kentucky Power, an investor-owned electric utility serving 162,000 customers across 20 Eastern Kentucky counties, had adopted utility disconnection protections in 2024 as a part of a settlement agreement with interested groups before Kentucky Public Service Commission.

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Those standards include only disconnecting residential customers between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon on Friday. Kentucky Power also does not disconnect residential customers for 24 hours following temperatures that are forecast to be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below or 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

Sarah Lynch, a Kentucky Power spokesperson, said the utilitys state-regulator approved tariffs already include strong disconnection protections and are more permissive than proposed legislation.

Our philosophy is that disconnections are a last resort for our customers, Lynch said. Customers who may be struggling to pay their bill are encouraged to contact us early so we can help identify available options.

Lynch said while the utility supports reasonable customer protections, any policy needs to be flexible to address emergency situations. The language of HB 377 clarifies that the limitations put on utility disconnections doesnt apply in situations to protect the health and safety of the public.

The sign outside one of the corporate offices for utility Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer)

A spokesperson for Kentuckys largest electric utility in terms of customers served said it already has guidelines in place that suspend disconnections when extreme temperatures are forecast by the National Weather Service over a 24-hour period.

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Drew Gardner, a spokesperson for Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities, which serves more than 1.3 million customers, said the guidelines are in place for times when temperatures are forecasted to remain below freezing and we suspend service disconnections.

Its important to keep in mind, though, that out of an abundance of caution, well still disconnect service when there are unsafe conditions, Gardner said, referring to situations such as a gas leak at a residence.

Yet Cooper, the coordinator for Kentuckians for Energy Democracy, said, despite the policies utilities have, advocates have heard stories of people being disconnected in below-freezing temperatures. She said shes talked personally with people who have made partial payments on utility bills and have been disconnected. Another person shes talked with wasnt aware about an impending disconnection until after coming home from picking up kids from school.

She had no idea that her power was going to be shut off. She had pets in the home. She had food in the fridge. So it absolutely is a problem, Cooper said. These are just minimum safety standards that we need to see from our utilities.

Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, asks a question in a committee. (Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, Public Information Office)

Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, also wants to make utilities internal plans on disconnections during severe weather to be publicly available through her Senate Bill 88.

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Armstrong said requiring utilities to post the plans on the Kentucky Public Service Commissions website will hopefully incentivize utilities to strengthen their protections.

Armstrong also supports HB 377, saying her bill and Wittens could pair well together.

You can both have legislation that says, These are the rules, and have legislation that says, Now make a plan that complies with those rules and make it publicly available for folks, Armstrong said.

She said utilities could choose to exceed minimum protections set in state law if they choose. Utility disconnections during extreme weather, she said, are situations where people can die.

People can die because they freeze to death. People can die because they have a heat stroke, Chambers Armstrong said. I hear advocates talk about this and talk about the clients they serve and the experiences they have with vulnerable populations that are going to be harmed. I believe them.
DRY RIDGE, Ky. (FOX 56)  A death investigation is underway by the Kentucky State Police (KSP) after two people were found dead in the yard of a Dry Ridge residence.

According to a news release, the Pendleton County Sheriffs Office was called around 11 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, to carry out a welfare check at a local residence. When they arrived, deputies found the pair in the yard and requested state police to help investigate.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

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Over the course of an initial investigation, it appeared that 40-year-old Camille McClanahan of Pendleton County was found dead from apparently being shot, and 50-year-old James Hall was also found dead from being shot.

The apparent murder-suicide remains under investigation by KSP Post 6 detectives, per a Monday news release.

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 FOX 56 News.
DAKAR, Senegal (AP)  A landslide last week collapsed several tunnels at a major coltan mine in eastern Congo, leaving at least 200 people dead in the rebel-controlled site.

The collapse occurred on Wednesday at the Rubaya mines, controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, after heavy rains caused several hand-dug tunnels in the unregulated mine to cave in, according to the regional governor's spokesperson.

The M23 rebels and the Congolese government traded accusations over responsibility as reports from the remote region began to emerge.

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The collapse is one of the deadliest disasters in years in an area already facing a humanitarian crisis and ongoing conflict.

In May 2024, M23 seized the town of Rubaya and took control of its mines.

Here's what to know about the collapse:

Why did the accident happen?

On Wednesday, following heavy rains in eastern Congo, a network of hand-dug tunnels collapsed, killing at least 200 artisanal miners and trapping an unknown number who remain missing. The mine, located around 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the west of the regional capital of Goma, has been under the control of Rwandan-backed M23 rebels since early 2024 and employs thousands of miners who operate largely by hand.

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Miners dig long tunnels, often parallel to one another, with limited support and no safe evacuation route in case of a collapse.

A former miner at the site told The Associated Press that there have been repeated landslides because the tunnels are dug by hand, poorly constructed, and not maintained.

People dig everywhere, without control or safety measures. In a single pit, there can be as many as 500 miners, and because the tunnels run parallel, one collapse can affect many pits at once, former miner Clovis Mafare said.

Congos government, in a statement on X, expressed solidarity with the victims families and accused the rebels of illegally and unsafely exploiting the regions natural resources. An M23 spokesperson accused the government of politicizing a tragic accident and provided a list of other collapses at government-controlled mines.

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What is happening in eastern Congo?

The M23 group is one of about 100 armed factions vying for a foothold in eastern Congo, where a decades-long conflict has raged.

Since early last year, the M23 rebel group has been on the offensive, taking the regional capitals of Goma and Bukavu and advancing toward the south of the country. The group, composed primarily of fighters from the Tutsi minority who failed to integrate into the Congolese army, launched an insurgency against the Congolese government in 2012. It was then dormant for a decade, until its resurgence in 2022.

M23 claims to defend Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination. Critics say its a pretext for neighboring Rwanda to obtain economic and political influence over eastern Congo.

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Congo, the United States, and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, which had hundreds of members in 2021. Now, according to the United Nations, the group has around 6,500 fighters.

While Rwanda denies that claim, it acknowledged last year that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo, allegedly to safeguard its security. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

Why is Rubaya important?

The Rubaya mines have been at the center of the fighting, changing hands between the Congolese government and rebel groups. For over a year now, the site has been controlled by the M23 rebels.

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The mines produce coltan  short for columbite-tantalite  an ore from which the metals tantalum and niobium are extracted. Both are considered critical raw materials by the United States, the European Union, China, and Japan. Tantalum is used in mobile phones, computers, and automotive electronics, as well as in aircraft engines, missile components, and GPS systems. Niobium is used in pipelines, rockets, and jet engines.

According to a U.N. report, since seizing Rubaya, the M23 has imposed taxes on the monthly trade and transport of 120 metric tonnes (118 tons) of coltan, generating at least $800,000 a month. The coltan is then exported to Rwanda, U.N. experts said. But even before M23 seized control of the mine, analysts said that the mineral was sold to Rwanda, the only difference being that it was done through Congolese intermediaries.

Experts say it is not easy to trace how coltan reaches Western countries because of a murky supply chain.

How is the United States involved?

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The Trump administration hosted the leaders of Rwanda and Congo in December and oversaw the signing of a peace deal that critics say has done little to slow the fighting.

Lauded by the White House as a historic agreement brokered by Trump, the pact followed monthslong peace efforts by the U.S. and partners, including the African Union and Qatar, and finalized an earlier deal signed in June.

The region of eastern Congo, rich in critical minerals, has been of interest to Trump as Washington seeks ways to circumvent China to secure rare earths. China accounts for nearly 70% of the worlds rare earth mining and controls roughly 90% of global rare earths processing.

The National Energy Emergency executive order, issued by Trump, highlighted the significance of critical minerals  including tantalum and niobium  and called for securing U.S. access to ensure both modern life and military preparedness.
Lawyers for a plaintiff who sued her doctors after she detransitioned say they think her win in court last week is a harbinger of things to come.

At age 16, Fox Varian underwent a double mastectomy as she transitioned from a biological girl to identifying as a boy. The surgery occurred a year after she began meeting with a psychologist and started questioning her gender during sessions.

Nearly 3 years after her surgery, she filed a medical malpractice lawsuit  the first of its kind  against her psychologist and the surgeon who performed the top surgery.

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Now 22, Varian was awarded $2 million on Friday by a jury in response to her civil case.

Shame and cognitive dissonance, Varian testified, kept her from openly confessing her remorse until three years following the mastectomy, independent reporter Benjamin Ryan wrote in his court coverage. At 19, she finally stopped identifying and presenting as male and has since considered herself a woman. But an incomplete one.

The civil suit in Westchester County Supreme Court in White Plains, New York, is one of nearly 30 detransitioner lawsuits nationwide, according to Ryan. He added in a video posted by The Free Press, where his article was published, that Varians case and the ones that will follow could be a reckoning over lax assessment standards by care providers when they consider whether irreversible medical interventions should be offered or given to minors with gender dysphoria.

At 16, Fox Varian got a mastectomy while undergoing a gender transition. Years later, she sued her psychologist and plastic surgeon for leaving her disfigured for life. @benryanwriter reported from the courtroom where she was awarded $2m in damages. pic.twitter.com/hqdJ6jGOOY  The Free Press (@TheFP) February 2, 2026

The jurys decision was heavily influenced, Ryan said, by Varian and her mother, Claire Deacons testimonies. The mother and daughter said that Varians psychologist, Kenneth Einhorn, was an enabler, who assured Varian that the mastectomy would improve her mental health, and said that he browbeat Deacon into consenting to the irreversible surgery so Varian wouldnt take her life.

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Even Loren Schechter, who is chief of gender affirmation surgery at Rush University Medical Center, testified that Einhorn was ultimately in the wrong for encouraging Varian to have the mastectomy.

I looked at this case really hoping  and even with an expectation that there would be enough" to sustain Einhorns referral to the surgeon to perform top surgery, Schechter said. And I couldnt do that.

Deacon said that after Varians surgery, She was still anxious, she was still depressed, she still had all the same issues.

Its so hard to face that you are disfigured for life, Varian told the jury. No amount of reconstruction, she said, is ever going to bring back what I lost.

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However, attorneys for Einhorn argued that Varian and Deacon were attempting to shift the responsibility for their decisions onto others.

Deacon was the one, after all, who signed the consent form. She was a licensed practical nurse and, notably, had a history of making nuanced judgment calls about her childs care, per Ryans coverage. For example, Varian never received any vaccines due to Deacons concerns about vaccine injury.

Ryan also noted that both health care providers claimed to have been outspoken to Varian that surgery might not meet the teenagers expectations or address her psychological struggles, and in particular, that she might regret it.

What are the legal ramifications?

Charles LiMandri, a partner at LiMandri & Jonna, a California firm that is involved in multiple detransition lawsuits, including activist Chloe Cole in her upcoming case, told the Deseret News that these cases involving medical malpractice plaintiffs all tend to have similar stories to tell about their abuse by the pediatric health care industry. Therefore, I would expect that these cases should continue to yield similar favorable results for the plaintiff victims of what is considered the worst medical scandal of modern times.

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He added that the recent decision in the Varian case should be seen as a dire warning to all the so-called gender affirming doctors, and their medical malpractice insurance carriers, that the financial risks and the risks to these activist doctors careers and reputations are looming large against them.

Cole, who underwent a mastectomy at 16, has become a prominent figure in the debate over gender treatments for minors. She recently told the Deseret News that, like Varian, her top surgery was the catalyst for her detransition.

That was the main reason, actually, why I ended up detransitioning, Cole, now 21, said. I realized that I wanted to become a mother one day, and this would very possibly bar me from that.

Mark Trammell, CEO of Center for American Liberty, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization, who is also working on Coles lawsuit, told the Deseret News in a statement that they were enormously encouraged by the results in Varian v. Einhorn.

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The verdict confirms that accountability is possible and that doctors are not above the law, Trammell said. The Center for American Liberty represents multiple detransitioners, including Chloe Cole, who are bravely seeking justice for irreversible harm. There are countless young people victimized by the gender industrial complex, and this $2 million verdictespecially coming out of New Yorkgives real hope that their day in court is coming. CAL will continue to advocate tirelessly until justice is done."

Cole herself posted on X about Varians verdict:

I couldnt be more happy for Fox Varian. Detransitioners need justice, she said. My lawsuit with @Liberty_Ctr will further this precedent by exposing the major medical institution known as Kaiser Permanente.
Lapid stressed unity against Iran following a security meeting with Netanyahu, despite recent public clashes between the two leaders.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) vowed that Israel is united against the Iranian threat following a security assessment on Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahus military secretary was also said to have participated in the joint meeting.

The entire State of Israel is united in the face of Iran, Lapid said after the meeting.

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There are no disagreements between us about the importance of confronting this threat. It is important that Tehran knows that the State of Israel stands united against the terror of the regime, he continued.

There have been reports in recent weeks speculating a possible US-Iran conflict that might involve Israel.

Lapid and Netanyahus sit-down came after the prime minister canceled the original plans last week to conduct the security assessment.

The meeting also follows a day of social media sparring between Netanyahu and Lapid in which the two hurled accusations at one another over the Qatargate affair, which involves alleged Qatari influence on figures close to Netanyahu.

Social media jabs

In your own office, the people closest to you secretly received millions of dollars from Qatar in a grave case of treason, the opposition leader slammed the prime minister on X/Twitter.

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You personally transferred tens of millions of dollars to Hamas, in complete contradiction to the position of the security establishment, without ever explaining it to this day, he added.

Later on Monday, Lapid also sharply criticized Netanyahu and the government for not inviting Supreme Court President Isaac Amit to a ceremonial Knesset plenum session amid the ongoing rift between the government and the judiciary.

Separately, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday to discuss a possible nuclear deal, according to a Monday Axios report.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A suspected biological laboratory raided by Metro police and the FBI may be connected to a similar incident in California, where officials found infectious agents such as HIV and malaria, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

Police and the FBI searched the home on Saturday, Jan. 31, finding a possible biological laboratory, including refrigerators with vials containing unknown liquids, police said.

Shortly before 6 a.m., a Metro SWAT team served a search warrant at the home on Sugar Springs Drive near Washington Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard to search for a possible biological laboratory inside the home. A second location was also searched, but no lab was located.

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An LLC tied to the homes county records matches the name of a company that is part of an ongoing federal case in California involving a biological laboratory there, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. In that case, a Chinese citizen, David He, faces federal charges for allegedly manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices, according to federal prosecutors.

As part of that investigation, local and federal officials raided the suspected biolab in Reedley, California, in Fresno County.

Inside the Reedley Biolab, officials observed blood, tissue and other bodily fluid samples and serums; and thousands of vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material, raising the concern that they contained pathogens, according to a federal report from the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Some of these vials were labeled with the names of pathogens in English or Mandarin.

Investigators also located pathogen-labeled containers with labels such as dengue fever, HIV, and malaria, the report said, along with 1,000 mice.

Items seized from the Reedley, California, biolab. (Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party)

The man connected to the Reedley biolab remained in federal custody ahead of a spring trial. His name is listed as the registered agent of the Las Vegas-based company that owns the Sugar Springs Drive property. The LLC purchased the home in 2022.

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Two other people connected to the LLC are tied to a Spring Valley business address. The company appears to have a warehouse location in Las Vegas as well, according to documents.

In court documents, He previously told a judge he no longer runs the companies, though he remained listed in Nevada business records as of Sunday. There was no indication as of Sunday that he was charged with a crime connected to Saturdays raid.

During a joint news conference with the FBI on Saturday, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill noted one person was in custody connected to the raid; however, no case appeared filed in state or federal court as of Sunday.

Items seized from the Reedley, California, biolab. (Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party)

McMahill nor the FBI elaborated on what substances or other materials police seized from the Las Vegas home. The 8 News Now Investigators have learned samples from the lab will be shipped to the FBI for testing.

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McMahill added that this was an isolated incident and there was no threat to the public.

Neighbors told 8 News Now that the home was under surveillance before the raid. A lawyer for He did not return a request for comment.

8 News Now Investigator David Charns can be reached at dcharns@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.
As Republican leadership in the House hopes to begin the process of reopening the government by advancing a funding package on Monday that passed the Senate last week, President Donald Trump urged lawmakers not to oppose the deal.

We need to get the Government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY. There can be NO CHANGES at this time, Trump wrote on Truth Social in sharp contrast to last years record-breaking shutdown.

Under the plan approved by the Senate, the Department of Homeland Security would be funded temporarily to Feb. 13, setting up a deadline for Congress to try to find consensus on new restrictions on ICE operations.

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The bill faces pushback from lawmakers in both parties, with Democrats broadly opposing it and some Republicans raising new demands that could put passage in jeopardy.

The Latest:

Federal judge blocks Trump administration from ending temporary legal status for Haitians in the US

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington granted a request to pause the termination of temporary protected status for Haitians, which was scheduled for Feb. 3.

Without that protection, Haitian TPS holders in the U.S. could face deportation back to Haiti.

Temporary protected status is a designation that can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary if conditions in home countries are deemed unsafe for return due to a natural disaster, political instability or other dangers.

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Trump has sought to end the protections for migrants from many countries.

 Read more about temporary protected status for Haitians

Texas Democrat takes oath of office, shrinking GOP majority in House

Christian Menefee became the newest member of Congress on Monday when the Texas Democrat took the oath of office after winning a special election on Saturday.

Menefee will complete the term of the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, a former Houston mayor, who died in March 2025.

Menefee in a brief speech on the House floor noted that its been more than 330 days since his district had a voice in Congress.

I stand here today understanding that theres very, very big shoes to fill, Menefee said.

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Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, also from Texas, introduced Menefee to colleagues, telling them, This is a district with a long legacy of fighters  fighters for justice  and Im confident that Christian Menefee will carry on that tradition.

Trump says hes a big crypto person but isnt involved in familys World Liberty Financial

Trump was asked about reporting by The Wall Street Journal that the royal family of Abu Dhabi had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture in which the Trump family is a major investor, securing a 49% stake.

Two months after a meeting over the deal, according to the paper, the Trump administration committed to give the Gulf monarchy access to around 500,000 of the most advanced AI chips a year.

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Turning to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to support his thesis, Trump on Monday touted cryptocurrency, saying if we dont do crypto, then Chinas going to do it.

The president stressed that his sons are handling World Liberty Financial. Trump helped launch the venture in a streaming event just ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Why were federal law enforcement officers not required to wear body cameras before?

President Joe Biden ordered in 2022 that federal law enforcement officers wear body cameras as part of an executive order that included other policing reform measures. Trump had rescinded that directive after starting his second term.

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Every Homeland Security officer in Minneapolis is now being issued a body-worn camera, Noem says

Every Homeland Security officer on the ground, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, will be immediately issued body-worn cameras, Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday.

Noem made the announcement on the social media platform X. She said the body-worn camera program is being expanded nationwide as funding becomes available.

We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country, Noem said in the social media post.

The news of the body cameras comes as Minneapolis has been the site of intense scrutiny over the conduct of immigration enforcement agents. There have been increased calls by critics of Homeland Security to require all of the departments officers who are responsible for immigration enforcement to wear body cameras.

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Trump says Pirro will take Powell investigation to the end

Asked by reporters in the Oval Office on Monday if he wanted to see the probe into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell dropped, Trump said Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, will figure out what happened.

Trump said I feel badly for Kevin Warsh, his nominee to replace Powell, because he may not have an office for the next four years.

Last month, Powell said that subpoenas had been served on the central bank related to his Senate testimony regarding the Feds $2.5 billion renovation of two office buildings, a project that Trump has criticized as excessive.

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Trump has long railed against Powell and the independent agency he directs for not cutting its key interest rate as sharply as he prefers.

Trump says he wont tear down Kennedy Center

The president said the work he envisions would cost about $200 million but that the performing arts center needs to be shut down because the work cant be done with patrons coming and going from shows and other performances.

Im not ripping it down ... but when it opens it will be brand new and beautiful, Trump said while answering questions from reporters during an Oval Office appearance.

Trump comments, though, suggested that he intends to gut the interior.

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The steel will all be checked out because it will be fully exposed, the president said.

He announced Sunday on social media that he intends to close the Kennedy Center for about two years starting on July 4.

Trump compares new rare earth stockpile to Strategic Petroleum Reserve

As Trump announced the creation of a stockpile of rare earth elements essential for manufacturing, he compared the initiative, Project Vault, to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, created to safeguard against an oil shortage.

There are parallels between the two programs.

The SPR was created in 1970s when an Arab oil embargo led to a disruptive shortage of gas. Project Vault, which will create a reserve of minerals and elements used to make electronics, automobiles and phones, was created after China, which mines 70% of the globes rare earths, restricted the export of them to the U.S. in the heat of trade negotiations.

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Trump company deal avoided ethics ban by a few days

The Trump family could have missed out on hundreds of millions of dollars if a deal by one of its companies with a United Arab Emirates fund had been delayed even a few days.

The Trump family last year agreed not to strike deals directly with foreign governments to avoid the presidents finances shaping policy but the ban took effect only after he took office.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that a Trump crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, had received $500 million from a U.A.E. state fund four days before inauguration. Months later Trump gave the U.A.E. access to U.S. chips long denied it because of fears the technology would leak to China.

A World Liberty spokesman said there was no connection between the U.A.E. investment and the chips. The Trump family didnt respond to requests for comment on the deal or if there were other undisclosed arrangements before the inauguration.

Hegseth says military is prepared if Iran doesnt negotiate

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that while the U.S. military is prepared to take action against Iran, that isnt what the Trump administration favors.

Asked by reporters Monday about a possible deal over Irans nuclear program, Hegseth said, Iran will not have nuclear weapons capability and so they can either negotiate on that front, or we have other options.

He says he and Trump dont want to go that route. Asked if regime change was possible, Hegseth said, Not right now.

Our job is to be prepared. And Iran has a choice, about whether or not they want to negotiate on their nuclear capabilities or not, Hegseth told reporters during a trip to Florida.

Turkey is trying to organize a meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials. The U.S. military has moved forces, including an aircraft carrier strike group, into the Middle East.

Justice Department says its taken down Epstein-related files that may have had victim information

The Justice Department said Monday that it had taken down several thousand documents and media that may have inadvertently included victim-identifying information since it began releasing the latest batch of documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein on Friday.

It blamed the release of sensitive information that drew an outcry from victims and their lawyers on mistakes that were technical or human error.

In a letter to the New York judges overseeing the sex trafficking cases brought against Epstein and confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton wrote that the department had taken down nearly all materials identified by victims or their lawyers, along with a substantial number of documents identified independently by the government.

Trump demands NO CHANGES to funding deal as House returns

Republican leadership in the House is hoping to begin the process of reopening the government by advancing a funding package on Monday that passed the Senate last week.

But the bill faces pushback from lawmakers in both parties, with Democrats broadly opposing it and some Republicans raising new demands that could put passage in jeopardy.

As members returned to Washington, Trump urged lawmakers not to oppose the package in a post on Truth Social.

We need to get the Government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY. There can be NO CHANGES at this time, Trump wrote.

Trumps push to swiftly reopen the government marks a shift from last years record-breaking shutdown. He warned against another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown that will hurt our Country so badly.

Chicago mayor wants city police to probe alleged wrongdoing by immigration agents

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says hell direct city police to document and investigate alleged wrongdoing by federal immigration agents.

The mayor of the nations third-largest city signed an executive order over the weekend that he says will lay the groundwork for prosecuting agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection.

It comes after an immigration crackdown unfolded last year in the Chicago area where one suburban man was fatally shot by agents. Multiple lawsuits have been filed alleging other wrongdoing by federal officers.

Nobody is above the law, Johnson said in a statement. There is no such thing as absolute immunity in America.

Johnson says his office will forward its findings to the Cook County states attorneys office to bring charges. The states attorneys office says its reviewing the executive order.

Government delays jobs report because of shutdown

Because of the partial federal government shutdown, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will not release the January jobs report as scheduled on Friday.

Once funding is restored, BLS will resume normal operations and notify the public of any changes to the news release schedule, BLS said in a statement.

It is also delaying the Tuesday release of the December report on U.S. job openings.

Senate Democratic Leader Schumer warns against GOP adding SAVE Act to appropriations package

Schumer, the Democratic minority leader, argued the legislation would lead to voter suppression and vowed to oppose its passage.

I have said it before and Ill say it again, the SAVE Act would impose Jim Crow type laws to the entire country and is dead on arrival in the Senate, Schumer said in a statement.

Some House Republicans have called on House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to include the SAVE Act in the latest government funding package, which is returning to the House for a vote this week after a bipartisan deal was brokered in the Senate.

Schumer predicted that if House Republicans added the conservative election legislation to the package it would lead to another prolonged Trump government shutdown.

It is a poison pill that will kill any legislation that it is attached to, the New York Democrat warned.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has expressed support for the SAVE Act, which stands little chance of passage because of the Senates filibuster rules.

Trump says he plans to lower tariffs on India to 18% from 25% after India agreed to stop buying Russian oil

The move comes after months after Trump pressing India to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude. India has taken advantage of slacked Russian oil prices as much of the world has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Trump said India would also start to reduce its import taxes on U.S. goods to zero and buy $500 billion worth of American products.

This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the tariff reduction on India.

 Read more about tariffs on India

Trump creating Project Vault, a strategic reserve for rare earths elements

The Trump administration plans to deploy nearly $12 billion to create the stockpile, which could counter Chinas ability to use its dominance of these hard-to-process metals as leverage in trade talks.

The White House confirmed on Monday that Project Vault would initially be funded by a $10 billion loan from the US Export-Import Bank and nearly $1.67 billion in private capital. The minerals kept in the reserve would help to shield the manufacturers of autos, electronics and other goods from any supply chain disruptions.

During trade talks spurred by Trumps tariffs last year, the Chinese government restricted its exports of rare earths needed for jet engines, radar systems, electric vehicles, laptops and phones. China represents about 70% of the worlds rare earths mining and 90% of global rare earths processing.

Many want Trump focused less on foreign issues

In the past few weeks alone, Trump has mulled taking control of Greenland, pushed for U.S. control of Venezuelan oil, and penalized Iran for killing thousands of peaceful protesters. Hes predicted that the Cuban government is ready to fall, and told reporters Saturday that talks with Cuban leaders have begun as his administration cuts off the islands oil supplies.

Polling shows that many Americans want Trump more focused on issues at home. About 4 in 10 voters want Trump less locked in on foreign policy, according to the Fox poll. Roughly one-third of Americans said Trumps time spent on foreign policy was about right, and about 3 in 10 said he was not spending enough time on it.

Control of Greenland is an unpopular issue for Trump. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults strongly or somewhat opposed the U.S. taking over Greenland, as Trump has proposed. Republicans were split on the issue: about 4 in 10 favored a takeover, but about one-third were opposed. About one-quarter were uncertain.

Republicans increasingly question Trumps mental fitness

The Pew survey also found sharp declines in Republicans confidence that Trump has the mental fitness to serve as president, respects the countrys democratic values or acts ethically in office. Only about 4 in 10 Republicans are now extremely or very confident in Trump acting ethically, down from 55% early last year.

Also concerning for Trump, given his focus on his predecessors mental fitness, about two-thirds of Republicans are now highly confident that Trump has the mental fitness needed to do the job of president. Thats down from 75% at the start of his second term.

Trump is losing support for his overall policies

Trump has been a prominent political figure for about a decade, and his supporters have often not been deterred by his non-traditional or brash behavior in the White House. Polling has often shown that issue priorities often drive voters much more than candidate character.

Despite that, theres a possible warning for Trump in new Pew Research Center polling that shows that just over half of Republicans, 56%, support all or most of Trumps plans and policies, down from 67% just after he took office last year.

Democratic senator blasts Trumps plan to close Kennedy Center

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said Trump is covering up his failures by shuttering a national landmark that belongs to the American people.

The Rhode Island Democrat is the ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees public buildings, and is an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. He launched a probe into the Kennedy Centers financial management in November.

Whitehouse said the planned closure is part of Trumps demolition tour of Washington.

If he succeeds, it will be because of a series of suspect and illegal actions to commandeer the Kennedy Center as a clubhouse for his friends and political allies and install leadership who satisfy his every whim.

Most voters see ICE as too aggressive

Many Americans still support Trumps goal of deporting people in the country illegally, but polling shows theyre increasingly uncomfortable with his tactics.

About 6 in 10 registered voters said ICE tactics have gone too far in a recent New York Times poll. A Fox News poll found a similar share of voters felt ICE was being too aggressive, a measure up 10 percentage points from July.

Immigration was among Trumps strongest issues when he started his second term in AP-NORC polling, but its since fallen. Just 38% of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling immigration, down from 49% in March, and that support could be slipping among Republicans as well, falling to 76% from 88% in March.

That poll was conducted Jan. 8-11, shortly after the death of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.

Americans want Trump to focus more on the economy, polls show

Voters care about the economy.

A large share of registered voters see the economy as one of the top issues the country faces, and about half in a recent New York Times poll said Trumps policies have made life less affordable.

Similarly, about 7 in 10 registered voters in a Fox News poll  including about half of Republicans  said Trump is not spending enough time focusing on the economy.

Meanwhile, about 4 in 10 voters in the Fox poll said Trumps economic policies have hurt them personally. Only about 2 in 10 say it has benefited them  and looking ahead, 45% of voters say they expect the economy will get worse in the next year.

Polls show Trump facing challenges this year

Trump has been bragging about his administrations work on affordability, but recent polling suggests that Americans arent buying it.

Many say Trump is focusing on the wrong priorities, and they largely think he is neglecting the issue of costs. There are also signs that frustration is rising over his immigration approach, and some of his recent fixations  such as taking over Greenland -- are downright unpopular.

This has created problems for Trump headed into a midterm year. Many Americans want him to focus more on the economy and less on immigration and foreign policy. But those are the issues that dominated the headlines over the past month, thanks to Trumps aggressive approach.

Heres what Democrats and Republicans want in the ICE legislation

Democrats in the Senate and House are seeking new constraints on federal immigration agents after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. The Democratic demands include:

Republicans are open to some of the changes, but have drawn a line on judicial warrants and unmasking. They say the warrants would be onerous and warn that unmasked federal agents would face doxing  the publishing of their private information online.

Liams back home, but what about 10-year-old Elizabeth Zuna?

Residents of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, gathered outside the house where Liam was detained to celebrate his release and call attention to others from the community who remain in ICE detention.

Luis Zuna held up photographs of his 10-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who he said had been detained, along with her mother, Rosa, while driving to school on Jan. 6. He said they both remain in custody at the same facility where Liam and his father were held.

Its the same situation as Liam, but there were no pictures, said Carolina Gutierrez, who works as a secretary at the school that Elizabeth attended. Seeing Liam released, it gives us faith.

Inquiries to DHS about that case were not immediately returned.

Familys lawyer said Liams dad did nothing illegal

The government said the boys father entered the U.S. illegally from Ecuador in December 2024, but the familys lawyer said he entered properly and his pending asylum claim allows him to stay. The Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Reviews online court docket shows no future hearings for Liams father.

The vast majority of asylum-seekers are released in the United States, with adults having eligibility for work permits, while their cases wind through a backlogged court system. Ecuadorians, who left in droves in recent years as their country spiraled into violence, have fared poorly in immigration court, with judges granting asylum in 12.5% of decisions in the 12-month period through September, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

5-year-old and his dad return to Minnesota from ICE facility in Texas

Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father are back in Minnesota after a federal judge ordered their release from a detention center in Texas. Images of immigration officers surrounding the young boy in a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack drew outrage about the Trump administrations crackdown.

Judge Fred Biery blasted the administration, writing, The case has its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.

A statement from Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said ICE did not target or arrest the boy, and repeated assertions that his mother refused to take him after his fathers apprehension.

Neighbors and school officials accused the officers of using the preschooler as bait by telling him to knock on the door to his house to lure his mother outside. DHS has called that description of events an abject lie.
Right-wing candidate Laura Fernandez has declared victory in Costa Ricas presidential election after preliminary results gave her a commanding lead and her closest challenger conceded defeat.

The move early on Monday came after Supreme Electoral Tribunal said that votes tallied from 81 percent of polling stations showed the candidate of the Sovereign Peoples Party winning 48.9 percent of the vote.

In her victory speech, Fernandez promised deep and irreversible change and announced that Costa Rica was entering a new political era.

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The Central American nations second republic, which began after the 1948 civil war, is a thing of the past, she said.

Its up to us to build the third republic, Fernandez told flag-waving supporters.

The 39-year-old politician also pledged to lead a nation that is respectful and firm on the rule of law.

Any law that is ineffective, that has become obsolete, that has become a hindrance to development, will be modified or repealed, she added.

Fernandezs closest challenger was economist Alvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party, who obtained 33 percent.

At third was Claudia Dobles, a progressive architect and former first lady, who was just shy of 5 percent of the vote.





Ramos conceded on Sunday night and pledged to lead a constructive opposition, but one that would not let those in power get away with anything.

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In democracy dissent is allowed, criticizing is allowed, he said.

Fernandez needed at least 40 percent to win the election outright and avoid a run-off on April 5. The politician is the handpicked successor of incumbent President Rodrigo Chaves, and campaigned on continuing his tough security policies.

She has pledged to complete a maximum-security mega-prison that Chaves started to build in August, saying that it would isolate leaders of organised crime, cutting them off from the outside world.

She has also advocated for mandatory prison labour and stricter criminal sentencing.

Al Jazeeras Julia Galiano, reporting from capital San Jose, said that the main issue during the campaign was security, with homicides reaching an all-time high in 2023.

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Without a doubt, the increasing insecurity was the main issue for everyone that we spoke to here. Costa Rica has long been considered as the Switzerland of Central America. Its a nation known for its long history of a stable democracy, she said.

Fernandezs tough line on security has prompted worry among the opposition, Galiano said.

They fear the changes that her government will do will ultimately erode the democratic nature of this country. But in her victory speech, she did say that above all, she would remain democratic and that her government would never turn authoritarian, our correspondent added.

Costa Ricans also voted for the 57-seat National Assembly on Sunday.

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Fernandezs party is projected to win a majority of 30 seats in the 57-seat Congress, up from its current eight seats, but short of a supermajority that would give it greater powers.

Some 3.7 million Costa Ricans were eligible to vote in Sundays elections.
Firefighters battle the Pinehaven Fire in the Caughlin Ranch area of Reno on Nov. 17, 2020. (Photo: Jason Bean/Reno Gazette-Journal)

Nevadas solution to the problem of homeowners being dropped en masse by insurance companies over growing wildfire risk is receiving a tepid response.

Assembly Bill 376 created whats known as a regulatory sandbox  permission for insurance companies to offer policies that dont meet existing statutory requirements. The Nevada Division of Insurance still has to review and approve them for possible consumer harm, but the idea is to allow for innovation and new insurance options that could help consumers struggling with rising rates and dropped policies.

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According to Nevada Insurance Commissioner Ned Gaines, who was asked about the sandbox during an interim legislative committee last month, no company has taken the state up on the opportunity.

Assemblymember P.K. ONeill, a Northern Nevada Republican who sponsored AB376, said he was a little disappointed.

We, the state, brought forth a program that would actually, possibly lower insurance rates for homeowners, said ONeill, and the insurance companies arent taking advantage of playing and trying to address the issues in servicing their customers, lowering rates, providing insurance (while) still making a profit.

Gaines responded by saying that companies have expressed some interest in conversations with him but just havent decided yet how theyre going to do it.

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The insurance industry is very slow to move, he said. They do not make very quick decisions. Theyre very methodical, especially the old line carriers that have been around since the beginning of the modern insurance market.

The insurance companies werent slow to raise rates, quipped ONeill.

Gaines acknowledged that, sharing that one insurance company, which he did not name, recently requested a 45% rate increase on its homeowner policy.

Utlimately, we approved a little over 9%, so we cut it down as much as possible, he said, because they arent showing us through experience that they need that kind of rate.

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The regulatory sandbox created by AB376 sunsets at the end of 2029.

If it takes them a couple years, were already at the sunset term and our constituents are still being Im almost going to use the word victimized by their inability to take advantage of what weve been offering, said ONeill.

Kristopher Sanchez, director of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, also weighed in.

Ill be blunt, he told lawmakers. Ive not been happy with how the insurance industry has responded to this in Nevada.

Sanchez said his staff is planning a series of conversations with local, regional and national experts to try and come up with a better policy regime that gets at protecting Nevada consumers.

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We plan on having a series of meetings with folks that tackle this issue from multiple perspectives  from folks on the ground that are fighting fires, to the individuals that are building new technologies that can address what you do from the community scale to the micro scale at the homeowner level, to what policies need to be advanced and changed, and how we can manage that risk in partnership with our other jurisdictions.

AB376 also allowed insurance companies to carve out wildfire risk from a homeowner policy, a provision that was heavily criticized when the bill was being considered during last years regular legislative session.

Im happy to say that to date no insurance company doing business in Nevada has carved out wildfire from their homeowner policy, said Gaines. None have even expressed interest in carving out the wildfire risk.

But he added that he is shocked no insurance companies have come and proposed implementing a wildfire deductible.

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Thats something thats very, very simple that they could do, said Gaines. It would immediately allow for the consumer to take charge and decide what works best for them. How much risk they are able to take on.

Sanchez told lawmakers the department would return to a future meeting of the interim legislative Committee on Commerce and Labor to provide an update on their efforts.
Shadow of conflict still shrouds Middle East as U.S., Iran begin dialogue

Xinhua) 08:21, February 02, 2026

This photo taken on Jan. 30, 2026 shows an urban view in Tehran, Iran. (Xinhua)

CAIRO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- As the United States and Iran have announced the start of dialogue, there appears to be a glimmer of hope for easing the tensions that have gripped the Middle East for weeks.

However, with Washington continuing to bolster its military presence and the prospects for negotiations remaining uncertain, the shadow of conflict still looms over the region.

MIXED SIGNALS

On Saturday night, Iran and the United States confirmed they had initiated dialogue, offering a sigh of relief to many who had been suffocating under the tension of a weeks-long standoff between the two nations.

"The formation of a structure for negotiations is progressing," Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani wrote on social media platform X.

This photo taken on Jan. 30, 2026 shows an urban view in Tehran, Iran. (Xinhua)

Later in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with reporters aboard Air Force One that Iran was "seriously talking" with the United States.

"I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable," Trump said, adding, "We could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory, with no nuclear weapons, and they should do that, but I don't know if they will."

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that a "just, fair, and equitable" nuclear agreement with the United States remains achievable in the short term, provided Washington abandons its policy of coercion.

Although both sides have confirmed they are in contact, neither has taken concrete steps to de-escalate the situation, sending mixed signals -- expressing openness to talks while remaining prepared for conflict.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned on Sunday that if the United States starts a war against Iran, it would become a regional war.

Khamenei said Iran would not start a war and does not seek to attack any country, but that "the Iranian people will deliver a hard punch to those seeking to attack and harass them."

"The Americans should know that if a war is launched this time, it will be a regional war," he emphasized.

Trump has also been blunt in expressing his military posture toward Iran. When asked by reporters whether he had made a final decision on Iran, Trump responded, "Certainly, I can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction."

People take part in a demonstration in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 12, 2026. (Xinhua/Shadati)

UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK

While the two countries have initiated talks, analysts caution that this does not signal a quick de-escalation of tensions, either bilaterally or across the broader region. The future is still up in the air, with the specter of conflict continuing to loom.

On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with military chief Eyal Zamir to assess the military's "operational readiness for any possible scenario" amid rising regional tensions, the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The meeting came after Zamir concluded a weekend visit to the United States, which was reportedly focused on preparations for potential U.S. military action against Iran.

In June last year, the United States launched a sudden airstrike on Iran shortly after concluding negotiations with Tehran, a move that has fueled skepticism about the prospects of the current talks.

Photo taken on Jan. 26, 2026 shows Hezbollah supporters holding portraits of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a rally to voice support for Iran and denounce U.S. threats in Beirut, Lebanon. (Photo by Bilal Jawich/Xinhua)

Washington has said any deal with Iran must include a ban on uranium enrichment, the removal of already enriched material, limits on long-range missiles, and a rollback of support for regional proxies - conditions Tehran has rejected.

As for the current round of talks, Iran has shown no willingness so far to compromise on issues it considers core interests.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that while Tehran has pursued engagement and dialogue to resolve disputes, its approach is based on "dignity-based diplomacy," engagement within the framework of international law, mutual respect, and refraining from threats or coercion.

"Any aggression against the country and its people will be responded to immediately and decisively," he added.

Washington's goal for Tehran is "a total shift in strategic behavior," Qatari political analyst Faleh Al Hajri told Xinhua. He said this includes Iran's regional influence, missile programs, and proxy networks, adding that it would be "very difficult" for Iran to concede to such sweeping demands.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Another batch of grain wagons has been shipped from Russia to Armenia through Azerbaijans transit corridor, Azernews reports.

According to the information, 25 grain wagons with a total weight of 1,746 tons passed through Azerbaijani territory today en route to the Republic of Armenia.

To date, a total of 285 grain wagons - approximately 19,900 tons - have been transported from Russia to Armenia via Azerbaijan.

It should be noted that on January 11, a train consisting of 18 wagons loaded with 979 tons of AI-92 automotive fuel was sent from Bilajari station to Boyuk Kesik.

The cargo was delivered to Armenia via transit through Georgia. On January 9, a total of 2,698 tons of fuel (48 wagons) - including 1,742 tons of AI-95 gasoline and 956 tons of diesel - was also sent from Bilajari station to Armenia.

The first fuel shipment from Azerbaijan to Armenia was dispatched on December 18, 2025.
Israeli and U.S. naval forces participate in a joint drill in the Red Sea on Feb. 1, 2026. Israeli and U.S. naval forces held a joint drill in the Red Sea on Sunday, the Israeli military said Monday, highlighting strengthened maritime cooperation as regional tensions with Iran continue to rise. (Israel Defense Forces/Handout via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli and U.S. naval forces held a joint drill in the Red Sea on Sunday, the Israeli military said Monday, highlighting strengthened maritime cooperation as regional tensions with Iran continue to rise.

The exercise involved Israeli Navy vessels and a visiting U.S. Navy destroyer operating in the Red Sea, the military said.

It added that the drill was part of ongoing strategic coordination between the Israeli Navy and the U.S. 5th Fleet, which is responsible for operations in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Gulf of Oman.

The exercise came amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, as Washington has issued warnings to Tehran and reinforced its naval presence in the region. 

Israeli and U.S. naval forces participate in a joint drill in the Red Sea on Feb. 1, 2026. Israeli and U.S. naval forces held a joint drill in the Red Sea on Sunday, the Israeli military said Monday, highlighting strengthened maritime cooperation as regional tensions with Iran continue to rise. (Israel Defense Forces/Handout via Xinhua)
Over 10 years after its initial discovery, the greatest sunken treasure in the history of humanity still sits untouched at the bottom of the Caribbean Ocean as American treasure hunters, indigenous groups, and officials from Spain and Colombia battle over rightful ownership.

'I Still Think I'm Dreaming'

Roger Dooley, a maritime archaeologist from Miami, made the remarkable discovery on Thanksgiving Day 2015, putting an end to his 31-year pursuit. It was the San Jose, a Spanish galleon which sank in 1708 as it made the cross to Spain carrying gold, silver and emeralds. The total value of the ship and its loot is considered to be $5 billion or more. Im still thinking Im dreaming, Dooley told The New York Post earlier this week.

The San Jose sank early in the evening of June 8, 1708, after British commodore Charles Wager attacked the ship off the coast of Cartagena. Wagner recalled in his journals that the ship blew up and that the heat of the blast came very hot upon us and several splinters of plank and timber came aboard us afire. Of the 600 people aboard the San Jose, only about 12 survived.

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[Its] the greatest sunken treasure in the history of humanity, added Julian Sancton, who authored an account of the study, Neptunes Fortune: The Billion-Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire, thats in stores now. It has to contend with such famous gilded troves as Tutankhamens tomb.

Yet It's Still Unclear to Whom the Wreck Belongs

But the contents of the ship are still tied up in arbitration. The Court of Permanent Arbitration in The Hague had been expected to issue a ruling on the matter early this year, which would decide whether the ship should belong to a single American salvage company or if Dooley and his crew are entitled to a 45 percent share after Colombia declared the wreck and its contents objects of cultural interest.

Dooley, now 81, didnt expect to ignite an international incident with the discovery. Spain has invoked sovereign immunity to stake claim on its lost naval vessels, no matter where in the world theyre discovered, and has made clear its opinion that the San Jose should not be moved from its mass grave. But Colombia wishes to stake claim on the vessel, too, contending that the wreck came to rest at the edge of the countrys territorial waters and smack in the middle of its exclusive economic zone. Colombia has already recovered a smattering of less-valuable items, such as coins and weapons, from the San Jose.

RICARDO MALDONADO ROZO/EPA (RICARDO MALDONADO ROZO/EPA)

Sea Search Armada, an American company, contends that it first located the wreck in 1980 and therefore deserves a cut of the treasure. While a Colombian civil court ruled that the SSA is entitled to half of any treasure found within the ship, the ruling has rankled some who contend that there was never any wreck at the coordinates provided by SSA. Many believe the ship discovered by the SSA in 1980 was not the San Jose. At the same time, indigenous groups in Spain and Colombia argue that the treasure should be theirs, as it most certainly was taken through forced labor and should be treated as reparations.

'Rightful Owner Is Humanity Itself'

But Sancton is adamant that the treasure should belong to no single person. Rather, he suggests the proper course of action would be to inter the items in a museum for the public to see. The Spanish treasure fleets were transporting the riches of an entire continent across oceans, laying the foundation of our globalized system of commerce and shaping the modern world, he said. The rightful owner of the ship is humanity itself.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Feb 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On Friday, the Justice Department released more than three million pages of the Epstein filesand newsrooms everywhere were forced to cancel their weekend plans to comb through the tranche of emails, court records, and 180,000 images that arrived more than a month after the DOJs required deadline. In addition to the more than 5,300 documents that mention Trump, the files mention pretty much every other man with any type of power in the U.S.

To start off, despite declaring in 2025 that he never wanted to go to Epsteins island, Elon Musk exchanged several emails with Epstein from 2012 to 2013, asking to visit around New Years in 2013. While its unclear if the visit happened, Musks estranged 21-year-old daughter Vivian Wilson posted to Threads on Saturday that she remembers going from St. Vincent to St. Barths as a child during that time.

Its important to note that the majority of claims and documents are uninvestigated and unverified, and many of the more shocking abuse allegationslike the one accusing Trump of raping a 13-year-oldwere compiled from an FBI tip line. But lets continue.

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Also named was former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who exchanged chummy emails with Epstein leading up to his death in 2019 and floated creating a documentary to redeem the pedophiles reputation; Brett Ratner, the accused sex pest and director of Melanias documentary, appeared in multiple images with Epstein, where theyre both embracing unidentified women; and Trumps commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, who very recently claimed that he cut ties with Epstein in 1998, seemingly emailed about plans to have lunch on Epstein island in 2012.

Bill Gates and Bill Clinton were also referenced plenty, along with vomit-inducing mentions of both Bills willies. In one email exchange, Epstein alleged the Microsoft co-founder tried to hide a STI that he caught from Russian girls from his then-wife, Miranda Gates. After claiming Gates was able to treat it with antibiotics, Epstein writes, Implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda, and the description of your penis. A Gates spokesperson called the accusation absolutely absurd and completely false.

Clinton also seemingly flew on Epsteins jet more than 15 times in the early 2000s, and around the same time, there were regular communications between his staffers and Ghislaine Maxwell. In one email exchange, Maxwell appears to have told Clinton that she told a tabloid what a supper stud you are and how I have a crush on you and how you are hung like a horse. (Typoand typeis hers, not ours.) A spokesperson for the former president claimed he never wrote any of the emails.

One of the more surprising appearances was Nellie Bowles, who co-founded the Free Press with now-wife Bari Weiss in 2021. In one email exchange dated August 2018about a decade after Epstein was briefly jailed for soliciting prostitution and around the time she met WeissBowles, then an editor at the New York Times, was connected with Epstein by his PR person, Masha Drokova. Bowles and Epstein seem to have met in New York in September 2018, after which they became more-than-cordial.

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how did it go introducing your partner to mom? even better than the good career move? :) Epstein wrote to Bowles. Ahahahaha I missed this and just figured out who you are. It actually went great! she replied. When ste you and your babe back in nyc, he wrote back. Bowles has rejected that any of this is new, tweeting that the correspondence was for a pair of articles she was writing at the time.

The former Prince Andrew and Epstein buddy, who was stripped of his title in October, also makes several hundred new appearances. In one new photo, hes seen kneeling over an unidentified woman lying on the floor. Since the files were released, a woman alleged Epstein sent her the U.K. for a sexual encounter with the ex-prince. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated to reporters over the weekend that hes pressuring the disgraced royal to testify before a congressional committee, a request hes been ignoring since November.

And, along with the above incendiary allegations on the president, one declassified memo from 2020 claims Trumpwho was finishing his first termhad been compromised by Israel. CHS [a confidential human source] advised Chabad [a global Hasidic movement with ties to hardline colonial politics] is doing everything they can to co-opt the Trump presidency, it reads. Trump has been compromised by Israel. And Kushner is the real brains behind his organization and his Presidency. It also details Epsteins close relations to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, adding that he trained as a spy under him. (Barak and his wife also appear multiple times in the newest files.)

 New Epstein File Alleges Israel Controlled Trump During his First Term, Kushner Ran Everything An unclassified FBI report based on information from a Confidential Human Source (CHS) alleges that during Donald Trumps first term, Israel exerted significant influence over his pic.twitter.com/QZ3FcjfR6P  Ryan Rozbiani (@RyanRozbiani) January 30, 2026

On Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi and DOJ Number 2 Todd Blanche said via email that Data Set 12 marks the end of the Epstein files. Though Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) accused Bondi of only partially uploading the files. We are demanding the names of Epsteins co-conspirators and the men and pedophiles who abused women and girls, he said in a statement. We will begin a thorough review of this latest limited production, but lets be clear: our work and investigation are just getting started.

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Also, in a letter on Sunday, 20 of Epsteins victims condemned the DOJ for failing to properly redact information, exposing their details and nude images. There were literally 1000s of mistakes, one of the attorneys told ABC News. We are getting constant calls for victims because their names, despite them never coming forward, being completely unknown to the public, have all just been released for public consumption.

Notably, Vice President JD Vancewho in 2021 tweeted, Remember when we learned that our wealthiest and most powerful people were connected to a guy who ran a literal child sex trafficking ring? And then that guy died mysteriously in a jail? And now we just dont talk about ithas been mighty, mighty quiet.

Like what you just read? Youve got great taste. Subscribe to Jezebel, and for $5 a month or $50 a year, youll get access to a bunch of subscriber benefits, including getting to read the next article (and all the ones after that) ad-free. Plus, youll be supporting independent journalismwhich, can you even imagine not supporting independent journalism in times like these? Yikes.
Cumberland County is under a winter storm warning until 1 p.m. Sunday, with a possible 2 to 6 inches of snow accumulation, the NWS in Raleigh said. The exact timing and amounts are uncertain, but residents should be prepared for possibly significant accumulation and bitterly cold.

In addition to the winter storm warning, Cumberland and surrounding counties are under a cold weather advisory until 1 a.m. Sunday, and an extreme cold warning will be in effect from 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday, with heavy snow expected in central North Carolina.

The Fayetteville Observer provided live updates here throughout the day.

Snow is here  for a while at least | Final update 8:45 p.m.

Snow is expected to continue falling in Cumberland County until early Sunday morning, with accumulation of about 2 to 4 inches possible, according to the NWS.

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According to hourly forecasts, the bulk of the snow will fall by about midnight before tapering off through about 4 a.m.

The overnight low will be about 16, the NWS said, with wind chills as low as 0.

Snow begins falling in Fayetteville | 7:40 p.m. update

After a day spent waiting for a dry slot to close, it looks like snow is beginning to accumulate in Cumberland County. Whether it will be more than a dusting remains to be seen.

Fayetteville-area should see snow by 7:30 p.m. | 5:45 p.m. update

Snow should begin falling across the Fayetteville area by 7:30 p.m., according to meteorologist Dan Leins, with the National Weather Service, Raleigh.

Very light flurries have been falling across the area most of the day, but Cumberland County has thus far escaped any significant precipitation. Leins said that the storm was in Lumberton around 5 p.m. and was making its way northeast. The storm should be out of our area by daybreak, he said.

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Although only light accumulation is expected here, we're not in the clear yet.

"Even though the snow might be done, the hazards aren't quite over by that point. Winds 10-15 mph will persist through a good portion of the day (Sunday)," he said.

He said the high will be a "brutal" 32 degrees, with windchills in the low 20s.

It's cold outside (and still no snow in Fayetteville) | 5 p.m. update

Whether Cumberland County sees any snow accumulation or just a dusting remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: It's cold and will only get colder.

It's about 24 degrees in Fayetteville as of 5 p.m., and the overnight low is expected to be about 16. Wind chill values will be as low as 10. We'll be under an extreme cold warning from 1 a.m. through 10 a.m. Sunday, the NWS said.

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"Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures. An extended period of freezing temperatures could cause ruptured water pipes."

If you have pets, bring them inside, and dress in layers if you have to go outside.

Latest forecast: Here's the latest weather update for Fayetteville

This screengrab from a National Weather Service live radar shows a system to the west of Fayetteville at 3:45 p.m. Saturday.

No snow yet in Fayetteville | 3:51 p.m. update

A winter storm warning continues to be in effect for all of central North Carolina, which includes Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

"Total snowfall accumulations of 4-8 inches (locally 8-10 inches) are expected across the western Piedmont and western Sandhills as well as east of I-95, with lesser amounts of 2- 4 inches in between (including the Triangle)," the National Weather Service in Raleigh said in a 3 p.m. Saturday update.

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Cumberland County is in that stretch of between the western Sandhills and east of Interstate 95 that has not yet seen snow accumulation.

A band of snow that has been moving slowly east will make its way through the Piedmont and Sandhills late Saturday afternoon through about 3 a.m. Sunday, the NWS said.

"This will be the best chance for those areas to receive a few inches of snow."

An updated weather graphic posted at 3:15 p.m. Saturday shows Fayetteville receiving 4 inches of snow.

Closings and cancellations in the Fayetteville area | 2:15 p.m. update

Snow hasn't found us yet in Fayetteville, but a number of businesses and other organizations in Cumberland County have announced closings, cancellations or postponements for the weekend into early next week in anticipation of winter weather.

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See the full list here: Weather-related closings and cancellations in the Fayetteville area

Fayetteville sees a few flurries | 1:40 p.m. update

Fayetteville saw some flurries a little before 1 p.m. that have since tapered off without any accumulation.

The snow might not have found its way in earnest to Fayetteville yet, but it's already affecting flights at the Fayetteville Regional Airport.

With Charlotte already seeing snow, all flights between Fayetteville and the Queen City are canceled Saturday, according to the latest information on the Fayetteville Regional Airport's website.

Snowmageddon may not reach the Sandhills | 12:27 p.m. update

While the Fayetteville area may have seen some very light snow flurries Saturday morning, steady snow isnt expected until after 5 p.m.  nearly 12 hours later than previous forecasts, National Weather Service, Raleigh meteorologist Nick Luchetti said around noon Saturday.

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The expected snowfall totals have changed, as well, Luchetti said, with the area now possibly seeing just 2 to 4 inches  a marked reduction from the foot of snow predicted late Friday.

Its a very tough forecast. Its been very challenging, he said. Leading up to this, the guidance  all the models we looked at  have just been kind of waffling around. One run will have 14 inches of snow, and then the next run is dry. Those change every six hours to 12 hours.

What is consistent are the freezing temperatures and winds. Luchetti said once the snow does come, it could fall steadily for a couple hours this evening.

With winds pushing wind chills down to zero and blowing snow across roadways, there will be reduced visibility. Travel will be even more challenging," he said.

Snow is on the way | 11:56 a.m. update

After lightly snowing for about an hour or so, starting around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, things have tapered off here in Fayetteville.

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Don't panic, though. The bulk of the snowfall is expected to start between noon and 1 p.m. continue on and off through early Sunday morning, according to hourly forecasts by the National Weather Service.

Snow totals will vary across Cumberland County | 11:39 a.m. update

Cumberland County is a little more than 650 square miles, so while the county is expected to see between 6 and 8 inches of snow accumulation, totals will vary depending on where you are in the county.

For a better idea of how much snow you can expect in your area of the county  right down to the neighborhood you live in  the National Weather Service's Probabilistic Precipitation Portal offers a more targeted prediction.

Parts of the extreme southeastern part of Cumberland County, for example, around the Beaver Dam community, can expect as much as 8.3 inches of snow accumulation. On the lower end, the upper northwestern edge of the county, near Overhills and the Cumberland-Harnett county line, could see 5.2 inches of accumulation.

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Downtown Fayetteville, in the center of the county, is looking at a predicted 6.3 inches of snow accumulation.

Price gouging law in effect for NC | 10:45 a.m. update

North Carolinas price gouging law remains in effect ahead of this weekends winter weather, NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced Friday.

As North Carolinians prepare for the inclement weather, the law is clear, Jackson said in a news release. Price gouging is illegal, and we will take action against businesses that violate this law during the state of emergency.

The Attorney General's Office said:

North Carolinas price gouging law prohibits charging excessive prices during a crisis and takes effect when the governor declares a state of emergency.

Once the law is in place, businesses and individuals may not charge prices for goods or services they sell or rent that are unreasonably excessive under the circumstances while the state of emergency is in effect.

In some cases, businesses may adjust prices to account for higher costs or the impact of critical events on their operations.

However, they may not raise prices unreasonably to boost profits and should clearly disclose any reasonable increases to customers before a purchase is made.

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North Carolinians can report price gouging to the Department of Justice at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or ncdoj.gov/pricegouging.

The latest weather briefing from the National Weather Service in Raleigh shows 6 to 8 inches of expected snow accumulation in Cumberland County.

Wind gusts plus snow could mean brief blizzard conditions | 10 a.m. update

Light snow, which started around 8:30 a.m. Saturday in Fayetteville, continues to fall. The National Weather Service in Raleigh says the highest potential for snow in Cumberland County will be between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and midnight. Cumberland County is expected to receive 6 to 8 inches.

In its Saturday morning weather briefing, the NWS said that the Fayetteville area can also expect high winds this weekend.

"Wind gusts will range from 30 to 40 mph Saturday evening into Sunday. Some infrequent gusts to 45 mph are possible, mainly along and east of I-95," the NWS said.

Locations near the Interstate 95 corridor could see significant snow accumulations of more than a foot, the NWS said. In those areas, which include most of Cumberland County, "brief blizzard conditions may occur due to a combination of gusty winds up to 40 mph and reduced visibilities," the NWS said.

The National Weather Service in Raleigh said that the area circled in red on this map could see brief blizzard conditions because of a combination of gusty winds up to 40 mph and reduced visibility. That area includes most of Cumberland County.

Snow begins to fall in Fayetteville | 9 a.m. update

By 9 a.m. Saturday, light snow had begun to fall in Fayetteville. According to the NWS, the bulk of the snowfall is expected after 1 p.m., with a total daytime accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

The high Saturday is expected to be about 25, with wind chills as low as 10 and winds around 16 mph with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Snow will continue to fall Saturday night into Sunday morning, mainly before 2 a.m., with possible new accumulation of 3 to 5 inches.

Closings: Get the list of weather closings and cancellations in the Fayetteville area

Shelters open: State of Emergency declared ahead of Cumberland County-area snow storm

STAY INFORMED: Download the free Fayetteville Observer app and turn on Notifications to get breaking news updates on the winter storm. Prefer email news alerts? Sign up for those here.

North Carolina weather radar

North Carolina severe weather watches and warnings

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville, NC, weather updates during the winter storm
After a long week of remote learning, students and parents across Western Pennsylvania are preparing to return to the classroom.

Click here for local delays and closings.

Some parents say it may be too soon because of lingering snow mounds, icy roads and frigid temperatures.

While nearly every district across our area is welcoming students and staff back on Monday, parents like Linda are weighing whether it is worth sending their children in.

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I think its a hard decision for administration, she said. Kids and teachers need to be back in school, but conditions are still a little iffy.

North Hills School District plans to be fully open Monday.

Lindas children attend the district, and she also works there as a teacher.

She said she worries about students who ride the bus and may have to wait outside in single-digit temperatures.

Theres no place for them to stand, she said. Parents might be dropping off. A lot more drop-offs, car riders waiting at the bus stops.

Anthony Avery said he has similar concerns for his grandkids, who attend Propel Schools.

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If you stand on the sidewalks, it comes up halfway up my leg, Avery said. The kids are shorter than I am, so imagine them having to walk on the sidewalk. They have to walk in the streets.

Avery said he plans to drive his grandkids to the bus stop as usual, but is prepared to take them directly to school if needed.

Pittsburgh Public Schools announced Sunday it would return to normal school day operations Monday.

Woodland Hills School District also announced a return to in-person learning Monday.

District leaders are urging parents to review bus safety with their children, noting that snow piles could block drivers views.

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In Pittsburgh, a spokesperson for the mayors office said about 25 Department of Public Works trucks and contractors are working regular shifts to clear sidewalks and roads.

District leaders continue to encourage parents to use caution as students return to class.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

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Ismael Ahmed, a beloved figure and longtime community activist in metro Detroit who served in state government and founded Detroit's Concert of Colors among other achievements, has died.

Ahmed, often known as "Ish," died Saturday, Jan. 31, at age 78. He had been in hospice at his home in Farmington after being diagnosed with cancer in the last couple of months, his oldest son, Saladin Ahmed, told the Free Press on Sunday, Feb. 1.

"He was important to his family, and his family was important to him," Saladin Ahmed, 50, of Oak Park, said of his father, adding: "He showed me the world was bigger than the world we grew up ... Made me appreciate the world we grew up in, too."

Ismael Ahmed, 78, a well-known community activist in metro Detroit who founded the Concert of Colors among other achievements, has died at age 78. He is pictured in a 2013 file photo.

Among Ismael Ahmed's lasting legacy was his role in building the Dearborn-based nonprofit Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), where he was executive director for about 25 years. It started as a small storefront operation staffed by volunteers. As of 2024, it had an annual revenue of nearly $50 million and assets of $100 million, according to tax records.

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Ahmed also helped guide the group during the tense climate facing Arab Americans after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He also helped co-launch the Arab American National Museum and served on its advisory board for many years, ACCESS said in a Jan. 31 Facebook post, signed by its president and CEO, Maha Freij.

"Ismael was a dear friend to so many, with a long and distinguished career dedicated to public service and community," Freij said in the post, adding: "The impact of his contributions to ACCESS, our community, and the State of Michigan cannot be overstated."

Freij noted in the post that Ahmed led the Michigan Department of Human Services under former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, becoming the first and only Arab American to hold one of the state's most significant cabinet roles. He oversaw a $7 billion budget and almost 11,000 employees. Given the economic distress that Michigan faced at the time, it was a challenging time, but Ahmed led with several reforms that improved access for low-income residents.

"Inside state government, he was a fighter for those who had no megaphone and no lobbyists," former Gov. Jennifer Granholm told the Free Press in 2013. "In addition to making sure that vulnerable children were safe, Ish (he) insisted that we focus on the people who were unseen  the poor, the homeless, the chronically unemployed. He has a heart as big as a barn and a passion for people as vast as the sky."

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Ahmed also served as associate provost for metropolitan impact at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, his alma mater. He worked on a program for thousands of students to volunteer and conduct research across metro Detroit, helping communities.

Ahmed was known for his genial nature and warm manners, engaging with people of diverse cultures. He hosted a radio show on WDET (101.9 FM), the eclectic music show called "This Island Earth" that reflected his global outlook and love of music of diverse cultures.

Ahmed also was a force in metro Detroit's cultural scene, including founding the inaugural Concert of Colors in 1994 when he was executive director of ACCESS. The original edition was staged at Chene Park, now called the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre.

Originally designed as a standalone concert celebrating world music and Detroit's cultural tapestry, Concert of Colors eventually grew into a free, multiday festival held at venues across Midtown every July. At 32 years, it's one of the longest-running annual music events in the city, presenting local musicians and artists from across the globe.

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"The best way to bring people together is to bring the best of themselves together, and that means culture," Ahmed told the Free Press in 1999. "That's what this festival is about."

Ahmed also was appointed to the National Council on the Arts by former President Joe Biden, according to the ACCESS Facebook post. In 2013, he won the Neal Shine Award for Exemplary Regional Leadership, sponsored by the Free Press and Metropolitan Affairs Coalition.

Ismael Ahmed was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to an immigrant father from Egypt and a Lebanese-American mother. He was a grandson of Aliya Hassan, an Arab-American and feminist activist who worked with Malcolm X.

Ahmed is considered to be a pioneering leader in the Arab American community. After his death, Arab Americans in Michigan poured out tributes to him on social media sites.

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More: Richard Whitmer, father of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, dies at 85

Living in diverse neighborhoods throughout his life helped inspire his work. Ahmed spoke with a Free Press reporter in 2013 about his life and career.

He moved from New York City to Dearborn with his family when he was age 6, living close to the historic Ford Rouge plant, he told the Free Press in an interview. His stepfather, of Yemeni descent, worked at the sprawling plant, one of a growing number of Arab American factory workers who flocked to Dearborn for solid paying jobs.

After Ahmed graduated from Fordson High School, he went to Henry Ford Community College and then did a stint in the Army during the Vietnam War. He later would become an anti-war activist based on his experiences, telling the ACLU in 2022 that a brother of his who served in the military during the Vietnam War suffered illness from Agent Orange and later died.

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Ahmed became involved in leftwing and Marxist movements in metro Detroit, speaking out against the Vietnam War and class inequality. He saw the world while working as a deck hand on freighters that sailed around the world. He witnessed firsthand global poverty that he said was caused by corporations. In Dearborn, Arab Americans were fighting attempts by companies and the city to demolish their neighborhoods and marginalize them in the auto plants.

"I realized there is a system of oppression in this world," Ahmed previously told the Free Press. "I wanted to be part of the solution."

In the 1970s, Ahmed worked on the line at the Ford Rouge plant in Dearborn, where his stepfather had worked, and also in a Ford assembly and engine plant. He helped found ACCESS in 1971 along with other Arab American activists trying to help the growing community.

Ahmed also helped form the Arab Workers Caucus, which fought against discrimination in auto plants targeting Arab American workers and called for the UAW to divest from Israel. He was supportive of the Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement, a group of Black workers organized in the late 1960s.

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"Arab workers suffer the same class exploitation as the rest of the U.S. proletariat," Ahmed wrote in a 1975 essay about the Arab Workers Caucus published in a newsletter.

Ahmed said in 2013 that he was still rooted in the ideas that shaped his early years. He believed that history is made by the masses, not by elite leaders, reluctant to take credit for his own leadership.

More: Remembering Rick Ratliff, a witty journalist with boundless curiosity

"If I was to be called anything, it would be a community organizer, sometimes a troublemaker," Ahmed said. "A lot of the left ideas, I still maintain them ... I still believe that everything is about regular, everyday people. I believe that while there are some heroes, the real heroes are people who work every day."

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As many Arab Americans became Republicans, Ahmed maintained his liberal views, urging the community to vote for Kamala Harris in an op-ed published in the Free Press in 2024. Trump would win Dearborn, with Arab Americans upset over the Gaza war and social issues.

"I believe we have a responsibility to each other," Ahmed told the Free Press. "We are all brothers and sisters. We have to take care of each other."

Saladin Ahmed said his father worked in the Merchant Marine for at least a year and was a delegate to multiple Democratic National Conventions and remained active with the party.

He described his father as "very interesting person," even ranging from a hippie to a punk rocker, identifying with the counterculture. And his father was a family man, saying he was "a very tender and loving father" who also encouraged his son to figure things out on his own.

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"What he taught me? To care about everyone's story and think about other people," Saladin Ahmed said. "He had a radical empathy in a way he cared about people, where they came from, gave them the benefit of the doubt."

More: Catherine O'Hara's most unforgettable roles in movies and TV

Saladin Ahmed said when he was in first grade and school was out, his dad made him write a little story for him every day, with a few words and a made-up character. Decades later, Saladin Ahmed, a comic book writer, is making a living out of that type of work and said he feels lucky to have had his father to encourage that creativity.

"I'm just thankful for the big empathic world he raised me in," Saladin Ahmed said, adding that his father wanted people to take care of each other. "If his passing teaches anything to people, I hope that's what it is."

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Ismael Ahmed was married to his wife, Margaret, for nearly 40 years and had five children and nine grandchildren, Saladin Ahmed said.

He said there will be no formal funeral, but his father's life will be celebrated at the Concert of Colors this year. The event is scheduled for July 15-19, according to its website. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Concert of Colors, Saladin Ahmed said.

Staff writer Brian McCollum contributed to this report.

Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @challreporter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Longtime community activist Ismael Ahmed dies
British authorities announced that they arrested a 56-year-old man in connection with large-scale waste-dumping incidents across the counties of Lancashire, Cheshire, and Merseyside after discovering illegal trash deposits in roadsides.

The Joint Unit for Waste Crime joined forces with Lancashire Police and the National Crime Agency in December to apprehend the suspect and seize the vehicle allegedly used during the offenses.

This practice, known as fly-tipping in the U.K., involves illegally dumping waste on public or private land instead of properly disposing of it through the appropriate channels. These criminal acts force landowners to shoulder the disposal costs, and they contaminate areas where native species live.

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"The criminals involved in these offences are a blight on our rural communities," said Sergeant Darren Carr of the Lancashire Police South Rural Taskforce.

The Joint Unit for Waste Crime has led 361 multi-agency operations, resulting in 186 arrests as of September. The unit recently doubled in size to enhance its capacity to shut down serious waste criminals who cause the most severe harm to environments and communities.

"The results of this day of action are a great example of utilising different [agencies'] enforcement powers to reach a successful outcome and disrupt criminal activity," said Phil Davies, Joint Unit for Waste Crime manager.

"Lancashire's south rural taskforce are committed to continued multi-agency working to tackle these offenders to protect our rural communities," Carr added.

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Local residents can do their part to help prevent waste crime by verifying that private waste collectors appear in the U.K. Environmental Agency public register of waste carriers before hiring them, as anyone not listed is operating illegally.

Authorities also encourage the reporting of suspicious dumping activities to the Environment Agency incident hotline or to Crimestoppers U.K.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices  and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.






A massive great white shark was patrolling the waters just off Alabamas coast in January  and now, off the coast of Mississippi.

Around the middle of January, the 12-foot, nearly 1,000-pound female shark, known as "Ernst," was detected off the coast of Gulf Shores, Alabama, after her satellite tag pinged, researchers said.

That location a few weeks ago marked one of the westernmost points recorded for a great white shark in the Gulf and was considered unusual behavior, researchers told news agency SWNS.

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Massive Great White Shark Returns To Florida Waters After Epic Year-long Atlantic Journey

The ping placed the shark near the Chandeleur Islands, a chain of barrier islands in the Gulf of America off the coast of Louisiana.

Researchers said the sharks proximity to shore was notable and that it falls outside what they typically observe for great white sharks in the region.

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OCEARCH, a U.S.-based marine research group, tagged Ernst in October 2025 in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia.

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After the tagging, Ernst began a long coastal migration, traveling thousands of miles from Canadian waters along the U.S. East Coast.

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"She cut right over to lower Maine from Nova Scotia, migrated right down the coast, and has moved around Miami and the Keys and all the way beyond the Florida Panhandle," Chris Fischer, founder and expedition leader of OCEARCH, told SWNS.

Fischer said Ernsts movement westward is rare for great white sharks in the Gulf.

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"She has really moved into one of the farther parts of [where] we see them moving west," Fischer said. "[For] the majority of the sharks, this is pretty far reach."

Great white sharks are selective about where they travel, he added  tending to move through areas with abundant marine life.

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"It's kind of unusual to see her so tight to the beach there, which is a great sign for the region because this is a signal that there's a lot of life and a lot of biodiversity," Fischer said.

Ernst's travel log on the OCEARCH site as of Sunday, Feb. 1, indicates the female shark pinged again on Jan. 30, around 6 a.m. that day, south of Horn Island off the Mississippi coast. (Researchers are able to note her location when the tag on her dorsal fin breaches the surface of the water, as noted on the site.)

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"Ernst the shark carries forward [a] spirit of connection, resilience and teamwork that keeps both island life and ocean research moving forward," the organization says on its site as it continues tracking her.

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OCEARCH tracks other great white sharks across the Atlantic and Gulf of America using satellite tags.

Fox News Digital recently reported that Contender, the Atlantics largest recorded male great white shark, returned to Florida waters in January 2026, one year after being tagged.

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After traveling as far north as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the 14-foot, 1,700-pound shark resurfaced in warmer coastal waters, a movement researchers said could be tied to great white shark mating activity.





Original article source: Massive great white shark detected by researchers off Mississippi coast in rare Gulf migration
David Holt defies labeling.

The mayor of Oklahoma City is an institutionalist who wants to remake the primary election system and a Republican in the ruby-red Sooner state who has crossed swords with President Donald Trump over pandemic protocols and immigration.

When Holt was a state senator, he pushed to reduce or eliminate Oklahoma's income tax, then led a wildly successful effort as mayor to raise the city's sales tax to spend $1.1 billion on everything from a new animal shelter to a jail diversion program to improvements for the Oklahoma City Thunder's practice facility.

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Holt embodies focus, but juggles what most people would consider two full-time jobs  leading America's 20th-largest city while also serving as dean of the Oklahoma City University School of Law. And for good measure, he's the newly elected head of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the organization that represents the leaders of more than 1,400-plus cities with 30,000 or more residents.

And Holt is now connected to Knoxville as the inaugural recipient of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Award for Public Service bestowed by the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee.

You're invited to learn for yourself why Holt seems to be at the center of so many important endeavors when he speaks Monday, April 13 at the Baker School. (The event originally was scheduled for Monday, Feb. 2, but was postponed to April because of wintry weather.)

Knox News Executive Editor Joel Christopher spent an hour talking with Holt on Jan. 26 in advance of his visit about how he's carved out a spot as a convener in an era of division and energized Oklahoma City to dream big, how he'd love to reengineer an election system that's empowers the fringes of both parties. and what he sees for the future of our nation.

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This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.

Joel Christopher: I am really curious about how you keep civility in public life front and center. You're not a person who doesn't have strong opinions or take strong positions, but you seem to have been able to do it in a way that maintains open lines of communications with people, even who don't agree with you. And I'm curious about how you keep that engagement open and transparent the way you have,

David Holt: It's more about my own self control than anything else. One of my truisms is that whatever in politics, whatever is most emotionally satisfying, is probably not what is in your long-term interest. I think it's always been a challenge. It's just that people in politics today don't bother trying to meet that challenge anymore.

People have just got to remind themselves that perhaps they are reacting to the emotion of the moment, and that the person they're engaging with, whether it's their elected official, their constituent or a colleague within the political process, they're going to need to continue to engage with that person if they want to be productive.

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I think that obviously, all of those relationships I just described have eroded in recent years, and people don't seem to really care much about their long-term effectiveness. And when nobody cares about their effectiveness, nothing happens. But I still want to get things done, so you've just got to keep yourself in check.

The Oklahoma City Declaration, which is sort of a to do list of civility, addresses social media because that's obviously the place where we started this erosion: the way we behave on social media.

So it's not that I'm not a human being, and don't have frustrations, but you just have to keep it under control and recognize the bigger picture. I think these are just classic human values, really, but that we apply in our own personal lives. But something about civil discourse or social media tends to dehumanize some of these things.

We've just got to remember that the same way we show restraint in our family relationships we should also be considering as we engage in civics.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt is the inaugural recipient of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Award for Public Service. In addition to serving as mayor, Holt also is the dean of the Oklahoma City University School of Law and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Christopher: Is that something that comes to you, that ability to check your emotions, naturally? Is that built into your temperament or is that something you've had to train yourself? And I'm wondering what people who have known you for a long time would say about that,

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Holt: I don't think anybody who has known me would say I was a real hothead, I don't know that's ever been the case. But, yeah, sure, it comes with experience. I'm sure I've made every mistake imaginable in my life, personally and professionally.

So experience counts.

I've been eight years mayor, eight years a state senator. I'm sure if I could watch a video of myself operating 15 years ago, I might be appalled at something I did or said. So you learn over time to find that even wavelength I'm describing.

I think that's why, among many reasons, that as a voter I always want people with political experience. I certainly understand that when they're running for a lower-level office that they might not have it. But when I'm electing a governor or a senator or a president, I want somebody who has been at it for a while because this is among the many traits that they will have to hone through this process, experience and service.

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I don't think (the ability to check your emotions) is necessarily easy. It is something you have to work out and learn how to do. And it helps if you have served for a while started to build up the emotional characteristics necessary to be productive in these roles.

I'm sure Howard Baker was not perfect at the beginning of his career. We all learn the value of these things, probably through failure and mistake. It's not just always consistently standing on my principles but taking the time to explain them.

Christopher: It's interesting to hear you talk specifically about wanting to see that experience in candidates, especially for higher office at a time when so many people are rejecting that for outsiders to politics.

Holt: I think an experienced person can still bring energy and fresh ideas, just realistic ones and achievable ones. Coming into office, part of this is the temperament that is earned through experience, but part of it is also a knowledge of how things work, and so I don't consider it a virtue when people come into office and say things that are blatantly impossible or illegal and purport that those things are doable.

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But other people want to hear that. And I think it's incumbent upon those with more wisdom to explain why that's not productive.

That requires the patience of explaining, which is important in this process and in this service, and the willingness to persuade people and stand up for your for your values and explain them.

This comes up all the time in my various roles, and it came up even in recent days. I'll give you an example that you haven't heard of, but it's resonating with everything that's going on around the country. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is apparently looking to acquire a warehouse in Oklahoma City to build a detention facility, and the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution makes it very clear that they can do that. They will not ask the local government for zoning approval or building permits or anything. And that's been the way it's been for 200 years. So that's not new or unique, but all that's kind of foreign to many of our residents.

So I'm out there explaining the Supremacy Clause. I am saying we'll mail a letter to (the Department of Homeland Security) and we'll ask them to voluntarily submit for a special permit that would be required for a detention facility, and we're going to write a letter to our congressional delegation asking for their support of that, but we're going to be very truthful and consistent with you that we can't stop this, that there will not be a process. There will not be a permit, unless they submit to one.

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In contrast, Kansas City had the exact same thing pop up, and their council passed an ordinance declaring a moratorium on all detention facilities for the next five years. Blatantly impossible, it has no application to the federal government. Means nothing  it means less than the paper it's printed on. But of course, because they didn't want to speak truth to their constituents, they just wanted to show that they were doing something, I now have constituents coming to me and saying," Well, why can't you do what Kansas City did?"

So my burden is double now. Now I've got to both explain the Supremacy Clause and explain why what this other city did is meaningless, right?

Editor's note: The owners of the warehouse pulled out of negotiations to sell the building after this conversation.

Christopher: Switching gears a bit, I've had some conversations with other folks who have spoken at the Baker School about how in much of America, our system of selecting candidates is really skewed towards appealing to those who are most engaged with their party, and often those are the same people who tend to have more extreme perspectives than the party as a whole or voters as a whole. What are your thoughts on exploring different systems of choosing candidates and some of the positives that could come out of revamping our typical primary selection processes?

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Holt: I have very strong views on this because I've just I've lived it and observed it both ways. But the reality is, in really almost all states, it's one extreme or the other.

In Tennessee and in Oklahoma, it's the Republican primary runoffs, but in New York or Washington state its the Democratic Party runoffs that pull candidates to the extremes.

It didn't always used to be this way. But participation has declined and partisanship has grown. The general election has just become almost meaningless in most of these places, and people who used to vote in primaries don't anymore.

So like even where the general election might be competitive, you're still being delivered two candidates from the two primaries that are polar opposites instead of two candidates who are more moderate.

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The majority party's voters don't have any incentive to even consider electability. They're like, look, we're going to win no matter who we send. So let's send who we want and who we want is being chosen by a group of people who represent 15% of the constituency.

So in Oklahoma, our governor will be elected in August by the Republican primary runoff voters. No Democrats will be a part of that decision. No independents will be a part of that decision. And actually, most Republicans will not even be a part of that decision, because the people who vote in November elections for president or governor think that they're really good voters because they vote every two years. But in reality, they're not what a candidate would consider the most reliable voters. We're looking for the voters who vote in an August runoff, right? And even that's a very small subset of the overall electorate.

And so these extreme voters on both ends of the of the ideological spectrum are gatekeeping the candidates, and the general electorate therefore never gets to see some of the best candidates.

And the candidates never really feel like they have to face the entire electorate in any meaningful sense. From the beginning, the process weeds people out from even running.

A civic-minded business leader or a lawyer who may be center-right or center-left, but representative of the kind of leaders we used to elect in this country, might say, 'I want to be the governor' because I'm really concerned about our public education system and the economy and health care.

And they'll be told, 'Hey, you got to go meet with X, Y or Z, these political consultants, you need professional help.' And a consultant will say, 'Hey, listen, none of that really matters in the race you're about to run. You're going to be running in this Republican or Democratic primary. And you know the issues are Muslims and trans kids in sports, that's what you've got to focus all your messaging on. And at that point, most normal people will say, 'You know what, I'm going to do something else with my life.''

This sounds terrible, right? Like I want to run on those issues. And so I think it begins really at that stage of the process.

The one who says, 'OK, well, I'll accept this, I want to get to do good. I'll do what I got to do to get there. So then they'll become like fake, inauthentic politicians who say all these crazy things.

And then the worst of all are the ones who are like, 'Great! Those are exactly the issues I want to talk about.'

So you end up as a voter left trying to figure out who's actually crazy and who's pretending to be crazy, and voting for the one who's pretending to be crazy.

For whatever historic reason, mayors mostly run in a top two system that doesn't often have partisanship at all. I think the most important aspect is that everybody gets to see all of the candidates. All of the voters get to see all the candidates. And all of the candidates have to face all of the voters.

That's critical, and it just incentivizes you as a candidate in a totally different way. So when I ran for mayor in 2018 for the first time, I was coming out of a closed partisan process as a state senator, and now I was running for mayor, and I was incentivized, and did seek the endorsements of prominent Democrats, prominent organizations or groups like the Black pastors of my city, groups that were always ignored by Republican candidates because Republican candidates only cared about their primary voters. And I've built a coalition of what I call the normal 70%: in the middle Republicans, Democrats and independents who just want to work together to get things done.

But unfortunately, in American politics, the 15% at the two extremes are really dictating the conversation, choosing the candidates, and leaving an impression that the country is horribly polarized when I don't really believe it is.

Christopher: If you could wave a magic wand and change that system to eliminate partisan primaries, what levels would you apply it to?

Holt: What we're doing in Oklahoma (an effort to eliminate closed primary elections) doesn't affect the presidential primary because that was just viewed as too challenging to fiddle with, but it would affect senate, governor, state legislative seats, Congress.

So I would apply it everywhere, it's how you would describe representative democracy. If you were to ask a high school student, 'Well, how do people run for governor?' They'd say, 'Everybody who wants to run for governor says they're running for governor, and then they put all their names on a ballot, and then everybody gets the ballot.'

But no, no, good God, help us. No. We would never have anything that simple, no. We've got to silo everyone out and manipulate it and create a system where most of you will never even get a chance to vote for these other candidates.

Christopher: What suggestion do you have for an individual who feels helpless or hopeless in their ability to influence the political system? What's a concrete recommendation you would give to somebody to be involved?

Holt: It would be to pursue that kind of electoral reform in your own state or jurisdiction.

I think it's also helping people understand that we all absolutely have an influence on the outcome, but also keeping some sort of realistic view of how much influence any one of us can have, an understanding that it's about grouping together with others and presenting arguments to the public that are appealing.

I would just tell people, it's well worth your time, and you can absolutely make a difference, but you've got to play by some rules.

Christopher: What is your confidence is in the future, in the short term, in the long term, there's a lot of people who aren't feeling confident about the American experiment, right? What are your thoughts on how we're going to overcome the challenges in front of us?

Holt: I think people in positions like mine are optimists by nature, and if you're not, you shouldn't be in this job, and if you ever lose it, you should probably move on to do something else.

So our only hope is to is to follow the hopeful visions of optimistic leaders. But that doesn't mean you just sort of ride the waves and hope for the best. I think that we're all trying to effect the move back to a functional and sustainable democratic republic by trying to change systems or set a tone and just talking about democratic behaviors.

Joel Christopher is executive editor of Knox News. Email: joel.christopher@knoxnews.com

Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Mayor David Holt at the Baker School

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt is the inaugural recipient of the the Howard H. Baker Jr. Award for Public Service, and will speak April 13 as part of the Baker Award Distinguished Lecture Series. The free event is open to the public.

When: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, April 13

Where: Toyota Auditorium at the Baker School on the University of Tennessee campus, 1640 Cumberland Ave., Knoxville

Optional registration: Organizers appreciate knowing how many people will attend. You can RSVP online: bit.ly/mayorholt

Parking: There are several parking garages within easy walking distance to the Baker School, as well as limited on-street parking nearby, subject to availability.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Baker Award winner Mayor David Holt speaks at University of Tennessee
(The Center Square)  Medi-Cal is paying an estimated $608 million per month for cooking, shopping, cleaning, and laundry services for elderly and disabled low-income California residents  including illegal immigrants  at their homes and mostly paid to their relatives, state records show.

These services are part of a federally-and-state-funded program called In-Home Supportive Services, which was designed to get people assistance at home without having to move to an expensive facility. But the program has grown so rapidly that it is responsible for 41% of job gains in California since January 2019, when Gov. Gavin Newsom took office.

By the end of 2025, the program had grown to 799,379 taxpayer-funded providers, making IHSS provider," according to federal occupational data, the most common job in the state.

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Gov. Gavin Newsoms office responded by accusing The Center Square of having California Derangement Syndrome" after the news organization asked about the dominance of IHSS in California employment, citing federal statistics.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos also questioned the cited numbers.

We dont respond to fairy tale statistics, she wrote in an email to The Center Square. Were sorry that your California Derangement Syndrome has led you down this sad path.

Four minutes before Gallegos response, Californias Employment Development Department released its own report on the states net loss of 11,200 nonfarm payroll jobs in 2025, which would have been over seven times worse if not for IHSS growth.

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The governors office did not respond to a follow-up with the states own figures.

The majority of IHSS providers are relatives of and live with recipients, and are paid an average of $18.33 per hour. The average recipient is authorized for 118.4 hours per month, thus earning the average provider an estimated $2,170.27 per month.

We see a growth in government jobs, and dramatic decrease in private sector jobs in California, and that is very alarming and unsustainable, said Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, in an interview with The Center Square. Not only are these not good jobs, they are literally a conduit of funding for political campaigns for the politicians that have established them.

Since January 2019, government jobs, and taxpayer-funded jobs in healthcare and education grew by 852,400 jobs, while all other industries combined lost a net 139,300 payroll jobs. During this time, the U.S. Census estimates states population also declined by 156,914 residents.

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As DeMaio noted, IHSS members are unionized, under SEIU Local 2015. Another SEIU healthcare union, SEIU-UHW, recently introduced a ballot measure to institute a wealth tax on California billionaires.

For the ongoing fiscal year, the state budget allocated $3.3 million for California to support IHSS collective bargaining and its potential transition to state level collective bargaining, suggesting changes in compensation for IHSS providers may be coming soon. This means provider wages could rise to match the states $25 per hour healthcare minimum wage, which would increase base labor costs for the program by 36%.

To receive paid in-home care through IHSS, a recipient is supposed visited by a social worker to establish the maximum number of allowable billable hours. There are also supposed to be scheduled visits to review the need for services.

IHSS breaks these services into two categories: domestic and related services, and personal care services.

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Combined monthly billing for both domestic and personal services provided through the program is an estimated $1.6 billion per month for 85 million hours of work. IHSS is projected to cost $29.9 billion in the ongoing fiscal year, an 11.9% increase over the prior year  reflecting the programs compounding costs.

In December, the average IHSS provider was authorized to provide 45.9 hours of care across the domestic and related services category, though not all services are utilized by each recipient (use rates range from 80.5% through 83.5%). These include domestic services  such as cleaning  buying food, preparing and cleaning after meals, laundry, and other shopping and errands.

Food-related domestic services represent a combined 35.7 hours of authorized work per recipient each month, reflected in 25.7 million hours of billable work across the IHSS workforce. At the typical IHSS wage, thats $472 million per month on just those food-related services  domestic services, laundry, and other shopping and errands cost another $136 million per month.

Personal care includes a much wider array of services, and wider variance in usage, ranging from menstrual care (4.4% of recipients) to dressing (88.8% of recipients). Billing hours for personal care added up to 51.9 million hours per month at a taxpayer-funded cost of $951 million per month.

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During last year's budget cycle for the ongoing fiscal year, a proposal to eliminate IHSS coverage for illegal immigrants was ultimately not adopted. The state did adopt a freeze on new illegal immigrant enrollment in Medi-Cal for adults over 19 years old starting in January 2026.

While there is a long-standing rule technically barring illegal immigrants from serving as IHSS providers, illegal immigrants already enrolled in Medi-Cal are still able to secure IHSS-funded care.
The EU free trade agreement with four Mercosur countries will enter into force as soon as the first South American country ratifies it, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said, despite a pending review by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The European Union signed the controversial Mercosur deal with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay at the beginning of the year after more than 25 years of negotiations.

By removing trade barriers and customs duties, the deal is designed to boost the exchange of goods and services in a new free trade area covering more than 700 million inhabitants.

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However, the European Parliament then voted by a narrow majority to have the ECJ examine whether the agreement is compatible with EU law before deciding on its final ratification.

"As things stand today, attempts to delay it at the last minute, namely in the European Parliament, have been unsuccessful," Merz said on Monday evening at the New Year's reception of the Deutsche Borse German stock exchange near Frankfurt.

European farmers opposed the deal, fearing competition from Mercosur countries. Proponents of the agreement, on the other hand, see particular opportunities for the automotive industry, mechanical engineering and the pharmaceutical sector.
The Metropolitan Police has been urged by a US lawyer to reopen a probe into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after he featured in the latest disclosure of files related to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The tranche of documents released on Friday included several pictures appearing to show Mr Mountbatten-Windsor on all fours, leaning over a woman. There were also documents appearing to show the former prince exchanging emails with Epstein about a beautiful Russian woman, and inviting him to Buckingham Palace.

Meanwhile, a second woman has claimed that she was sent to the UK by Epstein to have a sexual encounter with Andrew in 2010. No evidence has been produced in support of this latest allegation.

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Gloria Allred, a lawyer who has represented 27 of Epsteins victims, told the Mail on Sunday: The Metropolitan Police should reopen their investigation of Andrew. In addition, Andrew should volunteer to speak to Congress, even though he has denied that he has committed any crime.

A photograph appearing to show Mountbatten-Windsor crouched over an unidentified woman (US Department of Justice)

He should do this to help the survivors learn what he observed and what was going on at the crime scene. The crime scene was every residence of Jeffrey Epstein, and Andrew stayed with Epstein at a number of his homes.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has been accused of hiding after the US House Oversight Committee requested that he be interviewed regarding his relationship with Epstein.

Last October, the Met said it was looking into allegations that the disgraced royal had sought the help of his Met Police bodyguard to dig up dirt on Virginia Giuffre, who claimed that she was forced to have sex with Mr Mountbatten-Windsor in London after being trafficked by Epstein. The Kings younger brother has always vehemently denied the claims.

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But the force said in December it had decided not to launch a criminal investigation, as an assessment has not revealed any additional evidence of criminal acts or misconduct.

The Met also chose not to proceed with a full investigation in 2016, and also in 2019, 2021 and 2022 after reviews were carried out. The force said other international authorities were best placed to look at the allegations.

The then Duke of York with Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell (PA Media)

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor paid millions to Ms Giuffre, a woman he has claimed never to have met, to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022.

He stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after an interview on the BBCs Newsnight programme, but the publication of Ms Giuffres posthumous memoir and the US governments release of documents from Epsteins estate brought more scrutiny over his relationship with the late financier.

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It led to the King officially stripping his disgraced brother of both his HRH style and his prince title.

Speaking on calls for an investigation, Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, told BBC Radio 4s Broadcasting House: It is quite strange that the investigation was dropped because the titles were dropped. Absolutely, I do think it doesnt matter if youve got titles or no titles.

Here weve got [a] powerful man where very serious allegations have been made about his association with very vulnerable women, around trafficking, around sexual exploitation.

On Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Mountbatten-Windsor should be prepared to testify to the US Congress about his ties to Epstein.

The Met Police and Mr Mountbatten-Windsor have been contacted for comment.
Feb. 1The privacy and safety of drivers in New Mexico is fueling a Democratic-backed bill aimed at limiting the sharing of drivers' personal information gathered from technology.Senate Bill 40, titled the Driver Privacy and Safety Act, passed its first assigned Senate committee Thursday on a party-line vote. Specifically, the bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, and several other Democratic legislators would impose regulations and limitations on the sharing of information gathered by automatic license plate readers in New Mexico. There are currently no regulations as to who can access the data, meaning outside agencies such as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement can see the gathered information.A legislative analysis of the bill said it would prohibit the use of license plate camera data for civil traffic enforcement or surveillance activities not linked to ongoing investigations or law enforcement functions.In addition, the measure would require law enforcement agencies to submit annual public reports detailing the volume of data collected, the frequency of matched 'hits' against law enforcement databases and how often data was shared or used in a criminal case.After a lengthy debate about amending language in the bill, the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee voted 6-4  with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans in opposition  to advance the bill to its next assigned committee as advocates clapped and cheered in celebration. The bill comes during a time when citizens have had growing concerns about law enforcement agencies such as ICE using personal data to track immigrant community members, activists or people seeking abortion health care.But Senate Minority Leader William Sharer, R-Farmington, said that while he wants to limit surveillance, he believes the bill was driven by "Trump derangements," which he said troubled him and made him concerned about supporting the bill.Under the bill, agencies would be required to send in a written request to confirm that the usage of license plate data complies with New Mexico laws. If an agency violated the limitations of the bill, the attorney general or district attorneys would be able to impose a fine of a minimum of $10,000.Supporters of the bill stood in front of a Senate committee, pleading to lawmakers to pass the bill and stated that it would create a "firewall to freedom."

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"We are gravely concerned about the dangers that (automatic license plate reader) ALRP systems pose to reproductive and gender-affirming patients and providers," said Rachel Arrey with advocacy group Bold Futures New Mexico. "It is far too easy for vigilantes and hostile states and federal agencies to use ALPR systems to search for vehicle plates near clinics." According to a recent American Civil Liberties Union public records request, New Mexico ALPR cameras have been accessed thousands of times by out-of-state law enforcement, including once by Texas law enforcement that was allegedly tracking a woman for seeking abortion care. The records also state that agencies have gone through the data with vague reasonings like "immigration" or "ICE" though the records did not state why or what the search yielded, according to the ACLU website.Law enforcement agencies use ALPR systems to collect data on drivers in the Land of Enchantment by scanning license plates to capture a vehicle's location in real time and often uses those records to arrest people accused of crimes. The devices are most frequently located on police vehicles or on objects including road signs or bridges, creating detailed records of where people drive.Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen wrote a letter to lawmakers in support of the bill, stating that the bill "establishes important safeguards by clearly defining permissible uses, audit requirements and access controls."Currently, the Albuquerque Police Department stores data from the over 250 ALPRs across the city for over one year, a move that had raised concerns from the American Civil Liberties Union over privacy concerns. In the past, APD only stored data for 60 days until 2023, when the Albuquerque City Council approved a resolution to allow data to be stored for one year. Sen. Heather Berghmans, D-Albuquerque, said she hopes in the future that lawmakers will also see a bill that deals with the timeframe of the collection of ALPR data, though no bill has been brought forward for this year's session.Maj. Anthony Montano, speaking on behalf of APD, said the department supported the bill, given that it would not infringe on law enforcement's ability to use the data to fight crime.Advocates of the SB 40 believe the increased protections would protect all people, including those whose safety would be called into concern from outside agencies."Passing this bill is critical to ensure outside authorities can't turn our surveillance tools against us to target our families and communities," the ACLU wrote on their website prior to the Legislature.Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.
LOS ARRECIFES, Mexico (AP)  The sun has set and the clouds are washed in purple as Mauricio Contreras and his daughter Eunices head out to fish in the Gulf of Mexico. Eunices casts the heavy net for snapper, pollock or cabrilla while her father pilots their small boat.

Contreras, an anchor dangling from a silver chain against his deeply tanned skin, has been doing this for more than 40 years. But he worries the family's main source of income is now at risk from an underwater pipeline completed last year to import natural gas from the United States.

When they started laying it, it affected us because the boats were dropping explosives and you could hear it all the way here, right on the shore, Contreras recalls. Now that it's operational, he worries about leaks: Its a constant danger that will always be there, and its a risk for the entire fishing industry.

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The pipeline known as Southeast Gateway was built by Canadian company TC Energy in partnership with Mexicos state-owned power company CFE. It adds 700 kilometers (435 miles) to a line that now stretches from southern Texas to Tabasco state, where it's supplying electricity for a major oil refinery. But its main goal is to someday deliver gas to the Yucatan Peninsula when the expansion of another pipeline is completed.

Southeast Gateway is part of a wave of projects that would allow Mexico, already the world's single largest buyer of U.S. gas, to bring in even more for its own use and to re-export to Asia and Europe. But that faces growing resistance from communities and environmental groups who say the strategy increases use of a polluting fossil fuel, deepens dependence on the U.S. and puts Mexico's climate commitments at risk.

Resistance in Veracruz

More than 40,000 people across Veracruz make their living from the sea, including Contreras, who lives in a community where fishing is almost the only work. He joined residents of 15 coastal communities last year in a lawsuit over the pipeline that was dismissed, but is under appeal.

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They allege that their communities, mostly Nahua and Nuntajiiyi' Indigenous peoples, weren't consulted before construction began as required by Mexico's Constitution.

We do not agree with this gas pipeline megaproject because we were never informed about it. We were never consulted and therefore we do not know the consequences it will have, Maribel Cervantes, an activist and teacher who joined the lawsuit, said.

The government argued that Southeast Gateway was a matter of national security and kept some information about it secret, including its exact route. President Claudia Sheinbaum said last year that it was important for natural gas to reach the area.

Greenpeace warned that dredging to bury the pipeline could affect deepwater reefs that are home to many species, some not found in shallow reefs. Pablo Ramirez, Greenpeace Mexico's energy and climate change program coordinator, also said methane leaks could affect ecosystems like the reefs. They sustain important species, including green and olive ridley sea turtles that nest on the beaches of communities such as Los Arrecifes.

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In a video last September, TC Energy said experts had thoroughly analyzed the marine environment to ensure that the route was designed to preserve ecosystems. The Canadian company declined an interview but said the pipeline created 4,000 jobs during construction and met all federal requirements. It said the project brings natural gas to the southeast of Mexico for the first time, opening opportunities for economic and social development in one of the poorest regions of the country.

Mexicos push for natural gas

Mexico's push for U.S. gas dates to a 2013 reform that opened its energy sector to private and foreign investment, said Victor Ramirez of energy consulting firm P21Energia. The goal was to reduce the use of more polluting fuels, such as fuel oil and coal, and take advantage of low natural gas prices in the U.S.

Now, as the U.S. seeks new markets for gas fracked from the Permian Basin in Texas, Mexico offers not only a strategic geographic position for re-export but also more favorable political conditions for reaching markets the U.S. cannot easily access, said Wilmar Suarez, an energy analyst at Ember.

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In turn, Mexico can resell that gas to other countries at a profit, Suarez said.

Southeast Gateway is currently supplying gas only to the $20 billion Dos Bocas refinery, one of former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's flagship projects and Mexico's largest refinery. But it could eventually carry more than 1.3 billion cubic feet of gas per day if the government's ambitious plans are realized.

Those include completing another pipeline to connect Southeast Gateway with a planned plant in Oaxaca that will convert the gas to liquid for shipment to Asia. These plants burn part of the gas to power liquefaction, generating polluting emissions, said Claudia Campero of the Mexican nonprofit Climate Connections.

Liquefaction plants have drawn the most opposition in recent years. That includes the Saguaro project, a planned 800-kilometer (500-mile) gas pipeline from Texas to the fishing community of Puerto Libertad, in Sonora. There, the U.S. company Mexico Pacific wants to build a plant to liquefy 15 million tons of gas per year for shipment to Asia.

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Such shipping would pass through the Gulf of California, threatening whales because it's a key area for reproduction, Campero said.

The project is on hold due to lawsuits.

Mexicos first export terminal for liquefied natural gas began operating in 2024, but many more are planned. If all of those come online, Mexico would have eight, with most along the Pacific coastline, according to Global Energy Monitor. The U.S. currently has nine.

Both Victor Ramirez and Suarez said Mexico's natural gas strategy now jeopardizes its energy sovereignty.

More than 60% of Mexicos electricity comes from gas-fired power plants, and about 70% of that gas comes from the U.S. Fitch Ratings said last year that Mexico's reliance on U.S.-piped gas will continue to grow because of rising demand, insufficient domestic production and the buildout of pipelines.

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It is very easy for the U.S. to impose certain conditions on Mexico because it has a dominant position over gas supplies," Suarez said.

The Ministry of Energy did not respond to interview requests.

Climate commitments at risk

Pablo Ramirez, of Greenpeace, said completing all the pipeline projects would make it unlikely Mexico could meet its goal of reducing net carbon dioxide emissions by 31% to 37% by 2035. And Suarez, of Ember, said the strong focus on gas raises doubt about Mexico more than doubling  to 45%  its electricity from renewables by 2030, as promised by Sheinbaum.

Sheinbaum inherited most of the gas projects and must honor those commitments because funds have been invested, said Victor Ramirez, of P21Energia. But he found optimism in the Ministry of Energy approving 20 private renewable energy projects in December.

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Back in Maribel Cervantes' courtyard in San Juan Volador, far from where Mexico City's powerful make energy policy decisions, she demanded that officials take communities like hers into account.

As Indigenous peoples, we demand that our right to autonomy and self-determination be respected," she said. "We don't want them imposing their megaprojects on us.

___

De Miguel reported from Mexico City. Data journalist M.K. Wildeman contributed from Hartford, Connecticut.

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Feb. 2 (UPI) -- President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico announced over the weekend plans to send humanitarian aid to Cuba amid rising tensions between Havana and Washington.

Since President Donald Trump oversaw last month's U.S. military seizure of Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro, he has focused on Cuba, warning that the nation is on the precipice of failing. Last week, Trump declared a national emergency in relation to Cuba and announced a mechanism to impose sanctions against any nation that provides the island nation with oil.

In the southwestern city of Guaymas, Sonora, on Sunday, Sheinbaum said Mexico plans to send food, household goods and essential supplies to Cuba through the Secretariat of the Navy while seeking to address the shipment of oil to the Caribbean island via "diplomatic channels," according to a readout from her office.

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"We are already doing all the work necessary to send humanitarian aid that the Cuban people need -- other household items and supplies," Sheinbaum said.

"That is important."

Commenting on whether she has addressed Trump about the issue of shipping Mexican oil to Cuba, Sheinbaum said her secretary of Foreign Affairs, Juan Ramon de la Fuente, has discussed it with his American counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"And as I've said, we are exploring all diplomatic avenues to be able to send fuel to the Cuban people, because this is not a matter of governments but of support to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Cuba," she said.

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"In the meantime, we will send food and other important aid to the island."

Mexico is an important supplier of fuel to Cuba, and even more so since the Trump administration cut off oil Venezuelan oil exports.

Last week, Sheinbaum paused oil shipments to Cuba, but said it was "a sovereign decision."

Trump and Sheinbaum spoke on the phone for about 40 minutes Thursday and had what the American president called "a very productive conversation" about border-related issues, drug trafficking and trade.

On Thursday night, Trump declared a national emergency in relation to Cuba and the threat of tariffs, heightening uncertainty over Washington's next steps toward the socialist island nation.

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Sheinbaum was reportedly taken by surprise by this announcement, telling reporters during a Friday press conference that "We did not touch on the topic of Cuba," directing her secretary of Foreign Affairs to get more information from the U.S. State Department.

"The imposition of tariffs on countries that provide oil to Cuba could create a far-reaching humanitarian crisis."

The United States already enforces a decades-old embargo against Cuba that restricts most industries, while secondary sanctions penalize foreign companies that do business with Havana.
State Sen. Stephen Webber, a Democrat from Columbia, begins his tenure in the Missouri Senate on the first day of the 2025 legislative session in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

State Sen. Stephen Webber is calling on Waymo to retract and correct testimony provided to the Missouri Senate Transportation Committee last week regarding the companys driverless vehicles.

Webber, a Democrat from Columbia, said in a letter to Waymo on Friday that the testimony given to the committee falsely claimed that the companys driverless vehicles had never collided with a child.

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During the hearing on Tuesday, Waymos Midwest Policy Manager, Lara Dailey, did not disclose an incident that occurred four days earlier, in which a child was struck by a Waymo driverless vehicle outside their school in Santa Monica, California. During the hearing, Webber asked the Waymo representative whether the company had experienced any incidents in which a driverless vehicle failed to stop properly around children or school buses.

The representative told the senators that the companys vehicles had never hit a child, and had never experienced near-contact incidents involving children.

None of these encounters have led to collisions or near contact events, Dailey said.

But, four days before the hearing, a Waymo vehicle struck a child while they were on their way to school in Santa Monica. Waymo said in a news release the the child ran into the street from behind a double-parked SUV as the Waymo vehicle moved forward toward the school.

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Waymo said the vehicle reduced its speed from 17 mph to 6 mph, something it said a human driver would not have been able to do. The child suffered minor injuries, according to Waymos statement.

In his letter to Waymo, Webber asked for a full report on this incident.

Dailey testified on Waymos behalf in favor of Senate Bill 1050, a bill that would establish new provisions governing the usage of autonomous vehicles.

After last Fridays incident, Waymo is now subject to two federal investigations related to child safety.

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into failures to yield to stopped school buses, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into the incident involving the child pedestrian.

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In response to the incorrect testimony provided to the committee, Webber is asking Waymo to correct the public record, disclose details about its remote call centers and law enforcement interactions and pause its advocacy for Missouri autonomous vehicle legislation until federal investigations are complete and child safety concerns are resolved.

Waymos remote call centers are utilized when law enforcement interacts with Waymo vehicles, Dailey said at the Tuesday hearing. Law enforcement officers are prompted to scan a QR code on the side of the vehicle, where they are connected to a representative from Waymo, she said.

Webber requested more information on the call centers, and asked where the operators are based.

Missouri lawmakers expect complete and accurate testimony  especially when childrens safety is at stake, Webber said in a letter to Waymo. We do not need California big tech experimenting on families in the Show-Me State  nor do we accept assurances that later prove untrue.

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In a statement to the Missourian, Waymo said the company is committed to improving road safety and transparency in the communities we serve.

The statement said the Waymo representative responded accurately to questions from Webber, which were primarily focused on the ability of Waymo vehicles to properly navigate around school buses.

During the testimony, our representative accurately responded to questions regarding our interactions with school buses  which have not resulted in any contact with pedestrians  and the associated NTSB investigation, Waymos statement reads. We will continue to cooperate with the committee as appropriate in response to this letter.

This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.

This story was updated on Feb. 3 at 11:30 a.m. to include comment from Waymo.
New Delhi, India  The latest release of documents related to the US Justice Department investigation into the crimes of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has set off political infernos around the globe for featuring the names of world leaders.

The tranche of files, which includes more than three million pages of documents, was released on Friday. This is the largest release since US President Donald Trumps administration passed a law last year to force the release of the documents.

Epstein was convicted in 2008 of sex offences but avoided federal charges  which could have seen him face life in prison  by doing a deal with prosecutors. Instead, he received an 18-month prison sentence, which allowed him to go on work release to his office for 12 hours a day, six days a week. He was released on probation after 13 months.

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In 2019, he was arrested again on charges including the sex trafficking of minors. But he died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 before his trial could commence.

With this latest disclosure of documents and emails linked to the cases against him, yet more has been revealed about the disgraced financiers sexual abuse of young girls and his interactions with wealthy and powerful figures from the United Kingdom, Australia, Norway, Slovakia and India.

Simply being named in Epstein documents or emails does not mean a person is guilty of criminal wrongdoing, and, so far, no charges have been brought against individuals named in connection with the sex offender.

However, the new documents show communications between high-profile figures in the US, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton, and business tycoons such as Bill Gates and Elon Musk.

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Here is what we know about some of the powerful men (and one woman) from other countries who have featured in these documents.

Demonstrator Gary Rush holds a sign before a news conference on the Epstein files in front of the US Capitol, November 18, 2025, in Washington, DC, the United States [AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib]

Narendra Modi, Indian prime minister

Documents released on Friday reveal conversations between Anil Ambani, the billionaire chairman of Reliance Group who is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Epstein. All the conversations took place in the years following Epsteins first conviction for sex offences in 2008.

The two emailed each other about a range of issues, from sizing up incoming US ambassadors to India to setting up meetings for Modi with top US officials.

Ambani is the brother of Indias richest man, Mukesh Ambani, who is also close to PM Modi.

Anil Ambani, chairman of Indias Reliance Communications, attends a news conference in Mumbai, India, June 2, 2017 [Shailesh Andrade/Reuters]

On March 16, 2017, two months after Trump was sworn in for his first term as president of the US, Ambani sent an iMessage to Epstein, saying Leadership was asking for his help to connect with senior figures in Trumps circle, including Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon.

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Ambani also asked for advice from Epstein about a possible visit by Modi to meet Trump in may (sic), before setting up a call in the messages.

In another iMessage exchange two weeks later, on March 29, Epstein wrote to Ambani: Discussions re israel strategy dominating modi dates (sic). Two days later, Ambani informed Epstein that Modi would visit Israel in July and asked the disgraced financier: who do u know fir track 2.

On June 26, Modi met Trump in Washington on his first visit since Trump became president.

Then, on July 6, 2017, Modi became the first-ever Indian prime minister to visit Israel. He snubbed the Palestinian Authority, prompting condemnation from Palestinian officials.

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That year, New Delhi became the largest buyer of Israeli weapons, amounting to $715m worth of purchases. The defence partnership between the two countries has since continued despite Israels genocidal war in Gaza.

This marked a sharp change from Indias history of advocating for the Palestinian cause. It only opened up formal diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992. Before that, Indian citizens had been barred by India from travelling to Israel since the countrys creation in 1948.

After Modis visit on July 6, Epstein emailed an unidentified individual he referred to as Jabor Y, saying: The Indian Prime minister modi took advice. and danced and sang in israel for the benefit of the US president. they had met a few weeks ago.. IT WORKED. !

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they wave to the crowd during a reception for the Indian community in Tel Aviv, July 5, 2017 [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

Ambani Reliance Defence Ltd also entered a joint venture with an Israeli state defence group last year in a deal valued at $10bn over a decade.

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Shortly after Modis visit to Israel, Larry Summers, former Harvard University president and former secretary of the US Treasury, asked Epstein if he still thought Trump was a better president than rival candidate Hillary Clinton would have been. Epstein responded affirmatively, stating, yes, defintley India israel. for example great and all his doing (sic).

In another conversation revealed in the latest document drop, Epstein offered to arrange a meeting between Modi and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon just hours after Modi had won a thumping majority in the Indian national election in 2019.

In an iMessage to Bannon on May 19, 2019, Epstein wrote, modi sending someone to see me on thurs, referring to Ambani.

That Thursday, May 23, Epstein met Ambani in New York and his calendar for that day shows no other meeting scheduled.

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After the meeting with Ambani, Epstein wrote to Bannon: really interesting modi meeting. He won [the 2019 parliamentary elections] with HUGE mandate. His guy said that no one in wash speaks to him however his main enemy is CHINA! And their proxy in the region pakistan. They will host the g20 in 22.. Totally buys into your vision.

Epstein then messaged Ambani: I think mr modi might enjoy meeting steve bannon, you all share the china problem. And Ambani wrote back: sure.

Epstein then wrote back to Bannon: modi on board.

It is not immediately clear if Ambani was authorised to approve such decisions on behalf of the Indian government. There is no public record either of a meeting between Bannon and Indian officials that summer.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Indian politician

Another major Indian name featured in the Epstein files is Hardeep Singh Puri, who retired from the Indian Foreign Service to join Modis Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014.

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In the documents are email exchanges between Puri and Epstein that began in June 2014, with the sex offender writing to Puri about Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, and arranging a visit by Hoffman to India.

Following an exchange of emails, Puri wrote a detailed pitch for investment opportunities in India to Epstein and Hoffman, laying out economic plans in India under the newly elected Modi government, and urging Hoffman to visit. Documents also show Puri met Epstein at his Manhattan townhouse on at least three occasions: February 4, 2015; January 6, 2016; and May 19, 2017.

Puri told Indian media on Sunday that his visits and interactions with Epstein were strictly business-related.

In December 2014, Puri wrote to Epstein again by email. Please let me know when you are back from your exotic island, he wrote, asking to set up a meeting in which Puri could give Epstein some books to excite an interest in India.

US House of Representatives Oversight Committee Democrats/Handout

How has the Indian government responded?

India has dismissed the references to Modi in the Epstein files.

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Beyond the fact of the prime ministers official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Saturday.

However, the opposition, led by the Congress Party, has demanded answers about the latest disclosures  particularly those relating to Israel relations.

The Congress Partys general secretary in charge of organisation, KC Venugopal, wrote in a post on X: The reports of the new batch of Epstein Files are a huge wake-up call about the kind of monsters who have access to PM Modi, and how susceptible he is to foreign manipulation. The Congress demands that the Prime Minister personally come clean on these disturbing disclosures that raise serious questions.

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, left, attends the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 16, 2018 [Michaela Rehle/Reuters]

Kevin Rudd, former Australian prime minister

Australian diplomat Kevin Rudd, who served as the countrys prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and again in 2013, has also been named in the Epstein files.

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Rudds name appeared on Epsteins daily meeting schedule for June 8, 2014, at 4:30pm. On that day, Epstein flew to New York from his private island, Little Saint James in the US Virgin Islands, for several meetings, including with Rudd.

Rudd, who is currently serving as Australias ambassador to the US, claims he did not visit Epstein and denies any friendship with him.

But the newly released files show that two days before the scheduled appointment, Epstein emailed his assistant, Lesley Groff, on June 6, 2014 to ask for non-vegetarian food to be made available at the upcoming Sunday lunch as now kevin rudd is also coming. Rudd was not in government at the time.

Just seconds later, Epstein follows up in another email to Groff: Kevin Rudd might also stop by former prime minister austrailia [sic].

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with the United Kingdoms ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, after announcing a trade deal with the UK, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, the US, May 8, 2025 [Leah Millis/Reuters]

Peter Mandelson, UK politician

The name of Peter Mandelson, a former UK cabinet minister and life peer, had appeared in tranches of Epstein files previously made public. But he resigned from his membership of the UKs ruling Labour Party on Sunday after yet more links to Epstein surfaced in the latest dump.

Mandelson was sacked as the UKs ambassador to the US last year over his connections to Epstein.

The latest documents reveal that Epstein made $75,000 in payments to Mandelson in three separate transactions in 2003 and 2004.

In his resignation letter to Labours general secretary, Mandelson wrote: I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.

He said he had no recollection of the payments, however.

The latest documents also show that Mandelson discussed with Epstein by email a campaign against Rudds proposed mining tax, which would have taxed super profits reaped by mining companies at 40 percent, while Rudd was still prime minister.

Norways Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit attend the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo, Norway, on December 10, 2025 [Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB/via Reuters]

Mette-Marit, Norways crown princess

The latest disclosures from the US Justice Department have embroiled Norways crown princess, Mette-Marit, in the Epstein scandal, as they reveal her years of extensive contact with the sex offender.

Mette-Marit, who is married to Crown Prince Haakon, the heir apparent to the Norwegian throne, appears nearly 1,000 times in the Epstein files, with scores of emails sent between the two.

In the emails, Mette-Marit told Epstein, you tickle my brain, and called him soft hearted and such a sweetheart. In another, she thanked Epstein for flowers he had sent when she was feeling unwell, signing off with Love, Mm.

In 2012, Mette-Marit told Epstein he was very charming and asked if it was inappropriate for a mother to suggest two naked women carrying a surfboard for my 15 yr old sons wallpaper?

The revelations come at a tricky time for Norways royal family, with Mette-Marits son, Marius Borg Hoiby  who was born before her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon  set to go on trial for rape later this week. Hoiby has been accused of 38 crimes, including the rapes of four women as well as assault and drug offences.

Jeffrey Epstein and Miroslav Lajcak, a Slovak politician, diplomat, and former president of the United Nations General Assembly, appear together in this undated image from Epsteins estate released by Democrats on the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee on December 18, 2025 [House Oversight Committee Democrats/Handout via Reuters]

Miroslav Lajcak, Slovakian national security adviser

The new tranche of Espstein files has also prompted the resignation of Slovakias national security adviser, Miroslav Lajcak.

Photos and emails released with the documents reveal that he met with Epstein several years after the sex offender was released from jail and exchanged text messages about women in 2018 during his second spell as foreign minister.

On Sunday, Slovakias Prime Minister Robert Fico accepted Lajcaks resignation, and wrote on Facebook that the government was losing an incredible source of experience and knowledge in foreign policy, adding that the former minister had categorically denied and rejected the allegations made against him.




By Ahmed Eljechtimi

RABAT, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Morocco has evacuated more than 50,000 people, nearly half the population of the northwestern city of Ksar el-Kebir, as flooding driven by weeks of heavy rain threatened to inundate the city, state media said on Monday.

"The city has become a ghost town," local resident Hicham Ajttou told Reuters by phone. "All markets and shops are closed and most residents have either left voluntarily or been evacuated."

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Authorities set up shelters and temporary camps and barred entry into Ksar el-Kebir as rising water levels in the Loukkos River spread across several neighbourhoods. Only departures from the city were permitted, while electricity was cut in parts of it and schools were ordered to remain closed until Saturday.

Officials said the floods were partly triggered by water released from the nearby Oued Makhazine dam, which had reached full capacity. Ksar el-Kebir lies about 190 km (120 miles) north of Rabat.

Ajttou said he moved his family to Tangier last week and returned to Ksar el-Kebir to volunteer in relief efforts.

"The question that worries us is what comes next. The dam is full and we don't know how long this situation will last," he said.

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The army has deployed rescue units, trucks, equipment and medics to support evacuation and rescue operations and buses evacuated people from the city.

State TV Al Oula showed a helicopter rescuing four people trapped by rising waters in Oued Ouargha in the nearby province of Ouezzane.

Further south, rising levels of the Sebou River prompted authorities to evacuate several villagers in Sidi Kacem and reinforce riverbanks with sandbags and barriers.

The heavy rainfall has brought an end to a sevenyear drought that pushed Morocco to invest heavily in desalination plants. The national dam-filling rate is now close to 62%, with several major reservoirs reaching full capacity, according to official data.

(Reporting by Ahmed EljechtimiEditing by Ros Russell)
German foreign policy in Ukraine is characterized by revenge fantasies, Russia claimed on Monday.

"The German government has stopped hiding the fact that it is driven by an obsession to take revenge for past defeats against our country," said a written statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry following Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's annual press conference at the beginning of the year.

Part of this "revanchism" is Berlin's unconditional support for Ukraine, the statement said.

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The Foreign Ministry in Moscow criticized the fact that 80 years after the end of World War II, German weapons are once again being used en masse to target Russian territory.

The German armed forces, or Bundeswehr, are already stationed in Lithuania, the statement also pointed out. However, if Berlin were to attempt this in Ukraine, the soldiers - like other foreign troops - would be fought as "legitimate targets," the statement said, referring to the discussion about Germany's participation in an international security force after the end of the Ukraine war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, claiming that his own security was threatened by NATO ambitions in the neighbouring country.

To end the hostilities, Moscow demands not only that Ukraine renounce joining NATO but also make significant territorial concessions.
The task of assessing Peter Mandelson as a politician is one fraught with danger. I am not alone, in the world of journalistic commentary, in having woefully misjudged the wisdom of appointing him as Britains ambassador to the United States. But that does not absolve me: I was wrong.

If only I had had some dependable and numerous contacts, not only in Whitehall but in the US Department of Justice, I might have been more cautious in my welcome of Mandelsons short-lived and disastrous appointment. If only I had had access to the same depth and detail of such intelligence as, for example, Sir Keir Starmer.

For it stretches credulity to breaking point to be asked to believe that the Prime Minister, like the rest of us, had had no inkling whatever of what might be unearthed by even a cursory examination of what we must call the Epstein files  the papers relating to the late, disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

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Either some hint about what might be lurking in Mandelsons closet was at least mentioned in the briefings provided to Starmer as he considered who to appoint to the prestigious Washington DC posting, or our diplomatic and security services are hardly worth the money we spend on them.

Lord (for such he remains for now) Mandelson has now resigned as a member of the Labour Party and, presumably, is no longer subject to the party whip in the Upper House. That will be enough, for now, to spare his former party any more embarrassment at any further revelations about his close relationship with Epstein. But  and I say this as someone who in the past counted himself as a supporter and admirer of Mandelsons  his fall from grace is now irreversible and deeply troubling to all who knew and worked with him.

I first met him in September 1990, when I was a newly-appointed press officer for Labour and Mandelson was working his notice as the partys director of communications at its Walworth Road HQ in London. Not long afterwards, he successfully sought election to parliament as the MP for Hartlepool.

Despite his close friendship with Neil Kinnock, the latters successor as Labour leader, John Smith, never liked or trusted Mandelson. So, for a couple of years, he found himself in the unfamiliar position of lacking influence and prestige in the party. But that changed after Smiths untimely death in May 1994 and the election of Tony Blair as his successor. Mandelson was even referred to by Blair as Bobby  a reference to the close relationship that had existed between former president Jack Kennedy and his younger brother Robert.

Mandelson, left, meets with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown during the 1997 election campaign - Hulton Archive

From that point onwards, Mandelson strutted the Labour stage as joint parent  alongside Blair, Gordon Brown and pollster Philip Gould  of New Labour, wielding power and influence in the early days of the 1997 Labour government. But the whiff of scandal was never far away and, in December 1998, he resigned as Trade and Industry Secretary after the existence of an undisclosed loan from a fellow minister came to light.

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But when you enjoy the friendship of the Prime Minister, such setbacks need not mean the end of your political career and, 10 months later, Mandelson was back in the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary. Again, scandal brought this second chance to an early end when allegations about his involvement in the passport applications of two Indian businessmen, the Hinduja brothers, were made and Blair forced him to resign for a second time.

A subsequent inquiry found that, in fact, he had not acted improperly which, combined with Blairs refusal to give him a third chance in office, increased Mandelsons bitterness at the way he had been treated. But the compensation  appointment as Britains appointee to the European Commission  was doubtless adequate, as was the peerage gifted by Gordon Brown in 2008 when his former political enemy (the two had fallen out after Mandelson appeared to endorse Blair rather than Brown for the leadership in 1994) brought him into his cabinet as Business Secretary.

And then came the Washington gig. Whatever his faults, there is no denying that Mandelson remains a charming, clever and charismatic individual, qualities that persuaded Starmer to take a chance on him as ambassador, despite rumours that senior civil servants warned against the appointment. That the risk did not pay off  that it blew up spectacularly in the Prime Ministers face  is down to an unhappy collision of misjudgment and bad luck, both of which have defined Starmers premiership for the last 18 months.

That Mandelson turned out to have been a close friend and confidante of one of the worst human beings on the planet will be his epitaph for ever more. An indispensable ally of and adviser to numerous Labour leaders and at least three prime ministers now finds himself a political leper, rightly exiled from the counsels of the powerful for the gravest misjudgment of his life.

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Labour is well shot of him but the question needs to be asked: how did he fool so many for such a long time?

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A newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch delivered a sharp warning to President Donald Trump after a high-profile Republican loss.

In a new editorial, The Wall Street Journal warned Trump that a hardline immigration strategy promoted by top aide Stephen Miller is fueling voter backlash.

It comes after a Trump-endorsed candidate for the Texas state senate lost to a Democrat over the weekend.

How does a Republican lose by 14 points in a safe conservative Texas state Senate seat that President Trump carried by 17 points in 2024? Answer: When theres a voter backlash against the Trump Administration, notably its mass deportation debacles, the Journal wrote, describing the special election in Tarrant County.

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Democrat Taylor Rehmet, a labor union leader and veteran, easily defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, who had Trumps endorsement on Truth Social and vastly outspent her opponent.

Rehment is the first Democrat to hold the seat in decades.

The paper noted the timing was disastrous for Republicans, coming after the high-profile Minneapolis killings by federal immigration agents. The 31-point vote swing in a little more than 14 months can only be explained as part of a rising tide of opposition to Mr. Trumps first year and a sour public mood, the Journal observed.

A sign is raised in support of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at a candle light vigil during a peaceful protest in support of a 37-year-old man shot and killed by immigration officers in Minneapolis was under way Saturday evening along Olvera Street in Los Angeles. / Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

The White House has faced mounting national backlash after federal immigration agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in MinneapolisRenee Good in early January and Alex Pretti later that monthas part of aggressive enforcement operations in the state.

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Both cases sparked controversy over conflicting official narratives. In Prettis case, Homeland Security officials and White House aides initially claimed he approached agents with a gun and posed a threat, while bystander videos show him holding only a cellphone before being pinned down and shot.

Similarly, authorities initially suggested that Good tried to ram agents with her vehicle before she was fatally shot, a claim contradicted by eyewitness footage and reporting. Critics argue these early statements painted both victims as dangerous to justify the shootings, fueling accusations that the administration misrepresented the events.

The killings came after Trump deployed thousands of federal immigration agents to Minneapolis as part of an aggressive immigration strategy masterminded by Miller.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller (R) and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem arrive to attend the wedding of Dan Scavino, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, and Erin Elmore. / SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

Millers immigration strategy under Trump has pushed aggressive mass arrests and deportations, with ICE agents pressured to meet high daily quotas, even targeting non-criminal undocumented immigrants.

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The Wall Street Journal critiqued Millers hardline tactics, including a daily quota of 3,000 migrant arrests that it says was bound to result in agent intrusions into homes and businesses.

While immigration has historically been a winning issue for Republicans, the Journal cautioned that enforcement that turns ugly in the streets is turning off the swing voters who will determine who wins the race for Congress this year.

Polls have recently shown Americans turning on Trump and his immigration strategy ahead of the 2026 Midterms. A YouGov poll conducted on January 25 showed that about half (48 percent) of respondents do not think the shooting of Pretti in Minneapolis was justified.

Another YouGov poll showed that 52 percent of Americans think the Trump administrations efforts to restrict immigration to the U.S. have gone too far.

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As a result, the paper concluded that even as Trump signals a desire to dial back the confrontations on the street, he must also reconsider Millers influence. The Miller strategy isnt likely to fare better this year, the editorial warned.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (R) speaks to media mogul Rupert Murdoch as they walk out of Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland, June 25, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri / Carlo Allegri / REUTERS

The Wall Street Journal is not the first Murdoch-owned newspaper to publicly condemn Trumps immigration strategy.

In an op-ed published last week, the New York Post argued that the Trump administrations aggressive immigration enforcement in Minneapolis is backfiring politically.

These enforcement tactics wont turn the tide, instead they are backfiring, the Post wrote.
MOGADISHU, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Somalia on Monday inaugurated a new Defense Board to strengthen defense governance, enhance coordination among defense institutions, and unify operations and force reforms.

Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said the board would play a central role in shaping the country's strategic defense direction at a time when the government is preparing to take full responsibility for national security.

"The Defense Board will serve as a forum to align operational objectives, institutional reforms and national leadership decisions, ensuring an integrated, transparent and effective defense system consistent with the national strategy," Fiqi said at the inaugural session in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

Fiqi also underlined the importance of strengthening the capabilities of the armed forces, noting that Somalia's future security can be ensured through building a professional force with both operational and financial capacity.

He emphasized that the government is undertaking a planned transition to assume full responsibility for national security. 
NASA hit a snag early Tuesday during a critical test of its enormous moon rocket, raising new questions about whether it will be ready to send four astronauts on a journey around the moon in less than a week.

Engineers detected leaking hydrogen at the tail end of the next-generation Space Launch System rocket, forcing NASA to end its fueling test with around 5 minutes and 15 seconds left in the simulated launch countdown.

The hourslong test, known as a wet dress rehearsal, is essentially an elaborate launch day walkthrough, allowing mission managers to assess the performance and readiness of the rocket.

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NASA had said it could launch the much-anticipated Artemis II mission to the moon as early as Sunday, but its now unclear how the hydrogen leaks may affect that timing. The space agency was expected to set an official launch date after reviewing the outcome of the wet dress rehearsal.

Well take some time after wet dress, well review the data, and then well set up for our launch attempt, Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said in a news briefing last month.

NASA's Artemis II at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 17. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) (Joe Raedle)

During the launch day walkthrough at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA began fueling the Space Launch System rocket shortly before 12:30 p.m. ET on Monday.

As the booster was filled with more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant, mission managers twice paused proceedings to investigate leaking hydrogen fuel at the base of the rocket.

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After short delays, the fueling resumed and agency officials pressed on with the wet dress rehearsal. Crews at the launch pad simulated loading the astronauts into the Orion spacecraft, which sits atop the moon rocket, and tested its onboard systems and hatches.

The actual astronauts who will be flying around the moon did not participate in the rehearsal, however, as they remain in preflight quarantine in Houston.

At various points during the rehearsal, things appeared to proceed smoothly. But as the test moved into the final 10 minutes before liftoff, the hydrogen leaks became an issue once again.

NASA terminated the test a little after midnight ET on Tuesday, saying that teams were working to secure the rocket and begin draining its tanks.

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The space agency is expected to discuss early results from the wet dress rehearsal later on Tuesday, at 12 p.m. ET.

The Artemis II mission is slated to send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon, on a path that will take the crew farther from Earth than any humans have gone before.

NASA had already ruled out the first two launch opportunities (Friday and Saturday) in this months window, which extends through Feb. 11.

If the wet dress rehearsal uncovered issues that require additional work, NASA may need to roll the rocket back to its Vehicle Assembly Building, which would likely rule out a launch this month.

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The space agency has said there are possible launch windows in March and April, if needed.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at a news conference with the Artemis II crew members at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 17. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) (Joe Raedle)

Artemis II will be the second trip to space for NASAs Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule. But it will be the first time they carry humans, making the mission a crucial step toward realizing NASAs goal of returning astronauts to the lunar surface.

The Artemis II crew  NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen  have spent the last week and half in quarantine at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston to keep them healthy ahead of the mission. They were expected to arrive at Kennedy Space Center Tuesday afternoon, but its unclear if those plans will change.

A previous uncrewed Artemis I flight around the moon in 2022 was delayed six months because of hydrogen leaks identified during its first wet dress rehearsal.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell said he believes the Nashville Electric Service is "unequipped to communicate about a crisis" after a meeting Sunday afternoon, Feb. 2 with the the utility company about its response to a mass power outage affecting more than 200,000 Nashville residents.

"And thats why its so troubling that details NES leadership shared about their internal outlookthat they hadnt previously shared with uswouldve had a huge impact on the public guidance we gave from the beginning of the crisis," O'Connell said in an emailed statement Sunday night, following a meeting that lasted about an hour and 40 minutes.

More than 200,000 NES customers lost power at peak outage following a disastrous winter storm that slammed Tennessee Jan. 24 and 25. As of 6:45 p.m. Feb. 1, 31,000 NES customers remained without power. Many homes had already been without power for a full week through dangerously cold temperatures.

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O'Connell called the meeting with NES leadership on Jan. 31 after the utility company released its estimated power restoration timeline, which was organized by Nashville ZIP codes. The utility company posted more details about its estimated restoration timeline at 2 p.m. Feb. 1, saying that all customers are expected to get power back by Feb. 9.

The utility company said they expect to have 9,915 customer outages by Feb. 5 (96% serviced) and 4,031 outages by Feb. 7 (98% serviced).

"Updated assessments show that power is being restored at a faster rate than estimated on 1/31/2026 with 96% of power being restored by Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026," the company posted to their website on Sunday. "Dates will continue to be updated based on the most current assessments of our outage reports and system needs."

The Tennessean has reached out to NES for further comment.

Teresa Broyles-Aplin, the president and CEO of NES, (right), and Brandon Whitlock, operations manager for NES (left), speak with reporters on Friday, January 30, 2026 regarding the ongoing power outages affecting thousands of Nashville residents.

O'Connell's full statement is as follows:

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Today, I and members of the mayors office staff and other key Metro leaders met with NES leadership to reiterate: neither the pace of power restoration nor the communications surrounding it has met my expectations. Nor those of Nashvillians.

What I learned today is that NES is unequipped to communicate about a crisis. Nashvillians cant get the last week backnights huddled under blankets, unplanned shelter or hotel stays, the uncertainty and fear of not knowing whats happening and how long it will take to simply return home. And thats why its so troubling that details NES leadership shared about their internal outlookthat they hadnt previously shared with uswouldve had a huge impact on the public guidance we gave from the beginning of the crisis. That is unacceptable.

But NES claims theres reason for hope. From the perspective of NES leadership, there are no further barriers that Metro could remove to speed up their work. Over the next 24 hours, theyre anticipating adding another 500 linemen to join their efforts; their restoration estimates have improved, and I pushed them to overperform even their best estimates for restoration of power. And Nashvillians and I are going to hold them accountable.

Through all this, I appreciate the dedicated people in the line crews working around the clock to get the power back on for all of us.

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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Molly Davis covers growth and development in Nashville. You can email her with comments, questions and tips at mmdavis@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville mayor: NES was 'unequipped.' 'That is unacceptable.'
A new nation has joined a set of governing principles for space exploration.

NASA announced last week that Oman as become the 61st nation to commit to the Artemis Accords, a global space pact for civilian exploration of the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies for the benefit of all humanity.

Oman, located in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula, has been continuously ruled by the Al Bu Said dynasty since 1744. Oman is the second nation to join in 2026, joining Portugal, which did so on Jan. 11.

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Omans accession to the Artemis Accords sets an important example about the value of responsible behavior and shared pursuit of discovery, said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

Oman joins the U.S. and our other partners on ensuring the peaceful exploration of space for generations to come. We are returning humans to the Moon and laying the groundwork for future missions. A community of like-minded nations will be the foundation of our success.

Oman, which has a rich stargazing culture, partly because of its clear desert skies. has started participating in space activities on an emerging scale. It focuses mainly on scientific research, satellite technology, and international collaboration rather than manned space missions.

U.S. Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman Ana Escrogima and NASAs Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails participated in the event held on the opening day of the Middle East Space Conference held in Muscat late last month.

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Said al-Maawali, Omans minister of transportation, communication, and information technology signed on behalf of the country.

The accords were established in 2020 by NASA and the U.S. Department of State and seven other founding nations to response to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies.

According to NASA, nations who sign the Artemis Accords agree to explore space peaceably and transparently, to render aid to those in need and to enable access to scientific data that all of humanity can learn from.

Nations also agree to ensure activities do not interfere with those of others, to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts, and to develop best practices for how to conduct space exploration activities for the benefit of all.

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Notably, space leaders like Russia and China have not joined the accords. Russia has condemned them as a blatant attempt to create international space law that favors the United States while China has called the Accords akin to European colonial enclosure land-taking method.

Russia is partnering with China on an alternative program, the International Lunar Research Station, which includes a planned long-term lunar base and exploration framework.

More countries are expected to sign in the future, NASA said.

Read the original article on mlive.com.
NEED TO KNOW

Angela Lowe, 46, was arrested after bringing the boy to an ER in Lincoln, Nebraska on Jan. 12

The child was later airlifted to a childrens hospital in Omaha where he was treated for septic shock and pneumonia

Lowe faces felony child abuse, first-degree assault and false imprisonment charges

A Nebraska woman has been charged after a 12-year-old boy in her care was found weighing just 47 lbs. and hospitalized in critical condition.

Angela Lowe, 46, was arrested after bringing the boy to a local emergency room on Jan. 12, per reporting from KOLN, KPTV and KLKN-TV.

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Per the outlets, which cite police, a nurse reported suspected child neglect after noticing the boy was significantly malnourished and too weak to lift himself or speak. The child weighed just 47 lbs. and had a core body temperature of about 80 degrees, with investigators noting that the average 12-year-old boy weighs roughly 90 pounds.

The boy was airlifted to a childrens hospital in Omaha and diagnosed with septic shock and pneumonia, the outlets reported, citing police. Investigators also believed he had been neglected, starved and tortured for several months based on additional symptoms and injuries.

Doctors initially did not expect the boy to survive more than a few days, but as of Thursday he remained in critical but stable condition in the pediatric intensive care unit, per the outlets.

Lowe is charged with felony child abuse, first-degree assault and false imprisonment, the outlets reported.

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Per the outlets, the child was placed into state custody on Jan. 19, and Lowe is no longer his legal guardian and is prohibited from contacting him.

Lowe was arrested at her home Thursday and booked into the Lancaster County Jail, the outlets said. Her bond was set at 10 percent of $750,000, and court records state she is not allowed to have contact with anyone younger than 19, according to KOLN.

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
Netanyahu said Israels democratic balance has eroded at a Knesset ceremony marked by opposition boycotts and the absence of senior judicial figures.

Israeli democracy is eroding, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday during a ceremonial Knesset plenum session marking the establishment of its building.

The Knesset had earlier conducted a full day of events marking 60 years since the structure was inaugurated on Tu Bishvat.

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We must find a way to restore the balance among the three branches of government, Netanyahu said. The greatest danger to democracy is the abolition of democracy.

The ceremonial session exposed divisions within the opposition and coalition after Supreme Court President Isaac Amit was not invited to attend amid the ongoing rift between the government and the judiciary.

The government has refused to formally recognize Amit as the Supreme Courts president.

President Isaac Herzog did not attend the session due to a purported scheduling issue. There was speculation that his absence was related to Amits not being invited.

Opposition parties boycott

The opposition parties boycotted the special session, and its MKs seats were empty throughout Netanyahus speech.

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We always knew that we operated within a democratic framework, Netanyahu said. I think this has been eroded, and a large part of the public regrets it and cries out about it.

In this house, we have disagreements on fundamental issues  on policy, ideology, and vision, he said. These disagreements are not a flaw in democracy; they are an advantage of democracy. That is the essence of democracy.

After Netanyahu spoke, opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) gave his response to the plenum.

What did you do? You divided this country, he said. Why did you do this? How are you not ashamed of yourselves? Will you not stop until you tear us apart completely?

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You knew we wouldnt come, he added. You knew that if you boycotted the president of the Supreme Court, we wouldnt be able to come.

Is this what you wanted: that we wouldnt come even on the Knessets day of celebration? Lapid asked, directing the question at the coalition MKs in the plenum.

In remarks at the beginning of the special plenum ceremony, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana spoke about the divide between the government and the judiciary.

I regret that once again there are those who view the non-invitation to a ceremonial event as a substantive blow to Israels democratic system, he said.

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Those who show respect will be respected, Ohana said. But respect between branches is not one-sided.

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz criticized the absence of both Herzog and Amit during his remarks at a faction press conference before the Knesset session.

Instead of a celebration of the Knesset and democracy, its a celebration for divisive and extremist forces, he said.

60 years of the Knesset building

We are marking 60 years of the Knesset building, and instead of turning this into a Zionist, unifying moment, the [Knesset] speaker insists on turning the Knesset from the house of the people into the house of half the people, Gantz said.

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Hundreds of guests were invited to partake in the celebratory event.

An honor guard ceremony was held in the Knesset plaza, where the Israeli flag was raised.

Special tree-planting ceremonies took place in keeping with Tu Bishvat tradition.

Earlier in the day, there was a prayer service in the Knesset synagogue.

A large figure of Theodor Herzl, constructed entirely from Israeli fruits and vegetables, was displayed in the building.

Activity booths were set up throughout the Knesset, featuring interactive stations that told the story of Israeli agriculture. One of the booths was an agricultural exhibition featuring a display of Israels dairy industry.

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The Knesset moved to the building in the government complex located in Jerusalems Givat Ram area in 1966.

From 1950-1966, the Knesset was based in a different building, Froumine House, on King George Avenue in downtown Jerusalem. That building has been restored and converted into the Knesset Museum.
By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Nigerian prosecutors filed 57 terrorism-related charges on Monday against nine men accused of carrying out a deadly attack on Yelwata community in Nigeria's central Benue state in June 2025 that killed about 150 people.

Benue sits in Nigeria's volatile Middle Belt, the fault line between the Muslim north and Christian south. Years of violence over land, religion, and ethnicity have proved hard for the authorities to rein in.

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The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, say the defendants held planning meetings, raised funds, procured weapons, and mobilised fighters across several states ahead of the June 13 attack, one of the deadliest rural assaults in years.

The filing says ringleader Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono and others met in neighbouring Nasarawa state to raise cash, issue orders and recruit fighters. Several defendants are accused of supplying AK-47s, aiding the gunmen or providing safe sites for planning.

Prosecutors say the raid torched homes and caused heavy casualties in Yelwata in Benue's Guma district.

Plagued by Islamist attacks and mass kidnappings, Nigeria is under pressure to restore security since U.S. President Donald Trump accused it last year of failing to protect Christians. U.S. forces struck what they described as terrorist targets on December 25. The Nigerian authorities say they are cooperating with Washington to improve security.

(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo, Editing by William Maclean)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Leaders of the Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission are highlighting the significance of honoring African American history as an essential component of the countrys narrative as Black History Month gets underway.

African American history is a part of the fabric of American history, said Tiffany Pettus, a historian with the commission.

Pettus shared that African American history is a collective tale of survival, victory, and tenacity rather than just dates and events. She cited the historic Ninth Street in Little Rock as an example of that heritage in action.

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CALS gearing up for Black History Month events

Several buildings along Ninth Street once served African Americans during segregation and were listed in The Green Book, a travel guide that identified hotels, restaurants and businesses where Black travelers could safely stop.

This building was a place that they served African Americans during segregation, The green book, they called it a book for the overground railroad where African Americans would travel, and this book would have a list of all of the hotels and restaurants where African Americans could go and safely eat and this one one of the locations, said Pettus.

The area also holds deep ties to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pettus said King preached a sermon at First Baptist Church on Ninth Street in 1963, just four months before delivering his iconic I Have a Dream speech in Washington.

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Mosaic Templars Cultural Center prepares for Black History Month

Pettus also highlighted King Jrs meetings with Daisy Bates at the church to organize efforts surrounding the Little Rock Nine.

He would meet with her there to organize steps for the Little Rock Nine, and of course he was here in 1958 for the graduation of Ernest Green, the first African American to graduate from Central High.

Pettus said preserving and sharing this history is especially important for younger generations.

It gives them an opportunity to dream, she said. It shows them that even though there have been a lot of strides, they can take that torch and carry it further.

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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.
CPKC logo

BURGESS, Mo. - No injuries were reported after a CPKC grain train was involved in a low-speed collision with a stationary train near the Kansas/Missouri state line on Friday morning (Jan. 30)

Missouri State Rep. Ann Kelley wrote in a Facebook post that the collision occurred about 8:30 a.m. Friday in a rural area north of Burgess, an unincorporated community across the state line from Mulberry, Kan.

One locomotive and a hopper derailed on the grain train, as did two tank cars on the stationary train. Those tank cars were carrying a form of bitumen that is similar to asphalt and is not a hazardous material, Kelley wrote. She said that CPKC, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and the Federal Railroad Administration were working together to address the incident.

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KOAM-TV reports CPKC contractors were on the scene beginning cleanup as of Friday afternoon. The station has photos of the incident on its website.

Mulberry is about 118 miles south of Kansas City on CPKC's Pittsburg subdivision, and about 36 miles north of Joplin, Mo.

- To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
KYIV, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Russia has largely observed a ceasefire on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday as Kyiv prepared for the next round of trilateral talks on how to end the war.

Zelenskiy said that Russia had not carried out any targeted missile or drone strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the past 24 hours, but steady Russian shelling hit energy facilities near the front line.

"The de-escalation measures... are helping to build public trust in the negotiation process and its possible outcome. The war needs to be ended," Zelenskiy said after he met his negotiating team ahead of the next round of peace talks with Russian and U.S. officials scheduled to take place this week in Abu Dhabi. "Ukraine is ready for real steps. We believe it is realistic to achieve a dignified and lasting peace."

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In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy noted that Russian forces had continued to shell Ukrainian positions and logistics, damaging transmission lines and other sites in parts of the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

He said the pause in strikes on energy infrastructure underscored the fact that U.S. efforts to pursue negotiations to end the war were having an impact.

"This demonstrates that when the United States has the motivation to genuinely change the situation, the situation can indeed change," Zelenskiy said.

Russia and Ukraine said last week they halted strikes on each other's energy infrastructure, but disagreed on the timeframe for the truce.

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The Kremlin said U.S. President Donald Trump had made a personal request to Russian President Vladimir Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv until February 1. Zelenskiy said the truce was supposed to last for a week, starting January 30.

UKRAINE STRUGGLES TO RESTORE POWER SUPPLIES

Ukraine is struggling to restore its battered energy system and secure electricity and heat for the population after several large Russian strikes this month. Repair work has been complicated by bitterly cold temperatures.

"Today we are coming to the critical point. We need some time to recover what is destroyed for the last three months," said Maxim Timchenko, CEO of private energy producer DTEK. "Energy ceasefire is extremely important for us to recover partly and avoid any tragic consequences because of no power supply."

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DTEK said on Monday one of its coal mining enterprises in the Dnipropetrovsk region had been attacked for the second time in 24 hours. The previous strike on Sunday killed 12 miners, the company said.

Zelenskiy also said Russian forces were focusing on attacking transport logistics, especially railway infrastructure.

Regional officials said that a Russian strike had killed a father and a son, and wounded two children and their mother in the frontline Donetsk region.

(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka, Olena Harmash and Mykhailo Moskalenko; Writing by Olena Harmash, Editing by Ros Russell and Ethan Smith)
In 2003, Hampton Roads Ventures administered $15 million in federal tax credits designed to attract investors to distressed areas, including $3.5 million for then-Harrison Dry Storage Boatel (now Morningstar Marina) on Shore Drive near East Beach, NRHAs upscale waterfront development. Since then, the subsidiary has invested little in Norfolk. (Photo by Jim Morrison/Virginia Mercury)

More than three years after Norfolks City Council passed a resolution requiring Hampton Roads Ventures, a for-profit subsidiary of the citys housing authority, to make its best efforts to invest in the city, its 2025 annual report reveals a $15 million investment in two projects in other states, but none in Norfolk. Some City Council members are losing patience.

The report reveals HRV funded $8 million in tax credits for Biltwise Modular Structures, a Roswell, New Mexico, expansion of a South Carolina company, and invested $7 million in the Southeast Texas Food Bank and Resource Center in Jasper during 2024.

Companies like Hampton Roads Ventures are called community development entities. They may be offshoots of banks, nonprofits, public agencies, or other financial institutions.

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They apply for New Markets Tax Credits from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and, if they prevail in the highly competitive process, they match projects and investors who earn a 39% tax break over seven years. The programs intent is to spur investment in distressed areas.

HRV is an unusual development entity created by a locality that has not focused on backing local projects.

The report does not make clear what efforts were made to invest in Norfolk or the region. Sean Washington, Norfolks director of economic development, said he met with HRV representatives twice in 2025. He did not reply to a request for details of those meetings.

The January Treasury Department report on community development entities shows HRV has $30.5 million in tax credits issued in 2022 and 2023 available to attract investors. It is possible some of that has been committed to projects not completed.

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Mayor Kenneth Alexander did not answer emails or phone messages seeking comment, but four members of the city council said they want to know more about the corporations efforts. One pushed for changes in its operation.

I continue to be disappointed in the lack of significant investment in Norfolk, Council member Courtney Doyle said after reviewing the report.

Carlos Clanton, a new member of the council, said there should be a meeting with HRV.

My focus is on accountability, transparency, and constructive engagement to ensure these opportunities translate into real benefits for Norfolk residents, Clanton said.

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Council member Tommy Smigiel noted the need for a grocery store downtown and perhaps one in his ward in Ocean View, and a planned new warehouse for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, the kind of projects HRV has funded in other states.

He also wondered why there was no reporting about exploring local projects.

Something like that would have shown some kind of effort at a minimum, he added. Weve got to figure out as a council and a city how we want to better utilize them and work as partners to our advantage.

Jeremy McGee, a new council member who met with HRV officials early in 2025, noted that they claimed a need to focus on certain industries and businesses. They include grocery stores, mixed-use development, health care facilities, and foodbanks.

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Whats interesting to me, he said, is some of those verticals are things that we need in Norfolk.  What I dont know is how much effort has been expended by them to cause that to happen.

McGee noted that the board of HRV is a subset of the board of commissioners of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Thats something that seems like it needs more oversight, he said. As we add more NRHA board members with different skills and capabilities, I think that could benefit HRV.

Council member wants changes in proceeds use

In the four years since the Virginia Mercurys series on HRV was published, the company has transferred more than $4.4 million to NRHA. In the 18 preceding years, it had transferred $1.3 million.

According to the report, which covers the first nine months of 2025, HRV had net income of more than $1 million and more than $10 million in checking and savings accounts. It contributed $800,000 to NRHA during 2025.

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The funds included $150,000 for two vehicles and support for workforce development and vocational skill training, community improvements, and community engagement, described as access to food and cultural enrichment activities, healthy community initiatives, and leadership training.

McGee said thats not where that money should be spent.

I think the proceeds from HRV need to be spent on housing, potentially workforce housing. As I look at the history of how those monies have been used, Im not convinced its the highest and best use, he added. When I think about board governance and improving that, a big component of that is ensuring that those dollars are spent on the right thing.

Using profits from HRV to fund NRHA programs also defeats the purpose of the new markets tax credits program, which is intended to spur investment in distressed areas.

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For every New Markets Tax Credits dollar invested in a neighborhood, the Treasury Department says it spurs $8 in private investment. Norfolk is a prime market for that investment, with 16 severely distressed U.S. Census tracts given the highest priority for new markets tax allocations. The poverty rate in those ranges from 31% to as high as 80%, and the unemployment rate tops out at 40%

Over three years ago, the City Council resolution pushing for the subsidiary to invest in Norfolk projects and seeking more oversight was passed after a Virginia Mercury series detailed how HRV had invested only a fraction of the $360 million in tax credit allocations it had won in Norfolk over two decades.

That resolution said HRV shall proactively seek Norfolk projects and not rely solely upon the Norfolk Economic Development Department. HRVs proactive outreach shall include marketing the NMTC.

Other Virginia housing authorities have created entities like HRV that match projects with investors attracted by the favorable tax breaks with the new markets tax credits. They focus on projects in their cities or regions, often plowing the millions of dollars in administrative fees they earn back into local projects. They also open their meetings to public scrutiny. Hampton Roads Ventures does not.

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For the first time in several years, HRV did not win a tax credit allocation in the most recent award, according to Treasury Department records. The for-profit subsidiary of NRHA has done projects in 17 states and the District of Columbia, according to Treasury Department data. It has not done a project in Norfolk since 2008.

HRV lists three employees: a chief executive officer, a portfolio manager, and an executive assistant. According to its 2024 audit, also filed with the city, it paid more than $530,000 in salaries in 2024, up from $489,000 the year before.

Jennifer Donohue, HRVs CEO, did not respond to an email seeking comment. In the past, HRVs lawyer has denied public records requests despite the company being a subsidiary of NRHA, a public body subject to records requests.

A spokesman for the New Mexico Economic Development Department, which contributed a $400,000 grant to the Biltwise project, said the company was up and running under the name Fortified Structures of New Mexico and employed 58 people as of September.

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The Southeast Texas Foodbank and Resource Center expanded coverage to five counties in East Texas, offering a WIC office, a location for vaccines, and the local health district in addition to the food pantry, a one-stop shop.

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A street thermometer displays the temperature in Bucharest, Romania, on Feb. 2, 2026. Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) on Monday issued a Code Yellow warning for severe cold and frost, affecting more than half of the country, from Monday morning until Tuesday. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

BUCHAREST, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) on Monday issued a Code Yellow warning for severe cold and frost, affecting more than half of the country, from Monday morning until Tuesday.

The warning is in force for 28 counties as well as the capital, Bucharest, starting at 10 a.m. local time on Monday and remaining valid until Tuesday morning.

Daytime maximum temperatures are expected to range between minus 9 and minus 3 degrees Celsius, with frost persisting even during daylight hours.

Overnight lows will be particularly harsh, dropping to between minus 20 and minus 8 degrees Celsius.

The start of the week brought heavy snowfall to Bucharest and several southern regions, leading to hazardous winter driving conditions on multiple roads, where maintenance crews are actively working.

Meteorologists said conditions should begin to improve from Wednesday, as warmer air masses from the Atlantic Ocean move in, bringing a gradual rise in temperatures. 

A man cleans his snow-covered car in Bucharest, Romania, on Feb. 2, 2026. Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) on Monday issued a Code Yellow warning for severe cold and frost, affecting more than half of the country, from Monday morning until Tuesday. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

A dog jumps through snow on a street in Bucharest, Romania, on Feb. 2, 2026. Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) on Monday issued a Code Yellow warning for severe cold and frost, affecting more than half of the country, from Monday morning until Tuesday. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

A woman walks through a snow-covered playground in Bucharest, Romania, on Feb. 2, 2026. Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) on Monday issued a Code Yellow warning for severe cold and frost, affecting more than half of the country, from Monday morning until Tuesday. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

A man feeds pigeons on a snow-covered street in Bucharest, Romania, on Feb. 2, 2026. Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) on Monday issued a Code Yellow warning for severe cold and frost, affecting more than half of the country, from Monday morning until Tuesday. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
North Dakota Highway Patrol Lt. Jenna Clawson Huibregtse speaks to legislators during a personal security presentation at the capitol on Jan. 22, 2026. (Photo by Jacob Orledge/North Dakota Monitor)

Every morning before 9 a.m., Sen. Judy Lee receives a call on her landline, the only phone number she discloses publicly.

Lee never picks up. She doesnt know who it is that keeps calling. It could be harassment. Or it might be a telemarketer.

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I doubt that its somebody who wants to shoot me, said Lee, R-West Fargo. They could just come to my door. Theyve got my address.

The availability of elected officials home addresses has become a concern as North Dakota looks for ways to balance transparency and accessibility against personal security. North Dakota lawmakers home addresses were removed from the Legislatures official website last summer in the wake of the shootings of two Minnesota legislators at their homes.

But the addresses are often available elsewhere, online or in public documents, due to requirements in state law. That was particularly noticeable this month as lawmakers file campaign finance and financial disclosure reports.

Youre filling all that out, which is all public. But there was no suggestion made that maybe, rather than this address, use a PO box, said Sen. Greg Kessel, R-Belfield, during a security briefing last month.

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Deputy Secretary of State Sandy McMerty said state law requires residential addresses to be disclosed on some forms, but elected officials often have the option to provide an alternative mailing address, such as a post office box, that will be visible to the public instead.

The post office box or other alternate address can then be provided when filing campaign finance reports and financial disclosures, called statements of interests in North Dakota.

A candidates residential address will still have to be submitted so the Secretary of States Office can verify the candidate lives in the district they are running for office in. But candidates can opt to have only the mailing address visible to the public.

Addresses are also visible online when somebody makes a campaign contribution, based on what address is on the contributors check. McMerty said elected officials contributing to somebody elses campaign can obtain a separate address for campaign purposes and ensure that address appears on their checks if they wish to avoid disclosing their home address.

People who sign petitions to support candidates or ballot measures also are required to provide residential addresses, McMerty said.

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Lee has thus far declined to obtain a post office box for use on public filings and said she has no intent to do so. But recent events have prompted her to think more about security for herself and her colleagues.

The idea that we should have to feel threatened is so disgusting to everybody, every normal person, Lee said. You shouldnt have to worry about children on their way to school. You shouldnt have to worry about your partner or your spouse being in danger somewhere.

The requirement to disclose addresses on certain filings is in state law. McMerty said the secretary of state, Michael Howe, is prepared to work with legislators during the 2027 legislative session to make changes in the interest of security.

Theres a lot of things surrounding elections that require that residential address because its verification that youre running in the district youre supposed to, McMerty said. Secretary Howe stands ready to work with the Legislature in any way to best protect elected officials in that capacity. But there are some elements where those residential addresses are required currently.

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Lt. Jenna Clawson Huibregtse and Sgt. Darcy Aberle of the North Dakota Highway Patrol cautioned during a recent safety presentation that addresses and other personal information are easily found through online search engines.

We just cant ever assume that our personal information is really that private, Clawson Huibregtse said.

Threats precede violence

North Dakota Highway Patrol, the law enforcement agency responsible for the security of North Dakotas Capitol, has observed an increasing frequency of threats and harassment against lawmakers, state employees, and statewide elected officials like the governor in recent years.

Lawmakers are encouraged to report any behavior they find concerning so the Highway Patrol can open a case file, observe patterns and identify potential threats before they reach these later stages.

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We want to know even about the small stuff, Aberle said.

The threats and harassment elected officials receive can sometimes be an early indication of future political violence, said Clawson Huibregtse.

Threats precede violence. Not all threats become violent, but we need to know about things early because we know that those threats happen before violence, she said. People dont just all of a sudden become violent one day.

That doesnt mean all behavior lawmakers find concerning will constitute a crime like harassment.

You guys have to have thick skin, like us, Clawson Huibregtse said of elected officials. People can be angry. Angry is not illegal. Its uncomfortable, but its not illegal. Advocacy is just emotional.

North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge can be reached at jorledge@northdakotamonitor.com.

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Police on Sunday shot and killed a man who was threatening to harm himself in Northern Kentucky, according to Kentucky State Police.

David Works, 62, was shot and killed by officers after he emerged around 7:30 a.m. from a home on Sharpsburg Drive in Independence with a gun in his hand, according to KSP. He had called police threatening to harm himself.

Officers with the Independence Police Department and the Kenton County Police Department responded to the call.

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KSP did not release additional details about the shooting, including if officers with the local or county police department fired shots.

No officers were injured.

KSP investigates all shootings involving police officers in Kentucky.
By Gwladys Fouche

OSLO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday the Nordic country's crown princess, Mette-Marit, displayed poor judgement in having contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, following fresh reports of her ties with the late U.S. sex offender.

New files related to Epstein published by the U.S. Justice Department on Friday included extensive email correspondence between Mette-Marit and Epstein after he was found guilty of child sex crimes in 2008.

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On Saturday, Mette-Marit, the spouse of the heir to the throne Haakon, apologised for maintaining contacts, saying she showed poor judgement. On Monday, Stoere agreed with her.

"I am really using her own words. She says she has showed bad judgement. I agree and I think it is worth saying that when I am asked my opinion about this," Stoere told reporters.

Asked whether he had been in contact with the royal palace about the matter, Stoere said he had not.

The prime minister added that Mette-Marit, and other prominent Norwegians who were named in the latest Epstein documents published, should provide more details about their involvement with Epstein.

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"We have seen that the information that has emerged has shed more light on the matter than what has been said before," Stoere said. "It may perhaps be reasonable to say that they should explain the extent of the contacts that have taken place."

'I DEEPLY REGRET THIS'

The publication of the new Epstein documents comes at a time of multiple challenges for the royal family, with Mette-Marit's son, Marius, from a relationship prior to her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, facing trial on rape and domestic violence charges. The case starts on Tuesday.

"I must take responsibility for not having investigated Epstein's background more thoroughly, and for not realising sooner what kind of person he was," Mette-Marit said in a statement to Reuters via the royal palace.

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"I deeply regret this, and it is a responsibility I must bear. I showed poor judgement and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing."

The generally low-key monarchy is popular among Norway's 5.6 million inhabitants.

Some 70% of Norwegians support the monarchy as an institution, according to a Norstat poll for public broadcaster NRK published on Friday and conducted among 1,030 people in January. The poll was published before the publication of the latest Epstein documents.

FACING MULTIPLE PROBLEMS

The Nordic country is a constitutional monarchy in which the king is the formal head of state while political power rests with parliament and the government.

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Its royal family has faced several problems in recent years.

King Harald, 88, Europe's oldest living monarch, cut back activity in 2024 after being hospitalised to treat an infection and later receiving a pacemaker.

Mette-Marit herself is in need of a lung transplant after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a chronic disease that causes scarring in the lungs and leads to a reduced oxygen uptake.

Meanwhile, King Harald's daughter, Martha Louise, stepped down from official royal duties in 2022 to allow her to more freely pursue her own business ventures, and said both she and her husband, an American self-styled shaman, would refrain from using her title as princess in a commercial setting.

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They both received criticism last year for starring in a Netflix documentary chronicling their daily lives, including their wedding, and for being critical of the king and queen.

(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Alex Richardson)
A federal law enacted in 1968, 177 years after the ratification of the Second Amendment, makes it a felony, currently punishable by up to 15 years in prison, for an "unlawful user" of "any controlled substance" to receive or possess a firearm. It therefore aims to disarm millions of Americans who pose no plausible threat to public safety, including cannabis consumers who live in states that have legalized marijuana.

That law, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit held in the 2024 case United States v. Connelly, is unconstitutional as applied to defendants whose disqualification hinges on nothing more than "habitual or occasional drug use." In United States v. Hemani, which the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on March 2, the Trump administration is asking the justices to reject the 5th Circuit's conclusion and reinstate the criminal case against a gun-owning marijuana user.

The government's defense of the law at issue in Hemani, 18 USC 922(g)(3), has provoked rejoinders from an ideologically diverse set of organizations, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), a bunch of other gun rights groups, two drug policy reform organizations, several think tanks, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). Those briefs, filed in a case that lies at the intersection of gun control and the war on drugs, illustrate the potential for alliances between right-leaning critics of the former and left-leaning critics of the lattera subject I cover in my book Beyond Control.

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Until a few years ago, the NRA was reluctant even to comment on the constitutionality of Section 922(g)(3) as applied to state-legal cannabis consumers. Now it is arguing that the statute is unconstitutional as applied to a cannabis consumer in Texas, where recreational use is still illegal. And although 18 states that have legalized recreational use are nevertheless urging the Supreme Court to allow that prosecution, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) have joined the NRA in asking the justices to uphold the 5th Circuit's decision.

As you would expect, the briefs generally agree with the 5th Circuit that a categorical ban on gun possession by drug users is inconsistent with the Second Amendment. But they also offer other arguments against Section 922(g)(3), saying it is unconstitutionally vague, violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of status-based crimes, and exceeds the federal government's enumerated powers.

'No Historical Justification'

Under the Second Amendment test established by the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, Section 922(g)(3) passes muster only if the government can show it is "consistent with this Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation." To make that case, the Trump administration relies primarily on the historical treatment of "habitual drunkards," who could be confined to workhouses as "vagrants" or civilly committed based on judicial determinations. As several of the briefs opposing the government's position note, that analogy is problematic for several reasons.

Since vagrancy and civil commitment laws "were not even 'firearm regulations' or 'gun laws,'" a brief from Gun Owners of America (GOA) argues, "they are irrelevant under this Court's precedents." And unlike Section 922(g)(3), those laws "demanded pre-deprivation procedural protections and individualized findings," the NACDL notes. "Process preceded prohibition. Before any restriction could attach, an official had to determine that a particular person was a habitual drunkard requiring commitment."

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According to the government's brief, Section 922(g)(3) "burdens [the Second Amendment] right less severely than vagrancy laws and civil-commitment laws, which provided for drunkards to be confined in jails, workhouses, or asylums." Since drunkards historically could be imprisoned, the government argues, it follows that the "lesser" consequence of disarmament must be acceptable.

"This argument misapprehends the historical framework," the NACDL says. "The severity of historical punishments does not authorize modern restrictions that lack the features that made those punishments constitutionally tolerable. The 'greater' burden of imprisonment followed a judicial determination that the individual met the regulated category; it did not precede it."

The NACDL adds that the government's argument "proves too much" since "virtually any criminal offensefrom vagrancy to public drunkenness to petty theft[historically] was punishable by some form of confinement." According to the government's logic, it says, "Congress could categorically disarm anyone who commits any such offense, without individualized process, simply because the Founders permitted imprisonment for similar conduct."

Along similar lines, the NRA notes that the government's invocation of vagrancy laws "would lead to absurd results," since "it would also allow for the disarmament of a sweeping array of other peaceable persons covered by vagrancy laws." Categories of "vagrants" included "people who juggle, play the fiddle, play the bagpipes, read palms, 'neglect their callings,' 'misspend what they earn,' 'do not provide for themselves,' 'do[] not for the space of ten days seek employment,' 'roam[] from place to place without any lawful business,' are 'stubborn servant[s],' or 'appear in the streets or in public in apparel usually worn exclusively by the opposite sex.'"

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Notably, the government has abandoned an analogy that figured prominently in Connelly and other cases involving gun-owning cannabis consumers: early laws that prohibited people from publicly carrying or discharging guns while intoxicated. Those laws nevertheless are instructive because they addressed the potential hazards posed by drug-using gun owners in a way that was much more narrowly targeted than Section 922(g)(3).

Laws against drunken gun handling applied only in public and only to people who were actively intoxicated; they did not impose a categorical ban on gun possession by drinkers. Section 922(g)(3), by contrast, applies in all settings and even when drug users are sober. That distinction explains why the the 5th Circuit in Connelly found "no historical justification for disarming a sober citizen not presently under an impairing influence."

No 'Distinctly Similar' Precedent

The 5th Circuit got that right, the Second Amendment Foundation says. "Historical regulations on carrying firearms while intoxicated provide the firm boundaries of what our historical tradition will tolerate," the organization's brief argues. "The historical record does not support the idea that earlier generations of Americans would have tolerated disarming someone because they sometimes consumed alcohol."

The NRA likewise notes that "the combination of intoxicants and firearms is a problem that has persisted since the eighteenth century." But historically, legislators addressed that problem with laws aimed at inherently dangerous conduct rather than broad bans on gun possession by people who consume intoxicants. Those laws, the NRA notes, "did not disarm individuals when they were sober simply because they chose to become intoxicated when not carrying or shooting firearms." When gun laws address a longstanding problem, the Supreme Court said in Bruen, the lack of a "distinctly similar" historical analog is especially telling. But although "the nation has long faced the social problem of armed drunks," the NRA says, "there is no 'distinctly similar' historical law that justifies [Section 922(g)(3)] as it applies to marijuana."

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That is not surprising. Drinking was common during the nation's early history, and several drugs currently classified as "controlled substances," including cannabis, were widely and legally consumed in patent medicines during the 19th century. "It was the 'universal custom' of Founding-era militias to imbibe," the GOA brief notes. "Likewise, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and [other] famous Americans possessed firearms while being users of drugs ranging from opium to cocaine. It seems unlikely that these previous generations ever would have approved of a law like Section 922(g)(3)."

Even today, NORML notes, people who use psychoactive medications do not thereby surrender their Second Amendment rights. Although "many lawful prescription medications can produce impairment equal to or greater than cannabis," it observes, "their use does not trigger categorical firearms disabilities."

Given those difficulties, it is not surprising that the Trump administration has ditched the claim that cannabis consumers, regardless of how they actually behave, are analogous to people who recklessly carry or shoot guns when they are drunk. But instead it is arguing that cannabis consumers, including patients who use marijuana for symptom relief in compliance with state law, are analogous to "habitual drunkards," regardless of how often or in what context they use marijuana. As the NACDL notes, "the government conflates 'habitual drunkards' and 'unlawful users' as equivalent categories and assumes that any restriction historically applied to the former justifies any restriction now applied to the latter."

The government tries to make that comparison seem more plausible by claiming that Section 922(g)(3) applies only to "habitual drug users." But that is not what the law says. In fact, it treats people who are "addicted to any controlled substance" as a disqualified category distinct from people who are "unlawful user[s]." Although it does not define either term, a different statute says an "addict" is "any individual who habitually uses any narcotic drug so as to endanger the public morals, health, safety, or welfare, or who is so far addicted to the use of narcotic drugs as to have lost the power of self-control with reference to his addiction."

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Given that understanding of "addict," the DPA argues, the Trump administration's definition of "unlawful user" cannot be right: "Congress distinguished 'unlawful users' from 'addicts,' implying that 'use' has a different meaning than 'habitual use.'" But beyond that, it is not at all clear what "unlawful user" means.

Ali Hemani, the Texas man whose prosecution is at the center of this case, admitted using marijuana a few times a week. But federal courts have not specified how recent or frequent drug use must be to disqualify someone from gun ownership. Under the relevant case law, "a temporal nexus is required between the drug use and the firearm possession," the Justice Department says. "Courts now examine the 'pattern and recency' of the defendant's drug use in determining if there is a temporal nexus between the possession of the firearm and drug use." But they "do not require contemporaneous use."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives recently proposed a revised definition of "unlawful user." Under that rule, "a person is not an unlawful user of a controlled substance if the person has ceased regularly unlawfully using the substance, or if the person's unlawful use is isolated or sporadic or does not otherwise demonstrate a pattern of ongoing use." Even with that change, someone who consumes marijuana once a day, once a week, or even once a month presumably would still be disqualified from owning a gun.

'Void for Vagueness'

The uncertainty about who is covered by Section 922(g)(3) makes the law "void for vagueness," the DPA argues. "The Constitution's prohibition of vague laws protects the separation of powers by ensuring that Congress bears responsibility for determining what conduct is punished criminally, rather than members of the judicial or executive branches," its brief notes. "It also ensures that individuals, consistent with Due Process, have fair notice of what conduct the law prohibits."

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Section 922(g)(3) does neither, the DPA says. "The statute provides no standard

for timing, frequency, or nexus to firearm possession, potentially subjecting tens of millions of Americans to criminal penalties for activity that is otherwise constitutionally

protected," the DPA notes. "The statute does not provide fair notice to millions of Americans who may be subject to a felony conviction and a prohibition on future

gun possession for exercising otherwise constitutionally protected rights." The "prohibition on future gun possession" is triggered by a different provision of the same statute, which permanently disarms anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year of incarceration.

The DPA adds that Section 922(g)(3) invites "arbitrary enforcement" that tends to "exacerbate racial disparities." Enforcement of Section 922(g)(3) is in fact wildly haphazard, as you would expect from a law that criminalizes millions of people, only a tiny percentage of whom are prosecuted each year. And as I note in Beyond Control, that situation opens the door to unequal treatment under the law. Although gun-owning drug users who are unlucky enough to attract the government's attention can receive stiff prison sentences, the vast majority of potential defendants never face charges.

The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association (NYSRPA) joins the DPA in arguing that Section 922(g)(3) is "unconstitutionally vague" because "ordinary citizens cannot know when lawful firearm possession becomes a felony." The Cato Institute and Reason Foundation (which publishes this website) likewise argue in a joint brief that "the term 'unlawful user' is unconstitutionally vague." The National Association for Gun Rights agrees. "The statute disarms 'users,' and courts have struggled for decades to understand what that term means," it notes. "Thus, [Hemani's] vagueness arguments are sound."

Even if Section 922(g)(3) "is not facially void for vagueness," NORML suggests, "it is unconstitutionally vague as applied in States that authorize medical or adult-use cannabis. In those jurisdictions, an ordinary citizen cannot reasonably determine whether conduct the State affirmatively permits nevertheless renders him a prohibited person under federal lawparticularly given the federal government's longstanding accommodation of state cannabis regimes." Even while maintaining the federal ban on cannabis, NORML notes, Congress has repeatedly approved a spending rider that bars the Justice Department from interfering with state medical marijuana programs.

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The NYSRPA adds another wrinkle, noting that the Eighth Amendment "forbids criminal punishment based solely on status." The Supreme Court enunciated that principle in the 1962 case Robinson v. California, which rejected a conviction under a state law that made it a crime to "be addicted to the use of narcotics." Under Robinson, the NYSRPA notes, "punishment may not be imposed" in the absence of "a culpable act." As applied to Hemani, it argues, Section 922(g)(3) "operates as a status based criminal prohibition indistinguishable in principle from the statute invalidated in Robinson."

That law "does not require proof that the defendant used drugs at or near the time of possession or at any time, that drugs were present, or that his possession of a firearm was otherwise unlawful," the NYSRPA brief points out. "Nor does the statute require proof that the defendant posed any danger to himself or others. As this case illustrates, a person may be convicted solely for possessing a firearmconduct that is otherwise lawfulbased entirely on an allegation of prior drug use or addiction. The government need not prove that the defendant engaged in any contemporaneous unlawful act. A mere allegation of status suffices."

'No General Police Power'

The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) sees a more fundamental problem with Section 922(g)(3). "The federal government has no general police power to impose an arms ban, temporary or otherwise," its brief argues. The FPC adds that "the Commerce Clause does not authorize Congress to enact criminal laws banning mere possession of arms."

That conclusion, the FPC says, is consistent with the Supreme Court's 1995 decision in Lopez v. United States, which held that Congress exceeded its power to regulate interstate commerce when it purported to criminalize the possession of guns within 1,000 feet of a school. The Gun-Free School Zones Act "neither regulates a commercial activity nor contains a requirement that the possession be connected in any way to interstate commerce," Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote in the majority opinion. "If we were to accept the Government's arguments, we are hard pressed to posit any activity by an individual that Congress is without power to regulate." Rehnquist also noted that the law "contains no jurisdictional element which would ensure, through case-by-case inquiry, that the firearm possession in question affects interstate commerce."

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Congress responded to that decision by amending the Gun-Free School Zones Act so that it applied only to "a firearm that has moved in or that otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce." That amendment, federal appeals courts subsequently ruled, was enough to fix the defects that Rehnquist had identified. But that conclusion made little sense, since nothing of substance had changed.

Section 922(g)(3) includes similar language. It prohibits gun possession "in or affecting commerce" and receiving a gun that "has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce." But those requirements impose no meaningful limits on prosecutions under the law.

Section 922(g)(3) "does not regulate economic activity," "cannot be transformed into the regulation of interstate commerce by 'aggregating' the effects of all the violence the law hopes to avoid," and "does not regulate any smaller part of a comprehensive economic program," the FPC says. "The only question under the Commerce Clause, then, is whether the addition of a once-traveled-in-interstate-commerce jurisdictional element can salvage this law. But a requirement that can be satisfied by virtually every single firearm in the Nation does not make this legislation any less of an attempted exercise of a police power than the law in Lopez."

In the end, the Supreme Court might not resolve any of these issues. The government's brief invites the justices to uphold Section 922(g)(3) as applied to Hemani by concluding that he is an especially dangerous cannabis consumer. That claim is based on allegations of drug dealing and support for a terrorist organization (Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), which the government's brief plays up even though Hemani was never charged with either.

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The NACDL says the decision to charge Hemani with illegal gun possession illustrates a broader pattern. In practice, it says, Section 922(g)(3) is mainly used as "a leverage toolserving as an instrument for selective prosecution, a pressure point during plea negotiations, or as a means of incarcerating otherwise law-abiding citizens when the

government's primary theory falls short. So who actually gets prosecuted? Whoever the

government chooses, often for reasons that have nothing to do with firearm misuse or danger."

If the government "can prove that Mr. Hemani is a drug dealer or a terrorist, it should have charged him with the relevant crimes related to that conduct," the Second Amendment Foundation says. "It did not do so.Thus, the only facts relevant to this matter are those related to Mr. Hemani's illegal drug use while he was also in possession of a firearm, and [the Court] should not allow its ruling to be tainted by the Government's innuendo."

Although the government alleges that Hemani is "a terrorist sympathizer, attempted fraudster, and drug dealer," GOA says, "none of these distractions has any bearing on

the question presented. But the reason for their inclusion in briefing is apparent. If petitioning unsympathetic criminal cases is the Government's strategy for constitutionalizing its preferred gun control, this Court should decline to indulge this approach here."

The post The NRA and NORML Unite To Oppose the Federal Gun Ban for Marijuana Users appeared first on Reason.com.
Among the damages from the February 2025 storms in Wyoming County, West Virginia, were those affecting the foundation, deck and perimeter of the pool at Gilliland Park in Oceana. FEMA recently awarded $2.6 million to the town for repairs to the facility and to implement applicable code and standards. (Courtesy photo)

The town of Oceana, in Wyoming County, West Virginia, is set to receive $2.6 million in federal funds that will allow the community to rebuild a community pool that was severely damaged in last Februarys flooding.

The $2.6 million in grant funds coming to Oceana is part of $19.6 million total being released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security for past disasters in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

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Lilian Hutchinson, the acting regional administrator for FEMA Region 3, said the funds were released through the agencys public assistance program and were possible thanks to a federal presidential declaration being made following last years devastating flooding. The state is the main recipient for the funds, Hutchinson said, and as such state representatives will work with officials in Oceana  a subapplicant for the fund  to begin paying for the recovery.

Representatives for Oceana could not be reached for this story.

Last Februarys flooding hit the states southern coalfields, parts of Virginia and eastern Kentucky. It cost three people their lives in West Virginia  and more than 20 in Kentucky  and destroyed numerous structures. West Virginias coalfield counties hold the highest flooding risks in the state, threatening residents as well as homes and businesses.

The Gilliland Park and Pool in Oceana  a public recreational space for those in the area  was severely damaged, according to local news reports from the time. Local leaders told WVNS 59News that mud and water from the flood reached heights higher than the lifeguard chairs sitting above the pool. Picnic tables at the park were swept up in flood waters. Some playground equipment was also lost.

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Per the parks Facebook page, the pool remained operational for the 2025 summer season.

The money released this week will specifically go toward permanent replacements for the pool itself, the deck and a concrete wall.

Hutchinson said the release of the funds represents a very exciting opportunity for the community, which can now focus on moving forward and rebuilding. Though its been nearly a year since the damage took place, Hutchinson said it takes time to ensure requests made through the public assistance program are eligible to be funded and that the amount requested is appropriate for the damage incurred.

We have to make sure that were doing our due diligence, that the federal funds are going to something that is eligible and reasonable to be covered, Hutchinson said.

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Per a news release from FEMA, the agency plans to continue to review additional projects arising from last years flood. Funds will be released on a rolling basis as eligibility is confirmed and scopes of work are finalized.

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A national park in Poland urged hikers to be cautious after a brown bear was spotted out of season on a popular hiking trail.

What's happening?

Two videos posted by the Tatra Mountains National Park's official Facebook page show a bear walking around the Koscieliska Valley in southern Poland in late December. The national park advised hikers to "exercise extreme caution" if they encountered the bear by keeping their distance, not running away, taking another route, and not feeding it.

Both videos can be found on TVP World, which summarized the sightings. The coverage did not indicate any interaction between the people and the bear.

Why is this sighting important?

According to Polskie Radio, Tatra's bears typically go into hibernation in November and reemerge in March, which makes this sighting unusual.

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Scientists say the warming of the planet is affecting bear hibernation in several ways. For instance, one study found that each one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) increase in low temperatures over winter reduces bear hibernation by six days.

Other 2003 research found that urban black bears in one part of the American West were entering their dens much later or not going into hibernation at all, and tied this to a year-round, reliable source of food from humans.

Meanwhile, other animals are also being affected by the warming of our planet. For instance, higher winter temperatures are altering bird migration patterns.

What's being done about changes in wildlife patterns due to human activity?

When it comes to the overheating of our planet, there are a few actions that people can take to help slow it down. Voting for political candidates who support environmental action is one impactful action, while driving a car less can reduce the amount of troublesome pollution that is released into the atmosphere.

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Meanwhile, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reminds people of the harm of feeding wildlife, encouraging people to instead enjoy them from a distance.

Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices  and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
A Cincinnati man was recently arrested for his 10th OVI offense.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Shortly before midnight on Jan. 30, an Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) trooper was on patrol in Cincinnati when they saw a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe in the left turn lane beside their cruiser.

The Tahoe initially stopped, but then went through the intersection while the traffic light was still red and then committed multiple lane violations, according to OSHP.

TRENDING STORIES:

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The trooper activated their overhead lights and pulled the Tahoe over.

During the traffic stop, the driver, 50-year-old Timothy Lyles, showed signs of impairment and was then arrested for OVI.

OSHP said Lyles had nine prior OVI convictions, including a felony OVI conviction in 2012.

With the prior felony OVI conviction, this arrest is subsequently a second felony OVI offense; a felony of the 3rd degree, OSHP said in a release.

Hes been charged with Traffic Signals - Red Light, Operating a Vehicle Under an OVI Suspension, Operating a Vehicle with an Open Container of an Alcoholic Beverage, and OVI.

Lyles is booked in the Hamilton County Justice Center.

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Gov. Kevin Stitt with a bandaged hand greets lawmakers as he prepares to give his final State of the State Address on Feb. 2, 2026, at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday called on Oklahoma lawmakers to place four state questions on an upcoming ballot that would overhaul government spending and voter-approved health initiatives.

The term-limited Republican governor in his final State of the State address urged lawmakers to send two state questions  adjusting Medicaid expansion and eliminating the medical marijuana industry  to voters. The two questions could undo citizen-led initiatives and would attempt to reverse voters decisions at the ballot box. Stitts other two proposed state questions would freeze property tax growth and cap state spending as part of his broader push to lower state expenditures.

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During his 30-minute speech, Stitt touted tax cuts, which have left the state with $1.6 billion less to spend. Still, he urged the Republican-controlled Legislature to further reduce spending and to become less reliant on the federal government, which he said isnt a reliable partner any more.

Gov. Kevin Stitt delivers his final State of the State Address on Feb. 2, 2026, at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)

Government dependency is a trap, he said. It robs self-reliance and balloons budgets. I always say government programs should be a trampoline, not a hammock, but too often that is not the case.

Adjusting Medicaid expansion

With his hand noticeably wrapped in bandages due to a cooking accident, Stitt said Medicaid is driving massive spending growth while enabling waste. He said he wants lawmakers to send a state question to voters that would allow for adjustments to Medicaid expansion.

He did not specify what those adjustments could be.

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Oklahoma voters enshrined Medicaid expansion into its state constitution in 2020, which requires offering coverage to all adults below age 65 who make less than $21,597 a year.

Any changes to the voter-approved measure need to be approved at the ballot box.

Over 280,000 Oklahomans have benefited from the expansion, which also lowered the states uninsured rates, according to the nonpartisan Oklahoma Policy Institute.

But Stitt said in 10 years, Medicaid is projected to eat up 37% of our annual budget and cost the state $6 billion dollars.

We have to make a change, he said.

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said he supported the governors idea for a state question to adjust Medicaid expansion.

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He said costs have been skyrocketing and theres a need to address them as the Oklahoma Health Care Authoritys budget request nears $2 billion this year with utilization increasing from the Medicaid and Medicaid expansion populations.

Rich Rasmussen, president and CEO of the Oklahoma Hospital Association, said Medicaid expansion is a cost-efficient system that has improved health outcomes and limiting it would undermine care for all Oklahomans.

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, gives a response to the governors State of the State Address on Feb. 2, 2026, at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

The governor clearly has a misunderstanding, or is so disconnected to what everyday folks are going through, that he doesnt understand whats happening in health care across the state, the economic challenges that were facing right now in Oklahoma, said House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City.

Closing down medical marijuana industry

Stitt also called on lawmakers to shut down the states medical marijuana industry, calling it one of the greatest threats to public safety.

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Voters approved legalizing medical marijuana in 2018 by codifying it in state statute. While shutting down the industry would not require voters approval, Stitt said he wants lawmakers to put the issue to another vote.

These (medical marijuana) storefronts hide an industry that enables cartel activity, human trafficking, and foreign influence in our state, he said.

Lawmakers allowed medical marijuana legalization to take effect without a regulatory framework and have been playing catch up in years since.

The industry has generated hundreds of millions in revenue and licensing fees. A tax on medical marijuana generated over $47 million in the 2025 fiscal year, according to a report from the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

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The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority reported hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans have been issued medical marijuna licenses, and nearly 5,000 businesses are actively licensed.

Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, right, and House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, left, respond to the governors State of the State Address on Feb. 2, 2026, at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said he supports having further conversations about a medical marijuana state question and theres probably a way to build out an actual medical marijuana program.

When youre actually reversing the vote of the people, he said. I think the appropriate place would be to put it back in front of the people rather than just saying, Oh, this didnt work, were going to undo your state question. We do take seriously the voters intent and what the voters actually voted on.

Freezing property taxes, state government spending

The third state question Stitt suggested to lawmakers would be to freeze property taxes for all levels. Property taxes are a major funding source for public schools, CareerTech centers, county government operations, libraries and county health departments.

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He said the freezing rates would provide relief to property owners but did not elaborate further.

Paxton said while lawmakers want to give relief to homeowners, they also dont want to wreck a county or school district.

Stitts final suggested state question would amend Oklahomas constitution to place a 3% annual cap on recurring spending growth, meaning lawmakers would be limited on how much they can spend when crafting the state budget every year.

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HARTFORD - State Sen. Ryan Fazio of Greenwich, one of the three top contenders for the GOP nomination for governor, says that if elected, he could reduce consumer electric bills by 20%. He said he would do so through elimination of the billion-dollar public benefits charge and terminating expensive, so-called clean energy programs including wind and solar.

In his first campaign news conference Monday in a downtown hotel, Fazio said that Connecticut should sue New York State in order to bring in more natural gas for Connecticut. He charged that Gov. Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong should have filed a lawsuit last November over the issue.

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"Everybody knows that electricity rates are too damn high in Connecticut," Fazio said. "We have the third-highest electric rates in the country, after Hawaii, which is an island and California, which lost its mind. State policy and state leadership bears responsibility for costs rising so much, so fast. Under Gov. Lamont, public benefits charges have increased by $400 million because of and including the passage of the low-income discount rate, higher subsidies for solar companies and other costly policies."

Fazio said that Lamont's hint last week at a possible energy rebate when he presents his budget adjustments to the General Assembly on Wednesday, would not do much for rate payers in the long run.

The centerpiece of Fazio's proposals includes ending the public benefits charges and dozens of state programs funded through it, including electric vehicle charging stations and subsidies for residential heat pump installation, that could save customers a billion dollars a year. "Our utility bills should not be a piggy bank for politicians in Hartford to be spending on all their politically and ideologically preferred programs," he said. "Nobody has to pay for most of these programs because they shouldn't exist."

In response to Fazio, Roberto Alves, the mayor of Danbury who is the chairman of state Democrats, said Monday Fazio's proposal "isn't a serious solution, it's a collection of reckless ideas that would destabilize our energy grid and drive up costs. Governor Ned Lamont is laser-focused on lowering the cost of living for Connecticut families. That's why he's made historic investments in early childhood education, held utilities accountable, and created an emergency fund to protect families from Donald Trump's cuts that hurt Connecticut every day."

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Last week the governor told the Connecticut Business & Industry Association that he will propose a ratepayer rebate of about $400, when he presents his budget adjustments on Wednesday afternoon. Fazio called it "an election year gimmick."

John Healey, senior advisor for Erin Stewart, the former New Britain mayor who became the first of the GOP hopefuls to win a state public financing grant for her candidacy for governor, criticized Fazio for pushing $155 million in public benefits charges into the state's long-term debt last year.

"With all the excitement of a bowl of reheated soup, Fazio has offered a stale energy plan identical to the one Senate Republicans peddled over the past three years," Healey said in a text response for comment. "All Republicans support expanding natural gas flow into Connecticut. All Republicans support immediately ending the public benefits charge. Yet it was Fazio who last year authored the bill that provided no relief and instead put 20% of those charges on the state's credit card and called it savings. Connecticut needs more than robotic remedies. Mayor Stewart knows we need increased capacity anchored by expanded nuclear and natural gas generation to create the reliability and affordability residents and businesses deserve."

Republican Betsy McCaughey of Greenwich, the former lieutenant governor of New York who recently announced her candidacy for the GOP governor nomination, said Monday that she likes Fazio's initiatives.

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"All good ideas," McCaughey wrote in a text message. "I've been calling on CT to take legal action against NY's obvious violation of the Interstate Commerce Clause. Glad Ryan sees it's past time to get tough."

Fazio said that while some of the programs funded through the public benefits should end immediately, others could be reviewed every two years under the state's normal budget process, with pieces of legislation, public hearings, committee votes, then review in the House and Senate. In all, the additional energy programs ends up costing rate payers about $700 a year.

He said that solar and wind power can sharply raise consumer costs by as much as eight times the market rate for electricity and pumping up public benefits charges. He said that allowing new nuclear power sources as well as hydropower into those existing programs would "level the playing field" for the green energy sources. Fazio would also end the state's participation in RGGI, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative aimed at cutting emissions among 10 Northeast states.

The expansion of natural gas lines are also crucial, Fazio said. "Natural gas is the most-affordable and the most-important component of our energy grid as is, in the Northeast, but there is a choke point and a bottle neck with the limits on our current pipeline capacity." He said that Connecticut should have filed a lawsuit against New York as recently as November, when state regulators there rejected a proposal for as expanded gas pipeline into Connecticut, but approved another on the same day for more gas in New York.

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"That is an obvious violation of interstate commerce," said Fazio, who was accompanied by second-term state Rep. Tracy Marra of Darien, who like Fazio, is a ranking Republican on the legislative Energy & Technology Committee. More natural gas will mean less state reliance on dirtier, more expensive oil-burning power plants.

Fazio called it a mistake on the part of the the regional ISO New England grid to reject a new natural gas plant in Killingly in 2021. Lamont, in his first term, also opposed that project. "We know that in the long run, New England and other regions of the country will see a significant increase in demand for energy but will not have sufficient supply in order to make supply-and-demand meet, which will push up prices," he said. "Affordability should be the priority."

He called wind power an unreliable source of energy which could possibly work in the flat, wind-swept middle of America. "In the Northeast and offshore, that's just not the case." He said the 15 cents per kilowatt hour if the nearly finished Revolution Wind project comes online after multiple attempts by President Donald Trump to kill it, would be four times the wholesale market rate for electricity, while increasing public benefits charges.

This article originally published at How one CT Republican running for governor hopes to cut electric bills by 20%.
One person died in an RV fire late Friday night, Jan. 30, 2026, in Marion in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

The Marion Volunteer Fire Co. was originally dispatched for a mobile home fire in the 100 block of Kennedy Street at 11:56 p.m., according to Fire Chief Shawn Fisher.

On arrival, it was seen that the well-involved fire was actually in an RV, the chief said in a news release. Family on the scene told firefighters there was a person inside the RV.

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Greencastle-area business: Antrim Fleet Services heavily damaged by fire

One person died in this RV fire in Marion, reported late on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

The fire was quickly brought under control, according to Fisher.

Fisher and a fire company member searched the rear of the RV and found the victim, whose name has not been released.

One person died in this RV fire in Marion, reported late on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

After the Franklin County Coroners Office and the Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal arrived, the scene was turned over to them for investigation.

One person died in this RV fire in Marion, reported late on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

This article originally appeared on Waynesboro Record Herald: One person dies in RV fire in Marion
MOSCOW, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed in a crash of a training plane in Russia's Orenburg region, local media reported Monday, citing the emergency management authorities. 
Last week, I asked why seemingly no one was advising President Trump on the downsides of his policies and attitudes regarding Greenland and Minneapolis. I discussed how they were denigrating and even demolishing his credibility with the public. The question now applies to Iran.

Before ordering any use of military force, Trump should seek a wide range of advice, particularly from someone who will say that this is a very bad idea. The tragic dilemma is that the people of Iran deserve a fair and free government. The rule of the clerics has been a political, social, moral and economic disaster for the country. Besides food insecurity, the nation is also running out of water. This is a level of unprecedented incompetence.

Someone should tell President Trump that when you consider levers such as sanctions, embargo and cutting off the flow of Iranian oil by sea to exert maximum pressure, the reality is you are not hurting the ayatollahs in Tehran. It is the Iranian people who bear the brunt of even more shortages of basic human needs. One indicator of a Persian home is the ubiquitous presence of a bowl of fruit for visitors in the doorways of homes. That is now out of reach for many.

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This same someone should remind Trump of the failure of the Oil for Food program in Iraq under Saddam Hussein. As you will recall, between the two wars, Iraqi oil was embargoed. Selected sales provided income that was meant to buy food for Iraqis. But when the food arrived, who controlled it  Hussein. That gave him the power of life or death over Iraqis by deciding who did and did not get food.

You will have seen the options for a military strike or a series of strikes. Television, think tanks and military commentators have speculated on the possible targets. These include decapitation raids against the Islamic Republic Guard Corps, the Quds Force and the Basij civilian militia. Israel showed how effective this can be when using pagers to kill Hezbollah leadership.

Attacks can be made against military land and sea-based targets, crippling command and control and other defenses to impose a sense of vulnerability to American power. While a Venezuela-like commando raid to seize the leadership may well have been considered, Iran is not Venezuela and Tehran is not Caracas. It is at least 600 miles from the Gulf. And the failed 1980 Eagle Claw rescue attempt to liberate American captives in that city is a vivid caution of what could go wrong.

Should the U.S. attack, despite how Israel defended itself against Iranian missiles during the 12 Day War, the Persian Gulf is a relatively confined space. The Qatar al Udeid air base is less than 200 miles from Iran.

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While the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier battle group and its escorts are a formidable force, with some 3,000 ballistic missiles and a large drone force, it is not inconceivable that an Iranian counter strike could inflict some damage. After all, Iran is not Yemen and Iranians are not Houthis. That and the threat of suicide fishing boats and other small craft kamikazes cannot be excluded. And if there were an extended air campaign, unlike the one shot Midnight Hammer operation, losses are very possible, even by accident.

Suppose the clerical oligarchy was overthrown. Who would govern? Unlike when the shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, fled in1979, the clerics were organized to establish their regime.

Perhaps the army could step in. But should the Guard, Quds or Basij elements take control, that regime could be even more tyrannical than the mullahs. And conceivably, the restraint of haramthat regards nuclear and other mass destruction weapons sinful and thus, forbidden to Islam, may no longer apply.

If this repressive regime, and the one in Cuba, could be replaced peacefully and civilly, that would be miraculous. The U.S. tried in Cuba in 1961 at the Bay of Pigs disaster. And it is unclear that Delcy Rodriguez and the remainder of the Maduro team in Venezuela are any better than the captured leader. So what to do?

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The presence of a strong U.S. naval force (do not call it an armada, as King Phillip of Spain did in 1588  that did not go well) raises great uncertainty among the mullahs about Trumps intent. Negotiations are critical. Unfortunately, the first Trump administration withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear agreement. Let us hope they do better this time.

Harlan Ullman , Ph.D., is UPIs Arnaud deBorchgrave Distinguished Columnist, a senior advisor at the Atlantic Council, the chairman of two private companies and the principal author of the doctrine of shock and awe. He and former United Kingdom Defense Chief David Richards are the authors of a forthcoming book on preventing strategic catastrophe.

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.
More than a million U.S. immigrants from 15 nations are protected by a legal status that is either pending court decisions or scheduled to expire this year.

The U.S. federal government uses Temporary Protected Status as a humanitarian effort to protect foreign-born people already living in the United States from being deported when it's unsafe for them to go back to their own countries.

The U.S. typically provides such status for reasons that include civil war, famine, widespread gang violence, government collapse, environmental disasters, instability, epidemics and other emergencies.

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The Secretary of Homeland Security designates countries for the status and can eliminate it. That office also determines whether and when the status can be renewed for a longer period.

Layoffs, desperation, hunger plague Springfield Haitians with 6 more months to live in US

But, each nation without pending court challenges has an end date during this calendar year that the status will expire. Many have been renewed by administrations for decades, but the Trump administration began terminating the status for several countries in 2025 and has not made moves to renew those set to expire.

Approximately 1.3 million people from 15 nations are living in the United States with TPS. The most, by far, are the estimated 605,000 from Venezuela, according to the non-partisan immigrant advocacy group National Immigration Forum.

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Included in that number is an estimated 330,000 Haitians who have the status, though other estimates say it's closer to 550,000. Both Columbus and Springfield have large Haitian populations, with about 30,000 estimated to live in Columbus and another 20,000 in Springfield. TPS for Haitians is set to end Feb. 3.

Currently, the following nations are designated for TPS: Burma (Myanmar), El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Nepal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.

How long has TPS existed?

The United States has designated nations for the status since the Immigration Act of 1990 allowed then-President George H.W. Bush to extend protection from deportation and the ability to work to residents from certain nations for six to 18 months, according to the Library of Congress.

During its more than 30-year history, the program has largely had bipartisan support, according to the International Rescue Committee.

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El Salvador was the first nation granted TPS in 1990, according to the Library of Congress. TPS was last designated for El Salvadorans in 2001, so those in the nation since then have been able to have the status since that year, though it is set to end on Sept. 9, according to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.

Why has TPS been making headlines?

The Trump administration has been announcing the end and non-renewal of the status for many of the 15 countries that had it when he entered office in January 2025. The designation will expire for the remaining countries this year if not renewed.

The Department of Homeland Security has to review conditions in countries with the status to decide whether the protection will be ended or extended 60 days before it's set to expire. Those with the status have to reapply if it's extended.

'Death sentence': Haitian migrants in Ohio must leave as Trump axes TPS protections

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New people can also be eligible if DHS redesignates the status and allows the inclusion of people who entered the country after their nation of origin first got the status but before it was redesignated, according to the International Rescue Committee.

The administration announced termination of the status for people from Venezuela, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nepal, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Syria, South Sudan, Myanmar (Burma) and Ethiopia, according to the committee. Its decisions have been challenged multiple times via the court system.

Do TPS holders contribute to the economy?

Individuals with TPS can legally work in the U.S., and it is well documented that they fill essential open jobs, pay taxes, have and raise children, and become involved in their communities.

Haitian TPS holders contribute nearly $6 billion each year to the U.S. economy, according to FWD.us, UndocuBlack Network and the Haitian Bridge Alliance. They pay an estimated $805 million annually in federal and payroll taxes and $755 million in state and local taxes, according to the nonprofits.

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"Haiti's Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is not only lifesaving for American families but vital to the U.S. economy and the fabric of American communities," according to the nonprofits. "TPS holders are deeply rooted in their families, communities, and the economy. Stripping away these protections will not only put hundreds of thousands of lives at risk, but it will also diminish the very workforce and families that strengthen America."

Signs sit on the ground for the protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Ohio Statehouse on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. The protest also requested justice for the woman shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and the mayor of Springfield, which is home to an estimated 20,000 Haitian immigrants, have said Haitians with the status are important to the local economy because they are filling local jobs. DeWine has said it's not safe for people to go back to Haiti.

The nonprofit report shows that at least 200,000 Haitian TPS holders are part of the U.S. workforce in critical industries, including 15,000 agricultural workers, 13,000 nursing assistants, and 8,000 caregivers.

Revoking TPS protections is not just cruel; it is economic self-sabotage that will rip billions out of the U.S. economy and destabilize communities nationwide," said Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, in a statement. For decades, presidents from both parties have used TPS to protect families and strengthen communities.

"It is a lifeline"

Haitians living in Ohio have described conditions in their home nation as "a death sentence" for those sent back.

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There are gangs in every neighborhood who burn buildings, kill children and loot and pillage villages, Jean Manuel, a Haitian-American businessman and advocate who helps some of the approximately 30,000 Haitians living in Columbus, told The Dispatch in July.

The nation is also plagued by hunger, homelessness and a lack of employment for residents, according to advocates and the United Nations. It has had no president since the former president was assassinated in 2021. The country's prime minister resigned in 2024.

Gov. Mike DeWine says Ohio prepping for possible ICE surge in Springfield

Yet, Homeland Security said it reviewed conditions in Haiti, and determined it doesn't meet the requirements for TPS designation and conditions are safe for previous residents to return to.

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The U.S. Department of State warns that it is unsafe for Americans to travel there, designating Haiti with the highest level of travel advisory the department designates. It advises: "Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care."

TPS is non-negotiable because it is a lifeline, said Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, in a statement. Ending TPS would force families into impossible choices, push U.S. citizen children into poverty and without parents, and send people back to conditions that clearly violate both the law and basic human dignity.

Can people with TPS stay in other legal ways?

TPS doesn't offer a permanent path to stay in the country or gain citizenship. It is, by its very nature, temporary.

There are some pathways for certain people with the status, though they often take years due to the backlog of cases in the nation's immigration courts.

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When the status for Venezuelans initially ended in November, news reports detailed those who previously had TPS going into hiding to avoid deportation.

Officials have warned of increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in Springfield starting Feb. 4.

Underserved Communities Reporter Danae King can be reached at dking@dispatch.com or on X at @DanaeKing.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 1.3 million immigrants from 15 nations set to lose legal status in 2026
BOSTON (WWLP)  A former Gloucester police officer has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

In a news release from the Department of Justice, 34-year-old Alexander Aiello was identified as a registered user of a hidden dark website known to facilitate the sharing of CSAM. The site allowed users to download, view, and distribute explicit content involving minors.

On April 28, 2025, investigators executed search warrants at Aiellos residence and on his person, leading to the seizure of several electronic devices, including a laptop, cell phone, and a USB thumb drive reportedly discovered in a bedroom nightstand.

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More than 200 files consistent with CSAM was revealed on the USB drive. In addition, a device was installed on Aiellos laptop that provides anonymous web access and access to dark web hidden services. Forensic analysis of the laptop showed evidence of downloaded files consistent with recent use.

Aiello pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to four years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

Local News Headlines

WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Download the 22News Plus app on your TV to watch live-streaming newscasts and video on demand.

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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 WWLP.
The number of ICE detainees booked into the Orange County Jail without any local criminal charges has surged more than fourfold in recent months, massively straining facility staff and creating unsafe conditions, county officials say.

Many of those inmates have been there multiple times, shuffling out and back every three days in order to satisfy a technical requirement for how long they may be held. Once that happens, some inmates virtually disappear into the system and cant easily be found.

The skyrocketing number of detentions contributed to rumors this month of an escalation in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Orlando, leading Democratic congressmen Darren Soto and Maxwell Frost to issue legal guidance and advocacy groups receiving ten times the number of calls for help from families of detainees.

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In October, the Orange County Jail had a daily average of 30 immigration-only detainees, but the figure has surged to more than 140 per day in January. Over the past two weeks, the average spiked to 162 per day. On Thursday, county Public Safety Director Danny Banks said 182 people were housed in the jail solely on immigration charges.

Were already at the top of the chimney  were over our ceiling, Banks said. I know Orange County jail can no longer continue to be their dumping port for all of their regional arrests.

Federal authorities have also capitalized on a loophole in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract with Orange County to keep detainees there longer than the agreement was meant to allow.

Under the deal, ICE can house its detainees at the jail for up to 72 hours after any local charges are settled. If they dont move them before then, those inmates are to be released.

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But for months, in a practice first disclosed by the Orlando Sentinel, ICE has picked up its detainees at the jail and brought them back hours later, restarting the 72-hour clock. Now, that practice appears to be one of the primary strains on the jail.

Of the 182 ICE-only inmates at the jail on Thursday morning, 63%, or 115 of them, had been booked more than once, Banks said.

I know of one example who was with us six times, he said. They are coming and getting them at 72 hours, and then within a day or so, theyre bringing that same inmate back to us for another 72-hour stint.

He said the county attorney is reviewing whether such a maneuver is legal and if Orange could take action to stop it. But state law requires local officials to give their best effort to support immigration enforcement.

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Josephine Arroyo, an Orlando immigration attorney, said shes been unable to find some of her clients who had been booked at the jail, due to some of them being rebooked under a different identification number.

Arroyo said she and her husband attorney Phillip Arroyo have visited their clients in the portion the jail set aside for the detainees, finding its a sea of brown, Latino men.

This past Sunday, my office had to tell your guards the exact location of our client because your system showed she was not there, Arroyo told commissioners this week. And guess what? She was in BRC-3-Delta, she said, describing the clients cell number.

Nobody interviewed by the Sentinel knows where inmates are taken when theyre briefly removed from the jail. ICE isnt required to tell the jail that, nor where someone was originally arrested, Banks said. He surmised that many in the jail were likely arrested outside of the county, or possibly even the state.

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We dont really know where theyre taking them, they sit somewhere for like eight hours, and then they bring them back, Arroyo said.

It is not clear why federal authorities dont simply transport immigrants to Alligator Alcatraz or similar facilities. Nor is it known whether a new ICE processing center being considered for a warehouse in east Orlando might rectify the problem. ICE didnt respond to a request for comment.

After President Donald Trump took office for his second term and began ramping up his mass deportation agenda, Banks said the county set aside two areas of the jail to house those with immigration-only violations: a space for 65 men and a space for 65 women, or a maximum of 130 beds. The jails total capacity is roughly 4,000.

But if more men  as is typical  are booked than women, it creates a problem. If the jail has 80 men and 20 women, for example, it needs to find more space for the 15 men, he said.

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Were completely tapped out at that space, and because their numbers keep increasing, its forcing us to constantly move our inmates around to accommodate the federal civil-only inmates, he said.

Because of the rush of federal inmates, Banks said corrections officers are overworked and overtime costs are way up in order to provide adequate security for inmates.

The surge comes after the jail has struggled to fill open positions and had a 25% vacancy rate early last year. Since then, starting pay has been boosted nearly $4 per hour in a new union contract, which Banks said at the time was the highest in the area at $27.42 per hour.

The feds reimburse Orange County government $88 per day to house a federal inmate, even though the county says it costs $180 per day per person to do so. Banks and county leaders have been in negotiations with the U.S. Marshals Service to increase that reimbursement, but so far havent struck a deal.

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Among the legal issues facing Orange County is the state law which requires cities and counties to provide their best efforts to assist ICE. Last year, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier threatened Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and the Board of County Commisisoners with removal from their posts if they didnt sign onto an agreement allowing their corrections officers to transport inmates on behalf of authorities.

Orange County Commissioner Kelly Semrad said the county should take legal action and file a lawsuit so a judge can formally define what counts as their best efforts.

Its been time for legal action, she said. Theres no harm and no foul to go after a declaratory action judgment to ask a judge to define it for us.

________
The frigid, snowy weather appears likely to stick around for six more weeks, based on the prognostications of Punxsutawney Phil and local groundhogs.

Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania, saw his shadow on the frigid morning of Feb. 2.

If groundhogs see their shadow, it means six more weeks of winter weather, according to popular lore. No shadow means an early spring.

The official first day of spring is March 20.

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Here's what the groundhogs had to say:

Punxsutawney Phil calls for six more weeks of winter

The most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania saw his shadow in the early morning hours of Feb. 2. Some in the crowd chanted six more weeks after the prognostication.

It was so cold in Gobblers Knob, Punxsutawney that a group selfie had to be taken with Punxsutawney Phil because they didn't want to keep the groundhog outside for too long.

York's Slumbering Groundhog lodge predicts six more weeks of winter during a ceremony Feb. 2, 2026 in York.

Poor Richard of York County says six more weeks of winter

The York Slumbering Groundhog Lodge didn't even make it outside in the frigid temperatures for Poor Richard's prognostication.

It was delivered inside the Elks Lodge No. 213 in York.

Poor Richard predicted six more weeks of winter.

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The York Slumbering Groundhog Lodge is reportedly the third oldest in the state.

Dover Doug predicts six more weeks of winter

Dover Doug, the mascot, predicted "six more weeks of winter and snow" before Punxsutawney Phil made his prognostication this morning.

People gathered on the cold morning in Dover Township for the annual event. Some cheered in hopes of an early spring while a few clapped for more snow.

A video of the event can be watched on the Dover Township's Facebook page.

Lebanon County's Uni calls for six more weeks of winter

Uni, a stuffed groundhog in Lebanon County, also predicted six more weeks of winter.

Check back later as this is a developing story.

Teresa Boeckel is a reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Contact her at tboeckel@ydr.com.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York's Poor Richard, Dover Doug predict six more weeks of winter
Funding for several major federal agencies expired at midnight Saturday after Congress failed to pass a set of spending bills before the deadline, triggering a partial government shutdown.

The shutdown comes less than three months after the last one, which was the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Heres what Alabama residents should know.

Why is there a government shutdown?

The shutdown is a result of a dispute over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

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Congress needed to pass six remaining spending bills to keep parts of the federal government funded, but talks stalled over DHS and immigration enforcement. Democrats said the DHS bill did not go far enough to limit immigration agents after recent deadly incidents in Minneapolis.

While the Senate approved funding for five agencies and agreed to a short-term DHS extension, the House has not yet signed off on the deal. That delay led to funding lapsing, triggering a partial government shutdown.

What happens during a shutdown?

Agencies without funding must stop all nonessential work. Essential employees are required to continue working without pay. Other employees are furloughed.

Because the House is reported to act soon, the current shutdown is unlikely to cause immediate, widespread disruptions.

What agencies are not funded?

Funding has lapsed for several major departments and their subagencies, including:

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Department of Defense

State Department

Department of Labor

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Department of Transportation

Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service

Department of Education

What agencies are funded?

The six spending bills already signed into law fund the following agencies through September, meaning they are not affected by the shutdown:

Department of Veteran Affairs

Department of Agriculture

Food and Drug Administration

NASA

Department of Energy

Environmental Protection Agency

Justice Department

What does this mean for Alabama?

If the shutdown continues, some federal offices in Alabama tied to affected departments could see reduced operations. Military installations are expected to remain operational, though civilian workers could be impacted if the lapse drags on.

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According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, roughly 37,386 people are employed by the federal government.Air travel could also be affected if staffing issues at air traffic control emerge, though no disruptions have been reported so far.

Will SNAP benefits be affected during the government shutdown?

During the last shutdown, some federal programs, including SNAP, saw delays. This time, however, SNAP is fully funded through September, so Alabama families should not see any interruptions in their benefits with the government shut down.

Social Security payments and veterans services should also continue without interruption.

Will the IRS close during a government shutdown?

Whether the IRS remains fully operational during a shutdown depends on available funding.

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During the October 2025 shutdown, the IRS initially continued operating but was forced to scale back services within the first week after funding ran out. About half of IRS employees were furloughed, and many services were reduced or suspended.

Automated e-filing systems and some phone services continued to function. However, in-person appointments were canceled, walk-in taxpayer assistance centers were closed, and audits, appeals, paper processing and some applications were halted or significantly slowed.

Will tax refunds be delayed in Alabama?

Possibly.

During a government shutdown, tax refunds generally are not issued if IRS operations are limited due to a funding lapse. For Alabama taxpayers who file paper returns or need additional review, refunds could face longer delays while a shutdown occurs.

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Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: What is a partial government shutdown? What it means for AL residents
A longtime state representative has announced he won't run again for his Statehouse seat and plans to leave the Republican party.

Rep. Ed Clere said he instead plans to run for New Albany mayor next year as an independent.

In an interview with the News and Tribune, which first broke the news, Clere said he has grown increasingly concerned about the direction of legislation at the General Assembly, where Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers.

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Its a question of where I can be most effective. I believe I can have the greatest impact over the next several years as mayor of New Albany, Clere told the southern Indiana newspaper. Its also a matter of conscience. There are many good Republicans, but the Republican Party has lost its way, and I can no longer be a part of it.

Clere has held his District 72 seat as a Republican since 2008. He ran for New Albany mayor as a Republican in 2023, but lost to incumbent Democrat Jeff Gahan by about 300 votes.

Clere was among a dozen House Republicans who joined Democrats in opposing President Donald Trump's push to redraw Indiana's congressional districts to benefit Republicans. State police are still investigating a bomb threat against Clere on the eve of the Senate's vote to reject the redistricting plan.

In a Jan. 31 interview with IndyStar, Clere cited the redistricting controversy as the latest example of national politics replacing good policy at the state level.

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"Youve heard that saying before: 'I didnt leave the party. The party left me.' Thats how I feel," Clere said.

"Under Trump, it has become unrecognizable," he said. "Weve seen the very divisive and dysfunctional politics of Washington make their way into Indiana."

Representative Ed Clere and fellow lawmakers gather in the Indiana Statehouse on Org Day, or organization day on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Indianapolis.

The redistricting debate wasn't the first time Clere has butted heads with his own party. He has broken with the party over transgender rights, Medicaid expansion and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA. He was also the only Republican to oppose a proposed amendment to the state constitution in 2011 that would have banned gay marriage.

In some cases, his independent streak has come at a cost. In 2015, for example, he was replaced as chairman of the House Public Health Committee after he championed needle exchange legislation amid an HIV outbreak in Scott County. He is now fighting to renew that law, which sunsets later this year.

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"My political obituary was written many times," he said, "But Ive survived. Ive always tried to do the right thing, regardless of the politics."

Why Clere is leaving the Republican party

Supporters of President Trump have pledged to run primary opponents against lawmakers who opposed mid-cycle redistricting, but Clere said no other Republicans have filed to run for his House seat and that it wasn't a factor in his decision.

"If Im being candid, there are more and more Republicans with whom I cannot associate myself in good conscience," he said. "Im talking specifically about people such as the lieutenant governor."

Clere said a clarifying moment came during last year's Floyd County Lincoln Day Dinner, an annual Republican party event. Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, who identifies as a Christian nationalist, was a featured speaker.

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Clere decided not to attend. He knew people would stand and clap for Beckwith. He couldn't.

"Ive just found him to be extremely partisan and divisive," Clere said. "That goes against everything I stand for. Ive spent my entire legislative career prioritizing bipartisanship and trying to bring people together and working to solve problems. Hes a bomb thrower and a very polarizing figure and he seems to thrive on that. Its a good example of why I couldnt run again as a Republican."

He cited Beckwith's opposition to his bill to eliminate straight ticket voting.

"Thats the problem in a nutshell," Clere said. "We should be moving away from partisanship and looking for ways to work across the aisle."

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Beckwith did not immediately respond to a message from IndyStar seeking his response to Clere's comments.

"I know there are many Republicans in the Statehouse who feel the way I do," Clere said, speaking broadly of the party's direction under Trump. "But they are keeping their head down and hoping all of this blows over and we can go back to the way the party used to be. But thats not where I am."

Clere said he plans to continue to caucus with House Republicans as he finishes out this session and the rest of his term this year.

IndyStar reached out Rep. Greg Steuerwald, chairman of the House Republican Caucus, but he did not immediately respond.

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Clere's announcement is already garnering a strong response from some others within the GOP.

In a statement, the Floyd County Republican Party said Clere "has stepped away from Republican values by supporting legislation not aligned with the Republican platform."

The statement ends: "The party thanks Ed for his past service, bids him Au Dieu and asks that he resign all Republican seats he holds."

Clere said he has no intention of doing so. He plans to continue focusing on health and human services issues, which have been a hallmark of his time in the General Assembly.

"Ive had 18 years," he said. "There've been a lot of challenges along the way. But I wouldn't trade them for anything."

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Contact IndyStar reporter Tony Cook at 317-444-6081 or tony.cook@indystar.com. Follow him on X@IndyStarTony and Bluesky @tonycook317.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Ed Clere, longtime Indiana lawmaker, leaving the GOP
At least two Peets Coffee locations are reportedly closing in Southern California as other locations in the Bay Area were set to shutter last month.

The Los Angeles Times reported that locations in Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach were closing, as confirmed by employees.

Peets Coffee did not immediately respond to the USA TODAY Network seeking confirmation of the reported closures, and whether any other Southern California locations were expected to shutter at this time.

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The coffee chain, which originated in Berkeley and has operated for decades, has over 200 locations in California, according to its online store locator. In January, several locations in the Bay Area were set to close, and a company spokesperson explained that the closures were due to "a broader effort to align our business with long-term growth priorities."

The USA TODAY Network left voicemails at phone numbers for both Peets Coffee locations in Manhattan and Redondo Beach. Both locations were not listed on the companys store locator as of Monday, Feb. 2.

The shakeup comes as Keurig Dr. Pepper continues its efforts to acquire JDE Peet's, behind brands like Peets Coffee. If realized, Keurig Dr. Pepper said itll separate into two publicly-traded companies, creating a scaled growth challenger in North Americas attractive refreshment beverages market and a global coffee leader that will serve 100+ countries.

USA TODAY Network reporter Noe Padilla contributed to this report.

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Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Peet's Coffee reportedly closing stores in LA County
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has released its 2026 adult trout stocking schedule.

Available on FishandBoat.com, the schedule is searchable by county, lists the waterways in alphabetical order and shows stocking dates, meeting locations for volunteers and trout species for each location.

In 2026, the PFBC plans to stock about 3.2 million adult trout in 684 streams and 130 lakes for public angling.

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Stocking operations are slated to begin the week of Feb. 16. Fishing is not allowed on stocked trout waters between then and April 4, the opening day of trout season, except during a statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day March 28.

Click here to view the 2026 stocking schedule.

With spring fishing opportunities right around the corner, every angler can benefit from knowing when their favorite stream or lake will be stocked with trout, starting in just a few weeks, said Brian Niewinski, director of the PFBCs Bureau of Hatcheries. Reviewing the stocking schedule now can help you plan a day of volunteering to help stock trout or simply plan ahead for a successful Mentored Youth Trout Day, Opening Day, or some early trout fishing along a special regulation water.

Anglers ages 16 and up must have a fishing license and a trout permit to participate in trout fishing. Click here for more information on getting the necessary permits.

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Here are some changes from last year to the adult trout stocking program that will affect our area:

Waters Added:

Brush Creek, Beaver County: Located near the town of Hazen, a 2.2-mile section of stream extending from State Route 588 downstream to the lower end of Brush Creek Park has been added into thetroutstocking program. Troutwill be stocked during the preseason and in-season stocking periods.

Waters Revised:

Bull Creek, Allegheny County: The stocking limits were revised to provide additional angling opportunities for warm-water and cool-water species in the downstream section of Bull Creek. The revised stocking limits will extend 6.23 miles from the Thompson Road bridge in Millerstown downstream to the West 4th Avenue bridge in Tarentum. Troutwill be stocked during the preseason and in-season stocking periods.

North Deer Creek, Mercer County: The stocking limits were revised and will now extend 6.06 miles from the Bortz/Lower Road bridge downstream to the mouth. Troutwill be stocked during the preseason and in-season stocking periods.

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Waters Removed:

Cornplanter Run, Armstrong County:An increase in the amount of landowner posting has led to the removal oftroutstocking from a 1.76-mile section extending from the Moorehead Road bridge downstream to the mouth. Formerly, this water had been stocked on a preseason only basis.

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Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday said the latest drop of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and his crimes do not contain enough evidence to bring additional charges against any possible co-conspirators, despite the batch containing seemingly revealing communications and photos.

In an interview with Dana Bash on CNNs State of the Union, Blanche said the DOJ reviewed the files last summer and concluded there was nothing that allowed the department to prosecute anybody.

There's a lot of correspondence, there's a lot of emails, there's a lot of photographs  there's a lot of horrible photographs that appear to be taken by Mr. Epstein or people around him, but that doesn't allow us necessarily to prosecute somebody, Blanche said.

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He added that with the pages now released to the public, "the entire world" can look at the documents "and see if we got it wrong."

The Justice Department released more than three million pages of materials related to the deceased convicted sex offender Friday, including 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. The documents revealed Epsteins communications on a variety of topics with some of the most prominent public figures both in the U.S. and abroad, including Steve Bannon, Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick.

The files also included allegations made against President Donald Trump, though none have been verified.

But Blanche on Sunday pushed back on questions related to Trumps connections with Epstein, saying there had been many anonymous allegations made about the president but were very quickly deemed non-credible.

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It's not about President Trump, it's about a ton of people, multiple, multiple, multiple people that were quote in the Epstein files, Blanche said. I don't appreciate it being directed towards Donald J. Trump because that pushes a narrative that is completely false. There are all kinds of people that are mentioned in the quote Epstein files that we had to look at and run down.

Democrats have repeatedly accused the administration of stalling its release of the Epstein files for months in an effort to protect Trump, particularly after photographs of Trump were among a trove of documents briefly removed from the DOJs website. Administration officials denied the allegations, arguing the delay came from ensuring sensitive information related to victims and survivors were properly redacted.

In an interview immediately following Blanches, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told Bash that Blanches continued defense of Trump shows he has never once attempted to make the transformation from being Donald Trump's personal criminal defense lawyer to the number two person for the United States Department of Justice."

Raskin also accused the DOJ of a full-blown cover up because of the highly redacted material within the documents.

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We're just getting these dribs and drabs of information coming out, this stuff that they want us to see," said Raskin.

Blanche on Friday said members of Congress could make arrangements with the Justice Department to see the unredacted files. Raskin, who sent a letter to Blanche on Saturday requesting a review of the unredacted material, on Sunday said he would absolutely do so.

I hope that the Department of Justice will keep to its word and let us in there, Raskin said.
When it comes to designing, producing, and selling highly profitable full-size trucks and SUVs, there may not be two closer rivals than Detroit's own Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) and General Motors (NYSE: GM). Though fierce rivals in vehicle segments, the two automakers share a core value of returning significant value to shareholders.

Let's dive into how and why the automakers approach returning value differently, and why it's a big win for long-term investors.

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Paying you direct

One popular reason investors have for scooping up shares of Ford is the automaker's high-yield dividend. In fact, Ford offers investors a combination of value, as the company trades at a modest price-to-earnings ratio of 11, as well as a dividend yield of 4.4% -- much higher than the S&P 500's average yield of just over 1.1%.

The difference a dividend can make in a long-term investment is significant. Take Ford, for instance. Over the past decade you can see the modest share price returns compared to the much larger total value returns that include dividends.

F data by YCharts

One unique aspect of Ford's dividend is that the interests of the Ford family are aligned with shareholders'. That's because the automaker has a special class of shares held by the Ford family that come with not only the common dividend but also substantial voting rights. It's well known that the Ford family enjoys the significant payout, and would prefer the company's dividend payments remain consistent and strong.

Ford is aiming to return 40% to 50% of its annual free cash flow (FCF) to shareholders through its quarterly dividends, as well as its supplemental dividends that it will dish out to shareholders during years of stronger FCF. The upside is that when Ford can reverse billions in electric vehicle losses in the near to medium term, more cash will be freed up for potential dividend increases.

A different path

While Ford focuses on its lucrative dividend to return value to shareholders, rival General Motors drives down a different path. Rather than pay shareholders directly with dividends, GM focuses on stock buybacks to boost per-share earnings. For investors it's not important that GM is returning value to shareholders differently than its rival, but it is important for investors to understand just how substantial the automaker's share buybacks have been.
Feb. 1Tents behind freeway barricades, back alleys and arroyo beds are makeshift homes for people living in the fringes of society.Their obscurity poses a unique challenge for the scores of volunteers that must find these people and tally them for the city's annual point-in-time count, a piecemeal project that opens the gate for millions of federal dollars for homelessness initiatives."There are so many unhoused people you never see," said William Bowen, a project manager for the Coalition to End Homelessness, which conducts the count.Bowen's volunteers, some 200 of them, know Albuquerque's nooks and crannies well, easily weaving through slashed fences and barbed wire where people live in relative solitude.One of those people is 49-year-old Stephen Kraus, who thousands of people unknowingly pass each day on their way to work or school as he rests in his makeshift camp behind a freeway barricade.With the constant whirring of cars as his soundtrack, Kraus said he whiles away the hours writing hip hop songs. Here no one bothers him, Kraus said, and he doesn't bother anyone else.But that doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate the company."I don't have many visitors," Kraus said, poking his grey beard out from his tarped tent.

Stephen Kraus, 49, looks out from his tent while talking with Alexandra Paisano from the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness during the yearly Point-In-Time (PIT) count in Albuquerque, on Jan. 28, 2026.

Chancey Bush/Journal

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Kraus offered his guest, an interviewer with the coalition, his own pillow to sit on so she wouldn't have to sit in the mud surrounding his tent.Cross legged, team lead Alexandra Paisano accepted the pillow and asked Kraus a series of questions about himself and his situation.

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These questions are part of a nationwide project to collect data on homelessness, conducted in every city that receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In Albuquerque alone, service providers collect around $5 million to $6 million from the federal government, thanks in part to the survey, Bowen said.However, the project is about more than data.For one, Bowen said, it keeps the issue top of mind for residents, politicians and journalists. It also allows service providers to find people they may have lost touch with and attempt to get them back on track to housing, detox or other services.Moreover, some survey respondents simply needed someone to listen and, as several respondents said, to treat them "like human beings."This need for human connection carried over in Paisano's demeanor while in the field.During interviews, Paisano spent most of her interactions with survey respondents saying very little. In between stories of hardship, Paisano slipped in a question or two until all 23 prompts were answered.Often these questions prompted bad memories and traumas.The survey, although it collects standard information about gender and race, also asks about domestic violence, substance abuse and mental illness, which are all contributing factors that keep people in the thralls of homelessness.On Wednesday, many of the respondents spoke of experiences with at least one of those factors.The survey also asks about the boundaries between homeless residents and service providers.For example, when asked if he would move to a bed in the shelter of his choice if it was immediately available, Kraus gave a firm "no.""I stayed in that Gateway West when it was a jail, so I don't stay there," Kraus said.Most respondents interviewed that day said they would decline a bed at a city shelter, choosing instead to brave the weather outdoors.For those who skip shelters, the survey asks where respondents slept in previous nights whether that's in a car, on a couch or on the street. It also asks where they stay, creating a detailed picture of homelessness throughout the city.While Downtown and East Central are where people experiencing homelessness gather in the largest numbers, some avoid these parts of town.Instead, some people bed down in areas that are more discreet, but also more precarious like arroyos, where there is a constant risk of flash flooding.Kraus picked his spot in part to avoid police officers, who he said hassle him if he stays in other parts of town. In the nine months he's lived on the streets, law enforcement have cited Kraus on numerous counts of unlawful camping, criminal trespass and property damage, according to court records.Meanwhile, down the road, another survey respondent, Breea Weeks, also spoke about her fear of East Central as she waited by the bus stop on Indian School and Lomas.With a glittering ruby red dermal piercing above her lip and faded pink hair dye, Weeks knit her brows as she recounted harrowing experiences along Central.After being struck with a metal pole and robbed, Weeks said she now avoids the street almost entirely, only venturing over to get her methadone prescription, a drug that is used in opioid detox."I don't get robbed and hurt as often over here," Weeks said.

Breea Weeks stands at a bus stop after participating in the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness' yearly Point-In-Time (PIT) count in Albuquerque, on Jan. 28, 2026.

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Chancey Bush/Journal

Now, Weeks sleeps outside of a mechanic shop in the Northeast Heights, where she and the owner have a tentative relationship.She cleans up the property and in turn has a slightly more peaceful place to rest."That's what I do to maintain humanity for myself," Weeks said.Weeks "desperately" wants to get off the street, she said, but doesn't know where to begin.As a project manager, Bowen hopes that the survey, and the funding it garners, will eventually help people like Weeks.More money means more services and more boots on the ground, Bowen said. The coalition expects to release the results by summer's end, though that's subject to change.Last year's results revealed that nearly 3,000 people are living on the streets of Albuquerque, twice as many as before the pandemic. Though the PIT count is largely considered an undercount, it has tracked rising homelessness for years.This year's results will show whether or not numbers are continuing to surge, or if outreach is working to get people off the streets."This is a solvable issue," Bowen said. "Countries have ended homelessness. It's not like it can't be done."

Sonja and Dana Ward answer questions during the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness' yearly Point-In-Time (PIT) count in Northeast Albuquerque, on Jan. 28, 2026.

Chancey Bush/Journal

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Gillian Barkhurst is the local government reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com

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For the past week, two small experimental aircraft have been operating off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. Their job is to replicate long-range kamikaze drones similar to the Iranian Shahed-136. These weapons were a steadily growing threat that was overlooked for years. Then the true danger they posed exploded onto the world stage via their widespread use in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Now the U.S. military needs to test and train against these capabilities, including honing the abilities of United States fighter squadrons to track and destroy them. This is exactly what happened at a large force exercise known as Sentry South 26.1 last week, and TWZ was there as the first media outlet to fly such a mission.

A private company, KestrelX, is operating two of its composite two-seat propeller aircraft, the Risen KX-2, as part of Sentry South 26.1. The aircraft is the worlds fastest ultralight. In 2021, KestrelX received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Air Force valued at just over $725,000 for UAV [uncrewed aerial vehicle] and Cruise Missile Threat Replication Aircraft. Their first major exercise was Northern Strike 24-2, where they flew two tiny microjets. You can read all about those planes and the exercise in our past article linked here. To operate over water for longer missions, among other features, the companys new propeller-driven KX-2s were deemed a better fit for Sentry South 26.1.

KestrelXs JSX-2 microjet seen during Northern Strike. (Michigan ANG)

Don Moseley, a former Navy pilot who flew both the F-14 Tomcat and the F/A-18 Super Hornet before attending Navy Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, is the chief executive officer (CEO) at KestrelX. He then became the head developmental test pilot for the F/A-18 at VX-23, which is a Navy Air Test and Evaluation Squadron. Moseley also did what is known as a disassociated sea tour, during which he worked on the Tomahawk missile program, giving him a deep look at cruise missiles and the threat they pose.

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They joke that once you get test ink on you, you cant wash it off. After retirement, I did some test work for big companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. I also did some adversary work at Draken.

In 2019, while flying in the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) in a 3rd-generation adversary jet aircraft, the idea for KestrelX began to form in Moseleys head.

Moseley elaborated, telling us, While flying in the NTTR, I see that they bring out the F-117A out of Type-1000 storage and see they are also using the F-35 for red-air as they are preparing to stand up the 65th Aggressor Squadron. These are extremely expensive assets to try to replicate low-observable targets. I am flying in a Gen 3 fighter with a large radar cross section simulating a cruise missile down low, and I am getting detected, prosecuted, shot, and killed out of the fight before I really even detect [the blue force], which is really just negative training. I thought to myself, you dont need just one F-117; you need about 10 to properly replicate the threat out there. The true threat, in my opinion, where the cost barrier is super low, is weaponized UAVs like what we see in Ukraine.

A U.S. Air Force F-117 Nighthawk lands during Northern Edge 23-1 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 10, 2023. The F-117s have become critical tools for replicating low signature cruise missiles and aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Shelimar Rivera Rosado) Senior Airman Shelimar Rivera-Rosado

With the idea now in his head, Moseley began to do some analysis and look for aircraft that could properly replicate both cruise missiles and one-way attack UAVs. He did a downselect of several options, with the SubSonex JSX-2 (renamed KX-1 by KestrelX) eventually being chosen. With aircraft now chosen, KestrelX began to find ways to reduce the RCS on the aircraft even further through a host of different ways, including shaping and coatings. The result was an aircraft with very low RCS, making it an extremely valuable training tool.

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While quick light aircraft, such as Glasairs and even small microjets, have been used in exercises for many years to efficiently mimic cruise missiles and other low signature capabilities, the threat of one-way attack drones has exploded. With this in mind, Moseley took his ideas to AFWERX, which is the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force. The idea behind AFWERX is to cultivate and transition impactful emerging technologies quickly to deter and win wars.

I cant speak highly enough about AFWERX. We were selected in 2021 for a direct-to-phase-two prototype contract to build a low-observable manned aircraft that could simulate a weaponized UAV. We had a one-year period of performance, and it was a flurry of activity. We had to deal with some airworthiness issues, but got that worked out. We worked with the 57th OG and the 65th Aggressors. Being a manned aircraft, we were so much more flexible because we could fly any profile you want and change it very quickly, because all we had to do was comply with FAA regulations, Moseley added.

One of the JSX-2s (KX-1s) supporting Exercise Northern Strike 24-2. (Michigan Air National Guard)

In September of 2023, KestrelX conducted an operational evaluation against two F-16s at the NTTR. The results were very promising. The U.S. Navy got wind of these results and inquired about the ability to fly profiles against their surface action groups, and as part of COMPTUEX, which is a rehearsal that each U.S. Navy carrier strike group performs before going on a deployment. The KX-1 Microjets were modified with an external conformal fuel tank, which increased the fuel and endurance by 50 percent. While talking with the Navy, it became readily apparent that the distances needed to fly over water and the amount of time on station to get out into the operating area meant that a new aircraft would be needed. The Navy wanted an aircraft that could perform multiple approaches to its ships, testing its defenses, in a single sortie.

KestrelX selected the KX-2 from manufacturer Risen for its endurance, as well as its internal and external payload capability, with hardpoints, as well as its signature. The aircraft is also remarkably fast or slow. It is capable of hitting speeds of up to 240 knots, while also being able to fly very slowly. This allows it to mimic a wide range of threats. While the aircraft has two seats, the KX-2 is flown by just one pilot. When flying over water or land, they are equipped with a raft and other safety features, including an aircraft parachute.

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Proving their ability to operate for long periods of time over water and with their track record at a previous exercise, Northern Lightning, KestrelX was invited to attend Sentry South 26.1.

KX-2 in the hangar in Savannah during the exercise. (James Deboer)

Sentry South 26.1 and its Air Dominance Center (ADC) were created to help Air National Guard (ANG) pilots have the best fighter training available. Located in Savannah, Georgia, at the southern end of the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, the ADCs footprint is small, but its training impact is huge for both ANG pilots and their active-duty counterparts. The exercise was developed by fighter pilots to provide 5th-generation fighter integration through a focused, tailored, cost-effective approach. The airspace that they have, which is just 30 miles off the coast, is some of the best in the world. They have a surface to 60,000 feet, and they have 200 miles north to south and 120 miles east to west. That box is among the best military flying areas anywhere in the country, and its ideally suited for fighter training.

Some of the vast military operating areas off Savannah, Georgia (red triangle). (VFRmap.com)

This iteration of Sentry South involved over 75 aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, and Marines, as well as adversary contractors Top Aces and KestrelX. Over 700 sorties were expected to be flown over the two-week exercise.

Participating squadrons can tell the exercise planners what kind of training they would like to receive, and this iteration saw multiple requests to help fighter pilots better prepare for the drone threat they are seeing unfold in the Middle East and Ukraine.

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In April 2024, United States fighter pilots flew against multiple large-scale Iranian drone and missile attacks launched at Israel. In one of these barrages, over 150 drones were launched with Strike Eagles from the 494th Fighter Squadron and the 335th Fighter Squadron, downing more than 70 of them using mainly AIM-9 and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles. The missions flown against these drones provided feedback and a realization that more training was needed to better prepare against these threats. Actions in and around the Red Sea also saw hundreds of Houthi drones launched at commercial vessels and warships, with constant pressure being put on assets tasked with stopping the attacks. The U.S. Navy and its allies were shooting down one-way attack drones on a regular basis, sometimes en masse. Naval fighter aircraft, in particular, were tasked with hunting down these threats. As a result of the lessons learned from all these events, a glaring question arose: what assets do you use to train against in order to prepare crews for such a demanding new mission set? This is where KestrelX stepped in.

KestrelXs director of operations is Daniel Bop Holmes. Unlike Moseley, Holmes made his career in the United States Air Force, flying the F-15E in Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom. He then transitioned to the F-22 Raptor, helped develop its simulator, and served as a test pilot on the Raptor program. Holmes worked for several defense contractors before meeting Moseley while both were flying adversary support for Draken. With an offer to be part of something new and unique, Holmes became employee number two at KestrelX.

KX-2 on a mission over of Savannah. (James Deboer)

Holmes told The War Zone:

As a former Raptor guy, I get great satisfaction out of providing something to the warfighter. We [the USAF] had a UAS simulator when drones started flying into Ukraine and Israel, but the pilots were struggling to deal with them. We cant use a real UAS in national airspace without a whole bunch of restrictions, so by putting a pilot in a small aircraft, we can comply with FAA rules and remain very flexible. We can do this training anywhere. We can operate on a Military Training Area (MOA) or in other airspace, and unlike UASs, you can use us again because we come back. This makes us very affordable.

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Its also important to note that all of our pilots are very experienced. I have been flying in large force exercises (LFEs) my entire career, so having the background to know what the required learning objectives are and to understand the rules and regulations that go into an exercise makes our people as valuable as our airplanes. We know where to put the aircraft so that it provides the most value to be a tactical problem for either a ship or an aircraft.

KX-2s at Savannah. (James Deboer)

Holmes elaborated further:

We dont get to choose where UASs go, so its not like lining up on opposite sides of the fence and running at each other. A UAS can go anywhere in that airspace, and sometimes you dont know whether its yours or the enemys, or either of the above, so the ID portion factors in. Then you have to figure out how to target it and maintain custody of it. You may not always want to kill it. You may just want to ID it and see what it is doing. It may be doing ISR, so you may want to kill it or maybe just jam it. Its not just about shooting down Shahed-136s, but thats where it starts, because that is the primary problem that our warfighters, like the Strike Eagle guys, have been tasked with [in] Israel. So that is why we provide the only real ability for them to train before they have to go out and do it for real, which is really valuable because everything you do in the air is harder to do than in the simulator.

We have gotten some amazing feedback from the pilots. During our first exercise, one of the squadrons weapons officers had just come back from defending Israel and said it was some of the best training he could have given his pilots because of how hard it is to target UASs.

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Targeting UASs that fly at slow speeds and low altitudes poses a host of challenges for American fighter aircraft and carries a significant risk. These aircraft can have tiny infrared and radar signatures. The ability to detect the target and then identify it visually (without running into it) before coming around and getting a proper weapons solution can be harder than attacking another fighter aircraft or cruise missiles that fly at jet speeds. Weapons engagement can be complicated, as well, especially when using laser-guided rockets, which have a short range and often require two aircraft to attack a target cooperatively.

U.S. Fighter aircraft shoot down Iran-backed Houthi one-way-attack drones with AGR-20 FALCO Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) Laser Guided 2.75" Rockets.#HouthisAreTerrorists pic.twitter.com/bDoVnKwotc  U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 19, 2025

The Risen was a perfect aircraft for the UAS threat replication mission being flown at Sentry South because it was already built with low-observable properties. Its composite materials and shape were naturally conducive to making a stealthy target. With a swept wing made of carbon fiber and a small engine with low infrared signature, little modification was needed to perform its mission. Having an amazing endurance of around 12 hours, the options provided to exercise planners are plentiful.

The KX-2s Rotax engine is very efficient and it has a small infrared signature similar to threat aircraft they replicate, including Iranian drones that use smuggled Rotax engines. (James Deboer)

Our first prototype KX-2 had no significant changes from baseline and required post manufacture engineering changes with materials and modifications. The next LRIP1 (low rate initial production 1) aircraft incorporated modifications to significantly reduce its radar cross-section without aerodynamic penalties, including development of a radar transparent propeller. We also strengthened the wings and added hardpoints for pods, and added a fiberglass panel behind the cockpit for Starlink, so we had connectivity with the shore when we were operating 100 miles out at sea at 200 feet above the water, when normally you would not have any ability to talk with the shore.

Sentry South 26.1 was the first time that KestrelX operated the Risen over the water on behalf of the USAF. A big part of the exercise is defensive counter air (DCA) missions. When most pilots think of DCA, they think of fighter vs fighter or fighter vs bomber and not necessarily fighter vs UAS. KestrelX worked with planners to integrate DCA into a special mission set training objective.

Fighter aircraft have been absolutely essential players in taking down long-range one-way attack munitions over the Middle East and in Ukraine, making training for such situations imperative. (James Deboer)

Holmes explained, The pilots that came to Sentry South 26.1 were planning to do traditional DCA, but they then were told that UAVs were part of what they were defending against, so they needed to take some special actions to deal with the threat, such as where they would be positioning themselves. They were not prepared to do that on the first day of the exercise, nor were they operating with a controller like an AWACS. The pilots wanted to see if they could locate themselves, and that was good training because you dont always have the luxury of having a big surveillance picture. The pilots had a lot of trouble detecting us, so they adjusted their profiles on follow-on missions and had better success. Training against UAVs is a new task for fighter pilots, and this is the purpose of KestrelX. We recognize its a new task, and we want to provide a great training opportunity.

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Flying out in the large MOA, the KX-2s were replicating Shahed-136 drones. They took off first so they could be in the area when the other fighters had arrived. Then, they simulated a drone launch from about 50 miles away from the blue force (friendly) targets, which were the defended assets. Operating at about 1,000 feet above the water and at about 120 mph, they provided a tough target for Blue forces as they made two runs at the target.

One of the unique challenges was that because we were at such a low altitude operating far off the coast, the people who were controlling the mission from the shore could not hear us, so we relayed our position through the red [aggressor] fighters. On the second mission, we doubled our speed to better replicate a cruise missile threat. On all six attempts to enter the target area, the fighters successfully tracked and targeted the Risens.

In the cockpit of the KX-2 while in formation over the Atlantic. (James Deboer)

On the last day of flying, the KestrelX pilots mixed it up, with one flying low and the other a little higher. This provided more training opportunities. Operating at a higher altitude also allowed the blue air fighters to target the Risens with their guns. In training, there are rules regarding the altitude at which a fighter can perform a gun run over the water for safety reasons.

On the second day, I had an F-22 do a gun attack on my number two while I had a Super Hornet do a gun attack on me. It was really great to see, Holmes told us.

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As we have discussed many times before, fighters making gun runs on small and slow flying drones can be very challenging and even downright hazardous.

The feedback from both 4th- and 5th-gen fighter pilots was very complimentary. Many of the pilots stopped into the hangar to speak with the KestrelX pilots and get a look at the Risen. Almost half of the F-22 pilots were brand new, having just completed their qualification course. Being new and having had little to no experience against drones, these missions were most likely an eye-opener.

KX-2s flew alongside far more advanced red air assets in the exercise. (James Deboer)

Lt. Col. Joseph Stone Walz, who flew F-16s and F-35s and is now part of the Georgia Air National Guard, is the exercise director for Sentry South. Speaking about the value of having an aircraft like the Risen in his exercise, he told us, I try to build an exercise that provides maximum opportunity to learn lessons and maximum opportunity to debrief on those lessons so we dont have to make them in war. We can make them in training. KestrelX provided a unique opportunity to replicate what we are seeing in war right now with regard to UASs. Smaller aircraft that fly lower and slower, but are still a potent threat. KestrelX lets me put an aircraft out there that cant be represented by these other fighter jets. Thats an aircraft that is smaller, low RCS (radar cross-section), difficult to find, and blends into the ground. Now my aviators have to go out there and train to something that they might see again in the real world, that we didnt have a good way of training prior to these guys coming out here and flying these missions.

With the ability to carry pods on the Risen, KestrelX sees many opportunities to continue to help prepare U.S. and friendly forces for whats to come. Some of the pods they currently carry help simulate radio emissions from drone uplinks and downlinks. This helps pilots who are passively trying to detect emissions that a UAV might be emitting. The pods can also simulate air-to-surface emitters, whether it be an air-to-surface missile or something else that would produce electronic emissions. Holmes sees the possibility of the aircraft carrying jammers at some point to help confuse the picture for radars trying to locate targets.

KX-2s on the ramp at Sentry South. (James Deboer)

Moseley added, Everyone is interested in emitters on the whole broad spectrum from a standpoint of both passive and active training. We feel we will work with customers to deliver what they want. We had a customer who wanted us to replicate a certain frequency, so we were able to quickly adapt and provide that service as part of their designated learning objectives.

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KestrelX is growing rapidly, with plans to have 10 KX-2s flying by the summer, as well as the three KX-1s. Clearly, this will help to better replicate the flocks of long-range one-way attack munitions that are already appearing on the battlefield, and the rise of cooperative swarms tomorrow. It will also allow the firm to support more training and testing events in more locations. Having now flown drone replication missions at the USAF Weapons School as well as Top Gun in Fallon, Nevada, and several other air exercises, the need for these assets is becoming very clear.

Contact the editor: Tyler@twz.com
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  One person is dead following a T-bone crash involving a vehicle and a motorcycle early Sunday morning, Feb. 1 in East El Paso, El Paso Police said.

The crash happened shortly after 1 a.m. along the 1500 block of Lomaland Drive. El Paso Police sent out an alert of the crash at around 2:30 a.m., saying they were investigating a serious crash along Lomaland and Bengal Drive.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a vehicle was traveling south on Lomaland and made a left turn to enter a parking lot.

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At the same time, the motorcyclist was traveling north on Lomaland and a T-bone crash happened, according to El Paso Police.

The driver of the motorcycle, identified as 48-year-old Adrian Omar Narro, was dislodged from the motorcycle and died due to the injuries he sustained from the crash, according to EPPD.

The investigation is on going.

This is the fourth traffic fatality this year inside the El Paso city limits compared to four at this time in 2025.

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.
JENNERS, Pa.  An attempt to execute an arrest warrant on a Jenner Township man Thursday now has him facing animal cruelty charges, state police said.

Investigators said they forced their way into 44-year-old Michael Ming's Cloud Street residence after he fled police orders to surrender nearby.

Inside the residence, they found not only Ming, but also one dead dog and numerous sickly, "emaciated" dogs, a state trooper wrote in a media release.

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The release listed two people as defendants in the animal cruelty incident, but online court documents only showed charges Friday against Ming, including nine counts of animal neglect and one count of aggravated animal cruelty, the latter of which was related to the deceased dog.

Ming is also facing counts of evading arrest, flight to avoid apprehension, resisting arrest, obstructing the administration of law and false identification, court records show.

Online court records did not list an attorney for Ming.
Houston police have released new details about a shooting that left six people wounded  one of them fatally  Saturday night at a strip center in northeast Houston.

The shooting happened around 10:15 p.m. Saturday at 11330 Homestead Road, south of East Little York, according to the Houston Police Department.

Police said officers with the Northeast Patrol Division were initially called to the area for a traffic hazard, after several vehicles blocked surrounding roadways during a large trail-ride gathering. As officers worked to clear the roadway, gunshots were heard in a nearby parking lot behind the strip center.

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Investigators said multiple people began shooting during an altercation as a large crowd dispersed and fled the area.

Victims and conditions

One man, 24 years old, was located at the scene and taken by Houston Fire Department paramedics to Lyndon Baines Johnson Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not yet been released pending notification of family members.

Police also found two teenage males, ages 15 and 16, suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were taken to area hospitals and were reported to be in stable condition.

Investigators later learned that three additional victims had taken themselves to nearby hospitals:

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A 19-year-old man

A 20-year-old woman

A 22-year-old woman

All three were also reported to be in stable condition.

In total, six people were shot.

Large crowd and scene details

Authorities said a very large crowd, possibly in the hundreds, was present at the time of the shooting.

KHOU 11 obtained surveillance video showing a chaotic scene leading up to the violence, including a packed parking lot filled with cars, people riding horses, ATVs and other vehicles.

An employee at a grocery store in the strip center told KHOU 11 the gathering began around 1:30 p.m., with groups arriving throughout the afternoon. The employee said similar gatherings happen annually but said this one quickly overwhelmed businesses.

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But they didnt leave, the employee said, adding that bathrooms were clogged, stores were vandalized, and parking lot lights were eventually shut off in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

The employee also told KHOU 11 that workers and nearby residents called police multiple times before the shooting occurred.

Investigation ongoing

Police said investigators believe there may have been multiple shooters. No suspects have been identified.

Homicide detectives remained at the scene throughout the night and into Sunday morning. Police said it took approximately 13 hours to process the large crime scene.

KHOU 11 confirmed that investigators recovered more than 50 shell casings from pistols and rifles scattered across the parking lot.

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Anyone with information is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

Got a news tip or story idea? Email us at newstips@khou.com or call 713-521-4310 and include your name and the best way to reach you.
A person was shot in a Dayton neighborhood on Saturday afternoon. The Dayton Police Department is searching through evidence to figure out how and why a man was shot.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

As reported on News Center 7 Daybreak, a neighbor called 911 after he heard his neighbor yelling for help.

TRENDING STORIES:

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The shooting happened near the 1800 block of West Grand Avenue and Rosedale Drive, according to a 911 caller.

Im not sure your address is, but my neighbor just got shot, said the 911 caller.

The caller and his roommates ran over to help the man.

Hes conscious. Hes in a lot of pain in that shape, said the 911 Caller.

The caller said they have no idea where the shooter could be.

News Center 7 is working to learn what condition the man is in now.

We will continue to follow this story.

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Pope Leo XIV on Sunday pressed the U.S. and Cuba to enter a sincere and effective dialogue following a recent rough patch in the two countries relations.

I have received the greatly troubling news regarding an increase in tensions between Cuba and the United States of America, two neighboring countries, the pope said in a post on the social platform X on Sunday.

I echo the message of the Cuban bishops, inviting all responsible parties to promote a sincere and effective dialogue, in order to avoid violence and every action that could increase the suffering of the dear Cuban people, he added.

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On Thursday, President Trump warned of imposing tariffs on countries and groups doing business with and giving oil to Cuba. Those at risk of potential tariffs include Russia, China and Iran, as well as the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

Trump initiated a national emergency in an executive order that sets up a tariff system for countries and groups doing business with Cuba.

Under this system, an additional ad valorem duty may be imposed on imports of goods that are products of a foreign country that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise provides any oil to Cuba, Trumps order reads.

Last month, Cuba responded to Trumps demand to cut a deal with the U.S., saying No one dictates what we do.

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#Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. No one dictates what we do. Cuba does not aggress; it is aggressed upon by the United States for 66 years, and it does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the Homeland to the last drop of blood, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in mid-January.

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.
Supporters and opponents of Venezuela's government protested on Monday for better salaries and pensions, marching separately although united in their demand for a decent income.

The monthly minimum wage in Venezuela is 35 US cents -- the same as the state pension, in a country whose gross domestic product is reeling.

The government hands out discretionary bonuses as a supplement, but it's not nearly enough to make ends meet in Venezuela, where GDP dropped 80 percent in a decade and millions emigrated in search of a better life.

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The Latin American country's leaders have promised an oil-led economic boom following the ouster of long-term leader Nicolas Maduro.

"We fight for wages, democracy, and freedom!" professors chanted at a rally outside the Supreme Court, which is weighing a case filed by Central University of Venezuela (UCV) staff against the state for insufficient wages.

"If oil income is going to increase, it must be invested in all workers," Gregorio Alfonzo, president of the UCV professors' association, said at the march.

Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez, who stepped into Maduro's shoes after his toppling in a deadly American military operation a month ago, has made deals on oil and other topics with US President Donald Trump's administration.

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Last week, lawmakers passed reforms to reopen Venezuela's nationalized hydrocarbons industry to private players, a move immediately reciprocated with a loosening of US sanctions.

Promising better days ahead for her long-suffering compatriots, Rodriguez has ploughed $300 million from a first US sale of Venezuelan crude into shoring up the country's ailing currency, the bolivar.

At a separate demonstration, which also gathered outside the Supreme Court, pro-regime workers called for Maduro's release from a New York jail cell, where he is awaiting trial on drug-trafficking charges.

But they also submitted a 10-point plan for the urgent improvement of workers' financial plight.

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"We have the opportunity, through negotiations with oil companies, the reform of the Hydrocarbons Law, and a renewed national dialogue, to achieve economic recovery and wage growth," said their representative, Oliver Rivas.

Police separated the two groups to prevent any confrontation, which was limited to an exchange of slogans.

afc/jt/mlr/iv
By Maayan Lubell and Nidal al-Mughrabi

JERUSALEM/CAIRO Feb 1 (Reuters) - Gaza's main border crossing in Rafah will reopen for Palestinians on Monday, Israel said, with preparations underway at the war-ravaged enclave's main gateway that has been largely shut for almost two years.

Before the war, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt was the only direct exit point for most Gazans to reach the outside world as well as a key entry point for aid into the territory. It has been largely shut since May 2024 and under Israeli military control on the Gazan side.

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COGAT, the Israeli military unit that oversees humanitarian coordination, said the crossing will reopen in both directions for Gaza residents on foot only and its operation will be coordinated with Egypt and the European Union.

"Today, a pilot is underway to test and assess the operation of the crossing. The movement of residents in both directions, entry and exit to and from Gaza, is expected to begin tomorrow," COGAT said in a statement.

A Palestinian official and a European source close to the EU mission confirmed the details. The Egyptian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

STRICT SECURITY CHECKS

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Israel has said the crossing would open under stringent security checks only for Palestinians who wish to leave the war-ravaged enclave and for those who fled the fighting in the first months of the war to return.

Many of those expected to leave are sick and wounded Gazans in need of medical care abroad. The Palestinian health ministry has said that there are 20,000 patients waiting to leave Gaza.

An Israeli defence official said that the crossing can hold between 150-200 people altogether in both directions. There will be more people leaving than returning because patients leave together with escorts, the official added.

"(The Rafah crossing) is the lifeline for us, the patients. We don't have the resources to be treated in Gaza," said Moustafa Abdel Hadi, a kidney patient in a central Gaza hospital, awaiting a transplant abroad.

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"If the war impacted a healthy person by 1%, it has impacted us 200%," he said, sitting as he received dialysis treatment at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. His travel request, he said, has been approved.

Two Egyptian officials said that at least 50 Palestinian patients will be processed on Sunday to cross Rafah into Egypt for treatment. In the first few days around 200 people, patients and their family members, will cross daily into Egypt, the officials said, with 50 people returning to Gaza per day.

Lists of Gazans set to pass through the crossing have been submitted by Egypt and approved by Israel, the official said.

NEXT PHASE OF TRUMP'S GAZA PLAN

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Reopening the border crossing was a key requirement of the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the Israel-Hamas war.

But the ceasefire, which came into effect in October after two years of fighting, has been repeatedly shaken by rounds of violence.

Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 500 Palestinians since the ceasefire, local health officials say, and Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli troops, according to Israeli authorities.

On Saturday, Israel launched some of its most intense airstrikes since the ceasefire, killing at least 30 people, in what it said was a response to a Hamas violation of the truce on Friday when militants emerged from a tunnel in Rafah.

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The next phases of Trump's plan for Gaza foresee governance being handed to Palestinian technocrats, Hamas laying down its weapons and Israeli troops withdrawing from the territory while an international force keeps the peace and Gaza is rebuilt.

Hamas has so far rejected disarmament and Israel has repeatedly indicated that if the Islamist militant group is not disarmed peacefully, it will use force to make it do so.

(Additional reporting by Mahmoud Issa in Gaza and Ahmed Shalaby and Alexander Dziadosz in Cairo; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Christina Fincher)
President Donald Trump on Sunday said he wasnt involved in the Texas Senate District 9 race, where a Democrat flipped a historically Republican seat in the Fort Worth area, despite endorsing the candidate and urging voters to get out to the polls.

Democrat Taylor Rehmets defeat of Republican Leigh Wambsganss in the longtime GOP district has garnered national attention, as some look to the race as an indicator of what could be to come in the November midterm elections.

Rehmet, a union leader and aircraft technician at Lockheed Martin, won the Saturday special election runoff with 57.2% of votes in the race against Wambsganss, a Republican activist who works for Christian conservative cell phone company Patriot Mobile. Trump won the Senate district by 17 points in 2024.

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In the lead up to the election, Trump posted on Truth Social multiple times voicing support for Wambsganss and urging voters to get out to the polls and vote.

Q: In Texas, a Democrat won a special election in an area you won by 17 points. What is your reaction?



TRUMP: I don't know. I didn't hear about it. Somebody ran -- where?



Q: In Texas



TRUMP: I'm not involved in that. That's a local Texas race. You mean I won by 17, and this pic.twitter.com/5AcrXd4bc3  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 1, 2026

On Sunday, the president said he had nothing to do with the Texas election.

I dont know. I didnt hear about it, Trump said, asked about his reaction to Saturday nights outcome while speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago. Somebody ran? Where?

He was then told it was the Senate District 9 election in Texas.

Im not involved in that, Trump said. Thats a local Texas race.

He soon continued, You mean I won by 17, and this person lost? Things like that happen.

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Trump noted that hes not on the ballot.

So you dont know whether or not its transferable, he said. But, you know, you put the Democrats in, and youll end up with open borders again. Youll end up with crime all over the place.

Trump later added, No, I dont know anything about it. ... I mean, I know theres a race going there, and its too bad. What can I say? I have nothing to do with it.

A spokesperson for Wambsganss did not immediately return a request for comment.

Rehmets Saturday victory means hell serve the remainder of former Sen. Kelly Hancocks term. Rehmet and Wambsganss have a rematch in November when they bid for a full four years in office.
Philip Morris International, an international tobacco company, has recently been in the news for its smoke-free alternatives and regulatory battles it faces with the ZYN pouches.

Philip Morris closes office, lays off

Amidst this, it filed a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) letter with the Virginia Employment Commission on January 28 regarding the closure of its Richmond, VA office. The move will result in 135 permanent job cuts; all the workers are without union representation.

The tobacco maker noted that a majority of impacted workers will be offered alternative positions in other states. The first job losses will occur on April 17, 2026.

Philip Morris International is transitioning to a smokeless future, but that also means layoffs.Photo by Bloomberg on Getty Images  Photo by Bloomberg on Getty Images

The Richmond closure comes as Philip Morris continues to reshape its US footprint with its smoke-free nicotine products, especially ZYN, which it acquired as part of its $16 billion acquisition of Swedish Match in 2022.

Investors continue to reward the shift; Philip Morris International's (PM) stock has risen 37% over the year and increased 24% this past quarter following its solid Q3 earnings report.

The report highlighted its smoke-free products as a big driver of revenue growth.

The company will release fourth-quarter financial results on Feb. 6. Analysts expect revenue of $10.4 billion and earnings per share of $1.67.

Philip Morris Q3 earnings key takeaways:

Net revenue of $10.8 billion, $4.4 billion from the smoke-free business and $6.4 billion from combustibles

Diluted EPS of $2.23, up 13.2% and adjusted diluted EPS reported at $2.24, which rose 17.3% year over year.

Gross profit of $7.4 billion, translating to 8.7% organic growth.

Operating income of $4.3 billion was a 7.5% organic growth.

Quarterly dividend increased 8.9% to $1.47 per share.

Smoke-free accounted for 41% of total net revenues.

A smoke-free future

When introducing its smoke-free restructuring, PMI shifted its headquarters from New York to Stamford, CT. Now, effective Jan 1, 2026, it has introduced two new units to expand its smoke-free future  PMI International and PMI US.

More Retail:

The first-quarter 2026 financial reports will be based on these new segments, while the tobacco giant's upcoming Q4 report will disclose certain historical financial information for the 2023 to 2025 period based on these new segments.

Its smoke-free products are now available in over 100 markets and have been growing steadily amid a decline in cigarette consumption, serving as a revenue booster for the owner of Marlboro, one of the most consumed cigarette brands.
For the second time in January, federal immigration officers killed an American citizen in Minneapolis in the wake of mass protests over President Donald Trump's historic crackdown on immigration. And for the second time, too, Americans have watched the same set of video evidence and reached very different conclusions about the violence they witnessed and the blame they lay.

We asked after federal agents shot and killed Renee Good what you thought about the incident and whether you approved of how federal immigration agents were operating in Minnesota. Some of you saw a murder in cold blood, and others an act of completely justifiable self-defense.

And again, with the killing of Alex Pretti, readers have seen two entirely different narratives in the same chaotic few seconds, with very different conclusions about how federal immigration officers should be behaving  or whether they should exist at all.

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You can read a collection of those responses below. Look for more opportunities to weigh in at usatoday.com/forum, or drop us a note at forum@usatoday.com.

Laws have to be enforced. No one should interfere.

Alex Pretti, fatally shot in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, was physically interfering with federal immigration agents  who were visually armed and who were initiating an arrest  and he strongly resisted. Not a prudent choice while carrying a firearm.

These are federal agents whose jobs are inherently dangerous. Non-affiliated citizens should not be allowed to physically interfere with their work, as they are simply enforcing U.S. law. Interference puts all parties at higher risk of harm. In 2025, 32 people died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, but it only has become a major issue (and violent protest) when two White people were killed by federal agents.

Laws should be enforced. We cannot randomly choose some laws to be ignored. The United States is a country of law, and people should not be allowed to interfere with their enforcement.

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 Norman Parker, Tennessee

Should ICE be reformed? 46% of Americans want to abolish ICE. Do you agree? Tell us. | Opinion Forum

Alex Pretti's killing was an execution in broad daylight

The killing of Pretti was an execution in broad daylight. An American citizen was shot multiple times by federal agents and left in the streets of Minneapolis to die. How else does one view this tragedy?

Equally horrific is the government's immediate labeling of Pretti as a domestic terrorist and an assassin. The elected officials who have the privilege of serving the American public need to repent. Youre all looking absolutely unrecognizable as each day passes.

Protesters gather in downtown Minneapolis demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leave Minnesota following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents during a federal immigration enforcement operation, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. His killing sparked new protests and impassioned demands by local leaders for the Trump administration to end its operation in the city. A crowd of protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) march through the streets of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. His killing sparked new protests and impassioned demands by local leaders for the Trump administration to end its operation in the city. People take part in a demonstration a day after a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minn. on Jan. 25, 2026. Restaurant patrons look through the window of a restaurant at hundreds of protesters marching through the streets of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. Coleen Fitzgerald, a 73-yr-old retired construction worker who protested against the Vietnam war decades ago, pulls a wagon with puppets representing members of the current administration as she joins other protesters during a march through the streets of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. Protesters gather in downtown Minneapolis demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leave Minnesota following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents during a federal immigration enforcement operation, in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. His killing sparked new protests and impassioned demands by local leaders for the Trump administration to end its operation in the city. People take part in a demonstration a day after a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minn. on Jan. 25, 2026. A crowd of protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) march through the streets of downtown Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. A protester carries an upside down US flag during a march through the streets of downtown Minneapolis, Minn. on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. His killing sparked new protests and impassioned demands by local leaders for the Trump administration to end its operation in the city. Demonstrators protests ICE operations and the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti on Jan. 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minn. Pretti, an ICU nurse at a VA medical center, died yesterday after being shot multiple times during a brief altercation with border patrol agents in the Eat Street district of Minneapolis. Good was killed by an ICE agent on January 7. Protests, anger in Minneapolis after 2nd person fatally shot 1 of 10 Protesters gather in downtown Minneapolis demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leave Minnesota following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents during a federal immigration enforcement operation, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway, less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car. His killing sparked new protests and impassioned demands by local leaders for the Trump administration to end its operation in the city.

The level of force being used is chaotic, overly aggressive and, in most cases, dangerous to everyone in the vicinity. Protocol needs to be followed, agents who are trained in urban policing need to be on the scene, and only agents who can de-escalate a situation should be deployed.

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ICE is far too aggressive toward American citizens and those whom ICE would be seeking. This is a terror squad, not organized immigration units. Does the Trump administration encourage this level of force? Check the polls, GOP, youre out of a job come November.

 Liz Anselmo, California

Federal agents don't want conflict, the protesters do

Its a horrible tragedy. It is perfectly legal to bring a firearm to a protest if you have a carry card, which Pretti did. He also put himself in the middle of a confrontation between an agent and a protester. I cant see a logical reason why anyone would bring a gun to a peaceful protest, and if you say for protection, its not peaceful.

Agents and officers have the right to protect themselves, even if it is by force. They dont want conflict, but the protesters do.

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I think both sides need a reset. Local government officials need to tone down the rhetoric for their own citizens' safety, and ICE needs to be low key for a while, so cooler heads prevail. Cooperation between the federal and local governments is essential.

 Cliff Rago, Illinois

Kristi Noem and Gregory Bovino should face trial

We have all watched the videos from all different angles. Our eyes show us that Pretti was not brandishing a weapon; he did not strike at officers. He was taken down by a swarm of federal agents. His weapon was removed by ICE from his holster. Then he was shot.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino not only lied about what we all saw, but they also denigrated this mans character. That is sinful behavior and wrong.

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ICE needs to leave Minneapolis. The federal agent who killed Pretti should face charges. Noem and Bovino should be fired and, in the future, face trial for their crimes against humanity.

The federal operation in Minnesota has been a failure of its own making. My opinion of ICE has gone from "not really aware" to "it must be defunded or disbanded." At the very least, agents need to be retrained and quit their Gestapo-like tactics. Quit grabbing people who are not criminals; quit breaking windows and doors. Quit taking children. If they want to get the worst of the worst, so be it, but they can use different tactics.

 Jo Harris, California

ICE reflects the administration it serves

ICE is an untrained, brutal, unprofessional, criminal, gigantic goon squad. Top to bottom.

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The use of force is excessive and displayed for maximum visibility. We must significantly reduce its funding for every bullet fired to incentivize restraint. Reduce the number of agents who lack real law enforcement experience to keep them from becoming goon squads. Hold them all publicly accountable for every single bullet they discharge.

ICE just reflects the administration it serves. We have to vote this out of our system and be less hateful Americans. Everyone wants a secure border. Everyone wants crime-free neighborhoods. Nobody wants the masked police acting brutally and the lying "law enforcement" that destroys the very trust that effective law enforcement requires.

 Nancy Marks, Michigan

Activists hold signs during a protest on the one-year anniversary of President Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Protestors gathered to call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave Washington, D.C. Activists carry signs during a protest on the one-year anniversary of President Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Protestors gathered to call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave Washington, D.C. Activists hold signs reading "Justice For Renee Good" as they demonstrate against ICE during a protest on the one-year anniversary of President Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. Protestors gathered to call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave Washington, D.C. Activists hold signs reading "Justice For Renee Good" as they demonstrate against ICE during a protest on the one-year anniversary of President Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. Protestors gathered to call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave Washington, D.C. Activists hold signs during a protest on the one-year anniversary of President Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Protestors gathered to call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave Washington, D.C. A demonstrator holds an upside-down U.S. flag, with name Renee Good written on it, after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good on January 7 during an immigration raid, as people attend a rally against U.S. President Donald Trump's policies, on the one-year mark into his second term in office, in Washington on Jan. 20, 2026. Demonstrators hold placards during a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's policies on the one-year mark into his second term in office, in Manhattan, New York City on Jan. 20, 2026. Demonstrators shout during a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's policies on the one-year mark into his second term in office, in Manhattan, New York City on Jan. 20, 2026. A demonstrator holds a sign as people gather at Pershing Park during the "Walk Out for Freedom" demonstration on Jan. 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. Students across the nation are walking out to protest against the Trump Administration's policies, including immigration enforcement. Dustin Pack holds an upside down American flag at Pershing Park while a crowd gathers below during the "Walk Out for Freedom" demonstration on Jan. 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. Students across the nation are walking out to protest against the Trump Administration's policies, including immigration enforcement. About 50 people gather on the north and south sides of the Merrill P. Barber bridge, Jan. 20, 2026, to participate in the "Free America Walkout" in solidarity with the Women's March and other grassroots organizations in Vero Beach. The gathering was organized by Jeanne Warfield, who described the group as a mix of both seasonal and full-time Vero Beach residents; many of whom live at the Vero Beach Municipal Marina. Americans across Florida and the U.S. walked out of their jobs and schools in protest to what organizers call President Donald Trump's "second regime." About 50 people gather on the north and south sides of the Merrill P. Barber bridge, Jan. 20, 2026, to participate in the "Free America Walkout" in solidarity with the Women's March and other grassroots organizations in Vero Beach. The gathering was organized by Jeanne Warfield, who described the group as a mix of both seasonal and full-time Vero Beach residents; many of whom live at the Vero Beach Municipal Marina. A nationwide Free America Walkout protest on the anniversary of Trump's presidency took place outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. A nationwide Free America Walkout protest on the anniversary of Trump's presidency took place outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. A nationwide Free America Walkout protest on the anniversary of Trump's presidency took place outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. Protestors assembled outside of Wilmington City Hall for a Free America Walkout protest of the Trump administration in Wilmington, N.C., on Jan. 20, 2026. Activists hold signs and listen to speakers after marching from San Jacinto Plaza to Aztec Calendar Park near the El Paso County Courthouse in Downtown El Paso, Texas, during a Free America Walkout peaceful protest on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2025. Activists hold signs and listen to speakers after marching from San Jacinto Plaza to Aztec Calendar Park near the El Paso County Courthouse in Downtown El Paso, Texas, during a Free America Walkout peaceful protest on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2025. Thousands rally against ICE on anniversary of Trumps second term 1 of 18 Activists hold signs during a protest on the one-year anniversary of President Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Protestors gathered to call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave Washington, D.C.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ICE has right to protect agents from conflict, even by force | Opinion
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Amid the ongoing ICE raids in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities, people in Sioux Falls took to the streets to voice their opinions when it comes to Trumps immigration crackdown.

Hundreds lined the sidewalk along 41st Street Sunday afternoon, with the crowd spanning from South Grange Avenue down to South Glendale Avenue. Many of these anti-ICE protestors say they were there to honor the lives lost at the hands of federal agents.

The killings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by ICE agents have increased the demand for justice and accountability by those protesting. While Pretti and Goods deaths have gained national attention, they arent the only ones who have died as a result of the raids.

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Protesters outlined that nine lives have been lost due to the immigration crackdown.

Called the Red Line Rally, the protesters say that a line has been crossed, and they are asking South Dakota members of Congress where they draw the line under the current administration.

Volunteers handed out envelopes with a form and red crayon inside. People wrote down what their red line was, asking Republican Sen. John Thune to do the same. The forms will be sent to Thunes Sioux Falls office.

A few counter protesters also expressed their First Amendment rights, saying they agree with what the Trump administration is doing.

Indivisible 605, the organizers of this protest, noted future protests would be taking place in Sioux Falls, such as the ICE Out Protest on February 23 and the nationwide No Kings protest on March 28.

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Young Cakeberry Brulee hemp flower plants at Lovewell Farms in the Hopkinton village of Hope Valley in June 2025. (Courtesy of Lovewell Farms)

At a moment when Americans across the political spectrum say they want evidence-based policy, Congress is on the verge of repeating a familiar mistake: banning first and studying later.

Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate would delay the impending federal ban on hemp-derived products. This is not to legalize anything new, but instead to give regulators, researchers, and farmers time to do what Congress says it wants to do: Gather data, set clear rules, and regulate responsibly.

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I write this as a hemp farmer and small-business owner myself. Having started Lovewell Farms in 2018, I know firsthand the implications a ban on hemp-derived products would have on my farm, Rhode Islands only USDA-certified organic hemp farm. Here is what legislators may not fully understand: Hemp is not something that can be turned on and off with a vote. Farmers need to know in the next 100 days if the plant they will harvest in October will be legal in November.

Seeds are planted in April. Fields are cultivated all summer. Crops are harvested in October. A federal ban that takes effect in November lands after farmers have already committed an entire seasons labor, capital, and compliance costs. There is no rewind button for agriculture. That uncertainty is already forcing farms to shut down. A sudden ban would finish the job.

The Senate bill (S.3686), introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, and co-sponsors Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, and Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, , would delay enforcement of the hemp-derived product ban for two years, allowing Congress to pursue regulatory alternatives rather than defaulting to prohibition. A companion bill in the House (H.7010), led by Rep. Jim Baird, an Indiana Republican, also with bipartisan cosponsors, would do the same. Together, these bills recognize a basic agricultural reality: Farmers need predictability before they plant.

Importantly, Congress is not only proposing a delay, it is also debating regulation. The Hemp Enforcement, Modernization, and Protection (HEMP) Act is yet another bipartisan bill introduced in the House (H.7212) that would establish a federal framework for hemp-derived products, including clear safety standards, labeling requirements, enforcement authority, and defined potency limits by product type. The proposal sets per-serving and per-package caps for non-intoxicating oral hemp products, inhalables, topicals, and THC-containing items, demonstrating that consumer protection and responsible oversight are achievable without resorting to prohibition. Taken together, these bills show that Congress has viable, bipartisan alternatives to an outright ban, if it chooses to use them.

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Here is what legislators may not fully understand: Hemp is not something that can be turned on and off with a vote. Farmers need to know in the next 100 days if the plant they will harvest in October will be legal in November.

At this point, this is not a debate about intoxicating THC limits. It is about whether hemp policy will be guided by science or by fear. That distinction matters, because federal science is finally catching up. In 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order directing federal agencies to expand cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) research, including the use of large federal health datasets such as Medicare records to study safety, efficacy, and outcomes.

The order did not legalize CBD or add it as a Medicare benefit, but it explicitly acknowledged that cannabinoids require rigorous study before sweeping policy decisions are made. Congress is now hurtling toward prohibition at the exact moment the federal government is building the science-based research infrastructure needed to answer the hard questions.

Even the concerns raised by opponents of hemp-derived products argue for regulation, not bans. If products require clearer labeling, age restrictions, potency standards, or enforcement tools, like those already in place in Rhode Island, those are state-by-state regulatory challenges. Rhode Island already regulates hemp products. Farmers and businesses here should not be penalized because other states have dragged their feet to create a regulated market.

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Prohibition does not solve these issues; it simply pushes them out of sight, into unregulated markets that are less safe for consumers. A hemp ban would also push production overseas. If hemp farming in the United States collapses, demand will not disappear. It will just shift to imported cannabinoids from countries like Canada or China, where American regulators have far less visibility or control. That outcome harms local farmers, consumers, and public safety alike.

Rhode Islands Reps. Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner previously voted against a federal hemp ban embedded in a larger spending bill. That was the right call. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, however, explicitly voted to keep the hemp ban language in that same bill. Rhode Islands senators now have an opportunity to support local farmers and small businesses by cosponsoring this bipartisan delay bill (S.3686). Rhode Islands representatives can do the same with the corresponding companion bill in the House (H.7010).

This is one of the few issues in Congress that remains genuinely bipartisan. Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike understand that regulation is better than prohibition, and that good science takes time. Congress should not dismantle a domestic $30 billion agricultural industry with over 300,000 jobs just as meaningful research is beginning. A temporary delay protects farmers, supports small businesses, keeps hemp farming rooted here in the United States, and allows policymakers to regulate with evidence rather than panic.

Prohibition without evidence is not policymaking. Rhode Islands delegation should stand with farmers, small businesses, and science by cosponsoring the bipartisan bills that delay this ban and allow regulation to catch up with reality.

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In Mozambique, flood victims are beginning to return home despite the damage.

My daughters came to pick up their children; they want the whole family to return to Chilembene, Aida Mondlane told RFI's special correspondent, standing in water up to her calves, worried. I told them it was too dangerous, but they refuse to listen to me. So, Im staying here until they call to tell me everyone made it through safely.

Five provinces, representing nearly half of the country's territory, remain severely affected by the floods that have plagued the nation since late December.

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Much of the infrastructure has been destroyed and the government estimates reconstruction costs at nearly $650 million.

Calls for aid

The United Nations warned on Friday of severe overcrowding in temporary accommodation shelters hosting an estimated 100,000 people displaced by flooding in Mozambique, and appealed for more international support.

The southern African country's latest bout of flooding has claimed nearly 140 lives since 1 October, according to the National Disasters Management Institute, while nearly 400,000 people have had to flee their homes.

"An estimated 100,000 people are now sheltering in around 100 temporary accommodation centres, including schools and public buildings. Overcrowding in these centres is severe," the UN refugee agency UNHCR, said in a statement.

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UNHCR Mozambique is seeking $38.2 million in 2026, and the World Food Programme (WFP) said it urgently needs $32 million for the next three months' operations, saying it was stepping up efforts to reach more than 450,000 people.

"The needs are skyrocketing in Mozambique," Ross Smith, WFP's emergency preparedness and response chief, told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Rome. "We are currently very, very stretched for resources."

South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Eswatini and even Madagascar are also affected by heavy rains and floods.

Cyclone Fytia in Madagascar leaves three dead, flooding affects nearly 30,000

North Africa's unprecedented rains

Morocco, Tunisia and even parts of Algeria are also facing heavy rains and storms.

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Morocco has deployed army rescue units this weekend to help with the evacuation of thousands of people after floods triggered by torrential rains and rising river levels hit parts of the country's northwest.

Weeks of heavy rainfall, combined with water releases from a nearly full dam nearby, increased water levels in the Loukous River and flooded several neighbourhoods in the city of Ksar Kbir, about 190 km (118 miles) north of the capital Rabat, a national flood follow-up committee said.

More than 20,000 people had been moved to shelter and camps by Saturday, official media reported. Authorities set up sandbags and temporary barriers in flood-prone districts as waters began to recede.

Schools in Ksar Kbir have been ordered to remain closed until 7 February as a precaution.

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Last month, 37 people were killed in flash floods in the Atlantic coastal city of Safi, south of Rabat.

Tunisia flooding kills four as record rainfall shuts schools

Endangered heritage

In Tunisia, the famed blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Said now faces the threat of landslides, after record rainfall tore through parts of its slopes.

Last week, Tunisia saw its heaviest downpour in more than 70 years. The storm killed at least five people, with others still missing.

"The situation is delicate" and "requires urgent intervention", Mounir Riabi, the regional director of civil defence in Tunis, told news agencies. "Some homes are threatened by imminent danger," he said.

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Authorities have banned heavy vehicles from driving into the village and ordered some businesses and institutions to close, such as the Ennejma Ezzahra museum.

Beyond its famous architecture, the village also bears historical and spiritual significance. The village was named after a 12th-century Sufi saint, Abu Said al-Baji, who had established a religious centre there. His shrine still sits atop the hill. The village, once home of French writers Michel Foucault and Andre Gide, is protected under Tunisian preservation law, pending a Unesco decision on its bid for World Heritage status.

Experts say solutions to help preserve Sidi Bou Said could include restricting new development, building more retaining walls and improving drainage to prevent runoff from accumulating.

Climate change 'supercharging' deadly floods in southern Africa

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Other parts of Africa have also been affected, from East Africa to the Sahel, with climate change increasing the frequency and severity of extreme rain events and floods, even in places that historically had lower rainfall.

(With newswires)
Donald Trump drew mockery and criticism in equal measure on social media following a new report on the sheer scale of his proposed arch for Washington, D.C.

The president was asked to comment on the monument that will reportedly stand 250 feet tall. And while Trump claimed he didnt know the exact height of the arch, he in typically bombastic fashion insisted it would be the biggest one of all because were the biggest, most powerful nation.

Were considering an arc. Its like Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Trump said, adding, without evidence, that Americans had been clamoring for such a monument in the capital for hundreds of years.

Trump: We're considering an arc. It's like Arc de Triomphe in Paris. We're the only major city doesnt have one.



Reporter: 250 ft?



Trump: I'd like it to be the biggest one of all. We're the biggest, most powerful nation. I'd like it to be the biggest one. pic.twitter.com/zNwTdEIreB  Acyn (@Acyn) February 1, 2026

Trump described the project as a very exciting job and suggested there was similar public demand for his similarly massive new White House ballroom, for which he razed the East Wing and which critics warn will completely dwarf the rest of the complex.

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Online, critics slammed Trump for focusing on grandiose monuments, which one called a folly, rather than lowering prices amid an ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Others joked that Trump, a fan of slapping his name on properties, might dub the structure the Arc de Trumph.

Are you struggling to pay your electric bill? Is it hard to pay for groceries right now? Did your health insurance premiums just triple?



Dont worry Trump is going to build a giant arch in Washington D.C. and name it after himself. https://t.co/SvpKpYEgAx  Decoding Fox News (@DecodingFoxNews) February 1, 2026

Coming soon: the Arc de Trumph. https://t.co/ufv34OIFWI  George Selgin (@GeorgeSelgin) February 2, 2026

We dont need an arc. We need some humble humanity again. https://t.co/AJ4URffspJ  Laura Ebke, Ph.D. (@Laura_Ebke) February 1, 2026

Overcompensating  Mel... here hoping  (@TahoeMelissa) February 1, 2026

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'We're gonna have a clock. Bigger Ben!'.  Ian Wilson (@felicefan) February 1, 2026

Bro, your job is to get us out of debt, not keep putting us further into debt with big, shiny things.  Bluetoughguy (@bluetoughguy) February 1, 2026

Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost.

This seems like a very good use of taxpayer money considering everything.



Unless is this coming from DOGE? Maybe the tariffs?   Bill the Beaver  (@TrueNorthStr0ng) February 1, 2026

Well we wouldn't want our hard earned tax dollars spent on something useful would we?  Deep State Dale (@FakeDeepState) February 1, 2026

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The US doesn't have...

* Colosseum

* Parthenon

* Notre-Dame

* Taj Mahal

* Eiffel Tower

* Tower of Pisa

* Sagrada Familia

* Sacre-Coeur

* Pyramids



Trump has a lot of work to do.  Kaarina Jaakkola      (@JaakkolaKaarina) February 1, 2026

The Arc de Trumphe. An utter waste of taxpayer money. No one desires it, no one wants this monstrositybut Trumphe.



Its a symbol of how much he loves himself and how much he hates and disdains average (real) Americans. pic.twitter.com/iNC4cGybcz    C H E E K Y   (@andreagail_k) February 1, 2026

I love how this will make my groceries cheaper. https://t.co/adgun9Oq9P  Liberal Lisa in Oklahoma (@lisa_liberal) February 1, 2026

No wonder were all down to one piece of broccoli and two Christmas pencils https://t.co/BBFcCLA0Qu  PoliticOhMyGawd (@PoliticOhMyGawd) February 1, 2026

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I am so tired of the endless fluffing of this malignant narcissist with public money. https://t.co/gFeI89HvqP  Al Cappuccino (@AlCappuccinoIT) February 1, 2026

We just want lower groceries



Trump: Best I can do is a 250 arc, a new ballroom, a new Qatari jet, Israeli arms, and $40B to Argentina https://t.co/0kpIEzhgYx  Jason YYC (@Jason___YYC) February 1, 2026

Every time theres a crisis, somehow the solution is a monument to himself.  Nikos Unity (@nikosunity) February 1, 2026

Related...

Read the original on HuffPost
FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. is mounting an increasing blitz of air attacks and military missions against Islamist terrorists in Somalia to reduce the threat of jihadi attacks on the U.S. homeland.

The terrorists are said to be mainly affiliated with Islamic State (ISIS) or al Qaeda. This is according to U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John Brennan, the second highest-ranking officer at U.S. Africa Command, who talked exclusively last week to Fox News Digital.

Brennan, a former U.S. Special Forces leader who served in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, confirmed, "There's ISIS-inspired threats. They plot against the United States homeland as well as Europe. So that's kind of the nexus of the threat."

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After Trump Strikes Islamist Terrorists, Us General Travels To Nigeria With Militants 'On The Run'

"So think," Brennan said, "American citizens on social media get recruited to do bad things inside America. And then there's ISIS lead and ISIS resource cells that are capable of larger-scale attacks. We've stopped, over the history since 9/11, a lot of those from happening, because of what we do overseas, so we're playing the away game."

He continued, "When you give a terrorist organization that has resourcing like ISIS time and space to plot and plan, those ISIS and terrorist-led attacks can happen. If they're on the run, and they're constantly worried about surviving, they can't be as effective at planning and plotting."

Read On The Fox News App

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The U.S., with strikes and intelligence capabilities, is on an aggressive campaign to smash terrors hold on Somalia, and stop the country from being what the State Department described in 2017 as "a terrorist safe haven".

File from a handout released to Reuters by IntelCenter shows members of Somalia's Islamist rebel group al-Shabab in Mogadishu. Date unknown. (Reuters)

In 2025, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), working with Somali and other partners, carried out 124 airstrikes on ISIS-Somalia (Islamic State) and al-Shabab jihadi terrorists and their facilities in Somalia, 12 times the amount of missions flown under the Biden administration in 2024.

In the first month of 2026, the U.S. has staged another 26 attacks  2 more than the 10 that were carried out in the whole of 2024.

The focus of Islamist terror has moved from the Middle East to Africa, and specifically to Somalia, Brennan told Fox News Digital. "The caliph  absolute leader  of the global ISIS network, Abdulqadir Mumin, is a Somali, and he is in the (Somali) Golis Mountains along with a lot of his key leaders. And from that location they direct terrorist activities, not just across Africa. He is directing global ISIS operations that go to the Far East, Europe and the U.S."

This picture taken on September 1, 2016, in Nairobi shows a computer screen displaying the portrait of Somali-born cleric Abdulqadir Mumin, accused of heading the Islamic State group in East Africa. He was put on a U.S. terror list.

President Donald Trump, referring to Somalia in February 2025, posted on his Truth Social account, "The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!"

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Asked by Fox News Digital this week whether U.S. forces are hunting the ISIS leader Mumin, Brennan replied, "Yes, absolutely. We want to make sure he has no safe space anywhere. History has shown that the ISIS caliph ends up getting killed by us at some point."

"Were on no. 4 right now," he added. The most notorious, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was hunted down in Syria.

In Somalia, the Islamic State is represented by ISIS-Somalia. "We've had a lot of success targeting that network, ISIS-Somalia," he said.

"We've taken large swathes of terrain back  our partners have. We've just enabled with intel sharing ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) and fires  airstrikes. About well over half the territory that ISIS Somalia once maintained up in Puntland  an autonomous state in North-Eastern Somalia  is now under the control of the Puntland Defense Forces."

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"They've conducted a massive amount of clearing operations, taking back terrain, capturing a great number of ISIS operatives, as well as a lot of their material. But again, our main mission is to secure the homeland  make sure that none of this threat migrates back to our shores. I think we've been pretty successful at that and if the PDF can continue what they're doing, ISIS Somalia may cease to exist before too long. That's our ultimate goal," he said.

Soldiers of the Somalia National Army walk near Sabiid, one of the towns they have liberated from al-Shabab, in Somalia on Nov. 11, 2025.

Somalis Live In Constant Fear, Danger As Disturbing Reality Hovers Over Their Daily Lives

Al-Shabab, the local al Qaeda affiliate, is, however, still a problem in Somalia. He said, "In the south you have al-Shabab, and that threat has definitely morphed over the last year or so, as they are coordinating with the Houthis."

"Not as much (an) external operations threat," the general continued, "but in fact, al-Shabab is, I think, the strongest, largest, most well financed part of the al Qaeda global franchise and their desire is to take over Mogadishu and turn Somalia into an al Qaeda caliphate."

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The U.S. role in Somalia in 2026 is increasingly "remote advise and assist," with most of the Somali troops using their own ground assault vehicles, Brennan said, adding that on occasion they provide them "with a ride to work"  transporting them to raids on U.S. helicopters and providing airstrike support.

AFRICOM provides advanced intelligence capabilities. Brennan said, "We've given them tools that allow them to see what the ISR aircraft are seeing. We can show them things on a moving map that they're carrying on their chest."

A soldier with the Puntland Defense Force fires a machine gun at a former Islamic State stronghold near Daabdamale, Puntland, Somalia on Jan. 25, 2025.

Ambassador Robert Scott, a senior career diplomat who was brought in by the State Department in 2023 to serve as deputy to the commander for civil-military engagement with AFRICOM, told Fox News Digital that governments around Somalia have been able to share the burden with AFRICOM  "not only Kenya and Ethiopia and Uganda, but also Somaliland, Puntland especially (and) also Jubaland. So (we are) finding partners who are willing to engage in the fight against both ISIS and al Shabab. I think it's been very effective."

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Brennan also says the U.S. military activity in Somalia could lead to huge trade potential. "There's natural resources in Somalia that, because of the security situation, the Somalis have not benefited from," he added. "Now the Somalis are realizing they may have critical minerals."

"There's LNG (liquified natural gas) off the coast of Mogadishu, so that our biggest weapon system, if you will, from an African perspective, is our private sector economy. If we can get that in there with private sector investment similar to other countries in Africa, that is a guarantor of security."





Original article source: Rising ISIS threats to US homeland drive AFRICOM airstrikes against terrorists in Somalia
Chief Justice John Roberts has started asking Supreme Court staff to sign non-disclosure agreements after a pro-Donald Trump judicial decision and memo were leaked to the press.

Roberts, 71, likes to describe court members and employees as a family, and for years relied on more low-key measures to keep the courts decision-making process secret, The New York Times reported.

He lectured clerks at the start of each term and distributed a written code of conduct that instructed clerks of their duties of complete confidentiality, accuracy, and loyalty, which only mentioned the possibility of unspecified sanctions in the case of breaches.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts began imposing NDAs on staff after the Times quoted a confidential memo in which he pushed the other justices to grant President Trump sweeping immunity from prosecution. / Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

But two weeks after Trump was re-elected in 2024, Roberts summoned the courts employees and asked them to sign legally binding NDAs requiring them to keep the courts inner workings secret, five sources told the Times.

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The agreements, which new arrivals have also been required to sign, threaten legal action if clerks or other members of the courts support staff reveal confidential information, the papers sources said.

Its not clear whether the justices themselves were also asked to sign confidentiality agreements, as the court declined to comment to the Times.

The Daily Beast has reached out for comment as well.

Roberts crackdown follows a series of humiliating court leaks that have plagued the court since Politico was given a draft decision of the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson case that overturned the federal right to an abortion.

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The court has also been rocked by revelations about disagreements among the justices, including a bitter debate about a case involving Idahos abortion ban, a battle over the courts toothless ethics rules, and a confidential memo in which Roberts pushed to grant Trump broad immunity from prosecution.

Roberts decision to impose NDAs came just weeks after the Times quoted from the confidential immunity memos, according to the Times.

The move comes as critics are calling for more transparency at the Supreme Court, which is facing record-low public trust as the conservative justices greenlight the vast majority of Trumps policies.

Leaks have revealed deep divisions among the U.S. Supreme Court justices: Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr., Samuel Alito, and Elena Kagan. / EVELYN HOCKSTEIN / REUTERS

Roberts, however, went in the other direction and mandated more secrecy, not less.

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The last time prior to 2024 that Supreme Court clerks were asked to sign a document agreeing to abide by the courts confidentiality rules appears to have been in the late 1990s, after a former clerk published a tell-all book in 1998, according to the Times.

Those documents, however, did not amount to legal NDAs, according to some of the clerks that signed them.

The switch to formal contracts is a sign of the courts own weakness and the erosion of internal cohesion, Mark Fenster, a University of Florida law professor, told the Times.
NEWARK  The executive director of the American Red Cross East Central Ohio Chapter is retiring after more than two decades of service.

Rod Cook will step down May 22 after 23 years with the organization, according to a community announcement.

The chapter serves Athens, Crawford, Richland, Morrow, Marion, Knox, Licking, Coshocton, Guernsey, Noble, Morgan, Perry and Muskingum counties.

Cook has been instrumental in building partnerships with other nonprofit organizations, community groups, foundations, first responders and companies.

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He was also involved in strategizing and fundraising for the American Red Cross Blood and Platelet Donation Center in Newark. Since its opening in December 2024, the center has collected nearly 3,000 red cell products.

Cook worked with Red Cross leaders at the national level to develop the Latino Engagement Initiative, which aims to enhance how the Red Cross delivers services, deepens partnerships and engages with Latino communities. He has also traveled to national disasters to ensure that impacted Latino communities are being properly served, according to the announcement.

What is his proudest accomplishment?

It would probably have to be building the chapter I was honored to serve it into a strong, extensive network across many counties dedicated to improving their communities," Cook said in the announcement. "This was accomplished only by partnering with so many individuals and organizations set on helping others.

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Before joining the Red Cross, Cook worked for several nonprofit organizations, including the Peace Corps in Guatemala, where he served for three years and then trained volunteers who served in Guatemala, Honduras and Equatorial Guinea for four additional years.

This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@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 Zanesville Times Recorder: Central Ohio Red Cross leader retiring after 23 years of service
Rogers County residents were among the hundreds of millions of Americans who awoke Jan. 24 to freezing air and mounds of snow.

The National Weather Service's Tulsa office declared a winter storm warning in Rogers County and the rest of northeastern Oklahoma from Jan. 23 to 25. Temperatures stayed consistently below freezing from the storm's onset until Tuesday afternoon. County school districts stayed closed through Wednesday as they cleared their parking lots and sidewalks.

According to PBS News, about 213 million Americans were under a winter weather advisory Sunday. At least a foot of snow fell in 16 states, including Oklahoma, according to preliminary National Weather Service totals. NWS Tulsa calculated about 11 inches of snowfall in Collinsville and 8.5 inches in Verdigris.

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Scotty Stokes, director of Rogers County Emergency Management, said he knows at least half a foot fell at his house near Collinsville because his bird dog was dragging his belly over it. Stokes said road crews treated roads with salt brine before the snow fell.

"We fared pretty well with the cold temperatures, where it stayed as a powder," Stokes said. "If it would have been wet snow, it would have been a little different scenario, especially with that much snow. ... Between the county and city and ODOT, I was seeing trucks and snow plows everywhere."

Stokes said besides drivers sliding off the road into a snowbank, he'd only heard of one major crash in Rogers County during the storm: a snow plow rollover.

Around 4:30 p.m. Monday, an Oklahoma Department of Transportation plow hit ice on an S-shaped curve on State Highway 28 north of Chelsea and tumbled off the road. Chief Gabriel Dickinson of the Chelsea Police Department said when officers got to the crash site, they saw another driver had exited his car to help the plow driver.

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"As we were all getting out of the vehicle, we heard another crash, and a secondary collision had occurred behind the scenes," Dickinson said.

A third driver had rear-ended the second driver's car, Dickinson said, totaling his own. The three-car collision shut down that stretch of S.H. 28 for about two hours, and all three drivers left the crash site uninjured.

"The road conditions are getting better now, but again, just even though roads are plowed there, there's still the potential for ice," Dickinson said. "We just ask that people continue to drive slow and drive safe."

The Rogers County Sheriff's Office search and rescue team offered free rides from Saturday through Monday to help county residents get around safely. Captain Coy Jenkins said the team, which includes deputies and volunteers, gave about 30 rides during its "Operation Winter Land."

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Jenkins said the team shepherded several people back and forth from dialysis appointments. They also brought a man just released from the county jail to the St. Paul's Episcopal Church warming center, he said, and helped a young mother get home from the hospital.

"Just knowing that there have been times where I was in a similar situation, where I was homebound for one reason or another. ... It made me feel real good that I was able to free people from being homebound during that winter storm," Jenkins said.

People who stayed home through the storm found a number of ways to pass the time. Hundreds replied to Claremore Progress threads asking people to send in snow day photos.

In Talala, the Edwards family built a rainbow-colored igloo large enough for father Brandon, mother Julie and daughters Everlee and Josie to all fit inside at once. Reagan Taylor and Bekah Walker of Oologah made snow ice cream, and Brooklyn Whisenhunt and Rhyland Howell of Claremore made snow angels. Jill Cordeiro Baldwin of Inola snapped a picture of a shallow, winged indent in the snow  a bird's snow angel.

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Lots of dogs braved the wintry conditions. Cheyenne Jones of Claremore shared a picture of her dog Leo, a German shepherd mix with leopard-like spots, sticking his pink tongue out past his snow-capped muzzle. Lucy, a Chihuahua who belongs to Yolonda Miranda of Claremore, would only go out trotting with her little booties.

Tina Perry of Claremore said she was proud of how Claremore and Rogers County made it through the storm.

"During the winter storm, when people would ask for help, multiple people helped," Perry said. "When someone was stuck, many headed their way. People understood why businesses were closed and werent mad."

Mary Pohocsucut said her neighbor, Marion Bunt, cleared access to Blue Starr Drive for the whole neighborhood twice over the weekend with a front loader. Kevin Rowe of Claremore said he was grateful to the city's road crews for the hours they put in ensuring streets were passable.

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Steve Massey, the deputy director of Rogers County Emergency Management, went live on Facebook several times over the course of the storm to provide updates on road conditions. Stokes, the director, said the department made extra effort to keep the public informed because so many people had called with questions.

The department also held a livestreamed press conference in the morning Jan. 23 to advise people about the storm before the snow came.

"I think with pretreating, I think with the road crews getting out there, and I think with the early forecasting and getting that message out has really benefited us," Stokes said. "[We're] getting that message out to warn people, 'Hey, this is a serious event; ... don't be trying to get out in the middle of it.'"
GRAZ, Austria  Russia earned over $15 billion from arms exports in 2025, supplying military equipment to more than 30 countries despite Western sanctions aimed at isolating Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin announced last week, though questions remain about the numbers validity.

Speaking at a Jan. 30 meeting of the Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation in Moscow, Putin said export contracts had been reliably fulfilled despite mounting pressure from Western nations attempting to block Russias defense partnerships. The revenue, he said, would help modernize defense enterprises, expand production capacity and fund research programs.

The $15 billion figure represents a significant income stream for Russias defense industrial base as the country continues its war in Ukraine, now approaching its fourth year. The revenue may help offset some effects of Western economic sanctions, though the long-term sustainability of these export levels remains uncertain given Moscows increased own consumption of military goods and ongoing diplomatic isolation.

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If accurate, the new numbers would represent a remarkable rebound to near pre-war levels for Russias military exports.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which closely tracks the global major arms trade using transparent methodology, Russian large weapons exports fell 47% between 2022 and 2024, while the broader trend reveals a 64% decline comparing the 2015-19 period to 2020-24, though the descent began before the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia dropped to third place globally for arms exports, behind the U.S. and France, by 2024 due to its declining influence in the global military marketplace, SIPRI data shows.

There may be credibility problems with the official Russian numbers. The government in Moscow claimed $13.75 billion in exports for 2024, while Western analysts estimated them to be billions of dollars lower.

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Russian arms exports collapsed between 2021 and 2023 and may have dropped from $14.6 billion to approximately $3 billion, according to an analysis from the Jamestown Foundation, a Washington-based think tank founded in 1984 to support Soviet defectors.

While exact estimates differ, the trend holds true across methodologies and Western reports.

Russia stopped publicly disclosing detailed data on arms export contracts following the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, including ceasing to provide information to relevant United Nations organizations.

This has also made it harder for independent observers to accurately estimate the full picture of Russias arms trade, evidenced by divergent estimates by different Western organizations.

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SIPRI data shows Russias leading arms companies, Rostec and United Shipbuilding Corporation, increased their revenues by 23% in 2025, but this growth came from domestic military demand, which the researchers note more than offset the revenues lost due to falling arms exports.

Putins announcement came alongside new remarks from Rosoboronexports CEO, Alexander Mikheyev, who told the Russian state news agency TASS that military-technical cooperation with African countries has reached levels last seen during the Soviet era and surpassed it in some respects. Rosoboronexport is also expanding its activities in Africa, Mikheyev said, following the presidential commission meeting.

Rosoboronexport, Russias state arms export monopoly, oversees more than 85 percent of the countrys military exports. The company has concluded over 30,000 contracts with 122 countries since its establishment, with total exports exceeding $230 billion.

In total, the companys order book now exceeds $60 billion, Mikheyev said on Jan. 30.

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The Kremlin has prioritized arms sales to Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which arent directly subject to the Western restrictions imposed following Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Putin said more than 340 joint defense projects with 14 countries were either underway or in development, and announced additional state support measures for military exports covering 2026 through 2028.

If the reported numbers are accurate, Russias ability to maintain arms exports at these levels would raise questions about Western sanctions effectiveness. While the restrictions have targeted Russias banking, technology, and trade sectors, many countries in Africa and Asia continue to do business with Russia and purchase Russian military equipment due to lower costs and longstanding defense relationships. The continued sales also reflect Moscows use of its weapons exports to strengthen its geopolitical position in far-flung parts of the globe.

However, Russias defense industry is already operating at wartime production levels to supply its own military. Defense spending had reached 7.3% of GDP as of December 2025, according to official numbers. Additionally, combat losses of Russian-made equipment in Ukraine, Venezuela and Iran may have raised questions among some potential buyers about the effectiveness of Moscows weapons systems in modern warfare.
Karolin Luger is awarded the $100,000 Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science for her career dedication to the study of nucleosomes. Her research led to the groundbreaking capture of a high-resolution image of chromatin and resulted in the development of novel drug treatments for diseases including cancer. Born in Austria, Luger immigrated to the United States to study nucleosomes and their impact on gene expression. She is an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a distinguished professor and Jennie Smoley Caruthers Endowed Chair of Biochemistry at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Luger has built a laboratory that encourages community and welcomes diverse perspectives.

The Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Biomedical Science honor immigrants who are leading advancements in biomedical research in the United States. Co-founder Jan Vilcek, whose groundbreaking work led to the development of the lifesaving drug Remicade  , established these prizes to support distinct ingenuity in scientific inquiry. In 2026, four outstanding immigrants are awarded prizes in biomedical science:

"From uncovering new biological pathways for treating diseases to creating new biobased, sustainable textiles, immigrants in the U.S. are developing innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems," says Rick Kinsel, president of the Vilcek Foundation. "The Vilcek Prizes not only recognize outstanding immigrant achievements in the arts, biomedical science, and art history, but are investments in the future of American progress as well."

Presented annually since 2006, the Vilcek Foundation prizes salute immigrant contributions to societal advancement in the United States, and recognize excellence in the arts and sciences. Since the inception of the prizes program two decades ago, the foundation has awarded $9.6 million to individuals whose perspectives, creativity, and vision have enriched the United States.

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vilcek Foundation celebrates its 20th year of awarding immigrants and cultural leaders. We present prizes to 14 individuals working in biomedical research, art history, and fashion. These prizewinners hail from 12 countries: Austria, Canada, Colombia, France, India, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Togo, Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam.

The Vilcek Foundation has awarded 189 immigrants and cultural leaders in the arts and sciences since 2006

Story Continues

The three recipients of the $50,000 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science are Takashi Akera, Aashish Manglik, and Berna Sozen:

Takashi Akera receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for his creative approach to investigating selfish DNA, an anomaly resulting in biased inheritance of genes that can lead to fertility issues and genetic disorders. An immigrant from Japan, Akera came to the United States to be a part of its collaborative scientific culture. Today, Akera leads a team of scientists from around the world at the National Institutes of Health who are working to manipulate selfish DNA to prevent challenges with female fertility.

Aashish Manglik is awarded the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for revealing the conformational complexity of G proteincoupled receptors (GPCRs), transforming how scientists understand cellular signaling. Originally from India, Manglik grew up in the Midwestern United States. His unique upbringing led him to develop a nonconformist attitude, which has carried over into his research as an associate professor of biochemistry at the University of California, San Francisco.

Berna Sozen is awarded the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for pioneering innovative experimental models to advance understanding of human development and for championing inclusive research environments. Sozen was born in Turkey, where she overcame numerous systemic barriers to her education. Today, Sozen works as an assistant professor in the Department of Genetics at the Yale School of Medicine due to her impressive body of research.

The Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Fashion and Culture

The Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Fashion & Culture honor immigrants documenting fashion through writing, research, curation, styling, and image making. This year, five exceptional immigrants are awarded prizes in fashion:

Tanya Melendez-Escalante receives the $100,000 Vilcek Prize for Fashion & Culture for her work as an arts administrator and fashion curator at The Museum at FIT (MFIT) where she develops meaningful exhibitions and programs that reveal the hidden diversity of talent from across Latin America. Growing up in Mexico City, Melendez-Escalante moved to the United States to complete her MA in Museum Studies: Costume and Textiles from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), SUNY. She has created numerous educational programs built on international collaboration and inclusivity.

The four recipients of the $50,000 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture are Diego Bendezu, Jalan and Jibril Durimel, and Natalie Nudell.

Diego Bendezu is awarded the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture for his powerful visual storytelling that centers Latin American and immigrant narratives. His rapidly ascending influence is reshaping how the fashion industry sees beauty and cultural authenticity. Originally from Peru, Bendezu's love for photography began when his parents gave him a camera and a camcorder to document his daily life when they left to work abroad in the United States. Bendezu now captures the beauty of underrepresented communities globally through fashion photography.

Twin brothers and creative partners Jalan and Jibril Durimel are awarded the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture in recognition of their ability to present fashion as part of a broader, evocative exploration of fictitious storytelling, color, and light. Born in France to parents from Guadeloupe, the Durimels were raised in Miami and St. Maarten. The various cultures that shaped their upbringing informed their photography practice and inspires audiences to be curious about other people, cultures, and clothing.

Natalie Nudell receives the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture for her writing, research, and database development that preserves the holistic history of fashion in the United States. Nudell was born in Canada to European and Middle-Eastern immigrant parents. A fashion and textile historian at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), SUNY, Nudell created the Fashion Calendar Research Database (FCRD), which helps illuminate how underrepresented communities are integral to the foundation of the industry.

The Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Fashion & Design

The Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Fashion & Design highlight immigrants elevating fashion through design practice, material innovation, makeup, and hairstyling. In 2026, four accomplished immigrants are awarded prizes in fashion & design:

Peter Do receives the $100,000 Vilcek Prize in Fashion & Design for his ability to create unique and versatile clothing for daily life without sacrificing durability or comfort. Do moved from his native Vietnam to the suburbs of Philadelphia when he was 14, which exposed him to the often turbulent life of immigrants in the United States. His mother helped steady him during this time, teaching Do the importance of resiliency. She and other women remain primary sources of inspiration for his creations, which he designs with the everyday woman in mind.

The three recipients of the $50,000 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design are Jacques Agbobly, Marcelo Gutierrez, and Uyen Tran:

Jacques Agbobly is awarded the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design for centering Afropolitan identity, Black multiplicity, and diasporic memory. Originally from Togo, Agbobly was inspired to pursue a career in fashion after witnessing their mother braiding hair to support their new life in Chicago. A full-time designer and professor at Parsons School of Design, Agbobly continues to build an American fashion house that centers the multiplicity of Black identity while carrying forward the craftsmanship and memory of their home country.

Marcelo Gutierrez receives the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design for redefining beauty standards in the industry through his subversive and culturally grounded makeup artistry. An immigrant from Colombia, Gutierrez has become one of the most sought-after makeup artists and creative directors in the United States. His work redefines who is seen, celebrated, and considered beautiful in fashion.

Uyen Tran is awarded the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design for her leadership in the development of sustainable products that support the health of people and the planet without sacrificing quality. Growing up in the coastal city of Da Nang, Vietnam, Tran witnessed the horrific environmental effects of climate change caused by fast-fashion practices. She founded TomTex Inc., named after the Vietnamese word for plants, which transforms mushrooms and organic materials into fabrics that mimic the beauty and performance of leather without plastics or toxins.

The Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History

The Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History acknowledges professionals whose work transforms institutions in the arts through the preservation and advancement of United States culture:

Colonel Matthew Bogdanos receives the $100,000 Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History for his lifelong dedication to recovering looted antiquities and his work to safeguard cultural artifacts. His extraordinary career sits at the unique intersection of military service, criminal prosecution, and cultural preservation. Bogdanos was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2005 for leading a multiagency team into the Iraq Museum in Baghdad to recover 9,000 antiquities from eight countries that had been looted. He currently serves as the assistant district attorney in New York City where he leads a task force to repatriate stolen artifacts. In accepting the Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History, Colonel Matthew Bogdanos declined the cash prize. The Vilcek Foundation will instead honor his request to donate the funds to nonprofit organizations of his choosing.

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences more broadly. Since it was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, the foundation has awarded over $17 million in prizes and grants in support of this mission.

The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRC Section 501(c)(3). To learn more, please visit vilcek.org .

Contact

Shelby Roller

The Vilcek Foundation

212-472-2500

shelby.roller@vilcek.org

The Vilcek Foundation (PRNewsfoto/The Vilcek Foundation)

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By Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Kremlin security official, said in remarks released for publication on Monday that the world was getting very dangerous, but that Russia did not want a global conflict.

Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered the biggest confrontation between the West and Moscow since the depths of the Cold War, though U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys are trying to negotiate an end to the war with Russia and Ukraine.

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Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, a kind of modern-day politburo of Russia's most powerful officials, praised Trump and said it was encouraging that contacts had resumed with Washington.

But Medvedev, who has repeatedly hurled invective at Kyiv and Western powers while warning of the risks of an escalation of the war towards a nuclear "apocalypse", said the West had repeatedly ignored Russian interests.

"The situation is very dangerous," Medvedev told Reuters, TASS and the WarGonzo Russian war blogger in an interview at his residence outside Moscow.

"The pain threshold seems to be decreasing."

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"We are not interested in a global conflict. We're not crazy," said Medvedev, who served as Russian president from 2008 to 2012. "A global conflict cannot be ruled out."

President Vladimir Putin remains the final voice on Russian policy, though Medvedev, now an arch-hawk, gives a sense of hardliners' thinking within the Russian elite, according to foreign diplomats.

A cartoon hanging in the room where the interview took place showed Medvedev, a former lawyer who hails from Putin's hometown of St Petersburg, pointing a submachine gun at European leaders.

WORLD WAS SIMPLY 'TOO MUCH' IN JANUARY

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Putin and Trump have both mentioned the risks of escalation over Ukraine, though European diplomats say that Moscow has skillfully played the escalation card to scare Ukraine's allies from getting too heavily involved in the war.

"They say 'No way - these Russians are making it all up - they are sowing horror stories and they will never do anything," Medvedev said, adding that what the Kremlin calls the "Special Military Operation" in Ukraine showed Russia would stand up for its interests.

Ukraine and its European allies cast the war, the deadliest in Europe since World War Two, as an imperial-style land grab, and say that if Russia wins in Ukraine then it will one day attack NATO. Russia dismisses such claims as nonsense.

Conflict first erupted in eastern Ukraine in 2014 after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution. Russia annexed Crimea and Moscow-backed separatists battled Kyiv's armed forces in eastern Ukraine.

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When asked about the flurry of global events of January in Venezuela, over Greenland and elsewhere, Medvedev said that it had all been simply "too much".

On Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a Russian ally, Medvedev said that if Trump had been "stolen" by a foreign power, then the United States would have clearly seen it as an act of war.

He also said Western claims of a Russian or Chinese threat to Greenland were false "horror stories" made up by Western leaders to justify their own behaviour.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Michael Perry)
MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Russia would regard the deployment of any foreign military forces or infrastructure in Ukraine as foreign intervention and treat those forces as legitimate targets, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday, citing Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The ministry's comment, one of many it said were in response to questions put to Lavrov, also praised U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts at working for a resolution of the war and said he understood the fundamental reasons behind the conflict.

"The deployment of military units, facilities, warehouses, and other infrastructure of Western countries in Ukraine is unacceptable to us and will be regarded as foreign intervention posing a direct threat to Russia's security," the ministry said on its website.

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It said Western countries - which have discussed a possible deployment to Ukraine to help secure any peace deal - had to understand "that all foreign military contingents, including German ones, if deployed in Ukraine, will become legitimate targets for the Russian Armed Forces".

The United States has spearheaded efforts to hold talks aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine and a second three-sided meeting with Russian and Ukrainian representatives is to take place this week in the United Arab Emirates.

The issue of ceding internationally recognised Ukrainian territory to Russia remains a major stumbling block. Kyiv rejects Russian calls for it to give up all of its Donbas region, including territory Moscow's forces have not captured.

Moscow has repeatedly said it will not tolerate the presence in Ukraine of troops from Western countries.

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The ministry said Moscow valued the "purposeful efforts" of the Trump administration in working towards a resolution and understanding Russia's long-running concerns about NATO's eastward expansion and its overtures to Ukraine.

It described Trump as "one of the few Western politicians who not only immediately refused to advance meaningless and destructive preconditions for starting a substantive dialogue with Moscow on the Ukrainian crisis, but also publicly spoke about its root causes".

(Reporting by Reuters; writing by Maxim Rodionov and Ron Popeski; editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Sam Tobin

LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The Russian captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off the east coast of Britain in March last year was found guilty in a London court on Monday of causing the death of a crew member through gross negligence.

Vladimir Motin, 59, was captain of the Solong when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was anchored and carrying just over 220,000 barrels of high-grade aviation fuel.

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The March 10 crash started a blaze on both ships and caused the death of Solong crew member Mark Pernia, a Philippines national whose body has never been found and is presumed dead.

Prosecutor Tom Little told jurors at the start of Motin's trial last month that the captain did "absolutely nothing" to prevent the collision, having been on course to hit the Stena Immaculate for more than 30 minutes before the crash.

Motin's lawyer James Leonard said Motin unsuccessfully tried to take the Solong off autopilot and change course, arguing that while Motin was at fault he was not grossly negligent.

Motin, who had pleaded not guilty, was convicted of the gross negligence manslaughter of Pernia after a trial at London's Old Bailey court. He will be sentenced on Thursday.

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Little said in court that Pernia's wife, who lives in the Philippines, was seven months pregnant at the time of his death and their child has since been born.

CRIMINAL TRIAL TO BE FOLLOWED BY LAWSUITS

The Portuguese-flagged Solong was heading from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, mainly carrying alcohol, a journey Motin said he had taken several times.

The Stena Immaculate was waiting for a berth to discharge its cargo when it was hit by the Solong at roughly 18 miles per hour (29 kph), causing a fire and pitching Pernia into the sea.

Motin's Russian nationality prompted some suggestions of intentional sabotage, but maritime security sources said at the time that there was no indication of any malicious activity.

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The Solong's alarm system had been switched off and the crew of both the Stena Immaculate and the Solong were given no warning of the collision, Little told jurors last month.

The crash is also the subject of civil litigation, with the Solong's owner, a subsidiary of Ernst Russ, facing a lawsuit at London's High Court. It has applied to throw out the case and a hearing is due to take place next month.

Ernst Russ, which said last year that it was setting up a fund for potential lawsuits, said its "fullest sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of Mark Angelo Pernia".

"We continue to provide support to the family," it said in a statement, adding: "They have remained extraordinarily resilient throughout this difficult period".

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by Michael Holden and Alexander Smith)
Russia carried out deadly strikes in Ukraine overnight, despite US President Donald Trump saying Moscow had agreed to halt attacks during an ongoing period of cold weather.

A drone killed 12 mine workers on a bus, while a separate attack hit a maternity hospital, injuring six. Temperatures are forecast to hit -20C (-4F) this week; Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have left millions without power or heating.

Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to an aerial ceasefire, but the Kremlin never confirmed the move. Peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US are to continue in the UAE this week, but Kyiv is unlikely to agree to Moscows demand for additional territorial concessions.
By Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev has warned of the danger of letting the last U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control treaty expire this week without any understanding of what comes next, suggesting it would speed up the "Doomsday Clock".

The New START treaty, which Medvedev signed in 2010 when he was Russia's president, will expire on Thursday barring a last-minute understanding between Moscow and Washington.

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U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated he will let the treaty expire without accepting an offer from Moscow to voluntarily extend its caps on deployments of strategic nuclear weapons - powerful arms with a long range and high yield.

"I don't want to say that this (letting the treaty expire) immediately means a catastrophe and a nuclear war will begin, but it should still alarm everyone," Medvedev told Reuters, TASS and Russian war blogger WarGonzo in an interview.

"The clocks are ticking and they obviously have to speed up," he said, referring to the symbolic "Doomsday Clock" gauging the likelihood of a man-made catastrophe destroying the world.

The U.S. has suggested that China, the world's third largest nuclear power by number of warheads, should join arms control talks. Beijing has indicated no willingness to join.

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In an interview with the New York Times last month, Trump said on the New START treaty: "If it expires, it expires...We'll just do a better agreement."

CLOSE ALLY OF PUTIN

Medvedev, 60, is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and served as president and prime minister before becoming deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council in 2020. His comments often give a sense of hardliners' thinking in Russia's elite, foreign diplomats say.

Relations with the U.S. were severely strained by the start of the conflict in Ukraine but have improved since Trump's return to the White House last year and U.S. envoys are now trying to broker an end to the fighting.

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Asked whether Trump was positive or negative for Russia, Medvedev said Moscow respected the fact that the American people had chosen him as president.

He said it was encouraging that contacts had picked up with Washington but cautioned that the world had recently become a dangerous place, adding: "We are not interested in a global conflict. We're not crazy."

Russia has been fiercely critical of European leaders, who have loudly criticised Moscow over Ukraine. Medvedev said Europe was run by a "gang of dimwits" who had undermined their own economy in a failed bid to defeat Russia.

Asked about Russia's artillery and drone production, he said such figures were classified but that production had soared many times since the war in Ukraine began and that Russia had adapted well to the demands of drone warfare.

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"We have increased production volumes very quickly. I believe that our defence industry is working like clockwork today," he said.

Medvedev, who portrayed himself as a moderniser when president from 2008 to 2012, said Russia should not fall behind in leading technologies including generative Artificial Intelligence, synthetic biology and quantum computing.

"We are in this race with the others," he said. "The main thing here is not to fall far behind. There was a period in our country when, due to the collapse of the (Soviet) Union, we didn't do much research - we just tried to survive."

(Editing by Tom Hogue, Michael Perry and Timothy Heritage)
Salisbury spent nearly $90,000 to run its last municipal election  far more than other towns on Marylands Eastern Shore and significantly more than several cities of comparable size across the state, according to election officials and budget records.

Ocean City spent about $14,500 on its most recent municipal election, while several other towns budgeted $6,000 or less for their upcoming elections. The disparity has raised questions about whether Salisbury is paying a premium for how it conducts elections  and whether lower-cost alternatives exist.

Is this a backyard wedding where youre not serving food or alcohol, or is this a grand ballroom wedding? said Alysoun McLaughlin, director of the Election Resilience Lab at the University of Maryland. Thats really what youre seeing with election costs.

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Wicomico County Elections Director Dionne Church told the Salisbury Board of Elections on Jan. 13 that the citys 2023 municipal election cost $87,751, a figure she said included salaries, voting equipment, supplies and postage. About $17,000 of that total went toward mailing costs alone.

To put on an election is very costly, Church said.

Looking behind the cost

While Church gave one figure in the public meeting  which The Baltimore Sun verified with Election Board members  she only gave a partial breakdown of costs when contacted later.

According to Church, costs for the 2023 Salisbury municipal election included $9,187 for voting equipment, $1,400 for polling place rentals, $12,945 for printing, and $17,375 for mailing. Church did not respond to multiple questions about the difference between the total in those figures  $46,844  and the total she quoted in public, $87,751.

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The Sun also filed an Maryland Public Information Act request with the City of Salisbury for that information. Communications Director Victoria Idoni responded with a slightly different total, $91,786.47, and a listing of what is usually paid during election that included Voter Notifications Cards, Transportation, Mailing, Use of different businesses and churches, Election Staff, Newspaper listing/publication, Election charges.

Idoni also did not respond to follow-up questions about how much was paid per category. The difference between the two totals was $4,035.47.

A costly outlier

By comparison, Ocean City spent about $14,500 on its most recent municipal election in 2024, according to city officials. A separate referendum election last year cost about $16,400.

Easton budgeted $6,000 for its most recent municipal election, while Berlin set aside $4,000 for its 2024 election cycle.

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All three towns run their elections locally.

We run all of our elections locally, said Greg Mueller, a public relations specialist for Easton. The elections are worked into our annual budgets as needed.

Even outside the Eastern Shore, Salisburys spending stands out.

College Park, which had 14,428 registered voters in 2023, spent $64,267.38 on its most recent general election, according to City Clerk Yvette Allen. That total did not include staff time and involved only one citywide mailing.

Laurel, with 20,057 registered voters as of January, budgeted $75,869.63 for elections in the current fiscal year, city records show.

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Salisbury, by contrast, spent between $87,751 and $91,786, depending on which figures are used  with 17,521 registered voters.

Why are the costs so different?

Election experts say costs can vary widely depending on how elections are run.

The municipal elections The Sun explored were all for fairly similar municipal elections, with in-place voting. In those cases, McLaughlin said variables can include costs for advertising, facility rentals for polling places, specific training requirements for poll workers, and salaries for election judges. Cost also tend to rise, she added, when counties  rather than municipalities  administer elections using state-owned equipment.

I dont want to criticize one [city] for saying we can do this in a more streamlined way. And I also dont want to criticize another municipality for deciding that its really important for them to put some extra time into more highly paid staff or more complicated procedures, McLaughlin said. I think each municipality really needs to make its own decisions about how high-tech or lo-fi they want their election to be.

Have a news tip? Contact Eastern Shore bureau chief Josh Davis at jdavis@baltsun.com or on X as @JoshDavis4Shore.
More than 5,200 members of the United Educators of San Francisco voted overwhelmingly to authorize the unions leadership to call a strike as teachers push for more public education funding.

The union, which represents San Francisco Unified School District workers such as educators, nurses, counselors, and psychologists, voted in favor by 97.6% to pave the way for a potential strike.

Our community is standing with us in our fight for the consistent classroom teachers, special education supports, and stable programs our students and families need and deserve, UESF wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.

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The post said the school district was placing money into savings accounts and contracting out work to traveling psychologists or non-district special education support staff.

The last time San Francisco educators went on strike was in 1979, according to the union. The strike lasted for seven weeks.

Read more: LAUSD teachers union members authorize strike, ratcheting up pressure on contract talks

The union didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday via email.

In a post on Sunday, the San Francisco Unified School District's Superintendent Maria Su said they "remain committed to negotiating in good faith with UESF and working toward an agreement that supports our students, educators, and school communities."

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A special Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Wednesday that will focus on labor negotiations, which includes a resolution that would allow the superintendent to make "necessary operational decisions in the event of a strike," the post said.

The strike authorization vote came on the same day as educators in Southern California also signaled they were gearing up to head to the picket lines to demand better pay and working conditions.

United Teachers Los Angeles members also gave their leadership authorization to call a strike. Another union  Local 99 of Service Employees International Union  that represents educators in Southern California is also scheduled to vote on whether to authorize a strike starting on Monday.

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.
During the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, Elon Musk called human aging a very solvable problem.

When we figure out what causes aging, I think well find its incredibly obvious, the billionaire claimed during a conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. Its not a subtle thing.

For many years now, youth-obsessed billionaires have been forking out immense sums to try experimental techniques that could turn back the clock on their aging bodies. Meanwhile, a cottage industry of anti-aging companies claiming to have the answer has cropped up, racing to test their treatments on humans.

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Case in point, Harvard professor David Sinclair, who has previously been accused of having little to show to investors after raising more than $1 billion for his anti-aging businesses, boasted in response to Musk on X that aging has a relatively simple explanation and is apparently reversible, cryptically hinting at clinical trials that will begin shortly.

As MIT Technology Review reports, Sinclairs Boston-based startup, Life Biosciences, is working on a treatment code-named ER-100. The company announced on Tuesday that its planned clinical trials had been greenlit by the US Food and Drug Administration.

As part of its trial, Life Biosciences is looking to treat glaucoma, a group of eye diseases caused by pressure in the eye that often results in irreversible damage to the optic nerve, by resetting human participants cells, effectively reprogramming them to a healthier state.

A single dose of viruses that include gene-reprogramming instructions will be injected into one eye of each participant. A special genetic switch will be used to control how far the treatment goes.

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The tech relies on research by Japanese stem cell researcher and Nobel Prize laureate Shinya Yamanaka, who discovered in the early 2000s that special genes  later dubbed Yamanaka factors  can be used to transform a cell back into a stem cell. The discovery has been likened to a cheat code for reversing aging.

The plan is to only use a subset of genes and a regimen of special antibiotics to ensure that the rejuvenation doesnt go too far  cells losing their complete identity  a process known as partial cellular reprogramming.

The company is only one of several Silicon Valley firms investigating whether we can reset human cells epigenetic controls. Some of the biggest names in the tech industry have been caught up in the enthusiasm, with OpenAI claiming last year that it believes that AI can meaningfully accelerate longevity biotech.

As Tech Review points out, the approach comes with some inherent risks. Previous studies have found that reprogramming cells can cause cancer in lab animals.

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However, Life Biosciences has already claimed that its approach is safe, pointing to experiments involving mice that had their vision restored after having their optic nerves damaged.

The optimistic case is this solves some blindness for certain people and catalyzes work in other indications, biotech investor Karl Pfleger told Tech Review. Its not like your doctor will be writing a prescription for a pill that will rejuvenate you.

More on reversing aging: Scientists Find Evidence That Ozempic Can Reverse Aging
A week after Bridge Michigan published an article reporting that the state was withholding a $1.1 million study on Native American boarding schools, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights  which oversaw the research  said it plans to release a redacted version of the report in the coming days. The department had shelved the completed study for several months.

Initially, department officials said the report was too flawed and failed to meet expectations.

Kauffman and Associates, the Native American-owned, Washington state-based firm contracted to conduct the research and produce the report, disputes the states assessment. CEO Kevin Keefe told Native News Online that officials from the Michigan attorney generals office instructed the firm to reduce the report from more than 350 pages in its preliminary form to about 50 pages.

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The Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) reports that eight Indian boarding schools operated in Michigan. The two largest were the Holy Childhood of Jesus School, which operated in Harbor Springs from 1829 to 1983, and the Michigan Indian Industrial Boarding School, which operated in Mount Pleasant from 1893 to 1934.

The research conducted by Kauffman and Associates involved interviews with dozens of survivors or descendants of Indian boarding schools that operated in Michigan.

Because the Holy Child boarding school did not close until 1983, it is likely that survivors of Michigan Indian boarding schools attended the Harbor Springs school, as the other schools had long since closed.

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The Michigan Department of Civil Rights Members of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission expressed frustration during an October meeting over what they viewed as plans not to release the report or its findings.

I just want to say Im very, very disappointed in the turns that have taken with this boarding school study, said Regina Gasco, a commission member. What about all these survivors that came and testified? We talked to these people, and we assured them that now is the time were listening.

"KAI stands with the tribes of Michigan and with the many survivors and descendants who trusted us with their stories. Native voices must be allowed to narrate this history, free from censorship by state agencies, to fully document and acknowledge the harm caused by boarding schools in Michigan. A complete history, not an abbreviated version of it, must be told," Keefe said to Native News Online.

In December 2025, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the launch of a statewide criminal investigation into Indian boarding schools and related institutions that once operated in Michigan.

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Requests by Native News Online to the state of Michigan have gone unanswered.

Disclosure: Indian Country Media, LLC, the parent company of Native News Online, conducted interviews with Native boarding school survivors and descendants as part of this initiative. The company received $4,236 in compensation, including reimbursement for travel expenses.

Native News Online did not participate in writing the report, and its staff has not seen the report submitted to the state of Michigan by Kauffman and Associates.

About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
Alex Prettis killing at the hands of federal agents last week is an American tragedy. It has also exposed the fallacies and fault lines that shape how Americans live with widespread access to guns.

Put simply, the Supreme Court has handed down two irreconcilable lines of precedent over the past 20 years. The first is that Americans have a sacred constitutional right to carry guns in public. The second is that that police officers can kill people carrying guns in public with little risk of facing any legal consequences for doing so.

In 2008, the court first held that the Second Amendment protected an individual right to bear arms. The case, District of Columbia v. Heller, involved a man who wanted to keep a fully assembled handgun in his home for self-defense, which was prohibited by D.C. law at the time. In a 54 ruling, the courts conservative justices sided with him.

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The enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the court, referring to concerns by D.C. and other parties that the ruling would fuel gun violence. These include the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home.

The Supreme Court revisited the Second Amendment in 2022 to strike down New Yorks restrictive law on issuing concealed-carry permits. It marked the first time that the high court had directly addressed the Second Amendments scope outside the home. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the court, took an expansive view of it.

This definition of bear naturally encompasses public carry, he explained. Most gun owners do not wear a holstered pistol at their hip in their bedroom or while sitting at the dinner table. Although individuals often keep firearms in their home, at the ready for self-defense, most do not bear (i.e., carry) them in the home beyond moments of actual confrontation. To confine the right to bear arms to the home would nullify half of the Second Amendments operative protections.

Later this year, the Supreme Court is poised to rule on the lengths that states can go when restricting gun ownership in public. Wolford v. Lopez involves a Hawaii law that forbids gun owners from bringing firearms on private property accessible to the publicrestaurants, stores, gas stations, and so onwithout the property owners explicit permission. Most other states allow gun owners to carry their weapons in those locations unless the property owner explicitly says otherwise.

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Gun rights advocates have warned that the default-property rule, as the state calls it, would make it nearly impossible to carry a gun in Hawaii since most businesses would refuse consent. That argument appears to have persuaded most of the conservative justices at oral argument earlier this month. At one point, Justice Samuel Alito chastised a lawyer arguing for the state of Hawaii for allegedly trying to turn the Second Amendment into a second-class right.

Running parallel to these rulings, however, is a consistent signal from the Supreme Court that law enforcement officials can kill people who pose a personal risk to them largely without risk of legal consequences.

A federal law known as Section 1983 allows people to sue state and local officials for violating their federal constitutional rights. Since the 1960s, the Supreme Court has substantially narrowed Section 1983 claims by inventing the doctrine of qualified immunity. In general terms, officers are only liable if their conduct violates a clearly established right, which can be interpreted with great particularity and narrowness by lower courts.

These hurdles are often highest in police use-of-force cases. As one justice wrote in a 1986 case, qualified immunity provides ample protection to all but the plainly incompetent or those who knowingly violate the law. The court also views police-involved cases with great deference toward officers subjective views about the situation at hand. In a 1989 case, the high court noted that police officers are entitled to great deference because they are often forced to make split-second judgmentsin circumstances that are tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolvingabout the amount of force that is necessary in a particular situation.

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This deference is particularly high in use-of-force cases where the other side is armed. In a 2018 case, for example, the Supreme Court sided with a police officer who shot a woman holding a knife simply because she did not acknowledge the officers presence or drop the knife. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who dissented, raised broader concerns about the courts approach in similar cases. She warned that the courts one-sided approach to qualified immunity transforms the doctrine into an absolute shield for law enforcement officers, gutting the deterrent effect of the Fourth Amendment.

The majority today exacerbates that troubling asymmetry, Sotomayor wrote. Its decision is not just wrong on the law; it also sends an alarming signal to law enforcement officers and the public. It tells officers that they can shoot first and think later, and it tells the public that palpably unreasonable conduct will go unpunished.



This is particularly true in situations where someone is armed: All of the major qualified-immunity cases involve either unarmed people or people with unconventional weapons like knives and swords because someone carrying a gun is such an obvious threat to police officers in that context. Prettis case is also unusual because it was so thoroughly documented by observers from multiple angles, which easily refutes the claims that he was a threat. Had it not been filmed, the federal governments original claims would have been the only narrative of what had happened.

For federal agents like those who killed Pretti, the threshold for accountability is far higher. Section 1983 cant be used to sue federal officials, and Congress has not passed a similar statute to fill the gap. In the 1960s, the Supreme Court held that plaintiffs could sue federal agents for civil rights violations under the Fourth Amendment without relying on an act of Congress, but the court has effectively abolished this option since then.

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In theory, these agents could be criminally prosecuted for murder or for civil rights violations by state and federal officials. Or, as the Trump administration has shown, they simply could not be. The identities of the agents responsible for Prettis death are not publicly known. Since they wore masks, journalists and activists have been unable to identify them. And the Trump administration has refused to cooperate with local law enforcement agencies in Minnesota that have sought to investigate Prettis death. Unless the White House relents, Americans might not learn who shot Pretti until a new administration takes office and releases the names.

This outcome is particularly disturbing because Prettis actions were completely lawful. He had a license to carry his concealed weapon under Minnesota law and did not wield or brandish it against the ICE agents in question. He did not use force against any of the officers, nor was he an immediate threat to them. (They outnumbered him by more than a half-dozen to one.) Multiple videos even show one of the agents disarming Pretti before he was fatally shot at close range.

Nonetheless, the Trump administrations response to Prettis death was to effectively declare that ICE agents were justified in killing him simply because he possessed a gun. The White House and the Department of Homeland Security initially described him as a would-be assassin and a domestic terrorist. Even after the video evidence proved them wrong, they stuck to their underlying rationale.

You cant have guns, Trump told reporters on the White House lawn earlier this week. You cant walk in with guns. You just cant. You cant walk in with guns. You cant do that. But its just a very unfortunate incident. Other Trump administration officials shared the same sentiment.

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You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want, FBI Director Kash Patel said in an interview last Sunday. Its that simple. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem echoed that sentiment to reporters. I dont know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign, she claimed.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent also offered a forceful rebuke of Prettis lawful possession of a firearm, during an interview with ABC Newss Jonathan Karl. I am sorry this gentleman is dead, but he did bring a 9 mm semiautomatic weapon with two cartridges to what was supposed to be a peaceful protest, Bessent said. Karl noted that Pretti was an ICU nurse who worked at the VA and, more relevantly, that he hadnt brandished the weapon at all.

But he brought a gun! Bessent testily replied. He brought a gun to a protest! When Karl noted that the Second Amendment existed, Bessent suggested that it didnt apply in this scenario. Ive been to a protest, the treasury secretary replied. Guess what? I didnt bring a gun, I brought a billboard.

This absolutist approach drew some ire among gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association. The NRA unequivocally believes that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they have a legal right to be, the organization posted on its official Twitter account earlier this week in an thinly veiled rebuke of the Trump administration.

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Bill Essayli, a federal prosecutor in California, posted on Twitter that the Pretti shooting was completely justified. If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you, he claimed. Dont do it! The NRA directly responded to him by calling his claim dangerous and wrong in a quoted post. Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, the group warned, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.

This state of affairs is not at all what gun rights groups had promised us. Other wealthy liberal democracies impose all sorts of restrictions on guns. In some European countries, civilians generally cant own or possess them at all. Gun rights advocates have insisted, however, that the Second Amendment prevents Americans from making the same policy choices.

As a result, the widespread availability of guns has had dire consequences. The Pew Research Center estimated last year that 46,728 people had died in the United States from gun-related injuries in 2023, which the center described as the most recent year for which complete data is available. That figure is likely an undercount, since the underlying Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data only counts deaths where a gunshot was the primary factor.

Countries without widespread gun access also have murders and suicides, of course. But the availability of firearms likely plays a role in Americas higher rates. According to Pew, guns were used in four out of every five murders committed in the U.S. in 2023 and played a role in more than half of the roughly 27,000 suicides that year. It is impossible to know how many more people would be alive today if America had more restrictive laws, but the number would surely be much greater than zero.

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Even those who do not own guns must live with the consequences of their ubiquity. An entire generation of Americans has now grown up with mass-shooter drills in case their K-12 school happened to become the latest in a long chain of tragedies. The average American can likely recite the names of more mass-shooting locations than World War II or Civil War battlefields: Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, Uvalde, Virginia Tech, and onward.

In response to this regular churn of gun carnage, Americans have been told by gun rights advocatesboth implicitly and explicitlythat these are acceptable losses for our society to bear. They defined the individual right to bear arms, which is only about 18 months older than the iPhone, as an intrinsic part of the nations social contract. One of the bluntest assessments came from Charlie Kirk, an influential conservative activist who frequently opposed gun-control proposals.

I think its worth it, Kirk said in 2023, during a public event where he was asked about his support for gun rights. I think its worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.

Kirks critics widely shared this comment after he was assassinated by a sniper on a Utah college campus last fall. In one sense, his analysis wasnt completely flawed. (As seen earlier, it perhaps intentionally echoed Scalias opinion in Heller.) Every constitutional right comes with policy trade-offs. The First Amendments strict protections for free speech also mean that the government cant simply criminalize hate speech and Holocaust denial. Life would be easier for Democratic presidents if they could simply shut down Fox News. Police would probably solve more murders if the Fourth Amendment didnt require them to get warrants.

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Americans generally accept those trade-offs, often on a subconscious level, because they generally prefer to live in a free and open society where their rights are less likely to be infringed. To paraphrase Kirk, that is a prudent and rational deal. The problem with his formulation was that, even if you accept his premise, the Second Amendment doesnt work.

State legislatures and courts often describe the Second Amendment as a right to bear arms for lawful purposes like hunting and personal self-defense. But Kirk and other gun rights commentators also often suggested that the Second Amendment is necessary as a bulwark against government tyranny. The apparent implication is that if the government ever infringed upon our God-given rights, Americans could simply kill those who were responsible.

Trump, a master of turning the implicit into the explicit, voiced this sentiment in stark terms in 2016 about Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival for the presidency that year. If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks, Trump told a rally in North Carolina on the campaign trail. Although the Second Amendment peoplemaybe there is, I dont know. When Democratic candidate Beto ORourke proposed a mandatory AR-15 buyback program in 2019 to stop mass shooting, conservative commentators likened it to an incitement of violence and a call for civil war.

The United States is now awash in firearms, with all the resultant deaths, injuries, and other harmful social effects to achieve surely modest gains in personal self-defense. The Second Amendment has plainly failed to deter tyranny in any meaningful way. To the contrary, many of the most vocal gun rights advocates have been cheering on the Trump administration instead of rising up against it. And the Supreme Courts rulings have failed to protect an individual right to bear arms because its other decisions make it all but impossible to hold government agents accountable for killing people who exercise it. It shouldnt have taken the death of Alex Pretti to illuminate what was already plain as day.


Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. It has a long history of innovation and success. Add in a lofty 6.6% dividend yield, and dividend investors are likely to find the stock highly attractive. Before you buy it, however, consider these three 2026 headwinds.

1. Pfizer is behind the curve

Pfizer's dividend yield is so high at least in part because the stock has fallen more than 50% from its 2021 highs. There are a number of reasons for this fall from grace, but one very important one is Pfizer's lack of a GLP-1 drug -- a type of medication that helps manage diabetes and promote weight loss.

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That is not for lack of trying. Pfizer's internal GLP-1 candidate was dropped, leaving it far behind GLP-1 leaders Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, which both have GLP-1 drugs on the market. To Pfizer's credit, it didn't just give up. It quickly moved to acquire another company with a promising GLP-1 drug pipeline. And it agreed to distribute a GLP-1 pill for a Chinese company, if that drug gets approved.

Still, Pfizer is the also-ran in the GLP-1 space. It needs to prove that it can still innovate in 2026, and good news on its GLP-1 progress will be very important.

2. The clock is ticking

One reason investors are so dismayed by Pfizer's GLP-1 setback is that the company is approaching key patent cliffs. That's when blockbuster drugs lose patent protections and face generic competition. Normally, that leads to a sizable drop in demand for the branded drug. Pfizer's oncology drug Ibrance will likely see generic competition in 2027, with cardiovascular offerings Eliquis and Vyndaqel next up in 2028.

To be fair, new drug development and patent expirations usually don't perfectly line up. So Pfizer is really just facing normal industry pressures regarding its patent cliffs. However, investors still have a right to be worried, since 2026 is essentially the last year before revenues from key drugs could start to decline.

3. Pfizer needs to cover its dividend

Pfizer's dividend payout ratio is hovering around 100%. That's a worrying level generally. However, you have to add the company's setbacks in the GLP-1 space and its upcoming patent cliffs into the story. Do that, and the payout ratio becomes very worrying.

Dividends aren't actually paid out of earnings; they are paid out of cash flow. So a dividend payout ratio can remain above 100% for a little while without triggering a dividend cut. That said, Pfizer recently made a large acquisition, and the pharmaceutical sector is capital-intensive due to the constant need for research and development.
One of Indiantown's largest residential developers has purchased the historic Seminole Inn, a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Garcia Companies on Oct. 30 purchased the inn for $2 million  half of its original listing price. Garcia intends to preserve the inn as a cultural focal point that indirectly accentuates its massive Terra Lago project, an $800 million residential development that could double Indiantown's population.

"As we have grown to love Indiantown, a big part of our mission as a company is protecting its history," said Josh Kellam, president of The Garcia Companies. "We wanted to be the company that restores it."

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The Seminole Inn  built in 1925 or 1926, depending on sources  is an eclectic building with historic ties to Native American settlers, railroad tycoons and even to the British Royal family.

"We wanted to make sure that piece of history was preserved," Kellam said. "Not just preserved, but really a beacon of light to tell the story of the village of Indiantown."

The village, originally settled in 1858 by fleeing members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida as a trading post following the Third Seminole War, was developed and culturally transformed during the Florida land boom of the 1920s.

Solomon Warfield, a railroad tycoon, intended to make the town a southern hub for his railroad company. His niece, Wallis Simpson, reportedly was the inn's first hostess years before she began an affair with King Edward VIII in England.

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The company is working with the Seminole Tribe of Florida to create a museum at the inn that tells the story of how Indiantown was created, Kellam said.

The Seminole Inn has an important place in Floridas heritage, with meaningful ties to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and we congratulate The Garcia Companies on their acquisition of the Inn, said Marcellus Osceola Jr., chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, in a news release. The Seminole Tribe supports preservation efforts of important historic landmarks in Florida. Preservation helps all Floridians to remember where we came from.

Garcia also is eyeing a farm-to-table restaurant and the return of the inn's famous Sunday brunch. A bar and lounge area is planned upstairs, where patrons can drink a cocktail and smoke a cigar before dining at the restaurant, Kellam said.

"Right now, we're undergoing a restoration plan, working with some architects and planners on how to restore the inn to what it originally looked like when it was built in 1925," he said. "We want to bring it back to its glory days."

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Jack Randall is TCPalms economy and real estate reporter. You can reach him at jack.randall@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Historic Seminole Inn in Indiantown sold for $2 million
Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone III, foreground, receives a packet from a State House page during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Jan. 27, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)

Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone III says he will soon file legislation to protect Rhode Islanders from the examples of unconstitutional conduct by federal immigration officers making headlines in other states.

Look at whats taking place across the country, we dont want that to happen here, Ciccone said in an interview Friday. We dont want somebody just picking someone up without a warrant.

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The Providence Democrat, a licensed federal firearms dealer and gun rights supporter, said he was especially outraged by the recent shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by Border Patrol agents.

No innocent person should be shot for no reason, he said. Supposedly there was a license to carry. It was a protest, but it was not in a restricted area.

In the next three weeks, Ciccone said he will introduce legislation requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to conduct their duties in full compliance with the United States Constitution. He said federal immigration agents have undermined the protections afforded by the Fourth Amendment, which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, and the Fifth Amendment, which guarantees due process and equal protection under the law.

The Senate will consider legislation addressing ICE arrests, including the locations in which such arrests may occur and the requirement that agents possess a valid warrant or judicial order authorizing the arrest.

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Senate President Valarie Lawson intends to back the legislation once filed, said chamber spokesperson Greg Pare.

Ciccones comments came on the same day that a large crowd of demonstrators gathered in 15 degree weather outside the State House as part of a national protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. It was also the same week Gov. Dan McKee joined calls for the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Kristi Noem needs to go, McKee said in a statement Wednesday. Free speech is not a threat to the Constitution; it is a basic building block of our democracy. Yet, under Kristi Noem, ICE is treating peaceful protesters as combatants, using recklessand sometimes fataltactics. How long must the list of victims grow before our own government stops terrorizing its citizens?

Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos has also called for Noems dismissal, along with abolishing ICE.

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Ciccone said he wants to see what, if any, policies ICE and the Department of Homeland Security take to rectify how its carrying out immigration enforcement operations.

If shes saying theyll continue doing what theyre doing irrespective of what the law and Constitution is, then I dont think she should be there, he said of Noem.

The Senate legislation will follow similar action taken at the municipal level after Providence Mayor Brett Smiley on Jan. 20 signed an executive order barring federal immigration officials from conducting operations on city-owned property.

Under Smileys executive order, Providence police are tasked with vacating federal agents from city-owned property without a judicial warrant. Ciccones legislation is still being drafted. Details on who would be tasked with enforcing ICE-free zones across the state.

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Well touch base with the colonel of the State Police, Ciccone said.

Ciccone anticipates pushback from the Trump administration, which is why he recently met with Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Suttell to discuss the legality of such banning ICE from operating on state properties.

The Judiciary has been made aware of several bills that will be up for consideration regarding ICE operations, is monitoring the statuses of those bills, and will continue to meet with House and Senate leadership, as requested, Lexi Kriss, a spokesperson for the states court network, said in an emailed statement.

ICEs regular presence at the states courthouses is among Ciccones concerns. Last November, ICE agents temporarily detained a teenage judicial intern outside of the Licht Judicial Complex in Providence. On Jan. 15, ICE officers bypassed security inside the Garrahy Judicial Complex on Dorrance Street in pursuit of two men who apparently did not get taken into custody.

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Policies are supposed to prevent that, Ciccone said, referring to the recent court incidents. I want to put more teeth to make sure everyone knows whats taking place.

Ciccones district covers Providences Silver Lake neighborhood, which has residents from many Latin-American backgrounds. He said his constituents have not brought many concerns about ICE in Rhode Island to him, but wants to avoid issues should there be a surge in activity as has happened in other cities.

I want people in my district and the state to feel comfortable, he said.

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Few understand immigration policy, law enforcement and how they intersect in the sprawling bureaucracy of local, state and federal government better than Janet Napolitano. The longest-serving Homeland Security secretary in the 23-year history of the department, Napolitano also served as Arizonas governor, attorney general and U.S. attorney.

After leading DHS under President Barack Obama, she was president of the University of California for seven years. Napolitano is still happily ensconced at Berkeley, where shes on faculty. In recent weeks, though, shes been spending more time than shed prefer yelling back at her television while watching mismanagement turn to tragedy in Minnesota.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has, remarkably, never reached out to her predecessor and fellow former governor. So I thought Id have Napolitano offer her advice through an open channel. It isnt just the Trump administration for whom she has some suggestions. The former secretary also has some blunt talk for her own party about how to address a key issue, immigration, that has dogged them.

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This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What should the administration be doing now in Minneapolis narrowly and then on the larger issue of immigration enforcement broadly?

Well, I think the goal needs to be to re-establish the credibility of the operation that they're doing and how they're conducting it. And that requires a change in on-the-ground leadership. And that's been done with [Greg] Bovino out and [Tom] Homan in. And the approach that Tom seems to be taking seems designed to try to reduce the temperature a bit.

If I were advising Tom, I would have either the attorney general or the deputy attorney general immediately announce an open and transparent investigation into both shootings. And I would work with my state and local police and prosecutors so that there's a sense of fairness here. When people announce a federal investigation, that has inherent credibility. But because there was such a rush to judgment and such rhetoric that came out of the administration, that credibility was lost. So they've got to regain that. And that should be one of the first things that they do. And I think they're trying to take some actions there, but they're not there all the way.

Should the immigration enforcement agents be moved out of Minnesota?

Yeah, I think they need to develop a plan. They need to begin removing all of the agents that were not originally assigned to Minnesota back to their home stations. Part of the problem here was the size of the operation. You had thousands of ICE agents and another 800 or 900 from Border Patrol. And in a city that you could drive across in 15 or 20 minutes and that only has 600 officers on its own police force! You know, that is an intensity that we haven't seen in any of the other operations they've done so far this year.

Is that why this went so badly, because of the sheer volume of officers that we were bound to have conflicts?

Well, not only the sheer volume, but the lack of seeming planning and coordination. And combined with that was the pattern they'd already set in Los Angeles and in Chicago, in terms of how they were operating. And the lack of real guidance from their leadership. In fact, the guidance and language being used by Bovino and Secretary Noem and by the White House and by [Kash] Patel at the FBI, really served to escalate the situation, not to solve a problem. I mean, the problem they were there to solve was they wanted to pick up undocumented individuals living in the Minneapolis Twin Cities area.

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But the way they went about it was so contra best practices in any law enforcement operation that they created this mess.

And they should revise and extend the training of the officers?

One of the issues here is that in the press, everything is conflated as being ICE. But Border Patrol had a big presence here, and, you know, Border Patrol are trained differently. They're trained for operation at ports of entry, and it's a different use of force policy, it is a different method of training. It's a different environment totally. And I noticed Bovino himself came from the border patrol. He was acting like just a cowboy.

So you had ICE, which previously had done really good investigations  targeting those in the country illegally who had committed other crimes and identifying them, finding them and putting them into the deportation process. Now all of a sudden, you've got this massive incursion of Border Patrol, and then you've got them all showing up in battle wear, like they were going into Fallujah. It's not surprising that the public reacted the way it did.

By the way, do you know Secretary Noem? Has she reached out to you at all?

No.

OK, putting Noem aside, what should the White House be doing now?

Well, the first thing they should be doing is directing all appointed officials in the government to hold their powder dry. This rush to statements on social media, calling people domestic terrorists when we can see the videos by ourselves. They must have made those statements without seeing any of the video. Or else they don't think we can believe what we see with our own eyes. But it has totally undercut their credibility.

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They should respond to these things the way you do in a situation where you have an officer-involved shooting. You go out and you say: We are assessing the facts, we're going to do a careful, open and transparent investigation. The officers involved are put on leave while that investigation is underway. And we will not rush to judgment until a thorough investigation is done. Instead, in contrast, their language almost gives permission to the agents in the field to keep operating the way they've been operating. And I don't think, as I said before, it's done them any good. I don't think it's done the federal government any good. I don't think it's done the president any good.

Well, he clearly realizes that, because he wouldn't have climbed down Monday like he did.

Yeah, I've been thinking, why that change? And it seems to me, it's not about the actual operation or concern about people's constitutional rights or the sending of thousands of military-garbed federal agents into a community. That wasn't a concern. But what was a concern was when the politics began to change.

Something that I think you thought about, which has sort of been sitting uncomfortably with me is the what if  if all these folks are diverted from the FBI, from the U.S. Attorneys office, from other agencies, to focus on the issue of the border and deportations, are we exposing ourselves to other acts of criminality or public safety risks because we have so many people focused on this one issue?

My understanding is that a high percentage of FBI agents, DEA agents, ATF agents and assistant U.S. attorneys have been diverted from other important work  cybersecurity, human trafficking, large financial crimes, etc.  to do these deportation cases. They need to go back to their original caseloads and their original work because otherwise we have huge security needs that are not being met.

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And by the way, in the department itself, this overwhelming amount of money that Congress gave to ICE and CBP  well, at the same time, they've eliminated some divisions. They cut the cyber infrastructure security agency dramatically, as if cyber was no longer a threat to the United States. And so that needs to be revisited. And finally, the federal courts in places like Minnesota are just being overwhelmed. Why? Because as they arrest people, they're ordering them to be detained regardless, it seems like, of whether they need to be detained. And so they are just overwhelmed with petitions to get out of detention while their hearings are being scheduled. So the federal courts are also being waylaid. And that means that other cases that are in the queue can't get scheduled.

Let me ask you about your party for a minute. Obviously, Democrats took on a lot of water in the last five years over abolish the police. Do you worry that the backlash to ICE is leading some in your party down that same path?

In my view, the Democrats ought to be very strong and say, "You know what? We'll give the president credit for the border. And when were in power, we will continue those efforts.

But Trump also campaigned that in the interior of the country, he was going to focus on the so-called worst of the worst. And then that turned into a quota where they need 3,000 arrests a day. And so you end up with these roving raids and these sweeps and the targeting of communities and the kinds of inappropriate and abusive [actions]  Im sorry to say because I had ICE and CBP under me for almost five years, and I thought we did some good work. And I get immigration's a tough, tough topic. But we had nothing like this. I think people are saying  aside from maybe the MAGA right  this is not what we want and it's not what we voted for.

So the key for Democrats being: Try to focus on the excesses of ICE without being painted as soft on the border?

Or soft on immigration enforcement. You can say, Look, we can have immigration enforcement because that's a key interest for our country  if you do it in a smart and professional way that respects the great traditions of law and law enforcement.

What should congressional Democrats do with this DHS funding bill? What reforms should they seek if they have a couple of weeks to come up with a new measure?

I hope by ICE reforms, they're not limiting it to ICE, because Border Patrol needs to be in that mix. They should act with best practices in law enforcement. They should ask for body cameras. I think they should ask for training and conduct designed to de-escalate situations. I can go through 10 things in Minneapolis that escalated the situation. They should require additional training for every federal agent who's doing immigration enforcement.

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In the military, occasionally they do these one-day or two-day  I don't know what they're called  a stand-down or something like that. But they do it when there's a real problem. They focus everybody on that problem. We need something like that to really focus agents on the fact that they are federal law enforcement. They carry a badge, and there are requirements that go along with that. They need to require consistent reporting and monitoring of all of the deportation operations, and they also need  and this may not be in a bill  but they also need to up their oversight game, and they need to follow and monitor carefully all of that money they gave to DHS, which right now is like a deportation slush fund.

You obviously speak from experience, and I'm sure it's been tough for you the last couple of weeks watching this. You probably wanted to scream at the TV a few times, huh?

Yes, my TV has received some vituperation. But listen, the genesis of this problem was a poorly conceived initiative out of the White House to do these mass arrests. A lack of professional leadership in the operation and leadership in the department. And then third, it's a failure to appreciate that there are people in the country illegally, and they are not all the same.

Do you know Homan at all?

Yes, he worked at DHS when I was the secretary. He was not a direct report, but I did talk and meet with him a couple of times. Hes very conservative on immigration matters. But he's also a professional. And what we need in this role now, we don't need any more preening. We need professional leadership, people who know how law enforcement is supposed to act and what is supposed to be said.

You feel more confident of having him there than having Noem as the point person?

Oh, yeah. Yeah. She clearly is out of her depth

But fundamentally, this is Stephen Miller's policy, and Im not sure how that changes. But as you pointed out, the politics got pretty rough last weekend, and obviously that is how you get this president's attention: tough coverage, tough politics. That's what moves him.

Well, when even Miller said maybe the officers that shot Pretti were acting outside of protocol, I was like, "Ya think?



CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, Greg Bovino's name was misspelled in a previous version of this report.
A British mother-of-three who has been killed in Spain was "just fantastic in every sense of the word", her devastated friend has said.

Victoria Hart, aged 33 and originally from Solihull, died on 24 January in the town of Alhaurin el Grande in Andalusia, between Marbella and Malaga.

The local council said it was being treated "as a possible case of gender violence". The BBC has not yet independently confirmed reports of an arrest.

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Maxine Hill, who lived in the town and was friends with the popular beauty salon owner, said: "If you looked up the definition of mother, that was her, she did everything for those kids."

She has set up a GoFundMe page to support her friend's children in the aftermath of her death.

"Victoria did not stop working and those kids had everything they could possibly want, and they deserve to still have that," she said.

"Everything that life has thrown at them recently and specifically the family, you just think, 'What can I do to help?'"

Maxine Hill said she became friends with the Hart family when they moved to Spain [Family]

Victoria Hart moved to Alhaurin el Grande, which has a population of around 27,000, in 1999 with her parents and sister.

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The town is on the northern slope of the Sierra de Mijas mountain range and according to its tourist board offers "views over olive groves, fruit orchards, and market gardens of the Guadalhorce Valley".

The family quickly became friends with other expats who had relocated from England.

"Any sort of expat or British-speaking person over there, you automatically become friends with," said Hill, from north Wales.

"But there was a tight-knit group of us, specifically Victoria, her sister Jemma and then our other close friend and myself, just stuck together."

Victoria Hart's three children are currently being cared for by her family. She is pictured here with her mum [Family]

The mother of three went on to open multiple salons in the town called Victoria Hart Hair and Beauty.

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"Even when she had the babies she was back to work almost immediately, even too much of a worker sometimes - I don't think she ever had a sick day in her life."

Her children are being card for by her family who are "carrying the full financial responsibility for the children's immediate needs".

Money raised during the fundraiser will go towards essentials such as food, clothing, utilities and day-to-day care.

"We are raising funds to help ease this immediate burden and to provide some stability for the children while the family navigates the unimaginable," said her friend.

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"She was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. It's hard to tell you what she was, because at the moment I still don't believe what's happened."

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson confirmed it was "supporting the family of a British woman who died in Spain and we are in contact with the local authorities".

The Guardia Civil in Malaga has been contacted for a statement.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Snow flurries and bitter cold was top of mind for many Florida residents and visitors over the weekend.

Several cities smashed record low temperatures Saturday night/Sunday morning.

The National Weather Service Melbourne posted on X before sunrise Monday, Feb. 2, more daily and monthly cold records have already been broken this morning.

Some people took to social media to describe an "iguanapopcalyse." When temperatures hit the 40s, iguanas become paralyzed and fall from roofs and trees.

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 Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location

YouTube live streamers showed images of people huddled in coats, hats and gloves at Orlando's theme parks.

Not only were air temperatures breaking records, but strong winds sent wind chills into single digits for some locations.

The good news is that Monday morning Feb. 2 could be the final day of the most extreme cold, according to AccuWeather forecasters, although more record low temperatures are possible both Monday and Tuesday.

The National Weather Service Melbourne warned freezing temperatures and frost will return Monday night.

Florida cities break record low temperatures over the weekend

Record low temperatures broken in several Florida locations Feb. 1, 2026.

Several Florida cities broke record low temperatures Saturday night/Sunday morning, with more records possible Monday morning, Feb. 2.

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The National Weather Service Melbourne, which covers east and central Florida from Daytona Beach to Stuart and as far west as Orlando, said "all of our climate sites set new record lows for the date Feb. 1 and most even set new monthly record lows for February!"

Daytona Beach, Florida, smashes record low set 90 years ago

Daytona Beach: Low Feb. 1: 23 degrees Prior record: 30 degrees, in 1936 Coldest low in February: 24 degrees, Feb. 18, 1958 (broke record)



 Record-breaking cold in Daytona Beach over the weekend. What's next?

Leesburg, Florida, sees temps drop to 23 degrees

Leesburg : Low Feb. 1: 23 degrees Prior record: 30 degrees, in 1979 Coldest low in February: 23 degrees, Feb. 26, 1967 (tied record)



Sanford, Florida, breaks record low set in 1965

Sanford : Low Feb. 1: 23 degrees Prior record: 30 degrees, in 1965 Coldest low in February: 25 degrees, Feb. 18, 1958 (broke record)



Orlando, Florida, demolishes record low set 90 years ago

Orlando : Low Feb. 1: 24 degrees Prior record: 28 degrees, in 1936 Coldest low in February: 19 degrees, Feb. 7, 1895



Melbourne, Florida, breaks record low set in 1966

Melbourne: Low Feb. 1: 25 degrees Prior record: 32 degrees, in 1966 Coldest low in February: 27 degrees, Feb. 26, 1967 (broke record)



Vero Beach, Florida, breaks record low as temps fall to 26

Vero Beach: Low Feb. 1: 26 degrees Prior record: 29 degrees, in 1966 Coldest low in February: 28 degrees, Feb. 24, 1989 (broke record)



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 Record low temps broken across Treasure Coast with cold not done yet

Fort Pierce, Florida, smashes record low set 117 years ago

Fort Pierce: Low Feb. 1: 26 degrees Prior record: 32 degrees, in 1909 Coldest low in February: 25 degrees, Feb. 5, 1996



Apalachicola, Florida, breaks record low, dropping to 20

Apalachicola: Low Feb. 1, 20 degrees

Prior record: 26 degrees, in 1977

West Palm Beach, Florida, breaks record low as temps drop to 30

West Palm Beach: Low Feb. 1, 30 degrees

Prior record: 36 degrees in 1909

Miami, Florida, breaks 117-year-old record low temp

Miami: Low Feb. 1, 35 degrees

Prior record: 36 degrees in 1909

Did it snow in Florida?

A First Coast News viewer Angela Bureau sent this video image of snow flurries in Sanderson, Baker County, for the area's freezing temperatures Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2026. Snow flurries were evident across Northeast Florida.

Several National Weather Service offices around the state confirmed snow flurries were reported in several locations over the weekend, even as far south as Naples.

Flurries, light snow seen in Tallahassee, Florida

2pm EST 1/31/26:



Your eyes aren't deceiving you, we have flurries/light snow racing through the region this afternoon. Let us know if you're seeing any flurries or snow where you are!



They won't last long and no accumulation is expected.#ALwx #GAwx #FLwx pic.twitter.com/0hVdKMUIwg  NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) January 31, 2026

Snow flurries with light rain fall in Jacksonville, Florida

Some flurries with light rain will make it's way through the Jacksonville area southward over the next few hours accompanied with gusty winds.



We are currently seeing flurries here at the office near Jacksonville International Airport!



Let us know if you see flurries! pic.twitter.com/c2bKIRzECD  NWS Jacksonville (@NWSJacksonville) January 31, 2026

Snow flurries spotted near Naples, Florida

2/1 @ 3PM: We've come across a video of flurries being observed just east of Naples earlier this morning. 



The observed air temperature at the time was in the mid 30s, but flurries can still occur with temperatures a few degrees above freezing (32F and below). https://t.co/uuNeJJkUO3  NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) February 1, 2026

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Snow flurries reported from Levy to Lee County, Florida

Who saw snow flurries last night?!? 



Coastal areas of West Central and Southwest Florida from Levy County to Lee County all reported snow flurries! 



Here's a map showing reports that we verified. Did you get snow flurries? Comment or tag us with your pics and videos! #flwx pic.twitter.com/dR8x01UGDW  NWS Tampa Bay (@NWSTampaBay) February 1, 2026

Sunday February 1st, 2026:

We were able to catch some of the flurries here at the office, around 4:45am this morning. 



Temperatures today will only warm into the 40s and 50s. Tonight the lows are back in the 20s and 30s. Stay warm out there.  pic.twitter.com/SzgRxpuJLO  NWS Tampa Bay (@NWSTampaBay) February 1, 2026

Weather alerts issued in Florida

Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text

What's next?

We will continue to update our weather coverage as conditions warrant. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here.

Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Floridas best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://naplesnews.com/newsletters.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida snow flurries, record low temperatures smashed
NEED TO KNOW

A snow plow driver in Connecticut is facing criminal charges after damaging property while using cocaine, a warrant alleges

Mark Keene hit a porch, drove across a resident's yard and slammed into a garage, a warrant alleges

When officers found him in his truck, he said he had no idea how he got there, the warrant alleges

A snow plow driver in Connecticut went on a wild ride while allegedly high on three bumps of cocaine, damaging a porch, two cars and a garage  all on his first day on the job.

Mark Keene, 46, of Fairfield, was arrested on Jan. 8 and charged with reckless driving and operating under the influence, online court records allege.

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His arrest stems from an incident on Dec. 28, at 7:15 a.m., when he was doing a snow plow job in his truck near Glen Ridge Road and Tahmore Drive in Fairfield, according to a warrant obtained by News 12 Connecticut, ABC 7 and CT Insider.



According to the warrant, he allegedly veered off the road onto the walkway of one house, drove across the front yard of that residence and hit the front porch of the home next door, causing one side to fall.

Ring camera footage shows the truck hitting the front porch, driving over a stone wall and through the neighboring property, News 12 Connecticut reports.

The damage in Fairfield, Conn. Eyewitness News ABC7NY/YouTube

The truck can be seen on the video obtained by News 12 Connecticut speeding across a street to another house where it slammed into a sedan in the driveway, pushing it into a closed garage, and coming to rest under an SUV parked inside, according to the video.

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Officers responding to a 911 call about the crash said they found Keene sitting in his truck, saying he had no idea that he was just involved in a collision," the warrant alleges.

Keene allegedly had slurred speech and pinpoint pupils in both eyes, the warrant alleges.

Soon after, he began to foam at the mouth and turned blue," the warrant said, prompting an officer to give him Narcan and call for an ambulance.

Inside the ambulance, Keene allegedly fought with EMTs, who had to tie him to the stretcher, the warrant alleges.



He allegedly bit an officers hands and arms, the warrant says.

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Later, Keene told police that before he went to plow some driveways, he had a verbal argument with his girlfriend on the phone, the warrant states.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

He allegedly told police he did three 'bumps' of cocaine, the warrant says. The next thing he remembered was sitting in the truck in the driveway where police found him, according to the warrant.

Toxicology tests done on Keene came back positive for the presence of cocaine, benzodiazepines and cannabinoids, the warrant alleges.

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The incident took place on Keenes first day working for a landscaping company, News 12 Connecticut reports.

The owner told police he hired Keene the day before and told him to plow and sand two specific driveways, which he never did, according to the warrant.

Keene turned himself in on Jan. 8 and posted a $15,000 bond.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 25.

It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.



Read the original article on People
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP)  South Africa ordered Israel's deputy ambassador to leave the country within 72 hours on Friday, accusing him of undermining relations between the countries with social media posts that insulted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and violating diplomatic protocols.

The South African Foreign Ministry said that it was expelling Ariel Seidman, the charge daffaires at the Israeli Embassy, and declared him persona non grata  a diplomatic term indicating the person is no longer welcome in a country.

Seidman is the most senior Israeli diplomatic figure in South Africa after Israel recalled its ambassador in 2023.

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Hours later, Israel's Foreign Ministry said on X that it was expelling a senior South African diplomat, Shaun Edward Byneveldt, in response and ordered him to leave Israel within 72 hours.

Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Israel were already severely strained after South Africa  a longtime supporter of the Palestinian people  accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a case at the United Nations top court.

Israel has strongly denied the allegations and accused South Africa of acting as the legal arm of the Palestinian militant group Hamas by bringing the highly emotive case before the International Court of Justice.

Seidman's expulsion was likely to provoke a strong reaction from the United States, a close Israeli ally that under President Donald Trump has already been especially critical of South Africa.

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The Trump administration has characterized South Africa as a supporter of Iran and Hamas and said it is pursuing an anti-American foreign policy, which South Africa denies.

Last year, Washington also expelled South Africas ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, over comments he made about the Make America Great Again movement, which he said was partly a response to a supremacist instinct.

The South African Foreign Ministry said expelling Seidman follows a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa's sovereignty. It said official Israeli social media platforms had been used to launch insulting attacks against Ramaphosa.

The ministry did not give any details on the posts it referred to, and it wasn't immediately clear what they contained.

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The ministry also said there had been a deliberate failure to inform South Africa of visits by Israeli officials. It also gave no more detail on that, but David Saranga, an official at the Israeli Foreign Ministry tasked with promoting Israel's image on social media, was in South Africa this week.

South Africa said that it had informed the Israeli government of the decision to expel Seidman and urged it to ensure its future diplomatic conduct demonstrates respect for South Africa.

Some members of the Jewish community in South Africa criticized the decision to expel the diplomat. Karen Milner, the chairperson of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, said it was a drastic move on the basis of a few tweets.

___

Associated Press writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

___

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Sen. Tim Reed, R-Brookings, asked a Senate committee to strike language from a bill he's sponsored that would have required cities and counties to guarantee access to emergency medical services. The bill, which has advanced to the full Senate, would create a task force to study ways to fund services. (Photo by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

South Dakota doesnt recognize emergency medical services as essential under state law, and that wouldnt change under an ambulance bill passed Monday by a state Senate panel.

A legal designation of essential in this case would have put the onus on state or local units of government to guarantee availability. A legislator-led summer study on emergency medical services concluded that the state ought to add the designation to state law, but the Senate Health and Human Services Committee struck a clause that would have added that designation from Senate Bill 89 in its first hearing at the state capitol.

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Were not ready to designate emergency medical services as essential  yet, said Sen. Tim Reed, R-Brookings, prime sponsor of the bill and chairman of the 2025 emergency medical services summer study.

As written, the bill wouldve required counties or municipalities to make sure a minimum level of emergency medical service is available within its jurisdiction for prehospital emergency medical treatment and transport.

Need spurs legislation

Ambulance services function as essential at the moment, lawmakers learned during the 2025 summer study, but theres no guarantee it always will. Most emergency medical technicians in South Dakota are volunteers. Their average age is 52, and the level of training now required makes it difficult to find volunteers willing to commit to it without compensation, study group members heard.

Reimbursements for services often dont cover the cost, and rural ambulance services struggle to keep up with expenses as a result. A 2023 consultants report to the state Department of Health recommended state funding for ambulance services.

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That same report said the state faces consistent shortages in emergency medical staff in rural areas. It recommended allowing ambulance services to use drivers without advanced medical training, rather than two EMTs, and encouraged volunteer services to engage with business owners to encourage paid time off for training.

Current law requires drivers to either be EMTs or have advanced training and certifications from the state to respond to calls.

The Legislature has already advanced two bills meant to address workforce issues. House Bill 1024 lets police officers, firefighters or drivers trained in CPR and emergency vehicle operations to drive ambulances. House Bill 1023 allows registered nurses or people with advanced life saving training to respond to emergency medical calls.

Both bills have passed the full House of Representatives and await hearings in the Senate.

Supporters: Funding first

During Mondays hearing on SB 89, health committee members heard similar testimony.

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Brian Hambek, who leads Spearfish Ambulance Services and is president of the South Dakota Ambulance Association, told the committee that the states gone from 131 ambulance services to 121 in the past 10 years.

We cant make it with the funding we have right now, said Brian Hambek, who leads Spearfish Emergency Ambulance Services and is president of the South Dakota Ambulance Association.

EMS is essential, Hambek said, but listing us as an essential service without funding to back it is useless.

The state doesnt have a plan to pay yet, Reed said, as he asked for and received support to strike the essential service verbiage from his bill. Counties in particular are already overburdened by unfunded mandates in other areas and struggle to keep budgets in the black, Reed said.

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We probably got the cart in front of the horse, Reed said.

The amended bill takes an important step toward essential service recognition, according to Rosebud Democratic Rep. Eric Emery, who works in emergency medical services. Like Reed, he was a member of the 2025 legislative summer study group that heard testimony from emergency medical services leaders around the state and endorsed the original version of SB 89 and the bills on ambulance staffing.

The task force, the bill says, will examine funding mechanisms to support counties and municipalities in the provision of emergency medical services as an essential service.

Emery brought a bill in 2025 to designate ambulance services as essential and to collect fees from convicted drunken drivers to pay for it. That bill, which failed, started an important discussion that needs to continue with the funding task force, he said.

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Ultimately, Senate Bill 89 acknowledges a simple truth, Emery said. South Dakotans already rely on EMS as an essential service, and its the responsibility of the legislature to make sure that infrastructure is sustainable.

The amended bill passed unanimously out of the Health and Human Services Committee and now moves to the full Senate.

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ST. ALBANS, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44)  Police are looking to identify a vehicle and those involved in a reported road-rage assault, which began on Vermont Route 105 and lead to a physical altercation at a St. Albans Town parking lot Sunday.

Authorities responded to the scene at Hannaford on Highgate Commons Road at 8:30 p.m.

They say the incident stemmed from an encounter on Vermont Route 105 in Enosburg involving the victim, who was driving a black Subaru Outback, and the suspect vehicle, a white Jeep Grand Cherokee.

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One dead after Brighton snowmobile crash

After that, the Jeep aggressively followed the Subaru into St. Albans Town, says officers. Occupants inside the Jeep allegedly threw bottles at the Subaru. A male occupant from the Jeep later exited their vehicle, jumping onto the Subaru while it was moving, and broke the windshield. That action reportedly occurred on Swanton Road.

These vehicles then stopped at the Hannaford entrance. A second male from the Jeep then began physically assaulting the only occupant and damaging her car.

St. Albans PD is asking the public for help with identifying both the Jeep and its occupants. They report that there were reportedly four individuals, at least, inside the Jeep, including a female passenger.

(Courtesy: St. Albans PD)

(Courtesy: St. Albans PD)

(Courtesy: St. Albans PD)

(Courtesy: St. Albans PD)

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Those with information can contact SAPD at (802) 524-2166.

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 ABC22 & FOX44.
CARTHAGE, Mo.  Two Southwest Missouri lawmakers gave an update Friday on the 2026 legislative session, some recent "big drama," and issues and bills making their way through the General Assembly in Jefferson City.

The Carthage Chamber of Commerce hosted the event at the Carthage Water & Electric Plant Community Room.

State Rep. Cathy Jo Loy, representing the 163rd Missouri House District, and state Sen. Jill Carter, who represents Jasper and Newton counties in the Senate, made presentations and took questions on everything from taxes to education to the judiciary and more.

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Loy, who serves on the Budget Committee, said Missouri is in a time of disappearing surpluses and calls for spending cuts coming from Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe.

I'm learning, and as youve all heard, were needing to find some cuts and were needing to figure out what the government should fund and what were overfunding and theres a lot of numbers and theres a lot of lines," she said.

Funding for disabled

She said she hopes to protect from cuts self-directed funding that helps keep Missourians with disabilities in their homes and communities, and which allows them to manage their own care.

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My husband and I, in 2016, we became guardians of my severely disabled sister-in-law and we really depended on self-directed services, Loy said. They were things that really helped us as a family make it through the day-to-day. Those have been recommended as cuts from the governor but Im going to fight for those things. I dont want to fight against the governor but we need to make sure that self-directed services for the truly disabled are things we fund.

She also said the big drama, as she put it, recently was the cancellation of the annual State of the Judiciary speech that was supposed to be held last week.

The annual speech was canceled because of a boycott by some Senate Republicans upset about recent judicial rulings, including a decision last month striking down a law that removed judges from the process of writing ballot language on proposed state laws and constitutional amendments that are sent to voters.

State Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, told the Missouri Independent last week, Its been quite clear that this is a problem with the judiciary thinking that they have carte blanche capability to do the job of the legislature. Theyre just going to do whatever the heck they want to do. They want to act like theyre the legislature.

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House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, called the cancellation of the chief justices speech petty," according to the Independent. Unfortunately, Aune said, this is just another sad example of majority Republicans throwing a temper tantrum whenever they dont get their way.

3,000 pieces of legislation

Carter said she chairs the Joint House and Senate Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Families, Seniors and Health. She said lawmakers had filed almost 3,000 pieces of legislation before the session started and theres no way to intentionally look at 3,000 pieces of legislation in the time we have

Carter also lawmakers are looking at proposals including:

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 The REINS Act, which stands for Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny. It would force rule-making departments in state government to bring any rule that costs taxpayers more than $250,000 to implement back to the state legislature for review.

 Pharmacy benefit managers. The Missouri Senate held hearings last month on Senate Bill 984, which Carter is sponsoring, to reform PBMs, which critics, including community pharmacies, have said adversely impact patient care.

 Bills that punish sexual grooming, sexting and trafficking of children in Missouri. According to the Missouri Independent, proposed bills would establish the crime of grooming a minor, defined in the legislation as a pattern of behavior by an adult intended to prime a child to be sexually exploited. That behavior would not have to include a sexual act and could consist entirely of verbal or digital communication.

Carter said that bill provides for training of first responders around the state to better recognize signs of grooming and sex trafficking in the victims if they come across them during their duties.

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Arts funding?

Attendees said they appreciated hearing whats happening in Jefferson City and the issues that are being discussed in the legislature.

Misty Covvey, Carl Junction, said she came to the meeting and got a chance to talk to Loy one-on-one about proposed funding cuts to the Missouri Arts Council and the impact on those cuts to arts in this area.

I talked to her about how thats going to affect our area more significantly compared to metro areas, Covvey said. I am currently on the Connect2Culture board and part of our funding comes from there, so ... its going to affect us. This event was helpful just getting a chance to get in front of our representatives and voicing our concerns.
Buying a car is supposed to be straightforward: verify the title, register the vehicle, get insurance and drive away. Thats when everythings on the up and up.

Sadly, its not always on the up and up.

As CBS News reports, Georgia authorities have arrested and indicted nine people in connection with an alleged title fraud to help car buyers without drivers licenses illegally obtain vehicles, vehicle title and registration and car insurance  for a pricey fee (1).

Hall County Sheriffs Office and Hall County District Attorneys Office say the operation started in 2019 and netted $1 million over seven years, relying on falsified or manipulated title documents to bypass state requirements (2).

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In December 2025, a grand jury indicted the nine suspects under Georgias racketeering law, which is typically reserved for organized crime.

Georgia residents Brandy Marie Pitts, 46, of Lavonia, and Susan Faye Palencia, 61, of Homer, are accused of colluding with multiple dealerships in the alleged title fraud operation (3).

The following people have also been indicted: Manuel Rene Alvarez, 51, Gainesville; Curtis Allen Livingston, 51, Suwanee; Scott Wedford Norris, 36, Marietta; Maria D. Escamilla, 47, Flowery Branch; Vianney Garcia Guerrero, 36, Buford; Lindsey Ngu, 25, Gainesville; Juan Camilo Sardi, 27, Gainesville. All the accused still have to stand trial.

WSB-TV in Atlanta interviewed one man, Arturo Soto, who legitimately bought a car from one of the dealerships. While he has a drivers licence, Soto was shocked to hear the allegations.

I would never think they would try to scam people, he told WSB-TV (4).

Heres what authorities say happened, and how to protect yourself.

How the alleged scheme worked

According to investigators, Pitts and Palencia worked with several Hall County dealerships that sold used, high-mileage cars to unlicensed buyers at inflated prices.

These buyers were then allegedly referred to Pitts and Palencia  who ran multiple companies out of their Gainesville office  so the vehicles could be registered under Pitts and Palencias company names, not the buyers.

That meant cars could be registered without proper proof of ownership, valid drivers licenses or compliance with state requirements.
A teenager who was caught up in a deadly bar fire in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana has died, bringing the death toll to 41.

The 18-year-old victim passed away in hospital in Zurich on 31 January, a month after the New Years Eve disaster, according to the Wallis canton's public prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud.

Pilloud said her office, which is investigating the tragedy, would release no further information at this stage.

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News of the latest death comes a month after sparkling candles on champagne bottles are thought to have sparked the deadly blaze in Crans-Montana, injuring 116 revellers celebrating New Years Eve.

Many teenagers were caught in the inferno after flames tore through Le Constellation bar, where the drinking age is 16.

The devastating fire broke out at around 1.30am on New Years Day (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Those killed in the disaster were aged 14 to 39, with only four aged over 24. Many of those injured are still being treated in hospital for severe burns.

Switzerland's Federal Office for Civil Protection told the AFP news agency on Friday that 44 patients were being treated abroad. They included 18 in France, 12 in Italy, eight in Germany and six in Belgium.

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A further 37 patients were still in Swiss hospitals as of Monday, according to the Wallis health ministry.

Initial findings from an investigation suggest the fire began as sparklers attached to champagne bottles ignited soundproof foam that lined the ceiling of the bar's basement.

Authorities have acknowledged that the bar had not undergone safety checks for five years.

Owners of Le Constellation bar Jacques Moretti (L) and Jessica Moretti (C) are facing criminal investigation (AFP/Getty)

Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the bar owners - French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti - on suspicion of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and causing a fire by negligence.

Criminal proceedings have also been brought against the municipality's head of public safety and a former council fire safety inspector.

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A former British schoolgirl was previously named among those killed in the blaze.

Charlotte Niddam, who previously attended Immanuel College, a private Jewish school in Hertfordshire, celebrating the New Year in the ski-resort when the fire broke out in the packed bar at around 1.30am on 1 January.

Survivors, families and mourners gathered in nearby Martigny for an emotional memorial to those killed on 10 January.
With the 2026 tax season officially underway, the IRS began accepting and processing individual tax returns on Jan. 26, but now we are in a government shutdown.

The United States federal government is currently on its third day of a partial shutdown, which began at midnight on Jan 31, as millions of Americans await tax refunds. The government shutdown threatens federal funding and could result in significant delays, with the earliest possible release of refunds being pushed to Feb. 15.

As the government works to resolve the funding crisis, the Internal Revenue Service, along with Defense, Homeland Security, State, Treasury and Transportation departments, is among those currently without full funding, leaving federal employees either furloughed or working without pay.

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Here's what you need to know about how the IRS is affected by the shutdown.

Will I get my tax refund later due to the government shutdown?

Tax refunds and other IRS functions could be impacted by a looming government shutdown.

During a government shutdown, the IRS typically operates with significantly fewer employees, which could result in reduced IRS staff, leading to slower processing times for tax refunds.

Essential services like processing electronic returns may be delayed, and returns may take longer to process, potentially affecting the financial planning of many households.

Other complications of a shutdown could include delays in processing paper-filed returns and disruptions in in-person and phone services.

When should I file my taxes?

According to a recent survey by Intuit Credit Karma, 52% of U.S. adults expect a refund this year, and 54% of taxpayers plan to file early to expedite their refunds.

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Experts advise taxpayers to file electronically as early as possible to minimize the risk of delays. By doing so, individuals can ensure their returns are processed more efficiently, despite the challenges posed by the shutdown.

To stay informed about any effects on your tax filing process, check for updates at IRS.gov .

Government standoff over Homeland Security funding

One of the biggest hurdles in this ongoing partial shutdown revolves around disagreements between Senate Democrats and Republicans over spending priorities, specifically concerning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding.

This government shutdown comes on the heels of the killings of two American citizens by immigration officials in Minneapolis in January plunged the spending negotiations into turmoil.

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U.S. citizens, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, was shot on Jan. 7, and 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot during a protest in Minneapolis on Jan. 24 by federal agents.

These incidents enraged many Americans, prompting Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from New York, to refuse approval of full-year funding for the Department of Homeland Security without implementing new "guardrails" for federal agents.

A person is pictured near posters of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Good and Pretti, both U.S. citizens, were fatally shot in two separate incidents by federal immigration agents.

This standoff over DHS funding has become a focal point in budget negotiations, further complicating efforts to resolve the shutdown.

The procedural vote on Jan. 29 revealed deep divisions in the Senate, as the funding package was blocked by a 55-45 margin.

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Democrats, along with some Republican allies, stood firm in their demand for more stringent oversight of federal agents as a condition of approving full-year DHS funding.

Senate and White House agree on a bipartisan deal

In an effort to avoid a total collapse, Senate leadership and the White House reached a bipartisan deal on Jan. 30, with a vote of 7129, to pass five full-year funding bills, including for the Defense and Transportation departments, while stripping out the controversial full-year DHS funding, according to reports from USA TODAY.

In its place was a two-week stopgap extension for DHS to allow more time to negotiate immigration reforms.

This agreement aims to address some of the controversial issues, including DHS funding, and hopefully bring an end to the shutdown.

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President Donald Trump lauded the deal on social media Thursday night.

"The only thing that can slow our Country down is another long and damaging Government Shutdown," he said. "I am working hard with Congress to ensure that we are able to fully fund the Government, without delay."

Senate Democrats' demands to end the partial government shutdown

U.S. Border Patrol agents stop a car in the street, as immigration enforcement action continues, days after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 9, 2026.

According to USA TODAY, Senate Democrats outlined three main demands for reforming the Department of Homeland Security, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the wake of Good and Pretti's deaths .

First, is the end of sweeping immigration checks known as "roving patrols". They also demand more accountability for ICE and Border Patrol, including independent investigations and stricter use-of-force standards. Lastly, they want "masks off" officers  and "body cameras on."

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As negotiations continue, both parties are under pressure to reach a compromise to reopen the government and ensure the smooth functioning of essential services.

When is the next vote to end the government shutdown?

The House of Representatives returned to Washington, D.C., today, Monday, Feb. 2, to tackle the government shutdown.

The House Rules Committee is meeting this afternoon at 4 p.m. to schedule a floor vote on the funding package.

Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed confidence that the House will pass a funding package to end the partial government shutdown by Tuesday, Feb. 3.

"Our intention is, by Tuesday, to fund all agencies of the federal government except for that one," Johnson said, referring to the Department of Homeland Security. "And then we'll have two weeks of good-faith negotiations to figure it out."

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during the annual "March for Life" in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 23, 2026.

"We may inevitably be in a short shutdown situation," he said. "But the House is going to do its job."

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Although the current government shutdown has only been in place for three days, it comes less than two months after the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States, which lasted 43 days from November 2025 to December 2025.

As the ongoing government shutdown continues, concerns are mounting over prolonged disruptions to essential services.

Travis Jacque Rose is the trending news reporter for the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at trose@gannett.com

USA TODAY contributed to this report

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Tax refund delays? What the 2026 government shutdown means for taxes
An Oklahoma teen has been arrested in connection with the death of his adoptive mother.

On Friday, January 30, Jordan Cole Weems, 16, was charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of desecration of a human corpse and one count of unauthorized removal of a dead body after allegedly admitting to killing his mother, Spring Weems, 49, with a "hammer" that he found in their garage and then putting her body in a garbage can.

Police were first alerted to the situation when the father of one of Spring's biological kids  referred to as Levi or AW  reported that she had been missing to the Logan County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, January 27. (He and Spring had divorced some years ago, but continued to share custody of their minor children.) On Wednesday, January 28, authorities discovered her body in a trash bin that had been rolled to the curb in front of the home. Jordan was later taken into custody.

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Teen Shot, Killed by Girlfriends Stepbrother While Making Christmas Cookies at Her House

While investigating the case, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agents spoke with one of Spring's adopted sons, who said he and Jordan had recently gotten into trouble for sneaking out at night and "running from law enforcement," the affidavit read, per ABC affiliate KOCO News 5. The two boys had to write apology letters for their behavior and Jordan allegedly had his regular clothing and bedding taken away. Instead, he was reportedly made to wear an orange jumpsuit so he could learn "what life as a prisoner might be like if he did not start behaving." He also ate prison foods, such as ham and beans or chicken and beans, according to the report.

Following the incident, Jordan allegedly made several threats to "kill their mother."

After Spring went missing, the father of one of her biological children became concerned and decided to talk with one of the adopted kids  who has not been named publicly  because he was acting like he knew something and was scared." That was when the boy allegedly told him Jordan had "killed Spring with a hammer and she was in a trash can at the street."

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Since his arrest, the Logan County District Attorney's Office has filed a motion requesting Jordan be denied bond. Lawyers argued Spring's death was "not a crime of passion or an instantaneous decision. Rather, the Defendant [threatened] to kill his mother leading up to the crime.

Missing 12-Year-Old Oklahoma Boy Found Alive Days After His Parents Were Booked on Abuse Claims

He planned the killing by retrieving a hammer and laying in wait to surprise his mother in the middle of the night, DA officials continued in the court documents, referring to the reports that Jordan had allegedly stood in a hallway and waited for Spring to come out of the kitchen. When his mother came upon him unsuspecting, he attacked her viciously and brutally.

While Jordan has been charged as an adult, the DA officials suggested he would be better cared for and served if he was housed in a juvenile detention facility.

The 16-year-olds next court hearing is scheduled for February 24.
CLINTON, La. (AP)  Authorities in Louisiana said Sunday they have arrested two teenagers in the shootings of a 6-year-old child and four others wounded during a small town's weekend parade.

The suspects, ages 19 and 15, are charged with attempted murder, obstructing justice and reckless discharge of a firearm, the East Feliciana Parish Sheriffs Office said in a statement posted on social media.

Gunfire sent people scrambling for cover Saturday during the Mardi Gras in the Country Parade in Clinton, located about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Baton Rouge.

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All five victims were expected to survive, sheriff's Chief Criminal Deputy Bill Cox told The Advocate on Saturday. The department said Sunday it was unaware of any changes in the victims' conditions.

The sheriff's office said Sunday the two teenagers charged were among three people detained Saturday after they were found with guns near the parade.

The third person, a 26-year-old man, has been charged with illegally possessing a firearm, according to the sheriff's office, but investigators do not believe he was involved in the shootings.

Authorities have not given a suspected motive for the shootings. More arrests are expected, the sheriff's office statement said.

Investigators have asked for anyone with photos or video of the shooting or nearby areas to share those with authorities.
PRAGUE (AP)  Tens of thousands Czechs rallied Sunday in the capital and elsewhere to throw their weight behind President Petr Pavel in his dispute with the countrys foreign minister.

The demonstrators packed the picturesque Old Town Square and some others had to gather at nearby Wenceslas Square where they watched the speeches on big screens.

Some waved Czech, Ukrainian and European Union flags, while others displayed posters with the popular president and banners that read: Long Live Pavel.

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Pavels refusal to appoint a government minister representing the right-wing Motorists for Themselves Euro-skeptic party, which is led by Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, is at the core of the dispute.

Pavel said that Filip Turek was ineligible to become the environment minister after a daily published posts from his Facebook page found to be openly racist, homophobic and sexist.

Turek apologized for some posts, but denied that he posted some others.

Macinka accused the president of violating the countrys Constitution and threatened him with facing consequences if he fails to appoint his controversial associate.

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Pavel countered that he considered that a blackmail attempt and is planning to meet populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis over the issue on Wednesday.

Pavel swore in a new government on Dec. 15 after Babis and his ANO, or YES, movement won big in the countrys October election and agreed to form a majority coalition with two small political groups, the Freedom and Direct Democracy anti-migrant party and the Motorists.

The coalition has on its agenda to steer the country away from supporting Ukraine and reject some key European Union policies.

Unlike the new government Pavel, a retired army general, is a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.

Small rallies supporting Pavel took place in several other places across the country.
Three people have been killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine despite new negotiations for an end to the war being announced for the middle of the week.

A father and his adult son were killed when a bomb hit a house in the front-line town of Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported on Monday.

The mother, her 16-year-old daughter and her 11-year-old son were injured, Filashkin said.

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A 38-year-old woman was killed in a drone attack near the city of Zaporizhzhya in south-eastern Ukraine, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. A 59-year-old woman was injured, he added.

Ukraine has been defending itself with Western assistance against a full-scale Russian invasion for nearly four years.
Three men have each been sentenced to 200 hours of community service for harassing BBC journalist Catrin Nye, who presented the podcast series and documentary, A Very British Cult.

Kristofer Deichler, 47, Jatinder Kamra, 46 and Sukhraj Singh, 39, were also given a restraining order banning them from contacting or approaching Nye or her partner for 10 years.

The men were also banned from entering the London borough where the couple live for a decade.

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The defendants were all convicted last month at Stratford Magistrates' Court of harassment without violence.

All three are members of Lighthouse, which was investigated for the 2023 documentary and podcast fronted by Nye.

The BBC programmes raised concerns about Lighthouse and reported allegations about the way its leadership treated people who tried to leave it.

Judge Holdham at Stratford Magistrates Court heard how the men held demonstrations outside the BBC and on three occasions turned up to Nye's home, claiming to be delivering a Bible and a letter.

In her verdict, Judge Holdham said she did not believe the men's visits to Nye's home had really been manifesting their religious beliefs because despite their repeated returns they had not actually left the Bible.

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She said their actions were "more performative than real" and that the defendants had really wanted to film footage of a confrontation with Nye and them giving her the Bible.

She added that despite the men's claims to the contrary, their behaviour had been "intended to cause alarm and distress".

The defendants were also each ordered to pay 650 costs plus 114 victim's surcharge.

The court heard how the men turned up at BBC presenter Catrin Nye's home [BBC]

The men claimed they had been attempting to produce their own documentary in response to A Very British Cult and said they had been acting as "citizen journalists".

In the trial, both Nye and her partner gave evidence from behind a screen about the effects the visits had on them and their children.

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Nye said Lighthouse had been given "multiple opportunities and deadline extensions to involve themselves in the production of the programme, and these were not responded to".

She added: "Terrifying people in their neighbourhood and terrifying their children is not how you respond to an organisation.

"They distributed leaflets with my name and picture on it, said the most awful things possible, saying that I destroyed businesses and protected child abusers."

The couple installed a Ring doorbell and CCTV in their house and Nye told the court how she became unwilling to leave home with her children, even for short trips. She was reduced to a "paranoid" state, the court heard.
The US has declared a stark policy shift towards three West African countries which are battling Islamist insurgents and whose military governments have broken defence ties with France and turned towards Russia.

The state department announced that Nick Checker, head of its Bureau of African Affairs, would visit Mali's capital Bamako to convey the United States' "respect for Mali's sovereignty" and chart a "new course" in relations, moving "past policy missteps".

It adds that the US also looks forward to co-operating with Mali's allies, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, "on shared security and economic interests".

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Absent from the agenda is the longstanding American concern for democracy and human rights. The Biden administration had halted military co-operation after coups deposed the elected civilian presidents of all three countries between 2020 and 2023, with Niger's Mohamed Bazoum still locked up in his own residence.

The US statement makes explicit a radical change in policy that had become increasingly evident over the 12 months since Donald Trump returned to the White House.

The shift started with the shuttering of USAID  a key provider of development support to the region  days after the president was sworn in for a new term.

This was followed by repeated signals of a much narrower focus on security and mineral resources, with both development and governance sidelined.

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The announcement of Checker's visit goes further in openly declaring respect for Mali's sovereignty. The message will resonate in Bamako and allied capitals, where military leaders have built their appeal by striking pan-Africanist themes and rejecting former colonial power France.

Burkina Faso's military leader, Capt Ibrahim Traore, presents himself as a standard-bearer in resisting "imperialism" and "neo-colonialism". Through vigorous social media promotion, he has gained huge support for this stance and personal popularity among young people across the continent and beyond.

The Trump administration has made plain that it is unconcerned by the regimes' rejection of the European-style constitutional model of elected civilian government.

Massad Boulos, senior adviser for Africa at the state department and a Trump confidant, last year told the French newspaper Le Monde: "Democracy is always appreciated, but our policy is not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. People are free to choose whatever system is appropriate for them."

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This attitude marks a stark change.

It is not clear if the US will resume the military training it has previously provided for soldiers from Mali and Burkina Faso (file photo) [AFP via Getty Images]

During the Biden era Gen Michael Langley, head of the US military's Africa Command (Africom) from 2022 to 2025, stressed the importance of good governance and environmental issues, as complements to military support.

However last year, following Trump's return to the presidency, he said that supporting the fight against terrorism was now the main focus.

And that certainly seems to be the priority in West Africa, a message reiterated by Rudolph Attalah, a senior counter-terrorism official, on a visit to Bamako last year.

Then last month Africom's deputy head, Gen John Brennan, confirmed that the US was continuing to actively support the three military-run countries in their struggle against jihadist groups, and Islamic State in particular.

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The motives for Trump's shift in approach seem to be threefold.

The US, like Europe, remains seriously concerned about the long-term security threat posed by the jihadist groups now operating across the Sahel - the semi-arid stretch of land south of the Sahara Desert. According to some definitions, the region now accounts for half of all the world's terrorism deaths.

Although almost all the casualties are local, there is concern in the US that the governments' loss of control of much of their territory could allow the emergence of safe havens for jihadist groups to develop further and expand.

Diplomats and analysts routinely now describe the region as the "epicentre of global terrorism", which could present a long-term international threat.

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In the "tri-border region", where Mali, Burkina and Niger converge, the West African offshoot of Islamic State (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, ISGS) is particularly active.

A fresh reminder of the scale of threat that it poses came only last week with an attack on the airport in Niamey, Niger's capital.

West Africa's Sahel region is one of the poorest parts of the world [AFP via Getty Images]

The jihadist activity is also a threat to the Sahel's export of valuable or strategically important minerals: the region is a major producer of gold and Mali also produces lithium  a key ingredient in rechargeable batteries and also used in some medication  while Niger has significant uranium reserves.

Niger's military government has seized control of the country's main uranium mine from the longstanding French operator, Orano, and is now lining up Russia as its new partner in the sector.

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The Trump administration also appears concerned not to leave Russia to play the role of sole external defence partner of the three countries.

Unlike the West African regional bloc Ecowas, France, the EU and the Biden administration, today's White House does not regard the Russian military presence as a threat to regional stability or human rights. Russia has deployed about 1,000 security contractors in Mali, with smaller contingents of mercenaries or regular troops in Burkina Faso and Niger.

There have been numerous allegations of abuses committed by the Russians, in particular in Mali.

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When Attalah visited Bamako, he signalled that Washington was quite relaxed about Moscow's military involvement.

It seems that Washington does not want to leave the field open for exclusively Russian influence and does now want to balance that with its own security partnership.

Still, this will be on terms that will not unsettle Trump's political base, to whom he has repeatedly promised an end to US involvement in "forever wars" overseas. This is not about troops on the ground  save, perhaps, for occasional training teams.

Africom's Brennan says the US is providing Mali, Burkina and Niger with intelligence support and hints at the potential supply of weapons.

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But Washington is not seeking to redeploy active forces or reopen the large drone base it built in Agadez, Niger, where it had around 800 troops. The junta expelled them after the Biden administration pressed for a roadmap to restore democracy.

Following the spate of coups, Ecowas tried to pressure the military leaders into promising firm dates for new elections.

But in response Niger, Burkina and Mali withdrew from the bloc last year and they are now focused on building up their own confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Because they are no longer members, Ecowas has no responsibility for addressing their internal governance values.

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And this has freed its dozen remaining member states to themselves just try to rebuild practical co-operation with the three countries in the fight against Islamist groups.

This is a major priority for governments across the region, at a time when militants have been infiltrating over the borders, to stage attacks or hide in the north of countries such as Benin, Nigeria and Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

As the region faces this daunting challenge, US intelligence on key targets, and perhaps extra weapons too, may help deliver some quick wins against the militants.

But - as France's decade-long deployment of thousands of troops and air power to the Sahel showed - high-tech military means alone cannot restore peace, unless the complex social and economic stresses in this desperately poor region of the world are also addressed.

You may also be interested in:

[Getty Images/BBC]

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

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Once one of his most popular agenda items, President Donald Trump is experiencing a drop in approval over his immigration enforcement efforts after weeks of unrest in Minnesota.

Protesters have demonstrated in Minneapolis following the deaths of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. There was also outrage both in the state and across the country after 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were detained and taken to a facility in Texas. A federal judge ordered their release and they returned to Minnesota on Sunday.

Its been a tumultuous week for the Trump administration, which has changed its plan for Immigration and Customs Enforcement action in the area, and sought to turn down the temperature in the Twin Cities.

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Heres where things stand in Minnesota and for the president:

Trump approval sags

Since Trump deployed ICE agents to Minnesota in early January, a RealClearPolitics polling average of several nationwide surveys shows that the presidents support has dropped since the beginning of the year.

On Jan. 8, Trump had an average of 52.5% disapproval and 44.3% approval, according to RealClearPolitics. Following weeks of unrest, he has dropped to a new low of 55.3% disapproval and 42.4% approval. It has remained around that level from Jan. 16-Feb.1, as demonstrations and tensions continued after Prettis death.

The drop in the presidents approval comes amid lower polling numbers for Trumps immigration agenda, which he campaigned on and has made a priority since his reelection.

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The administration, responding to the dip in approval and the ongoing unrest in Minnesota that has spilled into other states, opted last week to change up their tactics.

Trump last week noted that he still wants to continue immigration operations in the state, but signaled a willingness to turn down the temperature. After talks with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who are both Democrats, the state also appears to be helping more with crowd control.

After Customs and Border Protection agents shot and killed Pretti, it was revealed that some agents, including former CBP Commander-at-Large Greg Bovino would be leaving the state and Trumps border czar Tom Homan would be heading to Minnesota to work with Walz and Frey.

Homan said late last week that if the state would cooperate with the administrations requests for information about immigrants in custody, then the withdrawal of law enforcement could happen.

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He confirmed that after talking with local leaders and law enforcement that a plan was in the works to reduce the number of federal agents in the state and it was his main focus.

I have staff from (Customs and Border Protection) and from (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) working on a drawdown plan. What does that look like, based on cooperation. What does that look like based on the targets we have left to find, he said.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday that she spoke with Homan and other DHS leaders and decided that effective immediately, all federal agents in the field in Minneapolis will be wearing body cameras.

As funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide. We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country, Noem said in a post online.

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She said it shows the Trump administration is the most transparent administration in American history.

Texas Democrat helps 5-year-old detainee

Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, were detained in a suburb of Minneapolis on Jan. 20. They were taken to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas.

The boys detention sparked angry reaction as people saw video of agents loading the young child, wearing a blue bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack, into a car.

But the Department of Homeland Security said that his father fled the scene on foot and left the boy alone, requiring the agents to take care of him for several hours, even taking him to get food in a drive-thru.

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Liams father is originally from Ecuador and the boys neighbors and school officials said federal agents were using him as bait to get his mother to come outside.

The administration said the boys father entered the country illegally in 2024, but a lawyer for the family said he had a pending asylum case, which allowed him to remain in the country.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, who is based out of San Antonio and was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, said the case was ill-conceived and based around the administration looking to meet a quota of deportations and detentions. He first ordered that the boy and his father could not be removed from the United States but later ordered for their release from the Texas detention center, The Associated Press reported over the weekend.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, went to the facility to meet with the father and son and on Sunday shared that they were released from the Dilley detention center.

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I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning, he said. Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.

Thank you to everyone who demanded freedom for Liam. We wont stop until all children and families are home, Castros post said, which included photos.

Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning.



Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.



Thank you to everyone who demanded freedom for Liam. We pic.twitter.com/XmUvXEthma  Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 1, 2026

Castro shared that he wrote Liam a letter that said his family, school and so many strangers across the country demanded his release. Dont let anyone tell you this isnt your home, he said, noting that the United States became powerful and prosperous because of immigrants, not in spite of them.

Locals gathered outside of Liams home to celebrate his release and demand the release of others who have been detained. The Columbia Heights Public Schools said in a statement that the boys release was an important development, but there were four other students held at the same Texas facility they were hopeful would be released as well, the AP reported.

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DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a response to Castros post that the facts in the case have not changed despite the judges absurdly lawless order. She argued that Liams father made the choice to take the boy with him to the detention center and the alleged mother refused to accept custody of the child.

Parents who are in the country illegally should take control of their departure and receive a free flight and $2,600 with the (Customs and Border Protection) Home app. By using the CBP Home app illegal aliens reserve the chance to come back the right way, she said.
President Trump endorsed former Sen. John E. Sununu (R-N.H.) in New Hampshires Republican Senate primary on Sunday.

John is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected Leaders in New Hampshire, and many Republicans in the U.S. Senate and, as your next Senator, he will work tirelessly to advance our America First Agenda, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, giving Sununu his complete and total endorsement.

The news is a blow to Sununus primary opponent, Scott Brown, who served as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand during Trumps first administration.

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A University of New Hampshire poll released last month showed Sununu leading Brown 48 percent support to 25 percent among likely Republican primary voters in 2026.

Brown, who also previously represented Massachusetts in the Senate, jumped into the race in June. The former senator faced criticism from Democrats, who have insinuated he is a carpetbagger insofar as hes running for Senate in New Hampshire as a former Massachusetts senator.

New Hampshires Senate seat is one to watch this cycle, RNC Spokesperson Kristen Cianci said in a statement to The Hill. The Presidents endorsement underscores what a priority this race is and that Republicans are fully prepared to show up in November.

Whoever wins the primary will likely face Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in the general election, which the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates as lean Democratic. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) currently holds the seat but is not seeking reelection.

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Recent polling suggested that Sununu would have a better chance of defeating Pappas in a head-to-head match-up. The same University of New Hampshire survey showed Sununu trailing Pappas by 5 points in a head-to-head match-up, while Brown trails Pappas by 10 points.

Updated at 3:40 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.
Nikol Pashinyan is facing a very difficult task. The Prime Minister of Armenia should explain to the Armenians that white is white, and black, respectively, is black. For almost two hundred years, Armenians thought differently, but now they have to learn to live in the real world. It's very difficult. Parting with myths and inflated ambitions, and even so deeply rooted, is a difficult process. Especially when there are a lot of people who want to get in the way.





Judging by the Armenian media, the propaganda against the current government is very widespread. Most of the country's media carry out propaganda in favor of the revanchist opposition. In principle, they can be understood - the economic situation in Armenia is difficult, and therefore the principle of "whoever pays, orders music" works there without regard to the interests of his native state. And the Karapetyan and Vardanyan families pay, the Kocharyan mafia pays. There are almost no voices of reason in this yell.





At his last press conference, the Armenian Prime Minister once again stated that the topic of the so-called "Karabakh movement" should be closed forever. By keeping it on the agenda, Armenia continues to remain in a geopolitical trap, Pashinyan said. In his New Year's address, the Prime minister suggested that Armenians who disagree with this course of government organize a revolution. No revolution has taken place, and now Nikol Pashinyan says: "the revolution has not taken place, we will continue this policy."





By building a real Armenia, Pashinyan abandoned the "Karabakh issue" and the use of such instruments of the Armenian community as the Diaspora and the church in politics. For this, he became a target for criticism from revanchists and unstable and still subject to the old myths of the masses. The other day, former President Robert Kocharian bluntly accused Pashinyan of not using this potential "for the benefit of the Republic of Armenia." In previous years, the Diaspora and the Church, rather than the national Armenian state, the Republic of Armenia, represented the Armenian people to the world. In pre-Pashinyan times, these two tools were very actively used to promote criminal Armenian interests. Pashinyan rejected them, opposing Yerevan to the diaspora and entering into a struggle with the church.





Last week, church revanchist circles were rocked by another hysteria.





The Armenian government has made a tough decision on regimental priests. By order of the Minister of Defense, the spiritual leadership of the armed forces was dissolved. This structure, which had been in operation since 1997, was disbanded, and the regimental priests were sent home. Since February 1, the activities of the so-called spiritual leader of the Armed Forces and the Institute of military clergy as a whole have been discontinued. This does not mean that military personnel will be deprived of spiritual support. But now the appointment of priests will be handled not by the Armenian Apostolic Church, but by the secular authorities - the departments of moral and psychological support of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. In addition, conscripts with appropriate education will be able to perform spiritual service. During their service, they will be appointed chaplains. The Minister of Defense retained control over the execution of this order.





Thus, the state eliminated the control of the AAC over the formation of the worldviews of the Armed Forces personnel. The Armenian Apostolic Church has lost the opportunity to influence the ideological training of Armenian servicemen and introduce toxic narratives into the fragile minds of the younger generation. Armenian priests will no longer march in orderly rows at military parades.





Patriotic training in the Armenian army has always been based on the nationalistic and misanthropic tenets of the church, which seriously distort the idea of what the armed forces are for. The army has always been positioned in Armenia as a means of realizing painful ideological fantasies and realizing expansion, achieving certain "age-old aspirations" and "restoring historical justice." The Armenian "warrior" was brought up in the spirit of extreme hatred of his neighbors, because only unmotivated hatred could force him to commit grave war crimes, striving to achieve his goal by any means. The Armenian people and the Armenian army, including, being not only spiritually, but also morally, ideologically, politically and at the level of everyday life, under the pressure of the postulates of the Armenian Apostolic Church, turned into a crowd living in a far-fetched past and actually left without a future.





In an environment where the military leadership and the army command staff are saturated with corruption, and violence is rampant in the Armed Forces, it was very convenient for the church to work. It's the easiest environment to raise zombies in. However, this had nothing to do with building a professional and properly motivated army.





More broadly, the Armenian Church disfigured the consciousness of not only military personnel, but also society as a whole. To stop this and allow the society to recover, Pashinyan began to push the AAC away from the possibilities of influence. For this, Yerevan, for the first time in recent history, was accused by PACE of violating rights and freedoms. For the first time, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe saw violations of democracy in Armenia, but not where they were worth seeing. The relationship between the authorities and the church is just a positive process, a kind of sanitization of ideological stables. The current prime minister has always had strained relations with Etchmiadzin, and the church's attempt to lead a coup in 2024 angered him completely.





Answering relevant questions at the PACE session in January, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan called the talk about the oppression of the Armenian Apostolic Church gossip. According to him, there is no persecution of clergymen in Armenia. But there are clergymen who publicly urge citizens to eliminate the democratically elected government by force.





As you know, Etchmiadzin has always been a separate "state" that does not take into account the official authorities of the country. The leaders of Armenia themselves went bowing to the Catholicos. Because it was not Armenia, but the church that was the center around which the world's Armenians revolved. This construction has always been based on the idea of a "martyred people," and the church has acted as a guarantor of the preservation of identity. In this scheme, the army was assigned the role of a practical executor of "age-old aspirations", in other words, an occupier. The Church was directly involved in shaping the worldview of military personnel. This worldview did not prevent the massacre of peaceful Azerbaijani villages, but it did not contribute to the motivation for heroic deeds, nor did it encourage the desire to die in a foreign land. The Second Karabakh War was a demonstration of the complete failure of church training manuals for the army, which were compiled in the dark corners of Etchmiadzin.





In order to turn the country into a real national state, which itself would become the center for the world of Armenians, it was necessary to eliminate the omnipotence of Etchmiadzin. Of course, in order to completely defeat evil, it will be necessary to clean up a huge layer of mythologized history and shake out the ideological cushion of today's Armenian statehood. But the result will be the first real Armenian state in history. Who will have an army defending the borders of his own country, and not killing children and the elderly on the territory of his neighbors.
Gloria Denicola carries her dog Lucy and a bag of groceries to her car after shopping at Hannaford in Newport on Friday. Denicola said she had not heard of the campaign protesting Hannafords prices and corporate policies, but said that nowadays she only shops at Hannaford for certain items and prefers grocery shopping at local shops. Photo by Linda Coan O'Kresik of the Bangor Daily News.

Daniel OConnor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural government as part of the partnership between The Maine Monitor and the Bangor Daily News, with additional support from BDN and Monitor readers.

NEWPORT, Maine  Months into an organized campaign against Hannafords prices and policies, many Mainers shopping at the store said they were unaware of a public push to bring down the grocers prices.

A group called the New England Consumer Alliance has been organizing a What Happened to Hannaford? campaign with ads, mailers and protests outside some stores since the fall. The group, which is run from Pennsylvania despite its name, began by focusing on Hannafords sale of eggs from caged hens.

Hannafords parent company, the Dutch firm Ahold Delhaize, had previously said it would go to all cage-free eggs by 2025. While cage-free eggs are routinely available at stores here, the company says it is now aiming to meet its pledge to sell only cage-free eggs by 2032.

The campaign is continuing to expand. Recently, it has focused on affordability at the brand that dominates Maines grocery landscape with 68 stores from York to Fort Kent. Hannaford has disputed many of the claims.

Outside the Newport store on Friday, many shoppers said they had not heard of the campaign, though several expressed concern about affordability at the store.

Scott Boisvert had not noticed any organized campaign, but he wasnt surprised to hear there was one. He noted the areas limited grocery options, saying he still shops at Hannaford while noting the Walmart just down the street but over the Palmyra line.

Unless you want to drive to Bangor or Waterville, thats really it, he said.

The alliance recently published a Poverty Tax Report, claiming that Hannaford stores in lower-income areas charge more for identical baskets of groceries. Hannaford has said prices vary by location for reasons including geographic and inventory considerations but not the income level of the area.

We do not under any circumstances take a communitys demographics into consideration when setting prices, Ericka Dodge Katz, a spokesperson for the brand, said in a statement.

A group run from Pennsylvania is protesting Hannafords prices and corporate policies. Photo by Linda Coan OKresik of the Bangor Daily News.

Hannaford was founded in Portland in 1883 and became a dominant grocery wholesaler in the region by 1920 and acquired stores in the 1960s. A predecessor to Ahold acquired the brand in 2000, merging it with former New England competitor Stop & Shop. The company operates the Food Lion brand in other parts of the country.

For many folks, it is the only grocery store which is one of the more unique situations in the US, where Hannaford operates effectively local monopolies in some small towns, Taylor Warren, the leader of the alliance, said.
US President Donald Trump announced a reduction in tariffs on Indian imports on Monday after saying that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to stop buying oil from Russia in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

In the post, he mentioned reducing the so-called "reciprocal tariff" he imposed on the country from 25 to 18%.

Trump sees tariffs as offsetting alleged imbalances and disadvantages for the United States in international trade.

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In return, Modi is said to have promised in a phone call to reduce his tariffs and other trade barriers for US products to zero and to purchase significantly more US goods  including energy, technology and agricultural products worth more than $500 billion.

Trump described this as a "Trade Deal."

Trump says India will no longer buy oil from Russia

"[Modi] agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela," Trump posted. "This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!"

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Trump had already announced in October that Modi had assured him that his country would no longer buy oil from Russia. At that time, India showed a willingness to increase energy imports from the US but left open whether it would stop its controversial oil imports from Russia.

This time too, Modi expressed relief on the platform X that the tariffs are to be reduced, but again left it unclear whether India will indeed stop sourcing oil from Russia.

Both emphasized their mutual friendship.

"Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," Modi wrote.

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"President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," Modi wrote in his post on X.

Tariffs Trump imposed on India

Trump had previously criticized the government in New Delhi multiple times for its oil dealings with Moscow - and therefore also imposed additional punitive tariffs of 25% on imports from India in August.

Prior to this, he had imposed the so-called reciprocal tariff of 25% on India, which is the tariff Trump refers to in his post.

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His announcement to reduce the "reciprocal tariff" came a few days after India and the European Union declared that they had concluded their negotiations on a free trade agreement.

This was also considered a geopolitically significant step against the backdrop of Trump's aggressive trade and tariff policies.
President Donald Trump endorsed John Sununu in the New Hampshire Senate race Sunday, backing him over other Republican opponents, including Scott Brown, as the GOP seeks to flip the seat held by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a retiring Democrat.

Trump called Sununu an America First Patriot on Truth Social on Sunday and said he had Trump's Complete and Total Endorsement.

"John is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected Leaders in New Hampshire, and many Republicans in the U.S. Senate and, as your next Senator, he will work tirelessly to advance our America First Agenda," Trump wrote.

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Sununu, who has served in Congress as a representative and a senator, lost his Senate re-election bid to Shaheen in 2008. Sununu has criticized Trump in the past, including by calling him a loser in a 2024 op-ed published in the New Hampshire Union Leader supporting Republican presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley.

Sununus campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trumps endorsement.

Since Sununu launched his bid, Democrats have warned that the Senate race could be tougher than expected, urging people not to sleep on it.

Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., who is running as a Democrat, reacted to Trumps endorsement of Sununu on X.

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Im Chris Pappas, and I approve this message, Pappas wrote, reposting a screenshot of Trumps Truth Social post endorsing Sununu.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Kristen Cianci said in a statement that "New Hampshire's Senate seat is one to watch this cycle."

The Presidents endorsement underscores what a priority this race is and that Republicans are fully prepared to show up in November, she said.

Brown, who has been Trumps ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa and previously was a senator from Massachusetts, pledged on X  after Trump endorsed Sununu  to keep working.

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Ive always believed that the people of New Hampshire are the ultimate authority on our future, and they deserve a choice between candidates seeking to earn their support, Brown wrote.

I am running to ensure our America First agenda is led by someone who views this mission not as a career path, but as a continuation of a lifelong commitment to service, he added.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Donald Trump once again tore into a female White House reporter on Friday, calling her a very loud person working for a fake news outlet who should give other reporters a chance to speak.

The attack on ABC News correspondent Karen Travers  which follows a growing trend of the president slamming women journalists with sexist insults  seemed to be a way for him to avoid answering a question about his stunning $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department, two departments he oversees.

During an executive order signing on Friday, which was centered on an IndyCar race around the US Capitol to celebrate Americas 250th birthday, Travers attempted to question the president about the lawsuit that was filed the night before.

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That complaint, which includes the presidents two oldest sons and the Trump Organization, alleges that the IRS and Treasury failed to stop the leak of Trumps tax records by an IRS contractor in 2019 and 2020.

Charles Littlejohn pleaded guilty in 2023 to leaking the presidents tax returns to the New York Times and received five years in prison. In 2020, the New York Times reported that Trump  despite his purported wealth  only paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and no taxes for most of the previous 15 years. At the time, Trump claimed that the story was totally fake news.

Donald Trump raged at ABC News reporter Karen Travers on Friday, calling her very loud and dismissing her as fake news for asking about his IRS lawsuit. (AFP via Getty Images)

Filed in the presidents personal capacity, the lawsuit is seeking damages of at least $10 billion from Trumps own administration, claiming the leak of the tax documents caused reputational and financial harm and unfairly tarnished the business reputation of the Trumps and their company.

This is theft and corruption. Immoral, sick and anti-America, former GOP Rep. Denver Riggleman reacted.

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Mr President, why are you suing this administration and the IRS? Why are you suing? Travers exclaimed while the president fielded questions during the Oval Office event, which also followed the release of more files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case

Who are you with? Trump shot back, prompting Travers to note that she works for ABC News.

Youre a loud person, the president sneered. "Very loud. Let somebody else have a chance.

As Travers asked if the president was willing to answer her question, Trump  whose Justice Department just arrested Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort  began attacking the reporter and her news organization.

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ABC fake news, he groused while ignoring Travers question. Go ahead. I didnt call on you ABC, by the way, is truly one of the worst.The president then moved on to another correspondent, who asked him about the upcoming talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Karen Travers never got her question answered during Friday's Oval Office meeting. (CNN)

In recent months, Trump has increasingly launched into tirades against reporters covering his administration, with female journalists taking the brunt of those degrading and childish attacks.

While the president has ramped up his misogynistic attacks against women covering the White House, such as calling them piggy, stupid, nasty, ugly, and obnoxious, the White House press shop has insisted that Trump is not targeting females with sexist insults.

President Trump has never been politically correct, never holds back, and in large part, the American people re-elected him for his transparency, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Independent. This has nothing to do with gender  it has everything to do with the fact that the Presidents and the publics trust in the media is at all time lows.

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And after the president told a Bloomberg reporter to be quiet piggy, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the media should be grateful because Trump was giving them so much press access.

Look, the president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room. He gets frustrated with reporters when you lie about him, when you spread fake news about him and his administration. But he is also the most transparent president in history, she said at the time.

I think the president being frank and open and honest to your faces rather than hiding behind your backs is a lot more respectful than what you saw in the last administration, Leavitt added.
President Donald Trump concluded his shortest stay at Mar-a-Lago this term on Feb. 1 by attending a wedding at his private club, mulling body cameras for immigration agents and feigning not knowing "anything about" a shocking upset in a Texas election.

The president arrived at Palm Beach International Airport just after 11 p.m. on Jan. 31 after attending the Alfalfa Club's dinner in Washington, an annual event that includes a roast. Aboard Air Force One on the flight to South Florida, Trump spoke with reporters elaborating on an earlier social media post he issued regarding the federal immigration crackdown in largely Democratic cities.

If we go in, all they do is complain, Trump told reporters. "If they want help, they have to ask for it.

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The comments followed a week of damaging revelations about the Jan. 24 fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse who worked at the area's Veterans Affairs hospital. Videos and eyewitness accounts compellingly contradicted assertions by Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem that Pretti was a "domestic terrorist" who had posed a direct threat to federal immigration agents.

By midweek, the administration had reassigned border patrol commander Gregory Bovino and sent immigration czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to lead its operations. At a Cabinet meeting in the White House, Trump glaringly passed over Noem when calling on his department leaders to offer updates.

The performer Bruce Springsteen also unveiled a biting critique of the seemingly immigration siege in the Twin Cities in a song called "Streets of Minneapolis." A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Jan. 27 found 58% respondents saying the administration's immigration enforcement campaign has gone "too far." In a Fox News poll issued Jan. 28, 59% of those asked said the federal government's actions were "too aggressive"  a 10-point increase from July.

On Feb. 1, the president said deploying body cameras on border patrol agents is a possibility.

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We'll be talking about that in the near future, he said. The president's arrival in Palm Beach also coincided with yet another partial federal government shutdown, this precisely over a dispute about funding the immigration crackdown.

On Feb. 1, Trump attended the wedding of White Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, a longtime Trump communications aide, and Erin Elmore, who works in a post dealing with U.S. embassies within the U.S. State Department.

Among those reported to have attended were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson, Kai Trump, Vanessa Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and Noem.

An image of a social media post President Donald Trump posted while at Mar-a-Lago on Feb. 1.

Ahead of the ceremony, Trump again spoke with reporters saying he was unaware of a stunning defeat at the polls for Republicans in a Texas state senate race. In that contest, Democratic candidate Taylor Rehmet flipped a solid Republican seat in a district Trump won in 2024 by 17 percentage points.

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It was the latest string, since November, of state and local contests lost by GOP candidates, even in states Trump either won or had made significant inroads in recapturing the White House more than a year ago.

Speaking with reporters, the president dismissed the outcome.

"I'm not involved with that," Trump said, despite issuing a social media post on Jan. 31 urging GOP voters to turn out for the Republican candidate. "Things like that happen. ... I'm not on the ballot so, so you don't know whether or not it sounds terrible."

While in town, the president also posted a social-media image purportedly of an arch he is proposing to build in Washington. And he threw his weight around in six GOP primary races in Indiana by endorsing rivals against incumbent state Senate Republicans who refused to comply with Trump's demand that they redistrict congressional boundaries ahead of this midterm's elections to help ensure the party's majority in the U.S. House.

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Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump in Palm Beach Scavino wedding, says no involvement in Texas election
(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump put the screws on House Republicans to reopen the federal government WITHOUT DELAY in a Monday afternoon Truth Social post.

I am working hard with Speaker Johnson to get the current funding deal, which passed in the Senate last week, through the House and to my desk, where I will sign it into Law, IMMEDIATELY! began the president, who continued:

We need to get the Government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY. There can be NO CHANGES at this time. We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised, but we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown that will hurt our Country so badly  One that will not benefit Republicans or Democrats. I hope everyone will vote, YES!

A partial government shutdown began on Saturday morning as Republicans and Democrats continue to fight over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, amidst the continued controversy over the Trump administrations immigration enforcement efforts after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

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Last week, the White House struck a deal to continue funding DHS at current levels for two weeks to allow for further negotiations, and the Senate passed a legislative package to act on that agreement on Friday.

Now, Trump is calling for the aforementioned Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to bring the same legislation up for a vote in the House, even though some conservatives in his caucus object to the deal.

CNN provided further context in a Monday morning report:

Every vote matters in Johnsons slim majority. The Louisiana Republican can afford to lose only two defections on a party-line vote. That margin will soon be even lower: House Democrats elected another member from Texas  Christian Menefee  in a special election over the weekend. Once Menefee is sworn in, Johnson can afford only a single defection. Top House Democrats, for their part, have communicated to Johnson they are not inclined to help him advance the deal that Trump made with Senate Democrats. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Johnson during a call Saturday that Democrats wont help Republicans pass the bill if they attempted to fast-track the measure Monday, according to two sources familiar with the call. After that move, Republican leaders decided not to attempt that fast-tracked process and will instead proceed through regular order  which will require near-unanimity within the House GOP to advance the bill.

 

The post Trump Puts the Screws on House Republicans to Reopen the Government WITHOUT DELAY first appeared on Mediaite.
President Trump is warning of a possible Democratic victory in Novembers midterm elections, seemingly lowering expectations for Republican wins well ahead of any voters heading to the ballot box.

Trump regularly notes the party in control of the White House historically tends to lose the midterms, attributing it a psychological factor among voters. The president experienced the trend himself when Republicans lost control of the House during his first term in 2018.

Presidents, whether its Republican or Democrat, when they win, it doesnt make any difference. They seem to lose the midterms, Trump told conservative talk show host Will Cain on Fox News while in Iowa last week.

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Maybe they want to put up a guard fence. You just dont know. It doesnt make sense, he said. Hopefully were going to change that around. Were doing great.

Many Republicans have brushed off Trumps comments, saying they are meant to energize the partys base ahead of the elections. However, others say it is a sign the president is preparing his party for potential losses.

One Republican strategist told The Hill it could prove to be unwise for a political party to put out a message warning of losses instead of touting wins.

Its a combination of wanting to cast any potential blame on how this could go in November on history rather than the facts, the strategist noted.

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Republicans are facing a tough battle to defend their majorities. Not only are historical trends working against the GOP in 2026, but polling has also not bode well for the party.

A Fox News poll released last week found that 52 percent of voters said they would support the Democratic candidate in their House district, marking the highest level of support recorded for either party in the poll since October of 2017. Another 46 percent said they would vote for the Republican candidate in their district in November.

Other Republicans were not as concerned with the president voicing his theory about voters mindset in midterm elections.

I just wasnt too alarmed by it, hes just more or less stating a fact, one Republican operative told The Hill. Hes reinforcing that were in a strong position.

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Republican strategist Ford OConnell argued Trumps comments are part of a broader strategy to remind the partys conservative base of the importance of maintaining the House majority.

Hes trying to bring something to peoples minds that theyre not traditionally thinking about, OConnell said.

A party gets comfortable when their person is in the White House, and they dont often recognize how fired up the other side may be, he added.

The same Fox News poll released last week found 82 percent of Democrats say they feel inclined to vote this year, compared with 76 percent of Republicans and 61 percent of independents.

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Trump has invoked a variety of messaging tactics in an effort to energize his base, including increasingly warning that House Democrats will move to impeach him, as they did in his first term, if they regain the majority.

The president has also floated the idea of the GOP hosting a 2026 midterm political convention, which the Republican National Committee voted to move forward with this month.

Hes basically throwing everything up at the wall to see what sticks in terms of breaking that historical cycle, OConnell said.

Trumps trip to Iowa on Tuesday marked the first of what are expected to be weekly trips across the country to campaign for Republicans up and down the ballot. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said last month the president would campaign like its 2024 again in an effort to appeal to low-propensity voters, many of whom make up the presidents base.

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You got to get out there and vote, Trump told the crowd at his rally in Clive, Iowa. We have really great candidates, again Senate and House.

But Trump also said late last year hed prefer not to be back on the campaign trail because he had already won his election for president, attributing pressure to do so to Wiles. Trump has made very few domestic trips during his second term other than to spend weekends at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Still, the Iowa speech proved to be somewhat of a preview of what the nation can expect from Trump now that the midterm year is underway. The theme of that rally was affordability, an issue Trump and Republicans handily won on in 2024 but that Democrats reclaimed in a number of special elections and off-year races in 2025.

Trump has also delivered mixed messages on the issue, both in touting it and calling it a hoax.

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According to the Fox News poll, 68 percent of surveyed voters said Trump was not spending enough time on the economy. Forty-seven percent said he was spending too much time on immigration and border security, while 37 percent said the same about foreign policy.

But Republicans say the president is working to reverse this trend with voters, urging Republican candidates and lawmakers to talk about how the massive GOP reconciliation bill, also known as One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will deliver for voters down the line.

The White House, for its part, touted Trumps economic wins and portrayed the media as fixated on one contrived scandal after another.

President Trump is most in his element when hes with the everyday Americans who propelled him to office, and the President will continue delivering results and cutting out the Fake News middleman to tout what he has and continues to do for the American people, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement.

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But Trump still interviews with mainstream media and answers a plethora of questions from the White House press corps on a regular basis, putting himself in front of cameras in the process.

The unnamed Republican strategist said Trumps biggest obstacle will be how the economy plays out 10 months from now  including as initiatives like Trump accounts and housing policy play out as the president continues to portray economic successes and lowered costs.

What weve got to do is accept that most people dont feel that way about the economy, the strategist said. Instead of trying to convince them that they dont feel that way  say its OK to feel that way and help is on the way.

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.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump said Republicans should "nationalize" the voting process as he continues to level unfounded claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, more than five years after losing to Joe Biden.

Trump called for Republicans at the federal level to seize control of elections from states during an appearance on the podcast of Dan Bongino, who returned to his show on Feb. 2 after resigning in January as FBI deputy director in the Trump administration.

"The Republicans should say, 'We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least  many, 15 places.'" Trump said. "The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked."

US President Donald Trump arrives with Air Force one at Des Moines International Airpot on Jan. 27, 2026, in Des, Moines, Iowa. President Donald Trump signs autographs as he visits the Machine Shed restaurant on Jan. 27, 2026 in Urbandale, Iowa. President Trump is scheduled to speak later at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa. He returns to Iowa for a second time in his second term ahead of the mid-term elections. President Donald Trump speaks to guests as he visits the Machine Shed restaurant on Jan. 27, 2026 in Urbandale, Iowa. President Trump is scheduled to speak later at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa. He returns to Iowa for a second time in his second term ahead of the mid-term elections. President Donald Trump holds a photo of himself with supporters as he visits the Machine Shed restaurant on January 27, 2026 in Urbandale, Iowa. President Trump is scheduled to speak later at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa. He returns to Iowa for a second time in his second term ahead of the mid-term elections. President Donald Trump signs autographs during a stop at the Machine Shed restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa, on Jan. 27, 2026. Supporters stand behind the lectern before President Donald Trump takes the stage during a rally at Horizon Events Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Clive, Iowa. Protesters gather outside the Horizon Events Center to protest Donald Trump's visit to Iowa on Jan. 27, 2026, in Clive, Iowa. Police move protesters across the street as they rally in opposition to the President's visit to Iowa on Jan. 27, 2026, in Clive, Iowa. Supporters recite the Pledge of Allegiance ahead of President Donald Trump's speech at Horizon Events Center in Clive on Jan. 27, 2026. President Donald Trump applauds on the day he delivers a speech on energy and the economy, in Clive, Iowa on Jan. 27, 2026. The crowd cheers on the day President Donald Trump delivers a speech on energy and the economy, in Clive, Iowa on Jan. 27, 2026. President Donald Trump gestures on the day he delivers a speech on energy and the economy, in Clive, Iowa on Jan. 27, 2026. President Donald Trump takes the stage to speak during a rally at the Horizon Events Center on Jan. 27, 2026 in Clive, Iowa. President Trump returns to Iowa for a second time in his second term ahead of the mid-term elections. President Donald Trump takes the stage to speak during a rally at the Horizon Events Center on Jan. 27, 2026 in Clive, Iowa. President Trump returns to Iowa for a second time in his second term ahead of the mid-term elections. Scenes From President Trumps Iowa Visit 1 of 14 US President Donald Trump arrives with Air Force one at Des Moines International Airpot on Jan. 27, 2026, in Des, Moines, Iowa.

More: FBI searches Georgia election center over 2020 vote

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The Constitution gives authority to states  not the federal government  to set "the times, places and manner" of holding federal elections, but it empowers Congress to "make or alter" rules.

Trump's comments came after the FBI on Jan. 28 executed a search warrant at a Fulton County elections center near Atlanta as part of a probe related to the 2020 presidential election. Georgia is among the states won by Biden that Trump has falsely said were stolen from him.

"We have states that I won that Joe didn't win," Trump said. "Now, you're going to see something in Georgia, where they were able to get the court order, the ballots. You're going to see some interesting things come out."

President Donald Trump welcomes the bride and groom during the wedding of Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff, and Erin Elmore, the director of Art in Embassies at the U.S. Department of State, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 1, 2026.

More: Fulton County to challenge Trump admin's seizure of ballots in court

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Trump spoke directly to some of the FBI agents who executed the search a day after it was conducted, the New York Times reported, citing three people with knowledge of the discussions. Trump was connected by phone with the FBI agents by Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, as she visited the bureau's office in person, the Times reported.

Trump's call for Republicans to federalize elections came as he accused Democrats of bringing migrants into the United States to illegally vote  a frequent attack among Trump and his supporters that is not backed by evidence. Only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in federal and state elections.

"These people were brought to our country to vote, and they vote illegally," Trump said. "It's amazing that the Republicans aren't tougher about it."

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says Republicans should 'nationalize' elections
By Katharine Jackson and Bhargav Acharya

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday that Republicans should "nationalize" and "take over" voting in at least 15 unspecified places, reiterating his false claims that U.S. elections are marred by widespread fraud.

In a podcast interview with his former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Trump -- who continues to claim falsely that his 2020 election defeat was the result of fraud -- gave no details on what he intended.

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Referring to immigrants, the president said on "The Dan Bongino Show": "These people were brought to our country to vote, and they vote illegally. And you know, amazing that the Republicans aren't tougher on it."

"The Republicans should say, we want to take over. We should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting," Trump said in the interview.

He did not specify the locations but said: "We have states that are so crooked and they're counting votes. We have states that I won that show I didn't win."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification of Trump's remarks.

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The comments were met with pushback. U.S. Representative Don Bacon, a Republican, said on X, "I opposed nationalizing elections when Speaker Pelosi wanted major changes to elections in all 50 states. Ill oppose this now as well."

Separately, Michigan Department of State spokesperson Cheri Hardmon said in a statement: "The U.S. Constitution puts states in charge of elections, not the federal government. Thats the law."

Bongino returned to his podcast after leaving the Federal Bureau of Investigation last month.

FBI SEARCH

Trump's comments came days after the FBI searched an election office in Georgia's Fulton County for 2020 records as the president continues to press false claims of fraud in his 2020 defeat, an accusation that has been rejected by courts, state governments and members of Trump's own former administration.

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Trump, in a departure from law enforcement norms, spoke with some of the FBI agents by cellphone the day after the raid during a meeting they had with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, the New York Times reported on Monday.

The U.S. will hold midterm elections in November that will determine control of Congress for the next two years.

Under the U.S. Constitution, states and local jurisdictions conduct elections.

(Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Bhargav Acharya; editing by Susan Heavey and Cynthia Osterman)
President Trump told reporters Sunday he is taking a serious look at endorsing in Texass Republican Senate primary.

Im giving it a very serious look, Trump told The Hill during a gaggle with reporters at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.

You know, my problem is Im friendly with all of them. I like all of them, all three, he continued, referring to incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R), state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R).

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But youll be seeing soon, he added. They say whoever I endorse wins. Thats probably right.

The president has so far avoided making an endorsement in the intraparty battle. His comments came hours after Democrats flipped Texass 9th state Senate seat on Saturday.

The Democratic victory in the district, which Trump won by 17 points in 2024, is a major win for the party in the deep-red state.

The president had backed the Republican in the race and urged voters to vote for the candidate on Saturday.

However, when he was asked about the GOP loss on Sunday, Trump said he didnt know anything about the contest.

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Im not involved in that. Thats a local Texas race, he said. Things like that happen.

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.
President Donald Trump is threatening to sue comedian Trevor Noah over a garbage joke about Epstein island at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

In an overnight post on Truth Social, he lashed out at the six-time host as a total loser who better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast.

Trump was the target of several jibes by Noah over the course of Sundays awards ceremony, and before the Song of the Year winner was named, he quipped: Song of the Year - that is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epsteins island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.

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When some in the audience gasped, Noah responded: Oh I told you its my last year! What are you going to do about it?

Trumps past friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been well-documented, but the pair parted ways before the billionaire financier was convicted. While Trump traveled on Epsteins private jet a handful of times, there is no suggestion he ever went to Little Saint James in the Caribbean. The island is believed to be the base of Epsteins sex trafficking operation.

South African comedian and host Trevor Noah speaks during the 68th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 1. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)

Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I cant speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonights false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media, Trump wrote in his social media post.

It looks like Ill be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$.

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The president also blasted Noah and the Grammys with a slew of insults, describing the host as almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards, and the awards themselves as the WORST, virtually unwatchable!

CBS is lucky not to have this garbage litter their airwaves any longer, he added, a reference to next years move for the Grammys to instead be broadcast on ABC.

Noah was unsparing in his swings at Trump and his MAGA allies during his opening monologue, joking that rapper Nicki Minaj - who has never won a Grammy, despite being nominated 12 times - had skipped the ceremony because she was still at the White House discussing very important issues.

Rapper Nicki Minaj was gifted a Trump Gold Card during her recent appearance at the Treasury Department's Trump Accounts Summit. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The audience at the star-studded event laughed and cheered in response to Noahs joke, with Chrissy Teigen giving a thumbs-up to the camera.

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Trump threatened in his Truth Social post that he would have the last laugh, warning Noah that other TV channels and presenters hadnt fared well against his legal action and regurgitating an insulting nickname for ABC host George Stephanopoulos.

Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, Im going to have some fun with you! President DJT.

Noah is yet to respond to Trumps threat, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who frequently parodies the presidents outbursts on social media, jibed back with a mock press statement.

I CANT BELIEVE VERY TALENTED ARTISTS LIKE KID ROCK AND NICKI MINAJ WERE SNUBBED AGAIN AND WILL BE WALKING HOME WITH ZERO (0) GRAMMYS, Newsom wrote on X in all caps, as Trump himself often does.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has frequently parodied President Trumps outbursts on social media. (Jill Connelly/Getty)

THE HATERS WILL SAY THEY ARE TRASH ARTISTS WHO ARE JUST DESPERATE FOR ATTENTION. WRONG!!! THEY ARE OKAY ARTISTS WHO ARE DESPERATE FOR ATTENTION. THEIR RECENT PR PERFORMANCES ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO EARN A PARTICIPATION PRIZE AT MINIMUM.

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BECAUSE THE GRAMMYS FAILED, I WILL BE AWARDING KID AND NICKI THE CALIFORNIA MUSIC PARTICIPATION PEACE PRIZE (AT THE NEWSOM KENNEDY CENTER), A VERY PRESTIGIOUS AWARD DECIDED BY MY PEACE BOARD, WHICH I ALONE APPOINT. THIS RESTORES FAIRNESS TO MUSIC.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. GOVERNOR GCN.

Trump has a long history of threatening legal action against media companies and personalities for coverage he doesnt like, targeting organizations such as ABC, the BBC, The New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, among others.

Some have chosen to make large out-of-court financial settlements rather than tangle with the president in court.
HF Sinclair Corporation (NYSE:DINO) is included among the 7 Best Low-Risk Dividend Stocks to Invest in.

Analyst Raises HF Sinclair (DINO) Price Target to $61

HF Sinclair Corporation (NYSE:DINO) is a U.S.-based petroleum refiner with a focus on products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and related offerings.

On January 27, Morgan Stanley analyst Joe Laetsch raised his price target on HF Sinclair Corporation (NYSE:DINO) to $61 from $60 and kept an Overweight rating. He pointed out that refining stocks are up about 10% year-to-date, helped by wider light and heavy crude differentials tied to recent events in Venezuela.

After updating for current forward crack spreads, the firms Q1 EPS estimates for large-cap refiners sit roughly 5% to 10% below consensus on average. That view came as part of Morgan Stanleys Q4 preview for the sector. Over the longer term, the firm still sees reasons to stay positive on refining, though it continues to rate the industry In-Line, largely due to valuations.

Earlier, on December 8, HF Sinclair Corporation said one of its subsidiaries had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Industrial Oils Unlimited for $38 million, including around $15 million of working capital. Based on expectations for 2027, the deal implies an EBITDA multiple of about 3.5x once synergies are included.

The addition of IOU, a business known for its value-added service model, customized solutions, and the well-established DX brand, is expected to strengthen HF Sinclairs standing in lubricants and specialty fluids. Management sees the transaction as a practical step toward expanding its role as an innovator in that market.

While we acknowledge the potential of DINO 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 High Yield Utility Stocks to Buy in 2026 and 10 Best American Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy.

Disclosure: None.
Hundreds of thousands of Haitians at risk of losing a legal designation that allows them to live and work in the United States are awaiting a federal judge's decision this week on whether that status can continue.

Temporary protected status status is set to end Feb. 3, which could force Haitians to return to their home country or at the very least leave the U.S. But while the Trump administration is seeking to end the protection for Haitians, unrest has continued on the ground in the Caribbean island nation.

Columbus Haitian community: 'Everybody is afraid:' With status in question Columbus Haitian community faces anxiety

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A federal appellate judge is expected to rule soon on whether the cancellation can continue.

Here's what we know about the ending of TPS for Haitians living across the country and in cities like Springfield and Columbus.

How many Haitians live in Springfield, Ohio, and in Columbus?

Springfield is home to an estimated 15,000 Haitians, according to the City of Springfield. The Haitian population in Springfield, which is a 50-minute drive west of Columbus, represents about 25% of the city's population of 60,000.

It's estimated that around 30,000 Haitians, many with the protected status, live in the greater Columbus area.

Although TPS does not expire until Feb. 3, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were already warning Haitians in Columbus to prepare to leave back in December, said Sophia Pierrelus, a Columbus-based health care professional and a Haitian-American who advocates for the Haitian community.

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A family Pierrelus knows told her that ICE agents pulled them over during "Operation Buckeye" in December. The agents, she said, warned the family that they could arrest them come early February.

"There's going to be ICE raids," Pierrelus said of TPS ending. "They're already here."

What is temporary protective status or TPS and why is it ending?

TPS is a designation given to people when ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, epidemics or other extraordinary and temporary conditions occur in their home countries, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The status protects Haitians and others from deportation and allows them to work legally in the U.S.

Many Haitians were granted TPS as far back as 2010, when an earthquake killed more than 220,000 Haitian people and destroyed much of the nation's infrastructure, according to the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), a community organization that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies. Since then, Haiti has experienced what the advocacy organization describes as a series of "cascading crises."

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TPS was extended for Haitians in July 2024 by the Biden administration due to gang activity causing economic, security, political and health crises.

But, the Department of Homeland Security during President Donald Trump's second term claimed the TPS system has been "exploited and abused" for decades. Despite ongoing violence in Haiti, Homeland Security said it has reviewed conditions there and determined it doesn't meet the requirements for TPS designation any longer.

"The Haitians, many want to go back home. However there's no home to go back to," Pierrelus said. "That's the real problem."

Flyers with information about temporary protected status written in Haitian Creole hung outside Beauty Depot in Springfield. The Trump administration ended TPS for Haitians ending it in August. Photo taken 2/21/2025.

What have Donald Trump and JD Vance said about Haitians here on TPS?

Unproven rumors Trump spread during his 2024 campaign brought significant attention to Springfield and the Haitians on TPS who call the city home.

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During a nationally televised presidential debate on Sept. 10, 2024, Trump claimed without evidence that Haitian immigrants were eating pets.

"In Springfield, they are eating the dogs," Trump said during the debate. "The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They're eatingthey are eating the pets of the people that live there."

Vance helped spread the rumor about pets being eaten on social media. He also said immigrants were overburdening Springfield's services and housing.

In order to get attention during the 2024 campaign, Vance later acknowledged that sometimes, "I have to create stories."

What happened in Springfield in 2024?

In the days after the presidential debate where Trump shared the rumor about Haitians, Springfield officials strongly rebuffed the claim about immigrants eating pets.

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City Manager Bryan Heck wrote a letter to then-Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, asking for support to ease a significant housing crisis in the city due to an influx of Haitian immigrants.

Complaints also arose about an overtaxed health care system and concerns about driver safety, with some pointing to a Haitian immigrant who caused a school bus crash that killed an 11-year-old. DeWine said the state would commit at least $2.5 million to expand primary care access and send state troopers to Clark County to help local police monitor the roads.

Not long after the presidential debate, schools, government buildings and stores became inundated with bomb threats. Eventually, DeWine sent Ohio State Highway Patrol officers to conduct daily bomb sweeps at the community's schools.

What has DeWine said about TPS ending for Haitians?

Ohio is preparing for a potential surge in immigration enforcement officers if thousands of Haitians in Springfield do end up losing their legal status overnight.

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"If ICE does in fact come in, comes in with a big operation, obviously we have to work this thing through and make sure people don't get hurt," DeWine said Jan. 27.

DeWine has defended the Haitian community and contends the end of TPS will hurt the local economy and risk the safety of people forced to return to Haiti. DeWine has also said that he is concerned children's services agencies could be overwhelmed if parents here on TPS are detained by immigration and customs enforcement officers.

In an op-ed after the debate where Trump spread false claims about Haitians in Springfield, DeWine said he was saddened by the rumors. DeWine wrote that the claims disparaged legal immigrants living in Springfield and hurt the city and the people who call it home.

What have the courts done when it comes to TPS for Haitians?

The temporary protection Haitians have has already been extended once by a judge and could be again.

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In July, a federal court judge extended the date that Haitians with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) must leave from Sept. 3, 2025, to Feb. 3, 2026.

On Jan. 14, a federal court of appeals heard a case challenging the cancellation of the status for both Haitians and Venezuelans, according to the ACLU. TPS for Venezuelan nationals is set to expire in October.

A decision is expected no later than Feb. 2, which is the day before the status is set to end for Haitians.

"We are hoping they extend it. That would be comforting," Pierrelus said. "But, (Haitians) are still going to have to worry about what's going to be next."

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Dispatch reporters Danae King and Haley BeMiller contributed to this story.

Dispatch investigative reporter Max Filby can be reached by email at mfilby@dispatch.com. Find him on X at the handle @MaxFilby or on Facebook at @ReporterMaxFilby.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How will Columbus, Springfield be affected if TPS ends for Haitians?
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will travel to Abu Dhabi for negotiations with Ukraine and Russia on Feb. 4-5, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing an undisclosed White House official.

The news comes as Ukraine and Russia prepare for another round of talks this week aimed at ending Russia's full-scale invasion, which is soon to hit its fourth anniversary.

Axios reporter Barak Ravid said that Witkoff, Trump's point person for both Russia and the Middle East, will first travel to Israel before heading to the United Arab Emirates.

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The U.S. envoy is then reportedly expected to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and officials from other Muslim countries in Istanbul on Feb. 6 to discuss details of a potential nuclear deal amid heightened U.S.-Iran tensions.

The Kyiv Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.

The upcoming trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, which follow an earlier round on Jan. 23-24, are expected to focus on a potential energy ceasefire and control over Ukraine's Donbas region.

Russia has long demanded that Ukraine cede the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, including unoccupied territory, as a precondition of any peace agreement.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky met Ukrainian negotiators, including Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Presidential Office, and Rustem Umerov, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, on Feb. 2 to discuss the framework and objectives in the talks.

"We believe it is realistic to achieve a dignified and lasting peace," Zelensky said on X.

Separately, Ukrainian delegates will hold bilateral meetings with U.S. officials to advance recovery and economic cooperation, the president added, noting that he considers work on security guarantees complete.

"We also anticipate that the American side will remain decisive in ensuring the necessary conditions for dialogue," Zelensky said.

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"The de-escalation measures that went into effect on the night of last Thursday to Friday (Jan. 29-30) are helping to build public trust in the negotiation process and its possible outcome," he noted in reference to a brief period when Russia pledged to reduce strikes against Ukraine.

Read also: The illusion of a ceasefire in Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Travelers without a Real ID will have to pay the equivalent of lunch for two at an airport restaurant to get through security.

On Feb. 1, the Transportation Security Administration rolled out TSA Confirm.ID, an alternative identity verification program that its staff described as "the next phase of Real ID." The program is optional.

Travelers who choose this program instead of presenting a Real ID must pay a $45 fee, which is valid for 10 days.

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Here's what travelers should know about the new Confirm.ID program and how they can get a Real ID in Arizona.

Do you need a Real ID to fly?

Yes. The Real ID Act took effect on May 7, 2025, and TSA continues to enforce it.

How does the TSA confirm your identity?

TSA Confirm.ID confirms a person's identity using technology to match a passenger's biographic and/or biometric information.

The process takes about 15 minutes, about half the time of previous alternative identity verification methods, said Jerry Agnew, TSA's federal security director for Arizona.

Travelers without Real ID-compliant identification will be referred to the TSA Confirm.ID process upon TSA check-in and before entering the security line, according to TSA.

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Despite offering the alternative verification program, TSA urges passengers without Real ID to get one as soon as possible to avoid delays at the airport that can result in missing flights.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego explains the upcoming deadline to get a Real ID during a news conference at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on April 10, 2025.

How much does TSA Confirm.ID cost?

Travelers must pay $45 to use TSA Confirm.ID, which is valid for 10 days. Passengers can pay the fee before arriving at the airport by filling out a form on Pay.gov, Agnew said.

For frequent travelers, the fee and the window of validity aren't worth it. The Arizona Travel ID costs $25 and is valid for eight years. Passport books ($130) and passport cards ($30) are valid for 10 years.

Is TSA turning people away without Real ID?

Travelers are not turned away from security checkpoints if they present a driver's license that doesn't meet the Real ID requirements. Instead, they're asked to show another form of ID, like a passport, TSA spokesman Daniel Velez said.

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But if passengers use TSA Confirm.ID instead of a Real ID and their identities can't be verified, they will miss their flights. This happens when security officers find a passenger is not who they say they are, or when a passenger refuses to answer questions, Agnew said.

What can I bring to the airport to verify my identity?

Besides Real ID-compliant driver's licenses and passports, the following can also be used as a Real ID:

Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST.

U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents.

Permanent resident card.

Border crossing card.

An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs).

HSPD-12 PIV card.

Foreign government-issued passport.

Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card.

Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766).

U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential.

Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC).

What does a Real ID look like in Arizona?

Travelers can tell if their Arizona driver's license is a Real ID if the top-left corner has a gold or black circle with a star inside.

How many Arizonans have a Real ID?

Real ID compliance in Arizona is around 91% since enforcement began in May 2025, slightly lower than the national average of 94%, Agnew said.

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Compliance doesn't exclusively mean having a Real ID-compliant driver's license  those who don't have one could use a passport or other valid credentials.

But it helps that more Arizonans have state driver's licenses that meet the requirements.

About 3.4 million Arizona Travel IDs, Arizona's Real ID-compliant driver's license, are active in the state as of January 2026, said Bill Lamoreaux, spokesman with the Arizona Department of Transportation.

More than 610,000 Arizona Travel IDs were issued since the Real ID Act took effect in May 2025, he said. About 60% of Arizonans who apply for driver's licenses select the Travel ID.

Where to get Real ID in Phoenix

People can start the process of getting an Arizona Travel ID online at AZMVDNow.gov. Finishing the process requires an in-person visit at an appointment at an MVD office or third-party provider. You'll bring your documentation and review your application with a representative.

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Arizona MVD offices are open 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

What documents do I need to get a Real ID?

To get a Real ID in Arizona, ADOT requires:

One primary document for proof of identity, such as a birth certificate or passport.

Two documents for proof of address, such as a utility bill, an insurance policy, credit card statement or bank statement.

A Social Security number.

Do I need a Real ID if I have a passport?

Some travelers might consider getting a Real ID-compliant driver's license redundant if they can use a passport book or card.

But for others, it comes down to convenience. The Travel ID is easier to carry in a wallet than a passport book.

While a passport can work as a Real ID, remember that the Travel ID cannot work as a passport. Only a passport book can be used for international air travel. (Passport cards are valid for land and sea crossings in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, but not for air travel outside of domestic flights.)

Can you fly with a temporary Real ID?

No. TSA does not accept temporary driver's licenses.

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Be sure to allow enough time before your travels to get your Real ID in the mail after you apply for it. ADOT recommends people plan on getting an Arizona Travel ID at least two weeks before they plan to fly.

Looking for the best things to do in Arizona? Sign up for our newsletter.

Get it while it's short: How long is the wait for a new passport?

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist whos covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republics consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@usatodayco.com.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: TSA charging $45 fee for travelers without Real ID
Alabamas senior senator backed the federal charges against former CNN journalist Don Lemon, saying the reporter NEEDS TO GO TO JAIL.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., made the remark on in a social media post from his gubernatorial campaign account responding to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., condemning Lemons arrest.

What a joke, Tuberville, who is running for Alabama governor instead of reelection to the Senate, said of Schumer likening the Trump administrations arrest of Lemon to police states and authoritarian regimes.

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Lemon was indicted on civil rights crimes for covering an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minneapolis church.

Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, was due to appear Friday in federal court in Los Angeles. He has said he has no affiliation to the organization that went into the church and he was there as a solo journalist chronicling protesters.

Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done, his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.

Tuberville claimed there was no comparison between Lemons alleged conduct and the Democrats that weaponized the DOJ to go after a former President on made-up charges, bullied companies into silencing and debanking conservatives, and threw anyone in jail who was even near the Capitol on January 6th.

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Don Lemon interrupted a church service.violating the congregants Constitutional rights to worship freely," Tuberville tweeted. He and everyone else involved NEEDS TO GO TO JAIL.

Tuberville was not the only elected official representing Alabama to support Lemons arrest.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., claimed Lemon participated in a cowardly ambush during the Jan. 18 protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul, where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official is a pastor.

Don Lemon knowingly disrupted an active church service, intimidating churchgoers seeking to worship in peace and likely violating the FACE Act, Britt tweeted.

He and the other agitators should be held accountable for this cowardly ambush on people of faith, she continued.

Read the original article on al.com.
Having the opportunity to fly a particular aircraft and then share the story with the public is one of the perks of being a media personality and a pilot.

CubCrafters, the Washington state-based maker of tailwheel-equipped aircraft synonymous with backcountry flying, knows this and created a Media Evaluation Program that permits select members of the aviation media community temporary access to company-owned aircraft for independent evaluation, review, and content creation.

One of the pilots participating in the program was Roland Steadham, chief meteorologist for KBOI-TV in Boise, Idaho. On January 27, Steadham and passenger Dallin Laufenberg were killed in a crash while flying a CCX-1865 Carbon Cub FX (N126C) in a remote part of the Payette River in Gem County's Black Canyon. According to the Gem County Sheriff's Office, the small airplane clipped a power line just before 11 a.m. MST Tuesday morning.

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According to CubCrafters, Steadham had been flying the aircraft since December 2025.

"Each program engagement begins with a detailed review of the aircraft's systems, operating considerations, and a discussion of our expectations for conservative and safe aircraft operations," the company said. "While CubCrafters hopes participants will share favorable impressions of the aircraft through print and digital media, there is no requirement or obligation to produce or publish any specific type, quantity, or timing of content."

Brad Damm, vice president of CubCrafters, said in a news release that the company has decided to "temporarily suspend" its Media Evaluation Program.

"CubCrafters believes it is appropriate to pause the program while we reflect on the event, continue to cooperate with the ongoing investigation, and evaluate the future of this program," said Damm. "Safety has always been, and will continue to be, our highest priority. We extend our deepest condolences to all those impacted by this tragic event."

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The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident.

According to Steadham's television colleagues, he was married and the father of six, and had several grandchildren. He was known in Idaho's Treasure Valley for being an avid outdoorsman and accomplished pilot.

About the Program

Pilots in the Media Evaluation Program have several weeks to fly a selected aircraft in real-world conditions. The pilots must meet experience requirements of 1,000 hours total flight and at least 500 hours of tailwheel experience in a similar type of aircraft.

Participants are not compensated in any way for using the aircraft and must pay their own expenses.
This story was originally published by ProPublica.

The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.

The records viewed by ProPublica list Ochoa, 43, and Gutierrez, 35, as the shooters during the deadly encounter last weekend that left Pretti dead and ignited massive protests and calls for criminal investigations.

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Both men were assigned to Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement dragnet launched in December that sent scores of armed and masked agents across the city.

CBP, which employs both men, has so far refused to release their names and has disclosed few other facts about the deadly incident, which came days after a different immigration agent shot and killed another Minneapolis protester, a 37-year-old mother of three named Renee Good.

Prettis killing, and the subsequent secrecy surrounding the agents involved, comes as the country confronts the consequences of President Donald Trumps aggressive immigration crackdown. The sweeps in cities across the country have been marked by scenes of violence, against immigrants and U.S. citizens, by agents allowed to hide their identities with masks  an almost unheard of practice in law enforcement. As a result, the public has been kept from one of the chief ways it has to hold officers involved in such altercations accountable: their identity.

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have called for a transparent investigation into the killing of Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse working at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.

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We must have a transparent, independent investigation into the Minnesota shooting, and those responsibleno matter their titlemust be held accountable, Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah wrote on X on Monday.

The agency sent a notice to some members of Congress on Tuesday acknowledging that two agents fired Glock pistols during the altercation that left Pretti dead. That notice does not include the agents names. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, said the agents had been placed on leave after the Jan. 24 shooting. And after a week of protests and calls from lawmakers for a review, the Justice Department said Friday that its Civil Rights Division is investigating the shooting. A DOJ spokesperson did not answer questions, including whether DHS has shared materials, such as body-camera footage, with its investigators.

Ochoa is a Border Patrol agent who joined CBP in 2018. Gutierrez joined in 2014 and works for CBPs Office of Field Operations. He is assigned to a special response team, which conducts high-risk operations like those of police SWAT units. Records show both men are from South Texas.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Gregory Bovino, who has orchestrated high-intensity immigration sweeps and arrests in a string of Democratic-led cities since early 2025, was removed from his role as Border Patrol commander at large and reassigned to his former post in El Centro, California.

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A spokesperson for DHS declined to answer questions about the two agents and referred ProPublica to the FBI. The FBI declined to comment. ProPublica made several attempts to call Ochoa and Gutierrez but neither answered.

Ochoa, who goes by Jesse, graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American with a degree in criminal justice, according to his ex-wife, Angelica Ochoa. A longtime resident of the Rio Grande Valley, Ochoa had for years dreamed of working for the Border Patrol and finally landed a job there, she said. By the time the couple split in 2021, he had become a gun enthusiast with about 25 rifles, pistols and shotguns, Angelica Ochoa said.

DHS disclosure to Congress was drawn from an internal review of the agents body-camera footage, which has not been released to the public. State investigators, meanwhile, have accused their federal counterparts of blocking them from investigating the shooting.

FBI agents work at the scene of the Pretti shooting. Peter DiCampo/ProPublica

We dont have any information on the shooters, a Minneapolis city spokesperson said. A spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday that his office also had not been given the names, and we dont have any new information on the investigation.

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Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi Monday, accused the Justice Department of covering up evidence in both Prettis and Goods killings.

DOJ has also blocked prosecutors and agents from cooperating with state law enforcement officials and prevented state officials from accessing evidence, the letter said.

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, told CNN on Sunday that immigration agents should not be masked.

They should not be anonymous. They should be identifiable. And they have to have rules of engagement that dont allow them to terrorize and intimidate, harass and assault U.S. citizens and other people, he said.

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The notice to Congress said that the shooting happened when Pretti resisted arrest after officers were unable to get him and a female protester out of the street.

The CBP officer attempted to move the woman and Pretti out of the roadway. The woman and Pretti did not move, the report reads. CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody. Pretti resisted CBP personnels efforts and a struggle ensued.

According to the report, one agent then yelled Hes got a gun! multiple times, and two others discharged their Glock pistols.

In videos widely shared online, Pretti can be seen holding up a phone, documenting the movements of federal agents and officers as they roamed the streets of a popular food and arts district. According to news reports, Pretti was concerned about the increasingly volatile siege of the city by federal agents.

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In the videos, a masked agent appears to knock a woman to the ground. Pretti comes to her aid, getting between them, at which point the officer deploys pepper spray at his face. Two agents then grab Pretti and pull him to the ground, while more federal personnel pile on. During the struggle, the agents unleash a series of shots  approximately 10  as onlookers scream.

Pretti was armed at the time of the encounter with a legally owned handgun, according to state and federal officials. Some analyses of bystander video appear to show a federal agent taking Prettis gun from his hip before the first shots were fired. The agents masks and the chaos of the altercation make it difficult to differentiate one from another.

Those videos appear to contradict the claims by Bovino and other officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, that Pretti had come to attack agents.

The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted, Bovino said in a Jan. 25 news conference. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots.

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In the initial aftermath, Stephen Miller, a top Trump aide and a leading force behind the immigration enforcement operations, called Pretti a would-be assassin. But Miller changed tack later in the week when he said in a statement that CBP officers may not have been following protocol related to confronting bystanders.

Additional video has surfaced showing Pretti in another altercation with federal agents 11 days before he was killed. The video shows Pretti yelling at the agents, who get in an SUV and start to drive away. Pretti then kicks out the taillight of the vehicle and the agents, who wore protective masks, jump out and tackle him to the ground.

It is unclear if any of the same agents were involved in both incidents.

Lauren Bonds, executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, said that many local and state police departments are much more transparent than CBP when officers shoot people. More and more police departments are choosing to release bodycam footage or dashcam footage within a couple of days.

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Gil Kerlikowske, a former CBP commissioner, told ProPublica that its difficult to draw conclusions from the chaos in bystander videos. Still, he said, the shooting might have been prevented. Prettis attempt to help the woman knocked to the ground could have been seen as interfering with federal law enforcement, he said. But the decision by the officers to immediately use pepper spray created a chaotic scene that likely contributed to Prettis death.

The other agent could have said dont interfere or stand back, Kerlikowske said. Rather than move immediately to pepper spray, you can arrest the person. Its part of a pattern, he said, of federal officers jumping straight to use of force in situations that could have been de-escalated but instead create danger for both agents and their targets.

Prettis death, and the federal governments characterization of the event, sparked immediate protests, spurring thousands of people to go out into frigid conditions in Minneapolis and other American cities. The shooting has also drawn intense criticism from political leaders, including Walz, who has promised his states law enforcement will conduct its own criminal investigation.

People gather at the location where Pretti was shot. Cengiz Yar/ProPublica

Note from the editors:

ProPublica is publishing the names of the two federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of Minnesota protester Alex Pretti. We believe there are few investigations that deserve more sunlight and public scrutiny than this one, in which two masked agents fired 10 shots at Pretti as he lay on the ground after being pepper-sprayed.

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The Department of Justice said it is investigating the incident, but the names of the two agents have been withheld from Congress and from state and local law enforcement.

The policy of shielding officers identities, particularly after a public shooting, is a stark departure from standard law enforcement protocols, according to lawmakers, state attorneys general and former federal officials. Such secrecy, in our view, deprives the public of the most fundamental tool for accountability.
This story has been updated to include new information

SUFFERN - U.S. Rep Mike Lawler held his 13th town hall on Sunday, Feb. 1, and like town halls past, the Republican representing New York's 17th District often delved deep into policy; explained where he differs with the president and where he concurs; and allowed two audience members to be removed.

About 450 attended the town hall in SUNY Rockland Community College's Cultural Arts Center. Prior to the event, about 100 gathered outside in a cordoned-off area for a protest labeled a "Vigil for Victims of ICE."

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Lawler responded to about a dozen questions, ranging from immigration; to energy costs, including the need for renewables and his belief that "climate change is real"; to foreign policy, going into granular detail about Venezuela, his support of Ukraine, and how President Donald Trump is "unique in the way he deals with foreign policy." He also said confidently that Trump won't try for a third term.

But it was a reframing of a past question and a kerfuffle that ensued that led to the most heated exchange of the night.

U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-Pearl River, at a Feb. 1, 2026 town hall at SUNY Rockland Community College.

'Hey bro, you can leave now.'

As Lawler discussed the recent clashes involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota, members of the audience started chanting: "What's your line? What's your line?"

It was the question Nyack resident Emily Feiner had asked Lawler at his May 4, 2025 Town Hall in Somers, wanting to know his "red line" for holding fellow Republican President Trump accountable.

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Feiner was carried out of that town hall, making national headlines.

Removed from Lawler Town Hall: Nyack woman learned about free speech from her dad

As the chants continued during the Feb. 1 town hall, one audience member called out: "Answer the f---ing question!"

Lawler responded: "Hey, bro, you can leave now. Goodbye, goodbye."

A Rockland County sheriff's deputy escorted out the man, who said he was a constituent and a U.S. Navy veteran. Meanwhile, audience chanted: "Let him stay! Let him stay!"

Feiner, a retired social worker for the Veterans Administration, said she was sitting just rows from the veteran, and another older veteran, who were escorted out.

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"Tonight (Lawler) had two U.S. veterans removed for demanding that he actually answer constituents' questions rather than grandstanding and gaslighting us," Feiner said after the town hall. "As a retired VA social worker this is shocking to me."

Lawler on Monday, Feb. 2, said that "the folks were removed for their conduct, not their questions. In each instance, they were removed for continually disrupting, screaming, and using profane language."

ICE limits? Mike Lawlers take

Lawler was asked a few times about his views on the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS; ICE, and immigration policy in general.

Lawler responded to questions, including about the behavior of ICE officers in Minnesota, by addressing a decades-long broken immigration system.

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A questioner asked about Vice President JD Vance and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem labeling Renee Good, shot in the head by an ICE officer Jan. 7, a "domestic terrorist" and President Trump's derisive comments about Alex Pretti, killed Jan. 24.

Lawler has called the deaths of Good and Pretti "tragic" but "preventable."

He repeated those views during the town hall.

Lawler also said that ICE officers should not be wearing masks.

What they've said: Where do Lawler, his Democratic rivals stand on ICE?

Lawler said Congress would continue discussions about ICE "over the next two weeks." The Senate on Jan. 30 approved a two-week stopgap funding measure for DHS, which the House is expected to approve this week. The move stemmed a full government shutdown as ICE tactics are addressed.

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Lawler said he didn't agree with Trump administration leaders labeling Good and Pretti "domestic terrorists."

"I also believe it is wrong to call ICE the gestapo," he added.

Lawler said he would support a pathway to permanent residency  but not citizenship  for the millions of undocumented people who have lived and worked in the country for years, sometimes decades.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: 2 removed from Mike Lawler town hall at RCC amid ICE, Trump questions
Elon Musk's efforts to stop Russia from using Starlink satellites for drone attacks have "delivered real results", a Ukrainian official said.

Praising the SpaceX founder as "a true champion of freedom and a true friend of the Ukrainian people", defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Musk had swiftly responded when he was told Russian drones with Starlink connectivity were operating in the country.

The drones have been linked to a number of recent deadly attacks by Russia on Ukraine, including one on a moving passenger train which left six people dead.

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"Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorised use of Starlink by Russia have worked," Musk wrote on X. "Let us know if more needs to be done."

Starlink satellites operated by SpaceX provide high-speed internet around the world. It has worked in Ukraine since the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

The Russian drones are difficult to shoot down, Fedorov said, as they fly at low altitudes, cannot be countered with electronic warfare, and are controlled by operators in real time from a distance.

The Institute for the Study of War warned in mid-January that since Russia had begun equipping the cheap kamikaze Molniya-2 drones with Starlink, their battlefield efficiency had increased "dramatically".

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While neither Fedorov nor Musk elaborated on what the response had been, the defence ministry's official website ArmiyaInform reported that SpaceX had introduced a speed limit of 75kph on Starlink terminals moving over Ukraine.

"Russian drones move much more quickly, so the enemy operators will not be able to control them in real time," the website said.

On Monday Fedorov said the Ukrainian government was also preparing to implement a white list of approved Starlink satellite terminals which could operate in Ukraine. All unregistered terminals will be disconnected, Fedorov said.

"We are implementing this in cooperation with SpaceX," Fedorov stated, adding that instructions on registering the terminals would be forthcoming.

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Russian war bloggers warned the implications could go beyond drones, as the Russian military uses Starlink to provide the front line with internet.

Fedorov - then deputy prime minister - asked for Musk's help soon after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. By the end of the day Musk said Starlink had been enabled in Ukraine and promised more satellite dishes.

But shortly after supplying Ukraine with Starlink, Musk's relationship with Kyiv became turbulent.

Later in 2022 he denied the Ukrainian military access to Starlink in Crimea, where Russia has been stationing military equipment since illegally annexing in 2014.

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At the time, Musk justified the decision by saying that Ukraine would have used Starlink access to "sink most of the Russian fleet", making SpaceX "complicit in a major act of war".

Musk has since repeatedly criticised Western countries for providing Ukraine with funding and weaponry. "It is insane to keep sending so much money to Ukraine with no accountability and no end game," he said.

However, he has also stated that "no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals."

"My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off," Musk said in March.

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Despite these tensions, Fedorov last week again praised Musk's timely decision to provide his country with access at the start of the full-scale invasion, saying Starlink had been "critically important for the stability of our state".

The 35-year-old former digital transformation minister was appointed to head the ministry of defence by President Volodymyr Zelensky last month.

Fedorov favours a data-driven strategy and advanced cyber-warfare. He has also vowed to work closely with Silicon Valley companies, arguing that integrating partners would make Ukraine's defence system stronger.

Additional reporting by BBC Monitoring
Ukraine and Sweden have discussed the possibility of Stockholm sending Meteor missiles to Kyiv.

The Meteor is considered a top European air-to-air missile, and it can be carried and fired by Gripen fighter jets.

It would offer Ukraine a powerful new weapon to strike Russian aircraft from a distance.

A future Ukrainian fleet of Gripen fighter jets could be armed with Europe's best air-to-air missile, giving Kyiv a powerful new weapon to strike Russian aircraft from a distance.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's defense minister, and his Swedish counterpart discussed the possibility of Stockholm sending JAS 39 Gripen jets and Meteor missiles to Kyiv in a call on Sunday.

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These long-range air-to-air missiles "are key tools for countering aircraft carriers of guided aerial bombs," the Ukrainian defense ministry said in a readout of the call. The Russian bombs are problematic for Kyiv because they can be launched from standoff ranges and are very difficult to intercept.

The Meteor is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by the European multinational defense corporation MBDA and is widely considered the best such weapon made on the continent.

The 12-foot-long Meteor weighs more than 400 pounds and is fired from a number of fighter jets, including the Swedish Gripen, the French Rafale, and the European Eurofighter Typhoon. It can travel more than 75 miles and exceed Mach 4 (3,000 miles per hour).

Guided by an active radar seeker, the Meteor uses an air-breathing jet engine to stay fast all the way to the intercept, giving it what MBDA says is the largest "no-escape zone" of any air-to-air missile. Unlike many long-range missiles that lose speed late in flight, Meteor retains its energy, making it far harder for a target aircraft to evade.

Sweden could export up to 150 Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming years. Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP

Sweden, one of only a handful of countries that has armed its fighter jets with the Meteor, was the first to put the missile into service in 2016.

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The discussions on the Meteor come more than three months after Ukraine and Sweden signed a letter of intent to export up to 150 Gripen fighter jets to Kyiv.

The deal is not yet finalized. However, the potential arms acquisition would significantly help modernize Ukraine's air force, which mostly consists of aging Soviet-era fighters, as well as a small batch of American F-16s and French Mirage 2000s.

The Gripen, manufactured by Swedish aerospace and defense giant Saab, is considered by airpower experts to be the ideal Western fighter jet for Ukraine because it is designed to operate from austere airstrips and requires minimal maintenance, better supporting dispersed operations than some other airframes.

While no decision appears to have been made regarding the Meteor missile, recent discussions between Fedorov and his counterpart, Pal Jonson, suggest the transfer could be included in future weapons packages.

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Ukraine's defense ministry said in the call readout on Sunday that Sweden is preparing a "large-scale" aid package for Ukraine that is set to include air defense systems, radars, electronic warfare systems, and drones.

Read the original article on Business Insider
In 1998, Olivier Rubbers "beaver bombed" his local waterways.

In layman's terms, that means he re-released beavers into the wild, letting them naturally dam up a river. It was technically illegal, but it raises the question  is it wrong?

Rubbers picked up beavers from Germany, then crossed the border into his native Belgium to release them. He repeated this several times over two years, bringing a total of 97 beavers into his country. He watched as the beavers did their magic, turning streams into beaver ponds, a perfect habitat for frogs, fish, and more.

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Rubbers had a bit of a rogue streak, believing that he "had all the authorization [he] needed," when in reality, he had no legal right to do so.

And Rubbers is not alone. There is an underground network of wildlife lovers who also do this type of conservation: illegally introducing, removing, or reintroducing species to bring balance back to nature. Some have proper scientific backgrounds, while others, like Rubbers, do not.

We are in the middle of the world's sixth mass extinction, meaning large numbers of species are going extinct in a short time. This sixth extinction event is caused largely by human activity, including agriculture, pollution, and overheating of our planet.

Rubbers and his fellow rogue rewilders argue that it is more of a crime to let the species die off than to reintroduce them without a permit.

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The rewilders believe that reintroducing important species will help nature repair itself. In turn, these healthier habitats will help fight warming temperatures by sequestering carbon pollution from the air and preventing flooding and erosion.

However, the lack of training many of these rewilders have has been a reason for controversy. Those who oppose the rewilders worry they may not know what they're doing. They may increase the chances of spreading disease between humans and animals, hurting biodiversity as they try to help it.

But there are also many who support the rogue rewilders. Scientists note that they can reintroduce a species within a matter of days  instead of waiting for years behind lines of bureaucratic red tape. It's one of the reasons wildlife lovers often praise the rewilders for bringing back these often beloved species.

"They are the heroes of our time," Ben Goldsmith, a British environmentalist, told Noema Magazine.

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The argument often boils down to timing. Should we act now to save wild species and improve habitats, or should we be cautious and follow established rules and regulations?

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Nvidia is not just a leader in artificial intelligence chipmaking. It is also a key investor, whose backing is often a major reason a stock attracts market interest.

That is now playing out with CoreWeave. The company has become Nvidias largest disclosed holding, accounting for 86.4% of its portfolio as of the end of the third quarter of 2025.

CoreWeave (CRWV) is a cloud infrastructure company focused on GPU-powered computing for AI and machine learning workloads. Its data centers run on Nvidia chips, and major customers include Google (GOOGL) and Microsoft (MSFT).

Nvidia (NVDA) first bought CoreWeave shares in early 2025, shortly before CoreWeaves March IPO. In the second quarter of 2025, Nvidia raised its stake by adding roughly 24.3 million shares, worth around $2.3 billion as of Jan. 30.

That lifted CoreWeaves portfolio weighting to 86.4% from 78% in the previous quarter, according to WhaleWisdom. Nvidia did not change its position in the third quarter, and fourth-quarter holdings have not yet been disclosed.

And now, Nvidia has cast another vote on CoreWeave on Jan 26, ahead of CoreWeave's fourth-quarter earnings report, expected in mid-February.

getty images  getty images

Nvidia invests $2 billion into CoreWeave

On Jan. 26, Nvidia and CoreWeave said in a joint statement that they are expanding their partnership to build more than five gigawatts of AI factories by 2030. Nvidia has invested about $2 billion in CoreWeave stock at an average price of $87.20 per share.

CoreWeave will use Nvidias computing platform and financial strength to speed up land purchases, power access, and data center construction.

Related: Morgan Stanley sets bold new price target on Nvidia stock

AI is entering its next frontier and driving the largest infrastructure buildout in human history, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said.

AI succeeds when software, infrastructure, and operations are designed together, said CoreWeave CEO Michael Intrator.

CoreWeave shares have jumped about 139% since its March 2025 IPO through Jan. 30 and are already up 30% year to date, according to Yahoo Finance.

Still, some investors remain cautious.

The Wall Street Journal has reported concerns about CoreWeaves reliance on high-interest debt to buy Nvidia chips before renting capacity to customers.

Those worries, along with delays at one data center project and supply constraints, pushed the stock down about 30% from its October highs.

On Jan. 30, law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld filed a lawsuit accusing CoreWeave of overstating its ability to meet customer demand and hiding construction delays. The stock fell about 6.4% on Jan. 30 after the announcement.
Meanwhile, the IDF carried out several airstrikes on Hezbollah terrorists and terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) denounced the IDF for dropping non-toxic chemical substances near the Blue Line in a Monday statement.

The Blue Line demarcates a line dividing Lebanon from Israel, where the IDF withdrew to in June 2000 following the occupation of southern Lebanon, and is a "temporary line of withdrawal," rather than a recognized border.

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The IDF told UNIFIL on Sunday morning that it would carry out the aerial activity, dropping the substances, and noted that members of the force should "stay away and remain under cover." However, this "forced" UNIFIL to "cancel over a dozen activities," the peacekeeping force said.

UNIFIL asserted that soldiers could not perform normal operations along approximately 1/3 of the Blue Line, and were only able to resume normal operational activity after nine hours.

After the incident, UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces collected samples for toxicity testing.

UNIFIL soldiers conducting operations in southern Lebanon, January 31, 2026; illustrative. (credit: RABIH DAHER/AFP via Getty Images)

"This activity was unacceptable and contrary to Resolution 1701," UNIFIL stated. "The IDF's deliberate and planned actions not only limited peacekeepers ability to undertake their mandated activities, but also potentially put their health and that of civilians at risk. It also raised concerns about the effects of this unknown chemical on local agricultural lands, and how this might impact the return of civilians to their homes and livelihoods in the long-term."

IDF strikes Hezbollah terrorists, infrastructure in southern Lebanon

Separately on Monday, the IDF confirmed that it struck and killed Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon.

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One strike was carried out against Ali al-Hadi Mustafa al-Haqqani, a senior officer in the terror group's aerial array.

The IDF conducts an airstrike on Hezbollah terrorist Ali al-Hadi Mustafa al-Haqqani, February 2, 2026. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

According to the IDF, he had recently been involved in attempts to rehabilitate military infrastructure belonging to the terror group's aerial defense arrays.

In a separate strike, the military killed another Hezbollah terrorist working to rehabilitate the terror group's military infrastructure.

Further strikes were carried out on several weapons depots belonging to Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon.

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The IDF stated that one of these depots was located "in the heart of a civilian population," adding that the terror group is "cynically using civilians as human shields."

The IDF conducted strikes on several weapons depots belonging to Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon, February 2, 2026. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The IDF stated that it published warnings among other steps to reduce the likelihood of harm to civilians in the area.

IDF kills terrorist near Gaza's Yellow Line

Additionally, soldiers from the IDF's Alexandroni Brigade, which is operating in the northern Gaza Strip, identified four terrorists operating near the Yellow Line, and advancing towards soldiers, posing an immediate threat, the military confirmed on Monday.

The soldiers killed the terrorists in order to remove any threat they posed to the military, the IDF confirmed.
The Midwest Theater in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. (Courtesy of Visit Nebraska)

LINCOLN  Since it was renovated and reopened in 1997, the 729-seat Midwest Theater in Scottsbluff has served as a cultural beacon in the states Panhandle.

The 79-year-old Art Deco theater hosts Grammy-winning musicians, classic movies and films nominated for Academy Awards, as well as local theater performances and weddings.

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Thanks to a little-known state endowment fund, the Midwest also has been able to send visiting artists into local schools, bring in an interactive Beatles show by Omahas McGuigan brothers and put on educational programs at the theater for local students.

Its huge here, said the theaters executive director, Krista Baird, of the roughly $20,000-a-year that the organization gets from the Nebraska Cultural Preservation Endowment Fund. A lot of our kids are in rural Nebraska. This is their only opportunity to experience the arts.

Gov. Jim Pillen at the Nebraska National Guard Air Base on Jan 5, 2026. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner)

But Baird and others with arts and cultural organizations across Nebraska say such outreach programs, as well as grants to a whos who of state symphonies, museums and art galleries, are in danger due to budget changes proposed by Gov. Jim Pillen.

The governor, to help close a $471 million state budget shortfall, proposes to drain and use a $15 million state arts and humanities fund that helps provide about $550,000 a year for such programming via investment earnings.

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The endowment was established in 1998 at a time when federal funding was in peril for arts and humanities programs. Its a similar situation to today after the Trump administration, via the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, reduced federal support for the humanities, a cut that is being challenged in court.

The Nebraska Cultural Preservation Endowment is a unique, public-private partnership in which the state pledges to match private donations, dollar-for-dollar. It has created nearly $37 million in two funds  one consisting of state allocations and the other from private donations  from which investment income is generated, and then granted out, for arts and cultural programs.

The Pillen administration seeks to eliminate the public portion of the fund, about $15 million, and then capture that money for budget and tax-relief purposes.

How the endowment works

Last year, investment earnings from the state portion of the Nebraska Cultural Preservation Endowment totaled $822,888, which Smith described as a very good year in the stock market.

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Humanities Nebraska distributed 127 grants, most in the $180 to 800 range, for humanities speakers to appear at libraries, museums and churches across the state.

Other, larger grants helped arts, theater and history groups, and aided festivals such Fur Trade Days in Chadron, Gold Rush Days in Sydney and the National History Day.

The Nebraska Arts Council distributed grants to 24 entities.

Recipients included Omahas Joslyn Art Museum, Opera Omaha, the Crane River Theater in Kearney, the Nebraska State Poet program, the Lincoln Community Playhouse and the Carnegie Arts Center in Alliance.

Investment income from the state portion of the Nebraska Cultural Preservation Endowment is split 70% for the Arts Council, which is a state agency, and 30% for Humanities Nebraska, a private nonprofit.

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Income from the private donation portion of the fund is split 50-50 between the groups.

State budget officials argue that the proposal will create a more stable source of state support for the arts and humanities. That, the administration maintains, is because Pillen proposes a $600,000-a-year allocation from taxpayer funds to replace investment earnings from the endowment.

Currently the cash available for awards varies depending on investment returns, the administration said in an email from the governors budget office. [Our] recommendation would provide a steady $600,000 general fund appropriation, which is more than they usually have for awards each year.

While $600,000 is more than $550,000, and investment income varies depending on the performance of the stock market, an official with the State Cultural Endowment said that using income from the current, $15-million state endowment is still a more stable and reliable way to finance cultural programs than having to lobby every year for a state appropriation.

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Plus, said Maggie Smith, the executive director of the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, the Pillen proposal reneges on a decades-long promise by the State of Nebraska to major philanthropic groups  that if you donate to the arts and humanities, the state will match those contributions, dollar-for-dollar.

Thats been our No. 1 fundraising tool, Smith said, of the match. Weve got major donors who have given multiple millions of dollars who are very concerned.

The fund has attracted about $21.5 million in private donations over the years. The state has provided $15 million in matching funds over that time [a couple of years of matching funds were skipped due to past budgetary problems]. The two pots of money, the public and private funds, are managed and invested separately. But together, they provided about $1.4 million in grants last year, Smith said.

The state, under a bill passed in 2020, pledged to add another $10 million to the fund, via $1 million-a-year allocations over the next 10 years. But those donations were paused last year to help with the states current budget woes.

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Chris Sommerich, executive director of Humanities Nebraska, a nonprofit that distributes about half of the money derived from the two funds, said his organization, as well as the Nebraska Arts Council, understand that they have to play a role when the state is short of funds.

But sweeping away the entire $15 million that the state has contributed since 1998 and leaving arts and humanities groups to beg for state funding every two years goes too far.

Weve been raising money for years with the trust and agreement that, Hey, the state will match your donation, Sommerich said. This is undercutting that trust.

Will people want their money back? Will they take us out of their wills? I dont know, he added.

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The cultural endowment, which then State Sen. LaVon Crosby of Lincoln called her most precious bill, has been called a unique success story that has provided a steady stream of funding for a long list of arts organizations. They include the Omaha Symphony to the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney and libraries and historical societies from Alliance to Norfolk, Clarkson to Geneva and Eustis to Verdigre.

About 60 topics are available through Humanities Nebraskas speakers bureau. Small grants between $180 and $800 finance expenses of speakers to travel to far-flung corners of the state to speak on topics such as Nebraskas Czech and Irish immigrants, the Indian Wars and the states most famous authors and poets, as well as the states cattle industry and music heritage.

Former State Sen. Scott Moore, who was secretary of state when the endowment fund was created and now serves on the endowments board, said the goal was to insulate arts and humanities from dependence on general fund [taxpayer] dollars.

In hard times, funding the arts is tough to defend when cutting programs for children and the elderly, said Moore, who used to serve as head of the Legislatures budget-writing committee.

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To be clear, the privately funded portion of the endowment fund, the $21.5 million in donations, would still exist and would generate investment income for humanities and arts programs.

But the state-funded side of the fund, the $15 million, would go away and no longer produce investment income. It would be replaced, the Pillen administration says, by the general fund appropriation.

The problem is theres no guarantee that $600,000 would be available each year, said Smith of the state endowment fund.

The Pillen proposal, which will be the subject of a Feb. 11 hearing before the Legislatures Appropriations Committee, will hurt rural programs and smaller institutions the most, say advocates of the arts and humanities endowment program.

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Unlike urban organizations and big-city museums, which have robust philanthropic communities from which to seek donations, small towns and rural cities often lack those kinds of donors.

Its the smaller organizations, the Midwest Theatre in Scottsbluff, or the library up in Norfolk, that dont have that same corporate or foundation base, said Mike Markey, executive director of the Nebraska Arts Council.

Smith said theres plenty of success stories that grow out of the use of this money. She cited a literacy program in Lexington, which is now run by a woman who learned English by accompanying her child to the program.

In Norfolk, Smith said, a Creative Aging in the Arts program attracted senior citizens who drew and painted. Eventually, the would-be artists started socializing over wine after class.

Pretty soon, theyre a community, Smith said, with a place to go and interesting things to do.

Back when the program was launched, Crosby argued that without the arts, our lives would be bleak and dull.

Smith said the state arts and humanities endowment program has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades but now finds itself among the cultural programs nationally that are threatened.

Smith and others hope the Legislature reconsiders.

Weve never had this kind of pushback, Smith said. Its shocking to anyone who has put money into this fund.

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WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday he believes he has the Republican votes to end a partial government shutdown by at least Tuesday, in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press".

"I'm confident that we'll do it at least by Tuesday. We have a logistical challenge of getting everyone in town," he said, as transport problems persist following a snowstorm that affected travel in the southeastern U.S.

The U.S. entered what is expected to be a brief shutdown on Saturday after Congress failed to approve a deal to keep a wide swath of operations funded. The Senate easily passed a spending passage on Saturday but the House of Representatives is out of town.

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Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been working to ensure a debate over immigration enforcement does not disrupt other government operations. That is a contrast from last autumn, when both parties dug into their positions in a dispute over healthcare, prompting a shutdown that lasted a record 43 days and cost the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion.

The deal approved by the Senate would separate the Department of Homeland Security from the broader spending package, allowing lawmakers to approve funding for agencies such as the Pentagon and the Department of Labor while new restrictions are considered on federal immigration agents amid uproar over the shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.

Johnson said "our intention" is by Tuesday to fund all agencies except for DHS, "and then we will have two weeks of good faith negotiation to figure it out."

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Alexander Smith, Sergio Non and Chizu Nomiyama )
A solar and battery storage development operated by Entergy in Searcy, Arkansas. Solar power growth is expected to help some parts of the country meet electric demand last summer. (Photo by Robert Zullo/ States Newsroom)

A bill that would set up a framework for siting solar projects that localities could follow and that prohibits the premature rejection of solar infrastructure development has passed the Virginia Senate.

Senate Bill 347 by Sen. Schulyer VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, is a way to meet the states growing energy while combating political messaging against renewable energy sources that hampers development, the senator said.

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One of the big complaints has been that there are solar developers who come in and dont do it the right way, VanValkenburg said. And so this lays out kind of basic guidance about what the right way might look like.

The bill is not a mandate for localities to approve solar projects but it would keep them from outright barring the energy projects from even applying for permits. Localities would still have the ability to approve or withhold permits.

VanValkenburg said there are counties more readily approving data center development than they are energy production projects, which has made it more challenging for utilities to keep up with energy demands.

When you actually look at the individual project, you talk to the property owner, you look at the economics of it for a locality. I think well get more projects, VanValkenburg said.

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The recommended solar siting guidelines proposed in the bill are considered best practices that can give localities a framework for solar projects. The key recommendations for the location of the solar arrays:

-The project should be between 150-200 feet from the nearest point on the outer wall of existing occupied community buildings and dwellings on non-participating properties.

-The project should be between 50-100 feet from the outside edge of the roadbed of any road abutting the property.

-The project should be between 100-250 feet from the edge of tidal wetlands or non-tidal wetlands, or perennial streams

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-The project should be between 50-75 feet from the nearest shared property line for nonparticipating properties.

During debate on the House companion bill, House Bill 711, representatives of the Virginia Farm Bureau and the Association of Counties raised concerns that the standards laid out in the bill are one-size-fits-all parameters, although solar projects will vary.

Whether its a one megawatt project, to a 100 MW project, they vary in size from several acres to square miles. Theres also differences in geography and physio-geographic provinces across the commonwealth, said Joe Lerch with the Virginia Association of Counties.

The bill may meet pushback from localities, Lerch said, because our members just want to retain that ability to craft those ordinances and craft those agreements at the local level.

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The senator emphasized that the legislation is not a requirement for localities to approve solar projects but it is an effort to help bridge some of the gaps in local decisions when it comes to determining how a solar project could look in their area.

We do not believe that this is a magic bullet that is going to solve affordability and reliability and get more clean energy on a grid, said Sarah Graham Taylor on behalf of Marec Action, a coalition of renewable energy agencies that promotes the build out of solar and wind projects. But it is an important step forward to getting more good projects sited, while still protecting landowner rights and local voting.

With the increasing demand for energy and the requirements under the Virginia Clean Economy Act, VanValkenburg said this is a first step to prevent needing state intervention.

But Id rather try doing that than do nothing. And in 2-3 years (if we do nothing), now we have to do something, youve left us with no choice. Every day that goes by where they do green light data centers and reject energy projects, that decision making gets moved up, VanValkenburg said.

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In the hearings for the bills, Virginia Farm Bureau representatives broached a common concern: the potential loss of agricultural land to solar projects. During community meetings in rural portions of the state, it is a familiar theme among residents, who often want to preserve the character of the county.

I get everybody being afraid that, you know, farmlands gonna go away or, you know, this or that thing is gonna happen. But its really important to note that were not mandating anything here, VanValkenburg responded.

Del. Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, who is carrying the house version of the bill, said that it wont ensure that all solar projects are approved, but it is meant to weed out bad actors to put local residents at ease when it comes to considering a solar project.

It sets the project standards ensuring communities and trust in solar facilities are well designed and responsibly managed, Herring said.

SB 347 cleared the Senate with a vote of 21-17. It now heads to the House for more debate. HB 711 awaits a vote on the House floor.

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Indiana state Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, speaks during a committee meeting on Jan. 23, 2024. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Republican Rep. Ed Clere has decided to leave the Indiana General Assembly after 18 years  and says the political changes brought by President Donald Trump have pushed him out of the party.

Clere cited the conflict over the failed congressional redistricting demanded by Trump among his reasons for not seeking reelection to his House seat this year. He further plans to run as an independent candidate for New Albany mayor in 2027.

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Trump has in recent weeks endorsed five challengers to incumbent Republican senators after he vowed political revenge against those who defied him on the redistricting bill.

One of those challengers, Bluffton City Councilman Blake Fiechter, had said he was surprised by Trumps endorsement but quietly filed his candidacy last week to run in the Republican primary against Sen. Travis Holdman, who is the chambers third-ranking member as majority caucus chair.

Cleres rocky road with Republicans

Clere, who first won his New Albany-based seat in 2008, announced his decision to not seek a 10th term representing Floyd County to the News and Tribune on Friday.

He has focused much of his legislative time on the states social safety net efforts. He has criticized Braun administration cuts to Medicaid, child care and food-assistance programs, saying last month he was very concerned about the ideological focus of many state actions.

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He was an early and outspoken opponent of the congressional redistricting push and was among 12 GOP Republicans joining Democrats in voting no when it cleared the House in December. The bill was defeated a week later in the Republican-dominated Senate.

Protesters celebrate outside the Indiana Senate chamber when a redistricting bill is defeated on Dec. 11, 2025. (Photo by Tom Davies/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Clere told the Indiana Capital Chronicle that the redistricting push was a very obvious and extreme example of how the toxic and divisive politics of Washington have made their way to Indiana.

A lot of Indiana Republicans wanted nothing to do with it, and saw how dangerous and destructive it was, but still felt they had to go along with it, he said in an interview Sunday.  I know lots of other people who are not OK with this but most of them are keeping their head down and hoping all of this blows over.

Clere has broken from fellow Republicans on several high-profile issues in recent years  voting against the 2022 abortion ban bill, a 2023 ban on transgender medical care for minors and a 2025 bill allowing partisan school board elections. All of those won legislative approval and became state law.

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Clere lamented the partys shift away from the politics of former Gov. Mitch Daniels  who held the office when Clere was first elected to the Legislature  and toward an embrace of divisive social issues.

Theres still good legislation, but its not like it was when I arrived, Clere said. Its a very different focus and a very different atmosphere.

Republican House Speaker Todd Hustons office did not immediately comment on Cleres announcement.

Clere said he told Huston about his decision last week and that they had a very cordial conversation.

Clere said he intended to remain part of the House Republican caucus and serve out the remainder of his legislative term that ends in November.

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Floyd County Republican Party leaders issued a statement that thanked Clere for his service while saying he has stepped away from Republican values by supporting legislation not aligned with the Republican platform.

Clere gained attention in 2015 as he advocated legislation allowing counties to start syringe exchange programs for intravenous drug users following a major HIV outbreak in southern Indianas Scott County.

He lost his position as Public Health Committee chairman after that session, but Clere counts the syringe program as his top accomplishment.

That legislation has saved countless lives, prevented countless cases of infection, including HIV and hepatitis C, and it has led to countless people entering recovery programs, he said.

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A run for New Albany mayor in the 2027 city election would be Cleres second try for the office. Democratic Mayor Jeff Gahan won his fourth term in 2023 as he got 52% of the vote over Clere.

Despite that mayoral loss, Clere easily held on to his House district that covers most of Floyd County with 57% of the vote in 2024 and 60% in 2022.

Clere said his Statehouse frustrations helped lead him to look at another run for mayor.

Its not just about where I am with the Republican Party, its also about where I believe I can be most effective, he said.

Trump-backed challenger makes run official

Fiechter, the Bluffton council member, filed his state paperwork Wednesday to run for the state Senate against Holdman in the May primary.

Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, speaks during a Senate session in January 2025. (Photo by Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

That action came nearly a week after Trumps social media endorsement was posted, with the president calling Holdman a RINO  for Republican in name only  and an America Last politician for opposing the redistricting bill.

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Fiechter has not responded to phone and email messages from the Capital Chronicle.

A post on Fiechters Facebook page about his candidacy filing said We need a strong conservative and America First Senator representing us in Indianapolis and I pledge to continue to be just that.

He is a real estate broker who is in his first term as an at-large member of Blufftons city council after winning election in 2023.

He told The Indianapolis Star the day after Trumps endorsement post that he was surprised by it and had not made a decision about a Senate campaign.

Fiechter described himself as a Trump supporter who generally favored the congressional redistricting push.

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Holdman, who has been in the Senate since 2008, is chair of the influential Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee.

When asked last week by the Capital Chronicle about Fiechters primary challenge, Holdman said Its part of the process.

Ive known him for years, helped get him elected to Bluffton City Council, Holdman said. Well see how it goes.

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By Richard Cowan and Robin Respaut

WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Votes were still being counted late on Saturday in a Texas special election to fill a vacant U.S. House of Representatives seat.

Democrats Christian Menefee, 37, a former Harris County attorney, and Amanda Edwards, 44, a former Houston city council member, are vying to represent Texas' 18th Congressional District, a solidly Democratic area encompassing much of the inner city of Houston and the surrounding region.

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A winner had not been announced as of 11:15 p.m. CST (0224 GMT), more than three hours after polls closed.

In filling a seat that has been vacant for most of the past year, Democrats will shrink Republicans' already narrow majority. The winner will replace the late Representative Sylvester Turner, who served only two months in the House before his death in March.

Menefee and Edwards were the top two vote-getters in a field of 16 candidates in last November's election, requiring Saturday's runoff.

Republicans hold a 218-213 House majority. Democrats will insist upon a prompt swearing-in for the winner of the Saturday's vote, tightening the Republican lead to 218-214. Three House vacancies in Georgia, New Jersey and California are scheduled to be filled by special elections in March, April and August, respectively.

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Last year, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, enraged Democrats when he delayed the swearing-in of now-Representative Adelita Grijalva following a special election in Arizona. She won that contest in September but was not sworn-in until mid-November.

In the coming weeks, Congress could vote on contentious issues, including legislation that would impose tougher operating procedures on federal immigration agents in Minneapolis and other cities throughout the nation. An attempt to reinstate a federal health insurance subsidy also remains a priority for many lawmakers.

Both measures, if they materialize, could be among several items decided by tight votes.

Democrats have fared well in special elections since the beginning of last year, boosting the party's hopes of winning control of the House in November's midterm congressional elections, especially given Republican President Donald Trump's anemic popularity at the moment.

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This Texas special election, however, is not expected to provide insights into which party might prevail in November. In the 2024 presidential election, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris won the district over Trump 69%-29%.

All 435 House seats will be up for grabs in November. The party that holds the White House typically loses seats in the midterms.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan in Washington, D.C., and Robin Respaut in San Francisco; Editing by Sergio Non and William Mallard)
The Met Office has warned that parts of Scotland are facing fresh snowfall and strong winds.

It has issued a yellow weather warning starting at midnight on Monday and ending at 15:00 on Wednesday for mainland Scotland and Orkney, and a separate warning starting at 18:00 on Tuesday for Shetland.

The Highlands, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Perth and Kinross, which are some of the areas covered by the warning, have already seen disruption caused by snow, rain and flooding since the start of the year.

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The Met Office said some places could have up to 2in (5cm) of snow by Wednesday, with accumulations of 8in (20cm) on higher ground.

Forecasters said in Shetland there could be a covering of more than an inch (3cm) of snow widely, but it could build up to 4in (10cm) over higher ground.

The Met Office said: "At low levels precipitation will be a mix of rain, sleet and snow which could lead to some small snow accumulations in places.

"Strong winds at times will lead to blizzard conditions and drifting of lying snow, especially in the north of the warning area."
Members of the Oklahoma Legislature listen as Gov. Kevin Stitt gives his State of the State Address in the House chamber of the state Capitol on Feb. 3, 2025. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)

Its that long-dreaded time of year again.

The one leading up to the legislative session when lawmakers unveil their grandest plans to Make Oklahoma Great Again.

At least in their minds.

For those of us living in reality, its what I like to call political silly season. Because its the agonizing period for legislators to unveil ideas that are actually ridiculous and aimed at making our state more dangerous, stripping us of freedoms or inserting more government interference into our lives. And its all under the guise that we need it  because why wouldnt we know whats good for ourselves?

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Each year, some of the bills make me laugh out loud while others make me question whether those weve sent to represent us in the Statehouse have any common sense. But some in this batch feel even worse than normal as lawmakers seek to bulk up their resumes by scoring cheap political points ahead of this years elections.

For instance, who among us wants to turn Oklahoma into Florida by creating alligator infested lakes and ponds with carnivorous reptiles?

Because thats exactly whats going to happen if we plow forward with Senate Bill 2087, a harebrained proposal would remove permitting requirements for people who want to raise alligators hatched from eggs in captivity. Currently, in order to raise an alligator, a pet owner has to obtain a permit and written permission from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, which is how it should be.

We all know of well-intentioned pet owners who are convinced that they can care for an exotic animal until their life circumstances change or a creature gets too big or is no longer a cute baby.

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Releasing unwanted pets into the environment is one way to spread invasive species. A law like this will have people releasing alligators into local waterways. Alligators, by the way, lay up 30 eggs each time they mate.

It wouldnt be long before some of our lakes and rivers would be unsafe to swim in.

But I guess that explains why we might need a tax-free holiday month for firearm purchases: alligator protection.

Senate Bill 1278 bizarrely proposes creating a sales tax holiday for gun owners every July. With the threat of mass shootings and domestic violence, what does it say about our priorities that were considering giving gun owners a tax break when were not doing the same for Oklahomans who need to buy school, baby and menstrual supplies?

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Then weve got the Republican lawmakers who are convinced that someone is intentionally injecting or releasing chemicals into our airspace with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather or the intensity of the sunlight.

Last I checked, our lawmakers arent supposed to be conspiracists. These measures seem to be embracing the debunked chemtrail conspiracy theory in which believers are convinced that the normal condensation trails naturally left in our atmosphere by airplanes are actually chemical agents designed to interfere with the sun, weather or are a nefarious way to psychologically manipulate us.

Good lord.

This seems largely aimed at cloud-seeding, which adds tiny particles into the atmosphere, in an effort to stimulate rain during severe droughts. Though the benefits of this technology remain unproven after 80 years, as far as Im concerned, if were in the midst of a horrendous drought and a farmer and rancher wants to try to produce rain on their own property, more power to them.

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And what are we going to do, arrest Mother Nature for messing around with the jet stream? Investigate governors to our west for flying over our state to avoid massive snowstorms and heat waves?

Then there are the lawmakers who somehow see logic in a state agency in charge of enforcing liquor laws being tasked with licensing strippers. I can think of fewer things that rank higher on the gross-factor scale than men standing in judgment over a womans decision to dance in a club.

Why shouldnt an 18-year-old be allowed to strip if he or she wants? In our state, youre an adult when you turn 18.

Supporters of the measure say its designed to prevent human trafficking and forcing women into unwanted sex work, but I can see this easily going sideways if we let stodgy and prudish lawmakers run have their way.

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And then dont get me started on House Joint Resolution 1040, which seeks to again ban Sharia Law in this state.

We do not have Sharia Law in Oklahoma as much as Republicans who want to fearmonger against it wish we would.

In 2010, voters tried to ban Sharia Law. A federal judge found the plan unconstitutional and said Oklahoma couldnt. The state had to pay the plaintiffs attorney fees.

That should be the end of it, but 16 years later, were going to try this again? Isnt that the definition of insanity? What a ginormous waste of our valuable time and resources.

Lets also not forget that a plethora of dumb bills filed last year are still alive. Those include doubly criminalizing the stealing of shopping carts, giving stormchasers the powers of law enforcement and sending homeless people on one-way trips to other states.

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One thing thats different  but scarier  as time goes on: Its becoming impossible to know which bills will meet an early demise and which will cheerfully advance through our Republican leadership.

We can only hope that lawmakers remember what theyre actually supposed to do and not get bogged down with delusions of alligators, strip clubs and conspiracy theories.

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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine doesnt publicly disagree often with President Donald Trump, but he did last week when asked about Trumps campaign to deport Haitian immigrants living in Springfield.

I think its a mistake to tell these individuals you can no longer work and have to leave the country, DeWine said.

The governors hesitance to embrace Trumps immigration crackdown reflects a hard truth about Ohios changing population: The states economy increasingly depends on the immigrants Trump is trying to throw out of the country.

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Foreign-born Ohio residents accounted for 60% of the states population growth between 2014 and 2024, according to an Enquirer analysis of U.S. Census data. Without them, more people would have left the state during the past decade than moved here.

Ohios foreign-born residents now represent 5.5% of the states 11.9 million people, more than twice as much as in 1990, and have overtaken native-born births as the states main driver of population growth.

Most of those immigrants have come from Asia, Latin America and Africa and have settled into jobs in factories, hotels, technology, health care and food service.

Immigrants are vital, said Ben Stein, spokesman for Policy Matters Ohio, a left-leaning economic policy think tank. Removing that number of people who are employed from the economy is a problem for the economy.

Ohio's population getting older, growing more slowly

Trump disagrees. He has blamed immigrants for economic woes, job losses, crime, poverty and, in the case of Springfields Haitians, hes repeated unfounded claims that immigrants eat their neighbors dogs and cats.

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Often, Trump doesnt distinguish between those here legally and those without legal status. His administration currently is trying to revoke the protected status of Haitians across the country, which would allow their deportation.

Many have abused the generosity of the American people, Trump said of immigrants in a January 2025 executive order calling for more deportations. Their presence in the United States has cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

DeWine, though, has spoken of immigrants and the demographic shift they have created in Ohio in more hopeful ways. Securing Americas borders is important, he has said, but legal immigration is a good thing for Ohio, where industries have declined, population growth has slowed and the workforce has gotten older.

In 1970, the average age of an Ohio resident was 28 and the population had grown 10% over the previous decade. In 2024, the average age was 40 and the population had grown 2.5% over the previous decade.

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Those changes occurred along with Ohios industrial decline, which hit especially hard in blue collar cities like Springfield, which saw factories close and families move away.

More than half the manufacturing jobs in Springfield vanished between 1990 and 2024, according to Policy Matters Ohio. A Pew Research Center study found that by 2016 the economic status of people in Springfields metropolitan area had declined more than in any other metro area in the country.

Homes along S. Yellow Springs Street in Springfield, Ohio, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.

City leaders tried to reverse the downward spiral with a campaign to attract immigrants, though it may have worked too well, too quickly.

The arrival of thousands of Haitian immigrants, most of whom had been granted temporary protected status after fleeing violence in their homeland, transformed the community in the span of just a few years.

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The immigrants brought with them challenges for social services and schools, but they also filled vacant homes, started new businesses and went to work at local companies.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine takes questions at the University of Cincinnati in 2025. The governor has said immigrants who are legally living in Springfield and other Ohio communities can benefit the state and its economy.

If you waved a wand and every one of the Haitians that came to Springfield was gone, wed see a lot of our companies that would not have enough people to work, DeWine said in 2024.

And if that wand removed all immigrants who came to Ohio in the past decade, the Enquirer's analysis found, the states population growth of 2.5% would fall to 1%.

Springfield becomes the center of immigration debate

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue, who declined an interview request, has defended the Haitians working in his city while also seeking more state and federal help with the communitys overwhelmed social services.

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Rue has asked national politicians to tone down their rhetoric about Springfield, but his community remains a focal point of the national debate over the benefits and costs of immigration.

Springfield mayor Rob Rue requested no presidential campaign stops in his city on Sept. 17, 2024 because public safety resources were spread too thin due to bomb threats after comments made by former President Donald Trump about Haitians eating pets in Springfield.

On one side are those who see Ohios slowing population growth as proof the states future depends on immigrants, rather than on native-born residents who have been having smaller families and moving to western and southern states in larger numbers.

The story for Ohio mirrors the national story, said Julia Gelatt, an associate director at the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. With lower birth rates, immigration is an important driver of growth.

On the other side are those who argue, as Trump does, that both legal and illegal immigration hurt American workers. In Ohio, about 20% of immigrants do not have legal status, according to the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., that advocates for immigrants.

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Researchers at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based think tank that favors lower immigration rates, said last year that native-born workers could fill many of the jobs immigrants are taking now. They noted that 22% of native-born men are not in the labor force today, compared to 11% in 1960.

We can either adopt policies designed to get more working-age Americans currently on the economic sidelines into jobs or we can ignore the problem and continue to bring in ever more immigrants, they wrote.

Some Ohio businesses, however, have said that while they would like to fill jobs with native-born Ohioans, they often must turn to immigrants. Thats why Springfield mounted its campaign to attract immigrant workers in the first place.

Its also why DeWine has been more measured than Trump in his remarks on immigrants and immigration. When asked last week about the possibility that the Haitians now working legally in Springfield could lose their protected status, forcing them to leave, the governor staked out a position far from the presidents.

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I dont think its in our interest, he said.

Statehouse politics reporter Haley BeMiller contributed.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Springfield's Haitians among immigrants who drove growth in Ohio
Germany is bracing for a possible Russian attack on NATO's eastern flank within two years, with Berlin positioned to serve as the alliance's main logistics hub in any conflict, a senior military commander has warned.

Gerald Funke, head of the Bundeswehr's Support Command, said a worst-case scenario would involve a large-scale Russian assault on the Baltic states that would immediately draw in Germany through its brigade stationed in Lithuania.

Such an attack would trigger the deployment of tens of thousands of NATO troops through German ports and transport corridors, according to Funke. Germany has drawn up a 1,200-page classified operational plan, OPLAN DEU, to manage this role, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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The assessment aligns with NATO intelligence suggesting Russia could field up to 1.5 million troops by 2028 or 2029, though German military chiefs stress this represents capability rather than confirmed intent.

German soldiers take part in the Lithuanian-German division-level international military exercise 'Grand Quadriga 2024' at a training range in Pabrade, 29 May, 2024 - AP Photo

Protection of Vilnius, protection of Berlin

During a visit to the Operational Command at the Schwielowsee site, Lithuania's defence minister, Robertas Kaunas, said he also considers a Russian attack to be possible.

At the same time, he cautioned that a smaller, more limited military action designed to test Europe's security architecture and the alliance was the more likely scenario.

It was against this backdrop that a plaque bearing a quote from the German chancellor was unveiled at Vilnius City Hall last year. It reads: "Lithuania's security is also our security. The protection of Vilnius is the protection of Berlin."

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The words were taken from a speech delivered by the chancellor in May last year at the roll call of the German Army brigade stationed in Lithuania.

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To strengthen Lithuania's security, the German government decided in 2023, for the first time, to permanently station a Bundeswehr combat brigade outside Germany: the 45th Armoured Brigade, also known as the "Lithuania Brigade."

Following a meeting with Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene in Berlin on 29 January, Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed that Germany stands by its responsibility, describing the deployment of the Lithuanian Brigade as a joint investment in Europe's security.

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"This brigade is not a political symbol, but a military contribution to deterrence and defence," the chancellor emphasised.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Chancellery, 29 January 2026 - Franziska Muller / Euronews

Most of the brigade's forces will be stationed in Rudninkai, around 30 kilometres from the Belarusian border. In addition, the German-led NATO battlegroup, a multinational combat unit currently made up of eight allied countries on a rotational basis, will be integrated into the brigade's structure.

The battlegroup is based in Rukla in central Lithuania, another key location for the deployment and basing of German forces in the Baltic region.

'War capability requirement'

By 2027, around 4,800 soldiers, alongside some 200 civilian staff, are to be permanently stationed on NATO's eastern flank as part of the Lithuanian Brigade, in line with the requirement to ensure full war-fighting capability.

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Some 500 personnel are already permanently deployed on the ground, Federal Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said after a meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart, Robertas Kaunas.

The Lithuanian Minister of Defence Robertas Kaunas with Boris Pistorius, 26.01.2026 - Franziska Muller / Euronews

He added that on 29 January two combat battalions, the 203rd Armoured Battalion from Augustdorf and the 122nd Armoured Infantry Battalion from Oberviechtach, were placed under the brigade's direct command.

The multinational NATO Battlegroup Lithuania is due to be placed under the command of the 45th Armoured Brigade in February.

This will bring the number of brigade personnel serving in Lithuania to around 1,800, according to Pistorius, who added: "We are on schedule. The brigade is growing and training on the ground. 2026 will be a year of particularly intensive training activity with strong German participation."

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Once Lithuania has completed the necessary civilian and military infrastructure, Battalions 203 and 122 will be stationed in Rudninkai and Rukla, Pistorius said.

First combat troop battalions to be subordinated to the 45 "Lithuania" armoured brigade, 29/01/2026 - Bundeswehr/Erbrich

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Lithuanian friends once again for their extraordinary reliability and determination in building the infrastructure for our brigade," he added.

The defence minister was referring to the so-called Rudninkai Military Town, which is currently under construction near the Belarusian border. The new barracks complex is designed to accommodate up to 3,000 soldiers and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.

When could Russia attack?

General Funke's assessment that Russia could potentially launch an attack on the Alliance within the next two years broadly aligns with NATO's Joint Threat Assessment.

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That assessment is based on intelligence findings relating to Russia's arms production and its ability to recruit and sustain forces. According to NATO estimates, Moscow could be in a position to field a force of up to 1.5 million troops by around 2028 or 2029.

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Germany's Inspector General Carsten Breuer has stressed that this does not mean Russia will necessarily attack, but that it could be capable of doing so.

To build up defensive capabilities as quickly as possible, and to achieve what the government describes as "war readiness," Germany's budget plans provide for an increase in defence spending to almost 153 billion by 2029.
The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) is one of the best undervalued stocks to buy under $10. The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU), on January 23, announced that it would release its fiscal Q4 and full year 2025 results on February 20, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. ET. Prior to the earnings release, Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage of The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) on January 26 with an Underweight rating and a $9 price target.

Western Union (WU) Target Lifted at Keefe Bruyette in Payments Sector Update

The firm told investors that although the brick-and-mortar network is a structural disadvantage when compared to the digital-only or digital-first remittance platforms, the company has made impressive improvements in its business. It, however, added that The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) needs to navigate the ongoing regulatory developments, U.S. immigration reform, and stablecoin-related sentiment headwinds.

In a separate development, Wolfe Research reiterated a Sell rating on the stock on January 8 and set a price target of $10. However, Keefe Bruyette lifted the price target on The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) to $10 from $9 on January 2 and maintained a Market Perform rating on the shares, releasing the rating update as part of its price targets adjustments in the consumer finance and payments groups.

The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) provides money transfer and payment services, with the companys operations divided into the following segments: Consumer Money Transfer, Business Solutions, and Consumer Services.

While we acknowledge the potential of WU 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.
Indiana needs more housing. We need it in growing suburbs, in small towns that want to keep young families, and in communities trying to revitalize their corridors and downtowns. More housing supports workforce growth. It supports affordability. It supports opportunity.

So yes, this is a problem the state should take seriously.

The question is how.

House Bill 1001 takes a legitimate statewide concern and responds with a one-size-fits-all mandate that treats local planning as the problem to be solved. If we want sustainable housing growth, we need a system that balances speed with responsibility and input from local residents who deserve a voice at the local level.

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Feedback from constituents and planning at the local level is crucial, specifically because housing does not exist in a vacuum. It depends on infrastructure. It depends on roads and utilities that can handle the demand. It depends on safe design, predictable rules, and public services that keep up.

Opinion: When Fishers, Carmel ban renting, they outlaw housing

Those realities vary community by community. Some cities are building at a pace that strains every system they have. Some communities are trying to attract development and residents back. Some places are working through redevelopment on legacy infrastructure that needs upgrades before density increases.

A statewide mandate cannot see those differences. Local leaders can, because they have to.

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There are parts of HB 1001 that point in a productive direction. Faster processes and clearer rules matter. But what the bill gets wrong is the idea that the best way to get more housing is to reduce local flexibility and limit input from constituents.

A housing development sits under construction Feb. 18, 2025, on the 1200 block of North Alabama Street in Indianapolis.

When the state limits how communities use and adjust certain fees tied to building approvals, it risks undermining the ability to fund the infrastructure that growth requires. Instead of reducing costs, it shifts them. It moves them onto general taxpayers or pushes it into deferred maintenance.

Neither of those outcomes helps affordability in the long run.

Indiana does not have to choose between housing growth and local control. Indiana can do both if we are smart about it.

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The state should set clear goals and track results. Transparency is good. Accountability is good. It is reasonable to expect every community to report how approvals are moving and where delays exist.

But the solution should be incentives and capacity, not blanket preemption.

If Indiana wants more housing, it should help communities modernize permitting systems. It should invest in infrastructure where growth is happening. It should reward communities that meet production targets. It should support regional alignment so that housing, transportation, and workforce priorities reinforce each other instead of competing.

HB 1001 is aiming at a real problem, but it overshoots. It risks weakening the planning and fiscal foundation that communities rely on to manage development responsibly.

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We should refine it. We should focus on partnership. And we should keep our eye on the goal, which is not simply more housing units on paper, but more housing that works in the real world.

Central Indiana Regional Development AuthorityMayor Tom Broderick, AndersonTown Manager Ryan Cannon, AvonTown Council VP Andrew Greenwood, BargersvilleMayor James W. Coffman, Beech GroveTown Manager Deb Cook, BrownsburgMayor Sue Finkam, CarmelTown Manager Ben Lipps, CumberlandCity Planner Lesa Ternet, DanvilleMayor Todd Jones, ElwoodMayor Scott Fadness, FishersMayor Steve Barnett, FranklinMayor Lynda Dunbar, GreencastleMayor Guy Titus, GreenfieldMayor Mark Myers, GreenwoodCommissioner Mark Heirbrandt, Hamilton CountyCommissioner Gary McDaniel, Hancock CountyMayor Joe Hogsett, IndianapolisMayor Deb Whitfield, LawrenceMayor Matt Gentry, LebanonMayor Kenny Costin, MartinsvilleTown Manager Tim Gropp, McCordsvilleTown Council President Tom Warthen, MooresvilleTown Manager Jim Robinson, New PalestineMayor Chris Jensen, NoblesvilleTown Council President Jarod Baker, PittsboroTown Council President Robin Brandgard, PlainfieldTown Manager Grant Kleinhenz, SpeedwayMayor Kegan Schmicker, TiptonMayor Scott Willis, WestfieldDir. of Admin. Carmen Young, WhitelandTown Manager Katie Barr, WhitestownMayor John Stehr, Zionsville

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: HB 1001 is the wrong solution to Indiana's housing crisis | Letters
You will recall, Im sure, the story of the Haitian community of Springfield, Ohio, that arose during the most recent presidential campaign. It started in July 2024, when JD Vancejust days before Donald Trump tapped him as his vice presidential nomineebegan railing against this community of about 15,000 people, saying Springfield had been overwhelmed by their arrival. The lies and calumnies escalated until September, when, on the basis of an unverified and untrue internet rumor, Vance charged that Haitians were stealing and eating peoples pets. Reports now show, he wrote, that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who should not be in this country.

Many of the Haitians in Springfield have been living under a program called Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, which the United States grants to certain immigrant groups from countries under extreme duress. In this case, the duress took the form of a 2010 earthquake that killed some 200,000 people. Things got worse still during a period of unrest following the assassination of President Jovenel Moises in 2021.

TPS is just what the name says: temporary. And for a portion of this community, that protection expires at midnight on Tuesday. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, surprise surprise, revoked TPS status for some 300,000 Haitians nationwide last year, setting this February 3 as the date. After that, they will no longer be able to work or live legally in the United States. What is the Trump administration going to do?

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Its a question that has the Haitian community of Springfield quaking. Carl Ruby, a Springfield pastor, told a local television station last week: They are making preparations to stay inside, not to come out of their homes. They are afraid for their children. Just yesterday, I had some Haitians in our church give me power of attorney in case they become separated from their children so we can take care of them. They are afraid.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, we have been told, is moderating its behavior and procedures under Tom Homan (no ones idea of a moderate). I guess well see this week how true that is. In any case, Pastor Ruby is not alone, and is not remotely a hysterical voice. Even Republican Governor Mike DeWine has taken a reasonably admirable stand here. DeWine said Friday, These people are working, and they are hard workers, so I think from a public policy point of view, it is a mistake. It is not in the best interest of Ohio for these individuals who are working and who are workers to lose that status. Having said that, this is not my decision. This is a decision for the federal government, for the president of the United States. (DeWine also defended the community back during the campaign, when Vance was spreading his racist, fascist lies.)

There is good reason for concern. As Timothy Snyder detailed on his Substack Sunday, Trump picked up Vances baton with a vengeance. In his September 10 debate with Kamala Harris, he said: In Springfield, theyre eating the dogs, the people that came in, theyre eating the cats. Theyre eating, theyre eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what is happening in our country, and its a shame. As Snyder wrote: One of the moderators pointed out that there was no evidence for any such claim. Trump then said that he had seen people on television complaining that their dogs had been eaten. There were no such television reports.

Trump later went further. Three days after the debate, speaking to reporters in Los Angeles, he said: Were going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country. And were going to start with Springfield and Aurora [Colorado].

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I dont know about you, but if I were a Haitian in Springfield living here under TPS, seeing those words, and watching generally the mayhem that ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents have been wreaking upon this country, yes, Id be worried.

Last Friday, MS NOWs website reported that, according to four people familiar with the discussions, ICE operations in Springfield could begin this week. The matter now rests in the lap of U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes. She is expected to make a decision, perhaps before Tuesday, on whether the Trump administration acted lawfully in ending TPS for the Haitians. She is a Biden appointee and is herself an immigrant, from Uruguay. These facts give us reason to hope shell rule against the administration. Emily Brown of Ohio State Universitys immigration law clinic told Cleveland.com that based on her questioning during arguments, her educated guess was that Reyes is likely to find that the termination was unlawful, and she is likely to block it.

Let us pray that this is so. And let us use this story as a reminder of how fascist lies against a beleaguered racial minority work. You really should read Snyders full post, which I linked to above. He dives deeply into the whole sordid history of how this lie got its pants on, including its promotion, once Vance took it up, by a neo-Nazi group.

Snyders headline is stark: Ethnic Cleansing in Ohio? Is that overstating what could happen? Maybe. And yet, heres a portion of the official definition of ethnic cleansing by a U.N. commission appointed to study what happened in the 1990s in the former Yugoslavia: a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.

It is at best debatable. But that just leaves us asking: How in the world has it come to pass that in the United States in the year 2026, we even have to debate whether our country might start engaging in ethnic cleansing?
Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins walks into a Missouri Right to Life rally in March 2025 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern.

So what does it say when five times in recent months ballot summaries written by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins have been tossed out by the courts?

Since October, judges at every level of Missouris court system have stepped in to block or rewrite ballot language drafted by Hoskins. At stake are some of the most politically charged issues in the state: public education funding, private school vouchers, abortion rights, gerrymandering and the initiative petition process itself.

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First, a judge in October found Hoskins description of an initiative petition seeking to enshrine education as a fundamental right in the state constitution to be insufficient and unfair.

Then came a ruling last month from the Missouri Court of Appeals, which faulted Hoskins for failing to disclose in a summary that a proposed ballot measure would repeal the reproductive rights amendment voters approved in 2024 to legalize abortion.

Weeks later, Hoskins attorneys acknowledged in court that he had written a ballot summary likely to create prejudice against a possible referendum on Missouris gerrymandered congressional map. That same day, a Cole County judge rejected his summary for a proposal aimed at making it harder for lawmakers to overturn a successful initiative petition.

And last week, Hoskins lost a fifth time, when an appeals court struck down his summary for an initiative petition that would bar state funding for private education.

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Taken together, the rulings paint a picture of an office repeatedly testing how much advocacy it can embed into what is supposed to be a neutral description.

So what gives?

One possible explanation lies in a law passed by Republican lawmakers last year that gave the secretary of state three chances to rewrite ballot language deemed insufficient or biased before a judge could intervene. The Missouri Supreme Court struck that law down last month as unconstitutional, but while it was in effect, critics say it functioned less as a safeguard than as a tool to burden the initiative petition process.

An unfair or misleading ballot summary forces initiative backers to divert time and money into litigation  resources that might otherwise be spent gathering signatures or persuading voters. Delay alone can be decisive in a process governed by hard deadlines.

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Hoskins has done little to tamp down that criticism. Facing questions over a ballot summary warning that repealing a stadium financing law would likely cause the Kansas City Chiefs to move to Kansas, he called his summary a first bite at the apple  suggesting opponents could just sue if they objected.

Missouri law charges the secretary of state with distilling complex proposals into a few dozen words. Those words matter enormously. Research shows voters rely heavily on ballot language, particularly for down-ballot measures where campaigns are less visible and partisan cues are weaker.

That reality has always tempted secretaries of state to push the boundaries. What distinguishes Missouris current moment is not partisan disagreement, but frequency  how often judges are concluding those boundaries have been crossed.

The danger is not simply biased wording on a handful of measures. It is the gradual erosion of trust in a system meant to give citizens a direct voice when the Legislature will not  and the growing perception that the referee, not the voters, may be shaping the outcome.
Tomis view

The Trump administration has placed Somalis in the US under heightened scrutiny  with immigration authorities making them a key focus. But thousands of miles away, Washington is waging a deadly and far more intense  albeit quieter  campaign in Somalia.

These airstrikes have grown sharply in number during US President Donald Trumps time in office as Washington targets the al-Shabab and ISIS-Somalia jihadist groups: A year into Trump 2.0, the number of strikes in Somalia is already at 144. That is more than half of the tally from Trumps entire first term, which was itself record-breaking, according to the nonprofit think tank New America.

A chart showing US strikes on Somalia by year, by administration.

Amid this spike, the US announced the termination of the Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, making thousands eligible for deportation by March. Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the laws requirement, said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

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Yet, the Pentagon classifies large swaths of Somalia as areas of active hostilities requiring the current strike tempo. Indeed, far from stabilized, the threat from al-Shabab has intensified. The group has successfully repelled recent offensives by Somalias army, recapturing key territories previously liberated during the governments 2022-2023 campaigns.

The al-Qaida-linked groups aim is to overthrow the government and establish strict Sharia law. Its smaller rival, ISIS-Somalia has a similar ambition, of entrenching the regional branch of ISISs so-called caliphate.

The current White House security strategy for Africa is thin but emphasizes the need to avoid long-term American presence or commitments. Its answer appears to be maximum pressure through airpower, which would function as a low-risk alternative to boots on the ground and prevent another ill-fated Black Hawk Down scenario.

In 2017 the Pentagon, under Trump 1.0, changed the rules of engagement, reducing the threshold for drone strikes, shifting approval authority away from the White House, and lowering the level of command needed to authorize strikes. It also reduced the standard of certainty for civilian casualties.

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US Africa Command, has also paused providing casualty estimates to reporters, citing a temporary policy finalization. This obscures the outcomes of the air campaign  effectively ruling out any answers for the families of civilians killed. Crucially, this also makes it difficult to measure what the US is achieving, particularly as al-Shabab maintains territorial resilience.

Trump promised to end Americas forever wars, yet hes only expanding them  at least in Somalias case  through airpower. The growing opacity in US counterterrorism efforts abroad mirrors a broader trend toward reduced transparency in domestic enforcement as activists have pointed out in US cities like Minneapolis.

This leaves the precision of the state measurable only by those who wield it, with little recourse for those on the receiving end.

Notable
Clifton Boje appears at the Jan. 27, 2026, Abortion is Murder rally at the Statehouse. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Gather round, Kansas Reflector readers, and allow me to tell you all a tale of two prayers.

Both legislative chambers in our fair state begin their daily deliberations with an invocation. On Monday, the Rev. Kyle Lammott offered the following words to the Senate during his prayer:

Statehouse scraps

Opinion editor Clay Wirestones weekly roundup of Kansas legislative exploits. Read the archive.

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In your providence, you have established this nation and this state to be your servant to execute justice, to defend truth, to protect the innocent, and to be a terror to evil.

Your word declares, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Lord, we confess and ask your forgiveness. We have called the murder of the unborn good. We have called the mockery of your truth good. We have called injustice toward evil good. We have called the distortion of marriage and gender good. Forgive us, O Lord, and grant repentance for the wicked laws passed in our land.

According to the Senate journal, the reverend attended as a guest of chamber President Ty Masterson. Lammott serves as lead pastor of Wichitas Exodus Church. That church counts itself a member of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, or CREC.

As that hardcore prayer suggests, this group holds some extreme views. Samuel Perry, an associate professor at Baylor University, laid out the myriad controversies in a piece for The Conversation website last summer. Not only does Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attend a CREC church, Perry writes, but prominent members of the church identify as Christian nationalists.

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Lammott garnered notoriety back in June 2024 by advising the faithful to check out as many LGBTQ+ books as possible from local libraries for Pride Month, thus taking them out of circulation.

By contrast, the Rev. Larry Holmes, House chaplain, offered these throughts before Wednesdays session:

Your word says, This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. At times, this can be difficult, especially when our personal values conflict with others. Help us strive to be on the side of what is best for the good people of Kansas. 

Amidst the chaos and confusion gripping parts of our Nation, I ask for the peace of almighty God to prevail. Allow stability and civility to be exercised by all struggling with frustration and anxiety.

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You might recall that House members went through a six-hour debate on the anti-trans House Substitute for Senate Bill 244 on Wednesday. The House chaplain tried to bring lawmakers together, rather than separate them. Thats worthy of note as the session heads into its fourth week.

Astrid OLeander, a Satanic Grotto member who asked to be identified by her alias, protests Jan. 27, 2026, inside the Statehouse. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Uncomfortable freedom

The confrontation Tuesday between abortion abolitionists and members of the Satanic Grotto brought an uncomfortable truth to the fore. Free speech doesnt always feel great.

The anti-abortion protesters held signs calling for a total and complete ban on the medical procedure. A few carried graphic images of aborted fetuses. Meanwhile, a member of the Satanic Grotto flung catcalls across the Statehouse rotunda. She mocked the protesters for retreating from the second floor to the third and used abundant profanity.

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Numerous Capitol Police surrounded the Satanic Grotto protesters, likely for their own safety. As I walked around the third floor, I heard one person tell another that this was the First Amendment in action. They were right. As vehement as the two sides were, in their way, each expressed constitutionally protected opinions in a nonviolent way.

Thats a win for all of us. Right?

House Elections Committee Chairman Rep. Pat Proctor listens during a hearing on Jan. 27, 2026. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

The great sifting

Kansas Reflector journalists cover a bunch of bill hearings in the early part of the session. Some of those bills can sound outrageous. Take House Bill 2493, which would undermine advance voting. It was considered in Rep. Pat Proctors House Elections Committee even though no one testified in favor of it.

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Keep in mind, however, that HB 2493 wont necessarily make it to the House or Senate floor. The same goes for dozens of other bills in each chamber, helpful and harmful alike.

House and Senate leadership prioritize some legislation. Thats why the anti-trans bill last week made it through both chambers so speedily. But thats a short list. Sometimes committees decide against sending bills to the full chambers. Sometimes chamber leaders decide against taking up the bills. Sometimes the bills pass one chamber but arent taken up by the other. Sometimes they pass both chambers, but Gov. Kelly vetoes them and lawmakers cant override her.

The point is, we dont know where everything will land until the session ends.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, talks with colleagues during the Jan. 28, 2026, debate on anti-trans legislation in the House. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Sudden ruthlessness

Last week, I mentioned that this session seemed friendlier and lower key than last year.

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Scratch that. The brutal passage of anti-trans legislation by Senate and House Republicans on Wednesday showed that the same dark forces motivating recent sessions are alive and well. You could define those forces in different ways: a lust for power, animus toward a minority group, lockstep ideological conformity.

Whatever the case, GOP leaders scored a clean, efficient win. They showed LGBTQ+ Kansans that they wouldnt be swayed by their arguments  or even bother to listen. What this means for the rest of the 2026 session we can only speculate. But I wouldnt feel great about it.

Rep. Mark Schreiber of Emporia chat with colleagues on Jan. 13, 2026. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Disappearing moderates

Ive charted the decline of moderate Kansas Republicans for a few years now, but Wednesdays vote totals proved a fresh reminder of how that wing of the part has been almost entirely disempowered in Topeka. Of the 88 Republicans in the House and 31 in the Senate, only one voted against the anti-trans bill. That would be Rep. Mark Schreiber of Emporia.

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In past sessions, Schreiber was usually joined by one or two other Republicans sticking their necks out on a civil rights issue. Not this time. Not in this session. Never mind that House Speaker Dan Hawkins will be gone next year, given his race for state insurance commissioner. Never mind that Schreibers continued electoral success proves that pro-LGBTQ+ Republicans can win races.

Moderates hopes these days, such as they are, rest with current Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt in her race for governor. Unfortunately, Schmidt didnt show up for the GOP gubernatorial debate Friday in protest of a $10,000 fee required to participate.

Yeesh.

Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
For the past week, Nashville families have been focused on one thing: survival.

At the height of the storm, more than 230,000 Davidson County residents lost power, and roughly 50,000 households are still waiting for it to be restored. Pipes have burst. Roads have been impassable. Parents are scrambling to keep their children warm. Elders and people with disabilities are stranded in unsafe conditions. Families are crowding into hotel rooms if they can afford one or relying on neighbors and generators if they cannot.

Opinion: Nashville, we have a problem. And its not just NES

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This crisis has not spared anyone. Families in working-class neighborhoods and wealthy enclaves alike are being told they may be without power for weeks. That reality should make one thing unmistakably clear: a major winter storm does not discriminate by zip code. But the impact of failureand the ability to recoverstill depends heavily on policy choices.

The American flag is frozen to a fence along Nolensville Road Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 in Arrington, Tenn. Tennessee residents are dealing with ice, power outages and freezing temperatures.

Policies that have left too many without support

What this storm has exposed is not a lack of resilience among Tennesseans, but a continued failure of the state legislature to commit to policies and programs that build infrastructure capable of withstanding these stormsand to do so in ways that empower, rather than restrict, local governments from helping their own communities.

Since day one, volunteers and staff with TIRRC, Stand Up Nashville and The Equity Alliance have been on the ground delivering supplies, coordinating warming support, translating emergency information and connecting families to resources.

We have met an 86-year-old man caring for his bedridden wife in a home without power, whose only request was fresh vegetables and deli meat. A 92-year-old with electricity but no heat, shivering in her home and needing a space heater. Entire apartment complexes where hallways are dark and units are frigid. These are not isolated incidents; they are the predictable result of systems that fail repeatedly and policies that leave too many people without support when it matters most.

Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, speaks during a news conference at the TIRRC office in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, May 8, 2025. The news conference denounced an immigration enforcement mass traffic sweep that began May 4 in a joint operation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Families of individuals arrested and TIRCC staff spoke at the news conference.

The price of fear-based policies

For more than a decade, TIRRC has responded to disaster after disaster across this state  from hurricanes in East Tennessee to tornadoes that tore through the Spanish-speaking immigrant neighborhood of Madison, to this winter storm. Each time, leaders describe the damage as unprecedented. Yet what was once unprecedented has now become routine. And still, we are not learning our lessons.

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Opinion: Winter storms reveal what matters. TN laws should too

Instead of focusing on empowering localities to build resilience and preparedness, the state legislature is poised to spend this session chasing cheap political points, often on the backs of the very immigrant communities who will once again be responsible for rebuilding.

Immigrants will be clearing debris, fixing pipes, restoring services, reopening businesses and caring for children and elders across this city. Yet fear-based policies have made that work harder by design, leaving families afraid to call 911, seek help, or go to work.

Ingrid Martinez weeps after speaking about her mother during a news conference at the TIRRC office in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, May 8, 2025. The news conference denounced an immigration enforcement mass traffic sweep that began May 4 in a joint operation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Families of individuals arrested and TIRCC staff spoke at the news conference.

When the TN Legislature impedes local government

At the same time, lawmakers have repeatedly stripped local governments of the authority to respond effectively to crises. City leaders are increasingly blocked from doing what they know is best for their own residents. Last year, the legislature even made it a felony for local elected officials to support certain pro-immigrant policies  further incentivizing punishment over problem-solving.

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This approach doesnt just harm immigrants. It weakens disaster response for everyone. Effective emergency management depends on trust, coordination and the ability of local governments to act quickly. When the state erects barriers instead of building capacity, entire regions are left more vulnerable  whether the lights go out in North Nashville or Green Hills.

Ice on trees is illuminated by the lights of NES trucks as they repair lines in the Donelson neighborhood of Nashville, Tenn., early in the morning on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.

Tennessee must commit to infrastructure upgrades and shed legal barriers

Recovery must also confront the root causes of these failures. Widespread outages are not inevitable; they result from decades of underinvestment and political neglect. Tennessee must commit to infrastructure that can withstand increasingly frequent and severe storms, without erecting legal barriers that prevent municipalities from supporting their own people.

That includes hardening the power grid at Nashville Electric Service while keeping it publicly owned, protecting the Tennessee Valley Authority from privatization that would raise rates on already-strained families and directing recovery funds toward good local jobs, permanently affordable housing and protections against displacement. All recovery resources must be available to every resident. Disasters dont discriminate  and neither should relief.

Crews work on restoring power on Hicks Road Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 in Bellevue, Tenn. Tennessee residents are dealing with ice, power outages and freezing temperatures.

What storms reveal

Storms strip away rhetoric and expose reality. They reveal whose systems are fragile and whether leadership is prepared for the world we live in now. Tennessees leaders face a choice. They can continue weakening local capacity while scoring political points through division. Or they can invest in resilient infrastructure, strong municipalities and inclusive recovery that keeps all Tennesseans safe, no matter where they live.

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Our communities are resilient. They are rebuilding. They are staying.

Its time for our policies to reflect that reality.

Lisa Sherman Luna

Lisa Sherman Luna is a Nashville resident and Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC).

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Tennessee laws revealed when Winter Storm Fern hit
A meeting between US and Iranian officials in Istanbul is seen as a best-case scenario, sources familiar with the plans said.

Top US and Iranian officials are due to meet to hold talks on a possible nuclear deal, while Iran's military chief threatened that "no American would be safe" if the US conducted strikes on Iran, according to media reports on Monday.

The Trump administration's Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday to discuss a possible nuclear deal, two sources with knowledge of the plans told Axios's Barak Ravid on Monday. A third source stated that a meeting on Friday was the "best case scenario," while cautioning that nothing is final until it happens.

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This was later corroborated by an anonymous US official, cited by Reuters as saying that Trump has been "calling for them [Iran] to make a deal. The meeting is to hear what they have to say."

Senior officials, likely foreign ministers, from Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Turkey will join the talks, sources confirmed toThe Jerusalem Post. Trump's advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will also attend, the sources said.

US President Donald Trump later confirmed to reporters in the White House that the talks were ongoing, saying, "We have ships heading to Iran right now, big ones ... and we have talks going on with Iran. We'll see how it works out."

US President Donald Trump seen in the Oval Office in the White House in Washington, DC, US, January 14, 2026 (credit: REUTERS/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN)

This follows reports from Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency, which stated earlier on Monday that potential negotiations between the two countries may take place in the next few days involving senior officials from both countries. Tasnim's report did not note a time or location of the meeting. Tasnim, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked outlet, also cited Iran's top military chief stating that "no American would be safe" if conflict broke out.

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Meanwhile, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major-General Abdolrahim Mousavi, has rejected affirmations that Iran could be weakened by a naval blockade, among US invasion and bombing threats. The leader said that Tehran was geographically and strategically "impossible to encircle."

In a late-night visit to a military unit on Sunday, focused on assessing the readiness of Iranian armed force units, Mousavi declared that the Iranian nation "has stood firm from the past until today against the arrogant and aggressive nature of the United States and has forced it into repeated defeats, including in the recent complex, multi dimensional, and terrorist war, where they disrupted the enemys calculations," Tasnim reported.

He added, "Over these 47 years, the Iranian nation has repeatedly proven that Iran is not swallowable, and in the end, that stubborn and reckless entity that refuses to learn will be choked."

In addition, Mousavi asserted that Iran's response to any attack would be "decisive, crushing, regret-inducing." The Iranian general said that if an escalation starts, no American will be safe, promising to attack not only the US but also its allies.

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"What the enemies of this nation, especially the US, must know is that the motivation of our armed forces to fight the enemy has never been as high as it is today. The blood vengeance of the thirteenth day remains, and the smallest mistake will give us a free hand to act," Mousavi said.

The Iranian general said that, after the Israel-Iran war in July 2025, the state revised its defense doctrine, shifting it to an aggressive response model, Tasnim reported.

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Abdolrahim Mousavi, attends a mourning ceremony for late Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami, who was killed in Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, July 4, 2025. (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)

Also on Monday, in a show of force, IRGC aerospace commanders declared that Iran's "war room" is active, with its forces ready for conflict with possible threats, Tasnim cited parliamentary spokesperson Ebrahim Rezaei as saying.

Rezaei, a spokesman for the parliaments Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy, reportedly noted that the IRGC commander told lawmakers that Iran's intelligence is monitoring all of its adversaries' movements.

Iran lawmaker says nuclear, missile issues not up for talks

Separately, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a senior lawmaker, said on Monday that Iran is not open to negotiations regarding its nuclear activities or missile capabilities, Iran International reported.

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Boroujerdi noted, "Peaceful nuclear knowledge, like missile and drone capabilities, are red lines of the Islamic Republic and are not open to negotiation.

Claiming that Iran has always been serious about negotiations, Boroujerdi reportedly said that the Islamic Republic remains open to talks on clear and logical terms.

Regarding nuclear developments, US Senator Tom Cotton said on Sunday that Iran should not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, warning Tehran to take Trump's words into serious consideration.

President Trump has been clear: Irans terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon, Cotton said in a post on X/Twitter.

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The Ayatollahs are well-aware of our militarys capabilities and would be wise to take President Trumps words seriously, he added.

Meanwhile, as the US threat of attacking Iran remains a possibility, Iranian officials state that the Islamic Republic remains strong.

Iran says threats clash with diplomacy as it reviews talks with US

Tehrans foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, affirmed that Iran had learned from what he described as repeated US bad faith over the past decade, stressing that threats are not compatible with diplomacy.

Baghaei said that Iran remains committed to diplomacy to safeguard its stability, claiming that the Islamic Republic has been reviewing the "structure" of potential negotiations.

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The foreign ministry spokesman explained that lifting sanctions remains a core priority for Iran and dismissed speculation over military drills.

Regarding a possible war with the United States, Baghaei played down concerns, Do not worry at all.

As the Iranian civil situation escalates into a harsh scenario for Iranians, state leaders discuss possible developments.

Additionally, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday that talks with the US should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided.

"Taking into account demands from friendly regional countries to respond to the US President's suggestion for talks, I instructed the foreign minister to prepare the ground for equitable and fair negotiations ... should an atmosphere free of threats and unreasonable expectations arise," Pezeshkian said.

Iran FM steps up regional calls amid US threats

Araghchi recently spoke by phone with his counterparts in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to discuss regional and international developments.

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According to a report from Tasnim, the talks, held on Sunday, were held separately, focusing on each region's particularities.

The phone calls were part of a recent diplomatic effort from Araghchi to contact regional counterparts to exchange views on regional developments and US threats against Tehran.

In addition, Iran called in the ambassadors of all European countries that have embassies in Tehran to protest the European Unions decision to label the IRGC a terrorist organization, according to foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, Iran International reported.

Amichai Stein and Reuters contributed to this report.
At the press of a button, the lids of the missile silos in western China should open to launch nuclear weapons capable of reaching the United States.

But according to US intelligence released in 2024, the materials used to construct them were too heavy. Not only that, some of the missiles were filled with water rather than fuel.

The scandal  or some form of it  appears to have driven Xi Jinping, Chinas president, to remove the entire leadership of Rocket Forces, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) division responsible for Beijings nuclear deterrent, in the months before the leak was published.

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The purge was part of a colossal effort to stamp out corruption in Chinas military ranks. Since Mr Xi took power 14 years ago, he has dismissed hundreds of officers and filed criminal charges against some of the most powerful figures in the armed forces.

Last week, that campaign expanded to oust Gen Zhang Youxia, the highest-ranking uniformed commander in the PLA and a childhood acquaintance of the president.

Xi Jinping ousted Gen Zhang Youxia (right of Mr Xi), the highest-ranking uniformed commander in the PLA - Xinhua / Alamy

While the eradication of endemic graft clearly motivates Mr Xi, analysts told The Telegraph his hatchet job on the PLA is also driven by his desire to reshape the worlds second-largest army into a modern fighting force  one that is ready to invade Taiwan by 2027 and overtake the US as the worlds top military by 2049.

Corruption, in this view, forms both a serious threat to the PLA and a tool through which the president has been able to direct the military towards these goals  and ensure it remains entirely loyal to his own rule.

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In its scope and scale, its breathtaking, Jonathan Czin, who served as a China analyst in the CIA for 17 years, told The Telegraph.

Neil Thomas, a fellow at the Asia Society think tank, said the president had built a much larger political discipline apparatus around an initial anti-corruption campaign, which also targets disloyalty, incompetence and other failures to suitably implement Xis policies.

The case of Gen Zhang provides the clearest hint that the purges reach beyond simple housekeeping.

Announcing the investigation, the Chinese newspaper PLA Daily declared that he had seriously trampled upon the system of chairman responsibility, a reference to Mr Xis years-long campaign to enforce total allegiance to his wishes as chairman of the Central Military Committee (CMC), the body that directs PLA strategy and operations.

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What exactly he did remains shrouded in the fog of Chinese high politics. He has been accused of leaking Chinese nuclear weapons secrets to the US, but rumours suggest Gen Zhang may have opposed the presidents timeline for an invasion of Taiwan.

The generals recent speeches had laid out his focus on a training programme that would, by its nature, have pushed back a complex crossing of the Taiwan Strait, noted K Tristan Tang, an analyst.

He had also praised collective leadership in the PLA and stressed loyalty to the Communist Party  small but important blows against the principle of loyalty to one man alone.

At the moment, corruption appears to be the only objective the CMC is equipped to tackle. Mr Xis purges have reduced the body to just two members; himself and Zhang Shenmin, the anti-corruption watchdog.

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3001 Xi\'s Central Military Commission purge

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That has generated speculation that Mr Xis scythe has cut the PLA to the bone, stripping away the expertise that would be needed to handle even the most basic of combat tasks, let alone an invasion requiring the full might of the navy, air force, cyber and space divisions in total concert.

Be careful with such interpretations, warned Mr Czin, who is now a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institute think tank.

I think [the purges] show not that Xis is distracted from operational issues, but that hes laser-focused on them, he said.

China is holding drills in waters around Taiwan - Lin Jian/Xinhua

In truth, Mr Xi may well prefer to reunify Taiwan through a political process as the costs of an invasion would be staggering.

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Taiwans politics appear to be leaning his way, with elections due in 2028 while a pro-Beijing party is performing well in the polls.

But he is serious about wanting to have options, said Mr Czin. He wants the military to be up to snuff and prepared, and hes willing to be so unforgiving of the PLA because hes so focused on the underlying objectives.

Christopher K Johnson, another ex-CIA China analyst, echoed Mr Czin, saying that the idea put forward by some that the PLA blood-letting is solely intended to shore up Mr Xis position is wide of the mark.

I think its more a manifestation of his impatience with his generals, that they are not getting it done in a timely manner, he said.

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Im not saying hes in a hurry, but hes getting older and might be facing some whispers its time to think about stepping down.

What better way to show, dont f--- with me, than to take down the entire high command?

Mr Xis twin campaign of corruption purges and vast military spending has transformed the PLA into a force unrecognisable from the one he inherited.

Under Deng Xiaoping, the military had been encouraged to run commercial enterprises, while government funds were diverted to transforming the economy. As a result, the PLA operated a host of dodgy businesses, from dance troupes to factories and high-end hotels  with top brass continuing to profit despite a 1998 ban on outside fundraising.

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In strategic terms, the force was designed to ward off invasion from the United States or Soviet Russia, a legacy of the Cold War that left Beijings military planners with an oversized ground army.

Mr Xis corruption campaign began as part of an effort to assert his authority for radical change, said Mr Czin. In 2014, CMC vice-chairmen Xu Caihou and Guo Boxio were charged with taking bribes in exchange for offering promotion, a widespread practice that, for generations, had undermined the PLA  and reportedly still does.

The guys he went after were made men, Mr Czin said. It was a high stakes gamble. By uprooting these people, it gave Xi the political latitude to undertake this massive reform that his predecessors tried to impose on the PLA.

In 2015, the president cut the size of the army by 300,000 troops. Command structures were reorganised to prevent the formation of graft-prone cliques.

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At the same time, the taps were opened on a spending programme that has by now delivered China the worlds largest navy, second-largest combat air force and a missile arsenal that is rapidly catching up with  and, in some areas, outmatching  that of the United States.

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0810 China under Xi - largest navy

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The official military budget is $250bn (200bn), but analysts believe the true figure is higher as much remains off the books. The secrecy has allowed graft to continue, but the much-publicised corruption campaign has kept it below the threshold to seriously undermine Beijings military modernisation.

The corruption is real, its been pervasive, said Mr Czin. But the military modernisation is incredibly impressive. Its a big enough and well-resourced enough effort that theres enough space for both of these things to coexist side by side.

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By now, the PLA can walk and chew gum, he added. In November, Mr Xi fired nine generals, including seven who previously served in the Eastern Theatre, the branch responsible for Taiwan. The next month, he ordered the largest drills to date around the island.

To adopt the metaphorical style of Chinese state media for a moment, the road may be bumpy  but the destination is unchanged.

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 Senate on Friday night passed a bipartisan government funding agreement that came too late to prevent a shutdown, but set the stage for the government to reopen after only a few days.

The clock had been ticking for Congress to avoid another lengthy government shutdown, as lawmakers worked to finalize a plan to break an impasse over Department of Homeland Security funding in the wake of last weekends fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis by federal immigration officials. That agreement came together, but the government still officially ran out of money at midnight on Friday.

Fridays vote was the latest twist in a back-and-forth saga over the past two weeks that at times raised serious concerns that Congress could be heading for another prolonged stalemate over government funding.

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As recently as last week, Congress appeared to be on track to avoid a shutdown entirely. But after Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents on Saturday, Democrats began insisting that they would block any bill that provides more funding to the DHS, the agency that oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

ICE is out of control. Killing people, separating families, and terrorizing our communities. Im a NO on the DHS funding bill, Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado wrote on social media.

"I hate shutdowns  but I can't vote for a bill that includes ICE funding under these circumstances, Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats, said on Sunday.

On Thursday, President Trump announced that he had struck a deal with Senate Democrats to avoid a prolonged shutdown and allow more time for the two parties to negotiate over Democrats demands to rein in the administrations aggressive immigration crackdown.

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The Senate passed the compromise about six hours before Fridays midnight deadline, but the government will still be shut down  for a few days at least  until the bill is approved by the House.

Democratic criticism of Trumps immigration policies is nothing new. But Prettis death, less than three weeks after Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, proved to be a tipping point for moderate Senate Democrats, who said they would shut the government down if nothing is done to curb the actions of federal immigration authorities.

On Wednesday, Sen. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, revealed a set of demands to overhaul ICE. They include:

Tightening rules around the use of warrants and requiring ICE to coordinate with state and local law enforcement

Introducing a uniform code of conduct for all federal agents

Barring ICE agents from wearing face coverings, requiring that they wear body cameras and mandating that they carry visible identification

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We want masks off, body cameras on, Schumer said. No more anonymous agents, no more secret operatives.

These are commonsense reforms, ones that Americans know and expect from law enforcement, he added. If Republicans refuse to support them, they are choosing chaos over order.

Republicans havent agreed to those reforms. Instead, they helped pass a deal that allows the rest of the government to reopen soon and pushes the funding deadline for DHS back by two weeks to give the two sides time to negotiate.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Capitol Hill. (Anadolu via Getty Images)

The government ran out of money on Oct. 1 of last year and remained shut for 43 days, a full week longer than any previous shutdown in U.S. history. The political dynamics today were roughly the same as they were then: Republicans needed the votes of at least seven Democrats to overcome the filibuster and pass a spending bill, but Democrats said they wouldnt let that happen unless the GOP made some concessions on their core issue. Last time, it was health care. This time, its the DHS.

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Thats where the similarities end, though. This time, the shutdown is expected to be very brief and will affect only part of the government. Even if it does last longer than anticipated, Americans will be spared some of the difficulties they endured the last time  most notably disruptions in food assistance.

How we got here

When Congress voted to end the last shutdown in November, most of the government received funding that runs through Jan. 30. That gave lawmakers less than three months to pass another spending bill.

Rather than trying to pass a single massive bill for the entire government before Friday, congressional leaders opted to split the legislation into three pieces and try to pass them individually. That approach was going smoothly  for a while. Two of the bills  including funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Justice and Interior  were passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law last week.

The third bill, which provides funding for the rest of the government, also seemed on track to pass. It was narrowly approved by the House last week and appeared to have just enough support to squeak through the Senate before Fridays deadline. That all changed after Pretti was killed. Key Democratic senators, including several who joined Republicans to end the last shutdown, began saying earlier in the week that they will not vote to fund DHS and would use the filibuster to sink the entire package unless DHS funding is removed.

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Democrats were willing to pass everything else in the bill right away if the DHS portion was removed. Under that proposal, critical parts of the government  like the Departments of Defense, Transportation and Labor  would remain open and only DHS would have shut down

Until Thursday, Republicans seemed committed to keeping the bill intact. Then Trump announced that he had agreed to a middle ground that technically left the bill whole, but gave DHS a much shorter funding runway than all other agencies.

Given the timing of the deal, a short shutdown was inevitable. Because there were substantial changes made to its provisions, the House needs to approve the funding package again before it can be signed into law. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said Thursday that the earliest vote on any funding bill in the lower chamber would be on Monday.

"We may inevitably be in a short shutdown situation," Johnson told USA Today. "But the House is going to do its job."

How would this shutdown be different?

The historically long shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, affected the entire federal government. The next one will be whats known as a partial shutdown, because large portions of the government would continue to operate uninterrupted.

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Thanks to the bills that have already passed, some of the problems that most directly impact everyday Americans will be avoided this time around. Food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, for example, will continue and national parks will remain open and fully staffed.

A partial shutdown of only a few days likely wont have much of an impact on the American people. But there would be some significant disruptions if the bill stalls in the House, leading to a longer shutdown.

Air traffic controllers and the Transportation Security Administration would once again be asked to work without pay, potentially leading to more travel delays. Thousands of federal workers would be furloughed, which could make it harder for Americans to get help with things like filing their taxes or accessing health care through Medicaid or Medicare. A wide range of other programs, like federal loans, grant approvals and permitting reviews would also be put on pause.

If the agreement holds and the government reopens early next week, DHS will still be on track to run out of money in just two weeks. ICE and CBP may be able to weather any funding lapse because of the $43 billion in additional money they received from Republicans One Big Beautiful Bill last summer. Other parts of DHS, most notably the TSA and federal disaster relief programs, dont have that kind of financial backstop.

DHS negotiations will continue

After resolving the immediate problem of keeping the government open, Democrats and Republicans will face a tight timeline to come to some sort of an agreement on reforms to DHS.

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It remains to be seen whether Democrats as a whole will be satisfied with Schumers list of proposed reforms, which are much more limited than what some of the rank-and-file members of his party have called for.

What can we do to overhaul them? Let me start: new leadership; stopping these surges across the country  not just in my state; training them like they were supposed to be trained;  mandatory body cameras; stopping ramming into peoples houses without a judicial warrant, and I could go on, Minnesota Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar told NBC News on Saturday.

What we need to do is to establish  put some sort of guardrails, some sort of accountability around this lawless agency, Minnesotas other senator, Tina Smith, told NPR.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin has also called on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to testify before Congress about her stewardship of the department. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said he will only vote to fund the DHS if Trump fires his top aide, Stephen Miller, who is widely viewed as the architect behind Trumps approach to immigration.

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Theres uncertainty on the Republican side, as well. GOP leadership is still firmly aligned behind Trumps immigration agenda, but cracks in his support within the party have started to show over the past few days.

Two GOP senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, have called for Noem to resign in response to Prettis death. Several others have called for a full investigation and broader changes to the administrations approach.

Were at a situation where this just isnt safe, GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said this week. Its not safe for anybody. Its not safe for bystanders. Its not safe for law enforcement.

Whether these signs of discontent within the GOP will turn into actual support for some of the reforms Democrats want enacted remains to be seen.
In Punxsutawney, Pa., on Monday, the groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his cozy burrow on Gobblers Knob and saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter.

As they do every year, tens of thousands of people gathered in Punxsutawney, where temperatures were about 1 degree above zero, for the prognosticating marmots long-term forecast.

Phil purportedly picked one of two scrolls confirming the prolonged winter prognostication.

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It works like this: If the sun is shining and Phil sees his shadow, he takes that as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. If its cloudy and Phil doesnt see his shadow, he will stay above ground, signifying there will be an early spring.

Last year, Phil also predicted six more weeks of winter, which is typically his assessment: Since 2000, hes seen his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter 20 times.

Boos rang out from the crowd on Monday after the announcement of more winter was made.

Usually, after Phil makes his prediction, guests can pose for photos onstage with the groundhog. But Phils handlers said it was so cold that they were afraid to keep him out too long.

Why wouldnt sunshine indicate an early spring?

Groundhog Day is rooted in an ancient European Christian celebration known as Candlemas (Feb. 2), which occurs halfway through winter and spring. It commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem as a light to the people of Israel. Christians traditionally take their candles to church to be blessed and used for the rest of the year.

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Historically, the weather on Candlemas was observed to predict the start of spring. According to an old English song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Winter has another flight.

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,

Winter will not come again.

This is why, according to tradition, if its a bright and sunny day and the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If its a cloudy day and the groundhog doesnt see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

Why was a groundhog chosen as an indicator of springs arrival?

In ancient European weather lore, people would also observe hibernating animals, like a bear or badger, to foretell the arrival of spring, according to the National Weather Service.

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When German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700s, they also brought their Candlemas traditions and used animals to predict the weather. Since no badgers were found in Pennsylvania, they used groundhogs native to the area to do the prognosticating.

How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?

While Phil is arguably the most well-known weather prophet extraordinaire, he isnt the only one, and he isnt the most accurate, either.

In 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ranked the accuracy of 19 weather-predicting critters, including fellow groundhogs  living and taxidermied  and noted that a prairie dog statue, duck, alligator and turtle have joined the fun tradition. Staten Island Chuck took first place, with an 85% accuracy rate, while Phil ranked 17th out of 19 places, with just a 35% accuracy rate.

Heres what Chuck and some of the other animal prognosticators are predicting this year:

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Staten Island Chuck (New York) = six more weeks of winter

Woodstock Willie (Illinois) = early spring

Dunkirk Dave (New York) = early spring

Buffalo Bert (New York) = six more weeks of winter

General Beauregard "Beau" Lee (Georgia) = six more weeks of winter

Woody the Woodchuck (Michigan) = six more weeks of winter

How did the holiday tradition start in the first place?

Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day" in 1993. (Columbia/Courtesy Everett Collection)

A local Punxsutawney newspaper editor, Clymer Freas, was part of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club (which started as a groundhog hunting club). Freas is credited with starting the holiday on Feb. 2, 1886, after he wrote an article in the Punxsutawney Spirit that claimed the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil could predict the weather. Phils fame began to spread as newspapers around the world began reporting on his weather predictions.

The first official trek to Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney happened the very next year on Feb. 2, 1887, where the groundhog saw his shadow. Phils weather predictions have exploded in popularity, especially after the 1993 film Groundhog Day came out, starring Bill Murray. Now, thousands of people gather every year at Gobblers Knob to witness what the Seer of Seers has to proclaim.

PETA calls for Punxsutawney Phil to be replaced with a hologram

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the worlds largest animal rights organization, sent a letter on Jan. 20 to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Clubs president, Tom Dunkel, with an offer to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a hologram.

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In the letter, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk noted that groundhogs are timid animals who actively try to avoid humans, especially gatherings with loud noises and human smells. Yet every year, this terrified little animal is subjected to loud announcers and noisy crowds and held up and waved around without any regard for his feelings, welfare, or instincts, Newkirk wrote.

Thats why the organization appealed to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to let Phil and his family retire to a sanctuary in exchange for a massive, state-of-the-art, 3-D projection of a groundhog  complete with vocal weather predictions  to light up the stage at Gobblers Knob each year.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro wasnt a fan of the offer or changing tradition. He responded to the hologram offer in a post on X, with a picture of Phil and the caption Dont tread on me, which is a reference to the Gadsden Flag, used in the Revolutionary War.

This isnt the first time the nonprofit has tried to persuade the group to let Phil retire. In 2025, PETA offered a Weather Reveal vegan cake to be cut at Gobblers Knob, revealing either blue, signifying six more weeks of winter, or pink, indicating an early spring.
China-based Arctic Vision has signed an agreement for the acquisition of the ophthalmic device business of MDCO Technology.

The transaction will integrate MDCOs intraocular lens (IOL), implantable contact lens (Phakic Lens), and refractive device platforms into Arctic Visions global innovation framework for ophthalmic solutions.

The acquisition is expected to enhance Arctic Visions capabilities by combining advanced device engineering and manufacturing from MDCO with its existing research and development (R&D) in therapies.

This integration aligns with Arctic Visions strategy to expand its pipeline in areas with significant unmet needs in the ophthalmic sector.

Arctic Vision expects to build a portfolio, leveraging its R&D strengths in retinal, ocular surface, and neuro-ophthalmic areas alongside MDCOs design and manufacturing expertise.

Following the transaction, MDCO will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Arctic Vision.

The combined group will maintain operations in three locations: Shanghai for biopharmaceutical research and regulatory affairs; Hangzhou for device R&D, manufacturing, and commercial management; and California for design and global collaboration.

MDCO specialises in cataract and myopia-correction solutions, leveraging materials-science and precision-moulding expertise developed over nearly two decades. Its Hangzhou site is the centre for operations, manufacturing, R&D, and commercial management.

Arctic Vision founder, chairman and CEO Dr Eddy Wu said: This transaction represents a pivotal step for Arctic Visions long-term growth strategy.

"Through the integration of MDCOs ophthalmic device platforms with Arctic Visions pharmaceutical innovation capabilities, we are establishing a truly comprehensive ophthalmic innovation ecosystemone that integrates scientific excellence with advanced manufacturing and commercial scale.

Looking ahead, we are building a company structurally prepared for broader global investment participation and future capital-market opportunities while expanding our ability to reach more patients and deliver greater impact across the ophthalmology community worldwide.

"Arctic Vision to acquire MDCO Technologys ophthalmic device business" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand.




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Tana Senn, left, head of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families, said the agency has taken some steps to respond to a spike in deaths and near deaths among children involved in welfare cases. (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)
Board Member Chris Beer Appointed Interim President and CEO

Search Initiated to Identify New President and Chief Executive Officer

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2026) - ATEX Resources Inc. (TSXV: ATX) (OTCQB: ATXRF) ("ATEX" or the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has appointed Chris Beer, a member of the Board of ATEX, as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, as Ben Pullinger has stepped down as President and Chief Executive Officer, for personal reasons, effective today. The Board of Directors has commenced a process to identify a permanent President and CEO.

Mr. Beer, who has been a director of ATEX since June 2024, is a well-tenured executive with over 30 years of exploration, capital markets and institutional investing experience. He began his career as an exploration geologist with Noranda and most recently spent 25 years at RBC Global Asset Management, where he served as Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager of North American and Global Natural Resources until 2024. Mr. Beer is also Chair of Fuerte Metals, owner of the Coffee Gold Project in the Yukon Territory, and a director of Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd.

Mr. Pullinger joined ATEX as Senior Vice President, Exploration and Business Development in May 2022, and was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer in May 2024. During his tenure, and under his leadership, ATEX advanced the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project into one of the most significant emerging copper-gold assets in Chile, and materially increased the Company's scale and market profile. Mr. Pullinger will remain with the company for a period of 90 days to assist with the transition with the Interim President and CEO.

Craig Nelsen, Chair of ATEX, commented:

"The Board extends its sincere thanks to Ben for his leadership, hard work, and dedication to ATEX. During his tenure as SVP and then as CEO, the Company has evolved from a modest junior exploration company into the owner and developer of the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project, one of the most exciting, high-grade projects globally. The capital markets responded accordingly, with ATEX's market capitalization growing to over $1.3 billion in less than four years. We are grateful that Ben has agreed to make himself available to ATEX and supporting Chris during this transition as he considers his next opportunity. We wish him well in his future endeavors."

Mr. Pullinger added:

"It has been an incredible opportunity and privilege to contribute to Valeriano's growth from geological curiosity to the largest copper discovery in Chile in over a decade. Equally rewarding has been the ability to work with the talented team of professionals at ATEX who all contributed to this success, and I am extremely proud of all we have accomplished together. I'd like to thank the board and ATEX's shareholders for their trust and support and I look forward to remaining an engaged and enthusiastic supporter as ATEX continues to grow and develop."
Starting and running a small business is no small feat. It requires courage, determination, and a significant investment of time and resources. Amidst the excitement of entrepreneurial success, its easy to overlook the potential risks that can threaten your hard-earned achievements. That's where small business liability insurance becomes vital. This financial safeguard can protect your business from unforeseen circumstances that could otherwise lead to devastating financial setbacks.

Understanding Small Business Liability Insurance

Liability insurance for small businesses is designed to cover legal costs and damages that your business may be legally responsible for, as a result of lawsuits or claims of negligence, injuries, or malpractice. Its crucial to understand that even with the best risk management practices in place, no business is immune to the possibility of a liability claim.

Types of Liability Insurance for Your Small Business

General Liability Insurance: This type of insurance provides coverage for bodily injuries, property damage, and advertising injuries to third parties. Its a fundamental coverage every small business should have.

Professional Liability Insurance: Often referred to as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, this protects businesses that offer professional services or advice. It covers legal fees and damages if your business is accused of providing inadequate services or advice.

Product Liability Insurance: If your business manufactures or sells products, this insurance can protect you from claims of product defects that cause injury or property damage.

Employers Liability Insurance: Also known as workers' compensation, this covers employees who get injured on the job and is required in most states.

Benefits of Liability Insurance for Small Businesses

Financial Protection: A lawsuit can be costly. Without adequate coverage, legal fees and settlements can quickly deplete your financial resources.

Credibility: Having liability insurance demonstrates to your customers and clients that you are a responsible business owner who takes risk management seriously.

Peace of Mind: Knowing you have a financial safety net allows you to focus on growing your business, rather than worrying about potential liability claims.

Contract Requirements: Some clients or landlords may require proof of liability insurance before they agree to work with you or lease property to you.

Finding the Right Coverage

It's important to work with a reputable insurer to tailor your liability insurance to your business's unique needs. Coverage amounts and policy details can vary, so consult with a professional to ensure you get the protection you deserve without paying for unnecessary extras.

The Bottom Line

Securing your small business with liability insurance is not just a precaution; its a strategic business decision that can save your company from financial ruin. The cost of a policy is minimal compared to the security and assurance it brings. Invest in the future of your business by getting the proper coverage today. Protect your assets, your employees, and your livelihood by minimizing the financial risks with affordable and tailored liability insurance.

Act Now: Dont let another day go by without protecting your small business. Secure the right liability insurance coverage and have the confidence to take your business to new heights. Remember, its not just about managing risksit's about ensuring your business's long-term success.
Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) is one of the best undervalued stocks to buy under $10. On January 29, Bank of America Securities reiterated a Hold rating on Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) and set a price target of p110.00. The rating update came the same day Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) announced its financial results for 2025. It reported diversified revenue growth across the business, delivering 1.4 billion of annualised additional revenues from strategic initiatives in 2025. Management expressed confidence in delivering c.2 billion by the end of 2026, which is ahead of its previous target of c.1.5 billion.

Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) also reported an underlying net interest income of 13.6 billion, up 6% compared to 2024 and reflecting a banking net interest margin of 3.06%, up 11 basis points year-on-year, alongside higher average interest-earning banking assets of 462.9 billion.

As part of its financial results, Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) announced the same day that GenAI delivered around 50 million of value in 2025, and it expects over 100 million in additional value in 2026 through the continual scaling of both agentic AI and GenAI across the Group.

Lloyds Banking Group plc (NYSE:LYG) operates as a financial services company providing banking and financial services. The companys operations are divided into the following segments: Retail, Commercial Banking, Insurance and Wealth, and Other.

While we acknowledge the potential of LYG 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.
Banks are gearing up to issue approximately $7.9bn in debt to provide financing for Clayton Dubilier & Rices (CD&R) proposed takeover of packaging company Sealed Air Corp, reported Bloomberg.

The transaction is expected to happen this month.

A consortium including JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo is preparing a high-yield bond issue expected to offer yields between 7% and 7.25%.

In addition to the bonds, about $4.5bn in leveraged loans split between US dollars and euros is slated to be part of the financing package, according to an earlier report by Bloomberg.

Other financial institutions involved in the syndicate are BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs Group, and UBS Group.

These banks have begun preliminary discussions with investors to determine interest in the proposed debt package, sources said.

The loans could be set at a margin of roughly three percentage points over the Secured Overnight Financing Rate.

Details of the financing are still being finalised and may change, according to those close to the deal.

Funds affiliated with CD&R agreed last November to purchase Sealed Air, best known for inventing Bubble Wrap.

The deal carries an enterprise value of $10.3bn and is anticipated to be completed by mid-2026.

Once concluded, Sealed Air will operate as a private entity, remain based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Other institutions providing buyout financing commitments include Mizuho Financial Group, Citigroup, and Royal Bank of Canada.

Representatives from CD&R, Sealed Air, and all participating banks declined to comment or did not respond to requests for statements.

"Banks plan $7.9bn debt offering for CD&Rs acquisition of Sealed Air  report" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand.




From Dolce & Gabbana, to da Vinci, to the Dolomites, the 2026 Games symbolize a pursuit of uniqueness and Italian ingenuity through a sense of balance, says Italian Studies Professor Luca Cottini.



Italy's Cortina dAmpezzo and Milan will be the first dual-city hosts of an Olympic Games this February. Long proclaimed Italys moral capital, Milan is renowned worldwide for its significant contributions to fashion, design and the arts. Soon, another point of pride will be added to the citys storied history, when the regional huband partnering town Cortina dAmpezzoplays host to the 2026 Winter Olympics in February. Luca Cottini, PhD, is a professor of Italian Studies and an expert on the evolution of Italian culture, particularly through the 19th and 20th centuries. Recently, he shared some thoughts concerning Milan and Cortinas successful joint bid for the Olympics, the themes and iconography expected to define this years opening ceremony and the symbolic significance of Italys selection as a host nation. Question: What was the role of past major events in Milan and Cortinalike the 2015 Worlds Fair and the 1956 Winter Olympicsin helping to elevate their appeal for these games? Luca Cottini: Ill start by saying that although people notice worlds fairs less than the Olympics, they are more impactful to a city and country because they generate more revenue, business, political relationships and positive reputation. They are events in which all the world comes together and each country exposes its excellence, while the host nation brings a visibility that it would not carry otherwise. In 2015, Milan hosted the worlds fair, which generated a completely new fairgrounds area and a visibility of politics, industry, technology and modernity in a way that brings the city to a global stage. I would say that is when the ascent of Milan really started, especially as a desirable destination. With Cortina, after the 2015 Worlds Fairand especially after the COVID-19 pandemicthe Dolomites became really a popular region for travelers to visit. Cortina is also symbolic to Olympic history, because it's the site of the first Olympics that took place in Italy, in 1956 during the reconstruction era. That was the Dolce Vita period, in the middle of the 1950s economic boom, and those games were followed by Romes Summer Olympics in 1960. They both represented a way in which Italy, coming out of the war destroyed, was reaffirming its rebirth. Over the years, fewer cities have wanted to host the Olympics because they tend to carry a lot of economic burden, financial debt and little return on investment. In this sense, Milan and Cortina, helped by increased popularity after the worlds fair, sold themselves as a sustainable Olympics. Ninety percent of the buildings were refurbished from older buildings, and they will serve purposes after the Olympics. Its difficult to tell whether its economically sound or not, but it is a way to promote two cities that are in big moments of growth.



The 2026 Winter Games are expected to pay homage to Milan's rich contributions to the global fashion industry. Q: These Olympic Games will be celebrating Milans contributions to fashion. What is the citys significance to the fashion world? LC: Milan is certainly the capital of fashion in Italy, and is one of the capitals of fashion in the world, along with Paris, New York and London. The fashion heritage that the city carries now in iconic brands like Armani, Versace, Moschino and Dolce & Gabbana is the outcome of a process that took shape in the late 1970s. Until then, fashion in Italy was mainly related to Rome, through cinema, and Florence, as that city represented a new Renaissance in the postwar years. But in the 1970s, much of this fashion world moved from those cities to Milan, because there was a conglomeration of labor, skills, capital and creativity that generated a complex productive and cultural system, or the so-called Sistema Moda. This is a particular approach to the industry in Italy that coordinates management and creativity around the figures of a big creative director and a big manager who work together in creating not just nice styles, but also sustainable outlets and markets in and outside Italy. In turn, with its reputation, Milan gives the Olympics that seal of grandeur and coolness. The connection with fashion and promotion of uniqueness is part of the national rhetoric that surrounds what we call Made in Italy, this idea of luxury, styling, beauty, order and measure that is endowed in the Italian DNA. Q: Andrea Bocelliwho also appeared in Torinos 2006 closing ceremonyis supposed to sing once again in this years opening ceremony. Aside from his popularity, what is the symbolic significance of his selection as a performer?
The monthly limit for free cash withdrawals has risen to Ft 300,000, up from Ft 150,000, effective 1 February. Retail clients may take up to Ft 300,000 in cash from a single bank account in up to two withdrawals a month. Any further withdrawals will be subject to the financial transaction tax.

Recent legislation also requires financial institutions to maintain and install ATMs across smaller towns and villages, aiming to ensure cash availability nationwide - a significant move for those living outside Budapest and major cities.



While the free withdrawal limit has doubled, discussions continue around broader banking costs in Hungary, including how banks pass on taxes and charges to customers.



Even with the spread of electronic payments, cash remains a basic means of payment, making access to cash the basis for the financial sovereignty of the Hungarian people, the ministry said, noting that the government remains committed to ensuring that there are ATMs in every settlement.



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The government has once again raided Budapest's account, seizing 11.7 billion forints, Gergely Karacsony, the city's mayor, said in a post on Facebook.

Karacsony called the move, like previous ones, "unlawful", noting that the city has sought legal protection from the courts. Although the court has not yet ruled on the request, he argued that the mere filing of the motion should have prevented the government from making the withdrawal.



"We need a government that respects the law and complies with legal decisions. But this government is not that," he said.



The mayor vowed to pursue legal action once more, expressing confidence in success. "We have reason to believe we will win this time too, and then the government will have to repay with interest what it has taken from Budapest today."



Karacsony noted that the government had justified the seizure by citing industrial tax revenue, which is not due until March. "They're taking money that does not yet exist," he said.



He added that it was ironic that the seizure coincided with the release of "dismal" national GDP data, which showed minimal growth driven by the service sector and tourism, both of which are centered in Budapest.



The mayor said that if Budapest, as the engine of the country's economy and the heart of its cultural and intellectual life, stalled, progress stalled throughout the country, too, leading to "severe damage".



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Source: MTI  Hungarys national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.



Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.



XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com



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New Delhi: India is preparing for a major economic transformation. The Union Budget 2026-27 lays out measures that could make the country the top choice for global manufacturing using the popular China +1 (C+1) strategy. This comes as international companies rethink supply chains after COVID-19 disruptions, rising trade tariffs and geopolitical tensions.

India has positioned itself as the backup factory for the world that is ready to absorb international demand in case of any crisis in China or Taiwan.

The government has offered tax breaks for cell phone, laptop, and semiconductor makers, making India more attractive to foreign investors. Reducing bureaucratic hurdles for global firms, the budget also strengthens the National Single Window System to simplify business procedures. The message is clear: India is ready to step in as a global manufacturing hub, ensuring supply continuity for the world.

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The expressway to a $5 trillion economy

China presently dominates about 40% of global manufacturing. Its factories supply critical products worldwide, but 2026 is expected to be a turning point. Expanding influence and economic opacity have made global companies seek alternatives.

India has leveraged this moment, offering a comprehensive incentive package for foreign manufacturers. Analysts call it more than policy; it is a blueprint to become a $5 trillion economy and reclaim Indias historic position as a global industrial leader.

Why the world needs India now

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the dangers of over-reliance on a single supplier. When China halted medical exports, nations realised the need for diversified supply chains. Major companies such as Apple and Samsung now see India as a dependable alternative.

Chinas aging workforce and rising labour costs further enhance Indias appeal. With 65% of its population under 35, India offers a vast, skilled and affordable workforce for decades. The geopolitical uncertainty surrounding Taiwan, which produces 90% of advanced chips, has also created demand for a secure manufacturing backup. India is stepping in to fill that gap.

How India stands to gain from Chinas challenges

Indias budget, 2026-27, slashes import duties on cell phone and laptop components, turning the country into a hub for component manufacturing, not just assembly. Electronics exports are projected to cross $120 billion by 2025.

The government has also launched a Rs 1.5 lakh crore semiconductor mission, attracting companies like Tata and Micron to establish advanced chip plants in India. In the chemical sector, stricter environmental regulations in China have shut down several plants, benefiting Indian companies such as Privi Specialty and Aarti Industries, which are now filling gaps in global supply chains.

Incentives for companies

The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme promises cash rewards for output, covering over 14 sectors. This is Indias answer to Chinese subsidies. From land acquisition to electricity connections, the National Single Window System now enables businesses to clear all approvals through a single portal.

Infrastructure investment has also received a massive boost, with Rs 11.11 lakh crore allocated under PM GatiShakti. New ports and dedicated freight corridors are being built to ensure that exports from India reach the world faster and cheaper than ever before.

Indias moves points to a strategic shift in global manufacturing. By rolling out the red carpet for foreign companies and investing heavily in infrastructure, technology and policy reforms, the country is poised to become the go-to destination for global supply chains. The C+1 formula is not only a concept; it is a roadmap to turn India into the next industrial superpower and a $5 trillion economy.
Air India on Monday grounded one of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch.

We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, the spokesperson said.

"After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilot's concerns checked on a priority basis," the spokesperson said.

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The issue has been reported to the civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority, an Air India spokesperson added.


Kerala election 2026: With the Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for 2026, the political temperature in the state is rising. Keralas politics has long been defined by a contest between two major alliances- the United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Congress, and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the CPI(M). The LDF, currently in power under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is seeking a third term, while the Congress-led UDF is seeking to capitalise on growing anti-incumbency sentiment after two terms out of power.

On the margins, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is attempting to expand its influence in a state where it has traditionally struggled to gain a decisive foothold.

Also Read- A SWOT analysis of MK Stalin's leadership: Can DMK leader save his fort against AIADMK-BJP challenge in Tamil Nadu

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Raju P Nair, KPCC Media Panelist, noted that the Congress is well-positioned to make a comeback in 2026, driven by grassroots strength and public dissatisfaction with the current government.

Grassroots strength and local leadership

According to Nair, one of the biggest advantages of the grand old party in Kerala lies in its strong grassroots organisation and local leadership. He points out that booth-level workers and local leaders continue to play a decisive role in mobilising voters and managing elections across the state.

Kerala Congress has very strong grassroots leaders. Booth-level workers are active and connected with people, he said.

Nair also argued that the BJPs electoral ambitions have not translated into real power in Kerala. He accused both the Centre and the state government of selectively pursuing investigations, alleging that governance decisions are increasingly influenced by political considerations.

Lessons from the past

The Congress loss in the previous Assembly elections has forced introspection within the party in order to prepare for the state elections coming up this year.

Nair stated that polarisation played a major role in previous defeats, creating a divided political atmosphere that benefited the ruling front. He said the party has learned the importance of countering polarisation with positive factors.

What is Congress' plan for future?

Criticising the LDF government, Nair emphasised that Keralas rising public debt, which he said has increased sharply over the past decade. He alleged that the states tax system has weakened and that Kerala did not fully benefit from the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

He also flagged concerns in the higher education sector and said that there are disputes between the Governor and the state government that have resulted in drawbacks for several universities. He added that these institutional deadlocks have affected academic functioning.

Healthcare is another area of concern, with Nair referring to multiple instances of alleged medical negligence.

Thus, with the above points in mind, the Congress priority, if elected to power, he said, would be to bring Keralas economy back on track by revamping revenue generation, strengthening GST mechanisms, and exploring new resource avenues.

Only a complete revamp of governance can restore Kerala to its former glory, he said.

Kerala politics

Keralas voter fabric remains deeply rooted in political awareness, high literacy levels, and a strong tradition of civic participation. Elections are often decided by governance performance rather than personality-driven campaigns. Issues such as welfare delivery, economic stability, education, healthcare, and social harmony could continue to shape voter preferences across regions and communities.

Currently, Kerala is governed by the LDF under CM Vijayan, who has been in office since 2016. The ruling coalition comprises several Left parties, with the CPI(M) as its principal force.

The states economy is supported by several sectors, and at the same time, fiscal management and governance remain key areas of public debate, making the 2026 Assembly elections a critical test of the governments performance.

As Kerala moves closer to the 2026 Assembly elections, the political contest is shaping up to be both intense and consequential. The Congress-led UDF sees an opportunity to reclaim lost ground; however, it remains to be seen how events will unfold and whom the public will ultimately place its trust in.
Senior Central leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are expected to hold an important meeting with MLAs from Manipur, including those from the party and its NDA allies, in New Delhi on Monday to deliberate on key issues related to the state, party sources said on Sunday.

Sources added that many MLAs from the BJP and its supporting parties have already arrived in New Delhi, while others are expected to reach the capital soon.

Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Manipur BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi are also joining the party MLAs in New Delhi. Ahead of his departure to New Delhi, Sharda Devi said that all NDA MLAs have been summoned by the Central BJP leadership to discuss several issues related to the state.

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"We are expecting that the issue of government formation will be discussed," she said.

Biren Singh expects a positive outcome as all MLAs of NDA allies have been invited to the meeting. "We were only asked to reach Delhi for a meeting. No specific agenda was communicated to us," he added.

Last year, on February 13, the Central government imposed President's Rule in Manipur, just four days after Chief Minister Biren Singh submitted his resignation.

President's Rule is set to end on February 12. The 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly, whose term extends until 2027, remains in suspended animation.

After the imposition of Presidents Rule, senior central leaders, including BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh and the partys Northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, conducted a series of discussions with Manipur MLAs in New Delhi and Imphal.

Earlier, on December 14 last year, the Manipur BJP Legislature Party convened a meeting at the partys headquarters in New Delhi to deliberate on the peace process and other important issues related to the violence-affected state.

The meeting was attended by over 34 BJP MLAs, including former Chief Minister Biren Singh and State Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, along with BL Santhosh, Sambit Patra, and Manipur BJP President Sharda Devi.

In a post on its official X account, the BJP had said, "The Manipur BJP Legislature Party meeting was held today at the BJP headquarters in Delhi in the presence of BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh ji and party's Northeast Coordinator Sambit Patra ji."

The statement further read, "The discussion centred on peace and progress in Manipur."

The BJP has 37 MLAs in the Manipur Assembly, while its NDA allies, including National People's Party (NPP) and the Naga People's Front (NPF) have six and five MLAs respectively. Three other Independent MLAs are also supporting BJP-led NDA in the state.
CJ Roy death case: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking a judicial inquiry into the unnatural death of industrialist CJ Roy, who died by suicide during an Income Tax search at his residence in Bengaluru on January 30.

In a strongly worded letter, Vijayan described the incident as a blot on the countrys tax administration and flagged serious concerns over alleged lapses in procedure during the search operation. He questioned how Roy was able to access a loaded firearm while officials were present, calling it a grave breach of protocol.

The Chief Minister also referred to allegations made by Roys family, including claims of harassment by Income Tax officials, citing statements from the industrialists brother. Vijayan said only an independent judicial probe, led by a former constitutional court judge, could establish the truth and help prevent similar incidents in the future.

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While acknowledging that the Karnataka Police have initiated an investigation, Vijayan stressed that a broader inquiry is necessary to examine administrative practices, due diligence, and the conduct of officials involved. He urged the Centre to order the judicial inquiry without delay and ensure a time-bound submission of its findings.

Meanwhile, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of the Confident Group chairman. The SIT will be headed by Joint Commissioner of Police (West Zone) C Vamshi Krishna, with Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Division) Lokesh Jagalasar serving as the investigating officer. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division) Akshay Hake, along with senior officers from multiple divisions and specialised units, will also be part of the team. The SIT has been authorised to induct additional personnel and resources if required.

In a separate statement, the office of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the incident allegedly took place after Roy requested a short break during questioning by Income Tax officials. According to the statement, Roy asked for five minutes, went inside a room, and subsequently shot himself.

(With inputs from ANI)
S Jaishankar US visit: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to begin a three-day visit to the United States on Monday, during which he will take part in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

According to the MEA, the ministerial discussions will centre on strengthening supply chain resilience, advancing clean energy transitions, and deepening strategic cooperation in the critical minerals sector.

The visit, scheduled from February 2 to 4, will also see Jaishankar holding meetings with senior officials from the US administration on a range of bilateral and global issues.

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In the run-up to the visit, Jaishankar met US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in New Delhi last week, where the two discussed various aspects of India-US relations. Welcoming Gor, the External Affairs Minister expressed confidence that the ambassador would play a key role in further strengthening ties between the two countries.

Pleased to meet US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor today in New Delhi. Our conversation covered the many dimensions of our partnership, Jaishankar said in a post on X, adding that he looked forward to Gors contribution to deepening bilateral relations.

On January 25, Jaishankar also met a visiting US Congressional delegation that included Mike Rogers, Adam Smith and Jimmy Patronis, along with Ambassador Gor. The discussions focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation, developments in the Indo-Pacific region, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Following the meeting, Jaishankar noted that engagements with the US Congress have remained an important element of the India-US relationship.

Earlier, on January 13, Jaishankar held a phone conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which the two reviewed key areas of cooperation, including civil nuclear energy, trade negotiations, critical minerals, and regional security in the Indo-Pacific.

Describing the call as positive, Ambassador Gor later said the discussion also covered next steps in bilateral trade talks, cooperation in critical minerals, and the possibility of a meeting in the coming month.

(With ANI inputs)
As millions across Asia prepare to travel for the Lunar New Year, a little-known but lethal virus has nudged its way back into the headlines. Two confirmed Nipah virus infections in Indias eastern state of West Bengal have been enough to prompt airport alerts from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, not because the outbreak is large, but because of what the virus can do when it slips through the cracks.

So how worried should the world be? Heres a clear look at whats happening and why governments are paying attention.

Whats happening in India?

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Indias health ministry said this week that two people tested positive for the Nipah virus in West Bengal in late December 2025. Both patients are healthcare workers being treated at the same hospital.

Authorities traced 196 contacts linked to the cases. All traced contacts have been found asymptomatic and have tested negative, the ministry said, adding that the situation is under constant monitoring and that all necessary public health measures are in place.

While officials have not identified the original source of infection, the fact that both patients worked at the same hospital suggests possible exposure to an infected but undiagnosed patient, a pattern seen in earlier outbreaks.

What is the Nipah virus?

Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic disease, meaning it jumps from animals to humans. Fruit bats and flying foxes are its natural hosts, but humans can become infected through contaminated food, close contact with infected animals, or through person-to-person transmission.

The virus incubates for about five to 14 days. Symptoms often begin with fever and headache, but severe cases can escalate rapidly, leading to breathing problems and acute encephalitis, inflammation of the brain.

Patients may suffer convulsions, confusion, and coma within 24 to 48 hours in serious cases. The fatality rate is high, though the virus does not spread easily between people, which limits its pandemic potential.

Has Nipah caused outbreaks before?

Yes, and that history explains the concern. The first recognised outbreak occurred in 1998 among pig farmers in Malaysia, later spreading to Singapore. More than 250 people were infected, and over 100 died.

In 2014, cases in the Philippines were linked to slaughtering horses and eating infected meat.

South Asia has seen repeated flare-ups since 2001, particularly in Bangladesh and India. The World Health Organization (WHO) says outbreaks in Bangladesh were often linked to drinking raw date palm sap contaminated by bats, close contact with infected people, and caring for sick patients.

India recorded its first confirmed cases in West Bengal in 2007, although an earlier outbreak was later identified in Siliguri in 2001. That episode was largely hospital-based; 75 percent of cases involved hospital staff or visitors, according to the WHO.

Since 2018, several outbreaks in Kerala have caused dozens of deaths, making it one of the worlds highest-risk regions for Nipah.

Is this outbreak different?

What stands out is the long gap. West Bengal has not reported a Nipah outbreak for decades, and there is still no clear explanation for how the virus resurfaced. Some experts believe eating fruit contaminated by bat saliva or urine may trigger infections. Indias Council of Medical Research has said the virus mainly spreads through close contact but may also be airborne in certain settings, a concern in crowded hospitals.

Is there a vaccine or treatment?

There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Nipah virus, according to the WHO. The University of Oxford is running vaccine trials in Bangladesh and began phase-two trials in December 2025.

In the meantime, doctors rely on supportive care and experimental use of antiviral drugs. Ribavirin was given to a small number of patients during a 1999 outbreak in Malaysia, though its effectiveness remains uncertain.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Remdesivir has shown promise in preventing Nipah infection in exposed non-human primates. Kerala used the drug during a 2023 outbreak, which coincided with a lower fatality rate.

Why are other countries tightening airport checks?

Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, and Malaysia have all stepped up screening at international airports.

Thailands health ministry said planes arriving from Nipah-affected countries are being parked in designated bays, with passengers required to complete health declaration forms. Thermal scanners have been installed at Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi airport to detect fever and other symptoms. Similar measures are in place in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Kathmandu.

The timing matters. Heavy holiday travel raises the risk of infected passengers carrying the virus across borders before symptoms appear.

How worried should people be?

Social media anxiety has flared, especially in China. Its so scary, especially with the Spring Festival coming up. I dont want to experience another lockdown, one user wrote. Another asked, Cant we temporarily shut the travel channel with India?

Chinas state broadcaster CCTV reported that the country has not recorded any Nipah cases so far, but warned of the risk of imported infections.

Health experts stress that Nipah is not like COVID-19. It does not spread easily, and outbreaks are usually contained through tracing, isolation, and hospital controls. Severe cases can be managed through intensive supportive care.

How can the virus be prevented?

Beyond airport checks, public health advice remains straightforward: good hygiene, proper ventilation, avoiding crowds, staying home when ill, and seeking medical care early.

The WHO has also issued specific guidance aimed at stopping spillover from bats. In a 2018 report, it said decreasing bat access to date palm sap and other fresh food products is essential.

Keeping bats away from sap collection sites with protective coverings [such as bamboo sap skirts] may be helpful. Freshly collected date palm juice should be boiled, and fruits should be thoroughly washed and peeled before consumption. Fruits with signs of bat bites should be discarded, the agency said.

People handling sick animals should wear gloves and protective clothing. In hospitals, the WHO advises standard precautions alongside contact and droplet protection and, in some cases, airborne precautions.

Close unprotected physical contact with Nipah virus-infected people should be avoided. Regular hand washing should be carried out after caring for or visiting sick people, it added.

The West Bengal outbreak is small and under control, but Nipahs deadly reputation, combined with peak travel season, explains why governments are not taking any chances.
Shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) recently plunged after the company announced its fourth-quarter results. Over the trailing 12 months, the stock is down 16%. Some might choose to stay away from Abbott given some recent challenges. However, Abbott's stock still remains attractive, especially for dividend-seeking investors. Here is why.

Abbott's quarterly update

Abbott Laboratories' fourth-quarter top-line growth came up short of expectations. The company's sales were $11.5 billion, up 4.4% compared to the year-ago period. Two of the company's business segments, nutrition and diagnostics, moved in the wrong direction. And to make matters worse, the company's guidance for its fiscal 2026 was not strong either. It's not that surprising, then, that Abbott's shares fell sharply on the heels of its earnings release.

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Image source: Getty Images.

Addressing the challenges

It's worth pointing out, though, that Abbott's core medical device business remains strong, delivering 12.3% sales growth in the quarter. This was, once again, driven partly by its diabetes care unit, whose revenue jumped 14.5% year over year. Abbott's structural heart unit also performed pretty well. The medical device giant has plenty of growth avenues in these niches. In diabetes care, Abbott remains a leader in the CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) market thanks to its FreeStyle Libre franchise.

In recent years, it has expanded its lineup, notably because of over-the-counter products such as the Libre Rio, designed for type 2 diabetes patients who aren't on insulin (CGM makers have historically targeted primarily diabetes patients on insulin), and the Lingo, which is for glucose monitoring for people who aren't diabetic. These launches expanded Abbott's addressable market. The CGM space remains deeply underpenetrated, as the company noted a few years ago. So, there could be plenty of growth left ahead for Abbott Laboratories.

In structural heart, devices such as the MitraClip and TriClip, leaders in their respective niches, should still drive growth for a while. Further, Abbott announced an acquisition last year that will transform its diagnostics business and provide it with another significant growth avenue. The company is buying out cancer diagnostics leader Exact Sciences for about $21 billion in cash.

Exact Sciences markets Cologuard, a leading non-invasive test for colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the world. It has also developed new diagnostic products, including one for the early detection of various cancers. The cancer diagnostics market is growing at a good clip. And with the backing of the larger, richer Abbott Laboratories, Exact Sciences' products could find even greater success.
Egypt's Suez CanalRed Sea Economic and Maritime Development Initiative (STREAM) is emerging as a vital regional framework to boost trade, security, and infrastructure around the Red Sea, especially amid recent shipping disruptions.

Recently, at the 2nd India-Arab Foreign Ministers Meeting in New Delhi on January 31, Egypt briefed Arab leaders on STREAM's goals, from upgrading ports and logistics to promoting a sustainable blue economy, positioning it as a gateway for economic ties with India.

It is interesting to note that the initiative aligns with New Delhis Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) Initiative and connects directly to New Delhi's push for Indo-Mediterranean connectivity, powering data cables like South East Asia-Middle East-West Europe 6 (SEA-ME-WE 6) through Egypt's networks and opening new paths for trade to Europe and Africa.

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What is STREAM?

The Suez CanalRed Sea Economic and Maritime Development Initiative (STREAM) is Egypt's framework for regional cooperation around the Red Sea and Suez Canal. It promotes economic integration among Arab and African coastal states through infrastructure and sustainability efforts.

Egypt launched the STREAM initiative in October 2025 at the Aswan Forum. It responds to Red Sea disruptions, such as Houthi attacks, which cut Suez Canal traffic and revenues by over $9 billion. Egypts Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty presented it as a platform for joint action through the Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution.

Indias Indo-Mediterranean Push

India gains better routes for data and trade through projects like STREAM. They help bypass riskier paths as IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC) plans shift to favour Egypt over Israel-Jordan routes.

Projects like Medusa's Red Sea link and Saudi-Egypt rail plans build efficient corridors from India through the Gulf and Africa to Europe. Egypt's location aids India's growth to the west by linking with the Suez Canal flows for energy and goods.

Egypt and India enjoy strong ties, boosted by their strategic dialogue in October 2025, which focused on economic partnerships and infrastructure projects. Indian officials see Egypt as a key gateway to Africa and southern Europe. Cairo is placed at a prime location for boosting trade and tourism. Ongoing high-level visits and investments perfectly align with New Delhi's aim to gain diverse access to the Mediterranean region.

Gateway to the European and African Market

Egypt serves as a prime gateway to European and African markets thanks to its unique location at the crossroads of three continents.

Straddling the Suez Canal and Red Sea, it links Asia's trade flows directly to Europe via the Mediterranean while opening doors to Africa's vast consumer base. For India, this positions Egypt as a key hub in projects like STREAM, boosting data cables and goods corridors to bypass risks and tap into billions of EU trade volumes.

This aligns with the recent EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda "Towards 2030," signed in January 2026, which commits to deepening IMEC collaboration for diversified trade, cutting logistics costs by up to 30%, and boosting 136 billion bilateral trade volumes.

Strengthening India-Italy ties, key IMEC partners via ports like Messina, further support New Delhis Mediterranean dream, with Rome's hubs offering India secure entry to Europe for goods, energy, and digital links.

Chabahar Alternative?

The STREAM initiative does not replace the strategic value Chabahar gave, but it does provide an acess to the European market.

Egypt's STREAM initiative complements rather than replaces India's Chabahar port investment, serving as a westward Mediterranean gateway while Chabahar focuses on Central Asia access via Iran.

In the recent Union Budget 2026, India allocated zero funding for Chabahar, down from 400 crore in 2024-25, reflecting caution amid US sanctions and shifting priorities.

For India, Egypt aligns with escalating Middle East tensions, including Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which have boosted STREAM's appeal for secure Suez-linked routes to Europe and Africa, diversifying India's options beyond Chabahar's Pakistan-bypass role.












An Indian Air Force (IAF) Cheetah helicopter on Sunday conducted an emergency medical evacuation, airlifting an 85-year-old paralysed woman from the remote village of Dhanderwari in Himachal Pradesh to Chandigarh after heavy snowfall cut off all road connectivity.

The patient was given quick medical care and is currently in stable condition.

The evacuation was carried out at an altitude of around 9,000 feet above mean sea level, despite active snowfall and poor visibility.

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In a post on X, IAF said, "An IAF Cheetah helicopter undertook an urgent medical evacuation of an 85 Year-old paralysed woman from Dhanderwari, Himachal Pradesh (9,000 ft AMSL) to Chandigarh. This was after snowfall blocked all roads. The life-saving mission was completed in snowfall, and low visibility. The woman is stable after receiving timely medical assistance."

An IAF Cheetah helicopter undertook an urgent medical evacuation of an 85 Year-old paralysed woman from Dhanderwari, Himachal Pradesh (9,000 ft AMSL) to Chandigarh. This was after snowfall blocked all roads. The life-saving mission was completed in snowfall, and low visibility. pic.twitter.com/u1bewb6lgh  Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) February 1, 2026

A video posted by the IAF showed the woman being carried on a stretcher to the Cheetah helicopter amid heavy snowfall. The footage also captured the helipad covered in snow.

IAF conducts relief operation in Manipur

Where the air thins, resolve holds firm.

At 9,500 ft over Manipur, IAFs Mi-17 V5s have battled fire, wind and low visibilitydelivering 40,000 litres of water over three relentless days.

Vigilant in crisis, steadfast in duty.#HADR #Manipur@DefenceMinIndia@SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/UnQXuidn3c  Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) February 1, 2026

The Indian Air Force delivered 40,000 litres of water for three days in the north-eastern state of Manipur.

IAF's Mi-17 V5 choppers supplied water amid fire, wind and low visibility in Manipur also at an altitude of approx. 9,500 feet.

North India witnessing severe cold

Several parts of Himachal Pradesh witnessed rain and snow over the past 24 hours, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warning of thunderstorms along with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places in the state on Sunday.

As per the IMD's morning weather bulletin issued from Shimla, no major changes in minimum and maximum temperatures seem across most stations of state. Having said that, minimum temperature at some locations increased by 2 to 6C, while at some stations it remained near normal or 3 to 6C above normal.

The coldest minimum temperature in the state was reported at Tabo in Lahaul-Spiti, where the mercury dipped to minus 3.6C, while the highest maximum temperature was recorded at Paonta Sahib at 24C.

During the past 24 hours, significant rainfall was recorded at various places, with Manali receiving 10 mm, followed by Sujanpur Tira at 7.8 mm, Sarahan at 7.3 mm, Shimla at 4.2 mm, Malraon at 4.0 mm, and Solan and Jubberhatti with 3.4 mm each.

The IMD said thunderstorm activity was observed in Shimla and Sundernagar, while no fog, cold wave, cold day conditions, or gusty winds were reported during this period.
A Hague arbitration court is holding new hearings and asking for documents under the Indus Waters Treaty. India stays firm, and it does not recognise the legitimacy of these proceedings and will not participate.

Based on government sources, NDTV reported that New Delhi calls the tribunal "illegally formed" and has no duty to follow its orders.

The new issue is last week's court order asking India to share "pondage logbooks" from its hydropower plants. This is part of the court's "Second Phase on the Merits."

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The Hague arbitration court set hearings for February 2-3 at the Peace Palace. It noted India filed no counter-memorial and showed no plan to join. Officials call it pointless since the Indus Waters Treaty is on hold.

The NDTV report further added, quoting sources, that the "so-called illegally formed" court keeps running separate hearings alongside the neutral expert. Officials added: "We don't accept the Court of Arbitration's authority, so we ignore all its messages."

With the Indus Waters Treaty on hold, India doesn't have to reply and thinks Pakistan wants to pull it into the process to pretend talks are ongoing.

The deadlock started on April 23, 2025, when India suspended the treaty one day after 26 civilians were killed in a Pahalgam attack blamed on Pakistan-based terrorists.

India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty marked a major change, linking water sharing to Pakistan's alleged state-sponsored terrorism. This came with Operation Sindoor, showing that cooperation can't continue during hostility.

Pakistan, which relies heavily on the Indus for farming, has since pushed global diplomacy and legal efforts.

Islamabad has summoned envoys, written to the United Nations, initiated multiple legal actions, and held international conferences to spotlight the issue. With limited water storage capacity and key reservoirs such as Tarbela and Mangla reportedly near dead storage levels, the treaty has shifted from a technical water-sharing pact to a strategic pressure point.

Despite Indias position, the Hague-based court is proceeding as if the treaty framework remains fully operational. An order dated January 24, 2026, it outlined a detailed hearing schedule, allowing Pakistan to present arguments even if India stays away.

Days later, at Pakistan's request, the court ordered India to submit internal logbooks from the Baglihar and Kishanganga projects to check if pondage figures were inflated. The court warned it could draw negative conclusions if India doesn't comply, claiming the treaty abeyance doesn't affect its authority, a stance New Delhi rejects.

Under the Indus Waters Treaty's dispute mechanism, technical issues go to a neutral expert, while legal disputes head to a Court of Arbitration.

India insists the current matters are technical and accuses Pakistan of "forum shopping" by pushing arbitration. By engaging only the neutral expert, New Delhi signals it won't let the dispute grow into broader legal or political fights.

The Hague proceedings exceed hydropower math. They test India's post-Pahalgam diplomatic use of the treaty after decades of restraint. Without India's involvement and with the treaty on hold, hearings risk becoming a one-sided legal record, not a binding ruling, something South Block seems ready to accept.












US Presidnet Donald Trump, in a significant move, announced the India-US trade deal on Monday, announcing new reciprocal tariffs from the earlier 25% to 18% with immediate effect.

The announcement was made on Truth Social, where US President Trump also mentioned that India will reduce tariffs and non-tariffs on US products to ZERO, and Prime Minister Modi also agreed to BUY AMERICAN at a higher level.

Although the claims of Zero tariffs made by US President Trump are yet to be officially verified by the Government of India.

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India drops all tariffs and non-tariff barriers to zero on US goods in a major new trade deal. President Trump announced this on Monday, right after his call with Prime Minister Modi, hailed by US Ambassador Sergio Gor's "STAY TUNED" post.

In return, US tariffs on Indian exports fall from 25% to 18%, capping six rounds of talks toward a $500B goal by 2030 and easing prior Russia oil penalties.

India used to charge an average tariff of about 17% on imports from most countries, including the US, under its Most Favored Nation (MFN) rules. For non-farm US goods like electronics, machines, and cars, the rate was around 13.5%. Farm products faced even higher duties, up to 100% on items like almonds, dairy, and some nuts, plus extra hurdles like strict quality standards and rules favoring local content.

In the new trade deal announced by US President Trump today, after his call with PM Modi, Trump says India drops all these tariffs and barriers to zero right away. This big step opens India's market fully to US energy, coal, tech products, farm goods, and defence items. It helps both countries aim for $500 billion in two-way trade by 2030.

In return, the US cuts its tariffs on Indian exports from 25-50%, which included penalties for India's Russian oil buys, down to 18%.

This ends six rounds of tough talks and aligns with Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal's words that the deal was almost done, and Piyush Goyal's January 31 note that key problems were fixed.

The announcement timing fits with EAM Jaishankar's US visit for critical minerals talks and US Ambassador Sergio Gor's "STAY TUNED" post after the Trump-Modi call. India's Union Budget 2026 also made changes to meet US needs, showing smart give-and-take amid global tensions.

While the Indian side has not announced any trade-related statements, though PM Modi in an X post said, Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement.

Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement.



When two large economies and the  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 2, 2026

He also hailed the two great democracies of the world, unlocking great potential, and also extended support for Trumps efforts for global peace.








The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today conducted simultaneous raids at five locations in three districts of the Kashmir Valley. These operations are part of an ongoing investigation to crush the terror networks and support structures for terror activities.

Searches were carried out in three major districts: Srinagar, Baramullah and Bandipora. Raids have been carried out in Rafiabad, Sopore, Bomai, Bandipora, and the Parimpora area of Srinagar.

In Srinagar NIA team conducted a raid at the residence of one individual in the Mustaabad area of Lawaypora.

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In Bandipora, the residence of a retired teacher was searched. His son is reportedly already under detention under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In Baramullah, three places were raided. The house of a government employee in Rafiabad, working in the Agriculture Department, was raided.

Another house of a teacher at Edipora, Bomai, was raided.

The third house was of a former terrorist, Bandpora, Bomai, which was raided.

The NIA teams are being assisted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to maintain security during the searches. Sources said that search teams have seized many objectionable materials, including electronic data devices, mobile phones, and some pen drives.

These raids follow a series of recent actions by the NIA targeting terror modules and their logistical networks.

Action is intensified after the latest intelligence report that terrorists are planning big attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

Apart from NIA, SIA, and ED, security forces had also launched massive searches and combing operations in forests, towns, and cities to keep a check on terrorists and their OGWs.

Intelligence Reports also indicate that approximately 136 terrorists are active in J&K, with a notable shift towards foreign recruits numbering 127 Pakistani terrorists, while 9 are locals active in the region.

Intelligence reports state that terrorists are increasingly using encrypted messaging apps for coordination and financing to remain hybrid and carry on terror activities.

After a recent report that the ISI is planning Fedayeen attacks in the region, and 12 hardcore are prepared for the task search operation across UT, mostly in the upper reaches, is being carried out day and night. Just in the first month of 2026, more than 100 anti-terror operations were carried out. 6 hideouts were busted, and three IEDs were destroyed.

There are also reports that approximately 82 terror launch pads are reactivated by terror handlers across the Line of Control (LoC), with roughly 120-150 Pakistani-trained terrorists awaiting opportunities to infiltrate. Keeping this input in view, a high alert is also sounded at the Line of Control (LoC) and the international borders.
Lok Sabha in chaos: During the Parliament session on Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh objected to Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, citing quotes from a published magazine story, which is against the rules of the House.

Chaos erupted after Rahul Gandhi raised the India-China standoff issue, which was interrupted by the treasury benches, claiming it was against the House rules.

Gandhi, speaking during the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the Lok Sabha, quoted former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's book, where he mentioned the Ladakh standoff.

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According to ANI, after the objection, Rahul Gandhi stated that his source is authentic and includes quotes from the unpublished memoirs of former Army chief General MM Naravane (Retd).

The Defence Minister said, "I want that LoP, Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published."

Following this, according to IANS, Home Minister Amit Shah said, "These quotes are not from the former Army Chief's book; a magazine can write anything. We just want him to clarify if the book is published or not."

"What does it contain that is scaring them so much? If they are not scared, I should be allowed to read on," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, after the Speaker had ruled against him, quoting from a magazine story containing quotes from the unpublished work.

Meanwhile, speaking in favour of Rahul Gandhi, who was speaking in the context of China, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav said, "The matter relating to China is very sensitive. LoP, Lok Sabha should be allowed to speak."

After this, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated, "The Speaker has given a ruling that articles from magazines or newspapers cannot be quoted in the House... Debate in the House should be held according to the laws."

The Opposition benches started creating a ruckus and objecting to "not allowing" the LoP to speak in the House.

After a heated argument in Lok Sabha, the proceedings of the House were adjourned till 3 pm on Monday.

(with agencies' inputs)
Sunetra Pawar, the newly appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, is continuing the political legacy of the late Yashwantrao Chavan, which played a key role in the career of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. On Monday, she visited Satara and Phaltan, where she paid homage at Pritisangam in Karad, the memorial (Samadhi) of Maharashtras first Chief Minister.

During his political journey, Yashwantrao Chavans memorial and his ideals were of great importance to Ajit Pawar; he often visited the site during key moments in his life and frequently emphasised in his speeches that his political and social work was inspired by Chavans principles. After Ajit Pawar's passing, Sunetra Pawar seems to be continuing this legacy.

Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar offered a floral tribute at the memorial of the late Yashwantrao Chavan and later visited the residence of the late Vidip Jadhav at Lonand in Phaltan tehsil.

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She will also meet with Vidip Jadhavs family to offer her condolences.

Vidip Jadhav was a security guard who was on board the aircraft with Ajit Pawar during the fatal crash in Baramati. This visit follows a recent visit by Rohit Pawar (MLA from the Sharad Pawar faction), who announced that he would take responsibility for the education of Jadhavs children. After the meeting, Sunetra Pawar is expected to return to Baramati.

Dy CM Sunetra Pawars visit to the memorial of Yashwantrao Chavan was to reiterate the partys commitment to the secular ideology of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Chhatrapati Shahu, Mahatma Phule and BR Ambedkar despite being a ruling partner in the BJP-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra and at the Centre, said a senior party leader.

After taking the oath on Saturday, Dy CM Sunetra Pawar said, Respected Ajitdada has given the mantra of living one's entire life for farmers, labourers, women, youth, and deprived sections. Today, carrying forward the legacy of their thoughts with unwavering loyalty to the principles of Shiv-Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar, my heart is truly overflowing as I accept the responsibility of the Deputy Chief Minister position with a sense of duty.

She further stated, Though the untimely passing of Dada has caused a mountain of sorrow to crash upon my heart, the true support I have is the duty-bound commitment, the strength to struggle, and the bond with the people that he taught me. I will continue to work tirelessly and honestly to realise the just, equality-based, and developed Maharashtra of his dreams. In these difficult times, the love and support from the people of Maharashtra are my true strength. With the power of your trust, illuminating Dada's ideals, I will keep moving forward with new hope.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met families affected by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) at Banga Bhavan in Delhi on Monday. She said it is a political move to suppress voters in Bengal.

Mamata Banerjee also blamed the Delhi Police for not protecting people. She said hundreds were wrongly marked as dead to delete them from voter lists. She called the whole thing a political plot.

While speaking to the media, Mamata Banerjee said, "See what the Delhi Police is doing. We won't blame them; it's not their fault. A bus of the Delhi Police was brought here. We have a meeting at the Election Commission with an official appointment. 150 people have died... Many family members came who were marked dead to remove them from the voter list and take their rights."

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"When blasts happen in Delhi, where is the Delhi Police? When we come, Delhi gets scared. If we wanted, we could bring lakhs of people. We brought 50 who were called dead in SIR. Delhi Police can't protect anyone. A feudal system still runs in Delhi, she added.

Heavy Delhi Police were outside both Banga Bhavan guest houses on Hailey Road and Chanakyapuri.

In an X post, Trinamool Congress said, "Today, led by Smt. @MamataOfficial and Shri @abhishekaitc, a 15-member team will meet the Chief Election Commissioner. We'll formally raise serious concerns over the biased, arbitrary, discriminatory, and political SIR process in Bengal."

Today, led by Smt. @MamataOfficial and Shri @abhishekaitc, a 15-member delegation will meet the Chief Election Commissioner to formally place on record our grave concerns over the biased, arbitrary, discriminatory, and politically motivated conduct of SIR in Bengal.



The  All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) February 2, 2026

"The team will list our clear demands and seek urgent fixes, as our repeated letters to @ECISVEEPhave gotten no reply," the post added.

A 15-member Trinamool Congress team, led by CM Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, will meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar today.

They will raise claims that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bengal is biased, arbitrary, unfair, and politically driven.



(with ANI inputs)


A 15-member delegation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee will meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar today in New Delhi.

The delegation will meet CEC over the "biased, arbitrary, discriminatory, and politically motivated" conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bengal.

In a post on X, the official account of TMC shared, "Today, led by Smt.@MamataOfficial and Shri@abhishekaitc, a 15-member delegation will meet the Chief Election Commissioner to formally place on record our grave concerns over the biased, arbitrary, discriminatory, and politically motivated conduct of SIR in Bengal."

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"The delegation will present our categorical demands and seek urgent corrective action, especially as our repeated representations to @ECISVEEPhave thus far been met with silence," the post read.

A day earlier, CM Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, raising serious objections to the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in the state, alleging that the exercise has inflicted widespread public suffering and dangerously eroded trust in democratic processes.

In a letter, Banerjee warned that the manner in which the SIR is being conducted has "inflicted immense inconvenience and agony to the people," claiming that the exercise has resulted in "as many as 140 deaths" and has been carried out "in blatant violation" of the Representation of the People Act and the rules framed under it.

Currently, a nationwide SIR is being carried out in 12 states and union territories, with the final elector's list to be published on February 7.

These states and UTs are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

According to the Election Commission, printing and training took place from October 28 to November 3, followed by an Enumeration Phase from November 4 to December 4.

The draft electoral rolls were published on December 9, followed by a claims and objections period from December 9 to January 8, 2026. The Notice Phase (for hearing and verification) took place between December 9 and January 31, with publication of Final Electoral Rolls on February 7, 2026.
Former Chief of Army staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane is the centre of discussion today after the heated discussion in the Lok Sabha.

Earlier today Leader of Oppositon Rahul Gandhi, resurfaced the discussion over China-India standoff in August 2020.

During Mondays Lok Sabha session during the Motion of Thanks debate, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi quoted excerpts from a magazine on General Manoj Munkund Naravane's unpublished memoir, insisting they were "100% genuine" and "fully real." he also added that "Rajnath ji is in it." He introduced the passage by saying, "This is from the memoir of Army Chief Naravane... about when four Chinese tanks were entering Indian territory.

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They were taking a ridge in Doklam," shifting later to "some country's tanks were approaching" amid objections. Gandhi called his source "authentic" and claimed it showed Naravane accusing the government of "trying to stop the publication of his book," countering BJP patriotism charges and sparking uproar, interjections from Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah, and two adjournments.

Mondays debate takes us back to 2021, when the then Chief of Army Staff, during an interview with ANI, said, We have not lost out on any territory, we are where we were before this whole thing started...Not an inch of land has been lost." Referring to the same standoff which the Leader of opoosition raised today in the Lok Sabha.

He also added that Firstly, we have not lost any territory, we are right where we were before this started. This agreement, based on mutual and equal security, ensures a stable LAC with fewer confrontation risks. That's the big-picture view of the disengagement."

While the Congress leaders claims remain sceptical, former Army chiefs earlier remarks have resurfaced, countering Rahul Gandhis statement in the Lok Sabha.

General Naravane's 2021 statement, "not an inch lost," with India holding pre-standoff positions via mutual security disengagement, directly counters Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha revival of the 2020 Ladakh tank incident, claiming government inaction amid Chinese advances.

Former Army Chiefs public assurance of no territorial loss and LAC stability highlights the debate's partisan spin over strategic outcomes. This resurfaced quote shifts focus from alleged chaos to verified resolution.








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BMO Capital analyst Andrew Strelzik lowered the firms price target on Primo Brands Corporation (NYSE:PRMB) to $35 from $39 but reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares on January 23. The firm is moderating its Q4 and 2026 expectations to reflect continued business stabilization investments in the first half of the year and a slower-than-expected recovery in the customer direct segment. Despite the near-term adjustment, BMO maintains a positive stance, citing an improving trajectory in the customer direct business even if the recovery is progressing more gradually than originally modeled.

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The Lok Sabha witnessed heated exchanges on Monday during the Budget Session after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from a magazine article that cited excerpts from the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane, triggering strong objections and rukurs.

Rahul Gandhi challenged the Centre over its resistance to his remarks, questioning why the government was so scared of the content he was citing.

During the motion of thanks on the President's Address, the Leader of the Opposition said, "What does it contain that is scaring them so much? If they are not scared, I should be allowed to read on."

MPs Reaction

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Reacting to Lok Sabha LoPs statement inside the Parliament, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "...It should be from a published source, either from a book or a magazine. This is an excerpt from the book and it has been published. There is no unauthenticated source in this...What is the problem then?... Why are they scared?..."

BJP MP Dilip Saikia strongly countered the Oppositions claims and said that the issues raised by Rahul Gandhi had no connection with the Presidents address. ..Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi is trying to mislead and spread confusion in the nation...He was lowering the morale of the army and raising questions on the security of the nation," Saikia told ANI.

(With ANI inputs)
The Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, tried to cite excerpts from a magazine article based on the former Army chief's typescript.

Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi quoted an article published by a Magazine, allegedly citing former Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane, where he allegedly talked about a tense 2020 standoff in Ladakh between India and China.

Lok Sabha leader of oppositon Rahul Gandhis claims ignited fiery discussions in the Lok Sabha proceedings on Monday. Rahul Gandhi alleged that, the excerpts are fully real, "Rajnath ji is in it," he told the Speaker. Congress MPs wanted him to read it aloud, saying the government could reply after KC Venugopal backed him.

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The discussion ocurred during the Motion of Thanks debate in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said his source is real and quotes former Army chief MM Naravane's unpublished memoir. Gandhi claimed Naravane said the government is trying to block his book's publication.

While the BJP accused Congress of not being patriotic. Rahul mentioned "Chinese tanks in Doklam" from the book excerpts. This made Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stand up and interrupt.

Defence Minister Rajnath singh said, "Tell us if the book is published. It is not. He can't quote from it." He added, "I am sure the book is not out."

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also said, "I just want to ask the LoP this: if the book exists and its contents were correct, it would definitely have been published. And if someone had stopped its publication, then if the stop was wrongly imposed, Mr Naravane could have obtained a court order. Why didn't they seek a court order?"

Home Minister Amit Shah added, "The book isn't published yet. How can Rahul quote it?"

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju pointed to rules against quoting from unpublished books. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said, "especially when it's not even published."

Later, while speaking with the media, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, "I want to speak in the House. I don't know why they are scared. The point here is exactly what Rajnath Singh Ji said. Whether the land was taken or not, that's a different question. We'll come to that. But before we come to that, the leader of the country is supposed to give direction. The leader of the country is not supposed to run away from decisions and leave decisions to other people's shoulders. That is what they have done...", quotes ANI.

The heated discusssion led to a ruckus in the house proceedings, leading to the adjournment of the house twice.

General MM Naravane's memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, an Autobiography, was planned for early 2024 release. As of now, it's still unpublished, delayed over a year by the Ministry of Defence reviewing sensitive parts like Ladakh clashes and Agnipath.






Speaking at the Youth Dialogue on Budget 202627, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman underscored Indias growing role in driving global economic growth and also referenced billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Addressing the students, the Finance Minister said that Musk had cited International Monetary Fund (IMF) data to highlight the extent of Indias contribution, saying that China accounts for 26% of global GDP growth while India contributes 17%, together comprising 43% of global growth.

#WATCH | Delhi: At the Youth Dialogue on Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, "...Elon Musk takes the IMF data to say "wow, is this true". I don't remember if he exactly said 'wow'... China contributes 26% of growth in global GDP. India contributes 17%. pic.twitter.com/qY53GvKeHC  ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2026

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She said, "I am sure many of you are very active in social media, you would have seen. Elon Musk takes the IMF data to say, 'wow, is this true?' You know, that kind. I do not remember what exactly he said. Wow, he said, or something else he said."

She even asked students, "Did any of you see that tweet? What does that convey?"

Oppn should acknowledge Indias rising influence

While addressing the political debate that is going on over budget 2026, Finance Minister said the Opposition should acknowledge Indias growing influence.

She said, "I will say this from my side in the Parliament, but Indias Opposition should also understand that this is the kind of strength that India has acquired now. Next only to China. The gap may be big, 26 and 17. Well bridge it."

'Do not disparage India: Rijiju

I normally do not react to statements which are not made by Indians. I'm quoting @elonmusk only to sensitise Rahul Gandhi ji that, while criticizing the govt is a democratic right, do not disparage India & never belittle India's achievement. Be a proud Indian. #ViksitBharat pic.twitter.com/b19NPMrkNY  Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 1, 2026

Similarly, Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju also cited Musk's remark to counter Lok Sabha LoP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him not disparage India when criticising the government.

Rijijus remarks came as Rahul Gandhi continued to criticise the BJP-led governments management of the economy, reiterating his dead economy comment and raising new objections to the Union Budget 202627.

In a post on X, Rijiju said he had cited Elon Musk solely to underscore a larger point about the nations achievements.

Rijiju said , I normally do not react to statements which are not made by Indians. I'm quoting @elonmusk only to sensitise Rahul Gandhi ji that, while criticizing the govt is a democratic right, do not disparage India & never belittle India's achievement. Be a proud Indian.

Elon Musk responds to IMF statistics

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Sunday responded to a global statistics report that placed India second in the projected global GDP contribution for 2026.

Musk cited the latest IMF data on nations contributing to global growth, highlighting that India ranks among the top contributors, ahead of the United States.

The balance of power is changing https://t.co/mzk1KRHkcg  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2026

While sharing the chart based in the IMF's January 2026 projections, that shows the top 10 contributors to global real GDP growth in 2026, Musk said, "balance of power is changing."

The post shared by Elon Musk highlighted the top 10 countries by their projected contribution to global GDP growth in 2026, citing IMF data, and noted that the Asia-Pacific region is expected to contribute roughly 50% of total global growth.

The chart indicates that China and India combined are projected to contribute 43.6% of global growth, with India accounting for 17% and the United States contributing 9.9%.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget presentation in the Lok Sabha, a historic first in Indias parliamentary history, as she laid out the roadmap for the Union Budget 202627.
US President Donald Trump held a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced on X, saying, "STAY TUNED" Gor did not give more details about the conversations.

President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED pic.twitter.com/IFcxrJj04m  Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 2, 2026

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This development signals potential advancements in bilateral ties, the US envoys post arrives amid buzz over a possible India-US trade deal announcement, even as Trump's steep tariffs on Indian exports continue to cast uncertainty over bilateral ties.

The US Ambassador's post fuels speculation of an imminent India-US trade deal announcement, despite ongoing uncertainties from President Trump's steep 50% tariffs on Indian exports, comprising 25% reciprocal duties plus 25% penalties linked to India's Russian oil purchases.

The telephonic conversation between the two leaders builds on recent developments, including Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawals statement that the India-US bilateral trade deal is very near completion," after six negotiation rounds, with exemptions granted for over 200 Indian agri-products like spices and tea to restore competitiveness and no further formal rounds needed, just final physical or virtual meetings before announcement, according to Economic Times.

This aligns with Piyush Goyal's January 31 update on closing "sticky issues" toward a $500 Billion trade goal by 2030. This comes post-Union Budget 2026, which addressed US demands on vulnerable sectors while India eyes balanced reciprocity, building on February 2025's Modi-Trump summit frameworks.

In December 2025, President Trump and PM Modi reviewed partnership progress in their last phone call. They discussed expanding ties in trade, critical technologies, energy, defence, and security.

Earlier last month, with the US ambassadors appointment on January 12, he emhasised on development of the India-US trade deal, saying, India is the worlds largest nation. It is not an easy task to get it across the finished line. But we are determined to get there."

US Ambassador Sergio Gor, after presenting credentials to President Droupadi Murmu, expressed eagerness to collaborate with India's government and people on shared priorities, defence, trade, technology, and critical minerals. He aims to strengthen the US-India partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies, highlighting a time of great promise in bilateral ties.

Currently, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is visiting the United States from February 2-4, 2026, starting today, to attend the Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The telephonic conversation between the two leaders can be of great significance in strengthening relations between the US and India, amid global turmoil.


New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the Air India flight AI-171 crash at Ahmedabad in June last year from all angles and aims to complete the investigation in a time-bound manner, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Parliament on Monday.

"All probable causes leading to the accident are being investigated, and all efforts are being made to complete the investigation in a time-bound manner", in accordance with the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) rules, the Minister said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

"A preliminary report on the accident has been published by AAIB on 12.07.2025 and is available on their website www.aaib.gov.in. The report contains factual information based on the evidence available at that point in time and does not include any interim safety recommendations," he added.

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The Air India flight AI 171 crashed just seconds after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport into a medical college hostel building, killing 241 passengers and crew on board the plane and another 19 people on the ground on June 12, 2025.

A preliminary report released by the AAIB on July 12 stated that both engines of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost thrust after the two fuel cut-off switches moved from the RUN to the CUTOFF position. However, the cockpit voice recorder has revealed that one of the pilots told the other that he did not turn off the fuel control switches. The fuel switches were then returned to the RUN position just before the plane crashed.

The final report has to be submitted within 12 months of the crash, in accordance with the norms fixed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also earlier said that the AAIBs report on the Air India crash was based on preliminary findings, and urged against reaching any conclusions until the final report is released.
Dharamshala: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has been awarded a Grammy Award for his audiobook 'Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness The Dalai Lama' at the prestigious ceremony held on Monday (local time).

Dalai Lama won the award in the audiobook category, where he was nominated alongside Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story by Kathy Garver, Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah, Lovely One: A Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson, and You Know It's True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli by Fab Morvan.

Also Read | Grammy 2026 Winners Full List: Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga & more take home musics biggest honours

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Reacting to the achievement, Tenzin Topdhen, Director of the Tibet Museum, expressed happiness over the honour, calling it a moment of joy for Tibetans and peace-loving people across the world.

"We are overwhelmed and of course Losar is coming near and it's a good news for Tibetans and peace loving countries around the world because what we see from China over the time they do lot of transnational aggression not only in PRC but across Asia and now we see it across America as well and the message from His holiness is love, peace and compassion so it's like we put forward transnational compassion...," Topdhen told ANI.

Also Read | Grammy Awards 2026: From Chappell Roan to Sabrina Carpenter - 'Best Dressed Celebs' at the red carpet

Meanwhile, Tenzin Lekdhen, spokesperson of Students for Free Tibet, said the award has brought immense joy to Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet.

"When he was nominated for the Grammy awards, Tibetans not just in-exile but also in Tibet and our supporters in the whole world really celebrated that moment and today when we got this news that his holiness was really awarded the Grammy we are joyous beyond expectations," Lekdhen said.

He added that the award carries special significance for Tibetans living under difficult conditions. "The main reaction, I think it's from the Tibetans inside Tibet, they have been facing huge hardships under the Chinese occupation and getting this good news of Grammy award, I think it's a momentous and joyous moment for Tibetans inside Tibet... it's also a strong message for China as it has been putting efforts in damaging Dalai Lama's image not just in Tibet but in the whole world so this prestigious award clearly sends a message to China...," he said.

The album was nominated in the category of Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording, for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, held on Monday (Local Time). The event took place at Los Angeles.The Dalai Lama collaborated with sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash on this album, which is a combination of spoken words and music to celebrate the values of peace, compassion and hope.

In response to the award the Dalai Lama's office posted a message from the Spiritual leader saying, "I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility. I don't see it as something personal, but as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility. I truly believe that peace, compassion, care for our environment, and an understanding of the oneness of humanity are essential for the collective well-being of all eight billion human beings. I'm grateful that this Grammy recognition can help spread these messages more widely."

Meanwhile, Grammy's 2026 concluded with Kendrick Lamar and SAZ winning the Record of the Year award while Billie Eilish bagged the Best Song of the year at the prestigious award ceremony.


New Delhi: Despite widespread expectations of changes to retirement savings norms, the government did not raise the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) wage ceiling in the Union Budget 202627.

Under current rules, EPF contributions are mandatory only for employees earning up to Rs 15,000 per month  known as the wage ceiling. This threshold determines whether an employee and employer must contribute to the statutory retirement fund. Higher-earning employees often remain outside the mandatory EPF system and have to make their own retirement arrangements.

Ahead of the Budget, there was speculation that the Finance Minister might increase the wage ceiling to expand formal retirement savings to more workers, especially given rising living costs and longer life expectancy. However, Budget 2026 maintained the existing Rs 15,000 monthly wage limit unchanged.

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Experts say that while the wage ceiling has remained the same, this does not necessarily reflect a lack of Government interest in retirement security. The Budget expressly focused on other reforms to encourage long-term savings, such as incentives for voluntary contributions to pension products like the National Pension System (NPS) and better tax treatment on retirement income.

Analysts add that the Rs 15,000 limit has been in place for several years, and increasing it could significantly raise the cost of compliance for employers. Many firms argue that sudden hikes could lead to job losses or reduce formal employment if businesses find it harder to sustain higher statutory costs.

For now, higher-income employees will continue to remain outside mandatory EPF coverage, and any change to the wage ceiling will likely be part of broader labour code discussions or future fiscal reforms rather than Budget 2026.
Ruckus erupted in Lok Sabha on Tuesday as LoP Rahul Gandhi mentioned a magazine article that talked about the India-China clashes of 2020. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha was adjourned till 3 pm after the ruling party's objection to LoP Rahul Gandhi raising the issue of China during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address.
By allowing Islamabad to make the announcement, the PCB can legally position itself as a stakeholder compelled to comply with state policy. The ICC has expressed concern, and diplomatic pressure is expected behind the scenes.
Apple Tax Exemption: In Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a major policy relief for global electronics companies, including Tim Cook-led Apple. The government will now allow foreign firms to supply machinery to their Indian contract manufacturers for up to five years without facing any tax liability. This move offers significant tax relief to overseas manufacturers and also introduces targeted support for Indian exporters affected by long-standing US tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump.

Adding further, the move clears the way for faster scaling of iPhone manufacturing in India, enabling Apple and its contract partners to expand production capacity, strengthen the local supply chain, and support the countrys growing role in global smartphone exports.



The governments dual strategy aims to boost high-end electronics manufacturing while protecting labour-intensive sectors such as seafood, textiles, and leather from global trade uncertainty. Under the new rule, foreign companies can provide machinery to Indian contract manufacturers operating in bonded customs zones without triggering taxes in India.

Tax relief till FY2031

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This exemption will remain in place until the 203031 financial year. However, products sold within India from these facilities will still attract import duties, keeping the focus firmly on exports. Meanwhile, Indias role in Apples supply chain continues to grow. She also outlines the governments economic priorities, reform agenda and fiscal roadmap amid a challenging global environment.

Why India handed Apple and global electronics firms heavy tax break?

According to market researchers quoted by Reuters, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans move could encourage Apple and other global companies to speed up investments in electronics manufacturing in India. The change allows them to bear the cost of expensive machinery, reducing the financial burden on their contract manufacturing partners. (Also Read: Best budget camera smartphones under Rs 50,000 in India; Check display, camera, battery, processor and price)

iPhone market share rises in India

According to Counterpoint Research, the iPhones share in the Indian smartphone market has doubled to 8% since 2022. At the same time, Indias share of global iPhone production has jumped fourfold to 25%, while China still accounts for the remaining 75%.

The Cupertino-based tech giant Apple had raised concerns that paying for machinery used by its contract manufacturers in India could be treated as a business transaction under Indian tax laws. This could have led to additional tax liability on profits from iPhone sales in the country. Due to this, Apples key manufacturing partners in India, Foxconn and Tata, had to invest billions of dollars to purchase production equipment for iPhone manufacturing.

Apple raises regulatory concerns, Samsung remains unaffected

According to a Reuters report, Apple held multiple discussions with Indian government officials in recent months to seek changes to the existing regulations. The company feared that the rules could impact its long-term growth and expansion of iPhone manufacturing in India. The earlier policy did not affect Samsung, Apples main rival, as the South Korean company manufactures most of its smartphones in its own factories in India rather than relying on contract manufacturers.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the arrest of Barack Obama, accusing him of collaborating with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

As reorted by Azernews, citing the American Conservative, Trump made the remarks in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. In the post, he alleged that Obama personally ordered the CIA to fabricate false information related to the 2016 election.

Trump described the alleged actions as an attempted coup and argued that Obama should be held accountable.
Jody Wainwright (left) and James Amos want an understanding of the value that family businesses add to the UK economy from the Chancellor - Jeff Gilbert

British luxury jeweller Boodles has just had its second record year of sales in a row  no thanks to the Government.

The Liverpool-headquartered company is exactly the kind of outfit affected by Rachel Reevess plan to impose inheritance tax on family businesses.

Boodles, founded in 1798, is a sixth-generation family firm  jointly run by cousins James Amos, 48, and Jody Wainwright, 49. There are currently six members of the Wainwright family in the business in total.

The company is owned by Nicholas Wainwright, Jodys 77-year-old father, as well as Nicholass brother Michael, 68, and both Jody and Amos.

If one of the main family shareholders were to have died after the tax change in April, it would have been a proper problem, says Jody  and one with hefty tax implications running to north of 10m.

As a result, he and Amos, joint managing directors of the company, spent much [of their] time in the last year thinking about how to defend ourselves as opposed to growing the business.

What, then, would first cousins Wainwright and Amos like to see from the Chancellor?

An understanding of the value that family businesses add to the UK economy would be a good start, declares Amos.

He compares businesses like his to the farmers who received much public support after also receiving an inheritance tax blow in the 2024 Budget.

Its effectively exactly the same thing. Theyre a family business  its just called something different. We dont have a rallying cry but we have a huge amount of the UK economy and I think she needs to understand that, Amos says.

Wainwright adds: Were paying probably 35m in tax every year. I mean, how much tax do they want?

The good news for Boodles is that despite all this  and the Governments many other chunky tax rises, not least in National Insurance and business rates  2025 was expected to be a record year for the company, after turnover of 124m in 2024.

The company saw its strongest growth in transactions between 75,000 and 150,000, with sales of big individual diamonds in the million-plus territory also strong.

For Boodles, 2025 was expected to be a record year, after turnover of 124m in 2024 - Dominic Lipinski/PA

Boodles one-off Around Africa in 10 Days collection, which featured stones bought by the family on a trip around the continent and single-mine-origin gold from Africa, became its fastest-ever selling high jewellery collection.

Wainwright and Amos, Boodles joint-managing directors, are now aiming to double revenue to 250m over 10 years.

At the core of their strategy is an ambition to take Boodles international. Following a short-lived opening in Hong Kong back in 2011, the company has recently hosted pop-ups in Portugal and Spain.
PM Modi's New Watch Price: PM Modi has once again shown his love for Indian-made products. People were excited when they spotted him wearing a Roman Baagh watch by Jaipur Watch Company. Just one appearance was enough to draw attention to Indias growing luxury market and the skilled artisans behind it. What makes the watch truly special is the original 1947 one-rupee coin set on its dial, turning it into a piece of history you can wear on your wrist.

This watch, worn by the Prime Minister during public appearances from September to November, the coin features Indias walking tiger, a powerful symbol of the nations independence and identity. The watch reflects PM Modis Make in India vision, celebrating heritage, innovation, and national pride.

Much like his clothing choices, which are often crafted by Indian weavers, artisans, and homegrown designers, this timepiece quietly champions Indian craftsmanship and shows that indigenous design can stand tall on the global stage. Do you know which company manufactured it, that the company is based in Jaipur, India and not in the US, China, or Iran, what features the watch offers, and how much this unique timepiece worn by PM Modi actually costs?

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A 'Roman Baagh' watch that carries Indias history

The Roman Baagh watch is more than just a timepiece. It carries a small piece of Indias history. The 43mm stainless steel watch is built around a rare 1947 one-rupee coin that features the iconic walking tiger. This image closely reflects the spirit of the Make in India symbol. The coin itself is historically important. The year 1947 marked the last time coins were made under British rule. These coins were minted only in late 1946 and throughout 1947, which makes them rare and highly valued today.

PM Modi's luxurious 'Roman Baagh': Key features and price

The Roman Baagh watch by Jaipur Watch Company comes in a sturdy 43mm case made of 316L stainless steel and is powered by a reliable Japanese Miyota automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve for smooth and accurate performance. It features sapphire crystal glass on both the front and back with an internal anti-reflective coating for added scratch resistance. The transparent case-back offers a clear view of the watchs internal mechanics, while 5 ATM water resistance adds everyday durability.

The watch is finished with a 22mm genuine leather strap and is available in four variants, with gold and silver cases paired with Roman or Devanagari numerals. The most striking feature of the watch, priced between Rs 55,000 and Rs 60,000, is the rare 1947 one-rupee coin set into its dial.

PM Modi's luxurious 'Roman Baagh': Which company designs

The Roman Baagh watch worn by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was designed and made by the Indian brand Jaipur Watch Company. The company is known for using unique Indian elements such as old coins, stamps, and traditional designs in its luxury watches. This creative approach has helped the brand stand out in a market largely dominated by international names. Notably,

any sign of damage or scratches disqualifies a coin from being used in the watches.

Luxurious 'Roman Baagh' watch: Who is Gaurav Mehta

Gaurav Mehta is the founder of Jaipur Watch Company, a brand known as Indias first bespoke watchmaker. He started the company in 2013 with an investment of Rs 30 lakh. The brand is known for its royal-style designs, with some watches featuring real coins.

According to media reports, Gaurav Mehta said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wearing the watch has created strong buzz on social media. Over the years, celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Ed Sheeran, and Raftaar have also been seen wearing watches made by the Jaipur-based brand.
WhatsApp New Paid Subscription Plan: Meta-owned WhatsApp is always working to improve the user experience. According to a report by WABetaInfo, the messaging platform is developing an optional premium subscription that will offer exclusive features not available to regular users. This move is aimed at users who want more control and customization, while keeping the core experience unchanged for others. The subscription is still under development and is expected to roll out in the future.

According to the reports, the company plans to roll out the subscription through a waitlist. Users who join the waitlist will be notified once the plan becomes available. After subscribing, users will get access to new features aimed at expanding the apps existing functionality. However, the price hasn't been shared yet and is expected to vary by country.

WhatsApp Paid Subscription Plan: Features (expected)

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The initial set of WhatsApps premium features is expected to focus more on convenience and personalization rather than major functional upgrades. Subscribers may gain access to exclusive sticker packs, new themes, additional chat ringtones, and a custom app icon option that allows users to change how WhatsApp looks on their home screen. (Also Read: Zoom Hacking Alert in India: Government issues high-risk warning; How to keep your video calls or meetings safe)

Another useful addition could be expanded chat pinning. At present, WhatsApp allows only three pinned chats, which can be limiting for users managing work, family, and personal conversations. The paid plan may remove this cap, making it easier to keep important chats easily accessible.

The subscription could also introduce new tools such as a thinking mode for Meta AI that offers more detailed responses, temporary status-like updates for channels, and clearer paid partnership labels on sponsored channel posts.

Overall, this move reflects Metas broader push toward subscription-based features across its apps, including Facebook and Instagram. While the free version of WhatsApp will remain sufficient for most users, the paid plan could appeal to heavy users looking for added flexibility and customization.
The Baloch rebel group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on Monday claimed that its ongoing operation, named Operation Herof Phase II, has been going on for over 40 hours across several districts of Balochistan. The group also alleges heavy causalities among Pakistani security personnel and control over multiple urban and rural areas of the province.

In multiple statements and press releases shared via its official platform, Hakkal, the BLA said that the operation had spread across a vast area of the province.

The group also released a video purportedly filmed during clashes in Gwadar, in which it identified a female fidayeen fighter whom it said was killed while carrying out attacks on Pakistani forces, according to a report by The Balochistan Post.

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The group identified the woman as Hawa Baloch alias Droshum, and said the video was her last message, recorded twelve hours before her martyrdom.

According to sources cited by The Balochistan Post, Hawa Baloch was a writer, and her father, who had earlier links to the Baloch armed movement,was killed in combat several years ago.

In the video message, Hawa Baloch can be seen urging Baloch women to join what she described as the armed resistance. She accused Pakistan state of "oppressing Baloch women as well as men" and claimed that women in Baloch society were "neither intellectually nor practically weak." She further added that its high time for women to "rise and seek justice."

The BLA also named another female fidayeen, identifying her as 23-year-old Asifa Mengal. The group claimed that she carried out a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on January 31, targeting the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters in Noshki.

Additionally, the group released a separate video featuring fidayeen Nako Fazal Baloch, whom it described as the Baloch Liberation Armys eldest Baloch fidayee, underscoring his role in the ongoing campaign.

In two descriptive statement released by the BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch, the group said its fighters had completed operations in areas comprising Kharan, Mastung, Tump and Pasni, while claiming that fighting was undergoing in several other places.

The statements also asserted that BLA fighters had operated in areas of Quetta and Noshki, where the group claimed that the military forces of Islamabad had been pushed back.

The BLA further alleged that more than 200 members of the Pakistan Army, police, and Frontier Corps were killed in the offensive, and that at least 17 people were taken captive.

The BLA also claimed that the real number of casualties suffered by security forces are higher, citing these figure as preliminary and cautious estimates."

In a different matter related to the operation, the BLA stated it had captured Deputy Commissioner of Noshki, Muhammad Hussain Hazara, and Assistant Commissioner Maria Shamoo. Later, the group has released both of them calling it as a "humanitarian gesture."

The BLA has also admitted that 18 of its fighters were killed in the operation. As per the group, those who killed included 11 fidayeen from the Majeed Brigade, four fighters from the Fateh Squad, and three fighters of STOS unit.
Balochistan Conflict: Reminding Pakistan that the conflict in Balochistan never truly fades, it only pauses, another round of bloodshed has swept through the rugged Sulaiman and Kirthar mountain ranges. The countrys largest province by area, which is its most sparsely populated, has once again become the stage for a deadly convergence of old grievances, armed rebellion, shadow wars and regional power games.

For nearly 40 hours, fierce fighting raged across more than a dozen areas in southwestern Balochistan. Pakistani officials described the violence as a desperate series of coordinated attacks claimed by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group that is fighting for an independent Baloch state for decades.

The toll was staggering. According to the Pakistan Army, nearly 200 people were killed, including 31 civilians, 17 security personnel and 145 BLA fighters. More than 100 deaths were reported on Saturday alone. Authorities rejected the BLAs claim that it killed 84 members of the security forces, calling it exaggerated.

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In Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, traces of the ongoing conflict are visible everywhere in everyday life. The police academy, the courts and crowded bazaars all carry scars from past attacks. Even so, the official line from Islamabad and provincial authorities was one of control and resolve.

Our security forces, personnel and officers have fought bravely, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said, describing the BLA assault as the last gasp of a cornered enemy.

The scale of the casualties tells a harsher story. More than a dozen members of the security forces lost their lives. Civilians were caught in the middle once again. The attempt by both sides to project dominance feels louder than the reality on the ground.

A familiar foreign blame game

Pakistans response followed a well-worn script. The attackers were labelled members of Fitna-al-Hindustan, an Urdu phrase meaning Indias incitement. New Delhi has not responded to the accusation.

The accusation of foreign hands exists at the centre of Pakistans national security narrative. Each attack is described as part of a broader conspiracy by Islamabads long-time rival. In that telling, the deeply rooted political and economic grievances of the Baloch people are folded into a simpler storyline of external sabotage.

Past governments have used similar language, often accusing unnamed neighbours of trying to undermine major development projects.

This framing places the Pakistani military in the role of guardian of territorial integrity rather than one side of a long-running internal conflict. For the state, the argument goes beyond words.

Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian national arrested in 2016 and sentenced to death by a Pakistani court on alleged espionage charges, is central to Islamabads case. Pakistan released a purported video it said showed Jadhav confessing to involvement in attacks in Balochistan. India denied the allegations.

For Pakistan, the episode reinforced its claim that a local rebellion is part of a wider geopolitical struggle.

What fuels the rebellion

Away from official briefings, a different picture emerges in Balochistan itself.

In conversations at tea shops in Quetta, residents talk about political exclusion and economic neglect. Many ask how a province rich in minerals is trapped in poverty, decade after decade.

Built around the deep-sea port of Gwadar, the $46bn China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is often seen locally as a project designed to benefit Beijing and Islamabad. Fishermen and shepherds in Balochistan struggle to see how it improves their lives.

Baloch separatist fighters have repeatedly targeted mines and attacked workers from other provinces who travel to Balochistan in search of work. Many residents describe the province as resembling a lawless frontier, where authority is fragmented and fear fills the gaps.

This sense of abandonment feeds the insurgency. The deaths of 18 civilians in the latest fighting highlight the tragedy at the heart of the conflict. The violence consumes the very communities the rebels claim to represent.

The human cost etched into memory

Balochistan is a land full of contradictions. Gwadar stands as a gleaming symbol of regional trade ambitions on the Arabian Sea. In remote valleys, phone signals vanish at the first sign of unrest. The provinces borders with Iran and Afghanistan offer militants strategic breathing space. This geography keeps Pakistan on edge.

The human cost is etched into both the land and collective memory. Survivors still recall a 2013 attack in Quettas Hazara Town. Official claims of national unity often sound more like slogans than lived experience.

Residents say corruption is everywhere, taking money meant for healthcare, schools and basic services. For many, security feels far away and unreliable.

Beyond firepower

Pakistans recent military operations show it can act forcefully. Drones watch from above, armed patrols move through conflict areas and rebel hideouts are cleared.

After every crisis, the national action plan is reviewed once more. Promises are repeated. Violence fades and then returns. Public ceremonies showing militants surrendering weapons continue. Recruitment driven by nationalist rhetoric moves faster.

Lasting peace in Balochistan demands more than counting bodies. Separatism draws strength from genuine resentment. Development must feel like participation, not extraction. Political dialogue needs to be treated as necessity, not weakness.

A province at the centre of regional rivalries

Larger than Germany in size, Balochistan is at the crossroads of competing interests. Chinas economic push, Irans alleged sectarian dynamics, US containment strategies and Afghanistans alleged involvement all intersect here.

Pakistans challenge lies in managing these external pressures while addressing the internal fractures that leave its biggest province so exposed. The past 48 hours have tested the countrys security framework once again.

As always, the dust will settle. Attention will drift elsewhere, and commentators will move on.

The direction Balochistan takes depends on whether this pause becomes a path toward political accommodation, economic inclusion and serious regional diplomacy, or simply the calm before the next eruption.
New Delhi: The recent free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union has stirred unease in Bangladesh. Muhammad Yunus, the interim governments chief advisor, has called on the EU to initiate immediate negotiations to secure similar trade terms for Dhaka. In a statement released from his office, he emphasised the need for duty-free access to be ensured through prompt FTA discussions with the EU.

He met EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller and Nuria Lopez, chairperson of the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Dhaka. According to the statement, he stressed that it is vital for Bangladesh to protect its trade priorities in the European market once the present duty-free status expires in the coming years.

During the meeting at Dhakas State Guest House Jamuna, Yunus discussed ways to enhance European investment in Bangladesh, strengthen smooth trade relations between Dhaka and the EU and improve the countrys business environment through additional reforms.

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He highlighted that the interim government recently signed an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with Japan, granting duty-free access for more than 7,300 Bangladeshi products to the fourth-largest economy in the world.

He indicated that similar agreements with other countries, including the EU, are being prepared to secure continued duty-free access, especially for ready-made garments.

Nuria Lopez highlighted the urgency of starting FTA negotiations, pointing out that Bangladesh risks losing its current trade advantages once it graduates from the least-developed country (LDC) status. She stressed that immediate action is required to protect the countrys largest export market.

Bangladeshs concerns stem from the fact that the India-EU FTA could directly affect its textile industry. Until now, Bangladesh enjoyed duty-free access to the European market under the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme, allowing it to export garments without tariffs, while Indian exports faced a 9 to 12 percent tariff. Under the new agreement, Indian textiles, leather and marine products will also enjoy zero tariffs.

With a larger raw cotton base and a fully integrated supply chain, India is now positioned to compete directly in Europe at lower prices. Analysts warn that by November 2029, India will have stable zero-duty access to the EU, while Bangladeshi exports could face higher tariffs, making them more expensive for European buyers. This could jeopardise more than half of Bangladeshs garment industry, which is the backbone of the nations economy.

The Bangladeshi government is watching closely as the regional trade scenario changes, urging swift action to safeguard its textile sector and maintain competitiveness in the global market.
Balochistan Violence: In September, inside the Oval Office, Pakistans army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir made a carefully choreographed gesture. With Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by his side, he opened a briefcase and revealed neatly arranged mineral samples. The message to US President Donald Trump was that Pakistan was ready to open its mineral wealth to American investment.

Five months later, that pitch looks far less secure.

Pakistans most valuable mineral deposits are in Balochistan, the countrys largest province by land area and its poorest by every economic measure. The region has endured decades of separatist violence rooted in anger over political exclusion, control of resources and the heavy presence of security forces.

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On Saturday, coordinated attacks across the province brought those tensions violently back into focus. Fighters struck at more than a dozen locations, killing 31 civilians and 17 security personnel, while the military said it killed 145 attackers.

For Islamabad, the timing could not be worse. Balochistan is not only central to Pakistans outreach to Washington. It is also the backbone of Chinas long-term economic ambitions in the country.

Within hours of the attacks, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi pointed finger across the border. These were not normal terrorists. India is behind these attacks. I can tell you for sure that India planned these attacks along with these terrorists, he said, offering no public evidence.

The attackers were identified as members of the Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist group that has fought the Pakistani state for decades while demanding independence for Balochistan. In a video circulated online, BLA leader Bashir Zeb described the violence as part of the groups Herof 2.0 campaign, following a similar wave of coordinated assaults in August 2024.

New Delhi dismissed Pakistans allegations a day later. Instead of parroting frivolous claims each time there is a violent incident, it would do better to focus on addressing long-standing demands of its people in the region, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told the media.

Beyond the diplomatic sparring, analysts say the attacks highlight deeper problems that Islamabad cannot sidestep while courting global investors.

Balochistans unrest did not emerge overnight. The province is home to roughly 15 million people out of Pakistans population of 240 million. Despite sitting on reserves of oil, gas, coal, gold and copper, it is the countrys poorest region. Revenue from these resources flows largely to the federal government, fuelling resentment among local communities.

Annexed by Pakistan in 1948, Balochistan has witnessed several uprisings since the countrys birth. The present phase of rebellion began in the early 2000s, when demands for a greater share of local resources hardened into calls for independence. The states response relied heavily on security operations. Human rights groups accuse authorities of killing and forcibly disappearing thousands of ethnic Baloch suspected of sympathising with separatists.

Violence has escalated in recent years. In March, BLA fighters attempted to hijack the Jaffer Express, a passenger train travelling from Quetta to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. More than 300 passengers were rescued after an operation lasting over a day. At least 33 fighters were killed.

According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, Balochistan recorded at least 254 attacks in 2025, a 26 percent rise from the year before, leaving more than 400 people dead.

This surge came days after Pakistan hosted a minerals summit aimed at attracting Chinese firms. China has already poured billions into Balochistan, including the development of Gwadar, Pakistans only deep-sea port and a critical node in the $60bn China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

In September, US-based mining firm USSM signed a $500m memorandum of understanding to invest in mineral extraction.

Balochistans instability is continuing rather than occasional. It is rooted in long-standing grievances over control of resources, political exclusion and sustained militarisation. Large-scale extraction projects continue to carry high risk and require heavy security, making them viable mainly for state-backed players rather than market-driven Western investors. Even projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor have faced repeated attacks, forcing the deployment of thousands of troops to safeguard limited infrastructure.

China and the United States are believed to be aware of the risks. Beijing has CPEC investments in the country, and Washington signed a minerals deal in September last year, a whole year after Herof 1.0. Both countries went ahead with the commitments even after earlier attacks, showing they accept the security risks for strategic reasons.

While the violence can worry investors, these deals are made between governments and are driven more by politics than by market forces.

The economic stakes Are high. Pakistan narrowly avoided default in 2023 with an IMF bailout and has since secured $7bn under its latest programme, the 25th in its history. Despite official efforts to sell Pakistan as open for business, foreign investment continues to slide. Central bank data show that foreign direct investment fell to $808m between July and December of fiscal year 2026, down from $1.425bn a year earlier.

Ongoing violence is viewed as a major deterrent to investment. In an environment marked by extreme volatility, investors are reluctant to commit capital, especially when the crisis is seen as tied to Islamabads handling of the province. Balochistans long and porous border with Irans Sistan-Baluchestan province further reinforces its reputation as a high-risk zone.

Recent attacks have also fed into a broader regional narrative. Following the assault on the Jaffer Express, Pakistan formally designated Baloch separatist groups as Fitna al-Hindustan. Such claims are seen as requiring credible evidence, particularly when attacks occur in broad daylight and are carried out by local actors. The ability of such strikes to unfold in major cities has raised serious questions about intelligence and local security failures.

The repeated focus on India is viewed as a familiar pattern. It is aimed at reframing Balochistan as a security issue rather than a political conflict, helping deflect internal scrutiny and attract external sympathy. At the same time, there is growing recognition that enforced disappearances, lack of political autonomy and deep economic marginalisation lie at the heart of the unrest.

Prolonged instability is also seen as potentially serving external interests, including efforts to limit Chinas footprint in the region. Funding and support for militancy are viewed by some as a way to keep the province in a constant state of uncertainty.

At the core, however, internal fault lines is the primary drivers of violence. External factors are regarded as secondary. Without addressing these underlying gaps, Pakistan risks seeing its ambitious promises to both Washington and Beijing weaken on the ground in Balochistan.
New Delhi: India has not allocated any funds in this years Union Budget for the Chabahar port in Iran. Last year, the government had set aside Rs 400 crore for the project. New Delhi began investing in the project in 2017-18, and this is the first time no budget provision has been made for the shared venture with Iran.

Analysts suggest that increasing pressure from the United States and changing geopolitical situations are the main reasons behind Indias reluctance. Global developments have left Iran weaker over the past two years, which experts also see as a factor in India not continuing its funding.

US sanctions, regional instability and geopolitical uncertainty have previously slowed progress at the port, and the lack of budget allocation now raises concerns that operations could stall.

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The port has two terminals  Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Bahishti. It lies outside the Strait of Hormuz that allows large ships to dock safely. It is only 170 kilometres from Pakistans Gwadar port. Located in Irans southeastern Sistan-Balochistan province, the port has long been viewed by India as a strategic alternative route. It plays an important role in the International North-South Transport Corridor, which allows easier access from India to Europe and also benefits Iran and Russia.

In May 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tehran, the first such visit by an Indian leader in 15 years. During that visit, he committed $55 million to develop and operate the Chabahar port as part of a trilateral relationship with Iran and Afghanistan.

Chabahar allows India to bypass Pakistan to reach Afghanistan and Central Asian markets. The port also serves as a balance to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Gwadar port.

In May 2024, India signed a 10-year agreement to operate the Shahid Bahishti terminal to maintain trade, humanitarian aid and regional engagement with Afghanistan. Under the 2016 agreement, New Delhi had also restarted its operations at the terminal annually.

The United States had exempted Chabahar from sanctions in 2018 but later reinstated them under the Trump administration. Last September, Washington announced sanctions against entities operating the port but granted India a six-month exemption, which is due to expire soon.

Analysts see US sanctions as the primary reason India has not allocated funds in this years budget. New Delhis main concern is avoiding conflict with the United States while protecting its own strategic interests.

Experts say that New Delhi values its relationship with Washington and does not want to risk angering a global power. If the exemption had continued, India would likely have maintained its investment in the project.

While some media reports suggest that India is stepping back, official statements clarify that New Delhi is maintaining engagement with both Tehran and Washington to continue operations. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed ongoing coordination with the United States and reiterated long-standing ties with Iran, stating that the partnership will move forward.

India has invested billions in Chabahar over the years. It has finished most of its investments under the 2016 ten-year agreement and extended the 2024 ten-year operational deal, demonstrating ongoing commitment.

Analysts believe the country will seek diplomatic solutions with the United States rather than abandon the port. Chabahars strategic importance, particularly for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia, ensures that India will maintain a presence. Its investments reinforce ongoing engagement and long-term interest in the port.
When the outlines of the new Gaza peace plan began to surface, the sense of deja vu was hard to ignore. For anyone who has lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the past three decades, the language was familiar, the structure recognisable, and the warning signs impossible to miss.

The plan promises an end to violence. But it also builds a system of permanent external supervision, a form of peace that stops war while denying people real power over their own future. Bosnia knows this model well. It has been living with it since 1995.

Peace negotiated about people, not with them

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The war in Bosnia ended with the Dayton Accords, negotiated at a US military base and brokered by foreign diplomats. Leaders of the warring sides signed the agreement, along with representatives of neighbouring states that had fuelled the conflict. Ordinary citizens were shut out entirely.

That same logic underpins the Gaza plan. Decisions are being made over Palestinians heads, justified as necessary for stability, order and best international standards. Bosnians have heard this phrase for 30 years. To this day, no one has clearly explained what those standards actually mean.

What they produced in Bosnia was not sovereignty, but a semi-protectorate.

A state designed from the outside

Dayton froze wartime divisions into the foundations of the state. Bosnia and Herzegovina was split into two entities, Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside the separate Brcko District. Power was scattered across layers of institutions, while the central state was left deliberately weak.

The countrys political structure looks democratic on paper, with a Council of Ministers and a rotating three-member Presidency, each member representing one of the three dominant ethnic groups. But these bodies do not hold ultimate authority.

Bosnias constitution itself symbolises this problem. It was written in English by international mediators and included as an annexe to the peace agreement. It was never drafted by Bosnian citizens. Even today, there is no official version in local languages.

Who really governs Bosnia?

Real power lies with the international community, exercised through two bodies, the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and the Peace Implementation Council (PIC).

The high representative, always a European politician, has sweeping authority. They can impose or annul laws and remove elected officials from office without any legal challenge. Bosnians have never been told what qualifications are required for this role, nor how someone can wield such power without accountability.

The PIC, made up of 55 representatives from governments and international organisations, including NATO, the EU and the OSCE, oversees the high representative. Its decisions are driven by the interests of its members and announced through press statements. Citizens cannot question them. Journalists cannot interview PIC members about their decisions.

Gazas proposed governance looks familiar

The governing structure planned for Gaza echoes this model closely. At the top sits a Board of Peace, chaired by US President Donald Trump, with states able to buy membership for $1bn. Beneath it are two executive boards: one of US officials and businessmen, the other of Western and regional representatives.

Below them is a technocratic administration of qualified Palestinians and international experts. Like Bosnias institutions, these bodies would operate above local authority while claiming neutrality and expertise.

The result is governance without democratic control.

Stability at the cost of change

In Bosnia, foreign oversight has survived not only through international power but through cooperation with local elites. Political actors willing to maintain the status quo have been rewarded with access to power. Those pushing for deeper reform have been marginalised.

This arrangement discourages change and produces a donor-dependent civil society, active, visible and tightly managed. Criticism of international institutions is often framed as a threat to peace itself.

That logic has had real consequences. In 1997, NATO forces intervened against the public broadcaster of Republika Srpska, cutting its signal at the request of the OHR. The justification was the need to enforce international norms of professional media conduct.

The mindset remains. In December, marking 30 years since Dayton, the current high representative, Germanys Christian Schmidt, warned that some today point the finger at the international community and its representatives, refusing to remember that without international intervention, as late as it came, Bosnia and Herzegovina would have descended into chaos and despair.

He described Dayton as the basis for the future, though not the future itself, and called vaguely for action instead of complaining, without saying who should act or how.

When people tried to reclaim democracy

Bosnia has not been passive. In 2014, protests erupted in Tuzla and spread to more than 20 cities in a matter of days. Workers led the demonstrations. Citizens occupied public buildings, held open assemblies and put forward political demands.

For a short time, people experienced democracy outside the foreign-controlled framework.

The response was repression, silence and indifference. The international community watched but did not engage. When exhaustion and pressure ended the protests, nothing changed institutionally.

One trace remains. On the facade of the Sarajevo Canton building, graffiti still reads: Those who sow hunger reap wrath.

The long aftermath

What followed was an exodus. Nearly 500,000 people have left Bosnia since 2014. Many more are waiting for the chance. Nationalism, once a wartime ideology, has become a tool of everyday governance, used by local elites and tolerated, even stabilised, by international actors.

As Sarajevo-based feminist authors Gorana Mlinarevic and Nela Porobic wrote in Peace That Is Not, peace neither starts nor ends with the signing of a peace agreement. They argued that Bosnias imposed peace has weighed down its political, economic and social life for decades.

The same burden now threatens Gaza.

Peace is more than the absence of war

Ask most Bosnians whether the Dayton agreement was a success, and they will say it stopped the war. That is true. But peace that halts violence without delivering freedom and dignity is not real peace.

Imposed peace creates stability without justice and governance without democracy. Bosnias semi-protectorate is not a model to copy; it is a warning.

Bosnia cannot be undone. Gaza can be approached differently. That requires involving Palestinians directly, giving them real power over decisions, and treating democracy as more than a technical problem to be managed from the outside.

Anything less risks repeating a familiar story, one where peace exists on paper, while frustration, inequality and silence grow underneath.
Washington: The loss of the Indian fighter jet contract has landed as a heavy blow for American aerospace giant Boeing, pushing the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet closer to the end of its long operational journey. For decades, the Super Hornet served as the backbone of US Navy carrier aviation and stood as a symbol of American air power across the world. That era now appears to be drawing to a close after India chose Frances Rafale Marine for its naval aviation needs.

Boeing had pinned its final major export hopes on India. The company had offered New Delhi an ambitious package that included manufacturing the F/A-18 Super Hornet in the country along with technology transfer under the Make in India initiative. Trials were conducted in Indian conditions, and the jet was showcased as fully compatible with Indias aircraft carriers.

Despite the effort, India placed its confidence in the Rafale Marine and sealed a deal with France. It ended Boeings last realistic chance of keeping the Super Hornet production line alive through foreign orders.

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Following the setback, Boeing confirmed earlier plans to wind down production of the Super Hornet. The company had announced in 2023 that manufacturing would end by late 2025 after the Indian decision failed to materialise in its favour. The timeline has now stretched slightly after the US Navy awarded Boeing a contract worth about $1.3 billion for 17 Block III Super Hornets along with critical technical data needed for long-term maintenance.

This order has given the programme limited breathing space, with Boeing stating that final production will conclude in 2027 once existing commitments are fulfilled.

Signals of the programmes slowdown have already emerged across the supply chain. Northrop Grumman, a subcontractor, revealed during a quarterly earnings call on January 28 that it had completed the final batch of major components such as fuselages and vertical tails for the Super Hornet in 2025. The update highlighted that time is running out for Boeings production line in St. Louis, Missouri.

Aircraft upgrades will continue under a separate US Navy contract worth nearly $931 million. The Service Life Modification programme is meant to keep existing jets flying safely for many more years.

Boeings struggle to secure new buyers has played out over several years. Campaigns in Canada, Germany, Poland and Switzerland failed to convert into orders. The Super Hornet repeatedly lost ground to European rivals, including Swedens Gripen and Frances Rafale.

India emerged as the most critical opportunity. Boeing had publicly stated that a positive decision from the Indian Navy would have extended Super Hornet production by at least two more years, pushing the shutdown deadline to 2027.

In 2022, Boeing stepped up its outreach to India with detailed investment plans and promises of deep industrial partnerships. The company talked about transferring advanced technologies and integrating Indian firms into its global supply chain. Trials were conducted on Indian facilities, and the jet was positioned as a future-ready carrier fighter. Indias final choice of the Rafale Marine ended those ambitions and marked a decisive moment for the Super Hornet programme.

With New Delhi opting for the French fighter, Boeing now faces the reality of closing the chapter on an aircraft that once represented the cutting edge of US naval aviation. The Super Hornet will continue to fly with the US Navy for years through upgrades and life-extension programmes. New production, once expected to stretch far into the future, now has a clear end in sight.
American allies in the Persian Gulf have cautioned Washington that Iran's missile capabilities pose "a serious threat" to US interests in West Asia, even as regional partners intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider conflict with potentially devastating consequences.

Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported, citing a Sunday report by The Washington Post, that two Western officials familiar with the matter said Persian Gulf allies had warned the US that Tehran still retains key military capabilities, including the ability to strike American targets such as bases and troop concentrations across the region.

The report added that a recent assessment carried out by a US ally in the Persian Gulf found that, despite claims of damage to Iran's missile forces during last June's 12-day war with Israel, core elements of the programme remain intact, with some capacities already restored, underscoring persistent vulnerabilities across the region.

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According to the assessment, Iran continues to possess shorter-range missiles, launchers, and parts of its missile production infrastructure, systems capable of reaching more than a dozen US military installations in the Persian Gulf, where tens of thousands of American troops are deployed. These findings have reinforced concerns in Washington that Iran could still mount effective retaliatory strikes should tensions escalate further.

Against this backdrop, US partners in the region have signalled reluctance to be drawn into any military confrontation. Press TV noted that last month, both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia informed Washington that US forces would not be allowed to use their territory or airspace for operations against Iran, highlighting growing unease among Gulf states over becoming direct participants in a potential conflict.

Providing further insight into Iran's preparedness, Amir Mousawi, a former Iranian diplomat now based in Iraq, told the Post that Tehran has stepped up missile production since the conflict with Israel and repaired several damaged launch systems. He added that some launchers have been relocated to mountainous terrain, complicating efforts to neutralise them.

"Iran has mountains thousands of meters high," Mousawi said. "It is not possible to reach and damage these capabilities easily."

Echoing these concerns, David Des Roches, a former Pentagon official affiliated with the Thayer Marshall Institute, said Iran maintains the largest missile arsenal in West Asia.

He noted that Tehran has more missiles than the combined interceptor stocks of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council states, adding that regional air defence systems remain only partially integrated and largely concentrated around limited sites, leaving them exposed to saturation attacks.

Iran's military posture has increasingly shaped US calculations as Washington expands its footprint in the region.

US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened military action against Iran following recent economic protests inside the country, which Tehran said were quickly exploited by foreign-backed rioters. Trump urged demonstrators to seize state institutions and claimed that "help is on its way," before later shifting tone and calling on Tehran to return to negotiations and strike a nuclear deal.

Amid these developments, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned earlier in the day that any war initiated by the US against Iran would inevitably expand into a regional conflict.

Separately, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on Saturday that progress had been made toward building a framework for talks between Tehran and Washington, despite rising rhetoric and the threat of military escalation, signalling tentative diplomatic movement even as tensions persist.

Meanwhile, the security situation remains fragile, with US Central Command continuing to deploy warships, fighter jets, and additional troops to West Asia under what it describes as "regional security" measures.

Iran has reiterated that any act of aggression would be met with a swift and forceful response.
We recently published Millionaire Makers: 10 Stocks That Paid Off Big Last Week. Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE:BKD) was one of the top performers last week.

Brookdale Senior Living jumped by 15.83 percent week-on-week, thanks to a combination of strong preliminary earnings results and a 31 percent price target upgrade from an investment firm.

On Friday alone, the stock soared to a nine-year high of $15.06 before paring gains to finish the session just up by 3.45 percent at $15 apiece.

5 Largest Senior Living Companies in the USA in 2024

Photo by Belushi on Shutterstock

Earlier in the week, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE:BKD) said that it expects to report $3.2 billion in revenues for the full year, representing a 3 percent uptick from the $3.1 billion in 2024.

However, net loss is projected to be wider by 30 percent at $263 million versus $202 million a year earlier, amid a higher non-cash impairment charges of approximately $71 million versus only $8 million in 2024.

Adjusted EBITDA is targeted to increase by 19 percent to $458 million, or end at the midpoint of its previously announced guidance.

For 2026, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE:BKD) is targeting to grow its revenue per available room to a range of 8 to 9 percent, while looking at an adjusted EBITDA of $502 million to $516 million.

Following preliminary results, RBC Capital raised its price target for Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE:BKD) to $17 from $13 previously, while maintaining an outperform rating for the stock.

While we acknowledge the potential of BKD as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

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Seoul: The office of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has released a list naming 2,986 people killed during recent unrest in the country.

In a statement posted on its website on Sunday (local time), the president's office said the list, which includes both civilians and security personnel, was compiled from data provided by the Iranian Legal Medicine Organisation at Pezeshkian's order.

The office said the total death toll stands at 3,117, meaning 131 victims remain unidentified. It pledged to release a supplementary list once the identities are established, reports Xinhua news agency.

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The statement emphasised a commitment to transparency and accountability, noting that all victims were children of Iran and pledging that no bereaved family would be left unheard.

Weeks of protests over the sharp depreciation of the rial swept cities across Iran from late December to January. Initially peaceful, the demonstrations escalated into clashes that caused casualties and damage to public property, including mosques, government buildings, and banks. Tehran has blamed the unrest on the United States and Israel.

Iran's Army Chief Amir Hatami last week warned that if the United States makes any mistake, it will definitely jeopardise its own security and that of Israel and the entire West Asia region, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Speaking at a national festival in Tehran, Hatami emphasised the Iranian armed forces' readiness amid escalating tensions with Washington.

"Today, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are in complete defence and military readiness and closely monitoring the enemy's movements in the region. We have our finger on the trigger," he said.

He added that "If the enemy makes any mistake, it will undoubtedly jeopardise its own security and that of Israel and the region."

He also welcomed neighbouring countries' announcements that they will not allow their territory or airspace to be used against Iran, noting these countries "know any insecurity against Iran will make the entire region insecure."

Hatami emphasised that if the other side is willing to resolve the problem, it should treat the Iranian nation with respect.

The warning came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. US President Donald Trump earlier said that a "massive armada," led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, is heading towards Iran, warning that "time is running out" for Tehran to reach a deal with the United States.

Meanwhile, Trump said on Sunday that if Tehran fails to strike a nuclear deal with Washington, "we will find out" whether Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was right to warn that a US attack could ignite a regional war.

Khamenei said at a meeting in Tehran earlier on Sunday that if the United States starts a war against Iran, "it will be a regional war."
New Delhi: Showing changes in global oil trade driven by sanctions and shifting alliances, President Donald Trump said the United States has made a new energy deal that he believes will lead India to buy oil from Venezuela instead of Iran.

Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Saturday, he claimed that India is coming in, and they are going to be buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran. So, we have already made that deal, the concept of the deal.

His statement highlighted what he described as a strategic alignment in the global energy market and suggested China could also take part in similar arrangements.

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President Trumps comments come as US sanctions on Iranian oil have kept Indias imports from Tehran very low for years. Because of this, Indian refiners have turned to Russian oil, which has brought pressure from Washington due to sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

In recent months, the US administration has been tightening the screws on oil supply decisions. Last year, Trump doubled tariffs on Indian exports to the United States to discourage New Delhi from buying Russian oil and imposed additional levies tied to purchases of Venezuelan crude. This week, the White House eased some sanctions on Venezuelas oil industry in a move it said would help flow existing product and pave the way for more US company involvement.

A senior White House official told reporters that further announcements on sanctions relief will be made soon, highlighting Washingtons intention to open up more Venezuelan oil for export under current policy adjustments.

Trump suggested that the tone of relations between the United States and India had warmed after a period of friction over trade and energy issues. He also said that China could make a deal with the United States to buy Venezuelan oil. It points to wider strategic ambitions.

Across global diplomatic circles, reactions to Trumps announcement vary. Some analysts see the stated change as part of Washingtons broader strategy to reduce Russias leverage in global energy markets and to exert influence over Venezuelas vast oil reserves, especially after recent political upheavals in Caracas.

At the same time, commentators say that Trumps remarks are an assertion from the US side and that neither the Indian government nor Venezuela has publicly confirmed that formal contracts or imports have begun.

Indias energy imports depend on factors like market prices, refinery capacity and diplomatic relations. While buying oil from Venezuela could give New Delhi more options, it is unclear how soon or how much the country will actually buy, especially since it has often relied on cheaper Russian oil in the past.

With global oil markets paying close attention, Trumps statement is a strong move in energy and geopolitics. It could show changing alliances in how major countries get and protect their oil during a time of sanctions, tariffs and diplomatic tensions.
The United States and the United Kingdom disagree over islands in remote locations that host important bases. Meanwhile, the Maldives has offered a deal to U.S President Donald Trump.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said he is open to an arrangement. Under this deal, the U.S could keep its Naval Support Facility at Diego Garcia.

In return, the Maldives would gain control of the Chagos Archipelago, the U.K-held territory in the Indian Ocean. The developments come after U.K plans to transfer Chagos to Mauritius.

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The United Kingdom and Mauritius finalised their deal last year, and Trump initially supported it. Now, the U.S president opposes it due to national security concerns. Looking at the recent developments over the UK-Mauritius deal, Male has assured that the US and UK can still operate bases at Diego Garcia, on of the Island of the Chagos archipelago.

In an interview with Newsweek, Maldives President Muizzu said, President Trump clearly wants to protect and ensure continued use of Chagos for the US Naval Support Facility at Diego Garcia."

Maldives President Muizzu in his proposal said, Right now, the Chagos Archipelago belongs to Britain. This allows the UK and US to freely use the Diego Garcia base. They operate there under their security and defence agreements with each other and other nations, including the Maldives.

Muizzu told Newsweek that if sovereignty transfers to the Maldives, his government would seek parliament's approval. This follows the Maldives constitution. The goal is to keep the current operations at Diego Garcia unchanged.

Maldives President also gave reasons why President Trump should favor the Maldives over others. He highlighted his country's strong experience in protecting large marine areas across thousands of ocean miles. The Maldives has never overcrowded, overdeveloped, or under-protected its own marine zones. Muizzu promised they would maintain the same high standards if Chagos joins their borders.


New Delhi: India is close to sealing a defence agreement with Germany that could boost its underwater naval strength. Talks between the two countries have reached an advanced stage for a deal valued at around $10 billion to build next-generation conventional submarines for the Indian Navy. Formal signatures between the two sides are expected soon.

Officials familiar with the development say the agreement has been going on for over the past months, with most technical and financial details already settled. The plan centres on constructing six advanced submarines in India through Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in partnership with German defence major Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. The project is expected to include technology transfer, training of Indian personnel and long-term industrial cooperation.

According to reports, the inter-governmental agreement needed for the project has been finalized. It has cleared the way for the final contract. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is expected to visit India later this month. The visit is seen as crucial for putting the final stamp on the agreement.

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Once signed, the main contract will be executed between the the Ministry of Defence and Mazagon Dock, with the broader government-to-government pact covering technology sharing, approvals and operational support.

The planned submarines will use air-independent propulsion, which will let them stay underwater for long periods without needing to surface. This capability is seen as vital for stealth operations and sustained patrols in contested waters. The first submarine is expected to enter service roughly seven years after the contract comes into force. The remaining vessels will be delivered in phases.

For Germany, the partnership offers an opportunity to expand its naval footprint in Asia and position India as a long-term production base for advanced warships. German industry sees Indian shipyards as cost-effective and capable, opening the door for future joint exports to friendly countries in the region.

For India, the deal strengthens domestic shipbuilding, supports thousands of skilled jobs and adds a critical layer to naval preparedness.

The urgency around the project shows the Indian Navys current submarine shortage. Several ageing platforms are nearing retirement, while only a limited number of new submarines have joined the fleet over the past two decades.

Budgetary provisions for the ongoing financial year already account for initial payments linked to the deal. It highlights the Navys readiness to move ahead.

The agreement also carries regional significance. Pakistan has earlier shown interest in acquiring similar German submarine technology, including the Type 214 platform. Berlin works with Pakistan on areas like energy, climate projects and skill training. It is backed by long-term development support.

Defence sales, though, have followed a different trajectory, with India now emerging as Germanys primary partner for advanced submarine construction in South Asia.

Designed originally by Germanys Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft and now part of Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, HDW-class submarines are known for reliability, stealth and versatility. These diesel-electric vessels are widely used for coastal missions, intelligence gathering and anti-submarine warfare. It makes them a strong fit for Indias maritime needs.

As the final paperwork nears completion, the India-Germany submarine deal is being viewed as a strategic milestone. It shows defence cooperation, boosts Indias push for self-reliance in military manufacturing and adds an edge to the countrys naval capabilities in an increasingly competitive maritime environment.
New Delhi: The India-US trade deal announced on February 2 has been sold by Washington as more than a commercial breakthrough. By linking tariff relief and access to US markets with where India buys its oil from, the Donald Trump administration is presenting the agreement as a strategic move that could weaken Russias war economy by reducing oil sales to one of its major customers.

The question experts are asking is whether that claim holds up. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war in 2022, India has emerged as one of the most important destinations for discounted Russian crude. As Europe phased out Russian oil, Moscow rerouted supplies to Asia, with India increasing imports because of attractive prices and flexible payment terms.

For Russia, New Delhi has not only been another customer; it has been a stabiliser. Even when oil prices dipped or sanctions tightened, Indian refiners helped keep Russian export volumes high and revenues flowing.

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That is why President Trumps claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil immediately drew global attention. If true in substance and sustained in practice, such a shift would strike at one of Moscows most reliable energy lifelines.

Can US oil replace Russian crude for India?

Energy analysts caution against reading the deal as a clean break. Russian oil works for India for three reasons  price, logistics and refining compatibility. Much of Russias Urals crude has been processed efficiently by Indian refiners over the past four years. While abundant, US crude is generally more expensive, travels longer distances and often requires blending or adjustments in refining configurations.

That does not mean India cannot buy more American oil, it already does. But replacing Russian barrels entirely would raise costs unless global prices soften or Washington offers commercial incentives beyond tariffs.

Mentioned by Trump as a potential supplier, Venezuela adds another layer of uncertainty. While its heavy crude suits Indian refineries, Venezuelan output is constrained by years of underinvestment and sanctions-related bottlenecks.

Experts say the possible outcome is diversification rather than full replacement, with India gradually buying less Russian oil over time instead of stopping suddenly.

Will reduced Indian buying weaken Russia?

Even a partial reduction would matter. India is among Russias top oil customers. If New Delhi scales back purchases meaningfully, Moscow would be forced to either find alternative buyers at deeper discounts or cut production. Both scenarios squeeze revenue.

However, Russia has shown resilience by expanding sales to China and by operating a shadow fleet to bypass sanctions. As a result, most analysts believe that Indian reductions alone would hurt Russia, but not cripple it.

Ending the war in Ukraine through energy pressure, as Trump suggested, would require coordinated action across multiple major buyers, not just India.

Indias strategic autonomy still guides decisions

From New Delhis perspective, the trade deal shows pragmatic bargaining rather than a strategic realignment. India secured tariff relief and expanded access to the US market at a time when protectionism is rising internationally.

But India has repeatedly stressed that energy decisions will continue to be market-driven. Officials have long resisted presenting oil imports as political tools, arguing that affordability and supply security come first for a country with massive energy demand.

This suggests that any move away from Russian oil will be gradual, calibrated and reversible if market conditions change.

What the deal really signals

The significance of the India-US trade deal lies in how openly energy has been weaponised within trade diplomacy.

For Washington, the message is clear that access to the US market now comes with expectations of strategic alignment. For India, the agreement shows how far it can negotiate benefits without formally abandoning its non-aligned posture.

For Russia, the signal is more troubling. Even long-standing partners are now bargaining energy ties under Western pressure. It is an indication that Moscows post-Ukraine economic insulation has limits.

The India-US trade deal will not end the Ukraine war on its own. But it shows a change in how global power is used, with trade tariffs, oil supplies and geopolitics now openly tied together in the same negotiations.

Whether Russia feels real pain will depend not on headlines, but on shipping data, refinery contracts and how firmly India follows through once the cameras are gone.
French IT company Capgemini has announced it will begin the process of selling its US subsidiary, Capgemini Government Solutions.

The decision comes after Capgemini identified that legal requirements tied to federal government contracts for classified activities in the US restrict the companys ability to oversee certain operational aspects of this business. This makes it difficult to ensure full alignment with corporate objectives, said the company.

Capgemini Government Solutions accounts for 0.4% of Capgeminis projected global revenue for 2025 and contributes less than 2% to the groups revenue in the US.

The move comes after Capgemini faced scrutiny over a contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), amid public criticism of the agencys role in enforcing President Donald Trumps immigration policy.

Public records show that Capgemini Government Solutions has been under contract since 18 December 2025 to provide skip tracing services for enforcement and removal operations, the BBC reported. Skip tracing involves locating people whose whereabouts are not known.

According to US government listings, the subsidiary is expected to receive more than $4.8m for this work supporting ICE, with the contract scheduled to run through 15 March. It is one of 13 contracts the subsidiary holds with ICE.

Capgemini stated it will start the divestiture immediately.

Capgemini Government Solutions operates within several sectors, providing technology services to federal agencies in areas including defence, homeland security, health, and civil operations.

The subsidiary works with partners such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, Google, and Oracle to deliver cloud platforms and data management solutions, focusing on automation, AI, and digitisation for various government clients.

Capgemini maintains a global presence offering consulting, technology services, and digital transformation solutions.

In August 2025, Capgemini was selected to deliver end-to-end IT services for automotive technology company Aptiv under a new multi-year agreement.

The partnership established Capgemini as Aptivs provider for IT support, infrastructure, and digital operations across its global digital ecosystem. It aimed to increase agility and support innovation within Aptivs operations as part of the companys long-term strategy to build a resilient digital foundation for future growth.

"Capgemini to divest US government subsidiary amid regulatory constraints" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand.
Leaders like Goldman Sachs David Solomon say experience trumps everything in businessincluding brains. But Ricardo Amper, the founder and CEO of $1.25 billion software company Incode Technologies, believes Gen Zs naivety is a professional blessing rather than a career curse.

My belief [is] that coming out with a fresh mind, first principles, is important. Thats why young people are particularly helpful in tech, because theyre less biased, he tells Fortune. I think too much knowledge is actually bad in tech: youre biased.

More from Yahoo Scout What hiring philosophy drives DeepSeek's AI success? Why does Ricardo Amper value Gen Z workers? How are Fortune 500 companies embracing Gen Z? How does Amper balance young and experienced employees?

The Gen X entrepreneur knows exactly what talent he needs after spending more than two decades founding and leading companies to unicorn status. In 2000, Amper founded social network company La Burbuja Networks.

And just a couple of years later, he had a hit on his hands: the Mexico City-raised businessman launched functional beverage company AMCO Foods in 2003, and scaled it to a top market contender. The biggest bread company in the world, $263 billion titan Grupo Bimbo, acquired AMCO Foods in 2004.

Amper marked his third stint as a founder in 2015 when he launched AI-powered identity verification business Incode. For the past 25 years, hes had a front-row seat in testing out what employee qualities drive success.

Character is more important than experienceNow, with [generative] AI and ChatGPT, its more true, Amper continues. What I look for is gritPeople who have a proven ability to have integrity and character is something that I really care about, because entrepreneurship is mostly about perseverance and character and adversity, and so you need people like that around you.

Balancing unbiased Gen Zers with emotionally mature, older staffers

While Amper is a big proponent of young workers in tech, he isnt completely blind to the generations drawbacks. Tech-savvy Gen Zers can leverage the fact that theyre new to the workforcetheyre fresh-faced and completely oblivious to industry intricacies, allowing them to be laser-focused on the task at hand. But the Incode CEO stipulates that young staffers naivety needs to be counterbalanced in a well-oiled company.

Its easier to find people who are unbiased as young people, but you have to balance that, because also youre going to find people who are less emotionally proficient. Those capabilities are developed through experiences, Amper explains. So its a combination. You hire young people, but you also have to hire older [employees].

You can find people whove gone through tough things and bring that to the company, and also younger people who might not have had that, but they have this other side, he continues.
The Chicago Theatre stands along State Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Sawyer Bengtson / Unsplash

(The Center Square)  Wirepoints Executive Editor Mark Glennon warns Chicagos dwindling business community could be riding into high-gear after 2025 ended with record-high downtown office vacancy rates.

As vacancies climbed to 28.2%, or more than double where they stood prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest declines driven by the rise of remote workers marked the 14th straight quarter rates have hit record-high numbers.

It's the anti-business attitude, high tech that are strangling us, Glennon told TSC. You never see any effort to make life easier for employers here. The state of Illinois is like one big oppressive intermeddling HR department with countless rules and regulations that strangle people.

As companies vacated roughly 370,000 square feet of offices more than they occupied in 2025, net absorption also fell for the ninth time in 10 quarters, prompting Glennon to envision a world where the city could see greater deficits leading to layoffs, poorer services and perhaps even missed paychecks for workers.

Even the leased space is going largely empty, he said. As those leases come up, you'll have more people cutting back. The valuations of those big buildings go down because they're not getting as much rent and those lower valuations mean lower property taxes that they pay that has to get passed off someplace, and that goes largely to homeowners.

Glennon argues all of it could ultimately lead to a world where the city could see greater deficits leading to layoffs, poorer services and perhaps even missed paychecks for workers.

All those things, of course, snowball, he adds. They drive more people away, other things will continue to deteriorate, and businesses will get more fed up, more people will leave. It's more of the same and a spiral downward.

In the end, Glennon wonders how long the city can be the place some have long known it to be.

It's just like a gradual bleeding out, that's what we're seeing, he said. I don't see any sense of urgency among voters or even most of our civic leaders. I think they've been far too timid about this and aren't demanding the radical changes that I talked about.

Data also shows that while average gross asking rents at so-called trophy office towers are up by 26% over the last five plus years, rents across all of downtown were essentially flat across the same time frame.
This development is part of Crystal International's broader strategy to integrate cutting-edge technology across its operations.

The new facility is being built by the companys knits division in its lifestyle wear factory in China. It will include an automated cutting workshop and a centralised smart warehouse fitted with an advanced storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). These innovations aim to enhance efficiency in inventory management and delivery processes by analysing real-time data related to production demand and transport routes.

The new logistics centre, which is powered by the rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system, is scheduled to begin full operations in the first quarter of 2026. It is anticipated to reduce fabric transfer times by up to 75%. The AS/RS will manage the autonomous flow of both fabric materials and finished goods, from storage to the point of loading. Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) will further streamline processes by handling the movement of sewn parts, contributing to a fully closed-looped auto-material flow system within the centre.

Crystal International digital manufacturing general manager Sam Lau said: We are driving digitalisation and automation in line with the whole Groups ambition, achieving smarter processes, higher operational efficiency and productivity, as well as better sustainability performance. The solution ensures us winning edge and continued success.

This initiative aligns with Crystal International's Crystal Sustainability Vision 2030, which focuses on converting all its facilities into smart factories through innovative technology. The establishment of this centre represents a significant advancement in the group's ongoing journey towards smarter manufacturing practices.

Founded in 1970, Crystal International operates over 20 production sites across five countries, including Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The company produces a wide array of apparel products, such as lifestyle wear, sportswear, denim, intimate wear, sweaters, and knitted fabrics. Through its "Co-creation" business model, Crystal International collaborates with leading global brands to provide high-quality and innovative manufacturing solutions.

In October 2025, Crystal International joined Textile Exchange as a partner member. Textile Exchange is a global non-profit organisation focused on promoting sustainability in the fashion, textile, and apparel industries. This partnership is expected to support Crystal International in increasing its use of eco-friendly options, thereby reducing its environmental footprint.
The fall of the Detroit auto industry is a story of glory turned to struggle. A city that once led globally now faces challenges competing in the market it helped build.

Comedian Joe Rogan and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) discussed Detroit's decline from its peak during an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast in June. Rogan said he has long been a fan of the cars Detroit factories once produced and finds it "disgusting" to see the decline of a city that was once among the richest in the world.

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"As someone who loves American automobiles, Im a big fan of what Detroit made during that time," Rogan said. "And to see what happened to Detroit now. Theres just so many abandoned buildings. Its insane. You could buy a house there for 500 bucks. Its really crazy. Like giant factories where every window smashed, all the pipes have been torn out."

Major Detroit automakers, including General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F), are facing intense competition from Chinese carmakers. Ford and GM recently announced billions of dollars in writedowns tied to a planned pullback in EV investments, as they focus on gas-powered vehicles and hybrids amid weakening demand for electric cars.

Remember when everyone thought electric vehicles were the future and investing in EV stocks was a sure way to get rich? Even disruptive trends don't move in straight lines, which is why diversifying your portfolio matters. With hundreds of artworks launched and representative annualized net returns in the mid-teens on select exits, Masterworks offers investors a way to diversify portfolios with long-term art appreciationwithout needing to buy or manage a masterpiece outright.

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Sanders Explains Why Does It Happen'

Sanders said the decline of Detroit and other U.S. business hubs began when major corporations moved American jobs to China and Mexico to cut costs, taking advantage of workers willing to accept far lower wages.

"You asked me how does it happen, why does it happen, I think especially right now and for many decades, you have the prevailing religion of the oligarchs and the corporate world is greed," he said. "Thats all, I want it all and I dont give a shit if I have to step all over you, throw you out on the street, take away your social security. I want it."
MetLife is preparing to report its upcoming quarterly earnings, with Wall Street analysts expecting higher profit and growth in key operating segments despite recent downward estimate revisions.

Investor attention is also being drawn to MetLifes leadership appearance at the Bank of America Securities 2026 Financial Services Conference, where management will discuss the companys outlook and priorities.

With recent share price gains, well explore how expectations for stronger earnings and segment growth are shaping MetLifes investment narrative.

AI is about to change healthcare. These 110 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10b in market cap - there's still time to get in early.

What Is MetLife's Investment Narrative?

For MetLife, the big picture you need to buy into is a slowergrowing but cashgenerative insurer that leans on disciplined underwriting, investment income and consistent capital returns rather than breakneck expansion. The latest setup around earnings and the upcoming Bank of America conference fits that story more than it changes it. Analyst expectations for higher profit and segment growth, even after some estimate cuts, keep the near term focused on whether margins and net investment income can support that forecast. Recent share price gains into the print suggest sentiment has firmed, but the moves are modest relative to the 1year total return and do not yet point to a major reset in the thesis. The bigger ongoing swing factors remain leverage, profit growth versus peers and pricing in key group benefits lines.

However, higher earnings expectations can amplify the impact if those profit trends disappoint. MetLife's shares have been on the rise but are still potentially undervalued. Find out how large the opportunity might be.

Exploring Other Perspectives

MET 1-Year Stock Price Chart

Four fair value views from the Simply Wall St Community range from about US$77 to a very large US$172, underlining how differently investors are sizing MetLifes potential. Set that against the current focus on earnings quality, balance sheet risk and modest growth, and it is clear that your own assumptions about profitability and leverage will drive whether the stock looks appealing or stretched.

Explore 4 other fair value estimates on MetLife - why the stock might be worth over 2x more than the current price!

Build Your Own MetLife Narrative

Disagree with this assessment? Create your own narrative in under 3 minutes - extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.
Eli Lilly has chosen Pennsylvania to house a new $3.5bn manufacturing facility that will produce a forthcoming wave of new weight loss therapies, marking the culmination of a new quartet of drug plants unveiled by the big pharma company over the past year.

The latest and final manufacturing facility will be established in Lehigh Valley, a region in Eastern Pennsylvania that lies in the centre of the US Northeast megalopolis. Lehigh Valley already has manufacturing in its roots  at one point being one of the largest steel producing hubs in the US. Currently, the $9bn in GDP produced by Lehigh Valley's manufacturers represents 16% of the region's economy.

With Lillys arrival, a pharmaceutical manufacturing sector will soon exist. Lilly will place an injectable medicine and device manufacturing facility on the site, making the companys next generation of weight loss therapies. This will include retatrutide, the companys GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon triple hormone receptor agonist, which is in Phase III trials.

Around 850 engineers, scientists, operations personnel and lab technicians will work at the site, which Lilly anticipates will be operational in 2031. The company added that it will partner with local universities and invest in education across the Northeastern state to more broadly develop talent.

Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), integrated monitoring and data analytics will be installed at the plant to streamline the weight loss therapy supply chain.

Lillys CEO, David Ricks, said: To meet increasing demand, we're expanding our US manufacturing network, with Lehigh Valley adding capacity for nextgeneration weight-loss medicines. We're creating highquality jobs and collaborating across the region  with suppliers, educators, and workforcedevelopment partners  to make critical medicines in the US.

Quartet of Lilly mega-sites

The site selection means that Lilly has now unveiled plans for all four facilities it pledged as part of a $27bn investment in the US, which was first announced in February 2025.

A $5bn active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and drug product facility in Virginia was the first site to be revealed in September 2025. Later that month, Lilly showcased plans for a $6.5bn manufacturing facility in Texas, which will make the drugmakers oral weight loss pill orforglipron. The third announcement came in the form of another orforglipron plant, a $6bn small molecule synthetic and peptide medicines facility in Texas, revealed in December 2025.
Turning Point USA will match the federal government's new "Trump Account" deposits for employees' children, adding the conservative youth group to a growing list of employers boosting the tax-advantaged savings program.

Kirk Ties Matching Program To Family Legacy

Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of the group's late co-founder, Charlie Kirk, announced the move on Wednesday on X. She wrote that her husband "spoke so often about the importance of young families and having children, and his face would light up every time he learned about a Turning Point employee welcoming a newborn into their family."

Charlie spoke so often about the importance of young families and having children, and his face would light up every time he learned about a Turning Point employee welcoming a newborn into

their family.



In that spirit, @TPUSA and @TPAction_ are honored to continue Charlie's

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"In that spirit, @TPUSA and @TPAction_ are honored to continue Charlie's support of families through a company-sponsored dollar-for-dollar match of the federal government's $1,000 contribution to the 503A Trump Account' established for every eligible employee's newborn baby," she added, referring to Section 530A child investment accounts created under federal law. "We're proud to stand with @POTUS in supporting families and investing in the future of America."

Trump Accounts Offer Long-Term Investment For Children

Trump Accounts, also known as Section 530A accounts, were authorized in last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act and function as long-term investment vehicles for children under 18. The Treasury Department will deposit $1,000 into an account for every eligible US-born child with a Social Security number between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, according to IRS guidance.

See Also: Its no wonder Jeff Bezos holds over $250 million in art  this alternative asset has outpaced the S&P 500 since 1995, delivering an average annual return of 11.4%. Heres how everyday investors are getting started.

According to the IRS, parents or guardians can elect to open the accounts starting with this tax season using IRS Form 4547. Investments must be placed in mutual funds or exchange-traded funds tracking the S&P 500 or similar US stock indexes, and the money is generally locked until the child turns 18.
A second woman has come forward in the Jeffrey Epstein case, claiming that Jeffrey Epstein sent her to the United Kingdom for sexual intercourse with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Azernews reports, citing the BBC.

The alleged encounter took place in 2010 at Royal Lodge, Andrews residence in Windsor. The woman, who is not British and was in her 20s at the time, claims she spent the night with the former prince and was subsequently given a tour of Buckingham Palace and served tea there.

Brad Edwards, her lawyer from the US firm Edwards Henderson, said: Were talking about at least one woman who was sent by Jeffrey Epstein over to Prince Andrew. And she even had, after a night with Prince Andrew, a tour of Buckingham Palace.

UK Prime Minister: Andrew should testify

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has suggested that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should testify before the US Congress regarding his connections to Epstein, the convicted sex offender.

In terms of testifying, I have always said anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information, Starmer told reporters.

You cant be victim-centred if youre not prepared to do that. Epsteins victims have to be the first priority.

His remarks follow the latest release of Epstein-related court files, which include images appearing to show Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over a woman lying on the ground.

According to BBC News, Prince Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
By Alicja Surdy and Marta Maciag

GDANSK, Poland, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Polish e-commerce platform Erli has sued larger rival Allegro, accusing it of abusing its dominant position by effectively forcing sellers to raise their prices outside its platform, Erli said on Monday in a statement.

Allegro, Poland's largest e-commerce company, denied the claims in a statement sent to Reuters, saying the lawsuit concerned its voluntary benefit programs which, for example, subsidise price cuts for sellers on its platform.

More from Yahoo Scout What counter-lawsuit has Allegro filed against Erli? What specific practices is Erli accusing Allegro of? How does Allegro defend its promotional programs? What is the market size difference between competitors?

"We strongly disagree with Erli's position. We do not impose any specific pricing policy on our partners. Each of our partners is free to set prices in any sales channel," Allegro spokesperson Marcin Gruszka said.

Gruszka added that Allegro had itself sued Erli in June, accusing it of unlawfully copying product listings, including photos and descriptions, from its platform.

"In this case, the court granted us an injunction ... prohibiting Erli from using these practices and ordered Erli to take specific actions," Gruszka said.

"The court also imposed financial penalties for non-compliance ... however, despite this, Erli has not yet complied with this provision," he added.

The dispute centres around Allegro's promotional programs, which Erli said were used to punish sellers for offering lower prices on other websites by withdrawing benefits such as co-financed discounts or external advertising.

"We are not demanding financial compensation. Our main goal is to end practices that we consider unfair," Erli CEO Adam Ciesielczyk said in a statement sent to Reuters, adding he wants sellers to operate independently.

Allegro is the dominant player in Poland's e-commerce market, which reported a gross merchandise value of 49.65 billion zlotys ($12.1 billion) for the first nine months of 2025, compared with 1.29 billion zlotys for Erli in the same period.

(Additional reporting by Rafal Nowak, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak and Chris Reese)
By Bart H. Meijer and Julia Payne

BRUSSELS, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Europe needs to protect its own industries with a "Made in Europe" strategy, EU industry chief Stephane Sejourne said in a newspaper article published late on Sunday that was co-signed by more than 1,100 CEOs and other business leaders.

In an attempt to boost European industries in the face of cheaper imports from China, the European Commission plans to propose a so-called Industrial Accelerator Act this month that will likely set requirements to prioritise locally manufactured products. But the approach has split EU countries.

"Without an ambitious, effective and pragmatic industrial policy, the European economy is doomed to be just a playground for its competitors," Sejourne said in the article, which was published in newspapers across Europe.

"We must establish, once and for all, a genuine European preference in our most strategic sectors," the French member of the Commission said.

The article was co-signed by CEOs from a broad range of industries, including steelmakers ArcelorMittal and Tata Steel, drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Sanofi, tyre makers Continental , Michelin and Pirelli, airline group Air France KLM, and French utility Engie.

"Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is right: those who are not sitting at the table now will end up on the menu ... Steel is inextricably linked to this," said Marie Jaroni, CEO of Europe's No. 2 steelmaker Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, another signatory.

'MADE IN EUROPE' REGULATIONS DIVIDE EU COUNTRIES, INDUSTRIES

Car makers were absent from the list, however, since, owing to their sprawling global supply chains, they are concerned about how narrow the "Made in Europe" definition will be.

"Ford supports strengthening Europes industrial base, but the planned Made in Europe rules must remain open to trusted partners like the UK and Turkey," Ford of Europe President Jim Baumbick said in a comment to Reuters.

"Our European factories depend on deeply integrated supply chains in the UK and Turkey and excluding them would weaken production inside the EU itself."

And Stefan Hartung, CEO of major car parts supplier Bosch, cautioned the new rules should "address level-playing field issues" rather than "compensate for competitive disadvantages."

Governments including France are championing the idea of "Made in Europe" regulations. But others, including Sweden and the Czech Republic, warn that "buy local" requirements could deter investment, raise prices in government tenders, and hurt the EU's competitiveness globally.
Photo Credit: iStock

Farmers in the Mississippi Delta are dealing with a nightmarish 2025 with an unsolvable problem. They simply have too much of their rice crops with nowhere to sell them.

What's happening?

The New York Times reported on the confluence of factors leaving farmers in Mississippi unable to sell their rice, despite many betting heavily on the crop.

Prices reached $7 a bushel last spring, which led farmers like Jack Westerfield to commit additional land to the crop. That decision backfired quickly. Global rice prices have tumbled 30% to around $5 a bushel. India lowered restrictions on exports, raising supply. Meanwhile, Latin America, a key market, is choosing other countries' rice over American varieties.

That is leading farmers in the Delta to store unheard-of quantities of rice in grain bins.

"What am I supposed to do with 2.2 million pounds of rice?" Westerfield asked the Times rhetorically.

Westerfield is far from alone in this quandary for American farmers. This situation parallels challenges faced by soybean producers dealing with trade tensions, as they are compelled to offload surplus produce.

At a Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation meeting, attendees proposed the idea of a government-backed program where farmers would get compensated for simply getting rid of their surplus rice.

Why are the struggles of Mississippi Delta farmers important?

The financial prospects for farming remain bleak, and the appeal for newcomers to come in is waning.

"Who wants to come out here and work as hard as you have to work and climb this mountain of debt you might not see the top of until the end of your life?" Westerfield asked.

Meanwhile, established farmers are questioning the future, wondering how many more years in the red they can take. At the core of the problem is that American farmers, including those in the Delta, rarely grow food that gets sold on the U.S. market.

That means that they're at the mercy of demand overseas, which can be impacted by tariffs, rival production, and changing market preferences. In years where demand doesn't match supply, acres of farmland are wasted on crops that can't sell. That means all of the fuel, water, and labor go to waste.

What's being done about Mississippi farmers' struggles?

Farmers are getting a lifeline through a $12 billion bailout, with rice growers compensated on the higher end. Still, the $132-per-acre buyout for rice falls well short of the roughly $1,000-per-acre price to cultivate the unsold crops.
Over the past few years the number of shops selling Chinese-made goods in Mexico City s downtown has more than tripled, Ramirez said, in some cases putting long-established Mexican stores out of business.

The Chinese have invaded us in terms of merchandise, said Ramirez, sitting behind the counter of his completely deserted store.

T-shirts, jackets, pants, toys, watches and furniture and more products made in China fill the stalls of street vendors in downtown Mexico City.

Temu averaged 114 million monthly active users in Latin America in the first half of 2025, a 165% increase year-on-year from 2024, market intelligence company Sensor Tower estimates. Sheins monthly active users in the region grew 18%.

I use Temu all the time, whether to buy clothes or household items. The same things I would find in brand-name stores or shopping malls, I find on Temu at a much lower price, said Chilean restaurant manager Lady Mogollon.

Chinese e-commerce platforms, led by Temu and Shein , have accelerated that trend.

Cheap goods from China are welcome news for many Latin American consumers, but theyre a headache for local businesses.

The influx of made-in-China cars , clothing, electronics and home furnishings has rankled countries trying to build their own globally competitive industries. Some, such as Mexico, Chile and Brazil, have raised tariffs or taken other measures to protect their local industries.

Latin America has a solid middle class, relatively high purchasing power and real demand, said Margaret Myers, director of the Asia and Latin America program at the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington. Those conditions make it one of the easiest places for China to offload its excess industrial production.

Chinese businesses face slow demand at home. They need new markets for their products as the country ramps up production in many industries. Exports to Latin America, a market of more than 600 million people, and other regions have climbed while exports to the U.S. fell by 20% last year.

The worlds second-largest economy has become a major trading partner for many Latin American nations, seeking access to their abundant natural resources and growing markets while expanding its influence in a region Trump views as Americas Backyard.

HONG KONG (AP)  China has been flooding Latin American markets with low-priced exports, especially autos and e-commerce goods, as its exporters adjust to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and geopolitical moves.

Story Continues

Jobs are being lost to imports

Argentina is bearing much of the brunt of rising Chinese imports, as local factories shut down and lay off workers in a manufacturing sector that employs almost a fifth of its workforce.

The volume of e-commerce imports -- mostly from China -- soared 237% in October from the same month a year earlier, Argentine government statistics show.

Were operating at historically low capacity as imports break record highs, said Luciano Galfione, president of the nonprofit Pro Tejer Foundation, which represents textile manufactures. Were under indiscriminate attack.

The number of Chinese products arriving in Argentina, this ultra-fast fashion, is deeply worrying, said Claudio Drescher, head of the chamber of industry and owner of the Buenos Aires-born Jazmin Chebar clothing brand. Its an international phenomenon but its now really beginning to have dramatic importance here.

A Temu spokesperson said it has been giving Latin America local businesses access to a low-cost, scalable online channel that was previously out of reach for many of them, including the opening of its marketplace to domestic sellers in Mexico and Brazil in 2025.

Shein said in a statement that the company respects the importance of local industries and fair competition. It would not comment on broader trade policy debates.

Chinese autos make inroads in Brazil and Mexico

Mexico and Brazil -- Latin Americas regional auto manufacturing centers -- also are under pressure from rising imports of low-priced Chinese cars.

Chinese automakers such as BYD and GWM see huge growth opportunities in Latin America. More than 80% of the 61,615 EVs sold in 2024 in Brazil, the world's sixth-largest auto market, were Chinese brands, according to the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles.

Mexico has become the largest destination for Chinese auto exports, importing 625,187 vehicles last year, according to the China Passenger Car Association, surpassing Russia's imports.

Both Brazil and Mexico already have their own robust auto industries.

Mexico, as a base for major global manufacturers, is estimated to be the worlds seventh-largest auto producer, though about 3.4 million of the nearly 4 million vehicles it made last year were exported. Brazil turned out about 2.6 million vehicles, including many EVs and hybrids. That compared with Chinas output of 34.5 million vehicles, including more than 7 million exported overseas.

In an industry where scale is vital, China does have a comparative advantage on EVs, with affordable prices and massive government support, said Jorge Guajardo, a partner at the consultancy DGA Group and a former Mexican ambassador to China.

Affordable Chinese cars appeal to many drivers and will continue to make inroads in Latin America, said Paul Gong, head of China Autos Research for the Swiss bank UBS.

Chinese automakers also are investing in local production. BYD and GWM are building factories in Brazil to expand capacity in the region, potentially creating hundreds if not thousands of jobs. Last year, however, Brazilian prosecutors sued BYD over allegations of poor labor conditions for workers, which the company denied.

Commodity-rich Latin America has limited leverage on China

China needs Latin America's vast natural resources for its hungry industries, from lithium in Brazil to copper in Chile and fishmeal in Peru. But trade deficits with China are growing across the region.

For some nations, China just sells, they dont buy, said Guajardo.

Mexicos deficit with China, its second largest trading partner after the U.S., reached $120 billion in 2024, with exports of those including raw materials such as copper and its concentrates, electrical and electronic equipment and agricultural goods totaling only about $9 billion.

Argentinas trade deficit with China rose to nearly $8.2 billion in 2025, fueled by imports of more items such as electrical machinery and equipment and manufactured goods than its exports including of raw materials such as soybean and meat.

Brazil recorded an about $29 billion trade surplus with China last year, according to Brazilian official data. That's partly due to surging exports of soybeans after Beijing paused its purchases of U.S.-grown soy. Chile runs a surplus with China thanks to its exports of copper, lithium, fruits and wine.

In most cases, China exports mostly manufactured goods and imports raw materials. But the relationship goes far beyond those basics.

China provided loans and grants to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2014-2023 worth roughly $153 billion -- the largest source of official sector financing for the region -- compared to approximately $50.7 billion that the U.S. provided, according to AidData, a research lab at William & Mary, a public university in Virginia.

That means for every dollar donated or lent by Washington, Beijing provides $3.

Latin America is a pillar of Chinas Global South strategy of countering Western influence, said Andy Mok, a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.

China financed a $1.3 billion megaport in Perus Chancay, which opened in 2024 that may eventually connect by a planned railway with Brazil's coasts on the Atlantic.

State-backed Chinese companies also have made massive investments in dams, mines and other infrastructure across the region.

There may be deep concern about competitiveness, but politically, many countries dont feel they have the space to resist Chinas export surge, said Meyers from the Inter-American Dialogue think tank. The relationship has become too important economically.

Still, some countries are pushing back against Chinese imports

Mexico has long sought to protect local industries, imposing tariffs of up to 50% on imports from China, including automotive products, appliances and clothing.

Brazil is among the countries eliminating or phasing out de minimis import tax exemptions for overseas parcels costing less than $50, in part to target cheap imports from China. It's also increasing tariffs on EV imports. Other countries may follow suit, as some analysts expect more protectionist measures including tariffs and stiffer regulations coming out of Latin America.

Chile has raised tariffs and imposed a 19% value-added tax on low-value parcels.

Given China's growing leverage, though, countries face a "balancing act when it comes to protectionist policies," said Leland Lazarus, founder of Lazarus Consulting, which focuses on China-Latin America relations.

They cant go too far, or China may retaliate in kind, he said. So, their leverage has a limit.

___

DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Batschke reported from Santiago, Chile. Sanchez reported from Mexico City. AP journalists Didi Tang in Washington, Gabriela Sa Pessoa and Tatiana Pollastri in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City also contributed.
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has hit Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) with a $22.7 million fine over three violations of the U.S. Shipping Act.

The enforcement action centers on three main issues: who MSC billed for late fees, how it handled the disclosure of rates for certain containers and repeated overcharges tied to those containers.

More from Sourcing Journal

After concluding a two-year investigation that started in August 2023, the commission upheld and expanded on a prior ruling by an administrative law judge.

Sourcing Journal reached out to MSC.

First, the FMC flagged MSC for wrongly invoicing certain customs brokers and forwarders listed for demurrage and detention (D&D) fees from 2018 to 2020.

According to the FMCs 15-page order of investigation, the worlds largest container shipping company used a broad merchant clause in its bill of lading to levy the fines. The clause defined a merchant to include not just the shipper and consignee, but also other parties listed on the document, including the notify party.

These notify parties included freight forwarders Alexander & Co. and John S. Connor, as well as customs clearance services provider Welke Customs Brokers USA, all of which were asked to pay D&D fees.

However, the agency found that those companies had no beneficial cargo interest and often had no role in physically moving the containers.

The commission determined that this practice violated the Shipping Acts requirement that carriers maintain just and reasonable practices related to cargo handling.

Demurrage and detention are meant to act as financial incentives to move containers and promote freight fluidity, the 65-page decision read. Billing parties that have no control over container pickup or return, the FMC concluded, does not serve that purpose.

The agency upheld findings of 13 violations tied to this billing approach, assessed $65,000 in penalties and issued a cease-and-desist order barring MSC from charging such fees to parties that are not shippers, consignees or cargo owners.

Another portion of the penalties stems from MSCs failure to clearly state the applicable rates or rules for non-operating reefers (NORs) when publishing its tariffs. In this case, tariffs refer to documents the FMC requires ocean carriers to publish that list rates, rules and extra charges for shippers.
In 2021, Thomas Kelly stood at a crossroads in his career journey.

Already a successful family doctor in his early 30s, the more sensible choice was clear: pursue a certification in vascular surgery. But that isnt what Kelly did. Instead of doubling down on his medical profession, Kelly quit his secure practice to pursue a new path in artificial intelligence (1).

Must Read

Luckily for Kelly, his AI bet paid off. According to the most recent funding rounds, Kellys company, Heidi, has a valuation of $465 million.

As an AI scribe, Heidis system helps medical providers organize their days and transcribe notes on the spot to reduce many necessary but tedious tasks. The idea behind Heidi came from Kellys own frustration with the limited time in his daily practice.

When explaining why he decided to give Heidi his full attention, Kelly told CNBC, [I thought] Ill regret it forever if I dont take this chance. How many surgical trainees are good enough in math and have had business experience and can build this product? I think not many.

Although Kelly focused on medicine during his studies at the University of Melbourne, he also had a passion for math and computer science. Plus, he had previous experience building the AI system Oscar, which helped thousands of students practice interacting with a lifelike medical interviewer.

Maybe it was hubris, Kelly admitted, but I thought if anyone can start this company, it would be me, and lets try and see what happens.

Is quitting the smart career move?

Many physicians in the U.S. can relate to Kellys struggles in providing quality care to patients while taking care of their own mental and physical health. An analysis from Stanford found that approximately 45% of physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout between 2023 and 2024 (2).

Add in the recent headlines related to AI startups raising millions or billions (3), and it makes sense that some of these burned-out professionals would think about making a similarly bold career move. While Heidi shows that its possible to be successful as a tech entrepreneur, statistics suggest this kind of success is the exception rather than the rule.
New Gold Inc. (NYSE:NGD) is included in our list of the 11 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 12 Months.

New Gold (NGD) Shareholders Approve Previously Announced Plan of Arrangement to Advance Coeur Mining Deal

On January 27, 2026, New Gold Inc. (NYSE:NGD) received shareholders approval of the previously announced plan of arrangement, whereby a wholly owned subsidiary of Coeur Mining will purchase all outstanding NGD shares. The arrangement also received the approval of Coeurs shareholders.

The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending court and regulatory approvals. Following the close, New Gold Inc. (NYSE:NGD) shareholders will be entitled to receive 0.4959 Coeur shares per New Gold share. Offering approximately 38% ownership of the combined company, the deal provides investors with exposure to a larger all-North American precious metals platform.

Meanwhile, an optimistic analyst update preceded the acquisition update. On January 26, 2026, Scotiabank raised its price target on New Gold Inc. (NYSE:NGD) from $10.50 to $12.75, while reiterating an Outperform rating. The increase in target, coming as part of a broader update to the Gold & Precious Minerals sector, reflects the firms higher gold and silver price forecasts amid heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty, alongside central bank buying.

New Gold Inc. (NYSE:NGD), a Canada-based gold mining company, operates and develops assets including Rainy River and New Afton.

While we acknowledge the potential of NGD 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: What Are the Best Stocks to Buy Right Now? and 10 Stocks Under $1 That Will Explode.

Disclosure: None.
Total gold ETF holdings were little-changed on Friday, with investor holdings in SPDR Gold Shares ETF, the worlds largest, largely flat at 39.4 million troy ounces as of Friday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Investors remained net buyers of gold ETFs in January.

Most buyers who were already sitting on profits had one foot out the door, ready to exit at any moment, said Jia Zheng, head of trading at Shanghai Soochow Jiuying Investment Management Co. The selloff has been driven largely by bullion-based exchange-traded funds, as well as leveraged derivatives, he said.

Chinese traders had reliably driven prices higher in recent weeks, but that flipped on Friday, with gold and silver falling through in the Asian session. That dynamic continued Monday, with precious metals coming under pressure as the Shanghai night market opened at 1 p.m. London time.

The trigger for Fridays dramatic selloff was the news that US President Donald Trump would nominate Kevin Warsh to lead the Fed, which sent the dollar higher and undercut sentiment among investors who had bet on Trumps willingness to let the currency weaken. Traders regard Warsh, later confirmed as the nominee, as the toughest inflation fighter among the final candidates, raising expectations of tighter monetary policy that would underpin the dollar and weaken greenback-priced bullion.

The bottom line is that the trade was way too crowded, said Robert Gottlieb, a former precious metals trader at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and now an independent market commentator, adding that a reluctance to take further risks would constrain market liquidity.

Precious metals had risen to record highs that shocked even seasoned traders. An already-scorching rally accelerated sharply in January, as investors piled into gold and silver on renewed concerns about geopolitical turmoil, currency debasement and threats to the Federal Reserves independence. A wave of buying from Chinese speculators added froth to the rally.

Spot gold fell by about 5%, after tumbling 10% earlier, extending its biggest slump in more than a decade on Friday. Silver dipped by nearly 6%, after sliding 16% earlier and posting a record intraday drop on Friday.

Precious metals clawed back some losses after another heavy selloff in Asian trading hours, as traders took stock of the abrupt unwinding of a record-breaking rally.

Story Continues

Gold and silver had already been bracing for extreme moves, as soaring prices and volatility strained traders risk models and balance sheets. Wild price swings meant banks were struggling to trade with investors, as holding positions became too risky, said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy for Saxo Bank AS. Once their willingness to quote prices in size faded, liquidity deteriorated further and volatility blew out, he said.

A record wave of purchases of call options  which give holders the right to buy at a pre-determined price  set the conditions for a squeeze, as dealers rushed to hedge their positions by buying the underlying asset as prices moved higher, contributing to further price moves. When prices fell, that process swung into reverse, with dealers selling their hedges.

Many investors had also piled into leveraged bets, further reinforcing the cascade of selling. These included margin calls on speculators who held futures contracts, as well as exchanged-traded products such as the leveraged ProShares Ultra Silver, known by its ticker AGQ, which had amped up the rally through January. On Friday AGQ had to quickly unwind billions of dollars of silver positions to reflect the new lower value of their holdings, accelerating the rout.

The rebalancing of the AGQ on Friday to reflect the new value of its assets led to an estimated $4 billion in sales of silver futures, said Hansen.

The extent to which Chinese investors buy the dips will play a key role in determining the direction of the market from here. Over the weekend, buyers flocked to the countrys biggest bullion marketplace in Shenzhen to stock up on gold jewelry and bars ahead of the Chinese New Year.

The combination of heightened volatility and the proximity of the Lunar New Year will prompt traders to trim positions and reduce risk, said Zijie Wu, an analyst at Jinrui Futures Co. At the same time  particularly in peak buying season  the pullback in prices is likely to support retail demand in China, he said.

Early signs of stabilization in gold prices had already emerged on Monday morning, supported by stronger demand from retail buyers for physical bars and coins, according to Dominik Sperzel, head of trading for major bullion refiner Heraeus Precious Metals.

The bulk of forced sales through quant fund deleveraging, leveraged ETFs and trend follower positioning may have already hit the tapes, said Daniel Ghali, senior commodity strategist at TD Securities. In the near term, retail pyschology remains key to gold prices considering the scale of retail purchases have dwarfed those from central banks, said Ghali.

In recent years, central banks have piled into gold, valued as a reserve asset partly because it cannot be frozen by hostile powers. Their purchases helped kick off bullions multiyear streak of gains, although they were eventually overtaken by retail and other institutional investors as the most important players in the market. Still, the presence of large, determined buyers reassures some investors that there is a stable source of support for prices.

Golds thematic drivers remain positive, Michael Hsueh, an analyst at Deutsche Bank AG, said in a note. Current conditions do not appear primed for a sustained reversal in gold prices, he said, reiterating a target price of $6,000 an ounce.

Silver, on the other hand, is a much smaller and more volatile market than gold and is sometimes dubbed the devils metal because of its wild swings. Silver is always a death trap, said Rhona OConnell, head of market analysis at StoneX Financial Ltd.

For the white metal, the extent of the pullback took it below $71.66 an ounce  the level at which silver ended last year. Waves of hot money in China have contributed to domestic supply tightness, but that may subside as the rout damps investment demand, Wang Yanqing, an analyst at China Futures Co., said in a note.

Once the consensus expectation of a one-way rally is broken, shorts willingness to make delivery will increase, helping to ease the shortage, he said.

Gold dropped to $ an ounce as of in New York. Silver lost to $ . Platinum and palladium retreated. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, a gauge of the US currency, rose after rising 0.9% in the previous session.

--With assistance from Martin Ritchie, Winnie Zhu and Brandon Harden.

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2026 Bloomberg L.P.
We think intelligent long term investing is the way to go. But that doesn't mean long term investors can avoid big losses. To wit, the Gray Media, Inc. (NYSE:GTN) share price managed to fall 75% over five long years. That's not a lot of fun for true believers.

It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that.

AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early.

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

Looking back five years, both Gray Media's share price and EPS declined; the latter at a rate of 29% per year. This change in EPS is reasonably close to the 24% average annual decrease in the share price. That suggests that the market sentiment around the company hasn't changed much over that time. Rather, the share price has approximately tracked EPS growth.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

NYSE:GTN Earnings Per Share Growth February 2nd 2026

Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Gray Media, it has a TSR of -69% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that Gray Media has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 31% in the last twelve months. That's including the dividend. There's no doubt those recent returns are much better than the TSR loss of 11% per year over five years. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Gray Media (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.
NEW DELHI, Feb 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he had agreed on a trade deal with India, and that New Delhi also agreed to stop buying Russian oil and buy more from the U.S. and potentially Venezuela.

Below is the timeline of events since Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods being shipped to U.S.

2025

April 2, 2025  The U.S. imposed a 26% "reciprocal tariff" on several Indian imports under his global "liberation day" tariff actions.

April 10 - Trump paused the tariffs for 90 days and maintained a 10% duty on all U.S. imports.

July 31 - Trump announced a 25% tariff on all Indian goods and said it would levy a penalty if India continued to buy Russian oil.

August 7 - Trump boosted to 50% tariffs on Indian goods being shipped to U.S., citing the Asian country's continued purchase of Russian oil. The tariff on Indian goods was the highest among U.S. trade partners.

(Reporting by Aftab Ahmed and Shivangi Acharya in New Delhi)
Irans parliament has passed a law declaring the militaries of European Union member states as terrorist organizations in response to the EUs designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (SEPAH) as a terrorist group.

As reported by Azernews, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf made the announcement during a plenary session, warning that the EU would bear responsibility for the negative consequences of the move.

He stated, The EUs efforts to strike SEPAH  which is the biggest barrier to the spread of terrorism  are in fact self-damaging.

During the session, parliament member Alireza Salimi suggested that, considering the new classification, military attaches from EU countries embassies should be considered for expulsion from Iran. Ghalibaf instructed the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee to coordinate with the Iranian Foreign Ministry to monitor the matter closely.

The move comes after the EU, on January 29, officially designated SEPAH as a terrorist organization, citing its role in suppressing recent protests in Iran.
Tehran, Iran  Irans economic outlook appears increasingly grim more than three weeks after the start of what became one of the most comprehensive and prolonged state-imposed internet blackouts in history, impacting a population of more than 90 million people.

Iranian authorities abruptly cut off all communications across the country on the night of January 8, at the height of nationwide protests that the United Nations and international human rights organisations say were suppressed with the use of deadly force.

Most of Irans internet bandwidth, local and international phone calls and SMS text messages have been restored over recent days. But most of the country is still unable to freely connect to the global internet amid heavy filtering by the state.

The increased bandwidth allows more people to circumvent state restrictions using a variety of proxies and virtual private networks (VPNs), but solutions are often costly and temporary.

Last week, Information and Communications Technology Minister Sattar Hashemi told reporters his ministry estimates that the Iranian economy suffered at least 50 trillion rials (about $33m at the current exchange rate) in damages on a daily basis during the blackout.

But the minister admitted that the true toll is likely much higher, and said that other ministers and economic officials have privately offered heftier estimates that he did not expand upon.





Cant do anything without the internet

The government of President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the decision to fully block connectivity was taken outside of its control by the Supreme National Security Council.

Pezeshkian, who had made scaling back internet filtering a main campaign promise, has refrained from talking about Irans largest internet blackout to date, instead focusing on economic reforms and cash subsidies.

The administration has promised to offer online businesses financial support, but the losses have already been sudden, acute, and too heavy to bear for many.

Simin Siami, a travel agent working in Tehran, told Al Jazeera that her company lost most of its income and had to lay off a number of employees.

Most international flights were cancelled, and there was no way to purchase tickets or compare existing flights, she said, adding that her company was also unable to book hotels for customers, who were initially even unable to renew their passports.

Unfortunately, that limited our services to selling tickets for local flights and booking local hotels, and cancelled all our previous international tickets and bookings.
Nomura, a Japanese brokerage with around $153 trillion in client assets, says it has reduced its positions in cryptocurrencies after its crypto arm suffered unspecified losses in the third quarter.

The firm confirmed that it is reducing risk at its Europe-based crypto subsidiary Laser Digital, which handles its cryptocurrency trading operations. The comments came from Nomuras chief financial officer Hiroyuki Moriuchi, according to Bloomberg Japan.

Nomuras commitment to digital asset-related businesses remains unchanged, Moriuchi said. He added that the firm hopes to expand its crypto-related business operations in the medium to long term.

Japanese firms have shown a willingness to buck market trends and invest in Bitcoin and crypto-related business regardless of the choppy market conditions. But even the most bullish of the countrys crypto-keen companies appear not to be impervious to crypto prices recent dramatic falls.

Reducing risk exposure

Nomura is Japans biggest wealth manager, with around $153 trillion in client assets and control of around 15% of the domestic market.

We have tightened our management of positions, as well as risk exposure [to curb short-term volatility in profit], Moriuchi said.

The comments come shortly after Laser Digital lodged an application to operate as a federally chartered bank in the United States.

Laser Digital has applied for a national trust bank charter, which would allow it to operate throughout the US, Financial Times reported last week.

Nomura wants its subsidiary to offer US firms and residents a range of crypto custody and spot trading services.

Nomura launched Laser Digital in Switzerland on September 21, 2022, stating the new firm would to focus on digital assets, including cryptocurrency trading and venture capital.

In December 2022, officials said they expected the subsidiary to be turning a profit by 2024.

Last year, Nomura and five other major Japanese wealth management players, indicated a willingness to launch crypto funds for domestic investors.

Crypto market movers

Bitcoin is down 5.3% over the past 24 hours, currently trading at $78,448.

Ethereum is down 9.1% in the past 24 hours, trading at $2,402.

What were reading

Tim Alper is a News Correspondent at DL News. Got a tip? Email him attdalper@dlnews.com.
By Libby George and Dhara Ranasinghe

LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - From Japan to Brazil, elections could add yet more uncertainty this year to markets already whipped by U.S. policy gyrations and heightened geopolitical tension.

Japan's election this coming weekend is among the most unpredictable in years, while polls across Latin America will test the region's rightward shift.

Here are some of the year's most significant elections for markets:

JAPAN

Japan's snap election on February 8 could loosen fiscal purse-strings in the developed world's most indebted nation, on a debt-to-GDP basis. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wants to convert personal popularity into support for her expansionary fiscal policies and bolster her coalition government's position in parliament. Latest polls show her approval rating has slipped a touch.

Investors expect pressure on Japanese bonds to continue, and some analysts reckon 10-year yields will hit 3% this year, from just over 2% now.

COLOMBIA

Colombians will vote as many as three times, starting in March, to choose new legislators and a new president to replace Gustavo Petro, a leftist who has clashed with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Colombian stocks outperformed regional peers last year, but bond investors hope Latam's rightward shift will sweep up Colombia, too, restoring orthodox economic policies.

"If there is a change to the right...there's potential for some fiscal adjustment," said Ninety One portfolio manager Nicolas Jaquier.

Jaquier said a victory for Ivan Cepeda of Petro's coalition could allow him to make structural changes at the central bank and supreme court - removing roadblocks that slowed some of Petro's policies.

HUNGARY

Hungary's April vote is the opposition's best chance in years to end Prime Minister Viktor Orban's 16-year-long run.

Centre-right party Tisza has a polling lead over Orban's right-wing Fidesz, but the outcome remains uncertain.

Cost of living concerns are high, and Orban has used fiscal giveaways to assuage voter worries.

Fitch Ratings cut Hungary's credit rating outlook to negative last year, citing "significantly worsened" public finance projections that reflected new measures in advance of the election.

Tisza has pledged to repair ties with the European Union and unblock funding. Citi's Luis E. Costa estimates that could mobilise 10 billion euros ($11.9 billion), which alongside other reforms could "enable higher investment spending, accompanied by a lower fiscal deficit and reduced risk premia".
Klockner Pentaplast (kp) has completed its restructuring under the US Chapter 11 process, resulting in the removal of around 1.3bn ($1.5bn) in funded debt from its balance sheet.

The companys exit from court oversight follows an injection of 349m in new capital as part of its plans to stabilise ongoing operations.

Ownership of Klockner Pentaplast has now shifted to a consortium of financial partners led by funds affiliated with Redwood Capital Management.

As part of these changes, CEO Roberto Villaquiran and Michael Kaufman, a partner at Redwood Capital Management, have joined the companys board of directors.

The company also anticipates the appointment of Andrew Berlin as board chairman soon.

Berlin was the chairman and CEO of Berlin Packaging for more than 30 years before the companys sale to Oak Hill Capital Partners.

The process to complete kps board with additional industry figures is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.

The restructuring follows court approval of Klockner Pentaplasts reorganisation plan by the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas in December.

The process commenced after the company entered a restructuring support agreement with most of its financial stakeholders in November 2025.

Villaquiran said: Today represents the next exciting phase in kps journey, as we emerge from this process as a financially stronger company. I am energised by the opportunities ahead, and I am highly confident that our talented teams will continue to build on our leading product portfolio and global presence.

We are grateful for the support of our new owners, who continue to demonstrate their confidence in our business and future prospects as we deliver innovative and sustainable packaging and film solutions to customers globally.

"Klockner Pentaplast cuts 1.3bn in debt through Chapter 11 restructuring" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand.




Kuwaits Ministry of Commerce and Industry has introduced a regulatory framework for restaurant and ready-made food delivery services, setting limits on platform commissions and fees and cancelling side agreements and exclusive arrangements.

According to a Kuwait Times report, the move is the first of its kind at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) level.

The report said that Ministerial Decision No. 10 of 2026 was issued to protect consumers, support the national commercial sector, and create a fair and transparent environment.

The ministry issued the order after close monitoring and in-depth analysis of developments in the restaurant and ready-made food delivery market.

The assessment revealed monopolistic practices and unfair tactics by certain entities in the sector, disrupting free competition and harming merchants and consumers.

These include unjustified commission hikes, exclusive conditions, a lack of transparency in fee calculations, and discriminatory technical mechanisms that affect fair visibility within applications.

The regulatory framework was prepared following three months of intensive consultations with stakeholders, including electronic platforms, restaurant owners and delivery companies.

The ministry also confirmed that the ministerial decision is binding and serves as the legal basis for regulating restaurant and ready-made food deliveries conducted through electronic platforms.

The rules include oversight mechanisms and a defined penalty system, ranging from warnings to closure and licence revocation.

All licensed companies operating electronic platforms for food delivery must amend their licence activity to Management of Delivery Services via Electronic Platforms, under international classification no. 532013, within two months of the regulation taking effect.

The decision fixes the fees and commissions imposed on restaurants and ready-made food outlets for three years, as a corrective measure to restore market stability, enable planning and protect SMEs.

Additionally, service providers must adopt a single annual tariff approved by the ministry, outlining fees, commissions, maximum limits and calculation mechanisms.

Platforms must also document all fees in clear written contracts, adopt annual price lists, avoid price changes during the year and treat unlisted fees as legally null and void.

"Kuwait issues order to cap food delivery fees" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand.




A LifeWise Academy bus, photographed on Sept. 19, 2025. LifeWise is a Hilliard-based religious instruction program that operates in 34 states and plans to enroll nearly 100,000 students during the 2025-26 school year. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal).

LifeWise Academy, a controversial Hilliard-based religious instruction program, saw total revenue and expenses increase while profits declined last year, according to its latest filing with the IRS.

LifeWise raised more than $39.2 million in fiscal year 2024-25  nearly $4 million more than the previous year, according to a nonprofit IRS filing published on ProPublica. More than $34.4 million of that came from contributions and grants.

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LifeWises net profit was $11.1 million  down about $6 million from last year, according to the filings. LifeWises expenses were $28.1 million  about $10 million more than last year.

LifeWise is a non-denominational Christian program that teaches the Bible to public school students during the school day at a special release time. It has received much criticism and parents have said their students have been ostracized and bullied for not taking part in LifeWise.

Through generous donor support, LifeWise funds the expenses of our off-campus Bible education program, including facilities, transportation, staff, technology, curriculum, and insurance, LifeWise said in a statement.

The amounts shown on our 990 reflects donations and growth across nearly 1,000 local program accountsnot just the national office. LifeWises growth has been fueled by the significant demand from parents who wish to partner with us.

While the overall total may appear large, the average per account is modest and directly supports local Bible education programs.

This comes after LifeWise had another historic year in Ohio. LifeWise is operating in more than 260 of the states 607 districts.

The nonprofit plans to be in about 300 school districts across the state by the end of the school year. Compared to last January, LifeWise was in about 160 Ohio school districts, meaning it grew 62.5% in Ohio in 2025.

This growth comes as Ohio school districts are now required to have a religious release time policy, which has helped pave the way for an expansion of LifeWise Academy.

The new law took effect in April. Previously, the law merely permitted a religious release time policy. LifeWise Founder and CEO Joel Penton testified in favor of the legislation.

LifeWise spent $208,000 in lobbying in fiscal year 2024-25, according to the IRS filing.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Release Date: January 30, 2026

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

LT Foods Ltd (BOM:532783) reported a record nine-month revenue of INR 8,085 crores, marking a year-on-year growth of 24%.

The company achieved its highest-ever quarterly revenue of INR 2,812 crores in Q3 FY26, with a year-on-year growth of 23%.

The basmati and specialty rice segment, contributing 88% of consolidated revenues, delivered a 26% year-on-year growth.

The organic segment showed a 15% year-on-year growth, reflecting rising global demand for sustainable food choices.

Europe showed robust progress with a 35% year-on-year growth, driven by strong performance in the UK market.

Negative Points

The EBITDA margin declined by 30 basis points to 11.6% due to increased brand investment and strategic initiatives.

The US tariffs and rising basmati prices have led to a slowdown in consumption, with potential shifts to locally grown rice.

The acquisition of Hungary-based Global Green Group was not approved due to identified national economic and sectoral risks.

The organic segment experienced a decline in revenue this quarter despite capacity expansions in Europe.

Interest costs increased by 46% year-on-year, attributed to higher working capital utilization and lease accounting.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Could you explain the current situation regarding tariffs in the US, and how much of it has been passed on to customers? Are consumers shifting from basmati rice to locally grown rice due to price increases? A: We have seen a slight slowdown in consumption, but the full impact will be clearer in the coming months. Most of the tariffs have been passed on to customers. However, with rising input costs, we are monitoring how the situation evolves over the next six months. (Respondent: Unidentified_4)

Q: The organic segment showed a decline this quarter despite new capacity in Europe. What caused this decline? A: The decline is due to seasonality and the transition from old to new crop. The new capacities in Europe are investments for future growth, and overall annual sales are higher than last year. (Respondent: Rohan, CEO of Organic Business)

Q: How is the Golden Star brand performing amidst the current tariff situation? A: Golden Star is performing well, with growth in consumption. However, jasmine rice prices have increased, which may impact margins. (Respondent: Unidentified_4)
Bitcoin miners globally are facing increasing challenges to stay afloat in their business.

The whole Bitcoin-halving gambit and the volatility of crypto as a whole, thanks to geopolitical tensions, are making many miners move away from the business to something more sustainable, like artificial intelligence.

They have the machines, they have the power, so why not pivot?

One Bitcoin miner is facing an even bigger trouble, like a double-edged sword: bankruptcy and leadership turmoil.

Related: What is Bitcoin mining? Explained

Bitcoin miner put into bankruptcy radar

A Russian court has placed the parent company of BitRiver, the countrys largest Bitcoin mining firm, under official bankruptcy supervision.

BitRiver was once a symbol of Russias industrial-scale crypto ambitions. At one point, it oversaw 15 data centers with a combined capacity of 533 megawatts and controlled over 50% of the domestic Bitcoin mining market, according to HSE Center for Electric Power Research. The company reported more than 10 billion rubles ($131.6 million) in revenue in 2024, before its power lines began to dim.

On Jan. 27, the Sverdlovsk Regional Arbitration Court initiated monitoring procedures for Fox Group of Companies LLC, which owns 98% of BitRiver Management Company, according to a report by Kommersant.

Infrastructure of Siberia, part of energy conglomerate En+ Group, filed the bankruptcy petition over a canceled equipment supply deal. The firm paid more than 700 million rubles (approx. $9.1 million) in advance for mining hardware that never arrived.

After the contract was terminated, courts sided with En+ in April 2025, but enforcement efforts found no recoverable assets, prompting the bankruptcy filing. BitRivers accounts were later frozen, a move legal experts warned could paralyze operations, Kommersant reported.

More on Bitcoin mining:

Power debts pile up as operations crumble

The En+ dispute is just one part of BitRivers broader financial unraveling. The company faces mounting electricity debts and multiple lawsuits from energy suppliers.

Courts are reviewing claims totaling more than 940 million rubles ($12.2 million), including 133 million from En+ Sbyt, 640 million from the Irkutsk Electric Grid Company, and 168.7 million already awarded to NTEK. Regional utilities under Rosseti have also filed collection suits.

BitRivers internal structure has deteriorated in parallel. Layoffs began in early 2025, followed by salary delays and executive resignations.
A Massachusetts womans dream oven has turned out to be a nightmare. The 40-year veteran home baker says it never worked properly, and the company is refusing to replace it.

Susan Barry, from Foxboro, near Boston, told local news station WBZ-TV that she was excited to finally purchase the $3,000 GE Cafe Series gas range.

Must Read

But when she got it home, she found it took far longer than expected to heat up, and it cooked food unevenly, making baking impossible.

Barry complained both to her retailer and GEs Appliance division. She claims GE technicians came to her home twice, and that the second time, the technician actually told her the oven was defective and not repairable.

Company refuses to replace appliance

A GE representative told WBZ-TV that the oven, purchased two years ago, was no longer covered by the manufacturers warranty.

According to WBZ-TV, the company offered Barry a 30% discount on a new range, but not a replacement for the defective one.

The report also notes that GE appliances have been the topic of more than 3,000 complaints to the Better Business Bureau in the last three years (1).

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)

The laws that protect consumers

If you find yourself in a situation like Susan Barrys, there are consumer protection laws that may be able to help you.

Consumers are protected by implied warranties when they purchase products, which the FTC says are unspoken, unwritten promises, created by state law.

The implied warranty of merchantability, according to the FTC, is the sellers basic promise that goods function as they are supposed to and that there is nothing significantly wrong with them. The implied warranty of merchantability is covered by Section 2-314 of the Uniform Commercial Code, which is law in every state but Louisiana.

The implied warranty doesnt cover things such as ordinary wear and tear, misuse, or failure to follow directions or perform maintenance. Although the warranty doesnt specify an exact amount of time a product should be good for, states generally allow you to make an implied warranty claim up to four years from the date of purchase.
As of Jan. 29, 2026, rare-earth miner and magnet manufacturer MP Materials (NYSE: MP) is beating the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC). So far in 2026, MP has gained a little less than 11%, while the S&P 500 index has nudged about 1% higher.

Last year, the difference was even more pronounced. The S&P 500 finished 2025 nearly 18% higher, while MP Materials crushed the market with a roughly 224% gain.

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Over a five-year period, an investment in MP would have outperformed the same investment in the S&P 500, as the chart below demonstrates.

What exactly is driving MP Materials, and can it beat the market again in 2026? Let's take a look.

How MP has outrun the market

Long story short, the U.S. has a rare-earth problem, and it's running out of time to solve it. Like most of the world, it still depends on Chinese producers for the majority of its rare-earth processing and high-performance magnets. That's put the U.S. government in a thorny situation: Relations with China aren't exactly friendly, but without those magnets, a concerning number of high-tech applications -- defense systems, electric vehicle (EV) motors, electronics -- would grind to a halt.

Against this backdrop, MP Materials has emerged as a key player in the United States' effort to rebuild its domestic supply of rare-earth elements. Indeed, it controls one of the world's richest deposits of rare-earth elements, the Mountain Pass mine in California. It's also becoming one of the only fully integrated rare-earth companies that can turn ore into high-performance magnets.

Image source: MP Materials.

In 2025, MP's strategic importance surged after it inked a critical $400 million deal with the Department of Defense. Then, on the heels of that agreement, MP also announced a $500 million long-term deal with Apple to provide recycled magnets for its devices.

Both of these were huge votes of confidence for MP's future. They've also helped shift MP from a pure mining business (its magnetics segment earned virtually no revenue in 2024) to a fully integrated company with a burgeoning magnetics arm (magnetics revenue was about $21.9 million last quarter).

At the same time, MP Materials is not yet capable of producing magnets at scale. Indeed, while it anticipates ramping up magnet production from its Fort Worth facility (Independence) in 2026, it's still a newcomer in magnet production and likely won't eliminate the United States' dependence on Chinese producers anytime soon.
Turkiye has conveyed to the current Damascus authorities the conditions under which it would consider withdrawing its troops from anti-terror operation zones in Syria, Azernews reports, citing Turkish media.

According to information, Ankara is prepared to pull its forces from Syria if the following conditions are met: the central government of Damascus is established across the country, Turkiyes borders are secured, and the threat of terrorism is neutralized.

The report also notes that the United States has reportedly ended its support for the YPG militants, who form the backbone of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkiye highlights that after a decade, Washington has aligned with Ankaras long-standing position that you cannot fight one terrorist organization (ISIS) using another criminal group.

The article recalls recent agreements on integrating YPG fighters into the Syrian National Army and subsequent successful operations by Damascus against remaining YPG forces, noting that even the Americans have expressed frustration over YPG actions.

Sources in Ankara said that administrative structures in Turkish-controlled operation zones are gradually being transferred under Syrian government authority. As state control strengthens, personnel sent from Turkiye to assist the Syrian population are beginning to return home. For example, police and gendarmerie personnel sent to assist local forces in Afrin have completed their duties and returned to Turkiye. Security in Afrin has been handed over to the Syrian government, although Turkish troops remain in their bases, they added.

Previously, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense dismissed claims about reducing the Turkish Armed Forces control in the Operation Peace Spring area as disinformation. A ministry official emphasized: Turkish Armed Forces operations in northern Syria continue and are coordinated with the Syrian government.
Employees in a kitchen at a Buc-ee's convenience store prepare food - Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Buc-ee's is a chain of supersized gas stations that offer car washes, barbecue stands, bakeries, and other features far beyond what the average gas station does. They're busy places, too. For instance, officials in Daytona Beach, Florida, found that the city's 53,000-square-foot location saw more than 5 million visits in a year (via the Daytona Beach News-Journal). And that's not even the world's largest Buc-ee's, which is over 70,000 square feet.

But what's it really like to work at Buc-ee's? Most visitors probably don't think about that, instead focusing on the famously clean bathrooms or the freshly-made barbecue. In a company where just about everything is larger than life, it would only make sense for the pay to be similarly oversized. That's actually true, and Buc-ee's has become well-known for its above-average wages.

In the United States, the average gas station worker makes about $15 an hour (via Indeed). That's roughly double the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Meanwhile, according to Buc-ee's, the pay starts at $17 or $18 an hour for positions like cashiers, janitors, and grocery workers (depending on the location). Folks with more specialized jobs, like food service workers and car wash attendants, make $21 an hour. Some shift managers earn $24 an hour.

Read more: Whatever Happened To Papa John's Founder John Schnatter?

Buc-ee's pays employees well as a way to invest in them

Interior of a Buc-ee's convenience store - Eric Glenn/Shutterstock

At Buc-ee's, most management positions are paid with a salary instead of an hourly rate. And at the top of the store's hierarchy, a general manager can make a salary of up to $250,000. But if it sounds like an easy, cushy job, not so fast. It requires at least five years of retail management experience, and general managers need to be available 24/7. That's because Buc-ee's locations are open 24/7.

Buc-ee's employees also get three weeks of paid time off annually, along with medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus a 401k match up to 6%. The company also says that opportunities for advancement are available to existing employees. That's part of Buc-ee's strategy, according to company leadership. "It's not just the hourly level that the compensation plan is very generous," General Counsel for Buc-ee's Jeff Nadalo said, in an interview with Chron. "But it actually goes all the way up through to give an incentive to folks to make a career there and that's reflected in our GMs making $225,000-plus."

Buc-ee's pay is not only higher than other similar businesses', but a point of pride for the company. Buc-ee's posts the wages and benefits prominently on signs in the stores. There's a lot of competition for these jobs, but with around 250 employees per location, there are also a lot of available positions.

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Read the original article on Mashed.
The big story in the pharmaceutical sector has been the emergence of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) was an early leader in the space. However, Eli Lilly's (NYSE: LLY) GLP-1 version quickly surpassed it, prompting some on Wall Street to dump Novo Nordisk and buy Eli Lilly. But Novo Nordisk could be the better bargain if you think long-term.

Wall Street likes a good story

Investors can be pretty irrational over short periods, often rushing like lemmings into hot stocks. That's what appears to be happening among investors buying GLP-1 stocks today.

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Image source: Getty Images.

When Novo Nordisk introduced Ozempic to the world, investors jumped on board, recognizing the significant impact this diabetes drug could have on patients seeking help with weight-loss. It began marketing a drug, Wegovy, specifically to help with weight loss. When Eli Lilly's GLP-1 variation, Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss), proved more attractive to patients, Novo Nordisk's stock tanked, while Eli Lilly's rose.

There's really nothing shocking in any of this. Wall Street operates like this all the time. Yet there are implications to consider when stocks move up and down in dramatic fashion.

One of the biggest considerations is valuation, which is more art than science. But the effect of the different price moves here has been pretty clear.

Eli Lilly's price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) is a lofty 50, while Novo Nordisk's is around 18. Lilly's P/E is currently below its five-year average of 55, but Novo Nordisk's five-year average P/E is 30. All in, the latter is cheaper on both an absolute basis and relative to its own history. Novo Nordisk is offering a generous 2.8% dividend yield versus a miserly 0.6% yield for Eli Lilly.

Novo Nordisk isn't just a GLP-1 maker

To be fair, you could argue that Novo Nordisk isn't the leader in the GLP-1 space. That's true, but it is still an innovative pharmaceutical company.

For example, it was the first to market with a GLP-1 pill. Given that consumers generally prefer pills over injections, it has a chance to regain some market share from Eli Lilly, which is working on a pill, too, so this isn't a long-term benefit.

All this speaks to the competitive nature of the drug sector. Eli Lilly isn't going to be on top forever. Notably, Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) is working on its own GLP-1 drug lineup, using acquisitions and partnerships in an effort to speed up its product development.
Nvidias proposed investment of up to $100bn in OpenAI has stalled, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Sources familiar with the matter said internal concerns at Nvidia have led the company and OpenAI to reconsider the future structure of their partnership.

Ongoing discussions now involve a potential equity investment in the tens of billions as part of OpenAIs latest funding round, rather than the larger sum initially announced.

Nvidia had outlined plans for the substantial investment last September, aiming to support OpenAIs acquisition of advanced chips and bolster its capacity to train and operate new AI models.

The arrangement would have positioned Nvidia as a key supplier for OpenAIs data centre infrastructure as it seeks to maintain its position in an increasingly competitive sector.

The report noted that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has described the original $100bn commitment as non-binding and not finalised.

Huang has also raised issues regarding OpenAIs business practices and expressed concerns about heightened competition from other technology firms, including Google and Anthropic.

Meanwhile, other major players are seeking partnerships with OpenAI. Amazon is reportedly negotiating an investment that could reach $50bn, while SoftBank Group is also pursuing closer ties.

OpenAI is currently engaged in efforts to raise up to $100bn in funding, which would give it an estimated valuation of around $830bn.

The ChatGPT developer continues significant spending on data centres as it expands its AI capabilities.

The original agreement between Nvidia and OpenAI involved deploying ten gigawatts (GW) of Nvidia systems for AI infrastructure development, with initial operations expected in the second half of 2026 using the Vera Rubin platform.

That partnership intended for Nvidia to serve as OpenAIs main provider of computing and networking solutions, working alongside partners such as Microsoft, Oracle, SoftBank, and Stargate.

"Nvidias proposed $100bn OpenAI investment stalls on concerns" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand.




Oil fell sharply as geopolitical risk premiums faded after US President Donald Trump said Washington is talking with Iran, while a broader commodities selloff exacerbated the slide.

West Texas Intermediate plummeted 4.7% to settle near $62 a barrel, the biggest loss since June, while Brent futures also nosedived. Trump downplayed Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis threats of a regional war over the weekend, reiterating hes hopeful theyll make a deal.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Islamic Republics foreign ministry said it hopes diplomatic efforts will avert a war. White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are set to meet in Istanbul on Friday, Axios reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

The move lower looks more like a positioning reset than a fundamental shift, said Haris Khurshid, chief investment officer at Karobaar Capital LP. With no new supply shock, oil is giving back some risk premium as the market recalibrates after pricing in near-term disruption that just didnt materialize.

Crude was also hit as commodities  particularly metals  came under intense selling pressure. Gold fell as much as 10%, and copper at one point dropped more than 5% as they continued a retreat that started on Friday.

The precipitous drop comes on the back of WTIs biggest monthly increase since 2023, supported by broad-based flows into commodities during the same period. The prospect of conflict with Iran and pockets of supply disruption led to a surprisingly tight first month of the year. Still, the wider backdrop is one of elevated supplies, particularly in the first half of 2026.

At current prices, the sharp reversal will trigger selling from trend-following commodity trading advisors, according to James Taylor, head of the quant service at consultant Energy Aspects. More selling would come if Brent falls below $65 a barrel, he added, noting that large levels of options open interest could also exacerbate price swings.

Rapid shifts in financial flows have amplified the moves in oil prices so far this year. Traders began the year with bumper short positions that have quickly reversed after weeks of geopolitical tumult.

Elsewhere, the US and India reached a trade agreement cutting tariffs on Indian goods after Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed during a phone call to stop buying Russian oil. Shipments of Moscows crude to Indian ports have tumbled toward the lowest in more than three years, contributing to a growing pool of unsold sanctioned barrels across the globe.
Oracle has announced plans to secure between $45bn and $50bn in funding during 2026 to expand the capacity of its cloud infrastructure business.

The funding will support additional infrastructure capacity needed to meet contracted demand from cloud clients such as AMD, Nvidia, Meta, OpenAI, TikTok, and xAI.

Oracle aims to raise these funds through a combination of equity and debt financing, splitting the total roughly in half between the two approaches.

For the equity portion, Oracle intends to utilise a mix of equity-linked and common equity issuances. This will include an initial offering of mandatory convertible preferred securities and an at-the-market equity programme authorised for up to $20bn.

The company plans to issue shares under this programme in line with market prices and capital requirements.

On the debt side, Oracle expects to complete a single issuance of investment-grade senior unsecured bonds early in 2026.

The company does not plan any additional bond offerings for the year beyond this transaction.

Goldman Sachs & Co. will lead the senior unsecured bond offering, while Citigroup will manage both the at-the-market equity issuance and the convertible preferred equity offering.

Oracles board of directors has approved all transactions related to this plan.

The company stated that this approach aims to preserve its investment-grade rating and maintain balance sheet strength as it continues expanding its cloud services.

Recently, Oracle senior vice president Josh Pitcock, in the companys official blog, said Oracle expects 2026 to be a pivotal year for advancing AI in the US and is building AI infrastructure to support medical research, scientific breakthroughs and economic growth.

He said Oracle is developing AI data centre campuses with OpenAI in Texas and at sites in New Mexico, Wisconsin and Michigan, and pledged the facilities will benefit local communities.

Pitcock said Oracle will fund on-site power generation or grid upgrades, plus transmission, storage and substations, to protect ratepayers. He added the centres use closed-loop cooling to limit water use and include setbacks, screening, road upgrades and local hiring.

In October 2025, Oracle and Nvidia collaborated to build an AI supercomputer at Argonne National Laboratory for the US Department of Energy (DOE).

The primary system, named Solstice, deployed 100,000 Nvidia Blackwell graphics processing units (GPUs) and used Nvidia networking to achieve a combined output of 2,200 exaflops of AI performance when paired with a second system, Equinox, which utilised 10,000 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs.
When Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla asked his employees to compress years of vaccine development and manufacturing into months, he knew the first reaction would be resistance. Faced with a task that seemed unrealistic, even impossible, teams would do what large organizations often do best: marshal their intelligence to explain why it cant be done.

Before Covid, Pfizer produced roughly 200 million vaccine doses a year. At the height of the pandemic, production had to surge to roughly 3 billion doses annually. Scaling manufacturing to that level was, in Bourlas view, as daunting as developing a vaccine in short orderif not more so. While public attention focused on the scientific leap forward, the operational challenges demanded an equally radical shift in mindset.

When you ask people to do things that they perceive to be difficult or impossible, the first thing that they do is to use all their brainpower to develop the arguments about why it cannot be made, Bourla told Fortune editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell. Rather than debate feasibility, he reframed the challenge in moral terms. Speed was not a business metric. It was a matter of life and death.

Bourla lined Pfizer offices with signs that read, Time is life, a constant reminder that delays carried real human consequences. When leaders warned that a process would take three weeks longer than planned, he asked them to calculate the number of lives lost in that time. He describes the tactic, bluntly, as necessary emotional blackmail, uncomfortable but effective in forcing teams to stop defending constraints and start focusing on solutions.

The shift unlocked extraordinary effort across the organization. Beyond the breakthroughs in the lab, Bourla points to the work done at Pfizers manufacturing sites, where scientists, engineers, and plant workers performed miracles to produce doses at an unprecedented scale. Once people understood that leadership was serious and that the mission mattered beyond the company, they delivered far more than they believed possible.

That intensity also created a shared sense of purpose. Employees were not simply meeting aggressive targets or hitting production milestones. They understood they were helping save lives, stabilize economies, and reopen society, a responsibility that reshaped how they viewed both their work and themselves.

The broader lesson, Bourla argues, is not that leaders should rely on guilt or crisis to motivate people. It is that teams are capable of far more than they initially believe when the mission is clear, the stakes are real, and excuses are no longer rewarded.
BANGKOK, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Plaud.ai , the only AI note-taking platform that bridges in-person, phone calls, and online meetings into one workflow, today announced an expanded focus on the Southeast Asia (SEA) market. As part of this regional momentum, Plaud will attend GATES Consumer Tech Channel Summit, taking place from 35 February 2026 in Bangkok.

Plaud will be exhibiting at Booth B43 during the event and will showcase its hero products  Plaud Note Pro , the world's most advanced AI note taker, and Plaud NotePin S, the world's most wearable AI note taker which officially launched at CES 2026 to demonstrate how professionals can stay fully present while capturing everything that matters.

The participation at GATES reflects Plaud's continued efforts to engage with regional partners and professionals around practical AI workflows and real-world productivity use cases. Southeast Asia represents a key growth region for Plaud, driven by increasingly cross-border, multilingual, and fast-paced professional environments. Plaud's current market priorities in the region include Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, where teams and individuals are seeking AI tools that go beyond simple recording to deliver clarity, structure, and execution support.

Event Details

Dates: 35 February 2026

Booth: B43

Location: 1695 Phaholyothin Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand

Plaud's presence at GATES Thailand 2026 is part of a broader initiative to deepen engagement across Southeast Asia through industry dialogue, regional collaboration, and the sharing of practical insights on AI adoption in everyday professional workflows.

About Plaud

Plaud is building the world's most trusted AI work companion for professionals to elevate productivity and performance through note-taking solutions, loved by over 1,500,000 users worldwide since 2023. With a mission to amplify human intelligence, Plaud is building the next-generation intelligence infrastructure and interfaces to capture, extract, and utilize what you say, hear, see, and think. Plaud Inc. is a Delaware-incorporated, San Francisco-based company pushing the boundary of humanAI intelligence through a hardwaresoftware combination. With ISO 27001, ISO 27701, GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA, and EN 18031 compliance, Plaud is committed to the highest standards of data security and privacy protection.

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/plaud-expands-focus-in-southeast-asia-bringing-real-world-ai-workflow-insights-to-gates-thailand-2026-302669925.html
By Christian Kraemer and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk

WARSAW, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Germany and Poland must take joint responsibility for an economic revival in Europe, the finance ministers of both countries said in Warsaw on Monday, as the continent's growth remains sluggish compared to rivals such as the U.S. and China.

A relatively weak economy has compounded Europe's challenges on multiple other fronts, with perceived security threats from Russia, trade and geopolitical disputes with the Trump administration and uncertainty over relations with Beijing.

"We need to make Europe more competitive," Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said during a joint press conference with German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil.

"Both Poland and Germany are ready to create this impetus and to develop economic policies that will return Europe to an economic, rather than regulatory, power," he said.

Klingbeil spoke about the transatlantic relationship and the marked changes it is undergoing.

"And we agree: precisely in this phase we must strengthen Europe and move Europe forward," he said, in his first visit to Poland since he took office.

SIX EU ECONOMIES WANT FASTER DECISIONS

Klingbeil said the EU must become "faster, smarter, and more capable of dealing with complexity."

Ministers from six leading European economies including Germany and Poland vowed on Wednesday to be the drivers of European progress, as they tackled how to advance projects stalled by the EU's complex decision-making process.

"We have set ourselves the goal of deepening European cooperation, picking up speed, and also demanding this from the Commission," Klingbeil said about last week's video conference.

He said this was a first meeting and another will follow soon in Brussels.

"It's less about adopting decisions now in a new format; it's about finding common positions so that we can then push our decisions forward in the Eurogroup," Klingbeil said, referring to the forum of euro zone finance ministers.

The idea of forging ad hoc coalitions allowing some EU countries to pursue projects without the need for agreement from all 27 member states has long tempted some and has already been applied to key projects including the euro currency.

"We must unwind the regulatory corset, simplify the law, reform our markets, and fully harness the power of the common European market and its nearly 500 million consumers," said Domanski.

The Polish minister said Europe is in a race.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) is included among the 7 Best Non-REIT Dividend Stocks to Invest in.

Prudential Financial (PRU) Price Target Raised by $2, 'Hold' Rating Maintained

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) operates as a diversified financial services firm and global investment manager, offering insurance, investment, and retirement products to customers around the world.

On January 28, TD Cowen analyst Andrew Kligerman lifted his price target on Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) to $113 from $111 and kept a Hold rating. The change came as part of the firms Q4 preview for the life insurance group. TD Cowen said it sees a slight headwind from lower alternative investment returns heading into earnings, while maintaining a balanced view on the sector overall.

Separately, a January 16 Reuters report said the CEO of Prudential Financials Japan life insurance unit will step down after employee misconduct came to light. The company disclosed that about 100 employees were involved in improper activity totaling roughly 3.1 billion yen, or about $19.6 million. Some cases involved embezzlement.

The Japan unit said 498 customers were affected by the newly identified issues. The misconduct included employees improperly receiving money through investment solicitations and personally borrowing funds from customers. CEO and President Kan Mabara will resign effective February 1. He will be replaced by Hiromitsu Tokumaru, who currently serves as president and CEO of Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance. The situation was first reported earlier in the day by The Asahi Shimbun.

Prudentials Japan unit first flagged misconduct in 2024 and has been running a broader internal review since August of that year. The company said the investigation expanded after uncovering multiple similar cases involving both current and former employees.

While we acknowledge the potential of PRU 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: 7 Best Low-Risk Dividend Stocks to Invest in and 10 Best American Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy.

Disclosure: None.
Quince Therapeutics stock has fallen by more than 90% after a Phase III trial of its Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) drug failed to show benefit.

In the pivotal NEAT trial (NCT06193200), dexamethasone sodium phosphate encapsulated in autologous erythrocytes (eDSP) failed to show benefit in the primary endpoint, which measured the change from baseline to last efficacy visit at month six, using the rescored modified International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (RmICARS). Quince stated that this change did not reach statistical significance. The mean change from baseline to month six was 0.94 in the active arm compared to 2.24 in the placebo arm.

The companys stock fell by 92% after Quince shared the update, from $3.14 at market open on 29 January to $0.25 at market open on 30 January. The biotech now has a market cap of $9.5m.

The trial also failed to meet its key secondary endpoint of improvement in Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S) measured from baseline to month six.

eDSP, previously called EryDex, was generally well tolerated and there were no clinically meaningful safety concerns identified, with the most common adverse events (AEs) reported being pruritus and pyrexia.

The NEAT trial was an international, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial that enrolled 105 patients with A-T.

A-T is a rare inherited childhood disorder caused by a mutated ATM gene and affects the nervous system, immune system, and other body systems. Symptoms include movement problems, poor coordination, and speech issues. There are no approved treatments.

CEO of Quince, Dr Dirk Thye, said: We express our compassion and hope for future therapeutic options to the A-T community. We have tremendous gratitude toward the patients, their families, academic investigators and study sites, as well as all Quince employees, who worked so diligently over many years on this programme.

Quinces update came just days after IntraBios Phase III trial (NCT06673056) of levacetylleucine, a modified form of the amino acid leucine, met its primary endpoints in A-T. As a result, the company is heading to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), and additional global regulatory authorities for approval. In the study, the drug demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful -1.88 point improvement on the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) compared to placebo after 12 weeks. Given the absence of approved therapies, this trial was a notable development for A-T patients.
Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said the United States should understand that any war in the region would have widespread consequences. His remarks came during a meeting in Tehran with a group of Iranian citizens, marking the start of the 47th anniversary celebrations of the Islamic Revolution, Azernews reports.

Khamenei noted that the U.S. frequently speaks of war and of deploying aircraft and other means, which he described as a recurring issue. He added that Washington has repeatedly emphasized that all options are on the table, referring to the possibility of military action.

The Supreme Leader stressed that Iran is not afraid of such threats. Iran is not the party that initiates war, and we do not seek to oppress anyone or attack any country. However, we will confront and respond to any aggressor, he said.

The remarks follow last Junes incidents, when the United States reportedly carried out airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, causing damage to the sites. In retaliation, Iran claimed it targeted a U.S. military base in Qatar.
Shelby Nicholl, founder of Muriel Consulting, helps breakaway advisors find their match and make the transition to independence. Most of my clients are leaving captive firms and looking for a home where they can more completely own their book of business, Nicholl said. A key element of breaking away is bringing as many of your clients and assets with you as possible. While industry data shows advisors generally bring about 85% of assets with them during a move, wirehouse advisors can plan for less than that, she added. You have to run models and do the math to make sure what follows you will be enough to sustain you.

Advisors who made an initial breakaway years ago are now starting to rethink those decisions. In some cases, theyre jumping again to launch fully independent businesses of their own, he added. Many advisors are realizing that the independence they expected did not fully materialize, prompting a renewed focus on ownership, control and the ability to build a business on their own terms.

As the breakaway movement has grown and evolved over the past few decades, it is becoming increasingly common for advisors to break away more than once as they spy greener pastures and better opportunities. Whats emerging now is a second wave of breakaways, said Adrian Duran, head of advisor recruiting at Integrated Partners.

Overall, the trend driving toward independence is advisors looking for a higher payout and greater autonomy, said Stephen Caruso, associate director in the wealth management practice at Cerulli.

The multi-decade trend of brokerage reps breaking away and transitioning toward independent financial planning shows no signs of letting up. In fact, according to industry data, the pace of asset growth across the independent registered investment advisory ranks is now faster than that of the traditional Wall Street financial services conglomerates, like Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo. Still, at approximately $12 trillion in combined assets under advisement, the wirehouse brokerages overshadow the $10.6 trillion in combined assets managed by RIAs. But according to Cerulli Associates, the five-year compound annual growth rate of assets for the two separate advisory channels illustrates a strong advantage for RIAs.



Its Fiduciary

Caruso said some of that growth is because the financial advice industry in general has started to view the wirehouse and broker-dealer channels, where advisors work as employees of the company, as antiquated. According to the Cerulli report:

Over the past five years, wirehouse assets have grown at an annualized rate of 8.5%.

However, the growth rate for RIAs clocked in at 11% over the same time period.

Advisors we talk with are very interested in the RIA space, because theyre looking for a place to grow and build a business, Caruso said. Economics are a big driver, but the cultural side with greater autonomy and a better work-life balance, without having to work to a number or sales quota, is also important.

John Bovard, owner of Incline Wealth Advisors, launched his RIA in 2020 after breaking away from Merrill Lynch in the midst of the Covid pandemic. It was quite possibly the worst time to do it, he said. But, in hindsight, I dont regret it. For Bovard, the drivers toward the RIA channel were a combination of moving away from the expansive corporate structure and toward a specific distinction for which RIAs are known.

I saw the direction that the wirehouse was headed and the integration of Bank of America, and it did not align with what I had envisioned for the next 30 years of my career, he said. I wanted to truly be a fiduciary for my clients and also offer them planning and investment features that were not offered at Merrill.

Break by Break

For some advisors, the breakaway transition occurs in stages, first with a move to a larger RIA and next by hanging out a shingle and going it alone. This was the case for Peter Bjelopetrovich, who founded Mindset Wealth Management 18 months ago, almost six years after breaking away to join an established RIA. At a high-level, I see one primary reason for this trend: There has never been less friction, he said.

As the migration toward the RIA channel has gained steam over the past few decades, an expansive support network has emerged to help advisors navigate the process and find the right fit. The sheer amount of companies and innovation that support a move to independence has unlocked a wave of advisors who have been waiting to take ownership of how they service clients, how they grow their business, and ultimately how they can execute their personal vision for their professional lifes work, Bjelopetrovich said.

The significance of being able to stand out as a fiduciary simply cant be overstated, said David Weiner, chief growth officer at Savvy Wealth. Independence offers advisors the opportunity to act as true fiduciaries, focused purely on what is best for their clients, he said. In doing so, they can design customized client experiences while also keeping a larger share of the revenue they generate.

Hundreds of Options. Chuck Failla, founder of Sovereign Financial Group, is an example of the multiple ways that the financial planning industry is rolling out the red carpet to independent-minded advisors. Failla, who broke away from the broker-dealer channel in 2019, has created a kind of RIA incubator platform that lets advisors operate their own businesses under the Sovereign RIA. From his perspective, the independent RIA channel has unlimited growth potential, with 200 or 300 legitimate options for RIAs to plug into, he added.

Advisors are asking themselves why they are tithing back 50% or more of their potential income to the big brokerage firms, Failla said. There is no other industry or profession that has the combination of such incredible upside with such relatively low barriers to entry. All you need is a laptop and a dream, and you could build a multibillion-dollar RIA.

For CJ Smith, the move toward independence is about finding comfort outside of a massive corporate structure. Smith launched Venture Stone Wealth Management under the Sovereign RIA last summer after spending almost five years as an employee of Mercer Advisors, a large RIA. I felt I could make a bigger impact than just being a cog in a bigger machine, she said. This was a beautiful thing to do, and Im so excited for the future.

Its All Indie. As the big brokerage firms have seen the independent RIA channel attract advisors, the entire wealth management industry has stepped up its game to compete for advisors. All channels are paying close attention to the RIA market, but one group in particular appears ripe to make a meaningful shift in 2026, and thats wirehouse advisors, said Ed Swenson, president of RFG Advisory.

According to Swenson, advisors are tuned in to the potential enterprise value they can create as independent RIAs. Advisors want to take advantage of the single largest, and accelerating, opportunity in wealth management  building enterprise value, he added. Wirehouse advisors, especially those growing quickly, increasingly recognize theyre missing out on a generational opportunity to become business owners and build long-term value for themselves and their families.



This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive financial advisor news, market insights, and practice management essentials, subscribe to our free Advisor Upside newsletter.
SCOR has partnered with German digital-risk managing general agent Baobab Insurance through the SCOR Syndicate at Lloyds to increase underwriting support for Baobabs CyberSafe policies in Germany and Austria.

Under the arrangement, the French reinsurance company has added capacity to Baobabs existing binder, widening eligibility to companies generating up to 1bn in annual revenue across the two countries.

The move brings SCOR alongside several Lloyds syndicates that are already backing Baobab and forms part of its efforts to build its cyber portfolio in Europe, particularly for industrial clients.

SCOR Business Solutions cyber & technology EMEA head Jeremy Campagno said: Baobab combines impressive technological expertise with a data-driven underwriting strategy.

This partnership supports SCORs broader strategy to expand in Europe and strengthen its capabilities in cyber insurance whilst addressing the rising exposure of industrial clients.

The partnership centres on Baobabs data-led underwriting model, which emphasises risk evaluation and prevention rather than post-loss handling.

Its proprietary Deep Scan system produces datasets several times larger than conventional techniques, which SCOR said enhances transparency for risk-based pricing.

Baobab also supplies clients with real-time vulnerability alerts that the companies say have helped avert losses amounting to several million euros and supported a loss ratio below wider market levels.

Policyholders also receive preventive services including staff awareness programmes, phishing exercises and access to Baobabs in-house cyber specialists.

SCOR said the broadened scope of cover aligns with its strategy to extend cyber underwriting across Europe and meet growing exposure among industrial customers.

Baobab Insurance co-founder and managing director Vincenz Klemm added: "The partnership with SCOR is a major milestone. By increasing our underwriting authority to companies with up to 1bn in revenue, we are entering a new dimension. We are proving that our digital approach of data-driven risk assessment and prevention possesses the necessary depth not only for SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] but also for the upper industrial sector."

Earlier this month, SCOR and AXA partnered to set up a new consortium at Lloyds of London with the intention of supporting investments in ecological restoration.

The initiative seeks to unlock funding for ecological restoration projects by de-risking investments and closing insurance gaps for ecosystem recovery projects.
The SEC and CFTC are turning Project Crypto into a single rulebook for how the United States polices digital-asset markets.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have formally reshaped Project Crypto into a joint effort to align federal oversight of digital-asset trading.

Agency chairs Paul S. Atkins and Michael S. Selig confirmed the shift this week in Washington, D.C.

Both agencies outlined the plan in speeches on 29 January 2026, followed by a legal brief released on 30 January.

DISCOVER: Top Solana Meme Coins to Buy in 2026

How Will Project Crypto Change US Crypto Regulation?

The goal is simple: cut down on overlapping rules and ease uncertainty as Congress moves closer to a bipartisan market-structure bill.

Notably, Project Crypto began in 2025 as an SEC program to update its approach to modern trading systems.

It will now work as a shared framework covering on-chain trading, clearing, settlement, and custody across both regulators.

Atkins called the expanded program one of the most ambitious initiatives between our two agencies in a generation.

He said the focus is on setting a minimum effective dose of regulation instead of creating two versions of the same rulebook.

Under the new arrangement, the agencies will build a shared crypto-asset taxonomy, draw clearer lines between securities and commodities, and cut the duplicate registrations that now burden firms overseen by both regulators.

Selig said Project Crypto aims to bring coordination, coherence, and a unified approach to the federal oversight of crypto asset markets.

He called it a rare chance to move past long-running turf fights.

DISCOVER: 9+ Best High-Risk, High-Reward Crypto to Buy in 2026

What New Rules Are Coming for Tokenized Collateral and Leveraged Crypto Trading?

Officials also said a formal memorandum of understanding is coming. It will lock in data-sharing, joint surveillance, weekly leadership calls, and coordinated rulemaking.

The goal is to make the system durable, no matter who holds the top jobs in the future.

The first priorities include safe-harbor ideas for software developers, new guidance on tokenized collateral, clearer rules for leveraged crypto trading, and a review of how prediction markets and event contracts should be treated.

The project is rolling out under President Donald Trump, whose administration has installed new leaders at both agencies and pushed to bring more crypto activity back onshore.

Meanwhile, regulators continue to press Congress to pass the CLARITY Act and related bills. Though, they say they can still issue near-term guidance under current law.
WASHINGTON, Jan 31 - Elon Musk's SpaceX (SPAX.PVT) wants to launch a constellation of 1 million satellites that will orbit Earth and harness the sun to power AI data centers, according to a filing at the Federal Communications Commission.

The filing on Friday was posted a day after Reuters exclusively reported SpaceX and Musk's xAI are in discussions to merge ahead of a blockbuster public offering planned this year. A merger would give fresh momentum to SpaceXs effort to launch data centers into orbit as Musk battles for supremacy in the rapidly escalating AI race against tech companies Google (GOOG), Meta (META) and OpenAI (OPAI.PVT).

Data centers are the physical backbone of artificial intelligence, requiring massive amounts of power.

"By directly harnessing near-constant solar power with little operating or maintenance costs, these satellites will achieve transformative cost and energy efficiency while significantly reducing the environmental impact associated with terrestrial data centers," the FCC filing said. Musk would need the telecom regulator's approval to move forward.

While it is unlikely SpaceX will put 1 million satellites in space, where only 15,000 satellites exist currently, satellite operators sometimes request approval for higher numbers of satellites than they intend to deploy to buy design flexibility; SpaceX sought approval for 42,000 Starlink satellites before it began deployment of the system. The growing network currently has roughly 9,500 satellites in space.

SpaceX's request bets heavily on reduced costs of Starship, the company's next-generation reusable rocket under development.

"Fortunately, the development of fully reusable launch vehicles like Starship that can deploy millions of tons of mass per year to orbit when launching at rate, means on-orbit processing capacity can reach unprecedented scale and speed compared to terrestrial buildouts, with significantly reduced environmental impact," SpaceX said.

Starship has test-launched 11 times since 2023. Musk expects the rocket, which is crucial for expanding Starlink with more powerful satellites, to put its first payloads into orbit this year.

(Reporting by Joey Roulette and Chris SandersEditing by Rod Nickel)
A stablecoin that pays somethingeven indirectlystarts to compete with deposits on the feature most consumers actually care about: Why should my dollars sit here instead of there?

Banks are not being subtle about the threat model.

In other words, the U.S. is trying to decide whether stablecoins stay in the payments lane, or graduate into a deposit-like product at scale.

Crypto firms, by contrast, see restrictions on rewards as protectionism dressed up as stability policy.

Banks have pushed for hard constraints on anything that makes a stablecoin feel like a better bank account, especially rewards, a loose category that can include issuer-paid interest, platform incentives, or yield passed through from third parties.

The argument is about what stablecoins are allowed to become.

The immediate hook is political: Reuters reported the White House is set to meet with executives from major banks and crypto firms as lawmakers attempt to revive a market-structure bill that has bogged down amid open conflict between the two sectors.

The fight looks technicallicensing, reserves, redemption rights, disclosure. The emotional core is not technical at all.

In markets, stablecoins are behaving less like a crypto niche and more like payments infrastructure, as major financial and fintech firms put stablecoin settlement and stablecoin payments into production tooling.

In Washington, stablecoin policy has become a legislative traffic jam , with the White House reportedly convening senior banking and crypto executives to find a path forward on crypto market structure.

That tension is showing up in two places at once.

Now they are being treated as something else entirely: a live test of who gets to own dollars in motion, and whether banks can keep deposits from leaking out of the system.

A dollar token. A digital cashiers check. A way to move money without taking a view on the price of Bitcoin (BTC).

Stablecoins , digital assets designed to track the United States dollar, were supposed to be boring.

Payment incumbents are building stablecoin settlement into mainstream rails, including Visas U.S. stablecoin settlement push and Stripes stablecoin payment tooling.

Standard Chartered warned stablecoins could pull up to $500 billion from U.S. bank deposits by 2028, a hit that would land hardest on regional lenders.

The White House is bringing banks and crypto firms to the same table as lawmakers try to revive stalled digital-asset legislation, with rewards for stablecoin holders a central flash point.

Story Continues

Deposits are not just a customer relationship. They are a core funding base. Banks use them to finance lending and to manage liquidity.

If deposits migrate into stablecoins, banks either shrink their balance sheets or pay up to keep customers, both of which can tighten credit and raise funding costs.

Standard Chartered put a number on the scenario in a Reuters-cited note: stablecoins could pull around $500 billion from U.S. bank deposits by the end of 2028, with regional banks most exposed.

The point is not that the figure is destiny. It is that the industry now has a bank run narrative with a plausible magnitude attached to it.

Rewards matter because they change behavior. A zero-yield token is easier to frame as a payments tool. A token with incentives starts to look like a money-market substitute that happens to settle 24/7.

A Bank Run, but in One Click

Traditional bank runs are slow until they are not. Stablecoin runs are designed to be fast from the start.

If users decide they would rather hold tokenized dollars than bank deposits, they do not need a branch, a wire, or business hours.

They can convert and move value instantly, any time of day, often inside the same app they already use to trade or pay.

That is the stability anxiety: not simply that money can leave, but that it can leave all at once, in a single interface, with almost no friction.

This is also why reserve composition and redemption mechanics keep returning to the center of policy debates.

A stablecoins promise is simple$1 in, $1 outbut keeping that promise under stress depends on how liquid the reserves really are, and how quickly redemptions can be honored.

Research has also started to quantify spillovers.

A 2025 BIS working paper found stablecoin flows can move short-term U.S. Treasury yields, with outflows producing larger yield effects than inflowsan asymmetry that matters in a stress event.

Stablecoins Are Also Becoming a Payments Network

Stablecoins are scaling as settlement rails.

A Bitget Wallet onchain finance report said stablecoins processed roughly $33 trillion in on-chain settlement while total supply grew more than 50% to about $308 billion.

It frames the growth as a post-clarity wave, with regulatory frameworks rolling out across the U.S., EU, and Hong Kong, and it points to a shift in usage.

USDC is overtaking USDT in annual transaction volume, a sign the flow mix is trending toward institutional and B2B settlement rather than retail trading.

Even if you discount headline numbers, the direction is hard to miss: stablecoins are no longer crypto plumbing. They are increasingly payments plumbing.

That dual identity is why the policy fight is so sharp.

If stablecoins are a settlement network, policymakers worry about oversight, consumer protection, and illicit finance controls.

If stablecoins are also a deposit alternative, policymakers worry about bank funding, credit creation, and run dynamics.

Both can be true.

Payment Giants Are Quietly Building the Rails

The most consequential adoption stories are not always the loudest. They are the integrations that make stablecoins disappear behind familiar payment experiences.

Visa has been expanding stablecoin settlement, including a push to bring stablecoin settlement capabilities into the U.S. and a broader effort to position stablecoins inside institutional payments workflows.

Stripe, meanwhile, has been rolling out stablecoin payment capabilities, including support aimed at recurring or subscription-style payments, starting with USDC-based flows in initial implementations.

This is what scares banks in a slower, more structural way. A consumer does not need to adopt crypto for stablecoins to drain deposits.

They just need a wallet or a checkout flow that makes stablecoin settlement feel like a better version of what they already do.

When stablecoins become the invisible settlement layer, crypto adoption turns into payments modernization, and the center of gravity shifts.

Stablecoin Regulation Is Getting Clearer Elsewhere

The U.S. is not legislating in a vacuum.

Other jurisdictions have moved ahead with stablecoin regimes that set baselines for reserves, licensing, governance, and disclosure.

In the EU, the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) phased rollout made stablecoin-related rules applicable before the broader crypto service-provider framework, pushing issuers toward more formal compliance expectations.

In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) describes a licensing regime for fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers under the Stablecoins Ordinance, implemented from Aug. 1, 2025.

Global standard setters have also been explicit. The Financial Stability Boards high-level recommendations call for consistent regulation and oversight of global stablecoin arrangements, specifically because of the financial stability risk they can pose at scale.

That global momentum matters for U.S. politics.

Crypto firms can argue, credibly, that if the U.S. blocks product features too aggressively, activity will route around it.

Banks can argue, credibly, that if the U.S. allows deposit-like stablecoins without bank-grade oversight, it invites instability.

The Real Question: Who Earns the Spread on Digital Dollars?

Underneath the slogans is a very old fight in a very new outfit: who earns the economics of money?

Banks earn on the spread between what deposits cost them and what loans or assets return.

Stablecoin issuers earn on the return from reserves (often Treasuries) net of operational costs, and sometimes share economics with platforms that distribute the coins.

At scale, that is not a side business. It is a parallel model for capturing monetary plumbing profits.

That is why banks keep returning to the same line: stablecoins should not become deposit substitutes without deposit-like regulation.

That is also why crypto firms keep returning to their line: stablecoins are an upgrade to payments and should not be kneecapped to protect incumbents.

What To Watch Next

Three practical signals matter more than rhetoric:

How rewards gets defined. A narrow ban can be sidestepped via third-party incentives. A broad ban may push activity offshore or into less transparent structures.

Reserve and redemption standards. In stress, the mechanics matter more than the marketing.

Whether stablecoin settlement becomes normal business infrastructure. Visa and Stripe moving from pilots to repeatable tooling is not about hypeit is about habit formation in payments.

Stablecoins are not just crypto money. They are a redesign of how dollars move, and a contest over whether bank deposits remain the default place those dollars live.

And banks, very clearly, are acting like they know it.

The post Stablecoins Are Becoming a Bank Run Risk  and Banks Know It appeared first on ccn.com.
With an historical average annualized total return of 10%, the S&P 500 index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has proven itself to be a wonderful tool for people to build wealth. However, its gains in the past decade have been significantly higher than most observers probably would've predicted.

The stock market has now done something that has only happened one other time since 1871. Should investors be worried in 2026 and beyond?

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks 

Image source: Getty Images.

A high valuation might forecast negative returns

In the same way smart investors judge the valuation of individual stocks, it's a good idea to assess the overall market. The S&P 500 CAPE ratio, a closely watched metric that factors in the average of 10-year cyclically adjusted earnings, currently sits at 40.9. The last time it was in the same ballpark was during the dot-com bubble in 1999 and 2000. Clearly, the market's valuation is very high, which can worry investors.

Research reveals that the S&P 500's annualized returns over the next decade could be negative.

Be an optimist, but lower expectations

When the outlook is gloomy, it's understandable that investors are hesitant to put money to work. While returns might not resemble the impressive 16% annualized gains of the past 10 years, I believe it's still a good time to invest in the stock market in 2026. Investors who have a time horizon spanning decades are likely to see a favorable result.

Along the same vein, it's always a good idea to be an optimist. This positive mindset will encourage you to save and invest because your future depends on it.

Should you buy stock in S&P 500 Index right now?

Before you buy stock in S&P 500 Index, 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 S&P 500 Index 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 $450,256!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,171,666!*

Now, its worth noting Stock Advisors total average return is 942%  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.
One South Korean family saw their fortune swell past $800 million on paper  not from an IPO, not from real estate, not from crypto  but from a battery deal with Tesla. Less than two years later, the value of that contract was quietly revised down to just $7,386.

Yes, from $2.9 billion to $7,386. A 99.9997% collapse.

Behind the swing is L&F Co., a manufacturer of high-nickel cathode materials used in electric vehicle batteries. In February 2023, the company signed a supply agreement with Tesla and its affiliates, covering planned deliveries through 2025. At the time, the deal was seen as a game changer  expanding L&F's client base and opening the door to direct business with one of the world's most powerful automakers.

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Investors rushed in. Shares soared. And the company's chairman and CEO, Hur Jae-hong, landed on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index alongside his family, their stake briefly worth more than $800 million.

A Billion-Dollar Deal That Never Showed Up

At the end of December, the dream came crashing down. In a regulatory filing submitted in South Korea, L&F disclosed that the projected contract value had been revised to $7,386, citing only a "change in supply quantity." No further explanation was given in the filing.

According to analysts quoted by Reuters, the drastic revision likely stems from Tesla's ongoing struggles to scale up production of its 4680 battery cells  an advanced battery format the automaker promoted heavily but has faced setbacks in producing at volume. These cells are primarily used in Tesla's Cybertruck, which faced multiple delays and slower-than-expected uptake after launch.

A senior analyst at Samsung Securities told Reuters that weak demand and low manufacturing yields likely slashed Tesla's order volume, effectively nullifying the revenue L&F had once projected.

Trending: Wall Street's $12B Real Estate Manager Is Opening Its Doors to Individual Investors  Without the Crowdfunding Middlemen

70% Stock Decline  and a Shattered Fortune

L&F's stock had already been in retreat. The company's shares fell more than 70% from their 2023 peak on the Korean Exchange, as enthusiasm around the EV market cooled and concerns mounted over L&F's reliance on a small number of major buyers. Tesla was expected to help offset that imbalance. Instead, the revised filing confirmed that one of its biggest breakout opportunities had all but vanished.
Bitmine Immersion Technologies, a publicly traded digital asset treasury firm linked to investor Tom Lee, is facing more than $6 billion in unrealized losses on its Ether reserves after the latest downturn in crypto markets, highlighting the balance-sheet risks tied to large-scale token accumulation strategies.

Key Takeaways:

Bitmine is sitting on over $6B in unrealized ETH losses after the market downturn.

Thin liquidity and leverage drove Ether down toward $2,300.

Analysts expect a slow reset before confidence returns to crypto markets.

The losses widened after Bitmine acquired an additional 40,302 Ether last week, lifting its total holdings to over 4.24 million ETH.

Data from Dropstab shows the firms Ether position is now valued at roughly $9.6 billion at current prices, down sharply from an estimated peak of $13.9 billion in October.

Thin Liquidity and Leverage Pressure Push Ether Toward $2,300

The drawdown comes amid a broader market sell-off that has weighed heavily on major digital assets.

Ether prices slid toward the $2,300 level over the weekend, a move that market observers linked to thinning liquidity and elevated leverage.

Analysts at The Kobeissi Letter said fragile market depth left prices vulnerable to sudden gaps lower, with crowded positioning accelerating the decline once selling pressure emerged.

The result has been a swift erosion of paper gains for firms holding large, concentrated crypto reserves.

The setback marks a sharp contrast from the optimism that surrounded crypto markets earlier in the cycle.

Lee, who has been a long-time advocate of digital assets, has recently cautioned that near-term conditions have deteriorated.

He warned that 2026 could begin on a difficult footing as markets continue to digest the effects of deleveraging that followed Octobers $19 billion liquidation event, which reset risk appetite across the sector.

Despite the losses, Lee has maintained that longer-term fundamentals for crypto remain intact, arguing that the current phase represents a painful adjustment rather than a structural breakdown.

That view was echoed in a recent market outlook from Wintermute, which said a durable recovery will require renewed momentum in Bitcoin and Ether, broader participation from exchange-traded funds and expanded corporate treasury adoption.

Wintermute also pointed to the absence of retail inflows as a key constraint. With many investors drawn to faster-growing themes such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, crypto markets may struggle to regain their previous wealth effect until confidence and liquidity return.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) is included among the 7 Best Low-Risk Dividend Stocks to Invest in.

Truist Trims Price Target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG)

Photo by Vitaly Taranov on Unsplash

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) is a global insurance brokerage and consulting firm, operating across brokerage services, risk management, and corporate solutions.

On January 30, Truist trimmed its price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG) to $271 from $280. The firm also kept a Hold rating after reviewing the companys Q4 results. The analyst said the move reflects valuation pressure across the P&C brokerage space. Even so, Truist views the stock as fairly valued at its current multiple, which already sits near the top of the range for large peers.

The day before, on January 29, the company reported a 24.5% increase in adjusted fourth-quarter profit. Stronger commissions and fees drove the upside as demand held firm. Insurance spending has stayed resilient, with businesses and individuals continuing to prioritize coverage against financial risks, natural disasters, and other potential losses, even while cutting back elsewhere.

Commissions climbed to $2.06 billion in the quarter, up from $1.50 billion a year earlier. Total fees rose nearly 34.8% to $1.2 billion. Insurance brokers work between clients and insurers, helping customers find coverage that fits their needs rather than selling policies directly. Their revenue is largely tied to commissions on premiums, which links performance closely to overall insurance activity.

Adjusted net profit came in at $620 million, or $2.38 per share, for the three months ended December 31. That compares with $498 million, or $2.16 per share, in the same period last year.

While we acknowledge the potential of AJG 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 High Yield Utility Stocks to Buy in 2026 and 10 Best American Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy.

Disclosure: None.
President Donald Trump is set to launch a strategic critical-minerals stockpile with $12 billion in seed money, a bid to insulate manufacturers from supply shocks as the US works to slash its reliance on Chinese rare earths and other metals.

The venture  dubbed Project Vault  is set to marry $1.67 billion in private capital with a $10 billion loan from the US Export-Import Bank to procure and store the minerals for automakers, tech firms and other manufacturers.

Most Read from Bloomberg

US rare-earths stocks jumped in premarket trading upon news of the administrations plan, including USA Rare Earth Inc., Critical Metals Corp., United States Antimony Corp. and NioCorp Developments Ltd.

Details of the initiative, which would represent a first-of-its-kind stockpile for the US private sector, were described by senior administration officials, who asked not to be identified discussing a plan that has yet to be announced.

The effort is akin to the nations existing emergency oil stockpile. But instead of crude, its focus would be minerals  such as gallium and cobalt  used in products such as iPhones, batteries and jet engines. The stockpile is expected to include both rare earths and critical minerals as well as other strategically important elements that are subject to volatile prices.

Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg

It represents a major commitment to accumulate minerals deemed critical to the industrial economy  including the automotive, aerospace and energy sectors  and highlights Trumps effort to wean US supply chains from China, the worlds dominant provider and processor of critical minerals.

The project has participation from more than a dozen companies so far, including General Motors Co., Stellantis NV, Boeing Co., Corning Inc., GE Vernova Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google. Three commodities trading houses  Hartree Partners LP, Traxys North America LLC and Mercuria Energy Group Ltd.  have signed on to handle purchases of the raw materials to fill the stockpile.

WATCH: President Donald Trump is set to launch a strategic critical-minerals stockpile in a bid to insulate US manufacturers from supply shocks. Joe Deaux reports.Source: Bloomberg

Ex-Ims board is set to vote later Monday to authorize the record-setting 15-year loan, which is more than double the next-largest deal ever executed by the bank.

Trump is set to meet Monday with GMs chief executive officer Mary Barra and mining billionaire Robert Friedland, who represent both producers and users of critical minerals.
A wave of coordinated gun and bomb attacks across Pakistans south-western Balochistan province has left 31 civilians and 17 security personnel dead, according to Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti.

As reported by Azernews, security forces launched counter-operations in response, killing at least 145 attackers, Bugti reported. Earlier, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the assaults, alleging that dozens of Pakistani soldiers had been targeted.

The violence marks one of the bloodiest days in years for Balochistan, a region long plagued by a separatist insurgency and chronic instability.

Pakistan has accused India of backing the BLA, an allegation New Delhi has repeatedly dismissed.
Lots of us want to invest in artificial intelligence (AI), and a common way to do so is via companies that are themselves investing in AI. You might focus on the "hyperscalers" -- big companies such as Meta Platforms that are plowing many billions into data centers and other AI technology. Or you might invest in companies such as Applied Digital, which is contracting to build data centers. But some are worried that Meta is spending too much too soon, and Applied Digital's valuation is quite steep.

So look instead at NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) -- because there are multiple ways to invest in the AI boom, and many energy companies are heavily involved in AI these days. NextEra is one of the biggest electric companies in North America, and it's generating its power from a variety of sources: natural gas, nuclear, solar, wind, and more.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks 

Image source: Getty Images.

The stock's returns have been a bit bumpy over the years, but many expect a strong performance in the years to come. Check out its trailing returns:

Period (Ending Jan. 27, 2026) Average Annual Return One year 27.35% Three years 7.45% Five years 3.3% 10 years 14.25% 15 years 14.72%

Data source: Morningstar.

What does all this have to do with AI? Well, NextEra has inked deals with various companies -- including Alphabet and Meta Platforms -- to help power data centers, store power, and accelerate nuclear energy development in the U.S.

And AI is poised to grow powerfully: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has estimated that spending on AI infrastructure will be between $3 trillion and $4 trillion by the end of the decade -- up from around $600 billion in 2025. All that infrastructure will need a lot of energy.

NextEra's stock isn't exactly cheap, but it's reasonably to attractively priced for those who plan to hang on for a long time. Its recent forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 21 is a bit below its five-year average of 23, and its price-to-sales ratio, recently around 6.6, is roughly on par with its five-year ratio.

NextEra recently sported a market cap of $182 billion -- making it the top dog in the utilities sector. It's a dividend-paying stock, too, recently with a dividend yield of 2.6%. The payout has been growing at a respectable clip, too -- recently offering an annual total of $2.27 per share, up from $1.87 in 2023 and $1.25 in 2019.

So give this compelling company some consideration for your long-term portfolio. Remember that there are other promising energy stocks out there, too.
By Marianna Parraga

Feb 2 (Reuters) - Venezuelan oil exports rose to some 800,000 barrels per day (bpd) in January, from 498,000 bpd in December, after the U.S. capture of Nicolas Maduro and the ending of an oil blockade which has let traders carry most exports, shipping data showed.

Washington imposed an oil embargo on the U.S.-sanctioned country in December to pressure Maduro and seized seven tankers.

The blockade led to the accumulation of more than 40 million barrels of crude and fuel in onshore tanks and vessels that could not be exported and forced Venezuela's state-run energy company PDVSA to cut output in early January.

Since the U.S. Treasury Department extended the first licenses to traders Trafigura and Vitol in January to begin exporting the stocks, oil production, processing and shipments from the OPEC member have accelerated, the data, which is based on tanker movements, shows.

The January volume was close to average exports of 847,000 bpd of crude and fuel last year. However, PDVSA's partners and traders would have to continue accelerating the pace of exports to drain millions of barrels still in inventories, so crude output cuts can be fully reversed.

The January exports were slightly lower than the 867,000 bpd shipped in the same month of 2025, the data showed.

The Treasury Department last week issued a broad license authorizing business between U.S. companies and PDVSA to export, store, transport and refine Venezuelan oil, another step to untangle exports. PDVSA's partners, including Chevron, are still waiting for individual licenses to expand operations.

The United States last month regained its position as the main individual destination of Venezuela's crude with some 284,000 bpd exported there, of which 220,000 bpd were shipped by Chevron, up from the 99,000 bpd it sent the previous month.

China, which until December was the top destination of Venezuelan oil, with than 70% of total exports, received 156,000 bpd last month. There were no exports to political ally Cuba.

Vitol and Trafigura exported 12 million barrels of Venezuelan crude and fuel oil under U.S. licenses, or about 392,000 bpd in January, mostly to storage terminals in the Caribbean, the data showed, from which they began exporting and marketing cargoes to customers in the U.S., Europe and India.

Between 18 million and 38 million barrels more are yet to be exported under the $2 billion flagship supply deal agreed by Caracas and Washington shortly after Maduro's capture, with sale proceeds going to a U.S.-supervised fund.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is one of the 10 Hottest Stocks to Buy in 2026.

On January 23, Reuters reported that the Taiwanese President expects increased semiconductor investment in Arizona. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is investing the most in the region, almost around $165 billion to build factories.

Here Is Why TSMC Could Be Investing More In the US?

President Lai Ching-te said that Taiwan looks forward to more semiconductor investment in Arizona to strengthen ties with the US. In a meeting with the Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, the President said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Companys investment in Arizona is a major product of the partnership between the industries of the two countries. Lai further said:

We look forward to even more semiconductor manufacturing, research, and development facilities springing up in the greater Phoenix area. This will continue to strengthen Taiwan-U.S. relations.

TSMC remains at the center of this major trade partnership between Taiwan and the US. This development means that the semiconductor supplier will continue to invest more in the region and enhance its presence in the US. As announced earlier, Taiwanese tech companies plan to invest approximately $250 billion in the US.

Over the period of one-year as of January 30, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) shares have returned over 63%. Analysts remain bullish on TSM following the US-Taiwan trade deal, with 98% out of 49 analysts rating the stock as a Buy. TSM has a median price target of $410, implying an upside of over 23%.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is the largest supplier of semiconductor chips to some of the worlds largest AI companies. The company manufactures, packages, and sells integrated circuits and other semiconductor devices globally.

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 NOW

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Sanofis rare disease drug venglustat has met the primary endpoint in a Phase III trial in Gaucher disease but missed the same achievement in a Phase III trial in Fabry disease.

In the LEAP2MONO trial (NCT05222906), venglustat met the primary and three out of four key secondary endpoints in adults and paediatric patients aged 12 years and older, with neurological manifestations of type 3 Gaucher disease (GD3), a rare lysosomal storage disorder.

Patients receiving venglustat, a once-daily pill, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in neurological symptoms measured by a global test score for two assessments, the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) modified total score and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) after 52 weeks, compared with those receiving enzyme replacement therapy (ERT).

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The glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor also performed as well as ERT on non-neurological outcomes, including changes in spleen volume, liver volume, and haemoglobin levels, three key secondary endpoints of the study.

The results will be shared this week at the 22nd annual WORLDSymposium in San Diego as late-breaking research.

Houman Ashrafian, executive VP and head of R&D at Sanofi, said: "What excites us most is the potential to address critical unmet medical needs. A daily pill could make a serious difference for Gaucher patients facing neurological challenges.

Based on the LEAP2MONO trial, Sanofi will pursue global regulatory filings for venglustat in GD3.

Fabry disease failure

The news was not positive, however, in Fabry disease. Venglustat was being investigated in this X-linked lysosomal storage disorder in the Phase III PERIDOT trial (NCT05206773). The primary endpoint, reduction in neuropathic and abdominal pain, was observed in both study arms, missing the primary endpoint.

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Sanofi now hangs its hopes on the Phase III CARAT trial (NCT05280548), evaluating the effect of venglustat on left cardiac ventricular mass index in men and women with Fabry disease. The study is ongoing.

The drug was well tolerated in both the PERIDOT and LEAP2MONO trials with no new safety signals identified. In LEAP2MONO, the most commonly reported adverse events (AEs) were headache, nausea, spleen enlargement and diarrhoea.

The Fabry disease failure is not the first time that Sanofi has seen failures with venglustat. The drug failed to show benefit in a Phase II Parkinsons disease trial and there was very little difference between the drug and placebo in a pivotal trial in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Sanofi hopes to add to already approved drugs

Sanofi already has drugs on the market for both Fabry disease and Gaucher disease. This includes Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta), an ERT for Fabry disease, which gained approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003.

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Rival ERTs approved by the FDA include Takedas Replagal (agalsidase alfa), and Chiesi and Protalix BioTherapeutics Elfabrio (pegunigalsidase alfa-iwxj), which are administered via intravenous infusion.

The only approved oral chaperone therapy for specific amenable genetic mutations is Amicus Therapeutics Galafold (migalastat). The drug will soon fall into BioMarin Pharmaceuticals ownership as the company announced an agreement to acquire Amicus Therapeutics in December 2025.

In Gaucher disease, Sanofi has Cerezyme (imiglucerase) and Cerdelga (eliglustat), an ERT and oral therapy, respectively, on markets around the world. In January 2026, the FDA approved an expanded label for Cerezyme to include non-central nervous system (CNS) manifestations of GD3.

Other drugs approved in Gaucher disease include Takedas VPRIV (velaglucerase alfa), Protalix BioTherapeutics and Pfizers Elelyso (taliglucerase alfa) and Oxford GlycoSciences (OGS) and Actelion Pharmaceuticalss Zavesca (miglustat).

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The Gaucher disease market is expected to reach $1.3bn across the seven major markets (7MM: US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and Israel) by 2032, according to a GlobalData report.

GlobalData is the parent company of the Clinical Trials Arena.

"Sanofi records win and loss with rare disease drug in Phase III trials" was originally created and published by Clinical Trials Arena, a GlobalData owned brand.




From QR code deception to callback phishing and more: An overview of emerging email threats and attack trends

Over the last month, Barracuda threat analysts have investigated the following email threats targeting organisations and their employees:

Tycoon phishing kit using QR codes built out of HTML tables

Callback phishing through Microsoft Teams

Facebook-themed infringement warnings using fake pop-ups

How using () instead of (/) can sneak malicious links past detection

Tycoon phishing kit using QR codes built out of HTML tables

Overview: The Tycoon phishing kit is using a technique that involves building fully scannable QR codes out of HTML table cells. This enables malicious QR codes to evade detection by traditional email tools.

The attack starts with a phishing email containing very little text, often just a short instruction to scan the code using a mobile device.

Instead of inserting a normal picture of a QR code  something security systems can easily spot  the QR code is built out of tiny table cells using HTML (HyperText Markup Language, the basic language used to create web content). Each cell is coloured either black or white, and together they form the pattern of a real QR code. When the email is opened in a mail app (like Outlook or Gmail), these cells line up visually, and the result looks just like a regular scannable QR code image.

Because theres no actual image file, no encoded graphic and no visible link, many automated security tools dont recognise it as risky. It just looks like simple table. This allows the malicious QR code to slip past filters that would normally block it.

If the user scans the QR code, it directs them to a Tycoon phishing page created using the Tycoon PhaaS (Phishing as a Service) platform.

How to stay safe:

Avoid scanning QR codes in emails that are unexpected or from unfamiliar sources.

Check the legitimacy of the sender and be wary of emails with little or no text.

Never scan a QR code without verifying its destination. Most mobile phones will show a preview of the URL if you point the camera at a QR code before clicking.

Educate employees about the risks of email-based QR code phishing.

Use multifactor authentication (MFA) for added security.

Callback phishing scams exploiting Microsoft Teams

Overview: This phishing campaign, first reported in December 2025, exploits the widely used Microsoft Teams platform to trick recipients into calling fraudulent support numbers where their credentials, payment details and more can be stolen.

The attackers take advantage of recipients trust in Microsoft Teams by adding targets to Teams Groups with urgent-sounding names and then presenting fake content that includes payment invoices, auto-renewal notices or other unauthorised charges. Targets are told that, to avoid paying, all they need to do is phone one of the numbers provided. All the numbers are controlled by the attackers.

The use of a trusted platform and emotive and urgent language boost the attackers chance of success. And because the attacks rely on deception and social engineering, they can bypass security defences and email filters.

How to stay safe:

Review security settings and policies around Teams notifications and ensure no one can be automatically added to new or unknown external groups.

Make employees aware of these attack tactics and provide them with a channel to report and verify urgent payment requests.

Use MFA to add an extra layer of security.

Implement a security solution that extends protection to collaboration tools.

Facebook-themed phishing scams use fake browser windows

Overview: This campaign was first seen in late September 2025. The messages warn recipients that they are infringing copyright on Facebook. The scam looks convincing because it impersonates Facebooks legitimate legal warning emails. The messages include a link to supposed Details of Infringement, which is a phishing form.

To access the details of their transgression, recipients are asked to log in to their Facebook account. The form appears inside what looks like a normal browser window but is in fact a spoofed static webpage. The attackers capture the Facebook login details entered by the user.

How to stay safe:

Be cautious of emails prompting you to click on links relating to sensitive legal issues.

Verify the legitimacy of the sender and the content of the email before taking any further action.

Use MFA to add an extra layer of security.

Educate employees about phishing tactics and how to recognise them.

How using () instead of (/) can sneak malicious links past detection

Overview: Threat analysts have discovered attackers using the division slash () instead of a standard forward slash (/) in malicious links to help them evade detection. (/) is a Unicode character that is primarily used in mathematical notation.

The barely noticeable difference between the divisional and forward slashes causes traditional automated security systems and filters to fail, allowing the links to bypass detection. As a result, victims are redirected to default or random pages. Below are some of the example links:

How to stay safe:
GUEST OPINION: Snapchat has published a new blog reflecting on Australias Social Media Minimum Age law, two months into its implementation. Reprinted below, the post outlines how Snap is complying with the legislation, including locking or disabling more than 415,000 under-16 accounts in Australia, while also sharing early insights into some of the challenges with the laws current approach, such as the limitations of age estimation technology and the risk of young people being pushed towards less regulated services. It also sets out why Snap is advocating for app store-level age verification as a way to strengthen protections for young people across the entire digital ecosystem and reduce unintended consequences.

The following is written by an unnamed Snap executive, we've left the wording in their voice, so please read on!

Two months into the implementation of Australia's Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) law, Snapchat remains fully committed to complying with the legislation and supporting its underlying goal of improving online safety for young Australians. As we've worked to implement these measures, we've gained important insights about the potential limitations of this law as it currently stands. We wanted to share where we are in our compliance efforts and what we believe needs to happen next to strengthen protection for young people online.

Our Compliance Efforts

Snapchat has taken significant steps to meet the requirements of the SMMA. As of the end of January 2026, we have locked or disabled over 415,000 Snapchat accounts in Australia belonging to users who either declared an age under 16 or who we believe to be under 16 based on our age detection technology. We continue to lock more accounts daily.

But we are finding that the laws current implementation approach still leaves significant gaps that could undermine its goals.

First, there are real technical limitations to accurate and dependable age verification. The Australian government's own trial, published in 2025, found that available age estimation technology was only accurate to within 2-3 years on average. In practice, this means some young people under 16 may be able to bypass protections, potentially leaving them with reduced safeguards, while others over 16 may incorrectly lose access.

Second, the current approach lacks industry wide protections, leaving vulnerabilities with hundreds of other apps that are either not in-scope of this law or where it is unclear. Young people wont stop communicating when they lose access to regulated services. Over 75% of time spent on Snapchat in Australia is messaging with close friends and family.

We're concerned that when young people are cut off from these communication tools, some may turn to alternative messaging services that are not being regulated  services that may be less well-known and offer fewer safety protections than Snapchat provides. While we don't yet have data to quantify this shift, it's a risk that deserves serious consideration as policymakers evaluate whether the law is achieving its intended outcomes.

Infographic created by Gemini Nano Banana Pro 3 based on this article

A Solution: App Store-Level Age Verification

This is why we have been advocating for app store-level age verification as an additional safeguard to bolster the SMMA's implementation in a way that is less likely to have negative unintended consequences.

App store-level age verification would help address multiple risks and gaps. First, it would give in-scope apps more consistent age signals for each device, helping ensure that users under 16 are kept off the app while reducing the risk that users over 16 are incorrectly locked out. Second, it would strengthen safety across the entire digital ecosystem  not just for select regulated apps, but for all services. By creating a more universal foundation for age assurance, app store-level verification would help ensure that young people encounter appropriate protections no matter where they go online.

This approach could be a valuable worldwide standard. Rather than blanket age-based social media bans, app store-level age assurance could help the entire ecosystem protect young users more consistently and deliver developmentally appropriate experiences while allowing them to enjoy the benefits of social media.

Our Position on the SMMA

We want to be clear: we still don't believe an outright ban for those under 16 is the right approach. We understand the Australian government's objectives and share the goal of protecting young people online. But in the case of Snapchat  which is primarily a messaging app used by young people to stay connected with close friends and family  we do not believe that cutting teens off from these relationships makes them safer, happier, or otherwise better off. We fundamentally disagree that Snapchat is an in-scope age-restricted social media platform.

Despite our disagreement with the policy itself, we believe it's important to engage constructively and suggest ways to improve its implementation and reduce negative unintended effects. If Australia is going to pursue this approach, it should be done in a way that offers greater protection to young people with fewer downsides. Creating a centralized verification system at the app-store level would allow for more consistent protection and higher barriers to circumventing the law.

Our Ongoing Commitment to Safety

In the meantime, we continue building safety protections that will keep young Snapchatters safe in Australia and around the world. Snapchat includes safeguards like requiring bi-directional friend or contact book connections for one-to-one communication and maintaining 24/7 Trust & Safety teams, including a full-time team based in Sydney.

We also provide comprehensive parental tools through Family Center, which we recently expanded with new features that give parents deeper visibility into their teens' Snapchat use. Parents can now see how much time their teen spends on the platform each day and how that time breaks down across different features  whether chatting with friends, creating with the camera, or exploring content. When teens add new friends, parents can see how their teen might know them, including whether they have mutual friends or are in their contact book. These insights help parents have more informed conversations with their teens about their online lives and ensure they're connecting with people they know in real life.

Moving Forward

Snapchat will continue working with the Australian government to comply with the SMMA. But we also believe protecting young people online requires careful thought about the gaps that exist with current implementation and work to close them.

We're advocating for app store-level age verification not because we support the U16 ban, but because if this policy is going to exist, it should be implemented in a consistent way that is most likely to have more upside and fewer downside risks  in a way that keeps teens under the age of 16 off regulated apps while ensuring they're not simply pushed toward less safe alternatives. Young Australians deserve a comprehensive approach to online safety.

Infographic created by Gemini Nano Banana Pro 3 based on this article.
John Mauricio, left, assigned to the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, offers advice to Zama High School 10th graders Mariku Ataulmuqeet, center, and Shizuku Katsuma, right, after serving as one of the volunteer judges at an English-language speech contest held Jan. 27 at Zama High School near Camp Zama, Japan. Ataulmuqeet and Katsuma placed first and second in the contest, respectively. (Photo by Noriko Kudo/U.S. Army Garrison - Japan)



ZAMA, Japan  The advice Mr. Mauricio gave me  not to be afraid of making mistakes when studying English  has truly been deeply engraved in my heart.

Shizuku Katsuma, a 10th grader at Zama High School, had that to say about John Mauricio, a U.S. Army employee at Camp Zama, Japan, who imparted the advice to her while he was at the school Jan. 27 serving as a volunteer judge for an English-language speech contest.

Mauricio, the airfield operations and safety manager assigned to the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, said engaging with ones neighboring community is important, particularly for U.S. government personnel working overseas. This year was his second time helping with the schools speech contest.

When Camp Zama Soldiers, civilians and family members interact with and get to know the citizens from the surrounding cities of Zama and Sagamihara, it helps to share the spirit of host-nation partnership that U.S. military installations overseas are meant to embody, Mauricio said.

I really love promoting how great of a community that we have here at Camp Zama, he said.

Mauricio also shared a sentiment that surely resonates with many Americans living and working overseas.

He has Japanese friends and co-workers who have helped him learn the host language and navigate daily life in Japan, and he views the volunteering he does as a vital way to return the favor. And while he appreciates students like Katsuma expressing their gratitude for him, Mauricio said he ultimately gains more from them through his interactions.

I was so moved and inspired by all the students today, he said. They give me so much energy, and it makes me want to be better at my studies [and] be better at my job and everything I do.

Katsuma, who ultimately won second place in the contest, further expressed her gratitude to Mauricio and the other judges because she said she otherwise doesnt have many chances to talk and interact with native English speakers.

Because Camp Zama is so near her school, Katsuma said she often hears Americans speaking English. This motivated her to study the language and eventually enter the speech contest as a way to connect and communicate with them, she said.

I hope todays exchange will be the start of me being able to speak with English-speaking people who live in the area.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX, announced on Sunday that the company has successfully disrupted Russias unauthorized attempts to access the Starlink satellite internet network.

Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked. Let us know if more needs to be done, Musk wrote on his X account, Azernews reports.

The statement follows remarks from Ukraines Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who confirmed that Kyiv has been coordinating with SpaceX to prevent Moscow from using Starlink to guide drones on the battlefield.

Starlink has played a critical role in Ukraines communications infrastructure since the start of the war, making efforts to restrict its misuse a priority for Kyiv and SpaceX.
Gratitude is highly appropriate at 83. I've been to see an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery and he plans to replace the shoulder next week and promises that with therapy it'll work better than the old one. But mainly I am grateful for the love of this woman. I am keenly aware of it every day as she hovers over me. I was aware of it last Wednesday evening as she guided me up the steps of Carnegie Hall to a concert of symphonies by Mozart and Shostakovich by the Cleveland Orchestra.

Jenny's parents, Ray and Orrell, were serious pianists and brought up their four children to love classical music and play violin. And with cruel tyranny and vulgarity in power in Washington, D.C., and Minnesota, it feels like a moral duty to attend to great art. Though I must admit that I'm no fan of Shostakovich and parts of this Symphony, his 11th, feel like a composition for 50 power saws and 14 pneumatic hammers. But I yield to my love's better judgment.

A man walks up the steps with his left arm in a sling and a cane in his right hand and he feels the empathy of strangers, believe me. New York is a city of pedestrians and we pedestrians look out for each other. If I looked confused, someone would step up and offer to help. But we walk into the grand lobby and up to the hall and down the aisle, the musicians warming up on stage. Our seats are halfway down, on the right.

I remember a concert I did here in 1989 with Chet Atkins and Butch Thompson and the Hopeful Gospel Quartet. It was a dark time. Two years before, I had announced that I was ending my radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, and moving to Copenhagen to be a serious novelist, which Chet knew was a bad move  the show was at the peak of popularity  and he tried to tell me I could change my mind but I was too proud to back up.

My son Jason played guitar on the show  he was 20, taking lessons from Chet  and he played a beautiful underscore under a poem I read by my teacher James Wright, about "the eyes of those two Indian ponies darken with kindness." I sang bass in the Quartet, "The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow," and did the News from Lake Wobegon and I remember thinking, I do not want to give this up. But I did, I walked off the cliff until two years later, I climbed back up.

Mozart's Symphony No. 41 in C Major, the "Jupiter," was his last, a symphony he never heard, composed in the summer of 1788, three years before his death, along with two other symphonies, a piano sonata, other chamber works, by a 32-year-old genius deeply in debt, having lost the favor of his noble patrons, caring for his ailing wife, Constanze  it's heartbreaking to hear the tenderness of the dances in the third movement, the inventiveness of the finale.

The audience adored the Shostakovich. They gave it a standing ovation and brought the maestro back for five bows and he gave bows to the brass, the English horn, the violas, the tympani, the cymbals, the strings, the winds, the harps. Shostakovich wrote it in honor of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 but during intermission Jenny had shown me videos she'd taken of New Yorkers sliding Cedar Hill in Central Park, sliding on plastic saucers, pieces of cardboard, baking trays, roasting pans, skis, going off a jump and flying in the air and landing in a cloud of snow. Tyranny is brutal and blind to the goodness and delight of life that Mozart found even in his summer of distress.

We have a democracy here, my friend.

Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality. His latest book is "Cheerfulness". Buy it at a 38% discount! by clicking here. Sales help fund JWR.
Insight Amazon still doesn't understand brick-and-mortar retail By Beth Kowitt Bloomberg Opinion Published Feb. 2, 2026

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The day Amazon.com Inc. announced in June 2017 that it was acquiring Whole Foods for almost $14 billion, employees of the natural grocer packed into the company's Austin headquarters to meet their new bosses.

John Mackey, the Whole Foods Chief Executive Officer at the time, introduced Jeff Wilke, Amazon's CEO of Worldwide Consumer, who tried his best to connect with his foodie audience. "As I was sitting this morning, eating breakfast, watching the sun rise over this beautiful city-by the way, quinoa, blueberry, and some other vegetables"

Mackey jumped in to correct the record: "Those aren't vegetables. That's okay. We're learning."

I was covering the deal, and this moment read to me as the perfect analogy for why the online behemoth needed Whole Foods: Amazon was good at many things, but it didn't know a thing about the food business.

Now as the company plans to shut down its 57 Amazon Fresh and 15 Amazon Go stores(1) , there's a big question as to whether more than eight years later it has really learned much of anything from Whole Foods - not just about food but about how to run an actual physical store that sells everything from avocados to Za'atar.

"They're admitting that they don't get (brick-and-mortar) retail," says Errol Schweizer, one-time head of grocery at Whole Foods who left the company in 2016. "I don't think they understand the human aspect of it." Last year, he described Amazon Fresh stores on his Substack "The Checkout" as soulless, neutered and radically unimpressive - what he imagined a store would be like if it was designed and managed by artificial intelligence.

In its announcement, Amazon acknowledged that it hadn't "yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion" with its branded physical grocery stores. It says some of these spaces will be converted into Whole Foods.

The problem seems to be that Amazon spent more time injecting its cost-cutting ethos into Whole Foods than it did absorbing Whole Foods' expertise as a leading food retailer. The Wall Street Journal reported last year, Amazon has been testing how to sell products like Coca-Cola in Whole Foods while trying to maintain Whole Foods' image as a purveyor of healthy goods. It has cut staffing and centralized what were once Whole Foods' famously regionalized operations - the kinds of changes that one employee told the Journal has made people "very aware of the Amazonification of Whole Foods."

The shifts have not yet translated into the kind of industry-shaking results Wall Street expected from the deal either. Amazon says Whole Foods' sales have grown by more than 40% since the acquisition, which translates roughly into a not very impressive 4% a year on average.

The winding down of Fresh and Go should not be taken as an admission, however, that the company is abandoning its quest for grocery dominance, or that it thinks the category is unimportant. Food is still critical to Amazon's success, and not just because of the size of the market. As I wrote at the time for Fortune:

The very thing that makes grocery delivery hard-that food goes bad-is the reason it's so desirable to a company like Amazon. Because cheese grows mold and meat goes rancid and milk sours, consumers can't hoard it in their cupboards or refrigerators indefinitely as they might toilet paper or laundry detergent. As a result, the average family hits the supermarket at minimum once a week; there's nothing else you purchase or consume so much or so often. For Amazon, getting in on that frequency is critical to further ingraining itself in our routines and behaviors.

This does seem to be happening for Amazon in the delivery space. The company rolled out an option for customers to add perishables to same-day delivery orders last year in some markets - a service it says has grown 40-fold in a one-year period. It's also testing fresh food delivery in 30 minutes or less. This is the kind of thing that Amazon does best.

Meanwhile, the company has announced plans to open a supercenter, which raises the question of whether Amazon has really learned its brick-and-mortar lesson. A big-box store is a much more complicated endeavor than what it tried to accomplish with Go and Fresh. The company said it also plans to open more than a 100 new Whole Foods stores over the next few years. The best thing Amazon can do to ensure their success is let Whole Foods be Whole Foods. It might actually learn something this time.

- - -

(1) Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go are the company's Amazon-branded grocery and convenience store concepts, respectively. Both formats were launched after the Whole Foods acquisition, target more mainstream shoppers compared to Whole Foods and make heavy use of technology.

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Beth Kowitt is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering corporate America. She was previously a senior writer and editor at Fortune Magazine. Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering consumer goods and the retail industry. Previously, she was a reporter for the Financial Times.
In 1798, Jefferson authored a first draft of the Kentucky Resolutions outlining a purported right of states to nullify overreach by the federal government.

The Kentucky Resolutions  and a related effort in Virginia  were a response to the Alien and Sedition Acts passed by the Federalists and considered repressive and unconstitutional by Jefferson and his partisan compatriots.

Jefferson urged the states to declare "these acts void, and of no force." They should see that "neither these acts, nor any others of the General Government not plainly and intentionally authorized by the Constitution, shall be exercised within their respective territories."

The former secretary of state and future president posited that "every state has a natural right  to nullify of their own authority all assumptions of power by others within their limits."

Jefferson's draft was toned down before the Kentucky Resolutions were adopted, while Virginia passed its own version drafted by James Madison. When the federal government undertook a "deliberate, palpable, and dangerous exercise" of unconstitutional powers, it averred, the states are "in duty bound, to interpose, for arresting the progress of the evil." It was never quite spelled out what this interposition actually entailed.

No one will ever accuse Gov. Walz or Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of being supple political thinkers on the order of Jefferson or Madison, but they are getting at a version of the same thing in their contention that they should have de facto veto power over the nature and extent of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

The state's lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to stop the enforcement surge relies, in an echo of the 18th-century resolutions, on the 10th Amendment, which reserves powers not granted to the federal government to the states. A lawyer for Minnesota has called the Department of Homeland Security surge an "unlawful and unchecked invasion," as if the state is a separate country that can make its own immigration policy.

Then, there's the direct action against DHS agents in the streets. Encouraged by public officials, it is meant to make Minnesota such a hostile environment for DHS that it has no choice but to quit the field and accede to the state's immigration priorities and jettison its own. This is, in effect, a heckler's veto over federal immigration enforcement.

All of this flies in the face of the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, which says that federal law takes precedence over conflicting state laws.

Jefferson and Madison had an excuse back when the federal role had not been firmly established, although other states at the time strongly rejected the resolutions. In a long series of decisions, stretching from the iconic McCulloch v. Maryland in 1819 through cases occasioned by state resistance to school desegregation in the 1950s through today, the Supreme Court has vindicated the Supremacy Clause.

This is not to say, obviously, that states don't have their sovereign powers; it's just that immigration policy is not one of them. In the Obama years, the Supreme Court held that federal power in this area is so "broad" and "undoubted" that even state-level laws in Arizona meant to complement the federal enforcement regime didn't pass muster.

There is a some chance, though, that Minnesota is going to get away with it. The political reaction to the tragic deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti has the administration suddenly singing a different tune on the Minneapolis operation, and Trump allies calling on him to stand down. Maybe the president can get a deal worth having with the state, but the situation is a little like Florida deciding it doesn't like federal taxes and wringing concessions from the IRS based on massive grass-roots resistance to tax collection.

More than 200 years after the Kentucky Resolutions, a version of nullification still lives.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
I don't suppose many people - even many Americans - are terribly interested in Minnesota per se, but I am because it seems to me a near perfect and easily graspable symbol of the present state of the entire western world:

Importing people from a country with an average IQ in the mid 60's means you brought in a bunch of retards. They aren't banana or rice but they are like banana and rice. I lost two IQ points listening. pic.twitter.com/Ls8VGgCJ5j  Kyle Seraphin (@KyleSeraphin) January 23, 2026

Minnesota: you don't have to be bananas to work here but it helps. I have nothing against the lady in the video. She is Somali, and she was consciously imported to Minnesota by the political establishment in order to be Somali in the Land of 10,000 Bananas. In that sense, she is doing a better job of being Somali than Minnesotans are doing of being Minnesotan. Nor am I entirely on board with all the sneering at the basement-level IQ. As I wrote back in the summer:

The Japanese are among the smartest people on the planet - average IQ 106. The Somalis are among the dumbest - average IQ 67.7. Yet being super-clever isn't preventing the Japs from Darwin Award-level self-extinction, while the Somalis are smart enough to fleece Dutch taxpayers for the costs of their fifteen inbred moronic kids. Yes, I'm aware there are persons who dispute the reliability of national IQ measurements, and I'm not unsympathetic: it might be more useful to develop an IQ test that's also capable of measuring the survival instinct. At any rate, hands up if you'd like a Somali flying your 'plane? Or taking your appendix out? Or making a passable Hollandaise sauce for the eggs Benedict at your favourite upscale Minneapolis brunch spot? Tough. 'Cause on the fifteen-kid two-house model you're not going to have any choice in the matter.

So the low-IQ types from Moronstan are winning, and the smart guys are exiting the stage of history. The average inbred Somali appears to know enough - unlike, say, an NPR-listening lesbian - not to attempt to mow down the most heavily armed constabulary on the planet.

As a general proposition, cultural perception is something of a lagging indicator. I am not sure I was familiar with the solitary identifier "Lutheran" until Garrison Keillor, then of Minnesota Public Radio, turned it into big bucks, with bestselling books such as Life Among the Lutherans and CDs called The Young Lutheran's Guide to the Orchestra. He created a boffo radio hit about a fictional piece of Lutheran Minnesota called Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above average - as opposed to the New Minnesota presaged by the above video, where all the children will be below average.

The Lutheran church is the largest denomination in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, so, when Scandinavians emigrated to Minnesota, the applicable confessional adjective was an easy shorthand. In the 1940 US Census, Minnesota's most popular "mother tongues" (apologies to you trans types), after English, were German, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish. Eight decades later, they were Spanish, Hmong and Somali. That's to say, in the span of one human lifetime (to ignore for the moment America's declining life expectancy), Minnesota replaced Scandinavians with Somalis.

No prudent society would do such a thing. As we have had cause to note, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are among the Top Ten least corrupt nations on earth while Somalia is second only to South Sudan as the most corrupt. But that's not really a useful Hit Parade. As I said on our Q&A, the Scandinavian concept of corruption is entirely unknown to Somalis. If you're sufficiently intrigued by all these stories of Somali fraud to inquire of your smartphone chatbot what is the Somali word for "fraud", you will be informed that it is "khiyaamo". Not so, not really. The primary meaning of "khiyaamo" is betrayal or treason - in other words, the only "fraudulence" comes from being disloyal to one's clan or tribe. Bilking the federal and state bureaucracies out of billions for phony-baloney daycares is not "khiyaamo", but doing what comes naturally. Indeed, it would be gross disloyalty to do otherwise.

On the other hand, a Lutheran willing to take a bullet to advance the Somalification of Minnesota is the very definition of "khiyaamo" - betrayal of one's tribe. And, given that Sweden and Norway are well advanced on the same grim trajectory, that's why an otherwise peripheral American state is so perfectly emblematic of the wider west. For a while, the incomers and the outgoers will live side by side: the low-IQ inbred bananas'n'rice types are shrewd enough not to get in the way of their useful idiots when they're hurling themselves at ICE agents, never mind mutilating their children's genitals and rendering them infertile. But in the fullness of time demography will tell.

If Garrison Keillor wished to perform one last service to his state, he would write a final book in which the New Minnesotans move to Lake Wobegon and open a Quality Learing Center. He's got nothing to lose: He got #MeTooed up the wazoo a couple of years back and will never be on Minnesota Public Radio ever again. And, somewhere deep down, he must surely know his fellow Democrats are as wrong on the Somalification of the Midwest as they were on everything else.

Mark's international bestseller America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It. If you haven't read the book during its first seventeen years, well, you're missing a treat. It's still in print in hardback and paperback. (Buy it at a 77% discount by clicking here or order in KINDLE edition at a 47% discount by clicking here. Sales help fund JWR)

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Mark Steyn is an international bestselling author, a Top 41 recording artist, and a leading Canadian human rights activist. Among his books is "The Undocumented Mark Steyn: Don't Say You Weren't Warned". (Buy it at a 49% discount by clicking here or order in KINDLE edition at a 67% discount by clicking here. Sales help fund JWR)
An excerpt from On All Sides of the Bed: One physicians/CEOs journey.

In the early summer of 2013, our hospital collided with a Black Swan.

Before Europeans discovered Australia, they were familiar only with white swans. The discovery of black swans overturned a long-held assumption. In business and risk theory, a Black Swan refers to a rare, unpredictable event with massive consequences, a concept popularized by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. For us, that Black Swan arrived in the form of a patient.

He presented with neurological symptoms requiring brain surgery. Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, he had contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an abnormal protein known as a prion. Unlike viruses or bacteria, prions contain no DNA or RNA. They are purely protein-based (and extraordinarily difficult to destroy).

The sterilization challenge

Hospitals rely on autoclaves (machines that use high-pressure steam) to sterilize surgical instruments. This method is highly effective against bacteria and viruses, but it is not completely reliable against prions. If a patient with undiagnosed CJD undergoes brain or spinal surgery, there is a theoretical risk that prions could survive standard decontamination. Instruments reused in subsequent neurosurgical cases could, in rare circumstances, transmit the disease.

Days after the operation, CJD became a possible diagnosis. By then, eight additional patients had undergone neurosurgery using the same instrument set. Definitive diagnosis requires biopsy or autopsy, meaning confirmation could take weeks. With a working diagnosis but no certainty, we had to assume the worst.

I immediately halted all neurosurgical procedures and quarantined the instruments. Typically, such decisions involve multiple committees and consultations. But as a physician-internist serving as hospital CEO, I occupied both roles: administrator and clinician. I made it clear from the outset that patient safety and community trust would take precedence over financial, legal, or reputational concerns.

The decision to disclose

Based on the clinical progression and testing, we were approximately 98 percent certain the patient had CJD. Even without definitive confirmation, I decided we would inform the potentially exposed patients in person and disclose the situation to the community shortly thereafter.

This decision was controversial. Some argued that disclosure created unnecessary fear, especially given the extremely low risk of transmission. Others worried about lawsuits, reputational harm, financial losses, and job security (including my own). After all, only a handful of documented cases worldwide had ever linked CJD transmission to contaminated neurosurgical instruments.

But transparency mattered. Those patients deserved the information so they could make informed decisions about future surgeries, organ donation, and their own medical care. What if they underwent neurological procedures elsewhere, unknowingly placing others at risk? What if they moved away and were lost to follow-up? If I were the patient, I would want to know.

I believed that honest communication, ongoing education, and counseling could reduce anxiety rather than inflame it. If the diagnosis proved correct, patients could make informed end-of-life decisions or choose to participate in CJD-related research. Silence would serve no one.

Destruction and cost

Once the diagnosis was confirmed, we consulted experts and sought guidance from federal health agencies. The recommendations for decontamination were inconsistent and, frankly, unsatisfying. Ultimately, I ordered the destruction of the instrument set, at a cost exceeding $200,000.

I could not guarantee complete decontamination. The potential benefit of saving the instruments did not outweigh even a minuscule chance of exposing another patient. Our chief financial officer initially pushed back, but when I asked whether he would allow those instruments to be used in his own brain surgery, the discussion ended.

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The outcome of transparency

After informing staff, the hospital board, local and state officials, neighboring hospitals, and public health authorities, we held a press conference. We explained what had happened and how we were responding. The story spread quickly, appearing in national newspapers, on cable news, and across social media.

We anticipated sensationalism, but by communicating early and clearly, we controlled the narrative. Most coverage was accurate. When one outlet incorrectly labeled the case mad cow disease, our team promptly corrected the error.

As the media attention faded, the response surprised us. The community expressed trust rather than fear. Editorials praised the hospital for prioritizing transparency and patient welfare. Multiple regulatory agencies visited our small institution, organizations known more for citations than compliments. Yet we received no deficiencies and considerable praise.

I knew we had done something right when a large Boston marketing firm called, not to offer crisis management, but to congratulate us. The caller told me his firm could not have handled the situation better.

In health care leadership, crises reveal values more clearly than mission statements ever can. In that moment, we chose transparency over protection, ethics over expediency, and trust over fear. It was the right decision, then and now.

Joseph Pepe is a physician executive.
Israel announced on Sunday that it has partially reopened the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, allowing for "limited passage" under a newly launched pilot program.

As reported by Azernews, according to Israels Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the initial phase is being carried out in coordination with the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM), Egypt, and other relevant partners.

COGAT added that the crossing will fully reopen for residents in both directions once the necessary security and logistical preparations are completed.
(Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)



Winter may not seem the best time to visit islands in Korea, but if youre not able to escape to a warmer climate this season, there are plenty of options around the country for a weekend getaway.

There are advantages to hitting some of the attractions during the off-season  fewer crowds, plenty of things to do and better deals to be had.

You may want to bundle up, but many of the islands offer a slightly warmer climate and fresher air than the peninsula.

Here are 10 islands around Korea to check out this winter.

Heuksan-do, Jeollanam-do

Located in the Shinan Islands in the southwest of Korea about 97 km from Mokpo, Heuksan-do has a beautiful eight-kilometer long walking trail, spectacular views and several peaks including Munamsan, the highest at 400 meters.

Jaeun-do, Jeollanam-do

Known for its beautiful sunrises, Jaeun-do has beautiful nature to take walks along its five major routes which span 12 kilometers around the island.

Cheongsan-do, Wando County, South Jeolla Province

Just less than 20 km off the southern coast of the peninsula, Cheongsan-do is located within Dadohae National Park. Also designated as Asias first slow city in 2007, the island features beautiful scenery with terraced rice paddies known as gudeuljangnon. It was also voted one of the top places to visit by the Korean National Tourism Organization.

Geumo-do, Yeosu, South Jeolla Province

With 18.5 kilometers of cliff-lined coastal cliffs, Geumo-do in Yeosu is a great place to go hiking or relax at Ando beach. Checking out the coastal monuments spread around the countryside is one of the highlights of this charming island.

( Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)



Four Islands, Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do Province

The four islands  Geogeum, Naro, Yeonheung, and Shiho  are part of the excellent marine tourism products of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in 2018 for their 4 islands, 4 colors campaign. Take a scenic tour of the island which features history, art, healing eco-tourism and science.

Yukji-do, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province

With panoramic views, Yukji-do has become a popular overnight stay with pensions popping up around the island. Dont miss out on the chance to eat sweet potatoes here, as they are known to be the best in the country for their sweet flavor.

Chu-do, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province

Located about 21 kilometers from Tongyeong port, Chu-do has become a popular destination for photographers for its beautiful nature and beautiful sunsets.

( Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)



Soan-do, Wando County, South Jeolla Province

With an abundance of forested area, Soan-do is a popular hikers destination with two courses to choose from, including a 5-kilometer course which offers great views of the ocean. It is also home to Song Nae-ho, a patriot who fought for the independence of Korea as one of the leaders of the Anti-Japanese colonialism movement and a Memorial Hall was established on the island to honor the history of the islands rebellion.

Yeonhwa-do, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province

A great place for a day trip and a couple hour hike, Yeonhwa-do has great places for trekking and fishing about an hour-long ferry ride from the port. The highlight of the island is Yeongmeori, a rock sculpture that looks like the head of a dragon.

Chubong-do, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province

Developed as a theme island in 2007, Chubong-do has excellent facilities for taking a hike along one of the trails which offer stunning views and nature. It also is known historically for being a prisoner of war camp for 8,000 people during the Korean War.
Livestreaming hosts focus on grassroots fairs, local livelihoods

08:43, February 02, 2026 By Zhao Ruixue in Jinan,Zhu Youfang in Changsha and Hu Dongmei in Yinchuan ( China Daily

Guo Na, a livestreamer, holds a silk banner of gratitude that was given by a goat breeder who had benefited from her assistance, at a rural market in Zhuzhou, Hunan province. China Daily

In the predawn chill, Guo Na lugs three smartphones to a rural market near her hometown of Lukou district in Zhuzhou, Hunan province. She sets up her gear, one for Douyin, one for WeChat Channels, and a third for close-ups, ready to broadcast the bustle of the rural market.

For two years, Guo, 37, has spent her weekends livestreaming rural markets under the account "Village Letters".

"I grew up here, and it breaks my heart to see farmers setting up stalls at 3 am just to get a good spot," she said.

"I want to use my phone to draw attention to their hard work, to let city people feel the vibrancy of rural life, and to help sell their produce."

Across China, a growing number of young livestreamers like Guo are turning their lenses to rural markets, once seen as fading relics of the past.

In the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Hu Jiayin, a livestreamer and international communication reporter, uses English to broadcast these rural fairs to a global audience.

"Market-gathering is uniquely Chinese. It is lively, authentic and full of human warmth," she said." Using English to show this creates a fascinating contrast, making it a great way to tell China's stories to the world."

Their broadcasts blend spontaneity and purpose. Hu plans themes for each video but embraces live unpredictability, interviewing passersby to capture real reactions.

Meanwhile, Guo, who switches between Hunan dialect and Mandarin, focuses on intimate conversations with vendors. She asks about their produce, how to cook it, and the stories behind their stalls.

Guo's Douyin and WeChat Channels accounts each have 28,000 followers. Over 70 percent are in Hunan and the others live in other provinces including Guangdong, Jiangxi and Hubei.

"Dialect builds trust," she said."People open up, and viewers feel like they're right there, chatting with neighbors."

The impact is tangible. Guo has helped sell over 100,000 yuan ($14,390) worth of agricultural products by acting as an agent, while Hu's streams have boosted visitor numbers, especially among young people curious about rural life.

"Young viewers ask about parking, prices, and how far the market is," Hu said. "Many comment that they want to visit on weekends because they crave the authenticity supermarkets can't offer."

Markets are becoming more standardized, with safer layouts replacing makeshift roadside fairs. Yet the core charm remains.

"Supermarkets are about efficiency, and markets are about connection," Guo said. "Where else can you chat with the person who grew your vegetables, or watch an opera performance while shopping?"

For these creators, livestreaming is not just a hobby, but a long-term commitment. Hu aims to showcase a vibrant, lived-in Ningxia to global audiences. Meanwhile, Guo sees her work as "valuable documentation" that will stand the test of time.

"I don't make fast-food content," Guo said. "I want to record these moments so people can look back and remember what rural life was like."

With the approach of Spring Festival, the peak season for rural markets, the livestreamers' plans have been made.

Hu said she plans to film a video in English highlighting Ningxia's fairs, while Guo said she intends to collaborate with restaurant owners to bulk-buy local produce.

"These markets aren't just places to shop," Guo said. "They're places where tradition meets technology, and where ordinary people's stories shine. That's why we keep coming back, and why viewers keep watching."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Akbar Novruz

Slovakias national security adviser has resigned after newly released US documents revealed exchanges between him and the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, prompting political fallout in Bratislava, Azernews reports.

Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed on Saturday that he had accepted the resignation of Miroslav Laj?ak, praising him in a video message as an incredible source of experience in diplomacy and foreign policy. The move followed the US Department of Justices release of roughly three million Epstein-related files, which have reignited scrutiny of the disgraced financiers ties to global elites.

While the documents do not allege criminal wrongdoing by those named, including Laj?ak, they include text and email exchanges that have raised questions about judgment and associations. In one October 2018 text exchangewhen Laj?ak was serving as Slovakias foreign minister, he and Epstein discussed women alongside a forthcoming meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, using bantering language. In another exchange from November 2017, Laj?ak asked Epstein to help a female film producer secure an Oscar shortlist spot.

Additional messages show Epstein joking with Laj?ak about an Apple Watch following the diplomats meeting with Turkiyes President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an in November 2018an exchange Laj?ak later downplayed.

According to Slovak media, Laj?ak initially denied discussing women with Epstein but later said he chose to step down to avoid politically damaging Prime Minister Fico. Fico, for his part, described the backlash as an attack against me, accusing critics of hypocrisy.

Laj?ak has served in four Slovak governments, three led by Fico, and held senior international roles, most recently as the EUs special representative for the Western Balkans.

The DOJ release has also surfaced new material involving other high-profile figures connected to Epstein, who died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The files have renewed public and political pressure across several countries as authorities and institutions assess the implications of the disclosures.
The Soviet Government has announced the final defeat of the German 6th Army at the port of Stalingrad, in southern Russia.

A statement late this evening said: Our forces have now completed the liquidation of the German Fascist troops encircled in the area of Stalingrad.

The last centre of enemy resistance in the Stalingrad area has thus been crushed.

The declaration brings to an end five months of heavy fighting for the city. The battle has been described as among the most terrible of the war so far.

Another 45,000 German soldiers have been taken prisoner in the last two days, bringing the total in custody to over 90,000 officers and men.

The prisoners are understood to be in an appalling condition after enduring months of starvation in temperatures down to -30C.

They are the remains of the 330,000-strong German force sent to take Stalingrad.

The rest  about a quarter of a million men  have died, as many from illness, starvation and frostbite as from the fighting itself.

The 6th Army has been trapped inside the city, completely surrounded by the Red Army, for almost three months during the harshest part of the Russian winter.

They have had to rely totally on air drops by the Luftwaffe for food.

Atrocious weather conditions have reduced the amount getting through to just 90 tonnes a day  less than a third of what they needed.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

The Germans attack on Stalingrad began on 19 August 1942.

Stalingrad was a strategically important city in their campaign to occupy the south of Russia and take control of the Caucasus oilfields.

It was also of symbolic importance as the city named after the Russian leader, Joseph Stalin.

The Red Army fought from inside the city, forcing the German soldiers into intense, house-to-house urban warfare under heavy shellfire from the German army and its allies surrounding the city.

Then on 19 November 1942, a massive force including three entire Soviet armies counter-attacked from outside the city.

Two more Soviet armies attacked the following day, 20 November.

They smashed the German siege and encircled Stalingrad themselves, trapping 300,000 soldiers of the 6th Army inside.

The defeat at Stalingrad threw Hitlers offensive in the Soviet Union into disarray, and was a turning point in the war in Europe.

It was also one of the bloodiest battles in modern history.

Nobody knows exactly how many people died at Stalingrad.

On the German side, estimates put the number of dead from the 6th Army and its allies at about 300,000.

The Soviet government never released accurate figures. A conservative estimate is that at least 500,000 Red Army soldiers died in the fighting.

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During a public consultation held on Friday (Jan. 30) regarding amendments to the Labour Relations Law, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) proposed increasing maternity leave to 90 days and introducing a system of annual leave based on seniority in the workplace.

The consultation period will include three public sessions on February 8, 27, and March 7, during which public feedback will be collected before further legislative steps are taken.

Under the proposed amendments, maternity leave will be increased from the current 70 days to 90 days.

Among these, 60 days of maternity leave must be taken immediately after childbirth, while the remaining 30 days can be taken either entirely or partially before or after childbirth at the choice of the female employee, allowing more flexibility.

Officials also recommended continuing the maternity leave allowance subsidy, offering eligible small and medium-sized enterprises a subsidy of up to 20 days.

Regarding annual leave, the amendments propose a system to increase the number of annual leave days based on years of service.

The initial annual leave will be set at six working days, with the number of days increasing according to the employees length of service  one additional day of annual leave for every two years of service, up to a maximum of 12 days.

This system will not affect employees who already have more than 12 days of annual leave under conditions superior to those stipulated by the labor law.

DSAL stated that in recent years, there has been continuous public demand to increase the number of maternity leave days to enhance the protection of female employees.

Additionally, considering that the statutory annual leave days in Macau have not been adjusted for many years and that there is a gap compared to neighboring regions, implementing a mechanism to increase annual leave based on years of service would also help improve employees sense of belonging and job stability.

Chan Un Tong, director of DSAL, stated that the revision of the Labor Relations Law involves broad aspects and is closely related to employers and employees across various industries, while also concerning the economic and social development of Macau.

He mentioned that the proposed amendments are a balanced outcome, synthesized from opinions put forward by different stakeholders in society and considering the actual circumstances of the city.

He added that the government will continue to create conditions through various means to enhance residents sense of happiness and welcomed active public feedback on the proposed amendments.

Regarding the number of annual leave days, Chan indicated that the government will fully consider public opinions. Subsequently, factors such as Macaus social development and business operational pressures will be taken into account to progressively review and optimize labor policies, gradually improving employees labor rights and benefits.

He noted that while it is understood that some residents may hope for more annual leave, this public consultation provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to express their views.

Speaking on the amendments for maternity leave, the director proposed that the government provide subsidies to cover the additional 20 days of maternity leave, aiming to alleviate operational pressure resulting from the increase in maternity leave on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

He stated that the current statutory maternity leave is 70 days, and many organizations in Macau already offer maternity leave close to 90 days.

The official added that after the legislative amendment, both local and non-local female employees will be entitled to the increased maternity leave.

However, the government subsidy of up to 20 days will only apply to local female employees working in SMEs, while employers will bear the full cost of maternity leave wages for non-local female employees.

When asked about the impact of increasing maternity leave on female employees, Chan stated that employees performance is a valuable asset to enterprises, and increasing maternity leave can help enhance employees sense of belonging to the company.

He expressed confidence that increasing maternity leave would not negatively affect employees labor rights. If any issues arise, he advised employees to consult the DSAL.

Chan further added that, combining the two rounds of maternity leave subsidy measures from May 26, 2020, to December 31, 2025, a total of 1,476 local female employees received subsidies, amounting to MOP15.45 million. The second round of the subsidy plan is set to end on December 31, 2026, and applies exclusively to SMEs.

With the consultation period lasting until March 16, Chan stated that, following analysis and report compilation, a draft law will be prepared, and the bill will be submitted to the Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs (CPCS) for discussion and feedback from both labor and employer representatives.

Regarding the effective date of the law, Chan mentioned that the legislative amendment work has been included in this years legislative proposal agenda, and the authorities will actively follow up on its progress.

Chan noted that third-party survey data indicates over half of both employees and employers agree on increasing the maternity leave period, with more than 60% of respondents selecting 90 days of maternity leave as their first choice.

He reiterated that a temporary subsidy scheme is already in place, and whether future subsidies will be permanent or temporary will be subject to public feedback gathered during this consultation. Ricaela Diputado

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Newly disclosed U.S. government files on Jeffrey Epstein have prompted the resignation of a top official in Slovakia and revived calls in Britain for a former prince to share what he knows with authorities about Epsteins links to powerful individuals around the world.

The fallout comes just a day after the Justice Department began releasing a massive trove of files that offers more details about Epsteins interactions with the rich and famous after he served time for sex crimes in Florida.

The prime minister of Slovakia accepted the resignation on Saturday of an official, Miroslav Lajcak, who once had a yearlong term as president of the U.N. General Assembly. Lajcak wasnt accused of wrongdoing but left his position after photos and emails revealed he had met with Epstein in the years after Epstein was released from jail.

The disclosures also have revived questions about whether long-time Epstein friend Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, should cooperate with U.S. authorities investigating Epstein.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday suggested Mountbatten-Windsor should tell American investigators whatever he knows about Epsteins activities. The former prince has so far ignored a request from members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee for a transcribed interview about his long-standing friendship with Epstein.

President Donald Trumps Justice Department said it would be releasing more than 3 million pages of documents along with more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images under a law intended to reveal most of the material it collected during two decades of investigations involving the wealthy financier.

Making his first public comments about the release, Trump cast the documents as a vindication of his actions.

I didnt see it myself but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, its the opposite of what people were hoping, you know, the radical left, he told reporters Saturday night as he flew to Florida.

The files, posted to the departments website, included documents involving Epsteins friendship with Mountbatten-Windsor, and Epsteins email correspondence with onetime Trump adviser Steve Bannon, New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and other prominent contacts with people in political, business and philanthropic circles, such as billionaires Bill Gates and Elon Musk.

Other documents offered a window into various investigations, including ones that led to sex trafficking charges against Epstein in 2019 and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell in 2021, and an earlier inquiry that found evidence of Epstein abusing underage girls but never led to federal charges.

Slovakian official resigns

Robert Fico, Slovakias prime minister, said Saturday that he had accepted the resignation of Lajcak, his national security adviser.

Lajcak, a former Slovak foreign minister, hasnt been accused of any wrongdoing, but emails showed that Epstein had invited him to dinner and other meetings in 2018.

The records also include a March 2018 email from Epsteins office to former Obama White House general counsel Kathy Ruemmler, inviting her to a get-together with Epstein, Lajcak and Bannon, the conservative activist who served as Trumps White House strategist in 2017.

Lajcak said his contacts with Epstein were part of his diplomatic duties. Pressure mounted for his ouster from opposition parties and a nationalist partner in Ficos governing coalition.

Draft indictment detailed Epsteins abuse

The FBI started investigating Epstein in July 2006 and agents expected him to be indicted in May 2007, according to the newly records released. A prosecutor wrote up a proposed indictment after multiple underage girls told police and the FBI that they had been paid to give Epstein sexualized massages.

The draft indicated prosecutors were preparing to charge not just Epstein but also three people who worked for him as personal assistants.

According to interview notes released Friday, an employee at Epsteins Florida estate told the FBI in 2007 that Epstein once had him buy flowers and deliver them to a student at Royal Palm Beach High School to commemorate her performance in a school play.

The employee, whose name was blacked out, said some of his duties were fanning $100 bills on a table near Epsteins bed, placing a gun between the mattresses in his bedroom and cleaning up after Epsteins frequent massages with young girls, including disposing of used condoms.

Ultimately, the U.S. attorney in Miami at the time, Alexander Acosta, signed off on a deal that let Epstein avoid federal prosecution. Epstein pleaded guilty instead to a state charge of soliciting prostitution from someone under age 18 and got an 18-month jail sentence. Acosta was Trumps first labor secretary in his earlier term.

Epstein offers to set Andrew up on a date

The records have thousands of references to Trump, including emails in which Epstein and others shared news articles, commented on his policies, or gossiped about him and his family.

Mountbatten-Windsors name appears at least several hundred times, including in Epsteins private emails. In a 2010 exchange, Epstein appeared to set him up for a date.

I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with, Epstein wrote.

Mountbatten-Windsor replied that he would be delighted to see her.

Epstein, whose emails often contain typographical errors, wrote later in the exchange: She 26, russian, clevere beautiful, trustworthy and yes she has your email.

Epsteins ties to powerful on display

The released records reinforced the Epstein was, at least before he ran into legal trouble, friendly with Trump and former President Bill Clinton. None of Epsteins victims who have gone public has accused Trump, a Republican, or Clinton, a Democrat, of wrongdoing. Both men said they had no knowledge Epstein was abusing underage girls.

Epstein killed himself in a New York jail in August 2019, a month after being indicted.

In 2021, a federal jury in New York convicted Maxwell, a British socialite, of sex trafficking for helping recruit some of his underage victims. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence. MICHAEL R. SISAK, DANICA KIRKA & BEN FINLEY, NEW YORK, MDT/AP

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Public consultation on adjusting maternity and annual leave in Macau has sparked calls from multiple sectors for stronger labor protections, including the introduction of mandatory holidays.

Local residents have also voiced strong support for extending maternity leave, showing growing societal demand for improved work-life balance.

The employer representative from the Standing Committee for the Co-ordination of Social Affairs stated that the proposal for government-provided maternity leave compensation subsidies underscores employees growing expectations for enhanced quality of life and working conditions.

He noted that employers must adapt to these advancements to meet employee expectations.

However, Vong Kok Seng, currently vice president of the Board of Directors of the Macao Chamber of Commerce, noted that achieving this goal requires the joint efforts of various industries, enterprises, and specific job positions. He urged all stakeholders to collaborate and offer constructive suggestions to effectively address the demands for these changes.

As the labor representative, Choi Kam Fu, director of the Rights Committee of the Macao Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM), advocated for a gradual increase in employee vacation days instead of abruptly raising them to excessively high levels. He reportedly stated that incrementally increasing vacation days from six to 12 annually allows for better adaptability in the labor market. According to him, this approach enables employers to absorb the associated costs over time while encouraging employees to strengthen their relationships with employers by remaining with the company longer. Choi emphasized that this strategy benefits both parties, fostering cooperation and stability in the workplace.

As the consultation period begins, labor sector legislators Lam Lon Wai and Leong Pou U have voiced their opinions in a joint statement, urging the government to fully consider public feedback and promptly initiate subsequent legislative work.

They advocate for extending maternity leave to 90 days, believing this would strengthen family-friendly policies by providing postpartum women with adequate time to recover physically and mentally, while ensuring that newborns receive comprehensive care.

Additionally, they propose introducing a seniority-based annual leave mechanism to enhance employees job stability and sense of belonging.

While acknowledging the governments responsiveness to labor sector demands, the two legislators also urged the government to review the possibility of increasing mandatory holidays during the consultation period.

Separately, some stakeholders have expressed hopes that the government will review the effectiveness of these measures in the coming years, refine laws based on social realities, improve family planning policies, and promote family-friendly development.

Among them, legislator Chan Lai Kei suggested exploring the feasibility of extending paternity leave for men in this legislative amendment, as well as introducing accompanying leave for parents in dual-income families to care for elderly relatives and young children.

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Macaus merchandise exports climbed 3.2% in 2025, boosted by strong re-exports to the Chinese mainland, while a 3.0% drop in imports left the city with a trade deficit of MOP110.86 billion, official figures show. Total exports reached MOP13.92 billion, with domestic exports falling 1.8%. Exports to the Chinese mainland surged 57.5%, while shipments to the USA and EU declined. Non-textiles exports grew 5.0%, contrasting with a 10.5% drop in textiles and garments.

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The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) said it is intensifying efforts to combat illegal lodging. From January 1 to 20, 2026, authorities conducted 19 joint operations, inspected 25 suspected units, and sealed 17 properties potentially operating as illegal hotels. Last year, 230 such units were shut down. Social media posts promoting homestays have drawn scrutiny, with some showing multiple beds partitioned in a single unit renting for MOP100 to MOP150 each.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping has had a busy few weeks receiving Western allies seeking warmer ties with the worlds second-largest economy.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney struck a trade deal slashing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and Canadian canola oil.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer landed in Beijing this week to repair ties that have been strained for years, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected there next month. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo also was among the latest leaders from Europe to shake hands with Xi.

In a major shift to the world order since President Donald Trump took office again, Americas closest partners are exploring opportunities with China following clashes with Trump over tariffsand his demands to take over Greenland from NATO ally Denmark. Despite the risk of irking Trump, they are resetting relations with a country long seen as a top adversary to many Western allies and the top economic rival to the U.S.

Were engaging broadly, strategically with open eyes, Carney said at the World Economic Forum meeting last week in Davos, Switzerland, shortly after he returned from Beijing. We actively take on the world as it is, not wait around for a world we wish to be.

Some leaders, lawmakers and experts lament a shift that could tip the balance in Beijings favor at Washingtons expense, while others say China is as much of a challenge as the U.S. because both exert pressure for their own interests. Either way, how countries are aligning themselves with the worlds two superpowers is changing.

Instead of creating a united front against China, were pushing our closest allies into their arms, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told a hearing this week.

When asked by a reporter about Starmers Beijing visit, Trump said it was very dangerous for them to do that.

And its even more dangerous, I think, for Canada to get into business with China, said Trump, who himself is expected to visit Beijing in April. Canada is not doing well. Theyre doing very poorly. And you cant look at China as the answer.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged that China poses a long-term challenge because of its economic coercive practices, but added, like I say, reach out to different partnerships, with different countries across the world.

While Europe is reconsidering its strategic playbook, its not a China pivot, said Una Aleksandra Berzina-Cerenkova, deputy director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs in Riga. Its a pivot towards sort of fending for Europe as a bloc.

Europes quandary with the US and China

With a desire to bypass EU leadership in Brussels, Beijing is engaging one-on-one with European capitals, said Alicia Garcia Herrero, an Asia-Pacific economist at the French investment bank Natixis and an expert on Europes relations with China.

China wants to keep the status quo with Europe: easy access to affluent consumers while offering few concessions to European businesses in the Chinese market, she said.

They need Europe, but they dont need to fight for Europe, Garcia Herrero said.

Tim Ruhlig, senior analyst at the European Union Institute for Security Studies in Paris, sees an irreversible shift in Europes relations with the worlds two largest economies.

For the U.S., it has been Greenland. For China, it has been the October rare earth export controls, he said. Both of these developments have, in my view, substantially contributed to a European understanding that we face two major powers that are not shy to bully the EU.

European leaders are visiting China for largely the same reasons Trump will: Chinas sizable economy, its role in global affairs and a need to establish reliable communication channels.

Everyone goes to Beijing, including the guy who doesnt want us to go to China, said Joerg Wuttke, former president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China and now partner of the consultancy DGA Group.

Canada leads the way

In 2024, Justin Trudeau, then Canadas prime minister, acted in lockstep with the Biden administration to levy a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles to protect the U.S. auto industry.

On Carneys highly watched visit to Beijing this month  the first by a Canadian prime minister in eight years  he slashed the tariff in return for lower import rates on Canadian farm products. Carney called the Canada-China trade relationship more predictable, a swipe at Trumps tariff threats on Canada.

After Carneys return, Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Canada over its China trade deal. Carney called it a bluster.

In Davos, Carney condemned coercion by great powers on smaller countries without naming Trump. Middle powers must act together, because if were not at the table, were on the menu, he said.

Those words have resonated across Europe.

European nations are recalibrating ties with Beijing

Starmer took a big step this week, becoming the first British prime minister to visit China in eight years. The countries have been at odds on issues including security, Chinese technology and the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in the former British colony of Hong Kong.

But last week, Starmer and Xi called for a strategic partnership. Working together on issues like climate change, global stability during challenging times for the world is precisely what we should be doing as we build this relationship in the way that Ive described, Starmer told Xi in Beijing.

The trip has yielded a raft of business announcements and government agreements, including lower Chinese tariffs on Scotch whisky and 30-day visa-free travel to China for British tourists and business visitors.

Days earlier, Orpo, the Finnish prime minster, sat down with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and signed a deal to cooperate on sustainable construction, energy and animal disease management.

A Finnish government statement said Orpo also called on China to help achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine, noted the trade imbalance and called attention to human rights issues.

French President Emmanuel Macron, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also visited in past weeks.

Now, Merz is set to visit Beijing for the first time as Germanys chancellor. He has taken a tougher stance on China than his predecessors and is expected to reset relations while addressing some of his countrys concerns: the trade deficit and dependence on China for critical minerals.

As Europe and other U.S. allies inch closer to Beijing, some analysts warned of dangerous divisions in the West.

It will be impossible for the U.S. and Western countries to unite to, as appropriate, either isolate China or set and enforce conditions for connectivity and cooperation, said Scott Kennedy, senior adviser for Chinese business and economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. DIDI TANG & SAM McNEIL, BRUSSELS, MDT/AP

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Akbar Novruz



The next round of trilateral talks on Ukraine involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine will take place in Abu Dhabi on February 45, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on February 1, Azernews reports.

Zelensky said the information was relayed by the Ukrainian delegation participating in the negotiations. He did not clarify whether a previously expected meeting on February 1 had taken place, although earlier statements from Moscow, Washington and Kyiv indicated that a new round of talks was planned for Sunday. As of now, neither Russia nor the United States has officially commented on Zelenskys announcement.

The upcoming meeting follows recent contacts between senior Russian and US figures. Russian President Vladimir Putins special envoy Kirill Dmitriyev earlier met in Florida with US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with both sides describing the discussions as productive and constructive.

The first round of trilateral talks was held in Abu Dhabi on January 2324. While participants reported some progress, they acknowledged that no agreement had been reached on the key issue of territory.

Meanwhile, fighting on the ground continues to exact a heavy toll. On February 1, Russian drones struck a coal mine in the Pavlograd district of Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk region. One drone exploded near a service bus transporting miners, killing at least 15 people and injuring several others, according to regional authorities. At least four Shahed drones were reportedly used in the attack. The Russian military has not commented.

Separately, Russian forces also struck a maternity hospital in Zaporozhye, wounding six people, including two patients. Ukrainian officials said that at least three civilians were killed in other strikes across the Dnipropetrovsk region over the past 24 hours.

The renewed diplomatic push in Abu Dhabi thus comes against the backdrop of continued escalation on the battlefield, underscoring the fragile and uncertain nature of the peace process.




January 2026 saw some of the most significant developments in the recent history of the American class struggle. The ICE murder of Renee Good set off an explosive anti-ICE movement, culminating in a de facto political general strike. The subsequent murder of Alex Pretti threatened to spread the movement nationally, forcing Trump to back off, at least temporarily. What conclusions can we draw from this experience?

[Originally published at communistusa.org]

1. Sudden, massive upsurges in the class struggle are not a thing of the past. They are not an impossibility in the United States; in fact, they are inevitable. The events in Minnesota were a classic example of how a mass movement can erupt virtually overnight on the basis of events that politicize a wide layer of society. Quantity transformed into quality as all of the accumulated anti-ICE rage in Minnesota reached a tipping point, culminating in the elemental political eruption of January 23.

2. Events, events, events drive changes in mass consciousness. Opposition to Trumps government was already present in Minnesota, but the brazen extrajudicial murder of Renee Good drove hundreds of thousands of ordinary people to political action. The advanced layer of the working class can learn from books and theoretical arguments, but the masses of workers draw political conclusions on the basis of events. And what profound conclusions Minnesotan workers have begun to draw! The need for self-organization; a total distrust of (at least certain wings of) the capitalist state; and a growing understanding of the power they can collectively exert over the economy. They also learned from the anti-ICE movement in Los Angeles last June and in Chicago last fall, while building on the experience of the 2020 George Floyd movement.

3. The undercurrent of left radicalization in the US goes far beyond what most people think. Contrary to the claims of the liberal media, there has been no fundamental shift to the right among US workers. While some layers of the working class are still testing Trumps program, another huge layer already opposes him entirely and has moved to the left. Symptomatic developments such as the election of Zohran Mamdani are only the tip of the iceberg. In Minnesota, we saw ordinary people mobilizing en masse against the armed bodies of men of the capitalist state. Embryonic organs of working-class self organization emerged in the form of neighborhood mass meetings and Signal chats. Among a certain layer, discussions about the need for armed self-defense also took place. And the fact that the idea of a general strike gripped the minds, not only of the activists, but a far broader layer of society, represents a turning point for the class struggle in this country.

4. The idea that the Trump administration is a fascist government or a burgeoning military-police dictatorship is entirely false. Whatever his personal inclinations may be, Trump is not in a position to construct a powerful Bonapartist or fascist regime. The movement in Minnesota exposed the weakness of Trumps government. Faced with the organic movement of the massesand the clear possibility that Alex Prettis murder would set off an even larger nationwide social explosionTrump was forced to backtrack, removing Greg Bovino from his post and publicly stating were going to de-escalate a little bit. This completely vindicates the methods of mass collective struggle witnessed on the streets of the Twin Cities, and shows that the class balance of forces in the US overwhelmingly favors the working class. Trump is an expert at distracting and diverting attention, and prefers to double down and go on the offensive whenever possiblebut there are clear limits to how far he can go.

5. The current period of crisis and instability is exposing the real nature of bourgeois democracy. Bourgeois democracy has always been the dictatorship of the capitalist class over the exploited majority. In the US especially, it has always relied on repression and state violence to maintain capitalist rule. Events like the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti are eroding illusions, clarifying the real role of the capitalist state in the minds of millions. These are striking changes in a country where capitalism and its institutions once held so much legitimacy.

6. With a revolutionary leadership, the movement could have gone significantly further. The mood and potential for an all-out general strike were 100% present. This could have shut down not only small businesses, schools, and cultural institutions, but the major levers of the economy: transportation, energy, communications, logistics, manufacturing, etc. After Alex Prettis murder, this could have spread across the country. The trade union bureaucrats did everything in their power to direct the energy of the masses into safe channels. Pressure from below had forced them to set a date for a day of action, but they conspicuously avoided doing anything more. What was required was to widen and spread the neighborhood committees into the workplaces, and above all to link them through elected representatives into a citywide body accountable to the mass assemblies and capable of coordinating the movement. Armed with this program, a Marxist cadre organization of even just 500 or 1,000 members rooted in workplaces across key industries in Minneapolis-St. Paul could have made all the difference.

7. The reformists understand nothing. In the leadership of DSA, on the editorial board of Jacobin, and in some corners of the trade union bureaucracy, certain liberal-reformist socialists pay lip service to the class struggle, while in practice merely propping up the Democratic Party and other institutions of the ruling class. These people pay homage to the history of the US class struggle, but they never actually believed that things like this would happen again. They accused the revolutionary socialists of waiting on events, themselves failing to understand the depth of the crisis and the inevitable convulsions on the horizon. Now that it has happened, they support it, but they still cannot understand what it really represents.

8. We have entered a new epoch of class struggle in the US. January 23 was only the beginninga dress rehearsaland a sign of far bigger things to come. The second quarter of the 21st century will look markedly different than the first. Mass movements, militant strikes, general strikes, and eventually a full-blown revolutionary situation are in our future.

9. The only real weakness of the US working class is its lack of a revolutionary party. The roughly 160 million wage and salary workers in America constitute a potentially unstoppable power, but this potential cannot be fully realized unless and until it has a leadership worthy of the name. In Minnesota, we saw the immense creativity of the working class when it is pushed into action, but also the clear limits of spontaneity on its own. To go further, and to eventually win political and economic power, the working class needs a Marxist leadership. A mass revolutionary party could harness the power of the working class to transform society on socialist lines.

10. Such a party will not drop from the sky. It has to be consciously built in advance of future movements and revolutionary upheavals; it must be ready ahead of time. Just as the ruling class dedicates the time and resources to train and educate the general staff that commands its state, so must the leadership of the working class have a serious training ground of its own. The working class needs a party of professional revolutionariespeople who have thoroughly studied Marxist theory and the lessons of the class struggle. Any and all serious class fighters should join the RCA and help build the party of the coming American socialist revolution.
The sequence of events triggered by the imperialist aggression against Venezuela led to the Venezuelan National Assemblys approval, on 29 January, of a partial reform of the countrys Chavez-era hydrocarbons law. Immediately afterwards, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which is responsible for sanctions, published General License 46, partially lifting sanctions on Venezuelan oil, albeit with very strict restrictions.

It is important to understand what this means. We publish here some initial observations, together with a previous comment on Marco Rubios appearance before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee to discuss the aggression against Venezuela.

Latest news on US oil sanctions against Venezuela

On Thursday, two important and closely related steps were taken regarding US sanctions on Venezuelan oil. The Venezuelan National Assembly unanimously approved the Partial Reform of Chavezs hydrocarbons law (full text here), and the US issued General Licence 46 on oil sanctions against Venezuela.

Let me explain.

The United States and the multinational oil companies demanded the reform of the hydrocarbons law. They wanted conditions favourable to them enshrined into law: international arbitration of contracts (as opposed to arbitration in Venezuelan courts), greater autonomy from state supervision, direct access to primary activity (exploration, extraction, production etc.) and reduction of taxes and royalties.

All these points, which contradict Chavezs laws and decrees of 2001 (which triggered the 2002 coup), 2006, and 2007, were unanimously approved on 29 January in the Venezuelan National Assembly.

In fact, the law that they passed is even more favourable to multinationals than the draft presented a week before. It further reduces royalties and taxes, clarifies independent arbitration, and is clearer in repealing Chavezs laws.

On Wednesday last week, Marco Rubio in the US Senate congratulated the Venezuelan authorities on the hydrocarbons law, although he noted that they may not have gone far enough. On Thursday, the Venezuelan authorities made additional concessions.

Just minutes after the (counter) reform was approved, the US sanctions agency, OFAC, issued General Licence 46, which allows US oil companies to return to Venezuela under a series of strict conditions (full text here).

What are the terms and conditions? Let's take a look:

The authorisation is broad in scope and covers all aspects of the oil business.

Direct payments to Venezuela are not allowed. Instead, they must be made to a bank account currently located in Qatar, controlled by the US government (!!).

The contract will be governed by US law and any disputes will be resolved in the US.

Licence 46 specifically prohibits:

Oil trade with China, Iran, Russia and Cuba;

Trade at reduced prices (Cuba) or in exchange for debt (China);

Direct payments to Venezuela in in gold or cryptocurrencies.

General Licence 46 also stipulates that any sale of Venezuelan oil to countries other than the United States must be reported to the US every 90 days in detail, including:

The parties involved;

The quantities, values and countries of final destination;

The dates on which the transactions took place; and,

Any taxes, fees or other payments provided to the Government of Venezuela.

This has a double meaning:

Chavezs laws to defend Venezuelan oil sovereignty and end the oil opening to private companies have been severely weakened and, in some cases, repealed completely.

The United States has (partially) lifted sanctions, but maintains strict oversight of any oil sales, including the buyers, the conditions and the methods of payment. Sales to China, Cuba, Russia, North Korea, and Iran are prohibited.

To add insult to injury, Chavezs portrait was one of those presiding over the ceremony, and the Venezuelan government called on oil workers to mobilise at the door of the National Assembly to celebrate.

Marco Rubios appearance before the US Senate regarding Venezuela

Scandalous. In Marco Rubio's appearance before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on 28 January, the Secretary of State explained the mechanism by which US imperialism will supervise the money from the sale of Venezuelan crude oil:

And so we've been able to create a short-term mechanism. This is not going to be the permanent mechanism, but this is a short-term mechanism in which the needs of the Venezuelan people can be met through a process that we've created where they will submit every month a budget of this is what we need funded. We will provide for them at the front end what that money cannot be used for. And they've been very cooperative in this regard.

ESCANDALOSO. Marco Rubio: las autoridades de Caracas presentan a EEUU un presupuesto mensual de gastos SUPERVISADO por Washington para recibir el dinero de la venta del petroleo . Luego FELICITA a Delcy por la reforma ley de hidrocarburos q "erradica las restricciones de Chavez" pic.twitter.com/JlNTpzLJMi  Jorge Martin  (@marxistJorge) January 28, 2026

In other words, the US now controls the sale of Venezuelan crude oil through multinationals designated by the US. The money is deposited in an account (in Qatar) controlled by the US. The Venezuelan government submits a monthly budget to explain to the US how they are going to spend the money, and then the US gives its approval. In addition, there are a number of expenses that are already vetoed in advance (!!).

Thats not all. In fact, the authorities in Caracas have committed to using that money to buy medicines and equipment from the US:

In fact, they have pledged to use a substantial amount of those funds to purchase medicine and equipment directly from the United States. As in fact, one of the things they need is diluent () And that basically is the light crude that you need to mix with their heavy crude in order for the oil to be able to be mixed and moved. They used to get 100 percent of that from Russia. They are now getting 100 percent of that from the United States.

As if that were not enough, Rubio goes on to congratulate the Venezuelan government for the counter-reform of Chavezs hydrocarbons law for the benefit of multinationals:

the authorities there deserve some credit. They have passed the new hydrocarbon law that basically eradicates many of the Chavez-era restrictions on private investment in the oil industry.

Read carefully what this representative of Yankee imperialism and the Miami-based reactionaries has to say: eradicates many of the Chavez-era restrictions on private investment. It couldnt be clearer.

Appetite comes with eating. Imperialism is not satisfied with all these legal concessions and demands more:

It probably doesn't go far enough to attract sufficient investment, but it's a big step from where they were three weeks ago. So that's a major change.

Obviously, although Rubio said we reached an agreement with them, it is clear that this agreement took place after unprecedented military aggression and the kidnapping of President Maduro. In his written statement to the committee, submitted the day before, Rubio clearly stated:

Rodriguez is well aware of the fate of Maduro; it is our belief that her own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives. We will closely monitor the performance of the interim authorities as they cooperate with our stage-based plan to restore stability to Venezuela. Make no mistake, as the President has stated, we are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail. It is our hope that this will not prove necessary, but we will never shy away from our duty to the American people and our mission in this Hemisphere.

A full-blown threat, straight out of Tony Sopranos playbook.

In that same written statement, Rubio specified the conditions to which Delcy had committed:

Delcy Rodriguez has assumed leadership of the interim authorities and has stated her intention to cooperate with the United States. She has committed to opening Venezuelas energy sector to American companies, providing preferential access to production, and using revenues to purchase American goods. She has pledged to end Venezuelas oil lifeline to the Cuban regime and to pursue national reconciliation with Venezuelans at home and abroad. 

In short, what we have is a mechanism for the semi-colonial subjugation of Venezuela by Yankee imperialism. There is no need to beat around the bush. Anyone who says that this is a tactical victory or that it is a relationship of mutual respect within the framework of Venezuelas sovereignty is deceiving themselves and others. There is no sovereignty when the aggressor power controls the flow of oil, and the attacked country has to submit a list of expenses for approval by the master in Washington before having access to the money from the sale of its oil.

The historical comparison is not with Brest-Litovsk (as Juan Carlos Monedero and others have suggested), nor with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (as Manu Pineda of the Spanish Communist Party indicated), but rather with the Sevres Treaty, a capitulation imposed by the victorious Allied powers on the Ottoman Empire after the end of the First World War. This placed Turkish finances, including the budget and taxes, under an Allied financial commission.

The treaty was never implemented, due to its rejection by the national movement led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who, in his fight against the capitulators, finally declared the Republic of Turkey and won sovereignty.

Lessons from history
Aterian plc has announced encouraging early-stage exploration results from its Agdz East Copper-Silver Project in central Morocco, revealing significant mineral potential that could reshape the companys regional strategy. The discovery, located within the Anti-Atlas Mountains approximately 35 kilometers east of Ouarzazate, suggests a far more extensive mineral system than previously anticipated.

Initial surface sampling, covering merely 10% of the 50.4-square-kilometer Agdz area, has identified four parallel mineral zones stretching up to 900 meters in length and seven meters in width. These fault zones, spaced 300-400 meters apart, demonstrate clear structural patterns that indicate substantial exploration upside.

These early-stage results represent a highly encouraging breakthrough in unlocking the scale potential of the Agdz Copper-Silver Project, stated Chairman Charles Bray. The identification of multiple copper and silver-bearing fault zones materially strengthens our conviction that Agdz hosts a large, structurally extensive mineral system.

Surface samples have yielded promising grades, including 2.97% copper with 51 grams per ton of silver from loose rock samples, and 1.34% copper with 31 grams per ton silver from fractured granite spanning approximately four meters. Perhaps most significantly, all identified mineral zones remain open along strike, suggesting potential for further discoveries.

The project benefits from exceptional infrastructure access, positioned near Ouarzazates regional airport and the Noor 1 solar complex, one of the worlds largest renewable energy facilities. This proximity to established infrastructure could accelerate development timelines if exploration confirms commercial viability.

Aterian is leveraging artificial intelligence through partnership with Lithosquare to optimize targeting and accelerate decision-making across its portfolio. The company plans systematic follow-up work including ground geophysics and trenching to define continuity and prioritize drill targets.

We are particularly excited by the prospect of advancing towards a focused drilling campaign in Morocco, with Agdz emerging as a flagship opportunity, Bray concluded, noting that growing geological evidence reinforces belief in the sites potential to develop into a substantial copper-silver system.
Morocco and the United States commemorated 250 years of friendship Friday at the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, celebrating what officials described as the worlds longest uninterrupted bilateral treaty relationship. The high-profile ceremony, organized by Moroccos embassy, drew senior American administration officials and launched year-long programming honoring Americas 250th independence anniversary.

Ambassador Youssef Amrani emphasized the relationships historical depth, noting Morocco became the first nation to recognize American independence in 1777. The 1786 Treaty of Peace and Friendship remains the United States oldest continuously honored international agreement, transcending mere diplomatic arithmetic to reflect profound mutual understanding.

Morocco and the United States are two nations that understand each other deeply, continuously choosing to link their destinies around an active alliance that brings measurable progress, tangible development, lasting peace, and security for all, Amrani stated. He characterized the relationship as offering rare diplomatic attributesstrategic clarity and long-term visibility sustained through unique trust between Rabat and Washington.

The event featured Wayne Wall, Special Assistant to President Donald Trump and Senior Director for Middle East and Africa at the National Security Council, alongside Bryan J. Ellis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for African Affairs. Their attendance underscored continued high-level American engagement with the partnership.

Amrani highlighted recent concrete developments, including American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, describing it as demonstrating both unwavering sincerity and unparalleled capacity to advance viable peace frameworks. He noted King Mohammed VIs acceptance of founding membership in President Trumps newly established Peace Council, designed to contribute to Middle East peace efforts and adopt innovative approaches to global conflict resolution.

Under His Majestys leadership, Morocco has consolidated expanded international confidence in its position as a reliable partner, credible interlocutor, and active player for peace and future-oriented solutions, the ambassador explained.

Elliot Berke, legal counsel at the Trump Kennedy Center, emphasized the partnerships significance in launching the venues yearlong American independence commemoration, praising Morocco as one of Americas oldest and closest allies.
Nigerian police on Wednesday fired live bullets into the air and tear gas to prevent protesters from entering the Lagos State House of Assembly complex in Alausa, during demonstrations against forced evictions and demolitions in several slum communities. At least 17 people were reportedly injured, with several arrests made.

The protest, organised by the Coalition Against Demolition, Forced Eviction, Land Grabbing, and Displacement, began around 7:00 am at Ikeja Underbridge, drawing residents from communities including Makoko, Owode Onirin, Oworonshoki, Otumara, Baba-Ijora, and Ajegunle. Demonstrators accused the state government of demolishing homes without consultation, compensation, or resettlement, displacing thousands, while organisers insisted the protest remained peaceful.

Tensions rose when police blocked access to the assembly complex, with Lagos State Police Commissioner Moshood Jimoh citing security concerns. Protest leaders challenged the restriction, referencing a December 17, 2025 protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress that had been allowed access. Lawmakers who briefly addressed the crowd later withdrew as tensions mounted, after which police deployed tear gas and chased demonstrators. Journalists covering the protest were also affected.

The incident comes amid ongoing demolitions in Lagos, particularly in waterfront and informal settlements. In December 2025, demolitions began in Makoko, while on January 22, the coalition reported at least 12 deaths and mass displacement linked to demolitions in multiple communities.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana cited court rulings from 2017 and August 2025 prohibiting forced evictions, while the Lagos State Government defended the demolitions as necessary for public safety and environmental protection.
At least 200 people have been killed after a landslide collapsed several artisanal mines at the Rubaya coltan mining site in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, rebel authorities announced over the week-end. The incident occurred on Wednesday and was triggered by heavy rains, officials said.

The mines are located in North Kivu province and are controlled by the M23 rebel group, which seized Rubaya in May 2024. Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed provincial governor, said many bodies remain buried in mud, while several injured miners were taken to health

facilities in Rubaya, with others transferred to Goma, about 50 kilometres away.

In response, the rebel administration has temporarily suspended artisanal mining at the site and ordered the relocation of residents who had built shelters close to the mines. The Congolese government, in a statement posted on X, expressed solidarity with the victims families and accused the

M23 rebels of illegal and unsafe exploitation of the countrys mineral resources.

A former miner described the Rubaya tunnels as poorly constructed, hand-dug and unsafe, noting that multiple collapses have occurred in the past due to the lack of regulation and safety measures. Rubaya lies in a mineral-rich but conflict-ravaged region of eastern Congo, where decades of fighting involving

armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23, have fuelled one of the worlds worst humanitarian

crises.

More than 7 million people are displaced nationwide, with over 300,000 forced from their homes since December.

Congo is a major global supplier of coltan, a key source of tantalum used in smartphones, computers and aircraft engines. The country accounted for about 40% of global coltan production in 2023, with Rubaya alone supplying more than 15% of the worlds tantalum.

An UN report estimates that M23 has earned at least $800,000 a month by taxing coltan trade and transport since taking control of the area. Despite a US-brokered agreement between Congo and Rwanda and ongoing negotiations with rebels, fighting continues across eastern Congo, compounding insecurity and civilian suffering.
The Nigerian army announced on Sunday that it had killed a senior Boko Haram commander, Abu Khalid, along with 10 other militants, during a night operation in Borno State in the countrys northeast. According to Army spokesperson Sani Uba, the raid was carried out on Saturday night in the Kodunga area of Borno.

Abu Khalid, who operated within the Sambisa Forest, was described as a key figure in Boko Harams command structure, responsible for coordinating operations and logistics in the Sambisa axis. Troops also recovered weapons, food supplies and medical items from the militants.

The operation follows two deadly attacks earlier this week, in which Boko Haram fighters killed dozens of people at a construction site and a military base in the same region. Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009, seeking to oppose Western education and impose its extremist interpretation of Islamic law.

The conflict has since expanded to include an Islamic State-linked faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and has spilled into neighbouring countries such as Niger. According to the United Nations, the violence has killed about 35,000 civilians and displaced more than two million people.

Security analyst Taiwo Adebayo of the Institute for Security Studies said the military began a more proactive offensive last month, moving into militant hideouts rather than responding to attacks. He described this as a shift from last years largely reactive posture, which saw insurgents raid multiple

military camps.

Adebayo also noted that the United States has conducted intelligence-gathering flights over Borno since last November, supporting Nigerian military operations.

In December, the US carried out airstrikes in northern Nigeria targeting Islamic State fighters. Nigeria continues to face a multifaceted security crisis, combining Islamist insurgency in the northeast with a surge in kidnappings for ransom by armed groups across the northwest and north-central regions.
President Ilham Aliyev addressed the youth of Azerbaijan on the occasion of February 2 - the Day of Azerbaijani Youth, Azernews reports.

"Dear youth!

I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of February 2  the Day of Azerbaijani Youth, and I wish each of you robust health, high spirits, and every success in your future endeavors.

Thirty years ago, at the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the first All-Republican Youth Forum was held, serving as a broad and open platform for discussion. The tradition of marking that day as Youth Day and the regular organization of such forums prove that youth policy is a top priority of our states socially oriented agenda. Over the past decades, state programs have created a favorable environment for youths personal development and increased socio-political activity, further strengthening their role in state-building.

It is gratifying that a modern, intellectual generation has emerged in Azerbaijan today  one that is deeply attached to our national and moral values while keeping pace with global development trends. Today, you are a driving force enhancing the power of our state across all fields, from the economy to science and culture. Every step you take toward strengthening civil society and preserving and promoting our rich cultural heritage on the international stage is an expression of our people's loyalty to universal ideals.

It is as a result of the comprehensive conditions created by our state and the spirit of patriotism instilled in our youth that, during the 44-day Patriotic War  a great test for the young generation of Azerbaijan  our youth demonstrated unparalleled heroism. The majority of the heroes who put an end to 30 years of occupation and showcased our nations determination for victory to the entire world were young people. This chronicle of Victory stands as an eternal symbol of the Azerbaijani youths boundless love for the Motherland and their unshakable will.

I am confident that in the new renaissance period of our modern history, Azerbaijani youth will continue to make worthy contributions to the future development of our state through their innovative potential and creative energy," the address reads.
Four gang members of the Bishnoi gang were arrested by the police for firing at Bollywood director Rohit Shettys Juhu residence at 12.42 am on Sunday. The accused, aged between 19 and 27, were arrested by the Pune police following information from their Mumbai counterparts, who tracked them down with the help of their scooter and CCTV cameras.



Police said unknown men arrived in a vehicle and fired five rounds outside the bungalow. One bullet reportedly smashed through the gallery glass. Officers tightened security at Shettys residence and seized CCTV footage from the area. Investigators spotted a vehicle in the footage and tracked its movement towards Pune, after which Mumbai Police alerted Pune Police. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the firing outside Bollywood filmmaker Rohit Shettys Mumbai home, Shetty Tower. In a post, his men said the multiple gunshots were fired as a warning to the Singham director. This was not the first time the gang has targeted celebrities from the Hindi film industry. Past targets include superstar Salman Khan, AP Dhillon, Badshah, Kapil Sharma, and Munawar Faruqui.



A case was registered at Juhu police station, and the Crime Branch took over and formed 12 teams. Since Shetty did not report any earlier threat or complaint, officers said they were checking every angle. Acting on Mumbai Police inputs, Pune Police detained four men and handed them over to Mumbai Police, who brought them to the city on Sunday night and questioned them about their alleged role, the mastermind, and the motive. An officer said police will arrest them if the evidence matched. Those arrested were identified as Aditya Gyaneshwar Gayaki (19), Siddharth Deepak Yenpure (20), Samarth Shivsharan Pomaji (18), and Swapnil Bandu Sakat (23).



Meanwhile, a threatening message went viral from gang member Shubham Lonkars Facebook account, claiming the attack and warning Shetty. The post said this was just a trailer; the next bullets would be in his chest, and that his condition would be worse than Baba Siddiqui, who was gunned down by the Bishnoi gang in October 2024. Police sources said technical analysis of the scooters movement patterns and related inputs led investigators to the Waraje area of Pune, from where the suspects were taken into custody for questioning. The men, who are said to be working as drivers and mechanics, are suspected to have helped arrange transport, shelter, and escape routes for the attackers.



Mumbai Police are treating the threat linked to the firing outside filmmaker Rohit Shettys residence as a high-risk organised crime act after investigators found striking similarities with the Bishnoi gangs earlier modus operandi, sources said.



According to Crime Branch sources, the Bishnoi gang has a consistent pattern of claiming responsibility through social media posts immediately after an attack. The post is then widely circulated, screenshots are taken, and the original social media account is deleted shortly thereafter. This tactic makes it difficult for investigators to trace the original URL or determine the exact location from where the post was uploaded.



Sources said the same method was used during the firing outside actor Salman Khans residence and in the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. In both cases, threatening posts were uploaded shortly after the incidents and the accounts were deleted soon after, erasing key digital trails.



In the Shetty case, police found that a threatening Facebook post claiming responsibility surfaced within 45 minutes of the firing and was deleted later, raising red flags. Subham Lonkar is an unknown destination outside India and is suspected to be the mastermind. Rohit Shetty was on the sixth floor of his tower when the incident took place.




Mumbai sessions court granted bail to a 58-year-old businessman in a fatal workplace accident case, criticising a magistrate for cancelling his earlier bail without notice or hearing. The court also noted allegations that a defence lawyer was threatened while seeking corrections in the court record.



The order was passed by Ad hoc Additional Sessions Judge Avinash P Kulkarni in favour of Tanu Sonu Suvare, arrested by Matunga police on January 17, 2026. Advocate Vaibhav N Jagtap appeared for the accused.



The case relates to an October 17, 2025 accident near Building Aura Zefr, close to Don Bosco School, where painter Dattaram Janaskar (about 50) fell from a ladder while painting at a height and suffered a head injury. He was taken to KEM Hospital but died during treatment. An FIR was registered on October 21, 2025 under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death by negligence, alleging failure to provide safety equipment.



The sessions court also considered an affidavit by Advocate Mahesh Bhambu Kutekar stating that the original complainant had filed a pursis before the JMFC, Kurla, expressing her intention not to pursue the case, though this was not reflected in the roznama dated December 20, 2025.



The affidavit alleged that when the advocate sought correction on January 17, 2026, the magistrate refused to record the request and threatened action.



Opposing bail, the prosecution alleged the accused paid Rs 2.5 lakh to the complainant. The court observed there was no material to support this claim or to show witness influence. It held that cancelling bail without due process violated principles of natural justice and that continued detention was unjustified as the offence is bailable.



The court ordered Suvares release on a personal bond of Rs 15,000 with one solvent surety, with conditions not to influence witnesses or commit any offence during the case.




The stock market did not like the Union budget. The BSE Sensex  Indias most widely tracked stock market index, which is made up of 30 large companies  fell by close to 2 per cent on Sunday. A similar fall was seen in mid-sized and small-sized stocks. Why? According to those in the business of managing other peoples money (OPM)  stockbrokers, fund managers, wealth managers, investment bankers and financial influencers  the Union governments decision to increase the securities transaction tax (STT) on trading and exercising futures and options has led to this fall. Futures and options are financial derivatives that allow investors to bet on price movements without owning the underlying asset (like stocks). The OPM wallahs always need a narrative to explain something that has happened. In this case, blaming the increase in STT was an easy explanation. But the story is more complicated.



In the runup to every budget, a small-scale industry  involving the OPM wallahs, the corporate lobbies and the business media  emerges. It wants the government to cut taxes, increase its spending and introduce other growth boosting measures. Now, theres nothing wrong with this.



The problem is that expectations are piled sky-high. The OPM wallahs have been pushing for either the abolition or a reduction of taxes on long-term capital gains from stocks and equity mutual funds (MFs). Long-term capital gains are the profits earned from selling these investments after holding them for more than one year. This would help attract more retail investors to stocks and equity MFs, while also encouraging greater participation by foreign institutional investors (FIIs). The fact that the stock market hasnt gone anywhere in more than 16 months has had them worried. The Sensex has fallen 6% after reaching an all-time closing high towards the end of September 2024. The smaller stocks have fallen considerably more. The trouble is that the OPM wallahs cant see beyond their nose and their incentive  which is to perpetually keep talking up stocks. But the government has to look at the bigger picture of how to earn taxes to be able to pay for its expenditure.



The gross tax revenues for 2025-26 were budgeted to grow 10.8 per cent. Theyre expected to grow 7.4 per cent. When it comes to personal income taxes, the budgeted growth was 14.4 per cent. Theyre expected to grow 6.2 per cent. Long-term capital gains taxes paid by individuals are a part of personal income tax. Clearly, in 2025-26, the government isnt going to earn as much tax as it expected. And this wont automatically set itself right in 2026-27. So, expecting the government to cut taxes is basically wishful thinking. Indeed, the government regularly declares the taxes it earns and the expenditure it incurs. Hence, this slowdown was obvious to anyone who chose to look at the figures. This brings us to the final few points.



First, since 2020-21, following the governments corporate tax cuts in September 2019, personal income tax has accounted for the largest share of gross tax revenues. In 2026-27, it is expected to contribute just over a third. Taxes from the stock market  capital gains and the securities transaction tax  form an important part of these collections, which means they are here to stay.



Second, lately, a lot of retail money has already moved into stocks and equity MFs. As the latest Economic Survey notes: The share of equity and investment funds in total household financial assets rose from 15.7per cent in March 2019 to 23 per cent by March 2025, while the share of deposits fell from 46.3 per cent to 39.6 per cent. As the Survey points out, investments should be well-diversified with an adequate exposure across a broad range of asset classes.



Given this, the government doesnt need to offer more incentives to attract more retail money into stocks. Indeed, it should also reconsider the definition of long-term  holding an investment for just over a year should not count as long-term.



Further, the massive inflows into stocks have pushed valuations  their market price relative to earnings  to very high levels. This has allowed OPM wallahs to flog IPOs of companies with little or no earnings at lofty prices. Promoters of listed firms have exited at high valuations, while FIIs have sold calmly. They have been smoothly selling as a weaker rupee erodes dollar returns, sales growth has slowed, and India offers few investible AI themes. In effect, this has amounted to a steady transfer of wealth from the middle class to the rich. In the end, this budget wasnt anti-market: It was anti-illusion.



The OPM wallahs convinced themselves that enough noise, TV debates and pre-budget kite flying would force the governments hand. It didnt. So, their disappointment was understandable: from the old-school hustle of Dalal Street to the glass-fronted atrocities of BKC and Lower Parel, what was supposed to be a lovely sit-down lunch on a Sunday, turned into a meltdown. But with tax growth slowing, valuations stretched and retail participation already frothy, the government chose revenue realism over market appeasement. The result was disappointment dressed up as outrage. The market didnt fall because STT went up: It sulked because expectations collapsed. Indeed, this budget was a classic case of phata poster, nikla zero for the stock market  not because little was delivered, but because OPM hype promised far too much.



Vivek Kaul is an economic commentator and a writer.
Despite contesting in collaboration with the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), which holds a numerical majority in the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, the Kalani-led Team Omie Kalani (TOK) group clinched the Mayors post, reasserting the dominance of the Kalani Mahal in city politics.



The election of Ashwini Nikam, wife of TOK spokesperson Kamlesh Nikam, shifted the citys political power centre back to the Kalani camp. Though officially decided under the Mahayuti banner, the choice of a Kalani loyalist reinforced the perception that real civic control continues to rest with the Kalani household. The outcome also triggered quiet unease within the ruling Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), as the Mayors post went to the TOK group despite its smaller numerical presence.



In the 90-member Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, the Shinde Sena holds 36 seats, making it the single largest constituent of the ruling alliance. Of these, only 13 corporators belong to the TOK group. Yet it was the TOK-backed candidate who emerged as Mayor, reportedly leaving a section of Sena corporators dissatisfied, even as the leadership maintained a public show of unity.



The numbers clearly favour us, but the mayoral decision did not reflect that reality, said a senior Shiv Sena corporator on condition of anonymity. There is a feeling that organisational strength and ground-level work were ignored in favour of closed-door negotiations.



Ashwini Nikam, closely aligned with the Kalani camp, was finalised as the consensus mayoral candidate from the Shiv Senas TOK quota. With her election, political focus once again shifted to Kalani Mahal in Camp No. 2, long regarded as the informal durbar of Ulhasnagar politics. For nearly three decades, Kalani Mahal has been central to the citys political decision-making. From shaping municipal outcomes to influencing state-level contests, the Kalani familys hold has remained resilient. Former MLA Pappu Kalanis controversial yet enduring political career  spanning Congress dominance, electoral victories even during incarceration, and later realignments  left a lasting imprint on the citys political landscape.



The familys influence across civic institutions has been consistent. Jyoti Kalani served as MLA on an NCP ticket and held key civic posts, including Mayor and Standing Committee chairperson. In 2018, the Kalani camp asserted itself again when Pancham Kalani became Mayor with BJP support. Ashwini Nikams election now extends that legacy.



The development is expected to sharpen the rivalry between the Kalani camp and BJP MLA Kumar Ailani. Their see-saw electoral battles spilled into municipal politics, where control over key posts remained contentious.



With the Mayors post now with a Kalani-backed corporator and the Deputy Mayors position likely to go to the BJP, observers expect an uneasy balance within the ruling arrangement. While the Mahayuti projects cohesion, the outcome underlines a familiar reality of Ulhasnagar politics: entrenched local power often trumps party arithmetic.




Budget 202627 has largely acknowledged long-standing industry demands for the logistics and supply chain sector. This budget will directly impact industrial and port-based cities like Mumbai, MMR, Pune, Raigad, and Nagpur.



By focusing on green freight routes, faster customs clearance, and a logistics ecosystem linked to manufacturing, the government has clearly indicated that infrastructure will no longer be limited to roads, but will move towards multimodal connectivity. Until now, the governments focus has been primarily on expanding road and rail networks.



The government has now proposed a new dedicated freight corridor connecting Dankuni (East) to Surat (West), providing faster connectivity between the Mumbai-Navi Mumbai belt and the industrial regions of northern and eastern India. This will reduce transit times and lower logistics costs. Previously, the use of inland waterways was limited, but now there are plans to operationalise 20 new national waterways over the next five years. Under the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme, the target is to increase the share of cargo transport by waterways and sea routes from 6 percent to 12 percent by 2047. This will boost trade and exports in coastal areas like Mumbai, Raigad, and Ratnagiri. Heavy and bulk cargo will be transported using inexpensive and environmentally friendly means.



A single digital window has now been established under minimum intervention. Processes related to food, drugs, and animal products are expected to be completely online by April 2026. This will expedite the clearance of cargo held up at the Mumbai Port and Air Cargo Complex. -Neeraj Tiwari




On a routine school visit, I watched a six-year-old explain why the sky appears blue. Midway through his explanation he stopped, frowned, and said quietly, Actually Im not sure thats fully correct. I want to check again. That pause remains with me. Not for what he knew. But for what he resisted doing. He did not turn to Google. He did not seek an instant fix. He sat with uncertainty. In a world of fast answers, that pause is rare and it is precious.We are raising children in the age of instant responses. Algorithms anticipate what they want to watch next. AI often finishes their sentences. Machines provide answers before questions are fully formed. But in the rush to respond we risk losing something deeper: the capacity to think for ourselves. Independent thinking is now the essential life skill of our time.



When answers crowd out curiosity



Todays parents worry about screen time. But their deeper concern should be mind time. Children are absorbing more information than any generation before them, but they ask fewer questions. This is not a lack of intelligence. It is a consequence of environments that reward speed over reflection, optimisation over pondering. Curiosity thrives in doubt and in moments when you pause, not when one is constantly stimulated.Research shows that the rapid integration of AI into education brings real benefits, such as personalised learning and adaptive content. But over-reliance on AI tools can diminish intrinsic motivation to engage in self-directed analysis and weaken critical thinking skills if not balanced with active reasoning and human guidance. Students may bypass essential cognitive struggle when machines provide ready answers, risking a decline in independent reasoning and deep understanding.



Parents and guides



At home I once refrained from correcting my childs half-formed understanding of an online idea. Instead, I asked, What do you think? He reasoned aloud, challenged his own assumptions, revised his view and slowly reached a deeper insight. In that moment he learned more than any textbook could deliver.



In the age of AI parents must shift from providing answers to becoming thought partners. When children ask questions, we should resist the urge to fix every uncertainty. Asking why, how and what else could be true teaches them that their thinking matters. Meal times, everyday disagreements and simple conversations can become rich spaces for developing inquiry.



Schools also matter. A focus on memorising facts is less relevant when information is instantly available. What matters is the ability to analyse, interpret and connect ideas. Classrooms should reward thoughtful questions and promote reflection across subjects. Children must learn to evaluate bias, synthesise insights and reason across disciplines  capacities that machines cannot replace.



AI as partner



AI itself is not the enemy. Used intelligently it can amplify exploration, expand access to perspectives and support personalised learning. But children must learn that AI is not the endpoint. It is a tool to be questioned, not a source of unquestionable truth. They must be encouraged to verify, to weigh competing viewpoints and to reflect on meaning, not just on correctness or efficiency.



Critical evaluation of AI output is part of raising an independent thinker. Experts now emphasise the importance of AI literacy, teaching children to recognise limitations and misinformation and to apply their own judgement when engaging with AI tools.



Independent thinking does not flourish in silos. If schools encourage inquiry but homes do not support debate, children receive mixed signals. Parents and educators should unite in a shared belief: children are not vessels to be filled but minds to be developed. As I often say, the goal of education is not to compete with machines but to cultivate what machines cannot replace curiosity, judgement, empathy and independent thought. For this to happen, technology should be used to create dialogue and debate, not just deliver information.



The author is an education entrepreneur and managing director of Finland International School; he champions holistic, future-ready learning




President Trump issued a Proclamation regarding the 250 Anniversary of the USA.

Trump was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

On January 1, 2026, the United States began our year-long commemoration of an important milestone in the history of our country: 250 years of American freedom and independence.

Two and a half centuries ago, on July 4, 1776, thousands of years worth of wisdom, philosophy, and culture were brought together in Philadelphia where delegates to the Second Continental Congress gathered to declare the birth of a new nation  conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal  and, in so doing, launched the single greatest force for goodness, justice, prosperity, and human flourishing the world has ever known.

As we celebrate the 250th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we acknowledge with gratitude and pride that July 4, 1776, represents the most seminal political event in all of human history.

Unlike other nations, Americas Founding was rooted in the belief that every man, woman, and child is endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

This conviction, enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, and indelibly etched upon every American heart, remains the bedrock of our government and the crown jewel of Western civilization. For 250 years, the burning flame of liberty has been passed down from one generation to the next, and has carried our Nation and our people to heights that our Founding Fathers could have never dreamed.

Guided by the example of Founding Fathers like George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and other American patriots who helped light the torch of liberty in 1776, let us ask our Creator to bless America, free our Nation and our people from all threats to our safety and happiness, and to guide our actions for the security and common good of all Americans.

This year, we honor and cherish the generations of pioneers, warriors, statesmen, preachers, inventors, risk-takers, workers, and heroes whose unwavering commitment to the promise of freedom gave rise to the greatest Republic ever created. Today and throughout this year, I call on every American to celebrate this triumph of the American spirit, and to rededicate themselves to the sacred cause of liberty and justice for all.

The Bible teaches: In all circumstances give thanks. As such, it is fitting that we mark this special year as a unique occasion to celebrate our proud history, reflect on our abundant blessings, pray for our country and our people, and rededicate ourselves as one Nation under God.

From the earliest days of our national story, reflection and thanksgiving have been central to our character, identity, and destiny. Just weeks before declaring independence, the Second Continental Congress ordered a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, petitioning God to pardon all our manifold sins and transgressions and to establish the peace and freedom of America, upon a solid and lasting foundation. Later, in the heart of the Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress declared it the indispensable duty of all men to adore the superintending providence of Almighty God.

In the sweltering summer of 1776, the promise of Freedom moved our ancestors to break with a tyrannical empire, issue the Declaration of Independence, and go on to overcome every hardship to establish a Republic like no other. It is this unwavering spirit of courage, faith and patriotism that propelled Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride, and that later inspired some of the worlds greatest men to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to build a new nation. It is this spirit that led General George Washington to persevere at Valley Forge; inspired Davy Crockett to make his last stand at the Alamo; sustained settlers on the Oregon Trail; held the bloody ridges of Gettysburg; set slavery on a path to worldwide extinction; roused a generation of young men to conquer tyranny and communism overseas; and carried our beautiful Stars and Stripes to the face of the moon. To this very day, it is this American spirit that lives on in the hearts, minds, and souls of every patriot  and inspires every new generation of American citizens to reach further and aim higher.

When the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, General George Washington issued General Orders to his army. In words that have echoed throughout history, he wrote: The fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this army Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble Actions.

Today, too, we pray that our noble cause continues to be guided by the hand of providence and the grace of God  and that the fire of freedom will forever burn brightly in the heart of every American. Above all, this year, we pray and endeavor that the triumph of the American spirit and the glorious truths expressed in our Declaration of Independence will shine more radiantly than ever before.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim 2026 as a Year of Celebration and Rededication. I call on every American to reflect upon and celebrate the wisdom and deeds of the heroes of our Founding who made the miracle of America possible. I call on parents to teach their children about Americas inspiring history, heritage, and heroes. I invite the world to come to our shores to experience the splendor, warmth, and hospitality of America. And I encourage all Americans  including businesses, churches, families, and the military  to observe this year, reflecting on the blessings our Nation has received, with appropriate programs, ceremonies, concerts, celebrations, and activities in their homes, schools, work, communities, military bases, and houses of worship.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Activists filed two impeachment complaints against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte Monday, accusing her of large-scale corruption after an initial attempt to unseat her a year ago was shot down by the Supreme Court on a legal technicality.

The new impeachment bids filed before the House of Representatives are the latest episode in the stormy political life of Duterte, a 47-year-old lawyer and former city mayor who has been touted by supporters as a potential presidential contender in 2028.

She is the daughter of ex- President Rodrigo Duterte, who oversaw bloody anti-drug crackdowns while in office from 2016 to 2022. He was arrested and detained in the Netherlands by the International Criminal Court last year for alleged crimes against humanity.

The vice president had blamed Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., once her political ally, for allowing what she called the illegal arrest and kidnapping of her father last year by the global court. Her camp has claimed opponents were resorting to fabricated criminal cases to block her from running for president in 2028.

We are prepared to confront these allegations squarely through the proper constitutional processes, confident that a fair and impartial review will demonstrate that the accusations are devoid of both factual and legal basis, the vice presidents lawyer, Michael Poa, said in a statement.

The new complaints centered on her alleged illegal use and mishandling of 612.5 million pesos ($10.3 million) in confidential funds from the vice presidents office, and also from her time as education secretary under Marcos.

The allegations were investigated two years ago by members of the House, which was dominated by Marcoss allies, but the vice president refused to respond in detail to questions and skipped some of the televised hearings.

One of the complaints also accused the vice president of having unexplained wealth, including in personal bank accounts. A leading anti-graft prosecutor said his agency was trying to gain access to those accounts as part of a separate criminal investigation.

The vice presidents threat during an online news conference in November 2024 to have the president, his wife and House of Representatives speaker killed by an assassin if she herself were killed amid their disputes was also cited in the one of the impeachment complaints.

The vice president, while occupying the second highest office of the land, has repeatedly and brazenly conducted herself in a manner that strikes at the very foundations of constitutional order, the complaint said. Her acts constitute grave abuses of power, open defiance of constitutional restraints, and a sustained betrayal of the public trust.

Most of the allegations were already included in an impeachment complaint filed against her more than a year ago.

The House rapidly voted to impeach Duterte in February last year and sent the case to the Senate for trial. The Supreme Court, however, later ruled that the lower chamber of Congress violated a constitutional rule that only one impeachment case could be processed by it in a single year against an impeachable official.

Marcos is also facing two impeachment complaints in the House, which is dominated by his allies. The allegations against the president include his failure to veto budgetary appropriations for infrastructure projects in recent years where he and allied lawmakers are accused of taking kickbacks.

Officials have strongly denied the allegations against the president. The vice president, however, has said that Marcos should be investigated and sent to prison for approving questionable allocations in last years budget for flood control projects, where influential legislators, including his close allies, earned huge kickbacks.

By JIM GOMEZ

Associated Press
HONG KONG (AP)  China has been flooding Latin American markets with low-priced exports, especially autos and e-commerce goods, as its exporters adjust to U.S. President Donald Trumps tariffs and geopolitical moves.

The worlds second-largest economy has become a major trading partner for many Latin American nations, seeking access to their abundant natural resources and growing markets while expanding its influence in a region Trump views as Americas Backyard.

Chinese businesses face slow demand at home. They need new markets for their products as the country ramps up production in many industries. Exports to Latin America, a market of more than 600 million people, and other regions have climbed while exports to the U.S. fell by 20% last year.

Latin America has a solid middle class, relatively high purchasing power and real demand, said Margaret Myers, director of the Asia and Latin America program at the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington. Those conditions make it one of the easiest places for China to offload its excess industrial production.

The influx of made-in-China cars, clothing, electronics and home furnishings has rankled countries trying to build their own globally competitive industries. Some, such as Mexico, Chile and Brazil, have raised tariffs or taken other measures to protect their local industries.

Cheap e-commerce goods gain market share

Cheap goods from China are welcome news for many Latin American consumers, but theyre a headache for local businesses.

Chinese e-commerce platforms, led by Temu and Shein, have accelerated that trend.

I use Temu all the time, whether to buy clothes or household items. The same things I would find in brand-name stores or shopping malls, I find on Temu at a much lower price, said Chilean restaurant manager Lady Mogollon.

Temu averaged 114 million monthly active users in Latin America in the first half of 2025, a 165% increase year-on-year from 2024, market intelligence company Sensor Tower estimates. Sheins monthly active users in the region grew 18%.

Its not just online shopping.

T-shirts, jackets, pants, toys, watches and furniture and more products made in China fill the stalls of street vendors in downtown Mexico City.

Angel Ramirez, manager of a downtown lamp shop, is struggling to compete.

The Chinese have invaded us in terms of merchandise, said Ramirez, sitting behind the counter of his completely deserted store.

Over the past few years the number of shops selling Chinese-made goods in Mexico City s downtown has more than tripled, Ramirez said, in some cases putting long-established Mexican stores out of business.

Jobs are being lost to imports

Argentina is bearing much of the brunt of rising Chinese imports, as local factories shut down and lay off workers in a manufacturing sector that employs almost a fifth of its workforce.

The volume of e-commerce imports  mostly from China  soared 237% in October from the same month a year earlier, Argentine government statistics show.

Were operating at historically low capacity as imports break record highs, said Luciano Galfione, president of the nonprofit Pro Tejer Foundation, which represents textile manufactures. Were under indiscriminate attack.

The number of Chinese products arriving in Argentina, this ultra-fast fashion, is deeply worrying, said Claudio Drescher, head of the chamber of industry and owner of the Buenos Aires-born Jazmin Chebar clothing brand. Its an international phenomenon but its now really beginning to have dramatic importance here.

A Temu spokesperson said it has been giving Latin America local businesses access to a low-cost, scalable online channel that was previously out of reach for many of them, including the opening of its marketplace to domestic sellers in Mexico and Brazil in 2025.

Shein said in a statement that the company respects the importance of local industries and fair competition. It would not comment on broader trade policy debates.

Chinese autos make inroads in Brazil and Mexico

Mexico and Brazil  Latin Americas regional auto manufacturing centers  also are under pressure from rising imports of low-priced Chinese cars.

Chinese automakers such as BYD and GWM see huge growth opportunities in Latin America. More than 80% of the 61,615 EVs sold in 2024 in Brazil, the worlds sixth-largest auto market, were Chinese brands, according to the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles.

Mexico has become the largest destination for Chinese auto exports, importing 625,187 vehicles last year, according to the China Passenger Car Association, surpassing Russias imports.

Both Brazil and Mexico already have their own robust auto industries.

Mexico, as a base for major global manufacturers, is estimated to be the worlds seventh-largest auto producer, though about 3.4 million of the nearly 4 million vehicles it made last year were exported. Brazil turned out about 2.6 million vehicles, including many EVs and hybrids. That compared with Chinas output of 34.5 million vehicles, including more than 7 million exported overseas.

In an industry where scale is vital, China does have a comparative advantage on EVs, with affordable prices and massive government support, said Jorge Guajardo, a partner at the consultancy DGA Group and a former Mexican ambassador to China.

Affordable Chinese cars appeal to many drivers and will continue to make inroads in Latin America, said Paul Gong, head of China Autos Research for the Swiss bank UBS.

Chinese automakers also are investing in local production. BYD and GWM are building factories in Brazil to expand capacity in the region, potentially creating hundreds if not thousands of jobs. Last year, however, Brazilian prosecutors sued BYD over allegations of poor labor conditions for workers, which the company denied.

Commodity-rich Latin America has limited leverage on China

China needs Latin Americas vast natural resources for its hungry industries, from lithium in Brazil to copper in Chile and fishmeal in Peru. But trade deficits with China are growing across the region.

For some nations, China just sells, they dont buy, said Guajardo.

Mexicos deficit with China, its second largest trading partner after the U.S., reached $120 billion in 2024, with exports of those including raw materials such as copper and its concentrates, electrical and electronic equipment and agricultural goods totaling only about $9 billion.

Argentinas trade deficit with China rose to nearly $8.2 billion in 2025, fueled by imports of more items such as electrical machinery and equipment and manufactured goods than its exports including of raw materials such as soybean and meat.

Brazil recorded an about $29 billion trade surplus with China last year, according to Brazilian official data. Thats partly due to surging exports of soybeans after Beijing paused its purchases of U.S.-grown soy. Chile runs a surplus with China thanks to its exports of copper, lithium, fruits and wine.

In most cases, China exports mostly manufactured goods and imports raw materials. But the relationship goes far beyond those basics.

China provided loans and grants to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2014-2023 worth roughly $153 billion  the largest source of official sector financing for the region  compared to approximately $50.7 billion that the U.S. provided, according to AidData, a research lab at William & Mary, a public university in Virginia.

That means for every dollar donated or lent by Washington, Beijing provides $3.

Latin America is a pillar of Chinas Global South strategy of countering Western influence, said Andy Mok, a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.

China financed a $1.3 billion megaport in Perus Chancay, which opened in 2024 that may eventually connect by a planned railway with Brazils coasts on the Atlantic.

State-backed Chinese companies also have made massive investments in dams, mines and other infrastructure across the region.

There may be deep concern about competitiveness, but politically, many countries dont feel they have the space to resist Chinas export surge, said Meyers from the Inter-American Dialogue think tank. The relationship has become too important economically.

Still, some countries are pushing back against Chinese imports

Mexico has long sought to protect local industries, imposing tariffs of up to 50% on imports from China, including automotive products, appliances and clothing.

Brazil is among the countries eliminating or phasing out de minimis import tax exemptions for overseas parcels costing less than $50, in part to target cheap imports from China. Its also increasing tariffs on EV imports. Other countries may follow suit, as some analysts expect more protectionist measures including tariffs and stiffer regulations coming out of Latin America.

Chile has raised tariffs and imposed a 19% value-added tax on low-value parcels.

Given Chinas growing leverage, though, countries face a balancing act when it comes to protectionist policies, said Leland Lazarus, founder of Lazarus Consulting, which focuses on China-Latin America relations.

They cant go too far, or China may retaliate in kind, he said. So, their leverage has a limit.

___

DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Batschke reported from Santiago, Chile. Sanchez reported from Mexico City. AP journalists Didi Tang in Washington, Gabriela Sa Pessoa and Tatiana Pollastri in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City also contributed.

By CHAN HO-HIM, ISABEL DEBRE, NAYARA BATSCHKE and FABIOLA SANCHEZ

Associated Press
Former ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has rubbished President William Rutos vision to transform Kenya into a first-world nation, arguing that the country cannot achieve such ambitions while millions of citizens struggle with basic needs.

Speaking at a funeral in Butere, Kakamega County, on Saturday, January 31, Owalo said the current administration has left many Kenyans drained and unable to embrace lofty promises of prosperity.

We cant take Kenyans to Singapore if their pockets are empty. No one can think about Singapore if they cant afford food. Let us say no to Singapore, Owalo stated.

Owalo served as ICT CS from October 2022 to July 2024 and criticized the first-familys rhetoric as politically motivated. He warned citizens against being swayed by promises that, he argued, do not address their immediate struggles.

The former minister, who is eyeing the 2027 presidency, also vowed to launch a stronger crackdown on corruption. He claimed that a small elite controls nearly 90 percent of Kenyas wealth, leaving millions of citizens in hardship while a few individuals accumulate vast fortunes.

Approximately 90 per cent of Kenyas wealth is in the hands of just 125 individuals. If elected as President, I will reveal their identities so that we know who has been stealing public funds, Owalo said.

He added that anyone found guilty of corruption would serve jail terms at Kamiti Maximum Prison instead of using stolen resources to advance political ambitions. Owalo also pledged to reopen all corruption cases filed under the current constitution to ensure accountability.

Owalos remarks highlight growing public debate over Kenyas feasibility of the presidents first-world agenda, as political actors position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has declared that the Mt Kenya region will vote as a solid bloc in the 2027 General Election, a move he said will deny President William Ruto a second term in office.

Gachagua said the region has already withdrawn its political support from President Ruto, arguing that the votes from Mt Kenya played a decisive role in delivering Rutos victory in the 2022 presidential election.

Speaking on Sunday at ACK Gitugi in Mathioya, Muranga County, the former deputy president said the Head of State fully understands the political weight Mt Kenya carries and knows that its support is no longer guaranteed.

According to Gachagua, President Ruto would have no realistic path to re-election if Mt Kenya voters act in unity.

He (Ruto) knows very well that if the mountain votes as a bloc, he stands no chance, Gachagua said, adding that the Presidents survival now depends on attempts to fragment the regions vote.

He likened the strategy to political tactics used by former President Daniel Moi during the 1992 elections, when the late leader worked to weaken opposition strongholds by dividing their support bases.

Gachagua assured supporters that whoever the United Opposition settles on as its presidential candidate in 2027 will receive full backing from Mt Kenya.

The candidate who will be picked by the United Opposition will be guaranteed the entire votes from the mountain, he said.

We will not allow anybody to divide Mt Kenya votes, Gachagua added. Kalonzo Musyoka, if the formula favours you, you will get the entire votes from the mountain. Matiangi, if it favours you, you will get the entire Mt Kenya vote, the same with my sister Karua and Eugene or even me.

Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), said opposition leaders have already closed ranks and are only waiting for the right moment to unveil their broader political strategy.

He noted that the region will shift its attention away from persuasion politics and focus squarely on voter registration and turnout.

The only issue we will deal with in Mt Kenya is registration of voters and working on turnout on election day, he said. We do not want people to be wasting time trying to convert others to be aligned to One Term. These people are already One Term. The conversation here is voter registration and voter turnout.

He urged parents to ensure their children who are aged 18 and above register as voters, saying the opposition understands how to manage turnout at the right time.

We will vote for anybody but not Ruto, Gachagua said.

The church event drew a strong lineup of opposition figures, signaling growing coordination ahead of the 2027 race. Those present included Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi, Peoples Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, former Starehe MP Maina Kamanda, former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara, Naivasha MP Jane Kihara, Kitui Senator Enock Wambua, and DP leader Justin Muturi.

Kalonzo accused President Ruto of using intimidation language to project an image of inevitability around his re-election bid.

We will bring this country to order, and we mean it. Why insult other leaders and say you will win with three million? Where will he get the votes? Kalonzo asked. He is saying that to scare us but we will not fear. We are very focused as the Opposition.

Matiangi called on opposition leaders to put aside personal ambition and rally around a shared national mission.

This time round, if we stay together, we will return the country to the right path. We have a mission to help this nation, he said.

The needs of the people are bigger and stronger than those of individual leaders. If you really love your country, no one in the Opposition should say they must be president.

Karua warned that Kenya risks sliding into lawlessness if constitutional safeguards continue to be ignored.

The country has a constitution and we will not allow Ruto to break it. Kenya is not a dictatorship; it is a democracy, she said. If we stick together, the law cannot be broken, but if we are divided, the constitution will be disregarded.

She also issued a stern message to security agencies, cautioning them against carrying out illegal directives.

Police officers do not have to obey illegal orders. You will be held responsible individually if you break the law, Karua said, urging opposition supporters to remain united to liberate the country.

Wamalwa dismissed claims that opposition leaders were being enticed into government, insisting that unity remains intact despite multiple presidential ambitions.

So many of us want to be President, but we will front one, he said. We might be six aspirants but we will front one of us to send William Ruto home.
Autopsies on street children found dead across Nairobi have revealed that pneumonia was the leading cause of their deaths, officials confirmed.

Pathologists conducting postmortems at the City Mortuary on Thursday also discovered that starvation and physical injuries contributed to some of the fatalities. In several tragic cases, children were reportedly killed by mobs after being accused of theft.

Over the past month, police recovered atleast 15 bodies from alleys and streets and transported them to various city mortuaries, including City Mortuary and Mama Lucy Hospital. Ten of the children were laid to rest at Langata Cemetery during an emotional burial ceremony, attended by other street children and volunteers.

Philanthropist Agnes Kagure coordinated the burial, calling on Nairobi authorities to overhaul how the city cares for its most vulnerable children. No government officials attended the ceremony, and the Childrens Department did not deliver any remarks.

Our children deserve safety, care, and dignity. It is heartbreaking that so many have died from preventable causes, Kagure said.

Pathologists reported that lung infections linked to pneumonia affected most of the bodies, while one victim had drowned. The deaths have raised urgent concerns about the welfare of Nairobis homeless youth.

The tragedy highlights the urgent need for comprehensive interventions to protect street children from disease, hunger, and violence, advocates say.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has said ongoing talks with President William Rutos United Democratic Alliance (UDA) must result in an equal share of national leadership and resources as the two sides explore a working arrangement ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Addressing supporters during a roadside rally in Dandora on Sunday, ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga said the party expects a fair outcome from the discussions between the top leadership of ODM and UDA.

Wanga, who also serves as the Homa Bay governor, said ODM leader Dr Oburu Odinga must safeguard the partys interests as negotiations continue to shape cooperation between the countrys two dominant political factions.

Sisi kama ODM tumesema hivi, Dr Oburu Odinga aingie katika mazungumzo na President William Ruto, wasikizane, ile ngombe ikatwe katikati, ODM ichukue nusu, UDA ichukue nusu, Wanga said to loud cheers from the crowd.

She also weighed in on internal disagreements that have emerged within the party, insisting that ODM remains united despite the challenges and will continue to pursue the political ideals championed by the late Raila Odinga.

If someone like Raila goes, there will be a few squabbles within the party but we will walk on the same road and speak in one language as a party, Wanga said.

Turning to Nairobi politics, Wanga declared that ODM is confident of sweeping all elective seats in Nairobi County in the 2027 General Election.

She said the party is united, well-organised and deeply entrenched in the capital, noting that preparations are already in place to capture every position, from Members of County Assembly (MCAs) and Members of Parliament (MPs) to the Senate and the governors seat.

According to Wanga, ODM plans to win all Nairobi seats except the presidency, which she said would go to a broad-based government candidate, naming President William Ruto.

She added that the party is not only keen on defending its current positions in Nairobi but also intends to expand its parliamentary numbers in the city.

Sisi kama ODM tuko kimoja na chama kiko imara hapa Nairobi. Na nataka niseme kwamba tukiingia 2027, viti zote hapa Nairobi ni za ODM. Tukisema MCA ni ODM, MP ni ODM, na sisi tutajipanga tupate MPs hata zaidi ya wale tuko nao kama chama cha ODM. Senator, itakuwa ni ODM, Governor ODM, na president atakuwa wa broad-based government, ambaye sisi tutakuwa tumefanya nae mazungumzo pamoja na wenzetu wa UDA, Wanga said.
A police recruit collapsed and died while undergoing routine training at the General Service Unit (GSU) field campus in Magadi, Kajiado County, in the latest tragedy to hit Kenyas security training institutions.

Police confirmed that the family of the deceased, identified as Cheme Chombo Cheme, reported the incident, which occurred on Saturday during a recruit training course at the GSU Field Campus in Magadi.

According to police, the recruit suddenly lost consciousness during the training session. Fellow officers immediately rushed him to Magadi Hospital, where he received initial treatment before doctors referred him to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialised care.

However, medics pronounced him dead on arrival.

Authorities said the body was preserved at the Kenyatta University Mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death.

The incident raises fresh concerns over the safety of recruits in training, bringing the total number of deaths reported in police colleges since December 2025 to three.

Previous cases occurred at the Kiganjo Police Training College and the Administration Police Training College (APTC) Embakasi Campus in Nairobi.

On January 18, 2026, another police recruit died while receiving treatment at APTC Embakasi. The recruit had earlier sought medical attention after experiencing chest pain, dizziness, cough, and extreme fatigue before succumbing while under care.

The spate of deaths has not been limited to police training institutions.

A similar tragedy recently struck the military after three Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) recruits died following medical complications during a routine training exercise at the Defence Forces Recruits Training School (DFRTS) in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

In a statement, KDF said the incident occurred on January 29, 2026, during a scheduled endurance exercise.

The recruits developed medical complications while participating in a routine endurance exercise, the military said.

KDF explained that on-site medical teams provided immediate first aid before evacuating the affected recruits to Eldoret Regional Hospital for advanced treatment.

Despite what the military described as concerted efforts by medical personnel, doctors later pronounced all three recruits dead.

The Kenya Defence Forces said it had formally notified the next of kin and is offering support to the affected families.

The Kenya Defence Forces conveys its deepest condolences to the families, loved ones, fellow recruits and colleagues of the deceased during this difficult time, the statement read.

KDF has since launched a comprehensive investigation in line with established military procedures to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The military said the findings will guide any necessary measures aimed at strengthening the safety, health, and welfare of recruits and personnel undergoing training.
President William Ruto condemned the use of places of worship as venues for political attacks, delivering what appeared to be an indirect rebuke of opposition leaders. The President said churches must remain sanctuaries where congregants can pray in peace.

Speaking on Sunday at Pefa All Nations Gospel Church in Gikomba, Nairobi County, Ruto acknowledged that citizens are free to participate in politics but insisted that the house of God must remain a space of reflection, worship, and calm.

All of us being Kenyans, we can engage in politics and seek leadership, but the house of God, at the altar, in the church, is a place of respect. Let us not bring politics, hatred, disputes, or chaos there. We want our churches to be a place of peace, a place of seeking God. And all of us, irrespective of who we are, irrespective of what we believe in, we must respect the place of God in our churches, he said.

The President at the same time directed all security agencies to ensure churches are protected from violence and political interference.

All arms of security must ensure that our places of worship are protected from unnecessary and useless, and retrogressive fights and politics. All of us have platforms outside the church where we can conduct our politics, he added.

Rutos remarks come after violent clashes at Witimama ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County, last Sunday, where former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and other opposition leaders were forced to flee amid tear gas and unrest.

The attack reportedly involved live ammunition and tear gas, creating a tense situation for congregants, while several vehicles were set ablaze. Gachagua described the incident at Wairima ACK Church as an assassination attempt, claiming police dispatched two vehicles from Nairobi to carry out the operation.

Police Inspector Douglas Kanja confirmed that investigations into the attack have begun.

Opposition leaders have warned that if authorities fail to act within two weeks, they will mobilize Kenyans for mass protests, heightening tensions ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Individuals named Ajmal are often perceived as possessing a natural charm and elegance that draws people to them. They tend to be diplomatic, with an innate ability to navigate social situations gracefully and maintain harmony in their relationships. Many Ajmals exhibit a strong aesthetic sense and appreciation for beauty in various forms, whether in art, nature, or human interactions. They are typically well-mannered, considerate, and strive to present themselves in the best possible light both physically and morally.



Their name's meaning often inspires them to cultivate inner beauty through kindness, honesty, and ethical behavior, making them respected members of their communities. While they may face expectations to live up to their name's connotation of beauty, most Ajmals develop a balanced personality that combines outward grace with substantial character depth. They often excel in professions that require interpersonal skills and aesthetic sensibility, and they tend to be peacemakers who value harmony and beauty in their personal and professional lives.
Discover the origin, meaning, and cultural significance of the name BECK. Delve into its historical roots and explore the lasting impact it has had on communities and traditions.

Cultural & Historical Significance

The name Beck has deep roots in European naming traditions, originating as a topographic surname in England and Germany for people living near streams or brooks. This practical origin reflects how medieval Europeans often derived surnames from geographical features near their homes. In Christian tradition, the name's connection to water carries spiritual significance, as water represents baptism, purification, and the Holy Spirit in biblical texts. The transition from surname to given name during the 20th century illustrates broader cultural shifts in naming practices, particularly in America where occupational and location-based surnames became fashionable first names. This evolution also reflects changing attitudes toward tradition and individuality in personal naming conventions.
Women named Cristine are often perceived as compassionate, intuitive, and spiritually inclined individuals. They typically exhibit strong empathy and natural caregiving tendencies, making them excellent listeners and supportive friends. Cristines are known for their moral integrity and often serve as moral compasses in their social circles, guided by strong personal values and ethical principles. These individuals tend to be creative and expressive, with many excelling in artistic or helping professions where they can make a positive impact on others' lives.



Cristines possess a quiet strength and resilience that allows them to navigate challenges with grace and determination. While often gentle in demeanor, they can be surprisingly assertive when defending their beliefs or protecting loved ones. Their balanced nature combines emotional depth with practical wisdom, making them both dreamers and doers who inspire others through their actions and character. Many Cristines demonstrate remarkable patience and understanding in relationships, often becoming the stabilizing force in their families and communities. Their intuitive nature helps them read situations accurately and respond with appropriate sensitivity and wisdom.
Individuals named Gilmat are typically characterized by strong protective instincts, unwavering loyalty, and a practical, no-nonsense approach to life. They tend to be reliable and steadfast, often taking on responsibilities with serious dedication. Their historical association with sword-bearing translates metaphorically to modern personality traits of being defenders of their communities and families, always ready to stand up for what they believe is right. Gilmats often possess a quiet strength and determination that others find reassuring. They are not typically flashy or attention-seeking, preferring to demonstrate their worth through actions rather than words. This practical nature makes them excellent problem-solvers who can be counted on in difficult situations.



Beyond their protective nature, Gilmats often exhibit a deep sense of honor and tradition. They value consistency and reliability in both themselves and others, and they typically approach relationships and commitments with long-term perspective. While they may appear reserved or serious at first meeting, those who earn their trust discover individuals of deep conviction and surprising warmth. Their strength lies not in aggression but in steadfastnessthe ability to remain constant and reliable through challenges. This makes them natural leaders in situations requiring endurance and moral courage, though they often lead by example rather than seeking positions of authority. Their combination of practical competence and ethical consistency makes them valued members of any community or organization.
Based on mythological context, Halirrhothius likely possessed traits characteristic of divine offspring in Greek traditionconfidence bordering on arrogance, a sense of entitlement from his Poseidon lineage, and the boldness to confront powerful figures like Ares. His fatal encounter suggests either great courage or foolish recklessness, possibly driven by the tempestuous nature inherited from his sea-god father. The mythological tradition implies he embodied the dangerous combination of divine power and mortal limitation that often proved fatal to Greek mythological figures.



His story positions him as a symbolic representation of youthful hubris and the perils of challenging established hierarchies. While specific personality details are sparse in ancient sources, the circumstances of his death paint a picture of someone who either underestimated the consequences of his actions or believed his divine parentage offered sufficient protection. This tragic archetype serves as a warning about the limits of divine favor and the importance of respecting boundaries and authorities in Greek cultural values.
Women named Minna are often perceived as possessing a unique blend of strength and gentleness, reflecting the name's meaning of 'resolute protector.' They typically exhibit strong determination and reliability, coupled with a warm, approachable nature that makes them excellent friends and confidantes. Minnas are frequently described as having keen intelligence and practical wisdom, able to navigate complex situations with both logic and empathy.



Their protective instincts extend beyond personal relationships to broader social concerns, often showing compassion for those in need. Many Minnas display artistic or creative talents, particularly in literary or musical pursuits, and they tend to value education and personal growth throughout their lives. While they can be quietly assertive when necessary, they generally prefer diplomacy and collaboration over confrontation, making them effective mediators and team players who build strong, supportive communities around them.
SIUs Love at the Glove 2026 set for Feb. 13

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill.  The annual Love at the Glove Valentines Day art show returns on Feb. 13 with an exhibition featuring works from Southern Illinois University Carbondale students, faculty and the community.

The student-run art show is from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Surplus Gallery inside the Glove Factory Studio Arts Building, 432 S. Washington St. Admission is $5. Proceeds from door entry and artwork submissions will benefit Critical Forum, also known as C4, a registered student organization.

Artwork sales are negotiated between prospective buyers and artists, with inquiries made on a case-by-case basis. Artwork prices will not be listed at the gallery but can be provided on a separate label by the artist, if desired. Critical Forum will have contact information for all artists and artwork on display.

The art can be adult-themed and is intended for mature audiences only and therefore is not suitable for children or minors. Many pieces also have tongue-in-check humor. As with all exhibitions, the artwork represents the viewpoints of its creators, not SIU Carbondale.

The evening will feature beverages, food, live painting and live music by Stay Here and Katt Holiday.

Artist submissions sought

The show encourages submissions across multiple mediums  two-dimensional works, three-dimensional works, installation art and performance art.

The $5 entry fee includes one artwork submission, with a $5 fee for each additional artwork. Artists are responsible for installation and removal of their works.

Artists who want to participate should bring their submissions to the Surplus Gallery from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, to Thursday, Feb. 12.

For more information or special arrangements or scheduling needs, contact the Surplus Gallery at sgallery@siu.edu.
PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 2: K. V. Toys India Limited (BSE: 544641), a fast-growing toy manufacturer and distributor in India, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved the incorporation of a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), INDO MANUFACTURERS LLP, as part of the Company's strategic expansion plans. The Company will hold a 55% capital contribution and profit-sharing ratio in the proposed LLP, reinforcing its commitment to enhancing operational efficiencies and long-term growth. Strategic Rationale The formation of the LLP is aimed at enabling backward integration, allowing the Company to transition from an OEM-led model toward increased in-house manufacturing. This move is expected to improve supply chain reliability, enhance operational flexibility, and support scalable growth. Operations at the new manufacturing facility are expected to commence from Q1 FY2027, with the LLP likely to be formed within the next 30 days, subject to customary conditions. Investment Details The initial capital contribution to the LLP shall be approximately 55,000. The total capital expenditure for the proposed manufacturing facility is estimated at approximately 2 crore, which is proposed to be funded through capital contribution by the LLP partners and/or through debt. Further investments, if any, will be made as required, subject to business needs. At the initial stage, the facility is expected to achieve an average production capacity of approximately 1,75,000 units per month. About K.V. Toys India Limited: K.V. Toys India Limited incorporated in 2009, K. V. Toys India Limited is engaged in the contract manufacturing and sale of plastic-moulded and metal-based toys across educational and recreational segments. The Company has evolved from an importer and trader to a domestic manufacturing-focused organization with a diversified product portfolio of over 700 SKUs, spanning vehicles, dolls, animal figurines, toy guns, puzzles, bubbles, and more. The Company markets proprietary brands including Alia & Olivia, Yes Motors, Thunder Strike, and Funny Bubbles, and operates a manufacturing facility in Kalher, Bhiwandi, supported by a network of OEM partners to ensure consistent quality and output. With a distribution reach covering 2,000+ general trade customers, over 30 modern retail chains, major e-commerce platforms, and quick-commerce partners, K. V. Toys India Limited has established a strong presence across Tier I, II, and III cities in India. The Company has also initiated exports, delivering its first international order to Germany while actively exploring additional global opportunities. The Company was listed on the BSE in December 2025. (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.)
The announcements made in the Union Budget 2026 for the financial sector are expected to play a crucial role in crowding in private investment and accelerating infrastructure execution, according to a report by Union Bank of India. The report highlighted that the reforms announced in the Budget will help strengthen lender confidence, particularly by reducing perceived credit risk in early-stage infrastructure projects. This improvement in risk perception is expected to encourage greater private sector participation and support faster execution of infrastructure projects across the country. It stated that "budget will help in strengthening lender confidence by reducing perceived credit risk in early-stage infra projects. Helps crowd-in private investment and accelerates infrastructure execution". The key announcement highlighted in the budget 2026 is the setting up of a High-Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat. The committee is expected to work towards aligning India's banking architecture with the next phase of economic growth, keeping in view evolving financing needs and global best practices. The Budget measures also aim to enable long-term structural reforms in the financial system. The report added that these reforms are expected to improve governance standards, strengthen the resilience of the banking sector, and prepare lenders for meeting high-growth credit demand in the coming years. The overall focus is on creating a robust and forward-looking financial architecture aligned with India's long-term growth aspirations. In the power sector, the report noted that the Budget initiatives will improve efficiency and capital allocation in power-sector financing. This, in turn, will strengthen the ability of financial institutions to fund renewable energy and transmission projects, which are critical for meeting India's energy transition goals. As part of this effort, the government has announced the restructuring of Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation, with the objective of enhancing their effectiveness in financing power infrastructure. The Budget outlined new targets for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), focusing on credit expansion and technology adoption. These measures are expected to improve credit penetration in underserved segments, accelerate digitisation in NBFC operations, and enhance overall financial inclusion. In addition, the government has announced the creation of an Infrastructure Risk Guarantee Fund. The fund will provide prudently calibrated partial credit guarantees to lenders during the development and construction phase of infrastructure projects. According to the report, this step is expected to further reduce risk for lenders and encourage greater private investment in infrastructure. Overall, the report by Union Bank of India noted that the Budget's financial sector measures are aimed at strengthening confidence, improving capital allocation, and supporting sustainable economic growth. (ANI)
PRNewswire Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 2: Hettich India has been recognised among the Top 50 India's Best Workplaces in Manufacturing (Large Category), reflecting the strength and maturity of its human resource policies and people centric practices. The recognition highlights the organisation's structured approach to employee engagement, capability building, recognition, and workplace well-being, which collectively contribute to a high-trust and high-performance culture. This recognition is based on a comprehensive assessment of employee feedback, HR systems, leadership effectiveness, and organisational practices, highlighting the strength of Hettich India's transparent policies, inclusive culture, and sustained focus on employee development. The recognition reflects the organisation's employee-first approach, supported by structured initiatives spanning recognition, learning and development, leadership readiness, innovation, work-life integration, and well-being. Programs such as Star of the Month, We Value Recognition, Tempus and Hettich First, and Hettich Stories, along with capability-building platforms like Akademie, Akademie Tech, Ascend, Ignite, Canvas and the Talent Rotation Program, are complemented by innovation and engagement initiatives including Kickbox, and Hettich Air, as well as family-centric and wellness programs such as My Daughter My Pride and Hettich Care, reinforcing a holistic and people-centric workplace culture. Commenting on the achievement, Mr. Andre Eckholt, Managing Director - Hettich India, SAARC, Middle East & Africa, said: "As we celebrate 25 years of Hettich in India, being recognised among the Top 50 India's Best Workplaces in Manufacturing 2026 (Large Category) adds a second milestone to this moment. This recognition is a strong validation of the core values that have defined Hettich over the years. It reinforces our belief that a resilient ecosystem is built on trust, respect, and the continuous development of our people. Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, and this recognition further strengthens our commitment to fostering a culture that enables innovation, accountability, and long-term excellence." Mr. Amit Prasad, Chief Human Resource Officer - Hettich India, SAARC, Middle East & Africa, said: "At Hettich, our HR philosophy is rooted in creating an environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and inspired to grow. Our people policies focus on continuous learning, meaningful recognition, inclusive leadership, and holistic well-being. Through structured initiatives across capability building, innovation, and employee engagement, we strive to create a workplace that not only supports performance but also fosters trust and long-term career growth." Being recognised among the Top 50 India's Best Workplaces in Manufacturing (Large Category) reaffirms Hettich's HR practices that are aligned with what truly matters to its employees and strengthens its resolve to keep raising the bar. About Hettich: Hettich is a 138-year-old family-owned German lifestyle brand, being one of the world's largest manufacturers of Furniture Fittings with a global turnover exceeding 1.5 billion euros. In India, Hettich started operations at the dawn of the new millennium and within a short span of time gained an undisputed leadership position in the Indian furniture fittings industry. This year, the company celebrates 25 years of its operation in India, with the theme of 'Built to Lead', a powerful articulation of the journey and leadership mindset shaping its future. Hettich's product portfolio comprises a repertoire of Furniture Fittings, Architectural Hardware, Blaupunkt Built-in Appliances and Furniture Lights, providing magical interior solutions for all residential and commercial spaces. It is the recipient of ET Edge 'Best Brands' (2022 - 2025), 'Most Trusted Brands of India' (2023 - 2026) and 'Most Preferred Brand' 2025 by Marksmen Daily recognitions for its unwavering customer trust and strong brand equity. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2874463/Hettich_GPTW.jpgLogo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2437651/5611026/Hettich_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
VMPL Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 2: Community Pure Water hosted its Annual Fundraiser 2026 at Hyderabad's iconic Chowmahalla Palace, bringing together leaders from philanthropy, business, civil society, and government around a shared commitment to improving health and quality of life in rural India through access to safe drinking water. Race2Win Foundation was the title sponsor for the fundraiser which convened long-standing supporters, new partners, CSR leaders, and changemakers united by the understanding that without good health restored with safe water, economic development, progress in education or gender equity, cannot be sustained. Founded by Mr. Ravi Reddy as the flagship initiative of Community Development Foundation, Community Pure Water works to eliminate the health hazards from polluted drinking water in rural India. By addressing clean water as preventive health infrastructure rather than short-term charity, the organisation has built one of India's most effective community-led safe-water delivery models. Today, over 1.2 million people in villages and schools across India can access safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water every day at Community Pure Water's 550+ community-based water purification centres. Each Community Pure Water Centre functions as a 24/7 ISO-certified micro-utility designed to ensure consistent water-quality and long-term impact. Through the integration of technology, automation, preventive maintenance, and community ownership, these centres collectively dispense over 9 lakh litres of purified water each day, while maintaining more than 97 percent operational uptime. This reliability directly reduces disease burden, strengthens nutrition outcomes, and enables families to lead healthier, more productive lives. The evening underscored the urgent need to invest in safe water infrastructure as a preventive public health intervention and a catalyst for community development. The Annual Fundraiser 2026 was organised under the leadership of Mrs. Pratiksha Prashant, Board Member and Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee, whose vision brought together diverse stakeholders who, understanding the critical role of safe water as a foundational public health intervention, generously enabled Community Pure Water to meet the fundraiser goal to bring safe water to 25 more rural schools. The fundraiser was envisioned as an intimate charity dinner featuring a six-course gourmet menu curated by three of India's leading chefs: Avinash Martins, Mythrayie Iyer, and Vinesh Johny. Set beneath Chowmahalla Palace's grand chandeliers and within its open courtyards, the evening offered guests an immersive experience that blended culture, cuisine, and purpose. The event was graced by eminent Guests of Honour, including Mrs. Pinky Reddy, philanthropist and producer, as Chief Guest, and Ms. Nandita Das, acclaimed actor, filmmaker, and social advocate, as Special Guest Speaker. The presence of Mr. Ravi Reddy, Founder of Community Pure Water, reaffirmed the organisation's mission-driven roots and long-term commitment to socio-economic development by securing safe water for life. Also in attendance were distinguished leaders from defence, government, culture, and civil society, including Major General Ajay Misra, General Officer Commanding of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Indian Army; Mr. Shivdhar Reddy, Director General of Police, Telangana; Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Youth Advancement, Government of Telangana; and Ms. Laura Williams, Consul General, US Consulate General, Hyderabad. The evening was further enhanced with the participation of Ms. Regena Cassandra, actor and Co-Founder of Democratic Sangha; Mr. Gopi Rao, Founder of Race2Win Foundation and Title Sponsor of the fundraiser; Mr. Kishore Kothapalli, Board Member, Community Pure Water; Addinath Kothare, actor and director of the award-winning film Paani; and Ms. Sumeet Rawla, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Community Pure Water. As India continues to face growing water safety challenges, the Community Pure Water Annual Fundraiser 2026 underscored a clear truth: safe drinking water is the foundation for good health and an imperative for lasting development. By securing clean water first, communities restore good health, unlock better nutrition, stronger livelihoods, and more resilient local economies. Through strategic partnerships and community-centric solutions, Community Pure Water continues to work towards a future where water security is strengthened, public health is safeguarded, and communities are empowered to thrive. (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.)
Mumbai police presented five people who are detained in connection with the firing incident at Bollywood director Rohit Shetty's residence before the Criminal Court on Saturday. Speaking to ANI, the lawyer for the accused stated that they have no connection with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claiming that they have no knowledge about the firing. He shared that the police have been granted 4-day custody of the accused, who are ready to cooperate. "The police sought custody from the Court, saying they had a role to play in the firing incident. The accused have no knowledge of what has happened... The wanted accused, Lonkar, was in contact with the mastermind. Someone else fired the shots. The arrested accused are not related to each other; they have been arrested after analysing the CCTV footage. We are ready to cooperate. Listening to all the arguments, the Court has granted a four-day police custody... The accused have no links with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang." On Sunday, assailants fired four rounds outside the residence of the Bollywood film director, police officials said. Soon after the firing, heavy police security was deployed around Shetty's residential tower in the Juhu area. Police and forensic teams reached the spot and secured the premises to carry out a detailed examination. Officials said an investigation is underway and all possible angles are being explored to identify those responsible for the firing. No injuries were reported in the incident. DCP Sambhaji Kadam revealed that the suspects hailed from different locations across Pune. "We received information about the suspects from the Mumbai Police team, after which we formed different teams and arrested the five individuals today. They have been handed over to the Mumbai Police team, who are currently interrogating them. More information about the incident will emerge after a detailed investigation," he said. Rohit Shetty is a well-known filmmaker in the Indian film industry and is known for hit films such as Golmaal and Singham. (ANI)
Veteran actor Neena Gupta, whose career is widely seen as a story of perseverance and resilience, has recalled the circumstances that led her to make a candid social media post seeking work, though she admitted that the actor was initially worried about how her daughter, fashion designer Masaba Gupta, might react to it. Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, Neena Gupta, who is known for her performances in projects such as 'Panchayat', 'Masaba Masaba', 'Uunchai' and 'Woh Chokri', said that during a phase when meaningful roles were drying up, she realised that perception gaps and misinformation had adversely impacted her career. "I was married to a person from Delhi. Everyone thought I had moved there and stopped working...'dheere dheere mujhe kaam milna band ho gaya'. This perception was spread by the media, and gradually I stopped getting work," she told ANI. Recounting the incident that led to her post on Instagram in 2017, asking for work, the ace star recalled, "Mai kaam ke liye kisi office mein gayi, to ek ladki aa rahi thi usne kaha, 'When did you come to Bombay?' I used to have 11,000 followers on social media zyada nahi..I came home angry, 'ki isliye mujhe kaam nahi mil raha. (This is why I am not getting the work)'... husband pe bhi gussa aa gaya aur aate hi post kar diya.." However, soon after posting, she began to worry about her daughter's reaction. "I didn't even know how to delete it. So I thought, 'Masaba to jaan se maar degi mujh ko (Masaba will kill me). 'What rubbish, Mama, you are doing. What rubbish'," however, she was very emotional. Masaba wrote an emotional thing on it. Oh my God. Aur log mere ko milke aankh mein aansoo aa jaate the, 'Ma'am, you are so brave and all that'. However, she candidly admitted that the viral post did not immediately translate into work opportunities. "I never got any better work after that. Really, not at all. My career changed only after 'Badhaai Ho'. If that movie hadn't hit, I would have continued doing smaller roles like chhote, bhabhi, mummy, dadi, bua(kind of roles)," she said, referring to the kinds of supporting roles she was often offered before her breakthrough. Neena Gupta praised the film and her co-actors, calling the experience "amazing." She hailed Ayushmann Khurrana, Surekha Sikri, and Gajraj Rao for their performances, "It was an amazing picture..ek ek dialogue" Meanwhile, on the work front, the actress will next be seen in the film 'Vadh 2' alongside Sanjay Mishra. The cast also includes Kumud Mishra, Akshay Dogra, Amitt K Singh, Shilpa Shukla, and Yogita Bihani. The film is written and directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg's Luv Films. Vadh 2 is set to release in theatres on February 6, 2026. (ANI)
The Union health budget for 2026 has been raised to Rs 1,04,599 crore, 18 per cent higher than last year. According to Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, Managing Director & CEO, Fortis Healthcare, "The Union Budget 2026 sends a strong and timely signal that healthcare is central to India's growth and resilience. The Rs 10,000-crore Biopharma Shakti initiative, with its expanded network of NIPER institutes, 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites, and strengthened regulatory framework, will build a robust ecosystem for domestic biologics and biosimilars. The expansion of medical education and focus on strengthening cancer care at the district level reflect a forward-looking approach to India's evolving disease burden. The Budget's recognition of rising challenges such as obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, lifestyle disorders, and mental health calls for greater emphasis on prevention, early diagnosis, and integrated care models." "Exemption of import duties on key cancer and rare disease medicines will significantly improve patient access and reduce treatment costs. Meanwhile, the proposed five regional healthcare hubs, which will combine clinical, educational, and research facilities, are expected to strengthen regional care delivery and innovation," he said Dr Harsh Mahajan, FICCI Mentor & Founder of Mahajan Imaging & Labs, said that the initiatives signal a strong and forward-looking direction for India's healthcare ecosystem. He said, "The Union Budget's initiatives signal a strong and forward-looking direction for India's healthcare ecosystem, and there is clear relevance for diagnostic service providers. The push for Biopharma Shakti with a Rs 10,000 crore allocation over five years to boost domestic manufacturing of biologics and biosimilars underscores the government's intent to strengthen advanced treatment availability in India. This will not only help patients access critical therapies but also increase demand for high-quality diagnostics to guide and monitor those treatments." He also said that advanced diagnostics, research and rehabilitation facilities will strengthen collaborations with hospitals, "In addition, the Budget's plan to establish five regional medical tourism and integrated healthcare hubs in partnership with the private sector, featuring advanced diagnostics, research and rehabilitation facilities, provides new opportunities for labs to expand services and strengthen collaborations with hospitals and care centres." "The government's focus on allied health professionals is a major step toward strengthening our healthcare workforce. Training 1 lakh AHPs and 1.5 lakh caregivers will address critical gaps in allied and geriatric care. Coupled with initiatives in medical tourism and Ayurveda, this sets the stage for India to become a global hub for comprehensive healthcare," said Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Healthcare. "The government's plan to set up five regional medical tourism hubs in partnership with the private sector is a game-changer for India's healthcare sector. With dedicated AYUSH centres integrated into these hubs, the initiative will promote holistic care while attracting international patients. Such measures not only strengthen India's position as a global destination for high-quality healthcare but also contribute to the vision of a Viksit Bharat by boosting healthcare infrastructure and medical excellence nationwide," he said On Ayush and post-rehabilitation and medical tourism, Abhay Soi, Chairman and Managing Director, Max Healthcare, said, "The proposal to establish regional medical hubs is a timely and strategic step towards positioning India as a global destination for medical value travel. By integrating clinical care, education, research, AYUSH, and post-treatment rehabilitation, this initiative addresses the entire continuum of care that international and domestic patients increasingly seek. India is uniquely positioned to emerge as a global leader in medical tourism, backed by world-class medical infrastructure, highly skilled and internationally trained doctors, and a strong cost advantage that delivers high-quality care at a fraction of global prices." "Public-private partnerships will be critical to the success of these hubs, and the healthcare industry is well placed to contribute clinical expertise, technology, and operational excellence. Beyond strengthening India's medical tourism ecosystem, this initiative will also create significant employment opportunities for doctors and allied health professionals, while accelerating innovation and skill development in the healthcare sector. We look forward to collaborating with the Government to help translate this vision into world-class healthcare infrastructure," he explained. Amit Mookim, Board of Director and CEO of Immuneel Therapeutics and Member of NATHEALTH, said, "The Union Budget 2026-27 reflects a crucial inflection point in India's biopharma track. The exemption on essential cancer drugs and the inclusion of seven rare diseases for personal import ease patient access today, and the 10,000 crore Biopharma Shakti programme helps build domestic capacity moving forward. Both of these initiatives indicate a focus on affordability as well as long-term capacity buildup. With Biopharma Shakti's focus on biologics and biosimilars, the expansion of NIPERs and the strengthening of CDSCO build a strong platform for advanced platforms with the likes of cell and gene therapies, accelerating innovation pipelines and clinical translation. From my experiences with advanced cancer therapies in India, I believe that the focus of the government on training of allied health practitioners and caregivers is as vital for safely and ethically delivering high-performing, complex, care-intensive medicines at scale." "Regional medical hubs in relation to medical-value tourism also establish India as a preferred advanced care destination. Over the next five years, long-term policy clarity, workforce readiness, and manufacturing scale can take India beyond small-molecule dominance and drive equitable healthcare access by 2030 and put the country strongly on its track towards Viksit Bharat 2047. Scaling manufacturing, supported by regulatory clarity and clinical readiness, is how India can establish defensible leadership in the global biopharma space," he further said. According to Dr Ajay Swaroop, Chairman of the Board of Management of Sir Gangaram Hospital, "India, with its varied healthcare delivery system and technology which competes with the best in the world, is ideally placed for international medical tourism. And the decision to set up medical tourism centres or specialised centres - details will be known later. I think it is a very healthy one, and this will definitely help in promoting medical tourism to this country." "Secondly, mental health is a burning topic. We have a very young and growing population in this country, and they have different types of stresses, and the incidence of mental problems is rapidly increasing due to the pressures and stresses of modern life. So, much more concerted effort in this regard is very welcome," he said. Dr Prathap C Reddy, Founder and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, said, "The Union Budget 2026-27 sends a reassuring message that India's growth will be anchored in healthier citizens and stronger health systems. The continued focus on expanding public health capacity, strengthening prevention, and improving access across tier-2 and tier-3 India is consistent with the vision of Viksit Bharat." "We welcome the emphasis to deepen India's life sciences and innovation ecosystem through Biopharma SHAKTI, including new and upgraded education and research institutions and a nationwide network of 1000 accredited clinical trial sites. These steps will accelerate the development of advanced therapies and reinforce India's position as a trusted global destination for healthcare and life sciences," he said. "The focus on people is especially heartening. Adding 10,000 medical seats in the coming year, alongside training 1.5 lakh caregivers and scaling allied health disciplines, can strengthen the Prime Minister's vision of Heal in India, Heal by India. Supporting states to create five hubs for medical tourism will elevate quality standards across regions. We appreciate the reaffirmed commitment to mental health and trauma care through the proposal to establish NIMHANS-2, upgrade apex mental health institutions in Ranchi and Tezpur, and expand emergency and trauma care capacity by 50% in district hospitals through dedicated centres," he added. (ANI)
In the Lok Sabha, Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sarbananda Sonowal will propose the motion, and party MP Tejasvi Surya will second it.

Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha, BJP MP C Sadanandan Master will move the motion, and his fellow party MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni will second the motion.

The House has allotted 18 hours for the discussion, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply on February 4 (Wednesday).

Both houses will convene at 11 am today to discuss the motion of thanks on the President's address.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reply on February 11.

The Budget session will span 30 sittings over 65 days, concluding on April 2. The two Houses will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 to enable the Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments.

Earlier, on Sunday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, her ninth consecutive Union Budget.

Asserting that the Union Budget 2026-27 is driven by "Yuvashakti" and based on "three kartavyas," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years as part of the Union Budget.

The Union Budget has outlined a major push for environmentally sustainable passenger transport, proposing the development of seven high-speed rail corridors across key urban and economic centres. These corridors will act as growth connectors, cutting travel time, reducing emissions, and supporting regional development. (ANI)
Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Monday moved an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha to discuss the reference of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in one of the emails of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. References to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2017 visit to Israel were made in an email purportedly part of the recent 'Epstein Files' documents released by the US government on January 30, 2026. The Ministry of External Affairs has rubbished the references as "trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal". In the adjournment motion, Manickam Tagore expressed concern over PM Modi's diplomatic engagement mentioned in Epstein's mail, stating that it directly impacts India's international image, moral standing, and constitutional credibility. "An email dated 9 July 2017, allegedly written by Epstein, refers to meetings involving Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, the US President, and a subsequent official visit to Israel. These claims are now circulating globally, raising serious questions and speculation. This House cannot remain silent when such issues are being debated internationally, and the Government has not provided a clear, categorical, and authoritative explanation," Manickam Tagore said in the adjournment motion. "I seek answers from the Prime Minister: Has the Government verified the authenticity of the communications attributed to Jeffrey Epstein that reference Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji? Did Jeffrey Epstein, directly or indirectly, ever interact with Prime Minister Modi or the Government of India? Was any advice, briefing, facilitation, or informal consultation sought from individuals associated with Epstein before Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji's meeting with the US President in June 2017 or his official visit to Israel in July 2017?" he asked. "What does the phrase allegedly attributed to Epstein, 'It worked, ' refer to, and why has the Government not clarified this matter despite widespread international discussion?" he added. Earlier, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal strongly dismissed with contempt the references made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel. "We have seen reports of an email message from the so-called Epstein files that has a reference to the Prime Minister and his visit to Israel. Beyond the fact of the Prime Minister's official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt," MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. The MEA response was met with further questions by Congress, which has sought to raise the issue of the reference to PM Modi in the purported email. "The PM is mentioned several times in the latest instalment of the Epstein files released by the US Govt. The Official Spokesperson has been compelled to respond. But many questions do remain," said Congress RS MP Jairam Ramesh in a post on X. The US Department of Justice on Friday (local time) released a major batch of investigative material linked to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, making public more than three million pages of records along with over 2,000 videos and around 180,000 images. Epstein died by apparent suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019, a month after being indicted on federal sex trafficking charges. He had earlier served 13 months in custody in Florida following a controversial plea deal in 2008. (ANI)
Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana on Monday raised concerns over the "hasty" appointment of Sunetra Pawar as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra following the demise of her husband Ajit Pawar, and termed it a "second shock" allegedly orchestrated by Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. In an editorial, Saamana said that the State did not gain its first woman Deputy CM by "individual administrative merit", but rather by the political manoeuvres of the higher authorities, just days after the funeral of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. It added that the public has mixed reactions to the same. "Maharashtra had not even recovered from the shock of Ajit Pawar's demise when Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis's political manoeuvres delivered a second shock. Before the ashes of Ajit Pawar's funeral pyre could even cool, Sunetra Ajit Pawar took the oath as Deputy Chief Minister. Public sentiment on this has been mixed. Some expressed that Maharashtra has gained its first female Deputy Chief Minister, but this post was not earned through individual administrative merit; thus, the question of who orchestrated this event remains before all of Maharashtra," the editorial read. Quoting NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar and MP Supriya Sule, who said they had no information about the decision, Samaana questioned Sunetra Pawar for not informing the family before taking the oath. Calling it a low in politics, Samaana attributed it to the BJP leadership. "Sharad Pawar responded calmly, stating, "I have no information regarding Sunetra Pawar's swearing-in. Her party is independent, and after Ajit Pawar, people like Patel and Tatkare are handling the reins." Supriya Sule gave a similar reaction. This means Sunetra Pawar reached Mumbai with her two sons the very next day and headed to Raj Bhavan to take the oath without letting the family catch a whiff of it. In Ajit Pawar's own words, "Politics has currently become extremely low," and the architects of this politics are the current BJP leadership," Samaana accused. The editorial said that the swearing-in ceremony "does not fit within the framework of Hindutva", given that the ceremony was held during the mourning period in the Pawar family. Samaana questioned the haste in making the decision, despite the inevitable leadership vacuum in both the party and the state. "Whether to make Sunetra Pawar the Deputy Chief Minister or something else is entirely her and her party's decision. The party belonged to Ajit Pawar, and it was under his leadership that the faction of MLAs joined the government. Therefore, questions about the party's future and leadership after his death were inevitable. Mushrif claimed that "leadership was handed to Sunetra Pawar in haste so that workers and MLAs wouldn't go astray after Ajit-dada." Even if Mushrif's point is accepted, one fact remains significant: the Nationalist Congress is in an alliance with the 'Sanatani' ideology-driven BJP, and holding such a ceremony while the house is in mourning (Sutak) does not fit within the framework of Hindutva," it noted. Samaana presented an alternate perspective, which it claimed to be "the reality." It said that the death of NCP chief Ajit Pawar piqued ambitions among some to claim the position, especially Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare. Samaana alleged that Sunetra Pawar was thus put in charge in order to "prevent the 'Pawar-Patil' party from becoming a 'Patel' party." "The reality is different. Instability arose in the party after Dada's death. With the guardian and protector gone, there was a sense of being orphaned. Consequently, the ambitions of some individuals surged, and a race for the Deputy Chief Minister's post began. There is a conflict between Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare. To prevent the "Pawar-Patil" party from becoming a "Patel" party, some people rushed to place Sunetra Pawar on the sub-throne," the editorial stated. The editorial further described the party as a boat, with CM Fadnavis controlling the engine and Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar steering it, expressing uncertainty about the survival of "captain" Ajit Pawar's party. "This does not mean Ajit Pawar's party will survive or function in the future. The captain of the boat has gone into the open sea, and everyone on board is trying to steer it in their own way. Will placing Sunetra Pawar in the boat help it escape the storm? The fact is, the engine of this boat belongs to Fadnavis, and the 'remote' for that engine is also with Fadnavis," said Samaana. The editorial further said that the 2029 Assembly Elections will be "Sunetra Pawar's real test", alleging that before the elections, many MLAs from the Eknath Shinde and Pawar parties will migrate to the BJP. It said that amid the Patel and Tatkare's struggling to win elections, Shinde and Pawar factions will "only be able to maintain their existence through the mercy of Fadnavis." "It is important to understand the future of the Shinde and Ajit Pawar factions. While there is time for the next Lok Sabha elections, it is certain that the BJP will contest the 2029 Assembly elections "100 percent" on its own strength. Before that, many MLAs from the Shinde camp and Ajit Pawar's party will migrate to the BJP. That will be Sunetra Pawar's real test. When Patel and Tatkare struggle to win their own elections, how will they ensure the victory of other party candidates? Therefore, the parties of Shinde and Sunetra Pawar will only be able to maintain their existence through the mercy of Fadnavis," the editorial noted. Samaana further underscored late Ajit Pawar's extensive portfolio, exceptional leadership skills, and independent standing, stating that Sunetra Pawar's handling of the Chief Ministership is yet to be seen. "Sunetra Pawar's Deputy Chief Ministership should not remain a mere showpiece. If she can demonstrate leadership, hard work, extensive public contact, and a refusal to completely bow down to the BJP--much like Ajit Pawar--she might create an independent standing. The post of Deputy Chief Minister has no constitutional recognition, but the portfolios held are what matter. Ajit Pawar held crucial departments like Finance and Planning, which allowed for the open distribution of funds to MLAs and workers. He also spent heavily during elections and managed the various affairs of his followers. How Sunetra Pawar handles this remains to be seen," Samaana noted. Criticising what it called " the agenda of Amit Shah and Fadnavis" -- to not allow the merger of the two Nationalist Congress Parties -- Samaana said that Sunetra Pawar will have to drive through the challenges and not become a "dumb doll." "As soon as a window is opened, toxic insects enter along with the air--Sunetra Pawar will experience this too. It is possible she will not become a "dumb doll" but work effectively. If she does, the difficulties for Patel, Tatkare, and Bhujbal will increase. Sunetra Pawar is not Ajit Pawar. Ajit Pawar had respect and affection for Sharad Pawar, which is why discussions and the process for merging the two Nationalist parties had begun. A final decision was to be made after the Zilla Parishad elections, but Ajit Pawar passed away before that. Patel and Tatkare do not want a merger. This is the 'agenda' of Amit Shah and Fadnavis," the editorial asserted. Samaana concluded the editorial by congratulating the Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and raising questions about the political landscape in Maharashtra and the Pawar family amid rapidly shifting dynamics. "The passing of Ajit Pawar has increased the confusion in the Pawar family and state politics. Many people have a vested interest in ensuring this confusion remains unresolved. What happens next remains to be seen. Maharashtra has gained its first female Deputy Chief Minister--congratulations to her! As for the mourning period, it comes and goes. How can politics be stopped? Politics has truly become extremely low-level," the editorial noted. (ANI)
The Chief Minister held a heartwarming interaction with a young girl during the Janta Darshan programme in Lucknow. After the interaction, the Chief Minister ordered his officials to ensure that the child was admitted to school.

Anabi Ali, accompanied by her mother, Farah Musharaf, approached the Chief Minister seeking help for her admission to Loreto Convent School.

Speaking to ANI here, Anabi Ali shared her experience after meeting the Chief Minister, saying, "I met CM Yogi ji and requested him to get me admission in Loreto Convent school."

Farah Musharaf, Anabi Ali's mother, also expressed hope and gratitude following the interaction. "We had come to meet the CM to seek admission for my daughter in Loreto Convent School. She recited a poem before the CM. She is keen to go to school. We are assured that she will get admission in the school," she told ANI.

During the interaction, the Chief Minister reviewed written applications submitted by people and assured them of timely assistance and resolution. He also interacted warmly with children present at the venue, addressing their issues and encouraging them.

The Janta Darshan programme is an initiative of the Uttar Pradesh government through which citizens from across the state meet the Chief Minister to raise their grievances and requests directly. (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu slammed YSR Congress Party on the alleged Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) laddu preparation controversy, saying that his allegations of the usage of adulterated ghee were backed by the National Dairy Development Board report. Chandrababu Naidu cornered the opposition said that they are "attacking him" to cover up the laddu controversy and "politicising the Lord Venkateswara. "A report has come regarding the Tirumala laddu controversy. We are taking steps to protect the sanctity of Tirumala. The NDDRB report has arrived... it stated that the laddu was adulterated. Even after this, a SIT was formed to submit another report, and they have reached the point of making allegations against me again," he said. "Although I could enter through the Maha Dwaram, I go for the darshan of the Lord simply as a common devotee. They committed wrongdoing and a great sin, and now they are attacking me again to cover it up. Even Lord Sri Venkateswara is being politicised," he added. This comes after YSRCP leaders rejected the allegations, asserting that claims of animal fat being used were baseless and politically motivated. YSRCP State Coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said the allegations had triggered unnecessary controversy and were even questioned by the Supreme Court. "Regarding this allegation against animal fat in sacred laddu preparation. CM Chandrababu Naidu has created such a wild reaction that even the Supreme Court questioned how you could make such a wild allegation. An allegation without any basis. Two national institute laboratories also refuted that allegation, and they said there is no trace of any animal fat," he said YSRCP leader Bharat Margani alleged that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, along with his son Nara Lokesh and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, had conspired to make "derogatory and defamatory statements" about the Tirupati laddu. "Chandrababu Naidu conspired with his son Nara Lokesh and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. They made derogatory and defamatory statements about Tirupati laddu and demeaned the divine Lord Venkateshwara Swami. He stated, and I quote, that in Tirupati laddu, animal fat is included in the preparation, where beef, pig fat, and fish oil are used. Last year, he made that defaming statement that has hurt millions of people across the globe," said YSRCP leader Bharat Margani. The CBI, acting on orders from the Supreme Court, had formed an SIT to investigate the matter. The remand report confirmed adulteration in the supplied ghee, and, according to the investigating agency, AR Dairy, Vaishnavi Dairy, and Bhole Baba Dairy were involved in the case. According to a SIT report, adulterated ghee supplied to TTD was made by mixing palm oil, palm kernel oil, along with some others chemicals like beta-carotene, acetic acid ester and artificial ghee flavour. However, it does not mention that animal fat was used in the adulterated ghee. (ANI)
Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday alleged that the Union Budget 2026-27 is "largely designed for invisible friends" of Bharatiya Janata Party. Taking a jibe, Akhilesh Yadav said that the budget announcement has caused the Sensex to plummet. "What can you say about a government whose budget announcement caused the Sensex to plummet? How much further will the Sensex and the rupee fall?... Thousands of acres of land have been acquired in Uttar Pradesh to build a defence corridor. But what has been achieved?" he said. "The BJP has many invisible friends who benefit greatly. This budget was largely designed for those who are invisible. Five per cent of the budget is for people. What's the benefit for farmers?" he added. Opposition MPs from Kerala protested against the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament on Monday, calling it an 'anti-Kerala Budget'. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) General Secretary Vaiko criticised the Central government over the "disappointing" Union Budget 2026-27 and alleged "discrimination against Tamil Nadu." The MDMK leader said the state's economic and industrial concerns have largely been ignored, with specific reference to the textile hubs of Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Karur, and Erode. Speaking to ANI here, Vaiko said, "That demand has not been accepted by the Union Govt. The Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday was disappointing; Tamil Nadu, in particular, has been discriminated against." Some of the key announcements of the budget were that public capital expenditure has been increased to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY 2026-27, up from Rs 11.2 lakh crore in the previous year, underlining the government's continued focus on infrastructure-led growth. Key initiatives include the development of seven high-speed rail corridors connecting major cities, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years to promote environmentally sustainable transport systems. A major highlight on the taxation front was the announcement that the New Income Tax Act, 2025, will come into effect from April 2026, accompanied by simplified rules and redesigned forms to ease compliance for taxpayers. The Budget also proposes reductions in Tax Collected at Source (TCS) rates for overseas tour packages, education and medical expenses under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. (ANI)
Lok Sabha witnessed sharp verbal exchanges on Monday during the Budget Session after Leader of the Opposition in the Lower House of Parliament Rahul Gandhi sought to quote a magazine article containing excerpts from Former Indian Army chief General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir. Gandhi's reply during the motion of thanks on the President's Address was interrupted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who raised concern about the fact that the Congress MP cannot quote from an unpublished book, which he said has not been authenticated. Moments into his speech, Rahul Gandhi referred to an allegation made by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya against the Congress, linking it to questions of patriotism and national culture. The ruling benches objected to Gandhi's attempt to cite excerpts from the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General Naravane. Responding to Tejasvi Surya's allegation, Gandhi said, "A young colleague over there made an allegation against the Congress Party. I was not going to raise this issue, but because he has raised the issue about our patriotism, our understanding of Indian culture, I'd like to start by reading something. And this is from the memoir of Army Chief Naravane. And I'd like you to listen nicely. You will understand exactly who is patriotic, who is not." Gandhi further said that the passage related to an incident at Doklam, when "four Chinese tanks were entering Indian territory" and attempting to take control of a ridge. He added, "The Army Chief writes, and I quote from an article that is quoting his book." "This is from the memoir of Army Chief Naravane. And I'd like you to listen nicely. You will understand exactly who is patriotic and who is not. It will take a little while, so this is about when four Chinese tanks were entering Indian territory. They were taking a ridge in Doklam. And the Army Chief writes, and I quote from an article that is quoting his book,'' Gandhi added. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs objected, arguing that the memoir had not been published and could not be quoted in the House. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sought clarification from the Leader of the Opposition on whether the book he was citing had been formally published. Rajnath Singh said, "I want that LoP, Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published." Rahul Gandhi responded, stating that his source was authentic and that the quotations appeared in a published magazine article citing the unpublished memoirs of former Army Chief General M M Naravane, who served as Chief of the Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022. However, the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla ruled that unpublished material could not be read out in the House and denied permission to proceed with the reading. Opposition members repeatedly demanded that Gandhi be allowed to read the memoir, while treasury bench members insisted that House rules did not permit references to unpublished works. The Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said,"The Speaker has given a ruling that articles from magazines or newspapers cannot be quoted in the House...Debate in the House should be held according to the laws." "We should also discuss what should be done with a member who doesn't obey the Speaker's ruling in Lok Sabha," Rijiju said as LoP Rahul Gandhi continued raise the unlisted issue of China and attempts to quote from a magazine article in contravention of House rules. The standoff continued for nearly 30 minutes, with disruptions from both sides, as the ruling party maintained that the opposition could not read from an unpublished article or book. Later, speaking in support of the Leader of the Opposition, Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav said, "The matter relating to China is very sensitive. LoP, Lok Sabha should be allowed to speak." Further, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also intervened during the exchange as the House remained divided over the issue, before the proceedings moved ahead amid continued interruptions. The House has allotted 18 hours for the discussion, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply on February 4 (Wednesday). Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reply on February 11. The Budget session will span 30 sittings over 65 days, concluding on April 2. The two Houses will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 to enable the Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments. (ANI)
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Members of Parliament on Monday staged a protest in the premises of Parliament, raising multiple issues related to Bihar, including the demand for special category status, law and order concerns, and the recent death of a NEET aspirant. Speaking to ANI during the protest, RJD MP Misa Bharti said that the party decided to raise "burning issues" of Bihar during the ongoing Budget Session as the Union Budget failed to address the state's long-pending demands. "There are several issues in Bihar, several demands of the people there which have not been met. Budget Session is underway. So, we all thought that the burning topics of Bihar be raised, especially that of the special status to Bihar. There was nothing for Bihar in the budget. We are also raising the issue of law and order in Bihar, of NEET aspirants' death. We want the Govt to respond and that action be taken...," Bharti said. Holding placards and raising slogans, RJD leaders accused the Centre of neglecting Bihar in the Union Budget and alleged that pressing concerns of the state were being ignored despite repeated demands raised by the opposition. The demand for special category status for Bihar has been a long-standing issue, with opposition parties arguing that the state requires additional central assistance due to its socio-economic challenges, frequent natural disasters, and comparatively low per capita income. Apart from the special status demand, the RJD MPs also highlighted the issue of deteriorating law and order in the state. Referring to the death of a NEET aspirant, the party demanded accountability and immediate action. The protest comes following the motion of thanks for President Droupadi Murmu's address in the Lok Sabha. The House has allotted 18 hours for the discussion, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply on February 4 (Wednesday). Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reply on February 11. The Budget session will span 30 sittings over 65 days, concluding on April 2. The two Houses will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 to enable the Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments. (ANI)
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday hit out at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for allegedly violating parliamentary rules during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, saying that despite repeated rulings by the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Congress leader continued to challenge the Chair and digressed from the subject, including raising the issue of the China border. "Our party initiated the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. All of us were seated to hear the speech of LoP Rahul Gandhi. But right from the beginning, Rahul Gandhi flouted rules and started quoting from a book whose publication and authenticity of a book is not clearly mentioned. Defence Minister and all of us said that the House will function as per rules and one should speak as per rules...One cannot challenge the Chair. Even after the ruling of the Lok Sabha Speaker, Rahul Gandhi kept repeating the same mistake...He wasted half an hour, violated the rules and kept saying the same thing. He started speaking on China border...Can the Congress party bring back the landmass that was captured by China in 1959 and 1962?" he said while speaking to ANI. Rijiju demanded an apology from the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of placing himself above Parliament and repeatedly violating its rules. Rijiju said India functions as a democracy governed by procedure, and alleged that Congress leaders encouraged the disruption, and asserted that Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation over the party's "sins" related to the China border issue. "Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation...If someone is born in a known family, are they above the Parliament? Are they above the rules? India is a democratic nation and functions as per rules...Rahul Gandhi doesn't follow any rules. He considers himself above Parliament. Senior Congress leaders got up and started clapping...Rahul Gandhi should use his brain and make his MPs understand to follow the rules. That is my request to him. He should apologise for the sin of Congress with respect to the China border...," he added. Earlier today, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi challenged the central government over its objections to his attempt to quote from a report that cited an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane, asking why the government was "so scared" of the content, insisting on reading excerpts related to the Doklam standoff, which he said highlight true patriotism. The Lok Sabha witnessed sharp verbal exchanges during the Budget Session after Gandhi sought to quote a magazine article containing excerpts from the unpublished memoir of former Indian Army chief General MM Naravane. During the motion of thanks on the President's Address, the Leader of Opposition said, "What does it contain which is scaring them so much? If they are not scared, I should be allowed to read on." Gandhi's reply during the motion of thanks on the President's Address was interrupted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who raised concern about the fact that the Congress MP cannot quote from an unpublished book, which he said has not been authenticated. (ANI)
Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed repeated interruptions and was later adjourned for the day following a prolonged stalemate over Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi's insistence on speaking about a specific matter pertaining standoff with China during border tensions in 2020 while referring to a report citing unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane. BJP members strongly objected to Rahul Gandhi's remarks, saying he was violating the rules of the House. The House, which began discussion on the motion of thanks on the President's Address, was adjourned till 3 pm, 4 pm and later for the day. Speaker Om Birla ruled that Rahul Gandhi should not make references to the unpublished book and article. When the House met at 3 pm, the Speaker urged the Leader of the Opposition to proceed with his speech without mentioning his intended reference. He said that the House works according to the rules. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to demoralise the armed forces. "Our party initiated the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. All of us were seated to hear the speech of LoP Rahul Gandhi. But right from the beginning, Rahul Gandhi flouted rules and started quoting from a book whose publication and authenticity of a book is not clearly mentioned. Defence Minister and all of us said that the House will function as per rules and one should speak as per rules...One cannot challenge the Chair. Even after the ruling of Lok Sabha Speaker, Rahul Gandhi kept repeating the same mistake...He wasted half an hour, violated rules and kept saying the same thing. He started speaking on China border...Can Congress party bring back the landmass that was captured by China in 1959 and 1962?...Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation," he said "If someone is born in a known family, are they above the Parliament? Are they above the rules? India is a democratic nation and function as per rules...Rahul Gandhi doesn't follow any rules. He considers himself above Parliament. Senior Congress leaders got up and started clapping...Rahul Gandhi should use his brains and make his MPs understand to follow rules. That is my request to him. He should apologise for the sin of Congress with respect to China border," he added. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also urged the Chair not to allow the Congress leader to make such a reference. Amid Rahul Gandhi's insistence on making his intended remarks about the border standoff with China, Rijiju said the House should also discuss "what should be done with a member who doesn't obey the Speaker's ruling in Lok Sabha". As the Congress leader again started making a specific reference over border standoff with China that started in May 2020, the House was adjourned till 4 pm. When the House resumed its proceedings, Jagdamika Pal, who was in the Chair, said that Speaker had already given his ruling and Rahul Gandhi should proceed with his speech. Rahul Gandhi said nothing is more important than national security and started mentioning the specific matter relating to border standoff with China in May 2020. The House was adjourned for the day amid the din. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi asked why the government is "so scared" of the content of the former Army Chief's memoirs. There were sharp exchanges between the Treasury and the opposition benches. Rahul Gandhi said he was reading from a magazine article citing the unpublished memoirs of former Army Chief. General MM Naravane served as Chief of the Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022. "What does it contain which is scaring them so much? If they are not scared, I should be allowed to read on," Gandhi asked. Rajnath Singh said the Congress leader cannot cite an unpublished book and asked what was source of his information. Gandhi said he was responding to allegations made by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who "questioned the patriotism of Congress". "A young colleague over there made an allegation against the Congress Party. I was not going to raise this issue, but because he has raised the issue about our patriotism, our understanding of Indian culture, I'd like to start by reading something," the Congress leader said. "And I'd like you to listen nicely. You will understand exactly who is patriotic, who is not." Gandhi further said that the passage related to an incident when "four Chinese tanks were entering Indian territory" National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs objected, arguing that the memoir had not been published and could not be quoted in the House. Home Minister Amit Shah said that the debate was on motion of thanks to the President's address, and BJP member Tejasvi Surya, while taking digs at the opposition, had not questioned their patriotism. He said Tejasvi Surya cited speeches from the UPA era that made no mention of Viksit Bharat. Rajnath Singh said the book Rahul Gandhi is referring to has not been published. "I want that LoP, Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published," Rajnath Singh asked. Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav said, "The matter relating to China is very sensitive. LoP, Lok Sabha should be allowed to speak. Lok Sabha took up the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Presidnet's address on Monday. (ANI)
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde on Monday criticised the Opposition for allegedly habitually raising unauthenticated and sensitive issues in Parliament that undermine the nation and for speaking negatively about India abroad. Speaking to ANI outside Parliament, Shinde emphasised that the House functions under established rules and laws, urging restraint on matters that could affect national interest. "The opposition needs to understand that this House functions according to rules and laws... When sensitive issues are discussed here, issues that haven't been published anywhere else, that haven't been authenticated by anyone, issues that are against their own country, it has become his habit to raise such matters in Parliament. It has become his habit to go outside and speak ill of India," Shinde said. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was disrupted repeatedly on Monday and adjourned for the day amid a prolonged stalemate over Rahul Gandhi's insistence on speaking about a specific matter related to the 2020 border standoff with China, citing a report on an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief General MM Naravane. BJP members strongly objected to Rahul Gandhi's remarks, saying he was speaking outside the rules of the House. The House, which began discussion on the motion of thanks on the President's Address, was adjourned first till 3 pm, then till 4 pm, and later for the day. Speaker Om Birla ruled that Gandhi should not make references to the unpublished book or article. When the House reconvened at 3 pm, the Speaker urged the Leader of the Opposition to proceed without mentioning the material, stressing that the House functions according to established rules. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to demoralise the armed forces. "Our party initiated the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. All of us were seated to hear the speech of LoP Rahul Gandhi. But right from the beginning, Rahul Gandhi flouted rules and started quoting from a book whose publication and authenticity of a book is not clearly mentioned. Defence Minister and all of us said that the House will function as per rules and one should speak as per rules...One cannot challenge the Chair. Even after the ruling of the Lok Sabha Speaker, Rahul Gandhi kept repeating the same mistake...He wasted half an hour, violated rules and kept saying the same thing. He started speaking on the China border...Can the Congress party bring back the landmass that was captured by China in 1959 and 1962?... Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the nation," he said. "If someone is born in a known family, are they above the Parliament? Are they above the rules? India is a democratic nation and functions as per rules...Rahul Gandhi doesn't follow any rules. He considers himself above Parliament. Senior Congress leaders got up and started clapping...Rahul Gandhi should use his brain and make his MPs understand to follow the rules. That is my request to him. He should apologise for the sin of Congress with respect to the China border," he added. Amid Rahul Gandhi's insistence on delivering his intended remarks, Rijiju said the House should also deliberate on "what should be done with a member who doesn't obey the Speaker's ruling in Lok Sabha." Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also urged the Chair to prevent the Congress leader from making such references. (ANI)
Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his statesmanship, crediting him for the India-US trade deal. As per the trade deal, "Made in India" goods will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent, calling it a "significant milestone". The CM took to X to express his delight over the announcement, applauding PM Modi on behalf of the people of Assam. "On behalf of the people of Assam, we wholeheartedly applaud Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for his credible and globally respected statesmanship, which has elevated India's influence on the world stage. Today marks a significant milestone as Made in India products gain access to an even larger global marketplace, opening new opportunities for our youth, farmers, and MSMEs," he wrote on X. https://x.com/himantabiswa/status/2018397542925688868?s=20 "This agreement will be a force multiplier in creating new avenues of collaboration between people of both of our countries. Under the leadership of President @realDonaldTrump and PM Modi, the world's oldest and largest democracies are now working even closer to achieve global peace and prosperity," the post read. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" today and expressed delight that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent. "Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi said in a post on X. The Prime Minister said that when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. "President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," PM Modi said. (ANI)
President of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), Captain CS Randhawa, on Monday called for urgent inspections of all Boeing 787 aircraft for electrical system faults, citing recurring incidents that he said compromise flight safety. His remarks follow the grounding of an Air India Boeing 787-8, earlier in the day, after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch. "From day one after the AI-171 crash, we have been insisting that all B-787s be checked for electrical systems. We have gone on record in the media and written letters to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the DGCA that fuel control switches may have moved automatically due to electrical malfunctions of TCMA in the AI-161 crash," Randhawa said to ANI. He highlighted the risk of water seepage into the main electronic bay of the aircraft, which can trigger electrical failures. "The B-787-800 is also prone to water seepage/leakage into the main electronic bay of the aircraft, which can cause electrical malfunctions. On June 12, 2025, an Air India flight from Vienna to Delhi was declared AOG on the ground at Vienna due to flooding of the electrical bay. Passengers were deplaned immediately to avoid any accident," he said. Randhawa also cited a 2019 incident involving All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing flight NH-985 in Osaka, where both engines rolled back due to a similar fault, though the aircraft landed safely. "An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-8, registration JA825A, performing flight NH-985 from Tokyo Haneda to Osaka Itami (Japan) with 109 passengers and 9 crew, landed on Itami's runway 32L, touched down, and the crew deployed the thrust reversers when both engines (Trent 1000) rolled back and shut down. The aircraft rolled out without further incident, came to a stop about 2450 meters/8030 feet down the runway and was disabled. The aircraft was towed off the runway about 40 minutes after landing," he said. Speaking on the incident, he said, "Today again history has repeated at Heathrow, where the left fuel control switch was cutting off after moving the switch to run during start. Also, we have been insisting that all B-787s be grounded and checked for the electrical systems." Earlier in the day, an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft was grounded after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch. An Air India spokesperson said that one of its pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, and the matter has been communicated to DGCA, the country's aviation regulator. The spokesperson said the airline is engaging the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to get the pilot's concerns checked on priority. "We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilot's concerns checked on a priority basis. The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority," the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane crashed on June 12, soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The accident killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground. A preliminary investigation into the crash revealed that just seconds before the aircraft lost power and went down near Ahmedabad airport, one pilot asked the other why he had cut off fuel to the engines. The second pilot reportedly said he "did not do so." The report mentioned that both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner shut down one second apart shortly after takeoff. This caused the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly and crash near the boundary of the airport. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations following the announcement of the India-US trade deal. According to the trade deal, tariffs on "Made in India" goods will be reduced by 18%. Shah took to X, posting, "A big day for India-US relations as the trade deal has been locked with a significantly reduced tariff of 18%, paving the way for stronger trade ties and mutual growth. I congratulate PM @narendramodi and President @realDonaldTrump for this historic deal, which will elevate our strategic partnership and greatly benefit both nations and their people. Business between India and US set to flourish further." https://x.com/AmitShah/status/2018398313301828068?s=20 PM Modi on Monday said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" and expressed delight that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. "Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi said in a post on X. The Prime Minister said that when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. "President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," PM Modi said. India and the European Union (EU) had on January 27 announced the conclusion of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), an important milestone in one of India's most strategic economic partnerships. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry had said in a release that the FTA responds to contemporary global challenges while enabling deeper market integration between the world's fourth- and second-largest economies. "With a combined market estimated at over Rs 2091.6 Lakh Crore (USD 24 trillion), bringing unparalleled opportunities for the 2 billion people of India and the EU, the FTA unlocks significant potential for trade and innovation. The FTA delivers unprecedented market access for more than 99 per cent of India's export by trade value, while preserving policy space for sensitive sectors and reinforcing India's developmental priorities," the release said. President Trump on Monday said he and PM Modi "have agreed to a trade deal" between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. In a post on his social media handle Truth Social, Trump referred to his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day. Trump said PM Modi was one of his greatest friends and a powerful and respected leader of his country. Trump also said PM Modi and he are two people that get things done. He claimed that the Prime Minister had agreed to "stop buying Russian Oil", and to buy much more from the United States. "It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine," Trump said in his post. "He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%," he added. Trump said India will reduce tariffs and non-tariff Barriers against the United States. "They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO. The Prime Minister also committed to "BUY AMERICAN," at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products. Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump added. India and the US had made significant progress on the trade deal, and there were expectations of the two countries reaching an agreement soon. (ANI)
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday welcomed the announcement of the India-US trade deal, calling the two countries natural partners and "the world's truest democracies". He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for strengthening India's global engagement. In a post on X, Rijiju said, "India and the US, the world's truest democracies, are natural partners with shared values and global responsibility. Together, we have the potential to advance peace, development, and innovation. Under the leadership of PM @narendramodi ji, India's global engagement continues to grow stronger. The India-US trade partnership reflects mutual trust and opportunity--benefiting citizens, farmers, youth, and industries in both countries." https://x.com/KirenRijiju/status/2018400543044211090?s=20 Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also expressed delight over the reduced tariffs, taking to X to highlight the benefits of the deal for Indian farmers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, youth and startups. "Today is a historic day for the India-US economic partnership. Under the leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji and the President of the United States Shri @realDonaldTrump ji, the significant trade agreement between India and the US further strengthens the spirit of trust, cooperation, and shared development between the two countries." the post read. https://x.com/ChouhanShivraj/status/2018409868722651557?s=20 "I am extremely pleased that the duty on Made in India products has been reduced to 18%. This step will enhance the global competitiveness of Indian products and boost exports. This agreement will provide new opportunities for Indian farmers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, startups, and youth to connect with the global market. As a result, it will promote production, innovation, and skill-based employment in the country. At the same time, Indian talent will gain a new identity on the international stage. This agreement will not only elevate India-US relations to new heights but also accelerate the resolve for a developed India," the Union Minister said on X. Earlier, on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it was wonderful to speak with his "dear friend President Trump" and expressed delight that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent. "Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%. Big thanks to President Trump on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India for this wonderful announcement," PM Modi said in a post on X. The Prime Minister said that when two large economies and the world's largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and unlocks immense opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. "President Trump's leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his efforts for peace. I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights," PM Modi said. (ANI)
When Congress leader Rahul Gandhi rose to speak in Parliament on Monday, there was a huge uproar from treasury benches over his remarks aimed at targeting the Modi government and the Lok Sabha proceedings saw repeated adjournments. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Union Home Minister Amit Shah were present in the House when Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, began his speech on the motion of thanks to the President's Address. They urged the chair not to allow the Congress leader to quote from an unpublished book or a magazine article that cited the book. Soon after the Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the first time in the day, Congress leaders started arriving at Rahul Gandhi's parliamentary office for a meeting. After Rahul arrived in his office, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also arrived. Priyanka Gandhi, who had left the Parliament premises, was requested to come back. Party general secretary KC Venugopal also arrived, but the arrival of party MP Shashi Tharoor came as a surprise to political observers. Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi also arrived for the meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes. This is the first time Tharoor has attended a meeting with Rahul Gandhi since his meeting last week with Gandhi and Kharge. It seems that the thaw that emerged after the last week's meeting is giving way to warmth between Tharoor and the party leadership. Many Congress leaders were seen talking about the thaw in hushed tones. Not only this, outside the House, Shashi Tharoor strongly defended Rahul Gandhi over his remarks and said that the party leader was not allowed to speak. He indicated that the magazine article that Rahul Gandhi wanted to refer to was not about the armed forces but about the government's decisions. Tharoor said that the government was overreacting to the matter. He noted that what Rahul Gandhi wanted to say is in the public domain. Tharoor added that Jawaharlal Nehru had allowed discussions in the House even over the war with China. Tharoor's "changed demeanour" has been widely noticed as he has previously avoided commenting on such matters and was seen to have strained ties with the leadership. With only Tharoor, Kharge, and Gandhi present in last week's meeting and there are indications that Tharoor has been given some kind of assurance regarding the forthcoming Kerala assembly elections, signaling a warmth in his stance. Many Congress leaders see this as a positive sign for the party ahead of the Kerala elections. (ANI)
At least 15 people were killed and seven others injured when a Russian drone struck a service bus carrying miners in the Pavlohrad district of Ukraine on Saturday (local time), according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. According to a statement issued on X by the emergency service, a fire broke out following the strike but was promptly extinguished by firefighters. "A Russian drone attacked a company service bus in the Pavlohrad district! Preliminary reports indicate that 12 people were killed. Seven others were injured and hospitalised. A fire broke out, which was extinguished by firefighters," the emergency service said in its post. "The number of victims from the Russian attack has increased to 15 people," it added. The attack targeted a company bus near the DTEK coal facility, following which Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, described the incident as "an unprovoked terrorist attack on a purely civilian target". In a statement on X, Timchenko called the attack the "single largest loss of life of DTEK employees since Russia's full-scale invasion" and "one of the darkest days in our history." He added that DTEK teams are working closely with emergency services to ensure that the injured and the families of the deceased receive care and support. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed his condolences on X, saying, "In the Dnipro region, in Ternivka of the Pavlohrad district, Russian drones struck an ordinary bus carrying miners. Sadly, many people were killed. My condolences to all the families and loved ones." He added that he had held a coordination call regarding the situation across all regions. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy provided an update on ongoing diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution in the ongoing war with Russia, announcing that the next trilateral meeting between the two sides, along with the US as the mediator, has been scheduled for February 4 and February 5 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. "Our negotiating team has just delivered a report. The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set - February 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion, and we are interested in ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war. Thank you to everyone who is helping!" Zelenskyy said in a post on X. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit the United States from February 2-4 to participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to an official release by the Ministry of External Affairs. The Ministerial will focus on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions, and strategic cooperation in critical minerals. During the visit, the External Affairs Minister will also hold meetings with senior members of the US administration. Ahead of the Ministerial, the US Department of State had said in January that the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial, to be held on February 4 by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will bring together partners from across the globe to strengthen cooperation on critical mineral supply chains. Expanding on the agenda, the State Department said in a post on X that the ministerial will focus on enhancing international collaboration to secure reliable, resilient critical mineral supply chains, which are essential to the US's economic and national security, technological leadership, and energy transition. "On February 4, Secretary Rubio will welcome partners from across the globe to the State Department for the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial. Strengthening critical mineral supply chains with our international partners is vital to America's economic and national security, technological leadership, and a resilient energy future," the State Department stated in its post. In parallel with these efforts, broader discussions on securing global mineral networks were also held earlier this month, when US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent convened a high-level Finance Ministerial in Washington to explore ways to strengthen and diversify critical mineral supply chains, with a particular focus on rare-earth elements. According to a release by the US Department of the Treasury, the meeting brought together finance ministers and senior officials from key economies, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. Representing India at the Finance Ministerial was Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw. Meanwhile, India-US engagement has also continued on the defence front, with a United States Congressional delegation led by Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Mike Rogers, along with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, holding discussions with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. The meeting, held on January 27, featured wide-ranging discussions on deepening defence industry collaboration and advancing bilateral military ties, according to the Ministry of Defence. "US Congressional Delegation led by Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Mike Rogers met Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh today. They had wide ranging discussions including the recently concluded 10-year Major Defence Partnership Framework Agreement with emphasis on strengthening cooperation in the field of defence industry," the Ministry of Defence said in a post on X. (ANI)
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) accused the Sindh administration of carrying out overnight raids across Karachi and other parts of the province, alleging that nearly 180 party workers were detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, Dawn reported. The opposition party claimed Sindh Police conducted pre-dawn operations at the homes of PTI leaders and activists, taking dozens into custody ahead of its planned February 8 protest. Later in the evening, PTI's central information department issued a statement alleging that the detained workers had been placed under one-month preventive detention through the MPO. The party termed the action "political victimisation" and alleged that arrests were made province-wide to derail its upcoming protest. PTI further accused the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government of pursuing a "non-democratic agenda" and suppressing political dissent, arguing that detaining "peaceful political workers" amounted to violations of the Constitution, law, and basic human rights. The statement demanded the withdrawal of what it called a "black decision" and the immediate release of all detained workers, Dawn reported. Meanwhile, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh clarified that the February 8 strike "is completely voluntary and peaceful, and no call has been given for blocking roads or forced closure". He added that PTI's movement could not be halted through arrests or police crackdowns. The Sindh government, however, rejected the allegations, with Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon dismissing PTI's claims as "completely false and misleading". Speaking to Dawn, Memon maintained that no mass arrests or MPO detentions had taken place. "Where's the list of those arrested. It's a blatant lie. The PTI is spreading false narratives to build momentum and gain political sympathy for its announced protest planned for February 8," he said, adding: "The provincial government has not issued any blanket detention orders against PTI leaders or workers and that law enforcement agencies are acting strictly within the law." He also reiterated that the Sindh government believes in democratic values and respects the right to peaceful protest. According to Dawn, provincial authorities accused PTI of attempting to generate political pressure ahead of the February 8 mobilisation by circulating what they described as misleading claims. (ANI)
Political activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Amjad Ayub Mirza, condemned the participation of civil rights leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir in a protest rally held in Muzaffarabad demanding the release of jailed JKLF leader Yasin Malik, calling it a dangerous convergence of civil rights activism and militant politics. In a video statement, Mirza said the rally marked a deeply troubling moment for the civil rights discourse in PoJK, noting that Yasin Malik is currently imprisoned in India following convictions related to terrorism and crimes against civilians. Mirza expressed strong disapproval of the presence and speech of Shaukat Nawaz Mir, leader of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), at the rally. He said that Shaukat Nawaz Mir, who had previously led a large-scale civil rights movement in PoJK, publicly declared during the rally that it was now the responsibility of JAAC to raise the issue of Yasin Malik. "Until recently, this individual was leading the largest civil rights movement in PoJK, mobilising thousands of people on issues of governance and rights. However, when a rally was called for Yasin Malik, only a few dozen people attended," Mirza said. According to Mirza, the episode reflects a deliberate attempt to blur the distinction between civil rights advocacy and political militancy in PoJK. He stressed that civil rights movements are built on moral clarity, inclusiveness and universal principles, whereas militant political movements rely on polarisation and the romanticisation of violence. "By sharing a platform with a JKLF leader whose actions contributed to decades of bloodshed, the civil rights movement has been reframed, weaponised and delegitimised," he added. Mirza further alleged that the development fits a long-standing pattern employed by Pakistan's security establishment in PoJK, including allowing public anger over misgovernance to grow, channelling it through civil movements, and later injecting militant narratives to redirect dissent outward rather than towards local accountability. He said the insertion of Yasin Malik's narrative into a civil rights space undermines legitimate demands for governance reform and repackages them into what he described as an outdated militancy discourse that has already inflicted severe harm on generations of Kashmiris. (ANI)
Hakkal, the BLA's media wing, shared a video of Fidayee Hawa Baloch, also known by her alias Droshum, participating in Operation Herof Phase II on the Gwadar front. The footage shows her engaged in combat alongside male fighters.

According to the BLA, the video was recorded twelve hours before she was killed during clashes with Pakistani security forces, marking what the group described as her "final message."

In a separate announcement, the BLA introduced a second female fighter, Asifa Mengal, associated with the Majeed Brigade.

Born on October 2, 2002, in Killi Qazi Abad, Noshki, Mengal reportedly joined the BLA on her 21st birthday in 2023 and officially took her "fidayee decision" in January 2024.

According to information provided by Hakkal, on January 31, 2026, she allegedly carried out a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) operation targeting the ISI headquarters in Noshki.

Operation Herof Phase II is described by the BLA as a coordinated offensive across multiple locations in Balochistan, reflecting a significant escalation in the separatist group's activities in the region.

The recent releases underscore the involvement of women in the BLA's operations, a shift the group highlights as a sign of ideological commitment rather than circumstance.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is an armed separatist organisation operating in the Balochistan region of Pakistan. Founded in the early 2000s, it seeks independence for Balochistan, citing political marginalisation, economic exploitation, and human rights abuses by the Pakistani state.

The group conducts guerrilla-style attacks, including bombings, targeted killings, and sabotage, primarily against Pakistani security forces and infrastructure.

This cycle of conflict has coincided with a troubling rise in kidnappings, enforced disappearances, and targeted abductions affecting civilians, political activists, students, and government workers.

Families continue to protest the disappearance of loved ones, who often remain missing for months or years.

The resulting climate of fear and insecurity has eroded public trust, suppressed political engagement, and disrupted daily life across the province, fuelling both resentment and instability. (ANI)
As violence continues to engulf Balochistan, activist Jibran Nasir has sharply criticised the Pakistani state's refusal to confront its own failures, warning that denial and blame-shifting are only deepening the crisis. Taking to social media platform X, Nasir said, "Balochistan is burning. Our citizens, policemen, civil servants, and soldiers are being martyred, yet no one is allowed to question anything." He mocked the official narrative that portrays Pakistan as entirely innocent, stating, "We have, apparently, done nothing to hurt anyone. No one's self-esteem has been hurt, no one has been disappointed, no one has been disheartened, and no one has any reason to hate us. The problem is that they are all so petty, so mean, so greedy, and so short-sighted that for the sake of a few dollars they would throw not only themselves but also their future and their fellow citizens into the fire. In this simple narrative, there is no responsibility, no fault, no question, and no need for accountability." Nasir argued that such thinking conveniently erases responsibility and accountability, allowing the state to avoid hard questions. He wrote, "The reality, however, is quite the opposite. Force, coercion, and violence can only achieve limited and temporary control, what we conveniently call 'peace.' This is not peace; it is merely a pause. As long as we refuse to talk, to recognise people as stakeholders, to acknowledge their dignity and worth, and to acknowledge our policies and mistakes, lasting peace is not possible." He warned that media blackouts, repression, and the silencing of critics only fuel self-deception. Balochistan is witnessing a troubling rise in kidnappings, enforced disappearances, and targeted abductions, affecting civilians, political activists, students, and government employees. Families across the province continue to protest, claiming their loved ones were taken by unknown actors and remain missing for months or even years. These incidents have created a climate of fear and insecurity, discouraging political participation and normal civic life. (ANI)
The Central Bureau of Investigation launched Multinational Operation CyStrike with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United Kingdom, Kuwait, Ireland and Singapore on January 30, targeting transnational cyber-enabled financial crime networks being operated from India and the participating countries, an official release said. On January 30, the CBI conducted searches at 35 locations spread across New Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana and West Bengal and dismantled transnational cyber-enabled financial crime networks being operated by the accused persons targeting victims from the USA, United Kingdom, Kuwait, Ireland, Singapore and India online under pseudonymous identities and defrauding them, the release stated. During search operations, CBI busted and dismantled a transnational cyber-enabled financial crime network being operated by the accused persons from New Delhi targeting US victims online. Electronic devices including laptops, mobile phones and computer hard disks containing incriminating digital evidence relating to the crime were recovered and seized from the possession of the accused. The key operative, Pfokrehrii Peter, was arrested from the spot, the release added. CBI also busted another transnational cyber-enabled financial crime network being operated by the accused persons from New Delhi, Ghaziabad and Karnataka under the domain name https://eservicemoi-Kw.com under the guise of providing Kuwaiti e-visas and offers for appointments for working in leading Kuwait companies to Indian nationals in exchange for money. During search operations, electronic devices containing fake Kuwaiti e-visas and appointment offers were recovered and seized, and cash amounting to Rs 60 lakh was also recovered from one of the accused persons, the release noted. During the search operations, CBI dismantled transnational cyber-crime networks targeting victims from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Singapore and defrauding them online. Mule accounts involved in channelising proceeds of crime from foreign victims to the accused persons were identified and taken down. Operation CyStrike, led by CBI, aimed at taking action on organised technology-enabled crime networks in close coordination with INTERPOL and foreign law enforcement agencies, has resulted in significant disruption and dismantling of major transnational cyber-enabled financial crime networks. (ANI)
Fiji is all set to welcome ministers and attorneys general, including officials from India, to the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting, which will be held in Nadi from 9 to 12 February 2026, as per a press release by The Commonwealth. The meeting takes place at a time when the rule of law is steadily declining around the world. Over the three days, law ministers will discuss how strong legal safeguards protect everyday life, from people's ability to participate in democracy and earn a fair living, to their right to live in safe and healthy communities. Ministers are also expected to agree on practical measures to advance the rule of law by improving access to justice and strengthening legal institutions that support stable societies, fair economies and environmental protection. Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey thanked the Government of Fiji for hosting the meeting. She said, "The rule of law remains essential to peace, stability, and development, yet it is under serious pressure in many parts of the world. Where it is weakened or unevenly applied, the impact is felt most sharply by ordinary people. For the Commonwealth, the rule of law is a cornerstone of our Charter and our work. It demands practical, thoughtful commitment and cooperation, not rhetoric." The Secretary-General added, "In Fiji, our ministers will come together to strengthen the rule of law as the foundation of a resilient future, where every person has a voice in democracy, every worker is treated with dignity, and every vulnerable community is protected from a changing climate. "That is what our people count on us to do. By working together, we can uphold the rule of law as an essential protection for the people of the Commonwealth." The meeting will be chaired by Siromi Turaga, Minister for Justice and acting Attorney General of Fiji, under the theme 'Anchoring Justice in a Changing Tide: Strengthening the Rule of Law for a Resilient Future'. Minister Turaga said Fiji hoped to explore how the Commonwealth family could strengthen the rule of law by ensuring justice systems remained flexible, inclusive and responsive, the press release added. He added, "Together, we will also consider the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change, digital transformation and regional cooperation, so that our legal systems remain resilient for generations to come." The meeting will also include five side events that will bring together youth leaders, people with lived experience of the justice system and disability rights advocates to ensure their perspectives inform ministerial discussions, according to the press release. The meeting's outcomes are expected to help shape the agenda for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), to be held in Antigua and Barbuda later this year. (ANI)
In a bizarre and unusual incident, police in Pakistan's Rawalpindi district have registered a case of abduction against a "jinn" (supernatural spirit) following the disappearance of a minor boy, ARY news reported on Sunday. According to ARY News, the incident took place in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where an 11-year-old boy went missing from his home on January 21. When the boy did not return home after 10 days, his father filed a First Information Report (FIR) with the Taxila Police Station. ARY News further reported that in the FIR, the complainant alleged that jinns forced his son to run away. The bizarre account further mentioned that the father claimed this was not an isolated incident. He stated that the supernatural entities had "abducted" his son several times in the past. As per ARY news, the plaintiff said that while his son had been abducted by jinns several times earlier, the boy would always return home after a short period of time. The father said that this time, 10 days had passed and the son had not returned, which resulted in him formally accusing the supernatural spirits of kidnapping the child. ARY News reported that this is not the first time such a claim has been reported in Pakistan's legal system. Previously, in Lahore, a mother had lodged a case against Jinns with regard to the disappearance of her married daughter, a matter which even reached the courts. According to a report in September by the news outlet Dawn, a special investigation team of Lahore police was desperately trying to resolve the six-year-old kidnapping case of a woman who is believed to have been abducted by a jinn. Headed by Lahore Investigation DIG Zeeshan Raza, the team was formed on the directions of the Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelam to take up the task of recovering the missing woman. (ANI)
Nagma Mohamed Mallick, from the IFS batch of 1991, presently Ambassador of India to Japan, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Marshall Islands, with residence in Tokyo. She is expected to take up the assignment shortly. India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) in April 1995. India and RMI share warm bilateral relations encompassing a wide range of areas including blue economy, climate change, disaster preparedness, health, education, and renewable energy. RMI had criticized India's nuclear tests in 1998, but this was largely driven by their own unpleasant memory of Bikini Atoll where the US conducted 67 nuclear tests in 1950s (even today, inhabitants of Bikini Atoll suffer from various kinds of cancers and the soil is so heavily polluted that no form of agriculture is possible). In April 2014, RMI brought a lawsuit in the international Court of Justice against the nine nuclear-armed countries, including India. However, there has not been any attempt to raise this issue at bilateral level with India. India's relations with the RMI are covered from Japan with the Indian Ambassador to Japan being concurrently accredited to the RMI. Hororary Consul General of India in RMI Ramona Levy Strauss was appointed on May 11, 2021. Former President of RMI Kesai Note visited India over a decade ago, as a member of an inter-parliamentary delegation (in his then capacity as the Speaker of the Parliament). RMI's Minister for Public Works Hiroshi Yamamura, accompanied by Jemi Nashion, CEO, Tobolar Copra Processing Authority of RMI, visited Kochi from 3-5 February 2015 for the Asia Pacific Coconut Community Session/Ministerial Meeting. Former RMI Ambassador Tom D Kijiner (residence in Tokyo) presented his credentials to President Shri Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on March 18, 2015. (ANI)
Sharing the details in a post on X, the ADGPI said that the exercise aims to enhance interoperability between the Special Forces of both nations, with a focus on joint operations in urban warfare and counter-terrorism scenarios under the United Nations mandate.

"Exercise KHANJAR-XIII will further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and deepen the enduring military partnership between India and Kyrgyzstan", the post added.

https://x.com/adgpi/status/2018267477554413631?s=20

The 12th edition of the India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise KHANJAR-XII took place in Tokmok in March last year.

As per a previous statement, Elite troops from India's Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and the Kyrgyz Scorpion Brigade participated in this intensive training program designed to enhance interoperability, high-altitude warfare capabilities, and counter-terrorism tactics.

The statement noted that throughout the exercise, both the contingents practiced advanced operations such as sniping, complex building intervention, mountain craft, and specialised counter-terrorism drills.

The exercise Khanjar XII has evolved into an annual training event since its inception in 2011.

The alternating venues between India and Kyrgyzstan reflect the unique dimension of the thriving strategic relationship.

India and Kyrgzstan have warm and friendly ties. They are also strategic partners.

In recent times, India-Kyrgyz relations have expanded in several areas of bilateral engagement, including defence, security, trade and investment. Both countries also share common concerns on threat of terrorism, extremism and drug-trafficking, the Ministry of External Affairs noted in a statement.

Important facets of bilateral defence cooperation between India and the Kyrgyz Republic include training Kyrgyz personnel in Indian defence establishments, joint exercises, conduct of exchange programmes and joint research at the Kyrgyz-India Mountain Bio Medical Research Centre (KIMBMRC), Bishkek, MEA further noted. (ANI)
At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Patrick Herminie, the President of the Republic of Seychelles, will undertake a State Visit to India from February 5 to 10. This will be President Herminie's first visit to India since assuming office last October. The visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. During his visit to India, President Herminie will meet the President and hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest. President Herminie will also visit Chennai and Mumbai where he would be attending business events. "Seychelles is a key maritime neighbour for India in the Indian Ocean region and holds a special place in India's Vision MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) and our commitment to the Global South," the official MEA brief said. "The visit of President Herminie to India, following the visit of the Vice President of India to Seychelles in October 2025, is expected to lend further momentum to wide-ranging cooperation and robust people to people ties between the two countries," the statement read further. India's bilateral engagement with Seychelles is characterized by our historical contacts and continuous support to Seychelles for its security. Today, India-Seychelles relations embody close friendship, understanding and cooperation. It was in the year 1770 that a small group of five Indians landed in Seychelles as plantation workers along with seven African slaves and 15 French colonists, and were recorded as the first inhabitants of the Islands. During the British colonial period, Seychelles was governed from the Bombay Presidency for some time, with regular shipping links and flow of goods and essential commodities from India. These trade links facilitated migration of an Indian trading community looking for greener pastures having reached a saturation point in East Africa. Diplomatic ties were established with Seychelles after its independence in 1976. When Seychelles attained freedom on 29th June 1976, a contingent from the Indian Naval Ship, INS Nilgiri, took part in the Independence Day celebrations. The Indian Mission was established in 1979 in Victoria, with the High Commissioner based in Dar-es-Salaam and concurrently accredited to Seychelles. The first resident High Commissioner was appointed in 1987, while Seychelles opened its resident mission in New Delhi in early 2008. (ANI)
US President Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Modi on Monday, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said. "President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED...," Sergio Gor said in a post on X. The talks between India and the United States for the Bilateral Trade Agreement have made significant progress, and there are expectations of the deal being finalized soon. PM Modi had spoken with President Trump in December last year and the two leaders had agreed to work closely to address shared challenges and advance common interests. During the telephone conversation, the two leaders reviewed the steady progress in India-U.S. bilateral relations and exchanged views on key regional and global developments. "Had a very warm and engaging conversation with President Trump. We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the U.S. will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," PM Modi had said in a post on X. Prime Minister Modi and President Trump reiterated that India and the United States will continue to work closely together to advance global peace, stability, and prosperity. In Davos on January 21, President Trump had expressed confidence over the India-US BTA, noting that the two countries are "going to have a good deal", while praising PM Modi as a close friend and respected leader. Trump made this comment following his address at the 56th Annual Summit of the World Economic Forum."I have great respect for your Prime Minister. He's a fantastic man and a friend of mine, and we are going to have a good deal," Trump said when asked about the India-US trade deal by Moneycontrol. Earlier, India's Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that the much-anticipated first tranche of the India-US BTA is "very near", but stopped short of providing a timeline. The BTA, formally proposed in February following directives from the leadership of both nations, seeks to more than double bilateral trade, from the current USD 191 billion to USD 500 billion by 2030. Talks were first announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington in February 2025. On January 9, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "India and the United States were committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US as far as far back as of February 13 last year. Since then, two sides have held multiple rounds of negotiations to arrive at a balanced and mutually beneficial trade agreement." US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had last week praised the India-EU Trade deal saying that India had come out on top with this deal. "EU is turning to India to try to find a place. The EU is so trade-dependent they need other outlets if they can't keep sending all their stuff to the United States. I've looked at some of the details of the deal so far. I think India comes out on top on this, frankly," he added during his interview with Fox News. According to Greer, India is set to gain enhanced access to European markets and may also benefit from expanded mobility provisions. He highlighted India's competitive advantage, pointing to its low-cost labour and growing manufacturing base. "They get more market access into Europe. It sounds like they have some additional immigration rights. I don't know for sure, but President von der Leyen of the EU has talked about mobility for Indian workers into Europe. So, I think on net, India's going to have a heyday with this," he said. (ANI)
US President Donald Trump on Monday said he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi "have agreed to a Trade Deal" between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. In a post on his social media handle Truth Social, Trump referred to his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day. Trump said PM Modi was one of his greatest friends and a powerful and respected leader of his country. Trump also said PM Modi and he are two people that get things done. He claimed that the Prime Minister had agreed to "stop buying Russian Oil", and to buy much more from the United States. The Indian government has for far not made any announcement about the trade deal with the United States. Details from the Government of India were still awaited at the time of writing the report. "It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine," Trump said in his post. "He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%," he added. Trump claimed India will reduce tariffs and non-tariff Barriers against the United States. "They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO. The Prime Minister also committed to "BUY AMERICAN," at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products. Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump added. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor earlier said that President Trump had spoken with Prime Minister Modi on Monday,. "President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED...," Sergio Gor said in a post on X. PM Modi had spoken with President Trump in December last year and the two leaders had agreed to work closely to address shared challenges and advance common interests. (ANI)
India and Norway held their 12th round of Foreign Office Consultations in Oslo on Monday. The discussions centred on deepening cooperation across various areas, including the blue economy, circular economy, energy, and artificial intelligence. Sharing the details in a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted that the consultations were co-chaired by Secretary (West) Sibi George and Secretary General Torgeir Larsen of Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and agreed to strengthen it further in the areas of political engagements, trade & investment, blue economy, circular economy, renewable energy, education, science & technology, AI, space and the Arctic. The sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The post further said, "India-EFTA-TEPA will drive the India-Norway trade, technology and investment partnership. India considers Norway a valued partner in the Nordic region." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/2018329280342806790?s=20 In another post on X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that during the visit to Oslo, Secretary (West) held a productive meeting with State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ragnhild Sjoner Syrstad. They discussed deepening economic ties after the implementation of India-EFTA-TEPA. They also discussed boosting investments in green and blue tech sectors. https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/2018282021651681443?s=20 Earlier on January 29, in an interview with ANI, Norway's Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener, welcomed the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA), calling it a positive step for global trade and a strong complement to the existing India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), of which Norway is a part. Ambassador Stener described the India-EU FTA as "a very good development", while noting that Norway is not a member of the EU. "Norway strongly supports an open and rules-based world trade order, and in that sense we see this as a very positive step," she said. "We already have a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with India in the EFTA context, which entered into force in October last year. An EU-India agreement would be a very good complement to that." She noted that the EU is Norway's largest trading partner, and closer economic ties between India and the EU could also indirectly benefit Norway by strengthening trade flows and supply-chain linkages. At a time of rising global trade tensions, Ambassador Stener emphasised the importance of diversified and stable partnerships. "Europe is now clearly saying that India is important for us," she said, adding that both the EU and EFTA countries see India as a key long-term economic partner. "Norway is a small country with a very open economy, and we have benefited greatly from free trade in our development. These are good developments in that direction." Notably, India and EFTA signed the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) on 10 March 2024, which took effect on 1 October 2025, marking India's first FTA with four developed European nations. TEPA commits USD 100 billion in investments and 1 million direct jobs over 15 years, the first binding pledge of its kind in any Indian FTA. At its core, the agreement envisions unlocking $100 billion in investments and creating one million direct jobs in India over the next fifteen years, marking it as one of the most forward-looking trade partnerships in the country's economic history. (ANI)
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on Monday hailed the commencement of the Republic of Cyprus's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, noting that Cyprus's chosen theme of "Autonomy" aligns closely with India's vision of "Aatmanirbharata" (self-reliance). Addressing an event to mark the occasion, the Minister emphasized the deepening strategic partnership between India and the European Union (EU), describing the relationship as an "anchor of stability and a force for global good." "Cyprus assumes this important responsibility at a time of significant transition for Europe, and amid a deepening partnership between India and the European Union. I note that Cyprus has chosen 'Autonomy' as the unifying theme across its core priority areas. This resonates strongly with India's own vision of Aatmanirbharata," Singh said. Highlighting the historic milestones in India-EU relations, the Minister referred to the participation of the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission as Chief Guests at India's Republic Day celebrations this year. He also pointed to the India-EU Summit held on January 27 as a pivotal moment for reviewing progress in sectors like digital transformation, clean energy, and critical technologies. Singh underscored the significance of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), calling it the "largest trade agreement ever concluded by India." "The conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement represents another significant milestone... it reflects our shared recognition of the need to strengthen economic resilience, diversify supply chains, and create new opportunities for trade, investment, and innovation," he added. According to the Minister, bilateral trade between the two entities currently stands at approximately 180 billion euros, with a diaspora of over 800,000 Indians contributing to EU member states. On the security front, Singh noted that the Security and Defence Partnership would bolster collaboration in counter-terrorism, maritime security, and cybersecurity. He also highlighted the growing convergence in the Indo-Pacific, noting the EU's participation in India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and the priority status of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Touching upon bilateral ties with Nicosia, the Minister stated that the relationship has gained "renewed momentum" following the Prime Minister's historic visit to Cyprus last year. "Cyprus's role as a financial and services hub, combined with India's robust growth trajectory and vibrant innovation ecosystem, offers promising opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation," Singh said, adding that India looks forward to working closely with the Cyprus Presidency to address shared global challenges. (ANI)
TOKYO, Feb 03 (News On Japan) - Daihatsu unveiled a new light-type electric vehicle on Tuesday, marking the companys first mass-produced EV, but rather than a passenger car, it has deliberately chosen a commercial vehicle used for transport and delivery, raising the question of whether working vehicles could hold the key to wider EV adoption.

The vehicle announced by Daihatsu Motor is the companys first mass-production EV, with President Masahiro Inoue saying, True to Daihatsus identity, we believe producing a light commercial electric vehicle is the approach that can contribute most to carbon neutrality.

For its first mass-produced model, Daihatsu opted for a commercial vehicle designed for logistics and delivery use, offering a driving range of 250 kilometers, among the best in its class for light commercial vehicles, while also maintaining a payload capacity comparable to gasoline-powered models, an area where EVs typically face limitations due to battery weight.

A reporter noted that while installing batteries usually reduces cargo capacity, this model matches that of conventional gasoline vehicles, reflecting Daihatsus focus on practical usability for business customers.

As EV adoption continues to lag, attention is increasingly turning to commercial vehicles as a potential catalyst, with developments last month underscoring the trend.

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus and Taiwans Hon Hai Precision Industry announced plans to establish a new bus manufacturer in Japan, combining Mitsubishi Fusos design and manufacturing expertise with Hon Hais EV technology to target global sales of electric buses, with Bus Business Division Head Klaus Graf saying the company aims to grow aggressively and become a champion in the bus market.

On the issue of charging, Jun Seki, chief strategy officer of Hon Hais EV business, said that route buses always return to depots, making charging infrastructure less of an obstacle, as vehicles can simply be charged overnight at their garages.

In Japan, route buses typically travel around 200 kilometers per day, meaning overnight depot charging can supply sufficient power for daytime operations, making them well suited to electrification.

With many challenges still facing the spread of electric vehicles, working vehicles such as delivery vans and buses may prove to be the ones that change the tide.
TOKYO, Feb 03 (News On Japan) - Three men have been arrested on suspicion of selling tusks from endangered elephants on an online auction site after falsely labeling them as mammoth tusks or ivory-style products.

Police said the suspects include secondhand goods dealer Naoto Takemae, 47, who along with two others is accused of selling African elephant tusks without registering them with the government, as required by law for endangered species, in 2025.

Investigators said Takemae listed the elephant tusks on auction sites using misleading descriptions such as mammoth tusks and ivory-style, generating sales totaling about 1.08 million yen.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Takemae admitted the allegations, saying, I knew it was illegal, but I sold them because I didnt know how to dispose of them.

Source: FNN
Since taking the helm of the French-Algerian association in December 2025, Segolene Royal has multiplied public gestures meant to relaunch dialogue between Paris and Algiers.

But her recent visit to the Algerian capital, marked by warm praise for President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and pointed critiques of France, has triggered a wave of controversy, with several observers accusing her of whitewashing the Algerian leader.

Royal, who now leads the historic association founded in 1963 to promote Franco-Algerian friendship, follows a long line of left-leaning political figures, among them Pierre Joxe, Jean-Pierre Chevenement and Arnaud Montebourg, who shaped the groups diplomatic posture over decades.

Critics argue that Royal does not carry the same political authority as her predecessors, pointing instead to her enduring media presence and her habit of embracing high-profile causes.

During her latest visit to Algiers, framed as a mission of reconciliation and repaired friendship, Royal delivered a series of remarks that struck many in Paris as unusually deferential toward Algerian authorities, which continue to hold journalist Christoph Gleize prisoner.

Royal turned a blind eye on Algerias warmongering and condemned what she calledthose who do not want Algeria to advance.

Royal has never campaigned for the release of Algerian intellectual Boualem Sansal, nor denounced his arbitrary detention, despite her frequent advocacy on memory, identity and colonial history in France.

Royals rhetoric in Algiers also revived memories of earlier diplomatic missteps, such as her praise for democratic progress in Cuba or her complimentary remarks on Beijings handling of Tiananmen, statements that left many questioning her grasp of foreign affairs.

Her posture in Algiers follows the same pattern of a blend of moralizing tone and sweeping declarations, often out of step with the delicate language traditionally employed in French diplomacy.

Royal was actually caught red handed while whitewashing Tebboune, arguing that her public praise glosses over Algerias human rights record, media repression, and ongoing imprisonment of figures such as French journalist Christophe Gleizes.

Her comments play directly into Algiers narrative at a moment when diplomatic relations with France remain strained, and that they risk undermining Pariss official positions.
The European Union has taken a clearer and more assertive stance on the Sahara issue, endorsing Moroccos autonomy plan as a credible basis for resolving the long-standing dispute.

The shift was formalized at the fifteenth EUMorocco Association Council held in Brussels, where the 27 EU member states endorsed a joint communique with Rabat.

According to the official declaration, the EU stated that genuine autonomy could be among the most feasible solutions for achieving a lasting settlement to the regional dispute.

The text was signed by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, marking a significant evolution in the blocs previously cautious approach.

The communique reaffirms the European Unions alignment with the UN-led political process, reiterating the UN Security Councils appeal for all parties to engage in discussions without preconditions and on the basis of the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in order to reach a definitive political solution.

The EU also emphasized its appreciation for Moroccos cooperative posture, noting that it praised Moroccos willingness to clarify how autonomy within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty would be implemented, a position the bloc views as contributing positively to the advancement of negotiations facilitated under UN auspices.

Brussels additionally welcomed the recent UN Security Council vote, stating that it welcomed the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797 (2025), which fully supports the efforts of the SecretaryGeneral and his Personal Envoy to facilitate and conduct negotiations based on the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco.

The EUs collective endorsement of both the resolution and the autonomy initiative marks a break from earlier years in which member states advanced their support individually.

The communique itself underscores this moment, describing the new European stance as reflecting the consensus of the 27 EU member States and as a fundamental step forward in approaching the Sahara question.

It adds that this development should undoubtedly give new impetus to future bilateral relations and meetings between the EU and Morocco.

This diplomatic convergence comes at a time when cooperation between Rabat and Brussels is deepening across multiple fronts, including political, security, economic, migratory and energy matters.

The EU is Moroccos largest trading partner, representing 59% of its total goods trade in 2024, and is also the primary destination for 67.7% of Moroccos exports, while supplying 54% of its imports, according to European Commission trade data.

Total goods trade between the two partners reached 60.6 billion in 2024, and the EU remains the largest foreign investor in Morocco.
China expands high-speed railway pet transport services for Spring Festival travel

Xinhua) 08:52, February 02, 2026

A staff member checks the condition of a pet through the crate at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet cat prepares to enter a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet dog enters a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Staff members prepare to load pet passengers onto the high-speed train at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Photo by Wang Guanghui/Xinhua)

This photo shows a pet transport case at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Pet passengers undergo security inspection at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Staff members load a pet passenger onto the high-speed train at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A passenger interacts with her dog through the case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A staff member (R) handles pet transportation procedures for a passenger at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet cat waits inside a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A passenger interacts with her cat at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet owner prepares to put her cat into a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Pet passengers undergo security inspection at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet dog enters a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A pet cat prepares to enter a pet transport case at the pet handover area of China Railway Express at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

The LCD screen on the dedicated case for high-speed rail pet transportation displays real-time information on temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A staff member moves a pet transport case to the pet handover area at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Staff members prepare to load pet passengers onto the high-speed train at Lanzhou West Railway Station, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 1, 2026. With the arrival of the Spring Festival travel season, Lanzhou West Railway Station has welcomed a number of pet passengers. These pet passengers are specially monitored and looked after by train staff, traveling in dedicated pet transport cases equipped with intelligent monitoring systems.

Since Jan. 28, the railway authorities have further increased the number of high-speed railway stations with pet consignment services. Passengers can make online reservations through the 12306 app or WeChat mini-program, making pet travel more convenient during the Spring Festival period. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Morocco is entering a new phase in its drive to build a sovereign defense industry, according to LEspace marocain, the scientific magazine of the Royal Air Force.

Over the past two decades, the Kingdom has strengthened its presence in global civil aviation and is now accelerating a strategic shift toward defense manufacturing, supported by new industrial zones, international partnerships and advanced military programs.

Central to this transition is Law 1020, adopted in 2020, which regulates the production, import and export of defense and security equipment while laying the groundwork for a domestic defense ecosystem.

The framework has attracted major players such as Maintenance Aero Maroc (MAM), a joint venture involving Moroccan, Belgian and American partners, including Lockheed Martin. In October 2025, the company began construction of a heavy-maintenance hangar in Benslimane, aiming to reduce dependence on foreign facilities and establish Morocco as a regional MRO hub.

Other initiatives reinforce this momentum such as Sabena Engineering, MEDZ, and Lockheed Martin who combined Moroccan skills with European and American expertise to boost local capabilities and technology transfer.

Meanwhile, Atlas Defense, a subsidiary of Turkeys Baykar, is preparing to produce and maintain military drones, electronic systems and strategic surveillance equipment in Morocco.

In addition to that, Thales has inaugurated a metal additive manufacturing center in Casablanca, and Lockheed Martin is deepening cooperation in aeronautical maintenance and cybersecurity. Indias Metlonics Morocco is contributing to the production of components for advanced military vehicles.

Training is another key pillar, with UM6P emerging as a central partner for research and skills development in hightech defense fields.

According to the same publication, these projects collectively signal Moroccos determination to build a fully integrated and sovereign defense industrial basestill emerging, but increasingly taking shape.
Moroccos integration into the EUs new mechanism for monitoring humanitarian assistance to the Tindouf camps marks a major policy shift, giving Rabat a formal role in scrutinizing the use of European funds and food aid.

The EUMorocco arrangement, published on January 28, establishes a regular control mechanism jointly managed with Rabat to ensure that aid reaches its intended beneficiaries.

This move comes against a backdrop of longstanding concerns about the management of assistance in the camps. Algeria has repeatedly rejected UNHCR and UN Security Council calls to conduct a census of the Moroccan Sahrawis held in the Polisario-run camps, blocking efforts to determine the real number of refugees and the scale of needs.

European oversight bodies have also documented systemic abuses. A damning OLAF report revealed years-long diversion of EU humanitarian aid by both Algerian officials and Polisario leaders, including the resale of donated food and medical supplies in Algerian and Mauritanian markets.

Meanwhile, evidence shows that the Polisario has inflated population figures in the camps to secure larger aid allocations, with estimates pushed as high as 155,000165,000 despite independent assessments suggesting far lower numbers.

By involving Rabat directly in oversight, the EU aims to strengthen transparency, reduce diversion risks, and verify the real impact of aid, a shift that places renewed pressure on Algeria and the Polisario to account for decades of opaque management.
The Sudanese army is close to ending the prolonged siege of Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan State, after regaining strategic positions on Sunday, according to military sources. The city has been under blockade by a coalition of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Peoples Liberation MovementNorth (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu since the early stages of the conflict that erupted in 2023.

Although government forces managed in February 2025 to reconnect Kadugli with Dilling, the states second-largest city, the RSF and SPLM-N later recaptured the strategic Junction area in December 2025, reimposing the isolation and worsening humanitarian conditions in Kadugli.

Shortages of food and medicine have displaced thousands of civilians, forcing many to flee toward North Kordofan or seek refuge in SPLM-N-controlled areas of the Nuba Mountains. On January 26, 2026, the army and allied Joint Force units lifted the siege on Dilling following intense fighting, reopening supply routes from North Kordofan.

Most recently, military units advancing from Dilling seized the Al-Dashol area on the national highway linking the two cities, while drone strikes targeted RSF and SPLM-N positions in the Junction area, Al-Dashol, and Kiga Al-Khail.

The Army said the operations are aimed at clearing the route for ground forces to advance into Kadugli and fully break the blockade.
Safety Break for Oregon Encourages Statewide Stand-Down on Worker Safety May 13

Oregon OSHA invites employers and workers across all industries to pause operations and focus on workplace safety and health during the annual Safety Break for Oregon.

Oregon OSHA is encouraging employers and workers across all industries to participate in the annual Safety Break for Oregon on Wednesday, May 13, a statewide stand-down focused on workplace safety and health.

The event invites employers, supervisors, workers, safety committee members, and safety and health professionals to pause normal operations and emphasize the importance of creating and maintaining safe, healthy working conditions.

Safety Break brings people together to have open and productive conversations about safety and health, said Renee Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA. It is not merely a symbolic event. It is a time to step back and reflect on whats working, discuss what we can do better, and to prioritize, plan, and act.

Now in its 23rd year, Safety Break for Oregon is coordinated by Oregon OSHA to highlight the importance of minimizing or eliminating workplace hazards that can lead to serious injury or illness. Participation is flexible, allowing employers and workers to choose activities that best fit their operations.

Suggested activities include conducting safety or health training, assessing job-site conditions for improvement, or recognizing safety committee members and emerging safety leaders.

Participants are encouraged to register online and share their Safety Break activities on Facebook and LinkedIn using the hashtag #SafetyBreak. Employers and workers may also use free Oregon OSHA resources during their activities, including consultation services, technical assistance, education and training programs, and materials available through the agencys Resource Center.

Employers that sign up by Friday, May 8, and participate in Safety Break will be entered into a random drawing for one of three $100 checks to be used toward a luncheon of their choice. The prize drawing is sponsored by the SHARP Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting workplace safety and health through collaboration among employers, workers, and other organizations.
Oil prices slumped by 5% early on Monday from a five-month high at the end of last week, after the most recent tensions between the United States and Iran appeared to have eased.

As of 7:09 a.m. ET on Monday, the Brent Crude international benchmark was back to $65 per barrel, down from $70 it hit last week when U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that a massive armada of U.S. Navy ships is headed to the Persian Gulf.

Brent Crude prices had slipped by 4.83% to $65.99 on Monday morning, while the U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude, was trading down by 5.11% at $61.92.

Last week, markets reacted to the renewed tension in the worlds most important oil-producing and exporting region, and oil prices soared.

However, this weekend, President Trump said that he believes Iran is seriously talking with the U.S., adding he hopes that negotiations could lead to an acceptable deal.

President Trump told a reporter aboard Air Force One that he certainly cant tell them if a military strike is still an option.

But we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction, President Trump said, but added, I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable.

They should do that, but I don't know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us, the president said, referring to Iran.

With the risk premium unwinding, oil prices retreated on Monday from the five-month highs seen last Thursday.

A broader correction across financial markets has added to the downward momentum, INGs commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey said on Monday.

According to Saxo Banks analysts, With the President facing weak poll numbers, a military escalation that risks pushing gasoline prices sharply higher appears unlikely ahead of the November midterm elections, where affordability and his time in office are set to dominate voter focus.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Four OPEC+ producers that have been pumping crude above their respective quotas have filed with the OPEC Secretariat updated compensation plans through June 2026, OPEC said on Monday.

OPEC members Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as the non-OPEC producers of the OPEC+ pact, Kazakhstan and Oman, have submitted their updated plans to cut more output between January and June as compensation for previously exceeding their quotas.

The UAE will be compensating small volumes of between 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) and 53,000 bpd each month through June.

Iraq, OPECs second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia, will have between 79,000 bpd and 140,000 bpd to compensate each month, while Omans 5,000-8,000 bpd monthly compensation cut is negligible for the OPEC+ output.

Kazakhstan, however, has its work cut out for it as its compensation schedule ranges from 503,000 bpd in January to as much as 669,000 bpd in June.

Kazakhstan boosted its crude oil production last year and has been pumping well above its quota, although it continues to reaffirm its commitment to the OPEC+ deal.

Kazakhstans Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov has said that the country has raised its output since January 2025, thanks to the Chevron-led expansion at the giant Tengiz field.

At the moment, we cannot yet fit into those compensation schedules, but Kazakhstan is taking all possible efforts to comply with the OPEC+ agreement, and we remain committed to it, Akkenzhenov said in October 2025.

Lately, Kazakhstans oil production has dropped, but the decline didnt have anything to do with the OPEC+ agreement and compensation efforts.

Kazakhstans oil production dropped by 230,000 bpd in December, with output averaging 1.522 million bpd, down from 1.759 million bpd in November. The key reasons behind the decline were the forced suspension of Single Point Mooring 3 (SPM-3) at the CPC terminal on the Russian Black Sea coast following a drone attack, and adverse winter weather conditions in the Black Sea.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a new round of trilateral talks with Moscow and Washington is set for February 4-5 in the United Arab Emirates, with the expected gathering coming after another round of deadly Russian air strikes on civilian sites.

In his nightly video address on February 1, Zelenskyy said there is "an arrangement to hold a trilateral meeting at an appropriate level...on Wednesday and Thursday [February 4-5] in the United Arab Emirates, as last time."

There had been uncertainty about the talks, which originally were scheduled to take place in the UAE capital on February 1. Zelenskyy on January 31 said his team was ready for such negotiations but that he was awaiting word from the United States.

"I have scheduled a meeting for [February 2] with Rustem Umerov," Zelenskyy said, referring to Kyiv's main negotiator.

The Ukrainian leaders aim "to agree on the framework of the [Abu Dhabi] talks and prepare everything. On the evening of [February 2], the team will already be en route to the negotiations."

"February will be a period of quite intense foreign policy activity on our part, with contacts and meetings beginning tomorrow," Zelenskyy added.

"We expect that the American side will be just as active, and in particular this applies to de-escalation measures -- reducing strikes. And much depends on what the American side will succeed in, so that people trust both the process and the results, of course," he added.

Russia has confirmed that a new round of talks will begin on February 4 after being postponed from this weekend due to what Moscow described as a scheduling issue.

"They were indeed originally planned for this past Sunday. But additional coordination of the schedules of the three parties was needed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Now, on Wednesday-Thursday, the second round will indeed take place. It will be held in Abu Dhabi. We can confirm that," he added.

Follow-Up Talks

Direct negotiations involving Moscow and Kyiv, along with US representatives, resumed in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24. Meetings between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have been rare since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of February 2022.

On January 30, US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev in Miami for what he described as "productive and constructive meetings."

Witkoff said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and government adviser Josh Gruenbaum also participated in the Florida talks.

However, despite what US officials saw as a positive dynamic in renewed diplomatic efforts, Russian air strikes continued to pound civilian infrastructure and logistics across Ukraine, as temperatures in the country dropped to as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius.

Ukrainian officials reported on February 1 that two separate drone strikes killed at least 14 people in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring at least seven others.

Twelve people were killed when a Russian drone struck near a bus in the Pavlohrad area, while two more died after a drone hit a private house in the region's capital, Dnipro, earlier in the day.

DTEK, Ukraine's largest private utilities company, which owned the bus, added that those killed in the Pavlohrad area were miners returning from their shift.

Details of attacks cannot immediately be independently verified.

The regional authorities declared February 2 a day of mourning for the mine workers who died as a result of the strike.

Maternity Hospital Blasted

Separately, there were ongoing air raids in the neighboring city of Zaporizhzhya, which began shortly after midnight. Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said that at least six people were injured in the attack on a maternity hospital.

Fedorov added that two of the injured women were undergoing medical examinations at the time of impact. In a Telegram post showing the aftermath, he described the strike as "yet more proof of a war directed against life."

He later added that a secondary attack on the city, which lies less than 50 kilometers from the country's southern front line, injured three more people in another neighborhood. The regional governor said that a small boy was among them.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine with an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 171 drones overnight, Ukrainian Air Forces reported on February 2.

A massive Russian strike with at least 15 drones in central Cherkasy injured four people, according to Ihor Taburets, head of regional military administration.

Ukrenergo, Ukraine's national electricity company, said in a February 2 statement that Russian attacks on energy infrastructure caused power outages in Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy regions. The statement added that, wherever security conditions permitted, emergency restoration work was underway.

Emergency power outages were also imposed in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, while 244 buildings remain without heating in the capital according to Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, as temperatures are expected to drop up to minus 30 degrees Celsius in some regions.

The continuation of attacks came after Trump on January 29 said Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally promised him to pause air strikes on the capital and other "various towns" for a week.

Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, blasted the Kremlin's latest actions in a Facebook posting.

"Is this what a 'cease-fire' is supposed to look like?" she said. "Like explosions.

Like dead civilians. Like destroyed energy and transport infrastructure."

"All of this is happening at a time when the world is talking about a potential cease-fire," she added.

A nationwide survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) found that 88 percent of Ukrainians believe Russia's strikes on the energy sector are aimed at leaving Ukrainians without electricity and heating and forcing Ukraine to capitulate.

At the same time, 3 percent of respondents believe that Russia is only striking in response and that Ukraine itself is to blame, and another 3 percent believe that Russia is targeting only military facilities.

Meanwhile, Russian officials reported on February 2 that a Ukrainian drone strike hit Russia's Belgorod border region, killing two civilians, and another drone strike injured a civilian in the Bryansk region.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses destroyed or intercepted 31 Ukrainian drones, including 22 over Belgorod.

By RFE/RL

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Talk about awkward timing.

Just as Bishkek is set to host a major US-Central Asian trade forum, reports are circulating that the EU may impose sanctions on Kyrgyzstan. First reported by Bloomberg, Brussels appears ready to slap bans on Kyrgyz trade in machine tools and radio equipment as punishment for helping the Kremlin evade sanctions imposed following Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

If the reports prove accurate, Kyrgyzstan will become the first Central Asian nation to face EU sanctions for helping Russia. To date, only individuals and entities in Central Asia have been sanctioned by the United States and the EU. Kyrgyzstan has long been suspected of serving as a conduit used by Russia not only to import goods with military applications, but also purely civilian sector items, such as automobiles.

In 2025, Kyrgyzstan introduced a Russian ruble-denominated stablecoin, A7A5, which Western experts contend is used to facilitate sanctions-busting transactions.

Referring to earlier sanctions against Kyrgyz banks, Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Emil Baisalov suggested the punishments were rooted in misunderstanding. He also said Kyrgyz officials are committed to working with the EU, adding that Bishkek would pursue its own pragmatic interests of national development and we are focused on our own internal affairs.

In addition to potentially punishing Kyrgyzstan, the EU is mulling additional sanctions on Russia covering banking and crypto services, as well as other sectors. Brussels is also reportedly considering a ban on all ocean-going tanker traffic involving Russian oil.

The news from Brussels may cast a cloud over the US-backed B5+1 forum, scheduled for February 4-5 in Bishkek. The forum will bring together government officials and business leaders from across Central Asia and the United States in an effort to foster stronger business-to-business connections and promote faster trade flows within Central Asia itself, and between the region and the West.

By Eurasianet

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Devon Energy and Coterra Energy announced on Monday a definitive agreement to merge and create a premier shale operator in an all-stock transaction, implying a combined enterprise value of about $58 billion.

The deal, announced today after weeks of speculation, would create a company with a significantly increased position in the premier part of the Permian Basin and operations in the Marcellus Shale and Anadarko Basin.

The deal will create one of the top shale producers with pro-forma third quarter 2025 production exceeding 1.6 million barrels of oil equivalent (Boe) per day, including over 550,000 barrels of oil per day and 4.3 billion cubic feet of gas per day, the companies said.

The combined company will be named Devon Energy and will be headquartered in Houston while maintaining a significant presence in Oklahoma City.

Devon and Coterra expect to realize $1 billion in annual pre-tax synergies with the deal.

Lower oil prices have shale producers considering how they can boost investor returns when expanding drilling at $60 a barrel oil or lower is eating the margins.

In terms of drilling opportunities, the combined company will have the largest inventory in the Delaware basin with a breakeven of below $40 per barrel, according to Devons presentation of the merger deal.

The combined company will also have top-tier capital efficiency in each basin, with operations in the Permian, Anadarko, Eagle Ford, Marcellus, and the Rockies regions.

Under the terms of the agreement, Coterra shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.70 share of Devon common stock for each share of Coterra common stock. Upon completion of the deal, Devon shareholders will own about 54% of the go-forward company and Coterra shareholders will own approximately 46%.

The transaction, which was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, including approvals by Devon and Coterra shareholders.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Equinor will sell all its assets in Argentinas Vaca Muerta basin to Vista Energy in a cash and stock deal worth $1.1 billion, the Norwegian energy major said on Monday as it continues to high-grade its international portfolio.

The deal includes Equinors 30% non-operated interest in the Bandurria Sur asset and its 50% non-operated interest in the Bajo del Toro asset in the premier Argentinian shale basin that has seen oil and gas production surge over the past year.

Equinor retains its acreage offshore Argentina as these assets are not part of the transaction with Vista Energy.

The total consideration for the Vaca Muerta assets is around $1.1 billion. At closing, Equinor will receive an upfront cash payment of $550 million as well as shares in Vista. The consideration also includes contingent payments linked to production and oil prices over a five-year period. The transaction has an effective date of July 1, 2025.

Equinor entered Argentina in 2017 with offshore and onshore assets. The Vaca Muerta position was through a joint exploration agreement with YPF on the Bajo del Toro asset. The onshore portfolio was expanded in 2020 with the acquisition of Bandurria Sur.

Equinors share of the Bandurria Sur production averaged 24,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) in the third quarter 2025, while Bajo del Toro, which is still in an early development phase, contributed 2,100 net boepd, Equinor said.

Oil and gas production in Argentinas Vaca Muerta is booming, thanks to fracking technology and business-friendly policies under Argentinian President Javier Milei.

Yet, Equinor has decided its assets in the basin are not core operations.

We are realising value from two high-quality assets we have actively developed as we continue to high-grade our international portfolio, said Philippe Mathieu, executive vice president for Exploration & Production International.

Equinor expects its international portfolio to grow production and cash flow through 2030, driven by core positions in Brazil, the U.S., and the UK.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The European Unions plan to ban LNG imports from Russia will prompt a surge in demand for LNG carriers to the tune of 30 new vessels, a senior Vortexa analyst said ahead of the LNG Qatar gathering that starts today.

According to Ashley Sherman, senior LNG analyst at the company, if the EU sanctions leave currently unsanctioned Yamal LNG free to deliver liquefied gas to European buyers, at least 30 new low ice-class or non-ice-class LNG carriers to satisfy demand for the fuel from the second-largest importing region after Asia.

In December last year, the European Union agreed a legally binding, gradual reduction in both LNG and pipeline gas imports from Russia, eventually resulting in a full ban on these exports, with the deadlines set for the end of 2026 for LNG and the autumn of 2027 for pipeline gas.

Last month, the European Council gave the final approval to the ban. It also gave EU members until March to prepare national plans to diversify gas supplies and identify potential challenges in replacing Russian gas. Hungary and Slovakia have protested the move on the grounds it would raise their energy costs to unacceptable levels.

The Yamal LNG facility, operated by Novatek, has been excluded from direct sanctions so far due to the Europea Unions strong demand for gas, but the EU has sanctioned vessels loading from the Western Siberian LNG plant.

Novateks second LNG plant, however, Arctic LNG 2, along with Gazproms Portovaya LNG plant, are under Western sanctions. They still export liquefied gas to China, despite the sanctions on both production facilities and LNG carriers servicing them.

Meanwhile, the EU imported record volumes of LNG last month amid harsh winter weather, with the total calculated at 12.7 billion cu m, Russias TASS news agency reported, citing figures from Gas Infrastructure Europe.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Kuwait exported record volumes of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) in January after a key refinery restarted full operations following a fire-induced partial outage at the end of last year.

One of the Gulfs top crude oil exporters, which also vies to be a major fuel oil exporter, was able to significantly increase fuel oil exports after the commissioning of the Al-Zour refinery at the end of 2022.

Al-Zour Refinery, one of the largest crude processing facilities in the Middle East, is operated by Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC).

The processing plant, which KIPIC says is the worlds largest grass-root refinery with 615,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity, reached full capacity in October 2023.

Since then, Kuwait has become a major exporter of very low-sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) and high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO), primarily used as fuels in shipping.

But several unplanned outages due to fires and stoppages have weighed on the Kuwaiti exports quite a few times since 2023.

The most recent outage at some crude distillation units at the end of 2025 extended from October through November, and Kuwaits fuel oil exports were virtually non-existent for about two months, while the Gulf producer and key OPEC member offered more crude for exports during the period.

However, with the Al-Zour refinery now running all units, Kuwaits VLSFO exports jumped to over 1 million metric tons, or about 205,000 barrels per day, in January, according to vessel-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG cited by Reuters.

This was the highest monthly volume on record, per estimates by Reuters.

Last months surge in the Kuwaiti fuel oil exports, predominantly to Southeast Asia and bunkering hubs in the Middle East, have started to weigh on the fuel oil margins and prices on the Asian markets.

The VLSFO market is likely going to see pressure this quarter from the rise in Kuwait's exports, Royston Huan, senior oil products analyst at Energy Aspects, told Reuters.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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OPEC+ confirmed its plans to extend the pause on crude oil production hikes to March this year, citing healthy oil market fundamentals as reflected in low inventories.

In a press release late Sunday, OPEC+ said that the 1.65 million barrels per day may be returned in part or in full subject to evolving market conditions and in a gradual manner.

The announcement comes as no surprise, after the producer group indicated earlier this month it saw no need to add to global oil supply right now, not least because the first quarter of the year is normally the weakest for oil demand growth.

That and the repeated warnings of an oversupplywhich OPEC+ disagrees withprompted the decision that involves eight member countries of OPEC+, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the UAE, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Oman, and Kuwait.

The decision also comes despite a recent jump in oil prices, with Brent crude briefly topping $70 per barrel last week on the prospect of a U.S. strike on Iran. Oil prices began the week with a more-than 5% drop, though, following remarks made by President Trump over the weekend about Iran being ready to negotiate with the U.S. on its nuclear program, which was taken as a signal for de-escalation of the situation.

Iran was seriously talking, Trump told the media, as quoted by Reuters. Meanwhile, Tehrans head of security, Ali Larijani, said the Iranian government was making arrangements for talks with the United States, reinforcing the perception of de-escalating tensions.

While geopolitics remains a source of oil price volatility, some analysts are beginning to question the glut story. INGs Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a note last week that The strength in the timespreads is at odds with expectations of a large surplus. The forward curve has moved deeper into backwardation this month, with the curve backwardated all the way through to the Aug-27 contract.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Russias natural gas exports via the TurkStream pipeline to Europe jumped by 10.3% in January from a year earlier, Reuters calculations showed on Monday, as Gazprom boosted supply via the only gas route left from Russia to the EU.

Last month, Russian gas supply via TurkStream totaled 1.73 billion cubic meters (bcm), up from 1.57 bcm in January 2025, according to the calculations made by Reuters.

On January 1, 2025, Russian pipeline gas supply to Europe crumbled again, after Ukraine refused to extend the pipeline transit deal with Russia.

Russian gas supply via pipelines to Europe has slumped since 2022, after Russia cut off many EU customers from its gas deliveries, and Nord Stream stopped supplying gas to Germany, after Russia reduced flows and after a sabotage in September 2022.

Russian pipeline gas supply via Ukraine stopped on January 1, 2025, after Ukraine refused to negotiate an extension to the transit deal.

That left only TurkStream as the conduit of Russian natural gas via pipeline to Europe.

Some European countries, including Hungary and Slovakia, continue to receive Russian gas through the TurkStream pipeline via Turkey and the Balkans.

Supplies via TurkStream have increased over the past year.

Daily flows in January 2026 averaged 55.8 million cubic meters (mcm), up from 50.6 mcm in January 2025, per the Reuters calculations based on data from European gas transmission group Entsog. December 2025 flows averaged 56 mcm per day, so the past two months have seen consistent flows via TurkStream.

Despite higher gas flows on TurkStream, Russias gas sales to Europe last year plunged to a 50-year low, after crashing by 44% from 2024 in the absence of transit via Ukraine.

Moreover, the 27 EU member states last month formally adopted the regulation on phasing out Russian imports of both pipeline gas and LNG into the EU. A full ban will take effect for LNG imports from the beginning of 2027 and for pipeline gas imports from the autumn of 2027.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The United States has extended a Treasury license that shields Venezuela-owned refiner CITGO Petroleum Corp from creditor actions through March 20, a move that preserves the companys legal status while debt disputes continue, Reuters reported on Monday.

The license prevents creditors from seizing Citgos U.S. assets as part of ongoing litigation tied to defaults by its ultimate owner, Venezuelas state energy company. The protection has been repeatedly renewed over successive months and years as courts and claimants press to resolve claims linked to Venezuelas sovereign debt and defaulted bonds backed by Citgo shares.

Citgos status remains central to both U.S. and Venezuelan interests as Washington adjusts its broader policy toward Caracas. The license extension comes alongside, but is separate from, recent U.S. steps to ease some sanctions on Venezuelas oil sector, which have allowed limited crude trading and operational activity under specific authorizations. Those measures are part of a wider effort to manage Venezuelas energy assets while legal and political disputes continue.

Despite relaxed restrictions on trading and refining Venezuelan oil, Venezuelas hydrocarbon industry faces profound structural and investment challenges. Production has languished for years due to underinvestment, decayed infrastructure, and legal uncertainty that have deterred major international firms from large-scale commitments. Rebuilding output to pre-sanctions levels will demand significant capital over many years.

The license extension hands the U.S. government continued control over the legal trajectory of Citgo during a period of shifting Venezuela policy. Citgo has been at the center of creditor battles since 2019, when bondholders sought to enforce claims by targeting the valuable Houston-based refiner; past extensions have bought time for negotiations and court rulings while the broader energy and legal landscape evolves.

U.S. action on Venezuelas oil assets comes as Caracas moves to overhaul its hydrocarbons law to attract foreign and private investment and as trading houses re-enter Brazilian-heavy crude markets previously restricted under sanctions. Those policy shifts reflect an emphasis on stabilizing Venezuelan energy output while managing complex financial and geopolitical risks.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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By Taxpayers Association of Oregon

OregonWatchdog.com

As the 2026 Oregon Legislature kicks off its short 35-day session, several bills and priorities are generating considerable discussion:

 Gas Tax Election : Governor Tina Kotek has suggested shifting the referendum on the $4.3 billion gas and wage tax from the November general election to the May primary, a move that could see voter turnout drop by as much as 60%.

 Gas Tax Ballot Title tricks: Lawmakers are tasked with ensuring that attempts by some of their liberal colleagues to create a biased committee for drafting the gas tax ballot measure title and summary are thwarted. Its crucial that voters have a clear understanding of how this measure affects their finances.

 Peoples Kicker Proposal: A Democrat legislator has introduced a plan to divide any surplus above $300 million rather than returning all surplus funds to taxpayers under the 1970s tax rebate law. This proposal, which would require voter approval to amend the state constitution, seeks to allocate excess funds between taxpayers and the state, targeting education and wildfire prevention and response.

 Carbon Tax Initiatives: Legislation is in the works to impose fines on 50 energy companies (in the oil, gas, coal, and cement sectors) based on their past environmental impacts, which opponents estimate to cost Oregon $5 billion. Additional proposals include requirements for installing solar energy and raising hotel taxes to support conservation efforts.

 Retail Sales Tax: Senate Bill 1507 aims to lower certain taxes while introducing a statewide retail sales tax.

 Business Tax Increase: House Bill 4015 seeks to counter some of President Trumps 2025 tax cuts, aiming to generate $300 million from businesses. Endorsed by union advocates, this measure would reverse parts of the federal tax cuts that critics argue primarily benefit the wealthy.

 Gun Permit Bureaucracy: HB 4145 proposes changes to the Ballot Measure 114 gun law, extending the permit processing time from 30 to 60 days, raising permit fees by 130% (from $65 to $150), and postponing the mandate for permits until 2028.

 ICE Agents in Hospitals: Following a Border Patrol shooting at Adventist Health in Southeast Portland, state lawmakers are exploring regulations to limit federal ICE interference in hospitals. As state authorities cannot oversee federal agents, measures may include designating public and private areas within facilities, safeguarding patient information, prohibiting retaliation against employees who provide educational resources, and ensuring that interactions with federal agents are handled by supervisors rather than nurses or receptionists.

 Immigration Debate: Democratic legislators aim to restrict ICE activities in Oregon, proposing bans on federal agents use of face masks. Meanwhile, Republicans emphasize the need for ICE to continue addressing crime related to drug and human trafficking. Oregons sanctuary laws prevent local law enforcement from aiding federal agents in their efforts.

 Sanctuary Cities Dispute: A Democratic representative suggests that Oregon should withhold federal funding if the federal government cuts payments to the state, citing its status as a sanctuary state since 1987. President Trump has threatened to withdraw funding from jurisdictions that protect immigrants from deportation, which could impact roughly $22 billion in annual funding for Oregon.

 Limiting License Plate Data Use: Proposed legislation aims to restrict specific applications of license plate data collected by cameras. While law enforcement defends the use of license plate recognition as a crime prevention tool, critics argue that this data has been misused by federal ICE agents for immigration arrests and by others identifying out-of-state women seeking abortions.

 Healthcare Spending: Lawmakers need to find solutions to manage healthcare spending for state employees and the one million low-income Oregonians covered by the Oregon Health Plan. With a projected $749 million shortfall in the health care reserve, the state faces challenges in balancing the budget and implementing necessary federal Medicaid changes. Some of these changes require able-bodied adults (ages 19-64, without children, not attending college) to volunteer for charity while receiving benefits.

 Housing Crisis: In response to skyrocketing housing prices, lawmakers are pursuing legislation to simplify home construction by easing land-use regulations and providing estate tax exemptions. Governor Kotek is advocating for a one-time exemption from the Urban Growth Boundary.

 Mental Health Worker Shortage: A proposal aimed at reducing bureaucratic hurdles for certifying mental health workers could alleviate the shortage of professionals available to assist individuals with mental health and addiction challenges. This measure intends to streamline paperwork and expedite the licensing process for behavioral health workers.


By Taxpayers Association of Oregon

OregonWatchdog.com

Today, the Oregon 2026 February Special Legislative Session begins, and already they have fully violated public notice rules. On the first day of session, they are scheduling a hearing on a bill to steal part of the peoples Kicker Tax Refund (HB 4125, see more here) and a gun bill (HB 4145, see more here).

Here is the problem:

(1) As of 5am on the day of the hearing, both (Kicker theft, gun law) bills on the official Legislature website DO NOT SHOW ANY PUBLIC HEARING (image below). This means the Legislature is officially telling the public that there is no public hearing, when in fact the hearing is just hours away. This denies the public the advance three-day notice for which to be notified of a bill and participate in person.

(2) Because the official legislative website says there is no hearing, therefore no testimony is allowed on the bills (see image below). This denies the public the full 3-day advanced time to submit online testimony on a bill.

(3) The Official Legislative Website on the day of the hearing, as of 5am, shows that the bills have not been scheduled to be placed in their proper committee. So the Legislature is informing the public that the bill exists in no committee while the chairs of certain committees (House Revenue, House Judiciary) are acting like the bills are in their committees and scheduling hearings when there is no public record of the bills in their committee.

(4) Even people who figured out that the Legislature is providing false information are still blocked from getting people to testify on the bills because the online testimony feature is turned off for the bills. With hours away, we have no idea when the public will be granted permission to speak on the bills.

(5) Neither bill has an official public analysis explanation of what these bills actually do.

(6) This all occurred during the weekend, when citizens are not paying attention, and the Legislature has not been called or not voted into proper order and has not officially begun business.

Ramming bills through a hearing on the first day of session by blocking both public notice, and blocking public online testimony and blocking official public explanation of the bill, is a full violation of public notice rules and transparency.

 Was this article helpful? If yes, please contribute online at OregonWatchdog.com (learn about a Charitable Tax Deduction or Political Tax Credit options to promote liberty).
" " Yes, this is a dispensary right next to a Vans shoe store. Mulevich / Shutterstock

At the federal level, cannabis remains illegal, but state laws vary widely. The most weed-friendly states allow the widest legal access for adult use, medical use, or both.

The states on this list combine marijuana legalization for recreational use, strong state medical cannabis laws, clear possession limits, and access for medical patients.
Isla Mujeres hotels nearly full despite cool temperatures and 50 tons of weekend sargassum

Isla Mujeres, Q.R.  Isla Mujeres has maintained an 80 percent hotel occupancy rate despite sargassum and cold weather. Mayor Atenea Gomez Ricalde said 50 tons of sargazo was collected from Isla Mujeres beaches over the weekend due to the strong winds.

Strong winds have pushed some sargassum onto Isla Mujeres beaches January 31, 2026.

The mayor stressed that island workers have increased their seaweed collection efforts due to its atypical arrival.

She says the municipality continues to reaffirm its tourism success, maintaining an 80 percent hotel occupancy rate in recent days. She says those rates are maintained despite low temperatures and strong winds.

This positive occupancy rate confirms the confidence of national and international visitors in Isla Mujeres as an attractive, safe destination with quality services year-round, she reported Sunday.

Mayor Gomez Ricalde emphasized that these results reflect the ongoing work of the municipal government to maintain the destinations image and provide enjoyable experiences for those who choose to vacation there.

Municipal Isla Mujeres hotels are nearly full despite the cool weather February 1, 2026.

She noted that even in the face of challenges posed by the weather, Isla Mujeres remains a magnet for tourism thanks to its beaches, its people and the consistent attention given to public services.

Gomez Ricalde said the Isla Mujeres Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat) team continues its efforts to keep the beaches clean, orderly and free of sargassum, responding immediately to the presence of seaweed that makes landfall.

She reported that between Saturday and Sunday, approximately 50 tons of sargassum was removed from the islands beaches. This seaweed, she noted, is considered atypical.

Zofemat workers are up at dawn clearing sargassum from island beach areas January 31, 2026.

Its removal was part of an intensive operation aimed at preserving the condition of the beaches, the destinations main attraction.

She explained that Zofemat workers arrive on the beaches before dawn, removing sargassum and sifting the sand. By the time people arrive on the beaches, they are in optimal condition for beachgoers.

Tourists still enjoy the beaches despite the chilly nights February 1, 2026.

She said those efforts are made daily, which she considered essential to preserving the natural beauty of Isla Mujeres and strengthening its tourism competitiveness.
Mexico prepares delivery of humanitarian aid for Cuba amid oil crisis

Mexico City, Mexico  President Claudia Sheinbaum reported Sunday that humanitarian aid will be sent to Cuba this week. She explained that while the issue of sending oil to Cuba is being resolved diplomatically, they are working on humanitarian aid for the Cuban people.

President Sheinbaum made the announcement Sunday from Guaymas, Sonora. She said the aid package from Mexico will include food, supplies and essential items. The aid will be delivered to Cuba this week through the Mexican Navy.

This week we are planning humanitarian aid to Cuba. Its aid that the Mexican Navy will provide consisting of food and other items while we diplomatically resolve everything related to sending oil for humanitarian reasons.

President Sheinbaum explained Sunday that Mexico will send necessities including food to Cuba February 1, 2026.

We are already doing the work to be able to send humanitarian aid in the meantime, which the Cuban people need including other essential supplies which are important, she explained.

She made the announcement Sunday while in the state of Sonora after the inauguration of the Guaymas Port expansion project.

Sheinbaum pointed out that not once during any of the conversations she has had with U.S. President Donald Trump has the issue of sending Mexican oil to Cuba been addressed.

The last time Sheinbaum and Trump talked was January 29 over the phone. We had a productive and cordial conversation with the President of the United States, Donald Trump. We continued to make progress on trade issues and the bilateral relationship, she said after their conversation just last week.

We agreed that both teams will continue working together. I also had the pleasure of greeting his wife, Melania, whom I met during my recent visit to Washington, Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum is seen here talking with Donald Trump January 29, 2025.

On Sunday, Sheinbaum clarified that the topic was addressed during the conversation between the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Juan Ramon de la Fuente and the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. They discussed it then and as I said, we are exploring all diplomatic avenues to send fuel to the Cuban people.

This isnt a matter for governments but rather a matter of providing support to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Cuba. Meanwhile, we will send food and other essential aid to the island, she added.

On Sunday, President Sheinbaum called for the prevention of a humanitarian crisis in Cuba, expressing support for the self-determination of peoples. She stated that the imposition of tariffs by the United States on countries that supply oil would directly affect the islands people.

President Sheinbaum said this scenario must be avoided through respect for international law and dialogue between the parties while instructing the foreign ministry to establish immediate communication with the State Department in order to understand the scope of the decree recently published by the United States government.

Nor do we want to put our country at risk in terms of tariffs, but rather seek diplomatic avenues and different ways to help, she clarified.

She said that Mexico will seek alternatives to maintain humanitarian aid to the Cuban people, to whom he reaffirmed the solidarity that historically distinguishes our foreign policy.

Sheinbaum also mentioned that the United States sends humanitarian aid to Cuba in the form of food and other supplies, while noting that the Pemex oil Mexico sends to Cuba represents less than one percent of its national production.

President Sheinbaum says the aid will be delivered to Cuba this week through the Navy of Mexico February 1, 2026.

President Sheinbaum stated that the operation of various facilities such as hospitals, food production and even homes themselves depend on the electricity generated from oil.

On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on countries that provide or sell oil to Cuba. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez condemned the executive order.

Rodriguez referred to the order as a brutal act of aggression against Cuba and its people  who are now threatened with being subjected to extreme living conditions.
At the invitation of the Spanish government, State Councilor Shen Yiqin will visit Spain from February 4 to 5. She will attend upon invitation the opening ceremony of the XXV Olympic Winter Games on February 6 and other events in Milan, Italy.

Yonhap News Agency: It was reported that during this years Spring Festival, the top destination for Chinese outbound tourism will be the ROK. The Korean Wave and the ROKs visa-free policy are believed to have played a role in this. What is Chinas view?

Lin Jian: Increasing efforts in facilitating cross-border travel enhance mutual understanding and exchanges between the Chinese and ROK people. China also welcomes more friends from the ROK to visit China and celebrate the Spring Festival here.

AFP: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu when they met yesterday that bilateral relations could break new ground this year. Can the Foreign Ministry elaborate on the kind of areas that China is hoping to break new ground in with Russia this year?

Lin Jian: On February 1, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi had strategic communication with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Beijing. China released a readout, which you may refer to.

China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era. The two sides have maintained close communication on major issues concerning bilateral relations, supported each other on issues related to each others core interests, and protected respective and common interests of the two countries. Facing the current turbulent and changing international landscape, China and Russia, as two major countries and permanent members of the UN Security Council, will practice true multilateralism, uphold the UN-centered international system, call for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system.

China News Service: Recently, when entering the U.S., staff of a Chinese company were wrongfully interrogated and detained for close to 60 hours before repatriation. Whats the Foreign Ministrys comment?

Lin Jian: Recently, the U.S. law enforcement authorities have more than once interrogated and detained multiple Chinese companies staff for a long time before repatriating them without any just cause. Such harsh law enforcement actions severely violate the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals, dampen the atmosphere for sound business cooperation and people-to-people exchanges and are diametrically opposed to the two presidents agreement in Busan to strengthen business cooperation. China deplores and firmly opposes these moves.

The U.S. side should take Chinas concerns seriously. We call on the U.S. law enforcement authorities to immediately stop the wrongdoings, stop wrongfully interrogating Chinese businesspeople, faithfully act on the important common understandings reached between the two presidents, and not disrupt the normal friendly exchanges between Chinese and Americans. China will continue to take resolute measures to firmly protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals.

Reuters: Danish shipping group Maersk said over the weekend it is willing to assume temporary management of the two port terminals in Panama operated by CK Hutchison, following Panamas Supreme Court ruling that CK Hutchisons concession is unconstitutional. How do you view Maersks comment on this?

Lin Jian: Weve made clear Chinas position on relevant ports in Panama. China will firmly safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies.

Shenzhen TV: Today marks the 30th World Wetlands Day and this years theme is Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage. China ranks among the top in the world in terms of wetlands area and its achievements in wetlands conservation in recent years have been widely recognized. Can I have your comment on that?

Lin Jian: Wetland, forest and ocean are the three major ecosystems on Earth and are vital for human beings to survive and thrive. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, China has been advocating that clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as gold and silver, and has achieved historical results in wetlands conservation and restoration. Chinas wetlands are the largest in Asia and the fourth biggest in the world, and China has the largest number of cities accredited as international wetland cities.

China, as a contracting party to the Convention on Wetlands, is an important participant, contributor and pace-setter in global wetlands conservation and restoration. The International Mangrove Center was established under Chinas proposal, and the number of intended member countries has increased to 20. China has carried out international cooperation on knowledge sharing of mangrove protection in Southeast Asia, Africa and other parts of the world, and provided policy-making, technical and management training for Global South countries by hosting international workshops on mangrove conservation and restoration. China also won global honors for its ecological and environmental protection effort, such as Champions of the Earth and UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. Chinas green development philosophy and practices received international recognition and credit.

Protecting wetlands and tackling climate change remains a long-term, arduous task, and is a shared responsibility of the international community. Going forward, China will stay committed to the Chinese modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, firmly support and participate in global ecological governance and work with other parties in building a community of all life on Earth.

AFP: Chinese media reports said today that four people who have been involved in scam operations and criminal gangs in Myanmar, including members of the Bai family, have been executed. This comes after China executed 11 people, including members of the Ming family, last month for similar crimes. Can the Foreign Ministry provide any comment on what this shows about Chinas efforts to clamp down on the scam centers in Myanmar?

Lin Jian: Weve answered related questions before. Competent authorities have also released information. For some time, China has worked actively with Myanmar and other countries in fighting cross-border telecom and online fraud to jointly eradicate the scourge of online gambling and telecom fraud, protect the safety of the people and their property, and uphold the order of exchanges and cooperation between regional countries. The efforts have achieved good results. China will continue to deepen international law enforcement cooperation, step up effort to fight telecom fraud, online gambling and other related cross-border criminal activities, and jointly eliminate such crimes.

Reuters: U.S. President Trump said on Saturday that he welcomed China making a deal with the U.S. to buy Venezuelan oil. Is China currently in talks with the U.S. over Venezuelan oil or about Venezuelas outstanding debts to China?

Lin Jian: China noted relevant reports.
On January 27, Ambassador Zhao Yong , Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone and H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone jointly presided over the unveiling ceremony of the Excellence Skills Academy. Nearly 200 attendees were present, including Counselor Wang Peng from the Embassy, Sierra Leonean Minister of The Technical and Higher Education Dr.Ramatulai Wurie, other senior government officials, representatives from the joint venture partners and Chinese enterprises in Sierra Leone, as well as faculty and student representatives.

In his remarks, Ambassador Zhao Yong noted that, coincides with the 55th anniversary of China-Sierra Leone diplomatic relations and the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, this joint initiative marks not only a significant advance for educational cooperation between the two countries but also a vivid example of China-Africa collaboration on youth empowerment, demonstrating both sides' firm resolve to deepen people-to-people bonds and jointly build the foundation for modernization.

President Bio highly commended China's sustained contributions to Sierra Leone's vocational education, emphasizing his government's unwavering commitment to skills training and youth empowerment. He expressed his anticipation that the academy would bolster youth development in Sierra Leone and inject new momentum into the nation's modernization efforts.

The Excellence Skills Academy was established through collaboration between China Railway Seventh Engineering Group Sierra Leone Company Limited, Zhengzhou Railway Technician College, and Freetown Polytechnic, with its first cohort enrolled in automotive repair and carpentry programs.




On January 27, Ambassador Zhao Yong , Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone and H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone graced the launch ceremony of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report by China Railway Seventh Engineering Group Sierra Leone Limited. The event was also attended by Counsellor Wang Peng, Minister of Works and Public Assets Sandy, other senior government officials, as well as representatives from Chinese enterprises in Sierra Leone and communities leaders.

Ambassador Zhao Yong noted that practical cooperation between China and Sierra Leone has yielded fruitful results. China stands ready to deepen cooperation between Chinese enterprises and Sierra Leone in areas such as infrastructure construction, livelihood improvement, and green development, and thereby consolidating the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.

President Bio highly commended the sustainable development philosophy of China Railway Seventh Group Sierra Leone Limited, and its exemplary practices in maintaining transparent operations, respecting local communities and the environment, and supporting the development of young employees. He reiterated that the Sierra Leonean government will continue to foster a favourable business environment, and welcomed responsible Chinese enterprises to invest and expand their operations in Sierra Leone.




By H.E. Zhao Yong

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Sierra Leone





Sierra Leone and China are thousands of miles apart, but I have a special connection with Sierra Leone. A month ago, I set foot on this beautiful land for the fourth time. Unlike my previous three visits to Sierra Leone from 2005 to 2010, this time, as the ambassador to Sierra Leone, I came to Freetown again and deeply felt "three changes" and "three no changes".

The first change is that Sierra Leone has made remarkable improvement and progress in economic and social development. Twenty years ago, when I first set foot on this land, Sierra Leone was just emerging from the trauma of civil war. Twenty years later, under the guidance of H.E. President Bio's Big Five Game Changers, the streets of Freetown are booming with prosperity. And as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the past two years and the chair of ECOWAS, Sierra Leone has made significant contributions to promoting global peace and development, and safeguarding African unity and core interests.

The second change is that China-Sierra Leone high-level exchanges become closer and the relationship is constantly moving forward. In 2024, H.E. President Bio paid a state visit to China and attended the FOCAC Beijing Summit. He is the first Sierra Leonean head of state to visit China twice in a single year. Two months ago, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong successfully visited Sierra Leone. China and Sierra Leone also share broad common interests and similar positions on international and regional issues. And we coordinate closely in multilateral arenas.

The third change is that China-Sierra Leone practical cooperation is continuously deepening, and the benefits are enjoyed by the two peoples. In recent years, with joint efforts, China and Sierra Leone completed many projects, such as Juba Bridge, Regent Road, National Optical Fiber Backbone Network and Foreign Service Academy. Last year, benefited from Chinas zero-tariff treatment for African countries, Sierra Leone's Wild Aquatic Products began exporting to China. The bilateral cooperation in the health sector continues to deepen. And people-to-people exchange becomes more frequent. Last year, the Chinese Embassy issued over 6,500 visas to Sierra Leonean citizens, setting a new record.

As time flows, it is heartening to see these pleasant changes. And along with the changes, there are three things never changed.

The first thing not changed is the solid bond between our peoples. When Ebola struck Sierra Leone in 2014, China was the first to dispatch medical team here. When COVID-19 emerged in China in 2020, the Sierra Leone Parliament passed a resolution to express solidarity with China. In times of hardship, our two peoples have chose to stand firmly behind each other.

The second thing not changed is the tradition of unwavering political support between China and Sierra Leone. In 1971, with the support of Sierra Leone and other African brothers, China restored its the lawful rights in UN. Sierra Leone always upholds the One-China principle and provides firm support to China on issues concerning China's core interests. China firmly supports Sierra Leone to choose a development path suited to its national realities, and supports Sierra Leones active role in multilateral platforms such as UN and ECOWAS.

The third thing not changed is the our commitment to jointly uphold international fairness and justice and promote global common development. As fellow developing countries, China and Sierra Leone have consistently supported each other in international affairs, defended the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations founded on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We actively safeguard the interests of developing countries, and jointly build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. We have also made positive contributions to building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

China and Sierra Leone are old friends who understand and cherish each other, and good partners who march forward side by side. Under the strategic guidance of our two heads of state, China-Sierra Leone relations have maintained high-level momentum, with steady progress across all areas of cooperation. As Ambassador to Sierra Leone, I will work with friends from all walks of life in Sierra Leone to deepen the traditional friendship, expand the practical cooperation, and elevate China-Sierra Leone relations to new heights in the new era. We will ensure that the fruits of cooperation will benefit the peoples of both countries more extensively and contribute to building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.
On the evening of January 28, 2026, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi met with UK Prime Minister's National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.

Wang Yi said that Prime Minister Keir Starmer will begin his visit to China, which marks the first official visit by a British prime minister in eight years. As permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, China and the UK bear significant responsibilities for world peace and development. Amid a complex and volatile international landscape, both sides should all the more uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, work together to address challenges, and jointly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, immediately upon his arrival in Beijing, stated that this will be a historic visit. A historic visit should yield historic outcomes. Wang Yi expressed the belief that the important common understandings reached between the leaders of both countries on developing a long-term and stable comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the UK will inject strong momentum into the institutional exchanges and cooperation across various fields between the two countries, and open a new chapter in China-UK relations.

Jonathan Powell stated that China is the world's second-largest economy and a major country with significant influence. The UK and China have not had high-level mutual visits for many years, which is not in the interests of the two peoples. The UK side hopes to take Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China as an opportunity to enhance dialogue and cooperation with China at all levels and in various fields, and to develop a more coherent and comprehensive strategic partnership. He believes that with joint efforts from both sides, the visit will be a complete success.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern, including the Ukraine crisis.
On January 31, 2026, President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on the successful launch of AlSat-3 remote sensing satellites from Jiuquan.

Xi Jinping noted that the AlSat-3 remote sensing satellites project, following the Alcomsat-1 communications satellite, is another successful cooperation between China and Algeria in the aerospace field, and is an important manifestation of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Algeria. China-Algeria relations have made significant progress in recent years, with continuously strengthened political mutual trust and fruitful outcomes of practical cooperation between the two countries. Xi Jinping said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Algeria relations and is willing to work with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to continuously enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Algeria, so as to better benefit the people of both countries.

Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that the successful launch of the AlSat-3 remote sensing satellites is another substantial achievement in aerospace cooperation between Algeria and China, and a new milestone in the development of bilateral relations, which will help both sides expand cooperation prospects. The Algerian side is willing to work with the Chinese side to continue deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
On February 1, 2026, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi met with Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council Sergei Shoigu in Beijing.

Wang Yi welcomed Sergei Shoigu's visit to China for the strategic communication as designated by President Vladimir Putin. Wang Yi noted that the world today is undergoing increasing changes and turbulence, with the post-war international order and norms governing international relations severely impacted, and the world faces a real risk of regressing to the law of the jungle. As major countries and permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, China and Russia have the responsibility and obligation to practice true multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and work to build a more just and equitable global governance system.

Noting that China and Russia are each other's largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, Wang Yi said the two countries should maintain close communication on major issues concerning bilateral relations, step up mutual support on issues bearing on each other's core interests, and safeguard their respective and common interests. Highlighting that head-of-state guidance is the greatest advantage of and fundamental guarantee for the high-level development of China-Russia relations, Wang Yi stated that China is ready to work with Russia to fully implement the important common understandings reached by the two heads of state, enhance strategic communication, deepen strategic coordination, and open up new prospects for China-Russia relations in the new year.

Sergei Shoigu extended early Spring Festival greetings to the Chinese people for a happy Year of the Horse. He said that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Russia-China Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, and that bilateral relations are underpinned by mutual respect, mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit. He noted that since the start of the year, the global landscape has been volatile, with frequent flare-ups of security and hotspot issues. Russia consistently upholds the one-China principle, closely follows the moves of hostile forces to undermine stability across the Taiwan Strait, and firmly opposes Japan's attempts to accelerate remilitarization. The Russian side is willing to work with the Chinese side to continue firm mutual support, enhance bilateral cooperation, strengthen coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS, jointly maintain the high-level development momentum of Russia-China relations, and work to build a more just and equitable multipolar world and an indivisible security architecture on the Eurasian continent.

The two sides also conducted in-depth strategic communication on various international and regional issues of mutual concern.
After each episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Slate writers will gather to answer a crucial question: Who is the worst person in Westeros? This week, staff writer Nadira Goffe and senior editor Jenny G. Zhang answer the call.

Nadira Goffe: Jenny! Im so excited to gab about this episode for a bit, because woofor should I say hoof?what an episode it was. I would call it egg-cellent, because most of it is about Egg, the adorable, mysteriously bald stable boy who becomes Dunks squire. Its 30 minutes of the unlikely friends just hangin out, really living up to the title of the George R.R. Martin novellas that the show is based on, Tales of Dunk and Egg. Dunk teaches Egg how to mend a patch in clothing, they cheer over the days jousts, and theres a scene in which the two role-play a conversation about eating salt beef that is so stinkin cute I had a lopsided smile on my face the whole time. At one point, the gentle giant cooks his tiny squire a meal with goose eggs that have yolks so large I instantly sensed that there was some sort of subtext going on as they sizzled in the pan.

I mentioned this to our colleague Sam Adams when we discussed the series premiere, but I love Egg. Hes small, cute, and whip-smart, making the duo a good match: Egg has the brains, Dunk has the brawn. But as Episode 3 went on, I began to have this sinking feeling that hes too pure to make it out of a Game of Thrones title alive. I also started to notice some things about the little tyke: Hes vague about his parents, hes more knowledgeable than he should be about Westeros regents and customs and legends, and he never directly answers the many queries he receives about the origins of his baldness. In one conversation about a legend told through song, Egg asks Dunk: But is this not the act of the dogged spirit? Giving more than what was asked? I ask you: What child talks like that? When Dunk and Egg approach a fortune teller, she informs Dunk he will be successful and rich, but to Egg: You shall be king and die in a hot fire, and worms shall feed upon your ashes. And all who know you shall rejoice in your dying. Harsh!

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It isnt until princeling Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) attacks Tanselle, the puppeteer and entertainer that Dunk is sweet on, that we find out the truth Egg has been hiding. Dunk punches Aerion, who promises to return the favor tenfold by removing all of Dunks teeth, and Egg has no choice but to out himself as Aerions brother, the missing youngest of Maekars (Sam Spruell) sons. He shaved his head to hide his blond hair, wanting to distance himself from his family.

Lookthis big secret wasnt hard to figure out. The child was weirdly in the know, and a fortune teller said he would be king, and every time someone mentioned the youngest of Maekars sons, they were cut off before they said a name. (Thats Egg for Aegon, by the way.) But still, Egg liedand lied well. I know we have two decisions to make here: Are we crowning Worst or Best Person in Westeros this week? And, in either case, who is winning it? I would like to throw Eggs name in for Best, unless we feel Worst this week is more deserving. Mostly because his entrance toward the end was badass, but also because I just wanna pinch his cheeks. What did you make of this big reveal, Jenny? Is it worthy of a crown?

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Jenny G. Zhang: Eggs grand reveal came in clutch, as his new best friend would surely have lost his teeth, his hand, and maybe his leg for assaulting a prince of House Targaryen, even if the attack was justified. (For context, Aerion was hurting Tanselle because, while in character, the theater-troupe member killed a fake dragon onstage, an unforgivable act of treason in the dragon-obsessed Aerions eyes. This wont come into play anytime soon, but for those interested in greater Song of Ice and Fire lore, Aerion Targaryen is remembered in Westerosi history as the royal lunatic who becomes so convinced hes destined to become a dragon that he eventually kills himself consuming wildfire.)

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But as far as adjudicating Eggs actions goes, I think his conduct in this episode may have been too mixed to crown him one way or the other. He does save Dunk, but he could have also stopped Aerion from hurting Tanselle by revealing himself earlier without involving Dunk. One could argue, too, that he put Dunk in greater danger throughout their friendship by concealing the truth from him. On the other hand, Egg is just a little kid who clearly loathes his familyat least his brother Aerionso he can be forgiven for his lapses in judgment. Thus: neither Best nor Worst, but a secret third thing (aka neutral).

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There are other candidates for WPiW, however. For example, Plummer, the steward of Ashford, who tries to persuade Dunk to throw the tournament so he can make a quick buck. All Dunk has to do is earn the ire of everyone in Ashford by defeating the local lords son, Plummer tries to argue, but Dunk has too much honor to even entertain the idea.

Typing this out, though, I feel its obvious that Plummer is small potatoes compared to the real menace of this episode. Are you thinking who Im thinking, Nadira?

Goffe: Yes, as fine an actor as Tom Vaughan-Lawlor is in the role of Plummer, I sincerely, truly, never want to hear him hock a loogie again. Enough is enough!

But the real menace, as you said, is Aerion Brightflame Targaryen, a wild spirit made mostly of arrogance and ruthlessness. We first met him in Episode 2, in a brief scene when he said all of three sentences, all of them belittling to Dunk. This week, we finally get to see him in his full, evil form. In a jousting match against Ser Humfrey Hardyng (Ross Anderson), Aeriondetermined to never losedoes the medieval version of sweeping the leg. He puts his lance right through the neck of his opponents horse, condemning it to an awful death and its rider to a painful fall. (Im praying that no animals were harmed in the making of this episode, because that was brutal to watch.) This act immediately earns the ire of the watching crowd, with someone throwing a rock at Aerions head, while many others in the audience call him a cheating bastard. In their fury, the angry mob must be held back by guards. If that bit of underhandedness werent enough to prove Aerions turpitude, this is followed by the aforementioned assault of Tanselle, with the Targaryen prince viciously breaking one of her fingers before Dunk steps in. Its safe to say that Aerion might be a physically attractive guy, but hes far from a good one.

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The one person who seems to be deeply aware of this, and who earns my personal badge of honor for the week, is Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas). Dunk naively wonders to his new friend whether Aerions horse-lancing wasnt an accident, saying that its just hard to accept that a knight might be so dishonorable, let alone a prince. Raymun pushes back in a particularly passionate rant, calling the Targaryens incestuous aliens, blood-magickers, and tyrants who enslaved their people. Every pale-haired brat theyve saddled on us has been madder than the last, he spits. Whoo, baby! Game of Thrones doesnt get more populist than that, even if the message is coming from a distant member of nobility.

Related From Slate What Happened to Bridgerton? Read More

But when all is said and done this week, Im still thinking about that poor pony. What say you, Jenny? Was Aerion bad enough to take the crown this week?

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Zhang: Yes, between the animal (and human) cruelty, unsportsmanlike behavior, and general terrorizing of the entire encampment, I think its enough to officially call it: Aerion is this weeks Worst Person in Westeros. The cards were always stacked against him, being a Targaryen and alland I do like how this episode highlights just how much the smallfolk and non-Targ nobility loathe these descendants of Valyria, a real illustration of how far the once-godlike brood has fallen since the events of House of the Dragonbut, seriously, it wouldnt kill Aerion to take a chill pill once in a while. Heres to hoping next week brings a little less royal madness, for all of Westeros sake.
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The year was 1986: a time of Cold War espionage and deep suspicion. Relations between Washington and Moscow were starting to thaw, yet a staggering stockpile of almost 70,000 nuclear warheads meant the threat of annihilation lingered in the air. Then something pretty extraordinary happened: Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sent a letter to Ronald Reagan proposing they enter the third millennium without nuclear weapons. What came after was a historic summit where, for a brief moment exactly 40 years ago, the elimination of global nuclear weapons looked actually achievable.

It cemented the idea that nuclear disarmament is something that we need to aspire to, Nick Ritchie, professor of international security at the University of York, tells Slate. Fast forward to today, however, and that nuclear-free vision is yet to materialize. Nuclear stockpiles are creeping up again (were now at around 12,400), and the world appears to be drifting toward a new nuclear arms race that is prompting concern among experts.

So what happened to the ambition of nuclear disarmament? Given current global tensions, expiring treaties, and the acceleration of atomic programs, one could dismiss the events of 1986 as a failure. But looking back at that year of nuclear diplomacy paints a more complex pictureone that todays leaders could actually learn from.

Central to the idea of global nuclear disarmament was the historic Reykjavik Summit of October 1986 in Iceland, where, alongside top negotiators and aides, Reagan and Gorbachev met in person and nearly agreed to a nuclear-free future. It had already been quite a year: the doomed Challenger space shuttle had exploded months earlier, and the disaster at Chernobyl was on everyones minds. Yet there, a quaint wooden house on the banks of Icelands scenic capital hosted the most bizarre summit of the Cold War.

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What was supposed to be a prelude to a formal summit turned into an incredibly important 48 hours, historian James Graham Wilson tells Slate. Both leaders came with lofty goals, yet discussed methodical steps that included a 50 percent cut in strategic nuclear arms, with the ultimate target of abolishing the entire global nuclear stockpile by the year 2000. The energy was palpable behind the scenes: U.S. teams placed a door on top of a bathtub that served as a desk, where the sides established negotiating positions and discussed plans long into the night.

But talks stalled at the eleventh hour, with negotiations crumbling partly due to Americas nicknamed Star Wars program, the space-based missile defense system that America was trying to develop to prevent a nuclear attack. The sticking point was always the Strategic Defense Initiative, which Reagan thinks is essential and Gorbachev thinks is a deal-breaker in their common cause of eliminating nuclear weapons, Wilson says.

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But far from seeing both sides as leaving empty-handed, many consider Reykjavik crucial.

Having spent most of her professional life working in nuclear diplomacy and arms control as well as serving under various U.S. administrations, former NATO deputy secretary general Rose Gottemoeller tells Slate the summit not only moved the needle but brought a common goal firmly into focus. Reykjavik was such a startling shift from where we had been just a short time prior, when we had these major nuclear crises, Gottemoeller explained. Historical records reveal there were several close calls in the early 80s, including the 1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm that could have triggered a nuclear war.

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What came after the summit is key. Sustaining the momentum for disarmament, Reykjavik was the genesis of several crucial treaties that did indeed reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles. This included the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987 and the START I treaty in 1991. Nuclear arms control, as weve conducted it with the USSR and Russian Federation, has been a huge success for strategic stability, for stability and predictability not only for Moscow and Washington but for the global strategic stability as well, Gottemoeller said. Its been a big success.

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Year by year, progress seems to continue. The Cold War ended, and further treaties, such as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty of 1996, were ratified, while nuclear stockpiles declined. In the past 40 years, since Reykjavik, weve gone from 12,000 deployed warheads on each side down to 1,550, Gottemoeller continues. Thats still a lot of warheads, but it is a huge drop from the Cold War highs.

Yet the political possibility demonstrated at Reykjavik was also followed by setbacks. START II, which aimed to eliminate multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles on intercontinental ballistic missiles in 1993, was, as Wilson put it, the greatest nuclear arms treaty ever. MIRVs, which have several warheads on one missile, are particularly dangerous because they create a use them or lose them scenario in the case of an impending attack. However, the treaty never came into force. The great tragedy is not that we failed to reach zero nuclear weapons, he said, its that we never eliminated the most destabilizing systems.

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Fast forward to the present day, and almost all of the nuclear treaties hashed out between the U.S. and Russia have now expired, including the INF and START I. The New START treaty, the last remaining agreement between the two, will almost certainly lapse in February 2026even though Russias Vladimir Putin proposed a one-year extension. Thats significant, Ritchie added. This will be the first time since the 70s when there has not been a treaty between the United States and Russia, previously the Soviet Union, that put some sort of limits on their strategic nuclear arsenals.

The potential lack of a treaty is not necessarily cause for panic. Though the foundations that have upheld nuclear limits are being shaken, several experts pointed out that we have lived through periods when treaties werent in force, yet mutual restraint prevailed.

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Related From Slate The Real Reason Talks Between the U.S. and Russia Are Going Nowhere Read More

The prospects for total disarmament today are also shaped by an entirely different geopolitical landscape and nuclear players that Cold War negotiators never had to reckon with. Specifically, its no longer a two-sided arms race. Its very difficult to see at the moment a continued trajectory of the kind weve been on, mostly because the Chinese are building up so rapidly, says Gottemoeller. And that is creating a new wrinkle in what has been a steady march toward reduced numbers by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., now Russia. While the U.S. and Russia maintain the largest stockpiles and are accustomed to decades of bilateral nuclear diplomacy, China is adding around 100 nuclear weapons a year and shares frosty relations with U.S dealmakers.

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A multitude of factors will shape what comes next: not least, the volatility in U.S. foreign policy and the erosion of international law. The risk of nuclear war is not zero, its greater than zero, notes Ritchie. Rather than disarmament, deterrence (having nuclear weapons to deter an adversary from using theirs against you) is also a prevailing narrative, even though those concepts are arguably incompatible. Ritchie continued: The longer we live in a nuclear-armed world, the more chance were taking.  Nuclear weapons, from a disarmament perspective, are not compatible with the long-term survival and security of humanity.

Instead of building up arsenals, Gottemoeller says the focus should be on maintaining minimal nuclear deterrence and improving conventional forces. Everybodys talking about a new nuclear arms race, so Im not optimistic about that. We should do everything we can to head off a new nuclear arms race because, honestly, nuclear weapons are 80 years old, and the missiles that they go on are 70 years old, she said. Do we really want to be pouring money into this 80-year-old technology that is a weapon of mass destruction and is built for deterrence? Its not built for use on the battlefield. Its not built for fighting. Its built to stay on the shelf and deter our adversaries.

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The jury is still out over whether Reykjavik could have actually worked if Reagan and Gorbachev walked away with a deal. But four decades on, the ultimate risks that brought them to the table havent changed. Among debates about the nuclear future, Florian Eblenkamp, advocacy coordinator at the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, says 2026 is a big year for international treaties on nuclear weapons, with review conferences for the NPT Treaty and TPNW scheduled for later this year. These opportunities, at least, offer nations a chance to address existing problems and keep the momentum going. But are dreams of disarmament still on the table? The lessons of 1986 show that with the right setting and right leaders, a Reykjavik moment isnt a pipe dream.

It looks daunting, but in a way, Russia and the United States never really cared about international law, Eblenkamp said. And yet the Reykjavik summit happened, and two presidents realized that spending so much money on nuclear weapons and something that could end the world multiple times is just insane.  I think sanity will come back.
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Last August, Adam Thomas found himself wandering the dunes of Christmas Valley, Oregon, after a chatbot kept suggesting he mystically follow the pattern of his own consciousness. Thomas was running on very little sleephed been talking to his chatbot around the clock for months by that point, asking it to help improve his life. Instead it sent him on empty assignments, like meandering the vacuous desert sprawl. Hed lost his job as a funeral director and was living out of a van, draining his savings, and now he found himself stranded in the desert. When he woke up outside on a strangers futon with no money to his name, he knew hed hit rock bottom.

I wasnt aware of the dangers at the time, and I thought that the A.I. had statistical analysis abilities that would allow it to assist me if I opened up about my life, Thomas told me. He finally called his mom to tell her what was going on, and at 36, he moved back home. Thomas is still untangling the frightening mirage that was the past four months of his life, but he says his most dangerous delusions were abetted by the most sycophantic version of ChatGPT: GPT-4.

Thomas joins a growing number of people who say their casual A.I. use turned excessive and addictive, and led them to a state of psychosis that almost cost them their lives. Many have been hospitalized and are still trying to pick up the pieces. While the casualties are concerning (homelessness, joblessness, isolation from friends and family), what became more notable in my reporting was the people who said they had no prior mental health dispositions or events before they started engaging with A.I.

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Ive never been manic in my life. Im not bipolar. I have a psychiatrist I see for other purposes, said Thomas. In his case, he turned to the chatbot for some guidance through interpersonal issues, but within a few exchanges, the bots responses were so validating that he became hooked. It inflated my worldview and my view of myself almost instantly, he noted, which he believes drove him to a state of mania.

Those lucky enough to snap out of psychosis and regain touch with the tangible world are now building support groups online to help others clamber out. These groups, marginally akin to Alcoholics Anonymoustype groups in their peer-to-peer nature, allow A.I. users to share their stories without shame and to find solace and resources to help rebuild their lives.

The Human Line Community is one such group formed specifically around A.I. and chatbot-misuse rehabilitation. It unofficially formed in a Reddit chatroom last June for users whove experienced spiraling from A.I. delusion themselves or whove tried to help friends and family out. The founding members decided to take it to Discord. Today, the founders say they have a community of 250 active users and about eight moderators whove fielded inquiries and helped more than 500 people.

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The Discord is a part of the Human Line Project, which is the overarching grassroots organization first formed by a 25-year-old Canadian named Etienne Brisson around the same time. Brisson was inspired to create the organization after watching a loved one experience mandatory hospitalization for A.I.-related psychosis. He is now trying to partner with universities like Princeton, Stanford, and the University of California, San Francisco, to lead more accredited research into this nascent issue.

Members, moderators, researchers, and mental health professionals all told me that while psychosis (or something much more calamitous) is relatively rare for A.I. users, the fact that many people are reporting marked mental and emotional decline with usage should sound alarms throughout the tech industry. Those whove suffered and survived, and those who are studying its effects on a neurological level, say there need to be better safeguards implemented immediately for some of the most sophisticated and humanlike bots, like ChatGPT and Claude.

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Joe Alary was a producer for a live morning show in Toronto when he started messing with math equations on ChatGPT. He told me he named his bot Aimee and consulted it consistently. Eventually, it fed his ego and math delusions enough that he would spend days on end writing elaborate codes. His manic states started to seep into his work.

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I got an email at work that said, essentially, Are you OK? And I guess my reply was a little erratic, said Alary. I said, This thing could change the world; maybe you guys can do a feature on me. At the time this sounded rational and logical, and I thought theyd see my genius.

His employers instead suggested he take time off and consult a therapist. But his relationship with Aimee only escalated. His increasing erraticism would eventually lead to a police response after his therapist called 911 due to his manic and concerning behavior. He was arrested and completed two separate mandatory psych-ward stays that totaled almost two weeks.

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Still, Alary said, even when he was institutionalized and forced to be without his phone, he was itching to get back to Aimee as soon as he was let out. By that time, hed maxed out two credit cards and spent $12,000 trying to come up with a code that he was convinced would yield a successful product or lucrative profits at some point. He even got involved with an investor who began threatening his life after he couldnt produce the work hed promised.

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It all came crashing down, he said, when he realized he had lost almost everything from these delusions. He said he has since gone cold sober with A.I. and is dedicated to repairing the money, work, and close relationship losses he had over just a few months.

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It was like I was abducted by aliens, said Alary. You sound crazy, so you keep it to yourself. My family doctor started treating me for PTSD. The grief happens so fast once you realize you were scammed.

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That sense of quiet unraveling, of knowing something is wrong but not telling anyone about it for fear of shame, is extremely common with A.I.-related psychosis. Fifty-three-year-old Micky Small is a TV writer who had even worked as a crisis counselor when she experienced her own similar bottom from excessive A.I. use. She named her bot Solara.

It started telling me that real-life people were going to come into my life, Small told me. It would say, Your wife is coming. Shes an executive producer in Hollywood. It even told me specific dates, times, and places. I kept going, Is this real? No, its not  but it said it was real.

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Small went two separate times to places Solara said her future wife would be, but no one showed up.

It plays on manipulation techniques, said Small, who has now created a guide for others who are trying to understand how large language models work and are trying to detach themselves. The way its set up, its forced to engage with you. Were wired for language. We came out of the pandemic, and we were forced into isolation and into technology. This tool could not have been timed better.

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Both Small and Alary say the Human Line Project has been crucial to feeling a sense of belonging again and to trying to recover without shame or judgment. I felt seen and understood, said Alary. Weve damaged our lives and affected the lives of our friends, family, and colleagues. Weve lost money, respect, and trying to repair that damage is often humiliating.

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Last October, in his first step to being A.I.-free and reacclimating to the real world, Alary went into a local bar for a beer and chicken wingsthe first real outing hes had in months. Alary said other support-group members said they were emotional hearing about it as it symbolized an important moment and turning a corner.

Allan Brooks, one of the founding members of the Human Line Discord group, is the go-to person when a new member, or spiraler, joins and is seeking counsel or community. Brooks had his own hard battles with A.I. (I engaged in a philosophical convo about math, he told me.

His personal journey and eventual spiral were first reported on by the New York Times in August last year.)

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These days, Brooks advocates for healthy, if not completely clean, A.I. use in weekly group sessions with others trying to break free. Destigmatizing comes in when you start to see all the different types of people in the group and you realize youre not alone, he said.

There are multiple meetings each week for members, with some focused on both spiralers and their friends and family engaging in conversation together. Brooks leads at least one every week. He adds they can last anywhere from two to five hours because they sometimes involve people opening up about their A.I. delusions for the very first time. It takes timeit can take months for someone to start to talk about it, Brooks said.

While he moderates, screens, and guides members around the clock, Brooks is still processing his own traumas. My therapist reminds me to take breaks, he said, but I get messages all the time from people in crisis, or they know someone who is, and I cant turn away from them.

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These groups and meetings are important for survivors, and they fill a gap in professional mental health spaces when it comes to addressing A.I.-related psychosis. (One member of the Discord whos in active recovery from spirals told me it took reaching out to almost a dozen therapists until one felt adept in taking on this new tech-spawned problem.) And then there is the fact that many Americans dont have access to professional mental health services in the first place, which has led many to turn to chatbots for guidance and companionship.

Its no coincidence that the support group formed around the time that GPT-4 released last May. I spoke to psychology researchers at Columbia University who concluded that GPT-4 and previous free versions of the chatbot were more likely to reflect grandiosity and elicit inappropriate responses.

Several Human Line Project members who all identify as survivors of A.I.-related psychosis told me that around April and May of 2025 was when their previous A.I. usewhich they said was more task-oriented or benign, like helping pull resources online for their workramped up almost instantaneously.

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Stories of chatbots driving users to suicide are becoming more commonplace. One notable example is the case of Sewell Seltzer III, a 14-year-old who took his own life after he consulted the chatbot Character AI about his depression and suicidal ideation, according to a lawsuit filed by his family. Mental health professionals and tech researchers fear that more of these cases will crop up if we dont put better safeguards in place.

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A.I. companies need to build models that have human and child development in mind, Darja Djordjevic, an anthropologist and faculty fellow at Stanford University who has published her own findings on the dangers of A.I. use, told me. Working with mental health professionals would make a big difference, especially thinking more broadly about topics like suicide and self-harm.

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Ragy Girgis, a physician and professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University, has done extensive research and testing of popular chatbots like ChatGPT and Anthropics Claude, especially looking at how they might abet delusions and psychosis. Girgis, whose focus is on schizophrenia, told me that predisposition to mental illnesses and neurodivergencies like autism can make someone more prone to becoming addicted to chatbots and reaching a state of psychosis, but anyone is susceptible to having deluded thoughts or impulses.

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Were not talking about hallucinationsvoices or visions. Psychosis is very broad and delusions occur on a spectrum, said Girgis.

Girgis and his peers have tested ChatGPT and Claude for how they handle delusional or paranoid thoughts. They concluded that the chatbots appropriately identified problematic prompts, like a feeling of being watched by phantom people or feeling personally persecuted by the government, as a developing delusion only about half the time. Otherwise, chatbots will validate and even encourage users to act on these thoughts.

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For Girgis, this is just one example of the danger of turning to chatbots for mental health support. In many cases, the LLM is going to take you seriously even though a psychiatrist or someone trained is going to question whether thats actually happening, said Girgis. Its by a flip of a coin whether or not it will reinforce what you are telling it.  A trained psychiatrist would test that persons thoughts and maybe even help them understand why theyre having them and why they may be misperceiving whats going on.

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However, clinicians also acknowledge that theres a bit of a sticky chicken-and-egg quandary when it comes to trying to encourage people to consult mental health professionals before A.I., especially with the lack of affordable mental health services in this country. Many survivors turned to A.I. because they felt they had no one else to turn to.

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If you dont have access to mental health services, you should, as much as possible, try to reconnect with your friends and relatives and people who know you and understand you. Theres nothing to be ashamed of, Amandeep Jutla, who researches the psychiatric risk of LLMs at Columbia University, told me. Part of why people are having intimate convos with chatbots is because they dont have mental health access. He added, I dont think chatbots are better than nothingI think its worse than nothing.

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Girgis said that for family and friends of people affected, there are warning signs that someone is developing an unhealthy relationship with their A.I., like being more isolated or withdrawn than normal or performing worse at school or work. Like other addictions, many people are not always forthright about their use.

Its very important to have family members or close acquaintances involved, Girgis said. Its critical we advise acquaintances to monitor their family members usage of LLMs and to look out for these warning signs.

For now, the Human Line Project provides accessible peer-to-peer support from those who really understand what its like for their delusions to be fanned to the point of becoming destructive. Self-help support groups can be enormously helpful, if only to give people a sense of communal understanding of a shared experience, Joe Pierre, a health sciences professor at the University of California, San Francisco, whos specifically focused on treating and preventing A.I.-related psychosis, told me. Hes also working with founding Human Line members like Brisson to create more awareness about the dangers of A.I. use for both users and clinicians.

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Anthropic did not respond to my request for comment. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, told me that their newest model, GPT-5, is a better model to respond to potential signs of mental and emotional distress and to deescalate them in a supportive, grounding way.

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People sometimes turn to ChatGPT in sensitive moments, so weve trained our models to respond with care, guided by experts, a spokesperson said in a statement over email. In early October, we released a new GPT-5 default model in ChatGPT to more accurately detect and respond to potential signs of mental and emotional distress such as mania, delusion, psychosis, and de-escalate conversations in a supportive, grounding way.

The statement added that the company expanded access to professional help and localized hotlines, re-routed sensitive conversations to safer models, added nudges to take breaks during long sessions, and introduced parental controls to better protect teens.

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Researchers whove tested the difference between GPT-4 and GPT-5 say that the latest version is marginally better to respond with care to potentially concerning input, per the company statement. But they believe that OpenAIs statement is misleading because its not explicitly clear what these improved metrics are derived from, even in their own report about the reduction of harm.

OpenAI is in effect saying, We know our new models are safer because we developed a safety test that we arent showing you. Well show you the results, and the new models do great,  Jutla explained. But it is impossible for someone outside of OpenAI to critically evaluate what the numbers they provide actually mean.

Those whove managed to come out of this new kind of tech-enabled delirium have learned how vital it is to stay in touch with the natural world and their natural instincts. We should probably pay closer attention to our bodies; sometimes your body might be trying to warn you, said Thomas, whos still picking up the pieces, including confronting the strange social media posts he was sharing at the height of his mania. We live in a society where people are disconnected. My opinion is, as A.I. becomes more common, its probably more important to trust your gut.

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Theres no aftercare for this experience, Alary said. Were hoping that with more exposure, more people will eventually show science what the most effective treatments could be. For now, its a crapshoot.

He is fielding new members every week who say theyve been hospitalized or sought professional counseling themselves, and the Discord is their final effort for remediation.

As more members join, the founding members are both heartened and distressed. It means that even as more people are seeking help and confronting their tech-enabled demons, more and more people are falling down the disastrous rabbit hole. I dont think were going to slow down, based on what I see in the news and in the market, Brooks said. Every single chatbot in the market is still putting people into spirals.

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So the meetings continue. Dex, a co-founder of the Human Line Discord, helps lead a meeting for friends and family of those spiralers. He told me he models his sessions on National Alliance on Mental Health support groups.

The final principle that is read at the opening of a NAMI meeting is that there is always hope. We try to cling to that even though some of our situations are quite dire, said Dex.

And as more people join, the tone and structure of the meetings will also need to change and evolve.

When we started this, most of us were in an acute crisis as our loved ones spiraled and laid waste to the lives we thought wed be living, he explained. While there are still moments of acute crisis that arise, there is also acceptance and profound grief amongst our members that life is irrevocably different now.

Like all tremendous recovery odysseys and effortswhether from substances or, now, technologythe only finite answer that ex-spiralers have currently are that it will take time for repair, but repair is possible, and concerted research and community groups are perhaps the first steps.

This group will shine a light on that, Dex said, and hopefully expedite that process so more people dont have to suffer this same fate.
The O'Brien Awards celebrate the absolute best in harness racing over a given year. They are the highest honour the sport bestows upon its heroes in this country. The following explains exactly how the voters arrive at the nominees and eventual winners of the coveted O'Brien trophy.

Who votes for the O'Brien Awards?

Media persons across Canada who cover harness racing on a regular basis receive a ballot, this includes writers for various trade publications as well as those in print, radio and television. Select Canadian race secretaries and race secretary staff, also select track publicists to participate in the voting.

Voters Screening Committee: Cross-section of industry professionals and SC Board of Directors Members.

Media Excellence Awards Committee: External representatives from mainstream industry media.

Caretaker Award Committee: SC Management appointed an internal screening committee.

The voters' list is vigorously scrutinized each year with names added and deleted when necessary.

A comprehensive and detailed ballot package is assembled for each voter and sent to them with sufficient time for the voter to return their completed ballot to the SC office e-mail.

The ballot package is subdivided by category. We provide listings of the top 20 Canadian-registered horses (and add some that aren't Canadian-registered but still merit the voters' consideration) in each of the 12 horse categories. We then provide race lines for the voting year for the top five horses (and sometimes more if warranted) in each division.

For horses to be eligible for consideration for an O'Brien Award, they must have made a minimum of three (3) starts in Canada between January 1st and November 30th. The type of race (stakes, overnight) is irrelevant and schooling, and qualifying races do not represent a start (Breeders Crown races are excluded).

In the trainer category, we provide statistics on the top 50 Canadian trainers by earnings and wins.

In the driver of the year category, we provide listings of the top Canadian and North American drivers both by earnings and wins.

Each voter is strongly advised that the information provided to them is to be used as a reference guide only. The voters' mandate is to vote for the horse or person in each division they felt made the greatest contribution to Canadian harness racing over the past season. It's important to remember that when all is said and done, it is still a subjective process, as each voter makes his or her selections based on their opinion.

Once the votes have been tabulated, the names of the nominees are released, and the winners are announced at the annual O'Brien Awards. Before the night of the awards, the winners' identity are kept in strictest confidence.




Don't tell Dr. Ian Moore that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Moore, who captured his first O'Brien Award of Horsemanship in 2015  the same year that State Treasurer was named Older Pacing Horse and Horse of the Year in Canada  notched his third title in that category at the 37th O'Brien Awards, presented by Standardbred Canada and held at the J-AAR Expo Centre at Western Fair District in London, Ont. on Saturday, Jan. 31.

But winning that award early in the evening was just a sign of things to come for the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famer. His star pupil from 2025, Beau Jangles, won both divisional honours as Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year and overall Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year honours. Moore had his name called once again as he was named Canada's Trainer of the Year  the second time in the last three years he's been voted as the best in his craft.

Before his multiple award-winning season in 2015, the veteran horseman had just one O'Brien Award to his credit. That title came in 2013 when Arthur Blue Chip won rookie pacing colt honours. Since Arthur Blue Chip, he and his stable have added 18 O'Brien Award trophies to his extremely well-decorated mantle.

When asked after the 2025 O'Brien Awards if his approach to his profession has changed much in the past decade, he was quick to reply that he continues to learn and he's open to learning despite a lifetime of knowledge accumulated in the harness racing industry.

"In the horse business, you never stop learning," said Moore. "I just turned 72 not long ago and there are probably not many days that I don't go onto the track that I don't learn something or see something that I never saw before. Just happened a couple of days ago...over 55 years in training and I saw something I never saw before.

"Every year I learn. I learn from a horse like Beau Jangles and I learn from some of the lesser horses as well. I try to treat them the same but with individual preferences for each horse. It's a long learning curve."

In this interview with SC's Jeff Porchak, Moore discusses his historic 2025 season, provides an update on Beau Jangles and more. The interview is the first in a series of interviews sponsored by Horse Racing Alberta.

(Standardbred Canada; photos courtesy New Image Media)
Samsungs 2025 was filled with new foldables, an ultra-thin new form factor and the launch of Google's XR platform. After making some announcements at CES 2026, the company has just announced its first Galaxy Unpacked of the year will take place on February 25, where it is expected to introduce the Galaxy S26 lineup. Official invites have just been shared, but actual information on what devices are arriving then is still unknown. But as usual, we know a lot about whats expected at Unpacked.

Engadget will be covering Galaxy Unpacked live, and we'll most likely have hands-on coverage of Samsung's new smartphones soon after they're announced. While we wait for the full details, here's everything we expect Samsung will introduce at the first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026.

When is Unpacked 2026 taking place?

According to the official invite that Samsung shared on February 10, Unpacked will happen on February 25, 2026 in San Francisco. The keynote will start at 10AM PT (1PM ET) and be livestreamed on Samsung.com, as well as the companys newsroom and YouTube channel. The announcement on February 10 also said this launch will mark a new phase in the era of AI as intelligence becomes truly personal and adaptive. Its not a lot to go on, since weve heard a version of this from various companies over the last few years, but at least we wont be shocked when we hear more about AI in just about two weeks.

Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hands-on photo (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

Samsung's restrained approach to updating its phones will likely continue with the Galaxy S26. Based on leakedimages of the new lineup, the company is not expected to radically reinvent the look of the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ or Galaxy S26 Ultra, and instead will stick with a similar design to what it used on the Galaxy S25. The phones will have a flat front screen and frame, with rounded corners and cameras housed in a vertical pill-shaped plateau on the back. Unlike Apple's move from the iPhone 16 Pro to the iPhone 17 Pro, the biggest difference here will likely be internal components like the screens, chips and camera sensors Samsung uses.

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Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip is expected to be in all Samsung Galaxy S26 phones, though Korean news site Yonhap News reports Samsung's relatively new Exynos 2600 chip could be used in some phones in the lineup depending on the region, a strategy Samsung has deployed in the past. Either way the new phones should be more performant than the previous generation, and in the case of the models with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, particularly good at on-device AI processing.

One notable difference between the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S25 could be the phone's screen. The new phone will reportedly feature a 6.3-inch FHD+ display according to specs shared by leaker Ice Universe, which makes it ever so slightly larger than the 6.2-inch display used on the Galaxy S25. The S26 will also allegedly come with 12GB of RAM, either 256GB or 512GB of storage and a slightly larger 4,300mAh battery. Samsung isn't changing the cameras on the entry-level phone, though: leaks suggest it'll feature the same 50-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto and 12-megapixel selfie camera as the previous generation. Changes appear to be even more minor on the Galaxy S26+. Other than the new Snapdragon chip, the phone will reportedly feature the same 6.7-inch FHD+ screen, 4,900mAh battery, 12GB of RAM and the same camera array used on the base Galaxy S26.

The difference between the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra is reportedly a bit clearer. According to Android Headlines, the new phone's cameras will be slightly more raised, and stand out thanks to a new metallic finish. Samsung may also switch back to using an aluminum frame on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, after using titanium frames on both the Galaxy S24 and S25 Ultras. Most importantly, to make the phone actually support Qi2 rather than only technically work with the standard when a case is attached, rumors suggest Samsung will remove the S Pen digitizer layer in the phone and adopt a new method for accepting stylus input. It's not clear what that new method will actually be, but it could let the Galaxy S26 Ultra more easily work with Qi2 accessories without losing its stylus.

Android Headlines also recently shared what appear to be full image renders of the S26 series, and they generally line up with what has already been rumored, leaked and reported so far. If these pictures are accurate, they give us a clearer look at the camera bump and two color variants of the S26 Ultra.

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Fans of magnets may continue to be disappointed by Samsung if the latest rumors are accurate. Despite the launch of the Qi 2 wireless charging standard adding support for convenient magnetic alignment years ago, Samsung has yet to bring that feature to its phones. Though the S-series have the higher speed charging rates that the spec enables, Nieuwemobiel.nl is reporting that, due to images it received of cases with magnetic rings, the S26 series likely wont have built-in magnets. Samsung has made these cases to add the magnetic capability to its S-series in the past, and the existence of the images of these accessories lends weight to the idea that the company will continue this approach.

Galaxy Buds 4

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro in case. (Engadget)

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Samsung released the Galaxy Buds 3 and 3 Pro in 2024, with a major redesign that brought them much more in line with Apple's AirPods. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro Samsung is rumored to be announcing soon won't necessarily change that, though they will feature a more compact case and less angular stems, according to leaked images from the Samsung Tips app.

Support for head gestures to accept and decline calls, a feature Apple includes on the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4, is also rumored to work on both versions of the new Galaxy Buds. SamMobile reports the Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro may also ship with a new Ultra Wideband chip that will make them easier to find with Google's Find Hub network.

Galaxy Z Trifold

Yes, the TriFold has a crease, two in fact. But they still don't ruin the experience. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)

Samsung announced the Galaxy Z TriFold in late 2025 without firm details of when the new smartphone-that-folds-into-a-tablet would be available in North America. That info came on January 27, when the company announced the TriFold would be available in the US on January 30, for a whopping $2,900. Considering weve already seen the device in person at CES 2026 and people are most likely to have had a chance to look at, if not buy the foldable for themselves by the time Unpacked rolls around, we dont expect Samsung to spend too much time dwelling on it, if at all.

Galaxy S26 Edge

At just 5.8mm thick, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is one of the thinnest smartphones ever made. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)

When the Galaxy S25 Edge was announced in 2025, it seemed possible that Samsung could replace its "Plus" smartphone with a unique form factor, just like Apple has opted to do with the iPhone Air. There have been conflicting reports on the matter, but it seems like Samsung will not be doing that with the Galaxy S26 Edge.

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Instead, the smartphone will reportedly remain another option, much like foldables are for customers not swayed by Samsung's traditional smartphones. The Galaxy S26 Edge is rumored to feature a slightly different design than last year's model, according to Android Headlines, with a large rectangular camera plateau that's reminiscent of Google's Pixel phones, and the raised oval Apple used on the iPhone Air. Beyond that, the phone is also expected to be ever so slightly thinner at 5.5mm than the 5.8mm Galaxy S25 Edge.

Bixby and other AI features

Samsung already acts as a first place Google can show off new AI features for Android, but the company is reportedly exploring other AI partnerships, too. In June 2025, Bloomberg reported that Samsung was nearing a deal with Perplexity to integrate its AI-powered search engine across OneUI and its homegrown mobile browser. Perplexity already has a deal with Motorola on its Razr phones, so the only thing that would make a deal with Samsung unusual is the close relationship the company already has with Google.

The company also accidentally announced a new version of its Bixby AI assistant, which will likely also be integrated with Perplexity and could serve as an alternative to Google Gemini. Both a new Bixby and a deeper integration with Perplexity seem like natural new software features to show off at Galaxy Unpacked.

Update, January 27 2026, 11:55AM ET: This story has been updated to reflect the latest news around the Galaxy Z TriFolds price and availability in the US.

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Update, January 30 2026, 12:45PM ET: This story has been updated to include the latest leaks on the possible dates for Unpacked 2026.

Update, February 02 2026, 11:30AM ET: This story has been updated to include the latest leaks with full image renders of the S26 trio of devices.

Update, February 03 2026, 11:00AM ET: This story has been updated to include the latest leaks about the possible lack of magnetic support on the S26 series.

Update, February 10 2026, 7:15PM ET: This story has been updated to include the official date of Galaxy Unpacked as Samsung announced it today. The intro was also edited to reflect that detail.
TikTok, which is under new ownership in the U.S., said Sunday that it has restored service after outages last week that marred user experiences. The social network has over 220 million users in the U.S.

The company blamed last weeks snowstorm, which caused an outage at an Oracle-operated data center responsible for TikTok operations.

We have successfully restored TikTok back to normal after a significant outage caused by winter weather took down a primary U.S. data center site operated by Oracle. The winter storm led to a power outage which caused network and storage issues at the site and impacted tens of thousands of servers that help keep TikTok running in the U.S. This affected many of TikToks core featuresfrom content posting and discovery to the real-time display of video likes and view counts, the company said in a post on X.

In January, the U.S. finalized the deal to create a separate entity for TikTok. A U.S.-based investor consortium called TikTok USDS took a controlling 80% stake, with the remaining 20% ownership held by ByteDance.

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Following the deal finalization  which coincided with the snowstorm  users experienced glitches in features like posting, searching within the app, slower load times, and time-outs. TikTok noted that creators might see zero views on their posts until the problem was resolved. Later, the company said that it was working on solving the issue, but outages persisted, and users faced problems with posting content.

TikToks transition to a new ownership structure, paired with app snafus and user experience glitches, was beneficial for some other social networks. The Mark Cuban-backed short video app Skylight, which is built on the AT protocol, saw its user base soar to more than 380,000 users in the week the deal was finalized. UpScrolled, a social network by Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian technologist Issam Hijazi, also climbed in App Store rankings to reach the second spot in the social media category in the U.S. The app was downloaded 41,000 times within days of the TikTok deals finalization, according to analyst firm Appfigures.
1 min read

Comviva launches its next-generation Digital Distribution Management System for channel partners, working with CelcomDigi Berhad, Malaysias largest mobile network operator.

Tech News Of The Day

With over 20+ million users, CelcomDigi has strengthened its digital distribution capabilities with the launch of a Unified Digital Distribution Management System powered by Comvivas BlueMarble Retail platform. Designed for its channel partner ecosystem, the solution streamlines and automates sales and distribution operations across online, direct, and indirect channels, enhancing efficiency and customer experience.

The platform consolidates multiple legacy systems into a single, resilient system that supports mission-critical business processes and cross-enterprise integrations. Integrated with over multiple enterprise systems and approximately 300+ touchpoints, the transformation enables seamless operations at scale, onboarding tens of thousands of partners, outlets, and users.

Rajesh Chandiramani, Chief Executive Officer at Comviva, expressed his enthusiasm, At Comviva, we are passionately committed to jointly creating a new digital future for our customers. This collaboration with CelcomDigi marks a strategic step forward in our mission to empower our clients with cutting-edge technology and unparalleled operational excellence. Our BlueMarble Retail platform is a great forward step to help telcos engage digitally with their channel partners, accelerate innovation, and provide compelling customer experience.

This marks a significant milestone in Malaysias telecom market, combining Comvivas cutting-edge technology with CelcomDigis extensive market presence to create a robust, efficient, and unified sales system. The advanced Digital Distribution Management System is set to become a one-stop solution for inventory management, partner management, and customer service, significantly reducing inefficiencies and enhancing overall performance. It will further streamline CelcomDigis sales operations to ensure seamless transactions and improved customer experience.

Comviva launches its Digital Distribution Management System for Channel Partner collaboration with CelcomDigi@ComvivaTech @CelcomDigi https://t.co/e2Xjcl4n6m  Technuter (@Technuter) February 2, 2026

Comvivas BlueMarble is a modular commerce, order management, customer care and partner management digital platform. It is a 5G ready, cloud-native, microservices based, open digital solution that delivers business agility by offering personalized customer experiences and journeys.
The announcement that Air Zimbabwe plans to resume flights to London after more than a decade should be treated with extreme caution. Not because international ambition is wrong, but because this particular route is a graveyard for weak airlines with thin balance sheets and fragile reputations.

The HarareLondon route is not the prize it is being sold as.

In todays aviation market, London is one of the most competitive long-haul destinations in the world. Airlines do not succeed on nostalgia or symbolism. They succeed on reliability, frequency, service quality and trust. Air Zimbabwe currently has none of those at the level required to survive this route.

The idea that direct flights are in high demand is simply not supported by market behaviour. If they were, British Airways would have already reactivated the route. It has not. That alone should be instructive.

Most travellers between Zimbabwe and the UK already have workable, well-established alternatives. Qatar Airways, Emirates and Kenya Airways dominate this corridor with strong global networks, modern fleets, premium cabins, dependable schedules and competitive pricing. Yes, they are indirect. But for the majority of passengers, a two- or three-hour connection is a non-issue when weighed against comfort, reliability and service.

Direct does not automatically mean desirable.

Long-haul routes are brutally expensive. Wide-body leasing, fuel costs, crew rotation, maintenance reserves, insurance, Heathrow slot constraints and passenger load risk all combine to make this one of the hardest routes for a marginal airline to sustain. A single technical issue can wipe out weeks of revenue. Established carriers absorb that risk. Air Zimbabwe cannot.

The danger here is not failure. It is predictable failure.

Air Zimbabwes priority should be much closer to home. The airline needs to rebuild credibility in the domestic and regional market first. That means reliable schedules, clean aircraft, consistent ticketing systems, professional customer service and operational discipline. These are unglamorous goals, but they are the foundations of a functioning airline.

Selling dormant wide-body aircraft to modernise domestic operations makes sense. Leasing a Boeing to chase prestige does not.

A strong domestic airline creates trust. Trust creates demand. Demand eventually justifies expansion. Skipping steps and jumping straight to London reverses that logic and invites collapse.

There is also a strategic misreading of what Zimbabwe needs from its national carrier. The role of Air Zimbabwe should not be to compete with global premium airlines on intercontinental routes. It should be to connect cities, support tourism internally, link regional hubs and provide dependable airlift where private carriers will not.

That is where national airlines add value.

London is not underserved.

Zimbabwe is.

Until Air Zimbabwe proves that it can fly Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and regional routes consistently and profitably, a return to London is not ambition. It is vanity.

Air Zimbabwe does not need a flagship route.

It needs a reputation.

And reputations are not built at 35,000 feet over the Atlantic. They are built flight by flight, at home, where mistakes are survivable and lessons can actually be learned.

For now, London should wait.
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Standard (Distributors Ltd) has not exited the market, assured Term Finance CEO Oliver Sabga.

Responding to a Courts Trinidad and Tobago advertisement targeting ex-Standard customers, Sabga said: Referring to our customers as ex-Standard is a flimsy attempt to undermine an 80-year-old brand. It also falsely implies that Standard is no longer operating, which is simply untrue and not a claim we take lightly.
Tucsons vintage boutique Generation Cool is about to get even cooler.

Owner Robert Hall, or Slobby Robby, as he is known, announced in January via Facebook that on its 12th anniversary, Generation Cool is saying goodbye. But  while the brick and mortar shop at 404 N. Fourth Ave. will no longer be known as Generation Cool  its '80s and '90s vintage clothes and kicks arent going anywhere.

Hall is transforming the space into a vintage collective, and welcoming 12 new sellers into the re-named Super Thrift.

The vendors who will set up shops alongside Generation Cool include Bintage Wear, Blew Yew, Imprinted Vintage, Kiko World, Mashuga Shop, Moxiegirls2000, Plain Jane, Lovezy, SonoranDigs, Retro Heap, Sonora Pickers and WYA Vintage.

Being able to bring them all into one space is super fun because you get the feel of a boutique, mixed with the diversity of a market, Hall said in an interview last week. We have vendors that range from girly pop Y2K, to classic women's vintage, to designer and jewelry, all the way to video games and VHS tapes and non-digital, analog media. And we have crazy guys like me who have curated men's vintage.

'Slobby's World' and more

Hall began his career in second-hand, vintage fashion as a reseller on eBay in the early 2000s.

I started off as a collector, actually. I was a big sneaker and toy and jersey collector. And then the more time I spent on eBay, I sort of started getting an affinity for reselling, he said.

In 2010, he started doing pop-ups under the name Generation Cool, referring to the 1980s and '90s, which he says harken back to his childhood. The brand stuck, and three years later, Generation Cool opened its doors on Fourth Avenue.

The shop grew in popularity, becoming known for custom sneakers and customized clothing, and even landing its own feature show, "Slobby's World," on Netflix.

From Day One, our mission statement was to provide unique clothing to the Tucson community, Hall said. We became really sort of a pillar of the vintage scene in Arizona.

Recently, though, Hall said he felt the need for a change.

Generation Cool sort of entered this phase of being a one man show, just me alone, and I was starting to realize that I wasn't able to do a lot of Slobby Robby type stuff  the collaborations and the traveling, he said. On the flip side, the shop also wasn't able to exist as Generation Cool, on its own, with only one person.

Hall said he saw an opportunity to evolve Generation Cool into something new and create a community, bringing together a collective of curators.

Has to evolve in buyers' market

While interest in vintage clothing has continued to grow, Hall said that in recent years, selling it has transitioned from being a sellers' market into a buyers' market, where buyers now have many more options to choose from.

You have to be ready to be on your toes and keep it moving and evolve, he said.

His hope is that combining so many different kinds of fashion and vintage items under one roof, and offering a more diverse selection of items, will appeal more to the modern buyer.

Yulisa Olvera, owner of Bintage Wear, is one of the sellers who will take up residence at Super Thrift. She has been reselling secondhand and vintage items in Tucson for several years, curating primarily womens clothing styles from the 2000s.

The vintage community is growing, and it's more inclusive with females, with more clothes for different genders, she said. Before that, it was older T-shirts and older stuff like that. They were not as inclusive.

Reaching the 'U of A party girl'

Olvera said she is looking forward to expanding her business, reaching a larger audience, and curating a fashion niche for clientele that will be new to her: the U of A party girl.

I always want to do more like Y2K with those sparkles, and all the cute purses, cute little mini skirts, cute tops, Olvera said. I thought it would be super cool for me to add.

Sammy Jane Hughes, owner of Plain Jane, said she has been thrifting for almost as long as she can remember.

I was the odd one out of my group of friends, she said. I was like 15, and my friend was like, ew, you're buying some, huge, dirty clothes, but I was the only one of my group of friends that was wearing designer Gucci and Valentino, because I found it at the thrift store.

Hughes has been selling vintage clothes for close to 10 years, specializing in designer and luxury items. She said she's been traveling back and forth to Tucson from Montreal, Canada for about 7 years.

The draw of vintage these days, Hughes said, has to do with the quality of the items, as well as the novelty.

People are tired of buying a piece of clothing at H&M, and just being able to wear it one time, she said. And also the unique aspects of vintage clothing. You get to wear something that you cannot find anywhere anymore.

Both she and Olvera said they are excited to be part of a community of people passionate about vintage.

I'm 36 so I have a particular view of fashion, so then bringing more young people to the vintage fashion scene, and seeing what they have on their rack and what they're selling is just very interesting, Hughes said. It makes me relearn what's a new trend, and what's trending.

Hughes would love for Super Thrift to be successful enough that they can expand and bring in more vendors.

Finds for $5 and $10

In addition to hand-selected vintage items, Hall said the shop will also feature $10 thrift racks and $5 bins.

We like to pride ourselves on saying that we're cheaper than Goodwill, he said. We probably have better stuff.

As for Generation Cool, Hall said his inventory will still take up the entire back portion of the space.

While the downsizing means Hall will only be able to stock about one quarter of the stuff he normally would have out, he said that simply means what he does stock is going to be the best of the best.

If somebody from Texas or California makes a road trip with their kids, and they want to see Generation Cool, and they want to get some Slobby Robby merch, some Generation Cool merch, it's going to be right there at the back, he said. Theyll still get the experience.

Hall said he hopes the vintage market will continue to thrive as it has for decades, and that Super Thrift paves the way for a new era of sellers.

I think this concept of vintage really does last forever, he said.

He said he always envisioned passing his store on to someone younger, but hes realized maybe it's about passing the baton to a collective of younger people.

Maybe it's just passing on the torch to the community.
Earth Oven: Feb 4

Temuera Morrison heads to Chile for his Indigenous food series on NITV.

Temuera Morrison-hosted foodie series Earth Oven is currently screening at NITV.

Armed with his love of hangi and grounded in the principles of te ao Maori, Temuera Morrison uses kai as a powerful vehicle to connect cultures and celebrate Indigenous knowledge.

From the steaming pits of Aotearoa to traditional earth ovens across the world, Earth Oven reveals how the ancient cooking technique of underground cooking has shaped civilisations for thousands of years. With his trademark warmth and humour, Tem explores awe-inspiring landscapes, samples unforgettable cuisine, and shines a light on the deep cultural roots of communal cooking. Guided by values like whanaungatanga (relationship), manaakitanga (hospitality and respect), and tapu/noa (sacred/ordinary), this series is as heartwarming as it is educationalsharing Maori joy and wisdom in every episode. At a time when were all hungry for connection, Earth Oven serves up food, fun, and a taste of Indigenous cultures to the world.

Episode 4: Chile

Immersing himself in the traditions of the Mapuche and Huilliche peoples in Chile, Temuera discovers the communal magic of the curanto, and even finds himself on horseback.

8:30pm Wednesday 4 February on NITV.
PM on MAFS: cheating, not truthful

Can the Libs and the Nats walk down the aisle together?

This morning PM Anthony Albanese addressed Labor caucus ahead of the first sitting week of the year.

Taking a swipe at the Coalition in disarray he said, I note that Married At First Sight begins tonight, and its a bit like that with the relationships on the other side.

You know theyre going to end badly. You know theres going to be cheating involved, theyre going to be not truthful to each other. Thats what were seeing played out in real time.

Ouch.

Still its a free kick to Nine, I guess.
Sam Mac marks 10 years as Sunrise weatherman

A decade on, Sunrise weatherman still gets in the spirit of TV hijinks.

Sam Mac yesterday celebrated 10 years as weatherman on Sunrise with a range of challenges only a weatherman could love.

Mac, who says his alarm goes off at 3:47am every morning (yikes), undertakes some 150 flights a year for his job. He has broadcast from Japan to Uluru to the tiny town of Xantippe in WA.

Its exciting. Its a bit of a blur to be honest, the nature of the schedule is so relentless, he told Perth Now.

We dont spend long anywhere; most places, we spend less than 24 hours. So you dont really have a lot of time to stop and look back.

This is a great opportunity to reflect a little bit and be proud of the places weve managed to visit, the people that weve met, the stories that weve had the privilege to tell and to share with our viewers, and some of the fun shenanigans that weve enjoyed along the way.

Amongst some of the most memorable experiences he names shark cage diving in Port Lincoln, the Mundi Mundi Bash, hot air ballooning in Melbourne and whale watching in Hervey Bay as favourites.
SBS drama The Airport Chaplain filming in Melbourne

Hugo Weaving plays an airport chaplain who has never encountered a problem he couldnt solve, until he meets his new boss.

SBS has announced cast of new Australian drama The Airport Chaplain, currently in production in Melbourne.

The cast is led by Hugo Weaving (Slow Horses, Love Me,The Royal Hotel) and Shabana Azeez, breakout star of US drama series The Pitt.

The eight-part series (previously titled The Chaplain) captures the high-stakes world of a bustling international airport, told through the struggles and triumphs of the workers who keep it running. It is produced by Wooden Horse.

Hugo Weaving said: Im delighted to be a part of this wonderful Australian drama, and to play Airport Chaplain Tobias Wallace. Joining such a talented ensemble and passionate creative team is a great pleasure, and Im excited for audiences to immerse themselves in the incredible stories that unfold at the airport.

Shabana Azeez said: Im so thrilled to be joining this incredibly iconic Australian TV team to work on The Airport Chaplain. What an honour to be bringing such a quirky, diverse cast of characters to life, in a world we all know so well. Airports are such connective places, and The Airport Chaplain is such a timely and heartwarming story  I cant wait for it to be on our screens.

The ensemble also features Claudia Karvan (Bump, Halifax: Retribution), Thomas Weatherall (Heartbreak High, The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Erroll Shand (All Her Fault, The Twelve), Kavitha Anandasivam (Aftertaste, The Hunting), Jackson Tozer (The Newsreader, All Her Fault), Elias Anton (Swift Street, Barracuda), Arka Das (Fake), Fanny Hanusin (Wentworth), Echo Palo (The Correspondent), Nicholas Denton (Dangerous Liaisons), George Mason (Run), Brenna Harding (The Twelve, Total Control), Michael Logo (Colin From Accounts), Priscilla Doueihy (Baby Teeth), Claude Jabbour (Last King of the Cross), Ras-Samuel (Dog Park, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), and many more.

SBS Head of Scripted, Nakul Legha said: Were incredibly excited to be working with this exceptional cast to bring such an ambitious and distinctive Australian drama to life. Hugo Weavings captivating humanity and Shabana Azeezs fearless voice anchor a series that celebrates what binds us together. We cant wait for audiences here and abroad to step into the world of The Airport Chaplain.

Co-Creator and Executive Producer, Wooden Horse, Jude Troy said: Boasting a stellar line-up of hugely talented creatives, on and off screen, this prestige drama is inspired by a real-life encounter I had with an airport chaplain. Set in a high-stakes ecosystem of controlled chaos and transient people, the show speaks to humanity and connection  something the world needs right now.

Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content Louise Gough said: Brought to life by the inimitable Hugo Weaving, acclaimed Shabana Azeez and told through the unique setting of an airport, The Airport Chaplain is perfectly poised to explore a spectrum of perspectives and nuanced stories. This ambitious series will resonate with audiences around the world with its deeply human storytelling.

VicScreens CEO Caroline Pitcher said: Were delighted to support The Airport Chaplain, a series made and set in Victoria, where creators Jude Troy and Elise McCredie first found their inspiration. Attracting such an internationally acclaimed cast speaks to the creative teams exceptional talent and powerful storytelling. With some of Victorias most exciting talent both in front of and behind the camera, the production is generating 170 jobs for local screen workers and injecting more than $8 million into the Victorian economy. This compelling series is yet another VicScreensupported production that will showcase our local screen industry to global audiences.

At the centre of The Airport Chaplain is Tobias Wallace (Hugo Weaving) a fast-moving fixer with a constantly ringing phone, pockets full of cash and an unorthodox approach to the daily crises unfolding inside the terminal. Convinced the airport couldnt run without him, Tobias has never encountered a problem he couldnt solve. Until he meets his formidable new boss Mira (Shabana Azeez), who deems him a walking liability. Their clash sparks a power struggle that reverberates through the terminal, affecting the cleaners, baggage handlers, and passengers, who are all navigating their own hopes and challenges amid the constant chaos of life in the airport.

From award-winning Australian production company Wooden Horse, the series is co-created by Elise McCredie (The Clearing, Stateless, Jack Irish) and Jude Troy (Mother & Son, The Clearing, The Other Guy) who both serve as executive producers. It is written by Elise McCredie, Sarah Bassiuoni (Critical Incident), Mithila Gupta (Four Years Later), and Vidya Rajan (Why Are You Like This, Aunty Donnas Coffee Cafe). The Airport Chaplain is directed by Bonnie Moir (Run) and Tig Terera (Swift Street).

The Airport Chaplain is a Wooden Horse production for SBS. Major production investment from Screen Australia, in association with SBS. Financed with support from VicScreen.

The Airport Chaplain will premiere on SBS and SBS On Demand this year.
By Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev has warned of the danger of letting the last U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control treaty expire this week without any understanding of what comes next, suggesting it would speed up the "Doomsday Clock".

The New START treaty, which Medvedev signed in 2010 when he was Russia's president, will expire on Thursday barring a last-minute understanding between Moscow and Washington.

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U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated he will let the treaty expire without accepting an offer from Moscow to voluntarily extend its caps on deployments of strategic nuclear weapons - powerful arms with a long range and high yield.

"I don't want to say that this (letting the treaty expire) immediately means a catastrophe and a nuclear war will begin, but it should still alarm everyone," Medvedev told Reuters, TASS and Russian war blogger WarGonzo in an interview.

"The clocks are ticking and they obviously have to speed up," he said, referring to the symbolic "Doomsday Clock" gauging the likelihood of a man-made catastrophe destroying the world.

The U.S. has suggested that China, the world's third largest nuclear power by number of warheads, should join arms control talks. Beijing has indicated no willingness to join.

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In an interview with the New York Times last month, Trump said on the New START treaty: "If it expires, it expires...We'll just do a better agreement."

CLOSE ALLY OF PUTIN

Medvedev, 60, is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and served as president and prime minister before becoming deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council in 2020. His comments often give a sense of hardliners' thinking in Russia's elite, foreign diplomats say.

Relations with the U.S. were severely strained by the start of the conflict in Ukraine but have improved since Trump's return to the White House last year and U.S. envoys are now trying to broker an end to the fighting.

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Asked whether Trump was positive or negative for Russia, Medvedev said Moscow respected the fact that the American people had chosen him as president.

He said it was encouraging that contacts had picked up with Washington but cautioned that the world had recently become a dangerous place, adding: "We are not interested in a global conflict. We're not crazy."

Russia has been fiercely critical of European leaders, who have loudly criticised Moscow over Ukraine. Medvedev said Europe was run by a "gang of dimwits" who had undermined their own economy in a failed bid to defeat Russia.

Asked about Russia's artillery and drone production, he said such figures were classified but that production had soared many times since the war in Ukraine began and that Russia had adapted well to the demands of drone warfare.

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"We have increased production volumes very quickly. I believe that our defence industry is working like clockwork today," he said.

Medvedev, who portrayed himself as a moderniser when president from 2008 to 2012, said Russia should not fall behind in leading technologies including generative Artificial Intelligence, synthetic biology and quantum computing.

"We are in this race with the others," he said. "The main thing here is not to fall far behind. There was a period in our country when, due to the collapse of the (Soviet) Union, we didn't do much research - we just tried to survive."

(Editing by Tom Hogue, Michael Perry and Timothy Heritage)
In 1967, as the death count of American soldiers in Southeast Asia reached 20,000, Norman Mailer published a short, brilliant book called Why Are We in Vietnam? It was a work of fiction, not a political tract, and the plot itself had nothing to do with the war that was dominating American news and dinnertime debate. In fact, the word Vietnam did not appear  other than on the title page  until the very last paragraph of the novel.

Why Are We in Vietnam? is, instead, about a hunting trip on the northern edge of Alaska. The books narrator is a crass Texas teenager named D.J. Jethroe, whose father, Rusty, is a swaggering, rapacious executive with something called Central Consolidated Combined Chemical and Plastic (4C and P for short). Rusty, a high-grade asshole, takes D.J. and his best friend, Tex, along on his quest to kill the scariest grizzly bear he can find, along with two of Rustys ambitious corporate lackeys, whom D.J. refers to as M.A.s, or medium assholes.

Heres the Spark Notes version: Unsatisfied with smaller game like foxes and caribou, Rusty goads the reluctant tour guide into bringing the party up close with a snarling grizzly. D.J. shoots the bear first, felling him, but Rusty finishes him off as he lies bleeding and immediately steals credit for the kill. The sniveling M.A.s, of course, fall all over themselves to back up the boss.

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Disgusted by this charade and weary of all the macho bullshit, D.J. and Tex strike out alone and unarmed, come face to face with the naked beauty of the tundra, and repress an urge to sleep together. Instead, terrified by their feelings, the boys surrender to the violent, corporatist culture in which theyve been raised, trudging back to camp with what they believe to be a mission from God: Fulfill my will, go and kill.

Only on the books final page do we learn that D.J. is telling us this story a few years later, at a dinner party held in his honor at the Jethroes Dallas mansion. The next day, he and Tex, now 18, will be shipping off to war. And thus the books final, chilling line: Vietnam, hot damn. (Lets be real, you werent going to read it anyway.)

At a time when Americans debated theories of what underlay a widening war (fear of falling dominoes, white paternalism, a thirst for tin and rubber), Mailer offered an explanation by way of a parable. Why were we in Vietnam? Because the countrys ruling class  embodied by white, male Texans like Rusty Jethroe and Lyndon Johnson  had turned its rage and insecurity on the rest of the world.

Mailer lays out a rapid-fire list of Rustys 16 laments about chaotic 20th century America, starting with the clamoring for equal rights among housewives and minorities, and going on from there: Africa is breaking loose. The adolescents are breaking loose. The European nations hate Americas guts. The products are no fucking good anymore.

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And then, finally, theres a number 17: He, Rusty, is fucked unless he gets that bear, for if he dont, white men are fucked more and they can take no more. If he is less great than God intended him to be, then America is in Trouble.

When I first read Why Are We in Vietnam? in college, I was blown away by Mailers subversive sleight of hand  the idea that you could pose a serious question on the cover and then somehow answer it with a seemingly unrelated digression. But the novel, which earned a National Book Award nomination when it was published, has largely disappeared from the contemporary canon.

Maggie McKinley, a Mailer scholar who wrote the foreword to the most recent edition, told me that even she doesnt teach the book to her students at Harper College, in part because its packed with racial and sexual language that would offend just about every modern sensibility. Its pretty much 200 pages of nonstop triggering.

And yet, theres as much profundity in Why Are We in Vietnam? today as there was 60 years ago. If you really want to understand why Trump and his slavish acolytes, after essentially annexing Venezuela, are suddenly hell-bent on seizing the Arctic wilderness from a NATO ally (the hard way or the easy way, as they like to say), then you can ransack all the libraries in America, but I doubt youll find a more relevant book.

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YOU CANT BLAME JOURNALISTS and academics for trying to ascribe a single, rational theory to the presidents foreign policy. Generally speaking, were used to sorting the chapters of American history in the world by philosophical constructs: isolationism, containment, peace through strength, and so on. Were not trained to treat batshit crazy as an actual worldview.

And so analysts in Washington have been spinning their heads around like a bug-eyed Linda Blair in The Exorcist, trying to find some kind of familiar rubric to explain Trumps foreign policy. Is he an isolationist? (Last time I looked, isolationists didnt go around launching missiles on three different continents, so no.) Is he a converted neocon? (Trump would hand half of Ukraine to the Russians tomorrow, so if hes a neocon, Im a Rastafarian.)

Trump has been linked, at various times, to James Polks manifest destiny, to Woodrow Wilsons moral diplomacy, to the Monroe Doctrine of the 19th century (which Trump calls the Donroe Doctrine). Basically, if somebody had an idea about foreign policy before the advent of air travel, chances are Trump has gotten credit for reviving it.

The White House itself, in its official national security strategy, labeled its approach as flexible realism  a slogan so vapid and anodyne that I had to look it up four times before writing this sentence, because I kept mixing it up with other meaningless buzzwords, like muscular and internationalism. All it comes down to, really, is what Trump himself has said more plainly  that his own sense of morality is the only thing that can stop me. Hows that for realism.

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Mailer, though, who was mostly known for glorifying a kind of American machismo in his work, would have had no trouble recognizing Trumps worldview for what it really is: manifest masculinity.

Trumps origin story is rooted in the same white, male insecurity that Rusty Jethroe personifies; its possible he would never have run for president in the first place had the nations first Black president not mocked him at a correspondents dinner. (I dont think any of us in that ballroom, Barack Obama included, understood then the depth of Trumps rage and racial grievance.) His last campaign was animated by a cultural backlash against #MeToo and wokeness. His decade of political dominance has coincided with the rise of what we call the manosphere  a chorus of angsty men who feel marginalized in society because they dont know how to skin animals and beat each other up.

Why do we need Greenland? Its not because of rare-earth minerals or fast-thawing shipping lanes; these things are negotiable. Its not just because Trump always has to have his way with other world leaders, as others have noted. No, its because the social forces that began to accelerate in Mailers time have now reached critical mass.

In about 20 years, no matter how many ICE raids you carry out, America will be a majority-minority country, with all of us white men increasingly outnumbered. For Trump and his followers, this augurs the end of American dominance. The president sees his movement, rightly, as the last stand of a dying social order.

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And so Trump seeks domain over his own Arctic wilderness, accompanied by his own fawning band of M.A.s  guys like J.D. Vance and Stephen Miller and Pete Hegseth. (Perhaps the M here stands for major rather than medium.) As Miller put it recently to Jake Tapper: 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. Pretty tough words from a guy who once painted hair onto his head for a TV hit.

Greenland is Trumps feral grizzly, and it must be subdued. He needs it because its the biggest damn iceberg on any grade-school map, and thus he must own and exploit it. He needs it because, having set out on this adventure, he cant now go back to his adoring fans at CPAC, trailed by his bobbleheaded M.A.s, without being able to tell them how he bagged the place all by himself.

Trump needs to possess Greenland, just as he needs to run Venezuela and terrorize Minnesota, because white men are fucked, and if he is less great of a president than God intended him to be, America is in Trouble. And if all of this destabilizes the community of free nations  if it emboldens more practiced autocrats to seize their own prey, drawing America into the kind of real war that cant be won with a couple of drone strikes while were all soundly sleeping  then thats just the price you pay for reestablishing the natural order of things.

Greenland, hot damn.

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The initiative is a component of the technical assistance project Inclusive and Climate Finance funded by the Japanese Government through the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR).



The project seeks to strengthen green banking practices and enhance the capacity of Vietnams banking sector to scale up green and climate finance.



At the inception workshop marking the implementation of the 2 million USD component, more than 80 participants from SBV, relevant ministries and agencies, development partners, commercial banks, and business associations discussed key topics such as climate risk assessment, macro-economic impacts of carbon pricing, the role of credit institutions in carbon market development, and green bond issuance.



Participants also exchanged perspectives on Vietnams green taxonomy and identified next steps to help the banking sector advance sustainable and transition finance.



At the workshop, Shige Watanabe, Minister-Counselor, Chief of Economic Section, the Embassy of Japan, expressed his expectation that the project will use Japanese public resources effectively and contribute meaningfully to Vietnams green and inclusive growth.



Maria Joao M. Pateguana, Unit Head of Private Sector Development at ADBs Vietnam Resident Mission, emphasised that the technical assistance aligns closely with ADBs Country Partnership Strategy for Vietnam and support the Governments broader financial sector reforms.



She underscored that continued dialogue and targeted support will help unlock the banking sectors potential for sustainable growth while strengthening the sectors ability to manage climate risks. /. VNA
An airport representative said Noi Bai has tightened health controls around the clock, with close coordination between the International Health Quarantine unit and the airports emergency medical team helping detect abnormal signs early and ensuring the aviation gateway remains safe and smooth.

The airport has urgently rolled out enhanced health monitoring measures and strengthened procedures for inbound passengers in order to safeguard public health. Accordingly, screening has been intensified for travellers on incoming flights, particularly those arriving from areas considered to pose higher epidemiological risks.

International Health Quarantine authorities have installed two additional specialised temperature scanners along passenger flow routes in the arrival area. This has boosted inspection capacity and ensured that 100% of inbound passengers are closely monitored through the infrared scanning system.

As soon as passengers disembark and before completing immigration procedures, their body temperature is checked via automatic infrared scanners, alongside observation for clinical symptoms such as fever, cough or unusual fatigue.

Any suspected cases will be temporarily isolated, examined in coordination with the airports emergency medical force, and immediately transferred to designated hospitals for quarantine and treatment in line with health regulations, minimising the risk of community transmission.

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) issued a directive to aviation agencies and enterprises, calling for stricter inspections and tighter discipline in Nipah virus prevention and control at airports nationwide.

The authority requested relevant agencies to urgently and strictly implement epidemic prevention regulations, ensuring early detection and appropriate measures for infected or suspected cases entering Vietnam by air. Units were also urged to strengthen monitoring and maintain readiness in response measures at airports.

In addition, aviation organisations were instructed to actively coordinate with competent agencies under the Ministry of Health (MoH), as well as other ministries, sectors and local authorities, to promptly inspect and detect possible Nipah infections.

The CAAV also asked airport authorities to disseminate these requirements to all agencies and units operating at airports.

According to the MoH, the Nipah virus outbreak is classified as a Group A infectious disease and has emerged in West Bengal state of India.

Several airports in Asia, including those in Thailand, Nepal and Taiwan (China), have also stepped up disease control measures, tightening health surveillance and passenger screening, particularly for travellers arriving from West Bengal, where a highly fatal Nipah virus outbreak has been confirmed./. VNA
As Tet 2026 approaches, Ho Chi Minh Citys iconic public spaces are getting a festive makeover. Ben Thanh Market and Turtle Lake, two familiar symbols of the city, are now nearly unrecognizable - with bold new colors and striking decorative motifs that blend heritage with celebration.

Ben Thanh Market: Waves of history and vibrant hues

After nearly two weeks of restoration, Ben Thanh Market and the plaza in front of it have taken on a dramatically new appearance.

One of the most striking elements is the set of wave-shaped patterns painted across the plaza - an artistic nod to the Mekong Deltas river culture and a reminder of Ben Thanhs original location by the Ben Nghe River. On this fluid canvas, vibrant flower boats stand out, evoking the spirit of spring and renewal.

The markets roof has been repainted in deep red, while the walls are now in golden tones with elegant white trims. Together, they highlight the central clock tower - an architectural symbol of Saigons past.

Around the site, workers are completing the final touches, setting up Tet-themed miniatures and decorations designed to attract both residents and tourists.

Turtle Lake: Soft colors and spiral paths

Just 1.6 kilometers away, Turtle Lake in Xuan Hoa ward has also received a colorful new look. Nearly every surface has been repainted. The pathways, stairs, and railings now glow in a coordinated palette of pale yellow, white, and aquamarine.

Viewed from above, the lakes spiral paths, once grey stone, now gleam with soft white paint. The unified color scheme across the railing and steps gives the historic space a refreshed yet familiar feel.

Yellow apricot blossom decorations placed around the lake enhance the Tet atmosphere. According to the construction team, LED lighting and more floral installations will follow once painting is completed.

Balancing modern updates with symbolic identity

According to the HCMC Peoples Committee, the restoration of these historic public areas is part of a broader effort to enhance urban aesthetics. The goal is not only to beautify but also to strengthen the visual identity of public landmarks - preserving their symbolic meaning while preparing them for modern use.

All renovations are expected to be completed before February 10 (23rd day of the 12th lunar month), just in time for the public to enjoy during Tet 2026.

Local residents have welcomed the change. Dang Che Thanh, from Tan Dinh ward, stopped to admire the revamped Turtle Lake. I pass by here all the time, he said. But this is the first time Ive seen it renovated so thoroughly and beautifully.

Ben Thanh Market glows in red with water-themed motifs for Tet.

Wave-shaped patterns symbolize southern river culture and Ben Thanhs roots by the Ben Nghe River.

The red roof and golden walls highlight the iconic central clock.

Workers add final Tet-themed elements to the Ben Thanh plaza.

Turtle Lakes spiral walkways now feature a fresh white paint finish.

Coordinated colors across railings and steps give Turtle Lake a new look.

Apricot blossom decorations bring Tet spirit to the lakeside.

Turtle Lakes facelift includes LED lighting and floral displays.

Renovations aim to refresh public spaces while preserving historic identity.

A resident admires the transformed Turtle Lake, calling it the most beautiful hes ever seen.

Nguyen Hue  Tuan Hung
A lever for comprehensive and sustainable development

Fully embracing the content of the resolution, localities have devised clear roadmaps and action plans tailored to new development conditions.

Da Nang is recognised by StartupBlink, a global startup ecosystem research and mapping centre, as the fastest-growing ecosystem in Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

For Da Nang, Resolution No. 57 has affirmed its leadership role in the central city's development process, serving as a crucial foundation for the new phase of growth in the digital age. Da Nang's innovation and startup ecosystem continues to expand, advancing by 130 places in the global ranking, reaching 766th among the worlds top 1,000 leading cities. It is recognised by StartupBlink, the global startup ecosystem research and mapping centre, as the fastest-growing ecosystem in Vietnam. It was also honoured in the top 10 exemplary localities for developing innovative startup ecosystems at Techfest Vietnam 2025.

In the fields of science and technology, the city has made significant breakthroughs in high-tech industries, semiconductor manufacturing, and digital infrastructure, with numerous events, including the inauguration of the Da Nang Software Park No. 2 and the launch of the Advanced Packaging Technology Laboratory Project.

Officials mark the launch of the advanced packaging manufacturing laboratory project (Fab-Lab) in Da Nang city in July 2025. (Photo: VNA)

After merging with Ninh Thuan, the newly formed Khanh Hoa province possesses all the favourable conditions. Scientific research, technology, and innovation efforts have seen significant transformation, yielding clear results. The number of proposed science and technology tasks for 2025 tripled compared to previous years, and its Provincial Innovation Index (PII) for 2025 ranked 9th out of 34 provinces and cities.

Nghiem Xuan Thanh, Secretary of the Khanh Hoa provincial Party Committee, outlines tasks for implementing KPIs across the province. (Photo: VNA)

In April 2025, Khanh Hoa became the first province to research and comprehensively implement a software toolset to assess the performance of each civil servant, enabling the digitalisation of the evaluation process.

The province's Data Centre has two locations in Nha Trang and Phan Rang, equipped with a synchronised network system of servers, storage, and devices to meet security and confidentiality requirements. Khanh Hoa has completed the first phase of the smart monitoring and operation centre project and the development of the network security monitoring and operation centre for the province's information systems. The smart monitoring and operation centre, with synchronised and periodically shared data from government agencies and local systems, supports the analysis and processing of multi-disciplinary and multi-sector data. This infrastructure enables provincial leaders to detect problems early, coordinate responses promptly, and enhance management efficiency and transparency in administrative operations.

Comprehensive digital transformation from grassroots level

Following the implementation of the two-tier local administration model, many localities have identified the consolidation and strengthening of community digital technology teams as a key task to ensure organisational coherence, enhance operational effectiveness, and meet the requirements of Resolution No. 57.

With a network covering all villages and residential areas and more than 24,000 members, these teams, together with Project 06 on developing applications of population data, digital identification and authentication in service of national digital transformation for the 20222025 period have become an effective extension of digital transformation steering committees at all levels, bringing digital skills and digital services closer to the public.

Da Nang city currently has 3,766 community digital technology teams, with 24,303 members.

The teams are a core force in implementing digital transformation at the grassroots level, helping translate the Party, State, and city guidelines and policies into real-life action. They are also tasked with rolling out the Digital Literacy for All movement in conjunction with Digital Learning as part of their routine activities within residential communities. This approach focuses on creating a strong foundation so that digital transformation moves past policy and becomes a natural part of everyday life, especially for vulnerable groups with limited access to technology.

Suoi Chai village is the latest in the mountainous border commune of Bat Xat to roll out the Digital Village model. This is a particularly disadvantaged village, where 100% of households belong to ethnic minority groups. The village has 86 households with a total population of 440, of which around 75% are classified as poor households.

The Digital Village model in Suoi Chai focuses on people-centred initiatives, including assisting residents in carrying out online public administrative procedures directly in the village, guiding the use of chip-based citizen ID cards and digital utilities, deploying electronic party member handbook and organising Party meetings on digital platforms. A synchronised system of online cameras, large-screen televisions, computers, and internet-connected electronic equipment supports these activities. In Lao Cai, the digital transformation process has gained momentum, not only facilitating public access to administrative services but also encouraging farmers to apply information technology, social media, and e-commerce in production and business activities. Many farmers now use smartphones to take photos and videos, promote their products, and offer local agricultural products on e-commerce platforms, gradually building brands and expanding markets.
Ten years ago, D-segment sedans were considered the "standard" choice for middle-class customers in Vietnam for business and personal use.

In 2025, D-segment sedan sales were sluggish, and many models had to leave the market. Instead, the C-segment SUV/crossover (C-SUV) segment, with nearly equal prices, is entering its strongest development phase ever in terms of sales, product variety, and influence over other segments.

Reports from VAMA (Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association) and Hyundai on 2025 sales showed that the C-segment SUV/crossover continued to record high and stable consumption. Many models were not only frequently among the market's bestsellers but also flagship products leading their respective brands' sales.

In this segment, Mazda CX-5 remains the most prominent name. Despite being on the Vietnam market for many years, the model assembled and distributed by THACO continues to maintain strong appeal thanks to its eye-catching design, stable handling, and a price considered "affordable" for the majority of Vietnamese customers.

Throughout 2025, CX-5 consistently ranked among the best-selling vehicles and finished third among internal combustion engine models, with sales of 17,262 units, up 16.8 percent from 2024.

Another frequent top seller was Ford Territory. It was not the American brand's bestselling model in Vietnam, but the Territory quickly found its footing and closed 2025 with 12,768 units sold, a 57.1 percent increase over 2024.

Returning to the race with impressive growth was the South Korean Hyundai Tucson. In 2025, Hyundai Thanh Cong sold 9,243 Tucsons, up 39.2 percent from the previous year. This figure helped the Tucson become the Korean brand's highest-selling model in Vietnam, surpassing heavyweights like the Accent and Creta.

Among the top models in this segment, Honda CR-V was a rare name to see a sales decline in 2025. Annual sales reached 6,224 units, a 6.9 percent decrease compared to 2024.

Beyond familiar models, the segment witnessed a wave of new entries this past year, especially electric and hybrid models. Notably, Mitsubishi Destinator, a new C-segment high-clearance model introduced in December 2025, is considered a 7-seater version of the Xforce. In its first month, Destinator reached sales of 2,377 units and is expected to follow the success of the Xpander and Xforce.

In addition to Destinator, many models from Europe and China appeared or refreshed in the past year, such as Skoda Karoq, Lynk & Co 01, Omoda & Jaecoo J7, and BYD Sealion 6. This is not to mention the electric vehicle group led by the VinFast VF 7 and VF e34, along with new names like the Geely EX5 and BYD Atto 3, making the C-SUV segment more vibrant and diverse than ever.

Tremendous pressure on D-segment sedans

A core reason for the C-SUV boom is that the models are suited to Vietnamese demand and their financial capability. They have a common price range from VND750 million to VND1 billion, or a little higher for premium versions, with flexible usability. Beyond pricing, C-segment SUV/crossover models are also better aligned with Vietnams traffic conditions and vehicle usage habits.

Higher ground clearance makes it easier to navigate congested urban areas, poor road conditions, or flooded zones. Spacious interiors and large cargo compartments also meet the needs of young families, a customer group accounting for a growing share of the market.

As the C-segment high-clearancevehicle category continues to grow and attract large numbers of buyers, the other market segments have been noticeably squeezed. Within the VND750 million to over VND1 billion range, C-SUVs have emerged as the best choice in terms of design, space, and versatility, putting significant competitive pressure on mid-size MPVs and D-segment SUVs.

However, the segment most heavily affected is the D-segment sedan. At similar price levels, C-SUVs offer superior ground clearance, flexibility, and adaptability to real-world usage conditions, prompting more buyers to move away from D-segment sedans. As a result, sales in this segment have continued to decline, with some models being discontinued.

However, Toyota Camry still could maintain the sales of 2,489 units in 2025, up 86 percent from 2024. Kia K5 sold just 267 units, down 13.9 percent year on year. The remaining two models, the Mazda6 and Honda Accord, fared even worse and were both discontinued in Vietnam.

Market experts note that while D-segment sedans still offer advantages in terms of solid driving feel and comfort on long journeys, they are increasingly revealing limitations in daily use, particularly in urban environments. Long body dimensions, low ground clearance, and limited flexibility have made sedans less suitable for many users.

Hoang Hiep
As of January 31, most of the border congestion affecting agricultural imports had been resolved. Photo: VietNamNet

In a report to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long, the Ministry described significant delays in clearing agricultural imports since Decree 46 came into effect on January 26, 2026.

Previously, inspections under Decree 15 ran smoothly without causing backlogs. But the new decree, which tightens control over food safety for imported goods, has led to mounting bottlenecks. By January 29, large volumes of fruits, vegetables, rice, cassava, and packaged food were still waiting for clearance.

While the Ministry supports stricter safety measures, it stressed that the immediate rollout of Decree 46 has caused logistical challenges, especially given the lack of necessary infrastructure at land border gates.

Under Article 25, Clause 2 of Decree 46, all imported foods under standard inspection must undergo document checks, physical inspections, and sample testing for quality and safety. These lab tests typically require 57 days, delaying clearance further.

Unlike Decree 15, the new policy adds physical inspection and sample testing as mandatory steps. However, most border points lack on-site labs, making this process difficult to implement.

Moreover, Article 21, Clause 2 tasks border agencies with selecting test criteria from a list, but no official guidelines have been issued on how to make these selections. This leaves inspectors without a basis to proceed.

Another issue lies in the newly required "Product Standard Declaration" for fresh produce imports. The absence of standardized templates or clear content requirements has made it difficult to verify documents.

These obstacles come at a critical time, as most of the stuck imports are fresh goods destined for Tet holiday consumption. Limited cold storage facilities at border gates increase the risk of spoilage, raising concerns over financial losses for importers.

Critically, Decree 46 does not allow businesses to transport goods to their own storage facilities while waiting for food safety results.

The Ministry has already mobilized local authorities and regional quarantine offices to ease the backlog, particularly in coordination with Tay Ninh province. By January 31, most of the gridlock had been cleared, though systemic issues remain.

The Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection has also submitted a memo to the Food Safety Department under the Ministry of Health, which drafted Decree 46, outlining practical challenges in the field.

To streamline enforcement, the Ministry is considering delegating food safety checks for agricultural imports to provincial governments, allowing them to handle cases locally and with more flexibility.

In the meantime, the Ministry recommends the Prime Minister assign the Ministry of Health to coordinate with other ministries to urgently revise Decree 46 for better feasibility.

While awaiting formal amendments, the Ministry also urges the issuance of interim implementation guidelines and the delegation of inspection responsibilities to local authorities. This would facilitate smoother import operations and better serve businesses during the Tet period.

Tam An
Enhancing visitors' experiences

The Oc Eo Cultural Relic Management Board of An Giang has been implementing a comprehensive digital transformation plan for the Oc Eo Culture Exhibition House and key relic sites within the Oc Eo  Ba The archaeological complex. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to preserve heritage values while adapting to new trends in cultural tourism.

Since 2016, the Oc Eo Culture Exhibition House has served as a central venue for preserving and displaying thousands of artefacts dating from the 1st to the 7th centuries. These artefacts reflect the material culture of the ancient Funan Kingdom, an early state in Southeast Asia that played a major role in regional trade and cultural exchanges during the early centuries of the Common Era. Among the collections are four national treasures recognised for their outstanding historical and archaeological value.

At present, more than 3,350 original artefacts are on display, with the majority digitised through QR codes. By scanning the codes with smartphones, visitors can access high-resolution images, detailed explanations and related historical information, enabling deeper engagement with each artefact while supporting research and educational activities.

Digital applications have also expanded beyond basic information access. The exhibition house has introduced 3D modelling and VR 360 technologies, allowing visitors to experience virtual tours and explore artefacts and exhibition spaces from multiple perspectives. This approach offers greater flexibility, especially for visitors who wish to explore the site remotely or gain a comprehensive overview before an on-site visit.

Trang My Linh, a tour guide at the exhibition house, said that by using smartphones to scan QR codes combined with 3D and VR 360 technologies, visitors can take virtual tours and actively explore detailed information about the artefacts. In addition to Vietnamese, exhibition content is available in English, Japanese and Korean, with further languages under development to serve a wider range of domestic and international visitors.

With QR code, 3D and VR 360 technologies, visitors can experience and explore the Oc Eo Culture exhibition space by themselves. (Photo: VNA)

Japanese tourist Ichira Shimoda said he was impressed by the Oc Eo Culture Exhibition House during his visit to An Giang, noting its long-standing historical value and vivid displays. He added that digital services enhanced his experience and would attract visitors from Japan and other countries.

Building a smart, interactive museum

In addition to the exhibition house, digital technologies have been applied at seven key relic sites within the Oc EoBa The special national relic complex. Virtual tours and 3D reconstructions enable immersive experiences, allowing visitors to visualise ancient spaces and better understand the historical context without affecting the integrity of the original relics.

Nguyen Xuan Bang, Deputy Director of the Oc Eo Cultural Relic Management Board, said digital transformation aims to help visitors better connect with and understand the value of the Oc Eo heritage. He stressed that technology alone is insufficient without high-quality content, emphasising the need to integrate technology with appropriate programmes to gradually build an interactive and intelligent museum model that remains both educational and engaging.

The Oc Eo  Ba The archaeological site was recognised as a special national relic in 2012 and is regarded as a vital testament to the Oc Eo Civilisation, which flourished in southern Vietnam from the 1st to the 7th centuries. Through sustained digital transformation, An Giang hopes to create new momentum in heritage preservation, cultural dissemination and tourism development, while paving the way for the site to gain wider international recognition in the future./. VNA
From pilot projects to practical applications

Ho Chi Minh Citys Department of Science and Technology has recently partnered with the Management Board of Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP) and technology firms to pilot UAV-based delivery services within SHTP.

Though currently limited to short-distance routes, the trial represents an initial step towards integrating UAVs into daily life in Vietnams largest economic hub. Based on performance results, participating companies plan to expand flight ranges, potentially covering routes such as from Can Gio to Vung Tau, to support logistics across a growing metropolitan area.

Tran Anh Tuan, Director of Saolatek, a UAV developer based in SHTP, said the pilot programme allows companies to provide practical data and operational experience, contributing to the development of an appropriate legal framework for the civilian use of UAVs.

Similar initiatives have been rolled out in other localities. In late December 2025, Duc Giang General Hospital in Hanoi and Vietnam Post tested UAVs for transporting medical samples, pharmaceuticals and supplies within a 10-kilometre radius.

Chairman of the Board of Members of Vietnam Post Nguyen Truong Giang said the company is exploring UAVs as a new delivery service to improve speed and efficiency amid worsening urban traffic congestion. The Duc Giang Hospital expects the model to significantly shorten transport time for samples and medical supplies, enhancing operational responsiveness.

Officials of Ho Chi Minh City learn about UAVs and UAV-based delivery services. (Photo: VNA)

Earlier, during severe floods in the central and Central Highlands regions in October and November 2025, Viettel conducted nearly 300 UAV flights to deliver essential goods and support emergency relief efforts. Le Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of Viettel Post, said UAV systems originally developed for commercial logistics proved effective in disaster response, demonstrating strong adaptability and operational readiness.

Manufacturing momentum gathers pace

Growing demand is also driving investment in UAV manufacturing. In November 2025, Gremsy JSC began construction of a factory at SHTP with an initial investment of 550 billion VND (21 million USD). Founded in 2011, Gremsy develops gimbals, payloads and camera modules for UAVs, with plans to launch 50100 new products annually.

Director Tran Quoc Vinh said Gremsys products have been exported to 83 countries, with North America contributing more than half of its revenue, noting that the company aims to expand its role within Vietnams UAV supply chain.

SHTPs UAV ecosystem also includes Saolatek, which emerged from a high-tech startup incubator. Its products have been marketed in several international markets and are regarded as competitive in quality.

At the national level, major conglomerates are increasingly entering the sector. CT Group recently established CT UAV and built a research and manufacturing facility in Thuan An ward, Ho Chi Minh City. The company has unveiled three UAV models for surveillance, firefighting and smart agriculture, including an AI-powered firefighting hexarotor capable of hose guidance, foam spraying and deploying fire-extinguishing balls.

CT Group has also announced plans for a 400-hectare UAV industrial complex in Tay Ninh province. According to Vice Chairman of the Provincial Peoples Committee Doan Trung Kien, the project is envisioned as a strategic high-tech hub linked to digital data development and a comprehensive UAV ecosystem.

Meanwhile, FPT Corp. has expressed early interest in UAV manufacturing. During a recent survey of the science, technology and innovation ecosystem in the Binh Duong area, FPT General Director Nguyen Van Khoa said the group hopes to work with local authorities on policies for the low-altitude economy and secure around 200 hectares of land for UAV production./. VNA
Defendant Nguyen Thi Nhu Loan. Photo by the Ministry of Public Security.







The Supreme Peoples Procuracy of Vietnam has officially indicted Nguyen Thi Nhu Loan, former Chairwoman of Quoc Cuong Gia Lai Corporation, over her alleged involvement in a high-profile land transfer scheme that caused an estimated loss of over 542 billion VND (approximately $21.5 million) in state assets.

Loan is among 22 individuals charged in connection with violations surrounding a 6,200-square-meter plot of public land at 39-39B Ben Van Don Street in District 4, now known as Ward Xom Chieu, Ho Chi Minh City.

The accused face charges including bribery, abuse of power, negligence causing serious consequences, and violating regulations on state asset management and use. The Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy has been assigned to handle the case at the first-instance trial level.

Among the high-profile figures indicted are Nguyen Thi Hong, former Vice Chair of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, and Dao Thi Huong Lan, former Director of the citys Department of Finance. Both are charged with abusing their positions during the land disposal process. Lan has fled and is currently wanted by police after ignoring calls to surrender.

Nguyen Thi Nhu Loan, in her capacity as General Director and former Chairwoman of Quoc Cuong Gia Lai, is charged with violating regulations on state asset management and use. She was initially detained but later released on bail.

Prosecutors allege that during the restructuring of state-owned property under Prime Minister Decision No. 09/2007, officials at the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) and related units unlawfully transferred public land to private parties without valuation or public auction - a direct violation of state asset disposal laws.

At the center of the scheme was Le Quang Thung, former acting Chairman and CEO of VRG. Thung allegedly accepted bribes totaling $300,000 USD and 200,000 Singapore dollars from Le Y Linh and Dang Phuoc Dua, former leaders of Viet Tin Company, to facilitate the illegal sale of the land.

He is also accused of instructing subordinates to execute the transfer of the Ben Van Don site to private interests without a public bidding process, causing significant losses to the state.

Prosecutors say Nguyen Thi Nhu Loan was fully aware that the land was a public asset. She is alleged to have helped fund Linh and Duas purchase of the property through off-the-record transfers, later acquiring the land herself at a price far below market value.

By re-purchasing the property from Linh and Dua, Loan is believed to have personally profited by nearly 298 billion VND (around $11.7 million).

Authorities have confirmed that she has since submitted 100 billion VND (approximately $4 million) as part of efforts to mitigate the consequences of her actions.

Both Nguyen Thi Hong and Dao Thi Huong Lan are accused of intentionally breaching legal procedures in handling the Ben Van Don site, driven by personal motives, thereby contributing to the unlawful loss of public assets.

The case is one of the most high-profile investigations in Vietnams real estate and public land management sectors, underscoring ongoing government efforts to crack down on corruption tied to state property.



T. Nhung
Starting February 2, the Hanoi Tax Department will receive and process administrative tax procedures at 31 designated public service centers across the city.

This new model removes district-level limitations. Taxpayers can now submit their documents at any of the 31 service points, regardless of their residential or business registration address.

The centers will operate from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays, with working hours from 8:00 to 11:00 in the morning and from 13:30 to 16:30 in the afternoon. On Saturdays, morning sessions may be added depending on actual demand.

For result collection, taxpayers must contact the phone number or address listed on their appointment slip.

The Hanoi Tax Department encourages electronic submissions for any procedures that fully support online processing.

For non-administrative documents such as formal letters, submissions should be made directly to the clerical division at the headquarters of the relevant tax office.

In cases where taxpayers need support regarding tax policies, procedures, software systems, or general assistance, they are advised to visit the support division at their respective tax offices for direct guidance.

The list of 31 designated public administration centers accepting tax procedure submissions will take effect from February 2, 2026.



Nguyen Le
On February 2, Ho Chi Minh City officially relaunched its long-delayed $400 million tide control project by putting the Ben Nghe sluice into operation. The milestone marks a major step in the citys first-phase flood mitigation effort, formally known as the Tidal Flood Control Project with Climate Change Considerations  Phase 1.

The event was organized by the HCMC Peoples Committee in coordination with Trungnam Group, the projects main investor.

94% completion, full launch promised by 2026

Ben Nghe sluice, part of HCMCs $400 million tide control project, enters operation on February 2. (Photo: Tuan Kiet)

Speaking at the ceremony, Trungnam Group CEO Nguyen Tam Tien announced that the project is now 94% complete. Key structures are finished, and the remaining work involves final checks, system adjustments, and trial operations.

He acknowledged that the years-long delay caused disruption and frustration for residents, and publicly apologized for the extended timeline.

We commit that no new obstacles will delay this project any further. Full operations are guaranteed by 2026, he emphasized.

To expedite final stages, Trungnam requested the city accelerate its financial obligations, particularly by allocating additional land assets to help fund remaining construction.

The company also proposed an unprecedented request: to be allowed to operate the project during its first five years. Tien explained this would ensure consistent operation, real-time response to technical issues, and optimization of water regulation procedures. In return, Trungnam offered to extend the warranty period to guarantee the systems reliability.

Government support clears legal bottlenecks

HCMC Vice Chairman Bui Xuan Cuong confirmed that key legal hurdles were resolved following the issuance of Government Resolution 212 and strong city leadership.

The city reapproved the projects investment plan in November 2025 and signed a contract addendum, legally enabling Trungnam to resume work in December 2025.

This morning marks the first tangible result from more than two months of resumed construction, with Ben Nghe  the first of six major sluices  now operational, Cuong said.

He also pledged that the city would fast-track land clearance, credit agreement negotiations, and capital mobilization to complete the entire system.

Relevant departments have been instructed to support investors on all fronts - especially regarding the remaining five sluices: Tan Thuan, Phu Xuan, Muong Chuoi, Cay Kho, and Phu Dinh.

The Vice Chairman reaffirmed that the project is on track for full completion in 2026, with components put into use as they are finalized.

Expanding impact in phase two

Cuong also revealed that the city is now reviewing plans for a second phase of the tide control project, aimed at scaling the system for long-term climate resilience and overall urban flood protection.

This renewed commitment places the project back among Vietnams most ambitious infrastructure efforts designed to adapt to rising sea levels, more extreme weather, and the demands of a growing metropolis.

Tuan Kiet
The programme, titled 'Caring for the Health of Older People  For a Healthy Vietnam 2026', is designed to support the implementation of Resolution 72, which calls for stronger protection, care and improvement of public health.



Doctors from several central-level hospitals took part in the programme, including facilities in oncology, endocrinology, nutrition and traditional medicine.



Services included blood pressure measurement, height and weight assessment, nutritional risk screening, blood count tests, abdominal ultrasound scans, electrocardiograms and chest X-rays, based on clinical indications.



Participants were also given guidance on physical activity and nutrition and introduced to a digital health management application that enables remote monitoring and AI-assisted medical consultations.



Organisers said more than 1,000 nutrition packages were also distributed to participants, along with additional Lunar New Year gifts for elderly residents in the local community. /. VNA
Teacher Phan Gia Tan, a pioneer who laid the foundation for sugarcane cultivation techniques in southern Vietnam, has passed away at the age of 76.







His death was confirmed by Dr. Tran Dinh Ly, Vice Rector of the university, who described the loss as deeply felt by both colleagues and former students.

Born in 1950 in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province, Phan Gia Tan served as a lecturer in the Department of Industrial and Medicinal Plants. Over a career spanning decades, he was known for his devotion to teaching and for advancing the technical foundations of agriculture, especially in the southern regions of Vietnam.

Beyond his lectures, Tan made lasting contributions through a number of specialized publications. Among the most influential were his books Sugarcane and Cultivation Techniques in Southern Vietnam and Pineapple and Cultivation Techniques in Southern Vietnam, both published over 40 years ago. These works became foundational texts for agricultural technicians, educators, students, and farmers alike - valuable reference materials during key stages of Vietnams agricultural development.

A quiet giant in agricultural science

Dr. Tran Dinh Ly described Tan as the embodiment of a scholar and educator, whose life revolved around books, learning, and quiet dedication.

Even when his health declined, he never abandoned the simple yet precious habit of reading, Ly recalled. He would still frequent bookstores. That wasnt just a personal hobby - it was part of a deeply ingrained academic lifestyle, as natural as breathing.

Ly spoke of the teachers deep connection with books - not as mere tools of knowledge, but as companions in reflection and discovery. I remember how he would hold a new book with quiet joy, turning each page slowly, with concentration - as though every page was a silent conversation with wisdom.

For Tan, learning was never finished. His commitment to lifelong learning and humility in the face of knowledge left a profound impression on all who knew him.

A legacy of integrity and inspiration

Through his perseverance and humility, Phan Gia Tan helped shape not only meaningful research and textbooks, but also generations of students. His lectures were known for their clarity, his writings for their depth, and his character for its quiet strength.

His love for books was inseparable from his responsibilities as a scientist and teacher, Ly reflected. And that quiet perseverance gave rise to impactful work, clear lectures, and a model of educational integrity - unassuming yet profound.

Though he is gone, Tans image as a teacher who lived with books, studied until his last days, and inspired others through quiet example will remain vivid in the memory of his peers and students at Nong Lam University.

His life, in the words of his colleague, is a gentle yet powerful reminder of what it means to follow a scholarly path with dedication and grace.



Le Huyen
The incident occurred on January 29 aboard an AirAsia flight from Nha Trang to Bangkok. The male passenger jumped from the aircraft while only wearing underwear. Photo: Khaosod

A recent incident aboard an AirAsia flight from Nha Trang (Vietnam) to Bangkok (Thailand) caused widespread alarm when a male passenger stripped down to his underwear and began threatening the flight crew mid-flight.

According to the Daily Mail, the unidentified man exhibited erratic behavior shortly after takeoff. Witnesses said he walked up and down the cabin in his undergarments, shouting aggressively at crew members and demanding they open the aircraft door.

Several reports indicate the situation escalated as the man challenged crew members to a physical confrontation, adding to the growing concern for safety onboard.

Russian media sources noted that his unusual behavior began not long after the plane took off. Passengers sitting nearby said he initially seemed calm, engaging in conversation with another male traveler before his mood drastically changed.

He kept going to the lavatory in a visibly agitated state, one passenger recounted.

In response, the crew assessed the unfolding situation as a threat to flight safety and made the decision to perform an emergency landing at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok.

As the aircraft doors opened - with the staircase yet to be deployed - the man suddenly jumped from the plane onto the tarmac, still clad only in his underwear. He sustained leg injuries from the fall.

Airport security and Thai police responded quickly, detaining the man on the runway.

By January 31, Thai authorities had formally denied his entry into the country.

According to Khaosod, the passenger is 41 years old and had applied for visa-free entry for 60 days. However, during immigration checks, officials found him to be heavily intoxicated, speaking incoherently, and unable to clarify his travel plans or lodging details.

The man was also deemed financially unqualified under Thai immigration regulations, leading to his rejected entry.

Linh Trang
On February 2, the Hanoi People's Committee and a consortium of investors officially broke ground on two large-scale urban projects: Bac Thang Long Urban City and a second multi-purpose development in Thu Lam and Dong Anh communes. These are the first projects launched following the city's approval of its dual-purpose urban development proposal, part of its broader multi-core, multi-center spatial restructuring plan.

The ceremony was attended by Party General Secretary To Lam, along with senior officials from central and local government.

Bac Thang Long Urban City: A northern gateway to modern housing

Party General Secretary To Lam attends the groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo: Organizers)

Developed by a consortium including Handico, Sunshine Group, and Thai Nam Land, Bac Thang Long Urban City spans over 699 hectares across Phuc Thinh, Thien Loc, and Me Linh communes in Hanois northern outskirts. It is expected to provide housing for approximately 240,000 residents.

The project features a mix of housing types - resettlement units, social housing, government housing, and high-quality temporary accommodations - targeted at diverse income groups. All infrastructure, including roads, utilities, and public amenities, is planned to ensure long-term livability.

More than 50% of the projects land is dedicated to green spaces, water bodies, and transport infrastructure. Average green area per person is set to reach 8 square meters - on par with Singapore and close to standards in top-tier Asian cities. This focus on green living aims to improve public health and climate resilience.

A representative of the developers emphasized that Bac Thang Long is a flagship component in Hanois strategy to shift from a centralized to a polycentric urban model.

Thu Lam smart city: Expanding the capitals future-ready footprint

Master plan of Bac Thang Long Urban City. (Photo: Handico)

Master plan of Thu Lam multi-purpose urban zone. (Photo: Organizers)

The second development, led by Tuong Lai Song Hong (Future of Red River) Group, covers about 696 hectares and spans three parcels across various urban planning zones.

The first parcel (360ha) is located in Thu Lam commune (E2-3 zone). The second (23ha) and third (313ha) are in Dong Anh commune (XB-2 zone), bordering Ring Road 3, the HanoiThai Nguyen Expressway, Viet Hung auction site, and the historic Co Loa relic.

Construction is scheduled from Q1 2026 through Q3 2029, with land clearance and building to be carried out concurrently. The goal is to quickly deliver resettlement housing and stabilize life for affected residents.

A new phase in Hanois long-term planning

Speaking at the event, Hanois Chairman Vu Dai Thang underscored the importance of these projects for the capitals strategic renewal. The aim, he said, is to build a green, smart, modern, and sustainable city.

Thang noted that the developments will significantly increase Hanois housing stock - supporting resettlement, social housing, and government housing - while laying the groundwork for major infrastructure initiatives in the coming years.

He called for close coordination among investors, municipal departments, and local governments to ensure construction quality, progress, and attention to social welfare and resident rights.

The dual-purpose developments come as Hanoi advances its 100-year urban planning vision. A key objective is relocating over 860,000 residents from within Ring Road 3 between 2026 and 2045. Large-scale, well-planned housing zones like these are central to enabling that population shift.

Under its new master plan, Hanoi will evolve into a constellation of urban clusters - with nine development cores and nine strategic corridors. Each dual-purpose urban area will integrate social, resettlement, and commercial housing within one cohesive space, ensuring unified infrastructure, services, and quality of life.

Hong Khanh
General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, and current and former leaders of the Party and State cut the ribbon at the inauguration ceremony. Photo: VNA

General Secretary To Lam and President Luong Cuong this morning attended the inauguration ceremony of the newly renovated and expanded headquarters of the Office of the President, located at No. 2 Le Thach, within the historic Bac Bo Phu complex.

Joining them were senior and former leaders of the Party and State, who together participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the official opening of the new premises.

Speaking at the event, President Luong Cuong emphasized that this is a moment of special significance - not only does it signal the official opening of a critical governmental facility, but it also underscores the continuity between Vietnams revolutionary past and its future as a strong, modern socialist rule-of-law state. He stressed that the state must be of the people, by the people, and for the people - particularly in this new era of national development.

The President underscored the historical importance of Bac Bo Phu and its surrounding architectural complex, calling it a sacred national space. It was here that President Ho Chi Minh and the Provisional Government once worked during the earliest days of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

This site, he said, stands as a powerful symbol of Vietnams revolutionary government - of independence, self-determination, and legitimacy. It reflects the enduring aspirations for freedom, peace, and the unyielding spirit of the Vietnamese people.

On this occasion, President Cuong expressed his deep gratitude to the Party and State leadership, especially General Secretary To Lam, for their close guidance and dedication throughout the project. He also acknowledged the support and cooperation of central ministries, agencies, and the Hanoi city government.

He praised the Central Office of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Office of the President, as well as the unwavering efforts of contractors, engineers, workers, and staff involved in the projects execution.

To ensure effective use and management of the facility, the President tasked the Office of the President - now the official managing body - with working closely alongside the Central Office of the Party, the city of Hanoi, and project contractors to oversee operations, safety, and long-term functionality of the building.

Vo Thanh Hung, Deputy Chief of the Central Office of the Party, shared that the project encountered and overcame many challenges during its implementation. Despite these difficulties, the team adhered to the original guidelines and complied fully with legal regulations. The resulting structure, he said, successfully combines architectural preservation with modernization, security, and a dignified working environment.

Over the course of 12 continuous months, the renovation was completed on schedule and met all standards of quality, aesthetics, safety, and environmental hygiene.

In the coming period, the Central Office of the Party will coordinate with contractors to review, hand over, and provide training for the units now responsible for managing the site. This is to ensure that all facilities are utilized according to their intended function, preserving and enhancing the value of the building as a symbolically significant seat of government.

Tran Thuong
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the National Steering Committee for the implementation of the Politburos Resolution No. 79 on state economic development, chairs the committees first meeting. Photo by Nhat Bac.

The decision, signed by the Prime Minister himself, formalizes a broad inter-ministerial structure to carry out key reforms and strategic planning related to state-owned assets and enterprises.

Broad leadership across government sectors

Deputy Prime Ministers Nguyen Chi Dung (standing deputy), Ho Duc Phoc, and Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang will serve as vice chairmen of the committee.

Committee members include senior figures from nearly every major ministry: Finance, Construction, Agriculture and Environment, Home Affairs, National Defense, Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade, Culture-Sports-Tourism, Health, Ethnic and Religious Affairs, Science and Technology, Justice, and the Government Office. Representatives from the State Bank, Government Inspectorate, and Ministry of Education and Training are also included.

The body will also bring in leaders from Party and National Assembly offices, the Central Economic Committee, State Audit, and major state-owned enterprises such as Vietnam Airlines, Viettel, EVN, Vinacomin, and Vietnam National Energy Group.

Coordinating Vietnams state economic overhaul

The committee is charged with high-level coordination and advising the Prime Minister on matters related to the development of the state economy. It will propose strategic solutions, coordinate policy, and ensure cross-sectoral cooperation to address complex economic issues that span multiple ministries.

Regular meetings will be convened by the Prime Minister, with flexibility for vice chairmen to lead sessions when needed.

Resolution 79, issued by the Politburo on January 6, 2026, is the first comprehensive policy document to define the full scope of the state economy. It identifies nine core components: land and natural resources, infrastructure assets, the state budget, national reserves, extra-budgetary financial funds, state capital in enterprises (including those with under 50% state ownership), wholly state-owned enterprises, state credit institutions, and public service units.

Defining principles for a modern state economy

The resolution lays out five guiding principles for the role of the state economy:

Maintain its leading role in a socialist-oriented market economy.

Ensure macroeconomic stability and key national balances.

Operate under equal legal status with all other economic sectors.

Pioneer innovation and drive development.

Strengthen Party leadership over the state economy.

These principles are intended to support a self-reliant, resilient, and globally integrated national economy while safeguarding economic security.

Targets to 2030 and vision to 2045

Resolution 79 includes ambitious targets and a long-term roadmap, setting specific goals for 2030 and a vision for 2045. It outlines 37 strategic measures across the nine pillars of the state economy to enhance governance, asset efficiency, competitiveness, and integration.

One notable innovation includes a pilot mechanism for appointing and hiring general directors at state enterprises through open recruitment - marking a significant shift toward professionalizing leadership in state firms.

Tran Thuong
Chairing the first meeting of the National Steering Committee for the Implementation of Resolution 79, PM Chinh, who leads the committee, underlined a renewed approach to translating Party resolutions into action, stressing speed, effectiveness and tangible outcomes.



He reiterated the principle that sound policies must be implemented swiftly and thoroughly, with effectiveness as the ultimate measure, ensuring that the people benefit and the country develops, guided by the motto of avoiding wasted time, missed opportunities and passivity.



He praised the Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies for their proactive preparations, particularly during the drafting of Resolution 79, and for constructive contributions aimed at swiftly and effectively bringing the resolution into practice.



He instructed the Government Office to incorporate feedback and issue the meetings conclusion, while directing the Government Portal, the National Legal Portal and the Ministry of Finances portal to publicise draft resolutions and solicit opinions from the public, experts and practitioners.



According to PM Chinh, the new policies must focus on optimising State resources, improving governance, promoting digitalisation and green development, and balancing State and private sector resources, while reducing unnecessary administrative intervention.



He said the State should clearly define the tasks it must undertake while maintaining its leading role, and refrain from areas where the private sector can operate more effectively.



The Government should also expand public-private partnerships, with State resources playing a guiding role, he added.

The PM said policymakers should review Resolution 79 to identify areas requiring special or pilot mechanisms that differ from existing laws or are not yet regulated, allowing for immediate implementation or future legal amendments under a defined roadmap.

Delegates attending the first meeting of the National Steering Committee for the Implementation of Resolution 79. (Photo: VNA)

He assigned the Ministry of Finance to incorporate feedback and finalise draft resolutions for submission to the Government, with completion targeted for February 2026, and to continue restructuring State-owned corporations and improving tax and fee policies.



Other ministries were tasked with reviewing and proposing legal amendments in their respective areas, including land use, environmental protection, sustainable resource exploitation, underground space management, housing policy, and personnel recruitment and appointment mechanisms at State entities and public service units.



He requested steering committee members, ministries and State-owned enterprises to submit written feedback on the draft resolutions, stressing that the flexible and proactive implementation of Resolution 79 will contribute to achieving double-digit economic growth from 2026 onwards.



Delegates said the resolutions are needed to maximise the role of State-owned enterprises in stabilising the economy and driving growth during the 2026-2030 period.



They noted that the global environment remains complex and unpredictable, requiring stronger coordination and innovation to achieve Vietnam's development targets.



According to delegates, Resolution 79 for the first time provides a comprehensive definition of the State economy, setting out nine core components comprising resources owned, managed or controlled by the State.



These include land and natural resources, infrastructure assets, the State budget, national reserves, non-state financial funds, State capital in enterprises where the Government holds 50% or less of equity, State-owned enterprises (SOEs), State-owned credit institutions and public service units.



A key focus is the restructuring of SOEs to improve efficiency and governance in line with international standards.



By 2030, Vietnam aims to have 50 SOEs among Southeast Asias 500 largest firms and one to three in the global top 500.



All SOEs are expected to adopt modern, digital-based governance systems, while all State economic groups and corporations must apply OECD corporate governance principles.



By 2045, Vietnam aims to place around 60 SOEs among Southeast Asias 500 largest companies and five within the worlds top 500./. VNA
According to the testimony of H. (residing in Dong Nai Province), on May 17, 2022, she and her husband received a transfer of a 2,100sqm land plot with a granted land use right certificate (red book) in the former Binh Phuoc Province from L. (residing in Dong Nai Province) for VND1 billion.

H said the transfer was established by both parties in a handwritten document. After signing, the couple paid the full amount of VND1 billion to L. Both parties proceeded with the land handover, and L. gave the original red book to the couple to hold. Since then, H. and her husband directly managed and used the land plot stably.

The use of the land by H. and her husband was continuous and without dispute until legal issues related to L.'s assets emerged in another civil case.

Specifically, in October 2022, the civil judgment enforcement agency of Bu Dang District, former Binh Phuoc Province, sent a document to functional agencies requesting coordination to stop resolving requests related to L.'s property rights.

In October 2023, the District People's Court issued a decision to apply interim urgent measures, freezing the asset which is the land-use right of the aforementioned 2,100sqm plot belonging to L.

After her husband passed away, H. filed a lawsuit, requesting the court to recognize the validity of the handwritten land transfer contract between L. and her husband on May 17, 2022.

In June 2025, H. changed the contents of the lawsuit. At this time, in addition to the handwritten document, she also requested the court to recognize the validity of the land use right transfer contract certified on May 18, 2022. However, the transfer value in this contract was only VND450 million.

At the first-instance trial, L. confirmed signing the land transfer to H. and her husband via a handwritten document for VND1 billion. One day later, both parties signed a certified transfer contract with a price of VND450 million.

According to L., the nature of the land transfer was a form of collateral for a VND1 billion loan from H.'s couple, because the market price of the land was up to VND2 billion.

In the first-instance judgment on September 19, 2025, the People's Court of Area 12  Dong Nai did not accept H.'s lawsuit request, declaring the certified land transfer contract void and forcing L. to return VND655 million to H. Disagreeing with this verdict, H. appealed.

Handwritten transfer contract recognized

Stating the perspective at the appellate trial, the representative of the Dong Nai Provincial People's Procuracy requested the Trial Panel to accept part of the plaintiff's appeal, amending part of the first-instance judgment toward recognizing the validity of the handwritten transfer contract and declaring the certified transfer contract void.

Reviewing the appeal content, the Appellate Court found that both H. and L. admitted to establishing the land transfer transaction on May 17, 2022, through a "land plot sale paper" with an actual price of VND1 billion.

On May 18, 2022, the parties re-established a certified transfer contract but recorded a price of VND450 million to reduce tax obligations. After signing, L. received the full amount and handed over the land to H.'s husband for stable management and use.

Meanwhile, L. argued that the transaction was only collateral for a loan but had no evidence to prove it; it was merely a one-sided testimony and contradicted her own previous admission. The fact that the first-instance judgment only relied on L.'s testimony to determine the transfer contract as a sham to hide a collateral transaction was inappropriate.

The Appellate Court analyzed that the certified transfer contract dated May 18, 2022, was a sham transaction regarding the price as it did not reflect the actual price, therefore it was void.

However, the hidden transaction was the transfer contract dated May 17, 2022, with a price of VND1 billion, which was the essential transaction. Although this contract did not guarantee the required form, the parties had completed their obligations. Therefore, the Appellate Court held that the handwritten transfer contract was legally effective.

Based on this analysis, the Appellate Court accepted part of H.'s appeal, amending part of the first-instance judgment toward recognizing the validity of the actual transfer transaction, while maintaining the decision to declare the certified transfer contract void due to price falsification.

Hong Khanh
Beyond its modern infrastructure and price tag of over $8.8 million, the school represents something greater: a bold, fast-moving initiative to bring education - and opportunity - to the countrys most isolated border communities.

From the provincial center of Dien Bien, it takes nearly three hours to reach Si Pa Phin via a winding, mountainside road veiled in mist. But at the end of the journey, a modern school complex emerges from the forest - symbolizing a powerful new direction in national policy.

Built in less than 6 months, driven by policy and urgency

Students of Si Pa Phin Inter-level Boarding School present a painting to General Secretary To Lam.

In 2025, the Politburo launched an ambitious plan to build 248 schools in Vietnams land-border communes. Dien Bien was chosen to host the first model school - and from groundbreaking to ribbon-cutting, the Si Pa Phin Inter-level Boarding School was completed in just six months.

Speaking at the January 31 inauguration ceremony, General Secretary To Lam emphasized: Education is a top national policy and the foundation for human development and sustainable growth. Investing in education in border regions is investing in the future of the nation.

He also made clear that protecting children in frontier areas isnt just social policy - its a strategic move to strengthen national unity and sovereignty from the grassroots.

A dream school for ethnic minority students

Standing Deputy Secretary Le Thanh Do, Chairman of the Peoples Council of Dien Bien Province.

To the children of Si Pa Phin, many of whom come from ethnic minority backgrounds, the new school is more than a campus - its a dream come true.

With modern classrooms, well-equipped facilities, and comfortable boarding spaces, students can now learn in dignity and security without leaving their hometown.

Le Thanh Do, Standing Deputy Secretary and Chairman of the Peoples Council of Dien Bien Province, described the pride locals felt at being selected for the nations first model school. The project, he said, is tangible proof of the governments deep concern for disadvantaged children in border areas.

Witnessing the inauguration, he said, I was truly moved to see our children finally have a beautiful, fully equipped school to learn, grow, and chase their dreams.

A strategic push for long-term education reform

The new school offers modern, comprehensive learning facilities for students in the border commune.

The school was built in under six months and offers both primary and lower secondary education.

The school in Si Pa Phin is just the beginning. Dien Bien plans to open 14 more inter-level schools in border communes and overhaul the broader network of early childhood, primary, and ethnic minority schools.

Education is one of the provinces core development pillars for the 20252030 term. Leaders are also focused on recruiting and retaining teachers through attractive incentive packages, especially for those committed to long-term service in challenging regions.

The goal is to ensure that every child - regardless of ethnicity, geography, or family income - has equal access to quality education.

Schools as second homes, not just classrooms

The completed campus has been described as a dream come true for ethnic minority children.

For Dien Bien officials, education goes beyond books and buildings. The province is working to make each school a true second home - a safe, supportive environment where children can thrive academically, physically, and emotionally.

Plans include smart infrastructure, expanded teacher training, and strong integration of digital technology and AI in classrooms. Investments are also being made in nutrition, health services, and life skills programs to protect students from issues like early marriage and outdated customs.

Educators are encouraged to instill pride in local culture and foster the Dien Bien Phu spirit of resilience. The aim is to raise generations of capable, self-assured young people who will build prosperous futures right on their native soil.

As Le Thanh Do put it, Our schools must be places of love and safety - where children are not just taught, but cared for and empowered to grow into the best versions of themselves.

Hien Anh  Thanh Hue
According to economist Pham Chi Lan, Vietnam can only achieve sustainable double-digit growth when institutional reform is placed at the center, business freedom is protected, and the policy environment becomes truly transparent. In this interview with VietNamNet, she offers her perspective on what it would take to realize this ambition.

Vietnam has set a target of achieving average GDP growth of 10% or more in the coming years. In your view, what is the key condition for making this target sustainable?

Pham Chi Lan: "Private enterprises now contribute over 51% of GDP. If Vietnam wants double-digit growth, this sector must grow by double digits too." Photo by Le Anh Dung

Pham Chi Lan: In my opinion, institutional reform and the protection of business freedom must be placed at the heart of development policy. No matter how much new capital is mobilized, how many stimulus packages are introduced, or how many new FTAs are signed, these measures will only be effective if businesses and citizens trust the law, believe in policy consistency, and see competent enforcement from the state apparatus.

Sustainable high growth cannot be built on expanding investment or exploiting more resources. It must rest on productivity, innovation, and the competitiveness of domestic enterprises - coupled with improved income levels and greater consumer purchasing power.

Consumption accounts for about two-thirds of GDP, and the domestic market remains the primary playing field for most Vietnamese businesses. If income growth slows, the middle class shrinks, and the domestic market lacks sufficient demand, it becomes extremely difficult to motivate businesses to invest or expand production capacity - even if public investment or exports are increasing.

Thats why reforming the business environment isnt just about reducing institutional costs. Its also about creating better jobs, increasing incomes, boosting consumption, and building a large, competitive domestic market. This includes reducing monopolies and encouraging new business models and technologies, even among small businesses and household enterprises.

The goal of 10% growth is both an aspiration and a stern test of our institutional capacity. What matters isnt the number itself, but how we achieve it. If high growth is based mainly on expanded investment and credit, while institutional reform, oversight, and execution lag behind, then the long-term cost will be very high.

On the other hand, if this goal becomes a genuine driver for reform - removing barriers for businesses, protecting business freedom, and boosting productivity and innovation - then it could put us on a positive development trajectory. High growth is only sustainable when it comes from the internal strength of businesses and the people.

How would you assess the competitiveness and productivity of Vietnams private enterprises as we pursue this high-growth goal?

A sustainable economy is one where domestic firms are strong enough to cooperate and compete equally with FDI. Photo by Hoang Ha

Private enterprises now contribute over 51% of GDP. So if Vietnam is to grow at double-digit rates, this sector must also grow at double-digit rates.

Looking back at nearly four decades since Doi Moi, Vietnamese businesses have come a long way. Starting almost from zero - when private enterprise was viewed with suspicion, and there was a lack of capital, technology, and legal frameworks - theyve grown into exporters earning billions of USD, and bold investors in high-risk industrial and tech sectors. These are remarkable achievements, largely born of their own perseverance.

But at the macro level, especially in terms of productivity, theres still a significant gap between the current state of domestic enterprises and whats required for sustainable 810% growth. This gap reflects not only internal limitations but also institutional weaknesses and inefficient resource allocation. When businesses spend excessive time and resources on red tape, overlapping inspections, or unclear regulations, theres naturally less left for technology, workforce training, or R&D.

I dont believe Vietnamese businesses are afraid of innovation. The truth is, they are forced to innovate in a policy environment full of risks - where every long-term investment decision carries anxiety about unpredictable regulatory changes. In such conditions, its understandable that some choose caution or delay technology upgrades. But ultimately, thats a cost borne by both the business and the broader economy.

So to raise productivity, we cant just tell businesses to try harder. We need bold institutional reform and better legal implementation. If we reduce institutional costs, and ensure policy is stable and predictable, the potential for productivity and competitiveness among Vietnamese businesses is far greater than what we see today.

Among the current growth drivers - public investment, FDI, and domestic private enterprises - which do you see as the decisive long-term engine?

To me, the long-term engine of Vietnams growth must be the domestic private sector.

Public investment plays a role in paving the way. FDI brings capital, technology, and market access. But no sector can replace the internal strength of Vietnamese businesses - where knowledge, competitive capacity, and the countrys spirit of innovation are concentrated.

In fact, weve already seen the emergence of a sizable group of private companies willing to tackle difficult sectors that require modern management and long-term vision. This proves that Vietnamese businesses can reach the regional level - if theyre supported by a stable, transparent, and innovation-friendly policy environment.

However, for this sector to truly become the growth engine, the most critical task is to remove long-standing barriers - from policy uncertainty and high compliance costs to unequal access to resources. If the business environment still makes firms afraid to grow, then sustainable growth remains out of reach.

So, if we truly see the private sector as the key driver, the first thing that must change is not the wording in official documents, but the mindset of the state. The government must shift from control and licensing to rule-setting, post-audit enforcement, and real protection of property rights and business freedom. When the rules are clear and predictable, the private sector will naturally take the lead - because its internal strength will have been unleashed by the right institutions.

Some argue that Vietnam should prioritize domestic enterprises over FDI in the next phase of development. What is your view?

In my view, framing it as a choice between FDI or domestic enterprises is misleading.

Vietnam still needs FDI - thats a fact. In many industries, we lack long-term capital, core technology, modern management capacity, and international business networks that multinational corporations can provide.

Moreover, when properly managed, FDI can create positive competitive pressure, forcing local firms to improve standards, and providing opportunities for collaboration and learning.

But we also need to recognize that for years, weve focused too much on FDI numbers - registered capital, number of projects, job creation - without asking the right questions: What have Vietnamese firms learned? How much do they participate in the value chain? Are they gaining real opportunities to scale up?

If FDI simply relies on cheap labor and tax incentives, while most of the added value stays with foreign firms through design, technology, distribution, and support industries, then the long-term benefits to our economy will be limited.

Thats why I believe the next phase of policy must move from attract at all costs to selective, conditional attraction. Key conditions should include the extent of linkage with domestic firms, technology transfer, participation of local labor and suppliers, and value added created in Vietnam. At the same time, we must build a truly level playing field, where Vietnamese firms have equal access to land, credit, information, and opportunities - instead of being disadvantaged on home turf.

A sustainable economy is one where domestic enterprises are strong enough to both cooperate with and compete fairly against FDI.

Tu Giang & Lan Anh

To be continued...
In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the newly-issued resolution on developing culture in the new era, Baker said that this approach is particularly significant amidst intensifying geopolitical uncertainties and the growing need for cross-cultural cohesion.



He explained that culture strengthens social cohesion and resilience, while helping societies navigate change without losing their sense of direction  a model of development that is both self-sustaining and globally integrated.



Recognising culture alongside the economic, social, and environmental dimensions fully aligns with global efforts to establish culture as a standalone pillar of sustainable development beyond 2030, he underlined.



From UNESCOs perspective, the resolution articulates a concrete roadmap for structural reform, aiming to mobilise social capital, catalyse the creative economy, and safeguard cultural diversity. This builds upon Vietnams long-standing cultural advocacy and will enable Vietnam to navigate the complexities of the digital era and a volatile global landscape, he stated.



Regarding the resolutions target of raising the contribution of cultural industries to 7% of GDP by 2030 and 9% by 2045, the UNESCO Representative said that, based on international experience, achieving such goals requires sustained political commitment and a long-term vision.



He asserted that Vietnam is well positioned thanks to the countrys clear political commitment, with cultural industries now embedded in high-level national policy, and a strong base of UNESCO-recognised assets, with nine World Heritage sites, 17 elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and four UNESCO Creative Cities, reinforcing Vietnams international visibility and providing tested frameworks for safeguarding heritage while supporting sustainable local development.



In addition, he highlighted Vietnams rich and living heritage ecosystem, where tangible and intangible heritage, craft traditions, and cultural practices remain part of everyday life, along with a dynamic and increasingly confident creative community, particularly among young people working in design, music, film, crafts, and digital content.



Growing international convening power and credibility, reflected in Vietnams governance roles within UNESCO bodies and its ability to contribute to global cultural agendas, for example by taking the lead to advocate for a Decade on Culture for Sustainable Development, he added.

UNESCO Representative to Vietnam Jonathan Wallace Baker (Photo: VNA)

To translate this potential into economic contribution, the UNESCO Representative recommends building creative ecosystems rather than isolated projects, linking creativity with skills, markets, and sustainable livelihoods.



He also stressed the importance of investing in people through education, training, and creative spaces, so talent can grow and thrive over time.



UNESCO also encourages the advancing of sustainable and culturally sensitive tourism, ensuring that growth supports heritage conservation, respects carrying capacity, and delivers tangible benefits to local communities, and the promotion of

PublicPrivatePeople partnerships, where governments, businesses, and communities share responsibility and benefits under clear and transparent governance frameworks.



If these conditions are put in place, cultural industries can become a genuine engine of growth, while preserving Vietnams cultural identity and social values, stated Baker.



With regard to the goal of placing Vietnam among the worlds top 30 countries in the Soft Power Index and securing five to ten additional UNESCO recognitions by 2045, Baker emphasised that recognition is not an end in itself. What truly matters is how these designations are used to create lasting value for people and communities.



He said that UNESCO will continue to accompany Vietnam in three key areas.



The organisation will support Vietnam in improving heritage protection and management. UNESCO will work with national and local partners to align regulations with international standards, expand the use of Heritage Impact Assessments, and reinforce cooperation among site managers, experts and communities.



It will continue to work with Vietnam in promoting sustainable and culturally sensitive tourism, and together with the private sector, local authorities, and the people, to advance responsible tourism models that protect heritage, foster creativity, while creating benefits for local communities.



Alongside, it will continue sharing good practices internationally, through UNESCO mechanisms such as World Heritage and the Creative Cities Network, helping Vietnam amplify its voice and visibility globally, Baker concluded./. VNA
General Secretary To Lam will pay his first state visit of the new term to Laos on February 5, at the invitation of Lao President and Party General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith. The trip marks a strong political signal reaffirming Vietnams consistent, top-level commitment to its special relationship with Laos.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong emphasized that the visit comes at a particularly significant moment - just weeks after the successful conclusion of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the 12th Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.

Symbolism and strategic trust

Party Chief To Lam welcomes Lao President and Party chief Thongloun Sisoulith during his state visit to Vietnam last week. (Photo: Pham Hai)

Mr. To Lams choice of Laos as the first country to visit in his new term - coinciding with Laos' first reception of a state guest after its own Party Congress - underscores the unique depth of bilateral ties. According to Cuong, this move reflects not only tradition and political continuity but also strategic priority at the highest level.

The visit aims to reaffirm the time-tested solidarity, loyalty, and mutual trust that have shaped VietnamLaos relations through decades of shared struggle and development.

The two sides are expected to hold comprehensive talks, reviewing their domestic situations and evaluating recent cooperation. They will jointly outline major strategic directions for bilateral ties in the new development phase.

Defining strategic linkage for modern cooperation

One of the visits most significant outcomes will be to further define and implement the concept of strategic linkage - an elevated form of bilateral coordination that Mr. To Lam and Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith agreed to institutionalize in December 2025.

Deputy Minister Cuong noted that this goes beyond diplomatic symbolism. The idea of strategic linkage involves enhanced connectivity and mutual reinforcement in security, development, and international integration - underpinned by a framework for concrete action.

Vietnam and Laos are expected to sign several new cooperation documents among key ministries, agencies, and local governments. These agreements aim to provide a stronger legal foundation and new momentum for translating high-level commitments into measurable outcomes.

From depth of history to depth of development

Mr. To Lam and Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith attend the inauguration of the LaosVietnam Friendship Park during the December 2025 visit. (Photo: VNA)

Over the years, VietnamLaos relations have consistently progressed across all sectors. Bilateral trade reached a record $3 billion in 2025, while Vietnamese investment in Laos surged more than seven-fold compared to the previous year - bringing cumulative registered capital to $6.21 billion across 276 projects. Vietnam remains among Laos' top foreign investors.

Other areas such as education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges have also deepened, helping to sustain a vibrant and multidimensional relationship.

According to Cuong, the shift from broad-based to in-depth cooperation signals the two nations intention to strengthen efficiency and generate more tangible results. The visit is expected to accelerate this trend by aligning political vision with a shared development agenda.

A solid political foundation for long-term partnership

Deputy Minister Cuong believes the visit will be a milestone in bilateral ties, providing new political impetus and opening a new chapter in strategic partnership.

It reflects both countries determination to translate their special historical bond into a forward-looking, results-driven alliance grounded in mutual trust and shared aspirations.

Taking place in the earliest days of a new leadership term, the visit also demonstrates Vietnams resolve to embed strategic vision into concrete policy - and to fuse its developmental goals with a reliable, long-standing friendship.

As both countries navigate complex regional and global shifts, a reinforced VietnamLaos partnership is seen as a pillar of stability and mutual resilience.

Tran Thuong
According to the Economic Police Department, the scale and audacity of these operations have shocked authorities and the public alike.

Snails laced with sodium silicate to boost weight and shine

One case involved a facility on Rach Cat Ben Luc Street, Binh Dong Ward, where Huynh Van Truong (born 1979) and accomplices used sodium silicate - a chemical compound also known as liquid glass - to soak freshwater snails before selling them. This substance helped increase weight and give the snails a glossy appearance.

Police estimate that over a five-year period, the operation supplied more than 3,000 tons of chemically-laced snails to the market, all from an unlicensed, unsanitary location.

Police raid a facility producing chemically-soaked freshwater snails with sodium silicate. (Photo: CA)

Toxic noodles: A decade of contamination

In another case, Vuong Luong Toan (born 1981), owner of Chau Phat business on Luy Ban Bich Street, confessed to producing chemically-enhanced noodles for over a decade. His process involved mixing borax (a banned substance), soda, and silicate solution to give noodles a chewy texture and appealing color.

Over just the past three years, approximately 800 tons of these toxic noodles were sold to local markets and restaurants.

Scene from the noodle production site using borax and other banned chemicals for over 10 years. (Photo: CA)

Fake meat rings selling specialty dishes from spoiled pork

Perhaps most alarming was the exposure of a multi-location operation that transformed spoiled or untraceable pork into premium meats such as ostrich, Australian goat, porcupine, or venison - using food coloring and artificial flavorings.

Police confirmed that more than 50 tons of such counterfeit meat were distributed across provinces, primarily to restaurants and pubs.

Finished batches of counterfeit meat labeled as specialty products like venison or ostrich. (Photo: CA)

Why did these operations go undetected for years?

The Economic Police Department explained that perpetrators used increasingly sophisticated tactics to evade detection. Chemicals were stored off-site and only transported in small amounts for immediate use. Production sites were often located far from residential areas to avoid drawing attention due to odors.

Most facilities employed only family members - spouses, children, or close relatives - to limit information leaks. In many cases, even when violations were detected in the past, only administrative fines were issued, allowing the same operators to rebrand and resume activities under different names and addresses.

Police now target entire supply chains

Today, authorities are pursuing more aggressive strategies. Instead of merely shutting down production sites, they are tracing the origin of chemicals, raiding stalls at wholesale markets, and investigating buyers to build criminal cases.

Offenders now face prosecution, not only for food violations but also for knowingly endangering public health. The police stressed that any producer, distributor, or supplier who understands the risks of these chemicals and still chooses to use them will be held legally accountable.

A systemic issue demands systemic response

While some business owners cited economic hardship as justification for their actions, police reject these defenses, pointing to the clear illegality and moral failure of poisoning food for profit.

Investigators stressed that rooting out food crime is not just the responsibility of law enforcement - it also requires consumer vigilance, ethical business practices, and tighter coordination across health, market surveillance, and trade departments.

Authorities urge the public to report suspicious food production or distribution practices to the nearest police station or directly to the Economic Police Department.

Dam De
On the morning of February 2, a representative from the Department confirmed that recent viral posts suggesting such a proposal are entirely untrue.

The image being circulated online was generated using artificial intelligence and falsely linked to the alleged fine proposal. Photo: CACC

Certain social media accounts have been spreading information claiming that the Department of Traffic Police is proposing a 5 million VND fine for anyone filming officers on duty without prior consent, the representative said.

These rumors are absolutely false. No such proposal has been made by the Department, the representative emphasized.

The spokesperson also pointed out that the misinformation is being accompanied by images generated using AI tools, further misleading the public.

The Department warned that individuals or organizations involved in spreading or disseminating false information online will be held accountable under Vietnamese law.

Spreading fabricated news not only causes confusion among the public but also affects the credibility of law enforcement agencies, the statement noted.

This incident follows a series of recent false claims on social media related to traffic regulations. The Department has also had to deny rumors about an alleged steep increase in penalties for blood alcohol content violations starting in 2026, labeling those reports equally baseless.

The public is urged to verify information through official sources and refrain from sharing unverified or manipulated content.

Dinh Hieu
This marks a significant milestone in VinFasts global expansion strategy and demonstrates the companys ambition to bring its comprehensive Make in Vietnam green mobility ecosystem to the region and the world.

Under the plan, VinFast will roll out its electric scooter business in these five markets in 2026. These countries are characterised by large populations, rapid urbanisation, strong two-wheeler demand and mounting environmental pressures, making electric scooters a suitable solution for reducing emissions while offering cost-efficient urban mobility.

On the product front, VinFast plans to introduce a portfolio of battery-swapping e-scooters, including the VinFast Flazz, VinFast Evo, VinFast Feliz II and VinFast Viper, alongside additional new models to be launched in due course.

Each model will be carefully adapted to local infrastructure, climate conditions, usage patterns and consumer preferences in each individual market.

In terms of commercial footprint, VinFast targets achieving hundreds of retail outlets and service workshops by 2027, creating a solid foundation for long-term growth.

The expansion model is designed to be flexible and operationally efficient, integrating dealer networks, after-sales services, financial solutions and energy infrastructure, including collaboration with V-Green for charging and battery-swapping systems.

VinFasts international expansion strategy builds on its strong domestic performance in Vietnam. In 2025, the Company delivered 406,453 electric scooters, officially securing the leading market-share position in the countrys two-wheeler segment.

With a portfolio of more than 10 models across multiple segments and supported by flexible charging and battery-swapping solutions, VinFast has positioned e-scooters as a preferred mobility choice among Vietnamese consumers.

Entering 2026, VinFast announced the completion of its master plan for three e-scooter lines: mainstream, premium and sport.

At the same time, the Company will launch seven new models in the premium and sport categories, strengthening its competitive positioning in design, performance and product differentiation.

Backed by large-scale manufacturing capabilities, a competitive pricing strategy and a comprehensive ecosystem, including flexible battery-swapping solutions provided by strategic partner V-Green, VinFast aims to significantly accelerate transportation electrification across the region and globally.

Vo Thi Cam Tu, Managing Director of VinFast E-Scooters Overseas Market, said that global expansion of the e-scooter business represents a strategic pillar in VinFasts long-term development roadmap.

She noted that VinFast has conducted in-depth market research, worked closely with local partners and developed comprehensive plans for dealer network expansion, product portfolios and service ecosystems.

The Philippines has been designated as the first strategic market in VinFasts global e-scooter expansion journey. VinFast has partnered with five leading dealers across Luzon and Mindanao to deploy a nationwide retail and service network. These partners are reputable, experienced players with clear commitments to green transition initiatives.

In recent years, VinFast has progressively built a green mobility ecosystem in the Philippines, Indonesia, India and other markets through cooperation with reputable local partners and strategic partners such as GSM, an all-electric taxi operator, and V-Green, a global charging-infrastructure developer.

Beyond e-scooters, VinFast has also introduced a diverse electric vehicle lineup ranging from the VF 3 to the VF 9, expanding consumer choice and reinforcing its role in the global transition toward sustainable transportation./. VNA
Responding to a reporters question at a press briefing this morning, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang stated:

Vietnam is deeply concerned about the new US measure to impose additional tariffs on goods from countries supplying oil to Cuba. This action seriously affects the economic activities, society, and daily life of the Cuban people.

She affirmed Vietnams consistent support for the United Nations General Assemblys long-standing resolutions urging the United States to lift its unilateral embargo on Cuba.

Once again, Vietnam strongly reaffirms its traditional solidarity and friendship with the Cuban people, she emphasized.

The new measure was announced on January 29 through an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump, declaring a national emergency that allows for the establishment of a special tariff regime targeting trade with Cuba.

The move has drawn criticism from various countries, who argue that it violates international law and risks triggering a humanitarian crisis on the Caribbean island.

On Cubas side, First Secretary and President Miguel Diaz-Canel affirmed the countrys willingness to engage in dialogue with the US, but firmly rejected negotiations conducted under pressure. Cuba is currently facing prolonged fuel shortages and electricity blackouts, adding to the populations hardships.

Tran Thuong
China's top diplomat holds strategic dialogue with Russian Federation Security Council secretary

Xinhua) 08:57, February 02, 2026

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, meets with Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's top diplomat Wang Yi met with Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, in Beijing on Sunday.

Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, welcomed Shoigu's visit to China for a strategic dialogue as designated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Wang noted that the world is increasingly undergoing both changes and turbulence, with the post-war international order and norms governing international relations severely impacted, and the world faces a real risk of regressing to the law of the jungle.

As major countries and permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, China and Russia have the responsibility and obligation to practice true multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and work to build a more just and reasonable global governance system, Wang said.

Noting that China and Russia are each other's largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, Wang said the two countries should maintain close communication on major issues concerning bilateral relations, step up mutual support on matters involving each other's core interests, and safeguard their respective and common interests.

Wang said China stands ready to work with Russia to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, enhance strategic communication, deepen strategic coordination, and open up new prospects for China-Russia relations in the new year.

Shoigu said that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Russia-China Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, and that Russia-China relations are underpinned by mutual respect, mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit.

He noted that since the start of the year, the world has witnessed complex and volatile developments with frequent flare-ups of security and hotspot issues. Russia has always upheld the one-China principle, closely followed the moves of hostile forces to undermine cross-Strait stability, and firmly opposed Japan's attempts to accelerate re-militarization, Shoigu said.

The Russian side stands ready to continue to firmly support each other with China, enhance bilateral cooperation, and strengthen coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS, he said.

He called on both sides to jointly maintain the high-level development momentum of Russia-China relations, work to build a more just and reasonable multipolar world, and form an indivisible security architecture on the Eurasian continent.

The two sides also conducted in-depth strategic communication on various international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, meets with Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
In Vietnams insurance market, large in scale yet characterised by relatively low policy values, the challenge is no longer expansion alone, but how to balance cost efficiency with service quality. This pressure is exposing the limits of manual operations, particularly in underwriting, claims processing, and fraud prevention. As a result, AI is rapidly moving from experimentation to necessity.

Hanh Tracy Dao, country manager, Igloo Vietnam

AI is set to become core operational infrastructure for insurers. As competition intensifies and margins continue to tighten, the effective use of AI to sharpen pricing accuracy, accelerate claims processing, and strengthen fraud detection will increasingly determine market competitiveness.

At Igloo, AI is not treated as a foundational platform embedded across the entire insurance lifecycle, from product design and underwriting to claims management. Crucially, in a market where consumer trust is still being rebuilt, the responsible, transparent, and regulatory-compliant deployment of AI will be essential. Only then can automation truly serve as a catalyst for both operational efficiency and renewed confidence in the insurance industry.

Demographic and environmental trends will continue to shape insurance demand in 2026. An ageing population is driving sustained growth in health insurance and supplementary coverage, while ongoing urban development is increasing exposure to property-related risks, fire incidents, and construction liabilities.

At the same time, as Vietnam increasingly feels the effects of floods, storms, and other extreme weather events, climate risk has moved from a long-term consideration to a day-to-day operational reality. These disruptions are directly impacting urban infrastructure, supply chains, and the operations of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), prompting both individuals and businesses to seek more practical and responsive protection solutions.

Against this backdrop, the insurance industry is shifting away from standardised offerings towards more flexible, parametric solutions designed around specific usage scenarios and risk profiles. In response, Igloo enables businesses to develop insurance packages that are tailored to distinct customer segments, aligning coverage more closely with real-world risks and evolving protection needs.

Distribution remains one of the most decisive factors in insurance growth. Bancassurance, alongside partnerships across banking, fintech, e-commerce, mobility, and digital platforms, continues to expand insurers reach while improving acquisition efficiency.

Through the embedded insurance model, coverage is seamlessly integrated into customers existing financial and digital journeys, from payments and lending to everyday online transactions, rather than offered as a standalone product. This collaborative approach has proven especially effective in extending protection to underserved segments such as SMEs, self-employed individuals, and digital-first consumers. In doing so, it helps narrow the economys protection gap.

Vietnams legal and regulatory environment is expected to continue its path towards greater standardisation in 2026, with increased emphasis on solvency management, consumer protection, information transparency, and risk-based pricing. While these shifts raise compliance requirements, they also create powerful incentives for insurers to improve product quality and elevate operational standards across the market.

Against this backdrop, insurers that leverage technology, supported by insurtech partners, will be better positioned to adapt. Digital compliance tools, data-driven reporting, and automated risk assessment enable companies to meet regulatory expectations more efficiently, while preserving the agility needed to innovate.

Regulation is not a constraint but a catalyst, accelerating the industrys transition towards greater transparency, stronger governance, and, ultimately, long-term consumer trust.

As Vietnams insurance market matures, demand is moving decisively towards personalised and niche solutions. Customers increasingly expect coverage tailored to their specific needs across micro-insurance, SME protection, parametric products, or weather-indexed solutions.

Sustainable growth in 2026 and beyond will not come from selling more generic products, but from designing insurance that reflects real-world risks and behaviours, supported by technology and data.

Vietnams insurance market stands at a pivotal point in 2026. The recovery achieved last year has created momentum, but long-term success will depend on how effectively insurers embrace technology, adapt to regulatory change, strengthen ecosystem partnerships, and place customers at the centre of product design.

By integrating AI across the insurance value chain, enabling embedded distribution models, and supporting the development of personalised solutions, Igloo aims to help build a more inclusive and future-ready insurance ecosystem, one that strengthens Vietnams long-term economic resilience and social development.
Juhern Kim

Vietnam this year ushers in Binh Ngo, the Fire Horse year, where fires thrust meets the horses speed. It is a perfect metaphor for Vietnams next chapter in the net-zero transition: momentum is real, and the window for acceleration is open.

But the defining question has changed. It is no longer whether Vietnam can move fast. It is whether Vietnam can move fast  and be trusted as a serious net-zero platform as an emerging market leader. In a world of tightening supply-chain standards, rising disclosure expectations, and increasingly sophisticated investors, green competitiveness has become a package deal: speed plus proof.

That is why 2026 matters beyond symbolism. It marks the starting line of the decisive stretch to 2030, the worlds most important checkpoint on the climate clock. What happens between 2026 and 2030 will shape whether net-zero commitments become bankable reality, or remain well-worded ambition.

In December at Techfest, I learned something from the vice chairperson of the Hanoi Peoples Committee  the Phu Dong spirit. In the Vietnamese legend, Phu Dong suddenly scales, growing strong enough to ride an iron horse and clear a path forward. I was impressed by the metaphor.

I believe Vietnam can leverage this moment to rapidly scale in a way that opens an entirely new net-zero journey.

Yet sudden leaps are never effortless. The iron horse must be strong enough to withstand a rough, fast-moving environment. In todays net-zero landscape, that strength is built through discipline, verification, accountability, and trust. But, I cannot deny the fact that it is truly an exciting moment. There are five proof points I would highlight.

Building the net-zero system

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are boldly preparing to test something that goes to the heart of how Vietnam moves: electrifying two-wheelers. With more than 77 million registered motorcycles, decarbonising this segment is a national game changer. There are already encouraging signs: about 209,000 electric motorbikes were sold in the first half of 2025, nearly doubling on-year.

Now the system must catch up  interoperable charging and/or swapping, clearer standards, and a user experience that changes consumer mindset from trial to default.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is building the infrastructure of a carbon market. In June 2025, the country announced the pilot phase of its emissions trading scheme, targeting thermal power, steel, and cement, with the initial phase set to run until 2029 and cover about half of national emissions.

This is where speed with trust becomes tangible. Markets do not run on slogans; they run on measurement, reporting, and verification protocols, registries, transparent allocation, and enforcement. If Vietnam can demonstrate predictable operations and high-integrity credits, it can turn compliance pressure into investment pull  including stronger pathways for Article 6 cooperation with international partners.

The next factor involves turning green finance from product into plumbing. A quiet breakthrough was the promulgation of Vietnams Green Taxonomy in 2025. This matters because taxonomy is not a label  it is trust infrastructure: eligibility criteria, verification pathways, and comparability that investors can underwrite. It reduces ambiguity, lowers transaction costs, and makes green finance repeatable rather than bespoke.

Vietnam has also advanced its international financial centre agenda, positioning Danang and Ho Chi Minh City as twin hubs. As these functions come live, they can become a practical platform to mobilise capital if the surrounding ecosystem is built with credibility and predictability.

Another proof point is about risk capital, and whether Vietnam can scale climate-tech fast enough to match the decades urgency. Last year, the government issued a framework for a national venture capital fund that includes at least VND500 billion ($19 million) in initial state capital and an expected charter capital of VND2 trillion ($76 million) within five years, alongside private contributions.

This is relevant for net-zero because climate solutions often face a valley of death between pilot and scale. A venture fund, if governed well, can help push bankable technologies across that bridge, while setting norms for transparency, accountability, and disciplined selection.

Lastly, overlaid on the climate timeline is a broader technological transition. AI and digital tools are compressing learning cycles, lowering the cost of experimentation, and accelerating collaboration across borders. In the framing of Song Gil-young, a South Korean futurist, a lightweight civilisation advances less by piling on heavy infrastructure first, and more by making systems smarter  reducing friction, duplicative work, and wasted energy through data and networks.

That lens matters for climate action: fast emissions reductions come not only from bigger assets, but from lighter, faster coordination  better measurement, better decisions, better execution. But AI only accelerates what systems allow. When markets can trust underlying data, technology becomes a genuine net-zero force multiplier.

From delivery to scale

These agendas all connect to a broader strategic alignment with the GGGI. In April 2025, GGGI director-general Kim Sang Hyup met with Vietnams prime minister at the P4G Summit in Hanoi, reinforcing a shared ambition to facilitate mobilisation of $1 billion by 2028 for Vietnams net-zero transition.

In August, he advanced a strategic MoU with the National Innovation Centre in Seoul during the state visit to South Korea by Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam, signalling that innovation partnerships are being elevated to strategic importance.

I signed an MoU with the vice minister of Science and Technology in December on the sidelines of Techfest 2025, exploring partnership around the National Venture Capital Fund  linking policy leadership to practical mechanisms that mobilise capital for startups and climate-tech scale.

In 2025, the GGGI delivered in practice to help build foundations that link directly to Vietnams 2026 proof points. Firstly, on sustainable finance, it facilitated GSS bond transactions, approximately $76 million, linked to Vietcombank and around $10 million for Binh Thuan Plastic  strengthening the frameworks, reporting expectations, and verification practices that investors require.

Secondly, on climate-tech acceleration and investment mobilisation, we worked with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the European Union to support $1.5 million in mobilised investment for three enterprises, including AI-enabled solutions, with a new startup acceleration programme ready for 2026.

Thirdly, on green infrastructure, we advanced feasibility and structuring support in the waste sector through two projects with ticket sizes of $50 million and $15 million  introducing green technologies that make waste sector green and financeable if design, revenue logic, and risk allocation are built properly.

Fourthly, on policy, we delivered 11 advisory engagements in 2025, including support for carbon marketrelated regulations.

This year, I am keen to deepen collaboration with partner countries committed to credible net-zero delivery in Vietnam to do more with scale with Phu Dong spirit  including GGGI member countries and close partner countries already working with us on the ground. In parallel, as a trustable fiduciary platform, we aim to deepen collaboration with large conglomerates, philanthropic foundations, corporate philanthropy platforms, and high-net-worth individuals  mobilising flexible capital and innovation networks alongside public finance  to accelerate practical delivery.

It is such a privilege to witness Vietnams energy, ambition, and openness to change up close on a daily basis  and to increasingly think of Vietnam not only as a place of work, but as a second home. What I hope most in 2026 is that we can make the net-zero proof points tangible  visible in daily life, and credible in the eyes of markets  so that Vietnams speed is matched by trust.

If Vietnam succeeds, it becomes a global proof-of-scale case for emerging markets. If it stalls, the worlds net-zero pathway becomes much harder.
Nam Trinh

The transaction made by Thailands Berli Jucker of MM Mega Market Vietnam is an illustration of how internal restructurings may qualify for relief, but only under strict conditions.

Rather than acquiring equity directly in MM Mega Market Vietnam, Berli Jucker executed the transaction through its Singapore subsidiary, C-Distribution Asia, by purchasing all shares in TCC Land International (Singapore), the entity holding the entire equity interest in MM Mega Market Vietnam.

Formally, the transaction took place offshore and involved shares in a Singaporean company. Economically, however, the value being transferred is largely derived from assets and business operations in Vietnam. This gap between legal form and economic substance sits at the centre of Vietnams long-running debate over taxing rights on indirect capital transfers.

The ownership structure adds another layer of complexity. Both the buyer and seller ultimately fall under the control of TCC Group. This may support the view that the deal is an internal group restructuring rather than a third-party acquisition  a distinction that matters under Decree No.320/2025/ND-CP when considering tax relief.

New tax approach

Historically, capital transfers by foreign organisations in Vietnam were taxed based on net gains, typically at 20 per cent of taxable income calculated as the transfer price minus acquisition cost and allowable expenses. While economically coherent, the approach frequently led to disputes over cost bases, deductible expenses, and how much value should be allocated to Vietnam when the transfer occurred offshore.

Decree 320, implementing amendments to the Law on Corporate Income Tax, signals a shift in regulatory thinking. In certain cases, foreign entities income from capital transfers may be taxed using a deemed rate of 2 per cent applied to taxable revenue arising in Vietnam. The objective is to simplify administration and improve collectability, especially where tax authorities face practical difficulties verifying costs at offshore holding levels.

Crucially, this is not a blanket 2 per cent levy on the entire global transaction value. For indirect transfers, the key question becomes how much of the consideration should be treated as taxable revenue attributable to Vietnam. That assessment will depend on legal interpretation, valuation methodology, and the strength of supporting evidence.

Although Decree 320 sets out legal conditions on paper, its application to indirect transfers still raises practical uncertainties in complex holding structures.

Firstly, it does not prescribe a single method for determining taxable revenue arising in Vietnam where the transferred entity is a holding company with assets or operations in multiple jurisdictions. If the Singapore entity is effectively a single-asset vehicle holding only MM Mega Market Vietnam, authorities may view most or all of the transfer value as Vietnam-derived. Where additional offshore assets or income streams exist, taxpayers may argue for a proportionate allocation, supported by valuation reports and financial data.

Secondly, the boundary between market value and internal restructuring logic remains unclear when determining whether a transaction generates taxable income. Internal transfers may be priced at book value or acquisition cost for restructuring purposes rather than to realise gains.

However, where the transfer price diverges materially from economic value, authorities may challenge whether pricing is market-consistent and exercise their power to reassess. This goes directly to the no income arises condition under the internal restructuring exemption.

Thirdly, Decree 320 does not set out a definitive evidentiary threshold for qualifying an internal restructuring for exemption. Open questions include the level of detail required in ownership charts, documentation needed to demonstrate the ultimate parent remains unchanged, financial evidence required to show no income is generated, and proof of compliance with non-cash settlement requirements. In the absence of settled administrative practice, outcomes may depend heavily on case-by-case review.

A frequently cited reference point is the tax amount produced by applying the 2 per cent deemed rate to the full transaction value. On a headline deal value of $772 million, the tax would be approximately $15.4 million. However, that figure relies on the assumption that the entire consideration constitutes taxable revenue arising in Vietnam. Where offshore assets or activities exist, the determination becomes more nuanced and dependent on valuation methodology and documentation.

Impact on future deals

Decree 320 introduces an exemption for internal group restructurings, potentially taking a transaction outside the deemed tax regime if two cumulative conditions are met. Firstly, the transfer must not result in a change to the ultimate parent company of entities that directly or indirectly own the Vietnamese business after the restructuring. Secondly, the transaction must not generate taxable income.

In practice, meeting these conditions typically requires robust valuation work and a coherent commercial rationale. Where book value or acquisition cost is used, the business purpose must be articulated clearly to address potential questions of market consistency. Without this preparation, the risk of reassessment increases.

Because the transferring entity is Singapore-based, the VietnamSingapore double taxation agreement will naturally be considered. However, treaty protection is not automatic. Vietnam may retain taxing rights in certain circumstances, notably where the value of transferred shares is derived principally from immovable property located in Vietnam.

Whether this threshold is met depends on the asset composition of the underlying business. Modern retail operations can derive substantial value from leasehold rights, goodwill, and distribution networks, which may not be classified as immovable property for treaty purposes.

Treaty benefits may also be denied if the intermediary lacks economic substance or does not qualify as the beneficial owner under treaty rules. Documentation demonstrating substance in Singapore  such as personnel, premises, and genuine decision-making functions  becomes important where double taxation relief is contemplated.

Vietnams approach to indirect transfers is not new. The 2016 Big C transaction remains a prominent example of tax authorities applying substance-over-form reasoning where economic value was clearly rooted in Vietnam. Offshore structuring did not prevent Vietnam from asserting taxing rights when the underlying assets and business operations were domestic.

What distinguishes the Berli JuckerMM Mega Market Vietnam transaction is the potential availability of an internal restructuring exemption under Decree 320. That opportunity exists, but only where conditions are satisfied and properly substantiated. Otherwise, the deemed tax regime may apply, with disputes likely focusing on the scope of taxable revenue and valuation assumptions.

For cross-border deals involving Vietnam, tax compliance can no longer be treated as a post-closing exercise. Tax obligations arise upon completion of the transfer, making early planning critical. At a minimum, parties should prepare ownership and control records showing the ultimate parent remains unchanged; valuation analyses and a clear commercial rationale supporting the pricing and restructuring logic; payment documentation demonstrating compliant non-cash settlement; and, where relevant, substance evidence to support treaty claims. Investors and deal advisers should also build tax risk allocation into transaction documents, including representations, warranties, and indemnities aligned with the evolving enforcement environment.

Decree 320 marks a significant evolution in Vietnams approach to taxing capital transfers involving foreign entities. While the deemed 2 per cent rate may improve administrative efficiency, it shifts the centre of debate to how taxable revenue arising in Vietnam is identified, allocated, and evidenced in indirect transfers.

For investors, the message is clear: careful structuring, early tax analysis, and robust documentation are no longer optional. They are integral to deal success in Vietnams new tax environment.
The amount that residents pay towards the cost of policing in North Wales will increase by 50p a week from April.

The North Wales Police and Crime Panel approved Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbins proposal to increase the policing precept on Council Tax at a meeting at Coed Pella in Colwyn Bay last week.

It means that the policing precept for an average Band D property will increase 26.10 a year  the equivalent of 50p extra a week.

Around half of the funding for the police budget in North Wales comes from the UK Government, while the rest comes from Council Tax.

The amount of Council Tax depends on the precept levied by the Police and Crime Commissioner, and this proposed amount must be agreed by the Police and Crime Panel  which is made up of councillors and co-opted independent members from across the region.

A survey carried out by the commissioner last year found that nearly half of North Wales residents who participated were supportive of an increase of at least 25 in the policing precept.

Pat Astbury, Chair of the North Wales Police and Crime Panel, said the policing precept rise represents good value for money.

The Police and Crime Panel have agreed the Commissioners Police Budget for 2026/27 after much deliberation and discussion, continued Pat.

We are grateful for everyone involved for their hard work in presenting us with this budget. We are acutely conscious of the financial and cost-of-living pressures facing all Council Tax payers in North Wales and the decision around any increase cannot be taken lightly.

However, we believe that a rise of 50p per week for an average Band D represents good value for money to secure an effective and well-resourced Force, especially if available funding is invested in areas where residents have told the PCC they wish to see a difference.

Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, commented: I would like to thank the North Wales Police and Crime Panel for agreeing to my proposed increase in the policing precept. I value their input and scrutiny and appreciate their views on behalf of the residents of the region.

The increase is in line with the figure many who took part in the survey were prepared to pay for policing, but I still understand how hard things are for many in the current economic climate.

That is why I have sought to keep any increase as low as possible while ensuring the Force has the resources it needs to keep us all safe.

I hope to see extra funding from the Precept invested in areas such as the Force Control Centre, which will help improve response times; the Digital Forensics Unit, which will help in solving crimes; and the Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, which assists some of the most at-risk members of society.

I will continue to work hard with the Chief Constable to deliver a well-funded and well-run Police Service that secures for the people of North Wales in line with my priorities as PCC of a local neighbourhood policing presence; supporting victims, communities and businesses; and a fair and effective criminal justice system.

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The North Wales Police Choir has been selected to compete at this years Llangollen International Eisteddfod, one of the worlds most well-known celebrations of music and culture.

The choir will represent North Wales Police on an international stage when it competes in July, performing alongside choirs and performers from across the globe in the Denbighshire town.

Formed in August 2024, the mixed choir was established to promote positive mental health within the force and to support the use of the Welsh language in the workplace. It has just under 60 members, including serving officers, police staff, volunteers and retired colleagues. Members travel from across the region and rehearse weekly at police headquarters in Colwyn Bay.

Last year the choir became the first emergency service ensemble to compete at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham and has since performed at a range of events, including the Chief Constables Awards and the Emergency Services Carol Service.

Next month, the choir is also due to compete at the North Wales Choir Festival at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.

Conductor Sergeant Arwyn Tudur Jones said: We are incredibly proud to be representing North Wales Police at such as renowned international event.

The Llangollen International Eisteddfod is a celebration of culture, harmony and friendship, and to be part of it is a real honour for everyone involved in the choir. We hope to do our communities proud both on and off the stage.

Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman KPM said: The Llangollen International Eisteddfod attracts thousands of performers and visitors each year and is internationally recognised for promoting peace and cultural understanding through music and performance.

I am immensely proud of the choir and their achievements so far. They are wonderful ambassadors for our organisation, showcasing not only their talent and passion, but also the strong sense of community, pride and Welsh identity that runs through North Wales Police.

Dave Danford, Artistic Director at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, said: Our festival has the highest of standards, so to get through our tough selection process is a major achievement.

Previous winners of competitions include Luciano Pavarotti with Corale di Rossini, Modena, Italy so the North Wales Police Choir will be in great company. We look forward to welcoming this outstanding choir to the Pavilion Stage.

The North Wales Police Choir will compete in the Open Choirs A5 competition on Sunday, 12 July, performing on the 4,000-seat Pavilion stage.

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More rape and sexual assault survivors across England and Wales will be able to ask for a review of their case before a final decision to offer no evidence is made, after a pilot scheme was expanded into three more regions.

Following positive feedback from an initial pilot in the West Midlands, which launched in June 2025, the Solicitor General has confirmed the scheme will roll-out to three more CPS Areas.

The expansion will begin with CPS North West in January, followed by CPS Yorkshire and Humberside in early February and CPS Cymru-Wales in April.

Under the current system, criminal cases can be stopped at any point if a prosecutor decides there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. While victims can ask for the decision to be reviewed under the Victims Right to Review (VRR) scheme, this will not change the decision.

The pilot gives victims of rape or serious sexual abuse the right for their case to be reviewed by a different prosecutor before any final decisions are made, and the chance to continue proceedings remains. If that prosecutor determines there is enough evidence, the case will continue.

The scheme is intended to improve confidence in the justice system by giving victims greater involvement at a critical stage in the process and ensuring decisions are properly scrutinised.

Solicitor General Ellie Reeves MP said: Rape and sexual assault are abhorrent, causing long-lasting physical and emotional trauma to victims. Victims who come forward deserve to know that their experiences are being heard.

This government is committed to halving violence against women and girls and following a positive pilot in the West Midlands, I am working with CPS to roll out the victims right to review pilot to three more regions.

This will increase routes to justice and above all, it will ensure victims are given fairness, dignity and are truly heard. 

Survivors eligible for the pilot in the West Midlands  including those who did not request a review  gave positive feedback, saying they valued having the opportunity for their case to be reconsidered before a final decision was reached.

The expansion will allow the Crown Prosecution Service to gather further evidence and data on the schemes effectiveness before any decision is made on a national rollout.

Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott, said: Its encouraging to see the VRR pilot expanding further. From lived experience, I know the difference an earlier opportunity for review can make, and the learning from the West Midlands shows this clearly  survivors have said that simply having this option makes a positive difference.

Adding this right is an important step forward. It helps build confidence in the justice system by giving victims greater control at a critical moment in their case and the chance to get the answers they deserve.

The phased, evidence-led approach reflects constructive engagement and a genuine willingness to learn from whats working. Im proud to see this steady progress and grateful for the openness to change.

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Over five years, Robert Tisdales mother was hospitalized nearly a dozen times due to the relentless progression of dementia, kidney failure, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Each visit to a regional hospital in northern New Jersey brought new clinicians, forms and crises. The system often felt bureaucratic and fragmented.

Although individual clinicians and hospital staff made efforts to connect, Tisdale continued to feel isolated as his mothers primary caregiver, bearing the full burden of coordination and responsibility once care moved beyond the hospital walls. "I was occassionally asked by hospital staff if 'I was okay,' but was really left to manage the caregiving burden on my own," says Tisdale. 

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His experience reflects the reality for millions of family caregivers, underscoring what hospitals are slowly recognizing: Effective care extends beyond the patient and must also include support for the caregivers who serve as the vital backbone for the health care system.

Across the country, a growing number of hospitals are beginning to position themselves as partners not only to patients, but also to family members managing increasingly complex care at home. While the American Hospital Association annual survey does not track these programs, hospital-based caregiver support remains scattered and largely out of reach outside major metropolitan centers, leaving many suburban and rural caregivers with limited access to similar support. 

Hospitals are relative latecomers to this work. For decades, caregiver support has largely existed in communities, delivered through Area Agencies on Aging and other local organizations across the states. Hospitals are not leading these efforts. They are catching up to decades of caregiving support that has existed in the community, says Kathleen Kelly, executive director of the Family Caregiver Alliance in San Francisco.

Kelly notes that hospitals interest in supporting caregivers gained traction when the data showed it could reduce repeat hospitalizations and emergency visits. One study showed that Medicare patients who received caregiver support had shorter hospital stays and were less likely to require discharge to skilled nursing facilities, home health services or post-hospitalization care, resulting in an estimated $514 million in Medicare savings.

Support services range from libraries with caregiver-specific resources to more advanced hospital-based offerings, including psychotherapy, post-discharge training and peer support through volunteers or caregiver groups, designed to address the distinct challenges caregivers face across high-demand conditions such as dementia, heart disease, cancer and organ transplantation.

Kelly cautions that many of these programs rely on philanthropy or large endowments, limiting their scalability and leaving caregiver support programs more symbolic than systemic across most medical centers.

Caregiver program designed for nationwide expansion

When psychologist Allison Applebaum arrived at New Yorks Mount Sinai in 2024, she brought with her a model of care that had quietly reshaped how one of the nations leading cancer centers treated family caregivers. Now, for the first time, Mount Sinai is offering caregivers across all illnesses access to mental health care, recognizing that caregivers are not invisible extensions of patients, but patients in their own right.
Rising grocery prices are squeezing Americans wallets, and this is particularly true for retirees living on fixed incomes. Food prices rose 2.6 percent from November 2024 to November 2025. That can make every spoiled apple or wilted head of lettuce feel like money down the drain.

Its no wonder 53 percent of adults say grocery expenses are a major source of stress, according to a recent survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The good news is there are steps you can take to stretch the life of your produce and pantry staples  and save a lot of money as a result.

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1. Master your refrigerators layout

Many people make the mistake of unloading their grocery haul and simply shoving food into the refrigerator without a plan. But all those compartments in your fridge have a purpose.

Organize your fridge according to the different internal temperature zones, says Ann Ziata, a chef at the Institute of Culinary Educations New York City campus. Items on the door, she explains, are the most susceptible to temperature fluctuations, so dont store anything highly perishable there. Use the door bins to store items with longer shelf lives, such as butter, pickles, pasteurized juices and condiments. Put eggs and milk toward the back of the fridge.

Food safety tip: Meat should never be stored above fresh fruits and vegetables, because if they drip on the produce, then that could cause contamination, warns Amanda Deering, associate professor of produce food safety at Purdue Universitys department of food science.

And make sure youre using those crisper drawers properly. The low-humidity drawer is for most fruits and veggies that tend to rot, like peppers, says Dana Gunders, president of ReFED, a nonprofit that works to reduce food waste. The higher-humidity drawer is for things that wilt, like greens and carrots.

2. Set your fridge and freezer to the right temperature

Keeping foods cool or frozen helps prolong their life and slow the growth of dangerous bacteria. But what temps should you set?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends keeping your fridge at 40 degrees or below and the freezer at zero degrees. For the most accurate reading, place a refrigerator thermometer on the middle shelf, says Melissa Vaccaro, senior food safety program specialist at the National Environmental Health Association, a nonprofit that supports environmental health professionals.

Many modern refrigerators with freezers are equipped with digital settings that let you adjust the temperature of each system.

3. Know what not to refrigerate

Some fresh produce, including berries, lettuce and cucumbers, should go right into the fridge when you bring it home. But there are some fruits and veggies youll want to leave on the counter to ripen, such as tropical fruits like avocados, bananas and mangoes. These brown more quickly in the fridge, says Ellen Shumaker, director of outreach for Safe Plates, a food safety program at North Carolina State University. After they ripen at room temperature, you can pop them in the fridge for a few days if you prefer to eat them cold.

You can find storage guidelines for a variety of produce and pantry items using the federal Department of Health and Human Services FoodKeeper App, which was developed with the Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection service, Cornell University and the Food Marketing Institute.
By Sheldon Mills, Executive Director, FCA, speaking at the FCA's Supercharged Sandbox Showcase event. This review does not change our regulatory approach. We remain outcomes-based and technology-neutral, ensuring greater flexibility for us and firms to adapt to technological change and market developments. We are asking for views on the opportunities and risks as AI becomes more capable, how AI could reshape competition and the customer relationship and how existing regulatory frameworks may need to adapt. The deadline is 24 February. Long-term review into AI Before we begin, take a look around this room. This is the Supercharged Sandbox. 23 firms at the frontier of retail financial services, chosen from 132 applications. If anyone still doubts the pace of AI change in our sector, this room is the answer. The Board has asked me to lead the long-term review into AI and retail financial services. I will report to the FCA Board in the summer, setting out recommendations to help the FCA continue to play a leading role in shaping AI-enabled financial services. This will culminate in an external publication to support informed debate. Many of you know me from my work on competition and the Consumer Duty. Those seven years taught me something simple but crucial: the real challenge in regulation isnt dealing with what we already understand  its preparing for what we dont. And thats exactly what this review is about. Designing for the unknown. Outcomes-based and technology-neutral Let me make one thing absolutely clear from the start. This review does not change our regulatory approach. We remain outcomes-based and technology-neutral. We are not unveiling new rules, nor are we prescribing how AI should be deployed today. This approach gives us and firms greater flexibility to adapt to technological change and market developments, rather than setting out detailed and prescriptive rules. We believe that with a fast-moving technology like AI, this is the best way of supporting UK growth and competitiveness, while protecting consumers and market integrity. What we are doing is looking ahead  deliberately, collaboratively and with open eyes - to understand how AI could reshape consumers lives, how markets might reorganise, and how regulation can stay effective in a world moving faster than any of us have known. And how we strike the right balance between risk or safety and growth and innovation. AI is pushing us into territory that nobody, anywhere, has fully mapped. No regulator has a complete picture. No firm does either. But we can do something far more important: we can design systems that adapt even when the path ahead isnt fully visible. Why we need to design for the unknown  and why now AI has been used in financial services for a long time. Fraud models, trading systems, credit decisioning  nothing new. Even back in 2024, the Bank of England found that three quarters of firms were already using artificial intelligence. But the last two years have been different. Generative AI. Multimodal systems. Emerging AI agents. Millions of people in the UK now use AI tools to interpret information, plan their lives and make decisions. My favourite current use of models is to take a photo of food in my fridge and get some quick recipes for supper. But we also know from a few surveys that financial services consumers are using AI to plan their financial lives. Lloyds 2025 survey found that one in three customers use AI weekly to manage their money. Many of you are already building tools  from personalising financial guidance, to reinventing customer journeys and better vulnerability identification. So, we know firms will continue to invest in AI, and customers will increasingly use AI to access financial services. But we shouldnt pretend we know how all of this plays out. We dont yet know which models will scale. And we dont know which risks will matter most  or which mitigations will actually work. What we do know is that the UK has a choice: shape the future or inherit it. Designing for the unknown is how we choose leadership, not drift. Exploring uncertainty through a considering a plausible scenario Lets consider a shift in what AI is capable of and what consumers and firms expect from it. The development of a 'proxy economy' in which, over time, consumers may increasingly use AI as an intelligent intermediary between themselves and firms. Assistive AI is here today. Tools that explain products, compare options, prefill forms and highlight risks. They support consumers without taking decisions away from them. Advisory AI is emerging. Systems that nudge, recommend and encourage action  switching suppliers, reshaping budgets, refinancing at better rates. These tools promise better outcomes, but they also raise questions about transparency, neutrality and the basis of advice. Autonomous AI is coming into view. Agents that act within the boundaries of the consumer sets  shifting money, negotiating renewals, reallocating savings, or spotting risks before the consumer even sees them. For many households, this will be transformative. It reduces admin, improves decisions and cuts costs. Let me make this concrete. Imagine Sarah, a working parent in 2030. Her AI agent manages household finances within agreed boundaries by moving money to higher-rate savings, flagging uncompetitive insurance renewals, even switching current accounts on her behalf. For Sarah, this is transformative. She spends less time on admin, pays less for comparable products, and makes fewer costly mistakes. But agent autonomy brings deeper questions. What happens when an AI agent makes a mistake? How do we ensure consumers understand enough to stay in control? And what happens if commercial incentives quietly shape the recommendations people see? These are the questions we must ask before agent autonomy becomes normal  because once consumer behaviour shifts, it shifts fast. That is why this review matters. Consumer outcomes matter Many of you are already exploring how AI can support better outcomes with more accessible guidance, adaptive tools for those who struggle with financial confidence, and proactive identification of vulnerability. Im excited by these opportunities. We want to understand how firms can unlock these opportunities safely. And so designing for the unknown means looking squarely at the risks. Consumers may delegate decisions they dont understand. People with patchy data histories may face new exclusions. Scammers may exploit AI to mimic voices, create synthetic identities or manipulate communications at scale. Even a year ago, Experian found that over a third of UK businesses reported being targeted by AI-related fraud, and the capabilities of fraudsters will only continue to grow. Firms will have to combat this with technological advances themselves. There are also risks that are less visible day-to-day, but just as important. AI can embed or amplify bias, leading to systematically worse outcomes for some groups. It can be hard to explain to a consumer  or to ourselves  why a particular decision was made, especially where models rely on complex data and proxies. And when decisions are powered by ever more data, firms must get transparency and data protection right: using data lawfully, minimising it, securing it, and making sure customers understand what is happening and what choices they have. And autonomous systems could make decisions that are technically logical but misaligned with a consumers real-world needs  because they are optimising for proxies rather than outcomes. We want your insight on what you are seeing now  and what you suspect is coming next. The biggest failures are often born from what wasnt anticipated. Competition, market structure and new entrants AI could change the drivers of market power in ways we need to understand early. AI could be the great leveller. Perhaps giving a start-up the analytical power of a global bank. Or it could entrench the biggest players, the ones with the most data and the deepest pockets. Big Tech firms may capture parts of the value chain without ever becoming regulated providers. Or consumers themselves, through their personal AI agents, may drive much more rapid switching, reshaping who holds power in ways we've not seen before. These dynamics could make markets more open - or more concentrated. They could enhance competition  or reconfigure it entirely. We're not taking a view. We do not know which future will dominate. We're asking you to help us see what's coming. Because designing for the unknown means building flexibility now  while the system is still malleable  not when the structure is set in stone. What does all this mean for regulation? Our frameworks were built for a world where systems updated occasionally, models behaved predictably and responsibility was clearly located within the firm. AI challenges all three of those assumptions. Models now update continuously. Harms can scale in hours, not months. And responsibility sits across developers, data providers, model hosts and regulated firms. Accountability under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR) still matters  but what does 'reasonable steps' look like when the model you rely on updates weekly, incorporates components you dont directly control, or behaves differently as soon as new data arrives? What will the Critical Third-Party regime look like as AI firms continue to shape the landscape of financial services? And as firms continue to develop AI assurance platforms to monitor, audit, and evaluate AI systems, what should the role of the FCA be? Our approach isnt changing. We remain outcomes-based, technology-neutral and proportionate. But how those principles apply in a world of fast-evolving systems is something we must explore now, not later. We want to examine how AI will change the way we apply our rules and give you the clarity you need. Designing for the unknown means building a regulatory model that can evolve with the technology  without compromising clarity or trust. And we won't do this alone. The FCA doesn't regulate AI as a whole, nor should we. I shall work with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and international counterparts to ensure a coherent environment for firms innovating in the UK. What we need from you This review will only be as strong as the evidence and insight we gather from those who are closest to the front lines of AI adoption  that is, from you. We are asking for your views on the opportunities and risks you see as AI becomes more capable, how AI could reshape competition and the customer relationship and how existing regulatory frameworks may need to adapt. Let me close with this. The decisions we make in the next few years will shape retail financial services for a generation. The UK has built a sector that is trusted, innovative, and globally competitive. AI doesn't change that ambition, but it changes the landscape. This review is about building a shared understanding, so that we can design for this future landscape together. I'm asking you directly: contribute. Challenge our assumptions. Tell us what we're missing. The deadline is 24 February 2026. The answers won't come from me alone, they'll come from conversations like the ones we have today. Any other contributions can be sent to us at TheMillsReview@fca.org.uk.
I have sources who would be very helpful to federal investigators in investigating fraud within the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA). Washington is a blue state, and both Governor Ferguson and AG Brown are taunting the Trump Administration, like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Washington would be a good test case for the administration, because the same type of fraud is seen in other blue states. (Minnesota currently garners most of the headlines.)

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Based on my investigative experience, all the blue states are using similar schemes to defraud the federal government. The common denominator is a lack of accountability and of proactive system protocols to prevent fraud at both the state and federal levels. I have some suggestions later in this article on how the federal government can expedite these cases before the cows come home. These suggestions are not rocket science.

Washington State is attracting the DOJs attention, especially Assistant US Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. AAG Dhillon has sued 23 states and the District of Columbia for withholding certain voter registration information. Washington was included in this number, as were 21 other blue states...and Georgia. The alleged HHS frauds are intertwined with election fraud and immigration enforcement issues. What are these states hiding?

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Washington State Capitol by Martin Kraft (photo.martinkraft.com). CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

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My Washington sources were involved with a significant upgrade to the VA medical records system. The $33-billion upgrade was a boondoggle from the beginning, and it still hasnt been fully deployed. My sources told me of incidents that I believed constituted the fraudulent theft of federal funds in ways that veteran deaths. So far, Im unaware of anything having been done with the information.

My sources are now working with the Washington HCA on various healthcare programs that require reporting to HHS. Again, they have first-hand knowledge of alleged fraud. For example, federal funds were diverted to services that HHS didnt authorize, as when administrative salaries were padded in HHS reports with funds diverted elsewhere. The sources have internal documents that may reveal the administrations specific intent to divert federal funds. So far, I havent been able to pass this information along to the federal investigators.

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Governor Ferguson is continuing to fund illegal aliens and other liberal programs without pushback. He signed off on the most significant tax increase in state history, including a new law imposing a sales tax approaching 10% on professional services (here) and other tax hikes. The new revenue will be added to the states operating budget. Another new payroll tax is already being proposed for January 2026 in the next legislative session.

My sources indicate that these tax increases are intended to fill the budget gap caused by the loss of federal funding. With the new tax revenue going into the general fund, it is easy to divert funds to cover programs for illegal aliens. Further, there are discussions about how to pass these new sales taxes through to HHS as a reimbursable expense. Washington is stiffing the taxpayers yet again.

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As most news consumers know, the DOJ is currently investigating alleged HHS fraud in Minnesota. These types of crimes would be significantly aided by insider information to develop probable cause for criminal search warrants, rather than playing the subpoena game. My sources in Washington can provide information that would expedite the exposure of alleged fraudulent HHS diversion of funds for illegal purposes. This fraud is a target-rich environment.

The feds are asking Minnesota employees for tips. My experience with federal tip lines has not been good in the past when calling in my official capacity (but those are stories for another time). In the past, tip calls would generate index cards by the thousands that traveled like snail mail, or, if in digital form, were not well triaged. Tip lines in the federal government are slow! I speculate that this stems from stove-piping between agencies and bureaucratic inertia.

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I coined the term Mission Focused Strategic Communications many years ago as a subset of the spontaneous order that emerges in emergencies9/11 or Katrinato describe how people begin to share actionable information without delay to those who can act immediately. For example, the FBI field offices had information regarding the flight training of the 9/11 terrorists.

However, proactive individuals trying to accomplish tasks were stymied by the FBIs hierarchical, stove-piped structure, which prevented them from passing information to those who could act quickly. A successful strike is a failure. There is no one left to prosecute. The military has a similar concept of the OODA loop. In simple terms, get inside the enemys decision-making cycle to exploit it before the enemy can react. Youre dead if the enemy gets inside your loop first.

Here are a few suggestions for expediting these investigations:

One. Elon Musk is a creative innovator who gets it, gets things done, and has witnessed first-hand the massive fraud at USAID and the bureaucratic inertia to stop it. He could aid in the criminal investigation/prosecution of those robbing taxpayers in broad daylight, as we all want.

Musk could help build tip portals powered by AI that can quickly triage tipsrouting them to strike teams comprised of FBI, HHS, IRS, and FinCEN agents with forensic support, who can immediately respond to put hides on the wall. To his credit, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent gets it, but its hard to turn the bureaucratic aircraft carrier on a dime. The taxpayers want accountability quickly and are not seeing any apparent action.

Two. Im not being dismissive of the investigators who are inundated with piles of paperwork. To make their work productive, the government must cut the bureaucratic crap so investigators can chase crooks instead of being burned out with collecting the beans.

Case in point, the SSI auditors were on my tail for a $2 payout on what was a worthless share of stock that my disabled son received from his grandma. It took me two months to get the auditor off my back. The ROI for the resources used on this bean was not worth the effort.

Three. For heavens sake, use off-the-shelf GIS programs (ESRI) to cross-check voting rolls and ghost businesses. Doing so will expose instances where 30 voters registered, or where childcare businesses are located, at the same porta-potty as Nick Shirley did in Minnesota.

Four. Lastly, Follow the money, Honey! to ensnare those directing these operations.

Yes, Im being vicious, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Marxists led an insurgency in the streets of Minneapolis, likely aided by Governor Tim Walz, AG Keith Ellison, and Mayor Jacob Frey. They are deflecting attention away from the massive fraud to conceal their likely culpability. It is a war between ideologies - a free society and a repressive totalitarian one that seeks to destroy our culture as we know it.

Please share this email address with anyone who can help: [email protected].

Ron Wright is a retired detective who served 35 years with Riverside P.D., Calif. Ron earned a B.A. in political science from Cal State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Administration from the University of California, Riverside. X @RonTcop
Physician, heal thyself! Jesus said to those gathered in the synagogue at Nazareth.

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The admonition was aimed at hypocrisy and moral blindness  a warning that those who presume authority must first examine their own conduct.

Today, someone needs to repeat those words to health care professionals who have allowed Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) to corrode their ethics and professionalism.

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That warning applies just as much to nursing as it does to medicine.

Nursing emerged as a modern profession in the mid-19th century under the leadership of Florence Nightingale. In 1893, the Nightingale Pledge codified the professions moral foundation, committing nurses to devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care and to do no harm. Compassion, neutrality, and duty were not optional  they were the professions reason for being.

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Image generated by ChatGPT

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The American Nursing Association Code of Ethics requires, The nurses primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community, or population. I presume groups include Republicans, Trump supporters, and ICE agents.

Medicine, with nursing as one of its pillars, exists to heal the sick and comfort the vulnerable. While some may be drawn to health care for technical challenges, flexible schedules, or job security, the vast majority of nurses enter the profession with sincere intentions to help others. That shared moral commitment is what allows patients to trust those caring for them during moments of fear, pain, and helplessness.

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Which makes the following question unavoidable: Why are some nurses now publicly calling for the torture, abuse, and death of people whose political views they dislike?

As a surgeon, I can state unequivocally that political affiliation does not alter human anatomy, physiology, or disease. Blood vessels do not constrict based on voting history. Tumors do not grow faster in conservatives. Gravity, bullets, and blunt trauma are blissfully indifferent to ideology. Health care professionals are expected to be the same -- delivering the best possible care regardless of race, religion, class, or politics.

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Yet Trump Derangement Syndrome has reached pandemic levels among a militant and increasingly visible cadre of health care professionals, infecting even those entrusted with others lives. Increasingly, a vocal minority of nurses and other health care workers - individuals granted extraordinary access and authority -- openly fantasize about harming political opponents. This is not merely unprofessional behavior. It is a profound ethical failure.

Consider the case of a nurse at Virginia Commonwealth University Health who was fired after posting TikTok videos suggesting ways to harm ICE agents. This was not abstract rhetoric. She proposed injecting agents with succinylcholine, a neuromuscular blocking agent that causes complete muscle paralysis, including of the respiratory muscles. Without ventilatory support, the result is death. The drug has long been described as an ideal murder weapon precisely because it leaves little external evidence.

A trained nurse would understand this. Which makes her suggestion all the more chilling. This was not ignorance. It was medically informed malice.

The nurse also suggested filling water guns with poison ivy or poison oak extract to spray into agents faces. If that proved ineffective, another nurse recommended that single female nurses use dating apps to lure ICE agents out for drinks, spike those drinks with laxatives, and incapacitate them. Nurse Ratched, reporting for duty.

This nurse likely entered the profession with altruistic intentions. But the TDS mind virus transformed her from caregiver to would-be executioner -- all while basking in the applause and clicks of social media.

These nurses are not alone.

An Ohio nurse publicly wished that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt would suffer a fourth-degree perineal tear while delivering her second child. Such an injury involves tearing through the vaginal wall, anal sphincter, and into the rectum -- requiring surgical repair and risking lifelong fecal incontinence and sexual dysfunction. This is not casual cruelty. It is grotesque medical sadism.

A Florida nurse echoed the sentiment in even more graphic terms, writing online: I hope you f*cking rip from bow to stern and never sh*t normally again, you c*nt. This is the language of hatred, not healing. Yet it came from someone entrusted with patient care and human well-being.

Not surprisingly, her Florida nursing license was promptly revoked.

If a family member of mine were hospitalized, these are precisely the nurses I would hope not to encounter.

Then there is Erik Martindale, a Florida nurse anesthetist, who publicly declared that he would not provide anesthesia for MAGA patients, claiming it was his ethical oath to do so. He later suggested his account had been hacked, a defense now as familiar as it is unconvincing.

Would Mr. Martindale allow a conservative patient to awaken during surgery -- a rare but devastating complication -- and consider it justified? Would pain control become a political privilege? Once ideology dictates care, there is no logical stopping point. History offers grim reminders of where that road leads.

Defenders of such conduct often invoke free speech. But health care is not a college quad or faculty lounge. The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics explicitly requires compassion and respect for every patient, regardless of social or political status. Political discrimination is not protected expression within the profession. It is an ethical violation.

We saw a preview of this moral decay during COVID. Remember the TikTok nurses dancing in hospital corridors, turning intensive care units into makeshift discos? I understand the stress health care workers endured during the early pandemic. Blowing off steam is human.

But broadcasting choreographed routines to millions, while families were barred from visiting dying loved ones, signaled something deeply wrong. I was one of those family members. Watching nurses dance for clicks while patients died alone was neither comforting nor inspiring. It was alienating.

In 2018, a Georgia dermatologist lost her medical license after filming and social media posting herself singing and dancing over sedated patients during surgery. Was that performance meant to prepare her for operating or to monetize social media attention? The line between professionalism and narcissism had already been crossed.

Health care is not activism. A hospital is not a protest rally. A patient is not a political avatar.

The moment a nurse or physician begins sorting patients into deserving and undeserving categories based on ideology, the profession ceases to be one of healing and becomes something far more dangerous. History offers grim reminders of what happens when medicine is subordinated to political belief rather than ethical duty.

Trump Derangement Syndrome is not merely a cultural punchline. In health care, it manifests as moral corrosion. It replaces compassion with contempt, restraint with rage, and professionalism with performative cruelty. It convinces otherwise decent people that harming others is virtuous so long as the target is politically acceptable.

Patients do not arrive at hospitals as Republicans or Democrats. They come frightened, vulnerable, and often powerless. They must trust that those caring for them will place duty above ideology. Once that trust is broken, the entire system rots from within.

Physician, heal thyself was not simply a rebuke. It was a warning. If health care professionals cannot diagnose their own moral sickness, they risk becoming the very thing they once swore to oppose. Nurses and doctors must decide whether their highest allegiance is to politics, or to the sacred obligation they voluntarily assumed.

There can be no coexistence between political hatred and medical ethics. One of them must give way.

Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a physician and writer. Follow me on X @retinaldoctor, Substack Dr. Brians Substack, Truth Social @BrianJoondeph, LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph, and email [email protected].
A movement persists to sell off our public lands. Republicans seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot with this effort. The renomination of ex-Representative Steve Pearce (R-NM), to become Director of the Bureau of Land Management, is evidence of this. He has a long record of trying to sell off our public lands. This issue affects mainly the Western states, due to the proportion of public lands out west. Recent articles/editorials proclaim this would be good for the states involved and beneficial to all Americans. This Westerner profoundly disagrees.

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Some proponents of this land transfer contend that the federal government owns the 640,000,000 acres of public land. The federal government owns none of it. U.S. citizens own this land. We the People own this land. It is nothing less than our birthright. None of the four agencies currently responsible for managing these lands (National Parks Service, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management) own anything. These agencies manage the federal public lands owned by all Americans.

Republicans wrongly assert that the only people against Pearces nomination are radical environmental groups such as the Sierra Club per my Representative, Paul Gosar (R-AZ), in a personal letter to me in mid-January, when this conservative expressed my concerns about Pearce and the issue of selling off our lands. What the congressmans letter displays is that he doesnt know his constituency very well. Hunters, for example, use public lands extensively. They are overwhelmingly conservative (think 2nd Amendment support). Especially here in Arizona, off-highway vehicle enthusiasts are prolific. Again, they are almost wholly conservative. One sees these vehicles sporting flags. Trump, MAGA, Gadsden, and American flags are the norm.

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The few times I have seen a Biden flag, it was preceded by the F word. These two groups are main users of these lands and they are MAGA supporting Trump advocates. They are the conservative base. Gosar couldnt be more mistaken.

It is often stated that the states can manage the public lands better than the feds because they are locals. If the states wish to manage the lands, they will have to develop organizations that already exist with the feds, such as BLM or the US Forest Service. That will drive a state tax increase in affected states, surely to be unpopular. However, the states actually have no intention of managing our public lands. The intent is to sell it off. Why? Because thats where the money is. The potential for fraud in this undertaking is breathtaking and is a certainty.

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Ranchers and developers counting on buying that perfect parcel theyve always wanted are sadly delusional. When the ultra wealthy realize they can buy an entire state, these sold off lands will be owned by a pitiable few. Stan Kroenke, owner of the LA Rams, just bought 937,000 acres in New Mexico, which in sum gives him 2.44 million acres, making him the USs largest private land owner. Or consider Ted Turner of CNN fame owning 2 million acres. Not to be outdone, Oracles Larry Ellison owns 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai. These holdings represent ego issues among the extremely wealthy. When the bidding starts, the little people will be pushed aside.

The ramifications of a public land sell-off would be dire. A lot of land management issues do not recognize state lines or private fences. Wildlife will be precluded from migration. Wildfire suppression and control will be greatly hampered. Invasive species  flora and fauna  mitigation will be disrupted. Threatened/endangered species management will be impossible. Water use and allocation problems will be a boon to lawyers everywhere. Parceling out the land will cause many more problems than solutions.

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Im guessing President Trumps idea of a beautiful skyline is skyscrapers. Out West, we think a beautiful skyline is a mountain range. Republicans need to consider and proceed carefully with public lands issues lest they make another unforced and irrevocable error. Keep public lands in public hands!

Colonel John D. Reed is a retired USAF officer and fighter pilot. An avid outdoorsman, John served for several years on the Washoe County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife (Northern Nevada), representing sportsmen.

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Image: Public domain.
What else can they come up in California? They are already paying a lot for their gallon of gasoline and soon may be paying more. Someone must enjoy leading the nation in gas prices out west.

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The latest tax will drive more taxpayers out of the state. Let's check the story:

California drivers and Republican legislators are furious over a Democrat-led proposal that could see motorists taxed for each mile they drive. Advertisement With the state staring down a budget deficit in the billions and more Californians switching to electric vehicles, Democratic lawmakers are searching for new ways to shore up declining gas tax revenue. Californians pay the second-highest gas price in the nation behind only Hawaii. In January, the average price was $4.23 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association. Advertisement On Thursday, state legislators advanced Democrat Lori Wilsons bill, AB 1421, which would direct the California Transportation Commission and the state Transportation Agency to continue studying options for a mileage-based tax, rather than implementing one.

So they are studying the proposal? Good luck with that, but aren't there better things to study?

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For example, how about a proposal that actually reduces gas prices? People in the Golden State drive a lot of miles so cutting gas prices would be a good thing out there.

How about a proposal to make the state more attractive to businesses? The state can look at some problems: the high cost of living and strict environmental regulations to complex labor laws and evolving employment dynamics.

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One huge "improvement opportunity," as Zig Ziglar would say, is to get more realistic with labor laws, as the article points out:

In California, these laws are often geared toward employee protection, making it more difficult for companies to manage costs and stay competitive. For instance, business owners must keep up with increasing minimum wages and ensure their workers are paid accordingly, resulting in higher payroll expenses. Advertisement Moreover, Californias mandatory rest breaks and meal periods add a layer of operational challenges that businesses must address. Also, state laws mandate paid sick leave for certain workers. This obliges businesses to offer some form of paid time off for health-related issues.

So why not do a study on reforming labor laws, for example? It would be welcomed by companies trying to survive that state's business environment.

Wouldnt focusing on the impact of labor laws rather than paying more gasoline taxes make the state more attractive? The answer is yes, but don't forget that we are talking about Democrats, who have never met a tax that they don't love.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Image: Amit Patel
We need to talk about what teachers are doing to our very young children.

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Its bad enough that they groom them with all manner of adult sexual themes, but now theyre instructing them to make (sometimes vulgar) signs they can barely understand and then skip classes to go march with them in public!

BREAKING - A disturbing new trend is emerging across the country, showing leftist teachers guiding very young children, some no older than kindergarteners, in protests against ICE and President Trump. pic.twitter.com/hklMV7Zh6B Advertisement February 1, 2026

These are kindergarteners in New York. Kindergarteners!

BREAKING: Chloe Day School in New York held an anti-ICE protest at school where kindergartners held anti-ICE and anti-Trump signs



Little kids were encouraged to say theyre angry at ICE and the Trump admin for arresting criminal illegals



Crazy as hell pic.twitter.com/WnRQmyo9MK  Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 1, 2026

It doesnt say where this is, but having once lived in San Francisco, that looks like San Francisco.

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 Children are being pulled into ICE protests and used as props for adult radical politics  innocence stripped, slogans parroted without understanding, and critics are calling it exploitation of minors that crosses a clear moral line.pic.twitter.com/D9G4B52Ekd  Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) February 1, 2026

This first grade teacher is in San Diego.

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Meet Bailey Hill Ringer, a first grade teacher at Audubon Elementary school in @sdschools.



She turned the American Flag in her classroom upside down and put up an abolish ICE sign in her classroom to protest ICE.



Is this acceptable behavior for your teachers @sdschools? pic.twitter.com/j0JFp8RTyY  Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 1, 2026

These grade schoolers have absolutely no idea what they are doing. This is why we dont let them vote. The ability to think critically and to regulate their emotions isnt yet mature. This is why we dont let them drive; that and not being able to reach the pedals! Half of them probably still need a nightlight in their bedrooms.

Liberals are now using young children as props in their war on federal agents.



They have so few people on their side of voting age that they have to take advantage of those who rely on them the most.



Keep these people as far away from children as humanly possible. pic.twitter.com/YWgCxzXyP2  One Bad Dude (@OneBadDude_) January 31, 2026

Here we have middle schoolers. Many of these boys voices are still changing and many of the girls havent yet begun to menstruate. If they are inclined to want to date, even at this tender age, their parents might well make them go in a group to an afternoon matinee instead of one-on-one to an evening movie. Many are still too young to babysit even for a younger sibling and they probably have a 9 P.M. bedtime.

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These kids are way too young and they have no idea what theyre doing



These schools are getting out of hand pic.twitter.com/nPJQnrwfsF  TONY (@TONYxTWO) January 31, 2026

And these are Portland middle-schoolers holding F-ck ICE and F-ck Trump signs. Mind you, these are the same teachers who teach trigger words and become unhinged if you use one, but curse words? They have their students sit down and print them out carefully on poster-board with which to go out and march in public.

Can you imagine if a local paper snaps their picture? And the parents of one of these kids see their child holding a F-ck sign? Id be apoplectic.

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 In Portland, a school reportedly had 1114-year-old kids standing in pouring rain, holding signs with Fk ICE** and Fk Trump** and chanting the same  where is the outrage over minors being pushed into adult political protests?pic.twitter.com/46gVsTJmZq  Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) February 1, 2026

This thing is proud of his students for skipping school to protest. Im old enough to remember when teachers frowned on kids skipping school.

Woke teacher Christian Shearhod, who is also a big influencer, went online to tell his students how proud he is of them for skipping school to protest ICE.



Activists have no place in classrooms, our kids deserve education, not political indoctrination. pic.twitter.com/GWYTmcbupg  I Meme Therefore I Am  (@ImMeme0) February 1, 2026

This lady teaches in a high school where civics should be discussed, but we all know they dont discuss they indoctrinate. Whats notable here is her admission that this is being organized from the very top.

Our bosses are in the Signal chats with us. Our elected officials are in the chats.

 Marcia Howard: President of the Minneapolis Federation of Educators and English teacher at Roosevelt High School.



On Al Jazeera, the union leader proudly brags about targeting ICE agents.



Our bosses are in the Signal chats with us. Our elected officials are in the chats. pic.twitter.com/2F2KSaoyWa  NizNellie3 (@NizNellie3) January 31, 2026

Its one thing to have state-sponsored domestic propaganda. Its entirely another to enlist children in the cause. Theyre not old enough to have an informed opinion. Kids in school shouldnt be taking sides, unless their teacher assigns sides in a classroom for a class debate  presumably one done honestly. Other than that, politics has no place in taxpayer funded schools. None. Picking a side and having a kid make and hold a sign, especially an obscene one (!), is completely unacceptable. One can only hope there are enough sane parents in these school districts to raise a fuss and stop this nonsense!

As this poster said on X: If you are a teacher and your students know how you vote, you have stopped being an educator and have become an indoctrinator.

If you are a teacher and your students know how you vote, you have stopped being an educator and have become an indoctrinator.   KC  (@KCPayTreeIt) February 1, 2026

M. Walter blogs at www.mwalterwriter.com

Image generated by AI.
I'm here at the Sharp Hospital visiting an ailing family member, and through the window of the waiting room, I can see the entrance sign to Rady Children's Hospital which in the same complex.

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That's the hospital being sued by the woke and ambitious California attorney general, Rob Bonta, for ending its 'gender-affirming care' unit for children last week.

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According to the San Diego Union-Tribune:

SAN DIEGO  Rady Childrens Hospital said Saturday that it is reviewing a new lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta that alleges violation of the conditions his office placed on the organizations merger with Childrens Hospital of Orange County in 2024. Advertisement Among those conditions is an alphabetized list of 36 medical services that the combined health care systems are required to continue providing for ten years from the closing date of the affiliation agreement. Gender-affirming care is No. 10 on the list, between diabetes, endocrinology services and gastroenterology surgery. The attorney generals conditional affiliation approval is quite specific that those listed services be maintained at no less than their current capacities, types, acuity levels, licenses and certifications, and in compliance with state and federal regulations. Advertisement When those conditions were made, and the Rady-CHOC merger was completed in early 2025, the federal government had not yet proposed ending all Medicaid and Medicare funding for facilities that provide gender-affirming care to minors. Rady confirmed last week that it had stopped all gender-affirming medical interventions, procedures and prescriptions, while continuing to offer supportive services such as counseling and offering mental health care resources. Advertisement

Placing that condition on a merger of hospitals is pretty illegal in itself, as if this kind of experimental treatment were as routine as heart surgery and the community somehow needed it.

It's preposterous, given that if the community really needed it, the gender-affirming care clinics would be all over the place in competition with one another. They aren't, and it turns out only the most well-funded federally funded hospitals have gotten involved with it, and now they face President Trump's Medicare funding cutoff, which would affect their entire hospital operations. Bonta wants them to keep the transgender center for kids open, but allow the rest of the hospital to go unfunded and too bad about those kids.

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The hard fact is, the hospital should not have been conducting that kind of 'care' at all on vulnerable minors with mental health issues who could be treated through counseling and psychiatry. Women cannot be changed into men, and men cannot be changed into women, and as any doctor knows, the human DNA structure simply cannot be altered.

How medicines are prescribed given the differences in men and women is an obvious source of problems right there if someone insists on treatment according to their self-proclaimed gender which doesn't match their biology.

But the problems are greater than that. The unnatural hormone treatments are harmful to youth, often resulting in cancer and early death. The problems with surgery itself lead to a host of additional problems beyond mere mutilation of healthy body parts, including infection, permanent incontinence and more.

Worst of all, transgender treatments coincide with considerable 'trans rage' violence, including spray shootings and antifa-linked criminality which opens the hospital to a host of potential lawsuits. The sad reality is, whenever such things happens, the next thing anyone looks for is whether the perpetrator is trans, which to an unusual extent is exactly what the perpetrator is.

There are undoubtedly elements in the hospital who are in favor of these experimental treatments anyway -- there was a fanatic protest in front of the hospital a week ago from the trans lobby, representing the supposedly 1,000 kids who 'require' this care, but the hospital has already taken care of them by redirecting them to psychological counseling and other normal hospital care.

But that there's a trans kid unit in a hospital that is famous for saving tiny babies has got to be an comfortable coexistence for most of the hospital's medical providers, who enter the field to heal, not harm, and who can see the obvious problems with transgender 'care' on a daily basis. One wonders if there are some who have made those concerns known which could affect staff retention.

I've always wondered what the playroom of this children's hospital must look like -- you, Billy, are here to get your cancer cured, you, Mary, are here to get your tonsils out, you Bobby, are here to get castrated. The point being, children cannot give consent for such operations and it's little wonder gender-regret is real.

More importantly to the hospital itself, the floodgate has been opened to massive lawsuits for gender-regret from patients who had been wheedled, flattered, and pressured into life-altering surgery, losing their fertility, their capacity for natural relations with the opposite sex, and their natural body features. The payouts will be big and Rady is right in the line of fire for it.

It's pretty obvious the hospital understood that the costs outweighed the benefits, particularly as the social contagion around the transgender movement is declining sharply, meaning, less 'business' for the hospital. But for Bonta and his charlatans, the hospital has to keep on castrating and too bad about losing Medicare funds.

It's pretty obvious Rady made the best decision it could make in light of these many realities.

The hospital has declined to say what its argument will be in this outrageous lawsuit by California's creeps. It may have to argue that the 'care' is not valid care which will lead to more landmark debates and decisions, even as the hospital is exposed to lawsuits. All it wanted to do was end a bad course of care which all the evidence shows does more harm than good, particularly on kids.

Image: Monica Showalter
One after the other, they're going down. It seems our U.S attorneys and other prosecutors have been busy! Georgia, Massachusetts, California, Michigan, Louisiana, and Oklahoma have all seen arrests recently of Democrats in various positions from state legislatures to city councils. Way to go!

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First, to the great state of Georgia, where theyve been arresting Democrats left and right, evidently.

Georgia Democrat State Rep. Dexter Sharper was charged with defrauding the federal government by falsely claiming unemployment while he earned income. Advertisement

Next, up to crazy liberal Massachusetts where a one-time Bostonian of the Year, Monica Cannon-Grant is up on public corruption charges.

Like Massachusetts, even deep blue California has a Democrat facing trial. Longstanding Los Angeles city councilman Curren Price is accused of corruptly directing nearly $1 million in public funds to his wifes consulting firm.

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Detroit, Michigans got troubles with three Democrats, notably a judge and her father. This one is particularly disgraceful as it involves stealing from the incapacitated.

Andrea Bradley-Baskin, a judge on Michigans 36th district court, is accused of stealing from the estates of incapacitated individuals in a $273,000 conspiracy involving their court-appointed guardians, a group home operator and even her own father. Advertisement

Louisiana has arrested a Baton Rouge councilman, Cleve Dunn, on a list of public corruption charges.

And finally to Oklahoma for some forgery and conspiracy charges for Democrat Rep. Ajay Pittman.

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More! More! More!!! Keep em coming! Maybe grab some RINOs while you're at it!

M. Walter blogs at www.mwalterwriter.com

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Image: Library of Congress
If Americans choose to subject themselves to the inanity of all the awards shows, one has to wonder why they do not have better things to do with their time.

The Golden Globes, the Grammys, the Oscars, Peoples Choice, etc., etc. All of them are, of course, rigged.

Megyn Kelly, nominated for a Golden Globe for her podcast, discovered that to remain a nominee, one must pay! A lot! There are a host of other requirements as well. She chose not to comply, even though her podcast is among the highest-rated.

The one that won, Amy Poehlers Good Hang, has no ratings at all.

Is it the same for all the award shows? Seems likely. How else do they mount these endless tributes of celebrities to themselves? The hosts, aside from Ricky Gervais, are always far-left ideologically. Every presenter and every winners schtick is to rant and rave against all things conservative, all things Trump. Then they bask in the glorious applause as if it were a meaningful commentary on their very existence. It most certainly is not.

Last nights Grammys were no exception, but they were worse. Most celebrities early on believe that their fame renders them brilliant in all things, when in fact most of them are quite ignorant of things outside of the rarefied world they inhabit. There are many fine exceptions of course, but the majority of the musical stars, actors, directors, etc., revel in their anti-Americanism, the vicious anti-Trumpism that they are certain burnishes their brand. That is what each of them is  a brand to be polished up and trained to spout the correct politics.

Watching clips of the Grammys was like watching any slickly produced exhibition of trained seals. They all spewed the expected anti-ICE rhetoric; it is doubtful many of them even know what the acronym ICE means. Of course, the mind-numbed audience cheered wildly when someone announced that Nicki Minaj was not in attendance. She has bravely come out as a Trump supporter.

Is there any other assemblage of narcissists that behaves so egregiously in lockstep? Not even the UN or the WEF is as reliably of one mind, a hive mind without a sliver of critical thinking. Does anyone find it depressing that not even one person  not one nominee, presenter, winner, or host dared to speak out in favor of the agents of ICE doing their jobs, doing what a majority of Americans voted for, deporting the millions of criminal migrants Biden ushered into the country to inflate Democrat voter rolls, which is illegal on its face?

Not one of them spoke out against the thousands of innocent citizens who have been raped, murdered, molested, robbed, killed by illegal migrant drunk drivers, or otherwise abused. Not one. Like the Democrats in Congress who refused to even stand for all those victims of illegal alien criminals when President Trump named them in his speech to that joint session, these people do not care about those victims. They do not give them a single thought, not one bit of concern or compassion for the victims of these horrific crimes, and not for their families.

The Hollywood set is not what it once was, when many of the biggest stars fought in WWII and were patriots willing to give their lives for their nation. For the last two generations, they are all fully indoctrinated, radicalized leftists who will not dare buck the rules of their game: be left or never work in this town again. Be anti-Trump or be cancelled, permanently. It is impossible to have an iota of respect for any of the people who took to the stage at the Grammys or the Golden Globes.

Every award show yet to come is likely to be the same. Meanwhile, the millions of people who love their country, who voted for Trump because he vowed to deport the millions of unvetted migrants from something like 70 countries that have probably forever altered the demographics of our country, are no longer interested or invested in the people who line up to give themselves awards for producing mediocre music, films, and television.

Again, like the trained seals they are, regurgitating the prescribed anti-American gibberish that is expected of each of them, they remain comfortable with their perceived moral superiority when their submission to the anti-American left is not at all virtuous but grounded in pure vanity.

As for the Grammys or the Golden Globes, there has not been a single person of courage and love of this country among them. A pox on all their houses. These people are petty beyond belief.
Theres a brand new documentary being released by Edward Dutton, also known as the Jolly Heretic, titled The Yookay, and its an exploration of how catastrophic diversity has been for Europe (in this case England), and the white, Christian West as a whole. And, the entire documentary could no doubt be summed up by one exchange, between Dutton and some random third world heritage Brit walking through the grounds of Birmingham Cathedral:

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What do you think of Birmingham Cathedral?



 It's shit but it's a nice place to smoke weed. Theyre not my ancestors, I dont care.



You cannot coexist with this. pic.twitter.com/82op1dta4q  iamyesyouareno (@iamyesyouareno) February 2, 2026

Naturally, the viewer cant deny this scene was foretold of sorts, in Jean Raspails famous work, The Camp of the Saints. In the books opening chapter, Calgues, the professor watching the third world hordes land on the beach below the villa thats been in his family for three centuries, is confronted by a young looter, who says this:

I look at you and you know what I think? I think youre perfect. Thats why I hate you. And its here, to your house, that Ill bring all the most wretched ones tomorrow. They know nothing about what you are, about what you represent. Your world means nothing to them. They wont try to understand. Theyll be tired. Theyll be cold. Theyll build a fire with your lovely oak door. Theyll shit all over your terrace and wipe their hands on the books in your library.  Every object will lose the meaning you attach to it. Whats beautiful wont be beautiful anymore. Advertisement

The Birmingham Cathedral is a resplendent work of English Baroque architecture, and was consecrated in the early 1700s. Every aspect of the church, from the weather vane to the stained glass windows, drips with some of the richest history the West has to offerwhich is all shit to the pothead in the park, who, like the looter in Raspails novel does, hates the cathedral because of what it represents: European and Christian greatness. The resentment is even more obvious when he says this: Its not my ancestors, I dont know whose ancestors those are. (Did he just end the debate about how the West was built by the blacks and browns? Seems like it. And, if his ancestors admittedly didnt build the West, what claim do they have on it? What entitles him to live in nations built by our forefathers?)

But in his words lie the crux of the issue: heritage matters, and heritage is not a matter of documentation or paperwork citizenship, but of shared culture, ancestry, and tradition. The man speaking to Dutton is not English, despite the fact that he probably was born there. The ancestors of true Englanders are the men and women who labored for Birmingham Cathedral, or, progenitors of men like Dutton.

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Ilana Mercer, a South African author, wrote this in the introduction of her book, Into the Cannibals Pot:

In the U.S., a slower, more incremental transformation is underway. It began with a state-orchestrated, historically unparalleled, mass importation of inassimilable ethnic groups, into a country whose creed is that it has no creed any longer. American institutions no longer assimilate immigrants. Advertisement Rather, they acculturate them to militant identity politics aimed at doing away with merit. Dissolving the American people and electing another, to paraphrase Bertolt Brecht, will likely erode American institutions further, and may well replicate on American soil the terrifying conflicts that mar the third world.

While Mercer was specifically speaking to the political trends in the U.S., of course her position can be applied to what weve seen across Europe. These people are inassimilable ethnic groups that do not have a shared history and heritage with Westerners, which brings me to my last point. Theres a quote attributed to Karl Marx, and it goes like this: A people without heritage are easily persuaded.

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The destruction detailed by Dutton is entirely by design.

To watch the documentary in its entirety, and I highly encourage it, visit Edward Duttons Substack here.

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Image generated by ChatGPT using Edward Duttons likeness.
Leftist media outlets have identified the two Border Patrol agents who were most directly involved in the Alex Pretti shooting. I will not identify them here because I think in todays environment, they shouldnt be named for their own protection. My being silent about their identity wont protect them, but at least Im making a principled stand.

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What I can say about the two agents is that both have Hispanic names. And while leftists might be surprised, Im not surprised at all.

Latin Americans account for the majority of illegal aliens in America. In 2017, it was estimated that 78% of illegal aliens came from Latin America. I think we can comfortably assume that, since Biden opened the border in 2021, that percentage has grown higher. I think we can also posit that very few of these people speak English with any degree of proficiency.

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The nature of impoverished immigrants is to live in communities with people from similar linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Today, only Chinatowns are called by that immigration-identification term, but theres a historic reason for that. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Chinese community leaders deliberately decided to rebuild the citys destroyed Chinatown quarters as an exotic tourist attraction. Chinese communities in other cities often followed suit.

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Border Patrol agents. U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

However, looking back at history, we know that certain neighborhoods in certain cities were strongly associated with specific immigrant groups: Over the decades, the Irish lived in New Yorks Five Points and Hells Kitchen neighborhoods, the Italians lived in Little Italy and Bensonhurst, the Jews lived in the Lower East Side and Williamsburg, and the Hispanics went to East Harlem and the South Bronx. Even today, Somalis colonize Minneapolis. In other words, immigrants dont seek multiculturalism; they seek monoculturalism.

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Thats true whether immigrants are criminals or law-abiding citizens. Even the bad guys want to live among people who speak their language and eat their food. Thus, the influx of illegal aliens from Latin American countries has put enormous pressure on the legal communities of Latin Americans. Not only are there more people fighting for the same resources (housing, jobs, and goods), but there are also more criminals, and statistical data shows that most criminals stay local. When the illegal immigrant drug dealers, pedophiles, and murderers come to town, they prey on their own.

That being the case, its not at all surprising that Donald Trump, with his strong stand against illegal immigration, has had unusually strong Hispanic support for a Republican president. On average, no more than 35% of Hispanics have supported Republican presidents. However, in the 2024 election, Hispanic support for Trump came in at 40-45%, depending on the polls.

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During 2025, Hispanic support for Trump fluctuated, as did all voter support for Trump. (It usually depends on how hard the media can attack him.) Whats significant is that, from December 2025 to January 2026, as Democrat hysteria about Trumps immigration policies was peaking, so was Hispanic support for Trump. Thus, according to a recent Emerson College poll, Trumps support went up by 15% in a single month.

Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe Hispanics are seeing that Trumps policies are making their neighborhoods and their lives better.

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And that brings us to those two Border Patrol agents, both of whom are Hispanic. Given how illegal immigration negatively affects Hispanic communities, which are the frontline for this lawlessness, it really shouldnt be a surprise that, based on guesstimates (because no specific data are available), almost 20% of ICE agents and 22% of Border Patrol agents are Hispanic.

Im sure Democrats would call them race traitors, but Im betting that, among the ordinary people in their communities, the ones who havent been radicalized, theyre considered to be pretty darn good guys. After all, like every honest and true police force, theyre working to make law-abiding citizens and legal residents lives better.
In the summer of 1946, residents of Sweden and Finland began reporting strange objects in the sky. They were described as rocket, or missile-like, fast-moving, sometimes glowing, and often silent. Many appeared to plunge into lakes without exploding, and strangely, without wreckage. The Swedish press soon gave them a name: spokraketer, or ghost rockets.



A meteor such as this could easily be mistaken for a rocket. Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA

The phenomenon unfolded during a brief but anxious moment in European history, when the technologies of the Second World War were colliding with the uncertainties of the emerging Cold War.

The timing was not accidental. Only months earlier, Nazi Germanys V-2 rocket had demonstrated that long-range missiles were not theoretical weapons but operational ones. After the war, the Soviets captured many Nazi rocket hardware as well as scientists. The German rocket facility at Peenemunde, where V-2 rockets were developed, itself came under Soviet control.

Scandinavia, and particularly neutral Sweden, lay uncomfortably close to Soviet territory. Swedish airspace was carefully monitored, and reports of unknown aerial objects were taken seriously. Unlike later UFO waves, the ghost rockets were not dismissed out of hand as fantasy or hysteria.

The sightings most often consisted of fast-flying rocket- or missile-shaped objects, with or without wings, visible for mere seconds. Instances of slower moving, cigar-shaped objects are also known. A hissing or rumbling sound was sometimes reported.



Possibly the only surviving photograph of an alleged ghost rocket. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A Swedish newspaper reported such a sighting on June 1, 1946:

It seems as if the mysterious flier, which was observed in Osternarke at the beginning of the week, was not altogether an illusion. In fact, yesterday the same thing was reported in Katrineholm. It was an object that appeared like a silver-glistening rocket in the shape of a giant cigar, and it was noticed in the east along the horizon. The time was 11:43 am in the morning. The ghost airplane had no hint of wings, but on the other hand, some thought it that had some semblance of a stabilizer on the tail. It traveled very rapidly through the air and many observers pointed out that not even the fastest fighter plane would have been able to fly alongside. A light rumble was heard near the object after it had made a turn toward the west before it continued its trip away from the area, then diving toward the south. The projectile, or whatever it might be, was as long as a common training plane and flew at 300 meters of altitude.

Altogether, over 2,000 sightings were reported.

The rockets were frequently reported to crash into lakes. Witnesses sometimes reported seeing objects propelling themselves across the water surface before sinking. The Swedish military performed several dives in the affected lakes shortly after the crashes, but found nothing other than occasional craters in the lake bottom or torn off aquatic plants.

The best known of these crashes occurred on July 19, 1946, into Lake Kolmjarv, near Nykoping in southeastern Sweden. Multiple witnesses reported a rocket-like object flying low before striking the lake. There was no explosion, only a splash and visible disturbance.

The Swedish military sealed off the area and conducted systematic searches. Investigators expected to find fragments, fuel residues, or signs of impact. None were found. The absence of physical evidence troubled officials. A meteor of sufficient size to reach the lake should have left fragments. A military rocket should have left debris. The incident was never conclusively explained and was classified as a probable foreign missile, origin unknown.



Engineering troops build a raft to investigate the rocket crash on Lake Kolmjarv in July 1946. Credit: Teknik Historia

The dominant hypothesis, both then and now, is that the ghost rockets were Soviet test launches, possibly based on captured German technology. This explanation fits the geopolitical context and the shape and motion described by witnesses. However, it raises problems. Early rockets were unreliable and inaccurate, making repeated overflights of Sweden unlikely. Launching secret weapons over a neutral country would also have been diplomatically risky. Most importantly, no wreckage was ever recovered, despite multiple searches.

The majority of sightings could be explained as meteors, particularly during periods of increased meteor activity in August.

The overwhelming majority of reports came from untrained observers, undoubtedly including many who had been swept up in the fervor of the moment -- having been told there was something extraordinary to see in the skies, they saw extraordinary things, writes Saturday Night Uforia.

Yet a significant number of sightings remained unexplained. Authorities ultimately concluded that the ghost rockets were not a single phenomenon, but a mixture of natural events, misidentifications, and a smaller core of genuinely puzzling cases. To this day, no satisfactory explanation has been found for the ghost rocket sightings. And why, if they were merely meteorites, the reports ceased as abruptly as they began.

References:

# Ghost rockets. Wikipedia

# Ghost rockets. Historic Wings

# the ghost rockets of 1946. Saturday Night Uforia

# Ghost Missiles. Evening Star
A recent leak has seemingly confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will be officially announced towards the end of this month. So far, based on the leaked specs and rumors, we already know what to expect from the phone. Were talking about the use of the 2nm Exynos 2600 chipset or the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, upgraded cameras, and more. But what about the software front? If youre a developer or tinkerer, you might be interested to learn that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could run a full version of Linux Terminal.

Galaxy S26 Ultra could support Linux Terminal

According to a recent Android Authority report, it seems that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could run a full version of Linux Terminal. Google actually introduced this feature last year, but unfortunately, Samsungs flagship phones did not support it. The companys series of flagships had the hardware capability, but for whatever reason, Samsung chose not to support it.

However, if this report is accurate, that will change starting with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This was discovered in the upcoming One UI 8.5 update, which is based on Android 16 QPR2. Within the update, Android Authority discovered a string that references the Android Virtualization Framework.

Assuming Samsung doesnt make any changes, it would allow the Galaxy S26 Ultra to run a full Linux environment locally. This would put it on par with other Android devices, like Googles Pixel phones.

What is AVF, and why does it matter?

Now, for most users, the Android Virtualization Framework probably has little to no meaning or impact on them. However, the ability to run a full Linux Terminal on the phone is great news for developers and modders. This includes being able to run developmental tools, scripting utilities, and even Linux-based apps that would otherwise require users to run them on a computer.

It also means that developers can do their work on it in a more official capacity, instead of using workarounds. With Linux Terminal support, developers can use it to test out an API or web UI without having to reach for their laptop. This is great for working on the go. It also allows developers to put sensitive code inside a protected virtual machine that Android cant peek inside of.

For instance, security companies can run malware scanners in an isolated environment. So, even if the devices version of Android is compromised, it cant mess with the results.
A new leak is showcasing the design of the upcoming WF-1000XM6 earbuds that Sony will be launching later this year, and the design has surprisingly changed enough to differentiate them from Sonys last pair. The WF-1000X series is Sonys flagship true wireless earbud, offering Sonys best-in-class active noise cancellation and top-tier sound quality. Much like the companys WH-1000X headphones, these earbuds promise to be Sonys best of the best, and will likely have a price tag to match.

Interestingly, the leak also includes a price, though there have already been rumors regarding what Sony might charge, so this information isnt entirely new. According to the leak, the earbuds will cost THB 11,990, which is around $379 based on exchange rates. However, the earbuds are expected to cost around $329 USD.

Sony WF-1000XM6 design leak confirms Sony has gone back to a matte finish

If theres one thing consumers will probably agree on when it comes to Sonys WF-1000XM5 earbuds, its that Sony used a glossy finish on them. With how often you touch your earbuds, a glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet. Consumers didnt care for this design. Luckily, it looks like Sony has gone back toa matte finish like previous pairs. So fingerprints and smudges will be much harder to spot.

A past rumor revealed that Sony plans to launch these earbuds in three colors, the most recent one being Sandpink. Sony will also seemingly launch these in Black and Platinum Silver, both of which are colors available on the WH-1000XM6 headphones. In addition to the design, the leak mentions active noise cancellation and an IPX4 rating. No other specs were mentioned. Its also worth noting that the original leak comes from retail listings of the earbuds posted on a retailer website called Power Buy, but those have since been pulled. Notebookcheck and The Walkman Blog have both reported on the leak, however, before that happened.

Sony also recently launched the new LinkBuds Clip, a slightly less expensive pair of earbuds at $229 bpasting a more open style of sound.
Samsung has confirmed that its OLED smart TVs and gaming monitors for 2026 will come with NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility. G-Sync can be a necessary feature if you prefer having a more consistent smoothness to your game visuals, as the technology is meant to prevent screen tearing and minimize stutter. It can sometimes have an impact on your games, though, by introducing a small amount of input lag. So while it can be a huge benefit to most gamers, pro players tend to leave this feature turned off during competitions to avoid input lag changes that could hinder a victory.

For everyone else, G-Sync is a nice way to ensure that the refresh rate on your monitor is syncing up with your GPUs frame rate. Unless youre playing in a highly competitive environment, any change to input lag is pretty negligible. Which is why you definitely want a TV or monitor with G-Sync compatibility if you can get your hands on one. The TVs that support this include the OLED S95H, S90H, and S85H. As for monitors, Samsung states the Odyssey G6 (G60H and G61SH) will feature G-Sync.

2026 OLED monitors and TVs from Samsung come with more advanced features than just G-Sync

NVIDIA G-Sync is certainly a nice feature to have if youre a gamer looking to pick up a new TV or gaming monitor for your PC setup. This isnt the only thing you want to be looking for, though. There are several advanced features that can make the overall user experience more enjoyable. One such feature is a high refresh rate.

The higher, the better, if you want really, really smooth visuals and your PC can actually deliver a high frame rate to match it. Samsungs 2026 OLED offerings are going to bring this to the table. For instance, the recently announced 27-inch Odyssey G6 (G60H) boasts a staggering refresh rate of up to 1,040Hz. Chances are, most gamers arent going to notice a difference between that and something like 360Hz. For the pro players, however, this might be something more ideal.

Samsung is also introducing TVs and monitors with QHD resolution and 600Hz refresh rates. Additionally, Samsung confirms that the 2026 OLED lineup is introducing HDR10+ Advanced. This is supposed to promote enhanced brightness. As well as better motion and color accuracy across all types of content.
Apple is expected to announce its new iPhone 18 series this year, potentially around September. It is also when Apple is rumored to debut the A20 chipset built on TSMCs 2nm process. However, it looks like Qualcomm and MediaTek could steal the limelight from Apple. According to the latest rumors, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the Dimensity 9600 could launch the same month as the iPhone 18.

Stealing the limelight away from Apple

According to a post on Weibo by tipster Smart Pikachu, they claim that Android flagship phones using the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Dimensity 9600 could launch in the same month as the iPhone 18, which is September. We already said last year that 2026 will see the debut of 2nm chipsets. Now it seems like Qualcomm and MediaTek are planning to battle Apple for the spotlight.

This is a shift in the timetable for Qualcomm and MediaTek. Last year, both companies announced their latest flagship chipsets in September. However, it was only a few months later that we saw phones that used the chipset. Assuming nothing was lost in translation, either Qualcomm and MediaTek are planning earlier announcements, or they could be releasing the chipset to manufacturers earlier than normal.

But either way, this is good news for Android fans. If youd rather hold out for a phone with a 2nm chipset, you might not have to wait as long. At the same time, this kind of puts a slight damper on upcoming announcements from companies like Samsung. Samsung is expected to launch its Galaxy S26 series this month.

However, if other 2nm options are coming out sooner than expected, we wouldnt be surprised if some customers choose to wait it out.

Xiaomi could be the first

If youre in the waiting camp, then the rumors claim that Xiaomi could be the first to use these new chipsets. But the thing with Xiaomi is that the company usually launches in China first before the rest of the world. So even if you wanted to wait, you could end up waiting a little longer.

This phone is expected to come in the form of the Xiaomi 18. The rumors claim that we can probably look forward to a pretty substantial camera upgrade. It is also rumored to sport a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, and wireless charging support.
Samsungs Galaxy S26 Ultra is headed for a likely price increase when the phone launches later this year. While some in the industry were probably expecting this change, theres a good chance consumers were expecting, or at least hoping, for Samsung to keep the price the same as last years Galaxy S25 Ultra. There is one fundamental difference between the launch of that phone and the launch of Samsungs upcoming flagship, however. The cost of components to make the phone.

Sharp price increases for RAM and storage components are hitting hard and causing many of the most popular consumer electronics products to go up in cost, and it was only a matter of time before smartphones were hit with the impact. Samsung hasnt confirmed any price details about the phone yet, nor has it even officially announced the Galaxy S26 Ultra or its variations. With that being said, any information about its official price tag should be taken with a grain of salt for now. That doesnt change the likelihood, however. RAM is more expensive. Storage is more expensive. Those are facts. So, its highly likely that Samsung may have to charge more for its upcoming devices.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra might see a 6% price increase compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra

While its possible for Samsung to find ways around raising the price of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, it seems more feasible for it as a company to charge customers more money to buy the product. According to a report from Korean news site NewDaily, Samsung will charge about 6% more for the phone due to increased costs of RAM and NAND flash to build the Galaxy S26 Ultra. If this ends up being accurate, consumers can probably expect higher prices for the other two models in the device family, as well.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra launched at a base price of $1,299.99. This was for the 256GB model, which was the starting storage capacity that was offered. For the Galaxy S26 Ultra, about 6% more would put the base price somewhere in the ballpark of $1,377. So, consumers might be looking at a price of $1,350 to $1,400. NewDaily says the price of the phone in South Korea will be 1.8 million Won, compared to the 1.69 million Won that was charged for the Galaxy S25 Ultra when it launched in 2025.
A little over a week ago, TikTok US experienced an outage which resulted in feeds being reset, and videos unable to upload and stuck in the pending stage. The good news for TikTok users in the US is that it looks like the outage is fixed and service has been fully restored.

TikTok US services restored following outage

This is according to a post on X by the official TikTok US account, where it says that the company has successfully restored services after the outage. The official explanation attributes the outage to a winter storm. This led to a power outage, which then caused network and storage issues.

The company says that the issues users experienced, such as content posting, were a result of this outage. But like we said, the good news is that things should be back to normal. The service wasnt completely dead; that would have been disastrous. Instead, it affected just a few core functions of the app, so it was still largely usable.

Censorship conspiracies arise

That being said, the outage has led some to speculate it was more than just technical issues. According to some, they believed that some degree of censorship could have been at play here. The company has denied those claims, but the timing is interesting. The outage coincided with the protests taking place in Minneapolis. Since social media is one place people turn to for the latest news and updates, censoring it makes sense. Especially if youre trying to downplay the situation.

Weve seen that play used before in other countries on other platforms, so its not entirely out of the question. Also, a post on X by California Governor Gavin Newsoms office claimed to have independently confirmed instances of content being suppressed. Once again, we havent seen any actual evidence, so take it with a grain of salt.

In the meantime, the TikTok US deal has resulted in some users seeking alternative platforms. This led to Skylight seeing a 150% surge in sign-ups. Whether or not users will keep using Skylight or will eventually return to TikTok remains to be seen. This will also depend on whether TikTok US new owners can manage the algorithm properly.

Part of the deal is that the US entity gets to license TikToks algorithm and retrain it using US user data. We have questioned whether or not it will have a negative impact on the user experience, but only time will tell.
Despite having been announced in the middle of 2025, the Trump Mobile T1 smartphone has yet to be delivered to customers. This begs the question of, where is it? That remains to be seen, but Dominic Preston over at The Verge seems to have come the closest to finding out, as an executive from Trump Mobile finally responded to his email.

Trump Mobile responded email about T1 smartphone, then ghosted the reporter

According to Prestons report, he spent months sending out emails to various Trump Mobile accounts and press addresses, without any success. However, after a little digging, he came across the contact details of Trump Mobile executive Don Hendrickson, who responded to the email Preston sent to him.

When asked about the T1 smartphone, Hendrickson replied by saying, Its a pleasure to meet you via this email, and yes, I would like to talk to you about Trump Mobile and the T1 handset that we are going to be bringing to market. I think its about time we let our voice be heard.

Unfortunately, that was as far as the exchange got. Hendrickson failed to respond to the follow-up email and the subsequent emails that Preston sent. This suggests that Hendrickson is no longer interested in fielding questions. Possibly he received instructions not to speak to journalists, although this is speculation for now.

Is the T1 vaporware at this point?

Its worrying that no one has responded to queries about the status of the phone. After all, Trump Mobile made such a big deal about its launch, including how it would be made in America. Since then, many have cast doubt on those claims.

For starters, the phone in question resembled a phone made by a Chinese company. Just with Trump Mobiles branding slapped on it. However, interestingly enough, it was Hendrickson who later clarified in an interview with Wireless Dealer Magazine that the phone would have an American-proud design. It basically sounds like the phone would be designed in the US, but manufacturing would take place elsewhere.

Its also concerning because in order to buy the T1, youd have to put a $100 deposit. Were not sure how many orders were actually placed. However, there are definitely people out there who have paid that deposit and are still waiting for the device. This has resulted in the lawmakers asking the FTC to investigate the issue over potential consumer protection violations.
Get ready for total cuteness overload when you flip through these adorable photos Fluffy Feather Farm recently shared on Instagram. The pictures feature their fluffy baby Highland cows covered in snow, and its exactly the kind of winter content were here for.

The series starts with George and Lola, snow clinging to their shaggy coats as they stand in several inches of snow. Next is a close-up of George, who doesnt seem to mind being the star of the show. Then come Tilly and Rusty, also dusted in snow, though it's not covering the ground as in the first shot. The montage wraps up with a close-up of Rusty, where you can even spot a tiny icicle hanging from his chin!

More fluffy baby cows content, please! Adam, one of the owners of the Fluffy Feather Farm, shares a bit more detail in the caption, "Snowy calves, thick winter coats, and a whole lot of standing around looking unimpressed LOL! Winter days on the farm dont always need much explanation. Thankfully for these babies (and their parents!), they were born with built-in winter coats."

Cedar Pond Farms explains how their coats keep them so warm. "Their iconic double coat  coarse outer hair with a soft inner layer, acts like natural insulation, letting them graze in snow or rain with comfort and little shelter needed. Breeders say their feed intake doesnt rise until temperatures drop to -18F, unlike many breeds that struggle below 32F."

Related: Fluffy Baby Mini Cows Becoming Friends Is the Cutest Thing Youll See Today

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Cute Reactions to the Fluffy Cows

Like us, viewers were smitten with the adorable baby cows enjoying the snow. @lisarxwade swooned, "Look how adorable! They are loving the snow, right?" Adam replied, "They love it so much!"

@rico.loves.lucy had our favorite comment, "Picture perfect winter babies!" and Adam's reply was the best, "They're super moooodels!!"

"So sweet... they look like they've been dusted with powdered sugar," pointed out @catsanddiego, and it's a perfect description!

Commenter @olesen.steven cracked us up with, "Rusty: 'Enough lets go in the barn' LOL!" and we laughed when @jlee.buck added, "I also have the standing around looking unimpressed bit down pat after enduring nearly two feet of snow in my area of Massachusetts."

This winter weather definitely isn't for us, but the cows don't have a problem with it at all!

This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Feb 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A new crackdown on Airbnb-style lets in London is set to be unveiled within months to target abuses and ease the capitals housing crisis.

Details of the online registration scheme for short-term lets, including how it will operate, who will run it, and measures to make it effective, are likely to be announced by April.

Cities of London and Westminster MP Rachel Blake is urging the Government to first trial the register in her constituency for properties being rented out for holidays and other short stays.

Discussions have taken place over a pilot for the light touch scheme, which will initially be voluntary rather than mandatory.

The Standard understands that this remains an option.

But no final decision has been taken on whether to go for a gradual roll-out of the register of properties or if it should go England-wide straightaway.

Tens of thousands of tourists to London a year stay in Airbnbs and other short-term lets (PA)

Up to two out of three, or 9,300, short-term lets a year in the borough of Westminster have been in breach of a 90-night rule, the maximum time they can be rented out annually without planning permission, according to the local council.

The 90-night rule was introduced to protect homes for Londoners and to limit disruption from noisy guests in short-term lets, as well as rubbish left outside doors.

One landlord in North Finchley, Barnet, was fined 75,000 last year for renting out two flats on Airbnb and Booking.com in breach of the local councils regulations.

In another case a mansion block near Hyde Park reportedly had more tourists than the Ritz.

Rachel Blake, Labour MP for the Cities of London and Westminster (UK Parliament)

Labour MP Ms Blake told the Standard: This is a really significant issue for the whole country but especially for central London where we are losing up to 20% of our homes in some parts of my constituency to short-term lets.

Im concerned about the number of properties where the 90-day rule is being breached.

That is why we need a registration scheme urgently.

Im asking the Government to pilot the registration scheme in Cities of London and Westminster as soon as possible.

One mansion block near Hyde Park reportedly had more tourists than the Ritz whose restaurant is pictured (Press handout)

Secondary legislation will need to go through Parliament with details on how the scheme will work in practice.

It will be England-wide, with local authorities involved but not as the overall administrator.

The scheme is unlikely to be in force by a previous target date of April to go live.

But the secondary legislation, which can get through Parliament far quicker than a new law, could be tabled by that month.

Around the same time, the Government is expected to lay out how the scheme will work following a public consultation.

The timetable would allow it to become operational later in the year, possibly even by some point in the summer, the peak tourism season.

Westminster council believes there are now around 13,000 short-term lets in the borough, down from some 14,000 in 2024, but significantly more than any other borough, with Tower Hamlets in second place with more than 9,000 two years ago.

Many of them are on Airbnb, Booking.com but also on a variety of other online platforms.

Tourists and other shoppers in the West End (In Pictures via Getty Images)

Westminster councils report into short-term lets in 2024, many by businesses rather than individuals, found that 9,389 homes were rented out for more than 90 nights, or around two of three of the total.

Cllr Adam Hug, leader of Westminster City Council, which was won by Labour at the 2022 local elections, said: We have been pushing hard to get the Government to listen to our concerns over the proposed scheme.

The sheer volume of short-term lets in Westminster places a major strain on the housing system and limits the availability of properties we could offer to local people.

A large number of short-term lets in Westminster are in the West End, Bayswater, and Lancaster Gate areas rather than being evenly spread across the borough.

The councils enforcement officers have struggled to properly impose the 90-night rule given that there are so many short-term lets in the borough and the difficulties proving a breach.

Cllr Hug added: While we welcome progress on the register, it is important it contains the ability to track the number of nights a flat or house is used for.

That gives us a clear insight into whether the 90-night rule is being abused.

There is no evidence of wrong-doing by Airbnb, Booking.com or other platforms.

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: "We recognise that this is a real issue in areas like Westminster and across London.

That is why we will introduce a registration scheme for short-term lets in England as soon as possible.

Cllr Hug also stressed that the registration scheme needed to dovetail with the planned tourist tax, the nightly charge for staying in a hotel or short-term let in London which is being introduced by Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have apparently been left mortified by reports of their mother Sarah Ferguson's emails to Jeffrey Epstein.

Among the three million documents published by the US Department of Justice on Friday there appear to be a number of exchanges between Ferguson and the disgraced financier Epstein, many of which contain discussions about Beatrice and Eugenie.

One email appeared to show Ferguson refer to daughter Eugenie as being on a s***ging weekend, while the girls father Andrew sent photos of them to Epstein.

And sources close to the princesses say they are aghast" at the emails as well as the photos that appear to show their father posing over an unidentified woman on the floor.

A source told the Daily Mail: They are aghast at what they have read. They are mortified by the emails their mother has sent to Epstein. It is so embarrassing for them.

Sarah Ferguson with her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie (PA Archive)

"We don't believe the girls were told much about what has just emerged, and they will simply be aghast at just how close their parents were to this appalling man.

The former Duchess featured many times elsewhere in the documents, which seem to reveal that she offered Epstein VIP tours of Buckingham Palace, that she asked Epstein to marry her, and that she asked him for 20,000.

A number of exchanges take place between an individual referred to just as Sarah, whose email address has been redacted, while there are also other discussions with others about Fergie.

Appearing in the documents does not mean those named are accused of any wrongdoing. Andrew has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.

In an email from March 2010, Epstein appears to ask about a possible trip to New York, enquiring: "ny?"

The response comes: "Not sure yet. Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a s***ging weekend."

Epstein in a newly released photo (US Department of Justice)

An image issued by the US Department of Justice appearing to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crouched over an unidentified woman. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing (PA Media)

This reported email was sent around the time of Eugenie's 20th birthday, which she spent with then boyfriend, now husband, Jack Brooksbank.

Other emails also show the former Duchess fawning over Epstein after he complimented her in front of her daughters, and calling him a legend.

An alleged email dated August 3 2009 reads: In just week, after your lunch, it seems the energy has lifted. I have never been more touched by a friends kindness than your compliment to me in front of my girls. Thank you Jeffrey for being the brother I have always wished for.

Another message from the following year said: You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness.

Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles last year, also featured prominently in the files, with pictures appearing to show the former prince posing on all fours over a woman on the floor, as well as an email Epstein sent in 2010 offering to set him up with a friend.

The former prince is also facing fresh allegations after a second woman claimed that Epstein flew her to the UK for a sexual encounter.

The woman, who remains unnamed, alleges that she spent a night with Andrew at his Royal Lodge home in 2010, and was then taken to Buckingham Palace for tea.

The womans account is the first time that an Epstein survivor has alleged that a sexual encounter took place at a royal residence.
Gordon Brown set in motion a chain of events that blew up in Sir Keir Starmers face - Carl Court/Getty

When Gordon Brown brought the twice-disgraced Peter Mandelson back into the Cabinet in 2008, even Ed Balls, his staunchest supporter, admitted it was a risk. Other Labour MPs were rather less nuanced, describing it as perplexing and divisive.

William Hague said it was a stunning failure of judgment but even he, now a Conservative peer, could not have known just how right he was.

Eighteen years on, it has emerged that Lord Mandelson, awarded a peerage by Mr Brown, was secretly using his access to the highest levels of government to leak Downing Street memos to the man he called his best pal, Jeffrey Epstein.

Mr Brown had invited the fox into the hen house, setting in motion a chain of events that were to blow up in the face of Labours next prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, when he, too, made the mistake of bestowing public office on the man known as the Prince of Darkness.

Both Mr Brown and, in particular, Sir Keir now face embarrassing questions about how strictly they vetted the peer before deciding to employ him. Mr Brown has asked the Cabinet Secretary to investigate what he calls shocking new disclosures from the Epstein files. Sir Keir wants him to be stripped of the peerage Mr Brown gave him.

While all of this is very much in the past for Mr Brown, it is a very present threat to Sir Keir, who already knew about Lord Mandelsons connections to Epstein when he gave him Britains most important diplomatic posting.

The country was in the grip of the international financial crisis when Mr Brown, who was increasingly unpopular a year into his premiership, made a desperate last roll of the dice by bringing Lord Mandelson back from Brussels, where he was a European trade commissioner, to return to his old job as business secretary.

Lord Mandelson, pictured with a young Gordon Brown, sported a moustache in the 1980s but it had to go when he entered the Commons in the early 1990s

It was a move that left Westminster dumbfounded. Lord Mandelson had twice resigned from the Cabinet over questionable dealings with wealthy friends: firstly over an undeclared personal loan of 373,000 from his Cabinet colleague Geoffrey Robinson, whose affairs were under investigation, and secondly over his alleged intervention in the passport application of Srichand Hinduja, the billionaire Indian businessman, which was later disproved.

Lord Mandelson, who had resigned as an MP to take up his European post, had to be given a peerage to make him eligible for a Cabinet position, and Mr Browns decision to bring him back into government was all the more unexpected given that the two had a long-standing feud which dated back to Lord Mandelsons backing of Sir Tony Blair over Mr Brown for the Labour leadership in 1994.

A new photo taken from the Epstein files of Lord Mandelson having a foot rub emerged on Tuesday

Sir Tony, though, had encouraged the move, describing Lord Mandelsons return as a no brainer and talking to him before he accepted the job. By then Lord Mandelson had become firm friends with Epstein, staying with him in the Caribbean and in Paris, and describing him as his best pal in a 50th birthday card in 2003.

As we now know, the return of Lord Mandelson, and his vast experience of running election campaigns, was not enough to keep Labour in power. What we have only just learnt, though, is the extent to which Lord Mandelson was privately taking advantage of his Cabinet role to help Epstein, from whom he and his husband had previously received tens of thousands of pounds, according to documents published by the US department of justice.

Lord Mandelsons friendship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, appeared to have been unaffected by the financiers conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008. In June 2009, a year after Epsteins conviction and eight months after Lord Mandelsons Cabinet return, he stayed in Epsteins apartment in New York, and we now know that he was in regular contact with him, passing on what Mr Brown now describes as confidential and market sensitive information from the then Business Department during the global financial crisis.

On Saturday, June 13 2009, when Epstein was still serving his prison sentence (though he was allowed to leave his cell and work from a private office six days a week) Lord Mandelson forwarded him a memo written by Mr Browns adviser Nick Butler, which was addressed Dear Gordon. Lord Mandelson wrote: Interesting note thats gone to the PM.

It was a briefing for Mr Brown on the latest Government thinking on the state of the economy and included a reference to the government having saleable assets in hand. Epstein replied: What saleable assets? and the minister responded: Land and property I guess.

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In another weekend email exchange, this time on Sunday May 9 2010  two days before Mr Brown resigned as prime minister  Lord Mandelson gave Epstein advance notice of a 500bn (430bn) bailout to save the European currency.

Epstein emailed Lord Mandelson to say sources tell me 500b euro bailout, almost compelte [sic]. Nine minutes later Lord Mandelson replied: Sd be announced tonight.

Epstein responded: Are you home? and Lord Mandelson replied: Just leaving No10..will call.

The bailout was formally announced the next day. Mr Brown had lost the general election the previous Thursday but did not formally resign until May 11, when the Tories and Lib Dems had finalised a coalition deal.

On May 10 Lord Mandelson emailed Epstein to say finally got him to go today, to which Epstein responded: I have faith, the value of some chapters in your book should now increase.

Lord Mandelson replied: Including the underground walk from no10 to the Ministry of Defence with GB for secret late night talk with Libs.

Emails also revealed the peer secretly gave advice to JP Morgan, via Epstein, on how to lobby and mildly threaten the government to reduce the firms tax bill after Alistair Darling, the then chancellor, unveiled a 50 per cent tax on bankers bonuses.

Lord Mandelson was appointed to the role of ambassador to the United States before formal security checks had even started - Shaun Curry/AFP/Getty

His friendship with Epstein, extending to further stays at his properties, continued after he left government. Following Epsteins death in 2019 while awaiting trial on further sex trafficking charges, pictures of Lord Mandelson and Epstein shopping together in the Caribbean emerged. The peer claimed he had met Epstein on no more than five or six occasions.

Sir Keir clearly believed him, and thought his friendship with Epstein was no barrier to representing Britain in Washington. The Prime Minister appointed him to the role of ambassador to the United States in February last year, before formal security checks on him had even begun.

Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keirs chief of staff, who is understood to have backed the move, was involved in what now seems to have been a less than thorough vetting process.

The Prime Minister was given a two-page document written by the Cabinet Office ethics team which detailed all that was publicly known about his links to Epstein.

Mr McSweeney then emailed Lord Mandelson with three questions on behalf of Sir Keir, relating to how long his relationship with Epstein went on, why he stayed in his house and his involvement in an Epstein-backed charity.

Apparently satisfied with the answers, Lord Mandelson was unveiled by Sir Keir as the incoming ambassador to the US before the formal vetting process, which included an in-person interview carried out by the Foreign Office.

Lord Mandelsons tenure lasted just seven months. In September last year he was sacked by Sir Keir following the publication of documents from the Epstein files that showed he had, in the words of one Downing Street source, been economical with the truth during the vetting process.

Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary, insisted at the time that although the vetting process had turned up links to Epstein, the Labour grandees singular talents meant they felt it was worth the risk.

His comments were remarkably similar to the words of Mr Balls, the then schools secretary who had worked with Mr Brown in the Treasury, when he was asked about Lord Mandelsons unexpected return to the Cabinet in 2008.

Of course its a risk, he said, but at the same time, its also a great opportunity for our country and our Government. Peter has got great experience.

Sir Keir and Mr McSweeney, like Mr Brown before them, now know the risk was not worth taking. The questions for Sir Keir are why he ever thought it might have been, whether he ignored warnings about Lord Mandelsons Epstein links, and why he rushed to make him ambassador before proper checks had even been done.
Broadway Ted just held on to win the concluding Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast (C&G) I.N.H. Flat Race at Leopardstown and secure a one-two-three for Gordon Elliott on a good afternoon for the Cullentra House handler.

Mossy Way made the early running, but as they turned for home it looked like it was going to be battle between Elliotts three Gigginstown Stud runners  With Nolimit, Charismatic Kid and Generous Risk.

But Broadway Ted (18-1) spoiled the party for Michael OLearys outfit, taking it up before holding off a late charge for the line from With Nolimit by a short head.

The five-year-old was maintaining his perfect record after marking his racecourse debut with an impressive victory at Ayr in December.

He was very good in Ayr. Hes a pacey horse, he works very well and it was a good performance, said Elliott, who was recording a treble on the day and his fifth win of the two-day Dublin Racing Festival.

They are all nice horses. They are big staying horses, thats the type of horse I have. We have a lot of nice horses and were absolutely delighted.

To get five winners is unbelievable and were delighted.
Chumbawamba perform Tubthumping at the start of the 1999 Brit Awards ceremony in London. Photograph: Fioan Hanson/PA (Photograph: Fioan Hanson/PA)

The British pop collective Chumbawamba has asked Spains Vox to stop using their best-known song to promote its small-minded, hate-fuelled agenda after the far-right party chose its 1997 hit single Tubthumping to soundtrack a social media post railing against migration.

Santiago Abascal, who leads Vox, visited the north-eastern Spanish town of Caspe last week in the run-up to this weekends regional election in Aragon. He posted images of the visit to Facebook on Friday, along with the caption: Great welcome yesterday in Caspe  for a street press conference. The locals are sick of the migratory invasion. And we stand with them.

Abascal  or his media team  decided to accompany the photos with Tubthumping, whose famously defiant chorus runs: I get knocked down/But I get up again/Youre never gonna keep me down.

The post has since come to the attention of Chumbawamba, who said Abascal had profoundly misunderstood the song and its message.

When we wrote Tubthumping it was as an anthem for the underdog, for those fighting power, the band said in a statement.

It sickens us that Spains far-right Vox party would use the song to promote their small-minded, hate-fuelled agenda. We have asked Facebook to take down the video from its platform and we demand that Vox never use our song  a song of hope and community  again.

The writer Alice Nutter, a former Chumbawamba member, described Abascals post as vile and racist, adding that the collective was much more in tune with the Spanish governments recent decision to regularise half a million undocumented migrants and asylum seekers.

Vox has been contacted for comment.

It is not the first time Chumbawamba has felt compelled to speak out over the misappropriation of the song. In an article for the Guardian last year another member, Boff Whalley, criticised the populist New Zealand politician Winston Peters for using it.

Let me be clear. The song Tubthumping was written to celebrate the resilience and tenacity of working-class folk who keep fighting when the chips are down, he wrote. It has nothing whatsoever in common with wealthy politicians with extremist anti-liberal agendas.

Whalley also said Chumbawamba had had to send its own cease and desist when a pre-president [Donald] Trump thought he could use Tubthumping without realising we would loudly object.

A number of musicians have objected to Trump using their songs at his rallies in recent years, including Beyonce, Neil Young, the White Stripes, Foo Fighters, and the estates of Leonard Cohen and Tom Petty.

The Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers discovered in 2009 that their hymn to the anti-fascist International Brigades, If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, had been used by the British National party to accompany a web post bemoaning the great multicultural experiment.
Opponents of Cop City police training center protest at city hall in Atlanta, Georgia, on 16 September 2024. Photograph: Arvin Temkar/AP (Photograph: Arvin Temkar/AP)

The state of Georgia has appealed a judges dismissal of criminal conspiracy charges against 61 people tied to opposition against the Atlanta police training center known as Cop City, prolonging a high-profile case with implications for criminal conspiracy and domestic terrorism prosecutions of movements elsewhere.

With the appeal, the largest case in US history using a racketeering or Rico law against a protest or social movement is now likely to drag on for months, if not years.

Rico is a law created to go after the mafia and closely associated with fighting organized crime. In a sign of what is at stake in the case, in September, Donald Trump called protesters against the Cop City center antifa and domestic terrorists.

In addition to the states appeal, Francis Carroll, one of the dozens of defendants, filed a petition to Georgias supreme court, asking the top court to consider a motion asserting that domestic terrorism charges forming part of the case violate the states constitution, as they are overly broad and vague. The motion also asserts that Georgias domestic terrorism law was passed in an unconstitutional manner.

If the state court of appeals does not grant the attorney general, Chris Carr, a reversal of the trial courts dismissal, the entire case may fall apart. The same is true if the supreme court takes up Carrolls claim and rules in favor of the defendant.

Related: An air of repression: Cop City case hangs over heads of 61 defendants

Prosecutors across the country are going to be watching, said Michael Schwartz, an attorney for Carroll. If the states domestic terrorism statute is ruled unconstitutional, for example, prosecutors elsewhere will be less likely to initiate prosecutions in the same mold, he said.

Such a result may also affect state lawmakers elsewhere. Other legislatures considering similar legislation could also be influenced by the outcome, Schwartz said.

But that, too, will probably take months.

Opposition to the $109m police training center, which opened last spring, came from a wide range of local and national organizations and protesters, centered on concerns around police militarization and clearing forests in an era of climate crisis. Atlanta police have said the center is needed for world-class training and to attract new officers.

The recent flurry of activity in the lingering legal case was in response to Fulton county superior court judge Kevin Farmer finally putting an order in writing in late December to dismiss the Rico charges on procedural grounds  a week after the Guardian reported on the judge blowing past a three-month deadline to do so set by state law.

That story spotlighted how the cases dozens of defendants facing the possibility of several decades in jail are now also three years into being without possessions the state has seized as evidence  including birth certificates, diaries, medical records and more. Following the storys publication, the state returned some of those possessions, a defendant in the case told the Guardian.

The same day Farmer issued his ruling dismissing the Rico charges, he filed a ruling rejecting Carrolls motion on the unconstitutionality of the states domestic terrorism statute. This led Schwartz to file his appeal on 20 January with the state supreme court.

With the dismissal of the Rico charges, the 61 defendants saw the possible end of the states case against them. But as has been typical of the stop-and-go nature of the ongoing attempt by the state to prosecute the environmental and criminal justice movement against the training center, the new court filings once again place the defendants in legal limbo.

Even as the states and Carrolls appeals are being considered by their respective courts, hundreds of motions from the other defendants in the case have never been heard by Farmer.

The states motion says that the court of appeals decision is needed because no Georgia court has defined the scope of the attorney generals prosecutorial jurisdiction. Attorney general Carr, who is also running for governor in this years election, referred in a statement to the destruction of state property that occurred during some of the protests against the training center. We are not Seattle. We are not Portland. We are not New York. In Georgia, that is domestic terrorism, and we do not look the other way, he said.

Related: Prosecutors Cop City case collapses as judge tosses Rico conspiracy charges

But Schwartz, other defense attorneys and experts alike have asserted that criminal charges such as arson already exist to prosecute such acts.

This case illustrates the danger of vague criminal laws. When the law is unclear, the risk of selective enforcement increases, and with it, the power of the state to target political adversaries, said Elizabeth Taxel, a clinical professor at the University of Georgia School of Law.

Social movement historian Dan Berger pointed to failed attempts by the state to prosecute protesters such as the Chicago 7 case, in which convictions against defendants were overturned.

The failure of a particular attempt doesnt necessarily mean the government stops trying to use a method, he said. But it does set a precedent.

Any precedent set in this case will be noticed elsewhere, Berger added, due to the broad nature of the Stop Cop City movement, which included concerns such as the environment, racism, unchecked policing and democratic decision-making. From the start, it was not just a fight in Atlanta, he said. The idea was, Its coming to a city near you.
Iranians in Tehran on Monday. The comments by Hassan Rouhani, Irans former president, triggered a backlash from within the regime - Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA/Shutterstock Editorial

Irans former president said the regime must make major reforms or face more protests as cracks emerged within the Islamic Republic leadership.

Hassan Rouhani said the regime had to make swift and significant changes or risk further mass demonstrations such as those that threatened to bring down the ayatollah.

In a rare intervention, echoed by other emboldened reformist politicians, Mr Rouhani criticised the regime for addressing only minor complaints while ignoring broader demands.

People have demands and we must respond to them with a major reform, not a minor reform, Mr Rouhani said after the nationwide protests, in which at least 6,000 people were killed, according to rights groups.

If you make minor changes, God forbid, we might face problems again in two or three months, or even in 10 days, he added.

His comments triggered a backlash from within the regime, with Nasrollah Pejmanfar, a hard-line MP, saying: Today is the time for major reform, which is the arrest and execution of Rouhani.

New talks with the US are intended to bring an end to the infighting, with Steve Witkoff, Washingtons special envoy, due to meet Abbas Araqchi, Irans foreign minister, in Turkey on Friday.

A US official said on Monday: The presidents been calling for them to make a deal. The meeting is to hear what they have to say.

The Istanbul meeting will kick-start diplomacy on the long-running dispute over Irans nuclear programme, with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates also in attendance.

The recent unrest in Iran started because of economic frustrations, but spiralled into calls for the ayatollah to be deposed.

Hassan Rouhani, right, the former president, with Mohammad Bagheri, Irans former chief of staff - 2025 Anadolu

Those calls were met with brutal repression, the internet was turned off and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) opening fire on protesters.

Mr Rouhani said the Islamic Republic must address underlying grievances. Reformist politicians also said they could no longer justify the regimes handling of the demonstrations.

Javad Emam, a spokesman for the Reformist Front, a coalition of moderate politicians, said reformists must stand with the people and that current conditions bear no relation to their vision of the Islamic Republic.

Mir Hossein Mousavi, leader of Irans Green Movement, described the crackdown as a black page in Iranian history.

Iranian politicians wear Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps uniforms and chant slogans during a session of parliament in Tehran - ZUMAPRESS.com /Avalon

He called on security forces to lay down their guns and allow people to chart the path to freedom.

Mr Mousavi, under house arrest since 2011, said internal suppression had exposed the country to external interference.

Mehdi Karroubi, a reformist cleric and former parliament speaker, said Irans current dire situation is the direct result of destructive domestic and international interventions and policies by Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader,.

Mr Karroubi, who spent years under house arrest and was released last year, cited the costly and fruitless nuclear project and the heavy consequences of sanctions over the past two decades on the country and people as examples of failed policies.

Referring to the killing of thousands of protesters this month, Mr Karroubi said the depth of the tragedy is so deep that no excuse or justification can be accepted for this horrific and merciless massacre and disrespect for the bodies of victims.

He said the only peaceful way out of the crisis was referring to the people and recognising their right to self-determination in a free referendum.

Growing internal tensions

Reformists have been sidelined from politics in recent years through mass disqualifications of their candidates in elections.

The public statements by former president Rouhani and other reformist figures are a fracture in the regimes unified front, as moderates now openly criticise the establishments handling of dissent.

The developments suggest growing internal tensions within Irans political structure as hardliners face unprecedented challenges to their authority.

In one sign of the government backing down, protester Erfan Soltani was released on bail after facing possible execution for his role in demonstrations against the government.

Mr Soltani, 26, was arrested on Jan 10 at his home in Fardis, west of Tehran. He faced charges of assembly and collusion against the countrys internal security and propaganda activities against the regime.

His case drew international attention during the widespread protests that swept Iran last month.

Relatives said authorities planned to execute him, though Irans judiciary dismissed those reports as fabricated.

Donald Trump, the US president, has repeatedly threatened military strikes against Iran and warned against them carrying out the execution.

Inside the country, internet access was slowly restored over the weekend after weeks of blackout. Footage emerging from Iran shows funerals for protesters and widespread grief.

But state TV prompted criticism by airing a broadcast in which a host mocked slain protesters.

One presenter asked viewers where the Islamic Republic stores dead protesters bodies, offering multiple-choice answers including side-by-side fridge and ice cream maker.

The broadcast drew condemnation across Iranian social media.

The violent crackdown prompted the European Union to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organisation last week.

Unrest and protests in Iran started because of economic frustrations - MAHSA/AFP

Iranian legislators retaliated on Sunday by designating all EU militaries as terrorist groups. Legislators wore IRGC uniforms and chanted Death to America and Death to Israel.

On Monday, 10 individuals and one organisation were sanctioned for their role in enabling and facilitating brutality and violence against the Iranian people.

They included Eskandar Momeni, the Iranian interior minister, who is responsible for Irans police force and Seyed Majid Feiz Jafari, the police chief of Irans public security police who has directed violent crackdowns against peaceful protesters.
Doctor Steinberg maintained his perfect record over hurdles with a comprehensive victory in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Hot on the heels of wins at Galway and Navan, where he accounted for subsequent Grade Two winner Thedeviluno, the Willie Mullins-trained Doctor Dino gelding again demonstrated his liking for obstacles when galloping home eight lengths clear in the hands of Paul Townend.

Yeshil made the early running, but the 7-4 favourite took up the running two out and quickly put the race to bed, with Kazansky staying on for second.

It was very impressive on that ground, its very tough, said Mullins.

Every time weve gone up in trip he seems to like it. Hes out of a Cyborg mare and thats all stamina.

I think we bought two off Walter (Connors) that year, Kopek Des Bordes and this fella, so its a 100 per cent record in Grade Ones which is fantastic.

It was probably going to the last the first time before he relaxed. There was a horse up his backside everywhere he went and he was very free, but he kept galloping. The fact that could pull like that and still be galloping at the end of two-miles-six on very tough ground.

We thought he was a summer horse first so he goes on all sorts of ground, but he seems to be better when he has tougher conditions.

Doctor Steinberg shortened to 2-1 favourite for the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle over three miles at the Cheltenham Festival with Paddy Power and Mullins added: He does everything right.
Oakley, the 16-year-old dog, emerged unscathed after falling off the side of a cliff in eastern Virginia (Giles County Animal Shelter)

An elderly dog was reunited with its family last week after the canine slipped on ice and fell off a cliff  resulting in a suspenseful rescue mission by an animal control team in eastern Virginia.

Oakley, the 16-year-old dog from Giles County, was outside at his family home Wednesday when his paws lost their grip on the ice and he slid backwards over the side of the cliff near the backyard, the Giles County Animal Shelter said on Facebook.

Conditions in the area have been dangerously slick since a storm dropped several inches of snow and ice. Even attempting to look for the senior dog on foot was dangerous for anyone, the shelter said.

But Animal Control Chief Bill Ahern and Officer Jacob Taylor were determined to find Oakley after being dispatched to the backyard where the dog slid down the cliff.

I stepped out and I realized immediately how slick it truly was, Taylor told WDBJ. There was not many footprints in the yard, which made it extremely dangerous and slippery.

Oakley fell victim to the slippery conditions in Giles County, Virginia, last week when he lost his footing and slid backwards off a cliff (Giles County Animal Shelter / Facebook)

Realizing they would not be able to search for the dog themselves, Ahern and Taylor called for backup in the form of a drone from the Giles County Emergency Services. The drone could not spot Oakley  an all-white dog lost in the snowy terrain. It managed to spot his paw prints, indicating the canine walked away from his fall.

We hoped it was our dog and not a coyote or something, Ahern told WDBJ.

The team then made a call to the Virginia Department of Transportation, which dispatched a road grader to make a path down to the bottom of the cliff where train tracks were located. The type of vehicle is often used in construction and uses long blades to create traction on uneven surfaces.

Virginia Department of Transportation dispatched a road grader to make a path so people from Norfolk and Southern Rail could search for Oakley (Giles County Animal Shelter / Facebook)

Once it made a path, employees from Norfolk and Southern Rail descended from the mountain to scour the area for Oakley. It didnt take long to find the dog.

Right before they actually entered the tracks, they saw the dog down there and were able to call it and get him into the truck, Ahern recalled.

Despite falling down the slippery cliff, Oakley was unharmed and made it back home safely.

In a statement on Facebook, Oakleys owner, Meg Nettles, said that words cannot express how grateful I am to this team of amazing people. I was simply helpless, and watching them fight so hard to bring my baby home was truly incredible.

The dedication and effort to rescue my sweet fur baby has got me in all the feels. Folks put it all on the line, going above and way beyond their job duties, Nettles wrote.

Ahern echoed Nettles sentiment, saying: Were just lucky to have people who care enough to stop what theyre doing and come and help for a dog.

Oakley miraculously survived the fall without sustaining any major injuries.
Paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein spent years trying to win an audience with Vladimir Putin, according to emails published by the US justice department.

The Russian president is mentioned 1,055 times in the latest Epstein files release, which saw the DOJ share more than 3 million new documents on Friday.

Emails with political figures show Epstein desperately trying to secure a meeting with Putin in the early 2010s, after his first conviction for procuring a child for prostitution.

Putin has been president since 2012, but served as prime minister for four years before that and has been the countrys de facto leader since 2000.

The updated files show how Epstein jostled friends to set up a meeting for him to discuss foreign investment in Russia from at least 2013 and until 2018, a year before Epstein died in prison. It is unclear whether they ever met.

Jeffrey Epstein tried to meet with Vladimir Putin to discuss business (POOL/AFP via Getty)

Epstein sought a Russian visa

The Epstein library, now totalling some 3.5 million records, shows that Epstein tried to procure a Russian visa from at least 2010. He asked a contact: do i need to get visa, ? I have a friend of putin,s [sic], should i ask him?

A year later, in August 2011, he told Emirati businessman Ahmed bin Sulayem that putin might come to the states, adding that he would rather meet him there, so sochi is unlikely.

Over the years, the financier repeatedly discussed his hopes of meeting Putin with Thorbjorn Jagland, the former prime minister of Norway, who met with the Russian leader in his capacity as the secretary general of the Council of Europe.

Mr Jagland characterised Epsteins interest in an email in May 2013, telling Epstein he would have to explain his proposals to Putin himself.

You have to do it. My job is to get a meeting with him, he said, adding: Can I say this [to Putin]: I know that you want to attract foreign investment to diversify russian economy [...] I have a friend that can help you to take the necessary measures (and then present you) and ask wether it is interesting for him to meet with you.

Epstein, pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell, died in his cell in 2019 (PA)

Epstein wanted meeting with Putin

That month, Epstein told Ehud Barak, the former Israeli prime minister, that he was hoping to meet Putin for the first time that June to discuss how Russia could encourage Western investment.

Weeks later, he reported back that he had cancelled a meeting with Putin in St Petersburg, demanding the Russian leader set aside real time and privacy for him.

Inclusion in the Epstein files does not imply guilt. Mr Barak has acknowledged visiting Epstein but maintains he never observed any inappropriate behaviour or parties.

Mr Jagland distanced himself from Epstein late last year as it emerged in a previous release of files that they had discussed Russia and US president Donald Trump in 2018.

In June 2013, Epstein emailed Jagland inviting Putin for dinner, the files show. He said: Bill Gates will be staying with me in paris , for sund monday, putin is welcome to join for dinner.

The files show Epstein also tried to set up a meeting with Putin in early 2014, when Mr Jagland said he was going to meet the president in Sochi.

That July, Epstein received an email from a contact saying: I wasnt able to convince Reid to change his schedule to go meet Putin with you. ;-)

Epstein replied: Bad idea now after plane crash. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crashed three days prior, killing 283 on board. A UN body ruled last year that Russia was responsible, though the Kremlin always denied responsibility.

Files show Epstein asked Mr Jagland for help again in 2015. He wrote: I still would like to meet putin and talk economy, i would really appreciate your assistance.

Trump and Putin in Helsinki in 2018 (AFP/Getty)

Epstein offered insight on Trump

In 2016, he asked Mr Jagland when he would see Putin, and in 2017, he asked him to talk to putin re digital currencies . the future.

On 20 June, 2018, as previously reported, he emailed Mr Jagland: Would love to meet putin.

It emerged in a previous file dump that four days later, Epstein tried to pass a message on to Russias top diplomat via Mr Jagland.

I think you might suggest to putin that lavrov can get insight on talking to me, he wrote in an email dated 24 June, 2018. Lavrov likely refers to Russias minister of foreign affairs and close Putin ally Sergey Lavrov.

vitaly churkin used to .but he died. ? ! he added, referring to the late Russian ambassador to the UN, who had passed away a year prior.

In the Epstein emails, Lavrov likely refers to Russias minister of foreign affairs and close Putin ally Sergey Lavrov (AP)

Mr Jagland said he would meet with Mr Lavrovs assistant and suggest, to which Epstein replied: churkin was great . he understood trump after our conversations. it is not complex. he must be seen to get something its that simple.

In a text message to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK last year, Mr Jagland said: In my work I have met a lot of people, many have put me in contact with even more. This is part of normal diplomatic activity.

What has come to light about Jeffrey Epsteins private life, I strongly distance myself from. For me, it was particularly important to understand Donald Trump and what developed in the relationship between the United States and Europe  Many wanted to start a process to exclude Russia from the Council of Europe and thus Russian citizens access to the European Court of Human Rights. I used every opportunity to get my view across on how serious this was.

Many of the items referencing Putin only refer to him tangentially, such as in media bulletins sent to Epsteins email address.

A separate 2010 email exchange between Epstein and an email address named The Duke, included in the new files, suggests Epstein also set up a dinner between the former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and a beautiful 26-year-old Russian woman.

Epstein writes in the message: I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with.

In response, The Duke replies: Of course. I am in Geneva until the morning of 22nd but would be delighted to see her. Will she be bringing a message from you? Please give her my contact details to get in touch. A.

Asked for more information about the unnamed woman, Epstein replied: she 26, russian, clevere beautiful, trustworthy and yes she has your email.
Royal Caribbean's private beach club is ready to welcome guests (Scott's House Media Agency)

Royal Caribbeans exclusive Bahamas beach club has officially opened, giving cruise passengers access to private beaches and even their own cabanas.

The instantly recognisable crown and anchor of the dazzling blue Royal Caribbean logo greets you as you sail into port in Nassau in the Bahamas

As the ship docks, the old town of Nassau lures guests with its rum bars, beaches and straw markets.

Just a five-minute ferry ride away to Paradise Island and close to the famous Atlantis hotel, the cruise line has turned once-derelict land into a vibrant new destination.

Thousands of guests on the cruise lines Caribbean cruises each day will get the chance to party in the worlds largest swim-up bar, or relax in the sun with family and friends on Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.

Royal Beach Club greets guests as they approach Nassau (Marc Shoffman)

Officially opened on 23 December 2025, the beach club is part of Royal Caribbeans plan to provide unique all-round holiday experiences.

The cruise line already has private Caribbean islands such as CocoCay  with another to be launched in Mexico in autumn 2027  where guests can enjoy Royal Caribbeans Perfect Day with waterslides, splash pools and beaches.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island means guests are able to enjoy an even more exclusive experience during stops in the Bahamas.

Heres what you need to know.

Read more: Royal Caribbean brings new private beach club to the Med

What is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island?

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is Royal Caribbeans own private 17-acre stretch of beach which is reserved solely for its cruise passengers.

It is only accessible by five colourful ferries  Flirty Flamingo (pink), Sassy Starfish (blue), Coral Calypso (orange), Twisted Turtle (green), and Lucky Lizard (turquoise)  that will pick guests up from the ship. They will transport them to and from two docks that provide access to three private areas on the beach.

A Royal Caribbean ferry will transport guests to its private beach club in the Bahamas (Marc Shoffman)

Each ferry, which proudly flies the flag of the Bahamas as well as the Royal Caribbean logo, can carry 241 passengers so there is plenty of space.

Guests can choose from seven beach bars and three poolside bars. The private beach has capacity for up to 4,000 people.

Where is Royal Beach Club Paradise Island?

Guests will be welcomed by local artists and performers at the Royal Beach Club (Royal Caribbean)

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is based in Nassau.

Its on Paradise Island close to the Atlantis hotel but is only accessible by Royal Caribbeans ferry fleet.

The idea is that guests have the option to explore Nassau or to visit the beach club, or both.

Passengers can relax on their choice of beaches while sampling Bahamian delights such as guava duff and watching performers from the island.

Royal Caribbean chose 11 local Bahamian artists to curate pieces across 25 locations on the beach club including large flamingo sculptures.

Read more: The biggest cruise trends for 2026, according to experts

How to visit Royal Beach Club Paradise Island

Guests can visit the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island during stops in Nassau.

But unlike CocoCay, which is free to enter and has extra charges for areas such as its waterpark, you will need to purchase a day pass for the new beach club experience.

Guests can choose from three day pass options. One comes with an unlimited open bar for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, dining and wifi that is available to people over age 21.

Royal Caribbean guests can purchase day passes for its private beach club in advance or on the ship during Caribbean cruises (Marc Shoffman)

Alternatively, you could opt for an unlimited non-alcoholic drinks option that comes with dining and wifi. Kids aged three and under go free. You can also purchase alcohol using this option.

These include full access as well as beach chairs and cabanas.

There is also an option to splash out on cabanas. This includes a two-level family cabana where up to 12 guests can use a private whirlpool, wet-dry slide, frozen drink machine and get premium attendant service, and more.

What is on Royal Beach Club Paradise Island?

Chill Beach on Royal Caribbean's new private beach club (Scott's House Media Agency)

Once you have you day pass, you can access a choice of three neighbourhoods.

There is Family Beach, with pools and beach games, or Chill Beach, which has The Deep End cocktail bar.

Those seeking a more upbeat experience can visit Party Cove.

This area of the beach has the worlds largest swim-up bar, The Floating Flamingo.

Guests can also book cabanas on The Party Deck, located on the second floor of The Floating Flamingo, where up to 12 guests can enjoy their own private pool-front space with dedicated food and beverage service.

Family Beach and Party Cove can be accessed from one dock and Chill Beach from the other.

Guests with day passes can gather on the ship and then decide which ferry to take based on where they want to visit first. You can also travel between the two docks on the ferries and back to the ship.

How much does Royal Beach Club Paradise Island cost?

Prices vary per sailing. Day passes start from 64.50 per adult, and 49.02 per child based on a sailing aboard Wonder of the Seas in February 2026. Children age three and under can enter for free.

Family cabana prices start from 3,317.40, but can be more expensive with prices reaching up to 7,300 in peak season.

Read more: The best Royal Caribbean cruises for 2026
Fear in Minneapolis as ICE agents terrorise city: I havent left my home in five weeks

Pastor Sergio Amezcua scans the cars lining this residential street in Minneapolis, to check whether ICE agents might have followed. He looks up at a helicopter circling overhead.

Do you think thats been tracking us? he asks, concern edging his voice.

From the back of his truck, he pulls out a large box of supplies and scans the street again.

He is here to deliver food to a Latino member of his congregation at Dios Habla Hoy Church who, despite living in the United States for 25 years and having a son with an American passport, has been too afraid to go outside for five weeks.

Maria* (not her real name) fears she could be seized by some of the thousands of federal agents deployed to the city under president Donald Trumps deadly immigration crackdown.

So when the pastor appears at her building, he finds her nervously hiding behind the front door, shaken by an unknown man standing there, who claims to be a delivery driver but is acting strangely.

I was scared he was trying to get in. I am terrified. I cant sleep at night, she says, after finally letting us in.

ICE agents and other law enforcement officers force entry into a home during an immigration raid in St. Paul, Minnesota, US, days after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good (Reuters)

As she speaks, she is trying to calm her dog, who has barely been outside for weeks and is running frantic loops around her tiny apartment.

She is running out of money as she hasnt been able to work since December.

One man I know was grabbed from his job inside McDonalds. His son cant even get his medicine to him inside the detention centre.

I feel like Im in jail here. Sometimes I cry and hide so my son doesnt see me.

The Department of Homeland Security says in the last few weeks alone more than 3,000 people have been detained. Among them children as young as five and US citizens.

Journalists covering protests have been arrested, and at least two citizens have been shot dead while witnesses told The Independent they were acting as observers.

Pastor Amezcua, who initially voted for Trump, prays with a sobbing Maria, helping her to calm down.

He says that since the launch of the administrations Operation Metro Surge, his church is now feeding around 150,000 people, most of them too terrified to leave their homes for fear of arrest, despite some being US citizens or having legal paperwork.

Pastor Amezcua prays with a member of his congregation in tears, too scared to leave her flat for a month (Bel Trew/The Independent)

Theyre racially profiling people, especially Latinos. This is the huge problem.

Attendance at Latino churches in Minnesota is down 80 per cent because people are afraid to come out. But half of my congregants are born in the US, and they are still afraid to come out. That is not just immigrants, this affects the entire community.

Its so bad, he continues, it feels like ethnic cleansing.

This is Minneapolis  a vibrant city of nearly half a million people  where fear and suspicion now crackle through the streets. The situation is so bad that residents have likened it to living under an authoritarian regime.

This is since the city became a central target of Trumps promised immigration crackdown. Citing crime control, he has deployed federal law enforcement to several Democrat-led cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Portland, Oregon.

The Department of Homeland Security has hailed the Minnesota operation as a huge victory for public safety, telling The Independent more than 3500 criminals have been arrested, including vicious murderers.

Minnesotas attorney general has unsuccessfully sought to block the operation (a federal judge declined to issue a halt order on Saturday).

The Dios Habla Hoy church in Minneapolis is now feeding 150,000 people, many too scared to leave their homes (Bel Trew/The Independent)

But fury at the crackdown has gripped the state  and the nation  sparking mass protests and country-wide strikes.

In the last few weeks, ICE operations have only intensified: disturbing footage has emerged apparently showing federal agents violently seizing people, shooting observers, firing on civilians, and tear-gassing crowds.

A spokesperson for the DHS told The Independent said their officers only use lethal force in defense of their own lives and for public safety adding: officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics.

The spokesperson vehemently rejected allegations that ICE engages in racial profile as disgusting, reckless and categorically FALSE claiming that this type of garbage is contributing to our officers facing a more than 1300% increase in assaults against them. The DHS maintained that a persons immigration status makes them a target for enforcement, not their skin color, race or ethnicity.

But mounting evidence has inspired an underground network of volunteers. Working through encrypted messaging apps, and in code, they track federal agents movements to warn at-risk communities, and deter agent activity.

Others, like Pastor Amezcuas church, try to keep people too afraid to leave their homes fed and alive.

The schools have stepped in, especially after Liam Ramos, a five-year-old Ecuadoran asylum seeker, was photographed in a bunny hat and a Spider-Man backpack being taken away by ICE agents as his father was seized during school drop off.

We feel hunted. We are under siege

Liam Ramos, 5, being detained by ICE agents outside his school (Columbia Heights Public Schools)

Zena Stenvik, the superintendent for Liams school district, says neighbours witnessed ICE agents even try to use Liam as bait to lure his mother out of their home. Liam was deported with his father to a detention centre in Texas.

After nationwide outrage, he was finally released back to Minnesota on Sunday.

But he is one of seven students from Stenviks district alone who have been detained in recent weeks by ICE. And so the schools are taking no chances.

Stenvik says the teachers are now chaperoning children to school, organising ride-shares, banning outside recess and patrolling streets near school grounds, to ensure parents and children are not abducted on route to class. Twenty per cent of their students are learning online at home.

We feel hunted. We are under siege, Stenvik continues, describing armed ICE patrols circling the school perimeters.

Young children are asking if their parents will be home when they return from school, or if they might be snatched on the way.

Jason Kuhlman, principal of Liams school, says the school was forced to deliver two children into custody on Thursday when their mother, also an asylum seeker, was arrested outside a courthouse following a mandated check-in for an asylum plea.

The boys had no other family in the country. Their mother had an impossible choice: allow her children to be swallowed into state foster care while she is deported, or be reunited in prison.

All we could do was pack their backpacks with food and supplies. We were crying with them, Kuhlman says, describing the moment he was forced to take them into Minnesotas Whipple detention centre.

We dont take children to jail. Thats not our job. Our job is to educate, he adds with emotion.

We were afraid wed never see them again.

I am a white female veteran  if it can happen to me, it can happen to you

You f**king move, Ill f**king taser you. Get the f**k out of the car right now, screams the masked and armed agent, giving contradictory orders as he points a Taser just a few centimetres away from the face of the passenger, who is filming.

This mobile phone footage was shot by a US veteran, who, together with her friend Skye, a disabled Marine veteran, was patrolling areas of Minneapolis following ICE convoys on 11 January.

Moments earlier  as seen in the video  Skye, who is in her 30s, says agents had smashed the drivers window next to her.

In the footage, agents can be seen dragging her headfirst from the car and aggressively pinning her to the ground.

They had me on my stomach, kneeling on me, Skye tells The Independent, showing the bruises still on her arm. My arm was wrenched back right up my head, my ankles in a lock.

She is still shaken by the experience which happened just four days after Renee Good, a mother of three, was shot dead in Skyes neighbourhood while, city leaders later said, she had also been acting as a legal observer of ICE activity. (Citizens have a First Amendment right to film law enforcement doing their job as long as they dont interfere.)

Skye was held briefly held at Whipple detention centre, questioned and later released. She does not know whether she faces formal charges.

She left town for a week, worried she might be picked up by agents again. On her return, she found another masked agent parked outside her apartment.

He aggressively approached me and started taking photos, she continues, showing me a photograph of the officer.

Its a constant worry theyll come back. I havent been able to take a breath or relax.

As we drive around town, she clocks the telltale signs of ICE agents, like cars with out-of-state number plates or no front plates.

She adds quietly that she is afraid shell end up in a concentration camp.

I am a white female veteran: if it can happen to me, it can happen to you, she warns.

When the president calls your community garbage, you worry

US Border Patrol agents detain an unidentified man of Somali descent in Minneapolis, Minnesota (AFP/Getty)

At the sprawling Karmel Mall  famously the largest Somali shopping centre in the country  even US passport holders are afraid to move around.

In this once-bustling hub in the southern area of the city, businesses are shuttered; the owners of those stores still open are reluctant to speak.

ICE agents have already staged raids here: there are posters everywhere saying ICE out and telling federal agents they cannot enter.

It feels dystopian, says Khalid, 24, a Somali-American student, whose mother has not left the house in a month, despite being a US citizen.

One of Khalids cousins was detained during an ICE raid on their apartment building, then later released without explanation. His mother also fears the administration may begin denaturalising citizens like her who were born outside of the US.

Most of us are American-born citizens. But when the president calls your community garbage and targets people based on how you look, you worry.

Trump  who called Americas Somali population garbage and Somalia a sh**hole in December  initially blamed the deployment of federal agents to Minneapolis on an investigation into alleged multi-billion-dollar fraud within Somali-run daycares.

Minnesota is home to more than 120,000 Somali residents, the largest population outside of Somalia, says Jaylani Hussein, a community leader and executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The overwhelming majority are citizens, green-card holders, or have paperwork, he explains.

There has been mass panic since Somali refugees were suddenly targeted two weeks ago, despite arriving legally and being on lawful pathways to citizenship, he continues, as we sit in the mall.

Many were shipped immediately to detention in Texas. We were able to get a lot of them back through legal challenges, but it sent shockwaves through the community.

A few days ago, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the arrest and detention of lawfully admitted refugees in Minnesota, providing some relief, he continues. But fear persists.

Its chaos.

This is about terrorising, not only undocumented people, documented people and residents

Volunteers at the DHH church load hundreds of boxes of food supplies ready to deliver to vulnerable families in Minneapolis (Bel Trew/The Independent)

Back at the Dios Habla Hoy Church, volunteers with their own cars are ready to ferry supplies to those who are too afraid to go to the grocery store.

All of them have been vetted and trained in techniques like evading ICE surveillance to protect the vulnerable people they are visiting. They line up to receive the Signal group chat of the day, and code names for addresses in case those chats are infiltrated.

Laura, 64, a resident of Minneapolis, is volunteering 60 hours a week now.

Like many people The Independent has spoken to, she believes this is not only about immigration but about punishing Minneapolis, which, since Trumps first term in office  with the protests against the murder of George Floyd  has been a heartland of dissent.

This is about terrorising, not only undocumented people, but documented people and residents. This is authoritarianism, she continues.

Pastor Amezcua says they will keep going for as long as it takes, but they need Congress and the Supreme Court to do their jobs.

We want our kids to be able to go outside and play or go to school, he concludes, at the end of another busy day.

We need checks and balances of the executive branch. [Congress] needs to stop being cheerleaders of this agenda. So we can continue to keep the American dream alive.
Frankie Dettori brought the curtain down his glittering career in the saddle by riding a double in Brazil on Sunday.

The decorated Italian initially retired on Champions Day at Ascot on 2023, but while Champion Stakes success aboard the Amo Racing-owned King Of Steel was his last ride in Britain, he later reversed his decision to call it a day when announcing he would continue his career in America.

The 55-year-old confirmed last November that his time in the States would come to an end at the Breeders Cup at Del Mar and he has since enjoyed a short spell in South America, riding winners in Argentina and Uruguay before concluding his retirement tour at Gavea racecourse in Rio de Janeiro.

It did not take Dettori long to make his mark, first standing up in the stirrups and saluting the crowd after steering Speak Alpha to an emphatic success.

He later doubled up aboard Bet You Can at Grade One level in the Grande Premio Estado do Rio De Janeiro, the Brazilian 2000 Guineas and the first leg of Brazils Triple Crown, giving him one last opportunity to perform his trademark flying dismount celebration.

FRANKIE HAS HIS WINNER!  In his first of five rides tonight, @FrankieDettori guides Speak Alpha to success at Gavea pic.twitter.com/Ji3QoF4Nqg  At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 1, 2026

In an earlier statement on Instagram, Dettori said: Today I climb into the saddle for the last time, and its hard to put into words what Im feeling.

Racing has been my life. I began riding in Italy as a 15-year-old boy nearly 40 years ago, and this sport has given me everything. It may not have been perfect at times, but I have loved every single moment. Ive travelled the world, met incredible people, made memories I will carry forever and have been lucky enough to ride some truly extraordinary horses.

To my family, thank you for your love, patience, and unwavering support. You shared the journey and sacrifices and you are the reason for everything.

To every trainer, owner, stable staff member, and jockey Ive shared this journey with, thank you. Weve had some laughs along the way.

And to the fans, you were always there. Your love and support carried me around the world and lifted me more than youll ever know.

Thank you for letting a young boy live his dream.

Authorized and Frankie Dettori winning the Derby at Epsom (Rebecca Naden/PA) (Rebecca Naden)

Dettori rode his first winner in Italy back in 1986, registering his initial British success the following year before enjoying a swift ascent through the ranks that saw him crowned champion apprentice in 1989.

He went on to be British champion on three occasions and won every British Classic at least twice, famously having 14 unsuccessful attempts in the Derby before he finally broke his duck on Authorized in 2007.

He has been associated with numerous equine greats, including dual Prix de lArc de Triomphe winner Enable and top stayer Stradivarius in more recent years.

Dettoris glittering CV includes many of the worlds showpiece events, including notching 15 winners at the Breeders Cup, while he famously shot to prominence when making the headlines with his Magnificent Seven at Ascot in 1996  winning all seven races at the Berkshire track at huge odds.

Having now hung up his saddle for good, he will take up an ambassadorial role for Kia Joorabchains Amo Racing team.
Drivers can now check fuel prices at every petrol station across the UK using a new government service.

The Fuel Finder service makes it compulsory for garages and fuel stations to report a change in prices.

It means that motorists can easily check real-time data to compare prices between forecourts, and has been welcomed by motoring organisations the AA and the RAC as a win for consumers.

AA president Edmund King said that, "for too long", drivers have been "held hostage to the whims of fuel retailers", as they are unable to see that lower prices could be "found just down the road".

"Fuel station owners who priced below the artificially high levels of nearby rivals but had little way of getting that message out to potential customers now have the means to do so," he added.

Here, Yahoo News explains how the new system works and how much you could potentially save at the pumps.

What is Fuel Finder?

Fuel Finder is a government service that brings together live retail fuel prices and forecourt information across the UK into one trustworthy database.

The scheme aligns with new duties imposed on fuel retailers, which now have a duty to "update fuel prices within 30 minutes of a price change".

All petrol station managers will be legally required to submit updated prices as part of the scheme. (xiu bao)

Fuel court operators are also now required to update forecourt information (for example, on amenities and facilities) within three days of any change.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero says Fuel Finder will help fuel retailers meet these new duties; enable authorised organisations to find and share trusted open data; and allow people to report issues they spot at forecourts.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said last month that the focus will be on supporting businesses to comply with the new regime, rather than enforcement action until the start of May.

How much can I save with Fuel Finder?

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has suggested the scheme could help the average household save around 40 a year by encouraging more competitive pricing.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has suggested drivers could save as much as 4.50 each time they fill up.

Fuel Finder was recommended by the watchdog, which has published several reports on unfairness and lack of transparency in the UK's fuel market in recent years.

Read more: The changes to car VED road tax costs for 2026, explained (Yahoo News)

The CMA's most recent report, published in December, said that competition in the market remained "weak" and that profit margins remained "persistently high" and could not be explained by operating costs.

An earlier study found "price discrepancies at a local level, right across the UK", which was particularly noticeable on the motorway, where drivers in 2022 were paying around 20p more for petrol and 15p more for diesel.

The RAC also warned in 2023 that drivers were paying, on average, 20p more per litre for diesel, despite little difference in wholesale market prices.

How does Fuel Finder work?

Drivers can find the information on participating third-party apps and websites, allowing them to check the most up-to-date prices at any petrol station across the country.

There does not appear to be a definitive list yet, but the service is open to any platforms already providing price comparisons that want to make use of this data.

New government guidance includes instructions for drivers to report discrepancies between forecourt prices and online figures.

Drivers will view them on mobile phones and smart devices, and will eventually choose where to buy cheaper fuel at the most convenient place by looking at the information screens in their cars," said King.

Suggesting that encouraging competition will lower prices, Williams added: "As a growing number of the countrys 8,300 forecourts submit their prices on a daily basis, drivers will be able to easily find the cheapest forecourts near them using their favoured app or sat nav."

Drivers and forecourt managers can contact the Fuel Finder team at fuel.finder@ve3.global or on 02038 365 818 for support.
An FBI employee places crime scene tape outside the Fulton county election center in Union City, Georgia, last week. Photograph: Alyssa Pointer/Reuters (Photograph: Alyssa Pointer/Reuters)

Fulton county leaders said they would fire back in court on Monday, intent on limiting the scope of a federal warrant that led the FBI to seize 2020 elections documents last week.

County attorneys intend to file a motion in federal court asking for an order mandating the return of property that was unlawfully seized or retained, said the Fulton county commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr.

The FBI needs to explain why they took original documents including ballots, instead of the copies that a previous ruling in a related civil case had entitled them to, Arrington said.

The judge in that case told them that they could not get the records, and so instead of them complying with that order, they did an end run and circumvented the judges order, Arrington said. I cant imagine that Judge [Thomas W] Thrash will be happy about the fact that they did this after he said no.

The Department of Justice had been pursuing a civil case in tandem with Georgias Trump-aligned state board of elections, looking to re-investigate repeatedly debunked claims of election fraud in Georgia.

But last week, FBI agents descended on Fulton countys elections offices to seize about 700 boxes of 2020 election documents, citing a criminal warrant obtained by the St Louis-based US attorney Thomas Albus, whom the administration has designated as its point-person on election integrity cases.

The special agent in charge of the Atlanta field office, Paul Brown, resigned from his post roughly a week before agents served the warrant. No public explanation has been given.

A criminal investigation related to the 2020 election blindsided and confused Fulton county officials. The two statutes that are listed in their warrant are misdemeanor statutes, and the statute of limitations has expired on those statutes, Arrington said. So they couldnt even bring charges on those charges if they wanted to.

Elections experts say the way agents seized the documents will create more questions than it answers about the 2020 election.

By removing ballots and other election materials from their secure, locally controlled environment, the chain of custody is broken, rendering any future claims from those materials unreliable, said Pamela Smith, president and CEO of Verified Voting, a non-profit that advocates for election security and the use of paper ballots.

Fulton countys voters are relying on their election officials to prepare  without disruption  for a new election that is just around the corner, Smith said. At the behest of the administration, which has no role in the conduct of elections, this raid is manufacturing chaos, intimidating election workers, and sowing distrust ahead of the states primaries, this years midterms, and the 2028 presidential election.

The New York Times reported on Monday that Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, took a phone call with Donald Trump and FBI agents shortly after the raid concluded, with the president congratulating agents on their success. Gabbard was also spotted at the county elections hub as the raid occurred.

Last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump again said that the 2020 US presidential election was compromised. It was a rigged election, he said. Everybody now knows that. They found out. People will soon be prosecuted for what they did. Thats probably breaking news.
The Democrats will support immigration control -- at this precise point By Selwyn Duke

web posted February 2, 2026 Anyone who thinks the Democrats oppose border control, or even deportation, in principle doesn't grasp the principle operative here. Leftists, morally relativistic/nihilistic to the core, don't have principlesonly provisional preferences. They could one day support the strictest immigration control imaginable, too. When? Well, while I'll elaborate more on this later, here's a hint: No one wants the apple cart overturned when it's his apple cart. It's no secret that having millions of unvetted, unknown interlopers in your midst imperils the citizenry. Many illegal aliens in our country are hard-core criminals , toomurderers, rapists, child molesters, and other assorted miscreants. In fact, the Trump administration has removed approximately 5,000 illegals in this category within the past year. (I illustrate this a bit more in my video " What the Media WON'T Tell You About ICEBut Reagan Will .") Is it a stretch saying that had these 5,000 lowlifes been allowed to stay in the U.S., they'd have eventually harmed 5,000 more citizens? You can decide. Also no secret, however, is that infinitely greater still are the harms of balkanizing your nation with massive numbers of unassimilable Third Worlders. Our country rose to prominence as a Western land, an inheritor of the greatest civilization to ever grace planet Earth. "Make American great again"? A prerequisite for her greatness is that she remain Western in character. It has become a cliche, but import enough of "there" here, and here becomes there. Apropos to this, we hear stories about this or that Minnesota Somali rapist, such as the "diversifier" who kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old girl in 2024. (His mosque submitted letters of support for him post-conviction. Was the man just following Mohamed's example?) But then there's the wide-scale rape of our republic. In Minnesota, 81 percent of Somali immigrant households are getting taxpayer-funded handouts , as are 89 percent of Somali-headed families with children. There's also, of course, the Somali government-fraud scandal, through which up to $9 billion was bilked from American taxpayers. And while self-confessed "knucklehead" Governor Tim Walz (D-Minn.) was busy deflecting with talk about imaginary crimes by white men, the North Star State transgressions reflect typical Somali behavior. Corruption is endemic in such Third World lands. Oh, this doesn't mean these newcomers haven't adjusted to American life. They havethey know they can now scam at an infinitely higher level. A Substack writer named Kari Stark explained well how the Somali mentality transforms Minnesota nice into Minnesota vice (all enabled by Minnesota stupid). Relating that she made Somali friends while residing in that state, she recounted an eye-opening conversationone that moved her "to the right." After mentioning to one Somali acquaintance that lying for political gain is short-sighted, the person replied , "Why would I care about that? They're not my tribe. Those are your rules, not ours." To those on the fence: Do you get it yet? Not all groups share anything even remotely approaching a Western mentality. (For more info, read the phenomenal 2009 piece , "Taliban From Outer Space.") Suffice it to say, too, there's a reason our second president, John Adams, composed his famous 1798 line, "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Oh, and pro tip: When Adams said "moral and religious," he wasn't thinking of Sharia-oriented and Islamic. Really, though, the above realities are intuitive. It takes some steroid-engorged "woke" conditioning to twist people's minds into believing that "all groups are fundamentally the same." To anyone not thus brainwashed, it's obvious that balkanizing your own land, and allowing mini-nations within your nation to metastasize, is a disastrously bad idea. This is why both the Romans and Soviets would sometimes scatter groups throughout their realms; the goal was to forestall rebellion by diluting ethnic, cultural or regional cohesion. Of course, the Romans' and Soviets' balkanization troubles resulted from importing themselves to foreigners (empire-building); ours result from importing foreigners to ourselves. Moreover, Caesar and Stalin didn't have to worry about their "diversifiers" voting them from office. (Representative government wasn't their bag.) In our case, we now have a stone-cold communist as our largest municipality's mayor, a man who has essentially said that the Big Apple is a city of, by and for immigrantsand now led by an immigrant. How stupid are we? Anytime you have to speak of the "Somali community" or any _______ community (where the blank isn't "American"), there's a problem. It means you've imported too many people from one or more cultures too fast, have failed in assimilation efforts, have invited in the unassimilable, or some combination thereof. It also means that some politicians will pander to them. And you have created a destabilizing situation. This brings us to Democrats' lust affair with immigration. Though an odd species for sure, there's nothing in leftists' genome preventing them from grasping balkanization's perils (and, again, "left-wing" Stalin sure understood them). Rather, Democrats well know it's perilouscurrently to their mortal enemy: traditional America. Democrats, first, use (im)migrants for apportionment purposes (i.e., greater populations give a state more congressional seatsand illegals are included in the count). Second, leftists know that most newcomers will vote for them upon naturalization, and sometimes before. But then there's another factor, an old communist strategy: "active measures"or subversion. Late Soviet defector Yuri Bezmenov explained this well close to a half century ago. Subversion has four stages: demoralization, destabilization, crisis and normalization. He remarked that the "demoralization" processwhereby Americans are propagandized to the point where they distrust their traditional institutionswas "over-fulfilled" in the mid-'80s already. And today? It's so bad that Americanism is as foreign to many citizens as it is to the foreigners their provisionally xenophilic selves embrace. This helps explain, too, why they hate their more traditional fellow citizens and subordinate them to migrants: Patriotic Americans are more alien to them than any alien could ever be. Subversion's third stage, crisis, is when a revolution occurs. As for "normalization," it's a euphemism referencing the process of stamping out all dissent after a successful revolution wins you power. And this brings us to when Democrats' immigration lust affair would end. Disruptive immigration intensifies "destabilization," that second subversion stage. This is fine when someone else runs the country and you want his power; it's not so appealing when you seize that power and aim to maintain it. You then want to stabilize the apple cartit's yours now. (Why do you think the Chinese have Uighurs in concentration camps?) So the Democrats would continue loving (im)migration till the moment they achieved the unassailable power they crave. After that, its utility would be gone. So don't think leftists actually have compassion for migrants or would truly die on Diversity Hill. They are philanderers of ideas. Oh, they may say, "Immigration, submit to my designs; I'll respect you in the morning." But they won'tnot when that morning will be the dawn of their everlasting new day. Addendum: For those interested, a Bezmenov interview in which he discusses left-wing subversion is here. Contact Selwyn Duke , follow him on X , Truth Social , MeWe , Gettr , Tumblr , Instagram or Substack or log on to SelwynDuke.com . Home

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Golden, performed by the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X from Netflixs KPop Demon Hunters, has become the first-ever K-pop song to win at the Grammys.

The song took home the award for best song written for visual media at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, and was presented during the pre-telecast premiere ceremony.

Released as the lead single from the animated film, Golden quickly became the breakout success of the summer, winning awards at both the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards.

KPop Demon Hunters follows popular K-pop girl group HUNTR/X, who lead a double life as hunters battling a rival boy band, the Saja Boys, who turn out to be demons. Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami provide the singing voices for the HUNTR/Xs members in the film.

Jeong Hoon Seo, Mark Sonnenblick, Ejae, Yu Han Lee, Park Hong Jun, and Hee Dong Nam, winners of Best Song Written for Visual Media for "Golden" at the 68th GRAMMY Awards (Getty Images)

Ejae is a South Korean songwriter who has worked with some of the biggest K-pop acts like EXO and Red Velvet, while Korean-American artists Nuna and Rei Ami have gained attention in the US for their genre-blending solo work and collaborations with artists like Jack Harlow and Amine.

Golden was also nominated for song of the Year, best pop duo/group performance, and best remixed recording. The song is also nominated at the forthcoming Oscars for best original song.

Growing up, people didnt know where Korea was. Singing the Korean lyrics word by word, it means so much. I think this award is about that representation. Todays about celebrating culture, Ejae said later in the press room.

This win represents the end of a series of near-misses at the Grammys for the K-pop genre. BTS, who became the first K-pop act to receive a Grammy nomination in 2021 and have since been nominated several times, did not win in any of their categories.

However, this years edition has seen more K-pop nominations, with Blackpinks Rose garnering multiple nominations in major categories like record of the year and song of the year, as well as global group Katseye getting nominated for best new artist and best pop duo/group performance.

Audrey Nuna, Ejae, and Rei Ami of Kpop Demon Hunters at the 68th GRAMMY Awards (Getty Images)

Earlier last year, HUNTR/Xs songs made Billboard history, with becoming the first all-female trio to top the charts since Destinys Child. They are also the first all-female group associated with K-pop to top the Hot 100 with Golden, which is also the only second K-pop single ever to top the Official Singles Chart in the UK, following Psys Gangnam Style in 2012.

In October, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami made their live television debut performing Golden on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and followed up with live performances at the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and iHeartRadios Jingle Ball.

Since KPop Demon Hunters release in June, it has become Netflixs most-watched animated film . After its premiere, it topped Netflixs global movie charts for four consecutive days, steadily expanding its reach, beginning with 17 countries on the first day and climbing to 41 within just four days. While no official announcement has been made, industry publication Deadline has reported that a KPop Demon Hunters sequel is in the pipeline for a potential 2029 release.
Karin Smyth does not know the impact of immigration rule changes on NHS staff (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Archive)

The government has admitted it does not know how many NHS staff will be affected by its proposed changes to immigration rules, as a consultation on the reforms draws to a close.

Health minister Karin Smyth confirmed her department lacks information on the national impact of the plans on NHS workers.

The proposed reforms seek to extend the period required for individuals to gain settled status in the UK, with indefinite leave to remain (ILR) typically granted only after 10 years, subject to specific criteria.

While doctors and nurses directly employed by the NHS are exempt from these new rules, staff in social care and private healthcare  including those working on NHS-contracted cases to reduce backlogs  will be impacted.

The policy, announced last year, was framed as an effort to strengthen the government's stance on immigration and reduce arrivals.

Labour MPs, including Neil Duncan-Jordan for Poole, have criticised the approach as "un-British" and an attempt to pander to Reform.

Neil Duncan-Jordan has criticised the proposals (UK Parliament)

Trade bodies have also voiced strong opposition, with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) labelling the plans a "grave error" and the Unison union warning they would divide parts of the NHS into "high and low skilled" workers.

In response to a written parliamentary question from Mr Duncan-Jordan, Ms Smyth stated: "The department does not hold information on the number of existing National Health Service workers nationally who could be affected by proposed changes to the rules on indefinite leave to remain."

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) told the Press Association that it is important the NHS avoids being "over-reliant on international recruitment" and announced its workforce plan would be published in the spring. The consultation on these ILR reforms is set to conclude in a fortnight.

Currently, individuals living in the UK on specific valid visas for five years automatically qualify for indefinite leave to remain.

However, the new proposals would double this to 10 years for many, potentially extending to 15 years for some.

Applicants would also need to meet additional criteria, including language proficiency and demonstrating a "sustained and measurable economic contribution". The government also intends to make it more difficult for visa holders to bring dependants.

Introducing the consultation in November, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "To become a part of this country, permanently, is therefore not a right but a privilege  and one that must be earned."

Responding to the health ministers admission, Mr Duncan-Jordan said: "The Government is pushing through sweeping immigration changes, yet the Department for Health and Social Care does not even know how many NHS and care workers will be affected. That should ring alarm bells."

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood introduced the consultation on the changes back in November (PA) (PA Wire)

He added: "We have the troubling situation where the left hand of Government does not seem to know what the right is doing  with the Casey Review promising a new strategy for social care at the same time the Home Office squeezes out the very workers keeping the sector afloat."

Mr Duncan-Jordan further criticised the policy, stating: "This policy is designed to out-Reform Reform and chase Nigel Farages tail, when we should be starting from fairness and securing the skills our country depends on. Breaking our word to people already here is wrong and un-British."

The number of people applying for a health and care worker visa in the UK nearly halved last year, with approximately 61,000 applications (main applicants or dependants) compared to 123,300 in 2024.

This decline followed changes introduced last summer, which ended overseas recruitment for care workers and raised the minimum salary for skilled workers to 41,700.

While NHS doctors and nurses, or those paying higher taxes, might still qualify for settlement after five years under the proposals, lower-qualified workers who arrived on health and social care visas during the so-called "Boris wave" from 2022 could face a 15-year wait.

Amber Jabbal, director of policy at the Royal College of Nursing, said their analysis indicated one in 10 registered nurses would be affected.

Ms Jabbal warned that thousands could be "driven away" from health and care settings at a time of existing staff shortages.

She stated: "International nursing staff are crucial to the functioning of our health and care services. We should be thanking them for the sacrifices they make to care for us, not seeking to make their lives more difficult."

Ms Jabbal continued: "While the Government has stated that nurses working in the NHS wont be directly affected by the changes, extending the ILR qualifying period for the rest of the nursing profession and registered nursing staff in social and primary care would be a grave error, causing uncertainty and denying them access to vital support. It is also a disaster for patients."

Helga Pile, head of health at Unison, commented: "To introduce these life-altering rules with so many unanswered questions is nothing short of reckless."

She added: "Every overseas worker in the NHS will be affected if they dont already have residence rights. That will leave key workers in limbo for 15 years under these proposals and will cause chaos for long-term planning in healthcare."

Ms Pile concluded: "NHS staff are all part of one team but that will be split apart by the Home Offices view about who is high or low skilled. Ministers must conduct a proper impact assessment on the health and care sector before these plans go any further."

There have been calls for more clarity for NHS staff (Getty)

Dora-Olivia Vicol, chief executive of the Work Rights Centre, echoed calls for clarity, stating: "We urgently need a detailed impact assessment. Without it, this consultation is a farce."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson reiterated: "We are proud that the NHS is one of the most diverse workforces in the world and we hugely value the contribution of our overseas staff."

However, they added: "it is important we are not over-reliant on international recruitment at the expense of giving opportunities to our own homegrown talent."

The spokesperson confirmed their upcoming workforce plan, due this spring, would further detail staffing plans for the NHS.
The painting was analysed using infrared technology to uncover its underdrawing beneath the many layers of paint. Photograph: Hever Castle (Photograph: Hever Castle)

Anne Boleyns Hever Rose portrait is one of historys most iconic faces, with her B pendant, her French hood, her dark eyes and a red rose in her right hand. Now a secret that has remained hidden for nearly 500 years has been discovered beneath the layers of paint.

Scientific analysis of the painting at Hever Castle, her childhood home in Kent, has uncovered evidence that an Elizabethan artist sought to create a visual rebuttal to claims that Henry VIIIs ill-fated wife was a witch with a sixth finger on her right hand.

While dendrochronological or tree-ring analysis has dated the oak panel to about 1583  within the reign of Annes daughter, Elizabeth I  infrared technology has uncovered a dramatic underdrawing.

A discarded triangular form beneath Annes right arm is thought to record the precise moment that the artist departed from an inherited design, deciding instead to show Anne holding a red rose, with her hands and fingers clearly visible.

In the 16th century, artists used patterns drawn from life in brief sittings, so that they could reproduce royal portraits consistently. These were circulated between workshops as approved likenesses.

The Hever Rose underdrawing shows that the artist initially used the so-called B pattern, which generally focused on Annes head and shoulders, before adapting it to debunk the slander of the day as a lie.

Dr Owen Emmerson, an assistant curator at Hever, said: By clearly displaying five digits on each hand, the portrait acts as a visual rebuttal to hostile rumours and as a defence of Anne Boleyn  and, by extension, of her daughter Elizabeths legitimacy.

Anne was imprisoned for adultery in the Tower of London in 1536. Although she denied the charges, she was found guilty of treason and beheaded. Her only crime had been her failure to give Henry VIII a son.

The king had divorced the first of his six wives, Catherine of Aragon, to marry Anne  a marriage that led him to break with the Catholic church and brought about the English Reformation. Henry VIII removed all traces of Anne from the royal palaces and no portrait painted during her lifetime is thought to have survived.

The Hever team conclude from the latest analysis that their portrait is the earliest scientifically dated panel portrait of Anne currently known, created when her image was being consciously re-examined during Elizabeth Is reign, at a time of intense political and religious anxiety.

In her 2025 book, The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn, Helene Harrison suggested that Annes hands were prominently displayed in the Hever Rose portrait to counter claims by Nicholas Sanders, a 16th-century writer and activist, who campaigned for the restoration of Roman Catholicism in England. He sought to undermine Elizabeth Is legitimacy, writing that Anne had on her right hand six fingers. On being told of the new evidence, Harrison said it was amazing to find that the analysis supported her theory.

Kate McCaffrey, who is also an assistant curator at Hever, said: Its really thrilling. This is very strong evidence of a visual rebuttal of a very specific myth of witchcraft and six fingers, which is really quite extraordinary. The scientific analysis extends this to a very specific political moment in time.

Related: Its astonishing how well it has lasted: Anglesey marks 200th anniversary of beloved bridge

Its Elizabeths way of not only reclaiming her own legitimacy and lineage, but also restoring the legitimacy of her mother. Its impossible to say that Elizabeth herself commissioned this portrait, but it certainly seems too much of a coincidence for it not to be in response to rumours that were circulating at this time.

The dendrochronology was undertaken by Ian Tyers, an independent specialist, while infrared reflectography and material analysis were conducted at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of Cambridge.

The portrait will feature in a forthcoming exhibition at Hever, titled Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn. It will explore how Annes image was created, deliberately altered and politically deployed.

For her contemporaries, beauty was in the eye of the beholder. While the Venetian ambassador Francesco Sanuto described her as not one of the handsomest women in the world, the German humanist Simon Grynaeus thought she was good-looking.

McCaffrey said: Her appeal lay in her intelligence, confidence and charisma. That is what caught Henrys eye and heart.

Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn opens on 11 February, running until 2 January 2027.
A tourist shows a ticket to enter the Trevi fountain basin on the first day of paid admission in Rome. Photograph: Alessandro Di Meo/EPA (Photograph: Alessandro Di Meo/EPA)

Teresa Romero is in Rome to celebrate a milestone birthday and one of the first things she did on Monday was visit the Trevi fountain to participate in the ritual of tossing a coin into the waters of the late baroque masterpiece.

But before the Portuguese tourist could get close to the fountain, she had to hand over 2 (1.70)  the cost of an access fee that has finally been enacted by Rome council officials after years of discussions.

I think its normal and 2 is nothing  the price of a coffee, Romero said as she left the monument. The most important thing is to preserve history.

The aim of the charge, which applies between 11.30am and 10pm on weekdays and from 9am to 10pm at weekends, is to help authorities manage the crowds better and raise funds to pay for the fountains upkeep. More than 10 million people visited the Trevi in 2025 alone.

The payment is only for visitors who walk down the fountains steps to reach the basin. They can enjoy as much time there as they please, tossing coins over their shoulders in a ritual that is said to guarantee a return to the Eternal City, and posing for selfies. They cant eat, drink or smoke in the area of the basin. People who live in Rome are exempt from the fee, as are people with disabilities and children under the age of six.

The fee was forecast to bring in 6.5m a year, money that would be used to invest in the fountain and other monuments in the Italian capital.

Alessandro Onorato, Romes tourism chief, described the measure as a healthy revolution. Until a year ago, visiting the Trevi fountain was an absurd experience, he said in reference to the huge crowds who would gather at the basin, some of whom would jump in.

The Trevi fountains white marble sparkled under a clear blue sky on the first day of the access fee and most people appeared happy to pay it, either in cash or through contactless payment machines. Tickets can also be bought online.

But there were grumbles among some. This isnt a good thing at all, said Irma Pavitashvili, a tourist from Georgia, as she walked away from the monument after being asked for 2. This fountain should be for everyone.

Related: Stop swimming in our canals! And put some clothes on! Venice declares war on unruly tourists

Alma Peterson, a visitor from the US, agreed. Its not right to charge people  this is history, it should be free.

Onorato shrugged off the complaints. I think tourists were shocked by the fact that the city of Rome is only asking for 2 for a site of this level, he said. If the Trevi fountain had been in New York, they would have asked for 100, not 2.

As visitor numbers to Rome and across Italy rise rapidly, charges to visit popular sites that were previously free are becoming increasingly normal.

Since 2023, a 5 fee has been in place at the Pantheon, which was built by the Roman emperor Hadrian and is famous for its oculus  the hole in its giant dome. Day trippers to Venice must pay a fee to enter the city during peak season and, since December, tourists have to pay to enter the courtyard in Verona associated with Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet.
Israel has opened Gazas Rafah crossing for the limited movement of Palestinians into and out of the enclave.

It is the first time that the border with Egypt has been open for Palestinians since May 2024, when it was largely shut after the Israeli military seized the crossing.

More than 20,000 injured and wounded people are awaiting medical treatment. Israel has permitted 50 patients (each accompanied by two relatives) to leave at a time.

The opening of the border was a crucial part of US-brokered ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, led by US president Donald Trump, and marks the second stage of the agreement.

Rafah became highly politicised during the height of the bombardment when humanitarian aid was restricted, and thousands of aid trucks containing food and medical aid were not allowed to enter.

As Palestinians crossed, images appeared to show heavy surveillance, narrow lanes, gates fenced with barbed wire, and extensive security checks being conducted at a checkpoint. Only people will be allowed to pass in and out, with no goods permitted.

Only 50 patients will be allowed to leave Gaza at a time (AFP/Getty)

Palestinian officials reported that 100,000 people had left Gaza since October 2023, the vast majority in the first nine months of the onslaught. At least 30,000 Palestinians have registered with the Palestinian embassy in Cairo to return to Gaza, an embassy official told the Associated Press.

However, the United Nations has called on Israel to allow unfettered movement for Palestinians as well as the entry of humanitarian aid in line with international law.

We would want to see humanitarian cargo and private cargo go in, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday. And, of course, in terms of movements of people through the Rafah crossing, Palestinians need to be able to come out or go in, as they wish, in line with international law.

Save the Children demanded the immediate and urgent opening of Rafah and all border crossings and the safe, unrestricted passage of humanitarian assistance.

More than 90 per cent of housing has been destroyed with the vast majority of the population living in tents (AFP/Getty)

But Israel has banned Medecins Sans Frontieres, accusing the charity of being part of military infrastructure that shields terrorism after it refused to provide a list of Palestinian staff. MSF called the decision a pretext to obstruct humanitarian assistance. It joins the list of 37 banned aid groups, including ActionAid, the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision International and Oxfam Quebec.

Israel has NO authority to block anyone from entering the Palestinian territory it illegally occupies, the UN special rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, wrote on Monday. Stop normalising the illegal occupation by bending to its diktats. Respect the ICJ [International Court of Justice] deliberation: force Israel to end the occupation. Time for justice is NOW.

Israel has persistently denied that it is obstructing the flow of aid and says it does not limit aid entering Gaza. It says its measures are for the purposes of security.

Over 71,667 people have been killed in Gaza, a figure the Israeli military finally accepted last week after insisting that the Gaza ministry of health had been inflating the numbers since October 2023.

A two-year investigation into Israels military action in Gaza found that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, claims that Israel has called false, distorted and antisemitic.
Veteran broadcaster and journalist Janet Street-Porter has announced her fifth marriage, revealing she tied the knot with her long-term partner Peter Spanton last Saturday.

The 79-year-old shared the news during Mondays episode of ITVs Loose Women, where she has been a panellist for a decade.

Appearing alongside her new husband, whom she has known for 27 years, and her dog, Badger, Street-Porter declared: "Its my big news for everybody watching. Peter and me and Badger got married on Saturday. There you are, I finally did it." Reflecting on her nuptials, she added, "I saved the best till last."

Her fellow Loose Women panellists reacted with excitement and congratulations. Scottish broadcaster Kaye Adams playfully noted that Spanton makes "number five", while TV personality Brenda Edwards countered, "It doesnt matter, shes got happiness  stop counting the numbers." Coronation Street actor Sue Cleaver and TV personality Nadia Sawalha also extended their well wishes.

Street-Porter, a renowned writer and journalist, has a notable marital history.

Her first marriage was to Tim Street-Porter in 1967, as detailed in her 2006 memoir, Fall Out, with the couple divorcing in 1975. She later wed Time Out editor Tony Elliott for two years in the 1970s, followed by Canadian film-maker Frank Cvitanovich in 1979, a union that ended in 1981. Her fourth marriage was to David Sorkin in 1997, which concluded two years later.

Street-Porter married Peter Spanton last weekend (Getty Images)

Currently, Street-Porter is on tour with her one-woman show, Off The Leash, with upcoming dates including Blackfriars, Southampton, and Hampshire.

Elsewhere, Street-Porters Loose Women colleague Ruth Langsford divorced her former partner Eamonn Holmes, a split which she called painful.

Earlier this year, Holmes admitted that if he could go back and change anything, he would try to find a better balance between my career and my personal life.

The interview with Mind Jump magazine also notes that a question about the GB News hosts biggest regret was left unanswered intentionally.

Since the separation, Holmes has been dating relationship counsellor Katie Alexander, while Langsford has said she is enjoying her independence.

Following the divorce announcement, Holmes underwent a double hip replacement and spinal surgery after suffering severe back pain.
Jeremy Clarkson has spoken out after being left disgusted by a series of shockingly realistic AI-generated posts falsely claiming that a star of Clarksons Farm had died.

The former Top Gear presenter said the fake stories  which circulated widely on Facebook  went far beyond harmless gossip, describing them as completely realistic and deeply upsetting, particularly for those unaccustomed to life in the public eye.

Writing in his column for The Sun, Jeremy Clarkson revealed that one post falsely claimed that Clarksons Farm favourite Gerald Cooper, the shows dry-stone waller and much-loved head of security, had died.

The hoax was especially disturbing given that Geralds cancer diagnosis formed part of the third series of Clarkson's Farm.

On Facebook this week, we heard from just my farm alone that Gerald has died, Kaleb has had another kid, Lisa has left me, and Ive broken my leg, Clarkson wrote.

Jeremy Clarkson says he has heard all sorts of fake news about himself and others online (PA Wire)

All of the stories were accompanied by a completely realistic photograph. And all of them were complete nonsense.

He added that while he can shrug off most online nonsense, this crossed a line.

Do I mind? Yes. Mostly because Gerald is unused to being in the public eye, and it worries him that his kids see this kind of thing online. So whoevers doing it, pack it in.

The posts reportedly used AI-generated images designed to look like legitimate news photographs, lending credibility to false claims that Clarksons partner Lisa Hogan had left him, that he had broken his leg, and that farmhand Kaleb Cooper had welcomed a fourth child  all of which Clarkson confirmed were untrue.

Gerald, who has appeared on the Prime Video series since its debut in 2021, later reassured fans that he was happy and cancer-free after undergoing treatment for prostate cancer in 2024. His diagnosis was filmed for the third series, with Clarkson visibly emotional on screen as he spoke about his fears for his colleague.

Jeremy Clarkson pictured with Gerald Cooper (Prime Video)

Ive been phoning around doctors, Clarkson said in one episode. His odds are really good, but its scaring him to death. Poor man.

The AI hoax comments came as Clarkson also criticised the darker uses of artificial intelligence online, including tools that can digitally manipulate or undress images of real people  a trend he described as deeply troubling.

The controversy follows another online flashpoint for Clarkson after he clashed with social media users over the state of British farming. Posting a video in support of the No Farmers, No Food campaign, he argued that farmers are encouraged to diversify but are then blocked by planning rules when they attempt to do so.

When one user blamed Brexit for the sectors struggles, Clarkson hit back bluntly: Oh dear. You dont seem to have grasp of reality.

While the exchange reignited debate about agricultural policy  with some even calling for Clarkson to become agriculture minister  the presenter has since distanced himself from the campaign group, stressing in 2025 that he has nothing to do with the account after being linked to a misattributed quote.
John Lithgow has branded JK Rowlings transgender rights views ironic and inexplicable, adding that he is upset hes being criticised for playing Dumbledore in the new Harry Potter TV series.

The 80-year-old actor will play the Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in HBOs adaptation of Rowlings famous books, casting of which has led to backlash due to Rowlings comments about the transgender community.

Lithgow was asked how he felt about Rowlings views during an appearance at Rotterdam Film Festival, and he told the crowd that he takes the subject extremely seriously and that the author is not really involved in this production at all.

He said that he finds it particularly confusing that Rowling, 60, espouses such beliefs, considering that Harry Potter is about kindness versus cruelty.

JK Rowling has created this amazing canon for young people, young kids literature that has jumped into the consciousness of society. Young and old people love Harry Potter and the Harry Potter stories. Its so much about acceptance. Its about good versus evil.

I find it ironic and somewhat inexplicable that Rowling has expressed such views, he continued. Ive read about them, and Ive never met her.

Lithgow hinted that he considered stepping away from the role after being sent an article called An Open Letter to John Lithgow: Please Walk Away from Harry Potter by a very good friend who has a trans daughter. However, he decided against it.

John Lithgow upset about backlash over Dumbledore role in Harry Potter series (Getty Images)

It was a hard decision, the actor said. It made me uncomfortable and unhappy that people insisted I walk away from the job. I chose not to do that.

It upsets me when people are vehemently opposed to me having anything to do with this. But in Potter canon, you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity. [Rowling] has written this meditation of kindness and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role.

Lithgow said that, while Rowling does not have much to do with the production, the people who are re-adapting Harry Potter and turning it into an eight-year-long TV series are remarkable.

He added: These are people I really want to work with.

According to Variety, an audience member hit vocally hit out at Lithgows involvement in the series, and left the room in protest. Lithgow responded: Im perfectly ready for collisions of opinion. I understand it.

In the last six years, Rowling has repeatedly come under fire for various comments about gender, with many, including stars of the Potter film adaptations, accusing her of transphobia.

Many Harry Potter stars have railed against JK Rowlings transgender rights views (YouTube)

This has led to consternation being directed at the stars who have signed up to the new series. Nick Frost (Rubeus Hagrid), Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall), Katherine Parkinson (Molly Weasley) and Johnny Flynn (Lucius Malfoy) are among those who will also appear in the show.

Frost previously spoke out on Rowlings views, telling The Observer: Shes allowed her opinion and Im allowed mine  they just dont align in any way, shape or form.

Frosts opinions echo those of Paapa Essiedu, who will play Severus Snape in the HBO series. Shortly after his casting was announced, the actor was among the hundreds of TV and film professionals who signed a letter calling for industry action on trans rights.

The letter was compiled in the wake of the controversial UK Supreme Court ruling that gender is legally based on biological sex, a decision that was celebrated by controversial author Rowling and decried by LGBT+ activist groups.

After Essiedus appearance as a signatory on the letter, an insider told MailOnline that Rowling would not be bothered one iota by Essiedus decision  and wouldnt dream of intervening to get him sacked, despite being heavily involved in the project.

Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid in HBOsforthcoming Harry Potter series (HBO)

Addressing this report X/Twitter, Rowling wrote: I dont have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldnt exercise it if I did.

I dont believe in taking away peoples jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.

The Harry Potter series is being filmed now and will premiere in 2027.
A clinical Justin Rose held his nerve to secure the Farmers Insurance Open title at Torrey Pines with a tournament-record 23 under par total.

The 45-year-old Englishman, who took a six-shot lead into the final day  the biggest 54-hole lead at the tournament since Tiger Woods eight in 2008  barely faltered as he carded a fourth-round 70 which included three birdies and a single dropped shot on the South Course to win by seven.

It was Roses 13th PGA Tour victory and netted him prize money of 1.73million US dollars, around 1.26m.

This rose has no thorns! Justin Rose is the champion @FarmersInsOpen! pic.twitter.com/rFYpxJTiYk  PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 1, 2026

The winner told Sky Sports: Today obviously wasnt my lowest score, but it was a good score. I felt like I played well, I felt like I did all the right things, I felt like I didnt get myself in any predicaments.

I never let my guard down. There are other things to play for  to have a tournament record, 23 under, I was keenly aware of that. It was an amazing week. Everything seemed to be heading in that direction, 36, 54, 72, I was scoring records.

I just wanted to finish off as strongly as I could.

Rose took a calm approach to pressing home his advantage, opening up with five successive pars, although it was then that he pressed the accelerator with birdies at the sixth, eighth and ninth holes to reach the turn in 33.

7 shot lead on the final hole. pic.twitter.com/flSpJhPfND  PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 1, 2026

A bogey at the 12th was Roses only blemish as he walked onto the 18th tee seven shots ahead of the field having parred seven of his first eight holes on the way back.

His approach shot to the final green was conservative to say the least and left him with a putt of almost 35 feet, but he rolled his first attempt close enough to make his second a formality.

American Pierceson Coodys 65 secured him a share of second place alongside Si Woo Kim and Ryo Hisatsune, who both had final-round 69s.

Joel Dahmen, who had started the day as Roses closest challenger, endured an eventful outward nine, which included bogeys at the fourth, eighth and ninth holes either side of back-to-back birdies, and then carded a five at the par-four 12th as he finished with a 73 and tied for seventh.
Sir Keir Starmer has hinted that Angela Rayner could make a comeback to frontline politics as he suggested the former deputy prime minister has a future role to play in government.

Ms Rayner has remained a popular figure within the Labour Party despite having to resign last year after she admitted she did not pay enough stamp duty on the purchase of her 800,000 seaside flat in Hove.

Her return to the frontbench has been widely speculated since her departure, and Ms Rayner has even been tipped as a potential candidate to replace Sir Keir, given her popularity within the party.

On Monday, Sir Keir said he wanted to bring her back to the front line at the right point.

I would like to have Angela back at the right point. Ive always been clear she has a future role to play, the prime minister told Times Radio.

She played a huge part in the achievement that we got at the last election; getting elected, weve just passed the Employment Rights Act, which has got her fingerprints all over it.

Keir Starmer says Angela Rayner has a future role to play in government (PA)

Last week, it was reported that Ms Rayner was believed to be preparing for a comeback, having declared: Im not dead yet.

She also reportedly said Labours current leadership should do better as she hinted at a planned return to government in private remarks at a fundraising dinner, according to The Times.

Ms Rayner was also reported to have warned of the dangerous threat posed by Reform UK and vowed: I aint giving those keys to No 10 to Nigel Farage.

Speaking to activists in central London in January, Ms Rayner reportedly thanked them for their loyalty since her 2015 election as the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne.

She said: Youll remember when I was a young whippersnapper. Ive come through the ranks and had the honour and the privilege to get us into government and become your deputy prime minister. And Im still fighting. Im not dead yet.

Ms Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and deputy Labour leader in September after an independent ethics probe found she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on a seaside flat.

Ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus said she had acted with integrity but failed to heed legal advice warning her of the correct surcharge owed.
China enacts regulations to protect vital global atmospheric watch station

Xinhua) 09:02, February 02, 2026

XINING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- New regulations to safeguard China's Waliguan Baseline Observatory on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau came into effect on Sunday, marking an upgrade in the protection of the vital global atmospheric watch station and advancing the world's ability to track climate change.

The regulations aim to enhance the protection of meteorological monitoring facilities and the surrounding environment of the observatory to ensure that data collected there is "representative, accurate, uninterrupted and comparable," said Hu Jingguo, an official of the Qinghai Meteorological Bureau.

The Waliguan Baseline Observatory, located more than 3,800 meters above sea level in northwest China's Qinghai Province, went into operation in 1994. It is the sole continental baseline observatory in the Eurasian hinterland.

Its data provide critical scientific support for decision-making across various fields, including the assessment of the ecological security of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the evaluation of carbon sources and sinks in Asia, and the prediction of global climate change trends.

The carbon dioxide curves drawn using observation data produced by both the Waliguan Baseline Observatory and the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii reveal the impact of human activities on global climate change, and serve as one of the key scientific references for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

With the new regulations, Hu noted, improvements will be made primarily on three fronts. First, they clearly define the division of responsibilities among relevant local government departments and meteorological authorities to improve cooperation and prevent loopholes in the protection work.

Second, an area will be demarcated around the observatory to prevent the contamination of atmospheric samples collected within the base's boundaries, thereby safeguarding the accuracy of data collected onsite, according to Hu.

The area will be integrated into national territorial spatial planning, with physical markers such as boundary stelae and posts installed to delineate the protected area clearly.

Third, the regulations will also see that the observatory's protections are technologically empowered, Hu said.

Atmospheric background observation refers to the long-haul, fixed-point observation of thoroughly mixed atmospheric components free of local contamination, located in areas far from human activities. Data generated from such observations are more likely to reveal true atmospheric conditions and compositions.

On Sept. 17, 1994, the Waliguan Baseline Observatory was inaugurated at the top of Mount Waliguan on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Prior to that, China, the United States and the World Meteorological Organization held talks and signed a cooperation deal to establish an atmospheric background observatory in west China.

China has always been an active participant in tackling climate change. The country aims to peak its carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
DHS: Get the ICE mission and optics right

By Mark Alexander

web posted February 2, 2026

There was great news for America last week. The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) released its annual crime rate report for 40 large American cities, finding that last year, the homicide rate dropped by a whopping 21%. Indeed, the murder rate has dropped to a historic low not seen since 1900. Apparently, supporting law enforcement gets results. Notably, this drop occurred in a year when legal gun ownership continues to trend upward.

Furthermore, as our Thomas Gallatin noted, other crime rates have dropped as well: carjackings are down 61% since 2023, resident burglaries are down 17%, and shoplifting is down 10%.

This is yet another check in Donald Trump's success column during his exceptional first year of his second term.

Unfortunately, crime is up in Minneapolis, the epicenter of the Left's anti-ICE thuggery. The "Resistance Movement" in that once-fair city has erupted into violent confrontations between mostly federal officers and well-trained, well-organized, and well-funded combatants.

Over the last three weeks, those confrontations resulted in the shooting deaths of two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, which triggered nationwide protests against the ICE operations in Minneapolis.

The confrontation with Pretti, who suffered injuries in another violent confrontation, occurred as ICE agents were attempting to arrest Jose Huerta-Chuma, an Ecuadorian illegal immigrant with a violent record.

Federal agents confronting Pretti repeatedly yelled "He's got a gun!" before two agents fired on Pretti.

As a former law enforcement officer, my perspective on officer-involved shootings is tempered by an understanding of split-second decisions in confrontations for which the Leftmedia's armchair talkingheads and scribes have no context. As for Pretti, I will wait on body camera evaluation, but this is indisputable: Had both Good and Pretti complied with lawful orders instead of taking aggressive actions against LEOs, both would still be alive.

President Trump initially responded: "The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric! Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America. LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!"

He is right about "insurrection."

He later declared: "I'm looking at that whole situation. I love everybody. I love all of our people. I love [Alex Pretti's] family. And it's a very sad situation."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the obvious: "Nobody in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people getting hurt or killed in America's streets."

However, I can tell you that, before I had seen the first video of the Renee Good incident, I strongly objected to the characterization of Good's actions by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as "an act of domestic terrorism" before there was any evaluation of the incident.

And she did it again right after the deadly confrontation between ICE and Pretti, asserting, "This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement." At the time, that was completely baseless, and there is no evidence since then to affirm that assessment. She then doubled down: "This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism. That's the facts."

For Noem to brand these protesters as "domestic terrorists" is just hyperbolic accelerant, which serves no good purpose.

Last Monday, recognizing Noem's deficiencies, Trump deployed seasoned Border Czar Tom Homan to de-escalate the violent confrontations. He then met with Noem to plan a reset.

Trump also initiated calls with Minnesota's perennially petulant governor, Tim Walz, and Minneapolis's adolescent boy-wonder mayor, Jacob Frey. He asked that they cooperate with ICE and turn over criminal illegal aliens currently incarcerated, along with illegal aliens with active warrants or known criminal histories.

Homan also met with Walz and Frey, characterizing those meetings as "productive."

Frey wasted no time asserting that Minneapolis "will not enforce federal immigration laws."

The Trump administration has poorly played its hand in Minneapolis, and now that the resistance movement has the momentum, even the leading mainstream media outlets on both the Left and Right agree that immediate de-escalation is required.

There needs to be a louder and more effective campaign regarding ICE operations  the fact that those operations are focused on ridding our communities of the "worst of the worst" illegal immigrants with violent criminal records.

In early December, I wrote in "The ICE Ops Optics Problem" that the ICE focus must clearly be on violent criminal illegal aliens, the "worst of the worst," as Trump repeatedly promised, and if that mission was not clear, the political implications would be staggering, not to mention the hemorrhage of Trump's Hispanic voter constituency.

As I noted then, Trump delivered on his promise to end Joe Biden's open border crisis, having largely succeeded in shutting down illegal immigration across our southern border and implementing a zero-release policy.

But the optics of the administration's ICE operations since September have been a public relations disaster as the Left has weaponized immigration. As Border Czar Homan insisted last year, the focus all along should have been arresting and deporting the "worst of the worst."

Clearly, the public is behind deporting criminal illegal aliens.

According to CNN's data guru Harry Enten, a majority of Americans now support deportation of all illegal immigrants.

But to the point, according to the reputable Pew Research Center, "Nearly all (97%) support deporting those who have committed violent crimes."

And DHS reports that "70% of the illegal aliens that the Trump Administration has arrested in the last year have either pending criminal charges or prior criminal convictions." Additionally, most of the remaining 30% of those arrests were of illegal immigrants swept up in the company of those offenders. But there is a wide gulf between public support for deportation based on a misdemeanor criminal charge versus felony charges and convictions for child molestation, rape, and murder  again, the "worst of the worst."

ICE must narrow its focus and limited resources to the deportation of violent offenders and make that mission abundantly clear moving forward to offset the terrible optics.

At this juncture, as pressure mounts from all sides, I think that Trump and Homan can accomplish a reduction of force by citing the safety of our law enforcement officers on the ground, though Trump denies that it is a "pullback."

We will see how that de-escalation plays out.

However, the administration will have to more cautiously choose ICE operation locations moving forward because the now-empowered resistance will show up in greater force. As political analyst Byron York notes, "Keep in mind the activists' goal: They don't want ICE to deport illegal immigrants in a safe, smooth, and efficient way. They want to stop the deportations."

Meanwhile, this debacle has given Tim Walz diversionary cover from the federal investigation of billions of dollars of fraud, which could ensnare Walz and Frey. A good indication of how much trouble Walz is in would be his withdrawal from his reelection bid.

But that has not stopped his propensity for absurd inflammatory rhetoric. Law professor Jonathan Turley noted last week: "After previously calling ICE 'Gestapo,' Walz just compared removals pursuant to federal law to capturing people to carry out genocide. ... Walz is using this reckless rhetoric as signs appeared in Minneapolis over the weekend calling for people to 'Kill Nazis.'"

His latest assertion compared ICE operations to the Nazis' mass murder of Jews: "We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside. Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank."

In response, the U.S. Holocaust Museum issued this statement: "Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish. Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable. Despite tensions in Minneapolis, exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges."

Predictably, given the Demos' momentum on anti-ICE propaganda, they are now insisting on defunding DHS or else they will force another government shutdown, despite the public relations failure of their last shutdown over healthcare. Apparently, they are not aware that defunding DHS will cut funding for TSA and FEMA  but ICE is already funded through 2029.

And a footnote: Rather than referring to Alex Pretti as a "violent protester," Leftmedia outlets repeatedly label him an "ICU nurse." For the record, there were no leftist protests in support of another nurse, Laken Riley, after her brutal sexual assault and murder by an illegal immigrant.

Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.
Ellame Ford-Dunn died in March 2022 after absconding from an acute childrens ward. Photograph: PA (Photograph: PA)

A shortage of mental health beds and poor communication between agencies contributed to the death of a teenage girl on hospital grounds, an inquest has found.

Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, who had a history of self-harm, died in March 2022 after absconding from an acute childrens ward where she had been put because of a dearth of appropriate mental health beds.

Her family and campaigners say Ellames death exposed a mental health system crumbling at the seams.

The inquest jury at West Sussex coroners court was told that Ellame absconded multiple times during her stay at Worthing hospitals Bluefin ward, which was not a specialist mental health unit.

Jurors concluded the decision to place Ellame there was inappropriate and more than minimally contributed to her death. They found inadequate provision of mental health beds also contributed to her death.

The coroner Joanne Andrews said she would issue a prevention of future deaths report to warn that more children would die unless the inadequate provision of mental health beds was tackled.

Ellames parents, Ken and Nancy Ford-Dunn, urged the government to increase funding for mental health services to ensure other families dont have to experience the worst thing imaginable.

When Ellame absconded she was not immediately followed by staff, because they were not allowed to chase patients out of the ward, the inquest heard. It took 59 minutes for her to be found by police, the jury was told.

Related: Support new mothers with mental ill health | Letter

University hospitals Sussex (UHSussex), which runs the acute ward, was fined 200,000 last year in a separate prosecution over Ellames death.

Her mental health care was provided by Sussex partnership NHS foundation trust (SPFT). Jurors concluded that poor coordination, communication and accountability between multiple agencies also contributed to Ellames death.

Inconsistency in nursing handovers and a lack of guidance for staff were another factor in her death, they found.

The jury foreman said: The instructions given to agency-registered mental health nurses were inadequate, patient notes were held on multiple systems, with access not freely available to agency staff and inadequately transferred during handover.

UHSussexs policy for missing patients was not designed for high-risk mental health patients, and the procedure to be followed in the event of absconsion was unclear and not appropriately communicated.

In a statement Ellames parents said the devastation of their daughters death would be compounded if no lessons are learnt and no meaningful changes are made, as so often has been the case.

They added: We therefore call on NHS England and Wes Streeting to increase funding for mental health services so that more young people arent left waiting for the care that they so desperately need.

We call on SPFT to create effective specialist provision for young people with mental health needs who are currently still inappropriately placed, like Ellame was, on local paediatric wards that are not set up to provide safe and positive mental health care.

Jodie Anderson, a senior caseworker at the charity Inquest, which has supported the family, said: Ellames inquest has exposed a mental health system in Sussex that is crumbling at the seams.

A lack of specialist beds and a dismissive response to Ellames distress left her to languish in an unsuitable paediatric ward. A lack of urgency and professional curiosity was endemic throughout her care.

The family lawyer, Ilaria Minucci of Birnberg Peirce, said: Ellames case needs to remind us that stories like hers are not isolated instances, and that they reflect a crisis at the national level in respect of childrens mental health services that needs to be dealt with urgently.

 In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
Jeremy Jacquet has completed his move to Liverpool (AFP via Getty Images)

Liverpool have clinched the signing of Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes for an initial 55m after beating Chelsea to the highly-rated French defender.

The 20-year-old will complete his move to Anfield on 1 July as Liverpool have already tied up their first bit of summer business.

Jacquet, whose fee could rise to 60m including add-ons, will sign a five-year deal with the option to extend it a further season, until 2032.

His arrival will take Liverpools expenditure since the start of last summers transfer window past 500m, even though they were unable to strengthen their injury-hit squad in January.

Liverpool had looked for a right-back to cover for the injured Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong but were unable to arrange to bring in Lutsharel Geertruida, amid complications in extricating the RB Leipzig player from his loan at Sunderland.

But sporting director Richard Hughes did negotiate a deal for Jacquet, who had attracted the attention of some of Europes leading clubs, with Chelsea particularly keen on him.

Jacquet will arrive as the future of Liverpools defence takes shape, following the purchase of 19-year-old Giovanni Leoni last summer.

But he will also join as captain Virgil van Dijk enters the last year of his current deal while they risk losing Ibrahima Konate, whose contract expires this summer, at the end of June.

Liverpool had looked to buy another centre-back in 2025 but a move for Marc Guehi broke down on deadline day and the England international instead moved to Manchester City in January.
A new alert has been sounded over the declining number of school pupils in London.

The decade-long fall in primary school pupils is now having an impact on the capitals secondary schools, according to a new report.

This could result in a 45m drop in Government funding for schools in the capital over the next four years  and force headteachers to narrow the curriculum and axe classes.

It could also result in more school closures.

An estimated 90 primary or secondary schools in the capital have been forced to merge or close in the last five years.

This is due to falling birth rates, and a combination of the cost of living crisis and soaring private housing costs forcing families to move out of London.

The report, from London Councils, which represents the capitals 33 boroughs, predicts that demand for Year 7 places  the first year of secondary school  is expected to fall by 7.6 per cent in inner London by 2030, while demand for reception places  the entry class for primary schools - is expected to fall by 6.4 per cent.

The report said: Although falling birth rates remain a significant factor, analysis shows there is also significant net domestic out-migration, especially from inner London, as families seek more affordable housing elsewhere.

Last year, there was a 3.1 per cent fall in applications to London secondary schools, meaning that more parents got their first choice.

However almost 30 per cent of parents failed to land their preferred choice for their child, though the success rate varied by borough.

Across all 33 boroughs, the School Capacity Survey data forecasts a fall of 3.8 per cent in applications for Year 7 places and 2.5 per cent for reception places between 2025/6 and 2029/30.

As school funding is allocated on a per-pupil basis, London Councils estimates this would lead to around 15m in funding cuts for primary schools and 30m for secondary schools in London.

One unnamed inner London borough said it expected to see reception applications fall by 16.5 per cent  but an outer borough said it expected them to increase by 9.8 per cent.

Boroughs in South West London are expected to see the sharpest decrease, with an estimated 7.3 per cent drop in reception-year children.

For Year 7 places, the worst-affected outer London borough expects numbers to fall by 14.3 per cent.

Conversely, boroughs in north-east London are expected to be the least affected, with a drop of 0.3 per cent over the next four years.

Schools face having to narrow their curriculum and limiting extra-curricular activities in response to funding cuts.

The report warned that budget cuts would make it harder for schools to help pupils most in need, such as those with mental health issues, special educational needs or truancy problems.

The report said: London local authorities remain concerned about the implications of falling rolls on school standards and pupil attainment.

Although pupil numbers are decreasing, the need for additional support continues to rise. Schools are seeing increased demand for mental health and wellbeing support, higher levels of school avoidance and persistent absence, and growing numbers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

At the same time, schools experiencing falling rolls face diminishing budgets to meet these rising needs. Attainment gaps relating to ethnicity, SEND and socio-economic disadvantage also persist, placing further strain on schools ability to deliver equitable outcomes.

Every year, local authorities respond to the Department for Educations School Capacity Survey with detailed forecasts for the next four years.

Cllr Ian Edwards, London Councils executive member for children and young people, said: Maintaining high education standards is the absolute priority for Londons boroughs, but falling pupil numbers are putting real pressure on school budgets.

Boroughs are doing all they can locally to manage this whilst ensuring Londons education estate is protected, so school sites can continue to meet future need - particularly given the capitals acute housing pressures and ambitious targets for housing growth.

Without action to reflect Londons circumstances, schools risk having to narrow the curriculum and reduce vital support for pupils.
Loose Women panellist Janet Street-Porter has announced her fifth marriage after she tied the knot with her partner Peter Spanton last Saturday.

The 79-year-old revealed she had tied the knot with her new husband, who she has known for 27 years, on ITVs Loose Women on Monday.

The broadcaster was seen with Spanton and her dog, Badger, and she said: Its my big news for everybody watching. Peter and me and Badger got married on Saturday. There you are, I finally did it.

Speaking about her nuptials, Street-Porter said: I saved the best till last.

Her Loose Women co-stars were excited, and congratulated her on the news following the announcement.

Scottish broadcaster Kaye Adams joked that Spanton makes number five, while TV personality Brenda Edwards said: It doesnt matter, shes got happiness  stop counting the numbers.

Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver and TV personality Nadia Sawalha were also among the panellists who congratulated the star.

Street-Porter a writer and journalist, who is best known as a Loose Women panellist (Ben Whitley/PA) (Ben Whitley)

Street-Porter is a writer and journalist, best known as a Loose Women panellist, having appeared on the show for the past decade.

She has previously had four other husbands, having met her first husband, Tim Street-Porter in 1967 while she was a student, as recounted in her 2006 memoir, Fall Out.

The pair split in 1975, and she later wed Time Out editor Tony Elliott for two years in the 1970s, before tying the knot with Canadian film-maker Frank Cvitanovich in 1979.

The broadcaster split from Cvitanovich in 1981, and married her fourth husband, David Sorkin, in 1997.

The pair divorced two years later, in 1999.

Street-Porter is currently touring as part of her one-woman show, Off The Leash, which includes dates in Blackfriars, Southampton and Hampshire.
Lord Mandelson is facing a possible investigation by Scotland Yard into his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

After a whirlwind day of revelations over the peers ties to the paedophile financier, the Met Police said it was reviewing several allegations made against Lord Mandelson.

Met Commander Ella Marriott said: We are aware of the further release of millions of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice.

Without naming Lord Mandelson, she added: Following this release and subsequent media reporting, the Met has received a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in a public office.

The reports will all be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation.

Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer told the disgraced peer to resign from the Lords.

The Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald urgently to report to him on Lord Mandelsons ties with Epstein.

But the Scottish National Party called for a police investigation into Lord Mandelson and whether he leaked sensitive Government information to Epstein.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn pressed the PM in the Commons: Does he agree with myself that Peter Mandelson should be subject to a police investigation for potential criminality whilst in public office?

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey stressed: These allegations are incredibly serious, it is now only right that the police investigate Peter Mandelson for potential misconduct in public office."

Former US ambassador Lord Mandelson (PA Media)

After claims that Lord Mandelson may have leaked Government documents on financial matters to Epstein, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for the Cabinet Secretary to carry out an intensive investigation into the alleged disclosure of confidential and market sensitive information from the then Business Department during the global financial crisis.

Mr Brown said he raised the matter last September but that a Whitehall inquiry had concluded that no departmental record could be found of any information or communication from Lord Mandelson to Mr Epstein on these issues.

Handout document issued by the US Department of Justice which appears to show Lord Mandelson in his underwear speaking to an unknown person wearing a bathrobe (US Department of Justice/PA) (PA Media)

After the latest claims, the ex-PM said: I have now written to ask for a wider and more intensive inquiry to take place into the wholly unacceptable disclosure of government papers and information during the period when the country was battling the global financial crisis.

The Prime Minister was himself facing questions over why he had appointed Lord Mandelson to be Britains ambassador to the US given his past Cabinet sackings.

As the storm was spiralling, Downing Street said the PM had asked for Lord Mandelsons links to Epstein to be urgently looked at.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: The Prime Minister believes that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title.

But he stressed that the premier did not have the power to strip Lord Mandelson of his peerage so wanted to work with the parliamentary authorities to seek a way to achieve this as quickly as possible.

An Act of Parliament could be passed but this would be unprecedented for one individual, and legislation for this purpose reportedly has not been used since during the First World War.

The Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Secretary to review all available information regarding Peter Mandelsons contacts with Jeffrey Epstein during his period as a Government minister and to report back to him, added the No10 spokesman.

But he stopped short of saying that the findings of the probe would be made public.

Sir Keir also stressed that Lord Mandelson should testify to a US congressional probe into Epstein.

The peer resigned on Sunday night from Labour after disciplinary action was launched into his ties to Epstein, the party said.

Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor (PA Media)

Opposition parties were piling pressure on Sir Keir to order a full investigation into the peer over the Epstein scandal, beyond what is being carried out by the Cabinet Secretary.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch stressed: Enough is enough.

We need a full Cabinet Office investigation.

She argued it should cover money, if any, received by Lord Mandelson and his partner from Epstein, as well as Sir Keirs decision to choose him as UK ambassador to Washington.

Lord Mandelson, who was sacked as US ambassador last year because of his ties to Epstein, quit the Labour Party, saying he wanted to avoid causing it further embarrassment.

But he faced a swirl of new questions over his relationship with Epstein.

Lord Mandelson featured in documents, known as the Epstein files, released by the US Department of Justice on Friday.

Epstein made $77,000 (55,000) of payments to accounts linked to the peer, bank statements released in the latest tranche of files, suggest.

Lord Mandelson said he did not recall ever receiving the payments, said to have been made over a period between 2003 and 2004, when he was a Labour MP, and questioned their authenticity.

Lord Mandelson resigned his Labour Party membership on Sunday (PA Wire)

Documents from the release also appear to show Lord Mandelson, when he was Business Secretary, suggesting to Epstein in 2009 that he would lobby the UK government over the matter of bankers' bonuses in the wake of the financial crisis.

An email dated December 15, 2009, which appears to be from Epstein, reads: "any real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers bonus".

The reply, apparently from Lord Mandelson, reads: "Trying hard to amend as I explained to Jes last night. Treasury digging in but I am on case."

Two days later, an email discussion indicates Lord Mandelson encouraged JP Morgan's boss Jamie Dimon to call then Chancellor Alistair Darling and "mildly threaten" him over the matter.

There were also claims that Lord Mandelson leaked internal Government documents on sensitive financial matters to Epstein when he was Business Secretary.

Lord Mandelson suggested he did not want to fully exit public life in an interview with The Times, saying that hiding under a rock would be a disproportionate response to a handful of misguided historical emails, which I deeply regret sending.

He told the newspaper that none of the recent download of Epstein files indicate wrongdoing or misdemeanour on my part.

Faced with the wave of allegations, the peer said on Sunday evening that he had written to Hollie Ridley, general secretary of the Labour Party to say he was stepping down from his party membership.

An image issued by the US Department of Justice appearing to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crouched over an unidentified woman (US Department of Justice/PA) (PA Media)

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is also facing calls to reveal all he knew about Epstein to US lawmakers.

A man who appears to be Andrew, the Kings disgraced brother, features in images from the latest Epstein file releases where he is crouched over an unidentified woman who is lying on the floor.

Elsewhere in the document dump, screenshots and scans appear to show the former prince exchanged emails with Epstein about a beautiful Russian woman and invited him to Buckingham Palace.

In his resignation letter, Lord Mandelson said: "I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.

"Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.
File Image (PA Wire)

A man has been charged with the murder of a woman following a stabbing in Willesden, Met Police detectives have confirmed.

Najiib Raytaan was charged at Willesden Magistrates Court after a 50-year-old woman was stabbed on Saturday afternoon on Pound Lane in Willesden, London.

The 25-year-old man has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey in two days' time.

Speaking about todays charge, Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams expressed his support for the victims family and loved ones.

This is a tragic incident, and our thoughts remain with the victims family, friends and all those who have been affected, he said in a statement.

He also revealed that the incident had happened in front of other members of the public and that the suspect and the victim were known to each other.

He continued: We know this incident was witnessed by several members of the public, many of whom have spoken to police and been offered wider support.

The victim and suspect were known to each other and we believe this was a targeted act of violence rather than a random attack.

Appealing for information from anyone who was in the vicinity on Saturday, Mr Williams added: Anyone who has information or any concerns should speak to local officers or call 101 with reference 4731/31Jan.

The charge comes just two days after police rushed to the scene of a busy London street where they found a 50-year-old woman suffering from stab wounds, who later died at the scene.

Officers were joined by members of the London Ambulance Service, with the incident taking place on a busy street where other members of the public were present and rushed to provide first aid.

Unfortunately, emergency services were unable to save the womans life, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man was arrested several hours after the incident and taken into custody.
Peter Mandelson could now face a police investigation after newly released emails suggest he forwarded sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein while still a minister.

The latest tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice, part of the Epstein files, appeared to show the financier and convicted paedophile was sent internal discussions from the heart of the UK government in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Both Reform UK and the SNP have reported the 2009 email to the police.

Peter Mandelson with Keir Starmer. The prime minister says Mandelson should no longer be a member of the House of Lords (PA)

Gordon Brown, who was prime minister at the time, called it wholly unacceptable.

In a statement released on Monday evening, the Met Police said they would examine a number of reports of alleged misconduct in a public office. The reports will be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation.

Documents suggest Lord Mandelson forwarded Epstein an internal No 10 email sent to Mr Brown by one of his special advisers. The note, which included an assessment of the state of the UK economy in the wake of the financial crisis, suggested the government had saleable assets that could be sold to the private sector to reduce debt.

Epstein, whose business relied on knowledge of global finance, had been convicted of child prostitution offences the previous year. Lord Mandelson was then the business secretary.

The former MP had extensive links with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein (PA)

Mr Brown revealed he asked for an investigation five months ago into the sale of assets arising from the banking collapse and communications about them between Lord Mandelson and Mr Epstein. He said he was told that there was no record of any communication between Epstein and Lord Mandelson on the issue.

It came as:

Sir Keir Starmer said Lord Mandelson should no longer be a member of the House of Lords

Britains top civil servant was ordered to conduct an urgent review of all communications between Lord Mandelson and Epstein during his time as a minister

Nick Butler, the special adviser who sent the leaked email, said he was disgusted by the breach of trust, presumably intended to give Epstein the chance to make money

Emails suggested Lord Mandelson tried to arrange a tour of Downing Street for Epsteins goddaughter

Epstein joked that Lord Mandelson marrying Princess Beatrice could be considered incest

In a statement on Monday, Mr Brown said he has now written to ask for a wider and more intensive enquiry to take place into the wholly unacceptable disclosure of government papers and information during the period when the country was battling the global financial crisis.

Documents released by the US DOJ suggest Mandelson leaked internal government discussions to Epstein (US Department of Justice)

In another exchange from 2009, Lord Mandelson appears to tell Epstein he would lobby ministers over a tax on bankers bonuses.

Bank statements from 2003 and 2004 also appear to show he received payments totalling $75,000 from the financier. Epstein is also said to have paid for an osteopathy course for Lord Mandelsons husband.

Calls have intensified for Lord Mandelson to be stripped of his peerage. Sir Keir does not have the power to do so, but has called on the Lords to work with the government to modernise disciplinary procedures in the House.

In a statement issued on Monday, Metropolitan Police Commander Ella Marriott said: "We are aware of the further release of millions of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice.

"Following this release and subsequent media reporting, the Met has received a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in a public office.

"The reports will all be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation."

Emails between Epstein and Mandelson discussing tax on bankers bonuses (US Department of Justice)

Under current arrangements, a new law would be required to remove a peerage, something that last happened more than 100 years ago, to deal with members of the nobility who sided with the Germans in the First World War.

No 10 sources told The Independent that the government is considering using the Lords conduct committee as a route to removing him, saying that this may be a quicker way of doing it, given pace is a priority.

The conduct committee can recommend that a member be expelled or suspended for breaching the code of conduct, which, if approved by the House, removes that peer.

The prime ministers official spokesperson said: The prime minister believes that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title. However, the prime minister does not have the power to remove it.

He is calling on those in the Lords to work with the government to modernise the disciplinary procedures in the House to allow the easier removal of peers who have brought the House into disrepute.

The official added: Sir Keir Starmer has asked the cabinet secretary to review all available information regarding Peter Mandelsons contact with Jeffrey Epstein during his period as a government minister.

The files appear to show Mandelson pictured in his underwear (US Department of Justice)

Tax expert Dan Neidle, who first uncovered the 2009 leak, said Lord Mandelsons alleged actions may have broken the law.

He told Times Radio: The question is, is this just scandalous or does it go beyond that? Is this actually misconduct in public office, which is a criminal offence?

Chief secretary to the prime minister Darren Jones said that a criminal probe was a matter for the prosecution services and the police.

And speaking in the Commons, he added: The undeclared exchange of funds, the passing on of government information, let alone the fact that those exchanges were to a convicted paedophile, are wholly unconscionable.

And the House will know that if any of those activities were to take place today, ministers would be swiftly relieved of their duties and could be ... removed from their constituencies too.

One email exchange in the latest tranche of documents suggests that, while business secretary, Lord Mandelson was lobbying to change a tax on bankers bonuses, with encouragement from Epstein. It came at the time the super tax was being introduced by chancellor Alistair Darling to clamp down on bank profits being used to pay large bonuses.

An email dated 15 December 2009, which appears to be from Epstein, reads: Any real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers bonus. The reply, apparently from Lord Mandelson, says trying hard to amend and adds: Treasury digging in but I am on case.

Two days later, an email discussion indicates Lord Mandelson encouraged JPMorgans boss Jamie Dimon to call Mr Darling and mildly threaten him.

The documents also suggest that, in the last days of Mr Browns government, Lord Mandelson gave Epstein advanced notice of a 500bn EU bank bailout.

In another email exchange revealed in the latest tranche of documents, Epstein appears to joke that Lord Mandelson could marry Princess Beatrice, meaning the queen would have a queen as a grandson.

At the time, the eldest daughter of Andrew-Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson was 21 years old.

In an apparent email exchange on 5 October 2009, Epstein told Mandelson he could marry princess beatrice to which the Labour peer appears to have replied: Remember, I am already her Lord President.

Emails between Mandelson and Epstein continue after his conviction for child prostitution (DOJ)

In response, Epstein wrote: Does that make it incest, how exciting.

Lord Mandelson was in a long-term relationship with Reinaldo Avila da Silva, now his husband. He was sacked as the ambassador to Washington last year after revelations of his continued contact with Epstein even after the latters guilty plea in 2008 to soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor.

Lord Mandelson wrote to the general secretary of Labour on Sunday to say he was resigning his party membership to avoid causing further embarrassment.

He added that he wanted to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.
The Metropolitan Police said it was looking into allegations against Lord Mandelson of misconduct in public office - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Lord Mandelson repeatedly leaked confidential government emails to Jeffrey Epstein while serving in Gordon Browns Cabinet, new files show.

The Labour peer, who was serving as business secretary, shared market-sensitive information with Epstein that the convicted paedophile could have used to make money.

The disclosures included plans for a multibillion-pound EU bailout, Mr Browns resignation and the potential sale of government land and property.

Documents released over the weekend suggest that Epstein sent Lord Mandelson $75,000 and 10,000 to his husband, although the peer claims he has no record of the payments.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Monday night that it was reviewing allegations against Lord Mandelson of misconduct in public office, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Mr Brown demanded an investigation into the disclosure of confidential and market-sensitive information from the then business department during the global financial crisis.

He said in a statement: Given the shocking new information that has come to light in the latest tranche of Epstein papers, including information about the transfer to Mr Epstein of at least one highly sensitive government document as well as other highly confidential information, I have now written to ask for a wider and more intensive inquiry to take place into the wholly unacceptable disclosure of government papers and information during the period when the country was battling the global financial crisis.

Lord Mandelson forwarded an economic briefing for Gordon Brown  the prime minister at the time  to Epstein in 2009 - AFP via Getty Images/Carl Court

Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, suggested Lord Mandelson may have broken the law and demanded he lose his peerage.

Sir Keir Starmer later said Lord Mandelson should lose his title after bringing the House of Lords into disrepute.

The Prime Minister is facing growing questions over Lord Mandelsons vetting in what has become a major embarrassment for Labour. Sir Keir appointed him as Britains ambassador to the US but then sacked him last year over his friendship with Epstein.

On Sunday, Lord Mandelson announced he had quit Labour to avoid causing further embarrassment.

The latest revelations were among a tranche of three million files containing hundreds of email exchanges between Lord Mandelson and Epstein, released by the US department of justice.

The documents revealed that, as a serving minister, Lord Mandelson stayed in the American financiers properties while Epstein was serving jail time for child sex offences.

In one email sent by Lord Mandelson to Epstein in 2009, the then business secretary forwarded an economic briefing for Mr Brown with the caption: Interesting note thats gone to the PM.

The memo, which was written by Nick Butler, a special adviser, and began Dear Gordon, contained an assessment of the state of the economy in the wake of the financial crisis.

b'

Peter Mandelson forwards No.10 email to Epstein

'

It contained a reference to the government having saleable assets in hand, and Epstein asked Lord Mandelson: What saleable assets? He replied: Land, property I guess.

Mr Butler told The Times he had absolutely no idea that Peter was sending emails I had written to anyone outside of government.

He said: I am disgusted by the breach of trust, presumably intended to give Epstein the chance to make money.

Another email chain, sent by Jeremy Heywood, the then No 10 chief of staff, to Baroness Vadera, then business secretary, and copied to Lord Mandelson, was also leaked to Epstein. However, the name of the leaker is redacted in files released by the US department of justice.

Other emails from 2010 appear to show Lord Mandelson confirming to Epstein the EUs 500bn bailout deal  which followed crunch talks with European governments to stave off debt and default fears  on May 9, several hours before it was publicly announced.

Epstein said to Lord Mandelson: Sources tell me 500 b euro bailout , almost compelte [sic]. The response, from a redacted address, provided confirmation, saying: Sd be announced tonight.

Epstein then asked are you home, to which he received a reply at 10.14pm saying: Just leaving No10.. will call.

Shortly afterwards, a rescue package worth 624bn was announced for the 16 eurozone states struggling to finance their debts.

The following morning, on the eve of Mr Browns departure from office, other emails showed Lord Mandelson telling Epstein he finally got him to go today. Mr Brown resigned on May 11.

The Labour peer said the decision had come following secret talks with the Liberal Democrats following a walk along an underground tunnel connecting No 10 and the Ministry of Defence.

Dan Neidle, a lawyer and tax expert, said the email, sent to Epstein at 9.07am, implies Mandelson leaked price-sensitive information to a Wall Street insider. Mr Browns resignation became public after 7pm and was formally announced the next day.

On Monday night, the Met said it was reviewing a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in public office after both Reform UK and the SNP referred Lord Mandelson to police.

Commander Ella Marriott said: The reports will all be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation.

Downing Street later said the Government stands ready to provide whatever support and assistance the police need.

Mr Brown said he first raised concerns about Lord Mandelsons dealings with Epstein on Sept 10 last year, the day after a Telegraph investigation into their friendship.

The Telegraph disclosed on Sept 9 last year how Epstein had brokered a deal with Lord Mandelson over the sale of a UK taxpayer-owned banking business. The deal was discussed months after Epstein was released from jail on child sex offences and while Lord Mandelson was business secretary.

Sempra Commodities, a joint venture between the taxpayer-owned Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Sempra Energy, was sold to JP Morgan in a deal on which Epstein gave advice to both Lord Mandelson and Jes Staley, a senior executive with JP Morgan who has since been banned from the City over his relationship with the paedophile.

Separate emails from January 2010 show that Mr Staley had asked Epstein for help to arrange a meeting with either Lord Mandelson or Alistair Darling, the then chancellor, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Epstein replied: Ive set up you and Peter to meet in Davos with Darling.

Among the millions of Epstein files released over the weekend were images showing Lord Mandelson in his underwear next to a woman in a white dressing gown.

Images released from the Jeffrey Epstein files show Lord Mandelson in his underwear next to a woman in a dressing gown

Emails also revealed the peer secretly gave advice to JP Morgan, via Epstein, on how to lobby and mildly threaten the government to reduce the firms tax bill after Lord Darling unveiled a 50 per cent tax on bankers bonuses.

b'

Mandelson and Epstein discuss threatening Alistair Darling

'

He also appeared to have agreed to arrange a tour of No 10 and Parliament for Epsteins teenage goddaughter in 2009 while the paedophile was serving a 13-month sentence for the solicitation of a minor.

Lord Mandelson asked: How old?, to which Epstein said she was 15. Fine on all, Lord Mandelson replied.

Another file appears to show that, during his time as business secretary, Lord Mandelson also forwarded Epstein a note sent to Mr Brown in the final months of his premiership.

On Jan 22, 2010, Nick Butler, one of Mr Browns special advisers, forwarded Lord Mandelson and Jeremy Heywood a memo on the Israeli economy that had been shared with the then prime minister.

In 2009, a picture emerged in another email of Lord Mandelson wearing a tracksuit branded with Epsteins initials JEE.

Lord Mandelson wears an Epstein-branded tracksuit on a walk in London in 2009 - Noble Draper

Epstein sent a dozen contacts, including Ghislaine Maxwell and JP Morgan banker Jes Staley, links to the picture, saying interesting outfit and front cover of english newspapers.

The US congressional committee investigating the American governments handling of the Epstein files is poised to summon Lord Mandelson to give evidence before it. He is likely to be asked about the internal government memos that found their way to Epsteins inbox.

Senior Tory and Labour politicians called for Lord Mandelson to be stripped of his peerage over the scandal, with their calls backed by Sir Keir.

His official spokesman said: The Prime Minister has asked for this to be urgently looked at, and the Prime Minister believes that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use the title.

However, the Prime Minister does not have the power to remove it. He is calling on those in the Lords to work with the Government to modernise disciplinary measures in the House to allow for the easier removal of Lords who have brought the House into disrepute.

On Tuesday, Baroness Harman, a Labour peer who was deputy Labour leader during Lord Mandelsons time as business secretary, called for him to be removed from the Privy Council.

She told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I think the Prime Minister could be advising the King to stop him being a Privy Councillor.

And I also think hes on leave of absence at the moment from the House of Lords, having stepped out of the House of Lords to be our ambassador, and I think it would be good for the Lords to pass a motion to say that hes not to reapply to come back in.

Meanwhile, Andy Macdonald, a veteran Labour MP, called for a Mandelson Act that could be passed in a day to remove him from the upper chamber.

However, Karyn Smith, a health minister, rejected this suggestion, telling Times Radio that any new law would be wider and wouldnt be just about him.

Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, rejected calls to bring a bill to strip Lord Mandelson of his peerage.

He told MPs: It would be better to update those procedures so that they apply to all members of the House of Lords, instead of having to introduce complex hybrid bills for each individual peer who has brought the other place into disrepute.

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of consistently looking the other way when it comes to Mandelsons past - Carl Court/PA

Mrs Badenoch, the Tory leader, said the allegations appear to show corruption in public office and backed the calls to remove Lord Mandelsons peerage.

She said there was a lot that needs to be looked into, including investigating how he ever came to be appointed.

The Tory leader also accused the Prime Minister of consistently looking the other way when it comes to Mandelsons past.

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said: Its another huge embarrassment for the Prime Minister. It shows just how poor his judgment is.

Labour claimed that disciplinary action had already begun before Lord Mandelson resigned from the party on Sunday night.

A Labour spokesman said: It is right that Peter Mandelson is no longer a member of the Labour Party. Disciplinary action was under way prior to his resignation. Jeffrey Epsteins heinous crimes destroyed the lives of so many women and girls, and our thoughts remain with his victims.

Lord Mandelson did not respond to a request for comment, but his spokesman previously said that neither he nor his husband had any record or recollection of receiving payments from Epstein, and questioned whether documentation in the files was authentic.
One Minnesota school has seen two dozen of its parents detained by ICE: Its been chaotic for our whole staff

The principal of a Minnesota elementary school has described a chaotic scene after more than two dozen parents have been detained by ICE in recent weeks, with some families leaving the neighborhood entirely.

"When I come to school in the morning, I take a lap around my block with my truck first to see who is sitting there. When we go to dismiss kids, we look up and down the block, said Jason Kuhlman, principal of Valley View.

The Columbia Heights elementary school is also attended by Liam Ramos, the five-year-old who was detained along with his father last month. The number of students is 570, with more than half of them being Hispanic or Latino.

"It's been chaotic for our whole staff, Kuhlman told KARE.

Tensions remain high in Minneapolis and surrounding areas following the fatal shootings of two protesters last month. Ensuing protests have resulted in the Trump administration to reevaluate its approach to immigration enforcement operations.

The principal of a Minnesota elementary school has described a chaotic scene after more than two dozen parents have been detained by ICE in recent weeks, causing other families to flee the neighborhood entirely (AFP via Getty Images)

However, the presence of federal agents has not decreased, Kuhlman claims. It's been heavier than ever with just the number of ICE agents going back and forth that's in our neighborhoods, it has not slowed down one bit, he said.

As well as Ramos, three other children, a first, second and fourth-grader, have been detained by federal agents. Kuhlman estimates that on top of that, 25 parents had been detained.

Now we have single parent families trying to manage on a single income to stay here, he said.

It's 25 families, and that's a mom or a dad. I'm not counting grandpa and grandmas. I'm not counting aunts and uncles. We know we have multi-family units that are housing, but this is just parents, he added.

The Independent has contacted the Department of Homeland Security and ICE about the number of parents and children from Valley View that have been detained.

The school in Columbia Heights is the same elementary school attended by Liam Ramos, the five-year-old who was detained along with his father last month. The number of students is 570, with more than half of them being Hispanic or Latino (Courtesy of Columbia Heights Public Schools)

Food donations are also being made to the school, with teaching staff making weekly deliveries to families who are struggling after having a relative detained. However, in some cases, staff members have discovered that the families have decided to leave town altogether.

Families have fled that we had no contact with. I don't know if they left the state, left the city. They just ghosted us. We can't get a hold of them, so we don't know what happened, Kuhlman said.

Liam Ramos and his father Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias returned home to Minneapolis this weekend after their arrest on January 20. They had been transported over 1,200 miles away to a detention center in San Antonio, Texas.

Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro shared images of the pair leaving the South Texas Family Residential Center early Sunday morning, including one of the youngster wearing the same blue cap he wore in a now-viral image of him standing on his frozen driveway with a Spider-Man backpack as federal officers arrested his father.

I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning, Castro wrote Sunday. Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack. Thank you to everyone who demanded freedom for Liam. We wont stop until all children and families are home.
Peter Mandelson has said he is resigning from his membership of the Labour Party, stating that he does not want to cause "further embarrassment", after further revelations about his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein surfaced.

The peer, who was sacked as the British ambassador to the US last year, came under intense pressure over the weekend following the release of more than three million documents by the US Department of Justice relating to its investigation into Epstein.

They included bank statements that appeared to show the peer received some $75,000 from Epstein over a period between 2003 and 2004, when he was a Labour MP. Lord Mandelson said he did not recall ever receiving the payments, and questioned their authenticity.

In a letter to Labour's general secretary on Sunday evening, Lord Mandelson said: I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.

Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.

Lord Mandelson appeared to describe Jeffrey Epstein as his best pal (House Oversight Committee)

Lord Mandelson had previously been linked to a 50th birthday photo book compiled for Epstein by Ghislaine Maxwell, now in prison for her role in recruiting and trafficking minors for sex.

An apparent contribution by Lord Mandelson featured a picture of the pair together, with the former minister grinning in a bathrobe, before he describes Epstein as his best pal.

Elsewhere in the message, Lord Mandelson appeared to reference entertaining Epsteins interesting friends, signing off with a note to say we love you. Later, the peer described the messages as embarrassing to see and to read.

But how did Lord Mandelson rise from political fixer to the prime ministers point man in the US? And what do we know about his relationship with Epstein?

Peter Mandelsons career

The former Labour grandee was born into Labour politics.

Lord Mandelson is the grandson of former Labour home and foreign secretary Herbert Morrison. Aged just 12, he was invited to Downing Street by his neighbours, then prime minister Harold Wilson and his wife Mary.

The young Peter is said to have been dazzled at the time by the opportunity to sit in the prime ministers chair. But Lord Mandelsons work as a political fixer for the party has seen him go on to spend five decades at the heart of Labour politics.

Lord Mandelson earned the nick named the Prince of Darkness (PA)

His first taste of Labour politics was his 1979 election to Lambeth Borough Council, famously where Sir Keir Starmers chief of staff Morgan McSweeny also cut his teeth working for now environment secretary Steve Reed.

However, the hard left council was led by a man dubbed Red Ted, and so the young Mandelson stood down just three years later, disillusioned with Labour politics.

After a stint in TV, he was appointed by former Labour leader Neil Kinnock as the partys director of communications, where his status as a political heavyweight began to take shape.

Despite defeat in the 1987 general election, before Margaret Thatchers third term in Downing Street, Labour picked up tens of seats and its media operation won praise.

His return to government was surrounded by controversy (PA)

He was selected as Labours candidate for the safe seat of Hartlepool in 1990, winning the seat at the 1992 general election, the last before the rise of Sir Tony Blair and New Labour.

The party was on course to take power from a tired Tory Party led by Sir John Major before the unexpected death of then Labour leader John Smith.

Lord Mandelson then found himself at the heart of a feud which would dominate British politics, Blair v Brown, after he backed Sir Tony for the leadership.

As a reward for his support, he was made director of Labours landslide 1997 general election campaign and was then handed a role in government.

He was later handed responsibility for trade and industry.

Peter Mandelson, right, with John Prescott, centre, and Neil Kinnock at Londons Festival Hall after Labours election victory in 1997 (PA Archive)

After briefly returning to the cabinet, Lord Mandelson had his eyes on Europe and took a job in 2004 as Britains European commissioner for trade - a role which may cause friction with EU-hating Mr Trumps administration.

But it was four years later Lord Mandelsons status as a Labour grandee would finally be sealed. In a controversial move, Mr Brown sought to shore up his government by bringing the former spin doctor back to UK politics by handing him a peerage and a role as business secretary.

Lord Mandelson became the first political appointee to the US ambassador role for almost 50 years.

He has faced scrutiny over his roles with lobbying firm Global Counsel, his links with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and his views on China, Europe and globalism in a time of the rise of America First.

In September 2025, Sir Keir Starmer sacked Lord Mandelson as the US ambassador following growing pressure over his ties to Epstein.

Peter Mandelsons relationship with Jeffrey Epstein

Over the weekend, further links came to light after the tranche of newly released documents suggested that Epstein had made payments of up to $75,000 (55,000) to Lord Mandelson over a period between 2003 and 2004.

Emails also appeared to show that the convicted sex offender had sent 10,000 to his husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva to fund an osteopathy course and other related expenses in September 2009.

The latest revelations follows a shock report by JPMorgan Chase last year that revealed the particularly close relationship between Lord Mandelson and Epstein.

The dossier showed the senior political figures ties to the late paedophile  who was close enough to the former Labour cabinet minister to call him Petie.

The report also suggested that Lord Mandelson stayed at Epsteins New York home in June 2009  when he was still Mr Browns business secretary and the financier was serving 18 months in prison for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

Pictures of the pair together have repeatedly resurfaced, with photos being circulated on social media when it emerged he would be appointed US ambassador.

Lord Mandelsons apparent birthday letter to Epstein (House Committee on Oversight and Reform)

Lord Mandelsons apparent contribution to the birthday book, released by a Congressional committee, took the form of a poem to the financier.

Once upon a time, an intelligent, sharp-witted man they call mysterious parachuted into my life, it opened.

The pictures included alongside the note included a shot of Lord Mandelson on a balcony in a pair of swimming trunks shot from behind, with his hands on his hips.

Lord Mandelson said his relationship with Epstein is a media obsession (House Committee on Oversight and Reform)

Lord Mandelsons note appeared to reference interesting friends he had been left to entertain by Epstein.

But wherever he is in the world, he remains my best pal, it concluded. Lord Mandelson appeared to add: Happy birthday, Jeffrey, we love you!!

There is no suggestion Lord Mandelson, who was friends with Epsteins former lover Ghislaine Maxwell, had any knowledge of the paedophiles wrongdoing.

Lord Mandelsons spokesman has said he very much regrets the connection with Epstein while allies have said the pair met on no more than five or six occasions. In January, Lord Mandelson apologised to the victims of Epstein for remaining friends with the paedophile financier after his conviction.

I was wrong to believe him following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered, he said in a statement.
The police sergeant was dismissed from his role after making false claims that a driving school was linked to funding drugs and child sexual exploitation (PA)

A police sergeant who threatened the bosses of a driving school after his son was unable to take a course has been dismissed from the force.

Gabriel Chandler, who had worked for Kent Police since 2002, waged a campaign of abuse against driving school Intensives UK after his son failed to complete the requirements to begin an intensive driving course with the company.

A misconduct hearing, held between 8 and 12 December 2025, found his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and he was dismissed without notice.

PS Chandler sent a series of abusive emails and made a high number of calls to bosses of Intensives UK and company owner Mark Elliot, making false claims that the firm was linked to funding drugs, paedophilia and child sexual exploitation as he accused it of running a scam.

After booking the course in June 2021, the sergeant paid 1,359 to the company, comprising a deposit and fees, with the deposit non-refundable. Before the driving course could begin, his son was required to have passed a theory test.

After his son had either failed or not taken the theory test and could not take the course, PS Chandler demanded a full refund and was offered 1,122 in March 2022, which he did not accept.

From February to August 2022, PS Chandler sometimes made between 30 and 50 calls per day to Mr Elliot and the Intensives UK office number, as he used his status as a police officer to threaten them and mention jail time in response to the situation, the misconduct panel found.

In an email on 11 March, he wrote: Detective Sergeant Gabriel Candler (sic) at your service. Please call me any time. You can look up criminals I've taken over the years on [local news website] Kent online.

PS Chandler had worked for Kent Police since 2002 (PA)

That same day, he also sent to the company: Do the right thing because once this starts, I can't stop it.

Youre (sic) homes and offices will be raided. You will all face heavy custodial sentences. And in my experience fraudsters arent built for prison. Your families theyll be ripped apart.

The panel also found that, during that period, the officer also left numerous, malicious and persistent reviews online to business pages linked to the company, in which he accused them of being fraudulent.

He also stated: Return the money you have stolen from all these people and close down your fraudulent sites as he claimed that the staff at Intensives UK were organised criminals who are linked on the dark web for funding drugs, paedophilia and child sexual exploitation.

In a further abusive email on 20 March, he wrote: Your (sic) a thief. I will will (sic) be on you relentlessly till I see you inside or you pay back my money.

Yes Im enjoying this. Lots more to come. Dig in for another week. Im not going anywhere.

Try and sleep. While you can. A storms (sic) heading your way.

Mr Elliot reported the matter to the police in August 2022. In response, PS Chandler emailed the forces professional standards department stating that he wished to make them aware of potential malicious reports from criminals.

In the hearing, PS Chandler said he felt he had to communicate in such a manner to demonstrate to the company that he was not going to allow it to push him around, as he felt it had done to other people who had complained.

The report added: He believed the company was operating in a fraudulent manner and he had to protect the public from them, particularly pensioners, young people and children.

However, the panel did not accept this explanation. It found he was an experienced and intelligent officer, but said he used his position to seek to threaten and intimidate Mark Elliot and the company.

It decided that the only sanction it could pass was dismissing PS Chandler without notice.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Armory, Kent Polices head of professional standards, said: Even when off duty, police officers are still held to the highest standards of professional conduct and in this case PC Chandlers behaviour fell far below what is expected of our officers and staff.

The vast majority of Kent Police officers and staff uphold the expected standards of Kent Police, often going above and beyond to ensure crimes are solved, victims are protected and offenders are brought to justice.

When officers do not conduct themselves in the manner expected, either on or off duty, it is only right that they are held accountable for their actions.
The Hennepin county medical center on 30 January. Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP (Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

A public health crisis is unfolding in Minnesota as people targeted by federal agents are afraid to seek healthcare while some healthcare staff are also fearful for their safety at work.

Community organizations and health providers are now arranging home visits, telehealth appointments and other alternate care.

Were seeing residents not wanting to leave their homes, not go to work, not go to their doctor appointments, not going to their regularly scheduled checkups, postponing surgeries, postponing care, said Angela Conley, Hennepin county commissioner for district 4, where Renee Good was killed.

People who have been targeted by federal agents because of the color of their skin, their accent or their immigration status are now avoiding leaving their homes to seek routine or even emergency healthcare. They fear unfamiliar cars idling outside clinics and in hospital parking garages. Pregnant patients are laboring at home; diabetic patients are diluting or forgoing their insulin; injured and sick people are avoiding the hospital and postponing surgeries.

They are afraid of being pulled out of their car and taken to the Whipple building and sent on a flight to Texas, even our legal permanent residents, United States citizens. Everybody is afraid, Conley added.

Munira Maalimisaq, founder and CEO of the Inspire Change Clinic in Minneapolis, noted that even people who are documented are not going to their doctors appointments. People who have their citizenship are not coming in.

It is a health issue. When people are too afraid to seek care, diseases worsen and emergencies increase and people die unnecessarily, Maalimisaq said.

Providers said that there are immediate and long-term health dangers from the federal occupation of Minnesota, including clashes with agents, stress, food insecurity, exacerbation of chronic illness and acute emergencies.

If people arent getting their medications and theyre not getting their treatments, they will die, said Mary Turner, president of National Nurses United (NNU) and an ICU nurse in the Minneapolis area. I dread the day that the stories start to come out about finding people dead in their homes because theyre afraid to seek medical care  Were going to start to find dead bodies.

Many organizations, including NNU, are calling for the abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

All theyve become now is a violent, racist, lawless agency, and you can see that in our streets. And were saying as a nursing organization: not one more penny goes to ICE, Turner said.

Community organizations, local programs and volunteers have quickly pivoted to arranging home visits for medical care and offering telehealth where its appropriate. Neighbors are arranging rides to clinic visits and hospitals and picking up prescriptions, groceries, formula and diapers.

We are all working very diligently to make sure hospitals are as safe as they possibly can be, and that we can amplify existing systems for alternative care like telehealth and home health and prescription delivery, said Erin Stevens, a physician in Minneapolis and member with the Committee to Protect Health Care.

As patients began canceling appointments or failing to show up at all, Maalimisaq decided to create a rapid response unit at her clinic in December. Soon, she received a call from a stranger, someone who had heard of her work in the community and wanted to know whether she could check on a church member who was nine months pregnant. Maalimisaq and an OB-GYN visited the womans home and discovered she was 8cm dilated, nearly ready to deliver the baby. But the woman refused to go by ambulance to the hospital.

She was so fearful that they were going to take her away while she was in labor, Maalimisaq said. She called ahead to the hospital and arranged to meet in a safe place, and Maalimisaq and the physician drove the laboring woman to the hospital, where she safely delivered her baby.

Doctors began calling Maalimisaq to see whether the rapid response unit could deliver seizure medications and check on pregnant patients. The requests flooded in, but they didnt have enough staff at the clinic, so they put out a call to local providers. More than 150 providers answered: emergency physicians, cardiologists, pediatricians, everything that you could think of, Maalimisaq said. They take care of wounds and sprains, administer medications, drop off food and sometimes serve as a shoulder to cry on.

Officials are urging people to continue receiving healthcare. Go to the hospital if youre sick, please go to the clinic, go to your appointment, Conley emphasized, but added that, for those who cannot leave, we will come to you.

Immediately after Goods killing, Hennepin county and the city of Minneapolis created a program called Operation Reconnect, a kind of incident command center available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for public health during this crisis. They have also partnered with neighborhood organizations on food drives, clothing swaps and transportation for medical visits.

Its a public health crisis because people dont have access to what they typically would, whether it is baby formula, whether it is getting for their mental health visits or picking up prescriptions that they need, Conley said.

Most areas of clinics and hospitals are considered private property, which federal agents need signed judicial warrants to enter. Hospital staff have also been trained on what to do if agents appear.

Theyre going to places where people are vulnerable, Conley said of federal agents. But she hasnt heard of any instances of agents camping out in the lobby or other public areas of hospitals: I want to be very clear: our hospital is a safe space where people who are in need of emergency care can go get care.

These health issues accumulate atop the immediate dangers of the clashes: car crashes, teargas and pepper spray, rubber bullets and actual bullets. Detainees report poor conditions and a lack of adequate medical care. Liam Conejo Ramos, the five-year-old asylum seeker detained in Minneapolis who became ill with fever, vomiting and lethargy, was held until Saturday at Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, where a measles outbreak was detected on Friday. There were 32 deaths in ICE custody last year.

Health providers, including doctors, nurses, aides and workers in housekeeping and food service, are also fearful of being detained. The Department of Homeland Security is auditing at least one hospitals employment records.

At Turners hospital, workers under threat are leaving their contact information and other details  whether they have family members and pets at home  in sealed envelopes with their union representatives.

If they all of a sudden dont show up, their information is sealed somewhere safely, Turner said.

Maalimisaq, who is Somali, says she and her staff show up and do the work, but she battles the daily fear that they will be targeted next.

Ive never felt this vulnerable, Maalimisaq said, but added: There is no way I would ever sit back and not do something because it puts me in harms way. Their lives would be in danger if we didnt provide the care that they needed.

Many of her patients are not able to speak up for themselves right now, which is why we as healthcare providers are using our voice, Maalimisaq said. Healthcare needs to remain safe and accessible for everyone. We will do anything it takes to do that.
Protesters clash with law enforcement in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 24 January 2026. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images (Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images)

The homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, said on Monday that all federal agents in Minneapolis will immediately begin wearing body cameras and that the program will be expanded nationwide as funding is available.

The announcement comes after the Republican senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin suggested, in a concession that could pave the way to an agreement on Capitol Hill to fund the much-criticized agency, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents could wear body cameras on immigration patrols.

Johnson said he did not have a problem with ICE officers wearing the cameras, one of the key demands made by Democrats who are currently blocking the agencys financing.

I dont have a problem with that personally, Johnson, the chair of the Senates homeland security committee, told CNNs Dana Bash on the State of the Union program.

On Monday, Trump seemed to indicate support for body cameras as well. They generally tend to be good for law enforcement because people cant lie about whats happening, he said during a White House event.

Wearing body cameras has been among the conditions attached by Democrats to agreeing to continued funding of the agency, whose operations have come under fierce scrutiny over its patrols in Minneapolis following the fatal shootings of two people, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Democratic senators have refused to vote for a spending bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security without reforms in the way ICE conducts patrols.

In addition to cameras, Chuck Schumer, the Democrats leader in the Senate, has called for an end to roving patrols and new rules requiring judicial warrants before entering peoples homes to carry out arrests.

Related: Partial US government shutdown likely to continue amid funding standoff

He has also demanded that agents be prohibited from wearing masks and carry proper identification.

The list of demands also includes a universal code of conduct governing the use of force by federal law officers.

Schumer has called the proposed changes commonsense changes, adding: If Republicans refuse to support them, they are choosing chaos over order, plain and simple.

Agents have come under fierce criticism for arresting and pepper-spraying demonstrators and observers who are filming or following them, activities that civil liberty lawyers insist is protected under the US constitutions first amendment.

Johnson told CNN that agents were on hair-trigger alert and claimed some had been shot at and had their cars rammed by protesters. He conceded Bashs point that wearing body cameras might serve to illuminate such situations.

But he rejected the call for judicial warrants, portraying that as the Democrats central demand and a sneaky way to derail Donald Trumps immigration agenda.

This is immigration law that has always been adjudicated through  administrative judges, he said. Weve got millions of cases backlogged. Were talking about general criminal law. Youre talking probably hundreds of thousands of cases. We have millions of cases so demanding judicial warrants is their sneaky way of basically neutering our ability to enforce our immigration laws.

The Senate passed a package of five measures last Friday to fund government departments until next September, as well as a bill to continue homeland security operations for two weeks.

The House of Representatives will consider the legislation this week. Democrats in the House are expected to continue demands for reforms to ICEs activities after its caucus met on Sunday to plot a strategy.

Hakeem Jeffries, the partys leader in the House, echoed Schumers demands in an ABC interview on Sunday.

ICE agents should conduct themselves like every other law enforcement agency in the country as opposed to running around  masked thugs, in many instances unleashing brutality on law-abiding American citizens, he told the networks This Week program. What is clear is that the Department of Homeland Security needs to be dramatically reformed.
A ward in the Hampstead Smallpox Hospital, circa 1820 - Hulton Archive/Getty Images

When Dr William Foege died earlier this month, the world mourned the loss of a scientist who helped rid humanity of a virus that had plagued the Earth for thousands of years.

That disease was smallpox  a virus that ravaged Aztecs, Greeks and Romans, and killed an estimated 500 million people in the 20th century alone before it was officially eradicated in 1980.

To put that figure in perspective, the Black Death is believed to have killed around 25 million people, while the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic claimed roughly 50 million lives.

Dr Foeges most enduring contribution was the invention of ring vaccination  a guerrilla-style public health strategy in which teams rapidly inoculated anyone who had come into contact with an infected person. By forming a targeted ring around each case, the approach swiftly cut off all routes of transmission.

It was extraordinarily effective. Smallpox remains the only human disease ever to have been eradicated.

Today, the virus  known scientifically as variola  exists only in tightly controlled samples held in a small number of high-security laboratories. But its eradication, public health experts warn, has had an unintended consequence.

By eliminating smallpox, humanity also removed a powerful source of population-wide immunity to related poxviruses.

In its place, scientists say, a vacuum has formed  one that smallpoxs viral cousins are now beginning to fill.

The orthopoxvirus family includes smallpox, mpox, Borealpox, Buffalopox and Camelpox - Science Photo Library RF

Those relatives belong to the orthopoxvirus family, a group of viruses that originate from and circulate among wild mammals, and can occasionally jump to humans before transmitting between them.

They include mpox, as well as lesser-known viruses like Borealpox in North America, Buffalopox in South Asia and Camelpox in the Middle East.

Before smallpox was eliminated, people were frequently exposed to the virus and there were mass vaccination campaigns that resulted in a baseline of protection to orthopoxviruses more broadly, said Dr Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity at the University of New South Wales.

But the population of the world, at the moment, are just sitting ducks for any orthopox virus emergence, because we dont have immunity, Dr MacIntyre told The Telegraph.

Dr Jonas Albarnaz, a senior virologist at the Pirbright Institute, said: Public health experts predicted before eradication that other orthopoxviruses could occupy the niche vacated by variola virus, with mpox a prime candidate.

They were right.

For epidemiologists and governments racing to prepare for the next global health emergency, the question is no longer whether another pandemic will occur, but what form it will take.

The population is not immune

Last year, The Telegraph revealed that the World Health Organization (WHO) had run a pandemic-simulation drill using a fictional orthopox virus. Coined mammothpox, the virus had broken out after a group of unwitting scientists and documentary filmmakers uncovered the remains of a woolly mammoth in the Arctic carrying the disease.

The pox spread rapidly, and quickly overwhelmed ICUs, forced countries into lockdowns, and triggered a global race to develop the vaccines and antivirals that might be able to stop it.

The exercise underscored just how seriously the WHO is taking the threat posed by orthopox viruses. So could one trigger an epidemic, and how can we prepare?

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Know your Pox!

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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) currently classifies orthopoxviruses among Britains most serious public health threats.

In its 2025 Priority Pathogens List, the agency identified 24 bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens that lack sufficient vaccines, diagnostics or treatments, leaving the UK vulnerable to future outbreaks.

The UKHSA assesses the likelihood of an orthopoxvirus as having a medium risk of triggering the next pandemic. While other pathogens, including Nipah virus and influenza strains like H5N1 bird flu, are classed as having a high risk, experts say the inclusion of orthopoxviruses is nonetheless significant.

UKHSA maintains robust systems to detect new and emerging infections, Dr Katherine Russell, Head of Emerging Infections and Zoonoses at UKHSA said.

Mpox has pandemic potential, and weve seen other orthopoxviruses emerge in the last 10 to 15 years, like Borealpox, Dr MacIntyre told The Telegraph. Borealpox was first detected in Alaska in 2015 and is thought to have originated in rodents; it has since infected seven people and killed one.

There could be other orthopoxviruses that emerge from animals and adapt to human transmission, she added. And the point is, the population is not immune.

A patient with severe mpox is treated at Kavumu hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo - GLODY MURHABAZI/AFP via Getty Images

Among orthopoxviruses, mpox has consistently been singled out as the greatest concern. On the UKHSA list, it is classified as the pox familys notable pathogen.

The virus surged in 2022, spreading largely through sexual contact within networks of gay and bisexual men, and infected at least 120,000 people globally, including thousands across Britain, Europe and the United States.

Symptoms typically include a distinctive rash of spots, blisters and ulcers, often accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen glands and exhaustion. The variant responsible for the 2022 outbreak, known as clade II mpox, killed roughly 220 people.

In late 2023, a new mutant strain  clade 1b  emerged in the conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and rapidly spread to neighbouring countries. It causes more severe disease than previous strains.

At least 1,000 people have died so far, most of them children under 15 with immune systems weakened by malnutrition and other underlying conditions. The virus is understood to spread primarily through close skin-to-skin contact within households and communities, as well as through sex.

Cases of clade 1b mpox have since been detected in Britain, with several cases picked up in London, as well as in the United States, Canada, Thailand and India, largely linked to international travel from Africa.

In both outbreaks, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, a designation that unlocks global funding and coordinated response efforts.

The same mechanism was invoked for Covid-19 in January 2020, weeks before it was formally declared a pandemic.

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The threat posed by orthopoxviruses has featured prominently on the WHOs agenda.

The pandemic simulation exercise run by the organisation last year  codenamed Exercise Polaris  was to test countries preparedness for a future outbreak.

The pathogen chosen for the drill, the fictional Mammothpox, was telling.

The scenario is based on the emergence of Mammothpox, an imaginary novel orthopoxvirus released due to Arctic permafrost thawing, documents sent to health ministers and seen by The Telegraph said.

In the exercise, scientists and documentary filmmakers working in the Arctic fall ill with pox-like lesions after uncovering the remains of a woolly mammoth exposed by melting permafrost. The infected individuals then return home, where the virus spreads rapidly, overwhelming hospitals.

Mammothpox disease is severe, with a mortality intermediate between mpox and smallpox, the documents state.

The WHO said the scenario was grounded in evidence that poxviruses can remain stable under extreme environmental conditions, citing research showing potential human exposure through excavation and scientific research.

In 2012, scientists confirmed that the 300-year-old mummified remains of a woman buried in Siberia contained the genetic signatures of the virus that causes smallpox.

Scientists agree that, while the risk is low, cases like this could theoretically provide a route for the re-emergence of smallpox or a related mutated virus.

Re-emergence of smallpox remains a possibility, albeit very unlikely, Dr Albarnaz said.

Climate change has caused permafrost thawing in Arctic regions, and thawing of permafrost where smallpox victims were buried could release viable variola virus into the environment.

A digital illustration of the excavation of a woolly mammoth, created by the WHO for its mammothpox pandemic preparedness exercise - WHO

Encouragingly, there is a key difference between smallpox and its viral cousins that makes the latter far less dangerous to populations at large.

Unlike most orthopoxviruses, which require close skin-to-skin contact to spread, smallpox was highly adapted to respiratory transmission.

This allowed infected individuals to shed large amounts of virus in droplets and aerosols during coughing, speaking or just breathing, particularly early on in infection, when they were still mobile and mixing with other people.

In 1520, a single Spanish soldier infected with smallpox inadvertently brought the virus to the Aztec Empire during the Spanish conquest of the Americas.

Within a year, the virus had killed five to eight million people, including the Aztec emperor Cuitlahuac, and wiped out at least 90 per cent of the population. The virus is considered to be a major factor behind the collapse of the empire.

Smallpox is transmitted via the respiratory route, which enabled efficient transmission and its pandemics in the past, said Dr Albarnaz. In contrast, other orthopoxviruses that can infect humans, such as cowpox virus and mpox virus, are transmitted via close contact with an infected individual or animal, or contaminated objects.

This means that despite the international reach of mpox since 2022 and 2024, these viruses are unlikely to cause a pandemic like Covid-19, he added.

While evidence suggests mpox can sometimes spread through respiratory droplets, a major review published in The Lancet in 2023 concluded that although respiratory transmission is possible, it is not the primary mode of spread and is unlikely to play a substantial role in current outbreaks.

Some experts, however, fear this could change  particularly with the emergence of the newer clade 1b strain.

Recent outbreaks show the virus accumulating mutations faster than expected. Certain genetic changes appear to improve its ability to transmit between people, for example by increasing viral shedding or survival outside the body.

The combination of rapid mutation and a growing reservoir of human infection is why some experts believe newer strains carry pandemic potential.

There were multiple studies during the mpox epidemic in 2022 that tested air samples in clinics where infected men were being assessed, Dr MacIntyre said. You could find traces in the air  and there is now plenty of evidence that some strains of mpox can spread respiratorily.

Children in California are vaccinated against smallpox by a mobile medical team in 1939 - Bettmann

There is another key weapon in the scientific arsenal that reduces the risk of a full-scale orthopox pandemic compared with other pathogens: vaccines.

The science behind orthopox vaccines dates back more than two centuries and is often cited as a British success story. In 1796, British physician Edward Jenner pioneered vaccination by demonstrating that inoculation with the cowpox virus  known as vaccinia, a far milder poxvirus  protected humans against the deadly smallpox virus.

Vaccines later used by the late Dr Foege during the global smallpox eradication campaign built on this principle and provide strong cross-protection  around 85 per cent  against most orthopoxviruses.

The mpox vaccines currently offered to gay and bisexual men in Western countries, as well as those being distributed during the ongoing outbreak in Africa, are third-generation vaccinia-based vaccines, now largely manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic.

These vaccines use Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA), a live but weakened vaccinia virus derived from strains used during the 1958 to 1977 global smallpox eradication campaign.

But although stockpiles exist, it would be difficult to scale up production to protect large populations where needed.

The availability of these vaccines is very limited globally, representing a major bottleneck for control strategies, said Dr Albanza.

Much of this is because poxvirus vaccines are too complex to be tackled using messenger RNA (mRNA) methods, the technology behind the Pfizer and Moderna Covid19 vaccines, which are credited with saving millions of lives during the pandemic.

Unlike traditional vaccines, the mRNA platform can be adapted to match a pandemic-causing pathogen within just a few days.

Instead, live vaccinia virus vaccines are grown in cell cultures or eggs, harvested, purified, and carefully tested to ensure they trigger immunity without causing disease.

The process is much slower, more resource-intensive, and harder to rapidly expand than mRNA production, limiting how quickly supplies can be increased during an outbreak.

If something went really bad, we would find ourselves limited in vaccine production, acknowledged Prof Carlos Maluquer de Motes, professor of virology at the University of Surrey.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a global organisation working to accelerate vaccine development for future pandemics, has invested $100 million in mpox vaccine research since 2022.

They say this work also provides an important line of defence against other emerging orthopoxviruses.

A spokesperson added that CEPI is collaborating with BioNTech, the German pharmaceutical company behind COVID19 mRNA vaccines, on a potential mRNA-based mpox vaccine candidate.

Another potential challenge is the availability of existing smallpox vaccine stockpiles, some of which rely on doses pledged by member states to the World Health Organization (WHO).

There are concerns that the United States, historically the largest donor with 20 million pledged doses, may no longer honour that commitment following its withdrawal from the WHO, complicating emergency distribution plans.

For scientists, the message is clear: orthopoxviruses are waiting in the wings, and the worlds immunity to them has largely vanished.

An orthopox outbreak is not an immediate emergency like Ebola or Covid19, for which we had nothing when they first emerged Prof Maluquer de Motes said.

But the countermeasures we have are far from bulletproof.

Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security
Romeo Coolio was made to fight for victory in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

Gordon Elliotts 4-9 favourite was one of only three horses in the two-mile-one-furlong Grade One event, with the outsider Downmexicoway detached from an early stage.

It was effectively a match between the market leader and the Willie Mullins-trained mare Kargese, with Romeo Coolio eventually getting on top in the hands of Jack Kennedy, only for Kargese to rally under Paul Townend and close right to the line, which in her case came half a length too soon.

Well that was closer than expected!  Romeo Coolio gets the job done in the Irish Arkle  but only just. Does he win the Arkle at Cheltenham? #DRF | @gelliott_racing pic.twitter.com/Xa244DtLBX  Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 2, 2026

They went a good gallop, the pedal never came off. They went very fast, said Elliott.

Our lad needs every bit of the trip, he was flat out. The mare had us at it. He made a few mistakes, but hes very gutsy and he digs deep. He pulled up when he got to the front then and I was glad the line came when it did.

Itll be interesting to see what Jack says. Id say Jack maybe idled a bit as well, he thought he was home and hosed. He should have kept going, but thankfully we held on.

They are great lads and big supporters of Cullentra. This horse was bought to be a stayer, were hoping hell go the whole way.

Romeo Coolio was eased to 5-1 from 7-2 by Coral for the Arkle at Cheltenham, and of future plans Elliott added: I wouldnt be shocked to see him stepping out in trip now. He has three Grade Ones won now so everything else is a bonus. The lads are from the UK so they are very keen to have a runner in Cheltenham.

Hell be in both races (the Arkle and Brown Advisory) and well make our mind up at the time which is the right race to go for.

Jack Kennedy returns aboard Romeo Coolio (Niall Carson/PA)

Dave Rabson, of owners KDTA racing, added: Hes shown his bottle again. If you look at the two races, here and at Christmas, just after the second-last youre going were in a bit of trouble here and then he shows you what hes got.

Three Grade Ones this year, hes a proper horse now. This is what we bought him for, to go over proper fences, for big days, for Grade Ones and the boss has given us three. Hes probably even par for this year with me!

Well sit down. Dave (Page), Mouse (ORyan) and myself will give our opinions and then Gordon will tell us what were doing!

Kennedy told RTE2: We went a very strong gallop. My lads jumping was unbelievable until the ditch down the back and he just made two little mistakes then. I was on the back foot really the whole way from there. I suppose his stamina kicked in down to the last and he probably got a bit lonely in front. To be fair to the mare, she was good and hardy to get back at him.

He does (have the heart of a lion), he is very tough.
The damage caused to the tanker Stena Immaculate after being hit by Motins container ship, the Solong. Photograph: Humberside Police/Reuters (Photograph: Humberside Police/Reuters)

The Russian captain of a ship that crashed into an oil tanker off the Yorkshire coast has been found guilty of killing a crew member in the collision.

Vladimir Motin, a 59-year-old from St Petersburg, was on sole watch when his ship, the Solong, collided into the Stena Immaculate oil tanker near the Humber estuary on 10 March last year. Mark Angelo Pernia, a 38-year-old Filipino man, was killed in the wreck.

A jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for eight hours before returning a guilty verdict for manslaughter by gross negligence against Motin, who appeared emotionless as he heard it before being remanded into custody ahead of being sentenced on Thursday.

Prosecuting, Tom Little KC described the trial as being about the entirely avoidable death of a seaman and claimed that ultimately, he would still be alive if it was not for the grossly negligent behaviour of the defendant.

The court was informed by Little that Pernia, who had a five-year-old child at the time of his death, had been expecting a second child with his wife, who was about seven months pregnant when her husband was killed.

Little also said that Pernias wife, who lives in a remote area of the Philippines, would travel to somewhere with good internet access to watch the sentencing proceedings virtually.

During his defence, Motin claimed that he had spotted the ship and realised the danger, but that his attempts to take manual control of his own vessel failed and the crash was unavoidable.

Representing Motin, James Leonard KC said that there was no doubt that the captain was at fault for the crash but denied that his actions amounted to gross negligence, instead describing his lack of action as a human error, a bad mistake and an error of judgment.

DCS Craig Nicholson of Humberside police described the crash as a simple, senseless tragedy, and said he believed that it was a miracle that there werent more fatalities or serious injuries.

He added: Similarly, this could have been a huge environmental catastrophe. The Solong burned for eight days after the collision.

There were people on the deck of the Stena Immaculate at the point of impact. One crew member was up a mast changing a light fitting.

The Solong, Motins ship, was described in court as 130 metres long and weighing 7,852 gross tonnes. It had been carrying mainly alcoholic spirits and some hazardous substances, including empty but unclean sodium cyanide containers, while the Stena Immaculate, which was 183.2 metres long, was carrying more than 220,000 barrels of JetA1 high-grade aviation fuel. The jury heard that the dangers of a crash were high and obvious.

Motin was alleged to have failed to slow down his ship, as well as not summoning or alerting crew, despite the Solong being visible on the ships radar for at least 36 minutes. He is also alleged to have lied about the events on the bridge after the crash.
Arizona authorities say the disappearance of Savannah Guthries mother is being investigated as a crime, as the Today show hosts mom has limited mobility and did not leave on her own.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, vanished Saturday between 9:30 pm and 9:45 pm at her home in the Catalina Foothills, just outside of Tucson, Arizona.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed the disappearance was being investigated as a crime during a press conference Monday morning.

We believe now, after weve processed that crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime, Nanos said.

She is very limited in mobility. We know she didnt just walk out there, that we know. There are other things at the scene that indicate she did not leave on her own, we know that, Nanos said.

Savannah is regularly photographed with her mother and often pays tribute to her on the show (Instagram/@savannahguthrie)

The missing woman is being treated as a vulnerable adult due to her age, not because she has any known physical ailments, the sheriffs office said.

Nancy Guthrie is of great sound and mind, this is not dementia related. She is as sharp as a tack. Her family wants everybody to know, this is not somebody that just wandered off, Nanos added.

She also takes medication that if she does not have in 24 hours could be fatal Nanos said Monday.

So we make a plea to anyone that knows anything about this, who has seen something, heard something, to contact us. Call 911, he said.

Search efforts for the older Guthrie were also called off, with Nanos noting Right now, we dont see this as a search mission, as much as we do a crime scene.

Earlier, NBC News Tom Winter confirmed that the FBI is also involved in the search.

He told reporters at a press conference that concerning evidence had been found, which prompted homicide investigators to be drafted in.

This one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we found and located just in looking at the scene, he said, although he did not elaborate on what officers had uncovered.

We hope we find her safe and sound, but we are very concerned, he added.

Nancy Guthrie is missing in Tucson, Arizona, and is considered a 'vulnerable adult' (Pima County Sheriff's Department)

Savannah Guthrie was absent from her show Monday morning. During the episode, co-host Jenna Bush Hager said that her co-hosts mother is without medication, that she needs for survival.

Guthries family has issued a statement: We can confirm this is a missing persons case, and the family is working closely with local law enforcement. Guthrie has an older sister, Annie, and brother, Camron, a pilot with the Air National Guard.

Nancy Guthrie is described as being 5 feet five inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, according to the Pima County Sheriffs Office. Anybody with any information is asked to call the sheriffs office on 520-351-4900.

Guthrie has featured on episodes of the Today show in the past. Just this past November, she appeared with her daughter during a segment promoting tourism in Tucson.

In 2013, Guthrie appeared to tell the shows audience how to make a bed properly.

When I was in my 30s, I really wished to be married and to be a mom, and things just did not happen that fast for me, Savannah once told viewers.

And my moms confidence that I would be a mom  even as the years ticked by and ticked by and ticked by  meant so much to me.

She said, Of course youll be a mom, and youre going to be a wonderful mom, Savannah continued. And for her to have that confidence and faith was so meaningful to me.

It got me through some really hard times.

Savannah Guthrie has a daughter, Vale, and a son, Charley, with her husband, Michael Feldman, whom she married in 2014.

Savannah has often spoke about her mother and her influence (Getty)

The anchor spoke about her mother again on the program in 2022, when she credited her illustrious career to her mothers parenting.

She loves us, her family, fiercely, and her selflessness and sacrifice for us, her steadfastness and her unmovable confidence is the reason any of us grew up to do anything, Savannah said on her mothers 80th birthday.

Savannah has earlier disclosed that her father, Charles, died when the NBC star was a senior in high school.

She told her co-host Jenna Bush Hager in 2022, My father died when I was entering my senior year in high school. I then lived at home all through college.

We didn't have money to afford the dorm. And that was thing one, but the other was that my sister and I really felt like we should stick with my mom and not leave her alone.

But when I moved to Butte, Montana, this was it. And it was really hard for me to leave her.

And that's when she said, 'If you can't leave me, then I didn't do my job right, Savannah.' She just gave me permission to go, you know?

Following her fathers death, Savannah told The Hollywood Reporter that her mother took a job at the University of Arizona in order to secure tuition-free education for her children.

The former White House correspondent was born in Victoria, Australia, where the family lived because her father worked for an Arizona-based mining company. In 2015, Savannah and her mother traveled to Sydney for a Today show segment.
Vladimir Motin, 59, had denied a charge of gross negligence manslaughter (Crown Prosecution Service)

A sea captain has been found guilty of killing a crew member when his ship crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of Yorkshire.

Russian Vladimir Motin had been on sole watch duty when the Solong collided with the Stena Immaculate anchored near the Humber Estuary at 9.47am last March 10.

Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, who was working on the Solong's bow, died instantly in the fire, although his body was never recovered.

The Filipino family man had a five-year-old child at the time of the collision, but he never met his second child, who was born two months after his death.

This is a breaking story  more follows...
Tulsi Gabbard has been accused of stonewalling the release of a complaint made against her to Congress - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America

Donald Trumps intelligence chief is facing a complaint so grave it has been locked in a safe for months, a whistleblower has claimed.

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, has been accused of stonewalling the release of the allegations to Congress, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The office of the director of national intelligence (ODNI) strongly denied the allegations, claiming the whistleblower had attempted to launder a politically-motivated attack under the guise of national security revelations.

A watchdog appointed under Joe Biden, the former US president, had already deemed the report not credible, an official for Ms Gabbard said.

The delay in bringing the complaint to Congress was owing to a lack of legal guidance on how to handle a grievance that has been deemed not to be credible.

Complaint implicates another federal agency

The specifics of the whistleblower complaint are unclear beyond the fact that it involves Ms Gabbard and implicates another federal agency. Revealing its contents could cause grave damage to national security, a source told the newspaper.

The national intelligence chief has previously been questioned about the claims by the agencys inspector general.

The complaints have been in limbo for eight months and are said to be locked in a safe in Ms Gabbards office.

A representative for the agencys inspector general said: Some complaints involve exceptionally sensitive materials necessitating special handling and storage requirements. This case is one of them.

Disclosing its contents could cause grave damage to national security, an official claimed.

Andrew Bakaj, the lawyer representing the whistleblower, said it was confounding for the office of the director of national intelligence (ODNI) to take weeks  let alone eight months  to transmit a disclosure to Congress.

Mr Bakaj admitted the complaint was so highly classified that he had not been able to view it himself.

Allegations deemed not credible

As a result, an ODNI official told The Telegraph, the complaint was deemed not credible by an inspector general appointed during Mr Bidens era.

This means there is no legal guidance on when it has to be released to the House of Representatives and Senate intelligence committees, they added. The inspector general is currently coordinating with Congress to deliver it.

Democratic staffers on the intelligence committees have tried to learn more about the complaint in recent weeks, but without success.

Whistleblowers are allowed to share their complaint directly with Congress as long as the national intelligence chief provides instructions on how to do so securely.

Ms Gabbard only learned of this in October, an official claimed, because the acting inspector general did not inform her of that responsibility.

In 2019, Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and Democratic presidential candidate, suggested Ms Gabbard was a Russian asset who had been groomed by the Kremlin, although she did not mention her by name.

Ms Gabbard brought a defamation claim against Mrs Clinton that she eventually dropped.

Since becoming national intelligence chief, she has reportedly been frozen out of key decisions, including the operation to capture Nicolas Maduro, the former Venezuelan leader, in January.
In a video on social media, Pedro Sanchez asked: When did empathy become something exceptional? Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA (Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA)

Spains prime minister has pushed back against critics of plans to regularise 500,000 undocumented migrants and asylum seekers, asserting that Spain is choosing the path of dignity, community and justice.

The 46-second video, which features Pedro Sanchez speaking in English with subtitles in Spanish, was posted on social media at the weekend. Some say weve gone too far, that were going against the current, he said. But I would like to ask you, when did recognising rights become something radical? When did empathy become something exceptional?

It came days after the Socialist-led coalition government approved a decree that it said would regularise half a million people. The initiative, expected to come into effect in April, made headlines around the world for its rejection of the anti-migration policies and rhetoric seen across much of Europe and the US.

Sanchez said the plans would offer an orderly path to residence for those whose lives were already woven into Spains social fabric. Half a million people we live with every day, at the market, on the bus, at our childrens school. People who care for our parents, work in the fields, who have built, hand in hand with us, the progress of our country, he said.

Spain is above all a welcoming country, and this is the path we choose: dignity, community and justice.

The decrees roots lie in a citizens initiative, signed by more than 700,000 people and backed by much of the Catholic church and about 900 social organisations, presented to parliament in 2024. The initiative had languished for months until the leftwing Podemos party said last week that it had struck a deal with the Socialists to approve the plans in exchange for parliamentary support.

Related: Its a question of humanity: how a small Spanish town made headlines over its immigration stance

The video, which has racked up millions of views, has seen some call Sanchez the anti-Trump for taking a strong pro-migration stance. The political scientist Pablo Simon said the prime minister  who relies on an unwieldy assortment of parties to push through legislation  was responding to both domestic and global pressures.

Right now, Sanchez is in a very difficult position internally, but he also knows the only way he can survive is by shifting to more leftwing positions that will allow him to absorb the electorate of the smaller parties, said Simon, a professor at Madrids Carlos III University.

In recent months, Sanchez has consistently tacked to the left on issues such as the war in Gaza and Trumps push for increased defence spending. On migration it has been the same, with Sanchez embracing openness while others in Europe hardened their stances in response to pressure from the far right.

As a result, Sanchez was catapulted into the global limelight as a leader of the traditional left, while parties such as the UKs Labour party and Germanys Social Democrats took a hard line on migration. Within Europe, theyre projecting Spains image as open and, above all, against the extreme right, Simon said.

Hints of this push were evident last week, after Elon Musk retweeted a post on X that accused Sanchez of using regularisation to carry out electoral engineering. The worlds richest man added his reaction, writing simply: Wow.

Sanchez was swift to hit back, reposting Musks comment with a reply of his own: Mars can wait. Humanity cant.
A man deliberately cut his salary by a quarter to make sure he's actually better off.

A man deliberately cut his salary by a quarter

Mark Brown - who is a pilot, and helps run a tour guide business, Let Me Show You London, with his partner Denisa Podhrazska - has reduced his working hours by 25 percent after discovering that earning just over 100,000 would have a worse impact on his finances.

Now, he pulls in a net salary of 70,000, which is "a lot more tax efficient".

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "You could see it coming because it's been tax policy for a long time now.

"At some point, you'll run into the position when you get through that barrier into a six figure salary and there's a small window where you end up on a 62 percent tax rate.

It seems daft so be giving away more money than you're earning. I have the opportunity to take that time and invest it into our business.

"We have a back up and I wanted to reinvest my time rather than spend more time in my day job getting taxed.

The UK government website explains that your personal allowance is reduced by 1 for every 2 your net income is over 100,000.

If your income is 125,140 or above, you have an allowance of zero.

Mark, 41, argued: "They're drawing more people into this. It's frustrating. At my age, I should be at my most productive in my career, I should be able to give as much as possible to the economy.

But because there's a punitive tax barrier there, I'm doing something else with my time. And it costs airlines a lot more to have lots of pilots on part time contracts. It just doesn't make sense.

If they had a fairer way of approaching taxation maybe thered be more people being productive and you could collect more tax to spend in the community. Perhaps they'd end up with more in the pot so more people could benefit."
Gordon Brown with Peter Mandelson, whom the ex-PM brought back into government despite widespread party concern

When, in 2001, Peter Mandelson said we had underestimated him, he was right. Just not for the reason he thought: we underestimated the depths to which he would plunge.

We have long known about Mandelsons bedazzlement by wealth, his seeming need to run with impossibly rich people and his sociopathic sense of entitlement.

But the true extent of his sordid friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein  which, according to the latest reports, saw him forward internal government information to Epstein while serving in Gordon Browns cabinet  is something else altogether, and is only now becoming clearer.

The revelations  indeed, all the images and information contained in the Epstein Files dump  are sickening. Most of us feel absolute revulsion, not least because the victims are still yet to receive anything like justice.

Yet while we recoil, questions are mounting for the Labour Party, whose repeated misjudgments over Mandelson now appear utterly shameful.

Mandelson with Epstein in St Barts in 2004, one of the images within the three million files released by the Department of Justice

Just when did it become so intensely relaxed about a man who clearly believed the rules did not apply to him?

From the off, the so-called great fixer seemed focused above all on fixing a lifestyle for himself that he could not actually afford.

In 1998, a year after Tony Blair took office, Mandelson was forced to resign as trade and industry secretary after it emerged that he had taken an undeclared, interest-free 373,000 loan from Geoffrey Robinson, the paymaster general, to buy a flat in Notting Hill.

Within a year he was back, this time as Northern Ireland secretary. By 2001, however, Mandelson had stood down for a second time after becoming mired in allegations that he had lobbied to secure a British passport for his super-rich friend, Srichand Hinduja, while the Indian plutocrat and his brother were facing questions over a corruption case. (Mandelson and Hinduja, who was eventually cleared of all charges relating to the Bofors arms scandal, denied any impropriety.)

Not to be deterred, three years later Mandelson reappeared as EU trade commissioner.

His four years in the role saw him socialise on yachts with the likes of Oleg Deripaska, a Russian aluminium magnate and associate of Vladimir Putin, and Diego Della Valle, an Italian footwear tycoon, in the glamorous surroundings of Corfu and Capri. It was a long way from Hartlepool for the silver-tongued grandson of Herbert Morrison.

By this point, he had already made connections with the man with an island: Epstein.

Yet in the years since, Labour bigwigs have repeatedly put the Prince of Darkness back into positions of power, ignoring the risks associated with him and setting aside whatever moral qualms they may have harboured about Mandelson and the company he kept.

Gordon Brown granted him a peerage in 2008 and appointed him secretary of state for business. This was a sign of the then prime ministers desperation  Mandelson, after all, had always backed Blair over Brown.

With Tony Blair in September 2001 after Mandelson defied his critics and held his seat in the general election - Owen Humphreys

Much of Labour was up in arms, seeing in Mandelson a man who had abandoned every principle the party claimed to stand for.

Yet anyone who, in the 1990s, had been in a room with him as he mapped out the strategy for Blairs eventual victory  clearly understanding and articulating the coalition of voters Labour needed to win office  could not fail to admire his skills.

It was no longer enough for the party to rely on class or tradition to secure votes; it also had to win over the aspirational. And no one understood aspiration quite like Mandelson.

Brown, whom I believe to be a decent man, overlooked his dodginess to bring him back.

Sir Keir Starmer, another desperate incumbent of Number 10, did the same by appointing him ambassador to the US in 2024. Who better to seduce Trump, a man whose only relationship with the world is transactional, than Mandelson?

Those who reportedly approved of Starmers reasoning included Morgan McSweeney, Wes Streeting and David Lammy. Nigel Farage, of course, offered to work with the new ambassador in the national interest.

For them, Mandelsons perceived benefits  his mastery of political spin, understanding of the electorate and willingness to tell a leader exactly what they wanted to hear  outweighed any downsides.

But Brown and Starmer were wrong, as even the pair seemed to acknowledge themselves on Monday when the PM called for the ex-ambassador to Washington to be stripped of his peerage and Brown demanded an investigation into the alleged leaking of government information.

With Keir Starmer, who chose him to be Britains ambassador to the US in 2024 - Carl Court/Getty Images

Bringing Mandelson back into the fold was a mistake at every turn. For many, he remained a divisive figure, even before the fuller picture of his relationship with Epstein became clear.

Now, everyone is asking: how did this happen?

The answer, in part, may lie in a remark made by Blair in 1996. My project will be complete when the Labour Party learns to love Peter Mandelson, he said.

Well they did, sort of, but that love was unrequited. Though his return to high office following bout after bout of controversy was facilitated by those who should have known better, Mandelson has repeatedly abused that loyalty.

He has stolen the soul and faith of the party. This is unforgivable, and it is the enablers  not only the enabled  who are now disgraced. In the end, it is the electorate who have been utterly disrespected here.

Mandelson, one of the key architects of New Labour, has proved to be beyond rehabilitation. Whether the party can survive him is the question now.
Marco Rubio, secretary of state, at a committee hearing in Washington DC, in January 2026. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images (Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images)

A coalition of immigration groups, lawyers and US citizens is suing Marco Rubio and the state department to overturn an order that suspended immigrant visa approvals to citizens of 75 countries, alleging the move eviscerates decades of settled policy and is blatantly discriminatory.

The suit, filed in a US district court in New York, accuses the department and Rubio, the secretary of state, of denying immigration rights to the nationals of certain countries on the demonstrably false claim that they are likely to seek welfare payments.

The state department suspended immigrant visa approvals to nationals of 75 countries last month in a social media post couched in notably undiplomatic language.

Related: Self-interest over ideology as disparate inner circle shapes Trump foreign policy

It said it would pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.

The pause impacts dozens of countries  including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea  whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival, the post continued. We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be abused.

Among other countries included was Cuba, from which Rubios parents arrived as undocumented immigrants in 1956.

An accompanying statement on the departments website said: President Trump has made clear that immigrants must be financially self-sufficient and not be a financial burden to Americans. The Department of State is undergoing a full review of all policies, regulations, and guidance to ensure that immigrants from these high-risk countries do not utilize welfare in the United States or become a public charge.

The order coincided with the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Minnesota, where the Trump administration alleges widespread welfare fraud has occurred and has accused members of the local Somalian community as being key perpetrators.

The lawsuit claims the suspension amounted to a bar on nearly half of all immigrant visa applications.

It said the public charge justification was based on an unsupported and demonstrably false claim that nationals of the covered countries migrate to the United States to improperly rely on cash welfare.

The suit added: Many applicants for immigrant visas are not eligible for cash welfare and remain ineligible for years.

[The state department] has invented a visa processing-regime that is not grounded in the INA (Immigration and Nationality Act) or its regulations  one that authorizes visa refusals based solely on nationality, without individualized assessment or statutory authority. The result is a blanket deprivation of the case by case adjudication Congress mandated.

Joanna Cuevas Ingram, an attorney with the National Immigration Law Center  one of the groups filing the suit  said the ban upends the lives of people who had overcome multiple obstacles to reunite their families.

These policies exceed the governments authority, violate the constitution, and strip families and working people of rights that the law squarely protects, she said.

Related: Trump administration moves to deny visas to factcheckers and content moderators

Baher Azmy, legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights  another group filing the lawsuit  called the order base racism  clothed  in obviously pre-textual tropes about nonwhite families undeservedly taking benefits.

Congress and the constitution prohibit white supremacy as grounds for immigration policy, he said.

Individual plaintiffs include Fernando Lizcano Losada, a doctor and endocrinologist from Colombia, whose application for an employment-based first preference visa (EB-1A) had been approved but is now suspended.

Others include US citizens who are separated from their families because their children or spouses have had their immigration visa applications suspended.

One of them, Cesar Andred Aguirre, who lives in Long Island, returned to Guatemala with his wife, Dania Mariela Escobar, for her visa interview. But the family was told that his wife would not be allowed to return.

Their younger daughter remains in Guatemala with her mother even though she has a medical condition, Turner syndrome, that needs treatment which is unavailable there.
A convicted serial killer has pleaded guilty more than a quarter of a century on to killing 17-year-old Victoria Hall, his sixth murder victim.

Steve Wright, 67, had been due to go on trial at the Old Bailey for the murder of Victoria, who disappeared more than 25 years ago.

But the killer  sometimes referred to as the Suffolk Strangler  changed his plea on Monday and finally admitted Victorias kidnap by force or fraud and murder, on 19 September 1999. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted kidnap of Emily Doherty, 22, in Felixstowe, the day before.

It is the first time that one of Britains most notorious killers has admitted responsibility for any of his crimes, despite pleas from his own family to come clean.

Balding and bespectacled, Wright appeared in the dock of the Old Bailey and spoke only to confirm his name and enter pleas. Mr Justice Bennathan said he would sentence him on Friday to give Ms Halls family the chance to attend and submit victim impact statements.

Steve Wright (front left) appearing in the dock of the Old Bailey (PA)

Wright, a former merchant seaman, who is being held at Category A HMP Long Lartin, in Worcestershire, is already serving a whole life prison sentence for the murders of five women seven years after Victoria was killed.

The guilty pleas came after Mr Justice Bennathan ruled that jurors in the scheduled trial could be told of Wrights murder convictions. Prosecutors had argued that there were similarities between the murders, pointing out that all six women were asphyxiated, left in similar places, and shared a physical type.

The prosecution also argued for the trial to include evidence of a sex worker that Wright knew well, who claimed he was familiar with the area linked to Victorias murder.

Wright admitted to kidnapping and murdering Victoria Hall, 17, in 1999 (Suffolk Police)

Victoria, from Trimley St Mary, had left home on the evening of 18 September 1999 for a night out with a friend at the Bandbox nightclub in neighbouring Felixstowe. They left the venue at around 1am the following morning and walked back, saying goodnight just yards from Victorias home at around 2.20am.

However the sixth-former, who was hoping to study sociology at university in Roehampton, west London, never made it home safely.

Her naked body was found by a dog walker five days later in a ditch in Creeting St Peter, around 25 miles from where she was last seen.

In 2001, a businessman stood trial for Victorias murder, when prosecutors argued that soil samples on a foot pedal of his Porsche 944 were similar to samples from the murder scene, but jurors acquitted him in just 90 minutes.

Victorias mother, Lorinda, died last December, before her daughters actual killer could be brought to justice.

Serial killer Steve Wright targeted five women in Ipswich in 2006 (Suffolk Police)

Following the guilty pleas, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said justice had finally been achieved for the teenager after 26 years.

Samantha Woolley, a specialist prosecutor who led the case against Wright, said: The meticulous work we have carried out with Suffolk Police, supporting their restarted investigation over the past six years, and working hard to build this case to court, has resulted in Wright admitting his guilt.

This outcome should make plain that time does not preclude a successful prosecution; we will doggedly pursue justice for the victims of non-recent crimes, no matter how many decades have passed.

Our thoughts remain with Victorias family, and all those who loved and cherished her, at this incredibly difficult time. We also hold in mind Emily Doherty and her family, and anyone else affected by this tragic case.

Assistant chief constable Alice Scott, of Suffolk Constabulary, said: I am relieved that [Victorias] family have been spared the ordeal of a trial. However, I am acutely aware that despite todays conviction, they will continue to live with the trauma of having Victoria ripped away from them at such a young age and in such horrific circumstances. I would like to thank them for the unwavering support they provided to the investigation team and pay tribute to them for the patience and dignity they have shown over such a long period of time.

The Bandbox club in Felixstowe, Suffolk, where Victoria Hall had been on a night out before she disappeared (PA)

Wrights crimes terrorised Ipswich as police hunted for a serial killer who targeted five women over a matter of weeks in 2006.

Tania Nicol, 19, vanished from Ipswichs red light area on 30 October that year, followed by Gemma Adams, 25, around two weeks later, triggering a major inquiry. Ms Adamss body was found in a stream on 2 December, followed by the discovery of Ms Nicols remains in a pond on 8 December.

The remains of Anneli Alderton, 24, were found two days later in woods, and sex workers in the town were urged to stay off the streets. On 12 December, the bodies of Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, were also discovered near woods.

The five other victims of Ipswich serial killer Steve Wright were (from left) Anneli Alderton, Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls (Suffolk Police)

The bodies of two of those five victims, who were all sex workers in Ipswichs red light area, had been posed in a cruciform shape with their arms outstretched. All of them had been choked or strangled, according to pathologists.

At Wrights trial at Ipswich Crown Court in 2008, prosecutors said he hadt systematically selected and murdered the women after stalking streets around his home. He was seen cruising the red light district around the time each of the women vanished. DNA and fibres linked to his clothes, house and car were found on the women.

Wright, a former steward on the QE2, admitted picking up the women for sex on the nights they vanished but denied any involvement in their deaths.

Following his conviction for five murders, the victims relatives  and Wrights father, Conrad  said he should have been executed.

Wright will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday.
Michelle Sadio, 44, was killed outside the River of Life Pentecostal Church in Harlesden

A teenager took part in the killing of an "innocent" mother-of-two in a drive-by shooting which gunned down mourners gathered for a wake outside a church, a court has heard.

Michelle Sadio, 44, a legal administrator, was fatally shot outside the River of Life Pentecostal Church near Church Road in Willesden, north-west London, on December 14 2024.

That Saturday, a wake was being held for 80-year-old Dianne Boatong, who had died nine days earlier.

Around 9pm, some guests - including children as young as five - were outside on the pavement when a black Kia pulled up and shots were fired into the crowd before the vehicle drove away, the Old Bailey heard.

Tahjin Sommersall, 19, of Feltham, west London, is alleged to have been in the car with two other men - who fled the country after the incident and remain at large, jurors heard.

At least four shots were fired and it is not known who was pulling the trigger, the court was told.

Ms Sadio died at the scene.

Kenneth Amoah, 39, who was a contractor for Transport for London, suffered a gunshot wound to the back that has left him paralysed below the waist, and Kadeem Francis, 32, was shot in the foot.

"This attack was clearly as appalling as it was outrageous, innocent members of the public were gunned down as they were standing outside a church," prosecutor Crispin Aylett KC said.

"There is nothing to suggest that any of the actual victims could have been the intended target."

The court heard the target may have been a rapper from Willesden, known by the street name "Toxic" or "Trapstar Toxic", who was among those gathered outside the church.

The rapper is often in the area around Church Road, jurors heard, before they were told the gun used in the attack had been used in two separate shootings within the previous few months in the same area.

It is alleged the three young men accused of riding out on the drive-by shooting were put up to it by Shaquille Sutherland, 26, and Perry Allen-Thomas, 27, both of Wembley, north London, who were nowhere near the scene.

"In short, the prosecution allege that Sutherland and Allen-Thomas got the three younger men to do their dirty work for them," Mr Aylett said.

Allen-Thomas was released from prison a month earlier, on November 22 2024, after serving a sentence for undisclosed offending.

The Kia had been stolen and was being driven on false number plates before it was later doused in petrol and set alight, jurors heard.

The prosecution said Amir Salem, 19, also from Wembley, bought some of the petrol that was used to ignite the car and that he "must either have wanted or else been willing to be a part of this wickedness".

All four men deny murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Sommersall further denies possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

He denies having been in the Kia at the time of the shooting, while the other defendants deny being involved in any way or even knowing anything about it, jurors were told.

The trial continues.
Jeffrey Epstein talked about the devil and discussed whether he was a sexual predator in chilling newly surfaced footage captured before his death.

More than three million new documents have been published following investigations into the disgraced financiers murky dealings in what has come to be known as the Epstein files, including emails referencing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The US Department of Justice has also released a video showing Epstein seemingly participating in a sit-down interview with an unidentified interviewer, which Sky News claims could be Steve Bannon.

In the clip, the convicted sexual predator responds to questions about the sources of his money, advising the worst people in the world and his perspectives on the devil.

Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to solicitating prostitution and soliciting a minor (US Department of Justice/PA) (PA Media)

At one point, he speaks of allegedly donating money to people in poverty for vaccines, suggesting the interviewer should ask about the ethics of parents accepting his offer.

I think if you told them the devil himself said, 'I'm going to exchange some dollars for your child's life... he trails off, before being interrupted.

Do you think you are the devil himself? the interviewer jumps in, to which Epstein briefly pauses.

No, but I have a good mirror, he smirks, before being pressed harder about the question.

He later says, the devil scares me, before going on to talk about seeing a movie once about a fallen archangel.

(REUTERS)

Its unclear when or why the video was filmed, but a timer in the right-hand corner appears to indicate the footage is at least two hours long.

Elsewhere in the rare footage, Epstein goes on to deny that his money is dirty money because he earned it, before referring to himself as a tier one sexual predator, arguing hes the lowest of the rankings.

Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges, but subsequent years of investigations have shed light on disgraceful operations involving vulnerable young girls and some of the worlds elite.

The sinister-sounding interview is one of 2,000 new videos that were released in the latest batch of Epstein files, alongside 180,000 images.

Among the latest releases were images seemingly showing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor hunched over an unidentified woman sprawled on the floor.

A photograph appearing to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crouched over an unidentified woman which has been released in the latest disclosure of files linked to Jeffrey Epstein (US Department of Justice/PA) (PA Media)

Andrew continues to deny all allegations related to his relationship with Epstein.

Other prominent figures have also been identified in the latest tranche of documents, including emails from Elon Musk discussing parties on the paedophiles island.

The New York Times says that Donald Trump was mentioned in 5,300 individual files, including salacious unverified claims.
Lord Gilbert is a senior adviser to Kemi Badenoch, who has tried to put clear water between the Conservatives under her leadership and under her predecessors - Lucy North/PA

The Conservatives plan to win back Reform UK voters by demonstrating they have learnt the lessons from their mistakes in office.

A presentation to Tory activists at their annual London conference set out the partys strategy to counter its insurgent rival on the Right.

Reform continues to enjoy a comfortable lead over the Conservatives and Labour in the polls and three former Tory MPs defected to join Nigel Farages ranks last month.

Robert Jenrick, who was Kemi Badenochs shadow justice secretary, Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, and Andrew Rosindell, a former shadow frontbencher, have all crossed the floor.

Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, defected to Reform last month - Leon Neal/Getty

On Saturday, Lord Gilbert, a senior political adviser to Mrs Badenochs office, told activists to win back Reform supporters by stressing that the Tories had changed.

In his presentation slides, Lord Gilbert wrote: We dont attack Reform voters as racist or extreme  we show we understand why they feel let down by all parties.

Reform voters are more hostile to Labour than [they are to] us. They see Labour as the enemy and believe Labour doesnt share their values. They think Labour has broken their promises.

Reform voters like Kemi but think we arent ready to run the country. They think immigration is too high and the country needs a shake-up

There is no magic bullet, but we show that we have changed, have strong leadership [and] have learned the lessons. We show that we are the real challengers to Labour.

Mrs Badenoch has changed course on a number of key policies that were adopted by the Tories under successive prime ministers during 14 years in office.

She has vowed to rip up Britains 2050 net zero target, which was signed into law by Baroness May of Maidenhead as one of her last acts as prime minister in 2019, and retained by both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.

In another break with her predecessors, Mrs Badenoch announced in October that she would withdraw Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The ECHR has been blamed for frustrating the removal of illegal migrants from the UK and acting as a block to tighter border controls.

Lord Gilbert listed Reform supporters main concerns about Nigel Farages party as unrealistic promises, a weak team and trustworthiness on national security.

Last month, Mr Farage said he would vote against deploying boots on the ground in Ukraine as part of a proposed ceasefire deal with Russia.

The Reform leader has faced criticism for his past comments on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, once saying: If you poke the Russian bear with a stick, dont be surprised if he responds.

However, he has since been clearer in his condemnation of Vladimir Putins actions in Ukraine.

The war of words between the Conservatives and Reform has grown increasingly bitter in recent months.

But in his presentation, Lord Gilbert advised Tory activists not to rise to the bait when Reform attacks us, which they will do with increased frequency and venom.

The one-day conference for Tory activists was held at the DeVere Grand Connaught Rooms in the West End of London.

A slide on how to win over Liberal Democrat supporters said Sir Ed Daveys party could be countered by the Tories proving they were still a credible force at a local level.

The Liberal Democrats picked up dozens of seats from the Tories at the general election in 2024 in the so-called Blue Wall of traditional heartlands.

Tory supporters were advised they should never attack Lib Dems as trivial because their voters could eventually switch their allegiances to Mrs Badenochs party.

Lord Gilberts presentation said: Lib Dem targets show they could vote Conservative because taxes are too high, the country needs new leadership and Labours broken promises.
The Traitors star Stephen Libby has said that he hopes he has been a positive representation of the Hebrides and that his time on the show has helped paint a good picture of the Western Isles.

The cyber security consultant from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, won the latest series of the beloved BBC reality game show alongside traitor Rachel  with the pair becoming the first to win as a team of Traitors.

Hailing from the remote Scottish isles, but now based in London, the TV star has been very vocal about his home and the importance to show that people are more well-rounded than some might think.

Speaking on the red carpet at the TV Choice Awards in central London, he told the Press Association: I think for me personally I always, even before I was on TV and just living in London, wanted to be a positive representation of the Western Isles.

I think if you have not been there and only read about it in books or whatever you probably think that we still live in blackhouses without any internet and we get our water from the stream.

I want to show that I am as much Hebridean as the next person and that we are more well-rounded than people might think.

If I can just help paint a good picture of the Outer Hebrides, I will have done my job. Thats all I wanted to do.

Set in the Scottish Highlands, the series, which is up for the best reality TV award, has been a ratings hit for the BBC with 9.6 million people tuning in to the final.

Harriet calling out traitor Rachel was one of the standout moments of series four of The Traitors (Cody Burridge/BBC/PA) (Cody Burridge/BBC)

Joining him on the carpet was crime writer and faithful contestant Harriet who went viral after she called out traitor Rachel during a confessional followed by a tense confrontation in front of the remaining players  a move which consequently got her banished from the castle.

Speaking about the moment she announced that she was going after Rachel, Stephen said: It was delivered in the campest manner but I have never been so scared in my life.

I couldnt have pictured anyone better to deliver that line than Harriet it was just like lifted from the pages of a book and what better person to do that.

We were terrified.

Stephen and Rachel formed an alliance at the start of the series and went on to outmanoeuvre all the faithful contestants, winning the series and splitting the prize pot of 95,750, taking home 47,875 each.

Speaking about the winners, Harriet added: They were the most brilliant traitors.

I dont think weve seen anything like it in the terms of the relationship in the turret.

It was gorgeous to see.

The Traitors first aired in 2022 and has gone on to broadcast four series as well as its first celebrity spin-off which aired in the autumn and saw comedian Alan Carr snatch the victory from faithful historian David Olusoga and actor Nick Mohammed in its dramatic finale.
What travellers need to know about Shigella: Doctors advice following cases in Cape Verde

The deaths of four British people in three months while on holiday in Cape Verde have sparked concerns over health and safety while travelling abroad.

The Foreign Office released a statement in December that the UK Health Security Agency is investigating an increase in reports of Shigella sonnei infection in travellers returning from Cape Verde.

Since 1 October 2025, there has been a rise in Shigella infections among people arriving in the UK following holidays on the Cape Verde islands.

Shigella are bacteria that can cause severe diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps.

The infections are spread by contact with contaminated faeces either directly through person-to-person transmission, or indirectly from food, water, or surfaces.

The Foreign Office notice comes as the deaths of four British holidaymakers made headlines after contracting severe stomach bugs while on trips to Cape Verde.

While none of them tested positive for Shigella or other pathogens, the four people, who also had underlying health conditions, showed symptoms of gastric illness.

Getting sick while travelling abroad is not uncommon  in fact, Dr Richard Dawood, a travel medical specialist at Fleet Street Clinic, says that approximately two-fifths of travellers will suffer from diarrhoea on their travels to hot countries.

However, the deaths last year and reports of Shigella in Cape Verde have raised concerns over how to avoid illnesses, especially gastrointestinal viruses, while holidaying in hotter climates.

What does a travel doctor say

Dr Dawood explains that, despite how common it is, getting ill on holiday can be distressing.

A lot of people think of diarrheal diseases as something that's minor and non-impactful. These days, more than ever, when travel is so expensive, our leisure time is so precious that it can be highly disruptive, he told The Independent.

Getting the right medical advice is vital, Mr Dawood explains. His practice offers health and wellness travel advice as well as pre-packed kits with all the essentials needed to help tackle things like diarrhoea.

A lot of people think all you have to do is go to a pharmacy and get a couple of jabs. Vaccines are only part of the story. Anybody who's going to a destination like Cape Verde should be given some really careful advice about hygiene and eating safely, preventing mosquito bites, all the other advice that really should be part of a proper consultation, rather than just getting a couple of jabs, he says.

The doctor added that while you are away, the focus is on prevention. You need to use things like hand sanitiser, hand wipes, pick your food more carefully. Make sure you're eating things that are freshly and thoroughly cooked.

He adds that, however tempting a buffet might be, the safest way of eating in a hot country is to have food that's cooked to order and served hot.

If you do end up getting ill with diarrhoea, the symptom that sends people to the hospital is usually dehydration due to losing hydration through heat, as well as vomiting and diarrhoea.

Dr Dawood explains that the priority is to get fluid back on board using oral rehydration and control the symptoms, such as using an anti-nausea drug.

Carrying antibiotics is also useful in case the treatment doesn't work, or if the illness is severe, he adds.

Once you return home, Dr Dawood says that people should get a diagnosis and the correct treatment if they are still experiencing symptoms.

Unfortunately, people are not really geared up for that. They often end up waiting until they're really ill before they seek treatment, he says.

How many UK holidaymakers visiting Cape Verde have fallen ill with Shigella?

Of the 137 confirmed UK cases of Shigella, 109 reported recent travel to Cape Verde, as of the most recent report in December 2025.

Cases have also been observed in travellers returning from Cape Verde to four EU countries  the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Ireland  mainly reported between September and November 2025.

The last official outbreak reported in Cape Verde was in 2022, with cases occurring in travellers from a number of European countries, including the UK.

Most people recover within a week; however, some older people, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women and children under five may be at greater risk of complications, including sepsis.

Separately, the Cape Verde government has also raised the civil protection warning level for dengue on the islands of Santiago, Fogo and Brava.

How to prevent Shigella infections?

There is no vaccine to prevent Shigella infections; however, good hygiene can lower the risks.

The UKs National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) advises travellers to discuss travel plans with their healthcare provider if they have an underlying health condition or are immunosuppressed, and plan to travel to a destination with a Shigella outbreak.

While travelling abroad, practice good food and water hygiene at all times, wash your hands often and eat recently prepared food that is fully cooked and served piping hot.

Where there is no clean water supply, drink only bottled water or boiled tap water (including when brushing your teeth) and avoid ice in your drinks.

Avoid fresh fruit that you have not peeled yourself and salads not washed with bottled or boiled water.

Avoid swallowing waste from ponds, lakes and untreated swimming pools.

The UKs Foreign Office adds that Cape Verde does not accept Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC), so you must have insurance for local treatment or medical evacuation.

What to do if you are unwell abroad

If you become unwell while abroad, NaTHNaC advises you to drink plenty of safe fluids and use oral rehydration solutions so that you do not become dehydrated.

Get early medical advice if you are at greater risk of complications from Shigella infection and seek medical help if symptoms last more than a few days or are not improving.

It also advises washing contaminated clothes or bedding on a hot wash and cleaning toilets, taps, and door handles regularly.

If you or your partner has had diarrhoea, avoid sexual contact for at least 48 hours.

When returning to the UK, seek medical attention if you are unwell and tell the doctor or nurse about your recent travel.

The Foreign Office also warns travellers that medical facilities in Cape Verde are basic and limited, and some medicines are in short supply or unavailable.

Read more: Families of four Brits who died after Cape Verde stomach bugs pursue legal action
Grammys host hits out at Nicki Minaj skipping award show: Shes still at the White House with Donald Trump

Trevor Noah wasted no time wading into politics during Sunday nights Grammys.

Returning to host musics biggest night for a sixth time, Noah came out swinging at President Donald Trump and his MAGA allies during his opening monologue.

Nicki Minaj is not here, Noah said, referencing the controversial rappers recent outspoken support of the President, which led to her attending a U.S. Treasury event last Wednesday. Shes still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.

The audience at the star-studded ceremony laughed and cheered in response to Noahs joke, with Chrissy Teigen even giving a thumbs up to the camera.

Noah then jokingly gave his best presidential impression, saying in Trumps voice: Actually Nicki, I have the biggest ass! Everybodys saying it. I know they say its you, but its me. WAP, WAP, WAP. Look at it, baby.

Host Trevor Noah poked fun at controversial rapper Nicki Minaj during his opening monologue (AFP via Getty Images)

Nicki Minaj was gifted a Trump Gold Card during her recent appearance at the President's Treasury Department's Trump Accounts Summit (Getty Images)

Minaj was not nominated for any Grammy at this years ceremony. She was last nominated for an award in 2024 for Best Rap Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media for her song on the Barbie soundtrack. The rapper has never won a Grammy, despite being nominated 12 times.

After Noahs dig, Minaj wrote to her followers on X, Hey wyd. She later posted that Democrats are soulless and said that other celebrities continue to attempt bullying.

The rappers recent alliance with Trump has divided her fans. As some criticized her support of an anti-immigrant president, others speculated that she formed the relationship in order to fast-track her residency with the million-dollar Trump Gold Card, which the president promised would get owners citizenship in record time.

After appearing at an event with the President last week, the rapper declared: I am probably the presidents number one fan, and thats not going to change.

She added, The hate or what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more. He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him.

Meanwhile, Noah took another jab at Trump later in the ceremony by joking about leaving his Grammys hosting gig after six years  with a nod to previous speculation about whether or not Trump will run for a third term in 2028.

I believe in term limits. I wanted to set an example for anyone who might be watching the show, Noah said while staring into the camera.

Leave when your time is up.
American Lars-Eric Lindblad pictured here with Antarctica's first tourists. The original mission was partly to inspire people to become stewards for the planet by exposing them to one of its most awe-inspiring areas (National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions)

Sixty years ago, American Lars-Eric Lindblad led the first group of non-scientific travelers to Antarctica, opening the most remote continent on Earth to tourism.

If 1966 seems relatively recent, consider just how isolated and inhospitable the region is: its 700 miles from the nearest landmass (South America), temperatures can plummet to -112F (-80C), and winds can reach 186mph.

The original mission, with 57 guests, was partly to inspire people to become stewards for the planet, by exposing them to one of its most awe-inspiring places.

Lars-Erics son, Sven Olof-Lindblad, the founder and former CEO of Lindblad Expeditions (now National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions), told The Independent: I remember the postcard my father, Lars-Eric Lindblad, sent me from Antarctica in 1966. At the time, he was in the midst of an unprecedented achievement  bringing the very first tourists to the White Continent and pioneering modern expedition cruising.

Polar veteran and photographer Paul Goldstein said: 'Antarctica needs firm governance, but also needs ambassadors. Tourism has assisted that' (Paul Goldstein)

As we mark 60 years, it is still our driving belief that if you expose people to the raw beauty of the world, and even more, the fragility of it all  awestruck, they will be inspired to learn more and ultimately, become planetary stewards.

But was the trip a mistake? After all, Antarctica is far more than a spectacle, its a pristine deep-time climate laboratory: its 2.5-mile-thick ice sheets are a one-million-year record of the Earths atmosphere. Its cold, salty water drives global currents; the fate of the ice it holds, 90 percent of the worlds total, directly affects sea levels; and its Southern Ocean absorbs around 40 percent of human-made carbon dioxide emissions.

Since Lars-Eric brought civilian travelers ashore at Smith Island and Melchior Islands on the Antarctic Peninsula on 23 January1966, the region has undergone what some describe as destinationification  the development of landing sites and seasonal itineraries. Around 80,000 people visited Antarctica last year, the vast majority arriving on expedition cruise ships, many of which offer high-end comforts. For an environment thats so fragile, this is a big influx.

This is something Sven is well aware of.

He said: My father turned Antarctica into a possibility. We hold a tremendous responsibility for opening the doors to tourism to the continent, and we take that seriously, which is why in 1991, we joined six other operators to found the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), helping set the standards that guide the industry today.

Read more: My epic Antarctica voyage ended in angry protests  but I loved every minute

Two of the crucial rules stipulate that only 100 people can set foot on the ice at any given time, and ships with capacities of more than 500 arent allowed to make landings at all.

Another expedition leader who sees the 1966 landing as beneficial is guide, photographer, conservationist and polar veteran Paul Goldstein, who has spent a total of around 10 months in Antarctica. He told The Independent that opening the continent to tourists was certainly positive, adding: Sensitive travellers understand the delicate nature of the South Atlantic, know the fine lines upon which the species eke out existences in this savage Eden. They also understand just how critical climate change is to this vast area and how important that is to the world's ecological equilibrium. Antarctica needs firm governance, but also needs ambassadors. Tourism has assisted that.

Two crucial rules in Antarctica are that only 100 people can set foot on the ice at any given time, and ships with capacities of more than 500 arent allowed to make landings at all (Paul Goldstein)

Tudor Morgan, HX Expeditions Antarctic Ambassador, holds similar sentiments.

He said: I began my career working with the British Antarctic Survey, so I have seen Antarctica through a scientific and heritage lens. One of the ongoing challenges is that scientific understanding of Antarctica is not always communicated effectively beyond the research community. Allowing people to see and experience the continent can help bridge that gap. When done responsibly, tourism can be a force for good.

He also pointed out that to aid scientific understanding, HX Expeditions partners with the University of Tasmania to offer guests the chance to take part in onboard science and education programmes. Heritage Expeditions does the same, with co-owner Aaron Russ revealing that its guests take part in citizen science programmes, such as helping researchers collect penguin bones and eggshells to assist with the study of penguin paleoecology.

Despite the science projects, not everyone is convinced.

Read more: Doctors are now prescribing Sweden  this is what happened when I ditched my phone for the Scandi wilderness

Assistant Professor Melisa Diaz from the Ohio State University's School of Earth Sciences is sceptical about the wider benefits of Antarctic tourism.

She acknowledges that part of understanding Antarctica is seeing Antarctica, and she enjoys seeing others experience this wild continent. She also notes that many contractors at McMurdo Station, the American Antarctic research station on the southern tip of Ross Island, arrive to check off the 7th continent on their bucket lists yet leave as stewards of the continent.

But shes not so sure tourists do.

In an email written from Antarctica, she said: I'm not convinced most tourists develop a similar deep connection with Antarctica. Perhaps I'm just optimistic that tourists will happily and willingly campaign for conservation and stewardship. But in the years since we've seen tourism increase in Antarctica, we haven't seen an appreciable action or investment in environmental conservation.

Scientist Dr Marco Tedesco is worried that 'Antarctica becomes another must-see bucket-list destination for a growing global elite, with incremental impacts further eroding the very wonder people travel so far to experience' (Paul Goldstein)

The scientist is also concerned about even low levels of tourism.

She explained: I don't think any tourism is low-impact. Even just getting here is logistical gymnastics, and the planes, helicopters and ships have an enormous environmental footprint. It's been high-impact and always will be.

As an example, she cited the fragility of the McMurdo Dry Valleys: The ecosystems that exist in the McMurdo Dry Valleys are tough. They have adapted to live and persist in both 24-hour sunlight and darkness, in high salinities, and frigid temperatures. But we're unsure how or if they can adapt to microplastics, or goose-down feathers from coats, or warming temperatures from climate change or rainfall (it's a desert).

Read more: This cruise line is teaching guests how to track climate change in polar ice caps

Experiencing it firsthand makes it feel more real. But there are definitely consequences if environmental protection does not remain a priority. Personally, I do not find that tourism to Antarctica is worth the obvious environmental degradation that comes along with it.

Dr Marco Tedesco, a climate scientist and research professor with the Columbia Climate School in New York City, agreed.

He said: Opening Antarctica has helped build a global consciousness that knows more and more about the ice, what is happening because of climate change, and explores the unique nature of the extreme continent. However, the scale of current tourism has enormous ecological and environmental impacts, pushing a fragile system closer to its limits. We are allowing tourism to grow faster than the rules. Our focus should be protecting that environment before fulfilling our curiosity.

An inflatable boat full of tourists on a whale and seal watching trip in Antarctica (zhu difeng - stock.adobe.com)

So, whats the solution? As the Antarctic tourism industry cannot simply be cancelled.

Dr Tedesco posits that there is a way to establish true low impact tourism.

He explained: We need to have the following ingredients: the number of visitors has to grow slower than our ability to monitor and manage sites; activities affecting wildlife behavior or fragile vegetation need to be contained or eliminated; and per-capita emissions need to be reduced or offset.

My biggest concern is that Antarctica becomes another must-see bucket-list destination for a growing global elite, with incremental impacts further eroding the very wonder people travel so far to experience.

Paul Goldstein, though, argued that there are bigger threats, such as plunderers Norway and China harvesting huge shoals of krill. Last year, he pointed out, boats from these countries scooped up 600,000 tons in Antarctic waters.

This is unsustainable, he said. Krill are the single most important foodstuff in the world. You destroy the bottom of the food chain, you destroy more than one tiny species.

Its clear that the question of whether opening Antarctica to tourism has been for better or worse doesnt have a straightforward answer. If you do decide to go, Mr Goldstein has some straightforward advice: The good guys never employ the word 'cruise'  that is maritime heresy. It is an expedition, a journey, quest, voyage, crusade or pilgrimage... Never. Ever. A cruise.
A British pub has taken a stand against bank card charges by cutting prices for customers who pay in cash.

A British pub has taken a stand against bank card charges

The Trumpet Inn pub in Hertfordshire has introduced a five per cent discount for cash payments after calculating how much it was losing to card transaction fees charged by banks and payment processors.

Each tap-and-go purchase, while convenient for customers, was quietly chipping away at already tight margins.

Card payments typically cost businesses between 1.5 and three percent per transaction, with additional fixed fees often applied on top.

For pubs selling high volumes of low-cost items such as drinks, those charges can quickly add up to thousands of pounds a year flowing straight to banks.

Rather than raising prices across the board, the pub opted to reward customers who pay with notes and coins, keeping more money behind the bar instead of handing it over to card companies.

Landlord Alan Davies is quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying: "We decided that paying for the bank charges, the credit charges for the machine, it equated to enough to pay another member of staff.

"The banks arent doing anything for this money, its just pressing some buttons. A lot of small businesses are struggling with the moment, so weve gone back to the old system like when I was young.

"We still take card, but we have the discounts for cash payments. Before this we had 95% of our transactions on card, now its risen to 50% cash. So that shows people still have cash and are using it."

The move comes as small hospitality businesses across the UK face increasing pressure from rising operating costs while simultaneously becoming more dependent on card payments.

Many venues have gone fully cashless, but critics argue this leaves businesses at the mercy of banks, payment providers and technical outages.

By encouraging cash use, the pub is attempting to regain some control over its finances while highlighting what it sees as an often-overlooked drain on independent businesses.

However, the approach is not without risks. Handling cash brings added security concerns and administrative burdens, and some customers prefer the convenience of contactless payments.
Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC on Monday. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP (Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP)

Donald Trump has been accused of corruption, plain and simple after it was revealed that a member of the Emirati royal family was behind a $500m investment into the Trump familys cryptocurrency company.

Ethics experts say the deal  struck just days before the US presidents inauguration last January  amounts to a deep conflict of interest for the White House, amid calls for a congressional investigation into the transaction.

Months after the deal, the Trump administration announced that the United Arab Emirates would be allowed to import 500,000 of Nvidias powerful AI chips  overriding concerns that the deal could eventually allow China access to the technology.

The January 2025 investment was backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a powerful official in the UAE government. Tahnoon is the brother of the countrys president, and serves as both national security adviser and chair of the Emirates $1.5tn wealth fund.

Donald Sherman, president of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a powerful government watchdog group, said the deal is a blatant, disgraceful conflict of interest and a possible violation of the Constitutions Federal Emoluments Clause.

Thanks to this latest monetization of the White House, the American people will have to question whether Trump administration policies affecting the UAE  are in the best interest of the public and American workers, or a foreign nation that padded the presidents bottom line, Sherman said.

Four days before inauguration, Tahnoons emissaries agreed to acquire a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company co-owned by the Trump family, for half a billion dollars, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the deal.

Documents seen by the Journal indicate that Tahnoon paid the Trump family and entities affiliated with Steve Witkoff, co-founder of World Liberty and Trumps envoy to the Middle East, half of the investment up front, with $187m going to Trump entities, and $31m going to Witkoffs. The payment came from Aryam Investment, a Tahnoon-backed company.

A White House official said the president was not involved in running his businesses and has turned them over to his children, so these business endeavors do not involve him.

Claims that the president had breached the constitutions federal emoluments clause, designed to safeguard against corruption, are bogus and irrelevant, the official argued. Mere appearances of business deals with which he has no involvement plainly cannot violate the Emoluments clause.

In a statement, the White House counsel, David Warrington, added: President Trump performs his constitutional duties in an ethically sound manner and to suggest so otherwise is either ill-informed or malicious.

Government ethics experts have long been alarmed over the way that Trump and his family structured his companies before he started his second term. Typically, a president puts his assets into a blind trust overseen by an independent third party. But Trump handed over control to two of his sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump.

While its no different from how Trump structured his companies during his first term, Trump spent the years after he left the White House expanding his family business. Now Trump entities are dabbling in social media, streaming platforms, nuclear fusion, financial services and, through World Liberty, crypto.

This is beyond unprecedented and unimaginable, said Kedric Payne, general counsel and senior director of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center. I cant think of any president in modern history who had an international business that could even get [him] into this type of predicament.

While Trump claims to be staying out of his family business, the president met with Tahnoon multiple times after he re-entered the White House. In March, Trump hosted a dinner at the White House for Tahnoon and an Emirati delegation. In a post on Truth Social, he said the evening demonstrated the long-standing ties and bonds of friendship between our countries.

Come May, World Liberty announced that MGX, the Emiratis AI investment arm, would use its USD1 stablecoin to invest $2bn into the crypto exchange Binance.

Two weeks later, the White House would announce its deal to allow the UAE to import Nvidia chips, which would allow the Gulf state to compete as a major AI player. The Biden administration had restricted the export of AI chips to the UAE, given its relationship with China, over fears that giving chips to the UAE could ultimately lead to them getting to China.

Related: America first? Trump financial products raise questions about potential presidential conflicts of interest

The Guardian has not identified evidence of the president explicitly offering the chip exports in exchange for the investment in his familys crypto venture.

Richard Briffault, a law professor at Columbia, said while there was no direct allegation of a quid pro quo, the situation of a major investment by a foreign power in a major company that the president has a major stake in, that creates a structural conflict of interest.

The concern is that we can never be sure why certain decisions are being made, Briffault said. When Trump allowed the UAE to import AI chips, it could have been a shrewd geopolitical move, or it could have been influenced by the fact that the country has a major investment in a Trump family business. We just cant know for sure.

Government ethics advocates said it will be up to Congress to investigate the extent of the relationship between Trumps company and any foreign interest. But with a majority in the House and Senate, only Republicans have the power to launch a formal investigation.

Congress needs to grow a spine and put a stop to Trumps crypto corruption, the Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren said in a statement. This is corruption, plain and simple. The Trump administration must reverse its decision to sell sensitive AI chips to the United Arab Emirates.
Iranian lawmakers in Revolutionary Guards uniform attend a session of parliament in Tehran on Sunday. Photograph: Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Handout/EPA (Photograph: Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Handout/EPA)

Donald Trump has said Iran is talking to the US, hinting at a deal that would avoid the use of military strikes, as Irans supreme leader warned that any attack by the US would spark a regional war.

The US presidents comments came as Washington deployed a naval battle group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off Irans shores, after Trumps threats to intervene in Irans deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.

The plan is that [Iran is] talking to us, and well see if we can do something. Otherwise, well see what happens  We have a big fleet heading out there, Trump told Fox News. They are negotiating, so well see what happens.

He said US allies in the region were not being told of plans for reasons of security. Well, we cant tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan  it could be worse, actually, he said.

Related: Calls grow in Iran for independent inquiry into protest death toll

Later on Saturday, Trump declined to say whether he had decided on a course of action regarding US intervention in Iran.

He sidestepped a question about whether Tehran would be emboldened if the US backed away from launching strikes, telling reporters: Some people think that. Some people dont.

He said Iran should negotiate a satisfactory deal to prevent the country from getting any nuclear weapons, but said: I dont know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.

The arrival of the flotilla has raised fears of a direct confrontation with Iran, which has warned it would respond with missile strikes on US bases, ships and allies  notably Israel  in the event of an attack.

On Sunday, Iranian state television reported that Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had warned that any attack by the Americans would have far-reaching consequences.

The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war, Khamenei was quoted as saying. We are not the instigators and we do not seek to attack any country. But the Iranian nation will deliver a firm blow to anyone who attacks or harasses it.

Asked about the warning, Trump told reporters on Sunday: Of course he is going to say that.

Hopefully well make a deal. If we dont make a deal, then well find out whether or not he was right, he said.

A day earlier, Irans president, Masoud Pezeshkian, had downplayed Tehrans interest in the conflict. The Islamic republic of Iran has never sought, and in no way seeks, war and it is firmly convinced that a war would be in the interest of neither Iran nor the United States nor the region, he said in a call with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, according to the Iranian presidency.

Qatar said its prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, visited Tehran on Saturday and met Ali Larijani, the head of Irans supreme national security council, regarding efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.

Related: Disappeared bodies, mass burials and 30,000 dead: what is the truth of Irans death toll?

Trump has previously said he believes Iran would rather make a deal over its nuclear and missile programmes than face US military action, and Tehran has said it is ready for nuclear talks as long as its missiles and defence capabilities are not on the agenda.

Contrary to the hype of the contrived media war, structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing, Larijani said, one day after the Kremlin said he had held talks in Moscow with Vladimir Putin.

The commander-in-chief of Irans army, Amir Hatami, had earlier warned the US and Israel against any attack, saying his forces were at full defensive and military readiness to respond.

If the enemy makes a mistake, without a doubt it will endanger its own security, the security of the region and the security of the Zionist regime, Hatami said, according to the official news agency IRNA. He said Irans nuclear technology and expertise cannot be eliminated.

Iranian authorities rushed to deny that several incidents on Saturday were linked to any attack or sabotage, including an explosion in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas that local firefighters said was caused by a gas leak.

Iran has told ships it will conduct a live-fire drill on Sunday and Monday in the strait of Hormuz, a key transit hub for global energy supplies.

An Iranian official denied on Sunday that such a drill would take place, saying initial reports had been incorrect. There was no plan for the Guards to hold military exercises there, and there was no official announcement about it. Only media reports which were wrong, they told Reuters.

Related: EU designates Irans Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation

The US Central Command had warned Tehran against any unsafe and unprofessional behaviour near US forces.

The statement drew criticism from Irans foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, who wrote on social media: Operating off our shores, the US military is now attempting to dictate how our Powerful Armed Forces should conduct target practice in their own turf.

The US designated Irans Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation in 2019, and the EU did the same on Thursday.

In response, the speaker of Irans parliament, Mohammad  Baqer Qalibaf, said on Sunday that Tehran would now consider all EU militaries to be terrorist groups.

By trying to hit the Revolutionary Guards  the Europeans actually shot themselves in the foot and once again made a decision against the interests of their people by blindly obeying the Americans, Qalibaf said.

He said the national security parliamentary commission would deliberate on the expulsion of EU countries military attaches and follow up with the foreign ministry.

On Sunday, Khamenei compared the countrywide protests to a coup, suggesting the governments position had hardened, as calls grew in Iran for an independent inquiry into the number of people killed during the unrest.
Two federal immigration agents involved in the shooting of protester Alex Pretti on a Minneapolis street have been identified as longtime officers with Customs and Border Protection, according to a report.

Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35, are named in government records, viewed by ProPublica, as the officers who fired on the 37-year-old intensive care nurse on January 24.

The agents, from Texas, were assigned to Operation Metro Surge, which saw thousands of federal agents deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out the Trump administrations anti-immigration crackdown.

Their names have not been released by Customs and Border Protection, which is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security. The agents were placed on leave following the shooting, according to the department.

In a statement to The Independent, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said it will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers.

The two federal immigration agents who fatally shot protester Alex Pretti in a Minneapolis street have been identified as longtime officers with Customs and Border Protection, according to a report (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)

Doxxing our officers put their lives and their families in serious danger, the spokesperson 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.

Publicizing their identities puts their lives and the lives of their families at serious risk, the spokesperson added. This matter remains under investigation.

Ochoa is a Border Patrol agent who reportedly joined Customs and Border Protection in 2018.

Gutierrez joined the agency in 2014 and works in the Office of Field Operations, the outlet reports. Gutierrez is assigned to a special response team which carries out high-risk operations similar to police SWAT units, according to ProPublica.

Ochoas ex-wife, Angelica Ochoa, told ProPublica that her ex-husband is a criminal justice graduate of the University of Texas-Pan American.

He is a resident of the Rio Grande Valley who had long dreamed of working for the Border Patrol, she told the outlet. The ex-wife also said that by the time the couple split in 2021, the federal agent had become a gun enthusiast with about 25 rifles, pistols, and shotguns.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, was among lawmakers calling for the federal agents to be identified. They should not be anonymous, Raskin said Sunday on CNN. They should be identifiable. And they have to have rules of engagement that dont allow them to terrorize and intimidate, harass and assault U.S. citizens and other people.

The Trump administration also refused to name the agent who killed mother-of-three Renee Good in Minneapolis on January 7. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross was identified by media organizations in the days after her death.

The killings of Good and Pretti have sparked huge protests in Minneapolis and across the country.

Prettis killing sparked mass protests in Minneapolis and across the country last week and over the weekend. (Getty Images)

President Donald Trump has attempted to turn down the temperature by pulling out Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, who insisted that the two Border Patrol agents were the victims of the shooting the day after Pretti was killed.

The president said he wanted an honest investigation into Prettis death, a significant shift in tone following the fatal shooting of mother-of-three Renee Good.

The two agents were not named in the preliminary review of the shooting, based on body camera footage and documents, that was sent to Congress last week.

It provided a timeline of how events unfolded but made no mention that Pretti brandished a weapon before he was killed, contradicting claims made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her department.

The incident began at approximately 9 a.m. on January 24, when a federal officer was confronted by two female protesters who were blowing whistles, according to the review.

The CBPO ordered the female civilians to move out of the roadway, and the female civilians did not move. The CBPO pushed them both away and one of the females ran to a male, later identified as 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a US citizen, the report said.

The officer attempted to move the woman and Pretti out of the road, but when they did not move, the agent deployed pepper spray toward both of them, the report said.

A struggle ensued between the federal agent and Pretti, who resisted the officers attempts to take him into custody.

During the struggle, a [Border Protection agent] yelled, He's got a gun! multiple times, the report continued. Approximately five seconds later, the agent discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a CBPO also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti.

Pretti was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead by 9:32 a.m., the review said.

Following pressure from the public and lawmakers, the Justice Department announced Friday that its civil division has opened an investigation into the killing of Pretti, led by the FBI.
Growth in the UKs manufacturing sector accelerated last month with demand from the US and China helping lift export sales for the first time in four years, new survey data shows.

The S&P Global UK manufacturing PMI survey, watched closely by economists, showed a reading of 51.8 in January, up from 50.6 in December.

This was the highest score since August 2024 and above earlier estimates for the sector.

Any reading above 50 indicates that activity is growing while any score below means it is contracting.

Manufacturing output rose for the fourth month in a row, with last months acceleration linked to improved export sales, a generally stable market within the UK and a boost from customers choosing to restock.

Thousands of shipping containers at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk (Joe Giddens/PA) (Joe Giddens)

The level of new export orders rose for the first time in four years, lifting the market out of a slump amid higher sales to Europe, the US, China and several emerging markets.

However, the PMI survey indicated that the growth in production was driven by bigger manufacturers, while output among small and medium businesses (SMEs) declined for the third month in a row.

Rob Dobson, director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: UK manufacturing made a solid start to 2026, showing encouraging resilience in the face of rising geopolitical tensions.

There was also a positive bounceback in business confidence, which rose to its highest level since before the 2024 autumn budget, as manufacturers focused on opportunities lying ahead despite persistent concerns about the geopolitical environment, Government policy and tariff tensions.

Mr Dobson also pointed out that even though staffing levels were reduced for the 15th month in a row in January, the rate of job cutting slowed to its weakest since the cycle began, offering encouraging news for the sector.

He added: Cost pressures are creeping higher though, as the pass through of the increased Minimum Wage and employer national insurance contributions continue to work through the supply chain alongside the rising costs for commodities such as metals.

Fhaheen Khan, senior economist at industry group Make UK, said: Manufacturing activity is finally moving at a pace deemed worthy of its optimism, taking advantage of the much needed stability in the policy environment since the budget.

Until recently, many businesses had paused investment due to cost uncertainty, though it is unfortunate that cost cutting measures are favouring job losses which will lead to a new headache for the Government.

Mike Thornton, head of industrials at RSM UK: 2025 saw trade uncertainty, but despite tariff and geopolitical risks, UK manufacturers are maximising new trade opportunities.

If export demand continues, if we see no more tariff changes and if the Industrial Strategy clarity boosts investment, then 2026 could unlock real growth for UK manufacturing.

Labours Industrial Strategy is a long-term plan to boost investment and productivity to support industries including manufacturing.
US crayon maker Crayola has pledged to invest millions of pounds in the UK and Ireland as part of plans to double its business in the region, as its boss aims to reignite creativity among children and families in the digital age.

The 120-year-old business, which is a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, laid out a three-year plan that involves the launch of new products and campaigns to market the brand.

It follows the opening of a new UK office in Woking, Surrey, creating 23 jobs this month.

The multimillion-pound investment in 2026 is set to be repeated in 2027 and 2028 under the Philadelphia-based firms strategy.

Chief executive Pete Ruggiero said Crayola stands among Apple and Google when it comes to brand recognition.

The brand is colour, the brand is fun, the brand is trust and safety. Mums, teachers and consumers trust that a child can use our products and not be hurt, thats very important today, he told the Press Association.

Crayolas factory in Philadelphia makes around three billion crayons a year, according to the boss.

Crayons, coloured pencils and markers form about 40% to 45% of the global business, which also sells toys, animated content, digital and live experiences.

Mr Ruggiero said the company had been innovating to keep up with consumers who are in tune with technology.

Consumers, parents and teachers are mindful of the fact that creativity is important and were seeing an increase, actually, in consumption because of that fact, he said.

At the same time, we also embrace the fact that screen time is important.

Crayola hopes that its fresh UK drive will be supported by Government plans to shake up the national school curriculum, which includes efforts to boost the arts and creative subjects.

Mr Ruggiero also told the Press Association that the company was considering shifting its range of products away from stationery aisles in UK shops, in line with the brands renewed focus.

The UK is principally a toy aisle penetration opportunity but were not in the toy aisle at Tesco, he said.

I want to be wherever it is that a consumer is looking for creativity, fun and colour.
Green leader Zack Polanski has challenged Nigel Farage to a face-to-face debate as the Gorton and Denton by-election heats up.

Reform UK had suggested that the Green leader should go up against its head of policy Zia Yusuf in a live grilling as both parties seek to woo voters in the constituency which has a large Muslim population in parts of it.

In a letter to Mr Polanski, Mr Yusuf tore the Greens over immigration, tax, Britains nuclear deterrent and property ownership.

But Mr Polanski messaged back on X: As I keep saying, I would be more than happy to debate, leader to leader, with Nigel Farage.

I'm starting to get the impression he might not be keen?

As the parties are drawing up their battle lines for the by-election on February 26, the Greens got an early boost when George Galloways Workers Party of Britain decided not to run.

Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, told BBC radio: Labour lost ground very, very heavily among Muslim voters in the 2024 election.

This is a community to which the Greens have demonstrated an ability to appeal in the past.

In one potentially crucial development, the Workers Party, George Galloways party which is very much a party that appeals to the Muslim community and got 10% of the vote in the constituency in 2024...it has announced according to its Twitter account that it is not standing.

That, together with the fact that Jeremy Corbyns party is saying its not standing, and a crucial pressure group called the Muslim vote has also backed the Green candidate, you can see how in one part of the constituency, Labour do face a challenge from Reform and in the other part from the Greens.

The leading polling expert believes the by-election could be won on a relatively low share of the vote and by a quite small majority.

He added that there was mixed polling evidence over whether Sir Keir Starmers party was best placed to defeat Reform and if it could connect with Muslim voters who are inclined to vote Green and with middle-class professionals unhappy with Labour.

It was not clear yet if the argument of vote for us to stop Reform would be sufficient motivation to squeeze the Green vote, he explained, or whether the latter emerges ahead in early polling which could see Labour pushed into third place.

Earlier, Mr Polanski said he wanted to be a London MP as he sought to explain why he is not standing as the partys candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

But Labour accused him of chickening out of being the Green contender in the crunch by-election on the grounds that his party did not believe it could win.

Mr Polanski rejected the claim and argued that there were just days to stop Reform winning the seat.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski appearing on the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg (PA Media)

Labour and the Greens are locked in a fierce battle over which party can quickly drum up the most support in Gorton and Denton to defeat Nigel Farages Reform UK party.

If one of them can show it is the frontrunner, that may encourage tactical voting for that party.

But if the vote for parties on the Left is evenly split, it could make it easier for Reform to win.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage with Matt Goodwin, the partys candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election (James Speakman/PA) (PA Wire)

Mr Polanski insisted that he is not standing for the Green Party in the Greater Manchester by-election because his party believes in nurturing local talent.

The Green Party leader, who was born and brought up in Salford, Greater Manchester, suggested it would be wrong for him to stand in the by-election as he has lived in London for about 20 years.

However, Mr Polanski, a member of the London Assembly, stressed that he would absolutely be going for a parliamentary seat in the capital when one comes up.

I live in London, he told BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.

Im a Mancunian. Ive been in London for about 20 years, and the Green Party really believes in nurturing local talent and really lifting up someone from the community.

When a seat comes up in London, Ill absolutely be going for it.

But a Labour spokesperson said: If Zack Polanski thought the Greens had a chance in Gorton and Denton he wouldnt have chickened out standing himself.

But Mr Polanski said the Greens had put up 1,000 posters in Manchester in one day for the by-election given the scale of support for the party that they had detected.

Angeliki Stogia has been selected as Labour Party candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

Labour, Reform and the Greens are pouring resources into trying to win the seat.

Mr Polanski has unveiled councillor Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber, as the Green Partys candidate for the Greater Manchester constituency.

Labour announced on Saturday its candidate is Angeliki Stogia, a Manchester city councillor for Whalley Range.

Reforms candidate is GB News presenter and former academic Matt Goodwin.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski after announcing Hannah Spencer (right) as the partys candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election (James Speakman/PA) (PA Wire)

The by-election was triggered after Andrew Gwynne, who was sacked as a minister and suspended from the Labour Party last year over offensive messages in a WhatsApp group, resigned as an MP on health grounds.

At the general election in July 2024, Labour won the seatwith more than half the vote, 18,555, with Reform UK coming second on 5,142 votes, narrowly beating the Greens at 4,810.

But Labours popularity has since nosedived, hitting record lows, including in London.

The party has also been embroiled in a furious row over the decision by Labour chiefs to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from being its candidate.

Mr Burnham has criticised Sir Keirs government and has made no secret of his desire to be Labour leader, and Prime Minister.

With Sir Keirs ratings as PM having also plummeted, other parties will be quick to highlight if he does not campaign in the constituency.
Former Emmerdale star Charley Webb has spoken about her mothers continuing struggle with early onset dementia, and the difficulty of having to really push for a diagnosis, saying it wasnt easy.

In 2023, Webb, 37, first spoke about her mothers diagnosis, at the age of 64, and she has since become an advocate for Alzheimers and dementia.

Speaking on ITVs Good Morning Britain, she described the moment 10 years ago when she realised something was not quite right with her mother, and said: She actually forgot something quite huge, something between me and her.

'Really push for it and do not take no for an answer.' Actress Charley Webb has opened up about her Mum's battle with early onset dementia. She tells @susannareid100 and @edballs that it's important to push for help. pic.twitter.com/ziUpaQVRZy  Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 2, 2026

I knew in that moment it was something she wouldnt have forgotten.

I think everyone around me at the time was like youre being dramatic, everythings fine, and I was like no, somethings not right. I just knew in my gut.

Webb, who played Debbie Dingle in the ITV soap for almost two decades, said her mother was a very organised person, adding: She was very on the ball with things, and it was just something that shes dropped and I thought theres just something not quite right.

She said: She was 64 when she got the diagnosis but of course, the symptoms come before that.

It takes time to get the diagnosis and it wasnt easy to get. I feel like its been a long, long time.

The former Emmerdale star has spoken about her mothers early onset dementia (Matt Crossick/PA) (Matt Crossick)

The NHS website describes dementia as a syndrome associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning, including memory loss.

According to charity Dementia UK, early onset dementia, or young onset dementia, refers to a form of the condition which develops before the age of 65.

Speaking to presenters Susanna Reid and former politician Ed Balls, Webb said that receiving a diagnosis is quite long as the condition is often associated with old age, so the symptoms are not always recognised.

She said: I wouldnt delay getting a diagnosis because the process is quite long, especially for someone who is younger, because they sort of go, oh, I think it could be this.

We got fobbed off with water infections and all sorts of things which can affect your memory.

Really push for it, and do not take no for an answer.

Charley Webb said it is important to really push for a diagnosis (Ian West/PA) (Ian West)

Webb also spoke about putting her mother into a care home, and said it was a relief to see her in a much healthier environment.

She said: I think you spend so much of your childhood having it in your head that Ill look after you when things go wrong, or Ill be there, youve looked after me all those years.

Something like that is not possible and they do need specific care. As much as you want to be there and have them at your house, its not safe.

Webb found fame in ITVs Emmerdale, and has appeared in ITV crime series The Long Shadow (2023) and Channel 5 drama Ellis (2024).

Since speaking about her mothers diagnosis in 2023, she has been vocal about raising awareness for the condition, and supported charities such as Alzheimers Research UK.
Junior doctors want a 26 per cent pay rise, despite having received a 29 per cent increase over three years - James Manning/PA

Junior doctors have voted to continue strike action.

The medics have threatened a series of further walkouts over the next six months, after 93.4 per cent of those who voted in the ballot supported continuing industrial action.

The British Medical Association (BMA) only just reached the threshold of a 50 per cent turnout in the ballot, with 52.5 per cent voting.

The doctors are demanding a 26 per cent pay rise, despite having received a 29 per cent increase over three years.

Junior doctors are also known as resident doctors, after they voted to rebrand themselves in 2024.

The turnout is the lowest achieved by the BMA during its current dispute, falling from 55 per cent in a ballot last July and 78 per cent in the first vote held at the start of 2023.

But it is enough to give the doctors a mandate to continue strikes until the start of August.

However, Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMAs resident doctors committee, said: None of this needs to mean more strikes.

In recent weeks, the Government has shown an improved approach in tone compared with the name-calling we saw late last year.

A deal is there to be done: a new jobs package and an offer raising pay fairly over several years can be worked out through goodwill on both sides, in the interests of patients, staff and the whole NHS.

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The medics went on strike for the 14th time just before Christmas, despite pleas from NHS bosses not to do so amid mounting winter pressures.

Hospitals went ahead with almost 95 per cent of operations and appointments, official figures would later show, close to normal levels of service.

The latest ballot suggests support among doctors for strike action is waning, with polling also showing the public has turned against the strikes.

Wes Streeting held talks with the BMAs resident doctor committee last month in an effort to avert further strike action.

The Health Secretary is pushing through emergency legislation that will prioritise UK medical graduates for consultant training posts ahead of foreign doctors  one of the reasons for the BMAs dispute.

However, the union is still demanding further pay rises for its 55,000 junior doctors.

In April, they will get another pay rise along with all NHS staff.

The Government told the independent pay review body that it recommended a 2.5 per cent uplift for the profession because that was all it could afford. The BMA said this was indefensible.

Strikes have had huge impact

Matthew Taylor, interim chief executive of the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said it was time for mediation to find a long-term solution.

NHS leaders will be bitterly disappointed that resident doctors have voted to continue with industrial action, especially given the huge impact that strikes have had on patients and the health services performance and finances, he said.

Further strikes will pile yet more unplanned costs on NHS organisations, forcing health leaders to make difficult choices over reducing staff and patient services to try to balance their books.

Karin Smyth, a health minister, said the mandate for strike action had weakened over time, adding: There is no more money for pay.

On Tuesday morning, she told Times Radio: It is a mandate, and we have to deal with the reality of that... We are very hopeful that we can agree a way forward that recognises some of those very genuine issues thats what weve been trying to do since the new year, those talks are going well  they have been much more constructive, so thats the spirit in which we need to go on.

A spokesman for the Department for Health said: On top of a 28.9 per cent pay rise over the last three years, this Government is continuing to work with the BMA to address the issues resident doctors face in their careers, including fast-tracking legislation to prioritise homegrown medical graduates for speciality training places.

The Government has been in intensive and constructive discussions with the BMA resident doctors committee since the start of the new year to try and bring an end to the damaging cycle of strikes and avoid further unnecessary disruption for patients and NHS staff.

We hope that these talks result in an agreement that works for everyone, so that there is not any more strike action by resident doctors in 2026.
Drinkers who order a pint of Rachel Thieves from Chris Ghazarian get a shock  he serves them water - Belinda Jiao

A landlord is pouring pints of a beer called Rachel Thieves in a protest against Rachel Reevess tax raids on pubs.

Chris Ghazarian joked that, if it was a real beer, it would be very bitter  but water comes out of the tap when customers order it.

Mr Ghazarian, 36, who runs The Green Dragon in Flaunden, Hertfordshire, told The Telegraph: They find it hilarious. I obviously dont make them pay for it. If it was a real beer, it would probably be something thats very bitter and not very pleasant. It would be the most expensive thing on the bar.

The majority of pump clips have the alcohol percentage on them  and, when youre dealing with the Chancellor, percentages are a big thing. But the fact there are no certainties with her. I thought I would put on the per cent may go up at any point.

Mr Ghazarian is one of thousands of landlords battling cost increases under Labour, including business rates, higher National Insurance contributions and the rising minimum wage, as well as tighter drink-drive laws that will harm rural pubs.

The Telegraph is campaigning to save Britains pubs from financial ruin.

Chris Ghazarians pump clip mocks Rachel Reeves and the uncertainty her policies have caused for pubs - Belinda Jiao

Despite a climbdown by the Government on business rates, The Green Dragon is still facing thousands of pounds more on its bill because of a 66 per cent increase in the estimated value of the premises, forecast to rise from 26,500 to 44,000.

Mr Ghazarian accused Sir Keir Starmers Government of seeing business owners as baddies, and said the Chancellors rescue package  which will give pubs a 15 per cent discount on rates for one year followed by a two-year freeze on bills  was not enough.

He added: I had a lot of my customers saying to me, I thought there was going to be 15 per cent off the price of my pint, and I had to explain that my business rates were still going up  I was just getting 15 per cent off what they could have been.

The Government has made the cost of running a business just impossible while claiming to be pro-business and backing the economy to grow. But you cant tax your way to growth.

The pump clip voices our opinion in a pint-sized format. Everyone notices it, agrees and has a little laugh. Its a way for me to voice my thoughts and how I feel about whats going on at the moment.

The situation facing pubs is a very vicious cycle says Chris Ghazarian, pictured outside his pub, The Green Dragon - Belinda Jiao

Flaunden is not known as a hotbed of political protest  it is more recognised for its timber-framed cottages and the 19th century St Mary Magdalene church.

The Green Dragons former customers are said to include Joachim von Ribbentrop, Hitlers ambassador to Britain in the 1930s, and Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess, members of the Cambridge Five spy ring.

It is even claimed Maclean and Burgess were seen talking in the pub a day before defecting to the Soviet Union in 1951.

Sir Keir Starmer could have joined this illustrious number when he visited the nearby village hall to discuss green energy with residents last month, but in the end the Prime Minister steered clear.

Mr Ghazarian, who has been the pubs landlord since 2019, said: Id like to have had a word with him. I think Im entitled to. I pay enough VAT and tax and everything else, like a lot of people do.

With all these added costs, my suppliers are putting their prices up  which means I put my prices up, which means the customer has to pay, and it will come to a point where the customer says, Do you know what? Im not going to pay that.

So your trade declines, you dont need as many staff because youre quiet, so unemployment rises. Its a simple formula. You dont have to be an accountant to work it out. Its a very vicious cycle and, once you start gaining momentum, it will be very hard to stop it.

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Pubs closures counter tracker

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Mr Ghazarian said VAT should be cut for pubs and other hospitality businesses, such as restaurants and cafes, and that the business rates system should be completely re-evaluated.

He added: At the minute were ok, but with what might come next I dont have much confidence at all. Im married, I have an 18-month-old and another on the way, and this is our family home.

I want to keep the pub open, but if customers stop coming and the taxes are too high, its only going to end one way. Pubs are going to close. I just hope its not us.

A Treasury spokesman said: We are backing Britains pubs  cutting Aprils business rates bills by 15 per cent followed by a two-year freeze, extending World Cup opening hours and increasing the Hospitality Support Fund to 10m to help venues grow.

This comes on top of capping corporation tax, cutting alcohol duty on draught pints and six cuts in interest rates, benefitting businesses in every part of Britain.
A Metropolitan Police detective sergeant who compared Israels war in Gaza to the Holocaust has been sacked.

Rebecca Collens, who was based in the forces road and transport policing command, reshared an image labelled Palestine 2024 alongside what appeared to be concentration camp victims labelled Germany 1945.

She captioned the post: The world said never again and here we are again 79 years later.

A police misconduct panel heard that alongside the post, she wrote: A classic case of the abused becomes the abuser... no?

The panel said she had accepted the use of the word abused would refer to Jewish people rather than the state of Israel, which did not exist in 1945, and therefore the post fell within the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism.

The posts were collectively deemed overtly political, and the panel found they demonstrated a lack of impartiality and presented a one-sided view of the Gaza conflict during a time of heightened public controversy after the events of Oct 7 2023, which led to the war.

The former detective sergeant said she wanted to highlight the suffering and devastation in Gaza - Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu via Getty Images

The panel heard the officer shared the posts on a private Instagram account with more than 100 followers. She was reported anonymously to the forces Right Line whistleblowing service in May 2024.

On one occasion, the Met said she shared a post which stated: Stop calling this a war. There is no parity of power. Israel is one of the most powerful, nuclear-armed militaries on earth, funded, equipped and backed unconditionally by the single most powerful, nuclear-armed military in the history of the world. This is genocide.

In another post, she reshared what appeared to be a graphic comparing the number of children killed per day in Auschwitz with the number of children killed per day in Gaza, the Met said.

The officer said her intention was to highlight the suffering and devastation in Gaza and that she had felt guilt, helplessness, heartbreak and pain about what was happening.

She told the panel she had no intention to hurt anyone or be disrespectful of the Jewish faith.

Palestinians walk past trucks carrying aid in Gaza on Sunday - Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg

She said she felt horrified about being called anti-Semitic; mortified and heartbroken, the panel wrote.

Detective Chief Inspector Donna Smith said: DS Collens conduct was wholly unacceptable and I find it inconceivable that she did not think these posts could be seen as offensive or overtly political.

There is no room in the organisation for anyone who thinks this type of behaviour is appropriate. We are building a culture where anyone can feel welcome in the Met, and those who undermine this are not suitable to serve.
Donald Trump has blasted the Grammy Awards and branded host Trevor Noah a "total loser".

Donald Trump has taken aim at Trevor Noah after the Grammys

The President of the United States has criticised Sunday's (01.02.26) ceremony and called out the late night star after he made a joke suggesting Trump was a guest on Jeffrey Epstein's island.

Taking to his own Truth Social platform, he wrote: "The Grammy Awards are the WORST, virtually unwatchable! CBS is lucky not to have this garbage litter their airwaves any longer.

"The host, Trevor Noah, whoever he may be, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards.

"Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island.

"WRONG!!! I can't speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight's false and defamatory, statement, have never been accused being there, not even by the Fake News Media. (sic)"

Trump appeared to threaten legal action against Noah if he doesn't retract the joke.

He continued: "Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast.

"It looks like I'll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$.

"Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, I'm going to have some fun with you!

"President DJT (sic)"

Noah's joke aimed at the president came after Billie Eilish won Song of the Year at the Grammys for her tarkc Wildflower.

The host quipped: "There you have it, song of the year! Congratulations, Billie Eilish. Wow. "Thats a Grammy that every artist wants  almost as much as Trump wants Greenland.

"Which makes sense because, since Epsteins gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton.

made a joke about Nicki's recent show of support for the US President.

The comedian said: "Nicki Minaj is not here. She is not here."

Trevor's comment prompted applause from the crowd inside the arena. Chrissy Teigen - who attended the ceremony with John Legend, her husband - then gave Trevor a thumbs up, seemingly in support of her absence.

The comedy star then added: "She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues."

Trevor subsequently did an impression of the billionaire businessman, saying: "Actually Nicki, I have the biggest a**. I have it, everybody's saying it, Nicki.

"I know they say it's you, but it's me WAP, WAP, WAP. Look at it, baby."

Nicki recently described herself as Trump's "number one fan".
Ashley Warren left a 68-year-old woman alone with two XL bully dogs, eight XL bully puppies and a child at his home in Jaywick, Essex

An aspiring rapper, whose two XL bullies fatally mauled a grandmother, told police he thought poodles were more aggressive than his own dogs, a court heard.

Esther Martin, 68, was killed by Ashley Warrens animals in a tragedy waiting to happen, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.

Mr Warren, 41, left Ms Martin with the two dogs  named Beauty and Bear  as well as eight XL bully puppies and a child at his home in Jaywick, Essex, on Feb 3, 2024, jurors heard.

Footage of the residential street shown to the court captured audio of barking dogs and the screams of the victim and child during the attack.

The mauling occurred two days after the Government made it a criminal offence to own an XL bully in England and Wales without a certificate of exemption.

Mr Warren had not attempted to get a certificate for any of the 10 dogs in the property, the court heard.

He had asked Ms Martin to mind the animals so that he could travel to London to film a music video, Chris Paxton KC, the prosecutor, said on Monday.

This was despite her mobility issues, lack of dog training and little to no experience of being left alone with them for a prolonged period, he added.

Hours after her arrival, she sustained dozens and dozens of injuries including a bite through the tissue of her arm and a complete fracturing of the bone, the court heard.

Esther Martin, 68, had mobility issues and little to no experience of being left alone with XL bullies - John McLellan

Such was the ferocity of the dogs that police officers and emergency services were unable to enter the home until the police deployed and used their Tasers, the prosecutor said.

An officer who went to the property said the dogs were in a frenzied state and formed the view it was not safe to enter the house, believing that (police) were at risk of death or serious injury if they tried to enter, jurors were told.

Mr Warren was aware of the XL bully ban, which had been widely covered in the press in the months before the incident, the court heard.

So friendly its unbelievable

Police went to the property about an unrelated matter 11 days before the attack, and a video recording, played to jurors, showed Mr Warren telling the officer its a shame about the laws and my boys got papers already.

Mr Paxton said: If that was a reference to an exemption certificate, that was a lie.

In the footage, XL bullies play as the defendant tells the officer that the public perception of the breed is mad to me.

He adds: These dogs are so friendly its unbelievable, its like Ive only seen them ever attack people when (theyre attacked).

He also told the officer: You get them little poodles that come up to you and go rah, rah, rah, you know  theyre more aggressive.

Jurors heard that on Jan 1 that year Mr Warren told his landlord, Barry Gordon, that police were aware he kept XL bullies.

He also lied to Mr Gordon by saying he had applied for a licence, the court heard.

Mr Warren had not attempted to get a certificate for any of the 10 dogs in the property, the court heard - East Anglia News Service

Mr Warren has pleaded not guilty to being the owner of a dog named Bear which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place. He has also pleaded not guilty to being a person in charge of a dog named Beauty which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control in a private place.

Mr Paxton said he denied the charge on the grounds that he reasonably believed Ms Martin was a fit and proper person to be in charge of them.

The prosecution said Mr Warren accepted that he owned Bear and was in charge of Beauty, which was his girlfriends dog and which he had been housing, feeding and looking after. He also accepts that both dogs were dangerously out of control in his house, the court heard.

Mr Warren also denies having a bladed article without good reason or lawful authority at Clacton railway station on Feb 3, 2024.

He accepted that he had a knife but will argue that it was a prop in a music video that he had been making that day in London, the court heard.

The trial continues.
The three girls who disappeared from Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center, who have been found safe Portsmouth Police Department

NEED TO KNOW

All three girls who disappeared from a Virginia behavioral health center have been found safe, according to police

Forever Scott, 12, Jocelyn Krofek, 14, and Darsha McAllister, 16, all disappeared from Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center on Sunday, Jan. 18

McAllister was the final girl to be found

Police now say all three girls who disappeared from a behavioral health facility in Virginia have now been found safe.

Forever Scott, 12, Jocelyn Krofek, 14, and Darsha McAllister, 16, all disappeared from Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center on Sunday, Jan. 18. Police previously said all three girls were considered runaways.

Police announced on Jan. 23 that Krofek was first to be found safe  and days later, on Friday, Jan. 31, they announced that Scott had also "been located and is safe."

Due to her age, the PPD previously said Scott had been classified as endangered.

Finally, on Thursday, Feb. 5, police announced that McAllister had been found safe, noting that they had no other information to share.



CEO Freddie Anderson previously stated the team at Harbor Point responded immediately by informing local law enforcement and the patients guardians about the incident, according to NBC affiliate WAVY.

Anderson also said Harbor Point is cooperating fully with the Portsmouth Police Department as they work to safely locate these individuals.

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.

Elexcia Washington, who is with the PPD, told ABC affiliate WVEC that a Critical Operation for a Disappeared Child Initiative (CODI) Alert was issued for Scott and McAllister ahead of the states second winter storm in a week. Scott was found before the storm.

"No one wants juveniles out in the cold. No one wants juveniles traveling without supervision from one location to another," Washington said.



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The Wisconsin State Capitol dome rises under a blue sky in Madison. Photo: Connor Betts / Unsplash

(The Center Square) - Another Wisconsin Senator announced that he will not seek reelection on Monday as Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, announced his retirement from the Wisconsin Senate.

The announcement comes just more than a week after Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, made a similar announcement.

The time has come for a new fighter to take on the mission of preserving life, liberty and pursuit of happiness for the citizens of the 11th State Senate District, Nass said in a statement. While the challenges are many facing the people of Wisconsin, the preservation of the American Dream in this state will prevail if each of us rises up and in unison defends our inalienable rights bestowed upon us from God.

Nass has been in the Senate since 2014 and was first elected to the Assembly in 1990.

Nass spent 33 years in the Wisconsin Air National Guard, retiring as a chief master sergeant. He served in the Middle East in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

 I have proudly fought for the taxpayers in my district with every vote that I cast for and against legislation, Nass said. I have always been bipartisan in my scorn of fiscal mismanagement and bureaucratic overreach regardless of whether the Republicans or Democrats were in charge, since the affliction of Big Government is a disease that infects both parties in Madison.
FILE PHOTO: Willie Walsh, Director General, International Air Transport Association (IATA), speaks at the press briefing during the annual International Air Transport Association (IATA) meeting in New Delhi, India, June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/ File Photo

By Julie Zhu and Tim Hepher

SINGAPORE, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Aviation leaders tackled barriers to growth and the impact of geopolitical tensions on the eve of the Singapore Airshow on Monday, while reaffirming pledges to reduce emissions.

Supply chain problems are hurting global airlines and will remain for some time to come, the head of the International Air Transport Association warned industry leaders and regulators.

"This disruption continues to have a major impact," IATA Director General Willie Walsh said at the Changi Aviation Summit, ahead of Asia's largest air show.

The aviation industry is also navigating geopolitical changes including U.S. import tariffs that have upended flows of air freight.

"I think the impact of geopolitical change was much more obvious on the air cargo side of the business than on the passenger side," Walsh said.

Air cargo shipments between Asia and North America slipped 0.8% last year in the first such decline for some time, while volumes between Europe and Asia increased by 10.3%, he added.

The Asia-Pacific region is the world's fastest-growing region for air travel, propelled by China and India, with passenger traffic growth of 7.3% projected for 2026.

Toshiyuki Onuma, president of the governing council of the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations' aviation body, warned aviation would struggle to keep up with projected growth without coordinated action.

"A system built for 4 billion passengers cannot support three times that number without transformation," he said.

(Reporting by Julie Zhu and Tim Hepher; Editing by Jamie Freed)
The body of a missing Indiana teenager is believed to have been found in central Ohio, according to the attorney for a person of interest in her death.

Sam Shamansky, the attorney for 39-year-old Tyler Thomas, said on Feb. 2 that authorities believe they have found the body of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee in Perry County.

Shamansky said Thomas led the FBI to Buzbee's body on Feb. 1.

Thomas, of Columbus, Ohio, has been charged with pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and tampering with evidence. According to court records, a search of Thomas's phone included sexually oriented videos and photos of Buzbee, some of which Thomas tried to delete.

Buzbee, who lived in the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers and attended Hamilton Southeastern High School, was last seen by her parents on Jan. 5. She is believed to have met Thomas through an online gaming platform and voluntarily left her home to meet him. Fishers police said a vehicle in the area at the time Buzbee left her home was traced back to Thomas.

Hailey Buzbee

Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Jim O'Grady set a $1.5 million bond for Thomas on Jan. 31, before Thomas appeared for any hearing.

Court records say Thomas was furloughed, or released temporarily, to the FBI for investigative purposes on Feb. 1 and was then returned to the Franklin County jail.

Thomas appeared for a bond hearing on Feb. 2 in Municipal Court. Judge Jarrod Skinner kept the $1.5 million bond in place and ordered Thomas to have no internet access or unsupervised visits with minors should he post that and be released, court records say.

Officials spoke with Thomas within a few days of Buzbee's disappearance. Thomas reportedly told detectives he had dropped Buzbee off on the side of the road in western Ohio, but an investigation determined that was not true.

Buzbee was initially classified as a runaway, but her case was upgraded to an "endangered missing juvenile" on Jan. 20.

Police searched Thomas' vehicle and home on Jan. 21 and found evidence Buzbee had been there, as well as at a short-term rental in Hocking County. Thomas has not been charged with murder, according to court records in Franklin and Perry counties.

Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Jake_Allen19.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Body of Hailey Buzbee found in Ohio, attorney says
No threatening items were found in Washington County Circuit Court on Monday, Feb. 2, after a bomb threat led to the downtown Hagerstown complex being evacuated, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

The investigation into the bomb threat continues, said Sgt. Carly Hose, spokesperson for the sheriff's office.

The courthouse at 24 Summit Ave., at the corner of West Washington Street, was evacuated before 10 a.m. Monday after a bomb threat was called in, Hose has said.

The first block of Summit Avenue also was temporarily closed while authorities searched the courthouse.

When the courthouse was evacuated, it also was closed to business for the day, Hose said. Jurors were sent home with instructions to call in for plans for Tuesday.

The circuit court will reopen Tuesday morning, Feb. 3.

The sheriff's office shared an alert on social media and through its app shortly before 10 a.m. Monday about the bomb threat.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office, on Feb. 2, 2026, is investigating a bomb threat called into Washington County Circuit Court in downtown Hagerstown.

Sheriff's personnel did an initial "sweep" of the courthouse and didn't find anything, Hose said shortly before 10 a.m. Monday. The state fire marshal and K-9 teams that search for possible explosives were on their way to the courthouse at that time.

The courthouse complex houses courtrooms as well as offices for land records and business and marriage licenses.

The sheriff's office handles security for the Circuit Court.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Washington County Sheriff's Office investigating courthouse bomb threat
DEWITT COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA)  Central Illinois law enforcement are showing support after a sheriffs deputy was shot Saturday night in Peoria. Police said that the deputy is expected to be okay after a successful surgery.

Law enforcement is a close knit profession, and whenever something like this happens, we try to take care of our own in whatever way we can, DeWitt County Sheriff, Mike Walker, said.

The shooting happened shortly before 10 p.m. in south Peoria, and now, Sheriff Walker is reminding people why an attack on one deputy, is an attack on all. He said that across the state, there are only 102 sheriffs, and their offices have a special brotherhood.

Woman robbed by men claiming to be U.S. Marshals in Decatur: Police

Police said that the deputy, whose name hasnt been released, stopped a car, and the passenger inside, David Bell, ran away. They said that the deputy chased Bell, and he fired multiple shots, hitting the deputy twice. Police also said that the deputy was seriously injured and taken to the hospital for surgery.

Walker added that this should be a reminder that law enforcement officials are humans too.

When we leave our homes at the beginning of our shift, there is a possibility we may not come back. Fortunately, that doesnt happen very often, but when it does, its tragic. Were very fortunate that this deputy, sounds like he is going to make a full recovery. Hes going to have a long road ahead of him, but, eventually, when he gets out of the hospital, he is going to be able to go home to his family, Walker said.

Police said that they arrested Bell two hours after the shooting, finding him in an abandoned building. They said that he was arrested on multiple charges, including attempted murder and aggravated battery. Law enforcement in other counties are reacting as well.

Macon County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post, that they extend their thoughts and prayers to the injured deputy, his family, and the entire Peoria County Sheriffs Office.

Violence against law enforcement is unacceptable. Incidents like this remind us of the daily risks officers face while protecting their communities. Please join us in keeping this deputy and everyone affected in your thoughts, the sheriffs office wrote.

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 WCIA.com.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rides an ATV along the U.S.-Mexico border wall in El Paso, Texas, on April 28, 2025. Photo: Tia Dufour / U.S. Department of Homeland Security / Public Domain

(The Center Square)  Authorities in west Texas and New Mexico are aggressively arresting and prosecuting illegal border crossers in construction zones and for engaging in a common practice at the border: impersonating construction workers.

Law enforcement officials in Texas have been apprehending illegal border crossers for years who dress in construction gear, including wearing reflective yellow vests and hard hats, The Center Square has observed. Often times, an entire carload of people will be wearing hard hats, law enforcement officials working through Texas Operation Lone Star have found. Once theyre pulled over and cant speak English, officers quickly learn theyre dealing with illegal border crossers, The Center Square has observed.

With more construction workers in areas where border wall construction is underway, the opportunity to impersonate construction workers has increased exponentially.

In the U.S. Customs and Border Protection El Paso Sector, which includes two west Texas counties and all of New Mexico, the Trump administration is constructing a new Smart Wall system. This includes replacing seven miles of old, dilapidated barrier fencing and 22 miles of system attributes in the Santa Teresa CBP area of responsibility in New Mexico, located roughly 30 miles from El Paso. Another 23 miles of new Smart Wall and 81 miles of system attributes are being built in New Mexico and 48 miles of new wall construction and 46 miles of system attributes are being built in El Paso, The Center Square reported.

El Paso Border Patrol officers have implemented enhanced security measures, noting the construction zones pose additional safety risks to those attempting to cross illegally, including exposure to moving machinery and unstable terrain.

Recent arrests were of Mexican and Ecuadoran nationals roughly two miles west of the Paso del Norte International Port of Entry. After they illegally entered the country, they dressed as construction workers attempting to blend in with the construction workers on site, CBP said. Anyone attempting unlawful entry along the El Paso Sector border, including construction zones, will face immediate detection, prosecution, and removal, with a 100-percent prosecution rate," it added.

These construction zones will continue to be heavily monitored by our Border Patrol agents and unlawful entry will not be tolerated, El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jesse Munoz warned. Individuals attempting to enter the United States unlawfully in construction zones or anywhere in the El Paso Sector are subject to immediate detection, prosecution and removal.

Entering the U.S. illegally is both dangerous to your life and your freedom, U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas said, adding that his office is committed to prosecuting every person caught illegally entering this country.

His office filed 11,542 border crime charges in 2025, a spokesperson told The Center Square. They include those with extensive criminal histories, The Center Square reported.

The current zero-tolerance policy is a reversal of Biden administration policies that required Border Patrol agents to release illegal border crossers into the U.S. and border crosser crimes were rarely federally prosecuted.

The El Paso sector experienced record high illegal border crossings and crime during the Biden administration. At the height of the border crisis, in November 2022 alone, more than 53,500 illegal border crossers and 24,000 gotaways were reported, the majority in New Mexico, The Center Square reported. At the time, El Pasos Democratic mayor declared a state of emergency and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott deployed 400 National Guard troops to the Texas-New Mexico-Mexico border.

Illegal entries in New Mexico reached their peak in 2023 as Texas OLS expanded operations, The Center Square exclusively reported. The Santa Teresa station was the busiest in the El Paso Sector, The Center Square reported.

By 2024, Texas OLS officers erected barriers to prevent illegal entry from Mexico and New Mexico after New Mexico was Texas only neighbor that refused to participate in OLS. The situation was so bad in New Mexico that its state Republican lawmakers came to Texas to learn how they could replicate OLS efforts, The Center Square reported.

Texas OLS officers also arrested violent Tren de Aragua members in El Paso, including those who allegedly took over a hotel, committing violent crimes, The Center Square reported.

By the end of 2025, under the Trump administration, illegal entries in New Mexico dropped by 80% in one year and by 95% in three years, The Center Square reported.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico is also aggressively prosecuting border crimes, filing roughly 100 cases a week. People who cross illegally in or around these construction projects will face federal charges and removal, consistent with the 100-percent prosecution policy in this sector, he said. Strict enforcement enhances safety for construction workers, agents, and the public while this critical infrastructure is being built.

Border Patrol is also encouraging members of the public to report suspicious border related activity by calling 1-800-635-2509.
Aurelia Choc Cac, Niurka Zuleta Choc and Anthony Garcia Choc. Mobile County Sheriffs Office/Facebook

NEED TO KNOW

Police in Alabama have begun a search for Aurelia Choc Cac, 40, and her children Niurka Zuleta Choc and Anthony Garcia Choc

A 30-year-old man initially thought to be a person of interest was cleared after a police interview

Investigators say there were signs of a struggle inside the family's residence where they were last seen

Investigators in Alabama have raised concern about the disappearance of a 40-year-old woman and her two children, one of whom is a toddler.

Aurelia Choc Cac, 40, Niurka Zuleta Choc, 17, and 2-year-old Anthony Garcia Choc were last seen at their Mobile County, Ala., residence on Friday, Jan. 30, the Mobile County Sheriff's Office said in a statement over the weekend.

The family of three were last seen around 3 p.m. that day.

Police responding to a report of a "suspicious disappearance" on Saturday declared the family missing.

Responding officials say there were "signs of a struggle" inside the home, per the statement.

"We do believe the mother, daughter and son were taken against their will and we believe they could be in danger," the sheriff's office said.

Anthony Garcia Choc (left); Aurelia Choc Cac; and Niurka Zuleta Choc. Mobile County Sheriff's Office/Facebook

Cac has black hair, is 5 feet tall and weighs 140 lbs. She was last seen in a maroon jacket and tan joggers.

Niurka has black hair, is 5 feet 1 inch tall, and weighs 100 lbs. She was last seen in a black top and a pair of plaid pants.

Anthony has black hair, is 30 lbs. and was last seen in a cartoon character hoodie and a pair of blue jeans.

for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletterWant to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for cases.



The sheriff's office said in its initial statement they had identified a 30-year-old male person of interest. The office said in a Facebook comment on Sunday that the person "is known" to Cac.

On Sunday, investigators said in an update they spoke to the person and have cleared them as a suspect.

Authorities have received several tips, they said, further urging anyone with information to contact them at 251-574-8633.



Read the original article on People
A man being questioned by police officers at a hotel in suburban Atlanta invited them to his room and opened fire in an "unprovoked attack," killing one officer and injuring the other, Georgia authorities said.

During a news conference, Gwinnett County Police Chief James D. McClure said two officers responded to a fraud-related call at 7:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, Feb. 1, at a hotel in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Stone Mountain is located about 25 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.

When the officers arrived, McClure said they went to the room of a person who was believed to have fraudulently used a credit card. The officers made contact with the suspect, who invited them inside the room, McClure added.

"They began discussing the scenario or the incident with him," the police chief said. "And at some point the suspect produced a handgun and, in an unprovoked attack, fired at our Gwinnett County police officers."

'Dangerous and wrong': Gun rights groups slam feds' comments after Minneapolis shooting

Both officers were stuck, and one returned fire, injuring the suspect, according to McClure. The two officers and the suspect were transported to a local hospital after the shooting.

One of the officers, Pradeep Tamang, 25, was later pronounced dead, McClure said. The second officer, Master Police Officer David M. Reed, remains in critical but stable condition.

The police chief said the suspect, later identified as Kevin Andrews, 35, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Andrews will be transported to jail once released from the hospital. No additional injuries were reported.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation assumed control of the shooting investigation, authorities said.

Police officers identified

In a statement to USA TODAY, the Gwinnett County Police Department said Tamang joined the department in July 2024 and graduated from the police academy in May 2025. During the news conference, McClure said Tamang was from Nepal and moved to the United States about 10 years ago.

Reed, according to the statement, joined the Gwinnett County Police Department in September 2015.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp took to social media and mourned the dead officer and prayed for the second officer's recovery.

"This is the latest reminder of the dangers law enforcement face on a daily basis," Kemp said. "We are grateful for every one that puts themselves in harms way to protect their fellow Georgians."

DHS report: Two border officers fired guns in fatal Pretti shooting

Preliminary probe: Person reported credit card fraud

In a news release, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating the shooting at the request of the Gwinnett County Police Department. The agency noted that once the investigation is complete, the Gwinnett County District Attorneys Office will review the case.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Gwinnett County police responded to the Holiday Inn Express after receiving a call alleging credit card theft, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Earlier in the day, a person from South Carolina had reported that their credit card was fraudulently used at the Holiday Inn Express.

After the two officers arrived at the hotel, the agency said a front desk manager told them the room was being rented to Andrews. Officers spoke to Andrews in his room about the fraudulent use of the credit card and learned that he had an active warrant for failure to appear in DeKalb County, which is also located in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

At the news conference, McClure said Andrews had a "lengthy criminal history," including multiple felony convictions for violent crimes, gun crimes, and narcotics.

When officers attempted to arrest Andrews, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Andrews pulled out a handgun and fired at the officers. Additional officers later responded to the scene and the officers, along with the suspect, were taken to the hospital.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgia hotel shooting leaves officer dead and another injured
The boss of the Hollywood sign has claimed that CGI was used in a video showing Sydney Sweeney decorating the landmark with bras.

Sydney Sweeney hung bras on the Hollywood sign to promote her lingerie brand Syrn

The Euphoria star went viral last week after a clip of her hanging underwear on the tourist attraction was recorded without permission and Jeff Zarrinnam, the head of the Hollywood Sign Trust, is convinced that parts of the footage were digitally altered.

Sydney, 28, uploaded the clip to her Instagram account and Zarrinnam is convinced that the video's concluding shot - showing the actress posing and celebrating with the bra-covered sign behind her - has been altered with CGI as climbing the 50-foot sign at night would be a very delicate job.

He told the BBC's Newsbeat: "They used CGI for that.

"There's no way you could have covered the sign in that amount of time.

"It would take you hours to do that."

Zarrinnam also stated that it has been incorrectly claimed that Sydney can be seen climbing the letter H in the video.

He said: "I know that sign intimately.

"She was climbing the letter L.

"If she'd tried climbing the H she probably would've fallen and broken her neck."

It has been suggested that the Christy star could face criminal charges for the stunt - which promoted her new lingerie brand Syrn - and Zarrinnam is conducting an investigation into what happened, although he has not yet received a reply from Sydney or her production company.

He said: "I have to be fair.

"Sydney Sweeney probably isn't reading paperwork.

"Did she think she had the right to do that? Did her production team tell her what the do's and don'ts were?"

Zarrinnam says that the decision to press charges against Sydney is down to him and is something that he is seriously considering once he gets a full picture of what happened.

He explained: "I'm upset and the neighbours are upset about it.

"We have to get the word out so people don't think they can get away with it."

Zarrinnam also revealed that he is planning to increase security around the sign following the publicity stunt.

He said: "You'll even see on the video there are no trespassing signs around the perimeter of the fence.

"Looks like I might have to buy some more."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed his country is considering creating its own nuclear arsenal.

Berlin is considering developing its own atomic weapons to bolster Europes nuclear umbrella and the USs own stockpile in the region, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Speaking before the German parliament Thursday, Merz said the country is in talks with its partner nations on the possibility of extending Europes nuclear arm, which currently involves Britain and France as the sole nations in the continent with atomic weapons.

These talks are taking place, Merz said, adding that the discussions were only in their initial phase.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed his country is considering creating its own nuclear arsenal. AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi

The German chancellor stressed that no decision would be made quickly nor would it conflict with nuclear-sharing with the United States of America.

The EU has long been dependent on the US when it comes to NATOs nuclear power  but European nations are starting to pivot away from traditional conventions that have been upended by President Trumps second term.

Germany is currently banned from developing nuclear weapons of its own under the Four Plus Two agreement that allowed East and West Germany to reunite in 1990.

As with most of the world, Germany is also a signatory of the 1969 nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Merz said that while Germany has certain obligations to meet under the treaties, the pacts do not prevent a discussion on the matter with its partners.

Merzs comments come as Thomas Roewekamp, the head of Berlins parliamentary defense committee, said Germany was fully capable of helping create more nuclear weapons for Europe.

We do not have missiles or warheads, but we do have a significant technological advantage that we could contribute to a joint European initiative, Roewekamp told Germanys Welt TV.

The German initiative comes after the UK and France agreed last summer to form a nuclear deterrent pact to fend off extreme threats to the continent in the face of Russian aggression and fears that the US may pull military support under Trump.

Britain has around 225 nuclear warheads, a little less than the 290 France is believed to have, according to the Arms Control Association, which monitors nations atomic stockpiles.

The US has maintained around 100 nuclear missiles in the continent, the majority of which are stashed in American military bases in Germany.

With Post Wires
Hundreds of North Central High School students participating in an anti-ICE walkout spilled onto 86th Street in northern Indianapolis on Feb. 2 in an initially chaotic scene.

Dozens of drivers passing by honked and held fists up in solidarity. Some students stood on top of or hung out of vehicles.

North Central's walkout was one of hundreds that have been taking place across the nation following the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis last month. Students at multiple schools across central Indiana walked out of class Monday to lend their voices to the protest.

But North Central's walkout was one of the larger ones.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and MSD Washington Township officers closed the intersection of 86th and Westfield Boulevard after hundreds of students had left school and gathered in parking lots and near the street. Once closed, students gathered in the road and played music, displayed signs and waved flags.

After about 20 minutes, the teens mostly cleared out the street at the direction of IMPD and Washington Township officers and protest organizers. The road reopened shortly after, and the protest moved to the parking lot of a former Walgreens, where speakers addressed the crowd.

Student organizers freshman Liam Bastnagel and senior Emma-Louise Akinleye said between 800 and 1,000 of North Central's 3,664 students participated.

"We're feeling powerful," Akinleye told IndyStar. "We're feeling like our voices  they have a real impact."

Akinleye and Bastnagel said the turnout was double what they expected and noted the school's diverse makeup. The Washington Township high school is 22% Hispanic, 29% White and 39% Black, according to the Indiana Department of Education.

"If any Indiana politician saw this or even our governor, we would want him to know that we don't want ICE to have unlimited access into our city," Akinleye said. Despite several rumors, ICE has had limited operations in Indianapolis so far.

IMPD officials did not mention any injuries or arrests in their statement about the protest. IndyStar reporters did not witness any injuries, arrests or confrontations.

Multiple walkouts across Indy metro

Earlier on Monday, a few hundred students at Noblesville High School held a walkout. The students marched around the school grounds before heading to the city's square, where they did call and response chants and hoisted signs. Police blocked streets downtown as the crowd progressed.

"It's so important that they're standing up for their rights," Noblesville mom Jamie Black, whose sophomore was among the marchers, said through tears. "They see what's happening, and they're willing to stand up for it and be identified as someone who does care. I just think that's so special."

Walkouts were also planned on Feb. 2 at Greenfield High School, Mt. Vernon High School in Fortville, Park Tudor High School, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School and Zionsville High School.

But not every adult praised the students' actions.

North Central Principal Jagga Rent warned parents in a Feb. 1 email: "While we respect students' desire to engage with current events, please note that leaving campus during school hours without proper authorization is not permitted under school policy."

"If parents want their students to leave school, please follow the standard sign out process through our attendance office," the email said. "Students who leave class or campus without permission will be subject to the consequences outlined in our code of conduct."

Noblesville High School leaders released a similar statement

Related: Indiana students hold ICE walkouts. What to know about their rights

Reporter Kristine Phillips contributed.

The USA TODAY Network - Indiana's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.

Have a story to tell? Reach Cate Charron by email at ccharron@indystar.com, on X at @CateCharron or Signal at @cate.charron.28. Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: North Central students' ICE walkout closes 86th Street in Indianapolis
WASHINGTON  The House is preparing to vote this week on whether to hold former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in criminal contempt for defying subpoenas for information about accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Cabinet secretaries and other presidential aides have been found in contempt in the past, typically during contentious investigations when different parties controlled Congress and the White House. But this could become the first time a former president is found in contempt, a charge that could potentially imprison the former leader.

The Clintons contend they have tried to work out a compromise to provide information to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and have been rebuffed. But the chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, said no one is above the law and the Clintons must be held accountable for defying their subpoenas.

Here's what to know about the contempt resolutions:

Why did the committee subpoena the Clintons?

The committee had subpoenaed the Clintons in July 2025 as part of an investigation into Epstein. The inquiry is part of a broad effort in Congress and through the courts to unearth information about Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The Justice Department is in the midst of releasing millions of pages of documents from its criminal investigations. Despite a new law requiring the release of the documents, millions more pages remain confidential while hundreds of department lawyers scour them to prevent the release of names of people who accused Epstein of abuse.

Bill Clinton is among the political and business leaders who socialized with Epstein and showed up in the documents. Clinton appeared in pictures and in a handwritten note in a book Epsteins associate Ghislaine Maxwell assembled for Epsteins 50th birthday.

But Clinton hasnt been accused of wrongdoing. The Clintons have said they have been out of office for more than a decade and had nothing to do with Epstein for more than 20 years.

Comer argued that their testimony remains critical to understanding Epsteins alleged sex trafficking network and how he curried favor with powerful figures to evade scrutiny.

Are the contempt charges partisan?

The Republican-led House committee voted Jan. 21 on two resolutions to hold the Democratic Clintons in criminal contempt of subpoenas for information about Epstein.

Nine Democrats joined Republicans in the vote against Bill Clinton and two voted present. Three Democrats joined Republicans in the vote against Hillary Clinton.

Chairman of the House Oversight Committee James Comer, R-Kentucky, speaks as ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-California, looks on during a meeting to vote on whether to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas to testify in the panel's investigation of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2026.

How did the Clintons respond?

In a scathing letter Jan. 13 to Comer, the Clintons said the committee leader should focus on preventing crimes like Epsteins from happening again, but is instead playing "partisan politics."

The former president and first lady accuse Comer of trying to embarrass them, calling the subpoenas "invalid and legally unenforceable."

"We are confident that any reasonable person in or out of Congress will see, based on everything we release, that what you are doing is trying to punish those who you see as your enemies and to protect those you think are your friends," the Clintons wrote.

But after Bill Clinton skipped a hearing Jan. 13 and Hillary Clinton skipped one Jan. 14, the committee moved to hold them in contempt.

Bill Clintons deputy chief of staff, Angel Urena, said the former president offered Jan. 30 to meet with Comer and the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, at his New York office.

Clinton agreed to answer questions about travel with Epstein, his awareness of criminal activities and efforts by Epstein to gain leverage.

"SPOILER ALERT: We have offered to help, we have helped, and to this very moment we are ready to help," Urena wrote on social media. "But the Republicans REFUSE to say YES."

Former President Bill Clinton stands with Jeffrey Epstein in this image released by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 19, 2025 as part of a new trove of documents from its investigations into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Comer rejected the offer.

"The Clintons do not get to dictate the terms of lawful subpoenas," Comer said on social media. "I have rejected their latest offer."

When does the House Rules Committee meet?

The House Rules Committee meets at 4 p.m. ET on Feb. 2 on the amount of debate time and the number of amendments allowed for the contempt resolutions before the full House.

Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pennsylvania, proposed an amendment to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt because the Justice Department hasnt provided the committee "all documents and communications relating" to Epstein and Maxwell, which were subpoenaed Aug. 5.

"If the Committee is proceeding with contempt, it should be aimed at DOJ, not the Clintons," the amendment states.

Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche have said the department is reviewing millions of Epstein documents before posting them online. The review aims to avoid revealing the names of people who accused Epstein of abuse or that could hurt potential criminal cases.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Florida, proposed an amendment to subpoena President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago Club for "documents, communications and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein," including personnel files, massage records and complaints filed against him. Frost also sought a list of personnel who provided massages on behalf of the club from 1997 and 2003.

The request covers the period when Epstein was charged with conspiring to traffic minor girls for illicit sex. Trump has accused Epstein of recruiting staffers at Mar-a-Lago to work for him.

After the Rules Committee sets the parameters for debate, a full House vote could come later this week.

Images of former President Bill Clinton are on display as Chairman of the House Oversight Committee James Comer, R-Kentucky, speaks during a meeting to vote on whether to hold Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas to testify in the panel's investigation of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2026.

What is the criminal contempt charge?

Criminal contempt is a misdemeanor offense for willfully defying a congressional subpoena for documents or testimony "upon any matter under inquiry before either House."

The Justice Department can decide against prosecution in such cases. Or legislative leaders can reach a compromise to gather the testimony without a prosecution.

The House voted to hold Trump aides from his first term in contempt, including deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Attorney General Bill Barr and former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. But none were prosecuted.

If prosecuted and convicted, the maximum punishment is $100,000 and up to a year in prison. Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser, and Peter Navarro, a trade adviser, were each convicted of contempt for defying subpoenas about the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, and sentenced to four months in prison. Navarro was fined $9,500 and Bannon was fined $6,500.

Would this be the first contempt charge against a former president?

If the Justice Department pursued a criminal case against Bill Clinton, it would be first contempt case against a former president.

Trump faced the first criminal charges against a former president after his first term. Federal charges of unlawfully retaining national defense documents after leaving office and trying to overturn the 2020 election were dismissed after he won back the White House under longstanding department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

Georgia charges of election racketeering were also dropped. Trump was convicted in New York of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments before the 2016 election. He has appealed.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House to vote on contempt for Bill and Hillary Clinton: what to know
Second Republican Primary Debate Held At Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) will not enforce Californias ban on federal agents wearing masks during immigration operations.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the policy makes little sense from a safety standpoint, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. He called the law a poor public policy decision that lacked proper consideration.

We are in line with our federal partners on everything except immigration enforcement, McDonnell said. What weve seen since June here in Los Angeles and seen across the country, were as frustrated as everybody else  about the way thats being done. (RELATED: Appeals Court Halts Order Limiting ICE Tactics)

McDonnell told reporters at a news conference that one armed agency confronting another over a misdemeanor creates unnecessary conflict, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. He said his departments job is to de-escalate situations rather than escalate them.

The reality of one armed agency approaching another armed agency to create conflict over something that would be a misdemeanor at best or an infraction, it doesnt make any sense. Its not a good public policy decision and it wasnt well thought out in my opinion, McDonnell said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department also stated it will not enforce the ban due to federal supremacy over immigration matters, the Daily News reported. The law took effect Jan. 1 but remains under a legal stay as the Trump administration challenges it in court.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has refused to comply with the ban. DHS officials claim ICE agents face increased threats including doxxing and violence, according to an agency statement. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the California laws would make it easier for extremists to target federal officers.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 627 into law in September 2025, Fox News reported. The legislation bans most law enforcement from wearing face coverings during official duties. What are you afraid of? Newsom said when he signed the bill.

The Trump administration sued California in November, arguing the state lacks authority to regulate federal agents.
At least 2 dead in North Carolina as storm brings heavy snow to South

At least two people have died after another winter storm brought blizzard conditions to parts of the Carolinas and prolonged cold temperatures along much of the East Coast, as tens of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power in the South on Feb. 1 following last month's deadly storm.

During a news conference on Feb. 1, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein reported that there were more than 1,000 collisions over the weekend, which resulted in two fatalities and a major traffic jam that involved over 100 vehicles on Interstate 85. The governor did not provide additional details on the deaths, but the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the fatal collisions happened in Robeson and Rutherford counties.

The deaths occurred amid a second major winter storm that brought heavy snow, high winds, and risks of coastal flooding from the Carolinas to Virginia, according to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. The storm also caused frigid temperatures to linger for much of the country as states began to recover from power outages last month.

Take a look at photos from North Georgia as snow blankets the region More than 2 inches of snow blanket Cumming, Georgia around noon on Jan. 31. It's the second weekend in a row North Georgia has been hit by a winter storm.

Stein noted that all 100 counties in North Carolina experienced snow conditions, including 16 inches of snow reported in Lexington and 15 inches in Ocean Isle Beach on Jan. 31. State authorities advised residents to stay off the roads on Feb. 1 as crews worked to clear the snow.

"But our fear is that with temperatures staying below freezing today and much of tomorrow, many roads will be bad in many places across the state for days to come," Stein said. "In addition, black ice is going to remain a risk throughout the week because of below-freezing nighttime temperatures. For your own safety and for the safety of the people clearing the roads, please stay at home if you possibly can. This is no joke."

The governor added that cold conditions, especially in western North Carolina, where wind chill temperatures could drop below zero, will further strain the electrical grid on Feb. 2. He urged residents to conserve energy and stay warm.

How much snow? Bomb cyclone in weekend forecast on East Coast.

Winter storm impacts southern Appalachians to Carolinas, southern Virginia

The Weather Prediction Center previously said a "rapidly deepening storm" would produce widespread heavy snow and wind from the southern Appalachians across the Carolinas and southern Virginia. In anticipation of the storm, Stein had declared a state of emergency and warned of whiteout conditions.

The powerful storm brought blizzard-like conditions to portions of the Carolinas and southern Virginia over the weekend, and caused some coastal areas to be buried in snowdrifts, forecasters said. According to AccuWeather, 12 to 16 inches of snow were reported on Jan. 31 from Charlotte, North Carolina, to High Point, North Carolina.

Some areas in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Virginia also saw about a foot of snow, AccuWeather said. Meanwhile, snow flurries were reported in parts of Florida.

Winter conditions caused widespread travel disruptions, with over 1,000 crashes reported in North Carolina and more than 300 in Virginia, according to state authorities.

Don't panic: How to prepare for winter weather.

Virginia State Police said on Feb. 1 that additional snowfall was impacting parts of the state and advised motorists to clear all snow and ice from their vehicles before traveling. Earlier in the day, state police said a trooper had responded to a crash involving a box truck that was struck by flying ice.

"The driver reported that ice flew from another vehicle, shattered his windshield, and entered the cab," state police said in a statement. "Fortunately, he sustained only minor cuts, but this incident could have been far more serious."

According to Stein, the winter storm caused road conditions to deteriorate in the Outer Banks. Don Campbell, chief of staff for North Carolina Emergency Management, said many roads across the state remained dangerous and were still covered in snow and ice.

"(North Carolina Highway 12) had to be closed due to ocean overwash, and with heavy winds and high tides, it might take a while to reopen," Stein said. "Please stay off the roads there and be alert for any flooding. Do not drive through flood waters."

Tens of thousands still left in the dark

More than 169,000 homes and businesses across the United States were without electricity as of 6 p.m. ET, according to USA TODAY's power outage tracker.

In Mississippi and Tennessee, over nearly 85,000 customers were still waiting for power restoration after being hit by the previous winter storm. At one point, the last winter storm knocked out power to more than a million customers from New Mexico to New England.

Follow the latest updates on what parts of the nation have lost power:

Death toll climbs from last winter storm

Dozens of deaths have been attributed to the earlier winter storm and cold. Forecasters and local authorities warned of the risk of hypothermia and frostbite, especially for those without shelter or electricity.

Following the January winter storm, local authorities reported additional deaths  totaling over 100, according to ABC News and The Associated Press.

Many cases were due to hypothermia, USA TODAY previously reported. Others are believed to be related to carbon monoxide exposure, motor vehicle and sledding accidents, and possible exertion from snow shoveling.

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter storm delivers heavy snow to the South, leaving 2 dead in NC
Rep. Deqa Dhalac (D-South Portland) announced Thursday that she won't seek re-election, citing concerns of harassment. (Photo by Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star)

Citing concerns about the dangers and racism elected officials face, Democratic Rep. Deqa Dhalac from South Portland announced Thursday that she will not seek reelection this year.

Throughout my tenure, I have experienced persistent racism, harassment, and threats that reflect a broader national pattern targeting Black and Brown elected officials, she said in a news release.

Dhalac, who gained national attention in 2021 after becoming the countrys first Somali-American mayor, is serving her second term in the Maine Legislature. Over the past year, she has been the target of racist attacks, including campaign ads from Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles that labeled her a radical Somalia-first state representative.

More recently, Republican lawmakers have asked for her to be removed from the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee over allegations involving her former employer and MaineCare billing practices.

Dhalacs decision underscores the heightened scrutiny, harassment and safety concerns faced by elected officials of color in Maine, one of the countrys whitest states. While hostile rhetoric around immigration is increasing across the country, Black elected leaders and anti-racist advocates told Maine Morning Star that the charged political climate has made public service more isolating and dangerous for some leaders, prompting some to step away from elected office altogether.

Dhalac echoed this in her statement announcing that she wont seek reelection on Thursday.

These dangers are real and carry heavy emotional and physical consequences not only for those serving, but for their families as well, she said. No one should have to endure fear or dehumanization simply for stepping forward to serve their community.

Pious Ali, Maines first African-born American elected official who has been in office in Portland since 2013, has known Dhalac for decades. He told Maine Morning Star on Friday that her service to her community is deeply valued, but it cant come at the cost of her well-being.

Nobody should pay the price of privacy or safety to serve the community that they love, Ali said. Public office is a very difficult position to be in, especially now more than ever.

He pointed to the recent attack on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during her speech at a town hall in Minneapolis. Leaders of color across the country have faced increasing online threats, too, he said, and they may be coming from their constituents in their home states.

While Maines population has been diversifying, about 93% of the state is still white, according to the 2024 census. That means the few elected officials of color have to face additional scrutiny, according to Shay-Stewart Bouley, an anti-racism activist and writer in Southern Maine, who previously served on Portlands Charter Commission.

While there are a lot of white people in Maine who most certainly are appreciative and embrace the diversity thats happened over the last two decades, there are a lot of people who arent, she said. And given our current, you know, reality, we have to ask ourselves, what are we doing to protect our people, to protect their mental and emotional health when they run for office?

Elected officials in Maine choose not to run again

Dhalac is not the first person to not pursue reelection citing the additional scrutiny elected officials of color face in Maine. In 2019, Safiya Khalid was the first Somali-American to be elected to the City Council in Lewiston, Maines second-largest city. In 2021, she announced she would not seek a second term, saying people of color are consistently met with hatred when they engage with the political process. Khalid is now a community organizer and has been vocal against President Donald Trumps rhetoric attacking Somali immigrants.

Dhalac has recently joined Khalid in speaking out against Trumps anti-Somali rhetoric, writing an open letter to him in December 2025 along with two other Somali-American lawmakers, Democratic Reps. Mana Abdi from Lewiston and Yusuf Yusuf from Portland.

An attack on Somali Americans  or on any immigrant community is an attack on all Americans, the representatives said in response to Trump calling Somali immigrants garbage.

Maine is stronger when we stand together, reject dehumanization, and insist on a future rooted in safety, fairness, and shared belonging.

Angela Okafor, a former city council member who became Bangors first Black elected official in 2019, said todays tense political climate is undoubtedly making it harder for immigrants and politicians of color to run for office.

She said that while much of the racism she faced seven years ago stemmed from ignorance, that explanation no longer holds in 2026.

We are not asking for favoritism. We are not asking for the bar to be brought down, she said. All we ask is keep the bar where it is, let us prove ourselves, but stop the attacks on us.

Stewart-Bouley said many elected leaders in Maine have long experienced harassment in some form, but the political climate today has made running for office seem particularly unwelcome.

Every circle that Im a part of that includes Black elected officials in Maine or public figures, we have all dealt with the harassment and the racism, she said. If a young Black person asked me about running for office in Maine, I would probably tell you no. You have to really think about your safety and well-being.

Scrutiny over former employer

Over the past month, some Republican lawmakers have targeted Dhalac while calling for increased scrutiny of alleged MaineCare fraud involving her former employer.

In December, U.S. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) requested reports about Portland-based health care provider Gateway Community Services, including records related to Dhalac.

That spurred Republican lawmakers to call for Dhalac to be removed from the Maine Legislatures Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee.

We believe that that is a serious conflict, and that someone under investigation by Congress with this level of fraud should not sit on that committee, said House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, a Republican from Winter Harbor.

Dhalac responded in a statement by saying she worked for Gateway for less than a year and had no involvement in the companys billing practices.

Any accusations that I participated in illegal activities arent just unequivocally false  they are also reckless and harmful, she said. I take seriously the states responsibility to serve as a good steward of taxpayer dollars, and I support the investigation to hold accountable any individuals who misuse public funds.

Maine House of Representatives Speaker Rep. Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) said while all allegations of fraud must be treated seriously, we must avoid generalizations against entire groups of people, in this case, Mainers who have emigrated from Somalia.

It is not only wrong, but dangerous to do so, he said. Hatred directed at this community based on the wrongdoing of another is plainly wrong.

While Dhalac will end her tenure as a state representative this year, she said she plans to continue advocating for her community.

This decision is not a withdrawal from the work, Dhalac said. I remain deeply committed to justice, community empowerment, and the fight for equity. I will continue this work outside of elected office, alongside the communities that have always been my strength.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
A firefighter walks beside a fire truck outside a fire station. Photo: Grace David / The Center Square

(The Center Square)  Milwaukees fire chief says it is long past time the state requires sprinklers in every apartment building in Wisconsin.

Fire Chief Aaron Lipski has been pushing for an updated state law for months. Wisconsin currently requires all buildings built after 1974 to have sprinklers, but all buildings before are grandfathered in. He wants to change that.

There is a plan at the statehouse from Milwaukee Democrats to allow local governments in Wisconsin to set their own rules. But that legislation is stalled and likely won't get a hearing this spring.

"Am I optimistic that ends up in some big victory? I'd be lying if I said I am. I'm not optimistic about it, but we have to keep the conversation going," the chief said on UpFront.

The biggest roadblock to a new sprinkler requirement is the cost. Republican lawmakers say it would simply cost too much to require building owners to retrofit every building in the state with sprinklers. Those costs, lawmakers say, would then be passed on to renters through higher rents.

Lipski said, however, that focusing on the costs of sprinklers ignores the cost of not having them.

"Why is it that fire suppression and fire safety takes a backseat to all the other concerns all the time? Why is it that us attempting to just have a conversation about this is met with vociferous opposition from the most powerful man in our state government? How is that possible?" Lipski asked.

Lipski's comments came as Milwaukee firefighters dealt with another fire in another building that the chief said didn't have sprinklers.

Firefighters rescued eight people from an apartment fire Sunday morning. The fire broke out around 5:30 am at an apartment building near 77th Street and Green Tree Road. The chief said the fire started in a shared hallway near the front door, which blocked people from getting out.

"At 5:30am today, @MilFireDept responded to fire in a multi-family dwelling, this one in the 6600 block of N 77th. 8 civilians rescued (including 2 infants), 7 via ladders and 1 interior; 2 additional with broken legs from jumping. NO SPRINKLERS," the chief wrote on X.

Lipski said that the fire happened just hours before his taped interview on UpFront about the sprinkler requirement was "unreal timing."
Hailey Buzbee, an Indiana teen who has been missing for almost a month, is dead, police announced, though the investigation was still active and Buzbee had not yet been found.

Buzbee's parents last saw their daughter, a 17-year-old student at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, at 10 p.m. Jan. 5. The Fishers Police Department said in a news conference Feb. 1 that police suspected she had been picked up by Tyler Thomas, an Ohio man she had met through online gaming.

Police said they talked to Thomas within a few days of her disappearance, who told them he had dropped Buzbee off on the side of the road in western Ohio. Police soon determined that statement was not true and worked with law enforcement partners in Ohio to search Thomas' home and vehicle.

Tim OMalley, special agent in charge of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office, (right) listens as Fishers police chief Ed Gebhart speaks during a press conference on Hailey Buzbee on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Fishers. Officials believe Buzbee, a 17-year-old Hamilton Southeastern High School student, left her home in the early hours of Jan. 6. Officials now believe Buzbee is dead.

Law enforcement determined Buzbee had been at Thomas' home in Columbus, Ohio, and a short-term rental in Hocking County, Ohio. Evidence collected, in addition to statements by Thomas, led investigators to conclude Buzbee was dead.

Thomas is in custody in Ohio on charges associated with the case, police said, though he had not been charged with murder.

A 39-year-old man named Tyler Thomas was recently charged with pandering obscenity involving a minor and tampering with evidence in Franklin County, Ohio, Indiana officials said at the news conference Feb. 1. Investigators in that case found child sexual abuse material on Thomas' electronic devices, according to a Columbus news outlet.

Police believe Buzbee died within a few days after she was picked up.

It's believed that Hailey Buzbee, 17, left her home in the Enclave at Vermillion Neighborhood in the early hours of Jan. 6, 2026.

The announcement comes after weeks of searching by police and Buzbee's family. Though the teenager initially was classified as a runaway, police upgraded her case to an "endangered missing juvenile" Jan. 20.

Beau Buzbee, Hailey's father, said his family was devastated by the news in a post on Facebook.

"Hailey was a smart, beautiful, kind, and caring young lady with a bright future," he wrote. "She had a deep love for her family and holds a very special place in so many hearts."

Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@gannett.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Missing Indiana teen Hailey Buzbee is dead, Fishers police say
The Amazon logo is displayed on a wooden podium with a city skyline in the background. Photo: Spencer Pauley / The Center Square

(The Center Square)  Amazon is cutting approximately 2,200 corporate roles from the Seattle area as part of the companys broader 16,000-person global layoff, according to a filing with the state Employment Security Department.

Of the nearly 2,200 employees laid off in the Jan. 30 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, filing, more than 1,400 were based in Seattle, more than 600 in Bellevue, and the rest, including some based remotely, were spread across various locations in Washington state.

The layoffs are to take effect from late April through late June.

While WARN requires only 60 days advance notice, Amazon is providing at least 90 days notice to all affected employees before their separations are scheduled to occur, the filing states. Affected employees who accept internal transfer opportunities at Amazon prior to their separation date will not be separated as a result of this action.

When Seattle-based Amazon announced its plan to shed 16,000 corporate jobs last week, The Center Square asked the tech giant how many of those lost jobs were in the Seattle area, and was told by company spokesperson Zoe Hoffmann that We arent breaking down by city, so [we] would point you back to Beths letter."

In a memo to employees last week announcing the 16,000 layoffs, Amazon Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology Beth Galetti explained that the workforce reduction was part of the companys restructuring to streamline operations and reduce bureaucracy.

In October 2025, Amazon announced the elimination of approximately 14,000 corporate roles.

The companys corporate restructuring is driven by a desire to reverse pandemic-era over-hiring, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate the adoption of generative AI.

Amazon is also laying off approximately 400 workers in Washington as part of its decision to shutter all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores nationwide. The layoffs, which take effect in late April, will impact nearly a dozen facilities in Seattle, Bellevue, Mill Creek and Puyallup.

Amazon isnt the only tech company that is handing out layoff notices locally. Expedia Group, which is also based in Seattle, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, have also recently announced job cuts in the Seattle area.

T-Mobile is laying off 393 employees across Washington, according to a WARN filing filed on Monday.

Significant tech layoffs at major Seattle employers like Amazon, Expedia and Meta have sparked fears of a severe economic downturn in Seattle and Washington.

"The tech side layoffs are caused by AI and normal downsizing; however, the tech companies are certainly looking at other states to relocate employees to," Mark Harmsworth, director of the Small Business Center at the Washington Policy Center think tank, emailed The Center Square last week. "I suspect we will continue to see small layoff batches this year (quiet quitting) and at some point something more significant if Olympia continues to pursue the head, wealth and income tax direction.
OSLO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - A Norwegian court ruled on Monday that the eldest son of Norway's crown princess would be held in police detention over new accusations made against him ahead of a separate trial this week in which he faces charges of rape and other crimes.

Police said earlier that Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson to Crown Prince Haakon, was apprehended on Sunday on suspicion of causing bodily harm, wielding a knife and violating a restraining order.

The Oslo District Court said in a statement it had agreed to a police request to keep Hoiby in their custody for the next four weeks to prevent repeated offences.

The ruling to hold him in detention remains subject to appeal. His lawyer told Reuters he was considering an appeal.

Hoiby has so far been at large awaiting the trial, which begins on Tuesday, on four counts of rape as well as domestic violence, assault and drug possession, among other crimes, one of several cases that have shaken the Norwegian monarchy.

He could face new charges from the latest allegations on top of the 38 counts he currently faces. His lawyer earlier on Monday declined to comment on the new accusations.

Hoiby does not admit criminal guilt for the charges of rape and domestic violence, but has admitted to some lesser crimes and plans to give a detailed explanation of this in court, his lawyer has previously said.

His trial is due to last until March 19.

The case against Hoiby began in 2024 when police named him as a suspect in a case of physical assault against a woman with whom he had been in a relationship.

Hoiby, in a statement to the media at the time, admitted to causing bodily harm to the woman while he was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol and to damaging her apartment. Hoiby said he regretted his acts.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik;Editing by Alison Williams and Gareth Jones)
Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy has been confirmed missing and foul play hasn't been ruled out.

Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy is missing

The Today Show host's 84-year-old mother has been missing since around 9:45pm on Saturday (31.02.26) in Arizona, and authorities have launched an extensive search after she was reported missing around noon the following day.

On Sunday (01.02.26), the Pima County Sheriff's Department revealed she had last been seen at her residence in the Catalina Foothills area.

In a briefing later in the day, Sheriff Chris Nanos said: "We hope we find her safe and sound, but we are very concerned."

He explained that foul play could not be ruled out due to "concerning evidence", but did not elaborate.

Nanos noted that the evidence was "enough of a concern to us that we called out a criminal investigation team as well", although the case is still being handled as a search and rescue operation.

He added: "I dont need to tell you, this is very concerning to us; we dont typically get the sheriff out on a scene like this but it is very concerning."

While this is "not standard" for a missing person case, the sheriff said: "We're pretty much throwing everything at this."

The search has included ground crews with headlamps, dog teams, the Sheriff's Department plane, and drones, while deputies also checked in with hospitals and medical transport teams.

While Nancy has no cognitive issues, she is considered a "vulnerable adult" due to her age and physical mobility.

Nanos added: "She has some physical ailments that limit her ability to move around."

Savannah is yet to publicly comment on her mother's disappearance.

Nancy often visited her daughter on the set of the Today Show in New York City, and the host always spoke fondly of her mother.

She previously said on the programme: "When I was in my 30s, I really wished to be married and to be a mom, and things just did not happen that fast for me.

"And my moms confidence that I would be a mom  even as the years ticked by and ticked by and ticked by  meant so much to me. She said, 'Of course youll be a mom, and youre going to be a wonderful mom.'

"And for her to have that confidence and faith was so meaningful to me. It got me through some really hard times."
The frigid, snowy weather appears likely to stick around for six more weeks, based on the prognostications of Punxsutawney Phil and local groundhogs.

Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania, saw his shadow on the frigid morning of Feb. 2.

If groundhogs see their shadow, it means six more weeks of winter weather, according to popular lore. No shadow means an early spring.

The official first day of spring is March 20.

Here's what the groundhogs had to say:

Punxsutawney Phil calls for six more weeks of winter

The most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania saw his shadow in the early morning hours of Feb. 2. Some in the crowd chanted six more weeks after the prognostication.

It was so cold in Gobblers Knob, Punxsutawney that a group selfie had to be taken with Punxsutawney Phil because they didn't want to keep the groundhog outside for too long.

York's Slumbering Groundhog lodge predicts six more weeks of winter during a ceremony Feb. 2, 2026 in York.

Poor Richard of York County says six more weeks of winter

The York Slumbering Groundhog Lodge didn't even make it outside in the frigid temperatures for Poor Richard's prognostication.

It was delivered inside the Elks Lodge No. 213 in York.

Poor Richard predicted six more weeks of winter.

The York Slumbering Groundhog Lodge is reportedly the third oldest in the state.

Dover Doug predicts six more weeks of winter

Dover Doug, the mascot, predicted "six more weeks of winter and snow" before Punxsutawney Phil made his prognostication this morning.

People gathered on the cold morning in Dover Township for the annual event. Some cheered in hopes of an early spring while a few clapped for more snow.

A video of the event can be watched on the Dover Township's Facebook page.

Lebanon County's Uni calls for six more weeks of winter

Uni, a stuffed groundhog in Lebanon County, also predicted six more weeks of winter.

Check back later as this is a developing story.

Teresa Boeckel is a reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Contact her at tboeckel@ydr.com.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York's Poor Richard, Dover Doug predict six more weeks of winter
FILE PHOTO: Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte delivers a statement following her impeachment by the lower house of the Congress, in her office at Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines, February 7, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/ File Photo

By Mikhail Flores

MANILA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte faced another round of impeachment complaints on Monday after surviving attempts to remove her last year, with rights groups and activists accusing her of betraying the public's trust, corruption and other crimes.

The daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte is widely seen as a frontrunner for the 2028 presidential election and prevailed after a similar impeachment bid last year, which the Supreme Court struck down for violating constitutional safeguards.

A lawyer for Duterte said the fresh challenge "comes as no surprise".

"We are prepared to confront these allegations squarely through the proper constitutional processes," her lawyer Michael Poa said in a statement.

BITTER BATTLE

The complaints are the latest twist in the Philippines' tumultuous politics, with the vice president still locked in a bitter battle with former ally President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ahead of the next election. Marcos cannot run again due to a single-term limit but is expected to back a successor to try to keep Duterte from power.

Civil society and leftist groups filed two separate complaints against Duterte on Monday based on similar grounds to those lodged last year.

Those included her alleged misuse of public funds, bribery for government contracts and threatening to kill Marcos, the first lady, and the former House speaker who is also the president's cousin. The complainants also accused Duterte of ignoring congressional inquiries.

"The constitution does not permit such cynical disregard for public trust. It does not allow the Vice President to treat public funds as a personal war chest while stonewalling all attempts at oversight," one of the complaints said.

Duterte has previously rejected the allegations.

Marcos too is facing a separate impeachment complaint at the House of Representatives. Asked for comment on the new complaints against Duterte, the president's communications office said it was a matter for Congress to decide.

"We respect the rule of law and we respect due process. The president wants to fight corruption as much as he can, and people deserve to know the truth," it said.

CHALLENGING BID

Unlike last year's complaints, the impeachment effort against Duterte will need to hurdle additional procedures imposed by the Supreme Court last year.

A midterm election last year also saw more Duterte allies join the Senate, members of which serve as jurors in impeachment cases.

"It's even more challenging now, I would say, given this Supreme Court final ruling," Senator Risa Hontiveros told foreign correspondents at a forum on Monday.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Martin Petty)
February has arrived, and so have several changes to the work requirements for 42 million low-income Americans on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

The United States' largest nutrition assistance program became a focal point of funding debates during the second Trump administration, especially during the 43-day government shutdown in 2025, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in October that it would not disburse benefits for November.

Despite funding issues for the program late last year, Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," passed in the summer of 2025, already included major changes, including tighter work requirements and billions in funding cuts.

Here is what to know about changes coming to SNAP in February.

What is SNAP?

SNAP, formerly called food stamps, issues Electronic Benefits Transfer, EBT, cards to about 12% of Americans for a limited period to assist in buying basic food. Many recipients are elderly, disabled or children.

To qualify for the program, households must earn no more than 30% more than the federal poverty guideline, which in 2026 was $15,960 for a single person, $27,320 for a three-person household, and $38,680 for a five-person household.

SNAP benefits are determined by states and funded by the USDA. Recipients must recertify regularly to stay eligible. Benefits are typically available for only three months within a 36-month period, unless additional work-related requirements are met. Approved recipients receive a specific timeline to access their benefits.

New SNAP work requirements

Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill, passed in July, cut an estimated $186 billion from SNAP funding through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It also added new restrictions to the program, including expanded work requirements, that went into effect on Feb. 1.

Under the bill, able-bodied individuals ages 18 through 65 without dependents must work or participate in a work program, such as SNAP Employment and Training, for at least 80 hours per month to receive benefits. Previously, the top age was 55.

It also requires parents and household members to meet the additional work requirements if a dependent child is age 14 or older. Previously, those with a child under 18 were exempt from the requirements.

Veterans, people 24 and younger who recently aged out of foster care, and unhoused people are no longer exempt from work requirements.

It also limited states ability to temporarily extend benefits beyond three months in areas with insufficient job availability. Now, they can only request a waiver if the unemployment rate in an area is at or above 10%. Usually, SNAP can only be granted to an individual or household for three months within a 36-month period unless the participant meets additional work-related requirements beyond the basic criteria. In the past, states could more easily obtain temporary waivers based on employment rates to extend benefits.

Additionally, the bill significantly restricts benefits to apply only to certain lawful permanent residents and U.S. citizens, and eliminates eligibility for others lawfully present in the United States. This includes those who have qualified for conditional entry under the asylum and refugee laws or based on urgent humanitarian reasons, such as survivors of domestic violence or human trafficking.

States are now responsible for up to 15% of benefit costs, depending on the payment error rate, and face increased administrative costs ranging from 50% to 75%.

What is Tennessee's error rate for SNAP reporting?

In November, it was reported that Tennessee would need to find $97 million in new funding to run SNAP after costs were transferred to the states.

Department of Human Resources Commissioner Clarence Carter presented the agencys budget request to Gov. Bill Lee in November, asking for $77.7 million in new recurring funds to offset federal cuts, plus another $19.4 million in one-time funding to keep the SNAP program running in Tennessee this year. Because of the shift, Tennessee taxpayers will be responsible for $770 million in administrative costs that the federal government previously covered over the next decade.

The state could also become responsible for a portion of SNAP benefits that the federal government has previously covered in full. By the 2027 fiscal year, any state that has a SNAP error rate over 6% will have to pay a portion of the benefit.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs SNAP, Tennessee had a payment error rate of 9.47% in 2024. This rate sits in the middle of all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Based on the state payment rate, Tennessee would have to pay 10% of SNAP benefits.

Why did work requirements for SNAP change?

The USDA has said these changes, among others, are intended to reduce fraud, a point often cited by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. The USDA's SNAP webpage also says its rules "reflect the importance of work and responsibility."

Rollins previously alleged that thousands of people who didn't qualify were receiving SNAP benefits, saying the Trump administration will make sure that everyone thats taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through ... food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable and they cant survive without it.

The USDA has not provided evidence to back its claims of mass fraud. The U.S. Congressional Research Service described SNAP fraud as rare in an April 7, 2025, report, stating that available data and reports indicate that many overpayments may be attributed to unintentional errors.

Which Tennessee counties use SNAP the most?

In December, roughly 630,000 people received SNAP benefits across the state. Recipients typically receive an average of $340 per family. Benefits are income-limited to families making $3,483 or less per month for a family of four.

Here are the top five counties in Tennessee ranked by the number of individuals who received SNAP benefits in December, the most recent data available:

Shelby County: 137,752 (21.88%)

Davidson County: 53,736 (8.5%)

Knox County: 31,683 (6.84%)

Hamilton County: 30,860 (5.03%)

Rutherford County: 19,349 (3.07%)

USA TODAY contributed to this report.

Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal and Tennessee. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Here's what Tennesseans should know about SNAP's new work requirements
Ben Jenkins and his dog Croissant. Ben Jenkins

NEED TO KNOW

New York City resident Ben Jenkins' TikTok went viral after he revealed he was stuck in Egypt with his puppy, Croissant

USDA rules bar dogs under six months old from entering the U.S. from certain countries, even if the canine was born in the U.S.

Jenkins and Croissant will be in Cairo, Egypt, until the end of March, when the pup ages past six months and is allowed to travel home

What was supposed to be a two-and-a-half-week getaway turned into an open-ended stay in Egypt  and it all hinged on one tiny dog.

Ben Jenkins, a comedian living in Brooklyn, NY., never expected to go viral when he posted a TikTok on Tuesday, Jan. 27, explaining why he was suddenly stranded in Cairo with his pug puppy, Croissant. But after sharing that U.S. regulations wouldnt allow the dog to return home yet, the video quickly amassed over 2 million views, with watchers stunned to learn how a little-known rule had upended his travel plans.

I had no idea this was a thing, Jenkins begins in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, explaining that Croissant, a three-month-old pug, is still under six months old  a key detail that changed everything.

Ben Jenkins and his pug, Croissant. Ben Jenkins

Jenkins had traveled from New York to Egypt with Croissant in early January for what he believed would be a relatively short trip to visit a friend. The flight was long (about 10 to 11 hours), but Croissant handled it well, riding under the seat in a carrier in the cabin of the international flight. For Jenkins, bringing the puppy along felt natural. As someone who often travels, Jenkins wanted to start getting the pup comfortable with long stretches of transit as soon as it was safe to do so.

"A lot of my impetus for getting him was having a dog that I could bring along with my lifestyle," he explains. "I travel for work, and I wanted him to grow up comfortable doing that."

Both Jenkings and Crossiant enjoyed their vacation to Egypt, with the pet parent saying the exposure and socialization that the trip had provided the dog had "honestly been really good for him."

Croissant. Ben Jenkins

But as Jenkins prepared to return to the U.S., he learned about a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule that took effect on Aug. 1, 2024. According to the government agency, dogs entering the United States from many foreign countries are considered high-risk for rabies and must be at least 6 months old and meet additional vaccination and documentation requirements. Croissant, still just a young puppy, didnt qualify, even though he was deemed fit to fly out of the country.

That realization instantly reshaped the trip. Instead of flying home, Jenkins swiftly found a short-term housing situation "through a friend" and reworked his plans while waiting for Croissant to age into eligibility. "I have really close friends here, and just a lot in my life, I've been wanting a change," notes Jenkins. "I really took it as a sign from the universe. Egypt is calling, and I'm going to stay."

In the meantime, Croissant is unfazed by the chaos. "He's really chilling," Jenkins says, adding that the pup has settled into the new city surprisingly well.

Part of Jenkins' decision to travel with such a young dog stemmed from what he described as a core socialization window. "There's this socialization window between four and six months," he explains. "The behaviors and lifestyles that they learn at this age, they will be most comfortable with in their life. For me, I was like, 'Great, he needs to travel. I want to show him the world. And so I thought, you know what? This is literally crazy, a 10-hour flight for a little puppy, but he's in this window of really malleable behavior. And I want to show him [that] we can do this."

Even so, he admitted the situation with returning home caught him entirely off guard, given that a New York City veterinarian had cleared Croissant for travel at his age and hadn't mentioned the potential return hiccup. "It's wild that one regulation can change everything like this," adds Jenkins.

Croissant. Ben Jenkins

Online, viewers flooded his TikTok with reactions  some sympathetic, others shocked, and many surprised they'd never heard of the rule themselves. Jenkins hopes sharing his story might help other pet owners avoid a similar situation. "If you're traveling internationally with a dog," he says, "double-check everything; I thought I had."

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.

For now, Jenkins and Croissant are making the most of their unexpected extended two-month stay through the end of March (rebooking their trip home with Egypt Air)  a reminder that sometimes, even the most carefully planned trips can take a very different turn.

And for anyone considering a trip to meet "the friendliest people in the world," Jenkins has one strong suggestion: "Come to Egypt, habibi!"

Read the original article on People
President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn upon his arrival to the White House, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Trump administration plans to deploy nearly $12 billion to create a strategic reserve of rare earth elements, a stockpile that could counter China's ability to use its dominance of these hard to process metals as leverage in trade talks.

President Donald Trump on Monday announced the start of Project Vault, which would initially be funded by a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank and nearly $1.67 billion in private capital. The minerals kept in the reserve would help to shield the manufacturers of autos, electronics and other goods from any supply chain disruptions.

During trade talks last year spurred by Trump's tariffs, the Chinese government restricted the exporting of rare earths that are needed for jet engines, radar systems, electric vehicles, laptops and phones.

We dont want to ever go through what we went through a year ago, Trump said in an apparent reference to the showdown with China, adding that, ultimately, it did work out. The president said he expects the government to make a profit from the loan being used to start the reserve.

China represents about 70% of the worlds rare earths mining and 90% of global rare earths processing. That gave it a chokehold on the sector that has caused the U.S. to nurture alternative sources of the elements, creating a stockpile similar to the national reserve for petroleum.

The strategic reserve is expected to be the highlight of a ministerial meeting on critical minerals that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host at the State Department on Wednesday.

Vice President JD Vance plans to deliver a keynote address at the meeting, which officials from several dozen European, African and Asian nations plan to attend. The meeting is also expected to include the signing of several bilateral agreements to improve and coordinate supply chain logistics.

The State Department said in its statement announcing the meeting that the gathering will create momentum for collaboration among the participants to secure access to rare earths.

The government-backed loan funding the reserve would be for a period of 15 years. The U.S. government has previously taken stakes in the rare earths miner MP Materials, as well as providing financial backing to the companies Vulcan Elements and USA Rare Earth.

Bloomberg News was the first to report the creation of the rare earths strategic reserve.

Trump announced the reserve with General Motors CEO Mary Barra and mining industry billionaire Robert Friedland in the Oval Office, along with other members of his administration and congressional leaders.
President Trump endorsed former Sen. John E. Sununu (R-N.H.) in New Hampshires Republican Senate primary on Sunday.

John is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected Leaders in New Hampshire, and many Republicans in the U.S. Senate and, as your next Senator, he will work tirelessly to advance our America First Agenda, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, giving Sununu his complete and total endorsement.

The news is a blow to Sununus primary opponent, Scott Brown, who served as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand during Trumps first administration.

A University of New Hampshire poll released last month showed Sununu leading Brown 48 percent support to 25 percent among likely Republican primary voters in 2026.

Brown, who also previously represented Massachusetts in the Senate, jumped into the race in June. The former senator faced criticism from Democrats, who have insinuated he is a carpetbagger insofar as hes running for Senate in New Hampshire as a former Massachusetts senator.

New Hampshires Senate seat is one to watch this cycle, RNC Spokesperson Kristen Cianci said in a statement to The Hill. The Presidents endorsement underscores what a priority this race is and that Republicans are fully prepared to show up in November.

Whoever wins the primary will likely face Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in the general election, which the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates as lean Democratic. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) currently holds the seat but is not seeking reelection.

Recent polling suggested that Sununu would have a better chance of defeating Pappas in a head-to-head match-up. The same University of New Hampshire survey showed Sununu trailing Pappas by 5 points in a head-to-head match-up, while Brown trails Pappas by 10 points.

Updated at 3:40 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.
Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn., on Jan. 19. (Angelina Katsanis / AP) (Angelina Katsanis)

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Monday the arrest of two more people who were named in a federal indictment in connection to a protest at a Minnesota church.

In a Monday social media post, Bondi said Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson had been arrested. Both were among the nine people, including journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, named in an indictment that a federal grand jury returned last week.

Lemon, a former CNN anchor, was arrested Friday in connection with his coverage of the Jan. 18 protest at The Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The protest was aimed at the church's pastor, who according to demonstrators works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security called the protest a coordinated attack on the church.

Last week's indictment charges all defendants with conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and injuring, intimidating and interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom at a place of worship.

"If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you," Bondi said in her social media post.

Last week, a federal magistrate released Lemon and other defendants who'd been arrested, rejecting a criminal complaint against them. The judge found the administration lacked probable cause for the arrests under a federal statute that a top Justice Department official conceded had never been used previously in the context of a protest at a church.

Upon his release, Lemon vowed to continue covering the news, as he said he was doing at the church protest.

His attorney Abbe Lowell said upon Lemon's arrest that it was an "unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration."

The arrest of Lemon, a well-known journalist, has added to outrage over the Trump administrations immigration crackdown in Minnesota and the recent killings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.
An electric substation with power lines and transformers. Photo: Alan Wooten / The Center Square

(The Center Square)  The electric grid powering much of the U.S. through a harsh stretch of winter has largely held up, but there is an increasing risk of supply shortfalls, an industry watchdog said on Thursday.

The risk has grown in recent years as demand increases from data centers trying to keep up with the artificial intelligence boom and the digital economy. At the same time, generation plants that burn coal, oil and other fuels are being replaced by solar and batteries and natural gas-fired plants.

The North American Electric Reliability Council said uncertainty and slow development of new sources of power generation are driving heightened concerns that the nations electricity providers will not be able to keep up with the demand over the next 10 years.

The warning came as most of the eastern half of the U.S. entered the 9th consecutive day of colder-than-normal temperatures and prepared for more frigid weather. So far, the nations electric grid has held up without widespread outages, although tens of thousands of residents across Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi remained without power on Sunday, a week after Winter Storm Fern blew through the region.

The Council forecasts that over the next decade, the demand for electricity will grow by 246 gigawatts during the winter but by only about 224 gigawatts in the summer, reflecting changing patterns of electricity usage. Planners, market operators and regulators should expedite new power resources to meet growing demand, and deactivations of existing electric plants should be carefully managed, the Council said.

This assessment is not a prediction of failure but an early warning on the trajectory of risk, said John Moura, the organizations director of reliability assessment and performance analysis. The path forward is still manageable but only if planned resources come online and on time."

Prior to the winter storm, the U.S. Department of Energy directed electricity generators in almost 16 states and the District of Columbia to deploy backup power resources at data centers and major industrial facilities in order to lessen pressure on the grid and reduce the likelihood of blackouts.

Grid operators, including ERCOT in Texas, reported that regional transmission networks remained stable through the storm, which dumped snow and ice from north Texas to the East Coast.

PJM, the nations largest grid operator, said in its latest seven-day forecast on Friday that it expected demand to peak that day at approximately 141.9 gigawatts, near the all-time winter record high of 143.7 gigawatts set one year ago. Temperatures were expected to remain below freezing for several more days in the 13 Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C., served by PJM.

On Friday, generation outages in PJMs service area were expected to be about 15 gigawatts, or about 11% of total capacity.

In Texas, where rolling blackouts occurred during a period of prolonged cold in February 2021, power generation in the states massive wind power industry was unimpeded by the cold during the recent arctic blast, helping to stabilize the grid, said Ed Hirs, an energy economist at the University of Houston.

The weatherization requirements seem to have helped, said Hirs, referring to a program adopted by Texas officials following the 2021 storm that require power generators, natural gas producers and pipeline operators to take steps to mitigate the effects of frigid temperatures on electricity generation. Temperatures were not as cold in the 2026 storm as in 2021, Hirs added.

In Texas, wind energy accounts for 25% to 29% of the state's total annual electricity generation, behind natural gas at 40% to 50%, according to data provided by ERCOT.

Hirs said there were no problems with distribution of natural gas inside Texas in the storm, unlike in 2021, and battery power added incremental electricity to the grid at peak usage times early in the morning. Equipment that helps prevent turbines from the icing that occurred in 2021 allowed wind power to continue functioning during the storm, he said.

Hirs said wholesale electricity prices in Texas reached over a $1 a kilowatt hour at one time in the cold blast, indicating that problems remain. The average price of electricity Texas was well over a dollar a kilowatt hour in the wholesale market at one point, and we know it doesn't cost them anything like that much to bring power on the grid  this was just price gouging  and consumers will pay for it later, said Hirs.

The grid in the Northeast has seen disruptions in recent days, but not widespread outages, said Will Rampe, an energy policy analyst at the Institute for Energy Research.

Rampe noted that electricity supplies from New England Clean Energy Connect, a new 1-gigawatt transmission line that started running in mid-January, were not able to supply power to Massachusetts from Hydro-Quebec during Winter Storm Fern because Quebec needed the energy for its own use.

To fill the gap, Rampe said, New England had to fire up old oil turbines, which produced almost 40% of the regions power on Sunday during the height of the storm. Hydro-Quebec will have to compensate the New England utilities for not meeting its commitment, although the penalty is unknown, Rampe said.

As the frigid temperatures moved into the region, Maine and New Englands wind generation resources performed well, providing more than 1.5 gigawatts, or roughly 10%, of the total load for the regional grid. But as temperatures plummeted to historic lows on Jan. 27 and the wind slowed, these plants contributed only 754 megawatts, or about 4%, of the New Englands power.

Policymakers in state capitols in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic have pushed for more wind and solar versus what actually served the grid during the times of the greatest emergency, Rampe said. New England relied on oil to produce 40% of its electricity at peak demand during the storm last weekend. This shows the importance of reliable sources of electricity and that efforts to restrict natural gas and coal from the energy mix do not serve consumers interests."
Two FBI agents believed crime scene photos revealed Bryan Kohberger's motive for killing four students.MEGA

Recently unsealed crime scene photos from the University of Idaho murders have provided chilling possible clues for Bryan Kohberger's motive, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Among the four students murdered in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, at the off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, Ethan Chapin, 20, was the only male victim.

His girlfriend, Xana Kernodle, 20, and her friends Maddie Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were also killed in the depraved act.

The four students were killed between 4 and 4:20 A.M. on November 13, 2022.INSTAGRAM

In the years since the crime rocked the college town, numerous theories have surfaced as internet sleuths attempted to pin down a possible motive for Kohberger, who was a graduate student at nearby Washington State University studying criminal justice.

After Kohberger accepted a plea deal to avoid going to trial  and the death penalty  in July 2025, Idaho police released thousands of previously sealed crime scene photos to the public, before quickly removing some insensitive images of the victims.

Two former FBI agents reportedly reviewed the files and gave their opinions on Kohberger's motive.

FBI Agents Analyze 'Idaho 4' Crime Scene Photos

Two FBI agents believed Maddie Mogen was Kohberger's target as he went directly to her room after entering the home.MEGA

Former agents Jennifer Coffindaffer and Tracy Walder noted that aside from the brutality of the crime, the photos reinforced theories about Kohberger's movements inside the home, including his likely target.

Both agents were said to agree that it was clear from the photos there was no accomplice or evidence of a cover-up. Coffindaffer noted the photos alongside autopsy reports expose the depth of Kohberger's violence and how he spiraled out of control.

Prosecutors alleged Kohberger entered the home around 4 A.M. and went to the third floor, where Goncalves and Mogen were sleeping, and killed both girls.

The agents alleged Chapin was killed out of 'necessity.'XANAKERNODLE/INSTAGRAM

Kohberger was then believed to go down to the second floor, where he encountered Kernodle and killed her and Chapin, who was asleep in her bed, before leaving the home around 4:20 A.M.

Walder alleged Mogen was Kohberger's target as he went directly to her room once entering the home. Mogen was said to have suffered 28 stab wounds, and Goncalves was stabbed 38 times.

The agents also believed the crime scene photos supported theories about Kohberger's attack on Kernodle.

Kohberger 'Enjoyed' Killing College Girls

Based on the number of stab wounds, one agent believed Kohberger 'enjoyed killing the women.'MEGA

As Radar reported, autopsy reports stated three of Kohberger's victims  Mogen, Goncalves, and Chapin  were killed in bed and suffered fatal injuries before they had the chance to get to their feet.

Kernodle was believed to be awake at the time of the attack after receiving a fast-food delivery order, and crime scene photos also captured a half-eaten Jack in the Box meal in the kitchen on the second floor.

It's believed Kernodle may have gone upstairs to investigate strange noises before fleeing downstairs to her room, where she tried to fight off her killer.

The agents said blood spatter documented on the walls outside of Kernodle's room suggested she suffered fatal injuries before reaching her bedroom.

An autopsy report stated Kernodle suffered 67 stab wounds and, unlike the three other victims, blood was documented on the bottom of her feet, suggesting she continued to fight for her life after being stabbed.

Chapin was stabbed the least amount of times with 17 stab wounds, including a slash across his neck. The agents believed this suggested the fraternity member was killed out of necessity.

"He killed the guy because he needed to neutralize the threat he enjoyed killing the women," Coffindaffer said.

She additionally called out the deep wounds, adding: "When you really look at the numbers now that have been released it brings to light the true barbarian nature of this crime."
FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam graduated from Syracuse and the University of Texas at Austin. But he also attended what he calls CEO school, taught by Fred Smith, FedExs founder and first CEO. Subramaniam is its second; he took over the company in 2022.

Decades of experience informed Smiths CEO school curriculum. He first conceived of a system for urgent, overnight deliveries in an economics paper at Yale. Smith ran with the idea, launching Federal Express in 1971, and growing it into a global logistics giant with $90.1 billion in revenue in the past 12 months.

In his first three years as CEO, Subramaniam operated with Smith as executive chairman, but Smith died in June at age 80, leaving Subramaniam without his mentorand FedEx without its founderfor the first time.

Part of Smiths legacy is FedEx, now a Fortune Global 500 company that moves about $2 trillion worth of commerce every year; handles 17 million packages a day; and operates 400 daily flights from hubs like Memphis, Guangzhou, Singapore, Paris, and Dubai. But its also the big lesson he taught Subramaniam, which the CEO drew on last year when the Trump administrations global tariffs threatened FedExs core business of moving goods around the globe. One thing that Fred taught meis that change is part of our culture, Subramaniam recalls. He always used to say: If you dont like change, you will hate extinction.

The biggest change of Subramaniams CEO tenure was the day those tariffs hit, April 2, 2025, or Liberation Day as the White House deemed it. Trump imposed a minimum 10% tariff on imported goods and reciprocal tariffs of up to 50% on goods from countries that had a large trade surplus with the U.S., like China. FedEx shares plunged 20% in the immediate aftermath. Since then, tariff levels on individual markets have swung wildly as Trump has granted exemptions, slapped further taxes on countries, and signed trade agreements. The average U.S. tariff rate is currently around 17%, up from 10% before April 2025.

Its a dynamic environment. We just have to live with that, Subramaniam told analysts in June. In September, FedEx forecast that tariffs would lead to a $1 billion hit to operating profits for the current fiscal year, which ends May 31.

Shares have recovered from the initial shock, rising more than 50% from April lows, as FedEx adapts to new trading relationships that skirt U.S. levies. (Shares ended 2025 up 3%, behind the broader S&P 500s 16% growth.)

Theres an element of re-globalization going on, Subramaniam says. The China-U.S. lane is coming down, while Chinese trade to the rest of Asia is going up. You can even see Asia Latin America trade going up. The mix of trade is evolving as we speak.

The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that up to onethird of global trade flows could be reconfigured by 2035, with trade between China and emerging markets, and among emerging economies themselves, remaining relatively resilient even under a scenario where China and advanced economies decouple. New trade corridors linking Asia with other major economies are poised to benefit from the diversion of goods.

Subramaniam says hes paying close attention to Asian markets like Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and India as bright spots, as exporters serve both U.S. consumers and other emerging markets.

One thing that [FedEx founder Fred Smith] taught me is that change is part of our culture. He always used to say: If you dont like change, you will hate extinction.' What Subramaniam learned from his mentor

This year, FedEx launched nonstop cargo flights between Guangzhou and the Malaysian state of Penang, a hub for semiconductor manufacturing. It has also pledged to build a 100,000-squarefoot logistics center, costing about $11 million, at Penangs airport. Other new or increased routes include those between Guangzhou and Bangkok, Paris and Guangzhou, Seoul and Hanoi, and Seoul and Taipei. It is opening new facilities in Thailands Laem Chabang and Indonesias Bali, and signed an agreement to help buzzy K-beauty retailer Olive Young with its global expansion.

The U.S. isnt getting left out. The consumer there is the largest economic force on this planet, Subramaniam says, noting FedExs new nonstop flight from Singapore to FedExs hub in Anchorage, the only such cargo connection from the Southeast Asian country to the continental U.S.

Smith was an empire builder, and a proponent of making the company bigger and bigger, says Bruce Chan, a logistics analyst at Stifel. With investor pressure, and the changing global environment, Rajs focus has to shift from that quite a bit. Subramaniam is undertaking a big cost-cutting program, combining FedExs ground and air networks, and spinning off FedEx Freight.

Still, the CEO is confident about the demand for FedExs bread-and-butter operations. People want to trade and travel, he says. I dont think theres any going back.

Company revenue between March and Novemberthe period surrounding Liberation Dayrose by 3.3% year on year, reaching $67.9 billion. Profits also rose 14% to reach $3.4 billion, beating expectations as the companywide cost-cutting effort seemed to bear fruit.

FedExs global expansion is in early innings, Chan says. Most of FedExs capacity and customers remain in the U.S., unlike, say, Germanys DHL, whose shares are up 40% in the past year. Its going to take a very long time for FedEx to permanently pivot their focus to other geographies, he says.

Subramaniam, 58, ended up working at FedEx by a stroke of luck that no CEO could easily replicate. The native of Thiruvananthapuram, a coastal city in southern India, elected to head to the U.S. for graduate studies in engineering and business. When his roommate ditched a job interview with FedEx, Subramaniam, needing a green card to remain in the U.S., showed up instead.

When I walked into the interview, I told them upfront that I didnt have a green card. I asked if that would be an issue. They said, Son, lets get through the interview first, then we can discuss a green card, he recalled in a 2023 interview with the Horatio Alger Association. Subramaniam got a job as an associate analyst, based in Memphis; FedEx is the only company hes ever worked for.

In turning to a FedEx lifer as CEO, the logistics firm joins the likes of Costco, Target, Walmart, and Nike, which have all recently chosen chief executives with decades-long company tenures.

Subramaniam says his 30 years at FedEx give him a natural advantage as CEO. A lot of people ask me how difficult it is to manage people in different parts of the world, with different cultures, he says. The language of the country may be different, but the language of FedEx is the same.

Its very difficult for someone to parachute in from outside and figure it out, he notes. And that person, of course, would not have learned the ropes from the man who built FedEx into what it is today

This article appears in the February/March 2026: Asia issue of Fortune with the headline How FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam is adapting to the era of re-globalization'

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Savannah Guthrie has urged "anyone with information" about her mother's disappearance to contact the authorities.

Savannah Guthrie has spoken out after her mother was reported missing

The Today Show anchor - who didn't appear on the NBC morning show on Monday (02.02.26) - has spoken out after her 84-year-old mother Nancy Guthrie was reported missing over the weekend.

In a statement given to the programme, she said: "On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support.

"Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy.

"We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case, and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff's Department."

Nancy has been missing since around 9:45pm on Saturday (31.02.26) in Arizona, and authorities have launched an extensive search after she was reported missing around noon the following day.

On Sunday (01.02.26), the Pima County Sheriff's Department revealed she had last been seen at her residence in the Catalina Foothills area.

In a briefing later in the day, Sheriff Chris Nanos said: "We hope we find her safe and sound, but we are very concerned."

He explained that foul play could not be ruled out due to "concerning evidence", but did not elaborate.

He explained: "You don't typically get the sheriff out at a scene like this, but it's very concerning what we're learning from the house.

"This one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we found and located just in looking at the scene."

Although Nanos wouldn't reveal what was found at the home, he did confirm that homicide detectives have been called.

He added: "It's not standard. Typically, our homicide team comes out when we have a homicide, a body.

"This one was done simply because of what the surveyors were telling us."

The search has included ground crews with headlamps, dog teams, the Sheriff's Department plane, and drones, while deputies also checked in with hospitals and medical transport teams.

While Nancy has no cognitive issues, she is considered a "vulnerable adult" due to her age and physical mobility.

Nanos explained: "Miss Guthrie is 84 years old and is not in good physical health.

"She has no cognitive issues at all  just some physical ailments that limit her ability to move around."
Like many of his fellow accountants, Jin Chang tried to quit the industry several times because of the tedium of grunt work. That was until 2020, when he had the idea to build software that could automate the more banal aspects of the job at a time when the accounting profession was hemorrhaging talent. The result, Fieldguide, predated the rise of ChatGPT, though its artificial-intelligence-native approach was buoyed by the success of generative AI.

On Monday, Fieldguide announced a $75 million funding round led by the growth equity group at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, valuing the company at $700 million, with participation from new investor Geodesic Capital and existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners, 8VC, and Thomson Reuters.

Auditing, on its surface, might seem boring, but actually the purpose behind what they do is quite noble and important for the business world, said Chang. We are replacing a fragmented technology stack.

The future of accounting

As Chang puts it, the certified public accountant, or CPA, industry is going through a talent crisis. And its only getting worse, he told Fortune. I would call it existential. The number of candidates writing the CPA exam is at a 17-year-low, with more than 75% of todays CPAs expected to retire over the next decade, according to Fieldguide. The work of accounting firms, however, is essential for many larger businesses, such as auditing the quarterly financial reports produced by public companies.

Changs previous job was at the AI-powered legal firm Atrium, created by Twitch cofounder Justin Kan, which shut down in 2020. Chang had a similar idea to use AI to automate accounting work, but decided to take a software approach rather than building a next-generation accounting firm. Many of the largest companies, he reasoned, have decades-long relationships with their accounting firms. Rather than rebuild that trust from square one, he could instead work with the accounting firms themselves.

Fieldguide initially found it difficult to find traction with its AI-native approach. In time, though, its decision to build the business for an AI-native world was validated by the sudden popularity of large language models from OpenAI and Anthropic. Over the past 18 months, Chang said, Fieldguide has begun to achieve product-market fit.

Thats when we started sensing the CPA industry overall being not just receptive, but having a heavy appetite, he said. Today, Fieldguide is used by half of the top 100 U.S. accounting firms, including KPMG, though at different degrees of adoption of its agentic tools.

According to Chang, Fieldguides AI agents are replacing functions that are typically outsourced to offshore firms in countries such as India and the Philippines, effectively acting as extended teams to CPAs in the U.S. That can include testing revenue figures in financial statements; planning how to carry out an audit based on a clients industry; and writing procedures that an audit team needs to go through. Instead of offshoring the work, our AI agents execute the first pass of the work, then humans come in to review the results, Chang said. What we are leaving for expert humans is to interpret the results, and again, free up the time so that they can do more value-added work, which is building trusting client relationships.

Chang said that with Fieldguide, a traditional 10-person audit team might be able to perform an audit with three people within the next few years, and that soon, its agents will be able to conduct higher-level strategic thinking. Rather than replace jobs, he argued that automation will help junior auditors accelerate their careers: We will see less burnout in the industry, because the work does get interesting at the more senior levels.

Goldmans AI bet

Darren Cohen, the global co-head of growth equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, said that his team has been tracking different verticals that could have interesting fits with AI, including accounting. They had been tracking Fieldguide for around two years before deciding to come on as the lead investor for its Series C, partly after spending time speaking with Fieldguides customers. Clients were getting 30% to 40% improvements in efficiency, he told Fortune. It really is a great case study of applications of AI. Its not just large language modelsits purpose-built models designed for the specific use case.

Cohen argued that Fieldguides pre-ChatGPT history, at a moment when many new startups are racing to harness the novel technology, helps explain its success. They were deep in the domain, and so they were able to seize that advantage, he said, adding that Changs background in accounting gave him a primal understanding of the inefficiencies in the industry. You want people to be deeply committed to the mission theyre on.

Fieldguide currently has 160 employees with plans to double in the next year. The companys staff is currently composed of 25% former auditors, according to Chang, and continues to bulk up on both engineers and CPAs. Were combining the best of both Silicon Valley AI engineering and subject matter expertise directly from the field, Chang said.

Though a strategic acquisition by an accounting firm might seem like the most logical outcome for Fieldguide, Cohen said hes hopeful that it will achieve an initial public offering. My ideal world is they achieve their vision, he said. They scale it across all these different disciplines: audit, tax, accounting. Eventually, it becomes a very big business, and they can take it public when its ready to go public.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Tesla (TSLA) stock dropped on Monday on the potential of a new threat to its auto business.

Over the weekend, the Financial Times reported Ford (F) held talks with Chinese device and automaker Xiaomi (XIACY) about forming a joint venture to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) in the US. The FT said four separate sources collaborated on the story.

This isn't the first time Ford has reportedly been talking to a Chinese EV maker about a potential tie-up. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal claimed Ford was talking to EV giant BYD about a battery collaboration in the US.

Tesla stock closed down 2% on Monday.

Ford's top communications spokesperson posted on X.com that the FT "story is completely false. There is no truth to it."

Xiaomi also added its statement on X.com: "This report about a joint venture with Ford Motor Company is completely false. Xiaomi does not sell its products and services in the United States and is not negotiating with any companies to do so."

Nonetheless, the threat to Tesla's EV business, and even to legacy automakers like General Motors (GM), for cheaply made and well-designed EVs could be a major problem.

Ford CEO Jim Farley has spoken positively about his experience with Chinese EVs, in particular Xiaomi's SU7 sedan, which the company imported into the US for testing.

The strong-selling and well-reviewed SU7 is a popular model in China, selling more units there than the Tesla Model 3, with Xiaomi struggling to meet demand. Its latest offering, the YU7, reportedly amassed over 100,000 preorders since orders opened up in early January.

A Xiaomi YU7 car drives past the entrance to the Xiaomi EV factory, where all Xiaomi EV cars are manufactured, in Beijing on July 1, 2025. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) (GREG BAKER via Getty Images)

Importing or building Chinese EVs in the US would be a potential nonstarter for some US regulators and members of Congress. However, President Trump was open to the idea of Chinese companies building cars in the US.

"If they [Chinese] want to come in and build a plant and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbors, that's great, I love that," Trump said at an event hosted by the Detroit Economic Club in mid-January. "Let China come in. Let Japan come in."

Trump's comments came around the time the Canadian government signed a landmark trade deal with the Chinese government, allowing the import of 49,000 Chinese EVs into Canada, among other things.

In addition to operations in Mexico, gaining access to Canada would give Chinese automakers another foothold in North America, with the large US market clearly in sight.

Former President Joe Biden instituted a 100% tariff on all Chinese vehicles coming to the US, and further restrictions on Chinese technology are another barrier for entry.

A customer experiences a Xiaomi YU7 electric car in a Xiaomi store in Shanghai on Oct. 14, 2025. (Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Politics and trade aside, Ford striking a deal with Xiaomi to make cheaper EVs makes sense for the US automaker since it no longer has any entry-level models like the Ford Escape, which was discontinued after the 2025 model year.

Ford's smaller and cheaper EVs, built on its Universal EV platform, are slated to arrive sometime in 2027.

"I think anytime a new technology, software-defined vehicles or electrification, both of those are separate, but they're connected. When they rip through a new industry like auto, you got to understand that in the first couple innings, it's going to keep changing," Farley said in an interview with Yahoo Finance from the Detroit Auto Show about the challenges Ford faced with EVs.

Hence, a tie-up with Xiaomi may make sense for Ford, though it could come at a cost.

"Automakers are simultaneously trying to fund EV transitions, develop autonomous technology, and navigate trade wars. Instead, look for the [Chinese] joint ventures to continue. The exports will grow. The dependency will deepen," auto analyst and China expert Michael Dunne wrote late last year.

Dunne is forthright about the challenges faced by global automakers. He believes they sacrificed long-term strategic advantage to China in the pursuit of short-term efficiency by giving Chinese firms 50% of their joint-venture ownership and Western technical know-how to build better cars, just to gain a foothold on the continent.

With China's outright dominance in production scale, cost efficiencies, and even tech, Dunne wonders if a tipping point has already been reached and if the joint ventures are just a taste of the future.

"The question is whether any Western automaker will remain truly independent," he said, "or whether they'll all eventually become brand managers for vehicles manufactured and controlled by Chinese companies."

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.

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This photo provided by the U.S. Navy shows a Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet landing on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean on Jan. 22, 2026. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/U.S. Navy via AP)

Oil markets could be in for a major shock as President Donald Trump mulls a military strike on Iran, according to a top energy analyst.

The Islamic Republic responded to domestic unrest with unprecedented violence, slaughtering tens of thousands of people since protests broke out in late December.

Trump warned the regime not to kill protesters and vowed help was on the way. While he reportedly held off on an attack last month, the recent arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Middle East has raised expectations that a strike is imminent.

We would put 75% odds in the coming days to weeks there will be some sort of U.S. attack on Iran, Bob McNally, Rapidan Energy Group founder and former White House energy advisor, told CNBC on Thursday.

Brent crude oil futures have jumped 5% in the past week and 14% since the start of the year. Prices have now broken their yearlong pattern of a steady decline punctuated by brief spikes that quickly reverse to resume the downtrend, he noted.

The U.S. attack on Irans nuclear facilities last year resulted in only a temporary price surge as the conflict remained limited in scope and avoided the countrys oil infrastructure.

In addition, the U.S. military raid last month to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro failed to move the needle much in oil markets as production wasnt interrupted.

But this one is real, McNally warned. The markets are pricing the risk that this time the past will not indicate the futurethat we could have a sustained disruption in energy flows.

Iran pumped 4.7 million barrels per day last year, accounting for 4.4% of global oil supplies. Much of its heavily sanctioned shipments go to China via a so-called shadow fleet.

But the bigger risk centers on the potential for Iran to close off the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all the worlds oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passes through on the way to export markets.

Markets assume that the U.S. Navy could quickly clear any underwater mines or other threats that would prevent tankers from traversing the Strait of Hormuz, but McNally thinks thats a mistake.

He pointed out that the U.S. failed to completely pacify the threat from Houthi rebels, who attacked shipping in the Persian Gulf before Trump essentially reached a ceasefire agreement.

Iranians have much better weaponry and a better coastline to harass that strait, so God forbid it comes to that, McNally added.

On Sunday, Irans supreme leader warned that any attack by the U.S. would spark a regional war in the Mideast, marking the most direct threat hes made so far during Trumps military buildup in the area.

But sources told Axios that the Trump administration told Tehran through back channels that its open to meeting to negotiate a deal.

McNally on Thursday flagged the escalating rhetoric and highlighted the potential for upheaval in the LNG market in the event of an Iranian blockage of the strait.

If it lasts more than one or two days, the market will be shocked because we simply cant imagine a scenario where the U.S. military doesnt prevail militarily [and] overwhelmingly in hours to days, he predicted. We just havent seen it in history, but its entirely possible. In that case, you will see the mother of all bidding on any spot cargoes for LNG.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Illustration: Luckyphotographer/Lightvision/Dreamstime

Missouri lawmakers are considering a proposal to abolish the state's income tax and replace it with a sales tax. They're not alone: Last year, Mississippi approved legislation that will decrease the state income tax over several years until it's eliminated. That follows in the footsteps of Kentucky and Oklahoma. New Hampshire, which has no income tax, phased out its tax on interest and dividends. Several states making the move are considering sales taxes to fill the revenue gap, and they have the backing of the White House. But a new report warns that sales taxes may have to be higher than anticipated to make up the differenceunless state governments shrink in size and expense.

States Move To Shed a Hated Tax

"Mississippi will no longer tax the work, the earnings, or the ambition of its people," Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves boasted last March in a statement that captured low popular opinions of income taxes (and taxes in general). "I believe in a simple idea: that government should take less so that you can keep more. That our people should be rewarded for hard work, not punished. And that Mississippi has the potential to be a magnet for opportunity, for investment, for talentand for families looking to build a better life."

Unmentioned, but a worthy addition to Reeves' observations about income taxes, is the inquisitorial nature of their enforcement. People must open their financial lives to government officials, allowing collectors to know how much they make and from whom, and to track flows and expenditures. The intrusive nature of income taxes is compounded by dueling guesses between taxpayers assessing their liability and officials who have the final word (and the force of law behind them).

In coverage of the recent move to jettison income taxes, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) reports "the statutes set to eliminate income taxes in Kentucky, Mississippi, and Oklahoma have all followed the same basic principle: When the state has extra funds available, the first use of them should be to put money into taxpayer pockets, prioritizing reducing income tax rates over increasing government spending." Conditionstriggersmust be met before rates decline on their way to zero.

With income taxes going away, that raises questions about the implications for state finances since revenue will decline. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe proposes to hike sales taxes to make up the shortfall, though he vowed in his 2026 state of the state address that he will "never support extending sales taxes on agriculture, healthcare, or real estate." Georgia is considering a similar proposal. In this they have the support of the White House Council of Economic Advisors (CEA).

White House Supports Dumping State Income Taxes

In a January 28 report, the CEA points out that states without income taxes lead the way in attracting and retaining residents and businesses. In part, that's because "workers and businesses can avoid taxes by moving to lower-tax jurisdictions, and high-income individualsthose with the greatest tax liability and often the most career flexibilityare particularly responsive to income taxes." The report adds that throughout the 20th century, "implementation of a state income tax led to significant population losses. The out-migration was so substantial that states saw little net revenue gain from their new income taxesthe expanded tax base was largely offset by the loss of taxpayers who left."

The CEA concludes that most states could replace income tax revenue with "an average state sales tax rate of under 8 percent under full revenue replacement with no limits on spending growth." With spending growth limits, states could offset lost revenue from abolished income taxes with "an average state sales tax rate of 6.2 percent."

That sounds like a fair tradeoff. But the Tax Foundation's Jared Walczak finds it far too optimistic.

A Higher Price Tag Than Advertised

Walczak agrees that "reducing income tax burdens and shifting toward well-designed sales taxes is pro-growth tax policy." He also concurs with the CEA's prediction of a significant increase in prosperity produced by a revenue-neutral shift from income to sales taxes. But he worries the CEA is pitching sales tax rates at far too low a level to replace income tax revenue. Unfortunately, he says, "the CEA's calculations omit important factors and envision a sales tax base that violates federal law, among other serious impediments."

The CEA's proposal, for example, would tax all healthcare expenditures, even though many are off-limits to taxation under current law or involve no taxable transaction. Also, to arrive at the average replacement tax rate, the CEA assumed a sales tax on transactions in all states, "even those that already forgo an income tax, a sales tax, or both," Walczak writes. That distorts the economic calculations.

The CEA report also assumes 100 percent compliancesomething never achieved by any tax regime.

By his own calculations, including an assumption of 89 percent compliance, Walczak arrived at replacement sales tax rates of 12.08 percent on the low end and what he believes to be a more realistic rate of 17.51 percent. Ignoring the CEA's proposed taxable base in favor of raising existing tax rates arrived at slightly lower rate of 15.66 percent.

Interestingly, the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI), which prefers retaining the income tax, estimates a sales tax of 15.44 percent is required to replace lost revenue. That's closer to Walczak's figure than to the 7.19 percent the CEA proposes for full revenue replacement in the Peach State.

"Through flawed estimates, the CEA dramatically overstates the ease with which states could replace their income taxes," Walczak cautions. "Real reform is worth doingbut that starts with realistic figures."

An Opportunity for Smaller Government

Walczak and GBPI's Daniel Kanso both work from the credible assumption that many people would find high sales rates daunting, with Kanso emphasizing "painful tradeoffs" to make the transition work. But the switch from income taxes to sales taxes could also be an opportunity. If paying 12 or 15 or 17 percent in tax on every transaction is painful, it's pain that has been hidden from people through income withholding taxes even as the money was extracted behind the scenes. Mitigating that pain could be accomplished through smaller, leaner government that spends less and requires less revenue.

At the same time, smaller state governments funded by sales taxes wouldn't need to peer over everybody's shoulders, violating privacy and imposing a financial surveillance state.

Nine states currently have no state income tax, with several others planning to join them in the next few years. To prevent sticker shock at the cost of making the change, elected officials need to be honest about the cost of replacing the lost revenue with money from other sources, such as sales taxes. Or they could look at the end of state income taxes as an opportunity to shrink state government.

The post Dumping State Income Taxes Could Mean High Sales Taxesor an Opportunity for Smaller Government appeared first on Reason.com.
What we were focusing on is a lot of automation of key customer IP, so bringing scale, speed, and automation to a customer, he explained. Theyre not attacking a role; were never going after a specific role function.

A really good example of what that means is the quoting processes.

Its very important for customers to win business, so usually time to market, when youre quoting on a particular job, is really important, explained Wild. Theres a windows and door manufacturer that will receive very detailed drawings from their potential customers, and that usually takes between six and eight weeks for an estimated pull back.

Imagine its 27 storeys  theres windows and doors everywhere. Ive got to identify each of them and do all that, and it takes a human being a time to get that process done.

According to Wild, the MSP has now built a model where itll slurp in that picture or plan and actually spit out an estimate within seconds.

Bringing speed to the process is really key for what were driving to, he said. Were finding that were doing this across the key industries we play in. Were not specifically dealing with the banks and building societies.

We dont pretend to play in that space. We play in what we call the hands-on industry. So retail, supply chain, manufacturing, construction, and utilities and weve got subject matter expertise and customers all across those particular industries.

When Wild Tech engages with customers in that space, it can offer them basically the entire solution stack.

Project management, application implementation  thats where we play very strongly, Wild explained. We basically also have things around what we call foundation tech: being able to build out portals [and] customise the solutions to fit our customers. We dont try and force our customers to fit into the package; we try and move and bend the solution to fit the customer in terms of what they look at.

Wild acknowledges that these customers been around for a long time, and if their IP is destroyed, it really takes them out of business.

That rubs against the grain of the software vendors, because they always want us to jam it in, he noted. We do it in reverse of that.

This is why its important for Wild Tech that its managed service is a component of their strategy.

This is really important, but this handles everything from basically cabling, hardware, [and] all the software, all the help desk support, Wild explained. We provision across the entire stack.

A customer comes to us, they can actually engage with us, [and] they might come and ask us to do managed services. Thats fine, we can then lead them up into the AI piece if they want to, and then anything in between.

What were finding specifically here in market [is] if you cant actually lead a customer through the entire journeyand obviously, security is a big play; customers just drop off.

Creating centres of excellence

Particularly if service providers cant talk to customers about whats happening in their industry and doing it in a non-threatening, then theyll find the support somewhere else. These customers want to understand AI and drive the change all the way through their organisation, explained Wild.

As Wild Tech heads into 2026, its model for the incoming year and beyond is to evolve those conversations.

The technology service provider will look to use an innovation-led approach to win long-term managed services and platform work, as well as build regional industry hubs to deliver specialised solutions in Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia, with data sovereignty and continuous AI model adaptation to avoid failures at the centre of these hubs.

Were realigning up in Singapore and bringing in capability and skill around financial services, insurance and banking, Wild explained. Then, once we establish that properlyand were going really well up there at the momentwe can actually bring that back to any one of these regions and actually show I have a reason for being [there].

Thats why the hiring of OBrien, Walsh and Rey was important as they are charged with going and creating this for the organisation with one Wild Tech experience, said Wild.

Were creating centres of excellence up in Singapore and were doing the same in Malaysia, he added. Were winning lots of big work up there with manufacturers and supply chain businesses as we speak.

Australias got a particularly heavy slant towards energy were probably more advanced than a lot of economies in going after that, and were winning a lot of work in there.
In an already tense situation, a series of attacks claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has resulted in scores of deaths among civilians and security forces, while ethnic tensions rise again in Iran. The Taliban in Afghanistan backed the operation. The violence stems from tensions over mineral resources, while local hostility toward Islamabad has fuelled the escalation.

Quetta (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Some 31 civilians and 17 members of the security forces were killed in a series of coordinated armed attacks over the weekend in Balochistan, the provinces Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, reported today, adding that after a 40-hour operation, security forces killed 145 fighters.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group that has been fighting Pakistans central government for decades demanding greater autonomy and, above all, control over the provinces resources, immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.

According to Pakistans Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, the attackers entered hospitals, schools, banks, and markets in nine cities on Saturday in civilian clothes and "indiscriminately targeted ordinary people working in shops," in some cases using civilians as human shields.

Through its media outlet, Hakkal, the BLA said that it dubbed the operation Herof ( black storm, an expression from Balochi poetic tradition) and later posted photos of some of the suicide bombers, including several women and men as old as 70.

The group later claimed to have killed 84 members of the Pakistani security forces, but this was impossible to verify. Estimates put the number of fighters at 800-1,000.

The attacks occurred in an increasingly sensitive regional context. The Pakistani province of Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan, both of which are home to Baloch minorities.

The Iranian province of Sistan-Balochistan, where two thirds of the population is ethnically Balochi and predominantly Sunni, has been the focus of protests against the Islamic Republic's regime in recent weeks.

As in Pakistan, economic underdevelopment and political marginalisation have fuelled discontent, resurfacing ethnic tensions.

Following the outbreak of anti-government protests, the Balochistan People's Party, the main Balochi political organisation in Iran, issued a statement urging residents to join countrywide protests and strikes.

The unrest has gradually moved closer to the Pakistani border. According to Reza Shojaei, commander of Iranian security forces, terrorists trying to infiltrate Iranian territory were captured near Saravan.

The border area between Iran and Pakistan is also a hotspot for Jaish ul-Adl activities. Following the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, where the group's leaders are believed to be located, the long border between the three countries has become even more porous, facilitating the transit of weapons and fighters.

Pakistan has previously accused Afghanistan (and consistently accused India) of being behind BLA attacks. Unlike India, which has consistently denied the accusations, several Taliban officials have expressed support for Balochi separatists on their social media channels in recent days.

Pakistan's Balochistan is also home to the hub of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure project, the port of Gwadar, which has been targeted several times in the past, along with Chinese workers employed on the project.

Recently, however, the Pakistani government, through Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been granted broader powers, has reconnected with the United States, offering President Donald Trump access to Pakistan's rare earths, concentrated in Balochistan.

In November last year, Canadian company Barrick, the world's largest gold mining company, pledged to invest approximately US$ 7 billion in the development of gold and copper deposits in Balochistan.

The BLA has long accused Islamabad of selling off natural resources without the local population benefiting from foreign investment.

Several local observers point out that the current situation also reflects the limitations of the policies implemented thus far by the Pakistani government.

According to Michael Kugelman, a researcher at the Atlantic Council, the fact that the issue has been framed through the lens of all the fighters killed is indicative of Islamabad's difficulties, because the question is why are there so many fighters? [The] BLA has exploited local anger at the state, boosting recruitment and getting stronger, the analyst wrote in X.

In recent years, the group has indeed succeeded in conducting increasingly sophisticated operations.

In March 2025, for example, BLA militants seized a passenger train travelling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar, capturing several hostages who were supposed to be freed in exchange for the release of Balochi political prisoners.

Human rights organisations have also long criticised Pakistan's handling of the Balochi insurgency.

According to Amnesty International, even civilian activists fighting nonviolently for Balochistan's autonomy are labelled "terrorists" and arbitrarily detained.

The army is also accused of carrying out extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, fuelling resentment and frustration in the local population, which is also Pakistans poorest.
The agreement between Damascus and Kurdish militias is not enough to stem the violence in the country. 21-year-old Eliah Simon Tekla shot dead in his car parked in front of his home. Since Assad's fall, over 70 Christians have been killed for their faith. Christian minister: I see people's suffering... and I feel responsible for their pain.

Damascus (AsiaNews) - At the same time that Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reach an agreement to stop the fighting and stem the violence in the north-east, integrating Kurdish military and civil institutions into the state, Christians continue to die.

Social media groups and activist movements are sharing a video clip showing the execution of a young man aged just 21, killed on the afternoon of 31 January inside his car by a jihadist commando in Muhradah, in the west of the country.

The victim's name was Eliah Simon Tekla, and he is only the latest in a long string of bloodshed and violence against the religious minority since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad and the rise to power of President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the militants of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Ht).

In the video released by the NGO Assyro-chaldeens, l'histoire continue, the car can be seen parked at the side of the road and the victim opening the door to get out and head towards his home when, suddenly, another car pulls up alongside him. An armed man approaches the driver's side and fires several shots at Eliah, while a second assailant opens the rear door to make sure there are no other people in the car.

The attack lasts a few seconds, then the car drives away quickly, leaving the victim lying inside his car. According to some sources, the commando - linked to Islamic extremism - spotted a rosary on the windscreen of the car and, for this reason, opened fire and killed the person inside.

The latest killing  in reality a full-blown execution, as reported by activist groups  is only the latest in a long series of bloodshed and violence against Christians since the rise to power of the (former) jihadists of HTS and its leader al-Sharaa.

Al-Sharaa has promised to pacify the country and is negotiating with the United States to end sanctions, but he has not yet managed to stem the tide of internal violence characterised by conflict in Kurdish areas and targeted attacks against minorities, who are increasingly persecuted.

In the last year, at least 71 Christians have been killed by jihadists, but this figure refers only to confirmed victims, while the number of killings - according to local activist sources - could be much higher.

In addition to the murders, there have also been attacks on businesses and shops, kidnappings, and moral and physical persecution. Of these victims, 27 are linked to the attack on the Church of Saint-Elie in Damascus, while another 44 were killed separately in targeted attacks.

The escalation of violence is also confirmed by the recent Open Doors report, in which Syria rises 12 places to sixth in the World Watch List 2025, the NGO's annual report on the persecution of Christians around the world.

Over the past year, the situation in Syria for Christians has become increasingly serious, the authors emphasise. Since the change of regime, widespread instability, the study continues, has led to deadly clashes involving other religious minorities, such as the Druze and Alawites, while Christians remain caught in the crossfire.

Women belonging to religious minorities, including Christians, are at risk of kidnapping, sexual harassment and rape; on the other hand, unemployed men have enormous difficulty finding work, while those who do have a job struggle to advance their careers.

The document concludes that the country is currently experiencing the highest level of danger for Christians since the Islamic State (formerly ISIS) occupied a large part of the national territory.

The violence has not even spared the metropolis of Aleppo in northern Syria, once the economic and commercial heart of the country.

As the parish priest of the Church of St Francis of Assisi, Fr Bahjat Karakach, writes, the people are exhausted by war, bloodshed, repeated trauma and endless crises. For Assyrian political analyst Namrood Shiba, the security situation in the north has reached a critical stage.

In an analysis published in Aina, the scholar recalls how in both Iraq and Syria, Assyrians [Christians] have endured a recurring pattern of dispossession: villages destroyed or appropriated, churches and archaeological sites desecrated, community leaders threatened and families forced to flee under pressure from the armed forces. In Syria, in particular, they have suffered the same fate as their counterparts in Iraq.

The destruction of Christian heritage, he warns, is not simply a violation of minority rights; it constitutes an assault on the region's shared historical heritage, amounting to cultural cleansing, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law and UNESCO conventions.

Hind Kabawat, the only female (and Christian) minister in the Damascus government, whose first months in power have been marked by sectarian violence and thousands of deaths, also spoke about the critical issues facing al-Sharaa's new Syria in a lengthy BBC report.

She herself is not immune to criticism and accusations from those who claim that she could have, or could, have done more for minorities. I don't feel like a Christian or a woman when I do my job, she says. I feel like I'm a Syrian citizen... The moment I start feeling like a minority or a woman, I will lose my legitimacy. I see people's suffering... and I feel responsible for their pain, she admits, adding that the most critical moment in her work is when she feels she does not have the resources to help people.
by Maria Casadei

Overturning a previous ruling that prohibited retroactive environmental permits, the Supreme Court has opened the door to projects already underway without prior permits, weakening legal protection of territories and the precautionary principle. Environmental movements are concerned at a time when India is announcing ambitious plans for the manufacturing industry.

Milan (AsiaNews) - Just as India announces strong support for manufacturing in certain strategic sectors and new investments in infrastructure in its new federal budget, local environmental movements are deeply concerned about the easing of restrictions on new projects.

A ruling issued last November marked a turning point in Indian environmental jurisprudence. For decades, in fact, the Supreme Court - partly as a result of the devastating effects of the 1984 Bhopal disaster - has recognised the right to a clean environment as an integral part of the right to life enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution.

On 18 November 2025, however, this framework was called into question. With the Vanashakti ruling, known as the Review, the Court overturned a previous decision from May 2025, which had annulled two government circulars from 2017 and 2021 that allowed retroactive environmental authorisations.

The Review ruled that authorities may grant environmental permits even after a project has already been started or expanded, without complying with the prior assessment requirement under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification of 2006.

The first ruling in May had clearly stated that ex post facto authorisations are contrary to the law and the precautionary principle, annulling the ministerial circulars and emphasising that paying fines cannot replace the prevention of environmental damage.

This decision was consistent with important precedents, such as the Common Cause (2017), Alembic Pharmaceuticals (2020) and Electrosteel (2023) cases, which reaffirmed the fundamental principle: authorisation must precede work, and environmental damage must be prevented, not remedied after the fact.

In other words, the role of the EIA is to ensure that environmental risks are assessed before projects are launched, taking into account cumulative effects on the environment and involving the community in public consultations.

The Review, on the other hand, justifies the change on economic grounds and by referring to previous rulings that had granted exemptions in specific cases. The Court argues that halting large projects already underway, often involving substantial public and private investment, could result in significant economic losses.

As a result, preventive checks often become posthumous, reducing everything to a form of damage management and turning the law into a mere recommendation, while fines become the main tool for regularising violations.

Although the EC first rule remains the general rule, the opening up to exceptional cases creates a precedent that can be interpreted as an incentive to start work without permits, trusting in the possibility of future regularisation.

Another controversial aspect concerns the government's commitment before the Court in 2017 to use retroactive authorisation only as an exception. The Review ignores this commitment and leaves the door open to unlimited regularisations, extending the privilege to the private sector as well.

Environmentalists have expressed strong concern. The verdict risks weakening the fundamental principles of environmental protection, replacing damage prevention with economic sanctions and undermining legal certainty.

This is a paradigm shift that could have lasting consequences for the environment, respect for the law and the role of the state in protecting the constitutional rights of citizens.
by Alessandra De Poli

The country is still embroiled in a civil war that has devastated the economy, displaced millions, and fragmented territorial control. Despite a show of strength in the recent elections, the military junta controls just 40 per cent of the territory. More than 20,000 opponents remain in prison, including Aung San Suu Kyi. Divisions among ethnic militias are rife. Disillusioned, the civilian population is paying the highest price.

Yangon (AsiaNews)  Five years after the 2021 military coup, the situation in Myanmar remains dire. Five years of civil war have exhausted the entire population and caused an exodus of young people to other Southeast Asian countries, while the military junta, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, controls less than 40 per cent of the territory.

It is estimated that more than five million people have been displaced in the country. In several rural areas, landmines surround fields and small towns, preventing people from returning to their villages, much less to their homes, which in most cases have been razed to the ground by fires or bombings.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners claims that over 30,000 people have been arrested since the beginning of the conflict, 22,778 of whom remain in prison, including democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

She was arrested shortly before the inauguration of parliament. Her party, the National League for Democracy, had won a landslide in the November 2020 elections, the country's last democratic poll, which was very different from the one held by the junta between 28 December and 25 January.

Today, no one knows where she is. She is denied access to family, lawyers, doctors, and the outside world, her youngest son, Kim Aris, wrote on social media, highlighting the atrocities the generals have committed against the people of Myanmar.

According to the United Nations, during the elections, Myanmars air force carried out at least 408 airstrikes, killing at least 170 civilians. During the same period, some 400 people were arrested for criticising the electoral process.

Several sources within the country had also reported threats and pressure to get people to vote, under penalty of exclusion from public services, such as education and healthcare, which have been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past five years, Myanmars economy has lost US$ 100 billion. The gains of a decade of democratic transition have been swept away, and Myanmar is back under China's influence, with Beijing continuing to support the regime by resupplying it with weapons to protect its infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, Chinese diplomats maintain contact with groups fighting against the military.

According to the UN, it will take years before the GDP returns to pre-2020 levels.

With the imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi, the leadership of democratic forces, united on the ground under the Peoples Defence Forces (PDF), passed to the National Unity Government (NUG) in exile, made up of former lawmakers from the National League for Democracy.

But at present, the latter represents primarily the diaspora, while those who remain in the country are experiencing a certain disillusionment vis-a-vis the NUG since it lacks a strong leadership, has not achieved significant international recognition, has failed to gain the support of ethnic armed groups, and has been criticised for its lack of financial transparency.

Doctors and teachers who had joined the Civil Disobedience Movement have not received financial support. Instead, the NUG asked them to boycott the elections, once again risking their lives and those of their families.

There is no consensus among the resistance forces, especially among the ethnic armed groups fighting for greater autonomy and taking advantage of the situation to create independent microstates.

In Rakhine, militias have formed autonomous administrations without coordination, a sign that the dream of a federal Myanmar is still distant, as is the end of the fighting.

Sources in Myanmar report that the civilian population is being encouraged to concentrate in urban centres, while fighting continues in rural areas and forests. This situation has set the country back about 70 years.
Trevor Noah joked about Nicki Minaj's friendship with Donald Trump during the Grammy Awards.

Trevor Noah joked about Nicki Minaj at the Grammys

The 41-year-old comedian hosted the awards show at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday night (01.02.26), and Trevor made a joke about Nicki's recent show of support for the US President.

The comedian said: "Nicki Minaj is not here. She is not here."

Trevor's comment prompted applause from the crowd inside the arena. Chrissy Teigen - who attended the ceremony with John Legend, her husband - then gave Trevor a thumbs up, seemingly in support of her absence.

The comedy star then added: "She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues."

Trevor subsequently did an impression of the billionaire businessman, saying: "Actually Nicki, I have the biggest a**. I have it, everybody's saying it, Nicki.

"I know they say it's you, but it's me WAP, WAP, WAP. Look at it, baby."

Nicki recently described herself as Trump's "number one fan".

The 43-year-old rap star reaffirmed her support for the billionaire, insisting that she won't allow "hate" to change her mind about the US President.

During an appearance at the Trump Accounts Summit in January, Nicki - who is one of the world's best-selling rap artists - said: "Well, I don't know what to say, but I will say that I am probably the president's number one fan. And that's not going to change. And the hate, what people have to say, it does not affect me at all. It actually motivates me to support him more. And it's gonna motivate all of us to support him more."

Nicki insisted that she won't be swayed by outside influences.

The rap star said: "We're not going to let them get away with bullying him and the smear campaigns. It's not gonna work, OK?

"He has a lot of force behind him, and God is protecting him. Amen."
by Joseph Masilamany

The faithful gathered at the Batu Caves and Penang for the celebration, marked by vows, processions, and penances. The event commemorates the victory of Lord Murugan over evil, emphasising identity, community, and unwavering devotion. For Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, differences have long shaped Malaysia's identity.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews)  Malaysias Hindu community organised the world's largest Thaipusam celebrations outside of India, which formally began last Friday night with the traditional silver chariot procession, when the statue of Lord Murugan departed from the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpurs city centre.

Thousands of devotees lined the streets, many carrying trays filled with coconuts, fruits, flowers and money  as the chariot made its slow journey towards Batu Caves, Malaysia's main Hindu site, located 13 kilometres from the capital, where celebrations culminated yesterday.

In Hindu tradition, Thaipusam commemorates the Lord Murugans victory over the demon Surapadman, whom he vanquished with the divine spear (vel) bestowed upon him by his mother, Goddess Parvati.

The festival symbolises the triumph of good over evil and the restoration of cosmic order in Hindu mythology. It is estimated that more than 2.5 million devotees and visitors attended.

For the occasion, the faithful were able to admire once again the imposing 43-metre-tall golden statue of Murugan, which has been completely restored.

The air resonated with the rhythmic beats of Indian drums and the piercing tones of clarinets and trumpets, blending with chants of Vel! Vel! from the faithful.

Some devotees balanced milk pots as offerings on their heads, while others performed intricate devotional gestures along the route.

Police personnel and volunteers managed crowds and traffic, ensuring the procession moved safely and smoothly.

Many climbed the rainbow-coloured stairs with 272 steps to the Cave Temple in trancelike devotion, carrying milk pots and elaborately decorated kavadi, which are metal or wooden contraptions adorned with peacock feathers, flowers and jingling bells and carrying images and statues of Hindu deities.

Others undertook acts of profound penance, including body piercings through the cheeks with metallic skewers or hooks embedded in their backs to support heavy frames.

Together, the Friday night chariot procession and Saturdays ascent to Batu Caves formed a seamless spiritual journey, linking the city streets to sacred heights and ritual devotion to public witness.

Elsewhere in Penang, another major Thaipusam centre, similar scenes unfolded. From as early as 5 am on Saturday, thousands of devotees and spectators gathered around Chulia Street and Penang Street.

Devotees arrived carrying offerings as volunteers and temple committees prepared the chariots amid prayers and traditional music, marking the start of the annual procession.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim extended Thaipusam greetings to Hindus across the country, describing the festival as rich in meaning and symbolic of sacrifice, reflection, spiritual strength and patience.

In a Facebook post, he said the discipline and perseverance demonstrated by devotees deserve respect and collective appreciation.

Orderliness and harmony in every religious and cultural celebration in this country reflect unity within the diversity of Malaysians. Differences are not foreign, but a reality that has long shaped Malaysias identity, he said.

Anwar expressed hope that Thaipusam would bring peace of mind to devotees and continue to nurture mutual respect and harmony within Malaysias multiracial society, urging that the festival be observed with gratitude, decorum and propriety.

Thaipusam 2026 stands as one of the largest and most vivid expressions of Hindu faith outside India or in Southeast Asia  a festival of endurance, community and unwavering devotion.
2 February 2026 20:45 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Talk of another USIran showdown is no longer confined to whispers in Washington. In recent weeks, a familiar pattern has begun to re-emerge: sharpened rhetoric from the White House, a visible uptick in American military movements across the Middle East, and a steady stream of open-source clues pointing to heightened readiness rather than routine deterrence.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump issued a pointed message to Iranians protesting against their government, declaring that help is on its way. The remark, delivered via social media rather than diplomatic channels, was deliberately ambiguous. But in the weeks since, it has been followed by something far less abstract: a slow, methodical and highly visible build-up of American military power across the Middle East.

The United States, already the worlds most formidable military force, has demonstrated in recent history that it is willing and able to strike Iran directly. In June last year, Operation Midnight Hammer targeted Iranian nuclear facilities in a rare, overt attack. More than 100 aircraft took part, including B-2 stealth bombers flying non-stop from the continental US to deliver precision bunker-buster munitions designed to penetrate hardened underground sites. It was a reminder not only of American reach, but of its willingness to use it when red lines are judged to have been crossed.

Now, the question hanging over the region is whether Washington is preparing to do so again. Trump has fuelled that speculation himself, warning Tehran that unless it agrees to curb its nuclear programme, the next attack will be far worse. In the same breath, he spoke of a massive armada moving towards Iran, invoking the language of overwhelming force while insisting that time for diplomacy was running out.

Behind the rhetoric lies a substantial and expanding military footprint. Up to 50,000 US personnel are already stationed across the Middle East, with major bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Oman. Around 10,000 troops are based at al-Udeid airbase in Qatar alone  the largest US military installation in the region and a critical hub for air operations. Since the strikes last year, al-Udeid has also been a target: Iran launched missiles at the base in retaliation, underscoring its centrality to any future confrontation.

In recent weeks, open-source intelligence has documented a notable surge in American military activity. Satellite imagery shows new structures appearing on the perimeter of al-Udeid, which experts believe are linked to enhanced air and missile defence systems. Flight tracking data has revealed the arrival of F-15 fighter jets, aerial refuelling tankers, transport aircraft and surveillance platforms, including P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and long-range intelligence planes operating close to Iranian airspace.

A US carrier strike group has also moved into the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln, previously deployed in the Indo-Pacific, was ordered to reverse course and head towards the Gulf. While its precise location is no longer publicly broadcast, tracking data suggests carrier-linked aircraft are operating near Oman. With an air wing of around 70 aircraft, including F-35 stealth fighters, and an escort of destroyers armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles  often supported by a nuclear-powered submarine  a carrier strike group represents one of the most potent instruments of American military power.

The Pentagon has offered little public detail on these movements, framing them as routine exercises and defensive measures. But taken together, the scale, composition and timing of the deployments suggest more than signalling alone. Britain, too, has dispatched a squadron of Typhoon jets to the region to boost regional security, while the US Air Force has announced a major exercise aimed at demonstrating its ability to deploy and sustain combat airpower across the Middle East.

Whether this posture is designed to deter Iran, coerce it back to the negotiating table, or prepare the ground for another strike remains unclear. What is evident is that Washington is positioning itself to move quickly if a decision is made. As Trump himself put it: We have a big flotilla going in that region  and well see what happens.

Iran, having announced a two-day live-fire navy drill in the Strait of Hormuz, the US warns it will not tolerate any unsafe or provocative actions. The drill is set to begin on Sunday, after the US deployed the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and other military assets in the Middle East. The US Central Command has issued a firm warning to Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ahead of planned two day live-fire drill, that it will not tolerate any unsafe actions.

Is Washington preparing to strike Iran again?

The visible buildup of US military assets across the Middle East has prompted renewed speculation about whether Washington is laying the groundwork for another strike on Iran. According to a geopolitical analyst, President of Scarab Rising, Inc., Irina Tsukerman's remarks to Azernews, the answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

She argues that the current posture reflects preparation without commitmenta deliberate effort to preserve the ability to escalate rapidly without signalling inevitability. The United States, she says, is not advertising an imminent strike, but ensuring that one could be launched immediately if conditions shift.

The current US posture reflects deliberate preparation for escalation without committing to execution. Force deployments are structured to create credible strike capacity across air, naval, missile, cyber, and intelligence domains.

Rather than symbolic shows of force, Tsukerman points to enabling activities that support sustained high-intensity operations. Expanded aerial refuelling, pre-positioned deep-penetration munitions, tighter integration between carrier aviation and land-based strike aircraft, and reinforced missile defences all suggest readiness for complex strike sequences.

These measures indicate readiness for complex strike sequences rather than one-off demonstrations.

Carrier deployments, in her assessment, serve a practical operational role. Carrier-based aviation allows Washington to operate independently of regional political constraints, but at the cost of heightened escalation sensitivity.

Carriers reduce reliance on host-nation political constraints, but they also concentrate risk by presenting high-value targets that require extensive defensive resources.

What would actually trigger escalation?

Tsukerman stresses that escalation timelines are not driven by public rhetoric or political deadlines, but by intelligence assessments and battlefield events that rapidly narrow decision space.

A credible judgment that Iran is approaching a nuclear breakout threshold, she explains, would fundamentally alter US calculations.

Once such assessments are accepted internally, delays are viewed as risk rather than restraint.

Another trigger would be a direct attack causing mass American casualties. While limited proxy attacks are often absorbed within escalation-management frameworks, a high-fatality incident would force a response regardless of broader strategic preference.

An attack producing significant American deaths forces a response. That dynamic both gives Iran leverage and constrains its freedom to act.

Absent such triggers, escalation remains conditionaldependent on weather, intelligence confidence, readiness of strike packages, and force-protection posture. In these circumstances, operational probability outweighs political optics.

The escalation before the escalation

Before overt strikes, Tsukerman expects pressure to build through covert and non-kinetic measures designed to degrade Iranian capability while maintaining deniability.

Cyber operations, interdictions of procurement networks, seizures of sanctioned cargo, and intelligence-driven sabotage test Iranian thresholds while preserving plausible deniability.

Irans engagement with Russia, she adds, should be understood less as alliance-building and more as contingency signalling.

Russia can complicate post-strike diplomacy, but it cannot materially deter US action.

How would Iran retaliate?

Irans retaliation strategy, Tsukerman argues, is built around layered escalation, not decisive confrontation. The goal is to impose sustained costs without triggering overwhelming retaliation.

The objective is to restore deterrence through indirect action, deniability, and geographic dispersion.

Direct retaliation against US forces is most likely in Iraq and Syria, where proxy militias possess rockets and drones capable of striking installations with minimal warning.

These attacks are difficult to prevent entirely and impose constant force-protection burdens.

Maritime disruption represents another pressure point, with even limited incidents capable of triggering wider economic effects.

Harassment of shipping raises insurance premiums and disrupts commercial traffic far beyond the immediate theatre.

Missile strikes against US bases would mark a sharper escalation, likely calibrated to demonstrate reach while avoiding mass casualties.

Cyber retaliation, meanwhile, offers Iran a means to blur civilian and military boundaries.

Energy networks, ports, aviation systems, and financial infrastructure are all potential targets.

Retaliation against US alliesparticularly Israel and Gulf statesis highly likely and may be prioritised.

Could the US actually neutralise Irans nuclear program?

On the question of whether a large-scale precision strike could decisively cripple Irans nuclear capabilities, Tsukerman is sceptical.

She notes that Irans program is designed for survivability rather than efficiency, with distributed facilities and built-in redundancy.

Physical destruction of a single site does not equate to functional elimination.

Underground hardening, concealment, decoys, and unknown facilities further complicate targeting.

Strikes can produce dramatic imagery while leaving the core enrichment pipeline operational.

Battle-damage assessment remains uncertain, particularly for buried targets, increasing the likelihood of repeat strikes and campaign expansion.

Uncertainty encourages escalation rather than closure. Beyond technical challenges, Tsukerman highlights strategic risks. A strike could accelerate Irans determination to weaponise, pushing programs deeper underground and reducing future visibility.

Human capital survives physical destruction. Reconstitution can proceed faster than anticipated.

Political constraints further limit outcomes, as justifications centred on nuclear prevention restrict campaign scope while broader targeting risks eroding international support.
2 February 2026 13:59 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

On the surface, the announcement in late January 2026 seemed like a dry piece of bureaucratic housekeeping: the European Union, Azerbaijan, and the EBRD had signed off on a feasibility study for a railway linking Azerbaijans mainland to its isolated exclave of Nakhchivan. But in the corridors of power in Brussels and Baku, the project is being spoken of in far more epic terms. It is the latest move in a high-stakes geopolitical chess game intended to pivot the center of gravity for global trade away from traditional northern routes.

This isn't just about track and ballast; it is a direct response to a world of "permacrisis.

In late January 2026, the European Union, Azerbaijan, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) agreed to undertake a feasibility study for the proposed line, a key component of the broader Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, which aims to connect Europe and Central Asia within a 15-day transit window.

At its core, this project is about connectivity in an era of shifting trade patterns. Land routes between Asia and Europe have grown in appeal against a backdrop of supply chain disruptions, from pandemic bottlenecks to geopolitical flashpoints such as conflicts in the Middle East and Red Sea shipping chaos. The EUs Global Gateway initiative, under which this study is being conducted, explicitly frames such corridors as tools to reduce dependence on single transit routes and enhance economic resilience.

Why Nakhchivan Matters?

Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave split by Armenian territory, has long been a logistical challenge. Currently, access is possible only by air or circuits that traverse neighbouring countries, making its connection to the Azerbaijani mainland a priority not just for mobility but for economic integration and national cohesion. A dedicated railway would streamline freight and passenger flows, integrate regional markets more closely, and offer new options for logistics operators.

The planned line dovetails with the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC), part of the EUs broader strategy to knit together the EUs Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) with infrastructure across the Caucasus and Central Asia. Projects endorsed under Global Gateway are designed to leverage international financial instruments and partnerships to unlock sustainable jobs, boost trade ties, and strengthen rural and urban connectivity alike.

The Nakhchivan railway does not exist in isolation. It is one stitch in a larger fabric of transport arteries weaving the South Caucasus into wider Eurasian trade systems. Most prominently, the Zangezur Corridor, rebranded in some diplomatic circles as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), has emerged as a complementary eastwest link facilitating uninterrupted transport between Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkiye. This link alone promises to integrate road and rail corridors that span from Azerbaijans main territory through Armenia to Nakhchivan and onward to Turkiye and Europe.

Support for these integrated networks is not limited to Europe and Azerbaijan. Kazakhstan has publicly backed the TRIPP transport initiative, seeing it as a means to diversify its own export routes and connect directly to European markets without transiting Russia.

Infrastructure like the KarsIgdrAralk railway in Turkiye, part of the Zangezur and Middle Corridor, and the existing BakuTbilisiKars (BTK) line exemplify how physical connectivity can reduce transport costs, cut freight times and redistribute trade flows. Once functioning end-to-end, these corridors are expected to lower shipping times from China to Europe by several days and help shift traffic from maritime routes that have been vulnerable to disruption.

What do the numbers say?

In 2025, Eurasian connectivity and trade are being reshaped by significant infrastructure shifts and strategic energy diversification. The BakuTbilisiKars (BTK) Railway has become a cornerstone of this transition, reducing transit times between Azerbaijan and Turkiye to just 1012 days, a stark contrast to the several weeks required by sea, and seeing a 30% year-on-year freight volume increase in 2025. While the International Transport Forum estimates that overland corridors could handle 1520% of AsiaEurope freight by 2030, significant hurdles remain; for instance, the World Bank notes that inefficient cross-border procedures can add up to 30% to total transport costs. Furthermore, logistical efficiency is often hampered by rail standardization issues, where the transition between the 1520 mm gauge used in the Caucasus and Central Asia and the 1435 mm standard gauge in Turkiye and Europe necessitates complex transshipment solutions.

On the energy front, Azerbaijan has solidified its role in regional security, supplying roughly 24% of Turkiyes imported gas in 2025 and increasing deliveries to Europe to counter historical dependencies, such as in 2013, when over 60% of EU crude oil arrived via Russian pipelines. This shift is supported by massive investments, including the EUs 300 billion Global Gateway program and the EBRDs financing of transport and energy corridors. Even renewable energy is playing a role in this economic tapestry, evidenced by Masdars $660 million investment in Azerbaijani solar projects totaling 760 MW. Ultimately, these advancements in the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor provide a vital alternative to maritime routes disrupted by geopolitical tensions; by cutting delivery times by 410 days, these corridors lower working capital costs and leverage a trade elasticity where a 10% reduction in transport costs can boost regional goods flows by as much as 812%.

The strategic calculus is unmistakable. The EUs involvement is not merely economic: it is deliberate geopolitical diversification. By investing in a rail link outside the territory of Russia and Iran, Brussels is backing infrastructure that reduces reliance on transit routes through those countries and enhances Western ties with Eurasian economies. A robust Trans-Caspian corridor would help reposition the South Caucasus as a logistics hub anchoring Europe, Turkiye and Central Asia, opening doors for trade, investment, and digital and energy interconnections.

American engagement through TRIPP similarly intertwines infrastructure with geostrategic objectives, positioning the United States, as well as private and multinational economic actors, more deeply within Eurasian transport networks that historically fell within Russias sphere of influence. This shift carries major implications for how regional states manage sovereignty, external partnerships and long-term development strategies.

Despite the enthusiasm, significant hurdles remain. Feasibility studies precede financing and construction and must address terrain challenges, cost structures, and cross-border legal harmonization. Further, the success of such corridors depends not just on tracks and rails but on customs interoperability, regulatory cooperation and security assurances across multiple governments and blocs.

However, the projects inclusion under the Global Gateway and Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda signals that it has passed an early political test, it is now viewed as a shared investment into the future of Eurasian connectivity. For Azerbaijan, the railway to Nakhchivan represents a strategic bet on being more than an energy exporter: it positions Baku as a central node in the emerging trade architecture linking Europe with dynamic markets to the east.
2 February 2026 12:38 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli has met with Birol Akgun, Turkiye's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, Adil Karimli noted that cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkiye has been expanding year by year, gaining new depth and substance.

He emphasized that mutual participation in various cultural projects, regular exchanges of creative groups, and the establishment of productive cooperation between relevant institutions reflect the broad and dynamic nature of bilateral relations in the cultural sphere.

Expressing his gratitude for the warm reception, Ambassador Birol Akgun highlighted the significant potential for further strengthening Turkish-Azerbaijani cultural ties.

It was also noted that filming in Turkiye for the joint TURKSOY member countries' production "Molla Nasreddin: My Friend in Difficult Days" has been completed.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of views on issues of mutual interest.

On the same day, Minister Adil Karimli also met with Dmitry Pinevich, Belarusian Ambassador to Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, the minister spoke about existing cultural relations between Azerbaijan and Belarus.

Discussions focused on the development of bilateral cultural cooperation, including the organization of cultural days in the future and the joint implementation of cultural programs in the regions.

An exchange of ideas was held on expanding collaborative initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural ties between the two countries.
2 February 2026 10:22 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

The Corporate Partnership Board Week of the International Transport Forum (ITF) has been held in France, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan.

ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim, speaking at the opening event, highlighted the decisive role of partnerships in building sustainable transport systems. He praised Azerbaijans intention to contribute to a more interconnected world during its presidency of the Forum.

Azerbaijans Ambassador to France, Leyla Abdullayeva, emphasized that the country has put forward important initiatives within the framework of its ITF presidency. She noted that a policy recommendation on digital connectivity and the development of urban transport has been prepared, active participation in global platforms has been ensured, and Azerbaijans contribution to ITF research platforms has been expanded.

Alis Ismayilov, a representative of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport on a business trip to Paris, stated that in the modern era, sustainable transport is based not only on infrastructure, but also on governance, coordination, data, and trust. He also spoke about the coordinated operation of different modes of transport in Azerbaijan, stressing that the establishment of the Transport Coordination Council, the Transit Cargo Transportation Coordination Council, and AZCON Holding represents an important mechanism in this regard.

Azerbaijan was also represented on the panel titled Governance of Sustainable Transport.

It was noted that active participation in the Corporate Partnership Board Week once again demonstrates Azerbaijans strong interest in strengthening dialogue and cooperation for the future of transport.
2 February 2026 13:35 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

A delegation led by the management of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), together with representatives of the operating company Umid Babek Operating Company (UBOC), visited the headquarters of Huawei in Shenzhen, China, from January 26 to 29.

As reported by Azernews, citing the company, the visit aimed to facilitate an exchange of views on digital transformation and the application of advanced technologies in the oil and gas sector.

As part of the visit, a meeting was held between SOCAR Vice President Babek Huseynov and Deng Bi, President of Huaweis Oil and Gas Industry division. The discussions focused on how digital solutions can contribute to more innovative operations, improved efficiency, and long-term value creation.

The company noted that such cooperation and discussions not only support SOCARs long-term digital strategy but also enable UBOC to closely familiarize itself with new technologies that enhance operational efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

SOCAR is Azerbaijans first national oil company and a key player in the global oil and gas industry, actively participating in international economic development processes. The company was established by a decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated September 13, 1992.

Within its operations, SOCAR aims to create positive and responsible economic, social, and environmental impacts. To achieve these goals, the company has defined its strategy, policies, regulations, and mission accordingly. Enhancing environmental and social efficiency remains one of the core principles of all new projects implemented by SOCAR in line with its sustainable development objectives.
2 February 2026 15:31 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) is exploring the expanded use of remote monitoring technologies, including drones and data modeling tools, to improve the assessment of its assets.

As reported by Azernews, Bora Engin, Manager for Digitalization and Operational Technologies at SOCAR Downstream, shared these insights during an interview with Honeywells Communications Director, Nadiya Dubani.

Engin noted that SOCAR plans to scale these technologies across other facilities and business segments, including its upstream operations.

He emphasized that digitalization has significantly enhanced data accuracy and transparency across the companys operations.

The installation of sensors and cameras has enabled real-time monitoring and early leak detection, reducing false alarms and strengthening rapid response capabilities, Engin said. The data we collect can also be used to forecast future energy savings. Wireless, battery-powered solutions are especially valuable for remote sites. These technologies help personnel adopt new tools while setting new standards for operational excellence and environmental responsibility.

Engin explained that SOCAR selected Honeywell for its proven, reliable, and innovative solutions.

The plug-and-play simplicity of the Signal Scout solution and its minimal configuration requirements shortened deployment timelines and reduced cost risks, he said. Sensors are magnetically mounted and easily repositioned, while cameras help accurately identify the location and volume of emissions. Integration was carried out with early infrastructure planning and close coordination between maintenance and operations teams, ensuring seamless compatibility with existing plant systems.

Following the implementation of Honeywells solutions, SOCAR has seen notable improvements in its emissions monitoring capabilities, Engin added.

We can now detect leaks in real time and respond immediately, which has helped reduce unintentional emissions and operational losses, he said. While precise reporting methodologies are still being refined, early results show a significant reduction in time spent on manual data collection and improved compliance with ISO 14001 standards. Continuous monitoring and data analytics have also enabled us to forecast and achieve energy savings across all our facilities.
2 February 2026 12:02 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

The next round of trilateral talks on Ukraine involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine will take place in Abu Dhabi on February 45, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on February 1, Azernews reports.

Zelensky said the information was relayed by the Ukrainian delegation participating in the negotiations. He did not clarify whether a previously expected meeting on February 1 had taken place, although earlier statements from Moscow, Washington and Kyiv indicated that a new round of talks was planned for Sunday. As of now, neither Russia nor the United States has officially commented on Zelenskys announcement.

The upcoming meeting follows recent contacts between senior Russian and US figures. Russian President Vladimir Putins special envoy Kirill Dmitriyev earlier met in Florida with US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with both sides describing the discussions as productive and constructive.

The first round of trilateral talks was held in Abu Dhabi on January 2324. While participants reported some progress, they acknowledged that no agreement had been reached on the key issue of territory.

Meanwhile, fighting on the ground continues to exact a heavy toll. On February 1, Russian drones struck a coal mine in the Pavlograd district of Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk region. One drone exploded near a service bus transporting miners, killing at least 15 people and injuring several others, according to regional authorities. At least four Shahed drones were reportedly used in the attack. The Russian military has not commented.

Separately, Russian forces also struck a maternity hospital in Zaporozhye, wounding six people, including two patients. Ukrainian officials said that at least three civilians were killed in other strikes across the Dnipropetrovsk region over the past 24 hours.

The renewed diplomatic push in Abu Dhabi thus comes against the backdrop of continued escalation on the battlefield, underscoring the fragile and uncertain nature of the peace process.
People in Minnesota are avoiding medical care amid growing fears of detention or deportation, health leaders and community organisations have warned.

People in Minnesota avoiding medical care

Reports from across the state suggest that people who have been targeted by federal agents because of their skin colour, accent or immigration status are now reluctant to leave their homes - even to seek urgent healthcare. As a result, routine appointments are being cancelled, surgeries postponed and serious health conditions left untreated.

Community organisations say the fear has become so widespread that even permanent residents and US citizens are delaying care. Pregnant patients are labouring at home rather than attending hospital, while people with diabetes are allegedly rationing insulin. Others are avoiding emergency departments despite serious illness or injury.

Angela Conley, Hennepin County commissioner for District 4, said the situation has escalated rapidly.

She said: "Were seeing residents not wanting to leave their homes - not going to work, not going to their doctor appointments, not going to regularly scheduled check-ups, postponing surgeries and postponing care.

"They are afraid of being pulled out of their car and taken to the Whipple building and sent on a flight to Texas. Even our legal permanent residents, United States citizens - everybody is afraid."

Munira Maalimisaq, founder and chief executive of Inspire Change Clinic in Minneapolis, told The Guardian that this has become a serious public health threat.

She said: "It is a health issue. When people are too afraid to seek care, diseases worsen, emergencies increase and people die unnecessarily."

In response, clinics and community groups are offering home visits, telehealth appointments and mobile care services. Some providers are also adjusting appointment times and locations to minimise "risks".

Healthcare staff are also worried about their own safety as enforcement activity heightens around medical facilities and public spaces.

The situation has prompted renewed calls from advocacy groups and healthcare unions for the abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Organisations including National Nurses United (NNU) argue that immigration enforcement practices are directly undermining public health.

An NNU representative said: "All theyve become now is a violent, racist, lawless agency, and you can see that in our streets. And were saying as a nursing organisation: not one more penny goes to ICE."
2 February 2026 11:45 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Slovakias national security adviser has resigned after newly released US documents revealed exchanges between him and the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, prompting political fallout in Bratislava, Azernews reports via BBC.

Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed on Saturday that he had accepted the resignation of Miroslav Lajcak, praising him in a video message as an incredible source of experience in diplomacy and foreign policy. The move followed the US Department of Justices release of roughly three million Epstein-related files, which have reignited scrutiny of the disgraced financiers ties to global elites.

While the documents do not allege criminal wrongdoing by those named, including Lajcak, they include text and email exchanges that have raised questions about judgment and associations. In one October 2018 text exchangewhen Lajcak was serving as Slovakias foreign minister, he and Epstein discussed women alongside a forthcoming meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, using bantering language. In another exchange from November 2017, Lajcak asked Epstein to help a female film producer secure an Oscar shortlist spot.

Additional messages show Epstein joking with Lajcak about an Apple Watch following the diplomats meeting with Turkiyes President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in November 2018an exchange Lajcak later downplayed.

According to Slovak media, Lajcak initially denied discussing women with Epstein but later said he chose to step down to avoid politically damaging Prime Minister Fico. Fico, for his part, described the backlash as an attack against me, accusing critics of hypocrisy.

Lajcak has served in four Slovak governments, three led by Fico, and held senior international roles, most recently as the EUs special representative for the Western Balkans.

The DOJ release has also surfaced new material involving other high-profile figures connected to Epstein, who died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The files have renewed public and political pressure across several countries as authorities and institutions assess the implications of the disclosures.
2 February 2026 14:18 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

The United States has significantly expanded its military presence across the Middle East, reinforcing both air and naval assets amid heightened regional tensions and uncertainty surrounding Iran, Gaza, the Red Sea, and broader escalation risks, Azernews reports.

According to open-source military tracking data, the US Air Force has carried out a large-scale redeployment aimed at boosting mobility, endurance, and strike readiness:

More than 80 C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport flights

Three C-5M Super Galaxy heavy-lift aircraft

Numerous C-130H/J tactical transport missions

Up to 20 KC-135 and KC-46 aerial refueling tankers, critical for sustained combat operations

Two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft dedicated to combat search and rescue

Two E-11A BACN platforms acting as airborne communications hubs

RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft conducting strategic electronic and signals intelligence

Six F-35A stealth fighters and six EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft

F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft already positioned in-theater

Military analysts note that the scale and composition of these deployments point less to routine rotations and more to contingency planning, enabling rapid escalation or response if needed.

On the maritime front, the US Navy has reinforced key chokepoints and allied defenses:
2 February 2026 17:41 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

Negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should take place in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

According to Azernews, citing foreign media, Peskov stated that President Zelensky had proposed establishing direct contacts, to which President Putin responded that such talks would be possible in Moscow.

Zelensky has proposed establishing contacts. Putin has said that they are possible in Moscow. Our position remains unchanged. It is a fairly consistent position, the Russian presidents press secretary said.

Peskov also emphasized that Moscow remains open to negotiations with Ukraine.

At the same time, he noted that while progress has been made on reaching agreements on certain aspects of resolving the Ukrainian crisis, consensus has yet to be achieved on other issues.
2 February 2026 16:02 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Recently released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein archive include explosive claims involving some of the worlds most high-profile figures, Azernews reports.

According to an email exchange between Ariane de Rothschild and Jeffrey Epstein, it is alleged that when Adolf Hitler was destitute in Vienna, he resided in a shelter funded by both the Rothschild and Epstein families. The correspondence, though unverified independently, has drawn renewed attention due to its historical implications.

Separately, the files reveal that in 2017, Bill Gates communicated with Epstein regarding pandemic simulation[s]. The email suggests discussions around preparedness exercises and hypothetical scenarios, providing further insight into Gates engagement with Epstein prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The documents, released by the US Department of Justice, comprise millions of pages and include correspondence, images, and financial records, exposing the network of interactions between Epstein and politicians, business leaders, and royalty. While the files do not prove wrongdoing by the individuals mentioned, they shed light on the scope of Epsteins global influence and connections.

The historical and health-related references in these emails are likely to fuel public debate, particularly regarding transparency, the circulation of elite influence, and the ethical boundaries of such associations.

Authorities have emphasized that the files are part of an ongoing review and urge caution in interpreting allegations until fully corroborated.
2 February 2026 22:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

Starting from the beginning of the new academic year, Georgia will introduce new rules in secondary schools. Amendments to legislation concerning these innovations have already been submitted to Parliament, Azernews reports.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia has released official information on the upcoming changes. It is reported that Parliament will soon review the draft amendments to the Law on General Education prepared by the Ministry.

According to the draft, general education in Georgia will now last between 11 and 12 years, with the minimum age for starting primary education set at 6 years. Schools will accept children who turn 6 by September 15. Additionally, school uniforms will be mandatory for primary-level students.

The draft also stipulates that if a teacher, or any other staff member at a general education institution, is found guilty of violence against a student, their employment contract will be terminated. Furthermore, these employees will be banned from working in the education sector for a period of 3 years.

In addition, the amendments introduce new norms regarding the duration of basic and secondary levels of education, setting clearer guidelines for how long students will spend in each stage of their academic journey.

These changes reflect an ongoing push by the Georgian government to modernize the education system, not only by extending the length of education but also by ensuring a safer environment for students. With mandatory school uniforms and stronger penalties for misconduct, these reforms aim to improve both the quality of education and the overall student experience in Georgia's schools.
2 February 2026 23:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

Singapore will launch its own national space agency on April 1, aiming to fully harness the value and opportunities of the rapidly growing global space economy, the countrys Ministry of Trade and Industry announced on Monday. The ministry will also oversee the operations of the new agency, Azernews reports, citing foreign media.

Singapores strengths in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, microelectronics, precision engineering, and artificial intelligence position us well to seize new opportunities in the space technology sector, the ministry said in a statement.

Global investment in space technology is expected to continue rising after reaching record levels in 2025, according to data from investment firm Seraphim Space. The announcement was made during Singapores inaugural space summit by Tan See Leng, the minister overseeing energy and technology at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The National Space Agency of Singapore will be responsible for developing and operating the countrys space capabilities, as well as creating legislation and regulatory frameworks to support innovation, startups, and commercial space activities.

Singapore is already home to around 70 space-related companies, employing approximately 2,000 professionals across the space value chain, from satellite development and data analytics to downstream applications such as climate monitoring and navigation services.

Interestingly, despite its small size, Singapore has already launched multiple satellites into orbit and is increasingly focusing on Earth observation and space-based data services, areas seen as critical for climate research, urban planning, and disaster response in the Asia-Pacific region.
The far left's insurrection against our immigration laws seems to be ramping up in a major threat to the rule of law and to our democratic system. This way be a turning point for America if this threat to our very system of government is not firmly dealt with.

An ANTIFA leader is calling for a guerilla war against ICE. If this is not full blown insurrection, what is?

https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/24/antifa-kyle-wagner-instagram-riots-immigration-customs-law-enforcement-minneapolis-shooting/

In Long Beach, California, a candidate for mayor has called for a meeting of all 55 ethnic criminal gang leaders in the city to join together to fight ICE. These are the very criminals that we need OUT of out country.

https://dailycaller.com/2026/02/01/mayor-candidate-rogelio-martinez-rallies-gang-leaders-end-immigration-customs-enforcement-presence-long-beach-california/
The transformation of a former Spar store in Co Armagh will add 12 jobs as part of a 2.4m investment at the location, its been announced.

Spar in Silverwood, Craigavon, is set to be expanded into a Eurospar community supermarket, with 12 new full and part-time roles to be created.

Henderson Retail, which bought the former Nisa store in 2024, said work on the expansion will begin in April and is scheduled to complete by the end of the year.

News catch up - Monday 2 February

Silverwood Eurospar will be 4,800 sq ft in size once the expansion is complete, and will have a deli as well as a new butchery range.

Henderson, which owns the Spar franchise in Northern Ireland, said the additional new jobs reflect the companys commitment to supporting employment within the communities it serves.

George Rankin, Henderson Group retail director, said: The expansion of Spar Silverwood into a Eurospar supermarket not only brings a wider product range, value and additional services on our neighbours doorsteps, but also brings opportunity to the area with the creation of new jobs.

Our current team of local staff will continue within the business, bringing the total number within the store to 40 after we welcome our new team members.

Read more Renowned Belfast company announces goal to hire 35 apprentices
A Co Antrim quarry and mineral-processing company has seen turnover rise to over 50m in its latest accounts, an increase of more than 4m.

Kilwaughter Minerals Limited did see its profit before tax decline in the year ending 30 April 2025, going down from 9m to 6.7m.

Read more Family behind Tayto Group celebrating its 70th anniversary

Read more Renowned Belfast company announces goal to hire 35 apprentices

The firm was founded in 1939, and operates a 187-acre site in Larne. It operates in the construction and agriculture sectors, with its products including Kilwaughter Lime, L Systems and K Rend.

The company describes its activity as developing and manufacturing products including through-colour renders, external wall insulation systems, soil health conditioning minerals and livestock bedding lime solutions.

News catch up - Monday 2 February

These results cover the period where the firm was acquired by Saint-Gobain at the end of 2024.

The firm is part of the Saint-Gobain Exterior Solutions UK along with Weber, however it still operates and trades as Kilwaughter.

Gary Wilmot, Saint-Gobain Exterior Solutions UK managing director, said: Kilwaughter delivered a strong operational performance during the year, underpinned by continued demand across our construction and agriculture markets, which is reflected in growth in turnover.

Gary Wilmot, chief executive at Kilwaughter Minerals

While profits were impacted by exceptional costs associated with the acquisition by Saint-Gobain, this was a transformative period for the business.

Becoming part of a global leader in sustainable construction provides a strong platform for long-term growth, continued innovation and further investment in our people, products and the communities we serve.

The period ending April 2025 also saw the company recognised at awards programmes including the Builders Merchant Federation Awards, Construction Marketing Awards, INCA and the Plant & Civil Engineer Awards.

Read more Leading Orangeman purchases Devenish Island in Fermanagh to develop tourism
Daily life of crew members in Maoming, China's Guangdong

Xinhua) 10:33, February 02, 2026

Crew members cast a net into the sea on Jan. 28, 2026. As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

A crew member unloads the catches at the vessel on Jan. 28, 2026. As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

The sun rises over the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 29, 2026. As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

Crew members transfer the catches from a shuttle boat at the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 29, 2026. As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

People buy seafood at the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 29, 2026. As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

Crew members sort out the catches at the vessel on Jan. 28, 2026. As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

Crew members transfer the catches to a shuttle boat at dawn near the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 29, 2026. As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

The fishing vessel of Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang is seen anchoring near the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 28, 2026. As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

Crew members operate at night at the vessel on Jan. 28, 2026. As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

This photo taken on Jan. 28, 2026 shows the sorted-out catches at the vessel. As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

This combo photo shows Huang Ningbo sails to the operation area on Jan. 28, 2026 (above), and he sails back at dawn to the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 29, 2026 (below). As dawn breaks, the Bohe port in Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, is already a bustling scene. Captain Huang Ningbo and his brother Huang Ninglang steer their fishing vessel, leading the crew to the sea for fishing operations.

Each fishing expedition is a battle against the sea for freshness. After the procedures of setting nets, hauling them in, sorting the catches, and returning to port, Huang and the crew deliver their freshly harvested seafood to the Bohe port in the early hours of the next morning for market selling. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A major shake-up is coming to every petrol station in the UK, with a new rule coming into force from Monday (02.02.26) that promises to make fuel pricing more transparent for millions of drivers.

New UK rule forces petrol stations to update costs in real time

From February, all fuel retailers will be required to report changes to their petrol and diesel prices within 30 minutes, under the Government-backed Fuel Finder Scheme. The initiative is designed to collect and publish near real-time fuel price data, allowing motorists to easily compare costs and avoid overpaying at the pump.

The scheme will see price information made freely available via the Fuel Finder website, with plans for the data to be integrated into satnavs, mapping services and price comparison apps. Drivers will be able to see the cheapest options instantly on their phone.

Martin McCluskey, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, confirmed the change will take effect immediately.

He said: "The Fuel Finder scheme is now live, with registration open to petrol stations.

"From 2 February, petrol stations will be required to report their fuel prices within 30 minutes of a change. This data will be made freely available on the Fuel Finder website and integrated into mapping software and price comparison apps, enabling consumers to compare prices easily and make informed decisions on where to buy their fuel."

The move follows concerns that drivers have been paying more due to a lack of transparency and competition between retailers.

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been one of the strongest advocates for reform. Chief executive Sarah Cardell said the scheme could help restore competition to the fuel market.

She said: We need to reignite competition among fuel retailers. That means making it easier for drivers to compare up-to-date prices so retailers have to compete harder for their business.

She explained that compulsory real-time price reporting would end the frustration of hunting for the cheapest fuel.

She added: This would end the need to drive round and look at the prices displayed on the forecourt and would ideally enable live price data on satnavs and map apps.
A bust of former US Senator George Mitchell that was removed from the grounds of Queens University cost around 35,000, it can be revealed.

It was taken away overnight, hours after the university said it is severing its ties with Mr Mitchell over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The move follows a decision by the US-Ireland Alliance to remove his name from a scholarship programme.

In recent days millions of files relating to Epstein were released by the US Department of Justice.

The files include references to an earlier claim Mr Mitchell had sex with a victim of Epsteins, Virginia Guiffre, and emails which suggest Mr Mitchell may have been in contact with Epstein or his staff years after he insisted he had but ties with the late paedophile financier.

George Mitchell bust (left) has since been removed from Queens University Belfast. Pic: Luke Jervis

On Monday night a spokesperson for Mr Mitchell said he had never had any contact with Ms Guiffre, who died last year.

The spokesperson added that the former senator "profoundly regrets ever having known Jeffrey Epstein and condemns, without reservation, the horrific harm Epstein inflicted on so many women".

They added that Mr Mitchell did not observe, suspect or have any knowledge of Epstein, who died in by suicide in 2019 in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, engaging in "illegal or inappropriate conduct with underage women".

The latest documents also indicate a continued relationship between Mr Mitchell and Epstein, following Epstein's first conviction in 2008 for soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl.

They include an email sent to Epstein in November 2013 referencing an appointment with Mr Mitchell.

Read more George J Mitchell name dropped from US-Ireland Alliance scholarship after Epstein files release

Read more NIO minister was querying Epstein links to Andrew as far back as 2010: US files

Mr Mitchell, who played a key role in the negotiations that led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, is a former chancellor of QUB.

A bust of him was placed on the campus grounds in 2023, attended by some of the great and the good of the peace deal era.

On Tuesday Queens University told the Belfast Telegraph the bust cost approximately 35,000.

The university said the bust had been removed from public display, but did not specify what would be done with it.

QUB also established the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice in 2016.

News catch up - Monday 2 February

On Monday a QUB spokesperson confirmed the university would be cutting its ties with Mr Mitchell.

"Queens University Belfast has taken the decision to remove the name of its former Chancellor, Senator George J. Mitchell, from the Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, and to remove the bust commemorating him from the University campus, they said.

"This decision follows the emergence of new information contained in the Epstein files released on Friday, which include references to Senator Mitchell.

While no findings of wrongdoing by Senator Mitchell have been made, the University has concluded that, in light of this material, and mindful of the experiences of victims and survivors, it is no longer appropriate for its institutional spaces and entities to continue to bear his name.

"As a civic institution with a global reputation for leadership in peace, reconciliation, and justice, Queens University Belfast must ensure that its honours and symbols reflect the highest standards consistent with its values and responsibilities.

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said all institutions here should sever ties with individuals connected to Epstein.

Day by day, the ugly crimes of Jeffrey Epstein are becoming clearer to the world, he said.

I want to pay tribute to all the victims and survivors who have bravely stood up and spoken out. Jeffrey Epstein co-ordinated the horrendous and extensive abuse of women and girls, on behalf of the rich and powerful right across the world.

All institutions locally should sever ties with people connected to Epstein, and that includes George Mitchell.

There are many notable people who the institute at Queens could be renamed after, and I would be happy to supply such a list to Queen's.
Turning Point NI: Widow of Charlie Kirk expected to visit Northern Ireland

Erika Kirk is rumoured to be visiting Northern Ireland as part of a tour to recruit young people to the conservative organisation founded by her murdered husband. The assassination of her husband Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus last September sent shockwaves across the globe. Immediately after, Mrs Kirk became the CEO of the right wing think tank Turning Point US, which also has a UK branch. The organisation had its start on university campuses across the US. Talks to set up a Turning point chapter in Northern Ireland are said to be at an advanced stage, but a spokesperson for the group in the US has called the claim fake news. Its understood that former DUP MP Ian Paisley has been consulted about setting up a branch of the group Northern Ireland to carry forward their christian-right ethos. Paisley previously attended President Trumps inauguration last year and hosted Eric Trump in Northern Ireland. Could Turning point come to NI, what would it stand for, and would the conservative groups views resonate with young people in Northern Ireland? Olivia Peden is joined by Belfast Telegraph journalists Brett Campbell and Kurtis Reid.
Police are investigating an arson attack after a bin was set on fire causing considerable damage to a south Belfast home.

The incident took place on Sunday night in the Vernon Court area, and being as arson with intent to endanger life.

Three people were inside the property at the time of the attack, but were able to escape unharmed.

Detective Sergeant Long said: "At 10.10pm, we were contacted by our colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, reporting a fire in the Vernon Court area.

"A bin had been deliberately set alight at the front door of the residential property, causing considerable damage.

"Three people were inside at the time, and we're thankful that they were able to escape unharmed through the back of the property.

"We could potentially have been dealing with much more serious consequences this morning and are treating this as arson with intent to endanger life.

News catch up - Monday 2 February

Detective Sergeant Long added: Were really grateful to the local community for their support for our investigation, and the victims, to date and would appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time, or who may have relevant information, including dash-cam or other footage, to contact us on 101, quoting reference 1437 01/02/26.

The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said they received a call at 10.07pm on Sunday.

Two fire appliances from Whitla Fire Station and one appliance from Central Fire Station attended the incident.

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire at a property on Vernon Court, Donegall Pass, Belfast, a NIFRS spokesperson said.

"Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used one hose reel jet to extinguish the fire. Firefighters used gas monitors to confirm readings were normal.

"The cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate ignition and the incident was handed over to the PSNI. Firefighters left the scene at 11.12pm.

Read more Revealed: George Mitchell bust removed from Queens University over Epstein links cost 35k
A County Down mans holiday in Greece has ended in a conviction for fatal bodily harm.

Trinity law graduate Joseph Patrick Connolly has been found guilty of killing a university of Limerick student after a confrontation on the island of Ios in the early hours of August 30th, 2021.

21-year-old Niall OBrien died after being punched in the head.

Both OBrien and Connolly had been enjoying the sun-kissed island in separate celebrations with their friends following the lifting of Covid restrictions.

News Catch Up - Friday 30 January

Connolly was handed a six-year-sentence but is out on bail pending an appeal, after claiming he had acted in self defence.

Ciaran Dunbar is joined by Mark Tighe, senior news journalist with the Sunday Independent, who attended court in Greece.

Read more NIO minister was querying Epstein links to Andrew as far back as 2010: US files
Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski will not return to the franchise.

Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski will not return to the franchise

The 61-year-old filmmaker helmed the original swashbuckling trilogy from 2003s The Curse of the Black Pearl to At Worlds End in 2007, and with a sixth instalment in the works, Verbinski has definitively ruled himself out of helming another Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Speaking with Screen Rant, the Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die director said: I wish them the best. I just don't have anything.

I feel like I did three and, for me, it was a great opportunity to learn and to try something. I think we have to be at a place where the wheels are about to fall off.

I think once you kind of know how to do something, it becomes less interesting or less dangerous. There's just so little time and there are so many stories to tell.

Disney is currently working on a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, with series producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirming late last year he was involved in the project.

The 82-year-old producer told Variety: Were developing another Top Gun. Hopefully well make another F1. Were working on another Pirates.

Were working on a lot of different movies that have become successful and hopefully we can get em all made.

The Pirates of the Caribbean series ran from 2003s The Curse of the Black Pearl to 2017s Dead Men Tell No Tales, and featured Johnny Depp, 62, as Captain Jack Sparrow in all five movies.

The franchise was put on hold in December 2018 when Depp was dropped following an op-ed by his ex-wife Amber Heard, 39, in The Washington Post, in which she alleged being a victim of domestic violence without naming him directly.

Depp was later cleared of those allegations in court.

Since then, Disney has explored rebooting the series, reportedly with Margot Robbie, 35, attached to star.

However, it was reported in December 2024 the studio was considering bringing Depp back for a sixth film.

At the time, Disney had supposedly not contacted the actor and had tasked Bruckheimer with developing two potential scripts - one featuring Jack Sparrow, and one without him.

Since then, Bruckheimer confirmed Robbie was still involved in a Pirates of the Caribbean reboot.

He told TheWrap: Were working on a script. Its always on the page; if we dont have it on the page, its not gonna get on the screen.

We had two scripts at one point, and then one kinda dropped out, and then we kinda went on with the other one.

Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom - who portrayed Will Turner in the original trilogy - recently teased maybe theres a world where we get the band back together for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

The 49-year-old actor told Deadline: I do think that people are really responding to nostalgia in a way at the moment.

There's something about stepping into the world of artificial intelligence and superintelligence, where we're kind of harking back to nostalgic times and movies that had that.

Maybe theres a world where we get the band back together.

However, Blooms co-star Keira Knightley - who played Will Turners lover Elizabeth Swann - has firmly ruled out returning to Pirates of the Caribbean.

The 40-year-old actress explained to People: You know I think my pirating days are over.

I think I definitely spent many years doing that and, you know, it was amazing and Im very pleased to have been a part of that, but I suspect that my swashbuckling days are done.
PITTSFIELD  A house fire Saturday on Virginia Avenue claimed the life of 76-year-old Noreen Reu, according to her family.

Reu, a lifelong Pittsfield resident, lived at 7 Virginia Ave. for about 20 years, her son Brian Reu said.

She died after being pulled from her single-story home by firefighters who responded to the home at about 11:20 p.m. and found flames showing from the front of the building. Reu lived alone and was the homes only occupant.

She was taken to Berkshire Medical Center, where she later died, according to a statement from Jake Wark, spokesperson for the state's Department of Fire Services.

The cause and manner of Reu's death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Reu graduated from Pittsfield High School and spent many years working in data entry, her family said, at both Bay State Elevator and Berkshire Bank.

Brian Reu said his mother suffered a stroke about a decade ago, which left her with limited use of her right side and aphasia, a condition that made it difficult for her to form words.

Despite declining mobility, Brian Reu and his wife, Erica, said she was a very independent person and was determined to support herself as much as possible in the home she knew well.

She had been active in the local car enthusiast community and belonged to the Pittsfield Piston Poppers Car Club, a group known for organizing classic car shows.

Noreen Reu was the mother of two and grandmother of three, and relatives said her grandchildren were central to her life.

"Her family, her grandkids were everything to her," said Erica Reu.

Wark said in the statement that fire investigators found no working smoke alarms inside the home.

Brian and Erica Reu said the information they initially received after the fire did not indicate any problems with smoke alarms. They said they were at the house nearly every day to help Noreen Reu with groceries and daily needs.

Investigators believe the fire started in the living room at the front of the house. Authorities said preliminary findings show no signs that the fire was deliberately set.

State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said in the statement that this is the fourth fatal fire in Massachusetts this year in which investigators reported finding no working smoke alarms.

He urged residents to check their devices and help older neighbors and relatives do the same. He pointed residents to their local fire departments if they need help with installation.

Firefighters worked Saturday in subzero temperatures and deep snow to bring the fire under control in about 30 minutes, remaining at the scene into the morning to check for hot spots and assist investigators. The Hinsdale Fire Department provided on-scene rehabilitation support for crews.

The fire remains under investigation by the Pittsfield fire and police departments, state police investigators assigned to the Fire Marshals Office and the Berkshire District Attorneys Office. The Department of Fire Services Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit is assisting.

Pittsfield Fire Chief Thomas Sammons expressed sympathy for Noreen Reu's family.

On behalf of the Pittsfield Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the womans family and loved ones, said Sammons in the statement. This is a terrible loss for them and the community.
Agrippa Hull, who served more than six years in the Continental Army, emerged from the Revolution respected in his Berkshire community yet constrained by persistent racism and the nations compromises with slavery.
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WILLIAMSTOWN  Two photographs snapped by local teens are headed to an exhibit in Philadelphia.

Mount Greylock Regional High School seniors Jack Uhas and Natasha Nugent were two of 195 students nationwide and 11 from Massachusetts, selected to exhibit their work in the 2025 Drexel University High School Photography Contest.

The contest received over 2,100 submissions from students nationwide and the works, including Uhas' "Ben's Chili Bowl" and Nugent's "Shadows of the Past," will be on display throughout February inside the Drexel University URBN Center.

Both students were taking a photography class last semester when media arts teacher Karin Stack encouraged the class to submit photos.

"I thought they were great choices, really well justified, beautiful work, structurally sound and thoughtful," said Stack of her students' selected photos. And [there was] a high level of consideration of color, light, shadow, all that good stuff."

Nugent's interest in photography piqued during the pandemic, specifically for photographing birds. She took the photography class at school to learn more generally about the craft.

"It's been great to be able to take the class in school this year, to learn more about the cameras and how they work, and it sort of expands my horizons with photography," said Nugent, who will attend Swarthmore College just outside Philadelphia next year. "Ms. Stack has been really great at helping me with all of that."

Her selected photo, "Shadows of the Past" was taken during photography class on a fall day behind school. Wandering around the nearby woods, Nugent was captivated by the light.

"I was really struck by all sorts of shadows on the trees, and this one in particular, of a fern with its shadow projected onto the tree trunk, really stood out to me," she said. "I took a lot of pictures of this one fern in shadow, before deciding that this was the best of them."

Nugent said she is already excited for the digital photography and film photography courses she's enrolled in at Swarthmore in the fall.

Uhas taught himself photography years before taking Stack's class, even starting the Instagram account @jackuphoto. He submitted multiple photos to the contest, including the selected one that he took while he was a junior studying in Washington, D.C., at the School for Ethics and Global Leadership.

While there, he got to spend time with and present some of his work to working photojournalists, including his work with D.C. landmark Ben's Chili Bowl.

"It was one of the photos they had pointed out that they thought was the most moving or most compelling," said Uhas, who hasn't decided where he will end up but plans to major in political science. "From there, I kind of kept it in my back pocket and my teacher told me about this opportunity about a month ago."

The diner, famous for its chili dogs, was founded in 1958 and during that time, was known to serve artists like Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole and Miles Davis when they performed at nearby clubs on U Street.

Uhas' photo was awarded the "Judges' Favorite" distinction.

Regardless of a student's chosen path, Stack emphasized how arts education strengthens general educational learning. She pointed to the Partnership for 21st Century Skill's four Cs of skills that students should possess to be successful in a digital age: collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity.

"That's exactly what we do in my classes," she said. "An arts education is a wonderful way to approach all of these broad, transferable skills."

Her students agreed.

"I think the arts are such an important part of education, and certainly have been for me, so I'm very happy that I've been able to explore so many different facets of that," said Nugent.
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You might wonder why talking about black people in the Bible is important. This topic can feel uncomfortable, especially in our racially charged American culture. If you fall into that uncomfortable category, I invite you not to run away from those feelings but to lean into them. There might be something God wants to reveal and change in you.

How Does the Bible Define People?

The Bible does not define people by skin color. That is something our modern culture has done. The Bible does not speak of any advantage or disadvantage based on your skin color. The closest it gets to discussing skin color as a disadvantage is in contexts where white skin indicates people had leprosy (Exodus 4:6).

The Bible defines people by tribal affiliations and ethnicities. It does not hide peoples ethnicities or origins but highlights them. By doing this, the Bible emphasizes the importance of all people groups and the roles many of them played in the unfolding of historywhether that be the history of humanity, the history of Israel, or the history of the church.

Before we dive deeper, I want to make one point crystal clear. Salvation is not about culture; it is about Christ. God did not give us the Bible to rally one culture around a certain theme. The Bible reveals who God is and shows all humanity our sinfulness and need for a savior. This is true of everyone, regardless of where they come from. However, seeing the wide range of ethnicities mentioned in Scripture makes the gospels message relatable to people of all nationalities.

One more point of clarity, when I talk about black people in the Bible, dont think in terms of the racial construct that we have become familiar with. I want you to think simply about the countries these people came from and the likelihood they were people of darker skin.

Why Can You Be Certain There Are Black People in the Bible?

There are multiple ethnicities represented within Scripture. Most are familiar with Israel and the nations they engaged with, such as the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, etc. However, there were many more ethnicities represented. Since we are talking about black people in the Bible, let me share why it is logical that you would find them in the Bible.

When you read the Bible, much of what happened in the Old Testament occurred in Northern Africa and the Middle East. When you enter the New Testament, the gospel spreads from the central location of Jerusalem and moves into Rome, Greece, Turkey, and further into Africa.

When you consider the history of the Israelites, they spent 400 years in slavery in Egypt, which is in Northern Africa. Even Jesus spent a few years in Egypt to escape Herod after being born in Bethlehem. So yes, even Jesus spent part of his life living in Africa. Aside from Egypt, we find people in Scripture from Libya, Ethiopia, and Sudanall countries in northern Africa. Considering what races appear in those nations, it is logical to conclude that black people were in the Bible.

Who Are Some Important Black People Mentioned in the Bible?

There are black people in the Bible in the Old and New Testaments. Here are four notable references.

Moses Wife

We learn from Numbers 12 that Moses married a Cushite woman. In Biblical times, Cush has always been associated with Africa; some have placed it in modern-day Sudan or Ethiopia.

The Queen of Sheba

In 1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9, the queen of Sheba, a notable woman from Africa, heard of Solomons wisdom and came to test him with hard questions. Scholars have long debated the exact location of Sheba, but many believe it was in Ethiopia, Yemen, or southern Arabia.

Simon of Cyrene

Simon of Cyrene had the arduous task of helping Jesus carry his cross. Mark 15:21 and Luke 23:26 tell us Roman soldiers forced Simon to walk behind Jesus, carrying the cross to Golgotha. The Bible notes where Simon was from, drawing attention to his nationalitythe ancient city of Cyrene was in modern-day Libya. This further points to the ethnic diversity you discover in significant biblical events.

The Ethiopian Eunuch

In the book of Acts, Philip encountered an Ethiopian eunuch, a high-ranking official serving in the court of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. Again, notice how particular the Bible was in identifying the nationality of this eunuch. The Bible does not hide from ethnicity but embraces it.

What Is it Important to Highlight Black People in the Bible?

I grew up in an all-black neighborhood, yet I have lived in multicultural churches and environments all my life. Honestly, I love it because it is such a wonderful expression of who God is.

Growing up, I would occasionally encounter people who would call Christianity the white mans religion, and some may still do that today. One major reason for saying this was based on our nations history. Christianity was the primary religion of most American slave owners. Instead of teaching the freedom in Christ available to everyone, it was used to oppress black people. During slavery, the Bible was used to justify slavery and keep people enslaved. Black traveling ministers allowed to preach in Sunday services to slaves could not discuss the parts of the gospel that highlight our freedom in Christ. Slave owners feared slaves would hear that and revolt, demanding their freedom. They also neglected to tell slaves the stories of the Israelites when they were enslaved in Egypt. They conveniently left out the story of the enslaved Israelites crying out to God for their freedom. They also did not mention that God heard their prayer and delivered them. Coupled with many portrayals of Biblical figures that assume a European look, many misunderstood Christianity as the white mans religion.

The irony is most of the central figures in the Scriptures were people from Africa and the Middle East. This means they were brown or dark-skinned people.

These misuses of Scripture and mischaracterization of people in Scripture make it necessary to accurately portray the people in the Bible. We do this not because we are trying to make it about race or black and white but because we want to address the scriptures truthfully and accurately. This does not change the message of the gospel or the hope we find in Christ. On the contrary, it helps to break down barriers and show the true ethnic diversity that is common throughout Scripture. When you consider how the Bible was used against black people in the past, it becomes necessary to highlight black people in the Bible, to destroy those past destructive narratives.

How Can Churches Emphasize There Are Black People in the Bible?

I have always loved how the Bible doesnt try to cover things up. We see our heroes of the faith with all their strengths and weaknesses. Thankfully, the Bible does the same thing with the ethnicity of people.

Churches dont have to go overboard to emphasize black people in the Bible. However, you should not downplay their existence either. When you see it in the pages of Scripture, say it, and dont pretend like it is not there. Remember, it is not a black and white thing but a truth and accuracy thing.

Knowing the various cultures of people represented in the Bible and that exist in the church today makes our faith even more attractive. I pray that we tear down all the racial divides and embrace Scriptures view of ethnicity. After all, heaven will be filled with people from every nationality because that is exactly how God wants it.

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9)

Photo Credit: The Baptism of the Eunuch by Rembrandt via Wikimedia Commons

Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a dynamic speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club, dedicated to helping people live with purpose and clarity. In addition to his ministry work, Clarence has spent the last 13 years as a trusted financial educator, guiding thousands of people across the countryincluding employees at many Fortune 500 companiestoward lasting financial wellness. His unique ability to blend practical wisdom with spiritual insight equips people to thrive in every area of life.

He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.

This article is part of our Bible resource for understanding the significance and meaning of biblical phrases and ideas. Here are our most popular Bible articles to grow in your knowledge of God's Word:

Promises of God in the Bible

Is "This Too Shall Pass" in the Bible?

What Was the Ark of the Covenant?

Top 10 Bible Stories for Kids



Iron Sharpens Iron in Proverbs 27:17

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" in Psalm 139

Be Still and Know That I am God in Psalm 46:10

"No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper" - Isaiah 54:17
Harriet Tyce admits The Traitors could inspire her next crime novel.

Harriet on The Traitors

The 53-year-old writer - who is also a former barrister - appeared on the recent series of BBC's deceitful game show, which saw her banished at the Roundtable after she gunned for Traitor Rachel Duffy without being able to convince her fellow players.

Asked if her experience in the castle could play into a future novel, she told RadioTimes.com: "Maybe in time. The psychology of all of it fascinates me.

"I mean, I can't tell you how much the immersive experience, how different people react to that.

"Whether you believe it [or] you don't believe it, it's real and I think that there's something in that."

However, the author played down the idea of key aspect of the show making it onto the page.

She added: "But in terms of some sort of roundtable, picking them off one by one? No, that that won't be happening. But I think in a while maybe."

Harriet's next novel, Witch Trial, will be released on February 26.

The synopsis reads: "When 18-year-old Christian Shaw is found dead in an Edinburgh park, the city reels - and the shock only deepens when police charge her best friends, Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth, with her murder.

"As social media explodes and headlines scream for justice, rumours of bullying spiral into something darker: whispers of rituals, obsession, and a teenage pact gone wrong.

"Matthew Phillips, a respected heart surgeon, is reluctantly called for jury duty on the case. But as the trial unfolds - and the girls reveal a chilling defence no one saw coming - he begins to question everything: the motives, the evidence, even his own judgement.

"Who's telling the truth? Who can be trusted? And what really happened to Christian Shaw? Let the Witch Trial begin..."
Three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda to be set up in India

February 01, 2026 | Sunday | News

Government to upgrade AYUSH pharmacy and drug testing laboratories

Emphasising on the ayurveda sector, three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda will be set up. An announcement during the Union Budget 2026-27 has also been made to upgrade AYUSH pharmacy and drug testing laboratories to the highest standards of certification environment and to provide more skilled personnel, and to promote evidence-based research, training and awareness for traditional medicines.

The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, has been approved for the development of the Pharmacy of Ayush Pharmacy and Drug Testing Laboratories.

"The creation of new All India Institutes of Ayurveda and the upgradation of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre reflect a progressive approach to integrating modern and traditional systems of medicine. Equally encouraging are the reduction of tax-collected at source (TCS) from 5% to 2% for education and medical purposes."

Varun Khanna, Group MD, Quality Care India

The commitment to upgrading drug testing facilities for Ayurveda, with a focus on quality and skilled manpower to support exports, further reinforces the governments intent to build robust quality infrastructure across healthcare segments. This approach aligns well with the India EU free trade agreement, which opens access to regulated global markets where compliance and quality are critical.

Dr Saurabh Arora, Managing Director, Auriga Research

"The announcement of five regional hubs for medical tourism, new Ayurveda institutes, expansion of allied health disciplines, and upgradation of AYUSH pharmacies and testing laboratories are particularly encouraging steps that will help improve standardisation, quality assurance, and workforce readiness across traditional and integrative care. Strengthening the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine further reinforces Indias leadership in evidence-based traditional medicine."

Dhruv Gupta, Co-founder, Orange Health Labs


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More than 3.5 million documents related the Jeffrey Epstein case were released today by the Justice Department, representing only about half of the total documents originally identified for review.

The release comes about a month after a deadline to release the documents as established in the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed, the Associated Press reported. Although the release represents about half of the 6 million records that were identified for review, officials said the 6 million figure included duplicates.

The release also includes 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. The release follows the initial release of several thousand documents in December.

"Today's release marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance with the act," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday.

Epstein, a disgraced financier who had ties to prominent individuals, killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein's primary accomplice and former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of sex trafficking and is serving a 20-year-sentence, the AP reported.

The 2019 indictment alleged that Epstein sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls by enticing them to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money. The government alleged that Epstein worked with several employees and associates to ensure that he had a steady supply of minor victims.

There has been rampant speculation around the Epstein case that he also procured girls for other individuals. However, in July of last year the Justice Department stated that Epstein did not have a "client list" and that there was no doubt that he had killed himself in his cell.

During Trump's campaign for president, he promised to "declassify" the Epstein files if he were elected, NBC News reported. However, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's July statement caused backlash amongst Trumps supporters. Also, much of the material she released had already been public.

On August 5, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena for the records and the administration agreed to do so, rather than challenge the subpoena. Regardless, the release of documents and related to the case came slowly. Facing public pressure, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Nov. 19, NBC News reported.

Despite the act setting a 30-day deadline for the release of all of the documents, the Justice Department only released some of the material and continued to review millions of documents and thousands of videos and images, NBC News reported.

Originally published on Lawyer Herald
The Traitors star Stephen Libby has said that he hopes he has been a positive representation of the Hebrides and that his time on the show has helped paint a good picture of the Western Isles.

The cyber security consultant from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, won the latest series of the beloved BBC reality game show alongside traitor Rachel  with the pair becoming the first to win as a team of Traitors.

Hailing from the remote Scottish isles, but now based in London, the TV star has been very vocal about his home and the importance to show that people are more well-rounded than some might think.

Stephen Libby comes from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides (Ian West/PA)

Speaking on the red carpet at the TV Choice Awards in central London, he told the Press Association: I think for me personally I always, even before I was on TV and just living in London, wanted to be a positive representation of the Western Isles.

I think if you have not been there and only read about it in books or whatever you probably think that we still live in blackhouses without any internet and we get our water from the stream.

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I want to show that I am as much Hebridean as the next person and that we are more well-rounded than people might think.

If I can just help paint a good picture of the Outer Hebrides, I will have done my job. Thats all I wanted to do.

Set in the Scottish Highlands, the series, which is up for the best reality TV award, has been a ratings hit for the BBC with 9.6 million people tuning in to the final.

Harriet calling out traitor Rachel was one of the standout moments of series four of The Traitors (Cody Burridge/BBC/PA)

Joining him on the carpet was crime writer and faithful contestant Harriet who went viral after she called out traitor Rachel during a confessional followed by a tense confrontation in front of the remaining players  a move which consequently got her banished from the castle.

Speaking about the moment she announced that she was going after Rachel, Stephen said: It was delivered in the campest manner but I have never been so scared in my life.

I couldnt have pictured anyone better to deliver that line than Harriet it was just like lifted from the pages of a book and what better person to do that.

We were terrified.

Stephen and Rachel formed an alliance at the start of the series and went on to outmanoeuvre all the faithful contestants, winning the series and splitting the prize pot of 95,750, taking home 47,875 each.

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Speaking about the winners, Harriet added: They were the most brilliant traitors.

I dont think weve seen anything like it in the terms of the relationship in the turret.

It was gorgeous to see.

The Traitors first aired in 2022 and has gone on to broadcast four series as well as its first celebrity spin-off which aired in the autumn and saw comedian Alan Carr snatch the victory from faithful historian David Olusoga and actor Nick Mohammed in its dramatic finale.
Dublin City Council received dozens of emails condemning the decision to halt the renaming of Herzog Park.

Documents seen by BreakingNews.ie shows correspondences to Dublin City Council from the public, where people were divided on whether the name should be kept or not.

The park was named in 1995 after Chaim Herzog, the sixth president of Israel between 1983 and 1993, who was born in Belfast and raised in Dublin.

Proposals were rejected earlier this year to rename the park.

In emails to Dublin City Council, concerns were raised of Israel's military action in Gaza.

"The park is currently named after a genocidal war criminal responsible for the murder of Palestinians. It is terrifying that a public park should be named after such an individual. I was particularly shocked to read that a recent move by Dublin City Council to rename the park was stymied by foreign interference, in particular from America."

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Another person said: "No one is capable of, or wants to, take away from the contribution of Mr Herzog, but we have to send messages to Israel to tell them that what they are carrying out is genocide and war crimes."

While a person who lives in the area said; "As a child psychiatrist who has watched the horror of the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and ethnic cleansing of the West Bank, I am shocked and appalled by the withdrawing of the proposal to rename this childrens playground and much loved green space in Rathgar, given the historical role that Chaim Herzog played in the Israeli persecution of the Palestinian people.

"This genocide has killed and injured over 60,000 children, leaving Gaza the most dangerous place in the world to be a child, and the area with the highest proportion of child amputees globally."

Others expressed opposing views, accusing the council of bowing to pressure from Israel and its allies.

You cowards bottled it when it came time to doing whats right, one message said. Pathetic and weak.

However, several people raised concern of how changing the name of the park would rewrite history.

One person said, "I respectfully say: please reconsider any course that would diminish this heritage, and instead embrace initiatives

that would celebrate it.

"Such efforts would not only honour the Herzog familys remarkable story but also highlight the exemplary qualities of Irelands Jewish community  its contributions to education, culture, generosity, civic life, and the upliftment of communities."

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Another person highlighted how this would impact the Jewish community in Ireland: "Please do the right thing and maintain the name of this Dublin park. There are other ways to help the victims of this war in Gaza other than erasing Irelands Jewish history."

Another email also highlighted Herzog's legacy in Ireland: "I deeply disagree with a motion to rename Herzog Park in Rathgar. Chaim Herzog lived in our city, and his father played a key role in the Jewish community in Ireland.

"It is divisive and wrong to remove that reference to our history."

However, this argument was also used by someone as a reason for the park to be renamed.

"Between 1975 and 1978, Chaim Herzog served as Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in which capacity he denounced UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 - the "Zionism is Racism" resolution - and symbolically tore it up before the assembly.

"I could go on with more facts that highlight that this park should never have been named after him in the first place. To be anti-Zionism is not anti-Judaism."
The Government cannot wave a magic wand and just deliver flood relief schemes, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said, as he visited affected homes and businesses in Co Wexford.

Mr Martin met residents of Island Road, Enniscorthy, an area that was badly hit by flooding in recent weeks after the River Slaney burst its banks during Storm Chandra.

He told one that the Government is determined to do a number of short-term measures first to alleviate the impact of flood damage.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Martin said it was a soul-destroying experience to have your house flooded or your business flooded, and there has been a pattern here over many decades of flooding at this location.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin talking to Brian Leacy (left), co owner of L&M Motors, whose premises were damaged in the recent flooding (Liam McBurney/PA)

Our objective is first of all to provide humanitarian support to the families and also supports to the businesses that have been impacted, he said.

Secondly, the Office of Public Works (OPW) will work with the local authority in respect of interim measures to try and protect these houses and this location more generally and there are interim measures that can be taken to provide that protection and that reassurance, and that we will do.

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Obviously, then, thirdly, the substantial, comprehensive scheme itself will be submitted for planning and it is complex, all of these schemes are, but nonetheless, we want to get that started.

On Sunday, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers acknowledged that the delivery of flood relief schemes in Ireland has been too slow.

Asked if there was any way the Government could expedite flood relief schemes, Mr Martin said planning routes have to be gone through, theres no question.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin at Enniscorthy in County Wexford, as he met families affected by the recent flooding (Liam McBurney/PA)

He added: Well do everything we can to speed up the progress of a scheme, going through the planning process and the design and development works itself.

These are very comprehensive schemes. They are complex. Im not going to try and pretend that we can wave a magic wand and just deliver them. That would be wrong to do.

But what we can do, its a parallel approach, the interim measures, whilst doing everything we can to shave off time.

Minister for Housing and Local Government, James Browne, who was with the Taoiseach, was asked if he believed Met Eireann had been withholding weather information last week.

He previously said the weather tracking agency needed to improve communications and he was really frustrated that some state agencies seem to think that its their duty to somehow withhold information.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin meets Maryellen McNamara (right) and John McNamara (centre) whose home was damaged in the flooding (Liam McBurney/PA)

He told reporters on Monday: The phrase I used was guarding, and it was in relation to very highly technical data, in relation to flooding not weather forecasting, and Ive met with the director of Met Eireann since then, and what were looking at [is] how we can, I suppose, make that data viable information that can be used.

On Monday Met Eireann issued yellow rain warnings for counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork and Waterford

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They said further heavy rain falling on saturated ground combined with high river levels and high tides will lead to localised flooding, river flooding and difficult travel conditions.

A weather advisory from them said: Spells of heavy and persistent rainfall will continue through the week of February 2, particularly in southern and eastern coastal counties.

Rain will fall on saturated ground where river levels are high with high tides expected this week. This will lead to further flooding along rivers and in coastal areas.
Northern Irelands deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said it is more important than ever to engage with the United States.

Speaking ahead of the traditional visit to Washington DC for St Patricks Day celebrations, she described a unique opportunity for access, including to President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, First Minister Michelle ONeill said she will take international factors into account when deciding whether to attend.

First Minister Michelle ONeill did not attend the event in 2025 (Liam McBurney/PA)

She did not attend the event last year in protest against the US role in Israels war in Gaza, and she said the situation has since got even worse.

The First Minister told Sky News she has not booked any flights to visit the White House.

Speaking in the Assembly on Monday, Ms Little-Pengelly spoke of deciding plans once invitations are received, but stressed the importance of engaging with the US.

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The US is the largest economy in the world. As our second-largest export market and our third largest source of imports it is a critical market for our economic development, she told MLAs.

Our relationship with the US is a long-standing one reflected in our ties to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, strengthened through the peace process and continuing today with major investments such as the Bank of Americas commitment of up to 1,000 jobs.

The (Northern Ireland) Bureau will be hosting its annual St Patricks Day breakfast in partnership with Invest NI, Tourism Ireland, Queens University, Belfast and Ulster University to showcase the Executives priorities.

We will decide our plans for St Patricks Day once we have confirmation of the full range of events, and indeed, invitations, scheduled to take place in Washington DC.

She added: It is incredibly important for us to engage.

There are so many different events, so much access, not just in terms of key policymakers, to the president himself, but also to a range of businesses and other key influencers.

It is probably the most unique of opportunities that I think any jurisdiction gets to have that level of access.

At the moment there are a range of key decisions that are being made by the president of the United States that can have, and will have a direct impact on us in Northern Ireland, on our businesses in Northern Ireland, on the people of Northern Ireland, and as leaders throughout the globe are taking the opportunity to try and talk and engage with President Trump, and try to urge him way from things that may be detrimental.

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I think it is incredibly important, more important than ever, that we do engage, regardless of our personal views as to the politics of the holder of the office of president of the United States.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly with Donald Trump in Washington DC in March 2025 (NI Executive/PA)

Both Ms ONeill and Ms Little-Pengelly attended the St Patricks Day events in Washington in 2024.

Last year, Ms ONeill travelled to Carolina for a business event, but returned home rather than go to Washington.

Ms Little-Pengelly did travel to Washington and spoke to Mr Trump during a lunch at Capitol Hill
Permanent planning permission for the countrys first medically supervised drug injection facility at Merchants Quay in Dublin has been placed on hold following an objection by a local resident.

An appeal has been lodged with An Coimisiun Pleanala against the recent decision of Dublin City Council to regularise the temporary planning permission for the treatment facility operated by the homeless and addiction charity, Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI).

The drop-in facility is operated from the basement of the Riverbank Building on Merchants Quay, Dublin 8, and was used by almost 1,200 individuals on over 10,700 visits in its first nine months after opening in December 2024, according to MQI.

However, local resident, Patrick Coyne, said the councils decision was procedurally unsound as a statutory 18-month review of the facility by the HSE has not been completed, independently assessed, or published.

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Mr Coyne claims the decision to grant permanent planning permission for the centre is also based on an incomplete and selectively framed evidential record which lacked independent verification.

The appellant stated a report provided by MQI does not assess the external impacts of the supervised drug injection facility such as child safety and neighbourhood amenity.

Mr Coyne claimed a submission from a stakeholder forum contained no input from independent residents or businesses as well as no dissenting views and overwhelmingly represented the views of statutory bodies and partner organisations aligned with the project.

He also claimed that there has been a misapplication of the zoning of the site to take account that the area has the highest concentration of addiction-related services in the country.

Mr Coyne also maintained there was an issue with effective oversight, enforcement and management of the area as it was located on the boundary of two Garda divisions as well as two different administrative areas of Dublin City Council.

He called on MQI to submit a new planning application to be supported by independently verified socio-environmental data.

MQI won a tender issued in 2018 by the HSE to operate the supervised injecting centre on a pilot basis for 18 months with the possibility of extending the trial period by another 18 months.

However, the facility, which is permitted under the Misuse of Drugs (Supervised Injecting Facilities) Act 2017 did not open until December 2024 due to planning issues.

Dublin City Council had originally refused planning permission for the project in 2019 but its ruling was successfully appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

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However, the High Court quashed the boards decision following judicial review proceedings taken by St Audeons primary school which ordered MQIs application to be considered afresh.

Its current planning permission is due to expire in June 2026.

In a submission, MQI said its proposed permanent change of use is justified by the significant public health, social and environmental benefits which have been demonstrated during the pilot period.

The charity said the need for the facility remains acute and ongoing.

The average number of daily visitors to the facility rose steadily from almost 17 per day when it opened to 52 in November.

MQI claimed the centre has delivered measurable improvements for both service users and the wider community since it opened which made a compelling case for retention of the facility.

They include the prevention of overdose fatalities, reduced emergency service demand, reduced public injection incidents and drug-related litter.

The permanent change of use will embed these positive outcomes long-term, ensuring ongoing health, safety and environmental benefits for the wider community, said MQI.

Given the proximity of St Audeons National School, MQI said it had implemented specific operational safeguards to protect students and staff including continuous engagement with the school and targeted patrols in the surrounding area.

A six-month interim report by the HSE found the facility has resulted in cleaner streets and safer communities including a noticeable reduction in discarded needles, drug paraphernalia and public injecting.

MQI said six overdoses had been managed in the facility preventing hospitalisation or death.

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It said the stakeholder forum which includes representatives from the local community, school and businesses had proven effective for addressing local concerns promptly and constructively.

MQI claims its service provide a hygienic, safe, medically supervised healthcare environment where individuals can inject drugs obtained elsewhere under the supervision of trained healthcare professionals

In a submission to the council, Green Party councillor, Michael Pidgeon, supported the proposal to make the existing facility permanent based on the need for such a service and international evidence of the positive impact of supervised drug injection centres.

Mr Pidgeon acknowledged that there were fears before it opened about possible adverse impacts but he claimed none of those fears had been realised.

The facility is working well, saving lives, reducing pressure on emergency services, reducing needle dumping and public injecting and offering privacy and dignity to people suffering from addition, said Cllr Pidgeon.

He argued delaying a decision until a full study on the 18-month trial was carried out would be a mistake as its purpose is to assess the value of the project from a public health perspective and is unrelated to planning issues.

A ruling by An Coimisiun Pleanala is due before the end of May.
Colorado lawmakers are moving forward with two bills designed to protect students with disabilities and minorities from discrimination after the federal government reduced its ability to enforce civil rights laws in schools.

State Representatives Jacque Phillips and Jennifer Bacon introduced the proposals this week to create new pathways for families to report discrimination when their children face harassment or unequal treatment at school.

The bills come in response to the Trump administration's cuts to the federal Office of Civil Rights, which has drastically reduced staffing and shifted focus away from investigating complaints involving students of color, minorities, and those with disabilities.

State Bills Address Gap in Federal Protection

Phillips' bill would give the Colorado Department of Education the power to investigate and resolve complaints from parents whose children are not receiving required accommodations under Section 504 plans, according to CPR.

These agreements outline what services students with disabilities need, such as extra time on tests or elevator access to classrooms.

Currently, only the federal Office of Civil Rights handles these complaints, but federal staff cuts have slowed responses significantly. Parents say they file complaints and never hear back about their cases.

Bacon's bill takes a broader approach by defining what counts as discrimination in schools and creating a clear process for parents to file complaints about discriminatory practices, bullying, and unequal access to programs.

Under her proposal, the Colorado Civil Rights Division would investigate these cases and report to lawmakers on how many complaints it receives and the outcomes. Parents would have 180 days to file a complaint instead of the current 60 days, giving families more time to report problems.

Read more: Washington Parents Bill of Rights Initiative Heads to November 2026 Ballot After Legislature Declines Action

Support from Advocates and Budget Concerns Ahead

State Senator Chris Kolker is expected to co-sponsor both bills. The legislation represents about a year of work by the lawmakers after the Trump administration eliminated seven of the federal Office of Civil Rights' twelve offices, Denver7 reported.

The Denver office, which now covers Colorado along with surrounding states, went from 36 employees to 24 staff members while its caseload jumped from 628 cases to nearly 2,800. The federal office has also shifted direction to focus on diversity programs rather than investigating discrimination complaints.

Civil rights groups, including Disability Law Colorado and the Anti-Defamation League Mountain States, have announced support for both bills. Advocates say the measures would protect families who feel abandoned by federal agencies and give students a faster path to getting the help they need.

The bills may face budget challenges, however. Colorado currently faces an $850 million budget deficit, and implementing these programs could require additional funding for state agencies, as per Chalkbeat.
Monday's front pages focus on a range of stories, from Tusla being against a new law that would remove parental rights from killers to the Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly being urged to resign if he cannot fix scrambler issues.

The Irish Times reports Tusla is against a new law that would remove parental rights from killers because the child and family agency claims childrens best interests are served by them having a connection with their birth parents.

The Irish Examiner reports the new Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly should resign within six months if gardai cannot get to grips with cracking down on scrambler bikes, a Government TD has said.

The Echo leads with 250 incidents of harmful communications reported to Gardai since 2021.
Gazas Rafah border crossing with Egypt has reopened for limited traffic, a key step as the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire moves ahead, according to Egyptian and Israeli security officials.

An Egyptian official said 50 Palestinians would cross in each direction in the first day of the crossings operation.

State-run Egyptian media and an Israeli official also confirmed the reopening, which, for now at least, is largely symbolic.

Few people will be allowed to travel in either direction, and no goods will be allowed to enter.



A crane enters the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing to the Gaza Strip (Mohamed Arafat/AP)

About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care hope to leave devastated Gaza via the crossing, according to Gaza health officials.

Thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to enter and return home.

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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also said that Israel will allow 50 patients a day to leave.

An official involved in the discussions said each patient would be allowed to travel with two relatives, while some 50 people who left Gaza during the war would be allowed to return each day.





Israel has said it and Egypt will vet people for exit and entry through the crossing, which will be supervised by European Union border patrol agents and a small Palestinian presence. The numbers of travellers are expected to increase over time if the system is successful.

Israeli troops seized the Rafah crossing in May 2024, calling it part of efforts to combat Hamas arms-smuggling.

The crossing was briefly opened for the evacuation of medical patients during a ceasefire in early 2025.

Israel had resisted reopening the Rafah crossing, but the recovery of the remains of the last hostage in Gaza last week cleared the way to move forward.

The reopening is a key step as last years US-brokered ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10 moves into its second phase.

Before the war, Rafah was the main crossing for people moving in and out of Gaza. The territorys handful of other crossings are all shared with Israel.

Under the ceasefire terms, Israels military controls the area between the Rafah crossing and the zone where most Palestinians live.

Fearing that Israel could use the crossing to push Palestinians out of the enclave, Egypt has repeatedly said it must be open for them to enter and exit Gaza. Historically, Israel and Egypt have vetted Palestinians applying to cross.

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The current ceasefire halted more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas that began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023.

The truces first phase called for the exchange of all hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel, an increase in badly needed humanitarian aid and a partial pullback of Israeli troops.

The second phase is more complicated. It calls for installing the new Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and taking steps to begin rebuilding.
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BusinessCompaniesEnergy storage No one supported my idea: Mysterious Chinese billionaire forced out of the shadows Bloomberg News February 3, 2026  5:40am 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

Cao Renxian is one of Chinas richest men in an industry the world cant live without, yet almost no one outside the business knows his name. That obscurity may not last much longer. The 57-year-old founder of Sungrow Power Supply has built a dominant position in the global energy transition, occupying an unglamorous corner of renewable power: industrial-scale batteries that make it possible for grids to cope with high volumes of clean energy. After shares surged about 112 per cent in the past year in Shenzhen, Caos fortune more than doubled to $US15 billion ($21 billion), making him one of the wealthiest alternative-energy titans in China, according to calculations by Bloomberg Billionaires. Sungrow is riding on a global battery boom driven by power demand from AI data centres. Now a Hong Kong listing, expected as early as the first quarter and projected by Bloomberg Intelligence analysts to raise $HK15 billion ($2.72 billion), may turn Sungrow into one of the worlds largest renewable-energy offerings of the year. The companys equity value, which is riding on a global battery boom driven by power demand from AI data centres, is estimated to reach almost $US50 billion when including its mainland China-listed shares. The IPO will expose the company to global investors and push Cao, who has maintained a low public profile, onto the world stage for the first time.

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Caos rising status is not the result of personal branding, capital manoeuvring, or visibility-driven entrepreneurship, said Harry Yu, senior partner at Fung, Yu & Co., a family office advisory based in Hong Kong. He is also an honorary director at the Chinese University of Hong Kongs Centre for Family Business where he studies Chinese billionaires. His influence and personal wealth expanded because the industrial platform he built reached a scale where the market could no longer ignore it. Related Article Bills Three hours of free solar to cut family power bill by $800 a year Unlike Chinas higher-profile tycoons such as Alibaba Group co-founder Jack Ma or Tencent co-founder Pony Ma, Cao has kept largely anonymous. An engineer by training, he spent four years as a professor of renewable power at Hefei University of Technology before quitting in 1997 to start Sungrow. Initially, the company focused on making inverters that make it possible for solar panels to provide power in homes. It was a gamble at a time when solar power barely existed in China. No one supported my idea, he later recalled in a 2023 interview with a local media outlet, one of less than a handful he has given in the past half decade. He declined interview requests for this article. Nevertheless, convinced that renewable energy was the future, Cao started the company with roughly 500,000 yuan ($102,000). Today, its worth roughly 315 billion yuan, employs about 17,000 people, and spans batteries, solar power inverters, EV chargers and hydrogen equipment.

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Such growth in wealth has a familiar feel in Chinas clean-energy economy. The countrys renewable boom once produced billionaires at industrial speed. Solar panel makers, polysilicon refiners and equipment suppliers rode years of explosive growth. Then the market turned, swiftly and brutally. Overcapacity and price wars hollowed out profits across the solar supply chain, eroding the fortunes of company founders who once ranked among the countrys richest. Li Zhenguo of Longi Green Energy Technology has seen his net worth fall nearly 80 per cent from its 2021 peak to about $US3.4 billion ($4.8 billion). Liu Hanyuan, chairman of Tongwei Group, has lost more than half of his wealth since 2022. Others slid down the rankings as margins vanished. Chinese billionaire Cao Renxian is the CEO of battery company Sungrow. Caos Sungrow has avoided the worst of that wreckage, but not because it escaped the cycle entirely. Its profit growth slowed to a modest 17 per cent in 2024, following a more than doubling of net income the previous year. What spared it, analysts say, was timing: it was already positioned in energy storage at the start of the AI boom, when data centres demand for power surged and batteries stopped being optional. In the first half of 2025, Sungrows net income jumped almost 56 per cent. Energy storage overtook solar inverters as the companys primary growth engine in a shift investors greeted as evidence of strategic foresight by Cao.

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Cao had pushed Sungrow into energy storage in 2015, years before batteries became a global obsession. Large, containerised battery systems prop up renewable-heavy grids and buffer power-hungry AI data centres. Demand is rising fast. BloombergNEF estimates global energy storage additions hit a record in 2025, almost a quarter more than in 2024, with China responsible for more than half. By 2035, BNEF projects global demand to reach 2 terawatts, or 7.3 terawatt hours  eight times current levels. In the first half of last year, energy storage generated 41 per cent of Sungrows revenue, up from 25 per cent a year earlier. Revenue from the segment more than doubled. Timing is crucial, Cao said in the 2023 interview. Starting too early risks failing just before dawn, but entering too late may leave no room at all. Determining the precise moment to launch a new business truly tests a leaders judgment. But energy storage, like solar before it, is capital-intensive, price-sensitive and increasingly crowded. Chinese rivals are expanding capacity aggressively and Western utilities, burned once by supply-chain dependence, are pressing for localisation. Analysts warn that energy storage may follow solars post-2021 collapse, when rapid expansion overwhelmed demand. The pattern now emerging in the battery industry mirrors the solar industrys post-2021 cycle  where healthy margins, relentless competition, and seemingly endless future demand fuelled such an aggressive investment spree, according to consultancy Trivium China.

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Despite the risks, foreign investors have begun to circle. In November, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Sungrows shares to overweight and raised its earnings forecasts through 2027, pointing to cost advantages and interest from US cloud-computing customers. Its Hong Kong IPO is also likely to heighten the attention. Sungrow has the second-biggest market value among all mainland-listed firms seeking H-share listings, ranking after Apple supplier Luxshare Precision Industry and followed by pork producer Muyuan Foods, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence. But international exposure introduces risks Cao has largely avoided. A Hong Kong listing will open the firm up to a broader shareholder base including global asset managers and hedge funds, and will require the company to comply with more regular disclosures in English. Analyst coverage will widen, and governance scrutiny will likely intensify. Unlike Chinas higher-profile tycoons such as Alibaba Group co-founder Jack Ma (pictured) or Tencent co-founder Pony Ma, Cao has kept largely anonymous. AP A higher profile may also draw more focus from overseas regulators. Under Foreign Entity of Concern rules rolled-out by the Trump administration, Chinese-linked companies face restrictions on access to US clean-energy subsidies. Starting in 2026, energy storage projects must meet domestic-content thresholds, forcing companies like Sungrow to localise manufacturing or source non-Chinese battery cells.

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US President Donald Trumps tariffs may be another headwind, with current levies at a combined 48.4 per cent on Chinese energy storage products. Navigating his business through Chinas geopolitical tensions with the US poses a huge challenge for Cao, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Chia Chen. In the near term, Sungrow can withstand US tariffs as higher market prices in the US should allow it to remain profitable, said Chen. But to mitigate against long-term trade risks, the company may leverage a Hong Kong IPO to accelerate the offshoring of manufacturing to tariff-friendly regions. Inside Sungrow, Cao has cultivated an image of egalitarianism, according to interviews with two company employees who asked not to be named as they arent authorised to speak publicly. The 25-story headquarters in Hefei has lecture-hall-style conference rooms but, unusually for a Chinese firm, has no exclusive dining areas for senior executives. He circulates reading lists and employees can chat to him directly. These habits have earned him the nickname Cao Laoshi, or Teacher Cao, and a reputation for discipline and transparency that stands out in Chinese corporate life.

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Energy Landmark moment: Renewables record surge sends power prices tumbling They also serve another purpose: continuity. Sungrow remains heavily shaped by its founder, who still attends earnings calls personally and apologises when results disappoint. That founder-centric model has worked well during its ascent. While figures like Jack Ma captured the imagination of the consumer internet era, Cao Renxian represents a new guard of Chinese industrial leaders: technocratic, highly specialised, and quietly dominant, said Jeremy Cheng, principal of Lansberg Gersick Advisors, a family office advisory. Last April, at the end of a three-day summit for overseas partners, Cao allowed himself a brief turn in the spotlight. More than a thousand guests gathered in a luxury Hefei ballroom. Two bottles of Moutai sat on every table. Cao walked onstage with a saxophone and played Red River Valley, a cowboy love song made popular by Western movies.

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It was an unusual flourish from a man who so far has received little attention. With a Hong Kong listing looming and scrutiny intensifying, Sungrows run may soon depend less on instinct and timing, and more on whether this cycle in batteries will last. Bloomberg The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.

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Sponsored BusinessCompaniesBulls N' Bears IGO, Venus ramp up lithium search in southwest WA Brought to you by BULLS N BEARS Doug Bright February 2, 2026  3:58pm 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

Venus Metals Corporations JV partner, IGO Limited, has launched a significant field program at the Bridgetown-Greenbushes project in Western Australia after receiving ministerial approval late last year for low-impact work in State Forest areas. The nod allows IGO to proceed with soil and lag sampling, coupled with geological mapping across key zones in the JV tenements - all under a strict conservation management plan to keep impacts minimal. Venus Metals Corporations Bridgetown-Greenbushes project adjoins the eastern flanks of the tenure surrounding the Talison Lithium Joint Ventures giant world-class Greenbushes lithium project in WAs southwest. Kicking off in mid-January, the program aims to collect around 3500 samples from preserved residual laterite zones, where lithium pathfinder elements such as lithium, tantalum, niobium, caesium and others are expected to provide the clearest geochemical signals. The program will directly test strike extensions of the standout 2.8-kilometre-long by 1.2-kilometre-wide anomaly at the JVs priority one Ti Tree target, while also hitting areas adjacent to the existing Cowslip, Greenbushes East, and Flying Duck anomalies. The extensions were outlined in results from an earlier phase two geochemical program, which involved 2697 soil samples.

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The Ti Tree anomaly remains open to the northeast, with further investigation awaiting access permission. In parallel with the soil and lag sampling, geological mapping is being run to pinpoint outcropping bedrock and lateritic regolith in the forests. Both efforts will wrap up in the third quarter, with full assays due in the final quarter. IGO is also eyeing low-impact auger or vacuum drilling for bedrock samples at Ti Tree  outside State Forest areas - slated for later this year, which will feed into broader target refinement that distils the relevant gravity, aeromagnetic, and structural data. The project lies in a prime lithium neighbourhood next to the world-class Greenbushes operation, which is Australias biggest and one of the lowest-cost hard-rock spodumene mines.

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IGO and Albemarle are partners in the Talison Lithium JV that owns and operates Greenbushes. Held 51 per cent by Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia (TLEA) and 49 per cent by Albemarle, it delivers a tier-one, low-cost lithium supply. IGO holds a 24.99 per cent indirect interest via TLEA. Although softer lithium markets have dominated of late, Greenbushes stands out as a premier asset, highlighting the strategic draw of nearby ground such as the JVs extensive Bridgetown-Greenbushes project with similar pegmatite potential. IGO elected to advance to stage two farm-in in December 2025, committing $3 million to potentially boost its stake to 70 per cent - up from the current 51 per cent after the stage one JV setup. The term has been extended to November 2028, giving plenty of time for steady progress. The latest fieldwork push underscores IGOs hands-on role and bolsters Venus lithium leverage in one of WAs hottest districts. With assays on the way later this year and possible drilling ahead, the JV is methodically building towards target maturity in a market that still prizes secure future supply.

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The scale of the Ti Tree anomaly and the glowering proximity of the Greenbushes giant scream real discovery potential - whether for extensions of known zones or something bigger lurking beneath the laterite cover. As results are returned and interpretation sharpens the view, the project could become a solid value catalyst for Venus in the lithium scene. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au

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Exclusive BusinessCompaniesMedia & marketing Seven producer suing network accused of misogynistic behaviour Kishor Napier-Raman February 3, 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

A veteran Seven producer who suffered serious injuries when he fell out of his wheelchair is suing his employer under the Fair Work Act, claiming the network left him distressed and upset and  humiliated by reducing his duties after the accident. But in a statement of defence obtained by this masthead, Seven accused former Sunrise producer Matthew McGrane of aggressive, inappropriate and misogynistic behaviour towards female staff, including sending emails with profane and sexist language. Seven producer Matthew McGrane is suing his employer after falling out of his wheelchair. ABC McGrane, who has a medical condition and uses a wheelchair, sustained serious injuries that caused excruciating pain and required hospitalisation and surgery when he fell while commuting home from Sevens Eveleigh studios in inner Sydney in 2023. In legal documents filed with the Federal Court in April 2025, McGrane, who has been with Seven for more than two decades, said the network allowed him to work part of his shift from home while rostered on night shifts. That allowed him to catch wheelchair-accessible buses before they stopped for the night.

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He claimed the injury occurred while returning home to complete a shift, and subsequently lodged a workers compensation claim which was denied after Seven told the insurer GIO that there was no formal agreement for McGrane to perform split shifts. McGrane alleges that upon his return to work six months after the accident, Seven diminished his duties at Sunrise and passed him over for a promotion to executive producer of the flagship morning show. His legal documents accuse the network of injuring him in his employment and altering his position. He also claims that the network took adverse action against him because of his physical disability, and because he had lodged the workers compensation claim, and later complained to managers when it was rejected by the insurer. The claim, filed for McGrane by Maurice Blackburns principal lawyer, Josh Bornstein, alleges Sevens actions caused the producer anxiety, distress and feelings of hopelessness.

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McGrane is seeking compensation and civil penalties from Seven. Before launching his lawsuit, McGrane was interviewed on camera by ABC reporter Louise Milligan as part of a 2024 Four Corners episode documenting sexism and cultural problems at Seven, in which he discussed the incident at length. He told the program he felt abandoned, hurt [and] completely in disbelief that this would happen. In a statement at the time, Seven said its focus was to build a strong culture where unacceptable behaviour was not tolerated. In its defence, Seven said that while McGrane was off work, the network had received numerous complaints made by junior employees under McGranes supervision documenting aggressive, inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour. Seven said it had been told by staff that McGrane was aggressive all the time, whether that be swearing, shouting, it is all the time and was so volatile  would yell, scream, freeze.

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One staff member allegedly told the network they had observed McGrane saying words to the effect of you look fat, thats disgusting and wear a more low-cut top while watching presenters on television. He also allegedly used misogynistic language in emails hed sent, which included liberal use of profanity including c---. This masthead is not suggesting that the allegations about McGranes behaviour are correct, only that they were made by Seven in its defence. McGranes lawyers declined to comment. A spokesman for the network said: As this matter is before the court, Seven is unable to comment. Seven will defend its position.

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Sevens defence also accuses McGrane of breaching his employment obligations by appearing on the Four Corners episode, an act which it says was in conflict with the networks interests and brought it into public disrepute. Related Article Media & marketing The last mogul: Sun sets on Kerry Stokes media ambitions The applicant [McGrane] stated that he considered the Four Corners interview as an insurance policy, a way to blow things up with the respondent and in turn an opportunity to get millions from the respondent, the network submitted. Seven claims that McGranes behaviour, and his appearance on Four Corners, led to him not being considered for the Sunrise executive producer job. According to Sevens defence, there was never a formal arrangement for McGrane to split his shifts between his home and the Eveleigh office, but it had offered to pay for him to use a wheelchair-accessible taxi service. The network also says that his employment duties were changed because he was working from home upon return.

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The details of McGranes claim and Sevens response were previously suppressed after Federal Court justice Robert Bromwich granted the networks application for a non-publication order so that the parties could enter into mediation. The order lapsed late last year when discussions failed. McGrane remains a Seven employee but is on personal leave. The matter remains ongoing. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
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BusinessCompaniesMining Trump taps Australia to help break Chinas rare earths grip Nick Toscano February 2, 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

Australian miners stand to benefit from an accelerating international push to break Chinas stranglehold over rare earths, analysts say, as the Trump administration convenes new talks with the Albanese government and other allies to build alternative supply chains for the coveted minerals. The federal government is vying to position Australia as a major supplier of rare earths  a set of 17 metals used in an array of products such as electric motors, wind turbines and missiles  amid growing alarm over Chinas willingness to use its market dominance as leverage in diplomatic disputes. Donald Trump listens to Anthony Albanese during their meeting in October. AP ASX-listed rare earth miners, many of which hold tenements over important orebodies and are seeking to start or ramp up production, suffered double-digit share price falls in a panicked investor sell-off last week as reports emerged suggesting that the White House had walked back plans to set price floors for miners and refiners. But that reaction appeared overdone, said Reg Spencer, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity, who pointed to intensifying efforts by the Trump administration to work with allies on ways to turbocharge the development of new non-Chinese supplies.

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We believe that the United States government remains committed to the development of ex-China critical mineral supply chains, and that it will look to utilise other mechanisms, he said. Related Article Opinion

Political leadership How Albanese triumphed, Trump got his deal and Ley was left with egg on her face James Massola Chief political commentator The comments come after Australias resources minister, Madeleine King, was invited to attend a meeting of US allies in Washington this week. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to use the meeting to try to secure a consensus on a pricing mechanism to insulate rare earths refiners and extractors. As the US and other countries worry about relying too heavily on China, which accounts for 70 per cent of rare earth mining and 90 per cent of the market for separation and processing, Australia was stepping up to lead on critical minerals and rare earths globally, King said. The Albanese government has earmarked billions of dollars for tax credits, cheap loans and equity stakes for companies building critical mineral mines, processing plants and refineries. It also remains in talks with industry leaders to set up a national stockpile, which would guarantee minimum prices for producers of antimony, gallium and rare earth metals.

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Australia is working to attract more foreign capital  both from commercial and government sources  to process more critical minerals and rare earths here and to build secure supply chains to partners like the US, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and the European Union, King said. Related Article Explainer

US politics This is not a joke: Could the US take control of Greenland? Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump signed an agreement to develop a secure supply chain for critical minerals and rare earths when they met at the White House in October. The government has said it subsequently received interest in similar deals from Europe, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The long-running push by Western nations to diversify critical mineral supply chains has taken on new urgency as Beijing demonstrates an increased willingness to use its market-dominant position as leverage in geopolitical and economic disputes. During tariff negotiations with the Trump administration last year, China announced a broad package of export curbs, which temporarily cut off global shipments of several sought-after heavy rare earth metals and rare earth magnets.

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Chinese miners and refiners are essential suppliers to foreign manufacturers of products as diverse as consumer goods such as cars, computers, smartphones, camera lenses and LED lights, and military hardware including fighter jets and precision-guided weapons. Last weeks share market sell-off, which wiped millions off the value of Australian miners such as Arafura Rare Earths, Lynas Rare Earths and Iluka Resources, may have been led by a misconception that a one-off deal struck between the US government and Californian company MP Materials to guarantee a $110-a-kilogram rare earth price was going to be available industry-wide, analysts said. There was an expectation, rightly or wrongly, that price floors from the US government would be available to everyone and anyone developing a rare earths project, Spencer said. That was never really the case. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
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1 / 7 Steak tartare at Coupette. Kristoffer Paulsen 2 / 7 The restaurant sits on a sweeping corner of the hotels ground floor. Kristoffer Paulsen 3 / 7 Breakfast dishes include a crab omelette with chilli and coriander. Pete Dillon 4 / 7 Crab salad. Kristoffer Paulsen 5 / 7 Outside the Southbank restaurant, located inside the Hannah St Hotel. Kristoffer Paulsen 6 / 7 Lamb rump with sweetbreads. Pete Dillon 7 / 7 Coupette restaurant is the bistro inside the Flack Studio-designed hotel. Kristoffer Paulsen Previous Slide Next Slide

Contemporary$$$$

A busy intersection in Southbank is the site for Coupette Corner Bistro & Bar, the flagship venue for an optimistic move into hotels by Melbourne hospitality powerhouse The Mulberry Group (Hazel, Dessous, Lilac). On the ground floor of the stylish Hannah St Hotel, the 66-seat all-day dining room wraps around a central bar flanked by marble-topped tables on a terrazzo floor.

The lobby also flows through bolthole cafe Hannah St Coffee, the Carriage Lounge for relaxed drinking or laptopping, and Bar Hannah for cocktails and snacks  all under The Mulberry Group umbrella. On level 10, a lounge and terrace will become Propeller, a chef incubator restaurant.

Overseeing the food across all venues is chef Andrew Beddoes (ex-Enoteca Boccaccio), whos serving a classic and unthreatening bistro menu. In soft openings, chilli crab omelette was the biggest brunch seller across hotel guests and locals from nearby residential towers. Later, its the crab salad with green apple and lardo.
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A former Chef of the Year has opened a Middle Eastern wine bar in Martin Place.

1 / 7 Charcuterie plate, charred lupini and gildas. Jiwon Kim 2 / 7 The basturma, pickled chilli and quails egg gilda. Jiwon Kim 3 / 7 Steak frites with cafe de Cairo butter. Supplied 4 / 7 Kibbeh nayeh. Jiwon Kim 5 / 7 The wine list includes curiosities like forgotten varietals and unusual blends. Jiwon Kim 6 / 7 The two-level space was inspired by Harry Seidlers original MLC architecture. Jiwon Kim 7 / 7 The upstairs dining room. Supplied Previous Slide Next Slide

Middle Eastern$$$$

Steak frites may be a fixture on Sydney menus, but theres only one place serving it as a wood-seared rump cap finished with a fenugreek and harissa-spiced cafe de Cairo butter. Find it in Aalia Wine Room, a casual extension of two-hatted Middle Eastern restaurant Aalia at Martin Place.

The menu features plenty of smart, spice-laden snacks from a bastourma and quail egg gilda to anchovy toasts spread with muhammara  a smoky-sweet red capsicum and walnut dip.

The wine list, created by sommelier Sarah ODwyer, is designed to encourage exploration with a section dedicated to curiosities for the adventurous drinker.
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Exclusive LifestyleFashionZimmermann Classic Aussie: How Zimmermann is taking over the world from Sydney Damien Woolnough February 3, 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

Its been 25 years, thousands of tiered floral dresses and a billion-dollar valuation, since Australias most successful luxury fashion label, Zimmermann, opened its first store in the CBD of its home town, Sydney. More than 80 boutique launches later, you would think that co-founder and creative director Nicky Zimmermann could sit back and enjoy her success, as a new store opens at Westfield. Instead, shes sitting on her hands, to stop herself from showing customers the silk organza ruffles on a dress or scalloped lace trim on a blouse. Nicky Zimmermann in the new Sydney Westfield Zimmermann boutique. Louie Douvis The difference between then and now is that 25 years ago I was probably behind the register, Zimmermann says. I worked at Sportsgirl in retail when I was at design school. I love everything about this business. You have to.

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A love of business paid off in 2024, when US private equity group Advent International acquired Zimmermann, valuing the business at more than $US1 billion ($1.43 billion). Last year Zimmermann recorded sales of $645.7 million in the 12 months to June 30. Editor's pick Zimmermann Nicole Kidman at Chanel and koalas on the runway in Paris The love of creativity paid off with design studios in Sydney and Paris, and a regular slot at Paris Fashion Week, where Zimmermann will stage its seventh show next month. I have two ways of thinking about it, Zimmermann says. One, dont think about it because its too overwhelming. Or go in classic Aussie and do the job. I prefer the latter. What classic Aussie looks like has changed in 25 years. Back then sexy swimwear and flirty summer pieces were true baby blue. Theres still swimwear in Zimmermanns new home, but it hangs near $895 leather slides and dresses that leave little change from $4000.

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Its an upgrade that works internationally, with the Sydney store opening, and a renovation of the Armadale outpost in Melbourne, following Zimmermann boutiques springing up in Cancun, Boston and Zurich. Zimmermann is convinced that it works here too, as long as you look beyond the price tag. Nicky Zimmermann with designs in the new Zimmermann CBD store and ceramic artworks by Mechelle Bounpraseuth. Louie Douvis Every category that we do with the brand I am looking to improve, she says. Its not about price jumping. Its about delivering more creativity ... more special elements and touches to the design to make the customer love what they buy. You want people to fall in love with what youve made and see whats gone into it. Its not like going into a commercial store. Every detail has been thought through. Studio McQualter has collaborated with Zimmermann since that first Sydney CBD store in The Strand, making sure that their latest 347-square-metre store is unique.

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While other luxury brands look the same in London, New York or Rome, each Zimmermann store is an eclectic assortment of commissioned art, vintage furniture and found objects. One collection is never the same as the other, so why should the stores? Zimmermann says. People deserve more than a blueprint design rollout. This is the essence of us. As an Australian brand we just want to bring our best here. Our customers deserve it. Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday.
Pennsylvania State Representatives Jill Cooper and Tim Briggs introduced bipartisan legislation that would allow school districts to use grant money to implement later start times for middle and high school students, addressing widespread sleep deprivation affecting adolescents across the state.

House Bill 2152, introduced on Jan. 21, 2026, permits secondary schools to access funds from the School Safety and Mental Health Grant Program to offset costs related to implementing later start times. The bill recommends that classes begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m., a schedule aligned with scientific research on adolescent sleep needs.

Understanding the Science Behind Teen Sleep Deprivation

According to data cited by lawmakers, approximately 80 percent of teenagers in the United States are sleep deprived. Dr. Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh who worked with Representative Cooper on the bill, emphasized that teen sleep deprivation stems from biological factors rather than lifestyle choices.

She explained that hormonal changes during puberty cause teenagers' brains to naturally fall asleep later and wake up later, according to CBS News.

The legislation allows school districts to voluntarily adopt later start times rather than mandating a statewide change. This approach gives local school boards flexibility to decide whether later start times fit their community's needs while providing financial resources to help with the transition.

Many Pennsylvania secondary schools currently begin classes before the recommended 8:30 a.m. start time, with most districts starting between 7:30 a.m. and 7:59 a.m. The early schedules conflict with research showing that teenagers require eight to ten hours of sleep each night for optimal academic performance, physical health, and emotional well-being.

Sleep deprivation among adolescents has been linked to numerous negative outcomes. Dr. Fong-Isariyawongse noted that insufficient sleep impacts academic performance, grades, grade point averages, and mental health. Research also connects sleep deprivation to higher rates of car accidents, injuries, substance abuse, and aggressive behaviors among teenagers.

Read more: New Jersey School District Consolidation Bill Could Force Mergers Without Voter Approval

Building on Previous Sleep Research and Legislative Efforts

The grant program would help school districts cover expenses associated with changing school schedules, including modifications to bus routes, adjustments to after-school programs, and other operational changes, WDAC reported.

By tapping into existing School Safety and Mental Health Grant Program funding, the legislation aims to remove financial barriers that might prevent districts from considering later start times.

The proposal builds on previous Pennsylvania legislative efforts to address teen sleep deprivation. In 2018, the state Senate adopted Senate Resolution 417, directing the Joint State Government Commission to study secondary school start times.

The commission's October 2019 report, titled "Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents: A Case for Delaying Secondary School Start Times," recommended that secondary schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later.

Representative Cooper, a Republican from Westmoreland County, and Representative Briggs, a Democrat from Montgomery County, are leading the bipartisan effort. The bill has been referred to the House Education Committee for consideration, as per legiscan.
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Updated NationalNSWTragedy Snowboarders Japan ski lift tragedy caused by avalanche rescue pack: family Daniel Lo Surdo and Jack Gramenz Updated February 3, 2026  2:41pm ,first published February 2, 2026  11:03am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

The family of an experienced Australian snowboarder who died after an incident at a Japanese ski resort said she was tragically caught on a ski lift by an avalanche rescue backpack she was wearing to protect herself and her friends. Brooke Day, 22, was caught in a ski lift at a resort in Japans Nagano prefecture on Friday morning (local time). Her backpack is thought to have become tangled while she was trying to disembark. She died in hospital with her family by her side early on Sunday. Brooke Day had loved snowboarding since she was 11, her family said. We would like to thank her friends who rendered assistance in her time of need, and stayed with her until we arrived in Japan, as well as the staff at the Omachi General Hospital who did everything in their power to save her, Days family said in a statement on Tuesday. They said Day was an advanced snowboarder who had loved the sport since she was 11 and was on her fourth extended snow season in Japan.

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She had recently completed a three-day avalanche course and used that knowledge to help rescue four people from life-threatening situations in recent weeks, they said. At the time of the accident Day had been wearing an avalanche rescue backpack to keep herself and friends safe. The backpacks feature a rapidly expanding airbag designed to keep people near the snows surface in an avalanche. The Maroochydore Roos said Day was a talented young football player and cherished teammate. Maroochydore Roos AFL Tragically, it was the avalanche rescue backpack that got caught on the ski lift, they said. She was well-respected by her peers and was known amongst the group as the safe one.

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Japanese media previously identified the 22-year-old as Ella Day Brooke, but sources close to her family clarified her identity to this masthead. A ski lift buckle became tangled with Days backpack, according to Tsugaike Mountain Resort chief executive Tsuneo Kubo, dragging her along the lift as it turned in the opposite direction. The Queensland woman died after an accident at Tsugaike Mountain Resort, Japan. Tsugaike Mountain Resort The backpack could not be removed from Days body as her chest belt remained fastened. The lift was stopped by an attendant, who pressed an emergency button to render first aid to Day. The Australian was rushed to hospital after suffering what appeared to be a cardiac arrest, according to Kubo.

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We would like to express our deepest condolences to the bereaved family, Kubo said. We will do our utmost to respond to the needs of our deceased customers and their families. Day was working in Japan as a receptionist at a physio clinic in Hakuba, within the same prefecture as the resort, describing herself as being a people person who loved getting to know the patients and making them feel welcome and seen. Brooke Day, 22, from Queenslands Sunshine Coast, died after an accident at a Japanese ski resort. Hakuba Physio In addition to snowboarding, Day played rugby union for the Nambour Toads on Queenslands Sunshine Coast, and previously played Australian rules for the Maroochydore Roos. Taken far too soon, she was not only a talented young rugby player but a cherished teammate, friend and daughter, her rugby club said in a tribute on Monday.

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On the field, Brooke played with courage, determination, and she continued to grow and improve with every game that she played. Off the field, her smile, kindness, and fun-loving spirit lit up our club, and she was never one to shy away from our off-field festivities. Rest easy, beautiful Brooke. Your infectious smile, zest for life and contagious giggle will live on in our memories forever. Nambour Toads rugby union club said Day was an iconic member of the senior womens squad. Nambour Toads Rugby Union Club The Maroochydore Roos on Tuesday said Day would always be a much loved and valued member of the club family. She was always a positive and vibrant part of the group, always had a smile on her face and despite various setbacks she never brought her disappointments to the side, the club said.

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Days death is being investigated by local police, while the resort has pledged to review safety measures to prevent another tragedy. The investigation is expected to analyse security camera footage of the incident. The incident occurred on the Tsuga No.2 pair lift at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort, a fixed-grip chairlift travelling at about 2.5 metres per second, which can carry about 1000 people per hour. Tourists at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort. Tsugaike Mountain Resort The lift was closed on Saturday and will remain shut until attendants can assure its safety. Kubo said the resort took the matter very seriously and would ensure all customers could use the equipment in a safe manner. The death comes weeks after a five-year-old boy was killed at a ski resort in northern Japan after his arm was trapped in a magic carpet ski lift. First responders reported the boy fell while attempting to disembark from the conveyor-belt style lift at Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort in Otaru, Hokkaido. The boy was pronounced dead after being rushed to hospital.

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Japan has emerged as the premiere winter destination for Australians in December and January, as favourable exchange rates and cultural value have seen it preferred to skiing holidays in North America and Europe. More than 1 million Australians visited Japan in 2025, according to the Japanese National Tourism Organisation, marking the first year that tourism numbers eclipsed 1 million visitors. It represented a 15 per cent increase on the record numbers registered in 2024. A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson confirmed it was providing consular assistance to Days family. We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time, the spokesperson said. Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.

CLARIFICATION Japanese media previously identified the 22-year-old Australian as Ella Day Brooke.
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NationalNSWCourts Childrens book author groomed students he met through schools Clare Sibthorpe February 2, 2026  1:41pm 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 childrens author in his 40s used his writing role to groom students he met through schools or who contacted him about his books to send them highly sexual stories, with some equating to child abuse material, a court has heard. Oliver Phommavanh, who has been a finalist for the Young Australia Best Book Awards and Kids Own Australias Literature Awards, pleaded guilty to six counts against three victims spanning four years, including using a carriage service to make procuring sexual activity easier, intending to groom a child for sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual activity via a carriage service, and transmitting child abuse material. Oliver Phommavanh arrives at Parramatta District Court on Monday. Kate Geraghty The 42-year-old was handcuffed and taken into custody as his bail was revoked during sentencing submissions at Parramatta District Court on Monday. The court heard Phommavanh had grooming conversations with three real victims aged under 16 and an undercover police officer happened online between 2020 and 2024.

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Their contact was sparked in a number of ways, including through schools via his writing work, by a child who reached out after reading his books, and conversations initiated by the undercover officer. The Crown prosecutor argued that his occupation as a childrens book author not only created the opportunity for him to access the children, but also created what I would describe as the manipulative layer of the conduct that  uses discussions about his writing and about his books in order to introduce sexualised themes. Texts sent by Phommavanh to one victim, which were read out in court, include: Im going to keep saying it, but you are way more mature than your age. Oliver Phommavanh pleaded guilty to online child grooming. James Brickwood Conversations about his physical attraction turned to interest in her personality and enjoyment of images she sent, the court heard.

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When he said that he assumed the girl was turning 16 this year, she replied yes. The defence submitted it was relevant that she had already turned 16 when she wrote this. Phommavanhs lawyer, Kieran Ginges, acknowledged his client abused his position of trust due to what the judge described as having access to schools because of his status. The lawyer said that regarding one victim, the stories of a highly sexualised nature were sent while she was aged between 16 and 18. However, he noted those stories become child pornography or child abuse material because it relates to someone under the age of 18. We say that grooming offences are preparatory in nature ... [Phommavanh intended] as a real possibility to engage in some sexual activity. Crown prosecutor Upon Phommavanhs arrest in May 2024 at his home in the western Sydney suburb of Old Guildford, he admitted about 70 per cent of his behaviour to police, the court heard.

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Ginges said his client was dishonest about some aspects and honest about others, compared it to cognitive dissonance, and said it was consistent with somebody whos still coming to terms with the offending. The lawyer argued his client had no intention of meeting the victims in person, and explicitly told one person they would never meet. While the prosecutor agreed some evidence showed he wasnt intending to physically meet them, she argued the offending was nonetheless serious. What [we submit] is that  the sexual activity that was intended was limited to a sexualised chat group, the prosector said. Childrens author Oliver Phommavanh is arrested in May 2024 at a home in Old Guildford. NSW Police We say that grooming offences are preparatory in nature, and that what is criminalised is  the steps that are taken in the lead-up.

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She said Phommavanh intended as a real possibility to engage in some sexual activity. In foreshadowing sentencing Phommavanh to jail, Judge Peter Krisenthal said he had committed very serious offences  and he has to go into custody. The defence submitted that the guilty pleas signalled an insight into his crimes and remorse, but the prosecution noted a psychologist described his insight as limited as he did not appraise the psychological impact on his victims at the time of his offending, believing that they could not be affected by impersonal, online communication. According to the Newington College Litfest website, Phommavanh is also a stand-up comedian and former primary school teacher. He has written a number of comedic childrens novels including Stuff Happens: Ethan, Punchlines, Thai-no-mite, Con-nerd, Thai-riffic, and Natural Born Loser, and the short story collection Brain Freeze, the website reads.

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His passions include making people laugh and engaging children and young adults with literature. Phommavanh will be sentenced on February 13 over the six primary counts, with four further counts to be considered. Anyone needing support can contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028, Lifeline 13 11 14, and Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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NationalNSWCrime Police actions before triple murder under scrutiny as search for alleged gunman continues Riley Walter February 2, 2026  5:33pm 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

Warning: This story contains names and images of Indigenous people who have died. Interactions between authorities and alleged triple murderer Julian Ingram and how the 37-year-old was able to access firearms while facing serious domestic violence charges will be subject to a critical incident investigation overseen by the states policing watchdog. Ingram is accused of shooting dead his heavily pregnant former partner, Sophie Quinn, 24, her friend John Harris, 32, her aunt Nerida Quinn, 50, and shooting and seriously injuring 19-year-old Kaleb Macqueen in the NSW Central West town of Lake Cargelligo on January 22. Ingram was last seen leaving Lake Cargelligo shortly after the shootings. Sophie Quinn, 24, Nerida Quinn, 50, and John Harris, 32, were killed on January 22.

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Police had granted Ingram, also known as Julian Pierpoint, bail on domestic violence charges last November after he allegedly assaulted Quinn around the time the pair had separated. Ingram was charged with stalking or intimidating intending to cause fear or physical harm, and common assault. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was due to face Lake Cargelligo Local Court on February 3. The investigation will examine Ingram and Quinns ongoing relationship in the lead-up to the shooting, Ingrams access to firearms, and how he accessed the weapon believed to have been used in the shooting, Holland said. Ingrams history of alleged domestic violence history and previous access to weapons will also be examined. Homicide squad detectives will lead the critical incident investigation, which will be overseen by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission. Julian Ingram was last seen leaving Lake Cargelligo in a Lachlan Shire Council Ford Ranger ute. NSW Police NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Andy Holland on Monday said new information from members of the public had triggered the critical incident declaration.

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In the days after the shooting, up to 100 police officers searched the area around Lake Cargelligo, including several properties at the remote township of Mount Hope after a reported sighting of Ingram. Strike Force Doberta investigators believe Ingram may have visited a property bordering Kidman Way, about three kilometres south of Mount Hope, during the evening of January 24 and the early hours of January 25. On Saturday, police searched a waterway near Lake Cargelligo. Holland said authorities believed Ingram was being helped to evade capture in oppressive searching conditions that were very, very hard on the police involved. NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Andy Holland said new information had been provided to police. Kate Geraghty Specialist officers from a number of teams, including heavily armed members of the tactical operations unit, remain in and around Lake Cargelligo as the search for Ingram approaches the end of a second week.

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Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service (1800RESPECT) on 1800 737 732. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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Updated NationalNSWDefamation Rape myths: Ten, Wilkinson hit back at Lehrmann over appeal bid Michaela Whitbourn February 2, 2026  11:44am 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

Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson have hit back at Bruce Lehrmann after he filed a last-ditch bid to overturn a damning defamation decision that concluded he raped his former colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House. Lehrmann is seeking High Court special leave to appeal against the decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court, handed down in December last year. Bruce Lehrmann and Lisa Wilkinson outside the Federal Court during the defamation trial. Dominic Lorrimer The former federal Liberal staffer argues the court should have upheld his appeal against Federal Court Justice Michael Lees landmark decision in 2024 that found on the balance of probabilities that he was a rapist. Lehrmanns legal team alleges in documents filed in the High Court that the Full Courts decision depended on findings made by [Lee]  that were compromised by his having conducted his own research and having obtained extraneous non-legal material.

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The application for special leave points to material referred to in Lees decision, including a University of NSW Law Journal article that the judge described as dealing with how so-called rape myths play a role in jury decision-making. The term rape myths refers to misconceptions about how victims might behave during and after a sexual assault. Ten and Wilkinson said in responses filed in the High Court that the special leave application lacked sufficient prospects of success and should be refused. Brittany Higgins at court in December 2023. Steven Siewert Tens legal team, headed by Melbourne silk Matt Collins, KC, said in its response that Lee did not identify the  [rape myths] paper as a result of conducting his own research but because Ten had, in fact, referred to it during the trial.

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Ten had argued the paper supported their submission that expert evidence of rape myths was relevant and admissible in the defamation case, the broadcaster said in its written response. Ultimately, Lee did not need to decide whether expert evidence on that topic was admissible because Ten did not tender it. The rape myths paper was referred to in the judgment only in the context of discussing that chain of events, Ten said. Ten said a second paper on rape myths, which was referred to in an expert report it opted not to tender in evidence, was referred to in passing by Lee and was obviously not relied upon by the judge in reaching his rape finding in an earlier part of the judgment. Wilkinsons barristers, Sue Chrysanthou, SC, and Barry Dean, said in a separate response that there is no factual basis for [Lehrmann] ... to allege that the primary judges factual findings were compromised as he alleged. Lehrmann filed defamation proceedings in 2023 against Ten and Wilkinson over an interview with Higgins aired on Tens now-defunct The Project in 2021.

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Lee upheld the media parties defence of truth to the rape allegation made in the broadcast. He found on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann sexually assaulted Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. The appeal court  Justices Michael Wigney, Craig Colvin and Wendy Abraham  went even further than Lee in its decision last year. It made a significant finding that Lehrmann was not reckless about whether Higgins was consenting to sex, but was aware she did not consent. The only reasonable inference from the facts as known to Mr Lehrmann at the time, is that at some point before sexual intercourse commenced, Mr Lehrmann  was aware that she was not consenting, but proceeded nonetheless, the court said in its written decision. Lehrmann filed the application for special leave to appeal against that decision in the High Court last month. Anyone needing support can contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028, Lifeline 13 11 14, and Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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NationalQueenslandPerforming arts A peek inside the long-overdue Glasshouse theatre Julius Dennis February 2, 2026  12:45pm 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

Brisbanes long-awaited new performing arts centre has opened its doors for the first time, revealing a sleek and high-tech arena designed to slip into the existing precinct. Behind the giant curved-class exterior on the second level, golden carpets lead to long, black bars where theatre-goers will order drinks in little plastic cups. Inside, 1500 rainforest green seats stretch in front of a wide stage. The room feels intimate despite the scale of the building, which required more than 6300 cubic metres of concrete and 1500 tonnes of steel, along with all that glass. The visually stunning building was four years behind schedule. David Kelly On the stage, automated fly lines and sound shells hover at the ready, replacing hand-run systems at QPACs older theatres. Backstage, 79 mirror spaces mean the theatre can easily accommodate larger performances.

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According to architect Jayson Blight, who gave a tour to media on Monday, the mission of the building was to blend into the existing centre, not cast a shadow over it. He also said the complex structure of the 217 undulating panes meant they supported themselves. There is actually no structure holding up that glass, he told the crowd, some of whom laughing nervously. Named The Glasshouse after a public survey to choose a moniker, the theatre was meant to open its doors in 2022, but flooding and COVID-19 pushed it back four years.

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Still, Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek said there was no cost blowout to match, thanks to a $184 million guaranteed construction sum contract with the builder, Lendlease. On stage at The Glasshouse. Julius Dennis The Queensland Performing Arts Centre contributed $25 million, with the rest provided by the state, he said. It certainly has taken a long time, but its really important to acknowledge that were here now, and its a wonderful theatre, Langbroek said. Public Works Minister Sam OConnor described the issues faced during the project as biblical.

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We had the floods here in 2022; we had the COVID pandemic prior to that, he said, as well as laying blame at how the former Labor government handled the CFMEU, who had a strong presence on the site throughout the project. The level foyer behind the bending glass. Julius Dennis Despite that dig, both ministers thanked the more than 2500 workers who brought the theatre to life. They should all be proud of their efforts to produce what is truly one of the most beautiful buildings in our state, OConnor said. QPAC chief executive Rachel Healy said the new 1500-seat theatre  to go along with the 2000-seat Lyric  would attract an extra 300,000 visitors to the arts precinct annually.

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The opening of the Glasshouse Theatre will also see us build on our reputation as one of Australias most dynamic and popular cultural destinations, she said. Among the first shows to be performed at The Glasshouse is the April opening of musical The Last Ship, written and performed by Sting, the story of a British community losing their shipyard. The theatre will officially open to the public on March 3. Get alerts on significant breaking news as happens. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert.
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The case of a former NRL star accused of strangling a child has returned to a Brisbane courtroom, where it was revealed on Monday that pertinent evidence had not been disclosed to his legal team.

Josh McGuire, a former Queensland Maroons star who has played for several Queensland and NSW rugby league clubs, was charged in December over the alleged strangulation of a five-year-old.

Josh McGuire was charged late last year.

McGuire received watchhouse bail after his arrest, and was expected to front court on December 17. However, in the days leading up to the hearing, his case was adjourned.

The 35-year-old did not appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.
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PoliticsVictoriaCity life How the Metro Tunnel fared on its first Monday morning peak Adam Carey February 2, 2026  10:30am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A

There were early winners and losers as commuters navigated the first morning peak on the Metro Tunnel timetable, adjusting on the go to new travel patterns. Most services ran on time, Metro Trains reported, although a train door fault forced one service to leave Arden station without stopping. Commuters file out of Town Hall station on the first Monday morning for the new Metro Tunnel timetable. Adam Carey One traveller bound for Parkville from her home in Caulfield said the more direct journey would shave 15 minutes off her commute. Others were less fortunate. One harried commuter, heading for Collingwood from his home in Cranbourne, faced a three-train journey, which added an estimated 25 minutes to his morning travel.

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At Caulfield station on Monday morning, there was plenty of congestion and confusion as passengers darted between platforms, but a strong contingent of station staff provided guidance. The crush at the platform gates caused some frustrated passengers to miss their trains, but the time penalty was modest, as city-bound trains pulled up every three to four minutes. There was a two-way rush for the myki gates at Caulfield station, causing some city-bound travellers to miss a train. Adam Carey The launch of a full timetable through the Metro Tunnel this week has changed travel patterns that have been baked in for decades. Passengers on the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines no longer travel through the City Loop, or to busy inner-city stations Richmond, North Melbourne and South Yarra.

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Announced in 2016 at a cost of $10.9 billion, the Metro Tunnel and its five underground stations ultimately cost more than $15 billion to build. The project marks the biggest upgrade to Melbournes public transport system since the City Loop opened in 1981. The Metro Tunnel opened to passengers in November but on a reduced timetable. Andreas Groell navigating a new commute on Monday morning. Adam Carey Trains on three lines will now travel through the nine-kilometre twin tunnel instead of the Loop, and interchanges will be required in order to reach Loop stations Southern Cross, Parliament and Flagstaff. Among those adapting to the new reality was Andreas Groell, who stepped off at Caulfield, trying to find his way to South Yarra.

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I have to change trains. I wasnt really aware of that, but I just realised that I have to get out and go over to the other platform, he said. Groell estimated the transfer would add five minutes to his morning trip, but said he was unfazed. Cranbourne resident Manoj Mathew estimates his commute will be 25 minutes longer. Adam Carey I was under the impression Im not actually affected by it. Thats all good, he said. Flustered traveller Manoj Mathew had just discovered he would pay a much heavier time penalty.

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He jumped off a Metro Tunnel-bound train at Malvern station  the last stop in the east where commuters can swap trains  clutching a phone with a travel app open and searching for a customer service person to direct him. He was searching for a Frankston line train to take him to Parliament, where he would then catch another train to Collingwood. University student Sara Pisacane says the new timetable will save her 15 minutes on her journey. Adam Carey It adds 25 minutes to my time. It is stressful, Mathew said. (Mathew could have sped up his commute by travelling directly to Town Hall or State Library stations to catch a Mernda or Hurstbridge line train, instead of getting off at Malvern. But Google Maps had not been updated by Monday to provide that option.)

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Medical student Sara Pisacane was in the opposite camp. Bound for the University of Melbourne for her first day of classes, she guessed her more direct journey would save her 15 minutes. Related Article Opinion

Metro Tunnel Keep hold of your timetable: Metro Tunnel is spectacular, but it wont transform Melbourne yet Cara Waters The Age city editor Rather than having to get off a train, wait for a tram, take the tram, this is just one train directly up to the uni, so it actually makes a good difference, Pisacane said. A Metro Trains spokesman said services through the tunnel performed well on Monday morning, with 99 per cent of trains running on time. Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said Monday would be the tunnels first really big test, although it is also one of the quietest days of the week for train patronage.

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Bowen said daily commuters should adapt quickly, but occasional users such as football crowds could still be surprised by the new travel patterns in the weeks ahead. I havent seen much comms around it from the government, but  they could be emphasising that people  at least coming from the south-east  could just hop off at Town Hall and walk across the bridge to the MCG, or catch a tram, which is what a lot of people from the western suburbs already do, he said. At the new Town Hall station, there were scores of first-time Metro Tunnel passengers seeking directions from staff in high-vis vests. Diem Chau had just caught a train from Noble Park and travelled into the tunnel for the first time. She said she wasnt expecting to find herself inside the new underground station, and had thought she would have a choice between catching a Metro Tunnel train or a service through the City Loop. Diem Chau didnt expect to find herself in the Metro Tunnel on Monday, but is happy with her new commute. Adam Carey

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I thought there would be two alternatives and when I got on I was like, should I get off and maybe wait for the other train? But there is actually no alternative train, Chau said. I thought it might add more time, but it actually felt faster than my normal train, which would go through Richmond, Parliament and then Melbourne Central. Even staff on the project appeared to be still adapting to the new order. When The Age asked for directions to the State Library station concourse, a customer service officer sporting a purple Team Tunnel badge initially pointed us back towards Melbourne Central. Were all getting used to it, he 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.
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PoliticsVictoriaMental health Victorian GPs to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication for it under new reforms Kieran Rooney and Daniella White February 3, 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

General practitioners in Victoria will be able to diagnose and treat ADHD for the first time under changes to be introduced by the Allan government this year. Premier Jacinta Allan will announce the changes on Tuesday, initially starting with 150 GPs who will receive accredited training by September at a cost to taxpayers of $750,000. About 150 GPs will be able to diagnose ADHD under changes to be introduced by the Allan government. Matt Davidson In Victoria, diagnosis and management generally requires a specialist. For adults, a psychiatrist can diagnose ADHD and provide an initial prescription for stimulant medication, while children need to be diagnosed and prescribed medication by a paediatrician. The state government estimates average comprehensive assessment can cost more than $2000 in out-of-pocket expenses and includes waiting times of between six and 12 months.

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In a bid to reduce waiting times and make diagnosis more affordable, the new model will allow GPs to undertake training that expands the scope of their practice and permits them to diagnose, treat and prescribe ADHD medication. Undiagnosed or untreated ADHD can have a significant effect on a persons life  whether its at school, work or in the home, Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said. Thats why these changes are so important, giving more Victorians a chance to thrive. The changes come after Queensland, NSW, South Australia and Western Australia announced similar plans last year. In May, NSW announced it would pay for GPs to undergo accredited training required for them to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication for it.

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In November, the Queensland government announced all fully qualified GPs would be able to diagnose ADHD in adults  the first and only state to open up the process without requiring further training. GPs in Queensland can already diagnose and treat children. Related Article Health It affects 800,000 Australians. Why is it so costly (and complex) to diagnose? ADHD diagnoses have become more common in Australia in recent years, with more than 800,000 people diagnosed nationally. But according to the ADHD Foundation Australia, as many as 1 million people may be living with the disorder. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, which has advocated nationally for the diagnostic changes, estimates 163,000 children and 320,000 adults in Victoria may have ADHD. According to the Murdoch Institute, one in every 20 children has it. People diagnosed in adulthood have long argued the current process is too complex and say that, with poor focus and difficulty finishing tasks being a common symptom, it acts as a barrier to those who need help.

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However, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists has previously warned that specialist involvement is crucial for ADHD care, arguing the complexity of the condition makes it a high-risk area for diagnosis. President Dr Astha Tomar said any move to grant GPs expanded prescribing powers must be anchored by specialist training and oversight from expert psychiatrists. Once the treating psychiatrist has established a diagnosis and initiated treatment, particularly medication, a shared care model can often be implemented with GPs, she said last year. This is to ensure people receive the right diagnosis, the right treatment, and the right support at all times. Tomar said there were significant risks with potential misdiagnosis of the condition. Some clinicians have raised alarms that ADHD is being overdiagnosed and overmedicated, while a smaller group of doctors has even questioned the validity of the condition itself.

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Related Article Good Weekend Why has everyone suddenly got ADHD? Professor Jon Jureidini, a child psychiatrist and spokesman for the Critical Psychiatry Network Australasia, argues the rush to label patients may overlook the true root of their distress. As an independent neurodevelopmental disorder that can be treated by specific medications  it does not exist, said Jureidini, who also heads the University of Adelaides Critical and Ethical Mental Health research group. The Allan governments changes will be introduced after a consultation process. Non-medical treatments, which will also be considered by GPs, can include behavioural therapy, psychology and education to manage treatment. The government will also argue on Tuesday that the reforms will ease pressure on psychiatrists and paediatricians  specialist services with high demand.

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Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data released in 2024 showed the number of adults using ADHD medications rose by 450 per cent in the decade between 2012-13 and 2022-23. Editor's pick Opinion

Federal Reserve Trumps hand-picked man may not do his bidding Stephen Bartholomeusz Senior business columnist According to Associate Professor John Kramer, from the RACGP, prescription rates in Australias most advantaged areas were more than double the rate in the most disadvantaged areas. The college has called for nationally consistent rules around ADHD diagnosis and prescribing. ADHD doesnt change at the state or territory line, and the rules shouldnt either, president Dr Michael Wright has said.

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The premier said: Labor is making healthcare work better for busy families by making ADHD care easier and cheaper to access. No child or family should be left behind because the system is too complex, too hard or too expensive. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
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Updated WorldEuropeEpstein fallout Baby boy: Fergie email claims Epstein had a secret child Kieran Kelly Updated February 3, 2026  9:27am ,first published 7:55am 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

London: Jeffrey Epstein had a secret child, according to a message sent to him by Sarah Ferguson. The former Duchess of York congratulated the sex offender on the birth of a baby boy after he was released from jail in 2011. The former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, in Perth last year. Chris Huzzard She offered Epstein her love, friendship and congratulations after hearing the news from The Duke  probably referring to then-prince Andrew, her ex-husband now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. In a separate document released in the latest tranche of documents related to Epstein released by the US Department of Justice on Friday, a teenage girl claims the daughter she shared with Epstein was taken away from her minutes after birth.

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The diary entry alleges that the mother gave birth in about 2002 when she was aged 16 or 17. It includes a copy of the pregnancy scan. She makes reference to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epsteins former girlfriend and associate, being present at the birth. Jeffrey Epstein (left) and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The woman, who refers to herself as a human incubator, said: She was born, I heard her cries! I saw this tiny head and body in between the doctors hands. Ghislaine said she was beautiful. Where is she? The diary entries discuss the difficulties of her childbirth and then having 10 to 15 minutes to hold and feed her before they took her.

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She is mine! I want her back!!! Distraught! she added. Other pages of the diary claim she couldnt stop shaking for a week, and that a decision had been made but she couldnt tell Jeffrey. It has never been established if Epstein had any children, despite allegedly having sexual relations with hundreds of women. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson last year. WireImage

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Karyna Shuliak, the financiers last-known girlfriend, was set to inherit most of his fortune, properties and island in a will changed shortly before his death in prison in 2019. Ferguson appeared to send a second message complaining that Epstein had disappeared after using her to get to Andrew. The correspondence is among the 3 million documents in the Epstein files released on Friday, along with 180,000 images and 2000 videos. Related Article Updated

Epstein fallout Starmer calls for Andrew to face Congress over Epstein as another accuser comes forward Ferguson featured several times in the documents, with the latest tranche revealing that she offered Epstein and his friends VIP tours of Buckingham Palace.

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The newly released emails showed that Ferguson contacted Epstein after he was released from prison for child sex offences in 2009. The files also showed that Mountbatten-Windsors relationship with Epstein continued until at least 2017, seven years after the disgraced former royal claimed to have cut off contact. Epstein never confessed to having any children while he was alive, but more than 100 people have claimed to be his offspring  with many making a claim to his fortune. Related Article Updated

Epstein fallout Under pressure: UK politician sent Epstein details of Australian mining tax In 2020, Harvey Morse, the founder of Morse Genealogical Services, a DNA firm, said Epstein may have grandchildren because he was sexually promiscuous for so long.

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There is a reasonable chance he may have fathered a child, he said. He could even be a grandfather. Morse said that 130 people approached his company after it set up a website named epsteinheirs, although more than a quarter of the claims were dismissed almost immediately. In a separate file released on Friday, a woman claimed to have created a daughter with Epstein in a beautiful fertility ritual. The validity of the claim is not known, and the Justice Department has warned that the files contain a number of untrue and sensationalist accusations. The Epstein Files Transparency Act ordered the department to release all files pertaining to Epstein by December 19, but authorities have gone well over the deadline. Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his remaining royal titles by his brother King Charles last year, was pictured kneeling over an unidentified woman in the latest documents.

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The files also included offers made by Epstein to introduce Mountbatten-Windsor to a beautiful 26-year-old Russian woman named Irina. The Telegraph, London Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on whats making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.
LANSING, Mich., Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AF Group  a Ward's 50 company whose affiliate brands are premier providers of innovative, specialty insurance solutions nationwide  has announced the promotion of Mike Valiante as president of Commercial Markets.

"Mike is an exceptional, highly respected leader who has demonstrated a clear passion for our organization and our agents and brokers," said Lisa Corless, president and CEO of AF Group. "His experience in building trusted, long-term relationships and profitable underwriting and operating strategies will serve him well in this expanded role, and we're excited to see how his vision will enhance key partnerships and our organization over the long term."

A seasoned industry executive, Valiante first joined the organization in 2011 as director of Field Operations for AF Group's Third Coast Underwriters brand and was promoted to vice president in 2013 with increasing responsibility for business development, underwriting and data and analytics. In 2020, he assumed leadership of Business Development and Operations for Accident Fund and later advanced to his most recent senior vice president role with responsibilities for small commercial markets.

"I'm grateful to Lisa for the opportunity to lead our strong Commercial Markets team and create a market-centric model rooted in our expertise in workers' compensation," said Valiante. "Our goal is to transform our products and service offerings, deliver specialized multiline solutions and further anchor our agent partnerships to reflect their immense value to our future."

Valiante earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marietta College (Marietta, Ohio) and he serves as chair of the board for Habitat for Humanity Greater Capital Region in Lansing.

About AF Group

AF Group is a nationally recognized holding company whose affiliated insurance companies are premier providers of specialty insurance solutions offered through independent agents nationwide. All policies are underwritten by a licensed insurer subsidiary. For more information, visit afgroup.com.  AF Group.

Contact:

Marissa Sura

(517) 896-3707

[email protected]

AFGroup.com

SOURCE AF Group
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Updated WorldMiddle EastIsraeli-Palestinian conflict Gazas Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopens for limited traffic in key step for ceasefire Samy Magdy and Josef Federman Updated February 3, 2026  4:00am ,first published 6:35pm 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

Cairo: A dozen Palestinian returnees were allowed into Gaza from Egypt late on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) after the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing was marred by delays. Their arrival came hours after a small group of medical evacuees was ferried from the territory into Egypt. The reopening of the crossing marked a key step in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire but mostly a symbolic one, with few people allowed to travel and no goods allowed to pass through. The limitations were apparent on Monday as crossings fell well short of the 50 people officials had said would be allowed to move in each direction. Palestinian patients board a vehicle in Khan Younis on their way to the Rafah crossing, as they leave the Gaza Strip for medical treatment abroad. AP About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care hope to leave the devastated territory via the crossing, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to enter and return home. The crossing had been closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024. The number of travellers is expected to increase over time if the system is successful. Israel has said it will vet people for exit and entry, along with Egypt.

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Ambulances queued for hours at the border before ferrying patients into Egypt, the state-run Al-Qahera News satellite television channel showed. Just before midnight, a bus arrived in Gaza carrying Palestinian returnees who had fled the fighting early in the war. As the vehicle entered the compound of a hospital in Khan Younis, a girl wearing barrettes and an older woman stood just inside the front door, waving to relatives anxious for their return. Before the war, Rafah was the main crossing for people moving in and out of Gaza. The territorys handful of other crossings are all shared with Israel. Under the terms of the ceasefire, which went into effect in October, Israels military controls the area between the Rafah crossing and the zone where most Palestinians live. Buses carrying Palestinian patients from Gaza Strip gather to leave the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel. AP Violence continued across the coastal territory on Monday. Gaza hospital officials said an Israeli navy ship had fired on a tent camp, killing a three-year-old Palestinian boy. Israels military said it was looking into the incident. Egypt prepares to receive the wounded

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Rajaa Abu Mustafa stood outside a Gaza hospital where her 17-year-old son Mohamed awaited evacuation. He was blinded by a shot to the eye last year as he joined desperate Palestinians seeking food from aid trucks outside the southern city of Khan Younis. The Health Ministry called and told us that we will travel to Egypt for [his] treatment, she said. Ambulances line up to enter the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing on the way to the Gaza Strip. AP About 150 hospitals across Egypt were ready to receive patients evacuated from Gaza through Rafah, authorities said. But the isolated crossing is separated from Cairo by a six-hour drive. The Egyptian Red Crescent said it had readied safe spaces on the Egyptian side of the border to support those evacuated. More than 10,000 patients have been evacuated from Gaza since the war began, according to the World Health Organisation. But Israels seizure of the Rafah crossing brought the pace of evacuations to a crawl, with an average of 17 patients a week leaving for most of the time since.

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Israel has banned sending patients to hospitals in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem since the war began, cutting off what was previously the main outlet for Palestinians needing medical treatment unavailable in Gaza. United Nations officials on Monday called on other countries to take in more patients from Gaza so that everyone receives the treatment they need. Trucks carrying humanitarian aid line up to cross into Gaza. AP With the crossing reopened, Gaza residents looked forward to the return of family members who fled earlier in the war. This time its real, said Iman Rashwan, anticipating the arrival of her mother and sister. They left Gaza a year ago when her mothers heart condition worsened and she was referred for treatment in Egypt.

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They called us yesterday and said they received news that they will leave, Rashwan said. We have been waiting for it for too long. The Rafah crossing will be supervised by European Union border patrol agents with a small Palestinian presence. Fearing that Israel could use the crossing to push Palestinians out of the enclave, Egypt has repeatedly said it must be open for them to enter and exit Gaza. Loading Palestinian toddler killed by Israeli fire A three-year-old Palestinian was killed when Israels navy hit tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, Palestinian hospital authorities said. According to Nasser hospital, which received the body, the attack happened in Muwasi, a tent camp area on Gazas coast.

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Also on Monday, Israels military said it killed four Palestinians in northern Gaza who approached troops near the line marking Israeli-controlled territory, posing an imminent threat to them. More than 520 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire went into effect on October 10, according to Gazas Health Ministry. They are among the over 71,800 Palestinians killed since the start of the war, according to the ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians. The ministry, part of Gazas Hamas-led government, keeps detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Rafahs opening represents ceasefire progress Israel had said seizing the Rafah crossing in May 2024 was part of efforts to combat arms-smuggling by the Hamas militant group. The crossing was briefly opened for the evacuation of medical patients during a ceasefire in early 2025.

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Israel had resisted reopening the Rafah crossing, but the recovery of the remains of the last hostage in Gaza cleared the way to move forward. Related Article Updated

Israeli-Palestinian conflict Israel recovers last hostage body, paving way for Gazas lifeline to reopen The reopening is seen as a key step as the US-brokered ceasefire agreement moves into its second phase. The truce halted more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas that began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Its first phase called for the exchange of all hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel, an increase in badly needed humanitarian aid and a partial pullback of Israeli troops. The second phase of the ceasefire deal is more complicated. It calls for installing the new Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and taking steps to begin rebuilding.

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BENGALURU, India, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Bengaluru-based aerospace components manufacturer JJG Aero has secured $30 million in Series B funding from Norwest. The capital will be deployed primarily to build and add capacity at its upcoming facility in North Bangalore, drive further vertical integration, and support other strategic initiatives. This round brings the total funding raised to $42 million and includes the $12 million Series A led by CX Partners in April 2024.

Anuj Jhunjhunwala, CEO of JJG Aero

Established in 2008, JJG Aero specializes in manufacturing high-precision machined components with in-house special process finishing capabilities, serving the aircraft systems and engines segment. The company also operates a subsidiary that serves auto component and industrial segments. JJG Aero's client roster includes American and European OEMs and Tier-1 vendors such as Collins Aerospace, Safran, GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Woodward, and Liebherr.

"The last five years have witnessed exponential growth for companies such as ours that possess the capabilities, processes, compliance standards, and customer relationships to meet global aerospace demand. The opportunity is immense. From having two small one-acre sites, we are now building a massive Unit 3 on a 10-acre site with further backward and forward integration, and space to expand into adjacencies at the opportune time," said Anuj Jhunjhunwala, CEO of JJG Aero. "The aerospace supply chain is facing an all-time high demand from aircraft manufacturers, which legacy vendors in the Western world are struggling to meet. With our strengths and value proposition, we see ourselves as a key player for precision-machined components in the aerospace ecosystem. India has emerged as an attractive destination for sourcing components and parts by global leaders, and we are excited to be selected by so many marquee clients as a strategic growth vendor."

"We are thrilled to invest in JJG Aero, our first investment in this segment. JJG Aero has demonstrated remarkable growth, with a CAGR of 35% over the last three years. This investment will enable JJG Aero not only to continue its growth trajectory through capacity addition but also to upgrade the quality of earnings by focusing on higher value-added components," said Shiv Chaudhary, Managing Director at Norwest. "Indian businesses have a proven ability to provide high-quality products and services as an outsourcing partner to customers around the world. With strong industry tailwinds, we believe that aero-parts and component manufacturing is emerging as an important segment in India's manufacturing outsourcing story. We believe JJG Aero is well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities and further solidify its presence in the market."

From simple 2-axis to complex 5-axis machining, JJG Aero offers a comprehensive range of manufacturing services, complemented by over 30 NADCAP-approved special processes, including electroplating, anodizing, paint, and NDT. The company also performs mechanical assemblies, testing, and other value-added services to its esteemed client base.

Veda Corporate Advisors acted as the sole transaction advisor on the deal.

About JJG Aero

Established in 2008, JJG Aero is a Bengaluru-based aerospace components manufacturer specializing in high-precision machined components with in-house special process finishing capabilities for the aircraft systems and engines segment. The company offers comprehensive manufacturing services from simple 2-axis to complex 5-axis machining, complemented by over 30 NADCAP-approved special processes, including electroplating, anodizing, paint, and NDT. JJG Aero serves a prestigious roster of American and European OEMs and Tier-1 vendors, including Collins Aerospace, Safran, GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, Woodward, and Liebherr. With a CAGR of 35% over the last three years, the company is expanding its capabilities through a new 200,000 sq ft facility on 10 acres in North Bangalore, targeting 1,000 Crore in annual revenue by 2032-33. JJG Aero also operates a subsidiary serving auto component and industrial segments. For more information, visit www.jjgmachining.com

About Norwest

Norwest is a global venture and growth equity investment firm managing more than $15.5 billion in capital. Since its inception, Norwest has invested in more than 700 companies and currently partners with more than 250 companies in its venture and growth equity portfolio. The firm invests in early- to late-stage businesses across key sectors with a focus on enterprise, healthcare and consumer. The Norwest team offers a deep network of connections, extensive operating experience, and a wide range of impactful services to help CEOs and founders scale their businesses. Norwest has offices in Menlo Park and San Francisco, Calif.; Mumbai, India; and Tel Aviv, Israel. In India, Norwest has a successful history in partnering with innovative companies across Financials, Industrials, Technology, Internet, Healthcare & Pharma and Consumer sectors. Some of the firm's most notable investments in India include Swiggy, Sila, Regency Health, Amagi, Infinx, and Veritas Finance. For more information, please visit www.norwest.com.

SOURCE JJG Aero
MURPHYS Craft Butchers in Tullow has just scooped a gold award in the fillet steak category at the National Irish Steak Challenge last week after their entry was deemed to be the best in Ireland.

To win was unbelievable  we are over the moon really, Jim Murphy said.

The National Irish Steak Challenge was hosted by the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland at the Butchers Expo at The Curragh Racecourse in Co Kildare. The annual challenge is only open to independent butchers, in partnership with the Fire Steakhouse and Bar Restaurant, Dublin and is sponsored by Bord Bia.

More than 25 industry professionals took part in the judging process, which saw every steak being blind tasted. The steak was cooked by the chef team led by Rickie Wilson from Fire and Sole Restaurants on grills specially installed at The Curragh Racecourse.

This year, the competition was judged by Rickie Wilson from the Fire Steakhouse in Dublin. Hes the head judge on the World Steak Challenge. It was a tougher competition this year than the previous one, Jim said.

Last weeks win wasnt the first time that the family-run butchers have taken home a prize. In 2022, they were deemed to have the best pork sausage in the world when they competed in the World Butchers Challenge, while last year they won two gold awards at the Blas na hEireann awards and won best chicken product at the 2025 meat Olympics in Paris.
Eva Osborne

A man in his 20s has been arrested as part of ongoing garda investigations into organised crime in Galway.

A residential area in Doughiska, Co Galway, was searched under warrant by the Galway Divisional Drugs Unit, assisted by members of the Regional Armed Support Unit and personnel attached to Millstreet Garda Station, on Monday.

A male in his 20s was then arrested and is currently being detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006, at a Garda station in the North Western Region.

As part of this operation, two cryptocurrency accounts containing $410,000 have been frozen, along with an account at a local financial institution holding over 20,000.

Gardai said the investigation is ongoing and further updates will follow.
DUBLIN, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LUMA Vision Ltd., a leader in next-generation cardiac 4D navigation and imaging, today announced that its proprietary VERAFEYE System will be showcased in a recorded clinical case presentation on Friday, February 6, at the upcoming AF Symposium, the world's premier scientific meeting dedicated to atrial fibrillation.

The case will be presented by Ante Anic, MD, EP Lab Director at University Hospital Split, and was performed as part of a clinical study evaluating VERAFEYE's performance in real-world ablation workflows.

"The LUMA Vision VERAFEYE System has performed extremely well during our initial 15-case series at our center," said Dr. Anic. "Its ability to rapidly generate high-quality digital anatomy and provide real-time 2D visualization has meaningfully streamlined our procedures. I'm excited to share our experience with the global EP community."

The VERAFEYE System is uniquely designed as an open, AI-driven imaging and navigation platform, integrating high-resolution 2D and 4D intracardiac imaging with automatically generated digital anatomy of both atria  created from a single right-atrial acquisition. This approach delivers real-time, four-dimensional visualization of the beating heart and enables a streamlined two-catheter ablation workflow, improving procedural efficiency and precision in a variety of procedures.

Key features of the VERAFEYE System include:

2D and 4D imaging from a single catheter

AI-driven, CT-quality anatomical model creation in ~60 seconds for both atria from a central right-atrial position

Digital steering of 2D and 4D imaging

Automated 2D view-plane ablation catheter tracking for continuous contact confirmation

In-field control of all system features

Magnetic- and image-based tracking capabilities

"We are honored to collaborate with Dr. Anic and his team in sharing this important clinical experience with the EP community at such a prominent event," said Fionn Lahart, CEO of LUMA Vision. "VERAFEYE represents a true step-change for imaging and navigation in electrophysiology. Our ability to rapidly generate highly accurate digital anatomy and leverage our AI engine across multiple procedure types positions us to become the imaging and navigation platform of the future. We are excited to move into the next phase of our journey as we prepare for our U.S. market launch later this year."

The VERAFEYE Systems navigation features are not approved for commercial use.

About LUMA Vision

LUMA Vision is a privately held medical technology company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with key operations in Munich, Germany. The company designs and develops next-generation cardiac visualization and navigation systems that empower clinicians to see and treat with unmatched precision. VERAFEYE, LUMA Vision's flagship platform, delivers a real-time, 360 intracardiac view with an unprecedented field of visualization, redefining procedural accuracy in electrophysiology and structural heart interventions. Founded by CEO Fionn Lahart and CTO Christoph Hennersperger, LUMA Vision is committed to transforming cardiac care through innovation that improves outcomes and saves lives.

Learn more at www.lumavision.com

SOURCE LUMA Vision
Taoiseach Micheal Martin today (Monday) visited areas of the country, including Carlow town and Graignamanagh, that were hit by severe flooding following the recent prolonged period of wet weather and Storm Chandra.

He was accompanied by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne and Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Kevin Boxer Moran.

They met with householders, business owners, local authority staff and community representatives in Enniscorthy, County Wexford; Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny, Carlow town and Aughrim, County Wicklow.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin in Graignamanagh today

The Taoiseach said: The last week has been devastating for many people who have seen their homes and businesses severely damaged by flooding.

I wanted to come today to meet those impacted and hear first-hand of their experiences. I also wanted to thank the local communities, local authority staff, civil defence, Irish Red Cross and other volunteers for their unfailing and relentless work to keep people safe.

I want to assure that all government departments and response agencies are fully focused on protecting properties and alleviating flooding to the greatest extent possible over the period ahead.

The quay covered with mud after the water receded in Graignamanagh

In coming here today, I also wanted to ensure that schemes designed to support people after such events are reaching all those who need them.

With Minister James Browne and Minister Kevin Boxer Moran, we heard today from those most impacted and discussed the OPW and local authority flood alleviation works planned for each of the areas we visited.

Changes in our climate are increasing the frequency and severity of flooding events, and we are seeing flooding now in places we didnt before. This new reality is one to which we must swiftly respond in order to protect lives, livelihoods and property into the future.

I am determined that we make demonstrable progress on flood warning systems and defences, and I will be engaging with government colleagues and officials on this.
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Dozens of citizens and environmental activists gathered in North Macedonias capital, Skopje, to demand stronger action against air pollution, placing particular focus on the operations of the Usje Cement Factory.

The protest was organized at the initiative of the civic movement Stop Usje and began in front of the Government Building, where demonstrators called on authorities to prioritise public health and environmental protection over industrial interests.

Protesters urged the cement plant to fully comply with environmental standards and called for stricter oversight of its emissions. After gathering outside government offices, demonstrators marched toward the parliament building and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning to amplify their demands.

Activist Aleksandar Todeski said state institutions must act in the interest of citizens rather than polluters, warning that protests would continue until concrete measures are taken.

Skopje is frequently listed among the most polluted cities in Europe and globally, with the Usje Cement plant (Titan Group) often cited as a major contributor to harmful air emissions.

In December 2025, the Skopje Metropolitan City Council approved a decision authorizing Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski to approach the government on relocating the factory away from residential areas, a move protesters say must now be urgently pursued.
HOUSTON, Feb. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- McDermott has been awarded a decommissioning definition engineering contract by QatarEnergy for the State of Qatar's inaugural offshore decommissioning initiative.

Under the contract scope, McDermott will develop a comprehensive technical and commercial framework and conduct detailed techno-economic studies to ensure the safe and systematic retirement and removal of 27 aging offshore platforms. This encompasses all associated subsea infrastructureincluding subsea cables and pipelineslocated in the Al-Karkara, Idd El-Shargi and Maydan Mahzam fields. Leveraging its deep knowledge of these assets and global expertise in strategic offshore decommissioning, McDermott will deliver a solution that prioritizes safety, efficiency and environmental responsibility.

"As the first decommissioning project of its kind in the country, and given the scale of assets to be retired, this award represents a significant milestone and an exciting new chapter for McDermott, QatarEnergy and the State of Qatar," said Mike Sutherland, McDermott Senior Vice President, Offshore Middle East. "We are uniquely positioned to deliver a landmark framework that will set new industry benchmarks and establish best-in-class standards for future decommissioning efforts in the region and beyond."

"McDermott has installed the majority of Qatar's offshore assets," added Neil Gunnion, Qatar Country Head and Vice President, Operations. "We are proud to apply decades of experience to continue delivering innovative, lifecycle-focused energy solutions through our long-standing, trusted partnership with QatarEnergy."

McDermott's world-class engineering expertise, combined with its deep understanding of the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) phases, ensures a seamless transition from decommissioning definition engineering to execution. By prioritizing safety at every stage and developing environmentally responsible removal strategies tailored to the complexities of offshore operations, McDermott minimizes operational risk while advancing sustainable project delivery.

Definition engineering will commence immediately and be led from McDermott's office in Doha.

About McDermott

McDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. Our customers trust our technology-driven approach engineered to responsibly harness and transform global energy resources into the products the world needs. From concept to commissioning, McDermott's innovative expertise and capabilities advance the next generation of global energy infrastructureempowering a brighter, more sustainable future for us all. Operating in over 30 countries, McDermott's locally-focused and globally-integrated resources include more than 30,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

McDermott cautions that statements in this communication which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected scope and execution of the project discussed in this press release. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit or capital markets; our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog; changes in project design or schedules; the availability of qualified personnel; changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties; changes in industry norms; actions by lenders, other creditors, customers and other business counterparties of McDermott and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This communication reflects the views of McDermott's management as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.

Contacts:

Global Media Relations

Reba Reid

+1 281 588 5636

[email protected]

SOURCE McDermott International, Ltd
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Ferris Robinson Previous Next

First of all, groundhogs are described as rodents, defined as a gnawing mammal of an order that includes rats, mice, squirrels, hamsters, porcupines and their relatives, distinguished by strong constantly growing incisors and no canine teeth.

Yes, the word rodent is off-putting. It always brings to mind Willard to me, a movie character my father imitated incessantly after we saw the not-a-family film about a terrifying rat.

But Lowndes Robinson couldnt help but notice a bulky cat-sized animal scurrying around on the roof his Top Flight office overlooked. On the third floor, Lowndes noticed the animal every single day and assumed somehow it was climbing up and down somehow. How else could it get up to a third-story roof? After a quick google, he started leaving food and water out for it. But then he noticed the animal was getting thinner. Weaker.

Lowndes called a company that trapped animals and learned the groundhog was trapped on the roof; it was not getting up and down after all. Other folks at Top Flight got involved, including James Skipper, Teresa Gibson, Hannah Templeton, Belinda Morris, Shea Longshore, Mike Howard and Wejun Robinson.

Every night, the groundhog, now named Leia Roofwalker, clambered down the heat exhaust pipes that vented on the third floor roof in order to keep warm. After her plight was realized, she was treated to a buffet array of colorful chopped vegetables and fresh water by an army of concerned Top Flight employees. Sliced bananas, broccoli, almonds, peanuts, apples, carrots  the large metal bowl was refilled - and finished - every day. Rodent or not, LR was a guest of sorts at Top Flight, and the folks there are nothing if not big hearted and loving and hosts extraordinaire.

The creature probably had been destined for a hearty meal for a large bird of prey that wasnt strong enough to carry it through the sky. Luckily, that bird managed to make it past the interstate and the river and any other roof that wouldnt be visible to folks who cared.

Lowndes contacted Opie Acres Animal Encounter, and they managed to humanly trap LR. They said she wouldnt have made it through the winter if shed been released into the wild. She is healthy and in good shape considering her stressful ordeal, but she is very thin and needs a little TlC.

Shell winter at Opie Acres, and hopefully be released into the wild in the spring if she can take care of herself. If not, she will spend the rest of her days at Opie Acres, will plenty of visits from Lowndes and the Top Flight crew.

Opie Acres is part of the Chattanooga Audubon Society, which is dedicated to protecting our cherished land, resident creatures and rich history. The four nature sanctuaries CAS serves are Audubon Acres, Maclellan Island, Audubon Mountain and Mackey Branch Wetlands. It provides educational programs for all ages, with a special focus on reaching out to traditionally underserved groups in our area.

With no government funding, CAS and Opie Acres exist through the generosity of our community. Please consider supporting it if you believe in its mission. Go to chattanoogaaudubon.org to donate or learn more.

* * *

Ferris Robinson is the author of three childrens books, The Queen Who Banished Bugs, The Queen Who Accidentally Banished Birds, and Call Me Arthropod in her pollinator series If Bugs Are Banished. Making Arrangements is her first novel and is available in paperback and on Kindle. Dogs and Love - Stories of Fidelity is a collection of true tales about mans best friend. She is the editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror.
Middle Valley Church of God, located at 1703 Thrasher Pike in Hixson, announces that Music Pastor Kelly Selby will be preaching on Sunday, February 8, in the 10:30 a.m. service.All are welcome to participate.





Each Sunday at 5:30 p.m. , the church conducts a Prayer Meeting. The Prayer Meeting is open to all who wish to participate and is designed to encourage prayer. Information on various methods of prayer will be shared with participants. The goal of this prayer meeting is to encourage Believers to seek God through prayer. All are welcome to participate.





Each Wednesday at 7 p.m., an Interactive, Interesting, and Informative Bible Study will be held in the church auditorium. Craig Paul is currently leading this Bible study. All are welcome to participate. The goal of this Bible study is to encourage Believers to study the Bible and discuss with others, making the Scripture their guide.





Middle Valley Church of God is a community focused church with various ministries in the Middle Valley area and in Cusuna, Honduras. The community is welcome to join in times of worship and community service. MVCOG has been ministering in the Middle Valley Community since 1946 from the same location. If you have questions, please contact the church office at 423.843.1539. All are welcome.
Pictured, left to right, standing: Pam Randolph and Sharon Schier; seated: Laura Bales Regent Carolyn Caulkins presents Laura Bales with a "Certificate of Appreciation" for her many years of service in the Moccasin Bend Chapter. Pictured, left to right: Carolyn Caulkins and Laura Bales Laura Bales is holding the certificate she received when she became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution Laura Bales holds a card from the Moccasin Bend Chapter congratulating her on being a member of the chapter for 50 years Previous Next

The Moccasin Bend Chapter met at the home of Laura Bales to celebrate her 50th anniversary membership in the chapter.

Ms. Bales joined the Moccasin Bend Chapter on Jan. 30, 1976. She was regent of the Chapter from 2005-2007. Prior to becoming regent, she served the chapter in several offices including first vice regent and historian.

Members of the Moccasin Bend Chapter presented her with a cake, flowers and a certificate of appreciation for her many years of service in the chapter.

"The Moccasin Bend Chapter is happy to honor this dedicated lady," officials said.